in retrospect…

Windows VISTA finally [finally!! after 2 years!!] launches here in the Philippines… the formal launch will happen at the Mall of Asia on the 3rd of February [this coming Saturday]…

BUT, but, before you decide to take that plunge, note that Windows VISTA Upgrade Edition will likely frustrate all you XP users… according to the article, when you try to install the Upgrade Edition on a new machine, or a previously wiped out machine, Vista will not permit you to do a ‘clean’ install even if you could provide proof of possession or ownership of a previous version of Windows… simply, this means that you still need to install your previous OS AND install VISTA over that… if it takes 1 hour to install XP, and another hour to upgrade to VISTA, then prepare to waste 2 hours of your time…

also, VISTA upgrade edition will not allow you to do a clean install on a separate partition or a different hard disk on the same computer your XP is in, unless you do another install of your XP…

of course, you can always go the OEM way… buy a PC pre-loaded with VISTA… but that’s for another post…

Ciao, sweetie…

starting with this post, i will be featuring a series of GMAIL’s do-you-knows… these are the things that i discover while i use it… here’s one…

do you know that, while using GMAIL, you can keep track of all the feeds in your RSS reader without actually opening your reader?? there is a feature of GMAIL called web clips, which shows news headlines, tips, blogs, and RSS and Atom feeds which you configure…

to do that, click on Settings [assuming you are logged in, of course] at the top of the page, and select Web Clips… you can do several things: you can add or remove clips from different sources, opt to disable web clips, or add RSS or Atom feeds from blogs that you read regularly…

each clip displays the source, how long ago it was posted or received, and a link to the entire post… from your Inbox, you can scroll through the clips by clicking the right or left arrowhead…

with web clips, you can veritably monitor the feeds while logged in to GMAIL…

Ciao, sweetie…

this just in:

Manny Pacquiao’s mother threatened the Destroyer if he pushes thru in filing his candidacy for any position that he will lose a mother, and her support… it was reported before that Manny is thinking of running for mayor in his native city of General Santos… he was also being wooed by the LAKAS party to run under their banner as congressman of South Cotabato… even in today’s news, there was an item that American trainer Freddie Roach threatened to leave the fighter if ever he enters politics…

according to news reports, Manny’s mom said “mapili sya, magpatuloy sya, wala na sya nanay…” if ever he runs for office in May…

i will side with his mom in this… he has no right to run just because he is popular… though he hasn’t signified any intentions of running for any office yet, but his silence leaves a bad taste in the mouth of his supporters…

i just hope he makes up his mind soon, so that i can prepare to blast him to hell if he does, or praise him to high heavens if he doesn’t…

Ciao, sweetie…

————————————

EDIT 20070131: Mom backed out!! in this morning’s news, Aling Dionisia Pacquiao capitulated to his son when they talked online early today… Manny said he is almost sure he will run for office… “kung yan ang kaligayahan mo, Manny, susuporta na ako sa iyo…”

this is not right… tsk tsk tsk…

let me ask you some questions: what has tattoos of all manner and in all locations, beautiful women, pierced ears, lips, noses, and in other locations you are not supposed to look, and celebrities got to do with basketball?? what does band instruments and basketballs have in common?? chicks with balls in hand?? rockstars and school PEs?? do i ask too many questions?? am i superman?? [errrr, that one got away, sorry...]

plenty, in fact, if you ask Rock Ed Philippines and the bands who participated in the Rockerpark Series for the first of 2007s last-Monday-of-the-month games… in cooperation with Toby’s, who provided the basketballs being used in the events, and bands like Dicta License, Urbandub, Chicosci, Kjwan, Queso, The Ambassadors, Ciudad, Bagetsafonik, Yuzon Brothers Plus, Hilera, Team Admit One, Team Terno, Sponge Cola, Brigada, and Pupil, rockstars of all ages and makes gathered at the Eastwood Central Plaza yesterday afternoon to participate in a 3-on-3 streetball challenge meant to collect used sports equipment to donate to public school PE programs…

this is one nice way of giving something back to a good cause, and another way of burning off those excess fats, too!!

oh, and before i forget… guys, wanna see some realy beautiful women [of all ages]?? then, i suggest you free up your schedule for next month’s last Monday, and every last Monday after that… you can ogle at bootilicious babes [did i just say that??] like this one at the right, or have your pictures taken with them [but no touching!! some of them are the bandmember's girlfriends... but there's no harm in trying, is there?? ]… they’re free [the picture taking... tsk tsk tsk...], anyway… and i’m sure you’ll have lots of fun watching the games, too!!

another thing, don’t forget to bring used sports gear and equipment, ok?? this’ll be given to kids in public schools, so you’ll be sure to have given something to a worthwhile cause…

click on any of the images for more pictures of this fun event…

Ciao, sweetie…

a benefit concert was held today at the Eastwood, Libis for influential singer-songwriter Ely Buendia, formerly of The Eraserheads, vocalist/guitarist of Pupil… Ely suffered a heart attack while performing in Laguna on January 9, and immediately underwent angioplasty but is now said to be recuperating at home… during the free concert, boxes were passed around by band members themselves to accept donations for Ely…

aside: i was in the company of renowned photographers Daniel Tan and Allan Florendo, foremost shutterbugs in their own right…

anyway, i have to leave early since the wife and i had to be somewhere later in the night… it was a good gig, but i unfortunately cannot finish it…

will be back in Libis tomorrow, this time to cover the streetball challenge featuring “athletes” from bands like Sponge Cola, DictaLicense, Kjwan, UpDharma, Radioactive Sago, Greyhoundz, and others who will be playing for the benefit of public schools thru the Rock Ed PE project… oh, and everyone is invited…

[click on the image above to go to the Gallery pages of the concert]

Ciao, sweetie…

it sucked!! it sucked!! Abe sucked!! Gail sucked!! Jayvee sucked!! all the rest of the committee sucked!!

