tsk tsk

please spread this article.

http://vicissitude-decidido.blogspot.com/2008/12/world-is-fucked-up.html

if this is really what happened, then something has to be done!

the world has indeed gone crazy.

three things

there are only three things that we need to remember in life...

1) to have meaningful relationships
2) have a good/fulfilling job
3) and to make a difference

guess what... i got them from watching an episode of "the office" british edition. surprising!!!

there's no place like home

arrived in zambo last sunday... so far so good... the highlights of my vacation as of today are

... satti at jimmys, yummy! breakfast of champions
... cheap massage, at 250 pesos, i can't complain
... it's raining lechon, can't get enough of it
... visit to the yakan village and badjao housing area, photo op for my bro
... cheap food and cheap beer
... slq lechon manok, andoks is not even close
... durian frap at coffea
... constant heckling that i'm tabachingching from my sisters

i still have a week here. i have yet to list down some of my to-dos, like lunch at sunburst (now zachys), dinner at alavar, visit fort pilar, etc.

happy holidays guys!!! it's the time of the year to be gluttons.

rediscovering cynthia

it's been awhile since i've last heard a cynthia alexander song on the radio. last weekend, while shopping at this tiangge at alabang, i found a pirated copy of insomnia and other lullabies. i thought that it would be a great addition to my 85 gig music collection. so i grabbed a copy and this started my newfound addiction to her soothing voice and enchanting lyrics. however, after a few spins in my car stereo, i felt a tinge of guilt for owning a pirated copy. one of the reasons why the local music industry, especially the indie scene, is thriving is because of people like me. to make amend, i will pass by the nearest record store later and purchase the original.


woke up this morning
i was staring at the ceiling cracks
and roadmaps and landscapes and highways

i have seen
I have been to places
far and deep in my mind
only to find
comfort in your strangeness

of moving shadows
when I call the wind by name
rushing firewater in the dark of a cloud

i have seen
i have been to places
far and deep in my mind
only to find
comfort in Your strangeness

we are slaves to the crimes we commit
in fits of passion we shame
we are nothing we are nothing
we are nothing we are nothing but
the dust on your feet
dying to be born again
singing ether water fire
singing earth singing air

i have seen
i have been to places
far and deep in my mind
only to find comfort in your strangeness

i have seen
i have been to places
far and deep in my mind
only to find comfort in your strangeness

-comfort in your strangeness


great music from a great artist.

read and think hard

I agree and am fully prepared to take those risks to be happier, but only if I hedge my position. I’m not walking down a street I know nothing about without a get-away car parked close by.

this article/link was forwarded to me by a friend. a good read.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&refer=columnist_lewis&sid=aQbmWwIQ_LFk

so... which one do you have? a job or a calling?

a moment of reflection

we do stupid things after chugging ridiculous amount of alcohol. more often than not, we create our own skewed perception of reality. fast is seemingly slow, many is equal to few, expensive is cheap, sleazy equates to classy, and ugly becomes pretty. for example, a barely 2 star chick can be mistaken for a five star... or a 200 lb whale is perceived to be sexy, comparable to heidi klum. believe me, beer goggles is not a myth, it is as real as this stubborn pimple on my left cheek.

tucker max was right... after several shots of tequila, perception is reality

i guess that's why people resort to drinking, it makes reality easier to deal with.

my inner scrooge

traffic is heavier than usual, mmda enforcers(aka vultures) are all over the metro, people have shorter fuse, work is piling up, the nearest mall is becoming divisoria-like (i'm guessing here, never been to dv, haha), lining up at starbucks is like lining up for tickets to a dlsu-admu game... blah blah blah blah...

it's definitely the most wonderful time of the year.

xmas is just around the corner.

is A.A for me?

i was freakin' bored at work yesterday so i decided to answer "Is A.A For You" online questionaire. check out the results.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your Results

Yes - 5
No - 7

Did you answer YES four or more times? If so, you are probably in trouble with alcohol. Why do we say this? Because thousands of people in A.A. have said so for many years. They found out the truth about themselves, the hard way. But again, only you can decide whether you think A.A. is for you. Try to keep an open mind on the subject. If the answer is YES, we will be glad to show you how we stopped drinking ourselves. Just call.

A.A. does not promise to solve your life's problems. But we can show you how we are learning to live without drinking "one day at a time." We stay away from that "first drink." If there is no first one, there cannot be a tenth one. And when we got rid of alcohol, we found that life became much more manageable.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS® is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism.

The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for A.A. membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions.
A.A. is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy; neither endorses nor opposes any causes. Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

shoot... do i need help? what do you think? haha. bye guys. going to grab myself a nightcap. i need one... or maybe ten. hmmm.

if you're bored out of your wits... here's the link

http://www.aa.org/lang/en/subpage.cfm?page=71

after six years

wolfgang's back!!!

their sixth album is to be released tonight at their live concert aptly heralded as 'Black Christmas Project' at the Eastwood City Ampitheater.

too bad i won't be able to go. crap!!! can't wait to get hold of the album.

senti monologue

what are we doing with our lives? i think this question baffles many of us, twenty-something individuals, most especially myself. i'm turning 30 next year and i'm scared shitless. i look back and think really hard if my 29 years of existence did matter even for a few individuals, and hope that the coming years will be meaningful. there's some form of hunger building up inside me, seeking validation that the world is a better place with me around.

for the past two weeks, we've been waiting for our 'aha' moments. we were quite hopeful that by the end of two weeks of self-indulgence and debauchery... we'll get something from it (not just a beer belly and an empty wallet). perhaps my friends had their share of 'aha' moments. well, good for them. but for me, i'm yet to experience it. and i'm confident that it will come. hmmm... you know why? after three books, hundreds of dollars spent, countless of empty beer bottles, and a bad sunburn, i can sense that there's a tiny speck of light in the deepest recesses of my soul waiting to shine when the time is right.

i'm back!!!

the rest of my itinerary...

tuesday, 12/2 - waikiki walk (end to end), honolulu zoo visit

wednesday, 12/3 - polynesian cultural center tour

thursday, 12/4 - kill time at the ward center, dinner at island resto

friday, 12/5 - beach hop (lanikai, kailua, waimea, shark's cove), lunch at the
shrimp shack, dessert at matsumoto's, star of honululu dinner cruise, after-dinner festivities at gordon biersch restobar

saturday, 12/6 - fly back to manila


it has been a crazy two weeks. but i'm glad to be back... later, got to work.

beer buzz

human beings are rational creatures. this means that we need an explanation for everything. we thirst for truth, knowledge, and answers. it's necessary for us to always know why and how. this is how we are built.

but lately i've come to a conclusion that there are things that can be explained, and there are things that simply can't...
questions that are easily answered, and those that are left hanging... thoughts, feelings, ideas that should remain in our heads, and not uttered, and that we are sometimes better off not knowing...

i hope that when someone asks me why, i don't need to explain or defend myself. i can simply tell him or her... i do it this way... and that is how it is... the same as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west.

captain morgan effect

there are times that i hope that everything is more definite... that all things are tangible, real, clear as the pristine water of the ocean...

how i wish that everything can be answered either by yes or no, no in-betweens... that all things are either black or white, no shades of gray...

uncertainties should have no place in this world. sad to say, we live in a world where uncertainty is most consistent. how ironic.

good night.

=)

our itinenary for the past few days...

wednesday, 11/26 - snorkeling at hanauma bay

thursday, 11/27 - kualoa ranch tour, thanksgiving party at clay's place

friday, 11/28 - shop, shop, shop at waikiele outlet mall and ala moana mall

saturday, 11/29 - northshore surfing competition (o'neill world cup of
surfing), lunch at giovannis shrimp truck, dessert at
matsumoto's shaved ice place, clubbing at pearl

sunday, 11/30 - trip to pearl harbor, hike to diamond head crater,

monday, 12/1 - bum at ala moana beach park


time flies when you're having fun... four more days to go!!!

south of the border, west of the sun

"because memory and sensations are so uncertain, so biased, we always rely on a certain reality - call it an alternate reality - to prove the reality of events. to what extent facts we recognize as such really are as they seem, and to what extent these are facts merely because we label them as such, is an impossible distinction to draw. therefore, in order to pin down reality as reality, we need another reality to relativize the first. yet that other reality requires a third reality to serve as its grounding. an endless chain is created within our consciousness, and it is the very maintenance of this chain that produces the sensation that we are actually here, that ourselves exist. but something can happen to sever that chain, and we are at a loss. what is real? is reality on this side of the break in the chain? or over there, on the other side?"

another day at the beach

before heading to waikiki beach, i grabbed myself a cup of coffee at starbucks, bought a book by murakami (south of the border, west of the sun) at barnes & noble, and got some supplies at the grocery... we went to the beach very prepared.

we arrived at waikiki at 11am... we were already starving so we decided to have an early lunch at ono philly steak. it was pretty good (thanks imma for the recommendation). then we went straight to the surfboard rental shop and got our longboards. my body, especially my back, was still sore from surfing yesterday so i didnt surf much. i just basically bummed at the beach, read my new book, munched unforgivable amount of junk food, and ogled at the spectacular view.

a very relaxing tuesday...

