Wordpress, oh la la

Are you a blogging freak and die-hard Wordpress fanatic in one? Pay attention. A bunch of Wordpressers is coming up with the first ever Wordpress bootcamp in South East Asia labeled as WordCamp Philippines 2008. This nationwide event is free of charge so you have an excuse NOT to miss this shot. But mind you, the seats are very limited.

Switching to a new blog platform, this event came in perfect timing to personally catch up with the Wordpress wave hitting the blog-o-sphere. (Of course, I ain’t need to kiss goodbye to other blog publishing systems--I still love Blogger, you know!). Learning and discovering the power of Wordpress directly from its enthusiasts, developers, advocates and users is too good to be true.

Excited? Get off your butt and register now!

This event is supported by Mindanao Bloggers and hats off to the following sponsors:

• i.PH: the Domain for Individuals
• Free Online Flash Games
• Wazzup Manila Philippines
• Real Estate CRM
• Real Estate Website Designers
• Orange County Real Estate
• Auto Insurance Quotes
• Lane Systems Inc.
• RedMedia
• Orange County Business Lawyer

Myanmar Cyclone Appeal: An ad campaign for a cause

Cyclone Nagris which hit Myanmar on May 2, 2008 brought thousands of families to their knees. Several organizations have already expressed their emergency assistance, initiated relief operations and extended their support to alleviate the sufferings of families facing the massive crisis brought by the disaster. But what they have isn't enough.

So in order to spread the awareness for additional assistance, the good guys from Distilled initiated an ad campaign. Distilled's Big PPC Competition hopes to spread the word about the Myanmar cyclone appeal and eventually help increase the amount of donations and support going for the victims in Burma.

Not to mention the prizes are great. So, if ever you win, it's like hitting two birds with a stone.


The following are my entries:

Myanmar Needs Your Help
A Single Act of Kindness Can Create
Ripples of Hope. Donate Today!
www.WorldVision.org.uk

Save Myanmar Families
Help Victims Rise from the Calamity
The Power is in Your Hands. Act Now
www.WorldVision.org.uk

Myanmar Cyclone Appeal
No Donation is Great or Small
A Single Cent Can Make a Difference
www.WorldVision.org.uk

Pssst, watch what your visitors are exactly doing on your website

For amateur to small-time bloggers, I know you all love Statcounter. As web marketing analyst, Google Analytics is our daily bread. These two are popular and widely used because they come for free but to acquire a paid analytics tools means you get much more accurate and reliable data. But no, I won't be recommending any of those on this post. I'll give you something quite interesting.

Clicktale is an in-page web analytics that records your visitors' every action, what they click and how far they scroll down as they browse your website. You do not get only numbers, graph or figures about your visitors but you watch their every activity visually while inside your webpage. Yes, it lets you put your vision on your visitor's eyes.

If your blog is not really for a large-scale online business, you may want to try the free version or you can get started for free and change your plan at any time. No software is required to be installed and setup takes less than five minutes. It's very easy!

That's why I would know if you're reading this post, my dear readers, what you will click next and where else you will go afterwards. There's a camera recording your every move. ;)

P.S. Just a bit of a spoiler, I hope this post gives you a hint of what my new site will be all about. :)

Where in the world is Osama Bin Laden?

The guy who brought the controversial and much-lauded film, Super Size Me, showing the health effects of eating McDonald's food three times a day, every day, for one month is coming with another intriguing documentary film that will undoubtedly spark a few heated debates, elicit interesting response and capture everyone's wit.

Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden? is about the pursuit of the globe's foremost terrorist by the documentarian himself, Morgan Spurlock, as he travels country by country attempting to unravel the mystery of Osama's whereabout and tracking him down at his hide out.

Will Spurlock be successful? That's what we need to find out.

Gabzki.com is coming to town soon!

Whether you like it or not, I bought this domain name and it's awesome to have your own.

Oopps. Let me rephrase the above statement.

Whether you like or not, I got gabzki.com for FREE. Now does it sound like I want to make you envious because I got it for gratis (or without charge)? :P

I couldn't think of a better name so I stuck with gabzki.com. I believe a handful of bloggers knows me as Gabzki. Unlike Santa Clause, we'll not wait for Christmas before it'll be fully running. All I need is spare time (which I'm always deprived of) to do the hosting, set up and all. Of course, I won't forget to 301 this blog so as not to lose the precious links I've built for two years.

