Beautiful Day by Hillary Johnson

I fell in love with this song the first time I heard this from One True Media which is the default song for creating videos. I've created a video for Jo Hyun Jae which is my recently faved Korean actor. I found his acting on 49 Days drama to be great.

49 Days

Going back to the song, it was released on 2005. Yeah I know that's too old already. Songs are only old when it is already boring to hear. This is the first time I heard about Beautiful Day and I hope this could create some buzz for Hillary Johnson. I wish she'll make it to mainstream audiences.

Beautiful Day by Hillary Johnson

Takin' a walk outside and I don't know if I wanna come back,
from where I started.
Look at the sunshine and tell me it's not beautiful, and I'll,
just stay here forever.
(Ooh) I got an idea.

Poor baby says his heart's been broken and he can't find someone
to mend it for him.
Says he needs someone to take care of him,
well you know, who love him, adore him.
(Ooh) I can be that someone,
(Ooh) Let me be that someone.

(Chorus)

Kickback, and let yourself lose control.
Sit back, baby, who cares about tomorrow?
Let me hypnotize those bright blue eyes, spin your world around.
Let's dream of city lights and leavin' town (Leavin' town).
Coz it's a beautiful day, what a beautiful day.


You got no shame when it comes to love, and it's only a game,
what's the use of runnin'?
Yesterday's pains keep you up all night
to search for salvation in between the love.
(Ooh) I'll be your sanctuary,
(Ooh) When your days seem weary.

(Chorus)

Kickback, and let yourself lose control.
Sit back, baby, who cares about tomorrow?
Let me hypnotize those bright blue eyes, spin your world around.
Let's dream of city lights and leavin' town (Leavin' town).
Coz it's a beautiful day, what a beautiful day.

Nothing to fear and nothing to hide,
Take a look at yourself through my eyes.
Dive head-first into me,
I'll be anything you want me to be.
How to be, yeah.

(Chorus)

Kickback, and let yourself lose control.
Sit back, baby, who cares about tomorrow?
Let me hypnotize those bright blue eyes, spin your world around.
Let's dream of city lights and leavin' town (Leavin' town).
Coz it's a beautiful day, what a beautiful day.

Kickback, and let yourself (Nothing to fear and nothing to hide) lose control.
Sit back, baby (Take a look at yourself through my eyes.),
who cares about tommorow?
Let me hypnotize those bright blue eyes, spin your world around.
Let's dream of city lights and leavin' town (Leavin' town, Leavin' town).
Cuz it's a beautiful day, what a beautiful day.


Lyrics modified from Avrilisrockqueen


For more information about Hillary Johnson you can check her following sites:
Myspace - http://www.myspace.com/hillaryjohnson
Twitter - http://twitter.com/#!/hilyj

Free iOS 5 for Apple iPad 2

Apple is set to release iOS 5 on October 12, 2011 for free for public consumption. Registered iOS developers got an early lead with the "Gold Master" version which is the ninth Beta released to date.  So what features does it bring for iPad 2 users you might have asked?

Notification

It now has Notification Center that sits on top area of the screen. It groups all notifications and has an unobtrusive way of notifying users without sending pop up windows. Text, missed calls, voicemails and app alerts won't interrupt you whenever your watching videos or play games. It somehow has the same features with LockInfo and Mobile Notifier tweak.

Newstand

It organized all magazine and newspaper subscriptions in one app. Purchases for these items in App Store will automatically be reflected and updated on Newsstand using push notification. You can quickly and easily  find your reading material in one place without the need of separate app for items.

Reminders

The Reminders app is an updated Notes app. It is a to-do list app with added features that allows you to get reminded when a date is near or when your near to a certain location like a supermarket. This is helpful when your daughter asked you to buy her a snack on your way home from office. It also have syncing feature with Outlook and iCal.

Integrated Twitter

On old version of iOS, you need to open the Twitter app in order to send tweets. Now, you can tweet directly using native apps such as Photos, Camera, YouTube, Maps, and Safari. You can also easily add your location with a tap of a button.

Safari

Real tabbed browsing which is only limited to desktop version of Safari, have now reached iPad 2. Gone are the days that you need switch view to choose the other tab from the maximum of nine thumbnails. That does not appeal to most mobile Safari users and most of them opt to install a separate browser like iCab to have the real tabbed browsing feature. Now, iOS 5 have all the features that iCab has.