112408 - part two

the good thing about celebrating your birthday in a different time zone is that you get to celebrate it twice.

... had lunch at this chinese resto called little village near the hawaiian telcom building. the honey-walnut shrimp and volcano pork chop were unforgettable.

... took a quick siesta, then headed to waikiki beach for some surfing action

... had a quick dinner at this cheap steak place near the beach (blazin steaks). for six dollars, you get an 8oz appetizing steak, a side salad, a cup of rice, and a 16oz drink!!!

... walked around waikiki to do a little shopping

... went home to relax for a bit, then we stormed mai tai bar for a night cap. we ended up getting ourselves sorta drunk with a pitcher of beer each (budlight/kona longboard) and of course several rounds of mai tai.

i can certainly say that two birthday celebrations are better than one.

112408

i'm officially twenty nine years old...

... went to white plains beach at barber's point to surf in the afternoon

... had dinner at duke's canoe club at waikiki, ordered a sumptuous mahi mahi sandwich and a mai tai

... had a couple of shots at senor frogs, gotten myself a good buzz

... ended the night at this club somewhere in waikiki. i dont remember the name but there were a lot of hot korean ladies for some reason.

thanks to all who greeted me... i appreciate it. let's party once i get back.

damn, i'm old. hehe.

third day

due to crappy weather, we were forced to stay home saturday. i woke up around 11am, checked my email, had lunch, watched an episode of dexter, then i went to bed again. as usual, i overslept... i woke up around 7pm!!! basically i was only awake for 3 hours the whole fucking day!!! what a waste... anyway, we had the leftover papa johns pizza from lunch for dinner. then, some friends dropped by the apartment around 9pm. we had a few drinks before we headed out to hawaiian hut beside ala moana hotel. paula fuga, a local singer, was scheduled to perform. she's dubbed as hawaii's queen of reggae and soul. man, she was fantastic!!! her act was characterized by her powerful, booming voice and meaningful lyrics. her music was intoxicating. we stayed glued to the dance floor the entire time she was on stage. her one hour gig ended around 2am... and we went home happy.

second night

we started the night by having a nice dinner at yard house. it's an upscale-casual eatery known for its extensive menu, classic rock music, and world's largest selection of draft beer. this restobar prides itself for having more than 175 beer brews. i got to try spaten oktoberfest, shock top, and anchor steam for the first time. good shit. around 10pm, we moved to rum fire to drink some more. after two to three rounds, we headed to level 4 to continue our partying. unfortunately, the line was quite long. we must have waited for at least 30 minutes before we were able to get in. but it was worth it. level 4 is clubbing at its finest. once inside, we continued our drinking spree... and ofcourse, we started dancing... at 230am, we left level 4 and thought of checking out senor frogs. nothing was really happening there so decided to call it a night. we were home by 3am.

another night of hedonistic drinking comes to an end. good night. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....

boozapallooza

we decided to call this trip "boozapallooza: what-are-we-doing-with-our-lives tour". sounds stupid right? i know... oh well... hehe.

on our first afternoon here, we started drinking around 2pm at the apartment. i think each one of us had two cans of coors light. around 4pm, we headed to this bar in downtown called bar35. oh my, bar35 is hawaii's version of makati's beer's paradise. i'm guessing they have over a hundred beer varieties. they even have red horse and san miguel pale pilsen. to get things started, i got myself a Dry Hopped St. Rogue Red, which i think was a good choice. it has this reddish brown color, a roasty malty flavor, with a lingering hoppy finish. after fifteen minutes, i followed it with a bottle of Newscastle Brown Ale. it's a full-flavored beer that's surprisingly light on the stomach. perfect choice because i was planning to drink alot that night. hehe. for my third round, i rewarded myself with a spaten optimator (recommended by a friend). whoah! great tasting strong shit! my friend was definitely not exaggerating when he said that it one of the best he ever tried. for my last round at bar35, i ordered a Mad River Steelhead Extra Pale Ale. it's not as good as the first three but i really didn't mind. it is still a high-quality brew.

we left bar35 around 7pm... we dropped by at a friend's birthday party somewhere in waikiki for more drinking. i downed probably two more bottles of coors light plus several shots of vodka sprite. around 11pm, we left the party and continued drinking at senor frogs, then at maddog saloon. we called it a night around 130am, and we were in the apartment by 2am. it was just too much booze for one day, but don't think that i'm whining... it's boozapallooza!!! hehe. im actually surprised that i didn't wake up with a hangover.

it's 3:40pm right now... and we're just chilling out at the apartment to prepare for another night of partying.

yeah!!!

i've divided my vacation into two parts. the first one was spent last weekend in bohol (wait for a blog entry about this soon). the second part has just started. i arrived in honolulu hawaii this morning. this is paradise. nice warm weather, plenty of sunshine, loads of gorgeous bikini-clad eye candies, beautiful beaches, booze accessibility in every corner ... this is the life...

actually this is not my first time here... i just fulfilled my promise four years ago when i said to myself that i shall definitely return.

later guys... got to hit the beach and surf. two weeks of sun, play, and fun awaiting for me.

status update

francis is now on vacation mode.

two more days and i'm out of here.

i'm a car with 100K mileage in dire need of a tune up, a battery-drained mobile phone that requires charging, a worn-down pair of nike running shoes that needs a pit stop at mr. quickie, a software that wishes to be upgraded…

rockin' 90s

growing up in the nineties, i was exposed to the booming rock n roll scene. without doubt, these five albums are the most memorable for me, forever changed how i listen to music. take note that two of the albums listed below were actually released late in the 80s. it’s just that i got to listen to them only in the early 90s. i grew up in the south. so there’s some lag time. hehe.

metallica - black album
guns n roses - appetite for destruction
green day - dookie
bon jovi - slippery when wet
pearl jam – ten

some people would think that bon jovi is a sloppy choice. back then, almost two decades ago, bon jovi was still cool and he kicked ass. i have no idea what happened to him after “Keep the Faith” album. maybe he lost his mojo. oh well…

other albums worth mentioning are...

aerosmith - get a grip
def leppard - retro active
soul asylum - grave dancers union
nirvana - in utero
offspring - smash
stone temple pilots - core
smashing pumpkins - mellon collie and the infinite sadness

i'm sure i failed to list down some great albums... my memory is not that sharp anymore. hehe. anyway, there's always such thing as next time... or next blog entry.

cheers

Five excuses for drinking: the visit of a guest, present thirst, future thirst, the goodness of the wine, and any other excuse you choose
- Pete Sermond

RockEd radio

ROCK ED RADIO > Sundays @8pm on NU107 FM
This is our classroom. Your alternative social studies class on FM. Usapang ugali, musika, sining at sibika. Rock Ed Radio is a joint project of NU107 & Rock Ed Philippines. Music powered by Terno Recordings. Forums moderated by Lourd de Veyra (Radioactive Sago Project's frontman) and Gang Badoy (Founder of Rock Ed Philippines). Our main objective is to promote inquiry and informed discussion. Magtanong naman tayo.

for more information, visit http://www.rockedradio.com/

make your sunday evenings productive... tune in.

president obama

finally, america has a new president. it’s definitely time for change. and in my opinion, obama is the right man for the job. mccain is another bush in the making. and we’ve seen enough.

i was kinda upset when i found out that three out of four Filipinos don’t care who wins the election (via sws survey). they have no idea how much impact the presidency has on the world economy. with globalization, third world countries have become more dependent on the world’s large economies. there’s absolute truth in the saying “when america sneezes, the rest of the world catches a cold”.

congratulations to obama... and to the american people for choosing wisely.

here's the link to obama’s victory speech

http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/11/05/raw-data-barack-obamas-victory-speech/

kobe and the gang

aside from cersa 2000 yahoo fantasy league(a 16 man league, see blog entry entitled oldies but goodies), i also joined another league oddly named christmas campers. my team is comprised of the following nba players.

Kobe Bryant
Steve Nash
Danny Granger
Caron Butler
Rashard Lewis
Rudy Gay
Mehmet Okur
Brad Miller
Joe Johnson
Hedo Turkoglu
Andre Miller
Samuel Dalembert

currently, i'm ranked four out of six. but i'm not too worried. i'm actually more optimistic in this league since i have kobe and nash... supported by danny, caron, okur, and brad. we'll just have to wait and see.

rogue magazine

As a new general-interest literary lifestyle magazine for the modern Filipino man, ROGUE introduces itself this month as the very definition, reflection, and celebration of modern Philippine life and culture. Balancing image and intellect, ROGUE is designed to stoke the diverse passions of intellectually curious and socially aware men by telling stories full of energy, insight, style, and humor. It aims to maintain a strong literary tradition by featuring thoughtful essays, sharp prose, revealing profiles, and in-depth investigative articles on a wide range of topics written by some of the finest journalists and authors working in the Philippines today.

