No Smoking Joint

...like endless rain into a paper cup.

2010-01-18T00:00:00.007-05:00

an excerpt from a short fiction i'm currently stuck at writing: That night he dreamt of her. In the dream they were in an argument. She said she was leaving. At first, he believed her. But there were qualms in his head needed to be quelled. Whatever that was bothering him, it didn’t materialize. It was just there, trapped in the black hole of sleep. He was merely

keeping up.

2009-12-29T20:39:00.002-05:00

five posts a year was not exactly what i intended to do with a blog i started close to seven years ago. at that time, i was an idealist---thinking i could somehow chronicle my experiences on a daily basis---and a some sort of outlet blossomed on the nook and cranny of the cyberspace. it was a blog that i had to delete and redo. a reconstruction that came, coincidentally, with my own. a few posts

something wicked this way comes.

2009-10-29T17:02:00.006-05:00

for whatever reason, i did not notice that the graphic header of my blog suddenly disappeared. i assumed it was caused by a browser upgrade (really. that was the only thing that factored in, since i could not recall doing anything [except maybe for the permissions verification/repair, but that would not in anyway, cause a CSS error]).as i grappled on the aftereffects of a nasty flu, i decidedly

particle of happiness.

2009-10-13T13:44:00.007-05:00

sitting at "the end of the world", he said. but i smiled and he flinched. and an automatic response to a hackneyed query. "i'm good." you know, the mechanics of American goodwill starts with the obligatory phrase. soon, you would not realize the exact reason for doing so, except it was contagious. that it would become a staple in a language you would be constrained to inculcate. "then why are you

sur l'Anglais. auf Englisch. on English.

2009-10-06T12:58:00.000-05:00

one of my weaknesses is expressing myself in English. verbally. perhaps it can be attributed to my lack of social skill. or anything anthropological. a deficiency I must have acquired after i mushroomed into this world, and derailed a certain aspect of my development.they say that personal growth is complemented by his/her environs. whatever the society would rear into who you become, it still

INTRO: WE CAN BE NICE SOMETIMES...

2009-10-05T13:33:00.008-05:00

note: I wrote this as a supposed introduction to a series I was planning to do based on my current experiences working for an airline company. originally, i intended it as a mere catharsis in times of unexpected occupational burnouts, but at the end it became a personal imposition to blog it. hence, the result. For whatever reason, people drop twenty points of their IQ

magic act

2009-05-30T23:57:00.006-05:00

there is this nagging feeling to gloat over the Orlando Magic's victory against the heavily-favored, media-hyped, and overpraised greatness of LeBron James (well, he is that great, and yeah, sometimes it becomes increasingly unnerving to hear the incessant remarks at ESPN saying we all are witnesses---heck, we know and it doesn't help a bit if it is kept on shoving up our frenzied heads) and the

potpourri v.1

2009-05-11T21:24:00.008-05:00

alright, so i finished a vignette on an idea that came up a week ago. it was one of those rare occurrences that i managed to end a story i started---most merely simmer in the hard drive on an endless wait for the right kind of muse to drop by and remove the leash to its culmination. to work on a vignette for more than a couple of days in excruciating, let alone the sci-fi short that i've been

2009. without a bang. just that. and hey look, a meme.

2009-02-10T11:28:00.014-05:00

Popping the 2009 with a meme. Of course. (stolen from Dodo's blog)Two months late. But punctuality is never a trait. What is your idea of perfect happiness?happiness is the syringe-full of corticosteroid on a flared-up gout. What is your greatest fear?biting the dust never seeing the grandkids. skydiving with and without a chute. eight-legged freaks.What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

C U

2008-11-07T00:52:00.013-05:00

recently, i got a set of 52mm close-up filters as an alternative for macro lens. i haven't shot macro before, well, except for a futile attempt that ended up not exactly the way i intended it to be. the close-up filters, as i said, are a cheaper option than those three-hundred-buck 60mm or 100mm lenses used for photomicrography. however i shoot RAW and cropping the images for internet

the lit in the john

2008-09-16T20:12:00.015-05:00

the dreaded place for a book to be.it is simply meant an exile. the st. helena or the honolulu for a deposed emperor or a dictator. the Goodwill or the Salvation Army for a thing that has no significant use (or was used before, but was rapidly replaced by something more appealing or advanced or brand-spanking-new). like a vacant space for anything that is junk. once a book relegated to that

rhythm of the rain

2008-09-13T23:17:00.007-05:00

the sound of rain enhances one's creativity.well, at least to me, that is.there is something magical about rain. something about the continuous clatter of water on the roof. something that is inexplicably mind-numbing. something that, for no reason at all, hollers to the muses to come out.i love watching the raindrops fall. it prompts the creative juices to flow like the stream of water that

playing in dreams.

