A grievous epiphany about sugar-free cough drops!!!

Since coming back from Washington, I've been battling a nagging, linegring cold (I shouldn’t have taken a shower and walked out in that 30 degree weather as we headed out to the airport) that seriously congested my sinuses and lungs. I had real thick stuff (mucus if you really want to know) clogging up my chest that I couldn't cough out no matter how hard I tried. I was coughing incessantly like a dog too. At some point, I was coughing so hard, the muscles in my ribs hurt. So I came to work refusing to call-in sick unless ordered to go home by my supervisor (bad idea, because most of my co-workers got the sickness from me as well); to minimize the nagging coughing spells from an itchy throat, I brought with me a bag of Halls cough drops - the sugar free kind. For most of the afternoon, I scarfed down those cough drops like they were going out of style! By early evening when everyone had left the office, I was stricken with a new malady: a serious tummy ache! By 8 PM I realized to my utter horror and discrete embarrassment what the tummy ache meant - I was about to have a serious case of the runs! And run to the office restroom I went (thank goodness it was night time; with only two other co-workers in the office with me, no one would know ever know of my dirty little secret). A few weeks later, I found out through a co-worker that sugar-free products have that effect on certain people (she did not know or hear of my misadventure - I hope); she said her sister has that type of reaction to it and the runs was the serious side effect. Now I didn't bother to research this on the net but after I stopped consuming the cough drops, the sore stomach - and that side effect - did not bother me again. So proceed with caution with the sugar free stuff.

Off 'da island for a few days!!!

About a month ago this week I took my mom to see her great grand children in Vancouver, WA. It was also meant to get off the island and give her (and to a lesser degree, me) a long overdue and deserved vacation. My mom has been to a lot of places in the east coast (where her husband, my dad came from) but as far as the west coast, has only been to California. This was her very first time to see the Pacific Northwest (I think that’s what the region is referred to) so I didn't just want her to sit in my nephew's house and just play and bond with her great grandchildren. I planned a fun week of showing my mom how cool this place is; taking my cues from the Travel channel shows (specifically "Man vs Food."). After landing in Portland, OR on Friday March 6, we spent the next day going on a toy shopping spree for my grand niece and grand nephew (to compensate for not being around them most of the time - the bonding came later during the week), I watched a movie the following day (see amateur movie review: Watchmen); by Monday, I took her to the mini-casinos up north (I forgot the name of the area) and by Tuesday, took my mom to Seattle, WA (my first time there too!); we went to see the Freemont bridge troll; Pike's Place fish market and Seattle's famous land mark, the Seattle space needle (but because of a momentary lapse of reason on my part, we didn't go up to the top to view the city skyline). On Wednesday, we went around Portland, OR to check out the neighborhood and visit my nephew's friend who fights in MMA; then by Thursday I had my niece-in-law show my mom around their neighborhood (the place is growing - with new neighborhoods springing up despite the gloomy economic projections - I wish I had a down payment for a house). My mom was annoying at times during that week but quite understandable given her age and the fact the she had to refrain from smoking in my nephew's house for most of the week. This was also the first time in over 50 years that she's felt cold weather dipping below 80 degrees Fahrenheit. I didn't leave Vancouver, Wa. empty handed though; I bought me another electric guitar from this cool music store in Portland. Then Friday, it was back to the Islands! Next vacation I plan to take my mom on: Vegas!

