NINTENDO SWITCH REVIEW

While the Nintendo Switch game console is already out over a month now ., it is still yet to be tested if this game console product is really worth owning by any console gamer., As of the moment while I am writing on my personal journal , The Nintendo switch still has a weak line up of third party games and still struggling for attention on third party video game maker since after its launch last march 03. Not to mention it came out on pretty much on bare bone basic functions for a handheld videogames consoles.

For the moment Nintendo Switch owners are kept busy playing "Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" game that was bundled with the N.S. upon purchase on its launch date . but for how long ??? Now I do admit Zelda game is one of the best RPG's ever made this year (even perhaps on the whole history as of the moment) however despite the games success., it does not alone determine if the nintendo switch will be in the winning streak .,

If there is a third party game support ., it is a very weak line up of retro games which basically has any gamer scratching on the fact that they had already own some of these games in the past and yet they are being resold again ., Such example is SNK classic games like king of fighters., metal slug etc. . To simply say it’s a new game console that’s playing old games.

Surprisingly third party retro games are in support but first party retro games is still a no show and to make it worst Nintendo switch has no "backward compatibility" function which meant it’s a brand new slate and back again to zero on the gaming library. Despite this setback.,. NS owners are hoping or expecting that a "virtual Console" will be released for Nintendo switch soon that would allow them to play past Nintendo games for the switch., ( For the moment this virtual console is still in speculation )

Another notable function of Nintendo switch is that it supports "amiibo" NFC functions. Basically "amiibo" is a plastic action figurine that has an electronic swipe function that unlocks restricted game content by simply putting the action figure near the device to read it electronically.

It may sound cute that nintendo sponsored intellectual property action figures can be actually used on a videogame to give exclusive in game content to gamers but on a typical casual gamers opinion - this is simply gimmicky in nature on which Nintendo milks more money on a content that is already there inside the game and to add note amiibo action figures are quiet expensive. If ever Amiibo gets to be marketed out., it is purely for hardcore Nintendo fans and not for typical casual gamers.  

Another thing that plagues Nintendo Switch .,(and why third party game developers are still skeptical on supporting this game console as of now) is that it underpowered ., basically a Nintendo switch is powered by a custom tegra chip which from a normal persons (limited) understanding is the same chip on which powers android mobile devices., It may be formidable for a mobile device specs but for a home game console its obviously underpowered compared to the likes of Sony Play Station 4 or Microsoft X-box. Basically AAA Games nowadays require a lot of hardware firepower to run games., A fact that Nintendo switch console lacks.,

Despite lots of negative facts about nintendo switch raging from struggling to get attention on game publishers, underpowered hardware and all the way down to the use of the gimmicky amiibo. It does have some selling points. Once such is its portability ., basically / Literary games on the go., Nintendo switch handheld mode can be played on almost anywhere., just pull out the tablet console on its dock and the device will automatically be shifted to handheld gaming device . Now knowing that most gamers today don’t have enough time to stay on their homes just to play videogames - it isn't bad to take the games with you and play it outside ., and that the video game audience is not only limited to kids these days., even elderly people (above 40's) also play videogames. The retails price (300 U.S.D.) is also a selling point of the game console.

So here's the recap of Nintendo Switch

CONS

-Lack of third party support and limited games (as of the moment)

-No Backward compatibility,

-Expensive games., and hardware support equipment like Amiibo's etc.

-Lack of Software apps (as of the moment). And bare bones feature.

-Console is Underpowered ., Graphics is just somewhere in between PS 3 to PS4

PRO'S

-Very portable ., and can be played almost anywhere because of its "transformer" feature.

-Low price (only around 300 U.S.D.) on the Game Unit itself.

SHOULD I BUY THE NINTENDO SWITCH?

*Final word for video gamers is that WAIT FOR A YEAR AND SIT THIS ONE OUT UNTIL NINTENDO SWITCH's GAME LIBRARY AND SOFTWARE APP FEATURES IMPROVE. For now hype about Nintendo switch system is that it's not as competitive compared to PS4 or X-box ONE.

