What's worse than Golimar being reenacted by Filipino Convicts?

Two words...

David Hasslehoff....

Dancing in russian.... with retarded subtitles... lololol....

What's better than watching Golimar? Pinoy prisoners reenacting Golimar!

Check it out yourself:

i don't know about you guys... but i think this is the most effective ad campaign ever made... kids all over the country all want their gulay because of this...

...who would've thought gulay could be this happy and colorful?

...how i wish we had ads like this during our time ...so my folks didn't have to force kalabasa or petchay down my throat.

makulay.... ang buhay....

all we had back then was knorr seasoning... so i guess our jingle would be...

makulay.... ang kanin...

unfair :(

Check out this video about a gay boy named Shannon who wished for a planet full of unicorns. And these are not just any ordinary unicorns, they are named Feathers, Cadillac and Tom Cruise! What's funny is that one of the unicorns sounds like Fez from That 70's Show, and Tom Cruise sounds, well, you know, GAY!



Enjoy!

It's weird that after having a bit of time to slow down and unwind... (aka not work and bum around the house) this weekend, I suddenly recall a few things that happened that week. It's all very odd. I don't remember that exact times and actual days but these all really happened: Monday morning, during my commute it was traffic at coastal road --- Coz there was an accident... it was a a pretty trashed up van (or a truck can't remember exactly) and was in a pool of blood. Tuesday, during my commute to work at edsa --- an fx and car --- got smashed up badly --- traffic again for me (Not that I don't care about the people in the accident but just stating a fact lol even if it sounds kinda cold waheheh...)... Wednesday on my commute home... the bus stopped near the turn of Macapagal avenue... at first I didn't know why.... during all this time in my commute i got lost in my own world and barely realized what was happening around me till a few moments later. This time it was wierd that the bus had stopped so long... I saw people looking out the window. There were cops... and a guy laying on the walkway like a dead frog.... the cop was actually laughing (the passengers were disgusted at the cop as he did this.. I think he even nudged the guy with his foot... like mildly kicking him)... The cops were talking to the driver or conductor.... I really didn't know what exactly happened.... did we hit that guy? was he drunk and the bus driver knew him? he fell off the bus while going down? I have no idea...

Then on Thursday on my way to work... just meters up the bridge in edsa towards magallanes... the bus broke down.... we were stuck in a very awkward place where you couldn't get a ride... and the bus seemed like it was gonna fall apart... It was nothing super serious... but the engine was slightly smoking and the driver said something... a wire of some sort had given out... nyways won't bore you with the details... it took a while... but the bus was able to temporarily move... barely get up the bridge... in fact it broke down again when it got into the middle of the bridge... but we eventually got to the other side... where the conductor got us to go to another bus...thankfully...


It's so odd... all this time... I was lost in my head... and almost missed all of these things happening around me... Just always kinda preoccupied of how i'm gonna have to do good at my new job and try not to get fired. XD lol... Feels kinda lame lol... when there were some interesting stuff going on around me.... or bad omens maybe...

What happened on Friday you may ask? Well nothing much... car accident wise... but I did like totally goof and had to do revisions over and over agian... lame revisions that I shouldn't have missed for that newpsaper ad.... and had to stay like up to 7pm for my incompetence... Hahhaha.... not really as bad as the other days... but.. sure felt much worse.... nyways... It was all good as I had to go to a little College reunion of sorts at 8pm so it all worked out, I didn't have to be bored and waiting and all that had I gotten off work earlier wahahaha!

I wish I had gotten more information from all that had happened and paid more attention though.... I still keep wondering what exactly happened to that guy... and those other traffic accidents.... and the bus engine... I was like... just behind the driver... didn't see what happened..

Oh well hahahah! ^_^ It's too late now :P

Now I'm gonna go be all bored again! I hope you guys were at least mildly entertained!

BTW... Vice... its Dj Jamie! Jamie Aditya! That guy rocks!

I wish it was the '90s again. Full of entertaining music videos, Beavis and Butthead, Migraine Boy, VJ Nadia, VJ Donita, VJ Sonia, VJ Carlos Macapinlac (can't remember the name, Dijay Aditya?). I mean, what can you watch on MTV right now? Crappy music, that's what.

I mean, the only reason I watch MTV right now is to watch Pimp My Ride. How low can MTV go? Hmm... maybe if they put the lyrics of the songs below the screen...

Anyway, here are some music videos from the Foo Fighters that I have either never watched or just watched once.

Learn to Fly

This video includes Tenacious D members Jack Black and Kyle Gass as drug smugglers. I didn't even know they were here until I watched it recently.



Breakout

Ahh, one of my favorite FF songs! This was from the Me, Myself, and Irene soundtrack, so you get to see the lovely Traylor Howard (Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place), Anthony Anderson (from most of the Jet Li movies), Jarod Mixon (is he the guy from Old School?), and the black midget.



