How much is that doggie in the window?

We have a new dog! Well, the canine cutie has been with us for more than two weeks now. Blame Restaurant City for the delay of this post, hehe!

So anyway, I am just so thrilled that we have a ‘member’ in the family. Aside from our fast and unlimited internet access, I have a new reason to want to rush home each weekend. I just can’t wait to call out Cooper and watch him greet me with so much glee in his eyes and so much energy in his tail, hehe!

He’s only been with us for a short time but being the dog person that I am, I am not surprised how attached I already am with this puppy. I guess it’s just that I really miss having a canine pet. Well, we’ve had cats for more than 2 years now, and prior to that, we had an adult Labrador Retriever. I didn’t really like the Lab because he was so smelly and big, haha! Plus, he was too enthusiastically unruly – jumping all over you is his way of showing his servitude and affection, hehe. So in summary, I prefer the ordinary local dogs or ‘asong kalye’ as we call them. They’re low maintenance and to a certain degree, they know how to take care of themselves (they know where to poo and pee!) and guard the house well.

We named him ‘Cooper’ after the kid in the American TV Series “Brothers & Sisters” because my sister and I are avid viewers of the said show. Sounds “pang-mayaman” no? Haha!

On his first day with us, I immediately gave him a bath and even used the blow dryer to dry him up because he was shivering after, hehe! And then I immediately scanned his coat for lice.

Now for some people, delousing one’s pet may be gross and filthy. I’ve always liked doing it – even with the many dogs we’ve had since I was young. There’s just something about that activity that is so intimately endearing between a human master and his animal. After all, taking good care of him is the least I can do to my dogs’ unfailing loyalty and unconditional love. Naks. Haha! Besides, it’s a great bonding session. Sometimes, I would even talk to my dog, often to appease him off the sudden pangs of pain whenever I try to uproot the nastily entrenched pests in his ears and feet, hehe!

I’ve heard and read time and again that having a pet is preparation for parenthood. Being able to take care of another creature other than yourself is a good sign that you’re ready to be responsible of another human being. And I think I do agree. I mean, there’s something to be said about being a responsible pet owner that makes you go the extra mile to take good care of and be there for your pet. And come to think of it, these creatures that are not even our own flesh and blood are able to touch our hearts and lives in a way that only a beloved one can. Isn’t that just amazing?

And if your dog is as cute as this one (pictured to the right), then man, I am totally prepared to go parental! Haha! It wouldn’t be the first time.

For the rest of his photos (which I took after I gave him a batch for the first time), click here!

It's Just Emotion Taking Me Over

Check out this news article back in July 2008:

A new Russian law could make being an emo kid illegal in the eastern European country.

Legislation is currently being formulated in Russia to heavily regulate emo websites and ban emo and goth dress style in schools and government buildings.

The new laws are apparently being driven by fears that these "dangerous teen trends" encourage depression and suicide.

The legislation was presented last month at a hearing held by the State Durma, where critics claimed that the "negative" emo culture encourages anti-social behavior and glorifies suicide.

Emo kids were described as teenagers who wear black, have facial piercings and black hair with fringes that "cover half the face", reports The Guardian

The weekend saw mass protests by Russian emo kids.

In Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, where laws are already being implemented, protestors in a march held signs saying "A Totalitarian State Encourages Stupidity".

Dmitry Gilevich of Russian emo band MAIO stepped in backing the protests, saying: "Expressing psychological emotions is not forbidden by law."

However, emo critics remain unconvinced.

Alexander Grishunin, an adviser to bill sponsor Yevgeny Yuryev, described a ban as necessary, stating: "This is the first step in the public discourse."

The moves in Russia follow criticism of the genre in the UK earlier this year, which saw My Chemical Romance fans protesting at the offices of British newspaper The Daily Mail over their coverage which linked emo with suicide.

As much as I am annoyed with ‘emo’ people, I am siding with them on this one.

