Wednesday, February 29, 2012

The Country's Problem (Part I): Electricity and The Reasons Why It's Expensive

It is stated that Philippines have the highest energy fee, surpassing the country which has the most expensive energy rate in Asia; Japan. But how did we end up with our bills rising from hundreds to thousands?

Dr. Gerardo Sicat, a Filipino economist, stated four reasons why Philippines has expensive electricity fee with his interview in Manila Bulletin.

The first reason is the high generation costs due to high cost of contracts with independent power producers (IPPs). The government used this method at the height of energy crisis in the 90s. However, despite this so-called solution of the government, he stated that Philippines still imports oil with unpredictable prices from foreign countries. Thus making our expenses rise unpredictably as well.

Second is due to monopoly of the generation and distribution levels. This statement mainly hints the only company managing the surge of electricity, MERALCO. He stated that it can take advantage of their monopoly power by charging operating expenses and paying back of loans.

Third reason is the high system losses of electricity distributors including MERALCO which are paid by consumers. He cited that Philippines are paying twice on system losses than South Korea’s average cost.

The last reason is poor management. Everything about their maintenance has been passed along the consumers as well.

Even if Philippines rely on the newly discovered energy resource in Palawan, the domestic natural gas from the Malampaya gas deposits were tagged with a luxurious price too and it won’t help on decreasing the electricity rates.

The government should think of a better solution to drop down the Philippines electric rates by not relying too much on the helping hands of the foreigners.

Saturday, February 25, 2012

The Rise of the Planet Tablet


There is a new planet dwelling in the land. And people can't help but get hooked with the exciting, addicting and interesting gadgets this planet has. The planet’s name? Planet Tablet.

Tablets, as we all know, were phones having the features of computers. Aside from they can access to social networking sites online, they can also used in doing reports, editing photos, listening to music and of course, play games that were only available on the Net.

Tablets computers were first introduced by Apple Company originally announced in 2010 as Ipad. Billed as "a whole new kind of device", Ipads proved to be a game-changer, sending tremors through the consumer electronics and computer industries alike. And the rest was history. Many technology based companies also scramble to produce their own "one-of-a-kind" tablet, thus making it the new face of innovated technology.

Redefining Technology

Although, touch screen cell phones have became popular these days, touch screen is still considered as one of the unique and special features of tablets that make them trendy, hip and cool. As many people (especially the techie ones) get hooked with this new breed of technology, more and more tablets have been introduced by big companies with different styles, features and versions.

Tablets that now dominate the scene were Apple Ipad 2, Android Honeycomb Tablets, RIM Playbook, HP Touchpad and the newly introduced IPhone 4s. Let's now check the special apps tablets have in store. 

  1. Games. Gaming is more dun when played via touch screen. With brand new games that lets the user enjoy every battle and playoffs, Tablets offer thrilling and exciting games such as Hardwood Hearts, Talking Tom Cat, the popular Plants vs. Zombies and Angry Birds, Warships and many more.  

  1. Music and Audio. mSpot Music, Slacker radio and Amazon Mp3 were some of the applications found in tablets that allow the users to enjoy their collection of music and personalize their radio.
 

  1. Entertainment. Tablets have different programs made to entertain the users from youth to middle age to elderly age. Drawing Pad was the tablets’ version of Paint, however this is more user-friendly. Users can create their own art by their bare hands and not through the use mouse and keyboards. Because tablets were touch screens, users just have to stroke their hand depending on how they want to draw or color their artwork. Aside from that, Tablets also have movies, video player and Netflix where consumers can instantly watch TV episodes and HD movies.

  1. Books and Reference. One of the special features of Tablets is that you can read books here. It was also similar to phones having eBooks however; the difference was you can scan the pages using your hands likewise reading a real book. Kindle for Android and ArcSoft eBook Reader were the applications present in tablets. This would also help you customize your reading experience with different fonts, display sizes, and brightness, thus making your reading a wonderful habit.
 
  1. News and Magazines. Want a daily update of news around the globe? Well, tablets would be ready to give you that! With accurate and reliable news and information from famous newspaper and magazines all over the world, users will surely stay connected and updated with the world.

