Trust No One

After watching Survivor for the past few days with Marlon's (former Season 1 Castaway) entry to demonize the remaining castoffs, I realized that its only a game but they should trust no one.
 

Marlon tried to talk to each castoff to know their insights and at the same time, try to advise them that even though its only a game, they should trust no one. After Amanda won the last immunity challenge, Shaun tried to solidify his alliance with Justine to vote Mika out of the game. Actually, He tried to form an alliance with Justine after he won the reward challenge and assured her of a possible top 2 spot in the end game even if he knew he had a little chance of winning in the end.
 

By tribal council, all of them knew to trust no one. It even took a while before the voting commence since Paolo asked several questions to the remaining castoffs as the Jury remain observant. Since Mika was given a red pearl last tribal council, she already had 2 votes. But that wasn't enough as Shaun was voted out with 5 votes to 3 making him the 5th member of the jury. With only 5 castoffs and 2 weeks before the finale, who would emerge as the sole survivor for Season 2?

Remembering Friendster Surveys

Year 2004, I remember that year when I entered the what they called "Quarterlife Crisis". It is still clear in my mind how addicting it was to answer surveys posted from friendster. It even came to a point in time back then when everytime I open my PC, all I do was answer these surveys before posting it online for atleast 4-5 months. Too bad I already deleted my own set of answers as only the original questions from the old file was the only one left. I guess I just have to do it all over again and post my answers in the coming days to come. XD

The First 25 Things most people thought would know about me but probably not

Taken from Google

Most bloggers begin their post by saying random things about themselves. They probably do it as an introduction to themselves. Some wanted to catch the attention of the readers. Some, I guess did it out of the blue. I was thinking...

I will be posting 25 things most people thought would know about me but probably not. So here it goes...

1. My current hobby right now is photography right after I got my first DSLR (courtesy of my fiancee).

2. I love playing Facebook games espacially Mafia wars. But I don't play any interactive games like farmville, yoville, restaurant city and the like since it makes your system work slower.

3. I Couldn't sleep at night without my radio turned on.

4. Everytime I leave our house to go to distant places, I make sure to take my backpack even if its empty.

5. I prefer watching chick-flicks over horror movies.

6. I have been collecting men's magazine (FHM, UNO, Maxim, Rogue, Playboy) for the past 9 years. FHM #1 is still my holy grail.

7. I have a sharp photographic memory that I consider a blessing and a curse at the same time.

8. The last time I hit the gym for a serious workout was last 2000.

9. I keep a written book of my escapades from 1993 to 2007.

10. I listen to almost all kinds of rock and metal music.

11. I make sure I'm 30-45 minutes early on schedule because I hate being late.

12. I know how to play the guitar (acoustic and electric) as well as bass (acoustic and electric) but I'm having a very-very hard time playing the drums.

13. My first ambition when I was a kid was to be a captain of the air force and fly the f-16.

14. I don't (and I really HATE it) watch tagalog movies on the big screen except for some R-18 movies way back in college.

15. The first console video game I played was Madmax and the last was Valkyrie Profile.

16. The last time I got in a fist fight was last 1993 with one of my classmate. Another two joined against me and all of them ended up beaten.

17. I find the JS Prom so boring that the reason I have to attend is because we were required to.

18. I wear an all-black attire every valentines day for 10 years (1993-2003) because I hate valentines day.

19. Everytime I celebrate my birthday, I have to be inside any church at exactly 5:40pm.

20. I love math subjects.

21. One of my pet peeves are people who set incorrect expectations. I hate it when there would be sudden change of things and I would be the last one to know.

22. Though I'm not highly tech-savvy, I still make sure to keep myself updated. with the latest trends.

23. I had twin brothers for only a few days.

24. LA Lakers and Brgy Ginebra are my favorite basketball teams ever since I learned basketball.

25. I only learned how to eat fish, seafood and vegetables at the age of 20.

So there. My first 25 things most people would know about me but probably not. Till the next 25.  ^_^

Spared...