2008-09-10T00:57:00.013-05:00

the evening seems like shallow surf where one wades, but could not get his feet wet. a scramble to view yet like a blind on Braille, barely scratching the surface. just listening to Coltrane, melancholic and inevitable. the grit on the instrument, on the rough edges of brass, whispers in the twilight with tranquility in constant orbit. in someway, i thought, of both the eternal sadness and joy,

chocolate...eh?

2008-09-04T21:26:00.005-05:00

everytime Hannah Montana's dad hands her his trademark concoction, loco hot cocoa, it gives his daughter bouts of chocolate-induced nightmares---ranging from maternal hallucinations (which, somehow, vaguely explains the Stewart family's lack of a mother figure) to a reversal of popularity (with Jackson assuming the equally-doubled-life of Bucky Kentucky). with Brianne, i concocted a similar

california dreamin'

2008-09-04T12:53:00.013-05:00

okay, so i got itchy playing with Lightbox (albeit, i am still in the process of tinkering with it) and i'll be posting what's left of the Sacramento/San Francisco trip we had last July. most, i'll be putting without the usual PS post-process, except for maybe, a level/curve adjustment here and there; the usual watermark and image resizing. however, there will be a few that i did some heavy

SFO

2008-09-03T15:12:00.022-05:00

click on the image to zoom; left/right arrow keys to scroll through the imagesa month ago, we flew to Sacramento to visit friends (and relatives, as well---although the trip was somehow a bit short due to work commitments [i admit that it will take a full week before you can say that you've made the most of it]). the second day, they drove us two hours to San Francisco. here are some the

stuck.

2008-08-14T04:31:00.002-05:00

Rommel recently emailed me a story he wrote. He said he wanted me to read it and comment on it, constructively---grammatical and logical, he added. It would be his response to a call for submission for crime fiction a Philippine publication had quietly announced a few months ago. While Rommel's story is sitting simmering in my harddrive, I still have not started on my own. Ideas flew and left,

29/31

2008-08-12T19:18:00.004-05:00

today is Sas' birthday.almost a week ago was mine. and it somehow made me think that in 359 days I'll be crossing the realm of the 30. in any case I'll be old.right.and another more year, and it'll be the last before my age get bumped out of the calendar.well, at least it would still be on the Lotto.

things to do in denver when you're bored.

2008-05-04T19:50:00.010-05:00

sleep. well, just because i was too pooped out when i got here. i debated whether i'd get a cab and make a quick sightseeing tour of downtown denver forty minutes away, or kiss the bedsheets and save whatever's energy left for tomorrow. i guess it's quite obvious that i decided on the latter. this is my second time in denver. and the baptism to the mile high city is just too fucking chilly.

look. back.

2008-02-20T02:36:00.002-05:00

yet would have been thirty today.and still it pains me to think of that day in september, close to ten years ago. ...there were a lot of gimiks that you had missed. the car that i promised before we were shooed at the SM City Carpark. those. and some others. we all have discerning definitions of life. maybe you saw it differently than we did. you may have hollered. we may have been too oblivious.

all i want for christmas is...

2007-12-24T19:17:00.000-05:00

yuletide smells firecrackers in chimney. cliches on sink flushed dishwater and throwaways. it doesn't have to be this way. my christmas flatten heavy if Indy Jones ran over by the rock. love and understanding, chewbacca-style, gift-wrapped with a bowcaster. sigh. merry christmas, then.

dunit. didwhat.

2007-12-16T21:09:00.000-05:00

the subject of a recent lighthearted familial squabble was that esoterically-mushy Rupert Holmes song "Terminal"---which, for no reason at all, started after I announced the fresh news of Dan Fogelberg's death (something that Yahoo! inexplicably never fails to deliver--celebrity obituaries like drive-thru to-go's for the biz news famished). with a split-second plunge on the keyboard, came the

flicker

2007-10-29T07:14:00.001-05:00

tagged by Dodo.impending repair meant a drastic clean-up. docs and files in backup. icons in the trashbin. the porn on CDs. not much of a wallpaper freak, 'cept for the occasional itch for eyecandies. and my desktop proclivities depend on moods -- lately for monochrome. lightning never strikes twice, they say, but brain flicker is difficult to come by these days, hence the image. i was also a

the others

2007-10-26T12:11:00.000-05:00

i have a really weird feeling that something's amiss.not because my tummy's stuffed with glucose-fest funnel cake that i overindulged earlier when we went to a parish carnival. but with metaphysical manifestations that Tobe Hooper would gladly jump at the gun if given an opportunity.i might be wrong then--the mind's eye is bigger than it seems, they say. i don't know if it will suffice and

disparate home fries

2007-10-04T20:09:00.000-05:00

okay. so i'm not jumping into the racist slur brouhaha of Desperate Housewives, though I'd just like to point out the flurry of mixed reactions that came from Filipinos both in the native land and overseas. first of all, i don't watch the show. for no particular reason, i just don't. well, i did adore teri hatcher when she was doing those string-strapped calisthenics backriding with dean cain.

holy crap, batman! i'm losing weight!

