Pinoy Sounding Board » Blogging Issues

ShowbizRenegade.com Rocks with a New Header

elmot — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 06:52:19 +0000

My entertainment blog gets a new look; at least for its header.

If you have not visited my website Showbiz Renegade.com, you are surely missing half of your life. Just kidding.

Since I said that you are missing half your life if have not been there, I pretty sure that you have already visited it seconds ago and, you will notice that it has a new header. The header makes the over-al l look of the blog looks better.

When I started out this site, it does not have any header logo or design; plain gray background, making it quite boring and it looks like a splog.

I wanted it to have a great header; something that is simple yet elegant. A header that will tell the readers about the blog but something that will not overpower the whole site and take away the attention of visitors from the content.

And while I was contemplating on how to do it knowing my very little knowledge in web designing, lo’ and behold, my blogging buddy Fedhz offered to do the header for free, aside from giving me also a free taste of her heavenly polvoron.

The header was made by One Day Graphics according to Fedhz. My only instruction to her: a header which is simple yet elegant.

Viola, days after, I received four sets of header designs, wow! And I loved all four designs!

Check out the screenshot of my Showbiz Renegade:

The new header has given my blog a fresh look and more importantly a brand; imperative for all blogs I guess.

My thanks also to Jhong Medina for helping me out with coming up with a solid black background to make the header blend with the logo design.

So if you also need some tweaking on your blogs, approach these two bloggers and they will assist you all throughout.

Now, it seems that this post urges me to write about the importance of coming up with a blog header as my next post.

My New Year’s Blogging Resolutions

elmot — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 08:25:29 +0000

Happy New Year!

Wow, it has been a while since the last time I posted something on this blog. More than three weeks of no new post here seems like eternity to me.

The problem with getting lazy making a blog post I discovered is that laziness feeds itself: the more I feel lazy writing here, the longer and stronger it gets.

This blog still receives quite a good traffic despite not posting anything; but not too well for those who want to earn from their online milking cow.

I guess this boils down to making my New Year’s blogging resolution.

Before writing this, I was searching of whoever invented or started (whatever you call it), the making of a New Year’s resolution. I found none. And I am pretty sure, whoever he or she is, he or she has not fulfilled his or her own set of annual resolutions. Sounds like justifying my own failures, hehe…

Going back.

Here are some of my New Year’s resolutions for 2011 as a blogger.

1. I will try to improve my writing. During 2010 and as of this writing, with humility, I discovered that my writing style sucks. So don’t follow my example.

2. I will try to post regularly on all my 4 blogs, including this one.

3. I will be more diligent and hardworking on making money online by being a monthly 4-digit earner. Or even 5, hahaha! Hmmm, the smell of moolah. And that means, going back to my NY’s resolution #2.

4. I will try to get enough sleep. (This is against numbers 2 and 3!!!)

5. Put up another online milking cow. Mooo!

6. Don’t let all the scandal videos, celebrity news and crazy antics of Kris Aquino haunt me even on my dreams.

7. And last, fulfill all the New Year’s resolutions I listed last year as a blogger.

There you go.

Once again, Happy New Year folks. Expect more regular updates here starting today.

Off to you now.

I would be glad to hear your New Year’s resolution too…and some that are from the previous years, hehehehe!

Could Facebook Cartoon Character Photos Really Fight Violence Against Children?

elmot — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 08:37:34 +0000

Spiderman, Tweety Bird, Hello Kitty, Dragon Ball Z, Voltes 5, Care Bears and many more cartoon characters invaded Facebook most recently. And though these cartoon figures had more or less dominated the social networking giant, I instead changed my profile photo into Pierce Brosnan with the introduction, “I am Bond, short bond.”

Why? For no other profound reason. I just like James Bond.

The whole Facebook cartoon profile photo is actually part of the campaign against violence on children. Joining this campaign is all too easy. Take a look at the wide variety of available cartoon characters and then choose the one that you love most especially that one who went gaga during your childhood days. And viola, you have already helped the advocacy on against violence on children.

The advocacy I must say looks cute.

