WANTED

Anyone who knows a Philippine based lolo or lola (60 year old and above only) using the Internet, please pm me :-)

Books

Am currently reading Coelho's The Winner Stands Alone but while visiting bookstores, I am tempted to buy something for the eyes and head. But enlightenment knocks fast and tells me that I should do it one page at a time. Here are some interesting volumes:

1. Para kay B by Ricky Lee
Subtitled Bakit Dinevastate ng pag ibig ang 4 out of 5 sa atin
Yes Sir Ricky masusulat ko din yung script.

2. The Fountain Head by Ayn Rand
Leng is reading this so it must be good.
Malalim lang so iniiwasan ko.

3. Bob Ong's latest book
The one that you can read while on the toilet.
Eto sobrang nakakatawa.

4. John Gokogwei biography
What do you expect the man donated the entire Ateneo JGSOM complex.

Sense is Possible - The Chico and Delamar Model

It is easy to put talking heads in radio booth and let them talk like mad til the KBP knocks on the studio or the listeners call the station. But to maintain a record of 13 long years of good radio programming across radio stations and generations is a feat.

Chico and Delamar of RX's The Morning Rush accomplishe just exactly like that - success and rarity in the tradition of smart and witty radio language adaptive to the now. When it comes to intelligent listening habit, C and D certainly offer the best in the menu. Some say that menu is served to the upper class but I argue radio is universal.

The show's Daily Top Ten and News at 17, obviously number dependent, keep the bar of listing interesting, funny and sometimes weird. Fluent in good English, C and D talk like your kick ass university language teacher - clear, concise and comfortable. There is air of knowledge and experience with every banter. There is attribution in important information and there is responsibility in maximizing radio as a medium. These I think make the show unique.

C and D are certified celebrities - both have been guesting in TV shows, she endorsing brands, he getting the extra attention. I think they still write a column in a broadsheet. The last time I check C's blog he is into photography and cats. I haven't check D's online diary.

What makes this show more pleasant is that it keeps sanity without losing audience and sense without losing credibility. The DJs are in their 30s already but they manage to pull the younger market at bay. I am not an religious listener but I can assure you there is no hint of self-praise in the show - a proof that security is tucked in over the years. She talks like she's fresh out of college and he talks like he's admitted to a fraternity.

I think a lot of radio listeners would agree that longevity wise, Chico and Delamar rule.

I tell you there is more to rush about in morning but Chico and Delamar make it sound like a good laughing journey! Keep monsterizing the radio!

The AMization of FM radio

Over the years, the delineation between AM and FM radios is identifiable in terms of language, programming, audience, personalities and stake holders. Recent happenings in radio broadcasting tends to blur these lines.

Traditionally, AM programs are news and public affairs oriented focusing on socio-ecoomic and political issues while FM programs are music and entertainment based. This is not the case anymore as digital technology, shift in listeners preferences and broadening market have influence the dynamics of Philippine radio.

Love Radio's Tambalang Balasubas at Balahura (tambalan is tandem in English, for the rest I will not attempt to translate) is a ripple in the changing airscape. Hosted by Nicole Hyala and Cristsuper, the show is broadcasted Monday to Friday, 8 am to 10 am in all Love Radio stations nationwide. Thanks to the Internet, podcast and satellite radio, Tambalan is also heard anywhere around the world. The show has a cult following and appeals to a broad range of audience coming mainly from the lower B, C and D markets. A new revolution in radio has begun and Tambalan is among if not the top flag raiser.

The DJs are now semi-celebrities endorsing brands and indirectly politicians, hosting events from corporate to wedding functions, and getting attention in public spaces.

Tambalan uses a generic recorded introduction all in Tagalog - a welcome development in FM radio which was previously dominated by English speaking disc jockeys. The mainstreaming of a more familiar language has demassified the FM stereotypes. As a result, Tambalan not only democraticized FM listening but has brought a new level of conversation.

Everyday, the tambalan answers question sent through text or social networking sites. The messages remain to be genuine as far as the production is concerned but they nevertheless mirror the mundane and everyday life experiences of the Filipino.

From seeking advices on how to win back a philandering husband to asking tips on how to dewart one's epidermis to confessing a dark secret, the Tambalan is always ready to answer questions with humour, laughter and sometimes a whip of sarcasm. Nicole's infectious laugh is a signature waiting for patent while Cristsuper's unique tone equalizes the tandem.

