Saturday, April 30, 2011

My Blog Looks Good on an Ipad (Is that reason enough to get it?)



I have never desired an Ipad until I discovered how handsome my blog looks when you view it from an Ipad. Damn, hehe.
w00t! Looking good!
First time I got hold of an Ipad, I knew I should not dare desire it because:

1. It is easy to like it: it just really looks cool. (It's just way more stylish than the Samsung Galaxy Tab, in my opinion, which looks much like Barnes&Noble's Nook ebook reader. Though I know, with the Android, the Samsung Galaxy Tab is more poised to win in the apps category.)

Samsung Galaxy Tab
2. There are so many things to do with it, lots of interesting stuff, esp. the very simple fun games and other apps. (which is scary, because they seem addicting to play with, being so simple and amusing.)

Great Distractions
3. Because there are so many things to do with it, it will take time away from other more productive things I need to do - like travel, business, blogging. (And showing off an Ipad can be a full time job too.)
4. My Amazon Kindle still needs my undivided attention, which I have not been able to give it lately; another gadget would make it too jealous. (I am a one-gadget man.)
5. I still have my mac - 30Mac - as well my classic Ipod photo, which should be enough to make Steve Jobs happy. (Right, Steve?)

But... the 5 reasons notwithstanding, seeing how gorgeous my blog looks via an Ipad, I am tempted. We'll see. :)

P.S. Here's a look at the newly released Ipad 2. Maybe this shall whet your appetites for it too. :)



Steve Jobs: Give in to the temptation. 

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Somnio Mission Control Running Shoes: Rekindling, Powering a Dream



It wasn't about the running at first. It was about preparation for a mountain climb that got me started on running in 2006. But after that first run in the 2nd Pasig River Marathon, I was hooked.

And so began my quest, to achieve what is probably a runner's ultimate goal - to run a marathon. Three times a week, I would train every morning. Weekend after weekend, I would join races. As far as Montalban, Rizal and in Nasugbu, Batangas, I would go just to run a race.


But probably due to overtraining or running too much - or too fast - too soon, I got sidelined with a knee injury. I was so passionate about running that I was determined to think none of it. But it got too unbearable to ignore - the pain was too strong, I couldn't walk. That was when I threw in the towel, gave up on my hopes of ever running a marathon.
And then I stopped running altogether.
After that, it was just accompanying friends to run their races. It felt weird to just be a spectator, to be left behind in the starting lines and not be part of the pack that charges like bulls at the sound of gunfire, to not be part of the throng that thrills with the rush of adrenaline.
While I was busy staying away from runs, I saw the years pass. I saw many friends also taking up to running; I saw from the sidelines the growth of running, from there being an occasional weekend run, to now being nearly a weekly event somewhere, sometimes more than 2 runs at the same time in 2 different locations. It has become big business, it has attracted celebrities, and has made celebrities of runners.

Coach Rio: Runner turned celebrity; Piolo: Celebrity turned runner. 
3 years after I last ran my race, 
something stirred me, 
to give running a second chance.

It was in last April 9's NATGEO run that I again sported a running bib. This time, I took it slow and signed up for a 3K race instead of my usual 10K. I ran the race, finished it in a dismal 36 minutes where previously I could run 10K in under 60.
But I was just happy - to be able to run again, to finish the race, to enjoy the race again and remember what it was about running that made me love it so much before.
Suddenly, a dream is rekindled. Something tells me it's about time.

I will run a full marathon!
I CAN run a full marathon!

I don't know when, but I know I will be able to run a marathon. If before, I took my running technique and my running shoes for granted, this time I will do it right. I will train well, adopting the Chi Running method that I have been hearing from running friends. And this time around, I will need the help of a great pair of running shoes. A Somnio Mission Control Running Shoes seems just perfect for the job -  to propel my new mission to run with a new pair of running shoes.

Somnio Mission Control Running Shoes: Rekindling, Powering a Dream.
With a Somnio Mission Control Running Shoes, I will run my race to finish a 42K run. And then I can finally say - 42K: Mission Accomplished. :)

Here's a short video illustrating my quest - a mission that Somnio Mission Control Running Shoes will help make happen.



N.B: This is an entry to the Somnio Mission Control running shoes blogging contest by Unbox.ph.

