Thursday, January 29, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
From the "Things That Make You Go Hmm" Department
"To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history."
- Barack Obama, President, United States
"First of all, our President is ahead of Obama and probably, I would think that if there's anything to be learned, it should be President Obama learning from President Arroyo."
- Eduardo Ermita, Executive Secretary, Banana Republic
- Barack Obama, President, United States
"First of all, our President is ahead of Obama and probably, I would think that if there's anything to be learned, it should be President Obama learning from President Arroyo."
- Eduardo Ermita, Executive Secretary, Banana Republic
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Ten Years Ago
On January 13, 1999 (CST), Michael Jordan's retirement news conference was broadcast to the world. On that day, the game's greatest player announced he was done (until 2001).
I still remember having lunch with friends, on that cold Chicago day 10 years ago, in a pub along State St. (I probably had fish and chips), and we were wondering what the man standing outside the window next to us was looking at. (We later figured out that the pub had its speakers outside on, and he was watching the press conference as well.)
I still remember having lunch with friends, on that cold Chicago day 10 years ago, in a pub along State St. (I probably had fish and chips), and we were wondering what the man standing outside the window next to us was looking at. (We later figured out that the pub had its speakers outside on, and he was watching the press conference as well.)
Saturday, January 10, 2009
It Never Ends
Yes. The Reunion Concert DVD will be released soon.
Yes. There will be a "Final Set."
Ligaya.
Yes. There will be a "Final Set."
Ligaya.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Happy Christmas
I met a man in Nigeria years ago,
an Ibo,
who said he had three hundred relatives
he knew by name.
His wife had just had a baby.
They were going to take it
on foot
to be welcomed and marveled at
by as many of those relatives
as they could find,
even though
there was a war going on.
Wouldn’t you love to have been
such a famous baby?
I wish I could wave a magic wand
this Christmas,
and give every desperately lonesome
and hungry and lost American
man, woman, or child
the love and comfort and support
of an extended family.
Just two people and a babe in the manger,
given a heartless Government,
is no survival scheme.
- Kurt Vonnegut, 2004
an Ibo,
who said he had three hundred relatives
he knew by name.
His wife had just had a baby.
They were going to take it
on foot
to be welcomed and marveled at
by as many of those relatives
as they could find,
even though
there was a war going on.
Wouldn’t you love to have been
such a famous baby?
I wish I could wave a magic wand
this Christmas,
and give every desperately lonesome
and hungry and lost American
man, woman, or child
the love and comfort and support
of an extended family.
Just two people and a babe in the manger,
given a heartless Government,
is no survival scheme.
- Kurt Vonnegut, 2004
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Customer Service
Me: May reservation ba kayo?
Genius on the phone (GOTP): Papunta ho saan?
Me: Sa Olongapo.
GOTP: Wala ho.
Me: Sa Zambales?
GOTP: Wala din ho.
Me: Maski yung last trip? Yung 11 ng gabi?
GOTP: Meron po.
(Trips to Zambales, just in case you don't have a Philippine road map on hand, go through Olongapo.)
Genius on the phone (GOTP): Papunta ho saan?
Me: Sa Olongapo.
GOTP: Wala ho.
Me: Sa Zambales?
GOTP: Wala din ho.
Me: Maski yung last trip? Yung 11 ng gabi?
GOTP: Meron po.
(Trips to Zambales, just in case you don't have a Philippine road map on hand, go through Olongapo.)
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Cooling-Off
I have absolutely nothing to do tonight.
Or, tomorrow night and every single night for the next two weeks, for that matter. There is absolutely nothing that I have to photocopy, highlight, read and/or, God forbid, memorize. There will be no opportunities for other people to inflict moral damages upon my person, and aside from lining up behind total morons in the ATM, there will be no opportunity for me to wish harm to befall, presumably, a fellow human being.
This is probably how drug-induced altered states of consciousness feel like. I know this will not last, but at least, I will be celebrating the holidays on a high - drug-induced or otherwise.