Monkey Wrench

Ok, so this isn't really the music video for Monkey Wrench, but this guy's really good.



There you go. I hope you enjoyed it.

Well nothing much to say really hehehe, just thought I'd share two songs I like to hear as of late. ^_^ Enjoy!

This one is the 3rd or 4th opening credits of the very popular anime show Bleach, but I looked for the MTV of the Jap band "The High and Mighty colors", so it's the longer radio friendly version (I wonder if there is a longer prog version... which could be the case). This is entitled "Ichirin no Hana" it's english subtitled so if you're curious to know what the song is about well, there you go! XD:



This one is Love song by 311, hahaha yeah.. mushy crap lol but ei 50 first dates was a good movie afterall and this is great song! It's not a video but pffft who cares!



So there you go! Have fun you @$$w!p3s hehheh!
The dogster is outta here! I need to go to the rooftop and watch dogs doing it in the street! WUhahahah!

This day, May 7th, Americans are celebrating an unusual, yet popular occasion. Today is National Masturbation Day!

This is a glorious day to appreciate the art of self-stimulation. Most guys do this, maybe once, twice, thrice (?) a day, so it's already a part of our routine/day.

So, if you have the urge to "jimmy your crank", "choke the chicken", "flog the dolphin", "play ping-pong with your organ", "clean your heavy equipment", "peel the wolverine", "strain the meat", "tease the snot out of Rotney", "pull the one-eyed monster", "cuff the ham", and others, always remember this day; the day where we can be proud to do this!

P.S. For other synonyms, check out this site.

***Disclaimer: Before you start reading this, let me remind you that most of the material coming from this post is based on my experience watching this movie; hence, it has lots of spoilers. It is under your discretion to look at it if you haven't seen the movie. If you feel that you need to see my opinion before you go watch it, then go for it. Otherwise, look at Mark's post below.

And here we go...................................

I just woke up, so at least my mind is clear now. But let me get this thing straight: Spider-man 3 is such a disappointment, you might as well spent your Labor Day watching another movie (Gray Matters, perhaps?).

Now, let's start nitpicking. Here's the stuff that I really HATE:

Opening Credits

If you're a follower of the Spider-man franchise, you'd easily notice how the editors had used old clips from Spider-man 1 and 2. Others would argue that it's merely retelling what happened on the previous movies, for the sake of new viewers; for me, it's just the editors having no CREATIVITY at all to come up with a Previously..." type of summary. Come on, the credits to Spider-man 2 was creative, using comic book sketches to portray what happened on Spider-man 1. All I can say is, WHAT A LAZY AND COMPLACENT BUNCH OF *SSES!!!

Storyline/Plotline

This one was actually very surprising for me, because this was the one I liked during the previous two movies. Peter had lots of interactions with the main antagonists, sometimes Osborn and Octavius are portrayed as icons/father figures of Peter. This made the fight scenes between them memorable, because there's one side (that's Peter for you) reluctant to engage another in battle, because of the deep respect Peter has for the other.

This time, it's different. It's like they put too many characters in this movie that there is no time for character development. It's like the writers just had to explain why these new characters are there, and how they are actually connected to Peter Parker. It's just a waste of talent for actors such as Topher Grace (Eddie Brock), Bryce Dallas Howard (Gwen Stacy), James Cromwell (Chief of Police Stacy), and yes, even the alien symbiote (although it is not actually an actor).

For example:

***SPOILER ALERT***

Gwen is introduced as Peter's cute lab partner, who he eventually upside down kisses her, making MJ ballistic and eventually led to Peter and MJ's breakup. Peter also used her to get back at MJ.

Eddie Brock is introduced here as the new upcoming photographer for the Daily Bugle. He took out Gwen once for coffee, already assuming that he is already dating her.

Gwen's dad was introduced when Gwen was attacked by a very intelligent crane that actually lacks the accuracy needed to kill Gwen. IF THERE WAS ANY CHANCE OF KILLING GWEN, THIS WAS IT!!!

We go to Peter and MJ doing some PDA over a web in a park. As they were kissing, a shooting star appeared containing the alien symbiote. YES, THIS IS HOW WE GET INTRODUCED TO THE ALIEN SYMBIOTE: WHILE PETER AND MJ ARE MAKING OUT!

***END OF SPOILERS***

You see how they were actually introduced? It's like they just popped out from nowhere.

Pacing

Because of the multitude of characters, there was little plot development. Which means less time in actually connecting one storyline to another. This was another major flaw in this movie, as it just flows from one big thing to another, without even providing a very meaningful background as to why it happened that way.

