Ish with Random Stuffs

Epic Dance Concept!

2011-02-08T00:06:00.000-08:00

I was surfing through the web on my Facebook account when a friend posted something that caught my attention.. I clicked on it, played the video and watched.. then I couldn't stop smiling!

Has anyone seen 5 characters dancing gracefully in one tune and in 100% synchronicity? Sure, we have seen it.. But how about this video?

Michael Jackson 5 in 1 <-- Click This to see the video.. :)

$178 Later

2011-01-29T17:57:00.000-08:00

9:45 AM, Monday, January 25, 2011

I brought tire to Sears Auto Center. I had them check my the puncture or cause of deflation of my tire. Eventually they found the hole and unfortunately, it is on the side wall, making the tire unrepairable. I had to purchased a new tire that costs $140 plus installation fee and taxes that totals to $178!

Lessons learned:
1. Having 22" rim on a heavy sedan (Cadillac CTS) = Good
- With a flat tire, the car still kept going without any unnoticeable change in handling or stability. Car's ride height didn't change much. That's without a run-flats.

2. Replacing one of these big tires is too expensive.
- These tires cost twice as much as a regular tire.

5:45 PM

I went back to Sears Auto Center to pick up my new tire. They installed it in just a few minutes and re-checked all tire pressures. I went home straight after paying the whole cost and damn, it really hurts in my pocket.. Hopefully this new tire will last for a year or so..

My Flat Tire and AAA Roadside Assist Experience

2011-01-26T00:25:00.000-08:00

January 24, 2010 at 12:00 AM

I drove to Long Beach together with my younger brother to to take our cousin home. The road is almost empty. It's dark and you can't see a thing past where my headlights cover.

12:45 AM

We arrived at my cousin's house. We dropped him off and we headed back home. On our way back, we had a detour because the junction from 710-N to 91-E is closed. I had to take 91-W and exit on the next ramp, and take the opposite ramp towards 91-E.

Around 1:00 AM to 1:10 AM

When we got back on track, I noticed that one of the tires on my side (the driver side) sounds a bit louder than it used to when i run over a reflector in the freeway. I kinda wondered why and thought that maybe i have a flat tire but the the handling of the car hasn't changed. It doesn't feel heavy to turn or change lane. It doesn't shake. And it doesn't pull to the side. So I just kept on going for a little bit farther..

A few miles later...

I still can't get the loud sound off my mind so I decided to pull over. I took the exit ramp in Norwarlk just after the 91 and 605 junction. I stopped in the parking in front of Jollibee, located near Seafood City.

1:15 AM

I was surprised to see my left front tire flat, and as I get closer to the tire, I could hear air escaping. I remembered that I have a spare tire in my trunk so I went ahead and checked. Then I realized that I don't have the needed tool to remove the cover for the wheel locks! Great!

1:20 AM

I had to call Roadside Assist. I gave AAA a call and after a few information gathering, I was told that help will arrive at around 45 minutes to 1 hour. Great! So I decided to take a nap or at least close my eyes.

1:30 AM

I heard a beeping sound of a backing-up truck. When I looked outside the car, the tow truck was already there! Wow that was fast! The guy helped us out. He changed my flat tire into my spare tire and he made sure that the tires have the right pressure. After a signature, he then left.

2:00 AM

We were back on the road. Of course, my brother is asleep.. Gosh, he snores like a boat!

2:30 AM

We arrived home. I was tired and sleepy already so I went straight to bed after changing clothes.. And that's the reason why this post is late.. LOL!

Netflix: Satisfies Your Craving on Movies

2011-01-20T22:08:00.000-08:00

Netflix eh? Yes! Netflix! N, E, T, F, L, I, X. Netflix! Ok, so what is Netflix? Come on people, use Google to search it up.. Just kidding!

*Netflix is a service offering online flat rate DVD and Blu-ray disc rental-by-mail and video streaming in the United States. Established in 1997 and headquartered in Los Gatos, California, it has amassed a collection of 100,000 titles and approximately 10 million subscribers.

