Here’s the thing: If I don’t pass, you’ll never find out. If I do, however, that’s a different story. And by “story,” I actually meant sorry. Sorry because you’ll never hear the end of it. Imagine the state of my posts, post passing Mensa:

“Khthul khult tuhklthuu. Menkrukhldt.” That’s Mensan for “I’m srsly awesome, you’re not.” All this lower-IQ speak by trying to translate Mensan to English is making my IQ drop. Back to regular programming… Khukldhrrrtlidtl, umdtkhrrl hkthul!

Got the picture? I mean, got the Fritzparazzi-Mensan picture?!

Yeah, somewhere in those lines. Sad ain’t it? 

Dickery notwithstanding, we were told that IQ exams in league with the Mensa test could cost you at least P1,500. You get to only pay P500 (and P300 for students who can present a valid ID) for the IQ Challenge slated on November 30, 2008 at Fully Booked in Bonifacio High Street in Serendra, Taguig City.

The Mensa IQ challenge is explained in the following paragraphs:

“The only criterion for Mensa membership is to score within the top 2% (98th percentile and up) of the test. The test is culture-fair and does not test for math or language skills.

Limited slots are available to those interested in taking the Mensa test.  To avail of these slots, interested parties can pre-register at the online facility available at mensaphilippines.blogspot.com.  The deadline for pre-registration is  before 12 midnight of November 28.

Mensa has over 100,000 members in over 80 countries worldwide. Actress/Olympian archer Geena Davis, comedian John Cleese and science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov are some of the more prominent Mensa members.”

If like me you are still in the dark as to what IQ level you have, then this one’s the one to beat, pass or fail. Not passing may mean we are not in the top 2% of the population. IQ test results, however, can’t make any of us lesser rock stars. NOTHING CAN! I mean, come on, share my gloating lime light with me should I pass (I imagined it could be lonely up there LOLOLOLOL)! I and 5 others took the advanced Challenge last Saturday without as much as a single preparation nor idea what the questions would be like (no clues on what to expect here, so move along, people! LOL).  Also, think about it, if I don’t pass and you do, you can make ME not hear the end of it! That’s a sweet deal right there! 

For more details on how to sign up for the exams, click on the photo in this post. View the video below for the teaser. 

[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

Yes, that’s Kring right there, alright! LOL

No related posts.

Second, let be said that all of you deserve a bag if only I have several to give away at will. I am unfortunately alloted just one. I was only even expecting to get about two comments at the most and was wowed my more participants and the quality of your responses. Seriously guys, thanks for taking your time to join. Interesting experiences all.

Thanks BratPack for making this contest possible! Photos I got of their new store can be found at the bottom of this post.

Without further ado, I present to you the winning experience which actually made me cry like a helpless grade school being bullied after classes in the school gymnasium.

“Kung kwentong Jansport bag lang ang usapan, eh hinding hindi ko malilimutan yung itim na jansport bag na bigay sa akin ng tita kong OFW noong umuwi siya ng Pinas galing Hongkong.

Mula highschool hanggang college kasama-kasama ko yung backpack na yun sa hirap at ginhawa. Mantakin mong nakayanan niyang buhatin yung mga libro kong required dalhin araw-araw noong highschool. Tapos kasama ko siya sa mga outdoor hiking trips namin noong college, bitbit ang mga de lata damit, sapatos at kung ano-ano pa. Kasama ko din yung bag na yun noong sumali ako ng orgs sa college. Saksi siya habang dumadaan ako sa mga pagsubok na kasama sa pagpasok ng org at kapatiran. Madalas nagiging unan ko na din siya kapag nakikitulog ako kung saaan-saan sa tuwing inaabot kami ng madaling araw sa mga production meetings namin. Andun siya noong sinagot ako ng girlfriend ko. Andun din siya noong nag-break kami.

Mahal na mahal ko yung Jansport backpack ko na yun. Sa katunayan, kasama ko din siya noong nagkita kami for the first time ng kapatid ko sa tatay. Sinamahan niya kaming magkapatid na lumilibot sa campus at sa malls hanggang sa ihatid ko siya noon sa bahay ng tita ko sa Caloocan. Andami na naming pinagsamahan ng backpack ko. Kaya naman noong pilit siyang inaagaw sa’kin nung hinayupak na mga holdapers sa jeep sa may Batasan, noong gabing hinatid ko si kapatid, eh talagang nakipag-agawan ako. Bukod sa dala ni Jansport backpack ang unang digicam na binili ko kung saan andun yung kaisa-isang kuha naming magkapatid, eh nakakabit na sa kanya ang mga alaala ng aking buhay mula highschool hanggang college. naisipan ko pa ngang mag-offer ng pera sa mga holdapers bilang kapalit ni backpack pero pinatahimik nila ako ng baril at icepick. Nakakapanglumo lang. Yun ang huling gabi kong nakapiling si backpack.