2007-09-06T00:01:00.000-05:00

yeah, yeah. losing six pounds was what i could consider a halfbaked achievement. and ain't it sweet?! haha. to think that i don't workout my indulgence to anything palatable. and my idea of an exercise normally consists of finger-stretching on a round of nba live or remote-control-button-pushing. needless to say, my obesity counter is going full blast on the body mass scale.but let's just say

fission

2007-08-07T22:37:00.000-05:00

---"As the bomb fell over Hiroshima and exploded, we saw an entire city disappear. I wrote in my log the words: "My God, what have we done?" - Captain Robert Lewis. B-29 The Enola Gay, August 6, 1945yesterday was my birthday.sixty-two years ago, a city on the island of honshu in japan was devastated by a powerful weapon known to man. hiroshima temporarily ceased to exist. hirohito threw the towel

28 years later...

2007-08-06T07:28:00.000-05:00

nah.let's get this day done and over with.

giving head.

2007-07-25T11:21:00.000-05:00

(no, it's not what you think. the subliminality is obvious, but i take credit for coming up with ludicruously-composed title posts. haha).so then. let's get on with it. i've been ruminating of putting up a personal homepage. one that i'll probably see as an outlet of sort. that in my current state of between-jobs, would be exceedingly productive than bumming around. the culture freak has hit the

potter-ed meat

2007-07-22T21:02:00.000-05:00

it seemed like it was a spell. but it wasn't.it was merely a jump to the hype. and queueing up was admittedly, a big mistake. but i got the book, nonetheless. the next day. when people with their sane heads still intact would face the harry curse without much trepidation of the night before. i was one of them. the harry curse got me full in the chest and an imperio for good measure. but i got the

withdrawal

2007-07-19T08:43:00.000-05:00

empty billfold accounts for luho deprivation.the suffering is unbearable to think. the absence of brainfood is excruciating enough. like a migraine that continues to throb. it's a void that you'd scamper for something to plug it with. ever since i made the bungee-less jump, i've been penny-pinching. yes sir. expenses limit to what's important and what's needed. fortunately, i managed to scrimp in

trip meme

2007-07-17T14:07:00.000-05:00

tagged by the dude who quotes laurence olivier.not much of a music freak. like i'd said. music is trip. unlike books which are staples. music is medication. cures the occasional mental atrophies. What Music Are You Currently Grooving To?less time for pop. jazz breakaway is recent trip. John Coltrane's Heavyweight Champion's hors d'oeuvre on the playlist. soundtrack to Antonioni's Blow Up as

litpicker

2007-07-12T21:24:00.000-05:00

my recent bookshop excursions yielded four books. while we're at the threshold of stringent measures of austerity, still remains sufficient room for literature. Ring Koji SuzukiSpiral Koji SuzukiThe Return of the Dancing Master Henning MankellThe Foreign Correspondent Alan FurstSuzuki's books are the staples of Japanese horror. and almost everybody who jumped into Asian horror bandwagon of the

the eight.

2007-07-10T23:15:00.001-05:00

okay. so i was tagged by Noel Vera.and tagging simply meant a mandatory post. fortunately, a mandatory post is what i'm scrounging for at this very moment. it'll be a month now since i last made an entry, and it seemed that blogging turned out to be a practice in writing. anyway, here are the rules:1. list eight (8) things/facts about yourself that people don't know (why 8? why not 9? i don't

father's day gifts. atbp....

2007-06-19T20:32:00.000-05:00

last sunday was father's day.and i'm a happy father, at that. hehe. literally. the kids and the wife. what more to ask? i woke up around noon to find a starbucks paper bag in tutay's hands. followed by pretty loud yell of happy father's day, daddy!, she handed it to moi. a new thermal mug, it is. to complement the FedUp ceramic one Dada gave me as a pre-departure gift two years ago. mei-mei would

bahay kubo...