But there are some reactions to the whole advocacy of changing your profile photo on Facebook into cartoon characters. A good discussion of it could be found on the Facebook page of Br. Alex Diaz FSC when he said that it is ironic some cartoons that included on the Facebook campaign against violence on children are actually promoting violence.

The status message drew varied reactions but at the end of the discussion, the following points were outlined:

A good number of the cartoon characters/cartoons that we grew up with are promoting violence themselves, maybe not against children but the act of violence itself, like exploding bombs, falling pianos, etc.

These moments of violence are cloaked as part of the humour of the whole cartoon story line.

There are morals on the story of most cartoon characters despite the many depictions of violence on the storyline.

But violence is still violence no matter what.

This discussion could easily be labeled as a hopeless attempt to generate attention amidst the popularity of the online campaign, but for me personally, the discussion between cartoon characters, violence and campaign against violence on children carries a lot of weight and credence to the whole advocacy being promoted.

Distinctions should be made between fad/trend and advocacy. Others may have simply joined the whole advocacy because it is what everybody is up to, but their joining may not automatically reflect their personal advocacy on putting a stop on violence perpetrated against children. Being an advocate is not simply riding on the wave of what is hot rather a personal and institutional fight to win against things that degrade us as human beings.

The question therefore for us is: are we joining this whole thing because it is what is hot or because we are sincerely convinced of the advocacy and would passionately engage ourselves into it? Or both?

A good point that was raised on the quoted discussion is the issue of cartoon characters and cartoons promoting violence themselves. They may not be violence directly against children, but children themselves on watching such cartoon programs with violent episodes could be taught of violent actions implicitly.

My sons love to watch Dora the Explorer, Thomas and Friends and Sponge Bob. I have observed that when they watch Sponge Bob, they are more inclined to imitate some of the violent actions on the storyline compared to Dora and Thomas. There I see the importance of parental guidance over children when watching cartoons. Unfortunately, many children are not guided by their parents, and second, what is the use of cartoons intended for young kids when they are rated PG?

But there is also a good distinction between the advocacy of using cartoon characters on violence against children and cartoons actually containing violence. The former speaks of putting a stop on violence against children, of ending children as recipients of violence, while the latter is about children learning violence and learning to be perpetrators of violence. These two are important things, but for me personally, the second one is most crucial as children may not experience violence from external forces, but may become perpetrators of violence because of modelling.

Times News Feed posted that it is sceptical with the advocacy really making concrete actions. But the advocacy could also be simply an information campaign. Nonetheless, the scepticism is also quite valid.

I am personally not against this advocacy on Facebook. For me, it is one of the many million ways of protecting children by using the social media platform and is also an exercise of individual freedom of expression. But if freedom of expression is used on the context of an advocacy over a serious social issue, then it should be elevated to a higher set of valuing.

Discussions like these as regards to the campaign should not be dismissed as hopeless attempts of “attention grabbers” but as part of the crucial process of purifying the intentions of people on joining the advocacy. Discussions like this also contribute to the better understanding of the issue on violence against children and the collective effort to search for solutions that are not only “cute”.

You may ask me, then what are we to put?

How about our baby pics? That is an invitation to rediscovering the child in each one of us. Well, that is at least for me.

Any thoughts about this whole cartoon characters as profile pictures on Facebook, and its campaign against violence perpetrated on children?

Photo credit: Cartoons Jacuri

Biggest Losers on Strong Peso Against Dollars Include Bloggers

elmot — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 16:55:09 +0000

The past couple of months, we have seen the strengthening of the peso currency against the US dollars and this makes some sectors frown. From the 45-46 peso per dollar, it has now spiraled down to the 43 level.

Some of the sectors hit by this strengthening of the Philippine peso against the US dollar are the exporters, the OFWs and their families, call center agents and those people who earn online.

The strengthening of the peso may also bring in good news to some sectors and consumers especially in the utilities sectors that which our utility bills are also affected by the exchange rate. Same with the energy and petroleum sectors that are importing raw materials like crude oil and coal.

Unfortunately, with the Christmas season fast approaching, families of millions of OFWs, thousands of call center agents and workers in the export sectors like semi-conductor companies, have to reckon with the fact that a big chunk of their earnings if not their employment status are very much affected by this weakening of the US dollar.

