Media is a great source of getting information, current events and even a useful tool for advertising as well as entertainment. There is no doubt that it is also a good business too. And without the courageous journalists, we will not be updated about the crooked politicians, natural disasters and even war. These are some of the reasons why we should thank them.

But when does media becomes unhelpful, especially to our young children? As a father of a 2 grade school students, I am starting to see the bad effects of media to them. I am pretty sure most parents will agree with me here.

Print media

Newspapers and magazines are reading materials that can be easily seen while our children are traveling to school. Unfortunately, porn and adult materials are scattered everywhere just like candies and some people do not even care. Huge billboards that advertise different products are attracting our kids while we are bringing them to parks and malls. Now, you tell me. Is it alright that your child sees a billboard on a major street promoting a men’s magazine?

Video media

Who does not watch TV, movies and did I mention You-tube? Advertising people are smart enough to come up with unique keywords and scenes that would remind consumers about their product, and I really admire them for that. However, who regulates them and what criteria do they use? I may sound like an old-fashion father trying to be nice, but I do not believe good traits go out of style. Are you allowing your kids to watch a couple on a TV show torridly kissing each other?

Audio media

Who does not love music, be it slow or fast? I love rock metal and some hip-hop beat too. No, I am NOT against rappers here. I am even proud that Black-Eyed Peas vocalist is a fellow Filipino. I am also a big fan of some heavy metal bands like Scorpions and other head-banging groups. Sometimes, I also need the noise to keep me awake. But watch out for the lyrics, my friend. Do these musicians care for children, or for themselves only and their stupid freedom? Are we choosing the kind of music our children listen to?

My conclusion

This problem is not for the government, artists and producers alone. This is a problem of all parents and anybody who cares about children. Therefore, the solution lies in our hands. Instead of pointing fingers to one another, why not go hand-in-hand to solve it? Censorship is a broad topic as we may look at it from different angles. But do we really need a never-ending debate to settle this?

The principle is simple. If there is something that is not for the kids, then do not give it to them. We are the adult ones, and I assume that all of us are mature enough. If you do not know what is bad for a child, then you do not deserve to be called an adult.

The future of the world depends on what the children learns today.

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It is very rare that I will be posting current news on my blog, and this is one of them. Myself being a former street child, I know how a hungry child feels. This news should be a good call to US President-elect Barack Obama, that he has a lot of things to do.

According to the latest CNN News, hungry US children increased nearly to 700,000 last year 2007. Consequently, close to 12.5% or 1 out of 8 Americans are not being able to feed themselves well enough. This is even before the country’s economy went down. A scary prediction was made by James Weill, Food and Research and Action Center president. He feels that the data will most likely to increase next year due to obvious reasons – drastic fall of economy.

With this, I would like to make an appeal to my fellow parents to save food. Here are some of the helpful tips which I believe very easy to follow.

Plan your meal accordingly

Children tend to lose appetite when they are eating the same kind of food everyday. Parents especially mothers should plan the menu at least the day before. Combination of meat, fish and vegetables should be studied very well.

Do not shop excessively

Buying food which are in excess is not a healthy habit, even the price seem to be at sale. Chances are they will be spoiled before they will be prepared. Shop only what you need, and it is cheaper in the long run.

Eat leftovers

Yes, why not? We can do it if we will be able to keep them properly. Learn how to experiment on cooking and preparing them so your children can still eat them. Be artistic, and use your parent instinct. For sure, you can come up with a bright idea.

Avoid junk food

Junk food will never make our children healthy, which means buying them is like wasting food. Do not let your child be fooled by attractive TV commercials, silly print ads, and trying to-be nice product endorsers.

Educate your child

There is nothing better than educating your child. Make him realize how hard life is, especially these days. Show him the reality through the daily news. Do not allow him to get food what he cannot finish.

Hunger is a disease. Saving is the cure.

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Start at home

I am always mentioning this because I believe it is home where our child starts to learn first. Teach your teenage boys how to do some household activities like cooking and washing clothes. By doing this, he will be able to understand that it is also hard to be a woman and they were born with equal rights. Do not allow anybody in the house to share green jokes in front of him. More importantly, educate him how to respect his sister, aunt, grandmother and most especially, his mother.

Know his friends

Most of the time, it is his so-called friends who teach him to disrespect women. You may see him normal or respectful at home, but how about if he is with his classmates and friends? His surroundings can be a great influence to him as he is growing up to be a man. A simple stranger can dress like a friend with an attractive offer but will demolish his character in the long run. Protect your son like you do to your daughter.

