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The Delegation of the European Commission to the Philippines and the Philippine High School for the Arts in cooperation with the Los Banos National High School are calling on all high school students in Los Banos, Laguna to join “Europe Ko To”, an assemblage contest in line with the 2009 European Year of Creativity and Innovation and Europe Month May 2009 celebrations.

The artwork format is assemblage (a three dimensional artwork made of different materials put together to form one unified concept art piece or composition.). This contest is open to all Filipino students currently enrolled in public and private high schools in Los Banos, Laguna. The assemblage should be a result of a collaboration by a team of three students. Any other team composition is disqualified. The theme of this contest is “Unity in Diversity” in line with EU’s motto.

The team should submit their entries to any of the following schools by 30 March 2009: Philippine High School for the Arts and the Los Banos National High School.

The medium or materials to be used should be made of recycled materials, preferably those coming from the home and including from the community, like the following: tin cans, rubber slippers, bottles, cloth or textile materials, paper products such as papers, paper boards and boxes, plastic materials such as containers and old toys, metal pieces. Materials that deteriorate are not permitted.

The dimensions include: height – 16 inches including base, not smaller than 10 inches, weight – maximum of 20 kilos and cubic measure of 12 inches x 12 inches x 16 inches.

All entries should be accompanied by a short rationale explaining the concept of their entry piece. Rationale should be not more than five sentences with a maximum of 500 words.

Students also should attach the following information to their respective entries: name, address, contact landline and mobile phone numbers of the members of the team, the year and section of the members of the team, name of adviser, contact number of adviser, name of school.

The criteria for Judging are: relevance to the Theme – 40%; Durability & Stability – 20%; Aesthetic Significance and Uniqueness – 20% and Commercial Viability – 20%. The jury will be composed of artists and officials from the organisers.

All winning entries submitted for this contest will automatically be considered as shared property between the Delegation of the European Commission to the Philippines and it is understood that the winning entries will be displayed in the premises of the Delegation.

Five winners will be chosen and each will be awarded a trophy and a medal as well as special prizes from the Delegation. In addition, five finalists will be chosen and each will be awarded certificates. All the winning entries including finalists will be exhibited in a venue to be identified before the awarding ceremony. The awarding ceremony will be held during the latter part of May 2009. All winners will be notified by mail.

Further information: http://www.delphl.ec.europa.eu or (02) 8595124

Apparently, there’s something wrong with BayanDSL’s service – frequent disconnections, slow download and upload speed, service interruption, etc. Although we didn’t lose our Internet connection, connection is unstable and speed is comparable to a dial-up connection up to this minute. I guess we’re a bit lucky. Reading the Bayan Support forum, I discovered that a lot of subscribers lost their Internet connection since March 11 (?) and service was only restored last night. While writing this blog post, I’m downloading the latest episode of Grey’s Anatomy with a download speed of 15.5 KB/sec. Good luck.

The sluggish Internet connection didn’t stop me from working on my latest web project, Brink Notes Entertainment (BEDNetwork). Brink Notes Entertainment Daily is an entertainment magazine-type blog where one can get local and foreign Entertainment news. I will try my best to update the site at least once daily. My two other celebrity fan blogs, Toni Gonzaga and Kim Chiu Fan would get a makeover soon.

Oh, change is coming to this blog very soon!

I’ve been getting a couple of comments on my Pinoy Idol posts asking about the audition schedule for the second season of Pinoy Idol 2009.

First, let me ask this question. Where in the world is Gretchen Espina? I don’t watch GMA 7 much but the last time I saw her on TV was during the Pinoy Idol Finale. I did hear that she’s currently finishing her studies in UP Diliman. She’s in Fourth Year College now taking up European Languages. So, maybe I can stalk her in the campus? Kidding. I’ve heard about her concert with Ogie Alcasid, Ramiele Malubay and the other Idols last year too. Is her debut album under Sony BMG out already?

