Blue Ginger

Thursday, July 31, 2008, posted by Blue Ginger at 1:08 PM

Thanks Nice for this wonderful award. Finally, someone said something good about my being a coffee addict. Hahaha. Thank you again!

Coffee drinkers:
Living the Healthy Life / Vanity Kit / Stripe & Yellow/ Em's Detour / Mind Bubbles / Something Purple / Mommy Talks /Aggie Shoots /Aggie Scraps /All Kinds of Me Stuff /Winding Creek Circle /InkBabyStudios /The Salad Caper /Scribbles of My Life /In This Game of Life /The Shopaholic In Me /Insights from the Grocery Cart /the will of the wind / Blue Ginger /your blog is next

Like a strong brew, their passion in blogging is hard to ignore and they love coffee too! Have a cup. Have a nice cup Ate Joy, Kate, Tess and Aerox.

Labels: tag

1 comments

Temple of Saturn, Roman Forum

, posted by Blue Ginger at 12:43 PM

The Temple of Saturn is located at the West end of the Roman Forum. It is a temple for the agriculture god, Saturn. It is the oldest temple in the Roman Forum which dates back 501 and 495 BC. This temple was reconstructed thrice. There are eight surviving pillars located in the facade of this temple. Notice the non-uniformity between the styles of the pillars. This is because some of the pillars from the original structure were recycled. On top of the pillars is an inscription from this period that reads: "Senatus populusque romanus incendio consumptum restituit" which means "The Roman senate and people restored what fire had consumed". It is said that inside this temple is a statue of Saturn. This statue is carried out in a procession during celebrations of triumphs.

Labels: italy, travel

0 comments

Fifth Annual Great American Seafood Cook Off

, posted by Blue Ginger at 12:33 PM

I have learned a very simple and easy seafood dish from my aunt couple of months back and since then, it has become a dinnertable staple whenever I have guests at my home. This dish is called Baked Salmon. As I have said, it is very easy to make that you can whip it up in less than 30 minutes. Here are the ingredients:

1 lb Salmon fillet (I usually use boneless, skin-on fillet from Costco)
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
1/2 tsp cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. While waiting for the oven to preheat, do the very quick preparation work. In an oven-proof dish, put your salmon fillet. Season the fillet with salt and pepper on both sides. Remember to place your salmon skin side down on the oven-proof dish if you are using a skin-on fillet. Slather some mayonnaise on to the salmon fillet. I usually use regular mayonnaise and not the lite version because it's creamier. Remember to spread the mayonnaise evenly and on to the sides of the fillet especially if you're using a thick cut of fillet. Top the salmon with cilantro. Cook this in the oven for 15 minutes or until you see the mayonnaise bubbling. Cooking time really depends on how thick the cut of the fillet is. Do not overcook the fish otherwise it will dry out. I usually serve this dish with roasted or steamed vegetables. How easy is that? The finished product looks snazzy that will surely impress your guests.

On August 2 to 3, the Fifth Annual Great American Seafood Cook off will be held at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center. It is one of America's most prestigious culinary competitions. This event will crown the fifth King of American Seafood. This exciting event features recipes that use fresh and local ingredients that promotes the positiveness of domestic seafood sustainability. It is a great venue to share your family-handed, tasty recipes. I would love to join this competition and show-off my Food Network learned skills but I guess I must come up with a fancier dish worthy of this cook off crown. If it were a 30-minute meal cook off, yes, maybe I can win it. Haha. So yeah, maybe next time I can join. But for you guys, if you want to belong to the prestigious circle of seafood culinary masters such as Chef John Besh, Chef Randy Evans, Chef Justine Timineri and Chef Tim Thomas, this is your ultimate chance.

Labels: payperpost

0 comments

El Foro Romano, Rome, Italy

Monday, July 28, 2008, posted by Blue Ginger at 8:11 PM

The Roman Forum or otherwise known as El Foro Romano is a huge land with lots of temples, basilicas, arches and other structural ruins. In Roman history, the Roman Forum is the central area around which the ancient Roman civilization developed. It is where the great leaders of Rome lived. This place was how I pictured it to be from my history books and movies about ancient Rome... just more beautiful and extremely amazing. If you are a fan of roman architecture, this is probably the best place to study that.

Photos were taken in July 2006 during my semi-euro tour with a travel buddy.

Labels: italy, travel

2 comments

Avanquest Connection Manager

, posted by Blue Ginger at 6:49 PM

Are you looking for a software that can automatically detect and remember your network settings? Avanquest Connection Manager does all that! For people like me who are bad in remembering passwords and connection settings, I think this is an awesome software to have. This software also remembers your set-up preferences for printers, email accounts, security settings and disk drive locations. For each network connectivity, your profile is saved. This functionality saves you time from detecting every network available from your current location in seconds. It also shows you the network connection strength as well as quality level of the signal. This is a fully tested and a higly developed software that is very useful in increasing your productivity. Avanquest Connection Manager handles your VPN connection, settings for your mapped drives and a variety of other settings. Get Avanquest Connection Manager for FREE!

Press Release:

Avanquest Software, a leading developer and publisher of business and consumer software for the global PC market, has released its new and powerful Avanquest Connection Manager tool, worth $29.95, for FREE. This title will save laptop users time and effort as it simplifies the process of detecting, selecting and connecting to different networks, printers and other peripherals whenever they change their location.

Today, mobile computer users often access public and private networks from many places they visit, from coffee shops and offices to airports and hotels. This usually requires different types of internet connections with a variety of different settings to be able to work properly, requiring the system to be reconfigured every time you move from one network to another. Avanquest Connection Manager allows laptop users to save time and avoid frustration by automatically:

* Detecting and storing preferred settings for each location.
* Selecting and identifying the settings if they return to a previously visited location.
* Connecting to preferred settings and peripherals for that particular location

Avanquest Connection Manager enables laptop users to automatically disconnect and reconnect to different networks and peripherals every time they change location, making it much more than just a wireless connection manager. Preferred network connection settings for the internet, Virtual Private Networks (VPN), email clients, default printers and disk drives are all remembered for future use, allowing users to visit locations and not have to re-enter any configuration information.

To get your free copy of the full retail software package of Avanquest Connection Manager visit : http://www.ConnectMyLaptop.com
To learn more about how the software works visit: http://www.ConnectMyLaptop.com

Labels: payperpost

0 comments

Are men intimidated by more successful women?

, posted by Blue Ginger at 2:20 PM

If you're a guy, would you date somebody more successful than you?

What?! Are you kidding me?! I know that my job has always been a liability to my relationships. But then being successful at my chosen career SHOULD NEVER be a basis for men not to date me. I hope not all men think this way otherwise my lovelife is surely doomed. =(

Read more about my ongoing dilemma about this topic by clicking this link.

I would appreciate if you can share your thoughts with me. =) Leave me comments!

Labels: lovelife

5 comments

Preserving Stem Cells with C'elle

, posted by Blue Ginger at 12:36 PM

My blog has been an open book to my medical condition. I dread every single time that I have to visit my OB-Gyne for my check-ups because everytime I am there, she would always remind me that my reproductive clock is ticking. There is just so much that vitamins and medication can do when it comes to human health. Over time, the human body deteriorates and sometimes it is impossible to self-heal anymore especially those conditions that are normally acquired through old age.

Stem cell research promises new treatments and possible cures for many diseases. It could lead to the discovery of new ways to prevent birth defects and abnormalities. Although this type of research has been a very controversial topic for ethical discussions, the possible benefits that we humans can gain from this research could not be taken for granted. Stem cell research promises great medical benefits for us and our future generations. Through stem cells, doctors are able to detect human diseases prior to developing them.

C_elle_kit_image

C'elle is a company who performs stem cell researches and they have successfully harvested stem cells from menstrual fluids. According to C'elle studies, menstrual blood is also a good source of stem cells which can be used for further studies on treating life-threatening medical conditions. The C'elle kit is an easy-to-follow non-invasive procedure that any common woman can perform so that she can collect and transport specimen from her menstrual fluids. From the C'elle website, you can learn more About the Science of stem cell research and its benefits by watching videos of C'elle Client Testimonial. This commercially available kit is a great help and a source of hope for women like me who are finding a cure for genetically acquired diseases.

Labels: socialspark

0 comments

The Colosseum, Rome, Italy

, posted by Blue Ginger at 11:30 AM

One of the most popular tourist destinations in Rome, Italy is the Colosseum. It is regarded as one of the greatest architectural monuments built in ancient Rome. Visiting Rome for the first time was like being in the movie "Gladiator" which by the way is one of my favorite movies of all time. As what I've said in some of my older posts about my european vacations, it is very difficult to take decent photos in tourist spots like this because of the massive number of people who visit this site. You can never have a decent "solo" picture with this tourist spot in the background. Hehe. When I visited the Colosseum during the summer of 2006, there was a gladiator in costume who roams around the Colosseum vicinity. You can take photos with him for a price. Since my travel buddy and I are on a budget when we went there for a vacation, we didn't bother to have our pictures taken with him. Hehe. Anyway, if you plan to visit Rome, make sure that you don't miss visiting the Colosseum. I think the best time to take a photo of this structure is in the evening. Really an awesome sight to see!

The photos that I have taken doesn't do justice to how beautiful this architectural structure is. You should visit this place and see for yourself. =)

Labels: italy, travel

0 comments

Join the Hype in iHype

Wednesday, July 23, 2008, posted by Blue Ginger at 8:48 PM

It's been more than a month now since I started doing sponsored blogs. So far, the pay has been good except that sometimes I had to stay up all night to finish all my posts for reserved opportunities. No pain, no gain!

What I love about doing paid blogging besides the moolah I am getting from it is that I actually learn a lot of new things. If I have a sponsored blog opportunity about a certain topic that I know nothing about, I do my research and base my writing from what I find in my research. Sponsored blogging is pretty much like doing a term paper because you are given a topic, you do your research about that topic, create your write-up and then submit your post within the given time limit.

iHype is one of the many social media marketing sites that enable advertisers and publishers to meet. Advertisers can create marketing campaigns in iHype.com and then member bloggers can blog about their products or services. What I personally like about iHype is the ease of use of their site and how fast they pay after they have approved a blog post. Almost always, it takes less than 24 hours to get my post approved after I have submitted it. They IMMEDIATELY send the payment through paypal unlike most network marketing sites that you still have to wait for 30days until they send you the payment. Big thumbs up for iHype!

Labels: ihype

0 comments

Awesomeness!

, posted by Blue Ginger at 5:04 PM

Last weekend I brought Kimi to Bell Lexus for his service maintenance. Being a first time car owner, it was my first time to step into a dealership service center. I know, I'm pathetic! Haha. Well, for one thing, I didn't have to do this back in Manila because I have my parents or the driver to do it and I didn't have my own car then so I didn't have to worry about car maintenance. Hehe. As everybody says, there's always a first time. Anyway, when I arrived at Bell Lexus, I was greeted by a goodlooking valet attendant and guided me to the lounge. The moron me again was amazed that they offered refreshments and food in the Lexus lounge with television, internet access and reading materials. There's a lounge attendant too who would ask every now and then if we wanted something. Haaaa! Pardon my ignorance ok?! I don't think you'll get this kind of service in let's say Toyota or Nissan or some non-luxury car dealerships.

