my futile attempt at being interesting

A “slight” misinformation from Globe Gcash

noreply@blogger.com (isel) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 08:10:12 PDT

I saw this posted on Globe’s Gcash website two weeks ago. I stopped using Gcash since I lost my last phone over a year ago, but I used to utilize it often for online purchases. Since my friends and I decided to start our own online business a month ago, I figured it would be a good idea to re-active my Gcash account again.

What further spiked my interest was this promo they have. Instead of paying P100 for a Gcash card, you can get it for free either by purchasing tickets at SM Cinema with Gcash or by subscribing to a postpaid plan. Subscribing to a postpaid plan is not an option for me since I can barely consume P500 a month on prepaid credits. So I clicked on the first option which is through SM Cinema. The link opened to this page here.

This wasn’t the exact page that appeared. It seems like they have extended the promo period. This promo was supposed to end by June 30th and since it was already the 25th that day, I called their hotline to verify some information. The representative on the other line confirmed that as long as I make the purchase during the promo period, I would be eligible for this offer. I just need to wait for the confirmation message from Gcash that would enable me to apply for the free card. Armed with this information, I proceeded to register my current Globe SIM to Gcash.

It took a while before I got to register through my mobile phone. I had to try a couple of times before my registration finally went through. Apparently, my previous Gcash account was interfering with my current registration. I had to find that out the hard way because I had to wait in line (sure there were seats and numbers but my point is, I had to wait a long time) the next day at the Globe Business Center in SM Marikina. It took around 20 minutes for my number to be called at the counter and when I got there, they had to send me over to Account Modifications at the Express lane because I can’t put money in my Gcash account yet. I waited another 25 minutes at the Express Lane as they tried to modify my account, and when they finally did, I had to go back to the counter again. Good thing they didn’t ask me to fall in line again.

While waiting for my account to be modified, I asked the personnel about this Gcash promo and she did confirm that purchasing tickets online from SM Cinema’s website would allow me to get a Gcash card for free. Purchasing the ticket went smoothly but I haven’t received any notification from Gcash yet. I called the Gcash hotline again as soon as I got home and asked how long it usually takes for the notification to arrive and the representative said it usually takes a week. I again asked, to make sure, that as long as I purchase the tickets during the promo period, I would be entitled to that promo and she said YES.

Fast forward 2 weeks later. I still haven’t received any notification so I called up their hotline again a few hours ago. This time the representative was telling me something else. I called twice and spoke to two different people (Mayfel Colasito and Satine Armada). This time, they were saying that only select subscribers are eligible for this promo; which is contrary to what appears on their website. Their website clearly states that ALL GCASH SUBSCRIBERS WHO PURCHASE SM CINEMA TICKETS FROM www.smcinema.com THROUGH GCASH DURING THE PROMO PERIOD ARE ELIGIBLE TO JOIN. It does say on the following line that an sms notification will be sent to qualified subscribers but it wasn’t clearly stated that being eligible doesn’t equate to being qualified. So we may have a loop hole here. Nonetheless, I called twice and asked a personnel at the Globe Business Center and they all told me the same thing – that buying a ticket alone would allow me to take advantage of this promo. Not once was it implied that this is some sort of raffle.

I have heard a lot of things about Globe’s “tendency” to not disclose things ie. those people who were billed exorbitant amounts for being unaware that they should manually switch from kb to time-based internet charging, and it annoys me that these little bits of misinformation is causing people too much hassle. I sure wish something can be done about this.

Introvert through and through

noreply@blogger.com (isel) — Fri, 20 May 2011 10:25:42 PDT

I saw an interesting link in Tumblr the other day. It was about the 10 Myths about Introverts as listed by Carl King. Knowing I’ve always dangled between extremes, I never gave being an introvert much thought. I knew I was one, but being very flexible, I can easily adapt into extroverted~ness. However, during the Holy Week, my mom asked me to help her check the psychological tests of the students in the High School where she worked as a Guidance Counselor. After that, I have to collate their scores and fill up a report.

On the report sheet, I was supposed to write the number of students who are emotionally matured against the immature, socially stable against socially unstable, emotionally stable against the emotionally unstable, and introverts against extroverts. That got me thinking, the dualism here is obvious among the unstables and immatures. But what about introverts against extroverts? Is being an introvert considered a negative trait?

Going back to the link, Carl King wrote an article about a book called The Introvert Advantage: How to thrive in an extrovert world by Marti Olsen Laney, Psy.D. Being another introvert, he listed 10 common misconceptions about introverts. Gung-ho with interest, I decided to make it a checklist for my introverted~ness.

Myth #1 – Introverts don’t like to talk.
This is not true. Introverts just don’t talk unless they have something to say. They hate small talk. Get an introvert talking about something they are interested in, and they won’t shut up for days.

Check! This is exactly me. I only speak when spoken to, and I only speak when I have something worth saying. I just don’t see the point in wasting energy in saying something stupid. This goes without saying that I do a lot of evil things in my head while keeping my mouth shut. Like mentally murdering people or torturing them.

Myth #2 – Introverts are shy.
Shyness has nothing to do with being an Introvert. Introverts are not necessarily afraid of people. What they need is a reason to interact. They don’t interact for the sake of interacting. If you want to talk to an Introvert, just start talking. Don’t worry about being polite.

Check! Whenever my mom would introduce me to people, I normally just smile and politely nod to acknowledge their presence. I would then overhear my mom say, “Tahimik talaga yan” (She’s really quiet) which I found amusing because I was often told off in school for being noisy. Or maybe I’m just loud at times. Still, I’m not really a quiet person. I just don’t have anything to say to them and I certainly won’t say anything just for the sake of saying something. Although when someone does try to make conversation, I make an effort to be engaged as well.

Myth #3 – Introverts are rude.
Introverts often don’t see a reason for beating around the bush with social pleasantries. They want everyone to just be real and honest. Unfortunately, this is not acceptable in most settings, so Introverts can feel a lot of pressure to fit in, which they find exhausting.

Check! I am just socially handicapped. If I want something I say it. I don’t care if its not socially acceptable to interfere like that, but I just can’t sit still and not do something. I don’t think I’m being impolite. No, not at all. I think they’re just being overly sensitive.

Myth #4 – Introverts don’t like people.
On the contrary, Introverts intensely value the few friends they have. They can count their close friends on one hand. If you are lucky enough for an introvert to consider you a friend, you probably have a loyal ally for life. Once you have earned their respect as being a person of substance, you’re in.

Check! I love people! I get off from helping other people and making other people happy. I’ve often been told that I give too much but maybe that’s just me. I will do absolutely everything I can for a friend without any care or thought for myself. That is how much I love them.

Myth #5 – Introverts don’t like to go out in public.
Nonsense. Introverts just don’t like to go out in public FOR AS LONG. They also like to avoid the complications that are involved in public activities. They take in data and experiences very quickly, and as a result, don’t need to be there for long to “get it.” They’re ready to go home, recharge, and process it all. In fact, recharging is absolutely crucial for Introverts.

Check! Carl King why are you so awesome? You just explained everything en pointe.

Myth #6 – Introverts always want to be alone.
Introverts are perfectly comfortable with their own thoughts. They think a lot. They daydream. They like to have problems to work on, puzzles to solve. But they can also get incredibly lonely if they don’t have anyone to share their discoveries with. They crave an authentic and sincere connection with ONE PERSON at a time.

Check! I daydream a lot and I don’t like being interrupted. I sometimes surprise myself at how detailed my daydreams are. It helps a lot in making me come up with ideas. I like having someone to share my thoughts with. I like having someone I can have adventures with. I’m comfortable being alone. Just not too alone.

Myth #7 – Introverts are weird.
Introverts are often individualists. They don’t follow the crowd. They’d prefer to be valued for their novel ways of living. They think for themselves and because of that, they often challenge the norm. They don’t make most decisions based on what is popular or trendy.

I am weird. I like being weird. I like being different. I choose to do things based on what I like and I will not apologize for it. I don’t care if people say otherwise. Is being weird a bad thing? Is creativity a bad thing? Is having a mind of your own undaunted by outside influence a bad thing?

Myth #8 – Introverts are aloof nerds.
Introverts are people who primarily look inward, paying close attention to their thoughts and emotions. It’s not that they are incapable of paying attention to what is going on around them, it’s just that their inner world is much more stimulating and rewarding to them.

Normal people bore me. They are so predictable. It makes me sad that I’m related to normal people. My little sister is too easy to give in to peer pressure. And she likes all the popular stuff. It’s pathetic I can’t even bear to speak of it. So I’d rather not pay her any attention and focus on my shit. That terribly annoys my mom. She gets home and asks, “Asan si ____?” (Where is _____?) and I would say Ewan ko (I don’t know). She would then ask, “Wala ka bang pakialam?” (Have you any care?). In my head I would say, I do, I just don’t like what I see so I’d rather not pay any attention. But then I choose to be polite and just remain silent for the remainder of the impending nag-fest.

Myth #10 – Introverts can fix themselves and become Extroverts.
A world without Introverts would be a world with few scientists, musicians, artists, poets, filmmakers, doctors, mathematicians, writers, and philosophers. That being said, there are still plenty of techniques an Extrovert can learn in order to interact with Introverts. (Yes, I reversed these two terms on purpose to show you how biased our society is.) Introverts cannot “fix themselves” and deserve respect for their natural temperament and contributions to the human race. In fact, one study (Silverman, 1986) showed that the percentage of Introverts increases with IQ.

You can’t fix what isn’t broken. I embrace my quirks with much gusto and although I can act extrovertedly with ease, I just can’t be bothered. Haters gonna hate.

