WARHOL ::: Invading MTV Singapore (Photo Update)

On the way back to the office from our weekly lunch with the press yesterday afternoon, I got a call on my cell from a hidden phone number. I had a hunch who it was and I was right. It was from MTV Asia and the girl's name is Michell. She was the same girl who called me six months ago when I first came on the show.

Anyway, she called to say that Pop Inc was being reformatted and that they wanted to ask me for any ideas and stuff that I like about the show.

I told her I wanted Pop Inc to be aired live and she explained that they can't do that right now because of staffing problems and other matters but will look into it. She also said that they appreciated all my ideas and comments and do look into the possibilities of my suggestions. It was cool to know that because I do care enough for the show and want to see it improve on many areas.

The best thing she told me was that they would be calling me the next day to talk to the VJs, Denise and Colby. Woo!

"You like him (Colby), don't you?" she asked.

"Well, yeah. I mean he's from the Philippines. I have that affinity for him."

"He gets a little shy at times."

"Really? Colby?"

"Yes."

"Maybe you could have beer on the set to losen him up sometimes."

"That might be allowed in the Philippines but it's not allowed in Singapore."

"Oh they wouldn't have the budget for it anyway!"

"We do have a budget....(forgot what else she said). So we'll give you a call tomorrow at around two and record with you?"

"Yeah. Looking forward to that. Thanks."

"OK, it was nice talking to you."

"No problem. Bye!"

"Bye!"

* * *

Next day, I get the call at past 3 o'clock. I had been staring at my phone for a full two hours, maniacal and catatonic. The girl who called asked me to find a quiet spot and that she'd call me back in ten minutes.

An hour passed and, finally, I get the call. They were prepping up for my segment and passed me on to Denise and Colby. After the niceties, Colby said "I want some San Miguel beer."

"Well, don't you guys have it there?"

"We do but it's very expensive," complains Colby.

"It's fourteen dollars," said Denise.

"Really? That's about ten times as much."

"We hear that over there it's only like one dollar," she explained.

"Oh, even less!"

Colby asked about the weather. I said it was overcast. He's hella talkative.

Back to the control booth. Girl asked me to hold as they get ready. Someone counts down.

Roll camera. Denise and Colby go "hellooo!"

For the rest of the conversation, tune in next Monday, June 5, for my second Pop Inc appearance. Don't miss it because me and the VJs had a lot of fun talking.

By the way, I was asked for a video request and, naturally, I told them I wanted a U2 video. "One" with Mary J. Blige.

bye! 

jam still asleep 

paparrazzi shot 

people-luggage compartment 

boarding 02 

boarding 

chessie-eloi 

sol, ayie, and mader 

pasakay na 

telele 

mader 

baguio-departure-01 

baguio-departure-02 

Recommended Websites

It's a lazy afternoon here at the office...not that I'm complaing.

Hey, this may sound a little too blah but I'm glad I got to see Pop Inc yesterday and today. It's been weeks since I last caught an episode!

I like the show because eventhough there's a script or outline, it's still an "anything goes" type of show and, therefore, dynamic. However, there are times when the themes they use makes it look like the producers have scraped the bottom of the barrel. It's like every dang day they're talking about Brangelina, Spederline, Lindsey Loon, TomKat, Paris Hilton, and every whoever Hollywood celebrity is in the headlines. I mean, come on, why not feature some good quality music artists for a change? It's a music channel, ain't it?

For those out there looking for music news, reviews, interviews, performances, and whatnot, I've listed a group of music websites that are worth browsing. Here's a partial helping:

• www.nme.com - stands for New Musical Express. UK's own music publication; usually gets first crack at interviews with U2, Radiohead, Coldplay, etc. on hush-hush projects
  
• www.KCRW.com - independent LA radio station. Check out the "Morning Becomes Eclectic" program which features exclusive in-studio performances from artists like Rufus Wainwright, Ani DiFranco, Ed Harcourt, etc.
  
• www.bbc.co.uk/6music - commercial-free radio that plays good music from all genres. It's the BBC, for cryin' out loud!
• www.pastemagazine.com - standard content such as music news, concert and album reviews, interviews, etc. but also focuses on books and film; slightly tamer artist line-up.

I'm sure y'all have your own music sites you visit all the time. Feel free to share the good stuff and post a comment!

WHIMSY :: Hicksville USA

Take that, McPhee! Can you say boring? Guess the cutesiness just didn't get you the mileage you expected, huh! Don't fret, brunette. Why don't you just join your cliquemate Pickle and form a sorority! Make Paula your first member, get drunk and heckle anyone who doesn't buy the crap you sell. At any rate, I hear they're lookin' for a new Ashley Simpson Show.