The site will be more focused (I mean, no personal stuff--I swear) on a certain category. I thought of weekly blogging tips, product marketing (as I'm about to enter a huge business--talking about monetization!) or something of sorts. Well, for sure, I'll let the whole world know once it's ready.

See you soon then!

Google PR update today!

The smell of latest Google PR update scatters around the web today. I immediately googled to confirm the news and everyone's in revelry with the result. So without much ado, I checked my blog's Page Rank to see how much it improved (or maybe worsened). Luckily, it jumped by a single notch from PR 3 to 4. A round of applause. Okay. It's good but I wasn't really surprised you know. :(

I'm not bragging but the first time I put the blog up it ranked big time--PR 4 right away in a matter of six months. Awesome, I said. But time didn't allow me to make constant update so it was left in the dust for 10 months which caused the PR to plunge. It was lately, however, that my interest to blog and return to blogosphere rekindled for some reasons. (One reason that I could point at is that the blog virus inside my system has awakened or something.) After a few fresh posts and link exchange over a short period of time, it reverted to PR 4. Sounds okay, right? So what am I complaining about?

If not for the long hiatus, the PR could have been higher. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Come on, who doesn't crave for high PR? It's another reason to brag your blog about, right? :)

So how did your website fare with the latest update?

Ass-kicking kung fu combo

I was optimistic to watch The Other Boleyn Girl yesterday. You know, my excitement reached its zenith after I missed to see it a week ago. So after returning back from a trip to Batangas, my cousin and I hastily headed toward SM Megamall. We then hurried to the cinema to sneak which time is best to see the movie.

We arrived at the cinema floor and checked the movie schedule board. WTF? We couldn't find the film in the movie rundown. This is insane! The film ran for a week only and was stopped. Terrible. My excitement mood suddenly turned into immense disappointment. However, one thing that kept my spirit hopeful: a smell of piracy. Haha! ;)

Okay, okay, okay. Maybe the film didn't gross that much that's why it was hideously removed. I don't wanna think that it's a bad movie though.

We found ourselves watching The Forbidden Kingdom instead. Ahah! The Jackie Chan-Jet Li starrer is being simultaneously run in three cinemas. Now we knew what happened to The Other Boleyn Girl. I would be delighted if they took Manay Po 2 off the movie list. Peace. ;)

In regard to the film, I give it two stars. Okay. Let's make it three. The trailer didn't stir up a thrill in me so I didn't expect that much and I ended not disappointed at all. That simple. I've heard it dethroned the chart's top blockbuster hit during its first week. I don't think it would have happened if the film is starred by either Jackie Chan or Jet Li alone. The team up of the two martial arts superstars is what the audiences anticipate. Perhaps, big chunk of the budget was invested to bringing these stars together that the production came out unimpressive. :P Well, we can't blame if the movie wasn't produced by giant film outfits.

Anyway, the movie has a blend of action and comedy which makes it fun and entertaining. The battle scene of the two main stars is the most anticipated and interesting part. In fact, for almost five minutes I was completely sent to a state of awe, or artistic arrest. It's their first ever fight scene in their first ever movie together. Who isn't compelled to hold on to his seat?

Despite the positive reviews it has received, the OC in me captures the not so-nice things in the film. Let me count them.

1) The scenes at the top of Five Elements Mountain was obviously taken in a set. The lightings just don't match to what it's really like atop a mountain.

2) The Monkey King reminds me of Son Goku from Dragon Ball. Later, I learned they are inspired from the fabled warrior Sun Wukong of the folk legend.

3) Jet Li sounds corny when he cracks a joke. ;P

4) Predictable plot.

5) Bad accent.

It's an "okay" film for me. The one with the right amount of action and humor. Although shallow in story, it surely gives us an ass-kicking kung fu pleasure.

Poetry 101

This is my first try to introduce a poem here. See, this blog is not only stuffed with my selfish rants about mediocre and nonsensical things. It's time to showcase the creative writer in me. Haha! Pathetic.

I almost forgot this poem until I managed to retrieve some files from an "ancient" CD inside my seeming treasure chest. Then I discovered a couple of self-written (and trying hard) poems that was unpublished way back in college. I'll be posting them one by one starting today. ;)

This one's dedicated to my dear friend, Jodie, who always imagines herself as the powerful "Storm" from X-men. And for making me inspired with her wonderful literary pieces.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Storm

I could not stand its fury.
Devastating, killing.

My vulnerable self was left in shambles
When the thunder struck
And my bones scattered.

I tried to hold on from the raging wind
That dragged me to eternal darkness
But nothing was left for me to hold on.

