E-heads Forever

I'm getting older and older everyday. I remember my dad telling me that when the time comes an album of the greatest hits of your band or singer comes out in record stands, you're getting old. Except for The Corrs with "The Best of The Corrs", of course, (because they're not disbanded yet, yet they already have a "the best..." album... what's up with that?!) the double-CD tribute to the Eraserheads, entitled "Eraserheads Anthology" is the latest "Greatest Hits" album I had in years.

I just bought it hours ago when I went to SM West to inquire for a crash course in Macromedia Flash MX in Informatics. I passed by Oddyssey and tadah! There it was, a whole CD rack filled with the new Eheads album, adorned by Arnold Arre's art for the album. Seeing that poster caused both nostalgia and excitement for me. Excitement, because included in the CD is a new song entitled "Sa Tollgate" which wasn't released yet ever. Nostalgia and sadness because I miss that era that gave birth to this band. I miss wearing my Doc Martens. I miss U.P. I miss my PE classes. I miss hanging out in CASAA and the Sunken Garden. I miss the fishballs and squidballs- they never tasted better outside the campus. I miss the innocence and the 90's. I miss bar-hopping in Katipunan. My goodness! The Eheads is a time machine! All of these memories came marching in my mind the moment I saw this poster by Arnold Arre. The art is truly wonderful.

Even if the Eraserheads has been long gone, I still consider them the best Filipino alternative band ever. I still consider "With A Smile" as the best pop song ever written. I still consider them as the best trend setter of all times, and I still love Ely Buendia, even though he got his name changed for another band...

Hey! I don't care whether I already have all the albums of the Eheads, except "Banana Type" which I missed buying, I don't remember why. Guys, if you're a real Eraserheads fan, you gotta have this album, really!

tornado

It's always been a thrill for me to see Mother nature in fast-forward mode. Yup. This is what this movie is about: Mother nature in fast-forward mode. Things that should have happened millions of years from now happens instantly. And we see people running around screaming, the US President in panic, and a family split apart by daily chores suddenly coming together in the middle of mayhem. Touching.

I love that part where LA's struck by multiple tornadoes. Grabe! Seeing those scenes made me recall that time way back when I was just a kid. You know, there's a place in Bulacan where tornodoes occur once or twice a year. I remember, that was the day after my mom's birthday, it got really dark outside. I went out to see why there are lots of kwitis exploding up there. And then somewhere in the southern sky I saw clouds moving in circles, forming a big funnel til it somehow hit the horizon.

It was all so surreal to me, seeing that big white funnel dancing slowly in front of the dark clouds. Then, someone noticed there was another tornado on the sothe-eastern sky... a dark brown one, carrying lots of debris from the ground. It turned out that the first white tornado hit one of the fishponds in a nearby baranggay, and the other one hit the ground, destroying two or more houses on its path. I heard that it rained bangus in another nearby baranggay a few minutes after the twin-tonadoes disappeared. I also remember hearing someone saying the day after that there was a survivor who claimed he was just watching TV when suddenly, he was thrown away from his house with his windows and roof to a nearby fishpond. He's lucky to be alive, with a short-lived experience being superman, that is.

We were on safer grounds, being 5-10 kilometers away from the tragic scene. Also, it's a local belief that if people on land light some kwitis (airborne firecrackers), the sound of the mid-air explosion would "destroy" a tornado. The twins lasted for 30 minutes tops. Then the white tornado was cut to half, then the other half went up back to the clouds. Then, that was it... leaving us all who witnessed it with dropped jaws, shocked by what we've all seen.

The movie was all too fantastic in the beginning, with the special effects so real, it made me go back to the old days. New York drowned by walls of water and ice took my breath away instantly. However, the story went to a full drag as it nears the end- an impossible mission of a desperate father who'd face the odds, even nature's odds, to save his son... somehow, it feels I've heard or seen this one before.

Overall, I give this movie a B+.

