The Fall Of Kodak

For some of us who grew up with Kodak as a household name, and have always grabbed the camera while trying to capture moments by saying "Kodak it!" instead of "Take a picture", I also couldn't believe my ears when I heard the news.

The following was contributed by my friend Robin Gonzales.

Second Look 

by Robin Gonzales 

The Fall of Kodak 

For what seemed like from time immemorial, Kodak cameras and film were a part of every household. Special moments were always incomplete without the familiar Kodak camera to capture them. Likewise, the Kodak film roll that photo shops would never run out of was always a best seller. It seemed like the Kodak Company was a permanent fixture on the world’s psyche. No one would have predicted then that the year 2012 would see the Kodak Company to file for bankruptcy.

The dawning of the digital age has changed a lot of things. One of the inevitable changes was the obsolescence of the traditional camera and film pair. The prevalence of digital cameras and ready cameras on phones, tablets and the pc has doomed the camera and film pair. Though Kodak has continued to develop digital cameras, the market in the digital world was a lot more crowded than the traditional camera and film world where it so easily dominated. With steep competition from brands such as Nikon, HP, Canon and the inability to compete with the other brands’ technology, Kodak now faces its inevitable fall.

Kodak over the years, maintaining its identity

The Wall Street Journal has reported the Kodak Company is preparing to file for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in the coming weeks ahead if it fails to sell a trove of digital-imaging patents. Since then, Kodak shares have fallen to an all time historic low. In the decade before 2011, Kodak has reportedly lost 95 percent of its company value to competition and the digital revolution. The New York stock exchange has warned that it plans to delist Kodak as a trading company shall the value of its shares stay unusually low for a long period. It seems the once legendary Kodak giant has fallen to its knees.

All is not hope for the once iconic and invincible photography company. The company has invested heavily in digital inkjet printers and revenue from that part of the company’s sales has risen a staggering 13 percent. If Kodak hopes that the printer and software industry will triple in the short future ahead, it may be able to make a comeback on those products. The company is also in the midst of selling patents, property rights and in the midst of talks for loans to keep it afloat.

No one knows for certain what the future holds for Kodak. Whether it can weather the storm it faces or fall victim to it instead, only time will tell. What is certain is that with so many technological revolutions, Kodak is not the only company that will face such tough times ahead. As always in a free market system, the free hand will favor those companies who remain competitive and disfavor those who do not. It’s a story of survival of the fittest and no matter how iconic and successful a company has become in the past, the fortunes of the times change as fast as direction of the wind. 

Great Titles at Bargain Prices from Life Is Like a Book Page

Life Is Like A Book Page

True to its shop name, this online bookstore has loads of stuff for every book lover, for every genre. The online bookstore is being maintained by Maricar and she does her best by managing her time, work, family life and answering questions from bookworms all over the archipelago.

I have the URL bookmarked on my browser tab, and check her new arrivals every month. If only my budget were bigger and I were a tad bit richer.

Some special features of Book Page are great finds in some of the albums. Categories are for Classics, Young Readers, Memoirs/ Biographies and Children's Lit. Submit your wishlist and you might just spot the book you're looking for in the next arrival. Contests and other great deals are aplenty, and an automated order form makes the transaction effortless.

Low on cash but want to add some new arrivals on your shelf? Browse through here and you could just snatch deals, happily ever after!

If I Could Rewrite The Back Description of The Next Queen of Heaven

Contains spoilers! 

Because I am a fan of Gregory Maguire;

Because I picked up the lessons the book had to offer;

Because I believe that this work of variation is a gem and a product of the author's sweat and effort and writing and brainstorming and all the other things that come between;

Because the description of the book cover utterly fails to reflect what is in the true contents of the pages;

Because I believe that we have different perspectives when it comes to religion, Christmas, family and all that have special meaning concerning the season;

I think that the back cover description of The Next Queen of Heaven should be rewritten.

There are a few things that have to be straightened out:

1. Mrs. Leontina Scales does not speak in tongues, in fact, ommitting the beginnings of her sentences and utterances is barely speaking in tongues. Speaking in tongues is considered by some to be more profound and sacred.
2. Her children do not attempt to surrender her to Jesus. They abandon her in the basement of a retirement home for nuns and leave her to God's mercy on Christmas Eve.
3. The ancient Sisters of the Sorrowful Mystery adopt a gay singing group, and gain a family and socialize in the process.
4. A Christmas concert is hardly a pageant.
5. And there is nor clear illustration of which child or whose child is born (figuratively or literally). Does Tabitha really find herself pregnant?

