Do You Remember - Phil Collins Guitar Chords

Here's my attempt at one of Phil Collin's best songs in my humble opinion. Enjoy!

Intro Pattern:
F-Am7-BbM7-C

Stanza Pattern:

F                        Am7
We never talked about it
BbM7                                    C
But I hear the blame was mine
F                                Am7
I'd call you up to say I'm sorry
BbM7                                                   C
But I wouldn't want to waste your time


Refrain Pattern:
Gm7                                       F
'Cause I love you, but I can't take any more
Gm7                                                    F
There's a look I can't describe in your eyes
Gm7                              Am7
If we could try, like we tried before
Am7                                                   Gm7
Would you keep on telling me those lies?
(telling me lies)


Use Intro Patten
Do you remember?..

Use Stanza Pattern
There seemed no way to make up
'Cause it seemed your mind was set
And the way you looked it told me
It's a look I know I'll never forget

Use Refrain Pattern
You could've come over to my side
You could've let me know
You could've tried to see the distance between us
But it seemed too far for you to go.
(so far to go)

Use Intro Patten
Do you remember?..

Bridge Pattern:
Am7                      BbM7
Through all of my life
Am7                      BbM7
In spite of all the pain
Am7                      BbM7
You know people are funny sometimes
Gm7                          C
'Cause they just can't wait
To get hurt again

Use Intro Pattern
Tell me, do you remember?..
Do you remember?..

Use Stanza Pattern
There are things we won't recall
And feelings we'll never find
It's taken so long to see it
'Cause we never seemed to have the time

Use Refrain Pattern
There was always something more important to do
More important to say
But "I love you" wasn't one of those things
And now it's too late

Use Intro Pattern
Do you remember?..
(now it's over)
Do you remember?..
(now it's over)

DC's Legends of Tomorrow

I have a bad feeling about this upcoming show, taking mediocre heroes from the DC Universe, and putting them together as a single team, hoping the show will have success. It's no Justice League - but people are probably saving that for the big screen just like they are protecting the Batman and Superman franchise.

Even Marvel has taken the mediocre hero route - with Agents of SHIELD, but that TV show ranks the lowest in my superhero show list. Arrow, Flash, and Supergirl - yes, Supergirl (which I initially thought would bomb, but is doing fairly well) are my top 3 shows as of this point. Jessica Jones was too dark for my taste. Daredevil was also dark, but somehow, it, for me, has been the best Marvel TV series to date. Agent's of SHIELD just barely wins over Agent Carter.

Marvel should actually just turn either the Fantastic Four or Spiderman into a TV Series. Like DC, it is protecting big movie franchises like the X-MEN and the Avengers, but I feel that there is room to explore a TV Series patterned after the Watchers What If comics. Then, they should monitor which hero gets a lot of crowd attention, and launch a spin-off.

I don't know why DC feels the need for Legends of Tomorrow when you already have Team Flash, Team Arrow, and perhaps Team Supergirl is gradually being built up. Spoiler: Didn't expect the Martian Manhunter to be part of that series. And this is all thanks to the Smallville formula after which these shows are patterned.

But I believe DC could have gone with a Green Lantern or Wonder Woman TV series before going for a team show. And there are lots of DC Teams that can be used - why not go with Team Titans or Justice League of America? Even a Wild CATS TV series would be better than this current roster for Legends of Tomorrow.

And I have always wondered why the actors for the guest heroes in Smallville never ended up with their own show. The actors playing Green Arrow, Impulse, and even Supergirl could have been the main actors for the current DC TV series, but it did not happen that way. How come, all of a sudden, DC is taking heroes from the current shows and using them for this new series? Is it simply for continuity and remaining current? But the formula of starting a show with a fresh set of actors seems to have worked fine. If it ain't broke, why fix it?

I also don't think Atom or Hawkman can lead this team. Don't teams always need a Superman type leader - one who can rescue the day when everyone else on the team fails? And why is there a need for two heroes with heat powers and two heroes with wings? Redundancy? I just don't get it. I hope that when I see the show, my perspective changes.

If this show is an attempt to gain market share from Agents of SHIELD, SHIELD will probably have an upper hand. But if there is a Marvel Team that is worth exploring - where characters have a lot of history, the X-MEN franchise would still be my best bet for a successful TV series. And I don't think it will hurt their movie franchise either. A show like Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters could explore a mutant per episode and then the TV show can be used to build anticipation for a movie release, in the same way Agents of SHIELD was used for the Avengers movie. Just my two cents worth.

APC Back-UPS 625

My APC ES 500 UPS was making a continuous noise the other day. I tried resetting the circuit breaker and re-using it and it still seemed to work. But today, it finally conked out. Even after unplugging all devices, and resetting the circuit breaker, and resting the UPS, it still gave a continuous noisy tone.

