Ronald Suello

TAG Heuer Men's CAH1110.BT0714 Formula 1 Chronograph Quartz Watch

2012-01-26T18:59:00.003+08:00

Start: Thursday, 26-January 10pm
Delivered: Monday, 30-January 10am

Settings:
Exposure Time = 1/40 sec
F Number = F14
ISO Speed Ratings = 200
Focal Length = 150mm
Flash with Softbox at right

Audioengine 2 & FiiO E10 DAC

2012-01-19T16:39:00.003+08:00

For the past few months, I've been listening to my FLAC/320kbps MP3s using iTunes or Winamp (both at EQ flat), onboard mobo audio (Realtek ALC892 Audio Codec), and Audioengine 2 (bought a couple of weeks ago). And I was pretty contented.

Then curiosity got hold of me and I bought a FiiO E10 desktop DAC yesterday (I got bored the other day so I browsed thru various boards...)

People are saying the latest mobos nowadays have pretty decent audio chips that there's no need to add a dedicated soundcard or external DACs (entry-level types). Oh, how pretty wrong those people are!

After a brainless FiiO E10 setup, Audioengine 2 and DAC are ready to go within 10 seconds. And the audio output is just awesome!!! It's like I got a brandnew set of ears! Mozarts, Dire Straits, Queen, Radiohead, Acoustic Alchemy, etc seem to come alive in our PC desk. I'm thinking now of taking a day off tomorrow.... too much songs to digest again!!!

So if you're just using your mobo's onboard audio and you want to hear pure "music", do yourself a favor and buy a dedicated soundcard (internal or external). For entry-level, go for those at least AUD80 and avoid the dirt-cheap ones....

Nike Shox R4 & ASICS Gel-Artic 4

2012-01-15T07:47:00.003+08:00

Invicta Watches, ASICS, & Crocs

2012-01-13T18:26:00.007+08:00

Amazing discounts offered for Invicta watches & shoes so placed our 4th & 5th orders with Endless.com this evening...

Start: Friday, 13-Jan-12 9:30pm

Delivery: Monday, 16-Jan-12 4:00pm

Start: Saturday, 14-Jan-12 9:15pm

Delivery: Thursday, 19-Jan-12 4:30pm

Audioengine 2 (A2)

2012-01-13T08:21:00.002+08:00

Edifier M1350 is lacking so I moved it to our office and brought Audioengine 2 in at home. A2 is way better that M1350, as expected (well, A2 costs 5x than M1350).

A2 output is "full", clear, and more natural especially at EQ flat or off. PC audio is now more enjoyable.

Highly recommended!

Yamaha P95B

2011-12-17T09:38:00.000+08:00

I bought a unit today.

AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

2011-11-02T10:32:00.000+08:00

I own this glass now, finally!

Spyder3Pro

2011-10-23T07:31:00.003+08:00

I just ordered this calibration device from B&H. I selected UPS Worldwide Expedited for shipment.

I already have Spyder2Express but according to various online sources, it's not recommended for a high-gamut monitor like my Dell U2711. So let's see....

Start: Sunday, 23-Oct-11 10:30am
Delivered: Friday, 28-Oct-11 10am

Scott Kelby's 4th Annual Worldwide Photo Walk (2)

2011-10-13T09:48:00.005+08:00

My photo (IR: Harbour Bridge) was selected to represent Sydney in this year's global competition.

Odd thing - both my 2009 and 2011 shots were taken at groups' starting or rally points.

Scott Kelby's 4th Annual Worldwide Photo Walk

2011-10-03T14:52:00.003+08:00

My group - Sydney (The Rocks), Australia

Around Lower Fort St

IR: Harbour Bridge

HDR: Observatory Hill

Snowy Mountains Trip 2011

2011-10-03T14:39:00.004+08:00

Day 1
- left Parramatta around 6am
- 1st rest stop around 8am
- 2nd rest stop around 10am
- lunch break at Cooma around 12:30pm (Cooma is about 390km from Parramatta)
- passed by Adaminaby around 1:20pm (51km from Cooma)
- arrived at Selwyn Snowfields around 2:10pm
- left Selwyn Snowfields around 4:30pm
- checked in at Snowy Mountains Motel (Adaminaby) around 5:15pm

A quick rest stop somewhere in Dry Plains along Snowy Mountains Highway

Day 2
- left Adaminaby around 9:30am
- passed by Jindabyne around 10:20am (82km from Adaminaby)
- arrived at Perisher Snow Resort around 11:15am (35km from Jindabyne)
- left resort around 3:00pm
- arrived back at Snowy Mountains Motel around 5:15pm

Gorgeous Lexi at Selwyn Snowfields

Day 3
- checked out then left Adaminaby around 9am
- had at least 4 rest stops
- arrived back at Parramatta around 4pm (445km from Adaminaby)
- odometer shows 1,273km was driven

Perisher Valley

Eastbay - Wrong Items Sent

2011-09-27T16:21:00.005+08:00

My 8th transaction with Eastbay is not good. 2 out of 5 items are wrong. This blog entry is for monitoring exchange/refund turnaround time (Australia-USA):

Items sent back to Eastbay: Sept. 27, 2011
Correct items received: refund received Nov. 9
Postage refund received: Oct. 21

Dell U2711

2011-09-26T08:01:00.001+08:00

Start: September 26 (Monday), 10am
Delivered: September 28 (Wednesday), 12pm

Nice fast delivery, Dell Australia!