A family for example that is receiving $1000 every month with the exchange rate of 46 = 1 receives P46,000 while at this present exchange rate of 43 = 1, they will only receive 43,000; that is 3,000 pesos less!

But other countries like China for example had made bold steps in order to keep their currency weak in order for their export sectors to continually post robust economic growth and lift the economy.

Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. of the Philippine Export Confederation Inc. thinks that the negatives effects of the strengthening of the peso far outweighs all other benefits as for him, “a strong peso equal a stagnant economy.” This may also send some exporters to close shop as they can only shoulder a threshold of currency exchange rate of 46-47.

And bloggers who make money online certainly know the negative side effects of this whole thing.

Do you think that the government should already interfere and weaken the peso for the benefit of the export sector, the OFWs and people that earns in dollars?

My 5-Digit Daily Earnings from Adsense

elmot — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:01:59 +0000

Adsense is one of the biggest money-makers for many bloggers out there and asking how much does one earn monthly from Adsense has been one of the most usual parts of the conversation between bloggers and all those who are interested to venture into this field.

The conversation of playing around the question fielded to you of how much do you earn monthly from Adsense is usually answered on this manner: by saying how many digits is reflected on your check — just three digit folks…four digit…ah, five digit actually.

Well, earning from Adsense is not a get-rich-quick-scheme. Just like any business ventures, one needs to be patient, consistent and open-minded to learn always.

One way of boosting one’s earnings in adsense and flaunt about it is by using the Google Adsense Generator where you can customize how much you want to appear that you have earned through hardwork. Grinning.

But as of this moment, this way of spoofing your friends and even making a campaign based on fraudulent claims through this site is now done, as I checked it, that the site is already down.

Too bad, I can’t flaunt anymore my 5-digit daily earnings from adsense, LOL!

July 2010 Nursing Board Exam Results Major Major SEO Challenge

elmot — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 07:46:27 +0000

The SEO battle is on for all those who are cashing on the board exams results and in particular the upcoming July 2010 Nursing Board Exams Results. So far, my articles are not yet appearing on the first pages of search engine pages, something that I already quite expected as the competition for this is major major high.

Only days from the now the board exam results will already by published by the Professional Regulations Commission and I am hoping that I could get even just a few cents from this, hehehe!

The last time I really made it on top of Everest is during the May 2010 CPA Board Exams wherein both of my posts for two separate blogs were on the second and third place on google’s first page. Well, I got an incomparable surge of traffic that Anne Curtis and her wardrobe malfunction surely felt envious about.

But there is one thing I discovered with doing search engine optimization for board exams results, and that is, they don’t bring in much cash.

I was thinking why. Well, my ads are well-placed but then again, despite the high traffic visitors don’t really do the clicking of my ads. Why? I think because they are looking after the results, their names and after finding it, they soon leave the site without clicking any ads feeling victorious and head to the nearest bar to party; while those who did not find their names were too restless thinking of overdosing with rat killer pellets too depressed to give me some love.

Why am I still joining this SEO challenge? Well, it gives the excitement to challenge myself into making myself see how far have I learned so far SEO on blogging.

So for all those into this major major SEO squabble for the top spot, best of luck! May the major major results make the cash register sound.

View results here: July 2010 Nursing Board Exam Results and Passers

Is This the Death of UFC Live Stream Keywords for SEO Enthusiasts?

Is This the Death of UFC Live Stream Keywords for SEO Enthusiasts?

elmot — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 04:03:49 +0000

All bloggers who are into search engine optimization know that the “UFC Live Stream” keywords are not only goldmine but for some of my blogging buddies, even call them as “diamonds.” For all obvious reasons, topping the search engine results for this keyword or even just landing on the first page will give you lots of “moolah”. That is why competition is high and fierce on this one.

But it seems that days are already over to using these keywords as the battle inside the octagon has reached the online world. UFC President Dana White is bent on running after all those sites that are running the live streaming of UFC fights by filing legal actions on unauthorized content.

UFC is thriving via pay-per-view with annual revenue for 2009 of around $349 million and it seems that it will even surpass that number this year.