Lesson I got from the movie: Be sure that you're in a library when ice age comes. Another lesson? Books can be a great source of heat. I can go on with this "lesson in the movie" joke forever, you know...

If you're planning to watch it in WalterMart (Plaridel, Bulacan),... DON'T. The movie was continuously disrupted by power failures, therefore disrupting also the suspense within the story. It happened to me not only once, take note. When I watched TROY a week ago, the moviegoers of WalterMart Plaridel encountered the same problem. I bet this thing happens everyday. The moviehouse service just simply sucked.

first comicstrip

Elmo opened a joint DeviantArt account, featuring all the digital artwork we've made over the past few years. He came up with the idea when he found out our hard disks are already almost filled up due to the numerous jpegs we have stored in em.

You may visit our new Deviantart site by clicking this link.

First stuff you'll see in there is the first YODACOMICS featuring... yup! Me! Thanks, Elmo, for the wonderful comic strip. You got a perfect impression of one of those things that happened during our short stay in Greenhills... truly, walang kupas ang kamay mo sa pagguhit, eh?! ;-P I can't wait for the next comic strip, as promised.

More art and pics will be downloaded in the DeviantArt page soon, so watch out for it. In the meantime, I'll probably be devoting much of my weekend time reconfiguring my laptop. Delete here... delete there.

dissecting a brain

Hear ye! Hear ye! The greatest show on earth is not in Russia, nor in China, nor in the US. It's here! It's in the Philippines. No need to go anywhere, folks. You've got your circus right in the comfort of your own living room. Yes! In your own humble abode... thanks to the technology that is... TV!

The Filipino has no eye for the evident. They see all the clues hanging around battered society, and it seems their talent of ignoring problems of obvious causes to nonexistence. Unfortunately, we seem to exhibit and to be masters of the art of producing false beliefs. Tsismis. And it seems tsismis has more appeal to the Filipino than the truth. For us, truth is boring.

Examples? We don't need to look afar for obvious clues. The recent election itself is a living and reliving proof of the ignored obvious. Every year, countless cases of dagdag-bawas and other innumerable sorts of cheating, as well as abuse of power to influence illegal alteration in the process come out during and after the electoral procedure come out. Has any of them up there in the pedestals of high power punished for the crimes they allegedly have committed? No. Why? Because we choose to ignore. Because we easily forget. We rather dismiss effortlessly than take the difficult task of uncovering the truth- a wearying task for an allegedly lazy people.

We like truth, or its somewhat pirated versions, served instantly because our society has defined "instant" as "good." But we all know that aside from that truth that truth hurts, truth also is a priceless jewel which is very hard to locate. Also, truth comes in two flavors: good and bad. Good news isn't that popular to the Filipino society for now, for we have a surplus of bad news to savor. It seems the former tastes better than the latter in the case of the Filipino, for we oftentimes ignore good news for more flavorful spicy controversial news. And so many may as well listen to The Buzz or Startalk than focus their attention to more sensible shows in the Discovery Channel, perhaps, or public affairs programs like Pipol, Jessica Soho Reports or the evening news. Instead of reading newspapers and national broadsheets, many would rather inch every word in entertainment tabloids. Also, it seems that we enjoy witnessing entertainment than the truth that always hurt. So many would rather watch politicians sing and dance, rather than deliver their sane yet oftentimes betrayed promises enclosed in their speeches and platforms. Many would rather hear novelty songs on the radio than news about significant events happening around the country or the globe.

The people learn through media. The media learn through the people. The media, regrettably, to cope up and make advantage of this screwed perception of the Filipino's reality, would rather air noontime shows of senseless games that breed ridiculous faith to fortune than labor so as to gather a significant amount of what they call "ratings". Instead of putting on television screens visuals and audios that would contribute to the mindfulness of its viewers, they televise nonsense scandals, monotonous telenovelas that inflict only bad psychology among its viewers, and scenes and sounds that are sometimes above the PG rating which is most suitable in the afternoon. It is undeniably true that the media plays a major role in the formation of the idealism of the masses. Is the media at fault in the birth of this distorted perception of the Filipino on reality and truth? I think so.