2007-06-03T19:45:00.000-05:00

no, it's a bit grander than that, i'd say.hell, after weeks of excruciating wait and fears of truncated hope, IT'S OURS!!!it's official. the deal was closed and the house is ours.now, we'll traverse the difficult process of moving. it'll be fun, i know.

flickpicker

2007-05-19T16:28:00.000-05:00

this will be in conjunction with the previous post i wrote (you could click on the link, or scroll down as well---and save you an ounce of effort in doing so, doesn't matter). aside from books, one of my recurring fetishes is cinema (the others, you need to figure out for yourself)---and not merely your usual Hollywood popcorns, but an eclectic selection of foreign, independent, classic and the

fic :: hypocrisy

2007-05-18T17:00:00.000-05:00

It began with the phrase ego te absolvo, in nomini patri, et filli et espiritu sancti…She could’ve answered it with Amen, but for no apparent reason she didn’t. Just a muffled noise, a pursed lip, bloodied and swollen. She lay there bleeding, tears welled in her eyes, asking for a crumb of forgiveness, but at the same time she was unusually adamant.A victim of unyielding pride. Stubborness that

litpicker

2007-05-18T14:46:00.000-05:00

(or in the slumbook cliche: what are you reading right now?)i know the idea is plagiarized from dean alfar's blog, as i'll be chronicling recent reads regularly. it'll be a series-sort-of, though it would definitely depend on how fast i finish them. anyway, books are part of my entirety, or collectively, the whole of the pingol household. yep, brianne managed to inherit my love of books and

warfreak

2007-05-13T16:02:00.000-05:00

a link from Dodo's blog: What Classic Movie Are You?personality tests by similarminds.comit's unusally ironic that i'm the eternal pacifist.

remembering the rock

2007-05-06T12:55:00.000-05:00

sixty-five years ago today, Lt. General Jonathan Wainwright surrendered the Rock of the Pacific to the Japanese thus officially ended any organized resistance in the Philippine archipelago. it also signified the beginning of the Japanese Occupation and three years later American troops with the aid of Filipino resistance fighters would oust the Japs and ultimately secure the liberation of the

bumhood redux

2007-05-05T01:19:00.000-05:00

there is a thin line that exists between losing and quitting a job.the culmination is basically the same, but the how of it is the one that matters.the constant recurrence of premeditated bumming is a protracted outcome of both, to say the least. nonetheless, there is a degree of self-satisfaction present to those who quit. an inexplicable high. to inculcate the comfort of freedom versus the

paris in hell-ton

2007-05-04T23:37:00.000-05:00

sometimes the american justice system impresses me.and the news the came buzzing out off the wires is a clear evidence that the system does not discriminate. at least, that was how i interpeted it. yep. paris hilton was sentenced to 45 days behind bars just for merely trying to get above the law. (the accompanying news article from yahoo would feed you the whole story, i'm merely reacting).

the good writer

2007-03-24T00:44:00.000-05:00

we all have to agree on the general consensus that good writers are those who possess the capacity to capture the audience’s attention and imagination. However, that left out the pertinent details on writing as a technicality. Marshall McLuhan may have said that “the medium is the message”, but that doesn’t exactly represents the definition and the construction of the message accurately. The

trip dos

2007-03-03T02:32:00.000-05:00

believe it or not, my music trip dragged the eternal mile. and the syringes forced the habit to penetrate the veins. figuratively. so that'd be a melange of coltrane-shorter-adderley-mobley-blakey. miles and yardbird on the waiting room.

rubber soul

2007-02-16T13:02:00.000-05:00

the news is grim. far too grim: actor Richard Gomez is running for a senatorial seat.and i have one thing in mind: God help us.i bet he doesn't know to spell the word Constitution. nor even know what a preamble is. i read once that he claimed never read books. (Abe Lincoln possibly had the unfortunate fate to be uneducated---but, at least, he supplemented his knowledge by devouring literature)he

portrait trial

2007-02-06T12:31:00.000-05:00

okay. so i managed to try out portrait photography. and the unwilling subject (with much coercion) turned out to be the almighty wifey. uh. this was accidental, to say the least. i was trying out the SB800 Speedlght flash unit the wifey gave me for christmas. if i remember correctly, this was taken in early january, but i was so fucked up that i didn't bother to post-process them until this

freefall

2007-01-19T00:26:00.000-05:00

a few months from now, i'll be on a freefall. (again)this isn't the first time that i'll be jumping without a parachute nor a bungee. three years ago, i've been in a similar situation. two years ago, a recurrence. at times i think it could be some sort of a desensitization process. call it a hands-on training at life. heck. life is a continuous learning experience. the more you fall from a

powerback

2007-01-12T00:55:00.000-05:00

ok. so yesterday, i got my PowerBook back. after almost a month-exile to Apple to have the 'foam-dust-cover' of the optical drive replaced, I agreed to let the techie folks do their stuff. for almost a month, i was without my beloved notebook. well, Sas got hers and I've been using it for the duration of the repair. i could not complain, primarily because i was the one who got her the laptop and

numb

2007-01-03T14:24:00.000-05:00

anesthesized. desensitized.the harder you fall. the more you feel not a thing.it's difficult. but it's a given fact.what a way to start the new year.

greetings

2006-12-25T23:34:00.000-05:00

i know it's kinda' late, but as the overused aphorism goes: "Better late than never".wait. still 25 minutes more before the 26th (that is, if your PC clocks are tuned it to Eastern Daylight Time). and yes, i'm still 25 minutes punctual, if you might say so.well, here goes... Merry Christmas! Frohliche Weinachten! Joyeaux Noel! Maligayang Pasko!:)

'i know that i shall meet my fate....'