Many sites that ran live streaming fights free of charge have been seized by federal authorities and had been shut down. An investigation for example by the US House Judiciary Committee revealed that there were around 271 illegal streams for the UFC 106 that garnered around 140,000 viewers; a big loss of revenue for UFC.

Dana White said of the piracy,

“When people start going to jail, people will stop doing it…It’s going to be a battle, man. It’s going to be a battle, but I’m ready to (expletive) fight. We’re gonna go after them, we’re gonna go after them hard, and we’re gonna hurt ‘em.”

UFC’s legal counsel is already looking at all legal options on how to run after these sites like issuing a subpoena to unearth the IP addresses and user information of people who downloaded the fights.

So the question is, is this the death of the UFC live stream keywords for SEO enthusiasts?

Worthy to take note of is the talks that happened among bloggers during the UFC 117 between Silva and Sonnen wherein only a few bloggers joined in the bandwagon of posting articles about UFC 117 Live Stream. Words on social networking sites from bloggers can be surmised that many were aversive about milking this fat cash cow.

But I think, SEO enthusiasts are surely finding more ways on how to go around this triangle choke, hehehehe!

So I am passing the question to you now guys. Is this the death of the UFC Live Stream keywords? How about any tricks or method to still work on this keyword as an SEO enthusiast that you could suggest without shouting a submission on federal authorities? Hehehe!

Image from Tekken Philippines

July 2010 Nursing Board Exam Results Major Major SEO Challenge

Make Money Online With LeadBolt; Leadbolt Review

elmot — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 02:44:15 +0000

One newest make money online machine that bloggers can utilize is LeadBolt in order to have additional streams of income aside from the regular Adsense, Chitika, Nuffnang, Infolinks and Bidvertiser. LeadBolt offers the new platform on making money online using content unlocker which gives publishers higher income compared to the usual system of page impressions and CTR.

What is LeadBolt?

LeadBolt uses content-unlocking technologies that are:

Fully customisable
Simple to add to your site
Skinnable to match your website look
Enterprise grade portal for management and reporting

Unlike other content unlocking make money online platforms, LeadBolt promises publishers of an easy to install and simple platform that would give higher payout. Applications are also approved in just a few minutes and one can immediately start making money out of web traffic.

LeadBolt’s Payment Schedule and Method

LeadBolt pays all publishers on a Net15 term which basically mean that publishers are “paid 15 days after the end of the current for last month earnings.”

Payout is at least $100 either via wire transfer or the more convenient Paypal.

What Types of Websites are Acceptable to LeadBolt?

All types of websites are accepted by LeadBolt. Publishers may either choose to put the content unlocker code or simply a banner ad on his site.

CPALead vs. LeadBolt, which is better?

LeadBolt uses the same platform as CPALead, unfortunately, many publishers got banned by CPALead because of its vague terms on use that immediately swoops down on accounts without really giving clear reasons or violations committed by its members. So far, I have already signed up to LeadBolt will be observing how this will work on my site and how much will it give me as extra money online. My review of LeadBolt here soon.

Sign-Up with Lead-Bolt!

So, do you want to make money online? Or increase what you are earning now? Or have been banned from CPALead? Well, LeadBolt is the answer for you folks.

Sign-up to LeadBolt here and start milking that cash cow.

Back to Blogging, Apologies and Looking for Jejebusters

elmot — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 06:40:16 +0000

Welcome back to my blog folks!

After succumbing to a blogging hiatus for weeks, Pinoy Sounding Board is back with a new look.

So first things first. Thanks to Jaypee and Jhay for helping me on the tweaking and upgrade of my blog; without them this blog of mine could have just been buried and forgotten under the gold and purple confetti from Staples Center. Man, my Boston was busted. If only Doc Rivers asked Larry Bird to play, they could have pulled it off. Enough now, next.

Second. Many people may have thought that I was so dead busy on lobbying to be one of President-elect Noynoy Aquino’s Presidential Security Guard that I could no longer afford to make a blog post here, so my sincerest apologies to all commenters and readers who were waiting for a very long time for their comments to be approved and been waiting to read a post here. Made already the necessary upgrade and tweaking of my blog, so everything is back to normal.