24 hour Pizza delivery sa Marikina

noreply@blogger.com (isel) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:28:41 PST

Isang malamig na umaga nung Disyembre, naglalakad ako pauwi nang madaanan ko ang tarpaulin na ito. Naintriga ako dahil bukod sa may website sila, eh wala namang store address na nakalagay sa tarpaulin nila. Dahil tamad akong dumukot ng cellphone para i-save yung numerong nakasulat, kinabisado ko na lang yung url ng website nila for future reference.
homepizza dot com dot ph!
homepizza dot com dot ph!
homepizza dot com dot ph!
Game! Kabisado ka na! Umuwi ako sa bahay at ginawa ang mga normal na gawain ko at pansamantala kong nakalimutan ang homepizza dot com dot ph. Isang araw, may seminar si Mama sa Los Baños kaya kinailangan niyang manatili dun ng isang lingo. Sakto naman at may sakit din ako at nagpapasaway ang kapatid ko kaya naiwan ako sa bahay para magbantay ng 2 nakababatang kapatid ko. At dahil wala akong lakas na magluto ng hapunan ng araw na iyon, naisipan ko magpa deliver ng pizza. Pinuntahan ko ang website ng Home Pizza at duon ko natagpuan ang buong menu nila.
Aba! 24 hours delivery! Magandang balita ito para sa ~~adik~~ este nocturnal na kagaya ko. Agad kong tinawagan ang isa sa mga numerong nakasaad sa website nila at nagpadeliver ng isang 20 inch na 1+222 (Isang classic flavor at 3 signature flavor).

Inisip ko kase na baka hindi masyado masarap yung classic flavor nila dahil nadala na ko sa pag-order ko sa Planet Pizza. Sinubukan ko kase umorder ng Hawaiian na isa sa mga cheap na flavor sa Planet Pizza at sobrang na-disappoint ako sa kakapirangot na toppings at nakakaumay na lasa ng cheese. Kaya sa pag-order ko sa Home Pizza, naisipan ko orderin muna ang masasarap na flavor nila.
Dumating ang order namin matapos ang 45 minuto, na hindi na masama considering na napakalaking pizza ang magiging hapunan namin. Mainit pa ang pizza at hindi naman ako na disappoint dahil umaapaw ito sa toppings! May kasama pang garlic cream sauce pang kasama! May pizza ka na, may shawarma sauce ka pa!

Technorati Tags: Pizza,Marikina,tarpaulin,Planet Pizza ,Hawaiian,homepizza,toppings,

Would you steal for love?

noreply@blogger.com (isel) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:30:00 PST

I am a big supporter of unconventional Pinoy movies. For years, almost every Filipino-made movie was as predictable as one of our grade-school science experiments where we put an onion bulb on a jar of water and wait for it to turn into a unicorn. Recently though, there had been an influx of entertaining Pinoy movies that, as much as I hate to admit it, made me interested in actually going to the theater to watch it, which is exactly what happened yesterday.
It was my first time to attend a blogger event yesterday. I’m usually the type of person who just keeps to herself and it really takes a while, or a lot of beer, before I loosen up enough to join in on a conversation. Plus the fact that I don’t speak up if I don’t have anything noteworthy to say. The initial screening of the movie The Red Shoes, though was too tempting to pass up on. So when I heard they still had slots left for bloggers I didn’t think twice about signing up.
A love story set on a political back draft sounds like a very interesting plot for me. And to say that James Ladioran, is a romantic, would be an understatement. I initially was interested in seeing this movie because I was curious as to what role Imelda Marcos’s shoes would play in this story, but as it turns out, I got more than what I bargained for.
The Red Shoes isn’t just a love story in its romantic context. It also spoke about
… Lucas’s love for his mom,
… Aling Chat’s love for her “departed” husband, Domeng
…. Bettina’s love of beautiful bridges
… Madam Vange’s love for Imelda
and Imelda’s love for shoes, among other things.
It also spoke about patriotism, which is something I’m really passionate about. Much like Lucas, given the choice, hindi ko iiwan ang Pilipinas. Now, some people would ask, am I less of a Filipino if I choose to be somewhere else? To that, I would say, different strokes. We may not be rich, but I would rather be a nobody here, than be a nobody in a foreign land.
May mga sapatos na kahit anong pilit mo isuot, hindi mo pwede ilakad. The movie
also dabbled on some clichéd subjects like doing something you love, versus something that would be financially-rewarding; and the rich girl poor guy aspect. But it does so with such panache, that it doesn’t give you the primetime telenovela feel.
I just made the movie sound like a smorgasbord of love, didn’t I? That’s because it is, but the story is very intricately woven that you wouldn’t see the stitching. There are no prominent designs. No fancy embroidery. All you see is this one big, and very beautiful love story.
I would love to tell you more about it, but I can’t help myself from giving spoilers. I get giddy with excitement whenever I talk about something great. So unless you want me to spoil the fun for you, I would suggest you go see the movie yourself.
For more information you can check out their website here http://theredshoes.com.ph/
I’ll be uploading the mp3 of the mini forum later. Tessie Tomas gave very candid answers and I would love to share her words to you.

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Trivium Live in Manila

noreply@blogger.com (isel) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:32:05 PST

You may want to read THIS before reading on.
It was already 2 in the afternoon and I still don’t have anyone I can go with to watch Trivium. I still have to take the strawberries from Diane to her cousin Krinkle before I leave for Makati.
My mom and dad will be watching the last APO show in SMX that day so I asked if they can drop me off in Makati on their way there. They said yes so I met up with them in Cubao.
Around a little past 6pm while I was in the car on our way to Makati, Dheysie txted me asking if I still had plans of watching. I said yes and she said she will be watching too but she would just be a little late. So I said ok.
Once I got there I immediately approached the ticket booth and bought 2 VIP tickets. Since it was still early, I decided to get myself some dinner first. While trying to find food, I saw Darcke so we chatted for a little bit then I went on to have dinner. I decided to eat at Sicilian Express since it was the one nearest and ordered their Fettuccini cheese. Then I went out to go to 7 11 and get some load credits for my cell phone but I saw Finn of Resurrected and we chatted for a while. I also saw Joseph Conde and his wife, Celi and a bunch of metal scene people. Darcke also told me he saw Joan around so I txted Joan to ask her if they have plans afterwards. It was comforting to find people you at least know so I was no longer, for the lack of better word to use, *scared* to watch alone in case Dheysie won’t be able to make it.
While waiting for Dheysie to arrive, I amused myself by txting Ban and trying to get him envious because I’m gonna be seeing Trivium while he’s stuck reviewing for his next exam. I also plurked for a little while, although it wasn’t much fun since there were only a few people active at that time. I just opted to stay outside since I wasn’t really interested in seeing Slapshock or Valley of Chrome play. It was almost 9pm when Dheysie got at the venue and we immediately went in. The guard asked for my lighter because it wasn’t supposed to be allowed inside but seeing that it looked expensive, he just made me keep it. We got in, I introduced Dheysie to Fifah, got the free gift (which I thought was a rose but was actually a red g-string) and made it in time for Trivium’s first song.
I was able to catch some parts on video but the security guy made me stop because he said handy cams weren’t allowed. He asked how I was able to get it in, and I was dumbfounded because the security guy at the entrance didn’t ask about it. So I just kept the video camera and continued shooting photos.
All in all it was a great show. They played Ascendency which is the only Trivium song I really like. They also played a cover of Sepultura’s Slave New World. My only disappointment/s would be

1. Not seeing Travis Smith play. He left the band just a few days before they played here and I was really looking forward to seeing him play.
2. We never got to make the most out of the free food and drinks. Sad because the rhum cola they served was awesome. I never even got to see what the free food was. Maybe next time they should be more clear on where to get what.

As I mentioned earlier, I was able to take a couple of videos but I’m warning you, the audio is terrible. I was right infront of the speakers and it just sounds incomprehensible.

You may also check out some of the photos here. No, I did not bother processing these photos. I’m being lazy.

All this shit just to watch Trivium

noreply@blogger.com (isel) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:33:57 PST

American heavy metal band Trivium performed at the A.Venue Music Hall in Makati, PH last Saturday (February 13, 2010).
Although I’m not really a fan of the band, I was so bent on seeing them play because it had been a while since I’ve seen a foreign act. I also firmly believe that we should support productions that bring foreign acts to our country so that they can continue whatever it is they were doing in the first place. Weeks before the event, I was already looking for someone I could go with but it seemed like I was jinxed or something.
First there was Ban, who had every intent of going with me that day, but then he realized he had exams that day and won’t be able to make it in time since he would be coming all the way from Baguio. *shrugs* Exams yun eh, can’t argue with that.
Then there was Anthonie. Two weeks ago we have already decided to get VIP tickets. We were just waiting for his friends to decide whether they were going or not so we can also get tickets for them. For a while we considered getting the Super VIP tickets from Manila Concert Scene which would allow us entry to the after party. But then, there was a medical emergency in his family, and all of a sudden he was broke and can’t go with me to see Trivium.

Isel: Yung Gen Ad, P600. Tapos may VIP na 2k pero may couples rate yun na P3k for 2 tickets. Tapos may limited na tickets from Manila Concert Scene, may kasamang after party pass pero 2k talaga yun sarado walang discount.
Anonymous Guy: Sige mahipo ko lang biceps ni Matt masaya na ko.

