Forms, Surveys and Polls

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

COW


Photo by Me!


I am a professional forum administrator and I do it for highly technical ones too as a matter of fact. Aside from that, I administer and moderate a couple more groups for photography, gaming, cartoons, social networks and some that are hosted by organizations inside our company. For me it really is worth my time because I have felt first hand how important forums are. This is as important as building a community.

I have a lot of friends now thanks to this addictive form of media. I enjoy what I am doing now because it makes my life complete in some way. Now that I do not have much time for my love life, I always put my time on photography which has been one of my passions since I was a kid. I do not know about the technology and technical know how of a DSLR. The place where I started looking for information is forums. Now that I already have common friends, mentors and peers that are in the same hobby, I will be getting better at what I do because of communities like these. Every web site needs Online Forms, Surveys, and Poll Builders so you would know how you fare in CYBERSPACE. This is how you get feedback from people around the world. It helps you improve your services and nudge you in the shoulder if you are doing a good job. It would really be nice to use these forms too, to improve what you have to offer your viewing public. Information like this is critical to the success of your site, and getting them to be customizable would be doubly better. There is a FREE Online Form Builder that you can use so interaction between you and the rest of your readers can get you somewhere. I am doing polls now for my audience, found information that I should write more for men and have the point of view cut across women. It was pretty time consuming in the beginning but once you get the hang of it, it is easy!




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Next Photoshoot: Balete Falls, Amadeo Cavite

COW


Photo grabbed from Google from Armand_Apuntar


It's on the planning stage still but there will only be 10 slots given to this particular event in the weekend. This also will be done by nationally renowned photographer Rolly Magpayo. He will be discussing the tricks of the trade in fashion and glamor photography. This would be a very good thing for me to take up but it might end up non conforming to my actual schedule so I really do not know if it would be possible to get this one going.

I even like the location since it will be in Balete Falls, which locals and tourists alike frequent during the summer. I hope it would be as good looking as the previous shoots that were held there with other photographers. I've got a new trick in my sleeve though. I will be employing a new mode of shooting, and maximize the use of my camera. This would be really fun if I could attend this event. I just hope everything pushes through and the vehicles stay as cool as I want them to be hehe.=) Im currently post processing the pictures from the last photoshoot and finishing the video for the Laguna photo walk. I hope I can finish everything before the weekend.



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The Best Web Host

It's almost August and my domain expires on that month. I have to think of a way to either transfer all my posts into a different service or stick with the current one that I have. There is some kind of drawback if this actually expires and I do not do anything bout it. It may affect everything; and I may lose all my content in one blow because I do not know the logistics on how it would automatically credit to my account. Do they deduct that automatically? How do I recover it once it does expire? A lot of questions come to mind.

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Service is vital to any web hosting service since it would account content that you have on your web site. It would not be a pretty picture to see your data collated for approximately 4 years just go to waste because the company that you subscribed for did not advise you what to do and how to do it. Getting the best one in this day and age would be hard considering you have thousands of companies to choose from. It all boils down to their differences in service. It is one factor that you have to consider. This is quite important because you have to always make sure dedicated servers are given to your web site so people would not have problems with bandwidth and trouble accessing it. This is vital to the operation of your home page. I would like to recommend Web Hosting Geeks if you need a reliable and efficient company to help you achieve this goal.





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Today: July 29, 2009

Today was very very tiring. After work, I ran out and got back to the gym. It was a real pain to get into the treadmill again after a long while. It was doubly painful because I forgot my earplugs so I could not distract myself with the morning TV shows they have on front. Yeah I know nobody needs that but hey it works for me ye know!

I lifted a couple of pounds to maintain the girth of my arms. That would probably amount to like 80 lbs per arm since I use the dumbbells for a dumbbell press. Redundant as that may sound, I felt the need to do it on a regular basis since it looks good on me. I dunno, it maybe just me.LOL...

After that, never getting any sleep because my Mom and Dad suddenly asked me to go to grocery with them. With me picking up the tab, it costed around 3,500 for those which would only last about 2 weeks or so. My family has this notion of eating everything in one sitting, ask my sister about it LOL.

Anyway, my Mom bought me my favorite Chicken Balls and my Dad bought me 2 bottles of Gillette after shave... it was sweet because I haven't seen that in a long time you know!

