WHAT ELLES?

Samsung C322 from Flasher Cellphone Repair and Accessories

noreply@blogger.com (eLLe) — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 06:23:00 +0000

I recently purchased a Samsung mobile device at Flasher Cellphone Repair and Accessories located on the 3F of SM Southmall last January 25. I was so excited to unbox it because this unit will solve the hassle of me carrying two phones. When I reached home, I was exploring the functions of my recent purchase. I have been a Samsung user for quite a while now and there really is no difference with this one except for it dual sim functionality. While I was waithing for it's factory charge to run out I noticed that the unit restarts on its own. I said it was no big deal because I also experience that on my other phones but the restarting wouldn't stop to the point that it became so irritating. I said this isn't normal. So I decided to put it back in the box planning to return it to the store the following day.

On the 26th, I again walked back in the same store and explained what happened. The saleslady brought the unit to the samsung stall on the same floor. The Technician said just go ahead and replace the unit since it was just purchased yesterday. So they gave me a new unit except off course the aaccessories.

I was very happy with the new one though the unit still restarts from time to time, it wasn't as annoying as the first unit. So I could settle for this one hoping that it wouldn't get worse. I researched the web and found out that most C322 users also experience the same problem.

Friday night came, The phones dual sim functionality doesn't work like that of the "China Phones" that also has the same feature. This has a button for switching sim for out-going calls and texts. It was the feature that hurdled me to give the unit a 10 on the rating. What I did was I tried to change the theme for one sim so I can distinguish one from the other. I tried using the Sienna theme. After that I noticed a white dot on the upper part of the screen. It was definitely a dead pixel. It was not obvious on the default theme because it was bright but it was annoyingly obvious on the Sienna one.

Saturday night, I came walking back to the same store to again reason with them. This time the y refered me to the Samsung Service Center at SM Mall of Asia saying that the warranty will cover it. They shoo-ed me like a fly! So I went directly to the Samsung store on the same floor which by the way is also owned and oprerated Flasher. I saw the Sales lady who I bought the unit from. The technician was also there. I explained everything and then the man from flasher store went there. I thought he was the owner, cause while everyone is wearing their uniforms this one is casually wearing a shirt and shorts. He asked if maybe I dropped the unit.

I mean Duh! Look at it. My unit has Screen protector and a hard case. I wanted to ask him if that's how he handles his phone cause it sure isn't my way. The Technician who checked his own unit noticed the spot himself but they really can't do anything about it. That I should bring it to the service center. I insisted that why should I if the unit they gave me was defective on the first place.

They were like at a lost cause I can see from the way they blankly stare at each other they have no Idea. Then they said If I want I could just leave my unit with them and I said unless you'll give me a spare phone to use, the answer is no. We came to the last resolution which is, they'll call me today, Sunday if they'll change the unit or not and as expected their answer didn't change. I still need to bring the unit to the service center.

So, consumers out there beware!

Imagine, you buy a brand new unit from a reputable mall (I wish I could say the same to the Vendor) only to find out that the unit you got was as good as a second hand one.

I would like to quote some text from the DTI website.

Why is the presence of a “No Return, No Exchange” notice considered deceptive?

Such statement is considered deceptive because consumers may return or exchange the goods or avail of other remedies, in case of hidden faults or defects, or any charge the buyer was not aware of the time of purchase. By provision of law, sellers are obligated to honor their implied warranties and grant corresponding remedies to consumers.

Can a store exercise only a policy of exchange but not refund?

Consumers are entitled to either an exchange or refund, as long as there is a defect in the quality of goods or imperfection in the service.

Is there a time limit within which a buyer may return defective products?

There is no hard-and-fast rule on the period within which a customer may return the products he purchased. A rule of reason should, however, be observed, taking into consideration the nature of the item purchased and the express / implied warranties mandated by law, i.e. Consumer Act and the New Civil Code of the Philippines.

Can a store impose the condition that merchandise can only be exchanged once?

No, because merchandise can be exchanged as many times, as long as the consumer chooses the option of replacement.

Why should the consumer burden the problem of bringing the units to the service centers when they were defective on the first place. Even the big malls offer the 7 day return policy right? Why should this store be any different?

Know your rights!

Just Get Me There...

noreply@blogger.com (eLLe) — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 07:32:00 +0000

I know that with this, I'll just be stating the obvious, but you know what they say you'll never really feel the frustration until you're on them magic shoes...

Taxi's become a scarce commodity during the wee hours of the night in the Metro especially now that Christmas is just a few days away. Well last night I had the chance to experience this personally.

I was with a couple of new found friends in Macapagal ave. Already done with the fun stuff and ready to call it a night when in fact it was already in the A.M. From where we are standing, I could see a lot of wanna be passengers who stood there restless waiting and maybe praying that they could already catch their rides home. The funny part is that there are a lot of taxis in the area and most of them, empty. I know that this is a common thing but man, I felt really helpless last night. Yeah I could list down the plates of those b*st*rds who refuse to convey passengers but I said to myself what good will it do me. You can see them one by one pulling over to the side of the road as they try to negotiate the fare for their service with their prospective preys.

If your destination is a li'l off, you get turned down. If you wanna use the meter, you get turned down. If you look suspicious they won't even bother stopping but hey I think that ones fair... The plate number's diffrent so is the face of the driver but their modus is just the same. They ask for your destination... When you thell them they try to think a little and they ask you, how much do you usually pay. If you say you don't know, they'll drop a very unreasonable figure in your face.

My Destination was Las Piñas City and the route is through Coastal Rd. The first cab made an offer 350. The 2nd one 500. The 3rd one 300. Funny huh? It's like an old game show called "If the price is right".

