Wednesday, March 30, 2005

[Superbless Others Series] Watch your tongue!

Ephesians 5:4 "Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving."

It's surprising how many of us, myself included, find ourselves using language that we otherwise would never use in front of, say, the President, or our mothers, or our bosses. As representatives of Christ, as mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, or whatnot, we have the responsibility to conduct ourselves in a manner becoming of people who have been saved.

I find myself saving b***h a lot more often that I would care, but I'm proud to say the F word and S word are pretty much out of my system. As a father to Nathan, I must be more conscious of how he's raised, because I have that responsibility to him. How I act in front of him should also be how I act in front of others, too.

Join me, won't you, in purifying our mouths to only spout goodness and praise to other people. The world is negative enough without our adding to the filth.

The one on BOTM (last plug)



Praise God! I'm fourth overall! :) Head on over and vote for your favorite blog for Chette's Blog of the Month shebang before voting time ends. Over 200 people have voted. Congratulations, Chette and Philip, your contest is a success!

The one on how I'm The Beast!

Tad bit misleading. ;) My first online quiz in months, and I'm The Beast. :p

Codename: The Beast
Full Name: Henry P. McCoy
Mutant Powers: Increased agility, strength and stamina.

Henry "Hank" McCoy is a founding member of the X-Men. Among all his original teamates, Hank had the best childhood, between loving parents, and so his temper and way of living was one of the happiest at the mansion. Beast's mutation at first was hardly noticable, but while away from the team, Hank made a terrible mistake: testing a new substance that he was using to study the x-factor. Beast tried the substance on himself. This caused a further mutation on his body, covering him with gray fur (that later became blue), fangs and great nails. He had then indeed become a "beast".

One of the only students at the mansion who took up an education beyond that of the Xavier school, Beast's studies were in the biogenetic area of his field. Possessing a quick wit, a wry sense of humour, and scholarly wisdom, he also has a penchant for quoting the classics and poetry. Despite his beastly exterior, he is possesess incredible genius, making him one of the most intellingent minds in the world.

Thursday, March 24, 2005

The one where Gov. Bush wants Terri Shiavo

Gov. Bush wants Terri Shiavo. The story continues to sizzle!

The one where you can bless any of five online Christians



I've never won anything online in my life, save for a Blog of the Month award from Christopher Wright and a Best Filipino Blog award from Jax Place. These are the two highlights of my more than five-year stay in the blogosphere, although it never fails to thrill when people like Bene Diction, David Heddle, Sue Prince, and other great bloggers bless me immensely with the occasional compliment. When every visitor swings by, regular or otherwise, and leaves a comment, it warms my heart soooooo much.

Well, I actually have a chance to win something. :) May God be praised! I finished #1 after the semifinal voting period on Chette's Blog of the Month award shebang! Coming into the competition at #4 was already something amazing, and to make it to the top after a site redesign is, well, simply too much! As far as I'm concerned, to make Top 5 is victory enough. :)

I won't be a hypocrite, though, and say that winning this competition won't mean anything to me. It would mean a lot. My entire walk with God has been, at best, rocky, and I trust in Him to carry me through, but when something you love, like your online home, is recognized by your peers, it really does things and inspires one to be...

... better.

It makes me realize the huge responsibility I have, as we all do, to do great things for God. All things excellent for an excellent God. We're here to bring glory to God. That's always been the bottom line. Our lives are living sacrifices and testimonies to His goodness, and when the Family of God superblesses you, you give thanks to God for it. In all my blogging life, I've tried to be honest and open. I've tried to bless people online and off, and give testimony to the goodness of my God, Jesus Christ. It's been a pleasure, and today, I've been blessed again to be a finalist in this competition.

There are four other spectacular finalists: Stratiotes, mithmeoi, Dwelling, and BrokenWings. Please do swing by their pages. After you've done so, please feel free to superbless any of them (or me, if you wish) by voting for the most deserving blog on the Blog of the Month homepage.