Anyway, let me answer the numerous comments asking for the audition schedule of Pinoy Idol Season II. Honestly, I don’t know. I don’t think there’s an audition schedule already. It seems that GMA 7 has no plans of producing the second season of the show. When the first season ended, it was so clear to me that there would be no second season of the show at least in the early future. The first season received so many negative comments and Idol finalists weren’t given enough exposure.

Philippine Daily Inquirer published an article last January 22, 2009 entitled, “Wherefore, Pinoy Idol?” The article reported:

“Wilma Galvante, GMA 7 senior vice president for Entertainment, had no news about a new edition of “Pinoy Idol” when asked during a press conference last week for the network’s show fare this year…. TV5 (formerly ABC 5) is reportedly prepared to snap up the franchise, should GMA 7 decide to pass up this year.”

Let’s see what happens next.

Let me join the bandwagon of bloggers who have blogged about the “Gary Granada vs. GMA Kapuso” audio recording. You can listen to the audio recording below:

Basically, GMA Kapuso Foundation commissioned Gary Granada to compose a jingle for a new campaign based on the lyrics provided by the said foundation. Mr. Granada revised the lyrics provided by the client (GMA Kapuso Foundation) by replacing a few words. Revision/s made on the original lyrics is/are subject for approval of the clien. Mr. Granada submitted his study; but it was then rejected. In the end, GMA 7 allegedly used Mr. Granada’s revised lyrics and allegedly based the final tune of the jingle on the musical structure on Granada’s study with no credit at all. On the other hand, GMA said through writing that the jingle was a collective work.

If indeed the jingle was a collective work, why was Mr. Granada not credited for the things he contributed?

In a typical school group project, even how small a member’s contribution was in the project the member would still get a credit in the end, right?

It’s hard to make conclusions here. Because yes, the audio recording (Mr. Granada’s side) is just one side of this whole hullabaloo. I don’t know if GMA 7 has stopped airing the said campaign. How GMA Kapuso Foundation would handle this is what we should watch for. As I’ve said, the audio recording is just one side of the issue although Mr. Granada has narrated that Atty. Dick Perez GMA has sent him a letter stating that he has no claim on the said jingle for it was a collective work.

In the same audio recording, Mr. Granada clearly stated that he is not claiming the jingle GMA Kapuso Foundation used for the campaign. What he is claiming is that GMA Kapuso Foundation wouldn’t come up with such a jingle if not for his study, which they allegedly abused.

“What is now [sic] stopping anyone from commissioning artists in general to make studies only to rejected them, make easily done modifications out of their hard work and pass them off as entirely new creations altogether,” stated Mr. Granada on the same audio recording.

Stealing, infringing or neither of the two it is clear that someone made a mistake somewhere. It’s just a matter of finding who made the mistake and holding that someone liable for his/her mistake.

Related Links

Composer cries foul vs TV Foundation (Inquirer Entertainment)
Gary Granada airs complaint vs. GMA Kapuso, the New Media way (Ang Kape Ni LaTtEX)
RP bloggers pick up on Gary Granada’s complaint (Inquirer.net Blog Addicts)
Gary Granada Versus GMA Kapuso (Filipino Voices)

Jeric's iPhone circa May 2008

My iPhone has been with me for almost a year now. Although the backside of my iPhone is full of scratches now, it’s still functioning well. It used to have the Best Skins Ever protective film for both sides. But after a few months, the film turned into yellow that I have to remove it. I have another set of Best Skins Ever but placing the film to the back side is really a tedious job. So I have decided to just put film on the front side (the touch screen) to avoid smudges, etc.

If there is/are thing/s that I hate about my iPhone, it would be the lack of flash support and the crappy camera that can’t even record videos.

My iPhone is the classic one (the one that can only support GPRS/EDGE). I don’t find the 3G feature of the new iPhone necessary for I don’t use mobile Internet that much. And even if I use mobile Internet, it’s either I’m checking my e-mail or checking my plurk account which doesn’t require that much bandwidth. In fact, whenever I’m not in the range of our home WiFi network, I always leech from different establishments. Since the iPhone 2.0 firmware came out, I didn’t have to jailbreak (or unlock) my iPhone for it can already detect Globe sim cards right away.

