Femme Power

Archive for the ‘Shopping’ Category

A reliable buy-and-sell website is fast gaining popularity here in the Philippines - www.AyosDito.ph, your marketplace in the Philippines.  It’s a credible website where buyers and sellers all over the archipelago meet. I chanced upon this site sometime last month when I was looking for a second-hand original cellphone.  There were plenty of good items for sale but I was really fixated over a Sony Ericsson P990i that was being sold for P6,500 complete with its original accessories and box with manual.  Unfortunately I lost it to another buyer who was quicker than me by a few minutes.   The one I finally snatched was a Nokia 6680 which I got for only P3,500.  So far, I’m more than happy with it.  It works like brand new, with no defects whatsoever.

AyosDito.ph is pretty easy to navigate because featured items and services are segregated per region/area and per category.   Whether you’re looking for vehicles, properties, electronics, or home and personal Items (brand new or otherwise), you have several options here.  This time, I’m searching for some really nice swimwear.

Here’s a tip from AyosDito.ph: “Never pay in advance to a seller you don’t know.”  There are sellers who go for bank-to-bank transactions and PayPal but it’s best to inspect the item thoroughly first before you make any payments.   Contact the advertiser and set schedule to meet at the most convenient place and time for the both of you.  If you feel that the actual item isn’t worth it, then follow your instincts.   Be prudent in scrutinizing the item you’re about to buy knowing that no warranty is given (I’m not sure if there are actually sellers who issue warranty here but if there are, then so much the better!) unlike when you purchase in a regular store or shopping outlet.  Be meticulous and cautious in choosing and buying.  Bear in mind that you have plenty of options around this site.  That’s why I’m getting so hooked with it, I browse it often.

And if you also have something good to sell, this site would be perfect for product exposure.

Check out the site for awesome finds and steal deals. Have fun browsing!

Dr. Hayden Kho and Katrina Halili in a billboard photo for Belo Medical Clinic

(Note: I originally posted this on my other blog, Femme.News.Views, and I couldn’t help but reblog it here to reach more readers.)

It’s all over the internet, it’s even being sold in Quiapo. Clearly, the much-publicized and talked-about Dr. Hayden Kho’s sex video with sexy actress Katrina Halili has spread like wildfire. People who can’t control their curiosity are taking the effort to search for the video online, or pass it around from cellphone to cellphone, or even buy DVD copies of which in Quiapo and lately in Cebu City.

Everything has totally gone out of hand.

What is Voyeurism?

Wikipedia defines voyeurism as “the sexual interest in or practice of spying on people engaged in intimate behaviors, such as undressing, sexual activity, or other activity usually considered to be of a private nature.”

Are laws already in place against cyber voyeurism here in the Philippines? The lawmakers say not yet but other laws on violence against women can be used in the meantime to combat these cyber exploits. According to Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, Obscene Exhibition and Grave Scandal may be used to prosecute Kho in this case but added that these are not specific on cyber crimes.

In a TV interview over GMA 7, Senator Santiago said she has passed a Bill on Cybernet Peeking but is yet to go on a third reading. If passed into law, it would punish violators from one to five years of imprisonment and P10,000-P50,000 fine. Santiago’s 2-page Bill on Cybernet Peeking specifies two crimes: 1) capturing on photos and/or videos the sexual act without the partner’s consent and 2) broadcasting these publicly without the consent of the aggrieved party (even if he/she consented to record the act for private viewing).

The lower house of Congress has a counterpart Bill called Anti-Video Voyeurism Act authored by Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella.

Erik Chua: The man who uploaded the videos?

Dr. hayden Kho and Erik Chua (inset)

Yesterday, Erik Johnson Chua, the primary suspect in uploading the compilation of videos on the internet, denied the allegations hurled against him. He claimed no participation in the proliferation of the said videos. Chua, a businessman, is believed to be one of the four persons who knew about the videos. The other two who were privy to the videos are famous cosmetics surgeon Dr. Vicky Belo (Kho’s former girlfriend) and another common friend known only as Bistek Rosario. Chua was a close friend of Kho but the two had a falling out for reasons that Kho allegedly triggered. There are said to be about 40 different sex videos of Kho with various unwitting women but Halili’s is the most controversial (Halili being a famous actress and twice voted by FHM as the Pihilippines’ sexiest woman in 2006 and 2007).