While Kimi is being serviced, the dealership offered me a leassor car which is a white 2008 IS250. Getting to drive this car was so awesome and although I love Kimi to death, I would trade him for this car. Wooopsss! Handling was very reactive. Excellent styling and very comfortable interior. It uses a smart key so there's no more keyhole. All you need to do is to press the start button. It was more spacious than Kimi although this sedan didn't come with a sporty interior. Oh btw, Lexus don't make Sportcrosses *hatchbacks* anymore so Kimi is one of the few remaining Lexus hatchbacks out there. Windows of the new IS is smaller than Kimi's. They also got rid of the many gauges in the dashboard which I sort of use to check the miles per gallon usage and my guide how hard I step on the gas.

Photo courtesy of theautochannel.com

So anyway, I think I got what I paid for. *which is big, big, big bucks!* The service was good and fast although expensive. Hayyyy... the pains of maintaining a luxury car.

Labels: kimi, lexus

0 comments

Walk for a Cause

Monday, July 21, 2008, posted by Blue Ginger at 8:09 PM

Alzheimer's disease is a type of degenerative brain disease. When we say degenerative disease, it means that the function of the brain progressively deteriorates over time, destroying brain cells that affects a person's memory, thinking and behavior. Alzheimer's is also a terminal and fatal disease. This means that no cure has been found for this kind of sickness and therefore it will eventually cause death to the patient. It's sad that inspite of all the advancement in technology and medical researches that we have nowadays, scientists have not yet found a cure, much more a prevention for Alzheimer's. Five million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's disease and it is the 6th leading cause of death here in the United States.

I have a friend whose mom is suffering from early stages of Alzheimer's. Whenever we talk about her mom, she always has this very sad tone in her voice. I know that this disease has inflicted so much pain to the patient but I guess, it is giving more pain to all those family members who are taking care of Alzheimer patients. It must be so difficult for them to see how a family member deteriorates and all they can do is to watch him but could not do anything to cure him. It must be so painful for them when their loved one started forgetting their names, or stopped recognizing who they were. A family's life really does change when a family member suffers from this dreaded disease.

The Alzheimer's Memory Walk is the nation's largest Alzheimer's awareness event that helps in generating funds for the continuous research and support for Alzheimer's patients. This Memory Walk is usually held in the fall which is about 2 to 3 mile walk on a weekend morning. This is a great awareness and fundraiser program to help Alzheimer's patients. For now, we might not be able to cure the disease but we can always help patients make the sickness more bearable for them by showing our unconditional support to them. Who knows, maybe in the near future, scientists can finally find a cure for this terminal illness and save millions of lives. A few hours of walk will surely go a long way in caring for Alzheimer's patients. Join now by visiting the Alzheimer's Memory Walk website.

Labels: socialspark

0 comments

Moved to a New Domain

Sunday, July 20, 2008, posted by Blue Ginger at 10:35 AM

Some stupidity that I can't sort out right is haunting me. I could not get my sponsored posts approved because the old URL is redirecting to the new domain. I can't let go of the sponsored posts because I spent so much time writing them! So yeah, I moved back to blogger and published the old, old, very old blue ginger blog in my new domain. Hayyy.. I guess I have to live with this blogspot url. Grrrrrr! Disregard my message below... it's stupid of me to find this out just now.

---------------------------------------------------

Finally bought my own domain name. =)

Friends, I would appreciate if you update the links on your site to my new domain.

www.myblueginger.com

Thank you!

Labels: general

1 comments

45K Service for 2003 Lexus IS300

, posted by Blue Ginger at 1:03 AM

I took Kimi to Bell Lexus awhile ago for his long overdued service maintenance. He is currently at 45K mileage. This is pretty low for a 5-year old car. Anyway, I got the 45K mile service for him. Here's a rundown of the stuff that was done to him:

- change oil and oil filter
- rotate tires, check tire pressure amd alignment
- replace air filter
- check all fluid levels
- check battery water levels and cable ends
- check exhaust pipes and mounts
- inspect belts, hoses and steering linkage
- inspect undercarriage
- inspect brake pads, discs and hoses
- check wipers, lights and accessories
- inspect body (paint and corrosion)
- road test

This service costs $495. Not cheap at all! And then for the fun part... they found something wrong with Kimi due to my not so recent accident. Because of the impact of the broken tire that hit Kimi, the right front wheel rim got bent and also the alignment of the car was so off. Since I have been driving Kimi for 3 months now with those problems that I was unaware of and the many long drives I've been doing the past 6 months, the front tires were worn off and had to be replaced immediately. So for the tires alone, I spent around $400++ exclusive of labor for mounting and balancing. Hayyyy... Total damage was around a thousand bucks. Yeah... that much damage! I probably have to stay here in Phoenix and not do any long drives to save gas money. Somebody's not going on a vacation in the next few months. Hayyy... depressing! Owning and maintaining a luxury car is NEVER cheap! All for the love of Kimi.

So I am probably the poorest and most broke Lexus owner. Not good!

Labels: kimi, lexus

1 comments

How I Survived for 6 Months

Saturday, July 19, 2008, posted by Blue Ginger at 2:01 AM

Here's a list of my anti-DMV ticket/warning antics for illegal *READ: staying more than 6 months in a state without registering your vehicle there is ILLEGAL!* out-of-state car:

1. Park backwards on a wall *assuming you have no license plate in front*
Everyday I had to park Kimi at the very end of the office parking lot where there is a wall so I can park him backwards. FYI, in AZ we are only required to put the license plate at the back of the car. Well, I was hoping that the cops roaming around the office parking would be too lazy to go down their car and check Kimi's plate at the back. Hehe.

2. Befriend parking security and officemates
The more people who can warn you when cops are around the parking lot, the better. =) Befriend those officemates who have illegal out-of-state plates like you because they are usually the first people to know when cops are around. Phone brigade works best! It saved me couple of times.

3. Know the the nearest public parking
When cops are here in the office, I run to the parking lot to move Kimi to the nearest grocery parking. Cops don't check public areas or they probably do but they don't issue DMV warnings and tickets if you have an unregistered overstaying out-of-state car. Kimi's pretty much safe from them there but probably not from carnappers. =(

4. Know your parking lot
I guess for #3 to be successful, you need to know your parking space very well. If police is on one side of the parking lot, you need to have an escape route that they won't be able to see you otherwise you might end up getting tailed by them. Hehe. The more discreet the escape, the better. =)

Not that I am encouraging you not to register your car in the state you're probably temporarily considering your homebase. That's the keyword... TEMPORARY! For people like me who are still on a hunt for the perfect homebase or just living a consultant's life *READ: people who move around a lot*, I think it's unfair to be obliged to change your car registration if in the first place you don't intend to stay in that state for a year. Well, I hope the government can come up with a more "consultant-friendly" law. Something like a no-definite-state license plate or an i-dont-have-a-homebase-yet license plate. Haha.

Hoookay... I am just glad this issue is done and over with.

Labels: arizona, kimi, rant

0 comments

Need a House Paint Job?

Thursday, July 17, 2008, posted by Blue Ginger at 3:27 PM

Do you have a home that needs a paint job? Are you looking for a contractor that specializes in house painting services? College Works Painting is the leading house painting services provider in California. They only use 100% acrylic paints from top manufacturers such as Kelly-Moore and Parker Paints. College Works Painting pride themselves to professionalism, high quality work and best value in the market. As their company name suggests, College Works Painting program hire college students who are extensively trained in the company's training program and are sent out to clients so that they will be able to get experience in real life business. This company provides a great opportunity for these college students to earn money so that they can afford a good college education. Of course, College Works Painting will only send highly trained people to take care of your home.

College Works Painting provides a 5 to 7 years warranty for their standard paint job. They also provide a premium service plan which guarantees that only best painting products are used in your home and uses a more extensive preparation to bolster paint adhesion to your home's surfaces. This premium service plan will add 2 to 4 years life to the standard paint job of your home. Premium service includes pressure washing of the entire house, full prime coat, finish coat, top service guarantee and a six year price freeze. If you would like to get a free instant quote, visit the College Works website.

Labels: ihype

1 comments

Kimi Is Legally Mine

Wednesday, July 16, 2008, posted by Blue Ginger at 5:14 PM

After 6 months of driving Kimi *get to know him here and here* around Phoenix, I was finally able to register him under my name here in Arizona. He's been tagged with a spanking new AZ license plate! Woot! Woot! I have gone through a hella lot of trouble furnishing his papers, going back and forth DMV, hiding from cops because of my DMV warning notices *take note, noticeSSSS* and all the stress/frustration that came along with it.

Here are some pointers on what you need to do if you have recently bought an out-of-state car from a private owner and you would like to transfer the title under your name and register it here in Arizona.

1. Deed Of Sale
You got to have this signed and notarized by the original owner of the vehicle. There is a DMV form that you can use but alternatively, you can just write your own deed of sale document. My case was probably the worse case to produce this deed of sale document. Ok, here is my case... the original owner of the vehicle is my boss who is always out of the country. Notaries from other countries are not accepted here in the US. What you need to do is to schedule a notary service from the nearest US embassy you're currently located. Yes, it needs to be notarized by a consul in the US embassy! Mine was notarized in the US embassy in Germany where my boss is currently at and man it costed a whopping 100euros for 2 signatures!!! That's about $160 for 2 pieces of paper. It is crazy! They sure are making a lot of money out there.

2. Odometer Disclosure Document
The original owner must have this document signed and notarized. Odometer disclosure usually contains the current vehicle mileage and a sworn statement that the odometer of the vehicle is functioning correctly. You can also create your own document for this. There are a lot of sample documents in google.

3. vehicle Title or the pink slip *it's not even colored pink*
Depending on your agreement with the person you're buying the vehicle from, he can either give you the title immediately while you are still paying for your monthly for the car or he can keep the title under his name until such time that you have completely paid-off the car. In my case, my boss allowed me to own the title while still paying for the monthly. It's easier that way.

4. Vehicle Inspection
When you get to DMV, they will perform an initial inspection on your vehicle for the authenticity of you Vehicle Identification Number *VIN*. If they find out that there are problems with your VIN, they might require your vehicle to undergo a level 2 and 3 inspection. Level 1 inspection is free. For the rest, I think you have to pay a certain amount.

5. Vehicle Emission Testing
Once you've finished Level 1 inspection, you have to go to the vehicle emission testing center of DMV. I am not so sure about the technicalities of this test but basing from what I've seen, they opened the gasoline tank and checked something in there. Testing fee is around $27++.

Once you've furnished documents 1-3 and have undergone 4 and 5, you can now start lining up in DMV so they can do the title transfer in their system and issue a new license plate to you. =) Oh btw, I had to pay $200+ for the tax and other fees.

Finally solved this problem. What a relief!

Labels: arizona, kimi, lexus

0 comments

Affordable Auto Insurance

, posted by Blue Ginger at 6:28 AM

Are you looking for a very affordable auto insurance? Cost-U-Less can provide you with that. Car insurance shopping is quite a tedious task. Although there are a lot of car insurance providers on the internet, it is still good to first do a research on how much insurance you need. It was a tough decision to make whenever you have to choose if you are going to take state minimum coverages or go beyond it. Automobile liability, property damage, uninsured/underinsured motorist, auto collision coverage, full glass coverage, comprehensive, etc. are all mind boggling jargons that you would need to understand when you are getting an auto insurance. Cost-U-Less insurance car insurance quote can answer all your questions. The convenience of online shopping will get you an auto insurance in just a couple of minutes. Visit their website now and find out how much you can save from your car insurance quote.

