This week's results on American Idol was just crazy... and unfair. Adam Lambert in the bottom 3?!?! Are you kidding me?!?! Danny and Allison in the top 2!?!? Seriously?!?!

Sheesh. I never used that much punctuations in all my life 'til now. What the hell is wrong with the votes this season?! Adam Lambert should be the winner this season. *Sigh* Sad to say though, not all the best singers in past seasons of American Idol went on to win it all. For me, only Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Jordin Sparks and David Cook deserved to win the title. The rest of past American Idol season winners weren't the best in their group but won anyway maybe because of personality. (Taylor Hicks' guest performance, though, was great.)

Okay, I'm trying to be objective here and look at how everyone performed this week. I wanna say that this is the BEST week of American Idol. All 5 performed really well. From watching the past seasons of American Idol, this has got to be the best Top 5 ever. I really hope it'll get even better next year.

Mai commented that what kept American Idol Season 8 performance nights as bad as they were in the past weeks was because of Lil Rounds. LOLz. I somewhat agree with her. But, anyway, this is about American Idol Season 8's Top 5 performance night so here's my ranking based on this week's performance, arranged from best to least:


For a second there, Danny looked like Norman Gentle (lolz)
I am so happy that Allison Iraheta chose to sing "Someone To Watch Over Me" because she sang it so beautifully that she gave me and Mai goosebumps. I really love her husky voice and for her age, Randy's right, she's giving Pink a run for her money. Gosh. She's definitely 1st on my list this week. Should she win? That's a different story. She's not consistently good. She's consistently okay. I didn't like what Simon said though that she's in trouble this week 'coz she did amazingly well. However, his comment about Allison's confidence was right on. She can't even answer the question straight. But Mai reminded me that she's just 17 so her we-all-have-a-fair-shot-at-winning-this-i-love-my-competitors-oh-so-much answer might be genuine. Okay, I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt. Anyway, I was still surprised that she was in the Top 2 instead of Adam. Or it should've been her and Adam in the Top 2, not Danny. Anyway, I'm sure Allison's gonna be a recording artist after this. Who wouldn't want her? They just need to work on her personality and how she interviews and she'll be on top.

Although Adam Lambert's performance wasn't his best, he still did very well so he's my #2. He switches from high to low notes and back again without any pitch problems. He's got amazing control of his voice and his performance. *Sigh* Him being in the bottom 3 this week was just crazy. For this week, he should be at least top 2. Really. He's been very consistent. Yeah, he's theatrical most of the time, so what? I loved how Simon dissed Randy's comment about Adam being theatrical - "It's like complaining that the cow moos". HAHAHAHA! Right on!

Y'know, Mai's really upset about Adam being in the bottom 3. I was trying to tell her that this happened before. American Idol producers might have just placed him in the bottom 3 so his fans would triple their efforts in voting for him in the coming weeks. OR it could simply mean that Adam REALLY doesn't get enough votes to put him on top. If that's true, OMG. I told her that I'd rather see Adam go home now or next week rather than seeing him defeated in the Finale. I know both would really suck but at least it would soften the blow. Argh. I really hope Adam wins this season. Sheesh. I hope the voters won't take his decisions in life outside American Idol against him and vote for someone else less deserving. What decisions? I don't really want to discuss that here so I really hope people would just base their votes on who performed the best. He's humble, and so far the only consistent best performer in the bunch. Please, make him win.

By the way, during the results night, they did this which-group-do-you-belong thing on Adam. He chose to be with Allison and Danny's group "based on last night's performance". Some people are hating on Adam for saying that, 'coz he was presumptuous or that he admitted that he thought Kris and Matt were bad so he chose to be with Allison and Danny. I agree, he should've kept his mouth shut or followed what Melinda and David Archuleta did - sit in the middle or don't choose any side at all. But I kinda understood what was going through Adam's mind at that time. He's a performer and it shows that he's competitive. He's confident and believes that he did well last night and he also thought Danny and Allison did great so he sided with them. It's not like Anoop talking back to the judges and acting all surprised that they weren't amazed by his godly amazing voice, y'know.

Going back to the performances, my #3 is Matt Giraud. I love, love, love his rendition of "My Funny Valentine". He did follow advice given by Jamie Foxx, who, by the way, did an amazing job mentoring the American Idol contestants, which made him sing better. I can't understand why Randy said he was pitchy. Although I'm not a fan of the arrangement, I still loved how Matt sang the song. Him being in the bottom 3 and getting booted this week wasn't really a surprise. He's the only clear choice to get eliminated. At least he was given another 2 weeks to perform after the judges used the save on him. He was more deserving than Anoop to get the save so I'm fine with that. I love his falsetto and I really hope he goes far in his career outside American Idol.

I hate what Kara said about Matt not having that emotional connection blah blah. Matt answered back that he really felt the emotions of the song. What's up with this new judge? I thought she's gonna be a great addition to the judges table but damn, I really hate her. It's like they just added a female version of Randy Jackson. Argh!

Paula, on the other hand, is doing pretty well this season. She's more expressive and I now wait for her comments. Except when she's praising Danny Gokey. Sickening. There's no need for a new judge, really. The Paula this season is just enough. I hate Kara "broken record" Dioguardi.

I really hate Danny Gokey and I want him voted out. But, damn, he's in the Top 2. Okay, his performance this week was good. Jamie Foxx mentoring him was quite funny, though. And I hated that they showed that clip 'coz I know it'll make people like Danny more. He's got the 2nd best personality so far (I love Matt's the most) this season so there's no wonder he's in the top 2. But, please, let it be him and Adam in the finale. Gosh.

Usually, I'd say Kris should be in the finale with Adam but with his performance this week, he was below average. The performance was so predictable, him singing "The Way You Look Tonight". The way he sang it was even more predictable. Nothing new. Nothing amazing. I hated all the riffs he did with the song 'coz I wanted him to sing it straight up, no vocal tricks or anything. Sheesh. And I really hate that he kept on doing falsettos when he clearly shouldn't - awkward. I hope that he does better next week. Please, stop all the tricks and just sing with your lovely voice.