It took us quite a while before we got to sit inside a cab. I made an offer. He thought about if for a while and boom! The next thing we know we're on our way to LP. The driver tried to make small talk by trying to justify that what he and his fellow cab drivers are doing is wrong but he said they just hope that the commuting public will just try to understand and blah blah blah. He said a lot but these are just some of the few words that registered the rest are just noise.

So if this shall happen to you, report it to :

7890 - DOTC Action Center

Don't forget to also get the following information:

Plate Number of the Cab
Operator Name or Taxi Name
Cab Model, Color, Etc.
The Time and Date

I just thought if the CCTV's that the MMDA installed all throughout Metro Manila can see this. If not why not require the operators to install their own cctv's inside their cabs. It will also serve as a security device for their drivers.

Frustrating as it is I think this is just a never ending cycle that we will experince until the public no longer needs or can no longer afford to ride cabs, which ever comes first.

Christmas Season Beware!

noreply@blogger.com (eLLe) — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 16:29:00 +0000

I just want share to you my girlfriend's experience. She got mugged riding a jeepney to work along the stretch of Buendia, between Harrison and Leveriza. This took place Thursday(21 Oct.) evening around 6:30 PM.

The Modus:

One guy boards the jeep first and after a couple of meters the three others followed. There were Three of them on the vehicle that night, all girls. The four culprits situated themselves in a very organized way. Then it happened. One man casually said " Kung ayaw n'young masaktan ilabas lang nyo yung mga cellphone nyo." Just like that. The suspects left with an Apple Iphone 3gs, a Samsing Galaxy and a Nokia 2730c.

According to her one man was pointing a knife on her side and the other on her face when she hesitated on letting go of her phone. Sabay sabing "pag di mo binigay, papatayin kita"! so she let go.

We all know what they said that you're never really a PINOY if you don't have a personal experience to share about this kind of things and It's a sad thought that this happens everyday. No matter how carefully you live your life with all the precautions. Majority of these crimes are not even logged on record for what ever reason.

It's not the object lost but the trauma that remains with the victims afterwards that really bears the impact. Some of them are forced to change their way of life. Some are enveloped with fear.

Chistmas is just two months away and you know what they say, it's during this time of year that majority of these crimes peak the charts. It's also this time of year when we become cash cows to these people.

Anyhow, back to the story. The jeepney driver was either clueless of whats happening at the back or he's in on it. She told me that the the only thing the driver said was "Bakit hindi kayo sumigaw?" Duh!? He didn't even bother to offer any assistance whether to escort them to the nearest police station or what not. Talk about civic duty huh?

I think the problem we have here is way bigger than the issue of Jueteng. Hindi lang nabibigyan ng pansin dahil wala naman silang mapapala dahil walang pera dito unlike in Jueteng. So the rest of the Filipino just has to live with it. Bakit hindi isulong ang mas mabigat na kaparusahan sa mga mapapatunayan nagkasala kesa kung anu-anong batas ang kanilang ipinipila. Yung ngang mabibigat na bags ng ating mga magaaral ay may nakapilang batas sa senado eh bakit hindi ito?

If such thing will happen to you? Ano ang una mong gagawin? Or makakita ka nang ganito while you're on your way home? Same question. Ano ang gagawin mo?

A True Story... (Warning: This Article Contains Explicit Language)

noreply@blogger.com (eLLe) — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 14:44:00 +0000

"Bag ko!" This was what woke me up while I dozed off in a jeepney today. That voice came from a woman in her early 50's who was sitting right in front of me.

Immediately looking for the source of the commotion, I saw a man running towards a motorcycle parked on the opposite side of a four lane traffic of Las Pinas City. MO: Riding in tandem. Snatching in broad daylight. Ah, something that is not new to us Filipinos. In fact a very convenient source of income for these FUCKERS! (pardon my french) A more lighter crime than the one I saw in the news the other day regarding the murder and robbery of a seaman.

This scenario is a lot different in real life than just hearing or watching it on the news. The fact that you were there, inches away and you were'nt able to do anything to help made a lot of difference. The sad part is that basing it from what happened, I'm pretty sure that this incident will never reach the statistics. In short, it will just be another unreported crime.

As the jeepney pulled off, it was evident that the poor woman was still in shock. She continuously utters words like, "mga papeles ko", "yung bag ko." After a kilometer or two, everything started to make sense. She was on her way to a mall in the area because her boss requested for her to be there. She was from Quezon city and was only here in Las Pinas because of a fieldtrip. Two cellphones, cash amounting to about 5 thousand pesos and all her important documents were lost in that bag.

Five thousand pesos? A big amount for the victim but not big enough to keep these assholes off the streets for a long time. Grissom of C.S.I. always say that man is a creature of habit. So it's expected that this incident will happen again and again unless the Fuckers are either caught or killed.

This will never end I guess, not in this lifetime. Just go out and you will see children countless children, soiled and starved roaming their jungle trying to survive. A professor once told us in class that every time a child asks him for food or change. He gives him whatever he has on him at the same time saying to the kid... "Remember me when you grow up." Got it?

At the rate we are going, these children, at the age of 5-8 are already being trained to be the next generation of muggers, robbers, and rapists set to claim their place on the streets of our country.

Pathetic isn't it? That while most of us are clueless that these things are happening, some of us are sitting in the front row and enjoying the view from just inches away.

I say fuck the fuckers and shoot them on site! Imagine, doing it in broad daylight? It literally is like taking the candy from the baby? Why waste good money defending these fuckers in court anyways? Why worry about their rights when it's nothing but casual to them violating the rights of other people. An eye for an eye if that's what it take to make sure that our children and loved ones are safe.

Had a Break...

noreply@blogger.com (eLLe) — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 13:59:00 +0000

Every once in a while, it's good to have a day or two to yourself or with a loved one...A day without worrying about work, of what to eat for dinner, those sort of things...