…and that was because i didn’t get to win either the iPod Video 5.5 Gen 30GB or the JBL Creature II 3-piece speaker system…

but aside from that “not winning” whine, this is the only thing i can say about the Blog Parteeh! ‘07 that was held today…

IT WAS A BLAST

!!!!

i had a blast, apples had a blast… everyone had the time of their lives!!

i was able to renew friendships with former officemate Janet and fellow Linux advocate Migs, and at the same time, have a new network of friends… new friends [and blogrolls] like Jozzua and AJ who apples and i shared a table with… wacky Piere and yosi-pal Dotep, and many others!!

apples have a new circle of women friends in camera-shy Shari, tall but beautiful Liz, silent Joni, and petite Mae…

of course, who can forget that obnoxious loud person latecomer boisterous Ganns and his very close [really close] pal, self-mutilating wannabe Benj??

i finally got to meet [again] pro-photographers Elber [who, last i read, was trapped with a dozen people inside the elevator at the venue] and Markku… i hope we get to plan the shoot one of these days… *hint* *hint*

and so on, and so on, and so on… there are a lot of people who attended the parteeh, that it would take me the better part of the early morning, as well as majority of the afternoon, to list them all down… so, i hope you guys understand…

anyway, apples and i got so many goodies from the party that it almost [almost] made up for not winning either the iPod or the speakers… almost… we have a Google tshit, Star Wars DVD bozed set from Globe, USB fans from eYellowpages, mug and food from GMA New Media, magazines from hinge inquirer, books from Bo Sanchez, and a box of Krispy Kreme’s… and last of all, the party venue provided by Vince of Feedtext, Inc was simply beautiful… thanks all!!

thanks, Abe, and thanks to all the crazy people who partied worked hard just to give us this once-in-a-lifetime event by bloggers for bloggers… it was awesome!!

Blag Parteeh! ‘07 Part 2, anyone??

[pictures available here... if you wanna get a copy, please email me at chris AT haravata DOT com and ill send you a copy... just make sure you give me full credit, ok?? ;)]

Ciao, sweetie…

after the tension of the past couple of weeks, Saturday the 27th is now upon us… one more sleep, and a few more hours afterwards [at about 1pm], Pinoy bloggers from all over [46 of 'em plus a few from the committee] will be congregating in Makati for the 1st ever [bakit, may kasunod pa ba??] Blog Parteeh! 07… it’s just a party… no boring speeches by politicians [i hope!!], no product presentations [wag naman!!], just a party…

a party where bloggers can talk to other bloggers about, well, blogging, of course… where they can rub elbows with blogging community bigwigs like Abe Olandres, Janet Toral, and fellow PLUG member Migs Paraz…

where they can see the faces of the ladies behind kutitots, prudence and madness, misteryosa, apples-pie, sharmskee, last leaf, and karla

but, of course, who can forget the guys!! there is 1617-year old Darwin, retwerx, angelo, self-mutilator benj, among others…

and there’s more!! listed below are the rest of the people who will come to the party…

whew! that was long… and it’s not over yet!! this will not be possible without the help of the sponsors and donors:

Sheero Media Solutions, MyJournal Philippines, FeedText, Inc., Migs Paraz, A Bugged Life, The Blog Herald, b5media blog network, About My Recovery, Pinoy.Tech.Blog, Enthropia, Inc., Krispy Kreme Philippines, GMA New Media, Awesome Philippines, Codamon.com, Boracay.com.ph, Recipes.com.ph, WebMaster.com.ph, Bouncing Red Ball, Bo Sanchez, Microwarehouse Inc., SeoLuv, JNB Web Promotion Marc Javellana, Bubba Gump, e-YellowPages, Adobe User Group - Philippines, Weddings @ Work, Google Philippines, Hinge Inquirer Publications, Andrew dela Serna, Yehey!

and last but not least, ther will be no parteeh if not for the steering committee themselves… a big thanks to Abe, Carlo, Ernesto, Gail, Jayvee, Jomar, Jun, Kevin, Migs, Noel, Noemi, Rico, and Will… hat’s off to you, guys!!

see ya all tomorrow!!

Ciao, sweetie…

do you like those texturized or “etch-tone” pictures which emulates woodcut fromn old-style newspapers and engravings on certificates and currency?? this can now be done with the help of Photoshop CS2, this can now be easily done right at your own desktop…

Alleba Blog has a very nice tutorial on this…

here is my take on this…

this is better if you view it in its original size, and better yet if you use a black and white image… will try that one out tomorrow…

Ciao, sweetie…

yey!! i just received my Blog Parteeh! 07 eTicket for the bloggers party set for this Saturday!! yipeee!! **jumps for joy**

…well, not really jumping for joy as my arthritic and rheumatic joints won’t allow them to do that anymore… at least, in spirit i am… hehehe… :d

now, there’s one more thing i have to do… make sure all others will not be able to attend the party so that i get to bring home lots of giveaways!!

this is the 2nd invite i got, after that Pyro World Olympics tickets i won from Abe a few weeks back… nice!!

Ciao, sweetie…

it is final! email for haravata.com, which uses the GMAL interface, is now up and finally working… i am now starting to create email address, familymember@haravata.com… i already have mine and my wife’s address finished and starting to receive emails from our other email accounts…

if you don’t know what i was talking about, refer to have domain, will email… anyway, my new email address is now this:

calling all family members!!

Ciao, sweetie…