Archive for January, 2009

I have read the “official” news releases regarding the medical status of Steve Jobs, Apple CEO.

It could be said that I may be reading more into the news releases than is actually there but pictures do not lie.

Steve Jobs looks terrible. Whatever he is going through is pretty serious. Despite Steve’s personality quirks, he has been a major influence in changing our culture and improving the quality of life.

I hate to say it and I absolutely want to be WRONG. But if recent photos of Steve Jobs is any indication, Steve may not be with us for very long.

It may not be politically correct to state this publicly but too many times we say nice things only after someone passes away.

This small blog post may be one of the few that is willing to acknowledge that Steve’s time may be very short. But I am hoping that a Higher Power will step in so that we can all continue to be inspired by Steve Job’s ongoing contributions to the world.

For me, Steve Jobs is a business hero who I have admired for many years. His blend of technological and creative genius is something I have strived to attain.

If he does pass on, I will be deeply saddened. If he does stay with us, you can believe I will be following his work more closely.

I have to say I was extremely reflective watching all the events of Inauguration Day for President Barack Obama. He carried himself with an incredible amount of calm, class, and poise.

I wasn’t particularly fond of President Bush but I did respect his ability to hold to his convictions even when most people did not support what he was doing.  However, I will give him credit for keeping the U.S. safe for the remainder of his term.  It is not a coincidence that there have been no more terrorist attacks.  I believe President Bush’s aggressive measures (even if you disagree with them) did the job.

I have persistently said since last year that we are living through history in the making. We, as a people, are going through so much turmoil and changes.

Yesterday marked the beginning of a new era.  There is an incredible amount of optimism for our new President despite the fact the U.S. is in its worst condition for decades.  I believe that President Obama will bring change because he is so charismatic, likable, and well-spoken.

Ultimately, I believe that things happen for a reason and it will work out for the best but like President Obama said, we all have to do our part and we all have some responsibility in it.

And so, I intend to do my part in making this country a better place through my business projects.

Happy New Year!

I was pondering what I was going to write for my first post of 2009. I didn’t want to post anything relating to the onslaught of negative news everyone has been getting.

So, I was casually watching a recorded episode of Oprah thinking I was going to fast forward through the episode as I often do.  Then Oprah talks about this young singer named Charice that she had brought on months earlier and plays a clip of it.  I was intrigued because there was this clip where this young, petite teen-age girl is belting out her rendition of Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing” song.

After watching that clip, I was hooked.  She went on to sing one of my favorite songs, Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On”.  Like Oprah and her audience, I was just blown away by this girl’s performance.

As if her talent wasn’t enough, her life story was very inspiring coming from very humble beginnings in the Philippines. Very moving indeed.

Normally, I would not write a post about some teen-age singer but I have to admit to being stunned and incredulous.  I truly believe that Charice Pempengco will one day take up the mantle now held by vocal sensations Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, and Mariah Carey.  With producer David Foster’s backing, I believe her inevitable first album will be a hit.

All I can say is go to Charice’s website at http://charicepempengco.com and treat yourself to the linked videos of her performance on the Oprah and Ellen Degeneres websites.

After that, drop by YouTube and do a search on “Charice Pempengco”.  Pick your favorite song that she has sung recorded on video.  I challenge anyone NOT to be inspired and moved by this young girl.

Simply incredible that voice on that girl.  You could swear it was actually Whitney Houston or Celine Dion actually singing themselves.

On YouTube, you will find Charice’s rendition of “I Will Survive” originally shown on ABC TV.  It is pretty intense.

On Oprah.com, there is a video of Charice singing with Celine Dion in concert.  Amazing.