peculiar paolo online - peculiarly in the know

N96 Finally Officially In Manila

2008-10-27T13:54:00.000+08:00

Looking forward to tonight's Philippines launch event for the Nokia N96. I'm really happy with my N95 in the first place and looking forward to upgrading to an N96 (not sure when, paging Smart!).

I'm really excited about the new features of the N96 (especially the digital tv part) and it's sleek new look (glad it's in black!). Really glad that Smart is also pushing for myTV's continued success! Anyway I hear the event tonight's going to be major. Coool.

This Phone Thing + Monocle's US Cabinet Dream Team

2008-10-13T21:53:00.000+08:00

So I'm supposed to get a new phone. My N95 isn't working perfectly, and right now, repair works may not be the smartest financial move. Better to get a new one. I'd like a Nokia N96 but there appears to be no official word about what's up with that. I hope my network provider does something about that soon.

The Nokia N96 is my instant / impulsive preference for a new phone; but my network service provider isn't in a position to give it away as a free phone right now - it's not yet on release as far as they're concerned. Which has left me in a position to meditate on the subject.

The question in my mind is one shared by many-a-people deliberating on what phone to get next - what phone would be the smart pick in an era of Google Android powered Phone vs. Windows Smartphone vs. Symbian Smartphone. The iPhone is not an option right now ("I'm a PC").

We don't have a version of the T-Mobile HTC pwoered G1 Phone (or any Google Android powered phone for that matter) - so that's out (although I would really really want one).I have an option with my network service provider to get an old version of an HTC Windows Smartphone - but it's an old model.

And OMG, the basic thought of synching / transfering my data makes me inclined to stick with Nokia. Plus with the N96 on the horizon - I'm really looking forward to the idea of having DTV available on my phone! Meantime, I really need a new working phone. I think I might get the N81 or N82. The N82 ads have been working for me anyway. Haha.

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I would like to have a Jawbone (the mobile phone device). And I really like the new ads that came out in the current US Details. Did you get wind of the "People will talk" ad that came out in August? It featured Amanda Lepore. Check out Adrants' article.

Anyway, the ads have been working, at least in my mind. Thinking ahead, the noise filter would be really handy.

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Did you see October 2008's Monocle? I love their take on what the next US Cabinet should look like. Check out the web article and then the print version. (Monocole is so cool like that; they know what works for print vs. online - the subject of a column in a previous issue by Tyler Brule actually.)

Kerry Degman's Blog

2008-10-12T22:39:00.001+08:00

It's been 3 months since I was here. Haha. Sorry guys. My focus is really elseswhere (work). Anyway, I just couldn't get over the fact that Kerry Degman is now "blogging". I love it. Belated Happy Birthday, Guy.

ST... Sean & Trussardi

2008-07-19T00:16:00.004+08:00

Two of my all time favorites - Sean O'Pry and Trussardi - have come together. Even though I haven't bought Trussardi since the immediate years after college (got started in my high school years); I still love the brand. And damn, this ad is pretty persuasive. Haha.

Cliff at Request

2008-07-18T23:56:00.001+08:00

Is he with Major or Request?

Two Things

2008-07-18T23:48:00.002+08:00

So brill. Centerpiece Concept "Two Things"

Two things from me - busy at work, focused on our hiring efforts

I want an Escalade

2008-06-23T01:21:00.001+08:00

It's so not PC to say such a thing in this day and age, but OMG I do want one.

Peculiarly Busy

2008-06-04T03:40:00.004+08:00

New fiscal year for the company. New things. Great things. :-D

Busy at the moment. Blogging is in the list of parked priority routines :-D

Will be blogging from the business blogs very soon though

Do You Like Eugen Bauder?

2008-05-08T22:38:00.002+08:00

I was delighted and surprised to see that Eugen has "debuted", in a fashion, as an "actor". This I learned from his LA Agency's Blog (Vision Models). Check out the video.

Ikea's Nap Hotel + Felipe Dylon + Monsieur Basa

2008-04-29T01:49:00.006+08:00

Hi everyone... I'm working on a new collaboration that I certainly hope will be the success we intend it to be. The viral youtube / google video called "esoteric agenda" is still a fresh topic with some peers and it's a great way to be distracted with important work. Now it's time to refresh and refocus. Back to work after blogging.