Labels: payperpost

1 comments

To Buy or Not To Buy A Domain

, posted by Blue Ginger at 5:55 AM

I have been thinking about buying my own domain for a couple of months now. Since I have started doing "sponsored" blogging and have been very addicted to it, the idea of getting my own domain name has been bugging me. If you have thoughts about this, please share it with me and leave a comment on this blog.

Some questions about this though...

how was the transition from blogger to your domain? was it difficult? how about re-routing traffic back to your site?

What will happen to your SS and PPP accounts if you change your blog address? Does it need to wait for approval again?

Labels: general

2 comments

Programming Contest - Big Prizes Up For Grabs!

, posted by Blue Ginger at 12:13 AM

Calling all hardcore developers out there! Telecompute is hosting a programming contest that utilizes the Digital Stick technology. This technology allows developers to create database-driven portable applications that are secure and versatile. To join the contest, you need to create an application that uses the Telecompute's Digital Anchor components, a database with at least one custom table, SQL object, and an independent operating system that uses Digital Anchor Coil/Wrap object. If you are interested in creating applications for legal, real estate, retail, healthcare, finance, government, sales, engineering/construction or education, then this contest is for you. Big prizes are up for grabs! Visit Digital Anchor website to find out the mechanics and rules of the contest.

Press Release:

Use Digital Stick™ to Create This Summer's Hottest Code And Win

This summer, Toronto-based Telecompute Integrated Systems Inc., the creator of Digital Stick™ technology, is turning the heat up on portable database application development with its "Digital Stick™ Developer" Contest, which launched on June 2, 2008.

The "Digital Stick™ Developer" Contest challenges developers to bring on their hottest code and use Digital Stick™ technology to create an innovative, secure and database-driven portable application for virtually any industry. The contest grand prize includes a Best Buy gift certificate worth Cdn$2,000, plus added incentives. The runner-up prize includes an 80GB Microsoft® Zune.

There is no purchase necessary to participate, and the contest is open to individuals who are residents of Canada and the U.S. (void where prohibited). To qualify, you must create a fully-functional application using Digital Stick™ and submit it online at www.digitalanchor.com/developers/ by 11:59p.m., September 14, 2008.

Entries will be judged based on their innovation and originality; integration with the Digital Stick™ platform; and end-user appeal (i.e. ease of use, intuitiveness, aesthetics). Contest winners will be announced on October 1st, 2008. For more information about the contest -- including the official contest rules -- go to: www.digitalanchor.com/developers/

With Digital Stick™, developers can create secure, database-driven applications that can be accessed from anywhere. To create a Digital Stick-Ready (DS-R) application, go to www.digitalanchor.com/developers/ and download the Digital Stick™ SDK.

More information about Digital Stick™ can be found at: www.digitalanchor.com/Digital-Stick.asp

About Telecompute Integrated Systems Inc.
Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Telecompute Integrated Systems Inc. is a leading developer and provider of customized IT applications, services and solutions for small-to-medium sized businesses. Providing its customers with superior service since 1976, Telecompute is committed to delivering solutions that are powerful, affordable and easy-to-use. Telecompute's strategic technology partners include: HP, Lenovo, Microsoft, Toshiba, and more. For more information about Telecompute, visit: www.telecompute.net.

Labels: payperpost

0 comments

Amsterdam Canals

Tuesday, July 15, 2008, posted by Blue Ginger at 11:32 PM

This is one of my favorite Amsterdam photos. Notice the elaborate design of the gables of Amsterdam canal houses? If I remember right, the tourist guide told us that depending on the gable design on top of the house, it indicates who lives there... if they are merchants, artists, government officials, etc. Check out the huge windows. Although big windows provide enough lighting and air circulation to the house, I will be dead scared to fall out of it. It is as big as the door!

Amsterdam literally sits on top of intersecting canals. Lots of them! If you do visit Amsterdam, I think the best way to explore the city is to take a canal tour. I am sure you will enjoy it!

Labels: travel

0 comments

Charitable Programs for Uninsured Patients

, posted by Blue Ginger at 11:19 PM

A good medical care always come with a price. Besides worrying about hospitalization bills, you also have maintenance medication to worry about. Not everyone here in the US has a health insurance to run to whenever these emergency crisis arise. Patients who are underinsured and especially those who are totally uninsured are unable to afford their medication. Pharmaceutical companies offer this Patient Assistance Programs (PAPs) for those who cannot afford their medication. These programs benefit those individuals or families who have low-income, underinsured or uninsured and who have passed the eligibility guidelines set by the pharmaceutical companies for a specific drug that a patient will need. Patient beneficiaries receive reduced cost medicines or sometimes free medication.

There are three general criteria that you must meet in order to avail of this Patient Assistance Programs: household income is less than 200% of federal poverty level, absence of prescription coverage, and you must be a US resident or citizen. Signing-up in PatientAssistance.com will give you all the information that you might need in applying for this program. I hope this program reaches the third-world countries because I am sure, there are more people who needs medical assistance in those countries. I also hope all pharmaceutical companies all over the world will launch a similar program as a way of giving back and contributing to the society.

Labels: socialspark

1 comments

Hell Month Again

, posted by Blue Ginger at 10:45 PM

I just have to blog about the recent happenings at my work and the progress of Kimi's title transfer and registration...

My project timeline is ticking like a timebomb about to explode. There's so many things to do with so little time. It's not like I can just assign a part of my work to other developers which unfortunately, I have nobody else to assign it to because I am the only one doing java web dynpro development. Sucks! My current project for my client is an Applicant self-service in web dynpro with R/3 backend *of course!*. So it is basically running the /pb30 command instead of /pa30 command for creating and updating infotypes and subtypes for SAP R/3 in the Enterprise Portal. What sucks more though is the fact that there is no exisiting Applicant Self-Service *A.S.S.! Hahaha* in r/3 for the portal unless you buy the whole recruitment module of SAP. So anyway, since we're doing a fully custom portal application, we still attempted to stay with the SAP ESS/MSS standards for the implementation. This proved to be a hellhole of challenge because we found out that there are a lot of hardcoded stuff in SAP codes! Waaaa! It is a total nightmare to debug and trace what happens in the backend. Well, we are progressing with the project but very, very slowly which is bad considering the short timeframe and the huge output that is expected. Hayyyy... Stress!

I finally got Kimi's hundred euros notarized deed of sale fresh from Germany. Yehey! The US vice consul's autograph is worth 100euros! I am not joking! Her signature is that expensive! Will be working on Kimi's registration to DMV tomorrow. Goodluck to me! I hope all goes well and I get to finish the process fast.

Labels: rant, work stuff

0 comments

Be Safe With SaferCalls

, posted by Blue Ginger at 10:02 PM

On a very busy work day, it annoys me a lot whenever I get calls from insurance agents, telemarketers or anybody whom I have no business with. There are times that it's inevitable to answer unknown numbers on your phone because sometimes you really don't know when it is an emergency call. So you take those calls anyway. Another phone issue that I have is that whenever I am out of the country, I usually bring a roaming cellphone with me. Receiving unwanted calls mean paying for unnecessary roaming rates which is very expensive. And you'll probably wonder, where these people got your number.

All these petpeeve about unwanted calls can be solved by Safercalls. Safercalls is a temporary number provider that gives you the ability to choose which calls will be forwarded to your real number. With SaferCalls, you can forward unwanted calls to any number giving you more privacy and security whenever you share your temporary number to an e-commerce site for instance. With the safercalls portal, you can manage your block number list, retrieve your voicemail and manage the schedule when you can receive calls. If a computer is not accessible, you can still manage your account, change your pin and record your voice greeting using a registered phone with Safercalls. All changes that you make in your settings are immediately activated in your account. For those people who travel a lot, Safercalls works outside of US and Canada so you still have that privacy and security even when you're out of the country. You can check out Safercalls Website for a free demo on how this system works. If you sign-up now, you can get a special rate of $9.99/month using the coupon code 760508. This discounted offer is valid until August 1,2008.

Press Release:

Major Telephone Companies Blown Out of Water by Innovative New Player

July 15, 2008 – SaferCalls launches new service to get rid of any unwanted callers. With full control of who calls and when they call, you never have to receive harassing calls again.

Bad dates, stalkers, and telemarketers can be turned into blocked numbers in seconds by simply adding them to the block call list. They will never get through to you. SaferCalls protects you from the worst possible threat with the control you need, when you need it. Tired of bad dates, unwanted callers, and telemarketers? We're offering a special for $9.99/month when you signup with coupon code: 760508 at http://www.safercalls.com (Offer Valid til Aug 1).

Labels: payperpost

0 comments

Amsterdam Canal Houses

, posted by Blue Ginger at 9:10 PM

Whenever I fly from Manila to Helsinki, I always take a KLM flight. This flight has two legs, MNL-AMS then AMS-HEL. The whole flight and waiting time takes a little less than 24 hours. Because of the many flights I have taken through this route, I have decided to make a longer stopover in AMS before heading back to Manila in January 2006. What I like about Amsterdam is their architecture. I'm speaking of the Amsterdam canal houses. Photo above was taken sometime 2006 during a canal tour. These cute little houses have big windows with gables on top. The purpose of these big windows is for transporting big objects to the upper floors which definitely won't fit in the front door or very narrow stairs. The rows of these canal houses are so nice to look at. I was kidding my friend that I want to have the same house in Manila in a creekside lot so it would be similar to the canal. Haha.

Labels: travel

0 comments

Social Spark Is Mommy Blogger Friendly

, posted by Blue Ginger at 12:28 AM

Keeping a great career and maintaining a healthy family life is always a great challenge for mothers. I have colleague friends who just recently had their own families and have been complaining that they are not spending enough time with their famlies. Knowing how demanding consulting job is, time-wise, I guess I couldn't blame them. A lot of these colleagues of mine who have joined the family bandwagon have moved to other slower paced and less demanding jobs. As much as they want to be full-time moms, they still need to work to earn enough money to support their growing families. I guess for moms, family will always come first before anything else.

SocialSpark is a great alternative career for mothers who choose to be at home and be with their families. Spending a couple of hours a day to write blogs for opportunities will keep them from getting bored and making the most out of their free time by sharing their experiences and insights through their writings. I have seen a lot of great mommy posties in SocialSpark and I am amazed at their ability to balance a healthy family life and their creativity in writing posts that are mostly about their families. Mommy bloggers can earn money in between changing baby diapers, while watching baby sleep or just about any free time they have while they are at home. Signing-up with SocialSpark is so easy and FREE. All you need is a regularly updated blog, a SocialSpark account and a Paypal account to receive your opportunity payments. New opportunities from advertisers are added daily so you have more chances of doing a paid post. Once signed-up, visit SocialSpark site then search for open opportunities and start reserving opportunities that you are qualified to participate into. Requirements and instructions for the blog post is given in each opportunity. You have 12 hours to complete a reserved opportunity and after submitting, all you have to do is to wait for approval. It is that easy!

I truly admire mothers who chose to give up a great career for their families. SocialSpark definitely recognizes this same value so they are giving opportunities for mommy bloggers to continue earning at the comforts of their homes while still being the greatest mom that they can be.

