Archive for October, 2006

28
Oct

TrueFaith - Alaala (Live!)

Author: Bob

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Popularity: 7% [?]

Filed Under »  Videos    |   No Comments »
28
Oct

TrueFaith - Sayang Ang Lahat

Author: Bob

For you all FaithFools out there!

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Popularity: 7% [?]

Filed Under »  Videos    |   No Comments »
27
Oct

New Guestbook

Author: Bob

Notice my newly upgraded Guestbook? Don’t forget to sign in it ha?

Popularity: 12% [?]

Filed Under »  Site Update    |   No Comments »
26
Oct

WEBDEV3 MidTerms Batch 1

Author: Bob

I was quite happy with the turnout of my exam last night for WEBDEV3. We started at around 1830H, that gave them two & a half hours to think and execute their solutions to the problem. Just before the clock hit 2000H, one student is already done. I checked his work, and it indeec goes right. To my estimate (’coz I am not done checking all), around 75% of the class made correct solutions to the problem. I wonder what will be the results for Batch 2 tomorrow night?

Popularity: 4% [?]

Filed Under »  School    |   No Comments »
25
Oct

An Unusual Question from a GlobePH CS Staff

Author: Bob

I called the Globe Telecoms Customer Service (211) this morning to inquire why I cannot use my GPRS using my prepaid SIM. Everything went well, at first. But when the Customer Service Agent fails to answer my questions, he then asked for my email address so that he may send me the instructions on how to set my GPRS properly.

Upon giving him my email address — robert.reyes@gmail.com — he replied, “Sir, is that all capitalized?!”

Hahaha .. what a question? I told him to remember that NO email address is capitalized. My goodness!

Popularity: 5% [?]

Filed Under »  Personal    |   2 Comments »
25
Oct

First Time to Give an Open Notes Exam

Author: Bob

I am writing this blog entry right here at ML2 during my Wednesday WEBDEV3 (Electronic Commerce) class. It’s the first time that I am giving an exam, part of their MidTerms requirement, which is open notes. They can even browse the Internet if they want.

What’s in the exam? You will know by Friday. I don’t want to spoil the fun for my WEBDEV3 Friday class.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Filed Under »  School    |   No Comments »
24
Oct

Is That What You Call as eCommerce?

Author: Bob

Remember my post about Load.com.ph? I am thinking of forgetting everything I had said about them. Just this morning, I made an EFT via Banco De Oro to their account, talking about electronic transactions — as I will always top-up my account with them. I advised them via email (including the screenshot of the transaction) of the EFT, and even sent an IM to their “online support”, and know what was their reply? “Sir, tomorrow pa ma-load yan kasi holiday.”

WTF?! You call that Electronic Commerce? You’re closed on Holidays?

Prior to this top-up transaction, just this Saturday morning. I made an EFT then advised them via email and IM. It was already Saturday night, and no top-up was made to my account yet, so I tried to reach their office landline — no answer. I even called their mobile number(s) and still no answer. Finally, I got a response Monday morning. Huh?! Online transactions indeed!

Popularity: 4% [?]

Filed Under »  Personal, eCommerce    |   No Comments »
23
Oct

Looking for a Working/Non-working Palm M125

Author: Bob

I am looking for a working or non-working Palm M125. Yes, you had heard and read me right: working or non-working. The reason for this is that my good old M125’s (currently being used by my dad as an alarm clock, hehehe) power button got busted. I brought the unit to Mobile1 yesterday, and they told me that theu no longer have the spare parts for it. The only option that I have is to look for an old M125 unit and they (at Mobile1) will replace my unit’s power button from the other unit.

If you or a friend of yours have an old Palm M125, please do let me know of your price offering via robert.reyes@gmail.com

Thank you very much!

Popularity: 4% [?]

Filed Under »  Personal, Technology    |   No Comments »
22
Oct

Gary Granada’s Ordeal with McDonald’s

Author: Bob

Taken from Political Pinoy Blog.

