I watched the Ateneo-DLSU game at the Araneta Center with my sister Faith last week. Sadly we were really late (but at least the tickets were free) and we only reached like the last 4 minutes of the game. Sucks eh? Anyway, I just wanted to share with you guys a video that I got which really shows a sharp comparison on the Ateneo and DLSU crowds. Since Ateneo was winning, you’ll see here everyone in blue jumping up and down. As I pan the camera to the side, you’ll see the DLSU crowd really silent on their seats. Check it out - it’s only a 19 second vid so it won’t take long to stream.
This video on Youtube has a whooping 25,000,000 views. It’s a clip from a talent show in the US called America’s Got Talent. A married couple performs a magic act called the “Quick Change”. It’s really one of the most fascinating things I’ve ever seen and I don’t have a clue as how they do it. Hope you guys enjoy the video! Cheers!
Couldn’t resist writing about this because I watched the 2007 Video Music Awards (VMA) and how Britney Spears literally bombed her comeback. Her energy level then was low and she literally left all of her peers and fans wondering if she was on drugs when she performed that night. I don’t know if this is good or bad news but apparently she’s going to make another attempt at stardom. I found a video of her supposedly rehearsing for the 2008 VMAs. What’s good to note here is that this time around it looks like she’s in good condition to perform.
I’ve always believed that gamers are critical thinkers - mainly because they spend a lot of time analyzing and perfecting builds and strategies for their characters in games. It’s very interesting how deep talking to a gamer can be - and in my job I talk to hundreds, if not thousands of them every year. I’ve been thinking for a long time already on how I can marry my passion for gaming with politics, and I had this idea that I implemented in my other blog, Waukster Online, which is primarily about online games in the Philippines. It’s basically called the “Gamer’s Pulse”, a post asking all of the gamer readers to post their comments about the issue that I raised. Suffice to say, I am very happy with the results. I started things off with this question - do you, as gamers, still give a damn about the 2010 Presidential elections?Read the rest of this entry »
The highly anticipated Eraserheads reunion concert was cut short in the middle after lead vocalist Ely Buendia collapsed backstage during a 15 minute intermission break. Apparently the stress was too much for Ely after he lost his mother recently and his rehearsal for the concert which last up to 3AM. I’m sure all the fans who came were a bit disappointed at what happened but I know that they’re all with me in wishing and praying for Ely’s speedy recovery. Hopefully we will still see another reunion concert for the Eraserheads in this lifetime.
This is in response to a recent article published on Inquirer.Net about how politicians overspent in the 2007 Senatorial Elections for their media campaigns. This was pointed out by election watchdog group called Pera’t Pulitika. Apparently they got their data from a credible source - AC Nielsen, one of the premiere research agencies in the world. The cap is P135M and that’s already a lot of cash to spend on media if you ask me. According to the article, Prospero Pichay led the group of over-spenders hitting an estimated media spending of P224M. The other senators who overspent were Villar, Arroyo, Angara, Defensor, and Legarda. The total combined spending of these 6 senators reached more than P700M, and that’s just for a Senatorial campaign in a 90-day period. With this in mind, I pose 3 questions. The first one is how the hell will these politicians get an ROI for this major investment? The second one is how much more money will be spent on 2010 when we see some of the richest men on this country battle it out for the Presidency? Lastly, why weren’t the violators sanctioned? Read the rest of this entry »
When was the last time you cried? This maybe something regularly discussed by women but I’m sure that men don’t really talk about this much. Anyway, for the first time in a long while I found myself in tears today and it wasn’t about anything sad. It was a really humbling experience that I think I’ll never forget for the rest of my life. Hopefully this is the start of something good and I just wanted to share it with everyone through this blog.
I went to the usual VCF Sunday Service at Music Museum, Greenhills, which is led by Pastor Dennis. To those who are not familiar, the service starts with a worship. A live band plays and a group of people take the stage and leads the singing for the church. For this particular Sunday, Jonas was the one leading the worship and I have to say that they did a really good job. Everyone was clapping and got really involved with the songs. I was singing along casually but then there was this one slow song which really struck me. When the melody started I was already drawn in, and then the lyrics flashed on the screen and then it happened.
