tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31664372011-11-28T07:28:28.337+08:00random mumblings of a life lived by the consumption of culture, popular or otherwiseJMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.comBlogger9031100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-39625339717149748922011-06-17T15:55:00.000+08:002011-06-17T15:55:24.604+08:00

Mabie came across this blog post just this afternoon. It certainly piqued my interest and made me think about just how simple I am as a person, quantified in a short and easy questionnaire. Just click the photos for a larger version of each. I scored 305 out of a possible 745 points. Hmmm. I guess I'm fairly simple, then. It's certainly an unscientific method but it was good for a few

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-1855034163890431682011-02-18T18:24:00.000+08:002011-02-18T18:24:17.815+08:00

I know I haven't updated this blog since forever, so my apologies. I'm writing now because I have an announcement to make. Mabie and I are proud to announce that after two years of taking photos of what we've eaten on our various dates, we've decided to become foodie bloggers. So, I announce our new blog, Shoot From The Gut! We've been prolific in churning out our content and we hope you join

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-81009175098310812782010-12-30T17:40:00.004+08:002010-12-30T18:15:04.026+08:00

Travel. Bohol, Bacolod, Baguio, Nasugbu and Tagaytay were some of the notable places Mav and I went to this year, and I loved every minute. Baguio was particularly memorable: until recently I've gotten sick of going there because my mom insisted on going at every possible opportunity without giving me freedom to explore on my own. Not this time. Even though Baguio is "Manila in the mountains"

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-55899107058839451132010-12-30T17:30:00.003+08:002010-12-30T18:14:30.541+08:00

Car clubs and forums. Not worth my time these days. I've done a respectable run over almost 7 years. When the headaches and gossip over blown egos outstrips the pleasure and advantages of participation, I think it's time to throttle back or let go altogether.Work. Most of the people I started working with have left and I think I've realized why. My environment no longer supports my professional

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-11619984790657137242010-03-21T18:33:00.003+08:002010-03-21T18:50:03.315+08:00

In high school and college, my exposure to motorsport was limited to watching Formula 1 and playing driving games like Gran Turismo and the Initial D arcade game series.I remember how it was such a big deal back then, especially to the Initial D crowd, to understand the idiosyncrasies of the game's physics and how to successfully exploit them to make the fastest possible course time records. The

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-66293955081982993292010-03-21T18:27:00.004+08:002010-03-21T18:33:26.482+08:00

These days I go online and look at the Internet and go to my usual sites and spend hours clicking away until I realize I'm basically looking at nothing. I'm clicking at the Refresh button and seeing no change when I expect something fresh to appear.The pathetic thing about this is I go online almost everyday.I am seriously bored with it.Perhaps it's time for me to get off my bum, forget about the

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-59266347862785209092010-03-08T21:33:00.002+08:002010-03-08T21:44:36.688+08:00

This morning I had a minor scare while driving along the Skyway. A loud bang emanated from underneath Aibo. Afterwards I had noticed every time I braked, I heard and felt something wiggle on the left front.Pulling over at Makati Medical Center, I tried changing wheels and used my spare. The problem didn't go away, however. Dropping off Mav at her office, I drove to Pitworkz Hongly in Sucat.There

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-26024982867592984422010-03-06T13:49:00.002+08:002010-03-06T13:52:47.247+08:00

Dear Santa Claus,I want a VHoldR Contour HD camcorder. Throw in the windshield mount and car charger.Pretty please?

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-39914068036743893342010-02-28T23:26:00.007+08:002010-03-13T00:30:00.996+08:00

When Edward told me about a trackday event at Batangas Racing Circuit to be sponsored by Cong. Mark Mendoza...I wasn't about to pass it up. Seeing how much costlier BRC's rental fee is compared to Subic International Raceway, I immediately jumped at the chance.My first exposure to it was in Mel's car, with me and Cliff along for the ride. Mel himself was following our instructor JP Castellano

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-19961208087541016142010-02-19T21:59:00.004+08:002010-02-19T22:04:29.737+08:00

Why can't we all just get along?Why can't we just follow the damn rules and respect the people in authority?Why can't we just listen to the grievances of others without biases?Why can't we stop crowding and tailgating other cars while driving?Why do our egos always have to get in the way?Why don't we look enough times before we leap?Why won't the feuding ever stop?Why do we have to get jealous of

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-90468439216302443002010-02-19T21:42:00.002+08:002010-02-19T21:54:56.770+08:00

February is a busy, busy month for me - much busier than normal.Last week Mav and I went to Canyon Cove for my birthday and to ACE Water Spa on the weekend, and then the week before that I went to Niku and Chielou's fabulous wedding.Tomorrow my mate Ador and I will be participating at the Accenture Badminton Club Cup tournament, while the weekend after, Mav, Joghz, Paolo, Ara and I will be going

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-81271375483019622902010-02-11T21:24:00.002+08:002010-02-11T21:30:12.945+08:00

Wow I've turned yet another year on my life. I must be getting old! Hahaha!It was a lovely lazy day spent with the love of my life on a road trip to one of the coolest resorts in Batangas, Canyon Cove. Then we had a great dinner at Manos Greek Taverna in Tagaytay. Aibo's legs really got stretched this time as we overtook a bunch of cars at full throttle along Nasugbu and Tagaytay's streets.Not a

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-60540411580859926712010-02-05T21:31:00.002+08:002010-02-07T08:24:53.204+08:00