First of all, what is ‘emo’ is highly relative. Not all that wear black or have fringed bangs are emo’s. And not all emo’s wear black or have fringed bangs. Being emo and its consequences is more of a social and psychological issue than a legislative one.

Secondly, the law would probably be hard to implement anyway. How will they conclusively define or characterize an ‘emo’, anyway?

Aside from the fact that such teen trends do tend to promote masochistic and depressive emotional states to a certain degree, other articles related to this proposed law reveal the main reason why such law was cooked up in the first place. It was actually a valid concern, actually. One of the Russian officials said they were worried about the future of the country – who will rule Russia in 2020 if the adolescents of today are too busy rebelling through their teenage years? I for one was worried a little when my 10-year-old nephew started singing MCR songs with much gusto, haha! But wouldn’t instilling the proper values and providing guidance to these teenagers be better to make sure they won’t end up hurting or killing themselves instead of banning them from expressing themselves in the manner that they are comfortable with?

Like I said earlier, I’m not into the whole ‘emo’ shebang. More often, I am annoyed with people who are being ‘emo’. But I wouldn’t go as far as hating them, hehe. Because I realize that they’re just trying to grasp their thoughts and feelings on what they are going through. I mean, life is hard after all! Haha!

For me, it’s better to face problems head on and be rational than emotional about it. Pain is inevitable at times but I’d rather ride it out than bask in its melancholic glory. But we all know that we handle things differently. We take different approaches when it comes to dealing with problems. Being ‘emo’ is probably just one approach. I don’t subscribe to that school of thought (or feeling), but hey, whatever gets them through their day, hehe.

So this whole ‘anti-emo law’ is just plain stupid. It may be based on a valid concern, but the approach to address that concern just lacks logic. Just in case they do pass this into law, then by all means, along the lines of 'dangerous teen trends', persecute the immature, whiny and masochists, too! Haha!

This kind of reminds me of the Reproductive Health Bill in the Philippines. This time though, I am in favor of it. What lacks logic for me are the arguments against it. Well, yes, arguments against the bill are morally valid alright. But it’s the close-mindedness and impracticality aspect of these points that makes me wonder where the hell is the sanity in this society.

I tried to google whether this law was actually passed, but I couldn’t find any updates on it. It has probably lost steam in the Russian Congress because there would definitely be news about it if it did become a law. Here’s to hoping that the Reproductive Health Bill and other genuinely important bills will be passed eventually. It’s so frustrating when our ‘esteemed’ lawmakers spend too much time attending on far less important showbiz scandals than real pressing problems of our country. It makes one want to pour bottled water on their heads, haha!

Not bad, not bad at all

I'm having a hard time typing right now because I just borrowed the EEE PC of my roommate. So I will make this quick.

My first day of classes wasn't so bad. My professors seem nice, considerate and knowledgeable. I will reserve judgment for my classmates later on in the term when I've had ample time to get to know them better. Thank God no one was particularly annoying, haha! They all seem nice. A couple were already married. One was old enough to be my Dad (it is his second degree). And apparently, being a transferee is such a normalcy. So I can totally blend in the crowd.

I had two 1-hour breaks which I spent eating at the canteen and sitting on a bench while listening to downloaded Chico & Delamar Top 10s or reading A Time Traveler's Wife. I barely spoke throughout the day, haha, probably 30 words or less.

"Chicken po ba ito?", I asked the lady at the canteen.
"Miss, pengeng index card... Thanks!", I told one classmate.
"Somewhere from Quezon City", I answered to my Technical English professor who asked from what university I transferred from.
"Bayad po.. Isa pong Pantranco."
"Bayad po.. Isa pong Road 20."

I will share more next time, hehe. Tomorrow, I will search for the location of the library. Haha!

Five flavors and then some

First there was fancy pasta. Then fancy sandwiches and toasts. Then fancy cheesecakes. And now, fancy vodka. I must have been a chemist and a chef or cook in two of my previous lives. I really just enjoy experimenting with food.

