Culture Shock

Car Dealer Tricks to Watch For

2009-06-21T18:14:00.002-04:00

I got this from Yahoo.com site. I would liek to share it cause I was ripped off once before and I dont wanna happen that to you.

We know. Not all car dealers are unscrupulous, and not all are going to take you to the cleaners. Among all the “Honest Bobs” out there walking the lots, many really are trustworthy. But there is a simple reason so many people dread buying a new car: the potential for rip-off is astronomical, and common practices over the years have often justified consumers’ fears. If you catch a whiff of any of the scams below, be on alert.

Juggling the Four-Square
This isn’t really a trick, but awareness here is important for a buyer. When you sit down to negotiate, the salesman will pull out a “four-square” worksheet on which to work out the terms of the deal. In the four quadrants of the sheet the salesman will record purchase price, down payment, monthly payments, and trade-in value. He will fill in the sheet as you talk, working the deal like a shell game—if he thinks you are preoccupied with getting a fair deal on your trade in, he might give you a good price for that and then nudge your new-car purchase price north. Take it slow, focus on one item at a time, and be sure you are comfortable with each individual aspect of your purchase.

Profiting from Rebates
Rebates bring a lot of customers into a showroom, but the discounts can hide several tricks dealers employ to suck a few bucks from a buyer. First, don’t let a salesman tell you that you are getting a good deal because of a rebate; rebates come from the manufacturer and usually apply regardless of the price you negotiate with the individual dealer. Negotiate as if there are no rebates. Second, make sure the rebates are deducted from the purchase price. If you allow the dealer to mail you a check after the sale, you end up paying taxes and interest on the rebate. And never let an incentive like a low APR or a rebate rush you into a purchase you aren’t ready to make. If there’s an incentive on a car today, odds are there will be incentives on it again. Salesmen will often tell you there are strings attached to incentives, such as that you have to buy a certain trim, engine, or option package in order to qualify. This is not always true. Do your homework.

Inflating Payments
Talking monthly payments at the car dealership can be as dangerous as saying “bomb” at the airport. A salesman asks how much you are willing to pay each month, and you throw out a number—say, $450 a month. He asks how much more you could afford—just getting a feel for you. You tack on another 50 bucks. In your mind, you were just theorizing, but to the salesman, you just committed to a $500 minimum monthly payment. Instead, when a salesman asks how much you can pay each month, tell him you will not discuss monthly payments and only want to talk purchase price; you’ll decide on monthly payments after you’ve settled on a fair price.

Fees and Extras
Delivery charges, titling fees, and a few other closing costs are inevitable extras associated with buying a new car. But aside from a few essential add-ons, most fees or extra-cost items are either inflated or altogether unnecessary. Negotiate fees down, or outright refuse to pay them. And deny any extras offered by the finance and insurance manager. Basically, if it’s anything he offers you after you’ve negotiated your sales price, you don’t need it and you shouldn’t pay for it. Particularly egregious are paint protection and fabric guard, essentially wax and Scotch Guard dealerships often charge hundreds of dollars for.

Interest-Rate Bumping
You should always shop for your own financing before you head to the dealer. Maybe you’ll get a better rate; maybe you’ll just get a better idea of what rate you qualify for so you can police the finance manager. It is not uncommon for the dealer to secure financing for you at one APR but offer you a rate one percentage point higher—and then pocket the difference.

Altering the Bill of Sale
Never sign a bill of sale with blanks or terms that are “subject to bank approval” or have similar wording. Some dealerships will let a customer sign such a document and release the new car to its happy owner, only to call the buyer back a few days later to say that the loan fell through and they need to come back in to sign some new paperwork, which just happens to cost the buyer more than the negotiated price. Never drive your car off a lot until all the paperwork is filled out completely.

The following four are the most underhanded and childish dealer tricks. Fortunately, they don’t happen very often anymore. But if a dealer pulls any of these stunts on you, they don’t deserve your business. Walk away.

