The IKON Semifinals!

Thanks to all those who braved the rain and went to Le Pavilion for The IKON Philippines Semifinals! For those who don't know, IKON is ASEAN's newest, biggest music contest, with some of our country's best acts as participants. The Philippine finals winners -- one solo star and one band -- will go on to represent our country in the Grand Finals in Malaysia.

There was much tension earlier, as it was only announced just before the show which of the 18 initial contestants would go on to the semis. In other words, a handful of bands and solo stars had to trudge home, without getting another chance to compete onstage. This must not have been easy, as all the participants are well established artists, but some mildly bruised egos were inevitable with the stakes this high. And while the whole idea of competition between these acts might have displeased some, I gotta say, it made for some really impressive performances.

Backstage before the show was fun, with the press people having no less than 18 artists to choose from to photograph or interview. It was like speed dating, but without the potential emotional damage.


The lovely Yvette interviews the lovely Sitti, and apparently asks something amusing.


Cris Ramos talks to Grace Nono, while Yvette and Vina Morales trade secrets.


Skarlet wonders if the food will be served soon.


Julianne, no doubt plotting something dastardly.


Sitti again, posing in front of a buncha logos.


Our host Asia Agcaoili, wearing an outfit I never thought I would see outside of 90s Image comics. If you see the bottom half, you'll know what I'm talking about. (Watch the IKON show tonight, on RPN 9, at 7 PM).

I should probably take a moment to explain here that there were lots of acts present at the presscon -- The Dawn, Chicosci, Kapatid, Sponge Cola, Noel Cabangon, Kjwan, etc. Just because all my pictures are of the female artists doesn't mean that there weren't any guys there.

After the show, Yvette and I had shrimp puffs and veggie rice:



Excuse the blurry picture. I'm practicing to become a food blogger. Because apparently, it's the food bloggers who get invited to cool events and stuff, not us whatever-bloggers. ;p

Favorite Bad Albums

This is fun: Blender features "Our Favorite Musicians' Favorite Bad Albums"!

"Many of us will go to bat for that highly uncool and/or critically slammed record adorning our otherwise impeccable collection, and musicians are no different. We recently caught up with some of our favorite bands, producers and DJs to find out what awesomely bad albums make their hearts go tick and their feet go tap."

Oh man, A-ha's first two albums! I loved those. I might even still have the cassettes somewhere. "Manhattan Skyline," what a great song. And dear God, Animalympics! I can't believe anyone else even remembers that movie, and those songs. I was absolutely crazy about those songs as a kid. I managed to track down one or two through file-sharing -- I included one as a 'hidden track' on my October mix last year -- but I am a long way from assembling all the songs. If anyone has a copy of this, please let me know. :)

My favorite 'highly uncool' album? That's tough. I think half my CD collection is highly uncool. I own almost everything the Pet Shop Boys ever made, after all.

Happy Birthday to Me

Guess what I got in the mail today? Those of you who read, or used to read, British music magazines may recognize the logo on the right. Yes, I got the July issue of Q magazine, sent straight from London. Thank you thank you thank you, Indira! :D Yay!

This issue features the "Ten Most Exciting Bands in the World Right Now" (a list open to much debate, but whatever), interviews with the Arctic Monkeys, Arcade Fire, and Muse, a tribute to Sgt. Pepper (incidentally, have you heard the BBC-organized cover versions of songs off the album? I rather like the Razorlight one, to be honest. And I didn't like the Magic Numbers' number as much as I thought I would), and the usual assload of reviews. Best of all, this being the summer issue, there's a free CD stuck to the cover! This one features live tracks recorded at Glastonbury (which I didn't get to go to this year, but what the hell).

Thanks to all of you who greeted me happy birthday yesterday (whoops, it's almost 4AM -- I mean, the other day), and those sent belated greetings as well. I had a great birthday, because of Yvette of course. :D But special thanks also to Erwin, Yvonne, Isha, Juan, Malek and everyone else at the Preview shoot. Yay!

My hamster says "Hello"

"Hello," he says. "I am reporting you for purchasing pirated DVDs."

High School Life

Watched Pisay: The Movie last Saturday, with, appropriately enough, my high school barkada, and our respective spouses/ girlfriends/ boyfriends. We had a blast. I didn't suffer nostalgia attacks as badly as I thought I would, and I think I can say with sufficient critical objectivity that it is a very good film indeed. Of course we convened in a nearby restaurant afterwards to talk about our Pisay days.

Got the soundtrack CD in the CCP Main Theatre lobby after the screening last Saturday. :) Here's the track listing:

01. Pisay Intro Theme/Act One: Rom and Wena's Theme
02. Lingunin Mo Sana Ako - Squid9
03. Poor Li'l Rich Girl Grown Up - Mcoy Fundales
04. Act Two: Mat's Theme
05. Egis, Er'p! - Lourd de Veyra and Raimund Marasigan
06. Love is in My Hair - Imago
07. Act Three: Andy and Liway's Theme
08. Ang Puso Kong Musmos - Ebe Dancel
09. Act Four: Halley's Comet
10. Pisay Graduation Theme/PSHS Hymn
11. Treasured Memories - Isha

Just started listening to it now. So far my favorite tracks are "Egis, Er'p," "Love is in My Hair," "Ang Puso Kong Musmos" and the little instrumental bits.

I never thought I would willingly pay money for a CD with the PSHS Hymn on it, by the way. ;p

Ran a search for blog entries on the movie and this came up. (How perfect is it that her blog's name is "If I Were a Subatomic Particle"? Ah, Pisay people.)

