UP Pep in ABS Summer Station ID

I’m definitely not a Kapamilya. However, this particular ad caught my attention because of the 2007 UAAP Cheer Dance Competition Champions — the UP Pep Squad. Okay I admit, I’m a Pep Squad fanatic. Happy now?





With AllStars...

A Small Book of Sayings

A fourth grader’s project in Filipino entitled Ang Munting Aklat ng Kasabihan (A Small Book of Sayings) gave the entire faculty room a eustress. Enthralled by the original maxims of a ten-year-old girl, sometimes we really can’t predict how the thoughts of a grade schooler can be so vivid and overwhelming.

Ang bata ay maraming pag-asa,
para makalagay ng pagkain sa mesa.

Ang palaging antukin,
ay huwag magluto ng pagkain.

Pag masama ka,
lagot ka may mama.

Palaging mag-aaral kung paslit,
para makapasa sa pagsusulit

Ang kendi masarap kainin,
pero masama sa ngipin.

Ang hindi maglaro,
ay boring.

Ang malakas kumain,
ay mas malakas sa hindi kumakain.

Kung ang salamin ay mataas ang grado,
'pag walang salamin, sasakit ang ulo.

Kung ika'y mag-aaral,
huwag tumuloy hanggang umaga.

Kung buong gabi manonood,
siguraduhin sarado ang pinto.

To boot, it was the same student who gave me a note during Valentine’s Day saying:

Dear Teacher,

If your loveless,

drink lots of Red Horse

and coffee crumble ice cream.

J.

Beatles Extension

Last week’s theme was actually McCartney-Lennon originals. This week’s theme extended to the Rolling Stone’s Topnotcher in its 100 Greatest Artists of All Time —The Beatles.


Black bird singing in the dead of night

Again, Carly Smithson rocked the house by singing McCartney’s 1968 opus ‘Blackbird’. It’s an F for Fantastic and another F for Failure since she was included in the bottom three. Indeed, it was an unexpected scenario for a lot of people.

In addition to the innovative arrangement, her husky voice gave her the right to own the song. The performance is totally NOT indulgent nor meaningless, contradictory to what Simon claims.

For Carly:

“Take these broken wings and learn to fly

All your life,

You were only waiting for this moment to arise…”

The Redeemers

The vulnerable Syesha Mercado is hailed for redeeming herself after singing the song with the most cover versions of any song ever written —‘Yesterday.’ With more than 3000 recorded cover versions of the song, Syesha gave justice to her own version by revealing her vocal prowess. Last week’s inclusion to the bottom three pushed her more to persevere in the competition.

Another contestant who redeemed himself from his last week’s VERY bad performance is David Archuleta. Singing The Beatles last #1 song in the United States, ‘The Long and Winding Road,’ he “has brought the hotness back to his game,” quoting Mr. Jackson.

Noticed the number of blondes screaming in front of the stage after this kid performed? WOW.

Just an advice, please do stay away from the coat and shirt stuff. Don’t you have anything else in your closet?




Please Do Spare Them

Finished with the best performances, here now are the so-so…

Amanda Overmyer’s rendition of The Beatles’ parody song of the Beach Boys’ ‘California Girls’ —‘Back in the U.S.S.R.’— was not strong enough to keep her in the competition. The I-will-never-sing-a-ballad contestant claimed her fame by being the “Rock and Roll nurse” of the season, as coined by Randy. True enough, it’s hard to stay in the competition if contestants are biased to the genre of music they loved to sing.

Her performances had been very predictable (from Simon’s vocabulary) for the past few weeks, and Paula was kinda wrong in her prediction that Amanda will carry on to the Top Ten (read: /tough/ /ten/ - in honor of Janina San Miguel).

Kristy, who desperately loves the bottom TWO, performed again a trying hard version of the Bob Dylan inspired 1965 Beatles song ‘You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away.’ It seems that she’s having a hard time looking for a song that would definitely suit her. Lets cross our fingers so that she would be able to survive the bottom TWO next week…

The 29-year-old Aussie, Michael Johns, messed his performance of the 1967 psychedelic rock song ‘A Day in the Life.’ To sum Paula’s meandering explanation the other night, Michael is not aware that he is out of tune. But the good thing is, he has a very decent wardrobe at home.

