What an interesting month. I achieved a few personal blogging records and milestones this March. I celebrated my blog's 10th anniversary. I scored another perfect month after managing to put up one blog post for each day of the month, a feat I accomplished only twice before. I also became a bit of a blogging machine as I published 67 posts in the first three months of 2015. This is by far the most I have written over a three-month period.
Due to a combination of these things and a few other factors, my blog also recorded the most number of views in a single month, with 3608. Wow! This is the first time my blog exceeded 3000 views in a month; prior to this, the most hits my blog got in a month was 2720. Checking my blog stats, it seems that about half of the traffic I got in the entire month came after I published these four posts:
Michelle Obama dances on Ellen on March 18.
Total hits that day - 835
Not sure what was going on here but immediately after I posted this, my blog ended up with 763 views. Which is strange because this post itself only has 12 views. :) My guess is that maybe there is a horde of bots that detected what I wrote.
Happy 10th anniversary! on March 10
Total hits that day - 557
I shared this blog post with all my friends so my blog was bound to have a lot of views after that.
Happy 10th anniversary! (Part 2) on March 11
Total hits that day - 239
I also shared this post with my friends, especially since it had a very good summary of the many local and international trips I've taken.
10 books that have stayed with me (part 2) on March 18
Total hits that day - 182
Once again, I don't know what was going on. Maybe a lot of bots picked up something I wrote here (or in the previous post on 10 books that have stated with me (part 1)
Regardless of how these blog stats work (they all still don't really make sense to me LOL), March 2015 is definitely one of the most memorable months in my blogging history.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Monday, March 30, 2015
The Fox on Just Dance 2015
I stumbled upon this video on youtube. I think it's really silly but in a cool, funny and entertaining way, living up to the playful humor and spirit of the song itself.
video uploaded in youtube by AverageAsianDude
Where can I get a fox costume like this (including the swag gangsta coat and jewelry)? I'd love to perform dance this somewhere hahaha.
video uploaded in youtube by AverageAsianDude
Where can I get a fox costume like this (including the swag gangsta coat and jewelry)? I'd love to perform dance this somewhere hahaha.
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Juan Flavier's Legacy
This piece of news has been making its rounds recently. And why not? It's a wonderfully heartwarming true-to-life story about how good government can greatly improve the lives of people.
Juan Flavier was the Health Secretary back in the 1990s and under his leadership, the DOH launched Oplan Sagip Mata. Apparently, many Filipino children suffer from loss of vision but in a lot of cases, blindness can be prevented by proper medical care. One of the beneficiaries of this program was Sandra Magalang, a cross-eyed child from a poor family.
While we don't know whether or not she would have lost her sight given her situation, her eye problem was corrected and the assistance she got from DOH definitely made a significant impact in her life. So much so that during Flavier's wake late last year (sadly, he passed away on October 30, 2014), Sandra paid her last respects and left this note for Flavier's family:
To the family and loved ones of Dr. Flavier.
I apologize for writing at the back of this guest list, but this is the only way I can think of to convey my gratitude to your family and to Dr. Flavier.
My life was changed by his Oplan Sagip Mata almost 20 years ago, and thanks to this great man I was able to live differently despite being born cross-eyed and poor. Without him, I could not have achieved the honors I have achieved, and his health programs have helped me reach places I never thought I would. I even graduated summa cum laude from this university, and this is all thanks to your great father/grandfather/loved one.
Thank you, and my deepest condolences.
Sincerely,
Sandra Magalang, UP Diliman 2010, 2014
As it turned out, Sandra graduated salutatorian of UP Law last year 2014 and she placed third in the recently concluded Bar exams. Amazing! While Juan Flavier is no longer with us, his legacy lives on. He has definitely left an indelible mark in the lives of the many Filipinos.
Juan Flavier was the Health Secretary back in the 1990s and under his leadership, the DOH launched Oplan Sagip Mata. Apparently, many Filipino children suffer from loss of vision but in a lot of cases, blindness can be prevented by proper medical care. One of the beneficiaries of this program was Sandra Magalang, a cross-eyed child from a poor family.
While we don't know whether or not she would have lost her sight given her situation, her eye problem was corrected and the assistance she got from DOH definitely made a significant impact in her life. So much so that during Flavier's wake late last year (sadly, he passed away on October 30, 2014), Sandra paid her last respects and left this note for Flavier's family:
photo from www.interaksyon.com
To the family and loved ones of Dr. Flavier.
I apologize for writing at the back of this guest list, but this is the only way I can think of to convey my gratitude to your family and to Dr. Flavier.
My life was changed by his Oplan Sagip Mata almost 20 years ago, and thanks to this great man I was able to live differently despite being born cross-eyed and poor. Without him, I could not have achieved the honors I have achieved, and his health programs have helped me reach places I never thought I would. I even graduated summa cum laude from this university, and this is all thanks to your great father/grandfather/loved one.
Thank you, and my deepest condolences.
Sincerely,
Sandra Magalang, UP Diliman 2010, 2014
As it turned out, Sandra graduated salutatorian of UP Law last year 2014 and she placed third in the recently concluded Bar exams. Amazing! While Juan Flavier is no longer with us, his legacy lives on. He has definitely left an indelible mark in the lives of the many Filipinos.
photo from www.rappler.com
Saturday, March 28, 2015
The Village
No, not the movie by M Night Shyamalan. I'm talking about the board game. I played The Village for the first time recently. My friend Mike is a major board game fan who had been living abroad for many years already before returning to the Philippines late last year. He asked me to join him recently with a few of his other friends to play this game, which is apparently one of his curent favorites.
As is true with most other games, the objective of The Village is to end up with the most points. There is a whole variety of ways to score points, making for very interesting game play. It normally takes an hour to finish the game but the first time we played, it took us a bit (a lot?) longer as a few of us were still figuring out what the best strategy was to score as many points as possible. The key to a great game is that the actions of your opponents can trigger a change in your strategy and this is true for the Village as my approach was different each time I played it. Hopefully I get to play this game again in the near future and see if my learning curve will help me win the next time. :)
photo from boardgamegeek.com
As is true with most other games, the objective of The Village is to end up with the most points. There is a whole variety of ways to score points, making for very interesting game play. It normally takes an hour to finish the game but the first time we played, it took us a bit (a lot?) longer as a few of us were still figuring out what the best strategy was to score as many points as possible. The key to a great game is that the actions of your opponents can trigger a change in your strategy and this is true for the Village as my approach was different each time I played it. Hopefully I get to play this game again in the near future and see if my learning curve will help me win the next time. :)
Friday, March 27, 2015
Movie Watching
I got to see three movies in the last week. (Before I talk about them, though, I am a bit surprised at how expensive cinema tickets are now: Greenbelt 3 - P240, Glorietta 4 - P220, Megamall - P232. Up until 1-2 years ago, you could still find theaters that sold tickets at under P200; that no longer seems to be the case.)