"Hindi ko maintindihan dati kung bakit hindi ko na-feel ang pagkawala ng Pisay. Ngaun alam ko na kung bakit. Hindi ko naramdamang binitawan ko ang Pisay kasi HINDI ko talaga binitawan. Nasakin pa rin ang Pisay. Ako pa rin si Cheska na tumawa, umiyak, nasaktan, natuto, lumaban, at nagtagumpay sa Pisay."

Well put. The rest of the blog entry is very much worth reading too.

Here's the schedule of remaining screenings (got this from The Mighty Dacs page):

24 Jul/Tue 09:00 PM Venue 1 - CCP Main Theatre
25 Jul/Wed 09:00 PM Venue 2 - CCP Little Theatre
26 Jul/Thu 06:15 PM Venue 5 - CCP Tanghalang Huseng Batute
27 Jul/Fri 10:00 AM Venue 1 - CCP Main Theatre
28 Jul/Sat 03:30 PM Venue 2 - CCP Little Theatre

For more info, bug the CCP Box Office at 832-3704 and Ticketworld at 891-9999. The navigation of the Cinemalaya page is pretty screwed up, but the Pisay page is here.

I Can Has Stickerz?

StickerBooks, what fun! The calling cards look great too.

Prof Rock

Queen guitarist completes PhD thesis

"Over thirty years after he put away his thesis on interplanetary dust clouds in order to become the guitarist for Queen, 59-year-old Brian May has finally completed it, for his PhD in astrophysics. Although May had earned a degree in physics at Imperial College in London, and worked on the thesis from 1971 to 1974, once Queen began to enjoy success there was no time for him to pursue his doctorate." [//more]

Pisay the Trailer

Free Problems

You can get Dog Problems, the second album by The Format, for free! (Yeah, so what? you might say. I can get all sorts of albums for free through the internets. The difference is, this particular download is officially sanctioned and will not send you to jail or hell.)

That's right: just go here and one of the best albums of last year will be yours. I love these songs, particularly "She Doesn't Get It," "Dead End" and of course "Dog Problems." Offer only lasts 'til JULY 16.

Here's an excerpt from the PopMatters review: "Horns abound, sugary Beatlesesque harmonies lace the songs, swelling strings kick in. In other words, it sounds like Disney on crack, and what’s really surprising is that it doesn’t crumble under all that feel-good weight. Ironically, it all sounds radio-ready in the most creative way imaginable."

Go go get it!

The Weekly Nothing to Do

With all the stuff that I've been doing lately, I totally forget to tell you all that "The King of Nothing to Do," my column at the Manila Bulletin, ever since I hit #50, now comes out weekly. Whoop whoop! :D So make sure to pick up a copy every Wednesday, because, you know, I writes good and stuff. Today's column is about my reaction to the news that Pisay, a movie about my old high school, is going to show at the Cinemalaya festival at the end of this month.

Last week's column, about childhood and children's books, is here. The Bulletin doesn't always archive its articles though, so it's still good to pick up the print version. ;)

"This is what science is supposed to be."

"Its rock-hard surface can take a full-on assault from a baseball bat, yet remains flexible enough to allow you to kick, leap and roll with perfect ease. Crafted from cutting-edge science, its unique molecular structure means that while providing armoured protection against crude concrete and even barbed wire, it remains light enough to allow you to run at high speed.

"It sounds like the stuff of Batman comics -- but the superhero suit is here."

Read on.

Brand New BURN

Sino Sikat, Kitchie Nadal, Up dharma Down, and lots lots more: the July-August 2007 edition of BURN is available now, and you should get one! Features and reviews and fun stuff galore, and all for only Php70. That's right. Less than your latte cost.

Am particularly proud of this issue's Reviews section: totally uncompromising, often funny, sometimes savage stuff. Witness JP Ong fall asleep to Brownman Revival! Watch Kristine Lim eviscerate Join the Club with the help of her little brother! See Bernie Sim bitch-slap Gwen Stefani! Gape as Aldus Santos stops Hinder! And wave your hands in the air as Erwin Romulo stomps on Mig Ayesa!

It's not all negative, of course, and I don't mean to sound like I'm cackling like a cartoon villain while twirling a mustache. As always, it's the genuinely good albums -- and the subsequent sincerely positive reviews -- that are the reason I love my job. JP Ong surprises himself by liking Pernilla Andersson. Kristine Lim finds Regina Spektor quirky and charming. Eric Melendez loves Noel Cabangon's new album about love. Editor-in-Chief Conch Concio grooves to the Cold War Kids. And Nick Azarcon encourages drunk driving while listening to the Kaiser Chiefs. Make sure your insurance is paid up, Nick!

"Somewhere between happy, and total fucking wreck"

I don't always agree with Joey Dizon, but I always enjoy reading his blog.

JOEY DIZON HAS A FRIENDLY WARNING: "If you're into rave parties, like talking about scoring with drunk college chicks, only have extreme knowledge about cars, sports, drag racing and stylish shirts with the collars-up, then stay the fuck away from me. Bunch of fucking faggots. Put some meaning into your lives. Again, stay the fuck away from me or I'll kill you."

JOEY DIZON'S FAVORITE VIDEO GAME IS: "Contra. Old school rules. No brains, just shooting everything in sight. I know there are a lot of video games like that these days, but there's a charm to controlling two 2D shirtless mercenaries who look exactly the same and can only be distinguished from another by the color of their head bands and pants."

