The Blogger

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Davao City, Region XI, Philippines

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Would you BUY this ONE?

I was astounded when i browsed the net and found out that there are really people selling concert tickets, movie passes, and even round trip tickets in some places in this world. Will really online buyers consider these products? Still, I don't think that these kinds will sell. Maybe some would grab it--if really VERY NECESSARY I suppose. I am not against those selling tickets, passes and the like. However, I see no BIG POINT of why they are selling these products which expire in a certain point in time. Like if you sell a concert ticket which will be held on a specific day, you better sell the tickets fast before the event starts or else the tickets are void. Not really a good business. And people would not be very interested on buying these stuff because people can't really assure the validity of the product except if they meet face-to-face which can be very costly and impractical. If I am to be asked what would be the online products that are not very salable, I say THE TICKETS AND PASSES. WOULD YOU BUY THIS ONE?

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Tuesday, April 29, 2008

The 7 Deadly Sins vs 7 Heavenly Virtues

The Catholic Church has set the 7 capital sins. These sins are deadly that the church considers these as severe and mortal that can destroy grace of life and create eternal damnation. It sounds scary. Truly it is. I too am scared of where these sins may lead me or us. And ignorance can't excuse us. That is why I want to inform every person about what are these and how these are done.


THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS

The Seven Deadly Sins is a painted rectangle with a central image of the eye of God, with Christ watching the world. The Seven Deadly Sins, depicted through scenes of worldly transgression, are arranged around the circular shape. The circular layout with god in the centre represents gods all seeing eye No sin goes unnoticed. In the corners of the image appear the "Four Last Things" mentioned in late medieval spiritual handbooks: Deathbed, the Last Judgment, Heaven, and Hell, all of which are favorite themes of separate Bosch panels.


  • Pride is excessive belief in one's own abilities, that interferes with the individual's recognition of the grace of God. It has been called the sin from which all others arise. Pride is also known as Vanity.

  • Envy is the desire for others' traits, status, abilities, or situation.

  • Gluttony is an inordinate desire to consume more than that which one requires.

  • Lust is an inordinate craving for the pleasures of the body.

  • Anger is manifested in the individual who spurns love and opts instead for fury. It is also known as Wrath.

  • Greed is the desire for material wealth or gain, ignoring the realm of the spiritual. It is also called Avarice or Covetousness.

  • Sloth is the avoidance of physical or spiritual work.

These deadly sins can be countered by the virtues taught by the church.


THE SEVEN HEAVENLY VIRTUES

  • Chastity (Latin, Castitas) (purity, opposes Lust, Latin Luxuria):Embracing of moral wholesomeness and achieving purity of body and thought through education and betterment.
  • Temperance (Latin, Temperantia) (self-control, opposes Gluttony, Latin Gula):Practicing self-control, abstention, and moderation.
  • Charity (Latin, Liberalitas) (will, generosity, opposes Greed, Latin Avaritia):Generosity. Willingness to give. A nobility of thought or actions.
  • Diligence (Latin, Industria) (ethics, opposes Sloth, Latin Acedia):A zealous and careful nature in one's actions and work. Decisive work ethic. Budgeting one's time; monitoring one's own activities to guard against laziness.
  • Patience (Latin, Patientia) (peace, opposes Wrath, Latin Ira):Forbearance and endurance through moderation. Resolving conflicts peacefully, as opposed to resorting to violence. The ability to forgive; to show mercy to sinners.
  • Kindness (Latin, Humanitas) (satisfaction, opposes Envy, Latin Invidia):Charity, compassion, friendship, and sympathy without prejudice and for its own sake.
  • Humility (Latin, Humilitas) (modesty, opposes Pride, Latin Superbia):Modest behavior, selflessness, and the giving of respect. Giving credit where credit is due; not unfairly glorifying one's own self.

I hope this blog helps. We may not be perfect, we may sin at times but be reminded that we can repent and ask Jesus' forgiveness. We have a choice. We may choose to be good or to be bad. It's either you follow Satan or God; Deadly Sins or Heavenly Virtues? Hope you make this choice right.

