AKO SI TARUGOMAN

Happy New Year!

2006-01-03T17:36:00.000+08:00

Been a long time since I updated my original blog. Didn't even realize they changed lay-outs...

The upload limits there are becoming a hassle. Now I have to select photos for upload. Videos and music are still buggy, plus slow upload of photos are bogging me down. This is Friendster all over again.

Speaking of which, I've opend myself a Flickr account, so that I don't have to bother with the upload limits. Now all I need is a Google Video account and I'm all set. The music upload limits I can live with, the "no more videos forever!" sucks big time...

Like I mentioned earlier, Happy New Year to all, and being that it is a time to start thinking about change, I believe this will be a good time to start writing, posting updating again. Anytime is as good a time as any, but after that highly inspirational New Year's message I sent to some of my friends and colleagues, I think it's best I start following my own advice, and just going for it nonstop.

"Greetings! Since I am a firm believer in taking hold of the reins of your life and steering it to greatness, my only wish for you this New Year is to have the strength, courage and faith to move forward, make that first step and traverse the path none yet have taken. Happy New Year and remember--we are what we choose to be!"

In othe related New Years.. er.. News, I have jsut adopted a kitty cat!

Poor thing was abandoned and my friend had the good heart to care for him. Actually according to my friend, the kitten fell through a hole in the roof into an empty room, and was left there for at least two days before they discovered him. The poor kitty was malnourished almost to death where my friend nursed him back to health and immediately grew fond of the little thing.

She tried to bring the kitty back to her family but apparently, they now saw him as cat food, and began to claw, bite and mangle the poor thing. My guess is the kitten was away from his family for so long that its own brood could no longer recognize his sent. So she had no choice but to care for him further.

Eventually though, my friend's mother gave the kitten an ultimatum--find another home or be left for the wolves... er... cats. Desperate, my friend sent a plea to all her contacts in YM. Thankfully, I was on then, and have been on the lookout for a cat of my own for some time.

Thus was born the legacy of Pancakes the silver-striped kitty.

Here he is sleeping on my belly. =P

He is now a week older and is much friskier than when I first got him. He's already grown accustomed to his surroundings and hopefully, by a few more weeks, start to gain weight. When I first got Pancakes, he couldn't even walk or run straight; now he's leaping off the bed and jumping on my feet in play. He's eating more now, and I've weaned him off the milk since it gives him a funny stomach.

Oh, and he likes to sleep in my shoes.

That's a wad of fur in my shoe... and it's not my socks.

Work with MISTER Lea Salonga is IMELDIFIC!

2005-11-22T10:22:00.000+08:00

Music in my head: Nth Degree by Morningwood

Yesterday, we had a meeting with a unique new company that offers mobile messaging solutions. It was preceded by a meeting that took place last week, wherein one of the people involved was someone I had previously done business with (just a funny thing about this guy I’m referring to… he’s Scottish. And that alone makes him hard to understand sometimes… now add in the fact that he stutters every so often. I mean … WOW!)

Anyway, boring stuff aside, the person whom we ended up meeting with yesterday was no other than Ms. Lea Salonga’s now very happy hubby, Mr. Robert Chen.

It was a very entertaining, cool and fun meeting I might add (aside from being more informative with regards to our project), so much so that even the people outside who saw the demo were cheering Robert as he was making a slight fool of himself—not in the negative sense of course. It was all in the spirit of fun and innovation; after all the technology he showed us was quite astounding. And he was all cool about it, which was the most disarming thing about meeting someone who, until recently, regularly graced the lifestyle pages of your daily broadsheet.

On the other hand of the celebrity spectrum, as I was on my way home that evening (I had parked in the basement of our building again, because I always bring my entire PC to the office now) the elevator stopped at the ground floor to reveal a rather large woman with huge, seventies-inspired hair and a large Filipiniana-themed dress—complete with the big rader-like shoulders. None other than Madam ex-Presidente herself, Ms. Imeldific.

Her back was turned to me, but I didn’t need to see her face to see it was her. With a plethora of men in black surrounding her (not black suits mind you, but the local equivalent of a driver’s uniform in complete black) and her Imeldific hair and clothes, you had to live under a rock out in Babuyan Islands to not figure out it was her.

“Madam Marcos, Madam Marcos.” Someone from across the lobby had yelled.

One of her Bodyguards looked at me as the elevator was open, and asked, “Going up?”

And I was so tempted to reply, “If she rides in here, Madam Marcos is going down.”

