Bad Design

Mr. Bill Moggridge discussed good and bad design in this video. And now that I have a fair idea what's bad design, I will tell you one... Smart Money.It's credit card gone masa or bullish. First, it was appealing, considering that banks did not believe you exist with income if you did not have a minimum of Philippine peso 100K held with them (like time deposit). Previously. With Smart Money, all you need was around 120 bucks, P500 for Banco de Oro deposit (as payment - they have long, nasty, winding, a-mazingly tangled lines and if you weren't sure of the line you queued on, then, you better duct tape your mouth before you get to the front line... just to learn you will need to queue to another).

So, now, after filling up the form, you can either get a Smart Money card instantly, or, in my case, buy another for your spouse, or son, or daughter, for additional 120 something bucks, and wait for eternity... Close. Maybe, around 3 months.

The tragedy about the design that befall me is that it was near the end of the month, and end-of-the-month bills are mounting.

So, I had to withdraw money from Smart... Thing is, the brochure and website says you can use your password (placed during signing up process with the customer service rep) to do all, including online and withdrawals, to receive money via the ATM. Otherwise, it was not stated clearly that it should not have been the case.

But you have their smart money hotline to call... And you cannot call with your smart phone if you only have text loads, or less than 30 bucks. You have to load.

Also, you have to load a minimum of 30 bucks in order to activate the smart money feature.

You need to load to call their hotline, yeah, talk about highway robbery through and through.

In my case (this happened July 28, 2013, to be exact, they say they have a recorded conversation, so, this is verifiable), I loaded with P300 card load. To call their hotline. And I was able to connect, but the first thing I asked was if that call was charged because I was using a smart SIM, and the CSR assured me, no, i was not being charged for that call.

But I'll tell you, I called 3 times more (consecutively) to get my money, and the last call, I was cut, because my P300 bucks is consumed!

I called their hotline - in the first place, AFTER I failed to withdraw from their BDO ATM using smart money card. I learned that afternoon that there was a different (remember this) PIN for ATM smart money, and that there is a DEFAULT PIN for all. Imagine this - if I were a hacker, I'd steal all the smart money card of unwitting thifts!

But since I consumed my 3 allowed attempts, my card was BLOCKED!

But don;t worry, the CSR once again assured me. You can send your money to another smart SIM you know of, and they can withdraw it at the nearest smart money center. Seconds after the transfer.

I did just that and the next day, the spouse queued to "claim" the money.

And yes, he was sold ANOTHER smart money card to claim MY money!

The second question I have for them is: what will a family use a lot of smart money cards for?

The only answer I can rationally think of is - the better of which they sell more.

Lousy answer if you want to know the truth.

So, it took three months to wait for that damned DUMB card.

The other tragedy was that - their CSR cannot do anything to alter the situation. But they will not facilitate your request to hasten their process as well. We've just been populated (don;t you like this microsoft word - populated?) by robots and they rule... God bless humanity.

sourgraping instagram

no, i don't have an instagram account... but social media is evil, so, we have to learn to use them wisely... according to design 101 in iversity.

this photo - the property of murad osman in this link

http://instagram.com/p/eXeiDbGs2X/

bragging about his sexy girl and traveling the world, happened to have lost her girl's sexy legs in one of the pics... it is dibs image, I cannot upload! I am soooo jealous! I'd like to hypothesize she is not really his girlfriend but she - a wannabe model and he - a wannabe photographer/photoshop magician.

and I don;t instagram because

1. i am FUBAR - u is for ugly
2. i don;t selfie
3. i eat good food, i don;t shoot them! (ooops, i sometimes like to take photos of them and make others want to drool, i borrowed a camera!)
4. i enjoy life, i don't frame it
5. i don;t have a camera or a device that resembles it
6. i am sarcastic
7. i am fine by me looking at the mirror
8. i dont shop
9. i don;t have money
10. i lied somewhere from one to ten
11. this is disgusting, i lied!
12. i lied and i am not even elected in the Philippines!
13. i must be squidward
14. no, please, i'd rather be Patrick!
15. I wish Daffy Duck loves me!
16.  Daffy DUck is NOT a disney character.
17. ...sigh... i blooped. i downed 2 bottles of san miguel beer, and I blooped!


i feel so bad about the recent earthquake and typhoon Haiyan that I am beginning to believe this

conspiracy video...

yes, the Philippines has got oil! and since the Abu Sayyaf will no longer terrorize the area, the not-so vulgar are creeping in shrouded in nature's mystique. I am so embarrassed for my lack of literary skills I cannot construct a proper figure of speech! I'm outta here!

