Bill Blahs

1Q84

2012-01-29T20:10:00.003-05:00

Contrary to what people (including some of my friends) thought when they first heard of the book, 1Q84 is not an offshoot of 1984, the dystopian novel that George Orwell wrote decades ago. The title might delude us into thinking that they might be really similar somehow, but the reality is, they're really very different in so many ways.

Or are they?

Haruki Murakami is known to be quite a story-teller with a very wild and fertile mind. In this particular novel; he uncorked his thoughts bottled up inside his brain to let the words flow like fine wine and turned a seemingly simple story (which is quite full of nonsense if you are a realist) into a great surreal fantasy love story.

1Q84...

The characters Tengo and Aomame have a big full plate to eat and digest in front of them. With Tokyo as their playground, they need to get over the obstacles that fate has outlined ahead of them in order to solve the puzzles and answer the questions that have been long simmering and hibernating inside their heads for quite a long time.

1Q84..

The question marks-

The 17-year old mysterious Fuka-Eri and the relationship of the maza and dohta. The paradox of the Little People and the Air Chrysalis. The riddle of the two moons; the large yellow one and the smaller, misshapen green one. And the power of the human touch and the extraordinary things that people will undergo and the sacrifices that they will do to finally find their one true love.

1Q84.

And of course, the graphic and weird S-E-X-U-A-L 'insertions' in the novel that only a Japanese male could conjure are worth noting, too.

Yes, I have toiled, lived, and dreamed in my own supernatural world, a parallel universe of sort for weeks. Ah, the hours that I had to spend and the labor that I had to endure just to get through the 925 pages of what seemed like a journey into the world of black magic and wet dreams.

But I am awake now.

1Q84-2012.

Hinahanap-hanap kita...

2012-01-11T18:58:00.007-05:00

...seen on the January 10th episode of Jeopardy! in the "Sounds like a Capital" category.

It seems like a double entendre to me, if you know what I mean.

Butter Fingers

2012-01-04T17:57:00.008-05:00

The 900+ page "1Q84" by Haruki Murakami is the last item from my so-called 2011 last quarter recreational book stash to distinguish them from the obligatory technical and scholarly tomes that are the accepted parts of my day-to-day existence.

Not seen in the photo were Paulo Coelho's "Aleph" and Patricia Cornwell's "Red Mist", the latter I was able to finish on the first day of the year. But IQ84 will have the distinction of being the first book that I will start and finish in 2012.

Sorry folks, this nonsense is just a silly exercise to actually exercise the joints of my chubby fingers in preparation for my resolve to resurrect my blogging mojo back from self-imposed hibernation.

When hell freezes over in my cerebral cortex, I will let the dumb ice melt and thaw...

Then I will write -- err, type.

Once in a Blue Moon: A Juan Luna on eBay

2011-03-27T20:12:00.039-05:00

In this day and age, who would have thought that we can still find a Juan Luna painting not in the hands of wealthy private collectors or hanging inside the gallery of established museums?

Well, there is one on eBay right now, the bidding of which will end in less than two days. The bid is now up to $12,000.00 and counting...

The said painting is entitled, "Joaquin Pardo de Tavera- Age Four- 1888" which according to the seller goldeneye, he was commissioned by a US- based descendant of the Pardo de Tavera clan to dispose some of the family's heirlooms which also included old medals, badges, etc. Thus, a note to the skeptics, the provenance of the painting can easily be traced if you ever win the said auction.

However, the said painting has some imperfections (watermarks) and has undergone some restoration in the past by or under the aegis of another famed Filipino Alfonso Tiburcio Ongpin. Still, and being a history buff, the historical value of this work of art is quite significant. It would be awesome if a Filipino will win the auction and return this rare piece of art to the Philippines where it belongs.

And if only I had the money to compete with the other bidders, I would certainly do it in a heartbeat. Yes, reality bites in this case and so I will just be contented watching in the sidelines but not before putting a one- time bid (despite knowing the futility of ever winning the painting) which probably contributed to the bidding frenzy. Thus, I can say that I was part of history when a Luna got sold on eBay.

How's that for showing a bit of a mean streak or in this case, painting envy? hehehe

Oops, Victoria Secret has done it again

2011-01-11T02:06:00.010-05:00

A heavenly and uplifting sight, indeed.