Losing you is like living in a world with NO AIR

I’m so into songs with very good lyrics. Well , here's one my interneurons keep on telling my 1.3 kilogram wrinkled lump of grey matter to resonate every now and then (in other words, an LSS):

Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown’s NO AIR

ARTIST: Jordin Sparks featuring Chris Brown
ALBUM: Jordin Sparks
RELEASED: February 11, 2008
WRITERS: J. Fauntleroy II, Eric "Blue Tooth" Griggs, H. Mason Jr., D. Thomas, S. Russell

Jordin Sparks No Air Lyrics

If I should die / before I wake / It’s cause you took my breath away / Losing you is like living in a world / with no air

I’m here, alone / didn’t want to leave / My heart won’t move / it’s incomplete / Wish there was a way / that I can get you to understand

But how / Do you expect me / To live alone with just me / Cause my world revolves around you / Its so hard for me to breathe

Tell me how I’m supposed to breathe with no air / Can’t live can’t breathe with no air / that’s how I feel whenever you ain’t there / Its No Air No Air / Got me out here and the water so deep / Tell me how you gonna be without me / If you ain’t here I just can’t breathe / It’s No Air No Air

I walked / I ran / I jumped / I flew / Right off the ground / to float to you / There’s no gravity / to hold me down / for real

But somehow / I’m still alive inside / You took my breath / But I survived / I don’t know how / But I don’t even care

So how… (How) / Do you expect me... (Me) / To live alone with just me… (Ohh) / Cause my world revolves around you / its so hard for me to breathe



I love this song. Even though it doesn’t really tell any of my current hypothalamus status, the song portrays martyrdom in a very scientific sense…
· My HEART won’t move, it’s incomplete (think of cardiac arrest?)
· Cause my world REVOLVES around you (in 365.25 days, 366 if it is a Leap Year, just like this year!)
· There’s no GRAVITY to hold me down (well actually there is, its just it’s not that strong)
· Tell me how I’m supposed to BREATHE with no air (compressed air tank? no, not oxygen tank - we shouldn't call it such according to my diving instructor)

See what I mean? Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. I wonder who wrote this song… (Oh, I wrote it ^ there)


Consequently, the video is great also; thou Chris Brown look better in his video with Lil’ Mama than this one. Jordin, in a live phone interview in RX, even admitted that she likes Chris Brown. The bad thing is, the guy is taken already by someone who pleads for the music not to be stopped.

The arrangement is very good. The vocals? It’s superb! I really wanted Blake to win the Idol but now I’m fully convinced that Jordin deserves the throne. I wonder who is doing the second voice in the last part? Is it Jordin? or Chris? ‘Coz honestly, I can’t recognize their voices anymore.


To think, if you’re an anaerobic bacterium, you’ll realize soon that you can actually live in a world with NO AIR.

Time for the Top 12!

Although the results are already in and David Hernandez bade his goodbye three days ago, here is an assay of the best Beatles rendition and the worst (or should I say substandard) performances in AI Season Seven’s Top Twelve.

‘Beatles Deluxe’

Of the 12 finalists, Carly Smithson overruled the Beatles accolade by singing Come Together. It was a perfect choice for her. Indeed, it was one stellar performance, quoting Randy Jackson. She gave the song a female stroke, offsetting her Irish twang. Thus, something much better than Aerosmith’s 1978 remake of the song. Is she a Kelly Clarkson in the making? Let’s find out next week…

Second on the list is Brooke White’s Let It Be adaptation. It was a very heartfelt performance according to Mr. Jackson. And yes, it was, indeed, soulful and solid —you can even feel her embodiment to the song. Hence, the piano made it easier for her to breathe life into the Paul McCartney “Mother Mary” song.






To complete the top three, Chikezie will do the job. As Simon blurted out, “I thought you were terrific.” Restless he may have been after the performance; but Chikezie did give his very best as he sang She’s A Woman. One thing for sure, Chikezie has one proud mama out there…






‘The Pits’

Never mind the 4th placer until the 9th… why don’t we just proceed to the bottom three?