Hanggang ngayon nami-miss ko pa din siya. Kaya kahit nakabili na ako noon ng bagong backpack, eh hindi ko pa din maikakailang mas mahal ko si black Jansport backpack na bigay ni titang OFW. =)”

-entry by samjuan

Congratulations, SamJuan! I’ll figure out how I can send you the loot. Thanks to Kring for helping me pick out a winner.

As I’ve mentioned, BratPack’s flagship store is hell huge! Not only do they have bags, this time. They have shoes, flip-flops, frisbees, skateboards, Skull Candys, watches, a wide variety of clothes, and so much more! Checkitout yo!

Now that the judging and announcement is done with, I think I badly need a new bag. BRB.

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There were flowing booze and literally flowing chocolate from the fondue (refilled every once in a while with items to dip and chocolate). My personal favorite for the shooters would be Winter, Backstabber, and Melon Madness. Yes, I still don’t drink, but these shooters are so mild, even I can practically finish all 31 with ease (douchebag mode ON!).

After all’s been said, wish you were there.

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When: November 14, 2008
Where: The Grand Terrace [website] (#5 Villanueva Drive, Commonwealth Ave., Q.C.)
Time: 8:30 pm
Attire: Party Glam

Overflowing signature shooters and chocolate fondues will be served all throughout the night!

Tickets @ Php 250. Get your tickets NOW because this party is on a FIRST COME FIRST SERVED basis. We can set meet-ups to give you the tickets so make sure to contact us AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!

(Click on the image above for a bigger picture)

Think about it: we would have already gotten our money’s worth from the overflowing chocolate fondue, right? (Think Old Swiss Inn or Max Brenner and compare the price) Getting our fix off the wide selection of 23 shooters available throughout the night deserves another mind blowing WHOA! I ran the math inside my head and the only mind-bloggling thing that came up was “why only PHP250?” But hey, I’m not complaining. If I get my way, I’d want everybody I know be there this coming Friday, November the 14th. Let’s all get high on chocolates and buzzed with booze. Hmmm… payday much, hmmm LOL.

Now who’s with me?! Come with? Yes? Yay!

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Would you pay P4,500.00 for a jacket that you find upon close inspection to be fake? What if I didn’t know how to tell the difference? What if I hadn’t tried wearing an original once before? What if I was too excited to pay close attention?

Irvin and I were supposed to get two, one for each of us, from this dude who for this post we’ll name “Koya.” In August, while Irvin is in the US, he requested his friend (uuuuuy!) Samie to get in touch with me so we both can meet up with this Koya character to bind the purchase. I was exited because I wanted to get one badly for the longest time. It was a good thing that Koya was confident enough to let me eye the merchandise before making me pay for them. Originally, the seller wanted to meet me along the Enterprise walkway at 6PM, a busy time on a not-so-well-lit place. I objected because not only would I like to see the jacket, I also wanted to try it on. After some more haggling via SMS, we agreed to reset the meet at an earlier different date. 

We met a day prior that of the original rendezvous at the ground floor of his work place in one of the buildings along Ayala. The moment I took the jacket out of it’s plastic covering, it already felt wrong. I tried it on, looked at my reflection from the mirror-like outer finish of the ground floor elevator door (LOLOLOLOLOL, I mentioned elevator), and saw a ghastly formed jacket nobody in their right mind would pay P500 for.

It felt cheap.

I told Koya my observation which he naturally defended. He said his supplier also claimed its authenticity and that we were all “victims” in this. 

I told Koya I’m sorry but I won’t get one. Samie, on the other hand, said she’ll take Irvin’s despite all of this because they had already been paid in advance, fearing that she can’t anymore demand for a refund. The next day, after finding out what happened, Irvin contacted Koya saying he will be sending Samie over to return the jacket and that he will be asking for his money back. Koya obliged knowing full well that a lot of people would still kill to get one, anyway.

We nearly got conned and as vengeance, here are photos showing details of the fake jacket. I took these before Samie returned what she got for Irvin.