Ok, this isn’t funny anymore. It’s only a week before the show.
I even asked an ex-bf, Cedric, if he could go, but he too was unsure because of god knows what. Yeah, I was that desperate. I really felt bad about not having anyone I could go with. I was even seriously considering going alone but I was afraid because teh vertigo might kick in.
For a while I felt helpless and annoyed so I wrote a rant post/status update on Facebook, to which Dheysie then replied by saying she was also interested in watching!
So we agreed to purchase the tickets the next day.
But then something, again, happened. I had an impromptu Baguio trip last Thursday and I didn’t have enough time to purchase tickets before I board the bus. So, I txted Dheysie that we can just buy the tickets tomorrow. She said it was ok.
I got back to Manila Friday night, with no time to purchase tickets again since we would have to get the tickets from the PULP office and it was already beyond office hours, and I was carrying a ton of stuff. I was too tired to worry about Trivium so I just slept it off. The following morning, I found out the Dheysie’s brother would be going back to Canada on Monday, and they will be having this family dinner tonight, which means she *might* not be able to go. At this point I just want to fuck it all and leave it to fate.
Blogger Labels: Trivium,band,Venue,Makati,Baguio,Manila,Concert,Scene,Facebook,PULP,tickets

Meiday! Meiday!

noreply@blogger.com (isel) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:39:36 PST

Yes, this is post is wayyyy delayed. Let’s back track a bit to recall the events than transpired that brought me to this mayhem.
I recently had a chance to catch up with a long time friend whom I haven’t been in touch with for years now. While we were talking, he mentioned about wanting to get hold of this Pinoy-made comic book. Rapidblade was able to find me one and we agreed to meet up at Sputnik’s Relaunch so I could get the comic book from him.

Saturday came and although I initially had plans of being in Cubao X by 4pm, I was monstrously late. Yeah, I procrastinate too much. Good thing Rapidblade got the comic book signed by Sir Gerry Alanguilan. I arrived at Cubao X a little past 6pm and I found Renie, Levy and the other guys sketching inside Sputnik. Van was outside so we hung out on the gutters fronting the tent while waiting for the others.
Bands started playing at around 8pm.
Here are some of the videos I managed to take that night.
Purplechickens

Purplechickens

Ang bandang Shirley

Top Junk

Itchyworms

The Lowtechs

the lowtechs

Oh, and I blame Tuesday Vargas for that awesome set with Top Junk. I lost my cheap decoy phone while filming their set. As the night progressed it got crazier and crazier. The queue outside was starting to get really long and I’m thankful I got in early even if it meant I had to hang out and be idle for 2 hours. At least we had a comfortable seat with a good view of the bands. People were getting drunk because of this booth that sells cocktails for P30 a cup, P20 for a refill.
At one time we took a break from the crowd by getting inside Sputnik. There we saw Sir RA Rivera, Quark Henares and Mich Dulce. Boy, did I try real hard not to look too starstruck.
When it was Pedicab’s turn to play, we made our way into the crowd trying to find a decent spot. It was real lucky that we were able to secure that spot because I had a great view of the band.
The Coup de grâce that night would be the medley from the dangerous Pedicab Band. Watch out as Raimund Marasigan does a “stage” dive and nobody caught him.

Pedicab at Meiday from Chriselle Militar on Vimeo.
Technorati Tags: Pinoy,Rapidblade,Sputnik Relaunch,Cubao,Gerry Alanguilan,Purplechickens,Ang bandang Shirley,Top Junk,Itchyworms,Lowtechs,Pedicab,Raimund,Marasigan

Mini Ban and Stone

noreply@blogger.com (isel) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:39:17 PST

During one of the countless hours Ban and I have been talking and sending txt messages to each other, trying to catch up with each other’s lives, he mentioned about wanting to have a copy of this old comic book by some Filipino artists. He didn’t know the names of the artists, he just gave me a name, STONE. Sounds familiar, although I’m not sure if I’m thinking about the same thing.
The next day, I started my search. It’s a very obscure series and it’s not that easy to google, especially since Stone is a very common search term, and I didn’t know who the artists were. So, I tried rationalizing my dilemma. There aren’t many popular Pinoy comic book artists around so I googled for “Whilce Portacio” and “stone”.
EUREKA!
Now where to find one?
I’m not a big comic book geek. I enjoy reading comic books, especially graphic novels, but I was never the type to collect or keep them in mint condition. They are meant to be read after all, not just to be displayed for everyone to be jealous off. So I asked around Plurk since most of the comicgasmic people I know are there and it’s a good thing I know such awesome people like Rapidblade.
I kept my fingers crossed.
A couple of days ago, Rapidblade plurked that he already found me a copy. I was ecstatic. I immediately let Ban know and he was also very excited. Rapidblade and I agreed to meet up at Sputnik’s relaunch at Cubao X yesterday so I could get the comic book from him. The good thing was, Sir Gerry Alanguilan himself would be there for book signing.
So there’s the story of how I was able to get a foil copy of Stone and how I got it signed.

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Technorati Tags: Stone,Mini,Filipino,Pinoy,Whilce,Portacio,Plurk,Rapidblade,Sputnik,Cubao,Gerry,Alanguilan

On gay marriages and kissing girls

noreply@blogger.com (isel) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:41:02 PST

I wasn’t really interested in writing something new until I skimmed through all my RSS subscriptions for today. First, I found out that Sue Sylvester is gay. Yes, the actress Jane Lynch and some psychologist named Lara Embry are engaged according to a number of news reports that circulated today. They are apparently, planning a May wedding. According to wikipedia, gay marriage is only allowed in 5 of the 50 states.

Same-sex marriages are currently granted by five of the 50 states and one Native American tribe, and are scheduled to be granted by one federal district:
In New Hampshire, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts and Vermont, marriages for same-sex couples are legal and currently performed.
In Washington, D.C., same-sex marriages could begin as early as February, 2010.
The Coquille Indian Tribe in Oregon also grants same-sex marriage.

Upon furthor Wikipedia~ing, I found that Jane Lynch was originally from Illinois, while Lara Embry is from Narnia. keeding! No, I don’t know where Lara Embry is from but I did find a Facebook page. Now, Lara Embry sounds like a fairly common name, but what made me double take was this Lara Embry is a supporter of NCLR. She must be the real thing, right? So, since Glee is Lynch’s primary project nowadays, and it’s filmed in Paramount Studios in Hollywood, and gay marriage isn’t permissible in California, they would be going to any of the previously noted 5 states, unless they intend to be married by an Indian chief.

On other news, Jennifer Lopez will not only be singing with the gleeks in Glee as a cafeteria lady, she would also be appearing in How I Met your Mother as a men handler, whatever that is. All I’m concerned about is that she will be mostly doing scenes with THE NEIL PATRICK HARRIS. That is enough to get me excited.
I have also been crushing on Kristen Stewart since I saw her on Zathura as a popsicle. Although I’m not really a fan of the Twilight saga, I’ve been watching it because of her. I was about to ditch watching New Moon because, really, seeing K.Stu in misery is disheartening, but then I learned that Dakota Fanning will be there, as no less than a vampire! Goodness, this keeps getting better and betterer. When I found out that both of them will be doing this movie for Sundance, all I really cared about was if they would be kissing. And yes! They would! So people who have powers to make torrents, please please seed the movie early because our country is stuck with politicians debating about Reproductive Health. The movie is entitled Runaways which is based on Cherie Currie’s book, Neon Angels. It’s basically about their ‘jailbait rock’ band back in the late 70’s. Sex, drugs, rock and roll, and teenage girls in a band; what else could go wrong?

del.icio.us Tags: kristen stewart,dakota fanning,runaways,gay marriage,same sex marriage,jane lynch,lara embry

Plurk Trends that I don’t get

noreply@blogger.com (isel) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:41:44 PST

No, it’s not the sound your poop makes when it reaches the toilet water. For those people living under a rock and don’t have any clue what Plurk is, it’s basically a micro blogging service, similar to twitter. What makes Plurk better, in my opinion, is that it follows a horizontal timeline, and a karma system that encourages users to update their timelines regularly. I’ve been a Plurk user for 18 months now and I haven’t even reached nirvana. My karma trend is crazier than the stock market. I used to feel bad that my karma is going nowhere (felt like it was a metaphor for my life, which incidentally, was also going nowhere) until shiro-san made me realize that I should just update whenever I want to and not worry about karma.
Because of this Karma system, users really put some effort into keeping their karma steadily going up. Here are some of the Plurk trends that annoy, amuse, puzzle, whatevs meh.

1. boost
We often see plurks that ask for some sort of boost to get more karma. Would have been acceptable if it’s for someone who’s almost at the 100 club but for normal people, it is never acceptable to ask for a boost. This.isn’t.MafiaWars!
2. self centeredness
I will categorize self centeredness into three basic groups, which are as follows:

a) The prince/ss. You think everybody is in love with you, and that everyone is interested in your love life. So what if your ex wants you back? So what if your classmate in kindergarten thinks you’re totally fuckable? Guess what, you aren’t that pretty, and you sure as hell aren’t that hot. We just make you feel like it because you might show us your bewbs.
b) The Rich kid. All you plurk about is how you spend your parent’s monies. Whether it be dining at the next posh restaurant, or buying this new toy. Practically the only interesting about you, is that you have money to spend. You have no opinion, you just copy off what other people think is cool. Newsflash, you only have friends because you give them freebies.
c) The Mentally Unsound. All your plurks, although not very obvious, all serve the same purpose… to make us realize how awesome you are. You know the hottest internet trend, you’re the expert at everything. So why would I say you are mentally unsound? Because the minute you feel ignored, you start throwing tantrums like a bitch. That is so gay, man. So gay.

