Smart Gets Smart But It Should Be Smarter

I used to have a Smart SIM card but I have since changed it to Globe. Smart has a very weak signal where I live and I had a hard time sending/receiving text messages and making/answering phone calls. I also didn’t like the fact that Smart kept sending me text advertisements promoting just about anything under the sun. The crazy thing is that the company seems to have a knack for sending text ads at times when I am waiting for crucial messages. So my cellphone beeps, I open it for a much anticipated message, but all I get is this text ad encouraging me to download this ring tune or to join some raffle where I can win a cellphone. Aargh! So I eventually came to dislike Smart.

Continue reading Smart Gets Smart But It Should Be Smarter

Conversations: Commercialization of Culture (2)

Dear Pagano,
It is good that you brought up how alternative singers like Grace Nono used our indigenous music. I had mixed feelings the first time I heard her song which included a Salidummay chorus. On the one hand, I felt flattered that an artist drew inspiration from our musical tradition and was able to popularize Salidummay way beyond the Cordilleras. On the other hand, the way she sang the Salidummay part was different from how we traditionally do it. It didn’t sound right to my ears and therefore I felt it was wrong. Maybe I am one of the “conservatives” you mentioned who do not approve of such adaptations.

Continue reading Conversations: Commercialization of Culture (2)