My interest in exploring food options isn’t really surprising given how I love to eat – which, by the way, is becoming obvious as I get older as I have gradually gained weight, haha! Now, exploring alcoholic drinks is a tad uncharacteristic of me. I may have been born in a family line whose men love to drink but I am just not a fan of it. Maybe because I grew up attending family gatherings and watching my uncles and their friends drown themselves in alcohol and end up acting stupid and irresponsible after. I guess early on, I was turned off of alcohol.

I do a little drinking occasionally and in manageable amounts though. While other people consider alcoholic drinks mainly as an emotional escape, I just treat it like other stuff that I put in my mouth – that it had better taste good or else I won’t have any. Which is why I don’t drink beer but drink wine and sweet cocktails.

My fascination with infused vodka was piqued when I saw a link about Skittles Vodka from one of my Facebook friends. Well, I love Skittles so I figured it must taste good.

I made an experimental batch just about an hour ago. I bought 2 packs of Tropical Skittles and 350ml vodka. When I segregated the candies into the five different flavors, it turns out the distribution wasn’t equal, haha. Obviously I can’t make equal amounts for each of the flavors so I had to compute how much vodka I would use for each flavor. Good thing it was just a simple ratio and proportion problem, haha!

So the picture to the left is how it looks like so far. By the way, the flavors are Strawberry Starfruit (red), Pineapple Passionfruit (blue), Mango Tangelo (orange), Banana Berry (yellow) and Kiwi Lime (green). As you can see, I haven't made the batch for two flavors yet because I only have three bottles, hehe.
I haven’t tasted it yet because the flavor infusion process isn’t over yet. I have to wait for the Skittles to completely dissolve and filter out the white muck that has formed on the surface. I should be able to ‘draw conclusion’ from this experiment by tomorrow, hehe! Here's hoping I don't become an alcoholic soon. Or ever!

List of Dream Idol Theme Nights

For me, having musical theme nights has been one of the Idol format’s strengths. Although its actual usefulness to the contestants’ musical training is debateable, these sometimes unpredictable theme nights are almost always entertaining.

An argument against theme nights is there’s no point in testing one’s musical versatility when one would most probably focus on one’s preferred musical genre anyway. A recording artist may slightly experiment with his or her sound on his or her album but you will not find an artist who dabbles in multiple and entirely different genres in the same album, right?

Ever since I religiously watched American Idol, I’ve always looked forward to the theme nights. I like them because it allows me to appreciate music genres or not-so-popular songs that I probably wouldn’t have had the chance of being exposed to if not for the show. For one, I credit American Idol, specifically Season 4, for my current appreciation of country music. Before, my musical taste was confined to what is popular in local radio stations and music channels. I guess I just realized that there is a bigger musical world out there filled with artists or songs that are equally or even better than what mainstream is trying to shove into my ears.

So for this post, I will make a list of theme nights I’d like Idol to have. In one of my favourite Idol websites, they already presented their choices in a photo slideshow, so I figured I’d make my own list of Idol dream Theme Nights.

Idol has been known to pay tribute to the careers of celebrated and accomplished artists or songwriters. So how about having these people on the show:

JANET JACKSON
We already had Michael Jackson night during the Season 8 Top 13. Who’s to say Janet’s own career and discography isn’t as impressive? I know that she hasn’t been churning out popular hits lately, but there was actually a time when instead of Beyonce, Janet was the female chart royalty.
Songs I’d like to hear: Again (1993), Runaway (1995), Everytime (1998), Someone To Call My Lover (2001), Son Of A Gun (2002)

AEROSMITH
Aerosmith has been covered prominently in many seasons of Idol, so we might as well dedicate one entire night for their rockin’ music. I’m not really a fan (or even aware) of Aerosmith’s celebrated career, except for their releases in this decade. But I think it will be a good night and I am more than welcome to listen to their other wonderful songs. Besides, I think Steve Tyler would make a hilarious mentor.
Songs I’d like to hear: Walk This Way (1977), Jaded (2001).
A song I wouldn’t want to hear: I Don’t To Miss A Thing (1998). I mean, what’s the point of celebrating the rest of Aerosmith’s music if we’re gonna listen to this song yet again? They have other songs, you know.