Monday, April 25, 2011

Live Your Passion: Cliq with New Friends! (Contest and Event Details)

This contest is closed.
Scroll to the bottom for contest winners.
Thanks to all who joined!

It's game time once again! (Details below!)

Join CliqManila.com's "Live Your Passion: Cliq with New Friends" event on May 6, Friday, 7:30PM to 11PM. Meet 100 single men and women aged 23-45.


It's a different kind of event in that it is not a speed-dating event, and does not attempt to match you with a single guy or gal or anything. As they say:
"It's a social venue that brings together free-spirited singles to meet new friends and share their common passion and interests through various activities and events."
And now, about the contest.

If you are single, get a chance to join this event for free. Ten Minutes Tops! and ClubTravelNOW.org is giving away free tickets for one single female and one single male. Each ticket is worth P800.

The Mechanics:
1. Click the 'Like' button below for both Facebook Fan pages, or go directly to the fan pages to 'Like' it: (You must first be a fan of both pages to be eligible for this contest.)

Ten Minutes, Tops! Blog (http://www.facebook.com/tenminutestops)


ClubTravelNOW.org (http://www.facebook.com/clubtravelnow)


2. Post this message on your own Facebook Wall:
Share common passions and interests, meet singles and make new friends in CliqManila.com's "Live Your Passion: Cliq with New Friends" event, with @tenminutestops and @clubtravelnow.  It's on May 6, Friday, 7:30PM at Quantum Cafe, Makati. For more details, visit http://tinyurl.com/singlehood. See you!
*Please make sure that the Ten Minutes, Tops! and ClubTravelNOW.org fan pages are properly tagged in your Facebook Wall post of the message above. This is how your post should look like:


That's it, biscuit!

This contest runs only for 8 days, from April 25 to May 3, 6PM. Winner will be chosen using random.org and will be announced by 10AM on May 4. Winners will be announced on this blog, and on the Ten Minutes, Tops! and ClubTravelNOW.org fan pages. Prize must be claimed on the event itself.

Go ahead, meet new friends and enjoy the single life! Join this contest now! :)
UPDATE 05/04/11: Congratulations to Mr. Jayson Biadog for winning one ticket for this event. Email/text message will be sent to you on claiming of the ticket. Thanks to everyone who joined! And Jayson, enjoy the singles event! :) 
Thanks to our sponsors for making this happen:
Ten Minutes, Tops!
ClubTravelNOW.org
CliqManila.com

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Facebook as a Relic of Human Existence



Perhaps haunted by the images I saw of the devastation in Japan and recent spates of earthquakes here and there, one morning I half-awoke with a thought: A 9.0 earthquake hit Japan, created an almost 8 feet movement of the island of Japan from nearby Korea; it could happen again and it could be worse. How will humans fare?

I thought of the possibility that a disaster of such a magnitude can destroy most of human existence. I thought: What happens if no one survives - how will any alien intelligence know of what man was, or that we ever existed?

Then I thought of Facebook.

With over 500M members so far and if it continues to bring everybody onto its network, there could be a point when most everyone will have a record in Facebook. Facebook is succeeding at converting real human networks into a social network on the internet; it is succeeding at translating real human interactions and dynamics into the social media. Or at least that is what Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg hopes to ultimately achieve with his brainchild.


If the world ends today or at some later time, and no human survives, some alien civilization who will happen to drop by to discover what remains of our world would hopefully be able to recover a Facebook database and decode it. And in there, they will see how we managed to put our lives, our relationships, our 'Likes', our photos, our stories into one digital database.
If Facebook successfully translates into the social media most, if not all, aspects of human life, then Facebook will be a promising relic of human existence; a powerful compendium of what humans valued, hated or loved; an interesting chronicle of the events - both personal and societal - that marked and colored our lives; a telling evidence of the relationships we kept and nurtured.
If, as Zuckerberg hopes, we continue align our online personas with that of our real-life personas via Facebook, then as a record, Facebook will be a reliable glimpse of who we are as humans. And hopefully, the alien civilization shall discover an appreciation of what it finds, and will mourn the loss of the civilization it met too late.

Book Recommendations:
Humanity: A Celebration of Friendship, Family, Love & Laughter
The Human Era
The Facebook Effect: The Inside Story of the Company That Is Connecting the World

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Twitter and the Triumph of Humanity



"One of the things I told our team early on was that if Twitter is to be a triumph, 
it is not necessarily to be a triumph of technology
 but a triumph of humanity."
~ Biz Stone, Founder of microblogging site Twitter.