I was late again in the office but good thing my office mate Vince was already here. =)

So I have to go to work now, see you later!



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Take a Seat

Tuesday, July 28, 2009


It was a fine evening; I had to do reports as usual. Since I am going to sit in front of the computer for almost 9 straight hours for work, the need to be comfortable in my chair was a necessity. This however did not turn out right because the one I had on my work area was used by a co worker and replaced it with a dilapidated one. I was not a happy boy.

I did try my best to get my posture straight and had to resort using pillows for my back and head so I can at least survive the 8 remaining hours of work. I was not lucky, my back still did hurt and my neck became strained for doing that. I guess I had to call another department and have them replace it, but since I was in a graveyard shift the administration office was closed and only open at regular office hours. I was already sarcastic when I asked the utility men and women; I was getting more stressed by the minute. I need better Office Chairs.

A Good Samaritan got up and gave me his chair, from then on I was smooth sailing. I got him breakfast too because of that. The necessity of proper seating is vital for people; I got my point across and got the chair replaced the day after. I'm happy they got me the best one too!


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KUMAGCOW FOOD REVIEWS: Quick bite at STACKERS

One early morning at STACKERS Eastwood

This is the day I'll tell you about a meal I enjoyed with friends a couple of nights ago. Since I work in Eastwood City there are close to a hundred restaurants that I could have gone to, but I specifically asked my office mates to eat in an Australian Burger restaurant called STACKERS.


The Stackers Premium Burger...

I already had a full stomach that time because I partly had dinner at home before I went back to the office. Richard just got back from the US and didn't want to eat burgers but I guess we had no choice but to go to the only 24/7 store aside from McDonald's... at least it is something slightly different.

The ambiance was nice since there were only a couple of employees from nearby buildings eating too. I ordered one of their premium burgers since I expect that it would probably be their best and most expensive piece of meat on the menu. Richard ate a Philly steak equivalent of the burger while Bernadette ate the salad with chicken fingers on it. I was not really that impressed when it came out of the kitchen. Service was also not that appealing since they confused me with everything they had on the menu. Their menu by the way was a little worn out, I would have wanted something on the line of laminated or plastic covered stuff but I guess they only had those made in cardboard prints. It was really a little filthy.


Her Salad was a little disappointing!


When Bernadette's salad came, there wasn't even enough effort for a presentation on it. They just put greens and a couple of leaves of romaine on the bottom then put the chicken fingers flat on top of it. They should have at least stacked them high so it would look a little better. I did it myself so it would look nice in the camera.

See what I mean? The sauce was a little Asian inspired but it was not that good considering it would have been easy to prepare that fresh. It felt like it was all bottled and packed so I was not that impressed.


I was not that impressed... =(

The burger? The actual premium burger they served me was so so. I hated the fact that I was actually gearing that this particular one would beat the current king of burgers in the country aka BROTHERS BURGER but I guess I was wrong. Their half pound premium burger was a charbroiled frozen burger inside a bun that occupied most of my plastic basket which they serve this in for. Burgers of this expensiveness and caliber should have gotten close to what the picture actually shows. But no, it was far from it and when I tasted it... it really was not that much of a challenge. I ate it in one sitting but man I was not satisfied. Presentation wise this burger was not appealing because I practically was overwhelmed with the bun than the actual meat itself. For the carnivorous me, it was a failure on 2 instances... first was the frozen mass produced state of it and second is the not so charbroiled flavor. I'm sorry but on this note, it did not beat BROTHERS BURGER.

The false Phillysteak like burger that they had was eaten by Richard. He was not amused by the content of it and did not even know that it was also charbroiled. He could not even tell! I had to tell him about it and since he already ate the Philly steak in Washington, he thought this was a joke... but he says its okay... so for 2 guys and a girl, STACKERS failed.


Ordinary Rootbeer and Sprite, nuthin special!

The drinks we ordered were just lemonade and colas, and I got the rootbeer. The colas were ordinary, and the lemonade was more of a calamansi flavor. It was not something to rave about than the simple iced tea other restaurants had.

In this round of KUMAGCOW vs STACKERS, I will give them one KUMAG for at least trying. I hope someone does research on the food they serve next time. I'll review that if they consider revising their menu.

