For the Horde

For the Horde

Iligan has always been considered a place full of artistry. Not only does the city showcase fine arts but also houses some of the most talented individuals. Another year has passed but new music continues to grow in this almost empty city. We had a line of the best bands in the city, Such,Outnumbered, Kill Mickey Mouse and so on. These bands have proven that even in the Deep South, lays numerous talented few who wants to make it in the music industry.

Fast forward 2012 and another band is born by the name of “For the Horde”. The band promised not to surprise listeners by basically combining different talented individuals with various influences all into one group. Call it musical experiment but it is way beyond that! The band had a history which they have formed a bond by being one of the best acoustic groups in the city –Trip Trip Trip. The band is a deeply influenced by Deftones, Coheed and Cambria, Circa Survive, Ash, Four Year Strong, Envy on the Coast and so on. The band is composed of Michael on the microphone,Bren on lead guitars, Joseph on Bass, Joseph or famously known as Tabak for the drums and Winston as a sub guitarist. The guys have been from various bands since a decade ago. Yes, all of them are quite experienced when it comes to making and playing music.

Before getting to the story of the band’s name, let’s dive into the band’s individual history. As expected Michael leading this group would have a lot to share by being part of the defunct band, Such. His expertise in creating poetic lyrics has been known all over the city. Michael is more of the “poppish” person – just check out his interests! Michael has a lot to contribute to the group by writing their first song Prolixity. Next would be Bren, started from being part of a band influenced by 311, also known as Urban Decay. Bren has been out and around for a while in the music scene and just got back with playing for “For the Horde”. Joseph on the bass is greatly influenced by reggae music and has been in numerous party bands for many years now. His musical influences are too diverse. He is flexible but is more fluent with playing his 5-string bass.

Winston their sub guitarist (when Bren ain’t around) is considered one of the best guitarists in Iligan. Before getting into party bands, he was lead guitars for quite a few metal bands. Last but never ever the least is their drummer Tabak, who has made a history in the worldwide music scene – by being in numerous bands and playing for more than 5 bands in one gig. He plays mainly for hardcore bands. Call it crazy, but this guy could break his leg by what he is doing. Clearly this is a musical mess especially with different influences all rolled into one. But what do you expect when these guys just want to develop something new.

The question would then be “Why For the Horde?” Michael who is unquestionably a fan of World of Warcraft got the name from one of faction’s name Horde which is what he calls as the “baddies”. Up until now, he is an avid player of the game. We can’t blame him for getting the name from a game. It is definitely an eccentric idea but that is how these bad ass guys would like to label themselves. Often dubbed as War Lords, these guys deserve the title for they have been in the music scene for a long time.

Looking at the development of this band, they have created three songs in a short span of time. Their songs are Prolixity, Warmonger and Divide, Decimate. According to Michael the songs meant:

Prolixity – Multiple meaning. Denying what is clearly obvious and lying about it despite being hurt.Talking and talking when you can easily sum it all up in a few words.

Warmonger – Religion Sucks but we are bound by it. We blindly abide by it, it has become our way of life, a routine, a tradition, and we hate and kill each other because of it.

(Not recorded yet. ) Divide,Decimate – Imaginary Leader figure pummeling humanity into pieces without us being aware of it.

These guys have rocked the stages of Iligan for the third time just this April 27, 2013 with the “Tell All Your Friends Again” gig. If you want to hear their songs you can check out their Sound Cloud page: https://soundcloud.com/for-the-horde. Spread the love by liking their page on Facebook: http://facebook.com/forthehorde.iligan.

 

Checking Out Ideal Locksmith Services

There are times when people forget their keys and some would even lose it. During this period, the very first response would be to panic. Car keys and home keys are very important compared to any other belonging a person could have. When this happens, the best thing to do would be to look for American best locksmith services in order to get a fast resolution for the key problem. There are many locksmith companies around Northern America but only a few are certified and guaranteed to provide excellent service. Before choosing a service center, it is vital to check out their background.

Criteria for Choosing Locksmith Centers

Although key losses happen unexpectedly, checking these companies ahead of time is vital. Why? We may be overly confident of the future that we get too assuring of not losing our keys but we can never tell. Thus, it is best to check companies who offer copying of keys, unlocking of padlocks and car unlocking. What should you look for? Quality, service fees and years of service should be noted by every consumer including you. These criteria will help in determining the American best locksmith service for you.

