Youtube and the Olympics

I've been trying to view the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics in Youtube, but so far, it's been a frustrating exercise. It seems that IOC, BOCOG and NBC are right on their toes tracking every Youtube upload that is connected to the Games. Thus, on many of the search results that come up, I frequently see the message 'This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by a third party.'

This is the first time that the Olympics is held in the Youtube era, and it will indeed be a daunting challenge for the organizers to curb uploading of Olympic-related videos, view each one, see if it meets the allowed criteria and then ask for its removal if found violating the guidelines. As it were, clips showing a slideshow of photographs from the opening ceremonies and very short clips (around a minute) are allowed to remain in cyberspace. But often, you will see a link for a video uploaded only a few hours (or even minutes) before and its already deleted - that's how quick the response is. 

Well, this is just the first day of the Games. Youtube (and other video-sharing sites) fanatics will surely devise ways to circumvent the rules in the coming days. For one, naming and tagging an upload with name/tags remotely related to the Games would work, as it seems the organizers are focused on the most likely keywords that surfers would type in the search engines. But the problem with this is its very limited and slow propagation - you have to have a huge mailing list to inform as many people as possible about the upload and it would take several days before the viral impact of this approach will get results. Still, I guess that is slightly better than having your upload taken down within minutes, reaching a much limited audience.

Cinderella

As I earlier posted, we were scheduled to watch the first show of Cinderella today, July 29. While the first gala was scheduled the night of the same day, a matinee show was scheduled as a preview. We did watch the preview, and here's my take on it. 

The cast is great, the music lively and appropriate, the set and set changes are great, and the spoken dialogues are witty and up-to-date (the king's secret service tasked to find the girl who left the shoe, the I-love-your-ball repartee of one of the stepsisters, the fairy godmother's some-people-are-too-dumb line, and many more) make watching Cinderella at the CCP worth your while and cash.

Lea Salonga is, as always, superb. But I found her short stature distracting, particularly as most of the other people in the cast are mostly tall Caucasians. Indeed, when she first appeared, it didn't occur to me that it was Lea, that is, not until she spoke. I thought the girl on stage is just one of the cast, for my impression of her was that of a girl in her teens (and to think that some comments on Broadwayworld.com point out that Lea is too old for the role). Add to it the fact that the Prince, Christopher Rupert Vwindemier Vlandamier Carl Alexander Francois Reginald Lancelot Herman Gregory James, played by Peter Sadie, is rather tall. Lea has to look up every time they're together onstage (see Peter's audition video here and see for yourself how much their heights differ).

Speaking of Lea, I can't get out from my mind the word Repertory while I watched the show. It seems that Annie had grown to be Cinderella, and the latter staging is just a much better version of the Repertory productions in the past.  

Peter can sing and that is all there is. He looks tragically blank, either happy or unhappy. He and Lea may have chemistry together, but unfortunately, even that does not cover up for his lack of expression. They should thank the fairy godmother who is around, not only to do the magic, but to spice things up when scenes are tragically boring.

Set is great, though there are minor, but noticeable glitches (understandable, really, as that was the very first show). Lighting was magical in scenes where the godmother was using her powers, but not quite spectacular.  Perhaps I was just too fond of Disney, as I was half-expecting  Lea's costume from rags to the ball gown to be changed in full view - as in the animated movies.  I will not tell how they did it because that will spoil some of the fun. As for the music, it didn't touch me as much as songs from other musicals do. To be frank, only the Prince is Giving a Ball and the Impossible/It's Possible numbers remain in my mind just hours after watching it.

My verdict: Show is less grand and less touching than Saigon but it's still worth watching. 

Four Reasons Why Arroyo's 2008 SONA is the Worst

I just read the latest State of the Nation Address (SONA) of Mrs. Arroyo, and I can't believe the utter lack of substance and style. It is the epitome of a bad speech, especially because it is laden with bad transitions from English to Filipino and vice versa. Take a look.  

1. 'Because tough choices were made, kumikilos na ang bayan sa wakas (the nation is moving at last).'

The kumikilos (moving) translation is obviously misplaced, as the apparent intention is to say 'the nation is moving forward'. The words 'umaangat' (literally rising but can also mean getting better) or 'gumiginhawa' (getting better) would have meant exactly what she intended to say. Unless she meant that the nation is moving - to get her removed, perhaps?