What can I say but...

Brazilian supermodel Adriana Lima and her gorgeous $2 million gemstone- studded bra is a sight to behold.

So, let us all shout our hallelujahs for the miracle that is the bra! And sing our hossanahs for the beauty that is Adriana Lima.

Obladi, Oblada!

La-la-la-life goes on...

BRA!

The Detroit Skyline on Christmas...

2010-12-25T23:45:00.004-05:00

...as seen from the 28th floor of the Greektown Casino- Hotel.

Tales of the Oval Office

2010-11-26T22:00:00.005-05:00

President Obama was recently reported to have busted his lips while playing basketball. His predecessor, George W. Bush, almost died while munching on a seemingly harmless pretzel.

Should the next US Presidential aspirants sign a release clause and be given a warning that-

"The Oval Office is hazardous to your health"

By the way, which is way cooler: Barack Obama getting 12 stitches after being elbowed on the kisser while playing basketball or George W. Bush cutting his face and bruising his lip after falling on the floor while choking on a pretzel?

Still, Bill Clinton and his deliciously- hot cigar trumps them all.

An Amorsolo Auction

2010-09-23T17:30:00.006-05:00

Who wants a Fernando Cueto Amorsolo painting?

There's one up on auction by a gallery in Boston with a starting bid of $5,000 and will end up in less than 24 hours. Check it HERE

Oh, if only I won that Megalotto jackpot this week, that Amorsolo could've been mine.

Glee Fever

2010-09-06T16:14:00.013-05:00

The news that international singing sensation Charice Pempengco will be part of the cast of Fox's critically acclaimed musical- comedy Glee has been greeted with glee (bad pun intended) by fans of the Filipina vocal dynamo.

The recent release of the promotional video showed a glimpse of Sunshine Corazon (Charice) engaging Rachel Berry (Lea Michelle) in a bathroom showdown of sorts singing Lady Gaga's hit song Telephone.

In the video, Charice was shown with a pony- tail and wearing those big geeky- glasses which reminds us of the bucktoothed, bumbling, bespectacled Mr. Yunioshi who earned his 'props' making a fool of himself in the movie "Breakfast at Tiffany's" which was one of the stereotypes of Asians in old Hollywood.

Well, let's just hope and keep our fingers crossed that Glee will not make Sunshine Corazon act like the typical caricature of Asian girls seen in tragic comedies nowadays; hysterical, giggling, glasses- wearing, and speaking in a high- pitched, heavy- accented fortune cookie English.

And one more thing, with a name like Sunshine Corazon, the creators behind Glee are probably sending us covert messages that they were actually fans of the late Cory Aquino and her Yellow Army which was really quite obvious the moment they stole the Laban sign from us and incorporated the image behind a yellow background in an earlier promo for the show.

Clueless in Detroit: Alicia Silverstone

2010-08-30T21:53:00.018-05:00

I was walking along the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel when I heard a voice say "cut"! Some people were shooting a TV series called Detroit 1-8-7 on State St. just beside the hotel. The security people told me that I could not pass on that particular side of the street.

So, I turned around and headed back to the hotel and bumped into a familiar face at the door but didn't register. Then I realized who she was and whipped out my iPhone and took some shots on an unmade- up Alicia Silverstone clad in gray sweat pants, blue shirt & flip-flops while on her way to a film shoot for her movie Vamps just two blocks down on Griswold Street.

It could have been better if I managed to take a photo when she came out of the door while looking straight and smiling at me. Btw, I liked her in the movie titled The Crush back in the early 90s.

Alicia Silverstone (partly hidden by her PA) while talking to the lady in shades inside the SUV who turns out to be Krysten Ritter, her co- star in the film.

Alicia Silverstone (partly hidden), Krysten Ritter (with the shades) & Richard Lewis (in the passenger side of the SUV)

+ Vamps will hit the big screen next year.

Venus

2010-08-23T23:54:00.008-05:00

Bb. Pilipinas- Universe Venus Raj landed in the Top 5 at the Miss Universe beauty pageant in Las Vegas. Although she failed to bring home the coveted crown, nevertheless, it's still a huge accomplishment for the dusky and gutsy Bicolana on the world stage wherein she bested 78 other beauty titlists to earn 4th runner- up honors.