ROGUE's long-term mission is to accurately tell the story of our times, our people, and our culture one month at a time; and to capture the people, places, and ideas that define our modern culture. if anything, ROGUE will make a strong statement about who we are, what we do, and why we do it.


i like this mag so much that i force my friends to also get a copy. haha. superb layout, great pics, well-written articles, and engaging short-stories... definitely world-class...

futbol fever

whenever I wear my chelsea fc adidas jacket, football fans in the workplace would usually comment something, or start a football small-talk or even smack-talk (actually not only officemates, even strangers in the mall). same thing with me, whenever I see someone wearing a man u or liverpool merchandise, i’d usually quip ‘chelsea’s better’, and i always get a disapproving stare or a sarcasm-laced smile. football, the most popular sport in the world, indeed has a universal and unifying element. it doesn’t matter where you come from, or what you do, fans will always have something to talk about… teams/players to root for… especially this week… like diego maradona’s latest promotion to national team manager, david beckham being loaned to ac milan, liverpool’s early dominance, etc... damn… this blog entry is a result of me being homesick… i miss the pitch… i miss wearing my nike tiempos… it has been quite awhile since i last stepped on the green green grass i call home.

here are my fav teams of my fav leagues…

premiere league – chelsea fc
la liga – fc barcelona
bundesliga – bayern munchen
serie a – ac milan

football is life.

question of the day

how does a giraffe puke?

oh my… with such a long neck, it’s a looooooooonnnnngggggggg way up.

i don’t want to be a giraffe then in my next life (if there’s any truth to reincarnation). for giraffes, binge drinking should be a big problem. haha.

what the f...

True Story:
A dentist from the Bavarian town of Neu-Ulm is now under investigation for assault and theft after arriving at his patient's home with his medical instruments to perform an unwanted surgery on her. According to police, the dentist knocked on the door of the 35-year-old woman on Monday evening and without saying a word forced her into her living room and tied her hands. He then forced open her mouth and removed the £320 worth of dental work which the woman's insurance company had refused to pay. According to the victim, he never said a word.
"The dentist is being investigated for assault for the way he forced open her mouth, and theft for taking the bridges," said Christian Owsinski a police spokesman. "The woman was in pain when she showed up at the police station." Mr Owsinski said the dentist, who has not been named, had not been arrested. If convicted he could face discipline from both the health insurance company and the dental association that could jeopardise his practice.
(From the Telegraph.co.uk)

... this world is full of weird sick people. let's move to mars.

oldies but goodies

NBA season start date is fast approaching. as fantasy geeks, we had our 8th annual cervini boys yahoo fantasy draft last sunday afternoon. here are my picks (c/o johnb).

allen iverson
marcus camby
vince carter
ray allen
troy murphy
peja stojakovic
thaddeus young
brook lopez
andres nocioni
rodney stuckey
maurice evans
stephon marbury

it’s funny that seven of my players are dinosaurs, 30 years old and above. i also have nocioni and murphy on my team who are 29, and 28 year old respectively. completing the line-up are three low profile players in their early twenties (there could be hope, haha). imagine, my core group’s average age is 31. fucker. good luck to me then. but I’m still hopeful. the ball is round, and these oldies may still have some juice left in them. go zamboanga rebels!

elephant vanishes

...currently reading Elephant Vanishes ... it is a collection of 15 short stories from popular japanese writer haruki murakami. like most of his works, it's engaging, dreamy, amusing, mind-bending, reflective, and cautiously philosophical.

reading murakami is like solving a puzzle… in the end, everything seems to fit but not quite… it’s either the last piece of the puzzle is missing, or the entire picture is completely far off from what you have in mind.

his works are generally futile attempts to answer questions… questions that are thrown to the reader in heaps… but will never be completely answered… however, it doesn't matter. we still end up satisfied… the process of questioning is rewarding enough.

some say that his characters, stories are absurd, and most of the time way way off reality. i say yes... but it's closer than you think.

facebook alert

they say that a relationship is never officially over until you change your status on facebook. a profile update ended in murder for a couple in england. i know it's odd, but unfortunately it's true.

a 35 year old man actually killed his wife after she updated her relationship status on her facebook to single. the husband moved out of their home four days before the incident. the couple was spending time away from each other due to personal and financial spats. the husband, who was drunk and high on coke the night of the murder, drove 35 miles to their home and stabbed his wife while she was sleeping.

this is a strange case that validates that the virtual can be as real and certain as death and taxes.

note: actually, let’s not blame facebook. it is actually pretty useful, especially to busy people like me. it’s our window to the world, on what’s happening out there. facebook is also a buffet for gossipmongers. hehe. I guess let’s just be more conscious and discerning on what we actually announce to humanity. one of my friends actually describes facebook as the post-it of the new generation. he said that status updates on facebook is like writing it on a million post-its and sticking them to everyone’s desktop monitor. now i'm tempted to cancel my account. kidding. it serves tsismis on a silver platter. why cancel? hehe.

beer beer beer

if you're looking for good beer and price is not an issue, here are my recommendations...

1) Chiefs Restobar - Ortigas Home Depot Complex, Julia Vargas Ave.
they have great american brews like rogue, ballast point, and gordon bierst. i'm actually surprised that americans can now make good beer. i highly suggest that you try rogue mocha porter. rogue (an oregon brew) is now in my list of all-time favorite beer.

2) Murphy's Irish pub - Citiland Condo III Building, 105 V.A. Rufino Corner Estaban Sts., Legaspi Village
authentic irish food and of course irish stouts. my fav stout, guinness, is always available here.

3) Beers Paradise - 36 Polaris St, Makati city
limitless choices, over a hundred!!! mostly belgian brews... like good belgian chocolates (also belgian gals, e.g. ms. belgium 96), you just can't get enough of them.

4) Mickey's Delicattesen - 144 Jupiter Street corner Orbit Street, Bel-Air 2 Village
if you're a fan of german brews like erdinger, konig pilsner, etc., this is the where you should hang out.

5) Fiesta San Miguel - Lobby, Dusit Hotel Nikko, Ayala Center Makati
this is the place where you can find the freshest san miguel beer - light or pale. your choice.


drink up! worry about the beer belly later. hehe.

surf's up

The most consistent surf spot in the Philippines has just been exposed by the Philippine Surfing Academy! And it’s right here in Manila. This spot is great for surfers of all levels. With no jelly fish, sea urchins, rips and undertows, beginners wouldn’t find a safer and easier spot elsewhere. For the more advanced surfers, it’s the best workout for your surfing fitness and you will get rides, but don't expect anything scary. It’s also a very effective way to improve your paddling and wave catching skills. With left-hander and right hander waves at a push of a button, this place is the most consistent surf spot of the country delivering waves every second! And its 30 minutes away from Ortigas Center!

experience and learn how to surf properly.
for bookings and inquiries please contact:

Paolo - +63920-9005589
Lorraine - +63917-8441981

for more information, please visit http://surfingacademy.multiply.com/

note: we had the chance to ride the waves at club manila east yesterday. i'm stoked. imagine that there's waves every 2 seconds. fun. fun. fun. i can't wait for my next surfing adventure.

the graveyard book

nobody owens is somebody we will remember for a long time... i hope there will be a book two, and maybe a three and a four. i'm crossing my fingers.

neil gaiman's latest novel is now available at fully booked.

poetry time!

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for at the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - -
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

"The Road Not Taken”
by Robert Frost

i'm not really into poetry. maybe because i suck at it. haha. but anyway, i came across this beautiful piece while doing research for my literature class back in college. i was drawn into it for some reason.

i remember this conversation i had with beng via yahoo msgr a long time ago. she said that this piece reminds her of how neil gaiman described this character named destiny in the sandman series. he holds his secrets. he never tells what is ahead… and his garden is full of mazes. in his garden, when you look ahead there's only darkness and uncertainty... when you look back the maze is gone, it only shows one path, the path you chose to take.

not knowing where the path leads or what the path is like further on... it is not hard to regret something with unknown results. that’s why some people end up saying "sayang, if i chose differently SIGURO iba ang buhay ko ngayon". but it is still uncertain right? the life you have now can actually be the better one.

you got it right beng.

why i love calvin & hobbes

hmmmm. five reasons why i'm crazy about Calvin & Hobbes...

...i recognize myself with calvin as a child. as a young kid, i remember that there were times that I felt out of sync with the rest thus I ran away to the world that I create for myself in my mind.

... it can make us laugh til we cry and at the same time we identify with it

... even though it's just a comic strip, it has an uncanny ability to invoke a whole range of emotions

... it deals with everyday stuff that we experienced as a kid like going to school, swimming lessons, haircuts, disagreeing with our parents, playing with food, complaining about homework, etc.