RETRACTION

"A retraction is a public statement made about an earlier statement that withdraws, cancels, refutes, or reverses the original statement or ceases and desists from publishing the original statement"

After days of careful thinking on the possibility of getting my leave pay or not from CF Sharp. Out of my sister's request , I went ahead reluctantly in going to CF Sharp to get my leave pay. Upon much thinking I decided to plan it very carefully as I do not know the full extent of CF Sharps wrath and persecution against it's rogue employee's like me, and the result was that I had chosen to go to Friday at about after noon break timing for the fact that most high executives are still "resting" and are lazy enough to return back for work - Friday because it turns out that Saturday was a Philippine non-working holiday, perfect timing for me.

 

On my way to Cf Sharp - I had a lot of thoughts that maybe this was a bad idea to even go and show up my face to Cf Sharp at all, and that getting my leave pay is a low priority to begin with.

 

When I arrived , I tried to go directly to the accounting department thinking that somehow they will not recognize me and that I can get my money Scott-free. Unfortunately the whole process of getting the leave pay requires me to show my face up to the admin. At first I thought it was unsuspecting given that I was told to proceed on a different building to report and that the person whom I would be reporting was different from the person I met when I was departing.

 

Everything was going find and I was unsuspecting - until a few moments later when "lizel" phone in something over and somehow I got a feeling that CF Sharp management mention to her that I'm the person they were looking for.

 

Just came in like a bomb when "lizel" mentioned and asked what was my ulterior motive in "posting" against CF Sharp in a face book groups (Tinig ng Marino). Quickly I jumped into my reflexes and remembered what my old friend "palomas" mentioned that I should tell.

 

To escape scrutiny, I just excused myself that I was not on my "right mind" at that time and I was too grief stricken at that time when I posted that, I even added for effect that pressures on work plus the death of my parents was enough for me to be "mentally unstable" at that time. Fortunately for me that excuse of "Post traumatic stress" and "grief stricken" was well received and they did actually bought that excuse. According to "lizel" , there is no longer for me to be bought in front of the CF management to face judgement and that the only thing I have to do is write down a "retraction statement" , that all the things I posted on face book was pure lies and was malicious in nature (even though it was a fact) and appeal to the mercy and kindness of the CF management , so that blacklisting will be avoided.

 

To simply put even if my reasons were a fact, I was being coerced by the CF Sharp management. Honestly it was very depriving to retract all my statements knowing on what I was saying was true but for the sake of saving my own skin, I had to do it, I was a total fool to be even writing that in the first place and that there is no guarantee that they will even hold on their end of not "blacklisting" .

 

Anyway If I did not wrote a retraction statement and plea for mercy, surely I would face judgement right infront of the higher command of CF sharp and have already known that it will not end well for me plus they will not give me my leave pay at all. So I was in a tight spot at that time.

 

When I got home , I told my sister (who was a law student) about my predicament and what had happened. Turns out that what CF Sharp did to me was actually illegal in labour law. (aside from being morally and ethically illegal as well) , the writing and signing of a "retraction letter" , the coercion , even the judgement right in front of CF Sharp Management and Higher command - all of it, was an illegal and unethical conduct against an employee. My sister added that it was very wrong of them to do such a thing and that they are fortunate that I don’t have a lawyer with me at that time or else they will be having more trouble for their coercion and unethical conduct. As far as she knows this so called retraction letter is illegal especially if you're under coercion.

 

Obviously most filipino sailors are ignorant about this , and if not only a little few knew about this. In fact I myself do not know that it was illegal that for an employer (CF Sharp in my case) to be doing and forcing people to write and sign a retraction letter, along with coercion, if CHR (commission on human rights) would even know about this then they're in for a big trouble. Anyway like I said , ignorance and suppression of free though plagues this Philippine maritime community, and that as a fact even Filipino labour unions like united Filipino seafarers lead by the mafia leader nelson p. ramirez, patronizes this kind of corrupt and repressive system, instead of protecting - the workers union here in the Philippines is the one who punishes any seafarer that would go "rogue" against his employer .  It already been a culture here in this so called maritime industry to have a draconian practice., to the point that nobody even notices that there is something wrong and that shipping agencies are too power drunk

 

MEMOIRS REBUILT

With a sudden turn of events , Messman Christopher Cemina's Father died and he requested to be repatriated and had to argue on the management over the phone. Given with the circumstances., it was all of a sudden that our wishing optimism on going home because solid when the management finally agreed to send us home along with Messman - they did agree but not without serious problems., as if like they are taking it personally.

