Year: 2007

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Mostly Everything

The Blogger Flash Mob Project

Though 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.

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Mostly Everything

Us Bloggers Can’t Sing!

And 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.

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Mostly Everything

A ProBlogger to Run For Philippine Senate?

Yesterday 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?

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Mostly Everything

The Real Reason Why There Are So Few Philippine Podcasters

Here 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.

Continue reading “The Real Reason Why There Are So Few Philippine Podcasters”
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Mostly Everything

StudioNow: Online Video Editing While You Wait

Minic Rivera wrote about StudioNow, a new service that allows the public to submit video editing jobs to a pool of editors worldwide.

The launch of StudioNow ushers in a new era of video production by directly connecting consumers with expert video/movie editors. The StudioNow Editor Network includes a range of expert editors, from film-school students to major-network TV and Hollywood feature film professionals. Editors can sign-up to feature their editing talents and are assigned projects matching their skill level through the StudioNow website.

In the social media scene …

This is especially helpful for bloggers who do not have the resources or knowledge to create good quality video shows. All they need to do is create the raw recording with a cameraphone and submit the content to the pool of editors who will execute your project with all the specific instructions taken into account.

StudioNow is also hiring video editors who can work from anywhere around the world 🙂