It’s payback time (insert evil laugh here). We all should not patronize this way of doing business. As your reference, here are clear photos of the fake marchandise for you to look at. Buying them will probably make you want to kick yourself in the face because they are not worth the price tag of the original.

Read Irvin’s post regarding his experience here (with actual links where the fakes are being sold on the internet. SURE WIN!!!).

Please spread the word. Be warned. Don’t get conned!

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As you may already know, a cam phone/point & shoot (P&S) photographer’s limitation is greatly influenced by how well he can muster his fear/insecurity of being a mere P&S photographer among the throes of big camera wielding others. The truth is, with any camera, so long as you’ve come to accept the limits of its capabilities, working with and maximizing what you have coupled with practice and talent will make you a solid force to beat in capturing countless beautiful shots anywhere.

No optical zoom? Get close. No, closer. Got the point?

The following are simple rules we must always be conscious about when taking photos.

Say please (aka request nicely). We’ve all been on the receiving end of multiple flashing xenons but not most of us had been requested to pose for camera-bearing-strangers, more so amateur-looking strangers holding paltry looking cam phones. The key to having the shot that matters is how we request our subjects to pose while we compose our shot. Request for their time with sincerity in the tone of your voice, all the while maintaining the stance of a seasoned/confident genius. Enough confidence should be in check. It would greatly help if you can engage your would-be subject in small talk/conversation first but not all occasions can afford you time to establish rapport. This takes us back to banking on the request card for luck at a shot or two. You can measure your success by how nice the smiles or poses are that you’ve managed to capture afterwards. 

Look presentable (aka smell nice, too). If shabbily dressed photographers are to be banned, that could well render 80% of all professional shooters jobless. Exerting a little more effort to set yourself apart will give you an edge as a photographer, in real life, at work, and in public. It’s one thing to be present and another to actually be part of a gathering so, since we are in the topic of looking presentable, we should always always stick with the prescribed dress code. If skeptikal, remember the rule “better over than under dressed.” Call it superficial but being identified as well-dressed whenever will not only be a plus on your reputation as being always well-made, your overall photographer’s fame would greatly benefit as well. Before you know it, you’ve already made an investment to more event media passes for the future. 

Only share beautiful photos (aka don’t be an ass and publish everything you took). This one’s a common weakness: quantity versus quality. Think about it. When there’s a lot to look at with not much variation, most would often lose interest. The trick is to choose the best from similar shots and keep the rest. Also, when debating whether or not to show (or, in the case of publishing on the internet, upload) a unique but awkward/blurred/overexposed/grainy shot, the rule is, if it can’t be saved, keep it. One more thing, we can be biased with the opinion we have of our shots, beauty-wise, but are they as breathtaking/amazing/worth the look in the eyes of your public? We can never truly know until we’ve asked other people’s opinion. If you can, have peers critique your shots. Better yet, have professionals see them. If they are honest enough to share with you their observations, jot them down and learn to accept these flaws. Better yet, correct them. A crushed ego today will better us in the future. 

If our goal is to document our lives in photos, by all means, archive everything we take on the web. After all, to a certain extent, photography for most is still as personal as taking photos of their clique and nothing more. To claim to have covered an event should show a more or less varied snap shot at different points in time of different happenings/people/things that are in it. In the first example, your potential audience could only be your peers. For the latter, however, your viewers could be limitless. Earlier on, decide what you will be for an event: clique-centric or total chronicler.

That’s it for now.  I hope you have found these insightful. I’ll share more tips with you soon!

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Below are photos I took last Friday. Relive the moment from my cam’s lens. Look how confident everybody is despite wearing black (read, walang balakubak LOL):

For the record, with the gunk I put on my hair everyday to make it keep its form (because rockstars can’t afford to have bad hair days), I’d need something that can prevent product buildup on the hair and scalp. This should not be misconstrued as paid product endorsement (although it may really already seem to sound like one HUHLOLZ) but Clear Men’s Styl-Express variant is rry srsly made of awesome. The moment I started using it since a week after it initially hit the shelves last year, I never used another. I only wish there was a 400 mL bottle in the groceries because I’d tap those. The shampoo smells real manly, like Wrestlemania or WWE only manlier and unscripted.

Thanks to Aileen Apolo for the invite, SM Hypermarket for the food and venue, and Unilever for hosting a wicked Halloween party.

This shall serve as my official entry to the “My Clear Black Night Experience” contest. Join and get a chance to win a 32Gb iPod Touch and Gift Set.

