Home Improvement: The Massive Glass Panel

I spent 2 hours yesterday just to get this massive glass panel installed. The huge half inch by 7 feet by 14 inch glass panel is from my sister as she chose to go wood panel instead. I got this free.

Man Hours Breakdown

A. The Lift Off (20 min)

20 minutes looking for someone who'll help me bring this glass from G-Floor to the 5th, via stairs. After 15 minutes of waiting in the sidestreet, there you go, one pedicab driver agreed to help me send it up to the heavens (5th floor), I gave him P40.00.

B. The Talk (10 min)

Precious 10 minutes to inform thy neighbor of an impending mala-jack-hummer powerful drill. Gotta talk to thy neighbors if you're separated by only 4 inch walls.

C. Measure Up (10 min)

10 minutes to draw the lines, err, the points. This one is 35 inches high and with 4 steel supports separated by 21 inches to spread the load.

D. Drill You, Screw You (20 min)

Just 20 minutes to actually drill the holes and screw the supports. And, I loaded the glass panel by myself while reciting Hail Mary. I was actually praying while lifting this thing for fear that it might snap and slit my throat. A lone worker lifting a seven foot glass panel is not recommended as it could snap in the strained/stressed area. BUT, I want to see how it'll look ASAP.

E. Clean Up (60 min)

Finally, 1 hour to clean up the mess. I actually spent more time cleaning up the concrete debri, chipped rust from the supports, tools everywhere... than actually installing the panel.

Next up, some paint retouching for the steel supports, i want it white and thoroughly clean the glass. Later on, get some artpieces or frame my own photo shots to put on the glass.

Shootouts!

Some of the films listed, I do not know. Video Includes...

08. True Lies
07. Dobermann
06. Lock Stock And Two Smocking Barrels
05. The Matrix
04. In Kina Spiser De Hunde
03. Face/Off
02. The Boondock Saints
01. The Heat


I got 8 other scenes/mpvies I like not included in the list...

1. Scarface - Shoot out in the mansion
2. Scarface - Shoot with the Colombians
3. Hard Boiled
4. Face-Off (Over the rainbow background music)
5. Die Hard (shootout with broken glasses everywhere)
6. Antonio Banderas' Desperado
7. "Stone" in the Train Station, Untouchables
8. Full Metal Jacket (the sniper hunt)

Conversation With A Langaw

National Geographic Photographer - Hey, all you flies have been quite a nuisance ever since the world began, I think you guys finally met your match, the macro photographers. We are the fly shooters! We kill fly one a time.
Mr. Fly Superstar - Dude, we still out-number you a billion to one. How's that? You're not threatening our species at all.

National Geographic Photographer - Why do you think you are the favorite object of macro photographers in the Philippines?
Mr. Fly Superstar - We're everywhere. The bugs that comes next are the ants. But, we're far more prettier than the ants in macro shots. The spiders are pretty too but they are pretty hard to come by especially in the city. But us, you see us everywhere. Here, there and everywhere. You know all this shit.


National Geographic Photographer - Wow, words shit, flies and pretty have not been in the same paragraph before. Why you say, you are prettier than the ants?
Mr. Fly Superstar - Look at it yourself. You'll see tiny hairy me. You'll see our sparkling vibrant eyes. Our spiky sexy legs alone are a sight to behold. And did I mention, we got wings.


National Geographic Photographer - There are ants that have wings too.
Mr. Fly Superstar - Yeah, yeah, the queens? But hey, ants are boring, they only come in red/orange and black and the color is monotonous. Look at us, we're the sex goddess of bug shots in the Philippines. Macro photographers drool whenever they see us.


National Geographic Photographer - Yikes. Drooling for flies. You're a mother effing conceited insect. Considering you freakin carry million bacterias, it also makes me wonder, what's with you that we are still paying attention to you.
Mr. Fly Superstar - You got no choice man. You'll forever be taking picture of us, practicing macro shots, looking for that perfect macro fly shot.

National Geographic Photographer - Dammit, I agree. Speaking of which, may I shoot you now?
Mr. Fly Superstar - By all means.


National Geographic Photographer - But wait, I got another question for you... What do you think is the main difference between a macro shoot of an ant and a macro shoot of a fly?
Mr. Fly Superstar - Ahm, fly needs good studio lighting?


National Geographic Photographer - NOPE. It's easy to shoot ant, I can shoot 'em alive. But for the flies, it's a different story.


END OF INTERVIEW.

(HONEY WHERE'S THE BAYGON?!)

Bride Wars

A "couples" comedy movie. Yep, for the hubbies and the wives, honeys and hugs, Brando & Tobert...