... admit it or not, maybe calvin is a certified brat or a pain in the ass... but he is a smart kid. even smarter than some 20 year olds i know. hehe.

greatest tom cruise movie ever

drum rolling.......................................... tropic thunder.

i had a blast watching this kick ass flick. haha. i'm pretty sure i'll also get the dvd version once it's out.

top calvin & hobbes quotes - part two

I go to school, but I never learn what I want to know.
~
Hobbes : "Do you think there's a God?
Calvin : "Well somebody's out to get me!"
Calvin : "Do you really think Bogeymen exist?"
Hobbes : "I'm not sure, but if they do, I think this is where they live…"
~
"The world isn't fair, Calvin."
"I know Dad, but why isn't it ever unfair in my favour?"
~
"Too bad the world will be ending soon."
"Beg your pardon?"
"Halley's Comet. Comets are harbingers of doom."
"No they aren’t, that’s just superstition."
"Really? Guess I'd better write that book report."
~
"This article says that many people find christmas the most stressful time of year."
"I believe it. This season sure fills *me* with stress."
"Really? How come?"
" I *hate* being good..."
~
"I wonder where we go when we die?"
"...Pittsburgh?"
"You mean if we're good or if we're bad?"
~
I think life should be more like tv. I think all of life's problems ought to be solved in 30 minutes with simple homilies, don't you? I think weight and oral hygiene ought to be our biggest concerns. I think we should all have powerful, high-paying jobs, and everyone should drive fancy sports cars. All our desires should be instantly gratified. Women should always wear tight clothes, and men should carry powerful handguns. Life overall should be more glamorous, thrill-packed, and filled with applause, don't you think?
So basically, this maverick is urging everyone to express his individuality through conformity in brand-name selection.
In my opinion, television validates existence.
~
"Here's a movie we should watch."
"Who's in it?"
"It says 'Japanese Cast'...two big rubbery monsters slug it out over major metropolitan centres in a battle for world supremacy...doesn't that sound great?"
"And people say that foreign film is inaccessible."
~
Hobbes : "It says here that by the age of 6, most children have seen a million murders on television."
Calvin : "I find that very disturbing...it means I've been watching all the wrong channels."
~
H : "What are you doing?"
C : "Being cool."
H : "You look more like you're bored."
C : "The world bores you when you're cool."
~
To make a bad day worse, spend it wishing for the impossible.
So the secret to good self-esteem is to lower your expectations to the point where they're already met?
It's only work if somebody makes you do it
~
Calvin: Our top-secret club, G.R.O.S.S.-- Get Rid Of Slimy girlS!
Susie: Slimy girls?!
Calvin: I know that's redundant, but otherwise it doesn't spell anything.
I'm looking for something that can deliver a 50-pound payload of snow on a small feminine target. Can you suggest something? Hello...?
Girls are like slugs - they probably serve some purpose, but it's hard to imagine what.
~
We are a fierce and dirty band of cut-throat pirates! Keep a sharp lookout matey, we don’t want any sissy girls on our ship!"
"We *don’t* like girls???"
"Of course not dummy, we're a murderous bunch of pirates, remember?"
"Who do we smooch then?"
~
"There's a new girl in our class."
"Well, what’s her name?"
"WHO KNOWS?"
"Is she nice?"
"WHO CARES? Not me!"
"Do you LIKE her?"
"NO!"
~
"Hello Susie, this is Calvin. I lost our homework assignment. Can you tell me what we were supposed to read for tomorrow?"
"Are you sure you're not calling for some other reason?"
"Why else would I call you?"
"Maybe you missed the melodious sound of my voice?"
"WHAT? Are you crazy? All I want is the STUPID assignment!"
"First say you missed the melodious sound of my voice."
"THIS IS BLACKMAIL!"
~
"Do you like being a girl?"
"It’s gotta be better than the alternative."
"What’s it like? Is it like being a bug?"
"Like a WHAT?"
"I imagine bugs and girls have a dim perception that nature played a cruel trick on them, but they lack the intelligence to really comprehend the magnitude of it."

cinemanila time

it's cinemanila time again... these are the required readings... hehe.

http://guides.clickthecity.com/movies/?p=3848
http://guides.clickthecity.com/movies/?p=3853
http://guides.clickthecity.com/movies/?p=3874
http://guides.clickthecity.com/movies/?p=3867

see you at gateway!

after dark

if you’re looking for something to read while waiting for your flight, or visa interview, try to get hold of murakami's After Dark. it's a really short novel, about 2 to 3 hours to finish. in my biased opinion, this 244 page novel is way more satisfying than the entire twilight series combined. hehe. it's trademark murakami intensified by the phosphorescence glow of the characters he created against the novel's backdrop, the darkness of the night. read it, and you'll know why.

sometimes, less is more.

tribute to mr pink

Reservoir Dogs is definitely one of my most favorite quentin tarantino films. it's way up there in my list together with Pulp Fiction.

this blog entry is my tribute to Reservoir Dogs... and Steve Buscemi(mr pink). he is one hell of an actor. this guy really cracks me up.


1 INT. UNCLE BOB'S PANCAKE HOUSE - MORNING
Eight men dressed in BLACK SUITS, sit around a table at a breakfast cafe. They are MR. WHITE, MR. PINK, MR. BLUE, MR. BLONDE, MR. ORANGE, MR. BROWN, NICE GUY EDDIE CABOT, and the big boss, JOE CABOT. Most are finished eating and are enjoying coffee and conversation. Joe flips through a small address book. Mr. Pink is telling a long and involved story about Madonna.

MR. PINK
"Like a Virgin" is all about a girl who digs a guy with a big dick. The whole song is a metaphor for big dicks.

MR. BLUE
No it's not. It's about a girl who is very vulnerable and she's been fucked over a few times. Then she meets some guy who's really sensitive--

MR. PINK
--Whoa...whoa...time out Greenbay. Tell that bullshit to the tourists.

JOE
(looking through his address book)
Toby...who the fuck is Toby? Toby...Toby...think...think...think...

MR. PINK
It's not about a nice girl who meets a sensitive boy. Now granted that's what "True Blue" is about, no argument about that.

MR. ORANGE
Which one is "True Blue?"

NICE GUY EDDIE
You don't remember "True Blue?" That was a big ass hit for Madonna. Shit, I don't even follow this Tops In Pops shit, and I've at least heard of "True Blue."

MR. ORANGE
Look, asshole, I didn't say I ain't heard of it. All I asked was how does it go? Excuse me for not being the world's biggest Madonna fan.

MR. BROWN
I hate Madonna.

MR. BLUE
I like her early stuff. You know, "Lucky Star," "Borderline" – but once she got into her "Papa Don't Preach" phase, I don't know, I tuned out.

MR. PINK
Hey, fuck all that, I'm making a point here. You're gonna make me lose my train of thought.

JOE
Oh fuck, Toby's that little china girl.

MR. WHITE
What's that?

JOE
I found this old address book in a jacket I ain't worn in a coon's age. Toby what? What the fuck was her last name?

MR. PINK
Where was I?

MR. ORANGE
You said "True Blue" was about a nice girl who finds a sensitive fella. But "Like a Virgin" was a metaphor for big dicks.

MR. PINK
Let me tell ya what "Like a Virgin"'s about. It's about some cooze who's a regular fuck machine. I mean all the time, morning, day, night, afternoon, dick, dick, dick, dick, dick, dick, dick, dick, dick, dick, dick.

MR. BLUE
How many dicks was that?

MR. WHITE
A lot.

MR. PINK
Then one day she meets a John Holmes motherfucker, and it's like, whoa baby. This mother fucker's like Charles Bronson in "The Great Escape." He's digging tunnels. Now she's gettin this serious dick action, she's feelin something she ain't felt since forever. Pain.

JOE
Chew? Toby Chew? No.

MR. PINK
It hurts. It hurts her. It shouldn't hurt. Her pussy should be Bubble-Yum by now. But when this cat fucks her, it hurts. It hurts like the first time. The pain is reminding a fuck machine what is was like to be a virgin. Hence, "Like a Virgin."

The fellas crack up.


i love this opening scene. i can actually see myself and my crazy friends as MR. WHITE, MR. PINK, MR. BLUE, MR. BLONDE, MR. ORANGE, MR. BROWN, and NICE GUY EDDIE CABOT discussing madonna over a few bottles of superdry. haha.

long live mr pink.

vista solution

i’ve heard endless of complaints regarding windows vista. that’s why i decided to stick with xp. to my friends who want to get the most out of their pcs/laptops with vista installed, check out this article.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/09/technology/personaltech/09basics.html?em

hope that this helps. good luck.

hamilton vs massa

i have a penchant for underdogs. so obviously, my vote goes to massa. massa is currently seven points behind his rival in the standings. but don't fret yet. remember last year... hamilton had a two-point advantage going into the last three races... even stretching it to 12 with a win in japan... but he choked big time at the last race in brazil… thus losing the championship to raikonnen.

when you look at their machines, they are equally matched. ferrari is quicker when dry, however mclaren is the epitome of engine reliability. so that leaves the quest for glory up to the drivers, their crew, and of course the weather. hamilton will definitely have a considerable advantage should it rain in japan, china, or brazil. he is still the undisputed wet-weather master. massa, on the other hand, is always in his best form at his home track in sao paulo.

this will really be exciting.

watch out for these dates.

