The Babel Machine, Cyberbaguioboy and others writes on Eheads

When I was in Manila, I tried to salvage my collection of Eraserheads albums. Well, I know I will not get my old tapes so I just aimed to buy the Eraserheads anthology for me and my wife–which I did. As you all (well, Filipino fans of the Eheads) know, the band’s lead singer, Ely Buendia, recently suffered a heart attack. The news brought me to memory lane and made me promise to collect the complete album, but I think I won’t be able to find Ely’s Bedspacer album.

Anyway, a day after I left Manila, I learned from Joey that some people were organizing a fund raising concert for Ely–fine, I definitely missed that. As I’ve learned, Ely was not informed re the fund raising concert but Ely was grateful nevertheless. So, while I missed the concert–I was in Libis (where the concert was held), Tuesday of that week!–glad to hear things are fine with him now and that the concert was a success. 

I later learned also from Joey and cyberbaguioboy an Eheads Anthology book was on the way (and they are one of the contributors)! Oh swell, mukha mami-miss ko din to ah! Hopefully, I can still catch a copy of the book when I return this April, better yet, Joey or cyberbaguioboy could reserve one for me. 😀 (pushing my luck!)

Philippine radio stations online!

My wife and I used to have a routine every morning. With the cheap but fast internet connection here in Thailand, we are online first thing in the morning (as much as possible, i.e.) and connect to Radyo DZBB for the latest news from the Philippines. However, the recent disintegration of Inq7.net left us to just read and watch feeds from GMAnews.tv and Inquirer.net. Not that I’m whining but it took us sometime to learn how to connect again to the radio and watch TV in the respective sites.

Recently, however, I read over cyberbaguioboy that the Inquirer has launched Radio on Inquirer.net. Now this is good news, we can now listen not only to one but close to 40 radio stations!

Here’s cyberbaguioboy‘s blog entry on this news:

Radio on INQUIRER.net has been launched. Visitors to INQUIRER.net can now listen to close to 40 radio stations courtesy of eRadioportal.com. This service went live yesterday, offering visitors a “wider choice when it comes to hearing audio over the Internet.” Excerpt:

INQUIRER.net has launched a radio channel that would now give website visitors a wider choice when it comes to hearing audio over the Internet.

Dubbed “Radio on INQUIRER.net,” the radio channel offers streaming audio from close to 40 radio stations in the Philippines, said JV Rufino, editor-in-chief of Inquirer.net.

INQUIRER.net has partnered with eRadioportal.com, which will host the streaming audio coming from partner radio stations, he added.

Maquiling

Mt. Maquiling view from the side of Batangas Province. Originally uploaded by jimboombastic.

“Hinahanap kita, o diwatang Maquiling, Maquiling” (I’ve been looking for you fairy Maquiling, Maquiling) so goes the first line of the song by Kalantog. The song kept playing on my mind as I become nostalgic past the majestic mountain. I have so many fond memories about Mt. Maquiling. It is the big (forestry) laboratory of my Uni and where part of the Uni is located, it is also where my dormitory is located, it is where I experienced numerous roller coaster ride (spiritually!). It was the venue of the annual concerts of the dorm’s band (where I tried to play as lead singer and bassist–used to dream to be the Ely Buendia of our dorm open house!). It is also where I met the woman I married. 🙂

Some trivia, by the way, I tried to join Kalantog as bassist but ended up joining their theater group–if you can’t join ’em, join their affiliate group! hahah! 🙂

Anyway, I was home on official visit last week, so nothing much happened as I was holed up at the training venue almost for three days. I trained a few veterinarians–they were equipping themselves on preparing for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (bird flu, avian flu–well the bird disease that kills people). I was able to meet up with my Pastor, Carlo Panlilio, and some brethren at DMI–and I think that equipped (read: inspired) me to endure the two-day training

I was able to visit my relatives, albeit short, courtesy of my friends back at the office. I was with my my parents and relatives in San Pablo City for about two hours, one hour with my father-in-law and about another hour with a friend in Lipa City. The schedule was definitely tight but I said that I (with my family) will definitely be back in April to catch up, with quality, with more relatives and friends. And yes, I was able to do my shopping at SM Lipa City but I forgot to buy TJ Hotdogs!