I read on some forums that you could try replacing the internal battery of the unit. But if you try to do so, and the unit is still busted, you end up having a useless battery. So I decided to just replace the UPS unit. PC Express only had one APC battery back-up available, the APC Back-UPS 625. Had to shell out 2850. The only thing different with the ES 500 is the lack of an extra outlet. I usually make use of all four of the outlets - tower, monitor, printer, and DSL modem. Now, I have to swap out the printer or the modem.

The APC Back-UPS 625 boasts of  up to 50 minutes runtime in case of a power-outage. It also has a two year warranty, but I wonder if this is vetoed by PC Express' one year warranty. I have been satisfied with APC's performance since I started using it as a battery back-up so I hope this unit will do as well as the ES 500 series. Will give an update in case it under-performs.

First Grab Car Experience

My friend was in need of a taxi. I usually walk all the way to the taxi waiting area and this can take from five to ten minutes. But today, I decided to finally give the Grab Taxi app a try. After indicating my starting point and my destination, and seeing that the trip would cost somewhere between 120 and 200 pesos, the app started getting in touch with potential taxi drivers. Unfortunately, no driver was responding. The app suggested I try the Grab Car option instead.

I was curious on how much the Grab Car version would cost, since private cars don't have a meter. Within seconds, we already had a Grab Car driver responding to our request for service. The app even showed the driver's picture and the car's license plate, as well as the estimated time it would take for him to get to our position. It was nice to see his car progressing towards our location on the app's map.

And soon enough, we were getting a text message from the driver that he was already on our street. He overshot our location, but after seeing us waving frantically, he made a u-turn and drove back. My friend said that the driver was very cordial. And at the end of the trip, he was paid 200 pesos.

I must say that I am pleased with this first time experience with a ride sharing service. I hope that others will have the same experience I had.

Traditional taxi services have to learn to adopt with changing technology. There have already been services in the past where you could call a certain telephone number in order to book a ride. When mobile phones came out, I know of customers developed a connection with certain taxi drivers so that they could be the same driver to pick up the customer and bring her to work. Having a convenient way to connect with the customer is key, and even with ride sharing apps prevalent, I can see a taxi driver with a wide network of customers still surviving and earning money.

And private car owners shouldn't be quick to jump in the band wagon of ride sharing entrepreneurs. The government is now keenly looking for ways to tax these services. They are also making stricter measures to ensure the safety of customers such as having a real-time camera monitoring the entire ride, and perhaps, constant location tracking for all drivers by the government, not just the ride sharing company. As the government comes up with more and more hoops and hurdles, entrepreneurs might see their profit margins start to dwindle. And the subsidies provided as incentives for early adopters will not always be present.

Perhaps the biggest winner in this new environment is the ride sharing operator (Grab Taxi, Uber). In the past, you had to own your own fleet in order to have a taxi business, and that meant buying your own cars, and making sure that these are operated and maintained well. You also had to make sure you had drivers to handle these cars. Now, they have passed on the risk to car-owner entrepreneurs. The car owner now worries about the maintenance cost, the loss of income when the car has to be repaired, or if the driver is unavailable. If the car is wrecked, the ride sharing operator can simply look for a new car-owner who is interested in joining their fleet. I think that wanna-be ride sharing entrepreneurs have to weigh this matter carefully, before entering the ride sharing business.

 

Sa'yo Chords

This song by Silent Sanctuary has really become popular because of Aldrin Richards, Yaya Dub and Aldub Nation. So here's my attempt at its guitar chords. Enjoy!

Sa'yo by Silent Sanctuary

Intro Pattern
G  CM7  G  CM7

First Stanza Pattern
G                                CM7
Minsan oo minsan hindi
G                                CM7
Minsan tama minsan mali
G                                CM7
Umaabante umaatras
G                                CM7
Kilos mong namimintas

First Refrain
Am                             Bm
Kung tunay nga ang pag ibig mo
CM7                           Bm
Kaya mo bang isigaw
Am                         Dsus - D
Iparating sa mundo

Chorus
CM7                            G
Tumingin sa aking mata
CM7             Em          D
Magtapat ng nadarama
CM7                            G - B
Di gusto ika'y mawala
B       Am                Dsus - D
Dahil handa akong ibigin ka
Am                         Dsus - D
Kung maging tayo sayo lang ang puso ko

Repeat Intro Pattern
G  CM7  G  CM7

Second Stanza Pattern
G                                CM7
Walang ibang tatanggapin
G                          CM7
Ikaw at ikaw parin
Bm                                 CM7
May gulo ba sayong isipan
Bm                                 CM7
Di tugma sa nararamdaman

Second Refrain
Am                              Dsus - D
Kung tunay nga ang pag ibig mo

Chorus
CM7                            G
Tumingin sa aking mata
CM7             Em          D
Magtapat ng nadarama
CM7                            G - B
Di gusto ika'y mawala
(B)       Am                Dsus - D
Dahil handa akong ibigin ka
Am                  Dsus - D
Kung maging tayo