Ransoming Your Check
The sales manager gets cast as the villain in a good cop/bad cop routine some salesmen play with buyers. You’ll negotiate a price, and the salesman will leave to get approval from his sales manager, painting the salesman as your ally and the manager as a common enemy. Be wary if the salesman asks for a check to prove to the manager you are serious. Sometimes, your offer will be rejected, but your check won’t be returned right away—it’s been “misplaced” or some similar nonsense. Now they’ve got your money, and you feel pressured to concede to their terms. Remember that you can always walk away and cancel the check later.

Eavesdropping
While it’s a good idea to bring a friend or family member shopping with you—someone else to watch the deal, question the terms, and help keep your emotions in check—this opens additional avenues for nefarious dealers to use the wingman against the buyer. When the salesman leaves the cube, people drop their guard and feel comfortable discussing the aspects of the deal they wouldn’t mention in front of the salesman. With just a couple subtle pokes at their phones, salespeople can leave the intercom open with the sales manager’s office, where they will go not to seek approval on your terms, but to eavesdrop on your conversation, harvesting information to use against the customer. There are even stories of salespeople hiding baby monitors in their offices. When the salesman leaves to talk to the sales manager, that’s your cue to leave and get a cup of coffee.

Lying About Your Credit Score
In addition to shopping around for financing, you should take a look at your credit report and strongly consider spending the few bucks to learn your credit score before you go to a dealership. Many of the best offers to be had on new cars are contingent on the buyer having qualifying credit, and dealers occasionally have been known to lie to customers about their credit scores and the financing for which they qualify.

Misplacing Trade-In Keys
If you are thinking of trading in your old car when you buy a new one, someone may borrow your keys to evaluate your ride. If negotiations stall and you try to leave, you might find that they’ve been “misplaced” in order to prevent you from leaving and entice you to make a deal you aren’t comfortable with. If you bring two sets of keys with you, this won’t be a problem.

Not every dealership is guilty of these tricks. Which is all the more reason to stick with a good one when you find it.

McDonald's Surprise

2009-05-14T08:06:00.002-04:00

OMG. Did you know what McDonald is putting in the bag of treats that comes with a kid's happy meal?

McDonald is giving away kid's CD that has pop songs that are remixed for kid's called kid's bop.

The thing though is that some of the songs from the original artists have swear words on them. They were altered with non-swear words on the kids bop CD but when you listen to it they really still sounds like the original swear words. "Lookin' around" and "Fuckin' around" does not sound too different if you sing or say them fast.

I heard that McDonalds has no plans of pulling the product out for the public. Instead they instructed the employees to tell and calm the people that complains what the correct words.

Canada and Korea-based Jobs Available for Pinoys

2009-05-08T23:59:00.002-04:00

More Filipinos will have a chance to work in South Korea based on the new Employment Permit System (EPS) to be signed by the Philippines and South Korea this May.

According to Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Assistant Secretary Reydeluz Conferido, EPS is scheduled to be signed in late May of this year. The agreement contains several improvements that will result to bigger employment opportunity from South Korea.

DOLE officials have requested South Korean partners to relax the language requirement and to carefully evaluate the companies that seek to employ overseas Filipino workers (OFW) to ensure they are financially sound and would not lay off workers.

Asst. Sec. Conferido, in his interview with the press, said that OFWs are required to take the Korean Language Test every time they return to Korea to work. As of the moment, the department is requesting that this will be amended and to avoid multiple language testing for those who have already passed the examination.

The last EPS between the two countries was signed in 2006 and expired last October 2008.

Meanwhile, about 25,000 jobs are exclusively available for Filipinos in Canada, according to Mr. Richard Mills of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines.

In his interview with ABS-CBN News, Mr. Mills stated that the available jobs come from the engineering, health care, and oil industry.

DOLE Sectary Marianito Roque disclosed that the job openings are part of the memorandum of understanding between the Philippines and Canadian provinces, namely British Columbia, Manitoba, Alberta, and Saskatchewan.