Know his habits

Does your teenage boy prefer to have indecent posters of gorgeous women in his room, rather than expensive cars? Do you usually catch him hiding some magazines or DVDs from you? Although you might think that it is worst that he likes to talk about men rather than women, you should also be aware how he talks about them. If telling dirty jokes about women makes him enjoy, then you should act immediately before it is too late. Have a watchful eye towards his words and actions.

Do not spoil him

If he is easily getting what he wants, then he is more prone to overpower women. He will feel like a king and may think that women are the weaker sex. Do not think that because he is a boy, he can flirt with girls anytime he wants to. It is so wrong to think that after all, he got nothing to loose. Never tolerate his wrongdoings just because he is your son. Give him reprimand he deserves. If he can hurt other boys, what more can he do towards women?

Respect all women for she is our mother.

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Write it as a user

Using the product can help a lot but of course, it is not always possible. In such cases, it may look impossible for you to write an effective review. But not really, that is if you try to put yourself in their shoes. You can do it by learning everything about the product, as if you are really going to buy one. Check every important detail that a buyer should know. Then use words that can be understood by the readers, and avoid discussing technical matters. In short, be objective and not subjective. A good writer is not always a good product reviewer.

Do not sell the product

You read it right, my friends. Do not try to sell the product but instead, convince the readers that it is necessary for them to have one. Emphasize on things about it that are unique, and highlight the best features for you. Do not act like an attractive commercial model, or a product endorser. A product review is not a press release. Therefore, It should be informally written but without shortcuts. You can also include some friendly criticisms if you are allowed to. Furthermore, don’t be obvious with your affiliate links even if it is allowed. Instead, show an image with your affiliate link.

Talk to your readers

Talk to your readers as if they are eating lunch with you. To do this effectively, use the pronoun you instead of titles such as housewives, fathers or any kind of product user. Make your readers’ life comfortable, and show enthusiasm about the product. This includes using layman’s term for some scientific terms. Try to create a good conversation with your readers. If the product is a software or ebook, showing some screenshots will definitely be advantage. You must also include links to important pages, and place them on the first part of the post. In short, be a friend and not an agent.

Observe quality writing

Introduction is very vital because first impression last. But you cannot grab your reader’s attention if there are numerous grammar and spelling errors. Use bullets or numbering system when explaining each feature. Make your sentences and paragraphs short, and with your subtitles bold. A good review has a range of 500~700 words, and definitely not more than 1,000 words. Short reviews looks like a personal note, so avoid it. Most advertisers ask where they got the information, which means you can get more offers. Some readers may not be interested in product reviews, but they can recommend the product to others if you can write with high quality.

Good products can look better if it is being explained well.

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Two days ago, my blogging partner Mon and I attended a free seminar at the University of Sto. Tomas, Manila, Philippines which I learned through Manuel Viloria. Anyway, the seminar was entitled How to Make Money and Lucrative Job or Career Online. The speaker was no other than the Internet Marketing guru himself – Joel Christopher Remandaban. The rain was very heavy and I traveled for more than 4 hours since the place is around 75 kilometers away from home. But still, I managed to arrive around 10 minutes before the scheduled time 6pm. Mon arrived earlier, though.

The seminar encountered some mysterious troubles, but Joel was not affected. As he joked, Murphy was there, referring to Murphy’s Law – If anything can go wrong, it will. He entertained us for a moment by asking how we knew about it, where we came from, and others. While his team is arranging the set up, attendees were arriving from different status in life including UST students, deans from different departments and average businessmen.

But who is he anyway? Well, he is a native of Tabango, Leyte, Philippines, a UST graduate and finished Physical Therapy with flying colors. He left for the States to find his fortune last Sept 8, 1998 with an $800 pocket money…lucky numbers, huh?! Although he was successful in his field, he dream of something bigger and found it through Internet Marketing. Now, he is called the Master List Builder. He is also a best-selling author, a speaker and a mentor. He has been recently featured at Click Here to Order and Emillions. These 2 great books are inspiring stories behind the most successful Internet Marketing Entrepreneurs around the world. According to him, he will stay here for good in 2010 and will share his knowledge to his countrymen especially to his hometown. This is his ultimate goal – for every Filipino to learn the art of Internet Marketing.

So, what about the seminar? Finally, it went live to different parts of the world simultaneously in which Carl Ocab is also watching. But it is very much impossible for him to share all his knowledge on a 2-hour free seminar, so only the basics were discussed. I did not have the privilege to take down notes, but noted the three important factors.

1.0 What’s your mission in life? Why do you want to achieve this? Then, have a specific goal. How much exactly do you want to earn in the first month, second month, etc.?