The best part? No matter who wins, the winner is a Christian, so God will again be glorified through His children! I love this family of God!

The one where it's pretty obvious

Goodbye, Mikalah. It was nice knowing you. If you manage to squeeze by Scott, Jessica, Bo, Anwar (gasp!) or Anthony, who are the most likely candidates to join you tomorrow night, I will be stunned but not completely unhappy, because I like your spunk and think you could do well. Godspeed. :)

Sunday, March 20, 2005

The one with the Fitness Groove

A few months ago, I started a fitness regimen at Slimmer's World Pasay Road. After slogging it out for three months, I've discovered I get bored easily, but I don't want to gain back the weight I've lost.

Then I found MTV Grind's The Fitness Groove at Tower Records Glorietta. Surprise! For P75, I get an hour and a half workout that's dance-oriented, so it's a lot of fun, despite my lack of rhythm and dancing skill. Sa warmup pa lang, pinawisan na ako. I'm that out of shape, hwekhwekhwek.

So here's to my becoming thinner!

Meanwhile, I'm going to send a resume to this company that's looking for voice talents. I used a lot of voices in my Prosec tour, and I think it'd be great to be the voice of some future character! LOL Pray for me naman, o. And may God be given the glory.

Saturday, March 19, 2005

The one with the latest confession

I have been too far from God lately. This is not something that pleases me. This is something that upsets me very, very, very much.

Any relationship, to be successful, requires both parties participate in this relationship, communicating, opening up to the requirements of the relationship, and basically not holding back from achieving the purpose of the relationship, which, in most cases, is the improvement or betterment of the other.

What keeps a person away from God?

1. Fear. Fear of being punished (despite the head knowledge that he is loved!), fear of disappointment, fear of never being good enough. This is Satan himself working his way in one's head, saying all these lies!

2. Shame/Guilt. The knowledge that we are sinners is already a given. However, we may still feel like we want to stay away because we're guilty.

3. Pride. Sometimes we're just too damn full of ourselves.

I'm guilty of all three. I have not listened to my God, and it is for this reason, like so many men before me, I stumble and fall. I imagine it is not easy for God to sit back and watch as one of his children purposely takes steps towards self-destruction.

There is a light, however, at the end of the proverbial tunnel. It's never too late. I'm tired of jumping from job to job. It's not for lack of goals; it's for lack of meaning! It's not for lack of resources or time; it's for lack of initiative! I'm so tired of pulling excuses, and failing to do good for my God! Whatever it is I end up doing, I will do it well because I represent my God!

I start fresh this Sunday at church, just in time for church camp this Wednesday. The theme is "All is Forgiven!", so it's quite appropriate.

May the name of the Lord be glorified.

The one with how I was right

Lindsay is first to go. If you refer to my earlier prediction, I said she'd be first to go.

Sheer luck, but it's a great ego boost. :D

Wednesday, March 16, 2005

The one with the gig at Conspiracy

Last night, Cathy and I were at Conspiracy Garden Cafe along Visayas Avenue so I could perform at the KATHA songwriters' night. I did Chasing Stars and I Don't Wanna Talk About It. It went relatively well, considering I was fighting butterflies in the pit of my stomach. Among the people who showed up were Gene (who accompanied me on guitar), Dale (a magnificent musician who lent us his guitar), Mikoid, The Rowster, Dannyboy, a friend from college, with his girlfriend Karen and buddy Mickey, and...

... Cynthia Alexander!

Ohmigosh! I hadn't seen her since a 70s Bistro gig ages ago. I literally was on the phone with Gene when she stepped out of a cab and shocked me half to death. Poor Gene: I completely forgot about him while I begged Cynthia to stay awhile and chat.

I have no shame.

Anyway, her new album is coming out in May, I've heard, and it's titled Comet's Tail. I had the privilege of listening to it ahead of time, and believe you me, this is something like she's never done before! Mark my words, we're talking world music on a global scale! I asked about the possibility that i might be able to interview her for Pulp Magazine, and she said she might actually be willing to do it. Time to call Pearlsha!