   

2. 'We were retiring debts in great amounts, reducing the drag on our country’s development, habang namumuhunan sa taong bayan (while investing on the people).' 

Does she mean that the people are the drag in the country's development? I know, those are three separate things she was talking about, but it was unfortunate that she constructed the sentence that way, lumping investment on human resources with drag in the country's development. It just sounded wrong.

3. 'The result has been, on the one hand, ito ang nakasalba sa bayan (this saved the nation); and, on the other, more unpopularity for myself in the opinion polls.' 

The correct sentence should have been: The result has been, on the one hand, naisalba ang bayan (the nation was saved); and, on the other, more unpopularity for myself in the opinion polls.

The statement in its original form is especially confusing as there is no clear indication which of the preceding points was being referred to: the tough choices made, the shield around the country (Starwars?), the preparations made for the economic downturn (whatever these are?) or the wisdom of Congress (???).


4. 'Sinimula ng aking ama ang land reform noong 1963.'

Should have read 'sinimulan' as there is no sinimula word in Filipino.


Filipinos are unique in the English-speaking world because of our ability to shift from the local tongue to English without losing a beat. Speakers in other languages usually need to end the sentence before continuing in English. Not so for us. We can intersperse English and Filipino words without losing the intended meaning; and we can shift languages from phrase to phrase, as can be seen from the 2008 SONA. It therefore defies logic why the president failed miserably in this regard. She should have stuck with English.

Now I know why Arroyo is so unpopular - she can't communicate correctly what she really meant, especially in Filipino. It is not only her sneering, high-handed attitude that's alienating the masses, but her poor communication skills.

Read the full text of the SONA here.

Cinderella in CCP

Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Cinderella" will be staged at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, beginning July 29, 2008. Tony awardee Lea Salonga plays the lead role, with Australian stage actor Peter Saide as the Prince Charming.  The show promises to be a magical experience, with lively and enchanting characters, great songs and world-class production design. Produced By Broadway Asia, the Manila run is just the first stop of the musical in its Asian tour,  with staging scheduled in Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Korea.

We will watch tomorrow' opening show (not the gala though) , with wife and youngest son. We hope the show surpasses the unforgettable experience we had when we watched Lea in Miss Saigon. I'll be going to write more about the musical after we've seen it. 

Beat It

As mentioned in my profile, one of my favorite bands is the Fall Out Boy. I really don't know why I like their songs and style at my age, but what can I say, I found their music easy to listen to (although not all their songs, particularly the long-titled ones in their Under the Cork Tree album). Although I'm not diabetic, I guess I just want to listen to them shouting Sugar, we're going down... down...

I recently learned that the band issued another album, a follow-up to their highly successful Infinity on High album released last year. The album, with the unpronounceable title '****', was released April 8, 2008 and is the first ever live release of the group. On the odd title, bassist Pete Wentz has this to say, "It's pretty gross ... though it's edited as to not hurt your little munchkin ears. And as for how to say the name, well any little four letter word will work."

The first single out of the album, Beat It, is a cover of Michael Jackson's hit. The recently released music video features the band doing the classic dance beats of the song with added rock muscles. John Mayer joins the group in making this a great cover song.


You may watch the Youtube video here.

Applying for telecommuting jobs

Telecommuting jobs abound all over the Internet. Unfortunately, scammers are also plentiful, preying on unsuspecting victims trying to find a job. I still have to experience a real scam in my applications, as I normally would not reply to postings that give me some doubts from the start. It is for this reason that I haven't been victimized by MLM or networking scams in the past - I'm not the type who would grab at any money-making opportunity unless I'm convinced that it's legal and safe to do so.

But others may be easily tempted by the large fortune offered by some scammers. Work-at-home mom Rosalind Mays created a helpful article in HomeBiz Central comparing the actuation of real employers against the acts of those just who just wanted to get money from you. According to Mays, some of the ways to tell if your being scammed are:

1. Scammers post vague descriptions, including the catch-all phrase 'no experience necessary' to beguile as many people as possible. Real employers, on the other hand, will list the details of the job and requirements, as they need to make sure that applicants are suited for the job, especially as telecommuting work means that the hiree would work largely on his own and hence must be a professional and highly-disciplined person.

