Musings of a Vicks Inhaling Man

Left to Dry

noreply@blogger.com (dio t'ama) — Sun, 27 May 2012 14:55:00 +0000

Books: Work - The World in Photographs

noreply@blogger.com (dio t'ama) — Wed, 23 May 2012 14:33:00 +0000

Another source of ideas for my study in photojournalism. It arrived yesterday. A photographic book on different types of jobs from around the world, from the most glamorous to the most hellish.

The Ballerina In You

noreply@blogger.com (dio t'ama) — Mon, 14 May 2012 13:34:00 +0000

Are you ready to sway?

Like the lazy ocean hugs the shore.

My Books: The Missing Piece

noreply@blogger.com (dio t'ama) — Thu, 10 May 2012 15:36:00 +0000

It was missing a piece.

And It was not happy.

So it set off in search

of its missing piece

And as it rolled

it sang this song -

Oh I'm lookin' for my missin' piece

I'm lookin' for my missin' piece

Hi-dee-ho, here I go,

Lookin' for my missin' piece

After more than 5 years of looking and almost 2 months of waiting, it's finally here. It arrived yesterday and I got it only today. I'm glad that I already found The Missing Piece.

Originally written by Shel Silverstein in 1976, I came upon this book after it was made a reference by one of my favorite authors, Harold S. Kushner in one of his articles. I was touched by the article and I first read the book in the internet. Reading it was not enough, I had to have a copy of the book. It's one of the simplest but thought-provoking books that I ever came across. It appeals to all because even a child can read and understand this book. I won't bother you with a summary because it is best read by oneself. It only takes about 5 minutes to read this book, but it can also change your outlook in life.

I recommend this book for everyone. To those who haven't read this, find it. It's a literary treasure to behold.

Now, I'm waiting for the arrival of my order to sequel of this book. In a month or two, it will come.

Can You Spell the Word Correctly? No More Shortcuts.

noreply@blogger.com (dio t'ama) — Wed, 09 May 2012 14:33:00 +0000

the abbrev is a hndy wy

of shrtng up a wd

but crried beynd verbal lmts

the thgts becms absrd

Richard D. Cox

Here Comes "Supermoon"?

noreply@blogger.com (dio t'ama) — Sat, 05 May 2012 15:12:00 +0000

What makes it super? "It will appear extra big and extra bright". I think that doesn't makes it super. Clark Kent needed incredible strength and speed, can leap buildings in a single bound, x-ray vision, heat vision and breath so cold that he could turn things to ice, just to be called "Superman".

If only reality meets fantasy. "Supermoon" could be similar to "Mogo" in the Green Lantern comic book. That would be awesome. For those who's not familiar with "Mogo", here it is:

(photo from greenlantern.wikia.com)

Video Games That I Played: Sonic 3D Blast

noreply@blogger.com (dio t'ama) — Fri, 04 May 2012 11:27:00 +0000

The first game I ever finished with my SEGA Mega Drive back in High School. I was hooked with this game because it was a 3D game. My 1st encounter with a 3D game. I enjoyed playing this because it was during the time when we don't have memory cards to save games and continue it on a later time. I played from morning til afternoon and my victory was witnessed by my brother and friends. They even took a picture of my victory, it's still stored somewhere.

What I like about this game is that I could go anywhere I want. Forward, backward, sideways left and right, jumping. It was unique experience for me because it was different from the usual adventure games I played life Mario and Contra. It was also fast-paced. Maybe I could play this game again.

It's Difficult to Explain

noreply@blogger.com (dio t'ama) — Fri, 04 May 2012 06:17:00 +0000

“What happened?" Bailey asks.
"That is somewhat difficult to explain," Tsukiko answers. "It is a long and complicated story."
"And you're not going to tell me, are you?"
She tilts her head a bit ... "No, I am not," she says.
"Great," Bailey mutters under his breath... "The bonfire exploded? How?"
"Remember when I said it was difficult to explain? That has not changed.”

Erin Morgenstern, The Night Circus

Uprooted

noreply@blogger.com (dio t'ama) — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 15:40:00 +0000

“When a tree is pulled, it will sprout new shoots nearer its roots. A soul that is ruined in the bud will frequently return to the springtime of its beginnings and its promise-filled childhood, as though it could discover new hopes there and retie the broken threads of life. The shoots grow rapidly and eagerly, but it is only a sham life that will never be a genuine tree.”

