Confessions Of A Rock N' Roll Idiot

Make no mistake

2006-10-22T22:33:00.000+08:00

Today I Declare War.

Now there's no turning back.

You're going down.

Being The Bloomfields

2006-10-09T19:54:00.000+08:00

"Being The Bloomfields"
My very first band article, has been posted on the band's website!!

Please check it out at
www.thebloomfieldsband.com.

Feel free to comment here after you've read it!!

P.S. (The Rock 'N Roll Idiot is currently in his hell week. He will update soon on tales of typhoons, lost cellphones, and Assumptionistas.)

Just Dreamin

2006-09-26T15:22:00.001+08:00

Thanks to Eldritch00 for the idea. Just a few simple dreams of a rock-obsessed idiot.

A Lousy Burger, Food For The Soul And The Food You Really Want To Eat

2006-09-26T03:03:00.000+08:00

==============================================================

The Mark Of A Rockstar:

The Beatles – A Classic. The stuff of legends. (A)

U2 – Excellent, enduring and relevant. (B/B+)

Nirvana – Makes its mark. Short-lived though. (C/C+)

Bon Jovi – Enjoy behind closed doors. (D)

Air Supply – Simply horrendous. (F)

==============================================================

McRice Burger

(P 87 for the burger, P110 for the value meal)

Available at all Mcdonald’s outlets

For someone like me who’s always on the road, I find it hard to digest a chicken-and-rice meal while holding a steering wheel and shifting my car’s gearbox. So naturally, I was intrigued by Mcdonald’s latest offering – a thick burger that uses rice instead of bread for buns. So I pulled up to the nearest drive-thru to check it out. The Mcrice burger comes in two variants: Chicken Supreme and Beef Supreme, and from the pictures shown on the counter, it looked incredibly tasty.

However, the meal was a flat-out disappointment. The rice bun tastes burnt and bitter; masking the taste of what should have been very flavorful patties. Second, the burger looks no bigger than the Cheeseburger, which isn’t quite enough to satisfy the male appetite. And at P110 for the value meal, the Mcrice burger is offered at a ridiculously expensive price, which is only P2 cheaper than the store’s best deal – the Quarter Pounder. While the Mcrice burger is perfect for people rushing to work or to school, those who have time to sit down and enjoy a good meal should try something else on the menu. Nirvana

Continuum: Music by John Mayer

(Columbia Records, P460)

Available at Tower Records, Music One and Odyssey Records

“Continuum”, John Mayer’s third studio album, may just be his best work yet. Fresh from his stint with the John Mayer Trio, a blues-rock outfit where he teamed up with renowned session musicians Steve Jordan and Pino Palladino, Mayer takes influences from blues, soul, jazz and rock and fuses them all into an introspective album that sees him tackle bigger issues than his last two studio albums, “Heavier Things” and his hit debut “Room for Squares.” Life doesn’t seem to treat him well, as the first track, “Waiting on the world to change” is a blues-driven ballad that shows the singer-songwriter tackle his generation’s frustration with the status quo. “It’s not that we don’t care, we just know that the fight isn’t fair,” he complains. He gets philosophical on “Vultures,” a reflective ballad that tackles his fear of death. “How do I stop myself from being just a number/ How will I hold my head to keep from going under?” he asks. The entire album doesn’t go beyond midtempo, and Mayer channels this slow groove to create a heart-wrenching song called “Slow dancing in a burning room”, which tackles a failing relationship. On “Bold as Love,” the lone hard rocker on the album, Mayer shows some blazing fretwork, giving justice to the famous Hendrix anthem. Overall, “Continuum” is a perfect, smooth album for those reflective, self-questioning episodes when one deals with life’s pains. U2

The Food You Want to Eat: 100 Smart, Simple Recipes By Ted Allen

(Potter Press, P1500)