Oh, if only she expounded and elaborated more on her answer, maybe she could have won it all.

Miss Universe judge and actor William Baldwin asked, "What is one big mistake that you've made in your life and what did you do to make it right?"

"Thank you so much, Sir for that wonderful question," Venus responded and proceeded to greet the audience who in turn cheered her heartily.

"You know what, Sir in my 22 years of existence I can say that there is nothing major major, I mean, problem that I have done in my life. Because I am very confident with my family, with the love that they are giving to me. So, thank you so much that I am here, thank you thank you so much."

Maybe it's about time for the Philippines' future beauty pageant representatives in international competitions to let go of the English language and avail the services of an interpreter in the dreaded Q & A portion.

Maybe it's about time to let our beauty queens use our native tongue to express themselves better. Maybe it's about time that the world hears the beauty of the Filipino language.

Malacanang Millionaire

2010-08-14T01:10:00.011-05:00

Nah, this is not about the palace's former tenant PGMA or the newly- elected one P-Noy.

This is just a question in the game show "Who wants to be a Millionaire?" which I happened to be watching at 2:22 in the morning.

Yes, as usual the night owl in me is up and wide awake in the wee hours and decided that watching TV rather than counting those sheep to will myself to sleep is a better option to catch those elusive z's.

Meredith Vieira: I did some reporting from there when I was with CBS News.

The girl with the multi- colored hair

2010-08-12T22:57:00.001-05:00

Mary Elizabeth Winstead aka Ramona V. Flowers

What would a guy do to win her love?

Fight and defeat her seven evil exes even if one of them is a girl.

Scott Pilgrim did.

How about you?

Well, the movie is good for cheap laugh but her beauty is not.

Yes, there is really a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.

Mind Fuck

2010-07-27T21:10:00.012-05:00

How can one do something of substance when your mind is in a state of complete disarray?

It's an exercise in futility although one now realized that spontaneity is not equal to our sense of judgment and direction.

How can one unclutter his mind of impure thoughts, crazy ideas and magical impulses without being punched in the gut in return?

One can try as he must but until hell freezes over it will not matter.

Why can't we just purge the remnants of the past and just shove them deep in our sorry asses, then?

Who really cares whether one is lonely or happy? Who gives a fuck on how and what one feels or thinks? Who cares whether one is right or wrong? How can one pour his soul onto something and regret it in the end?

Nobody but the damned themselves but who gives a fuck.

^^Photo @ the ledge of the '103 floors, 1,353 feet in the air' Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) Skydeck.

Subliminal message?

2010-07-19T22:08:00.005-05:00

I- 75
Michigan

I've Got the Music in Me

2009-09-10T19:06:00.006-05:00

When I was about 11, my Dad gave me a cassette tape of Chopin’s nocturnes and told me to just listen to it and let the beautiful melodies carry me to places that I have never been to. "Just go with the flow," he said. Although I did not quite get it then, I certainly understand it now.

I had it on my Walkman and cassette player for years until it died a natural death due to the inevitable wear and tear. I have since bought a similar recording on CD years ago where I would usually listen to the very familiar tunes in my quiet moments. It helps my mind relax and dream of the future in stressful times.

And today, I am returning the favor.

I say Dad, let the familiar melody of your favorite nocturne bring you joy wherever you are today. Requiescat in pace.

Happy Birthday Akihiko-san!

Lea Salonga...YOUR SONGS

2009-08-01T18:56:00.002-05:00

Hi Everyone!

Thank you so very much for the support you have shown throughout my over 30-year performing- and- music- making career. As a way of showing of showing my gratitude. I'll be holding a special concert in December dedicated to you. However, I need your help...I'd like to ask you to help me shape this show by letting me know exactly what you'd like me to sing!

You can send in your request through this website until September 30, 2009. And if you have any photos with me, please send them to the Photos page. I'd love to have a copy for my scrapbook!

Plus, I'm giving out an extra treat! After the deadline for requests has passed, we'll tally the entries to get the top 3 most requested songs. Everyone who asked for any of those songs will be eligible for a raffle where I'm giving away tickets to this special concert. So send in your requests now!

I so look forward to hearing from you! See you in December!