Fortunately, I am one of that approximately-10-million subscribers and I'm really happy being one. I have a monthly payment of $13.99 and that comes with unlimited movie streaming anytime, anywhere plus unlimited rental of 2 DVDs of my choice (using DVD Queue) delivered to my doorstep at a time and without due dates or penalty fees! So for me, this service is really worth getting. It's really cheap compared to other services like Blockbuster or even the $1 per night rental on RedBox! But of course, there's a catch. Not all the new releases are available in Netflix for streaming nor with a DVD. You'll gonna have to wait a little bit longer for those movies.

Interested now in Netflix? Wait! Don't leave my site yet! Let me tell you first how I maximize the DVDs I get per month!

How to get More DVD Movies in Netflix:

The number of DVDs you get is also affected by your plan, the higher the number of DVDs that can be delivered at your home greatly affects this but the trick is still the same. I'll use my current monthly plan as an example. As soon as I get the DVDs, I try to watch them the same day at night. Then I would mail them right away. But, it's not that simple. If you try to land those mailing dates on specific dates, you can get more DVDs per week. I always try to mail my DVDs back to netflix on every Monday in the morning for them to receive it on Tuesday, before the end of Tuesday, they would have sent me DVDs already and will arrive on Wednesday, I'll watch them at night, send them back on Thursday, they receive it Friday and mails me back with another 2 DVDs. I will then get it on Saturday and can watch it over the weekend then repeat the cycle. With that, I can get up to 6 DVDs per week, or 24 DVDs a month! If I try to rent 24 DVDs from redbox and returning them the next day, I would need to spend $24! That's $10 more than Netflix! And don't forget that you could also stream movies and videos with no limits with Netflix!

Too much for an endorsement huh? LOL! No worries guys. I am not getting paid for this nor an affiliate of them. I am just one of those happy, satisfied customers.

* Definition from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netflix

So What Really is AdSense?

2011-01-20T21:27:00.000-08:00

When I started, all i knew was that AdSense is a program from Google that you can use to put ads on your website and get paid for it if someone visits your site, gets interested with ads, then clicks them. Pretty simple you think? It's not that easy..

AdSense also have rules of course. Like you can't click the ads on your own website. You also can't use another computer to click on them coz that's cheating. You can't also ask someone to click the ads for you with a promise of an incentive of any sort. To make it short and simple, you can't do anything except customizing where they go in your website, what size, or form, and of course, advertise your website to generate more traffic.

Anyway, I have received messages too that AdSense is just a big scam! Wait! What?! A scam? How? Well, some says that whenever they reach, or before they reach the minimum cap ($100), AdSense would close their account, claiming that the account had fraudulent activities to generate money.

So I tried to investigate a little bit. I visited several blog sites of people that I don't know of and asked the owner and the followers of those sites if they have gotten any payment from AdSense since they started using it. To my surprise and disappointment, out of 50 blogs with at least 10 responses from different followers, only 1 has claimed to have received payment from AdSense. That one single person also noted that he got payed when he closed his account way before he got $100 earnings. The rest of them who didn't get paid either have had their account closed by Adsense account before their earnings reached the $100 minimum or their account was closed right after they reached $100 minimum, both scenario being claimed by AdSense that the accounts had fraudulent activities but won't disclose any information regarding the violations that were committed.

So what do you guys think? I'm planning to investigate further and try to ask more people. I'll keep my AdSense also and will wait till I reach the $100 minimum then see what happens. Will I join the majority of people who didn't get paid, or will I be with the only person I have talked to that got paid coz he closed his account prematurely?

Sushi, Katsu, and a Busy Day at Work

2011-01-17T21:47:00.000-08:00

It's Monday, people haven't gone back to their "working mode" status yet. But not our department! We were bombarded with lots of things to today. There's the monthly re-cap that we need to start already. Then mountains of documents that are needed to be filed in their proper places. Add a bunch more of requests of making new forms!

Anyway, this post isn't just about that. First, let's talk about.. our lunch! Ok ok.. so on with the story..

I and my co-worker Brigitte were so hungry already at around 11:00am. So we decided to just eat sushi in a nearby Japanese restaurant called Ricky's Sushi for lunch. We ordered a Japanese Gyoza for an appetizer then I ordered a Chicken Katsu which comes with a cup of rice and a serving of salad. But guess what my hungry friend ordered? She ordered a Ricky Spicy Spicy (a chef special) and a Volcano Roll (another chef special LOL!).

Here are some pictures..

