According to The Guardian, 2009 was the year of Facebook. Time Magazine echoed this in their annual top ten of everything where they called Facebook “the site that ate everything.”

Personally, my vote goes to Twitter. It was from Twitter that Michael Jackson’s death rippled around the world, and let’s not forget the Iran elections, the woman they called Neda, and the tweets of protest, help, and indignation. It would suffice to say that 2009 was the year of social media–a term that barely existed a decade ago.

Still, I can understand why Farmville and Mafia Wars addicts genuflect in the presence of Facebook. Started by 25-year-old Harvard drop-out Mark Zuckerberg, the social network started the year with 150 million members. By April, that number rose to 200 million, and by September it had amassed 300 million — an average growth rate this year of about 550,000 new members a day. Facebook’s current net worth has been estimated by analysts to be at $15 billion

There is little doubt that 2009 was the moment that the site truly exploded. In January, Zuckerberg announced the “milestone” of 150 million users worldwide. Less than a year later, the social network has more than doubled and now boasts that more than 350 million people log on each month.

Remember Friendster? They’re still doing fine at close to 110 million members worldwide. But early this month news circulated that the newly-lay-outed social networking site (it’s green now) is looking to be sold to an Asian company for more than $100 million.

As a side note, in late 2008, Facebook approached Twitter about a potential merger. Zuckerberg offered company stock worth about $500 million but Twitter turned down the offer. Still, if there’s something we’ve learned from the internet, it’s that things, no matter how big or great, don’t last.

However unassailable Facebook’s position may appear today, history suggests that even the largest websites can fall spectacularly from grace in just a few years. A decade ago AOL was one of the most powerful companies in the world, worth so much money that it was able to force a $162bn merger with media giant Time Warner – the biggest ever seen

I think it was Conan O’Brien who said that in the event Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube merge, a gigantic new social media tool would emerge. It would be called You TwitFace.

Happy new year everyone. Make new friends.

Merry Christmas!

Heaven is Here: Down is Up and Up is Down

by HORACIO DELA COSTA, S.J.

Christmas is when we celebrate the unexpected; it is the festival of surprise. This is the night when shepherds wake to the songs of angels; when the Earth has a star for a satellite; when wise men go on a fool’s errand, bringing gifts to a Prince they have not seen, in a country they do not know.

This is the night when one small donkey bears on its back the weight of the world’s desire, and an ox plays host to the Lord of heaven.

This is the night when we are told to seek our King, not in a palace but in a stable. Although we have stood here, year after year, as our fathers before us, the wonder has not faded, nor will it ever fade; the wonder of that moment when we push open the little door, and enter, and entering find in the arms of a Mother, who is a Virgin, a Baby Who is a God.

Chesterton has said it for all of us: the only way to view Christmas properly is to stand on one’s head.

Was there ever a house more topsy-turvy than the House of Christmas, the cave where Christ was born?

For here, suddenly, in the very heart of Earth, is Heaven; down is up and up is down, the angels and the stars look down on God who made them, and God looks up at the things He made.

There is no room in an inn for Him who made room, and to spare, for the Milky Way; and where God is homeless, all men are at home.

We were promised a Savior, but we never dreamed that God himself would come to save us. We knew that He loved us, but we never dared to think that He loved us so much as to become like us.

But that is the way God gives. His gifts are never quite what we expect, but always something better than we hoped for.

We can only dream of things too good to be true; God has a habit of giving things too good to be false.

That is why our faith is a faith in the unexpected, a religion of surprise.

Now more than ever, living in times so troubled, facing a future so uncertain, we need such faith. We need it for ourselves, and we need it to give to others.

We must remind the world that if Christmas comes in the depth of winter, it is that there may be an Easter in the spring.

During my last year in high school, I taught eight grade six students from a public school in Marikina, once a week, in a program called Tulong Dunong (TD). It was exasperating, but in the end, rewarding. After I graduated up to my second year in college, I’d receive a phone call on the day of my birthday every year, asking for “Sir Peter.” I’d pick it up, and on the other line was my student, now in high school, greeting me a happy birthday. During my fourth year in college, I saw one of them walking around the college campus, wearing an Ateneo ID.

Angel Aquino on Tulong Dunong

Went to work early this morning to find this in my inbox. At nine in the morning you could hear my laugh anywhere on the sixth floor.

And the evidence, still wrapped in plastic. I’m so glad I have a younger sister.