Japanese Grand Prix, Fuji, October 12
Chinese Grand Prix, Shanghai, October 19
Brazilian Grand Prix, Sao Paulo, November 2

el violin

despite the busy week, i was successful in fixing my schedule to accommodate another dose of fantastic cinema. last tuesday night, we were supposed to watch the 7pm movie. however it was already sold-out by the time we got to gbelt. so we decided to just watch the 930pm movie since we're already there, without even knowing what it's all about... and i commend myself for this very wise decision.

El Violin is shot in black and white... which i personally think was very effective in setting the tone of the movie. it actually gives an impression of a documentary film from time to time. the documentary vibe it exudes further draws the audience to be involved, as if whispering to them that this is something that has happened or is happening in this fucked up world.

the casts are all great. of course, Plucarto (played by Don Angel Tavira) is the focal point, center of it all. i have a feeling that director Francisco Vargas wrote the screenplay with Tavira specifically in mind as the lead character. he is just too perfect for the role. he possesses the sincerity and wisdom ripened by years of hardships and yearning.

the opening sequence also is something. it brings the audience to the edge of their seats, wondering what incoming events will lead to this particular gruesome sequence. effective story-telling by first time feature film director Francisco Vargas.

El Violin is actually a short film, only an hour and half tops... even without much graphic and loud drama... the film is very successful in moving the audience... sending out a universal message... that resonates in our minds... even long after we left the cinema.

"the music is over."

of love and other demons

i feel bad about not being able to write anything on Of Love and Other Demons. i actually finished reading it a few weeks ago. it's only the third book of gabriela marquez that i've finished... but i’m utterly convinced of this guy’s genius. he is part-writer, part-magician. his unique inventive style is apparent from the first to last page. not an easy read, but definitely worth every minute, every hour you spend on it. highly recommended.

pulp fiction

most memorable Pulp Fiction moment….

“The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men.

Blessed is he who in the name of charity and goodwill shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his bother’s keeper and the finder of lost children.

And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger, those who attempt to poison and story my brothers! And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee. “

i’ve recited these lines aloud a countless of times (mostly when drunk)... and it has always been a pleasure. samuel jackson is the man!

pelicula

Película, organized by the Instituto Cervantes in Manila, is the yearly showcase of the best of Spanish and Latin American cinema in the Philippines. Its first edition was launched in 2002 and, since then, has been bringing the latest and greatest of Hispanic cinema to the Philippines. Now at its seventh installment, Película is the biggest and most anticipated festival of Spanish film in Southeast Asia.

for more information, check out http://www.pelicula.ph/

Note: i've always been a fan of spanish films. actually, one of my all-time favorite directors is pedro almodovar. if you have time this week, try to check maybe a couple of spanish films at gbelt3. it's only 65 bucks, cost a lot less than a starbucks coffee.

i'm glad that i got to watch 7 mesas de billar francés and fados last weekend. it was time well spent. i will try to free up some time this week (i highly doubt it though) for more dosage of quality cinema.

yummy

i’ve been really “matakaw” lately... and i’m sick of fast-food. good thing that there are still places around makati that serves good food without really hurting my wallet.

here’s my list of 5 value-for-money places to eat.

SOMs – Rockwell
they serve authentic thai food. make sure that you get to try the red or green curry, spring rolls, pad thai, and the bagoong rice.

Amicci – Pasong Tamo
everything on the menu is a treat, but my personal favorite is the rosemary chicken with any of their pasta on the side.

New Bombay – De la Costa St. and Columns condo
for me, indian food is underrated. people should try it more often. good shit.

Pat Pat's Kansi – Sampaloc St. , San Antonio Village
the best bulalo in town! ilonggo style!

Chili Peppers – Valero Street
a gigantic serving of baby back ribs under 200 bucks? unbelievable right? you better try it asap.

it’s 130pm, and i still haven’t eaten lunch. writing this makes my tummy complain more. i can actually hear it grumble. i’m thinking of going to amicci. hehe. ciao.

hmmm...

is the human brain similar to a hard drive? is it as fixed and finite?
do we have to delete old memories in order to create new ones...

oktobeer

there’s no doubt that one of the greatest inventions ever is beer. in tribute to this fact, let me present my list of top 5 beer havens in makati. these places may not be top notch but they do serve reasonably priced beer (and the ambiance is not bad at all). in makati, booze priced below 50 bucks is such a rarity.

1) Good Earth Roast - Rockwell
nice ambiance... actually reminds me of boracay for some reason... the tofu steak is a must-try...

2) 121 – Leviste St.
used to be our week night tambayan (when i was working in makati)... cheap beer, great food, convenient location...

3) Grilla – Kalayaan Avenue
our favorite friday night hang-out when we were in our early twenties... we still feel at home here until now.

4) Coco Cabana – Kalayaan Avenue
they have really good pulutan… especially the nachos… i like the beach vibe too.

5) Grappas – Gbelt 3 and Nicanor Garcia St.
you should definitely try all of grappa's pilsner brews - classic, dark,and weizen. good shit.

that's all folks... chug. chug. chug.

one big fire

2008…CELEBRATE!

The Blue Eagle Bonfire
September 30, Tuesday
6 pm Mass, Church of the Gesu
7 pm Bellarmine Field

See you there!

the fountain

The Fountain is not for everyone. it’s either you love it or you hate it. since i’ve seen Aronofsky’s two other films – Pi and Requiem for a Dream. i had a pretty good idea what’s in store for me. just like his previous films, The Fountain is non-linear, open-ended, dream-like, charged with “remarkably honest performances, subtle details and stunning imagery”. the film is successful in creating an “insightful tapestry of the meaning of loss, mourning, and the possibility of eternal life.” the film is divided into three parts. the first part is where Hugh Jackman is a spanish conquistador where he is tasked to find the tree of life to save spain and marry the queen. the second part is where he is an obsessed doctor studying an ancient south american tree in order to save his dying life. the last part is where he is an astronaut traveling in space in search for the answer to eternal life. as an astronaut, he is tasked to save the tree and at the same time the tree keeps him alive in space being without water and food. how you interpret or arrange the parts is up to you. that’s the beauty of Aronofsky’s films. so watch it with an open mind…

for a lot of people, The Fountain is considered as weird, odd, or it doesn’t make any sense at all. when i watched it at gbelt a couple of years ago, i've heard people behind me complaining for most part of the movie. but like I said, Aronofsky is not for everyone.

i wouldn't say that the film is not without flaws.... but if you really take a careful (insightful) look at it, it is something ambitious and could perhaps be considered a true cinematic work of art.

4 > 0, how "sweep" it is

it may be an ugly win... but it is still a win.

we are just the better team this year.

i'm happy for now. nuff said.

define happiness

happiness is winning tomorrow's game.

i don't think my heart could handle game 3. it would probably trigger a heart-attack. i'm getting old. haha.

to the blue eagles, it's time to bring home the bacon.

ONE BIG FIGHT!

hello angst

control the things you can control, maggot. and if you have to go down, go down with your guns blazing…

the unbearable lightness of being

i rarely re-read books. i have this notion that there are just too many good books to read in one lifetime. but still, i re-read Kundera’s The Unbearable Lightness of Being. i consider it one of my all-time favs. the book poses a lot of questions about how our lives are shaped by irrevocable choices and fortuitous events. it is a novel of ideas, a provocative look at the ways in which history impinges on individual lives, and a meditation on personal identity. the book examines the imperfect possibilities of adult love and the ways in which free choice and necessity shape our lives. "What then shall we choose?" Kundera asks at the beginning of his novel. "Weight or lightness?" i guess this novel is his attempt to answer that question. and the answer is obviously hinted at in the novel's final scene, in which Tomas and Tereza (the main characters) find themselves in a small country hotel after a rare evening of dancing. when Tomas turns on the light in their room, "a large nocturnal butterfly" rises from the bedside lamp and circles the room in which they are alone with their happiness and their sadness.

note: i recommend this book for a lot of reasons. aside from the fact that this book is brilliantly written, i agree with the author’s point of view that we are who we are, and we are where we are because of the actions we took when destiny presented itself to us. basically, we are where we ought to be because of two things…. the choices we’ve made and the chances presented to us, may it be fortuity or mere coincidence…

heroes

note: i wrote this two years ago during the Heroes craze.

i just finished watching the last episode of Heroes a couple of days ago. it's funny that i actually don't know anyone who doesn't like this series. this NBC series is very likeable, definitely something worth spending the entire day lying in bed watching the season from start to finish.

actually the concept is not new. the story basically revolves around a group of people slowly discovering their superhuman abilities and uncovering their destiny. cliche right? but i think of it as ‘x-men’ with a ‘24’ twist. the last five minutes of each episode leaves you wanting for more.

