A few years ago, there was a test conducted on which part of your house is the dirtiest in terms of the amount of bacteria it accumulates per day. You will be surprised. I thought bathrooms are the most bacteria-infested. Apparently, your kitchen – no matter how much you clean in after you cook – houses a lot of bacteria in most homes. This is why there are now products available to control this such as MR Direct’s undermount granite sink. It’s made of 100% environment-friendly materials and are coated with silver ions which kill 99.9% of bacteria. Wouldn’t it be nice to not worry about your family’s health while you prepare meals for them everyday?

A few years ago, I was still a young student dreaming of a successful career in a popular glossy magazine or the Inquirer. I got half of both. I had the chance to write some stuff for some magazines and Inquirer's lifestyle section. Fast forward 2009. Due to my very demanding job, I've become less active. I can't even remember what my last article was and when it came out.

To find out, I did my favorite 'idle habit': I googled my name to see how popular I've become (haha). I typed my full name. No luck. I typed my name and 'Inquirer' and a few articles came out. Wow. They're still online. Great. One of them actually caught my attention. It's an article I wrote for the call center issue. The webpage where it was posted is certainly not the Inquirer site so I opened the link and I was shocked:

I wrote about DirecTV last week. It really is changing the way we appreciate television. Now, I know we only have limited options for Directv providers. My tip is to first make sure you know what you want. This way you can narrow down your choices and make sure you choose the right package that suits your taste. For example, if you love sports, then get sports packages that feature premium channels on different types of sports.

If you are moving right now and do not know which providers are in your new area, try going to sites like MyTVOptions.com. It's a pretty helpful site. It allows you to look for Direct TV providers and sort them according to what you like. Do you want more HD channels? Find out what providers of Direct TV in Florida can give you the most number of HD channels at the cost that suits your budget.

I just realized that what Megan Fox said was true: she isn't a great actress and she still has a lot to prove.


I saw Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen today at Cash & Carry. It was probably the best decision I made this entire week. While the theatre was almost full, I only waited for 5 minutes to buy my ticket. I imagined it would be worse in bigger cinemas like Robinsons or Mall of Asia. I went to Rob Manila after the movie to have my iPhone software upgraded. Lo and behold, the queue for two cinemas showing Transformers was five to seven stalls away from the cinema.

I've asked people who've seen it and they said it was great. Frankly speaking, I didn't like it that much. The action scenes were super awesome. It just didn't feel as exciting as the first movie. It's probably because the robots weren't given enough exposure I think. Plus there were TOO MUCH emo moments. Michael Bay should do a remake of 'The Notebook'.

I know this is gonna sound silly but without Optimus Prime and the rest of the Autobots, this movie would have been an action movie with the cast of 'The Hills'. Seriously. Even Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson pulled off a Spencer Pratt in most of their scenes.

But then again, I'd like to see it again. Maybe I was just stoned or something. I'd probably delete this entry or post an updated one later. Who knows?

UPDATE:

CHat with Karin:

karin: Ang gulo ng revenge of the fallen!
Pika: yeah! ang gulo
karin: looks like a lot
Pika: i have to watch it again to appreciate it
karin: yeah at parang di ko ma gets masyado ang buong story kasi so much is happening on screen!
Pika: sobrang daming nangyayari na wala na shang kabuluhan
Pika: hahaha
Pika: we typed the same thing!
karin: well great minds think alike
Pika: true!

When Vista was out, I was very happy. The interface is great. It was like Mac but is much easier to use. I have it on my laptop but I kinda hate the fact that it has so many bugs. What's worse is that most programs (till now) are not Vista-compatible. Microsoft promises to cure all Vista problems with the new Windows 7 OS but for a hefty price. $120 seems to much especially that there aren't a lot of huge changes in the 'new' OS. I've seen a few screenshots and judging by what I've seen so far - they have to show a major jawdropper before I spend $120 on it.

I just got another set of offers for all you folks who want to switch to Direct TV Service! Cable television is definitely becoming obsolete as each day passes. People now prefer the clarity of High Definition channels through Direct TV. If you like shows like True Blood (HBO) and The Tudors (Showtime), you can get both plus the Starz channel for only $21 a month!

If you are a couch potato, you can get the Premier package which gives you 265+ channels including premium channels and sports networks. Best of all, these are available in HD. Wouldn't it be nice to watch your favorite movie on HBO in crystal clear quality through HD channels? The DirecTV system is really the next stage in ultimate home entertainment.

Two weeks ago, I saw an episode of The Celebrity Apprentice. The task in the episode is to hold an auction and sell tickets on a Charter bus NYC. Of course, the celebrities sold all of the tickets while on the tour bus. That’s actually what I want to do some day. I know people do not feel good about taking one of those daytrips and looking like a real tourist. I certainly think it is a good idea. I know some tours in Los Angeles would feature celebrity house-hunting. That should be fun! I wonder what New York tours usually show. I know there is a lot to see and experience in the big city. There are actually bus charters and motor coach services available for trips to the amusement parks, trade centers, even the airport. If you want to see the city in just one day, wouldn’t it be nice to have someone take you to the nicest places and guide you as well? I’m sure daytrips are really cheap and fun too. I personally want to see all the restaurants featured in my favourite shows shot in New York City like CSI:NY and Sex and the City. That would be a great way to spend time in New York!

