Another year and I'm older again. There's a saying about one getting wiser as we get older. I just don't think that applies to me. The getting-wiser part that is.
So, how did I spend my birthday this year?
Well, working.
Monday, September 21 : I was dubbing as usual. And, as always, it took me 'til the wee hours of the next morning before I finally got home. Past 3 a.m. to be exact. At least the nice thing about spending your birthday working was that I was with people that I liked. And we did have lots of food, as well as two birthday cakes!
I didn't start my (birth)day on the right foot so to speak come Tuesday. I was stuck in traffic for an hour! Along this stretch of road that only takes ten minutes to get to my place of business. And this was at 5:30 in the damn morning!! So, I was late for my sign-on shift at Dream-FM for about thirty minutes. Damn.
After my radio stint, it was dubbing again as usual.
10:30 p.m. : I finally made up my mind and decided that I did not want to spend the last hour of my birthday working. So I cut short my dubbing and went to Makati to catch the last full show of "The Ugly Truth".
After the movie, it turned out that my birthday celebration wasn't over yet. I texted my dubbing supervisor and she and I, as well as several other dubbers, went out videoke-ing. Too bad we only had about an hour and a half to do our singing because the joint was going to close at 4 a.m. We managed to squeeze in a lot of songs in the amount of time we had and had a lot of alcohol as well. But because we (or rather, I) drank a little too quickly, I got hammered rather fast. Fortunately, though, I didn't look I was drunk (I wasn't slurring and I was still able to walk a straight line). Here's the "funny" thing -- after our videoke and drinking session, I went to (a) McDonald's (at the Shell station in Ortigas) to have breakfast (this was around past 5 in the morning) - I also distinctly remember calling my best friend as I was on the road (I don't exactly know what for, or what I was thinking, but, knowing me, it was probably nothing decent - hehe) - and, upon parking, my head was spinning so much that I could not help it -- I felt I was gonna hurl chunks! Thank Gawd I had a couple of plastic bags lying around in the car and within reach! Because I couldn't get up and get out of my car at that point. After throwing up, I felt drained and couldn't help myself that I decided I would take a nap. It turned out that nap would be a lot longer than I had anticipated, as I woke up almost 9:30 in the morning. Yikes. Man, I am so thankful that my Honda Civic is tinted. And even more grateful that no one tapped on my car's window and had my thrown outta there.
I did have breakfast afterwards. At McDonald's like I planned.
Happy birthday to me.
'Nuff said.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
My New Ride...
I had contemplated about getting a new car for as long as I can remember. I've actually, currently, got myself a car - a 1989 Toyota Corolla XL - and i have no plans of getting rid of it, and so getting another car doesn't exactly cry "practical". But, Trinity (the name I gave my Corolla), as reliable as she's been over the years I've had 'er (10 years now?), is still an old car after all, and my daily trip from Pasig (home) to Novaliches (work : Dream-FM and Tv5) to Makati (dubbing at 20Plus), and the occasional hosting gigs on the weekends and/or weekdays (which can be anywhere from some place close by as Ortigas, to some place really far as Dasmarinas, Cavite), has been quite taxing on my Corolla, especially as of late. So I've always wanted a "pinch hitter" if you will for Trinity.
Searching through the local Car Finder had become pretty much a weekly habit for the past couple of years or so, since my intention of thinking about buying a car (a secondhand vehicle was what I was originally planning on getting) first cropped up. I buy a copy of said "magazine"(which comes out every week), in the hopes that I'll find myself a good-enough second-hand car that I could purchase. I actually wanted to buy a 1996 BMW 316i or 1989/1990 BMW 520, but, in the end, I realized that maintenance would really put a huge hole in my wallet. So then, I thought about getting a 1991 Mitsubishi Gallant GTI Super Saloon instead.
But about a couple of months ago, I saw a picture, in a techie magazine I buy every month, of the new 2009 Honda City. I've never been a huge of the old City models, but the new one was a total beauty! And it sparked my interest like no other car has, and revved up my desire again to buy a brand new car!
So, I did a little investigating and checked out the new City via Honda Philippines' website; checked out its specs, interior, price, etc. I was a little dismayed about the fact that the 1.5 E variant, the "fastest" of the City variants, only came in automatic (transmission), and I was never really a huge fan of AT vehicles (though I have driven cars and such that were "automatic trannies"). I'm more of a manual-transmission-kind-of-driver. So I decided to check out the 2009 Honda Civic (which, when it first came out, I SO wanted -- unfortunately, it was quite pricey), and my interest towards said car once again came to life. Plus, there was some good news : Honda was offering, only for this month of April, discounts of about 35 grand (on Civics, the Accord and CR-V)! Which made me curious even more. I (eventually) found out that the reason why Honda was offering discounts (specifically for the Civic) was because they were in the process of getting rid of or phasing out the current line (of Civics), as a new 2009 model (of the Civic, with very, very minor changes) was about to come out, and that they wouldn't release it to the public until they had gotten rid of every remaining vehicles of the current line. But, what the heck, right? 35 thousand is 35 thousand! And so, finally, last Saturday, I went to the Honda dealer in Libis, near Eastwood City, to test-drive a Civic, make inquiries, etc.
And, oh yeah -- the bank I've been going to for over ten years has also been bugging me to get a car loan from them and had assured me that I would get approved (which is the other reason why I was leaning towards buying a brand new car, as opposed to getting a secondhand vehicle).
Anyway, test-driving that baby (the Civic I mean) was, to quote a word often used in the movie "Dude, Where's My Car?", sweeet! Even though it was an AT that I drove, the '09 Civic still floored me with its smooth ride...! I also got to test-drive the new City, and that car was also great to drive! The 1.5 E variant was a five-speed automatic transmission car, with paddle-switches "within" the steering wheel (to shift gears) that gave you that "F1 feel" to it. But, of course, as terrific as it was to also drive the City, it was nothing compared to the Civic! Even before getting to test-drive the new City, I was already pretty much dead-set on getting the Civic. Even more so now after I got to drive the City.
The new Honda Jazz also looked terrific, by the way. I wanted to take it for a spin (as well as the Accord and CR-V), but, unfortunately, there was no longer any time left to do so.