“Here in your presence, we are undone. Here in your presence, heave and earth become one.”
The experience was just surreal. It was like time space warp, shaider style! My voice was drowned out by emotion and every cell in my body started to rebel against the natural instinct to be conscious of my surroundings. Instead I felt myself singing louder, closing my eyes tighter, and then having this feeling of being washed over by an intense feeling of peace and calm. There was no feeling of sadness and guilt. Then I started crying. Lol. Talk about a weird experience huh?
I’ve always been a very confident person. I was always sure of myself and this was one of the drivers why I think I’m doing well at work and in business. It’s that passion for excellence. However, this is also one of my biggest character flaws. My ego has put up a shield around me to the point that I don’t really reach out for friends and even to God. I trusted myself more than anyone else.
Now everything made sense. Why did one of my early business ventures fail? Why did I lose two of my best friends? Why did I almost lose my girlfriend of 7 years? Why did I almost die due to that gunshot wound?
For years, God has been smashing those walls that have covered my soul and my being. It was a painful experience, but I’m glad that I can finally say that I’ve been humbled enough to go down on my knees and accept that there is something greater out there - that life does not end when your body stops functioning.
Thanks to everyone over at Victory for making life more meaningful.
Pic of Jonas, Pastor Bojo, and JP (Mich and pastor Mike not in pic) - dinner at Yoshinoya after service
Does the Filipino youth still know who Ninoy Aquino is? Or is he just a face that they see on the P500 peso bill? With all the problems that we face these days as well as the great digital divide between generations, it’s not hard to imagine young men and women more consumed by the drive to survive and going through the daily grind than to actually give a damn about the country. Let’s face it… I myself am only 26 years old and I come from a political family yet I’m not fully aware of what Ninoy was all about. All I know is that he “died” for the country. What more for the younger generations? Read the rest of this entry »
Here’s something interesting. Pampanga Congressman Mikey Arroyo, son of PGMA, is all for Charter Change. However, he’s only for it if it will happen after the 2010 Presidential elections. According to him, there is really no intention or hidden agenda to extend the term of her mother. However, we’ve already seen broken promises before. Remember in 2004, PGMA said she would no longer run for the Presidency and yet she did? What’s to stop her from doing the same thing all over again today? Read the rest of this entry »
I just got an e-mail from Nick, the EIC of Filipino Voices. I was confirmed as a contributing writer! Wooo! I’m really thrilled about this since I’ve been following that blog/web magazine for quite some time now. Oh by the way, don’t worry since I will still be regularly updating this blog as well as my gaming site, waukster.com.
Two senators from the bloodline of Ninoy Aquino are going against the old saying that “Blood is thicker than water”. It started off with Noynoy Aquino releasing a statement that he’s very disappointed that the country hasn’t moved forward since former President Marcos was removed from office. Instead of progress, our country has been on a slump. Former Senator Tessie Oreta, a well-known administration ally, countered by saying that Noynoy shouldn’t say that since his mother was actually President and also ran the country after Marcos.
Just like love - age doesn’t matter for call centers. LOL. One of e-Telecare’s star agents is actually a 57 Year old grandmother named Patricia Salvant. She lived in the US for 20 years and when she came back to the Philippines, she decided to go for a rather late career in the call center industry. Seriously though, watch the interview below and I’m sure you’ll understand why she’s good at what’s she’s doing. Her work philosophy is great and her English is just superb.
Every Sunday I go to Victory Christian Fellowship over at the Music Museum in Greenhills. This week, the speaker was former basketball MVP Alex Compton. Initially I was a bit worried since I didn’t have a clue as to what a basketball player had to say about spirituality. However, I was really floored after hearing him speak. His talk was one of the most powerful messages I’ve ever heard in my life and I can’t help but blog about the experience.
Carlo S. Ople is the grandson of the late Senator Blas F. Ople. He currently serves as the Marketing Manager for the leading online gaming company in the Philippines - Level Up! Games. He is also a freelance consultant for various clients specializing in Online Marketing and New Media.
