Starting anew

It’s been weeks since I last updated and thanks to a much better work schedule now, I finally found the time to write again.  Going back to blogging started with changing the blog design.  The old one was okay but it took more time to update because of images I had to prepare.   This new template I discovered is sleek, simple, and super easy to manage.  And it’s always inspiring to write when you have a new blog design, hehehe.  This is still a work in progress so expect changes in the future.

Not blogging for a while made me realize how important blogging has been to me in so many ways.  It’s  a surprise for me that until now, my post about my not-so-pleasant experience with Cebu Pacific’s online ticketing service still gets a number of comments.  It’s great to know my post has helped people and I intend to blog about it soon, sort of a follow-up to that experience.

Another thing that’s become quite clear to me is that for a blog to be successful, one really has to work on it.  It takes time, effort, and a considerable amount of thinking and planning for a blog to reached a certain level of success.  And really, there’s no such thing as an overnight success.  And right now I’m still currently learning along the way.  This quote sort of sums up what I feel should be one’s attitude towards blogging:

Nothing worthwhile comes easily.  Work, continuous work and hard work, is the only way to accomplish results that last. – Hamilton Holt

It’s great to start anew, to not remain sidetracked or derailed.  Because with all that’s happening in and around me, there’s really much to blog about.

Rest in peace, Master Rapper

Francis Magalona

(Photo by mela sogono)

As a tribute to the Master Rapper who went home to be with his Master and Lord, I’m reposting this article here which I originally wrote for the Yahoo! Philippines Answers blog.

Today is a sad day for the Philippine music industry. The King of Pinoy Rap, Francis “Kiko” Magalona has passed away today at around 12 noon (March 6). He was 44 years old. The sad news was announced by his friend, Vic Sotto in Eat Bulaga where a moment of silence from the viewers was observed in honor of Francis.

As most of you probably know, Francis was diagnosed with AML or Acute Myelogenous Leukemia with Mixed Lineage back in August of 2008. After that, he sought treatment at Medical City Hospital in Mandaluyong and underwent chemotherapy. Francis shared the details of his ordeal and requested for prayers from everyone in his blog, A Free Mind. He is survived by his wife, Pia and their eight children: Unna, Nicolo, Francis Jr., Elmo, Arkin, Clara, and actresses Maxene and Saab.

Also known as FrancisM, Master Rapper, and The Man From Manila, Francis is credited as the first Filipino rapper to successfully crossover to the mainstream through his nationalistic hit “Mga Kababayan” (My Countrymen). And aside from being a prominent rapper and song writer, he was also a producer, actor, TV host, VJ, director and photographer.

He is without a doubt the King of Pinoy Rap and his music will always serve as a reminder to all of us that we should not be ashamed of our color but be proud because we’re Pinoy. In his words, “Dapat lang malaman nyo, bilib ako sa kulay ko, ako ay Pilipino!” The Master Rapper has now gone home to be with his Master and Lord and he will be missed by all Filipinos. Rest in peace, bro!

SearchMonkey arrives in Southeast Asia

This was my post that got lost last week due to server problems.  It’s a week late but still blog-worthy, especially if you’re based in Southeast Asia.

After making much noise in different tech blogs  last year, Yahoo! SearchMonkey quietly launched in the Southeast Asia market last February 12, 2008, specifically in Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

In a nutshell, SearchMonkey basically opens up Yahoo! Search for users, developers and publishers to make search results more useful and visually more compelling.

Check out this before and after image:

BEFORE

SearchMonkey

AFTER

SearchMonkey

That’s just the tip of the iceberg, there are various SearchMonkey applications that transform your Yahoo! Search experience to provide you with highly relevant content and the best user experience at the same time.  In other words, it makes search fun, productive and exciting!  Check out these examples:

Play videos on the search results page: http://ph.search.yahoo.com/search?p=yodel+contest+video.

SearchMonkey

Add the latest Flickr photos to all Wikipedia results:

SearchMonkey

Go here (http://ph.gallery.search.yahoo.com/application?smid=JrLH) to add the application.

Show any geo-encoded Wikipedia content on a map:

SearchMonkey

Try it yourself by adding http://ph.gallery.search.yahoo.com/application?smid=2D1e.

It’s up to you how you wish to flavor your search experience.  And given that this is an open platform, there are so many ways this will grow and continue to improve, it just depends on how users, developers and publishers will build on it.  I can just imagine, being able to see what’s being tweeted about a keyword you’re searching for, or being able to see if a person you’re searching for is online and immediately chat with them.

Like I said, the possibilities are tremendous, and you can start experiencing it now by adding more SearchMonkey applications from this gallery: http://ph.gallery.search.yahoo.com.   You can also contribute apps by heading over to http://developer.yahoo.com/search/.

How to be a consistent blogger

Of course, this is obviously a question for me.  Just when I made it a resolution to blog more this year, I end up not blogging for more than a month.  Not that there’s nothing to blog about, it’s just that so many things can occupy your time that if one doesn’t really make time to blog, then inconsistency surely will follow.

So how does one become a consistent blogger?  The answer for me is found in this quote that I blogged about last year.  It’s from 19th century social reformer Jacob Riis and the team motto of the San Antonio Spurs:

“When nothing seems to help, I go look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not that blow that did it, but all that had gone before.”

More to come soon, both posts and changes to the blog. :)

Blessings of 2008, Resolutions for 2009

Thankful this 2008:

  • Saying “I do” to the love of my life.
  • Getting hired as Community Manager for Yahoo!
  • Relocating to Singapore, one of the best places to live in Asia.
  • Re-launching my blog.
  • Finding a home church here in SG.
  • Finding out I’ll be a daddy next year.
  • Keeping my job and having something to look forward to next year.
  • Spending the holidays with my family here in SG.

Resolutions for 2009:

  • Read more books.
  • Make my devotions more daily.
  • Pray more.
  • Blog more.
  • Budget wiser.
  • Launch two more blogs.
  • Drink more water.
  • Run more, seriously.
  • Make swimming a regular activity.
  • Travel to another country with my wife.

A happy and blessed New Year to everyone!  Welcome to 2009!