It now has Safari Reader that removes the site's sidebar and ads and only shows you the content that you are actually reading. Reading List allow these contents to be bookmarked for later reading.

Improved Camera

You can now use the camera from the lock screen instead of unlocking the device to open the Camera app. Using the camera from the lock screen, you use the volume button to snap pictures. You can now modify the exposure, and crop the photos before saving them.

Mail

It now has rich-text formatting, flagging messages as unread and a built-in dictionary. It also has split keyboard which allows users those who type long messages to use both thumbs. Think of it like typing text using both thumbs on iPhone in landscape mode. Jennifer Bergen gave us a comedic description below of how to enable the split keyboard on iPad.

To get the split keyboard on your iPad screen, the user simply places two fingers on the keyboard and moves them outwards to split the keyboard in half. It’s extremely easy, and makes typing with your thumbs pretty handy – no pun intended.

AirPlay Mirroring

The AirPlay protocol in iOS 5 now supports video mirroring. Think of it as your external projector without the cable. You will be able to see on your HDTV the videos, photos, or website that are being displayed on your iPad 2. You need to purchase Apple TV to be able to do this. This feature is only available on iPad 2 though.

iMessage

It is an instant-messaging app designed only for Apple iOS 5 mobile devices. It allows iOS 5 users to send text, photos, videos, contacts and locations with their friends that also have iOS 5 device. It has most of, if not all, the features of BBM that make BlackBerry's users stay in their comfort zone. Now Apple has given them an option to think again, we should watch out for what RIM has to offer something new.

PC Free

Setting up your iPad 2 does not require a Mac or PC. You can setup your device right out of the box. If you are upgrading from iOS 4, this feature does not affect you really.

Wi-Fi Sync

It backs up and syncs your iPad 2 with your PC over a shared Wi-Fi network. This is somehow similar to an app that was rejected by App Store last year. The app, created by Greg Hughes, is being sold for $9.99 on Cydia Store under the same product name. More story of this via The Register.

Here's the infographic from Chris Spurlock summarizing the differences between iOS 4 and iOS 5:

Conclusion

There you have it. These are some of the features that iOS 5 brings to your iPad 2 device. With the advent of iCloud on iOS 5, you need to ensure that it meets all your bring-your-own (BYO device) computing policies that your company requires. With iCloud it is easy for anyone to take a photo and upload the data on the cloud. Even though you have confiscated the gadget, the data such as company's confidential documents or products can easily be leaked to the public.

I Just Got Approved by PeerFly!

After almost a week waiting for my PeerFly application to be approved, it eventually happened. I've been constantly checking my PeerFly's publisher page waiting for the account processing page to change. As I have refreshed the page, the Dashboard and graphs can now be seen. So I checked my email to verify if I've been approved by PeerFly and there I saw Luke Kling's email welcoming me to the group.

I'd like to celebrate today my start of journey to CPA marketing with PeerFly. I'm gonna log my progress here so that others may see and hopefully I get some unsolicited advice from the pros.

My Dashboard

CPA, which is short for Cost-Per-Action, has been touted by advertising companies as the optimal way of buying ads. It is where the companies only pays the affiliate network, such as PeerFly, for each successful action. These action can range from confirmed emails, zip codes to mobile numbers.

This is unlike the way in which PPC or Pay-Per-Click operates where companies pay for every click of their ads. They thinking that these "clickers" were really interested in their product. These PPC scheme might have somehow conspired to hire people to click the ads for a very small incentive. The effect here is that the companies are paying the affiliate network without anyone buying from them.

With CPA, the person who clicks the ad have the high chance to be their customer. The way it works, as I understand it, is that those who are interested would voluntarily give their contact info when filling a form. The offers from advertising companies differ, some would require that a potential customer should confirm their opt-in before the actions gets credited.

Fill-up The Form First

I don't know about you, but if I have a small online business I would choose this route instead of PPC. If I get the emails of my prospective customers I might send them product offers in exchange for freebies. This is very attractive to small to medium sized businesses and I won't be surprised if PPC affiliate networks will start to dwindle.

