Computer Stuff

It's a rainy Thursday morning I'm awakened by the sound of raindrops on our window. I haven't checked the news yet since I'm not sure if this rain is caused by low pressure area (LPA) or if there's a storm coming in. I'm waiting for an email that we'll be dressed down tonight it's so uncomfortable coming to work all dressed up in while a storm is raging. 

So my customer survey score is recovering, it went up after getting really low scores last week. I guess I'm back with a vengeance. 

I'm done watching all season 2 episodes of Ghost Whisperer after my computer OS (operating System) crashed thank goodness I did lose anything on my hard drive. I'm planning to save it on a a disc so I have a hard copy I wouldn't be so worried in case anything goes wrong with my computer. I'm downloading season 3 for sure it will take a week or two to finish. I am taking so much care of my laptop now since I can't afford losing any important file or it's going to be a pain in the neck.  

I downloaded an Antivirus software called ESet Smart Security on my niece's computer after the trial version of NOD32 expired. I replaced it with Panda Antivirus however it made her computer run slow I decided to uninstall it immediately before it gets worst.  

My sister downloaded a photo editing software called Photolight I thought it was pretty good but it expired after a few days. I'd like to know what if Corel Photopaint is any better. 

Hair Rebonding

I had my hair "rebonded" to make it straighter and shinier.  Hair rebonding involves restructuring the hair using chemicals to maintain the straightness. It's also known as thermal reconditioning. This procedure was developed by the Japanese, and has gained popularity worldwide. In Singapore, the prices for hair straightening using this method have dropped, in part thanks to the dying down of the craze (to be replaced by digital perming!). Nonetheless, it continues to have its fans because of the final product achieved – sleek, glossy, fuss-free hair. The term ‘hair rebonding’ is often perceived as permanent hair straightening. It is not limited to straight hair though. These days, the same method is used, albeit with different machines, to create luscious curls (ceramic and digital perming). It is advisable to go to a trained hair professional for this procedure because many things can go wrong in the process. If not done correctly, hair may end up frizzy, dry and in the worst case scenario, burnt! Before you even do this, consult with your stylist to find out if your hair is suitable for such a permanent hair straightening process. People who have had their hair coloured recently might not be advised to do this (or at least, not so soon) as it puts undue stress on the tresses.

There are three basic steps to rebonding the hair:

Step 1: Softening the bonds with a chemical cream

Step 2: Establishing the straightness with a hair iron

Step 3: Neutralising the chemical effect with another cream

A protein solution is applied to protect against the harsh effects of the chemicals before the chemical cream is thoroughly worked through the hair. The cream has sodium hydroxide as the main active ingredient, reacting with the sulphur bonds in the hair to disassociate the bonds. After the hair is suitably softened by the chemical reaction, the hair is shampooed and rinsed. It is then blown dry thoroughly and a straightening hair iron (the best being a ceramic one) is used to make the hair as straight as possible. This is done meticulously, with the hair stylist clipping up the hair and ironing it in sections. The hair is then allowed to cool and a neutralising cream is applied, to lower the pH level of the hair, as well as to give it oxygen (I am not sure how this is actually achieved, though). In my hair stylist’s terms, this is also known as a protective treatment. After this cream has set in for about fifteen minutes, the hair is washed and blown dry once more. It is then ironed again and a trim is given to neaten the hairdo. Voila! ~ Beautifully straight, silky, healthy-looking hair!

To maintain the glossiness and straightness, the hair after care is important:

1. Do not wash the hair for 48 to 72 hours after the rebonding process for the chemical process to stabilise.

2. Do not clip or tie up the hair. Hair should not be tucked behind the ears either. Should you accidentally do this, wet the hair immediately and comb it straight.

3. Wash the hair with an appropriate shampoo and apply a suitable conditioner. It is advisable to use those specially formulated for rebonded hair. While the hair might look healthy, we must not forget that the look was achieved with chemicals and thus have the attendant harsh chemical effects inflicted upon it.

