Youtube returns to Thailand

For the first time since about four months Thailand blocked Youtube, I got to access the site here Down Under and watch some of my favorite clips online. 🙂

Then barely five months since Thailand blocked Youtube last April 3, Youtube is online again in Thailand according to The Bangkok Post. This came after lengthy negotiations between Google and the Thai Government with Google agreeing to remove the clips. However, the removal of the clips did not materialize as Google insisted that they might break rights of other users to free speech. The Thai government agreed to Google’s move install filters for Thai Youtube users. This means if you are a user in Thailand, you will still be able to access Youtube but you will not be able to access any identified offensive video clips against the monarchy.

Some Thai media experts were not happy with this as it was just a partial success for free speech advocate. Google won to have Youtube online in Thailand but “with conditions.”

The Thai government is happy with the outcome anyway and at least Google gave in to the Thai Government’s “request” albeit after a long dragged negotiations. Everybody happy.

Thailand has boundaries and this case has showed that in cyberspace there are still rules and there are still boundaries. As to how far would a country/organization could impose its rules/laws, it is still a vague concept I suppose. What do you think?

A little bit over

Well, well, well, it’s been a looooong hibernation. Snake alert is already out (meaning spring is near) and I thought I wouldn’t be able to come back to blogging. Well, I’m back (again–how many times did I’ve gone to blogging hiatus these past few weeks???). Well, I thought I wouldn’t be able to come back. I’m still trying to finish three reports but at least I’m a bit relaxed now as I was able to finish some parts of the three drafts (well, I’ve been trying hard to write everything at the same time 🙂 ).

While I was on hiatus there’s so much abuzz over the blogosphere, I don’t need to link them here but I know you know. Mr. Pogi accuses Ms. Kind-hearted as a self-serving blogger, while a print journalist goes OFW bashing and getting the ire of almost every blogger on the blogosphere and I’m sure even over Friendster! I’m not adding my note to these two big stories as it seems anything that should be blogged about from these two cases have been blogged already. 🙂

Well, the best news that I couldn’t resist not blogging about is blogbastic is one year old. 🙂 I’m soooooo vane. eheheh! forgive me just give me this moment. ciao!

Flu

After assisting in the public awareness of bird flu for almost two years, I think I’m becoming callous just hearing the word “flu.” As if I have not had enough–there’s been an outbreak of human flu here in Australia, deaths were recorded especially in young children.

A few weeks ago, Australia watched cautiously as Japan reported its first horse flu in decades. Australia is the only country in the world without the disease and many breeding stallions from Australia travel as far as Japan just to service some of the horses there.

This week, Australia reported its first outbreak of equine flu or horse flu last week and the implication to its horse racing and breeding industry is shooting billions of Australian dollars! Despite excellent response to the first outbreak, the disease seems to spread in a blink of an eye. After decades of being free, Australia is now contemplating vaccination. The implication of this is that the country will have to wait for about two years to gain certification from the World Organization for Animal Health or OIE that it is free from equine flu.

The current outbreak is feared to have an effect on the Melbourne Cup in November, well horse trainers, bettors, jockeys are still hoping that at least it would just be partial. Well, partial or not I’m coming to Melbourne albeit not to the Cup but to a conference. 🙂 But I hope I would have the chance to have a side trip at the sidelines at Melbourne Cup. 🙂

Aussie Idol enjoys second-best debut : thewest.com.au

One of my favorite shows when I was doing my studies here in Australia back in 2004 was Australian Idol. It was the second year of the British Franchise here in the Commonwealth and my kids and I enjoyed it. From the talented aspirants to downright hilarious unforgettable wannabes.

This season’s Aussie Idol became the second-best debut for the franchise. My kids loved Sebastian, the 2003 Australian Idol because of his charming voice and good looks and we also enjoyed the competition of Season 2 and the talent of all the 12 finalist and even to the showdown between Casey Donovan and Anthony Callea.

Well, it was indeed exciting for me back in 2004 and hopefully, this year’s Aussie Idol will live up to last night’s and tonight’s episodes, which are a real stress reliever. 🙂

One thing I’ve noticed is they now have four judges here. They were only three back in 2004 in the tradition of Simon, Paula and Randy. Now they have Mark, Marcia, Dicko (who went on leave on 2005 and 2006) and Kyle. From the looks of the candidates for this year’s contest, I think the judges will have a very hard time picking the best as most of the aspiring singers that made it were musician-composers. Now, let’s wait and see. 🙂

Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs for 2007

The results are out. Glad to know that at least one of my nomination was judged as one of the top 10 emerging influential blogs for 2007. 🙂

Fruityoaty made it to the list and also took home at US$100 for blogging about it! How lucky could this blogger get?? The list of the Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs for 2007 are as follows: 

1. An Apple a Day
   The Philosophical Bastard
2. The D Spot
3. CokskiBlue
4. Make Money Online with a 13-Year Old
5. Culture Shiok!
   Utakgago
6. Kubiertos
7. FruityOaty
   PinoyBlogero
8. The Dork Factor
   The Anitokid Chronikos
9. Gibbs Cadiz
10. Confessions of a Hopeless Romantic

The following bloggers are US$100 richer. 🙂

1. Maryrose
2. Sofia for BiSEAN
3. J Angelo Racoma
4. Heneroso
5. Fruityoaty
6. Annamanila
7. Webbyman
8. Marie Casas
9. Mira
10. Jehzeel Laurente

As with all successful writing project on the blogosphere, there were suggestions and few observations regarding the blogs nominated and even the bloggers who participated. Shari was complaining a bit on the representation of blogs. She argued that most of the bloggers who participated were Filipinos and most of the blogs were owned by part or full blooded Filipinos.