Or, tomorrow night and every single night for the next two weeks, for that matter. There is absolutely nothing that I have to photocopy, highlight, read and/or, God forbid, memorize. There will be no opportunities for other people to inflict moral damages upon my person, and aside from lining up behind total morons in the ATM, there will be no opportunity for me to wish harm to befall, presumably, a fellow human being.
This is probably how drug-induced altered states of consciousness feel like. I know this will not last, but at least, I will be celebrating the holidays on a high - drug-induced or otherwise.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Rehab
"There's not a day goes by I don't feel regret. Not because I'm in here, or because you think I should. I look back on the way I was then: a young, stupid kid who committed that terrible crime. I want to talk to him. I want to try and talk some sense to him, tell him the way things are. But I can't. That kid's long gone and this old man is all that's left. I got to live with that. Rehabilitated? It's just a bullshit word. So you go on and stamp your form, sonny, and stop wasting my time. Because to tell you the truth, I don't give a shit."
- Red, The Shawshank Redemption
- Red, The Shawshank Redemption
Thursday, December 04, 2008
More Deep Thoughts
I finally qualified for a Nike Park VIP card. Yay.
* * *
I can't wait for my authentic Ryan Buenafe Ateneo jersey. Hopefully, I'd get my hands on it before Christmas.
* * *
Jover had me hooked on fantasy basketball. As of this writing, my team is tied for 6th in a fifteen-team league.
* * *
I took the long route home last Tuesday: I walked from the office to the train station at Ayala, took the train all the way to North Ave. (after missing 2 text messages, 3 calls and 1 crazy woman pounding the train before the train left Cubao), crossed over to the other side of the platform, took the train back to Guadalupe, and after futilely waiting for an FX ride, took a cab home.
Home, which ordinarily, is 1 jeepney and 1 tricycle ride away from the office.
* * *
For a game show host, Richard Gomez makes a very good pervert. I don't know, is it just me, or does he really just naturally appear as if he's molesting every female contestant on the show?
* * *
Speaking of TV shows, Zita was voted off the island and she's mad. Note to Zita: it's a game. Anyone can be voted off. When the Good Lord said "Blessed are the poor," He doesn't mean that the poor are entitled to win every single TV game show on the planet. But, I know you'll get over it. Hopefully, soon.
* * *
I can't wait for my authentic Ryan Buenafe Ateneo jersey. Hopefully, I'd get my hands on it before Christmas.
* * *
Jover had me hooked on fantasy basketball. As of this writing, my team is tied for 6th in a fifteen-team league.
* * *
I took the long route home last Tuesday: I walked from the office to the train station at Ayala, took the train all the way to North Ave. (after missing 2 text messages, 3 calls and 1 crazy woman pounding the train before the train left Cubao), crossed over to the other side of the platform, took the train back to Guadalupe, and after futilely waiting for an FX ride, took a cab home.
Home, which ordinarily, is 1 jeepney and 1 tricycle ride away from the office.
* * *
For a game show host, Richard Gomez makes a very good pervert. I don't know, is it just me, or does he really just naturally appear as if he's molesting every female contestant on the show?
* * *
Speaking of TV shows, Zita was voted off the island and she's mad. Note to Zita: it's a game. Anyone can be voted off. When the Good Lord said "Blessed are the poor," He doesn't mean that the poor are entitled to win every single TV game show on the planet. But, I know you'll get over it. Hopefully, soon.
Friday, November 07, 2008
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Sour Grapes
"The best-laid plans of mice and men / Go oft awry"
- Robert Burns, To A Mouse, on Turning Her Up in Her Nest, With The Plough
Apparently, the CRS is to the College of Law, as speed limits and pants are to Homer Simpson: a suggestion.
Here is what I propose: the college should just do away with the CRS and simply hand out pre-filled Form 5s to students, who can then proceed either to Palma Hall or to the OUR and pay the assessed fees immediately. It will not only save everybody the time and effort needed to craft a class schedule, pre-enlist, fill out a Form 5 which, at the end of the day, are all pointless anyway; it will also save much-needed bandwidth because people no longer need to access CRS. This would also do away with validation, checking and assessment. Imagine how easy registration would be.