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TOP 5 MOST EXPENSIVE Mobile Phones

While waiting for my eyes to retire I decided to search for the most expensive mobile phones. And I get these 5 on the list. Actually the site provided 10 but i only extracted the top5 phones. I was really awed by the price of each phone. I can't even imagine myself holding a phone that expensive. So here are the TOP 5 MOST EXPENSIVE MOBILE PHONES so far:

1. Goldvish “Le million” = $1,000,000 (£540,540)

A PR stunt it may be, and they surely can’t be expecting to sell any, but the Goldvish “Le million” is officially the most expensive mobile phone in the world, according the Guiness Books of Records. There’s even been talk of a $1.3million phone, but this has fewer diamonds than the Goldvish so I can’t see where the extra expense comes from! The “Le million” is a one off, featuring a blinding 120 carats worth of VVS-1 grade diamonds, according to designer Emmanuel Gueit. If $1 million is out of your price range. the Geneva-based Goldvish also offer several other diamond-encrusted 18k gold models in your choice of rose, yellow, or white, starting at a much more reasonable $25,600 (£13,837). ;)

Source

2. Vertu Signature Cobra = $310,000 (£167,567)

Vertu is now taking orders for the Signature Cobra, designed by French jeweler Boucheron, but you had better be quick as only 8 are being made! The Cobra will feature one pear-cut diamond, one round white diamond, two emerald eyes and 439 rubies. Vertu will also be offering a “cheaper” version, ruby free, at $115,000 (£62,162).

Source

3. Sony Ericsson Black Diamond = $300,000 (£162,162)

Apparently the Black Diamond will be available in 2007, not from Sony Ericsson but by a company called VIPN. Initially only 5 unique numered pieces will be available for the unbelievable price of, wait for it… $300,000.

With regards to the specifications, don’t expect anythin

g remarkable for your money. It will have Quad-band with Wi-Fi, an Intel 400Mhz processor running windows mobile 5, and a touch sensitive 2″ screen. It will also include internal memory of 128mb and will come with a 2Gb SD card for external storage, plus a respectable 4 Megapixel camera.

The designer Jaren Goh has used some pretty impressive materials for the build, featuring titane with polycarbonate, mirror-finish cladding and diamonds.

Source

4. Vertu Diamond = $88,000 (£47,567)

The Diamond is Vertu’s premium range of high-end mobile phones. As the name suggests the handsets in the Diamond range are diamond-encrusted handsets made from platinum. Only 200 of the handsets are being produced, the most expensive believed to be worth an estimated £50,000.

5. Motorola V220 Special Edition = £28,000 ($51,800)

Austrian only designer Peter Aloisson, has taken a standard Motorola, studded it with 1,200 diamonds and added a keyboard inlaid with 18 carat gold. The outcome is a £28,000 handset, suitable for footballers and film stars!

Source

You really need to be SUPER RICH to buy these kinds of mobile phones. But why invest on these stuffs if they depreciate in price fast? If I become filthy wealthy, I don't think I would buy expensive stuffs like these. However, I can't promise that. My mind may change in the near future. :)

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Monday, April 28, 2008

The New 7 Wonders of the World: Keep Voting!

Last year, July 7, 2007, the NEW 7 WONDERS OF THE WORLD were announced in Lisbon, Portugal. It's success is now coming to repeat itself with the new set of finalists to be voted upon for the 2008 New 7 Wonders of the World. Weber, the founder of this campaign, aims to be democratic in the selection of the 7 wonders--which in this case, through online voting (i am not sure if there are other means to vote).

The Philippines, according to the list of finalists, has two entries--The Tubbataha Reef and The Puerto Princesa Subteranean River National Park. The previous entry ranks 8 as of today's voting while the latter bags the 53rd spot. I, as a Filipino, campaign for these two wonders for they really encompass the truest meaning of the word WONDER.

The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is located about 50 kilometers north of the city of Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines. The National Park is located in the Saint Paul Mountain Range on the northern coast of the island. It is bordered by St Paul Bay to the north and the Babuyan River to the east. The City Government of Puerto Princesa has managed the National Park since 1992. It is also known as St. Paul's Subterranean River National Park. The entrance to the Subterranean River is located a short hike from little town of Sabang.