This weekend we went out to beat the heat and hoped to take a splash on the pools of the south. We got a very affordable room, packed a couple of shirts and that's it.Come what may. When we reached the place it wasn't exactly like the one advertised online but it was all good. The pool wasn't that big and the view of the lake wasn't that extraordinary but we came there to witness the sunset and so we did. It was breathtaking coming from two people who barely notices the setting and rising of the sun. We really needed this escape.

On our way home. We were just laughing our asses off because we realized that we just took a dip no more that ten minutes and the rest we spent sleeping. Nevertheless the trip was all worth it. I can't wait for the next one.

It's not the place you're at, nor the food you're eating, not even the circumstances you're in, but the person you're spending all these things with. I'm just glad I have you beb.

Maiba naman...

noreply@blogger.com (eLLe) — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 18:43:00 +0000

I just wanna share my two new favorite commercials.

Cute... Especially the Tarsier...

Funny... Toogs... Toogs... Toogs...

My Vote…

noreply@blogger.com (eLLe) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 18:57:00 +0000

Since the Election is just a little over a month away, I can safely say that this will be the last entry that I will write about it.

The way I see it, this is the most star studded election if not the most controversial ever with regard to the number and popularity of the candidates. An Ex-President, an Ex-President’s son, a filthy rich businessman, a religious leader, 2 senators, a lawyer, an environmentalist, and a very inexperienced councilman. Whew!! I hope I didn’t miss anyone out.

According to the Philippine law, the qualifications for the presidency are the following:

First and foremost, he/she must be a Filipino citizen (off course), by birth, A registered voter, A resident of the Philippines for at least 10 years immediately preceding the election, Able to read and write, and at least 40 years of age. That’s It. So anyone of these candidates will be the next El Presidente of the Philippines.

A lot of forums, interviews, and documentaries aired and are still airing on our local channels about the lives, platforms, etc. of the said candidates to help keep us in the loop. Because at the end of the day, (In theory) it is us who will make things happen through our votes. So the next question now is, how do we want to see our country for the next 6 years? Do we want it to be like the Marcos’ regime? How about the Aquino administration? The Philippines 2000 of the Ramos administration? Or have we not had enough of the Estrada Administration? Lastly, the current administration of GMA? Cause I think answering this simple question will surely be a big step towards our decision making on May 10.

Let’s do this like what we usually do on a multiple choice exam, by using the process of elimination. Cause if you’ll ask me. I definitely don’t want it to be like what we had during the last 9 years. Nine (9) full years of scandals, controversies, deception, and lies. So if we’ll base my vote on this premise. I definitely will not vote for a candidate who’s a liar, who’s corrupt, who’s power and wealth driven and is still lusting for more. Who do you think are the candidates I can scratch of my list? So that’ll be the Ex-president, the filthy rich businessman. So I was able to eliminate at least two. Let’s move on.

One thing that I hate so much about how we do Politics here in the country is the Idea of Political Dynasty. Because I believe that the longer you stay in power, the more prone you are to committing all things illegal, immoral, you name it. In short, “Lalamunin ka ng buong buo nang sistema”. No matter how good your intentions were before you get elected. So if you will let a family member to run just because you have served your last term, it’s just plain greedy.

One concrete example of this is, let’s say you’ve been serving a certain city for over 20 years now and you say that through you there was development, there was growth. That’s a load of crap! There better be growth or else what have you been doing everyday at city hall for the last 20 years right? So don’t slap us with that bull that you have turned your city into a class A city. So again with this qualification, I’ll scratch of the Ex-President, the filthy rich businessman, the religious leader, and one of the two senators.

So let’s check. Who do we have on the list that has no point against him/her? So we have the ex-president’s son, the female senator, the environmentalist, the lawyer and the councilman. Since I was able to trim down my choices to almost half, I’ll go manual from here on out thru the pros and cons.

I’ll start with the Son of the Former President. Well, He was really silent and it took him so long to decide to run. I mean if you really have it in you, you can give an answer as fast as the snap of a finger. Plus, the untimely demise of her mother also gave it a lot of weight since the Filipino people has an affinity for his parents. I mean I may not have the full facts but what has her mother done during her time as president? CARP? I can still remember that it was during those times that all the children including me in our neighborhood was outside the house playing at the dark because of the power outages. To me her mother was nothing but the face of the revolution. It was not her who organized the Edsa Revolution. So Kuya, Ok ka but I’m afraid to see your sister behind the wheel, driving, once you get to Malacañang. Me ganon?!

The Environmentalist, well I like his advocacy of a much greener Philippines but for me global warming is just a piece of the puzzle and that the bigger chunk is what’s really important. It’s just like sending a nurse to do a Major surgery, a doctor’s job. I’m sorry Mr. clean and green, it’s just not enough. So that’s a no.

I really don’t have anything to say about the good senator but I think she’ll do a lot more if she’ll just stay where she is at right now. She’s lucky enough to be there on the first place.

So that leaves me with just two names to really choose from this coming election. That’ll be the good lawyer/pilot and the inexperienced councilman. Hmmm think, think, think. Well generally speaking if I’ll choose experience over reform. I’d go for the BAR topnotcher. But, if I’ m a desperate fool who’s really dying to see changes done in our country. I’d go for the cartoon quoting councilor.

I guess that’ll be for me to know and for all of us to find out. I will be maximizing the last few days to think about it. You know what they say; after all it’s not all about choosing the popular nor the highly qualified one (we have proven that 9 years ago) but the lesser evil.

