Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Fiesta 2010 Schedule of Activities
August 14, 2010 Sat. BAND ENCOUNTER (local bands-back to back)
August 21, 2010 Sat. VARIETY SHOW ( Jaya-Cebu)
August 24, 2010 Tue. EMPLOYEES NIGHT (Features the "Firelights Band")
August 25, 2010 Wed. BACONG GOT TALENT PRESENTATION
(a showcase of individual talents from Baconganons)
August 26, 2010 Thur. MISS BACONG PAGEANT 2010
August 27-28, 2010 DISCO
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
The Legend of Leon Kilat
He was born on July 27,1873 in Bacong Negros oriental. he joined the Katipunan after he witnessed the gruesome murder of Filipino fishers who came from the Visayas in Calle Camba, Binondo, Manila in September 1896.
Shortly thereafter, he was arrested and jailed by the Spanish authorities at that time. Yet Villegas was able to escape from jail, and joined the revolutionary forces in Cavite in 1897.
He received specific instructions from Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo to lead and expand the revolutionary movement in the Visayas where Villegas came from. Villegas headed to Cebu province where he recruited brave Filipino men in the country's struggle against the colonizers. Villegas then headed the rebellion in Carcar, Cebu known as Tres De Abril where many Spanish colonizers suffered many casualties. Unfortunately, a few days after the rebellion, Villegas suffered the same fate as several of our national heroes like Andres Bonifacio. While sleeping in his safehouse in Carcar, Cebu
after the slaughter of Spaniards days earlier, his most trusted lieutenant committed the ultimate act of betrayal and killed Pantaleon Villegas. It was said that because of the major casualties inflicted upon the colonizers, the Filipinos in Cebu feared the dreaded huwes de kutsilyo, the equivalent of our modern day extrajudicial killings. because of this engulfing fear in the community, some of his own compatriots plotted to exterminate Leon Kilat.
Such is the tragedy besieged by many of our heroes who struggled for freedom from tyranny and oppresion. His remains were buried in Carcar, Cebu.
However, by virtue of a resolution by the municipal government of Bacong on August 2, 1926
the bones of Leon Kilat were transferred and finally laid to rest in his hometown of Bacong.
The legend and memory of Pantaleon Villegas, known as Leon Kilat still stands tall and a monument in his honor has been erected right in the heart of his hometown in Bacong, Negros Oriental.
*comprehensive accounts of General Pantaleon Villegas can be viewed at my October 2009 blog.
just click on blog archives.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Cesar Flores: The man behind the PCOS machine
Who is Cesar Flores Zavarce, president of Smartmatic Asia and the face behind the controversial Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines? The 36-year-old Venezuelan talked about life in the Philippines, but not necessarily all about the May 10 national elections.
Local television has, in recent months, seen quite a lot of Cesar Flores. Often, in the harsh lights of TV networks' crews, he has been captured explaining and defending not only the feasibility and reliability of the machines, the Compact Flash cards, and the whole automated system in pulling off the first nationwide automated elections, but also his company from innuendos of complicity in poll fraud, mostly by local candidates.
But who is he, really?
Flores sat down after a long day on the congressional hot seat as the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms, headed by Makati Rep. Teodoro Locsin Jr., was winding down its probe into alleged poll irregularities as claimed by candidates who lost their bid for an elective post.
Cesar Flores Zavarce, the president of Smartmatic Asia, contemplates his stay in the country and the recent automated elections.
Flores carries himself well. He looks at you when you ask him something, and you know he's really listening. When he ponders an answer, he tilts his head, gazing into some distant object that may well be a reflection of his own thoughts.
It took him a few seconds to come up with the three words that best capture his essence, saying these would undoubtedly be honesty, perseverance, and empathy.
Flores looked at ease, despite the congressional hearings that have taken up most of his time and forced him to forgo his little pleasures - morning jog, watching movies, and catching live bands which he considers "very good in the Philippines."
He also misses vegetables and Venezuelan cheese very much. "We have about 40 kinds of white cheese," he says with obvious relish.
He also misses healthy foods. “I always have some breakfast before I leave [the house]. We Venezuelans normally have lunch at around 1 to 2, so I skip lunch because I’m not gonna eat at 11:30, I’m not hungry yet. Then all of a sudden at 2 there’s no more lunch. And you have to eat whatever’s available. The food here is actually similar, but I’m used to more vegetables. Tomatoes, aubergines, artichokes, salad," he says.
Sense of empathy
Having traveled to some 40 countries and personally observed 10 automated elections, Flores is no stranger to being an expatriate. This, he says, is where he gets his sense of empathy. “It’s important to know how to put yourself in other people’s shoes, with all the differences and similarities," he says.
He sees the Philippines as very similar to Venezuela. “Family values, happiness, the take it easy attitude – for good and for bad, very similar cultures," he says.
On the other hand, Venezuelans are not as polite. “Filipinos will always avoid confrontation. Even though they can try to kill you from the back, they’ll never confront you face to face. We always say what we have in mind," he shares, adding that he occasionally gets into trouble. “Especially if you break the Filipino protocol, raising your voice, answering back… I always try to keep my cool. I learned a lot from this country," said Flores.
