It's Official: PLDT MyDSL Sucks!

PLDT MyDSL internet service sucks! Its official.

Normally, when i get my connection back after a long wait, I usually lose the urge to write about my agonizing wait. But I guess it has happened one hundred critical times too many to just let go this time.

My supposedly unlimited up-to-384kbps 999/mo dsl connection always gets cut at various times during the day. Most often, my dsl modem actually APPEARS to be connected, but there never really is any data coming through the connection. It just says I am connected, and i have an IP address assigned to me. Other times, the connection is just simply cut. No connection, no IP, just a log-ful of attempts at automatic reconnection. Other times, the DSL line is actually down. I don't know what that means on the server side of things, but basically that means the DSL led light on my modem isnt lit, which of course also makes it impossible to connect. And they really tend to pick a time when I REALLY need my connection, thats when I get that-page-in-your-browser-thats-full-of-unformatted-text -which-means-you-have-no-connection (aka No Page to Display).

And when my connection, IS on, it almost never actually gets to 356kbps. Download speeds go at only 10-15kBps... which translates to about 80-120kbps.... far from the supposed 256kbps the connection was supposed to be about, and much farther from the up-to-384kbps it was supposed to reach. And no, this doesnt improve when its 3am or any other supposedly lower-usage times during the day. For a test of bandwidth, just do a search for 'bandwidth test' and it will return a load of sites which give you an approximation of your bandwidth, for free! Mine usually clocks in around 110-120kbps.

And for some reason, the connection will almost always get cut sometime around 6am. Which takes up the next couple of minutes just getting to reconnect (sometimes it takes more than just a couple minutes). This might be some maintenance thing, but i dunno. Still sucks! Looks like they're loading up on subscribers, much more than their infrastructure will be able to reasonably support. Guess this is how they churn up their record profits! Somebody say, 'Is your game MVP like Steve Nash?'

While I'm at this,
GLOBE TELECOM SUCKS TOO!
18-june-2006 22:04:45
U can now use the Globe UNLIMITXT Service....1 day/s! blah blah blah
19-june-2006 15:57:31
Natigil na ang iyong Globe UNLIMITXT. blah blah blah

I can count. Sounds like a little under 18hours of UNLIMITXT to me! I guess im a little too poor if i have to rant about 6hours worth of unlimitext. But a deal is a deal. I wanna get what I bargained for.

And we thought only the public sector was ripping us off!

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BTDATDBS

Now that the Lower House has approved the Anti-terrorism Bill, the Senate will have to choose between two things that they may both not like, to say the least.

1. Give extra teeth to the already abusive Arroyo administration, by passing the same bill themselves (or a similar one)

This administration has already proven that it will use any means, no matter how far out or excessive, to get its way, especially when it comes to the interpretation of the law (i dont remember, was it BP 880?). The problem i can forsee with the legislation passed is that it is worded in such an ambiguous manner that it will come in handy if time comes again that the incumbents want some people silenced but need a legal basis for it. (Rule of law, they'll cry!)

Consider the thought of the anti-terrorism bill being already in place during the time of the 20th anniversary of the EDSA Revolution. The administration might have easily been able to brand the renegade soldiers as terrorists for "sow[ing] a state of danger, panic, fear or chaos to the general public, group of persons or segments thereof, or of coercing or intimidating the government to do or abstain from doing an act." And what about the Magdalo group's takeover of the Oakwood apartments, demanding the resignation of President(?) Arroyo? Terrorists, for "coercing or intimidating the government to do or abstain from doing an act"? This may seem like pushing the reasoning too far beyond what is logical or common sensical. But it is exactly the kind of reasoning the current administration has proven to be very capable of. And very willing. The president was already dropping words like "economic sabotage" a few months ago. And this, she said was to be counted as a form of terrorism. So when a big rally happens, touching investors' nerves and making the peso drop a few percentage points, guess who the economic saboteur terrorists will be?

