Get Disconnected...

Many people feel the need to get connected. I do too. With easy access to the internet, cellphone, and other means of communication...it's so easy to get connected. And there is always the old way: meet people face-to-face and just talk.

And people crave connectivity...I do too...

But lately, I am sick of it all. With the all-you-can-take-while-your-eyes-still-open connection to the internet and the cellphones, I just feel that this is beginning to be a bit too much... too much of other people's thoughts crowding my head. Too many information coming into my head at the same time. Too many of a little this and that. And a lack of sleep.

Well, after I'm satisfying my craving for connectivity by writing my blog...

I'm gonna get myself disconnected...
from the internet...
from this world...
from the people all around me...

read my book...
and just fall asleep...

Good night, world.

*disconnected*

JBL Creature Speaker II

C'mon, gimme some lovin', my babies...:P

After doing some casual research in the internet, I decided that I want to buy these babies. I was a bit reluctant at first in shelling out about 90 USD, but I went ahead and bought it and it was a very, very good investment. I was thoroughly impressed with the sound quality.

Mike, I'm going to use your own words in this, a'ight? So, a friend of mine (who is quite an audiophile, I'd like to say so myself) gave it a 9 out of 10. Coming from a guy who could tell whether or not a song is ripped in 192 kbps or 128 kbps, I'd just have to take his words for it. "Very good in the mid-range, but it could have been better in the lower and higher range. But hey, that's what DSPs are for, right? Put the speakers around 2 feet away from you for the best sound quality", that was what he said to me (and right now the speaker is actually sitting less than 2 feet away from me ha ha ha, belching out songs from my laptop).

Sound quality aside, these babies are aesthetically...unique. Just take a look at the picture I've inserted in this post. Even though this new version looks exactly the same compared to the original (without 'II' in its name), the design still looks fresh. The original one was in white though.

I would highly recommend this speaker to anyone looking for a high-performance speaker but having a tight budget (or just basically stingy ha ha ha). This one can easily out-perform any other speakers with the same price tag, even more expensive ones. Note for those who are looking for a good speaker for your iPod and don't mind not having the speaker charge your iPod and not having a remote control, you couldn't go wrong with this one. And on the plus side, the speaker can be used for just about any audio equipment that has a 3.5 port.

Now go buy it...if you're looking for a speaker that is ha ha ha.

Tagaytay

Tagaytay was alright,

The people in my project had been planning to go there during the weekend for quite some time, get ourselves on the boat to arrive at the island-slash-volcanoes and ride horses to the top of one of the volcanoes and see the lake in the crater. Thanks to one reason or another (usually bad weather) the plan had always got cancelled. Until one weekend.

We finally managed to go there during the weekend (it was October 28th 2006, by the way). The slightly overcast sky bode ill to our plan for a boat ride and horse ride. True enough, not long after we arrived at our brunch place it started drizzling. However, the drizzle came and went and we decided to brave the element and try our luck (actually, someone decided and I just came along for the ride).

Almost at the top

Someone up there must really love us because the sky became clearer during our boat ride and horse ride up the crater. Eventhough most of us got sore behinds and smelled like horse sweat when we got to the top of the crater, but the view along the way and at the top was quite breath-taking. In other words, the pain was worth it. And, it was a new experience for me so it was quite exciting. And scary. I have to admit that actually, there were moments during the horse ride where I held my breath to a combination of these factors: horse dung, fear of heights, breath-taking views, a steep climb, and my horse seeming not to like me sitting on its back. But that is exactly why it was fun.

The Lake Crater

High places and mountains always bring some sort of peace for me. Being away from the hassle and the busy-ness of cities and crowded places (which are usually located on lower planes) is always refreshing for me. So I was quite thankful for the opportunity to go to Tagaytay.

My horse...errr...his horse (psssttttt, he hated me because I only gave him 7 pesos...only got that much in my pocket, left my wallet back in the car and I hated myself for being a stupid, inconsiderate and stingy bastard...sorry kid)

The weather held even as we went down from the crater and during our boat ride back to the shore. So, I would like to say "thank you" to that someone up there who loves us so much. The trip also provided me with the perfect opportunity to try my shiny new camera, ha ha ha. And all in all, the whole Tagaytay trip was a bundle of joy. I would also like to say thank you to those people who has helped make this trip possible and let mo come along for the ride. It was great fun.

Whadaday...