Lea Salonga

Cuándo, Cuándo, Cuándo

2009-07-31T00:19:00.005-05:00

I was up late the other night doing my usual stuff when I decided to drive into the nearby Taco Bell for the so-called fourth meal. I got there in less than 5 minutes and waited for another five in the drive thru before my orders were taken. I bought a steak burrito and some nachos and proceeded to pay my bill which made me laugh upon seeing the devil’s number printed on the receipt- $6.66!

The number of the beast, my a** and laughed my heart out. I drove back to my flat like the devil and got there in 3 minutes flat. I climbed the stairs in slow motion and made sure that I did not make a sound lest I might disturb the old man downstairs who was probably deep in slumber.

I opened the door and went straight to the kitchen. I popped a caffeine-free Diet Pepsi from the fridge, settled myself on the couch and watched a re-run of Cold Case on the TV while partaking of the meal in front of me.

The burrito was really good while the nachos were a bit soggy already but who cares, the best part of these regular late night forays was in the eating. No wonder my waistline’s bulging and my weight’s ballooning although I could easily lose them once I start my basketball and other fitness regimens again.

But the question really is- when?

Schumi is back!

2009-07-30T21:43:00.004-05:00

Yes, 7-time world champion Michael Schumacher is back in Formula One. He will be driving the other Ferrari up until Felipe Massa is fit again to drive for the Italian carmaker.

This is good news to Ferrari and F1 fans alike, and I am equally delighted for I have not followed F1 as much as I did ever since his retirement in 2006.

This is another challenge for him and knowing how competitive he is, people will naturally expect him to win some races. But whatever the outcome, it will not diminish the fact that he is one of the best, if not the best, driver in Formula One history.

Now, it’s time to take those vintage red Deutsche Vermogensberatung caps out as the prancing horse will definitely be flying again.

Beautiful Detroit!?

2009-07-06T22:55:00.011-05:00

"In 1950, Michigan was 1 of 8 states in America that collectively produced 36% of the world's GNP."

"Detroit was the greatest manufacturing city in the world."

Detroit native and controversial superstar - rapper Eminem paid homage to his hometown in this video of Beautiful, the fourth single from his latest chart-topping and million-selling album “Relapse.”

The said video was shot at Detroit’s famous and historic landmarks from its golden years. Now these historic buildings like the Packard Motor Car Company Plant, the Beaux- Arts train station, and the original Tiger Stadium, that were all built prior to 1914, are nothing but shadows of their former selves.

By watching the video, one can see the sad state of the City of Detroit nowadays; down on her knees and out of luck. Detroit may recover some of her pride someday but probably will never be able to equal much less, regain her glory days. It’s sad when a once beautiful city succumbs to urban decay.

The former Packard Motor Car Company plant, once the home of the elegant and beautiful Packard- Studebaker automobiles, which were designed by the Architect of Detroit, Albert Kahn, and was the first reinforced concrete plant in the United States, is now condemned to damnation.

The Beaux-Arts train station, also known as the Michigan Central Station is now a junkyard; a refuge for the homeless and a haven for criminals and dope addicts. The sounds of trains coming and going are long gone in this part of the city and so this magnificent building, designed by the same architects who made the New York Grand Central Station, is to be demolished soon according to some knucklehead politicians using President Obama’s stimulus money.

The Tiger Stadium was the pantheon of the Tigers’ halcyon days when they went all the way to the top of the baseball world by winning the World Series in 1968 and 1984 respectively. Roger Maris jumpstarted his quest for the historic 61 in 1961 in the same field as Babe Ruth in 1921 recorded of what is now believed to be the longest verifiable home run in major league baseball history. It was also the hallowed ground where Lou Gehrig had his final game before he succumbed to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, a disease that eventually was named after him.

The original Tiger Stadium is gone, demolished completely just this month, a sorry fate that was sealed long ago by some corrupt politicians who run the city. The pleas and efforts to save “The Corner” from the wrecking ball by the fans and conservationists alike went for naught. And it’s funny that with a single stroke of the pen, all the records and memories were swept into the dust bin of history.

Born on the 4th of July?

2009-07-04T06:40:00.051-05:00

The Filipino people used to celebrate its Independence Day on the 4th of July, the same day the people of the United States celebrate theirs.