GTX 570 SLI

2011-09-23T08:14:00.004+08:00

As planned about 3 weeks ago, SLI is the way to go. This should enable the computer system to play games at insane settings for the next 2-3 years. So I got another GTX 570 and popped it in last night:

3DMark06 Score: 25599 (previous score: 24836)

Currently torn between 27" 3D monitor and 27" IPS monitor...

Desktop PC Assembly (2)

2011-09-17T10:51:00.006+08:00

The lot (parts list):

Before mounting the CPU cooler:

External build test (all good, yey!):

Whew, done it:

Desktop PC Assembly

2011-08-18T13:49:00.026+08:00

This will be my first time to assemble a PC from ground up so kind of excited and scared at the same time LOL

Ordered: August 19, 10:45am Friday
Received shipment notification: August 22, 1:00pm Monday
Delivered: August 23, 8:30am Tuesday

Parts (batch 1):

CPU: Intel Core i7 2600K, $319.00
Cooler: CoolerMaster Hyper 212+ CPU Cooler, $33.00
Motherboard: AsRock z68 Extreme4, $215.00
GPU: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 570 1280MB Overclocked V2, $369.00
RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3, $69.00
SSD: Crucial M4 SSD 64GB, $145.00
HDD: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB WD10EALX, $65.00
ODD: LG CH10LS20 10X Blu-ray DVD Combo Drive, $75.00
Card Reader: Scythe Kama Reader 2, $29.00
PSU: Silverstone Strider Plus 850W, $169.00
Case: CoolerMaster Storm Enforcer, $99.00
Keyboard: Logitech Gaming Keyboard G510, $75.00
Mouse: Logitech Wireless Gaming Mouse G700, $69.00

Shipping: $101.00
Sub-Total: $1,832.00

Parts (batch 2):

OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit with SP1 OEM, $105.00
Extra Case Fan: CoolerMaster MegaFlow 200, $35.00

Shipping: $12.00
Sub-total: $155.04

Grand Total: $1,987.04

Existing equipment/peripherals:

Wheel: G27 Racing Wheel, $499.00
Controller: Logitech RumblePad 2, $--
Headphone: Sennheiser HD 448, $149.00
NAS: Synology DiskStation DS211j (2TB atm), $400.00
Laptop: Asus K40IN, $--

Future upgrades:

HDD: additional 2TB for NAS
RAM: additional 8GB for PC
GPU: additional card to have SLI operation

August 24 update: now up and running!

August 26 update:

3Dmark06 result: 24836 (stock CPU/GPU/RAM speeds)

Merrell Intercept Sport

2011-08-04T10:41:00.003+08:00

Got this and is now my best-looking and most-comfortable pair of shoes! Before, it was was Nike Shox O'Leven (best-looking) and Nike Zoom Soldier IV (most-comfortable).

Endless.com (Part 3)

2011-08-02T21:35:00.002+08:00

Placed 3rd order with Endless.com but all items are for missus & daughter ;-)

Start: Aug. 2, Tuesday 11:30pm
Delivered: Aug. 5, Friday 4:30pm

Monday Blues

2011-07-25T21:43:00.003+08:00

Endless.com (2nd Order)
Start: July 25, Monday 2pm
Delivered: July 29, Friday 10.30am

Eastbay.com (8th Order)
Start: July 25, Monday 11pm
Delivered: August 1, Monday 10am

8 pairs 8 weeks

2011-07-08T07:15:00.005+08:00

Nike Shox O'Leven

Under Armour Micro G Black Ice

Lacoste Men's Wolcott La Fashion Sneaker

Jordan Alpha Trunner

Dr. Martens Keith

Under Armour Assert

Columbia Pole Creek Omni Tech

Nike Zoom Soldier IV

Endless

2011-07-03T22:03:00.002+08:00

Did my 1st order with Endless.com -

Start: Saturday, July 2 10:45pm
Delivered: Friday, July 8, 9am

Eastbay (Part 2)