Good thing Typhoon Ramil did not hit Northern Luzon as expected. This would really help our brothers up north to start all over after the rampage of Typhoon Pepeng resulting to loss of home, lives and livelihood. Probably God knew we suffered enough and spared us this time. ^_^

As of the moment, everyone is back to their normal lives, moving on, moving forward.

The price to pay

I just finished watching Survivor Palau a while ago together with Pinoy Big Brother Double Up. Well its hard to keep up with two shows that I wished I had two televisions to watch two shows simultaneously.
 

I wasn't able to blog about last weeks tribal council since I have attended The Grand Bridal Fair and Stag Party last week at Ynares Sports Complex (I might create a separate blog about this). Prior to the tribal council a while ago, two lady cast-offs were voted out in one single night. But so much for that.
 

While the rest of the cast-off were off to enjoy their rewards, survivor's Shaun and Suzuki were off to look for the hidden immunity after several clues were given. Lucky for them, they were able to find the hidden immunity bracelet. But since there is only one bracelet, the one who is most vulnerable between the two will keep the bracelet. After Shaun overheard his three former Arai tribe mates (now with Sonsorol), Shaun kept the bracelet, making Suzuki more vunerable to be voted off. Even Charles warned him not to give the immunity bracelet to Shaun but it was too late.
 

Come tribal council, Shaun used the immunity bracelet to his advantage. After the first voting (Shaun with 3 but was not counted, Suzuki with 2 and Justine with 2), another voting commence. But unfortunately, it was Suzuki who was voted off with 3 votes against 2 votes for Justine. But before Suzuki left, he was given a red pearl to give it to a cast-off which isequivalent to 2 votes (3 votes if the pearl would be lost). And he gave it to Mika. In my observation, when Marvin was votedoff, he gave this pearl to Mika that is equal to 1 vote.
 

With only six cast-offs left, who would be next? Which alliance will prevail? Will it the original Arai alliance? Or the Female alliance? Stay Tuned!

Are you a Facebook addict?

I never imagined I was really addicted with facebook especially with all the gamesive been playing for the past couple of months especially this past 2-3 months. After I read this from Yahoo (http://ph.news.yahoo.com/abs/20091020/tph-are-you-a-facebook-addict-85c5a6c.html), I was thinking if I need to cut some time here or not.

MANILA - Facebook users beware. Psychologists are now probing a new kind of addiction called Facebook Addiction Disorder (FAD).


Psychologist Dr. Michael Fenichel, who has published numerous writings on FAD online, describes it as a situation in which Facebook usage "overtakes" daily activities like waking up, getting dressed, using the telephone, or checking e-mail.


"The amazing thing is that, like cellphones, nobody seems to notice the vast amount of time and energy - at work, at home, and now while on the move - people are devoting to Facebook. It has become a given," Fenichel writes in an online post titled "Facebook Addiction Disorder- A New Challenge?"


FAD could be classified under the more broad "internet addiction disorder" or internet overuse.
Academic papers have already posed theories on internet addiction and social networking addiction, and even less, cellphone addiction.


"Like most activities, moderation and integration are key. Those that may seriously label and treat FAD as a behavioral addiction will clearly need to use context in determining if a behavior has become demonstrably harmful to overall social, work, or face-to-face interpersonal efficacy," Fenichel added.


You are a Facebook addict if...