It was not until 1964 when Philippine President Diosdado Macapagal changed it back to the date when Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed our independence from colonial rulers in Kawit, Cavite in 1898.

Hence, we Filipinos now observe June 12th as our Independence Day while July 4th was subsequently renamed as the Philippine- American Friendship Day.

Our “friendship” with Uncle Sam goes back a long way and it’s a good thing, as many would attest to that by saying that it’s really good to have a big brother looking out for you. Many will believe that the Philippines benefited a lot from its friendship with the United States more than the United States benefited from us.

What if I tell you that it's the other way around? Indulge me.

History will tell us that Uncle Sam (even if he will not admit to it or give us proper credit for it) has a lot to thank his Little Brown Brother for, without whom the United States will not be what is now today- the only Superpower in the world both economically (even with the on-going recession) and militarily (can afford to fight war in two fronts e.g. Iraq & Afghanistan).

But somewhere back in time, the United States was not a dominant world power per se. It only became one when they emerged victorious during the Spanish- American War wherein “mighty” Spain ceded the Philippines to the United States for $20 million at the Treaty of Paris in 1898.

The euphoria of winning the war against Spain rubbed on the American politicians and leaders with imperialistic mentality at that time, among them Presidents William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt, that lead to the annexing of the Philippines by the United States in the guise of Benevolent Assimilation to justify the move.

Thus, we can trace the emergence of the US as a world power and the birth of its propaganda machine vis-a-vis its foreign policies with the appointment by President McKinley of Cornell University President, Dr. Jacob Schurman to the so-called First Philippine Commission which doomed the aspirations of the Filipinos headed by Emilio Aguinaldo of becoming an independent country after 333 years of Spanish rule.

The Schurman commission’s report about the Philippine situation became the blueprint of the United States’ foray into the international stage to quench its imperialistic goals. Many of its succeeding policies that were implanted then and up to the present were lifted or can be traced to that piece of paper. Funny but the content of which is very familiar to us, people who follow the news everyday-

"Should our power by any fatality be withdrawn, the commission believe that the government of the Philippines would speedily lapse into anarchy, which would excuse, if it did not necessitate, the intervention of other powers and the eventual division of the islands among them. Only through American occupation, therefore, is the idea of a free, self-governing, and united Philippine commonwealth at all conceivable. And the indispensable need from the Filipino point of view of maintaining American sovereignty over the archipelago is recognized by all intelligent Filipinos and even by those insurgents who desire an American protectorate. The latter, it is true, would take the revenues and leave us the responsibilities. Nevertheless, they recognize the indubitable fact that the Filipinos cannot stand alone. Thus the welfare of the Filipinos coincides with the dictates of national honour in forbidding our abandonment of the archipelago. We cannot from any point of view escape the responsibilities of government which our sovereignty entails; and the commission is strongly persuaded that the performance of our national duty will prove the greatest blessing to the peoples of the Philippine Islands."

Despite the objection and opposition of conscientious Americans and the Anti- Imperialist League in the US, the US government proceeded with the annexation of the Philippine Islands where it ended up embroiled in a bitter and shameful war that it tried to bury in oblivion.

The playwright Mark Twain, one of the leaders of the anti- imperialist movement wrote, “I have read carefully the treaty of Paris, and I have seen that we do not intend to free, but to subjugate the people of the Philippines. We have gone there to conquer, not to redeem. It should, it seems to me, be our pleasure and duty to make those people free, and let them deal with their own domestic questions in their own way. And so I am an anti- imperialist. I am opposed to having the eagle put its talons on any other land.”

He also noted that, “There is the case of the Philippines. I have tried hard, and yet I cannot for the life of me comprehend how we got into that mess. Perhaps we could not have avoided it — perhaps it was inevitable that we should come to be fighting the natives of those islands — but I cannot understand it, and have never been able to get at the bottom of the origin of our antagonism to the natives. I thought we should act as their protector — not try to get them under our heel. We were to relieve them from Spanish tyranny to enable them to set up a government of their own, and we were to stand by and see that it got a fair trial. It was not to be a government according to our ideas, but a government that represented the feeling of the majority of the Filipinos, a government according to Filipino ideas. That would have been a worthy mission for the United States. But now — why, we have got into a mess, a quagmire from which each fresh step renders the difficulty of extrication immensely greater. I'm sure I wish I could see what we were getting out of it, and all it means to us as a nation.”

