Accompaniment

Why is it that when something that I look forward to is accompanied by something bad and unfortunate?

That’s my status message I wrote just a few short seconds ago [on Facebook]. And seriously, I really do mean it…

I’m the type of guy who always seem to dream big, the one who fantasize that everything is in his favor yet unaware that this dream will be jinxed by uncontrollable forces, forces that keeps me TOO grounded.

When something bad happens, it makes me feel: miserable, weak, helpless.

Sometimes I question why I even bother on looking forward into something that would end up in disaster, something that would prevent me from being satisfied or at least be happy for myself.

I’m not a bad person, but I admit that I have flaws.Sino namang nilalang dito sa mundo ang hindi? Why do I deserve these much pain, much hardship, such toil? It’s the same thing over and over again.

Big and small, these misfortune is here to stay and make the life a living hell for me, for better or for worse.

Oh well, hat’s life as you know it. You get some, you lose some.
————

4 Days

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“Rising Phoenix-like”

Hmmm…nine people read the first post and was viewed 12 times while my follow-up article received some pretty good comments on Facebook.  I hope this one is as good as the last two.

MAINTAIN THIS FREQUENCY!

For sure, a lot of people were saddened by the news of Campus 99.5‘ sudden discontinuation on the air last year and even now I’m sure a lot still do. Well, things happen and I guess we should all leave these behind us and move on.

I’m saddened by the bash, hate, pessimism and criticisms the station received from bashers, haters, and even a few listeners from the brand that replaced Campus last year based from what they posted from forums and other social network sites. Nevertheless, as a long-time and loyal fan, I feel as if I need to defend it against the likes of them. Even to the point of having my own share of insults as well some troll hacking my Facebook account and post whatever I wrote on my profile page in Pinoy Exchange (Thank goodness for mods!).

News broke a couple of months later that a couple of ex-DJ’s from Campus are planning on transplanting Campus Radio in a new frequency. Lately, some ex-Campus jocks have already moved on with new-yet-familiar jobs like Joe Spinner who’s now known as Koji Morales and is now doing midnight duties for 99.5 RT, Jimmy Jam is program director for RJ 100 and, at the same time, is hosting a show on UR 105.9. I was kinda worried that time, because of a lot of factors that prevents Campus from ever coming back.

Eventually, the hype brought by the news of another go for Campus died down that lasted til the first few months of 2009.

However, around March, I discovered that Campus Radio is back, this time as an internet radio station, a rather new but increasingly vital form of media at this time of age. A bit nostalgic when I first opened the stream, all the songs they were playing were relatively old tracks from last year meaning Campus Radio Online was on test broadcast. It didn’t took long though before it finally got some newer ones in rotation.

One of the first stingers I heard was a recorded voice of Triggerman, whom many listeners may remember as the controversial host of the Top 20 @ 12 back in WLS-FM. In later weeks, John Hendrix-voiced stingers also began playing.

Upon this discovery, I felt relieved because all the hurt brought by Campus’ terrestrial demise suddenly disappeared. Believe me, never in my life had I’ve felt such an attachment to something people would perceive as an “addiction” and mere “fanaticism” (as if they don’t do the same things on themselves.).

Then came more recent news about going live online and later a grand launch. So far so good, the vibe has been positive especially those coming from my co-listeners whom I get to interact often online in PinoyExchange. According to one recent update, something’s cooking this August.

Ironically, it’s going to be almost a year since Campus went unplugged by the higher powers by the time Campus Radio Online reveals what they’re keeping mum about (August 14 to be exact or what I personally call it “Ill-Fated Thursday“).

Flashback to a few months ago, I opened Campus’s online stream again while at the same time I was watching this clip of John Hendrix and Jaybee recorded from last year’s UP
 Fair 2008 on the Net where they announced that time Campus Radio’s return (via 99.5). I didn’t noticed the streaming was still on so as I was watching the video clip, the stream is playing Coldplay’s “Viva la Vida” which turns out to be symbolic in a sense. After the clip ended, the song continued on and just a minute before it ended, someone suddenly spoke live. Turns out to be the Triggerman, hehehe. Now that’s a surprise!