Below are Gary Granada’s experience with McDonald’s managers with regard to Kaalagad’s campaign to reduce the use of styrofoam in fastfood chains. Gary Granada, is a singer and a composer. He is known for his alternative songs and progressive lyrics.

My name is Gary Granada, I am a KaalagaD volunteer, and I need 5 seconds of your time to help reduce the use of styrofoam in fast food chains.

What was meant to be a nice and simple Saint Francis Day motorcade-march to McDonald’s turned out to be a nightmare. We were rudely treated by McDonald’s, to put it mildly. Weeks before, we already sought a dialogue with them to reiterate our concern for their reluctance to reduce their use of styrofoam, despite their pledge to seriously attend to it during our dialogue in 2002! (Jollibee said the same thing, and while we are not satisfied with their response, at least they made some effort to shift to other packaging and serving materials.) We wrote to them, went to their office, made follow ups, waited for a response. The most we got from them was ‘you wait for our call’. They never called, never wrote back, but verbally said they will assign representatives to receive our motorcade’s representatives.

When we got there, their representatives turned out to be the Citibank Building’s security detail. Ill-mannered and impolite, they told us that they were told by McDonald’s that they were not expecting us. One of our staff went up to their 17th floor office to find out whether they were willing to sit down and talk matters. Told to tell us to wait, we waited. The giant that it is, the bosses of McDonald’s apparently regard little children, nuns, mothers, priests and concerned consumers as their employees. We asked how long we were supposed to wait and got no
straight answer. Finally they sent word for me to come up, just me, no one else. I thought these people must have seen too many spaghetti movies, perhaps they thought they had a hostage crisis. I was led to a conference room that could easily sit six or seven people and was greeted by two bright boys.

Think about it. Naglakad kami papuntang McDonald’s, at pagdating namin doon, wala man lang
bumaba para kausapin kami ng maayos. At pinatawag ako nitong dalawang batang managers!

…Unlike them, we
do not make money doing
what little we can to help
make things a little betterfor everybody

It occurred to me that there were far more basic issues that plague McDonald’s than styrofoam. Like common courtesy. So I explained to these rich young rulers that the courteous thing to do was to go down, greet the delegation and ask how they may be of help. I even asked them where they were schooled, because in the public school in an obscure town where I came from, they manage to teach such things in Grade One. Their bloated bright brains must have taken up the space that was meant for their ears. It felt like talking to an electric fan.

Meanwhile I insisted that somebody from Greenpeace, the Ecowaste Coalition, Franciscan
Movement for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation, and the JPICC of the Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines (our partners in the activity) be present as well. They said they can only accommodate three people at most. Fine. So I said I and our staff will go down and we will send three people up. But at the lobby, the three representatives we sent were barred by security people from proceeding, again upon McDonald’s instructions we were told. It looked hopeless.

We decided to wrap up the program when out of nowhere a condescending woman materialized and introduced herself as the media relations officer of McDonalds. She said ‘Why don’t you go to Jollibee instead, they’re number One.’ To which Father Ben Moraleda replied, ‘We did, and at least they are doing something.’

On the side, irked by her audacity, Fr. Ben quipped, ‘And please take that hand of yours off my
shoulders, I don’t like you.’

And all that commotion for a very simple and very reasonable plan: that McDonald’s reduce the use of styrofoam by 50% within one year. McDonald’s has once again demonstrated its arrogance and incapacity to appreciate the sincere and constructive efforts of common folks to protect our environment. Unlike them, we do not make money doing what little we can to help make things a little better for everybody.

5 seconds, that’s all I ask of you to help reduce the use of styrofoam. Sa mundo ng mga mayayabang, papansinin lang nila tayo kung tayo ay maninindigan. Take 5 seconds to think twice before choosing where to dine or order food.