Bridge
Em                               Bm

Kailangan ba kitang iwasan
Em                               Bm
Sa twing lalapit may paalam
Am                               Bm
Ibang anyo sa karamihan
Cm                      Fsus - F
Iba rin pag tayo, iba rin pag tayo lang

Chorus (3 frets higher)
EbM7                            Bb
Tumingin sa aking mata
EbM7             Gm         F
Magtapat ng nadarama
EbM7                         Bb - D
Di gusto ika'y mawala
(D)       Cm                Fsus - F
Dahil handa akong ibigin ka

Closing
Cm                          Dm
Kung maging tayo (Kung maging tayo)
Cm                          Dm
Kung maging tayo (Kung maging tayo)
Cm                          Fsus - F 
Kung maging tayo sayo lang ang puso ko

Outro
Bb  EbM7  Bb  EbM7
Bb
 

Applying for a Student Permit at LTO

So you want to learn how to drive? And you've set your sights on a particular driving school. You're about to pay for the tuition fee when you find out that you need a Student's Permit in order to be able to study driving. How do you do it? (Note: the driving school might offer to do this for you at a higher price, but doing it yourself will take only about 318 pesos as of this writing, and about 2 to 4 hours, depending on the volume of applicants.)

So how do you go about getting a Student's Permit?

1. Familiarize yourself with the LTO License Application Form. I wouldn't advice you print it out since the personnel at the LTO Satellite will still ask you to fill out their forms with their authorization numbers stamped on the form. These numbers are absent from the online form. Still, you should be prepared to know the details being asked from the form. And remember to box shade, NOT CHECK, the checkboxes.
2. Try to get to the office early. There will be a long line for the Application Form, but to get one, you will have to present an original government I.D. and also a photocopy of this I.D. So photocopy your PRC, Passport, SSS, etc. I.D. It is important that the I.D. you use indicates your date of birth. Otherwise, you will have to prove that you are 17 years old or older using your birth certificate. Just bring a photocopy of whatever credentials you plan on presenting to avoid having to go out of the building and looking for a Xerox vendor.
3. You will be given a queue number. Wait for it to show up on the digital display. There are chairs available for you to wait on. Use the waiting time to verify that everything you wrote on the Application Form is correct.
4. There are several evaluator windows - and the person at this window will check your application for errors, and may ask you to read an oath about being a responsible driver. You have to read it aloud. After doing this, you will have to wait at the chairs again until your name is called.
5. The next window is for data corrections - I think you are called to this window if the person typing in your data from the application form to the computer can't understand your hand-writing. So, write legibly.
6. The next window if for taking your picture and signature. Be ready with your best smile. And writing with a digital pen is like using one of those fat pencils back in elementary. Make sure your signature doesn't overshoot the digital pad. Again, after doing this, you will have to wait at the chairs again until your name is called.
7. The next window is for payment. Try to being the exact amount needed, otherwise, you might have to go out and buy something, just to get change. Again, that's 318 pesos as of this writing. It was strange that they did not issue the official receipt at this window. You had to wait for it at the release window - along with your Student Permit. If for some reason, your name is not called at the releasing window, you have no proof that you paid. (Something to consider for the people working at LTO for process improvement).
8. Finally, the releasing window. Sign the sheet indicating that you were able to receive your Student Permit with the Official Receipt and you're done. Note that if you lose the official receipt, you will need to pay again if you decide to apply for a Non-professional license (you can do this after a month from the date you received your permit). So keep the permit and receipt together at all times. Also, you have to apply for a Non-professional license within a year from the issuance of your Student Permit. Otherwise, you have to apply for a Student Permit again.

In terms of improvement, here are some suggestions for the people working at LTO.

1. Please improve ventilation and air conditioning. Although there are A/C units, either these are not working, or LTO is trying to cut down on their electric bill.
2. The queue number issued at the beginning should be the number displayed at each window. In my experience, the personnel at the window had to read the person's name via a microphone, just to call the person to the next step. This can be confusing, especially when there's a lot of ambient noise or if you're chatting with other applicants.
3. And again, please issue a receipt upon payment - it could be a provisional receipt if you cannot issue the official receipt. This should serve as protection for the applicant, in case his application is misplaced between the payment and releasing steps of the process.

I hope this guide will help alleviate your concerns as you apply for a driver's Student Permit. God bless you!

Google Play Error 194

If you're having an Error 194 issue on your Android phone, don't worry. It seems a lot of people have been affected by this issue. If you don't believe me, check out the link below.

https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/play/hIIJ1nauNf4

Sometimes, the error changes to 927.

If you're planning to do a factory reset of your phone, let me save you the trouble. IT WILL NOT WORK. I had to learn the hard way.

Neither will clearing cache, data, etc. on the app you are having trouble with. The difficult thing about this error is that it has affected Google Play - the gateway to all other applications. It just shows how dangerous it is to be dependent on a single service provider.

