Author Archives: Arbet Bernardo

24
Sep

PBA 2009 is on!

Posted by | Categories Byte | Tagged ,

The month of October 2009 is the month of bloggers around the country. And it comes in three. The Third Philippine Blog Awards will be held at three different venues in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Bloggers will be congregating on October 9, 18, and 24 to celebrate the 2009 Philippine Blog Awards.

THE 2009 PHILIPPINE BLOG AWARDS: ONE BLOGGING NATION
________________________________________

The Philippine Blog Awards is a yearly event that aims to give recognition to outstanding blogs in but not limited to the Filipino Blogging Community.

The 1st Philippine Blog Awards was held March 31, 2007 at the RCBC Theater, RCBC Plaza, Makati City with over 200 bloggers and participants attending the awards night. The event was a success because of the volunteers and the support from the Philippine blogging community.

The 2nd Philippine Blog Awards was held on the 21st of September 2008 at One Esplanade. Around thirty awards were given out during the night.

WHAT IS NEW?
________________________________________

1. 3 for 3 the 2003 Awards in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao:

The 3rd Philippine Blog Awards will be on the 9th of 2009 at PETA-PHINMA Theatre; on 18th of October at 2F Ayala City Sports, Cebu Business Park, Cebu City; and on the 24th of October at Pearlmont Hotel, Cagayan De Oro City.

The Awards Night at Cagayan De Oro coincides with the annual Mindanao Bloggers Summit which is also on its third year.

2. The Awards Night: One Blogging Nation

It is often said that the Internet breaks down boundaries and leaps oceans to connect people. And it is true. Lost friends, old loves and distant family members become connected in the virtual world. But like the infomercial says, “Wait there is more!”

Due to this virtual network of among Filipinos – to be specific among Filipino bloggers – relationships develop and communities spring about. In recent years, the numbers of bloggers have increased and it is not limited to one area alone. From Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao: bloggers have increased in numbers. And it is not only in our shores. Filipino bloggers can be found almost everywhere in the world.

It is a diverse and vibrant mix of personalities and individuals. Bloggers of different tastes. Bloggers of different views. Bloggers of different ages. Bloggers of different persuasion. Bloggers of different forms, shape and purpose. All Filipinos in spirit.

And this is as it should be. Whatever is said about the Filipino blogging community, it is an exciting and dynamic universe.

A universe populated by Filipinos by birth; Filipinos by choice; and Filipinos by Spirit.

It is truly One Blogging Nation.

3. AWARDS

The Main Categories

1. Technology
2. Travel
3. Entertainment
4. Personal(Diarist/JournaL)
5. Food & Beverage
6. Family & Living
7. News & Media
8. Business
9. Sports
10. Hobby & Recreation
11. Fashion*
12. Photoblog
13. Culture and Arts
14. Commentary
15. Videocast*
16. Podcast*
17. Humor*
18. Gaming*
19. Advocacy*
20. Beauty*

(* new categories)

The Special Awards Division

1. Design
2. Free Custom Theme
3. Filipino Abroad
4. Foreign Blog
5. Bloggers’ Choice
6. Filipiniana Blog
7. Blog Application
8. Ten Best Posts of the Year
9. Best Visayan Blog
10. Visayas Bloggers’ Choice
11. Best Visayas Locale Blog
12. Best Visayas Nature Blogger
13. Mindanao Advocacy Blog
14. Mindanao PhotoBlog
15. Uniquely Mindanao Blog
16. Mindanao Destination Blog

4. A Brand New Experience

Aside from being held in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, the Philippine Blog Award Night at the PETA-PHINMA Theatre can be viewed on-line through Flippish.com and will also be covered by other video bloggers and also in Twitter and in Plurk.

ORGANIZERS AND SPONSORS
________________________________________

The Philippine Blog Awards is organized by the Philippine Blogger Awards Inc. – a non-stock and non-profit corporation composed of members coming from the Philippine blogging community. This year’s event would not have been possible without the help of our Institutional Partner RockEd and Major Sponsors/Co-Presentors Nokia, Globe Telecommunications Inc, Mozilla and Josiah’s Catering; our Media Partners Flippish.com, Chikka Media, Uno Magazine, Splash Press, Sheero Media, and GMCI; sponsors Level Up, Ipanema, Mimi and Karl Wedding Photographers, Buddy Gancenia and Taal View Heights.

Last but not the least the 2009 Philippine Blog Awards would not even be here without the support of bloggers from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, and of course from bloggers abroad who continue to keep an interest in the Philippines and its blogging community.