Reality shows? You've got to be kidding me. They don't even come close to reality- to the reality of an ordinary Filipino life. Yet it still sells. Why? Filipinos would rather forget their society's cancer, even for a moment to three hours every evening, than facing them by finding solutions by more reasonable means.

I think I heard a great man say that information is the most powerful tool of any society in this generation for progress and integrity. Ignored, misused or abused, information may also be a powerful weapon AGAINST any given society, even our own. Take for instance, the losyang group of Armida Sigeon-Reyna. Yes. They're what we call "laos" (withered) in showbizness, so what better way to spend the rest of their lives in the spotlight rather than meddle with the dirty game of deception, brought about by, of course, politics! Here's a group of old fags, whining in all the glamour left in their bones on national TV, complaining and threatening the whole electoral system itself about their dream sequence on what would happen after the so-called "planned defeat" of their desperate bet FPJ, who has already unleashed his ridiculous act (this is a circus, afterall) by declaring by himself alone that he won the election. Just seeing Reyna's barren face being involved in politics makes me quiver with disgust. How much more their claims that their puny words would cause the Supreme Court of the Philippines bow upon their unreasonable requests to withdraw their decisions (regarding the banning of quick counts). Aw c'mon! The society's sooo sick, it's not going to get "sicker" with these insignificant old worms around. Yeishh...

Anyway, if I were to dissect the concerns of a common Filipino, what would I find? Probably 77.5% of it is about daily survival in a desperately poor country, 10% is about other unimportant life accessories for simple delights like text load, etc., 7% is about what tsika or tsismis to earn everyday about their favorite showbiz personalities and political figures, a substandard 5% on more self-enriching concerns like education (since it's already considered nowadays not as a necessity but as leisure and something that only a few people can accomplish), and a supremely unacceptable .5% on spirituality or perhaps on nationalism or charity.

People of such kinds of concerns are the assumed patrons of the likes Senator Tito Sotto, whose present fame rose to the top with his one-liner "I have one word for them: GARAPAL." The likes of Tito Sotto in the arena of Philippine politics think that words of such narrow-minded insults would be bought by the unknowing majority who also buys pirated CDs of movies of their idols whom they look up as almost demigods. For the likes of Tito Sotto who would rather throw mindless and rude foul language as counterattack, the people would rather hear him snarl than answer reasonable contentions from invisible creatures in a respectful manner that should define a senator of the Republic. These are the politicians and the people that the present condition of the media of information breeds.

If my tolerance level to these maggots were low, I would have immediately shifted nationalities the first time I learned the meaning of politics in this country. But no, I'd rather stay here, where I am born, to expose these maggots to the sun by the simplest means possible. Whining? No. Just complaining.

is it over?

Love the new design, eh? In the service of the people who religiously visit my site every day, I'm providing them with a blog setup which is aesthetically redefined and contains colors for easier reading. This is also keep up with what blogger has been giving its members after months of tedious yet successful updates.

Hey! At least now I can do both bold and italics without worrying about whether or not my letters disappear in the black background. Yesss...

I've been (again) bombarded with emails filled with questions about the recent elections. What's my opinion about this and that candidate? What's my forecast about the elections then when it was only about to begin? What's my say about FPJ or GMA winning in the most recent quick counts? Who did I vote for president? And so on and so forth.

Guys... no one's been proclaimed yet. Until that time when someone (obviously not the better candidates Roco, Lacson and Villanueva) wins, I won't be able to make any comment. I want to blurt out every piece of what I have in mind about the elections in one big blow... For now, I'm in the process of "watching." Watching the watchers. Watching the counting and canvassing of votes. Watching the always predictable winners and losers of this big game... and so on and so forth...

