Ditch Recommends...

I am starting a new thread in this blog. Once in a while I stumble across a wonderful discovery -- be it a cheap book in some obscure corner book store, a song heard on the radio, a movie seen on the big screen (or its pirated version swiped from the sidewalks), or even a website I happened to stumble upon on the internet. This will be my chance to present them to you, my dear readers...


Ditch recommeds the FOREIGN POLICY WEBSITE (http://foreignpolicy.com)

This online journal features articles on topics regarding politics, economics, and international relations. So far from what I have browsed, their articles and features are solid (facts-wise and opinion-wise), but what I really enjoyed in this site were the featured "lists" that detail interesting trivia presented in a well-written manner. My Personal Favorite is "The World's Stupidest Fatwas" go check it out and if FP piqued your interest go on and register for updates and access to their online archive. (though some articles are reserved for subscribers to the journal, those available to be accessed freely on the web provide valuable info -- especially their 'recommended' articles and web-exclusive articles)


Recommended 1.01

Sa Sulod sg Gym

I guess I already mentioned here somewhere that I often go to the UP gym for my exercise and weight training (often na subong kay during the 1st few months of the previous sem regular pa to hehe)

I always try to squeeze into my busy sked a visit to the gym. It may be due to the fact that my time in the gym is a welcome break from the monotony of the library and a deserved rest for my myopic eyes. Plus since I enrolled in the gym and after doing the prescribed program for a few weeks, I can say that there are results...no it's not what you think...wala pa ko abs kag pecs nga pang-model hehe. At the least my "often" visits in the gym has helped me avoid gaining too much weight from all the greasy stuff I have been consuming. In fact I think I haven't gained weight since I got here in manila.

Today was one of the "often" visit days to the gym. I entered the gym(more like descended into the basement, because that's where the gym is located)to find the place jam-packed with people. Sus! Inagaway naman ni sa gym equipment haha

It has been a habit for some of the regulars to play their music for all to hear in the gym while they're going about their routine. This one guy had this mp3 player that he could "tune into" the player in the gym. Oftentimes the music would be from various genres (would you believe kis-a may jazz concert pa nga nagatukar sa gym? hahahaha) Often times I would find the songs not to my liking but they're still tolerable enough that I would remain and finish my workout. Tutal wala man ko nagkadto sa gym para mamati music di ba? hehe

But this afternoon I found myself pleasantly surprised that the songs that were playing were suited to MY generation...

I shall go about detailing the songs for each exercise I was performing (sorry if i can't remember the names of the exercises too well):

1. squats - the song playing was "wonderwall" by oasis
2. leg extentions and bends (?) - would you believe that tori amos' "sleep with butterflies" was playing -- I was impressed!
3. pectoral fly (dumb bells) -- now this is what blew me away...the familiar drum intro (the sound of drumsticks tapping) the unmistakable bass rhythm...that voice...HOLY SYET! IT WAS THE SMASHING PUMPKINS AND THEY'RE PLAYING "1979"!!!!!!

wohoooooooo! I felt so happy I felt I could benchpress 100 lbs! Without any care in the world, unmindful of the sweaty strangers milling around the gym -- I was singing my heart out...

Shakedown 1979, cool kids never have the time
On a livewire right up off the street you and I should meet

I didn't think that my voice was that loud but still I wasn't ashamed of what I was doing -- laterally lifting two 12.5 lbs dumb bells while going on about

June bug skipping like a stone
With the headlights pointing at the dawn
We're not sure we'd never see an end to it all...

And the most awaited part, no holds-barred kag gin-career ang pagkanta...I was singing in my best billy-corgan voice hehe:

And IIIIIIIIIIII don't even care to shake these zipper blues
And we don't know
Just where our bones will REEEEEEEEEEST to dust I guess
Forgotten and Abso-horbed to the earth - below...

hahahaha I have never been happier and lost in nostalgia...Thank God I went to the gym kanina!

other songs that were played and exercises done:
Bench Press -- "Crash Into Me" by Dave Matthews Band
Lateral Pull (?) -- "Breathe" by The Prodigy

...And I think I heard a Pearl Jam song and another by Incubus...couldn't figure out their titles though

The only song nga daw bulilyaso was "Crazy" by Britney Spears but thank God nga ginbalhin dayon ang kanta after the chorus *whew*


