Trying to write again

I have found myself needing to write something, but I don't know where to start. A lot of things are on my mind lately--from the news about Hubert Webb's acquittal to the immense joy and thinking that comes to me whenever i am watching Dexter, i dont't know where to start.

But the fact that I'm writing again now is such a great feeling...:) i think i can do this regularly now...:)

Trill's Cause Here's

Trill's Cause Here's my arts article for AVENUE Magazine entitled "Trill's Cause". Trill is an awesome painter whom I met through the fabulous Filthy Fluno in Artopolis last year while going through his fantastic gallery. Trill Zapatero's paintings are very beautiful and unnique, but for this article I've encountered another side to her, which is discussed in the article. Open publication - Free publishing - More trill zapatero So I hope you all get to read it and enjoy it :) This will be my last article for now, until I find enough time for writing and interviewing people online again. I still manage and look for content for AVENUE Magazine though, but writing needed to be set aside for a while...:(

Population control i

Population control is really a balancing act. Some countries get it right and some countries get it wrong. Countries like Japan struggle with supporting their elderly because there are now too many of them and not many can support them through their taxes. Same with some EU countries, whose elderly are now going back to work to support themselves. There is a reason why some people don't like us to control the population because they are afraid that what is happening to these countries will happen to us, but they are wrong. I really think it's about time that we try to curb our population because there are just too much of us to handle! How can our government at its current state support ALL of us with the kind of taxes they are collecting? The church should keep its distance and let the gov't implement methods to curb the population because firstly, it doesn't contribute to the country in terms of taxes, and secondly, there are more problems that need to be addressed by them. As with everything, there is a season and a reason for everything, and population control has its seasons. It's time we control it so that our government can properly give us the services we need and expect from them. Corruption alone is not the only reason why the gov't is having such a hard time. Our increasing population has a share in it as well.

Virtual Writeups: July

Here is my SL arts feature article on Lollito Larkham:

Open publication - Free publishing - More isadora fiddlesticks

Arts has first and foremost been the core of the virtual world of Second Life. The idea of a wide open space where you can just create anything is one of the many allures of the virtual world.

This month's featured artist from AVENUE Magazine saw this and honed his artistry in Second Life. Though not an artist in RL, Lollito Larkham's desire and passion for creating and making evocative 3d art installations shines through inworld.

Read his journey in SL and how the virtual world gave him something to do and thrive in creatively.

Virtual Writeups: June

Open publication - Free publishing - More summer fashion

Here is my monthly writing for AVENUE Magazine, a magazine for the virtual world of Second Life(R). I also manage the magazine's day to day activities, assigning articles, guiding staff, and ensure that they submit on time. Since it's a sideline for most people, including me, we have a wide window of time to do our work and submit them, and I try not to pressure everyone too much. If an assignment has no way of being done in time, it's set for the next issue.

So far, managing a virtual magazine has been a really challenging exercise--managing 40-50 people from all over the globe, emailing them and doing research for content is very rewarding and helpful in getting my feet wet as far as writing and publishing is concerned.

Right now, I'm starting to get ready for our big project: a real life publication of the magazine to be distributed in August at the Second Life Community Convention (SLCC) that will be held in Boston, MA. It's a yearly event where people get to meet up fellow "residents" in the flesh to socialize, network, and discuss business, fashion, fun, and arts in the virtual world. I haven't had a chance to go there yet, but I am very thrilled at the fact that my output is being read by people from all over the world who will be attending the event.

It will be the second time that we will be doing this, the first time was such a success that the organizers decided to have us for another run...wish us all luck that we make it better than the last...:) Here's our first attempt:

Open publication - Free publishing - More treet tv

I have a copy of the magazine at home, where I like to look at it once in a while, smiling, and thinking at how a "game" can make me write once again. If only people understand...:)

Amplifying Nature

Took these photos by the lake near our casita in Anvaya and enhanced it in the pc. :)

Jamie Cullum-Don't Stop the Music!!!

Here's my favorite jazz musician doing a cover of Don't Stop the Music originally by Michael Jackson, and also covered by Rihanna. ENJOY!

Election craziness!

The Philippines will be having its national election a month from now, and with both LP and NP parties mudslinging reigning the tri-media and the internet, the two parties are destroying whatever respect we have left for the process called elections. Nobody in the leading parties bother to discuss their platforms and plans for the country. Sure they want to destroy corruption and poverty, but HOW exactly?