3. know-it-alls
This is pretty much self explanatory, but you may ask, how are know it all’s different from The Mentally Unsound? For one, they aren’t awesome. They try so hard they end up sounding lame. These are the people who answer in clichés, or tries too hard to sound like a LOLcat, or whose standard replies to funny photos are “edited” or “ ‘shopped”. Congratulations, Captain Obvious!
4. the yes-men
These are the mindless drones who are too lame and live oh-so-boring lives they get starstruck by internet celebrities. That includes youtube celebrities, game masters, cosplayers, and people who show some/all on cam or photos. They are parasites in a way, living off the confidence of the self centered’s described in #2.
5. ped xing
I call them ped xing because, well, it sounds cool. lol. But these are the people who plurk because they need site traffic. It’s cool if it’s interesting, but sometimes it gets sorta obligatory like , “hey you’re my friend in plurk you should checkout my website”. Dude, if it’s interesting, people will read it. If it’s not interesting, find out why its not interesting, and do something about it. Don’t coerce people into visiting your website.
6. the royalty
Although technically, they are people of stature, either because of their profession or their status in life; that really doesn’t automatically mean you’re interesting. Sure, people look up to you because of your job title, but I’m sure someone else is better at that job, and can actually make a difference. Now quit plurking and start doing what you’re paid to do.
These are all I could think of right now, so if you have anything else to add, feel free to comment.
P.S. I have this plurk friend who often floods my timeline with useless updates so his karma would increase faster. He starts off by plurking stuff like “weeee” or “taas pa” then starts complaining that it’s too hard to gain karma yet it’s so easily lost. What he doesn’t know though, is that I keep muting his plurks. *evil laugh*

del.icio.us Tags: plurk,plurking,micro blogging

Qizia Cafe

noreply@blogger.com (isel) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:42:58 PST

There aren’t many food treasures in this quaint city of Marikina. After all, we are known for shoe craft and not for food. Still, the city leaves quite a few surprises for its residents.
Qizia Cafe is located within the SDS Medical Center Compound along Katipunan Avenue in Baranggay Concepcion Dos. It’s directly behind the hospital building and isn’t visible from the street view. I’ve been hearing about this place for quite a while now but haven’t really found the time to visit the place, although it’s really just a 5 minute drive from our place.
Deprived of breakfast and lunch, I went there this afternoon to sample their food. I ordered the Pasta Amatriciana, which was described as an Italian pasta sauce prepared with bacon, olive oil and tomatoes. I found it a nice touch for them to have a detailed description of the pastas they had. It makes it easier to decide which one would be worth a try. They only had 3 cakes available for the day, so I decided to be safe and chose their Blueberry cheesecake. I saw an item called Lychee Frostie among their cold beverages but I was told it wasn’t available. So, I opted for a strawberry smoothie instead.

While waiting for my food, I let my eyes wander to assess the place. The place was really cozy, like the kind of place you could go to if you want to hang out with your friend to talk. Since it’s within a residential area, it’s also pretty quiet. The only thing lacking to make this place rock would be free WiFi. I passed by this area once at night and it’s really pretty with all the outside lamps lit.
It took around 15 minutes before I got my pasta. They served the cheesecake first, which I ignored because it wouldn’t be right to eat desert first. Then after 5 minutes came the smoothie. They also served water without me asking, which I think is a good thing especially if you’re on a diet or on a budget. When the pasta arrived, the first thing that hit me was the scent of the fresh basil. Of course my photos won’t do the food justice since these were just taken using my trusty cam phone. The scent of the fresh basil was really aromatic and just tells you that it was worth the 15 minute-wait because this pasta was made with love. Yeah I was in lurve. And if you are a fan of cheap non-saucy pasta dishes, then you would love this too. But I got dibs, yo!
It was a pretty big serving. It was a bowlful and came with a slice of white bread. The bread wasn’t toasted though. I took a forkful of this very inviting dish. The spaghetti was al dente, and the flavor was very fresh. The bacon, was almost like prosciutto. The tomatoes were skinned then chopped, and were just ripe enough to maintain a level of tartness that compliments the parmesan cheese, while still retaining some bite. There were also chopped white onions, which were also crunchy and sweet. I wonder if these vegetables were organically grown.

So what’s so special about it? It sounds pretty simple, right? Just sweat some chopped white onions, thrown in some bacon and skinned, chopped tomatoes in olive oil. Season to taste then mix in pasta then add fresh basil. Well, if you’ve been to our place, you would be surprised how limited the food choices are. This is like rain from a year-long drought. Bellini’s is a 30-minute commute away and the price is twice than what I paid for at the minimum. The Amatriciana only costs P105.
The blueberry cheesecake though, was less than awesome. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good. The filling was tart and doesn’t taste canned. The cheesecake was also good, although not as fine as I’m used to. The crust is made of crushed graham, so nothing special about that. I forgot how much it costs though. I think it was around P80-90 something. The serving was hefty too. The strawberry smoothie was sweet. I was hoping for a more natural taste but I’d bet this would be something that kids would love.
The total damage only amounted to P260. I would definitely go back to try their other offerings. Aside from pasta dishes; they also serve pizzas, sandwiches, hot drinks and iced versions of it. They also serve Italian soda in strawberry and kiwi flavors. Italian soda is a combination of flavored syrup and iced club soda. Refillable Iced tea is only P65 which would go well with the cookies and cakes they offer. People have also raved about their all-day breakfast meals which I intend to try on my next visit.
I’m not sure what their operating hours are but I’m sure they stay open pretty late because I passed by the place at 1am and they were still open. You may also call 489 0760 for more info.

Technorati Tags: amatriciana,blueberry cheesecake,strawberry smoothie,qizia cafe,marikina,concepcion dos,sds medical center,cheap pasta dishes

Looking back

noreply@blogger.com (isel) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:43:58 PST

I was sleepy and tired because of my weekend shenanigans. Friday night was the first time ever I got to attend Poker night at Kulyan’s place and I came home Saturday morning, with the sun greeting me a happy weekend. I spent the whole Saturday scanning old photos and uploading them on Facebook. It was fun reminiscing the past along with old friends. With little sleep, I woke up Sunday afternoon to take my younger cousin, Asia to the salon. I was fighting hard to keep myself awake as she prettifies herself. Once I got home, I sat down in front of the pc and checked my mail.
I came across this email, and it made me double take. A rush of panic, hysteria, nostalgia came over me.

He was an old friend, whom I’ve been trying to get in touch with for almost 6 years now. Yes, the same guy to blame for the old emo posts. What made me panic even more is that when I clicked on the link, the Add Friend Request was no longer there. Acting on instinct, I tried checking his profile. It was a fairly new account. Not many friends, or even wall activity.
I wasn't sure whether it was just Facebook sorcery, a well played prank or karma kicking me right in my imaginary balls. So, I did what every rational person would do. I sent a message. A really short one, and waited.
A day passed, and still no word from him. Because I’m a dork, and an impatient one at that, I decided to send another message. A more pathetic one. Three more sleepless nights and I finally received a reply.
To cut the long story short, I re-found a very dear friend. Things seem to be looking up for me.

I should have done this to all my class pictures

noreply@blogger.com (isel) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:44:48 PST

Nung nag relocate ako sa Iligan a couple of years ago, inangkin na ni Paul (utol ko) yung lumang kwarto ko. Mula nung nakabalik na ko dito sa Manila, hindi pa ko fully nakaka-settle sa bagong kwarto na pinagawa nila para sa kin. Siguro kase tamad ako, or OC, or a combination of both kase gusto ko pag sinet up ko yung kwarto isang bagsakan lang.
Dahil New Year na (10 days ago) pinilit ko umpisahan ang pagaayos ng mga gamit ko sa bagong kwarto. Kasama na dun yung paghahalungkat ng mga lumang gamit. Sa pagtatapon ko ng mga pwede nang itapon, nakita ko yung pandora's box ko. Yep, yun yung shoebox na tinataguan ko ng mga gamit mula sa nakaraan. Mga alaala ng pagkakamali, ligaya at
kung ano ano pa. Kasama na dun yung mga lumang class picture ko from wayyyyy back grade school pa. Nung high school ako, naging habit ko ang tingnan yung mga lumang class picture ko tapos ire-recite ko isa isa yung mga pangalan ng mga kaklase ko. Yun ang paraan ko para hindi sila makalimutan. Nung tinitingnan ko kanina yung mga lumang class picture, mangilan-ngilan na lamang yung mga pangalan na natatandaan ko. Pati spelling hindi ko na matandaan.

Akala ko pa naman bionic ang utak ko.

Gelatissimo

noreply@blogger.com (isel) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:46:01 PST

There are only three foolproof things in this world that can make me happy.
1. chupa chups lychee flavor
2. chocolate
3. ice cream
I stumbled upon the Gelatissimo Greenbelt 5 Branch the day after I was sent to the Emergency Room for vertigo. I was advised by the attending physician to consult with an ENT (Eye Nose Throat) doctor regarding my chronic tonsillitis. Not knowing what to do next, I decided to go to our company clinic in Makati which is just a stone’s throw away from G5.
Now to those who aren’t familiar with vertigo, its basically the feeling that you get when you’re drunk and you lie on your bed too quick that the world started to spin around you. That’s what I was feeling, only it never stops. I have to focus on one object to prevent myself from being nauseous. If I turn my head too quick, or if the car comes to an abrupt stop, or something fast moved in my peripheral view; everything would spin.