Remembering Paul Harvey

I read from the MSN homepage that radio personality Paul Harvey passed away. Now to those born in the mid-eighties and don't listen to radio - especially to the news and talk radio - may not know or care, but to me, this man is radio giant and icon. I remember hearing his news broadcast in the early mornings during the week. As pre-schooler, I naturally didn't care for the news back then but his voice stood out prominently in the background during the din of breakfast in our home (I credit my father for making Mr. Harvey a daily part of our morning ritual). As the years went by, especially by the time I was in the 5th grade, I began to actually listen and look forward to his news broadcast after the regular news. His distinctive voice and playful delivery made the news fun to listen to (even the serious ones). To me, he sounded like an uncle who was telling an entertaining story but with an important lesson. By the time I was in the 8th grade, his voice and delivery of the news conjured up - in my mind - images of life in America during the 50s (don't ask me because I don't know why I had these thoughts); from those thoughts I began to wonder how long has Mr Harvey been doing this. By the mid-eighties and onward, my daily routines shifted and listening to his show faded away into the ethers of the past. During the late 90's, I started to get nostalgic for those mornings when his voice was part of my household. Since then, I would try to look for his morning radio news broadcasts from the local radio stations of the town I moved to, but because it was low in priority, I didn't put much effort into looking for it thinking that he may have already retired from the business. However, one morning I hit pay dirt. I stumbled into one of his broadcasts from the talk radio station that I listen to; however, there was something odd about the voice - it was not as how I remember it. By the end I found out why: it was Paul Harvey Jr., who was behind the mic. Good as he is and with all due respect to Mr. Harvey Jr., he's close, but no cigar! I wondered what had happened to my favorite radio "uncle." Did he retire? It was a bit hard to accept but realistically it was a logical conclusion. A few months had gone by and I stumbled upon another broadcasts - I was oblivious to the time because I was so excited to hear the very voice I remember when I was in grade school all those years ago: It was the real deal! I made it a point to jot down the time at the close of his newscasts just so I could catch it again on another day; that was about a week and a half ago. The day before yesterday (Feb 28, 2009), I read the sad news. Just as I finally found him in the airwaves again, I lost him. I just hope we can download or buy copies of his news broadcasts the same way you can purchase old time radio shows on CD. I will miss Mr. Harvey. Whenever I think about his voice and his news broadcast, I'm brought back to fond memories of mornings with bacon, eggs, pancakes, the aroma of coffee, and the chaos of a family getting ready for the day while my father calmly sat in the middle of it all. From Mr. Harvey's intro of "Hello Americans, this is Paul Harvey...Stand by for news!" to his closing statement that was simple yet comforting: "Paul Harvey...good day." Good day indeed, Mr. Harvey. Your voice will sorely be missed by me and the multitudes who enjoyed and learned from your broadcasts. May you rest in peace.

Remembering dad on his birthday...

I'm typing this blog to honor the memory of my father who passed away in 1995. Our relationship then was somewhat strained during that period because I was eager to assert my need for independence while my father was, in his twisted little way, reluctant to let me "spread my wings." He knew that the key to my success in establishing independence depended on two things: mobility and money. Both of which my father kept to a minimum. I won’t go into details about that part because by American standards, the story of how this came to be seems very convoluted; understand that my father was an American living in Asia and taking advantage of the culture’s proclivity for obedience and harmony. So naturally, I took a passive-aggressive approach to my rebelling when I was a teenager. Don’t knock the technique; it enabled me to get away with a lot by appearing obedient and harmless! But aside from that short but tumultuous period in my life, I look back and realize that my dad was a great father. Flawed as he was – as I believe most fathers are – he did his best and did it out of pure love for his family. No one can take that away from him. You know the saying “behind every great man, there’s a great woman?” well, in my father’s case that woman was his mother. She nurtured, guided him, and taught him to live a life that is just and honorable despite his mischievous ways. Obviously, my dad was a natural trouble maker in his youth. Not the bad kind, but more the impish, happy-go-lucky kind that annoyed his siblings and made his father throw-up his hands in frustrated capitulation. In one year, he crashed all four of the family cars; flipped another car he was driving with his parents and two of his aunts as passengers (his father decked him because he was being a smart-ass). In a lot of ways, he never grew up; he was never really ready for fatherhood. My dad was very conflicted in his demeanor: around family, he tried to act the responsible leader and provider while deep down inside he painfully wanted to carry on like he was 19. At times, I loved it; at times I hated it. However, there is no denying my dad’s powerfully positive impact on my life. Though I remember the conflicts between us, it could never outnumber or overpower my memories of the fun I had spending time with him and the somewhat privileged life afforded by his efforts, hard-work and sacrifice (which writing it in this blog could never do it justice)! Thanks to my dad, I was introduced to the world of comic books (he started buying them when I was about four years old not realizing then that I didn’t know how to read much less recite my alphabets). Thanks to him, I was introduced to the world of American Hot Rods and Muscle Cars; Because of him I was privileged to live in two worlds: that of an American and that of an Asian. He unwittingly influenced my conservative, right-wing political leanings although I argued his political positions from a left-wing, liberal standpoint. Do I miss him? Pretty much. If he were alive today, I’m sure he would be very happy to know that we now see eye to eye on many issues, and that I would work harder with him to achieve many of his automotive projects. But that’s all wishful thinking now isn’t it? Anyway, his birthday was yesterday. I was just thinking about him and wanted to thank him for the great life he provided me and the rest of our family when he was around.