*aherm* Sorry about that, folks! It's just that I've held back for so long and now that she lost, I can rest easy.

Haha! Soul Patrol wins! Wooh! (throws head back)

I walked into our office this morning and found my co-writers standing in front of the TV. I knew right away they were watching the live AI finals on StarWorld. These guys are hardcore fans. For my part, I've never followed an entire AI season all the way to finals night before this one. It just got boring when my favorites left. This time, however, I was able to tune in to each episode thanks to my two officemates who have been long-time AI fans.

My picks from the Top 10 were Mandisa and Taylor. Chris, Elliot, and Paris were also tough competition while McPhee and Pickler used all variations of "bimbo" to get ahead.

Initially, I was really ticked by the results (especially when Mandisa and Paris were booted off) but I realized this is exactly how America votes. They like to keep things plain and uncomplicated...just like in the last two presidential elections. But I digress.

You could tell the fans' love for Mandisa did not wane at all because each time she got on the mic, there were screams and cheers. Really. It was THAT obvious. Go girl!

I was pleasantly surprised when Elliot sang "One" by my favorite band of all time, U2. I remember sitting at the computer and then hearing the opening riff then him going "is it getting better". I stood up and strode to the front of the tv screen. And when he called out The Queen Mary to join him, I was incommunicado.

That bit was the highlight of the program for me—more than Prince's, Meatloaf's (!!!!), Toni Braxton's, Clay Aiken's, or the Brokenote Cowboys clip (ROTFL). Of course, Taylor's winning moment was a tad emotional.

So congratulations to Soul Patrolman Taylor Hicks. Did you make me proud? Dawg, you had it all along!

Last Stand Tomorrow

X-Men 3: The Last Stand is the first movie of the Summer '06 blockbusters that I'm actually excited to see. 'Da Vinci' and 'MI3' are just not that significant even with all the controversy that surrounded the former. Honestly, would people be looking back ten years from now and say MI3 or The DaVinci Code were landmark movies of the mid-00s? I don't think so.

From the way it's titled, it looks like we won't be seeing any more future installments of this franchise. That's a little disappointing because from the very beginning, fans clammored for Gambit to be included in the characters featured in the films. At one point, there was even a rumor going around that Colin Farrell was going to play the card-tossing French Quarter rat. But it turns out all of it was smoke.

Nonetheles, with or without Gambit, I will honor my duty as someone who grew up on Marvel and DC to go see X-Men.

Here's a question for y'all: who is your favorite X-Men character from the comic books/cartoon series?

EVENT COVERAGE ::: Laguna Bits

I got home yesterday from the company outing in Pansol, Laguna. The resort we stayed in had the bottom of the pool laid out with red gravel. Coupled with the pure hot spring water, the place gave that pseudo spa experience. It was so soothing I didn't want to get out of the water.

There was so much food but I held back on binging so as not to spoil my diet plans. "Plans" is the operative word there.

On the way home, I hitched a ride with my co-writer who dropped me off at Festival Supermall Alabang. Since I was there, I figured I might catch a screening of The Da Vinci Code but as soon as I got to the cinema level, all five of the ten theatres it was in were full. The next screening was at 6 pm and I didn't think it was worth waiting since I had to lug my Dumbo-heavy duffel bag around. I decided to just stroll a bit and look around the mall.

I found myself in the activity area where a Santacruzan-themed fashion show was going on. The program was hosted by a trannie named "Armine" who had on a body-hugging neon green dress and wig. When she turned her back to the audience, the stage lights revealed her black thongs. (T-back, bahala na kayo kung anong nasa back)

So the models were called out starting with two little girls aged 5 or 6. The first kid was a pro, no hitches at all. Then Armine called the second kid out. Soon as the little girl emerged from the wings, her face crumpled and it looked like she didn't want to continue.

"Ay, natakot yata sa 'kin!" Armine quipped. Heh! You can say that again. Here she is with two of the models.

Right where I stood was a cardboard ad for Dermstrata (skin care clinic and spa) with MTV VJs KC Montero and Cindy Kurleto. From the way it looked, I can't help but wonder just how much make-up and airbrushing was involved.

Before I end, let me just pay homage to the three Filipinos who conquered Mount Everest this past week. Leo Oracion, Pastor Emata, and Romy Garduce have shown this country that overcoming a challenge, no matter the scale, comes naturally for the Pinoy. I'm proud of you guys.

This morning, I saw the Boracay episode of Mobbed. Max could not control his happiness and said, "I loooove the Philippines!!!"

So do I, Max. So do I.

One Hour To Go!

