scents continued

Drakkar Noir – Its opening notes are unmistakable, basenote is pleasant and the entire universe smelled like this when it was a hit, includes; shampoo, soap and other cheap colognes . I wouldn’t dare wear this now in fear that I would unearth somebody else’s good/dark memories. I wish they’d make scents that last long as this.

Polo RL green – I sniffed on this last time I was in our stockroom (where the abandoned stuff reside) and wondered how the hell I carried this scent. Its way bigger than me...and way older.

If you love Poison® you will love Enchantment - nyahah! There was a time when copy cat scents abound, and it came in spray cans, was cheap and readily available. I once sprayed this all over like mad then went into a fully seated classroom. I remembered the class went still for about 10 seconds, and everything after that was a blur…I must’ve erased it in my memory.

Chaps – Argyle socks, bitin pants, and lotsa hair gel. No eyeliners tho.
Paco Rabanne Pour Homme - It brings sad memories.. dahil nanakaw sa classrroom!
Jazz YSL – An ex girlfriend told me she loves the scent.. coz her ex wears the same... I thought , that's cool.... now that I think bout it… that was lame.
Kouros YSL - Knowing I like these things my sister was my dealer of scents. I have no complaints, It was free.
Pleasures – Estee Lauder – my graduation from puberty, to part time adulthood. This toilette is light and pleasing. I barely know its there til I get compliments.

Perfumes can be boring or exciting, repulsive or attractive depending on the temperature, the whos, wheres, and whens. I find light fragrances best for the office due to close proximities, and it works well on Summer. Interesting scents are best at night, coz everyone have the right to smell unusual in the dark. As i grow older I also try to adjust what I wear, Johnson's baby cologne feels a tad bit too close to old home -or the crib. And when I smell baby ginger scents on old women, my brain gets confused. I have yet to understand the point of Old Spice and other barbero scents.

Scents and Sensibilities

I was looking for the male version of this perfume. The last time I tried it on, I was repulsed by its strong, tentacle-wrapping scent … I smelled of someone pulled out of a chocolate cake and dunked in coffee. The scent affixed on my coat, the coat hung in my closet and for some time was not worn. Then it started to smell pleasant and I began to like it. I actually started to sniff it when I’m rummaging through the closet.

Fastforward to one shopping day…there I was looking at perfumes and I recognized the shape of the bottle, I wasn’t sure it was the one I tried or if it was for men, it didn’t say “pour homme” (poor homey..nyahahaha) but I should’ve known better that “parfum” is exclusively women’s – but my nerdiness got the better of my judgment coz technically, “parfum” means a stronger concoction over ”eau de toilette” – and since I remembered it was a very strong scent then that must be it. Bought.

Surely enough the norm is not inclined to my geeky mind and after checking the net…I found out I bought the girl’s version. I’d say it is sweeter but generically the same as the men’s version, unmistakably Angel. Yummy at cooler temps but would probably smell like a bakeshop in hot or humid weather.

There is a magical thing goin on with scents, for one, you cant see it but its there, it can bring back memories as good if not better than thoughts….thats because the memory and smell brains are neighbors...neurons are…blah blah …geek speak.

I like scents and my wardrobe goes:

Cool Waters – Davidoff , a backburner scent, when I just feel like it..a scent most people would recognize these days coz their boyfriend/husband/uncle wears it.
Eternity – CK , I used to wear this with a slight thought that my scent is like my love to my ex which is forever….
Escape – CK , I bought this to try if it can subliminally tell ex I’m ready to abandon ship … and my mom goes crazy with this… crazy as in “I hope your co-workers are ok, my goodness you are making me dizzy!!”
True Star – Tommy Hillfiger , my first aqua, it was ok from d bottle, how it is on me, no idea, so far no one complains.
Curve – Curve, Chill, Crush – Liz Cairborne a set I got myself for Christmas. a cologne and a waste of money.
Magic Pheromone oil – got this from ebay, add says it will attract women…. didn’t say what kind of women…mosquitoes love it.
Johnson’s Baby cologne – after a steak meal, popcorn, and all the compounded restaurant smell, dabbing this around my lips n chin makes me believe I don’t really smell like food.
Bvlgari Pour Homme – Bvlgari , I loved it on first try, Im on my third bottle and its my when-in-doubt ‘toilette. Actually wore this on my first date with my fiancé…I think it worked.

And of course back in the good ol years I used to spray/dab on: .....to follow on next blog…..

Whale with wasabi

I'd like to see how this one turns out.

Junichi and Toru, the pro-whale activists have been arrested in Japan for exposing the truth about corruption in the taxpayer-funding whaling programme. Turns out that they've tracked where the whale meat ends up after it is "studied" which surely enough as every activists accusses the whaling programme - consumers. Japan is set to hunt and kill thousands of whales per year under the cloak of Science, dubbed "for research" . The government programme (wow!) insist that it isnecessary to kill the animal to study its life... oxymoronic ...hehehe... and this is from one of the most advanced nation on the planet... oh by the way, dolphin and whale meat is on the menu of the Japanese household.