After the whole test-driving thing was over and done with, I talked to Henry, the sales agent, made inquiries (about the monthly fee, down payment, etc), and paid a reservation fee of 5 thousand pesos, to get the "ball rolling". All I needed was to deal with Metrobank come Monday. Which proved to be a bit frustrating and quite a letdown. Like I mentioned above, they told and assured me that I would be approved for a car loan, hands down. Unfortunately, on the first round of procuring the car loan, I was encountering some red tape. Day two : it actually came to the point where I was on the verge of getting in-house financing through Honda instead. When I told them that, they scrambled to get my car loan approved!
So, after what seemed to be a torturous four days, I finally got my brand, spankin' new 2009 Honda Civic! I wanted a black one, but the remaining (it was, literally, the last car of the variant) 1.8 V (the "cheaper" one of the other variants, the 1.8 S and 2.0 SL) only came in bluish silver. But, what the heck -- I got a brand new car, babeee!!
'Nuff said.
Searching through the local Car Finder had become pretty much a weekly habit for the past couple of years or so, since my intention of thinking about buying a car (a secondhand vehicle was what I was originally planning on getting) first cropped up. I buy a copy of said "magazine"(which comes out every week), in the hopes that I'll find myself a good-enough second-hand car that I could purchase. I actually wanted to buy a 1996 BMW 316i or 1989/1990 BMW 520, but, in the end, I realized that maintenance would really put a huge hole in my wallet. So then, I thought about getting a 1991 Mitsubishi Gallant GTI Super Saloon instead.
But about a couple of months ago, I saw a picture, in a techie magazine I buy every month, of the new 2009 Honda City. I've never been a huge of the old City models, but the new one was a total beauty! And it sparked my interest like no other car has, and revved up my desire again to buy a brand new car!
So, I did a little investigating and checked out the new City via Honda Philippines' website; checked out its specs, interior, price, etc. I was a little dismayed about the fact that the 1.5 E variant, the "fastest" of the City variants, only came in automatic (transmission), and I was never really a huge fan of AT vehicles (though I have driven cars and such that were "automatic trannies"). I'm more of a manual-transmission-kind-of-driver. So I decided to check out the 2009 Honda Civic (which, when it first came out, I SO wanted -- unfortunately, it was quite pricey), and my interest towards said car once again came to life. Plus, there was some good news : Honda was offering, only for this month of April, discounts of about 35 grand (on Civics, the Accord and CR-V)! Which made me curious even more. I (eventually) found out that the reason why Honda was offering discounts (specifically for the Civic) was because they were in the process of getting rid of or phasing out the current line (of Civics), as a new 2009 model (of the Civic, with very, very minor changes) was about to come out, and that they wouldn't release it to the public until they had gotten rid of every remaining vehicles of the current line. But, what the heck, right? 35 thousand is 35 thousand! And so, finally, last Saturday, I went to the Honda dealer in Libis, near Eastwood City, to test-drive a Civic, make inquiries, etc.
And, oh yeah -- the bank I've been going to for over ten years has also been bugging me to get a car loan from them and had assured me that I would get approved (which is the other reason why I was leaning towards buying a brand new car, as opposed to getting a secondhand vehicle).
Anyway, test-driving that baby (the Civic I mean) was, to quote a word often used in the movie "Dude, Where's My Car?", sweeet! Even though it was an AT that I drove, the '09 Civic still floored me with its smooth ride...! I also got to test-drive the new City, and that car was also great to drive! The 1.5 E variant was a five-speed automatic transmission car, with paddle-switches "within" the steering wheel (to shift gears) that gave you that "F1 feel" to it. But, of course, as terrific as it was to also drive the City, it was nothing compared to the Civic! Even before getting to test-drive the new City, I was already pretty much dead-set on getting the Civic. Even more so now after I got to drive the City.
The new Honda Jazz also looked terrific, by the way. I wanted to take it for a spin (as well as the Accord and CR-V), but, unfortunately, there was no longer any time left to do so.
After the whole test-driving thing was over and done with, I talked to Henry, the sales agent, made inquiries (about the monthly fee, down payment, etc), and paid a reservation fee of 5 thousand pesos, to get the "ball rolling". All I needed was to deal with Metrobank come Monday. Which proved to be a bit frustrating and quite a letdown. Like I mentioned above, they told and assured me that I would be approved for a car loan, hands down. Unfortunately, on the first round of procuring the car loan, I was encountering some red tape. Day two : it actually came to the point where I was on the verge of getting in-house financing through Honda instead. When I told them that, they scrambled to get my car loan approved!
So, after what seemed to be a torturous four days, I finally got my brand, spankin' new 2009 Honda Civic! I wanted a black one, but the remaining (it was, literally, the last car of the variant) 1.8 V (the "cheaper" one of the other variants, the 1.8 S and 2.0 SL) only came in bluish silver. But, what the heck -- I got a brand new car, babeee!!
'Nuff said.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Superman Will Return...But With A Different Cast And Direction...
I was just surfing the 'net and discovered that Warner Bros has confirmed that there will be no sequel to Bryan Singer's Superman Returns. Apparently, Singer's take on the Man of Steel didn't capture everyone's imaginations, as studio execs were disappointed by the movie's performance at the box-office; it earned somewhere around 215 million dollars, but it was still way short of even recuperating the money spent to make it which, reportedly, cost 300 million dollars! If it had done well at the box-office, then we would have seen a new Superman movie last December of '08 or some time this year.Instead, Warner Bros will now be taking its cue from the recent Incredible Hulk (which I read also underperformed, raking in 'only' 112 or 115 million dollars; the movie cost $150 million to make), and the next Superman movie will be a "reboot" or "re-imagining" of the franchise, and will recast the role of the Last Son of Krypton with an actor who does not look anything like the late Christopher Reeve (awww, poor Brandon Routh). According to the studio, "Superman reboot" will serve to "(re-)introduce the character to a new generation".
I feel a little terrible about this bit of news, because I'm one of the few who actually did like Superman Returns. Although I do like the fact that Kate Bosworth will be replaced; I've always felt that she was miscast, that she didn't do the Lois Lane character justice. But, besides Routh not coming back, I also feel bad that Kevin Spacey will not be reprising his role as evil genius and Superman arch-enemy Lex Luthor; like Gene Hackman, Spacey was terrific as Luthor. Too bad.