Increasing traffic

This is definitely the traffic that you will definitely welcome. It’s neither your infamous EDSA nor Bangkok traffic but blog traffic. Blog traffic is a statistic of your site which means that you are certainly being read or your site is making hits.

Keeping an audience awed even on the blogosphere is quite a daunting task sometimes, but if you have an aim in your blogging and you are focused on what you do (for the joy of it!)–high or low blog traffic–it’s still happy days! However, on second thought, seeing your stats moving up or reaching 3 figures on daily average gives you a satisfying feeling–especially when you see your clustermap starts to get painted red all over!

YugaTech! advised that one strategy to increase traffic is to run a contest. With a little capital, voila! you’ll get the needed traffic you need–well that’s if you’re an average blogger already. What if you’re novice? My online friend fruityoaty suggested link exchanges as a starter for increasing blog traffic.

With the increased blog traffic, comes the increased responsibility on the part of the blogger. I mean as you get more hits and increasing number of fans, you bear the responsibility of coming out with good, if not better (well, generally quality ones!), entries.

As Peter Parker’s father uncle (thanks to joey for correcting this) advised him (what’s his name again?? I mean the father uncle of Spiderman!) “with great power, comes great responsibility.” My friend Lynette gave some good points as to how one could improve his/her writing. For budding writers, blogging could be a good venue to exercise albeit very public! (well, you’ll be amazed as you look back at some of your articles–OMG!! did I write that!!!). Print and be damned! as CNNs lady news anchor said (I remember the face–forgot the name again!! that’s what you get when you don’t have cable at home!)–not that I’m discouraging you to publicize your thoughts but it’s a good challenge–responsibility comes forward as a main guiding factor in writing.

Anyway, my point–to increase traffic, be a responsible skilled blogger, who hones up his/her skills through reading, reading, reading quality (which would still be relative–so be critical!) literatures (and writing more frequently). Aiming for high quality (well, one could settle for good) blogs is a must as we are making history, a revolution of some sort. As Inquirer.Net‘s Joey Alarilla pointed out “the revolution will not be televised, but blogged.”

So bloggers, be responsible, spread the word. We are making history!

Going home

I’ll be going home this weekend. Yet again, it’s not a legit coming home but an official visit.

I’ll be speaking at a communication management workshop for select veterinarians in Quezon City. A family friend suggested–ei! why not give me a despedida –well, this is just one of the regular outings for me–nothing to celebrate. I’m a bit anxious to leave my family behind again, but I think we’ve got used to this arrangement. I’m happy at the same time of the prospect of going home for free! and hopefully see my family.

I will try to visit Laguna (where my parents are) and Batangas (where my father-in-law is based) if time permits, which I think I might have. Finish other business and hopefully, chronicle this travel for the few readers of Blogbastic!

Mabuhay kayo!

Starting the year right

I definitely started on the wrong foot this year. Aside from the unfortunate incidences here in Thailand, my first entry was about the Subic Rape Case! It just so happen that I usually write blog articles late night and when I was able to press it! for my last article for the year, it’s almost past midnight. Anyway, enough with being defensive.

Well, I want to put things to order and start this year the way I should have started it–properly acknowledging the past, drawing strength and lessons from it (well briefly, of course!) and assess what the future might look for me (or us!).

The year that was

Novice Blogger. 2006 is the year that I started blogging. I first blogged over Friendster on March 23, 2006. My first blogsite was simply entitled Point of View: See the bright side of everything… blame yourself if you see it grim. I’m a bit into rhymes and wanted to apply such principle in life. However, when I got the groove on blogging, I discovered WordPress through my friend Lynette. I migrated and found blogging here safer and more enjoyable (nice themes among others) since August 20 2006. I’m still into rhyming and my first blog affirmed what would be a mildly controlled habit now.