Basing it on this week's results - bottom 3: Kris, Adam and Matt - I hate to say this but Adam might not win. Danny might win the title because he's straight, and he's got a cool personality. Performance-wise, he's not even close to Adam so I would really hate it if he wins this season just because there are more than a million people who are still prejudiced about everyone's rights to choose who they love and who they want to be in life. *sigh*

I'm really praying Adam Lambert will win this season. Please, vote for him.

Have you seen all the 5 Prevent-It.ca videos? I've seen them weeks ago but only got time to post about them now. Their ads or clips were to show how people and companies can prevent accidents from happening in the workplace. They're saying that there are really no accidents but they are simply results of negligence.

I'm an OC (obsessive-compulsive) person. Not the extreme kind though. I'm just very careful and very observant of everything around me. I make sure I'm safe from harm as much as possible even when I'm just at home. Mai gets irritated sometimes but that's how I am.

How OC am I? I'll list some examples:

• Whenever I'm in the kitchen or near something sharp, especially a knife, I make sure its sharp edge is not pointing at me or anyone. Also, I make sure it's not anywhere it could fall and stab or hurt someone.
  
  
• After doing a #2, I wash my hands and use alcohol after. I'm very conscious about germs. This is one of the things Mai sometimes can't stand. Whenever she does a #2, as soon as she comes into the room, I have alcohol ready for her. I don't think it's really about being an OC but simply hygiene or manners, right?
  
  
• After taking a bath or doing anything inside the bathroom, I make sure there's nothing slippery on the floor. I don't want anyone slipping and hitting their heads anywhere when they're in there. I was already a victim of this at our home in Malabon. I was suspecting our maid left the floor slippery unintentionally out of laziness to clean up the whole bathroom. Good thing I was able to soften my fall by holding on to dear toilet. Eeeww. I had to scrub my arms and lather up twice to make sure I had no toilet residue on me. LOLz.

I can't really remember what else I do out of being an OC. I guess I do them subconsciously so I'm not fully aware (duh). I'll just update this list next time.

Anyway, going back to the video, I completely agree with them. I believe people should not take things for granted. Also, companies should take seriously if their employees are complaining about something that affects their work environment and their safety. That'll surely save them more than paying off a dead employee's family because of unsecure work environment.

With that, I also want to point out that I'm not saying that people should all be OC or something like that. What I'm saying is we just need to be careful, that's all.

Anyway, you have to watch this video. The one who posted this on Youtube (darkumbra93) arranged them in the order of most painful to least. I would've put the 4th clip as #3 though.


What do you think? The 1st and 2nd clips were kinda shocking. One of my fears is to be in an accident similar to #1 and #4. Eekk.

For more information about preventing accidents at the workplace, visit prevent-it.ca.

I was browsing through forum threads at Sulit.com.ph when I stumbled upon a thread about a Sulit member who was scammed by a fellow member who sold her PhP 13,000-worth of perfumes which turned out to be fake. This reminded me of my experience being scammed by someone who was selling fake Victoria's Secret products.

I'm so fond of Victoria Secret's Body Splash and Body Mist cologne, particularly Love Spell. Right now, though, I'm using Pure Seduction Body Mist. I know it's kinda expensive (PhP 600/bottle) but for me, it's worth it since it lasts for months and I really love the scent.

I buy my Victoria Secret's cologne straight from perfume/cologne shops in SM and Ayala. But one of Mai's colleagues was selling them for PhP 500. I know, it's just a hundred peso difference but we tried it. I was really skeptical at first but Mai convinced me that she was convinced that they were genuine Victoria Secret cologne since some of her batchmates also bought from the seller.

So, when I finally got it, I tried it and immediately knew it was fake. I've been using Love Spell for the longest time so I know for sure there's something wrong with the one we bought. I tried to ignore it for a couple of days but I can't really brush it off. So, Mai was finally convinced to ask the seller about it.

The seller, of course, denied that she knew it was a fake. Mai's other batchmates also heard about it and they actually told her that the ones they bought from the seller were also fakes. They didn't bother to tell her off because the seller was nice and they don't want to start anything negative. But, hell, me and Mai won't take that bullshit. We paid her the full amount and the seller should've kept her part of the bargain - a genuine Victoria Secret cologne as she promised.

Well, surprisingly, the seller didn't argue anymore and agreed that we'll just return the product to her and she'll give us back the money we paid. I only used it for a couple of days so it should be fine. Then she said that she'll pay us off after next payday because she already used the money we paid her. Just from that fact, I knew she knew that they were fakes. How stupid of her to sell it to someone who's been buying and using genuine versions of her products?! Argh.

Anyway, after that experience, me and Mai vowed to never buy anything cheap from anyone unless we're a 100% sure that they're real/genuine. Of course, we still love bargains but we'll never sacrifice quality for savings. Just look at Mai's shoes (Caterpillar and Nike) and my slippers (Havaianas High Heel Sun Back Flip Flops) - all genuine, bought from direct sellers/shops at the mall.

I'm not really used to buying expensive stuff, except for my cologne. The Havaianas slippers (pictured is the exact style I have), well, Mai convinced me to buy them. I don't have any regrets although it cost us PhP 1,000. It's thick and kinda heavy but I got used to it so it's comfortable. Plus, it's durable so I know it's kinda worth it.

Mai, on the other hand, is very used to expensive stuff. I understand the part about her shoes being original and expensive, because I know that's one way to ensure quality. In the past months, though, I was able to convince her to buy shirts from bargain shops. I can see she's fine with those shirts since we only bought what she liked and would look good in. Hehehe.

Anyway, going back to the original topic of this post, please be warned. There are a lot of online bargain shops with scammers who would sell you fake stuff. Before buying anything, make sure that the seller has positive comments or has a good background from his/her previous transactions with other members.

I was just lucky that I knew the difference between the real cologne from the fake one, and that the seller agreed to give us back the money. I'll never buy from people who offer me bargains again without me testing their products first.

Hah! Good thing for the thread starter of the Sulit post that I read got her money back. Can't believe that the scammer even dared to argue with them when they were the ones who did something wrong. Hehehe. Well, they thought that maybe they can get away with it through violence, which was just stupid.

So, lesson learned - Never be fooled by anyone. It's okay to be skeptical because most of the time, your gut will tell you if there's something wrong. (Naks!)