They can leave the electives to the students. They just need to make sure that electives with the right number of units, which are not in conflict with any of the predetermined courses (and sections), are actually available for the student to take.
Just a thought.
- Robert Burns, To A Mouse, on Turning Her Up in Her Nest, With The Plough
Apparently, the CRS is to the College of Law, as speed limits and pants are to Homer Simpson: a suggestion.
Here is what I propose: the college should just do away with the CRS and simply hand out pre-filled Form 5s to students, who can then proceed either to Palma Hall or to the OUR and pay the assessed fees immediately. It will not only save everybody the time and effort needed to craft a class schedule, pre-enlist, fill out a Form 5 which, at the end of the day, are all pointless anyway; it will also save much-needed bandwidth because people no longer need to access CRS. This would also do away with validation, checking and assessment. Imagine how easy registration would be.
They can leave the electives to the students. They just need to make sure that electives with the right number of units, which are not in conflict with any of the predetermined courses (and sections), are actually available for the student to take.
Just a thought.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Monday, November 03, 2008
Reliving the Moments
"When the kids had killed the man I had to break up the band."
- David Bowie, Ziggy Stardust
My wishlist for my first office Kris Kringle contained a solitary item: the Eraserheads' Cutterpillow album (I think I just dated myself). I was fresh off college, it was my first job and I was so cheap (some will say that I still am) that I was willing to wait until a few weeks before Christmas before finally getting my hands on my own copy of the album. That album, incidentally, went platinum the day after they launched it at the UP Sunken Garden.
A few years and a few more albums later (including one - Natin99 - which was brought to the US by a friend when I was there, signed by the members of the band), I now get to enjoy more luxuries in life, like not waiting until Christmas to get the Heads' latest - and most probably, really, last - album. The Reunion Concert is their first live album, containing all 15 songs performed by the band last August 30, before Ely's heart went into "overdrive." The best part about the album, of course, is that I am actually in it (yes, along with 30,000 other people counting down, and chanting "group hug").
I was planning to go to Music One before going to work earlier today, but let's just say that I got lucky. The press release said that the album was going to be released on November 3 - today. That is why I was pleasantly surprised to find Odyssey selling the album as early as last Saturday. The saleslady told me, matter-of-factly, that they were releasing it early ahead of everybody else. I don't know if that's alright, but, who am I to complain? I spent the entire weekend reliving the best concert I have been to in recent years. It never gets old.
- David Bowie, Ziggy Stardust
My wishlist for my first office Kris Kringle contained a solitary item: the Eraserheads' Cutterpillow album (I think I just dated myself). I was fresh off college, it was my first job and I was so cheap (some will say that I still am) that I was willing to wait until a few weeks before Christmas before finally getting my hands on my own copy of the album. That album, incidentally, went platinum the day after they launched it at the UP Sunken Garden.
A few years and a few more albums later (including one - Natin99 - which was brought to the US by a friend when I was there, signed by the members of the band), I now get to enjoy more luxuries in life, like not waiting until Christmas to get the Heads' latest - and most probably, really, last - album. The Reunion Concert is their first live album, containing all 15 songs performed by the band last August 30, before Ely's heart went into "overdrive." The best part about the album, of course, is that I am actually in it (yes, along with 30,000 other people counting down, and chanting "group hug").
I was planning to go to Music One before going to work earlier today, but let's just say that I got lucky. The press release said that the album was going to be released on November 3 - today. That is why I was pleasantly surprised to find Odyssey selling the album as early as last Saturday. The saleslady told me, matter-of-factly, that they were releasing it early ahead of everybody else. I don't know if that's alright, but, who am I to complain? I spent the entire weekend reliving the best concert I have been to in recent years. It never gets old.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Best Movie Lines Ever
Jeff Portnoy: Hey, Alpa, if you come over here and untie me, I will literally suck your dick, right now.
Alpa Chino: Man, what did I tell you? I love tha pussy!
Jeff Portnoy: I'll cradle the balls, stroke the shaft, work the pipes, and swallow the gravy.
- Tropic Thunder
Alpa Chino: Man, what did I tell you? I love tha pussy!
Jeff Portnoy: I'll cradle the balls, stroke the shaft, work the pipes, and swallow the gravy.
