Owner: Rising Sun URL:http://risingsun.dannyarao.com Join Date: Thu, 11 Oct 2007 03:55:31 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: This is my personal blog. I am a webmaster who teaches for a living and writes for existence. I am forever indebted to the Internet for having met my wife. Site statistics:Click here
9th Most Popular in Alexa’s `Journalists’ category! 2007-11-20 03:07:03
I’ve noticed a 40% improvement in the Alexa
global traffic rank of dannyarao.com compared to the previous month. From the global traffic rank of 660,773 last October, dannyarao.com’s global traffic rank as of November 20 is 397,466
However, the Philippine traffic rank of dannyarao.com dropped from 5,354 last October to 6,732 this month, or a 26% decline.
There is still reason to smile nevertheless as dannyarao.com is currently the 9th most popular website in Alexa’s “Journalists” category which has 425 websites. (Finally, I’m in the top 10!)
Analyzing the October and November data from Alexa, some websites of friends and organizations I deal with, as well as one school I attended, had a significant decline in their Alexa global traffic rankings - dlsu.edu.ph dropped by 6%; bulatlat.com, 1%; arkibongbayan.org, 2%; ibon.org, 15%; luisteodoro.com, 25%; and cmfr-phil.org, 18 percent.
On a positive note, I am happy that the following had significant impr
Another way of `monetizing’ your website 2007-11-19 03:32:41 Last November 17, I conducted a “Basic Newsletter Writing Workshop” for the officers of Optodev, Inc. The latter manufactures ophthalmic lenses and is directly under the Paris-based Essilor International.
I accepted the offer for two main reason. First, I was promised that the participants will only be limited to less than 15. Second, I was provided free transportation from my house in Marikina to its office located at the Laguna International Industrial Park (LIIP) in Biñan, Laguna and back.
Of course, I was compensated for accepting Optodev’s offer, but that’s not the point. In the spirit of transparency, I should also admit that the head of the Human Resource Department gave my bespectacled wife a pair of “transition lenses” for free. While I truly appreciate the warm reception I got from the people of Optodev, I did not look at the activity as just simply a money-making venture.
Believe me when I say that the main reason I accept speaking enga Read more:website
More work in December 2007-11-28 04:24:44
That’s me facilitating a journalism ethics workshop at the Taal Vista Hotel in Tagaytay City last November 8. I think this picture clearly reflects my preoccupation in the next few days.
Today (November 28) is the last day of the three-day writing and editing workshop I conducted for 15 officers of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).
What will keep me preoccupied in the next few days?
I will travel to Lucena City on December
2 (yes, a Sunday!) to speak at a regional journalism convention on two topics: Journalism Ethics and Column Writing.
On December 8 and 9 (Saturday and Sunday), I will then travel to Sorsogon to give two seminars at another regional journalism convention, this time on Online Publishing and Column Writing.
I apologize if, for security reasons, I cannot disclose the venue of these two out-of-town lectures.
Aside from these confirmed speaking engagements, there is a two-day writing workshop I am supposed to conduct within the second week of December for p
Pulitika ng transport strike 2007-11-27 21:14:59 N.B. - This was published in Vol. 6, No. 45 (November 28-December 4, 2007) of Pinoy Weekly (p. 5), the full text of which may also be retrieved from URL http://www.pinoyweekly.org/pw6-45/op_ed/ed-6_45_3.htm.
Madaling sisihin ang mga drayber ng dyip, bus at taksi sa kaguluhan sa mga lansangan.
Kilala sila sa kawalan ng respeto sa batas trapiko. Sa mata ng publiko, mistulan silang “may-ari ng lansangan” dahil sa kanilang asta. Kung saan-saan na lang sila nagbababa at kumukuha ng pasahero. Para silang hindi marunong gumamit ng “signal light” dahil sa basta-basta na lang – minsa pa nga’y biglaang – pagpunta sa kaliwa o kanang bahagi ng kalye. May mga pagkakataon pa ngang kahit ang mga hindi dapat daanan tulad ng bangketa ay nagiging kalye para sa kanila.