The image used was from olx.com.ph. This post doesn't claim that whoever took that picture was selling fake products.

I wasn't shocked. I knew he'll be eliminated either this week or next week. But it kinda saddened me to see him go this week.

It was definitely Lil Rounds' time to go. Really. She should've been eliminated last week. Now that she's gone, who's VoteForTheWorst's next pick?

Going back to Anoop, I was hoping that he'd get to stay another week. I wanted Allison or Danny out this week instead of Anoop. Allison was boring and Danny, well, I just don't like him (poker face).

Alright, I did hate Anoop for about 2 weeks but it was just because I felt like he lost a lot of votes from his constant talking back to the judges. I know that it's his right to defend himself but judging from past seasons of the show, those who talk back never win. Most voters see them as arrogant wannabes. Well, unless you're from VoteForTheWorst hehehe.

Okay, I know Anoop can't win this season of American Idol. Aside from his attitude, he's got major competition - Adam Lambert and Kris Allen. But, still, I wanted to see him perform for at least another week.

*sigh* I'm glad Matt is safe, though.

I'll post my commentaries on the performances later.

My predictions next week:
Bottom 3: Matt Giraud, Allison Iraheta, Danny Gokey
Eliminated: Matt or Allison
Most probably, Allison will get kicked out so it'll be all male in the Final 4.

I've been really contemplating on changing the layout of my page. I'm about to enter a new phase in my life and so I believe that this blog needs a major overhaul. I need a more professional look on my blog.

Don't get me wrong, this won't still be a niche blog. This will still be my personal blog about anything that I want to blog about, things that interest me, but I need a new look over here.

I've been looking at different Blogger templates over the web and I found some that I like. Of course, I will edit them and change things up to my liking so it might take awhile. Anyway, I'll have a lot of time to re-design this blog since me and Mai won't be applying anymore for a job. Yes, this time, we'll be the bosses.

Okay, technically, we're not the bosses. Mai impulsively thought about setting up their (her family's) own computer shop/internet cafe. And, in just a few days, they've rented a space for the shop, they've started construction (Mai and her family are actually there now to paint while I'm alone at home to work on the tarp design and our logo), and they've already window shopped for computers. Since we're the only ones who are technical enough to actually handle the responsibilities of an internet cafe, we decided to not apply anymore and just come up with our own means of earning through that shop. Of course, it's still owned by her parents/family so we'll just get a stipend or allowance monthly. But, at least, this way, we'll have more time together, we'll be more in control of it and what we wanna do with the time. PLUS, I get to apply my skills as a graphics designer full-time.

I've wanted to pursue my dreams as a graphics designer. I can't help but drool over amazing layouts and graphics that I sometimes feel I'm holding myself back. This time, I can finally use those skills to earn real money. How can I do that? And what am I planning to do in our internet cafe?

• We'll offer typing jobs. My typing speed, believe it or not, is 75-90 words per minute. Back in my previous company APAC, I hold the record of the fastest typist in their typing speed pre-employment exam. Hah! My accuracy is very good, too. Well, I'm still adjusting with my new laptop's keyboard but, still, I type fast. I even amaze myself. I can even type with my eyes closed. And I'm not exaggerating. I can finish a 100-page report in 3 hours. Okay, exaggerated na. Hehehe.
  
  
• We'll offer ID photo printing and photo editing. I've been designing digital scrapbooks for years so we can also offer Digital Scrapbook printing. And I'm good with Photoshop so that's a breeze (avah, confident!). I just had no time to really harness my graphics design skills.
  
  
• We'll offer designing and printing of business cards, invitations, posters, etc. Heck, even tarpaulin design. I'm actually working on the signage that we're going to use for the shop. We already have a business name for the shop but I can't reveal that yet until we've registered it through DTI.
  
  
• How about my web designing skills? I can put that into good use, too. Maybe get new clients and develop my skills more. I will start re-designing this blog first then I'll setup 2 more blogs. Yes, I'm planning to setup 2 more. Those 2 will be more on design. I'll start designing layouts for Friendster and Blogger.
  
  
• I'm planning on hosting my own blog and switch to Wordpress. Might take a while since I need to finish all of the above first.

Wow. Can I even do all that? Well, I'll sure have a lot of free time in my hands so why can't I?! I have Mai's support so I know I can accomplish all that. Plus, my Nanay actually gave me her blessing, saying "Kung saan ka masaya, suportahan taka". Okay, not her exact words but she said she's okay with anything that I wanna do over here. Dang, I miss her. I hope me and Mai can save enough so we can fly to Manila in October for my brother's graduation. Gosh.

Anyway, I'm excited about this but at the same time kinda sad 'coz Mai has been spending most of her time helping her family set up the shop. I miss her a lot but I know the hard part of all these is about to end.

I just hope mag-click ang computer shop na 'to. Through this experience, I'll know if I'm good with business or not. I've always pictured myself working for a private company or a call center as a team leader. Maybe this experience can help me realize my dreams to be a full-fledged graphics designer.

I'm crossing my fingers... and toes!

Yes, you read the post title right. I did meet the love of my life through Ragnarok Online - one of the most popular online games here in the Philippines.

Some of you might say how dorky this is - that I met someone special in an online game. Well, all I can tell you is... it's 2009. Wake up. It's possible for 2 people to fall in love online. Even for me who had the same prejudice about couples who met online.

Now, me and the love of my life's love story is anything but ordinary. You don't believe me? Read on.

Year 2005. I worked nights in a call center and playing Ragnarok Online was my only stress-reliever after a tiring day at work. I quit playing a few months ago because of boredom and the monthly costs of playing the game. Our Operations Manager "managed" to convince me to play again by treating me for a week's load. So, I gave in.

I met a lot of new people. I usually play with our OM and a colleague so I did enjoy the game again. But, most of the time, I was levelling up on my own. I had a Double Strafe Hunter (Cruella) and a Full Support Priestess (Elvira), plus a Battlesmith (Lakshmi) who I usually just use to vend for more zeny.

There were still a lot of players back then in Odin server of Philippine Ragnarok Online (pRO). So, my preferred "tambayan" was at Glast Heim (GH) prison, y'know, the usual leveling place where you'll find Rybios, Injustice, Zombie Prisoners and those pesky Hunter Flies. I was still kinda a snob even in-game so I didn't really have any support players with me. So, I just relied on the priests in GH who offer Magnificat parties (MP) for a price (some did it for free but that only happened like 10% of the time).