There's also buzz about a Rippingyarns remixes album. My God, the greatest Filipina musician on earth has a remixes album! Is there anything this woman cannot do?!

So how'd the gig actually go? Well, let's put it this way. I don't think I should give up the day job just yet. Oh wait a minute: I don't have a day job.

The one with me not in a Speedo

I never liked summer. The heat always overpowers and makes me feel sticky. I hate the beach with the itchy sand beneath my toes, and the sickly sweet salty smell of the sea. I dislike the chlorine smell of most swimming pools, and now that I'm working, there's no such thing as summer vacation. I once tried to tan myself: I learned, much to my chagrin, I don't tan. I lobsterize, bright red as a crab. No bronzed god, I am destined to a life of pasty whiteness.

The worst thing about summer, of course, is the fashion options. One realizes one does not have the abs that give one a right to wear a Speedos. I don't have pan de sal, just one large monay. Luckily, the exercise routine I'm on seems to be working, and I've found myself a fantastic new place to shop! :D

Boracay Beachwear, located in the basement section of Greenbelt 1, just opened and I am in love! We're talking board and surf shorts, hipster shorts, and sarongs! I've always wanted to try and wear a sarong, even if I don't have the legs to pull it off. I'll also pick myself up an ethnic anklet or two. The best part: the price! Shorts start atP480.00. The build quality of the shorts are excellent, and my flab doesn't stick out! Praise God!

To get to Boracay Beachwear from the National Bookstore entrance of Greenbelt 1 , look for the entrance to the Basement Arcade (it's underneath Chowking). From there, go down the stairs and take the first right. They're right across Country Style Donuts. My God, it's the worst combo: buy a bikini then have an eclair.

Suddenly, summer seems much more tolerable. :)

Monday, March 14, 2005

The one with the earliest post ever

If you notice the time on this post, it's almost 1AM. This is the earliest post I've ever made. Why? I'm surfing from my brother-in-law's home.

This is also probably the most mundane post I've ever made. My apologies, folks. You'd think my mind was fresh, being up so early.

Tonight's the KATHA showcase. I hope to see some of you at Conspiracy at 9AM. God superbless!

Saturday, March 12, 2005

The one with the American Idol Top 12

Yes, yes, many were upset with the voting off of Nikko Smith, myself included. Life, however, must go on. My fearless forecast:

12. Lindsey. Great voice and looks, but she's always been shaky and bland. There's also little to no personality.

11. Scott. This'll be a close fight between him and Jessica, and he'll lose it because he doesn't give off a pleasant vibe.

10. Jessica. There's just no spark. Her voice has improved loads, but I just think most of the white girl vote will go to Carrie.

9. Nadia. Mikalah should go first, but I think she has a stronger fan base. Vonzell appeals to a bigger demographic.

8. Vonzell. I think she's the most talented lady, but between Mikalah and Vonzell, the latter will lose the votes.

7. Mikalah. With Janay gone, the teens will root for Mikalah, taking her far but not far enough.

6. Constantine. The least talent in the top 12 will make it far because he's eye candy. Never underestimate the prepubescent vote.

5. Anthony. Clay clone and miracle boy. Whatever. He'll run out of steam by this leg.

4. Carrie. Country votes will play a big role, but I think more of white America will end up voting for Bo over Carrie.

3. Mario. Talented, but a little contrived. It'll be interesting if Mario can make it to the top two over Bo, who I think will lose to Anwar in the final.

2. Bo. Bo appeals to a demographic that suddenly is excited that such a person like Bo is in the Top 12. His performances have been stellar, and he carries with him experience and stage presence that can't be matched by anyone else in the competition.

1. Anwar. Talent, looks, humility. It's Anwar's race to lose. We must remember, though, that each week is based on performance. A contestant still has to perform extremely well - should they be unable to work things out, they can be voted out like that.

Friday, March 11, 2005

The one where Superblessed.net comes back to life!

