http://sqlocarinas.multiply.com/ I think it's time for a change. Thus changing the theme i'm using here until I figure out how to work with customized theme well enough(and find time to do so). <BR><BR>Keeping in touch with family and friends. Sharing stories, thoughts, videos and images. Tue, 22 Jul 2008 23:54:49 -0000 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:59:00 -0000 http://images.sqlocarinas.multiply.com/logo http://sqlocarinas.multiply.com 100 100 <a href="http://sqlocarinas.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SITCCwoKCDcAAFpPOZA1"><img class="alignleft" src="http://images.sqlocarinas.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SITCCwoKCDcAAFpPOZA1/600-starbucks.jpg?et=pr2DdU6DSB0Kmj7I9NdjjQ&#x26;nmid=0" border="0"></a>Nooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!<br><br>Hear the cries of coffee addicts. A lot will have to walk/drive a little further to get their daily fix of Starbucks coffee.<br><br>Many see this as a sure sign that the US is indeed in a recession (not on the brink/edge of it) where a big company as Starbucks (who usually has $$$ in its coffers to ride out the periodic sluggish times) suddenly closed a lot of its stores. <br><br>Well, with "hard times", you have to let go of your luxuries... and a $3-$5 glorified cup of coffee certainly fills the bill.<br><br>*image from ZDNet Blogs<br> http://sqlocarinas.multiply.com/journal/item/52/The_sure_sign_that_US_is_in_a_recession..._600_Starbucks_CLOSED Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:59:00 -0000 A big yearly event in Dayton Ohio, 1 1/2 hours away from Cincinnati is happening this weekend. The birthplace of aviation hosts the Dayton Air Show and Roman and I decided to take a look and i'm glad I did. I've been to the Chicago air show but this one was much better. They also had "shows" on the ground with various planes and other military or police vehicles you can get near to, get inside and explore. But the best was we saw the 5th generation fighter F-22 raptor in action. You can find more pictures in <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/sqlocarinas/QS20080719DaytonAirshow">http://picasaweb.google.com/sqlocarinas/QS20080719DaytonAirshow</a> http://sqlocarinas.multiply.com/photos/album/29/Dayton_Air_Show Sun, 20 Jul 2008 02:06:54 -0000 A guy just came back to office and people all around was congratulating him since his wife just gave birth to their 3rd baby. He was talking to the person sitting beside me so I overheard the whole "giving birth" story. <br><br>He and his wife came to hospital late night with contractions only 5 minutes apart. Leading to this, doctors and nurses have told them that all the tell-tale signs point to a baby girl and thus they've prepared for the coming of another baby girl (toys, room, clothes and all). Nurses advised though that the dilation wasn't big enough to even prepare for birthing. She was made to walk around the hospital to induce it further.<br><br>After an hour, she felt it was really time and still the nurses saw otherwise. Frustrated, she SHOUTED she knew it was time and that she's been in that position before and she KNOWS it's time! Frantic, the nursing staff finally called for the resident doctor who then worked to have her water broken. <br><br>As soon as that happened, contractions suddenly cam... http://sqlocarinas.multiply.com/journal/item/51/Oh_my_got_it_has..._ Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:07:00 -0000 Wall-E impressed me. When I first saw the trailer, I was doubtful... A movie where the main characters almost don't talk?!? But, leave it to the genuises in Disney and Pixar to make it work the movie conveyed more emotion better than most movies out there. It is an animated Disney film and thus geared towards kids but it easily can keep the grownups entertained. Actually, a lot of the subtle "unspoken" words I thought would take an adult to really understand. It's amazing how little details can communicate a message as effectively as spoken words do or even better. Kids would love it since it's full of "fun" chase scenes and interesting characters. Critics are even talking that this may be a Best Picture Oscar nominee. Not the animated category but the real deal. No one has done that since Beauty and the Beast. But the odds are stacked up against it though. Conventional thinkers of course wouldn't even consider Wall-E since