Kingsman: The Secret Service
Based on the comic book series The Secret Service, Kingsman provides its viewers with an awesome combination of hip superhero-movie flair and old-school spy-film style. It's edgy and cheeky, paying homage to classic spy thrillers while throwing in enough modern-day twists and turns to make it entertainingly unpredictable. Colin Firth has the refined-gentleman role down pat but he is equally superb as a very physical, well-trained fighting machine. His co-star Taron Egerton has the right amount of diamond-in-the-ruff edginess and charm. The movie also gives us an uber-cool villain sidekick Gazelle (seriously, she is one of the absolute coolest movie villains I have seen in a long time!) and it also features Mark Hamill in the cast (he portrayed Luke Skywalker in the original Star Wars trilogy although I really didn't recognize him). Kingsman: The Secret Service has a lot of great action and is loads of fun.
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
This is actually a follow-up to the first film, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. That film was released in the US on the same day as the mega-blockbuster The Avengers so it flew under the radar. Its premise intrigued me so I got the DVD of that first film last year and I enjoyed it. The question is, how does this second one compare to the first? I actually thought The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel was better, making it a perfect sequel. Because the first film had already established the context, the characters and their dynamic, this second one was able to move forward at a faster pace without losing its heart. The acting remains superb, but that is to be expected from a cast that includes two-time Oscar awardee Maggie Smith and Oscar awardee Judi Dench. I do think that watching the first film will make you appreciate this second one a lot more, but that said, my friend Joyce and her friends watched only this sequel and they all still really enjoyed it. The ending is a bit too neatly tied together but hey, with all the bad news happening in the world, I can definitely do with more of these really nice happy endings. :)
Cinderella
This is the second Disney movie I've seen this year that is based on fairy tales (the first was of course the Into the Woods). I was sort of expecting a major twist in the plot of this Cinderella but there wasn't. That said, there were a whole lot of smaller differences and updates to the original storyline that strengthened the character development and made for a very interesting watch. The cinematography is beautiful and the costume design is topnotch. This is another feel-good movie that makes you smile, even if you do know things are going to turn out in the end.
Kingsman: The Secret Service
photo from www.comingsoon.net
Based on the comic book series The Secret Service, Kingsman provides its viewers with an awesome combination of hip superhero-movie flair and old-school spy-film style. It's edgy and cheeky, paying homage to classic spy thrillers while throwing in enough modern-day twists and turns to make it entertainingly unpredictable. Colin Firth has the refined-gentleman role down pat but he is equally superb as a very physical, well-trained fighting machine. His co-star Taron Egerton has the right amount of diamond-in-the-ruff edginess and charm. The movie also gives us an uber-cool villain sidekick Gazelle (seriously, she is one of the absolute coolest movie villains I have seen in a long time!) and it also features Mark Hamill in the cast (he portrayed Luke Skywalker in the original Star Wars trilogy although I really didn't recognize him). Kingsman: The Secret Service has a lot of great action and is loads of fun.
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
photo from www.fiordlandcinema.co.nz
This is actually a follow-up to the first film, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. That film was released in the US on the same day as the mega-blockbuster The Avengers so it flew under the radar. Its premise intrigued me so I got the DVD of that first film last year and I enjoyed it. The question is, how does this second one compare to the first? I actually thought The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel was better, making it a perfect sequel. Because the first film had already established the context, the characters and their dynamic, this second one was able to move forward at a faster pace without losing its heart. The acting remains superb, but that is to be expected from a cast that includes two-time Oscar awardee Maggie Smith and Oscar awardee Judi Dench. I do think that watching the first film will make you appreciate this second one a lot more, but that said, my friend Joyce and her friends watched only this sequel and they all still really enjoyed it. The ending is a bit too neatly tied together but hey, with all the bad news happening in the world, I can definitely do with more of these really nice happy endings. :)
Cinderella
photo from en.wikipedia.org
This is the second Disney movie I've seen this year that is based on fairy tales (the first was of course the Into the Woods). I was sort of expecting a major twist in the plot of this Cinderella but there wasn't. That said, there were a whole lot of smaller differences and updates to the original storyline that strengthened the character development and made for a very interesting watch. The cinematography is beautiful and the costume design is topnotch. This is another feel-good movie that makes you smile, even if you do know things are going to turn out in the end.
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Finale B from Rent
One of my favorite songs from any musical, and my favorite song from Rent. Finale B talks about how fleeting life is and reminds us that we need to live in the moment and appreciate what we have while we have it.
There's only us, there's only this
Forget regret or life is yours to miss
No other road, no other way
No day but today
video uploaded in youtube by LivetoRENT
There's only us, there's only this
Forget regret or life is yours to miss
No other road, no other way
No day but today
video uploaded in youtube by LivetoRENT
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Plane crashes in the French Alps
Tragic news. Germanwings flight 4U 9525 from Barcelona to Dusseldorf crashed in the French Alps yesterday. Sadly, it has been confirmed that there were no survivors. (A total of 150 people on board - 144 passengers and 6 crew members.)
My thoughts and prayers go out to all the victims of the crash as well as their families and loved ones.
Read more about this tragedy here.
My thoughts and prayers go out to all the victims of the crash as well as their families and loved ones.
Read more about this tragedy here.
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Va Bene Pasta Deli
I had been hearing about Va Bene, a little Italian place at the Petron station on Edsa corner Pasay Road, for a while now. When I saw Deal Grocer vouchers for this restaurant, I decided to buy a few. As such, I ended up visiting this restaurant three times in the last couple of months. (The good thing about the Petron station is that you can get your parking ticket validated by the establishment you visit, meaning you get free parking for the first two hours. The downside is that parking space is limited; it may take you a while to find an available slot.)