Good thing for me I had already prepared my luggage and that I had been ready incase a situation might arise that we had to disembark on very short notice - I wasn’t wrong about that and that is what exactly happened on me. We already knew that we are disembarking but apparently nobody here on this ship bothered to tell us on what time or told us in advance on the specific.

Instead what happened was that ., they intentionally told us to finish our work first and literary tell us on the last five minutes that our replacements are coming. So what happened on me during that time was that I immediately came rushing from the deck towards to my cabin to remove and change clothes.

I hurriedly grabbed my clothes and luggage

After the surprise disembarkation (which the indian officers didn’t even bother to annouce us earlier) ., we immediately went to port security - there I was bothered that there might be open luggage serches - good thing mess man cermina assured me that fujirah luggage searches are a thing of the past and all that was going to do was simply put all of our luggage's to the x-ray machine. Simple as that.

After that we proceed to the immigration office of sort ., which I found out first hand that getting a UAE Visa takes only a couple of minutes . Contradicting on what earlier the principal Norstar was telling us that its takes weeks to arrange a visa for the crew . To simply put they were basically lying and was not even planning to send us home even if we have already finished our working contracts. During that moment , it didn’t bother me to know the truth and what matters at the moment is that we are all getting home.

After that ., our agent managed to get us checked in to a local transit hotel for a few hours before our flight . The flight tickets shown was "Philippine Airlines" which is notorious for giving very poor service to overseas filipino workers .,

At the airport ., It was unexpected for me to encounter "over weight issues" on my luggage - in fact I haven't encountered this kind of crappy treatment in years., I can imagine that even my hand carried luggage has to be exactly at least 7 kilograms and they had to weight exactly - as they have a weighting scale both on the checking in booth and boarding booth to check each passenger. Anything beyond that weight - the helpless OFW will be forced to throw away stuff on this so called "collection bin" (which is conveniently located just beside the board terminal) or pay an extra cash for the overweight fee's which is gimmicky in nature for the Filipino flight carrier to suck more cash on his fellow countrymen .

On my situation I was forced to throw away a lot of stuff because during 15 minutes before boarding time ., my back pack was weighted on a scale and it registered 17 kilograms ., I was even on the verge of throwing away two laptop computers because of this annoyance and if not for the pity of one ground which advised me to just pay the excess two kilograms.

Philippine Airlines may sound Patriotic pride to some ears on our fellow filipino but for an OFW , it is best not to trust even your own country and travel on this flight carrier . Travelling on Philippine airlines is very uncomfortable and reflects on how money hungry and a scammer (Filipino Chinese)businessmen are. Can imagine that if I would compare Philippine Airlines to a local provincial bus say like victory liner - I would definitely prefer riding a bus any day rather than taking a flight on any plane of Philippine Airlines .,

Philippine Airline is simply Horrible when it comes to the accommodations., No on-board entertainment (the TV screens on the seats) and the whole cabins is so run down and I could imagine that probably Philippine Airlines just buy a pre-owned 2nd hand planes from a garage sale somewhere. In Any case Philippine Airlines should be avoided at all cost by a filipino OFW and traveller as much as possible ., otherwise the unsuspecting traveller will be surprise on how uncomfortable and unpleasant theyre travel is.   

Two days have passed since my arrival in the airport, and once I got back to the house , I was greeted with a creepy silence of a place I once called home. Mom  and Dad as I had written on my previous entries has passed away last year with only a difference of 4 months apart, It has left a huge silence and void here, as well as a space in my heart. The place feels familiar yet it is different

I woke up as if I was in a different universe..

On my past two days I had been trying to be busy and caught up, resupplying and rebuilding my gear and luggage that I will use on my next ship. I had to replace some of the obsolete gear and swap it for a much light and more durable one and totally scarp out the totally unusable ones, aside from that update my multimedia of movies and anime. For now it's still a lot of work and I haven't even finished it by half on updating the new movies that came past 2016. As for the anime's I had been busy on buying pirated copies and then ripping off the CD's and saving the data to the external Hard Disk Drive (HDD) - I'd continue updating my anime library as much as possible while I'm still here.