JOEY DIZON ON BLOC PARTY: "Fucking makes me sick.... Dancing should be left in the clubs. Who the fuck forms a band so that people can dance? Guys who play in bands like Bloc Party are the guys who couldn't get into the real rock shows and gigs because they were pussies. That's total loser shit right there. Some excuse to NOT be a good musician... The sad thing is, everybody's calling it rock. I mean, Bloc Party is like fucking... I dunno... Libis music. Effortless, trendy bullshit. It's like music fucking Tommy Hilfiger or Tim Yap listens to."

Even when I don't agree with Joey, I admire his general lack of bullshit. And let's face it, many of us share his opinions about security guards, idiots on elevators, and Kris Aquino. We just don't express those opinions as vividly -- or at all, in some cases.

For those who don't know, Joey is the Editor-in-Chief of PULP, a position he has earned by working his way up from Staff Writer to Head Writer to Managing Editor to the very top. He was Head Writer when I was on the PULP staff four years ago, and it was always fun to talk to him during late nights at the office, when we were cramming our reviews and articles.

Joey also taught me one very important lesson, by example: never be ashamed of the music you love.

There and BECK Again

So I first watched -- and wrote about -- BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad early last year. But Yvette just started watching the second half of the series recently, so it's been on my brain. I've got no time to go on a BECK marathon again, what with everything I have to do, but I have the DVD playing as I work. The awkwardly-delivered English bits (both sung and spoken) are still a problem, but the series is still an absorbing, affecting piece of work, and it's still one of my favorites.

I admit, I'm curious about the Pinoy dubbed version. Hey, Raimund Marasigan as Taira-kun! Has anyone watched this? Is it any good?

And by the way, this... this is just wrong.

Listen to "Listening"

Check out Drip's GarageBand page. Listen to the newly-uploaded song "Listening". Good stuff. Lots of lovely funky sounds going on. And of course, Beng. Just go already. :)

Letters to Hong Kong

So one of my short stories has been adapted for the stage, and is going to be performed in Hong Kong this June 28 and 29! From the HK Ticketing site:

Letters to Cara: "This one-act production is adapted from a short story by Luis Katigbak, written in the form of letters. It comprises 13 letters to Cara from an unnamed writer, her dear friend. As you hear Cara read the letters, in her mind's voice, you will gradually glean clues about the two characters. Music included."

I wrote this epistolary story over a decade ago, and a version of it appeared in the first issue of Chimera. I didn't include it in my first short story collection because I always wanted to revise it somehow. Maybe it'll be in the second.

Thanks, Mida. :)

The MTV VJ Hunt 2007

Everybody who can: please go to the Mall of Asia TONIGHT, JUNE 22, for the MTV VJ Hunt Finals! It should start around 7:30 to 8 PM, at the Music Hall, and it's free and open to all. It's going to be a fun show, and not just because I wrote it. There's going to be performances by the ALLSTARS, SINO SIKAT, and KITCHIE NADAL, and a coupla others (okay, okay: DANITA and MIGUEL ESCUETA). Not to mention twelve VJ Hunt finalists trying to win your affections.



Here's this year's batch of female MTV VJ Hunt-ees. They are much much better looking in person, I swear. Kat Alano (fourth from left), in particular, must have pissed off the stylist somehow. She's actually pretty hot in real life, and doesn't really look like an aging Tita who's still trying to look 'hip'. However, my vote goes to Andi (fifth from left), because she's cute. I mean, because she has radio experience, knows what she's doing but isn't jaded by the industry yet, and is a fresh, fun presence. Also, cute.



And here are the boys, for those of you who like looking at boys. Sib (second from left) is the only one who doesn't look like he used to beat up nerds in high school. That alone would get him my vote.

Also, Sarah Meier is hosting. She is always a sheer joy -- not just to look at -- but to work with. (I am still amazed at her ability to intelligently ad lib, AND memorize scripts in an instant.) And the new MTV VJs -- Victor Basa, Anne Curtis, and Maggie Wilson -- will be hosting too. Plenty eye candy for y'all. Those of you who are so inclined can start debates about whose legs are more stunning, Sarah's or Maggie's (hint: Sarah's).

So please go. And afterwards, go to the second leg of the BURN magazine bar tour, at SaGuijo! :) Playing tonight: Markus Highway (yes, that’s ex-Eraserhead Marcus Adoro’s band -- read the excellent feature by Aldus Santos here), Bagetsafonik, Sino Sikat (again!), hip-hop up-and-comer Nimbus 9, Paramita, and Indio I. Yaaayy!

UPDATE 06/24/2007: Event turned out great! My two favorites (Sib and Andi) won, and they decided to hire a third new VJ too (Kat). Tado's interview portion with the finalists killed me. I think he almost made Brent Javier cry. Fun to see band people like "Boy Elroy" Conrad and "Chicosci" Miggy in the crowd, no doubt there to support Sib. The special will air on MTV Philippines on Wednesday, July 18 at 9PM, with replays on July 20 at 3PM, July 22 at 8PM, etc. MTV Philippines is Channel 57 on the company you love to hate, Sky Cable.

Waves of Nostalgia

Stumbled across this image-heavy blog entry by Wendell Capili, all about the UP Diliman campus, where I used to study (and, for a while, teach). Man, it made me nostalgic.

A very Happy Birthday, by the way, to JB and Joelle! My memories of UP would not be as fond had they not been with me then. Ah, yes: memories of JB dragging me out of a Math 17 class to go to SM (it takes amazing strength of will to cut a class when you're already in it), and of Joelle doing a dance from Grease (or possibly West Side Story) at the tambayan.

New Pervert Suit

Click on the pic for the full-sized image.

So, the goddamn Batman looks pretty hot in his new suit. Er. I mean... I'm straight.