Beat Monday. Very tiring for some reason, though not many issues at the office. So you'd think it was a good one, eh? Not exactly. Bland. Panda eyes, shit I need more sleep. Three cups of coffee didn't help. Felt like my consciousness took a back seat of all the action and let my brain and body go on auto-pilot with a dying battery. Just a blur of activities, people runnin' around doin' god-knows-what. And I was doing god-knows-what I don't know and I ain't giving it a damn.

Felt like snapping, but the battery wasn't even enough for auto-pilot and snapping would only make me shutdown the system. Could only look straight, narrow point-of-view. Literally, not figuratively. People passing by were like a blur of cars going the other way, like, when you floored the gas and going against the traffic...but I was on slow motion...

More coffee...Not good for the heart. Felt like pointing a gun to my forehead, firing it, and finding myself waking up from a dreadful nightmare, only to find out again that I'm still asleep, in another one fuckin' nightmare...Damn, Monday's such a drag...Un-fucking-believable...I need more coffee.

The travel agency people haven't yet confirmed my ticket, those fuckin' slackers. I've sent confirmation, but what do I get in my dear inbox? Zip. Zero. Nada. None. Pissed, I dissed out at a good buddy. Good thing she has skin as thick as a rhino's...good woman...Think she has a different view toward travel agencies around the world now....

The only thing nice about today was the warmth on the palm of my hands as I pressed them against the pantry window this afternoon. It was strange, the sky was dark and it was cold. But the window was warm. Height scares me shitless at times, but I didn't give a damn today. How could the window be warm? Hell, doesn't matter. At least there was one nice thing about today. Betting there was more, but I was on auto-pilot. Probably pissed off some people also. My team buddy, poor bastard, I must've gave him a hard time today.

Grounded myself in my cage again today. Panda eyes. In need of quality sleep. My tea's gone. Time to turn in for the night. No more foul language for today. I dissed out enough of 'em. Oh well, to turn things around a bit, I'll just listen to this song...

Saturday Night (Bon Jovi)...Geez this brings back old memories of college days...

Hey, man I'm alive I'm takin' each day and night at a time
I'm feelin' like a monday but someday I'll be saturday night

Hey, my name is Jim, where did I go wrong
My life's a bargain basement, all the good shit's gone
I just can't hold a job, where do I belong
I'm sleeping in my car, my dreams move on

My name is Billy Jean, my love was bought and sold
I'm only sixteen, I feel a hundred years old
My foster daddy went, took my innocence away
The street life ain't much better, but at least I get paid

And tuesday just might go my way
It can't get worse than yesterday
Thursdays, Fridays ain't been kind
But somehow I'll survive

Hey man I'm alive I'm takin each day and night at a time
Yeah I'm down, but I know I'll get by
Hey hey hey hey, man gotta live my life
Like I ain't got nothin' but this roll of the dice
I'm feelin like a monday, but someday I'll be saturday night

Now I can't say my name, and tell you where I am
I want to roll myself away, don't know if I can

I wish that I could be in some other time and place
With someone else's soul, someone else's face

Oh, tuesday just might go my way
It can't get worse than yesterday
Thursdays, Fridays ain't been kind
But somehow I'll survive

Hey, man I'm alive I'm takin' each day and night at a time
Yeah I'm down, but I know I'll get by
Hey hey hey hey, man gotta live my life
I'm gonna pick up all the pieces and what's left of my pride
I'm feelin' like a monday, but someday I'll be saturday night

Saturday night here we go
Some day I'll be saturday night
I'll be back on my feet, I'll be doin alright
It may not be tomorrow baby, that's ok
I ain't goin down, gonna find a way, hey hey hey

Hey man I'm alive I'm takin' each day and night at a time
Yeah, I'm down, but I know I'll get by
Hey hey hey hey, man, gotta live my life
Like I ain't got nothin' but this roll of the dice
I'm feelin like a monday, but someday I'll be saturday night
I'm feelin like a monday, but someday I'll be saturday night
Saturday night __________,all right, all right
Saturday night

Dedicated to you all Monday haters...Ha ha ha!

There's Hope

India,

If you're reading this blog (unlikely, but who knows), I'd like to thank you for it. Now, if I may I would like to spread the words. A sister might be in need of it, so I'd like to post the lyrics of your wonderful song.