And that's not only my main gripe here. Even though there was less time in connecting these storylines, there are parts that were longer than I would expect. These parts made me fall asleep! True fact: there have been only three films in which I actually fell asleep, and I ended up being disappointed with all of them. #1: Constantine - the end part was very wordy. In other words, boring to the point of sleeping. #2: Da Vinci Code - enough said.

***SPOILER ALERT***

#3 Spider-man 3: The part where Spidey and Harry where fighting in midair, up until the part where Harry got clotheslined by Spidey's web. Maybe it's just me being sleepy, but I think that fight was boring compared to the other fight scenes Spidey had in the previous movies. Or maybe it's just because the scene was in the dark.

One other lengthy part would be the way Peter Parker changed once the symbiote got into him. The loser type, dancing part took too much time in the movie, that it could have just shown how incredibly strong and agile Spidey is, instead of showing how great of a pianist and dancer Peter Parker is.

***END OF SPOILERS***

Now, I don't hate everything about Spider-man 3. I loved the Venom costume. I loved Spidey's fight scenes with Venom, although I still felt that it was not long enough. I loved Topher Grace's portrayal of Eddie Brock, as I still see a little Eric Forman in him. His that sarcastic, insolent tone, the same tone you love on "That 70's show" was there, it even made you hope his dad came out of nowhere just to say "You jack*ss!" Bruce Campbell as the Maître d’ was exceptionally funny. Thomas Christian Haden's Sandman portrayal was exceptionally done, yet it comes out as shallow because his interaction with Spider-man was minimal. Only in the end did they actually talk to each other with any human emotion.

I think the main problem of the movie is that there was not enough time to weave all these interacting storylines together to fit in three hours. I mean , little things such as Peter actually discovering that sound affects the symbiote and can help remove it from him would have helped. I really cannot imagine someone such as Peter to just go to the bell tower and just as he's trying to remove the costume, hits the bell, which led to the belltolls, and eventually the symbiote moves away. Peter's a scientist; the least you can do is let him discover how to actually remove the symbiote.

Here is what I would have done if I were Sam Raimi: I would have just developed the Stacy family storyline and Eddie Brock's character in Spider-man 3. You know, Stacy flirting with Peter to MJ's disapproval, of course, and Eddie just doing anything sleazy just to get the upper hand in getting the photographer job over Peter. Continue with the black costume Spidey for the whole movie, and just fighting the Sandman over avenging his uncle's death. Spidey realizes how evil he's gonna become. So he finds a way to remove the symbiote, which is sonic waves, and then proceeds to the bell tower, where Eddie Brock was coincidentally there wishing for Peter Parker to die. Drop goes the symbiote, and we've got Venom. Then Spider-man 4 could be dedicated to Spider-man vs. Venom, which would have been very entertaining if they could actually recreate the fight scenes Spidey and Venom have in comic books.

They could have at least done what Quentin Tarantino did with the Kill Bill series. He actually thought the movie was too long for 3 hours, so he split it into two volumes. Alas, I have to assume this is the final chapter of the Spider-man series, as there is closure (ugly closure I might add) in the movie.

I hope comic book fans don't get too disappointed like I did. Because I believe that that's not the way to end a series, even a comic book series.

4.5 out of 10 stars

It might as well have been called that. If and when you watch the movie, you'll understand.

Oh boy, where do I start. This movie was just tried so hard to pack in so many stories into one movie. Don't get me wrong, the movie wasn't terrible, it just wasn't worth waking up at 8:30 in the morning to catch the first showing for.

There's just too many stories in it. The Sandman angle. The Harry Osborn angle. The Venom angle. The Gwen Stacy angle. Mary Jane (are they together? are the done? do we still care?). So many stories that the way the closure was put feels rushed. It really does. So you're left with lots of different storyline angles and too little time (which is saying a lot, since this baby ran for more than 2 hours) to put it in. So those different sides of the story weren't really explored fully.

Saying all that however, I'm not going to say that this movie was a complete disaster. Far from it actually. The fight scenes, as per usual, were well done. And, um, well... Oh! There was the emergence of a new and entertaining character: Peter Parker's apartment door. Also, we get to find out that even when he's Venom, Topher Grace still talks like Eric Forman. It's also revealed that Pete probably carries a spare mask all the time!

So go ahead and watch this movie. Even though it's probably a 5/10 movie, it's still worth watching. But don't go out of your way just to see it. You're welcome.

Ayos!
MP

wow... 8 years! To think 8 years ago, i didn't even know what progressive rock was. Well i loved classical music and i thought about fusing some of its elements with rock... but i didn't know that some bands actually already did that.

I found out about progressive music through a college friend. JP was a huge prog rock fan... he introduced me to Dream Theater, Rush, DMB etc... after my enlightenment, i never looked back.