Besides the perfect casting of Routh and Spacey, I loved how Bryan Singer remained faithful to the original 1978 Superman movie (starring Chris Reeve, Gene Hackman and Margot Kidder - it's probably the movie that everyone is mostly familiar with when it comes to the Man of Steel) -- and I don't just mean with the Routh casting, but also with the film's score, using the John Williams theme. Heck, even going as far as to having the whole Superman-flying-out-into-space-with-the-Earth-serving-as-background to extro the movie. You could also sense Singer's love for the Superman character and its mythology (e.g. cameos of the actors that played the original Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane, the scene that pays tribute to the cover of the comic book with Superman's first appearance), so it is such a shame that we won't get to see a continuation to the events or story set in motion by Singer in Superman Returns (maybe one that features a battle with Doomsday, resulting in a tragic and cliffhanger ending ala-X-Men 2, leading up to the next Superman movie).
Frankly, it's Warner Bros' fault for shelling out such a huge amount to make Superman Returns. Just imagine, if they had spent 150 million, then they would have made back their money and then some!
But here's the real kicker : after the success of The Dark Knight, Warner Bros says that the next Superman movie will also have a "darker tone" to it. I'm "iffy" about this plan. As much as I loved Christopher Nolan's dark treatment to Batman, not every super-hero movie should be grim/serious/gritty. It depends on the comic book character (that you're going to bring onto the big screen). Sure, make the movie more "adult", but not necessarily "dark" just because it worked on The Dark Knight. "Batman dark" is not Superman.
According to some reports, the studio says that the reason why Superman wasn't a "hit" was because the title character is too much of a boy scout, and is unrelatable to most people. Seriously, who can really relate to an alien from Krypton with superpowers? Hello! Superman is imaginary! I don't think that's the problem. It just takes a good story (which the movie had), care and respect to and love for the character(s) from the director (and Singer had that), and to not get carried away with the amount of money they'll spend to make the movie (which I'm sure Warner Bros has learned in regards to the Superman franchise); stick to a more "realistic" budget (with "realistic" being around 150 million dollars these days to make a special effects-laden movie like Superman).
Well, I certainly hope their plans for the next Superman movie works out.
And also...
Warner Bros will be following in the footsteps of rival company, Marvel Entertainment, and has shelved their plans to make Justice League of America for now. Thank God, because the idea of George Miller (known for the Mad Max movies) directing, didn't sit well with me. Instead, they will be concentrating on stand-alone movies of the DC comics characters (The Flash, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, etc) that they own (the rights to), and possibly even have a "web of continuity" with their next batch of super-hero movies that are in the works, ala-Iron Man and Incredible Hulk, which they hope to build or lead up to a Justice League of America movie (which is what Marvel started with said two films, and is supposedly doing with their next batch of movies, beginning with Captain America : The First Avenger, and so on, which will lead up to the much-anticipated Avengers movie).
'Nuff said.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Here We Go Again...
Yeesh! Didn't American Idol just end?! Has it already been a year?! It's already time once again for AI -- time for season 8! There's been one big change thus far for the show (well, the one that I know of anyway), and that's the addition of a fourth judge,Kara DioGuardi. But it's been a little over a couple of weeks now since the new season began and, in all honesty, I'm not feeling any excitement about the new season. Yet? Maybe. I've just been pre-program-recording American Idol since the season opener via my computer's TV Capture software and, except for the season opener, have yet to watch (what is it now? Five or six more episodes of) AI '09. So far, the only contestant whose audition caught my attention is the pink-haired gal who sang (the band) Heart's "Barracuda", Emily Hughes (heck, I couldn't even remember her name, I had to check the 'net...just goes to show how unexcited I am about this season of AI at the moment).Then again, I still have several recorded episodes of 'Idol to watch. Maybe I'll see something or someone that will get me revved up for season 8.
And since there really isn't much for me to say about American Idol '09, why not just blog about last season's AI instead?
From the moment season 7 started, it looked to be like the clear-cut winner would be wonder boy David Archuleta, and it was far from anyone's mind that former bartender David Cook would even get as far as the top ten, let alone win the competition. Not a lot of people were paying much attention to him (well, I sure wasn't). That was until he did an incredible arrangement of the Lionel Richie song "Hello". Re-arranging (popular) songs to fit him or his style became his signature on the show. Although, there were a couple of songs that he didn't exactly re-arrange - Eleanor Rigby and Billie Jean - which caused a bit of controversy and put him in hot water. I don't know whether he was told to keep mum about it by the show's producers, but kept quiet he did. Until some people called him out on it (I'm guessing fans of Doxology and Chris Cornell, who were the ones that originally arranged the versions of the songs Cook performed that I mentioned above). But he did redeem himself, after the whole "song-arrangement-controversy", by surprising everyone again with his superb reworking of the Mariah Carey song "Always Be My Baby" (heck, when I heard that he was going to sing said song, I was shocked and wondered how he'd be able to pull that one off -- but pulled it off he did).Anyway...
After Hello, David Cook had a string of pretty strong performances, almost week after week if memory serves me right, and then suddenly, he became the so-called dark horse of the competition. Finally, there was really no one left but the two Davids as being the most formidable and most likely to compete in the finals.
Between the two Davids, it was, without a doubt, Cook who was more talented. He can write his own songs, had the way better voice, and was more versatile; Archuleta, as good as he was, was limited to only being able to do mellow songs or ballads (I mean he tried with several upbeat songs that just failed - Stevie Wonder's "Uptight", there was "You're The Voice", and his awkward performance of the Chris Brown hit "With You").
During the finals, Cook started off on a great note, with a terrific song chosen by Clive Davis (I have to give props to Davis, who chose the perfect songs for both Bid David and Li'l David), U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For". But I noticed something -- Cook's performances, albeit all good vocals, just wasn't finale-worthy. DC's pick for the new songwriter song category was just so-so, and his final performance (his personal choice of Collective Soul's "The World I Know") wasn't also up to par (it wasn't terrible, it just didn't bring the house down so to speak).
David Archuleta, on the other hand, was flawless! He sang with more emotion, more heart. And besides Clive Davis' choice of song for him - Elton John's "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" - Archuleta also managed to pick the right songs for both the second and third round of the finale. When it was announced that he was singing "Imagine" again, I actually thought that it would be his downfall, considering that we'd already heard it before, and I assumed that there really wouldn't be any surprises to the way he's going to sing it. But he proved me wrong, because he had a different arrangement to the song! Which, I feel, is what Cook should have done; I mean, if he wasn't going to perform something that he already sang early on in the competition, he should have picked a song that was in the same vein as, say, "Always Be My Baby" (or, heck, "Hello"), and gave it the ol' David Cook twist to it, and that is what his rendition of "The World I Know" was lacking.So did David Cook do good enough to win 'Idol last season? Of course, everybody knows the answer to that question.