I love the fact that they finally found a way to separate the headpiece from the neck. Remember the first Batman movie, when every time Michael Keaton had to look up, he practically had to tilt back his whole torso? And check the boots. Sweet. I'd wear those.

Read more about the suit at Gizmodo and Geekologie.

Ask Me, Ask Me, Ask Me

So, I mentioned this already below, but the 49th installment of my column, The King of Nothing to Do, comes out tomorrow (or today, if you happen to be reading this on June 6, Wednesday) in the i section of the Manila Bulletin. This one's called "Eighteen Years," and basically recounts some personal memories from eighteen years ago, when I was in high school. It was prompted by the realization that I have a friend close to my age who has a daughter who's now eighteen years old. The mind boggles.

And yes, you read that right -- this is my 49th column for the Manila Bulletin. Which means I've been writing it for almost two years now (a far cry from Erwin Romulo's 11-years-and-counting stint at the Star, but still. Two years is about as long as I've worked on anything). As any comic book fan knows, 50th issues are special, and should be double-sized, or have a foil-stamped hologram cover, or feature Darkseid as the bad guy, or something. So for my 50th ish, I wanted to do a sort of 'mailbag' section. Yes, yes, I know, how very original and brilliant of me. ANYWAY. What I would like you (yes you) to please, please do, is:

Send me a question.

Ask me anything, about life, love, literature, comics, hamsters, whatever, and I'll answer it in my next column (June 20) to the best of my ability -- which is not saying much, I know. Please send it to:

thekingofnothingtodo at yahoo dot com

And thanks. :)

Flash Fiction Wanted

Got this in the mail from my editor at the Bulletin. Btw, I know I haven't been plugging it lately, but my column, The King of Nothing to Do, still does come out in the i section every two weeks. :) Check out tomorrow's Bulletin for the latest installment!

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

i magazine, the newest quarterly publication from the team behind the i section of the Manila Bulletin, is now accepting submissions for FLASH FICTION in English.

Launching October 2007, the i magazine is high-concept publication inspired by Another magazine and Tank, headlining fashion (a whopping 120 pages of it) as well as Filipino excellence, both here and overseas.

Feature stories range from Filipinos excelling in their fields (i.e. designers, artists, writers, professionals, or high-level executives abroad), new angles on Filipino culture stories (i.e. comparative story on a famous sculptor and a new young sculptor with similar aesthetics, or ethnographic stories of Filipino culture in European countries), and special-interest stories relating to Filipinos or Filipino culture ( i.e. Filipino toy designer in an international toy company, Filipinos who have more eclectic collections, or Filipino architects and engineers involved in reconstruction or preservation of historical buildings).

The i magazine is currently accepting flash fiction submissions for the maiden issue, in keeping with the editorial direction to introduce fresher, more intelligent, and though-provoking content that is still digestible for local readers. We are looking for stories that capture a brief moment, a single breath. We are looking for an irreverent piece, in the structured prose of fiction, with the lyrical movement of poetry. Hopefully, through these shorts bursts of story, we can slowly open up more readers to Philippine fiction.

Accepted submissions will be paid P500.00 a pop. Deadline is June 16, 2007. Send in your stuff now!

Submission Guidelines

1. All stories must be in English.
2. All stories must be at 150 words or less.
3. Priority will be given to stories that have Filipino content or references.
4. Stories must not have strong political or religious content, nor any blatantly offensive content.
5. Stories must not contain outright profanity.
6. While stream of consciousness or post-modern approaches are allowed, stories must be clear and palatable for target readers.
7. Stories must not have been released before in newspapers, magazines, or other commercial publications. Stories previously released in books or other anthologies must have written consent for publication.
8. Submissionsmust be in standard manuscript format: font size 12, double-spaced, on letter-sized paper, in true type font (i.e. Arial, Times New Roman). 9. Email submissions only. Stories must be attached as rich text format (.RTF) file. Subject of email must read " Flash Fiction submission for i magazine_(TITLE OF STORY)_(AUTHOR)."
10. Submissions must include short author biography with contact information as (rich text format) RTF file.
11. Pseudonyms are allowed. For billing purposes, authors using pseudonyms must clearly indicate his or her real name along with the biography and contact information.
12. Only authors of approved works will be contacted by the i magazine editors.

Email submissions to morningcup@gmail.com. Deadline for submissions is JULY 16, 2007.

--------------------------------------------------------

ideas. innovation. interests. individuality.
wednesdays, fridays and saturdays in the manila bulletin.

"What was it like, being the only woman in the cast?" "Exhausting."

While I thought Ocean's 12 was annoying -- mainly because of a plot twist, if you can call it that, at the climax of the film -- I'm probably watching Ocean's 13. If only because of this interview.

DAMON: [To Pitt and Clooney] Is it true that you were the last two actors up for the hitchhiker role in Thelma & Louise?
CLOONEY: It was pretty embarrassing. They brought Brad and me in, and they just made us take our shirts off and stand there for a while, and then they picked Brad.
PITT: That is absolutely not true.
TIME: Did you know each other at that point?
CLOONEY: I knew him afterward.
DAMON: "Hey, that's the f___ing guy that took my job!"
CLOONEY: My friends said, "You want to see Thelma & Louise?" And I'm like, "F___ Thelma & Louise!" But it was fairly obvious when you saw the movie why I didn't get it, 'cause Brad just knocked it out of the park.
PITT: Aw, they were just grooming you for Batman.

I love it when actors (or musicians, or anyone else for that matter) are relaxed and funny in interviews. As opposed to, say, bitter and funny, or mean and funny, or just unfunny.