So anywho... then a blockmate introduced me to Pepe... she told me her cousin was looking for a bassist and that she told him about me. So we met, and stuff... and then pepe gave me a study tape... he told me to listen to it and try to make my own bass line for the piece...

i got home, and immediately listened to the study tape... shit pickle... i fuckin' had a hard time making a decent bass line. the time signature was a bitch. wahahahaha. i almost lost hope... i thought... man, if prog rock is gonna be this tough, i don't think i can hack it. anyway, after spending the whole night... til the wee hours of the morning... trying to make a decent line... i finally finished the piece... so i told pepe that i finished the piece... pepe being the critic that he was told me that we should jam so he can hear the line... so i agreed

we then jammed at Transound... a music studio just a few blocks from DLSU. the rest was history as they say... we then met up with Chad and Loubert...

Eternal Now was born.


...wow ang papayat namin! wahahahaha... look at those baggy shirts... woohooo!



and now 8 years after... the original line-up is back together:

Pepe Manikan on keys and synth
Chad Robles on Guitars
Loubert Vidal on Drums
Mister Nobody (Roger Alcantara) on bass
and the new voice of EN Ian Gomez

who would've thought we'd last that long? i was away for sometime because of some conflicts with my sched... had to stop playing because i had to work. for a while i juggled work and my playing with the band... but photojournalism is a huge responsibility. and i had to make a choice back then. i don't regret that choice though... that time away made me mature, personally and musically. and now that i'm back i'm more confident about my playing and i feel i can contribute more to the new sound of Eternal Now. I still have a lot to learn of course... but learning is always fun, especially with these guys. you see, we're not just bandmates... we are brothers.


Eternal Now with friends at 6 Underground...



8 years! and what better way to celebrate 8 years... but to go back to where it all started...

Eternal Now jams at Transound:














we do hope you can join us as we celebrate 8 years of awesome music... do drop by our gigs:

April 26 - Al's Bar, BF homes parañaque with WPG, DC Aftershock, Sultans of Snap, etc...

April 28 - Vega J Bar, Malate (in front of P.W.U. Taft)

May 5 - Streakers bar, Las Piñas, (near Fernandos, McDonalds, Golf Driving Range)

May 19 - Mall of Asia with The Kagaws, Fuseboxx, Lucille, Squeezers, and Kala

May 26 - Ayuyang Bar, Baguio City

I'm often asked who my influences are... and i usually can't give a straight answer... and that's because i have lots. I've listened to a lot, and i mean a loooot of bands from different genres... and they have all influenced my playing in one way or another... so when someone asks me who my bass hero is... i can't pick just one.

another reason why i have a hard time trying to figure out who my bass god is... is because, when i listen to a band, or music in general... i listen to it as a whole... i don't isolate individual players and obsess about their playing. di ko talaga naging habit yung, bibili ako ng album just because i heard that the bassist was super. gusto ko yung trip ko yung mga songs nila. if it moves my soul, i'm an instant fan. but there are instances that i buy an album because of the bassist. but this is rare... and most of the time, tried and tested ko na talaga na magaling gumawa ng mga songs ang bassist na to... kung baga eh, tiwala na ako sa kanya...

so anyway... here is an attempt to list down my bass heroes... i have lots... as in... pero heto talaga yung mga nagkaroon ng malaking impact sa buhay ko...

Louis Ochoa

Mismo talaga si Choe! Siya nagturo sa akin ng mga basics sa bass. i still remember going to his house, one afternoon... tapos tinuro niya sakin yung mga notes sa neck. that was my first step into the world of bass. I also remember being so inspired by this guy. Man, back in highschool he was the baddest bassist around. Heck, some of the shit he did back then, i can't even do now. ehehehe. thanks man... you'll forever be at the top of my bass heroes list!

Sir Paul McCartney


I love sir Paul. I've always loved his simple driving bass lines. He was the first bassist who made me fall in love with the bass. Up to now i still sit down and jam along with my Beatles albums. And when i'm feeling glum, i just pop in my wings cd and play Silly Love Songs or Band On The Run. His work with the Beatles and Wings are awesome. And he makes the most memorable bass lines. The man is a genius.



Les Claypool


I love this bastard. I remember listening to my first Primus album (Tales from the Punchbowl) and being blown away. Well first there's Les' bass work... he's one weird but awesome bassist. He comes up with the weirdest lines but somehow, it just works. Then there's Ler Lalonde's guitar explorations... most of my guitarist friends hate ler because they say he plays really weird... BUT THAT'S THE POINT! if Pat Martino was Primus' guitarist, that wont be Primus anymore. Lastly, there's Herb Alexander... one kick-ass drummer! But what made me fall in love with Les Claypool was not his bass wizardry... it was his "I don't give a monkey fuck's ass what you think... im gonna do what i want to do" attitude. He is my favorite BASTARD of all time!