I was so weak that time. I try to limit my f ood intake, afraid that I might throw up again. We were crossing the passage to the parking lot when we passed by this ice cream store. One look at the cozy lighting, the comfy chairs, and I knew I was in heaven. I dragged my siblings inside to check it out and there was a “soft opening” sign on the glass door. The crew were cheerfully offering free tastes so my little sisters had fun picking out flavors. My brother was intrigued with one flavor called Choco Chili and took pictures of it. I never bothered tasting them, I knew what I wanted.
The gelato costs P165 for a 2-flavor cup which was quite a big serving. Mimay chose lime and lemon, which was a really bad combination. Chou even commented it tasted like Nerds. Queennie went for the Forrest Berries and Chocolate Macadamia. I had Mocha Nut Crunch and Biscotinni. The gelato was smooth, not too sweet, and had crunchy / chewy bits that was so orgasmic I vowed to get more.
They also gave me a loyalty card, which would entitle you to a free gelato or coffee on your 10th visit. The downside is you can only get it stamped once a day, which was sad because if I worked/lived anywhere nearby G5 they would be seeing me multiple times a day.
Tags: gelatissimo gelato greenbelt 5

Globe Surf All Nightmare

noreply@blogger.com (isel) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:48:25 PST

I have been a loyal Globe subscriber since the advent of SMS in the Philippines. I do use other networks as an alternative but Globe has been my primary service provider. I’ve always had little complaints on the side but none of them were extreme enough to make me want to permanently switch.
Maybe not until now.
They launched this new service called Surf all Day back in September where for just P20 a day you can enjoy unlimited browsing to either Friendster, Facebook, Wikipedia or Plurk. Plus, all of the four services are also bundled with unlimited browsing of ping.fm. Nifty huh? I was just as excited as everyone else since I haven’t been updating my Plurk page as regularly as I want to since phplurk no longer works. Plurk is my only connection to the online/outside world. I just lost another phone back in June and Plurk is sadly, my only social connection outside of work.

So I registered for Plurk surf all day, making sure I follow the instructions to the letter. I had over P200 of load at that time and I barely txt or call people so I never bothered checking my balance. After my shift, I decided to stop by Gateway for lunch. While having my lunch of World Chickens Tuna Fettuccini, Potato Salad and Grilled Chicken breast with Mornay cheese sauce, I randomly checked my balance to make it appear like I received an SMS. (flashes L on forehead) To my surprise, my balance dropped to around P40! So I called 211 to report what happened and the representative I was speaking with said they will have their technical team look over this and I will receive feedback within 3-5 days.
Seven days later I called back since I haven’t received any word from them yet. The rep told me that according to the report from their technical team, they can’t find any reason why it happened so she apologized and told me they will just credit the load back within 24-48 hours. I was upset because I waited for a whole week for nothing. I told the rep that I didn’t care about the load, the service is very useful to me and I want to be able to enjoy it without any worries. As expected, she was of no help so I hung up before I start going diva on her.
Sometime in November, I decided to hop onto the Facebook bandwagon. It was a family affair for us since most of my relatives are abroad, Facebook is one of the ways we keep in touch. As much as I hate maintaining social networking pages, I gave in and made a facebook account. It’s been almost 2 months since the Plurk fiasco so I thought of trying to register for Surf all day for Facebook. This time I wanted to be thorough so in case it happens again I would be able to provide more concrete information to the globe rep. I checked my balance, went online to m.facebook.com, clicked on surf all day, phone vibrated (indicating i already received the confirmation message) waited to be redirected to the log in page, exited the browser then checked my balance. The P20 charge was deducted. So I opened my browser again to m.facebook.com, logged in, browsed for a couple of minutes then logged off. I checked my balance, I was deducted P5 for the regular browsing rate. So I called globe again and was given the same crap as before. He apologized and told me I will receive an update within 3-5 days.
I tried looking for a solution of my own so I browsed the web for any possible solutions. I stumbled upon the Facebook mobile app and installed it on my Nokia e90. I found that whenever I use it to log in, I don’t get deducted for the regular browsing rate. I was happy but still, I can’t get to browse ping.fm without being charged. It seemed like it only worked for the mobile Facebook page.
Weeks passed and I never bothered following up on it until this yesterday. I was out Friday night with my high school buds at Roofdeck making plans for our Christmas party / reunion. We had an event thread on Facebook so I wanted to check on it. I went online using the mobile Facebook app and registered for Facebook surf all day. I received the confirmation message saying I was already registered, and I was deducted the P20 charge. When I launched the Facebook mobile app again, it redirected me to the same page that asked whether I want to register for surf all day or use the regular browsing rate. I excused myself from our table and went to the restroom to make a call to 211, which suspiciously got disconnected after I gave the details of what happened.
I decided to call back in the morning since I had to leave for work in a few minutes. I started calling again yesterday at around 3pm. For some reason, even if my signal wasn’t fluctuating and the signal bar was full, I keep on getting disconnected. The first rep I was talking to was very annoying. She gives all these generic answers as if she’s speaking with a moron. She kept on saying that it was an ongoing issue and they are working on it. I explained that this is not a one time thing. This has been going on for a months so no, I would not accept her reasoning. She also said that according to the report (which I never received) of their technical team, the reason I got deducted the regular browsing rate was because I went to other sites other than m.facebook.com. I was furious but I tried to be patient and nicely told her, “Miss, I checked my balance, registered, then closed my browser. I checked my balance to verify if I was already deducted the P20. Then I launched the browser again to browse for a couple of minutes, logged out and checked my balance again. I was deducted P5 for the regular browsing rate so I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT I WAS DEDUCTED BECAUSE I BROWSED FACEBOOK. I called, and reported the incident, to which they said I will get feedback within 3-5 days, which I never received. After I reported, I browsed other websites because its MY LOAD that I am spending. Am I not free to browse other websites?” After which she asked if she can put me on hold again. I said yes and when she came back to me, she said in an annoyed voice, “Ma’am regarding this issue ibabalik naman namin yung load eh”. That made me furious and asked to speak with someone else. Every time I call and report/follow up on the incident I always tell them, I’m not concerned about the load, I just want this resolved. Is there something wrong with my sim card? Is there something wrong with my phone settings? I just saved the settings you gave me so if we have to tweak something do tell. She transferred the call to her supervisor who was also a bit of an ass. They both sounded like they’re speaking with a moron, which irritated me to pieces.

Sup: Anong url ba pinupuntahan mo?
Isel: yung mobile facebook page kagaya nung nakalagay sa myglobe website nyo. Binookmark ko pa nga eh para sure na tama yung site.
Sup: Kahit naman binookmark nyo ma’am kailangan sure pa rin tayo na tama yung url na pinupuntahan nyo.
Isel: eh kinonfirm ko pa nga sa isang agent na nakausap ko kung tama ba yung site na pinupuntahan ko. sabi nya oo. tama ba na myglobe connect gamitin ko. sabi nya oo.
Sup: Pero kailangan nga sure tayo na tama yung url na pinupuntahan nyo.
Isel: Sige teka lang checheck ko.
[browse ng phone, careful na hindi ma end call]
Isel: It’s m.facebook.com
Sup: Ah ok tama naman pala. Kase ma’am actually habang hinahanap nyo yung url sinusubukan ko din sa phone ko kung paano magregister. (Tapos sinabi nya in detail kung anong mangyayari pag nagregister ka). Wala naman pong problema sa side ko, di naman nababawasan yung load ko so baka may problema sa phone nyo.
Isel: (medyo nagtataray na) I’m using a forty-thousand peso cellphone. I saved the GPRS settings that you sent me. And now you’re telling me there’s something wrong with my phone? So Nokia ang may problema hindi Globe ganun ba?
Sup: kase ma’am we do have reports na yung problem is twice na deduct yung P20 sa load pero yung sa inyo iba.
Isel: Eh kung ganun naman pala bakit sabi nung kausap ko kanina ongoing issue daw yun?
Sup: Regarding this issue ibabalik naman namin yung load eh
Isel: (galit na) How many times do I have to tell you people that I’m not concerned about the load. I want a solution, not an apology, not load reversal.

[click…]

The call ended. I tried calling again for like 8 times but I keep on getting disconnected. I went online today to check if I can talk to someone more knowledgeable online but for some reason the globe website won’t even load. I called just a few minutes ago using our landline. After repeating my complaint, the call got disconnected again. I dialed again, and at the onset of the call I asked the girl if they were having any phone line problems because it’s been the nth time I was disconnected. She then promised me she’ll give me a call back in case we do. And I was like, pwede naman pala yun pinahirapan pa nila ko. Since wala naman talaga syang magagawa, wala din akong magagawa kung hindi maghintay ng feedback within 3-5 days.

Fuck Qube Chapter 1 – The Acquisition

noreply@blogger.com (isel) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:49:17 PST

I have never felt so strongly against any product or brand, as I feel about my Qube desktop that I bought back in April. It has caused more problems in the few months that I’ve had it compared to my trusty desktops and laptops that I’ve had for years. We bought this in the Gilmore branch April this year. I just came home from my shift, and my family was waiting for me in the car so we could leave home immediately. Anything tech related at home is my responsibility since I’m the one who understands the jargon for the most part.

So off we drove to Gilmore. We got there at 10am, spent the first few minutes scouting for flyers and looking at good deals. This guy approached us and gave us a flyer for Qube, which we found interesting because of the cheap price and the extended warranty for 2 years. The extended warranty was a dead give away. I immediately looked at it as a business strategy, because it would often be cheaper to manufacture low quality items and have it replaced when it breaks down (2 years is an ample amount of time) than to invest in high quality products. But then I noticed that Michael V is their endorser. So I took a step back and decided to look around. They had laptops and mini notebooks on display. One thing I noticed was despite the room being air-conditioned, the laptops are still warm. Ok, cooling problems. That can be easily addressed by cooling solutions. Then I started breaking it down in my head. My two little sisters and my mom are the only ones who often use the desktop. We have our own laptops that we normally use so the desktop would be primarily used for chatting, research and typing. It won’t be running for hours. Our old desktop despite ultimately being punished for gaming and photo/video editing, got to survive for 7 years. How bad could Qube turn out?

