Did you ever think that as a student we have no capability to help out others, powerless not by choice but because of circumstance? Well my friends, it’s time to remove those thoughts from your minds.

The Unilab Ideas Positive Youth Camp for Change event  aims to help students help less fortunate communities through projects that would lead the communities to healthier and cleaner lives and through social marketing. The workshop, held over two days last September 24 to 25 with the culminating event and awards show held on September 25, was a resounding success.

The event was hosted by UAAP courtside reporters Riki Flores and Job De Leon. The panel of judges were form by Dr. Nina Gloriani, dean from UP Manila’s College of Public Health,  Dr. Ed Morato Jr. from ABS-CBN’s Bayan Foundation,  Mr. Mark Ruiz from Hapinoy, Dr. Oscar Tinio from the Philippine Medical Association, Mr. Randy Aquino from PR firm Ogilvy & Mather who was in collaboration with Unilab on this event, and Mr. Bert Manlapit, Corporate Affairs Director of Unilab.

The top five (5) groups that got the most votes and formed the top 5 were:

1. The PET Society with Adopt-a-PET
2. SERVE with “Ugnayan ng Nagkakaisang Inisyatibo, Layunin, at Adbokasiyang Pangkalusugan Barangay Sta Mercedes, Maragondon, Cavite”
3. UB and G with “May Papel Ako”
4. Team BIGGKAS with “Buklod Bukid Sowing Nutrition Reaping Hope”
5. CLPH with “Mamamayang Ayaw sa Dengue”

And the winner was Team BIGGKAS from the University of Asia and the Pacific for their proposal of using hydrophonics for a sustainable source of nutrition and income for their selected community.  Their proposal was the best of the best and as such they were hailed as the winners of the event. They are examples of students who have the will  to help and with the help of Unilab, they can make a community healthier and better. Their positive idea might be the next big thing in social marketing and if applied to other communities, might just improve the living conditions of those communities.

I’m looking forward to another successful event next year! 🙂

Hard-hitting headline as always.

Newspaper sales are down. Hard. The most affected are the broadsheets. The big three: the Philippine Daily Inquirer, the Philippine Star, and the Manila Bulletin all struggling to increase profits and utilizing the Internet as viable and profitable way of offsetting the lost in sales of physical copies of news papers. The tabloids are not hit as badly as the broadsheets when it comes to sales. What is the problem?

Simple. The problem is that the people likely to buy broadsheets (educated people) are also the people like to be Internet savvy and get news from the Internet instead.

This, I think, is the main problem of broadsheets. Instead of buying the daily newspaper, their former subscribers would just get news from news sites, Twitter, or even the broadsheets’ own websites. This is not a problem for the tabloids their market mostly consist of lower C, D, and E and are less likely to use the Internet. Mang Caloy from the kanto won’t get his news from CNN.com anytime soon. He has BOMBA for that.

Tabloids. Gotta love them.

I applaud the efforts of the broadsheets in increasing their online presence and posting up to the minute news on Twitter, something a traditional newspaper won’t normally do. But there’s already a problem in that it’s so much more convenient reading their Twitter feed and following links than buying a newspaper the next day just to see what happened for the rest of the day. The broadsheets just can’t keep up with the times, both literally and figuratively.

Boon and bane.

As I’m writing this, having a McDonald’s breakfast, an uncomfortable inevitability suddenly came to my mind: one day, printed newspapers will only be read by old men who don’t know jack about technology while having their morning pancake the broadsheet and these old men sharing their twilight years. After that, both would just be memories of times already gone.

And so I made a vlog. Instead of writing a long blog about my writing process, I just made a short vlog about it. But what is a vlog you may ask?

Well a vlog is short for video blogging. It is a form of blogging that uses video as the medium. It can be considered as a form of Internet television.

Yay! I’m on TV now! (Internet television, that is. Fans won’t be trying to grope me anytime soon.)

Entries can be recorded in one take just like mine or cut into multiple parts. It is a very popular category on Youtube, maybe because of the inherent voyeuristic behavior of Internet people.

Vlogs often take advantage of web syndication to allow for the distribution of video over the Internet using RSS or Atom, for automatic aggregation and playback on mobile devices and personal computers (just like a podcast).

So without further ado, here is my crappy short vlog:

I wasn’t joking when I said it was crappy.

Fail whale incoming.