Even if the phone is still able to browse the internet via wifi, the error will still come up. People have suggested modifying the date and time settings, turning the phone off and on, turning the wireless router off and on, turning your ISP's modem off and on. I've even watched a video advising modifying the host file using a root browser.

But I believe the problem is really with Google's service. It simply resolved itself. I, like other users, went through the easy troubleshooting steps above. With so many things I've done, I don't know if any of them helped since the last step I did, rebooting my modem, was what I did before the issue was resolved. But some users on the Google product forums claim that they did this step, too, and it did not resolve the issue. So it might just be coincidence, and Google's tech guys have finally been able to fix the issue after my last troubleshooting step.

If anyone has a clear and logical solution to this problem - something that has repeatedly been verified to work by other users, please drop a comment below and help others out. Thanks.

Till then, resist the temptation to do a factory reset on your phone, and wait a while.

San Miguel Takes a 2-1 Lead in the Semis

In a game that usually decides the outcome of a best of five series, Alex Cabagnot and Arizona Reid were simply too hot to defend against during the 4th quarter. Cabagnot and Reid simply could not miss no matter who was assigned to defend them. Reid posted up and did damage on the inside and could easily pop out to Cabagnot who was ready behind three point territory. Cabagnot also slashed to the basket and dictated the pace of the game with crisp passes to his teammates.

Norwood and McKinness were also doing well for Rain-or-Shine. But with McKinness busy trying to shut down the Krakken, Junmar Fajardo, the import simply could not produce another 50-point performance. This area is where the painters miss a big body like Belga who is out with an injury. And if the locals of Rain-or-Shine fail to increase their scoring output, the painters might bow out early of this conference.

Personally, I would rather see a San Miguel vs Alaska Finals series. Both teams have young stars with a lot of firepower. Just imagine if Lassiter, Tubid, Fajardo, and Santos were shooting the lights out with Cabagnot and Reid. You wouldn't know which guy to focus your defense on. And Alaska has a pretty similar style.

If I were to give Guiao my two-cents worth, I would shut down the playmaker - in this case Cabagnot. But that is easier said than done. Great game Alex. Keep it up!

Aces Take Game 1 of the Semis

It is still strange for me every time I see Coach Tim Cone losing to the Alaska Aces, a team he lead during the nineties. But this young Alaska team simply had a lot of youth, energy, and firepower. Props goes to Banchero who fueled the comeback of the Aces from a double-digit deficit.

In the same way that the nineties Alaska team had Johnny, Jojo, and Bong as their core, Coach Cone has made Barroca, Yap, and Pingris the local core of the Hotshots. But he needs a slasher type player like Cariaso or Duremdes was when Alaska was dominant during the nineties.

The current Aces already have that core in Casio, Banchero, and Thoss. But they have a slasher in Abueva, and a lot more players with potential like Azul, dela Rosa, and quality backups like Menk and Manuel.

The men Cone fielded during the 4th quarter were also questionable. Why was Pingris out during the dying moments. He could have helped grab a crucial rebound and help defend the baskets from attacks down below.

Still, if the next couple of games are going to be as close and heated as this first game, then fans of both sides are in for a treat. Also, expect Coach Tim to make adjustments. He can work with undermanned teams and teams with lack-luster players to create a deadly unit. I just hope the hunger will return to the Hotshots despite their success in the past.

Igoudala and Green Should Be Co-MVPs

If Golden State wins the 2015 NBA Finals, Andre Igoudala and Draymond Green should be chosen as Co-MVPs. They have been the truly consistent warriors in this year's Finals, never showing signs of giving up or being dejected when their team was down.

Postscript: Congratulations to the Golden State Warriors, the winners of the 2015 NBA Finals. The Warriors won over the Cleveland Cavaliers with a score of 105-97 in Game 6 of the series. This caps the Finals tally at 4-2 in favor of Golden State. Andre Igoudala was awarded the Finals MVP.

BPI Queue

Went to BPI today to make a deposit when I realized that their electronic system for writing down the details of a transaction via a touch screen terminal is more than a year old. But despite being a leader in this field, not many banks have adopted this electronic system. Banks like BDO, PNB and Eastwest still make use of the traditional paper and pen for noting down transaction details. And from experience, the electronic system has not been better than the paper system. In fact, the electronic system has probably made queuing worse for bank customers.

Why is this so? I've noticed that BPI's "efficient" system allows people to quickly obtain a queuing number. So more people end up waiting inside the BPI branch. There have been occasions where the crowd has been so dense, I was worried that the people coughing were spreading some virus. And all they are really doing is waiting for a transaction that should be over within two minutes. But the wait time to get to the teller can range from thirty minutes to an hour.

Is this a marketing advantage? Will people flock more towards a bank that is full of people? Does that mean that the bank is better compared to a bank with less number of people?