Labels: socialspark

0 comments

Stay Tuned

Monday, July 14, 2008, posted by Blue Ginger at 11:25 PM

Lately, I have been posting Helsinki photos. Well, I honestly miss living in Helsinki where everything is slower paced and relaxed than here in the US. Anyway, I am sort of trying to reminisce how it felt like traveling in Europe and enjoying the perks of my job as a consultant. I will be posting several more travel photos that I have taken while I was living my "jetsetter" lifestyle then. Stay tuned for the next featured city/country/tourist spot that I've been to in Europe. Maybe it will help those readers who are considering to move to Europe or just finding some inspiration on why to go to Europe for a vacation. In my honest opinion, it will and will always be my first choice when I think of a place where I will live comfortably and maybe retire. Nothing beats the culture there and the numerous places you can visit one train ride away. So yeah, stay tuned and keep visiting my blog. Comments are greatly appreciated. =)

Thanks!

Labels: general

0 comments

Revive Your Home With Renuzit TriScents

, posted by Blue Ginger at 10:47 PM

Every time I come in to my condo, the unusual smell is always noticeable. What I meant about unusual is that it sometimes smell like the food I cooked the night before or sometimes it smells like garbage when I forget to put out the trash. On lucky days, it smells like old cabinet that has not been opened for a long time. Living in a condo is quite a challenge because there's little space so there's barely enough room for air to circulate. And having the condo here in the super hot desert of Phoenix is double the challenge since you probably won't open windows and doors because of the extremely hot weather. So basically you're stuck with the bad smell of the condo while aircondition is running.

Good thing, I received my Renuzit TriScents kit from the mail. I immediately plugged it in my livingroom socket and the air started smelling great. I just love the harmonic scents of Waterfall Mist, After the Rain and Pure Breeze. This electric scented oil air freshener changes its scent every 45 minutes so you definitely won't get tired of the same smell. Having this air freshener around the condo easily transformed my home into a welcoming place where one can just relax and enjoy. With three separate settings, I am able to control how intense I want the smell to be. Renuzit TriScents air freshener can last up to 60 days. Get your Renuzit TriScents kit now and revive your home in an inexpensive way.

Labels: payperpost

0 comments

Ruoholahti District

, posted by Blue Ginger at 10:30 PM

In my opinion, Ruoholahti district is one of the better areas to live in Helsinki. The prices of apartments are not as expensive than those in Helsinki city center. There's not much rush hour traffic. It is less populated than the city center. Commercial area is just walking distance. Bus, tram and Metro lines are just near each other. Ruoholahti district is in the southwest part of Helsinki. It is very close to Lauttasaari island and is basically what connects Helsinki city center and Espoo. The exact building where our old apartment was located had a lot of private offices and adjacent buildings are actually office buildings. Ruoholahti is the last station of the Metro in the south west of the Helsinki line and also the last stop of the Tram 8 line.

Labels: helsinki, travel

0 comments

Track the Weather with MyFreeWeather

, posted by Blue Ginger at 10:16 PM

When I was living in Helsinki, I check the weather daily because Helsinki weather is seriously erratic especially in between season change. I have been victimized many times of not dressing up for the right weather. One time I wore a thin coat and did not bring an umbrella thinking it would be sunny the whole day but in the afternoon on my way home it started raining with hail and the wind was so cold. I was commuting, by the way, and had to walk in between bus stops. Knowing what the weather will be for the whole day helps us prepare by wearing the right clothes and bringing the right equipments with us such as an umbrella or a thick coat.

MyFreeWeather software allows you to track 5-day weather forecast of any city in the world at any given time. It gives you weather updates automatically and you can set the frequency of how often it checks for weather updates. This amazing software gives you the current temperature, wind direction, wind speed, humidity and visibility. It even shows you an image of how the current sky looks like for your chosen city! This fast and user-friendly software even shows you the local date and time for your chosen city. It is an awesome software to keep in your desktop. For weather conscious people like me, this is a great software to have. Try it now and download for FREE! Installation is fast and easy.

Labels: ihype

0 comments

Helsinki Cathedral

, posted by Blue Ginger at 1:30 PM

I think, the most prominent and easily remembered tourist attraction in Helsinki is this Lutheran church along Aleksanterinkatu, more popularly known as the Helsinki Cathedral. During summer, this place is packed with tourists. I should know… we used to hangout in this area. Haha. It sits right across the Senate Square. This huge cathedral has a long flight of stairs and I think I’ve only climbed it twice. Haaaa! Just a block away from this cathedral is Helsinki’s market square which is basically a flea market. I think I’ve talked about this flea market before in one of my posts. The fried fish and paella breakfast in this flea market during summer is superb! Ahhhh… Helsinki days…

Labels: helsinki, travel

0 comments

Awesome Podcast for Sci-fi Fanatics

, posted by Blue Ginger at 1:22 PM

Podcast is a collective term that refers to audio, video, document or a combination of any of the three files that are distributed in the internet via XML protocol called RSS through a series or episodes. The popularity of podcasts has greatly incremented through the years because of the increasing number of mobile audio player owners. Podcast allows users to download their favorite audio programs automatically and listen to them at their own chosen time. I have been listening to podcasts for more than a year now. There are tons of podcast providers out there from different genres that you can choose from.

Leviathan2

If you are a science fiction fanatic or probably just looking for an interesting podcast to listen to, the Leviathan Chronicles podcast is for you. The Leviathan Chronicles is written and produced by Christof Laputka. Each episode is 30 to 45 minutes long and can be downloaded from the Leviathan Chronicles website. This podcast is an audio drama with a captivating story line. Its cutting-edge sound effects with an amazing musical score has really added an interesting detail to the plot. Visit their website to download and listen to it so you'll understand what I mean. The first few episodes are available for download for FREE! I have just finished listening to the first episode and it already got me hooked.

Labels: socialspark

0 comments

Helsinki Vantaa Airport

Sunday, July 13, 2008, posted by Blue Ginger at 9:35 AM

The numerous times that I had to fly in and fly out of a country, there were only two instances that I was able to snag a picture of the airport building where I am going to. One of it is the photo above which is the Helsinki Vantaa Airport. If you've never seen an airport that is not crowded, then you should go to Helsinki. Hahaha. Seriously! In the many flights I've taken in this airport, I've never seen it as crowded as LAX for instance or even PHX and not even NAIA. Quite amazing actually!

Whenever I am at the airport, I usually grab a cup of coffee from Starbucks. But alas, when I got to Vantaa airport, there WERE NO STARBUCKS! Haaa! No Starbucks all over Finland for that matter! There were other coffeeshops in Vantaa airport but I am not so sure if it was Wayne's or Robert's. Anyway, so imagine my dread not to have Starbucks for a maximum of 3 months while I am deployed there. The local Finnish coffeeshops are not bad but it's just that they don't sell frapuccinos there.

Helsinki Vantaa Airport is about 40 minutes away from Helsinki City Center. Our taxi rates are somewhere between 50 to 60 euros a trip. But if you are cutting costs, you can choose to take the Airport taxi which is around 20euros per person *last time I was there!* but you probably have to schedule it couple of hours ahead of your flight because you have to pick up a couple more people along the way. If you are traveling light and wouldn't mind dragging your luggages to the streets of Helsinki, there is also an airport bus in the city center. I can't remember how much this costs but it is covered by the Helsinki travel card. The travel card is like a credit card with a chip embedded on it. It stores money so you can pay for your bus, tram and train fares using the card. Hi-tech right?!

Photo was taken during my first flight to Helsinki in 2004 around summertime.

Labels: helsinki, travel

0 comments

Earn Money By Answering Surveys

, posted by Blue Ginger at 6:12 AM

Finding a legitimate way of earning money online can be a tedious search. If you are doing this same search as I do, you’ve found the right place. Get Paid to Try is a site that will pay you for answering online surveys, referring a friend to join, reading paid emails and taking advantage of their bonus offer programs. Signing up is easy and FREE. You don’t even need a credit card to join. By signing up and completing the member bonus, you can instantly earn $20.00. Click here to begin.

Once you are a member, Get Paid To Try sends you daily emails of offer surveys that you can take. Surveys usually take 5 minutes to answer. You can also sign-on through their site and choose the surveys that you want to take. Different advertisers pay a different amount. New offers are added daily so make sure to check you email regularly. Payment can be requested after you have earned a minimum of $20.00 or 2000 points. You can do this by logging on to your account and going to the account area. You can also get fast payments if you use PayPal.

Gptt240

If you are a person who spends so much time on the internet, why not use your surfing time to earn extra cash? What are you waiting for? Start earning now by signing-up!

Labels: socialspark

1 comments

Rautatientori

, posted by Blue Ginger at 1:28 AM

Above is a photo taken in one of the bus stops in Helsinki city center. The big building in the middle is the Helsinki Central railway station also known as Helsingin rautatieasema in Finnish. Trains going north of Finland come from here. Notice the huge sculptures in front of the building? Yeah, they are works of art too.

This train station is connected to the central station of the Helsinki Metro. Ok... that was quite confusing! The metro is the subway traveling within helsinki. The train on the otherhand, travels the northern parts of Finland. Oh btw, Helsinki is in the south most part of the country so that means they have sort of the less colder weather than the northern regions but it still gets cold! My colleagues and I would always joke about the weather in Helsinki. Before we go out of the apartment, we would check yahoo weather and if it says there 20 degrees, it meant 20 degrees if you're right under the sun but if you go on a shaded area, it feels like 10 degress. Haha.

Photo was taken sometime late July of 2005. I think it was late in the afternoon and it's starting to get cold.

Labels: helsinki, travel

0 comments

LASIK Vision

Saturday, July 12, 2008, posted by Blue Ginger at 5:59 AM

The LASIK technology has been existing for more than 10 years now and being practiced all over the world. It is a proven procedure that can really correct the vision of patients. Almost 32 million people worlwide has taken the option of getting a LASIK procedure done and it is the most popular elective vision procedure.

LASIK is one of the medical procedures that can be performed to correct a person's vision. LASIK stands for laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis. Modern LASIK procedure consist of 3D mapping, customized wave-front measurement of the eye, cornea examination and the first all-laser cutomized treatment. Patients would probably worry about the risks involved when getting this procedure done. The good thing is that LASIK has a very high success rate for correcting a patient's vision. Even the US Military and NASA has recognized the effectivity of this procedure. However, there is an average of 20-25% of patients who are ineligible to receive this procedure because of more complicated cases such as those with thin or irregularly shaped corneas. The procedure is fast and is nearly painless. There is less than 1% risk for serious complications. Otherwise, this procedure is safe and with high probability of success in getting back that 20/20 vision. Statistics says that 92 to 98 percent of all patients who have taken the LASIK procedure were satisfied with the end result of the procedure.

If you are considering LASIK or maybe would like to know more about this medical procedure click on this link: LASIK information

Labels: socialspark

2 comments

Ruoholahti Apartment

Friday, July 11, 2008, posted by Blue Ginger at 10:53 PM

I know this is so pathetic but this is the closest I can get to Helsinki nowadays! Haha. As I have mentioned in earlier post, we used to live in Ruoholahti area facing the bay. Map above was taken from google maps. I so miss that place! Bus and tram stops are just walking distance from the apartment. The view from the apartment window is facing the bay which is so beautiful.

Labels: helsinki, travel

0 comments

Fox News Features Zenni Optical

, posted by Blue Ginger at 9:55 PM

Are you looking for awesome deals on prescription glasses? Fox news recently featured ZenniOptical.com to prove if consumers are really getting a good deal from their prescription glasses purchases online. In the Fox news interview, a mom was asked to do an order online at ZenniOptical.com for the prescription glasses of her kids. She went to the site, input the prescription from the opthalmologist, chose the frame style and made the purchase. View the Fox news video here.