PeerFly rewards publishers for getting leads from their promotions. You can check out PeerFly's program for publishers at http://peerfly.com/?r=52116. The link will take you to PeerFly website with my referral ID. You can also check out Luke's website at lukepeerfly.com.

Petron-BPI Credit Card Illegally Used

I've been a victim of credit card fraud. I called up my bank's Customer Representative to ask if what goods were purchased aside from Petron. It was reported that my  incoming Account Statement has Facebook and Paypal transactions.

Checking Bought Items

I've never used my credit card for online purchases nor have I typed my credit card number into a computer. When our Account Statement arrived we checked the fraudulent transactions. My hubby went on to check if Facebook offers information for what was bought. He googled for the search query "facebook dispute credit card" and he landed on Facebook's Dispute Resolution Center page.

Facebook Dispute Resolution Center

Following the instructions written in the Facebook Dispute Resolution Center, we learned that my credit card was used to purchase an in-game item for Restaurant City.

Fraudulent Restaurant City Payment

Protect Your Card Security Code

We wondered how was the purchase made possible. I went to my Restaurant City game account to see what credit card information was needed to make the purchase. As it turns out it only required your Name, Credit Card number and the CSC, which is the three-digit number at the back of your card.

Required Credit Card Information

So this is how easy for the crooks to use your Credit Card for their own benefits. They can be anyone who can get a hold of your Credit Card like the obvious robber, or the least suspicious someone who is working as a Waiter, a Gas boy, or a Cashier. So everyone beware, you need to protect your CSC which is the three digit number at the back of your credit card, by removing/scratching it or put a permanent marker on it.

Petron C5 Silang Taguig

As for me, I have reason to believe that it all started when we had a gas up at Petron. As I recall it at that time, when we paid for the gas up my card took almost 30 minutes to process the payment. It was the only time for the last three months that I have used my Petron-BPI Credit Card again.

BPI Statement of Account

Our Course of Action

We've already sent our letter of payment reversal to the bank and we're currently waiting for the feedback. I'd like to note that we've reported this issue to the bank as early as possible prior to receiving the SoA as posted above. The bank's Credit Card Unit seem to start investigating after you have send them back the SoA with the list of invalid transactions.

Sansung Korean Restaurant

I've been wanting to eat Korean food since the first time I've watched a Koreanovela and got interested how their food taste. Now it's been who-knows-when that I also got my hubby get into the habit of eating Korean food just for the adventure of it.

So far we've been to a few Korean restaurants and this would be my first time to blog about Korean food. The first on my list would be Sansung Korean Restaurant as the title already says. Actually I didn't know the name of this restaurant since its name is in Korean but we checked our credit card bill and the name was there.

Sansung Restaurant

My hubby ordered Bibimbap since he tasted a version of it in K-BOP a newly opened fast food restaurant in Piazza Mall, McKinley. I ordered Jajjangmyun and Nude Kimbap since I want to compare the taste of it with Kogi Bulgogi's version.

It took a while that we wondered if free side dish will be served since it's been customary to all the Korean restaurant we've been. After giving up hope that side dish won't be served, they arrived.

Ten Side Dishes

 The number of side dish I think exceeds with what Kogi Bulgogi is serving. I still wonder if we had only ordered one main dish will they still serve this many side dishes? We barely touched the side dish when the main dishes arrived.


The first main dish that was served was my hubby's Bibimbap. His first and last impression: he didn't like it. He said it lacked the beef that he was expecting. and most of the ingredients can be found in the side dish.

Bibimbap without Beef P350

He did liked one thing about this Bibimbap and it's the red paste underneath the egg topping. That's my hubby, he's not fond of eating veggies but when I tasted his Bibimbap I think it is good. Good, because I don't have anything to compare it with. I'm still curious what's the red paste was all about.

Chili paste inside

The next to arrived was my Jajjangmyun and our additional Nude Kimbap. I can say this was the best ever I've tasted so far. I almost forgot to take a picture of it since I was so excited to taste it. My hubby reminded me that after I ate my first chopstick.

Jajjangmyun P280

We didn't have time to eat the Nude Kimbap since we're already full so we requested to have it packed for take-out.

