Marvel just released the official trailer of the Iron Man 3 movie.
Iron Man is my favorite superhero! I never read the comics but the movies (the first two plus The Avengers) were enough to get me interested. I like him because he’s “human”. He can be arrogant but just right. I couldn’t think of anyone better for the role other than Robert Downey, Jr. đ
My husband and I, we don’t often watch movies in movie houses. We categorize movies into two: “watchable” and “downloadable”. Hehe. The last movie we saw was The Avengers and I had one of the best sleeps ever. Lol! I’m becoming so much like my mom who snoozes every time her head touches the chair. But Iron Man 3, I can say pwede kaming gumastos ng 300 pesos. Haha!
Because I live and breathe the Internet, I expect most companies, both international and local, to be accessible all the time. Websites are the most common form of marketing but unfortunately, local companies or those based in the Philippines do not update theirs regularly. Facebook or Twitter accounts are more often updated than corporate websites.
One company website though that is always accessible and reliable is Meralco. Even before we receive a hard copy of a particular month’s electric bill, I already know how much because I receive it on my e-mail. Actually, even before Meralco sends a notification e-mail, I could already check by logging in to my Meralco E-bill. I could even check the electric bill of my parents’ and our previous’ residences so I know how much have been generated and who haven’t been paying for months.
Just recently, Meralco launched its very own mobile app. Officially called as the Meralco Virtual Engine or MOVE, this is a free app especially designed for Filipinos. The app suite includes six apps that can be accessed from any iOS, Android, or BlackBerry device–smartphone or tablet–your choice.
Official Meralco Virtual Engine MOVE App-Suite
Like any iPhone user, I immediately downloaded the Meralco MOVE App from the AppStore. I love the fact that Meralco wanted to offer assistance to customers who are often online. For a techie like me, I really appreciate and support such apps. (iPhone apps!) Continue reading Meralco Virtual Engine Mobile App | Meralco MOVE APP→
Going AOL for almost a year made me miss a lot of things. I haven’t really left the blogosphere because I do that for a living but it’s different when you do it for yourself. I went back to blogging only last month and I’m amazed at how the Philippine blogosphere has changed. I must say, I’m quite scared. There are just too many bloggers out there! Unfortunately, most of the bloggers I see now are obviously blogging for money. Nothing wrong with that but I know when a blog was made just for the heck of making money online. I am still for websites and blogs founded with a sole purpose of helping, educating, and entertaining.
Sometimes wish I didn’t leave and took this one seriously. I could be making a lot of money right now like so and so. But then it’s still not my main reason for blogging.
Right now, I only have Nuffnang ads on my sidebar. No Google Adsense or any other money-making platforms because I’m afraid ads would overwhelm my posts. Sponsors and invitations are welcome but it depends on the product, cause, and objectives.
I was privileged to work before with The Macalua, Mr. SEO Philippines himself. I started and learned SEO from him. A few of my colleagues made it big in the industry. Surprisingly, a lot of people I know before from high school and college are also part of the industry. (Hello Mr. Search Opt Media !) And recently, my sis-in-law got hired by a company that sells AdSense placements. The latter is something I never imagined would happen but I guess Internet Marketing is now a global industry.
I’m no longer doing SEO professionally but I use what I know every single day. (Hindi ba obvious na keyword laden at puro links ang mga posts ko? Haha!)Â I have no idea about who’s who or what’s what in the industry now. I’m just thankful that I know the industry.
Has it really been 8 years since I was introduced to SEO? My, the Internet has gone a long way. I’ve gone a long way too. From a very “talkative” blogger, ranter, sometimes a cyber bully, I’d like to think I’ve changed. I only wish to share positivity here. Ika nga ng Team Manila, “Ambassador of Positive Vibes“. Yes, I want to be one.