Just like a great many things in our world today, this anti-terrorism bill might do much good. But in the hands of a manipulative power such as that of Gloria Arroyo and her cohorts, it takes on a very dark form. Just as it might be true that a shift in a form of government MIGHT do some good, but i dont trust her to make good with it. No real debate on it ever even took place.

-or-

2. Block the bill, and be seen as mere legislative roadblocks. (This is by the way, becoming a very convenient excuse for Charter Change / Parliamentarism)

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Circus, Circus!

Well, I guess today's score goes to the Palace spinners. They just managed to make fools out of every single one of those that are a threat to them:
1. the thinking military
2. the media
3. civil society and opposition politicians
4. (Except for the cunning FVR) all notorious ex-presidents and/or their brood including the marcos group, the estrada/ejercito group, and the cory group.


Col. Querubin was duped into admitting publicly that there was in fact a plan by them to march along with the protest crowds last friday, the 24th (which happens to conveniently support the supposed reasons for PP1017). Well, official story makes the col. a stupid uninformed soldier who didnt know what he was talking about. Of course, Maj. Gen. Miranda will really be the one who will have the real story at this point. It is good though that the Marines have sorted this whole thing out themselves and kept their ranks in line, and that Querubin has decided that now is not the time. Hopefully, they live to fight another day.

As for the media, the Palace has always asserted that the media is sensationalizing things, and todays events have really made that point, with no less than the ANC providing minute by minute accounts and footage of practically everything that happened on site. Their anchors being reduced to reporting on rumors, scuttlebutt, speculation, and hearsay, for lack of anything better --and nothing much coming out of the soldiers' lips. They were practically putting words into the mouths of the people they were interviewing, and they end it with, "is this what you're saying?"!
(por ehemplo: "So Querubin is lying, is this what you're saying?")

Well, civilians were duped into going there to "defend" the supposedly renegade soldiers, somewhat akin to the edsa1 defense of Ramos and Enrile. (Media actually dubbed the human ring around Querubin something like Civilian Security Volunteers, perhaps wanting to coin terms for future history books, had this been the turning point so painfully awaited. it would have proven to be a good one for the books though, the words being carefully picked. well, would have.) Suddenly the Marine HQ was the place to be, with personality upon personality arriving, wanting to be there when the next people power happens. Tito Sotto, the LaSalle Brother, nuns, Sen. Biazon, Sen. Jun Magsaysay to name a few...

And lastly, the ex-presidents' gang. Cory was there, to pray she says, along with her whole minion of zerglings. Imee Marcos, eeeww (for lack of anything better to say about her.) JV Ejercito was making statements on national tv.

(i would be even more impressed with Palace spinners if this whole show was in their planning. seems like everything somehow conveniently worked to their advantage)

Well, i guess everyone thought that this was going to be it! But it didnt prove to be so. And they ended up the idiots. But, like i said, hopefully they cut their losses now to fight another day. We fight another day.

I have said it before somewhere in the blogosphere:
I dont find Arroyo to be a worthy antagonist. But neither are those genuinely and honestly opposed to her rule proving to be worthy adversaries. The opposition needs to clean its ranks. Imee, JV, Jinggoy and their cronies have no place in a real people power. All they want is payback. Thats not what I want. Gusto ko ng mas mabuting Pilipinas. At wala akong balak gumawa ng mga panandaliang alyansa para lang matupad ang mga maliliit na pagsulog. Kelangan nating maghanap ng mga maprinsipyong kasama sa ating paglalakbay. The enemy of my enemy will not necessarily be a friend.

---

On Ricky Carandang's blog, Dean Jorge Bocobo urges us to openly debate about our situation, especially with the international community. It does seem like the official government line is making more rounds on the international scene, especially with the then-Filipinos. (read this as an example) I know it would be unfair to criticize the opinions of the Filipinos abroad by arguing that they aren't getting their facts straight or that they aren't able to feel the sentiments on the ground. But I would be lying if I said it doesnt feel that way. Let's try to openly discuss our sentiments with them and with the international community as well. We dont expect the international press to give this much coverage, (the Philippines not exactly being more than just a blip on international radar) which is why the need to debate becomes all the more important. We all have a lot to learn.