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If you were in Bonifacio High Street yesterday, you might have seen adults having fun at weird, long-dead games, looking like kid wannabes but with genuine joy shining from their eyes.  The entire point was, you’ve got to admit, we had great times with those great games and they’re sort of our heritage and it would be a total waste if newer generations can’t at least experience, get to know, or play them.

Being there last Saturday also satisfied an all time curiosity: on how it would feel if I threw a pair of snazzy Havs, hoping to knock off a tin can. LOL simple joys!

So there, Havaianas and the guys at All Flip-Flops, you totally rocked my world yesterday!

Here by the photos I took from yesterday’s “PlayBack”. Feel free to caption the photos as appropriate LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL:

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Here are the mechanics for The Bratpack Bag Diaries contest:

• Readers may share unique experiences that they’ve had when using their bags.
• Their stories may be about the places that they’ve been to with their bags and how useful it was during their trips.
• It could also be on how their bags served as their canvass and how it has been an expression for artistic freedom.
• Aside from being a travel necessity and an outlet for artistic freedom, it is also a fashion accessory. Readers can also share on how their bags made them comfortable with their chosen styles.
• The most unique and interesting answers will be given a Bratpack bag (Jansport).
• Deadline for Submission of Entries is on November 14, 2008.

 

There’s another rule that entrants must strictly observe: your may only submit a unique entry. If you have already posted your story to other sites holding this same contest, should you win in one, you will automatically be disqualified if you win again here.

You may either leave your stories using the comment box below or, for the faint hearted, you may send your entries to me via email at admin [@] fritzified [dot] com. Please leave a legitimate email address so I can contact you by the end of the contest period should you win.

Picture this, should you win, you will have one less gift to buy for either yourself, your kid, pamangkins, inaanaks, or your favorite Manong Guard at work. One interestingly unique story. Nothing to it, right? Now draft those entries and mail them to me ASAP!

Photo of the bag contained in this post may be slightly different than the actual prize product.

Thanks to Bratpack for this contest. Bratpack will soon open a new store in Greenbelt 5.

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Restaurateur and owner Fil Benitez sent a dinner invite nobody would want to refuse for their Tomas Morato branch so we can experience firsthand how a brand which started 37 years ago can still remake itself and stay current, while not sacrificing the great reputation it had so carefully built in time. “…We hope the new, young generation like [you] will notice that Mario’s has something new even if some of your parents started dating here,” he said. Most notable was when Fil mentioned “we will always retain our Old Casa Specials, but will continue to add new and innovative dishes. We change them every quarter while we remove some of the items from the Main menu. Same is true with our wine list which is designed wherein we can introduce new varietals often.” In times when restaurants have a 5-year shelf-life on an average, going strong at 38 is a remarkable feat. Sure some of the food items in their menu may be priced on the steep side but their’s are still said to be comparably cheaper than most other fine dining places.

Some entrées, like the Chilean Sea Bass I ordered, are done with a bit of a “South Beach Diet” in mind. Flavorful yet light. I’m not one to eat fruits with my main dish but the mango-and-pineapple salsa served on top of the tender sea bass played well with the slightly salty character of the Miso-Mirin sauce it came glazed with. The same can be said with their Caesar Salad which I think I’ll never get enough of.

“On Sundays, we have the most reasonable Lunch Buffet at P 535.00+ for adults and P 405.00+ for kids 7 yrs and below. Choices of Roast Beef, Cochinillo and Turkey plus an array of dishes such as Sushi, Pastas, Paella, Desserts and our popular Chocolate Fountain. Caesar Salad inclusive.” Now, THAT one I’ve got to try next time. I’d also highly recommend this restaurant as an alternative business meeting venue. They have function rooms on the second floor to serve this particular purpose.

Thanks go to Fil Benitez, the crew, and the great chef at Mario’s Restaurant. Thanks go to Arpee for extending the invite.

For this post’s highlight, I share with you awesome food photos of WIN!

Elsewhere, their Mario’s Restaurant experiences:
Manila Boy: Baguio Boy
The Bachelor Girl: Mario’s Restaurant Renovates Interiors and Updates Menu
Pinoy Life at Large: The Resurrection of Mario’s Restaurant
Manila Travel(er): Mario’s Restaurant at Tomas Morato Quezon City
Annalyn Jusay: Mario’s Restaurant Quezon City: a classic reinvents itself
Kitchen Cow: Mario’s: Good food, good fun

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