Held at The Loft @ Manansala in Rockwell, Makati City, the country’s top ten entrepreneurs of the past year were recognized in Entrepreneur Philippines annual Entrepreneur 10 Awards Night 2009 last December 15.

In what has been—to say the least—a challenging year not only for business-owners but for all Filipinos, the night was a farewell to the year that was and a glimpse of hope into the next year. While to have survived the past year is an achievement in itself, to have gone way and above the rest deserves a very classy AVP with a kick-ass soundtrack–not a business term, but that succinctly sums everything up.

10 Outstanding Entrepreneurs of 2009

The seventh batch of Entrepreneur 10 winners are Patricia Besinga of Prestige Labels Co., they provide affordable R&D for start-up businesses; Junie del Mundo of EON Stakeholder Relations Firm, he has managed to transform the PR scene with his “stakeholder” concept; Benjamin Liuson of The Generics Pharmacy, he has over 600 outlets all over the country; Roberto Locsin of Locsin International, am uber-successful furniture exporter; Jerry Perez de Tagle of Integrative Learning International Inc., a genius; Jovita Romero, co-owner of Danilyn’s Enterprises, also exports furniture; Dr. Vivian Sarabia of Vivian Sarabia Optical, eyewear outfitter to the stars; Edgar Injap Sia of Mang Inasal, `nuff said; Carson Tan of Aquabest, `nuff said; and Kerwin Tansekiao of Jimini Foods and Pizza Pedrico’s, ’nuff said.

Before the night ended, Entrepreneur 10 awardee, Jerry Perez de Tagle spoke on behalf of his fellow winners, summing it up succinctly, “We all followed our DAD: pursued our dream, took action, and had discipline.”

Check out www.entrepreneur.com.ph for more on the event.

Entrepreneur 10 Awards Night 2009 was co-presented by Globe Business, Nokia, and Western Union.

At lunch time today a black Honda Civic with plate number TNM-865 exploded at the driveway of Fully Booked, Serendra 2 at the Bonifacio High Street in Taguig City. Speculations about a bomb has been ruled out by the police. According to ABS-CBN News, one person, the car’s driver, was killed.

The first images from the scene were taken by one Judd Sta. Maria, a blogger who also works in the area. Even before the news truck arrived and the real journalists began interviewing the policemen, Sta. Maria’s exclusive shots were already being spread through the web. It’s times like this that make me think, “Damn, citizen journalism is awesome.”

Posting this just minutes after we heard a loud explosion from our office at Bonifacio High Street; within seconds, sirens we sounding off and security guards downstairs were rushing towards Serendra. We were curious, but were a little afraid, too; I quickly grabbed my camera and sprinted to that direction and behold, a car entering the Serendra basement parking was there up in smoke.

Read his full account and view other photos here.

According to Sheila Coronel, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism founder, there is great potential for alternative or small media (like citizen journalism) to challenge those which are corporate controlled, like popular radio and TV stations. She sees these channels are much more democratic than those of corporate media because information is disseminated without the benefit from media gatekeepers (editors, station managers, etc.) and free from the pressure of media owners and the government. In addition, there is also the important role that alternative media plays in shaping public opinion.

While traditional or mainstream journalism has been regarded as the fourth estate, citizen journalism is touted as the fifth estate. As British Journalist John Pilger says, “The answer (to corporate media) is simple: we have to create a new estate, a Fifth Estate, that will let us put a civic force against this new coalition of (media) rulers.” It’s like saying, “Up yours, big media networks with your over-the-top OBBs and dramatic John Williams music. I’m my own reporter.”

It’s perhaps important to note that local TV stations GMA-7 and ABS-CBN ran Sta. Maria’s photos and even interviewed him. What reporter?

Ateneo de Manila University celebrates its sesquicentennial anniversary tonight. The line-up is crazy. They’ve been preparing for this for years, and for someone who’s been in the Ateneo (yes, I said the) for more than half his life, going back is like coming home. Some are more enthusiastic than others, but all in all, it’s always good to remember the past and look to the future.

From Ateneo Law School student, Miko Samson:

On the Sesquicentennial of the Ateneo de Manila University

On December 10, 2009, the Ateneo de Manila University turned 150 years old. Having been able to witness the build-up to this day through the events of the past few years, and being a senior in one of the Ateneo’s constituent units during this sesquicentennial year, and more importantly, having grown up at the Ateneo, I find myself driven by some sense of duty to reflect on what this might mean. So while I’ve been doing it for quite some time, let me speak Atenean today. Pardon me if this piece seems particularly endless–it seems to be quite characteristic of people of this academic pedigree to be verbose and long-winded.