Anong Kaguluhan 'to?

noreply@blogger.com (eLLe) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 18:26:00 +0000

Maraming estudyante ang nag amok hindi dahil sa kumakalat na Litrato ni Anne Curtis sa Net, kundi dahil sa as usual, napipintong pag tataas na naman ng matrikula sa susunod na pasukan patikular sa mga nangngunang state universities sa Pilipinas. Hindi na ito bagong tugtugin sa ating mga pinoy lalo na sa mga magulang. Subalit hindi naman ganito. kagarapal. Ang PUP ay naka ambang magtataas ng hanggang 2000%. Nakakalungkot isipin na unti-unti ko nang nakikita ang katotohanang prebeliheyo na ang pag-aaral sa halip na karapatan. Kaugnay ng balitang ito, si UP Los Baños Chancellor Luis Rey Velasco din ay nakatanggap ng hindi lamang maanghang na salita ngunit makulay na pagtataboy kanina. nakakatawa pa na humihinge s'ya ng paumanhin sa harap ng kamera dahil sa inasal ng mga taga - UP. Hello?! Kahit sinong tanggalan mo nga karapatan ay aangal din. Ang aso nga wag mong pakainin nag huhurumintado din.

Nakakagulat na lang na habang abala ang lahat sa nalalapit na eleksyon, isa isa nang nakikita hindi lamang ng Pilipinas ang kabulukan ng systema ng ating bansa. Oo nga't marami pang mas mahihirap na bansa kumpara sa atin pero at the rate that we're going hindi na din tayo nalalayo sa kanila. Lubog sa utang, kumakalam ang sikmura, at watak watak na pamilya ang maaaninag sa mukha ng bawat Pilipino. Sabi nga nila pana-panahon lamang yan. True. Gaya na lamang nang ipinalabas sa balita kanina na nanghuhuli na naman ang ating mga kapulisan ng mga namemeke nang kung anu-anong dokumento gaya ng Diploma, transkript, etc. sa Rekto, Maynila. Paano panahon ng graduation. Pero kung ating sisiliping mabuti, whole year round naman ang operation ng mga yan.

Ngayon ay maituturing ding panahon ng mga pangako. Sasabihin ko sa inyo lahat ng gusto ninyong marinig, kahit ibigay ko pa sa inyo ang aking kaluluwa kapalit ng inyong boto. Nakakagulat lang na parang wala pa akong nakikitang nag-react sa ating mga presidentiables sa isyu ng pagtataas ng matrikula. Abalang abala pa siguro sila sa kanilang pagpapapresko. Samantalang ito ay isa sa kanilang matagal nang ipinapangako. Pikit-mata't kibit balikat na nangangamay ng mga botante sa kalsada. Ang pinapalabas pa nung iba dapat silang pasalamatan. Para saan? Ang iba naman ipinangako pa ang langit at lupa. Para mo na ring sinabing nindi na mawawala ang mahihirap kung i-eequate mo ito sa corruption. hays...

Napakaraming bagong issues na nagsusulputan. Taas baba sa presyo ng mga produktong petrolyo, kakulangan ng supply ng tubig at kuryente (browouts), eh napakarami pang issues ang hindi pa nasasagot. Halimbawa na lamang ano na kaya ang nangyari kay Mr. J. Bolante? na bali-balitang sigurado na daw ang panalo sa probinsya ng Capiz (Tsismis). Sumusweldo pa kaya si Senator Ping Lacson kahit MIA na sya sa Senado? Eh ang issue sa Maguindanao? Tapos na ba? Iba pa dyan yung issue sa pagitan ng Simbahan at ng pamahalaan tungkol sa pamumudmod ng Condom. Hay?! Ang sarap maging Pilipino ( siguro kung anak ka ni Manny at ni Jinky)!

Eto na lamang ba ang pag-asa natin? Ang nalalapit na Eleksyon? Kung OO. Kawawa naman si Juan Dela Cruz. Pimple na lamang ang walang kalyo sa kakatrabaho. Pero gayun pa man tuloy pa rin ang laban. Hindi naman parang boxing lang yan na hanggang 12 rounds lang. Idaan mo na lamang sa dasal. Yan naman ang nakakabilib na katangian mo eh. Ipagpasadyos na lamang...:(

Earth Hour 2010

noreply@blogger.com (eLLe) — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 12:55:00 +0000

My Favorite Cause... This coming Saturday, March 27, 2010 at exactly 8:30PM to 9:30PM. Let's once again turn off our lights as we join our counterparts all around the globe in giving our mother Earth a full hour to breathe. I will turn off my lights this Saturday... Come join me and the rest of the world.

UPDATE:

Along Alabang-Zapote Rd. in Las Pinas City

So the HOUR came. I was outside exploring the streets of Las Pinas but to my disappointment it was just like an ordinary day. Businesses didn't even mind or better yet they have no clue as to what is going on. Billboards are still li and everybody just went with what they were doing. Luckily reached SM Southmall it was enveloped with darkeness. All signages are turned off and even on the inside lights were just coming from the establishments renting. It was good to see that A giant corporation like SM still has a soft spot for maother nature. They has a small program on the front entrance that involved a director from DENR who gave a small talk followed by a tribal inspired dance number.

Minutes before 8:30 PM

Inside

Think about this. The Earth hour happens only once a year. Meaning we are only asked one hour from the 8760 hours we have for the entire year. It's just sad that to some this is actually too much to ask. Making this years Earth Hour unsuccessful. At least to this area of the Metro.

My Week End

noreply@blogger.com (eLLe) — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 17:27:00 +0000

I've had a fun filled weekend with Family. It actually started two days prior the weekend with a simple dinner with my two siblings but the actual fun just started last Friday when we all attended my brothers wedding. Not only did it end the way it was suppose to but it ended with my daughter Kianna Gabrielle spending two full nights with us, with me. Imagine two whole days with my little girl. No father in my position could ever ask for more...