I’ve hurt a lot of people with my words and posts here, on Multiply, Facebook, and Twitter. I know I could never take my words back but I’d like to make a difference now by sharing what I love, what I know, what I believe in, and what I support. Nothing wrong with all-positive posts right? The blogosphere– the world has enough of negativity already –I hope people would visit this site, read, and leave smiling. Maybe with a tear or two–because they’ve been touched. I know a few may raise their eyebrows for some reasons.
All I know– I long to share more about my faith, my God, and the love that I receive from my family, my husband and son. I hope to give honor, glory, and praise to my God in everything that I do– through this website.
Yeah, I’m blogging for LOVE. So help me God.
If anyone speaks, they should do so as one
who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 4:11 (NIV)
Felix Baumgartner aka Fearless Felix jumped from 39 kilometers high above the earth last October 14, 2012
By now most of you know who Felix Baumgartner is. But of course, not everyone is interested in things related to space, skydiving, and record-breaking stunts. So for the benefit of those who don’t know, Felix Baumgartner is a 43-year old Austrian daredevil sky diver who set the world record for making the highest jump ever from approximately 39 kilometers high above the earth at a speed of 834 mph. Felix did the “space jump” from a helium balloon last Sunday, October 14, 2012.
He was part of a skydiving project called the Red Bull Stratos (yes, as in the Red Bull drink). Felix flew over New Mexico in the United States riding a helium balloon. Wearing a pressure suit, he jumped from 24 miles above, free falling, and then parachuting back to Earth within ten minutes. Wow! Ten minutes of free falling must be crazy and terrifying! But then Mr. Baumgartner here (who reminds me of David Beckham) managed to finish the mission. He even broke the speed of sound without any vehicular assistance. I’m not gonna bore you with details as Wiki has everything but he broke a record previously set in 1960 by USAF Colonel Joseph Kittinger.
The October 14 space jump was actually the third launch attempt. The first launch scheduled on October 9 was delayed because of the weather and eventually aborted and rescheduled for October 11 which was postponed again for some reason.
He’s no astronaut. He’s a skydiver who was brave enough to jump. He may appear to be brave but I’m sure like any ordinary human being, he’s a bit scared of what could go wrong. But he did, he jumped!
“Sometimes you have to go up really high
to understand how small you are.”
– Felix Baumgartner
This was Felix’s last statement before he made the historic jump. Felix jumped into the unknown. He jumped not knowing if he would succeed or would come back to earth. He was also quoted saying,
âTrust me, when you stand up there on top of the world,
you become so humble. Itâs not about breaking records any more.
Itâs not about getting scientific data. Itâs all about coming home.â
Home could have meant “Earth” or it could have also meant “Heaven”. I have no idea if Felix is a Christian or not but for me, his jump was a perfect illustration of the phrase “leap of faith”. Oftentimes, Christians need to be reminded what having faith means and that it should be exercised. Watching the Baumgartner’s jump gave me goosebumps and all but it caused me to praise and thank God for his courage and for the beauty of His creation.
Felix Baumgartne’s jump has taught me to be courageous and to have more confidence in myself, and have more faith in my God. More COURAGE to do things God is telling me to do. More CONFIDENCE that I can accomplish my mission for the Lord is my confidence. And more FAITH in God because He is One who never changes and never fails.
Oftentimes, we may doubt people and ourselves but you know God, He is still the same yesterday, today, and forevermore.
Courage. Be on your guard, stand firm in the faith, be men of courage, be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13 (NIV)
Confidence. Â For the Lord will be your confidence And will keep your foot from being caught. Proverbs 3:26 (NASB)
Faith.  Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. HebreWs 11:1 (NIV 1984)
 I don’t dream to be an astronaut but sometimes I wish Noah would be one. That seems impossible but I hope, at least, I be like Felix by being brave.
I have so many fears: fears of what could go wrong, the future, and a few people I know. However, I know God will help me overcome. He has given me a spirit of power, not timidity, of love and of self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7).
I have fears. You have your fears but like Felix Baumgartner, we need to face and conquer them. That is, with the help of God. His Grace is sufficient for you and me to say, “Yes, I can do a Felix jump“.
