Music.
The past few weeks I've had a gradual change of music taste. Specifically driving music taste.
I know listen to 105.1 (it's mostly jazz, I don't remember the station name). NU 107.5? I rarely, rarely, listen to that station anymore.
Maybe it's because I've gotten sick and tired of their DJs and how annoying they are. Or maybe it's because most of the local music I hear being played aren't as good as the older local songs. Its either I've heard the song before (a remake), or they're trying to sound foreign (Brit accent, Jamaican accent, whatever), or they're using literary prose as lyrics.
Where's the originality? It's like the band decided the best way to get noticed in the music scene would be to take someone else's song and use it for their own. I don't care if you changed the arrangement or what, if it's for a tribute album then it's okay. But if you release it as a single from your own album, no thanks. I've heard that song before and it DEFINITELY sounded better than your own version.
Where's the originality? Taking lines from literary works? Adding melody but using famous lines? Rhyme without reason? Rage against the dying of the light? Why, that's goddamn brilliant! Brilliant, I tell thee, brilliant! I could just take some lines from Shakespeare's sonnets or Edgar Allan Poe's poems and just add a catchy tune and I could be rich, goddamn rich!
No thanks.
If the direction of local music is headed towards stuff like that, nevermind. Our musicians now would just become performing musicians. To call them artists would be an insult to real artists who have creativity and originality. I'd rather hear original musical works rather than remakes of old songs. Stop riding on the coattails of those who came before you. *cough*Nina*cough*MYMP*cough*
Out.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Caffeine, Glorious Caffeine
It all started last Sunday night.
In an attempt to get a nice night's sleep, I decided to play a game of NBA 2K7 on my trusty PS2, and have some green tea. The tea was so good, in fact, that I decided to have another.
That was that and the game was over (I won). Then I lay down on my bed and tried to sleep. This was around 11pm. I tossed. And turned. And tossed and turned. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
Midnight. Toss, turn, repeat. Get up for a glass of water, use the loo, toss, turn, repeat.
1am. Same old, same old.
2am. See above.
Finally I think I fell asleep at 3am. Then I woke up at 6:30am for work. The day was going slowly and around 3pm I fell asleep. Fortunately I was just rendering so I didn't really have anything to do. My officemate, Hec, and I decided to go the local Starbucks for a cup of whatever was strong enough to wake us up. Apparently Hec was also feeling sleepy.
Enter the tall Caramel Machiatto double shot. Not bad. Wide awake.
Fast forward to late at night. Still couldn't sleep. Slept earlier than Sunday night, around 1am.
And now here I am. I've downed two cups of cappucino from the vending machine, at separate times. They keep me going but the drain after the initial rush is getting worse.
So how will I stay awake? More coffee, please. Vicious cycle, really.
Out.
In an attempt to get a nice night's sleep, I decided to play a game of NBA 2K7 on my trusty PS2, and have some green tea. The tea was so good, in fact, that I decided to have another.
That was that and the game was over (I won). Then I lay down on my bed and tried to sleep. This was around 11pm. I tossed. And turned. And tossed and turned. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
Midnight. Toss, turn, repeat. Get up for a glass of water, use the loo, toss, turn, repeat.
1am. Same old, same old.
2am. See above.
Finally I think I fell asleep at 3am. Then I woke up at 6:30am for work. The day was going slowly and around 3pm I fell asleep. Fortunately I was just rendering so I didn't really have anything to do. My officemate, Hec, and I decided to go the local Starbucks for a cup of whatever was strong enough to wake us up. Apparently Hec was also feeling sleepy.
Enter the tall Caramel Machiatto double shot. Not bad. Wide awake.
Fast forward to late at night. Still couldn't sleep. Slept earlier than Sunday night, around 1am.
And now here I am. I've downed two cups of cappucino from the vending machine, at separate times. They keep me going but the drain after the initial rush is getting worse.
So how will I stay awake? More coffee, please. Vicious cycle, really.
Out.
A Pre-Valentines Post
Last Saturday, while having dinner at Gilligan's Alabang Town Center with my girlfriend of eight (count 'em - eight) years I decided to take a picture of Maica using my handy, yet sorta annoying, k750i phone. And I decided to use her picture as my wallpaper.
Big mistake.
Ever since Maica left for the US last year to try and find a job, I've missed her more and realized how much more important she is in my life. Now she's back here I feel better, but a few days ago she told me she might have to go back to the States. Damn.