Stand Alone 1.26

Outburst

here's the reason for the outburst in my previous blog post ("Damn You..."):



anybody researching on the Philippine-American War is bound to stumble upon this cartoon depicting the gruesome reprisals of the Americans for the Balangiga Massacre in Samar. (Sept. 28, 1901)

Here's the description courtesy of wikipedia.org:

"General Jacob H. Smith's infamous order "KILL EVERYONE OVER TEN" was the caption in the New York Journal cartoon on May 5, 1902. The Old Glory draped an American shield on which a vulture replaced the bald eagle. The bottom caption exclaimed, "Criminals Because They Were Born Ten Years Before We Took the Philippines." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balangiga_massacre"


All this time I keep hearing Ma'am Diokno's voice in my mind saying: "Historians should be objective!" hahaha But I can't help it -- any Filipino couldn't help but feel outraged when confronted with this image. Oh well, there's always a way out -- if you feel you cannot be objective in your historical writing, either stop writing your essay and move on to more "neutral" topics OR continue with the essay but make it clear to the reader where you're coming from (i.e. state from the beginning your bias but don't twist the evidence to support your assumptions -- historical objectivity with a caveat 'ika nga)

Anyway, it is only here in my blog that i'll be "subjective" and "emotional". In my report I will be presenting both sides of this sordid affair and hopefully come up with a more "sober" conclusion in the class discussion. But still...

I already finished finalizing my notes for my report on thursday. The finale will be a presentation of the photo above. (I can just imagine my classmates' reactions to this...) Wish me luck...

Stand Alone 1.25

Damn you Americans! I Hate You!

Sorry...I just had to get it out of my system. Been reading too many books about the Philippine-American War. Basta...more details to follow kay I still have to polish my report on the Phil-Am War. hehehe

Stand Alone 1.24

Library Tour...Ilonggo ka gale?

this morning we met in our kas 199.2 class to take a tour of the facilities in the diliman main library. a short orientation regarding the library's online services was made prior to our tour of the library. i found the orientation very enlightening as we were introduced to the various online databases that were available for us researchers but unfortunately majority of us didn't have an idea about. the librarian was showing us the different search options of one particular database when she started to solicit keywords from us. one my classmates asked for "camilo osias" and "epifanio san juan", i manage to sneak (more like holler) my prospective topic...

"COMMUNISM IN THE PHILIPPINES!....please?" (may please pa na nga pahabol...hehe)

unfortunately for me, the database came up empty. the thought that i'd have to utilize the "old-fashioned" manual ukay-ukay of archival documents was increasingly becoming apparent to me. but at least i'm thankful that we were informed of the various databases available so the range of possible arenas for research has become wider because of information technology -- even if you're outside of UP you can still access the public access databases (may iban nga within UP system lang ma-access -- the library had to pay several thousand pesos, even millions to avail of the database services for us students...ika nga ni ma'am diokno "this is where your library fees go.")

after the orientation we had a short tour around the library, focusing on the archives and filipiniana special collections. I realized that the library has documents on negros somewhere in the filipiniana special collections, and one of my classmates is also an ilonggo...we went inside the UP rare books collection where we were given a short description of the collection and the challenges of preserving these rare -- and priceless -- documents. we didn't stay long inside the rare books room because our presence was adding unnecessary humidity inside the room, so off we went to the archives where we entered the room where document restoration is being done. sayang walang demonstration -- all we saw were stacks of boxes and files with names written on them. one of the names looked familiar: "diokno", and ma'am immediately pounced on his father's collection, rummaging through one box and showing us a drawing of jose w. diokno which she said she wanted to take home -- to which the librarian meekly protested, and ma'am said she knew she can't take them out...joke!

after the tour we went to the "beach house". it's not an actual beach house...and it's NOT ma'am diokno's beach house. it's a small cafeteria located behind the main library. i knew that such cafeteria/eatery was there but wasn't able to eat there yet. I heard their pork barbeque was delicious. Since my being an ilonggo was now out in the open (hehe as if it was a national secret to begin with), i decided to try their version of chicken inasal and let me tell you that it was GOOD....KANAMIT! hehe

the lunch at the beach house afforded us a chance to bond with each other. I made a new acquaintance during the tour -- a fellow masteral student who is also a teacher and we were chatting about work and studies and whatnot. Some of us who were lucky to sit next to ma'am had a chance to interact with her and get to know a "milder" side of maris diokno. hehe

while we were chatting with ma'am, my being ilonggo came up again. (that's because i suspect ma'am is an ilonggo also...possibly from her mother's side, not sure hehe)

ma'am asked: "so, ilonggo ka pala?"

me: "opo ma'am..."