Squid tactics and alibis

In a desperate move to justify Kho’s actions, Kho’s camp issued a statement that the videos were taken when the doctor was in drugs, a few months before he took treatments (So, they’re blaming drugs now). Yesterday, Kho’s mother alleged that it was Katrina Halili who introduced and supplied (prohibited) drugs to her son (Ooh, so now they’re blaming the victim). Remind me again, Hayden Kho is a professional doctor, right? Would you believe a doctor would be dissuaded by a 23-year old woman to ruin his health AND life by taking drugs? I wouldn’t.  But okay, let’s give him the benefit of the doubt. He may have been gullible enough to be prodded to use drugs. But is it not that he should take full responsibility for his actions?

So, okay, Kho’s camp is implying that the doctor was not in his proper state of mind when these recordings happened. Will this declaration justify his actions? No. Sen. Miriam Santiago laughed and said it will be an aggravating circumstance to Hayden’s case. Wrong move!

Senate Probe

The Senate is scheduled to conduct its investigation on the matter this Thursday, May 28. The
Senate inquiry was fueled by Sen. Bong Revilla’s privilege speech “A Doctor’s Perversity” in which he lambasted Kho for videotaping his sexual encounters with various women, including Katrina Halili, without their knowledge and consent. Katrina earlier sought the help of Sen. Revilla shortly after the videos were made public.

The spreading of the video on the internet has prompted the Senate to look into the country’s lack of cyber laws. Women’s rights activists have rallied behind Halili and condemn cyber exploitation of women.

This latest surge of cyber voyeurism is not the first in the Philippines. A lot of nameless women have fallen victims to this kind of exploitation in the past but sadly, our lawmakers just sat on it for years. Some victims were forced to migrate out of the country, some almost took their own lives, many of them were ruined and separated from their families. All of them scarred forever.

What’s keeping these products-of-sick-minds going is, admit it or not, the Filipinos’ curiosity over sex scandals. DVD pirates won’t keep on selling these scandal videos if there are no demands. How many of your friends have seen a sex scandal in the past, if not this one involving Katrina and Hayden? How many people you know have asked about Katrina’s video, searched it on the net and viewed it? How many are still curious to watch it?

Watching the video and sharing it with others only add up to the victims’ anxiety and anguish. It won’t do anything to close the case under the rule of law unless you’re part of the prosecution, the defense, or if you’re the judge handling the case. It will only quench one’s curiosity. But then what?  Isn’t it that we’re actually patronizing these sick videos by watching and spreading them?  We’re feasting on the victims’ disgrace.

If the victim happened to be our sister or a close friend or relative, how would we feel seeing the video being circulated and viewed by other people over and over?  All I’m saying is that our curiosity is the one fuelling the spread of this video and all the other video scandals released in pirated DVD’s and the internet.

We now have established the presence of this video between Katrina and Hayden.  What good will it do now to watch it and more so, spread it?  Why not leave the case to the courts and to our lawmakers to finally pass a solid law against cyber crimes and bring justice where justice is due?

If there’s a demand, there will be supply.

DVD copies have reportedly reached Cebu Cityand are being sold by video pirates discreetly for fear of police crackdown. Same thing is happening in Quiapo after police raided DVD stalls last week. The discs, which were sold at P60 each in Quiapo, has increased to P150-200 per copy after the raid.

If there’s any good thing that this Hayden-Katrina video scandal is doing, it is that our lawmakers have been ignited to act on our cyber law (or the lack of it). This will hopefully eradicate cyber voyeurism and protect our women from falling prey to these crimes again. Enough is enough.

Hey, this is a perfect opportunity for our politicians who want to score some ”pogi” points for the 2010 elections. But that’s another story.

Jewels are good investments - you can both flaunt them and make money out of them when you’re out of cash.  Good thing you don’t need to buy them at skyrocketing prices.   My sponsor, PricePickle.com, currently runs a promo where you can get the hottest deals on any jewelry you want at JewelBasket.  What’s in store for you?  You can save as much as $50 on a single item and you can even avail of Free Shipping on orders over $75 on a great selection of items.  Imagine how much you’ll actually save on two items or more.