Meanwhile, Ahmad here has something very insightful to say about the recent events in Philippine history, no matter how insignificant that event it's turning out to be... *sigh*

Ahmad says: When will our politicians ever learn? In electionsthere are winners and there are loosers, whatever happened to a thing called political "sportsmanship"? I mean when these monkeys ran for election, the thought of loosing never even crossed their mind? That is simply what I call over confidence. A while ago I was talking to a former highschool classmate of mine, and his father happened to be running for councilor here in Naga City. So when I asked him if his father won, he said. "Dinaya! Madadaya talaga sila!". Which made me ask another question to myself? I wonder how the hell is the FPJ-Loren love team doing right now? Now that the tallies show that they are not exactly the box office king and queen of this election. That pre-mature victory march in Makati, is just plainly pathetic, what makes it more pathetic is the fact they claimed to be doing their own quick count wherein they are supposedly winning. Wow! isn't FPJ ego boosted or what? Well, just as Boots Cadsawan (FPJ for President Chairman) puts it..."Syempre Action Star siya eh! Syempre di siya sanay na napapahiya (He mentioned this
when he was asked why is it that FPJ easily looses his temper when asked about his qualifications). WHAT THE HELL IS IT WITH ACTION STARS?

My friends are somewhat happy that FPJ is actually loosing this election, but I told them that it is not over yet. Here's why:

1.) He is an ego boosted action star.

What is it about our local actors anyway? I think they are taking their stardom way too seriously, that they think they can extend it outside showbiz. And politics for them is being a pathetic excuse for them to extend thier stardom outside showbiz. That Victory march already says enough that FPJ and his allies (showbiz or non-showbiz), are not excatly ready to accept defeat. I guess they want it to end like a typical FPJ production, wherein he is beaten almost to death, but in the climax, he will always knockout his enemies, and gets the leading lady.

2.) If indeed he does loose, remember that he has three or six more years to prepare for running again.
But will he educate himself on the teachnicality of public office? I really don't think so. Why? because if he does manage to educate himself, his political advisers will no longer be able to manipulate him. Which as we all know is the reason why many politicians wanted him to run in the first palce. Because he does not know squat and he will definetly need them to run the show. Remember that his acting career is not exactly over yet. He actually has three or six years to make a lot of movies that will even make him more appealing to the masses. hmmmm..... Maybe a movie wherein he does become the president won't be such a bad Idea, it would be like our own movie adaptation of Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan series (yes he became president on the last series). And Perhaps this will also be a new career opportunity for Loren Legarda, now that she is not a senator anymore. Besides she does have an acting experience (Markova; Comfort Gay). Who knows she can plays, FPJs love interest in his movies, and the FPJ-Loren love team will actually make it to the box office. "Sa tambalang FPJ at Loren, Bayan ang Bida".... They definetly should put that in the movie posters. So the question we have to ask is... What will stop FPJ from trying to enter politics again?

3.) Ronald Lumbao and his PMAP already threatened us of another violent rally incase FPJ looses! Besides FPJ/Erap has all the allies to destabilize the current administration.

Why not? That is what they have been trying to do in the first place. Make GMA and her administation look like idiots (No Im not excatly the biggest fan of the GMA administration). Every single issue they can use against GMA they exploit it to make her look like a moron who can't handle the show. Which of course will make the public think that Erap himself was not such a moron himself after all. Not that I think that some of this issues should not be talked about. But now a days its more concentrated on politicing than the issues themselves. Even that answer GMA gave when someone asked her about her sex life, the congressmen and senators in the opposition wanted to make it a national issue! Instead of other more important issues? tsk tsk. Bottom line here is that, if the opposition was itching to make GMA look bad in her four years of administration, what more now that she is actually going to have six more? And how do you think the administration will retaliate? By politicing back some more of course!Nevertheles Im hoping to see the day when our leaders will be willing to set aside their political differences for the interest of the public, who is suffering because of unhealthy politics.


4.) Finally, the reason is simply because the counting ain't over yet.

At this point where the tallies have not yet even been completed to 60%, it is still premature to assume FPJ's defeat and GMA's victory. Specially that it is a close fight. If we assume his defeat, it would be as if doing our own version of his victory march. Ergo we shouldn't count chicks while we are still waiting for the eggs to completely hatch.