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Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran Arrested

Anakpawis party list representative Crispin Beltran has just been arrested by the CIDG based on -!get this!- an arrest warrant issued roughly 21 years ago, in 1985 on charges of inciting to rebellion. Isnt it cute how the machine of justice was suddenly jumpstarted to conveniently meet the demands of the Arroyo administration ?

And more than just that, they also arrested the wife, the driver, and the driver's son. Well they got a score-old, probably crumbly arrest warrant for one person, might as well bring in the whole gang along with him. Do him a favor so he wont be alone. I dont know exactly how the President's staff could say to our face that no abuses will be taking place!

This is one huge friggin' joke!

And it has stopped being funny long, long ago.

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Oh Baby Its A Wild World, or is it just mine

"I am resigning ... because I've compromised the trust of my constituents,..."
"The truth is I broke the law, concealed my conduct, and disgraced my office."
"I know that I will forfeit my freedom, my reputation, my worldly possessions, most importantly, the trust of my friends and family,"

Now did Garci just say that? Nope. Gloria? Wrong again. You wish! Thats US congressman Randy Cunningham, who has resigned from office after admitting that he took bribes worth about US$2.4Million. He has pleaded guilty to charges of tax evasion and conspiracy.

In Japan, architect Hidetsugu Aneha has been found to have been knowingly cutting costs on his buildings by using substandard materials, then faking the safety data so that the projects would appear to be complying with the country's strict earthquake-resistance building standards. One of his colleagues has been found dead, and is suspected to have committed suicide. A good number of the buildings he built which were found to be poorly earthquake-resistant have already been closed. Aneha has since admitted to faking the data.

In South Korea, Hwang Woo Suk, the doctor who shocked/awed the scientific world with his pioneering efforts on cloning, violated ethical standards (albeit unknowingly, he claims) during the course of his research. That his team had accepted eggs from two of its own members, even if they volunteered, runs counter to ethical practice. His apology last month has been televised, and their research facility has since received more offers from South Korean women to donate their own eggs.

Teleport back to the Philippines, where no less than the Republic's President, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, has been found to have talked to a Comissioner of the Philippines' Electoral Body, DURING the canvassing of votes, obviously asking the Commissioner, Virgilio Garcilliano, to raise her vote count. To use the words that have today become part of every accusation, she has vehemently denied allegations of having done anything wrong. Using the machinery that only the ruling party has (offering others money & power, or threatening them with the loss of such), she has quashed the impeachment complaint against her and to this day continues to hold her supposedly highly esteemed office.

Put into the worldwide perspective, I think that this tells us a lot about the quality of our politicians. But more importantly, it also speaks volumes about us, the people who tolerate such.

When will we begin to see? When?

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Conspiracy Theory

The powers that be are conspiring. We are currently having State sponsored doping in the SEA games!


Unbeknownst to the athletes the Philippines is fielding in the Games, they are being given performance enhancers in order to set of a string of victories. This is done without the consent nor the knowledge of the athletes, there being a lot of pride and honor among our athletes, plus the fact that an athlete who knowingly takes performance-enhancing drugs is less likely to perform as hard as one who is clean. Even the players are amazed at what they accomplish! And they can only be too happy. Even the rest of the Filipinos can just be too happy to bother questioning the rather unexpected turn of events. (not unlike the way Filipinos acted when Erap was deposed, and the Supreme Court ruling that GMA be sworn in. We were just too happy to question what now seems to be a potentially erroneous decision, or turn of events)

And why does the state do this? Because the Filipinos need something to be happy about. But not so fast, thats not where it ends. Someone has "leaked" to the officials of other ASEAN nations that there is cheating going on, and so now Thais suspect the Philippines is cheating.