It features a limestone karst mountain landscape with an 8.2 km. navigable underground river. A distinguishing feature of the river is that it winds through a cave before flowing directly into the South China Sea. It includes major formations of stalactites and stalagmites, and several large chambers. The lower portion of the river is subject to tidal influences. The underground river is reputed to be the world's longest.
The area also represents a significant habitat for biodiversity conservation. The site contains a full mountain-to-the-sea ecosystem and has some of the most important forests in Asia. It was inscribed by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site on December 4, 1999.

Source: Wikipedia


Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park is home to some of the most beautiful coral reefs in the world. Rising from the volcanic depths of the Sulu Sea in the western Philippines, these magnificent atolls encompass an astonishing diversity of marine life.

The park is an underwater sanctuary where nature can thrive. Tubbataha is the Philippines' only National Marine Park and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a place of global importance, being preserved for generations to come.

From majestic whale sharks to elusive seahorses - Tubbataha supports an unparalleled variety of marine creatures. Colourful reef fish crowd corals growing in the shallows while sharks and manta rays haunt the steep drop offs to the open sea.

A team of rangers are stationed on the reef year-round and, from March until June, divers visit Tubbataha to experience the wonders of this unique underwater world.

Philippines is a country to beat. Let's vote for these entries we got. This is not only to make the Philippines famous to every country around the globe but also to invite tourists to visit the place which would mean more income for the nation. Furthermore, to show to the world that Philippines, although considered a third world country, has wonders that it can be proud of and deserves to be called the pearl of the orient seas.

To vote, click here. You need to sign up first then vote. :)

Enjoy voting. Make Filipinos proud.

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Friday, April 25, 2008

The Forbidden Kingdom: Great Not New

The Forbidden Kingdom is the product of the first joint project of the two legendary Martial Arts actors of this generation--Jet Li and Jackie Chan. Definitely, the two icons being together in a movie makes the film a must-see. What makes it more interesting and enticing is that the movie brings out the forte of the two legends.

In Forbidden Kingdom, American teenager Jason (Michael Angarano), who is obsessed with Hong Kong cinema and Kung Fu classics, finds an antique Chinese staff in a pawn shop: the legendary stick weapon of the Chinese sage and warrior, the Monkey King (Jet Li). With the lost relic in hand, Jason unexpectedly finds himself transported back to ancient China.

There, he meets the drunken kungfu master, Lu Yan (Jackie Chan); an enigmatic and skillful Silent Monk (Jet Li); and a vengeance-bent Kung Fu beauty, Golden Sparrow (Crystal Liu Yi Fei), who lead him on his quest to return the staff to its rightful owner, the Monkey King - imprisoned in stone by the evil Jade Warlord (Collin Chou) for five hundred years. Along the way, while attempting to outmaneuver scores of Jade Warriors, Cult Killers and the deadly White Hair Demoness, Ni Chang (Li Bing Bing), Jason learns about honor, loyalty and friendship, and the true meaning of kungfu, and thus frees himself. ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0865556/synopsis )

A mix of fantasy, action and comedy, The Forbidden Kingdom is a movie to see. You can never realize that you have spent an hour and thirty minutes of your time because of its fast pace. The music, animation and the special effects are really good. However, I see the storyline as not very unique. But it doesn't mean that it was not a good story, it was just not new to me. As a whole, I enjoyed watching the movie. I can't remember blinking my eyes in the duration of the movie. I encourage the people out there who do not yet watch the movie. It is a movie worth your money.

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Thursday, April 24, 2008

E-commerce Security: The Threats and Defenses

The Business World and the World of Technology are now merging towards improving the lives of the many. It is not new to us that business transactions can be done through the internet. This makes the lives of every businessman convenient while earning a lot of money. However, due to the advent of hacking, there are now risks. There’s a need for a stricter security.