2. When a real employer responds to your email, it will usually ask for a resume, sample works and references while scammers ask for money to process the application or as payment for some step-by-step booklet that you will supposedly need to apply for the job.

3. When you are hired, real employers will contact you directly and ask you to sign contracts, request for your tax details and gives complete instructions on the work the hiree is expected to do. Scammers give vague instructions and some materials for your supposed work.

Read the full article here and be enlightened. It is particularly important for those using the Internet to find gigs, as anonymity is the rule in cyberspace. It really wouldn't hurt to be on the side of caution when you apply for telecommuting jobs.

10 dumbest job-interview moves

Here's an interesting - and funny- article on the ten dumbest and wackiest moves of applicants during interviews. Remember the acts and responses made by the applicants, so you won't also be bringing your mom to your job interview.

Advertise Your Job Hunting

I found this very novel way to make people aware that you need a job, and advertise your qualifications as well. I wonder if people here in the Philippines are ready for this method of finding a job. But it is true that the person sitting in front of you in the MRT or in the next table of a restaurant may just be the HR person wanting to hire someone with your qualifications. Who knows?

If someone is truly desperate, I think this idea is worth trying. The question is, are these T-shirts available in the country?

The Easy 10 Step Job Hunting Guide

Here's a helpful guide for you job hunters out there. A career counselor lists The Easy 10 Step Job Hunting Guide that will help you find, and win that dream job of yours. Briefly, the ten easy steps are:

Step 1: Get your head on straight
Step 2: Conduct a self-assessment
Step 3: Determine your job hunting objectives
Step 4: Prepare your career portfolio
Step 5: Organize a support group
Step 6: Identify target employers
Step 7: Apply for employment
Step 8: Interview for employment
Step 9: Accept or reject the offer
Step 10: Evaluate the process

Read the full article here. Note that each step has a rather lengthy explanation when you click the corresponding link.

Job Hunting Horror Stories

Everyone knows that job hunting is not fun. It's costly, tedious and tiring and you got to meet all sorts of prospective employers. But some people are less fortunate than most, and they got to experience really horrible things in their hunt for jobs. Read some of the most interesting job hunter horror stories here. Draw lessons from their mishaps so that you won't be traveling the same road they did.

Job Hunting Part 2

This is the second part of my job hunting experiences. Read the first part here.

I wrote a really touching generic cover letter, re-wrote it a little to cater to the specific requirements of the job poster (thus the line 'has excellent creative writing skills' became 'has excellent technical writing skills' in some versions while it turned into 'has excellent copywriting skills' in others). I sent out about 12 emails in a span of ten days and I was really elated to receive replies from eight prospective employers.
I promptly responded to each, careful to satisfy all the requirements being asked: sample clips or actual writing of articles in a given topic, resume (not attached but pasted into into the email itself), correct subject lines, etc.

From the eight, I got praises from seven and got accepted by five employers. Well, six actually, but I didn't like the arrogant way the sixth employer asked me to submit two articles within twelve hours from receipt (their first email stated that turn-around time is 1-2 days). I was quite pissed with that so when I submitted the articles within the time specified, I promptly told them what I felt. I told them it was a rather bad start and I would not care to write for their group.

The seventh prospective employer is altogether different. Their first email asked me to visit their website and I found it's a rather good prospect: they sell sports memorabilia and I'm supposed to write blurbs for their web pages. Unfortunately, sports writing is nowhere near my inclinations and I had to decline the work. But that did not end there. The employer asked me to reconsider, explaining that I don't have to be knowledgeable in sports to do the blurbs. I tried anyway but I just don't have it in me.

So now I'm left with five. Since I am fully employed, I had to carefully manage my time to be able to meet the deadlines for each work. After the initial assignments with two employers, I politely asked them to defer new assignments as I had to focus on prior commitments (which is true, as the remaining ones were the first writing jobs that I had been accepted to).