  1. Communication. Because Tablets were still mobile phones, of course, communicating is its primary function. With thousands of apps that permit the user to communicate from one place to another, Tablets were definitely the user’s one-stop social connection. These apps help the user to access their entire network of friends and social sites all in one place. Everything they need, streamlined for when they need it.
 
  1. Tools. Not only tablets are practical for entertainment, social connection, etc. Tablets are also functional in writing and printing documents whether word, sheet, or power point. It also has a daily weather report that tells the user what temperature or conditions to expect. Aside from that, Tablets have Norton Mobile Security that protects the user’s file from destructive virus.


There you have it all. So what more can tablet users ask for? With this new breed of mobile and computers packed as one, certainly, tablets redefined technology.   

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

6:38 AM - No comments

The Hallyu Wave

There’s no more denying that the Kpop Fever also known as the “Hallyu Wave” had taken over almost all people in Asia, and other parts of the Europe, Latin America and the United States itself. With its catchy music, unique dance steps and good looking group members, fans all over the world can’t seem to get enough of them.

What makes Kpop so popular?

There are so many reasons why people are so into the Kpop Industry. First, is because of their type of music.  Kpop Songs are composed of electronic music blended with hip hop, ballad or other genres of songs. It is also what you can say a mixture of the eastern and western music. it's also always new, their music producers are not afraid to make songs, be it in form of extremity or to the point of being too childish or over dramatic. What’s more to it is that it’s always catchy. Even if one doesn’t understand the Hanggul or Korean Language, once you hear I, you’ll just find yourself humming or singing the song. 


Second of all, their singers are all good looking. Male or Female group members or soloists of KPop are all eye-candy and have good sense of fashion. They also wear cosmetics and clothes that even makes their appearance look better. 


Third, they always dance amazingly. Group Idols always dance in sync. It was as if, their bodies are all connected that they dance the same step as their members all the time. Solo singers who dances also puts a lot of effort into dancing and catching their breath while they sing. 

Another important factor of their popularity is their utilization of the World Wide Web. Unlike other videos of bands from other Asian countries and industries, KPop Music Videos, Live Performances and other things related to the idol groups are not restricted. They even release teasers of music videos on their official Youtube channel. In fact, it is in the online community that the big companies of the KPop Industry first announces about the upcoming songs and albums of their groups.They also has huge fan-based pages and accounts on Facebook that can be considered one of the most famous worldwide. 


What's more? Their idol members has versatility. You see them everywhere! They can do commercials, act themselves out, make you laugh at their variety shows or even compete in TV Olympics and Dance or Singing Battles. With that, you can always recognize them everywhere. 

2ne1's Dara endorsing Etude

Fans are also amused on the preparations one has to experience before finally making a big and successful debut in the KPop Industry. Often, big companies hold auditions, pick talents and make them trainees until the time has come for their debut. They undergo dance, music and acting training. So when they debut, you sure are to notice how great they are on what their doing.

The seventh reason is their style of making MV's. In every Music Video they release, you would always see the uniqueness. But on every video that came out, you'd always High Definition Scenes and Over-the-top settings and story Plots. Some MV's almost feels like you're watching a mini movie because of the dramatic effect that it gives off. 

Last, but definitely not the least reason are their fangirls and fanboys. Because of the reactions that every netizens made on what their idols are doing, other people got curious on what they are fighting about or gossiping about. Their opinions affect on the increasing or the decreasing of the popularity of an idol group or soloist. 

Experts Says:

Teddy, one of the biggest producers of Korea, and producer of YG, explains the increase of popularity of KPOP in the world industry. 

Teddy believes that the “KPop Syndrome” is so popular because KPop mixes elements of Western and Eastern music to produce a new, charming song. He stated, “I’ve recently been told that 2NE1′s music is popular in Mexico and Brazil. People are always amazed at which country these songs come from.”
It is natural for foreigners to like KPop. Since childhood, foreigners become accustomed to the Western style of music and see familiar artists, while KPop brings a new flavor that they have never heard before. Teddy said, “In terms of 2NE1, the powerful and trendy mixed with their oriental looks brings a new and unique atmosphere.”