Third. Please bear with me as maybe you have observed that there are many messed up characters inside my blog post contents like this one on my Jejemon post:

I don’t exactly know why my blog post contained these kinds of messed up characters. Now I am crazily speculating that some jejemons got back at me, LOL!

Any idea guys what these messed up characters on my blog content are, why they are there are and how they are to be fixed? Any jejebusters to help me out? LOL!

There are two things running in my mind and as suggested to me by Jaypee: manually editing all my posts or using a plugin to change all this characters. But more than looking for a cure for this one, is the my need to know why my blog has all these crazy characters. Do you think Sarah Palin has something to do with this?

So that is it for now. Hope my blog will be in 100% great shape in the coming days, as I first fire Doc Rivers from the green squad.

A Damocles Sword on Bloggers; The Case of Ella Ganda Sued for Libel

elmot — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 04:36:53 +0000

The fight is heating up.Â Sec. Esperanza Cabral is just starting her vengeance.Â Yet blogger Ella Ganda is not bucking down.

It all started when Ella shared her grave concern over her blog on October 2009 about so many relief goods stagnated or the words she preferred to use was â€œrottingâ€ on a DSWD warehouse, the lack of volunteers and the inefficiency of the then DSWD Sec. Esperanza Cabral (now secretary of the Department of Health) on handling the relief operation of the government while millions of Filipinos are languishing over the fury of Typhoon Ondoy.Â But the secretary though also admitted that there was indeed an overflowing of relief good on their warehouse with even President Arroyo herself getting angry for seeing stagnated relief caravans in the Palace premises instead moving out to affected areas.

But as the present administration has made a great name out of itself being over allergic against public scrutiny and accountability, Cabral retaliated by saying that she and her department was gravely abused by Ella and defamed despite of their best efforts to work â€œaround the clockâ€.Â She then asked the legal department of DSWD to study the filing of libel case against the blogger; and most recently the National Bureau of Investigation filed a libel case against Ella Ganda in behalf of the Sec. Cabral.

Cabral certainly shamed herself and created a great disaster out of her move to run after a blogger who shared her sentiments and great concern as a responsible citizen during a time when thousands of fellow Filipinos were hungry, homeless, and helpless against the fury of an angered nature.

I can somewhat remember when a province in Taiwan(?) was hit by a strong typhoon while its administrator was having dinner at an expensive hotel celebrating an anniversary (brings back the memory of GMAâ€™s million-peso dinners).Â The disaster left many people homeless, with deaths recorded and the cry for accountability echoed from the hoarse voices of victims.Â The leader has lost face that he chose to resign from his post and literally bowed down on his knees to the people asking for their forgiveness for his inefficiency as a public servant during a time of disaster.

Unfortunately, Sec. Cabral has chosen the path to scourge people who are actively engaging in the democratic processes of the governance of our country, instead of being humble enough to admit that public good and welfare is far more superior than individual pride.Â She rather chose to cloth herself with a vindictive spirit and ran after those who speak of the truth for the sake of freedom, responsibility and accountability of public officials to its citizens, sending the obvious message that Â bloggers will not just walk away unpunished from bureaucrats – who will use the power of the state against its own people.

She may look stupid when this case is eventually heard in court, but who knows, when the court tilts to her side, this case will cause a legal precedent against all bloggers and social media users.

This move by Sec. Cabral is like hanging a Damocles sword on all bloggers and netizens who will attempt to raise inconvenient questions against public officials and scrutinize any moves of government agencies.Â Sec. Cabral, pissed off with the stir she caused, even called Ella with these words,

We do not deserve this demolition job that was started by some publicity hungry bimbo that is now being gleefully carried forward by all sorts of characters of dubious motivation and media outfits who have seen a chance to yet attack a government that they do not like.

Bloggers should therefore stand up as one and protect the inherent rights of everyone to freedom of expression, adherence to the truth and upright governance, and accountability of public servants to its people.

Only a state of dictatorship permits this brazen kind of bullying of a public official.

What is your opinion of Sec. Cabral filing and using the power of the government on filing charges against Ella Ganda?Â Any implications on blogging that you can see with this legal move by the government against a blogger?Â What should bloggers do as a response to this issue?

Pinoy Sounding Board » Blogging Issues

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