World Usability Day 2009 & Five Years of Firefox in Manila

For the next two weeks, I'll be very busy with two community events.

The first one is Design/Sustain: World Usability Day 2009 in Manila. It's the last pending event I'm spearheading as the User Group Manager of the Adobe User Group - Philippines as I've stepped down a couple of months ago.

It's a very interesting event because unlike the past events on the World Usability Day in Manila, this year focuses on the theme around design and sustainability. The event will be on November 12, 2009 (3pm-5pm) at the Thomas Aquinas Research Center (TARC) Auditorium at the University of Santo Tomas
in Manila. Registration fee is PhP 50.00 and folks who are interested in attended must pre-register.

The next event is the Five Years of Firefox in Manila event on November 21, 2009 (3pm-5pm) at the Asian Institute of Management in Makati City. This events marks the very first event of the Mozilla Philippines Community and the fifth year of the hottest browser in the planet, Mozilla Firefox.

The event will be free, plus Mozilla Firefox swag will be given away. So if you're interested in attending, RSVP at the event's official Facebook page.

Both events are very close to my personal advocacy on Web Standards and Usability and even though it's hard and time-consuming, I'll still find time to support these community events.


Tags: Mozilla Firefox, World Usability Day

Manny Pacquiao on Jimmy Kimmel Live

Manny Pacquiao has been known to throw mean uppercuts and fast combinations but he recently shared to the television-watching population his "hidden" talent: His singing!

Manny recently was a guest at Jimmy Kimmel's show and he was a very pleasant guest. I found his reactions and retorts typical Filipino-- from the giggling to questions he didn't quite understand and smiling when he has a hard time expressing himself in English. But what he showed was very authentic and I think it's shows his good nature despite being touted as the "Best Pound for Pound Fighter" of our era.

Here are some videos of PacMan's guesting on Jimmy Kimmel:







And for his rendition of "Sometimes When We Touch":



I personally found the guest appearance entertaining and funny. Great work Manny! :D


Tags: Manny Pacquiao

Uno Magazine's Band of Bloggers

Uno Magazine's October 2009 has lots of interesting features, and one of them is piece about bloggers in the Philippines. The 2-page spread (a seen in the photo above) puts the spotlight on 21 bloggers with a yearbook-style writeup by fellow blogger and Uno's online top guy Jayvee Fernandez.

I feel fortunate to get included in the list. Bloggers here in the Philippines are getting more mainstream and coverage in more established media is proof to that. Blogging-folk are appearing on commercials, getting featured in television shows, and even some are getting recognized in public. (Although I don't fall in any of those categories :P)

Here's a list of the bloggers who were included in Uno Magazine's feature:

• Bim Barbieto of http://comicology.i.ph
• Coy Caballes of http://www.thisiscoy.net
• Ferdz Decena of http://www.ironwulf.net
• Noelle de Guzman of http://pocketnoelle.blogspot.com
• Enrico Dee of http://www.byahilo.com
• Jonas Diego jof http://www.jonasdiego.com/theblurb
• Kring Elezano of http://www.funnysexy.ph
• Lia Espina of http://www.gadgenista.com
• Jennifer Juan of http://sexynomad.i.ph
• Liz Lanuzo of http://projectvanity.i.ph
• Jehz Laurente of http://www.jehzlau-concepts.com
• Sasha Manuel of http://www.stylemanila.com
• Rico Mossesgeld of http://www.technogra.ph
• Karla Redor of http://www.rockersworld.com
• Marck Rimorin of http://www.marocharim.com
• Juned Sonido of http://www.baratillo.net
• Fritz Tentativa of http://www.fritzified.com
• Sophie Uy of http://www.beautynomics.com
• Gail Villanueva of http://www.kutitots.com
• Hannah Villasis of http://www.flaircandy.com

Thanks again to Uno Magazine and Jayvee for the wonderful feature. :)

--

Trivia: Among the 21 bloggers, there are some who are part of the original "Band of Bloggers" in the Philippines. Can you name them? Hint: Google Search. :)

--

Blog posts on Uno Magazine's Band of Bloggers feature:

• http://sexynomad.i.ph/blogs/sexynomad/2009/10/22/sexy-nomad-is-in-uno-magazine/
• http://fritzified.com/2009/10/15/uno-magazine-october-2009-issue-21x-moar-awesome/
• http://www.stylemanila.com/2009/10/25/in-uno-this-month/
• http://projectvanity.i.ph/blogs/projectvanity/?p=210

Photo credit: Fritz's blog post


Tags: Uno Magazine

I'm Not Yet Done with the Quezon City International Marathon

My blog post yesterday on the first Quezon City International Marathon (QCIM) elicited a feedback from one person I know. Pablo "Pabs" Yambot, an avid runner and marathon veteran, posted this on my Facebook account:

Regnard, to be fair- don't blame the organizers. They rely on the local government, police, traffic enforcers, etc- to reroute traffic, advice commuters (private & public transportation). I'm sure the 1st Milo Marathon 33 years ago was cursed as badly but it's now one of the longest running marathons in Asia. Instead of cursing the marathon- wouldn't you look to traffic management and the media for not controlling traffic and informing QC residents better?