But the problem about all these is that time doesn't really stand still during these precious moments. No matter how much we pray for it. We all have to deal with the reality that it will end eventually. The sad part is that the crash is as equally painful as the high. In any case, its nice to hear someone calling you papa every once in a while. Makes me realize how strong and motivated I should be for her.

I guess this is exactly the whole point of my brother marrying. So that he'll have no reason to experience all these. All the sleepless nights, all the longing and pain. I applaud him for that. In a time when Marriage is no longer the only solution for early pregnancies. He stood up to what he believed in no matter what the cost. Best Wishes to you Mackoy and Mia. Cheers to a 100 years or more of love and love making. To you Mia, Welcome to the family...

And lastly, I'd like to share to you a photo of me and my siblings. A photo from the wedding. An event in which all of us was happy. Happy not because of a promotion, or a raise, nor because of anything else but because of one thing. FAMILY!

My Sisters

noreply@blogger.com (eLLe) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:13:00 +0000

So this is how it feels like... To be united with people, Family that you missed so much... Plus the fact that I've just proven that there's no such thing as irreconcilable diffrences between siblings. At least in my family. We had a pretty fun night. Too bad Mackoy wasn't there.To think that last night was actually for him. Hehehe No there's no stopping the wedding of the century. One more night to go and we'll have two new addition to the family. ( Formality...) hehehe

Senator Madrigal @ Unang Hirit

noreply@blogger.com (eLLe) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:30:00 +0000

I was watching Unang Hirit earlier this morning. On their segment called Hiritan sa 2010 where they guest the presidentiables and vice-presidentiables for the coming May election. Senator Jamby Madrigal was the one on the hot seat this morning. She was asked whether she was also bribed to step down the presidential race and discontinue the senate investigation against his rival Senator Manny Villar. She said yes. She was offered 1B pesos. No names were mentioned though. As usual.

She was also labeled as an attack dog for the said sanator but for me who cares? If she has the evidence to back up all her allegations then it's all good. She even placed another accusation on Senator Villar's shoulder for land grabbing in Laguna. Hmmm. Amazing isn't it? I salute senator Madrigals boldness. She's actually doing us a lot of favor. Whether her allegations are true or not at least some one is doing her part to investigate on all this. Can you imagine, even the veteran news anchor, Arnold "Igan" Clavio and Economist, Winnie Monsod were shocked to hear all that.

I say more expose Senator Madrigal. Let it be known to all that behind all the money and fame and Botox, there are a lot of skeletons in the good senators closet. All these are priceless.

From Paris with Love

noreply@blogger.com (eLLe) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:09:00 +0000

Definitely not the best John Travolta movie but it was nice seeing him portray the Character of a good guy this time. After playing as a villain in most of his movies like Swordfish, The Punisher, and The Taking of Pelham 123. Travolta now was on the right side of the law. Though at first you'd probably mistake him for the bad guy. I did. Well his not!

The movie isn't a fancy spy game movie but it did the job. Travolta who played a high ranking US Agent made his way to France and did a lot of damage with the help of his new partner Rhys Meyer who looked a lot like Gio Alvarez. Hehehe (I can't deny the resemblance). It was a tragic love story that ended in the death of Rhys Meyer's Fiance. Sorry for ruining the story but that's just the way it is.

Photo taken from Google Image Bank

Vanity Sim Cards for Sale

noreply@blogger.com (eLLe) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 17:48:00 +0000

I was browsing through a classified ad site earlier. You know where they buy and sell and trade cellular phones. Well most of them 2nd hands off course. Then I saw an ad that read " Vanity number sim cards." For those of you who are not familiar with the term. Before, it's more or less like a commemorative plate for your car. But now, it's just a continuous set of identical numbers on a set and the price of these sim card varies with the number of similar digits on the given set. Just to give you an idea.

09**84444444 this number set will cost you ten grand. Can you believe that?! Oh. and this one 09**8888880 for twelve grand. This is not a very uncommon practice though. Some people believe in numerology so much that I can literally say that they live their entire lives by the number. The Chinese for example believe that 8 is a lucky number so if your cell phone number is filled with 8, the luckier you could be. That I get but dang! I know that we Filipinos love to show off. Show off our new clothes, shoes, gears and even our least valuable possessions but even this is just to much for showing off. I know, that's probably why its called vanity sim cards on the first place.

I just don't get it. I say that's the reason why phone books are created on the first place right? So you don't have to memorize other peoples phone numbers. Duh?!

Percy Jackson

noreply@blogger.com (eLLe) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 17:02:00 +0000

I just met Percy Jackson today. Though many of you have seen it in theaters. Me, I took my time and got acquainted with him through DVD. Not my first choice off course but I stuck with my gut that it'll keep me fascinated somehow. Though he was not as legendary as the infamous Harry Potter nor as cute and lovable as the vampire Edward Cullen but the thing that got me glued to my seat was my friends interest with Greek mythology. I suddenly remembered some familiar names... Names that he knew by heart. Like Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, and the likes.

Thanks Gene. We actually discussed it for days. He even showed me some illustrations from his comic books which was off course in Korean. It was like he was telling me the legends from his home town. I'm pretty sure that he'll be interested with it as well. I can't wait to tell him this later.

Well, anyways going back, Percy was okay. Plus Annabeth, daughter of Athena looked a lot like our very own Anna Roces. The story line though was quite predictable because it was tailored to meet the characters and the plot of the original thing. All in all, its just as exciting to watch as its magical counterparts. I haven't read the book yet so I still have no way of saying whether this is one of those that are better read than watched novels. But one thing is for sure though, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief is a sure fire way for the kids to anticipate Greek literature before they even get to look for them on their school libraries.

The word is Balance

noreply@blogger.com (eLLe) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:04:00 +0000

Life they say is all about BALANCE. A very common word in areas like Art, Math, Science, Economics, Photography, Etc. To make it simpler, even in movies, we hear the line "balance between good and evil" countless times. Not to mention all the other elements that goes on behind the scene that makes a film grand.

