Top Ten Funny Behavior in Facebook (of Pinoys) part 2

By Edge and Larra

If you don’t have a Facebook (FB) account then you are a) living under a rock, b) at an advanced age, c) stuck in the Friendster era, or worse, d) dead. You would probably know someone, or have committed these funny acts in FB yourself, writers not exempted (We are as guilty as everyone is). This article is not accurate, so don’t berate us with statistics because we didn’t even bother with the word (Not to mention the college subject necessary for our theses!). Anyway here’s our top ten funny behavior of (Pinoy) Facebook users (based on fabricated statistics of how many people do it):

Please note: If you find yourself among these, it doen’t mean you have to change, but if you’re a real nuisance, then please do. Haha! Peace! ^^

The Top 5

Top 5. The ‘Social activist’ (Superliker)

The act of liking or joining each and every group that pops up. Despite not having a serious purpose aside from laughing at the idea of the group’s existence, these ‘activists’ still continue to join groups that would last for about a week, give or take, then dwindle into oblivion. And getting in on a funny trend is as easy as a click away, this act becomes addictive. If you have a Social activist friend, which I’m sure you do, or you’re one yourself, then they, or you, may also want to start a new online group support, Clickaholics Anonymous.

Top 4. The ‘Facebook Varsity’ (Who’s da playa?!?)

The act of playing every other game that Facebook offers, from the most popular Farmville to the mini-games in existence. If only FB digital money, like the zenies of Ragnarok Online and other serious MMORPGs, are convertible to cash, or channel the time spent playing to a more productive activity, the Facebook Varsity would be well-off. Though the causative factor of this behavior is to relieve stress, they end up more stressed by getting more digital money or improving their stats or levels in their respective games (I know this first-hand, back in RO’s beta days in Chaos). This is when they send lesser or non-players endlessly annoying invites.

Top 3 The ‘Evil Tagger’ (‘Ganda/Gwapo mo kasi sa pic ‘eh)

The act of tagging someone in a photo where he or she looks like living hell while the tagger’s shot is heaven-sent. The motivation of the tagger is one of pure evil. Don’t you just hate it when your most hideous form, or your highest level of atrocity (if you’re not always monstrous) somehow makes its way to be displayed publicly for the entertainment of netizens here and abroad?

The worst evil tagger you could find would be one of the closest persons in your life. Your parents are not excluded. Those who have access to your humiliating childhood pictures and have the ability to scan and upload them can destroy your online life. Those who are blessed with a fast-hand with a ready digicam during nights out gains leverage over you. Stop thinking about paparazzis or the Pinoy TMZ because you’re not a celebrity; but think friends, close friends, and best friends.

But seriously, these embarrassing photos can deter potential employers if you do not act fast to untag yourself. Facebook is the fastest and convenient way for recruiters to know more about their applicants. Evil-taggers should know that this act has serious repercussions. It’s a matter of making your profile or album private, but not to the point of nonexistence.

Another known behavior of this creature, is tagging you in a photo where you’re not there at all. The purpose is either to sell you something or torture you for missing a very happy event.

Everyone is a target for the evil-tagger and anyone can be an evil-tagger.

Top 2. The Wall Poster (‘di ko gets?!?)

The act of irrational conversation on a certain wall post instead of opening a chatroom. Though it is easier and more convenient to chat, or open a conference if there are more than two chatters, the Wall Poster tends to publicize the exchange by commenting, extensively. This is a widely popular behavior for FB users.

In the defense of Wall Posters, being wall posters ourselves, commenting on wall posts compared to a chatroom proves to have longer shelf life. At any time the exchange can be easily revived with just another comment.

The annoying but also funny version is finding a certain wall post as a coffee shop by friends who’re catching up, using your wall post as chatroom while discussing something completely unrelated.

Top 1. Your status, your like, your comment.

Enough Said. (eh ‘yung iPPM ka para magpalike ng status?!)