Apologies for not updating as often as I should. PLDT has basically given me the shoddiest DSL ever and it's become nigh-impossible to catch it working at home.I am in a fascinating time. There are so many opportunities and activities opening up for me that I can't help but get excited at all the potential I'm smelling.For three weeks now Mav and I have been jogging at Bonifacio High Street. We

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-5894363481177610362010-01-18T20:47:00.004+08:002010-01-18T21:39:11.183+08:00

To kick off the year right, I signed up for the 2nd Pitworkz/Hongly Trackday, once again held at Subic International Raceway. I had Mav and her brother Paolo along once again for the ride.Unlike the December 5 event where just 10 of us shared the track on an extended, timed practice session, this trackday was a sold-out blockbuster affair with well over 40 participants. The majority of the

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-23584313254990444782010-01-06T20:22:00.002+08:002010-01-06T20:28:58.764+08:00

As I write this post I'm in Mav's bedroom. I'm sleeping here tonight because of the long-awaited Bohol trip tomorrow, and we have to leave for the airport by 3 am.The funny thing about this is it still feels like the trip is weeks away and not tomorrow morning. Perhaps that's because Mav and I have been planning this for quite a long while now - about five months ago to be exact. I'm not psyched

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-39809785241815870362010-01-04T20:36:00.003+08:002010-01-05T08:14:09.021+08:00

People who know me well know that I don't drink much, especially the hard stuff. I'm more of a red wine kind of guy.So you can imagine what happened to me when Uncle Butch sent in 750mL of Patron's finest "Silver" agave tequila for the consumption of me, my dad, Uncle Gerry, Uncle Joey and my cousin-in-law Miguel on Bianca's birthday.In hindsight, I took it pretty well, I guess. I paced myself as

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-1910504315517506752009-12-31T14:22:00.003+08:002009-12-31T14:31:27.375+08:00

I talk about getting my own place all the time nowadays but honestly I have no idea if I already know how to actually own my own place. Owning is a given if you've paid for it of course, but by "owning" I mean the upkeep and maintenance of a house.If I'm ever going to start somewhere, I should start with what I already have: my room. The perennial problem with me and my room is dust. My sinuses

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-75984044669374485642009-12-28T19:23:00.005+08:002009-12-28T20:16:20.214+08:00

Car modification. The mods themselves were few and far between, but their utility made a very big difference. Already I can say the Recaro SRD seats and BRIDE RO-type seat rails are the single best modification I'd ever done to Aibo, as they increased my comfort greatly and laid out a solid foundation for developing my driving technique on the racetrack. However, I am most proud of how I did a

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-62586741388776497402009-12-28T19:00:00.005+08:002009-12-28T20:18:38.084+08:00

Car clubs and forums. I've basically sworn off most of the car clubs I've participated in because there are people who either cannot admit that they are wrong, or cannot see past their huge egos. My only remaining car club is HCP and I have no plans of involving myself with any more.Exercise and fitness. For the second year running, my fitness has gotten progressively worse. While I was able to

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-60781137482296474032009-12-27T08:12:00.002+08:002009-12-27T08:23:24.330+08:00

I guess I really am getting older. Not only has Christmas lost its characteristic "spark" as a holiday, but 2009's yuletide celebrations have also seen me in my poorest state of health yet. Between consecutive parties, lots of food and not enough sleep, and even a wedding the morning after Christmas Day, I felt like I could collapse and tremble at any time had my will not kept me on my feet. Naps

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-52272313032912932202009-12-19T11:03:00.003+08:002009-12-19T11:09:13.150+08:00

Christmas is only six days away.I don't feel it for some reason.The cold is there, the ridiculous amounts of food have been served, the bad traffic is present, the people doing their last-minute shopping are obvious. Yet I feel so detached from the celebrations, as if Christmas itself is still a month or two away.Maybe I'm tired, or maybe I've just become a bit jaded.

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-2800963004282514722009-12-19T10:24:00.004+08:002009-12-19T11:02:11.553+08:00

True friends of mine know that I am a sucker for the anime "The Super Dimension Fortress Macross" from 1982. The mix of space warfare, transforming planes and robots, an engaging love story and a huge slug of J-pop music made it an instant classic.Twenty-five years later, Shoji Kawamori and Studio Nue made a brand-new series set about 50 years forward: "Macross Frontier." And dare I say, this is

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-80347315139167897472009-12-06T10:34:00.009+08:002009-12-06T13:03:27.119+08:00

Finally the Team Flat Out trackday pushed through. Unlike the previous April trackday, slightly cloudy skies greeted us at the track and a steady breeze kept us all cool and comfortable.Also unlike April where we were about 30 participants in all, this trackday saw just 10 of us hooning around Subic International Raceway's short track. That allowed for more practice in consecutive hot laps and a

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-53313276542803376892009-12-04T20:28:00.004+08:002009-12-04T20:54:11.439+08:00

Typhoon Ondoy wrecked our previous plans back in September, but tomorrow seems to be as good a day as ever to proceed with the Team Flat Out trackday. Since my first crack at Subic International Raceway in April, I've been itching to join another trackday, practice my skills and perhaps cut a few tenths (if not whole seconds) off my personal best time of 1:04.4.Instead of upgrading anything

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-24457760759426977622009-11-29T23:00:00.002+08:002009-12-04T20:24:56.037+08:00

It seems the feathers are piling up on my hat as a singer.The wedding went well, although not without frustration. There were last-minute changes to the song lineup and the singers which irked Ate Maya, Ate Edith and me to no end. A friend of the couple actually approached us at the choir balcony with chords to a song in hand. We were surprised and irked because it was totally uncoordinated, but

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-64059136419287641712009-11-18T21:42:00.004+08:002009-11-18T21:49:49.257+08:00

And "if you're everyone then everyone sucks," eh.If being a purist means having to contend with blown egos, spending contests and hardparkers, I'd gladly be part of "everyone."Thanks for the invite, but you can have your JDM. I don't want it. I have bigger fish to fry.