My very first assignment was writing test questions for a natural therapy school. It was the first response I got when I sent out my application emails and it was a much needed booster for my flagging spirit. The director was rather nice, gracious and generous with her praises. I passed their initial test - visiting their website and writing a few test questions from their home page and was accepted immediately thereafter. However, it took sometime before the first book from which I would lift the question arrived. So in the meantime, I kept on job hunting.

I don't know much about my second employer, except for his name and email address. I suppose he is a business process outsourcer providing content for websites mainly in the US. Our first interactions was quite informal and brief. Or much too brief I would say. His first email simply said 'Send me samples' and that's it. So I sent him a writing sample and pointed him to a link where a writing sample can be found. I also asked him to just assign a topic I would write about as a test but he wouldn't. Instead he gave me my first assignment, a 1,500 word article, divided into seven sub-topics, about a European city. I passed that test and was promptly given three more topics one after another. On the fifth assignment, I bothered to ask for payment terms (as I said our mail interactions are quite brief, consisting of one or two sentences only). I told him I wouldn't write further unless payment is arranged so he promptly paid me through Paypal.

The third work I have now is writing product descriptions for the website of an American firm doing business in China. They have thousands of products in their catalogs and only a few of these have descriptions. It seems a not-too-difficult job at first; I even told myself that making product descriptions would be easy. But it turned out it is not that easy after all. First, I only have the photos in their website on which to base the descriptions - no specs, no additional details given, except for a general guidelines on how to write the descriptions.

I'm therefore left to my own devices describing the products in the images. It is difficult because at times, it is not even clear what the items are, much more glean from the photos what these are made of. One has to be really creative to create product descriptions, for items one could barely identify. And it takes a lot of creativity making separate descriptions for items that are almost, if not indeed, similar. But after a week or so of writing, I found my rhythm and now I can do 30-50 per day, for an hour or two of work.

One more thing about this job is that no one reviews or edits the descriptions. Thus, when I submit a batch it is immediately on their website just a couple of hours later. It's a double-edged sword: it gives me some freedom but at the same time a great responsibility, as I had to ensure that my descriptions are error-free. Still, there may be errors out there, not glaring ones but errors nonetheless.

These are my initial experiences in my job-hunting and freelancing career which, incidentally, I just started a month ago. I'll write more about about new things I encounter in my freelancing career in this blog, and other subjects related to job-hunting and freelance writing.

I guess I found my topic at last.

Career Objectives, Anyone?

In looking for a job, you need to focus on your career objective: Why do you want a particular job? Is it merely to have a stable source of income or do you want to broaden your horizons? Is it just for your own satisfaction or is it because your family's future depends on getting that job? Whatever your reason, you have to clearly define your objective and include it in your resume whenever you apply for a job. Take it from me, I did it and I certainly got results in doing so.

I found this nice article on how to write a career objective here. It has great tips on how one may define his objective and discussions on how to clearly and correctly present it to prospective employers. If you're currently job-hunting, it would be to your advantage to follow the advice and get a sensible line or two in your resume that will touch the cold-hearted HR people out there.

Job Hunting

I know years before that there are writing opportunities in the internet. My former boss at one time encouraged me to submit articles to well-known publications that accept unsolicited contributions as a way to break into professional writing. I guess I didn't have the nerve before or I'm just too lazy to try. I'm also aware when the freelance writing industry started to grow a couple of years back and for some time, I kept track of its development. Still, I didn't venture into joining the bandwagon, secure and nonchalant that I am in having a good job. It is only recently when I finally decided to try it out, as general living conditions became more difficult with my take-home wages.

My so-called career plan then was to create and launch a blog, make a name for myself through it and then start a freelance writing career. I had it all ready by then: I'd set-up blogging accounts with Blogger.com and Yahoo and all I had to do was post that first blog entry. But I guess it just wasn't meant to be.

First problem I had was I don't know what to write about. I like music and music videos, movies, books and e-books, electronic gadgets, some sports, computers and all its related technologies, but I still did not have anything to write about. Or to put simply, I don't know which topic readers would find interesting. Thus, for months I waited for something I would care to write about or maybe what many would call divine inspiration. But sadly, it never came. Until today, at least.

Since I urgently need extra income to pay for home mortgage and college education of my eldest kid, I thus resorted to scanning the job postings in Craiglist and other internet sites for writing jobs. And luckily, I stumbled on some good leads.