Sa ganitong konteksto sila madalas mapaaway sa kapwa tsuper at iba pang motorista. Marami tuloy nagsasabing sila ay dapat tanggalan ng lisensiya sa pagmamaneho dahil sa pagiging takaw-aksidente.
Ang ganitong negatibong imahe Read more:transport
, strike
Peso to reach 30 per dollar in 2009? 2007-11-27 03:45:40 The title of an Inquirer.net article today (November 27) says it all: “Peso seen reaching 38 per dollar in ‘08.” The article actually cites a projection by Banco de Oro-EPCI chief strategist Jonathan Ravelas who argues, “Strong OFW [overseas Filipino workers] remittances, along with portfolio flows, will help keep the currency on the stronger side.”
This projection is consistent with the currency forecasts of BNP-Paribas, one of the largest international banking networks. Please feel free to analyze the data below.
Click image to enlarge
From the data above, you will notice that even a big international banking network projects the peso to be pegged at P30 per US dollar by the fourth quarter of 2009.
With the exception of Hong Kong, there appears to be a general strengthening of the foreign currency exchange rate in other Asian economies until 2009.
Believe it or not, I fully support a strong peso. That’s not to say, however, that this is a sign of
Reading this article should bother all of us 2007-11-25 19:55:18
I invite you to read a recent article on Bulatlat titled “2 Missing UP Students Tortured, Raped Inside Military Camp” written by Dabet Castañeda.
If this doesn’t bother you in any way, I’m sorry to say that there is something wrong with you. Even the most apathetic lot should feel something after reading this.
Thank you for your attention. Read more:Reading
Announcements for my November 29 and 30 classes 2007-11-25 18:10:31 November
29 (Thursday)
J 117 (Online Journalism): You already have an idea of how we analyze the readings. Taking this into account, we will continue our discussion of IT. The three assigned readings will still be used as main references.
J 122 (Publication Design and Layout): We will continue the discussion of the design and layout of the magazines assigned to you. Members of Group 1 should be ready to present their report.
November 30 (Friday)
J 109 (Writing for Popular Audiences): Until there is official announcement that classes are suspended on November 30, please assume that we will meet to discuss the definition and characteristics of technical writing. Please be prepared.
By the way, I am scheduled to conduct a writing and editing workshop for selected officials and staff of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) from November 26 to 28 (Monday to Wednesday) at the University Hotel. I will be at my office only after 5 p.m. for three consecutive days starting today (Novem
Of a tattered flag and another contest 2007-11-25 22:03:47
I took this photograph using my wife’s Nokia 6288 last November 18 (Sunday). Joy and I just stepped out of a newly opened restaurant along Adriatico Street (Manila) and we noticed this tattered Philippine flag displayed - accidentally and not proudly, I think - by a barber shop just in front of the restaurant where we ate.
I don’t mean to wax poetic (I’ve given up on poetry a long time ago), but don’t you think the tattered Philippine flag symbolizes the state of the nation? I doubt if this was done on purpose by the owners of the barber shop. One can surmise that the tattered flag only resulted from the owners’ oversight or laziness.
The barber shop’s display of a tattered Philippine flag is, I think, very much unlike an optical shop at the UP Shopping Center which, as of November 24 (Saturday), has a Philippine flag displayed on its door, with the red field on the left side (observer’s vantage point upon entering the shop) signifying a state
Congratulations to Hecky, Mara and Cepheus 2007-11-22 04:33:11 As promised in my post last November 13 titled “Win a book by giving the best answer,” I would like to announce the three winners of our mini-contest. Each of them will get a copy of a media monitoring guidebook I recently co-authored.
Congratulations
to Hecky Villanueva, Mara and Cepheus Quiñones.
Please find below the answers they gave to the hypothetical situation I presented.