Actually, when I blogged about it, I was afraid that it will not get much international coverage when it became evident by week 3 that most of the bloggers and even the nominated blogs were Filipinos/Filipino owned. However, if the contest was only dedicated to Filipino Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs, I guess there might be a few choices despite the growing number of Filipino bloggers.

But hey, this is just the first year of this writing project. Who knows what will happen next year? Well, I hope that more bloggers will participate and this will be one of the most “popular” popularity contests on the blogosphere after the bloggy and other award giving “bodies.” 🙂

Of Perth and delays

Finally after months of waiting for THE day, it finally came. We left Bangkok, Thailand with a bit of sadness and excitement. Sadness to leave our beloved friends in Bangkok and excited to start another chapter in a country we learned to like. We maximized everything–time spent with friends, places, eating among others even our baggage allowance–125 kilos of checked-in baggage and another 35 kilos of hand-carried luggage. 🙂

We will definitely miss Bangkok but we are very happy that we are moving to Perth to finally pursue my studies and enjoy another chapter of our life in Australia, this time, in its Golden State. 🙂

Last post from home

This is my last post from home here in Thailand as we prepare to leave for Perth. We’re off to the ISP provider to cancel our subscription. We’ve almost completed saying goodbyes to friends here in Thailand.

We’ve fallen in love with this country and its people and we would definitely miss everything about it–even the coups. 🙂 Well, I know we’ll do fine in Australia and we look forward to good friends welcoming us and new friends that we’ll build along the way.

Hopefully I could do liveblogging while we travel on Monday. 🙂

Watch this site as I blog about Australia news and our adventures. 🙂 Cheers mate!

Bad Filipino traits I’d Wish to Change

I’ve been lagging behind my tagging responsibilities that I got tagged thrice now. This one’s from Chuckie, then there’s another one from Sir Sonnie and another one from Alma (sorry guys it’s still in the draft, but it will come out in a few weeks). Before my hiatus I had 28 drafts, well I was able to release some only to accumulate two to three more drafts so I still have a few more drafts again. 🙂 (30 to be exact). 

“Trivial” things made beautiful

A friend and brethren in Christ recently held his first solo photo exhibit outside of UP. Dan was chosen as one of the emerging photography artists in the country by HP Philippines during the launch of one of their supplies. I share the joy of this good friend of mine and share with you his exhibited photos during the HP Supplies launch.

If you happen to be in the Philippines, by the way, he is a wedding photographer so please do contact him if you want to be covered by one of the country’s best! 🙂

HP Supplies recently featured Emerging Filipino Photography Artists at Rockwell Mall in Makati City

A view of Vigan by Dan Cercado

Ferris Wheel by Dan Cercado

Dan (left) standing beside one of the hostesses of the exhibit and one of his works of art.

Australia becoming more Asian — census

That’s exactly what the headline says on Inquirer.net. So, what’s the buzz surrounding this issue? My first thought was that they are afraid, they are very, very afraid. Why? Well, another race is overtaking true-blue Australians.

Forgive my ranting but I’m speaking from experience as a random victim of a “sporadic” racism in beautiful Australia back in 2004. While some might consider the cases that I’ve been through as mere coincidence or as nothing serious, it made me think twice whenever I walk the streets of the very quaint and peaceful Newcastle, Australia.

First case. It happened during my first quarter as a student in this developed country. I checked the mail as I usually do and one flyer caught my eye. It was from a certain political group. The flyer was full of Asian bashing arguements like Asians are taking over our jobs, Asians cannot assimilate in Australian culture among others.

The flyer was distributed at every house in our suburb. The following night, stones were raining on our house that we had to call the police for assistance. We saw some youth running away apparently from where the stones are coming from and identified the house where they sought refuge.

We saw the perpetrators but no arrests were made as the parents of the teenagers claimed that they were fast asleep inside the house during the supposed time of attack. We believe we were targetted as we were the most vulnerable Asian in the neighborhood–our house is in a street corner.

I wrote a number of authorities and attached the flyer that I saw and reported our experience. Among those I wrote was Prime Minister John Howard, the secretary of foreign affairs, University officials including Australian Embassy staff in the Philippines. No action was taken as they deemed it as a simple case of random mischief.

Second case. Simple to others but it was a big deal to me as I was shaken a bit–a group of youth on a car followed me and shouted “go home asian!!” which I did, I went home (to our house, which was nearby anyway). 🙂

This experience had shaken me and I just tried to shurg it off after my first experience in the first case. I was warned that I’ll be treated like that someday anyway.

Amazing how some people can be intolerant of others and they ask why there’s murder, rape and terrorism. Or I’m just being too sensitive??? I might be. enough said.