there were no real live actors. Overall, I was not... http://sqlocarinas.multiply.com/reviews/item/9 Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:22:26 -0000 I haven't watched the first movie and I haven't read the comic book either. But the witty and quirky trailer advertisements plus the good review from movie critics convinced me to watch it. Being a sci-fi fan I was not disappointed and enjoyed watching Hellboy 2. Directed by Guillermo del Toro of Pan's Labyrinth fame, there was a wide array of interesting "alien" characters and scenes to feed ones fancy. The movie basically remained true as well to what they showed in the trailer with funny lines cleverly placed all over the movie. Plus, add to that the fight scenes reminiscent of anime or fighting game movies. The only criticism I have was that the story was not complex enough and a bit predictable. Overall though, worth watching even if you're not a fan of Hellboy and you basically want to watch a good movie. http://sqlocarinas.multiply.com/reviews/item/8 Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:55:11 -0000 It was a long weekend last week with the US Independence day falling on a Friday. I decided to spend it with my brother and sister-in-law so I flew to Phoenix... to drive to Las Vegas. It was a 5 hour drive... through the desert. The drive there was part of the trip... wierd cacti, interesting rock formations, endless highway, and oh... Hoover Dam was along the way. Once in Vegas... the very first thing we did... went to Jollibee for some Chickenjoy. :) Walang ganun sa Cincinnati at Phoenix... Checked in to Planet Hollywood afterward and later booked for a French Cabaret show "Crazy Horse" at the MGM Grand. A classy... yes topless show. It was entertaining... I recommend it if you can't spend hundreds on Cirque du Soleil shows. That night, we went to Bellagio for what Vegas was known for... BUFFET! Hehe. The next morning... we woke up early to.... eat again! Breakfast buffet! After we checked-out we went for some outlet shopping then to the Rio Casino where the World ... http://sqlocarinas.multiply.com/photos/album/28/Vegas_Road_Trip Thu, 10 Jul 2008 02:33:05 -0000 If you're like any normal P&amp;G employee, you'd be inundated with emails in your outlook inbox everyday. Despite your best efforts to organize to folders, flag, and even with Microsoft search, it can still be time consuming to wade through all those emails!<br><br>That's where Xobni comes in. This wicked Outlook plugin makes it easy for you to find email from the top people you exchange emails with, review conversations and access related attachment WITHOUT searching for it!<br><br>It has the potential to save you a lot of time working on your emails. How does it do it? Well like any fast search and analytical tools, Xobni has to index your outlook emails (including archives) to create a profile for you. Then you're all set! <br><br><a href="http://sqlocarinas.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SHPYeAoKCDcAAGNUFEg1"><img class="alignmiddleb" src="http://images.sqlocarinas.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SHPYeAoKCDcAAGNUFEg1/xobni-in-outlook.png?et=tDJE0%2CvI0zwTrjrQ4f8rEg&#x26;nmid=0" border="0"></a><br><br><a href="http://www.xobni.com/learnmore/">http://www.xobni.com/learnmore/ </a><br> http://sqlocarinas.multiply.com/journal/item/50/Wicked_Tools_Xobni_-_Outlook_Plugin Tue, 8 Jul 2008 21:08:00 -0000 <img style="width: 143px;height: 216px;" class="alignright" src="http://images.sqlocarinas.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SHGOeAoKCDcAAFl0Ebg1/IMG_9145.JPG?et=HPpLuIG3o02RnBWn87U8Kw&#x26;nmid=0" border="0">World Series Of Poker main event 2008 is going on right now in Vegas and yesterday I was there to see it in person again. Driving from Phoenix where my brother lives, we went to Las Vegas for the US Independence Day weekend and made it a point to drop by Rio Hotel and Casino where WSOP is happening. <br><br>I had a chance to see (and yeah, take pictures with...) the "celebrities" of poker. First, a picture of me and last year's WSOP main event champion... Jerry Yang. No... not the CEO of Yahoo... same name... different person.<br><br><a href="http://sqlocarinas.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SHGQagoKCDcAAA6q4Zg1"><img style="width: 186px;height: 124px;" class="alignleft" src="http://images.sqlocarinas.