4. For added protection and shine, apply a protective serum to the hair.

I spent four hours in the salon – I read a lot of magazines and chatted with my sister to kill time. I was told that the rebonding would last 6 months but of course it will still depend on how you take care of your hair.

No Thanks

I got my laptop back yesterday so my printer is working now. I called HP's technical support few days ago and talked to 3 representatives but none of them was able to really help me. They couldn't figure out what was wrong until the last rep gave me an idea that it's a possible issue with my computer's operating system, I have Windows OS. I work in technical support so I know if I'm able to fix the problem or not at the onset so I'm quite surprised with HP's reps I suppose they've gone through extensive training. I don't really care if their accent is hard to understand as long as they can help me at least figure out the problem without putting me on hold just to research a certain error that for sure is not so new to them. As far as I know I gave all the necessary information. I think the first rep is the worst I think he's lost in translation or something he just instructed me to go to HP's website and download something which I already tried prior to calling so I know that it will not fix the problem. I don't know if it's a language barrier kinda thing and I'm not mean but I don't think you can rely on HP's tech support good thing I have friends who are more knowledgable. 

Happy First

Today is Jack's birthday. Our boy turned a year older today so we'll have a little something in store for him later. Jack is my elder sister's dog and he brings a lot of joy to us even if he's a little temperamental. It may sound weird that we're celebrating our dog's birthday because most people don't really care about their dogs but he's family to us. Jack's sister Jill is celebrating her birthday too of course but she's not here with us she lives in our other house.

Have a Happy Birthday Jack and Jill!

OC Me

Kaspersky crashed my computer's OS (operating system) I lost all my files so I'm back to zero. I'm partly to blame actually I just became so OC (obsessive-compulsive) wanting to uninstall a game but I couldn't do it until I end up messing everything up. What the hell is wrong with me? I'm just lucky to have "techie" friends that I can run for help in times like this. To cut  it short I had my hard drive reformatted for free. 

Lesson learned, don't complicate things especially if you're not an expert. 

Dressed Down

Oh God I'm so bored at work good thing we have access to Yahoo's web Messenger. 

So, my network log in is finally working after 50 years! I tried it on my work pc before going home I'm happy about it of course. I can finally save files on my own personal drive, yay!

It's our company's anniversary tonight so we have a street party that's why they gave out colorful wristbands, I got a neon green I'll keep it as souvenir and it's dress down tonight so I can wear jeans, yasss!

Halloween Thingy

I'm home early and a bit starved. I wanted something light for lunch so I just ate sandwich. Earlier, I had cheese hotdog, 2 slices of buttered toast, a chocolate cookie and coffee for breakfast. I'm still tired and sleepy but I have to bring my laptop to the store where I brought it for memory upgrade, it's getting sluggish I'm becoming really upset about it. 

My phone is finally up and running again after the speaker issue but now, the network signal keeps fluctuating I think it's getting worst so I brought it back to Nokia's service center and was told that they need to replace the chipset, it's busted. I hope this will be the last time I'm taking it for repair or else I might give it up for a new phone. 

There's a Halloween thingy in the office that's been going on for 3 days now. I got freebies and candies thank God I don't have shift tonight. Awesome.

Bomb Scare

My sister and I went to the supermarket yesterday and we're still both kinda paranoid  of the bomb explosion that happened in Glorietta last week. I'm a bit scared to go out these days you'll never know what's gonna happen anytime. There's no safe place really. 

I have shift tonight but we're not dressed down. The only consolation I get is that I'm back to the normal schedule. I was on 4 by 11 (4 days a week, 11 hours a day) previously. My elder sister and her pet "Jack" left for Baguio on Sunday to spend sembreak there how I wish I can come but I'm saving my leave credits for the holidays. 

I guess I won't be able to visit our dead relatives this All Soul's Day unlike when we were kids. I have shift as usual but they are always on my prayers.