Who knew that 140 characters can change the world? It proves the adage: Great things start from small beginnings. Paraphrasing that to illustrate Twitter's assured place in history: Great volumes of history start with 140 characters of Twitter.


The upheavals that have been going on around the world - be it in Egypt, Libya, Yemen and Bahrain in the Middle East and Tunisia in Africa - are said to be a product of information that people had been able to harness freely through the internet and unrest that found communion with others on the web. Their success had been hugely attributed to cyber-allies nurtured through Facebook and yes, Twitter.

The people of Egypt's reaction to the cutting off of the internet in their country by the government.
The success and mobilization of the EDSA Dos - the people power that saw the end of the Erap regime in the Philippines in 2001 - was largely credited to the power of the popular technology then - the celfone. (It's counterpart in the 1986 EDSA People Power was, I would think, the radio where Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin exhorted the Filipinos to take action against the dictator Ferdinand Marcos.)

And now, coinciding with the decrease in use of celfones in favor of social networking sites, we see that it is the social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter that have become the new tools that both spawn and move online 'revolts'.

In the recent debacle of Willie Revillame and his Willing Willie show, Facebook became the rallying site of the Filipino online community where they expressed their outrage at the abuse that Willie allowed a kid to suffer through the show. The fan page that was able to harness this outrage was Para kay Jan Jan (Shame on You Willie Revillame) which easily grew to over 13,000 fans within a month of the episode. Presumably many of those outraged online only got to see of the controversial episode via another gift of technology - the Youtube which by itself hopes to revolutionize our source of visual entertainment (as opposed to the television). Thanks to these tools, Willie Revillame is off the air (for at least 2 weeks; but hopefully for good), the media is now under pressure for the Dumbing Down of TV and are being tasked to be sensitive to the rights of children. It has also hopefully allowed the many who initially didn't see anything wrong with the Jan Jan incident to give it a second look and see how/why something like it cannot in the best interest of a 6-year old.

While the internet and even these social networking sites have their own shortcomings (and instances of abuse) and have much left to be desired, their gifts far outweigh their faults. There is no doubt that judging from these last months, Twitter (like Facebook and Youtube) are not really mere testaments to the awesome power of technology and the internet, but also to the resilience of man's own good nature.

The best of what man is and can be - still emerges from the seemingly unfeeling technology; our collective higher wisdom still comes forth from behind the computer screens and still escapes from our fingers as we type those tiny 140 character messages --- just like pleasantly discovering how a flower, or a hint of green, can sometimes vibrantly emerge from a parched infertile ground, from a landscape seemingly bereft of hope. It is like sunshine that breaks the dark clouds to cast its light of positive possibilities.

This is the triumph of humanity.

Book Recommendations:
Twitter Power 2.0: How to Dominate Your Market One Tweet at a Time
Twitter For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))
Humanity: A Moral History of the Twentieth Century

Friday, April 8, 2011

Promote Bangus Festival and get a Shui Spa GC + FREE Bangus Festival Shirt!



This contest is now closed! Scroll to the bottom of post to see if you won! 
Congrats to the winners and thanks to everyone who joined! :)

Get a chance to win this FREE Bangus Festival shirt + a Shui Spa Ventusa Therapy Gift certificate when you help spread the word out on Dagupan City's Bangus Festival which formally opened last April 8. The festival will be month-long, and ends on May 1.
Available in yellow, white and green colors. 
(See Bangus Festival banner on the right navigation for schedule of festival activities.)

This is Ten Minutes, Tops! Blog and ClubTravelNOW!TM contribution to help promote Dagupan City's Bangus Festival. Join the cause!

The Contest:
One (1) Bangus Festival Shirt + One (1) Shui Ventusa Therapy GC from Shui Hilot Healing Spa to be given away to 3 lucky Facebook friends/bloggers who help promote the festival.


But wait there's more!
The first ten (10) entries automatically gets one (1) Shui Ventusa Therapy GC from Shui Hilot Healing Spa!

AND:
Another ten (10) Shui Ventusa Therapy GC will also be awarded to the rest of the lucky winners!