2011-05-27T13:19:00.012+08:00

All payments via PayPal/Sydney local time

1st Order
Start: Monday, May 16 9pm
Delivered: Friday, May 20 10:30am

2nd Order
Start: Sunday, May 22 10pm
Delivered: Thursday, May 26 9:45am

3rd Order
Start: Friday, May 27 10:15am
Delivered: Monday, May 30 1:30pm

4th Order
Start: Sunday, May 29 3:30pm
Delivered: Friday, June 3 10:30am*
* US Memorial Day on May 30

5th Order
Start: Thursday, June 23 1:00pm
Delivered: Tuesday, June 28 3:30pm**
** 1-day delay due to address confusion by UPS

6th Order
Start: Wednesday, June 29 4:20pm
Delivered: Monday, July 4 10:20am

7th Order
Start: Sunday, July 3 11:45pm
Delivered: Friday, July 8 9am***
*** US Independence Day on July 4

8th Order
Start: Monday, September 19 3pm
Delivered: Friday, September 23 9.45am

9th Order
Start: Wednesday, November 9 12pm
Delivered: Monday, November 14 10am

Eastbay

2011-05-20T09:13:00.003+08:00

I made my 1st transaction with Eastbay last Monday (May 16 8.45pm) and items (Timberland boots for Alexa & Columbia for me) were delivered today via UPS. Price is way cheaper compared to local Sydney prices and delivery is only 5 days max.

Thanks to Whirlpool for the tip!

Car Ownership Cost

2011-04-28T09:15:00.006+08:00

2010 Kia Sportage A/T LX (current rego ends May 2011)

First 6th-month maintenance: $274.45
Registration renewal: $446.00
Comprehensive Insurance renewal (NRMA): $1,191.35
CTP Greenslip NSW (NRMA): $468.67
Annual maintenance: TBD (May 21 update: $540.50). Next servicing is after 12 months.

Average fuel consumption is around $60.00 every 2 weeks. So that's around $1,600 annually. Plus depreciation...

Parking PF

2011-04-12T10:24:00.001+08:00

$86.00

iPad 2

2011-04-11T11:11:00.007+08:00

After disposing out our 1st-generation iPad, we got our iPad 2 last week. Along with iPad 2, we also got Apple's Smart Cover (Polyurethane - Grey) and Gecko's Screen Guard (Clear).

I went to a few stores in Sydney CBD and found no backcover that works with Apple's Smart Cover. So I went DIY and got XtremeMac's Tuffwrap Shine backcover. With steel ruler and fine cutter, I modified the backcover. Now, our iPad 2 is well protected:

Modification only took around 10 minutes as XtremeMac's Tuffwrap Shine is made of soft material. It could be a different story and tools with XtremeMac’s Microshield as material is made of hard plastic.

iPad 2 64GB Wi-Fi only

2011-04-06T19:23:00.001+08:00

Start: April 6
Est Delivery: May 6

11.4.11 update: cancelled the order and got one last Saturday (9.4) thru Apple's reserve-and-pickup system. Saved me the agony of waiting ;-)

Blu-ray Library

2011-03-31T15:03:00.012+08:00

Videos
1 - Andrea Bocelli - Vivere: Live In Tuscany
2 - Avatar
3 - Baraka
4 - BBC's Earth (2-disc set)
5 - BBC's Life (4-disc set)
6 - BBC's Planet Earth (5-disc set)
7 - Black Hawk Down
8 - Braveheart (2-disc set)
9 - Chicago
10 - Chicago and Earth, Wind, & Fire: Live at the Greek Theater
11 - Cloverfield
12 - Dances with Wolves
13 - Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds: Live at Radio City
14 - Dictrict 9
15 - Gladiator (2-disc set)
16 - Hit Man David Foster & Friends
17 - Lord of the Rings (3-disc set)
18 - Matrix Trilogy (3-disc set)
19 - Monsters, Inc.
20 - Pulp Fiction
21 - Shrek Forever After: The Final Chapter
22 - Spiderman Trilogy (3-disc set)
23 - Toy Story 3
24 - Troy
25 - Unforgiven
26 - X-Men (7-disc set)
27 - The Godfather (4-disc set)
28 - Wizard of Oz
29 - Saving Private Ryan
30 - Hero
31 - The NeverEnding Story
32 - Carlos Santana Presents Blues at Montreux
33 - Hit Man Returns: David Foster & Friends
34 - Alien Anthology (6-disc set)
35 - Dirty Harry Collection (5-disc set)
36 - X-Men: First Class
37 - The World At War (9-disc set)
38 - Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows 1 & 2 (4-disc set)
39 - BBC's Human Planet (3-disc set)
40 - Nirvana: Live at the Paramount

Games
1 - Gran Turismo 5
2 - Heavy Rain
3 - Metal Gear Solid 4
4 - NBA 2k11
5 - Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit
6 - Sports Champion
7 - Valkyria Chronicles

Owned previously:
1 - Crysis 2
2 - Final Fantasy XIII
3 - Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10

Logitech G27 Racing Wheel

2011-03-09T10:36:00.001+08:00

Got one today! Hopefully, experience with GT5 will improve as analog sticks just don't cut it.