Jaco Pastorius


Medyo late ko na nakilala si Jaco. I was in college na when i started collecting Jaco and Weather Report cds. una kong nakita si Jaco sa isang vid. It was his solo spot sa Shadows and Light na concert ni Joni Mitchell... he was playing slang. i remember the sound of his beat up jazz as he stepped on the overdrive... how it screamed and wailed... i instantly fell in love. Then i researched about his life and that made me appreciate Jaco more. He truly opened doors for all of us bassists. for that we are very thankful.


Rommel dela Cruz


He is my favorite pinoy bassist. He comes up with the sweetest bass lines... and the most mind blowing fills and licks. He is what i call a perfect bassist. I admit i stole a lot of licks from this guy... hehehe May time pa nga na puro Barbie's Cradle lang talaga pinapakinggan ko. I jammed along to those cds almost everyday... and everytime, palagi ako napapangiti. Sobrang ganda talaga ng mga bass parts. And rommel is such a nice guy too. Sobrang laking honor nung nag-bass clinic kaming dalawa. It was really cool playing with my hero. Di ko makakalimutan yun at i-kkwento ko sa mga apo ko yun!


Tony Levin


His chapman stick work with King Crimson and later on with Liquid Tension Experiment really influenced me a lot. most of the tapping stuff i do on bass... that's just me trying to be like Tony. What's really awesome though is that i remember listening to my dad's John Lennon: Double Fantasy album... i totally loved the bass line on the song Woman... and this was what... around 6th grade or something... only recently did i find out that the guy playing that sweet bass line is no other than Mr. Tony Levin. How cool is that?



Michael Manring


Another genius! Michael Manring has made fretless bass playing an art. His pieces are so beautiful... and fuckin' hard to pull off... ehehehehe... just watch the video... who else would think of playing multiple basses simultaneously... and friggin' come up with such a beautiful piece such as that? It's almost insane.


John Myung


Ok so people think that since i play in a progressive metal band that i automatically have John Myung as one of my bass influences... well to tell you the truth... I only began to really appreciate John Myung's playing recently. You see... i love Dream Theater as a whole! i think they make awesome songs... not just technical exercises... they actually make songs that you can hum... they make good music. So whenever i listen to Dream Theater, i listen to the songs... not what each individual musician is doing... then it hit me. John Myung is that good! heck, he is such a tight bass player... He's bass playing makes the song work... he always comes up with bass lines that work well with the drum parts. He is so good, he makes Mike Portnoy's drumkit talk.



...there!

ilan lang sila sa mga naging malaking influence sa akin bilang isang bassist at isang musikero. Sometimes i play a lick or two during gigs to pay homage to my heroes.... people think i'm trying to be some kind of wise ass for doing it... but really, it's a nod to these awesome bassists who've inspired me.

if i could only thank them all personally... I would!

Ha! Now here's something you don't get to see everyday:

I was driving back home from Mandaluyong City, and seeing that the SLEX was experiencing heavy traffic, I decided to do the BF Shortcut. After an agonizing 10 minutes trying to follow Paranaque's 2nd District Congressional Candidate Atty. Romy Roxas' motorcade (you will lose, bastard!), I was finally at the Aguirre Avenue entrance. No problems here, as the guard was busy exchanging saliva, I mean words, with his friend "Scooter Boy", and I thought I was already scot-free.

Wrong! There was heavy traffic at the Toyota entrance of BF, and I thought how it can be this heavy when it's only 9 am on a Saturday. The thought quickly subsided when I found out that the guards were actually busy pulling down the bars, and they actually pulled them when I tried to pass, sending me to a complete stop.

Here's the transcript of our conversation:

Guard: Homeowner po ba kayo?
Me: Hindi.
Guard: Kasi kelangan nyo kasi ng sticker dito eh. (points to front window where the sticker should be placed)
Me: Para saan, eh pinapasok nga ako.
Guard: Saang gate kayo pumasok?
Me: Sa Aguirre gate.
Guard: Kasi nga kelangan nyo kasi ng sticker sa BF.
Me: Bakit? Hindi na naman kelangan ng sticker dito ah, kaya nga ako nakapasok eh, kaya nga lalabas na ako eh.
Guard: Kasi para sa Paranaque yun, eto naman para sa Las Pinas.

And here is where my mind goes, "WTF????? This was all the heavy traffic was about?"

Me: Ano po bang sticker ng Las Pinas ang kelangan ko?
Guard: (doesn't answer my question) Sa susunod nalang kumuha kayo ng sticker para di na kayo maharangan.

I just stopped and agreed, because I really don't want the other 50 cars behind me to wait for another 10 minutes for my tirade. Read that folks, 50 cars! These guards were not even thinking about the commotion they're doing. And it's on a fricking Saturday morning!!

Shit-pickle!

Good day to you JustStuffRedux readers!