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I am absolutely loving Ikea's Nap Hotel. Check out the scoop from Springwise

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Wouldn't it be nice to take a nap with Brazilian pop heartthrob Felipe Dylon who isn't exactly a teenager anymore?

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And OMG, what is this thing about Monsieur Basa?
Viewpoint: The guy deserves a break. Whether this was or wasn't him; whether he's perfect or imperfect as a person - two things come to mind: # 1 - this video is part of a personal journey which is about making a living and living out a personal dream, # 2 - the video has, presumably given its viewers something to get off with (whether its about amusement, getting turned on or ridicule); tit-for-tat, the audience out there should let him carry on with dignity. Let him work! Support him! .... Fine, I admit it. I have a crush on him and am a fan I guess.

Smorgsboard

2008-04-27T23:00:00.017+08:00

I find it amusing that it took me one month to get around to blogging. The funny thing is that I want to blog at least every day. What's the hold up? Well, work and life for one. On the other hand, when I start making a valuation of what this blog means to me - I recognize its personal and professional meaning and value but I get caught up with the priority of living my life and fully experiencing it that I don't get around to the act of writing things down, describing and documenting experiences and things and people for myself and for this blog's audience.... But I digress.

***
So here's a rundown of things that's gone through my mind since March 28. I take note of things using the notes application of my N95 and by bookmarking webpages that caught my fancy. So here's a quick rundown.

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Some time back, I came across the work of young HK-based designer Karmuel Young. He takes a good amount of inspiration from Hedi Slimane. I look forward to hearing more about him. I hope we could collaborate sooner or later. You should check him out; start by reading his blog (currently featuring his euro-trip) inspired by HS' own fotolog. The clothes are gorgeous. Makes me want to be High School Skinny right now. The blog is at http://www.xanga.com/karmuelyoung

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I found an article on wallpaper.com about Legendary Graphic Designer Peter Saville's website. It's comprehensive. From essays to galleries to font downloads (fonts he made for the many albums he made for iconic bands like Joy Division). Check it out. http://www.btinternet.com/~comme6/saville/

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Can I just say - I really want to watch Skins. There's no way for us in Manila to see it yet (I will not resort to non-official copies). Last I heard, Americans were still petitioning Showtime to distribute it in NA.

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Mornings usually involve watching the always-fun-to-watch Bernard Lo on his morning show on Bloomberg Asia which airs from Hong Kong. Edward de Bono was a guest recently. I'm not really a follower of de Bono and got my first major passionate endorsement from a successful entrepreneur friend a few years back. The book he endorsed was "Six Thinking Hats"; interestingly enough, Lo and de Bono were talking about the book. Key points: Argument is extremely ineffecient. We don't pay enough mind to the thinking process. And de Bono's six thinking hats is a way for organizations / groups to unlock themselves from the bondage of inefficient planning / debates / arguments /brainstorming / decision-making / analysis. I'm certainly going to pick it up. Even though I haven't read it yet, I'd suggest you do too.

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I'm disappointed that Richard Quest now faces career uncertainty because of the meth / rope around the neck & genitals issue. I guess that explains the ability to manage all those hours and shows. Last I heard from the huffington post he was going to rehab. I really hope he bounces back. Business news coverage just won't be the same without him.

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Can I just say the Ovi framework from Nokia (which appears to me as mostly a marketing handle on the portfolio of technology and applications available from Nokia's 3G phones) looks promising. Cool website. Which reminds me of an interesting article that came out in February about why Nokia should consider buying Yahoo.

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I'm taken by Taken By Cars. Collaborating soon. Delight. Check it. http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=108940642
And omigosh. check out the PSFK coverage.

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Boy I've had some weird dreams lately. www.DreamMoods.com offers some instant perspective.

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Did you heard the buzz from DListed? Ashton Kutcher threw a 30th birthday bash at Socialista in Manhattan and one of the bartenders had hepatitis and glam guests like Madonna, Bruce Willis, Liv Tyler, Salma Hayek, Roberto Cavalli, Gwyneth, Lucy Liu & co were advised to take tests. OMG.