Like a house, a candidate aspiring for the highest seat in the country must have a solid foundation, this in the form of a good platform. But their campaigns are built on the sands of intrigue and hate.



All of us should wake up and review every candidate's platform, cover our eyes and ears from all intrigues and not entertain drama. The country's future is at stake here. What we need for this country is someone with a plan, one to UNITE us. Let's use our minds, hearts and faith to help us decide. We have a month to do so.

GMA's endorsements to whoever, traditional politics, surveys, and drama aside, let's look into the heart of what the election is all about: THE BEST MAN FOR THE JOB TO RUN THIS COUNTRY. There are 10 (according to COMELEC's ballot) people running for presidency, and surely there's someone who is BEST equipped to lead the nation.

All me and everybody else supporting Sec. Teodoro are seeing is his clear platform, positive campaigning, and his desire to unite the country to focus on solving problems together. Sec. Teodoro is a nice man with a plan, a vision and a platform--something both neither Noynoy Aquino nor Manny Villar have clearly explained to the nation.

G1BO's campaign had been simple, positive and gentlemanly from the start. Sec. Teodoro may not have played his cards the way ordinary people would expect him to do, but to our eyes and his, he is doing the right thing. That is the most refreshing aspect about him. Nobody else in this election has a campaign as objective and straight to the point as his.

Most networks don't cover what his Green Team has been doing for the past few months for his campaign. Their fervor, respect, enthusiasm, and knowledge on G1BO's platform is admirable. What the media tend to focus on are the campaigns of who happen to be the top two in surveys, and the most creating drama and distraction. Let's not be distracted by DRAMA. Let's not be distracted by issues of GMA wanting to stick to power by choosing to run for Congress, or if she is secretly endorsing Villar, or whatnot. These are smoke and mirrors, meant to distract us from the real scenario at stake here.

The country has deeper issues, and nitpicking on G1BO's perceived wrong decision to stay in the party shouldn't be an issue here. The issue at hand is if he has a good, solid, and realistic plan for the country, and he has. He knows this country well, he wants to make us grow and prosper.

My choice aside, out of the two leading in surveys, there are still 8 people probably worthy for the job. One of them for me is Gilbert Teodoro, but for everybody else who are still undecided, or is doubting their candidate, review all candidate's platforms, what their plans are and choose from there. Your personal discernment and belief in your candidate trumps any survey numbers out there.

There's a Pinoy term

There's a Pinoy term for ppl like #AdamCarolla.It's KSP (kulang sa pansin). Look it up!

Adam Carolla Who??? REJOICE, FILIPINOS! WE HAVE ARRIVED! - THE FIL-AM PERSPECTIVE http://ping.fm/Myg5b

Easter reflection 2010

During Jesus' time, they were expecting a political savior, but little did they realize that Jesus came not to save them from Rome, but from something deeper than that. He died on the cross to rise again to redeem them from their sins. Fast forward to today, this sacrifice still holds true, we always want to be saved from something, but Christ will save us from our sins first so that the rest will soon follow. Let's hold on to this, and remember that God truly is wise to send someone like Christ Jesus to save us from our sins, and in so believing that we are now free.

About to visit the P

About to visit the Philippines? Perk up your visit by looking at this list of tour guides--http://htxt.it/QwVW

Chris Brown-Crawl Music Video

If it weren't for him being a jerk, I would've liked him better. But this song is great...:) Good Morning! :)

this year's earth ho

this year's earth hour is fail, poor coordination as compared to last year...:(

Charice featuring Iy

Charice featuring Iyaz: Pyramid...lovely song, and that girl is Filipina, she was in Oprah and Oprah did her best to get her connected!

wish me luck! i'm co

wish me luck! i'm coloring my hair! hope it doesn't turn orange!

Nature By Numbers

Darn it, math used to turn me off because I was and am still bad at it, but now through this video it became fascinating...and still so out of reach for me...:(

A post for GIBO TEODORO

Hello everyone,

It's not often that I write anything about something. But it's election season and if you are a Filipino about to vote this coming May, there's something I want you to read for the sake of our country. For our country, we should seriously consider who to vote for and not rely on surveys, gimmicks, or on our sympathy for a certain candidate. This is for our future, this is something serious, something worth becoming passionate about, even for just every six years.