Heroes is also a little different from the typical superhero movies/series since the producers/creators made it more “believable”. the characters are basically ordinary people we see around everyday. we can somewhat relate to one or two characters, thus giving the series a more “human” element/component. the effects are deliberately not imposing or grand (minimalist approach) with the intent of delivering more realism. even some of the characters’ special abilities are not that absurd or ridiculously unbelievable (e.g. persuasion, telepathy). i’m particularly fascinated by the notion that the characters obtained their extraordinary abilities via evolution by natural selection (the geek in me, hehe).

after sickening influx of stupid reality shows and other crap on TV, Heroes is a gush of fresh air.

more from neil...

"We were never lovers, and we never will be now. I do not regret the conversations we never had, the time we did not spend together. I regret that i never told him that he made me happy, when i was in his company. The world was better for his being in it. These things alone do i now regret: things left unsaid. And he is gone and I am old"

~ Lady Bast, The Wake, The Sandman Series

"It makes you vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens your heart and it means someone can get you now and mess you up. You build up defenses. You build up this whole armor for years so nothing can hurt you.

Then one stupid person, no different from any other stupid person wanders into your stupid life. You give them a piece of you. They don't ask for it. They do something dumb one day like kiss you or smile at you and then your life isn't your own anymore.

Love takes hostage. It gets inside you. It eats you out and leaves you crying in the darkness."

~ Rose, The Kindly Ones, The Sandman Series


i think I got these from beng's blog a couple of years ago. hehe. thanks beng.

i hope they serve beer in hell

a really good ol’ friend of mine, who’s now based in ireland, suggested that i grab myself a copy of this book. it's actually a fratire - men's version of a chicklit. she’s kinda sure that it’s something i would enjoy reading. so while waiting for the admu vs ue game sunday afternoon (where ateneo clobbered ue black and blue), i decided to drop by fully booked to get myself a copy.

"my name is tucker max, and i am an asshole. i get excessive drunk at inappropriate times, disregard social norms, indulge every whim, ignore the consequences of my actions, mock idiots and posers, sleep with more women than is safe or reasonable, and just generally act like a raging dickhead. but i do contribute to humanity in one very important way:
i share my adventures with the world."

i hope they serve beer in hell
by tucker max

sounds interesting right?????????????? can’t wait to start. i have a problem though. I have this bad habit of reading multiple books. currently, i’m still halfway through memoirs of geisha, after dark, twilight (i'm just curious how come this series really sells, so far i find it an irritating read), and ignorance. good thing I got to finish of love and other demons a couple of weekends ago. so this means that it might take awhile before I can get to touch my latest book purchase again. crap.

drip

drip's latest album 'identity thelf' has been in my cd rotation for weeks now. i never get tired listening to it.

so this morning, since i haven't listened to their first album for the longest time... and of course i wanted to do some comparison... i searched for it in my cd case. i was surprised to find out that it's not there. im guessing that a friend of mine might have borrowed it, liked it so much that he/she forgot to return it. darn.

so if anyone knows someone who has a copy of their first album 'far side of the world', please leave me a message.

yahoo

guess what??? it's cine europa time!!! usually it's held every november... but this year, it's 2 months early. i'm not complaining though... hehe.... check out this link for more info.

http://guides.clickthecity.com/movies/?p=3656

see you at the movies.

whiners shut up

complain, complain, and complain... then complain more.

all people do nowadays is complain. we blame the government for everything. the gas price. crime rate. the war in mindanao. traffic. alarming population growth. garbage problem. floods. pollution. inflation. poverty. our miserable existence. the list goes on. we tend to overlook that the government is actually a reflection of its people.

so stop whining and do something instead.

something to think about

"Closing your eyes isn't going to change anything. Nothing's going to disappear just because you can't see what's going on. In fact, things will be even worse the next time you open your eyes. That's the kind of world we live in, Mr Nakata. Keep your eyes wide open. Only a coward closes his eyes. Closing your eyes and plugging up your ears won't make time stand still."

~Kafka on the Shore
Haruki Murakami

murphy's law

i was a student for 16 years. and i’ve been a corporate slave for 8 years now. all of the assignments, projects, deadlines, conversion, and deployment activities i had to go through excruciatingly, made me a firm believer of murphy’s law. during “crunch” time, your hard drive will crash sending your philosophy paper to nothingness, your cobol code will suddenly not work even though you're fully aware that you’ve tested it a million times, your car will not start and you have to meet a client in 30 minutes, and the list goes on. in other words, expect the worst because it's always an imminent possibility.

i guess that’s why i'm rarely flustered during pressure-laden-nerve-cracking-brain-numbing situations. i’m fully aware that in any given moment, something most probably will go wrong. and you don't really have a choice but to roll up your sleeves and deal with it.

got this somewhere in the internet. it's actually pretty funny.

MURPHY'S LAWS

THE PRIME AXIOM: In any field of scientific endeavor, anything that can go wrong, will.

2. If the possibility exists of several things going wrong, the one that will go wrong is the one that will do the most damage.
3. Everything will go wrong at one time.
3.1 That time is always when you least expect it.
4. If nothing can go wrong, something will.
5. Nothing is as easy as it looks.
6. Everything takes longer than you think.
7. Left to themselves, things always go from bad to worse.
8. Nature always sides with the hidden flaw.
9. Given the most inappropriate time for something to go wrong, that's when it will occur.
10. Mother Nature is a bitch.
10.1 The universe is not indifferent to intelligence, it is actively hostile to it.
11. If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something.
12. If in any problem you find yourself doing an immense amount of work, the answer can be obtained by simple inspection.
13. Never make anything simple and efficient when a way can be found to make it complex and wonderful.
14. If it doesn't fit, use a bigger hammer.
15. In an instrument or device characterized by a number of plus-or-minus errors, the total error will be the sum of all the errors adding in the same direction.
16. In any given calculation, the fault will never be placed if more than one person is involved.
16.1 In any given discovery, the credit will never be properly placed if more than one person is involved.
17. All warranty and guarantee clauses become invalid upon payment of the final invoice.
18. Murphy's Law: "If there are two or more ways to do something, and one of those ways can result in a catastrophe, then someone will do it."

this week is going to be hell. so, wish me luck. i’m sure there will be quite a number of fire-extinguishing activities for me. my personal/social life may need to take a back seat. it will be a loooooooooooooooong week.

damn. i need an inspiration.

start ROAMing

A rip-roaring shout out to all kinds of travelers: the cheapskates, zillionaires, backpackers, adventure seekers, campers, lost, or whatever you feel like calling yourselves! ROAM magazine has finally landed our urban jungle! This magazine is for you!

October Eighty Publications proudly presents ROAM—the first and only alternative traveling magazine in the Philippines. Hop on the crazy world of fun, spontaneous, and adventurous traveling! Discover the hidden, learn the alternative, and live the ambiguity.

In this premiere issue, we give you the wild slab of glorious Manila we’ve all loved to hate, and hated to love. We revive the vintage and feel the vibe of hippie Manila. We veer away from what’s pop and grand; we drift, reroute, and experience Manila the ROAM way!

Revel our special features on the chronicled Intramuros, oddballs of Cubao X, rave of the Manila nightlife, rekindled balut industry in Pateros, and the legends of the Luneta photographers.

We’ve got a bevy of features on urban adventures, culture, food trips, dream destinations, city tours, first aid, traveling in style, and a lot more!

Come on, come on! Quit on slacking and start ROAMing!

ROAM magazine is available in the major bookstores and newsstands.


note: this article is taken from http://projectmanila.com/blog/?p=142. i was able to get myself a copy of the mag two fridays ago. I was really impressed. something fresh, hip, amusing, and a bit crazy. great job jake.

lucky me

i was able to get three upper b tickets!!! lucky me!!! thanks maida... i owe you lunch. hehe.

ateneo was in control for most part of the game. baclao and rabeh readily accepted their roles as the sultans of the shaded lane. the archers, especially rico, walsham, and barua, weren't able to do any damage on the inside. they had to be really creative to keep up with ateneo. kudos to the team. good job guys.

i have a good feeling that this could be our year.

so true

"You are 27 or 28 right? It is very tough to live at that age. When nothing is sure. I have sympathy with you."

~haruki murakami

tough age... tough times... well said murakami... well said...

looking for tickets

i'm willing to pay scalper price for upper a (even upper b) tickets for this saturday afternoon's BIG game... if you guys know someone, please send me a text message or leave a post here. i'm DESPERATE... haha.