2006-12-23T11:18:00.000-05:00

sometimes, life leaves me scared shitless.and the frightening thing is that it never subsides. probably up until the point wherein the irony is obvious and you've been given the option to not do anything about it. in simplicity: accede. but hey, as the French cliche would pound your head: c'est la vie.ha-ha. i know it's funny to think that i've been wondering about my mortality recently---

when will the midget go?

2006-12-10T22:58:00.000-05:00

found this cool countdown timer on one of the blogs that i accidentally stumbled on. now, i'm wondering if anyone could perhaps create something like this one for the unwanted midget in the palace?note: if you don't see the timer, just scroll down on the linked blog until you hit rock bottom...

PowerBroke

2006-12-10T22:12:00.002-05:00

for no apparent reason, the protective rubber lining of my Apple PowerBook G4's optical drive came off as i was ripping CDs to iTunes last night.i don't really use the drive that much except for my occasional dose of dvds as well as ripping/burning compact discs. although the drive is perfectly functional, the only thing that worries me is that it scratch discs as soon as they are ejected.view

vignette: december 8

2006-12-08T11:11:00.000-05:00

note: i've been in the mood for a short fiction for days now, but something is precluding me from putting it into writing. i don't know what is forcing me not to, and all i could think about was finishing a reply to a memo that was sent to me for a 'violation' that didn't really transpire. probably it was one of those circumstances wherein you have to answer everything even for the darndest

career shi(f)t...

2006-11-07T22:32:00.000-05:00

a realization from Dodo's blog: The secret to finding your bliss is not merely to know what makes you happiest doing and doing it.It's to realize that what makes you happiest doing is not likely to pay much. Or at all.(sorry for plagiarizing, pre - - - i'm trying to make a point, hehe)and from a comment i posted in his blog: we live in contradictions. yep. i think contradictions are what push us

devirginized

2006-09-18T18:06:00.000-05:00

last week, i finally granted one of the short fiction i wrote a constrained finish. constrained, probably because i had my sights locked on Dean Alfar's call for submission on a spec fic anthology he's been tasked to compile, and there was an inexplicable urgency to put the pen into it. the short fic, i wrote, while more or less speculative in nature doesn't entirely fall in his definition of

tekkie

2006-09-10T02:13:00.000-05:00

i love technology.it's one motor of my existence. while my upbringing was marred by the usual inconsistencies of tech development (80s to early 90s weren't as profuse in terms of any technological advancement as what transpired a few years later), i ended up dependent on it. my very first personal computer was a 386DX, hundred-megabyte wired box that my pop bought when my parents realized i've

trip

2006-09-06T01:44:00.000-05:00

suddenly, i'm on a sound trip.recently, i got me-self an external hard drive with a whopping 250 gigabyte-capacity primarily to transfer the songs from my office PC for use in my notebook. since my PowerBook has a measly 80GB HD capacity, and with the installed applications took up almost a quarter of the space, i decided that if i have to move the files from one computer to another i'll need a

birds. in heaven.

2006-08-30T15:42:00.000-05:00

last saturday, i tagged along a couple of pinoy photographers i met in a forum on a photoshoot in a wildlife sanctuary a few clicks outside Orlando. we've been planning this mini-get-together for sometime now, but for some reason, it kept on getting cancelled. but not last saturday. with entirely everything of my photography equipment in tow (my camera, two lenses and a tripod, that is), the

sober

2006-08-24T00:51:00.001-05:00

Sideways made me believe that i am still capable of mush.and i appreciate and welcome the thought [contrary to a previous post]. fifth time i've seen the fucking movie, never fails to impress. the writing. and the jazz score. and paul giamatti. and the ending. ambiguous it may seem, but it has hope. first time i saw it, has pinot noirs written all over. there is difficulty in the beginning. the

dinner. mints. and a blog.

2006-08-21T18:35:00.000-05:00

damn. i'm on a streak. this is the first time in the history of my blogdom that i managed to scrimp three entries in a single day. the fourth one is forthcoming, well, up until i decide not to post this one... anyway. finished dinner while waiting for sas, the kids and the mom-in-law to arrive. actually, it was lunch. i didn't eat this afternoon while lounging at the office [i might say that i

mush II

2006-08-21T14:37:00.000-05:00

speaking of mush.this is what i'm currently listening to right now. it's about time - kenny logginsmushy it may seem, but doesn't matter. in some way, i could relate to some of the words of his songs. for an appropriate introduction, his Leap of Faith CD is a good start.(dang. something's wrong with the photoblogger button. can't upload the frigging pic of the cd. i might try again later)* edited

mush

2006-08-21T14:16:00.000-05:00

i've realized (and noticed) that most (yes, most, not all blogs, if you tell me---there's something strange about the mushy thing, i guess) blogs i accidentally stumbled upon consist of anything but a whole truckload of mush. yes. you heard me. mush. something for the sappy and the romantic. probably an attempt to fish out someone who shares the same sentiments as the creator of the blog. no,

what the * bleep *?