As a Netizen, I was ranked as the second most important Jim Caro by Google. 😀 (egosurfing!!) I also ranked as the fourth, well my my professional website, i.e., and the fifth is this blogsite (followed by my family’s blog)!–Vane! Well, I’m just an ordinary Filipino expat trying to contribute to development in this side of the world.

Professionally. I reached my first year as a full time consultant for an international organization. I’m enjoying work and some colleagues who are contributing to the challenges of work and intellectually charging me up. I had a chance to serve the Philippines in the conduct of a knowledge, attitudes and practices survey of farmers regarding bird flu. There were also some upsets during the fulfillment of my terms of reference but I got to sort it out with the help of our local counterparts in the Region–too vague but just to let you know it’s not always Yeheey!

Personal. My daughter went to school this year. I got accepted as a scholar in a Uni down under and paid our health insurance for that purpose. My wife and I started to venture on buying and selling dry goods–we’re still trying to learn the business. While there were some rush to the hospital majority are not serious.

2007

Blogging. I do hope that this year would be a better one for me. I’m looking forward to better blog entries and praying for guidance on a move later this year as I start Uni. My blogging objective is somewhat very general but a friend suggested that I write about my travels–I’m not too good at feature writing but I’ll see if it would drive me to write more. My wife and I are also looking forward for better articles on our family blogsite!

Professionally. I’m officially ending my stint as a consultant mid this year. But God willing, I would be able to receive some racket even as a student.

Personal. Believe it or not, this is the first time that my wife and I spent devotional time together! I believe this is God’s way of making us closer and the relationship stronger–we’re nearing our 6th year! My kids might skip school this year but we’re looking forward to a good stay Down Under!

This is the gist of the year that was and what I expect this 2007. Hope you made your plans ahead!

Web Blog Awards

Blog Herald Editor Abraham Olandres recently announced of an upcoming Weblog Awards. Now it made me think, now that’s a nice driving force for the growing number of bloggers around the world. I thought this would, somehow, promote better blogs on the blogosphere.

However, before I got news of Abe’s announcement, I also got to know about another weblog award. The Weblog Awards, which claims to be the largest blog competition, happens to include Pinoystupid as one of its top 10 Best Asian Blog. As the title implies it’s about stupidities of Pinoys. The Critic is presumably a Filipino/Filipina vent on denouncing Filipino as the stupidest human beings in the whole world.

He/she really knows his/her turf as he/she is a bit tech savvy in terms of identifying exactly detractors. Apparently, he/she wants to encourage Filipinos to think about the negative things that’s defining the race but as to what he want them to do about it—I’m not sure if he’s got the right motive. He/she claims that he/she wants Filipinos (apparently, if he/she IS a Filipino has already done this) to think about the negativity that uniquely defines Filipinos but apparently he’s referring to most people without access or even saw a computer. Anyway, I won’t elaborate on this as I know that Pinoystupid is an eloquent thinker and writer while he has some points majority and his/her main objective is way below the belt (and to single out Filipinos???). Ultimately I’m ambivalent about this blog.

His/her objective, as he/she claims, is to provoke the Filipino people into what?? I think intriguing people—to get good traffic—nice strategy to insinuate hate, anger. But I agree that there are things that Filipinos need to think about in order for the country to regain its glory.

Now with the weblog awards, (sorry got a bit sidetracked there) I say, there are really many weblog awards around but as to which one’s the most prestigious it’s still one’s choice. The weblog awards of Abe is about 6 years old while the weblog awards where Pinoystupid ranked as one of Asia’s best is about 3 but it boast of being unique than the former.

Now it’s up to you to vote the best at the forum of your choice. Vote at the bloggies until January 10, 2007 (apparently there’s an editorial glitch, it read 2005) or vote for the 2007 Weblog Awards from September to October 2007.