We probly wont hear much from the Chinese consumers on this issue, as the populace is also gung-ho on shark's fin. The argument, as much as I've heard from Sino and Japanese acquaintances is: its downright meat. You eat cow meat, we eat whale meat. Some Japanese are used to eating them much like you would eat beef.

My way on putting it would be: Some Filipinos can eat dog meat. If they (Japanese whale-dolphin eaters) arent disgusted yet, they'd probably be at least balking on the idea of consuming pet friends. Same meat. Different mindset...and I havent even brought up the legality of specie endangerment.

When we were Malays and Negroids

The Austronesians:

“These first settlers landed in northern Luzon in the Philippines. Over the next thousand years up until 1500 B.C., their descendants started to spread south to the rest of the Philippine islands, Celebes (modern-day Sulawesi), northern Borneo, Molucas (modern-day Maluku), and Java.

The settlers in Moluccas sailed eastward and began to spread to the islands of Melanesia and Micronesia between 1200 B.C. and 500 B.C. repectively. Those that spread westward reached Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula and southern Vietnam by 500 B.C.

The oceanic Austronesians reached Polynesai in 0 A.D. and spread to its three furthest points Hawaii in 500 A.D. New Zealand by 1300 A.D. and Easter Island between 300 AD and 1200 AD. In the Indian Ocean they reached Madagascar. Wikipedia on Austronesian People

The concept of a Malay race (Malay: Bangsa Melayu) was proposed by the German scientist Johann Friedrich M Blumenbach (1752-1840). Since Blumenbach, many anthropologists have rejected his theory of five races, citing the enormous complexity of classifying races. However, the term Malay is still often used in this context, and it is the basis for Malay identity within the Malaysian nation.

By 1795, Blumenbach added another race called 'Malay' which he considered to be a subcategory of both the Ethiopian and Mongoloid races. The Malay race were those of a "brown color, from olive and a clear mahogany to the darkest clove or chestnut brown." Blumenbach expanded the term "Malay" to include the inhabitants of the Marianas, the Philippines, the Malukus, Sundas, as well as Pacific Islands such as Tahitians. He considered a Tahitian skull he had received to be the missing link; showing the transition between the "primary" race, the Caucasians, and the "degenerate" race, the Negroids. - A Racial expert being Racist!!

Philippine context

“In the Philippines, many Filipinos consider the term "Malay" to refer to the indigenous population of the country as well as the population of neighboring countries like Indonesia and Malaysia. This misconception is due in part to American anthropologists H. Otley Beyer who proposed that the Filipinos were actually Malays who migrated from Malaysia and Indonesia. This idea was in turn propagated by Filipino historians and is still taught in schools. However, the prevalent consensus among contemporary anthropologists, archaeologists, and linguists actually proposes the reverse; namely that the Ausronesain people of Malaysia and Indonesia originally migrated south from the Philippines during the prehistoric period.” Wikipedia on Malay Race

Degraded, misled and misinformed through the colonial educational system unto the very essence of ones' true heritage. Punyemas naman oh, all this time and what have the Philippine intellectual-smart-ass "scholars" been doing? Balik nyo tuition koooo!!

Do something for the world.

Your nameYour name

Your email addressYour email address

Country of residenceCountry of residence

Your country Afghanistan Åland Islands Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia Comoros Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo Cook Islands Costa Rica Cote d Ivoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guinea-Bissau Guinea Guyana Haiti Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea (North) Korea (South) Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People s Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Macedonia Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco Mongolia Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands Antilles Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Reunion Romania Russia Rwanda Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain Sri Lanka St. Helena St. Pierre and Miquelon Sudan Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Minor Outlying Islands United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Viet Nam Virgin Islands (British) Virgin Islands (U.S.) Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe

Jolenz

Meron kang jolenz... konting creativity and me negosyo ka na, the design is inspired by traditional glass floats used by the locals in fishing ...dats long time ago..they use plastic floats nowadays.

Shisa

Okinawan funky shisa

Compliments Shkomplimench

In a group conversation today, Chris commented on my "cool" K-Swiss shoes.
Another lady in the group asked why he always seem to comment only on what I'm wearing while he never had any on the women's.

Here's the cut; When a guy appreciates another guy's stuff, it is a statement of common likes - that we have the same "good taste". But when a guy starts checking out women's dress, accessories and what have they, - it sets an alarm that sexuality maybe in question. U wont hear Arnold Scwarrgrrghre say "hey, I like your skirt!" - that might even land him into a sexual harassment case. Women on the other hand can do it because they can appreciate style and fashion verbally and actually wear boys stuff and nothing can be implied. Its normal that way, lest bi-sexuality and weirdness is your cup of latte.

Complimenting looks. "You look great today". Now thread on this one slowly because there are two premises hereto; one is that you never really looked good, and the other is you look good only today. This scenario had a more sinister play on me when I wore a pink shirt at work and my co-worker commented "you look clean today" - I convinced myself that it was just the limited English vocabulary that most Japanese tend to suffer from and get them close - but not exactly near to what they mean... I replied, "you mean "neat" right?" ... she paused but so wantonly decided to have me in that trap and responed , "No, you look "Clean" : ) ..." wooookey... thank you very much, I'll do my best to always look "clean" all the time. Women are lovable-mean monsters.