__________
I had no idea about Felix before but his good looks skydiving stunts got me interested. Even Philip deFranco agrees that he is good looking. Hehehe.
Suddenly, I’m interested in the local startup scene. A simple Google search led me to a few startup companies in the Philippines. I’m surprised to see they’re coming out. I wonder what led to this or what ignited Filipino techies to finally make their own apps or put up their own companies.
Honestly, I’m so excited about this. I’ve been writing about international startup companies and it would be nice if we could write about local ones. I hope to meet these startuppers in the Philippines soon. đ
I always tell my friend Aileen that she is the Ultimate Geek’s Girlfriend. Why, this lady is an artist, web designer, graphic designer, photographer, and comic geek all rolled into one. She’s a businesswoman who’s the creative genius behind Big Ben Watches. Plus, she’s beautiful and has a body-to-die for.
She’s got a bookshelf full of comics and books. And when I say comics, hindi Archie Comics, Pugad Baboy, or Pupung ha. She reads Marvel, DC, and whatever real comics are read by the guys. (See, I don’t really know the stuff she reads.) Oftentimes when we talk about comics, movies, and literature, I get lost. She mentions some character in a book or movie, and I have no idea that I have to ask my husband. Haha! So I’m not a wide-reader as I claim to be. Meanwhile, my husband whom I think is a nerd knows what she’s talking about.
Ying is into guy stuff too! Sabi ko nga sa inyo ultimate girlfriend talaga. She’s a gamer. She also watches UFC. Naman! I can’t relate. Whenever she comes to our house, she and Josh would end up talking about what’s on TV, sports, or movies. Hindi ko alam ang pinag-uusapan niyo, let’s talk about girly stuff na lang. Hihi.
She’s unpredictable. Actually, that’s what I love most about her. I didn’t expect we’d be close. I could still remember the first time I saw her. I was at the lobby of our previous office in Greenhills…scared for it’s going to be my first real job. This tall lady, all dressed up and made up suddenly entered. I said to myself, “Naah, she’s too kikay for me. Baka maarte.” And then I found out she graduated from an all-girls college. “Naku hindi talaga, she’s like let’s make tusok-tusok the fishballs, you know.”
Her pets Chewey and Riri
But then we became friends. I don’t know how and when but we clicked. Walang bahid ng kaartehan, mas maarte pa pala ako. Then I found out she has pets. Migulay, ayoko ng pets sa bahay. I like dogs but to really care for them…hindi ko ata kaya. She has a cat and a dog now. She’s giving Noah that kitten. She had hamsters before. Hamsters! Ayaw ko sa daga!!!Oo nga, ako ang maarte. I went to UP but I act like let’s make tusok-tusok the fishballs.Â
I even invited her to join me in my new company when I left. I always admired her old website and so I thought she would be a great addition to the web team. True enough, she became our first female web designer. She codes by hand—notepad lang!
I love the fact that we’re almost the same height. Hihi. When we walk together, parang heaven lang kasi pareho kaming matangkad. Hahaha! I could borrow clothes from her and shoes too! Yun nga lang, the clothes are a bit too tight for me because she’s so slim. (Bakit ba, I’m a mother!)
She’s body conscious in a good way. I get kikay tips from her. She inspired me to get fit and healthy. I couldn’t understand before why and how she could eat tuna or steamed chicken all the time but now I understand because that’s our diet now. Hihi.
Aileen is such a strong woman. Her experiences in life have made her the woman that she is right now– strong and independent. She could be the poster child for Destiny’s Child song “Independent Women” because she is. She’s from a rich family in the south but after college, she started living on her own. If I were her, I would probably spend my parents’ money traveling and enjoying single life before I work or settle down. But this girl Aileen, is one humble person. I respect her for she has achieved so much on her own.