2.0 Focus is a very important tool. You have to be very passionate, patient and smart. Invest time, and money if necessary. He admits that he is not a technical person, and he delegates some tasks to his team.

3.0 Find a niche. He was very concern about this, as he mentioned that we cannot sell everything to everybody.

After the seminar, he invited us to Shakey’s for free meal and spend time with some Q & A. I asked him what product can bloggers can sell effectively, and he answered that it really depends on your niche. So again, niche is the key. But what I remembered the most is a simple phrase – Sharpening the Saw. He compared two carpenters, one is continuously sawing for 8 hours while the other one sharpening the saw every hour. I hope it is obvious for you as to who will be more efficient in the end. Continuous learning is the best tool ever.

The following day, I was interviewed together with some UST students and tandem of writer and a graphic designer. Unfortunately, Mon was not anymore available that time. Although Joel is hiring part-time and full time employees for his dream, I applied to be one of his apprentices. I was given a test and right now, waiting for the result. I will be glad to share updates in my future posts.

Lastly, he is continuously hiring Programmers, Bloggers, Writers, Web Designers, Graphic Artists, Video Editors, Telemarketers, Voice-Over Talents, and Technical Support. So, if you’re interested in joining his team, pls. feel free to apply online HERE.

It is hard to find smart people and good citizens, but it is harder to find a man who are both.

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Holding a contest in a blog is a good way to increase subscribers, links and even traffic. I see nothing wrong with it especially if the prize is attractive such as cash. In fact, I ran a small one when I was still a member of Entrecard, and even joined some. Luckily, I won some ad space and an interview that I will never forget.

However, bloggers especially newbies should be aware that some of them may be scam. Although it may look hard to detect which one is scam or not, one should only have some common sense to be smart enough. The tips below may not be the actual indication of a scam contest, but they can serve as clues.

Unrealistic prize

If the single prize is $2,500 for only making a post about the contest, would you believe him? Sad to say, many did and the blog enjoyed a high popularity at Technorati and even got a lot of backlinks. Unfortunately, it was a scam blog contest and the blog was gone for good after it was exposed. No blogger with a clear mind will give away a huge amount of money for something he can get for free.

No solid identity

A good way to check his identity is through his About Me page. If it has almost no identification in it, check his URL at Google. If his blog has few posts, and has no clear source of income, how can he prove that he is capable of giving such prizes? A good indication of a legitimate blog contest is if it has numerous sponsors who have established themselves in the field of blogging and contest sponsoring.

Doubtful rules

Any contest should have a deadline, or at least number of entries required. Otherwise, it is a clear scam. Rules should also be specific as how to win, how to claim the prize and other evidences that it is for real. Watch out also for abrupt and frequent changes of rules, especially when the deadline is getting near. If the contest requires you to pay or has many silly requirements, better watch out before joining.

Previous contests held

Previous contests held with winners announced do not mean that they are authentic. I am not saying that contests that use random.org for choosing the winner are scam, but check if the winners were real or very close to the contest owner. It is very easy to create a ghost winner, or give money to friends that can be returned offline. Having many participants before does not guarantee that the current contest is not a scam.

Nobody will be fooled if we will be smarter than them.

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It is a fact that subscribers will help your blog to stay alive. This is because they are your regular readers and it takes a lot of hard work increase them even if you using the most attractive RSS Icon in town. But the worst thing that can happen is that they are getting few, and you cannot force them to stay. One thing is for sure, you are doing some things that your subscribers do not like. As a blog subscriber myself, here are some of the main factors that stops me from subscribing.

Long and boring posts

While it is alright to write long posts, they should not be boring. On the contrary, they must be more interesting as they are reading it. This is where your creativity comes in. If you want to write long posts, learn how to minimize grammatical errors and avoid useless words and phrases. Be straight in what you want to say. If you think you have many things to say about a single topic, make a series part and inform your readers about it.

Inconsistent posting frequency

If you choose a particular blogging frequency say every other day, be sure you can maintain of at least close to it. Remember that subscribers are followers and if you make them impatient for your next blog post, then they will leave without saying goodbye. Sudden increase of blog frequency can also be annoying especially if they do not open their mails everyday. Consistency is one thing readers like from us.

Repetitive post topics

Making blog posts are not like submitting articles to different article directories. It is not like a good movie that people want to see again and again. If you want to talk about an old topic, be sure to make it more interesting to read than the first and provide a reasonable time gap. Adding some new ideas about it or updating your readers about the topic can be very interesting to follow. Fragrant flowers can also cause allergy.

