the good times are killing me...

without you on a sunday.

this is how they announce birthday celebrants here at the office. good grief.

overtime.

say it will always be like this.

trying to relate this to twitter somehow..

I have always been fascinated by how technology plays a vital part in changing individual outlooks and perspectives. With the rise of instant communication and multimedia communication through the use of cell phones, websites, and online services, for example, news reporting now becomes more personal than ever.

Backtrack to July 2006, during the Israel-Lebanon conflict, and Israel’s air strikes on Lebanese civilian infrastructures, business and residential districts. During that period, there was a flurry of online activity coming from all over Lebanon – personal blog entries, video posts on You Tube, etc., all telling stories of loss, fear, and anger of the people directly affected by all the violence. CNN even had a special news section dedicated to broadcasting videos and photos taken by regular Lebanese civilians of the bombings and air raids from their windows, doorways, or out on the streets.

No cameramen or calm field reporters.

Only frantic voices and terrified screams captured on digital cameras, or multimedia phones.

These materials were sent directly to the news agency by their authors through e-mail or MMS. CNN also featured blog entries of victims taking refuge in their apartment hallways or makeshift bomb shelters, giving personal blow-by-blow accounts on their family members, friends, and neighbors who were killed, injured, or displaced by the strikes.

This is similar to how the world was able to read Anne Frank’s diary of her years hiding in an attic to escape the Nazis, but the difference is that in this day and age where instant communication is possible, the whole world can now view these personal stories – hear these voices in real time – while we can still do something about it in times of conflict.

Through revolutions in communication technology, the rest of the world is becoming so accessible that even I, a Filipino, can look into the life of someone from war-torn Lebanon, and in it find that I can relate on a very personal level. It allows one to think that perhaps war is not the solution; or to realize that those whose lives are being most affected by these conflicts are made helpless by decisions of national and international leaders.

Because of these videos, photos, and accounts, one realizes that wars ruin people, and not faceless nations. Casualties cease to be a mere number, but become translated into lives lost by loved ones and members of the community.

Instant communication technologies make everything more personal, and perhaps this is something to build on. It may not bring us to the solution of world peace just yet, but we should hope that all this connectivity will bring us into a better understanding of our world, and of the others who live in it.

20 April 2007

*a majorly rehashed LJ post done for a feature writing activity for a PR company i applied for last week.

what the next taggu ndios music vid will look like, if i have anything to do with it! HAHAHAHA! :D

This is a gorgeous tattoo. Am thinking of either a bird or a single feather. Need a good artist, and fast.

toothbrush

The Immigrant Song

Norah Jones always has such great videos!

boys

winning at tic-tac-toe