I love how you can maximize your iPhone’s resources by buying, downloading and installing applications you need and want through the App Store. I don’t have much applications installed on my iPhone. In fact, every application installed on my iPhone can be downloaded and installed for me. I’m such a cheapskate! The list of applications installed on my phone now includes ‘To Do’s’, ‘WeDict’, ‘Tris’, ‘Sudoku’, ‘FS5 Hockey’, ‘MazeFinger’, ‘Shazam’, ‘Facebook’, ‘WordPress’, ‘iTalk’, ‘fring’, ‘Files lite’, ‘Darkroom’, ‘iEasyCamera’, ‘Twitterific’, ‘Ustream’, and ‘Plurk’.

I’m not really a cellphone person. I only call and text people if it’s necessary. This cellphone is perfect for me for I want to check e-mail and browse the web even if I’m not home because there’s Twitter, Plurk and of course, school. In fact, some malls here in the metro are offering WiFi access throughout the establishment. Nothing beats shopping while surfing the Internet.

This phone is really dear to me. Despite being a careless owner by not putting protective film on the back side of the phone, this iPhone has been serving me well.

I’ve been out of the loop the past few days for I’ve been working nonstop on school related stuff. Although there’s still a lot more things to do for school, those things can wait until tomorrow or next week. Number one on my “to do” list is — participate in forum/online discussions, which I really don’t like. But, I love and enjoy school, really. I guess you’ve noticed how this blog has become inactive for weeks (or even months). I guess the reason for that semi-blog hiatus is obvious.

Actually, it is only this week that I’ve found time to watch a movie or two. I’ve seen two movies this week alone, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and W.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is one of the very few films that made me cry. I cried, really. Watching this film wasn’t really part of my plan until I’ve heard and read a lot of positive reviews about it. Well, I don’t regret watching the film. In fact, I loved it. Although the movie is a bit long than any other full-length film, this one didn’t bore me. The clock maker’s story at the beginning of the movie touched and moved me. Gateau, the clockmaker made a clock that intentionally runs backward in the hopes that it would bring back those who died (including his son) in World War I. If only we could turn back time.

The special effects used in the film were great especially the transition of Benjamin from being a baby boy with an appearance that of an 86 year old man to being an adult and back to being a baby. It is also fascinating that the story is being told in Benjamin’s point of view. In this way, the inner thoughts of the main character is also narrated and relayed to the audience. As with the cast, I can’t say anything but praises for they did a wonderful job in portraying their respective roles.

W.
W, on the other hand is fun movie to watch. No, it’s not a comedy film. It’s a film about the 43rd President of the United States of America, George W. Bush. The film showed how Bush goes from being an alcoholic bum to being the most powerful figure in the world. A friend was talking about this film a couple of nights ago. I was curious and decided to give this movie a shot. The movie didn’t disappoint at all. Why is it fun to watch? The cast is outstanding, really! Josh Brolin’s (the one who played the role of George W. Bush) performance is the bomb! It was like Tina Fey portraying Sarah Palin. There are many instances in the film that it felt like I’m watching the real George W. Bush, the real Condoleezza Rice, and others. I don’t know if this film would have a theatrical release here in the Philippines. But if you really want to watch the movie, I know you that you know where to score a copy (wink, wink). It is also in this film that you’ll learn where George W. Bush’s nickname, “Dubya” originated.

And those are the two films I’ve seen for this week. After writing this post, I think I need to go back and attend to the things I need to do (school-related or not). Finals would be on the last week of February so there are just too many things to submit in the coming days. But I can’t really focus on school stuff right for the news about Ugly Betty getting shelved is really bothering me. Why Ugly Betty? It’s the only show I watch on ABC aside from Grey’s Anatomy. Ugly Betty has been interrupted many times in the past. Please, please shelve / pre-empt any other show but Ugly Betty.