If there is one other thing I am passionate about nowadays, it's ensuring that my candidate GIBO TEODORO wins.

If there's anything clearer than Evian water, its his capability to lead the nation and unite us all. If there's anything easier to spell out and memorize, it's his plans for the country. No sweeping statements, no celebrity endorsements, no catchy jingles that attempt to tug your heartstrings and make you feel sorry for the poor kid with the dog. He is not the messiah, but I have confidence that the Lord has placed him in this situation so that he can help us out of the rut that has been keeping us behind for decades.

But, anyway, the following blog post writes it better than I do, so I leave it for you to read and take into heart. There's a reason why a lot of people are volunteering their free hours for him. There is a reason why students, businessmen, newspaper editors, and foreign media are rooting for him. BECAUSE IT SIMPLY MAKES SENSE. There is no reason not to vote for GIBO, because to vote for someone other than him is an insult to our intelligence. Not voting for him drives another nail down the coffin for the Philippines. I don't want to be part of that force that would drive another nail down the coffin for my country. I will vote wisely and my vote goes to GIBO.

Besides, if the wrong person wins, and the Philippines fails again to rise up, I don't want to be blamed for it. There is still hope for us all, and your vote depends on it. I've secured my future and entrusted it by giving my vote to GIBO TEODORO on May 10, 2010.

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Taken from http://straightshooter-lojo.blogspot.com/2010/02/case-for-gibo-teodoro.html :

Friday, February 26, 2010

The Case for Gibo Teodoro

OUR COUNTRY'S POLITICAL CHRONICLES ARE FILLED WITH DELUSION AND FRUSTRATION THAT WE TEND TO FAIL TO FULLY APPRECIATE A GENUINE VISION WHEN IT COMES ALONG.

We tend to disregard the real deal and consider it as just another one of them, a political wolf in sheep's clothing. Can we really blame ourselves? Probably not…

Decades of mistrust have resulted in the callousness of some and blindness of others. The indifferent has turned into a skeptic bystander, satisfied in simply watching the world go by. The blind, on the other hand, has turned to worship false prophets or even those who go as far as claiming themselves to be the messiah.

However, this time is different from any other era in our history. We are truly in a critical juncture.

Our country has been in a whirlwind ride for almost a quarter of a century since the dictatorship fell. We experienced darkness in the early 90s followed by a build up in our growth momentum in the mid 90s. We saw Asian markets tumble in the late 90s and we suffered a huge drop in investor confidence as we entered the new millennium. We looked at what most thought to be an inevitable national financial meltdown in early 2000s and barely escaped it through the sacrifices we have institutionalized. We had three impeachment complaints and several failed coup attempts in mid 2000s and yet we were able to squeeze out the highest GDP growth rate in the region in 2007. We have been widely considered as a Newly Industrialized Country and yet our people experience extreme hunger. We have pockets of modern urban landscapes but have a largely impoverished rural country side. If there is only one thing we can make out of all these, let it be that we are a nation in dire need of stability because unnecessary political noise weighs down on the upward force provided by a developing economy.

After a quarter of a century of mixed celebrations and mourning, we find ourselves again in a cross road, where we have to decide which of the several paths we will take. We cannot blindly walk towards just any path. We must not just follow a mere gut feel. We certainly cannot just tag along or simply swim with the current. Our move must be based on a carefully analyzed and reviewed decision because we can no longer prolong this tumultuous cycle. Doing so, would expunge whatever accomplishments we have achieved in the last 24 years and hurl us in an endless pit of degradation and stagnation. Now, more than ever, we need a captain to chart our course towards modernization and prosperity.

And hence, we must review the capabilities of each and every candidate aspiring to be President. And so, I humbly ask of you to take a good hard look at Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro.

His is a realistic vision:

He does not promise the heavens and the stars nor does he say he can move mountains and turn water into wine. He does not claim to be the political messiah because after all, do we really need one? And to whom do we really need salvation from? His vision is to simply be the lead instrument, among many, which would work towards genuine and sustainable economic development of the country.

If you think about it, when was the last time a candidate restrained himself from assuring the public that he will eradicate corruption and poverty? When was the last time a candidate refused to claim that his election would virtually mean an end to all our problems? I have never heard such a political animal exists in the Philippines prior to Gibo.

His is a positive vision:

While other candidates turn to insults to get the public’s attention, he focuses on his detailed platform of governance.