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SHGQagoKCDcAAA6q4Zg1/IMG_9121.JPG?et=XcB2dGxAyb1EeYei6VuouA&#x26;nmid=0" border="0"></a>The crowd and the players joining the event is growing each year. On the right, is a snapshot of a small fraction of those playing on the 3rd "1st day" of competition. The place is full of poker tables full of poker players and the sounds of chips being played around can be heard all over the big venue. It's mostly quiet except for the "chirping" sounds of the chips. Definitely not a spectator sport...unless it's the final table.<br><br>Less "sightings" this time compared to la... http://sqlocarinas.multiply.com/journal/item/49/Return_to_World_Series_Of_Poker_2008_in_Las_Vegas_ Mon, 7 Jul 2008 03:32:00 -0000 Brand New (never opened) external harddrive. For portable storage and/or additional storage for you documents, pictures and videos. Simpletech stackable design (multiple can be stacked above each other). Fast running on 7,200 rpm. Retails for $99. Got it at a good price with a coupon but decided I don't need it right now. Size: 320GB Speed: 7200 rpm Interface: USB 2.0 Price: Php 3,400 http://sqlocarinas.multiply.com/market/item/5/Yet_another_External_Harddrive_-_Simpletech_320GB_Simple_Drive Sat, 28 Jun 2008 22:03:37 -0000 When 1 or 2GB or even 4GB is not enough... This is huge! Brand new (never used). For storing your files, or getting those tons of pictures from your friends computer/camera, music and bring it with you anywhere with your keys. The connector retracts so no more lost caps which I think was a nice touch. Retails for $65 Size: 8GB Price: http://sqlocarinas.multiply.com/market/item/4/Flash_drive_-_SanDisk_8GB_Cruzer_Micro_U3_USB2.0 Sat, 28 Jun 2008 21:53:33 -0000 Brand new (never opened). This is for 2 pieces of SD card with 2GB of space each. This came in a multi-pack thus is sold together. Size: 2GB (x 2 pieces) Speed: 10mb/s (66x read/write) Price: Php http://sqlocarinas.multiply.com/market/item/3/SD_Card_-_Sandisk_Ultra_II_2GB_each_Multi-pack_2_pieces Sun, 22 Jun 2008 20:19:00 -0000 I know... huli na ako sa balita. But it;s hard to convince myself to watch a movie here where it costs $10! So I wanted to make sure it's worth it. And I read and heard rave reviews of The Incredible Hulk.... so why not. Frankly, when they first showed trailers of this I was... "what? another one?". But I'm glad they did. Aside from the fact its well made, they made sure they placed small bits and pieces to "excite" the real fans. Stan Lee - Again, the guy just had to make a cameo. Nice! Lou Ferrigno - That was good of them to get the original TV series hulk in the movie too. Last time we saw this guy mukhang kawawa signing authographs in conventions for some fee to earn some bucks. Now, he gets a cameo part AND voices the Hulk himself. "Hulk Smash!" - Hey! Just like in the game! That caught me by surprise. Surprise endings - Just like Iron Man... you go out of the theater knowing they're brewing something big. I'm glad they didn't opt to put it at the very end of the ... http://sqlocarinas.multiply.com/reviews/item/7 Sat, 21 Jun 2008 04:22:51 -0000 Was browsing through Craigslist (it's like Buy and Sell classifieds in Pinas) and found this funny entry. He wasn't actually selling or buying anything but a bonafide classified ad nonetheless...<br><br> To the guy doing my wife. You know who you are. Yes I know. No I am not angry, I would just ask a few things of you. After all you are giving it to my wife. <br style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); "> <br style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); "> 1.Please stop leaving the seat up, I keep getting blamed and it is starting to get old. <br style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); "> <br style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); ">2.You may be giving me a chance to go fishing more often but please stop drinking all my beer. It is fine if you have a couple while you visit(god knows <br style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); "> I drink plenty before I find her attractive), but please leave me a few as I have to be there longer than you. <br style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); "> <br style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); "> 3.If you do drink the last one buy more or leave money on the counter I will pick some up. <br