Based on what we've seen on TV, Flores knows how to keep his cool. As the man responsible for the first nationwide automated elections, Flores has had to endure some of the harshest criticisms, to say the least.
"In other countries, people are not as interested. It's only here that people want to know how we will deliver the results," he says.
“Normally, it’s not up to the president of a company to be the spokesperson, but I thought it was important that I take on that role. This is not your regular IT project. Everybody wants to know… things that nobody ever asked us in other countries," he says.
“Every place I go I ask the people if they voted and how they feel about the results," Zavarce says.
When he goes out, he overhears people buzzing, "Smartmatic, Smartmatic," but he wonders why no one ever goes up to him.
So he tries to find out what people think. “Every place I go I ask the people if they voted and how they feel about the results," he says, adding that he does this mostly in restaurants.
As an aside, he says he appreciates the many restaurants that pepper Metro Manila.
Bachelor workaholic
By his own admission, Flores is a workaholic. Ask him about anything work-related and his eyes light up, and his whole body talks. The 36-year old bachelor lives alone in a condominium unit - a pad that, according to him, appears like hardly ever been lived in.
Because of preparations for May 10, Flores had to give up time for other things, like jogging, or much less meet up with his fellow Venezuelans. “I have a friend here, but I haven’t had the time to meet up with him. And this is a friend from way, way back."
And forget about dating. “It’s hard, too. At first I’d been on different dates but when it’s time to follow up, it’s hard to follow up. The first thing I tell anyone is you know I’m very busy, so please bear with me. Don’t take it the wrong way."
Despite all that, Flores loves Manila. “Everything is available. You have so many convenience stores. It’s good, because if you finish late you’ll always be able to find a place to buy anything. If you run out of soap, you can go and buy soap at 2 a.m. That’s very handy," he says.
The Venezuelan community in the Philippines is small. About 200 nationals gather at events organized by the embassy. But these are few and far between. Still, Flores is far from being lonely as his job entails endless hours of work.
His commitment is clear: He would like to be remembered as a man who helped shape the cleanest elections in Philippine history.
“I hope they see me as someone who identifies with them, and who had a common goal. Someone who helped Comelec, and the people who really wanted automation. Someone who contributed to make sure that every vote was counted the right way and that no votes were stolen."
The goal had always been to make it happen. "This is a victory of a lot of people," he says.
Flores believes that the elections were a success. "On May 10, 17,000 officials were elected. There are only a handful complaining. I believe that is an indicator of success. Finally people can believe in Comelec again," he said.
“I hope the people see me as someone who identifies with them, and who had a common goal. Someone who helped Comelec and the people who really wanted automation. Someone who contributed to make sure that every vote was counted the right way and that no votes were stolen," Zavarce explains.
He praised the PCOS machine's Twitter account. "He's very clever. It's good that people can identify with the system. I appreciate it."
Lost in translation
From out of the blue in the middle of the interview with Flores, one of the public relations ladies who had set up the meeting asked him if he had a nanny.
Confused, Flores said he had a cleaning lady who would come in from time to time.
"I could be your cleaning lady," she said.
Without missing a beat, Flores went on with the interview.
Here was a man who said from the beginning: This is what will happen, and saw it through.
He admits he has no time for relationships, saying that after a day's work, he is just too tired.
"I have zero patience. I've developed work-related patience, but relationships suffer," he says.
He is fulfilled in other ways. "The best thing about this job is having made an impact through my direct actions," he says with the conviction of a man who set out to achieve something and succeeded.
Three weeks ago he went on a day trip to Jakarta, Indonesia where a handful of people recognized him. "As soon as I got to the airport around 3 or 4 people asked, ‘So you got your passport back?’" he laughs, adding that that was unforgettable.
He smiles. He was earlier misquoted in the media about his passport. "Someone thought I said 'screw my passport to the wall,' but what I said was 'escrow,'" he said with a chuckle.
He did not pursue it anymore because it was, for him, hilarious. “I would never say that. The lost in translation factor played a role there I think," he said.
Local television has, in recent months, seen quite a lot of Cesar Flores. Often, in the harsh lights of TV networks' crews, he has been captured explaining and defending not only the feasibility and reliability of the machines, the Compact Flash cards, and the whole automated system in pulling off the first nationwide automated elections, but also his company from innuendos of complicity in poll fraud, mostly by local candidates.
But who is he, really?
Flores sat down after a long day on the congressional hot seat as the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms, headed by Makati Rep. Teodoro Locsin Jr., was winding down its probe into alleged poll irregularities as claimed by candidates who lost their bid for an elective post.
Cesar Flores Zavarce, the president of Smartmatic Asia, contemplates his stay in the country and the recent automated elections.
Flores carries himself well. He looks at you when you ask him something, and you know he's really listening. When he ponders an answer, he tilts his head, gazing into some distant object that may well be a reflection of his own thoughts.
It took him a few seconds to come up with the three words that best capture his essence, saying these would undoubtedly be honesty, perseverance, and empathy.