I went to the movies and overdid it.

I've been a movie maniac this week. Usually, I see only a movie per week. This week is different. Four flicks this week. Actually, if movies I've seen in DVD is included, that would be... six! No time to emote or live by a movie trend. I've got to say something about some of 'em...



LION KING 1 1/2 (DVD)
It's been a long time since I've enjoyed a Disney film. The last time I really savored each animated Disney moment in the theatre was years ago- Aladdin. Nope. I didn't like Treasure Planet. Yah... Lilo and Stitch is a so-so movie, but nah. Some movies just don't sink in after being seen.

Lion King 1 1/2, though, features scenes that are way too funny. This animated film stars Timone and Pumbaa (tama ba ang spelling), with co-star Symba and Rafiki. Yup! It goes the other way around. It's kinda like a side-story... just like the Animatrix for The Matrix series... with a hilarious twist.

By the way, Lion King is the only film I love that features talking animals.

Here, you'll be taken back to the old days of Timone and Pumbaa's still ripe friendship... er... acquaintance, says Timone nga pala. The story unfolds before the actual story of the original Lion King movie, where the two Symba side-kicks first meet, look "beyond what they see" for a place they can call home as outcasts, and be mixed up in parts of the original movie where Lion King fans thought never thought they'll be. For instance, you'll be surprised to see that in the stampede scene, the two clowns were there already. During the "I just can't wait to be king" part, they were already there, too! (and Timone's the reason why these theatrical neighborhood came crashing down literally by the end of the song... and will make you utter "ahhh.,.. that's why!")

Here's a piece of advice: Watch Lion King first before "1 1/2" for maximum entertainment satisfaction.




HELLBOY
It's like watching LXG. I almost went zzzzz as the movie ended. I don't know. It's perhaps because I'm not at all a Hellboy fan. Hell, this is the first time I'm introduced to the character.

The plot's not that good. I never get to know more about Hellboy's personality after the introduction scenes. After having presented the beginnings of a worldwide crisis and the "birth" of Hellboy to this realm, wala na. I mean, it's unfair for the non-fans of Hellboy. Ah well, why did I bother watching the film anyway?

The "...we are the ones who bump back" dialogue is soooo corny.




STARSKY AND HUTCH
If I've not seen Zoolander, I would have laughed myself out loud in the moviehouse. (I went there alone, no date. *sigh*) I'm surprised the Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson duo still works, although I think seeing the original Starsky and Hutch towards the end of the story feels kinda... uhm... cheesy.

I love the soundtrack, and how it is embedded in the movie. Sure there are really mushy songs from the Carpenters and Barry Manilow, but really, didn't these people rule in the music scenes during the 70s? If you'll watch this movie, specially if you lived your golden years during the 70s, I'm sure you'll enjoy the walk down memory lane. The fashion, the songs, the moves, the cars... everything are so 70s.

Watch out for that scene where Huggy Bear's men talk about nerdy stuff... and the beach scene where Wilson and Stiller are jogging with "Starsky and Hutch" t-shirts... that's so very funny.




THE LAST SAMURAI (DVD)
Heroism, martyrdom, overcoming human frailty and friendship presented onscreen at it's finest. The world will never see the Samurai the same way again. I remember when I first saw the movie... days after, whenever I see cherry blossoms, I felt like crying. Tubig talaga. Sakeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

Pimp my car, please.

Today's a lazy Saturday. I was just channel surfing two hours ago when I came across this wonderful yet infamous show from MTV- that is, PIMP MY CAR. It's a show where old busted almost-dead cars of selected Southern Californians are taken away from their owners by host Xhibit, get "pimped" (their term for "restored" or "resurrected", I think) and returned to the owner nice, clean and hella-good lookin!!!!

Today's episode is about a certain Niles, a 19-year old lass who owns an old 1978 Cadillac. I should tell you, guys, the car's so busted it won't even pass for a crash cars for Philippine action movies. Much to Niles' surprise, Xhibit came out, checked out her dying car, and took it to a garage where magic happens in a jippy.