I'm currently in the home of my kickbutt webmaster, Paul, the artist formerly known as Peewee. He's been working with me to create a newer, cleaner, slightly more adult look for Superblessed.net, and I'm very excited! It incorporates my faith, my music, all the businesses and sidelines, and links. God is fantastic!

The best part about this is the new Superblessed.net will be up by today! I'm so psyched. So you can update your links by tomorrow! :D

Thursday, March 10, 2005

The one where I'm chased by dozens of girls

The truth can be deceiving, but that headline is true, folks.

Yesterday, I visited a certain all-girls' school to promote the speed-reading and reading fun programs of the Professional Skills Enhancement Center. I had a partner, L, with me, and she visited grades 4 to 7 while I did prep and grades 1 to 3.

The script calls for a bit of a puppet show involving a blue bunny with yellow ears, a reading of a book called The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and a lot of vocal impressions. In one day, I did Spongebob Squarepants, Patrick the Starfish, and Squidward, all from Nick's hit TV show, as well as renditions of the pirate who sings the opening line, Shrek, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Fanny Serrano (this gay beauty stylist who's quite popular for his effeminate mannerisms).

The kids loved it, praise God. One particular prep class, however, wouldn't let me go. I mean, literally. My script was over, and I had waved "bye!" but the girls, seeing their teacher wasn't in the classroom, decided to make a part of it. Two of them grabbed one arm each, and as I struggled to break free, several other girls tried to climb onto me.

I broke free and ran out of the classroom to seek refuge in the principal's office. They literally chased after me, and one nun came out of her room, presumably to wonder what in heaven's name was going on, saw the rowdy girls chasing me down the corridor, and slammed her door shut, keeping herself safe and locking me out of one particular room that could've been my hideout.

I was able to "escape" after ducking into the principal's office and one security guard told the girls to go back to their classroom. Later that day, I learned that L received similar adulation from the grade 5 and 6 girls. There's something to be said for all-girls' schools, and I wouldn't mind going back, but for a moment there, I was a little freaked out.

So how was your day? :)

The one on the Michael Jackson trial

Cathy and I have talked in depth about the Michael Jackson trial, with her believing that Jackson is guilty to a certain extent, saying there wouldn't be that many people filing cases against him if there weren't truth to it, and with me believing he may have made certain incorrect decisions but believing he isn't the sexual predator American media is making him out to be.

Well, thus far, the only witness in the current case against him, the 14-year-old boy who claims his brother was molested by America's dethroned King of Pop, has apparently lied under oath. This interesting revelation was made during cross-examination, all part of the defense's attempt to show the family has a history of filing false claims against celebrities and big-name entrepreneurs to make money off them.

While the plot thickens, the focus is off Mr. Jackson's music, which is a shame, because he's lost most of his musical luster in the process of becoming a rather strange individual. That being said, I continue to await the results of the trial. In my heart, I hope he's innocent, and can go back to making good music, because, well, he did make 'em durn well.

The one with Fat Actress

I watched this on Yahoo. It's hilarious. Check it out: Kirstie Alley's using her head and considerable girth to get herself ahead in Hollywood. On behalf of plus size people everywhere, let me say, "You go, girl!"

Tuesday, March 08, 2005

The one with the Caltex misunderstanding

So it's like this: I always buy gasoline from Caltex. Ever since Catherine and I got our Revo as a present, we've filled it up with Caltex gasoline. Why? Well, primarily because the closest gasoline station to our home right now is a Caltex station, and also because they have usual yearly promotions that I honestly believe one day I will win.

So I pull into the Caltex station near Valle Verde 1 on C5 to load up on P1,000 worth of gasoline. I figure to myself, hey, might as well buy me some water, so I head into the StarMart there. As I walk towards the store, I notice the Starmart people laughing and pointing at me. I wonder why, and open the door to the Coffee Experience branch beside it.

As I open the door, I notice they're still staring at me. This makes me intensely uncomfortable. I look down, thinking maybe my fly might be open, but it isn't, and then it hits me: I'm wearing my favorite orange polo shirt with a Pennzoil patch on one side of the shirt and a Shell AM Blvd patch on the other.

