You Call This An Increase?!

Today I signed my salary increase letter given by our higher-ups. My basic salary really increased, but there was a catch. The reason for such was all my other allowances were bundled into it, and then calling that new sum, "the increased salary".

I know life's hard and the economy is down, but after serving almost 10 years in this company, I should have gotten this amount 4 years ago! I sometimes think of the investment my parents put in me, sending me to school, making sure I have the best education possible.

Should I have ventured on endeavors related to my course instead? I knew computers were in, and I could say I had the interest graduating lankly albeit excitedly 9 summers ago. Would I have found myself in the same financial situation if I were able to find a job in Shell or San Miguel or some other instutition I have submitted applications in?

To finally move into our own house, I would need to tighten my belt a little bit more, put off enrolling Nikki to a playschool and just homeschool him till he qualifies for preschool, say goodbye to my planned DVD purchases, and maybe stay abroad for a few more assignments... What do you say?

Torrents - another choice

Just recently, I have concluded watching Transformers Energon, a show run by USA's Cartoon Network. I did not watch this on TV though, because I am in Las Pinas, Metro Manila. We don't have Satellite TV (not yet anyway). Our cable has not caught up with these nice channels, but I can't think for the life of me why we have those Indian channels were even their dramas have dance steps.

I am quite thankful for the peer-to-peer applications and more recently to bittorrent coz after all these years, I am not anymore confined on what's available on TV, cable or video. I can now watch my favorite shows a few hours after the North Americans. I am now updated in Smallville, That '70s Show, Alias, 24, CSI, Survivor, The Amazing Race, Monk, Lost, etc. Not just being able to keep abreast of these shows, but actually start these shows or download the episodes I have missed.

They say this is piracy or at least in violation of the "all rights reserved" written in their credits. But damn! What can beat having these shows for free?!! (or at least paying for a relatively-faster Internet subscription fee). It's too much a burden to have to wait for a season to finish and be available on DVD.

That's why, even if this is the bad side of piracy, I'm all for it.