Sentimental Musings...

Today is the birthday (at least I think it is) of the one girl who, for the longest time, I was hopelessly head-over-heels in love with during most of my teen years. Of course there were a lot of other girls that came my way during that time in my life, but they just didn't have the same impact that this girl (who shall remain nameless in this blog entry) had. For most of the 80s, my infatuation for her bordered onto obsession which, I now can safely say in hindsight, peaked during the late 80s. What's real pathetic about it was that I never did muster up the courage to ask her out (because of an unfounded fear of rejection though I never had this problem with the other girls around me). I'm sure this frustrated and probably confused her back then as I realize now that she had been waiting for me to ask her out the whole time. This epiphany caused me to want to kick myself a few times. Now, nearly two decades later, I still find myself thinking about her from time to time. However, if asked by the fates if I ever wanted to resume my pursuit of this woman, I would say that it would have to be under the condition that we be sent back in time to where and when this whole "courtship" began (with my current memories and knowledge intact of course); but if it where to resume from the present timeline I, for the most part, would have to regretfully decline (unless certain conditions of my choosing are met). The growing concern I have now is that I have put this woman on so high a pedestal that I am using her as the standard by which all other women that come into my life are measured. I know that this is unfair because I've met a lot of women since then that have far surpassed her in many areas (especially in the looks department). So why am I blogging about her? I just wanted to celebrate my fondest memories of the girlfriend I never had. To let the world know (without really telling everyone - does that make sense?), that I kinda miss her and want to thank her for the many inspirations she gave me. Who knows what personal and career plateaus I might have reached had we actually connected and had a life together. On the other hand, those thoughts could all just be the naive, nostalgic sentiments of a weary, middle-aged adventure traveller in the road of life.

Movies I watched so far...

This is first of many movie reviews to be posted on my blog. I'm by no means and expert movie viewer or critic. My views and opinions are based of the types of movies I like to watch; which basically started since I was able to watch movies unsupervised by an adult. And I watch a lot of movies during the year because it is one of the few recreational activities I can afford to participate in. I like to watch movies during mid-day when the prices are cheaper (in case the movie sucks) and very few people are watching (so I get my choice of seats) . However, I sometimes enjoy movies during the evenings just so I can be swept up by the audience's reaction to certain scenes. Anyway, here are the first four movies I watched in 2009:

The Day the Earth Stood Still 01/02/09. Premiered 12/12/08. Picking up where I left off (because the first time I wastched this movie, the power went out in the theater), this is the very first movie I watched in 2009. I thought it was a cool movie. Updated from the 1950’s original of the same title, I’m now curious about the original. My recommendation? Watch it in theaters to appreciate the scale of the special effects – especially the giant sphere in the park which appears to be the alien's ship and the updated G.O.R.T. mechanoid. Too bad it left too many unanswered questions for me. Gave it three stars.

Valkyrie 01/08/09. Premiered 12/25/08. The movie wasn’t bad, but wasn’t all that good either. Still, I give Tom Cruise kudos for taking on roles that aesthetically put him in a less than flattering light. Bill Nighy is becoming one of my favorite character actors. Unfortunately, there weren’t any scenes or moments in the film that made me say or think: “Holy shit! That was awesome!” My recommendation? Better wait until the DVD comes out to rent it. I give it three stars.

Taken 01/30/09. Premiered 01/30/09. For me, a step up from my viewing experience from “Valkyrie.” Never thought of Liam Neeson as an action hero; then again, we are talking about the guy who played Rahs Ahl Gul in the recent “Batman Begins,” Qui Gon Jin of “Star Wars,” and of course, “Darkman.” So I guess it seemed like a logical role for him to play. Maggie Grace did a great job as Kim, Bryan Mills’ (Liam’s character) daughter. She was quite convincing in her portrayal of a somewhat ditzy, somewhat spoiled, naïve teenager. I never would’ve guessed this girl was in Maxim magazine’s Hot 100 of 2005 list. However, I kinda feel bad for actress Katie Cassidy: this is the second time I’ve seen her in a supporting role where she plays the stereotypical role of the shallow blonde, hottie who gets done-in in the middle of the movie (the first was in the 2006 remake of “When a Stranger Calls”). Hope she won’t be pigeon-holed with this type of role. Then again, she’s the daughter of former celebrities and probably just does these roles for kicks! As for the rest of the movie, I would recommend it. I give it four stars.