Available at: Powerbooks, Fully Booked, A Different Bookstore

Queer Eye For The Straight Guy’s Food and Wine Connoisseur Ted Allen has scored a big hit with this no-nonsense cookbook aimed at beginner cooks and ordinary people who wish to add more fire to their everyday meals. There’s no fancy French jargon or hard-to-pronounce Italian dishes here. Instead, Allen gives the 411 on how to enjoy the food you really want to eat - Killer fried chicken, The Ultimate Hamburger, saucepan mac n’ cheese, four different pizza variants, a paella and warm gooey brownies are just a start. Rather than spend pages philosophizing about the glory of risotto, he goes straight-to-the-point, with clear directions that enable you to visualize exactly how the dish is supposed to be done. The book provides essential education for the first-time chef, as he covers the basics of steak preparation, dressings for every kind of salad, how to handle the hassles of seafood, and great tips on hosting your own dinner party. If that’s not enough to get you fired up, there’s an amusing section on how to make 11 different cocktails, as well as a suggested wine for every dish. To top it all off, it comes with a neat plastic sleeve that makes sure the book won’t get stained while you’re conducting your kitchen experiments. The Beatles

Every Second Counts

2006-09-25T23:00:00.000+08:00

2006 UAAP Finals Game 1 Ateneo vs UST

Just when you thought the game was over...BOOM!!

Close Encounters Of The Metrosexual Kind

2006-09-19T21:49:00.000+08:00

(This is one of a few articles I've worked on in feature writing class. My thanks to jaded_quill for all the help. Read on, ye straight, slovenly man!)

Pity the four brothers of Edgar “Red” Surtida who must line up for more than an hour in front of their only bathroom while he prepares for work in the morning. After a bubbly bath enriched with vanilla and lavender oils, he scrutinizes his face in front of the mirror, rubbing his perfectly manicured fingers through his soft, moisturized cheeks, checking for any sign of newborn zits. The bathroom door bounds, the hinges of the knob rattle and threaten to fall under the pounding and cursing of his siblings, but 27-year-old Surtida is deaf and blind to anything but his pores. A graphic artist for a mobile gaming company, Red has a daily grooming routine that involves an elaborate method of facial exfoliation and the careful application of pomade on his hair to achieve the glam rock look. Next comes the dilemma of choosing what designer shirt to pair with his Armani jeans and his Lacoste sneakers. He says he spends at least, Php 10,000 monthly on new clothes and shoes. Add to that the P2000-per-month he doles out for his mobile grooming pack, which consists of an SPF-15 sunblock, a high-end facial moisturizer and toner, fragrance, foundationon and eye cream. Surtida isn’t at all surprised by this. "My friends think I’m odd because I moisturize and spend a lot on clothes," he says. "But I’d rather be this than get caught wearing a beer factor shirt and having a face full of acne. There’s nothing to be ashamed of."

He’s probably right. A few years ago, if Surtida walked through the corridors of his college wearing eyeliner and face blush, he would have been ridiculed to death by his classmates. Back then, fashion sense, moisturizing and coffee scrub treatments did not exist in the male dictionary of cool. To be attentive to one’s appearance and apparel was to risk being called “gay” and sissy, and men made sure that the world took them on their own uncombed, unshaven ways.

But now, the definition of masculinity is undergoing a huge face lift. Vanity is in, thanks to shifting gender roles, the immense popularity of makeover shows and the rapid growth of the male cosmetic and fashion goods market. No longer content with being the slovenly breed, men like Surtida are getting full-body massages, trimming their nose hair, overhauling their wardrobes and cleaning up their slovenly apartments in a shot to make challenge the dominance of women as the “fairer sex”. But more than that, looking good can just be what one needs to get that elusive break. “One’s appearance is critical to gaining success in the real world,” says the style-sensitive Surtida. “Attractive people give out a positive vibe to others, and they will definitely prefer to be with someone who smells pleasant rather than someone who reeks of sweat.”

Metrosexuals are the term given to this group of dudes who view pink as the new black and “cleanse, hydrate, exfoliate” as their new battle cry. British journalist Mark Simpson first introduced the term in a 2002 story on Salon.com: "The typical metrosexual is a young man with money to spend, living in or within easy reach of a metropolis—because that's where all the best shops, clubs, gyms and hairdressers are. He might be officially gay, straight or bisexual, but this is utterly immaterial because he has clearly taken himself as his own love object."