Plus, I love Ellen Barkin. I have loved her ever since I was this gangly adolescent who read this great interview with her in Esquire. Okay, that's a lie. I've never gangled in my life.

Also, isn't it funny that, in the trailer, [Matt Damon] + [an enormous fake nose] = looks like Matthew Modine?

Frisbee or Not Frisbee

Yes, those are my friends. No, they aren't actually shitty Frisbee players. Call it an off moment.

IKON and On

From left: Pulse.ph Writer Joelle Jacinto, Wolfpac COO Rayna Roxas, Digital Media Division Manager Pats Co, Pulse Editor-in-Chief Luis Katigbak

So Pulse.ph is the presentor of IKON Philippines, the local leg of "ASEAN's biggest music contest!" We had the Artists' Briefing last Thursday, and what an array of artists it was: from The Dawn to Kapatid to the Chillitees to Julianne to Grace freakin' Nono to, yes, Vina Morales, all gathered in a ballroom at the Mandarin.


Skarlet and a couple of maangas friends

The presscon was held the next day, and featured performances by Kjwan, The Dawn, Kala, Julianne, and a show-stopping number by the peerless Grace Nono. Read all about it here!

Quezon City Ninjas

Last Thursday night at Ninja Kiss 32: Ninja Kyusi Vol. 2 was the most fun at a gig I've had in a long while. Pumping Pluto kicked things off, Bagetsafonik showcased some stuff I hadn't heard before and ended their set with "Song for the Sunlight," my current favorite of their songs, and then The Ronnies followed by Milagros Dancehall Collective got us all on our feet and dancing like the happy fools that we were.

To quote the ninjakisser: "dens dens madness ensued at route196, pare. ang daming kilikiling nakataas. happy birthday to milagros' robbie, dahil sayo naka tequila ako ulit after 10 years. what a jabariffic gig!" Many many more pix of the ninja kyusi madness here!

10 Thoughts About Spider-Man 3

So Yvette and I watched Spider-Man 3 last Friday. :) Here are some thoughts.

1. Spider-Man is fatter the third time around. Of course, I'm one to talk.

2. Tobey Maguire is great fun as Disco Parker. Though I wish they had made his hair more disco-ey.

3. Kirsten Dunst would rather be doing something else than playing Mary Jane again.

4. For some reason, Bryce Dallas Howard as Gwen Stacy reminded me a lot of Lougee Basabas from Mojofly. Maybe they should hire Lougee if they ever make Gagamboy 3.

5. James Franco portrays Harry Osborn's descent into evil by raising one (or, possibly, both) eyebrows slightly, in close-up shots. This is one of the funniest things in the entire movie.

6. Topher Grace is cast perfectly as the delusional, smarmy Eddie Brock (aka Venom). Too bad his character/story arc was crammed into this movie, instead of being given a whole installment to be developed properly.

7. Thomas Haden Church is cast perfectly as the conflicted, hard-luck Flint Marko (aka Sandman). Too bad his character/story arc was crammed into this movie, instead of being given a whole installment to be developed properly.

8. Bruce Campbell is cast perfectly as the French Restaurant Dude. Nuff said.

9. Elizabeth Banks (Betty Brant) is hot, as always. I always thought it was a shame that the movies skipped over her cute/slightly disturbing romance with Peter Parker (as chronicled in the comics) and went straight to Mary Jane. Of course, now it seems that they're backpedaling a bit, by introducing Gwen Stacy and letting Peter flirt more overtly with Betty.

10. Everyone involved needs to take a long break before working on the next one.

Overall, it’s still worth seeing, though as Star Wars geek Adrian A. observed, “It’s the Jedi of the series”—not as good as the first two, but not a total loss, and if you’re a fan at all, you’ve probably already seen it anyway. ;p

Back from Boracay

Am back from Boracay, where I covered the Summer MYX Fest, with photographer and friend Kidlat. It was my first time there, and I enjoyed myself immensely: the food, the swimming, the people, the gigs -- it was all good.

The MYX event kicked off with a surprise set from Wake Up Your Seatmate (the very cute Mia Tengco wore a bare-midriff beach outfit, much to the delight of male fans), and ended with Sandwich jamming with members of all the other bands who played (Aia of Imago, Yael of sponge Cola, Ney of 6cyclemind, and special guest Mich Dulce) and Raimund diving into the delirious, jump-up-and-down crowd. We also attended NU107's Soundburn concert featuring Sugarfree (my favorite part: when Ebe segued smoothly from "Tulog Na" into "Suburbia" by the Pet Shop Boys), and dropped by Boracay Bound 6 at Aria. All in all, not a bad way to spend a couple of days. ;)

P.S. It seems I am suffering from beach withdrawal. Am now down with a clogged nose and a sore throat. Ah well.

Drip, Live

Drip on YouTube. Oh, yes. This is a live performance of "Swanker," filmed, apparently, during one of the SweetSpot production nights. Watch gorgeous, dangerous vocalist Beng Calma do her thing! Watch brothers-in-electronica Ian and Malek execute a synchronized dance routine complete with handclaps and high fives! (Kidding.) Just watch.

Exhibit Opens

Yes -- "Strange Maps" is now open! Lala spent two days setting up, aided by myself, her hubby-to-be Karlo, and, briefly, Kuya Che and my sis-in-law Sarah, and especially boy scout JB Cada, without whom I don't know how we could have completed the setup in time. Take a bow, Jabes.



