Scent and Spice

Today I got me my nth bottle of my favorite scent. It is nice to randomly post some pictures of the things we like because if this blog still exists, say 10 or 20 years from now, these sorts of snapshots shall bring back memories of the old trends and cherish what we call today as future ancient artifacts.


I do have several scents but hardly use anything else because I love this.


Goodbye to the old bottle on the right.


A little bit bigger than usual.

Let me tell you about my liking for spicy things. I like hot sauce so much I literally drink it. This Kajun Fire though is a little bit too hot for my taste. A half liter sized bottle of hot sauce is usually consumed an average of 5-7 days. I guess I'll have to double or triple that number this time because of Kajun Fire.


Kajun Fire


Based on the 'Hot Meter' this is the Kajun Fire's degree of hotness. In that case, I'll pass on anything hotter and take a step down to a tamer one. Now if only hot sauce bottles were women I would have no problems dealing with it. Would you? Read more>>

If shoes were a man's wife...

I am not crazy about footwear. It feels strange because lately I find myself stacking up on shoes. I do have a few decent pairs but I somehow can live with just one pair. Call it favoritism. My loyalty to shoes is extreme. Just look at these photos:







Some of you may flinch at the sight of this untidy and worn out shoes. Before you judge me, let me state at least one positive thing.

If shoes were a man's wife he looks at her beyond what is superficial. Others may look at the shoe as being old, crumpled, smelly and with no resale value. Its equivalent in human terms is a fat, wrinkled, loud-mouthed and undesirable woman. But to her husband, he looks at her like the day they fell in love. Always beautiful and irreplaceable.

Of course shoes are shoes and there can be no excuse to being lousy. Even Forrest Gump's boots for swamp trekking is well maintained. So I decided if Forrest lives a happy feet, so must I.

If shoes were a man's wife, old ones will be constantly replaced:

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Free at Last

Sorry guys, not too many posts this month. I've been selectively busy (or conveniently preoccupied). In no particluar order, here is a list of what I have been doing this month of August:

1. Free time, which includes unwanted absences (college), is spent mostly with my younger brother who has been away for more than 4years. Having experienced prison life for almost half a decade, we shared stories from different perspectives. We talked about a lot of things from life in prison to new buildings within the metro to inmates' scabies to computer games to everything under the sun including its cancerous UV rays. We talked a WHOLE LOT. We slept a bit late (around 4-5am). As a result, I had to skip my morning classes. (FYI: my brother's NOT GUILTY)


Manila City Hall

2. Bubu got hospitalized. Now, this incident took only a fraction of my time but a nasty bite on my wallet. I had to pay Php5,000 for a confinement that took less than 24 hours. My reformed brother almost killed the dog when he dropped it, head first on the asphalt ground. I was so mad I would have sent him back behind bars. Of course he apologized to the little fella'.


Bubu

3. Beer and more beer. Excessive alcohol drinking is a thing of the past. I choose to drink every weekend at most, none at best. No explanations but I've been drinking often this month. Thank you relatives and neighbors, for breaking my oath. All the beer drinkers around the world should try San Miguel Beer at least once.


Toast to my 11th bottle.

4. Last but not the least, my brother and his girlfriend are expecting their first baby. I will soon have my second niece. Wait, didn't I just say my brother spent years in jail? Exactly! Were they in a relationship before he got in? No, they hardly knew each other. That is what's so special about it! By the way, she was in jail only for a visit. It was the day they met. Moving forward, this couple really does not make me any busier but nothing beats the buzz of a newly engaged couple!


The free and a baby

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Improved study area

Today's boredom attack is not bad at all. I served a different approach as I let it wait the whole day to get into me. In fact, it did not have much success to bore my brain out. In the end, boredom got bored waiting for an opportunity to 'dullify' my day. You heard it, the word of the day: dullify. No makes sense but what the heck. Let's move on.

I now have an improved study set up. Hopefully this would help me get through the book-reading slump I have had in the past few days (an understatement for someone capable of reading no more than two [2] textbook pages a day). Do not question my dedication to higher learning though. There is just too much cerebral rust to shake.

*click to enlarge image

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Forever college

Today marks the first month of a new school year. After a 5 year absence from college, all I can say is it is good to be back. My ultra short attention span is gradually improving...



Fully loaded with 26 units this semester, snubbed drinking buddies should try to be as considerate as possible. Those books alone make up only a total of 8 units. I have long outgrown reading books (at least 11 years back in time), as I conveniently switched to browsing through the pages of FHM or Maxim instead. Lately my genuine fondness of educational books is somewhat rekindled.

All right then, time is up. I just remembered I had bought the July '09 issue of MAXIM with Jackie Rice gracing its cover. Let me go back to reading.

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A singer no more

The way I sound now, it is evident how far it is from my old self who could sing and perform fairly well. The vision of becoming a singer-songwriter has long been buried somewhere in the unknown passage of time.

To my old friends who were witnesses, this segment is for you.

2003 is the year I lost the gift of being able to sing well. First, let's differentiate ABUSE from MISUSE.

ABUSE- may contribute, but not necessarily the biggest factor that can ruin a person's ability to sing. (example: smoking and similar vices that should be avoided to optimize vocal range)

MISUSE- is the improper way of singing; prolonged misuse causes vocal cord disorders.(example: bad vocal technique such as using the throat instead of the diaphragm; more so using the throat the harmful way)

Click here for more detailed information on vocal cord damage and how to avoid it.



I wrote this for the purpose of directing friends, relatives, schoolmates, colleagues, and others who may hear about this lost ability; so that I will not have to explain myself again and again. I will not and can not sing anymore. Not for any gig, band, wedding, debut, fiesta, not even a casual night of beer drinking (except when I get too much alcohol, maybe). It is not selfishness, brother. I'd love to sing anytime of any day if I could.

The sad truth is I hardly sing anymore even when I am all alone. My guitar, unlike in the past, just rests in one corner and seemed to have died with my passion for music altogether. As you can see on the demo video I did today, for the sake of proving my point, it is barely there. Even the song lyrics are forgotten. A singer who can no longer sing. Read more>>

My take on cigarette smoking

Image by SuperFantastic

I’ve always been against smoking. Even after years of violating my lungs, I still am. Light a stick. That’s what I've been doing for who knows how long. I regret it.

"What brought you into my life?" is really a tentative question rather than ignorance. It signifies my frustration of having to deal with admitting my semi-addiction to cigarettes. And finding ways to rid of it. I know exactly how and when I started smoking.

There are several worn out excuses as to why smokers lit that first ever cigarette. Few would admit there is one ultimate force behind teenage smoking; and it's the desire to look and feel "cool". Whereas I've learned it is not, was never, and will never be cool.

When it is imbued as a habit, smokers become slaves to smoking. Excuse me, my loved ones. This is not something I can turn away from in a snap of a finger. If it were easy, I would have walked away from it a long time ago. For you guys, my dear ones.

If the world we live in were to be a gigantic non-smoking area; if manufacturers will make no more of it; and if the collective efforts of eliminating this waste product become successful; I shall be thankful. A bitter sweet ending to this detrimental vice.

For now, I blame it on me. I blame it on you. I blame it on anybody. I'll take a cigarette break now. Puff... Don't come near me, you passive smoker.

Click here to learn more about smoking addiction. Read more>>