For Simpson, no one lives and breathes metrosexuality better than David Beckham, the Real Madrid football superstar who is infamous for his wild and complicated hairdos, elaborate suits and sarongs, killer aviator shades and his use of makeup and nail polish. He’s sort of “bridged” the gap between male and female apparel, having been rumored to wear his wife’s underwear. Dubbed as a prime fashion icon for men of the 21^st century, he has confessed that he loves being looked at, whether by men or women, and has no intention of toning down his image. Outrageously popular in Asia, Beckham has acted as spokesperson for many top fashion and style companies based in Tokyo, Seoul and Shanghai. “Bend it like Beckham” has become “gender-bend it like Beckham”, as reporters and fans now try to predict what hairstyle he will be sporting on the next game. “He’s the only one I know who can wear eyeliner and makeup and still look hot, and he gets a Spice Girl for all his troubles!” says 23-year-old Mark Spitzer, a film student and a self-proclaimed Beckhamaniac who religiously follows the star’s every style.

Suddenly, Narcissism has gripped men all over the place like a hot, pink fever. In an October 2005 story on Time Magazine, journalist Ling Liu observes that the number of metrosexuals are growing at such a fast pace across Asia that they have become a particular social subculture. In China, they are branded as the aimei nanren or “love beauty men”, self-indulgent bachelors who spend lavishly on manicures, pedicures and facial treatments every three weeks. Korea has its own kktominam or “flower men”, fashion-savvy androgynies who don bright-colored jackets, flashy bling and accessorize their hair with fluorescent highlights. In the Philippines, they are simply called fabs or metros, vain men who try to mimic the “fly” look sported by rap stars like Sean “Diddy” Combs, Kanye West and Pharell Williams. Thanks to Beckham and company, the lines between dude and drag seem to be blurring.

But if there’s a compelling reason why men across Asia are preening like lush peacocks and logging countless hours in the gym, it’s because women want them to. Behind every Beckham wannabe, there’s a Sarah Jessica Parker aspirant urging her boyfriend to buy new boxers and get that six-packed torso. Jem Go, a market analyst for a leading market-research company, says women are becoming more career-inclined and independent, thus able to make more decisions on their own. “They are more vocal about what they want in a boyfriend or a husband. Loyalty, trustworthiness, strength, hardwork (and even a high free throw percentage) – the traditional “Mr. Right” qualities, are not enough to make them go head-over-heels,” she says. Jessy De Borja, a senior communications student, asks: “How can I expect a man to take good care of me if he can’t even clean himself? But if he dresses well and has a fit body, that means he’s responsible and confident.”

And the chic parade doesn’t stop there. Men are also bringing out their baking pans and stepping onto their dancing shoes as they take into heart the advice given out on the hugely popular TV show Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. Vic Fernandez, a 22-year-old Hotel and Restaurant management student at the Center for Culinary Arts, follows Ted Allen’s suggestions for food and wine with the tenacity of a true connoisseur. “It’s instant pogi points when girls find out that I can cook pasta, seafood and desserts,” he says. “Sooner or later, you’re gonna have to cook for your love interest. And you can’t impress her with fried eggs. Do your chicken right and she will do you right.” Upon Culture Vulture, Jai Rodriguez’s recommendation, Jarret Sy, a 33-year-old family business consultant enrolled in ballroom dance lessons. “Which is better, spending intimate moments on the dance floor with a hot babe, or drinking beer in one corner of the bar? Definitely any sane man would choose the former,” he says. Luck was kind to him – one of his tango dance partners has become his girlfriend. “Thanks to the Fab Five, I met an amazing lady because I wasn’t stubborn enough not to try new things.” While the said activities were once in the sacred, untouched realm of the feminine, now, “enlightened” and culture-forward men are breaking the stereotype.