A lot of great cities in the world block off significant portions of their streets on Sundays for a lot of good reasons. I suppose a lot of drivers cursed UP when it closed down the Academic Oval to vehicular traffic that first Sunday. It's now teeming with runners, cyclists, walkers, strollers; serious athletes in training, casual joggers to whole families. Cars- private transportation, are a necessary evil in a crowded metropolis without a very efficient mass transit system. One Sunday's inconvenience should help people figure out how to live without cars, even for just a morning.

Pabs makes an good point about the accountability of the Quezon City local government in managing the traffic and informing the public effectively about the traffic congestion the marathon will produce. After reading an article from ABS-CBN News about the massive traffic jam the marathon caused, I'm more convinced that the Quezon City government failed big time in the information campaign.

None other Quezon City mayor Sonny Belmonte made a comment that irked me a lot. He gave a condescending advice to the people who were affected by the traffic jam:

Read the newspapers and listen to the radio so you’ll be informed of events like this. This has been planned since last year.

Wow. Mayor Belmonte is washing his hands of any accountability and has gone as far as blaming the ignorance of the thousands of motorists and commuters for getting stuck in traffic. Let's put it this way Mayor Belmonte: It's your city government's job to reach the relevant people about the effects of your plan. You could have placed several advisories on the road where people can plan ahead.

Here's my advice to Mayor Sonny Belmonte: If you had utilized the areas where you and other Quezon City officials/wannabes place your "campaign" posters, then maybe the people could have been better informed about the traffic advisory on the traffic jam due to the QCIM.


Tags: Quezon City International Marathon

Quezon City International Marathon: Nightmare for Commuters and Motorists

Dear Quezon City International Marathon Organizers and Managers,

First of all, I am not a runner, but I do run casually some times. I can understand there's now a lot of people interested in running and marathons as a way to be fit and feed the competitive spirit.

However, the first Quezon City International Marathon (QCIM) was a nightmare for the thousands of people, commuters, and motorists who plied Commonwealth Avenue, C.P. Garcia Avenue, and the Quezon City Elliptical Road today. Closing a good portion of one major thoroughfares in northern Quezon City resulted in massive traffic in the area. If you ask me, I think you did a poor job in implementing this marathon.

I'm sure a lot will dub your event a success, but I shall not be one of those. I'm sure there are several other thousands of people who have cursed you to the high heavens for ruining their Sunday morning travel andhave probably vowed to tell their nightmare stories of the QCIM to their friends and family. I seriously think that the marathon did more inconvenience to the majority than good.

I hope that the first Quezon City International Marathon will be the last.


Sincerely,

Regnard Raquedan


Tags: Quezon City International Marathon

Climate Change is a Bitch: Blog Action Day

The video you see above is one of the harrowing scenes people in Manila saw and experienced last September 26, 2009. That was the day when Typhoon "Ondoy" (internationally known as "Ketsana") inundated the city with a month's worth of rain fall. To date, there are 712 deaths and losses amounting to almost US$400 million.

While there are many theories how a month's worth of rainfall can happen in six hours, there's one that makes sense: Climate Change.

From storms like these to sinking islands, Climate Change is a bitch.

Finally, here are some photos of the aftermath of the floods in the video shown above (taken by Rod Dizon):

Note: This post is my contribution to the 2009 Blog Action Day.



Tags: Blog Action Day

Buy a Krispy Kreme Doughnut, Help Typhoon Ondoy Victims on October 11

Tomorrow, October 11, 2009, Krispy Kreme branches in Metro Manila will donate all sales revenue from Original Glazed doughnuts to relief operations helping the victims of Typhoon Ondoy.

While the dangers of the flooding in Metro Manila has subsided, there's still much work to do and help to give as people displaced by the typhoon get back on their feet. People in the city (myself included) responded to the call of volunteerism in the first week of the natural calamity and this move by Krispy Kreme could let people who'd like to help contribute a little bit more.

So if you're in these places tomorrow-- Bonifacio High Street, SM Megamall, Greenhills Drive-Thru, Trinoma Mall, SM Mall of Asia Main Mall and Drive-Thru, Robinsons Galleria, Gateway Mall Ground Floor and Cinema Level, Glorietta 4, The Annex SM North EDSA, SM Fairview Annex-- you can buy an Original Glazed doughnut and help the typhoon victims.

I just hope Krispy Kreme can extend its support to the typhoon victims in the northern Philippines who were slammed by Typhoon Pepeng. ;)


Tags: Krispy Kreme