Ma'am: "Ba't wala kang tono kung magsalita?"

it seems that ilonggos when speaking tagalog often have an accent...when ma'am pointed that out i suddenly realized, "do i speak tagalog THAT well?"

I suddenly got conscious and was only able to blurt out an incoherent response about me participating in speech contests in filipino...so i just ceased rambling, shut up and smiled meekly. Bigla ba naman akong nahiya hahahaha

Stand Alone 1.23

Hitting the Books...Hard!

did i forget to mention that this sem I enrolled in two history courses -- kas 111 and kas 199.2? Guess nyo kung sin-o prof ko da sa duwa ka course...


........................


TUMPAK! si Ma'am Diokno man gihapon mga abyan! parang walang kadala-dala si ditch. parang gusto ko pang magdusa dito sa UP. hehehehe

but even if i'm "suffering", i'm sure i'll get something out of my sessions with ma'am diokno. so far i can say that despite the workload, i have learned a lot from the courses i took under dok diokno. (hala, in praise of diokno...baka may additional points kung mabasa ni ma'am hahahaha)

but it seems that i've placed myself in a position of more suffering... In our kas 111 (colonial philippines 2) we are required to lead a class discussion in any chosen topic based on ma'am's course syllabus. In our kass 199.2 (historiography 2 - with thesis) we're required to do our survey of sources and literature because we have to pass our research proposal this december.

It so happened that magkasabay ang deadline ng dalawang requirements...my kas 111 discussion is scheduled within the week that i'll be passing my research proposal.

That's why i'm hitting the books...and hitting them HARD!

So far i'm concentrating on the kas 111 class discussion...so far, so good in terms of the number of books i've read. will start hitting the archives for kas 199.2 on wednesday...sige, kaya natin 'to!


Stand Alone 1.22

Friendship

Just received some photos through friendster from a friend and colleague.Made me think back to the good old days. I consider myself lucky that in such a short time I found two souls that were perfect complements to my quirkiness, deep-seated perversions, and of course -- intellectual brilliance. hahahaha

this one's an old photo taken during the JS Prom of 2007.


L to R: Alon, Myself, and Grace. I'm the luckiest guy that night. hehehehe


This is one of the photos taken during my visit at the High School last october.



Grace, Myself, and Alon. I still consider myself lucky...hehehe


Miss you guys...can't wait for December nga magkit-anay naman ta liwat.

Bored in UP (Part 2)

dali!...sugod na ang klase!...damu-damu ginapahimo si Ma'am Diokno...daliiiiiii!

hahaha...let's get this over with. Trust me, I'm no longer bored in UP...turns out last week's halcyon days were exactly that...the calm before the storm...(sounds something out of a movie trailer hehehe)

Upon breezing through the sliding doors of Trinoma... (I feel like a character in Star Trek whenever I go through those automated glass panels..."damage report, Number One!...shield status, Commander Data!...open hailing frequencies, Mr. Worf!") I immediately felt the urgent rumblings of my stomach.

I haven't had breakfast dahil late na po akong gumising, and I was looking for some variety in my meals so i took awhile for me to decide where to eat in Trinoma. And when I say variety, I don't mean something super-expensive from the various pricey restaurants in Trinoma. Believe me, if I didn't have the fortitude to resist temptation, I would've squandered a whole week's allowance in just one day...pero na-reform na po ako, I learned from my past mistakes na. Ever since I got here in Manila I have been partaking of greasy meals that don't have much nutritional value from the various cafeterias and stalls in UP. I wanted something hot, and with soup. and so I went to the one place which could meet my needs...Chowking. Last time when I got sick, their chicken noodle soup did wonders for me. I was hoping that their ancient Chinese recipe would counter the biting cold of the AC as well as banish the boredom and all other negative energy caused by the enrolment. This time I tried their beef noodles (not beef wanton as I mistakenly posted last time...apologies...) and as usual, the soup was hot and wonderful and their beef was a slice of heaven itself. *slurrrrrrp* aaaaaaaaaah!