Hermann Hesse

On the Flipside

noreply@blogger.com (dio t'ama) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 16:27:00 +0000

Turn your world upside down. Skimboarding with the Amihan sa Dahican.

Location: City of Mati, Davao Oriental

Old School Wheeling

noreply@blogger.com (dio t'ama) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 17:09:00 +0000

This is one of the games i played as a child. We called it "kariling". Basically, you push an old motorcycle wheel with your hands or a wooden spatula-type handle with a halved plastic container of motor oils. We pushed it around our village. Raced from paved roads to rough roads, imitating the movements of motorcycles. I think we played this because we don't have bicycles because around that time, it was quite expensive. I enjoyed playing with it. Only later in life did I realize of how ingenious we were. We made our toys from scraps, junk and other stuff that were laying around. It didn't cost our parents anything and we had fun doing it. What's important that we were laughing our hearts out doing something simple.

Next time, I would reminisce about my childhood activities of making boats, specifically a "banca" using old slippers & barbecue sticks, and battleships & tanks made out of mud.

I Wanna Hold Your Hand

noreply@blogger.com (dio t'ama) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 16:35:00 +0000

A wondrous subtle thing is love, for here were we two, who had never seen each other until that day, between whom no word or even look of affection had ever passed, and yet now in an hour of trouble our hands instinctively sought for each other. I have marveled at it since, but at the time it seemed the most natural thing that I would go out to her so, and, as she has often told me, there was in her also the instinct to turn to me for comfort and protection. So we stood hand in hand like two children, and there was peace in our hearts for all the dark things that surrounded us.”

Arthur Conan Doyle

Until I am Thirty

noreply@blogger.com (dio t'ama) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 16:12:00 +0000

"Do you know I've been sitting here thinking to myself: that if I didn't believe in life, if I lost faith in the woman I love, lost faith in the order of things, were convinced in fact that everything is a disorderly, damnable, and perhaps devil-ridden chaos, if I were struck by every horror of man's disillusionment -- still I should want to live. Having once tasted of the cup, I would not turn away from it till I had drained it! At thirty though, I shall be sure to leave the cup even if I've not emptied it, and turn away -- where I don't know. But till I am thirty I know that my youth will triumph over everything -- every disillusionment, every disgust with life. I've asked myself many times whether there is in the world any despair that could overcome this frantic thirst for life. And I've come to the conclusion that there isn't, that is until I am thirty."

Fyodor Dostoyevsky (The Brothers Karamazov)

Movie: Machete Maidens Unleashed (2010)

noreply@blogger.com (dio t'ama) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 17:03:00 +0000

I chanced upon this documentary while surfing the internet for documentaries. It's a documentary of a rarely talked-about genre of Filipino-made but American-produced movies shot in the Philippines in the 1970s to the 1980s. At that time our country was known as the Wild, Wild East as the the United States as the Wild, Wild West. These films were known as exploitation films ranging from the blaxploitation, nudist, horror, women in prison, etc. Movies of the lowest quality with inconceivable plots and bad acting whose main ingredients were the 3 Bs: Blood, Battles and Breasts. It talks about the ironies of the movies being made such that most of the themes is the movie are about fascist characters making lives of the hero/heroines miserable while shot in a country ruled by a dictator making lives of his people miserable. Another irony is that it promoted feminism by making the women the lead in the movies while also exploiting and punishing them in the process.

It's a nice look-back to a not so flattering but important history of Philippine Cinema. These movies should not be taken seriously because they were made specific to a market in the US, cheap and released mostly in drive-through cinemas.

Warning: This film is not suitable for children below 18 years old.

Give it a Try: Riding the Waves

noreply@blogger.com (dio t'ama) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 15:40:00 +0000

It's summer time once again, the sea is waiting. Why not try to surf rather than just watch it from the sidelines. Ride the waves and pit yourself against one of nature's most beautiful and furious creations.

Conquer your fear and let nature give you a push. I can guarantee that you'll fall a lot. But I also guarantee that when you stand and ride the waves, the falls won't matter. And you'll be back for more.

Picturesque Dahican Beach

noreply@blogger.com (dio t'ama) — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 14:50:00 +0000

Location: Dahican Beach, City of Mati, Davao Oriental

This picturesque beach with turquoise waters will be the venue of the fun-filled summer activities during the 8th Founding Anniversary of the Amihan sa Dahican Skim and Surf Team of the City of Mati from April 4-8, 2012.