In addition, the country has similar hiring agreements with Australia and Japan where there are employment opportunities specifically in healthcare, education, energy, and real estate sectors.

iStockphoto - Faucet

2009-05-05T23:42:00.004-04:00

I just started with uploading pictures up to iStockphoto.com. It is a website you can share your pictures to but if ever somebody wants to download the owner gets a percentage of the earnings. I think 30percent.

Check this sample picture.

http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup.php?id=3095420

Manny "PacMan" Pacquiao did it again

2009-05-03T23:43:00.002-04:00

Manny "PacMan" Pacquiao knocked down Ricky "Hitman" Hatton on the 2nd round of the 12 round matched last Saturday.

Pacquaio again keeps his famed pound for pound title as the world champion for at least three years now.

With his latest fight he took another title as the IBO Welter weight champion of the world. Taking with him 2 belts that used to be held by the Hitman.

Congratulations PacMan.

Displaced Workers Rehired, OFWs Retained Jobs

2009-05-01T00:25:00.002-04:00

According to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the effects of the global economic crisis on the employment sector has gradually decreased as more workers who were temporarily laid off or placed under flexible work arrangements have returned to their regular jobs.

Based on the data from the Bureau of Labor and Employment, DOLE Secretary Marianito Roque cited that over 14,000 workers have returned to their regular workload. These include 7,975 workers in 29 firms from Region IV-A (Calabarzon), 2,418 workers in 11 firms from Region 3 (Central Luzon), 1,712 workers in seven firms from Region 12 (Davao), and 1,588 workers in two firms from Cordillera Administrative Region.

In a statement posted in the DOLE website, Sec. Roque said, “the positive development is an indication that more affected workers would be returning to their regular jobs. “ The Secretary added that several firms are slowly returning to their normal operations and work hours. As such, workers who were laid off on a temporary basis where called back to work for their companies.

Furthermore, Sec. Roque revealed that despite the crisis, investors are coming in to the country to establish their businesses, paving the way to job generation and employment. The Cavite Economic Zone, for example, attracted new investors aiming to put up new hotels and resorts in the country.

Meanwhile, the number of overseas Filipino workers (OFW) being displaced has decreased “to almost negligible levels” according to DOLE Undersecretary Rosalinda Baldoz in her interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer. In the same interview, Usec. Baldoz disclosed that employment situation in Taiwan has significantly improved. Sec. Roque revealed that 851 laid off OFWs were rehired by their foreign employers. On the other hand, 468 Filipino workers found new jobs in Taiwan last March.

The Labor Secretary also said that companies affected by the global crisis are retaining the OFWs to avoid losing their quotas and in anticipation of improvement in the economy of Taiwan in the fourth quarter.

Toyota’s losses a cautionary tale for Fiat?

2009-04-30T08:11:00.002-04:00

Sergio Marchionne, prick up your ears.

Toyota Motor, the once-mighty money machine that grabbed the crown of world’s biggest automaker from General Motors last year, gave a shocking loss forecast today for a staggering $8.6 billion for this year. Culprits are aplenty, but one of them is the company’s mammoth size.

Until the economic crisis slammed the brakes on car sales last year, Toyota couldn’t build them fast enough. To catch up with demand, Toyota put up more factories, from China to the Czech Republic. Reaching annual sales of 10 million vehicles – a feat never achieved by any automaker to date - looked imminent for the 70-year-old carmaker.

Now that rapid expansion has come back to haunt it. With consumers holding back on car purchases the world over, Toyota’s sprawling manufacturing facilities are a liability. Tumbling sales are forcing dozens of its factories to work half-days, costing the company billions. This year, it expects to build 6.3 million vehicles — 800,000 fewer than it did in the year that ended on March 31.

Size is a tricky business. Economics says that scale breeds savings, but at the same time, it makes carmakers less nimble. Striking a balance can be tough even for a company like Toyota, which has grown organically as an independent carmaker. Rivals such as General Motors and Volkswagen, meanwhile, have become bigger partly by scooping up brands, often outside their home markets, so achieving synergies is even more difficult.