Flores looked at ease, despite the congressional hearings that have taken up most of his time and forced him to forgo his little pleasures - morning jog, watching movies, and catching live bands which he considers "very good in the Philippines."
He also misses vegetables and Venezuelan cheese very much. "We have about 40 kinds of white cheese," he says with obvious relish.
He also misses healthy foods. “I always have some breakfast before I leave [the house]. We Venezuelans normally have lunch at around 1 to 2, so I skip lunch because I’m not gonna eat at 11:30, I’m not hungry yet. Then all of a sudden at 2 there’s no more lunch. And you have to eat whatever’s available. The food here is actually similar, but I’m used to more vegetables. Tomatoes, aubergines, artichokes, salad," he says.
Sense of empathy
Having traveled to some 40 countries and personally observed 10 automated elections, Flores is no stranger to being an expatriate. This, he says, is where he gets his sense of empathy. “It’s important to know how to put yourself in other people’s shoes, with all the differences and similarities," he says.
He sees the Philippines as very similar to Venezuela. “Family values, happiness, the take it easy attitude – for good and for bad, very similar cultures," he says.
On the other hand, Venezuelans are not as polite. “Filipinos will always avoid confrontation. Even though they can try to kill you from the back, they’ll never confront you face to face. We always say what we have in mind," he shares, adding that he occasionally gets into trouble. “Especially if you break the Filipino protocol, raising your voice, answering back… I always try to keep my cool. I learned a lot from this country," said Flores.
Based on what we've seen on TV, Flores knows how to keep his cool. As the man responsible for the first nationwide automated elections, Flores has had to endure some of the harshest criticisms, to say the least.
"In other countries, people are not as interested. It's only here that people want to know how we will deliver the results," he says.
“Normally, it’s not up to the president of a company to be the spokesperson, but I thought it was important that I take on that role. This is not your regular IT project. Everybody wants to know… things that nobody ever asked us in other countries," he says.
“Every place I go I ask the people if they voted and how they feel about the results," Zavarce says.
When he goes out, he overhears people buzzing, "Smartmatic, Smartmatic," but he wonders why no one ever goes up to him.
So he tries to find out what people think. “Every place I go I ask the people if they voted and how they feel about the results," he says, adding that he does this mostly in restaurants.
As an aside, he says he appreciates the many restaurants that pepper Metro Manila.
Bachelor workaholic
By his own admission, Flores is a workaholic. Ask him about anything work-related and his eyes light up, and his whole body talks. The 36-year old bachelor lives alone in a condominium unit - a pad that, according to him, appears like hardly ever been lived in.
Because of preparations for May 10, Flores had to give up time for other things, like jogging, or much less meet up with his fellow Venezuelans. “I have a friend here, but I haven’t had the time to meet up with him. And this is a friend from way, way back."
And forget about dating. “It’s hard, too. At first I’d been on different dates but when it’s time to follow up, it’s hard to follow up. The first thing I tell anyone is you know I’m very busy, so please bear with me. Don’t take it the wrong way."
Despite all that, Flores loves Manila. “Everything is available. You have so many convenience stores. It’s good, because if you finish late you’ll always be able to find a place to buy anything. If you run out of soap, you can go and buy soap at 2 a.m. That’s very handy," he says.
The Venezuelan community in the Philippines is small. About 200 nationals gather at events organized by the embassy. But these are few and far between. Still, Flores is far from being lonely as his job entails endless hours of work.
His commitment is clear: He would like to be remembered as a man who helped shape the cleanest elections in Philippine history.
“I hope they see me as someone who identifies with them, and who had a common goal. Someone who helped Comelec, and the people who really wanted automation. Someone who contributed to make sure that every vote was counted the right way and that no votes were stolen."
The goal had always been to make it happen. "This is a victory of a lot of people," he says.
Flores believes that the elections were a success. "On May 10, 17,000 officials were elected. There are only a handful complaining. I believe that is an indicator of success. Finally people can believe in Comelec again," he said.
“I hope the people see me as someone who identifies with them, and who had a common goal. Someone who helped Comelec and the people who really wanted automation. Someone who contributed to make sure that every vote was counted the right way and that no votes were stolen," Zavarce explains.
He praised the PCOS machine's Twitter account. "He's very clever. It's good that people can identify with the system. I appreciate it."
Lost in translation
From out of the blue in the middle of the interview with Flores, one of the public relations ladies who had set up the meeting asked him if he had a nanny.
Confused, Flores said he had a cleaning lady who would come in from time to time.
"I could be your cleaning lady," she said.
Without missing a beat, Flores went on with the interview.
Here was a man who said from the beginning: This is what will happen, and saw it through.
He admits he has no time for relationships, saying that after a day's work, he is just too tired.
"I have zero patience. I've developed work-related patience, but relationships suffer," he says.
He is fulfilled in other ways. "The best thing about this job is having made an impact through my direct actions," he says with the conviction of a man who set out to achieve something and succeeded.
Three weeks ago he went on a day trip to Jakarta, Indonesia where a handful of people recognized him. "As soon as I got to the airport around 3 or 4 people asked, ‘So you got your passport back?’" he laughs, adding that that was unforgettable.