My experience with different "support" priests in GH was crazy! There were some who are just ol' scammers. After you pay, they'll just buff you (read: use support skills on you) and teleport away. Some, they'll stay for about 5 minutes then leave you alone. ARGH! I didn't have that much zeny in Odin server since my original characters are on Chaos server (I don't know what happened with that account, by the way). So, it was really frustrating for me.

It was the middle of the week and I was so stressed from work. So, I played as soon as I got home. Well, it was another typical frustrating day for my hunter in GH. Or so I thought.

After being tricked by 3 priests, I almost gave up on playing. I decided to just sit in the corner near that big boulder at the lower center of GH prison and rant rather loudly about those freaking support priests who scammed me. Then, I saw this support priest on the other side of the fence. I observed him and decided that he seemed to be a fairly nice priest, compared to the ones I just encountered. So, I asked him if he still has a spot in his MP. Before paying him, I told him my frustrations and hopes that he won't be another scammer. He seemed nice and he did prove he was worth that 10,000 zeny. His name? wHiTeLiGhTeR.

Because I was still pissed, I couldn't concentrate on leveling. I just sat around and only attacked monsters that came near me. wHiTeLiGhTeR, who was sporting a Corsair so he sticks out among the priests in GH, was kind enough to talk to me while supporting the whole MP. He was really kind. And I thought he was kinda flirting with me. I added him as a friend in-game and decided that I'll contact him if ever I'll be playing again.

The next day, I went online again. One of my other in-game friends was online and he invited me to play with him. We went to GH together. I was playing my FS Priest. We passed the same area where me and wHiTeLiGhTeR met and I saw him there, still doing his MP thing. I didn't stop by to talk to him or something. But I decided to just say "hi" and I sent him a private message. Good thing wHiTeLiGhTeR still remembered me from the other day. I told him I'll drop by his area once me and my friend are done playing.

So, there we were. I joined his MP and helped him support everyone. In the party was this dancer who was rather flirtatious with wHiTeLiGhTeR. It kinda irritated me for an unknown reason. Or was it? C'mon. I couldn't have been jealous, right? *grin*

That day, I found out wHiTeLiGhTeR's real name - Jake. I was even able to ask for his cellphone #. He kinda had second thoughts about giving it to me. He didn't really show it but I had that vibe. Well, that's how I am. If I like someone, I'm not afraid to initiate anything. I was teasing him about that dancer and he was also kinda showing me that he didn't like her... in a weird way. Anyway, I had fun with him. I also found out wHiTeLiGhTeR a.k.a. Jake was still a student and he's from Cebu. Whoops. Long distance relationship?! Nahh.

I didn't have work that night so when I woke up, I sent Jake a text message inviting him to play with me. He replied through Chikka messenger. We decided that he'll play as a hunter and I'll be support. We played for hours and we talked about different things. I started to flirt with him and he seemed to respond so I knew I got him hooked. *grin*

Weeks passed and we not only play online but we also chat through Yahoo! messenger. We got closer and closer everyday until we decided to be a couple. Our communication was merely through Ragnarok, text messaging and chat. I tried to convince him to talk to me over the phone but he kept on resisting because he said, he didn't want to miss me much more given the fact that we're miles away. I was still in Manila back then. He still has school (graduating) and I had work so we can't fly to see each other. We knew we'll get there eventually.

It wasn't all romantic and stuff. We play and flirt. I often tease him when he's playing his hunter character. "Don't Touch My Birdie" - referring to the hunter character's falcon. It was a sexually playful teasing, if you get my drift. He just grins - /gg.

Like any other couple, we also get into really petty fights. I admit, he was kinda immature for me but something about the chemistry between us that kept me going for more. We almost broke up, a day before our Blacksmiths' wedding. He was too proud to say sorry. Argh. I don't even wanna go back but it was really hurtful. I can't really remember exactly what happened but I guess we talked things over and we decided to stay together. You'd think that after 2 weddings between our other characters that we'll be better as a couple, right? (I know someone out there's laughing at this story but read on...)

September 2005 came. My nanay's friend told us about an opportunity abroad for me. I decided to pursue it and I filed for resignation in October. I told Jake about this and he started acting up. He suddenly broke up with me even after I was telling him that we can still talk and chat. Anyway, we've only been communicating online so me flying abroad shouldn't matter. I was even ready to make plans with him but he decided to break it up.

He explained that he wants to break up with me now rather than continue the pain of missing me when I'm farther away from him. I understood him but something he said really caught my attention. While I was telling him that I love him dearly, that I really want to continue our relationship, he said that there's no point since I only love his character. I was like... what?!? That made me suspicious.

So, I insisted that he explained that to me. How dare him say that I only love his character when I was already making plans with him?! Damn it. I was devastated but at the same time curious about what he's going to say. All sorts of negative things clouded my mind. I asked him...

"Are you married?". I was afraid of the answer but I was preparing myself for the worst.
He said, "No."

"Are you a kid?". I knew that if he said yes, I'll agree with the breakup because I didn't want to be with a kid. I don't want to be someone's cradle snatcher.
He answered, "No."

I was getting really irritated but at the same time hurting. I can't wait for him to tell me why he said I couldn't possibly love him as the person he is in real life. Damn it.
He hesitated some more and he finally decided to tell me the TRUTH.
















"Babae ako."













Paksyet. Shit talaga.
















'YUN LANG YUN? That's it?!?!

"O ngayon?"

He was shocked. Okay, make that SHE. She was shocked as hell. She started asking me if I was serious. I told her that my best friend at work is a lesbian (Hey, Saji!). My brother's gay (Luvyah, Ken!). I have a lot of gay friends. I love gays! I'm not a homophobe.

And there, I found out everything. wHiTeLiGhTeR is a CHICKSILOG - as in wHiTeLiGhTeR is a girl in real life. That uber-kind priest in GH in Odin (now in Valkyrie) is actually a girl. That explained why she didn't want to talk to me over the phone - 'coz she's afraid I'll know the truth and I won't accept her. Surprisingly, even for me, knowing that wHiTeLiGhTeR or Jake is a girl didn't change my feelings for her. She gave me the whole night to think about it. She kept on texting me if I'm sure about the whole thing. I told her there's nothing that really needs to be thought over because I do love the person behind her characters.