As a result of my three trips here, I got to try a few different items on the menu. The first one I had was the Pappardelle, which is a pasta dish with 12-hour braised lamb shank, Italian sausage, semi-dried tomatoes, and black olives (P460). I always enjoy braised or stewed meat and I love pasta so this was a good combination for me. The lamb was tender and the flavor of the sauce was good.
On my next visit, I tried the Organic Eggs Tagliatelle with portobello mushrooms, white wine cream sauce, and truffle oil (P440). I'm a huge fan of truffle oil so I was expecting to be blown away by this but it didn't quite live up to the hype. I thought it lacked salt. (Now that I think about it, I should have just asked for salt; maybe I would have enjoyed it a lot more). In my opinion, Cantinetta still has the best truffle pasta that I have tried.
Finally, I had the Nonna Gnocchi, which is potato pasta with Italian sausage, portobello mushrooms, prawns, and taleggio cheese (P480). This dish I loved for the most part. Ever since I search gnocchi in the internet because I kept on hearing it in Top Chef and other cooking shows, I've become a fan. This dish was rich and full of flavor and the prawns were perfectly cooked. I didn't really like the crumbled bits of sausage though. I though they were out of place and didn't really add anything to the dish.
Overall, I found Va Bene to be a good restaurant. The pasta noodles are fresh and very well-made (although for me, something about the noodles doesn't allow them to fully absorb the flavor of the sauces they are served with). The service is also excellent. While Va Bene is multi-awarded, I prefer a few other Italian places to it. That said, this is still a quality restaurant and I wouldn't mind eating here again.
Va Bene has two locations: Makati and BGC. (Note: there seem to be slight differences in the menu of these two restaurants. I think Nonna Gnocchi is not available in BGC. Check out the menus here.)
Va Bene Pasta Deli
http://www.vabenepastadeli.com/
Makati Branch
2nd Floor Petron Gas Station
EDSA Cor. Pasay Road
Dasmarinas, Makati City
BGC Branch
Cinema Level, 3rd Floor Bonifacio High Street Central Cinemas
Fort Bonifacio Global City (BGC)
Taguig City
Telephone: 02-5569442 / 2169879
Mobile: 09177225780
As a result of my three trips here, I got to try a few different items on the menu. The first one I had was the Pappardelle, which is a pasta dish with 12-hour braised lamb shank, Italian sausage, semi-dried tomatoes, and black olives (P460). I always enjoy braised or stewed meat and I love pasta so this was a good combination for me. The lamb was tender and the flavor of the sauce was good.
Pappardelle (P460)
On my next visit, I tried the Organic Eggs Tagliatelle with portobello mushrooms, white wine cream sauce, and truffle oil (P440). I'm a huge fan of truffle oil so I was expecting to be blown away by this but it didn't quite live up to the hype. I thought it lacked salt. (Now that I think about it, I should have just asked for salt; maybe I would have enjoyed it a lot more). In my opinion, Cantinetta still has the best truffle pasta that I have tried.
Organic Eggs Tagliatelle (P440)
Finally, I had the Nonna Gnocchi, which is potato pasta with Italian sausage, portobello mushrooms, prawns, and taleggio cheese (P480). This dish I loved for the most part. Ever since I search gnocchi in the internet because I kept on hearing it in Top Chef and other cooking shows, I've become a fan. This dish was rich and full of flavor and the prawns were perfectly cooked. I didn't really like the crumbled bits of sausage though. I though they were out of place and didn't really add anything to the dish.
Nonna Gnocchi (P480)
Overall, I found Va Bene to be a good restaurant. The pasta noodles are fresh and very well-made (although for me, something about the noodles doesn't allow them to fully absorb the flavor of the sauces they are served with). The service is also excellent. While Va Bene is multi-awarded, I prefer a few other Italian places to it. That said, this is still a quality restaurant and I wouldn't mind eating here again.
Va Bene has been recognized multiple times as one of the best restaurants in Manila.
Va Bene has two locations: Makati and BGC. (Note: there seem to be slight differences in the menu of these two restaurants. I think Nonna Gnocchi is not available in BGC. Check out the menus here.)
Va Bene Pasta Deli
http://www.vabenepastadeli.com/
Makati Branch
2nd Floor Petron Gas Station
EDSA Cor. Pasay Road
Dasmarinas, Makati City
BGC Branch
Cinema Level, 3rd Floor Bonifacio High Street Central Cinemas
Fort Bonifacio Global City (BGC)
Taguig City
Telephone: 02-5569442 / 2169879
Mobile: 09177225780
Monday, March 23, 2015
Indian Wells
Congratulations to Novak Djokovic and Simona Halep who took the men's and women's titles at Indian Wells, one of tennis' biggest events outside the majors and the year-end championships.
Both finals were three-set affairs. The men's championship match featured another battle between the world #1 Djokovic and #2 Roger Federer. Federer had been getting the better of Djokovic recently, winning 3 of their last 4 matches. Despite this, Novak repeated his achievement last year as he emerged victorious against Roger. On the women's side, Simona Halep overcame injury, personal tragedy, and a resurgent Jelena Jankovic to win. Halep's cousin committed suicide last week and she struggled through the grief while also battling a blister on her foot. Former #1 Jankovic was in fact up a set and a break and she served for the match at 5-4 in the 2nd set before Halep mounted her comeback. This is Simona's third title in 2015, the most of any player so far (granted of course we are only 3 months into the year and there's a whole lot more tennis to play).
The story of the tournament, however, is Serena Williams' first appearance in the draw since 2001, ending her 14-year boycott of the tournament. That year, Venus withdrew from her semifinal match against Serena at the last minute, and both Williams sisters were booed in the final with Serena playing and Venus watching in the stands. (Read more about this controversy here.) This year, it was Serena's turn to withdraw from her semifinal match against Simona Halep, but her departure from the tournament was met with supportive cheers from the crowd.
Rafa Nadal is still slowly working his way back into top form, making it to the quarterfinals before losing a very tough and close three-set match against world #6 Milos Raonic. The clay court season starts next month and hopefully Rafa can return to his winning ways by then.