- Tropic Thunder
Monday, October 27, 2008
Bliss
"Enjoy what's left of your semestral break."
Including today, we have 11 days of reprieve before we all go back to Shawshank. I have already started reading Playing for Pizza last night - a book which I bought way back in June, in premature anticipation of this break. Later, Weng and I will try to catch Tropic Thunder at Glorietta (Power Plant and GB3 are now showing High School Musical 3 - no, I will not pay any money only to see that). It's been a quite a while since we've been inside a movie house - I think the last movie we saw was The Clone Wars.
(I also hoped to be more productive at work for the next two weeks. I think you have a pretty good idea on how that is going so far. Harhar.)
I also need to get a copy of SI's NBA Preview Issue, which should be out in Manila next week. Which means that I have to finish registration early in the morning sometime next week so that I can immediately visit the friendly neighborhood Bufini store. Speaking of registration, here's hoping that the people who actually run the college stop scrutinizing peoples' Form 5s too much, get the fuck out of the way, and just let people determine and drive their own fates. Really, I am confused as to why the fuck they even care.
Nego is coming up, and so is PrIL (which, incidentally rhymes with "kill"). We're also getting Admin and Tax 2, and if the gods smile down upon us, IPL without any conflicts in schedule, whatsoever. If things go as smoothly as we hope, there should be a better than even chance that we can watch more movies in the coming months.
Including today, we have 11 days of reprieve before we all go back to Shawshank. I have already started reading Playing for Pizza last night - a book which I bought way back in June, in premature anticipation of this break. Later, Weng and I will try to catch Tropic Thunder at Glorietta (Power Plant and GB3 are now showing High School Musical 3 - no, I will not pay any money only to see that). It's been a quite a while since we've been inside a movie house - I think the last movie we saw was The Clone Wars.
(I also hoped to be more productive at work for the next two weeks. I think you have a pretty good idea on how that is going so far. Harhar.)
I also need to get a copy of SI's NBA Preview Issue, which should be out in Manila next week. Which means that I have to finish registration early in the morning sometime next week so that I can immediately visit the friendly neighborhood Bufini store. Speaking of registration, here's hoping that the people who actually run the college stop scrutinizing peoples' Form 5s too much, get the fuck out of the way, and just let people determine and drive their own fates. Really, I am confused as to why the fuck they even care.
Nego is coming up, and so is PrIL (which, incidentally rhymes with "kill"). We're also getting Admin and Tax 2, and if the gods smile down upon us, IPL without any conflicts in schedule, whatsoever. If things go as smoothly as we hope, there should be a better than even chance that we can watch more movies in the coming months.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Song of the Moment
Hinihingal ka lang
May oras pang natitira
Kahit parang ang layo pa
Habol
Kung harangan ka man
Sumalakay man mga bantay
Lahat kami Maghihintay
Habol, habol!
Refrain:
Dehado kung dehado
Para sa'n pang mga galos mo
Kung titiklop ka lang
Titiklop ka lang
Matalo kung matalo
Huwag ka sanang magkakamaling
Sumuko na lang
Woah
Maagawan ka man
Lalung huwag kang papipiga
Kumpiyansa lang bawat bangga
Woah
Kumaripas ka na
Humanda ka na sa paglipad
Pakpak nati'y ilalantad
Woah
Repeat Refrain
Chorus:
Ang puso
Iaalay
Sa laban
Kapalit ay tagumpay
Ang puso
Iaalay
Sa laban
Kapalit ay tagumpay
Repeat Refrain
Ang puso
Ialay
Sa laban
Kapalit ay tagumpay
Chorus:
Ang puso
Iaalay
Sa laban, sa laban, sa laban, sa laban mo
Intrumental
Coda:
Ang puso
Iaalay
Sa laban
Kapalit ay tagumpay
(Repeat thrice)
- Puso, Sponge Cola
May oras pang natitira
Kahit parang ang layo pa
Habol
Kung harangan ka man
Sumalakay man mga bantay
Lahat kami Maghihintay
Habol, habol!