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Top Ten Funny Behavior in Facebook (of Pinoys) part 1

By Edge and Larra

If you don’t have a Facebook (FB) account then you are a) living under a rock, b) at an advanced age, c) stuck in the Friendster era, or worse, d) dead. You would probably know someone, or have committed these funny acts in FB yourself, writers not exempted (We are as guilty as everyone is). This article is not accurate, so don’t berate us with statistics because we didn’t even bother with the word (Not to mention the college subject necessary for our theses!). Anyway here’s our top ten funny behavior of (Pinoy) Facebook users (based on fabricated statistics of how many people do it):

Please note: If you find yourself among these, it doesn’t mean you have to change, but if you’re a real nuisance, then please do. Haha! Peace! ^^

The Top 6

Top 10. The ‘Celebrity’ (Feeling Artista)

The act of creating more than one account, an act originating from the medieval periods of Friendster, wherein a person’s account reaches its limit of having a number of friends. Ideally, this is attributed to popularity and congeniality. But the reality is, once they create a new one, you’re illogically added to that other account, regardless of being a friend in his or her first account, until it reaches its delusional maximum again, eventually creating another excuse to create a third account. The more accounts there are, the more delusional that person is.

Top 9. The ‘Love Team’ (Lakas Maka-Issue)

The act of repeatedly changing one’s relationship status from Single to In a Relationship, to the more controversial and usually comment-hoarding statuses: It’s Complicated and Married. The ideal use is to describe one’s actual relationship status. But those who have real problems would either hide the fact that their relationship is teetering rather than publicize their intimate dilemmas. However there are those who, out of honest sweetness or plain ‘cheesiness, and love of drama, commit the act to the point of nausea. If you don’t do it for fame, then you’re not under this bracket.

Those who exhibit the worst version of this behavior, who should seriously seek psychiatric help, would create a ‘boyfriend/girlfriend’ profile. And yes, they do exist. You can easily catch the perpetrators of this worrisome behavior by checking the profile of their so-called partner. The most telling attribute would be having just one friend in their friends box. Who doesn’t have friends other than your boyfriend/girlfriend?

Top 8. The ‘Blocker’ (Sana hindi mo na lang in-add)

The act of blocking one’s account from a friend.

We could not fathom, or would even want to, what kind of reasoning these people have. If you have a friend that has their account blocked from you, then by all means remove them from your friends list, and if you can, from your life.

And if you are guilty of this act, come on, what’s up? If you’re just going to block someone, better remove him from your friends or don’t approve in the first place.

There are also those, although rare but not extinct, who would scour FB for your account to block you without adding you up. These are people who have serious misgivings against you. It either means you’re a stalker of some sort, or they feel that you’ll miss one-half of your life because you won’t know what’s going on in their life (as if they have one.. taking the extra mile just to block you already means they don’t have one).

Top 7. The ‘Starbucks drinker’ (‘Kaw na may Starbucks!)

The act of treating a Starbucks coffee cup as if it’s a souvenir from a trip to Disneyland. Starbucks is a status symbol—before. It’s too common to be descriptive of someone’s economic ranking today. We would avoid dwelling on the status symbol thing, since another circular convoluted discussion could erupt. Let’s not be too serious people, cheer up.

This is practically a must-have in the FB world, if you check the profile photos of your friends; they would probably have a Starbucks photo in their arsenal. It’s not annoying or funny by itself, but communally, it’s a humorous act, like a certain quirk that Pinoy FB users commit rampantly. I bet you have one too (We know we do ^^)

Top 6. The ‘Telenovela character’ (Bida siya lagi)

The act of changing one’s profile picture, like some camera reel, or status, like a subtitle from a Koreanovela, within minutes of each other. Their profile pictures change usually from emotional, artistic shots to jovial, perky captures. But do not underestimate their photography skills, these people have perfected the art of self-photography (yes even DLSRs with lenses!)

They accompany this visual talent with exemplary writing skill, overcoming the famed writer’s block. Without this handicap, they are better than most writers because their writing prowess is withdrawn with a snap of a finger. They usually write in vague, metaphorical quotes, delivered via textspeak or the seemingly alien form of language, ‘Jejenese’. 