As FM radio personalities, she plays the role of colegiala and he represents the public transport driver - an equation and attempt to bringing taste (in this case listening pleasure) to a neutral level.

The fanbase is expanding, the advertisers are trusting and the banters are getting hilarious than ever. Tambalan indeed helped reengineer the way FM radios now operates - giving people the street approach to win the people in streets. As a result, Tambalan not only becomes a top morning program but has inspired a line of derivatives.

From the media ecologist's point of view, do we have an issue with Tambalan as a radio commodity, as a springboard to redefining jargons, or as a standard of new FM sound?

In my next blog:

13 years of Chico and Delamar's The Morning Rush over at RX Monster Radio
What makes this smart radio program really smart?

GLAMORING THE GLAMORED

When ProbeTV proFiles Hayden Kho, does it legitimize Kho's celebrity status or romanticize voyeurism as a form of social deviance? Digital escapade may be new but it reflects old Filipino neighborhood thriving in gossips over merienda or inuman. Sociologically speaking we created monsters that now smile (and earn) in front of the camera. But then again, we are all tsismoso at some point.

I do not think Probe can help save what Kho has destroyed from the onset. Boy Abunda hardly convinced nursing graduates to go back to RA Gapuz Review Center. Boy's radio plug saving Manny Villar only resonated allegations. It's another story when you see Boy in a billboard endorsing bottles of Joel Cruz but it all boils down to imagery and perceptions and money trail. Let us not talk about Manny Pacquiao for am going to throw up.

I miss my Mr Sev Sarmenta's communication management class and the sit downs in Prof Kenny's visual literacy and Ms Chua's Media and Social Change ... and yes still missing a thesis adviser.

Blink and Blank

Gladwell's copy says Blink, The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. My boss gave me this book along with many others! Tall's copy says Blank, The Power of Not Actually Thinking at All! The former invites us to unconsciously liberate our creative energy while the latter entices us to consciously consider laughing.

Randomness

1. The UN says the Philippines is top 5 maker of shabu worlwide. China, USA, Thailand, Taiwan and us. That puts us shamefully in the Group of 5. No wonder there is highness in the streets from Alabang to Fairview. And we have more than two dangerous drugs boards!

2. Teenage pregnancy is on the rise. We should really talk to them.

3. The circus is on – politicians throwing mud against each other; parading, cascading; gyrating; polluting. Ironically, the people like it.

4. No one is seemed to bother anymore with news of corruption in the government, not unless it is really surprising like Bureau of Customs personnel voluntarily submitting themselves to lie detector tests or attend spiritual renewal sessions in Antipolo. We have become as darn I forgot it says, desensitized to crookedness. Nothing is shocking anymore. To paraphrase Postman, civility has disappeared.

5. The young ones who should be making the groundwork to engender and inspire a brand new Filipino leadership are in a) call centers; b) prostitution dens c) sweat shops; d) visa queues in embassies and consulates; e) in front of the computer; f) conflict areas in Mindanao; and g) Wowowee and Eat Bulaga. Of all places, the last locations are the most dangerous.

6. Meanwhile the old ones are in government and private offices – laughing, counting the money, and planning the succession.

7. Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett left the entertainment world. Let's get over it people.

8. Ten out of the 12 movie houses in SM are showing Transformers 2. Isn’t that the biggest show of colonial mentality?
C’mon. Bakit Dilaw ang Gitna ng Bahaghari by Kidlat Tahimik was never shown in malls!

9. Semiotics – bakit hindi bagay ang pangalang Lawrence, Joaquin, Joshua, Enzo, Inigo sa mga batang maiitim at mahirap?

FOR SHE IS JESSICA

I strongly suggest that every Juan should read at least one essay or book of Jessica Zafra before the Philippines has its prime minister!

....below is kinda repost:

I was introduced to Zafra literature or the Zafra School of Angst sometime in 1996 in a Developmental Reading class. My teacher gave us Deadma 101 essay where Jessica dissected the origin and usage of the word, deadma. From then on, I was fascinated with her writing but it was until I transferred to another school in 1997 where I found a Twisted book in the library. I immediately checked out the book and read the pages the moment the library staff stamped out the returning date. I was so engrossed reading the pages that I was almost hit by a Dagupan jeepney.

I marketed Zafra to classmates, collegemates and some friends (which I think should earn me some fee from Anvil!). Suddenly we were suggesting to the Lib through the sign up slash request sheet that the college purchase more of her volumes . The admin said it is not in the priority list. Pity them because they have yet to appreciate one (if not the most read) modern Filipino essayist of the new generation but more pity to us because we are left to reading and re-reading Twisted 2. Yes, I even photocopied ten pages because the book was being enjoyed (overly) by an Engineering student.