Now, why would a doper in his right mind, leak such a story to their opponents? Well, a divided people can unite when faced with a common enemy. Having the Thais, or any other nation, act as agitators will make the Filipino people unite against an "enemy" that accuses them of ill behavior. [by unite, they mean forget the differences, of which there seem to be too many nowadays] To get things started, we now have the administration favorite, Miriam Santiago stoking the fires of outrage against the allegations. Unite against the common external enemy. Or so They think. That has yet to be seen in the coming days...

Note however that this is all part of the, Garci Resurrection production we are being treated to. Notice how Garcilliano was, just a couple of days ago, so eager and busy granting "exclusive" interviews to correspondents from the biggest mass media institutions? But the show must go on, and the main actor must bow out for another part of the production. And bow out he has done well. He's giving way to the NEWER news, all the while hoping that this NEW news and the upcoming holidays will make the people more apathetic towards him.

I can only wait in anticipation. What will come next?

[edited 7:10am]
What is this? Looks like another stoking is in the works, with the planned investigation of the alleged rigging.

But is the plan backfiring? Arroyo is usual suspect in cheating raps

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I myself am beginning to question, with our growing medal tally, is it our Filipino-ness that is making the victories, our innate ability to beat the odds? Or is there something else going on behind the scenes?

Meanwhile, i need to get my head checked. The aliens are out to get me!

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And the Underground goes, Chooo-Choooo!! (updated)

The Administration is still at it!

In keeping with its usual policy of appearing to be confident about its position, whilst launching an off-the-record battle to "win" or convert its detractors with who-knows-what juicy offers (or maybe, for some, just blatant threats), they have now quite successfully gotten a host of personalities to "see the light" (see things their way; speak things their way); in order of relative recency:


[update 1-DEC-05]-----
Archbishop Rosales received a 1Million Peso donation from President Arroyo less than a month after the CBCP issued its Sobriety stand in July. Sorry i couldnt find the story posted on inq7.net, but its on the front page of today's (Dec.1,2005) Inquirer.
[end of update]-------

1. Pimentel - The Senate Minority Leader is now backing the administration in its bid for Charter Change through a Constituent Assembly. Malacanang is even hoping that more senators do the same.

2. Juan Ponce Enrile - Switched sides. Got a deal with the Environment Bureau where he got a permit to restart logging operations in Samar.

3. The Administration/ConCom has also been dangling offers to the business sector, as well as political leaders in Visayas and Mindanao, to get their support for the change in charter. Something for everyone! yum!

4. T.Sgt.Doble

5. Just learned from this article that Archbishops Vidal and Capalla - current and former leaders of the CBCP, were summoned for dinner at Malacanang just a few nights before the CBCP issued its July statement. That statement, calling for "sobriety", was widely believed to have taken a lot of heat off the administration.

With the opposition being threatened with a tell-all from the newly resurrected Garci, lets see if Pimentel will hold on to that #1 spot for long. I get the feeling I'll have to update this particular entry sometime soon. [personally, i think we should put all cheats, administration and opposition, in a boiling cauldron and have them fed to the poor and the hungry. but thats just me...]

I'm sure to have missed out on a lot of names. Just picking these from my memory. Pls post a comment so these can be more complete.
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I have to wonder what the AFP supposedly "found out" as a result of its internal investigation (which has just been concluded) on the contents of the Hello Garci tapes, which tagged some high ranking military officials in aiding the cheating operations during the May 2004 elections. I have to doubt if they can come up with anything relevant or even minutely resembling the truth.
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The Black & White Movement today put out an ad for some gathering on the 30th of November. I just hope this movement succeeds where the Opposition has failed--cleaning up its own ranks. I dont know much about the convenors of the movement. But I sure hope they dont have their own Jinggoy's or Imee's.
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On the lighter side of the news, Mozilla's internet brower, Firefox, is getting an overhaul! Not that I'm unhappy with the current one. (I'm not!) But improvement is always good. Best features it currently has are the built in customizable search engines (much better than any IE toolbar you can get), tabbed browsing, and the built-in RSS feed catcher! What will they think about next?

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