style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); "> <br style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); "> 4.Please replace the toilet paper when you use it all. For some reason my 5 year old son belives if its not there he does not have to wipe. We keep it under the sink, unless you can recomend a... http://sqlocarinas.multiply.com/journal/item/48/Best_of_Craigslist_-_To_the_guy_doing_my_wife Thu, 19 Jun 2008 22:20:00 -0000 In case you or someone you know is interested, I can have this brought home to Manila through one of those travelling home this weekend. This if for those who need portable storage for backup and sharing or simply need more space. This is brand new (never opened) very portable external harddrive. Retails for $135-$160 (Php 5800-6900) here in the US. I haven't seen it in Manila (older versions available though). Got it on sale but have no use for it yet. Capacity: 160GB @ 3,285 is = Php 20.50/GB or < $.047/GB Speed: 5,400rpm, USB 2.0 Formatted and plug & play See full info/specs in <a href="http://www.maxtorsolutions.com/en/catalog/OTIII_Mini/">http://www.maxtorsolutions.com/en/catalog/OTIII_Mini/</a> http://sqlocarinas.multiply.com/market/item/2/Portable_External_Harddrive_-_Maxtor_Onetouch_III_Mini_Edition_160GB Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:28:33 -0000 WARNING: This might offend some people so I didn't post the video here and instead give you the option to click and watch for yourself. <br><br><a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=v31qxrXsxv0">http://youtube.com/watch?v=v31qxrXsxv0</a><br><br>I have a Wii... so i'm definitely getting Wii Fit now. :)<br> http://sqlocarinas.multiply.com/journal/item/46/Why_every_guy_should_get_their_girlfriend_Wii_Fit Thu, 12 Jun 2008 22:52:00 -0000 On my 2nd EBT in Cincinnati I ended up in Mason. The area is more suburban, family friendly area compared to downtown where I used to be. No surprise my new apartment is very different. Staying in a place called Twin Fountains Apartment which is a good place from what I could see so far. Like most apartment communities here there are lakes and fountains in the area and pool and other facilities. I wished it had a tennis court though. http://sqlocarinas.multiply.com/photos/album/27/Mason_-_My_Home_for_the_next_few_months Thu, 12 Jun 2008 02:16:03 -0000 Want to see Cincinnati? Watch this video to get an idea how it looks like. I've been in Cincinnati for so long I recognized most of the scenes in this video. Saw it in VH1 as the #1 video in the Top 20 countdown. http://sqlocarinas.multiply.com/video/item/26/Cincinnati_featured_in_3_Doors_Downs_Its_Not_My_Time_Video Sat, 7 Jun 2008 15:14:40 -0000 Selling Asia Miles that can be used for anyone who is planning to travel soon in destination serviced by Cathay Pacific (mostly within Asia). For only $200 or Php 9,000. Compare v.s usual rates of Php 19,000 for a round trip ticket between MNL-HKG. Miles is enough for round trip flights in most destinations in economy. Visit Asiamiles.com to see destination http://sqlocarinas.multiply.com/market/item/1/25000_Cathay_Asia_Miles Tue, 3 Jun 2008 17:31:14 -0000 <p>This is one of the best mash-ups i've seen lately. Wikimapia (Wikipedia + Google Maps) lets you identify areas of the google map! So you could go in and label any area in the map like your house, your office, where you had vacation, where you had your first kiss with your girlfriend, anything under the sun. I'm amused. :)</p> <p><a href="http://www.wikimapia.org">http://www.wikimapia.org</a></p> <p><img class="alignmiddleb" src="http://images.sqlocarinas.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SD7FyAoKCDcAADAmRIk1/wikimapia.jpg?et=kwZQ%2BDVdpIgRciYbX%2BMgDQ&#x26;nmid=0" border="0"></p> http://sqlocarinas.multiply.com/journal/item/43/WikiMapia Thu, 29 May 2008 14:58:00 -0000 Not bad. First part was dragging considering this is the 2nd installment. It still took a long time just to set things up. Nice movie though. Worth watching. I guess for the ladies, they'd watch it for prince caspian alone. Just "ok" for me. http://sqlocarinas.multiply.com/reviews/item/6 Tue, 27 May 2008 20:48:47 -0000 Indy is back and it was worth the wait. You can hardly go wrong with the same team that made the original came back to do Crystal Skull. I guess the next Indiana Jones would be starring Shia Lebouf :P Liked it but came short of loving http://sqlocarinas.multiply.com/reviews/item/5 Tue, 27 May 2008 20:45:36 -0000 <p>Just a few weeks before I left Manila, Rose lost her passport in Costa Rica and those close to her know what a trying and frustrating experience that was. I almost sufferred the same fate.