Truckloads of thanks to everyone who went to the opening last Tuesday night, including Yvette my love, our very first guest; my Mom and my sister Marien; all the Gallardos and their friends; Fran, Terry (and Terry's Mom), Therese; Jovan, Conch, Pats and Bliss; JB, Steph, Anton, Dex, Jep, Miko; Erwin, Ramon, Neva, Cris; Joelle and Mikah, Jewel and Jon, Bernie and Marcus; and everyone else!



The show got lots of great feedback from everyone. Bernie said some very nice things about it to me when we were standing outside SaGuijo; I hope it's not just because she was tipsy. ;) Nico of 27+20 liked it a lot too. To those of you who haven't seen the show yet, please drop by. It'll be on display in SaGuijo til March 17. :)

Photos from Lala's LJ -- I would link to the entry, but it's locked.

Strange Maps: an exhibit by Lala Gallardo and Luis Katigbak

It all started when I attended the Graphika Manila conference last December with my friend, visual artist Lala Gallardo. (Lala's an immensely talented young artist who's had a bunch of solo and group exhibits, at places like the CCP, Big Sky Mind, Store for All Seasons, and Chunky Far Flung Gallery in Cubao.) When we were taking a short break from the lectures, she suggested that we work on an exhibit that would combine her images with my words.

I ended up writing ten very short pieces of prose, which Lala is incorporating into ten works of mixed-media art. Some themes emerged in the process: distances and how we deal with them, the relationships between people and places, the faint yet constant yearning for elsewhere. “Strange Maps” seemed an appropriate title.


Photo by Joelle Jacinto. Thanks Joelle!

We'd like to invite you all to the opening at the second floor gallery of SaGuijo next Tuesday, February 27, 7 PM! By a wonderful coincidence, a Play4Serve production is scheduled for that same night, and the lineup is killer: Sandwich, Imago, Daydream Cycle, Teeth, Pedicab, Vin Dancel's new band Peryodiko, and this new all-girl supergroup called Duster which I'm very excited about, which counts among its members Katwo of Narda, Kris of Cambio, and Myrene of Sandwich/Imago! Hoo boy. Also, according to Cris Ramos, The Bitter Pill will be playing too, for the first time in far too long a time.

So, go to the exhibit opening at 7 PM, then head on down for the gig afterwards. :) Sounds like a great night out to me. Hope to see you there!

The Sad Story of Thurber the Hamster

"So after wanting a hamster for months and buying books on hamster care and lurking on hamster owner online communities and message boards and occasionally dressing up like a hamster and roaming the streets of Makati while making loud squeaking sounds (okay, that last bit may be untrue) -- I finally did it. I got a hamster." (Read the rest here.)

The hamster in the picture isn't Thurber, by the way, though it does look a lot like him -- I just found the image on flickr. Can't post any pix or videos of Thurber yet, as my main camera these days is my cellphone, and Nokia, in its infinite wisdom, has chosen NOT to include a USB cord or any sort of way for me to connect it to my PC with its packaging. It has to be bought separately. And it's not cheap. Bastards.

"I started musing philosophically about how much there was to learn from Billy's simple life. All he did was eat, sleep, run in his wheel, and amass a pile of worthless seeds. Yet that was all it took to make him happy. If only my own life could be like that, I said to myself. Then I realized... hey, my own life IS like that. It doesn't do to think deep thoughts about hamsters." ~ from the excellent Hamster Tales

What to Do with $16,999.95

The Levitating Hover Scooter. I want one.

It's "a miniature flying saucer with handlebars." The hover scooter "provides an unprecedented experience in personal transportation, levitating inches above the ground and speeding a single rider across level land on a cushion of air... Learning to ride the scooter takes less than five minutes, and no previous skateboarding, surfing, snowboarding, or other experience is required... The hovering scooter deftly glides over level, solid ground such as concrete, asphalt, or well-groomed grass, free of debris, sand, stones, and other obstacles. It can even travel up minor inclines."

I want everyone in my barkada to get one too. Then we'll find a wide open space and play Hover Scooter Ultimate Frisbee.

Mekanda Robo: TRY ATTACK!!

I love giant robot cartoon opening themes. And even though I used to hate giant robot cartoon closing themes as a kid, I grew to love them too. That is pretty much the extent of my maturation process. Anyway, I was running searches on all those giant robots of my youth ("Giant Robots of My Youth" -- what a great title for something. I call dibs), and I found this, which I wish to share with you. It is a thing of beauty. It is the Mekanda Robo opening sequence.

Mekanda Robo was one of those B-list robots that never achieved the popularity here that, say, Voltes V or Mazinger Z or even Daimos did. But man, check out that opener. First of all, the song is insanely catchy, and gloriously silly: "Mekanda Mekanda Mekanda Robo! TRY ATTACK!!" It gets even better during the volt-in sequence: "Mekanda ONE! Mekanda TWO! Mekanda THREEE!!" Thrilling!

And DUDE. The ASS-KICKING. Mekanda Robo will FUCK YOUR SHIT UP. Did you see what he did to that first monster? First he tears out its guts using his spiked shields, and then he slams the shield-spikes together on the monster's head and then he tears him in half with the blade-edges of his twin shields. Fuuuuuccckk.

The second opponent -- some stupid-looking piece of crap with antlers -- gets it worse, if that's even possible. First it gets the back of its head torn open by a kick -- a kick so lightly tossed off that it oozes contempt -- and then, when it tries to fight back using its ultimate technique (spinning like a saw blade), Mekanda just flash-fries it in mid-air with his chest flame throwers. Chest. Flame. Throwers. And then finishes it off by doing a cute little flip and launching a missile from his foot. A missile shaped like a shark. Holy crap. And then KABOOOM, that's all she wrote.