The banks using a paper system have similar queuing times. (Assuming they have the same number of tellers as BPI - usually two.) And this is where I appreciate BDO more since they have more tellers available - usually four - compared to two tellers from other banks.

If the electronic system makes no difference, why has BPI maintained it instead of reverting back to a paper system? Is the cost savings on paper and printing outweighing the cost of maintenance (electricity, ink, paper and repair) of these new machines? Or does BPI simply want to be seen as different - more technologically advanced, perhaps - than its competitors?

If they can somehow solve the teller bottleneck, then I'll probably be impressed. I don't think a customer should spend more than five minutes in a bank for a simple deposit transaction. ATMs have already solved the withdrawal side. Why hasn't an automated system solving the deposit side been made until now? Shouldn't banks be eager to take away our money from us? (And yes, I know that they have to make sure that what they are taking is real and not counterfeit - and this is one of the reasons why these types of transactions take time)

Avengers: Age of Ultron 2015

Warning: Possible Spoilers

This movie was well made. I don't think any other Avengers movie will top this one. Especially with Iron Man, the Hulk, and Hawkeye leaving and Captain America and Black Widow forming a new team. And Quicksilver dies even before becoming an official member of the team.

I also like the parts where they explore Black Widow's past and give us a glimpse of Hawkeye's family. These two finally are given importance despite being ordinary humans.

The only thing that gave me an issue was the need for manually triggering the floating island's "release switch" by attacking it with a gazillion Ultron droids. Terrorists detonate stuff remotely with a cellphone. Hasn't Ultron heard of wireless technology? Sure, they needed a scene showing the Avengers battling against all odds. But so far, this was the weakest point of the movie for me.

Kudos to James Spader. His voice was immediately recognizable because of his work on the Blacklist. Had some trouble recognizing Vision from Wimbledon.

To me, the reasons for Hulk and Iron Man leaving the team weren't really clear. Well, I guess Hulk doesn't want to hurt Black Widow that's why he chose to leave, while Tony Stark is just tired. Are the actors too expensive to come back for the next Avengers installment. What happens to the team when it loses its brain power? (I guess Vision will be the new geek of the team)

Hulk buster was a treat. And Thanos appears as a bonus in the credits paving the way for the next Avengers installment.

The Messengers 2015

warning: possible spoilers

Initially, you'ld think that this show was about aliens. Kinda like a cross between Roswell and Heroes. But it's more of a battle between Lucifer and individuals gifted with angelic powers. One has the power of super strength. Another can read minds. Still another has the power of healing. And they are all trying to save a woman who was shot seven years ago and is now lying in a coma. Kinda like save the cheerleader - save the world.

Hope people will be interested in what the Bible really says about Satan and the end times. Viewers should compare what is really written in the Bible - like in the book of Revelations - and contrast that with what the writers of this show are peddling. Shows like Exodus: Gods and Kings and even Noah are good if they peak people's interest in God's Word. But be reminded of the distinction. These shows are fantasy - based on actual events. God's Word is truth. So you can believe in the Bible 100%. If shows like these start making people doubt God or His Word, then it might not be very useful or profitable.

There are some Christians who believe we are near that time of Jesus Christ's second coming. Check out this article: http://www.ucg.org/doctrinal-beliefs/seven-prophecies-must-be-fulfilled-jesus-christs-return/

With the special effects available today, shows that showcase what could happen in the end-times are helpful in pointing people to repentance and leading them to Jesus. When we realize that hell - an eternity of torment - is our destination without the Lord Jesus Christ in our lives, shouldn't we stop and re-evaluate our lives? Jesus is the true savior of this world. He is the righteous Judge, coming King and ever living God.

I Believe In Dreams Guitar Chords

Here's my attempt at I Believe In Dreams by  Side A. Enjoy

Stanza Pattern
F Dm7
Bb - Am7 - Gm7 - C7sus - C7
F Dm7
Bb - Am7 - Gm7 - C7sus - C7

Transition to Chorus
DM7
Gm7 - C7sus - C7

Chorus
Bm7 E AM7
Am7 - D7 - G
Gm7 - C7 - F
G - A
Bm7 E AM7
Am7 - D7 - G
Gm7 - C7 - F
Fm7 - Bb7sus - Bb7

Repeat everything at a step lower

Stanza Pattern
Eb - Cm7
G#m - Gm7 - Fm7 - Bb7sus - Bb7

Transition to Chorus
CM7
Fm7 - Bb7sus - Bb7

Chorus
Am7 D GM7
Gm7 - C7 - F
Fm7 - Bb7 - Eb
F - G
Am7 D GM7
Gm7 - C7 - F
Fm7 - Bb7 - Eb
Ebm7 G#m7 G#m7sus G#m7

That I love you portion (fade to end)
F#7 - C#M7 (modify chords as you see fit)
F#7 - C#M7
F#7 - F#m7 - C#M7

Daredevil 2015

Possible spoilers: read at your own risk

While MARVEL has ruled superhero movies, DC has always been king of superhero TV shows with hits like Smallville, Arrow, and The Flash. (Notice how I didn't mention Gotham :p) MARVEL has tried to get into DC's turf with shows like Agents of Shield and Agent Carter, but I don't think these have made that big of an impact. But that's all about to change if they can keep Daredevil the way it has been going so far.