And so one day, my friend suggested that I make a Twitter account. I was pretty much open to the idea because I always wanted to try Twitter out but I haven’t had the time. So she tried to register me but lo and behold, I was already registered by the name of byronichero. I suddenly remembered that I already registered a few months back and just promptly forgot about it. After figuring out what my password was, it was time for a name change. We considered many names until I came up with a clever name, devilindisguise. It is an anagram of my last name (Vendil) incorporated into a phrase, devil in disguise. I am by no means a devil but I just stuck with the name.

The first thing that I did, by the suggestion of my friend, is to connect it to Facebook. That move makes perfect sense, I am not likely to post the same thing on two different websites manually. I’d rather post it on one site with it showing on both sites. An advantage of using the Twitter app on Facebook is that my status message won’t be replaced this little thing means something to me because I want certain statuses of mind to stay for a long time while I still post stuff.

Tweeting stuff.

And so I posted my first tweet. It made me smile because people immediately followed. I think 13 followers on the first day wasn’t that bad, especially some only a few of my acquaintances have Twitter accounts. The next thing I did was follow people and news river. Getting news is part of my agenda in using Twitter. The next thing I did was post random stuff at random times, a thing that I’m still doing now.

Twitter and Facebook: Mano y mano.

So it’s time for the tough questions. Do I prefer it over Facebook? No. I still have more contacts on Facebook than on Twitter. More people to connect with.

Is it better to use? No. I feel constricted by the by the 140 character limit. Maybe I’m not just well versed in Twittering.

What do I use it for the most? The news. And quasi-stalking.

Do I have what it takes to join the Twitterati elite? No. I just can’t post inane tweets all day.

Is it fun to use? Yes. Most of the time.

Will I replace Facebook with Twitter just like I replaced Friends with Facebook? Hahaha. No. Not anytime soon. Maybe when it’s more widely adopted.

I’m just new to Twitter. We’re just in the getting to know stage. Maybe I’ll come to love it. Or maybe I’ll hate it. Either way, I’ll still tweet and share my thoughts to anyone who would give a damn.

Shameless plug: follow me on Twitter! twitter.com/devlindisguise

I first discovered the Arctic Monkeys back in 2006. My taste in music was very different back then I was listening to Linkin Park, Eminem, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and other mainstream artists. I first encountered them in an issue of Q Magazine that came from my uncle in Scotland along with some other magazines like Loaded but I wasn’t interested in lad magazines. In that issue I’ve read that they are the number one artist in Britain, making the fastest selling debut album in British history entitled Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not.

My most favorite album of all time.

At first they were an indie band giving away demos to those who watch them. The fans distributed the demos on the Internet, with the band’s approval because the more people listening to their songs, the better. Humorously, they admitted that they don’t know how to upload songs on the Internet so it’s ok to them. People were soon singing along to their songs. Some fans eventually made them a MySpace profile which became very popular. Soon their popularity grew across Britain and a bidding was by the record companies started, each eager to sign them because they were selling out shows left and right – based just on their popularity. The band eventually signed with Domino Records – a record company with a hands-off approach – and the rest, as they say, is rock and roll history. Many bands soon followed suit, also gaining popularity on MySpace and crossing over to the mainstream. The popularity of MySpace back then helped many artists to launch their careers such as Fall Out Boy, Panic at the Disco, The Academy Is, and many more.

MySpace was revolutionary back then. Was.

I was very intrigued by the article so I got their album and gave it a listen. Lo and behold – there was my favorite album of all time. Every song was single-worthy, every song tells a story, every song has a fantastic intro, every song laced with Alex Turner’s (the vocalist) lovely accent. It was the album that instantly changed my taste in music. Now I’m a fan of British Rock and I discovered that the British rock scene is pretty much the most robust rock scene in the world, with indies getting attention that they deserve from the press. The album and the band were my gateway drugs to the other bands that I came to love The Libertines, Keane, Muse, Bloc Party, The Killers, Radiohead, The Kooks, and the last Shadow Puppets (a side project of Alex Turner). They were the most influential band in my life. Almost everything I do can be set to a song of theirs. Whether I’m rushing something (A Certain Romance), riding a bus (Despair in the Departure Lounge), being frustrated (Crying Lightning), in an argument (Mardy Bum), feeling naughty (The Bad Thing), irritated by conyo people (Fake Tales of San Francisco), and many more that I won’t mention for the sake of brevity. I will always be a fan because they consistently deliver, album after album, song by song.

I have listened to most of these because of the Arctic Monkeys. That Taylor Swift album cover just unfortunately exists in this image.