The rain attacked me endlessly
Without my umbrella I melted
And my missing body was nowhere to be found.

I cried for help
I struggled to put the pieces of my body back.
Hopeless.
Nobody was around
It destroyed me already.

I called someone
And I picked from my pocket
The beaded stones in neon green.

I uttered words I once spoken
While kneeling in front
Of a wooden statue.

Suddenly a light shone on my face
Someone reached my grasp
From where I was left wrecked.

I asked why I was lent a hand
He answered:
“Because you have survived My storm.”

Halo-halo, anyone?

It's summer time once again! Excited to wear that skimpy swim wear of yours and flaunt your drop-dead body in Boracay under the sultry sun? Or ready to hit Baguio to escape from getting unwanted sunburn? Btw, I'm not your ultimate travel guide so don't expect a list of must-go summer destinations, alright? Let's talk about some refreshment. Something that keeps us cool this hot season. Something like halo-halo? Yes. And sunblock, of course. ;)

In fact, a colleague sitting beside me has started devouring a cup of halo-halo taken out from Chowking. Did he ever know that, at this very moment, I was writing about this summer's cooler? The law of attraction is in the works! Haha!

Last night, I chanced upon our neighbor preparing halo-halo in her stall right in front of our apartment. (FYI, I prefer dirty halo-halo rather than the kind served in some local fast food. Dirty halo-halo is still the best!) Anyway, it was already past 7 in the evening yet next-door neighbors still flock to her.

The steps (and ingredients) are simple. First, she scooped a cup of crushed ice to a bowl, then added kaong, macapuno, caramelized saba banana, ube yam, kidney beans, langka, leche plan and sprinkled with sugar. And for the finale, condensed milk was poured into the mixture. No brainer. (As if I've never seen how it is prepared before.) Depending on one's preference, ice cream and fruit toppings may also be included to make that sweet and creamy dessert. Slurp. ;)

Btw, halo-halo is one traditional dessert popularized by Filipino. Halo means "mix". So it's up to you what ingredients will compose your own halo-halo. ;)

'Til here. Just a piece of advice: Be sure to enjoy one before you kiss summer goodbye!

A Letter from Bebang

I first stumpled upon this article from the blog of my former colleague, Time (pronounced as ti-mé) which I find very hilarious. I've read this post for n times already yet I can't still remove the grin from my face every time I read it. I believe this letter deserves to be reposted and read by all Filipinos who experience such misfortune (and absurdity) in real life. Read on, and be amused by the silliness of this funny yet biting reality.

Her name is Bebang, a registered nurse in L.A. who brought her mother there for some much-needed medical treatment. Unfortunately, her Nanay did not survive. In order to save from further expenses, however, Bebang decided to stay in LA and just send her deceased mother's remains back to the Philippines.

Back home, and as soon as the coffin arrived, family members noticed that dead Nanay's face was fixed tightly on the glass like it was picture-framed. So they opened the coffin in order to re-position the corpse. To their surprise, a letter was stapled on Nanay's chest. The following was its content:

Mahal kong tatay at mga kapatid:

Pasensya na kayo at hindi ko nasamahan ang nanay sa pag-uwi riyan sa Pilipinas dahil napakamahal ng pamasahe. "Ang gastos ko pa lang sa kanya ay mahigit $10,000 na. Ayoko nang isipin pa ang eksaktong halaga. Anyway, ipinadala ko kasama ni nanay ang mga sumusunod...

Nasa likod ni nanay ang dalawampu't apat na karnenorte at isang dosenang spam. Ang adidas na suot ni nanay ay para kay tatay. Ang limang pares ng de-goma ay nasa loob ng dalawang asul na Jansport na backpack na inuunan ni nanay. Tig-iisa kayo.

Ang iba't-ibang klase ng tsokolate at candy ay nasa puwetan ni nanay. Para sa mga bata ito. Bahala na kayong magparte-parte. Sana'y hindi natunaw. Ang pokemon stuffed toy na yapos-yapos ni nanay ay para sa bunso ni ate. Gift Ko sa first birthday ng bata. Ang itim na Esprit bag ay para kay Nene.

Ate, nasa loob ng bag ang pictures ni inay, japanese version ng pokemon trading cards at stickers. "Suot ni nanay ang tatlong Ralph Lauren, apat na Gap at dalawang Old Navy t-shirts. Ang isa ay para kay Kuya at tig-iisa ang mga pamangkin ko. Maisusuot ninyo ang mga iyan sa fiesta.

