a rasta retard

I was 15 years old then, when I was insanely into reggae. There's just something special about the happy vibe induced by the repetitive rhythm that drags me instantly into a happy mood. I once thought of weaving my straight hair into dreadlocks and start greeting everyone "ey mon!". I really had no clue that I was a forerunner for the biggest 15-year-old poser. I thought being rasta was purely about listening to the music. I was clueless about the social and historical background tightly locked behind those dreads.

I made this cowlike face when I learned about rastafarianism. Yes, an ism, a religion with millions of real followers to this day. Wait.. did I say ism? No. sorry. Actually they're rejecting the term rastafarianism. "They see a wide range of isms in modern society and want no part in it." I was redirected to Rastafari movement while researching rastafarianism.

So going back.. Rastafari or commonly Rasta, a religious movement that emerged in Jamaica. It was out of the darkest depression that the descendants of African slaves in Jamaica lived in. It's a movement so full of love and free of anger- the basic principles behind the rastafari faith. The goal of the movement was freedom of spirit, freedom from slavery and freedom of africa.

These days we sport stuff synonymous to reggae for they give such killer impression where in we fail to see its significance. Dreadlocks as an example. Dreads have become synonymous with reggae music and lifestyle. What we didn't know is that dreads are very much associated with the rasta movement. It is taught that patience is the key to growing dreadlocks, a journey of the mind, soul and spirituality. The length of a Rasta's dreads is a measure of wisdom, maturity, and knowledge indicating his age as a Rasta.

Red, Yellow and green. These are the colors associated well with reggae and in fact the colors of the Ethiopian flag. Each color represents its own meaning very significant to the Rasta way of life. The red is for the blood of all living things in the world. The yellow is for the sun and Jah's light that shine on people. The green is for the earth that people walk on to which Rastas feel a special connection. Black is sometimes added to represent the skin of African people.

The music of reggae was my ticket to the rastafari culture. But reggae isn't just about the music or the rasta colors or weaving our hair into thick coils. We should dig deep behind these happy songs and we'll find impressive ideals of love, respect and unity.. Bob Marley's songs in particular. I find his timeless songs so impressive overflowing with compelling messages of spreading peace and love. Reggae expresses strong values and beautiful ideologies of a real rasta... and YES, after learning all these I may say that I was indeed a 15-year-old poser and a rasta retard.

rise and shine

As a kid, my lola would wake me up for school with a gentle touch on my forehead. But as I grew older, it only takes a sledgehammer to wake me up. So eventually, I was forced to give up this calm awakening for an alarm clock. No one likes alarm clocks. They do not make any pleasant association with good morning. Alarm clocks jolt you out of bed and nothing is just as disorienting as waking up with its pestering drill of ringing.

As a result, the Glo Pillow was born!! Yes, our desperate crusade for a new innovation has been heard. A multi-function clock pillow has been designed to wake us up in a natural way. The Glo Pillow simulates sunrise to gently wake us up. So I guess it's goodbye now to that heart attack inducing alarms that scare us out of bed with its violent ringing.

Ian Walton and Eoin McNally, are the two designers behind the genius proposal. "The pillow uses a LED fabric substrate below the surface to wake the user with light. This LED fabric also functions as a display, showing the time on the pillows' surface. 40 minutes before the pre-set alarm time the pillow begins to glow and gently brings the user out of sleep." Pretty gnarly huh?

that 80's show

In the course of my friends' quest for a happy nostalgia we've decided to throw a party. All of us were like products of the late 80's with vague memories of the music and culture. So we thought of embracing the happy decade that gave birth to the moonwalk, shoulder pads and neon cycling shorts. New wave became a big hit throughout the 80's and last night we've decided to bring a new taste of the new wave.

The 80's music isn't bad at all. We enjoyed the music induced by the old school synthesizers, keyboards and drum machines. We were like insanely enjoying the rush of happy nostalgia injected by the music and people. From what I've seen, the 80's are so back.

Last night was a swanky new wave soiree. I guess everyone had their beer goggles on for we were like there hitting the floor bouncing like crazy retards from an 80's show. I’m aware that I was drunk and it’s the certain haziness that I was looking forward to. We were hitting beers, shared and heard stories drawn from alcohol as time was rushing beyond our awareness.

I passed out on the couch and next thing I know, the sun was up. The mid-day glare from the window was pushing me to get up but my head was in excruciating pain so I drifted back to sleep. Then a dream soothed my hangover agony. Kate Bosworth was knocking on my door but I was too drunk to get up. She turned the knob, let herself in and asked me to play go fish and threw her deck on my bed. But these felt-tipped pens running down my forehead awakened my bosworth-slumber. My friends were scribbling on my face. I couldn't do anything but shake my head a bit and groan to say piss off guys!! I'm with Kate Bosworth!!!

taken by cars

It's Bloc Party with high levels of estrogen. Taken by Cars is a local band composed of five talents lead by a female vocalist. Listening to the vocals of Sarah Marco reminds of Nina Persson of the Cardigans. Taken by Cars define their music with this long list of obvious influences from post-punk, new wave, dance punk, indie rock, to electro-clash. I find their music as highly suspicious with tracks relatively parallel to Bloc Party.