When it comes to quality, ideal locksmith experts are well equipped and trained with certificates of completion for their training. Although some states and even other countries do not require this certificate, quality of service could still be checked by the various customer feedback they had. As for service fees, some centers would be charging too much for unlocking services. This is why it is important to compare one center from another and pair it with the quality of their service.

Not only should you think about the two qualities and criteria for locksmith centers but also with their length of service. Why? Only a few reliable companies would last long and longevity is very important for any business. These would help future customers gauge the company they are about to choose. Just like any other business or service out there, every customer should look out on years of experience.

Once these criterion are met, customers should be able to identify the American best locksmith servicing company there is. It is very crucial to think about this, just like when shopping for a new TV or choosing a new mobile phone. For every single buying decision we have to make, these three basic criteria is considered important. Now that you have an idea, just in case you’ll encounter unexpected losing of keys, you know which company to choose.

Advertising on Facebook…Just Saying

                 Many businesses have already grown and opened its doors to its consumers through the world wide web. There are so many strategies used by business owners in order to achieve sales and get more customers. It starts with website creation, social media accounts, video creation and advertising on Facebook among others. In line with website creation is design of website, style of interactivity with website visitors and others. Next would be the social media accounts which help business engage with various consumers and subtlely endorsing products and services. Video creation is highly used for product based businesses which uses YouTube as main platforms. The last would be advertising which involves creating banners and having graphic design to suit your business needs.

                One of the highly suggested forms of advertising is using the social networking site, Facebook. Advertising on Facebook is one of the most effective ways to drive customers and consumers to your website. It could also help generate revenue for any business. Despite various advertisement platforms on the internet, this is one tool used by top online businesses. The cost is not that expensive as it costs only a few dollars depending on the type of advertisement. However in most cases the advertisement is shown in the right side of a person’s news feed, during loading of games and even on other sites. Facebook is affiliated with a lot of websites due to its fame and number of registered users. Due to this affiliation some advertisements on Facebook are seen and visible on other sites.

                Advertising on Facebook is a good method to use because Facebook delivers it to the people who would likely find it helpful and useful. IF your business is fashion most of the possible audience the ad could reach are those individuals who are inclined into fashion. Facebook has a way of determining if the person is up for it. It could be through the searches made within the website. The best thing about advertising on Facebook is whether or not the advertisements are clicked or not, there will still be some significant changes since Facebook allows advertisers to see the number of people who have seen the ad and a certain analytics report is sent to you weekly. So if you plan on creating advertisements for your website or your business even if its local, you can choose Facebook as your advertising method and tool. 

Cagayan De Oro Short Trip

Last Saturday, July 14, 2012 me and my partner decided to go to the nearby city with our kid Chloe to see and just take a stroll and maybe some stuff. We have not taken as many pictures as we want but we were able to enjoy the trip. First we rode the bus at 2 hours plus and then went directly to Gerry’s Grill to eat lunch. We ate their pork sisig, liempo, spaghetti and lumpia. Chloe enjoyed eating especially the Sisig despite the hot sauce and the taste. We also enjoyed the liempo and the lumpia. I hope I can add pictures but unfortunately we only had our phone to take pictures with.

After that we took a stroll in Lim Ket Kai Supermall and looked for watches since it was my partner’s gift for himself. Unfortunately the watches were too expensive so we thought of transferring to another place which is SM. We took a stroll and bumped into cosplayers who really looked good at their outfit. We got pictures of them too.

After some strolling I bought my self sandos and then a pair of shoes plus bought my partner a Timex Watch. We then looked for baby stuff and we bought Chloe a nice pair of shoes plus toys. She loves her toys and she plays with them almost always.

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I’m A Self Confessed Workaholic

Whoever said that life is unfair, didn’t know how to look for ways. I was that type of person before. I hated to look for ways and just relied on fate. It is crazy how sometimes we want things to be very easy and we like to have comfort, relaxation and let the money flow in your hands. I always think that way before.

But now…

I work so hard, I would kill myself. I work many jobs and work more than 15 hours a day just to have my own income. It’s not an easy world out there. But when you have goals you want to achieve and you want to have something to look forward to, then being a workaholic is not that bad at all.  I work hard because I got bills to pay and I got kids to feed. I need to save for my education and for my Law School soon. So many plans, so little time, not enough funds. BUT that doesn’t stop me.