my hunger was sated, but there is another hunger that i need to satisfy...since I got here in Manila I have been prowling around the bookstores in SM North, Trinoma and Megamall looking for a Spanish language dictionary. I've enrolled in an elementary Spanish course and I was thinking that having a Spanish-English dictionary would be an added tool to help me on my way to achieving a decent proficiency in the Castillian tongue. This one dictionary that I found at Powerbooks Trinoma captured my attention since it was a Spanish-English and English-Spanish dictionary and it was cheaper compared to the other titles i've seen. and it is of sufficient bulk to be of substantial use in the long-run...but still the price was of a range that had me second-guessing myself...should I? or maybe next time na lang?I feel like Hamlet...To buy or not to buy? that is the question... hehehe
So being of two minds and not making a definite decision...I made my way out of Trinoma and crossed over to its evil twin...SM North...

Now, since i was still feeling bored, I felt that a little recreation time would be sufficient to dispell the boredom. so I made my way to the internet/gaming cafes and had myself a round of Warcaft DOTA action. what turned into a narcissistic venture became an impromptu social moment as one boy approached me and asked, "me kalaro ho ba kayo?" to which I responded, "wala..." and so the boy said, "Online game tayo..."

Had he known that since the past hour i've been playing I haven't won a single game against the AI (in fairness, insane level ang Computer hehe) maybe he wouldn't have invited me. but I suspect that the boy, like me, was also bored (bored of studies and home maybe) and since he and his friends were lacking one player for a 2-on-2 game, he just had to invite me...beggars can't be choosers, can they?

when we started playing, i began to realize how far behind I was on all this new shortcuts and cheats in Warcraft DOTA. Ever since I've started playing DOTA, I never relied on the cheats to progress in the game. But to some of these kids, winning was everything and some resort to cheats just to beat the AI or their opponents.

But my gaming buddy didn't employ any cheat code that would give us an unfair advantage over the competition. we were playing on the side of the scourge and he just switched to a character from the Sentinel side--but we're still on the same side. (didn't know there was a cheat code for that)...

To tell you honestly I found our game exciting. it's different when you're up against a living, breathing, non-omniscient human being compared to an AI which has all the strategies stored in its virtual brain. But my opponents still had the edge -- they've been playing the game more frequently than I am and they know all the ins and outs of the game...and here I am still figuring out what the ingredients for a sange are...but still, I enjoyed playing...especially the moments where our heroes were going at it one-on-one and we're waiting who gets to die first (it's me of course, but i console myself with the fact that my hero could still inflict so much damage that after killing me, the enemy would usually scurry back to their base for healing). I would always punctuate every hero death I suffer with a laugh...and then wait out my hero's respawning...

In the end, this game among strangers ended on a rather pathetic note. My buddy got disconnected (possibly because his PC time was up, or maybe he'd just had enough of me) and so I was left handling two heroes. the enemy was getting stronger (ika nga ng computer...GOD-like!) my hero deaths were becoming more frequent, and the enemy now began to encroach on the borders of our base. The attendant in the internet cafe called my attention and asked if I wanted to extend my time but I declined. The remaining few minutes were spent going at the enemy kamikaze style. still more hero deaths...wala nang gold si ditch...the screen flickers and the desktop background appears, signaling the end of my session. I pick up my bag and leave without saying goodbye to my gaming buddies...

Postscript: Ditch finally decided to buy the Spanish-English dictionary...he still thinks that Chowking's beef is manna from heaven...and he regrets leaving without saying goodbye...