I got my first personal Zafra book when I was already working. If I remember it right, it was 2001 when I found all the Twisted series line up in a shelf in National Bookstore. Being a certified kuripot (the Ilokano kuripot is a myth) I took two hundred pesos from my thin wallet and bought a copy. I think it is true that when you are passionate about something, you will give your heart and coins to it even without eating.

Jessica's writing is easy to read but sometimes you have to consult. I am also forced to revisit the martial law years and Elwood Perez films because it will be helpful to go along the Zafrastream. In case you don't find the definitions of some words, you have to google or at the very least, get the contextual meaning. It is hard to assume what a word in Zafra's essay really meant because pretention is not present in her kingdom.

Jessica says it straight, a spade is a spade although sometimes she has a way of telling things. Jessica is your language teacher who was never assigned by the dean.

She is also feisty and writes in perfect English grammar. At first, I skip the pages on tennis and odes to Sting but eventually I am waiting for the Wimbledon sked on cable. Jessica then is a neutralizer.

Whenever I have extra money for books, I will make it a point to buy a new Twisted or anything that Jessica writes. I also request (sometimes, demand) that friends give me a Twisted volume which is not yet on my library for my birthday. Honestly , I could finish a Jessica book in one sitting but I have never finish an entire chapter of the Bible. Pity me, indeed.

I remember one time while at Powerbooks and without any intention to purchase, I stumbled upon a new Twisted (dunno if it was 6 or 7). I immediately grabbed a copy, lined up and paid the tag. Aboard the bus on the way home, I was fortunate that I have 20 pesos left in my pocket to pay the ride or else walk from Megamall to Kamias. With books, I can travel where Jessica has been from Sundance to Australia.

Mining the momentum

Randomness

1. What a crazy day with Wi-fi mixing up.
2. What is data mining again?
3. I have to sustain this momentum! I like it.
4. I need a thesis adviser.
5. I need four more senior citizens who use the Internet.
6. I don't need a major revision of draft.
7. I want to watch Transformer 2.
8. I'd like to volunteer for the church's literacy program.

THE JEANS CEQUINA DNA

Her genetic profile is a puzzle even to CSI's Horatio Caine. At 40, Jeans is into dancing, singing, writing, Irish and Celtic music, painting, whistling, zipping and others. Her grocery cabinet is zero trans fat inventory. Her waistline is a marvel from 32 to 28 without going to the gym or to a surgeon. She is like that Curious Case of Benjamin Button except she is gracefully getting there.

She is still technically my first mentor (Master and Neophyte poem remember) - the one who murders my apostrophes and tenses in an already tense but happy office. Our Jamby days are forever - nine years and counting! When we get together, we tell the stories all over again and laugh all over again!

Last night was Jeans' tap dance recital in Meralco Theatre. The place smells like mahogany. It was my first time to watch a show in MT. Nice lobby where cocktails are good to hold. I have some Tsinoy friends but last night there were many of them in the house. I wonder how many pay right taxes or have legal papers or treat their helpers well and fair. But then again, I'm in Manila where everyone is legal as long as you have cabinets of legal tenders. Consider this my acid sarcasm.

The repertoire is crazy. There's a storytelling by a pas de trois with a guy who looks like the comedian Empoy in the beginning and Jesus Christ Superstar in the end. There are two portrayals of JCs in the musical. The storyline is heroism and there is no doubt that JC is the hero of all times but the way this recital was done, I would cling on my rosary.

There's a pas de deux with a voluptous female and healthy male dancing to good music to be interrupted by a group of hip hop dancers. And there's Buzzlight character piercing the story together. There are super humans who are captive of pirates. What an irony. There are two or three dancers with potentials. There is a small girl with great epaulment. The Spanish flamenco number was good.

If you wonder why I dare comment about dancing, call my office.

I am really proud of Jeans. She enjoys life to the fullest and propels zest for adventure like driving a Ferrari on the Sahara.

Save for Jeans' number which I truly enjoyed, I think the repertoire needed a serious discussion. And don't tell me it's just a recital. It is a recital and it's supposed to ignite creativity.

'Stop titillating nation'

FVR advices GMA to clear the shipyard or we sink.

CAN’T SAY CHIZ!