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Augh. I'm so crushing on Chace Crawford and have fantasies of how "dating" JC Chasez is sort of like a tween dream come true for him. Hahaha. OMG. And towleroad's article about a boys-only party? Perfect. Get your digs at http://www.towleroad.com

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Augh. I'm so digging Brazilian Edilson Nascimento right now. This is a photo from his TETU editorial / photographed by Greg Vaughan / grabbed from MadeInBrazil.com

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And Pink News has an update on that royal gay sex scandal (the newswires long ago reported that it's actually Vicount Linley / son of the late Princess Margaret). Check it. Poor guy was the target of a blackmail attempt. My my. Oh and on that point (British Royals and all), you might want to check out this documentary called "The Esoteric Agenda" which is going viral.

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The Contender Asia is so emotionally charged. And now that it's come to a close, I look back and take note of a contestant I was rooting for. UFC man Jon Koppenhaver. He's not my type; he just made a nice impression on me. But yea he's hot, yea? In that gentle brute kind of way.

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Can I just tell you that I have a crush on Mariah's choreographer Bryan Tanaka. So cute. Such a pro too. Check out his pro class.

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Tom Ford is on the current Prestige HK cover. He does it all. Tux. Tennis Clothes. Nude. Love it. Interesting soundbites like "the asian man might some more gentle than his american counterpart, but it's a different aesthetic, it's like the english always seem gay to the americans"; "what i love about the chinese is that this is a culture that has understood luxury for centuries and centuries and centuries". In fairness, Prestige, which is totally Asia-based, has had some nice scoops with luminaries like Ford and Lagerfeld. As for the photos of Ford and Janet, go to the website. www.prestigehk.com

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Good time for this segue --- I'm channeling my inner Karl Lagerfeld right now. More on that later. That + "peaking early" (inspired by my thoughts about Britney and Jamie Lynn) + a curious pipeline-caused flood on my street that inspired thoughts about global warming + my nth screening of "remains of the day" + "atonement" + my birthday + apollonian manila boys + chinese wine + daily things like my time at a biker bar.

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As always, please visit www.andrecalixto.com and www.natedaymusic.com

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Until then, lots of love from here.

Browser Mania

2008-03-28T16:39:00.003+08:00

For a while now, I've been a loyal firefox user but I must say that since Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 and Apple Safair for PC came out, I've been using all three and find myself becoming less dependent on Firefox.

I love Firefox because:

They introduced tabbed browsing
They introduced webicon based bookmark bars
Dragging images to a folder doesn't yield a confirmation question

I love Safari because:

The interface looks really nice
Images / Pages look nicer
Downloads super fast

I love Explorer because they took these companies' innovations and put it all together haha. To wit:

Tabbed Browsing + Quick Tabs (where one can see the tabs sorted out as thumbnails
Sleeker Interface design (compared to Mozilla and its former versions / other MS Apps)
Bookmark Bar that is folder based
Works fast with Windows Apps when clicking on hyperlinks from MS Office Applications

After having made Firefox my default broswer for some time, I have re-established Internet Explorer as my default browser. I alternate this with Firefox or Safari; Firefox for when I have to run some webapps, Safari for when I want to read through images/videos or download stuff. I'd compared the browsers side by side and found that the net-gains in sticking with IE are higher than for Firefox / Safari. Certainly, Firefox is a great experience - but Explorer has emulated a lot of the experience cues (and more - ie. Safari like Bookmark Brs) - and the clincher is - Windows just works faster with Explorer than Firefox. It's certaily true in my case. I will admit though, the browser speed story isn't quite the same when it's compared with Safari. Safari is genuinely faster, but my Norton Internet Security just won't work with Safari so I'm not confident about majorly browsing with Safari. It's an Apple Application running on a PC System so I'm not exactly getting that "Mac is immune" thing that Maccies talk about all the time. Certainly, at the moment, no one browser can have it all - and I'm surprised to find myself going back to Internet Explorer 7, really.

Whatever your browser may be ; I strongly recommend the use of Google Desktop. Search and therefore Productivity is faster and more streamlined in my personal experience. I think many of us greatly underestimate the significance of organizing information thoughtfully - and google allows us to fluidly organize our files so that we always find what we need (and do what we need to do) each time.

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Addendum. Sumner Redstone on Iconoclasts with Brian Grazer:

"If you want to succeed, you gotta take chances"

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Less than 48 hours till I turn 29...