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans 01/30/09. Premiered 01/23/09. Movies like this are up my alley: an escape from my mundane existence where I see worlds, environments and characters that are totally alien to my normal world. I loved the first “Underworld” movie with the sexy Kate Beckinsale, the second movie “Underworld: Evolution” was a bit disappointing except for the opening sequence where we get a glimpse of what Viktor’s world looked like back in his glory days before the Vampire/Lycan war and Selene’s love scenes with the Vampire/Lycan hybrid Micheal. Anyway, “Rise of the Lycans” gives us more of that opening sequence from “Evolution” only further down the timeline to when and where the Vampire/Lycan conflict began. The casting of Rhona Mitra as Sonja made sense. If you remember one of scenes in the first “Underworld” movie, Kraven told Selene (Beckinsale’s character) that she reminded Viktor of his daughter Sonja. However, the film makers need to go back and re-edit the flash back scenes in future releases of the first “Underworld” movie on DVD: the actress who played Sonja in that film looked too blonde-ish and the execution chamber in the original scene looked rounder and well, larger. Nitpicking details aside, I liked this movie! Better than the second, about as close in mystique as the first. Highly recommended for action/fantasy as well as vampire/werewolf movie fans! Gave it four stars!!!

In Memoriam...

I got a sad e-mail from one of my good friends a few days back. I couldn't respond properly to it or discuss it on this blog because I was quite busy with all sorts of things and I was letting the news of her passing sink in. My friend's mother passed away on New Year's day - New Year's day of all days. It seemed she had been suffering from kidney disease for some time now, and my friend was very quiet about the whole thing up until she passed away. I was able to respond to his initial e-mail with messages of condolences and memories of interacting with his mom - short as they were- whenever I dropped by (usually unannounced) to bug my friend as he worked his various oil paintings. This sad news was relevant to me because we all have mothers. Her passing made think of, and cherish even more, the fact that my mother is still here with me. My friend said he regretted not spending enough time with her as he pursued his ambitions and other pursuits that were of a personal nature. I, on the other hand, realize now that my predicament of being unable to leave home (even though I wanted to many times - money was the issue of course) seem to have been a blessing in disguise: Even though I felt like one of those nerds who live in the basement of their parent's house, I realize now that I had spent a lot of quality time with both of my parents. My father has been deceased for over a decade and now I'm head of the household caring for my old and frail mother (whom I refuse to send to a nursing home: I simply don't trust them - that's another story). Anthony's mom - as well as my other friend's moms - were very prominent supporting characters while we were growing up. Mainly because we would hang out at one guy's house for long periods of time and eat their food like a swarm of hungry locusts! Don't worry readers, we made sure to replace the food we ravaged as well as not break anything while we hung out; after all, we didn't want to wear out our welcome; and with the awareness I'm blessed with now, I will all the more cherish the time spent with my mother as she nears the twilight of her days.

Going, going....gone 2008!

By the end of the day, we say good-bye to 2008. To some, they say good-riddance to the year that was. Its usually at this time of year (actually at the last few hours of the year) that most TV channels show us a year-in-review; a look-back at the good, the bad and the ugly that was 2008. I remember (back in the country I grew up in) they would also show the many sights of people who lost anywhere from a finger to a whole hand!!! Yup, in many countries in Asia, blowing up fireworks in your own yard was not only legal, but a cultural must-do tradition. Something about scaring off bad and evil spirits through the use of fireworks. Believe me, most of the fire crackers here in the states are whimpy compared the ones we popped off over there. Of course, you do this at your own risk. If you loose a limb, tough-break!