2006-08-21T10:50:00.000-05:00

yey. a post a week. somehow there's an improvement. besides, there's nothing much to write. the series of vignettes i was thinking lately had gradually disintegrated along with a planned short story about the manila earthquake of 1968. yep. limited research resources perpetuated the decline [googled twice, but ended up with two unhelpful links---except for a washed-out photograph of the collapsed

if Poe had too much coffee...

2006-08-14T01:35:00.000-05:00

...he'd be like me.unable to write. mind's a mishmash of disorganized ideas. bulbs that went kaput all of a sudden. plugs corroded with the cerebral rust. blank as an empty Word document. Poe should thank God he's six feet underground. if not, he'll be hurling out invectives on a trapshoot. **********anyway, yesterday was Sas' birthday. yep. she's one year, eleven months and six days older than

twenty-seven

2006-08-06T20:15:00.000-05:00

i'm twenty-seven.a year older. and my birthday's coming to a close in 3 hours. and that means, i'll be assuming i'm twenty-eight starting at midnight. three hundred sixty-five days and counting. twelve months and three hours.and i don't exactly know if my growth is for the better or worse. maybe in forty more years, i'll get to answer that question. yup, they say that you'll see your whole life

edge (and a senseless post)

2006-07-26T11:40:00.001-05:00

been a month since last post.nothing much. looking forward to weekend photoshoot with some folks from orlando. too bad, on the edge of a throw-up just because sas' sked won't budge. no problem with me driving 60 miles. but with kids in tow, i doubt it. i don't know. kowtow to plead. might work, i guess. icks me to cancel out the last minute. opportunities arise only to backstep. arrh. monotonies

gallery

2006-06-25T23:02:00.000-05:00

i had put up a photo gallery somewhere in the web. a shameless plug, anyhow, click on the link to visit the site. most of the pics hosted in my gallery were taken as i struggled through the basics and the complications of digital photography (something that i tried to re-learn what i should've-would've-and-could've learned back in college when we had our basic photography class). updates would be

I, Robot

2006-06-16T11:08:00.000-05:00

wow.click on the graphic to get your robot name.

ano pa?

2006-05-24T16:52:00.000-05:00

o sige na nga, jep. sa tingin ko kasama ako sa ti-nag mo. i-assume ko na lang. sabagay, wala ako maisulat sa blog. pwede na to siguro. pandagdag lamang. pagkamot sa libog ko na magsulat. eto ang panuto sa ingles: "name ten (10) of life's simple pleasures that you like the most, then pick ten (10) people to do the same. try to be original and creative and not to use things that someone else has

ay-ro-ni

2006-05-19T12:01:00.000-05:00

napapansin ko lang. bakit kaya? ganun tayong mga pilipino. sanay tayong magsalita ng filipino pero hirap tayong magsulat pag tagalog na. mas nanaisin pa natin na ilahad na lang ito sa ingles kaysa gamitin ang sariling wika.bakit ganun? irony ika nga.

may bagong mac...

2006-05-16T22:16:00.000-05:00

syet.sana naghintay ako. isang buwan lang. siyet talaga. kakapalit ko lang ng bagong Apple PowerBook. nagwaldas ako ng pera upang mapawi ang uhaw ko sa bagong notebook. nawala kasi yung luma. ninakaw. nawalan ako ng computer. may desktop nga ngunit hindi ganun ang lakas ng pull tulad ng pangungulila ko sa isang laptop. kaya hayun. pinalitan ang nawala. kailangan eh. hindi dahil kailangan yun sa

taga-ilog ako

2006-05-15T12:25:00.000-05:00

susubukan kong magsulat ng tagalog.masyado na ako sa ingles. sa labas. sa loob ng bahay. sa mga binabasang aklat. sa pinapalabas sa telebisyon. puro ingles. at wala pa kaming TFC, kaya nadaragdagan ang aking pagnanais na makarinig at makapanood ng kahit anong palabas na nagmumula sa Pinas. ang hirap pala ng ganun. at isa pa. naimpluwensiyahan yata ako ni Dodo. ngunit subok lang to. titignan ko

petrified. stupefied. terrified.