He smiles. He was earlier misquoted in the media about his passport. "Someone thought I said 'screw my passport to the wall,' but what I said was 'escrow,'" he said with a chuckle.
He did not pursue it anymore because it was, for him, hilarious. “I would never say that. The lost in translation factor played a role there I think," he said.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Arnel Pineda has nothing to be sorry for..
Arnel Pineda should not have said 'sorry'.
Nevertheless, the lead star of Journey decided to be just diplomatic by being apologetic .
There is nothing to be sorry for.
Arnel Pineda sang the national anthem during the Pacquiao-Clottey fight in Arlington, Texas.
The National Historical Institute (NHI) didn't like it.
Arnel Pineda, lead star of the rock band Journey, is a world superstar now in the musical arena.
The National Historical Institute has already initiated moves to prosecute Arnel Pineda for violating the law that prescribes how the national anthem is to be sang.
By singing the national anthem the way he did, Arnel Pineda was exercising his basic human right to free expression.
It is guaranteed by our constitution.
You do not say sorry for following the constitution.
Forgive me for saying this, but I think this is one of the stupid laws enacted.
It commands us how to sing the national anthem.
Here are the reasons why the National historical Institute is wrong in initiating this prosecution against Arnel Pineda.
First, the law is unconstitutional.
It is unconstitutional because it violates the fundamental right to free expression guaranteed in the bill of rights.
It is not justified for the NHI to claim that there is a law and they are bound to enforce it.
With all due respect, the NHI should not waste its energies and waste people’s taxpayer’s money by enforcing a law of doubtful constitutionality.
I am sure the NHI has better things to do.
Second. The law is unconstitutional because it deprives every Filipino citizen their right to due process of law.
The law prescribes that the national anthem should be sang or rendered they way it was done by Julian Felipe.
Now tell me, how many of the ninety million Filipinos have ever heard of the Julian Felipe version of the national anthem?
I haven’t.
The government has not publicized the version of Julian Felipe of the national anthem.
For instance, the government should have enforced the requirement that movie houses, radio and television stations use the version of Julian Felipe when they air the national anthem, so that the people will hear the official version.
That is one way of publicizing.
But the government hasn’t.
So how can we follow a law requiring a manner of rendering the national anthem, when we haven’t heard the prescribed version at all?
In other words, the Julian Felipe version cannot be followed for lack of audio publication.
That is government’s fault. It’s failure.
Third. Arnel Pineda cannot be criminally prosecuted.
If there was ever a crime committed by Arnel Pineda by not singing the national anthem as prescribed by law, it was not committed within Philippine territory.
Penal laws are territorial in nature.
Fourth. The NHI should go around schools during early morning flag raising ceremonies.
The NHI will discover how the national anthem is “mangled” as it is sang lazily by students who are most probably still half-asleep.
Are we going to send the students to jail, too?
For me, how the national anthem is sang is not important.
What is important is that it is sang with sincerity, from the heart.
I notice almost everytime there is a rendition of the national anthem during Pacquiao fights, the NHI people spring into action and make themselves visible.
I am driven to feel these people are just K.S.P.
Kulang-Sa-Pansin.
Nevertheless, the lead star of Journey decided to be just diplomatic by being apologetic .
There is nothing to be sorry for.
Arnel Pineda sang the national anthem during the Pacquiao-Clottey fight in Arlington, Texas.
The National Historical Institute (NHI) didn't like it.
Arnel Pineda, lead star of the rock band Journey, is a world superstar now in the musical arena.
The National Historical Institute has already initiated moves to prosecute Arnel Pineda for violating the law that prescribes how the national anthem is to be sang.
By singing the national anthem the way he did, Arnel Pineda was exercising his basic human right to free expression.
It is guaranteed by our constitution.
You do not say sorry for following the constitution.
Forgive me for saying this, but I think this is one of the stupid laws enacted.
It commands us how to sing the national anthem.
Here are the reasons why the National historical Institute is wrong in initiating this prosecution against Arnel Pineda.
First, the law is unconstitutional.
It is unconstitutional because it violates the fundamental right to free expression guaranteed in the bill of rights.
It is not justified for the NHI to claim that there is a law and they are bound to enforce it.
With all due respect, the NHI should not waste its energies and waste people’s taxpayer’s money by enforcing a law of doubtful constitutionality.
I am sure the NHI has better things to do.
Second. The law is unconstitutional because it deprives every Filipino citizen their right to due process of law.
The law prescribes that the national anthem should be sang or rendered they way it was done by Julian Felipe.
Now tell me, how many of the ninety million Filipinos have ever heard of the Julian Felipe version of the national anthem?
I haven’t.
The government has not publicized the version of Julian Felipe of the national anthem.
For instance, the government should have enforced the requirement that movie houses, radio and television stations use the version of Julian Felipe when they air the national anthem, so that the people will hear the official version.
That is one way of publicizing.
But the government hasn’t.
So how can we follow a law requiring a manner of rendering the national anthem, when we haven’t heard the prescribed version at all?
In other words, the Julian Felipe version cannot be followed for lack of audio publication.
That is government’s fault. It’s failure.