We configured the desktop. I opted for an upgraded RAM and video card. We also bought a copy of Windows XP. We paid in cash, read through the Terms and Conditions of the sale, got the receipt and asked the sales person how long it would take for it to be assembled. She said it would only take an hour. It was almost lunch time so we decided to grab some lunch at SM Sta Mesa. About an hour and a half later, we came back, only to find out that it isn’t ready. I was already getting sleepy, and I still have to go to work that night, so I thought I’d waste time looking around. I came back another half hour later and it still wasn’t ready. We waited, until we noticed that people who came in later than we did are already getting theirs packed up and ready to go. Being without an inch of sleep made me crankier than usual, but I forced myself to put on a smile. I politely asked the sales person about how much time it was taking. She dialed a number and spoke to someone who said it was almost done, apologized and asked us to wait a little longer. That “little longer” meant another hour. My little threads of patience are crumbling to pieces by this time so I marched out of the waiting area, and in a tone slightly higher than usual, making sure that other people would take notice, asked about how much time the assembly is taking. The sales person looked shaken and afraid, and asked the people who were testing the assembled units to check on ours. The guy came back a few minutes later, told us that it was fully assembled, and its just taking a little time activating Windows. WTH? Activation only takes seconds, what kind of bull are they pulling on us? Another half an hour later, they finally took it down. I made damn sure I looked impatient enough for them to hurry. They tested the CPU, checked the specs according to my liking ; then tested the lcd monitor for dead pixels. Everything looked ok, and they hurriedly packed it up.
We got home at 4pm. I immediately unpacked the unit and assembled the whole system. I turned the CPU on but it won’t turn on. I checked all the connections, everything seemed right but it still would not turn on. Apparently the cheap China made power strip was the one that isn’t working. I shouldn’t be surprised at all. It looked similar to the ones you can buy for P20 at the local tiangge. So I used our old AVR. Still nothing. At this point I was already tearing my hair out. My shift starts at 12am and that meant I had to be out of the house by 9:30 and now I barely have time to snooze. That didn’t matter, I came this far and all I want is to make this darn thing work. Apparently, the power strip is not the only one defective, but the power cable as well. So I replaced that with my old power cable and now the CPU is miraculously turning on!
The nightmare did not end there. I noticed that a panel on the front of the CPU was broken, and was just attached with masking tape. These people are banking on my patience too much. Not only that, the LCD monitor is still displaying No Signal, despite the CPU running. At this point I decided to give up. At any rate, I would have to go back anyway since I need to get things replaced.
to be continued…

DisEnchanted Kingdom

noreply@blogger.com (isel) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:51:06 PST

I was setting up my work station one day when Krung from another team asked me, “Bakla, sama ka sa EK sa Monday?” Me, being the kaladkarin (kahit saan mo dalhin pwede) that I am immediately said yes. Over the week, we’ve been asking people around hoping that we could encourage others to go with us. There were the usual bahala na or titingnan ko which we didn’t mind nor cared for because really, we can’t take the word of others in such a time distorted place such as the office. It’s been hell for us at work for a couple of months now, a lot of changes, transitions have been going on and we really haven’t had time to just chill.

Day before the trip, we managed to convince 8 people all together. We decided to meet up at the office at 8:30 (which in office jargon actually meant 9am). While getting ready to leave for the office, I had this gut feel that made me hobble to get Enchanted Kingdom’s phone number. I was already on my way out actually when I did a double take and decided to get Star City’s number as well, which I didn’t find by the way.

While I was commuting, I tried calling EK’s (Enchanted Kingdom) hotline but no one was picking up. Finally, at around 9am someone did. Imagine my horror when I found out that they are closed on Mondays until Wednesdays. I can’t even find the courage to break the news to the others through SMS. I then waited until I got to our meeting place to tell them the bad news. To soften the blow, I then offered an alternative. Why don’t we go to Star City instead? It’s near, it has similar rides, and at least our day won’t be wasted. It’s not as awesome as EK, but hey, it’s not that bad a second choice.
Everybody agreed that it was the better option instead of going back home like the losers that we are. Problem was, Star City won’t open until 1 or 2pm, and it was only a little past 9am. “Let’s go to Mall of Asia first, hang out for a couple of hours, then let’s go to Star City”, I suggested. The idea was feasible enough, but since Lloyd just came from his shift, he asked if he can go home first, catch a few hours of snooze, then he’ll just follow us to Star City. Being the kind-hearted ladies that we are, we all agreed to let him off the hook.
From Star Mall, we then took the bus to Mall of Asia. To add insult to injury, guess what movie was playing inside the bus? No really, guess! So there we were, staring at the irony of it all, while putting on a brave face, convincing ourselves that it will be a fun day for us.
We reached MOA (Mall of Asia) at around a little past 11. The sun was hot on our skins but we didn’t mind. The last thing we want is for it to rain. Karen suggested we go to Starbucks to which we all agreed. I’m not really a big Starbucks fun but I badly needed a pick-me-up so I gladly followed them. They didn’t want to settle for the Starbucks inside the mall. They wanted to stay at the one near the bayside. So we walked until we had Starbucks in view. There was something unusual though, it appears that there aren’t any people inside. I hurried to take a closer look and lo and behold, this particular Starbucks branch opens at 2pm. At this point we were starting to feel jinxed. It’s either we were too stubborn, or we are too much in denial to face that fact because we still decided to find another Starbucks branch.
We finally got our coffee fix at the Starbucks branch near IMAX. We stayed there for a couple of hours, then at 1:30 we dragged ourselves to Star City. You would think that this is the part where it starts to get fun. You’re wrong then, because when we got there, it was still closed. The good news is, they will open at 4pm. So we took pictures, and decided to find a place where we could sit and wait to pass time. We all decided to find a place near the sea side so walked eastward, not knowing where exactly we were going. Then we headed north, pass Tanghalang Francisco Balagtas (Folk Arts Theatre) and Coconut Palace, only to find out that it was a dead end. So we headed south again back to where we started. Being steadfast, we just brushed off the next disappointment by heading far east, past a small tiangge, where we were greeted by the sight of boats. Eureka! We finally found the sea! We stayed there for another hour or so, talking about the office gossip of all things. Just the four of us though (Karen, Roma, Karla and I) because Krung spent it talking on the phone, abusing her Smart Unlicall.
At 3:30 we started walking back to Star City. We were a bit thirsty so we thought of getting a bite first at the Chowking branch beside it, where again, we found another disappointment. There weren’t enough seats, so we settled for eating at Tropical Hut instead. We ate just enough so in case we needed to vomit, it wont just be water and saliva. Finally, we went inside Star City. We bought a Ride-all-you-can ticket with an entry for Ice World for P375. The Ride-all-you-can itself was just P300 while the Ice World Entry was P100 so the P375 we paid for was the bundled price. We headed inside where the girl at the entrance wrote the word “ice” on the RAYC bracelet and cheerfully told us that we can enter Ice World as much as we can, which I now find weird considering the events later.
to be continued…

burjer burjer

noreply@blogger.com (isel) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:53:17 PST

Last week, matapos ko mag-encash ng check sa BDO sa ADB Avenue ay dumerecho kami ng mga katrabaho ko sa Megamall para maghanap ng kakainan. Nagyaya sila mag Tokyo Tokyo pero sabi ko, baka gusto naman nila sumubok ng iba kase medyo nakakasawa na para sa akin ang lasa ng Tokyo Tokyo. Niyaya ko sila sa Yoshinoya at pumayag naman sila. Medyo mabagal nga lang ang pagdating ng order nung iba sa amin. Mukhang giniling pa nila yung arina na ginamit nila para magawa yung noodles ng pansit kase may pansit yung bento box ng mga kasamahan ko na natagalan ang order. Habang kumakain kami ay may napansin ako na tarpaulin sa may bintana na nagsasabing nagdedeliver ang Yoshinoya ngunit di gaya ng karaniwang delivery services, imbes na telephone number ay website ang nakalagay na impormasyon sa tarpaulin. Sinabi ko sa sarili ko na tatandaan ko yung website na iyon.