According to Joanna Lipari, a clinical psychologist at the University of California, Los Angeles who was interviewed for a CNN report, here are some signs that you are addicted to Facebook:


1. You lose sleep over Facebook. When using Facebook becomes a compulsion and you spend entire nights logged on to the site, causing you to become tired the next day. (I go online mevery morning till afternoon XD)



2. You spend more than an hour a day on Facebook. Lipari said it is difficult to define how much is too much when it comes to Facebook usage, but that an average person need only spend half an hour on the site. (I spend at least 4 to 6 hours a day for all the games)



3. You become obsessed with old loves or exes you reconnect with on Facebook. (As far as I know, I dont have any exes connected to me here XD)



4. You ignore work in favor of Facebook. This means you do not do your job in order to sneak time on Facebook. (Not really, I just make sure to finish my job ahead of schedule XD)



5. The thought of getting off Facebook leaves you in cold sweat. If you try going a day without Facebook and it causes you stress and anxiety, this means you need help. (The only day I dont get to logon to facebook is on a Sunday but I dont mind ^_^)



According to the same report by Elizabeth Cohen, Senior CNN Medical Correspondent, Facebook addiction is not yet an actual medical diagnosis.
However, the report notes that several therapists in the United States have noticed a rise in the number of clients who get hooked on social networking, to the point of social dysfunction.


Facebook fun


Facebook, launched by the world's youngest billionaire Mark Zuckerberg, has over 300 million users worldwide, half of whom log on to the site every day.


Further, about 2 billion photos and 14 million videos are uploaded on various Facebook pages a month and about 6 billion minutes are spent on Facebook a day, worldwide.


According to Willis Wee, founder of the social media and marketing blog Penn-Olson.com, this is twice as much time that people spend on Google.


The global social networking website allows users to post and share content (like photos, links, videos, and notes), play casual games and applications, and interact with friends and family through messaging and chat. abs-cbnNEWS.com. With reports from CNN.com.

I'll try my very best to cut its usage from 6 hours to 5 hours to 4 hours to 3 hours. XD

After 103 Days

Ive decided to stop taking pictures after going 103 days of capturing pictures. Its not because I've lost interest nor I don't have anymore ideas what and where to shoot. But rather, I was a little bit worried about my DSLR after shooting yesterday at San Sebastian Church in Manila. My plan was just to shoot the interiors and exteriors of the church but when I got there, I didn't only witness not one but two weddings. I saw Atty Fortun there who takes photos there (Im sure the bride is from w@w) as well as Sen Chiz Escudero (probably one of the Principal Sponsors). While shooting, I noticed my Camera wont auto-focus even on well lit places as well even if my distance with the subject is fairly far enough.

I went back to my fiancee's home to check. The problem still occurs randomly. Meaning, I could still take pictures using auto-focus at some point in time. She even said that the camera could have been busted but I disagreed because I could still take photos using manual-focus. I even tried it when I got home but was still there. It could have been with my lens or I guess, my DSLR needs to rest for a while.

After 100 Days

Ive been taking pictures in succession since July 9, 2009 because my goal that time was to take pictures for 100 straight days. And taking pictures for 100 straight days is a daunting task. I admit its not easy since there were moments that I'm not in a good mood to take pictures or I don't even have any idea what,where and which to take. At first, I didn't even believe I could make it . But as time goes by, I was able to capture what my eyes could see and what my mind could ever imagine. 

For me, shooting for 100 days straight was more of an achievement. I was able to prove something to myself personally that I could do it.

Whats next after Day 100? Day 101 perhaps? XD 

A year in DSLR Shooting.

Today marks my official 1st year of taking photos using my own DSLR Camera. Though Ive tried to use DSLRs from some of my friends, it really felt different having your own. I have been taking photos as early as 2003 (using my dad's Ricoh Film-Based Camera) before buying a new cellphone last October 2006. Then by July 2007 I started to use a Point-and-Shoot Camera courtesy of my fiancee. 

Then, last year (Oct 12, 2008 to be exact), I was surprised again by my fiancee who purchased this camera secretly. I know I could only have a camera like this in my dreams since I dont have the money to buy one (and even if I had, I have to prioritize other things first). Once she gave her gift to me, I started using clicking the shutter and take beautiful photos from portraits to landscapes to events to macro.

Having that camera was no walk in the park. We even argued about it and I was about to surrender it back to her when we changed our minds then (cant tell the story about it).   