Hecky Villanueva’s answer:
Romy and Judith Miranda face a decision that will affect their lives for years to come. The consequences are multidimensional as it will have implications on their professional careers and reputations, source of livelihood, and future actions.Judith Miranda should have first talked things over with her father and made the appropriate disclosures when requesting interviews at Lifeline. Her father then could have prepared for any contingency including the threat of a firing. Proper disclosure of identity and affiliation is also important in a process that necessit
Analyzing `Rosas ng Digma’ and `Ang Tugon’ 2007-12-04 00:13:13 If you’re an activist, you might have already heard of the album Rosas ng Digma (loose translation: “Rose of War”) by Musikang Bayan which was launched in 2001. I also can’t blame you if the songs in the album are among your favorites. The songs have, after all, a progressive take on love and relationship.
Even if I think I don’t deserve to be called an activist, I am somewhat hooked on listening to these songs every now and then. Suffice it to say that the entire album is in my MP4 player. My personal favorites are I Could Have Said, Sa Duyan ng Digma, Kahit Kailan, Rosas ng Digma and Ang Tugon (in that particular order).
But just how progressive is it? I discussed in one of my classes that the songs are good, but not good enough to pass the highest standards of ideological, political and organizational correctness.
Upon visiting the Philippine Revolution Web Central (PRWC), a website maintained by the information bureau of the Communist Party of the Phi Read more:Analyzing
Position paper on Senate bills amending the Shield Law 2007-12-03 03:11:00 N.B. - This is my short paper
presented at a forum titled “In Session: Legislations in the 14th Congress” on December 3, 2007 at the conference room of Balay Kalinaw, University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman. The Third World Studies Center (TWSC) organized the forum, the third and last installment of a three-part Policy Dialogue Series 2007: The Academe Meets the New Legislature.
My short presentation is just an update of a position paper I submitted to the Office of Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr. early this year regarding his proposal to amend Sec. 1 of Republic Act No. 53, also known as the Shield
Law.
As the invitation of the Third World Studies Center (TWSC) came a little late, I did not have time to visit the bills and index divisions of both the Senate
and the House of Representatives. To prepare for this presentation, I only made a quick perusal of the website of the Philippine Senate a few hours before this forum. I apologize in advance if I do not have info
Call for Papers: Philippine Journalism Review 2007-11-29 03:20:10 N.B. - We will be very happy to publish your research on journalism, subject to the refereeing process. Our friends in the academe who need a refereed publication for promotion or tenure may also be interested in this. Please help disseminate this call for papers. Thank you very much.
PHILIPPINE JOURNALISM REVIEW
The CMFR Refereed Journal
CALL FOR PAPERS
This is a call for papers, as well as commentary and book, video, online and film reviews for publication in the June 2008 issue of The Philippine
Journalism Review.
The Philippine Journalism Review is the refereed journal of the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR). It is the only refereed journal in Southeast Asia devoted to journalism concerns and issues, and is at this time published annually.
The Review is not affiliated with any academic institution but includes in its Board of Advisers members of the faculties of journalism of the University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University, the University of Santo
Taking the struggle on the Net 2007-11-29 00:06:50
The current breaking news on Inquirer.net regarding the walkout of Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and other officers from their court hearing in Makati City and their subsequent march to the Manila Peninsula shows that the mass action is well-organized. It even used cyberspace as a venue to get the message across.
You can visit the website titled Sundalo: Tagapagtanggol ng Pilipino (Soldier: Protector of the Filipino) to contextualize the standoff there in the country’s financial district.
That’s all for now. As may be gleaned from my Twitter posts, I am forced to suspend my J 122 (Publication Design and Layout) class so that my students can proceed to the Palma Hall (aka AS) lobby to participate in the discussion of the volatile political situation and the course of action to take.
Read more:Taking
Announcements for my December 13 and 14 classes 2007-12-10 22:07:07 December
13 (Thursday)
J 117 (Online Journalism): After a very extensive discussion of various cases of media harassment last week, it will be the turn of the members of Group 1 to present their report.
J 122 (Publication Design and Layout): We will continue our discussion of media harassment. Members of Group 1 will also present their report.