Sudden change of blog topic

Remember that blogging is sharing quality information, and abrupt change of blog topic may offend your loyal readers. If you want to make an experiment by making an off-topic post, inform your readers beforehand and how frequent you will do this. Readers subscribe to a blog because you have common interest in topics to read. If you suddenly change your interest, they might also change their mind.

Successive product reviews

Engaging into paid-to-write sites like SponsoredReviews can provide you additional income but can also harm your subscribers. They are after what you can share to them, not what they can buy through your advice. If they are interested in buying something, they will go to a more appropriate site. If you want to earn more while saving your subscribers, balance your paid posts and find other sources of income.

Frequent feed errors

Make sure that you are using a reliable feed source. Most used feed sources do not mean it is always effective. They encounter technical problems too. Monitor their performance very closely and a good way of doing it is to subscribe to your blog. In this way, you can also experience the same feelings your subscribers feel. At any rate, full RSS feed is better than partial feed or just title feeds. If multiple errors are happening, report them at once.

Loyalty pays off only when you know how to handle it.

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Philippines may be a third-world country, with a lot of natives going abroad to seek for a greener pasture and where corruption is a common topic in every table. But Filipinos are born with great talents and they can shine anywhere, given the chance.

I do not need to mention the names of Manny Pacquiao and Charice Pempengco, who are now doing very well in their respective fields. But these two are just among the millions of great Filipinos who are doing their best for their country and families.

Filipinos are also known to be sociable and hospitable, and blogging is another field where we can prove that we are. In case some of you are not aware, John Chow is very thankful to the 13-year old Kid Blogger Carl Ocab for saving him through a guest post. But this is not just about him; this post is a salute to all the Filipino bloggers in every corner of the world.

As I traced back as to when blogging started here in the Philippines, I found an article from Manila Bulletin Online entitled How Blogging Started in the Philippines which was published on March 29, 2005. Here, Analyn Jusay learned that the first Filipino blogger is Lauren Dado who has been blogging since 1996. The following year, Analyn pubilshed another article - Revisiting The First Pinoy Blogger this time with an interview with her.

On September 17, 1999, Digital Filipino was created by Ms. Janette Toral to assist people with thier e-commerce needs. Last Nov. 5, 2008, awards were given to top Filipino bloggers according to different categories in which you will find the complete list of winners here. The D Spot won the Personal Blog Category, while Tech at Hand dot Net won the Professional Blog Category.

Furthermore, you can find the complete list of the top 100 Filipino bloggers at Ratified dot Org. This is according to Technorati, Alexa Rank and number of subscribers. If you are a Filipino, you can also submit your blog there.

On the other hand, The Philippine Blog Awards also announced its set of winners for this year 2008 in which the complete list can be found at the Manila Blog Times. Tonyo Cruz whom I met at the recent blog event I attended, banged the The Best News and Media Blog.

The Philippine Blog Awards however, is being organized by Abe Olandres, Gail de la Cruz - Villanueva and Jayvee Fernandez which started in the latter part of 2006.

But I cannot end this post without mentioning some Filipino bloggers who I met online and offline. Some of them may not be on the top list, or has a topic or language that you will not like. But these are real people, sincere with their posts, and write what’s in their hearts.

So, without further ado, here they are in no particular order.

Manuel Viloria dot Com
Macuha dot Com
Jehzlau Concepts
JoanJoyce
Gewgaw Writings
A Campaign for non-Violence on TV
The Working Mom
Manilenya
Bloggista
Ready to be Rich
Points of View
Tsinay
Marriage and Beyond
Fatherlyours dot com
Reyna Elena
Warmstone
Sonnie’s Porch
Dear Bloggery
Blog From Cebu To The World
Blogging from Home
Read my Mind
Racoma dot Com dot PH
The Weblog Zone
Blog Tutorials
Selaplana dot Com
A Filipina Mom Blogger
Nierva dot Com
100% Batangueno
Pinoy Ambisyoso
Batang Yagit
Hussein’s Blog
Filipino Voices
The Life of a Breadwinner
PinayWife Speaks
Pusang Maganda
Gary Viray dot Com
Adaphobic
Batanggenyo dot Net
The Spitting Vessel
Julia Aquino
Rhyan dot Net

PS. I will edit this post from time to time, as I will add more Filipino blogs that I find interesting to read.

Mabuhay ang Filipino bloggers!

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Working at home is a very rewarding job because you are always with your family. You are the master of your time and it saves you a lot of money, too. No gas, no traffic and no bosses to hide from. (I just wish my former bosses won’t read this, lol!) But anyway, these are some of the things I am enjoying now. However, one of the distractions that you will encounter is if you have little children to take care of. This requires a lot of patience, strategies and a good time management.