Third. Arnel Pineda cannot be criminally prosecuted.
If there was ever a crime committed by Arnel Pineda by not singing the national anthem as prescribed by law, it was not committed within Philippine territory.
Penal laws are territorial in nature.
Fourth. The NHI should go around schools during early morning flag raising ceremonies.
The NHI will discover how the national anthem is “mangled” as it is sang lazily by students who are most probably still half-asleep.
Are we going to send the students to jail, too?
For me, how the national anthem is sang is not important.
What is important is that it is sang with sincerity, from the heart.
I notice almost everytime there is a rendition of the national anthem during Pacquiao fights, the NHI people spring into action and make themselves visible.
I am driven to feel these people are just K.S.P.
Kulang-Sa-Pansin.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Make 2010 the Best Year of your Life..
You’ve made your New Year’s resolutions list. What now? Can you manage to do all, let alone one, of them?
Let’s face it. There’s something about New Year’s resolutions that can’t stand the bane of bad habits and procrastination. Either they’re too vague, too general, or too hard to remember.
But take heart, we’ve got some alternatives to your “shoulda-woulda-coulda" list that can help you get focused, motivate you to achieve your goals, and inspire you to envision greater dreams for the future. If you want to make 2010 your best year ever, try these no-nonsense moves to amp up your personal power.
Word power. Pick a word that can help you get fired up and keep your focus for 2010.
Choose your “Word of the Year"
If you were to pick a theme for 2010, what would it be? It can be abundance, beauty, peace, health, love, freedom, or anything that is particularly significant to you. Choose a word that encapsulates your goals and make it your focus for the whole year.
A single word would be easier to remember than a long resolutions list. But if you need visual cues, you can write it down on a card that you can carry with you everyday. You can make a poster with the word written on it and hang it on your bedroom wall. Or, better yet, you can have it engraved on a bracelet or key chain that you will always see. Do whatever works and feels good for you.
It’s important for you to remind yourself of your special word so you can align your actions with it. Let’s say “health" is your word of the year. Then, you should say it over and over again to yourself when you’re at the snack counter choosing between the humongous bag of potato chips and a bag of sliced apples. If your word is “peace," keep it in mind when you have to deal with annoying people.
One word may seem too simple but its power lies in following it to the letter.
Free tool: Artist and creativity consultant Christine Kane offers a free Word of the Year Discovery Tool that you can download for free from her site.
Real tasks. Take it one step at a time and stick to things that you know you can do.
Write down detailed life goals
If you wake up each morning feeling lost or if you’re living aimlessly, take your cue from former football coach, ex-ESPN sports analyst, and author Lou Holtz. “If you are bored with life, if you don’t get up every morning without a burning desire to do things, you don’t have enough goals," he advised.
So how do you make 2010 better than 2009?
Decide on specific goals that you want to achieve in every area of your life and write them down. In his bestselling book The Success Principles, renowned inspirational author Jack Canfield suggests having measurable goals for your finances, career, leisure, health, relationships, and personal growth.
What makes a goal better than a resolution is in the details. Resolutions are vague declarations of things you wish you could do or think you should do like “I will live a healthier lifestyle." Goals are definite actions that you can do like “I will eat one serving of fruit at every meal and walk for 15 minutes every day starting today."
Commit to your goals with confidence because they can get you closer to the life of your dreams.
Free tool: Visit Canfield’s site where you can download goal–setting and success tools.
Dream big. Visualize the things you want and work hard to get them.
Make a vision board
If you want to kick your goals up a notch, collect pictures that represent each of them and make a vision board. Choose beautiful images that will inspire you and motivate you to look at them every day. Hang them near your bed so that these will be the first things you‘ll see when you wake up.
How do they work? Businessman and author John Assaraf—who built his dream house and fulfilled other goals with the help of vision boards—shows you how in his book The Complete Vision Board Kit. He explains: “As the image of your dream takes root inside you, you start to shift the way you think and act. That image starts percolating in your mind, both consciously and subconsciously, and you start putting out feelers and taking action, day by day that moves you closer to your dreams."
If you’re an artist, try drawing or painting your own vision board. If you like to write, add affirmations and inspiring words to your pictures. The important thing is to visualize your goals clearly and imbibe the empowering feelings that come from achieving them.
You have to dare to envision grand dreams.
Free tool: Sign up at Oprah Winfrey's site and access the O Dream Board desktop application so you can make a vision board that you can use as your computer’s wallpaper.
Whether you choose to carry out just one or all of the life-changing moves, the most important thing is for you to just do it! Remember to do everything with great confidence—and have fun while you’re at it. Great things start to happen when you tap into your reservoir of personal power. So, start the decade right and make 2010 your best year ever.
Let’s face it. There’s something about New Year’s resolutions that can’t stand the bane of bad habits and procrastination. Either they’re too vague, too general, or too hard to remember.
But take heart, we’ve got some alternatives to your “shoulda-woulda-coulda" list that can help you get focused, motivate you to achieve your goals, and inspire you to envision greater dreams for the future. If you want to make 2010 your best year ever, try these no-nonsense moves to amp up your personal power.
Word power. Pick a word that can help you get fired up and keep your focus for 2010.