It's 6 PM. You know what that means? It means I'll be clocking the shiznit out of this place in an hour. Means I'll be heading out into rush hour traffic and falling asleep in the process. Thank God I'm not driving.

There's really no point in this post other than to say thanks to everyone out there in Mobbedlandia for reading my mundane mumbo jumbo. Man, you guys ought to go out more! Kidding.

No, really, thank you to all my readers and everyone who posted comments. I do read them all.

P.S. There are a couple of photos I'd like for y'all to see in my Photo Album so click on over there when you gots the time.

Back from Laguna as a HOT BLOG!

I got home yesterday from the company outing in Pansol, Laguna. The resort we stayed in had the bottom of the pool laid out with red gravel. Coupled with the pure hot spring water, it gave that pseudo spa experience. There was so much food but I held back on binging so as not to spoil my diet plans. "Plans" is the operative word there.

I hitched a ride with my co-writer who dropped me off at Festival Supermall Alabang. Since I was there, I figured I might catch a screening of The Da Vinci Code but as soon as I got to the cinema level, all five of the ten theatres it was in were full. The next screening was at 6 pm and I didn't think it was worth waiting since I had to lug my Dumbo-heavy duffel bag around. I decided to just stroll a bit and look around the mall.

I found myself in the activity area where a Santacruzan-themed fashion show was going on. The program was hosted by a trannie named "Armine" who had on a body-hugging neon green dress and wig. When she turned her back to the audience, the stage lights revealed her black thongs. (T-back, bahala na kayo kung anong nasa back)

So the models were called out starting with two little girls aged 5 or 6. The first kid was a pro, no hitches at all. Then Armine called the second kid out. Soon as the little girl emerged from the wings, her face crumpled and it looked like she didn't want to continue.

"Ay, natakot yata sa 'kin!" Armine quipped. Heh! You can say that again. Here she is with two of the models.

Right where I stood was a cardboard ad for Dermstrata (skin care clinic and spa) with MTV VJs KC Montero and Cindy Kurleto. From the way it looked, I can't help but wonder just how much make-up and airbrushing was involved.

Today, when I got online to check for any comments, I realized this blog has been picked as one three Hot Blogs for the week. What does that mean though? Do I get any prize or incentive from it? Or are they just acknowledging the fact that I, scribe, am just muy caliente! I think so.

Before I end, let me just pay homage to the three Filipinos who conquered Mount Everest this past week. Leo Oracion, Pastor Emata, and Romy Garduce have shown this country that overcoming a challenge, no matter the scale, comes naturally for the Pinoy. I'm proud of you guys.

This morning, I saw the Boracay episode of Mobbed. Max could not control his happiness and said, "I loooove the Philippines!!!"

So do I, Max. So do I.

U2 ::: An Instrument for the Womenfolk

That Bono likes to keep busy doesn't he? Here he is visiting a garment factory in Lesotho as part of the DATA (Product) Red campaign which "gives a percentage of each (RED) product sold to The Global Fund for helping women and children with HIV/AIDS in Africa."

It's Late

But I'm still on my laptop typing like I don't have work tomorrow. I do but I need to do some packing for our company's "summer" outing tomorrow night after work.

I decided to put my face as my avatar because I liked how that photo turned out (I took it, heh!) and also so that nobody would have any false ideas about how I look. By that I mean I'm no 'Fresh Face of Iowa'! Haha! And that's not putting myself down because I happen to like how I look with my oversized pores and large nostrils. I think I have a purpose for looking this way...just trying to figure it out.

Well, I hope to be back with photos from the excursion. We'll be spending it in a Laguna resort with all the food and booze available to man. See you guys then!

All That For Just One Lunch Break

I decided I didn't want anything on today's office concessionaire menu so I went to the mall to get some variety. So I went to Mexicali and got me some muy delicioso y muy chewy enchilada!

It was past 1 pm when I sat down to order so the place was relatively quiet. The lunch crowd had already trodded back to their cubicles. I find this idyllic and allowed me to enjoy every bite of my enchilada.

At this point, you're probably typing a new URL on the address bar up there as you realize how pathetic this entry would be. "I did this, saw that, got this, said that..." But there's always a prize for patience.

I never realized that I will receive a knee-slapping reminder of that extra quirky Pinoy culture in the mall of all places. After all, a shopping mall, being centers for global homogeny, is the last place you'd expect for a satori such as the one I had today.

People like to personalize things by putting names (ours or those of people we love) on various things like jeepneys, doors to our homes, concrete slabs, cellphones---just about anythihg!