Well, honestly, I did think about it. Not about my feelings for her but what's going to happen after. I was the only chance of my mom of having a grandkid since my brother's sooo gay (kidding, bro!). Plus the fact that it's gonna be the first time that I'll be in a same sex relationship. I've been so into men my whole life so I'll be treading unknown waters.

After one night, I completely decided that I wanna be with her. I can't go on a day without talking to her. I can tell she was overly ecstatic about it. We started talking over the phone and I was shockingly getting butterflies in my stomach whenever I hear her voice. Yeah, I was in love with her.

After my resignation, I flew to Cebu to be with her. We hit it off only after a day and it was heart-breaking to know that I can only spend a few days with her 'til I fly back to Manila. But I knew it wouldn't be my last time in Cebu.

Years passed and we're still together. 4 years this September. She already met my family in Manila. She stayed there for 2 years and our relationship was painstakingly accepted by my nanay. We didn't have any issues with her family as they were very supportive of her choices.

No one has really heard about our love story. I never told anyone the details but only what needed to be told - that I met the love of my life in Ragnarok Online.

Her name is MAI.

Too bad we lost our old photos in Odin server because of hard drive crashes. I should've posted them somewhere. Anyway, we have new characters in Valkyrie, reincarnations of our characters in Odin. We play everyday, Mai on our desktop PC and me on our laptop. We got married recently and I want to share our photos with you.






Moral of the story: Keep your eyes open and let go of your fears and prejudices. You'll never know when and how you're going to meet the Love of your Life.

Dedicated to all the couples who met through Ragnarok Online.

This week was the best for me this season of American Idol. I had high hopes because of the theme - soundtracks from movies. And Quentin Tarantino was actually good in his role as this week's mentor. He was more into coaching them on their performance styles - on how to deliver more edge to their performances. And I believe it's really a BIG factor in winning this competition. It's not just about the voice but more on your stage presence. Take for instance Fantasia. She wasn't the best singer in their American Idol season but she won because she was a great performer.

There were a couple of performances that weren't great this week but no one really sucked so I'm pretty happy with the Final 7's performances. Even Lil who's been consistently below par did good.

Now, who got eliminated?
NO ONE!

Well, Matt was almost kicked out of the competition but thanks to the Judges' save, he's got at least another week to prove that he deserves to get to the finals. And I'm glad he was given another chance. Even his fellow contestants were all happy that he was saved. Although he didn't do well (awkward falsetto) this week, I still believe he should continue on 'til next week at least. He really deserved it.

I was okay with the bottom 3 but I'm not sure why Lil got more votes than Matt. Really. I just can't believe Lil was safe this week. C'mon now. Could it be because she's VoteForTheWorst's pick now? Argh. I hate her but I understood what she said when she answered back to Simon. These judges really confuse me and they actually have a direct impact on the contestants' choices. Lil explained during Results Night that the reason she stood up for herself is because she's confused - one minute they're asking her to perform a song by an artist who seems to be in the right genre for Lil. Then, when she follows their advice, they'll say she's a copycat. It seems that no matter what song she chooses, she'll end up getting mocked by the judges. I'm sorry but I had high expectations of her. I liked her before when there were 13 of them but she's just clueless. She's not yet ready for the music business. She needs to find out what kind of artist SHE wants to be rather than following what others' think she should be doing. Poor Lil.

Going back to the performances, I am so glad Anoop Desai did well this week. He's still in the bottom 3 but it wasn't really a surprise. Anyway, back to his performance, he sang "Everything I Do". I really loved how he sang it. And I'm so happy that me and Mai felt emotionally connected to him when he was singing this song. He's back on my faves list. I love his new haircut and I'm glad he didn't act or say anything irritating this week. I hope he doesn't go home yet next week but I also like Matt. But, really, who else should be in the bottom 3 next week? Tsk tsk.

Matt was one of my early faves this season. He seemed arrogant at first glance but throughout the past weeks, I've known that he's sweet and funny. No wonder his fellow contestants were ecstatic when he was saved by the judges. I know he'll not win this season but I hope he'll have a big career after American Idol.

Allison's performance was mediocre. But I understood why Simon said she's the only hope for the girls this season. Well, because Lil sucks, that's why, not really because she was amazing. I didn't like her rendition of "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing". The note was too low for me. She's got an amazing voice and I don't know why she didn't give it her all. That's what I hate about her. She's got the tool but she's not maximizing its use.

Unlike Adam Lambert who was, again, amazing. He always puts out a big deal of effort on his performances. I can't believe someone can be as consistent as he is when it comes to performances. He deserves to win this season and it will be unfair if he doesn't. He's the only one who took risks that actually worked. I am really hoping and praying he wins this season.

I loved Danny's version of "Endless Love". Hmmm... the judges didn't seem to like it, though. Well, for some parts, I agree 'coz he sounded like he was yelling out the song but he made it his own. I don't think he'll be going home next week, though. He's on my faves list but I don't want him to go any further than Final 4. By the way, I love him without his glasses but he's cuter with it. He does look a lot like Robert Downey, Jr., just a bit younger, don't you agree? LOLz

Kris Allen was also amazing this week. Still didn't like his falsetto, though. But the song "Falling Slowly" suits his voice very well. I don't understand why Randy Jackson didn't like it. Randy seems to be just doing and saying everything he can to try to be like Simon Cowell. C'mon now. You'll never be like Simon.

Anyway, going back to Kris, I admire him for making it this far without any exposure during Hollywood week. It was all his effort that got him to the Final 7. I hope he is in the finale. I love his voice, I love his attitude. I love everything about him except for the fact that he has a wife. Okay, I admit, he lost a little bit of appeal because every week, they show his wife after his performance. Simon shouldn't have pointed that out early on so he can get more votes out of Danny's hands.

This is the first time ever that I'm torn between 4 people - Adam Lambert, Kris Allen, Anoop Desai and Matt Giraud. Of the 4, I can't bare to see Adam or Kris go home even a week short of the finale. They should be in the finale. I hope Danny and Lil go home next week so I can still see these 4 sing another week. Allison can also go home next week. Hehehe. I'm just scared for Matt and Anoop.