First, introductions are needed. You shall call me Vice, nothing more, nothing less. Don't try messing up my name, or you'll feel the wrath of my finishing move, the ViceLikeGrip (VLG).

I have been friends with the bosses here, and they have been kind enough to let me write on this blog. I've been a fan of professional wrestling for 20 years, so I know most of the moves - of course that doesn't mean I can perform them. Currently, I've been playing the internet game RAN Online, which I've been religiously playing for 5 to 10 hours a day. Ahh, the wonders of not having to work!

Anyway, that's enough for me right now. Just remember you'll have to get used to me being here, and hopefully you'll like our collaboration.

Who?

Pat Torpey, the former drummer of Mr. Big, stopped by the Philippines to give a drum clinic yesterday at the Hard Rock Cafe in Makati. The event was sponsored by Audiophile and TAMA drums, and attracted a significant amount of people to the venue.

Our tickets state that the clinic starts at 4pm, so we tried to be there at around 3pm. When we got to the Hard Rock Cafe, we could already hear the drum's sound being checked, and so being the jerkoffs that we are, we immediately assumed that some drum tech is trying to show off. Well that drum tech turned out to be Pat Torpey himself. Oops.

-------

Well, 4pm rolled around and the event started on time. Pat took the stage and chunked out a drum solo that lasted for around 7-10 minutes. After he finished his introductory solo, people went nuts. Pat then said, "It's great to be in a place where you don't need an interpreter!" The crowd applauds. Haha, take that, non-english speaking countries!

Before the lessons began, Pat reminded the crowd that any question would almost certainly be entertained. Whether it's about drumming in general, Mr. Big or whatnot. So the whole clinic was made up of an exchange between him giving lessons and the crowd asking questions.

The majority of the lessons he taught were really entertaining and informative, even to those who don't play the drums. Basically, he demonstrated how to improvise and make the most out of every limb you've got, and to not be stuck in the common set-up of the right hand being stuck in the hi-hat cymbal and the left hand stuck to the snare drum.

He demonstrated how he gets that fast bass drum action, how he alternates his left foot between the hi-hat and the cowbell, how to alternate jobs between his left and right hands, and how simple improvisations to basic beats can spice up the drum track. While his demos were very elaborate, you could see very well how he practices what he preaches.

-------

As for the questions, the most entertaining ones we could remember were the following:

Can you play 'Take Cover?': We were all surprised by how simple the drum beat as well as the drum break of this song was played. He played it out in slow-mo too, so that everybody could catch up. While we're sure that a lot of practice would be needed to master the song, it was pretty amazing to see how simple it was for him to play it.

Were you sad when Paul Gilbert left?: Awww. He said he was, and that before he actually left the band, he had written him a letter expressing how he thought he should stick it out with the band. He even suggested that maybe all Mr. Gilbert needed was to take a break. On a lighter note, that question was a little too "The Buzz" and showbiz, that's why it's entertaining :)

Can I 'arbor' your sticks?: We swear that's true. This guy actually used the word 'arbor.' We don't really remember how Pat replied, because we were too busy chuckling like little kids. When it wasn't a chuckle really, it was laughter. And I mean the whole place was laughing.

It should be interesting to note that before anyone could even ask, he already addressed that he would want a Mr. Big reunion, but that it wasn't up to him. We're guessing he wanted to get that out of the way since that's probably a topic he gets faced with questions from most of the time. It was at this point when we stopped raising our hands. Kidding.

-------

After the question and answer portion, Pat played one last drum solo. A very, very long drum solo that the crowd absolutely ate up. We then proceeded to the autograph line where we had stuff like CD covers, tickets and flyers signed, as well as pictures taken with the man. The event wasn't bad at all. People learned stuff about drumming, we got to hear stories about the origins of some songs, and everybody had an awesome time. It was great just… to… be… with… him!

Get it?

(Drum roll!)

Ayos,

-MP

I love Mr. Big... and Pat Torpey is certainly in my list of favorite drummers... his steady groove... his tasteful fills... his consistent time... man, the guy is totally awesome... every bassists dream come true!

So when i found out that he was going to be in town for a drum clinic... i knew i had to be there. so i called up a friend and asked him to reserve my tickets... plus 3 actually since i'm bringing friends along... 'stuffers' mark & vice and jp. At last... Pat Torpey in the flesh! woohooo!!!!

When Mr. Big went here, i had no idea that the band was composed of superhuman musicians... all i heard on the radio was 'To Be With You'... and for a guy like myself who was into Anthrax, Testament, Megadeth, etc... i really wasn't interested that much... imagine how i felt when i started researching Mr. Big's discography... geez... what a sorry loser i was for blowing the chance to see such an awesome band.