Their songs will always play in the back of my head during times that they are applicable, essentially the soundtrack of my life.

Hello there!

Are you tired of your usual drink? Are you worried that what you’re drinking is unhealthy? Do you think you are getting fatter by drinking that?

Fret no more. ANTS Canefusion is the right drink for you.

Awesomeness precipitated into this awesome drink!

ANTS Canefusion is made of 100% pure organic sugar cane juice. Sugar cane juice is a healthy alternative to carbonated drinks because it gives energy to the body and it rehydrates the body thus preventing heat stroke.

ANTS Canefusion strengthens the heart, kidney, eyes, and brain. It also helps cure jaundice. It helps the liver and kidneys function well.

Exciting selections abound!

You think this is just plain sugar cane juice? Think again!
You can choose among many varieties of sugar cane juice.

You think that they can all taste only like sugar cane juice? Think again another time!
Flavors and herbs can be added to enhance the juice’s flavor. Flavors include lemon, lime, ginger, and mint to name a few.

So what are you waiting for? Go now to your nearest ANTS Canefusion stall and experience this unique and healthy way to refresh yourself!

This starlet that you don't know approves!

Call them at: 703-4528
You can also email them at: info@antscanefusion.com

Why no funny images?

Because I posted this blog on my phone. I’m writing this on my phone right now.

I’ve been there since the start when cellphones first have wap. Back then, it was pretty amazing that you can view black and white pixelated versions of Yahoo! and Google. It can’t even load images properly. Wap connections were mostly used in checking emails and nothing much.

Then the first generation of colored screen cellphones came. Mobile internet still relied on wap but you can now recognize the websites (barely) because everything was in color and images really show now.

Then, video-enabled camera phones came into the market. This added a new dimension into the mobile internet experience: video streaming. It was pretty much slow but to stream videos into your cellphone and pretend that you’re watching television on it is euphoric.

3G came and mobile internet was faster than ever. I can now download a game without waiting for 30 minutes by the window sill in the back of our kitchen! It seriously made a step forward in showing that cellphones can really be used to surf the net; unlike before when the steps for inexperienced people in using mobile internet were try, be excited, be bored, be frustrated, and never touch again.

4G has arrived in other countries so they now experience super fast mobile internet connections. 4G is here too, but it is limited to wireless internet for computers.

Do you know what I like most about using mobile internet? It’s FREE!!! (For me but I can also make yours free if you want me to.)I’ve been browsing free and on the go since last year. I would be charged thousands of pesos if I’m on a post-paid plan. It’s a good thing I know a little about hacking. 😉

All in all, the mobile internet experience is a satisfying one. More and more websites like Facebook and Twitter have mobile versions of their sites. Good people like the people of Opera (the browser I’m using) are making the mobile internet experience easier and more accessible to many.

I gotta go now but before I go always remember:
I’m mobile. Always.

My community of choice.

This is the dictionary definition of a community:

Community

n. (pl. communities)

a group of people holding attitudes or interests in common

For me, a good community exudes the above of course but that they should be tightly knit as to foster a sense of camaraderie but still open enough to not be so exclusive to new comers. Joining an online community can be a good experience that can make you one or more friends along the way.

This is a tale of me being a community member of Destructoid.com, a gaming website. After about two moths reading just the gaming news on Destructoid, I encountered the community blogs or c-blogs for short. After reading the fantastic blogs of the community members, I decided to register on the website. A thing that pulled me in is the great sense of community and the lack of assholes and trolls. Other gaming sites are ruined by these basement dwellers so I’m happy to finally find a suitable community for me.

After I registered, I immediately started commenting. I was like an up-and-coming star community member, I was starting to be recognized as a lead commenter in the comments sections of the site.

I posted my first blog, it was warmly received. Of course it made me happy that people commented because some blogs get no comments. I joined a fanfic contest by a fellow member and I won some quality merchandize that that member sent all the way from the UK. I can’t even believe that he sent it, let alone that I won.

I won almost all of these except the cap. The postmen in the Philippines are crooks.

Those were the good times.

I’ve got a blogs already drafted and ready to post when suddenly, a plague befell me. A plague called academics.

Requirements came like locusts.

Due to this plague, I wasn’t able to log in for a few months. Thankfully, I was cured of this dreaded disease around summer vacation. Hoping for a triumphant return, I started commenting again. But alas, such was the cruel fate that was bestowed upon me. It seems that everyone forgot who I am and I was treated like a random commenter no more conversations with the other members. I persisted and commented and commented until finally someone recognized me. People were starting to make conversations with me again.