December 14 (Friday)
J 109 (Writing for Popular Audiences): We will briefly discuss what happened at the December 7 forum which you were required to attend. Please be prepared for a discussion of the definition and characteristics of technical writing.
Kakaibang pag-alala kay Monico Atienza (1947-2007) 2007-12-10 00:03:11 N.B. - This will be published in Vol. 6, No. 47 (December 12-18, 2007) of Pinoy Weekly. An advance copy is posted due to the recency of Sir Nic’s untimely death and a felt need to immediately explain my conspicuous absence at his wake. In his memory, some pictures are also posted here.
Hindi po ito paghingi ng paumanhin kundi isang pagsasakonteksto ng nararamdaman.
Hindi ako pumunta sa burol ni Prop. Monico Atienza o Sir Nic (Mayo 4, 1947-Disyembre 5, 2007) hindi dahil abala ako sa maraming gawain. Sino ba naman sa atin ang walang mahalagang ginagawa? At kung pamilyar ka sa Quezon City, alam mong hindi malayo sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas (UP) ang United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) na kung saan nangyari ang burol mula Disyembre 6. Nangyari ang kremasyon ng kanyang mga labi noong Disyembre 8. Sa unang tingin, walang dahilan para hindi ako bumisita sa kanya kahit saglit lang.
Pero maniwala po kayong may malalim akong dahilan kaya pinili kong pisikal na lumayo kay Sir
Announcements for my December 6 and 7 classes 2007-12-05 01:41:05 All students: We will discuss ongoing media harassment in class. I am not just referring to the incident at the Manila Peninsula last November 29 which resulted in the arrest of more than a dozen journalists and media workers and the media-related developments after that. Kindly read up on the decision of the MTRCB to give an X-rating to two allegedly anti-administration films. There is also a Quezon-based journalist allegedly being harassed by the military. Sorry, no hyperlinks in this announcement as I want you to do research on your own.
December
6 (Thursday)
J 117 (Online Journalism): Group 1 will report on “Internet and the World Wide Web: Definition of Terms and History.” As we discussed during our first meeting, those assigned to report will be graded based on their presentations and their answers to questions. Other students will be graded based on the questions they will ask.
J 122 (Publication Design and Layout): Given that I was forced to suspend classes last N
Manila Pen at ang polemiko ng adbenturismo 2007-12-05 01:24:07 N.B. - This was published in Vol. 6, No. 46 (December 5-11, 2007) of Pinoy Weekly (p. 5), the full text of which may also be retrieved from http://www.pinoyweekly.org/cms/2007/12/manila-pen-ang-polemiko-ng-adbenturismo.
Madaling sabihing “adbenturismo” lamang nina Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim at ng mga tagasuporta niya ang nangyaring tensiyon sa The Peninsula Manila
(o Manila Pen) noong Nobyembre 29. Ano nga ba naman ang inaasahan nilang mangyari sa puwersahang pag-okupa ng isa sa mga pinakasikat na hotel sa Pilipinas?
Alam nating ang adbenturismo ay isang pagsugal: Hindi man alam ang kahihinatnan, isinasagawa pa rin ang isang aksiyon dahil baka ito ang paraan para makamit ang pampulitikang layunin. Malinaw na sinubukan nina Trillanes na kunin ang suporta ng taumbayan para sa isang sama-samang pagkilos sa Makati City para mapatalsik na si Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Kahit na hindi sila sigurado kung ano ang mangyayari, pinili pa rin nilang isugal ang kan
`Not an Exit’ and other funny signs 2007-12-19 00:54:20 The feedback may not be as overwhelming as I expected, what with the preoccupation with Christmas festivities and all, but I would like to give you a second installment of my “Funny Signs” project.
Noelle de Guzman was kind enough to provide URLs of some funny signs
she took and which she uploaded on her Flickr account. (Irrelevant-and-bordering-on-the-irreverent trivia: Noelle holds the distinction of being my first-ever master’s thesis advisee. Did I do a good job? Just ask her!)
Anyway, let’s start with something predictable, especially if a product were made in China.
