Saturday: CMS Presentation @ Makati University

I was co-presentor in the Open Source Content Management Software Seminar at the Makati University together with Chris Raymaekers (for Drupal) and Flor Bambao (for Joomla!).

Playing a "Puzzle out" CMS definition game.


Explaining some key points.


Ambushed.

The topic I discussed was more about the general what, when, where and how of content management system with the following highlights:

• Defining what a content management system is and its different kinds.
  
• Finding FOSS CMS through Wikipedia, Ohloh, Google Trends, and CmsMatrix.
• Emphasis on choosing the appropriate cms for the required application.
• Unraveling the technologies behind running a cms.
• Demo of how fast you can setup Wordpress and Drupal under 5-10 minutes using Uniform Server.
• A few tips and tricks in the web development trade.
  

I was surprised to get such valid feedback from the audience (MakU students) and ended up being asked to be taken pictures with and for an autograph signiture. As flaterring as it is, I'm no celebrity and I'm not used to it. The best that I can give is a smile :)

Thanks to the Computer Professionals' Union, the Computer Society, and to all the organizers of this event for trusting and having me as one of yor speakers. I'm truly honored to share my knowledge to such promising generation of students. Oh, thanks too for this very cool plaque:

Over-all, the experience was one of a kind. I hope the students learned a lot from the speakers.

Hmm, I wish we had a nice Mini Theater like that in APC.

Thanks to my sister for documenting photos.

Tuesday: Got back home from trivia-madness

Arg.

Sorry about that. It's just my first experience where I needed to provide answer but absolutely was not able give any... In a way, it feels good to know how I can perform without our best-friend (Google) though it's really heart-breaking to deal with (erg, pardon my obsessive-compulsive remarks).

Four (4) hours before coming to this conclusion, I was invited by a special friend to Murphy's Pub in Makati. What we didn't know is that there's a quiz bee to be joined by avid pub goers (in teams of course). It's wild, it's fresh, it's entertaining, and we absolutely lost the winning (Sunday meal is the prize for the winning team). The consequence, free shots for the losing team.

Free Tequilla shots for our team called "Brainiacs"

Nakakahiya talaga! Wala akong nasagot. (It's totally embarrasing. I was not able to answer anything). Why? Well for one thing the questions were all from 19XX (In Tagalog: Nineteen Kopong-kopong). I didn't find anyone my age in there haha.

(a) Peanuts ala Murphy's (b) Ate Chona De Vera and I (c) Brainiacs loses at 57

But anyway, I enjoyed this for the ride. Somehow being utterly clueless and being in good company feels so exciting. You know what? I made new friends in the evening.

Lesson learned: I better review before going back because the team of lawyers might win again.

Hello to my newly found friends and acquaintances. You know who you are! ;)

Tuesday: Rainbow-colored steps spotted at Ayala MRT Station

No. It's not NIPS who made this not-so-technically-helpful innovation "make-over" to the staircase and escalator steps at MRT-Ayala Station. Clue? You know I'd advise you to see it for yourself... but let me fancy your imagination while you try to find your misplaced stored-value-card.

Creatively colorful, let's not under-estimate the effort of the marketing staff behind this agenda.

Here's my list of benefits/or-not-so-much:

Advantage 1 --> It helps distinguish the next step from the rest of the steps.
Advantage 2 --> Color-key refresher to those who forgot their RGB's and CMYK's.
Advantage 3 --> Reduces eye-strain to people with eye-sores.

Disadvantage 1 --> Is not so useful to the color-blind.
Disadvantage 2 --> Did they use rugby on that? Erm.
Disadvantage 3 --> Hmm, it's not backed by the LGBT movement. Am I right?

Whew. I shouldn't have posted this haha.

"One World" through Photography

So I'm writing this post while Gerald Anderson absolutely bagged Php500,00 for a mystery name properly guessed as "OGIE DIAZ" at the Filipino version of Wheel of Fortune. Congratulations to you I guess.

But that's not who I want to really support and congratulate as we speak. Read on.

While wandering at Glorietta 3 in Makati City I noticed an attention-getting "wall of photos" as displayed below:

(photographed from the left and right perspectives of the wall)

Posted at the 3rd floor, near the elevator and an arts/creative establishment, this sight is showcasing the recent project of "Head Hunter" a.k.a. Niccolo Cosme (a Manila-Based photographer as inscribed below). It's my first time to see the work of this cool guy.

Hmmm. You may have asked for my personal impression, aside from noticing that extra "shine" of the subjects in the photos while they are comfortably posing for one specific cause? --> Uber-cool-and-shiny-in-not-that-glitter-kind-of-way.

HeadShot Clinic: One World

Well one thing is for sure -- I can't tell you all the details. Hey, why don't you go there and see this one-derful find. After seeing it, you'll feel proud of this guy in a shiny-kind-of-way. ;) I myself will be back there because I forgot to ask what that "one" cause is (I know the context --that is-- world peace but I just want to be sure. Nothing wrong with that right?)

Way to go brother! Nice work.