Stand Alone 1.21

Bored in UP (Part One)

this past week has been a bit of a bore for me. aside from the enrolment, nothing much has happened. in my previous blogs i have expressed my frustration than classes haven't started yet while at the same time dreading the oncoming workload. Now this saturday, I was feeling the BOREDOM.

during the first sem, I would usually find myself inside the library during saturdays catching up with readings, research and whatnot. Since I am still not officially enlisted in my classes and i am only half-way in the enrolment process (the enrolment process implemented, in my opinion, is very tedious and long-winded, i still have to wait until next week to have my official schedule validated because of some class that was not made available for us during the enlistment period last sem...basta, LONG STORY!), I still can't get inside the library to do research (or sleep, another fave thing to do inside the UP lib hehe)

the only thing that occupied my time during the enrolment was assisting my pregnant classmate ate angie with her enrolment. by the end of the first day of enrolment the line, "pinapahirapan talaga nila ang buntis." may have been repeated about 50 times both by me and ate angie. if i endured the boredom of an uneventful week, ate angie had it worse -- almost due, and hounded by various problems every step of her enrolment (i.e. wrong student number, misplaced OTR at the OUR, closed yung mga subjects that she wanted to enlist in, etc. etc.) TALAGANG PINAPAHIRAPAN NILA ANG BUNTIS.

so for this week i found myself shuttling to and fro different locations, seemingly lost in UP, SM North, Trinoma and Megamall. Even the movie I watched at SM (Balls of Fury) was boring...and the boredom was escalating...This Saturday I could really say that I was BORED OF UP. Katalaka!that's why i invited my cousin pebicentric for another movie/book swapping session: I'll be lending her my assorted books (catcher in the rye, jonathan livingston seagull, nat geo's ultimate guide to photography), VCDs (rocky horror picture show, election, ghost in the shell OVA 1), and DVD (the VERY pornographic Shortbus...O say, can you see by the dawn's early light...hehehe). Pebi, on the other hand, gave me her DVD collections featuring Monica Belluci -- especially my most anticipated IRREVERSIBLE (time for some skull-crushing folks!)and an assortment of films to whet my movie appetite.

We were to meet around noontime since she's having french lessons until 12 o'clock. since i couldn't enter the library, i found myself in one of the rooms at Palma Hall, reading Bonifacio Salamanca's The Filipino Reaction to American Rule: 1901-1913. I mentioned that I've read this book already. well i'm reading it again, but this time I'm taking the time to make notes on what I'm reading (amo ko ni ka-bored huhuhuhu)

when pebi and I met, we launched into a quick exchange of wares since she had an appointment with her dentist...in Cavite! at 2 PM! Unfortunately for her, I wasn't able to treat her to lunch. (gaplano pa naman ako...hehehe sige lang ah next time pebs ah) But the conversation that we had on the jeep going to the MRT station was, though quick, more meaningful than the usual jeepney banter: a short discussion on the merits of David Lynch's Mulholland Drive (I still believe that there was NO reality in the movie; both milieus were all in Naomi Watt's character's head, how else can you explain her suicide? basta ah...watch it folks and you'll have a migraine, guaranteed!); our discussion of the Benjo and Tonton youtube videos that Mon and Pebs stumbled upon (too bad they didn't find the one entitled "Benjo, Mahulam ko Kwarta" which I think was the funniest of the lot) anyway, I was happy that Pebs had an opportunity to get in touch with her "Ilonggo side" again. We then parted ways at Quezon Ave MRT station. Pebs got on the Taft-bound train, while I crossed over to the other side and boarded the North-bound MRT going to (drumroll please) TRINOMA! Malagaw naman si Ditch! another opportunity to expose myself to the arctic conditions in Manila's malls. is it me or did the malls become extra-cold when I came back to Manila? or has it something to do with the fact that I'm strolling Trinoma in my cargo pants and sandals? what are the symptoms of frostbite? hypothermia?.......

TO BE CONTINUED

Next Episode:

Beef Wanton Noodles, Should I Buy a Spanish Dictionary?, Warcraft DOTA...Bantayi mga Abyan!

Stand Alone 1.20

I Just Had To Post This...2nd edition

seems everywhere I look, I am confronted by images of my past. Gapahiwatig haw?
this time its my second year of employment at UNO-R...the ghost of employment past?





I believe this pic was taken SY 2005-2006. that was the year of my first (little did I know that it would also be the last )advisory class (First Year Section C - St. Thomas of Villanova, korek?) and my first full load in Social Studies (phil history for First Year and World History for Third Year C). I believe this was the second time I had the honor to pose for a pic as a member of the UNO-R HS faculty, amongst friends, colleagues, and mentors...prospects of studying in UP were just ethereal plans floating in the clouds of my imagination...