How do I rate it? Let's just say, if tickets are free / complementary tickets, I'll watch this. If not, I will not dole P300 to see this film.

And since, again, we got free tickets, we watched it at SM Cinema.

This one is for the ladies (and those who want to be ladies). Lot's of chit chats... lots of fashion... a wedding movie... a movie about frienship... this is your kind of movie I am sure.

It's along the lines of the Sex in the CIty the movie. Only, Sex in the CIty is wittier.

For me, it is passable chic movie pag free ang tickets and only 2 stars if not complementary tickets.

The upstaging tactics that Emma (Anna) and Liv (Kate) did to each other is the source of comical scenes. (SPOILER ALERT) I just felt that the catfight near the end isn't necessary and Emma's change of feelings (or lack thereof) towards Fletcher was so sudden. There could have been a better ending or better scenes that lead to that ending. Anyhows, this is my take, see for yourself. Take your partner of BFF with you.

And oh by the way, I am not gay. =)

Ubas na Walang Katas

bago 2008 ay lumipas sa araw ng bisperas sa mesa'y naglagay ng mga prutas hindi ito pinitas kundi binili sa rustans una ng ang ubas kasama ng labin dalawang kastanyas naligaw din ang bawang pero di sibuyas pang-tanggal daw ng malas ilang linggo ang lumipas ngayo'y ubas wala ng katas ganun pa man ito daw ay pampabuenas

Sheena & Osan Shoot @ OWG Studio Makati

lazy lens - 50mm 1.8 walang palitan til the end.
model - osan & sheena
comment - sheenasabi ko na nga ba mangangapa ako sa shoot eh. osana nagbasa at nagpractice muna ako bago nagpunta sa shoot. osana may kasunod pa na shoot, makabawi.

photoshoot is via canon users group. it's a cool group, check it out. may homebase (OWG studios - free internet!), may events and with active admins. http://heycu.multiply.com. better osan photos are posted in there.

MORE PHOTOS ARE POSTED HERE.

MORE PHOTOS ARE POSTED HERE.

MSI Laptop to TV

We got this 3 year old laptop, the LCD flickers upon boot up, then it goes OK for minute, then it totally blacks out. I sent it for repair last year, the (lin)tech told us, we need to replace the lcd. The new LCD cost hovers around P12000. That price, you can already buy a second laptop.



This is not a new laptop and doesn't deserve a new LCD. And I still think, the LCD aint defective but the boards and connections behind the LCD could be the culprits. Coz, during initial boots, the LCD display is so bright and with no dead pixels whatsoever, only after few minutes it goes black and I hear some hiss or some sort of little electrical shorted circuit sound. Anyways, I did not send it to the (lin)techs again, I just sent it to our office, I connected it to HUGE old CRT monitor and still have productive life.

Early this year, the user quit her post and so an idle PC in there. So, we took the MSI laptop home and finally did the chop-the-laptop. I totally removed the display and just used the main cpu body and connected it to our TV using VGA cable I bought from... dandararan... CDR King.

Now I have second workstation at home. It's great because suddenly we have a big lcd display for home browsing needs. The MSI laptop is wifi ready and readily connects to our home wireless router. The set-up gives great youtubing experience, play PC games, even do office work...



And, with With 40GB, it is not much, but enough to back up some photo files and these pictures can be readily viewed on TV screen.

Finally, this set-up serves as our back-up DVD player. Our main DVD player is picky when it comes to playing pirated DVDs and this MSI laptop will help in that prob. We tried loading 3 pirated DVDisk to the MSI laptop, all 3 wouldn't play on Sony DVD, but on MSI, it was able to read all. Problem solved.

This particular MSI M610 laptop model has this feature, where, you can play DVDs and CD without the Microsoft Windows O.S. turned on. Basically, the PC/laptop operating system is off and the laptop acts as a media player/dvd player.

Perfect solution from an unperfect-semi-busted laptop.

Roof Rail & Side Visor for TOYOTA Innova

Just before the turn of the year, I sent our "Ilova" to the shop for a quick installation of a roof rail and side visor or rain guard. For Innova owners (especially the lower end variants), these are the first upgrades.

Toyota Otis lists the rain guard at P3000 plus & the roof rail at P8000 plus. I am pretty sure, those parts are of higer end quality and made in Japan. But to me, that's a little too much para sa accessories.

Near my place, the shops here sell the rain guard for only 800.00 a set. That's 4 pieces. And for the Roof Rails, it's only P1500. Really bargains. Less than P2500 or so for a quick Innova pimpin. Though not casa supplied, looks good enough (for me).