G/F Tropical Palms, Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City
More surprise gifts may also be given away!

The Mechanics:
1. Click the 'Like' button below for both Facebook Fan pages, or go directly to the fan pages to 'Like' it: (You must first be a fan of both pages to be eligible for this contest.)

Ten Minutes, Tops! Blog (http://www.facebook.com/tenminutestops)


ClubTravelNOW.org (http://www.facebook.com/clubtravelnow)


2. Post this message on BOTH your (a) own Facebook Wall and (b) in the Ten Minutes, Tops! fan page Wall:
With TAG @tenminutestops and TAG @clubtravelnow, join Dagupan City's celebration of the Bangus Festival from April 8-May 1. Exciting activities! For more details, visit http://tinyurl.com/bangusfestival. See you!
*Please make sure that the Ten Minutes, Tops! and ClubTravelNOW.org fan pages are properly tagged in your Facebook Wall post of the message above. This is how your post should look like:
Make sure Ten Minutes Tops and ClubTravelNOW.org are tagged correctly (i.e., clickable).
That's it, pancit!

This contest runs only for 5 days, from April 9 to April 14, 6PM. Winner will be chosen using random.org and will be announced by 10AM on April 15. Winners will be announced on this blog, and on the Ten Minutes, Tops! and ClubTravelNOW.org fan pages. Details on claiming of prizes will be sent to the winner via their FB Wall or via PM.

Join now and help promote tourism in the Philippines! :)

Thanks to our sponsors for making this happen:
Ten Minutes, Tops!
ClubTravelNOW.org
Shui Hilot Healing Spa

04/15/11 UPDATE:
And now the winners! (After assigning a number to each entry, I used Random.org to generate numbers of the winning entries.)

First 10 entries who automatically gets a Shui Spa Ventusa Therapy Gift Certificate:
  1. Mheanne Ojeda
  2. Pehpot Pineda
  3. Ria Romero
  4. Chinchan Lakwatsero 
  5. Liv Guiang-Desiderio
  6. Dom Guiang
  7. Kim Paula Guess
  8. Leah dela Rosa
  9. Oscar Desiderio
  10. Janese Binaobao-Halabaso
10 additional winners of a Shui Spa Ventusa Therapy Gift Certificate:
  1. Czaroma Roman 
  2. Sleek in the City 
  3. Irene Guiang 
  4. Rose Matabang 
  5. Teresa Hundana
  6. Willy Vh 
  7. Lariza Garcia
  8. Rodolfo Lecaroz 
  9. John Michell
  10. Vida Antoniette Cuaresma 
The 3 winners who get the Bangus Festival Shirts + Shui Spa GC: 
  1. Chinchan Lakwatsero (Yes, you get an additional GC for being in the first 10.)
  2. Leah dela Rosa (You, too!)
  3. Rowena Iguis (You were the last entry and yet you win! Great job!)
Again, thanks to everyone who joined. Hope you continue to spread the word on Dagupan City's Bangus Festival. Please come to our city if you can! Celebrations are until May 1.

Claiming of Prizes:
There are 3 ways of claiming, but you have to let me know which option you take coz I have to make arrangements first. You can only pick one option:

1. Pick up the prize at the ClubTravelNOW.org office at the ff. address (Mon-Fri, 10AM-5PM only):

c/o Almighty Explorer Corp.
Unit G-D Burgundy Westbay Tower,
180 P. Ocampo St., Malate, Manila
(Near La Salle, across Rizal Stadium)

2. Claim it at Carol's Texan 5 Restaurant in Wilson St., Greenhills.
It's a good excuse to eat too! :) Check out their menu and address in their website: http://www.texan5.com/

*Special Incentive: If you go there and blog about their food nicely (hehe), I will have a very good surprise for you. Just send me a link to your blog post about it. I'm sure you'll love the surprise. Promise! :)

3. Fellow Bloggers: If you're coming to the FastFive Screening on May 4 at Gateway Mall, I'll be there. I can hand your prizes there. :)

Deadline of claiming of prizes is on May 4. Please show me an ID when claiming. :) If you used your Blogger/Online name, you must be able to show me a government ID reflecting your online name. JUST KIDDING! I mean, just let me know your real name via email so I know. :)

Once you have selected a mode of claiming your prize, please let me know via email at: tristan@tenminutestops.com. Thanks again, everyone! 'Til next time!