Here goes:

Back when I had a little, I thought that I needed alot,
A little was over rated, but a lot was a little to complicated,
See zero didn't satisfiy me, a million didn't make me happy,
That's when I learned the lesson that its all about your perceptions,
Hey, are you a pauper or a super star so you act, so you feel, so you are,
It aint about the size of your car,
It's about the size of the faith in your heart

There's hope...
It doesn't cost a thing to smile,
you don't have to pay to laugh,
you better thank God for that...
There's hope...
It doesn't cost a thing to smile,
you don't have to pay to laugh,
you better thank God for that...
There's hope...

Off in the back country of Brazil,
I met a young brotha that made me feel that, that I could accomplish anything,
Ya see just like me he wanted to sing he had,
NO windows and NO doors,
he lived a simple life and was extremely poor,
On top of all that he had no eye sight,
but that didn't keep him from seeing the light he said,
What's it like in the USA, and all I did was complain..
He said living here is paradise,
he taught me paradise is in your mind, you know that ....

There's hope...
It doesn't cost a thing to smile,
you don't have to pay to laugh,
you better thank God for that...
There's hope...
It doesn't cost a thing to smile,
you don't have to pay to laugh,
you better thank God for that...
There's hope...

Every time I turn on the t.v ( there's hope)
Somebody's acting crazy (there's hope)
If you let it'll drive you crazy (there's hope)
But I'm taking back my power today (there's hope)
Gas prices they just keep on rising (there's hope)
The government they keep on lying (there's hope)
But we gotta keep on surviving,
keep living our truth and do the best we can do because

There's hope...
It doesn't cost a thing to smile,
you don't have to pay to laugh,
you better thank God for that...
There's hope...
It doesn't cost a thing to smile,
you don't have to pay to laugh,
you better thank God for that...
There's hope...

Stand up for your rights, Keeping shining your life, and show the world your smile

Stand up for your rights, Keeping shining your life, and show the world your smile

There's hope...
It doesn't cost a thing to smile,
you don't have to pay to laugh,
you better thank God for that...
There's hope...
It doesn't cost a thing to smile,
you don't have to pay to laugh,
you better thank God for that...
There's hope...

Yea yea

There's hope


Enjoy the song...

Content

The nightstand was glowing yellow,
The tea cup on the living room's desk is steaming, carrying with it a herbal scent,
"Turn the Stars On" by Acoustic Alchemy was playing softly in the background,
And I was asleep on my sofa, a book in my hands.

Nothing could be near to such perfection,
A companion and a golden retriever would complete it,
But for now,
It is enough for me.

Turn the Stars On

The day is dying, and the sun is returning to it's humble resting place,
The horizon is red, and the gulls are circling the sea in honor of the coming evening,
And finally the ocean embraces the sinking sun, and time froze,
Unspoken words hung in the air,
Unsung songs fills the emptiness,
And finally night claims the day...

City lights and the street lights shone,
And the night breeze cools down the heat of day
Festivities are held in honor of the ending of day and the coming of night,
Nocturnes held sway over the evening,
And as the wolves sing the coming of the moon,
Let's turn the stars on...

A Mess...Quite A Mess

It has been awhile since I last had a good exercise. I know that I've been living quite an unhealthy lifestyle lately, and it has started taking it's toll on my body. So last Saturday afternoon I put on my jogging track and my jogging shoes and went for a quick one around the block where my apartment was.

I couldn't believe that my stamina was THAT bad. Without going into too much details, I'd just like to say that back in the old days (this phrase makes me feel really old) I know I could do better. But at the very least, I took the first step and brave the run even though I was afflicted with a really bad migraine. So proud of myself (yeah...right...)

As I jogged I saw all around me the aftermath of a typhoon: fallen tree branches everywhere, littering the road. Nobody has done anything about these, and nobody didn't seem to care. I didn't either. I just ran...without caring...

In retrospect, as I sit here right now, I feel as if deep inside my heart I'm also going through the aftermath of a storm. There was wreckage everywhere deep inside, and I just ran past them. I'm just circling around and around, seeing the aftermath but pretending to not care. I kept going through the same street over and over again...as if I don't wanna let go but at the same time wanting to be careless. Yet I kept seeing the same thing again...

I would like to stop for awhile and clean up all the mess...I would like to have my time alone and grieve...But I haven't got the time for it, and I don't know whether I am strong enough. I can't keep on running. My eyes see them. My heart feels them. So, please, anyone, how do I nurse my heart back to health?

Is this the true calm after the storm, or am I in the eye of the storm?
And the worse thing, I don't know how I could face myself...