According to Wikipedia, balance is a desirable point between two or more opposite forces. It is as simple as that. At least the concept of balance. Never mind the process. That even in my early years I already thought that this was the key to life yet it wasn't as easy as it sounds.

A very practical application of balance in life was thought to me by my father in the area of fashion. Can you believe that?! He always reminded me that it's always the combination of light and dark shades for my clothes.

I used to also recall that in school, I did not envy the brainy geeks nor the sociable party animals but those that are in between. For they are the ones who enjoy the best of both worlds. The very lucky few who can live life in moderation.

This might be a logical answer to the never ending question of whether to follow ones heart or mind when it comes to love. There was this activity that one of my ex-girlfriend used to do to me to determine that. Here's the thing you put your palms together, praying position, then let your fingers slide down the gaps of the opposite hand. She said that if your left thumb is on top of your right thumb, you're a heart over mind person wen it comes to love. But if your right thumb is on top of your left thumb then it was the other way around. Honestly, I never really cared about the logic behind it or whether it is true cause all that mattered to me was the result. A heart over mind person. It was like reading the horoscope. Blinding huh?!

I guess what I'm trying to say is that setting priorities isn't really the goal here but balancing them all together after in such a way that as you draw near the end, you were able to meet if not all, at least most of them. And it's never too late to start.

Masking Tape Art

noreply@blogger.com (eLLe) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:27:00 +0000

Some people love to collect shoes, bags, stamps, coins, and others comic books and action figures. It all boils down to the question of how much mulah you are willing to shell out for the said collection. Well I know a guy who collects robots who transform into almost anything he wants it to be. And guess what he's only 14 years old. All he need is a roll of masking tape and some time and before you know it, a nicely crafted "transformer" is done. His name is Gene and just like any normal 14 year old, he spend most of his time studying but you'll be amazed that at the ed of the day he can accomplish more than his projects and home works. To date he has accomplished more than 23 robots and has no plans of outgrowing his favorite hobby. Talk about imagination and creativity huh?!

A Mothers Love For Her Child

noreply@blogger.com (eLLe) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 11:34:00 +0000

They say that a mothers love for her child is absolute like that of Mrs. Aguilar Pollards love for her son Jason who was brought to justice this Monday morning by the NBI at the basement of their residence at Q.C. This has been in the news ever since. Unfortunately for me I was in front of the TV when all these happened.

The news showed how shots were fired between Jason and the NBI raiding team. The action ended with Jason and two other operatives being shot.

Jason's mom, Marlene Aguilar-Pollard repeatedly said that she had no idea that her son was down there. Her house being over a thousand square meters in area as her excuse. My parents showed me their love by always asking me of my whereabouts though most of the time I get so irritated. I know it's their gesture of letting me know they care.

I also saw how half of the reward money was awarded to the confidential informant by Usec Ebarle on the news. I just thought that this was so unnecessary for the Informants safety.

Just this morning at a live interview with the controversial mother over Unang Hirit. What she said was just disturbing. It made no sense, contradicting the image she first projected as an unconditional mother. It looked like it was now clear to her that the masked informant was her British bodyguard who went missing 3 weeks ago. She is now on suspicion that her son was set up and is being pinned for the murder of Ebarle Jr. Adding that Mark, her bodyguard has access to both the gun (the pistol that was positively matched as the murder weapon) and the Honda CRV.

When asked by Igan if she didn't suspect the bodyguard at the time of the murder she said no. To me, it seemed likes he already knew and accepted that Jason did it basing from her previous interviews. The question now is. How could a loving and caring mother suspect her son for murder over her body guard?! She also mentioned that her bodyguard deposited $5,000 to her Metrobank Account. Whatever that means.

He never intended to kill or hurt anyone! This was her response when asked what she and Jason talked about on her last visit to the hospital. This is CRAP! On the video shown on air, Jason was wearing a tactical vest and has 2 guns with him that he obviously wasn't shy to use. Now she's crying that Jason never really intended to hurt anyone? Another Crap.

She is now seeking help from the US and will appeal to the CHR. I say do what ever it is you have to do just don't play us for fools. I agree with what Usec. Ebarle when he said that all these is starting to look like a tele novela and the best actress award should be given to the mother.

Campaign Jingles and Political Ads

noreply@blogger.com (eLLe) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 12:08:00 +0000

The Philippine Election Setting won't be complete without these very powerful tools used for campaign. These political ads and campaign jingles either give us a glimpse of the candidates platform or their advocacy.

Gilbert Teodoros Political Ad is still controversial due to the appeal of Rico Blanco regarding rights issues.

SULONG

Mura at masaganang pagkain para tuluyang mapawi ang gutom

College graduate sa bawat pamilya

Libreng gamot para sa mahihirap

Sulong Gibo
Wag uurong

Pakinggan sa yong puso

Ang sigaw na dati'y bulong

Ang mabilis na pag-ahon, posible lang kay Gilbert Teodoro

Posible

How about Senator Noynoy Aquinos star studded "Di ka nag iisa" video. This video has showcased talents from the two major competing television networks in the country. I believe this is all possible because of Sen. Noynoys sister, Kris.

