Philippine Blog Awards Closing Remarks
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at March 31st, 2007
I had actually prepared the closing remarks but was not able to deliver it because of lack of time. I have decided to post it here for everyone to read. Thank you very much for making the first Philippine Blog Awards a success!
Oh. My. God.
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at March 30th, 2007[courtesy of Emerging Earth]
BuggedCast Episode 1 – “Lagalag”
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at March 30th, 2007I was able to finally talk to Wil Pascual, the creator of the Lagalag Project, which is an experiment of sorts that features Filipinos around the world and two traveling moleskines. We enjoyed a good 20 minutes talking about photography, moleskines and blogs.
This podcast was recorded using Gizmo and edited using GarageBand on a Macintosh. I need to make an erratum. Gizmo does not save files in MP3 format. It saves them onto WAV first which allows you more options in terms of manipulating the audio file.
[display_podcast]
Wil and I were speaking in both English and Filipino. Would like to apologize for those who cannot understand some parts.
Show notes:
- Gizmo Project is way cooler than Skype because it allows you to record conversations
- Wil talks about the Lagalag Project and how it came to be
- Wil discusses his moleskine page for the project
- A short explanation on my picture of Foz’s smile that was captured on YouTube
- A short note on the Philippine Blog Awards and who’s going
- We love moleskine and Benedict Bueno
The Anatomy Behind A Chris Pirillo Burp
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at March 29th, 2007Several hours ago, Chris Pirillo burped on YouTube. Though this type of content draws much from the common menagerie of content we find on YouTube, this is still Chris Pirillo.
Now let’s take a moment to disrupt the time-space continuum. If Leo Laporte burped, I’d watch it. If Seth Godin burped, I’d still watch. Even more yes’s to Darren Rowse or Happyslip.
Christ. We’re hooked with the mavens. With what they do, on and off their professional platforms, we’re hooked and this has nothing to do with aesthetic beauty. This has more to do with Alister Cameron’s post on the real reason why no one read’s your blog — and it has nothing to do with you, but with who you really know in the industry. So yeah, the whole mavens, connectors and salesmen thing you read from that Tipping Point book.
Chris has built himself up from Lockergnome to TechTV and has garnered the “young, hip and geeky” appeal that, for some reason is permeating the blogosphere here in the Philippines, according to Elber:
Yes, it’s time the metrosexuals moved aside and made way for the new breed of geeks: the technosexuals. Yes, I know the terms still sounds a bit odd, but according to Valleywag, that’s what Calvin Klein is calling some bloggers. That’s also how this guy describes himself.
Here are some benefits that mavens like Chris enjoy:
- They can get away with anything. It’s like they have a way with weaving content to make it more attractive. If they were a department store, their stalls have neon lights, flags and the parking lots have valets.
- Whatever they write (or podcast or record) about, people will reciprocate. I dunno, if I burped and YouTube’d it, who would care?
- They have multiply broadcast streams and a steady audience. In short they have the support of the industry and it would be easy for them to mobilize it.
No, this isn’t an attack on mavenhood. It is, actually, a manifestation of my point, that when Chris burps, the world listens (but keeps their noses pinched). 
The Crumpler Store Opens in the Philippines
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at March 27th, 2007
It’s official. The Philippines is now an eccentric geek hangout based on the standards of the owners of Crumpler. These guys are the makers of the bags that changed the geek world to what it is today – fashionable, quirky and still geeky! No other bag has created such a cult following in the world as the name Crumpler is backed by a few years of quirky personas and drunken copywriting skills for their product catalogue.
That’s me in the pajamas with Gabe Mercado of SPIT and in the middle is the famous Pineapple Ju-ju of Crumpler. You can view other interesting Crumpler videos here, such as the Bag Rider (do not try this at home) and Crumpler at MacWorld.
You can view the rest of the pictures of the parteh here.
Hamilo Coast
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at March 27th, 2007
Hamilo Coast is a 5,700 hectare project with the SM Prime Holdings Group located at Nasugbu, Batangas. This is probably the biggest Eco-Tourism project in the country as it merges a beach side residential resort for local and foreign tourists. And here’s the best thing about the place: by 2008, the SM Mall of Asia area will have completed its port city expansion. You will be able to take a ferry from the Mall of Asia to Hamilo Coast in 90 minutes.
Composed of 13 natural coves with distinct characters, shapes and sizes; limestone cliffs that reach the sky; virgin forests and rock formations; as well as its own natural park set against a pristine backdrop of sloping mountains, the development is set to grow into a vibrant and colorful community where life is balanced by the serenity and peace that comes from being in harmony with nature.
To complement the property’s natural topography, Hamilo Coast will offer an ideal mix of residential, commercial, cultural, recreational and eventually, institutional amenities to communities of tourists, first- and second-home owners. Sand and sports facilities that include full-service beach and country clubs as well as a golf course in the valley will become available; forest parks, exclusive beach enclaves and a marina/yacht club, which will cater to sea-loving tourists and boating enthusiasts are part of the Hamilo Coast vision plan.
Think of the possibilities of this set up. You can actually wake up and go jogging along the beach and then take the ferry to Mall of Asia by lunch time without having to drive. You can go about your business and take the ferry back to your residential home by the beach by late noon and still be in time for dinner.
If you have this set up, it will actually make a lot of sense investing in a Globe Visibility or PLDT WeRoam account.
This is not a sponsored post.
You Don’t Know Jack! Goes to the Web
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at March 26th, 2007
More than ten years ago, our high school group used to come by to one of the homes of friend to swoon over his 486DX rig with Sound Blaster Pro speakers. The speakers were the most important part of the set as we needed them to play a now classic trivia game called You Don’t Know Jack!