As the practice evolved, people, particularly school kids, somehow started writing full messages in bathroom walls. They generally were intended for 'terror' teachers. Not so "gago ka sir hermino", "tanga ang bumasa nito", and "pok*** si gemma espiritu" are some examples of the bathroom literature. It was only a matter of time before replies to messages such as these began appearing on the same surfaces.

"HINDI tanga ang magbasa nito" and "mahiya naman kayo hindi kayo may-ari nitong c.r. nag-va-vandal pa", etc.

So I got a little excited when I saw the sign below from behind a bathroom stall door.

It was not actually someone's handwriting (you can tell by the lack of emotion in the message) more than a loperamide advertisement. At any rate, it got me wondering why they hadn't thought of that before. Maybe they have but mall management were against it for fear of eliciting further nuisances.

P.S. I GOT PAID

Schopenhauer

I will get paid today. I will get paid today.I will get paid today. I will get paid today. I will get paid today. I will get paid today. I will get paid today. I will get paid today. I will get paid today. I will get paid today. I will get paid today. I will get paid today. I will get paid today. I will get paid today. I will get paid today. I will get paid today. I will get paid today. I will get paid today. I will get paid today. I will get paid today. I will get paid today. I will get paid today. I will get paid today. I will get paid today. I will get paid today. I will get paid today. I will get paid today. I will get paid today. I will get paid today. I will get paid today. I will get paid today. I will get paid today. I will get paid today. I will get paid today. I will get paid today. I will get paid today.....

The Thursday Post

Sorry, I had to go with that title for lack of creativity/sleep/excitement.

I've just been asked to write another column feed and all I was given was the topic--no purpose or target audience, just a topic. Okaaay! Let's see what the day brings me.

I got to the office at about 7:45, an hour and fifteen minutes early. Here's how that happened...

As it is, I already have trouble sleeping without getting roused by the heat. Last night, or this morning rather, my brother, sister, and cousin decided they wanted to chat and giggle at 4 am while I struggled to stay passed out despite the sweat on my collar. I usually could but since they kept giggling and just all out babbling, I didn't get to go back to sleep anymore.

Finally, at around a quarter to six, I decided to get out of bed and get ready for work. Soon I was out of the house and hailing a jeepney bound for the city.

As expected, I got to the office ahead of everyone else so I decided to take photos of the beautiful Manila bay that I've marveled about for the last six months.

I spent the day writing two editorials which I believe will be published some time next week. Neato!

U2 ::: Birthday for Paul

Irish children are given "Birthday Bumps" in honor of their birthday. While held upside down, the birthday celebrant is gently bumped on the floor one time for every year of their age - plus one extra for good luck!

I wonder what Bono's gonna look like with 46 lumps on the noggin. Should've kept the long locks until after your birthday! Hey, atleast now I know where that befuddling "intellectual tortoise" came from.

Happy birthday, Bono — singer, poet, activist, fashion icon, minister, economist, Apple savior.

Tackling the MTV Asia Awards

Yes, indeed. I skipped work today and there's a few reasons. One, it got so hot last night I couldn't get some decent shut eye. Second, I have the Monday blues and just thinking about the long commute to work and being wedged in the middle of rush hour hell was enough to discourage me from getting out of bed this morning.

Don't get me wrong now. I'd like to think I'm a pretty decent employee because I put a lot of love and attention to my work, I do overtime (a lot) without being asked or getting additional pay, and I don't lounge around and gossip about people 'cause that stuff is poison. But once in a while, I like to take a break and give my neglected self some "me" time.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

They held the MTV Asia Awards last Saturday. Was alright but, to be honest, none of the performances really made an impression.

These Asian artists are way confused. You could see the Michael Jackson influence has not wained a bit in this part of the universe. Just about every performer was doing some kind song and dance routine not unlike something you saw the King of Pop do. You know who you are.

Rivermaya was the only act that I sat through without changing the channeland I'm not even a fan of that band. They had some live orchestra help with "You'll Be Safe Here". I think these guys just expanded their Thai fan base with Mark Escueta's t-shirt while Rico, as always, had the best words to say to and about the fans back home.

The Lee Ryan-Tata Young duet sounded really forced. It made me wonder about how long (or short) the amount of time they had was to rehearse that number—even the guy on the piano had his own tempo.

Kelly Rowland and Wang Lee Hom were great hosts. They had projected good vibes between them and that projected well on the telly...although Wang Lee Hom's whole "I say bang, you say kok" wasn't exactly the highlight of his whole hosting career. Who's idea was that anyway?

If you didn't watch the whole program you wouldn't have known Daniel Powter performed. His bit was pretty lackluster and I find that unfair of him to do especially how that song has been embraced by Asian fans plus the fact that it's blown up so big thanks to American Idol. Shame on you, D.P.