2006-04-18T23:57:00.000-05:00

one of my worst fears had somehow, been starting to materialize. not that it had metamorphosized blatantly before my eyes, but it gradually seeped in through my entirety like a scary movie. or a paranoid thriller (spoorloos comes to mind. a shameless plug, i know. sluizer should compensate me for this, hehe)yup. maybe it transformed me into a raving schizophrenic or something. but sometimes being

geek speak 2

2006-04-08T09:17:00.000-05:00

i took a cool quiz a fellow pinoydvd poster created. the result is enough to justify how my social life had plunged into a downhill spiral the past few years... hehe. Film Geek. Scored 76% Film Snobbery. "You are very likely omnivorous and eclectic in your taste in film. Although you're not QUITE a total film snob, you are definitely on your way there. You enjoy all types of films and are

disappearing act

2006-03-29T11:38:00.000-05:00

seems that i've been updating this blog once a month. and i don't care.seems that writing- - -be it a short fiction, or merely as a minute entry in this journal- - - had become one tedious activity. i had somehow associated it with working out and cross-training or anything that results in physical stress. i know the metaphors exaggerate however i could not actually fathom the idea that squeezing

causeway photoshoot

2006-03-01T00:41:00.000-05:00

last sunday, sas and me drove to a causeway whose name i can't recall to do a photoshoot (actually, i was the one who insisted on the photoshoot since sas possess no interest whatsoever in photography- - -or anything that involves camera and whatnots). the weather was perfectly chilly, we're clocking a little below 50 degrees F, but the wind- - -oh! blasted wind, nearly blew my tripod down

evil etchie

2006-02-17T16:53:00.000-05:00

intermission. took this quiz i scrounged from a blogger i randomly stumbled upon. Greed:High Gluttony:High Wrath:Low Sloth:High Envy:Very Low Lust:Medium Pride:High Take the Seven Deadly Sins Quiz

georgia on my mind 1: stone mountain

2006-01-30T00:08:00.000-05:00

five days ago, we drove 400 miles to Georgia. we started out last Friday, sixty miles away from Orlando. plans were made as early as December when the idea of an interstate roadtrip was conceived. together with Sas' aunt and a male friend, we agreed on a six-hour drive to Atlanta to be complemented with a tour of the Coke Museum, Georgia Aquarium and Centennial Park located within the city limits

one, two...snap! darn...

2006-01-22T01:58:00.001-05:00

shutter: 1/4 sec., aperture: f22, ISO 200, 18mm focal lengthi took this snapshot as i was trying to adjust some settings on my camera and at the same time positioning myself to get a good capture. little did i know that my pointer finger was already working its way towards the shutter-release button (a harsh personification, i know) and before i knew it....snap. what came out was a burned out,

photo trial

2006-01-17T20:15:00.000-05:00

played around with my Nikon D50 during the weekend- - -complemented with a visit from Sas' friend- - -ended up on a day-tour of Disney World. made some shots. trial-and-error thing. i know i'll make a single good shot out of a hundred. somehow pushed me to post a few of what i think, is impeccable enough to merit a comment from Jeff. Hehe. this was taken on a moving ferryboat en route to the

year in review

2006-01-02T02:18:00.000-05:00

stolen from Dodo's blog:1. What Did You Do In 2005 That You'd Never Done Before ?Kinks. Manage. 2. Did You Keep Your New Years' Resolutions, And Will You Make More For Next Year?Nope. Didn't make one, anyway. Might not. As I've written before, resolutions are cliches.3. Did Anyone Close To You Give Birth? Yup! The wifey. Added a new one to the family. 4. Did Anyone Close To You Die?Fortunately,

somewhere man

2005-12-20T08:44:00.000-05:00

somewhere in jacksonville, florida. second day of my training for a position i'll be in when i get back to Tampa. clocking a little below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. airconditioning blowing low heat and my toes are numb. will be preparing for "work" in a few minutes- - -after coffee and all that. good thing, though, they have unlimited internet access here in the hotel where i'm staying. scrimped

in-and-out-country

2005-12-10T14:33:00.000-05:00

after a month in Manila, i'm back where i'm supposed to be: here. we flew back to Tampa a week ago, leaving the kids behind (my folks would bring them when they fly here 6 months from now). yeah, yeah, some would probably wonder why i haven't posted anything in my short stay in-country, and the answer to that would be: i tried...and blame the computer (and the snail-pace plodding of a dial-up

countdown

2005-11-02T21:14:00.000-05:00

posting at 09:15 EST (that'll be +13H in Manila).will be flying home in 9 hours. i'm starting the countdown. will try to post something if ever i find a wi-fi signal.

re-bugged

2005-09-21T22:56:00.000-05:00

back on writing. hopefully this one gets the proper mileage it deserves. somehow, the bug continues to crawl, though at snail-pace, hoping to reach the checkered flag in anyway. cracking the safe with a safety pin or a toothpick for that matter. it'll budge. i know it will. just keeping my fingers crossed. that's all. and yes, a well-needed help from a friend. hehe. backtrack. two years ago.

t-minus...