KUMAGCOW not happy about this one. =(


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Life Loved and Lost


This morning was a very sad for most of the people in our neighborhood because of the untimely death of the matriarch of the MEDINA clan. They have been our neighbors for a long time and I grew up seeing her taking care of her sons, daughters and grandchildren. A couple of her kids were also close friends of mine. They own a bakeshop just across the street from our home so it was obviously a factor that we often see each other everyday.

Being a little overweight, she had a great chance to have heart ailments because of her diabetes. She was rushed to the hospital one day because she suffered a stroke. Confined in the intensive care unit, it was really a whole lot to bear just with their family business as a source of livelihood. They even got her to the best and advanced hospital in the Philippines which is St. Luke's Medical Hospital and the bills just piled up to about 7 Million Pesos which is roughly around US$150,000. It was a really huge amount to bear and she did not have life insurance to pay for it. Her family tried to get help through public government offices, but they could only help much. She passed away this morning and we all mourn her death. We were all worried about the family she left behind because they will be the ones who is going to pay for it too. We helped financially as much as we could but that would only amount to a couple of thousand pesos. It was still huge because she did not have her own Term Life Insurance. Things would have been easier for the family if they got one.

It is a good thing that we all have life insurance and paying for it was easy enough in terms. With this as a lesson, I am sure most of you will consider getting life insurance.





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The Day is Tiring...

Today was a little hectic, not because I just received news that University of the Philippines Maroons just beat the unbeatable Ateneo Blue Eagles... but because I had to do a lot of editing from this week's shoot. We went back to Intramuros and climbed its walls so we can shoot at a part sky part cityscape type of surroundings. I was very eager to shoot on plants because those are the ones you can easily pop out in a photograph. It was a nice day out with the D60KREW again and I learned a lot of things. Well not there exactly, but I had a small talk with Sir Andy Rodriguez.

I got a few tips to maximize the camera I have and learned that I have not been doing some things that I didn't know it could possibly do. What is it you ask? well, lets just say I haven't chosen some of the options on the post processing part for the camera. One that I should have chosen to do in the last 4 months of its existence! hahah... well we just figured it out how to have crisp pictures than normal ones so you will eventually be looking at better pictures from hereon heheh.

Actually this was a picture that was part of that shoot and I already used it on one of my posts. You'll see a better resolution when you click it so ENJOY!








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Handmade is Better!

Sunday, July 26, 2009


It was nice to know people care. Have you ever had one of those mass produced products that seem so cold no particular care or attention to detail was given to it? I have experienced it a lot and I just got another one this morning. It was sad because a friend just had given it to me like throwing pillows on a slumber party. It did not have that extra special touch I expected from her. I wanted more.







This afternoon I will be attending a wedding and I was frantic finding a gift for them since it only happens once (ideally and I hope it will be). I will be also shooting a couple since I wanted to cover this special event, she is a good friend. These are times where you want to treat her right, give the best things she wants so she feels special on this day. Coming from a traumatic morning I was hoping to find her something special. Handmade products made with love are perfect for this occasion. I will try to order some on line so I can get them what they really deserve. It's just the right thing to make someone happy and keeping it intimate. This just makes it more special. Fantastic!

Check out AMBER STORE for the best hand made products you can get! It's the best thing since sliced bread! It's a new discovery so if you want to give her the best, get on the site and check them out!




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KUMAGCOW FOOD REVIEWS: Dinner at PHO' HOA

It was already 6PM and we were trying to get a fix on where exactly we would eat. We did not agree on anything so I roamed around the the streets of Morato and Timog. I was really urging for something soupy since I was a little tired of eating a lot of meat and starchy food every time. We passed by this restaurant and agreed we need to be comforted by the Vietnamese chain Pho' Hoa.

Photo just outside PHO HOA =)

I've gone to Pho Hoa a couple of times in the SM City North branch and did not enjoy the soup because of the flat leaf parsley (which tastes horrible in my books) but I did not think it was possible to have it removed by just asking them. Well what do you know, it was perfect broth for the beef dish I ordered.


Flank Brisket Tendon Meatballs aka Pho Hoa Soup

Every meal that they serve also have these condiments and additional veggies with it. A bottle of Hoisin Sauce and Chili Sauce was available in every table. Though I didn't opt for that because I wanted to taste the broth more if you know what I mean. Aside from that, I like basil a lot and this was part of the small veggies that came with this bowl of beefy goodness.