The Philippine- American War (or the Philippine War for Independence) was downgraded by US government spin doctors into the so-called Philippine Insurrection Campaign and were omitted in many history books in the United States. You will be lucky to find a book that deals on the subject in most libraries in the continental United States. Instead, in its place, you will find an abundance of thick and glossy volumes that glorified the “Liberation” of the Philippines in World War II.

In these books, they inculcated into the American consciousness, the US role in the “just” war, of liberating the Philippines from the hands of the evil Japanese Empire. And at the same time, they also etched into the Filipinos' psyche the gratitude to the American liberators that as if by doing so, they will be absolved of their past wrongdoings and that the sins of the past will just go away.

In essence, the Philippine- American War was a war that the United States wants and hopes to forget. It was a war that is bound to be forgotten. But it was a war that they had no right to be in, in the first place. It was a horrific war that the United States refuses to acknowledge its culpability nor issue an apology even more than a hundred years after it happened.

They still maintain that the doctrine of benevolent assimilation was the best thing that ever happened to the Philippines. They say that Uncle Sam gave the Filipino people an education. But did Uncle Sam really educate us?

As a result of the 50+ years of benevolent assimilation, the Philippine population were reduced by more than one and a half million out of its 7 million inhabitants, with the island of Samar becoming the poster for genocide when it became a “howling wilderness” on orders of Gen. Jacob H. Smith to annihilate all male natives from 10- years old and above that was termed as the “pacification” campaign.

Gen Smith’s order was clear to his subordinates, “I want no prisoners. I wish you to kill and burn, the more you kill and burn, the better you will please me” in retaliation for the deaths of 40 US soldiers when they were attacked by the natives in the town of Balangiga. The reprisal was indeed a thousand times harsher wherein non- combatants like women and children were not spared by the orgy of death and looting. The American soldiers also carted away everything in sight including the town’s church bells as war booty.

More than a century later, the church bells were still not returned to the Philippines despite repeated demands and petitions from both Filipinos and well- meaning Americans alike including a failed promise to look into the matter by then President Bill Clinton. They’re currently in the possessions of the 9th Infantry Regiment in its base at Camp Red Cloud in South Korea and the 11th Infantry Regiment at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Yes, through the 50+ years of benevolent assimilation, the United States has a lot of things to thank the Philippines for.

The list might be endless, so for the sake of brevity, I'll just focus on some obvious facts--

Long before the Nazis hauled the Jews into concentration camps in Dachau and Treblinka, the United States did it first to the Filipinos in Batangas, Marinduque, etc. by way of the so-called “protected zones.”

Long before the term “hamletting” was coined during the Vietnam War, the Filipinos experienced them first hand from the American occupying forces. Hamletting is the practice of displacing residents and holding them literally under the gun for days on end.

Long before the Nazis practiced the "Final Solution to the Jewish Question", the United States did it to the "Filipino Question."

Long before the advent of “Free Trade”, the US government gave us the Bell Trade Act and other “freebies” towards the “fair use” of our natural resources.

Long before the schemes concocted by the likes of Bernie Madoff and the Banking Sector screwed the American people, the United States Government's Rescission Act of 1946 did them first to the Filipino World War II veterans.

Long before the practice of water boarding by the US Military in Iraq and Guantanamo came to light, the US Military did it first to the Filipinos a century earlier.

In the words of Lt. Grover Flint during the Philippine- American War, quoted in Benevolent Assimilation: The American Conquest of the Philippines, Stuart Creighton Miller (1982)-

"A man is thrown down on his back and three or four men sit or stand on his arms and legs and hold him down; and either a gun barrel or a rifle barrel or a carbine barrel or a stick as big as a belaying pin, -- that is, with an inch circumference, -- is simply thrust into his jaws and his jaws are thrust back, and, if possible, a wooden log or stone is put under his head or neck, so he can be held more firmly. In the case of very old men I have seen their teeth fall out, -- I mean when it was done a little roughly. He is simply held down and then water is poured onto his face down his throat and nose from a jar; and that is kept up until the man gives some sign or becomes unconscious. And, when he becomes unconscious, he is simply rolled aside and he is allowed to come to. In almost every case the men have been a little roughly handled. They were rolled aside rudely, so that water was expelled. A man suffers tremendously, there is no doubt about it. His sufferings must be that of a man who is drowning, but cannot drown. ..."