CONTACT DETAILS:
The 2009 Philippine Blog Awards Blog
http://www.philippineblogawards.com.ph/

Email: philippineblogawards[at]gmail.com
Mail: 33 Homer Street, Filinvest East, Cainta, Rizal
cellphone: 0917-829-8090

Related Links:
3rd Mindanao Bloggers Summit 2009
http://www.mbscdo.com/2009/06/05/3rd-mindanao-blogger-summit-2009/

Finalists

Best Technology Blog
JaypeeOnline // Blogging News & Reviews
MMO GrindHouse- fueling your daily grind on MMO Games
My Asus Eee PC
Orangeinks
sasa java
Software Critics
TechPinas : The Philippine Technology Blog
The Mike Abundo Effect
The Rookie Blogger
trashman

Best Travel Blog
A Pinay in Europe
BYAHILO: Ito ang Trip Ko!
eskapo
Explore Iloilo
Just Wandering
lagal[og]
Langyaw – Sojourns and Off-the-Beaten Path Travels
Making Things Happen
Nomadic Experiences
sagada tourism guide

Best Entertainment Blog
CONUNDRUM
Film-Otaku
Lessons From the School of Inattention
Music Picks
PH Stars
Pop Reviews Now
Reel Advice Movie Reviews
SHELU89
SHOWBIZCHISMAX
Starmometer
SUGARFREE

Best Personal Blog
ai’s cracker
Baddieverse
bikoy.net
Brief Stories
Cerebral Insights
citybuoy
Excuse My French
fritzified.com
Funny is the New Sexy
Life with Ria
Nursecissism
Platonic Trip
RALPHGUZMAN.ORG
room for squares
Succulence Unleashed
The Casual Observer
The Digitizer
The Free Lancer
writing on air
xtnpl.blog.friendster.com

Best Food & Beverage Blog
A Scientist in the Kitchen
Cebu Restaurants
Flipflopping my way around Town
hungrynez
Kitchen Cow
Our Daily Blog
Overseas Pinoy Cooking
Table for Three, Please
The Thirsty Blogger
Yedylicious: In Between Bites

Best Family & Living Blog
Absolute Cousins
Animetric’s World
BEYOND TOXICITY
Make or Break
MommyCow
occupation: SAHM
Viva La Vida Mama
What is a Progressive School?

Best News & Media Blog
Cagayan de Oro News Online
Daily Contributor
iNews Philippines
Paulnatic
PINOYWORLD
RePress
Virtual Journals

Best Business Blog
BusinessAccent.com
Millionaire Acts
MisOrJobs
Negosyo Ideas
Owning a Café
Pinoy Money Talk
Ready To Be Rich
The Sagada Lemon Pie House

Best Sports Blog
Buhay Basketball
Fire Quinito
i2runner
Lakers Today
Philippine Basketball Blog
Philippine Boxing
Sports and Tech sa Pilipinas
The Duffer

Best Hobby & Recreation Blog
Bearbrick Love
Bored & Crafty
Comicgasm
Comicology: The Study of Awesome
Dance Manila
Flying in Crosswinds
Mad Labs and Hug Dogs
Pinoy Experience Mountain Biking and Outdoor Philippines
Pinoy Mountaineer
The Singing Blogger

Best Fashion Blog
I LVOE LV
My Fashion Juice
Runway2Reality
Style and Relax
StyleAnywhere
THE UKAY QUEEN:Ukayshopping101
Ukay-ukay Escapades
who is elyoo?

Best Photo Blog
Asin at Paminta
dennisvillegas.blogspot.com
Didang Alvarez
Distilling Thoughts
I Am a Documentary Photographer
Lantaw
lawstude.blogspot.com
Lino Photography
My Manila
www.derpinsel.com/noone

Best Culture & Arts Blog
Art in Action
Bookmarked!
Coffeespoons
magnetic-rose.net: Japanese Pop Culture for Filipino Fans
Perlas Design Studio
PinoyTattoos.com – Filipino Tattoo Source
SA GUBAT NG NAMIMINTOG NA PATALIM
Sari-Saring Sineng Pinoy
The Spy in the Sandwich
Views from the Pampang

Best Commentary Blog
ad maiorem Dei gloriam
Alleba Politics
J. R. Ramos Go
Matinong Ehemplo Ng Youth Ehemplo ng Kabataan
Me and My Big Mouth
myepinOy’s bLOG
Pencil Pusher/Number Cruncher
pinoybuzz
riknakem
Splice and Dice
Staedtler
The Marocharim Experiment
Third Wave
Zzaragoza’s Weblog