2005-09-13T12:44:00.000-05:00

the past few days saw little rest on my part. probably because i've been loafing for so long that "rest" somehow morphed to something exhausting. maybe. my head's a cornucopia of muddled trash. of stagnation, emptiness and a pool of quandaries. sas coined me as someone who's unsure of everything. someone who is overly cautious. someone whose decisions don't achieve anything except another weight

a note off the page of my moleskine

2005-08-21T23:30:00.000-05:00

yesterday, i got myself one of the prettiest notebooks that hit the shelves of an office supply store. a moleskine large ruled notebook. admittedly, it was what i could call, an unnecessary splurge, but the past few days made me realize that i haven't attempted to start writing longhand again (an "unlearned how-to" after computers deliberately took over the entirety of my being). such

nightcap

2005-08-17T00:58:00.000-05:00

posting at 3 minutes before two in the morning. a late nightcap for someone nocturnal. been spewing lead on my private journal (other than this blog, i keep another journal in the confines of my notebook---away from the prying eyes of the cybervoyeurs), something that i haven't been able to do since i deleted most of my word processing applications prior to my departure to the US a year ago.

h-hour plus 12

2005-08-06T11:19:00.001-05:00

i'm officially and technically twenty-six for 12 hours now. i guess time has its way of saying that you're old. and another 12 more hours and you're counting the next year. another line on your forehead. mine has 26 lines pasted all over. not to mention the thousand plus gray hair i desperately try to conceal with a palmful of gel. four more years years and i'll step into another chronological

podhead

2005-08-04T15:10:00.000-05:00

finally got my birthday wish (well, one among the many, i'd say): an Apple iPod mini. courtesy of the wifey. hehe. been drooling to buy an iPod since the fad hit the musically-inclined and the auditory-impaired. guess that finances had its way of saying better luck next time, pal, you still have plenty of bills to spare your buck, and like a little child deprived of the toy he wanted the most....

potterhead

2005-07-20T17:58:00.000-05:00

lined up for the hype. not much of a potter fan, but rommel coined me anyway. a potterhead. included rowling in my latest literature stash. along with rucka and mieville. believe it or not, this is the only potter book that i own. hehe.

book survey

2005-07-20T13:09:00.000-05:00

tagged by jeff. and since i'm scrounging for something to post-pad here goes: (and yes, was also tagged by dodo---will try to do that after this, hehe.)1. Total number of books I've owned:have a humble stack of (and the last time i counted): close to 300, excluding those that i recently bought and those that were given. 2. What were the last book(s) I bought?:perdido street station - china

dennis the menace

2005-07-09T12:50:00.001-05:00

drove through a heavy downpour and a ferocious gale-like wind. took this photograph, balancing the car on one hand and a camera phone on the other. a glimpse of hurricane dennis in action in .03 megapixel:and another one:...and it still hasn't made a landfall yet.

nouveau visage

2005-07-03T10:01:00.000-05:00

jeff redesigned my blog. from the empty nook-and-cranny of my public journal emerged a new facade, bequeathed a life, aside from my daily ramblings that often turns out a bit constrained (as if updating this blog is a mandatory thing). thanks dude. really appreciate it.

geek speak

2005-07-01T11:14:00.000-05:00

found this on jeff's blog. as usual, post-padded. nothing much to do, really. i maybe a geek-in-progress. but i can say that i haven't totally neglected my social life.* addendum *yeah. i am a book nerd. i live on books. i live on movies. i live where people at my age would normally attempt to avoid. but hey, it's me.

the world according to.... (in 3 parts)...

2005-06-25T20:50:00.001-05:00

something to post pad. stole this from jeff's blog. losing the capacity to write a thing. anyway, here goes:three names you go by:1. etchie2. etch3. chiethree screen names you have had: 1. wedge2. chieet3. eihcte lognipthree physical things you like about yourself:1. eyes2. built (now, i'm getting fat...scratch that)3. handsthree parts of your heritage:1. taga-Bulakan (ang tatay)2. taga-Bataan (

cent-for-cent

2005-06-03T23:12:00.000-05:00

got back from one of those hail-to-heavens meeting that we were coerced to participate. feigned spirituality and all that crap. still, i'm the penultimate debunker. quoted ayn rand, bertrand russell and emanuel kant. played with einstein on the beach. yep. fucked with the language. threw english phrases like spewing lead off a vickers aircooled machine gun. eventually sputtered off. leveled the

blog day

2005-06-03T12:30:00.000-05:00

my blog turned one today. technically. actually, i started blogging a year before i decided to have my public journal go public. a year before i hooked up again on blogger. a year before i decided to dump my previous blogger blog and livejournal. started out with wedged world. merely because it came up as a perfect tag to my overused forum nick. dumped it. then, it was musings of a freelance