Japanese Gyoza

(I know I know.. some pieces are already missing.. Blame Brigitte!)

The Volcano Roll
(Comes with Scallops on Top)

This is the Ricky Spicy Spicy

(This one has Salmon Belly)

What? Where's my Chicken Katsu? I already ate it! Oh the picture? Yes we took a picture. I'm still waiting for Brigitte to email it to me though.. I'll update this post as soon as I receive the rest of the pictures.

Feeling hungry now? Me too. I felt hunger again as soon as I saw the pictures.. Anyway.. on with the story..

It took us more than an hour for our lunch. Not because we ate so slow. It's because the food takes a long time to reach your table. Why? Your order is freshly made ofcourse! The store is being run by only 2 people, Ricky (the owner), and another guy whom I think is a very close friend. They're really nice. The taste of the food they serve is excellent from the presentation till the moment that the last drop of taste leaves your tongue.

It's our 2nd time to eat there (1st one was a to-go order though) and we already love the place. I'll give it a 4.5 out 5 based on the food quality, the cleanliness of the place, and the hospitality of the staff. If not for the slow time of serving the food, I would have easily give it 5 stars!

Ok, back to work.. I normally get around 2-3 requests about forms to be made in a week. But today, just for today only, I got 22 different forms! And they needed them all today! Typing out a new form is easy, fitting it on a specific template is the hard part, specially when you need to take into consideration how the form will be used, where the holes will be put, or how it will affect the chart.

I tried to finish everything but sadly, my wrists are hurting already. So I had to stop. There's something called "Tomorrow" anyway.. I got off from work at around 8:30 PM (I know! Overtime again $_$). Went straight to my car after clocking out and vroom! Off to go home.. and I'm now here.. posting this thing.. :P

Clean Your Computer

2011-01-16T19:55:00.000-08:00

Is your computer running so slow now compared to when you have just bought it? Yes? Then don't get frustrated any more.

I'll be featuring some programs that could help you with PC problems. I'll be including a how-to guide from configuring to using them..

And to start it off.. Let me introduce this trust-worthy program I've been using for the past years that has helped me a lot from simply cleaning up and removing junk from my computer to worse cases like cleaning a virus infections that my anti-virus have failed to block or removed.

Piriform's CCleaner

1. Download and install CCleaner from Piriform's Website.

2. Once, installed, run the program. But do not just skip the next few steps.

3. Click Options, then Advanved.

4. Uncheck "Only delete files in Windows Temp folders older than 24 hours".

5. Now go to "Cleaner" (an icon with a broom).

6. Under "Windows", make sure everything is checked except for the last one, which is "Wipe Free Space".

7. You will receive notifications on some of the options but just accept them.

8. Under "Applications" tab, do the same thing, make sure everything is checked.

9. Now on the bottom right, click "Run Cleaner"

10. You will then see a progress bar on the top. When it is done, see how much space junk files are using in your hard drive. Don't be shocked if it reaches more than 1GB!

11. Now click "Registry" (an icon with building blocks).

12. This is the Registry Cleaner. Make sure everything is checked.

13. Click "Scan for Issues" and wait for the progress bar to reach 100%

14. Once it's done, you will notice the button "Fix selected issues..." lit up and available now. Click it.

15. You will be asked if you wanna create a backup for your registry.

16. For me, it's not necessary for these registry files aren't used anymore. Your computer will regenerate them again anyway if you access something that doesn't have a corresponding registry. But still, it's up to you.

17. It will then ask you again if you again what to do with the registry files that were found to have errors.
18. Just click "Fix All Selected Issues"

19. It will then delete these errors from your system registry.

20. Once done, try running the Registry Cleaner again for a couple of times more.

21. Sometimes, you will notice that there are still registry errors after cleaning up. Why is this so? Because some registry entries refer to another registry entry or file that creates a registry entry. After 2-3 cycles, you'll have a completely clean registry.

22. Now you're done! Try restarting your computer and see it speed up a bit.

23. For a more advanced cleaning up, just message me or leave it on the comments. I will guide you through it step by step.

Plants VS Zombies

2011-01-16T18:49:00.000-08:00

Have you tried to play the game Plants VS Zombies? If you don't know what I'm talking about, here's a screenie from the game:

Basically, you fill up your lawn with plants to defend your house against invading zombies. It's really fun and addicting! You guys need to try it!