According to Business Link (http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/), these are the common threats that hackers pose to e-commerce systems:

• carrying out denial-of-service (DoS) attacks that stop access to authorized users of a website, so that the site is forced to offer a reduced level of service or, in some cases, ceases operation completely
• gaining access to sensitive data such as price lists, catalogues and valuable intellectual property, and altering, destroying or copying it
• altering your website, thereby damaging your image or directing your customers to another site
• gaining access to financial information about your business or your customers, with a view to perpetrating fraud
• using viruses to corrupt your business data

These threats have big impact in the business using e-commerce. Business Link offers the possible consequences that businesses may encounter if there e-commerce systems were hacked:

• Direct financial loss as a consequence of fraud or litigation.
• Subsequent loss as a result of unwelcome publicity.
• Criminal charges if you are found to be in breach of the Data Protection or Computer Misuse Acts, or other regulation on e-commerce.
• Loss of market share if customer confidence is affected by a DoS attack.

There are different potential methods that an attacker or hacker may use. According to IBM (http://www.ibm.com/), the methods are as follow:

• Tricking the shopper
• Snooping the shopper's computer
• Sniffing the network
• Guessing passwords
• Using denial of service attacks
• Using known server bugs
• Using server root exploits

Despite these strategic potential methods of hackers, there are defenses that could be done to prevent these hackers from getting into your system:

• Install personal firewalls for the client machines.
• Store confidential information in encrypted form.
• Encrypt the stream using the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol to protect information flowing between the client and the e-Commerce Web site.
• Use appropriate password policies, firewalls, and routine external security audits.
• Use threat model analysis, strict development policies, and external security audits to protect ISV software running the Web site.

But still education is the best defense you could possibly have because if you are well-informed and knowledgeable of the precautions, definitely no wise hacker can enter your system.

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Wanted: Associate Software Engineer

The world now is at its peak. Technology arises as fast as the second-hand of the clock ticks. There is no doubt that many are on the run in the hopes of becoming an Computer Expert. Many a job is in store for every student who specializes on computers. With a right education plus skills and experiences, surely, you're in the priority list of every company. Just recently, many of the higher years in my division, Computer Studies, graduated. Now, they have their jobs now in the companies they have applied. However, one job has struck me because many have landed on this job. Not to mention, a good friend of mine is working for a company with this job description. Associate Software Engineer is the position I am referring to. With its prefix associate, its basic function is to asisst in the development and maintenance of software programs applied to technical, scientific or engineering problems within the STScI domain.This assistance may include actual code development, documentation preparation, web development, unit testing, and software debugging.

Minimum Qualifications:
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

* Introductory level of understanding in the area of software development techniques and practices.
* Basic knowledge of a high level language. (e.g. FORTRAN, C, C++, or Java)
* Basic knowledge in at least 2 of the following areas:
· Astronomy/Physics or Mathematics
· Compiler design
· Operating and network system design
· Distributed processing/computing
· Client/server protocols
· OO development methodologies
· Scripting languages
· Configuration Management
· Algorithm design
· Relational/OO database technology
· Data structure selection
· Software Testing Methodo logies
· Artificial Intelligence
· Graphical User Interfaces
· Web application development
*Basic level of proficiency in a computer operating system such as NT, Unix, or VMS.
*Basic knowledge of software support products such as text editors, debuggers, or e mail.
*Good verbal and written communication skills.
* Ability to establish and maintain effective professional working relationships

I have known companies who offer this kind of job. To name a few are: Accenture, HP and other IT companies which basically are found here in the Philippines. Most companies based in the Philippines give a starting salary of P16,000 which would increase in its regular rate after the six-month evaluation.