Continue reading here.

From Ateneo graduate (batch 2008 Valedictorian) and lecturer, Leloy Claudio:

Eagle without talons? Nation-building and the Ateneo de Manila University

The celebration of the sesquicentennial of the Ateneo de Manila University presents an opportunity to celebrate not only the immense contribution the institution has made to Philippine society, but also to consider what more the university can do in light of its frequently articulated goal of building the nation. University President Fr. Bienvenido Nebres outlines his general approach to nation-building which he derives from Dr. Jose Rizal, the Ateneo’s most prominent alumnus. The Rizal that Nebres draws from is not the firebrand who sparked the first nationalist revolution in Asia – the hero who spoke the truth to power amidst massive injustices. His Rizal is the one exiled in Dapitan – the gagged Rizal forced to channel his energies towards community-building projects like the building of schools and the improvement of irrigation systems.

Continue reading here.

PHOTO CREDIT
Philip Sision via Fabilioh.com

This is how Dubai looked in 1990, almost twenty years ago. It was what God wanted it to be: a barren wasteland of nothing (triple redundant).

This is how Dubai looked, 13 years later in 2003.

And just last year, Dubai has become a mega city on crack.

But not for long

In the past decade Dubai has experienced a property boom that the amazed public can only describe as mad. However, current numbers show that the property boom has officially gone bust as the dessert state finds itself in debt.

Fears on the continuing global economic nightmare were further fanned when it was announced a few weeks ago that Dubai’s main investment arm, Dubai World, was seeking for a six-month delay to pay off its debts. While the scale of Dubai’s debts are, according to some, “comparatively modest” at $80 billion, investors are still scared shitless. Consequently, many major property developers have begun firing staff or reviewing future employment needs, and many ongoing billion-Dollar out-of-this-world projects have halted or have been scraped completely

These projects, and hundreds of others still on paper, will now remain, well, on paper.

The Dynamic Tower: Designed by Italian architect David Fisher, the Dynamic Tower will be made up of 80 pre-fabricated apartments rotating around a central column, with the help of 79 giant wind turbines placed between the floors. Occupants will get a 360-degree view of Dubai and for the lucky ones, nausea.

Hydropolis: Said to be the world’s first underwater hotel, the Hydropolis by Joachim Hauser will include three elements: the land station, where guests will be welcomed, the connecting tunnel, which will transport people by train to the main area of the hotel, and the 220 suites within the submarine leisure complex. Think the Sphere but without Dustin Hoffman, Sharon Stone, a giant squid, and a “sphere.” Initial costs were pegged at $435 million. Dayum.

RAK Convention and Exhibition Centre: Designed by Rem Koolhaas, its Dubai’s version of the Death Star, or what looks like it. It will hold a convention center, hotel rooms, apartments, offices and retail space. It’s every Star Wars fan’s wet dream. Because nothing says “home sweet home” than the Death Star. (Some suggest that it is not modelled on the deathstar, but on a Panasonic radio from 1972).

The Dancing Towers: Designed by Zaha Hadid, The Dancing Towers consist of three interlinked towers that will be the centerpiece in the Business Bay Development in Dubai and will be contain offices, apartments, and hotels. These people aren’t thinking straight.

The Apeiron: Located some 300 meters from the coast of Dubai, The Apeiron, will be the second 7-star hotel in the world, the first being the Burj Al Arab also located in Dubai. This $500 million island hotel can only be accessed through water (yacht) or air (helicopter). It also has its own private lagoon, restaurants, cinemas, retail shopping, art gallery, spas, and conference facilities. It’s the ultimate James Bond location, or summer destination that says, “I’m too rich to go to Boracay.”

PHOTO CREDITS
http://www.dubai-architecture.info/

Babies are known to be adorable, cuddly, and cute. But husband and wife team, AJ and Audrey Dimarucot wanted their child to have a little bit something more: attitude. With the creation of their baby clothing brand googoo&gaga, they now want to give other babies some spunk as well.

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The journey from the ground floor of the office to the Summit editorial office at the sixth floor of Robinson’s Cybergate Tower 3 is always a long and arduous perpendicular ride. If I’m not waiting for the elevator doors to open, I’m waiting for them to close, desperately pushing the “close” button hoping no annoying person attempts to squeeze through the six-inch gap and pushes the doors away.