Daredevil is different from the aforementioned superhero shows because it has a seriousness to it. The previous shows I've mentioned all feel cartoony - you're watching a Saturday morning cartoon show. Arrow may have started a bit serious, but as team Arrow was built up, they had to integrate comedy into the show, and that's something I'm hoping to get less of with Daredevil. It's feels like a superhero show crossed with True Detective, and it should stay that way, even if it only lasts a season. I think the producers and creative people behind it are doing an excellent job, and they should not be afraid to continue on this path. Better a show for a season that people say is memorable, than a show that drags for several seasons and becomes forgetful at the end.

I had wished that Gotham was done in this tone. Or Batman, if it were turned into a TV show. But they've turned Gotham into a kiddie show now, so I'd lost hope for that show. How could DC counter? Do they have a character that's dark enough? Maybe go with the story when Superman got old and became the threat to Earth. As for Marvel, there are other dark characters that could follow in the footsteps of this Daredevil show like The Punisher. We live in dark times where justice has to take extreme measures.

This show excellently explores Daredevil's origin. From his father's influence to how he might have come up with the prototype for his weapon - and exploring uses for his heightened senses such as being a natural lie detector. And if the writers are bold enough, maybe they could go further and not go with the red devil suit. The Snake-eyes styled get-up works fine and blends better with the shadows, than a Halloween costume. (But then again - purists might complain, but I distinctively remember a time when Matt Mordoc having a change of costume that wasn't all red - and this could be an alternate reality where he could chose not to wear a silly suit - what if?).

And speaking of another TV series, MARVEL could explore the What If series with the Watchers and explore alternate timelines or universes where their trademark characters' lives are explored. Just wondering. I would love to be part of that gig.

So again, creative guys behind this new show, keep up the good work. And don't turn this into another hero team. DC's already got that formula used up and perhaps a different approach would be better for ratings.

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Thunderbirds Are Go 2015

Warning: possible spoilers

I remember watching this show back when I was young. At first, there was a puppet version - which was very creative. The new show even retains some of the elements of that old puppet version like the palm trees bending to clear the runway for Thunderbird 2. There was also an animated version later on where Thunderbirds 1, 2 and 3 could merge into a single vehicle.

The Thunderbirds are an International Rescue team. Even back then, most of the episodes focused on rescuing people from natural disasters - and less on fighting bad guys. But times have changed and audiences have grown more sophisticated. So there has to be a storyline that spans the season, not just random rescues.

This time, a man bent on world domination (isn't there always one) is wrecking havoc by creating earthquakes all over the globe. This villian turns out to be the uncle of the Thunderbird team's security officer, Cato. There are other characters in this revival that I don't really remember in the old show like the grandma, and the spy with her chauffeur. A vehicle has also been added, called Thunderbird S - just for Cato.

I've always wondered what the numbers meant for the "crates" being carried by Thunderbird 2 - the "Hercules" transport of the team. I guess the numbers stand for the other Thunderbird vehicles but the only one which makes sense to carry would be Thunderbird 4. 1 and 3 and are simply too large - scale wise. 5 is a satellite station. And 2 can't carry itself, can it? Is there an extra Thunderbird 2?

A trick used by shows back then was to reuse the scenes where pilots enter their vehicles. Believe it or not, these parts were shown every episode, just like the show title and show credits, shaving off some minutes from the show's air time. And Thunderbirds wasn't the only show doing this. Voltron, Thundersub, and pretty much most Saturday morning cartoons had some part of the show which was rehashed from old footage. Good for production, but today's audiences might feel cheated or get bored. Even the Simpsons have invested in creating different openings for their audiences for each episode. And some TV shows have cut down their opening titles to 5 seconds of air time.

Still, over-all, I think the remake of this show is quite good. And I hope that we finally have a show that focuses on good values being passed on to the new generation - less about violence and fighting, and more about helping others especially in times of calamity.

Final Fantasy Record Keeper

For people who grew up playing Final Fantasy games on their SNES, Final Fantasy Record Keeper will be a nostalgic experience. I remember when I first played Final Fantasy VI - where characters like Locke, Terra, Celes, Sabin, Edgar, Cyan, Gau, Mog, and Shadow became the topic of conversation among friends. It was this series, in my opinion, that made the FF franchise a gamer brand. And with the recent drought of FF games, perhaps Record Keeper is Square Enix's way of trying to prevent the brand from fading from gamer's minds.

