Julia All These Years

Julia Fordham's site also features various recordings in case you want to listen on-line.

A Dad Moment

I have a great dad. Here's one reason why I say so. During our formative years, he would usually have us 'endure' what he called a Music Appreciation Hour. Usually done on Sundays, he would put on various classical albums (LPs and not CDs mind you) at ear-numbing volumes.

The children-folk of course would express various levels of resistance. I was a kid, so naturally I would rather listen to Toto, Chicago, Kenny Loggins and Depeche Mode. I wasn't particular thrilled hearing 'Hopiang di mabili, may amag sa tabi-tabi' (if you're not familiar with this, I will sing it for you) during lazy afternoons. I made an exception for Minuet of course since I adored the movie Short Circuit (I'm not sure if this was it. It's that movie where the computer acquired personality). Incidentally, this movie also fueled my enduring affair with computers (20 years and going strong).

At some point, my dad even half-joked that he would have music piped into our rooms to make it pervasive. Given my relative innocence then, I actually half-belived it. It would have been like a musical Big Brother.

In any case, those days are mostly done with. But guess who borrows his dad's CDs all the time now?

And that is why, dear children, you have to be forced to endure stuff that are seemingly uncool to you. Someday you will be uncool too. ;-)

Ikasa mo 'tay

Self Promotion

Read the latest posts at Write Incentive

New Jazz Blood

Hey, I just discovered another new player. I really dig her dude! Visit her site and automatically hear her songs.

Artist: Renee Olstead
Song: A Love That Will Last

I want a little something more
Don't want the middle or the one before
I don't desire a complicated past
I want a love that will last

Say that you love
Say im the one
Don't kiss and hug me and then try to run
I don't do drama
My tears don't fall fast
I want a love that will last

(Chorus)
I don't want a just a memory
Gives me forever
Don't even think about saying good-bye
Cuz i want just one love to be enough
And remain in my heart till i die


So call me romantic
Oh i guess that must be so
Theres something more that you oughta know
I'll never leave you
So don't even ask
I want a love that will last

Forever
I want a love that will last
I want a love that will last

(Chorus)
I don't want a just a memory
Gives me forever
Don't even think about saying good-bye
Cuz i want just one love to be enough
And remain in my heart till i die

So theres little more that i need
I wanna share all the air you breathe
I'm not the kinda girl to complicate the past
I want a love that will last

Forever
I want a love the love that last
Always
I just want a love that will last
Want a love that will last

What else do I listen to?

Commercial Memory

Who was the Close Up model who cut her hair to the tune of Cool Change in a commercial which aired between 1985-1995? For the life of me, I can't remember.

Binayo

I always read the name Bayo with the stress on the second syllable to give it a sound of mischief. That, however, will not be my topic of discussion for today. I was in Shang earlier and I noticed that the store ads were attention-getting for two reasons: captivating models and very elegant shots and effects. Kudos to Bayo's ad agency, whichever it is.

What's the term for the overall effect of a shot? My top of mind is cinematography, but I think that's used for films. Sorry. I have zero vocabulary in technical photography.

Rule of Thumb

What is the rule of thumb to determine the maximum capacity of the MRT?

If wherever you place your hand, your thumb pokes at someone's ass, then you've reached maximum capacity.

Rule of Thumb 2

What is the rule of thumb to determine your sexual orientation?

If you can't help but smile because someone's thumb is poking your ass in the MRT, you're probably gay.

Rule of Thumb 3

How do you know you're being harassed?

When by Rule of Thumb 1 the MRT is not full, yet some thumb still keeps poking your ass.

Outside Reading

I read this blog today.

tou·ché

I've always wondered what this meant. I figured it was something between ok and good point. I wasn't so far off it would seem.

According to Dictionary.com, tou·ché means

Used to acknowledge a hit in fencing or a successful criticism or an effective point in argument.

Application:

Boss: That was the most irrelevant piece of shit of a presentation that I have ever had to endure.

You: (for lack of a valid argument) Touché!

Application 2:

Husband: I will come home at any time that I choose and you can't stop me.

Wife: Sure. Just know that there will be sex in this house at 7:00 PM whether or not you're here.

Husband: Touché!

Clarification:

Do not mix up tush, which is a slang for butt, and touch, which is self-explanatory, with touché.

For your exercise, please use the three words in a sentence. ;-)

Wit, Humor and Art

Check this site out. I recommend this one:

Museum of Depressionist Art

One Reason Why Badminton Will Never Be More Popular than Tennis

Coffee and the Planning Process

Here's a forwarded mail I got from my friend Erika who happens to be one of the best writers in my batch.