Zenni Optical offers stylish, high quality and very affordable prescription glasses starting at $8.00.

Labels: payperpost

0 comments

Friday's Feast #196

, posted by Blue Ginger at 9:25 PM

Appetizer

When was the last time you had your hair cut/trimmed?
-- four months ago when HH's mom came here to Phoenix and did my haircut

Soup

Name one thing you miss about being a child.
-- carefree and simple needs

Salad

Pick one: butter, margarine, olive oil.
-- butter!

Main Course

If you could learn another language, which one would you pick, and why?
-- French because it just sounds romantic =)

Dessert

Finish this sentence: In 5 years I expect to be…
-- settled down

Labels: friday feast, tag

0 comments

Rumba

, posted by Blue Ginger at 8:53 PM

One of the things that I admire Finland for is their great artistic talent. Everywhere you go, you'll see a piece of artwork even in the most unconventional places such as right in the middle of a busy Metro station *Helsinki's version of the subway* and right by the road side near a bus stop. The photo above is the gigantic sculpture that sits right by the roadside of Porkkalankatu in Ruoholahti. It's a landmark that you'll surely won't miss when passing by this road which has a nearby bus stop going to our apartment. Funny thing is , I always see this sculpture everyday when I lived there but never really knew the title of the sculpture nor who made it. I did some research and this sculpture is entitled "Rumba" like the dance by Martti Aiha. The art piece was a product of a competition hosted by Alko, a government-owned alcohol company. Aiha's huge black sculpture won this competition and the company donated the structure to the City of Helsinki for its 60th anniversary. Alko's headquarters is in nearby Salmisaari that's why the structure was installed in this area in 1992. Fascinating isn't it? Oh btw, this photo was taken in 2005 around summer. The weather looked great!

Labels: helsinki, travel

0 comments

Blog Broadcasting Via Zookoda

, posted by Blue Ginger at 6:53 PM

The biggest challenge in maintaining a blog is how to consistently attract a good number of readers. Unless you blog regularly and update your site, you will not be able to atract new readers. Much more, keep a good following of a regular readership. But then sometimes, even if you update your blog content, you are still unable to inform your readers that an update has been made to your site. Zookoda is the solution to this problem. Zookoda is a leading Blog Broadcasting Service provider. What it does is it sends blog summaries and updates to readers via email. Blog owners on the otherhand, have the power to manage their mailing list, maintain their own email template, send in blog summaries, track email recipients, control broadcast times and get real time reporting via Zookoda tools. By taking advantage of the power of emails, blog owners are able to promote their blog and at the same time create a bigger traffic to their site through linkbacks in the emails they are sending.

Signing up for a Zookoda account is so easy. Just visit the Zookoda website and fill-out the registration form online. The best thing about this service is that it's free! All information that is provided to Zookoda remains secure and confidential. For bloggers who maintain multiple blog sites, all you need is a single Zookoda account to manage your email broadcasting service. An online html editor is provided for bloggers to format their html email templates. Integrating the Zookoda subscription to your blog is also easy because all the required html codes will be generated for you.

This application is a very useful tool for bloggers like me. We can capitalize emails as a means of informing our readers about our blog updates and hopefully create more traffic to our site.

Labels: socialspark

0 comments

I Miss Helsinki Because...

, posted by Blue Ginger at 6:47 PM

My project manager is in Helsinki right now doing some business with the big N again. I can't help but feel excited about it because there is a possibility of going back there. I know that my boss would never ever risk losing my current client here in Phoenix if ever they get a project in Finland and require me to fly there. I am so sure he is not ready to give up my current client because I know he makes hella lot of money from me being here. I am still wishing though. Who knows?!

I am feeling nostalgic again after going through some old photos from previous Helsinki trips. Here I go again! Those were the days when traveling to Finland meant fun, a change in environment and living in the first world. =)

I miss Helsinki because...

- of the nice weather during summer... Sunny but not hot!
- I *together with flatmates* used to live in a big apartment with a nice bay view... we used to have a posh apartment in Helsinki in Ruoholahti
- i hate to drive! Commuting is the best! *bus and tram rides* they have one of the best transport systems
- a train ride can get you to another country
- of its relaxed and carefree environment... slower paced than here in the US
- they have lots of parks where you can chill
- of H&M stores
- shopping at Aleksanterinkatu is awesone! Mango, Zara, Esprit, H&M, Wedins, etc.
- I have a mobile phone that can be used to call anybody in the world which the Big N pays for =)
- I get to work for the Big N

Labels: travel, work stuff

0 comments

Rare Beatles Vinyl Records

, posted by Blue Ginger at 12:18 AM

My family from both father and mother side are all musically inclined. All of my aunts and uncles from my motherside including my mom know how to play the piano. I think my grandfather required all of them to know how to play the piano. My father side, on the otherhand, are all great singers. As a matter of fact some of my uncles made a living out of singing in bars and hotels in Manila and abroad. I guess my inclination to music was greatly influenced by my family. I do play the guitar and piano though I never had formal lessons.

If my memory serves me right, my uncles from my mom's side are so fond of collecting vinyl records. Every morning I can hear the Beatles, Peter, Paul and Mary, and Carpenters songs playing over and over as they all gather around the turntable. There were instances that my uncles from my father side would also come to our house and jam using the piano and guitar with my uncles from my motherside. They would mostly play Beatles songs and they would sing all day and just hang out at our house. Let's talk about my uncles' Beatles vinyl records. They are black, plastic thing that looks like a cd only 4 times bigger. I know that it would probably cost hundreds of dollars now if only they still have it. Too bad all their collections were gone after our house burned down 16 years ago.

Going through the merchandise that 991.com is selling, I was amazed at how huge their collection of rare vinyl records and memorabilia from different artists are. I would love to own the Let It Be vinyl record of the Beatles. I remember this exact vinyl record in my uncle's collection and it's one of their favorites. I know my uncle would be so happy if he receives this as a gift from me. And I am pretty sure it will bring nostalgia to him and reminisce old jamming days back at our old home in Manila.

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Labels: socialspark

0 comments

Lovelife is Always a Hot Topic

Thursday, July 10, 2008, posted by Blue Ginger at 11:47 PM

I was in the hotseat awhile ago during the send-off get together with my client. After a couple of real kicking margaritas, they asked me about my lovelife. Hoookay... My lovelife is currently non-existent and somehow it went down the list of my priorities. Anyway, everybody in the group assured me that they will find me a date... SOON! Haha. I had a great time with them talking about each others juicy bits which should definitely not to be discussed inside the confines of our office unless there's booze! Hehe.

The first moonsoon rain for the summer poured awhile ago. It was difficult to drive when it is dark, raining so hard, and a bit buzzed. =) I was careful though. So glad to have gotten home safe. Fyi, it was 92 degrees this afternoon and it suddenly dropped to 72 degrees when it rained. Lord, thank you for the rain! Arizona surely needed that.

Labels: lovelife

0 comments

Know Your Bills IQ Score

, posted by Blue Ginger at 11:25 PM

When I moved here in the U.S. 9 months ago, starting my independent life was so difficult. Back in the Philippines, for as long as you have the money in your bank or even in cash, you can buy just about anything like a house, a car, or even a jet for as long as you have the money. However, here in the U.S. things are rather more complicated. They do credit and financial background check in just about anything that you want to purchase.

Imagine my situation 9 months ago when I have just arrived. First thing that I did was to get a rental car. And to get a rental car here, you need to have a credit card to guarantee your rental. Good thing I brought my credit cards from the Philippines here. It's not so easy to apply for a credit card when you don't have a credit history to begin with. Second thing was to get a lease for an apartment. The landlord asked me to fill-up a form authorizing them to check my credit which was non-existent at that time! I had to ask my employer to co-sign for my lease just to get an apartment. All other leases that I made was co-signed by my employer. It surely sucks not to have a good credit when you live here in the US. Although I have kept a very good credit history in the Philippines, all those did not matter here. My credit history there was not get carried over here in the US when I moved. I had to start all over again from scratch and build my credit slowly but surely.

Bills.com website offers several services that can help you manage your credit and finances. They offer Debt consolidation, Debt relief consultation and several Debt help information to assist you as you put order back in your finances.

I took the Bills IQ exam on the bills.com website and got an amazing 92%A score. My answers to the questionnaire were mostly based on how my credit was back in the Philippines and a little of it was based on my 9 months experience here in the US. I know that the result could be different if I have been living here in the US longer and would base my answers from my current financial status here in the US. Either ways, this Bills IQ exam gave me a great explanation for my answers and what I can do to keep my financials fit if not very good. Being new to the credit rating concept, the exam gave me valuable information on the factors that can affect credit score. Credit score is based on three factors: payment history, debt loads and debt utilization. The Bills IQ exam also taught me why it is important to have a budget and to prepare for rainy day funds. Most importantly, Bills IQ provided information on how and why I should prepare for the future by creating a roadmap of my goals so that come retirement day, I can enjoy the fruits of my labor.

Labels: socialspark

1 comments

Thinking of Retirement?

, posted by Blue Ginger at 2:36 PM

I know I've mentioned many times that I am tired of working and would like to get an early retirement. But NO, it's not yet my time. Hehe. I just want to share a good resource if you are planning to retire anytime soon. If you're looking for a retirement home, here's a very useful site to visit:

About
California Senior Living

You might be wondering why I suddenly thought about retirement. It must be the weird weather here. I checked yahoo weather early this week to decide if I am getting a carwash for Kimi and yahoo said that there will be moonsoon rains starting tonight. The last time I checked the temperature outside, it was in the 90's. It was hot and sunny with no signs of the rain coming. Hmmm... let's see how accurate the weather bureau here in the US is. =)

Labels: useful

0 comments

Live Organic

, posted by Blue Ginger at 1:08 PM

Whole Foods is a retail company who sells only "natural" and organic products. They promote organic products that meet their quality standards. Recently, they launched a podcast campaign series for their all-natural body care and supplements. This month's featured videos are from a Manhattan's premiere haircare salon owner who is also the founder of an all-organic personal care product line, John Masters. John Masters’ Natural Salons only uses natural haircare products. The podcast series provide a lot of information about alternative natural ingredients to beautifying ones hair. For example instead of using conventional chemical based products for hair straightening, John Masters suggested to use avocado oil. I think this kind of information is what we need if we want to live a healthy, highly organic and natural lifestyle.

Labels: payperpost

0 comments

Overblogging

, posted by Blue Ginger at 10:01 AM

My brain is so unfit to do any coding today. I think I will destroy more parts of the application if I attempt to work. Crazy me, I slept at 2am awhile ago and woke up at 6am. I wasn't working the whole night. Well, if doing paid blogging is work then I was working like hell last night! Haha. This is the first time that I've written 7 posts in one day! This "sponsored" blogging thing is really addicting. I babysit my Payperpost and SocialSpark accounts more often than I check my business emails. *guilty!*

One of my colleagues here at the client's office is taking a 3-month long leave of absence. She's going back to Florida to take care of her sick mom. When I first came here to Phoenix, she sort of leased me her apartment because she will go on a vacation for a month. And so while I was still deciding which area here in Phoenix I want to get an apartment, I stayed at her awesome condo. she's a very nice girl and I really appreciated her generosity. I hope I am still here in Phoenix by the time she comes back from her LOA. I'm looking forward to her send-off party later this evening at Salty Senorita *sounds like Tila Tequila. hehe*. I so deserve some booze after all the stress I am getting from this project. Hehe.