Do you know the meaning of “mini lordliness”? Is there such a term? Is there a difference between a “love of house” and a “house of love”?
I know, you have so many questions that have nothing to do with solving world hunger.Or something as simple as the horrendous traffic in Metro Manila. Then again, you can argue that this sign is meant to solve that.
Tax
Download audio files of `Usapang Media’ 2007-12-19 00:12:49
Feel free to download selected episodes of Usapang Media, a radio program I co-host on DWAD (1098 khz AM station) every Monday from 3:30 to 4:00 p.m.
The WAV files
may be retrieved from the website of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP). From the index page, you only need to click the “Others” logo on the upper right side.
For the record, I am just one of the many co-hosts of this radio program, so I do not do board work every week. Anyway, you may be interested to download Episode 7 (6 August 2007) about the plight of newspaper correspondents. The WAV file contains our on-air interview with an Olongapo-based correspondent. (Please note that the file is about 19 MB, so it may take a long time to download if you have a slow Internet connection.)
In any case, I hope you will take time to download and listen to it. I’d like to know what you think of what passes as my radio voice. Unlike other broadcasters, I do not modulate on air because I focus Read more:Download
Vitara as the new `people’s car’ 2007-12-18 23:54:59
Is it just me, or is the Vitara slowly becoming the new “people
’s car?”
I’ve noticed a lot of old-model Vitaras in Metro Manila since June 2005 when I bought a second-hand one.
In the UP Diliman campus alone, I know that a Math professor drives a black one, while an English professor’s color of choice for his Vitara is cream.
My wife and I have spotted numerous old-model Vitaras not only in Marikina where we live, but also in other areas like Rizal, Quezon City and Manila. I’ve actually seen blue ones, exactly the one we have, twice already - one exiting the Ateneo campus and the other parked along C-5.
A quick check at some websites shows that a second-hand 1996 Vitara (depending on, among others, the mileage and accessories) costs P255,000-P258,000 and P270,000.
I doubt if the prevalence of old-model Vitaras shows increased purchasing power among poor Filipinos. In other words, the situation does not mean that most people can now afford to buy c
Introducing funny signs 2007-12-17 04:27:22 You can say that this is a long-delayed personal project. Pressing issues and concerns prevented me from posting something light (or “against the light”).
Since March 2006 when my wife and I bought a camera phone - first a Nokia 3220 which I replaced with the current Nokia 6070 I have now - I’ve been taking pictures of “funny signs
” in my travels within and outside Metro Manila.
Taking a break from my hectic schedule, allow me to share some of them in chronological order.
When my wife and I spent the weekend at a popular resort in Pasig City in early May 2006, we were greeted by this. (Sorry for the low resolution.)
Rest assured that we complied, the nebulous term malaswa (indecent) notwithstanding.
Moving on, I gave an out-of-town lecture in September 2006 at a Catholic school in Bataan. The first sign below is self-explanatory, the second one is not.
Can you please tell me what is meant by the phrase “and tomorrow INSIDE”? I have an idea, Read more:Introducing
Announcements for my January 3 and 4 classes 2007-12-17 03:31:07 All students: Towards the end of our discussion last December 13 and 14, I only greeted you with a generic (and bland) “Merry Christmas.” What I meant to say was, “I wish all of you a meaningful Christmas and a liberating New Year. May the season of joy be the time to reflect on what must be done, not only in defending press freedom but also in upholding civil liberties. The celebration, after all, should not be about the hope of giving, but the giving of hope.”
January
3 (Thursday)
J 117 (Online Journalism): We will discuss the remaining sections on “Internet and the World Wide Web.” Please prepare for the first session on HTML handcoding by reading Raggett and Werbach.
J 122 (Publication Design and Layout): After an extensive discussion of pressing media-related issues, members of Group 1 will finally have the chance to present their report. Just like my J 117 students, we will have our first session on HTML handcoding so please prepare according
Pulitika ng pagbibigay ng regalo 2007-12-17 02:59:52 N.B. - Updated (Dec. 19, 9:45 am): This was published in Vol. 6, No. 48 (December 19-25, 2007) of Pinoy Weekly (p. 4). Please note that this is the last issue for 2007 and that Pinoy Weekly resumes publication on January 9, 2008. Since I may not have Internet access during the Christmas break, I have decided to post this in advance. My wife and I wish you and your loved ones a meaningful Christmas and a liberating New Year.