I Just Had To Post This

i was browsing around my friendster account when I happened to visit our grade school batch account and lo and behold! this image presented itself...



image my reaction upon seeing this...I couldn't stop laughing for five minutes hahahaha! mga walahuya, gabarakang gid itsura ko da hahahahaha...anyway, the picture of the honors list of the graduates of 1995 indeed brought back memories (some good, some bad hehehe) I was looking at myself and I was thinking "this boy has the makings of a nerd..."

What Hast Ditch Wrought?

wala lang...been on the web for a few hours...katalaka gle wala himuon no? a part of me yearns for classes to start, another dreads the workload that looms like a dark cloud on the horizon. huhuhuhu

ano ang ginahimo/ginhimo ni ditch subong?

1. gapamati BJORK the greatest hits...always good ang music niya for gloomy, "boring" nights

2. gahulat nga matapos download ang latest episode of Avatar: the Last Airbender. wohooooo!

3. once in a while i pore over Salamanca's book The Filipino Reaction to American Rule: 1901-1913. been reading it since monday...hahahaha nerd-nerd ba!

4. gaplano maglantaw DVD nga Inuyasha. Arf! Arf!

5. gapost sa iya blog hehe

6. ginlantaw ang blog ni pebi...nag-post message

7. kagina sang aga nagpa-advise kay prof llanes para macontinue iya enrolment. kagamo!

amo lang na anay sa subong nga akon nga ginbuhat na sinulatan. (baw! dalum nga hiligaynon bah...tsakto ini ayhan? hehehe)


Nagatindog nga Mag-isahanon Kapitulo Uno - Dies y Nueve (Stand Alone 1.19)

Makikigulo na rin...compilation album number one

was strolling around Megamall and I happened to wander into odyssey music store. One odd (and quite irritating) fad nowadays is the release of so-called compilation albums under the name of an actress which coincidentally is no singer (not counted and mga obligatory off-key renditions in noontime variety shows) like "Songs of Healing...(?)" and another album which I forgot the title "by" Kris Aquino and this new one I saw which featured Judy Ann Santos naman for heaven's sake. It seems wala nang matinong maisip ang mga record companies but to make these "so-called" compilations of mostly foreign songs then package them as something that had been "handpicked" by some celebrity whose life seemed to echo the themes of the songs featured in the album. Much worse is that they hire these "divas" and "singers" to make their own "rendition" of the song -- the end result is a horrible pastiche of shrieks and unmelodic vocal gymnastics that is an insult to the original song and artist. it's like recording all the bad production numbers of ASAP where "singers" engage in a vocal equivalent of a World War -- the end result is pretty much the same: utter desolation and suffering among all those assembled in the studio as well as the millions tuned in.

So I am hereby turning this fad one notch higher into the level of absurdity. Yes, ladies and gentlemen...sonofaditch officially throws his hat into this "compilation wars" by launching my own, albeit unofficial, unrecognized and unfinanced, "album-in-the-works" ay sori..."compilation-in-the-works-that-ostensibly-poses-as-my-solo-album-kuno" hehehehe

First we need a title...I think Kris was like "Songs of Love and Healing", in reference to the James Yap-Hope fiasco. I remember watching ASAP (kay wala na gid malantawan nga iban haha) where Kris was promoting her second "album", this time the theme was about her life. (with Kris Aquino, nothing is unpromotable and unsellable...I think that b*tch will sell her soul to Chunky Corned Beef or Goldilocks if they offered her the right price, hehehe) and her hubby was standing backstage looking like an "udong" as my mother described him. hahahaha pasintabi po sa mga fans ni Kris...i'm not done insulting her yet...

OK so what will be my title? I'm tempted to ape the classic rock albums like "The Wall", or "Joshua Tree" or "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness", or "Are you Experienced?"...so para wala away the title will be...

"Have you Experienced the Joshua Tree walled in by the Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness?" hahahahahahahaha

and now the album cover...the first thing that comes to mind is the promotional poster of the movie "tenacious D and the pick of destiny" where Jack Black poses a la Adam in the Sistine Chapel painting whilst reaching for a shining guitar pick...

