NHL Player Tkachuk Utilizes NFT To Raise Funds For Charity

 

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Matthew Tkachuk comes from a famous hockey family. His father Keith was a 50-goal scorer and both Matthew and his brother, Ottawa Senators forward Brady, were first-round selections in the NHL entry draft.

Calgary Flames forward Matthew is also making NHL history off the ice. He’s the first player in league history to introduce a non-fungible token. NFTs are taking the sports world by storm. NFTs are crypto collectibles, which are basically digital pieces of art that exist in the blockchain like cryptocurrency such as bitcoin and ethereum. Teams and players are utilizing NFTs to offer access and a unique connection between them and their fanbase. This can include perks such as discounts on tickets, private tours of team facilities, autographed memorabilia and even meet and greets with players. They can be bought, sold and traded.

Across the sporting world, the blockchain is being embraced. Teams are enabling the purchase of tickets through cryptocurrency. In the world of sports betting, the vast majority of the top online betting sites listed at vegasbetting.com are accepting Bitcoin and other forms of cryptocurrency as methods to fund their accounts.

Tkachuk admitted he was relatively oblivious to the world of the blockchain prior to the issue of his NFT. “Like anyone else, I really had no idea what it was,” Tkachuk told The Athletic. “And I think early on I probably explained it pretty poorly, but as I’ve started to understand it more I think my explanation has gotten better.”

Tkachuk’s digital artwork for his NFT was created by Canadian artist Rob Dubois. The piece featured two images of the Flames forward. In one, he is scoring an overtime goal between the legs goal. The other captured an up-close image of him chewing on his mouthguard.

Entitled Matthew Tkachuk Genesis, the NFT had 16 different bidders and sold for $27,954. As well the NFT, the winning bidder also received a Tkachuk jersey, a signed stick, and a Zoom meeting with the Calgary star.

 
Charitable Cause

An added element to Tkachuk’s NFT offering was that it was designed to benefit two charities - the Children’s Hospitals of Calgary and St. Louis.

“It was an exciting opportunity and for me to pair it up with a charitable cause as well, it was a no-brainer for me to get involved,” Tkachuk told Sportsnet. “I felt like this was a new way to show digital art and to play a tiny, tiny part in helping to bring in more donations to the hospitals for the great work they do. It’s awesome. It’s the least I can do.”

The cause of helping children’s hospitals was not only dear to Tkachuk’s heart, it’s also a cause his family has always devoted time and resources to over the years.

“I think the St. Louis one has really touched me personally,” Tkachuk said. “My dad was always involved in that when he was playing. My sister was there for a little bit when she was born.

“We just always had it ingrained in us to give back and Children’s Hospital is one that’s been connected to our family for awhile, so when I came to Calgary, I knew that was exactly what I wanted to do.

“At the end of the day, it’s so important for to have a charitable side to it, too. It’s all going to great charities.”

 
Engaging With The Fans

As much as he loves the game as hockey, Tkachuk is of the belief that the NHL doesn’t do nearly enough to connect the fans with the personalities of individual players. He thinks NFTs are a way to help increase that bond between players and fans.

“The connection with the sport is great,” Tkachuk said. “To me, hockey is the greatest sport in the world and I don’t think we do a good enough job yet of showing off everybody’s personalities and stuff like that.

“This is another step in showing that and I truly feel that with the help of Greg Dubois, it really showed two aspects of my personality on the ice. One part of its me hanging out with the mouthguard out of my mouth and the other part is me loving scoring goals and having a cool celebration.

“I just think it’s another way to show off how great of a sport hockey is.”

Revolutionary digital transformation to increase PH global competitiveness—PLDT Enterprise

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Partnerships and openness to technology are key factors in igniting revolutionary digital transformations and increasing the Philippines' global competitiveness, according to PLDT Enterprise.

In its recently concluded TechTalk ON-AIR titled The Revolution, ePLDT President & CEO and SVP & Head for PLDT and Smart Enterprise Business Groups Jovy Hernandez emphasized that the key success factor for digital transformation is how organizations are willing to exhaust available technology to augment how they do things.

“It's just a matter of political will and making that strong leadership decision. Now is the right time to do it. There are challenges ahead but if we put our collective thoughts together, working with both public and private organizations, it’s pretty much doable,” he stressed.

Hernandez underscored that technology applications can revolutionize industries such as banking, education, business and even the agriculture sector by helping farmers increase production and harvest better yields.

He further added that as PLDT sees the immense potential of technology in changing the whole country, the company will continue its role as an enabler for every Filipino’s dream of better lives “where children can have access to quality education, and where entrepreneurs and enterprises can ably compete and participate in the global arena.”

“It's obvious to us that the Filipino has the talent; we have the intelligence and the skill to compete head-on and be at par with other global players. It's just really getting together both public and private organizations together and making it happen. And our role is to help and enable,” said Hernandez.

Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla, who was also present in the event, reiterated the importance of innovation as they have been working closely with partners to accelerate the delivery of connectivity services in their province.

The Cavite local government recently unveiled its partnership with PLDT and Smart for the rollout of a massive fiber network which will lay the foundation for the province’s plan to becoming a ‘Smart City.’

“Innovation doesn't come from people like me or people in universities. Innovation comes from little, combined ideas which can be sparked through their accessibility to the wi-fi network. We are far away from that but we are on the way,” the Cavite governor added.

Remulla also said that Cavite is now on its third revolution or the connectivity revolution where they are creating a space to help the Cavitenos rise and ensure that they are always in the revolutionary sphere.

“What we are doing is a template for the entire country and what to do next,” Remulla added.

PLDT Enterprise’s Tech Talk ON AIR: The Revolution highlighted how organizations can stay ahead and future proof their business operations using revolutionary information and communications technology (ICT) solutions.

For more information, visit pldtenterprise.com

Amazing Ideas for What to Do with Leftover Adobo and Fried Chicken

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

We definitely shouldn’t be wasting food. Even without our mothers admonishing us to clean our plates out of consideration for the starving orphans in their impoverished country of choice, food security and frugality should be top priority. The food on our dining table represents our hard work, and letting it go to waste devalues the effort needed to bring it to the table in the first place.

However, at the same time, estimating how much to cook and figuring out portion sizes for each member of the family can be very difficult. It’s often much easier to cook more than what’s actually needed, then set aside whatever’s left for another day. But what happens when you’re made to eat the same dish for the third night straight, simply because that’s what was available?

If this sounds like a familiar issue to you, you’re in luck. Here are some great ideas for turning tired old leftovers into dishes you’d look forward to having.

Last Night’s Adobo Is This Morning’s Breakfast

We get it. Your mom’s adobo recipe is the best in the city, country, planet, or solar system. But no matter how good it is, you’re likely to want something else if you’re having it for the fourth night in a row.

Give your favorite Filipino braised dish a fresh treatment by turning it into adobo flakes, which the whole family will look forward to for breakfast. To make this dish, start by stripping the chicken meat from the bones, and if your adobo has pork, break those pieces of meat into smaller pieces. Then, put all your meat in a bowl and shred it. You can do this by tearing the meat apart with two forks.

Once your meat has been flaked and no large chunks remain, heat an oiled skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil begins to sizzle, put in the meat, and press it into the skillet so as much of it comes into direct contact with the cooking surface as possible. Mix it and toss it every so often, but not too much; you want to allow the meat to toast and crisp up. You may also have to scrape the bottom of the skillet to extract all the burny, toasty bits (which are full of flavor, so don’t waste those).

Once your meat has browned and toasted evenly, it’s ready to serve. Be sure you have plenty of fried garlic rice and sunny-side up eggs to go with your adobo flakes, and provide some of the braising liquid as a sauce on the side as well. You can also serve the sauce as a drizzle on either the rice, or on the adobo flakes themselves, for added flavor.

Pro tip: Adobo flakes are also great as a filling for rolls and pandesal!



Fried Chicken Becomes a Handy Sandwich Filling

Fried chicken, whether store-bought or homemade, makes frequent appearances on Filipino dining tables, and with good reason. When it’s done right, the combination of crunchy, fatty skin with the heartiness and delicate flavor of the meat makes it a mealtime winner that appeals to kids of all ages.

Unfortunately, day-old fried chicken is not nearly as enticing. The skin, once crisp and golden, becomes flabby and lifeless, and the meat is usually dry and bland after spending the night in the fridge.

Make old fried chicken pieces delicious again by turning them into the base for chicken salad, which can be great as a sandwich filling or even just on its own. Begin by stripping away all the meat on the chicken bones (you can also save the skin and turn that into cracklings). Once the meat has been extracted, how you prepare it for your sandwich will be up to you and your preferences. You can slice the meat into chunks, giving you a heartier filling, or you can shred it, making it easier to spread on bread or rolls. Whichever you prefer, remember to add a fatty dressing to your chicken salad. The chicken meat will probably have dried out a little, so reintroduce some moisture into it with mayonnaise, yogurt, or ranch dressing.

Once you have your basic filling prepared, you can modify it however you like. Adding in some cubed apples and halved walnuts will give you the starting point for a classic chicken Waldorf salad, while mixing in some ground cumin, chilli, and garam masala will give you a filling for a chicken tikka wrap. You don’t even have to include the bread, if you’re watching your carb intake. Just make a big batch of this and pull it out as a quick lunch option. As an additional note, all of these treatments are great for leftover roast or baked chicken as well.

Dinner doesn’t just have to be a matter of combing through the fridge and reheating whatever’s in there. With some creativity and a willingness to experiment, almost any dish can be remade into appealing new versions that present new flavors and textures. Try these out, and see which of them will be your next favorite!