And, as for the results show...
My memory is never really reliable to begin with -- I honestly don't remember much of the past six seasons' results shows (well, five actually, since I never got to watch season 1 of AI) that preceded the one the following morning of season 7's finale (May '08), but I also don't recall having as much fun or being very excited about watching the AI finale like I did with season 7. Except for a humdrum performance from George Michael and the horrendous "I-Am-Your-Brother" Renaldo Lapuz (I kept hoping that the AI producers wouldn't bring him back after his audition, but wishing for it not to happen turned out to be futile, as he did make an appearance in the finale! I was honestly not amused and was ashamed to be a Filipino right there and then as he did his bit; no offense to the guy, cuz I'm sure he's a nice fellow, but still, Argh...), everything turned out pretty good.
And since season 7 is like that of a distant memory, the only other two things I can recall about the finale was Michael Johns and Carly Smithson's smokin' duet of "The Letter" and, of course, the always smokin' hot Carrie Underwood (in my mind, she's my future wife - hehe)!So what's happened since then? Well, both Davids seem to be on a good start with their recording careers, with Archuleta upping one over Cook with his first single "Crush". David Cook's first single, "Light On", isn't terrible, but it takes awhile before it grows on you, unlike Archuleta's "Crush", which has a good melody and was an instant hit. The question now would be whose album and/or career would outlast the other?
I gotta start watching my recorded AI season 8 episodes. I'm way behind.
'Nuff said.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Happy New Year...or, I'm Back...
Woah.
That was my reaction after I decided to finally check my blog and discovered that it had been almost two years since I last posted anything here.
So what happened? Well, stuff that I would rather not get into anymore, so let me just say that a few other reasons as to why I've not been posting on my blog for the longest time is because of work (I was usually too busy), and I was often tired, and, I must admit, too lazy.
But it's a New Year now. Again. Sheesh! "Where does the time go?" is the question I always ask myself annually at the start of the new year, as well as every so often.
And come the new year, mostly everyone would like to accomplish a few goals via the "infamous" New Year's Resolution(s). And, for the most part, people never really get to see their plans into fruition. I happen to be one of those poor, pathetic souls who make a list of things-to-do-for-the-year and never accomplish a single task. Still, it doesn't stop me from making my New Year's Resolution(s) at the beginning of every new year. And here I go again...
Where to begin...?
TARDINESS
This was really a big problem with me last year, especially at work (at Dream and for my dubbing sessions). I'd usually get to Dream-FM for my boardwork anywhere between ten to fifteen minutes late; and even worse, for my dubbing sessions at 20Plus in Makati, I'd get to the studio forty minutes, sometimes even an hour late! This year, I want to be able to arrive at work, at least five, maybe ten minutes, before I'm supposed to go on-air. The same goes for when I have to dub at 20Plus.
TEMPER
I'm pretty much a very patient guy. But when I'm on the road and I encounter stupid motorists, I truly have a short fuse; if you do something idiotic (with me being the recipient), all I see is red. So far, and thankfully, there's never been an incident similar to the one I had years ago wherein I chased down this guy driving a Pajero who cut me off in Ortigas. To cut it short, it ended with him going after me (after i gave him the finger) and pulling along side my car and pointing a gun at me (I was still running on adrenalin that, instead of being scared out of my wits, and thinking, I gave him the double finger -- what can I say? I'm nuts). Probably the worst "road rage incident" that I had last year was when this guy driving a public FX tried to run me off the road along Quirino on my way to work. My blood instantly boiled and I chased after him, drove on the wrong side of the road just to get to him, not caring about the oncoming vehicles, and rolling down my window in order to throw coins at him.
SPENDING SPREE
I accumulated a huge credit card debt last year, and this year, I want to try and lessen the amount of money that I spend for stuff that I buy; I want to lessen the usage of my credit card, period.
I have a friend who is what you'd call a "deprivation junky"; every year, he likes to set goals that deprive himself of certain things that he likes. A couple of years ago, he stopped himself from buying DVDs for a whole year, and last year, he got through the entire year without drinking Coke or any kind of soda. For 2009, he says that he will keep his spending for his "wants" (those include original and bootleg DVDs, books, clothes, shoes, bags and dolls [he's gay by the way, just in case you were wondering about the dolls] ) to not more than 5 thousand pesos a month.
I know that there's not a snowball's chance in hell that I'll be able to keep my own spending for my "wants" (and those are comic books, original and bootleg DVDs, CDs, and watching movies) to just, or even less, than 5k a month. There is just no way. For one thing, I already spend a little over two grand every week for my comics alone.
And so, in regards to my comic book addiction, what I'd like to try to do is to lessen the number of titles that I subscribe to every week, maybe opt to buy some of the comics that I like in Trade Paperback form instead of the regular comic; it may cost anywhere between one to two thousand pesos, but, at least, it usually takes awhile before a certain title gets collected in Trade Paperback, giving me some time or a gap where I won't have to buy a certain comic or comics when it comes out for the month.
As much as possible, I really should resort to the Internet now when it comes to getting my CDs and DVDs. If I can download a song and/or a movie (even TV shows), then that will be my so-called avenue for acquiring these particular "wants" of mine. Unless a song I download is terrible in quality, or perhaps I absolutely love the artist, the album, or the movie, then that should be the only time when I go and buy myself a CD or DVD. Of course, I have to upgrade from my prepaid, dial-up Internet and get a DSL Internet connection first (yes, I know, I still live in the "stone age"; I'm probably the only one left in the world who still uses dial-up to get connected to the web).
When it comes to watching movies (and I don't mean at home, watching a DVD), I absolutely have to watch it (usually) more than three times at the cinema. In fact, my friends and other people who know me know that I will go and see a movie over and over; ten times.... heck, even more than that if i love(d) the movie.