In the late 1990s, former Daimler-Benz Chairman Juergen Schrempp had a vision of creating an auto empire and took over Chrysler to form DaimlerChrysler, which went on to buy stakes in Japan’s Mitsubishi Motors and South Korea’s Hyundai Motor. Now, all of those ties have effectively been severed. The moral of Schrempp’s failure was: Size isn’t the formula for success.

It’s puzzling, then, that Sergio Marchionne, the dynamic chief executive of Italy’s Fiat, is treading a similar path.

The Italian-Canadian CEO is looking to super-size Fiat by combining with the newly bankrupt Chrysler and GM’s German arm, Opel, in the belief that the Italian carmaker needs the resulting “industrial efficiency” to survive. Toyota’s announcement today should be a wake-up call for Mr Marchionne.

Job Fairs are Effective – DOLE

2009-04-25T18:50:00.002-04:00

Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Marianito Roque defended the conduct of job fairs held in several parts of the country and stated that these are not mere gimmicks.

Secretary Roque said, in a statement released at DOLE website, that job fairs are crucial measures in helping employers find appropriate skills they need, at the same time, facilitating the placement of workers in need of jobs. He further claimed that a total of 1,032 job fairs were conducted nationwide between January and November last year which offered 1.34 million job vacancies.

Sec. Roque cleared that not all job vacancies are filled up immediately after job fairs since companies still undergo rigid selection of short listed applicants met through job fairs. “Selection may start with an initial interview of applicants as the fair is going on…the recruitment of selected applicants who troop to job fairs usually takes place at the company level, where management makes the final choice out of initial interviews and résumés of jobseekers it had gathered during a job fair,” the Secretary adds.

Moreover, skill mismatch is still a perennial problem among applicants given that most jobseekers do not have the necessary qualifications or skills required by the employers. This entails the company to continuously participate in other job fairs to be able to find the applicant they are looking for.

Sec. Roque adds, “job fair also offers services whereby workers are given opportunities to embark on livelihood projects or to undergo skills training and upgrading to enable them meet the skills requirements of industry."

Please visit the Trabaho.com Events and Seminar page for a list of job fairs in the Metro.

Just my Luck

2009-04-11T23:04:00.006-04:00

Guess what? Another fender bender accident earlier. Dont judge me yet though. It was not my fault that the other car hit what I was driving earlier in downtown Chicago.

I am not accident prone. The other guy was just not paying attention.

I was driving down in Michigan Avenue (Magnificent Mile) going to Randolf Rd. to pick up some people at Millenium Park. When I got to Randolf Rd the light was red and I had to wait for the green arrow only to turn left. Well the green arrow lit up and I step on the pedal and went off to turn left. I was already getting on Randolf and I notice the other car north bound of Michigan Avenue trying to turn right to Randolf Rd. I noticed that he was coming in too fast, I tried to get away but he was already really close. I noticed that he tried to get away too but I was too late for him as well.

He hit my right front fender and luckily just a little dent. He admitted the whole thing was his fault right away though. I desided to call the police instead of just exchanging information simply because my car was a rental. We settled the whole thing and Kenley will be paying for all damages on my car.

Case dimissed.

TRABAHO.COM: The Premier Philippine Jobsite

2009-04-02T12:57:00.004-04:00

Trabaho.com has been the Filipino job seeker's partner since 1996, the year when it became the premiere online recruitment site in the country.

Conceptualized and developed by the creative minds of Web Philippines, Inc., the site aims to provide global Filipinos with an accessible venue for limitless career opportunities, for corporate organizations to receive time-saving and cost-effective online recruitment solutions, and to support government initiatives for improving the employment situation in the country.

Now empowered with a roster of highly competitive services and a better design, Trabaho.com is set to fulfill its role of being the jobseeker's your "Complete Online Career Resource."

Thanks to the help of its strategic partners today, job seekers can expect to be greatly empowerment in charting their career path.

Franchising Can Create Jobs and Income for OFWs

2009-03-20T22:24:00.002-04:00

Instead of job hunting, overseas Filipino workers (OFW) who were affected by the global financial downturn can engage in franchising and create more jobs in the process.