Skimboarding, surfing, beach volleyball and frisbee will be among the many games that will be held at this beautiful beach. Participants will come from all over the country.

If you're looking for a place to spend your summer, why not choose Dahican Beach? It will be an experience you won't forget.

A Quiet Afternoon at the Beach

noreply@blogger.com (dio t'ama) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 16:29:00 +0000

Sometimes, you don't have to swim.

Just relax by yourself or with a friend.

Sit on the sand. Look at the sea.

Witness the soft waves dancing with the wind.

Hear the sound of pebbles after hitting the waves.

Feel the breeze. Close your eyes.

Open your soul and be free.

You have the right to feel, that maybe, just maybe,

because of you the world was created.

Getting Dumped

noreply@blogger.com (dio t'ama) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 16:24:00 +0000

$#!+ Happens

My Head's Spinning (when travelling)

noreply@blogger.com (dio t'ama) — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 14:49:00 +0000

Yesterday and today, I happened to catch a glimpse of two high ranking national officials of my country. Both are into housing. They traveled from Manila to attend to their official functions here in Mindanao.

After seeing the two attend the formal functions of their respective office in far away places, I wondered how tiring it must be to attend inaugurations in multiple venues in one day. Surely, they might like to travel a lot but for me who's not good while travelling, it's tiresome. I get tired easily when travelling by any four-wheeled vehicle. It's because I suffer from symptoms that is akin to vertigo. My head spins as the car turns. I prefer to travel with the wind in my face rather than the air-conditioner of the car because it makes me queasy.

I would love to travel and see the places I pass by. But with this vertigo i'm having, I'll just sleep until I reach my intended destination.

Faux Butterfly

noreply@blogger.com (dio t'ama) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 14:22:00 +0000

spotted in the house of love

Ready for Dining

noreply@blogger.com (dio t'ama) — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 16:45:00 +0000

The normal set-up when dining at a regular restaurant. A welcome sight for the hungry.

Now, where's the food? I'm hungry.

Stuck on a Wall

noreply@blogger.com (dio t'ama) — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 17:00:00 +0000

A bug stuck on a wall,

I went to take a closer look.

Why it didn't fall,

The answers in a book.

Movie: Les Misérables in Concert: The 25th Anniversary (2010)

noreply@blogger.com (dio t'ama) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 13:34:00 +0000

"Stars in your multitudes, Scarce to be counted, Filling the darkness with order and light."

"This rain will wash away what's past."

"I'm a man no worse than any man."

"Will the world remember you when you fall?"

"God on High, hear my prayer. In my need, you have always be there."

Some of the memorable lyrics to songs in this beautiful musical. My father was the first person to introduce me to musicals. One of the first musicals he introduced to me by means of audio recording was "Les Miserables", and I have loved it ever since. The songs are emotional and it still gets me until now. This concert was filmed during the 25th anniversary of the musical at the O2 arena in London. A bonus for us Filipinos is that our very own Lea Salonga is cast as Cosette and she's wonderful at it. The show ended with the presence of the original 1985 London Cast which includes Colm Wilkinson (the best Jean Valjean ever) and Micheal Ball.

However, the best concert of the video I have seen of this musical was the Les Miserables: the Dream Cast in Concert which was filmed at The Royal Albert in 1995. Such amazing cast. The best ever. Handpicked by Cameron Mackintosh. In this one, our very own Lea Salonga was cast as Eponine.

Get yourself the chance to view this masterpiece with subjects still relevant until now.

Autumn in February

noreply@blogger.com (dio t'ama) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 13:56:00 +0000

Surrounded by fallen golden brown leaves makes believe, for a moment, that maybe autumn has already set in. The problem is that we only have two weather seasons here in our country, wet and dry. Now, snap back to reality.

Movie: Aguila (1980)

noreply@blogger.com (dio t'ama) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 08:17:00 +0000

This is one of the best movies I've seen in Philippine cinema directed by Eddie Romero. I chanced upon this movie upon seeing Fernando Poe, Jr, famously known in my country as the "Action King", while channel surfing in Cinema One. Expecting an action movie, I started to watch the movie and was engrossed with the multi-generational story of one family. It turned out to be a drama role for one of the most beloved action figure in the history of Philippine cinema. Wonderful script, Great Acting. A story of passion, corruption, hope, redemption and fulfillment all in one movie.

A must-see for Philippine cinema lovers. Too bad, we don't make these types of movies anymore.