Rename ??

Who is that muppet in Microsoft that decided "Rename" and " Delete" should be close together??? fire tha bitch!!

Summer 07

May 11th - arrived at the Centennial airport.... ahhh i'ne never thought i'd welcome that familiar smell of diesel. Driving around Manila is like playing a road rage arcade game, steer away from unpredictable pedestrains and test your nerves on a singitan contest...honking earns extyra points.

12th - It was hot. When I melted into what appears to be a wimpy piece of soaked rag, I decided to stay indoors.

13th -Migraine, migraine, migraine.

14th - Hotel hunting for sis.

15th - Sis arrives. - 22nd All sched for sis.

20th - Mallof Asia - same stuff, just bigger. Dampa was cool.

22nd - LASIK - farewell eyeglasses - hello starbursts, halos and blurry-vision-up-close and some hazy stuff. Dr. says its temporary. I really hope so.

23rd - Bed rest at hotel. breakfast at local carinderia. Heavenly.

24th - St.Luke's, follow up eye-check. Grocery for birthday. Japanese cuisine tonite.

25th - Shopping

26th - Dermatologist check

27th - 28th - Baguio

29th - Eye Check. Dental appt. Derma - whoooa ..overhaul.

30 - Cemetery, bid father farewell. San Agustin church - reflection and closures.

June 1 - Back to Okinawa.

Hate Me by Blue October

__________________________________________________________

I have to block out thoughts of you so I don't lose my head

They crawl in like a cockroach leaving babies in my bed

Dropping little reels of tape to remind me that I'm alone

Playing movies in my head that make a porno feel like home

There's a burning in my pride, a nervous bleeding in my brain

An ounce of peace is all I want for you.

Will you never call again?And will you never say that you love me just to put it in my face?

And will you never try to reach me?

It is I that wanted space

Hate me today

Hate me tomorrow

Hate me for all the things I didn't do for you

Hate me in ways

Yeah ways hard to swallow

Hate me so you can finally see what's good for you

I'm sober now for 3 whole months it's one accomplishment that you helped me with

The one thing that always tore us apart is the one thing I won't touch again

In a sick way I want to thank you for holding my head up late at night

While I was busy waging wars on myself, you were trying to stop the fight

You never doubted my warped opinions on things like suicidal hate

You made me compliment myself when it was way too hard to take

So I'll drive so fucking far away that I never cross your mind

And do whatever it takes in your heart to leave me behind

Hate me today

Hate me tomorrow

Hate me for all the things I didn't do for you

Hate me in ways

Yeah ways hard to swallow

Hate me so you can finally see what's good for you

And with a sad heart I say bye to you and wave

Kicking shadows on the street for every mistake that I had made

And like a baby boy I never was a man

Until I saw your blue eyes cry and I held your face in my hand

And then I fell down yelling t'make it go away!・

Just make a smile come back and shine just like it used to be

And then she whispered How can you do this to me?

Hate me today

Hate me tomorrow

Hate me for all the things I didn't do for you

Hate me in waysYeah ways hard to swallow

Hate me so you can finally see what's good for you

For you

For you

For you

[Children voices:]If you're sleeping, are you dreaming,

if you're dreaming are you dreaming of me.

I can't believe you actually picked me

[Girl:] Hey Justin! [x12]

The Station

The Station
by Robert J. Hastings

Tucked away in our subconscious minds is an idyllic vision. We see ourselves on a long, long trip that almost spans the continent. We're traveling by passenger train, and out the windows we drink in the passing scene of cars on nearby highways, of children waving at a crossing, of cattle grazing on a distant hillside, of smoke pouring from a power plant, of row upon row of corn and wheat, of flatlands and valleys, of mountains and rolling hills, of biting winter and blazing summer and cavorting spring and docile fall.

But uppermost in our minds is the final destination. On a certain day at a certain hour we will pull into the station. There sill be bands playing, and flags waving. And once we get there so many wonderful dreams will come true. So many wishes will be fulfilled and so many pieces of our lives finally will be neatly fitted together like a completed jigsaw puzzle. How restlessly we pace the aisles, damning the minutes for loitering ... waiting, waiting, waiting, for the station.
However, sooner or later we must realize there is no one station, no one place to arrive at once and for all. The true joy of life is the trip. The station is only a dream. It constantly outdistances us.

"When we reach the station, that will be it !" we cry. Translated it means, "When I'm 18, that will be it ! When I buy a new 450 SL Mercedes Benz, that will be it ! When I put the last kid through college, that will be it ! When I have paid off the mortgage, that will be it ! When I win a promotion, that will be it ! When I reach the age of retirement, that will be it ! I shall live happily ever after !" Unfortunately, once we get it, then it disappears. The station somehow hides itself at the end of an endless track.