Hoisin, Chili, Basil, bean sprouts and a slice of lemon

It was nice to discover that the lemon made a huge difference when I added it to the soup. Mom and Dad liked it too. He even asked for seconds on the soup because he got this:


Chicken Noodle Soup yum o!

See what I mean? The servings of the noodle there was also huge, which was the reason why it was a hefty amount you also have to pay for. Well, whatever it is I think it was worth it. It could have cost a little cheaper and it would be more better. But at that time, I got comforted with it. I was not hungry and found this light meal. It was great, and to top it all here is the one my Dad liked a lot. Feast your eyes on this!


Tofu Steak with Mushroom Sauce

Service a little off, the drink (house iced tea) was nice, parking was ample enough, ambiance was okay but the food was very comforting. I'm rating this 3 out of 5 kumags for getting me there! My chopsticks rested and I could have eaten them all in one sitting though. Until the next food adventure! I'm gonna make this a regular thing so stay tuned!

KUMAGCOW eats PHO HOA!



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To Have an IPHONE or Not To Have IPHONE

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

I have been contemplating on getting an IPHONE these past few days because my handy dandy N6280 is giving me a lot of trouble. The phone book is not working right, groups cannot be arranged and the applications do not even match my lifestyle anymore. I heard phone companies in the US like AT & T are giving great discounts on this handset so I am kind of thinking about this again. Maybe it is time my N6280 retires and get a new one.

I have been reading a couple of reviews about the newest one that they have in stores. This was not in my budget obviously so I really have to think twice or else I might starve myself just to get one this month. I was helping out a friend too in getting a new apartment; he could not afford the one he is staying in. He needs one that is quite close to his work since it's pretty hard for him to travel all the way up to the North where he originally lives. I had to lend him money so he could pay the first few months, so that is where much of the money goes.

I read that there is also a free application you can install and download from the IPHONE APP store to find apartments in the US. It uses state of the art GPS for location-based search technology so it would not be that hard to find one in the millions of apartments and rental homes nationwide. Real photos and notes on the property can also be seen. Check this out!


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It also has the ability to share listings on FACEBOOK so even your friends can recommend or get one themselves. This is awesome software and I kind of need it now so I'll download them right after I purchase my new IPHONE next week from http://www.mynewplace.com/iphone. I have seen some apartments in my part of town but they were a little off the budget, so I might need the help of modern technology and a little luck for my friend so he can move in earlier.



This is so cool! I will keep a copy and download MyNewPlace in the iPhone app store. You should do that too!



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My Laguna Photowalk with D60KREW

So there you go, I've got more but it would not really be good for the site since it would crawl a lot if I did put more of it here. Maybe soon I'll put the direct link for my photos here so you can all get to see em. Here's the KREW by the way:


From R-L: jake francis vince alex xander joseph Harvie kris Me carlo cid ray bangge me roy bambit olee Glenn
Group Hug PIC courtesy of Ms. Bambit


Along with my obsession with photography comes the arduous task of editing and post processing of all the shots I made in the Laguna photo walk with the D60 KREW. This was one awesome trip but I am still sick from it now but I don't regret the decision to come and enjoy my time with them. I got some of my pictures which I would like to show you now. Maybe it will load a little slow but bear with me alright?



This was taken on a fountain inside the premises of the Pila Laguna Church. It was floating on the second level I kinda pushed it in the water before I took a photo of it. Nice huh?!


This was taken inside the garden of the Rizal Shrine. They say that most of the plants and trees they planted there are all based on the former ones that existed in Rizal's time. I was a little disappointed about the shrine's color (they painted it green) but this Gumamela flower just POP in this scene. I've kinda been good at MACRO shots but never insisted going this path. Maybe soon when I get the hang of it I'll probably pursue it. But for now I like Glamor/Fashion and portrait shots more.


This is an untouched photo taken inside the Pila Laguna Church, it was raining outside so we were all trapped taking pics inside the church. I used flash but it kinda bounced off the gate where this was, it resulted into a nice shadow effect.

This was the church in Liliw Laguna where only a couple of us took shots. We were hurried by the other KREW so we kinda only took a few.
This was inside the garden of the Rizal Shrine. This was usually the place where Rizal and his siblings played during the day. It seems they were pretty well off at that time. Their stuff were kinda neat for an old family.






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