This is sick. The photo allegedly taken by a passenger of the ill-fated Air France plane is now all over the internets. It shows a man being sucked out of the plane. I don't know if this is real. It certainly looks fake to me. But in case someone really recovered photos can you please not post them anywhere? It's creepier than Mrs. Sylvia Ganush.

It’s that time of the year again! The much-anticipated event in Asia is already happening. The Great Singapore Sale runs from May 29 – 26 July with hundreds of discounted items from bags, shoes, clothes, and other accessories. Put more value into your buck during this 8-week shopathon! Experience late-night shopping and dining in hot places like the Marina Square and Orchard Central until 26 July. They will even be extending their business hours till 11 PM during weekends to satisfy your urge to spurlge!

Not only will you spend, you also get to take back some money you burned! If you use your Mastercard, you get 5% to 10% off the sale price on Get Singapore items. You even get a SGD$ 25 taxi voucher if you make a $300 purchase with your card! This is definitely the best time to travel to Singapore.

To maximize your purchasing power, visitors can get their Great Singapore Sale Tourist Privilege Card to take advantage of exclusive promos which include latest trends from today’s hottest labels like Commes Des Garcons, Donna Karan, Marc Jacobs, Balenciaga, and more.

Enjoy and splurge! Just do not forget to buy a return ticket for you and your friends.

About a couple of months ago, I was watching an episode of 'The Hills' where they showed Audrina at her fake job in Epic Records. She was assisting the upcoming band called 'The Script'. The song was amazing I had to look it up. The title was not shown so I had to download that episode again and look for the name of the band.

They have an amazing album. People who like Maroon 5 should find it easy to fall in love with their music. Here's one of my favorite which is called 'Breakeven'. Enjoy!

For people who love to travel: there is an ongoing sale on rates of some major hotels in within Asia and Australia. You can book a room for a night in a fabulous luxury hotel for as low as $25 a night! No kidding! This is the Accor Hotels City Super Sale which runs from June 23-29, 2009. Rates in 27 cities in 10 countries are dramatically reduced and it is only for a limited time! If you book now, you can save as much as 60% for dates between July 10 and September 30.

If you are going to Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Hanoi, Manila, Mumbai, Sydney or Auckland, you may want to check out their site which also has available air fare rates at bargain prices. The list of hotels includes Sofitel, Pullman, Grand Mercure, Novotel, All Seasons and Ibis. Who knows? You might even decide to hop from one city to another with their low rates. (Again, these bargain rates are available for a limited time only. Better book now if you are interested!)

A stay in a luxury hotel for only $60 a night? Why not! I hope they would have another City Super Sale by the time I go to Sydney to visit my bestfriend!

Yesterday, I had a thought. I realized May 09 was actually a great month! First of all, I won the Journal of the Week award, which I've been trying to get for years now. Since then, my blog's traffic  has increased:



Second and most importantly, I've had some success at work. Team Performance was successful in May and I am hoping that it will continue until Q4. I have a lot to be thankful for!

The economy is not in good shape. Times like this, you should always monitor the bank rates! Get cd rates at banks and make sure you are still earning instead of losing money. Find the best rates online at MonitorBankRates.com and start being smart about your money. It pays to be informed!

I love Jordin Sparks! She's one of my favorite American Idols. Her sophomore album called 'Battlefield' will be out next month. Here's the official music video of her carrier single of the same title. I feel bad that it's not on the top ten of the Billboard 100 charts. I am hoping the release of the video will help boost sales of her new album. She's really a talented singer and I hope she sells more albums this time around.

Are you tired of cable? Sometimes, cable network providers have fewer channels than they used to. I remember switching three times because we couldn’t find a specific channel that my little sister really liked. The reception on some channels is pretty bad too and downtimes are happening more often. This is why most people in the United States are now choosing the dish network because channels are much clearer and there are more choices to choose from. They have a variety of dish network deals that caters to a specific type of couch potato. Deals from $9.99 (100 channels) to $72.99 (280 channels) are available. Once in a while, there would also be some special dish network offers like taking off $25 from your bill and adding HD channels. That is a great deal considering that HD is pretty huge nowadays. You can watch your favourite shows in crystal-clear, high definition. Best of all, this is available for premium, sports, international, and even adult channels. If you ever get tired of your cable service and decide to switch, satellite cable is the way to go. Just imagine the number of shows you can watch in HD! You will surely get your money’s worth.

The illegal download laws in the States are pretty strict! A woman from Minnesota just lost the appeal of her case on illegal file-sharing. Jammie Thomas-Rasset, a mother in Minneapolis, was allegedly responsible for sharing songs of Green Day, Gloria Estefan, Sheryl Crow, and other artists using her personal computer.