Some of the movies I'd seen more than ten times at the cineplex are the Lord of The Rings trilogy, Iron Man, The Matrix and The Dark Knight (almost or exactly 20 times each).And that's only a few examples that I came up with at the top of my head. The movie I'd seen in cinemas the most number of times? Speed. I don't remember the exact number (it was a long time ago), but I do believe it was more than 30 times. I know. Ridiculous. But back then (when I saw Speed that is), I had more time (to watch movies); my shift in radio (at Magic 89.9) was in the wee hours of the morning (2 to 6am), leaving me free the whole day to just bum around. Nowadays, I've got my radio DJ gig at Dream-FM, my TV-voice over gig at TV5 and my dubbing. Plus, I still have my hosting and voice over (for live events, commercials and AVPs) stints as well. I may be a lot busier now than I used to be (when I got to watch Speed those oh-too-many number of times years ago), but I always make time to watch movies; it's my only other means of relaxation other than watching TV.
Y'know, just thinking about it now, I suddenly realize that, if I watch a certain movie, say, ten times -- at a hundred fifty pesos per screening, multiply that by ten, then I normally spend fifteen frickin' thousand pesos every time I go see just the one movie. That amount didn't even include what I spend for my "pre-requisite grub" every time I go watch a movie. Plus, I try and watch every (new) movie that comes out every week...! And so.... yikes.
So this year, I want to try and change my movie-watching habits and see just the one movie... just the one time. Or maybe twice. But ten times or more? I'll certainly try not to do that.
LATE TO REPLY
Over the course of the year, I'd developed a bad habit of replying very late, and sometimes, not even (replying), to some people with regards to (usually) job offers (hostings, voice overs or dubbing). It often starts with me telling myself that I'll just text this certain individual "tomorrow". But then, that "tomorrow" becomes "several days later". And then, because so much time has already passed, I become embarrassed to respond, hence "several days later" becomes "several weeks later". Or sometimes, out of sheer embarrassment, I no longer reply to someone's text message. Sometimes I actually do (reply), even with so many weeks elapsing, but more often than not, I don't. That's gotta change this year. Or I'm going to stand losing extra income.
TALENT FEE
Speaking of income, I've also got to learn to not be embarrassed to give people who hire me a more "deserving" price for my services (deserving for me that is). For the longest time, I'd been charging some or most people a talent fee rate that I've had for,uhm, forever now. It's been years, everything else has gone up (prices for fuel, food, etc), except for my rate. I know I'm not a celebrity or even the best around, but I'm certainly more capable than most at what I do (particularly with hosting). When I do voice over gigs, I'd often see a lot of these model or semi-famous celebs who get paid way more than they should (simply because of who they are, rather than any talent), and they don't deserve it because, frankly speaking, they suck. One perfect example? Asia Agcaoili. Then again, I don't exactly have boobs and can't pull off wearing something that's close-to-naked when hosting. Hehe.
This year, I want to try and be more selective when it comes to picking gigs to accept. And to charge the correct talent fee rate for myself.
SHAPE UP
One of the resolutions that I've been making every year for as long as I can remember is to get back in the gym, and this year is no different. At the start of last year, I actually managed to condition myself into dieting, and succeeded; something I have to do again for the next couple of months or so, given that, during the Holidays, like everyone else, I ate a lot more than usual.
Will 2009 be the year that I finally get my lazy @$$ in shape? Probably not. But who knows? Maybe.
I'll probably go bust with these New Year's Resolutions that I've made, like every year, but I don't care. You gotta have a goal, even if it's pointless.
'Nuff said.
That was my reaction after I decided to finally check my blog and discovered that it had been almost two years since I last posted anything here.
So what happened? Well, stuff that I would rather not get into anymore, so let me just say that a few other reasons as to why I've not been posting on my blog for the longest time is because of work (I was usually too busy), and I was often tired, and, I must admit, too lazy.
But it's a New Year now. Again. Sheesh! "Where does the time go?" is the question I always ask myself annually at the start of the new year, as well as every so often.
And come the new year, mostly everyone would like to accomplish a few goals via the "infamous" New Year's Resolution(s). And, for the most part, people never really get to see their plans into fruition. I happen to be one of those poor, pathetic souls who make a list of things-to-do-for-the-year and never accomplish a single task. Still, it doesn't stop me from making my New Year's Resolution(s) at the beginning of every new year. And here I go again...
Where to begin...?
TARDINESS
This was really a big problem with me last year, especially at work (at Dream and for my dubbing sessions). I'd usually get to Dream-FM for my boardwork anywhere between ten to fifteen minutes late; and even worse, for my dubbing sessions at 20Plus in Makati, I'd get to the studio forty minutes, sometimes even an hour late! This year, I want to be able to arrive at work, at least five, maybe ten minutes, before I'm supposed to go on-air. The same goes for when I have to dub at 20Plus.
TEMPER
I'm pretty much a very patient guy. But when I'm on the road and I encounter stupid motorists, I truly have a short fuse; if you do something idiotic (with me being the recipient), all I see is red. So far, and thankfully, there's never been an incident similar to the one I had years ago wherein I chased down this guy driving a Pajero who cut me off in Ortigas. To cut it short, it ended with him going after me (after i gave him the finger) and pulling along side my car and pointing a gun at me (I was still running on adrenalin that, instead of being scared out of my wits, and thinking, I gave him the double finger -- what can I say? I'm nuts). Probably the worst "road rage incident" that I had last year was when this guy driving a public FX tried to run me off the road along Quirino on my way to work. My blood instantly boiled and I chased after him, drove on the wrong side of the road just to get to him, not caring about the oncoming vehicles, and rolling down my window in order to throw coins at him.
SPENDING SPREE
I accumulated a huge credit card debt last year, and this year, I want to try and lessen the amount of money that I spend for stuff that I buy; I want to lessen the usage of my credit card, period.
I have a friend who is what you'd call a "deprivation junky"; every year, he likes to set goals that deprive himself of certain things that he likes. A couple of years ago, he stopped himself from buying DVDs for a whole year, and last year, he got through the entire year without drinking Coke or any kind of soda. For 2009, he says that he will keep his spending for his "wants" (those include original and bootleg DVDs, books, clothes, shoes, bags and dolls [he's gay by the way, just in case you were wondering about the dolls] ) to not more than 5 thousand pesos a month.
I know that there's not a snowball's chance in hell that I'll be able to keep my own spending for my "wants" (and those are comic books, original and bootleg DVDs, CDs, and watching movies) to just, or even less, than 5k a month. There is just no way. For one thing, I already spend a little over two grand every week for my comics alone.
