dead print society

I read in a friend's blog that Google recently came up with Book Search, which allows you to download the pdf file of a dead author's book....

I weep, for is this the signal of print's death? Let it not be...

the tale of the broken window

I got terribly scared out of my wits.

Last Sunday morning, at about 5 to 10 minutes before the clock struck 3am, I was awoken by the sound of paper being punched (yes, punched). Instinctively, I looked up the broken glass window above my bed only to see the newspaper I used to temporarily cover the hole removed, and a hand groping for the handlebar. I tried to think fast. Should I scream for help? I didn't, and just settled to pretend I'm having coughing fits, so loud it hurt my throat. That was enough to scare the man away. But I know I had to do something to really make sure he knows that someone busted his attempt at robbery (?). So after about 20 seconds of paralysis, I opened my lamp, went straight to my mom's room and told her what happened. She immediately looked for a better way to cover the gaping hole of my bedroom window (thanks to rascal kids for breaking it). Still terrified of what just took place, I hurriedly secured the large cardboard with lots of packaging tape. Then, my mom rushed to check if all doors in the house are closed. She also instructed me to keep my flourescent light on, never mind if I'm used to sleeping without lights. And because of that incident, I was forced to wake Francis up to tell him what happened. We talked for almost an hour, a good thing since I never wanted to go back to sleep after that disturbing incident. But of course, I had to let him sleep and myself, too. Thus, I resolved to change my sleeping position and face that window, just in case the creeper strikes again (I pray not!).

Come Sunday, we asked our ever-reliable carpenter to fix the window by placing this plank and securing the handlebars. So even if that means having a dark room (I admire the morning sunlight whenever it seeps through that window), I'm fine with the temporary fixture, just as long as I don't see anymore groping hands. And thank the Lord for making me a light sleeper. Otherwise, I would've woken up to see not only a hand.

And so these days, all of us in the house get all jumpy and paranoid whenever we hear a little thug on the roof or just a mere scratch at the gate. It's better to be jumpy than sorry.

just what type of girlfriend am i?

With almost 8 years of being together, there still are things that Francis don't know about me. He knows I can be weird sometimes (?), but the other day, he just learned how weird his girlfriend can really get...

Me: Ga, ang weird ko ba talaga?
Francis: Oo.
Me: Alam mo ba talaga how weird? Minsan kase pag feel ko gayahin yung dramahan sa pinapanood ko, ginagaya ko talaga. As in emote ako. Like the other day, nung nanonood ako ng ****, madrama na naman. So nag-internalize din ako tapos umiyak. So pano na yun pag mag-asawa na tayo, kakahiya makikita mo ko ng ganun?
Francis: Hahaha!
Me: Tapos minsan nang-gagaya din ako ng fight scenes.
Francis: Nire-reenact mo?
Me: Oo. As in sword fight scenes. Haha!
Francis: Okay lang yun. Kame rin namang mga lalake ganun, lalo na pag may magandang move sa basketball.
Me: Basketball yun. Hindi elves fighting Uruk-hais!
Francis: (with a disbelief look on his face).....hahahaha!

So if anyone of you reading this suddenly decides to stay away from me, I will understand. I'll just practice my swordfighting on you.

vanishing point

Tell-tale signs that I'm REALLY drowning in workloads and that I REALLY need to get away from it all ASAP...

1. My table is no longer a table but a pile of papers and magazines.
2. My computer desktop is as cluttered as my table.
3. I no longer sift through my mailbox to discard junk emails.
4. The 6-foot bulletin board that separates me from the rest of the world is cluttered, too, with project brief forms, printed e-mails, and other sheets of doodled paper. So cluttered you'd think it's a scary mural of white sheets.
4. I am besieged with the urge to just lie down, that my body seems to feel this sudden desire even if I'm aboard an FX. And I don't simply mean that I doze off on the way home. It's this weird bodily reaction I can't even explain.
5. Nasty colds get hold of me. I have sneezing fits that it embarasses me.
6. I have "now-you-see-it-now-you-don't" blog entries.
7. I make this list.

music as mag:net

It's uplifting to do something worthwhile even if it's once in a lifetime.

A couple of years back, when UP Music Circle was just starting out, we were given the chance to sing at an event for cancer-stricken kids at Cravings, Katipunan. Which now makes me wonder how those kids are -- are they still struggling with the disease or are some of them already "home"?

And last July 29, the org celebrated it's 8th anniversary with a cause. It has been a night of good music, reunions, and purpose. Our band (Ice Cream Assassins, the alumni RockEd was pertaining to) had a great, great time!

Makes me real proud of UP Music Circle. To music and beyond!

P.S.

Thanks to Arbie for sharing the link above. And to RockEd, too, for recognizing the org's efforts.

what is so difficult with being original?

I am greatly disturbed. This is strangely alarming...


Why is it so hard for us to come up with original concepts? WHY, WHY, WHY???