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Chef Gusteau, Ping Lacson and Wok with Yan



Disney-Pixar film's Ratatouille and Chef Gusteau
The words of Chef Gusteau, whether he is real or not, is true: Anyone can indeed cook. Panfilo Lacson - the Philippine Senator and erstwhile fugitive and suspect in the Dacer-Corbito murder case - happily related after resurfacing that while he was in hiding, he was able to learn to cook - and only with the help of Google, all this while deftly eluding the hands of Philippine law.

Ok this is not about Lacson, fugitives and the search for justice. This is about the happy subject of cooking. :)

Going back:
Proof of the truth to Chef Gusteau's statement that everyone can cook - is my brother. :) It used to be that I was a better cook than he was. This was way way back. In fact, I was A cook and he was NOT a cook. In his previous attempts to learn to cook, I have had to endure plenty of his experiments. One of the most memorable was something that seemed like adobo - only it had.. rice in it (?). It was a confused adodo/champorado/lugaw. I think that was the dish that made me write him off as absolutely lacking in talent in cooking. The idea was good for a laugh, but I had to eat his cooking anyway.

And yet, after hundreds of practice and years of necessity, he has truly learned to cook and has in fact become a better cook than I am. His dishes that have become my favorites are his Garlic Chicken and his Kare-Kare. I crave these dishes everytime I come home, and he has been happy to oblige me, always.

Kare-kare: Among my favorite dishes; best cooked by my brother. :)
Before the preponderance of cooking shows on cable TV (like Master Chef, Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson, etc.), the one who stirred our desire to give cooking a try or the one who showed us that cooking can be a fun and entertaining profession - was Stephen Yan, in that dearly-missed show of our childhood called Wok with Yan. Through the show, Yan showed great skill in chopping whatever meat or vegetable at lightning speed; he regaled us with his cookware, his woks (he made it seem like everything can be cooked with a wok, and easily!); he amused us with his aprons that sported different funny statements every episode; he made us appreciate the sounds of boiling water and hissing oil, and made getting one's hands dirty in preparing dishes always seem fun. And we always envied the studio audiences who got to taste his cooking at the end of his shows. (And we believed it when they said the food was really good.) Locally, we had Nora Daza and Sandy Daza's cooking shows, but none, to me, had as much impact and entertainment value as Wok with Yan.

Stephen Yan: He made us all want to be cooks.
Everyone can cook. Learning to cook at grade school so that I can bring lunchboxes for my brothers, I had my share of near-disasters. I remember my eldest brother likening my first attempt at Chicken Curry to the 'Ectoplasm' in Ghostbusters. The dish didn't look palateable, but my brother ate it (it actually tasted alright), and he survives to this day. LOL!
So, to you who thinks that cooking is not for you, REALLY think again. You CAN cook, you just don't know it yet. The disasters are part of the learning process and with enough trials (and no casualties, hopefully), you will eventually get it right. 
Trust me. Don't be hard on yourself when a dish doesn't turn out right; you can always make corrections on your next try. Before you know it, cooking will have become second nature to you. :)

Happy Cooking!

Book Recommendations:
Wok With Yan [ 3rd Edition, 1983 ] Television Cookbook by Stephen Yan (Over Wok, Under Pay)
Nigella Kitchen: Recipes from the Heart of the Home
Mastering the Art of French Cooking (Volume 1)

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Unwillingly, Willie Revillame



TV is a sacred tool. It is very powerful. It teaches and it educates. That's why to have shows like Willie Revillame's on it is really a disrespect of that sacredness. But we all know that when it comes to observance of respect, little can be expected of Willie Revillame.

We're no longer entertained, Willie.
Who is he? Willie Revillame: Host of the popular Wowowee which used to be in ABS-CBN, until Willie pissed his bosses and had to move to another station TV5 where he brought essentially the same show but brilliantly disguised as Willing Willie. We are not fooled, of course.

What is the issue? There have been too many issues (e.g. Ultra Stampede, disrespect of Cory's Burial, etc.) but the most recent one, and one that I think we should finally not let go over our heads, one that should finally get us all to take stand is this - a 6-year-old boy named Jan-Jan who was made to dance lewdly on national TV - this while the boy was crying. I am tempted to insert the clip of the episode, but I do not want to subject the boy to further humiliation.

