Friday, November 27, 2009

Our "Viral" Pet Hamster and SPAMguard!


Hi Guys! We have an announcement! Whilst most webmasters are busy keeping their websites secure and free of unnecessary clutter by using verifications and CAPTCHA codes, we decided to keep our blog as clean by using a different means. we got ourselves a pet to guard our site of spammers and spam in general! Thanks to aBowman, we now have a cute little hamster to keep all of us safe!




Thursday, November 26, 2009

The FailBlog: A Filipino Online Favorite


Failure is a part of life. No one has never experienced failing because those who even tried not to fail, failed to fail (double negative? yeah just to press on my point) Take the most successful names for example: Bill Gates, Michael Jordan, and Oprah Winfrey. I'm sure they all had their low points before they started to experience the successes they are now enjoying. It is, after all, through several failures that we find out the benevolent path towards victory - from grander stages of career, fame, fortune, love and whatnot, to everyday mundane situations that may seem insignificant. Failure is not always about hardships and moping around and feeling sorry for oneself. There is constantly a lighter side to it, and the FAILblog has been successful (irony!) in encapsulating this.




Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Hitman Breaker of the Eye - A Funny Philippine Online Success Story


I've been hearing mad raves about this youngster called Nick Dreamer or a.k.a. "Hitman Breaker of The Eye" over at Youtube gaining massive popularity over the past weeks, but since I'm not exactly one to watch random individuals belting out tunes over Youtube, I didn't pay that much attention. But because online reviews, blogs, and links shared over messengers started piling up. I decided to drop by his Youtube page to see if it truly does live up the hype.




Monday, November 23, 2009

Clicking is Saving



Ever dreaded receiving your monthly electric bill from fears of seeing how much all those hours on the internet, watching television, using the microwave, leaving the lights on while you sleep, singing on your videoke, and charging both your cellphones will set you back? Ever blamed Meralco for the big difference in your bank account before and after paying your bill? Feeling hopeless and alone? Nothing else to do on the internet while downloading the latest episode of Gossip Girl or Glee?




Sunday, November 22, 2009

Pacquiao + Paparazzi = Pacmarazzi!


Has the Philippines finally caught on with the paparazzi craze?

From getting our weekly scoop of celebrity gossip from shows like the Buzz to following them daily thanks to SNN, we Filipinos have moved on to the next level.




Friday, November 20, 2009

Even Bella Swan Googles

It's called an adrenaline rush, you can google It[Lion and Lamb Love]
How exactly does one sum up just how influential the Internet has been on The Twilight Saga? The answer is you can't.

This cult series of books penned by Stephenie Meyer has sold one million copies in just two years, the first film grossing over $380 million worldwide and has spawned a global phenomenon that has a core fanbase you can find online.




Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Boto Mo Ipatrol Mo changing the face of the Philippine Elections 2010

The Philippine elections, a telenovela?

No other event in the country brings as much drama to the public eye as the 2010 Philippine electorate's exercise of their constitutionally given right to choose the leaders of the pact. Held every three years, these elections have been known to be the source of plots and story lines that can almost be too surreal, much like our favorite Filipino telenovelas. And, in as much as the public want to believe that this is the time when it should be all about them, that is sadly not the case.

The Philippine Elections have historically been an avenue for megalomaniac politicians to gain and hold on to power. Certain tactics were used to pelt with hopelessness and despair what is a legitimate exercise of freedom. Some of the headlines that you would see dominate the news would involve more and more of the following as Election Day nears: Vote-buying, ballot-switching, threats of physical injuries or death, elimination of the competition in its most literal sense, and what not. The power seemed to have slipped away from the people, dying in the slimy tentacles of a rotten political system.

In response to this vicious cycle, ABS-CBN’s Boto Mo Ipatrol Mo has given the voice back to those who have seemingly lost it. Preparation for the elections has never been this massive. Halalan 2010 should prove to be a season for the books, as local and national posts will be hotly contested by qualified and not-so-qualified personalities giving their all to secure a seat in the government.

Anyone can become a Boto Patroller. They can report suspicious and malignant election-linked activities and voice out election-related concerns and opinions. Boto Patrollers obviously get a voice. They also have the chance to see their reports aired on TV.

A bold venture to begin with, the project has proved to be quite a successful one. More than 4 million registered online alone. Indeed, this is a reflection of how Filipinos value their votes, that they want their opinions counted and their howls heard. The political paradigm is shifting once again… this time the plane of power tilting towards the people as should have been the case to begin with. Boto Mo Ipatrol Mo - staying true to its theme "Ako ang Simula" - is its way of helping the people make the coming election theirs again.

It's a good feeling to share the same ideals with the rest of the Filipinos. But when you have a moment to think about how you can really tell yourself "Ako nga talaga ang simula," then can you truly embrace the change and act accordingly.

May 2010 Elections isn't so far away.


Watch the new "Ako ang Simula Video"
ABS-CBN News Executives Maria Ressa, Charie Villa and Glenda Gloria joined Ebe Dancel of Sugarfree, Bituin Escalante, Barbie Almabis, Bayang Barrios, Vin Dancel of Peryodiko, Kat Agarado of Sinosikat, Teddy Corpus of Rocksteddy, and rapper Pachoy Lab...og and called on the youth to be vigilant about their votes in the 2010 polls in a new MTV directed by Paolo Villaluna.






Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Wrestling is as real as reality TV


Wrestling has and still is a big part of pop culture.

From the days of the Ultimate Warrior and Hulk Hogan to today with big stars like Triple H, The Undertaker and John Cena, these larger than life personalities have never failed to capture our imagination. I’m sure not a few of us dreamt of coming out to a dazzling display of pyrotechnics and an arena full of cheering fans, executing elbow drops, body slams and punches to the face of opponents… all before performing a finishing move or two to the approval of thousands of adorers. If only!

In the meantime, settling with watching our favorite superstars do the dirty work isn’t so bad, right? And in this day and age, we are not just limited to seeing our favorite wrestlers on television (btw, not having that 2 month delay to catch the latest episode of WWE is just fantastic, isn’t it?). We see them in movies (some in starring roles like John Cena in The Marine, some in smaller parts like Triple H in Blade Trinity) in magazines and other publications, and, of course, on the information superhighway. Whatever production you’re into, whether it be World Wrestling Entertainment, Total Non-Stop Action (don’t you just miss the old Monday night wars between WWF and WCW?) or some other indie productions like Ring of Honor, the world wide web now gives you access to information that wasn’t available before.


However, it is not the official websites of these productions that have made the heads of hardcore wrestling fans turn. Rather, they are the independent news wrestling sites that seem to be the rave to those who really want to be in the loop. One particular site, Wrestling News World, stands out. Unlike the official websites of WWE, TNA or ROH that provides information only for their particular production, Wrestling News World is a wrestling information one-stop-shop where results for all productions can be found. Not only that, it offers honest commentaries from people who are not employed by any of the aforementioned productions but still know what they are talking about. You would definitely not see an article saying “today’s episode of WWE's Monday Night Raw sucked” on WWE website. Rumors and spoilers are also given, features that you’re sure not to find in any official webpage as they, of course, would like to maintain the illusion of wrestling’s legitimacy (What?? Wrestling is fake?? Are you serious??).

So even if sites like WWE or TNA provide higher resolution pictures and better page layouts, websites such as Wrestling News World provide better content. So go ahead, be in the know. Visit Wrestling News World and know what’s really happening on the scenes and behind them.




Monday, November 16, 2009

Blogging + Ukay-Ukay = Tourism?


The man behind the camera and the blog, Scott Schuman is called by Ask.men, "The most powerful man in fashion -- without being a designer, model or formally trained photographer -- Scott Schuman has put fashion trends back in the hands of everyday people by photographing them on the street and posting their images on his site."

The Sartorialist blog is totally the best thing to ever hit the web for me. I don't think I have ever felt this way about any other blog before. The feeling is a clear tie when I'm out ukay ukay shopping so it's pretty intense.

So when I found out about The Sartorialist visiting Australia--- I googled and googled. I learned that Tourism Australia has been exploring new ways to attract tourists. In fact, Tourism Australia started the year right with The Best Job in the World viral search. Did you apply? I did. Fail. Hehe. See the results? Compelling results right? It was timely for Tourism Australia to massively use social media to attract and engage potential visitors at the height of this buzz. To date, Tourism Australia's Facebook page gets 1,000 fans every day. Tweets influenced by his fashion features are quite interesting too. And now, to be invited to visit Australia to take photos of ordinary Australians? Solid. Simple and solid. And it must have worked for sure, and it still is. The Sartorialist has a growing number of followers in countries all over the world and with just a click of his camera and an upload of one single photo--KABOOM! I'm in awe just imagining how much motivation that action can translate to a regular blog visitor like me to book for a ticket to Melbourne.

Three months ago, I bought his blog-turned-book which is still making its rounds at the office. Get it, blog-turned-book and not the other way around. That is clearly a demand that is growing thanks to these oh so passionate bloggers. I salute you all.

There are no case studies to support the success of The Sartorialist conquering Australia right now. But it doesn't take a genius to know how much impact his visit has had for Tourism Australia. I know Apl.de.ap from The Black Eyed Peas is the new Philippines Tourism endorser. I like the vibrancy of the video Take me to the Philippines but a music video these days is nothing new, right? And I am not just pertaining to the tourism industry.

Again, I am inviting you to sit back and relax on your chair. Breathe slowly then type in www.thesartorialist.com on your browser and maybe you may be inspired with what you might wear tomorrow and the day after. Change is good =)






Just Try It Out!

How do you start on anything new? On something you know very little or nothing about? Like the first time you rode your bicycle or that awkward moment before your first kiss? Or the first time you had to carry your first-born? Or in this case, our very first blog entry. Well, as in most cases, you just try.



And that is exactly what this blog is about. To celebrate ‘trying things out’ in the digital space. Not all of the stories will be successful, but hopefully all of us will learn something from each. Finallly, this is to celebrate the bravery of clients, advertisers, account executives, web designers, web developers and programmers, project managers, etc etc, all the nameless faces who contributed to making digital campaigns happen, for people who decided to go when everyone said no.