The Mayonnaise's Jar And Coffee

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the coffee... A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes." The professor then produce d two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand.

The students laughed. "Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.

The golf balls are the important things --- your God, your family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions --- things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else-the small stuff. "If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that a re critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal." Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled.

"I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

The mail of course hints of irony because we keep planning to have these coffee sessions that never materialize. Drawing

The Passing of an Era



I find myself in a familiar situation. Once again my phone approaches venerability. That would be fine in itself given my strong biases towards non-conformity, fiscal discipline (now a buzzword), and resource maximization.

However, since surveys show that 7/10 of my most recent calls have been cut due to battery failure, my phone sadly but bravely suggested that he be replaced. But such is life. Hard decisions have to be made every day. In this instance, my phone chose lonely retirement over mobile impotence. Either way, I salute you buddy.

The Choices

So here I am now left with a big decision: which model will replace my dear 3210. I chose the 3210 then because of its boxy look and of course the Composer feature. The next one, I would presume would be in the same mold.

I narrowed the selection into two models based on aesthetics: the Nokia 6230 and the Nokia 6610.



As you can see, both of them have that clean, squarish appeal.

The Nokia 6230 model features: Video recorder and player, Digital VGA camera, Active TFT color display, Bluetooth wireless technology, Streaming video and audio, Music player for MP3 and AAC files.

The Nokia 6610 model feautres : Tri-band world phone - works in three networks on five continents, Downloadable personal applications via Java™ technology, MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service), GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), HSCSD (High-Speed Circuit-Switched Data), WAP 1.2.1 Browser (via GRPS or CSD), Integrated FM radio, Handsfree speaker, Customizable and timed profiles, Polyphonic ringing tones, Wallpaper: Full-screen color image Screen saver: Digital clock, Clock, alarm clock, Calculator, currency converter, Stopwatch, countdown timer, Connectivity options: IR and cable.

Selection Criteria

I can appreciate a good-looking phone. In this regard, I find that the 6610 tops this category. All other phones seem to be too design-heavy. Call me old fashioned, but I want it to look like a phone and neither like a stun gun nor a rubix cube.

I don't really care for the whole smorgasbord of features like MMS, GPRS, Bluetooth or even WAP. Anything with good sound management features like a recorder or an mp3 player will do. The camera and video functions are welcome, but I suspect these will fuel my already strong voyeuristic tendencies. Hello womens' locker room! ;-)

From what I gather, however, neither phone has a storage device functionality. Too bad, I've been meaning to get one of those external drives.

Hold on, I'm gonna find out how much these models retail here in Manila...abangan

Here's to the jazz artist with the fastest selling jazz album in UK jazz history. Man I dig his sounds.


A Time For Love
by Jamie Cullum

Album : Pointless Nostalgic


A time for summer skies
For hummingbirds and butterflies
For tender words that harmonize with love

A time for climbing hills
For leaning out of windowsills
Admiring daffodils above

A time for holding hands together
A time for rainbow coloured weather
A time of make believe that we've been dreaming of

As time goes drifting by
The willow bends and so do I
But all my friends whatever skies above
I know a time for spring
A time for fall
But best of all
A time for love

A time for holding hands together
A time for rainbow coloured weather
A time of make believe that we've been dreaming of

As time goes drifting by
The willow bends and so do I
But all my friends whatever skies above
I know a time for spring
A time for fall
But best of all
A time for love

Compartmentalized Needs, Friendship and the Dream Team

A lot has been written down about the recent failure of the collection of NBA stars to grab the gold in Athens. I have noticed, however, that none of these writeups pointed the finger on the players or the coaching staff. Indeed they have tried their best given the limited time and resources to prepare.

The problem came down to selection, the critics argued, because the players were all stars. While they were not luminaries in the mold of the original Dream Team which had Jordan, Barkley, and Magic, they were nonetheless all main men in their respective teams. The lesson learned here is that a good set of individuals does not automatically translate to a good team.

Roles

Missing were the faces of role players that differed in what they gave to the team. The argument goes that a complement of talents can go farther than an overlap of talents.

Team Concept in Friendships

Let me now pluck that lesson and apply it in a socialization concept, wherein a team will be loosely compared to a balance life, while team members will represent a type of friend. I believe we all have these types of friends. Note that these types are non-exclusive. The point of writing this is just for fun so there's no sense trying to read too much into it. Enjoy!