The tenth place should be awarded to our very own Ramiele Malubay. “It was pretty safe,” quoting Paula. As a matter of fact, it was very safe. We've had enough of the 'safe and sound' songs, Ramiele. Show us what you can do. We all know you can do better than that. You have talent, lots of it. Better use them properly.

“So, those who are in favor, please raise your right hand…”

“One, two, three, four… 88,701,000!”

(Well, that’s according to the year 2000 census).

David Archuleta rests on 11th place. Ha! Finally he stumbled and fell. The cute days are over for David. He may have been groomed to become the next American Idol but this is one song that brought him to infamy. Simon is just fair in saying that he made a mess in singing the Stevie Wonder 1971 cover song We Can Work It Out. The bad thing is that it didn’t work out for him...

Finally, the last place is occupied by Dolly Parton singing Eight Days A Week ‘on helium.’

+
=

Too bad Kristy, the country thingy didn’t work.

As for the unfortunate David Hernandez, even you may have overdone the song, there is still one thing we are all sure of… you have proven your worth of being AI7's ultimate 12th placer.

Light a Candle for Truth and Justice

We may not be vocal about our personal opinions regarding the NBN-ZTE controversy, yet, even in our simple ways, we can actually do something...

Light a Candle for Truth and Justice

All societies need a minimum moral sense in order to survive. The crisis that grips the nation over revelations of high-level corruption in the National Broadband Network–ZTE deal is only the surface of a deep rot at the center of our failing state. It is primarily a moral and not just a political concern when governance ceases to be an instrument for good but instead uses its awesome power to suppress the truth and obstruct justice. When truth has fallen in the public square, it is a sign that evil has grown strong in the land. (Jeremiah 9:3)

There are moments in history when the state ceases to be a servant of God as in Romans 13 but turns into a Beast as in Revelation 13. In such moments, the people of God are called to stand, to resist the seductions to conform and overcome the fear that makes us pliant before evil. It is time for all people of faith to draw a line in the sand and say enough is enough. To express our moral outrage, we enjoin everyone to light a candle every evening from 8 to 9 starting Palm Sunday and through the Holy Week as a sign of solidarity with all who seek the truth and demand accountability from those in power.

Let this form of 'communal action' be a strong signal to our leaders that unlike the unresolved scandals of the past, we shall not let this one pass. So light those candles and put them on your windows. Make them visible to all who pass by. Show to the rulers of this nation that people power is alive and strong.

(SGD) Melba Padilla Maggay, Ph.D.

President

Institute for Studies in Asian Church and Culture (ISACC)

Why blog? (thoughts of a neophyte blogger)

Whew! Finally, I made it here. It’s my first time to make a blog in an official blogging site.

Thanks to Lani who finally convinced me to start to blog. (The truth is I really have nothing to do over the summer that’s why I have to start something new, not to mention something that will help me finance my urban living).

Honestly, I’m a neophyte to this contemporary habit on many online freaks or should I say: people who usually spend fifty percent of their 24-hour routine hurdling over myriad genre of websites. Well, in a few weeks time, I would be glad to be one of them.

Wait a minute! Did you know that the term “weblog” is a pretty young term in this world? It was coined exactly a decade ago by a person named Jorn Barger. However, the shorthand “blog” was first used by Peter Merholz in 1999, who purposely broke the word weblog into a phrase we blog in the sidebar of his blog. From then on, the term was instantly adopted as both noun and verb. “To blog,” meaning, “to post to a web site that contains online personal journal.”

Cliché as it is, but technology do change people. While some believe that blogs are just online diaries or journals, a lot of us missed to point out that blogs are indeed powerful instruments that an individual can use to get his or her opinion to be heard by other people.

As for a novice blogger like me, it’s really a good thing to have something that will be an outlet after an entire day distress.

And for my 2.5 inches thick dictionary that doesn’t even have an entry for the word blog, I will still not replace you. That’s a promise.


Kudos to all bloggers out there!