Record Keeper brings back characters from FF IV, V, VI, VII, and X (so far - and although their ads show Squall from FF VIII, I've yet to encounter any characters from that game). Come to think of it, I haven't encountered a FF VI character either. The main character, Tyro, looks like Strago's granddaughter - Merle. He's  a hybrid between a warrior and a mage - which is what makes him special. Other characters are either warriors only or mage only. Aside from him, what I have right now are Cloud and Tifa of FF VII and Tidus and Wakka of FF X. Not really a fan of FF IV, and FF V characters are more of roles (Ranger, Bard, Warrior, etc). Some of these characters will become important in certain stages because of their abilities - for example, a stage in the Shinra building where I'm trying to acquire Sephiroth (yes, the FF VII bad guy) has a boss that can only be hit using range attacks. So Cloud and Tifa - the members of my party which I've been using most of the time, become useless for that stage, and I have to rely on Wakka, the Bard, and the Ranger for offense. The Priest becomes the only FF V character that is staple in my party since it is the only one with mass healing capabilities at the current level I am in. Game play is similar to FF VI - but limited in that you can only have two abilities or spells equipped during any battle. So you have to swap out abilities depending on the battle scenario - which means your party has to die and you'll have to repeat the process with the new abilities to win. From a developer standpoint - this is smart, since it ensures that players will be playing this game for a long time. (As if leveling up multiple characters wasn't enough of repeat playability).

FF Record Keeper is the only free FF game on Google Play. The intro was pretty awesome, but the lack of depth in the story line is uncharacteristic of an FF title. There isn't even a villain - or an explanation for the fading records (or paintings in this case) except maybe, that the gamers are forgetting about the FF titles due to an abundance of other great games out there.

So what will keep this game going? If you love collecting equipment and party members and leveling up characters, then those would be the reasons for you to keep on playing. But mission wise, you save all of the paintings in probably three days of continuous play. (And with most games having stamina as a way of limiting gamer play time - that really says a lot about the length of this game. I remember the 90 plus hours I invested in FF VI - now that was a really long game with all those quests). Square Enix developers should still invest in the story. I think that the stories of the characters were the reasons I wanted to collect them when I was playing FF VI.

Still, if you just want to reminisce and can't afford a PS4 for the latest FF game, then try out Record Keeper. At least you'll get to see Cid and Mog. Kupo!

The Flash Season 1 Episode 15

This episode is filled with a lot of goodies, so if you hate spoilers, stop reading right now!

First off - Sisko dies. Sisko finally discovers that Professor "Ed", (as I like to call him because of his TV show way way back) is the Reverse Flash. After the professor explains that he is from the future and has been trapped in the current timeline for 50 years, he also says that Barry Allen is the key to getting back to his own timeline. And that is the reason why he has been training Barry. The professor also reveals that he is Eobard Thawne - a distant relative of Joe's police partner, Eddie. How this will play out in future episodes is intriguing.

Barry and Iris finally reveal their true feelings for one another. And Barry also reveals to her that he is the Flash because he has to stop an incoming tidal wave that threatens to destroy Central City. This was generated by the Weather Wizard (Someone with powers like X-men's Storm) who is out to avenge his brother's death. The Weather Wizard blames Joe and is willing to kill an entire city just to quench his thirst for blood.

Flash tries to generate a barrier to counteract the incoming tidal wave by zooming back and forth - and in the process, accidentally travels back in time to a few days ago. Flash finally unlocks his ability to travel back in time - and this explains how he was present during his mother's death (and most likely battling Reverse Flash).

The season is about to end and it should end with a bang. There are so many stories that can still be explored in future seasons. We haven't even seen an encounter with Gorilla Grod and Abracadabra and the Trixster. And of course, there are plenty of speedsters in the Flash lore. Can't wait to see the likes of Jessie Quick, Max, Jay Garrett, and Wally West. But all (hopefully) in due time. May the Flash have many more exciting seasons in the future.

Coby CMP500 Nitrox Product Review

Bought the Coby CMP500 mobile phone today, and so far, I can say I'm pleased with it. It appears to be one of the better smart phones available for a person on a low budget.

The only hitch I had with it initially was that Windows 7 didn't recognize the device. Even after installing Universal Android drivers for it, the device "wasn't showing up as a drive" in the way I'm used to with other mobile phones. But the device has an ftp WiFi option where you can transfer files once you input the WiFi address to your PC. After that, transferring files was a breeze.

The following are the specs behind the box:
Display: 4.98" LCD (540 x 960) qHD Panel
Processor: 1.3 GHz MTK6582 Quad Cortex A7
Memory: 8 GB NAND Storage, 1 GB RAM
Camera: Dual Camera: Front 2 MP, Rear 8 MP
Wireless Connectivity: WiFi 802.11 /b/g/n + Bluetooth 4.0 3G; WCDMA 850 / 2100 MHz 2G; GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
Sim Card Slot: Dual SIM
Power: Battery: 1900 mAh

To enable an FTP transfer, go to File Explorer and click on the "FTP" tab. Then click on "Start Service". Use the IP Address given to you. It usually starts as "ftp://192." Go to your drives, right click, then choose "Add a network location". Click on "next" then click on "Choose a custom network location". Type in the IP Address you obtained and just keep following until you name the folder. You should now be able to access the files on your mobile phone via this folder.