Best Videocast
Digiputz.com
DoctorDude – Fun Vlogs on Health and Wellness
Entrepbuff.com
Komikero BIDJO

Best Podcast
Brink Notes Entertainment Daily
PINOY POPCAST PODCAST
World 3

Best Humor Blog
Basta…
Chiksilog
Good Times Manila
Hay!Men!
Indolent Indio
Kwentong Barbero
manik makina
Noisy, Noisy Man
Oi! Greenpinoy!
The Professional Heckler
tuyong tinta ng bolpen

Best Gaming Blog
ExcEsc
gameshogun
Mike Got Game!
Pinoy Gaming Network

Best Advocacy Blog
Autism Society Philippines
CyberRon
discourses of a free mind
Fide Quarens Intellectum
Filipino Deaf from the Eyes of a Hearing Person
Filipino Freethinkers
Foreclosure Philippines
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo RESIGN!
Greenpeace Southeast Asia
Nurses Notes

Best Beauty Blog
Candy Blush Beauty Blog
Shen’s Addiction
The Doctor Is vaIN

Below are the finalists for the Special Awards. The finalists of the Regional Awards will be announced soon.

Special Award: Best Blog Design
Design was here
DigDesignz: Blog of a young Filipino Web and Graphic Designer
GraphiCult
Loy Meets World
Pink is Fab!
Pink Notes Diary
Simon Ong | Personal Blog and Portfolio
The Rookie Blogger
The Site Guy
The Vignette

Special Award: Best Foreign Blog
BakitWhy.com | Filipino American Lifestyle
koji ryan
My Sarisari Store

Special Award: Best Filipino Abroad Blog
AS IS
Baul ni Noel
Digifotoblog
Funny Side Up
IsladeNebz
Lilypad
myepinoy’s blog
Palipasan
PinoyBro
THE MONOLOGUES OF A DESERT DUDE
The Warped Zone

Special Award: Best Filipiniana Blog
Filipino Librarian
pamatay homesik
pilipinokomiks.blogspot.com
Simbahan – Philippine Heritage Churches and Related Structures
The Philippines and Beyond

Congratulations to the finalists and goodluck!

23
Sep

PlurkLakbayan 08 index

Posted by | Categories Life | Tagged

This post indexes all the blog posts and pictures regarding PlurkLakbayan 08 – Tagaytay Edition. Reviews of restos covered by the itinerary are included.

BLOG POSTS

REVIEWS

PICTURES

17
Sep

“Jingle”

Posted by | Categories Byte | Tagged

The second teaser from Flippish for the Philippine Blog Awards 2009. Music and lyrics by Coy Caballes; Markku Seguerra on guitar.

Binuksan ko ang laptop
Homepage ko ay Technograph
Ako’y Pinoy Blogero
Sa WordPress ay adik ako

Let’s Go Sago, Lakwatsero
Coron hanggang Batangas sobrang Byahilo
Kahit ako’y mag-Visit Sagada
Basta may WiFi ay solved ka na

Laging Good Times Manila
Basta naka-online enjoy tropang Foodista
Alam mo lahat Da Who sa showbiz landia
Talo mo pa si BryanBoy Abunda

Over the top sa page views
kahit Patay Gutom busog ka sa news
Dumating si Mommy galing Project Manila
Nahuli niya si daddy nasa Facebuko niya

Let’s go, c’mon! Kung gustong sumikat
Just wear your Happyslip at sa Merryland umakyat
FunnySexy man o Komikero ang drama
Sa Radio Cubao natin wala nang panama

Okay lang ang maging Misteryosa
Basta Awesome Planet ating ipakita
Kahit sino ka pa, Batang Yagit o Tanggera
Basta Pinoy at Blogger… Tayo ay iisa

16
Sep

We’re not gonna take it

Posted by | Categories Sound | Tagged

I don’t know, but somehow this song resonates to me. And it seems to be relevant to the current times.

9
Sep

“Blogger”

Posted by | Categories Byte | Tagged

First teaser by Flippish.com for their coverage of this year’s Philippine Blog Awards. I know where they shot this teaser. No, I won’t tell, sorry.

31
Aug

Nominate your best blog post at PBA 2009

Posted by | Categories Byte | Tagged

The nominations for the best blog posts of the year is extended (the new deadline is not specified at the moment). Go here to nominate your blog post.

31
Aug

TRF – EZ DO DANCE

Posted by | Categories Sound | Tagged

This is a catchy tune, video’s old and kinda funny (this single was launched 1993), and I am sure it would be a hit here if Filipinos have heard about TRF (remember Pizzicato Five and Globe?).