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-47597148579457934512009-11-17T20:11:00.003+08:002009-11-17T20:36:07.341+08:00

This morning as I drove to work at 6:30 am, I saw a pleasant surprise climbing up the C5 off-ramp. I was about to pass my old steed WHH687, my 1999 SX8 Honda City 1.5 EXi.It had been neglected by the new owner, at least cosmetically. I saw only its left side and rear; the rubbing strip had come off the left rear door exposing the mounting holes beneath. However, WHH687 was still mechanically

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-204968539252499652009-11-11T21:38:00.005+08:002009-11-11T21:49:27.849+08:00

We as forum moderators have power. We have been entrusted the power to silence, the power to redirect attention, and the power to mediate in conflicts.But are we deserving of such power? The reasons why we are moderators, I believe, come to the fore and are tested when we are forced to deal with offenders.I've had brushes with forum mods and admins who fancy themselves on a power trip and mete

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-78159788280952745612009-11-08T21:29:00.005+08:002009-11-08T22:47:43.468+08:00

Things used to be a lot simpler back in the day. People met online in forum websites purely for discussions' sake. People logged in, made friends, networked, reached out to other friends.Nowadays there just has to be the odd profiteering gesture thrown in. There just has to be the odd fragile ego that has to be crushed by nothing more than an honest remark. There just has to be the proverbial bad

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-38560056114901991432009-10-25T20:28:00.003+08:002009-10-25T21:27:50.747+08:00

In the green and yellow corner, we have Conti's. This is the pastry shop and restaurant famous for its long lines and cakes. It almost needs no introduction.In the yellow and blue corner, we have Heaven & Eggs. Relatively soft-spoken compared to Conti's, its only recent claim to fame is its Michael Jackson-themed menu offerings - apart from that, they offer a menu festooned with pancakes,

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-6616559162960989082009-10-21T21:07:00.003+08:002009-10-21T21:15:34.667+08:00

Control is an illusion, you infantile egomaniac. Nobody knows what's gonna happen next: not on a freeway, not in an airplane, not inside our own bodies and certainly not on a racetrack with 40 other infantile egomaniacs.- Dr. Claire Lewicki, "Days of Thunder" (1990)

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-65424924275480989402009-10-17T16:52:00.003+08:002009-10-17T17:33:07.429+08:00

For this month Mav and I decided to try something different. I've always been curious about Nanbantei of Tokyo in Greenbelt 3. As might be obvious, this is a Japanese restaurant, but its fare isn't exactly your run-of-the-mill tempura and sushi fare. Instead, Nanbantei is a yakitori joint, the Japanese equivalent of the grillery.Skewers of meat and vegetables are grilled by the cooks and served

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-61265383644306366112009-10-17T16:47:00.003+08:002009-10-17T16:51:58.398+08:00

I'm tired of:- Bruised egos.- Posers.- People who can't follow rules.- People who post nonsense.- Bullies.- People who have no taste whatsoever.- Moneyed folk with more purchasing power than ability.- Having to apologize for doing the right thing.The long and short of it is this: I'm tired of car clubs.

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-72851984817005163972009-10-17T16:38:00.002+08:002009-10-17T16:47:03.034+08:00

By now you've probably been inundated with the news of these two typhoons bringing a couple month's worth of rain in the span of six days. As a result so many places are flooded, in some cases without any hope of subsiding until Christmas at the earliest.We were one of the lucky ones. Just down my block, people had their houses at least knee-deep in flood.I won't add any more to this as most of

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-14226964250845904182009-09-20T12:49:00.004+08:002009-09-20T12:59:43.320+08:00

This Sunday morning I wasn't expecting anything out of the ordinary. In my head I knew that I just had to go to the usual 9am mass and sing, then go home afterward.After the mass was done, Ate Edith pulled me aside and told me that someone wanted me to sing for her daughter's wedding.It came as a complete surprise. I was really, really flattered, but a little embarrassed at the same time because

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-66981971022615848752009-09-15T11:36:00.005+08:002009-09-20T12:10:38.447+08:00

I love you Mav! Happy anniversary to us, and many more to come!Five hundred twenty-five thousandSix hundred minutes, Five hundred twenty-five thousandMoments so dear Five hundred twenty-five thousandSix hundred minutes How do you measure, measure a year?In daylights, in sunsets, in midnightsIn cups of coffee In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife In five hundred twenty-five thousandSix

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-20225299917869030442009-09-08T09:21:00.002+08:002009-09-08T10:02:55.144+08:00

That was Mav explaining her love-hate relationship with Longchamp bags. We were at Rustan's last Saturday night and she was trying to see the merit of owning the genuine article as opposed to a Greenhills knock-off. No merit in it, I think; it escapes both our minds why these bags are almost obscenely expensive. However Mav gets sleepless nights over these Longchamps.When you're expected to pay

