Where in the Galactic Empire is Luke Skywalker?

Of course we know who Luke Skywalker is, but have you ever wondered where Mark Hamill is and what he has been doing nowadays? Hamill, the actor who portrayed Skywalker’s character in the Episodes IV, V, and VI of Star Wars, seem to have vanished into the galaxy after he did the flicks in the late 70s and early 80s.

Two of the actors who did prominent or lead roles of Han Solo and Princess Leia Organa, are still much on the scene. Harrison Ford who essayed the role of Han Solo is still very popular playing meaty roles in popular Hollywood movies. Carrie Fisher, who did Princess Leia’s role, became a writer, and wrote her first novel, Postcards from the Edge, which was also made into film in 1990. In the 90s, she did mostly off-the cam roles and played some roles like when she appeared as a therapist in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. Of course, we can see her more often now, as the full-time judge of the reality TV show On the Lot.

Mark Hamill, on the other hand, did some on-cam roles after Star Wars. His last recorded acting work was Repetition in 2005 (which I am not familiar with), but one of his popular movies that hit the tills in the Philippine cinemas was Wing Commander in 1999 playing the role of Colonel Christopher Blair. While he is not seen much on movies, he lends his voice to various animated films and video games, like the popular animated flick Joseph: King of Dreams as the voice of Judah and Wing Commander Series.

Trivia: On January 11, 1977, a day before he was set to shoot one of the final scenes needed for Star Wars, Hamill was in a car accident that severely injured his face. The damage was extensive and that Hamill had to have multiple plastic surgeries to reconstruct his face. (Wikipedia).

Mark Hamill now.

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Blogging for popularity, towards social responsibility

In the past weeks, I was wondering what do Technocrati authority, blog juice, ranking, popularity and being influential means for a blog and the blogger. Bloggers in the Philippines would probably count to hundreds of thousands, if not in at least a million that landing in the Top 100 popular blogs or even the Top 10 most influential blogs, or even cited as the best blog of the year would definitely be a mind-blowing experience and significant feat for the blogger.

As a result, blogging becomes a rat-race, and their authors would try all the possibilities to outshine other bloggers. We resort to installing widgets, signing in the popularity race, and some even resort to advertising their blogs for them to get some attention.

In a few months of blogging, I also asked if these ranking, authority and popularity widgets are really important. At the least, I would say yes. It becomes an indication whether you have readers, actually. I, myself, was surprised to learn that even Manolo Quezon III linked me in one of his articles 2 months ago (see my Technocrati).

Earlier this month, I submitted my blog in the ranking of the so-called grassroots blogging society--Pinoy Bloggers Society a.k.a. PinoyBlogoSphere or PBS. Knowing that I landed in 270+ ranking out of 315 members who submitted their blog for ranking, was disheartening at the start. Although I didn't care if nobody visits my blogsite, I also surmised what would be the purpose of writing blogs if nobody would read them anyway? So I tried experimenting on some topics, which would be of interest to me, and at the same time, would engender interest among my very few readers. In a few days, I was surprised with what I saw. My PBS Ranking improved from 270+ to 208 today (August 11). It feels good—definitely! Also, even if I seldom see any comment in my blog entries, my site counter reveals that I have visitors, which also means that I am not wasting my precious idle time to run a simple analysis of the Top 100 blogs in the PBS. Perhaps, Filipinos are not really fond of giving out comments or remarks. It is a cultural thing.

However, some blogs like that of Eric (Señor Enrique) does not even have link widgets, but his blog is very popular that most of the blogs I visit link his site. So what makes his blog become the daily fare for most of us?

This prompted me to do a simple analysis of the Top 100 blogs of the PBS (This ranking is as of 2:05PM, August 11, 2007). With the information on the ranking of the PBS, here is what I have found out:

There are 20 blog categories which landed in the Top 100. I grouped similar blogs for easy presentation and analysis and came up with the following categories:

• Entertainment and the Arts - includes the entertainment industry, photo blogs, news and media, arts, and music.
• Personal – anything under the sun—be it entertainment, politics and governance, IT, lifestyle, family life, friendships, etc.
• Information technology – includes blogging technology, internet, video games, computers, internet resources
• Outdoor Lifestyle – includes travel, sports and recreation
• Group and Community – communities like PBS, mostly Pinoy communities
• Fashion and Lifestyle
• Business and Entrepreneurship
• Humor
• Academics
• Socio-political
• Home and Living

Based on the aggregated or re-classified categories, the top three are:

• Entertainment and the Arts (33%)
• Personal (25%)
• Information technology (15%)

They comprise 59% of all the blogs.