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A lot of women love to accessorize themselves especially when their getup needs some prepping up.  I myself leave it to my accessories when my dress is too plain and dull.   A set of fine jewelry will make a big difference to a boring outfit.   Happens to me all the time.   But should I spend so much?  I might as well get discounts on the jewels that I’d love to buy, save hundreds of dollars on my purchases and get the best value for my money.

This post is brought to you by PricePickle.com.

It’s only a matter of days before the highly anticipated film X-Men Origins:Wolverine finally hits the theaters worldwide.    This should be a huge hit to X-Men and Wolverine fanatics around the globe - like the whole bunch of us in the family.   An unfinished copy of the film was reported to have leaked over the Web preempting the excitement.  But obviously, nothing has quelled the fans’ enthusiasm about the Wolverine mania.

For instance, my hubby has asked me to look for Wolverine Boots that he could proudly show off in their upcoming office party on the 30th.  I was gonna laugh at him thinking that he couldn’t possibly buy and wear a pair of Wolverine Shoes unless he was Hugh Jackman.  But I was surprised to find out there are indeed Wolverine Shoes you can find online at Metboots.com.

They may not be related to the film but these Wolverine Boots are reminiscent of Wolverine’s character being tough and rough, able to withstand non-stop action, yet extremely gorgeous and good-looking too!  They also have cool pairs for women, mind you.

Metboots.com is known to have superior customer service. They are now offering Free Shipping within continental US for orders over $100.   Check ‘em out and get that Wolverine experience.

This post is brought to you by Metboots.com.

I have a penchant for shoes.   Any woman probably does.   Shoes, like bags, are sort of women’s bestfriends.  When I need to shop for a new pair, I would endure several hours and several malls just to find the perfect style and color that I have in mind.   Such a time extravagance for a pair of shoes.

So I said to myself, why not shop online?   Why not?   Indeed, I found good sites in the Web that offer online shopping.   But I was especially glued to Shop.Com.   They’re on SALE! Since I’m a sucker for discounts,  I found the perfect spot for me.

Discounts mean savings.   Save up to 75% on thousands of brand name shoes at Shop.Com where you can find real deals for you, your partner and your kids.  All under one roof…or site.

I also found more shoes for myself here: Shop Women’s Shoes and here: Shop favorite brands such as UGGs and for my hubby too: Shop Men’s Shoes.

Here’s a few awesome finds I got from their website:

Check ‘em out while prices are hot.

Too many clothes in the closet yet nothing to wear.  Can you relate?   Sounds very typical to a lot of women. I, for one, am guilty of that.

I don’t know what’s with us women sometimes that we just get the satisfaction of having nice clothes in possession…even though we seldom use them.

My wardrobe, for example, is stuffed with clothes that I don’t get to wear in a full year or for ages.

I only wear a few favorites over and over again, day after day.   But take a peek into my closet and you’ll see that it’s bursting with blouses, jeans and dress pants that I categorize as “unwearables” or clothes that I just can’t wear because they’re either too corporate-looking, or too sexy, outdated, or just the wrong size.

But I can’t dispose of them either!   I like them so much that I bought them in the first place, without thinking. Sigh.

The witch in me couldn’t refrain from admiring pretty creations yet so “not my league.”   Now that I’ve come to my senses, I realized there is a way to prevent overstuffing the wardrobe with “unwearables.”

Before buying, visualize yourself wearing that outfit on the occasion that you intended to use it for, then ask yourself the following questions:

One of my "unwearables." Wore it once then tossed it.

1. Will you be comfortable in that outfit?

2. Will it look appropriate?

3. Is it versatile enough that you could wear it somewhere else or would it be another sad pile in your closet after using it once?

4. Will you love walking around in that getup?

5. If it’ll cost you big time, yet you can only get to wear it once, is it really imperative that you buy?  Maybe you have friends who can help you source out for a lesser alternative or even lend you the kind of dress you need? (We, Pinoys have a very strong support system in terms of lending clothes to friends in need)

You can also consider choosing clothes that you can easily mix and match with your existing garments.  If possible, shy away from trends, stick with the classics.   They won’t be outdated for eons.

If only I did this before, even the witch in me would have stopped me from cramming my wardrobe.