In our pseudo-democracy, it is a time-tested and proven technique that negativity can win one a seat in the government. As such, most candidates continue to use this tool despite the fact that it leaves the country more divided, more blood thirsty, and its citizens, more unwilling to cooperate with one another.

Gibo’s campaign, on the contrary, focuses on his positive vision. A vision founded on him being a statesman of the highest caliber. One who thrives on criticisms. One who is willing to sit down with his opponents. This characteristic of him leaves no doubt in my mind that his administration would be genuinely inclusive and approachable without undermining command responsibility and accountability.

In fact, Gibo has stated that the first thing he would do if elected president is to reach out to all his political opponents in an effort to unite the country and move it forward. At long last, we have a leader who sees and understands the urgent need to unite our deeply fragmented country. This goes to show that Gibo fully appreciates the fact that it is only in a stable society that genuine development can be reached.

His is the comprehensive vision:

His vision is a solid and detailed roadmap towards growth. He focuses in equipping our students with the skills needed to meet the demands of the global economy. The young population must be given incentives to veer towards what is in demand in order not to over-supply one or several sectors in the job market and hence causing salary prices to drop and leaving many unemployed.

He intends to continue the massive infrastructure projects of our country. A sudden halt to the pipeline of infrastructure projects would surely make potential investors look towards our more stable neighbors. It is not rocket science that Foreign Direct Investment is a key factor in solving the poverty problem. The spill over effect of FDIs would create a virtuous cycle which would grow bigger to effectively and positively impact the poor.

He knows that in our quest for sustainable growth, a leader must not simply have a dream. Rather, he must have a complete set of skills built upon his experience and competence to put his comprehensive plan into action and actually propel this country towards full economic development.

His is the genuine reformist vision:

He has declared his advocacies no matter how unpopular they may be. He has long announced his intention to push for charter change in order to introduce reforms in its economic restrictions. While most candidates use euphemisms in addressing the issue of taxation, Gibo never shirked from putting forward his thoughts on this sensitive and unpopular matter. And while others are neither here nor there on most issues, Gibo has provided his solid stand on all matters.

He knows that genuine reform can only be achieved through the leadership of men who do not fear to fly against strong popular political winds.

While others choose to take the safest route to win an election, which is to say what everybody is thinking in the loudest voice, Gibo prefers to say what we need to hear and what we need to know.

It is up to us to listen. It is up to us to believe.

What you get from Gibo is real straight talk with clarity and conviction from a real man and not simply randomly selected populist political jargon any loud-mouth guy with a microphone can declare.

It is not very often that we have a chance to elect a leader who knows, understands, and prioritizes what we need now. It is actually very rare for us to have a leader who appreciates reality and who intends to build solutions by working with it, not by ignoring it and most certainly not by going against it. This is of prime importance because only those who see reality as clearly as possible have the ability to actually redress its wrongs and reform its ills.

This election is about our future and our future will not be secured by locking ourselves up within the sins of our past. Our future cannot be built by a leader who fails to fully grasp the reality of what we need now. Our future will certainly not be bright if we elect a leader who, intentionally or not, sows and promotes a culture of hate and vengeance.

On the contrary, what we need is a leader who intends to extend the hand of reconciliation. What we need is a leader who promotes stability as the foundation of genuine progress. What we need now is a real leader who can break down barriers, who can inspire, who can unite.

He is Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro Jr.: a young, vibrant, firm, inclusive, real leader of men.

The core of addiction - don't blame the game

This is a great food for thought. Explains very well that the behavior (addiction to something such as games or the internet) is not the CAUSE. Instead, go deeper and investigate the real reason why...

Read and learn..:)

From: http://ping.fm/cm9LY

For AVENUE Magazine: Filthy Fluno's Women

I recently had the honor of revisiting Filthy Fluno's gallery in Artropolis for AVENUE Magazine. Fluno, whose real name is Jeff Lipsky, is a painter who actively exhibits his work both in Second Life and in many galleries in real life. Take a look at my article about his latest work here:

:)

Wired and Virtual

One of the advantages of fast internet is the ability to watch shows not available locally. I can watch the latest television shows by following them online, even by downloading an episode or two so I can watch it from my computer. I get to look at issues and stories through new eyes as I get to watch documentaries inaccessible to usual means.