P.S.

10/24/2015
After seven months, the charger that came with the phone was busted. The charger was treated as an accessory even though it was part of the phone package. (It was in the box together with the earphones and the phone unit). And because it was an accessory, it wasn't covered in the warranty.

To make matters worse, the vendor does not sell Coby accessories. They only sell units. Coby after-sales support has been shitty at best. It's a good thing CD-R King sells those 60 peso USB chargers which you can attach the USB cable to. Just make sure you get the charger with a 5 volt and 1 ampere output.

Naroon Sya (Maykapal) Chords

Heard this song being played on DZAS. Couldn't find the song on the Internet (gasp). I guess it's a really old song, but a part of me remembers it from my childhood. I'm not sure of the lyrics, so if someone could post the complete lyrics below, especially for the stanzas, that would really be appreciated.

Below are my attempt at its chords. Hope you enjoy it.

Stanza Pattern:

Am - Am+M7 - Am7 - Am6

Dm - Dm - Dm - E - Esus - E

Dm - Dm+M7 - Dm7 - Dm6

C - F - (E -first stanza or G - second stanza transition to Chorus)

Chorus Pattern:

(F - G) - C     Am              Dm
Naroon sya pag asa may mabubuwal

(F - G) - C     Am              Dm
Naroon sya panatag kang nakasandal

(F - G) - Em       Em                 Dm
Naroon sya sinlapit lamang ng dasal

F                 G                       C
Ikay minamahal ng maykapal

(Transition back to Stanza)
E

Ending 

F                 G                       Em
Ikay minamahal ng maykapal
F                 G                       C
Ikay minamahal ng maykapal

Lionheart Tactics

If you enjoy games like Final Fantasy Tactics or Front Mission, then you will probably like Lionheart Tactics by Emerald City Games and Kongregate. You can download this game for free at the Google Play Store.

It is a lot similar to Final Fantasy Tactics. You form a party of fighters (from my experience, a maxium of 6 as of this writing), and battle through various points on the world map. Some of the points can even be re-visited. And you acquire allies along the way.

So far, I have been able to acquire an archer, a thief, a wizard, a priest, along with the hero and his trusty aide - a soldier in full metal armor. I really enjoy Captain Redd since he serves as the Tank of the team, and his skill allows you to redirect all damage received by another member to himself. The Hero, on the other hand, is really good at dishing out damage to his enemies, especially if the enemies are directly to his North, East, South, and West. He can perform his Whirlwind skill that hits all enemies in these locations.

I'm probably at a low level as of this point, since the ranged units are not as powerful. I probably like the priest character next because he keeps healing my units and keeps the team alive. Then the thief, cause it allows me to accumulate money necessary for spending on skill upgrades, armor, equipment, and stones necessary for promotions.

The wizard is useful if enemies are in a column formation, since his fireball can hit two enemies in a single shot. The archer is useful for long range hits, preventing the enemy from countering (unless the enemy is also an archer or has long range).

I like the game. The only problem is that at this point, I can only play the game once a day (unless I'm willing to pay for items that will allow me to heal my party). So after a match, I usually just upgrade my unit's skills - some may take a few minutes, others, a few hours, giving them time to heal.

But other than that, I would still recommend the game to other players.

DBAN (Darik's Boot And Nuke)

It was the first time I tried installing Windows on a hard drive that had Linux Mint installed. Windows setup wasn't even recognizing the hard drive. So, after searching online, I found out about DBAN. You can download the tool from www.dban.org and store it in a USB drive.

Once you set up your BIOS to boot from that drive, it brings you to a menu where you have several methods of nuking the hard drive. I read at first that once you begin the nuking process, it wipes all data off of all drives including the USB drive itself. So, I thought that once I was in the menu, I should unplug the USB drive since the program was already residing in memory.

I was wrong. None of the formatting methods worked after I unplugged the USB drive. All of them were giving an error. I tried pressing F4 to troubleshoot the error but there was no joy. So, I decided to restart and just keep the USB plugged in during the entire process. And DBAN did format the USB drive along with my SATA hard drive. And the entire process took 7 hours for a 500 GB hard drive. Talk about low-level format indeed.

But it worked. Windows setup was able to detect the drive afterwards.

My only complaint was the advertisement splash screen at the end of the formatting process. I don't mind having the add as long as it allows me to escape it somehow. Pressing Ctrl-Alt-Delete did nothing. I had to do a hard shutdown just to reboot my PC. Despite this, I would still recommend this tool to anyone having a hard time installing on a hard drive with Linux installed.