Thus, I have the following impressions (not conclusions yet, since my “study” is not scientific):

The blogging community prefers to be entertained and make blogging a personal experience, one reads or writes blogs to unwind, rather than engage in mind-wracking social concerns. They want to dwell on the more mundane aspect of living—its nitty-gritty and not the macro issues that beset the country. Perhaps, we already have enough of these in the news and public affairs shows and in broadsheets. You will see why politics, economics and social issues do not augur well for most of the Filipino bloggers. But it does not mean we do not have to discuss these issues. However, your discussion of these issues, like the way MLQIII expresses his punditry on these social issues, must be well written and well thought—then you will have a following like him.

Ergo, if you want to be popular, write topics on entertainment, travel, and lessons from personal experiences. In so-doing, it becomes probable that you will have the chance to land at least in the top 59% of the group. If you want to discuss about pressing issues, then you must have the authority of a Manolo Quezon or Dean Jorge Bocobo.

The novelty of ideas drawn from the personal experiences and the noble lessons derived from them becomes meaningful to the lives of readers if you will be able to touch their heart and tickle their funny side like that of Empress Maruja. Although his personal blog is somewhat “obscene” in some cases, he gets away with it. In the end, we become entertained. He has the novelty of ideas especially when he revived his “Empress Balita,” which gives a funny and unusually creative point-of-view to what is an already published story about actors and actresses. Señor Enrique, on the other hand, is so effective in painting another version of Quiapo and its environs by including some heartwarming and mind-provoking stories, which adds life and color to his otherwise mundane photos of these areas.

Just like how fast the popularity ranking is, the behavior of the blogging community is also shifting significantly. Blogging was introduced as a personal online diary. Suddenly, it becomes a venue for sharing learning from experiences, counseling, networking, information sharing, technology coaching, and advocacy, among others.

At this point, we can say that blogging will continue to flourish as a venue for reaching out to people. In the near future, it will take the center stage, perhaps replacing the other forms of the tri-media in terms of popularity and as a preferred site for communication.

With its power to communicate and change lives, this medium, therefore, should not be exploited not only for personal gains, but eventually in helping shape our society the way we wanted it to be. Gleaning from our present situation, our personal blogs, in a way, affects our readers. Perhaps, we have influenced their way of life.

While we vie for popularity, perhaps, it would not hurt if we also inject some form of social responsibility in our blogs.

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New look

Finally, I have come to terms with how my blog would look like. I have experimented on some templates but could not just get the feel of it. For me, they look limited in one way or another. Perhaps, it has also something to do with my banner heading. I didn't like wordy headings (as I have learned from my hands-on practice of journalism), but it should, at least give a hint of what my blog is all about.

I thank Doc Ian for giving me a better idea with the way he put my link to his blog as "Inkblots as he interprets life." True enough, Inkblots is a psychological test that one has to interpret.

Life is a canvass, and everything in it has a meaning, that we need to unravel. In "celebration" of some things that are good and new in my life: new month, new day, first day of the week, new job, so goes, my banner:

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On Bayang Barrios, F. Sionil Jose, and being a fan

I realize have several books by Francisco Sionil José more popularly known as F. Sionil José. I also realize I still have to buy more, which means I have to save a bit from my allowance so that I could buy all if not most of the rest of the titles that I do not have. This also reminds me that I planned to go to Solidaridad Bookshop in Padre Faura to have them signed by the old man, and perhaps, have the chance to talk to him, have a photo-op with him. That should be inputted in my celfone as a reminder, lest I want to forget again.

Having an autograph is something new to me or does not catch my fancy. Not ever in my entire life until the year 2003.

I have worked for two Presidents and rubbed elbows with one of them. I had the chance to work for Canadian and US Ambassadors, had the chance to mingle with the who’s-who in politics and government. Believe it or not, while others run berserk just to have a photo-op with them, I just stay in one corner or even offer to take their photographs. You may think how snob and smug I am. Well, maybe. But I am just too shy, that is why. Plus, I always have this eeky feeling during photo-ops. It is just too jologs. Kahit na sinong Poncio Pilato pa sya. (I hope you get what I mean).