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The UAAP Finals Experience and Why You Shouldn’t Miss It

Five years is long enough. The FEU Tamaraws have been starving to tear the gold away from Ateneo’s clawed grasp, and they just came too close last year. Almost tasting the succulent but elusive crown, practically salivating, the Morayta cagers are far too famished not to give everything they’ve got, and more.

I was a freshman when the former King Tamaraw, Arwind Santos, led FEU to its 19^th title. Like any geeky freshman, my singular goal was to finish my first sem with flying colors. I had no interest in school organizations, even FEU Advocate, and much less interest in UAAP’s basketball. I did care about volleyball though, I was an avid Shakey’s V League fan and it was a post-Michelle Carolino season back then. Until a classmate, who has a future in sales, did a hard sell and got me to buy a ticket for Game 2 Finals against the De La Salle University’s Archers.

And it was a very exciting, exhilarating and, as I have learned eventually, elusive experience.

For some Tamaraws, they consider me lucky to experience a championship within my four-year stay in FEU. It’s like one of the checklists of being enrolled in a UAAP school, experience a championship year.

Since then, I have always wanted to go to Araneta and support my alma mater, but the realities of being a student nurse made Araneta a distant luxury. Blame me for being seemingly suicidal; I took the FEU Advocate exam, qualified, only to shave off more hours from a regular day. As I took the publication’s role seriously, perhaps more seriously than my own studies, I needed either a Saturday or a Sunday to rest and survive the coming week, pulling me further away from Araneta.

Classmates would have the idea that being in the publication meant required presence during the UAAP games. But I was not a Sports writer, I was under the Features section, which meant a handful of wanted, and unwanted, second-hand information from photographers and writers who cover games. I forgot who, but an Advocate batchmate (meaning we got in at the same time) once did a play-by-play account of a game. I blocked the words and an exceptional game analysis, from a fresh student journalist, not because I wasn’t interested but because the level of enthusiasm is intoxicating, and it was excruciating for me to listen when I wanted to be there myself.

Fast forward five years, and I found myself nostalgic of FEU’s Game 2 against La Salle. This time, I wasn’t in general admission (sounds like being admitted at the hospital), I was at the lowerbox beside another Advocate batchmate, a former Sports Editor, during the recent, controversial FEU vs. La Salle game.

And I took in everything that my senses fed me.

The Tamaraws’ territory has greatly improved we don’t just occupy gen ad to a gold-spotted lowerbox anymore. The horde has marked patron seating as part of their territory. Students wear their school colors with pride, and ‘just-in-case-FEU-loses-I-won’t-be-associated-with-the-school’ type of shirts are close to extinction.

Triggered by ugly game officiating (trying to control myself here), the Tamaraws were engaged in high-pitched verbal brawls against, well.. everyone else. My friend was acting like she’s not going to need her voice to answer calls later. She was standing and pointing to people on the court like she was the team coach. (I was ticked off by the officiating, not the La Salle's players per se)

As Cawaling was injudiciously sent off by an infuriating referee, my friend, and probably like other girls of our horde, acted like they were Cawaling’s girlfriend in anger. Others were screaming as if part of an activist movement, the picture only lacks placards and slogans with ‘Justice for Cawaling’.

As the horde erupted with contempt against a presumed orchestration of callouts, the team walking out after the first half, the Tamaraws still emerged victorious, crushing the Archers’ dream of making it to the Finals. Now, FEU is closer than ever to bringing the gold back where it might’ve, or should’ve, been since last year.

And we’re not going to miss it.

As early as the game’s conclusion, we already made arrangements on how to get our tickets for Game One. Two or three former Advocate staffers, and two current members, lined up for the tickets at FEU, reaching the end of the line only meant lining up again to buy another ticket until they had enough tickets for the number of people we hoarded to watch the game.  Eventually, the cashier got to know them, and wondered when they would stop lining up. They ended up making friends with the cashiers, which is a great achievement, I may say, since I’ve heard and experienced cashiers’ ire when doing transactions.

Like any telenovela, it is always a must to watch it until the end. We all expect a happy ending for the Tamaraws. Which is the same for other Tamaraw supporters who did not study in FEU at all, they are devotees by mere UAAP fanaticism. We are this year’s main protagonist, tayo ang bida, amidst a league of heroes.