"Relish the moment" is a good motto, especially when coupled with Psalm 118:24: "This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." It isn't the burdens of today that drive men mad. Rather, it is regret over yesterday or fear of tomorrow. Regret and fear are twin thieves who would rob us of today. So, stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead, climb more mountains, eat more ice cream, go barefoot oftener, swim more rivers, watch more sunsets, laugh more and cry less. Life must be lived as we go along. The station will come soon enough.

...... i will not buy another camera because my G7 is it!, I will not buy a D40 because it will give me better pics, I will not buy a D40 because it gives better edge on low-light situations, i will not buy D40... I will not.. I will nnn... I will probably...I will

The Model 7

...almost in a whisper, the camera shop seller explained the importance of the Powershot G7 among the Canon line of cameras. Other than its overall superiority to other P&S in the market today, he added a brief story about Canon and the number 7 that made me proud of my purchase. "In Canon's history, the model number 7 have always had a significance to it". The name Canon (religious laws), came from a former name "Kwannon" - which is the name of the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy. I assume that the twisty syllabication and its Kana (a form of Japanese writing for foreign words) prompted the change and at the same time made it more appealing to a broader international market. The "Canon" name is still based on a religious term - a set of religious laws.

From this religious aspect, Canon model numbers has been said to be aligned to its significance in numerology as well. In Japanese culture, the number 7 is an important number, there is the 7 Gods of Luck and Happiness, there is the 7 principles of the Bushido, 7 days of mourning, 7 reincarnations, ..so on. EOS 7, EOS Elan 7, Canon T70, Rangefinder 7/s are all worthy of praise and according to my story teller, it is the same with the G7 as Canon would forever protect the integrity of this model number. And why would I believe my sales guy? he is after all selling me something... well, the story was told after I made my purchase and while he was packing the goods. Ah, my first (among many) digital cameras that I intend to cherish and keep.

Canonized

After all the brain-draining deliberation of the little people inside his head, the jury has finally reached its verdict; Nelson's next camera upgrade is going to be a....

The Need: To have a point and shoot compact that can do all features: Weather-proofing, a Nikon interface, Fuji's Honeycom CCD, rangefinder look, 28mm wide if possible and some decent zoom and does not cost a kidney like that sonuvagun rangefinder Leica M8. Pixel count is not important as I wont print any larger than 8 x 11 anyway.

The Subjects:
Panasonic Lumix TZ3 - Powerful 10x zoom on a compact that starts with a remarkable 28mm Leica Vario Elmarit wide angle lens.
Panasonic LX2 - Retro styled with a wide lens angle on a 16:9 screen ratio.
Canon TX1 - New entry of Canon that promises the 10x zoom and High Def video recording in a very compact body.
Nikon P5000 - Still warm from the factory, the P5000 promises to fill the gap between the DSLR and compact cameras.
Canon G7 - Canon's G series that only comes once every 3-5 years promises full manual control much like an SLR could
Fuji F40fd - Fuji kicked everyone's dark butt by introducing the highest useful ISO settings in a compact camera without being overly noisy on the pics.
Olympus SP550 UZ - 28mm to 504mm , that's 18x optical zoom !! , yeah baby yeah!! Not that its that shagallistic but that is one long stretch of a zoom.

Elimination of losers:
It was a tough call, the subjects were all capable of the need: Compact, great pictures, Wide angle possibilities, Zoom and all the works. The process of elimination threw out the Olmypus zoomer and Fuji F40fd first as they failed the most; The SP550 was a great zoomer and oh what long lens it has when it stretches to 504 mm, but the pictures are just so so and it aint really a compact unless you can take on the idea of a big bulge on your pocket. Fuji F40fd's design is consumer- taste inspired - butt ugly. But lo! it is still the reigning king of the dark world, no compact comes close to its ability to take great pix even at the high 400-800 ISOs level, but it lacks the manual controls, not having a wide,neither a zoomer. If one doesnt mind style and other bells and whistles - Fuji F40fd wins hand-down. The Canon TX1 might have it all except for the wide angle, but as hybrids often are : Jack of All Trades- Master of none, it can give just slightly good photos, slightly better videos than the TZ3 and a 10x zoom ..and that's it, its purpose in life is yet to be discovered. The LX2 have had a great following for those who were still nostalgic of the 35mm rangefinders as its shape is rather slim and long, but beside the wide lens and styling, the price is just $30 less then the G7, finally LX2 bears the curse of all Lumixes - Noise.

The Final 3
The Nikon P5000 felt really comfortable and very compact, it boasts of a 3200 ISO (at 5mega pixels though) and Nikon's new (old story for the rest) stabilized system. It has a lot of manual controls including a wheel for fast ISO and F Stop adjustments. Superb and I'd say one of the best user interface, easy to navigate, easy to control and far better shutter response than the G7. The hotshoe for external flash is a plus. Wide and Telephoto adapter lens available ( at approx $160-$200 each , nuts!). Price $350

The Panasonic TZ3 is the most compact of all wide-tele digital camera out there, followed perhaps by Ricoh's R series. Its got all the bells and whistles and the reliable Paanasonic stabilization system that really helps at the far end of the zoom. What it lacks however is the manual control as it was targeted for the great majority of point and shooters. The 10x zoom and video capability would be of great value to soccer mom's and dads but may be lacking for enthusiasts. Zoomers cant have it all, thus this one suffers from noise and over use of noise reduction - the Achilles heel of Panasonic Lumix cameras. Price $440. Winning point: 28mm Wide to 10x Optical zoom.