And now that we are Smart, let us as well be Aleck

At Facebook posts...

BIR chief: 90% of PH professionals tax evaders

Aleck: With the kind of government service we are getting, we should already have HANGED the lot of them a long time ago for GROSS violations of constitutional and human rights! Taxes, my ass! We pay taxes daily through Payless and Lucky Me! nyeta!

 

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FB post: Twain was an atheist . He didn't even know what is the meaning of the word " church " . Many people today don't understand the meaning of the word " church " . When they see a building , they say , " That's a church ! " The word " church " was first mentioned by Christ to mean His followers, people who believed in His claims of deity, resurrection, salvation, second advent ( Christ is coming again in power and glory ) . Mark Twain did not believe in Christ as you and I do . So, why should I believe in this guy . When Twain mentioned and blamed the " Church " for real or imagined mistakes ( as if Twain did not commit mistakes ) , he referred to some persons in the leadership the Christian religion. Because of that, he blamed the whole church. If he were alive today, he would probably agree to the tag of the Philippines as a nation of slaves ( like some Chinese in Hong Kong and China do ) because there are thousands of Filipino maids in Hong Kong . How shallow and pathetic ! The Philippines, of course, is more than our OFWs in Hong Kong !

Aleck:   you say things that degrade Mark Twain? that is appalling... if not idiotic.
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FB Post:

Sinong mga fans ng GMA 7 , ipapalabas nila talambuhay ni abnoy ninoy , e mga demonyo din pala ang 7 walang pinag iba sa abias cbn sumasamba sa demnyong abnoy ninoy hakhakhak Sabi ko na nga ba kakampi din ng mga cojuanco aquino ito ayaw pa nila umamin wala daw kinikilingan wahahahaha.

 Aleck: Ikaw naman, masyado ka. Pwede namang paid ad. Taxes lang naman natin ang gagamitin...

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‘Some solons hiding SALNs’; ‘Senate lacks interest in pork scandal probe’

Aleck: Ate, meron niyan sa Ombudsman... Level up naman.

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FB Post: Ballsy Aquino... coincidence in attending mass at Prague church....

 

Aleck: Of course, they also attend mass in Rome, Las Vegas, London, Turkey, and Dubai!

 

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FB Post: P1000 paid each for Barangay Election Registration

Aleck: There goes my daily Payless and Lucky me taxes...

 ---

 

 

Smart Communications: No Aleck yet in your Trade Name...

(An Open Letter to Smart Communications, Inc. from a loyal Customer)

In July 28, I tried to withdraw from my Smart Money through ATM (not BDO) but smart load unli-text was not accepted to unlock my account.

So, I loaded P300 from smart load card.

I tried to withdraw in BDO unlocking my card as instructed in your site and the Smart Money User guide. My PIN was not accepted.

So, I called your card hotline  632-8457777 for assistance using my smart sim mobile phone. Since the verification process alone took time (as if you didn't know), I asked the CSR if I am being charged for the call and he said NO. He provided me with advice on how to go about using this card by sending money to another smart number in order to immediately withdraw from smart remittance.

To no avail. So, I called again a little later about the remittance centers.

That night, I transferred  funds to my husband's smart number so he can avail the money ASAP for end-of-the-month bills.

Only to be required to PAY for another smart money card, and to wait TWO (2) weeks to withdraw that money.

I called again your card hotline only to be cut short (I didn't know my load has RUN out just calling up your SMART hotline!).

A few SMS later, and I already RAN out of prepaid loads!

I called your smart money CSR via landline (because I cannot anymore use my smart prepaid) and guess what the message prompt is AFTER I input my SMart Money card number?

SURPRISE: You have insufficient balance to  make this transaction.NOW, if this is not highway robbery, let me know.

But I did not stop going through the maze of your hotline recorded messages. I finally got an operator - Yumi Aquino to tell me Smart cannot do anything to reverse the situation.

What I told her was recorded, but I am putting it here again for the world to know (as if they are clueless):

"If you will check your record, I maintain several Smart accounts and am a loyal customer since 2005. My prepaid load  is only BARYA and you  still want to gain from it?

