Archive for the ‘Lifestyle’ Category

A cheap way to organize cables

by xarki, on Thu, Feb 2 2012 | No Comments

courtesy of inquirer.netI am always bothered by the tangled and twisted cables that I frequently see at my home office. It has always been a cumbersome task for me to keep my workstation neat and clean, what with the endless eye sore of wires of various lengths and sizes.

 

For several years, I have always purchased commercially available cable organizers of various sorts. All of them did serve their purpose well but not as satisfying or cost effective for some people like me. Sometimes, I do end up using “rubber bands” in place of the retailed cable ties and organizers.

 

I like the way rubber bands give me the option to control how I would organize my wires and the idea of having a reusable yet cheap alternative is really a great idea. As we all know, rubber bands are not the best solution for this task. Its appearance and durability is still questionable thus can only serve as a temporary fix for the cable problem.

 

I came across an article in the newspaper where another office accessory can be used in place of a rubber band since it is sturdier to withstand the normal wear and tear. Guess what? Binder clips! I didn’t realize that these can be employed to serve as cable organizers and can even be customized and fashioned to look more aesthetically appealing to the eye.

 

Decorative stickers can be bought, cut out to shape thus pimping your ordinary black binder clips. You can also have your own design printed from your desktop computer to a photo sticker for better customization.

 

Binder clips can be mobile and repositioned anywhere you like it as long as it can have a firm grip on any surface you desire. The silver clip handles can be used to pass through the wires to keep them away from floors and from being stepped on or chewed by rodents or even your house pets.

 

This is one great idea we have here!

source: inquirer.net

Welcoming the Year of the Water Dragon

by xarki, on Thu, Jan 26 2012 | No Comments

courtesy of fullbloomfengshui.wordpress.comWith the Malacanan palace’s declaration of January 23rd as a special non-working holiday despite the contradiction of some people from the business community, the Filipinos have formally embraced the celebration of the Chinese New Year with our fellow Tsinoys.

 

For several years, the Chinese New Year was observed together with other special occasions that our multicultural heritage has adopted as we Pinoys are well known for multitudes of feasts and festivals. Not only do we celebrate our own National Holidays, Catholic (religious fiestas) but also celebrations from other foreign cultures like that of our Muslim and Chinese brothers.

 

We were on our way back home from a birthday party after a tiring activity with my kids. As we passed by one of these malls in the metro, we were greeted by eye-catching fireworks that have left us amazed for a few minutes. I tried not to look at the great imagery for I was assigned of maneuvering our family carriage. Luckily, the rest of the traffic was locked into the same scenery as we are.

 

I can say that the Department of Tourism (DOT) has taken the right slogan this time as our country really has that “fun” factor compared to the rest of the world. It is only here that people get to celebrate festivals of many kinds – proving our love for festivities despite our personal dilemmas. Positivity is at most intact and present among the Filipino community. I can say it’s more than just fun.

 

Other than celebrating per se, following Chinese beliefs is already a part of us maybe because of our strong affinity to such traditions as we have them intertwined with our very own. Feng Shui and Chinese Horoscopes were among a hit in line with the celebration.

 

Nevertheless we have our own beliefs and traditions to celebrate; it is good that we share in celebrating the festivities with our Fil-Chinese brothers. I believe there is no harm in participating as long as we enjoy doing it and no one gets hurt in the process.

It’s more fun in the Philippines!

by xarki, on Thu, Jan 5 2012 | No Comments

courtesy of http://www.ourawesomeplanet.comHere is the latest slogan launched by the Department of Tourism (DOT) in promoting tourism in our homeland. Despite the new logo and generic content of the catchphrase, many people (particularly Pinoys) believed it was copied from an old Swiss Tourism flyer.

 

Well, it really doesn’t matter if DOT copied the same phrase or it was just coincidentally manufactured by the people in the government’s tourism arm. Most of us will be more concerned with how much resources were dispensed to constitute a rather correspondent utterance in advertising our country for tourism.

 

I hope our government did not exhaust too much amount in coming up with this one as we have a former issue with the DOT when they made use of “Pilipinas Kayganda” for a few months which stirred a lot of intrigue behind the scandalous slogan which even forced its undersecretary in an unsettling situation.

 

The catchy phrase can be true to its message. Despite the negative feedbacks from “several” tourists I can still say that our country is still one of the best destinations in the world.

 

My mom and my sister had their recent tours on different parts of the world. My mom went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land encompassing Jordan, Palestine and Egypt. My sister on the other hand hopped from one Asian destination to another. Both of them had the same reaction despite the difference on their traveled locations.

 

It is through their stories that I have validated that our country should not be missed and instead be added in a tourist’s itinerary. As witnessed by my sister who is now a permanent resident of Australia, we are incomparable when it comes to cleanliness and safety. Yeah!