Nude Kimbap

I might return to Makati Avenue since there's a lot of Korean restaurant out there to satisfy my cravings.

Confetti Spa and Salon

I purchased this deal for P1000 from Ensogo Philippines since they offered an unbelievable discount of 83% (P5000 savings), check this deal here. The blurb on the deal really got me. It says a "permanent" hair straightening system and a"longer period of time" rebond. Lowering my expectation, I take it as a marketing ploy and stick myself into getting that hot-oil treatment and a rebond that would last a month just to try this salon which I've never heard until recently.

Party Last Night

I called the store for a schedule and they set me an appointment on January 13, 2011 at 10AM. As for my excitement I woke up early that day and arrived at the salon around quarter before 10AM. The salon is located at Makati Finance Building, see the map here. We waited for the clock to strike 10AM and ten minutes later nobody have arrived yet. I asked the security guard about the usual time that the hairstylists checks-in and he said that the salon employees had a party last night. The guard woke-up the salon personnel that was sleeping inside. Then after some follow-ups or nagging I made with the salon personnel about the store opening, he called someone probably one of the hairstylists to get to the salon quickly. So to put my growing frustration aside, my hubby and I went to a Korean restaurant nearby to have an early lunch and since the store told me that the process will take 5 hours which will skip lunchtime.

The Hairstylist

The store opened eventually just 15 minutes before we finished eating. The treatment process was ok, though the stylist does not seem to be professionally trained as he keeps on pulling my hair. He is a straight male, whereby I'm more comfortable that gays handle my hair, I inquire about his background and he told me he honed his skills on a salon owned by his relative. The guy seem to be hospitable since he apologized for the delay and he offered me a coffee which is a treat for Confetti customers. Though I decline the offer since I was still full from where I came from.

Actual Cost

So this is where my complaint starts.Twelve days later, I found my hair was losing its "rebondness". My hair became frizzy starting from the tip going upwards. Though three-inches from the scalp the rebond is still good. I think I was shortchanged by the Confetti-Ensogo promo.The so-called P6000 rebond showed its ugly side, it is not a rebond I expect from P6000.

When we got by the salon, we saw this big banner in front saying "REBONDING W/ TREATMENT 1,500 any length". Having seen the results today, I now realized that the P6000 voucher really did costs P1500 which my hubby kept on telling like a conscience in one of those Safeguard's ads. I only saved 66% which is P500 for my P1000 purchase. It is still not bad since I have saved something but at the expense of poor quality work.

They also offered me a cellophane treatment which I also availed worth P1000, I don't know what got into me maybe I was swayed by the promise that the hair will be more beautiful than with the standard rebond.
The whole treatment costs me P1000 (Ensogo voucher) plus P1000 (cellophane), it is still a good price though. But if it were P6000 as what the Ensogo voucher says about the actual value then it is a rip-off. I always thought that these promos would promote public awareness of the existence of good service of unknown stores but this time it seems they are creating a bad image themselves.

Conclusion

I'm still looking for that Salon that I can call my "suki" for rebonding. Last time I had a rebond it costs me P3500, it is home service referred to me by my mom-in-law. It lasted three months but it looks fake as a wig. Probably I'll try those real quality rebonds costing around P10,000 provided that I don't have anything good to do with money. If you have any salon that you want to share, feel free to comment here.

Frugality from Group Buying Sites

I'm a mom of two and a wife to the best person in the world. I created this blog to voice out my opinion, be it good or bad, about anything that affects me and my family.

I consider myself a frugal buyer and I just wish that every store that is being promoted by "group buying" sites has been reviewed. Though most of the time that is not the case that is why I've created this blog to share with other people my experiences with the deals that I've used. With the advent of these sites our peso can go a long way. I'm always on the lookout for good deals that's being promoted by  Ensogo, Beeconomic, CashCashPinoy, Twangoo, Metrodeal, SAVEONPINOY, Wowdeals,Crazydeals, and Megadeals  in the Philippines.

Though this blog is not only limited to "group buying sites", there are also online sellers in Multiply and eBay where I can find a great deal that I'd like to help get some publicity. So I think that is all there is for my first post.

I just hope someone out there can read this before this blog reached one year. Please do comment to fuel my blogging enthusiasm.

Thanks!