Why?

I have a goal and I used to have a dream. I never reached it that fast because I got too self-obsessed and I denied the fact that I am addicted to drinking. It was a bad move – getting drunk everyday. BUT then God doesn’t teach you the best lessons without letting you taste the bitter side of life.  I learned that being alcoholic isn’t good. I learned more when I got pregnant. That stopped my dreams.

I got frustrated…

Yet I continued to study so hard. I Aced all of my subjects. I got a GPA of 1.0. I was active at school and continued to volunteer as a leader. Well, things got way out of control and I messed up the 2nd time.

It got me even more frustrated…

What I did next….

 

Went away from home. Looked for a job and voila saw the perfect one. I became a call center agent. After that I transferred to another place with the same type of job. It isnt a lovely job. I wasn’t happy. It was devastating. It was stressful and not good for me.

I looked for options…

I bumped into this online website and saw many opportunities. It made me realize working from home can be the answer to all my frustrations.

Yes it was.

I got addicted to it. I had 3-4 jobs and I never grew tired. I continued to work. Sometimes I get paid on time and at times  I dont. It’s so sad how some overseas employer do not really give a damn about the hard work I have done. But I continued to work so hard.

What makes me continue?

The drive to become better and the goal to become a lawyer. It will always be my inspiration. Nothing more, nothing less. PLUS getting myself a MacBook.

Now that’s the best combination in the world.

Im not stopping. Im not unless something bad happens. Because I am careful now than ever, there’s no stopping my being WORKAHOLIC.

I admit I am addicted to this.

Such is Such

In today’s music industry, many bands would like to get in and make a name. There are also some who just get into this hobby or self-proclaimed passion and just want to be famous. There are also a few who doesn’t mind fame and just get into that stage and play their music. I admire the latter.

Here in the Philippines, most bands are influenced by various musicians around the world, thus you can hear the variety and mixes of genre put together in many songs. Lyrics are mostly emotional and has a deeper meaning and a story behind it. There are also some lyrics that are plain dumb, totally nonsensical but the melody catches the listener. This is how most Filipino musicians work out their music and sell songs.

In our city here in Iligan, many bands have attempted to hit the national music scene and only a few made a mark. It can be because of how listeners would identify the music with the band and how they like the songs. However that doesn’t mean that Iliganons do not have the talent. We are proud to be home of some of the most talented musicians and song writers.

One of the talented bands that I consider members of the few musically inclined elites is SUCH.

This band rooted from different musical influences and with different music genre preferences. The band is composed of Miki (Vocals), Simon (Guitarist and Back up Vocals), Michael (Guitarist and Backup Vocals), John (Drums), Brando (Keyboard) and EJ (Bass).

 

I asked them on how they came up with the band name. They really do not have that specific answer but as what they said SUCH was the random word that had described them as a group. They also came from different bands that plays various music genre ranging from, alternative, punk rock, hardcore, death and indie rock. When they all gathered and decided to form a band, they kind of mixed all of their influences and played songs that are a bit eccentric and new to the ears of listeners.

Such has been invited to various shows all over the Philippines and have been considered one of the freshest yet innovative bands ever. They have played with some of the best bands in the Philippines.

Such with Franco

One thing that makes them stand out is how they deliver their songs when on stage. Miki has been a vocalist for various bands thus experience made her what she is today. She knows how to deliver the song and her voice is strong. The guys as well has their ways of making people jump up and down with their music. Michael and Simon moves a lot when on stage and it just shows how enthusiastic they are when playing. John is also expressive when playing the drums and it isnt just about head banging all the way to the end of the song. Brando on the keys also has his way of entertaining the crowd. And EJ is the only person in the band (as far as I can remember) who just moves a bit. Regardless if he moves or not, but when he’s on the bass guitar, he’s definitely good at it.

Aside from showmanship, SUCH is also humble with the things that they have achieved over the years. They just see it as a blessing and a result of their hard work. Just recently they have been featured in an international website BITE MY MUSIC. 

Sometime in February a voting is going to be made for all of the featured bands. We can help SUCH spread their music not just in the Philippines but also around the world. The procedures and guidelines are yet to be updated. Once we have that information, I will definitely update you guys and I hope you help SUCH through voting. You may listen to some of their songs and hear for yourself the music that has captivated many people as well.