The ride can be awkward as you try to not look at anyone straight in the eye, but the confined space leads you to stare at either the ceiling or blank aluminum in front of you–both making you look like an idiot. While you whip out your mobile phone and pretend to answer a message, the lady behind reads above your shoulder, muffled coughs attempts to drown out the uncomfortable silence, shuffling feet preparing to get off, the feeling that someone is staring at you from behind. The doors open, you get out, relieved. Then you realize you forgot to push your floor button so you end up five minutes late waiting for the next elevator to go down.

Civilization, a video mural created for the elevators of the Standard Hotel in New York City, depicts a journey from hell to heaven interpreted through modern film language using computer-enhanced found footage. It takes elevator passengers on a trip from hell to heaven as they go up or from heaven to hell as they go down. This epic video mural contains over 400 individual channels of looped video blended into a multi-layered seamless tableau of interconnecting images that illustrate a contemporary, satirical take on the concepts of Heaven and Hell.

Civilization by Marco Brambilla

More here.

A lot of thought goes into a magazine cover. It is, after all, what ultimately determines sales. Most, if not all magazines, prepare their issues some two to three months ahead. In my case, the December issue was done in October. In the United States, they release their issues a month before the actual published month. Many January 2010 issues have already been released or will be available to the public in the next few days. They probably do theirs four months ahead. That’s Christmas in September.

As difficult as it is to predict the circumstances months ahead, it’s perhaps useful to choose your cover prudently. For Golf Digest’s January issue, Tiger Woods and President Obama take the cover with a story titled, “10 Tips Obama Can Take From Tiger.” How about, “Stay faithful to your spouse.”?

The champion golfer has been the subject of public scrutiny after he crashed his vehicle outside his house that was allegedly brought about by accusations of an extra-marital affair with a cocktail waitress. Woods confirmed the rumors with a released statement saying, “I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart. I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves.”

Private sexual text messages from Woods sent to the mistress have surfaced together with a recorded voicemail from someone people are claiming to be Woods.It’s definitely too late to release another cover.

This is a David Letterman Top 10 waiting to be written. I’m curious to see how circulation for this issue pans out.

The management copy of Entrepreneur’s December issue arrived the other day. I’m beginning to really like the direction our covers are going. After the November redesign issue, this is probably the most excited I’ve felt for an issue to arrive. It’s probably because this one contains my first cover feature—twelve glossy pages all to myself, ten stories on new markets. As an aspiring journalist, there is no greater thrill in the world than seeing your name in print. It’s like crack to me.

The issue also contains a really classy spread on our annual Entrepreneur 10 Awards that features the top ten entrepreneurs of the year. While surviving through what has since become a nightmare year for all business owners—big or small—is a feat in itself, coming out on top deserves some sort of recognition. The formal awarding will be on the 15th at The Loft in Makati.

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Monday was a national holiday. But instead of spending the day at home I found myself getting up from bed at five in the morning for a whole-day seminar in Manila. I only wake up early for very few things: work, a book sale, or if my room is on fire. Seminars aren’t my thing. The idea of having someone say, “This is what you should do” doesn’t appeal to me. I’d prefer to just do it myself. This seminar was different.

Known as the most in-demand business workshop in Asia, Rich Dad Asia was hosted by Bellum Tan, once a student of, and now colleague of business genius Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad and other hugely popular books on how to make money. He’s also the creator of Cashflow, a boardgame designed to teach you accounting, investing, and finance while you play. My concept of finance is not spending my paycheck on a new pair of shoes. Their concept of finance involves investing in stocks and property.

Up until a few years ago, I had absolutely no idea who Tan or Kiyosaki was. A friend of mine was obsessed with the “Rich Dad” philosophy. He read the books, bought the boardgame (which costs about 20 thousand Pesos), and became a hermit. I was skeptical. But in our third year in college, that friend earned his first million.

The organizers of Rich Dad Asia gave several complimentary tickets to Entrepreneur. Now who am I to say no to a gift?