And this is where I'm going to introduce what may be the core and purpose of this blog: my
ranking of things and events that are relevant to me. Unlike my other blog where I take a more serious tone, I try to bring the immature, wacky and fun side of me that is sorely missed by yours truly and many of my younger relatives. My first attempt of my "top 10" list what I feel are the most significant events of 2008.

Top 10 events in 2008 that are historical in nature in my humble opinion

10. Sudden, unintended death of actor Heath Ledger

(ok, this is one of the noteworthy news - imho - from the entertainment world)

9. Chrysler & GM bailout

8. Gas prices lowest in years

7. Snow fall in Nevada and parts of Southern California

6. Global economy going sour/going south

5. Dispondent man kills in-laws on Christmas eve

4. Renewed and possibly escalating conflict in the Gaza strip

3. Terrorist attacks on Mumbai

2. Expectancy of a worsening economy

1. Election 2008 and our very first African American President

Top 10 favorite movies I saw in 2008

10. The Incredible Hulk

9. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

8. 10,000 B.C.

7. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

6. Quantum of Solace

5. Hellboy II: The Golden Army

4. The Forbidden Kingdom

3. Wall-E

2. Batman

1. Iron Man

Movie I was most disappointed in:

Star Wars - The Clone Wars (heck, the Cartoon Network episodes were better)

'Till my next list, Good-bye 2008!!!

Monday??? Already!!! No, it's actaully Tuesday!!!

Is it my imagination or does it feel like time is flying? Driving back from work this evening, it just sunk in that today is Monday. The whole week of last week (Christmas) felt really short - like about two or three days worth instead of seven days since last Monday. Anyway, I'm still in introspection mode thinking about old friends, old home towns and my former life. I know, I know, it sounds quite whiny but please bear with me; this should last until New Year's Eve. I guess I'm starting to understand how most elderly people feel like when they wax nostalgic. Not that my current life is all that bad, but it could be better. There's the absence of the feeling of wonder and excitement when taking on a new day. Nothing I do seems to bring me a sense of accomplishment, even satisfaction much less any joy. Maybe that's why I miss my old life (as I'm sure most people my age feel likewise), I also miss that carefree, peace of mind that came with it. You know what? I think I'm coming down with MLCS (mid-life crisis syndrome)!

Great! It's Monday!

Can't believe the year is about to end. Last Monday seemed like yesterday and here I am watching Monday Night Raw again as I type this. Looking back, this year wasn't too eventful for me. The only really fun thing I did this year was go to Portland, OR. Yeah, I can feel those "Huhs?" resonating in the background. At least my financial situation is looking up. Work is no inspiration either; again the pay is what makes it worth it though. A co-worker who shall remain nameless has been spilling the beans about our other co-worker's indescretions. Funny how he seems to get dirt on our co-workers though he's been working at my place of employment for less time than I have. Then again, I don't mingle much with my co-workers and I don't kiss ass trying to endear my self to them just to be accepted. This guy annoys me sometimes though I try my best (and succeed) putting up with him. Man, there's just got to be a line of work out there for me that suits my personality and interest as well as inspire me to be my best. I feel and treated like I'm the third stringer water boy in this team.

Outside of work, I'm hoping to get into some real mischief next year as the gears of my fragile little mind are turning, plotting how I will execute the deed. Looks like I'm running out of proverbial gas at the moment as I begin to feel the sandman beckon. I just wanted to get this here blog started before I succumb into laziness. As I look at the clock, I realize...it's waaaaay past my bedtime!!!

Hi there!!!

From the title of my blog, I'll be blabbing (maybe ranting randomly) about anything that interest or concerns me. I might talk about my personal life (work, friends, events and other situations), music, movies, TV shows, technology, the paranormal, politics, religion, toys, cars...just about anything that's already part of my existence. I'll be playing wanna-be critic from time to time so keep in mind that my criticisms are pretty much my personal opinions and reflect my world view and sensibilities. I'm by no means an expert on the subjects I'll be talking about so take my rants as the mere opinion of an average consumer.

With that out of the way, allow me to post the first of my blogs. By the way, the blog I've entered below already appears (nearly verbatim) on my myspace page. If anyone bothers to read my blogs and even comes back from time to time to check out the other entries, thank you. If you have questions, I'll try to answer them in a timely manner as best I can.