Gmail bug exposes your mail account to spammers – Engadget

Aside from the recent bombings here in Bangkok, which I recently blogged about, I was surprised to learn from Engadget of a Gmail bug which exposes my mail account to spammers–talking about new year’s present!

I tried to check my mails quickly and log-off before surfing the Net or my bank account online from then on! Tried to email Google too, no reply but I was glad to know recently that it was fixed sooner than expected. 😀

Now, this made me thinking about Google’s vulnerability. I mean glitches always happen to them. One time I typed Gmail.com on my browser and here comes the Yahoo! search engine giving out search results of Gmail.com! (wasn’t able to have a photo grab of that but had I knew that it was a technical issue (not too tech sensitive!) I would have taken the opportunity–as what a recent blog pointed out re Google being hacked!

Google is one of the most vulnerable companies on the web along with Microsoft, CIA among others. Being that big they should be proactive in this kind of issue, man they should know their turf!

Happy New Year… Part 2

Today, my family and I just went to a friend’s house to celebrate the coming new year. The place was almost an hour away from our place. After spending almost the whole day in their place we headed back home at almost 5.30pm. I suggested that we take the bus to Victory Monument then take a taxi from there to our home in Dusit.

Well, the thought of the convenience of going home on a taxi (straight from our current location) prevailed, we arrived home at about past 6pm (I believe). We offered coffee to my wife’s brother-in-law and his friend. Then they left to go home and possibly go to Central World to join the countdown. My family and I are resting to prepare to go to a church in Sukhumvit 63 later that night to welcome the new year when a colleague called me to break the news, which I later read over Bangkok Post Breaking News. She said there were reports that seven bombs exploded almost simultaneously in several locations in Bangkok. We cancelled going out tonight.

 Aftermath of bombing at a bus stop at Victory Monument.

I then received an SMS from our personnel officer informing us about the bombings and warning against attending any gathering tonight, the UN security also sent a similar advice a few minutes later. My wife and I called relatives in the Philippines before they get wind of the news here to assure them that we are fine. As we followed the news, it got clearer how God moved to protect my family.

A bomb went off at about 5.30 to 6pm in Victory Monument, where we planned to get off. A grenade was allegedly thrown in Saphan Kwai, where the bus was supposed to pass by. We planned to go to a church in Sukhumvit 63, a bomb went off near Sukhumvit 62.

As the news develop, conflicting reports on the Thai government’s reaction to the bombings including details surrounding it came out. The first news was that the countdown celebrations will continue, however, this was later corrected to calls of cancellation–the countdown in Chiang Mai was also cancelled as a precaution. Thailand once again has to cancel one of its most awaited celebrations of the year, however due to a man-made incident (The first one was right after the Tsunami of December 2004, no new year celebration happened in Thailand as a sign of mourning).

 Emergency medical service staff at Rajchavithee Hospital tend to a wounded person following a bomb attack at nearby Victory Monument.

Further details about the bombing become clear, two people died, scores were hurt in 6 simultaneous bombing in Bangkok. No one has yet to claim responsibility for the bombing. Now, remember that I just blogged about having a more restrained new year in Bangkok?! I guess I spoke too soon.

We celebrated new year at the comfort of our home. However, some Thai people would never budge on the recent bombings (maybe a statement on their side that they will never be shaken) and went on welcoming the new year with their own festive fireworks (real fireworks, I mean). We also watched the fireworks from our apartment veranda.

For the collateral damage of this senseless violence, may God be with them.

(Just as I posted this entry, I received another SMS from the UN Security, “After the new year started, three more bombs exploded at Central World, Pratunam and Khao San Road. Situation still unclear. Previous SMS instruction remain in effect.”)

Smith returned to custody of US embassy – INQ7.net

Remember when I blogged about the case of an American soldier convicted of rape? I just read over Inquirer.net Smith returned to custody of US embassy.

Should I start saying… I told you so! who knows what will happen next–will I don’t need to expound or speculate for the obvious.