That's why they're laughing: I load P1,000 of Caltex gasoline and they think I'm from Shell. Well, I jokingly shouted "I'm not from Shell!" across the store, but they continued to snicker. Hooligans.

Sunday, March 06, 2005

The one that invites everybody

On March 14, 2005, KATHA, the Philippine songwriters' association, is holding a songwriters' night at the Conspiracy Garden Cafe along Visayas Avenue in Quezon City. I'm one of the featured songwriters: I'll be singing Chasing Stars and Don't Walk Away. I hope y'all can come and join us.

The one with the upcoming release date of the book

From Perfect-Proposals.com, the Philippine pioneer in wedding proposal planning, comes a book that is truly the first of its kind!

Perfect Proposals: Popping the Question the Pinoy Way (160 pages, Superblessed Publishing) is scheduled for release in the third week of May, 2005.

Perfect Proposals: Popping the Question the Pinoy Way is total value for your money! First off, it's a how-to, containing valuable information on how to prepare your wedding proposal, everything from selecting a ring to developing a unique proposal idea.

The book also contains dozens of successful proposal stories from Filipino men and women: you can derive inspiration, get an idea, or simply get a "kilig" feeling from the book itself.

Thirdly, a suppliers' directory is available at the back, so you needn't have to search too far to find everything you need for your proposal!

Perfect Proposals: Popping the Question the Pinoy Way will sell for only P300, but if you order via email or private message before the third week of May 2005, you can get the book for only P240, a 20% discount off the cover price!

So what are you waiting for? Get ready for your perfect proposal today! Email superblessed@gmail.com or send an SMS to 0920-9073962 to pre-order your books! Arrangements will be made for pick-up at prominent Metro Manila malls.

Friday, March 04, 2005

The one with the latest AI results (spoiler)

I got only two of four right with American Idol's latest results night. In my personal opinion, the results were just wrong, wrong, wrong. Janae Castine does not deserve to stay in the competition. She's too young, too skittery, too pitchy, and, quite frankly, not very pretty. Celena Rae did not do anything to sparkle that night either, so her getting voted off was not a surprise to me. But Aloha?! Aloha?!

This is Jennifer Hudson all over again, and it's just wrong.

As for the gentlemen, I knew David Brown had it coming, but Joe Murena? That's sad. I would've preferred seeing Travis Tucker get the boot. But, like David sang, all is fair in love, and apparently, that's all where it seems fair, because AI certainly doesn't seem it.

With my female manok gone, I'll be watching Mario, Anwar, Vonzell, and Carrie a lot more closely.

The one with my new comments system

Blogger has changed their comments system, but too late. I've added Haloscan commenting and trackback! Now y'all can really reply. Awesome.

Thursday, March 03, 2005

The one on why Nikko Smith should be a threat

Did you catch last night's American Idol? Wow. The quality of this year's batch of men is outstanding! Of ten performers, I can say six did a fantastic job, and it's going to be really hard to pick just six from this year's crop. Wow.

Of the ten performers, I can honestly say I was blown away by two individuals: Nikko Smith and Mario Vasquez. The thing is, we've always known Vasquez was a contender, and his take on I Love Music was spot-on, but from where did Nikko Smith come? My goodness! His version of Let's Get It On was incredible. Every note on key, every move well-chosen. He owned that stage, he owned that song. If you consider the vocal work he did on last week's Part-Time Lover, he should be a serious threat. So what's the problem? Simon hit it right on the head.

He looks like Bobby Brown!

The men turned in terrific performances all around. Anwar Robinson turned in another stellar performance with What's Going On, letting all that dread-locked hair fly all crazy. Bo Bice with an amazing performance of the Allman Brothers' Whipping Post and Constantine Maroulis with a shrieky Hard to Handle from the Black Crowes? Smokin'. And unlike the judges, I thought Joe Murena did a fantastic job on Let's Stay Together.