Both finals were three-set affairs. The men's championship match featured another battle between the world #1 Djokovic and #2 Roger Federer. Federer had been getting the better of Djokovic recently, winning 3 of their last 4 matches. Despite this, Novak repeated his achievement last year as he emerged victorious against Roger. On the women's side, Simona Halep overcame injury, personal tragedy, and a resurgent Jelena Jankovic to win. Halep's cousin committed suicide last week and she struggled through the grief while also battling a blister on her foot. Former #1 Jankovic was in fact up a set and a break and she served for the match at 5-4 in the 2nd set before Halep mounted her comeback. This is Simona's third title in 2015, the most of any player so far (granted of course we are only 3 months into the year and there's a whole lot more tennis to play).
The story of the tournament, however, is Serena Williams' first appearance in the draw since 2001, ending her 14-year boycott of the tournament. That year, Venus withdrew from her semifinal match against Serena at the last minute, and both Williams sisters were booed in the final with Serena playing and Venus watching in the stands. (Read more about this controversy here.) This year, it was Serena's turn to withdraw from her semifinal match against Simona Halep, but her departure from the tournament was met with supportive cheers from the crowd.
Rafa Nadal is still slowly working his way back into top form, making it to the quarterfinals before losing a very tough and close three-set match against world #6 Milos Raonic. The clay court season starts next month and hopefully Rafa can return to his winning ways by then.
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Bizu Macaron Day: Macarons for Charity
I finally recovered from sore eyes and to celebrate, I spent most of Saturday out of the house. I watched a movie (I'll write about this later), met up with friends, and went to the mall. In the course of the day, I happened to pass by Bizu and I decided to buy coffee and one of their bread products since they apply a 30% discount to some of their baked goods towards the end of the day. As I made my purchase, the lady at the cashier handed me a free macaron, saying that it was Bizu Macaron Day. Cool!
She further explains that the proceeds of all macaron sales on that day will be donated to Virlanie Foundation. As such, despite having a free macaron already, I decided to get two more: Tainori, a macaron made of 64% Valrhona chocolate, with flavors of yellow fruit with earth tones of roasted almonds (P65) and the Lychee Rose (P55).
I think Bizu Macaron Day is a great idea and I love that it has a charity aspect to it. As I do enjoy macarons, maybe I will keep an eye out for this next year.
my free macaron
She further explains that the proceeds of all macaron sales on that day will be donated to Virlanie Foundation. As such, despite having a free macaron already, I decided to get two more: Tainori, a macaron made of 64% Valrhona chocolate, with flavors of yellow fruit with earth tones of roasted almonds (P65) and the Lychee Rose (P55).
Lychee Rose (left) and Tainori (right)
I think Bizu Macaron Day is a great idea and I love that it has a charity aspect to it. As I do enjoy macarons, maybe I will keep an eye out for this next year.
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Rest in peace, Tita Nelia
I received very sad news this week. My Tita Nelia passed away.
I found out that there was major trouble when I attended a family gathering a couple of weeks ago. As we were saying our goodbyes to each other, my mom and I got pulled into a brief discussion where we learned that Tita Nelia was already on life support in the US. (She was staying with her daughter who lives there now.) Then earlier this week, I got a text from my eldest cousin saying that Tita Nelia had unfortunately passed away.
The last time I saw her was during a family reunion in late August. I guess it's good that my last memory of her is a happy one. While it must be devastating for my cousin to have had to say goodbye to her mother much sooner than she would have wanted, I guess the positive side to this is that they were together until Tita Nelia's final moments on earth. My thoughts and prayers go out to her, and to my cousin Via.
I found out that there was major trouble when I attended a family gathering a couple of weeks ago. As we were saying our goodbyes to each other, my mom and I got pulled into a brief discussion where we learned that Tita Nelia was already on life support in the US. (She was staying with her daughter who lives there now.) Then earlier this week, I got a text from my eldest cousin saying that Tita Nelia had unfortunately passed away.
The last time I saw her was during a family reunion in late August. I guess it's good that my last memory of her is a happy one. While it must be devastating for my cousin to have had to say goodbye to her mother much sooner than she would have wanted, I guess the positive side to this is that they were together until Tita Nelia's final moments on earth. My thoughts and prayers go out to her, and to my cousin Via.
Eternal rest, grant unto Nelia Pobre, O Lord
and let perpetual light shine upon her.
May she rest in peace. Amen.
and let perpetual light shine upon her.
May she rest in peace. Amen.
Friday, March 20, 2015
Shredder
How many people do you know buy a shredder for personal use? Well, I did. I guess you could say that I'm being overly paranoid since I don't want to simply crumple old confidential documents and bills and toss them in the trash. I don't want to burn them either. So you can just imagine how much storage space is being used at home by all these pieces of paper that I don't need anymore.
I actually purchased a cheap shredder in Amazon.com early last year but it broke immediately upon my first use (what a lemon). As such, I decided to get another one at an office supply store. I purchased the Fellowes Powershred P-33 which was the smallest and cheapest one available. I don't really need anything more powerful than this.
While my new shredder can handle up to 8 sheets of paper at a time, the manual recommends shredding a maximum of 40 pages a day, probably so that the motor doesn't overheat or the cutter doesn't wear out too quickly. I've slowly been reducing my stash of bills and documents over the last few weeks. Here is the first batch that I've gone through:
It feels good finally getting rid of all those old papers. I still have a lot more old stuff to go through but I'm not in a rush. Needless to say, I am quite happy with my purchase. :)
I actually purchased a cheap shredder in Amazon.com early last year but it broke immediately upon my first use (what a lemon). As such, I decided to get another one at an office supply store. I purchased the Fellowes Powershred P-33 which was the smallest and cheapest one available. I don't really need anything more powerful than this.
photo from www.fellowes.com
While my new shredder can handle up to 8 sheets of paper at a time, the manual recommends shredding a maximum of 40 pages a day, probably so that the motor doesn't overheat or the cutter doesn't wear out too quickly. I've slowly been reducing my stash of bills and documents over the last few weeks. Here is the first batch that I've gone through:
It feels good finally getting rid of all those old papers. I still have a lot more old stuff to go through but I'm not in a rush. Needless to say, I am quite happy with my purchase. :)
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Backwards Piano Playing: Frozen medley
I came across this Frozen medley video on youtube. What caught my attention and truly impressed me was the fact that in the middle of this video, both Jason and Sara play the piano while facing backwards. That is so impressive!
video uploaded by Jason Lyle Black
The video author Jason has done this backwards piano playing thing before but now we also get to see his sister do it. Amazing! They are trying to get on Ellen so hopefully they make it.
video uploaded by Jason Lyle Black
The video author Jason has done this backwards piano playing thing before but now we also get to see his sister do it. Amazing! They are trying to get on Ellen so hopefully they make it.