Rizal’s maxim that the Filipino youth is the hope of the fatherland is hyper with optimism. It is so positive it could light up the dimly Commonwealth Avenue.

If the young of the 80s and 90s indeed were the beacons of light for the nation, then what happened? Some say misguided sense of pride. Some say patronage and political dynasty. Some say miseducation (am not referring to the winner of the department’s annual pageant). Some say the young succumbs to factionalism. Some say it is the system that swallowed the young. There are really some.

Below are some of the personalities who I categorized into three types of public officials. This list is top of the head so if I miss someone you know, comment.

PERFORMED. These personalities have above average track record signifying ability to work sans camera flash. They are not perfect but their report cards show they have the guts to balance power and fame.

Miriam Defensor Santiago
Raul Roco
Juan Flavier
Bayani Fernando
Loren Legarda

HYPED. These personalities have shown minimal if not ignorable performances. What important piece of legislation the personalities below have done for the country? These are also known as overrated, underperformed surrogate children of mass media.

Chiz Escudero
Miguel Zubiri
Allan Peter Cayetano
Pia Cayetano
Mar Roxas

MOCKED. This category will be filled up to the brim. These personalities have blurred the line between serious and sassy, civil and convoluted, politics and sarcasm. They have brought circus live on national television. Interestingly, they worked (and still are) in television.

Ramon Revilla Sr.
Ramon Revilla Jr.
Robert Jaworksi
Tito Sotto
Joseph Estrada

AKO MISMO AND OTHER REFORMATIVE REFORMATS

When Adam gave in to Eve’s snap this apple request, corruption was born. Over time, we battle and still wonder how can people sleep at night when they steal the town’s money? We aspire then we realized conscience is only found in Safeguard TV commercials. We then accept, albeit with remorse, that this is the Philippines where the laws are only suggestions.

In our land, corruption seems to be tolerated or challenged when one does not get his share of the pie. Would Joey De Venecia cry out if he notched that NBN contract? Would Chavit Singson drop Erap like hot pan if the deals were done to the letters?

Corruption stings like a giant bee. When there is consent and worst conspiracy among the people, media, military, religious and the government, everyone will be sucked into the maelstrom of perpetual crisis. Which means we all end up “poor” even though we have money.

I saw the Ako Mismo TVC a couple of days ago. This is the ad which was first thought as Manny Pangilinan’s political bid for public office. The thinkers at Smart Telecom really know how to pull CSR, PR, Advertising, PSA in 30 seconders. And my Smart Bro USB runs like the snail in Manila Zoo. If my Ateneo diploma doesn’t bear Chair Pangilinan’s signature, don’t worry. Only Father Nebres signs. Hehe.

Ako Mismo (loosely translated I myself) speaks of change, volunteerism, hope and action and features personalities from politics, civil society, sports, entertainment and what haves. Cool. I hope it extends beyond the elections. There are similar initiatives launched before that encourages people to start within themselves – the one with Panjee Gonzales oh damn I forgot the name of the org which means it went down to the NAWASA pipes.

I hope the Ako Mismo faces on that TV spot will really, really walk the talk.

CLAPS FOR CESAR MONTANO

PGMA offered the Bohol Ambassador the position of film czar but the latter declined to concentrate on his gubernatorial run.

TO READ IS TO LIVE 1

I think these books are essential guides to voting in the May 2010 elections. No I think these volumes are what Pinoys should read seriously aside from the Bible, Constitution, health and weather advisories and utility bills. Produced by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ), these easy to reads have helped shape events in the Philippines 2000 to present.

If they were in Tagalog and accompanied by more illustrations, more Filipinos will likely buy and read these book and hopefully be informed, awaken and directed to the better choice. Why do you think Bob Ong books and its deratives sell like hotcakes? Handy pocketsize books? Yes. Affordable? Yes. Familiar? Yes. Conversational? Yes. Vernacular? Yes. Kick ass? Awesome yes.

Cockfight, Horserace and Boxing Match (Why Elections are Covered as Sport) is not a tourist guide to coliseums and arenas. This book illuminates the media’s coverage of election in the Philippines the way your sabong or beauty pageants are conducted. It illustrates the dynamics of how we all participate in the never-ending saga that we call democracy. Turn off your local TV, I tell you.

From Loren to Marimar outlines some of the defining moments of Philippine media in the 90s using two women names who figured well on local television during that time– Loren Legarda and Thalia aka Marimar. Surprising, insightful and objective, this book should be required in all high schools and colleges and everywhere where there is a proven ability to read.