It was easy to say that the boy could not have been unwilling to dance, or was not totally unhappy about it; after all, the boy seemed to be dancing gamely. But he was crying.
Was this a case of a boy being too young to fully express his disgust yet crying at the strange feeling that this was something he shouldn't be doing? 
He knew the dance, for sure, for he must have been asked to practice it many times with family and strangers; but this was national TV. That Willie would reward the act with P10,000 all the more serves to give the whole scene a bitter taste.
But distaste is relative: Willie surely didn't see anything wrong with it; the score of studio audience all seemed totally amused; TV5 management thought there was nothing to be upset about; the advertisers thought nothing of it too. It was all business as usual.
A clip of the episode got into Youtube, and therein began the howls of protests, the heated exchanges on Facebook, the frantic noise on Twitter. People recognized: This is absolutely wrong.

What has happened since?

The Department of Social Welface and Development (DSWD) has condemned the incident saying:
This incident is clearly a violation of Republic Act 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act and a blatant manifestation of child abuse.  The term “child abuse” includes the following acts: “psychological and physical abuse, neglect, cruelty, sexual abuse and emotional maltreatment,” and “any act by deeds or words which debases, degrades or demeans the intrinsic worth and dignity of the child as a human being.”
It has also written a letter to TV5 Chairman Manny V. Pangilinan asking it to not allow its shows to feature any more children to "cash in on poverty" and to rebuke Willie Revillame for his "for his insensitive and deplorable actions."

In the same letter, DSWD Sec. Dinky Soliman said:
"There are limits to children appearing on television, and clearly, your 12 March 2011 episode did not respect the rights of the child and traumatized the six year-old boy. I also wish to raise my concern that the show tends to cash in on the plight of the poor. There are other ways of helping the poor without having to degrade their dignity and earn money out of it."
In a briefer issued by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), the board reported what TV5 had pledged to do with regard to the issue, a sort of self-regulation imposed by the network itself, to wit:
  • Imposed stricter guidelines on the appearance and performance of minors, particularly, children on all TV5 programs;
  • Required that all auditions of TV5 programs be supervised by representatives designated by the TV5 Ombudsman;
  • Appointed an internal Ombudsman to entertain complaints regarding offensive programs;
  • Imposed a moratorium on contests and game shows involving minors;
  • Created a Standards Advisory Board to be composed, among others, of a psychologist, a creative director, and a children’s communications expert;
  • Engaged the services of a team of psychologists to attend to Jan-Jan’s needs.
The Commission on Human Rights has condemned the incident and will be investigating "to identity the persons accountable for violating Section 10 of Republic Act No. 7610, or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act."

Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) Salinlahi Alliance for Children’s Concerns and Gabriela National Alliance of Women have also voiced their outrage over the incident and has called for "'immediate sanctions' on controversial TV personality Willie Revillame for an episode of the TV5 game show, 'Willing Willie,' which he hosts." Anti-Child Abuse Advocates in the U.S. have also slammed the incident.

Some product advertisers have pulled out their ads from the show; starting with Jollibee's Mang Inasal and Del Monte Philippines. The Mang Inasal Fan Page on Facebook has since received a lot of goodwill on their wall due to the action they had taken as a company.

Pogi points: Thanks for leading the way.
Calls have been made for audiences to boycott the companies/products that continue to support the show. These companies are Belo Medical Group, Cebuana Lhuillier, Yakult, Unilever, Bench, Oishi, Camella–A Vista Land Company, CDO Karne Norte and more. A page on Facebook has been set up devoted to promoting the boycott of these companies; an online petition on the same is also going the rounds.

Much of the opinions and information on this issue has been captured via the protest Fan Page called Para kay Jan-jan (Shame on you, Willie Revillame) and many online petitions.