WHEN YOU HAVE A CHOICE, DON’T CHOOSE MCDONALD’S

I feel sad for that woman and those two young managers. So young, so successful, so ahead of their game, so privileged; so rude, so arrogant, so lacking in character, so bland. And I have since stopped wondering why their burgers taste the way they do.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Filed Under »  Personal    |   No Comments »
21
Oct

The RP Government Does NOT Read Emails

Author: Bob

No wonder why do rants and raves about the government are not heard by the proper officials. Three days ago, I emailed the following addresses asking which of the 23rd or the 24th of this month will be the holiday, since no official announcement has been made yet:

  • ogrimenjl@yahoo.com
  • ops_edp@ops.gov.ph
  • webmaster@gov.ph
  • info@gov.ph

Some 24 hours later, I got a reply! Wow, that was fast (not really)! I got a reply from the mailer daemon:

~~~~~~~~~~

THIS IS A WARNING MESSAGE ONLY.
YOU DO NOT NEED TO RESEND YOUR MESSAGE.
Delivery to the following recipient has been delayed:

info@gov.ph

Message will be retried for 2 more day(s)
Technical details of temporary failure:
TEMP_FAILURE: Could not initiate SMTP conversation with any hosts:
[dostmis.dost.gov.ph. (10): Connection timed out]

~~~~~~~~~~

So, the next time that you will attempt to email any of the government agencies and they haven’t replied for quite some time, better give them a call or better yet, drop by their offices instead. Sayang ang tax!

Popularity: 5% [?]

Filed Under »  Personal, Public Service    |   No Comments »
20
Oct

Oct 31 & Nov 2 Regular Working Days

Author: Bob

Not a good news for those who are planning a vacation this time of the year …

~~~~~~~~~~

Forget about spending a long vacation break paying respects to the dearly departed. It’s going to be a quick one.

Malacañang announced Friday that October 31 and November 2, Halloween Day and All Soul’s Day respectively, will be regular working days.

All Saint’s Day (November 1), when hordes of urban dwellers troop to cemeteries in the provinces, will remain as a non-working holiday.

The Palace had previously allowed Filipinos to spend more time to pay their respects to the deceased, but this time they decided differently.

Radio station dzBB quoted Palace officials as saying that the government gave way to the interest of the business sector, who had bemoaned that holidays that fall in the middle of the week tended to disrupt productivity.

November 1 falls on a Wednesday.

Last week, Malacañang issued Proclamation 1155 to declare October 24 a non-working holiday in commemoration of Eid’l Fitr, or the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.-GMANews.TV

Popularity: 6% [?]

Filed Under »  Public Service    |   No Comments »
19
Oct

Internet Explorer 7 is Here!

Author: Bob

ie7.jpgMicrosoft launches the much-awaited upgrade to the ever popular Internet Explorer web browser today.

With millions upon millions of people downloding its rival Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft hopes that IE7 will bring back the the glory of being the web’s best browser back to their hands.

The latest version of IE sports a new UI and it now supports tabs (hey, isn’t that a first from Firefox?).

Popularity: 4% [?]

Filed Under »  Technology    |   1 Comment »
19
Oct

24 Oct 2006 is a Holiday!

Author: Bob

Based on Proclamation No. 1155, Tuesday, 24 October 2006 is a Holiday all throughout the Philippines in observance of Eid Ul Fitre (last day of Ramadan).

Popularity: 4% [?]

Filed Under »  Public Service    |   No Comments »
17
Oct

Palm Announces Treo 680 Smartphone

Author: Bob

treo680.jpgGood news to Treo users (like me). Palm (the company formerly known as Palm Computing, and formerly known as PalmOne, and now known as simply Palm) has just announced their latest smartphone: Treo 680.

Product specifications

Power/Sync

Popularity: 3% [?]

Filed Under »  Technology    |   No Comments »
17
Oct

Martial Rules Strikes Again

Author: Bob

Early this morning, Makati City Mayor Jejomar C. Binay and all of the city’s councilors were suspended by the DILG due to existence of ghost employees in the city government. Scary, not because there are “ghosts” in the cityhall, but it seems that Martial Law is just around the corner. First, it was Pasay City, then now, Makati City. Who shall be next?

(My guess, San Juan) — what do they all have in common? Try figure out.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Filed Under »  Personal    |   No Comments »
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