Gorgeous Alexa

2011-02-28T09:10:00.002+08:00

Exposure Time = 1/60"
F Number = F3
ISO Speed Ratings = 200
Focal Length = 150mm
Misc = flash pointed at ceiling, silver reflector at bottom

1st Year A

2011-02-18T11:51:00.001+08:00

We're 1 year today here in Oz.

Flickriver

2011-01-27T06:10:00.000+08:00

Brings nice memories.

2011-01-19T07:13:00.003+08:00

Best of 2010

6 Months/7,500 km Supplementary Maintenance

2010-11-27T11:26:00.003+08:00

AUD$274.45

BigW Canvas Print

2010-10-27T07:46:00.000+08:00

Ordered a 12"x12" Canvas Print from BigW. After 5 business days, it was delivered yesterday and we're truly impressed with the quality of print and assembly. 5 of 5!

1st Home Theatre System

2010-10-09T12:36:00.003+08:00

Settled and happy with Yamaha YHT-694AU; can't wait to abuse it during free time but just too busy these days...

Our 1st Blurb Book

2010-10-06T08:12:00.001+08:00

Familia Suello

Nald, Des, & Lexi

By October 2010

Book Preview

Cost of Living

2010-09-07T10:24:00.003+08:00

These estimates only serve as a guide for those planning to migrate to Sydney, Australia. Cost could be lower in other states. This is valid for a small family of 3 (couple with 1-yr old baby) living in Parramatta (suburb of Sydney NSW, Australia) and valid as of September 2010. Currency, of course, in Australian dollar (1A$=Php40.7).

Unit/apartment rent: 350/w
Electricity: 450/q
Water: included in unit rent
Car loan: 650/m
Car insurance: 110/m
Petrol: 40/w
Mobile: 130/m
Internet/phone: 50/m
Hospital cover: 160/m
Grocery: 200/w
Daycare: 40/d
Others: 200/w average (dinner out, entertainment, clothes, etc)

This translates to a total expense of about A$1,303/week or A$5,210/month (or Php213,000/month).

Of course, take note that "startup" cost for basic household items is quite high; these are for one-time purchases like furnitures, appliances, utensils, etc. My conservative estimate for this cost is around A$5,000. So it helps if you have friends/relatives who can provide some of these items for free.

HT Wish List

2010-08-20T09:52:00.004+08:00

Onkyo TXSR308B
Sherwood GSP5110
The Lord of the Rings BLU-RAY SET

DT

2010-07-27T19:36:00.001+08:00

Finally passed it...

2nd

2010-07-01T14:22:00.000+08:00

I can do it!

Lexi

2010-06-26T18:30:00.003+08:00

Lexi in her playroom...

Delivered

2010-06-01T14:06:00.000+08:00

Kia 2010 Sportage LX (Auto)

2010-05-10T06:35:00.001+08:00

I pre-ordered at 4am today for a 64GB iPad Wi-Fi only version plus its case. Now, I have to wait for 14 days...

Apple

2010-04-16T17:45:00.000+08:00

I surprised wifey today with a 32GB Apple iPhone 3GS hehehehe

VR

2010-03-10T10:40:00.001+08:00

Passed 1/2. 2/2 will be in 5 weeks.

1st Tooth

2010-02-10T21:53:00.000+08:00

We discovered Alexa's first tooth today hehehehe

The Big Move

2010-02-01T13:34:00.000+08:00

17 days to go...

Nueve

2010-01-26T11:01:00.001+08:00

Alexa on her 9th month ;-)

4G

2010-01-14T20:36:00.002+08:00

Great granddaughter Alexa, Mother Maria, Grandmother Nena, and Great grandmother Celsa.

Alexa Vacation Highlights (so far...)

2010-01-01T20:57:00.013+08:00

December 24, 2009 11:53 pm @ Cabulohan

December 25, 2009 6:11 pm with cousins

December 27, 2009 11:49 am (with cousin Chantal at Tagoloan)

December 28, 2009 8:15 pm @ Tagum

December 31, 2009 4:19 pm @ Gaisano Grand Mall

January 1, 2010 12:21 am

Latest Kalabo-an House Pics

2009-12-29T22:03:00.007+08:00

FedEx from Scott Kelby

2009-12-14T16:03:00.001+08:00

Package has arrived in our local FedEx facility (2 items are still missing from Kelby's organization) but customs wouldn't sign its release as he noted an issue on "fairness" as package is supposedly a prize.

Kelby's shipper marked the shipment as "Bill to consignee (BTC)" so I'll pay for everything including shipment!