Kaninang tanghali, habang abala ang nanay, kapatid at dalawang pinsan ko sa pagchecheck ng mga test paper ng mga estudyante ng nanay ko ay hiniritan ako ng nanay ko na magpa-meryenda daw ako. Gusto daw nila ng halo-halo kaso bawal naman sakin yun kase sinisipon ako. Sabi ng nanay ko banana-q na lang daw, kaso sa kasamaang palad ay tinakasan na naman kami nung isang kapatid namin kaya wala kaming mautusan na bumili ng banana-q. Sabi naman ng kapatid ko, ice cream na lang daw. Kaso nga, walang bibili. Kaya tumunganga kami ng pagkatagal tagal sa kakaisip kung anong bibilhin namin na meryenda. Inabutan na kami ng alas-3 ng hapon, wala pa rin sila naiisip na memeryendahin. Sabi bigla ng nanay ko, burger na lang daw. Eh kaso ayoko naman ng McDo, kase lagi na lang McDo. Sinubukan namin tingnan yung website ng Jollibee kaso wala namang presyo kung ala carte na burger lang. Tapos naisip ko yung Yoshinoya. Problema lang ngayon, hindi ko maalala yung website na nakalagay dun sa tarpaulin ng Yoshinoya. Sorry naman, tao lang. Sa sobrang kabusugan eh nakalimutan ko yung website na nakalagay dun.
Shempre, here comes Google to the rescue. Hinanap ko agad sa Google yung delivery ng Yoshinoya at napadpad ako sa www.delivery.ph. Nagtingin-tingin muna ako sa website at nakita ko na maari palang magpadeliver ng Hot Shots Burger dito sa Marikina. Sinubukan ko gumawa ng account tapos sinubukan ko mag-browse ng mga pwede orderin. Yung ibang items ay may description na makakatulong para sa mga hindi pamilyar sa mga items sa menu pero yung iba ay wala. Tapos napansin ko lang, kahit may Sign In Option ay wala namang Log Out. Wala namang mawawala kung susubukan kaya umorder ako ng 3 Junior Cheese Burger Deluxe at isang Cheese Burger Deluxe. Mayroong 1% na delivery charge at sabi dun sa website ay 30-45 minutes bago dumating ang order ko. Pagkatapos ko mag-submit ng order ko, matapos ng isang minuto ay nag-ring na ang landline namin. Ang nasa kabilang linya ay isang tao mula sa delivery.ph para mag-confirm ng order ko. Matapos ng ilan pang minuto ay tumawag rin ang Hot Shots Burger para muling mag-confirm sa order ko. Matapos ang 30 minuto ay dumating na ang delivery. Medyo mabilis na ito sa aking palagay considering na niluluto lamang nila ang burger kapag ito ay na-order na. Hindi tulad sa KFC na sa hindi malamang dahilan ay inabot ng 45 minutes para magdeliver ng na-order ko kahit na magkasing layo lang naman sila ng Hot Shots. Tumawag pa yung crew nila dahil naubusan daw sila ng cheese kaya kung pwede daw ay dagdagan na lang niya ng gravy iyong Famous Bowl na in-order ko. Pagdating naman dito, hindi ko naman napansin na nadagdagan nga ng gravy yung Famous Bowl.
Eniweis, sa tingin ko mauulit pa ang pag-order ko sa delivery.ph kase wala pa rin kaming katulong ngayon at madalas ay wala na kaming oras para magluto dito. Kaya hello fast food, goodbye savings.

Prrty Watch

noreply@blogger.com (isel) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:54:22 PST

Since I haven't updated my blog in quite a while, I wasn't quite sure what to write about first. So as a warm up, I'm blogging about my watch. A couple of years ago, my dad gave me this really great looking, blue-faced Fossil watch. After two years of service, it's bracelet sadly broke off and I found a hard time looking for a replacement because its the kind that you have to screw on. Eventually, I gave up looking and decided to make a bracelet of my own. I used denim fabric that I cut off from one of my jeans.
The one in the picture shown on the left is actually the second bracelet I made because the watch ran out of battery a couple of months ago and since I just stitched the bracelet on, I had to cut it off so I could get the battery replaced. Good riddance anyway because it already smelled bad. (Think two-year unwashed jeans) The first one I made had a pocket that is sealed by a big zipper where I keep money and whatever small things that could fit in it. Then I graffitiziced it with fabric paint.

I used denim fabric that I cut off from one of my skirts on the one in the photo. An old pop swatch bracelet was used as a base so this one is better formed than the old one. I used metallic gold colored thread to sew the seams before I teased the sides. Then I decorated it with ready-bought craft materials from the bookstore. Both watches used velcro.
A lot of people often compliment me for my watch and ask me where I buy it. When I tell them I made it they either ask me if they could buy it, or if they could have it. I always say no, but I graciously tell them that I could always make one for them if they provide the materials. That way the design would be personal, and something they would like. It gives me a sense of pride knowing that people appreciate my work.

A Confession and Proposal of sorts

noreply@blogger.com (isel) — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 11:50:50 PST

In all my twenty-four years of existence, I can't remember getting anything I wanted. I've always had to settle for something less - be it a material thing, a status, a title, a condition, even love. Being the pseudo-righteous person that I am, and ever living the values that the Scholastican nuns have taught me, I've always tried to be contented with what life gave me. I continue to find happiness in what those second bests gave me.
Recently, I found something I wanted so bad, that I was willing to break all the barriers I've built around me. His name is Ryan. We've been friends for a couple of years, and I've always liked him. I'd like to think we potentially had something good before, but I was too afraid. You see, he's the kind of guy I've always wanted. Like the uber cool Alienware Aurora that I would gladly sell my soul for. (Yah hear that Satan?) He completes me in ways I could never explain. He understands every bit of me, without even me having to say a word. He's a treasure, and at that time I felt too scared to ruin something good. So I kept mum about the growing affection I had for him, instead I focused on someone dispensable. I kept my distance, because I knew exposing myself to him more could only lead to disaster.
We remained friends, with the occasional flirting to pacify my cravings for him. We've always had something special, and he always remained to be that amazing thing I want but is too lazy/dumb to work for it. Much like that HTC Touch I always look at whenever I'm at the cellphone store at the mall, but never had the courage to come inside the store and ask about it. I just know I can't afford it, and I was too lazy to work for it. And if for some reason I was able to buy it, I would probably just break or lose it. He was special, and I put him up on a pedestal, with pretty lights blinking around just for kicks.

I'm an independent and liberal minded woman who's been in a string of relationships in the past. Some are so-so, some more serious than the others, but more importantly, I had them to pacify my need for companionship. You see, although I appear to be a bitch who's got more balls than any guy I know, the truth is I'm just afraid to expose my self and get hurt in the process. Yep, that's me. I make people think guys are dispensable (although most of them really are), and I make guys think I can live without them. Don't get me wrong, I'm a very loving and caring person. I just dislike sadness as much as I dislike dugyot emo kids. Well, now I think karma has finally caught up with me... in the form of Ryan.
A couple of months ago, scarred from the number of dilemmas that life has thrown my way, I finally decided to eat up some of my inhibitions and throw away some of my fears. I needed something real, and I knew he was the only one who could make me feel better. I thought to myself, I'm already miserable, it can't get any worse than this. So for once, I went out of my shell and showed someone how vulnerable I am. I showed him how I feel, and it felt good for a while. He reciprocated. He was sweet and caring as always. He made me feel secure. But not knowing where I stand soon ate up my sanity, and I wanted to know he was mine. So I told him I liked him... a lot, and I was afraid of losing him. I want him for myself, and I want him to want me back. I told him I can no longer stand not having claiming rights over him. I told him I want to have every right to be jealous. He was very quiet, and he said I caught him off guard. This isn't how things go in the movies, or in any romance novel. I was disappointed, broken, and hurt. It hurt so much that I had to stay away, in hopes that these feelings might go away and disappear into the pits of hell. I wanted to forget him, and I wanted my old self back - safe and practical. But then he asked me to stay, and I could feel all my fears melting away, washed down by those tears that just won't stop from flowing. I hate how he has so much power over me. I hate how his words work like a command string in my system. I practically turn to mush in his hands. For once in years I felt human. He then told me not to worry and enjoy what we have. He also said, "For now, I'm yours, and you are mine". My mind passively ignored the "for now" part. All I could think of was how amazing I felt when he said that. He's mine, and that's all that mattered. It was heaven and hell from there. I was happy to be with him, but beneath those sweet moments we shared, I still felt that stabbing pain in my heart.
Things again, went well after that. He bugged me to play Cabal so that we could play together. As much as I dislike E-games, I made a character on one condition. I won't tell him the name of my character. All he knew was that I made a wizard, and that I would challenge him to a duel once I catch up to his level. So I grinded, and leveled and did everything to learn the game. It wasn't that much work because he has a job and can't go on addict mode. Still, those days were very tormenting. I barely slept, played like crazy, and I tried so hard to fight the urge of finding him in game and stare mindlessly at his character. Yez, pathetic much? I'm in lurve, hmmkay? I'm at least entitled to be stupet. One day, as I was running back to DS from doing some quests, I saw his character. He was right in the middle of the circle pavement in front of Dunhike. I stared in amazement, and I tried so hard to stop myself from coming close and taking a dozen or so screen shots. In my mind I was thinking, He doesn't know I'm online. He thinks I'm ukay shopping with my little sister. What are the chances of him finding out its me?! One screenie won't hurt! Then poof! I got disconnected and there was no Internet connection for four excruciating hours. I knoe rite?! Anyway, I've had a number of close encounters after that, but I was able to stop myself from spoiling the surprise. Then one day, when I was finally nearing my goal, something bad happened at home. I was distraught, and he noticed. We talked about what happened for a while, and because I dislike drama with the pizzazz of Anakbayan's hatred for our mouse of a president, I jokingly told him, "date mo naman ako in-game". He asked, "I thought you're not gonna introduce yourself until you get to my level?" Well screw surprises, I felt bad and I needed some comforting.
He asked what channel I was in, but I said I'll go to his channel instead. I was nervous. It felt as if it was the first time I was going out on a date. And to think this was a virtual date at that! He said he'll just finish his dungeon quest while I changed channels. We agreed to meet in GD. I sat near the grocer, nervous as hell. I kept thinking of a sweet gesture I could do. I mentally listed ways to surprise him. I alt tabbed and waited for him to reply in YM. Then it happened. I saw his character walking towards the grocer. I panicked! Does he know it's me? How could he know? Nobody else knows about my character. He stopped beside my character and made a pointing gesture. I tried to ignore him. No, he couldn't have possibly known. But he stayed there, so I finally whispered, "How did you know it was me?"
All he said was, "I just know", and I found myself smiling silly.
After that I began to spend more time with him in-game that it was almost like a ritual. And as Cupid has a way of fucking things over and making you miserable, I fell deeper. It came to a point where I realized, that keeping up with this would be an insult to my ego. (At the risk of sounding like an ass) I'm an awesome person. I'm smart, talented, cute, caring, thoughtful and downright lovable. I'm girlfriend material. Why doesn't he want to be with me? He obviously likes me and he obviously cares for me. Why can't he love me back? Maybe he's afraid too, I dunno. All I'm sure is that he can't possibly faking all the affection he's showering me with.
As much as it hurts my ego, I still chose to stay and be with him. Maybe in time I can move on and forget about him, but for now I choose to hang on to all my hopes and cross my fingers and hope for the best. I know I deserve him, and I know I'm doing everything I can to let him know how much I care, in hopes that he may someday care for me as much as I care for him. If he doesn't, I know that I'll still have him as a friend, and I get to bring with me memories from the last time I gambled for love. No regrets, no pain...just memories.
PS. I know you will be reading this, I hope you won't find it weird. I enjoy being with you, and I'd like to save up as much trinkets as I can that would remind me of the time I did these silly things because of you. Lastly, this one's for you...