As for my leave pay its still being though on how can I get it, I'm not exactly sure if  calling over by the phone to get my leave pay will be a great idea - or it will work at all. The only thing I do know is that CF Sharp will not be happy to see me when I show my face around in the office. For the time being , I'm managing the limited resources I had on my wallet and grabbing anything that might help me around. Incase CF Sharp is not willing to pay me back on my months' salary along with my leave pay , then I'd be forced to abandon it or go there personally and claim it (in the expense that I'd be massacred by the fleet manager).

Frankly I still consider going to CF Sharp office just to claim my leave pay and final wages , far too dangerous and that something bad might happened on me when I show my face up, After all its already an establish fact that CF Sharp plays dirty in the maritime community here in the Philippines and to add more on their dirty cards is that they got a corrupt workers union on their payroll called "United Filipino Seafarers" lead by the Seaman Mafia Leader named Nelson P. Ramirez. Its only on my right mind to assume the worst possible thing to happened to me when I show my face up.  

Recently I had my health checked out in private hospital (Marikina Valley Medical Hospital) and diagnostic clinic ( St. Ignatius, Centro Medical ) , I had been having abdominal pains for the past 4 months and it's really a discomfort and I need to know why. After a couple of test , I was lucky that they didn’t find anything - so I guess it means I'm still good on working in this cursed job as a sailor. 

DRACONIAN CULTURE

REPOSTING ON AN ARTICLE I HAD READ ONLINE.... HUMAN RIGHTS DISCRIMINATION ON THE PHILIPPINE MARITIME INDUSTRY.

THIS REMINDS ME OF THE DISCRIMNATION CASE IN THE U.S. COURT WAY BACK IN THE 80"S - IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN About Attorneys Geoffrey Bowers and Clarence B. Cain

Bowers was an attorney who in 1987 sued the law firm Baker McKenzie for wrongful dismissal in one of the first AIDS discrimination cases. Cain was an attorney for Hyatt Legal Services who was fired after his employer found out he had AIDS. He sued Hyatt in 1990 and won just before his death. It was made into a Film Called "Philadelphia" which stars tom hanks as the actor

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Jebsen Gamido, who was diagnosed as HIV-positive in 2009, shook up maritime institutions with his determination to pursue his rightful place on board a ship. His fight to end discrimination continues with allies in the ITF and AMOSUP.

Where am I now? I’ve just resigned from a training center where I was training manager. I’m preparing to go back on board, and putting up a non-profit support group for HIV-positive seafarers. Sometimes I receive e-mails from young men whose stories are similar to mine. When they feel discriminated, they e-mail me. I talk to them over the phone. I’m not a trained counselor,and HIV has many faces, and it so happens mine is the Seafarer’s.
If I had my way, I would’ve applied for a dance scholarship for college. Maybe cheerdance or dance troupe in University of Santo Tomas. Ang desire ko talaga is broadcast communications. But my father is a seaman, a chief cook on a ship. When I was in the Academy, when I got my OJT, he decided it was time for me to give back to the family.
When I first came to Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific (MAAP), I was overwhelmed. The campus was so beautiful! I thought, they’re giving me a full scholarship. My parents wouldn’t have to worry about tuition fees. So I wouldn’t call it a compromise—I just shifted my perspective.
I entered the academy at age 16. I had a girlfriend back then. I already knew I wasn’t really straight, but I loved her so much. So much. In the Academy, they try to strip you of your civilian ways. You all have the same haircut, they bombard you with schedules. You don’t have time to think about the usual things a 16- or 17-year-old would waste time on, although we get to relax and joke around in the barracks. But outside, you’re poker faced. Serious. You have to follow the commands of the seniors. They don’t allow outside communication; that’s part of their disciplinary measures to separate you from your civilian life. Eventually, my relationship with my girlfriend suffered. We broke up in my first year of college.
But you’re treated like the lowest of mammals in the first year only. In the second year, you get to express your personality, your individuality. Everyone starts to grow their hair…and me, because I was surrounded by men, I began to discover myself. But I still had to be discreet, of course, because of the environment. There was a time when my phone got confiscated. My senior said, “Bakit puro Britney and Christina Aguilera ang tugtog mo? Bakla ka ba?!” I denied it, but my batch mates knew, and I was okay with them.
You can’t avoid homophobes. They have issues about everything—like why my soap was different, or why I used body scrub. Then the seniors would trash-talk me to my juniors, which they shouldn’t do because MAAP works on a class system. Juniors look up to you. There were a lot of bullies. There was a lot of bullying.
But that didn’t stop me from being the class clown; gays, we’re naturally gay! I’m also a “dual”. That means I studied Deck and Engine. Out of 250 in the batch, there were 50 Duals, under one sponsoring company, which is Maersk. As a Dual, more sea service is required of us. One year and a half compared to the usual one year. I went on board the Kapitan Felix Oca for about six months. Friendster was big at that time; Yahoo Messenger. Everything was happening so fast, all at the same time. I was discovering my sexuality, coming of age, and we were free. That’s when I started having sexual encounters. In my mind, HIV was something far-fetched. It couldn’t happen to me. It was something that was contracted only by sex workers. Looking back, all then men I had sex with looked physically healthy. I had around five sexual encounters during my inter-island KFO days.
Then it was time to do international sea service. It was December 2009; I was supposed to board a Maersk ship in 2010. We had our medicals—and that’s when it happened.