UAAP is where heroes are made, but I guess for us Tamaraws, our heroes are made in Morayta, and UAAP is just one of their battlegrounds.

See you at the Coliseum! 

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Blog Theme Change: A Yuppie Blog

I’m going to change my blog theme from personal random thoughts to a young urban professional (yuppie) blog. Topics would be about the workplace, what to do during weekends and places to be.

I currently work as a call center agent, spending the weeknights  answering calls, resolving concerns, dealing with the hysterics of a working life (at night) and having fun with my workmates and supervisors.

During weekdays, I’m dead at times. By dead I mean lifeless, monotonous, bored and sleep-deprived. Despite this occasional zombie, the weekdays also mean responsible spending of daylight hours; getting enough sleep to avoid dozing off during work, budgeting your expenses until the next payday, and feeding your mind whichever way you feel neuron-nourishing.

The weekends, or day-offs, are a whole new source of experience, from the yuppie point of view. Never miss the chance to detoxify from the stress accumulated during the week, and this blog would include weekend activities you could look forward to.

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Hellcats, Another TV 'Cheeries' to Follow

Bring It On meets Glee, goes on a date, gets drunk and gives birth.

Most of you would know Bring It On as practically the most popular cheerleading movie ever released. If you’ve only seen the installments, then you haven’t seen anything yet. The first Bring It On covers most conflicts that cheerleaders experience amidst the combative atmosphere while performing with extreme optimism (nodding with wide-open smiles despite muscle contortion), which Hellcats’ pilot episode teasingly gives you a sample of.


Now, what’s the Glee part of the equation? It’s basically the transition from cinema to TV series, Glee is the ‘televisionification’ of the musicals which slowly regained popularity after being dead for about a decade or so. I guess we owe it to Disney’s High School Musical, acting as a necromancer for characters lunging into songs.
Another Glee characteristic is the pilot episode’s plot semblance. The Hellcats’ budget is threatened by a surge of budget for Lancer University’s, the setting, football program. This means cutting cheerleading scholarships which is why Marti(Alyson Mitchalka, Phil of the Future), a pre-law college student, desperate for a scholarship, tried out in the first place.


A few more factoids
-          Hellcats is based on American journalist Kate Torgovnick’s book, Cheer: Inside the Secret World of College Cheerleaders.
-          Tom Welling, Clark Kent of Smallville, is one of its producers.
-          Ashley Tisdale, Sharpay Evans of the hugely popular High School Musical trilogy, plays Savannah Monroe who’s the captain of the Hellcats. As early as the second episode, I realize that her role here has more depth.
-          The series is expected to show more similarity to Election, a Witherspoon-starred 1999 film about how much ambition a student has, and to what extent she’ll go to just to get a student council position. Being a former campus journalist myself, this part I really understand. However, since I haven’t read the book, I am yet to see this comparison in the series.


What to like
-          Come on, who doesn’t enjoy watching cheerdance moves? The latest poverty of tickets to the UAAP Cheerdance Competition proves there’s an entire audience hungry for pyramids, tumbles and throws. Not to mention, short skirts, flips and tight-fitting outfits.
-          It’s funny. My favorite character so far is Marti’s mother, who somehow reminds me of Kristin Chenoweth’s character in Glee, April Rhodes. Maybe it’s just their stubbornness and idiosyncrasies that make me laugh.
-          A promising storyline. Brought by the book’s reviews, it is said to shed light to a myriad of difficulties that cheerleaders face. In a sport built around the concept of ‘cheers’ and ‘optimism’, the crowd wouldn’t, and shouldn't, have an inkling of what goes on before these athletes take the stage.


Unlike basketball drama, that regularly unfolds on the hardcourt, much like the recently concluded FEU vs. DLSU game, cheerleading has no hint of drama. Because if there is, then it defeats its purpose. And this series might just give you that hint.


HELLCATS is on ETC, Wednesdays at 8pm.
Here's the HELLCATS trailer:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5b3rAxj8G8

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