Call me smug! But hey, not anymore! I said earlier in my promo blog about Bayang Barrios, I finally succumbed to somewhat borderline fanaticism. It was one afternoon sometime in 2003 when I left the office early to meet my wife at the mall. It was also the time when GMA 7 was also promoting its MetroPop album. It started with me buying their CD. The saleslady informed me that perhaps I would like to have the CD cover signed by one of the artists who would be performing. I asked who that artist was. She told me it was Bayang Barrios and kept on talking just to entice me because the seats were still empty and there seems to be no one interested in the promo show. But her words became muffled like murmurs in my ears already growing deaf upon hearing the name Bayang Barrios. Perhaps, I would not overrate her when I say that, for me, her name is synonymous to something that is ethereal. I love Bayang Barrios—that is why!

Now I admit that I am jologs. But I would like to clarify that my state of being jologs is not the jologs-to-the-max thing. My taste has a wide spectrum. Call it tasteful jologism (So is this another jologs morphology to justify one's self being a jologs?). After all, I adore no less than F. Sionil Jose and the popular alternative music artist of our time. And I should not forget to include Lea Salonga in my list (No. Not Regine. She is my wife’s favorite.).

So I sat there alone while waiting for my wife to come, who eventually arrived in the middle of the show. We enjoyed watching Bayang sing her winning piece Malayo Man, Malapit Din, which she wrote and composed. Then the time comes—autograph signing. I was glued to my seat. My right brain says it is time for me to go out of the enclosed area. But my left brain says I have to let go and take this one-of-a-lifetime opportunity (because it may never happen again). My wife even told me to go and line up. After all, it was Bayang Barrios and not just any teeny-bopper idol. Still, I thought that lining up in a long queue for an autograph was simply dyahe. Someone I know might see me and would endlessly tease me about it. But deep inside, I have to have it signed and not just waste the opportunity. So, the logical part of me finally cooperated and says I have to have some strategy. I have to make it quick and with a style. So I waited until there were only ten persons left. While waiting for my turn, I prepared some words to tell Bayang, then it was time for me to have the CD cover signed.

I told her, “Alam mo, noong Bagong Lumad ka pa lang with Joey Ayala, fan mo na ako.”

She smiled and said, “Talaga? Salamat!”

Photo of Bayang's Signature on the CD case of Metropop Song Festival CD.

I wanted to talk to her more, but those hawi-boys were just so annoying because they shoved us to move on. After that, I played the song over and over again, watched any documentary or feature, and browsed some articles about her.

Nevertheless, that made my day, and I look forward to see her up-close and personal in one of her gigs at the Conspiracy Bar.

BACK TO: INKBLOTS' PSYCHE

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Bayang Barrios

Soon on this site....

I have never been a die hard fan. I would cringe at the thought of lining up in a long queue for authograph signing. But sometime in 2003, I let my guards off, and what the heck! Right infront of me is one of the finest singers in town--Bayang Barrios!

Simply Exhilarating!

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Counting and sharing my blessings!

Needless to say, this is the first day of the month! Last night, while I was writing about my last blog for July I wished that my first blog for the month should be something good and inspiring.

That wish was granted.

1. I woke up early. For the past 6 months, I am a night-lurker working like a graveyard shift call center agent. Sweet life! Let's put it this way: I work at home, at my own pace and time, but making sure I deliver the outputs that my clients want from me. The truth is, I prefer to work at night when it is colder and no one can disturb me while working. Unless, I will transfer my PC to our bedroom and turn on the air-conditioning, but that is too much. My electric bill is not included in my PF.
2. The document I was asking in my previous work, which I also mentioned in my earlier blog about red tape has finally arrived though e-mail;
3. I sent an email to my future employer accepting their offer to manage one of their programs. I will start on August 15. I can never be grateful about this opportunity and blessing!
4. I am officially out of job (at least until August 14), so I can blog the whole day and till "kingdom come" (Oops! I still have to finish the study commisisoned to me!).

And I thank God, Almighty for all these blessings today.

BACK TO: INKBLOTS' PSYCHE

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