It actually took me two days to complete this part of the entry (I typed it during Christmas and the day after) as the power kept going out during a storm that rendered most of the island without power for a few hours. During that time, I sat in complete darkness eating pork kebabs and drinking Bud Light Lime while I waited for the power to come back on. I waited in vain. Yup, Christmas had snuck up on me like a thief in the night!!! By the time I had downed my second quart of egg nog, fourth plate of Christmas ham with all the fixins for lunch on until diner; Christmas day had come and gone! Don't even ask me about how many bar-b-q'ed pork kebabs, cans of Pepsi and Heineken as well as the various candies, pies and nuts I inhaled in between because I lost track. What's even worse was that I did all that as I stayed indoors all day watching Anime and WWE DVDs. I was really hoping to hang out outside and take in the Christmas vibe around the neighborhood but that obviously was shot to hell. The good thing about this Christmas was that I didn't go overboard with the Christmas shopping. I managed to buy cheap…ooooops! Er… I mean sensibly priced gifts to nearly everyone in my shopping list. I really need to reassess my gift giving list for next year. I guess, my co-worker had a point: most of the people we buy gifts for we don't really like anyway (Her words, not mine). How cynical for a young lady like her to think that way about Christmas, but her point about the gift giving part had some merit – some. I'm sure some will be disappointed that they got boring gifts from me, but It couldn't be helped: the economy's in the toilet and I'm restructuring my finances to minimize the financial stress brought on by the onslaught of the impending recession.

And wouldn't you know it, I finally got around to thinking and caring about my grand niece and grand nephew who I bonded with over the summer. I payed little heed to them before but they finally grew on me and now I find myself wishing they were able to drop by to open their Christmas gifts instead of me sending it to them (I hope I put the correct address on the package too). I better make an effort to bond with them more before I become a tiny footnote in their lives. Their father – my nephew – gets kudos for never giving up when it came to letting his kids know about their once-upon-a-time wacky great uncle who's become a recluse as of late.

Anyway, we all know that the next few days mean the last days of 2008 are upon us. It's usually that time of year where I look back at the year that was. But more importantly for me, I take a moment to look at where I am on life's long and winding road. I especially miss and long for the company of old friends who now live far away and live very different lives with families of their own; of old haunts that are no longer there (or if they are, would not feel the same as it did before). I miss the life that I once had, yet balk at the idea of actually going back to it. As for the friends that I miss, I miss Efren who I've known since before grade school. He watched my back and covered my ass when I was up to no good (I never even asked him to do this). I took him for granted most of the time but I'm sure he got his come uppence when he zapped me a few times as I was helping him assemble (as well as bankroll) his various electronic projects (some of which became high-end components for my sound system). Basically I was like his cranky, older brother who would harass him from time to time. Another friend I miss is Audel who I've known since first grade; our friendship was just as long with more adventures, hijinx and laughs. Sadly, our allegiance ended because of disagreements over money (although he claims it was over a girl). In hindsight, the fight over the girl seemed less petty, now that I think about it. Audel also introduced me to a larger circle of friends which later became our clique. We all had three things in common that cemented our bond like a large family of brothers: Food, girls and mischief – not necessarily in that order. My latest best buddy that I miss is Edwin who I met in 1991. Fortunately, I get to communicate with him via e-mail, but it doesn't compare to being there in person. Edwin is the lead guitarist in my last rock band. He fit in perfectly with my other circle of friends that Audel and I are in. Then there's Adrien who I've known about as long as Audel but whose appearance in "my scene" was more like cameo appearances. He made me more aware of the different types of music I'd eventually be into as well as introduced me to recording artist that would remain undiscovered in my playlists if it weren't for him. Last but not least, there's Anthony who opened my eyes and made embrace my inner geek. He introduced my to fantasy art, made me more aware of my fascination for comic books & Godzilla. If not for him, I would have never watched and discovered the world of Star Wars and learned about Lord of the Rings two decades before the movie came out (I didn't care for reading the book back then). For some reason, buddies like those five are hard to come by these days. All this maturity and responsibility is really cramping my style and causing me to think that most of the young people I run into these days are just damned annoying! Then again, being a grown up isn't all that it's cracked up to be. I must be turning into a hermit. But for what it's worth, I just wanted to vent on how much I miss my old friends - especially during the holidays. Merry Christmas everyone!!!