Noong bata pa ako, parati kong hinihintay ang buwan ng Disyembre.
Ito ay hindi lang dahil sa mahabang bakasyon. Gusto ko ring makatanggap ng regalo mula sa mga kamag-anak at kaibigan. Tuwang-tuwa ako noon tuwing may bago akong laruan, hindi na bale kung mumurahin lang ito.
Sa aking palagay, ang kasiyahan ay hindi lang sa mismong paghawak sa regalo, kundi sa pagbubukas nito. Sa pagkakaalala ko, iba ang pintig ng puso ko habang mabagal kong binabasa ang mensahe sa kard at mabilis kong pinupunit ang balot.
Tulad ng maraming batang minsa'y napagkakaitan dahil sa hir
Announcements for my March 13 and 14 classes 2008-03-07 04:21:27 March 13 (Thursday)
J 117 (Online Journalism): We will meet for only 15 minutes to check the progress of your class project which is due on March 26 (Wednesday). Please be on time so that we can finish immediately.
J 122 (Publication Design and Layout): We will have a preliminary evaluation of your website which serves [...] Read more:March
Balarila ng anomalya 2008-03-04 23:51:08 N.B. - This was published in Vol. 7, No. 9 (March 5-11, 2008) of Pinoy Weekly (p. 5), the full text of which may also be retrieved from -ng-anomalya.
Sa paglalahad ng mensahe, minsa’y hindi napapansin kung tama ang paggamit ng mga salita. Kung nagmamadali kasi ang isang tao sa pagpapaliwanag, kadalasang naisasantabi na ang balarila’t [...]
Funny signs related to the NBN scandal 2008-03-04 01:47:54 For this installment of funny signs
, allow me to be socially relevant.
If you’ve been reading my most recent articles published in Pinoy Weekly, you may have noticed that I’ve been writing lately about the controversial national broadband network (NBN) project. So don’t be surprised if our cast of characters today are familiar faces (provided [...] Read more:Funny
, related
, Funny signs
You’re invited to the Director’s Cut film festival! 2008-03-03 20:29:46 I hope you can make it to the Director
’s Cut film festival from March 5 to 7 (Wednesday to Friday) at the Cine Adarna of the UP Film Institute.
Aside from helping promote this activity sponsored by the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication (UP CMC), I will also moderate the open forum [...]
Quoted by the Philippine Daily Inquirer; press con today 2008-02-28 21:57:32 Please check the front page of the PhilippineDaily
Inquirer today (February 29) and read the article titled “UP profs ask Arroyo to quit; schools go GMA-free” by Norman Bordadora. (I was quoted in the article, the online version of which may be retrieved here.)
There will be a press conference today at 1 p.m. [...] Read more:Quoted
Announcements for my February 28, 29, March 6 and 7 classes 2008-02-27 21:42:00 February 28 (Thursday) and 29 (Friday)
All students: We will not meet so that you can have time to write your papers and to plan for your other class requirements.
J 122 (Publication Design and Layout): Kindly submit your newspaper page and two-page newsletter on or before February 28, 5 p.m.
March
6 (Thursday)
J 117 (Online Journalism): Your [...] Read more:February
Para sa iyong nanunungkulan 2008-02-27 21:13:16 N.B. - This was published in Vol. 7, No. 8 (February 27-March 4, 2008) of Pinoy Weekly (p. 5), the full text of which may also be retrieved from -sa-iyong-nanunungkulan.
Huwag mo nang ipagpatuloy ang pagbabasa nito kung sangkot ka sa pagtatakip ng katotohanan tungkol sa $329-milyong proyektong NBN (national broadband network). Hindi para sa iyo ang [...]
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