Hmmmm... lack of sleep + stress + booze = ??? I'm pretty sure that's not a very healthy combination.

Note to self... Stay away from getting a DUI conviction! I think I'm going to carpool later. =)

Labels: work stuff

0 comments

Disclosure Policy of this Blog

, posted by Blue Ginger at 8:45 AM

This policy is valid from 10 July 2008

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.

This blog abides by word of mouth marketing standards. We believe in honesty of relationship, opinion and identity. The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post will be clearly identified as paid or sponsored content.

The owner(s) of this blog is compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, we always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers' own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.

This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.

To get your own policy, go to http://www.disclosurepolicy.org

Labels: general

0 comments

Win Cash Prizes for Sharing Videos

, posted by Blue Ginger at 1:04 AM

At the end of a very, very tiring and LONG day, what I need is a diversion. I need something to take my mind off work and entertain me. I am clearly staying away from anything that sounds like work, overtime and support. While doing my usual relaxation after a hectic workday, I found this video from viddiction.com and it's so funny. The title of the video is "In the jungle" where a hippopotamus and a dog were dancing and singing "In the jungle". This one made my day. =)

Viddiction.com is a social network video upload site. What's unique about this video sharing site is that you can only upload original materials that you created and own. The best part of this new social networking video sharing site is that you can win cash for videos. Every month, a winner is given a cash price for the most popularity points at the end of the month. Popularity point is awarded with each visitor view. How cool is that? Joining the cash for videos competition is FREE. You can upload an unlimited number of videos each month therefore giving you more chances of winning. The mechanics for joining is as follows:

1. Upload your videos
2. Promote your videos
3. Earn a Popularity Point with each view
4. WE total up your Popularity Points at the end of the month
5. YOU win! (prizes from $50-$500)

Viddiction.com is a great way of monetizing your videos. You do something that you enjoy doing and you also get a chance to earn from your creation. So if you love creating videos, visit viddiction.com and start sharing them for a chance to win cash prizes!

Labels: socialspark

0 comments

Helsinki Nostalgia

Wednesday, July 09, 2008, posted by Blue Ginger at 11:41 PM

Someone's been hit by nostalgia today. Hehe. I was going through the old BlueGinger blog and I checked out what exactly I was doing four years ago. Guess what I have found...

Summer in Helsinki - July 2004 3:11 PM

finally it's not so cold here in helsinki. also not so hot like in manila. just the right temperature to go out and enjoy helsinki! yahoo!

I arrived here last monday but I had to go straight to work from the airport. That's too mean! I didnt have a choice since I didnt have a key to the apartment and had to pick up the key from nokia house. anyways, when i got to the office, my ofcmate was in a meeting so i had to attend his meeting too! really rude!!! when i got to the meeting, i brought with me pinoy chocolates... i think it was curly tops. guess what?! they loved the chocolates especially the ladies. according to them, it wasnt so sweet and they could eat a lot of it without noticing they had too much of choco already. hahaha. at least the next time i come here and bring them pasalubong, it wouldnt be too hard to find something for them... not to mention it's a lot cheaper than dried mangoes. hehehe.

Punzi, my ofcmate just left for manila yesterday (friday). That means I have to attend the meetings alone. hayy... too bad! I have no one to ask when i dont know how to answer the client's questions. well anyways, i am looking forward to go shopping... or at least window shop today. my allowance hasnt arrived yet so i dont think shopping will be a good idea. i dont want to be caught dead broke here in helsinki especially everything here is a lot more expensive than in manila. Ill also try to visit the fleamarket that punzi told me. i hope stuff in there is less expensive. Ill also try to take some pictures of the places im going to later. I borrowed punzi's digicam so I can take pictures if ever i decide to go to the zoo. My ofcmates told me that there are lots of unusual animals in helsinki zoo... might as well give it a visit.

at times like this, i miss home. i have no other pinoy to talk to. my ofcmate chad, who is also my aptmnt mate is the only person to talk to. hayy... it's sad to be the only pinoy here in helsinki.

posted by Blue Ginger
Permalink ¤ 0 comments

Hayyyy... Helsinki Days! I miss Helsinki. I miss working and living there. With the current heat here in Arizona, I am missing Helsinki more!!! Haha. Seriously, I think I left a part of my heart in Helsinki. For three straight years, I was always there during summer and Helsinki has the best summer weather I've ever experienced so far. I have a lot of good things to say about living in Finland but I guess I would have to dedicate one very long post about it. Four years ago, I was living in a foreign land. Four years later, I am still living in another foreign land. Is this a sign? A sign that I should be investing in a mobile lifestyle!

Labels: flashback

0 comments

Be Aware! Join the Breast Cancer Link Debate!

, posted by Blue Ginger at 11:21 PM

Parabens are preservatives usually added to cosmetics and personal care products to kill bacteria. Recent researches indicate the presence of paraben chemicals in the sample tissues from different breast tumors, more commonly known as breast cancer. Recent studies suggest that these paraben and aluminum chemicals came from personal care products that are applied to the skin. Examples of these products are deodorants, creams and body sprays.

I was greatly alarmed after doing further readings about this topic. Whenever we apply these products to our skin, a part of these parabens are absorbed by the skin and are later stored in the body. So imagine how much paraben can accumulate in our body over time if we use paraben-rich products every single day. Since I have been using certain personal care products for years now, there's this usual instinct of just putting them in your cart while doing shopping and not really spending time to read the ingredients used in those products. I am very guilty of that! Sometimes in our attempt to skimp on our budget or use more popular brands or get influenced by good advertising, we fail to recognize the need to read product ingredients. I guess as a consumer, we should be more cautious when doing our purchases and do our best to build awareness to other people. You can voice out your opinions about this topic in the Join the Breast Cancer Link Debate site. Health risks such as this is something that we should be serious and vigilant about. Join the Breast Cancer Link Debate!

Labels: socialspark

0 comments

On Living in Phoenix

, posted by Blue Ginger at 11:19 PM

Who would have thought that after so many years of planning to migrate to another country, destiny will bring me to this hot and sunny city of Arizona? I guess circumstance played a big role in getting me here. Well, honestly, I am still hesitant to accept that I will be staying here for a long time. I mean, Arizona is not the most Asian-friendly state here in the US, right? Of course if I had a choice, I would surely choose a state and city that is similar to my home country unless I am sick and tired of my own country and would want a new environment.

I've been to a couple of cities in the West coast and so far, Arizona is at par with what I am looking for in a place to settle into. Road wise, it's easier to drive in the freeways of AZ and Phoenix roads in general. Traffic was never as bad as downtown LA or California freeways. The only time that I get into traffic is when there's an accident or some roadway work being done. But then the volume of cars on the roads during rush hour will never be as bad as downtown LA! Housing here in Phoenix is not as expensive as in California. And the tax!!! It's way lower than let's say San Francisco! Okay... I am probably convincing myself to be happy living here. Haha.

Labels: phoenix

0 comments

Looking for a Fast, Reliable and Affordable Internet?

, posted by Blue Ginger at 9:08 PM

One of the most important tools that I need to get my job done is a fast and reliable internet. I can't imagine my life not being able to check emails, not go online to IM my friends and clients, and not be able to communicate with my family back home in Manila through VoIP.

Finding a very affordable internet provider who can guarantee reliable connection and fast speed is quite a rarity here in the US even if there's steep competition for this product. Good thing, I came across Charter internet. Charter is offering high speed internet up to 5Mbps for only $14.99/month for 6 months. Their internet package includes the Charter High-Speed Security Suite® for automatic virus, hacker and spam protection. Place your order online now to avail their FREE $25 Shell Gift Card. They also offers a risk-free 30 day trial. This promotion is valid until July 31, 20008 so better hurry!

Labels: socialspark

0 comments

Shout to the Lord

, posted by Blue Ginger at 8:36 PM

One of my not so recent favorite songs that's been playing in my iPod over and over is the song by Darlene Zschech, Shout to the Lord. The same song was used in one of the episodes of the most recent American Idol. The American Idol version sounded nice too but I like this live version better. I think this is a powerful song which is probably the reason why I love it. I'm just sharing the video below.

They say that one of the better forms of prayer is through songs. This song is definitely one of it. AMDG.

Labels: music

0 comments

Variable Dimension Frames

, posted by Blue Ginger at 11:45 AM

Choosing eyeglass frames could be tricky. You need to find a frame that fits your face shape, a style that fits your personality and a type of lens that is available to the frame of your choice. Zennioptical.com let's you choose the exact details of the prescription eyeglasses that you need. They have a wide array of variable dimension frames. When they say variable dimension frames, it means that for the same frame style, they have other sizes available for you like if you need shorter or longer frame width, height, bridge and lens shape. So basically, they offer you customized eyeglasses to fit your needs. At zennioptical.com, eyeglasses prices start at $8.00. This is definitely a hot deal!

Labels: payperpost

0 comments

I Breathe Stress

, posted by Blue Ginger at 11:05 AM

Work is supposedly enjoyable. These are the days that I hate what I do for a living. Huhuhu. I am slowly drowning from so much work to do here in the office and it sucks to be the only developer for this project. =( I am starting to feel revolting pains on my lower back probably because of so much stress and lack of sleep *which is not associated with my work!*.

Somehow, I do miss doing project management. I guess I never really thought that my move here in the US would mean going back to the technical path PERMANENTLY! It's been 6 months since I joined my current project here in Phoenix. To tell you honestly, when I arrived here, I was NOT knowledgeable in SAP web dynpro. Seriously! I did pass the client interview with flying colors after I did some quick *like 2 hours!* cramming review about the project and technology they're using. So that means I still have that PM blood running in my veins because I still got away with my "all-knowing" and "i-am-an-expert-at-this" speeches. Haha. In fairness to me, I did study and worked my way to learn the technology on my own. *No trainings baby!* It took me a couple of weeks to adjust and work my pace to do development. As what my former boss would always tell me, "Java is java". Regardless of the framework and API, it all boils down to the fundamentals which is your basic knowledge of java. Now I believe him. I have painstakingly survived getting fried in hot oil many times and walked away unscathed. Well, some projects did require more loving attention and unsurmountable patience especially those projects that involved my boss *peace sir!*. Some projects just went by with barely any bumps. I guess over time, you'll just get used to the stress this job gives you. I may complain a lot about this job but deep down in my heart, i know this job is meant for me and even if I hate to admit it, I do love this job.

Labels: work stuff

0 comments

Affordable Prescription Eyeglasses

Tuesday, July 08, 2008, posted by Blue Ginger at 11:49 PM

I have been meaning to find an opthalmologist here in Phoenix to get my eyes checked. The last time that my eye doctor in Manila checked my vision was 2 years ago. I've been suffering from headaches with my current prescription glasses so I think my vision's grade probably went up and would need new prescription glasses.

Good thing I came across zennioptical.com who sells stylish prescription glasses. They use high quality stylish frames, full UV protection, lens edge polishing and beveling, quality hard eyeglass case, microfiber lens cleaning cloth, and thin and light 1.57 index lens in all their eyeglass orders. They offer a huge selection of beautiful and very affordable prescription glasses starting at $8.00 only! Regardless of the number of prescription glasses that you order online at a time, shipping and handling only costs a flat rate of $4.95. That's an awesome deal!