I’m completely impressed by the mere fact that John Hendrix and Triggerman really poured all of their time and energy investing something that is seen most unlikely to be revived after it got screwed twice for the past few years. Maybe this time, third time’s a charm.

Most of all, none of these would have been possible if it weren’t for us, the listeners/fans who have remained loyal to Campus Radio. It’s our continuing support that kept them going despite the ups and downs, as well as the bumps along the road. So in a way: It was US who brought Campus Radio back!

And as I quote a line from Jimmy Jam: “Lo and behold, from the burning ashes of a scorched barangay, rising Phoenix-like, Campus Radio LIVES!

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Unknown Connections

Other than Louie and my wide network of distant relatives, I absolutely don’t know anybody form SJA when I transferred there back in July 1, 2002. Before becoming a Jamer, I used to see that seemingly “creepy”-looking building of cement when I accompanied my dad on bringing my two older siblings to SJA (me and Jorge went to another school in Valenzuela). I didn’t have the slightest clue of what “hidden” and “unknown” connection I have with some of the people I came to know during my 5 year-stay in SJA.

One was during my Grade Six graduation ceremony. My dad met a familiar fellow he knew back in college. That fellow turns out to be Russel I’s dad (That’s a surprise!). He and my dad were classmates back in FEU and both were pursuing degrees in electrical engineering.

A very awkward fact with my dad recounting that they were the closest of buds. Ironically, me and Russel were classmates (twice) but we were not exactly very close friends.

Another connection was revealed on the eve of my high school graduation. My mom discovered that one of the parents used to carpool with her back in the day. It turns out that she was referring to Payat’s mom. Coincidence?

Here’s one going all the way back. My family have long been clients of Nanay’s Pancit Malabon going way before I was born. Back in Grade 6, one of the owners told my mom that her daughter goes to SJA as well and she’s on the same batch as me. Didn’t have an idea who she was referring to until a year later when I found out that Ria’s the granddaughter of Nanay’s.

Weird having to know these fun facts and it’s kinda nice that I actually knew such. Not sure how that would affect me in a larger-than-life kind of way but it’s better that I know about them than not knowing about them at all.

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J Pics D40 Pics: “It’s My Party”

I can’t think of any word to describe my godchild’s 2nd birthday party so I found this song that perfectly fits the album’s theme. Enjoy! And bear with the labels hehehe 😀 It’s just for fun 😀

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**Later pics were created using a different picture format. When I had them converted to Jpeg, the quality was not maintained as expect so I’ll try to put them up again in good quality.

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Gran Torino

Rating: ★★★★
Category: Movies
Genre: Drama

Finally, I get to watch a movie initiated by me and watched solely by me. The moment I saw the trailer of the movie, Gran Torino, on Studio 23’s News Central, I knew that once it’s out in theaters, I’m watching. Too bad that because of me being so excited and anxious, I read a spoiler over the internet which kinda ha me already knew what the ending may look like. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed the film.

I failed to watch Gran Torino at the very beginning but was able to at get to the film’s developing storyline. The movie is about Walt, a typical cranky old man who lives next door. He’s a former Korean war veteran who hates people who touches his property, including his prized Gran Torino. His wife recently passed away and his immediate family, from his two sons to his grandchildren, shows no respect whatsoever to him nor his late wife. Later in the movie, he regretted being unable to know his own kids (which led to his kids’ total show of disrespect towards their own father). He lives in a neighborhood that is increasingly becoming populated by immigrants from different parts of the world. Many of his neighbors are Hmong, a hill people from Southeast Asia.

Everything changes when a gang of Hmong delinquent had a young teenaged Hmong named Thao undergo an initiation by stealing Walt’s Gran Torino. Walt was able to caught him while he aims a shotgun towards the “gangbangers”. In order to pay of his crime, Thao spent 2 weeks to serve Walt by cleaning his housek hsi neighbor’s house, garden, wash his car, the works. Eventually, the two got close, almost like a father-and-son relationship. Walt also brokered a firendship with Thao’s sister, Sue, who explained to him the ways of the Hmong.