According to Mr. Samie Lim, chairman of the Philippine Franchise Association, (PFA) in an interview with ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau during the World Franchise Council (WFC) meeting and Franchise Expo Paris in Paris last March 12, there are three specific businesses that Filipinos can engage in, which would not require huge capital. These are food, fashion, and service sectors such as health and beauty salons. Furthermore, Mr. Lim said that expanded franchising businesses in the Philippines can create an estimate of 100,000 jobs this year.

Aside from OFWs, displaced workers who have enough savings and good network with potential business partners may also consider venturing in the franchising business.

Meanwhile, a week before the WFC, OFWs in Paris attended the Financial Literacy and Wise Investment Seminar organized by the Philippine Embassy, in cooperation with PFA and sponsored by the Philippine Trade and Investment Center, the representative of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in France. The event taught the participants on how to start their business and basic information on franchising.

As a way to further teach Filipinos on the benefits of franchising and as an alternative for OFW, he PFA will spearhead the 17th Philippine International Franchise Conference & Expo slated on July 1 – 5, 2009. For more information, visit the PFA website at http://www.pfa.org.ph/

Court Hearing for Traffic Violation

2009-03-16T22:35:00.005-04:00

I finally got to my appointment of informal hearing at Court 20th District of Michigan today. As you may remember I was pulled over 2days after Christmas last year for not treating a totally dead light a four way stop.

I originally pleaded not guilty and the magistrate scheduled me for a hearing. I had to wait almost 3 months for this hearing.

I realized right after I stepped out of the court the first time I faced the magistrate last year that I made a mistake. I regreted why I stood ground and want to be pardoned for whatever I did. I want the fines and penalty gone as well as the points gone but not as desperate as this.

I realized that the law is the law and nobody wins against the court when it comes to traffic violations. Well 90 percent of the time anyways.

So when it was my time earlier today to face the judge and when I was standing in front of the court room, the judge gave me two options to settle my case. First is to take an impeeding ticket and just pay the fine and no points goes to my record. Or face the judge to an informal hearing and defend my case against the cop the pulled me over.

What did I choose? Of course I chose to pay the fine of $120US and went home.

I definitely made the right choice and I felt satisfied with the verdict. :)

Case dismissed.

Ash Wednesday

2009-02-25T22:05:00.003-05:00

The act echoes the ancient Near Eastern tradition of throwing ashes over one's head to signify repentance before God (as related in the Bible). The priest or minister says one of the following when applying the ashes:

Remember, O man, that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return. (Genesis 3:19)

Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel. (Mark 1:15)

Repent, and hear the good news. (Mark 1:15)

In the Roman Catholic Church, Ash Wednesday is observed by fasting, abstinence from meat, and repentance—a day of contemplating one's transgressions.
On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, Roman Catholics between the ages of 18 and 59 are permitted to consume only one full meal, which may be supplemented by two smaller meals, which together should not equal the full meal. Some Roman Catholics will go beyond the minimum obligations demanded by the Church and undertake a complete fast or a bread and water fast.
Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are also days of abstinence from meat (for those Catholics age 14 and over), as are all Fridays in Lent.
Some Roman Catholics continue fasting during the whole of Lent, as was the Church's traditional requirement, concluding only after the celebration of the Easter Vigil.

As the first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday comes the day after Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday), the last day of the Carnival season.

Physician 2009 Board Exam

2009-02-18T18:19:00.004-05:00

Wow. My sister Geraliz Manit Cedeno and her husband Mark Anthony Sigui Dano just passed the 2009 Physician board exam of the Philippines.

Congratulations to

DR. GERALIZ MANIT CEDENO, M.D. and
DR. MARK ANTHONY SIGUI DANO, M.D.

Click here "Physician 2009 Exam Results" to see exam results.

Filipino WW2 veterans getting $200M of the stimulus

2009-02-16T21:15:00.003-05:00

Part of the 1000 pages describing the $800B stimulus package that President Barrack Obama signed recently are for the Filipino 2nd World War veterans that fought for the US.