And so, in regards to my comic book addiction, what I'd like to try to do is to lessen the number of titles that I subscribe to every week, maybe opt to buy some of the comics that I like in Trade Paperback form instead of the regular comic; it may cost anywhere between one to two thousand pesos, but, at least, it usually takes awhile before a certain title gets collected in Trade Paperback, giving me some time or a gap where I won't have to buy a certain comic or comics when it comes out for the month.
As much as possible, I really should resort to the Internet now when it comes to getting my CDs and DVDs. If I can download a song and/or a movie (even TV shows), then that will be my so-called avenue for acquiring these particular "wants" of mine. Unless a song I download is terrible in quality, or perhaps I absolutely love the artist, the album, or the movie, then that should be the only time when I go and buy myself a CD or DVD. Of course, I have to upgrade from my prepaid, dial-up Internet and get a DSL Internet connection first (yes, I know, I still live in the "stone age"; I'm probably the only one left in the world who still uses dial-up to get connected to the web).
When it comes to watching movies (and I don't mean at home, watching a DVD), I absolutely have to watch it (usually) more than three times at the cinema. In fact, my friends and other people who know me know that I will go and see a movie over and over; ten times.... heck, even more than that if i love(d) the movie.
Some of the movies I'd seen more than ten times at the cineplex are the Lord of The Rings trilogy, Iron Man, The Matrix and The Dark Knight (almost or exactly 20 times each).And that's only a few examples that I came up with at the top of my head. The movie I'd seen in cinemas the most number of times? Speed. I don't remember the exact number (it was a long time ago), but I do believe it was more than 30 times. I know. Ridiculous. But back then (when I saw Speed that is), I had more time (to watch movies); my shift in radio (at Magic 89.9) was in the wee hours of the morning (2 to 6am), leaving me free the whole day to just bum around. Nowadays, I've got my radio DJ gig at Dream-FM, my TV-voice over gig at TV5 and my dubbing. Plus, I still have my hosting and voice over (for live events, commercials and AVPs) stints as well. I may be a lot busier now than I used to be (when I got to watch Speed those oh-too-many number of times years ago), but I always make time to watch movies; it's my only other means of relaxation other than watching TV.
Y'know, just thinking about it now, I suddenly realize that, if I watch a certain movie, say, ten times -- at a hundred fifty pesos per screening, multiply that by ten, then I normally spend fifteen frickin' thousand pesos every time I go see just the one movie. That amount didn't even include what I spend for my "pre-requisite grub" every time I go watch a movie. Plus, I try and watch every (new) movie that comes out every week...! And so.... yikes.
So this year, I want to try and change my movie-watching habits and see just the one movie... just the one time. Or maybe twice. But ten times or more? I'll certainly try not to do that.
LATE TO REPLY
Over the course of the year, I'd developed a bad habit of replying very late, and sometimes, not even (replying), to some people with regards to (usually) job offers (hostings, voice overs or dubbing). It often starts with me telling myself that I'll just text this certain individual "tomorrow". But then, that "tomorrow" becomes "several days later". And then, because so much time has already passed, I become embarrassed to respond, hence "several days later" becomes "several weeks later". Or sometimes, out of sheer embarrassment, I no longer reply to someone's text message. Sometimes I actually do (reply), even with so many weeks elapsing, but more often than not, I don't. That's gotta change this year. Or I'm going to stand losing extra income.
TALENT FEE
Speaking of income, I've also got to learn to not be embarrassed to give people who hire me a more "deserving" price for my services (deserving for me that is). For the longest time, I'd been charging some or most people a talent fee rate that I've had for,uhm, forever now. It's been years, everything else has gone up (prices for fuel, food, etc), except for my rate. I know I'm not a celebrity or even the best around, but I'm certainly more capable than most at what I do (particularly with hosting). When I do voice over gigs, I'd often see a lot of these model or semi-famous celebs who get paid way more than they should (simply because of who they are, rather than any talent), and they don't deserve it because, frankly speaking, they suck. One perfect example? Asia Agcaoili. Then again, I don't exactly have boobs and can't pull off wearing something that's close-to-naked when hosting. Hehe.
This year, I want to try and be more selective when it comes to picking gigs to accept. And to charge the correct talent fee rate for myself.
SHAPE UP
One of the resolutions that I've been making every year for as long as I can remember is to get back in the gym, and this year is no different. At the start of last year, I actually managed to condition myself into dieting, and succeeded; something I have to do again for the next couple of months or so, given that, during the Holidays, like everyone else, I ate a lot more than usual.
Will 2009 be the year that I finally get my lazy @$$ in shape? Probably not. But who knows? Maybe.
I'll probably go bust with these New Year's Resolutions that I've made, like every year, but I don't care. You gotta have a goal, even if it's pointless.
'Nuff said.
Friday, February 9, 2007
The week that was...
First off, the Colts are The Champs in the recently-concluded Superbowl 41. Frankly, it wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be, but my second-favorite team in the NFL finally got a much-deserved Vince Lombardi trophy, and so, yey!
I'm back, babeeee....The biggest deal that happened to me this past week was that I survived my first week at my new job. As I mentioned in my previous post, a radio station recently hired me. It was humbling and flattering to know that I'm still of some value in the radio community, as it was said radio station that came to me for the job and not the other way around.
The radio station is 106.7 Dream-FM.
The first couple of days were a bit nerve-wracking, simply because it has been awhile (almost two years now that I think about it) since I last went on-air, and I was re-learning to work the console, deal with commercials, doing the news and ad libbing, and familiarizing myself with a play list that I wasn't that knowledgeable with. Fortunately, I was quick enough to adapt, more or less (still trying to get used to doing the news though).
Besides the play list, probably my bigger concern was the traffic going to Novaliches. I was worried that the "fastest" travel time that it would take me to work from my place would be an hour and half. But, surprisingly, the longest time it took me to get to the station was about an hour and ten minutes. Usually though, it only takes me about forty-five minutes. So I no longer consider the traffic to be a big problem. Not yet anyway, as I heard from one of the jocks that it does get pretty bad during special occasions (I'm guessing that's something like, say, Christmas). The distance isn't something I'm complaining about (yet?) either, as I'm fortunate to drive a car that is quite fuel-efficient.
The road leading to ABC 5 or Dream, which is Quirino Highway, is awful though. Poor (car) shocks is what I have to say...!