Gratitude part 1

2008-03-25T01:19:00.003+08:00

Thank you Dear Readers for your continued visits to Peculiar Paolo. You make my corner of the world all the more inspired with your cyber visits :-) These are my top 40 feeder-countries:

The United States of America
Germany
The Philippines
The United Kingdom
Canada
France
South Korea
Spain
Italy
Brazil
Malaysia
Russia
Mexico
Singapore
Australia
Netherlands
Poland
Indonesia
Japan
Thailand
Belgium
Sweden
United Arab Emirates
Switzerland
Taiwan
Chile
Austria
Denmark
Argentina
India
Hong Kong
New Zealand
South Africa
Greece
Turkey
Czech Republic
Portugal
Finland
Peru
Norway

I know some of you - both from the real world and the e-world; to the rest of you who I have not met yet, I hope we can have a nice chat one of these days. Until then, cheers from here!

Fast Friends, Old Friends, Iconoclastic Friends, Lifelong Friends All

2008-03-24T22:33:00.006+08:00

It's 22:37 and I'm currently watching Iconoclasts (a Sundance Channel Original Production distributed in the Philippines through the Cable TV Network called Velvet); I was looking forward to this and had actually made an appointment on my outlook / devices for the screening. It's the episode where Tom Ford (one year after he quit Gucci Group) profiled Jeff Koons; last week I enjoyed watching Brian Grazer profile Sumner Redstone. What's interesting about the show is that the profiler and profilee are actually more like close / warm acquaintances than they are are close friends. I really love it that Tom chose to get around NYC with Jeff in a cab. So cool.

This episode got me thinking about some of my own "Iconocolastic Friendships"; meaning friendships that were developed fast, friendships that have seen a lot of shared time and experience - but not necessarily something that is very deeply or consistently engaged by either party. But also to me - it means friendship between iconoclasts, people who try to creatively make an impact.

As an entrepreneur dedicated to our enterprise, clients and stakeholders, I could really relate to the concept of an iconoclast within the context of me trying to gain market share in a very competitive creative industry (actually, industries, we're in several). This very interesting journey has meant that I shared some roads and time with some very interesting people, people like me who are deeply engaged by their life calling. Some of them I found at the pinnacle of their travels; some I found as they were trying to break through - like me.

For the record, I spend the greatest amount of time with the people I consider as my inner circle. They in my "inner circle" are: my business partner Kesler, my special partner Ivan, and my other colleagues at work Abhie and Apollo - there's also Alexei and my "adopted younger brother" Dash. There's Nate and Andre too. Then there are others of course many many others but some of our friendships are younger than others.

Certainly though, I've had my share of Iconoclastic Friendships; meaning people I run into now and then - bonded to me by a set of (usually) unique shared experiences. It may be years before we see each other after the last get-together, but we always instantly find a way back into "our routine / groove" when we do - as if we'd never been apart. I enjoy these peculiar friendships and find it most stimulating. Some of these iconoclastic friendships of mine actually are relationships with my exes and that's also very interesting. Two friends I used to live with (on separate occasions) make for some of my most important iconoclastic friendships too. Oh Jo, how I love to look back at our salad days living together; Oh Max, how I laugh at all the fun moments we had together. Oh and yes, I've had one friendship that screams Scarlett Johanson to Bill Murray in Lost in Translation. It was delicious, he was a Eurasian college student, I was a few months into my first job.

It's a few days to my birthday and I'm not getting sentimental but I did hit this poignant moment rather unexpectedly... Maybe one day, I'll get to profile one of my iconoclast friends on TV just like this show that inspired this article. Chances are, the first one I'd profile would be Max (good luck with your breakthrough opportunities On TV!). Meantime, I go to bed tonight grateful for the consequences of my choices and aspirations and even more grateful for the opportunity the morning brings.

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Addendum. Here are my quotes / thoughts of the day:

"It's a patriotic thing to do - to bake a cake."
- Martha Stewart on her TV show in the same episode where Tom Ford guested

"Where there is passion, there are no boundaries."
Simon Cheong, CEO SC Global Development in his current CNN Asia TVC for his developments

Talan

2008-03-23T18:45:00.006+08:00

Augh. This guy, Talan at PerfectGuyz, just makes you fall in love with him. He should just move to Manila / Southeast Asia and model here instead of doing porn; in any case, he's done us all a great favor showing off that gorgeous ...... He looks like he smells nice.

Special mention also to Devin at Sean Cody who I'm also loving. These Eurasian men are so fine.

ITSONAME Periodic Rings For My Birthday!