Visit their website on SUCH. Check out their videos and there’s an online streaming available on PandaBoy.

 

Crazy Careers… Crazy Decisions.. Better Life!

I just filed my resignation letter a week ago.

Crazy, right? Before I tell you why, let me share to you a brief background about my career since 2010. I worked as a High School tutor while I was at 3rd year college. It was fun. You get to know teenagers and I also got the chance to share my weird and crazy experiences to them as well. It didn’t last because I wasn’t having fun at all. I told my boss, which by the way is my mom’s friend, that I quit. It was that simple for me but it was hard for them since it would be very hard to look for a tutor who is capable of teaching almost all kinds of subjects. I taught them Math, English, Calculus, Physics, Biology, etc. Maybe I was good at it or my brain just had a lot to accommodate. It isn’t something to brag because knowing a lot of things kill your soul or your happiness. That’s how I realized that I hated that job. I badly wanted to share what I knew but I just didn’t find the activity enjoying. I thought, maybe mentoring wasn’t the road for me.

I got pregnant with my little girl and I stopped college for a while. Skip the whole drama, I went to look for another job. I bumped into a big Job Fair signage that said “Get hired and you’ll get a free burger meal!”. I was thinking then, “Maybe that burger is for me!”. After I saw it, I updated my resume and prepared myself for an interview. I watched videos and looked up on the internet about that company. The next day, I went in early with my ever supportive partner and sat in the front seat. Call me over confident but I hate being anxious and I hate being called last. The recruitment guy called us to enlist ourselves and then we sat again. I was waiting for almost 30 minutes and my name got called. The first question was, “Is this the first work your applying for?”. I stopped for a minute and looked at the recruiter and said “Yes!”. I admit I lied. Too bad, he fell for it. I really don’t like discussing what happened in the past, it’s an attitude I don’t understand. The interview goes on and I guess he was impressed because he said, “You are now moving on to the final interview.” To cut the story short, I got hired. Yey! I was trained to become a call center agent for Linksys routers. It was all technical and I was almost hysterical because it was a rough topic for me. I admit I am into gadgets and computers but this one is a total different thing. So, I tried to pass and I did. I became a regular employee, earning above minimum wage and I was having fun with the people I worked with. I said to myself that this is the job for me. In the long run, around 10 months or so, I was pressured by the different demands of the company. It made me look for another job. I hesitated at first because I wanted to be there in a year’s time. However, I really didn’t survive at all. Call me a quitter and I admit it, I am.

God was nice to me, so He gave me another chance. I transferred to another location with my family. I applied to a prestigious company with a lists of stable accounts. I got hired and it was easy breezy. I didn’t have much to get pressured with in this job. I was working for a Gaming Console – XBOX by Microsoft. I was having so much fun, it wasn’t that exhausting. However, the life here isn’t the life I expected it to be. I earned way higher than my previous job. However, I have to pay bills, rent and etc. Every payday was almost consumed and I wasn’t able to save. I thought about it so much and I thought about the future of my kids. I said to myself, “You think about your kids, how are they going to start school, if you haven’t saved? Where will you be getting money?” It was tough. It wasn’t easy but I have to find ways. So I had this friend who gave me a part time job and I took it. I started writing again. It was crazy because I was working more than 10hours. I really thought I can pull it up and make it a regular thing, but it didn’t. I ended giving up again. I looked for an alternative where I can save and at the same time get the right money for my kids.

I had another friend who did online jobs and had bosses from UK and US. He referred me to a website for freelancers and I applied to a lot of online employers there. One of the employers whom I didn’t apply to sent me an email and told me they were interested in having me on their team, not as a writer but a s Website Enhancer for SEO. I was thrilled and I got the job. It was a good sign for me because I really wanted to go back to my hometown, work at home, have more time for my kids and save up. It was a God given gift and I am very thankful. I am now training for this company, while I am rendering the last two weeks of my XBOX job.

I resigned and I have finally decided. I am going back to Iligan! One of the major reasons that drove me was also about my education, I wanted to go back and finish my studies. This is a good way for me to juggle work, school and family. I know it will be hard and I am foreseeing a lot of challenges but if this is my pathway to success not just for me but for my family, I would gladly endure the challenges and face it with heads up. When you have faith in God and yourself, nothing’s going to beat you down.