Book Worm - This friend discusses authors and economics over rounds of coffee, while driving along the highway, or even while you sit in adjacent cubicles in the rest room. You like this friend because you pick up something new everytime you meet, from the etymology of Greek sounding words to practical means of avoiding taxes.

Athelete's Foot - Hello badminton! You share a strong competitive bond with this friend as you consistently try to outduel one another. You were probably drawn to one another by this competitive instinct. Of course, at some point you would realize that while you share grunts and groans with this friend, there is nothing intimate about it. You might find that you don't get along that well once you stop sweating.

Cultural Center - You suspect this friend vacations in Paris during each summer break because he never seems to run out of insights on galleries and musicians' biographies. He invites you to assorted Holes in the Wall, concerts and poetry reading sessions. He is probably a coffee or wine connoisseur and never (and I mean never!) speaks Text Language.

Flirt - Imbued with much wit, this friend provides a refreshing break from life's tension. There's probably nothing sexual about the relationship, but sexual undertones dot your conversations for the pure purpose of delivering good pick-up lines. The topics discussed nor the things you have in common do not have to be extensive. With this friend, what's more important is how you say it, and not what you say.

Beer Buddies - Man may have evoled and cultures may have progressed, but caveman instincts must always have a place in a man's life. Your core bond with this friend is that thong-wearing babe that just passed by or that square-necked lacy-bra-wearing waitress that just served your beer. You talk about sex, the prospect of sex, and the economic repercussions of sex.

Bank Secrecy - This friend has earned the highest trust level among all other types and could have originated from any of the others. Norms, morals and society's newest hip values are all thrown out the window. You talk to this person because whatever you may have done or are planning to do, you can trust this person to never tell and never judge. This friend has the right and probably the tendency to slap your stupid ideas silly.

Cowboy - You invite this friend when you don't want to worry about your companion. This friend has slept with you on floors, trekked with you on mountains and squeezed with you in buses. He doesn't care much about how you dress and you don't bother to impress him. He is, possibly, one of your most down-to-earth friends.

Kaladkarin - A close cousin of the Cowboy, you can conveniently drag this friend around at a minute's notice without hearing any complaints. You like this friend because you can play video games or watch a movie with him without much preparation.

Boatman - He brings the house down with his impressions and hefty supply of punch lines. He commands everyone's attention without trying and can somehow make a joke out of thin air. Magaling bumangka.

Fixated - Segue or not, this friend will force a discussion of her favorite subject or person. Crucial test: if this girl says "My boyfriend..." in the first five minutes and every five hence, you'll understand what I mean. Whether you're interested or not is irrelevant.

User Friendly - Generally undesirable, this friend seems to remember you whenever he's selling something or needs a ride or a loan. Get rid of him quick!

Gossip Queen - Get rid of her quick!

Complement - This friend is agreeable enough. You may not have impassioned similarities, but you do have co-attracting differences. He needs you for loosening up; you need him to help you organize. He needs you to calm his nerves; you need him to fire yours up.

Weather - Sometimes you're just bored of being alone. None of your other friends are present. Well you can always discuss trite subjects such as what do you do and who's your girlfriend. Well, we all have to pass the time sometimes.

Pig Pen - His role model is Little Johnny and Boy Bastos. He's played with every body part, made mention of every excretion and tried every gross act there is.

Well that's my quick list. I'll add some more if I remember any other type.

Hard Drive Back-up

I have a bit of a computer situation.

My hard disk keeps whirring like a nagging wife. I suspect the condition will not persist because the drive will probably crash soon.

My problem is not about backing up my drive's contents although I have to deal with that too. Instead, I need make an exact replica of my drive because I need all the applications to work. I think it's too tedious to reinstall all these programs. In fact I don't even have the installers for some.

Just imagine if I can't back up my Outlook Express. I would have to reset all my mail filters. Oh man.

Suggestions please!

List your Filipino-oriented Site @ Philippine Sites



To see my list of search engines and directories, click here

Unfortunately, Blogger does not provide the facility for creating internal sections yet. So I just had to innovate.