Dubbed as Jeopardy with an eccentric twist, YDKJ has reinvented itself into a web based game where you can load up several “episodes” into a flash player. Many aspects of the game were preserved such as the minimalist use of visuals, the quirky announcer with dozens of side comments, the Jack Attack!, and the “DisorDat” segment.
This is definitely a good move for the Jellyvision folk as flash games are becoming cheaper and cheaper to manufacture and distribute over the web, thus making their “innovation” back in the 90′s just some plain old. But YDKJ has carried itself rather easily through several years of cult following so now, it will be easier for you to experience the Jack Attack with friends anywhere with an Internet connection.
A word of caution – you need to play the game show with your speakers turned on for the full You Don’t Know Jack! experience. [via Play Girlz]
The Blogger Flash Mob Project
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at March 25th, 2007Though the details are still a bit vague, I’m organizing a joint project together with JC Medina of Geek Chorus (the guys who brought you Graduation Night and the upcoming project, Creative Expression Using Powerpoint) and bloggers who are interested in joining. The objective is a flash mob project for a record in simultaneous blogging at a wireless hotspot. This is what I propose:
Utilizing a huge open space with several access points for WiFi, a huge number of bloggers will simultaneously open their bags and drop their laptops to log onto the Internet. They will then compose a blog entry with the proposed Technorati tag attached for tracking purposes.
We will be needing the following:
- Someone to record the event on digicam
- If it will allow, a free WiFi access point(s) sponsor since there are only limited number of connections available per hotspot. We don’t want to crash the AP. Heh
- Bloggers to participate and lend extra laptops / mobile blogging devices as well as help organize this event – like finding a venue..
Leave a comment if you are interested to join the project. I will be posting an update as soon as I clarify a few things with JC of Geek Chorus. This is a work in progress scheduled to happen in the next few weeks. We are also researching if this event can actually be eligible for a Guiness World Record.
Us Bloggers Can’t Sing!
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at March 24th, 2007And here’s proof …
Recorded at Dennis Agulo’s house during a blogger dinner in Davao. Video by Aileen Apol0.
I apologize for being very rusty with the guitar. I haven’t played in ages and I tend to forget chords midway into the song. Plus my voice really sucks, after having drank coke and eaten a heavy meal. But who cares, right?
For more of the Greatest Impromptu Hits of Jayvee and Abe, click here.
A ProBlogger to Run For Philippine Senate?
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at March 23rd, 2007Yesterday I spent some time at the Inquirer.net office with Dr. Martin Bautista of the Kapatiran Party. As one of those running for the 12 seats of senate, “Doc Martin” comes from a fresh non-political background as he is a doctor and an overseas Filipino who came back to do some good in this country. He had many interesting things to say in spite of him being labeled by some as a “Don Quixote chasing imaginary windmills.” From the combined perspective of being a doctor, a private citizen with no history in politics as well as an overseas Filipino for several years, he brings fresh meat on the table on the realm of politics, governance and where the Filipino should put priority to do damage control in helping resuscitate the nation.
In my newfound political peregrinations, I am invariably asked why I am fighting a lost cause. I always begin by asking them what’s lost because I certainly don’t see anything lost in my cause. And here’s the time they allude to a certain amount of pity that they feel for me, a sweaty and sunburned physician asking for their vote. I still haven’t paused long enough to think of a perfect response because I am treating this challenge the way I have conducted myself throughout my life. I am going to pour everything that I have into this very worthy cause. (source thanks to Lynne)
And then it hit me that “Doc Martin” could be anyone with a fresh perspective on things. Someone with an informed opinion, has a voice with the masses (the Doc gets asked for medical consultations during campaigns, plus he also looks like Lucky Manzano) and a clear vision of where he wants to bring the country, can run for senate. This is by the way a brazened statement as it can also be the primary reasoning for nuisance candidates to run.
So now its really interesting that a dedicated blogger-by-profession can actually meet these three points I mentioned earlier. I mean if Loren Legarda is a good example of how traditional media can penetrate the senate and do a good job what’s stopping a travel blogger to give a fresh take on tourism, or a technology blogger to file and review bills on the current state of Philippine technology?
I know, my idea is far off. But we do live in crazy times. If an actor can become senator, why not a blogger?
The Real Reason Why There Are So Few Philippine Podcasters
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at March 22nd, 2007Here are personal opinions on why there are so few local podcasters compared to their bloggers. These can actually serve as the main reasons why podcasts are rarer than blogs, and a number of these reasons are quite obvious.
1. Unlike blogging, podcasting can be more expensive. Hosting fees, a microphone investment and other such expenses can turn you off, big time. So you lose even before you started.
2. Podcasting requires you to commit more. If blogging only lets you commit your ideas on the typewriter, podcasting forces you to commit your voice on the table, and rather forcefully as you can’t edit what you just said once its published unless you take the whole podcast down.
3. It sucks to talk to nobody. Finding a guest host or anchor can be a bit tedious. Talking to yourself can also suck. A solution here is to do what David Pogue does in his podcast — read your own blog posts out loud. Sorta like an interpretative oral reading contest.
4. Bigger language barrier. If blogs are much easier to do in English, this is not so with podcasting. In general, it would be more correct to say that the average Filipino in Manila speaks in Taglish, which is a combination of Filipino and English and this has been engraved in our culture, that it is very hard to change. Case in point is the Band of Bloggers podcast which does the show in Taglish.
All in all these are valid reasons why podcasting is sparse here. But then again, the real reason why podcasting isn’t so hot here is actually a misnomer.
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