In an interview with e-fact, the director of a French national broadcasting channel, France 2 TV, commented, “Korean musicians or groups should have no problems succeeding in other European countries, not to mention, any other country in the world.” The director continued, “They are perfect since they have all the basic necessities down along with fluent English. The fact that they have sold out 14,000 tickets in two days without any serious advertisement quantifies the huge potential of the Hallyu wave”.

Surf the Net, Virus-Free!


Now that everybody is using the internet, everything became a breeze for everyone. However, when we accidentally or curiously clicked a website/advertisement, there are instances that viruses will invade our PCs like a cancer.


Since there is a virus, there is also an antivirus which helps eliminate those pesky threats to our data. Here are some lists of popular antivirus that can help prevent viruses from entering your system.

    1. Avast Free
According to Techspot.com, Avast Free is the most popular antivirus out there. Many comments in that site said that it never misses a virus and have their PCs running free of threats and Everybody’s Journal can say the same thing base on the experience. So far, it does not slow down the computer’s performance and it is a freeware program so everyone can have it!

    2. Norton
Symantec’s Norton has been long around and is trusted by peoples worldwide as it continues to protect every PCs from malwares. Many said that when it comes to work, it is fast and captures the bugs quickly. However, base on experience again, when it performs a system scan, it slows down the computer performance.

    3. Kaspersky
From a commenter in CNET|Download.com, Kaspersky has a great performance and doesn’t drag down the computer. The cons for it though are that it has a poor user-interface, updates take too much space and the price is not that affordable.

    4. Avira Anti-Virus
From many reviews in the internet, it performs very well in shielding computers against viruses. The letdown here is that it constantly pops up to upgrade to its Pro version, which is completely annoying.

    5. AVG
AVG is the most downloaded antivirus in downloading sites and many people trusted the programs performance. But from experience, it misses some worms that can also be threatening sometimes.

Having an antivirus is a big help, but there are still viruses that will be created and these programs will not work at some point in time. So for a tip, just don’t click any links that seems to be suspicious. Just think of surfing, virus-free!


Sunday, February 19, 2012

Personalizing your Debut Party


Turning 18 is probably the most exciting part for a young woman. It is where she celebrates herself into accepting the early stages of womanhood and says goodbye to her childhood and adolescence years.
It is where she starts to explore the world, taking baby steps into being recognized as a matured woman by the society.

Which is why, to commemorate this particular event, every debutante wants to celebrate their parties as one of their most memorable and grandest birthday party ever. But with the birthday party turning out as a customary event, ideas are running out into how to make the debut party as unique as possible. 

Well there is a way for you to have a unique party-Personalize it! Except of following the antique ways of celebrating a debut party, why don't you mash it up and add some spunk to your debut preparations to make it your debut as exceptional as it could be. Below are some help tips to how to make your debut more personalized :)

Start with your Invitations

Ribbons, laces, scented papers - these things are old ways for you to invite a person to your party. Instead make use of the computer and the internet and display your creativity in creating your these. You can add some of your baby images and some pictures to your invitations. Websites like picnik.com and softwares like adobe photoshop is also a great help. You could also send these invitations through social networking sites like facebook.com and multiply to spread your news and display your invitation cards.

What's with Monthsaries?


You feel butterflies in your stomach, you smile for no exact reason, and you are always excited to talk about love. Definitely, you’re in love.

It’s so common for couples to celebrate their anniversary. Of course, only few relationships last for years. Anniversaries were usually celebrated to reminisce the first time couples fell in love and to renew their love for each other. Many believed that by celebrating this special occasion, relationships grew stronger and tighter. However, nowadays, especially when teenage love affair became popular, another “sary” existed: Monthsary.

Monthsaries, as we all know, were important days for couples. It is very much alike to anniversaries, but these were celebrated in terms of months, as opposed to anniversaries which are celebrated in terms of years. The only difference is that there are only 11 monthsaries for a certain event; the 12th would already be an anniversary. Monthsaries were famous for young lovers or teenagers in a relationship. This set-up usually existed in high school where cheesiness and “kilig” factors are present.