So now it seems that men are willing to try anything to keep their ladies’ eyes from wandering elsewhere. However, grooming and fashion are still at the top of the metrosexual pecking order. Great news then, for apparel companies, health gyms and cosmetic services that are expanding their product portfolios to include lines tailor-fit to the needs of men. Nivea, a leading female body care brand, has launched its Nivea For Men line, complete with oil-control facial foams, day and night facial creams, alcohol-free toner and body lotion that’s “specially formulated to meet the demands of the male body chemistry.” Master For Eskinol’s marketing message is simple yet effective: “Sikreto ng mga gwapo (The handsome guy’s secret).” And the Axe commercials blatantly show how one spray of their Pulse cologne is enough to earn you a lap dance from the hot vixen across the room. According to Liu, Euromonitor International, a market-research firm estimates a 67% global increase of sales of male-grooming products to $19.5 Billion by 2008. Such an increase has been met with warm welcome and anticipation by business executives looking for a way to escape the saturated female beauty segment. “I think we’ve explored almost every possible area of women’s beauty needs, so the male market segment opens a lot of new opportunities for growth,” says Go, the market analyst.

Despite the rise of these so-called “flower men”, still, there are certain girls who are not that keen on welcoming them yet. Some claim they can tell when a man has gone “too pretty”. “Being clean and presentable is enough. It becomes freaky when a man starts to border on gay,” says 21-year-old Kriska Landayan, a management major. “I certainly don’t want my boyfriend to look hotter than me!” she argues. “Some of my guy friends look like they don’t sweat at all,” protests 23-year-old Lyra Tiu, a creative director for an advertising agency. “And they spend more time in the bathroom than I do!” 26-year-old Pam Garcia, a physical therapist, feels a little insecure when her beau knows more about the latest fashion trends than she does. “It’s nice that he’s kind enough to join me when I go shopping,” she says. But Garcia too, has her limits. “When he starts showing me what’s great for my hair, or what top would look great with my blouse, I begin to think if he’s more of a woman than I am!” Generally, women want their men to maintain that little ooze of manly crudeness, that rough, unpolished side that tells them they’re straight.

But in the end, the old adages, “Be yourself” and “It’s personality that counts” aren’t enough to boost masculine pride. Ironically, makeup, pink thongs and purple highlights will be the new standards of a man’s character. “We’re living in a time where men are required to dress sharp and have acne-free faces,” says Surtida, the graphic artist. “You can offer a million excuses, but the truth is women today prefer men who have oil-free pores and well-toned bodies.” And if the ladies are threatened by man’s increasing attention to his looks, they should prepare to engage him in the beauty battle. So guys, if you don’t want to get blow-dried by the competition, never leave home without your kikay kits.

-30-

Even the stars go blind

2006-09-14T00:46:00.000+08:00

I'm wide awake tonight because I can't get over the fact that I made a total fool out of myself in front of the Dean of the School of Management this afternoon.

As a contestant and representative of ACTM for this year's Unilever Bizbattles, a business plan competition held in line with this year's SOM week, I was tasked to create a 3-year strategic plan for an upstart herbal shampoo company. Obviously, shampoos are the least of my worries, because I practically have no hair. Aside from that, our group was given only 3-5 days to prepare for the competition. That would've been fine, being the crammer that I am, but my group got together only two days before the presentation. Apparently, none of us were knowledgeable on shampoos.

The result - a boring, dull and lifeless presentation that saw me unleashing a million stutters. I "uhmmed" and "ahmmed" like a dumb blonde as I fumbled through the points on my slides, reading the text word-for-word. I felt naked in front of a horde of mockers as the panelists broke every point we made. And I refused to make eye contact with Dean Ang, who was staring at us with a look of utter sarcasm. It was clear that our presentation was stupid and pointless from the moment I started speaking - the judges were staring far out into the windows, the audience members shifting in and out of the room, and our rivals mocking and laughing at every slide.