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-48905610993522705442009-09-07T10:14:00.001+08:002009-09-07T10:53:51.163+08:00

The week before last, I met Pao, a fellow poster from JACU and JDMUnderground Philippines. He happened to work at the same building as I did. When I asked what kind of work he did, he said he was from the Human Resources department of Summit Media, publishers of "Top Gear Philippines."Last Thursday, on my way to the grocery I walked into Botchi Santos, one of Top Gear Philippines' more popular

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-76077177499300881552009-09-07T10:03:00.004+08:002009-09-07T10:10:47.201+08:00

It's officially a holiday today but because my office is part of the BPO and Electronics segment, we're exempt from it. My lead was so diligent in letting me know over the weekend that yes there's work on Monday. So, scuppered long weekend plans and all, I did the morning bit, drove Aibo to work, and arrived at 7:45 am.As of this writing I've been rotting in my seat for two and a half hours with

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-78013614896503214302009-08-26T10:06:00.004+08:002009-08-26T20:42:25.725+08:00

I find that I'm listening to more radio nowadays.I've been alternating between the old favorite Magic 89.9 and the relatively new kid on the block, Jam 88.3.Magic in particular has prided itself on becoming a radio station known more for its DJs than its music, which frankly lacks variety and gets tedious to listen to. The thing is you won't listen to Magic for the music. I was too engrossed with

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-123627857325058002009-08-11T21:22:00.003+08:002009-08-11T21:40:17.864+08:00

One of the things the package from Uncle Butch and Auntie Carole had inside it, aside from the usual clothes and foodstuffs, was JB's old PlayStation 2. It had been a while since my beloved PS1 (itself a hand-me-down from Tita Hedwig) bit the dust, and I was getting by using emulation to play my old PS1 favorites.It's funny how late I am with the console gaming industry party nowadays. Two years

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-8820647075799896942009-08-07T21:50:00.002+08:002009-08-07T22:17:22.239+08:00

On my final month with my current client I am beginning to miss working for Barclays.Work has been in shambles lately, with overzealous, arrogant developers biting off more than they can chew, a process that's frankly worthless, test data so fragile it breaks down with one ill-advised action, and test scripts that are too damn long for their own good.I'm not saying Barclays was without problems,

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-56307473738598183382009-07-30T13:55:00.003+08:002009-07-30T17:16:51.858+08:00

Why do I have to flyover every town up and down the line?I'll die in the clouds aboveand you that I defend, I do not love.I wake up, it's a bad dream,No one on my side,I was fightingBut I just feel too tiredto be fighting,guess I'm not the fighting kind.Where will I meet my fate?Baby I'm a man, I was born to hate.And when will I meet my end?In a better time you could be my friend.I wake up, it's

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-29812657867885166862009-06-27T11:33:00.002+08:002009-06-27T11:55:47.998+08:00

As a kid growing up in the 1980s, I idolized Michael Jackson. So much so that instead of being called by my real name I wanted people calling me "Michael" or "Mike" --- although my dad also supposedly named me after the Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger too, how true that is I don't really know. At four years old I used to dance with uncoordinated energy to his song "Bad." I used to think he could do

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-1902090951809246022009-06-25T16:39:00.004+08:002009-06-25T17:14:40.214+08:00

As a writer, my one greatest weakness is that I suffer from the potential of giving people what Mao used to call "logorrhea." It's like loose bowel movement but with words instead of feces.I am so jealous of people - songwriters, lyricists and poets, for instance - who can drive home their loaded point with the sparest of verses. Perhaps I'm more jealous of songwriters as I hardly read poetry

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-57913516439815516462009-06-23T07:41:00.004+08:002009-06-23T08:04:57.801+08:00

Over the past few months I've become genuinely surprised, frustrated and annoyed at how lazy people have become searching the wealth of information the Internet has. Here we are, swimming in a veritable ocean of information, and yet people still keep asking the same dumb questions - persistently. Worse, people are becoming gullible and believing all these myths circulated by email, forums and

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-87401973986108012212009-06-21T10:56:00.003+08:002009-06-21T11:30:38.226+08:00

It's been a while since any anime got me this excited and pumped up.Animax started airing GAINAX's Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann last month and I've been following it with fervor. As a Gundam fan I usually like my mecha anime cut from the "real robot" mold, but Gurren Lagann is undoubtedly an homage to the "super robot" anime of the 196os and 1970s, complete with impossible feats, ridiculous weapons

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-34924814047171872342009-06-08T22:01:00.002+08:002009-06-08T22:06:23.006+08:00

...I get good "karma" from people who appreciate what I do.After becoming a virtual persona non grata on a certain car club for speaking out what I believe, I had gotten disillusioned with car club forum websites and the airheads that reside in them. I'm glad I didn't give up on them entirely. Apparently FitFreak.net's members know how to recognize goodwill and good advice.Maybe there's some

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-51565958399156613472009-06-05T21:11:00.001+08:002009-06-08T21:33:02.232+08:00

Every time someone got rolled off from Barclays, or resigned from Accenture entirely, it used to merit a stoppage of work and at least thirty minutes of drama, saying farewells and looking back on the good times. For my first couple of years there that used to be the case.When people started to leave en masse however, that drama went away. Everyone just bit the bullet and accepted the hard truth:

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-78590296875636436592009-05-31T13:53:00.004+08:002009-05-31T14:18:03.135+08:00