 

As my mother has stated, “Pinakamaganda pa rin ang Pilipinas dahil sa mas malinis at masayahin ang mga tao … yung ugali lang talaga nating mga Pinoy minsan ang hindi maganda. Sana mapanatili nating maayos at malinis ang lahat para maipagmalaki natin sa ibang bansa.”

 

It is not just our government’s job to promote our country. We are all accounted for in keeping a good standing for our nation. Whether you are a local or a migrant, you should be proud that you grew up in this pearl in the Pacific. Despite our multicultural affinity there’s still nothing like home.

Goodbye Paputok!

by xarki, on Fri, Dec 30 2011 | No Comments

courtesy of bloggers.comIn the efforts of lowering the number of injuries and casualties due to firecrackers and fireworks, the government has pursued its campaign thru infomercials and reminders on taking safety precautions in welcoming the upcoming year.

 

We have seen several versions of the advertisements on national TV but less of the stomach turning images of exploded hands and amputated limbs due to fireworks mishandling and lighting of illegal types as well. Instead they made use of the slogan “APIR” (Aksyon: Paputok Injury Reduction) also known as the Give Me Five drive.

 

The infomercial is symbolic in its aim to remind people especially children in keeping their complete set of fingers this holiday season. The campaign advocates five ways to make safer means of celebrating the holidays.

 

I’ve watched a few of the advertising campaigns and I hope people won’t just take it for granted. Despite the government’s concurrent drive in capturing and closing down manufacturers and suppliers of illegal firecrackers and fireworks, we, the patrons, are more liable in the successful implementation of this public safety drive.

 

The Department of Health (DOH) also launched an alternative way to enjoy the celebration of the New Year by releasing their own version of “high-tech” fireworks.

 

Goodbye Paputok is a collection of the exploding sounds created by the lighted firecrackers and fireworks compiled in a CD and is also available for download at http://www.doh.gov.ph which is packaged as a replica of the illegal firecracker Goodbye Philippines.

 

“Goodbye Paputok is the safest way to welcome the New Year,” said Health Assistant Secretary Enrique Tayag during the CD’s launch on Wednesday. “Instead of lighting up firecrackers, people should play this CD.”

 

I did download a copy of my own since my place is not ample to light up some fire works and I no longer aim to ignite one. The sound is not that bad maybe I will need to tweak on the equalizers to make it more real! I will turn up the volume and loop this recording at exactly zero hour on New Year 2011. Good thinking there Herbert Hernandez, (guitarist of the rock band 6 Cyclemind)

 

Happy New Year and be safe everyone!

A grave scandal about a chic, a boy and a grub

by xarki, on Mon, Dec 19 2011 | No Comments

higad sa saladMaybe you have heard the recent news about Chic-boy’s scandal over the Internet – a disgruntled customer who utters her regret after eating at one of her favorite dining spot in Timog, Quezon City. The scandal involves a letter addressed to the concerned enterprise with its author sequentially recount the events in her aspiration to show her disappointment to the former as it happened.

 

For several years we have witnessed several resto and dining haven scandals with the objective of destabilizing its sales, lowering incessant patronage and preventing its rise to fame. Sources of subversions may be direct or frequently indirectly employed towards the undermining of the establishment.

 

Chic-boy is one of the growing dining joints in the country. Their mouth-watering menu of delectable cuisines has tagged every Filipino’s thrilled palates. Joining the line of grilled pork and chicken dishes like that of Mang Inasal, Bacolod Chicken and Chicken Inasal with Mang Inasal presently rocketing in eminence among the crowd.

 

Before I share my discernment on this matter, I suggest reading the totality of the said author’s notes. Higad sa salad (courtesy of popularmanila.blogspot.com)

 

The photos, though limited in amount, can never be a basis for the claims. It can be authored, refashioned to a way the instigator wants it to be seen. As we all know the famous phrase, “a picture means a thousand words.”

 

The size of the “caterpillar” (cited frequently as “uod” by the writer) can be so overwhelming that it will make you wonder why Chic-boy’s chef overlooked its presence.

 

Regrettably, the customer who wrote this hate article has opened it to the social media where information (doesn’t matter either good or bad) will reach its targets as fast as possible. But it seems it has not yet reached the broadcasting media despite the viral widespread.

 

I cannot say that the dissatisfied food patron has high-jacked or planted the creepy-crawler and neither did the staff of Chic-boy fell short on their quality control. But soon enough this tittle-tattle will die-down as time goes by.

 

Will I ever eat at Chic-boy’s? Of course I will. Still as a customer, I have the freedom to choose which food establishment I will visit according to my own taste and need. In spite of everything, we have consumer rights to look forward to if we suffer the same fate.

 

Once you decide to buy someone else’s cooking you are putting your trust on their hands. Only if you cook your own food will you be sure of the quality of what you are eating.