Themes/ Lessons learned from the book:

Although the style and language is very different from Gregory Maguire's previous treasures, the lessons and themes offered in its pages still make it a keeper. Here's what I have learned from the book.

• Whether it comes sooner or later, we all have to forgive and let go. This circles Tabitha as she lets go of Caleb and for Jeremy as he gathers courage to do the same to Willem. 
• Family is still family. Family members accept you for who you are. Mommy Leontina may be the single mom, but she fights and lives for her children as she raises three teenagers all on her own. Sean Riley's parents may not come to terms with his homosexuality and having AIDS but they show up as a family just the same. And whether or not the Catholics and the Radical Radiants are on different sides of the spectrum, they do help out each other in the case of the Scales family. 

My favorite character in the book would be Sister Alice Coyne of the Our Lady of Scarcese Parish. The Nissan-riding outgoing nun is too smart for her age and reaches out to anyone belonging to her church-even those who are not. And she does not condemn nor chastise anyone.

There. Now, I will be moving to another book. 

Even after reading, I still don't know exactly who is the Next Queen of Heaven. But I'm still keeping it on the shelf between Confessions and Mirror, Mirror. 

Any thoughts? Share them below! 

Start. Share. Save.

I'm finishing this post, because like what happens all the time when the year is about to end, everything else becomes hectic. So this will be the time to look back on 2011 and do a little review.

Here are some important lessons the year brought for me.

Start

It's best to start the day right. I used to get up late during my college days and show up late for classes because they all started in the afternoon. It meant that I had leisure time to cook for myself and sit back in shorts at home and read. But lately, I had to practice time management and this taught me to wake up early. This is especially true for travels when I am usually booked on a morning flight (6:30 AM) and most call times for assembly and road trips are around the same time.

I used to be nocturnal, believing that all my creative juices came with the dark. However, lately I spend all my sleeping hours at night, usually retreating to bed at 8PM and getting up the following day. I found out that I can do more and finish tasks earlier if I get a good head start. A good cup of coffee and a hearty, simple breakfast makes it more inspiring for me too.

Share

I have learned to share this year. I shared my skills and time to some kids and gave them tips about writing, became a speaker to some engagements. I have actively shared my thoughts and opinions and also other resources that I fully have access to. I'm proud to say I did my part in sharing what I could.

Save

This is the most important lesson yet for me. There are many things I want, and a secret ambition I yet have to fulfill, the only means I can attain is by saving. So I'm starting and continuing this year. I do hope I am able to accomplish soon.

Full speed to 2012 and thank you to those who have been part of my 2011.

Misa de Gallo

This is Tetuan Parish, the nearest church from our house, but this photo was taken during the fiesta in our village. (Will be uploading what it looks like in Christmas soon!)

Only nine days before Christmas morning, Filipinos get up earlier to complete one of the long-standing traditions of the season, the Simbang Gabi. Beginning on December 16 and ending on December 24 with the Misa de Gallo, the Simbang Gabi or translated in Evening Mass is attended at 4 or 5 in the morning. The Simbang Gabi is a devotion to the Blessed Mother. In some churches on Christmas Eve, the panuluyan is re-enacted showing Mary and Joseph looking for a birthplace for the child Jesus.

The panulayan is a re-enactment of Christmas Eve, when Joseph and Mary were searching for a place for the night.

According to age-old beliefs, if a person has an important wish he wants to be granted, he has to complete the nine mornings of Simbang Gabi. Many stories can be heard regarding the personal wishes and fulfilments of those who have attended and completed the nine mornings.

The Simbang Gabi was adapted from Mexico and other Spanish colonies. It was first held in the evening, and the clergy noticed that most of the churchgoers no longer have energy from attending to the fields all day, the archipelago being an agricultural country by region, have decided to move the masses during early morning just before sunrise to make it more convenient. Filipinos normally begin their work early in the morning to beat the harsh temperatures of the weather.

The Simbang Gabi is a tradition which strengthens the bonds between family members, where prayers and Christmas wishes are prayed over during observation of the mass. After the mass has been offered, a common sight is the vendors selling native delicacies to bring home and enjoy such as the putong bumbong, suman and puto to be savoured with hot chocolate. And each morning, as Christmas Day gets closer, so does the ties between family and friends become.

Yummy Puto Bumbong (photo from dubaichronicles.com)

This is hot chocolate, Pinoy Style 

Simbang Gabi is not only practiced year after year to continue tradition. It is observed as a Catholic community to intensify our faith through spiritual preparation of Christmas. Its significance is whether or not the novena is completed, but the personal disposition in order to receive the Lord’s blessings.