I spent the week without Aibo as I sent him into my friend Butch Ortiz's shop, CrossFive Auto, for rust removal around the rear hatch area. This rust sadly seems to be the legacy of that major rear-end crash Aibo had with a bus one year ago.When Aibo came out of that crash sporting a new rear bumper and rear deck spoiler, people were amazed that he looked much better than ever. Unfortunately

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-307389138278695422009-05-31T13:18:00.002+08:002009-05-31T13:22:27.090+08:00

For a few months now I've been frustrated with the way the PJACU forums have turned into.The place has turned into some sort of ridiculous place of worship, where the main virtue is how quickly and how lavishly this husband-and-wife team can blow their money on their cars and their other toys. Every month they have either big-ticket mods or shiny new cameras - which is a little too frequent, to

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-1830458716183174652009-05-27T20:09:00.002+08:002009-05-27T20:29:09.957+08:00

I haven't been blogging as frequently as I should. A lot of developments have happened over the past couple weeks.The biggest and most important one is this: After three years, I am now parting with the friends I've made at the Accenture Barclays Unit. Due to the recession, there just hasn't been much work for the Internet Channels team and so the decision was made to split the team in half. The

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-34499696343130290792009-05-10T22:54:00.001+08:002009-05-14T20:55:57.646+08:00

Mother's Day 2009 was a pretty busy one.Firstly, we sang at four different masses today, singing the a capella "We are an Offering" and an accompanied "Inay" for all the mothers in the parish. When you're up and singing from 7am to 6:30pm, that's a pretty big ask.Second, I finally got to install the Recaro SRD seats I bought three months ago. This project couldn't be completed because the Bride

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-43180469394401941382009-05-03T21:00:00.005+08:002009-05-03T21:30:18.292+08:00

Mav invited me to tag along with her friends on the little weekend summer outing they planned in Los Banos. We went to a place called Splash Mountain, which sported four slides, a "lazy river," and the warmest swimming pools I've ever dipped into.Excepting the ridiculous Calamba traffic, the suicidal lunatics on SLEX everyone else calls drivers, and a lost shirt, it was a wonderful weekend that

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-14564486477748611402009-04-25T13:41:00.010+08:002009-05-03T20:59:54.067+08:00

At last, our Internet access has returned after three weeks. It's funny how we've all become dependent on the Internet here at home, even my mom.In the intervening days, a lot has happened. The highlight concerned me finally breaking the duck with trackdays. I finally got to participate in a proper trackday in Subic, after six years of being part of car clubs! Mav and her brother Paolo tagged

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-50940188233555884022009-03-31T21:12:00.002+08:002009-03-31T21:19:35.678+08:00

I'm usually crappy at reading up on other people's blogs...and for that I apologize.Proof of that is this belated New Year's post I read on Dynee's blog, which is one of the most unexpected yet touching things I've come across. I'm not used to people paying me any compliments, so this is a surprise I liked.It's been so many years since she left that comment on this same blog, and never did I

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-88729224877350675512009-03-28T23:58:00.003+08:002009-03-29T00:14:07.198+08:00

People who've known me from my high school days know that I've had real experience doing the dirty work of writing, designing layout and preparing to print a magazine. Indeed, all this experience really influenced me in choosing my courses in college. I tried to continue my enthusiasm for the magazine into college, but got tripped up by my inability to follow beats in preparation for writing a

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-9990549516744268332009-03-16T22:02:00.003+08:002009-03-16T22:13:52.947+08:00

Sometimes, all I really need to break me out of my rut of depression and self-pity is the knowledge that someone still loves me, despite my personality flaws and quick temper.Sometimes, all I really need to soothe my tired soul is a warm, enveloping hug from someone who knows their true worth.Sometimes, all I really need to calm my frayed nerves are kisses so balmy from lips so soft that they

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-22168178184579682162009-03-16T21:25:00.003+08:002009-03-16T22:22:28.929+08:00

On a whim I bought myself a copy of Doug Andrew's book "Millionaire By Thirty: The Quickest Path to Financial Independence." Despite my hobby-slash-vice of car modification, I am interested in trying to make my money grow.I'm almost halfway through the book, and he does offer quite unconventional advice. Never have I heard of actually embracing a select amount and type of debt to make money.

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-83867024024298992282009-03-14T14:31:00.004+08:002009-03-14T14:52:48.841+08:00

No, that's not something from Macross. I'm talking about myself.Lately I seem to have become a reactionary hair-trigger. It's not as if it's anything new. I guess I've struggled with this my whole life. This past week I've failed putting a throttle on my reactions, the end result being a huge mess that's gotten me in trouble with my leads.They've expressed their disappointment with me. It's a

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-74482048363741064702009-03-08T10:43:00.003+08:002009-03-08T11:07:26.173+08:00

Just thought I'd share a few photos of a nice place Mav and I found in Robinsons Place Ermita. MoMo! is a little new cafe which college students frequent (or infest) due to free WiFi. However I feel they could make much more if they downplay the WiFi a little, because they do make really good food.Okay, so their Ultimate Mac & Cheese isn't so ultimate, but the 10" Smoked Salmon with Dill Cream

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-37351357502108295242009-02-28T19:51:00.004+08:002009-02-28T20:05:30.777+08:00