BTW, roof rail doesn't bring anything to the table, err to the roof. In fact, this could just add drag. Kaya lang ata naglalagay ng roof rail is for luggage tray. Since, I will not put roof tray on top, it means, this roof rail is just for form. Sa tagalog, porma.

Lemme add too that, to install a non-CASA supplied roof rail, the installers need to drill a hole to where the roof rail shall be screwed. Another red flag for those who intend to put roof rail.

Next up, we'd like to have the back spoiler and the back mirror. Money, give me some money.

Opening Benjamin Button

We had free tickets to watch new movie over at Glorietta last week. (Eh kami, basta libre passes and tickets, we watch new films and go to events. Pag wala free tickets, we get the next best option, wait for the ADVANCED COPY and watch the movie at home. Hello OMB!)

(ASIDE... Hasus... dapat gumawa na din kami ng HINDI LAHAT NG MAY CAMERA AY PIRATA! Hindi pa din pinapasok ang camera namin ng Ayala guards in fear of PIRACY of/by the OMB and moviehouses, etc.)


The choice that night: The Day The Earth Stood Still OR Benjamin Button. Because Button was on THX Cinema, that's the movie we picked.

Story is new, well sort of. Mel Gibson had Forever Young. This is Brad Pitt's version of parallel story line but this one going a little bit farther (and creepier).

Story goes... because of some clock curse, during the time Banjamin Button was born, he was born old. Some 80-ish. Then as he lived his 80 years or so, he went the other way around, he grew younger. That's where the story revolves, funny scenes came about, etc.

This is another Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt team up. (The other film is BABEL which is, btw, better than B.Button)

I'd rate this 3 of 5. Negatives... long play time (we went home 1.30am from a LFS), a lot of dragging scenes, unnessary parts, some long dialogue. Still, it's above average because Brad Pitt stars, sort of new story, funny scenes and malupit ang make up artists or CG effecs that made Cate and Brad look older and younger as the scenes require. (Pero mas nakatipid sana sa production cost if they hired Robert Redford to play the old Brad Pitt.)

RATING: Pwede na.

...This is Mario Hernardo... No Stars!\

Ayala Center Photowalk

Ulan, Sinong Di Mapapasayaw sa Colored Ulan

I took these shots last night. A collection of fake rains. Naalala ko tuloy and kanta ng Rivermaya… ULAN

Sinong di mapapasayaw sa ulan?

BTW, have you seen our RICO BLANCO inspired t-shirt? It’s here.

HDR S EZ

And I thought rocket science is involved in producing those great HDR images. Turns out, HDR is easy.

Check a tutorial here...

http://www.motleypixel.com/

And you'll need the Photomatix - http://www.hdrsoft.com/download.html and Noise ninja plugin http://www.picturecode.com/

I tried it. And in a few minutes, I got my test. Of course it's effing ugly but I just tested how it's done.

A. Wait for a good cloudy sky and a nice building or object to capture.
B Capture images with different exposures (EV). (better to use a tripod. i did not use a tripod)


C. Use the Photomatix to merge the photos.
D. Edit the settings to get the desired HDR image .
E. Post process the image using PS.



Next time I do this, I'll get a better scene, use a tripod, i'll get full featured Photomatix, spend more time enhancing the image and post processing the image and someday, my end project will land in this list.

Baby On Board Tees - Naughty T-Shirts

The first naughty t-shirt we got. (And more designs of naugty tees will soon be available.)

Derived from “baby on board” stickers on autos. Just a little twist (pun intended) in the image, and we got a naughty version of that.

The BABY ON BOARD T-Shirt.

For Men Only.

P250.00

Visit S-CRED Clothing Line for more products.

Kami'y Artista, Hindi Terorista Photographer's Tee

Para sa mga sekyu na ayaw magpapasok sa mall dahil malaki camera namin and kulay itim (SLR & DSLR)… eto bago naming tees…

This should also be your statement tee if you’ve experience being blocked by guards coz you got this huge cam, held for too long, your bag camera double checked, reprimanded by the guards while shooting inside a premise, or asked to leave your camera with them, etc.

LIMITED STOCKS.

Complete print…

Hindi lahat ng may camera ay TERORISTA…

Ang totoo’y marami sa’min ay ARTISTA (artist)

For men & women… Only P250.00.

(This is our 3rd photography inspired t-shirt. Please check our PRODUCTS page for the first 2 designs.)

Rico Blanco Tee Design, Ikalawang Yugto, Lumiyab Ka!

Tees here at S^CRED Clothesline.