Refrain:
Dehado kung dehado
Para sa'n pang mga galos mo
Kung titiklop ka lang
Titiklop ka lang
Matalo kung matalo
Huwag ka sanang magkakamaling
Sumuko na lang
Woah
Maagawan ka man
Lalung huwag kang papipiga
Kumpiyansa lang bawat bangga
Woah
Kumaripas ka na
Humanda ka na sa paglipad
Pakpak nati'y ilalantad
Woah
Repeat Refrain
Chorus:
Ang puso
Iaalay
Sa laban
Kapalit ay tagumpay
Ang puso
Iaalay
Sa laban
Kapalit ay tagumpay
Repeat Refrain
Ang puso
Ialay
Sa laban
Kapalit ay tagumpay
Chorus:
Ang puso
Iaalay
Sa laban, sa laban, sa laban, sa laban mo
Intrumental
Coda:
Ang puso
Iaalay
Sa laban
Kapalit ay tagumpay
(Repeat thrice)
- Puso, Sponge Cola
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
One To Go
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
-Reinhold Niebuhr
We are finally done with Medjur, Puboff, Evidence and Locgov. Of course, when I say "done," I mean we have done everything on our part that is humanly possible (including taking leaves without pay from work, for instance) if only never to see the same faces (or the same cases) ever again. (Not to mention, that we also want to get out of Shawshank on time.)
Medjur is really done - "as sure as night follows day." There is no chance in hell anyone would flunk that course. Puboff and Locgov, assuming that the final grades will be computed in the manner the professors said they would last June, should be mathematically impossible to flunk given the previous numbers. (But, of course, stranger things have happened.) That leaves Evidence, which answers to the exam questions I still could not figure out, even after the exam (which was also the case last sem with Civpro, so please God, I am not exactly praying for a miracle, I just want the same results).
And then, there's Tax. I got myself a 119-page reviewer from some law school along Mendiola which I will use in trying to prepare for it. (In comparison, their reviewer for Evidence had 57 pages, Puboff and Locgov both less than 10, and yet all these subjects are worth 3 units. Go figure.) As was the case in the six previous semesters, it is most difficult to get yourself to prepare for the last exam. At this point, people are really drooling in anticipation of the semestral break. You truly, honestly just want to get it over and done with. (Note to friends: it is a good idea to take the Civpro or Evidence finals last - you want to take the other exams with hope still in your hearts.)
Wish us luck.
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
-Reinhold Niebuhr
We are finally done with Medjur, Puboff, Evidence and Locgov. Of course, when I say "done," I mean we have done everything on our part that is humanly possible (including taking leaves without pay from work, for instance) if only never to see the same faces (or the same cases) ever again. (Not to mention, that we also want to get out of Shawshank on time.)
Medjur is really done - "as sure as night follows day." There is no chance in hell anyone would flunk that course. Puboff and Locgov, assuming that the final grades will be computed in the manner the professors said they would last June, should be mathematically impossible to flunk given the previous numbers. (But, of course, stranger things have happened.) That leaves Evidence, which answers to the exam questions I still could not figure out, even after the exam (which was also the case last sem with Civpro, so please God, I am not exactly praying for a miracle, I just want the same results).
And then, there's Tax. I got myself a 119-page reviewer from some law school along Mendiola which I will use in trying to prepare for it. (In comparison, their reviewer for Evidence had 57 pages, Puboff and Locgov both less than 10, and yet all these subjects are worth 3 units. Go figure.) As was the case in the six previous semesters, it is most difficult to get yourself to prepare for the last exam. At this point, people are really drooling in anticipation of the semestral break. You truly, honestly just want to get it over and done with. (Note to friends: it is a good idea to take the Civpro or Evidence finals last - you want to take the other exams with hope still in your hearts.)
Wish us luck.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
So Close
So, after watching My Cousin Vinny just before the Great Ateneo Bonfire, cutting LocGov and missing Toyapi's spoken word performance, staying awake through Tax, watching two of the most depressing, suicide-inducing films I have ever seen in my life - one after the other, and surviving GR in Puboff, there is but one class left, and I somehow cannot get my lazy ass to prepare for it.
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