Now I know the name of the condition that's afflicted me with sinusitis, altered vision, unworkable headaches and vertigo whenever I get a bad cold: allergic rhinitis. As it turns out, this doesn't have a cure and all I can do is manage it and try to avoid the allergic triggers. This month's bout of it has chopped away four days off my working month.===As my birthday gift to myself, I finally

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-11171542835320609702009-02-21T08:17:00.006+08:002009-02-21T08:45:29.051+08:00

It started out just like any other day. I went to work, fired up the computer and went to the JaCU forum for any updates.The update that greeted me left me astounded and in disbelief. Francis Javier, the beloved "Frankster" of Honda Club Philippines and Philippine Jazz and City United, had passed away due to cardiac arrest on February 19, 2009. He was thirty years old.He was one of the kindest

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-88267481506873980812009-02-11T21:55:00.006+08:002009-02-12T06:54:32.627+08:00

Waking up to The Twilight Zone featuring the comedian stuck in hell.Stool samples in a glass jar of dulong.A lucky break thanks to the parking security guard at Cybergate 1.Annual physical examination.Peeing into a cup and a bottle without any privacy.The crawling southbound traffic of C5 at 10:45 am.Emission testing at Makati.Counting just how many colleagues bothered to greet me.Counting the

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-22537221911241512532009-02-09T21:14:00.003+08:002009-02-09T21:22:03.297+08:00

After spending a few days in the renovated Makati Medical Center, Mav is back on her feet and cured of her gastritis. Yay!There are a few caveats though, the most notable being the short list of foods that she is permitted to eat for the next couple of weeks. Apparently everything else will just screw with her gastrointestinal tract and give her hyperacidity as well.It's a small price to pay, I

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-43197037443880346372009-02-06T23:20:00.007+08:002009-02-07T00:16:35.183+08:00

My love and I, we work well togetherBut often we're apartAbsence makes the heart lose weight, yeahTill love breaks down, love breaks downOoh my oh my, have you seen the weather?The sweet September rainRain on me, like no otherUntil I drown, until I drownWhen love breaks down, the things you doTo stop the truth from hurting youWhen love breaks down, the lies we tellThey only serve to fool

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-60136947550574152602009-02-05T22:09:00.002+08:002009-02-05T22:14:23.771+08:00

My girlfriend Mav is quite seriously sick.She's had a case of bum gut that has lasted much, much longer than it should. The doctors have diagnosed it as gastritis, and they've treated her for it, but for some reason her tummy's still busy doing painful cartwheels and making her puke. She's now been confined in Makati Medical Center for observation, at a most inopportune time---the hospital is in

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-29108368064674371742009-02-03T21:34:00.005+08:002009-02-03T21:49:07.690+08:00

Two weeks went by so fast.In that span of time, my beloved Auntie Carole and Uncle Butch visited from LA, stayed with us, walked around the malls, shopped for clothes, ate out, ate in, played golf, danced, drank coffee, drank booze...and generally just had a really great time. Just the other day they flew back.I miss them already. I miss driving them around. I miss Uncle Butch's jokes and Auntie

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-57096139159691141522009-01-18T11:24:00.002+08:002009-01-18T11:29:57.950+08:00

This song comes courtesy of my music-loving friend Anton Guidotti.(Keep the fire bright)There's a river inThe evening ember glowAnd you're wishing you could seeHow far it flowsRolling on to an endless seaYou'd be well on your wayIf you could only set sailBut dreams can drift awayAnd sails can fill with doubtWhere's your visionIf the embers flicker out?Don't let it slip from viewThe horizon's

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-83357967886558342852009-01-18T11:11:00.003+08:002009-01-18T11:24:47.109+08:00

A couple of my friends have been struck down with pretty serious illnesses.Francis Javier of JACU has had a pre-existing heart condition, but following the January 2009 EB he reportedly collapsed and had to be brought to the ICU. His heart had been palpitating and beating very fast---I believe the condition's called tachycardia, which literally means "racing heart." It didn't help that his heart

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-40935713049870243932009-01-11T20:02:00.007+08:002009-01-11T21:57:12.718+08:00

It's been a very interesting couple of weeks for a gearhead like me.===Because of a runaway piece of debris (concrete or dense wood, I'm not really sure what) snaking across the SLEX, one of Aibo's wheels had a very strong impact---strong enough to bend the rim out of shape and rip my Bridgestone S-02PP rubber along with it.I had planned on replacing the S-02s---great tire with full tread depth,

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-62310239650478356182009-01-07T22:05:00.003+08:002009-01-08T06:46:32.185+08:00

I thought it would never come, but I got a pleasant surprise at 7 am Tuesday morning with nobody else in the office.Software Certifications sent me the e-mail I had been waiting for throughout the holidays. I was expecting it to arrive in time as a Christmas gift, but I guess even they have to take a holiday break sometimes.I opened the link embedded in the e-mail...and punched my fist in the air

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-43101951903047444382008-12-31T11:59:00.001+08:002008-12-31T12:22:27.238+08:00

Love. Mav and I have been together for three and a half months at this writing...and every minute has been a blast so far. My waiting seems worth it because I really don't want anybody else. I love you my baby.Cooking. Not so long ago I learned how to cook my very first real dish, and even served it to my colleagues soon after. With great results, may I add. Here's to more culinary capers.Saving.