I'm contacting Kelby group now and in parallel FedEx (with Customs directive) will ask for approval for change from Bill to consignee to Bill to shipper. If I proceed with BTC, then I need to cough up more than US$400!!! No way I'm gonna do that.

P.I.

2009-12-08T13:07:00.002+08:00

Around 30 minutes ago, I browsed the net for tips on P.I. because I have a sched for next week. Then 10 minutes ago, I got myself into an actual P.I. (unannounced).

What a timing!

Alexa -Month 7

2009-11-26T11:39:00.002+08:00

Halloween 2009

2009-11-03T09:15:00.001+08:00

Paranormal Windows 7

2009-10-28T13:15:00.003+08:00

The migration from XP to 7 is finally over. It took a lot of hours but it's totally worth it. It's really stable like XP but I feel that my hardware is now fully utilized especially that migration is from 32-bit to 64-bit environment.

Also, because of the launch hype last week, I couldn't believe that I got this genuine Ultimate license for such unbelievably low price even considering non-traditional channels like eBay. Last time I checked, lowest price for a full version (not upgrade) is around US$120.00. I went back to my source and they're selling it now for almost 7x the price I paid them. I thank myself for joining the pre-order bandwagon ;-)

Anyway, last night - I watched Paranormal Activity. Reading the reviews, I did myself a favor and viewed it in my iPod Touch to supposedly minimize "scare" value. I was wrong. It still scared the living socks out of me! Wow, if I had watched it in our 23-inch HD LCD using Bose headsets --- tsk, tsk, tsk... I'll be scarred for life hehehehe

I rate this movie - 8/10. Less 2 because its effect is too much ;-)

1:59PM UPDATE: After the migration, our system already received a total of 32 system/security updates.

Windows 7 Ultimate

2009-10-21T20:56:00.003+08:00

I bought a genuine license for Windows 7 Ultimate today. Since our PC is still using XP, I can see a busy weekend on this OS upgrade but I think it'll be worth it...

PS3 Down

2009-10-19T15:23:00.007+08:00

I got a pre-owned Valkyria Chronicles (VC) last week so after enjoying it for an hour - the game crashed. After a couple of hours of troubleshooting and forum surfing, I concluded that the lens of my PS3 got busted :-(

I brought it to a local shop and we have the same conclusion. They replaced the lens for a fee and gave me a 2-week warranty. So this situation forces me to "burn-in" the replacement for the next 2 weeks.

I'll be switching between MGS4 and VC though the latter will get majority time as I'm loving this strategy game.

PS3 games I'm currently thinking of acquiring - Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and NBA 2k10.

Chinita

2009-10-14T12:01:00.002+08:00

Baby Alex during one of those pre-bedtime plays ;-)

PAD

2009-10-02T02:50:00.000+08:00

Signed a day ago...

D40 Shutter Sound

2009-09-25T14:56:00.003+08:00

It's been awhile since I last used my D40 so when I used both D40 and D90 extensively last week (Librodo Workshop), I was surprised how quiet D40's shutter is compared to D90.

So for macro work involving nervous little critters, I'll grab D40 first unless a client needs a bigger image file.

TGIF!

Landscape of Emotions

2009-09-17T14:58:00.024+08:00

I took a 1-day break from work on Sept. 16 and attended Manny Librodo's Landscape of Emotions workshop.

It was conducted at Tambuli (West) Beach Resort (Mactan Island, Cebu) and participants were limited to 15. I think 60% of the participants were coming from Bohol, Davao, and Manila.

We started around 7:30am with a lecture (M.A.N.U.E.L.). About an hour later, we're grouped into 3 so that we can shoot by turns. Basically, the designated group of 3 will shoot with Manny while rest of the participants can shoot at the back or have a shootout with the 2nd model. Each group had 8 minutes with Manny and the model. For this workshop, we have 2 beautiful models, Janet Emmrich and Christine de Gracia. Janet had 3 costume changes while Christine had 2.

(With Janet's beauty, even a blind photographer can't go wrong)

While shooting with Manny, he'll do most of the direction and make his shots. He keeps on sharing ideas, tips and basically shows his thought processes. When finished with his shots, he'll let the designated group shoot and provides guidance while in the background.

We ended our first shoot around 11am (whew! I easily consumed 6GB with my two camera bodies) then Manny demonstrated to us his bread-and-butter post-processing flow.

Around noon, we had our "power lunch" -- eating while doing our post-processing thingy (toppled drinks over laptops and expensive photography gears kept flashing in my mind hehehe). Then at 1.30pm, we had our second shoot. We wrapped up the shooting session around 3pm.

Then it's back again to post-processing where Manny required us to provide our top 3 shots. Post-processed, of course. Around this time, I'm already bone-tired from the shooting and sun's heat. Manny provided individual assistance (if requested) during post-processing.

The activity ended when certificates of attendance were distributed around 5.30pm. There was a dinner scheduled with Manny and a trip to Tops (hills of Busay) in the evening but I couldn't join due to other commitments.