DI NA NAG IISA

Kapag ako'y nag-iisa
Mayro'ng gumugulo
Sa aking isipan
Alam kong tayo'y nagmamahalan
Ngunit bakit ganito
Di maipaliwanag

Hawakan mong aking mga kamay
Bigyan ng kulay ang aking buhay

Mahal ayoko pang lumisan
Dito lamang ako
Dito sa tabi mo
Ngunit kailangan kong gawin 'to
Di dahil nais ko
Sana'y unawain mo

Hawakan mong aking mga kamay
Bigyan ng kulay ang aking buhay
At wag kang bibitaw
Huwag kang hihiwalay
Ika'y aking lakas
Pagibig na ito'y sadyang wagas

Ano kaya itong pagsubok na dapat kong dalhin
At dapat kong tanggapin

Mahal sa'king paglalakbay
Ako'y nalulumbay
Kailangan bang mawalay

Hawakan mong aking mga kamay
Bigyan ng kulay ang aking buhay
Habang pasan ko ang daigdig
Pagibig mo'y nananaig
At balang araw tayong dalawa'y
Magsasama

(di na mag-iisa)
(di na mag-iisa)

Ika'y kapiling na
Di na nag-iisa

Di na nag-iisa

But if there's one candidate that has shown his persistency on this area, it is Senator Manuel Villar. His ads (allegedly paid for by his friends) has been airing for the longest time now. Even before the start of the campaign period. He's the one candidate who has the most variety of infomercials/political ads on air. Catchy tunes and attractive lyrics. The kids are singing it. Even I sometimes find myself humming to the tune of some of these ads. I applaud Senator Villars team for all these.

Naging Mahirap

Nakaligo ka na ba sa dagat ng basura?
Nag-Pasko ka na ba sa gitna ng kalsada?
Yan ang tanong namin,
Tunay ka bang isa sa amin?

Nalaman mo na bang mapapag-aral ka nya?
Tutulungan tayo para magka-trabaho?
At kanyang plano'y magka-bahay tayo?

Si Villar ang tunay na mahirap.
si Villar ang tunay na may malasakit.
Si Villar ang may kakayahan
At gumawa ng sariling pangalan.

Si Manny Villar ang magtatapos
ng ating kahirapan.

But just like what I've said. Each of these candidates has their own respective creative teams that work double time and are paid a great sum to make all these campaign wonders possible. Therefore I believe that these campaign ads and jingles should not bear any bearing at all, no matter how brilliant and creative they may appear, aside from the fact that it shows the candidates willingness to run for office and that's it.

I believe that a part of the idea of "Bagong Pulitika" is that we try to see pass these superficial information that is being fed to us by these men. I'm not saying that all these are lies but try and notice how some candidates try so hard to give us the idea that they came from a poor stature even if they did not. I don't know about you guys but if I'm on a job interview. I probably wont tell my interviewer that smoking is my favorite stress reliever and that I tend to slack off a lot if no one else is looking. I don't know why but logic tells us that it doesn't follow that only someone who was once poor will and can lead this country out of poverty. Prophecy of that sort does not exist in any folk lore book in the Philippines.

A Day at Paranaque Doctors Hospital

noreply@blogger.com (eLLe) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 05:36:00 +0000

Have you ever been in a crappy hotel suite? Where the facilities and services sucked big time and you felt like you've wasted a good amount of time and money because of it. It's just like that here at Paranaque Doctors Hospital at Dona Soledad Paranaque. Good thing that you're actually paying to be treated by the doctors and not the accommodation alone.

This morning was good if not for my nephew being rushed here due to some infection that caused severe vomiting. This has been a good choice since it is a fairly new hospital compared to the other one along Sucat road and it's only a tryk ride away but it seemed like this hospital has been here since the beginning of time. A seven story Hospital with two(thanks for the correction) high speeds elevators (I wish) servicing each floor. So you can imagine how long you have to wait along with patients in wheel chairs and gourneys. Poorly designed and even rubishly managed.

Plus the nurses at the stations are always busy not with their patients but with their stories. Amusing each other while my nephews IV is starting to bleed. I could only guess what could be more interesting than doing your job that pays your bills. They're warm and pleasant though, I have to give them that. But the rest really sucked.

There's no sadder feeling for a parent seeing his child suffer from disease but imagine how grandparents feel seeing their daughters child in agony cause of his health. Isn't this feeling bad enough for such aggrevation?

If I have to put it in the words that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson used to say. I got seven words for these people "Know your role and shut your mouth!"

Update:

My nephew was scheduled for a CBC test this afternoon(4PM) but since he just slept (he was awake the whole night) when the tech arrived. We asked her to just come back around 4:30. She said it was fine. Gabo woke up around 5PM a male tech took his blood sample. The tech was polite and all. He seemed very confident on what he's doing. Just like that It was over but gabo crying is totally inevitable. Around 7PM another tech (this time a female)came in. Verified the name of the patient and then said that she was again gong to take some blood sample for the CBC. What?! If I was the patient it was probably fine but Gabo is only a 10 month old baby for god sake. How much blood do you need? She was already prepping Gabos arm and looking for the vein where to pop the needle when we objected. Then she said it was for Sodium and Potassium churva. What?! Clueless as we are about these procedure we just watched as she drew another tube of blood from our poor boy.

Spams

noreply@blogger.com (eLLe) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 15:10:00 +0000

I have been receiving a lot of these emails lately. Even on the new ym account that I just made.

Hello,
I know this may come as a surprise to you but kindly take your time to read my proposal.My name is Stephane Pyros. I am a captain with the United Nations troop in Iraq,on war against terrorism.Based on the United States legislative and executive decision for withdrawing troops from Iraq come this year,i have been deployed to come and work in your country's military base soonest and that is why i contacted you.

Our mission is to help beef up terrorist targeted states,mostly the United states and the European Union on the war against terrorism. On the other hand i want to inform you that I have in my possession the sum of 5.6million USD. which was recovered from one of our raids on terrorists here in Iraq because they keep most of their money at home for evil activities which they normally get through illegal deals on crude oil.