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-69758766379109394332008-12-31T11:51:00.003+08:002008-12-31T12:06:21.687+08:00

My car and its accidents. My stock wheels got damaged by a huge rut along the Sta. Rosa SLEX entry point. Friday July the 13th really bit hard into my and Aibo's ass when a bus-shaped, bus-sized suppository came crashing into my life. Aibo got white paint droplets from careless painters at my workplace. A few days ago, one of my 16" wheels suffered damage due to a runaway piece of dense, chopped

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-21964828513298991682008-12-25T13:56:00.009+08:002008-12-25T14:11:45.407+08:00

Christmas sure isn't doing me and my stomach any favors. With food being served left and right, it's a major challenge just trying to keep control. Some dietitians say people shouldn't deprive themselves or exercise too much control over their diets over the holidays, but the scary truth is, a lot of people seem to die in December or January due to hypertension or heart attacks. Until I can shed

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-33020578393255523822008-12-25T12:31:00.009+08:002008-12-25T13:56:27.640+08:00

My Wisconsin friend Dynee would be glad to know that I have finally shorn off my long-standing ignorance in the kitchen.Well, sort of. I'm still largely a culinary nincompoop, but now at least, I can proudly claim that I am able to cook pasta...specifically my mom's delicious "pomodoro penne" with tomatoes, basil and oregano.Spurred on by a dare from Mav, I made it a point to cook my first dish

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-17130807081506417642008-12-17T20:52:00.003+08:002008-12-17T20:58:40.730+08:00

First, Honda made a shock announcement that it's withdrawing from Formula 1 next year.Next, Suzuki and Subaru have effectively short-circuited their campaigns in the FIA World Rally Championship and quit, effective 2009.What a shame. Just when things were beginning to come into fruition for these three beloved Japanese car companies with sport in their blood, the faltering economy and, in

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-78335323079354861622008-12-14T15:02:00.005+08:002008-12-14T15:34:59.175+08:00

It's not as if it's anything new, but it's still the case and worth mentioning anyway.Mav has asked me a number of times about what my favorite season is, and I usually never give her a straight answer because I don't really know which time of the year I like best myself. I'm realizing now however that Christmas does rank pretty high up there.People who've followed my blog know that I'm now in my

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-29489794811398457312008-12-14T14:36:00.005+08:002008-12-14T15:01:03.273+08:00

At last, Aibo's maintenance-related expenses are done...for now.The 40,000-km maintenance service, the rust removal and panel repaint, and general air-conditioning maintenance took a huge bite out of my so-called "Bride Digo fund." All those expenses basically cut the fund in half, which means I have to start saving up again if I'm to get any closer to the big-ticket items I had originally

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-12078844099149536732008-11-27T20:40:00.003+08:002008-11-27T20:46:47.511+08:00

My friend Francis from Jazz-City United spotted this on the recent issue of Honda's Challenge magazine.Apparently my Aibo just got its fifteen seconds of fame. Aibo is right beside the lead black GD Jazz.

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-37284511134578260372008-11-27T20:18:00.004+08:002008-11-27T20:48:12.629+08:00

I think I've come to the point where I've become tired of putting in the effort to study. I had Tuesday off; I spent it doing everything else except study.Wait, that's not entirely true. I did spend some time studying. Anyway...Aibo's 40,000-km service job went pretty well. Most importantly, it came out a couple grand cheaper than I was expecting. Any money I save is important, yes.The big news

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-22846839079914665862008-11-27T20:02:00.002+08:002008-11-27T20:47:50.016+08:00

The CSTE exam is over.True to form, at no point in my review and studying did I ever feel that I would ace the exam. There was always that possibility that I would flunk. It did not help that a fatigue-related headache struck me smack in the middle of the essay portion. No matter. I resist the urge to look at my materials again and look at what the correct answers might have been. What matters is

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-26319640208005030802008-11-23T11:35:00.003+08:002008-11-23T11:52:53.000+08:00

The past couple of weeks have practically depleted the time I planned to spend on studying for the CSTE certification exam. Due to "magical events" out of my control (and I meant that very, very sarcastically), no matter how perfect my attendance record had been, I am forced to render overtime just to earn the right to take time off. Some anonymous, unknown idiot had mucked up the computation of

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-83899766063610066802008-11-15T11:14:00.002+08:002008-11-15T11:17:08.503+08:00

Yes, I'm supposed to be studying for the upcoming CSTE certification exam on the 26th. But CSTE is one of those things where regardless of how hard you study, you will always be thinking that you haven't studied enough.Makes me wonder whether I should have taken ISEB instead.

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-90555156258629393182008-11-15T10:59:00.004+08:002008-11-15T11:09:37.959+08:00

The weather's getting colder, the days are getting uncharacteristically busier, and the bonuses are coming in.Frustratingly though, I'm still nowhere close to getting that Bride Digo seat even if I do have the money already. Other big-ticket expenses---most of which are maintenance-related---have popped up and demand greater priority. My A/C compressor has gone finicky, my L13A3 engine needs the

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-5782509083361769592008-11-15T10:33:00.001+08:002008-11-15T10:37:16.699+08:00

A suggestion: Rewrite the banner to account for text-speak, too.