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
10 books that have stayed with me (part 2)
This is Part 2 of my list of ten books that have stayed with me over the years. You can check out Part 1 here.
6. Animal Farm by George Orwell
It is said that power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely and this saying is clearly depicted in George Orwell's Animal Farm. The lead characters Snowball and Napoleon start out with a solid sense of what is right and are guided by a strong moral compass, but this virtue is compromised as they remain in positions of authority. This novel how easy it is to slip into darkness when people keep crossing that imaginary line that they said they would never cross.
Of all the books in my list, this is the one that disturbed me the most. It doesn't have a happy ending and seeing evil forces slowly start to prevail bothered me as I continued to read. Not only does Animal Farm show the negative overwhelming impact of political abuse but it also tackles how difficult it is for people to act against it. It is a brilliant reflection of political society and while the book is said to be based on the events leading up to the 1917 Russian Revolution, these concepts still hold true today.
7. Myth Adventures by Robert Linn Aspren
Technically, this shouldn't be counted because Myth Adventures is actually a fantasy fiction series. However, without realizing it at the time, I apparently read a compilation of the first few books of this series that were bound together and thought they were all just one book. The compilation actually belonged to my brother who suggested I read it. I did and I really enjoyed it. It's another one of those books (or, well, series in this case) that I reread quite soon after I finished. The characters are entertaining, the action is brisk, and the imagery is vivid. The writing is also very clever and funny as evidenced by its constant use of puns (the title is meant to sound like misadventures while the names of the dimensions and its inhabitants often make you chuckle.)
8. Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach
Once again, this was high school required reading that left an impression on me. It starts off with the key character, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, not being content with his life of competing for food and it uses flight as a symbol of achievement or the attainment of a higher purpose (now that I think about it, it is quite similar to Hope for the Flowers). This short novel highlights the importance of trying to push beyond our perceived limitations and how, through inspiration, learning from others with greater experience, and continued training, we can accomplish feats that we may have initially thought were impossible. As such, it's a pretty good book for young people to read.
9. Armadillo by William Boyd
Of all the books in my list of ten, this is the only one that I didn't really like. It's part of my list because of the circumstances surrounding my purchase of this book. Many years ago, I took a leisure trip to the UK. I met up with a couple of friends in Edinburgh and while there, we went to a bookstore. I had no plans to buy anything but since I was waiting for my friends, I randomly picked up a book and read the blurb at the back cover: a man was going through his normal daily routine but as he arrived at his first business appointment, he is shocked to see a hanged man. Upon reading that, I was like, whoa, what an interesting premise! I thought about getting that book but as I was at the tail-end of my trip, I had very little money left and my credit cards had already been maxed out. I decided to just get it when I was back in Manila instead. However, it somehow slipped my mind to take note of the name of that novel. Damn! I was kicking myself for that major mistake.
Some time later, I was out with my friends and we were hanging out in the mall waiting for our movie to start and I decided to quickly swing by the bookstore there. I once again randomly picked up a book and started reading the blurb. It went: "One winter's morning, Lorimer Black - young, good-looking, but with a somewhat troubled expression - goes to keep a perfectly routine business appointment and finds a hanged man." Holy crap! What are the odds that I would find that same book? Maybe it's name - Armadillo - sounded really interesting to me. Or maybe it's bright green color made it stand out from the rest of the books on the shelf. Whatever the case, I bought that book immediately. I read it soon after that and I thought it was just okay; in fact, I don't really remember what happens in it anymore. It is actually a number one bestseller which implies that a whole lot of other people think it's a good book so maybe I should read it again.
10. How to kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Another literary classic rounds out my list of ten books that have stayed with me. My English teacher in fourth year high school wanted someone to do an oral book review and I volunteered for it. Apparently, she was expecting that the volunteer to have already read the book and I hadn't. In fact, I didn't even have this book at home so I had to buy one at National Bookstore. I was happy that I volunteered for this task though since I would not have read it otherwise. To Kill a Mockingbird deals with racial inequality and injustice and it portrays the loss of innocence through exposure to these kinds of evil. This Pulitzer Prize-winning book was published in 1960, a time when segregation was still institutionalized in the US (it ended in 1964 through the passage of the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act of 1964).
*****
So that's my list. I will be the first to admit that it's not the coolest nor edgiest list, given that I read a lot of these back in high school and some of them were even required reading. :) Nevertheless I would still recommend these books (or, well, most of them) to anyone.
6. Animal Farm by George Orwell
photo from www.coverbrowser.com
It is said that power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely and this saying is clearly depicted in George Orwell's Animal Farm. The lead characters Snowball and Napoleon start out with a solid sense of what is right and are guided by a strong moral compass, but this virtue is compromised as they remain in positions of authority. This novel how easy it is to slip into darkness when people keep crossing that imaginary line that they said they would never cross.
Of all the books in my list, this is the one that disturbed me the most. It doesn't have a happy ending and seeing evil forces slowly start to prevail bothered me as I continued to read. Not only does Animal Farm show the negative overwhelming impact of political abuse but it also tackles how difficult it is for people to act against it. It is a brilliant reflection of political society and while the book is said to be based on the events leading up to the 1917 Russian Revolution, these concepts still hold true today.
7. Myth Adventures by Robert Linn Aspren
photo from www.paperbackswap.com
Technically, this shouldn't be counted because Myth Adventures is actually a fantasy fiction series. However, without realizing it at the time, I apparently read a compilation of the first few books of this series that were bound together and thought they were all just one book. The compilation actually belonged to my brother who suggested I read it. I did and I really enjoyed it. It's another one of those books (or, well, series in this case) that I reread quite soon after I finished. The characters are entertaining, the action is brisk, and the imagery is vivid. The writing is also very clever and funny as evidenced by its constant use of puns (the title is meant to sound like misadventures while the names of the dimensions and its inhabitants often make you chuckle.)
8. Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach
photo from en.wikipedia.org
Once again, this was high school required reading that left an impression on me. It starts off with the key character, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, not being content with his life of competing for food and it uses flight as a symbol of achievement or the attainment of a higher purpose (now that I think about it, it is quite similar to Hope for the Flowers). This short novel highlights the importance of trying to push beyond our perceived limitations and how, through inspiration, learning from others with greater experience, and continued training, we can accomplish feats that we may have initially thought were impossible. As such, it's a pretty good book for young people to read.
9. Armadillo by William Boyd
photo from www.fantasticfiction.co.uk
Of all the books in my list of ten, this is the only one that I didn't really like. It's part of my list because of the circumstances surrounding my purchase of this book. Many years ago, I took a leisure trip to the UK. I met up with a couple of friends in Edinburgh and while there, we went to a bookstore. I had no plans to buy anything but since I was waiting for my friends, I randomly picked up a book and read the blurb at the back cover: a man was going through his normal daily routine but as he arrived at his first business appointment, he is shocked to see a hanged man. Upon reading that, I was like, whoa, what an interesting premise! I thought about getting that book but as I was at the tail-end of my trip, I had very little money left and my credit cards had already been maxed out. I decided to just get it when I was back in Manila instead. However, it somehow slipped my mind to take note of the name of that novel. Damn! I was kicking myself for that major mistake.
Some time later, I was out with my friends and we were hanging out in the mall waiting for our movie to start and I decided to quickly swing by the bookstore there. I once again randomly picked up a book and started reading the blurb. It went: "One winter's morning, Lorimer Black - young, good-looking, but with a somewhat troubled expression - goes to keep a perfectly routine business appointment and finds a hanged man." Holy crap! What are the odds that I would find that same book? Maybe it's name - Armadillo - sounded really interesting to me. Or maybe it's bright green color made it stand out from the rest of the books on the shelf. Whatever the case, I bought that book immediately. I read it soon after that and I thought it was just okay; in fact, I don't really remember what happens in it anymore. It is actually a number one bestseller which implies that a whole lot of other people think it's a good book so maybe I should read it again.
10. How to kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
photo from en.wikipedia.org
Another literary classic rounds out my list of ten books that have stayed with me. My English teacher in fourth year high school wanted someone to do an oral book review and I volunteered for it. Apparently, she was expecting that the volunteer to have already read the book and I hadn't. In fact, I didn't even have this book at home so I had to buy one at National Bookstore. I was happy that I volunteered for this task though since I would not have read it otherwise. To Kill a Mockingbird deals with racial inequality and injustice and it portrays the loss of innocence through exposure to these kinds of evil. This Pulitzer Prize-winning book was published in 1960, a time when segregation was still institutionalized in the US (it ended in 1964 through the passage of the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act of 1964).
*****
So that's my list. I will be the first to admit that it's not the coolest nor edgiest list, given that I read a lot of these back in high school and some of them were even required reading. :) Nevertheless I would still recommend these books (or, well, most of them) to anyone.
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
10 books that have stayed with me (part 1)
Because of my recent desire to read more, I started thinking back to the books I've read throughout my life (I haven't really read a lot since high school). I remembered something that was making its rounds on social media last year: people were asked to list ten books that have stayed with them in some way. I thought to myself, have I read enough books in my life to compile a list of ten? So I started this exercise and I realized that I can actually put together my own list. I thought I'd share it here. (This is part 1 of 2.)
1. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
The Joy Luck Club was required reading for my high school batch and I'm glad it was because it is one of my favorite books. It shares the stories of eight Chinese women - four mother-daughter pairs - who live in the US. The novel is divided into 16 vignettes that tell the tale of each women as a child and as an adult. I love how these stories develop each character and provide incredible insight into their motivations, how they showcase Chinese and Chinese-American culture in a way that makes you understand, and how they interconnect with each other, making the whole greater than the sum of its individual parts.
You'd think that I wasn't the target audience of this novel, or any of the other guys in school for that matter, but it's such a beautifully written book that pretty much everyone in my batch loved it, gender notwithstanding. It's one of the few books that I wanted to read again immediately after I finished reading it (and I did). I recommended The Joy Luck Club to the rest of my family and they loved it as well. When the movie came out a few years later, a lot of folks from our batch went to see it.
2. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
This is a literary classic that would probably be in many people's list of 10 books that have stayed with them and it is one of the few books I have read more than once. What I love about The Little Prince is that it shares powerful and universal life lessons which are presented through very meaningful allegories. Its key messages about human relationships are so eloquently yet succinctly written that you will find lot of very quotable lines in the book, such as ""You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed" and the ever-popular "What is essential is invisible to the eye."
The Little Prince is the first book I read that wasn't The Hardy Boys or The Bobbsey Twins; I must have been fifth grade then. I read it a second time a few years later and I appreciated it even more. I now have an urge to reread this beautiful book; I reckon it will have an even greater impact to me now.
3. Hope for the Flowers by Trina Paulus
This is possibly the shortest book I've read, but its brevity doesn't take away any of its value. This allegorical novel tackles our desire to find the meaning of life and achieve self-actualization. It depicts how it can be so easy to blindly follow other people's paths without even knowing where they are going and how easy it can be to step on others to get to the top. In the end, Hope for the Flowers shows how fulfillment can come from finding your own way to reach the sky and how greatness can be accomplished at no one else's expense.
4. Windmills of the Gods by Sidney Sheldon
Reading all those amateur detective books as a kid probably piqued my interest in the suspense-thriller genre so when I got older, I moved on to books by Sidney Sheldon, Robert Ludlum, and Frederick Forsyth. The first of these that I read was Windmills of the Gods by Sidney Sheldon. What I remember most from this book was how blown away I was by the conclusion (I won't spoil it for you). I don't know if the ending will still be as shocking to people who read it now since we have become so used to complicated plot twists and turns over the years but at that time, everyone talked about that stunning ending.
5. Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby
I became a football fan and a massive Liverpool FC supporter in 2001 after visiting the UK in the midst of World Cup qualifying fever. A friend suggested that I read Fever Pitch as he thought I might like it and I did. While Fever Pitch talks about Nick Hornby's adoration of Arsenal (and not Liverpool), I could definitely relate to it as I have proven to be a crazy sports fan at times. This book is thoroughly entertaining as the author cleverly talks about different Arsenal matches he'd seen over the years in context of what was going on in his personal life at that time.
I will write about the remaining five books shortly in part 2.
1. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
photo from www.novelr.com
The Joy Luck Club was required reading for my high school batch and I'm glad it was because it is one of my favorite books. It shares the stories of eight Chinese women - four mother-daughter pairs - who live in the US. The novel is divided into 16 vignettes that tell the tale of each women as a child and as an adult. I love how these stories develop each character and provide incredible insight into their motivations, how they showcase Chinese and Chinese-American culture in a way that makes you understand, and how they interconnect with each other, making the whole greater than the sum of its individual parts.
You'd think that I wasn't the target audience of this novel, or any of the other guys in school for that matter, but it's such a beautifully written book that pretty much everyone in my batch loved it, gender notwithstanding. It's one of the few books that I wanted to read again immediately after I finished reading it (and I did). I recommended The Joy Luck Club to the rest of my family and they loved it as well. When the movie came out a few years later, a lot of folks from our batch went to see it.
2. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
photo from en.wikipedia.org
This is a literary classic that would probably be in many people's list of 10 books that have stayed with them and it is one of the few books I have read more than once. What I love about The Little Prince is that it shares powerful and universal life lessons which are presented through very meaningful allegories. Its key messages about human relationships are so eloquently yet succinctly written that you will find lot of very quotable lines in the book, such as ""You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed" and the ever-popular "What is essential is invisible to the eye."
The Little Prince is the first book I read that wasn't The Hardy Boys or The Bobbsey Twins; I must have been fifth grade then. I read it a second time a few years later and I appreciated it even more. I now have an urge to reread this beautiful book; I reckon it will have an even greater impact to me now.
3. Hope for the Flowers by Trina Paulus
photo from www.amazon.com
This is possibly the shortest book I've read, but its brevity doesn't take away any of its value. This allegorical novel tackles our desire to find the meaning of life and achieve self-actualization. It depicts how it can be so easy to blindly follow other people's paths without even knowing where they are going and how easy it can be to step on others to get to the top. In the end, Hope for the Flowers shows how fulfillment can come from finding your own way to reach the sky and how greatness can be accomplished at no one else's expense.
4. Windmills of the Gods by Sidney Sheldon
photo from www.goodreads.com
Reading all those amateur detective books as a kid probably piqued my interest in the suspense-thriller genre so when I got older, I moved on to books by Sidney Sheldon, Robert Ludlum, and Frederick Forsyth. The first of these that I read was Windmills of the Gods by Sidney Sheldon. What I remember most from this book was how blown away I was by the conclusion (I won't spoil it for you). I don't know if the ending will still be as shocking to people who read it now since we have become so used to complicated plot twists and turns over the years but at that time, everyone talked about that stunning ending.
5. Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby
I became a football fan and a massive Liverpool FC supporter in 2001 after visiting the UK in the midst of World Cup qualifying fever. A friend suggested that I read Fever Pitch as he thought I might like it and I did. While Fever Pitch talks about Nick Hornby's adoration of Arsenal (and not Liverpool), I could definitely relate to it as I have proven to be a crazy sports fan at times. This book is thoroughly entertaining as the author cleverly talks about different Arsenal matches he'd seen over the years in context of what was going on in his personal life at that time.
I will write about the remaining five books shortly in part 2.
Monday, March 16, 2015
Juliet, Naked
I spent a bit of time at the hospital earlier this year due to my stomach problems. I had to go there twice in two days, first so that I could get a medical prescription and undergo lab tests and and second so that my doctor could review the lab results. I knew from previous experience that the waiting time would be tremendously long. Normally, I would just go there with my ipod and listen to music while I waited. This time, however, I decided to read a book instead. As I went through my admittedly limited book collection at home, I realized that I had a book that my friend Michele and her husband Ferg gave me a while back that I hadn't read yet - Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby. Seeing this book in my shelf was kinda like finding buried treasure because I completely forgot that I had it. Excited, I took it with me to the hospital and read it while waiting. It actually made the waiting time pass by quickly because it's the kind of novel that holds your interest and makes you want to keep reading. I'm a pretty slow reader though so it took me a while to finish reading (I read a couple of hours a day for about 4-5 days spread over a few weeks).
Juliet, Naked is a really good book and it reminded me why Nick Hornby is one of my favorite authors. It's a light read, making it quite easy for me to pick up from where I left off even after a few days of not reading. I definitely related to its themes of music and fanaticism and it was also interesting to find out what the meaning of the title is (I won't spoil it for you). It is open-ended as I was left wondering what happened to the key characters once I had finished reading but the story does revolve around the intricacies of complicated relationship so having a neat and clean resolution wouldn't have been right. This was the first book I read after Selected stories of O Henry (not counting travel books) and it actually makes me want to read more
Juliet, Naked is a really good book and it reminded me why Nick Hornby is one of my favorite authors. It's a light read, making it quite easy for me to pick up from where I left off even after a few days of not reading. I definitely related to its themes of music and fanaticism and it was also interesting to find out what the meaning of the title is (I won't spoil it for you). It is open-ended as I was left wondering what happened to the key characters once I had finished reading but the story does revolve around the intricacies of complicated relationship so having a neat and clean resolution wouldn't have been right. This was the first book I read after Selected stories of O Henry (not counting travel books) and it actually makes me want to read more
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Michelle Obama dances on Ellen
This is cool. American First Lady Michelle Obama guested on Ellen to talk about her Let's Move campaign and she and Ellen perform the Gimme Five dance with some So you think you can dance All-stars. Check it out here (jump to 3:51 for the start of the dance):
video uploaded in youtube by TheEllenShow
video uploaded in youtube by TheEllenShow
Saturday, March 14, 2015
DLSU Lady Spikers settle for 2nd again
The DLSU Lady Spikers settle for second place for the second year in a row. losing once again to the Ateneo Lady Eagles.
Ateneo have been the clear frontrunners this season, being the defending champions, keeping last year's team intact (none of them graduated) and adding even more key players to their roster. However, La Salle did show signs that they may possibly challenge Ateneo for the trophy. While they didn't win against Ateneo during the eliminations, both games were very close and could have gone either way. In DLSU's do-or-die game against NU before the finals, Kim Fajardo seemed to be distributing the ball well and Cyd Demecillo seemed to be hitting the ball a lot more aggressively. I felt throughout this season that those two things need to happen for La Salle to score the upset and seeing them perform that way going into the finals was giving me hope.
