Christmas Tree Worm
Spirobranchus giganteus
Found abundantly in the Philippines
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Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas!
When I was a kid, Christmas presents didn’t mean the act of opening everything on the morning of the 25th. For me, the holidays was a careful chore which I’d gladly do with my dad as I would “hint” what I wanted (in the 80’s it was Sky Commanders, Ninja Turtles and GI Joe’s) and we’d go from store to store (I remember the 3rd floor toy section of Landmark clearly) and I’d tell him what I wanted. It was a better choice for me to sacrifice the “surprise” (of getting something I did not really want) versus knowing what was exactly in the package.
Fast forward to today, and I envy the leisure my parents had in shopping for gifts. December, in this modern age, is horrible. The last time I bought something in Rustan’s, I had to wait for 2 days to get it wrapped (P.S. I’m a guy, I don’t know these things). Traffic is compounded by 10 and the mall is just crazy.
So the past two years really got me thinking how I could make shopping more efficient and meaningful for friends. So I did a quick run through of the company I keep and to no surprise, a lot of them belong to the category of “Geeks” under a sub-category of “Gamers.”
Gamers.
Gamers like video games.
And I could get them something from Datablitz.
But that’s old skool.
In the age of the Internet, we go for digital downloads. Every holiday season, the Steam Store goes crazy-insane with game sales. For the uninitiated, Steam is like “Facebook for PC Gamers” (no not the Farmville type!) and everyday there are new deals at 50%-75% off. It’s just a matter of knowing what games go on sale and what types of genres your friends want.
So for the holidays, I bought 10 friends 10 games via Steam. Total Budget: USD $30.00 (INSANE!) That’s roughly USD $2.49 per game ++ at over 75% off. Steam allows you to “gift” any title to your friend’s email or Steam account (sign up here). No lines. No duplicates (the system tells you if your friend already owns a game you want to buy for ’em; as a corollary, it also tells you what your friend’s wish list is for the holidays). No hassle. Did everything in less than 10 minutes. Since these are digital goods, there’s no delivery fee!
For the non-geeks reading this, I’m sure you have loved ones who would really appreciate PC games for the holidays. It may be a bit weird at first, but trust me, it works. Think of the time and money you can save while still getting exactly what your friends want.
Shot across 10 months with hundreds of dives.
This is a short music video titled Our Blue by the Tank Bangers. And it’s epic. First off, it takes a lot of skill to sing underwater. Or play the guitar. No but really, as Filipinos there’s an absolute need to re-embrace our heritage as islanders and that includes our affinity to the water.
A couple of days ago we reviewed the Lenovo A60, a dual SIM Android 2.3 device that only sets you back by only PHP 7,990.00.
Now here’s another frugal gem we found in the local market for even less. Meet Alcatel’s Blaze 918N, a decent Android powered smartphone for less than seven grand. So it isn’t dual SIM but that’s completely OK for those of us who are single-minded when it comes to telco of choice. IT’S DUAL SIM WTF!
Specs include:
Android 2.3 OS
3.2MP camera
320×480 screen resolution
Up to 32GB microSD support
Bluetooth 3.0 A2DP (A2DP means you can stream music wirelessly via Bluetooth, not just calls)
Of course the phone also comes with the usual bells and whistles of Android such as App marketplace support, WiFi, tethering and the like. It doesn’t say anything about how much internal memory it comes with neither does it say anything about a secondary front camera, but the product shot clearly shows that it comes with one.
If you wish to view Alcatel’s other Android powered smartphones, click here.
Review to follow soon.
To those who are concerned (this would include bloggers who make money online and agencies who tap bloggers for campaigns), the ongoing DTI thing really sucks but there’s a final draft being spread online with comments due till the 19th. Would be great if you could read it, be informed and send a note to Juned or Tonyo as they are appointed members of a committee that will work on this for us.
I mean yeah, let’s just get this over and done with.
The full report can be found here (in blog format by Juned) and here (in Scribd format by Tonyo). Deadline for comments is on the 19th. Best we say what’s on our minds.
The crux of the report, however is in the last part. These are the recommendations and I will paste it all here:
RECOMMENDATION
The BTRCP recommends the following:
1. Individual bloggers are not required to file and secure sales promo permit.
2. Individuals who work with companies or are being utilized by companies in their product advertising and marketing using blogs must file and secure sales promo permit.
3. Businesses who use blogging as their venue for product advertising and marketing should file the sales promo permit application.
4. Blogging community must police themselves and determine those professional bloggers who use blogs associated with business.
5. DTI – NCR should brief IMMAP member associations/organizations to have them familiarized with DAO No. 10-02, Series of 2010 and JAO No. 01, Series of 2008 stating the rules and regulations on Sales Promotion and Electronic Commerce.
Comments:
1. Regards to recommendation #2, it should clearly be stated that this should only apply if a sale is involved. Raffles and contests should not be included.
2. I’m all for DTI permits in order to prevent Mickey Mouse campaigns but applying for one should be made easier. And when I say easier, it should be done online and ready within the hour. The DTI should push itself to adapt to these changes and that is the only time the industry can take them seriously. Apply online. Ready in an hour. Delivered to your email. Otherwise the whole thing is a joke and can potentially lead to another venue for milking the cow and corruption.
3. The permit should be applied for by the agency or company that sponsors the contest, not the supplier of the service. In this regard, #1 and #2 are confusing when put together.
4. Good luck with #4. It’s a vague call to action.
5. Let’s clearly define “business.” Does it mean an exchange of goods (x-deal) or making money? It’s vague.
6. Let’s clearly define “professional.” Because you only become a professional “something” if you’re cashing in around 40% (I may be mistaken with the percentage) of your total income. So if, say, you’re making PHP 100,000 a month and PHP 40,000 comes from blogging while the rest comes from your sideline as a circus clown, you are considered “professional” in your blogging field. What if this income isn’t fixed? Also, will it matter? The permit only applies to cash sales promotions.
7. Let’s condense the whole thing into one rule: Corporations that do online campaigns with a sales component need DTI permits. Application for permits should fall on the responsibility of the sponsor.
That’s all. Hope you chime in.
Draft DTI Final Report on online sales promotions by bloggers