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-77744022609975966972008-11-08T12:06:00.004+08:002008-11-08T12:16:33.475+08:00

Things at work have left a bad taste in my mouth and everyone else's.The vacation leave applications for November and December we filed in advance so many months ago have been summarily disapproved. Not everyone has been as vocal as PJ, but everyone is pissed off at this development. Upper management is blaming the global recession and chargeability for this disagreeable turn of events. They

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-61620415319403051052008-11-02T11:22:00.001+08:002008-11-02T11:28:45.429+08:00

Just this morning, right after the mass, birthday girl Karen from our choir collapsed and shuddered in the first real-life epileptic seizure I have ever seen. She had hit her head on the cold marble floor of the church.I was shocked. Being the closest to her when the seizure happened, I tried to help but did not know what I was supposed to do. Apparently, according to onlookers, pressing on the

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-23049646540140486612008-11-01T22:21:00.003+08:002008-11-01T22:37:11.311+08:00

Lately I've had the chance to sample my dad's new Lancer as a shotgun passenger.The interior is a gaping black hole, but with nicely supportive seats. Interior fit and finish isn't quite a patch on the FD Civic just yet, due to a few cheap, hard plastics, but what is there works quite well. The folding grab handle doesn't feel comfortable to hold after half an hour though.In-car entertainment

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-59337284945827883592008-11-01T22:12:00.002+08:002008-11-01T22:21:39.251+08:00

My developer friend Adrian Ayala has decided to throw in the towel. In the tradition of my good work friends leaving me, he's decided to follow his own path outside Accenture...after he takes a one- or two-month sabbatical with his brother in Minnesota.The guy is one of the funniest people I've ever met---but don't let that fool you because he's also very well read. He's also got a very keen eye

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-8235066217281889662008-10-23T21:51:00.005+08:002008-10-23T22:10:48.175+08:00

There's only one major drawback to living in a place of my own.What's going to happen when I get sick?That's a rather big concern. I succumbed to ridiculous levels of fatigue last week, ultimately crashing down with the flu and taking three days off work. Within that span of time I was pretty helpless.The obvious recommendation would be to avoid getting sick, but there really are days when you

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-26658464429114442612008-10-12T20:23:00.002+08:002008-10-12T20:52:27.681+08:00

My dad laid down the gauntlet for me and Bianca at the dinner table. The two of us are no longer young, yet we're still living with our parents, basically as freeloaders. By comparison, he'd moved out of the family home at sixteen or seventeen.He was daring me to leave my comfort zone, to learn to live all by myself without househelp. Without anyone to clean up after my mess. Without anyone else

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-10082948951141206192008-10-11T21:45:00.003+08:002008-10-11T21:53:41.484+08:00

Lunch: Fredo pizza and frozen cappuccino mud pie at Joey Pepperoni.Afternoon snack: A 500 mL bottle of Pocari Sweat.Dinner: Tandoori chicken and bagoong rice at Penang Hill.Driving conditions: Horrible traffic, rude drivers and even ruder motorcyclists.They all equal one memorable date. I love you beyb!

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-51828816791047862232008-10-04T16:08:00.004+08:002008-10-04T16:58:41.746+08:00

Ever since Mav and I have been friends we've always told each other about our little "projects"---things that we wanted to buy for ourselves and stuff to keep us busy. Since she already posted her Christmas wishlist, she invited me to do the same.I'm not sure if any of these things will come my way by Christmas this year, though, but this is the list of things I'm slowly but steadily saving up

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-65298475964800759882008-10-02T23:21:00.004+08:002008-10-02T23:30:53.809+08:00

I've just come home from church after a three-hour rehearsal for the upcoming fiesta mass on Sunday. This was a joint one with the other choirs in the village, notably the Missa Populi choir with their keyboards, electric guitars and drums.Master tenor Andy was on hand to give direction to the huge assembled ensemble. We numbered more than seventy people from four different choirs. But all of us

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-37006100478798372332008-09-27T14:40:00.003+08:002008-10-02T23:50:48.976+08:00

The glow of a sodium street light.Misted-up windows.The sound of your breath.The smell of your hair and skin.Frosty kisses.Hugs that seem to go on and on.===Thank you, Mav.

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-66824674997516970282008-09-27T14:36:00.002+08:002008-09-27T14:39:49.359+08:00

You are pathetic.If you are not willing to forgive me you are simply being a big spoiled brat. My transgression isn't even that big. You shame a lot of guys by the size and fragility of your ego.Grow up.

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-2050282114146276972008-09-27T14:15:00.004+08:002008-09-27T14:27:02.834+08:00

The ECU on my dad's old Trooper decided to give up the ghost a week ago. Without an ECU, the big hulking SUV gets relegated to the role of "nice, imposing go-anywhere vehicle that can't go anywhere."Because my dad visits farms regularly, he really does need the four-wheel-drive off-road capability on his ride (unlike a lot of posers I know). Unfortunately, the ECU will cost PhP91,000 to replace

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-44936428549201031802008-09-18T21:24:00.002+08:002008-09-18T21:59:09.235+08:00

In the end, I had to give in to what my heart was telling me all along. The white elephant in the room had made its presence known all too frequently and denying it was futile.Initially I tried to fight it, denying that which stood right in front of my eyes. I was just too afraid of my past mistakes, of screwing up again, of victimizing yet another with the vengeful misogyny I realized I was

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166437.post-40459814523311940082008-09-12T23:29:00.003+08:002008-09-12T23:42:10.354+08:00

Perhaps I may have been wrong about people not appreciating me and my efforts at work. If the results of the recent "secret encourager" activity are anything to go by...apparently sometimes I know just how exactly to hit the spot.My encouragee holds a special place in my photos of my colleagues for never smiling in them, save for one. Basically I compiled all of them and showed her how important

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383651659462223936noreply@blogger.com1