If you want to sing along, here’s the romaji lyrics (taken from here):

I can hear my voice ima hajimaru
Midnight time kono basho de
Iku ate ga onaji nakama to subete no uso nugi-saru
Nigete yuku no? Satte yuku no? Odoru kimi wa doko kara
Sasoku yume katari atte kizu nameatteru datenshi
Easy go Easy go egao dake hito-toki no wa wo tsunagu yo

* I’ve got a feeling Tsukinuketeku
machi ga me samasu koro
asa-yake ni kuchi-zuketeru nami mo dakishimeteru
EZ do dance EZ do dance
odoru kimi wo miteru….
EZ do dance EZ do dance
kimi dake wo miteiru….

Hoshii mono wa itsudatte fui ni osou guuzen
Mienai asu totsuzen ni meguriaeru tokimeki
Gozen go ji eien no RULE kawaru shun-kan
Kitto kitto ai nante yoberu mono ja nai kedo

repeat *

Buy E X Do Dance by TRF at CD Japan.

29
Aug

A failed attempt at bokeh

Posted by | Categories Pixel | Tagged , ,

Robot bokeh

Exposure: 0.167 sec (1/6)
Aperture: f/8.0
Focal Length: 42 mm
ISO Speed: 400

23
Aug

Flight

Posted by | Categories Pixel | Tagged , ,

flight

23
Aug

Orthros no Inu

Posted by | Categories Life | Tagged , ,

Orthros no Inu has an interesting premise, eye candies for the fan girls, and a slow start guaranteed to pique your interest regarding the characters.

The premise of the show was established on the first episode: basically, you have an “evil” person having the power to heal, and a good young man having the power to kill, basically reversing the roles of common archetypes. Aoi Ryosuke (played by Ryo Nishikido) was a teacher who, due to several events (an incident involving one of his students and a gang of drug pushers, and the same gang threatening to kill a detective) was forced to kill. Ryozaki Shinji (Takizawa Hideaki), a death row inmate convicted for murder, healed the wounds of the prison warden.

The seeming contradictions in the characters and their powers, and the inevitable conflict being brought about by their powers and circumstances, drive the story. It is an interesting study of human character and morality, of being forced by circumstances to do something against one’s convictions, and acceptance of what one has and what one can do. I am sure all of us have experienced doing something against our will by force of events not of our doing.

The character of Aoi is established in the first episode, but the same cannot be said of Ryuzaki. He is a convict, he is on death row, and he’s handsome as hell. So is he a bad guy? Takizawa is perfect for the role: he is handsome enough to give the character the benefit of the doubt. At first glance, there is no hint of evil in the man. Yet he has the power to heal. The contradictions in the character will confuse you enough to make you doubt your own prejudices.

As for the character of Aoi, Nishikido plays it simple – charming, conscientious – making his character likeable at once. You could feel the clashing thoughts in his brain as he was being needled by Ryuzaki to kill. In two episodes, Aoi has already killed three people. You’d wonder if there was even a conflict at all! Still, I so can relate by that internal conflict. Let’s face it – if it is not illegal nor immoral, we could have murdered a person or two.

What did I like about the drama? Yes, there’s the characters. There’s the story. The opening music and billboard’s blah, the acting’s mixed. And I am sure fan girls go for the eye candies. There’s Takizawa, there’s Nishikido, and there’s Yaotome Hikaru. Yaotome’s character development was kinda slow, and the fact that he gets billing for such a limited screen time, I wonder if he’s there for the acting, or he’s additional eye candy. This is unfair for Hikaru; maybe he’s role going to be expanded in future episodes (I had seen two, and there are 5 episodes filmed). But it was a surprising role, and he chews on it as if he’s been a bad guy since birth. His brawling is unconvincing – he does not have the build for brawling. Maybe they could have him do martial arts, instead?

And I am sure fan girls are waiting for Takizawa and Nishikido to go topless. Heck, both of them have rain scenes on the first episode, and they could have gone topless. They were waiting to see the two like these:

You are most welcome, ladies.

And to be fair to Hika fans:

You are most welcome, ladies.

Anyway, I have enjoyed watching this drama, and looking forward to new episodes. There are English-subbed copies somewhere, care of your friendly subbers. I am sure you know how and where to look. *wink, wink* For those in Japan or have access for Japanese channels, it’s on TBS every Friday, 2200 Japan time.

Buy the Orthros no Inu DVD Box Set at CD Japan.