For the style and make of the eyeglass that I wanted, their price is pretty reasonable.

Labels: payperpost

0 comments

My Streaming Video Addiction

, posted by Blue Ginger at 10:58 PM

It's not an exaggeration but I really CAN stay home for 3 straight days just by watching streaming videos. As a matter of fact, I just did it last weekend for the 4th of July holiday. Haha. Lately, I have been staying up all night watching my favorite TV series on SurfTheChannel. Here's a list of the series that I have been marathoning the past months:

- Smallville
- Lost
- Grey's Anatomy
- Prison Break
- House
- Heroes
- Hell's Kitchen
- Kitchen Confidential
- Gossip Girl

You can also watch old series here like Ally McBeal and Full House. The streaming speed isn't bad but there are certain times of the day that you'll definitely feel the slowdown. And then some video providers in the site have subtitles on their videos which is sometimes annoying but really it does not affect the viewing quality. And oh btw, you can also watch movies in surfthechannel.com. How cool is that?!

Labels: rave

0 comments

Stem Cell Breakthrough

, posted by Blue Ginger at 9:57 PM

Stem cell research has been a hot topic for discussion during the past years. Stem cell research promises great medical benefits for us and our future generations. Through stem cells, doctors are able to detect human diseases prior to developing them. It promises new treatments and possible cures for many diseases. It could lead to the discovery of new ways to prevent birth defects and abnormalities.

My medical condition has been an open topic in this blog. For the past four years, I have been battling a possible reproductive condition. *Thank you for the bad genes, mom and dad!* My doctors even suggested that I conceive a baby soon so I can be sure that whatever happens to my reproductive system in the future, at least I already have a guaranteed kid. I am at the peak of my career and having a kid anytime soon is probably a liability to my current work and lifestyle. Don't get me wrong. I would love to have kids in the future but my health could be a problem if I plan to conceive 3 to 5 years from now. It’s the medical researches such as this that gives hope to women like me.

I was intrigued after reading an article in CNNMoney about a company who successfully harvested stem cells from menstrual fluids. Before, I thought that the only way to harvest stem cells is through human embryos and umbilical cord. After reading this article, I have learned that menstrual blood is also a good source of stem cells which can be used for further studies. This is a great scientific breakthrough and I am honestly looking forward to this recent discovery.

Press Release:

Taking Control: Future Therapies for a Host of Serious Diseases May Be Found in Women's Menstrual Blood

July 07, 2008: 01:28 PM EST

OLDSMAR, Fla., July 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- With today’s hectic lifestyle, where most women are juggling careers, family, relationships, and a host of activities, the idea of possibly facing a serious illness in the future is not something that readily comes to mind -- especially when a woman is in the prime of her life. But what most women don’t know, is that the key to treating a number of possibly life-threatening diseases that she, a parent, a sibling or even her children may face in later years, such as osteoporosis, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, may be found within her own body -- in vital stem cells, which can now be harvested from her own menstrual blood.

Now, thanks to the revolutionary research and technology of C’elle, a service dedicated to providing women with a safe and easy method of collecting and preserving stem cells found in her menstrual fluid each month, even the busiest woman can take control of her future, right in the privacy of her own home. With C’elle’s non-invasive collection process, menstrual cells are processed and cryo-preserved (stored at a very low temperature) for potential cellular therapies that may be used in the future. These self-renewing cells one day may even be used for sports medicine or cosmeceutical treatments, such as anti-aging therapies.

"C’elle enables and empowers a woman to take control of her future health, and possibly of those genetically closest to her, in a fast, painless and stress free way," said Michelle Kay, Marketing and Sales Manager for C’elle. "We live in exciting times, as science and technology are discovering how extremely valuable menstrual blood stem cells really are, and the enormous treatment potential they represent for future therapies. C’elle’s ongoing research is supporting these promising findings."

For more information about C’elle, please call 1-877-892-3553 or visit www.celle.com.

Labels: payperpost

0 comments

Geek Post: Activation Failed Error in Java Web dynpro DC

, posted by Blue Ginger at 2:26 PM

Warning: Too much jargons in this entry...

I have a custom ESS (Employee Self-Service) DC (development component) that used web dynpro for java. After doing my changes, I tried to check-in my modifications to the JDI (otherwise known as SAP NetWeaver Java Development Infrastructure) but I kept getting a build failed error with this odd error message:

Change request state from PROCESSING to FAILED
ERROR! The following problem(s) occurred during request processing:
ERROR! The following error occurred during request processing:
Activation FAILED due to build problems. See build logs for details.
REQUEST PROCESSING finished at 2008-02-05 16:34:50.651 GMT and took 2 m 10 s 795 ms
[wdgen] [Info] Catching throwable null
[wdgen] [Info] com.sap.webdynpro.generation.ant.
GenerationAntTaskError
[wdgen] at com.sap.webdynpro.generation.ant.GenerationAnt.
showCheckResult(GenerationAnt.java:153)
[wdgen] at com.sap.ide.webdynpro.generation.Generation.check
(Generation.java:2048)
[wdgen] at com.sap.ide.webdynpro.generation.Generation.
generatePersistentComponent(Generation.java:1297)
[wdgen] at com.sap.ide.webdynpro.generation.console.
GenerationConsole.generate(GenerationConsole.java:175)
[wdgen] at com.sap.webdynpro.generation.ant.GenerationAnt.
main(GenerationAnt.java:50)
[wdgen] at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0
(Native Method)
[wdgen] at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke
(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
[wdgen] at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke
(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
[wdgen] at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:324)
[wdgen] at com.sap.webdynpro.generation.ant.WDGenAntTask.
execute(WDGenAntTask.java:219)
[wdgen] at org.apache.tools.ant.Task.perform(Task.java:341)
[wdgen] at org.apache.tools.ant.Target.execute(Target.java:309)
[wdgen] at org.apache.tools.ant.Target.performTasks(Target.java:336)
[wdgen] at org.apache.tools.ant.Project.executeTarget
(Project.java:1339)
[wdgen] at com.sap.tc.buildplugin.techdev.ant.util.AntRunner.run
(AntRunner.java:115)
[wdgen] at com.sap.tc.buildplugin.AbstractAntBuildAction.execute
(AbstractAntBuildAction.java:65)
[wdgen] at com.sap.tc.buildplugin.AbstractPlugin.
handleBuildStepSequence(AbstractPlugin.java:225)
[wdgen] at com.sap.tc.buildplugin.AbstractPlugin.performBuild
(AbstractPlugin.java:201)
[wdgen] at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0
(Native Method)
[wdgen] at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke
(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
[wdgen] at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke
(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
[wdgen] at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:324)
[wdgen] at com.sap.tc.buildtool.PluginCommunicator.maybeInvoke
(PluginCommunicator.java:114)
[wdgen] at com.sap.tc.buildtool.PluginCommunicatorV2.communicate
(PluginCommunicatorV2.java:42)
[wdgen] at com.sap.tc.buildtool.PluginHandlerImpl.
handlePluginCommunication(PluginHandlerImpl.java:354)
[wdgen] at com.sap.tc.buildtool.PluginHandlerImpl.execute
(PluginHandlerImpl.java:176)
[wdgen] at com.sap.tc.devconf.impl.DCProxy.make(DCProxy.java:1726)
[wdgen] at com.sap.tc.devconf.impl.DCProxy.make(DCProxy.java:1498)
[wdgen] at com.sap.tc.buildcontroller.CBSBuildController.build
(CBSBuildController.java:727)
[wdgen] at com.sap.tc.buildcontroller.CBSBuildController.
execCommand(CBSBuildController.java:503)
[wdgen] at com.sap.tc.buildcontroller.CBSBuildController.
evalCmdLine(CBSBuildController.java:442)
[wdgen] at com.sap.tc.buildcontroller.CBSBuildController.run
(CBSBuildController.java:314)
[wdgen] at com.sap.tc.buildcontroller.CBSBuildController.exec
(CBSBuildController.java:252)
[wdgen] at com.sap.tc.buildcontroller.CBSBuildController.mainLoop
(CBSBuildController.java:207)
[wdgen] at com.sap.tc.buildcontroller.CBSBuildController.main
(CBSBuildController.java:168)
[wdgen] ERROR: Unknown exception during generation null
(com.sap.webdynpro.generation.ant.GenerationAntTaskError)
[wdgen] ERROR: Generation failed due to errors (0 seconds)
Ant runtime 1.297 seconds
Ant build finished with ERRORS
[Error] Generation failed!
Error: Build stopped due to an error: [Error] Generation failed!
Build plugin finished at 2008-02-05 09:34:38 GMT-07:00
Total build plugin runtime: 1.735 seconds
Build finished with ERROR

An ANT error??? That is weird! I realized that the change I did to the DC was I added a new Model object. My initial guess was that when the JDI tries to compile (using ANT) my codes, it is unable to find the newly added model. And boy, I was right! Here's my solution:
1. Go to DTR perspective of your NWDS (NetWeaver Developer Studio)
2. Go to Repository Browser
3. Expand the root node and look for "inactive" node
4. Look for the DC you want to commit then expand the DC node.
5. Right-click on the "src" folder then select Add > Subtree. This will automatically add the required files to build the DC.
6. Re-try checking-in the DC.

Geez! I can't believe I posted error logs here. Haha. I still hope this helps!

***Note to self... I should build a glossary of terms here in my blog. Defining all acronyms could be tedious.

Labels: SAP EP, work stuff

2 comments

Keep Your Home Smelling Good

Monday, July 07, 2008, posted by Blue Ginger at 9:50 PM

When you live in a one bedroom condo unit in Phoenix, AZ, summertime can be a nightmare. The temperature here goes up to three digits so you'll probably need to keep the airconditioning unit running most of the time you're at home. Since you have an AC running, you can't open windows and doors to maintain the coooler temperature longer. It's a big challenge to keep the condo smelling good if you barely have enough space for air circulation. In my experience, after cooking a meal, the smell of the cooked food lingers in the condo for a long time inspite of having a stove exhaust vent. At first, the food smell is tolerable but after a while, it starts to stink so bad which is really a challenge to get rid off.

I admit I have become an air freshener addict because of the air circulation conditions in my condo. My AC is turned on every time I am home which is about 12 hours a day. To counteract the bad smell, I would plug air fresheners in every corner of my home and spray air deodorizers just so I can keep it smelling good without the need to open windows and doors for air circulation.

Imagine my delight when I was given an opportunity to try the new Renuzit TriScents air freshener. After receiving my kit from the mail, I immediately plugged my Renuzit TriScents kit in the living room. This is the area of my condo where I spend most of my time so I've decided to try it there. The kit that I got has three different Seaside Breezes scents namely Relaxing Waves™, Beach Breezes™, and Ocean Oasis™. What I love about this air freshener is that the scent changes every 45 minutes! Usually when your nose gets used to the same scent, after a while you can no longer smell it. The dynamic changing scent of the Renuzit TriScents prevents you from experiencing that. I really love the combination of the seaside breezes scent because it smells like fresh air from the outdoors. I can't wait to try the Morning Meadow fragrances. I am so glad that the bad odor was immediately replaced by the sweet smelling scent of the Renuzit TriScents. The great smelling fragrance will now welcome you once you enter my home.

Ts_version_2

To get great deals when you buy your Renuzit TriScents Starter Kit, visit the Renuzit TriScents website and print a coupon.