Choose your “Word of the Year"
If you were to pick a theme for 2010, what would it be? It can be abundance, beauty, peace, health, love, freedom, or anything that is particularly significant to you. Choose a word that encapsulates your goals and make it your focus for the whole year.
A single word would be easier to remember than a long resolutions list. But if you need visual cues, you can write it down on a card that you can carry with you everyday. You can make a poster with the word written on it and hang it on your bedroom wall. Or, better yet, you can have it engraved on a bracelet or key chain that you will always see. Do whatever works and feels good for you.
It’s important for you to remind yourself of your special word so you can align your actions with it. Let’s say “health" is your word of the year. Then, you should say it over and over again to yourself when you’re at the snack counter choosing between the humongous bag of potato chips and a bag of sliced apples. If your word is “peace," keep it in mind when you have to deal with annoying people.
One word may seem too simple but its power lies in following it to the letter.
Free tool: Artist and creativity consultant Christine Kane offers a free Word of the Year Discovery Tool that you can download for free from her site.
Real tasks. Take it one step at a time and stick to things that you know you can do.
Write down detailed life goals
If you wake up each morning feeling lost or if you’re living aimlessly, take your cue from former football coach, ex-ESPN sports analyst, and author Lou Holtz. “If you are bored with life, if you don’t get up every morning without a burning desire to do things, you don’t have enough goals," he advised.
So how do you make 2010 better than 2009?
Decide on specific goals that you want to achieve in every area of your life and write them down. In his bestselling book The Success Principles, renowned inspirational author Jack Canfield suggests having measurable goals for your finances, career, leisure, health, relationships, and personal growth.
What makes a goal better than a resolution is in the details. Resolutions are vague declarations of things you wish you could do or think you should do like “I will live a healthier lifestyle." Goals are definite actions that you can do like “I will eat one serving of fruit at every meal and walk for 15 minutes every day starting today."
Commit to your goals with confidence because they can get you closer to the life of your dreams.
Free tool: Visit Canfield’s site where you can download goal–setting and success tools.
Dream big. Visualize the things you want and work hard to get them.
Make a vision board
If you want to kick your goals up a notch, collect pictures that represent each of them and make a vision board. Choose beautiful images that will inspire you and motivate you to look at them every day. Hang them near your bed so that these will be the first things you‘ll see when you wake up.
How do they work? Businessman and author John Assaraf—who built his dream house and fulfilled other goals with the help of vision boards—shows you how in his book The Complete Vision Board Kit. He explains: “As the image of your dream takes root inside you, you start to shift the way you think and act. That image starts percolating in your mind, both consciously and subconsciously, and you start putting out feelers and taking action, day by day that moves you closer to your dreams."
If you’re an artist, try drawing or painting your own vision board. If you like to write, add affirmations and inspiring words to your pictures. The important thing is to visualize your goals clearly and imbibe the empowering feelings that come from achieving them.
You have to dare to envision grand dreams.
Free tool: Sign up at Oprah Winfrey's site and access the O Dream Board desktop application so you can make a vision board that you can use as your computer’s wallpaper.
Whether you choose to carry out just one or all of the life-changing moves, the most important thing is for you to just do it! Remember to do everything with great confidence—and have fun while you’re at it. Great things start to happen when you tap into your reservoir of personal power. So, start the decade right and make 2010 your best year ever.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Images of St Augustine of Hippo Parish Bacong
Images of Bacong Parish Church from high end photography hobbyist downloaded from flickr, taken by shealwyn, samurai john, dram, erik lacson, and micxs032..
Saturday, November 14, 2009
From Friendster to Facebook and beyond..
Not too long ago, “Add me on Friendster!" was the likely note to end a conversation on, whether between old friends or even newly acquainted people. In fact, the Philippines has over 13 million active Friendster users, more than any other country in the world.
People used to spend unbelievable amounts of time building their profiles, adding (and rejecting) friend requests, and posting bulletins on Friendster. Some people even had more than one account, because they had too many friends.
“It’s like fast food. You check out a profile, and everything’s there. You know how old the person is, what they look like, their interests –assuming, of course, that they’re telling the truth," says Leah, a former self-confessed Friendster addict.
“I think the testimonials were the number one attraction," Leah adds. “Sometimes, people would send me messages after they had made me a testimonial, asking for a testimonial in return." It was an unwritten rule. I’ll say nice things about you, and you’ll say nice things about me. It was a mutual admiration society – for what no one really knows, but hey it was fun while it lasted.
Friendster’s decline
Friendster’s swan song began in the early part of this decade, when a change of programming language caused a mishap in its server. A lot of users also felt that its revamped interface was too confusing. “Sometimes I would need to find a certain friend, but I couldn’t because the name was something weird, full of xxx’s and characters," shares Keith, who has since abandoned his band’s Friendster profile.
These days, most people have made the exodus from Friendster to newer and hotter social networking sites, particularly Facebook: whereas Friendster currently has 68 million registered users worldwide, Facebook has a whopping 300 million.