Unfortunately, a terrible blow hit DLSU towards the end of that do-or-die game against NU. Team captain Ara Galang landed badly on her knee, resulting in serious injury. The diagnosis: torn ACL, MCL and medial meniscus and a big bone bruise. The seriousness of this injury meant that she would not be able to play against ADMU in the finals. In fact, it may take her up to 8 months to recover. (Such sad news, the Asian Games is in June and that would have been a great opportunity for her to play for the Philippines.)
Ara's absence meant that La Salle's firepower was now seriously compromised, what with her being the team's top scorer (and one of the top scorers of the entire league). The Lady Spikers fought valiantly and tried their best but it wasn't enough against a well-rounded and confident team led by 2-time MVP and 3-time top scorer Alyssa Valdez. (Check out Ai Ai de las Alas cheering the team up in an impromptu post-game meet-and-greet!)
Despite the second-place finish, it was still a very good season for La Salle who have now reached the finals for the sixth straight year. A couple of the younger players like Eli Soyud and Mary Joy Baron are showing a lot of promise. Hopefully they can do well again next year (and who knows, maybe they can even take it a step further in season 78). Thank you Lady Spikers!
THIS TEAM IS THE BEST TEAM!!! 💚💚💚 #ThankYouLadySpikers pic.twitter.com/ei1uxnMAtv
— #ThankYouLadySpikers (@VSG08) March 14, 2015
Ateneo have been the clear frontrunners this season, being the defending champions, keeping last year's team intact (none of them graduated) and adding even more key players to their roster. However, La Salle did show signs that they may possibly challenge Ateneo for the trophy. While they didn't win against Ateneo during the eliminations, both games were very close and could have gone either way. In DLSU's do-or-die game against NU before the finals, Kim Fajardo seemed to be distributing the ball well and Cyd Demecillo seemed to be hitting the ball a lot more aggressively. I felt throughout this season that those two things need to happen for La Salle to score the upset and seeing them perform that way going into the finals was giving me hope.
Unfortunately, a terrible blow hit DLSU towards the end of that do-or-die game against NU. Team captain Ara Galang landed badly on her knee, resulting in serious injury. The diagnosis: torn ACL, MCL and medial meniscus and a big bone bruise. The seriousness of this injury meant that she would not be able to play against ADMU in the finals. In fact, it may take her up to 8 months to recover. (Such sad news, the Asian Games is in June and that would have been a great opportunity for her to play for the Philippines.)
Ara's absence meant that La Salle's firepower was now seriously compromised, what with her being the team's top scorer (and one of the top scorers of the entire league). The Lady Spikers fought valiantly and tried their best but it wasn't enough against a well-rounded and confident team led by 2-time MVP and 3-time top scorer Alyssa Valdez. (Check out Ai Ai de las Alas cheering the team up in an impromptu post-game meet-and-greet!)
Lady Spikers with the Comedy Queen. pic.twitter.com/E53uzruYpU
— Volleygraphy.com (@Volleygraphy) March 14, 2015
It also didn't help DLSU that they were plagued with other injuries this year: Desiree Cheng suffered an MCL tear during the season, alternate setter Mika Esperenza had an ACL tear that kept her off the court even before the season started, and on game 1 of the finals, Camille Cruz suffered an ACL and LCL injury as well. This year has really not been good for DLSU. Not to say that La Salle would have won without these injuries - Ateneo would still have been the top seed and favorite to win - but it would have been nice to see both teams slug it out in the final with a full and healthy roster. (Side note: my favorite photos this season are that of Mika Reyes giving Camille Cruz a piggyback ride to the dugout after she injured her knee.)
Yeye carrying Camille to the changing room 😢😢😢 pic.twitter.com/sYBPY5MihJ
— DLSU Amphiturtle (@Amphigong) March 11, 2015
Sweet @mikareyesss pasan si @camilmilcruz .. :D
Photo by @kevindc20
#UAAP77Volleyball #ADMUvsDLSU pic.twitter.com/ma0VAmE08u
— kevin dela cruz (@kevindc20) March 11, 2015
Despite the second-place finish, it was still a very good season for La Salle who have now reached the finals for the sixth straight year. A couple of the younger players like Eli Soyud and Mary Joy Baron are showing a lot of promise. Hopefully they can do well again next year (and who knows, maybe they can even take it a step further in season 78). Thank you Lady Spikers!
Friday, March 13, 2015
Sick at home
What a bummer. It's the second time in the last three years that I am sick with conjunctivitis i.e. sore eyes. Similar to the last time I contracted this unfortunate disease, I have no idea where I picked it up. No one I know has it and I haven't really interacted with anyone with red eyes recently. I didn't even know that sore eyes was going around!
In any case, I have now been quarantined at home for the most part in the last few days. The last couple of times I had sore eyes, I was sick for two weeks but I am hoping that this time, I get well sooner than that. My eyes don't seem exceptionally to be red now (not like before) and they don't hurt as much so hopefully I will be okay by the weekend.
In any case, I have now been quarantined at home for the most part in the last few days. The last couple of times I had sore eyes, I was sick for two weeks but I am hoping that this time, I get well sooner than that. My eyes don't seem exceptionally to be red now (not like before) and they don't hurt as much so hopefully I will be okay by the weekend.
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Beautiful Samsung Ad
I saw this Samsung ad the other day and I think it's amazing. Samsung Turkey just launched their video call center so they can be of service to those who cannot hear. Check it out.
video uploaded in youtube by DigitalSynopsis.com
I know this is an ad and it was put together to boost sales of Samsung. Skeptics may even say that the people in the video are all actors. Who knows? But beyond the ad, the fact is that Samsung put together a service that helps deaf people. (I use the word deaf because apparently, according to wikipedia, the word "hearing-impaired" is viewed by the Deaf community as derogator). It's a great step forward and hopefully more companies can start thinking of similar ways ways to have an even greater positive impact to the communities to which they belong.
video uploaded in youtube by DigitalSynopsis.com
I know this is an ad and it was put together to boost sales of Samsung. Skeptics may even say that the people in the video are all actors. Who knows? But beyond the ad, the fact is that Samsung put together a service that helps deaf people. (I use the word deaf because apparently, according to wikipedia, the word "hearing-impaired" is viewed by the Deaf community as derogator). It's a great step forward and hopefully more companies can start thinking of similar ways ways to have an even greater positive impact to the communities to which they belong.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)