Before the show started broadcast, I was straining to see some red carpet footage with the MTV VJs. Instead, they had a travelogue show hosted by half of the Moffatts. Oh brother. MTV, in case you haven't noticed, the whole boyband craze has long since died a natural death and it isn't a good idea to exhume it. Where was the pre-show program? No video footage of the artists arriving at the venue? How about rehearsals? Nada? Aw, come on.

Still, I have to give the event organizers and MTV themselves for all the effort they put into that show. It's not an easy thing to contact artists' endless list of handlers and scheduling everything. I'm just saddened the acts themselves weren't serious enough to deliver decent tv. Instead, we fans had to watch something that would make Simon Cowell book an extended holiday.

Lastly, that whole animation sequence was a big waste of time. Don't ever do that again.

MTV Killed Radio...NOT!

So it seems that Max did come over last week for the Mobbed thing they did down in Boracay. Some comments about Max: he's either a total headcase or surprisingly unassuming. Too bad I wasn't there to see for myself. Oh well, I'm sure they'll have a TV special of that event soon or atleast they'll use footage from it for the VJ segments in between videos. See? I know my MTV!

I've been listening to the radio these past few days just to try and catch up on new music. When I was younger (like 12 or 13), I listened to a lot of radio—

Just got off the phone with The Boss looking for Mike, our supervisor, who's out of the office. What in the world is he calling at this time of the night for? He's somewhere in North America and should be asleep. His voice sounded stuffy. Spring allergy season I s'pose.

Going back to what I was saying before getting interrupted, FM radio was my constant companion back then. I knew all the stations and what type of music they played, knew all the commercials and promos they ran, knew the DJs' radio names and program scheds. It's all you can do when you have no place else to go during school breaks. That's why if you ask me stuff about 90s pop music, I'm pretty confident I can give you an accurate answer.

Also, MTV did not have an Asian cable channel until '92 so you can imagine the hold radio had on the youth as far as music was concerned. I mean kids still recorded songs off the radio back then, DJ talking over the ends and all, which was particularly annoying.

So how has Manila FM radio changed since New Kids On The Block? Well, for one thing, there's too many commercials. Requests hardly get played but noted down. This is because songs are scheduled and certain stations will only play a song once every shift which normally run between 3 to 4 hours. Your requests are tallied and become figures.

Another thing is SMS. Mobile service providers continue to milk the public through whatever is the current rave in the streets. They have texting contests about everything—a soap opera's ending, which girl used a certain shampoo, even a woman's sexiness factor. So goes with radio feedback. "Text in your vote" are the four words you'll hear ad nauseum over the airwaves.

Thank goodness for the music remains. Below is a list of songs I am loving at the moment and hearing them over the radio makes them more therapeutic in a way.

• Afterglow by INXS
• DaniCalifornia by Red Hot Chilli Peppers
• The Hardest Part by Coldplay
• King Without a Crown by Matisyahu
• Walk Away by Kelly Clarkson (!)

U2 ::: One Out of Four Don't Cut It

Rolling Stone magazine's 1000th issue is out with a Sgt. Pepper cover. I've been trying to make out as many names as I can from this jpeg posted on their site but they didn't post a bigger one.

So it's good that Bono's up front—but why only Bono when all four Beatles take centerstage?

OK. Maybe U2 aren't as revered as their British brothers but a band is a band. (Run, DMC, and Jam Master Jay? All there.) Then again, Bill Clinton is also in that crowd over there which tells me the cover isn't really about music...which means RS is honoring Bono the celebrity instead of him being one-fourth of the biggest band in the world right now. I can't suspect enough.

So who all can I recognize there? Aretha, Mick Jagger, Dylan, Chuck Berry, Hendrix, Elvis, Madonna, Springsteen, BONO, Clinton, Billy Joe Armstrong, Bowie, Eminem, Ali, Michael Jackson, 50 Cent, Bob Marley, Jerry Seinfeld, Neil Young, Tupac, Simon & Garfunkel, Clint Eastwood, Nelson Mandela, Run DMC, Axl Rose, Elton John, Sting, Ronald Reagan, Kenny from South Park, Bart Simpson, Pamela Anderson, and Stevie Wonder. The rest I will have to figure out whenever I manage to get a hold of the actual thing.

When Bono turns 46 next week, my parents will be married 29 years and I will mark my sixth month with my current employer. I don't know what goes with becoming "regularized" in this company except some insignificant pay raise and the opportunity to wear a stinkin' office uniform. Yay. Oh, what the heck? I could use the money for my trip to Jeddah...whenever that will be.