Now I can always look at her, but I miss her even more if I just look at the picture.
This may sound cheesy to some but the urge to settle down has and is continuing to get stronger in my head. Yes, settle down. Get married, have kids, live our own lives.
But I can't do that here, not with the way the country is going.
Manny Pacquiao will be running for office. So will Richard Gomez, Teri Onor, and a whole slew of "actors" and "actresses" who know nothing of governing people. They're all in it for the money. Sigh. Politics is a way to get rich in this country, to hell with the people.
So I want to settle down but not here. I hear you get better chances to immigrate to Canada if you're married. Hmm.
Out.
Big mistake.
Ever since Maica left for the US last year to try and find a job, I've missed her more and realized how much more important she is in my life. Now she's back here I feel better, but a few days ago she told me she might have to go back to the States. Damn.
Now I can always look at her, but I miss her even more if I just look at the picture.
This may sound cheesy to some but the urge to settle down has and is continuing to get stronger in my head. Yes, settle down. Get married, have kids, live our own lives.
But I can't do that here, not with the way the country is going.
Manny Pacquiao will be running for office. So will Richard Gomez, Teri Onor, and a whole slew of "actors" and "actresses" who know nothing of governing people. They're all in it for the money. Sigh. Politics is a way to get rich in this country, to hell with the people.
So I want to settle down but not here. I hear you get better chances to immigrate to Canada if you're married. Hmm.
Out.
Friday, February 09, 2007
Fare Thee Well, O Noble Steed
Last September 2006 the last production Ford GT rolled off the assembly line. Ford will stop producing this car which I greatly admire (and wish I owned). The run is over, and I won't be surprised if the values of the existing GTs increases instead of decreases.
I started noticing the Ford GT when I was playing Gran Turismo 2 on the PSX. It was the original car, the one the GT was based on - the Ford GT-40. Everyone was telling me that it was a wild car and very hard to drive. But It looked nice. It reminded me of Speed Racer's car, the Mach 5. Only this one was real, and it was more menacing. Looking at it even while parked gave you a sense of it's immense speed.
When I got some tuning tips in GT2 from my friend, I immediately bought and tuned a Ford GT-40 road car. And started taming the beast. Winning all the MR races got me a Ford GT-40 race car and I was in heaven.
Getting the hang of the car, my greatest accomplishment in GT2 was winning an endurance race on Apricot Hill using the GT-40 race car. My reward? A Lancia Stratos.
Two mid-engined rear wheel drive cars that look similar but aren't.
Back to the GT.
It's gone. If ever I make enough money I hope I can buy a used Ford GT, or even a kit car. Because that car has it all.
Looks. Power. Performance. Speed. Pedigree.
And now it's gone.
I'll always have games. Toys. And dreams. And 3D.
I've tried modeling the GT-40 4 times. FOUR. The first time I knew nothing of how to model a car. The second time I tried using a tutorial I picked up, but due to projects at the office I had to stop. The third time I used the same one piece technique to model the car and finished it, even rendered it. But it wasn't that great. Still had lot to learn. The fourth?
I'm still working on the fourth. Using patch modeling techniques to detail the car more and make it a bit more realistic. I have more control now over the final look thanks to experience also.
But I've only finished the part of the rear, one door and part of the body. It is the best looking among the four, though.
All hail the Ford GT.
Out.
I started noticing the Ford GT when I was playing Gran Turismo 2 on the PSX. It was the original car, the one the GT was based on - the Ford GT-40. Everyone was telling me that it was a wild car and very hard to drive. But It looked nice. It reminded me of Speed Racer's car, the Mach 5. Only this one was real, and it was more menacing. Looking at it even while parked gave you a sense of it's immense speed.
When I got some tuning tips in GT2 from my friend, I immediately bought and tuned a Ford GT-40 road car. And started taming the beast. Winning all the MR races got me a Ford GT-40 race car and I was in heaven.
Getting the hang of the car, my greatest accomplishment in GT2 was winning an endurance race on Apricot Hill using the GT-40 race car. My reward? A Lancia Stratos.
Two mid-engined rear wheel drive cars that look similar but aren't.
Back to the GT.
It's gone. If ever I make enough money I hope I can buy a used Ford GT, or even a kit car. Because that car has it all.