2008-03-23T04:45:00.002+08:00

I want 'em for my birthday haha. CP Luv has the story.

Broken Social Scene: Anthems For A 17 Year Old

2008-03-18T02:27:00.000+08:00

A little over a year ago, Nate pointed me to this trippy song from Broken Social Scene. It's still on my itunes / ipod active playlist.

Oh and hello... yes its been a while. Maybe I could finally get to posting daily. By the way the song was released around 2003; if you want to see it live, click here.

Yea! Smart myTV

2007-12-07T03:16:00.001+08:00

So I got a second cellphone. It's got Smart myTV. All I can say is - excellent :-)

The Art of Carrying

2007-12-03T03:20:00.001+08:00

Did you hear about what Jack Spade did in September 2007? They "took part" in NY Fashion Week and showed off their 2008 Spring Summer collection - sort of. You have to see the video to see what I mean. So funny, so viral, but I'm not sure it was wacky enough to really hit a crazy tipping point. But then again, judging by my impressions of the Jack Spade team - I don't think they really care. In any case, the videos are worth watching. So please do!

It was my darling friend K who initially turned me on to Jack Spade actually (this was when he gave a me a messenger / laptop bag - I'd since then followed up with a micro messenger bag slash man bag). The reason why I still like Jack Spade is that they're (up to now) consistently driven by the idea of making things that are functional and well designed - but not too basic nor too precious. Jack Spade is eccentric but well-paced, urban but well-balanced, simple but well-referenced. The brand personality works for me.

But I must say, I AM lusting for the LV 2007 Porte Document Geant. Augh. It'll be a while before I buy anyting for myself from LV in the short term. After all, Family and Christmas create a very distinct batch of priorities. I'm thinking of buying a Speedy bag for my mom this Christmas instead. Looks like a grandmom's everyday bag, but I feel that it's also strangely modern.

And, OMG, since we're on the subject. You know one of the things I really want for christmas is issue #52 of Visionaire. In case you aren't familiar with the project yet, Marc Jacobs was the guest editor and he worked with photographers Mert Alas & Marcus Piggot and in the process managed to get modeling heavyweights like Jamie Dornan and Evandro Soldati to post nude. Oh and the phrase "the art of carrying" was coined by Andy Spade's design director for his art school thesis. And on a final note, did you see the pics from backstage at D&G's 2008 Spring / Summer Men's show? Delicious.

Davey Wavey

2007-11-12T01:44:00.000+08:00

This guy Davey Wavey deserves some credit for his success with his talkie blog project. I wonder how far he can take it.

Can You Dig It?

2007-11-12T00:02:00.000+08:00

COACD points us to this peculiar video from Request Models VTR files....

Alex Pettyfer by Kai Z Feng

2007-11-11T19:07:00.001+08:00

Alex Pettyfer
Originally uploaded by Kai Z Feng Photography

You've probably seen this through net buzz; I just wanted to mention that I really love this photo.

Busy Working

2007-11-11T19:05:00.001+08:00

20070420129
Originally uploaded by peculiar paolo

Lots of things I want to write about though; putting them up soon :-)

Mi Gusto Nicholas D'Agosto

2007-10-26T08:49:00.000+08:00

Oh for Pete's sake. I'm so annoyed that I have a crush on an actor. I thought he might be like 19, but it turns out he's just a full year younger than me. I'm talking about the super lovely Nicholas D'Agosto who you might know to be the actor who plays "West", Claire's love interest in Season 2 of Heroes. Check out his IMDB and his Wiki. And OMG, aside from looking like he's 17 at age 27 - he graduated cum laude from his college and is related (apparently) to Owen & Luke Wilson. What's his beauty secret? Haha. Talbog my Shu Uemura! In any case. I think I like his eyes and smile. And the smooth skin is lovely. I somehow like the neck too (weird, I know). But ultimately, it boils down to one thing, when I saw this photo I realized --- I think I like him because he reminds me of Ivan. Jesus, that Robot pose, that cheeky Facial Expression, that hair, that skin couldn't be more Ivan. Haha. Sigh. Anubayan.

Reuters: Philly is Ugly, Fans Like That Dumbledore Is Gay

2007-10-23T08:21:00.000+08:00

Reuters tells us that Philly is, uhm, the ugliest place in The US. OMG. Check it.

AND they get a pulse on public reaction to JK Rowling's explanation on Dumbledore's background.