Mekanda Robo. Just one of the many reasons why I'm so well-adjusted today.

New BURN

Wahoo! The new issue of BURN is out! It's got features on AMPON, John Mayer, Jeepney Joyride, D'Sound, Callalily, Sponge Cola, and (best of all, he he) Drip, among many others. There's a fashion feature starring five kick-ass bassists: Lalay Lim, Myrene Academia, Kelvin Yu, Allen Umali and 'Nin-Yo!' Avenido. Since it's a Jan-Feb ish, there's also a Valentine section of sorts called "Babysitting the Brokenhearted" (check out my Breakup Mix). There's three excellent columns: Lourd de Veyra on the state of Pinoy rock, Quark Henares on his Top 10 Albums of the Year, and Sarah Meier on hip-hop wannabes.

Also, capoeira lessons from Myko Maca, drum lessons from Vic Mercado, a slew of reviews from my mad-skilled Review Crew (Aldus Santos, Cris Ramos Jr, Karlo Samson, JP Ong, Dodo Dayao, Lester Hallig, etc., and new reviewer Nick Azarcon)... holy crap, there's lots of stuff. And of course, as always, a FREE CD hosted by Zach Lucero with songs from Drip, Wake Up Your Seatmate, AMPON, Jeepney Joyride, and more! It's friggin' worth a measly 120 pesos. :)

Help Wanted @ PULSE.PH

Are you looking for fun? Freedom? Plenty of free time? And TRUCKLOADS OF MONEY? Yeah, me too. In the meantime, you can try working at a real job, you slacker. Pulse.ph is on the lookout for an editorial assistant. If you love music, are organized, and don't mind working with the mildly deranged, well then... good for you!

WANTED: EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

//QUALIFICATIONS

The ideal candidate for the Editorial Assistant position should be deeply interested and knowledgeable when it comes to music and other aspects of pop culture. The job requires an organized individual with excellent computer and Internet skills, as well as good interpersonal skills.

* Should be a college graduate, preferably with a degree from a Communications, Journalism or English course
* Comfortable with computers, and proficient in the use of Word, major internet browsers, media player software, and ideally Photoshop as well
* Experience in writing/editing for publications a plus
* Experience in Web production, at an Internet-related company, or an ad/PR agency a plus
* Excellent writing and editing skills, with the ability to adjust style for specific audience and situation
* Excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to work individually on a project or in a team environment

//DUTIES

The Editorial Assistant will, among other things:

* Research, develop, and write content for website/s
* Upload/ encode/ update sections for website/s
* Assist during events/shoots
* Transcribe interviews and other recorded materials accurately and swiftly
* Communicate with clients, artists, venue owners and other people on a regular basis to obtain information and materials (promotional photographs, schedules, etc.)
* Take notes during meetings and keep staff updated on deadlines and changes
* Occasionally attend and write coverage of events/concerts

Send yer resume + writing samples (if any) to luiskatigbak [at] pulse.ph

Fuck Unisilver

WHAT THE FUCKING FUCK IS UP WITH THESE UNISILVER TIME + SAM MILBY ADS?! Has anyone else experienced this? You click on a link, and instead of going to the page you expected, you get a FUCKING SAM MILBY WATCH ADVERTISEMENT. And NO, you are not whisked off to your intended destination afterwards. You have to hit the 'back' arrow -- assuming you didn't open a new tab -- and click AGAIN. FUCKERS.

I don't even own a watch and have no intention of buying one in the near future, so I'm far from the ideal target for this stupid ad. But even if I had a million bajillion pesos and was burning with an almost-sexual need to buy a watch, this ad makes me want to spend all that money on killer adamantium robots instead, who will home in on whoever thought up this campaign and torture them mercilessly for years. Money well spent if you ask me.

UPDATE: Added the graphic above, which is what the ad looks like, plus some comments by me.

Turns out I'm not alone in my annoyance. Niña commented "I know! I saw that too! It was so annoying! I thought LJ (I was replying to a comment when that happened) might have struck a deal with Sam milby, sheesh." D.B. asked "In what sites do these ads usually sprout up?"

Doesn't seem as if Unisilver has worked out a deal with any specific site; this stupid ad has attacked me while I was browsing through LiveJournal, a comics news site, a blog about the "Honey and Clover" anime series, and worst of all, my barkada's online logbook, which only members can read and post on.

Unisilver must have installed something on my PC which redirects the browser every so often to their fucking ad regardless of what you're browsing on the 'Net, and, as I mentioned before, THEY DON'T RETURN YOU TO YOUR INTENDED DESTINATION. I'm used to having to plow through ads to get to content -- hey, I read Salon -- but this is something else entirely. BASICALLY, IT'S A VIRUS.

Do any of my lawyer or techie friends have thoughts on the legal/technical iffiness of this crap?

Report on the 2006 NU107 Rock Awards

For a complete account of the 2006 NU107 Rock Awards -- winners, commentary and all -- go here! (Just scroll down.)

Work for Pulse.ph

We're looking for a MULTIMEDIA ARTIST to join our footloose and fancy free Pulse.ph crew. He/she will be:

Responsible for all the video editing requirements; responsible for all 3G videos, streaming, downloading and all other related matters; responsible for all flash animation, production & action scripting; answers to all animation/video/multimedia needs of Pulse.ph and other Web and Mobile Projects.