Anyway, this post isn't all about the game itself.. I've been looking for something else related to this game but I couldn't find something that I could really get. Until..

Until I accidentally stumbled into this website while surfing the web. The owner of this site is selling PVZ Plush Toys made by hand through a special order!

Here's a picture of the plushies:

Here are more pictures!

The Pea Shooter

Walnut

Sunflower (with the guys)

Snow Pea

Garlic

Split Pea

and the Poor Half-Eaten Walnut

How about some zombies too? Introducing:

Flag Zombie

and..

Bucket Zombie

Aren't they so adorable? LOL! I think I'll want some of those outside our garden.. *wink wink*

Pictures credited to the owner of: http://www.arixystix.com

Lucid Dreams

2011-01-15T05:03:00.000-08:00

Has any one of you ever encountered a dream that you felt like you were awake but couldn't move, speak, or do anything? I'm writing this post because it just happened to me last night.. and it's so scary! My dream went like this..

I was really sleepy last night so I went ahead and tried to go to sleep. Normally, I face towards my right side whenever I sleep. And as soon as I closed my eyes, I felt like my whole energy inside my body was drained out in an instant. I tried to open my eyes. It was so dark but I could still recognize the silhouette of the door. I tried to get out of bed to get some water but then, I couldn't move! My whole body was paralyzed! I started to get nervous. I did everything I could to drag myself out of bed. Then I fell off the bed! So, I was awakened (or so i thought). I drank the remaining water on top of my bedside table and I felt relieved. I then went back to bed and closed my eyes.

A few minutes later, the same thing happened again! But this time, I was not paralyzed totally. I even managed to drag myself out of the door before i tripped and fell on the floor just outside my parents' room. But wait.. How come I didn't hit anything? I mean, the moment I fell, I should have hit the door. I should have hit the cabinet too and made a loud noise. What's going on? Then I realized, I must have been dreaming the same way again. And almost instantly, I found myself lying in bed, facing towards my right side, and hugging a hotdog pillow. I thought everything is ok now. But when I tried to turn to my left side, I couldn't move! I'm paralyzed again! I tried to exert everything that was left on me to move. But the moment that my body started turning, My eyes suddenly opened up. And now I'm fully awake. It was that time when I realized that I had been probably dreaming while on another dream, and I have just woke up.
Since I was kinda freaked out and scared, I made a quick search with my bestfriend, Google, and I found out that such phenomenon really happens. And it's called a "Lucid Dream".

From Cupid to Psyche: Full Version

2011-01-15T04:22:00.000-08:00

Here's the full version of that letter I posted earlier that cupid made for psyche:

It was the 20th of January 09 when we first talked..

Like a snap, we became friends..
Over the days, we came close and closer..
Valuing every single moment we're together..
Eventually, we fell inlove with each other..

You're there.. and I am here..Over a thousand miles apart..
Undoubtedly longing for each other..

Before, you were just a friend..
And now you are my life..
Baby you have captured my heart..
Yes, I love you, even if you break it apart.

Kindly tell me what your heat desires..
Even though it's hard, I'll try to provide..
Endless moments of joy and laughter..
Can't really say if it'll last forever..
How I wish we'll always be together..

New Zodiac Signs? WTH?

2011-01-15T03:50:00.000-08:00

Well, I was at work when I learned about this New Zodiac Signs. I was like "wth?" O.O
So I asked my bestfriend Google about it 'coz I wasn't sure about what everyone was talking about. And guess what? After years and years of being a Gemini, I'm now going to become a Taurus? O.O

Here's the New Zodiac Signs with the new corresponding days and months.