Graphics by Mark Merueñas
Facebook manages to keep its users engaged, with people collectively spending more than 8 billion minutes on the site each day worldwide. And while both Friendster and MySpace are vulnerable to spammers because of the ability to change how your page looks, Facebook’s Application Program Interface allows third-party developers to freely and securely create applications on the social network itself.
Facebook: a no-nonsense attraction
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Facebook is its users’ demographic. Whereas most of Friendster’s users in the Philippines are between thirteen to twenty years old, Facebook users include those over fifty-five. Surprisingly enough, Facebook’s fastest growing demographic comes from age 35 years old and above.
Part of the reason behind this may be Facebook’s neat, no-nonsense interface. After all, without the flashy graphics, no one feels too old to be on Facebook. Its clean layout and intuitive search function were big attractions to many people, especially when Friendster, like its trademarked relationship status, “got complicated." People quickly realized that Friendster was getting stale, and it wasn’t difficult to find where everyone had gone.
Persuasive technology
Dr. B.J. Fogg, director of the Persuasive Technology Laboratory at Stanford University and author of an upcoming book on the psychology of Facebook, says that at the heart of Facebook's achievements is “how they tap into some fundamental drives and make it easy to satisfy those drives. Things like the need to be socially accepted and, on the flip side, to not be rejected."
He notes that Facebook is a persuasive technology, an interactive system designed to change human behaviors. Users are persuaded to create an account, upload a photo, update their status, join a cause, among many other things, because of the way Facebook is structured (it prompts you by asking “What are you doing now?" or suggests that you support a cause which five of your friends support) and the way that friends communicate with you, both directly via a private message or indirectly via a wall post or status update. Facebook subtly convinces users to keep their accounts active. Users stay on Facebook because their friends stay on Facebook; otherwise there wouldn’t be much reason to stay.
Addictively engaging, like chismis
The instant gratification that real-time status updates provide satisfies people’s desire for attention, and more. For example, Nino, who works for an advertising agency, has been posting a mini-series of witty one-liners based on his contacts’ status updates. “Facebook is great for microblogging. I don’t have enough time for longer blog entries, and the status updates spread faster. Like chismis," Nino shares.
Once you post a status update, it appears on all your contact’s pages. They don’t have to look for you to see what you’re saying. This works to your advantage, because it makes self-promotion and advertising so much easier and addictively engaging.
“Facebook is great for microblogging. I don’t have enough time for longer blog entries, and the status updates spread faster. Like chismis," Facebook user 'Nino' shares. Photo shows the Facebook account of GMANews.TV news producer Johanna Camille Sisante.
The way some users spend literally all their time on the site has given rise to Facebook Addiction Disorder, a new kind of addiction in which Facebook usage “overtakes" daily activities, according to psychologist Dr. Michael Fenichel.
Psychologist Rob Bedi of the University of Victoria suggests that spending too much time on Facebook may mean something is missing from your life. If Facebook is beginning to interfere with real life, perhaps it’s time for some rehab.
A whole new way of communicating
Nevertheless, Facebook has given us a whole new way of communicating. During the recent devastation from tropical storm Ondoy, Facebook and other social media sites facilitated SOS cries as well as relief efforts and public service announcements.
Facebook has made companies realize that social media is a potent marketing tool. Some employees are actually encouraged to be on Facebook, particularly for those in marketing and public relations. Clearly, new media is fast becoming as valuable as traditional communications media, if not even more so.
“By participating in social media sites, companies can forge relationships, connect and engage their brand’s net-savvy audiences to achieve their most important business goals," writes Karen Galarpe in her blog ‘Open for Business: Why some businesses encourage use of social networking sites.’
Of course, this could also prove to be a disadvantage, as there have been horror stories of people being fired for saying the wrong thing on Facebook. Some companies have even begun to use Facebook and other online social networking sites as part of their screening process for applicants. According to US-based online job site Career Builder, 35 percent of surveyed US employers said that they chose not to hire a candidate based on content they found on a social network, like provocative photos or inappropriate information.
Where to go from here?
Friendster wasn’t as controversial as Facebook, but it was all the rage in its heyday. This makes you wonder: will the same thing happen to Facebook in a couple of years? And if it does, where will everyone go? One wonders how long the site can stay on top. Not surprisingly, Facebook believes that it can churn out innovative new features fast enough to stay ahead in the game. Innovation “has always been at the core of how we view ourselves," Facebook’s company spokesman Larry Yu told The Washington Post recently.
Considering how Facebook has surpassed its primary goal to “help you connect and share with the people in your life," they may just pull it off.
People used to spend unbelievable amounts of time building their profiles, adding (and rejecting) friend requests, and posting bulletins on Friendster. Some people even had more than one account, because they had too many friends.
“It’s like fast food. You check out a profile, and everything’s there. You know how old the person is, what they look like, their interests –assuming, of course, that they’re telling the truth," says Leah, a former self-confessed Friendster addict.
“I think the testimonials were the number one attraction," Leah adds. “Sometimes, people would send me messages after they had made me a testimonial, asking for a testimonial in return." It was an unwritten rule. I’ll say nice things about you, and you’ll say nice things about me. It was a mutual admiration society – for what no one really knows, but hey it was fun while it lasted.