That’s all I’ve got for now. Stick around

Pelicóla.tv, dubbed as the first Internet television site in the Philippines will go online on Monday, January 19, 2009. Catch the premiere episodes of Alive at the Womb and Pelicola Insider this Monday just by accessing www.pelicola.tv.

I first knew about Pelicóla.tv through the free Pelicóla.tv bookmarks that were given if you buy something from Fully Booked. Out of curiosity, I checked out the site and was surprised on what I saw. It’s an Internet television site based here in the Philippines. Over at The After Mac blog, I learned that the people behind Pelicóla.tv use MacBooks and Mac Pros in editing their content. Great, isn’t?

On February 2009, Pelicóla.tv will launch Fully Booked Dialogue, a show that will feature books that are considered to be great reads. All episodes are shot (and will be shot) in various spots in Fully Booked. I would definitely watch out for this show for Fully Booked is one of the stores that I won’t miss when visiting malls.

One more thing I like about Pelicóla.tv (aside from the fact that it is made on a Mac) is that the quality of their videos is of broadcast quality. Despite the audio/video compression for faster web uploading and downloading, quality of the audio and video didn’t suffer. Their shows are definitely in high-definition quality.

So, don’t forget to point your browsers to Pelicóla.tv and see what they’ve got.

For those who took the UPCAT (University of the Philippines, College Admission Test) last August 2008, wait no more for the results of the UPCAT 2009 are now out. You can view the results are the official website of the UPCAT at http://upcat.up.edu.ph/results/. If you can’t access the site, please refresh or wait for a few moments.

UPCAT 2009 Results

The list of qualifiers would also be posted at the Office of Admissions, UP Diliman.

Congratulations to the UPCAT qualifiers!

Links:
UPCAT 2009 Results
UPCAT 2009 Results Mirror 1
UPCAT 2009 Results Mirror 2

I wrote this entry last December 21, 2008 when everything seems perfect. I was fine. I was happy. I was contented. But with the recent turn out of events, I don’t know. Something went wrong. I truly understand that things happen for a reason. But I’m still posting this for you to read. So, enjoy.

The year 2008 has been a wonderful and great year for me. It feels so good having accomplished almost all the goals I listed for 2008. In a few hours, we would be welcoming a new year. Despite the loud firecrackers being lit by my neighbors, let me pause for a while and thank God for this great year.

Thank you for I was able to accomplish the goals I have listed for 2008. I know that these goals aren’t big as compared to what others listed, but I am thankful for I know I can’t accomplish these things without you.

Thank you for my mom, my sisters and I spent more time together this year. It feels so good dining out together, doing the grocery together, chitchatting over a cup of coffee, and spending weekends or holidays out of town. I am thankful for the times where we would just seat on our small living room and catch up with each other until the wee hours of the day.

Thank you for I was able to meet great and wonderful people through blogging and through Plurk.  I was able to meet people whom I can now consider as my friends. Although we aren’t of the same age group, I am happy being with these wonderful people.

Thank you because my podcast, Brink Notes Podcast was a finalist for the Best Videocast/Podcast Category of the Philippine Blog Awards 2008. While my blog, My Boring Life… Now A Blog was nominated in two categories — Personal Category and Blogger’s Choice. Although I didn’t win any awards, it feels good that other people recognize your efforts.

Thank you for the people around me who I can turn to whenever I feel sad and happy. Thank you for they still listen to me although I’m just ranting about the pettiest thing in this world.

Thank you for the cute and simple things that make me happy.

Thank you because I am really happy with where I am right now. I’ve never been this happy before. I am happy with the things going on with my life. I am happy with I am doing. And I am happy for I feel so blessed right now with all the love coming from my friends, my family and everyone out there who supports me with everything I do.

Thank you because finally I feel contented with my life. Although I wish I could have done something more to reach out to others. I am happy. I am contented.

With everything that is happening with my life, I thank you. And someday I will understand why.