She “retired” ahead of me. She decided to pursue her business of selling watches. These aren’t simple, plastic, toy watches– walang Swatch, fakes, or cheap ones. She sells vintage luxury watches and manages an international business. Her clients are from all over the world. I wish to share with you her business story but that’s gonna take me a lot of time. Sabihin na lang nating, she was able to buy a house, a lot, and a car just buy selling watches. The perfect example of a hobby-turned-into-business. She’s not really on her own because she has her beloved Andykins helping her. đ
A friend is always loyal,
and a brother sister is born to help in time of need.Â
Proverbs 17:17 (NLT)
I have Aileen to thank for the house that we live in right now. It’s more than two years ago when I was desperately looking for a new apartment. I posted my ‘need’ on Facebook and she replied immediately and said there were two empty houses in their compound. To make the long story short, we became neighbors soon enough. As in 10-inch wall lang ang pagitan.
I love the fact that I have a neighbor friend, kikay girlfriend, and sister in one. She’s been a blessing to me and my family. I love it that she cares about the little details in my life. She knows me more than most of my girlfriends now. She’s been with me through the worst and has seen me my during my ugliest (read: wearing pambahay with no ligo, no makeup, etc.).
I don’t see her as much because she’s busy studying comic illustration. She dreams of becoming a comic book illustrator. I only got to understand the comic industry because of her. I thought one only needs to be good in drawing but it’s more than that.
Here was her first try on doing a Romance-themed comic page:
Joshua: I miss you! Reah: I miss you too! I have a surprise for you. Joshua: What’s this? Reah: Credit card bill mo. Joshua: Aatakihin ata ako sa puso!!!
Imbento ko lang ang dialogue. Hahaha! It’s currently my cover photo on Facebook. I just love it!
I hope she gets to fulfill her dreams of becoming a comic book artist. I know she will. It’s just a matter of time. đ
Her version of Madonna and Child. She gave me a framed version for Noah’s dedication back in 2010.Grace Kelly as commissioned by yours truly
Husband and I are on the lookout for an external HD. I have a 250GB Western Digital I bought from Bangkok four years ago but it’s full already and it’s got some weird virus inside. I have made a back up of my most important files already so I won’t have to be depressed should it finally decide not to cooperate.
I have a few online storage accounts but I don’t like the fact that some of my files are “out there”. These are private storage places but anything can happen and my stuff could be leaked and exposed to the whole world (wide web).
We’ve decided to buy two. He needs a separate one because my files are not as important and are prone to viruses (read: downloaded media files). But what I want next is to have it “networked”. I want a wireless external hard drive that I could access over WiFi from my computer, iPhone, and iPad. We’re planning on going all-digital at home for our future home media entertain system.
There are too many options out there! My cousin advised that we setup a NAS (network-attached storage) system since it’s what they have at home. Then there’s the option to use either Airport Express or Airport Extreme by Apple since it’s easier to set up and you can attach the printer and external hard drive to it.
And then there’s cloud storage to think about too. There are more websites offering online storage service but I’m leaning towards Google Drive for my husband and I to share.
I sometimes check a website’s Page Source when I want to know how a certain image, video, or text has been placed within the design. This is how I learn HTML. My knowledge is basic and only improved a bit. I’m neither a web designer nor a developer but I can understand how, why, and where some codes are.
I recently discovered that you can not easily check the Page Source on Safari. I was about to check the code of Apple.com because I wanted to embed a Quicktime video for an article I’m working on.
It’s easy to do on Firefox:
Press RIGHT click and a drop down menu will show, choose View Page Source.
Belle de Jour Power Planner is especially made for the Pinay fashionista achiever. The term Belle de Jour (bel duh zhoorâ) is French fashion lingo for âItâ girl, we have redefined it to mean the modern day renaissance woman who dares to achieve her goals, lives her dream life, makes a difference in her community, while doing everything in great style.
The power planner includes time-management principles to help BDJ Girls manage their life better, articles and affirmations to inspire them to live life to the fullest and of course, coupons to remind them of work-life balance.