The salary would probably be an issue, but I('ve) never got(ten) into radio for the money (it sounds corny and maybe unbelievable, but it's true) -- it was for the love of it. But, of course, I know that everyone also needs to be practical. Even if I'm single and not supporting anyone, I still need to make a living that would keep me alive (after all, I live on my own). Fortunately, I'm (and have been) blessed to have a lot of gigs to earn extra mula. And even more fortunate that the higher-ups and Program Director of Dream were nice nice enough to give in to my request for a weekend sked that would be beneficial to me (it was one of my concerns before I accepted the job -- I was originally to have an afternoon shift, and that would have ruined my chances of accepting hosting or voice over gigs that I may have or get on a Saturday and/or Sunday, the weekends being the days when most events steadily happen).
The problem I had with ad libbing, or lack thereof, isn't actually as bad as I thought it would be. Even though I sometimes feel that there should be more, and that it's in a style that I'm not accustomed to (it's in a very low-key, meaning I'm almost whispering, and in short bursts), I still get to ad lib the way I('d) want to, and it's not confined to a monotonous or always-the-same-line spiel. So it's not exactly dumbifying (is there even a word like this?) as I had feared it would be.
And besides challenging (as I'm not familiar with a lot of of the songs the station's playing), I do love the play list/format. It's high-end (although, don't get me wrong, I love a cheesy song like the next person).
I volunteered for the graveyard shift, but since Dream isn't on 24-hour broadcast (they say they'll eventually go 24 hours, but I'm kind of doubtful), I was either going to get the 9pm sked, or become pinch-hitter. I chose the latter. So I have what i call an irregular-regular shift -- everyday it's different, but it's the same every week.
So I'm the pinch-hitter -- I fill in on days when a dj takes a day-off, and this is how my weekly sked looks like :
Monday - 12 to 3pm; Tuesday - 9am to 12pm; Wednesday - 9pm to 1am; Thursday - 9am to 12pm; Saturday - 9am to 12pm; Sunday - 6 to 9am. Friday - day off
Over the course of the week, I also discovered a terrific song. After watching the week's episode of Grey's Anatomy, there was this tune that appeared during a scene where Meredith (Grey) breaks down after a DNR (do-not-resuscitate) patient is put to rest. I checked the 'net, but I wasn't sure of the title, so I downloaded all the songs that appeared in said episode. It turned out to be Scratch by Kendall Payne. But, as great as that song was, it wasn't the one I was pertaining to above. It was actually The Simple Things by Jim Brickman, featuring Rebecca Lynn Howard on vocals. It kind of reminds me of Vanessa Carlton's A Thousand Miles, melody-wise. Take a listen to this if you're feeling down-and-out.
The Simple Things
Hey, Time won’t wait,
Life goes by,
Every day’s a brand new sky,
Every tear, comes to dry.
All that really matters,
In this crazy world,
Is you and I together,
Baby just remember.
Chorus 1:
The first leaves off the tree,
The way you look at me,
A thousand chiming church bells ring,
The simple things are free
The sun, the moon, the stars,
The beating of two hearts,
How I love the simple things,
The simple things just are.
So here we go,
Let’s just dance,
Teach my soul to take this chance,
Put my heart, in your hands.
Out of all the moments that,
We leave behind,
Turn around and tell me,
Baby we’ll remember.
Chorus 2:
The thunder and the rain,
The way you say my name,
After all the clouds go by,
The simple things remain,
The sun, the moon, the stars,
The beating of two hearts,
How I love the way the simple things,
The simple things just are
Chorus 3:
The ocean and the sky,
The way we feel tonight,
I know that it's the love,
That brings the simple things to life,
The sun, the moon, the stars,
The beating of two hearts,
I love the way the simple things,
The simple things just are.
I love the way the simple things,
The simple things just are.
Simple things just are.
Simple things just are.
I also found out that we play the song on Dream.
'Nuff said.
Sunday, February 4, 2007
Let Me Entertain You
It all started with me simply wanting to do something one summer back when I was 14. Makati Cinema Square had a dj's booth where someone played music that was piped-in throughout the mall, and it also served as a place for paging people. I had a classmate who knew someone who worked at said dj's booth in MCS. So I asked him if I could get a job there. It didn't pay much, but at least it served to keep me amused. Who would have thought that "playing dj" would become more than a hobby? As corny as it may sound, I discovered that it was such a joy getting to entertain people (playing their requests, greeting them -- people from the shops inside the mall would often call me to ask for a song, greet them...). I found myself buying records with my own money for the purpose of keeping my playlist up-to-date or fresh, to keep my listeners happy (to play them a song or two that I may not have had when they called, etc).
Fast forward a few years later... I got my first job being an actual (radio) dj, for Magic 89.9. I believe I spent six years working for that radio station. After that, it was at 103.5 K-Lite that I spent another ten years in radioland. Along with the good, came the bad (and very bad). And things got so bad, particularly/especially during my last few years with the latter station that it finally came to the point where I woke up to the truth. I was an idealist -- I was naive to think that I'd be growing old with just the one radio station (which I thought was going to be Magic), that loyalty would count for something (and I was loyal like you wouldn't believe). Unfortunately, the network that owned both stations didn't share that way of thinking. So, even though I loved radio and loved what I did for a living, there was only so much I can do and so far I can go -- I was very unhappy, and so the inevitable happened : in April of 2005, I resigned.
After a little time off, I decided to try again. I applied at a few other radio stations. Unfortunately, it was slim pickings. There aren't many decent radio stations in this country, particularly those that value talent and a dj who actually loves (all or most forms of) music. Now I'm not saying that I'm very talented and/or the best dj there is, but radio has drastically changed. These days, radio stations overlook the important qualities of what makes a dj and hire on-air "talents" because they're either a model, a (wannabe-)celebrity, and because they're some Fil-Am, etc, people who have no place in radio. Unless they're radio savvy, which most of them aren't.
I honestly was beginning to think that there would no longer be a place for me in radio. That was until a dubber (voice actor) I knew (who apparently worked for a radio station) told me that she spoke to her boss about me, and that they were interested to hire me. I couldn't believe it and jumped at the chance to go to the station when I was told that the station manager wanted to talk to me. The interview went well, but after not hearing from them for several months, I thought that it was just my imagination. Then came the call several days ago. I was informed that they were hiring me!