While many couples engaged their selves in celebrating their special time on a monthly basis, there are some couples who don’t celebrate monthsaries. They thought that those who celebrate monthsaries will have relationship that won’t last. For them, couples don’t need to have a monthly celebration for they don’t have to count the months or days their relationship had gone.
However, many couples still liked to celebrate their monthsary because this makes their relationship strong. They celebrate their love monthly and so renewed their feelings for each other every time they would celebrate monthsaries. For them, it feels like they fall in love with each other every month. They thought that counting the numbers of months they’ve been together were a mark of a strong relationship.

Love expires especially when not renewed. And so, it’s always important to improve your love for your partner by celebrating special occasions like monthsary. It seems cheesy, impractical and juvenile, but this would definitely heat up your love for each other. Like many other couple celebration, monthsaries also has its pro's and con's. But that's not really matter. What matters is that you cherish the moment you have with the one you love. Because every day with your loved one is a celebration. 

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Valentine's All Over the World


Valentine’s Day, as we all know is a celebration of love and romance. However, not only in the Philippines is Valentine’s celebrated. Different countries all over the world commemorate it in different ways depending on their culture.


In Japan, it is only the women who give presents (mainly chocolates) to men; Japanese women are usually too shy to express their love. Therefore, Valentine's Day was thought to be a great opportunity to let women express their feelings. It also a custom that smart chocolate companies spread to boost their sales and it has been very successful. Now, the chocolate companies in Japan sell more than half of their annual sales during the week before Valentine's Day. 


In Korea, couples wear same shirts or known as the “couple shirt” in Valentine’s Day to show how much they love each other. In the United States, Valentine’s Day is mainly a day catered to females. Men are responsible for planning dates, getting flowers, getting the right gift, etc.


People in South Africa totally indulge themselves in the African culture and art to celebrate the occasion of Valentine. Be it an old man of 60 or a young lass of 16, the joy of celebrating love is same in everybody. South Africans as well as tourists attend huge balls where they match their dancing steps and flow in the Valentine mood with different alcoholic beverages. 


Africans also like to visit wildlife parks and sanctuaries with their friends and families. Many other events like river rafting, mountaineering amidst the exotic islands are main attraction of the day. Luxurious resorts give the most enthralling view and rated as one of the best place to spend a romantic evening.

Here in the Philippines, what makes Valentines more fun?

5. Speed-dating and blind dates. Blind dates originated in. Basically, blind date is about two people who never met each other but go on together in a date. Well, it might be a little scary and risky, but this is still something you will enjoy especially when you're single.


4. Promos for couples. These are popular in the Philippines. Famous indeed, that as soon as January 31, you can already see different posters and advertisement about joining a contest that will make your Valentine celebration incredibly and romantically memorable. If you think you have the best love story then you can join these contests. You might win and have the most exciting and special date this Valentines.



3. Kasalang-bayan. Actually, these are more popular in June, but there are some government and non-government agencies who conduct these events meant for financially-challenged couples. This wedding expo lets the public to witness a number of partners exchanged "I do's".


2. Concerts and Movies. Every Valentine's, celebrities and artists would really prepare something that their couple fans would enjoy. Pre-valentine concerts are set where couples can enjoy their date while watching the show. Movie watching is one of the traditional thing whenever a couple dates so movie producers give them a treat as they offer a wonderful love story for their supporters to enjoy.


1. Pick-up lines. "Siguro dati kang ex-convict, kasi pinasok mo na nga ang utak ko, ninakaw mo pa ang puso ko." Cheesy. Pick-up lines have long been introduced in the Philippines. However, it just became popular because of Boy Pick-Up from GMA's longest running gag show, Bubble Gang. Though, pick up lines were not really funny, “the ka-corny-han” of it makes it more acceptable and sweet. I'm just wondering how a girl would react after she was given a pick-up line by his suitor.


0. Flowers and chocolates. How will you know that Valentine’s is arriving? It's when bouquets of flowers and boxes of chocolates were seen everywhere. They say Valentine's is not completely felt once you haven't received any of these two. Well, good thing I've bought one for myself.


Now that's something interesting about Philippine Valentine’s Day. It's not really different from other countries but it is something people would really enjoy.