There will be a 198M US dollars part of the package for these veterans. Divided to 15,000 US dollars if that person is a US citizen and 9,000 US dollars if otherwise.

I hope there will be more on this package reaching out this kind of help.

This is what we all need in order to stimulate and bring the US economy back on its feet.

Romance is Healthy

2009-02-11T22:10:00.003-05:00

Romance is Healthy. Study says that men with healthier sex lives have a longer life and cut their risks for heart attack and stroke in half by having sex at least three times per week. Another study shows having intercourse just twice a week boosts your immune system.

With the right mix of romance and relaxation, you can use Valentine's Day to relieve stress, elevate your mood, maybe burn some calories and even improve your sleep.

Eating heart healthy foods will also help ensure that your heart keeps pumping, but keep in mind, feeling overfed is not romantic. Go slowly on the main dish and save some room for desert.

8 Habits for a Healthy LIFE

2009-02-07T11:20:00.003-05:00

Here's how D-I-E-T F-R-E-E works:

D - Drink Water
I - Include breakfast and stop eating 2-3 hours before bed
E - Eat a fruit or vegetable at every meal or snack
T - Tame your sweet tooth

F - Find the fat. Ignore the bad and enjoy the good
R - Replace processed foods with whole foods
E - Eat only until you are no longer hungry
E - Exercise. Make excercise your middle name.

Time to Buy Cars

2009-02-01T14:12:00.002-05:00

Automotive OEMs have been the biggest target of the world recession. There is more than four months of vehicles built with nobody buying.

This is a good time to buy. The OEMs here in the US and around the world have temporarily stop most of their production due to too much inventory stock for over four months.

The OEMs dealerships have been offering the best deals ever just to sell cars and trucks and to get rid of their inventory as soon as possible.

I think this is the best time to buy cars right now because you can very much bargain with the dealerships.

I would only recommend this if you are in need of a car right now. But if you are not then dont spend a cent of your money to cars at this time.

Presidential Inauguration of Obama

2009-01-20T23:53:00.004-05:00

It is definitely a historic event for americans. It was estimated to have 2 million people attended the inauguration of President Barrack Obama today. The most number of people attended. I saw the whole thing on TV but it felt like I was there. The feeling of unity and hope was overwhelming. You can see it on all faces.

President Obama's speech uplifted americans's hope again that change is coming and America will be successful again.

It was not the greatest speech Obama delivered compared to all the speeches I heard him delivered but it was enough to bring people together and deliver the message.

We'll see how this goes. Tomorrow's his first day of office.

Long Line of US Presidents

2009-01-07T21:54:00.003-05:00

Wow 5 presidents alive in my lifetime. I am witnessing history in the making.

In the picture are US President George W. Bush (C) stands with President-elect Barack Obama (2nd L), former President George H.W. Bush (L), former President Bill Clinton (2nd R) and former President Jimmy Carter (R) in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on January 7, 2009.

Bush, acting on a suggestion by Obama, invited the former Presidents and President-elect for lunch, the first time since 1981 that all living presidents have been together at the White House.

Epiphany "Feast of the Three Kings"

2009-01-06T23:05:00.004-05:00

Epiphany is a Christian feast day which celebrates the revelation of God in human form in the person of Jesus Christ. Epiphany falls on January 6.

In the Philippines, Epiphany day is called "Feast of the Three Kings", i.e., the day when a group of Kings or Magi, as related in the second chapter of the gospel of Matthew, arrived to worship and bring three gifts to the baby Jesus after following a star in the heavens.
This day is sometimes known as the (Tres Reyes or Tatlong Hari) or The day of the Three Royal Magi. In Spanish tradition, on the day of January 6, three of the Kings: Melchor, Gaspar, and Balthazar, representing Europe, Arabia, and Africa, arrived on horse, camel and elephant, bringing respectively gold, frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus.

In the Philippines Christmas officially ends on the Feast of the Three Kings (Tres Reyes or Tatlong Hari in Tagalog), also known as the Feast of the Epiphany. Filipino children leave their shoes out, so that the Three Kings would leave behind gifts like candy or money inside.