I may not be able to see Mr. Big live anytime soon, since the band has broken up... (i do hope they get back together)... but at least i saw Billy Sheehan in the flesh during his bass clinic a few years ago... and now... Pat Torpey. it's the closest i can get to seeing Mr. Big, so i'm not letting this one slip this time.

Yay! What's better than Unicorns and a mountain of Candy? This Vid!

Weeee! Me likey! And I hope you guys enjoy it too! ^_^





May it cheer anybody there that needs some cheering up... well up! ^_^

bassists... woot!

anyways... last friday (friday the 13th) i attended a get together of bassists in quezon city... it was held at a friend's house... our HQ... ehehehehe... we do this like every other month or so to help strengthen the bond between members of a bass community here... nothing grand... just a simple gathering of lovers of the low end... we bring some of our gear, jam (yes, bassists jam too... and you'd be surprised how many awesome bassists we have here in manila...), and drink a lot of booze... well i do anyway.... wehehehehe...

some of you might be thinking... "the bass? isn't that a guitar with just four strings? what's so special about that? anyone can play the bass right?"

how wrong you are...

in fact... the bass is not just a musical instrument... it's a way of life...
to be a good bassist you need these things:

maturity

self discipline

a good sense of time

and most importantly you must have a firm grasp on groove... you must make people dance... that's a requirement... no matter what type of music you play... you must make their feet tap, their heads bop, and their butts shake


ok, so maybe some of you are thinking... "but i can't even hear the bass... why should i bother?"

this is actually true for some people... i have friends who have a hard time figuring out where the bass is in a song... but believe me, if a bassist makes a mistake in the middle of a song... or if he plays out of tune... etc... you may not hear it... but you will feel it. such is the power of the bass... that's why bassists have the biggest responsibility in the band... he is the foundation... he makes the song happen.

...so anyway, where was i? oh yeah, the get together. anywho... a lot of our friends couldn't make it due to conflicts in their scheds... talk about bad luck on friday the 13th... ehehehehe... but it's ok. it was an awesome night... the gears were great... beer... beer... beeeeer... and the people we're awesome as always. i had a blast...

met new people there... tried out some gear... played a little (wasn't able to jam much coz i was the official photographer and video guy for that night... ehehehehe)... basically had a great time being with people who love the bass too... and you know how it is being with people with same interests... you just feel like you belong... and that is such a cool feeling.

...hmmmm i think it would be better to tell the story through photos and some vid clips:

So this morning while I was killing time by being sick, and surfing the web, I stumbled upon a little amusing video blog/online comedy thingee called Bikini News. It was kinda fun so I thought I'd share it with you peeps! It certainly helped get my sickass self out of bed to go to work today.... I actually wanted to stay in bed longer... but for a whole other reason... urm... I mean.... Hey watch one of thier vids right here!

Waaa this just in! I saw a freaking vid and just have to add it! WTF is wrong with this Dad?! Is he trying to raise the next Shotgun weilding mass serial killer?!
That is just f'd up maaan! Watch, listen and guess who's behind the camera too!!!! I feel like I want to kidnap that kid! Sighhhh... but let's not dwell on that....

Let's end on a good note by seeing Jen Jackson and Mary Clark Dance! Wuahahah!

I love watching movie trailers. It's an artform in itself. Imagine having to give out a preview of a movie, cut it in a way that's not boring, and put in music in just the right places. That's a real challenge. Especially when you consider the fact that the editors can't really go overboard with what they show, since that would pretty much eliminate any need to actually watch the film.

So every so often I visit the Quicktime Trailers page over at Apple.com, and it gives me at least a good preview of movies I'd like to see within the year, as well as movies I'll pass on. It's the cinematic equivalent of juding a book by its cover.

Why not? After the so-so Ocean's 12, watching this trailer makes me think think that this franchise may end on a high note. They're back in Vegas, and they really want you to know Al Pacino is in the movie. Great editing, cool music and the usual cool red/black/white color scheme for the motion graphics.



John Cusack's character adopts a kid after his fiancee passes away. But the child thinks he's from Mars ('Cause since Men are from Mars, Boys must be from the same place, right?), so he walks around inside a box, afraid of the outside world that's filled with earthlings. So basically, it seems that it's up to Mr. Cusack to get this kid out of his shell. And I'm sure he'll learn some stuff about life as well. Aww. When this movie is out, you can bet that a lot, a LOT of people will equate the child's box with how people hide their true selves from society. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Well, that being said this movie looks quite interesting and (surprise!) Joan Cusack is in it too. This is most certainly a John Cusack movie. Oh wait, where's Jeremy Piven?



A comedy about a cop from London who is so good at his job that he's reassigned to a small town. Why? Because he made everyone else look bad. That's how it's described! Hmmm, interesting...

I would have wanted to post more, but the connection I'm using right now is having a hard time, so I'll just update this post as I see more interesting movie trailers.