When that irresistible "uh-oh" from the album "Endings of a New Kind" kicks in, I caught myself bobbing to the beat. Speedy syncopation, spiky guitar riffs, processed beats and tunes comparative to London club dance rhythms.. elements that are not often adapted by local bands. Taken by cars caught my attention after bringing rhythms alien to the local scene. Their music is not new but I'm impressed with the idea of creating a good taste that could fit as a new local trend.

I finally got their cd yesterday and I thought it was an encore of Silent Alarm. The album injects impressive urban vibe with tracks undeniably drawn from the DNA of their influences. I fairly recommend their album "Endings of a New Kind", it is a very enjoyable cd. It's the type that supplies non-stop fun and promotes a good taste of music. Taken by Cars adds up to my short list of the finest local bands and they are definitely worthy of your ear!

damn apple!

My iPod just froze. Last night while playing klondike, my iPod froze. I'm aware of the negative reviews that the iPod classic received and it seems that I'm now starting to have those similar problems. One of the frustrating flaws of the 80GB classic is the laggy click wheel. With 20 something gig of mp3s and videos, my iPod seems to fail to keep up a pace when scrolling down the menu. There are frequent pauses and these delays make this model a little frustrating. I wouldn't recommend this player if you're thinking of saving up for this. I mean.. you spend like a good money on these stuff to get these? damn.

the marilyn monroe sex tape

My friend told me that a sex tape was sold for an overwhelming amount of 1.5 million dollars! He continued his story by uttering it was Marilyn Monroe's sex tape. Marilyn Monroe is undeniably a hollywood icon, the most celebrated actress, the first to be on the cover of playboy and a sex symbol of the century. She has been rumored to be involved with Robert Kennedy and John F. Kennedy and some claimed that she dated both. How much deconstruction can this woman bear?

So who bought the copy? I asked my friend. Bill Gates?.. Donald Trump? Bill Clinton? uhh..Oprah? (I just couldn't think of names so I thought of some rich celebrities who would probably be interested.) The idea of probably some rich anti social perv who stocks porn under his bed and wanks off in the living room when his mum is asleep- is swimming in my head.

So I hit the internet and googled Marilyn Monroe. The sex tape was a 15 minute long oral stunt of Monroe with an unidentified man. The tape was bought by a New York businessman for $1.5 million. He must be a big fan of Monroe or I guess a lonely New Yorker who collects hollywood sex tapes for a hobby. There's actually a long list of Hollywood sex tapes enough to fill a whole shelf.. and yes, enough to be considered as a collection.

Anyway, the businessman stated that he has no intentions of leaking the tape. "He doesn't want to make a joke out of it, put it on the net or exploit her.." Monroe is clothed and the man's head remains out of the frame for the entire 15 minutes of the film. Moreover, some obsessed officials are trying to see whether the guy on the tape is one of the Kennedy's, as Monroe was rumored to have had an affair with. After reading this article one question was running in my head: Will Paris Hilton's tape would sell nearly that amount 50 years from now?

little manhattan

A nice concept for a film... simple, cute, funny, and pretty much unpretentious. It is a simple and clever movie supported by a brilliant selection of music that captures the atmosphere of being young and in love in New York. It is sharply written and charming that significantly looks at the idea of puppy love, obsession and insecurity from a young perspective. It has a fresh approach on the subject of first love where in the perception of girls as carriers of cooties was lifted.

A rampant rush of nostalgia runs through me, being a guy who can clearly recall what it was like to first begin to experience such feelings when I was 8. These kids are smart and fascinated by their young lives, as actors and characters. It's a kind of film that makes you go "aawww" as the cityscape of New York plays an essential part of the little romance. I can say Little Manhattan is a nice addition to the dvd collection of date movies for adults being surprisingly great and romantic film.

a great italian escape

I was flipping through channels bloodily waiting to doze off when I caught "Jamie's great escape". A documentary/travelogue series of Jamie Oliver, an english celebrity chef that heads to Italy to uncover the secrets behind Italian's authentic recipes. He took a time out and drive around Italy in a camper van. The show takes the viewers throughout Italy showing the basics of regional dishes of locals and restaurant owners.

I recommend the show for anyone who has a great appetite for a cooking show but craves for a different tv genre. Every episode the english chef face a new town, learning, teaching and surprising the locals with his take on Italian cuisine. He gets back to basics, from hunting his own meat to drinking and interacting with the locals. What I like about the show is its honest take in documenting every episode. It was fairly edited respecting critiques from unimpressed lads to the delighted reactions of the locals.