Suot din ni inay ang anim na panty hose at tatlong warmer para sa mga dalaga kong pamangkin. Isuot nyo sa party.May isang dosenang NBA caps sa may paanan ni nanay. Para sa inyo, itay, kuya, dikong, Tiyo Romy. Bigyan nyo na rin ng tig-isa 'yung mga pamangkin ko at 'yong isa ay kay Pareng Tulume.

Ang tigdadalawang pares ng Nike wristband at knee caps na suot-suot din ni nanay ay para sa mga anak mo, diko, na nagbabasketball. Tigdadalawang ream ng Marlboro lights at Winston red ang nasa pagitan ng mga hita ni nanay.

Apat na jar ng Skippy Peanut Butter, dalawang dishwashing liquid, isang Kiwi glass cleaner at tig-aanim na Colgate at Aqua Fresh ang nakasiksik sa kilikili ni nanay. Hati-hati na kayo, huwag mag-aagawan.

Isang dosenang Wonder bra (Victoria's Secret ata ang tatak) gustong-gusto ni Tiya Iskang society natin, suot-suot din ni nanay. Alam kong inaasam-asam nyo 'yan, tiya. Anim na lipstick lang ang kasya sa bra. Ang Rolex na bilin-bilin mo tatay, suot-suot ni nanay. Nakatakip sa Nike na wristband. Kunin mo agad, Itay.

May isinisik akong zip-loc sa bunganga ni Inay na naglalaman ng $759 dollars. Hindi na ako nakatakbo sa ATM. Puede na siguro sa libing iyon.

Iyong tong na makokolekta, i-time deposit niyo Kuya para pag namatay si Tatay may pambili na ng ataul. Ang hikaw, singsing at kuwintas (na may nakakabit pang anim na nail cutters) nagustong-gusto mo, ditse, ay suot suot din ni nanay. Kunin mo na rin agad, ditse. Ibigay mo ang isang nailcutter kay Jay bakla sa kanto.

Tanggalin niyo ang bulak sa ilong ng inay, may isiniksik ako 3 diyamante sa bawat butas. Ibangon niyo lang si inay at tiyak na malalaglag na ang mga iyon. Konting alog lang siguro ng ulo.

Marami pa sana akong ipaglalalagay kaya lang, baka mag-excess at si nanay pa ang maiwan. Basta parte-parte kayo, tatay, kuya, ate, dikong, ditse. Para sa inyo lahat ito. Bahala na kayo kay nanay. Pamimisahan ko na lang siya rito.

Balitaan ninyo na lang ako pagkatapos ng libing. Alam ni ate ang email ko. Paki-double check ang lista kung walang nawala sa mga ipinadala ko.

Nagmamahal,
Bebang

This article is originally from Jeanne Tan Te of Sun Star Iloilo dated Monday, August 28, 2006.

Did the Earth Hour make a difference?

I was supposed to join the "Earth Hour" thing which globally took place last Saturday night. As a concerned citizen (ehem!), I'd like to contribute something to fight global warming by being involved in such movement. Anyway, it's only for an hour so I didn't mind.

The hell is, it was blotted out of my memory. Some hours prior to that event, I was in Divisoria bustling over ukay-ukay and was already distracted by the cheapest bargains and oblivious from my mission to turn off the lights come 8pm. Well, how would I even remember since all the places my friends and I went to had all their lights on? A total blackout across the metropolis didn't happen as expected. Gee. Seems nobody really care. ;)

Realizing that I missed to take part in this precious hour, a question pops out in my mind: Did not using electricity for an hour really make a difference? To save energy, maybe. But merely in those places who participated and take note, only for an hour. The benefit would have been more valuable if it lasted for a day, a week, a month or a year. But that's a different story, I know. A nice campaign on reducing energy consumption in our DAILY routine is a lot better. Of course, such initiative should also start in our own backyard.

So there. After an hour of shutting lights off, everything went back to normal and everyone started to utilize the electricity AGAIN--just like the normal stuff before the earth hour--still consuming the same amount of energy. Or even more!

Pirate's unfinished business

Piracy can be as quick as Manny Pacquiao's blow on Marquez. While everyone revels over Manny Pacquiao's sweet victory against Juan Manuel Marquez, our eye-patched friends with hook and bicorne hat hustle over their "unfinished business". Pirated dvds of the bout reached every bend and corner of Quiapo just a day after the celebrated fight.

Thanks to our very tight guard against piracy.