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Sunday, April 20, 2008

As We Traveled to Baguio

Manila was a new place to me. It was not that amusing, but still my eyes enjoyed looking at the unfamiliar places and sceneries. We were fetched by a coaster and met the people that will guide us for the rest of the week--Kuya Macky, Kuya Mac-mac, Sir Ed and our driver, Kuya Morris (not sure of the name). The first place that I have taken picture during the travel was the baywalk. It was not the baywalk it used to be after the assumption of Mayor Lim. It has no more stores and booths and night parties as explained by the tourist guide. The travel was smooth, it was not that fast. I saw the beauty of the buildings but also witnessed the city's dirtiness. I even told myself, Davao is far better than this place. We eventually reached the NLEX tollgate. It is a private road, thus, we paid for about 500php. We stopped for awhile in Marilao to have our quick lunch in Jollibee. And we continued the long ride to Baguio. We passed by Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Pangasinan and eventually we reached Benguet. We took Kennon Road. The temperature started to drop. And we paid again for another toll fee. Going to Baguio really is expensive; from the gas to the toll fees. Wheew! Lucky me, it was all free. There were stop overs for urination . Baguio has lots of trees. But not too many than before. The province of Benguet doesn't only have the Banaue Rice Terraces, now, it also have its Baguio House Terraces. It was scary to look at those houses placed that way. In case of calamaties like landslide, houses will surely be eroded and lives of the residents would be really at risk. I pray it won't happen. Relocation is very impractical nowadays and the population there is growing and growing per year. And the travel continued until we reached the inn. The long ride made me tired and sleepy. The place really is cold and I didn't even tried perspiring. The climate was so new to me. The place is good. It is just a small place. We unpacked our things and settled there for 3days. My Baguio experience is to be told later. :)

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Saturday, April 19, 2008

The Journey Begins

The sun was still at its rest when we arrived at the Davao International Airport. My mama, and two other siblings, Amor and Pritz, accompanied me in the airport. It was a bit funny because I brought lots of clothes. It was like I'll be away from home for two or three weeks. The feeling was all new. That was my first time to get inside an airport and be detected with their machine. Everything was so new. I savored the moment when I was about to enter the plane. But I did not look like an ignorant. Hahah. I was supposed to seat near the window. My seat number was 28F. However, a colleague did not leave the seat despite the information given by the stewardess that I own that seat. I conceded. I gave her my seat. I was a bit disappointed and regretful but what can i do, she badly wants it than I do. When we reached the air, I can only see the low-floating clouds and up there were the cirrus clouds. A wish came true at that moment--to ride a plane and fly. :) In a way I did fly. The flight was at 7.20am and thankfully it was not delayed. During the flight I bought a plane keychain for remembrance. A bit later, a very scary and funny thing happened. One of my phones alarmed. Hahah. I turned off all my phones but I realized later that one phone was scheduled to alarm at 8am. My phone alarms even it is turned off. Hahah. So it alarmed. Some people were looking in my direction. I did not pick up those looks immediately but later I realized that the sound was coming from my handbag. Hurriedly, I removed the battery with the fear that it may alarm again. Nothing bad happened. I had a nap. I did not eat anything even I was offered food. We reached NAIA at almost 10am and we were fetched by the tour guides. Then we directed to Baguio. And the story continues.

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Sunday, April 13, 2008

And I'm Up to the SKY...

Later today I'll be leaving Davao City, my dearest hometown, for a week. It is not quite a long time but surely I'll be missing this place, the people, my friends, my family, my home. There is a mixture of excitement and anxiety running through my system. It was a good thing sharing this to my good friends. They made me feel better. I feel excited because this will be my FIRST TIME to ride a plane and go to places in the island of Luzon. All my things are packed now and there is no more turning back. The places to visit are set, the hotels to stay in are reserved. My plane ticket is ready and my journey to Manila is about to unfold. The things to expect are out of my mind. I just want to enjoy and at the same time learn things. Basically, this is what the trip suggests--Educational Tour, to educate oneself through place visitation and exploration. However, I need to compromise a week of classes in Humanities1 and IT310B. Thankfully, both teachers agreed to excuse me in their classes. Sometime soon I'll be updating this blog and put some photos of my trip. I can't wait to experience the fun. It really is SUMMER TIME. :)

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Saturday, April 12, 2008

Self-Treat and The STARS

After forcing myself not to cry (my favorite anime show Digimon Aventure has just ended), I urgently packed my things and went directly to DSWD. When I got there, I claimed my allowance for the educational tour courtesy of Congressman Garcia. I went to AdDu, attended my Hum1 class and after it followed my colleagues in Iron Horse to eat and listen to the orientation of the travel agency representative. It was 1:40pm when i came back to school making me almost an hour late. Thankfully, our instructor was considerate. The class was dismissed early so I went to Reyes Haircutters to have my hair fixed. :) I had a hair relax, hair spa and hair trim. After it. I went to EyeCrafter in the mall to buy new contacts. I spent almost 1,500. Then, I came back to school. We, Kring, Pael, Ate Sei and I, decided to eat our supper in brunchner. I paid for pael as I promised, in return of the borrowed jacket. I had a nice day. We had a SCB meeting that ended at past 11pm.