Normalcy

I finally had Norton Anti-Virus uninstalled by running the Norton removal tool. I tried uninstalling the software but I always get the message that I need to update Windows' installer. I decided to "Google it," read some forums and that's where I found the answer. Some suggested to download the Norton removal tool. To cut it short, Norton removal tool solved the problem. 

I read good reviews about another AV software called Kaspersky Internet Security so I decided to download it immediately sine I no longer have Norton to keep my computer system protected. I'm getting a little upset lately because my laptop is becoming slow I though maybe it's really about time for some memory upgrade. 

My sister accompanied me to Kalentong earlier to check out some ukay ukay. I bought 2 blouses and a pink polo shirt for Php80 each.  They don't give discounts there even if those are not new arrivals but I just let it go, what I got aren't so bad anyway. My 4 by 11 (4 days a week, 11 hours a day) shift is about to end I'm happy about it somehow because I get to go back to my normal life again. Seriously, it's such a pain having to stay in the office for 11 hours! Come next week I'm back on the 5 by 8 (5 days a week, 8 hours a day) schedule, yay!

Problem Solved

My CD-R USB (universal serial bus) Bluetooth dongle is finally working. 

I downloaded Bluesoleil, a software that allows you to transfer files or connect from any bluetooth enabled device. It's a package deal. It has all the necessary drivers for the dongle to work, it's absolutely hassle free. Good Lord, I've been working on this problem for days. I got the driver from CD-R's website but the dongle still refused to work. Call me OC but I reinstalled the driver over and over again until I finally gave up when I checked on Windows' Device Manager it still says there that it's "not configured properly." 

My gosh, I think CD-R's website is "extremely helpful" (with so much sarcasm). Imagine this, they sell products with drivers but won't tell you that you'll need a software like Bluesoleil to make it work so if you're the kind of person who just buy stuff and expect them to work right away, you're dead. It's best to do a little research first or you'll end up going back to their store without helpful answers. Of course it will work while in their store but wait till you get home. Sadly, most CD-R salesperson have a little knowledge of their products. Thank God I found "Bluesoleil" it got my dongle working perfectly. I already saw a link to Bluesoleil while I'm in the process of downloading the USB's driver but I didn't pay much attention to it, if only I did I wouldn't have wasted my time worrying too much. Good job to me at least I fixed the problem this thing will not be put to waste.

Ramblings

Two days in production but to me it's like I've been woking for a week. I've never been in a 4x11 schedule before I wouldn't want one given a choice. I mean seriously? 8 hours of work is enough to kill me so 11 hours of work in a day is definitely a suicide. The only consolation I get is the 3-days off but I'd still prefer a normal schedule I'm being paid just the same so why exhaust myself. 

Enough of my rantings I can't do anything anyway. So, I bought a cheap bluetooth dongle from CD-R King and downloaded the driver from their site but for some reason the error still says that it's "not configured properly." I tried reinstalling the driver many times but to no avail. I don't know what to do from here to be honest. I read online forums but I didn't find any useful information yet I guess I'll figure it out on my own. I bought this dongle so I can connect my laptop wirelessly everytime I come over to Antipolo because I have no Internet access there anymore after I cancelled our dial-up Internet service since the connection was so awful but my sister have DSL Internet there now too. My niece needs it for school, you know kids nowadays can't live without Internet access anymore. I don't want to buy a router because I know how those things work. It'll work perfectly fine then for some reason it'll quit. I don't want to screw up their Internet set-up so I'll leave everything as it is. 

I finished downloading Ghost Whisperer Season 2 it has 22 episodes and all of episodes are pretty good and worth watching. I kinda like the OBB (opening billboard) a lot it's like a dream where everything is so surreal. Believe it or not it took me 2 months to download the file in Utorrent but I don't blame my Internet provider alone I'm well aware that my laptop doesn't have enough RAM (memory) that's why I'm planning to upgrade soon. 

I still have shift tonight. Darn it.