After a half-hour of punchline-free points and broken english, I left the room, too embarrassed to watch the other business orgs trump their well-thought out business plans. I knew one thing for sure as I made for the smokers' pocket garden (and yes, I had to break my pledge just this once) - Unilever Philippines will not be considering my resume' within the next 10 years.

Of course, there's the usual "Okay lang yan" and "Di naman sablay" remarks that I got from my orgmates who watched the presentation. Yet for someone who's used to getting straight-As (sorry, no intention of bragging) in class, those aren't enough. Call me a perfectionist, call me a tight ass, but sorry, i'm just not used to losing. I hate it. It's not part of my normal rhythm. Being great in class is about the only talent that I have, and such mishaps deal a big blow to my ego.

Yet one thing is clear: no matter how good you've done in the past, no matter how many As you got for your papers, it takes only one blunder, one mistake to erase them from your head. No matter how talented or skilled you are, you could still fail miserably.

I worry not as much about sucking, but I'm more worried about those looks of sarcasm and mockery from other people. I'm worried that they know I'm vulnerable; that I can commit mistakes, that I'm no different from them. I'm worried that deep inside their minds, they must be thinking how I'm such a jackass.

I could offer myself a thousand excuses for why I screwed up today, but the embarrassment still remains - I didn't deliver when I was expected too. And I hate it. I just hate being mediocre.

Sadly though, mediocrity has always been my story:

* The smart kid who could've graduated valedictorian, yet succumbed to Starcraft.

* The fat ass who could get a whole lot more chicks if only he weighed 40 pounds less.

* The writer who could have churned out a lot of interesting stuff, if only he weren't struck with the fear of writing.

* The music addict who has everything - souped-up guitars, elaborate music sheets, a thick pile of CDs, yet until now, knows no other song to play except "wonderwall".

* That chain smoker who's repeatedly promised to quit, yet still falls under the spell of that white, cancer-triggering, lung-burning stick.

In short, the guy who's fallen short of expectations; the kid who didn't live up to the hype.

I'm not sure if I could ever rid of that label. And today, it seems that that stupid reputation will be hanging around longer than I expected it to.

Bathroom Rhythms and the All-important Announcement

2006-09-10T01:08:00.000+08:00

Singin' In The John

This morning's breakfast of two cans of Libby's Sausage, four scrambled eggs, two Amazing Glaze donuts and two cups of rice proved too much for my already swollen tyre of a stomach as I rushed to the pay lounge of the Glorietta 4 complex. After finding a comfortable parking slot, I ran to the comfort room, eager to relieve myself of the serpents that were tormenting my intestines. Luckily enough, the lounge had no other occupants. I quickly pounced into a steady rhythm of exorcising the brown demons of undigested chili, chicken tenders and wasabi mayo dip I had last night, making space for my breakfast binge.

The silence of the lounge, however, was broken the male attendant, who started humming a dreamy rendition of The Stylistics' "Betcha by golly wow." His ethereal voice caught my ears, and all of a sudden, I began backing him up by snapping my fingers to the song. In a matter of seconds, lonely male attendant and frantic pooper were collaborating on the chorus. I was twisting and tapping my feet as the bowels of waste were slowly being expelled out of my behind. And even as people started coming in, our collaboration progressed into the 8th octave.

It was actually fun, singing while pooping. For some strange reason, music and the toilet bowl came together with a singular purpose: Making you feel good. No matter where I am, no matter what state I'm in, as long as I have music in my head and in my ears, I will be able to stave off bad vibrations.

For a brief moment, I had made a connection with a stranger in the oddest of places. We shared a passion for those powerful verses that exclaimed the joy of finally meeting someone that you love.

For the nth time (Please, let this be the one!)

Mane and Tail failed to deliver it's promise of stallion-thick hair growth, so yesterday I went for the jugular, buying the complete Kerastase' hair loss kit, setting me back by 5 grand. The kit consists of a rejuvenating shampoo intended to stimulate my scalp, and the other a 20-day Aminexil treatment formula meant to stimulate the growth of collagen in my hair follicles. If this doesn't work, the great hair doctor, Svenson will be my next step.