Looks. Power. Performance. Speed. Pedigree.
And now it's gone.
I'll always have games. Toys. And dreams. And 3D.
I've tried modeling the GT-40 4 times. FOUR. The first time I knew nothing of how to model a car. The second time I tried using a tutorial I picked up, but due to projects at the office I had to stop. The third time I used the same one piece technique to model the car and finished it, even rendered it. But it wasn't that great. Still had lot to learn. The fourth?
I'm still working on the fourth. Using patch modeling techniques to detail the car more and make it a bit more realistic. I have more control now over the final look thanks to experience also.
But I've only finished the part of the rear, one door and part of the body. It is the best looking among the four, though.
All hail the Ford GT.
Out.
Sleep
Haven't slept well in how many days.
(Actually I just want to get rid of the Catwoman post)
Out.
(Actually I just want to get rid of the Catwoman post)
Out.
Friday, February 02, 2007
Stranger Than Fiction
Last night I went out with some high school buddies and watched the movie, Stranger Than Fiction, which starred Will Ferrell (did I get that right?), Emma Thompson (again, did I get that right?), Dustin Hoffman, Queen Latifa, and this cute girl.
I did not expect a movie with Will Ferrell to be like that.
This movie was refreshing. Not too many clichés that I've seen from other movies. It was a comedy, and it was not a comedy. It was a thinking movie that didn't really get you thinking too much. It was just right.
Just right.
The ending became sort of cliché but it was good for the movie. It was a feelgood movie.
One thing that stood out in the movie, which not too many people may know, was the effects. They had some graphics (I'm not sure about the effects term but I think it was similar to motion graphics or something), and that really got my attention. They enhanced the movie, never overpowering a scene but adding to the story nonetheless.
That's how special effects should be.
Anyway I am not a movie critic and I do not want to appear like a movie critic. All I can say is watch the movie. It will be worth your money.
On a side note, it was fun to get together with some high school classmates. Reminisce about the old days and update one another about what's going on in our lives. To see all of us now working is not something I expected to experience (for reasons which shall remain mine, and mine alone).
That's basically it.
Out.
I did not expect a movie with Will Ferrell to be like that.
This movie was refreshing. Not too many clichés that I've seen from other movies. It was a comedy, and it was not a comedy. It was a thinking movie that didn't really get you thinking too much. It was just right.
Just right.
The ending became sort of cliché but it was good for the movie. It was a feelgood movie.
One thing that stood out in the movie, which not too many people may know, was the effects. They had some graphics (I'm not sure about the effects term but I think it was similar to motion graphics or something), and that really got my attention. They enhanced the movie, never overpowering a scene but adding to the story nonetheless.
That's how special effects should be.
Anyway I am not a movie critic and I do not want to appear like a movie critic. All I can say is watch the movie. It will be worth your money.
On a side note, it was fun to get together with some high school classmates. Reminisce about the old days and update one another about what's going on in our lives. To see all of us now working is not something I expected to experience (for reasons which shall remain mine, and mine alone).
That's basically it.
Out.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Ice Ice Baby
It has been unusually cold this January. Or is it really this cold around this time of the year? I can sleep without turning on my electric fan.
And it is so damn hard to get up in the morning. Waking up is not that much of a problem, it is the getting up part. The weather is nice and cold, the warmth of the blanket keeping things just right. If only we had five day weekends and two day workdays.
Sigh.
I'm tired. Tired, tired, tired. I've even developed a new mantra to keep me sane.
"F*ck."
Yeah I said it. After watching the Metallica documentary Some Kind of Monster, and reading a book written by one of the filmmakers, I was struck by Lars Ulrich's rant which included my new mantra. How true, how true.
Anyway before I spill any more beans that may get me in trouble with anyone I will end my writings here.
Out.
And it is so damn hard to get up in the morning. Waking up is not that much of a problem, it is the getting up part. The weather is nice and cold, the warmth of the blanket keeping things just right. If only we had five day weekends and two day workdays.
Sigh.
I'm tired. Tired, tired, tired. I've even developed a new mantra to keep me sane.
"F*ck."
Yeah I said it. After watching the Metallica documentary Some Kind of Monster, and reading a book written by one of the filmmakers, I was struck by Lars Ulrich's rant which included my new mantra. How true, how true.
Anyway before I spill any more beans that may get me in trouble with anyone I will end my writings here.
Out.
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