SUGGESTED TITLES OF PINOY PORN MOVIES

(This is old but it deserves one more round of public dissemination)

sarap, ligaya at iba pa
hiyas ni kulas
anuhan
Umaga Na Nang Hinugot
Ang Sarap Mo Nene (Huwag po Lolo)
Dinuguang Tahong
Jingle Lang Ang Pahinga
budburan mo ng suka ang uhaw na lumpia
virgin pa si kuya
halinghing sa likod ng saging
Inday! Wala Senyorita Mo!
Dinilaan Hanggang Naubos
Kulang sa Haplos
Mahapdi (pero kaya ko pa)
Sayang ang Sabik
Gatas ni Lucas
Dapa at Dura
Dakilang Sawa
Iyo ang talong, Akin ang patola
lumabas na gatas
tirahan ng tirahan hanggang kamatayan
lamas sa ibaba at itaas
zipper mo bukas
pa dila
pasubo ng hotdog
lamas sa melon
ng gabing maubos ang katas
kabig ng dibdib, subo ng bibig
lulon lola (wag itapon)
mahirap abutin, pero kayang tiisin
sipsip ni nene, sarap ni rene
batihin si lolo, happy birthda! y!
jaclyn mo, jaclyn ko jaclyn si jack
Laplapin Mo Beybe!
Biyakin Mo ang Kastanyas ko
Uyy Santa... BigBoy ka Pala!
Ako'y Magbabaging, Sa mahaba Mong Saging
Kikiam, Yum Yum!
Katakam-takam si Ma'am

Clutch and Power: Confessions of My Car

For the past few months, I've noticed a slippage in my car's performance. In some instances when I floored the gas pedal, the power was not transmitted. Instead, I just felt the increasing RPM in much the same way when you rev up while in neutral gear.

I suspected it was a clutch problem. It turned out it was. It was an almost P7,000-problem at that. I had my pressure plate, clutch disc, release bearing and flywheel replaced. Oh well. At least I had a good after-service experience.

My clutch feels great now.

Throughout this whole episode, I just had a vague understanding of the concept of power and clutches. Characteristically, I did a little reading. There's this informative site called howstuffworks.com which is some sort of Internet heaven for curious minds.

Apparently, the clutch transmits power from the engine to the wheels. With friction, the clutch and the flywheel are locked together causing them to spin in sync. Now, once the friction material wears out, the two discs fail to spin in sync resulting in a loss of transmitted power. In reflection, my car's friction situation must have slipped so badly that my car had difficulty rolling over a hump.

If you're the type of driver who rides the clutch or drives a car with your foot constantly on the clutch pedal, you will likely experience clutch slippage sooner than later.

Sidelights

I can't seem to figure if the phrase "come through in the clutch" is in any way related to the automobile definition. Hmmm...

A while back, I had a few posts relating to the supposed sale of my car. It obviously didn't push through owing to an overwhelming dose of sentimentality that swept over me.

Things to research: clutch, manual transmission, stick shift, straight drive, clutch pedal, clutch plate, pressure plate, clutch disk, clutch disc, bell housing, clutch housing, throw-out bearing, flywheel, compressor clutch, viscous clutch

My Newest CD

I was in Circle C a couple of days ago. I was browsing for new computer games when I saw this pirated chill compilation CD jutting out in front. Well I've been meaning to get one of those since my most regular dose of chill out is Joey's License to Chill and that only happens when I go home at 9:00 PM (I think) on Wednesdays.

And so I was thinking, "Hey I listen to this stuff. I should know where it came from." Would you believe it? It's harder to find than one would think. I just know that Chill Out is like jazz and new age blended with downtempo techno beat. Who would have guessed that when I acquired the ear for techno (this story I have to tell sometime), it would open the floodgates of appreciation for electronica? For us Manila people, Chill Out may now be most accurately described as "that Greenbelt music", which is good for Greenbelt because it has finally settled on an identity.

Of course I never got to talk about my CD. Well I dig it, but there's not much to say.

Ambient Origins

From what I've read, Chill Out music is after hours music. After clubbing until the wee hours of the morning, Chill Out is supposed to serve as transition for partying to dreaming (use of E is optional). I guess that's no longer the case since Chill Out has entered the mainstream and is now the main event music.

Sidelight

Everytime I buy pirated CDs, there's this voice in my head saying that I'm supporting smugglers, drug lords and similar scum. Let us, however, assume for the sake of discussion that these are merely enterprising businessmen. Pirated CDs do help get the word out about various musical pieces. It also forces record companies to be on their toes because their business may be turned inside out just like that. Software piracy likewise has its benefits. Imagine our Windows and Office literacy had it not been for fakes. I have no figures to back it up, but I would think that PC penetration would be much lower. Heck, government agencies use fake copies.

Laissez Faire Avenue

 

Visayas Avenue is a semi-commercial strip located connecting QC Circle to Tandang Sora.  In my experience, you can avoid traffic here 3/5 times even during peak hours.  When I do get stuck, my insticts tell me that there's a good reason.