Along with this comes a repeat of my profound (yet currently futile) promise: I AM QUITTING SMOKING STARTING TOMORROW. Apparently, the nicotine I ingest prevents collagen-forming nutrients from reaching my scalp. I am getting quite tired of hearing of mimicking Michael Bolton's dashing hairdo so as much as I hate to say it, smoking will be gone for a while.

That's if i can get it to go. My vastly "experienced" brother has a great way to describe the pain of quitting - "PARANG SEX YAN, PAG NASIMULAN MO NA, HAHANAP-HANAPIN MO KAHIT SAAN, KAHIT KAILAN."
Shit. Mahirap to.

Bolton phenomenon, weird dreams, terrorist inclinations and a few dumb blonde jokes

2006-09-04T00:52:00.000+08:00

Bolton Hair Revival Program

I am about to spend a whopping 5000 pesos on Kerastase' hair loss treatment products. While I've tried Mane and Tail and had hopes reviving my once flamboyant hair, it didn't work. Hopefully this gets through. I'd love to see a thick black patch on top of my forehead again. Quite odd, because at 20 years old, I already have the same hairline like a good and aging friend of mine.

I was watching a TV ad for another hair loss program and I found out that smoking decreases the flow of nutrients to your scalp, thus, preventing the growth of hair. I look at all my smoker friends and wonder if they take multivitamins daily. Dammit.

Strange dream

I had a weird and strange (but self-revelatory) dream a few days ago.

Weird dream # 1 happened after i took a workout at Fitness First Metro East. I've been dieting for quite some time, and I needed a quick nap after sweating it out for an hour.

I was sitting alone on a sidewalk when a fishball vendor came. While his carriage looked every bit of that of a typical fishball vendor, he was selling an odd product : Huge, roof-sized bags of Piattos, Mr. Chips, Nova and Pringles. These giant bags of junkfood were suspended in the air like balloons, and they were tied to the vendor's carriage. Each bag was selling for a hundred pesos each.

The last image I could remember was of me stretching out my arms to the sky, trying to reach for those chips. I felt a big rumble in my stomach as I woke up. Within a few seconds, I stormed the cupboard to chomp down my roommate's can of Pringles.

Sulit nga talaga mentality ko.

Weird Visa Application Questions

I'm going back to the States this November (ohhh, you poor children). As I was filling out my application form this morning, I came across a few odd questions on the form.Are these trick questions? And how the hell do you answer them?

Question 1:
Do you seek to enter the United States to engage in export control violations, subversive or terrorist activities, or any other unlawful purpose? (Huh??)

Question 2:
Are you a member or representative of a terrorist organization as currently designated by the U.S. Secretary of state? (As if mukha akong taga-Hezbollah.)

And the best:

Question 3:
Have you ever participated in persecutions directed by the Nazi Government of Germany or have you ever participated in Genocide? (Di pa yata nila nahuhuli si Hitler.)

Anlabo. What could happen if I say yes? Oh yeah, for all of America's technology, it only took a few men with bread knifes to spawn 9-11. Must be the reason for it.

A few jokes picked up on the side

Last week I was talking with a few friends on blunders in the Bb. Pilipinas Pageant. And apparently, a few of the candidates gave some excellent statements:

Question 1 - What is your motto in life?
Candidate # 1 (pauses for a long time to think, plus dumb blonde look):
"Sir, could you please repeat the question?"

Host:
(repeats the question)

Crowd:
(Shouting) "Time is gold! Time is gold!"

Candidate # 1:
"Ah!! Chinese Gold!! "

# 2 - What would you choose, be beautiful but not so-smart, or smart but not-so beautiful?
Candidate # 2:
"Ahm, sir, I would choose to be beautiful but not-so smart. "

Host:
"Why?"

Candidate # 2:
"Because I want TO READ BOOKS!!"

# 3 What is your favorite subject?
Candidate # 3:
"Sir, my favorite subject is English sir!"

Host:
"Wow! English! Why?"