Your customer SHOULD not be penalized for the mistake of your Smart staff. So return my prepaid LOAD."

Yumi insisted her script so I asked to talk to her manager. She said she will look for her supervisor instead, and could I please hold for say - 3 minutes?

I endured.

Only to be told they will call me up after getting my 2 numbers- within the day.

After an hour, I checked my load and I  was provided for the 2 unli-text I loaded earlier in Sunday to avail their smart money unlock system!

2 days later, no more load balance.

First off, I load using the smart card load because I use it to both call and send SMS. and they only returned the UNUSED unli-text I loaded!

Please guys, do something. You are earning SO MUCH - like some government officials - but it does not mean you have to be as senseless and as idiotic like them. C'mon' people. Live up to your company name - and it has no "aleck" after it.

ps

You should be paying me to test your products, and point our the glitches... and THIS is what you do to me? 

I mean, Yumi, if you are out there reading this... of course we've been had by your family namesake, but, girl...

Ang Panlilinlang ng Ruling Class sa 105 milliong Filipino

Kasalukuyang 105,720,644 million katao ang populasyon ng Filipino. Kulang-kulang 1 % o 111 pamilya ang gumagawa ng desisyon sa bayang ito sa pangunguna ng pamilyang Cojuangco-Aquino.  Ito ay sinusuportahan ng kanilang mga alipores na miembro rin ng angkang mula sa 1% na ito, at sila man ay may kani-knyang alipores na nagpapatakbo sa pinakamalalaking negosyo sa bansa kasama na rito ang media, enerhiya, at pati pang-araw-araw na aspeto ng kabuhayan: pera, komunikasion, tubig, pagkain, at iba pa.

Natural lamang na ang isang tulad ng Sixto Brilliantes na isang hamak na abogado at naluklok dahil sa Constitution of the Philippines para bantayan ang karapatan ng humigit 105 million katao sampu ng mga nakaupong pinakamatataas na opisyal ng bansa ay miembro ng mga alipores ng (mga) pamilyang ito. Kung may mga mangilan-ngilang miembro ng teatro na kumalaban sa higanteng mga pamilyang ito na miembro rin ng pamahalaan ay hindi na kataka-takang palabas lamang ang mga ito dahil siempre, kailangan ng contra vida sa lahat ng palabas.

Kaya kung inaakala niyong may election at may partisipasion nga tayong taxpayers sa pamamagitan ng election, ay, mga kabarangay, magising na kayo! Walang himala!

Mga ilang gabi na ang nakalipas, ang mga tulad kong aliping sagigilid (media, pop culture manipulators, etc) ay nagbigay ng kanilang kuru-kuro about packaging politicians and all those crap, tumawa na lang po kayo... trabaho lang, walang personalan. Para naman masabing pwedeng i-analyse ang Pinoy attitude on elections, at ma-appreciate ng mga me-kayang bayaran ang servicio nila (1%) baka sakaling madagdagan ng .01% ang ruling class dito sa P'nas.

Hindi masamang managinip, pero 8 hours per day lang tayong allowed nùn. We should live reality in at least 16 hours per day, including elections hours.

Mga Nawawalang Anak sa Telebisyong Pinoy

Itinagalog ko na ito kasi tagalog ang lengguwahe ng mga tele-serye ng ABS-CBN at GMA networks... at ang topic ko ngayon, ngayong pinapanuod sa bahay itong Way Back Home.

My point today is that almost all tele serye on said stations tackle one topic: lost child. Nawawalang anak.

I'll list at random and will add as I go on researching. I do not watch these regularly, nor do I really watch them at all... maybe, I just guessed. Let me know if I am wrong...

Mara Clara. 2 baby girls were switched...
Ina, Kapatid, Anak. Twins separated at birth.
May Isang Pangarap.
Aryana.
Apoy Sa Dagat.
Juan dela Cruz.
Agua Bendita.
Princess & I.

Is the theme of the lost child have a relevance to the Filipino psyche? Why the recurring, over-used theme?
Ang Pinoy ba ay nawawalan ng magulang o nawawalan ng anak? Is it about our history? Have our creative writers ran out of imagination? DOes it always have to be a lost child? Ganun na ba kadami ang nakidnap, ipina ampon, na-swap, etcetera, etcetera sa mga batang Pinoy?