Dummies Guide to being a successful chixilog in the world of online games

noreply@blogger.com (isel) — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 11:51:22 PST

1. Steal pictures of a very pretty girl on Friendster. Plus points if the girl is mestiza and chinita because those kind of girls look innocent and virginal... exactly the types of boys who play online games in hopes of getting laid. It's important that you have many pictures to minimize doubts of you just stealing those photos from someone else's Friendster account.
2. Make a dummy Yahoo account. Use a common girl name like Jen, Karen or Apple followed by a the word "cute" and a number. Example: karen_cute_18@yahoo.com. The more people who have names just like yours, the lesser are the chances of you getting caught. Don't bother editing the Yahoo profile, nobody checks that anyway.

3. Make a dummy Friendster account and use the photos that you stole. Also, take screen shots of your character and blingify it. Upload everything to your dummy Friendster account. Use a girly Friendster lay out to complete the illusion. Modify your profile in txt speak to make it cuter. Everybody thinks "hi pEePz, jaz aDd mEh uP" is adorable.
Pay attention to detail when it comes to editing the About Me part. Say something like, "iM a FrIeNdLy pErSon n aM sWeeT n maLamBinG tO pPoL wHo are nIcE 2 mEh." You can also try being emo, it really depends on your style.
4. Find an easy target. Possible qualities include: a teen, a bit emo, always on karir mode, a virgin, a power gamer. By power gamer I mean someone who spends a lot of money on the game so he could have a very formidable character. You know what they say about the dicks of guys with big cars? Well the same thing applies here.

5. Find an opportunity for you and the target to meet in-game. Pretend to be a helpless dame in need of saving from the gallant knight. Now here is where the importance of the dummy Friendster account comes in. For some reason, after finding out that the person behind a character is a girl, online gamers tend to ask for "her" Friendster account so "she" could prove that she is indeed a girl. It doesn't matter if the account looks awfully new, and that "she" barely has friends. You could always say you made a new account because the ex-boyfriend hacked your old account.
6. Now that you have acquainted yourself, you can now start befriending your target. This is crucial! Be cute and charming but play hard-to-get. Never appear to be easy because that's when doubts might seep in. Remember, we are after long-term leeching. Find out about his interests and weakness. Be sweet! Always let him know you miss him but don't give away too much. Be available, but not achievable.
7. I'm sure that after some time, the target will be putty in your hands. He will finally court you, and after some time of waiting, you two will finally be a couple. And as a couple, he is obliged to dress up your character and buy you fancy items as gifts. Then you can sell those items for PHP, using another character of course. Just tell him you got hacked and sob incessantly so he can replace your items again. Or better yet, you can hack his account once he trusts you enough with his account info.
If you have more questions, feel free to leave a comment. With my expertise, you will be the legendary chixilog of whatever online game it is that you're playing!

Technorati Tags: chixilog,online games,MMORPG

Turning bad

noreply@blogger.com (isel) — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 11:51:53 PST

The world wide web holds many marvels and one of these is the ability to find and connect to people through various social networking sites. Recently, I realized how many people I've lost touch with has been reachable through various social networking sites. Not that they weren't on these social bandwagons before, but since I'm not really the type who makes it her weekly habit to blingify my Friendster profile and scour 3rd level connections for people I might know, I didn't get to be connected with them sooner. Normally, revived connections are greeted with much gusto. You ask questions and try to catch up with what has happened to them in the past years. I'm not a fan of that. For a lot of reasons actually, but more inclined to the fact that I don't care. I don't care not because it's not important. I don't care because it doesn't matter, you're an old friend and I really don't mind what is it that you do or have been doing. As long as you're not an ass then you're cool with me.

I believe that, despite my aversion to labels, people play roles in life. I'm the ever so helpful bitch~bully classmate who always gets awesome grades despite being a troublemaker (ok self centered moment there), and someone else is the goody-two shoes teacher's pet who always plays patintero between the love-hate line of our schoolmates. Although it's true that change is the only constant thing in this world, I still don't believe that a person can change so much that it borders on the extreme. So where am I going here? Due to various circumstances, I was able to catch up and be in regular communication with some of my classmates/schoolmates from grade school and high school. I was surprised because, some of them have become so different. The obscure and quiet geek became a big jerk who thinks he's too cool for everyone else while the nice, helpful guy became someone who tells people that he has buried his high school memories behind and is now an ass who thinks (in his own world) that he is uber kewl and that a lot of chicks dig him. Ok, so I know I'm being a bitch here but why do good people turn out to be such big assholes?
I don't understand the whole fitting in thing. Sure it's normal in grade school up to maybe early high school but jeezus up to now? Have you totally screwed up your personality by pretending to be someone you're not? It's terribly disappointing and to those people if you ever figure out that you're the people I'm talking about -- You were better people before.
For most people, college is an opportunity to reinvent yourself. You have freed yourself from the shadows of your clique in high school and now you can be, or at least pretend to be, someone else. I know that most people take advantage of this but pretending can only go so far and I see most of them go back to their old cliques (where they feel more at ease) after a year or so. For some though, who are so intent on leaving their past behind, the change becomes permanent. I wonder if they miss their old selves. I actually think more highly of those people who despite of being confined to a clique that is in not cool according to the stupid norm, they still choose to be who they really are not mind those people who talk shit about them. That to me, is the epitome of awesomeness.
So this other guy was bragging about chicks and how much he need a beer and I'm like, you didn't even like beer back then and now you're telling people that you're an beer guzzling hunk WTF?! Ok, so I know I'm not really in the position to criticize you because unlike me, you have a job and you have a BS (bullshit) degree in God knows what. At least I've enjoyed a better life than you did that's for sure. At least I'm not caught up in a lie that has become so tangled that no light passes through. So enough about this rant post. I just wish them (and everyone else who is in a similar position) all the happiness. May you finally find your place under the sun.

Pepe shorts

noreply@blogger.com (isel) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 08:07:24 PST

Photo courtesy of Ali of MASSDEFECT.

Kung may pepe shorts ang babae, may betlog shorts din ba ang mga lalake?

Ano nga ba yung pepe shorts? Eto yung mga nausong shorts ngayon, karaniwan ay maong, na hanggang singit lang. Sa sobrang ikli nito, kita na mga kuyukot ng kung sino man ang magsuot nito. Ito ay hulog ng langit para sa mga kalalakihang tigang.

Entrecard rocks the socks off boggers!

noreply@blogger.com (isel) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 07:32:18 PDT

Following the set of huge updates that Entrecard released two months ago, they are now working hand in hand with SezWho to make the blogosphere an even livelier place.

Wait... Incoming word vomit... *Graham Langdon is a blogging hero and should have his own star on the blogosphere's walk of fame.* OK, glad I got that one out.

Just the other day I commented on a blog post asking why despite her efforts to make readers comment, she still doesn't get that many comments. Generally, bloggers are hesitant to comment. Now, I am not the most friendly person around. I tend to be quiet, lurk and am contented to just be reading and digesting the stuff I read. I am antisocial off the Internet, and still a wee bit hesitant to socialize over the Internet. I don't usually get comments here in my blog, probably because I don't comment as much on other people's blogs. For a lot of reasons actually. For one, I'm not one of those people who would say anything just to get to post a comment and build an backlink. Oh noes, me is not that desperate. The only time that I would take the effort to click on that comment thingamajig is when I have something really insightful to say and I don't spend more than necessary to think about it. While reading a post, an idea starts to build up and if that idea is cohesive enough, that's the only time I would click on the Comment button. If by the end of reading the whole post, I still haven't gathered enough thoughts, or if I can't just quite organize the jumble of ideas stuck in my head; then I would just move on to another blog. Why pressure myself right? Opinion should be innate and if I don't have enough opinion to come up with a sentence or two then it's not worthy of other people's time. Yezh, I'm that considerate. I don't like people wasting my time and as the whole karma rule goes, neither am I wasting anyone's time.

Anyway, now with this partnership with Entrecard ans SezWho, I will probably get more motivation to post a comment. Probably -- because I'm lazy and all ya' know. And since I don't drop as much cards as I should, (because pretending to be busy takes up most of my time), I'm now relying on this Super Secret Contest that Entrecard is running so I can earn credits to buy ad spots. If you're already on Entrecard you have probably received an email about this, unless you're one of them kinds who hardly check their mails. If you're still not on Entrecard you should probably consider doing so. You can read more about the Entrecard and SezWho partnership if you wish to find out more about this amazing blogging revolution.

Random Pic of the Week

noreply@blogger.com (isel) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 21:15:20 PDT

It's 2am on a stormy night, for some reason, you can't sleep. You feel a slight grumbling in your tummy, and you suddenly crave for something to eat. You go to the kitchen, look around, but nothing catches your fancy. You found some pancake mix, and then your salivary glands starts to go on overdrive.

Pancake is done, and you start eating. For some annoyingly stupid reason, the need for sleep starts to kick in, and you fall into a slumber.

SLEEP EATING~