Judges' Save and Next Week's Eliminations
Although I'm happy that Matt was saved, I was kinda shocked that they used it this week instead of next week - the last time they can use the save. I wonder if they would've used it if Lil was to be kicked out instead of Matt. I don't think they will. But, for next week, what if Adam or Kris is in the bottom 3?! OMG. I hope not. I want them in the finale!!

Now, 2 people will get voted out. I only have 1 person in mind who should go home next week - Lil Rounds. But, I guess I'm okay with anyone going home except for Adam Lambert and Kris Allen. It's Disco week according to Simon so I'm afraid to see what Anoop will try to do next week. I hope he won't go out dancing on stage. That'll be awkward.

My "predictions":
Bottom 3: Lil, Anoop, Matt
Who Goes home? Any of the 3 I mentioned above. They can be replaced by Danny or Allison.

Have you experienced being so excited about buying a much-awaited video game only to find out that the stores are out of stock? How about finding out that a friend got a deal and you didn't? I know all of us don't want to be in both situations. And with Game Stock UK, you won't have to!

I have discovered their site just recently and a lot of video game enthusiasts like me and my partner Mai would find their site very informative and helpful in shopping for the best deals in video games. Game Stock provides video game stock checking so video game shoppers like me won't have to worry about being disappointed by stores that no longer have stock of what I'm looking for.

Aside from video game stock checking, I like Game Stock's price comparison feature. Check out their Nintendo DS Bundles page. Here, you'll see price comparisons for Nintendo DS Lite deals from different online shops like Amazon UK, GameStation, etc. You'll also see if the Nintendo DS Lite deal is in stock or not on the most popular video game online shops without going to all of those sites one by one and doing it on all your own. Game Stock makes it easy and convenient for video game shoppers to get the BEST deals today.

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I have a long list of "bloggables" from different blogs and yesterday, I found something really funny that I want to share with you.

I "stumbled upon" Push A Pixel. This blog is all about art, design, photography, and Justin, the author of the blog, features different kinds of art/design and artists.

I've only read a couple of his posts and I've enjoyed all of them. You might want to add him to your blogroll or blogs you visit because he's got something interesting everytime. He's in my bookmarks already.

Anyway, I found this hilarious post about image leechers. If you're not familiar with the term, they are those who use images from someone else's site or server and posts them on their blog or site without hosting the images on their own server. They steal bandwidth and, I completely agree with Justin, they're just rude.

What's funny is, he and a friend came up with this idea of sweet revenge - replacing those images with something nasty without the thief knowing it. The result? You better check out his post here: Image Leechers Pay the Price! (NSFW)

It was so funny that I still can't get over it. LOLz! And one of the "victims" is actually a Filipino. I wanted to warn him or tell him about it but it'll ruin the whole thing. Hahaha. Serves them right.

Now, that made me wanna check my own backlinks or inbound links. The thing is, my blog is still hosted by Blogger so I was only able to check inbound links for my domain - www.justanotherpixel.net. I used Compu-Rx Backlink Checker and it showed 2,133 results. Most of them were from blogrolls or links from comments I posted. But, it was surprising that there were people who actually shared some of my tutorials with their friends and some who actually added me to their blogroll. So, because of that, I'm organizing my blogroll and hopefully, by next week, I've cleaned it up a bit.

I'm wondering if there's any way that I can check if I have my own image leechers out there. I can't really check them because my images are mostly hosted by Blogger, Google and PhotoBucket. Not that it matters since I'm still not paying for bandwidth but I just want to check.

I'm planning on having my blog hosted somewhere else by the end of this year. I hope I won't have image leechers, too. But, if I do, I'll do exactly the same thing with them as what Push A Pixel did to these image/bandwidth thieves.

Another disappointing week for me for American Idol Season 8. I don't think that there'll ever be a week when all the performances are amazingly good this season. Only 1 person really stands out and I hope he'll take the title home in the finale.

I've lost all my hope that this season will actually be better than the past seasons. I'm not just talking about performances but their personalities are bland. Even their group performances come results show night sucked. They're not in harmony, the choreography and stage presence were awkward. What's going on? Is that why they were lipsynching the previous weeks? Because they sound awful together when they do it live?

I liked the song choices this week, though. But this group seems to be the worst group ever to be contestants in American Idol (okay, I can't get over that fact). I've never been this bored about the show. I was always rooting for more than one contestant. But, this season, it's like it's okay to see anyone go but Adam Lambert. Sheesh.

The only thing that I'm happy about this season is all the weak singers were eliminated already. The last of them was kicked out this week - Scott Mcintyre. I'm so glad he's out. I admire his courage, alright. But, the voice, my gosh, especially when he "sang for his life" this week, OMG! He proved that he should've been eliminated earlier! Too bad, though. He was VoteForTheWorst's new pick to replace Megan Joy. I guess it was too late for them to get more support for Scott. It was kinda mean, though, for the judges to patronize him when they all pretended to actually thinking about saving Scott. C'mon, now. What Simon said was right - he's not more talented than the remaining contestants so why bother? He should've been kicked out last week or even before Alexis Grace, y'know.

Since I started with the worst and the eliminated contestant, let's talk about the second worst for me. No, it wasn't Anoop even though he was in the bottom 3. Second worst for me this week is Lil Rounds. I am starting to believe that Simon was right - that someone's giving Lil wrong advice, leading her to the wrong direction. First of all, stop messing with her hair! She looks like a drag queen, with all that makeup and dresses. She needs to be herself. She's so confused that it's obvious she doesn't know what to do. Poor Lil. She has the voice but she doesn't seem to know what to do with it. I used to like her but her excuse and speech every week that next week, she'll do better and so hopefully America will keep her for another week, blah blah blah - it's really killing me. Stop TRYING and just do it, dammit! It'll be no surprise if she goes home next week. I just hope the judges won't use the save on her. She doesn't deserve it ''coz she's been consistently bad since the start of the finals.