BABYFACE
Babyface is an all-around musician. He’s a singer, songwriter, guitarist, keyboardist, record producer, film producer and an entrepreneur all rolled into one person! He has successfully written and produced for a whole lot of other artists so I guess we can include those songs in the selection as well
Songs I’d like to hear: Every Time I Close My Eyes (1997), Fire (1998), Reason For Breathing (2000), What If (2001), Breathe Again (with Toni Braxton), Change The World (Eric Clapton), Just Stand Up (with the Cancer divas), Sittin’ Up In My Room (with Brandy), Take A Bow (with Madonna)

TIMBALAND (Suggested at the EW List)
Well, he’s one of the hottest record producers today, it would prove useful for the Idols to be mentored for their eventual recording and chart journey.
Songs I’d like to hear: Try Again (2000), Cry Me A River (2002), The Way I Are (2007), Apologize (2007), Promiscuous (2006), Sexyback (2006), What Goes Around (2006), Wait A Minute (2006), 4 Minutes (2008), Rehab (2008)


Janet Jackson & Babyface

Some theme nights simply focused on musical genres. Country, Disco and Rock were usually the “hardest” themes simply because these genres can prove to be challenging for singers that are not suited for them. I know that we’ve featured the usual genres, sometimes even decade-specific and quite not current at that. It’s not really rocket science so I’m wondering why they haven’t featured these themes yet:

MODERN R&B
And who knows, even a slight hint of hip hop. The Billboard Hot 100 charts is littered with mostly R&B-Hip Hop anyway and if the Idol contestants are to become eventually chart toppers, why not test their mettle with currently popular styles. Songs of Alicia Keys have been sung prominently especially in the semi final rounds so I think she can be a great mentor for this night.
Songs I’d like to hear: Too many to mention, but on the top of my head: So Sick (Ne-Yo), Irreplaceable (Beyonce Knowles), T-Shirt (Shontelle), If I Were A Boy (Beyonce Knowles), Superhuman (Chris Brown & Keri Hilson), Take A Bow (Rihanna) and more from Alicia Keys’ soothing catalogue.
A song I wouldn’t want to hear: If I Ain’t Got You (2004). So sick and tired of this song being performed!

BUBBLEGUM POP
I’m not sure if this is really what they call it, but I am thinking along the lines of Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and other blonde pop divettes at the turn of the century. You can even throw in the boyband saga to make it more interesting. Haha! Yeah yeah, I know it may be uncool now but come on! We used to love these guys, haha. And EW’s List said it best that if these auto-tuned vocalists can perform these songs well, so can the truly more talented Idol contestants, right? Besides, we do enjoy it whenever great vocal talents on Youtube cover these songs, don’t we? It should be highly interesting and I hope the contestants will take liberties in personalizing the arrangements of the songs.
Songs I’d like to hear: Any song that will remind me of my childhood and high school days. Haha!
Songs I wouldn’t want to hear: The prevailing “uncoolness” of the music is quite a handicap itself, so I hope the contestants wouldn’t choose the cheesiest ones like Candy (Mandy Moore), Get Down (Backstreet Boys) or Baby One More Time (Britney Spears).