In 2007, her case was heard and the jury ruled that she should pay $220,000 to the recording companies. On the new trial, the jury asked her to pay a whopping $1.92 or $80,000 per song! Reports say she made 1,700 songs available on Kazaa in February 2005 before the program turned into a paid service for sharing music. 

Haha, this is funny. Sarah Palin's supporters came out and held a 'Fire Dave' rally but reports online say only three dozen people arrived. 'Wow, what a show of outrage. Do you get the feeling that even the people who are angry at Letterman are beginning to feel it's time to live and let live?' David said on his show recently.

You may remember that Letterman made jokes about Palin's daughter and the Governor was outraged. Well, tough luck lady because the more you get mad at him, the more his show got a ratings boost. Kudos David Letterman?

Don't you wish you had easy access to the HIST Lecture Note you need for your class? While going through all history books at the library can be helpful, it's a big hassle too. You want to get the specific materials you need for your class easily. Well, if you are fond of social networking sites, you're lucky. I found this website which works like your typical social networking site but is designed for students and even professors.

CourseHero can provide you with the HIST Paper you need and even more. There are over 300,000 student-members whom you can communicate and share learning materials with. At the same time, you can socialize and make new friends at school or in different campuses all over the world.The best part is that the huge amount of resources is available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

I'm not really a big fan of horror movies. The eerie sounds and monster-like faces give me the creeps - sometimes give me sleepless nights haha. However, Sam Raimi's 'Drag Me to Hell' received positive reviews so I decided to watch the movie - twice.


Actually, I didn't finish the movie the first time. I was too freaking scared. I was screaming like a little girl inside the cinema (which by the way has a big THX 'real sounds' logo at the entrance). At first I was embarrassed but I looked around and saw everyone's faces. They were screaming louder than me. The embarrassing part though is that I was all alone and they had their friends with them.  After the movie hit its 1-hour mark, I left the cinema. I thought I was gonna have a heart attack.


Drag Me To Tell is a story of Christine Brown who is dreaming of a promotion at the bank where she is working. In an effort to prove to her boss that she is able to make difficult decisions, she decided to disapprove the extension of an old lady's mortgage deadline. The woman, named Sylvia Ganush tried to beg but Christine still said no. She thought she shamed her for not helping her when she begged. She took revenge by putting a curse on Christine which allows the devil to drag her soul to hell in 3 days.


The plot was very interesting and there were a lot of funny scenes too. My sister recommended that I watch it again, this time with some friends. So I dragged some friends at work to watch it at Glorietta. I told them 'Okay, this is when you'll find out if I'm really corny or not. I found this movie really scary that I walked out. If you think this is not scary at all then I'll be very ashamed of myself.'

But I was right! They were screaming louder than I did the first time I watched it.

Overall this was an excellent horror movie. I don't expect a sequel but I think it deserves 5 stars from everyone in the audience.

It is already June and I hear the brides humming. The final touches on the wedding dresses are being done. The maid of honor is preparing the seating arrangement. The groom ripped the left arm of his Tux. There is so much to do! What’s a bride to do? Log in and share your experience to others who will understand you most: Other Brides –to-be! Join the latest wedding chat craze and share your feelings, excitement, anxiety and love with other brides in the whole world. Who knows, you might get a new ideas for your wedding reception. Why not try it Soon-to-be brides!

Yesterday, the top leaders of the company attended the Town Hall meeting. There was a strange feeling watching only a few people attend the event - the ones that were left in our building. Most of the employees moved to the new site.

Something came up when the VP and Country Manager was on stage: blogging about our company. It's true that I've read a significant amount of blogs against people in the workplace. Some were completely false (as I have witnessed some of the events they shared on the sites) and some were 100% true.

I got kinda scared when he said he hired someone whose job is to go through these blogs and find out what people (especially employees who left the company) are saying about us. I blurted out 'Oh shit!' as he might have found this blog too. (hehe!)

Last year, I got into a super small dilemma because of one of my blogs. I wrote about how I felt about this time when a manager was trying to recruit one of my subordinates and how I felt about him setting the wrong expectations with that employee. Okay, I was pissed. I was so furious when I wrote that post that I went on a rampage.

Fast forward some months later, that manager was kind of idle and he decided to google his name. It was so silly of me not to realize he can easily do this and find my blog and read that entry. I didn't bother giving him an alias! When he read it, the same employee he recruited (and eventually hired) told me that he read the blog entry and was very upset about it.

I was shocked. Damn, why didn't I give him a freaking alias? Why did I not set that post to 'private'? Why did I even write about him in the first place? Good thing he was travelling from one site to another (we have facilities all over the country). When he finally came back, I realized I should talk to him.

I went to his desk and told him we should talk. He was nice as usual and he said it's water under the bridge. I didn't say, I'm sorry I wrote those things because I really felt that way and I'm not going to take back what I said in that entry. I told him I was sorry because I posted it there for everyone to see and that I didn't have the guts to tell him about my feelings when that thing happened.

Lesson learned: do not blog about work! OR if you can't help it, try using an alias. Remember that Delta Airlines flight attendant who got fired because of her blog?

Here's one big surprise: American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert admits he's gay on the new issue of
Rolling Stone Magazine.