My New Year at Navy Pier

2009-01-02T18:29:00.003-05:00

My wife and I and some of our friends went to Chicago Navy Pier to celebrate New Years Eve 2009. Temperature was very cold and talking about Chicago it is the windy city state, it felt like below zero that night with the wind chill at lake shore. Our leather gloves, winter boots, head cover, scarf and layers of sweater and jackets did not help a lot standing outside waiting for the fireworks.

While waiting in the cold we decided to drink some booze to warm ourselves. One glass of long island ice tea still no fireworks and then drunk the second one but we still have 15 minutes till countdown and then the third but before I could finish it we had to be outside for the countdown and the fireworks.

It was a spectacular sight, it was fun and loud and overwhelming with hope and happiness. Happy new year.

We decided to get back in to the bar still holding my third glass of long island. I remembered I havent eaten anything that day cause I was kinda hungry. But it was late. Next thing I know I was already drunk.

I stopped drinking for the rest of the evening but those three glasses got me.

It was worth it.

Pulled Over

2008-12-28T20:57:00.006-05:00

An hour ago I was just pulled over for not stopping on an intersection that the light was not working at all. I was given a ticket for not yielding. The ticket was for $110 dollars.

I was arguing with the officer because I really dont think I was suppose to get a ticket. First of all I was following a flowing traffic (meaning if I would stop I will definitely cause an accident), second I was not familiar of the place and it was pitch black it was very difficult to see that a traffic light was there.

The officer said that a non-working light is to be treated as a four way stop. I said that is if you can see it.

I will be contesting the violation though and face the judge the next available time. I really dont think I deserve that. I hadnt had any tickets for over 3 years and I have been a very cognisant and careful driver.

2009 Year of the OX

2008-12-27T01:53:00.003-05:00

Goodbye to the Rat and welcome the OX.

The Ox is the sign of prosperity through fortitude and hard work. This powerful sign is a born leader, being quite dependable and possessing an innate ability to achieve great things. As one might guess, such people are dependable, calm, and modest. Like their animal namesake, the Ox is unswervingly patient, tireless in their work, and capable of enduring any amount of hardship without complaint.

Ox people need peace and quiet to work through their ideas, and when they have set their mind on something it is hard for them to be convinced otherwise. An Ox person has a very logical mind and is extremely systematic in whatever they do, even without imagination. These people speak little but are extremely intelligent. When necessary, they are articulate and eloquent.

People born under the influence of the Ox are kind, caring souls, logical, positive, filled with common sense and with their feet firmly planted on the ground. Security is their main preoccupation in life, and they are prepared to toil long and hard in order to provide a warm, comfortable and stable nest for themselves and their families. Strong-minded, stubborn, individualistic, the majority are highly intelligent individuals who don't take kindly to being told what to do.

The Ox works hard, patiently, and methodically, with original intelligence and reflective thought. These people enjoy helping others. Behind this tenacious, laboring, and self-sacrificing exterior lies an active mind.

The Ox is not extravagant, and the thought of living off credit cards or being in debt makes them nervous. The possibility of taking a serious risk could cause the Ox sleepless nights.

Ox people are truthful and sincere, and the idea of wheeling and dealing in a competitive world is distasteful to them. They are rarely driven by the prospect of financial gain. These people are always welcome because of their honesty and patience. They have many friends, who appreciate the fact that the Ox people are wary of new trends, although every now and then they can be encouraged to try something new.

It is important to remember that the Ox people are sociable and relaxed when they feel secure, but occasionally a dark cloud looms over such people and they engage all the trials of the whole world and seek solutions for them.

Post Christmas

2008-12-26T13:48:00.003-05:00

This is a day to celebrate even more that you past Christmas. It is like a new beginning once again. It feels like a brand new start for me.

Every year we anticipate Christmas day would come sooner but when it comes it doesnt stop there and life goes on. Actually for most people they go back to work immediately.

For me personally I am thankful that I am blessed another day.