Things turns nasty when the Hmong gangsters went to Thao for revenge and had a still burning cigarette butt marked the poor boy’s face. Walt retaliated by ganging up against one of the members, presumably Thao’s cousin. The gang fired back, literally, at Thau’s house. He almost got shot while Sue was unknowingly attacked and later raped by the same gang.

Unable to forgive himself for what happened, Walt (who by that time, knew that he’s suffering from lung cancer) made a clever plan on pinning down the gangsters without blood being spilled other than his. He made it looked like as if he was reaching for a gun beneath his jacket to the gang without them knowing that he was merely reaching out for his lighter to light his cancer stick (while at the same time performing “Hail Mary”). Unknowingly deceived, they shot him several times before he collapsed to the green lawn in a “crucified” position, complete with blood spilling from his hands.

The gang got arrested after witnesses around the neighborhood saw what happened. In his final will, Colt passed down all his properties, including the Gran Torino to his friend Thau (much to the dismay of his family, who never really cared for the poor old man). The film ends as Thau drives away with his “new” car.
——

Review:

I’m all praises with almost everything about the film. The characters, the story, even the production values embedded into the film. You can’t call Clint Eastwood a director for nothing!

I like the quirky interactions between the character Walt and Sue as well as the familial bond formed between him and Thau. His interactions with the largely multicultural characters also contributed with the development of Walt, from becoming a cranky old man to a caring and humane individual.

Speaking of humane, I could see hints of Clint Eastwood itching to do some action pack stunts at any given moment of the film but fortunately, it was cleverly avoided as Clint’s character was never shown using his gun other than merely holding it. This is a vast departure to the actor’s past portrayal of characters that always go for gold with the guns, goons and sex. Plus, as comic relief, we see that other than his constant irritation with his neighbors, he has this failing for chicken dumplings :D.

The two other central characters, Thau and Sue, were also convincing, proving that there are young actors that could also go to the same intensity of effectively portraying characters with an essence of realism. (The character Sue looks like Gaby dela Merced if you ask me). In the case of Thau, the kind of talent he has is still kind of raw but given the opportunity to portray offbeat roles in future films, he can do wonders.

On the technical aspect, I noticed that the film is about 80% percent void of music scoring. Having no background music could bore viewers but the film was able to fill that void with fast and effective pacing , with BGM added when necessary. The use of cool colors as hue greatly supported the mood and setting of the movie (living in a town somewhere in the Midwest).

I also noticed though a kind of time transition between certain scenes. There was this scene which is set to a day after the previous sequence then after less than a minute, proceeded to the next sequence set a day later. It’s not exactly a negative nor a positive thing but I feel like either one of the scenes felt unnecessary to be included on the final cut. The two sequences are: 1)the one where Thau repeatedly pressed the doorbell while Walt was in the bathroom, coughing up blood, and 2) we are forwarded to a scene where we see Walt coming out from his truck that he had just parked it outside his home.

Unlike other mainstream films produced by the US, Gran Torino’s cast are 90% non-white, showcasing the reality of America’s changing dynamics (which began with the influx of non-English immigrants in the United States, if you recall your world history), becoming increasingly diverse, shaping American society as a whole (Never got tired of saying that). Clint did the same thing when he had a predominantly Japanese cast (and those of Japanese-descent) for “Letters from Iwo Jima”)

Nonetheless, I’m satisfied with what I saw: the smooth and well-paced flow of the movie, never a boring scene nor an action-packed sequence that Clint Eastwood fans would usually expect from the award-winning actor/director/producer, and the ability of Clint Eastwood himself to really dwell on unfamiliar territory, drama (although his potential to do drama was already seen in his two previous films, “Flags of Our Fathers”, and “Letters from Iwo Jima”).

“Gran Torino” is definitely worth your money!

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