Aries : April 19 to May 13
Taurus : May 14 to June 19
Gemini : June 20 to July 20
Cancer : July 21 to August 9
Leo : August 10 to September 15
Virgo : September 16 to October 30
Libra : October 31 to November 22
Scorpio : November 23 to November 29
Ophiuchus : November 30 to December 17
Sagittarius : December 18 to January 18
Capricorn : January 19 to February 15
Aquarius : February 16 to March 11
Pisces : March 12 to April 18

Ok, now some of you would probably be wondering (just like me earlier) what the heck was Ophiuchus. Here are some details regarding the new zodiac and it's discovery:

According to astrologial principles, the Sun travels from the constellation Scorpius and goes directly into the sign of Sagittarius, but due to the constant motion of the cosmos, the Sun enters, for a few days of the year, the star constellation 'Ophiuchus' before entering Sagittarius from Scorpius, thus creating astrologically the birth of a thirteenth sign of the Zodiac, which is named as Ophiuchus the Serpent Holder.
The constellation of Ophiuchus is the only sign of the Zodiac which is linked to a real man. This man lived in ancient Egypt around the 27th century BC, and his name was Imhotep. The attributes of Imhotep can also be found in the Biblical Hebrew man Joseph, son of Jacob.. Imhotep is credited with many accomplishments including the knowledge and use of medicine. It is said of Imhotep that he brought the art of healing to mankind.The symbol of a serpent, which is still widely used today to represent the medical profession, was used to represent Imhotep. Imhotep was also known as 'Aesclepius' to the ancient Greeks

ATTRIBUTES THAT DESCRIBE THE SIGN OF OPHIUCHUS
• interpreter of dreams, premonitions
• attracts good luck
• serpent holder
• lofty ideals
• a seeker of peace and harmony
• doctor of medicine or science
• to add, increase, join or gather together
• poetical, inventive nature, expanding
• seeks higher education
• overseer, supervisor of work
• fame - either grand or completely misunderstood
• longevity, aspirations of healing the ills of man
• architect, builder, reaches for the stars
• tax assessor or levys taxes
• astrological talents, intuitive
• large family indicated, but apt to be separated from them when young
• the number twelve holds great significance
• foresight to benefit from hard times
• has secret enemies in family or close associations
• many jealous of this subject
• notable father, apple of father's eye when young
• high position in life expected [depending on aspects] highest fame and legend comes after death however
• feelings of granular, wise,
• likes to wear clothing of vibrant colors
• receives the favor of those in charge
Ophiuchus in the Planetary Zodiac:
The planet Pluto was found in Ophiuchus until the end of 2003, after which it passed into Serpens Cauda, the Serpent's Tail. The Centaur object, the minor planetoid Chiron, was visible against the stars of Ophiuchus until November 2001, after which it passed over the border into Sagittarius. Venus and Mercury can be found in Ophiuchus for a time each year.

* Information derived from: New Zodiac Sign 2012

From Cupid to Psyche

2011-01-15T03:13:00.000-08:00

The following letter was made by ~*Cupid for ~*Psyche a while back then.. Let's read along to see the message..

TO: ~*Psyche,

Kindly tell me what you're heart desires..
Even thought it's hard, I'll try to provide..
Endless moments of joy and laughter..
Can't really say if it'll last forever..
How I wish we'll always be together..

FROM: ~*Cupid

Here's the actual letter by the way..

Never Thought I'd Know You

2011-01-15T03:07:00.000-08:00

The following was once a dedication for someone i have valued in my life. I made this years ago and I was kinda surprised to see it in my old old blog. I wonder who would be the 1st one to notice whom i dedicated this for.

*** Never Thought I'd Know You ***

Miles apart we are..

Yet it happend though we're afar..

Did destiny brought us together..

Eventually time will reveal FOREVER..

Aren't things so surprising..

Right now, you're my everything..

Will you really be forever mine..

I wanna know.. but that needs time..

For now I only know one thing..

Endless happiness is what you bring..

Red roses bloom each day..

Unbelievable as they sway..

Beautiful but really thorny..

Yet so pretty as you hug me..

And now that time reveals something..

No one knows what it could bring..

Nice and easy, things should be..

Even if destiny forbids, our dreams will become reality.

EDIT: Found the actual file, here it is..

Welcome Back

2011-01-15T02:49:00.000-08:00

Ok ok.. So, I've decided to go back to blogging (again). Why? No clue either, maybe just for fun? Or I could just be seeking something to waste my extra time (wait, what? do i really have extra?).

Well since I'm back to blogging, I'd probably be pulling out my old blog posts from my previous (and really really old) blog. In a few minutes, or maybe hours, or days.. I'll be posting them..

To all my visitors (if ever i have any), please enjoy your stay, and have fun reading!

Thank you in advance.

- The Author