It's mind-boggling.

Then, the show for Good Friday featuring  siblings who had the priest brother with leukemia... and the narrator's family is having financial problems for the hospitalization of the priest??? Do these writers or even the ABS-CBN want to educate their viewers and be factual sometimes? even on Good Friday, they will keep fooling people? Priests have health insurance. And will parishioners and the catholic hierarchy will abandon a priest in financial need for his health? I doubt this very badly. It's like a PR movie in bad taste.

Kris: Bye Showbiz

What took her so long?
You should have seen the face of Ted Failon... during this stupid interview where there is no director to guide kris aquino on HOW to act and WHAT to say...

should've been funny... if her brother did not betray the Filipinos.

Random Stupidity at the Government: GSIS, BIR, etc

This is an account at the 3rd Floor Retiree Lounge, GSIS main office, Pasay City.

The above forms were submitted by a representative of a retired employee, a senior citizen that is under medication of diabetes. The retiree and the representative live 12 hours away from those who need to sign the forms (at the PNP headquarters and GSIS main office), thus, the need to require a leave from work for the representative as well as incur expenses that are taxed (bus fare, meals, taxi fare, etc). The line for acquiring signature for the forms is quite long, 7 hours is usually an average. They don't accept electronic or phone or through courier requests, no, they have of course GOT a BIG CHUNK of OUR TAXES to upgrade into new age. But of course, that is only for purposes to feed these palamunins. Feed is understatement to the core. They build mansions (or buy several town-homes), buy each of their children SUVs, travel to Bangkok, Macau, or even Las Vegas OUT of our taxes!

A day after the signature, off to GSIS I go. The front desk number 20 won't take the form. She said it is expired. So I asked: "Which is more important, the signatures or the paper?"

She had the common sense to reply, "The signature. But if I accept that, the processing officer will also disapprove because the form is old."

"But it was the form given to my dad," I replied. "They (retirees) are old and are not aware of forms available elsewhere, so, how would he know the form was expired?"

She went to her chief, who also stood by her decision. But I talked to their chief, anyway. Maybe, she became a chief because she has a little more common sense than front runners...

They all stood by their decision that the new form must be filled up.

Back to the diabetic 2 days later, he said, "Their local office gave me that form just recently."

Had I known this info and had I been a maniac, the next thing I'll do is burn down the fucking GSIS building for mangling my taxes, through and through!

Then, there's another. This is another big joke that is not quite funny.

At the BIR office after going through valuation at the cashier or treasurer, or whatever that you have to go through to file taxes yearly, or quarterly... (Please bear with me when it comes to this, everyday, I look at my receipts and see the VAT or whatever percentage that goes to the bureaucracy and my blood boils, not to consider the temperature, of course... and don't snicker you! you had your share of daily taxes, too! TAXES! right, that is plural. and yes brother, that is daily. hah!)

The counter lady says, "Done. Go to counter 6..." That must be hell, what a coincidence. Because at that counter, they say the Corp owes them two thousand bucks for 2010 and 2012. What's the story morning glory? What?

But see, we were given certificates/clearance for those years 2010, 2011, 2012. What the fuck happened?

Well, taxation or BIR blabbery have always been alien language to me, what do you expect?  So the man blabbered his way to this anarchist's understanding that there is no choice but fucking pay!

And so because there are no fit words to describe how I really feel for bureaucracy, let's start burning them in our minds...

The Marcos Mythology: Over Time

War loot is behind all these, and the CIA bashers could be right.

I post in my real Facebook account (yes, I have a troll account, so what? You gonna file me a cyber crime?) that I was never a Marcos loyalist. And this is true. But over the years, my reverence to the late "dictator" have grown as my wisdom (i grin like an idiot, too! dammit) did.

War loot is fair game. Not that the Bush administration is excused for the Iraq war to loot oil and sell more arms, but finders-keepers is universally logical when it comes to remnants of war if your locality had been a war zone.  And Philippines was a war zone!

So, when I cannot fathom and deduce how the Marcoses have gotten rich when they were still ruling (I have yet to see an actual evidence as well as compelling stories they plundered the Philippine treasury), I'd like to believe the conspiracy theory is true.

And like the many who now wallow in disdain to the political circus of the land, I thirst for the truth and know more about the President who has now turned out to be the best President we could ever have.