The STARS are so relaxing. They are everywhere in the sky. They are so far away but still giving happiness to my life. They remind me of how I have shone today. No moon at all this night, maybe because it is kept at Kring's heart.

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Thursday, April 3, 2008

Reminiscing my Good Friday experience

Image078 Another holy week passed. It was not just long ago. During the 1st few days of the week, i really didn't feel the aroma of the celebration. The air was not as solemn as before. The people were not as keen in observing this holy event. I was one of them. But before the week ended, I decided to get myself into a deep reflection and recollection. I went to Shrine Hills and did my own way of the Way of the Cross. It was 2pm and the sun was giving its best shot to extract sweat from my body. I had to walk and stop in every station and had to pause for awhile to say a short prayer, reflect and continued walking. I reached the last station not later than 2:30pm. I really walked fast I guess. As I was about to enter the gates of the Shrine, I noticed the crowd. The place was really full of people. And I almost thought that there was a fiesta that day. I was a bit disappointed because people were like just having a picnic there, the kids were running and playing, some were playing cards and others were taking advantage of the event by selling stuffs not-related to semana santa. I went there to experience and feel the essence of the celebration but I lost heart when I saw what they were doing. Thankfully, I saw a solemn place there where I did my rest and talk with God. I did so much of confessions and reflections. I remembered saying sorry to God because I had taken a bath and cut my toenails. These were prohibited practices as dictated by tradition and culture. Anyway, I am not a very superstitious person and I don't follow such practices if I think that there really is/are no concrete bases for these.

After the talk on seven last words, I decided to go on to my next stop---GSISImage092 heights, Kuya Allen's place. It was 3pm when I sent a text message to him that I was on my way to GSIS heights. Much to my surprise, he replied that we'll just meet the coming week. I panicked for a moment and tried to reply to his message. And after 5-10 minutes, he gave me his address. Thank God. God answered my prayer. Matina is too far from Panacan and it was an opportunity I must grab. Shrine and GSIS are just neighbors. So I went to their place. And i was fighting away my shyness. I didnt want to feel awkward or make the two of us be shy with each other. Hahah. So i did my job and gave back his necktie, his expensive necktie. We talked for awhile and an ice cream vendor came and I bought 1 drumstick and the rain started to shower his drops. A minute after, it stopped and Kuya Allen brought out Mishi, the pug. When I tried to go near, Kuya Allen tried to command the dog to attack me. WhaaaT?!! I backed off. I really WAS terrified of dogs. WAS. Mishi made me changed that. She was a nice and hyperactive dog. I had a good time calling her name, playing with her and feeling the licks of her tongue. Hahahah. So we had more talks. It was a good and great conversation. The 1st personal conversation with my mentor. We had talks before but it was all about GACP stuffs. Hahahah. It's nice to have a talk with a person who really has WISDOM but at the same time HUMOR.

My Good Friday was really GOOD. Shrine + GSIS = Good Friday. I don't know why I came up with such equation. Hahahah. It was an experience my curious mind needed. :) That is why I'm looking forward for the next conversation, and because he's flying to somewhere outside Davao, I guess that dream would be delayed.

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Tuesday, April 1, 2008

My Innocent Mind was MANIPULATED

It was a boring day. Less boring than the previous days.
I decided to walk around San Pedro St. Because i had nothing to do, I looked for anything and everything that could entertain me. Suddenly, i stopped. I saw this chess board and was challenged to solve the puzzle. In the end, i did not solve the puzzle and lost P500. I was a big loser. But i was not bitter. I learned from it. It was a fun experience. Kudos to those people who manipulated my mind. They had a great job persuading me to bet on it. I guess i have to learn to have my own conviction and not let anyone manipulate me . I am happy i only lost a little. And next time someone tries to do it again, I know already what to do. The chess board,the puzzle, those people, the 500... I will never forget that day ever.

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