Candidate # 3:
"Because i want TOURISM!"

Back to the Big Apple

After more than six months, I'm all set for a second trip back to the States. I'm currently having my visa worked out, and when I do, that iMac I've been craving for so long will be at my fingertips!!

2006-09-04T00:40:00.000+08:00

The Apple iMac. Coming soon to 19-O in a couple of months!

A Few Japanese Pranks

2006-09-01T01:16:00.000+08:00

The Japanese make excellent pranksters and prank victims. Check the following videos below for a barrage of laughs!

2006-09-01T01:09:00.000+08:00

Crazy Taxi

A Japanese guy is convinced he has a job opportunity. He steps into a taxi and goes for the ride of his life!

2006-09-01T01:08:00.000+08:00

Silent Library 3

Another hilarious Japanese Prank segment where the participants are in a simulated library.

2006-09-01T01:06:00.000+08:00

Japanese Pranks

This is a hilarious prank stint in a Japanese Sauna perched high up in a ski lodge.

Online Forever

2006-08-23T22:54:00.000+08:00

Finally.

We now have DSL at the condo. After months of being disconnected from the world, I am once again part of the "information superhighway". Expect more entries at a much regular basis.

Steady lang.

Thanks to Kulit and Kalbo for getting me HIGH last Monday. The steady stream of cannabis made sure I felt brainless for two days. Not exactly a bright idea when you have a week full of papers in front of you. Great feeling, anyway.

Lethargic.

Must be the best word to describe how I feel right now. I wake up with a drowsy aura everyday, having such a dull routine (wake up, eat, CNN, class, go home, sleep, CNN again) and a tight budget (no gas to go to rockwell, fitness first, or even Starbucks Corinthian Hills). Then again, it must be the cigarrettes I smoke that always make me feel lightheaded. Or maybe because I still haven't started writing my two articles for feature writing and writing about culture. I hope the mood changes soon.

Go forth and Multiply.

I now have a multiply site. However, I am apalled at the turtle-like speed of uploading photos. It's crazy. I stare at the webpage for 30 minutes, simply because I don't know which site to visit while the photos upload. You can check it out at stratosphere20.multiply.com

Stratosphere20.

I bought a Fender Stratocaster last Christmas, when i turned 20. So that's the reason for the name. I've started making love to my guitar again, and pretty soon, it will take me to the sky.

At Random

2006-08-18T01:17:00.000+08:00

If this sounds like a big bowl of alphabet soup to you, I apologize. I had a sudden impulse to write. However, my patience for editing was left in the subconscious.

ON FRIED CHICKEN AND LIFE

I tried my hand at cooking fried chicken yesterday. I didn’t get the result I wanted, but I learned a lot about life and myself just because of it.

Last Saturday, I bought Ted Allen’s (of Queer Eye fame) cookbook, “The food you want to eat: 100 simple recipes), which contained a recipe for “killer” fried chicken. After reading it yesterday, I went to Rustan’s and blew around 300 php for the chicken and the other ingredients: flour, full cream milk, thyme, cayenne pepper and butter. Apparently, the secret to fried chicken is soaking the meat in buttermilk, which makes the chicken more tender. Since no buttermilk was available at the store, I decided to improvise by mixing Dari Crème butter with the milk. Other than that, there were no other substitutes for the recipe.

I came back to the condo, prepared the marinade, soaked the chicken for a few hours, and went to an ACTM meeting. After that boring meet, I immediately went home, eager to cook the said dish. For the first five minutes, the chicken looked good, adopting a golden-brownish color.

However, the chicken started to adopt a dark color after five minutes. The cooking time allotted for the recipe is 15 minutes, so I started to get worried. And when it was done, well, it tasted like crap. I’m not sure what had really gone wrong. I followed the recipe to the letter, except for the milk, but that wouldn’t have made much difference (or could it?). So in effect, 300 pesos went straight to the trash can, but not before my roommates Jeff and Red had a taste of it. They said it was OK, the chicken was alright and the skin was “excellent”, but for me, it wasn’t. I wanted it to taste great. I was convinced that by doing exactly what the book said would bring a big smile to those who had a bite of the chicken.