</p> <p><strong>OFF TO THE US AGAIN<br></br></strong>Early last week I travelled to San Francisco to stop over enroute to Cincinnati. I was holding a new work visa for my extended business trip. Bracing for a long and lengthy process of getting through immigration with the new work visa I was happily surprised that it was virtually painless! I got through without any other secondary document checks! That was quick!</p> <p><strong>WHERE IS MY PASSPORT!!!<br></br></strong>Then it went downhill from there.... Having passed through immigration I didn't think so much anymore of my passport and documents. Then my ride came and was so much in a hurry that I didn't notice I LEFT MY PASSPORT! This was a Monday afternoon and I didn't realize I didn't have it until I was about to leave for Cincinnati later that week Friday night!</p> <p>I went about enjoying San Francisco confident t... http://sqlocarinas.multiply.com/journal/item/42/Disaster_averted_Got_my_passport_back Fri, 23 May 2008 15:09:00 -0000 <a href="/photos/hi-res/upload/SDTe@QoKCDcAAEZ8x281"><img class="alignright" src="http://images.sqlocarinas.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SDTe@QoKCDcAAEZ8x281/david_cook_archuletta_winne.jpg?et=x1pcpy2XSB%2B1lIDovsFpXw&#x26;nmid=0&#x26;nmid=97224783" border="0"></img></a>Another season of American Idol is over <br>and it played out to be one of the best if not the best seasons ever.<br><br>David Archuleta won the final battle but David Cook wins the war. That's right David Cook is your new American Idol.<br><br>A final suprise/twist<br></br></br>If you saw the last performance night, you would know that most people and the judges thought Archie won the night. Frankly I thought so too and I'm a DC fan. But overall Cook was still the best and America thought so too. <br><br>"I heard Archuleta"<br style="font-weight: bold; ">In an interview, David Cook was all set to take 2nd place and when Ryan announced his name, he still heard "Archuleta" and thus didn't sink in that he won.<br><br>Winning Song<br>They also did something different this year where the winning song in the songwriting contest was only sang when the winner was announced. And it was the song that I voted for too. It was written for DC.<br><br>Finale<br>The show is packed! Lots of great performances mostly by or with the AI finalists themselves with some surprise collaborations with oth... http://sqlocarinas.multiply.com/journal/item/41/Its_over_Archuleta_won_the_final_battle_but_Cook_wins_the_War Thu, 22 May 2008 02:34:00 -0000 Jojo and Sherwin visits home. For Sherwin it was his first return for 9 years! Went to Subic with other friends Jojo, Richard, Ariel, and Arnold for an overnight http://sqlocarinas.multiply.com/photos/album/26/Subic_Barkada_Trip Thu, 15 May 2008 01:40:48 -0000 <P>Today, I decided to come in late since I have a late night call and would be in office late. I knew it was risky and I paid the price.There's no more parking! </P> <P>The guards didn't even want me to go in the building anymore! So how do I "get to work"? Well... I went to my nearest starbucks and got a 5hr internet access card.... and started to take to work from the comforts of my local starbucks. </P> <P>Interesting to ponder how things have changed. From dedicated office spaces with doors, to open workspaces, to hotelling... they basically are removing the office building for those working! And you virtually connected through your company VPN and wade through tons of emails, get pinged left and right from your IM while you sip you sip your latte.</P> <P>Well back to work...</P> http://sqlocarinas.multiply.com/journal/item/39/No_Parking_Again_Roaming_employee... Tue, 29 Apr 2008 07:21:00 -0000 American Idol Season 7 was one of the best seasons of AI. It rivals Season 4 where Carrie won and Bo was runner up and the top 12 were all quite good. This year has been the same with unique syles and great performances. I even think the "worse" performers out-do the some of the best from last season. These are the songs that I liked from all the finalists. http://sqlocarinas.multiply.com/music/item/21/My_American_Idol_Playlist Fri, 18 Apr 2008 00:17:35 -0000