Sometimes, travels outside the country do something to your senses. For me, I started comparing. Manila should have CCTV cameras on the road instead of kotong cops. Rude Filipino drivers should be re-educated in good driving and good grooming. Convicted corrupt government officials should serve jail sentence instead of getting presidential pardon. Filipinos deserve a better health plan from what is currently provided by PhilHealth.
And aircraft passengers deserve a better view when entering the Philippines.
This is Metro Manila covered with smog, balding mountains and houses that look more like a garbage dumpsite to me. Imagine all kinds of wastes heading down Laguna Lake.
Last January 22, 28-year-old Australian actor and Oscar nominee Heath Ledger was found dead in his Manhattan home with anti-depressant and anxiety pills beside him. What a tragic end to a very young life that was so full of potential.
He left behind his daughter, Matilda, by ex-fiance Michelle Williams of “Dawson’s Creek” whom he met in the set of “Brokeback Mountain” in 2005.
Ledger traveled quite a long way from his native Perth, Australia to the glittery Hollywood community. He started as a struggling 17-year-old who broke into the movie scene through bit roles in Australian TV shows like “Sweat” and “Home and Away” before landing into a small film called “Paws”. In 1997, he went to the United States to audition for movie roles. Ledger got his first Hollywood break via “Roar” opposite Vera Farmingan.
His outstanding role in crime thriller “Two Hands” secured him a place in 1999’s teen movie “10 Things I Hate About You”. In 2000, his role as Mel Gibson’s son in war drama “The Patriot” defined him as a serious young actor. Ledger also starred in other Hollywood films such as “Monster’s Ball” (2001), “Ned Kelly” (2003) opposite Orlando Bloom, “A Knight’s Tale”, “The Brothers Grimm” (2005) with Matt Damon, “Candy” (2006) and “I’m Not There” (2007). His rather unsual role in “Brokeback Mountain” opposite Jake Gyllenhaal earned him an Oscar nomination in 2005.
Heath Ledger plays Joker in The Dark Knight
This year, the movie “The Dark Knight” is scheduled for release in July with Ledger playing the role of the greasepaint-caked Joker, Christian Bale as Batman and Jake Gyllenhaal’s sister, Maggie, as Rachel Daus. It will be his final Hollywood film. Ledger did not finish “The Imaginarium of Doctor Pamassus” which he started filming earlier this month in London.
Six to seven years ago, I never heard of someone getting paid to blog. I remember friends getting paid to write lengthy articles but no one paid attention to people who simply blog. The impression blogs created that time was limited to private posts shared among friends in an online journal community offering free membership accounts. Connecting to a larger audience may be appealing but it was not something everyone was enthusiastic about. Traditional bloggers preferred privacy over their pageranks.
Over the years, the blogosphere has evolved and matured together with its tools. Some realized that visitors online are more concerned about getting information than learn about what someone just ate for breakfast. Bloggers have found their niche in writing some companies could not resist relating their offers to. That’s where blog advertising comes in.
As a marketing professional, I have realized that blogging has become a powerful advertising tool. It outpaces traditional print media in terms of reach, frequency and cost. And the best thing about it? Businessmen get responses straight from their customers.
There is no reason why businessmen should not advertise on blogs. Blog advertising service companies such as Smorty offer both advertisers and bloggers a chance to earn online. It’s basically a partnership. Writers are paid to blog about their opinion on certain products and services offered by advertisers. Each website visit created by the product review would mean sales to advertisers. This program is effective, highly-targeted and cost-efficient.
To those who would like to venture into serious blogging or to businessmen who are exploring other advertising options, there’s money in here if only you knew where to look.