Though I did not regain my online reputation entirely, somehow I feel I’m part of the community again. I was having good and insightful conversations with the people again. I feel like we’re friends even though we haven’t seen each other, let alone each other’s real names and faces.

I advise everyone who spends a lot of time on the Internet to join a community. You’ll meet friends who share the same interests and maybe you’ll discover more about your interests and yourself. Trying to be friendly won’t hurt anybody.

Awesome friends.

Have you ever had a dream that felt so real? I have many times before with each resulting in me either grasping for breath because of something terrible or just plain disappointed because the dream was not real.

I certainly would want to wake up if I dream about this.

Inception is a movie whose premise is that there are people in this world who can enter other people’s dreams and extract information from them that are hidden in their subconscious. The title Inception came from a concept in the movie wherein “Inception” is the planting of an idea inside a person’s subconscious without them realizing it. Ideas in the movie are likened to a virus easily spread and resilient. Inception is said to be impossible, but it is up to Leonardo DiCarpio’s character to prove that Inception can be done in order for him to go back to his family (or rather what’s left of it).

My friend will be convicted of pedophilia if Inception is real.

The wife of Leonardo’s character, Molly, was too caught up in a dream that she and Cobb (Leonardo’s character) had. She started to believe that it was the real world and so when she was in the real world that she tough was a dream, she jumped off a building trying to wake up. Of course, she died. Her addiction to the world that she considers important and real made her life out of control.

This is like internet addiction. Some people just can’t get enough of their activities online that it causes trouble in their real lives. People addicted to the internet exhibit compulsive behavior like gambling and shopping online. Some little more benign examples are reading and playing computer games which interfere with normal life.

I admit that I compulsively read online articles until about 2 in the morning, interfering with my sleep. Sometimes I just can’t sleep without reading the latest news or the latest Cracked.com article. And I also check Facebook on my cellphone every 15 minutes or so. I just can’t stop. I think I have a small problem but I don’t think that I’m really addicted. These are just habits. Maybe I’ll try 5 days without Facebook. I think I can.

Nah, I can’t.

I think you all know what Avatar is but I’ll still introduce for those who haven’t got the chance to see it.

Avatar is the highest grossing movie of all time with more than 2 billion dollars earned in the box office. It is about a cripple who must inhabit, through advanced technology, the body of a genetically modified Na’vi, a member of a tall, blue-skinned, tribal race, as a replacement for his brother who died beforehand. He was originally sent there to study the native Na’vis so that they can attack them and get their greatest natural resource, Unobtanium (a pretty silly and straight-up name if you ask me). Of course the protagonist falls in love with the female lead then things happen… things that I won’t spoil you. I already said too much.

"Shoot him before he tells them about the crazy monkey sex scene!"

Judging the movie based on its story telling, it was pretty much just above average it was full of tropes like the rival-before-you-get-the-girl-who-will-respect-you-in-the-end, the feisty-female-who-will-eventually-warm-up, the jungle-people-can-take-down-advanced-armies-with-sticks-and-stones (ala Ewoks from the final chapter of Star Wars), and many more. But judging from a presentation point of view, it was visual masterpiece, with beautiful set pieces and beautiful and believable graphics. You don’t even need to watch it in 3D to see that it was masterfully crafted. Overall, it was a good movie but not the real masterpiece people were looking for.

It just took a bunch of furry forest critters to defeat the fully armed Empire. The Empire had a freaking Death Star. The Ewoks only had rocks and body odor.

The concept that piqued my interest in the movie is the concept of using an avatar to enter another world. It was pretty much like the avatar in online games. They serve exactly the same purpose to be a representation of the “player” who wants to enter a world which he cannot enter in his normal form.

This is mii.

Players can become really attached to their avatar often making their online avatars strong and stylish at the expense of neglecting their real bodies. This is pretty much true in online game addicts who eat, pee, drink, and everything in between in computer shops almost always playing for 24 hours or more at a time. James Cameron (the director) said that Sigourney Weaver’s character was a smoker and didn’t care for herself is a representation of the modern gamer. But I believe that it is a hasty generalization. I’m a gamer too but I take care of myself (my acne is genetic). I think that achieving a perfect balance between our avatars and our real bodies is the best way to go.

Every gamer in James Cameron's eyes.

Our avatars may take up to far off lands but when the epic adventure ends, we must still have something real to come back to.