MODERN DANCE MUSIC
Gloria Estefan and Donna Summers had their moments already and sure, the music eras they represent are formidable. But this time, I am hoping for the music that I myself jam to, not the ones our parents dance to in their ballroom parties. I’m not sure if it’s appropriate for a “family show” like Idol, but I hope they’ll get the Pussycat Dolls and Robin Antin (the PCD founder) as mentors.
Songs I’d like to hear: Closer (Ne-Yo), Forever (Chris Brown), Umbrella (Rihanna), Don’t Stop The Music (Rihanna), Insomnia (Craig David), When I Grow Up (Pussycat Dolls)

ACOUSTIC NIGHT
Acoustic arrangements of songs have mostly been warmly received, like Tracks Of My Tears and She Works Hard For The Money for the current season (Black Horse & A Cherry Tree back in Season 5 is my favourite). So why don’t we make everyone sing acoustically to really feel the vulnerability and pureness of the vocals. Whatta very Paula Abdul thing to say! Haha! They can choose any song they want from any genre and decade for as long as they will do it acoustically. Consider it as their training for eventual small gigs, mall shows or television guestings.

FORMER IDOLS
If we’re really looking for the next Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Jordin Sparks or David Cook, then I’m sure any worthy successor will perform the songs by these proven Idols astoundingly. We can also throw in the hits of the non-winning Idols (Daughtry, Jennifer Hudson, etc) in the mix for choices.
Songs I’d like to hear: A Moment Like This (Kelly Clarkson), Do I Make You Proud (Taylor Hicks), Lessons Learned (Carrie Underwood), Now You Tell Me (Jordin Sparks), No Air (Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown), Home (Daughtry)

Idol has had a number of specific theme nights like the cute “Songs from the year you were born” (an excuse to show the Idols’ baby pictures) to the annoying and pointless “Top Downloads” (for maximum iTunes pimpage). But these are getting old, why don’t we make it a little more twisted:

SONGS FROM THE YEAR YOU TURNED 16 (Suggested at the EW List)
Then we can see the adolescent pictures of the Idols! Hehe! “Perhaps the show's producers should let 'em perform songs that shaped their early musical identities — ones that would hopefully result in an outpouring of youthful angst and passion right there on the Idol stage”. –EW List

SONGS PICKED BY YOUR COMPETITORS' PARENTS (Suggested at the EW List)
“Here's a crazy three-step idea, inspired (a little) by Project Runway: Let each contestant's parents pick their five favorite songs, and put 'em on a list. Then have each Idol pick a set of parents (but not their own, of course). Finally, watch the contestants freak out when they're forced to pick their song from one of their competitors' parents' countdowns. Guaranteed fun — for the whole family!” –EW List

As an Idol junkie, I know that there are a lot of factors in the probability of these theme nights actually happening on the show: sponsors, song rights, getting the relevant and deserving mentors, impact on the show, entertainment value and relevance, etc. Some of these are probably even wishful thinking. But in the entire life span of the show, it has continually grown and broaden its audience and song catalogue (Beatles songs were cleared in Season 7, and for Season 8, we finally heard a Led Zeppelin song on the Idol stage). Who knows what changes may arrive. I just hope it’s for the better.

So how about you, guys, any ideas for fantastic theme nights?

I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing

For some people my age, a “sticky situation” could be described as not having a date to prom (okay, maybe this illustration is a lot younger than my real age) or not being able to sweet talk a permission for a summer getaway with friends from work from my parents (wait a minute, if I’m already in the working age bracket, why’d I have to ask for permission! For me, it’s a different story. A really sticky situation is something in the lines of not being able to watch the results finale of American Idol Season 8! *Cue in the Idol theme! Tanan tanan tanan tanaan*

Okay fine, so I’m a tad addicted to reality TV singing competition. Big deal! Haha! Oh yes, big deal it is. It’s true: for the first time since I got hooked on this show (Season 4 onwards) I won’t be able to watch the final results show of American Idol. For the past 4 summers, there’s that 1 Thursday towards the end of May when I’d wake up before 8am voluntarily on my own just to watch the live music extravaganza happening live across the Pacific Ocean at Los Angeles. During summertime (or practically any day where I have no classes), I’d wake up not earlier than 11am. It won’t happen this year because two weeks from now, my classes would’ve already begun. Instead of being glued to our sala television with my hands together praying that my bet will win, I’d be in a classroom waiting to meet my professor for Euthenics (I still don’t get what that subject is!) for the first time.