Then day by day, I started to grasp some techniques of some known photographers as well as my friends who were into photography longer than I am. I have learned a lot from them in a short span of time. And as I reach this milestone, I felt somewhat improved. But I know, my skills needs more improvement. When I tried to take pictures for 100 straight days (I'll make another blog for this), I know, there's more to be learned. Probably, I'll add photoshop to my expertise while capturing vibrant moments in my DSLR.     

For today, I'll just enjoy the moment and shoot. XD 

FHM Autograph Signing: Valerie Concepcion

If only I was able to attend the autograph signing last July (but I wasn't able to because it was my last day before my terminal leave), my streak could have been extended. But anyway, its my third straight attendance since August and I'm looking forward to duplicate that streak or even surpass it.
 

 The stage has been set

Anyway, I attended the FHM Autograph Signing a while ago at Robinsons Galeria where FHM covergirl Valerie Concepcion will sign our FHMs. I had my latest FHM with me but unfortunately, I forgot to bring my July 2006 FHM where she was also the covergirl.
 

I still remember the night that we met her for the first time during the UNO Lounge Party dedicated for her. However, we weren't able to have our picture taken with her because of an unfortunate incident where an old friend was involved (as a consolation, she went out of the VIP room for a while and sign our magazine (UNO plus FHM and MAXIM on the side).
 

Moving forward, I arrived at the venue at around 4:30pm since the event would start by 5:00 pm. I was able to meet my friends there like Ralph, Richard, Rod, Robin, and Vince before the event started. As Valerie went up the stage, I immediately took pictures of her as well as my friends. We made sure to have a small talk with her while she signs our FHM during our turn as well as had our pictures taken with her. Valerie was so nice and bubbly that day that made us took more pictures of her while goofing around. Though she didn't sign all of the pages I marked for her plus her signature inside the pages consists of her initials with a heart, I didn't mind it much since I was able to get a glimpse of her up close and  personal (but this time, we were able to have a small talk).
 

We wanted to stay at the event longer but our stomachs tell us that we have to eat. And before we left, we made sure all of us were smiling since our FHM was signed by Ms Valerie Concepcion. TCVC. XD 

Strongest Out

Though I wasn't able to blog the first few tribal counsel (since I am more interested with the merge), I'll make sure to write down (whenever time and funds permits) how I interpret the game. I have been a fan of survivor since its first US episode and I make sure to watch whenver time permits.
 

   Since I began watching its Philippine Version last August, I stayed home and as much as possible and avoided staying out late so I could complete its second season I was a little bit intrigued back then on how the Filipino version would fare against its international counterpart.
 

   As I browsed through websites, Marvin was one of the early favorites because of his strong character. It was evident during the third tribal immunity challenge, Marvin showed a strong will power not giving up for the sake of his team (koror). And during the next few tribal immunity challenges, he made sure his team would win to avoid tribal council.
 

   It was during the merge of two tribes that Marvin was transformed to an easy target. After Shawn won the first individual immunity challenge, it was time for them to form alliances with other tribe mates to plan a strategy on how to eliminate Marvin. He knew he was very vulnerable since most of his tribe mates assume that he was the strongest among them. And during last nights tribal council he was the first one to be eliminated and became first member of the Jury. I would expect that Tara will be voted off first since most of her former tribemates doesn't like her for her tactless attitude.
 

   And since they were able to eliminate a possible Pinoy Sole Survivor out of strategy, I wonder who they will eliminate next. Would it be the 2nd strongest? The most annoying? Who knows...

Rest and Recovery

I had a lot of things in mind that I should be blogging but my body feels so tired so I'll just put them here some other time. ^_^

Still Safe

Despite storm Pepeng, up to now, were still safe here in Laguna. Though there were text messages circulating prior to what will happen at 9:00pm last night, I have to see for myself as I watch the news. And the text messages were false. 

One moral lesson here is to watch the news but be informed and get prepared. ^_^

I'll just blog happy times sometime soon.