I just “shook my head and walked away”, ‘ika nga ni pareng Ely. Chuckling to myself as the elevator proceeded its intended course, I couldn’t help but remember her theorems and principles in the Imelda documentary. And how Fr. Reuter himself made fun of being in the same room with Imelda. That was priceless. “There’s a little bit of Imelda in all of us.” Or something to that effect. Hehehe…

In sum, it was a day in the life of being a mini-celebrity. “Celebrity is as celebrity does”, croons the gloriously cheesy and glitzy celebrity wizard, Gilderoy Lockhart (in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets).

CD Review: t.A.T.u. - Dangerous and Moving

2005-11-20T04:15:00.000+08:00

(Originally posted at YEHEY! Entertainment)

When the Russian duet first released their angry, provocative hit singles years back, they created quite a stir with the entire “are they or aren’t they” mystique. Today with the release of their new album, they’ve proven that old tricks still get the boys (and girls) excited.

Their newest album, Dangerous and Moving, featuring the newly released hit single, “All About Us”, is reminiscent of their earlier hits, with almost the same melodic feel and arrangement. The only difference is most of the songs on the album are a lot slower, their themes have matured, even their latest music video—albeit still featuring the girls scantily clad and in provocative situations—is proof that their music is no longer drawn to the schoolgirl roots from whence they came, but from something much deeper and edgier.

The title track “All About Us“ moves to a much slower, purposeful beat, unlike its predecessors. Although the sound of their music has slowed, their rise to the top of the charts can be anything but. Already the single is taking control of the airwaves in Europe and staking claim as one of the stronger hits for the season. But like I stressed earlier most of their tunes are a lot slower now, like their next single release, “Friend or Foe” which, by looks of the music video for “All About Us”, is a follow up of sorts to the controversy that still surrounds their relationship to one another.

Some of the tracks though seem a tad shallow, especially in terms of arrangement and lyrics. An example would be the track, “Cosmos” which really is not one of their better tracks. But after listening to the album a couple more times, the haunting tunes of “Gomenasai” and “Craving” leave a more lasting impression than their faster counterparts in the album.

If you are expecting another dance-worthy 12-track album, you’re better off buying a remix of their first album. The music here is more personal and melodic. Slower, yes, but not in the least bit boring and unmoving. It takes a couple of listens to appreciate though, especially if you’re not a fan of the girls.

But hey, after seeing them prance around in their minis, I can forgive the pop flavor and give them another look/listen or two.

Christmas Gift Ideas

2005-11-18T17:52:00.000+08:00

Playing Christmas music in the office again. I highly recommend Adam Sandler's Hanukkah Song. Hehehehe...

Anyway, I'm making shirts in the near future. But in case you like some of the designs over at Deezteez, maybe we can have 'em made locally. Iba talga Pinoy eh.

This one is mine tho...

Hehehe... Can't you feel the Christmas in the air! And here I am broke as an old grandfather clock, as usual.

YEHEY! What’s new?

2005-11-18T08:33:00.000+08:00

Driving to the office today (after being sick for 2 days) I see Michael de Mesa walking his dog along the old Medical Center. It was a scruffy looking pup, too small to be a decent dog. But cute nonetheless. I just wish he didn’t wear those boxer shorts out in public to walk his dog. It was… kind of D.O.M.-ish… Now I fear what I shall become as I reach my forties.

Did I mention I was sick? Good time to stay home and play WoW… if only your damn internet connection stays alive long enough for you to enjoy it. PLDT DSL sucks donkey balls. They need to fix their service or—by the power bestowed upon me by the internet—I will let everyone know how much their service sucks. Oh wait I’m doing that right now.

Just finished a review for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I actually went to see it a full 4 days ahead of the regular showing! So, hooray me! But my review, like everything in my life, was quite late in coming. So boo! Now it looks like I wrote it after watching it yesterday or today. That movie was awesome, by the way. And so is my review! Make sure you read it…and watch out for the next batch of games we’ll be launching over at YEHEY! Entertainment.

Planning for the new direction of YEHEY.COM has been entirely exhausting. Challenging but exhausting. Frightening to some extent, but the anticipation of things to come is both exhilarating and terrifying. I’m heading a whole new department, which does not mean a big fat raise, but a better chance at doing what it is I do best… and that is, wasting time on the net!

Sometime in the near future, I won’t be using these blogs anymore. You’ll see. But don't mark my words please...

Am also doing a CD review right now. Listening to t.A.T.u.’s new album. It sucks. I was never a technopop fan, but this… this has got to be… some kind of torture.

Attached photo… my new workstation. The Maan collage was done by Maan. She’s as vain as me, I love it!