Ricky Lo, Anne Hathaway, & Jessica Zafra

If you are a Pinoy (Filipino) who reads local newspapers regularly, you'd know who are Lo and Zaffra... or Zafra. Or Zaffft whatever. And if you watched that talking rabbit movie with cap'ain Hook in it, you'd know that balloon-headed pudgy red-lipped "roll with the head" woman...but did you notice the white-gowned wide-lipped queen or princess? (That is Hathaway!)

Notice the short trend: by association...

Pinoys are never quite serious about anything, or everything, so you expect Lo to breeze through an interview like the Martin & Pops mastery he has exhibited over the years with Hathaway? Who is  Hathaway, anyway, for the average (like 100 million) Filipinos but just a glamorized (Hollywood) version of Anne Curtis? You noted, they both have wide lips... Kinda monstrous in a way... and this is Pinoy-association basics.

We are a culture of associations, and with it comes fringe benefits and dangers. Dangers like "elections" and "voting" this is why the COMELEC need not take these votes seriously and so, they (politicians & government bureaucrats) can mangle it anyway they can.

And so do Ricky Lo and Jessica Zafra in their chosen fields of endeavor. Cringe if you want, but what's worth cringing about anyway? In the Philippines? Nothing. Who are Filipinos, anyway.

Dear Philippine Government Officials & Employees

Dear.

It is of great disdain on  my part and the part of many Filipinos to place "honorable", "sir" or "ma'am" before your given legal names. But you seem to  relish and actually thrive on it. But just the same, I've started this message with "Dear." It's the best I could start with.

For many decades now, you have trampled on our basic rights as a democratic nation. "By the people, of the people, and for the people." Can you even understand it? Do you even know that we have a Constitution? That we, the Payless & Lucky Me taxpayers are supreme in this land of the free?

One of my favorites:

Bill of Rights
Section 7. The right of the people to information on matters of public concern shall be recognized. Access to official records, and to documents and papers pertaining to official acts, transactions, or decisions, as well as to government research data used as basis for policy development, shall be afforded the citizen, subject to such limitations as may be provided by law.

Section 10. No law impairing the obligation of contracts shall be passed.cralaw

Wishful thinking on my part, of course.

For decades now, you and your kind have filled up the bureaucracy as if hematophagous  leeches that will never leave their prey  (the government treasury) come hell or tsunami. By the way, leeches have suckers on both ends.

You are NEVER above me (us, taxpayers). READ (do you or can you even read?):

ARTICLE II

DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES AND STATE POLICIES

PRINCIPLES

Section 1. The Philippines is a democratic and republican State. Sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them.

Section 4. The prime duty of the Government is to serve and protect the people.

Section 5. The maintenance of peace and order, the protection of life, liberty, and property, and promotion of the general welfare are essential for the enjoyment by all the people of the blessings of democracy.cralaw

Of course, many of the principles and state policies stated therein have become plain election speech taunts that all the more deceive the lesser kind of taxpayer, which portion of their brain you have so successfully infected.  

So, what gives when we come in your office and ask something from you to do? You should be the one answering "Aye, aye, right away sir!" right?


But no. With snoot nose and soot between your ears, you instigate fear on the taxpayer as if your authority came from somewhere else.

In fact, you have come to violate the most the law that put you there in the first place.

ARTICLE V

SUFFRAGE 

Section 2. The Congress shall provide a system for securing the secrecy and sanctity of the ballot as well as a system for absentee voting by qualified Filipinos abroad.cralaw 

Because ballots have never been as pure as the Constitution writers would like to believe. It is tainted with filth, greed, fraud, and the worst criminal acts that could ever be committed to 103,775,002 million people in this part of the world!

COMELEC for one have rarely exercised this mandate:

(6) File, upon a verified complaint, or on its own initiative, petitions in court for inclusion or exclusion of voters; investigate and, where appropriate, prosecute cases of violations of election laws, including acts or omissions constituting election frauds, offenses, and malpractices.cralaw

 So, you expect us to respect you and you actually believe there should be sincerity in the word "dear"?

This is only the beginning.

Your incapacity, incompetence, and stupidity have bored on  us for so long. It is high time the bureaucracy experience a blood transfusion, because your kind have infected the governance some kind of a plague, a terminal and fatal disease that not even the highest paid doctors and magicians of the world could revive.

Get. out.