Monique Wilson bravely issues a statement, urging her colleagues in the showbiz industry to take a stand on the matter. Her statement entitled "A Call to my Fellow Artists in the Philippines"is a wake-up call to their industry's own passive complicity to the issue. Indeed, this is not just about a lone personality but a whole culture pervading in the industry.
Willie issues an insincere apology. Nobody is impressed. He evens threatens the sponsors who would dare pull out their ads, saying his supporters will also boycott their products should they pull out.
Opinion writers have said their piece, including Randy David who says in 'Willing Victims':
I believe that child abuse is pretty obvious in this case. The boy has been exploited by his parents and by “Willing Willie.” Parents do not own their children, and parental consent does not make what is patently wrong right. Jan-Jan’s parents claim that they did not force him to dance like that. But is a 6-year-old boy at liberty to choose? One of the declared policies of the State under our Constitution is to promote and protect the youth’s “physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual and social well-being.” If the State takes this mandate seriously, it will find itself protecting the youth against parents like Jan-Jan’s.
The Inquirer editorial on the subject dwells on the incident's impact on the industry:
It should prompt the entire TV industry to conduct a self-examination and see if all the people engaged in it, from the TV network owners to producers, directors, actors and hosts, are aware of and are conforming to the industry’s code of ethics and canons of taste.
My take on the matter is already in several Facebook threads, and it must already be resounding in having put this together. I hope finally, that this will mark the beginning of the end of shows like Willie Revillame's, making way for quality of TV shows that will honor the sacredness of TV as a powerful teaching tool, one that honors the dignity of every individual - rich or poor, child or adult. In the end, that is the only kind of real entertainment that is worth our peals of laughter.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Summer Activities for Kids



It's summer already, isn't it? Global warming and unpredictable weather notwithstanding, there is no doubt it's summer has arrived. For one, it's already April and second, school is out. It's a great time for students on a break to sleep all day, grow their hair long and not take daily baths. LOL! Of course, it's also the best time to come out and enjoy the sun - braving mountains and combing beaches. Okay, that's mostly for the teens and adults; what about the youngsters?

For kids, here's some ideas on what they can do - summer classes to keep their energies focused and harnessed for creative endeavors. (So that the parents can have some relief too. :) )

Bert Lozada Swim School's SUMMER SWIM 2011
Basic Description: Summer Swim School for Kids
For: Children 5-12 years old.
Values they will learn: Commitment, Excellence, Focus
Skills they will learn: Correct techniques for all swim strokes at all levels.
Schedule/Fees/Venue: Visit their website http://www.bertlozadaswimschool.com for complete details.
Contact: 02.563.5532 / 0917-700-SWIM | info@bertlozadaswimschool.com
(Batch Schedules may vary depending on location. Please refer to your venue for exact dates.)

BRAVING CREATIVITY
Basic Description: A Creativity and Leadership Workshop through Art
For: Children 5-10 years old.
Values they will learn: Confidence, Focus, Caring for others
Skills they will learn: Basic art skills using dry medium to mixed media, from black & white to color.
Schedule: Apr 4-May 2 /Apr 5- May 12 / May 9-May 30
Venue: 501 Makati Executive Center, Leviste cor. Rufino Sts, Salcedo Village, Makati City
Fee: P5,000 (10 sessions)
Contact: Jolinne Pamatmat | (02) 6593909 | wallbushtrainingcenter@gmail.com

MASAKATSU AIKIDO DOJO for Kids
Basic Description: A Summer Aikido for Kids
For: Children ages 6-9 years old and 10-15 years old.
Values they will learn: Focus, Camaraderie, Respect, Love, Harmony with peers
Skills they will learn: Body conditioning and Strengthening, Alertness,
Schedule/Fees: Please contact Sensei Victor Ayes. Details below.
Venue: 34 N. Domingo St., Quezon City
Contact: Sensei Victor Ayes | 09277971251 | victorwayes@hotmail.com
*Adult classes also available. Please ask them about it.

The 19th KIDS at ART SUMMER WORKSHOP 2011
Basic Description: A Summer Art Workshop for Kids
For: Children 5-12 years old
Values they will learn: Creativity and self-expression
Skills they will learn: Basic drawing, painting and sculpture and crafts.
Schedule: Classes will be conducted in FOUR (4) VENUES in Metro Manila. Visit http://www.kidsatart.net/summerworkshop.htm for schedules and venue.
Fee: 10-sessions: P5700.00 / 8-sessions: P4560.00
Contact: KAA Central | 02.4141954/409.8223/0917.834.9525/0921.207.6942
Website: http://www.kidsatart.net

Whatever it is, give your kids something productive to do or learn. It's what summers are for! Have a Happy Summer! (For adults, join our ClubTravelNOW!TM trips. Schedules are <<here>>.