Labels: rave, socialspark

4 comments

Gossip Girl

Saturday, July 05, 2008, posted by Blue Ginger at 10:48 PM

One of the best life lessons that I learned from my boss is that when people extend their help to us, especially our parents, be grateful and accept it. Even if we think that we can go through our life's problems alone and we can conquer them all, it's ok to be vulnerable at times and show them that we need them. It's a form of disrespect to our parents or to anybody for that matter if we turndownn gracious offers for help. Ok, I am becoming emotional because of the recent happenings to my family.

On the lighter side, I spent this long weekend marathoning Gossip Girl. It was too hot to go out so I have decided to slob around the house and stay in front of my laptop for more than 24hours. I slept around 6am this morning because I couldn't stop watching the series. I know I am crazy! Haha.

Labels: family, rave

0 comments

Bloggin' Beck

Friday, July 04, 2008, posted by Blue Ginger at 11:15 PM

The first time that I have heard about Glenn Beck was when I was with my boss driving to L.A. and he was playing a recorded radio show of Beck. At first I was skeptical about listening to his goofy commentaries about the war in Iraq. I just told myself, this guy better say something worth listening to because I’m sure my boss wouldn’t be too happy listening to him for five hours. After a while of listening to him, I realized, this guy made sense.

Since I've found about Glenn Beck's website, I have been addicted to watching his videos and reading his blog. He really has his way of putting humor into serious socio-economic and political issues that we deal with in our everyday lives. His unconventional way of delivering issues such as war in Iraq, global warming, oil price hike, etc. are all entertaining but at the same time, very informative and could really leave you pondering. I guess inspite of the difficulties that we deal with everyday, we need a little comic relief to make our daily battles easier to deal with. So what are you waiting for? Follow the link now to visit Glenn Beck's blog and start reading!

Glenn Beck's summer comedy tour will be on July 17th, 2008 at 8PM ET live from the Majestic Theatre in Dallas. For ticket information, click here: Glenn Beck's site.

Labels: socialspark

0 comments

Papa's Girl

, posted by Blue Ginger at 9:37 PM

I just realized that somehow I have started to adjust to the hot weather here in Phoenix. I still do hate the super hot weather but at least my ranting and complaining have decreased exponentially. Haha. People who are from here are right, I'll get used to this weather... eventually!

I have learned that...

- no matter how hard I try, I can't please everybody
- I am still a papa's girl beneath that toughie exterior
- the price of independence is sometimes more expensive than what you expected
- when bad things happen to your family thousands of miles away, the burden of worrying about them triples.
- it sucks to be helpless and alone

When I called home few days ago and spoke to my pops, he said "uwi ka na lang dito" *translation: just come home*. Instead of answering, I just felt that tears started falling from my eyes. As much as I want to come home because of the things happening in our family, I just can't. I know that I am still papa's little *big!* girl at heart. No matter how toughie and strong I seemed as I go through my life living on my own here in the US, when it's my pops telling me to go home, my heart just melts and transforms to that little girl. Hayyyy... I wish everything to be ok back home.

Labels: family

2 comments

Glenn Beck in Beck '08 Unelectable

, posted by Blue Ginger at 8:43 AM

Kimi is a truck trapped in a small car's body in terms of gasoline consumption. He runs 18-22 miles per gallon. I know that he's not really a gas efficient car but I love that Lexus IS300 car. When I first came here to the U.S., Kimi's fulltank costs around $45 for a 15liter tank with a 91 octane gasoline. Now, Kimi's fulltank ranges from $70 to $75 for the same octane rating gas depending on which area of state I am at. It's crazily expensive!

With the growing price of gas each day, it made me think of what is the government doing to find a solution to this. The current oil price hike situation here in the U.S. is very much similar to what is happening in the Philippines. It's funny how Glenn Beck tried to analyze what these U.S. politician's solutions to this hike problem tracing back from the 1970's in one of his featured videos from his website. What's amusing with these politicians here is that they kept promising solutions to this energy dependence to imported gasoline problem but they never actually solved the problem. And looking at the current prices for gasoline now, it seemed that it just kept getting worse. Beck's blunt commentaries about politics and these politicians is really entertaining but sad to say, they're all true. He presents sensitive and serious topics in a very amusing and funny way but still kept its factuality and its adverse effects on the people of this nation.

Glenn Beck will be holding a summer comedy tour on July 17 entitled Beck'08 Unelectable. It will be simulcasted live to 350 theaters nationwide. He will talk about his opinions about the politics in this country. I hope I can watch his show but too bad Dallas is too far from here. I'll just probably wait for a rerun of this show online.

Labels: socialspark

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Kimi Is...

, posted by Blue Ginger at 8:38 AM

I should have posted this a long time ago but have forgotten to do so. No matter how much hassle Kimi's title transfer has caused me, I will still choose this car over other cars. Or maybe not... if I can just afford a new Lexus IS350 or a Lexus hybrid for that matter! Hehe.

Anyway, Kimi's Lexus insignia in front was painted black to match the front grills. What I meant about "match" is that it was painted black so it's not so obvious that he is a Lexus. And then the Lexus insignia at the rear end of the car was removed so there really is not much sign of him being a Lexus unless you know where to look at... the wheels and interior! I kept wondering why my boss did that and wanted Kimi to be a low profile, japanese luxury car. And then the other day, when I was getting Kimi into a Vehicle emission testing with the DMV here in Glendale, the guy from the inspection was so amazed with Kimi. He said it's not usual that you find a Lexus wagon being driven here in Phoenix and he kept complimenting how beautiful the car is. =) This isn't the first time that somebody asked me about Kimi and how rare it is to find Sportcrosses being driven here in Arizona. I've only seen another IS300 Sportcross here in Phoenix once. Well, that must be the reason why my boss took off the insignia, Kimi sure is a head turner!

Labels: kimi, lexus

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Great Luminox Deals

Thursday, July 03, 2008, posted by Blue Ginger at 10:41 PM

I am not sure how many times I have mentioned in this blog that I am a shopaholic. While most of my colleages find pleasure in reading technical blogs, contributing to software forums and reviewing what's the best new opensource framework out there, there I am spending my precious free time doing window shopping online! Online shopping is my ultimate de-stresser after a long and busy day. What I love about doing online shopping is that almost always, I get the cheapest and best deals for my purchases plus I don't have to drive and go to the store.

Luminox creates state-of-the-art watches that use self-powered micro gas lights to illuminate watch hands and hour markers for visibility under low-light and no light conditions. These self-powered watches does not need external light source to charge like luminous watches nor does it require a push button to light up like electroluminescence watches. This is the type of watch that is highly recommended and utilized by the U.S. Navy SEALs and U.S. Air Force. Luminox watches are available online through lapolicegear.com website. Visit LA Police Gear website now and find the best Luminox watch that suits you. Check out the 20% discount prices for these spectacular watches with 2 year factory warranty and free next day air shipping. Where else can you find the best deals for Luminox watches other than LA Police Gear website. Shop now!

Labels: payperpost

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Long Weekend At Last!

, posted by Blue Ginger at 8:27 PM

Today was the first time I came in to my client's office wearing a dress... a black office dress to be exact. I wasn't really expecting any attention but then people did notice the little black dress! For the life of me, I was just so lazy to iron my usual office attire which is long sleeved shirt and slacks so I decided to wear the dress. It was the only thing that's neatly pressed hanging in my closet. So anyway, after the many visits I've received in my cube today and people kept teasing me about my office attire, I've finally decided NEVER to wear a dress in the office ever again. Haha.

Tomorrow is a holiday here in the US in celebration of the Independence Day. Independence day movie was being aired awhile ago in one of the movie channels. *how cheezy is that?!* This is one of the very few long weekends here in the US and I am spending it here in Phoenix. I need to keep Kimi safe so I can't do any long drives this weekend. Hookay... it's surfthechannel marathon for me again! =)

Happy fourth of July!

Labels: phoenix

2 comments

Living on the Edge

Wednesday, July 02, 2008, posted by Blue Ginger at 6:54 PM

Too many worries are stressing me out lately...

- my sister just got out of the hospital due to a liver virus which until now we don't know where it came from
- hospital bills that need to be settled
- a difficult AZ project that sucks my brain fluids dry... I guess this is an everyday battle of an IT consultant like me
- a difficult boss whom I guess was born to make my life a living hell
- bored AZ policemen who probably find pleasure in making my life miserable by giving me DMV warnings because of Kimi
- notary technicalities of Kimi's deed of sale
- financial budgetting issues due to unplanned expense inflation
- visa application of a co-worker who apparently needs my help

hayyyyy....

Labels: rant

2 comments

Wordless Wednesday - Lost

, posted by Blue Ginger at 8:20 AM

Labels: wordless wednesday

3 comments

Hillsong United

Tuesday, July 01, 2008, posted by Blue Ginger at 11:43 PM

The first time that HH heard christian rock and praise songs playing in my car, he was shocked. I admit I was never the overly religious and practicing Catholic before. Although I was born and raised Catholic and even studied in an all-girls catholic school from prep until highschool, I think the radical thinking of being a UP student was stronger in me. Not that I blame UP for me forgetting Catholicism. I just think that during my college days, I got more aware of the socio-economic condition of our country and somehow I thought, religion couldn't save the Philippines. Don't get me wrong... I have and will always believe in God but that time, I guess I took for granted my Catholic responsibilities.

Now that I have moved on from my "makibaka" days in UP, worked like hell for the past 7 years and eventually moved here in the U.S., I worked my way back to embracing my religion. Living on my own and being away from my family really did contribute a lot to my sudden change of heart. My friends here in the US are so amazed at how I've transformed from the person that they knew when I first arrived here to how I am now. I always tell them, "you guys will get used to the new me eventually". Haha. And then I joined SFC which helped me hasten up this spiritual enlightenment.

Going back to the christian rock and praise songs playing in my car, I just have to rave about this band... The name of the band is Hillsong United. I love their song Hosanna. For those non-practicing catholics, listening to christian rock and praise songs could be a start of going back to a religious and prayerful life. *naks* Check out the video below of Hosanna by Hillsong United and see how great this band is.

Labels: hillsong, music, rave

2 comments

No More Missed Games!

, posted by Blue Ginger at 10:35 PM

I remember back in our Helsinki days, we would wake up very early in the morning to watch F1 races and hockey games on tv. I was a big fan of Kimi Raikkonen back then and having to stay home over the weekend to watch the qualifying and the actual race on television was such an inconvenience because once I miss the race, I wouldn't be able to see a re-run of the game until a couple of days after. And if I do miss watching it, I would have to wait for a couple of days until some nice soul posts a video of the race on youtube or sometimes, I would just settle myself in reading the after race news.

One of the wonders that the internet has provided us is the availability of online video. For wimbledon fanatics, the Wimbledon LIVE site provides a live and on demand videos of your favorite wimbledon matches. You will be amazed at the selection of archived tennis matches of your favorite players. The site also gives you live feeds of what's happening on each wimbledon game and flashes the latest scores. It also provides you with the schedule of matches so you can already plan your viewing schedule accordingly. Wherever you are, for as long as you have a computer and internet access *which is ALWAYS, for me*, you surely won't miss any wimbledon game!

Wimbledon_300x250_english

MediaZone is the official broadband partner for Wimbledon 2008. It is the best resource for live and on-demand sports, culture and entertainment videos. They have a number of sports channels that you can choose from. Visit their site now to subscribe and cheer for your favorite players. No more missed games!

Labels: socialspark

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