ONE BIG FIGHT!!!

top calvin & hobbes quotes - part one

I like maxims that don't encourage behavior modification.
~
Reality continues to ruin my life.
~
Weekends don't count unless you spend them doing something completely pointless.
~
A little rudeness and disrespect can elevate a meaningless interaction to a battle of wills and add
drama to an otherwise dull day.
~
It's psychosomatic. You need a lobotomy. I'll get a saw.
~
I understand my tests are popular reading in the teachers' lounge.
~
Life's disappointments are harder to take when you don't know any swear words.
~
Where do we keep all our chainsaws, Mom?
~
That's the difference between me and the rest of the world! Happiness isn't good enough for me! I demand euphoria!
~
In my opinion, we don't devote nearly enough scientific research to finding a cure for jerks.
~
You know, Hobbes, some days even my lucky rocketship underpants don't help.
~
Its no use! Everybody gets good enemies except me.
~
What's the point of wearing your favorite rocketship underpants if nobody ever asks to see 'em?
~
As a math atheist, I should be excused from this.
~
This one's tricky. You have to use imaginary numbers, like eleventeen ...
~
I'm learning real skills that I can apply throughout the rest of my life ... Procrastinating and rationalizing.
~
I have a hammer! I can put things together! I can knock things apart! I can alter my environment at will and make an incredible din all the while! Ah, it's great to be male!
I'm not dumb. I just have a command of thoroughly useless information
~
"Do you believe in the devil? You know, a supreme evil being dedicated to the temptation, corruption, and destruction of man?" "I'm not sure that man needs the help."
~
Calvin: I'm a genius, but I'm a misunderstood genius.
Hobbes: What's misunderstood about you?
Calvin: Nobody thinks I'm a genius.
~
Calvin : You can't just turn on creativity like a faucet. You have to be in the right mood.
Hobbes : What mood is that?
Calvin : Last-minute panic.
~
"Why isn't my life like a situation comedy? Why don't I have a bunch of friends with nothing better to do but drop by and instigate wacky adventures? Why aren't my conversations peppered with spontaneous witticisms? Why don't my friends demonstrate heartfelt concern for my well being when I have problems? ...I gotta get my life some writers."
~
"See Any UFOs?" "Not yet." "Well, keep your eyes open, they're bound to land here sometime." "What will we do when they come?" "See if we can sell mom and dad into slavery for a star cruiser"
~
"My powerful brain has come up with a topic for my paper" "Great" "I'll write about the debate over Tyrannosaurs. Were they fearsome predators or disgusting scavengers?" "Which side will you defend?" "Oh, I believe they were fearsome predators, definitely." "How come?" "They're *so* much cooler that way"
~
"I'm not going to so my maths homework. Look at these unsolved problems. Here's a number in mortal combat with another. One of them is going to get subtracted. But why? What will be left of him? If I answered these, it would kill the suspense. It would resolve the conflict and turn intriguing possibilities into boring old facts." "I never really thought about the literary possibilities of maths." "I prefer to savour the mystery."
~
"Bad news Dad. Your polls are way down."
"My polls?"
"You rate especialy low among tigers and six year old white males."
~
Dear Santa. Why is your operation located at the North Pole? I'm guessing cheap elf labour, lower environmental standards, and tax breaks. Is this really the example you want to set for us impressionable kids? ...My plan is to put him on the defensive before he considers how good I've been.

Hangad: Noon at Ngayon

"Kung aawit ako nang mag-isa, awit ko'y awitin nga ba?"

Block off your calendars for Hangad: Noon at Ngayon, a 10th anniversary concert for Hangad's first album titled "Hangad". The show will feature inspirational and liturgical standards from Hangad's repertoire -- some in their original form, others with fresh new arrangements -- such as Panunumpa, Maging Akin Muli, and Pag-Ibig Ko.

Moreover, the show features the launch of a commemorative 5-track CD, also titled Hangad: Noon at Ngayon, featuring new arrangements of well-loved songs mostly from Hangad's first album, plus the first-time release of the upbeat "Walang Ibang Hangad."

Hangad : Noon at Ngayon will be held at 7 PM on August 30, 31 and September 7, 2008, at the St Stanislaus Chapel of the Ateneo High School, Ateneo de Manila University, Katipunan Ave., Loyola Heights, Quezon City. Mass preceeds the concert at 530 PM. Special guest choirs: Ateneo College Ministry Group Choir, Coro Degli Angeli and The Symphony.

Tickets are at Php150, which covers entrance to the show and a copy of the commemorative CD "Hangad: Noon at Ngayon." Additional "Hangad: Noon at Ngayon" CD's can be purchased at Php100 each. For more information, contact mail@hangad.com

"Habambuhay isa ang Hangad: umawit sa 'Yo!"

listening to aqualung...

you're either dipping your toes or drowning..
is it better never to start than to bear the pain of having to stop?
halfway to the bottom..
instantly forgotten
i never thought it would come so easy
i never thought it would go so quickly
is it safer never to love than to risk your heart having to lose?
is it wiser never to speak than to raise your voice and never be heard?

-- 'halfway to the bottom' by aqualung

what I best like about aqualung (aka Matt Hales) is his poignant yet subtle lyrics, and also the minimalist use of instruments in a very effective form. hmmm... so... what is aqualung all about? it is basically an open and honest look into the "fragilities" of the heart.

a relaxing sunday afternoon for me...

four am

everything is a matter of perspective. like they say, there are two kinds of persons in the world. the first one sees the glass half-full, and the second sees it as half-empty. which one am i? i personally think that i'm a very optimistic person… but lately, i'm different… hope to get out of the rut soon.

my weekend playlist - eheads

just finished setting up my ipod playlist for the weekend. i'm still not sure if i'm going to the concert tomorrow night. most probably, it will be a last minute decision.

maling akala
pare ko
shake yer head
ligaya
tindahan ni aling nena
shirley
sembreak
alapaap
minsan
alkohol
wishing wells
magasin
sa wakas
superproxy
waiting for the bus
fine time
torpedo
poorman's grave
tikman
kaliwete
spoliarium
milk and money
popmachine

stuck, somebody help me

i woke up this morning feeling like i'm stuck in a cesspool. and i really don't know why. i'm not sure if it's triggered by a particular event, or a series of incidents yesterday. i really am lost. darn. maybe i just need to vent out my frustrations later in my futsal game. futsal can be very therapeutic sometimes. i better finish up work so i can leave the office before six. bye. until my next entry.

chelsea gets an upgrade

after two disappointing seasons, finishing second to manchester united, chelsea fc is desperate to win this year. during the off-season, they signed deco from barcelona fc (my fav club in la liga) to further strengthen their midfield. deco, on his debut game with chelsea, scored from long range in the 89th minute. this somewhat validates that the signing of the 30 year old midfielder was an upgrade, despite comments from detractors that the club should have gotten a younger player with more energy and potential.

to man u, arsenal, and liverpool... be afraid... lampard emphatically said after their 4-0 victory over Portsmouth, "blues will only get better".

i concur.

random thoughts

life’s purpose, personal relationships, the treadmill of work, the uncertainty of an era… stuff that bugs the minds of twenty-something individuals. existentialist woes they say... crap... these things are best discussed with a bottle of scotch.

so tired from the long weekend… i had a blast though... sleepy…

hitchcock

a really good friend of mine surprised me with a gift last friday... 2 dvd collection sets of hitchcock films. now... i have dvd copies of the following. yahoo!!!

the man who knew too much
vertigo
rear window
shadow of a doubt
saboteur
the birds
psycho

i can't wait to watch these classics again. hitchcock, without a doubt, is still the master of suspense. he is definitely an icon, pioneering so many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. his career spanned six decades, starting with silent films, through the initial stages of sound films, and up to the color era. to those who still haven't discovered him, it's now time.

thanks irene.

(i was introduced to hitchcock back in college in one of mark escaler's classes. i think it's film theory class, a comm elective. surprisingly, my first hitchcock film was rear window. for most, it's usually psycho since it's his most famous masterpiece, his mona lisa. since then, i've been a hitchcock fan.)

alcohol and writing

just came home from twi's despedida thing.

since i have nothing else to write about... and since i'm also a bit tipsy... let me just talk about the correlation between alcohol and writing. i've read somewhere that there's a special bond between writers and alcohol. for edgar allan poe, ernest hemingway, and many accomplished writers, their greatest works couldn't have been possible without alcohol abuse. interesting huh? i do personally believe that there's a special link between creativity and alcohol. that's why most probably, writers drink alot more than other people. in my case, (since i'm definitely not a writer, i'm more of a programmer) my greatest designs/solutions were created in table napkins at bars somewhere in upstate new york and kamagong. no kidding. sometimes (take note, i said sometimes and not always), we are just our better selves when intoxicated. (oh by the way, creativity is sometimes a response to emotional pain. but let's discuss it some other time).

so, i leave it up to you if you can make sense of whatever i said. time to sleep.

wait... before i go... a quick trivia. ernest hemingway's heavy drinking brought him hypertension, kidney and liver diseases, insomnia and sexual impotence, among others. At age 62, he shot himself to death. wow.

top barney stinson quotes

Barney: It's going to be legendary!
Ted: Don't say that! You're too liberal with the word "legendary".
[flashback to Barney standing at Ted's door in snow gear with a shovel]
Barney: We're building an igloo in Central Park! It's going to be legendary! Snow-suit up!

Barney: Was that chick at the end really a client?

Barney: Suit up!

Ted: I'm gonna do what that guy couldn't, I'm gonna take the plunge... Well, I guess that's not a perfect metaphor since... for me it's falling in love and for him it's... death.
Barney: Actually, that is a perfect metaphor.