If you will notice the photo on top, this is a classic example of our daily morning bonding at home. Being a professional blogger for a month, here are some of what I learned and hope can help others too.

Inform them

Since most parents are employed, your children may find it hard to understand if you are not, especially if you used to be one. But it is still best if you will explain it to them. Although little children are naughty and active, they will follow you if they realize that you are doing this for them. Children are intelligent. If they feel they are disturbing you with their noise, rest assured that the elder one will remind the younger ones, especially if you are on the phone. This early, they are also learning how to being considerate.

Have a separate workplace

Provide enough space for your work where your children cannot disturb you. If you cannot afford to have an enclosed room, you can just place a divider to separate you from their play place. However, be sure that you can check them from time to time or better yet, you can see them from your chair just in case you get concentrated at your work. In addition, you must be aware when they are too silent. Something might be going wrong or they might be doing something secretly. Children make miracles when they’re quiet, you know.

Organize your task

Have a designated time for your work. After breakfast and they are already ready to play, you can now prepare for your work. Do your simple task when they are awake so you can easily get away when your children need you. Afternoon napping time for children is the time for your task that needs full concentration. I would also advise you to arrange your things in proper order and put labels if possible. This is not only time saving, but also a nice view. I usually make my posts at late night, when everybody is asleep.

Teach them basic activities

Teach your children how to use the remote control, faucet and other basic activities that they can do by themselves. This can also save you a lot of time. For their safety, bring down all their needs where they can easily be reached. Check if there are sharp objects, toxic chemicals, and matches near them, and keep them away. They should know not to do and what to do in case of emergency. Explain to them the consequences, if they will not follow. In this way, you are also teaching them to be independent and responsible.

Ask for help

If unavoidable, ask a family member to look after your little children. You can request an older child from your neighbors to play with them. If you think it worth to have a nanny, then get one. You can also ask a very close and trusted friend who can watch over them. Asking for help should also be planned. Have an early agreement with them to make sure that they can be there on time. But of course, you should not rely on them too much. You are still the parent who has the full responsibility over your children.

Work is valuable only if you know who you are working for.

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This day, Americans will vote for their 44th president and this is an easy task. Knowing that the US is now suffering a great loss from their economy, and another terrorist attack may be just around the corner. While we hope that the latter will not occur, the world is now watching the latest news. Will it be Obama or McCain? I am a Filipino and may not be directly affected by the result. But as a blogger, I learned a lot of things during the campaign. I may not be familiar with the platform of each candidate, but there are some interesting points that can be related to blogging.

But before that, I strongly advise to save your best post on another time. I bet you will agree with me when I say that it is not a good time to post them, not unless it is about the 2008 US Presidential Election. Anyway, here are the lessons I learned and hope you can learn too.

Being unique is attractive

Barrack Obama, if elected will be the first Afro-American US president and that’s history. You can call him anything that you want, but you cannot deny that he is an attractive candidate. In blogging, most of us join the crowd hoping to get noticed. But unfortunately, they get nothing. This is because they have many competitors. Try to have your own style and identity, and readers will wonder what you can offer to them. Being the first of its kind is difficult, but if readers find you interesting you can expect a free campaign.

You don’t have to be geek

If you watched the campaign very closely, you will find a video where John McCain admitted that he does not know how to use a computer. People may find it weird as how he can be a great commander in-chief, if he is a computer illiterate. Some top bloggers are hiring technical people for the job, and that’s understandable. The presidency is all about leadership, not clerical jobs. I believe no great blogger is really alone in his blog. If he tries to learn everything, he will be late for the things he must focus on.

You must be a good entertainer

To win the attraction of the voters, both candidates tried to be funny. They sing, dance, and sometimes look silly in front of the crowd. Call it stupidity and I will call that effective advertising. Words are important, but they are boring to read. You must find a way to keep your readers awake. Attaching a picture with a different angle can help a lot. Crack a joke while replying to comments is even better to add sauce to the conversation. Readers like quality content, but they need to be entertained too.

Stick with your principles

Political analysts and keen observers can tell us the candidates who are frequently changing their principles, and they note that very seriously. Standing for what you believe in is very important. That is why bloggers should read a lot before publishing his posts, especially if they are talking about critical matters. Consistency is essential to earn trust, and it will also help you in difficult situations. Don’t ever be a chameleon and stop playing safe. Sometimes, it does not matter if you are right or wrong. It mostly depends on how you defend it.

So, who is my bet for the 2008 US Presidential election? Well, it’s the one who promise to change America but will fight for democracy. Did you catch the kicker?

A man can only lead if he is a good follower.

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