Based on the suffering we undergo here some of us do meet such luck.It happened that i went for this raid with the men in my unit and i decided to take it as my share for my stress here in this evil land filled with suicide bombers.I deposited this money with a red cross agent informing him that we are making contact for the real owner of the money.It is under my power to approve whoever comes forth for this money.Where i have a problem is how to invest this money in your country on stocks and real estate.I cannot move this money to the United states because i will be in your country for about 3years and will want to invest it there with my wife who will be relocating with me,so i need someone i could trust..

If you accept,i will transfer the money to you in your country where you will be the beneficiary because i am a uniformed person and i cannot be parading such an amount so i need to present someone as the beneficiary.I am an American and an intelligence officer for that so i have a 100% authentic means of transferring the money through diplomatic courier service .I just need your acceptance and all is done. Please if you are interested in this transaction i will give to you the complete details you need for us to carry out this transaction successfully.I decided to find someone that is real and not imaginary and that is why i summoned courage to contact you

I believe i can trust you. where we are now we can only communicate through our military communication facilities which is secured so nobody can monitor our discussions,then i can explain in details to you.I will also reach you through email,just to ascertain proper communication and understanding,I just have to be sure whom i am dealing with.

If you are interested please send me your personal home address in your country and your mobile number so i can call you for further inquiries when i am out of our military network.I am writing from a fresh email account so if you are not interested do not reply to this email and please delete this message,if no response after 3days i will then search for someone else.

I am doing this on trust,you should understand and you should know that as a trained military expert i will always play safe in case you are the bad type,but i pray you are not, 5.6million USD is a lot of money which is the dream of anyone.

I wait for your contact details so we can go on.In less than 7days the money should have been delivered to you and i will come over for my money.I will give to you 30% of the sum and 70% is for me.I hope i am been fair on this deal.You can reach me on my email which is stephane_pyros02@yahoo.com
Regards,
Capt.Stephane

Captain Stephane Pyros

Here's another one.

Good day!
I am Mr. Salam Sudu director auditing and accounting department" bank of Africa (boa) Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso .I discovered the sum of seven million, two hundred thousand dollars (usd7.2) belonging to a deceased customer of this bank the fund has been lying in a suspense account without anybody coming to put claim over the money since the account owner late, Mr Salla khat from Lebanese who was involved in the December 28th 2006 Benin car crash.

it is therefore, upon this discovery that i decided to take this ultimatum and make this business proposal to you as the fund will be release to you as the next of kin or relation to the deceased for safety and subsequent disbursement since nobody is coming for it and i don't want this money to go into the bank treasury as unclaimed bill the banking rules here stipulates that if such money remained unclaimed after five years, the money will be transferred into the bank treasury as unclaimed fund. The request of foreigner as next of kin in this business is occasioned by the fact that the deceased customer was a foreigner and a Burkina be cannot stand as next of kin to a foreigner.

Therefore, I am soliciting for your assistance to come forward as the next of kin. I have agreed that 40% of this money will be for you as the beneficiary respect of the provision of your account and service rendered, 60% will be for me. Then immediately the money transferred to your account from this bank, I will proceed to your country for the sharing of the fund.

Happy New Year

Yours faithful,
Mr.Salam Sudu

It's alarming and annoying at the same time that people actually waste time thinking of creative
plot to phish for your information. Like you winning on a random lottery or you have been
awarded a grant, etc. Yet people still fall prey to these men. Why else would they continue
to do it if they get completely nothing out of it. "Another one bites the dust?" Why? because the
figures involved are huge. Tempting right? Talk about early retirement.

But for those of us who can smell the stink of these mails from a mile away, what should we do
next? Cause it definitely doesn't end by just pressing the delete button and moving on to the
next mail (completely ignoring it)? Or is there a specific agency to which we can actually report
these incidents to?

Or the better question is, is it actually worth the time and trouble?

Farewell Singapore

noreply@blogger.com (eLLe) — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 12:36:00 +0000

My feet brought me to you and tomorrow both of them and me will return home. They say that all good things must come to an end. Just like the sun needs to set to give way to another tomorrow. For the time that I was here with you I came to to marvel at how impressive being with you is. The beautiful places, the warm faces and most of all my family that I will again leave behind. Singapore you were great.

If only my homeland was as orderly as you are. I probably won't fill a hint of anxiety right now. But again, if only. Good to know you, good bye for now. I'll see you again soon and I hope by then we can spend more time together and by that I mean so I can again see you as I just did. I don't want you to own me like you did to a lot of my kababayan. I don't want to lose this perspective of how beautiful you are. I'll look forward to our next chapter together.

Mega Mac @ Mc Donalds for Lunch

noreply@blogger.com (eLLe) — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 08:15:00 +0000

I know. Why waste time eating at Mcdonalds while in Singapore when we have that at home. For the simple reason that we don't have Mega Mac at our McDonalds in the Philippines. Wouldn't wanna miss this one. Its almost the same as our Big Mac but this one has four layers of burger patties in it. It's not the biggest burger here but like I've said it's worth trying. $7.85 For the Mega Mac meal plus $1.00 for the upsized fries and drinks. Yummmmm!

Roti Prata

noreply@blogger.com (eLLe) — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 01:22:00 +0000

Breakfast of Champions. Im not really sure what this stuff is made of but I'm sure about two things though. First, is that you don't wanna see how this is made in the market cause you won't be able to eat it well. Second is that with only two of this will definitely get you started for the day. This is quite heavy for breakfast. Also comes in several variety. The plain one usually cost $0.60 but if you want it with egg it'll be a dollar. The sauce looked like "kare-kare" sauce, adding a little flavor to it.

Seoul Garden

noreply@blogger.com (eLLe) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:58:00 +0000

Seoul Garden was a haven for us today. A branch located at the 2nd level of Bugis Junction. We helped ourselves with an all you can eat dinner "shabu-shabu" style. Rates varies during the week days and week ends but it doesn't matter it's all worth it. This is a place for the gluttons in all of us.