So who didn't turn it good performances by me? Travis Tucker bored me to death, despite Simon's belief he's a born performer, and his All Night Long dragged on, well, all night long. I've outgrown Anthony Fedorov, and his voice is starting to get all annoying on me; I was never a fan of I Want to Know What Love Is, and he just made me dislike that song even more. Scott Savol's Never Too Much was true to its title, and he bored me to tears. Poor, poor David Brown. What the heck happened to him? All in Love is Fair? What isn't fair is your song choice, man.

I hear the ladies didn't do so well; I've just have to see for myself. C'mon, let's go, Aloha!

Wednesday, March 02, 2005

The one showing how I remain cool despite the government's letting me down constantly

Guess what? If you come from the South Superhighway and exit at C-5, with intentions of heading towards Market! Market!, you're going to end up near Eastwood in Pasig before you can make a U-turn! There are three exit U-turns, but the MMDA has apparently blocked every single one with road markers. There was one particular area where a road marker has been moved, creating enough space to squeeze a car through, but without an official MMDA U-turn sign, I didn't dare turn for fear of breaking the law, so that meant from C-5, I ended up turning at Meralco Avenue in Pasig, a good 30-minute drive away from Market! Market! because of the traffic.

Paging Bayani Fernando, perhaps a look-see of the area is in order. I imagine hundreds, if not thousands, of vexed motorists cursing y'all again. Luckily, I was in a much better mood, because God is incredibly good despite the heat and all. I finished 19 sections of the Montessori de Manila for ProSec. Earned myself P1,200, which can cover some of the expenses incurred over the past few days.

You wanna hear another classic example of government inefficiency? I work for the Commission on Higher Education, and haven't been paid for my work. Since November 2004. It's now March 1, 2005.

Lord, have mercy on them. I'm not sure they know what they're doing. And bless those who are working towards making this nation better, especially Mr. Fernando.

Tuesday, March 01, 2005

The one with thoughts on being 28

The best one-liner I used last Saturday was this: "At 28, my waistline and age now match." No one believed me; can't blame 'em, I wouldn't believe myself, now that I'm 28.

Two years away from 30, I realize the following things:
1. If we actually had a local version of American Idol, this would be my last chance to join it.
2. My family and I are in good shape in every sense of the word. Sure, our finances leave much to be desired, and I'm still looking for a reason, roaming in the night to find my place in this world (yeah, Smitty put it best), but I'm blessed with health, a beautiful wife, an incredibly handsome son (who won't stop walking and calling everything "dog" or "dada").
3. My calling seems to really be in education. My erratic career path (educator, writer, DJ, marketer, pianist, event planner, master of ceremony, and, most recently, publisher) has found me chasing many stars and accomplishing many dreams; end of day, though, I enjoy being with college kids in the classroom. Sure, I could write songs, or stories, or whatnot, but there's nothing that truly compares with the joy one gets from the exchange of ideas within and outside of the four walls of the learner-centered classroom.
4. God has been so good to me, even if I suck. The past few weeks, I honestly have not been giving Him the time and attention that He deserves as Lord and Savior of my life, but He's never abandoned me, and through my brothers and sisters in the faith, my friends from Ateneo, JASMS, and LSGH, and through people too numerous to name, He continues to remind me of His greatness and how He can provide. It's humbling, I tell you.
5. I've been given a Powerpoint presentation of our honeymoon set to Huey Lewis & Gwyneth Paltrow, two books (one on spiritual leadership and one on becoming a man of integrity in a world of compromise), a teapot, a 1kg bag of coffee beans, a mixed CD, and DVDs of About A Boy (legit), Stand By Me (legit), and the Golden Girls (pirate). This year's birthday haul rocks. :)
6. After having given it much serious thought, I don't think immigrating to Canada seems like such a terrible idea. We might just get the process started - according to a friend of mine who works there, it takes four years to process those papers. How do you like them apples? It's still faster than becoming an immigrant to the Philippines, and I can't imagine how many people are lining themselves up for a chance to become a citizen of this nation.