It’s not really the fact that I won’t be able to watch it as it actually happens. I just don’t want to know who gets to win the Idol crown on an internet article or worse from a mean spoiler. It’s the most important result for the season and it’s what we’ve been building up for since January. So yes, this is one episode I want to watch without knowing the ending.

But I have Plan B!

For what it’s worth, my classes that day are only up to 12nn. That means I can start downloading the episode as soon as I get home or as soon as the torrent is available, whichever is first. But then I’d have to stay away from my usual cyber hang-outs (Plurk, Facebook, Peyups) so as not to get spoiled. While some people have the common courtesy to have spoiler warning before they’d go on and rant or rave about the results, some people sometimes enter a momentary state of uncoolness and would just blab the result for everyone to know. Even the ones who don’t even want to know just yet. And I am looking at you John Carl! And Dondon! So yes, I’d rather be careful than sorry!

So to my real-life friends, I plead you to not text me the results. I have voluntarily decided to excuse myself from the internet during hose hours before watching it so no one had better go out of their way to spoil me. I rarely ask serious favors from you guys, so for the love of American Idol, do grant me this one. Haha.

‘Tang’na. Seryoso, huwag niyo ako tetext!

Haha! I take this thing seriously, you know.


I'm rooting for an Adam-Kris finale. How about you, guys?

Same Old Brand New Blog

And after almost a week of painstakingly tinkering with XML, HTML and CSS stuff that I don't completely understand, I am finally finished with the new look of my blog! Yey! There were many times when it's already the break of dawn when I'd finally lie in my bed to sleep. (And then I'd wake up a little past lunch time, haha). I'm hoping that I will be more enthusiastic and inspired to blog from now on. It would be a shame if all the hard (editing) work I've done will be for naught if this blog won't have regular updates, hehe! I haven't really finished with all the widgets and add-ons. But for all basic features as comments and tags, it's good to go. I'd just gradually add, enhance or edit the other stuff in the next few days.

This is the 6th blog layout I've had since I started blogging. I personalized 4 layouts at my old blog and for this blog, this is the 2nd one. I’ve done rectangles, stripes, flowerish stars (that’s how it looks like), and now I’m into “rounded parallelograms”. *Nosebleed*
Here are a few technical details:

*My color palette consists of Turquoise Blue, Lapis Lazuli, Faberge Gold and Kelly green. (A friend said, “Wow, ang sosyal. So bale blue, yellow at green!” Haha!). Turquoise Blue and Lapis Lazuli because these colors (or stones) are highly associated with my birth month, December. Lapis Lazuli found in nature has gold streaks, thus the inclusion of Faberge Gold. Why Faberge of all golds you might ask, haha. I simply got it (and the hex value of the color) from this cool color palette website. As for the Kelly Green, well I just wanted to add a cool shade of green, you know, for more hope. Yehees.
*I’ve switched from HaloScan to Disqus for my comments. I just want to try the commenting threads and having commenting profiles and stuff, hehe.
*I got my background image (the dark turquoise rounded squares in a black background from this very cool pattern website.
*I used Photoshop CS3 for all my images. As you can see, I abused the emboss and contour blending option, haha!
*I expanded my blog roll, too. I have a couple of new links that I think I’m going to frequent from now on, too. Do you have any recommended personal blog or website? Share it on the comments section below. ;)
So that’s it for the official launch of this “Zoom Out” layout. I will really try to update more often. I’ve actually been aching to blog about a lot of stuff the past week (Manny Pacquiao, American Idol, Faceboook, among others), but since my blog layout was a mess, I had to postpone such ramblings.