The first half of the seminar was spent talking about Kiyosaki’s business philosophy. And one of the things Tan pointed out was something he called the “Rich Dad Financial Warning.” In 2002, Robert Kiyosaki published in his book several predictions on the future of business around the world. In it he predicted the collapse of big financial institutions like Lehman Brothers and AIG. Unless you’ve been in a comatose for the past six months, you’ll know that in September of last year, global financial-services firm Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy (the largest in US history) and, AIG, United States’ largest multi-line insurance company, requested for a bailout of (as of October 2008) more than $90 billion. The effect of those events was global and the phrase, “global financial crisis” has since become part of pop culture. People called Kiyosaki crazy. Now he’s a god.

Rich Dad Financial Warning

• All currencies will eventually go to zero.
• You can’t depend on saving for your retirement.
• After the recession, the greatest opportunity to invest is right now.
• Your greatest expenses in life will be paying your taxes, paying off debts, inflation, and preparing for your retirement,
• The rich will get richer while the middle class and the poor will be gone.
• The Dollar will crash.
• Cash is the worst place to put money.
• Change your mindset about money by being financially educated.
• The friends you have will determine your financial future.
• It would be wise to invest in the following: gold, silver, and real estate.

The next three hours were then spent playing Cashflow. It’s similar to Monopoly but not really. There are no Get Out Of Jail cards, but you can get downsized. You don’t claim $200 from the bank every time you pass by start, but earn a monthly paycheck. There are no houses or hotels to put up, but stocks and properties to invest in. You have to diligently maintain a balance sheet of your debits and credits so stealing from the bank isn’t an option. You may, however, take out a loan. There’s no such thing as Boardwalk, but buying a two by three bedroom sounds even better as long as the cashflow is good, the return on investment is reasonable, and the downpayment is low.

I generally like money, especially if it’s my own. If there’s one thing I learned from the seminar, it’s that money isn’t everything, it’s a lot. Still, it’s just a piece of paper.

When I was a journalism student, there were few people I looked up to. While I have nothing but deep respect for and am truly grateful to all my journalism professors, I still have this vile feeling towards them, which perhaps stems from the fact that they managed to make me feel, ummm, less than adequate, every time they returned my papers with their corrections, which, according to some, had a semblance to menstruation–the red ink from their pens penetrating every page, reducing my elaborate story on the President’s State of the Nation Address into a children’s story.

Run-on sentences, like the one before this, and euphemisms like “less than adequate,” were their favorite and my weakness. The idea is to make everything simple to understand. Guide the reader, but don’t spoonfood him. Back then, Maria Ressa was still working for CNN. She’s now the Head of ABS-CBN’s News and Current Affairs.

Blowback: The Massacre in Maguindanao – Maria Ressa

You can’t escape the laws of physics. Newton’s third law of motion states: “for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” In the world of governments and their security forces, it’s called blowback – a term first coined by the US Central Intelligence Agency in classified documents to describe US and British covert operations in Iran in 1953. They helped overthrow the government of Mohammed Mossadegh, setting in motion a chain of events which inspired the revival of Islamic fundamentalism around the world.

Blowback happened again in Afghanistan in the late 80’s when the US funneled more than $3 billion, through Pakistan’s intelligence service, ISI, to build up the Afghan resistance against the Soviets. That sowed the seeds for 9/11 and the major terrorist attacks in Southeast Asia from 2001 to 2009. Among the key beneficiaries was Abdul Rasul Sayyaf, who helped train Osama bin Laden and thousands of Southeast Asian militants including the founder of the Abu Sayyaf in the Philippines, some of the Bali and JW Marriott bombers.

Blowback happened in Maguindanao in the southern Philippines – where warlords with private armies funded by the state wield political power.

It’s a complex situation: the power structure of government is a thin overlay on top of a complex social hierarchy based on families or clans. These clans periodically clash – feuds known as rido, which can be ignited by the flimsiest of reasons – a quarrel over women or a verbal slight. Clans became the foundation of electoral politics and determined the distribution of power and resources.

Add the fight against Muslim insurgents, first the MNLF or Moro National Liberation Front. Now it’s the Moro Islamic Liberation Front of MILF, which provided training and sanctuary to numerous Islamic militants, including members of Jemaah Islamiyah, Al-Qaeda’s arm in Southeast Asia.

The Ampatuan family’s rise to power began in the Marcos era, when it closely allied with the military to fight the Moro National Liberation Front or MNLF. When the MNLF signed a peace agreement with the government in 1996, the enemy changed to the MILF, now the largest Muslim insurgency in the country.

Read the whole story here.

PHOTO CREDITS
www.pep.ph