Here are some things that I can highlight:

1) With proper use of shade and reflector (silver-side), you can shoot awesome portraits even at noon! The problem though is sweating of the models ;-) (you can use reflector as fan though)

2) Manny employed JPEG with Nikon D3 and Nikkor 24-70 throughout this workshop. He almost always shoot wide open with Cloudy white-balance & center-weighted "-1" exposure. Most of the participants used the 50mm prime lens. Bringing two camera bodies is recommended.

3) Rapport with the model is key.

4) Layer and mask are your post-processing BFFs. So before attending his workshops, please learn Photoshop basics of layer, blending modes, mask, etc.

5) Any location is a good location! Just keep an eye on your background.

6) Props, props, props!!! Color, color, color!!! Keep white-balance warm if applicable.

Overall, I'm very satisfied because I learn a lot. Plus, Manny is a natural teacher and very approachable. I highly recommend his workshops!!!

More of my images will be shared here.

App

2009-09-09T14:49:00.001+08:00

S: 30, R: 5, I: 0

PlayStation 3 Firmware 3.0

2009-09-02T21:40:00.010+08:00

My eBay purchase of a HDMI-DVI cable is not good as the item hasn't arrived yet. Today's the 51st day :-(

I'll be requesting for a refund next week.

Fortunately, a new shop in SM Northwing has one last stock available last saturday so I grabbed it immediately. With this cable, I was able to display 1080i with our Samsung 2233sw monitor. Graphics' awesome! Time to buy MSG4 this coming weekend! ;-)

Anyway, I immediately upgraded to Firmware 3. Download & upgrade were fast and smooth. It didn't take 10 minutes.

PlayStation 3 Firmware 3.0:

Impulse Buying

2009-09-01T16:03:00.004+08:00

26 days ago, I bought some screw adapters and I receive it today. As I don't need them anymore, I'm now selling it at a loss ;-)

Discovering Manfrotto 323 Quick Change Plate Adapter "screwed" the adapters but saved me some money.

Lesson learned: thorough study of options first before buying.

Burst!

2009-08-20T14:03:00.003+08:00

Dream

2009-08-18T15:54:00.001+08:00

When it rains, it pours... we'll have months ahead of planning and planning and planning ;-)

2009 Scott Kelby’s Worldwide Photo Walk

2009-08-18T03:45:00.001+08:00

I'm selected as one of the Top 10 Finalists, wohoooo!!!

Alexa's Baptism

2009-08-10T11:47:00.003+08:00

Last saturday, August 8, Alexa was baptized at the old chapel of Nuestra Señora de la Regla Church, Lapu-Lapu City (Opon). The baptism was officiated by Fr. Fabian Cayetano, Jr.

A reception followed at Majestic Seafood Restaurant in Marina Mall, Lapu-lapu City.

More pictures here!

"Grave" Mistake

2009-08-06T16:51:00.005+08:00

This is not a prank but this "grave" error was made by Manila Bulletin newspaper (Aug. 6, 2009 issue), a big national daily. Everyone knows it should be Aquino instead of Arroyo (the current Philippine president). Also, many pro-Aquino supporters are truly against Arroyo.

Should heads roll for this typo mistake?

3/8 to 1/4 Screw Adapter

2009-08-06T09:35:00.004+08:00

Today, I ordered a set of "3/8-in to 1/4-in Screw Adapters". This blog entry is for delivery leadtime monitoring.

As of today or 24 days later, I still haven't received the DVI-HDMI cable.

Manny Librodo Workshop

2009-08-05T19:48:00.002+08:00

I confirmed my attendance to the 1-day September 16, 2009 Manny Librodo Workshop. I'm hoping to improve my portraiture and post-processing skills. This workshop costs almost US$200.

Erap Estrada for President... Again?

2009-07-31T16:31:00.001+08:00

If he ever runs this 2010, then the people who will vote for him doesn't love our country. If Estrada wins, my family will be leaving the Philippines for good.

Surprised!

2009-07-28T12:33:00.001+08:00

Alexa turned to her stomach last night -- twice!!!

Alexa - Month 3

2009-07-28T09:48:00.003+08:00

Last saturday, we brought Alexa to her pediatrician, Dr. Ma. Teresa Fortunato. This is for her monthly checkup and immunization shots (ouch!). During our 30-minute ride to the clinic, Alexa kept on laughing and smiling...

Alexa seemed to be tickled by the passing scenery and rain drops in the window (my UWA glass was really up to the task in capturing this moment in this very confined environment). Her almost endless smiling made the cab driver comment that angels are playing with her ;-)

Nowadays, she prefers to be carried as shown above. She's absorbing her environment now and her vision seemed longer in reach.