“Me, as I was surrounded by men, I began to discover myself. But I still had to be discreet, of the environment. There was a time when my phone got confiscated. My senior said, “Bakit puro Britney and Christina Aguilera ang tugtog mo? Bakla ka ba?!”

I was diagnosed with HIV.
During that time, blood tests were done loosely—you’d get a blood test, and they’d read everything. No confidentiality. The med tech who told me I was reactive to HIV said it in an open space, in a lounge, with people behind me. “Reactive dugo mo sa HIV. Pa-confirm ka sa San Lazaro…”
I guess I’m lucky, though. Others, they find out through their agency. The reports come through computer-based systems; there’s one instance that a seaman found out through his in-law, who had access to his records. Everyone was staring at him funny when he came to the office. Confidentiality is an issue that’s related to HIV. Discrimination. Their own family members shun them, even if they’re the breadwinner.
Until now, seafarers face a lot of discrimination, and because of this, they aren’t able to find work. Under the ILO, a medical certificate is just to tell if someone is fit or unfit—but there are provisions or standards that state when you can work, which a lot of manning agencies or clinics don’t know. So some seamen deny their condition, or their papers get held up. Either way, they’re unable to access treatment. That’s what I’d like to address.
When I reported to my agency, they asked me to get a second opinion. The whole 2010 was a ping pong game. All my communication with my agency was via phone. Then afterwards, they said I should talk to the general manager. We had a closed door meeting with two more high ranking officers from MAAP. News spread. The upperclassmen knew, so did Vice Admiral Santos. They all didn’t know what to do. I was the first case of an HIV-positive cadet from MAAP. I was also the first case at Maersk. The medical clinic didn’t want to release my papers because they said I was unfit to work.
I started to lose hope. The first five months of 2010, I just cried and cried. Unlimited tears. I was so full of dreams and my family was depending on me. I had already bought a new suitcase, new socks. I was running for cum laude. My classmates called me every day but I didn’t pick up the phone. I was depressed and ashamed. Then my name was stricken from the roster. My ship, as they say, had sailed.
Around May, I decided I would stop crying. I just grew tired of it. I didn’t get any counseling, but I was spending time in San Lazaro. I got to meet people who had been living with HIV for up to five years. Some were younger than me. Parang nabuhayan ako ng loob! There’s still life after being diagnosed. That time, HIV wasn’t in the news much. After my diagnosis, it seemed to be everywhere. Until now, the numbers are rising. I’m one of those numbers. As I grow in the world of HIV, na-realized ko na wala siyang pinipili. It strikes people from all walks of life, even doctors, nurses, di mo masasabi. And since early diagnosis ako, walang complications, which is a blessing. I didn’t have to go on for years not knowing. If you don’t get tested right away, you wouldn’t know because it’s asymptomatic.
I also got referred to the Commission of Human Rights. Prior to that, I was referred to PNAC, the Philippine National Aids Council, who first implemented RA 8504. That bill protects the rights of those diagnosed with HIV. When MAAP and Maersk found out that I had access to all these people, they started to take action.
I felt neglected, ignored, and discriminated against. Maersk and MAAP even offered that they would pay for any other course I wanted to take. Kahit sa La Salle pa. But I really wanted to pursue maritime. I had the conviction, and people around me were rooting for me to continue.
My case was forwarded to Denmark. In early 2011, I was asked to report. I went onboard, but prior to that, they had someone from Singapore talk to me, tell me that they were taking a risk with me. Out of all their cadets from Pakistan, Ukraine, India, they were giving me the first chance for an HIV-positive to go on board.