The Canon G7 like its previous G models are targeted for those on the border but not yet wanting to cross to the SLR camp. It features full manual controls yet still capable of working as a P&S camera. It has 6x zoom and an image stabilizer which is becoming standard these days. ISO ranges from 80 to 1600, max at 3200 (dont know how usable that is). Its a brick and I wish the magnesium alloy was used here instead on the P5000. It takes time to master and controls are not easy to find. A hotshoe can take in external flash, Wide and Tele adapter lens available (not cheap if u need this, just get an SLR). Price $480

Its not a gazillion dollar purchase like an RD1 or Leica M8, but heck I have all the time to pry nooks and crannies for my point and shooter. The TZ3 will have to go, as though it has everything I would want in a compact, it failed to impress on all of it. The P5000 is as great as its price, nothing more ,nothing less. The downside and what turned me off is the cheap feel as it is really very light (why the magnesium alloy?), for me Its Nikon's attempt to match the G7 but tried to cut corners to lower cost and ended up looking like an A640. The G7 leads the P5000 in every aspect except ease of operation - can deal with that...as I like complexity, it matches my state of mind. With the G7 and P5000 comparison, Its exactly like paying for the xtra stuff, more zoom, more controls, heavier, sturdier feel = more $$. In a year or two I will be drawn to new models and in this context, I believe the G7's resale value will far exceed any compact models around. And so it is cast, the G7 is going home with me.

As I was patiently waiting for the camera shop staff to inspect the package contents and write my warranty papers, I casually asked what he thinks about the P5000 compared to the G7.... he stared at me with a slight twinkle in his eyes as if waiting for me to ask that question ....coming next on my blog

After the Rain

Apt view

Yin Yang

The Good and The Bad

Good: Two eggs to complement the bacon

The Bad: Cholesterol galore.

On Taking Time

A watch is about: Quality, Elegance, Accuracy, Luxury, Extravagance, Craftsmanship, Respect, Taste, Character or show? A regular Jaeger will cost you $50k- that is about 2.5m Pesos, more than enough to send a kid to school from elementary to college. Extravagance in my point of view. In 1999 the most expensive watch ever sold, a 1933 gold Patek Phillipe with 24 complications, was auctioned off at Sotheby's for $11 million.

I am Nelson and I am a watchaholic. My watches are not as expensive as the Pateks and Piguets (funky names if you ask me). From my own economic perspective, (single-selfish-dont care and employed) my watches arent that much, but for some who arent crazy bout watches and those who are in a tighter budget, my watches are impractical and extravagant. Same shit, different scale. Fine, I agree that I am among them who tread the path of senseless extravagance, nothing to be proud of...but a teeny bit of something's gotta give.

More alibi. Most of the time, it pays to dress for success - one can expect to be treated as one looks. if you look cheap, you will be treated like one. Psychologically, it can be a confidence booster - not that i need it, but self improvement is always good, lest it harms others.

The right piece at the right time. I wear my accessories according to the occasion and location. I've never worn Cartier in Manila, everybody will think its a knock-off anyway. I do however wear the fakies in Japan where nobody cares because people can actually afford the real deal.

I can see my watch collection as a benchmark for my personal achievements, a tool to enrich my life and from time to time a means to validate my time-space existence.

Categorized by its function are my passion-driven-time-accessories:
Swatch Skin, Racing Numbers chrono - One can never have enough Swatches in their lifetime. This watch is for forgetting it was there.
Casio MTG700M - From hiking to fending Divisoria mobs on a xmas rush, this watch has never let me down.
Dunhill Dunhillion- for that job interview, you have to look like you are not really desperate about the job.
Early 90's TAG 2000 Series (now tagged as a classic 2000 - you just know you're getting old) - My first pricey watch. Although the bezel is loose, and the date has gone berserk, it still tells time accurately and goes with any style, also used for offending other officemates who sport Formulas.
Orient Automatic - Clad with a black dial and wrinkled black leather, for calmer days, Wednesdays and I don't care what you think, my watch tells time kind of days.
Timex Leather Expedition - TGIF, perfect watch as I eject from my cubicle to after-work gimiks.
Techno Marine Maori (funky and fake) - Am not that nuts to buy this model, just wanted to try it... cool enough but with the real one weighing like an anchor and with just a Swiss movement up its sleeve, I dont think its worthy of its price tag.
Must 21 Cartier - Funny, the only person who commented on it was an old lady boss, it tells time accurately, other than that its just a name.
Rolex GMTII (Greenhills special, I still dont know what's so great bout Rolex' , except for the GMTs - its darn ugly, again just for trying and seriously enough, am not convinced) I'd go with an Omega Moonwatch or Seamaster anytime.
Wired - Offering uniquely designed watches (online Japan only) Seiko's experimental venue for watch nerds offer these high quality timepieces. I have 2 of them, a squared digital that gets quite a lot compliments and a gigantic-sparkling blue chrono that makes my tiny hand even tinier. Except for the non-Saphire glass, the build and quality of the Wired XYZ models are great.