And let us not forget that the iconic .45 caliber pistol was invented when Gen. Pershing and his men requested for more firepower when they found out that their firearms were proven ineffective in stopping the pesky “Moro Juramentados" on their tracks.

In retrospect, we can aver that Uncle Sam owe his stature (in terms of economic and military power) in the world today to his Little Brown Brother who stood by his side through thick and thin.

And as they usually say, with a big brother like him on our side, who needs an enemy?

Long Live the Filipino- American Friendship Day!

Note: A good friend gave me a book today. I will read it once I'm done with Lustbader's The Bourne Deception, Clavell's Shogun, Cornwell's Scarpetta and Patterson's Cross Country.

photo credits: Life Magazine, New York Journal

Goodnight Girl

2009-06-30T20:03:00.004-05:00

*
cold night * warm embrace
soft music * slow dancing
sweet wine * mind games
brown eyes * blue eyes
masked emotions * repressed passion

Michigan State of Mind...

2009-06-29T03:23:00.006-05:00

“In the depths of every heart, there is a tomb and a dungeon, though the lights, the music, and revelry above may cause us to forget their existence, and the buried ones, or prisoners whom they hide. But sometimes, and oftenest at midnight, those dark receptacles are flung wide open. In an hour like this, when the mind has a passive sensibility, but no active strength; when the imagination is a mirror, imparting vividness to all ideas, without the power of selecting or controlling them; then pray that your grieves may slumber, and the brotherhood of remorse not break their chain.”

- Nathaniel Hawthorne

Northern Michigan, Seasons, Sunrises, Beaches, Waterfalls, Mountains

photo credits: coloneljohnbritt

Angels or Demons?

2009-06-26T01:55:00.015-05:00

Farrah Fawcett was my favorite angel in Charlie’s Angels

She was every young boy’s darling while growing up in the 70s & 80s

She defied the norms when she posed for Playboy at the ripe age of 50

Her futile battle with the Big C was well- documented and became the staple of America’s penchant for reality shows

No matter how we view the life that she led, it cannot be denied that she was a woman who was not afraid to speak her mind and follow her heart no matter what

She was a woman in her own right.

+

I liked Michael Jackson

I followed his meteoric rise to the top of the world and his free-fall thereafter

But I did not buy the sexual molestation allegations that were hurled against him by people with hidden agenda that was further fueled by the media into a conflagration that consumed his fragile soul

He was part of my growing up years; I’ve danced to his music, listened to his songs and bought his records

I understood his eccentricities and frailties as a person

I was able to separate the genius from the man.

"Simply Beth-iful"

2009-05-16T22:17:00.008-05:00

I came across a home video by Sara Hickman while lurking YouTube today. Although I am not that familiar with her career as a singer, her song, Simply, touches me in a very special way.

I have not heard this song in more than a decade and hearing it again is like a breath of fresh air for me. Actually, it was really bittersweet. You see, the song is a favorite of somebody dear to me and the melody is simply beautiful…

Beth, my college buddy used to sing the song in our ’tambayan.’ On some occasions, I would end up accompanying her on my old acoustic guitar while she would fill the air with her hauntingly soft beautiful voice. I even remember now of composing a short instrumental piece based on the song in her honor while under the influence of the spirit of the great San Miguel.

We became friends during the second year of our Pre- Med-- dissected cats together, goofed around in chemistry lab, fooled our geriatric professor not once but twice, good-naturedly embarrassed one another countless of times, and drank our hearts out in the evenings.

We did a lot of stuff that could make some people laugh, cry and cringe at the same time. Yes, we did smile in happy times and understood each other in silence during sad times.

So, tonight I will drink a bottle or two, dust off my old guitar and play the song once again for you, my dear friend.

I say, thank you old buddy for the beautiful memories and thank you Ms. Hickman for the lovely melody.

*Beth died in a tragic accident a month after our graduation, 17 years ago today.