Jamie's great Italian escape is a great way to drool, crave, salivate and relax and witness an Italian culture right from your bedroom. Jamie's Great Escape: FRIDAY NIGHTS|10.30PM|Lifestyle Network.

dekada otsenta

The 80's. The fitting way to approach this wonderful decade would be an embarrassed grin. 1980's was everything about getting louder, bigger and more colorful. Apart from the well known over-the-top fashion, the decade is known for the commercialization of music and film. Everything went commercially crazy. The films of the 1980s covered many genres that set such direction of style. The trend was strengthened creating blockbuster films that are mostly impressive and memorable. Here's a list of movies that I like from a short list of 1980s movies that I've seen.


BIG (1988):
It's a simple story of a kid who becomes big after making a wish at a carnival and he wakes up the next morning as Tom Hanks. The movie successfully sells to children who don't want to grow up too fast and adults who yearn for the spontaneous life of childhood. Tom Hanks convincingly played such character with enough energy and humor. It's a touching but never too schmaltzy story with great comedy moments. It's a good movie that will makes us realized that it sometimes takes a kid to see the world clearly.


BACK TO THE FUTURE (1985):
Back to the Future has been one of my favorite movies since I was just a kid and I still love it as much today. It's a wonderful blend of science fiction and fine comedy. What's great about this film is how well it develops its small details without falling from a flow of an ongoing humor. The story is delivered cleverly and entertainingly filling it up with loads of memorable scenes. The movie is great and I think anyone regardless of their individual tastes will enjoy this movie.


RISKY BUSINESS (1983):
A pop-culture icon that named tom cruise as Tom Cruise. Behind what seems to be an easy teen comedy in the 80's is a sharp portraiture of a guy on the edge of his adolescence. Significant scenes are well crafted that mirrors the theme of the movie. This is a movie that offers a single line that implies everything that needs to be implied injected with a natural humor. We walk in such a fine line between pleasure and trouble at that age. Any guy who has been to high school can relate. It's not just about swanky cars, scoring and getting laid, but this movie conveys a different facade of a troubled youth.


STAND BY ME (1986):
A movie that travels us back to the beauty and the pain of being a kid. It's a film that impressively captures the coming of adolescent age driven by intense friendships, innocence, curiosity and a sense of adventure. It sounds stale and cliched but what this movie does for everyone, is that it takes us back in time where you'll smile and remember a great time which was once fun, spontaneous and cool. It is well written reflecting the way kids actually talk, react and think on certain situation.


BATMAN (1989):
Tim Burton definitely has a good taste. The elements from Tim Burton's vision injected such striking impact to the movie enough to captivate our eyes. The impressive production design evokes an imagery of a very dark, somber, claustrophobic and oppressive atmosphere of Gotham City fairly significant to the architecture of thirties and forties.

This Batman movie is full of hard to list classic moments. The magnitude of Nicholson's acting was really far out. The Joker is probably the greatest villain we have ever seen in a comic-book adaptation. It seems that it is uncertain that somebody could beat the brilliance of that performance someday. Though Christopher Nolan gave a different direction to the character franchise, surpassing Nicholson's would still be doubtful. Can't wait to see Ledger's though.


SCARFACE (1983):
"Say hello to my little friend!" An essential gangster flick of the eighties and a pop-culture icon. It is definitely one of the most impressive and memorable movies from that genre to ever come out. Al Pacino was intense, powerful and a superb performer. Every line Al Pacino utters is an instant classic. Scarface is over the top, overacted and overrated, yet a very good movie, undeniably a modern classic.

the coke side of life?

The blog about the manila high-society drama has reached media hype. It's all over the papers, tv, radio and has sparked millions of readers online. Curiously enough, I checked the site and read all the details. Whether those overwhelming allegations were true or not, they were all revealing and intriguing. He writes about infidelity, money, sex, drugs and freeloading lifestyles of the said manila society's rich and famous. The blog was born not to purely pollute his former friends' social portraits but to get back the money that his former lover allegedly stole from him.

I believe a blog is a personal journal of one's experiences and views but I just think that he needs to keep his aim at his target and drag his attention away from those who are not directly involved. I guess using such medium on malicious attacks and accusations question the ethics on blogging. Perhaps the extent of freedom of speech in blogging should be further discussed.

The blog has been a leisure gossip read attracting millions of readers in less than a month. But I think people's fascination on far-famed profiles is so gnarly. I guess these prominent personalities with lambasting accusations are quite absorbing only to those who worship their names. But it seems like it's in our roots to enjoy backstabbing and gossips that's why this has reached such amount of attention... or maybe a number of us secretly fantasize to be gabbed about as part of such elite circle.

Happy Birthday ArrestedMagikero!! I've been blogging for TWO years now.. peers gabbing about their blogs influenced me to hit the world of online journals and since then I've been publishing stuff occasionally. It has been part of my routine to blog and update this journal. Blogging has been my outlet and my way of understanding myself. I've learned so much from just going through my archives and realized how much I've grown. Blogging has able me to mature my thoughts on how I see things.

Blogging has been an interactive medium that connected me to strangers who have encouraged me in some way. Thank you to those who have been reading my blog since day 1. Thank you for you have all been part of this blog.