It hasn't been long ago since we started watching any video we wanted to on demand. Back in the day, loading videos over the internet took a turtle's pace and the waiting time wasn't worth it at all - it was in the order of minutes, if not hours. Then, YouTube happened. And as they say, the rest is history.
Let me show you some interesting videos from YouTube particularly about the skills which I'd like to learn, some very interesting foreign commercials, and a few words from some top management gurus. I hope you'll enjoy watching them while at the same time, picking up a thing or two.
Skills I would like to learn
I'm still a relatively young guy in this journey called life and I believe that learning never stops until your final breath. So it's always handy to learn a skill which can improve your life, get you out of a sticky situation, or even if you simply just want to impress your friends (Teach me how to Dougie anyone?).
1. Perfect Scrambled Eggs Breakfast by Gordon Ramsay
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dU_B3QNu_Ks
Oh how I love food! Who doesn't? Sad part is, I don't know how to cook. Well, actually, I'd like to think that I can in theory since I always watch all of these cooking shows (e.g. MasterChef, License to Grill), but in reality, I haven't done any cooking in practice. I don't think I've even tried frying something as easy as an egg. Or a hotdog. Zero. Nada.
Here, Gordon Ramsay shows us why he's the top man in the kitchen. He really can turn anything as simple as a scrambled egg into a gourmet delight. And he makes cooking look that darn easy.
2. Killer Presentation Skills by JD Jefferys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whTwjG4ZIJg
Public speaking is a very important area in life which I believe is under-taught in school. No wonder, many people grow up shunning the opportunity to shine in front of a large crowd. Sometimes, merely having this skill alone produces great careers even for people with low intellect (think Filipino politicians). Kidding aside, I admit that this is not a strong point of mine.
At the end of the day, learning how to communicate in public requires practice, practice, and more practice.
3. Photography Tips, Essential Skills, Quickly Transform Your Photos, by Karl Taylor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9prcUCHlqM
Being artistic is not my greatest strength as well. As a left-brained person, it took some time before I started to appreciate art and the thought that I can also be creative. This is after the fact that my 3rd grade art teacher gave me the lowest grade of my whole schooling life ever - which is essentially life's way of saying to me, "Art is not for you" (I still can't believe how she can be so heartless).
But then, there's still hope. And I believe that the easiest way I can express myself artistically is through taking photographs.
Foreign Advertisements
There is a noticeably marked difference in the commercials shown abroad, particularly in the USA, as compared to those that we have locally in the Philippines. While some may be downright sleazy, making use of cheap comedy, others still reek of pure brilliance, just like the ones shown here below.
1. Old Spice - The Man Your Man Could Smell Like
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owGykVbfgUE
What makes a man? Is it his career? Family? Or his many achievements? Is it in the car that he drives or the suit that he wears? Is it his money in the bank or his stature in society?
Well, if you believe this commercial, it's just actually in his deodorant.
2. Porsche - 911 Carrera
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRbzJ0L1Zn8
Every young boy aspires to drive a great car by the time he grows up. Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini - name it, the kid definitely knows it. Sadly, not all of us gets to drive one. It is far from reality.
The great thing about this commercial is that it captures that idealistic admiration in a melodramatic tone and tries to wake up that "inner kid" within each of us.
3. Apple - Think Different
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oAB83Z1ydE
This is what commercials ought to be made of. It gives me goosebumps every time I watch it. How can something in black-and-white showing rolls of old video clips possibly do that? Well of course, it is in the very beautiful message being narrated.
In many ways, this commercial is a landmark event in the history of Apple. On the verge of collapsing, the company got back together under the heel of Steve Jobs when this aired, as if to say, "Apple is back."
Management Gurus
While we have our very own Manny Pangilinan and Ramon Ang who are corporate bigwigs having the Midas' touch for business, I believe the Philippines still lacks a poster boy for management who actively preaches and innovates ways on how to do it, much like what America has. These "gurus" may have graying hair in common, but one cannot fail to notice that they still remain as sharp as ever.
1. Tom Peters - Innovation is Actually Easy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AGTpu_i8sc
A self-confessed "loud-mouth", Tom Peters is one of America's top management gurus who became famous after he wrote the book "In Search for of Excellence". Here, he drives the point that success doesn't come in a neatly packaged formula. What worked for others before isn't necessarily true for us now.
So how can you succeed given this reality? Be different. Sounds familiar?
2. Michael Porter - What is Strategy?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibrxIP0H84M
If you are a MBA student, then you must certainly have heard about the Bishop William Lawrence University Professor of Harvard Business School who is Michael Porter. Most of the material being taught today on strategic management and competitive advantage originally came from him. Industry staples such as the "Five Forces Analysis" and the "Value Chain Model" are among the top tools corporations use today to formulate winning business strategies.
3. Philip Kotler - Marketing Strategy at the London Business Forum
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bilOOPuAvTY
I haven't had any marketing class yet even during my undergrad but I am certainly looking forward to it within MBA given my interest in the subject. What I do know though is that the standard text material used in majority of marketing classes is written by Philip Kotler (imagine having that kind of acclaim?).
In this video, he briefly discusses 3 essential elements of marketing: Product, Brand, and Customer Management, and how they can effectively bring a company to the promised land. Needless to say, he implies that one thing is again needed to stay on top of the game. Did I hear innovation?
* BONUS: Download videos using RealPlayer Downloader
Not only can you stream videos over the internet nowadays, you can also simply download them so you can watch on the fly. And this option is conveniently offered by RealPlayer (http://www.real.com). Their Basic Player version is available for free. Once you have it installed, a "Download This Video" button will appear automatically when you have your mouse over a video as shown below:
"Download This Video" is on the upper right-hand corner
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