And this year's Christmas gift from girlfriend - A titanium, 5 motor, 5 band wave ceptor, solar powered, world-time, chrono, 10 alarm, auto adjust to 3 continents, perpetual calendar, GMT, self-correcting Casio Oceanus with a manual 20 pages long. And yes, I have a need for all those functions for my daily existence.

Here's one for you

Fujifilm recently churned out their new batches of disposable cameras, with improved retro colors and one catchy model gesture that can surely make you look twice. Grab one now or you get the finger!!

let's drink to this...

Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2007
Asahi to sell 1 million yen ($10,000) brandy.

Asahi Breweries Ltd. said Monday it will market Louis XIII Black Pearl French brandy with a price tag of 1 million yen per 700-milliliter bottle. Asahi will sell 60 to 70 bottles produced by the Remy Cointreau Group, the internationally acclaimed French brandy maker which will limit the number of bottles it produces to 786, Asahi said.

The brandy will come in a special crystal bottle designed by French crystal vessel maker Baccarat. Louis XIII Black Pearl is made by blending 1,200 unblended brandies. The crystal bottle reflects colors such as silver, black and charcoal gray depending on how light is shone on its surface, it said.
_________________________________________________

$71.42 per per bloody tablespoon!!!

On Prophechies

"Now, about this time the Sodomites, overweeningly proud of their numbers and the extent of their wealth, showed themselves insolent to men and impious to the Divinity, insomuch that they no more remembered the benefits that they had received from Him, hated foreigners and avoided any contact with others. Indignant at this conduct, God accordingly resolved to chastise them for their arrogance, and not only to uproot their city, but to blast their land so completely that it should yield neither plant nor fruit whatsoever from that time forward."

Jewish Antiquities 1:194-195


Didn't it resemble the first and second atom bombs? or perhaps an event soon to unfold?. The descriptive annihilation resembles so much of a nuclear explosion aftermath. The God of that age must have had nuke-like powers with him. Just like the gods we have these days.

reflections

...I am but a minute particle; in the grandeur of this universe spinning on my kiln-fired okinawan glazed mug...whatever.

Ely of Eraserheads.

No, this is my cousin Mike.

... me in my senior hs days?

Whatever happened to the Filipino youth he called on?

Catch

Catch, The Cure

Album: Galore 1997

Yes I know who you remind me of

A girl I think I used to know

Yes I'd see her when the day got colder

On those days when it felt like snow

You know I even think that she stared like you

She used to just stand there and stare

And roll her eyes right up to heaven

And make like I just wasn't there

And she used to fall down a lot

That girl was always falling

Again and again

And I used to sometimes try to catch her

But I never even caught her name

And sometimes we would spend the night

Just rolling about on a floor

And I remember

Even though it felt soft at the time

I always used to wake up sore

You know I even think that she smiled like you

She used to just stand there and smile

And her eyes would go all sort of far away

And stay like that for quite a while

And I remember she used to fall down a lot

That girl was always falling

Again and again

And I used to sometimes try to catch her

But I never even caught her name

Yes I sometimes even tried to catch her

But I never even caught her name

25 Golden Rules for Writing Well

25 Golden Rules for Writing Well

1. Don't abbrev.
2. Check to see if you any words out.
3. Be carefully to use adjectives and adverbs correct.
4. About sentence fragments.
5. When dangling, don't use participles.
6. Don't use no double negatives.
7. Each pronoun agrees with their antecedent.
8. Just between you and I, case is important.
9. Join clauses good, like a conjunction should.
10. Don't use commas, that aren't necessary.
11. Its important to use apostrophe's right.
12. It's better not to unnecessarily split an infinitive.
13. Never leave a transitive verb just lay there without an object.
14. Only Proper Nouns should be capitalized. also a sentence should begin with a capital letter and end with a full stop
15. Use hyphens in compound-words, not just in any two-word phrase.
16. In letters compositions reports and things like that we use commas to keep a string of items apart.
17. Watch out for irregular verbs that have creeped into our language.
18. Verbs has to agree with their subjects.
19. Avoid unnecessary redundancy.
20. A writer mustn't shift your point of view.
21. Don't write a run-on sentence you've got to punctuate it.
22. A preposition isn't a good thing to end a sentence with.
23. Avoid cliches like the plague.
24. 1 final thing is to never start a sentence with a number.
25. Always check your work for accuracy and completeness.
Now put pen to paper
But, don’t forget the rules!!

The water and the stoopid

Beam me up Scotty!! and hurry damnit!
I never though I'd be in that age of humanity when people start paying for water like it is a manufactured product.