At the clinic, she was given Rotarix (oral) and Prevnar (injection). She now weighs almost 5 kilograms :-) However, due to injection, she was crying almost the whole trip back home. Crying was loudest when there's a traffic jam ;-)

When we got home, she promptly slept. That evening, we had a fun family portrait shoot...

Our shot together is here.

Is PBA rigged?

2009-07-22T12:05:00.009+08:00

Years ago, I was an avid PBA (Philippine Basketball Association) fan (I rooted for TnT) but due to changing circumstances, I rarely watch PBA games now. Bad TV reception and lots of available TV shows online don't help either. But somehow I noticed this "trivial" information and dug up some facts:

2009 Motolite Fiesta Conference Game 7 - Champion: SMB
2009 KFC-PBA Philippine Cup Game 7 - Champion: TnT
2008 Smart PBA Fiesta Conference Game 7 - Champion: Gin Kings
2008 Smart PBA Philippine Cup Game 7 - Champion: Sta. Lucia
2007 Talk 'N Text PBA Fiesta Conference Game 7 - Champion: Alaska

PBA is already in its 34th season. In the past, each season has 3 conferences but was reduced to 2 starting 2004-05 season. "Conferences" are tournaments held during a season.

As shown in the list above, the last 5 Finals of each conferences reached a Game 7. For me, this is a very amazing coincidence. I believe nothing fishy is going on but.... wow!

Five straight Game 7s!?!?!

Cebu City: Scott Kelby's 2nd Annual Worldwide Photo Walk

2009-07-20T15:29:00.008+08:00

Last saturday, I participated in the annual Scott Kelby's Worldwide Photo Walk. It was my 1st time to join a group street photography. I usually shoot alone due to conflicts in schedule. We started around 6.30am at Magellan's Cross and parted ways almost 4 hours later at Cebu Capitol.

Eventhough the weather's iffy, almost a hundred shooters showed up and that made it a fun social event. We walked & talked for more than 3 kilometers with "pit" and obligatory stops. I meet old friends and made new acquaintances ;-)

I brought one camera body, a tripod and 3 glasses (macro, UWA and prime). I used all glasses but my top 2 favorites come from the macro lens. Somehow, I lost my tripod's case. Too bad, my chocolates from Qatar got lost with it :-) I recovered "lost" calories by having a lonely but quick lunch at The Terraces. I then proceeded to buy some stuff for Des and Alexa and went to Banawa for a colleague's wedding.

Here are some of my shots:

Photo Walk: Cream

Photo Walk: Exit to Paradise

Photo Walk: Manong

More here. If schedule permits, I'll join again next year. I really had a great time!

This is it!

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

Picatoo.com's uploading service is really unreliable. I always get corrupted communication so it's a hassle to keep on re-uploading. Fortunately, Digiprint's online facility is back so I ordered my prints there this morning. Uploading is done one time and it was very smooth. With Picatoo, uploading is limited to 8 or 9MB per batch. Imagine doing that to 200MB of images, ouch!

Anyway, I hope to receive the prints within 2 days.

Day 82 - ZZzzzzzz

2009-07-16T21:02:00.000+08:00

DVI-HDMI Cable

2009-07-13T15:11:00.002+08:00

I bought a DVI-HDMI cable off eBay today and I should be receiving it within 2~3 weeks. I'll try to use it for our new 2233SW LCD and rarely used PS3. I'm not really confident that this will work but I gotta try.

Wish me luck!

Samsung SyncMaster 2233SW

2009-07-11T20:55:00.004+08:00

Our ancient workhorse CRT monitor is acting up so to avoid downtime we immediately bought a new Samsung SyncMaster 2233SW. Now, watching downloaded HD TV shows is much more enjoyable! And doing work in PS CS4 is much more fun & effective.

I'll be selling the CRT unit to the "junkyard" tomorrow.

Picatoo 2

2009-07-09T15:41:00.004+08:00

I receive the prints today and they are all generally good especially the poster-size ones. On some photos, the shadows are blocked though. Leadtime is less than 2 days.

Looking at some prints I had with Digiprint before, I think I'll go for Picatoo on family pictures and Digiprint for my portfolio.

Even using color profile from Digiprint, most of 5R (and below) prints are having funny skin tone.

Picatoo

2009-07-07T08:34:00.002+08:00

Digiprint's online facility is out of order for like forever so I looked for an alternative and someone pointed me to Picatoo. Usage is simple and payment's hassle-free but the uploading process is quite tedious due to 7MB-8MB limitation per upload - so if you have 200 pictures with an average size of 3MB each then "tedious" becomes an understatement.

Anyway, I paid my order last night and this blog entry serves as reference for their delivery leadtime. But I'm quite anxious to see quality of Picatoo's prints.

Whickey & Cox

2009-07-05T17:15:00.006+08:00

To those who made inquiries, thanks for your patience.