I went on board the Maersk-Avon. It’s standard practice that I disclose my condition to the captain, and he said “yeah, it’s okay.” No big deal. On board, I didn’t experience any special treatment about my load of work or responsibilities. I wouldn’t like that so.
Throughout my trials, I got my strength from the Lord. I was crying on a bus home and this guy saw me. He invited me to a Christian church. I was floored. I genuinely felt that Jesus is alive—that was in U.P. Diliman, July 22, 2010. Then I was invited to a weekend retreat. Little by little, the Lord built me up again. Because I wasn’t doing anything then, I got very busy with church activities, conducting small bible groups in U.S.T. and La Salle.
Back in the Academy, I became the leader of a Christian fellowship. I couldn’t be stopped from sharing. I learned to share because I learned to love and accept myself. You wouldn’t share your experiences if you hate yourself. Later, the big bosses from FAME, PAMI—they always invite me to get involved and “be the voice” of HIV awareness. We need to talk about it! If we don’t nothing will happen.
After six months onboard, I came back, and my health was much better, my CD4 (a blood indicator of how strong the immune system is) increased. Maybe one factor was that I was happy.
When I went back to MAAP, I tried to inform the students more about HIV. I talked to them about it, tried to “normalize” HIV with them. After I graduated, took my board exams, Maersk sponsored my trainings to get my license. I thought everything was okay, but in 2015, after complying with all my trainings and forwarding all my documents to the agency, the new general manager had me called in. He told me there was a “surplus of officers.”
But I felt more empowered by that time. I admit, I also felt hurt that he would say that, after everything I went through. “Okay sir,” I said, “you’re sure this is not about my case, right? Please make sure sir.” I stated that I was in contact with the CHR. He denied that it was because of my case. But one month passed, I sent e-mails, no reply. I was worried because I had to earn for my family, I had to supply my needs. So I got a land-based job as an instructor, and my employers saw my potential. I became the youngest training manager in the company.
I was back to square one. All my struggles, all my insecurities, everything came back. So I sought the advice of an older seafarer who I admire. He introduced me to the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF), and I met Dr. Asif Altaf (HIV/AIDS Coordinator) in Pan Pacific in March 2015.
I shared my story with Dr. Asif and Steve Trowsdale. I met with them several times and sent e-mails to superiors at ITF. It was one month of e-mails, of going through every detail of my story, until they e-mailed Maersk. They found that I had indeed been discriminated. Immediately, I received an e-mail from Maersk, with the manager asking me to report. When I reported there, he shook my hand and was very warm—but the first time, he wouldn’t even shake hands with me.
He stuck to his story about the surplus of officers, that he’d call me as soon as they had on opening, and that I would have to undergo recruitment again. Okay. In my head, I was thinking, “bring it on.” This was last year, in November. I was enjoying my land-based work, but I knew I had to go back to the sea. I’m only 26. I still have time to sharpen my skills.
So I resigned in May 2016 to pursue my seafaring career. I don’t want to wait any longer.
ITF and AMOSUP asked me to put up a non-profit for their campaign on AIDS and HIV awareness—we already have a name, GPS+,  to give reference to maritime and to the “plus”—“positive”.
I want to talk to more seamen, more youth. I want clinics to be unified in their treatment and decisions about seafarers who are diagnosed with HIV. Who can they turn to? What policies should manning agencies adopt? What can be implemented in maritime schools about this issue? What else can we do?
But I really want to go back on board. I feel I need to give my story more edge, to give more impact to my testimony.

This not the end. I’m still waiting for the climax.