By "manufactured' I meant that the raw materials did not resemble the end product. A bottled water cost $1.00 for the 20oz. Pepsi in comparison, cost the same, but with value-added nuritional stuff like: carbonated water, sugar, caffeine , some weird acids, number-coded colors and other artificail alien secretions that we probably dont want to know.

The Aquafina bottle says: "All bottled waters are not the same. Aquafina's state-of-the-art hydRO-7 TM purification system consistently removes substances most other bottled waters leave in. So the only thing you taste in your water...is water".

Straight from their Marketing slogan, there's nothing in it but water. They gave us damn pure water, there werent minerals, no Sodium, not even a single calorie in it!! And like mindless creatures, we actually love and pay for it. I must be damn rich because I bathe, tub and flush with the same stuff everyday! If you make it, they will dumb.

A Country of Our Own

This might just be the answer to the Philippines' worsening situation.

David Martinez believes that the nation-state is dead. I believe it never had a chance to develop. Both students of the "Philippine phenomenon," we see the past and the present in the same light, and differ only on the probable outcome of what appears to be an imminent, self-fulfilling implosion.

Martinez makes no claim that his is the only, or the total, truth, but those he identifies
and dissects lie at the heart of our malaise. His overall perspective is refreshingly honest. It singularly challenges most of the other "truths" that have been conventionally conditioned into the population by our ruling elite. His is the voice of veracity, one certain to upset all who insist that the nation-state exists, or that it will survive and evolve while its character and configuration remain in the exclusive hands of those who have traditionally held the reins of power and controlled the resources of the country.

Reflecting on the variety of social, economic, and religious impositions inflicted on our people for 450 years, Martinez and I find our deepest agreement in condemning our ruling elite's self-serving [and self-defeating] practice of enforcing conformity in the guise of achieving unity. The diversity of our vibrant and distinct cultures, which has always defined Philippine society, should have been --- and ought to be --- the source of national strength. Martinez is right: history cannot be edited to serve the ends of arbitrary nationalism. A "na-tional language" ought not be coerced on our various cultures at the expense of our other indigenous tongues; nor should the greed of the few outweigh the needs of the many. To achieve nation-state status and solidarity, cultural identity must be honored and cultural uniqueness promoted until the best of each becomes a light unto itself and to others. Instead, our diverse cultures have been subjected to policies designed to privilege one and marginal-
ize the rest, deepening rather than bridging divisions that affirm Martinez's view that we are less of a nation today that we were a century ago.

Local, national, and global dynamics compel us to seriously re-evaluate our present-day formats of governance, economics, and social justice. More profoundly, they compel us to reflect even deeper on the social norms and values which ought to shape our choices. An ominous, defining crisis of unprecedented proportions looms before us, whose outcome will confirm or disprove the views that Martinez and I happen to coincidentally hold. My own hope is that the Philippines will survive, the pain of this crucial catharsis etching the lessons of past mistakes into our collective soul. I believe in my heart that this is immensely achiev- able, but only if we heed and learn from the provocative truths so well laid out in this chal- lenging book.

Jose Ma. "Boy" Montelibano
Spokesman, COPA [Council on Philippine Affairs]
and Philippine Daily Inquirer Online [INQ7] Columnist

Ace Ventura's

I never knew there really is such thing ... was it part of the pun after all?

I went bumblebeetuna! to everyone in the office while flashing it...and i think they all thought I was weird...wait, they already thought that way even b4.

For those not on the know, watch Ace Ventura II- When Nature Calls.

MANILLA SKY

My celphone rang and a name in my address book that I never thought I still have was on the display. I quickly answered and the caller casually asked if I wanted to have a walk at the malls today. I was speechless for a little while, trying to conjure a logical explanation to what was happening - as this person would never in her existence, call me, ever... but, I was quite glad to hear that voice again, and I simply responded that I'd meet with her any time. We decided to meet at the Greenhills shopping center. How romantic can I get - I realized a moment later.

She was a little chubby-er than I used to remember, but she still has that disarming smile and the sense of homely comfort that only close friends can give. At that brief moment, all the years gone by were bridged; creating continuity in my present...and it didn't seem that long anymore. I asked her quickly, trying to get straight to the point, as her answer was all that matters that moment, "I thought you were going to get married soon?"... silence...she blankly stared back. I realized I actually didn't ask the question. Hearing the truth probably would not mean much but bring me back to the pang of reality.

We walked along, like we used to. Looking at the clothes, shoes, bags, sharing out quips on the design, the price - unimportant filler words. "I wish we can stay a bit longer", I said. Then she gibed at her watch and I instinctively followed and realized it has only been 3 minutes. "Well, I meant, do this often". She just smiled. Her silence was loud, a muted concierto of what was going inside her head. I still didnt know where to start. She checked her phone and said, "I have to hurry back home and prepare the things I'll bring on my trip".

We jumped into a cab and when we came at her house, her mother was at the front door, looking very glad to see me. She greeted; "thank you for coming over, grandma has been asking about you all this time". I went to grandma who was staring at a distance and kissed her on the forehead. "Where have you been and where are you going, sir?" she asked. I politely replied that I have been quite busy but will try to visit more often. She smiled.