 

May pulis.

 

Now don't get me wrong.  I have nothing against traffic policemen when they're actually conducting traffic.  It's a different case when they start their extortion proceedings for the purpose of replenishing their meryenda fund.  It's just seems that traffic flows smoother when drivers are left to their own devices.

 

I would guess that this is a scaled down version of Adam Smith's Laissez Faire which theorizes that minimal government intervention is best for the economy.  There is just no substitute for collective intelligence and logic.  Less government control maybe the more intelligent solution.  It may also minimize corruption. 

 

This may yet be the starting point of my next post.

 

Abangan...

 

Leadership by Example

 

Today's editorial in PDI states that GMA brought her extended family to China during her recent state visit.  If you call for sacrifices, it has to start with you.  Apparently, GMA does not appreciate the point. 

 

Now I have no great insight to add to the editorial.  I just think the message is worth repeating.

Love Letter

Winner ka Jojo at nahanap mo to! I just have to publish this is my own blog din. By the way folks, welcome to Jojo and Emi, ang mga bloggers during working hours.


The following is a letter found at a certain bar in
Manila and has been preserved in its original,unedited form. Enjoy reading and you may try direct translation in Tagalog. Pls read with feelings...

October 1996

To Marjie,
I am not surprise or wander why Dennis leave you.
Why? What reason you can think about but you're
very fat body. I thought before that Dennis only
use me to his toy but sooner and later I'm realize
that he really can't not beared or stomached to be
with you anymore because at first, Dennis say he
could not stand you're habit of making pakialam all his
walks [lakad] and always calling to their house what he
go home or this or that. And then he say he get ashame
to met iether in school or in his family and then asking
you to exercise you're very very, very fat body. But you
hate it. Thoughth your the most preetiest girls he
knows about. What do you think you are "Beautiful Girl"
of Jose Marie Chan?
Even you are beautiful face (to your think) you do
not have the right to called me whatsoever or else
different name one time or the other for the real
purposed to insults my personality because I'm
never call you names iether in the front of Dennis
or in the backs of Dennis, but if you start already
to calling me different name, I don't have any
other choice but to call you other different name
to. Like you are a PIG, FAT, OBESSED,
OVERWIGHT, AND UGLY SHAPE girl. Shame
to you're body that is to a BUDING. You can't not
blame Dennis for exchanging you to me because
I am the more sexier than you when you look to
us in the mirror. I'mrepeat a gain that you are like
Ike Lozada when she is a girl.

Love,
The Sexiest Girl of D.M.
P.S. You say that I'm the bad breathe but who is
Dennis want to kissed. Me or you? You or me? And
the final is me. There you go.

RSS is Really Simple?

If RSS is really simple, how come I can't figure out how to use it? Blogger doesn't seem to support it. I don't know any blog providers that do. Hmmm...

Crisis?

Here's proof the GMA's Fiscal Crisis is just a political creation in order to lessen opposition on new tax measures

Arroyo's economic team swiftly rejected a fiscal state-of-emergency declaration - indeed within hours top finance and central officials were flatly contradicting the president, saying the Philippines wasn't in a "fiscal crisis" as this would mean impending default.

http://sg.biz.yahoo.com/040901/15/3mu98.html

Two Weeks Notice

 

Did you know that Norah Jones made a cameo in Hugh Grant's Two Weeks Notice?  She sang Nearness of You in the benefit party.

Celestine Moment

 

A couple of weeks ago, Rena asked me to fax an MBA document.  While in the process of faxing,  I happened to glance at the bookshelf in front of me.  I rediscovered The Celestine Prophecy.  I read this book back in 1997 and found it totally amazing.  It was perhaps a meaningful coincidence that I saw it.  And so I read it again.

 

Since that time, I've observed a number of amusing coincidences, such as the times when several friends started blogging and asked me similar questions at around the same times.

 

As you may also have seen, my past entry regarding Ricco Renzo reminded me of my particular affinity towards Impressionism.  I also chanced upon a radio ad of Sacrilege, which I believe is a play about women in the priesthood.

 

I was in Podium the other day.  As I walked into the bookstore, I remembered that I wanted to buy Bill Clinton's My Life.  As it developed, however, I made an impulse purchase.  I bought The Da Vinci Code just because.  

 

I found the book very engaging.  I read it from cover to cover in a span of three days (which is fast for me).  The amazing thing though is that it made references to Impressionism and the role of women in the church.    How's that for a coincidental week?