Barney: Ted, your problem is all you do is think, think, think. I'm teaching you how to do, do, do. Marshall: Doo-doo! [laughs]
Barney: [chuckles] Totally.

Barney: Ted, tonight we're gonna go out. We're gonna meet some ladies, it's gonna be *legendary*. Phone-five! [slaps cell-phone]
Barney: You didn't phone-five, did you? [pause]
Barney: I know when you don't phone-five Ted.

Barney: Haaaaave you met Ted?

Barney: It's gonna be legen... wait for it... dary!

Barney: It's gonna be legend-... wait for it... and I hope you're not lactose intolerant because the second half of that word is DAIRY!

Ted: So, who are we picking up?
Barney: I dunno... her? Or maybe her...
Ted: Wait, so when you said we were going to pick someone up at the airport, you meant we were going to *pick someone up* at the airport?
Barney: Yeah...
Ted: You're kidding!
Barney: False!

Ted: Hey Barney, see that girl?
Barney: Ohhh yeah, you just know she likes it dirty!

last kiss

i was cleaning up my hard drive the other day, and i came across this zach braff movie entitled 'last kiss'. the last time i watched it was a year and a half ago, and i was about to delete it since i'm in dire need of space (need to rip my latest cd purchases for my i-photo). but before proceeding, i decided to watch it one last time.

i'm surprised that i still had fun watching it considering it was my third time. i admit that it's not as critically acclaimed as garden state but it is still noteworthy of a buzz. what i really like about it is that the film poses a lot of questions for people who are nearing 30. there are so many issues that are going through our minds, one of which is relationships. we see our friends getting married or having kids and you start to ask yourself questions such as: "should i be getting married too?; should I wait until I am ready and no longer tempted but what if I never feel ready?; if life is short, should I not grab hold of what is in front of me?; could I forgive myself or my significant other if he/she cheated on me?; am I prepared for children and the commitment involved?". these are just some of the questions that troubling our already troubled minds. i know that there are a lot of movies that touch on the subject, but none does so with realism like 'the last kiss'.

also, the soundtrack rocks...

TbC

outrageously danceable pop melodies, tempo-shifting rhythms, inventive arrangements, layered landscape... it may seem that i'm talking about the british post-punk band bloc party… but hell no... i'm introducing taken by cars…

the fivesome postmodern rock band is composed of sarah marco (vocals), benny yap (bass), siopao chua (guitars), bryce zialcita (guitars), and bryan kong (drums/sampler). when i first heard them on nu107, i said to myself that they are just another band trying to sound like bloc party (or even franz ferdinand). however, after getting myself a copy of their debut album “endings of the new kind” last weekend, i have new profound respect for the band. the album is just overflowing with great stuff. notables are “uh oh”, “weekend memoir,” “colourway,” “stereolove,” and of course “december II chapter vII.”

pretty much, i’ve been listening to TbC the entire week especially when i’m driving. the rhythms, melodies, dance-inspired beats, the lyrics and vocals overwhelm the senses, and are just perfect for hitting the asphalt, stepping on the gas, and racing side by side with the crazy bus drivers in edsa.

so pass by your nearest record store, and get yourself an original copy.

prepare to be taken.

holy cow

my curiosity was aroused after reading an article in my favorite local magazine Rogue (burger, she wrote by tals diaz). i don't really consider myself a "burger connoisseur", but i do know what a perfect burger should taste like. and if that perfect burger really do exists, it should be "a wonderfully dizzying experience from the first bite to the last".

so last monday night, the search for that holy grail of a perfect burger ended at malcolm's place. i ordered the malcolm's wagyu burger, and behold, i almost did say 'holy cow' after the first bite. it's kind of pricey but it's okay coz i really did get what i paid for.

Note: Malcolm's place is located at 108 H.V. de la Costa St. cor. Tordesillas St., Salcedo Village, Makati City. Also, I suggest you get medium or medium well, never well-done.

081408

there's an itch for me to write but i'm out of words... tic tac tic tac... my mind is just not working tonight.

anyway, let me just greet someone a happy happy happy happy happy birthday. you know who you are. your best years are still ahead of you.

ciao!

from one of my fav books

"Sometimes fate is like a small sandstorm that keeps changing direction. You change direction, but the sandstorm chases you. You turn again, but the storm adjusts. Over and over you play this out, like some ominous dance with death just before dawn. Why? Because this storm isn’t something that blew in from far away, something that has nothing to do with you. This storm is you. Something inside you. So all you can do is give in to it, step right inside the storm, closing your eyes and plugging up your ears so the sand doesn’t get in, and walk through it, step by step. There’s no sun there, no moon, no direction, no sense of time. Just fine white sand swirling up into the sky like pulverised bones…

And you really will have to make it through that violent, metaphysical, symbolic storm. No matter how metaphysical or symbolic it might be, make no mistake about it: it will cut through flesh like a thousand razor blades. People will bleed there, and you will bleed too. Hot, red blood. You’ll catch that blood in your hands, your own blood and the blood of others.

And once the storm is over you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, in fact, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm you won’t be the same person who walked in."

~'Kafka On The Shore' by Haruki Murakami

i need one tonight

you hold in your hands the first light beer in the country
and the only light beer you should have

expertly brewed by san miguel
with full beer flavor
and the right alcohol hit
made less filling for your pure drinking enjoyment

the perfect balance of light and right

100 calories per serving.

two thumbs up

i'm such a loser. i just watched 'the dark knight' sunday evening at glorietta 4. blame it on loads of deadlines, a client visit, and football. being a christopher nolan fan, it's a disgrace for being 3 weeks late. anyway, i'm sure that by now you've already read a lot of good reviews, so i'm not going to suffocate you guys with another one. all i can say is that the two and a half hours spent (and of course the 150 bucks ticket) was worth it. nolan is able to sustain what he has started in 'batman begins'. definitely, a two thumbs up!

for those who wanna check out his other films... here's the complete list.

following
memento
insomnia
the prestige
batman begins

i guarantee that all of them are worth your precious time.

indeterminate state

at any time, one has a certain number of options. never unlimited, at least two options. however, i refuse to choose. i want to wait, to remain open to other options. ultimately, my life is suspended in limbo…. with no specific direction, stance…

saturday morning blues

we live in a oftentimes-boring-oftentimes-mechanical workaday world. from monday to friday, we wake up, dress up, drive to work, be slaves for at least 8 hours, drag our sorry asses home, and then sleep. And when saturday morning comes, i wake up in my bed silently uttering, ‘what now’?

life's odd these days.

080808

today is something.

start of beijing olympics. weddings, lots of weddings. and it's also a FRIDAY.

for me... after a crazy week, i'm just looking forward to a relaxing weekend. ofcourse, after partying hard tonight. hehe.

round two

as a self-confessed uaap bball fanatic, i can't wait for the second round to start. for ateneo, it's good to be on top of the standings. hopefully they can sustain the momentum, and end up with the twice to beat advantage in the semis. Here’s the schedule which I got from the alumni newsletter.

UAAP Basketball 2008-2009
SCHEDULE OF GAMES
MEN'S DIVISION

Second Round
Saturday, 9 August 2008 - ULTRA
4:00 pm FEU vs Ateneo

Thursday, 14 August 2008 - ULTRA
4:00 pm UST vs Ateneo

Sunday, 17 August 2008 - ULTRA
2:00 pm AdU vs Ateneo

Thursday, 21 August 2008 - Araneta Coliseum
4:00 pm Ateneo vs UE

Sunday, 24 August 2008 - Araneta Coliseum
2:00 pm Ateneo vs UP

Saturday, 30 August 2008 - ULTRA
4:00 pm Ateneo vs NU

Saturday, 6 September 2008 - Araneta Coliseum
4:00 pm Ateneo vs DLSU


mark your calendars. see you at the games.

wear blue… especially on september 6…

self-titled

just finished listening to my latest cd purchase... itchyworms' newest album - self-titled.

fresh. catchy. addicting. fun. engaging. witty. sarcastic. melodic. happy. colorful. amusing. technical. odd. original. polished. whimsical. effervescent. head-bobber. infectious. lss-inducive. great pop rock tune.

again, they got me hooked....

too tired to write...

"All we have to believe with is our senses, the tools we use to perceive the world: our sight, our touch, our memory. If they lie to us, then nothing can be trusted. And even if we do not believe, then still we cannot travel in any other way than the road our senses show us; and we must walk that road to the end."

~ "Shadow" in American Gods by Neil Gaiman

first time...

this is actually my first attempt at blogging... we'll see... i'm not really the type who likes to write on a regular basis. my urge to write, or let's say stab at documenting my mundane existence strikes very rarely. i'm kind of convinced that it only comes either when i'm emotionally unstable, or pissed drunk.

enough of this introduction. it's almost midnight now, and i need to get some rest to prepare myself for a shitty day tomorrow.

welcome to my blog.

goodnight.

later.