Her mother's eyes were saying; "yes, you two would have made a good couple, a perfect one indeed, but I am sorry that I do not know why you are not". Her acceptance of the situation was admirably sweet. We walked around their neighborhood and I asked, "I emailed you a lot of times, trying to re-connect, but you never replied". She snapped back, "but even if I replied, what good would that do? You are thousands of miles away while my fiance has been right here with me all the time." A concise reply that will probably hole up in one of those rooms in my head - and one whole truth to bring everything back into perspective. "I am going away where you will never see me again," she added. I think I knew that a long time ago but the romantic in me kept holding to a fantasy that this must be a good story that usually ends happily ever after.

"I need to get some water for the house, can you come with me down the village to fill up the containers?," she asked. I told her that it would be easier if we rent a tricycle, load the containers and just pay the driver the cost for everything. She hailed one passing by and I asked the driver how much the task would cost. The tricycle driver replied, pointing with his lips, 50 pesos for that 10 galon container... I was a bit hesitant but then gave in as I found the time with her more precious than 5 pesos per galon of water. I reached for my wallet and as I raised my head back, she was gone. I looked around, ran back to the house, but found no one there too, I glanced back at the tricycle and it too had gone.... piiii-piii-piii-piiii-piiii-piiiii - my alarm clock went.... I opened my eyes, dazed, and gave a sigh.

On realizing dreams...and the Return of Eternal Child

Ever since Bandai started out anew the Chogokin (Diecast) series, I was already praying for my favorite heroes to be revived. Die cast toys especially of the anime kind are unique to Japan and can be traced as far back as the early 70s. Chogokin which means super-alloy (what Mazinger Z was supposed to be made of) was popoularly introduced by Popy(later Bandai). In the 70s to the 80s, Japan's robot anime was on-air on almost all continents.

In the Philippines, anime was relentlessly streamed accross the airwave. To name some that i remembered; Mazinger Z, Voltes V, Daimos, Mekanda, Jeeg, UFO Grendizer (Goldrake in Europe) , Getter, Danguard Ace, Candy Candy, Heidi, Yamato , Macross,etc. Thanks to then President Marcos, it all came into a halt. That was the first time I remembered having concerned myself with politics.

Voltes V, Daimos and Mazinger Z were the three fore runners of the anime saga, at least from my perspective. Each having its own twist of drama and the most often predictable but still enjoyable fighting sequence, which I still know by heart (much like Fernando Poe Jr. getting beaten at first and rallying at the end to beat hthe bad guys) . Every kid in my block and at school would die to have a robot replica - which at that time only came in its original imported source and at an exhorbitant price. We had a schoolmate who had the Voltes V set and all the rest of us poor chaps can do was talk about how cool it is and how it can actually snap together to form a robot. It was the holy grail of toys. We pretty much managed with posters and stickers.

And now, behold, Bandai started churning out these Chogokins on the toy shelves again, re-introducing the robot heroes of our past. First came Mazinger Z GX-01- the all time favorite in Japan, then the series moved on with UFO Grendizer, Combatra V (the precursor of Voltes) , Getter Robot, and so on. I waited and prayed for Voltes V, and last year, prayers were answered as toy magazines announced the protoype GX-30. The international release date was May 22, 2006. I got it on the 20th : ).

And though it came 3 decades late for me....it still came. Dreams do come true.

On moving out to move on

What do you pack to pursue a dream, and what do you leave behind?
—Sandra Sharpe


Last week I officially started my new life living on my own. Yeah, i know it took a while but at least I finally did it. I now live at a 3rd floor flat called Leopalace21, where residents are mostly the "not permanently settled" - students, long term vacationists, long term appointments, still dont know what to do with life, etc. The setting is a single's pad, with all the convenience molded into it. It is has an above average cost for such a small 28sqm flat, but quite makes up for the furnishings like an IH stove, modular tub and bath with built in clothes dryer - yup you get to hang your clothes dry in the bathroom, video intercom- which I really dont find useful unless i'd love chatting with a visitor that way. The location is quite perfect too as it stands just right accross a chain of small-scale malls. I can actually walk my way to the electronics store and bookstore at my pleasure...and I'd be there too frequently, that the staff may soon get to greet me with my name!

This moving out thingy, although a bit late for Japanese and American standard, (I am turning 34 on Wed, arghh), can be virtually unobserved in the Philippines, as siblings often stay with their parents before marriage and sometimes even after. I would assume financial capacity playing more part in it more than culture does bacause family members can utilize finances better if they can share expenses. Of course those who can afford it would find themselves living separately from their parents. So i'd debunk that generalization that Filipinos are a very close knit family... they would, if they could get away from each other as this is how nature intends it.

I moved for a lot of different reasons, to find myself, to look back, to learn life in a different perspective. Into each life one must find himself at a crossroads, one leading to the beaten path of comfortable redundancy , the other an immeasurable distance of the unknown - i'd choose surprises all the time.

"Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable."
-Sidney j. Harris