Truth be told, the radio station that I'm now going to be working for is not exactly my first choice, and if there was some place I could go, I probably would. First of all, it's not a radio station that fosters adlibbing (their jocks usually only talk, and in short bursts, once an hour and when there's a tag or aob to announce and when there's a news report to be done). I'm afraid that I'm going to get, uh, stupefied since I won't get to hone my ad libbing skills, and inadvertently become a glorified spinner. It's also not really a "happening" radio station - meaning, they don't have many events - so there's the fear of monotony (not that I crave for wild parties every night -- I just want to be able to get the chance to host events... then again, I do have many other hosting gigs outside of the station that will be enough to keep me busy and occupied, so I really shouldn't complain). The travel time will also prove to be a bit of a challenge as the station is located in Novaliches, which will take me about an hour and a half or two from where I live.
But there a few good things about this radio station. The most important one being that the boss(es) and people there seem to be good and nice people, and that's always a good thing in my book. The format isn't exactly one that I'm familiar with, as they play a lot of jazz (nothing so deep, but jazz, though I appreciate it, is something I'm not very knowledgeable with) - as well as other light stuff (they play a little bit of everything -- r n' b, pop, bossa nova, Motown, etc, nothing heavy) - and I see this as a challenge, something to widen my taste, love and knowledge for music even more.
I actually thought that I wouldn't be working for them because of the schedule that they were offering me. I volunteered for the graveyard shift -- I wanted a shift that would leave me free and clear to accept work (hostings, voice overs and dubbings) outside of the station. They were supposed to go on 24-hour broadcast, but it hasn't happened (yet). So I was left with the choice of either the 9pm to 1am shift, or to be the Pinch-Hitter. The latter was more favorable for me. But I still had a problem with the weekend sked. Fortunately, they were nice enough to give me the weekend schedule that I wanted. So now, I'm ready and raring to go on-board. Sort of. I was originally slated to go on on Monday, but they asked me to come in a day early instead. So I've been nervously typing away the past couple of hours, watching tv, to distract me, as I'll be getting ready to go to work in a few minutes (after I'm done posting this, I'm off to Novaliches). Don't get me wrong, I'm excited, but I'm also nervous as hell, and kept looking at my clock, wishing that the time would slow down. Hehe. But the inevitable is here. Which means it's time for me to end this missive. Gulp.
'Nuff said.
Fast forward a few years later... I got my first job being an actual (radio) dj, for Magic 89.9. I believe I spent six years working for that radio station. After that, it was at 103.5 K-Lite that I spent another ten years in radioland. Along with the good, came the bad (and very bad). And things got so bad, particularly/especially during my last few years with the latter station that it finally came to the point where I woke up to the truth. I was an idealist -- I was naive to think that I'd be growing old with just the one radio station (which I thought was going to be Magic), that loyalty would count for something (and I was loyal like you wouldn't believe). Unfortunately, the network that owned both stations didn't share that way of thinking. So, even though I loved radio and loved what I did for a living, there was only so much I can do and so far I can go -- I was very unhappy, and so the inevitable happened : in April of 2005, I resigned.
After a little time off, I decided to try again. I applied at a few other radio stations. Unfortunately, it was slim pickings. There aren't many decent radio stations in this country, particularly those that value talent and a dj who actually loves (all or most forms of) music. Now I'm not saying that I'm very talented and/or the best dj there is, but radio has drastically changed. These days, radio stations overlook the important qualities of what makes a dj and hire on-air "talents" because they're either a model, a (wannabe-)celebrity, and because they're some Fil-Am, etc, people who have no place in radio. Unless they're radio savvy, which most of them aren't.
I honestly was beginning to think that there would no longer be a place for me in radio. That was until a dubber (voice actor) I knew (who apparently worked for a radio station) told me that she spoke to her boss about me, and that they were interested to hire me. I couldn't believe it and jumped at the chance to go to the station when I was told that the station manager wanted to talk to me. The interview went well, but after not hearing from them for several months, I thought that it was just my imagination. Then came the call several days ago. I was informed that they were hiring me!
Truth be told, the radio station that I'm now going to be working for is not exactly my first choice, and if there was some place I could go, I probably would. First of all, it's not a radio station that fosters adlibbing (their jocks usually only talk, and in short bursts, once an hour and when there's a tag or aob to announce and when there's a news report to be done). I'm afraid that I'm going to get, uh, stupefied since I won't get to hone my ad libbing skills, and inadvertently become a glorified spinner. It's also not really a "happening" radio station - meaning, they don't have many events - so there's the fear of monotony (not that I crave for wild parties every night -- I just want to be able to get the chance to host events... then again, I do have many other hosting gigs outside of the station that will be enough to keep me busy and occupied, so I really shouldn't complain). The travel time will also prove to be a bit of a challenge as the station is located in Novaliches, which will take me about an hour and a half or two from where I live.
But there a few good things about this radio station. The most important one being that the boss(es) and people there seem to be good and nice people, and that's always a good thing in my book. The format isn't exactly one that I'm familiar with, as they play a lot of jazz (nothing so deep, but jazz, though I appreciate it, is something I'm not very knowledgeable with) - as well as other light stuff (they play a little bit of everything -- r n' b, pop, bossa nova, Motown, etc, nothing heavy) - and I see this as a challenge, something to widen my taste, love and knowledge for music even more.
I actually thought that I wouldn't be working for them because of the schedule that they were offering me. I volunteered for the graveyard shift -- I wanted a shift that would leave me free and clear to accept work (hostings, voice overs and dubbings) outside of the station. They were supposed to go on 24-hour broadcast, but it hasn't happened (yet). So I was left with the choice of either the 9pm to 1am shift, or to be the Pinch-Hitter. The latter was more favorable for me. But I still had a problem with the weekend sked. Fortunately, they were nice enough to give me the weekend schedule that I wanted. So now, I'm ready and raring to go on-board. Sort of. I was originally slated to go on on Monday, but they asked me to come in a day early instead. So I've been nervously typing away the past couple of hours, watching tv, to distract me, as I'll be getting ready to go to work in a few minutes (after I'm done posting this, I'm off to Novaliches). Don't get me wrong, I'm excited, but I'm also nervous as hell, and kept looking at my clock, wishing that the time would slow down. Hehe. But the inevitable is here. Which means it's time for me to end this missive. Gulp.
'Nuff said.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