For my album cover, instead of reclining on clouds, ill be stretched out on a Joshua Tree branch while the background's all blazing with psychedelic colors -- parang northern lights pero kita lahat ng colors of the spectrum. And instead of a guitar pick, i shall be reaching for the Holy Grail. Two imposing figures shall emerge from the clouds, on my left shall be the personification of evil most vile -- Kris Aquino with tentacles sprouting from her vagina and with acid frothing from her mouth (her real mouth mind you...) while on the right are the forces of good and light in the person of the original Smashing Pumpkins all garbed in shiny white polyester jumpsuits and wielding their respective instruments all made out of...automobile parts.

Then the title shall be superimposed on the uppermost part of the album cover. Font style is similar to that seen in the Incredibles movie. The title shall be in deep red...bwahahahahaha

now that the title and album cover's done...what songs will be featured inside "my" album (hehehehe)

let's see...my musical taste is a bit diverse so let's just make this compilation a halo-halo of sorts, doesn't have to make any sense since I apparently don't make any sense either hehe

the album shall feature twelve --no, fourteen ---NO...let's make it FIFTEEN tracks. a most eclectic collection of songs spanning various genres from several decades of the best in music ever created..

track one: "tell it like it is" by tracy Chapman
track two: "true faith" by new order
track three: "let's dance" by david bowie
track four: "young manhood" by the wild swans
track five: "satisfaction" duet performed by bjork and p.j. harvey
track six: "no woman, no cry" by bob marley
track seven: "troy" by sinead o'connor
track eight: "teardrop" by massive attack
track nine: "hyperballad" by bjork
track ten: "1979" by the smashing pumpkins
track eleven: "rape me" by nirvana
track twelve: "walking after you" by the foo fighters
track thirteen" "seal my fate" by belly
track fourteen: "the great gig in the sky" by pink floyd
track fifteen: "it's the end of the world as we know it (and i feel fine)" by REM

BONUS TRACK (baw may bonus track pa nga nabal-an): "orinoco flow" by enya

SPECIAL LIMITED EDITION: all these songs will be sung by ME (yes, including the orgasmic cries in 'the great gig in the sky' kakayanin natin yan! haha!)

the idea, title and cover may stink but the songs listed here are top-notch. Kaya ba nina Kris at Judy Ann to?

so, watchutink huh? I need your support people of the philippines...let's show these people that there's more to life than theme songs and sappy renditions...express your support by posting a favorable comment on my comments box...pleease!

That Old Familiar Feeling Part 3...

long delay in blog updates + fuzzy memory = a less-than-ideal blog post (shorter and less descriptive than usual), my apologies....

That Old Familiar Feeling (3)

and so began the "catching-up phase" with my old colleagues, my friends. as usual busy man gihapon ang mga teachers sa UNO-R, though some are busier (and thus more stressed) than others. Sir Harrry was juggling roles between being the academic chair, the CLE teacher for the 3rd and 4th year, and his role in the preparations for the upcoming Living Rosary. Alon had been busy over the I-debate these past few weeks, she has about a TON of folders from her research class that are still to be marked, and her Starlight hasn't been released yet. Grace has been stressed since day one of being the Discipline Officer, aside from her responsibility as chem teacher for the third year. and since the deadline for the 40% grades were looming over everybody's heads that time, everyody in the faculty room were busier than usual. (the usual situation in the faculty room: busy - all other situations are variations of the usual situation)

but still, my presence there required Alon and Grace to drop everything and treat me to dinner. ako na subong ang gapalibre hehehe. the irony was not lost on them both, especially Alon -- who would often point out my state of er...destitution. so after taking care of their various responsibilities, preparations were made for a "group date" with me, Grace, Alon, and Cindy. The venue was Bigby's at SM. getting their required us four to stand for a few minutes in the rain -- finally squeezing ourselves into a small taxi which transported us to SM Bacolod.

Over bottomless iced tea (my staple drink at Bigby's) and the walang kamatayang Food Trip Platter, we reminisced, gossiped, commisserated, and mulled over the past, present and future. it was a welcome break not only for me, but for my hardworking friends who were just too happy to take a break from their routine and accomodate me in their schedules. hehehe

As the night wore on, we were rudely pulled out of our reverie and into the reality that some of those assembled still had classes early in the morning, and piles of requirements to fulfill, and a slew of deadlines to meet. while I, who had chosen to pull myself out of their world for the meantime, had to thank them for their generosity, wish them luck with their work, and wave goodbye to them as they went off to their homes.

Thanks guys, missed you all...

Stand Alone 1.18