Glossy pink paint, multiple MP3/DVD player (with a custom-made casing so one can "watch the DVD while the DVD plays", a kick-ass set of rims for her new wheels, a loud inside boombox, a totally remodeled car interior from the vinyl casings to the seat covers, wonderful head and tail lights, plus accessories like two LCD monitors at the back, a shoe rack (and pairs of elegant shoes courtesy of the host himself!) in the hood among all things... evrything moving either has neon lights or works by remote control. Even the engine starts by remote control, not by keys!!! GOODNESS GRACIOUS!!! I could just literally slobber by watching this show...

After that, I went out and stared at my red Lancer for about 30 minutes. I realized my car also needs some pimpin. I got to change my rims to newer and shinier ones; I gotta have a CD/MP3/DVD player with LCD; I gotta change its color to neon purple; I oughtta get my car a nice pair of spoilers and bumpers... AAARGHHHH!!!! I need cash impunto!!!! Questions: 1) I wonder how my car would look like if it's pimped up? and 2) Who's gonna be my Xhibit?

Somebody oughtta come up with that kind of gimmick on Philippine TV.

Guess

"Ang Dalubhasa" my ass.

Anyway,... what do you call a once intelligent and respected senator who has chosen someone who definitely has a lower IQ than her as her presidential mate as she runs for vice-presidency?

IDIOT.

Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot.

Am I going to vote anyone who has chosen to join a political party run by someone who definitely has a lower IQ and EQ than them all?

DEFINITELY NOT.

I am not an idiot. I will not vote anyone from FPJ's party. Never.

The Corrs are Back!!

I discovered the song "Runaway" by the band The Corrs way while being played on a not-so-famous FM radio station back in 1997. It took two years, I think, before they got rediscovered. Since then, Andrea's fabulous voice filled Philippine radiowaves like a tornado. The first music CD I bought for myself from my first humble pay years ago was that Forgiven Not Forgotten album. Sure enough, it got overused in just a couple of weeks. I so love the philosophy they embed in their lyrics. They don't do usual love songs... they make good ones. Not only that, they make good music as well. Look at the Corrs siblings whenever they do their stuff onstage... they're just simply enjoying it. That's definitely what's likeable about them. They love their music as much as their fans do.

One of the songs that defined my college days is "So Young." The song is always makes me reminisce those carefree hakuna-matata days!

Then there's this very nice lovesong "Looking Through the Eyes of Love" from the "In Blue" album. Although this song isn't at all popular since it wasn't released as a single, this song simply is one of the best love songs since "With A Smile" by the E-heads. Before Christian Bautista's "The Way You Look at Me," there's definitely this song: "Looking through the eyes of love,.... I can see forever... I can see you and me walking in this world together." The lyrics is, yes... cheesy... but hey! If it reminds me of my sweet Elmo, cheesy or not, it's still MY song!

Months, years have passed after their "In Blue" album. Of course, there's the "The Best of The Corrs" CD (which brought me fear of those signs that the band will be disbanding soon... What the hell was their recording company thinking?!) I thought The Corrs are going to rest indefinitely after Sharon having been married at last. News about the band, anything that would establish assurance for a desperate fan of the band's existence, was almost nowhere to be found. Bad rumors filled the internet. The fan was scared.

But alas! I was wrong. In fact, the wait is already over, and I didn't even know it. One time I turned my radio on... and there! "Summer Sunshine!" And the news that they're going to release a new album titled "Borrowed Heaven" sometime this month (on June 1 in the Philippines, to be exact!). Happy! Excited! And soooooo eager to wait a little more. I promise I'm not downloading any mp3s of these guys' songs. I promise to support them... they deserve my money as much as I deserve hearing their music once again...

I can sing again. I can hum a nice love song again. Oh. This is an avid fan's pure delight indeed! Welcome back, Andrea, Caroline, Jim and Sharon! Long live the Corrs!