This is how the interior of Crumpler's Whickey & Cox looks when fully loaded to the brim. Removed because of lack of space are the laptop sleeve and accessory compartment (replaced by Tokina 11-16 and SB-600 above). When the laptop sleeve is attached, the bag can't be closed because of Sigma 70-200.

Normally, this is not the proper usage of the bag. This is for illustrative purposes only - during shoot, bring only the minimum essential. Don't punish your weak-ass back. But if you still prefer to bring the whole shebang, the straps and back support are heaven-sent!

By the way, a tripod can be attached to the holder exterior to the bag.

Obviously, this is not for casual shooting as the bag needs to be put down whenever you need something. Opening is secure as main zipper is at the user's back (good against thieves) but also means not good for quick shots.

Deep exterior pockets are practically useless due to poor design - e.g. drop a memory card inside and you'll have a hard time retrieving it because of very, very tight space. I really don't know what the pockets are for.

Available at Crumpler SM Cebu for about P10,000.

Day 70 - Eye Exercise

2009-07-05T15:05:00.001+08:00

HP Med

2009-06-30T12:44:00.001+08:00

Alexa had an early morning bath today. Together with Lola Nena, we brought Alexa to HP for her med ex requirement. She slept throughout the whole exercise ;-) Then woke up and stayed that way until we get home. She seemed to be enjoying the scenery during the short travel.

Morning Shoot

2009-06-28T10:17:00.002+08:00

Alexa: 2nd Month

2009-06-26T08:58:00.001+08:00

Alexa with Mommy

Pregnancy

2009-06-25T09:46:00.003+08:00

My sis-in-law had a miscarriage yesterday, it was suppose to be their 1st child. Giegie & Noel, our prayers with you.

----------

One of our househelps gave birth in our bathroom yesterday 1:45am. We long suspected she's pregnant but she kept on denying it; and we can't really confirm as she's small in build. I guess she was afraid that we will send her home once she admitted.

We truly hate her for endangering her child - no prenatals, continues heavy work in the house, etc. I guess the hospital was correct in involving DSWD on this serious matter.

Anyway, she woke me up by complaining that her stomach hurts and was sorry for not admitting that she's pregnant. I went out to a rainy stormy dark weather and looked for transportation - I found one in 3 minutes and when I came back to her - she's already holding her crying baby with them still connected by the cord. Yes, she gave birth inside our bathroom - alone. It was a quick labor, I guess.

They're both doing OK now in the hospital and should be going back to the province soon. She said the family of the baby's father will be waiting for her.

Day 57

2009-06-22T10:44:00.002+08:00

Alexa had her 3rd vaccine (6-in-1) shot last June 19. She now weighs 3.8 kilograms (or 8.4 pounds) - that's 2.4x her birthweight ;-) I guess that's the reason why my left wrist is kinda numb now hehehehe

She prefers cuddle and truly hates wet diaper.

Game Face

2009-06-07T20:34:00.000+08:00

Alexa Suello

Alexa: 1st Month

2009-05-29T09:37:00.002+08:00

Hello World!!!

2009-05-06T12:14:00.000+08:00

Alexa Suello - Day 9

Baby Girl Alexa

2009-04-26T13:04:00.000+08:00

Born on April 25, 2009, we're so happy! Thanks for the warm wishes and greetings!

33rd

2009-04-12T22:46:00.002+08:00

Thank you very much for the warm greetings! I truly appreciate it!

Come, join us please!

Tokina 11-16 lens and Hoya R72 IR Filter

2009-04-06T17:50:00.002+08:00

I did some testing yesterday and result shows no hotspot issues with this lens-filter combination. A sample shot:

I would suggest though that to minimize potential hotspots, try to stop down the exposure.

Settings:
Exposure Time = 2 secs
F Number = F11
ISO Speed Ratings = 200
Focal Length = 11mm

2009-04-05T07:10:00.000+08:00

I'm really lovin' HDR!

Crumpler Whickey and Cox

2009-04-04T18:38:00.003+08:00

My Tamrac Velocity 8x is complaining from the abuse so I went to the nearest Crumpler outlet and bought a The Whickey & Cox. Awesome backpack, I must say! But I still can't get around the fact that this bag costs almost as a Nikon SB-600 flash.

So for casual urban stroll, I'll use my Tamrac and use the Crumpler for serious photoshoots.

Globelines

2009-04-01T22:02:00.000+08:00

Hoya R72 77mm IR Filter (Part 2)

2009-04-01T14:35:00.002+08:00

I receive this item today. So leadtime is 12 days including weekends. From HK post to Lapu-lapu post, it's 8 days. Not bad for free shipping.

My next step would be to play with this filter during next week ;-) as during April 4 to April 12, I only have 1 working day. Woohooo! Hopefully, this filter and my Tokina UWA will make a good match.