I recently watched a PBS documentary online called Digital Nation, a documentary which shows the effects of living in a constantly wired world. Through the web, people are finding love, playing games, rediscovering themselves, making friends, sharing thoughts, creating things, making alternate realities, and in the case of the US military, waging war without risking lives of their soldiers. It was a really interesting show to watch, largely because I can relate to the many things that it presents good and bad.

For instance, older people gawk and complain at the notion of people my age and younger being constantly online and wired, fiddling with our Blackberry, twiddling with our iPhones, multitasking our brains away. When there's nothing to do, we find ourselves on the web. In coffee shops, malls, airports, even parks and sandy beaches, we are all wired to the internet, keeping it alive with buzz and activity. Took an interesting photo? Everyone will sure to be able to see it online minutes after the photo is taken.

Ever since I started using the internet, I have discovered many things, talked to many kinds of people, and kept in touch with friends over the years. Email, chat, and Google have made my quest to learn and look for things easier. I found my favorite singer, Josh Groban online, I knew my temperament and personality through the The Keirsey Temperament Sorter website, I read online more nowadays than I read a book, and though books never lost their appeal to me, I find myself drooling after a Kindle because the idea that information, entertainment and literature is at your fingertips is very thrilling.

Over the years, my interaction and presence on the web has evolved to its 3D realm. For the last 3 years I have been "living" as a resident of the virtual world of Second Life. For the uninitiated, Second Life is a virtual world where you can make an online persona of yourself--an avatar, create things, and have an opportunity to do things that you normally won't be able to do in your normal life. Those things can vary from person to person, and experiences like releasing your inner creative talent to unleashing the sex kitten in you are a common occurrence. People can talk through text chat or through voice, and within the world, can create a lot of things, from outrageous futuristic clothing to fantastic locations one can go at a click of the "teleport" button. Reinventing yourself has never been so easy, instantaneous and gratifying.

I have to admit, during the first year (some people say until now, but that's their perspective) I was totally hooked; my eyes couldn't get enough of the pixel creations and social interactions the virtual world has to offer. I would dance gracefully in Second Life; while in real life continue to be a dud with two left feet. I socialized, flirted, dabbled in business, I started to write again, and I had a huge beach front property with a house that I furnished myself. I even arranged the underwater corals and made my own underwater haven.

I have also resurrected my long dormant curiosity for things and to write about them. Currently, apart from writing once in a while in my blog my virtual experiences, I also write regularly for a magazine that exists in Second Life. I also happen to co-create the magazine, research for content, and manage a staff of writers and photographers whose typists are from all around the world. During my spare evenings and weekends, I interact with them about their articles, get their progress updates, and help them get their article together. I contact people and update our progress sheet in Google Docs that my co-editor and publisher from Singapore will look through. We would have meetings in Skype and in Second Life talking and discussing content. We have a dedicated readership of three hundred thousand avatars, and I make a modest amount writing and managing the magazine.

My virtual dating life has had its shares of ups and downs. During the first year, I have not figured out that I can also be a writer in Second Life, so I lived it as a serial dater. I dressed my avatar up, worked as a club host, and partied. As my virtual life started to accommodate responsibilities, my dating activities has died down tremendously, but in the three years that I have been in the virtual world, I have had three boyfriends and two fiancés. While it can be tremendously romantic, dating is complicated out there in the virtual realm.

With all that, I feel I have discovered a lot about myself ever since I landed my virtual feet in SL, and at the risk of sounding odd, Second Life has made my life more interesting. If you were one of the many who was able to watch AVATAR, I guess I can compare the feeling of being in Second Life and acting through my avatar as being similar to the feeling that Jake Sully had when he started walking through his Na'vi avatar and exploring the new world. While he was limited in his movements because he was disabled, in Pandora and as a Na'vi, he was free to do things he could no longer do, feel sensations and textures that are new to him, etc.

Yet along with discoveries about myself, there are also more questions. Is what I am doing an example of living a dual life? How can I converge my living, breathing self to my pixel self? How can I make people understand that my experiences online are real and valid? Is it a substitute to what I lack in reality? I struggle through them day by day, and everyday my molecular reality is interlaced with virtual reality. It’s a struggle, but since when has man never struggled, especially with humanity?

Other people go through life in the physical world struggling, either failing or succeeding. Going wired and virtual is the same eternal struggle, also with the same two consequences; either you fail or succeed.