I don't want to place Anoop Desai in my bottom 3 but he is this week. It's not because of his performance, his song choice or whatever. I believe that he lost his likability. He did well, singing "True Colors" this week, but I wasn't moved at all. The last time he moved me was when he sang "You're Always On My Mind" during country week. It really has something to do with his attitude and personality. Yes, I believe he is a BRAT but not a spoiled one. He realizes his mistakes but it's just too late. He was again in the bottom 3 this week, I believe, because Ryan had to replay what happened last week. Y'know, the snotty remark by Anoop when Kara criticized his performance. It affected how I felt when Anoop started singing. It could've been a beautiful performance for me but that replay ruined it. I was really looking forward to his performance this week but damn. At least he apologized for his behavior. And I think what saved him was Simon saying that he didn't have to apologize for his behavior, saying that they were horrible to him so he has the right to be horrible to them. It kinda lessened the blow for me. Argh. I hope he'll do even better next week. I still want him to continue even after all this. At least get Lil Rounds and Danny Gokey out before Anoop.

I've never been a REAL fanatic towards anyone so I will never understand how people can get so blinded about their idols. Reading the comments from Anoop'rs from their fan site made me much more confused. For me, I can only idolize someone, especially in American Idol, if he is a great performer, if he's consistent and if he's got great personality and attitude. I started to really like Anoop. In my previous posts about the show, you'll even see how much I like him. But his recent constant talking back to the judges and his body language really irritated me. He acts like he's already a big star. Too bad. He had the most potential out of their group because of his voice but his bratty attitude ruined it for him. He will not win this competition, trust me.

Danny, Matt and Kris are on the same playing field for me this week. They weren't great. Matt started out his song pretty well but he started to bore me towards the end so I don't understand the standing ovation by Paula. Were they so in a rush because their show's time is almost up that they're not paying attention? Okay, I'm just glad both Kris and Matt are still in the competition. I hope they'll sing more soulful songs next week. And I hope Danny will stop acting cute 'coz I'm starting to hate him again. He's just so trying hard to be like David Cook.

I so love Allison Iraheta's performance this week. I'm so glad she chose the song "I Can't Make You Love Me". She showed her versatility and the power of her voice. I just wished she had more personality. That's the only thing that's wrong with her. I can take the hairstyle and the outfit. And, damn, I love her voice. I hope she stays until the final 3.

On to the only contestant this season that SHOULD win it all - ADAM LAMBERT. My gosh, he's really been consistent every week! I really love him! I can't wait to see him perform week after week because he is full of surprises. He rightfully deserved that standing ovation by Simon Cowell. If I remember it correctly from watching previous seasons of American Idol, Simon Cowell never stood up for anyone. So, him doing it for Adam Lambert just proves that this guy really deserves the win. No one from this season can surpass him, really. I just hope his fans won't think he's safe and that someone else needed their vote more. He needs EVERYONE's vote no matter how great he performed. I also hope that the show won't do something ridiculous like put him in the bottom 3 and make everyone think he's going to be eliminated unless the judges save him. Makes me wonder if the judges will even use the save.

My predictions for next week's bottom 3: Lil Rounds, Anoop Desai, Allison Iraheta OR Matt Giraud
I hope Lil goes home next week. She needs to get herself together and find out what kind of artist she really wants to be.

This week was a disaster for me on American Idol Season 8. I was actually excited when I found out that the theme this week was as broad as any song that made it to the top of the charts. I thought hey, they had a lonnnggg list of really amazing songs to choose from so nothing should go wrong this week. But, damn, I was wrong.

What's up with the poor song choices? I feel like these American Idol Season 8 contestants aren't serious about the competition and they're the most hard-headed people to be on the show EVER. They just won't listen. Do they think that the most successful artists made it to the top by not caring about what others think and they just did whatever they felt like doing? Hell, no. In a perfect world, that can happen. But in reality, there's a point in your career that you have to listen to people who know what they're doing and what they're saying and who have been on the music business longer than you did. Sheesh!

Okay, I'm not saying all of the American Idol Season 8 contestants are this hard-headed. I can only name 3 people from this season who I believe have the star quality and attitude to actually win this competition.

Adam Lambert - He was just amazing this week. Well, he's been amazing week after week. If he doesn't win this season, I'm gonna go nuts! He's been really consistent. I loved his version of "Play That Funky Music". For me, he already beat David Cook by miles when it comes to originality/artistry. And I believe he'll never disappoint everytime he performs - he's gonna give it his all. I hope everyone sees this and he'll win hands down. Whenever he performs, it's like I'm in his zone and I'm watching his own concert. Paula's words described him best - "True genius does not fulfill expectations - true genius shatters it." Argh, I love him!

Danny Gokey - I'm beginning to like him again. Although his performances weren't that amazing compared to Adam, he's been consistent when it comes to choosing the right songs - songs that make him connect with the audience and sing his heart out. I loved his performance this week - "What Hurts The Most". I don't know the song but he made me love it. And I believe that is what's gonna pull him through to the final 3. He gave me goosebumps. He still sound kinda cheesy to me sometimes when he explains the reason behind his song choice or during the clips before their performances but hey, I guess that's part of his charm. And that's what I love about American Idol. You get to know the story behind the artist, the performances and the song choice, which will make people feel their music more. No wonder most contestants from American Idol became really successful - people can relate to them well.

Kris Allen - His performance of Bill WIthers' "Ain't No Sunshine" was great! He made me love the song and his arrangement. He's also been very consistent, giving really good performances every week, showing his vocal prowess everytime. Really cool. It shows that he really is serious about winning this competition. I hope he'll get more voters weekly so he can make it to at least Final 3. I absolutely love him! I love his song choices weekly. Gosh. I don't think this guy knows how good he is and how good he looks, really. But his li'l lack of confidence actually makes him more lovable.

That's about it for the amazing performances this week. The rest were all mediocre. What were they thinking?!? Sheesh! It's too early to make mistakes. They can go home anytime, just like Alexis Grace.

Allison Iraheta - I love No Doubt's "Don't Speak" and knowing Allison's voice quality, I know she can pull this off really well. Surprisingly, she disappointed me. I'm not sure if it's because of the awkward guitar playing or her crazy outfit but c'mon! And I agree with the judges, her outfit distracted me. At the start of her performance, I was like, "What the hell did Allison's stylists make her wear?! Are they crazy?!". She really looked like someone trying hard to be a rock star. She doesn't have to put any effort into looking like a rock star because her voice makes her a rock star already. Can't she just be creative like Adam? She's boring.