Friendster’s decline
Friendster’s swan song began in the early part of this decade, when a change of programming language caused a mishap in its server. A lot of users also felt that its revamped interface was too confusing. “Sometimes I would need to find a certain friend, but I couldn’t because the name was something weird, full of xxx’s and characters," shares Keith, who has since abandoned his band’s Friendster profile.
These days, most people have made the exodus from Friendster to newer and hotter social networking sites, particularly Facebook: whereas Friendster currently has 68 million registered users worldwide, Facebook has a whopping 300 million.
Graphics by Mark Merueñas
Facebook manages to keep its users engaged, with people collectively spending more than 8 billion minutes on the site each day worldwide. And while both Friendster and MySpace are vulnerable to spammers because of the ability to change how your page looks, Facebook’s Application Program Interface allows third-party developers to freely and securely create applications on the social network itself.
Facebook: a no-nonsense attraction
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Facebook is its users’ demographic. Whereas most of Friendster’s users in the Philippines are between thirteen to twenty years old, Facebook users include those over fifty-five. Surprisingly enough, Facebook’s fastest growing demographic comes from age 35 years old and above.
Part of the reason behind this may be Facebook’s neat, no-nonsense interface. After all, without the flashy graphics, no one feels too old to be on Facebook. Its clean layout and intuitive search function were big attractions to many people, especially when Friendster, like its trademarked relationship status, “got complicated." People quickly realized that Friendster was getting stale, and it wasn’t difficult to find where everyone had gone.
Persuasive technology
Dr. B.J. Fogg, director of the Persuasive Technology Laboratory at Stanford University and author of an upcoming book on the psychology of Facebook, says that at the heart of Facebook's achievements is “how they tap into some fundamental drives and make it easy to satisfy those drives. Things like the need to be socially accepted and, on the flip side, to not be rejected."
He notes that Facebook is a persuasive technology, an interactive system designed to change human behaviors. Users are persuaded to create an account, upload a photo, update their status, join a cause, among many other things, because of the way Facebook is structured (it prompts you by asking “What are you doing now?" or suggests that you support a cause which five of your friends support) and the way that friends communicate with you, both directly via a private message or indirectly via a wall post or status update. Facebook subtly convinces users to keep their accounts active. Users stay on Facebook because their friends stay on Facebook; otherwise there wouldn’t be much reason to stay.
Addictively engaging, like chismis
The instant gratification that real-time status updates provide satisfies people’s desire for attention, and more. For example, Nino, who works for an advertising agency, has been posting a mini-series of witty one-liners based on his contacts’ status updates. “Facebook is great for microblogging. I don’t have enough time for longer blog entries, and the status updates spread faster. Like chismis," Nino shares.
Once you post a status update, it appears on all your contact’s pages. They don’t have to look for you to see what you’re saying. This works to your advantage, because it makes self-promotion and advertising so much easier and addictively engaging.
“Facebook is great for microblogging. I don’t have enough time for longer blog entries, and the status updates spread faster. Like chismis," Facebook user 'Nino' shares. Photo shows the Facebook account of GMANews.TV news producer Johanna Camille Sisante.
The way some users spend literally all their time on the site has given rise to Facebook Addiction Disorder, a new kind of addiction in which Facebook usage “overtakes" daily activities, according to psychologist Dr. Michael Fenichel.
Psychologist Rob Bedi of the University of Victoria suggests that spending too much time on Facebook may mean something is missing from your life. If Facebook is beginning to interfere with real life, perhaps it’s time for some rehab.
A whole new way of communicating
Nevertheless, Facebook has given us a whole new way of communicating. During the recent devastation from tropical storm Ondoy, Facebook and other social media sites facilitated SOS cries as well as relief efforts and public service announcements.
Facebook has made companies realize that social media is a potent marketing tool. Some employees are actually encouraged to be on Facebook, particularly for those in marketing and public relations. Clearly, new media is fast becoming as valuable as traditional communications media, if not even more so.
“By participating in social media sites, companies can forge relationships, connect and engage their brand’s net-savvy audiences to achieve their most important business goals," writes Karen Galarpe in her blog ‘Open for Business: Why some businesses encourage use of social networking sites.’
Of course, this could also prove to be a disadvantage, as there have been horror stories of people being fired for saying the wrong thing on Facebook. Some companies have even begun to use Facebook and other online social networking sites as part of their screening process for applicants. According to US-based online job site Career Builder, 35 percent of surveyed US employers said that they chose not to hire a candidate based on content they found on a social network, like provocative photos or inappropriate information.
Where to go from here?
Friendster wasn’t as controversial as Facebook, but it was all the rage in its heyday. This makes you wonder: will the same thing happen to Facebook in a couple of years? And if it does, where will everyone go? One wonders how long the site can stay on top. Not surprisingly, Facebook believes that it can churn out innovative new features fast enough to stay ahead in the game. Innovation “has always been at the core of how we view ourselves," Facebook’s company spokesman Larry Yu told The Washington Post recently.
Considering how Facebook has surpassed its primary goal to “help you connect and share with the people in your life," they may just pull it off.
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