Graduate of Mass Communications, Graphics/Digital Design or any similar course; 3-4years work experience in multi-media authoring, well-adept in the use of the World Wide Web; Knowledgeable in current music trends & technologies; Computer literate and knowledgeable in Flash 8, Flash MX, Activscripting, XML backend integration, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Premiere, After FX, Final Cut Pro

Don't delay! Join today! :D Email me at luiskatigbak at pulse.ph

BURN Pix at Pulse.ph

Lotsa pix (230+, with more on the way) of the big BURN concert, BURN BABY BURN, here! You shoulda been there. :)

Bad, Bad Leroy Brown

Wikipedia Brown and the Case of the Captured Koala. Hilarious stuff! But only if you grew up reading Encyclopedia Brown.

"Bugs hated being outsmarted by Wikipedia all the time. He longed to take a picture of himself with Wikipedia's hooded, naked, battered body, giving the camera a thumbs-up, like he had seen some soldiers do on the news."

Fresh BURN

Hey! The new issue of BURN magazine is available at bookstores and magazine stands now, so get yourselves a copy! As usual, we have two covers: this time, it's Bamboo and Nelly Furtado. Lots and lots of features -- Sugarfree, Hale, Imago, Narda, Julianne, Nimbus9, and others, plus reviews, columns by Lourd, Quark, and Sarah Meier, etcetera etcetera...

PLUS: a free CD as always, hosted by Zach Lucero, which this time around has tracks by Queso, Sound, Narda, Nimbus9, and even Christmas songs by Imago and Cambio! BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE! Like a Best of 2006 section, which covers the trends and tendencies and of course music of the past year. I am especially proud of our Top Ten Albums of 2006, which was put together by Conch, Denise, myself and our freelance reviewers. All in all, it's a ridiculously fantastic issue, and you would do well to purchase multiple copies for posterity.

And of course, I'll see you all at the big BURN concert at the SM Mall of Asia later! :D It'll start at 5PM, and roar on til midnight! Lineup below. Yay!

Radioactive Sago Project
Sitti
Orange and Lemons
Johnny Alegre
Moonstar88
Hemp Republic
Sugarfree
Callalily
Drip
Chillitees
Itchyworms
Up dharma Down
Hale
Sino Sikat?
Pupil
Imago
6cyclemind
Spy
Bamboo
Jeepney Joyride
Nyko Maca
Dice & K9 / Mobbstarr

Hello Readers

To everyone who checks out this blog (thank you thank you), please drop by the blog section at Pulse.ph too -- I've been posting there about stuff like gigs, earthquakes, presscons, music videos, etc. Eventually, we want to get the whole Pulse.ph staff (and freelancers, yay) blogging there too: Joelle Jacinto posted something about "We Are the World," Pinoy Rock style, today. :)

And please comment, if you're so inclined! Because right now, I'm not totally sure if we've configured it correctly, so that non-staffers can comment easily. It would be nice to know. :D

80s Girls

The Seven Best 80s Movie Girlfriends. Oh, Elisabeth Shue a.k.a. First Karate Kid girlfriend! And oh, Mia Sara a.k.a. Sloane Peterson from Ferris Bueller's Day Off! And speaking of Ferris Bueller's Day Off: it's one of the few movies that I would -- and did -- actually cough up money for, to get on original DVD. Result? The disc won't play on my DVD player ("No Disc," it says). Is there a lesson to be learned here? Probably not.

More 80s funniness from Cracked.com: Eight Important Lessons Learned From 80s Cartoons and The 80s Movie Montage hall of Fame.

BURN BABY BURN!

I just want to remind everyone about BURN BABY BURN: the massive concert put together by BURN magazine. It's happening this Thursday, November 23, at the Music Hall in SM Mall of Asia, and it starts at 5 PM. (Originally slated for last September 28, it was postponed when mega-typhoon Milenyo hit.)

The lineup, if I may say so, is excellent: them big rock bands like Bamboo, Itchyworms, Sugarfree, Orange and Lemons, Hale, and Imago; the sweet bossa nova of Sitti; the virtuosic (if there's such a word) musical pranksters known as the Radioactive Sago Project; reggae act Hemp Republic; jazzhound Johnny Alegre; pinoy R&B paragons Chillitees; sexycool electronica artists Drip; rock n' soul band Sino Sikat? (I hate that question mark); the electro-latin-hiphop of Nyko Maca, and lots more -- 22 artists in all. Flash a copy of BURN issue 3 (Gary V or the Red Hot Chili Peppers on the cover) or 4 (Bamboo or Nelly Furtado on the cover, out this week) to get in. See you there!

A Tune for Broken Hearts

I love XTC. They may, in fact, be my favorite band of all time. Here is an excellent feature on PopMatters, about XTC, Andy Partridge and the Fuzzy Warbles collection.

I Am a Russian Hamster

I like the bit about music especially.

What Breed of Hamster Are You?

U2 and You

Clicky clicky on the piccy piccy. :)

Also new on PULSE.PH: Kristine Lim's Top 10 Sad Bastards Who Make Sad Bastard Music. Hee hee.

Presenting PULSE

"PULSE.PH is the online destination for any and all Pinoys who want music in their lives." For those of you who have been wondering -- yes: this is my day job now! I'm still Reviews Editor for BURN, and of course I'm still writing my column for the Manila Bulletin, but my 9 to 5 gig is PULSE.

Check it out now -- we've got a review of Narda's new album, Betty Tianco's "Confessions of a Stage Girlfriend," Danisha Sison's "Top 10 Guilty Musical Pleasures," and features on Imago, Sitti, Milagros Dancehall Collective, and more! Some stuff doesn't work properly yet -- like the registration process and the downloads -- but everything should be up and running soon. :)