And that’s when I paused to think.

That unfortunate episode of frying chicken said a lot about life. You do the exact things you’re told to do, follow the tried-and-tested recipe for success, but somehow, the end product doesn’t come out the way you expected it to be. While other people tell you you’re doing OK, that things aren’t that bad, inside you think, it’s not enough.

Funny to think that when you try to conform to life’s “true” recipes, somehow something inside tells you there’s something more. Or maybe you’re something less that what people perceive to be enough. I don’t know, but it seems that what works for Ted Allen’s chicken won’t work for me. Either I can’t be content with what other people tell me is right, or maybe I need to put more of myself into the recipe.

The only way to get it right is to do things my own way. And even if I do, it may not match up to what other people deem fit.

Does it mean the voices and opinions of people aren’t correct? I’m not sure on that. For quite a while, I’ve been reading and quoting the biographies of my heroes: John Lennon , Paul McCartney, Bono, Mick Jagger, and their messages, I cherish wholeheartedly. But I guess, I have to live through an idea to find out what works and what doesn’t. Follow your heart, make yourself present, do what you want. Only when you’ve suffered mistakes or reaped fruit from these ideas, can you start to own them.

The next time I cook the damn chicken, I better put in a few slices of ampalaya. Maybe having a bitter-tasting chicken might interest me more. Allen’s sweet and buttery recipe doesn’t say much about my life. Or maybe boil it in water, as I still face a blank horizon.

BIOGRAPHIES AND OLD SCHOOL ROCK

I’ve been reading a lot lately. A few minutes ago I just finished reading The Beatles by Hunter Davies, an exhaustive, first-hand account of the fab four’s rise to iconic status, and their eventual demise. About two weeks ago, I had finished Conversations with Bono by Bono and Michka Assayas. Conversations is a series of interviews revealing the legendary U2 frontman’s take on life, Africa, music, religion and the true spirit of music. Broken Music by Sting and The Rolling Stones by Geoff Boyd are up next.

My taste for music has gone backwards in the last few months. I’ve pored exhaustively over the music of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Sting, ‘80s U2 and the other rock n’ roll gods of time past. I am rediscovering a lost youth, taking me forty years back into the glory days of fun rock.

I simply got sick and tired of the current emo scene, where all they do is sing three things: 1) I suck 2) You suck 3) Life sucks. Rock ain’t supposed to be that way. It’s all about freedom, fun and excitement, taking you to heights beyond your wildest dreams. Maybe emo can do that, but I guess I’m fed up with all that teen-angst and broken-hearted crap. ‘60s rock captured a feeling of elation, beauty and exhilaration that I don’t think can ever be reflected in today’s rock. And I dare say anyone who thinks Good Charlotte makes better music than Mick Jagger and The Rolling Stones is a BIG, FUCKING IDIOT. Listen to Exile on Main Street and you’ll find out why. And if you can’t tell the difference, you’re simply not a mature listener. If you disagree, pardon the let down, and refer to the previous story.

OTHER SHIT

-Started picking up my electric guitar after 3 months of letting it catch dust.
-Will cook a big bowl of corned beef later.
-Evangeline Lilly (Kate in “Lost”) rocks!
-Got to know two lovely girls this afternoon at Seattle’s Best. They noticed that I was reading the Beatles biography, which they said it was a really cool book. I do believe it better now!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

“Diplomacy is a way to tell the person ‘Go to hell’ in such a way that he actually looks forward to the trip!”
– Quote posted in a Russian Foreign Minister’s office.

Musings Of A Rock N' Roll Idiot

2006-08-18T00:05:00.000+08:00

Welcome to Stratosphere20.
This is the story of a man named Joseph De Jesus:
An idiot for rock n' roll
An frustrated (yet trying) guitarist,
An aspiring (yet bleeding) writer,
A man making sense out of a mediocre life.