Ayos,
MP

Hmmm, what can I say.... YAY! Juststuff has risen from it's ashes to bring some fire into the universe.... or well just to kill some f'n time for us folks who bother to read this blog :P.

Lo and behold.... for the first time ever..... i'm actually gonna blog.... hahahah.... I hate you guys... first friendster? Now this?! This is not cool... :P I refuse to join the blog bandwagon! (says the idiot who is writing this right now --- aw you guys know I wuuuv ya --- Why else would I be f'n blogging? Coz I get to blog with the great Misteeeeeeerrrrrrrr Nobody..... *wait for it... wait for it* Nooobodaaaaayyy.... and of course the Godfather himself who contributed his sperm to give birth to Juststuffredux: Juststuffredux... hmmm... that didn't come out quite as good as I imagined... erm... sorry Mpac :P )

Anyways, here i go, I will actually blog... Here is how I can describe the few weeks (with regards to getting work and starting out in my new job) or how i'd like to describe it metaphorically:

"Hi there, my name is Dog! I've spent the last few years playing basketball in my backyard... and in my friend's house... and sometimes at school with my classmates....." said the curly haired dude who has a slight fever and a runny nose as of this moment, "Then one day I tried out for this unknown team that seemed like some village league or so.... just coz hey, I'm playing! Why not play in some team? Maybe that would be cool!" He added.

And so the coaches checked him out; He was actually really lame and not sure why the coach even bothered to take him in anyways and give him a shot... despite the horrible performance. Apparently he thought he was pretty good, but actually he wasn't really that good at basketball, but it seems he's being given a chance because it has something to do with the school he went to... which apparently he had in common with the coach).

"Hmmm, maybe I should just call it quits and go apply at a call center (okay so i couldn't think of a good allusion that people would understand... sue me!)" said Dog, "I mean it's kinda pathetic the only reason they are taking me is coz we went to the same school... pffft.... when I seriously could've been tryout for the position of waterboy with the kind of game I played?!"

So he contemplated on whether to actually show up or just maybe just ditch that and start taking chess more seriously since he's apparently competent at it and chess people keep inviting him to play chess (OKokok... that's my call center symoblism! Yay!) even if he really doesn't care for it much....

Soooo anyways... long story short......... Dog decides to go back and see how the basketball practice was going, and maybe at the very least he could watch others play and learn some new skillz. The coach didn't exactly tell him he was a member you see.... the coach just said he should drop by and see the practice and maybe he gets to play and be tested again.... just for the benefit of the doubt....

"Oh well, I may suck... but they are giving me a chance to do something I like to do... so let's see how this goes" he mumbled.

So dog went to the practices and workouts and slowlyrealized something: it was becoming apparent that this team was not going to compete in any village league. In fact, this team was not even going to compete in just a college varsity tournament....

It was a Pro league, The NBA!

So imagine his surprise when after that, he was handed a contract! He was rather conflicted about it (and actually hasn't signed the contract lol) but he sure is gonna at least play in the NBA till they realize he shouldn't be playing there! hahahah!

"So yeah, I'm gonna be pretending I can actually guard Lebron James or Kobe Bryant" thought Dog, "And try to score points with the help of my team mates... who will hopefully be nice to me and give me a chance, till they realize i shouldn't be there.... It's a short term contract afterall.... so I'm just gonna run with it."

He still wonders though why the hell the coach bothered to throw him a bone..... He was suppose to be in the reserved list at best... but he is actually in the line up.... weird....

"One thing is for sure..... i'm gonna get my ass beat and my body turned to a puddle of gunk.... this ain't gonna be easy.... far from it..... let's hope I live long enough to even finish my contract term lol"

Sad? Happy?

More like Confused.... Conflicted

Grateful... yes....
Wary too...

Hahhaahha!

Okay so welcome to my brain.... I hope you can find your way out.... Coz i'm just as lost as you are.... urm.... who has my map? Anyone here have a map to the exit? Hello? Sigh... crap.....

it has been a looong time indeed.... it's good to be back...

went to the light expo yesterday... what can i say... well it's lights... for cryin' out loud... last time i checked, it's a necessity... not entertainment... how may times can you actually say... "hey mom let's go check out some lights... i heard they're pretty cool...." hmmmmm... the only reason to celebrate anything connected with lights is right after a looooong blackout...

neighbors: putang ina may ilaw na!!!!! yahooo! *jubilation*
me: *shrug*

...you don't even need to check if the power is back... just wait for the screams and cheers of your kapitbahay... it's as if they all won the friggin' lottery....



...will post pictures when i get home


...juststuff is back... how cool is that?

We've decided to resurrect JustStuff, now known as JustStuff Redux. We hope people like the blog and we hope that this version chunks out better stuff than the last.