Matt Giraud - Okay, you love the song so you decided to perform it. And, then? If your goal is to win this competition, set aside your favorite songs list and think about what the audience loved. He's just lucky that there were a couple worse performances than his this week otherwise he'll be on that bottom 3 again. I love his voice, I love his personality. Really. I want him to really make it to the top but this is the only week that I didn't love his performance. He should make sure every week that he connects with his song choices. Last week, he sang "Let's Get It On". For me, there are just people who don't love the song because it's been used over and over again in various adult scenes in movies. Again, song choice. He's got the voice so I hope he'll continue bringing it every week. Hayyy... sayang!

Anoop Desai - Me and Mai loved him since the start of American Idol Season 8. But, damn, he's attitude really pisses me off. He's starting to really act and talk like Sanjaya Malakar. He won't gain anything but less fans and voters by answering back to the judges. And his I'm-all-that attitude is really killing me.

A message to Anoop: You're not yet a star. Wake up, dearie. You still have 7 people to beat and if you don't start shutting your mouth and keeping your pride and ego to yourself, you're the next one to go. Sad but true. Stick to the ballads or slow songs that make you connect. That Usher song doesn't fit you. Your dancing was awkward! Damn, me and Mai kept our eyes off the screen most of the time while you were performing, to the point that we almost hit forward on you. You don't always have to follow what the judges say, especially when it's Randy Jackson. He seems to give the worst suggestions, like asking Danny to take the mic off the stand and rock it when Danny's performance was already amazing. We still want to see you after next week, Anoop, so PLEASE, shut up and just smile!

Okay, I can't really say anything about Lil Rounds and Scott Mcintyre. I'm so okay with them going home. Not enough personality (both) and talent (just Scott) to win this competition. I just hope the stylists will stop messing with Lil's hair. She looks better with short hair - makes her look edgy. For Scott, he should go home next week.

Who went home this week? Megan Joy. She knew it, I knew it, the judges knew it, hell everyone knew it. I love her, alright, but she's not for American Idol. Her personality and talent is not for American Idol. She's supposed to be doing her own thing 'coz she's unique and I love it. But she kinda irritates me a bit whenever she acts all corky. Still, I love her. By the way, the judges were right to tell her that they're not going to pretend to contemplate if they're going to save her or not since she already said she doesn't care. She really looked like she was completely ready to leave the competition. I guess she really missed her baby A LOT. Anyway, America already knows her so I know she'll have a career after this.

By the way, I read Megan Joy's interview with Entertainment Weekly. Her answers made me love her more and wished Scott got voted out first instead of her. She's REAL. By the way, if you noticed when she was singing her swan song, she was right in the judges' faces. She explained during the EW interview, "I was ready to be right in the judges' faces. They have a habit of talking to each other while we sing. That's so rude.". I love her! Just read the full interview here. You'll also understand why Megan did a flying bird act after Ryan announced she's in the bottom 3.

As you American Idol fans might know, Megan Joy was VoteForTheWorst pick for this season. Now that she's gone, I'm wondering who they'll pick next. I was actually hoping Anoop but I don't think he's fun enough to be VFTW's pick. But, his talking back to the judges might actually win him VFTW's support, just like Sanjaya. Well, VFTW hasn't made their minds up yet so they gave some tips to the Final 8 if they want their support. Click here to read their post. Pretty hilarious.

Lastly, I loved the impersonations and thought they were funny. I loved how Matt impersonated Danny singing "Hero". Danny was such a sport. I didn't get his impersonation of Matt, though. Same with Allison's impressions of Danny performing. It was really corny. Well, that's just my 2 cents - she doesn't have the personality that she thinks she does.

Anyway, Anoop doing Kris Allen was hilarious! I knew exactly what he's going to do to impersonate Kris. Me and Mai observed that. Made Kris more lovable. Hehehe. And Mai still can't move on from the fact that Kris made the world know about his wife. Hehehe. Okay, here's Anoop's impression of Kris and see if he was close... LOLz


I hope next week's gonna be better than this week. My gosh, I've been saying this almost every week now. This is the only American Idol season where me and Mai started hitting fast-forward on the performances. I hope we'll get to see better performances next week.

American Idol photos from AmericanIdol.com

I know this is 3 days late but this is to thank all my Entrecard advertisers and top droppers for March 2009.

I now have 6,500+ visitors since August 2008. Judging on the advertisers and droppers I have last month, I am getting a diverse set of visitors. As you might have noticed, this is not a niche blog so I blog about anything I want to. So, a mix of visitors is really what I'm expecting.

I still have the same popular posts for March:
Web Discoveries: Peter Answers - Virtual Tarot (How it works)
- I'm getting lots of traffic for this post. No surprise there since Peter Answers is really a cool prank.

How to Make a Scrolling Blogroll/Bloglist in Blogger - That you can Edit

American Idol posts

Life of a Call Center Employee posts

Supernatural : Angel Castiel or Angel Casstiel, Who is He & What is His Purpose?
- I haven't blogged about the new angel in the picture - Zachariah. Nothing really interesting has happened. But fans of the show wanted to know more about angel Castiel and I hope this post gave them more information about the actual angel.

After I posted about my new laptop and my successful downgrade from Vista to XP, I've gotten a lot of traffic and comments from posts about it:
My New Presario CQ40-340TU Laptop - Downgraded to XP at last!
How I Slipstreamed SATA drivers into my Windows XP installer (downgrade CQ40-340TU from Vista to XP) - Part 1
How to Downgrade CQ40-340TU from Vista to XP - Part 2 - Drivers for XP

I was also able to help 1 visitor - jainor - who has the same laptop model and he wanted to downgrade it to XP. I'm glad that my posts about how I did it helped him. For me, that's really what blogging is all about. :)

Anyway, I want to thank all my sponsors *ehem* I mean my Entrecard Top Droppers and Advertisers for March 2009. Thank you for visiting!

TOP 5 Entrecard Droppers for March 2009




My Entrecard Advertisers for March 2009

Top Advertiser: ShortInfoSec