Written Contusions

Alas, only 1 of my picks went through to the top 12. Well, congratulations for Danny Gokey. He really did good on his performance. While I was watching him perform Hero today, it felt that he was singing as if he's won. I hope he goes far in this season.

On the other hand, I hand it down to Michael Sarver's all-American charm. I don't still feel that he is AI winner material but he sounded better today after Ryan announced that he is through.

I felt that I was blind-sided by Alexis Grace because I thought that her performance was a little bit screechy. In the end, it all boils down to democracy.

I wish them well and I can't wait to see them in the top 12 round.

I want to be the first to blog about predictions about American Idol. I foresee that Danny Gokey will get through to the next round as the representative for the guys. For the girls, it seems that Anne Marie Boskovich will make it. The my third highest vote goes to Jackie Tohn. Let's stay tuned!

There's a saying that when it rains, it pours. It seems that today, it happened to me both literally and figuratively. Earlier in the morning, it rained. During the afternoon, a lot of new things poured down on me. I think that today is a start of new things and discoveries. Kate already finished her novel and I have in my hands her first manuscript; my friend, Anyanka, from Mafia Mofo asked me to coauthor a blog with her; finally, I learned something new about myself.

It seems that over the past entries, I have been mentioning that my friend, Kate, has a novel. As it turns out, she has finished giving birth to her novel and I have the manuscript already. The beginning looks promising and I can't wait to ravage through the entire piece. Being the bookworm that I am, I can finish that manuscript before the week is up. I can only give vague details about the novel because I want to ensure that readers worldwide buy her book once they get off the press and become available in bookstores; no spoilers here, sorry. I started reading the manuscript while I was at the van station, waiting for it to fill up with passengers. I was able to finish 5 chapters in less than 30 minutes.

When I arrived home, I checked my Mafia Mofo and I found a message from my friend, Anyanka. She is sort of my big sister in that online RPG and we've become friends even though we are continents apart. I love the internet! Anyway, she has asked me to coauthor a blog with her and naturally, I accepted. Wait for further updates on that. By the way, I think you are reading this Big Sis. Hello to you! Ü

Now, on to something really weird. While I was at the van, I noticed that there's a funny smell in the air. Think in the lines of vinegar! It smelled like somebody had just finished jogging and decided to raise his hairy armpits for the world to smell. As it turns out, I think that I was that smelly guy. How did I find out? I discretely raised my right arm and pretended to rest my head on my shoulders, that's how. I admit; I smelled horrible. I was feeling horrible too. Too bad, I was sitting next to a pretty girl wearing a green tank top and green eyeshadow. I got self-conscious of course. Moving on, I pretended to not notice until we got off the van. While waiting for a ride, I decided to check on my smell and it seems that the smell vanished! I was feeling a little bit better too. I don't know if this makes sense but this is my theory:

I smell bad if I feel bad; I smell good if I feel good.

Does that make sense? I know; I am weird. That's why you read my blog, right?

At about 2:30 PM, I was listening to Jordin Sparks' song, No Air. Part of the lyrics asks:


No air? Hmmm... Is that a trick question? That's elementary, my dear Jordin. You need to grow some gills. Gills are used by fishes to breathe water instead of air. Simple, isn't it?!

"Chad, what is 137 x 2?" Kate asked me last Monday. That was when we were buying 2 reams of bond paper for her project.

"374!" I replied with confidence.

"No, it's 274," she said in defiance.

Kate couldn't accept my answer and we insisted on our respective answers in front of the cashier. To finally settle the discussion, I took out my cell phone and calculated the real answer. To my surprise and utter embarrassment, the calculator did say 274.

Tuesday came and went. Before going home for the day, Kate and I had to submit reports to our boss. I was supposed to tally my work output for the day and I had to ask for the sum of 16 and 8. Since I acknowledged that I am really bad at math, I asked Kate.

"21," she said in a matter-of-fact tone.

Everybody reacted with a gasp. After a few seconds, there was laughter all over our office. Our boss corrected us and said that the correct answer is 24. At that point, I felt that Kate and I were equals again; she can't boast her math skills over mine.

When I got home, I decided to do more work. At around 11 PM, I started wrapping up and I had to send another report. I had to email the report to my boss. I tallied my work again and I sent the report. After sending the report, I read my email again and I my mouth went agape!

I miscalculated the figures again. It was supposed to be 8 + 6. However, I put 10 instead of 14. Oh my God! I immediately wrote a follow-up email correcting my figures. Nevertheless, the embarrassment was already there and there's no way to take it back. After everything that happened, I learned one very important thing:

When faced with math problems, use a calculator.

Yesterday, after a hard day's work, I went with my friend Kate and we bought some office supplies because she was supposed to print her work. It was past 4 PM when we left the office. We headed to Alabang Town Center to buy the supplies that she needed. On the drive home, I was fidgeting with her CD case for Nickelback's Darkhorse album. I opened the case and I was eying her wickedly because another CD was in it -- the Carpenter's greatest hit album. That is how I learned of their cover of Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft.

I asked her how on earth did that CD ended up in the wrong case when she explained that the CD was her mother's. I scanned the CD since it was from the Carpenters. While reading the track titles, she predicted that she was sure I'll like one track. I asked that we listen to it and out of curiousity, I asked her if we could drive around a random block so I can finish listening to the song. As it turned out, the track is the weirdest song that I've ever heard of from the Carpenters.

Curious? Well, here's how it goes:



Want some more fun? Why don't we sing it together?

In your mind you have capacities you know
To telepath messages through the vast unknown
Please close your eyes and concentrate
With every thought you think
Upon the recitation we're about to sing

(*) calling occupants of interplanetary craft

Calling occupants of interplanetary most extraordinary craft

Repeat (*)

You've been observing our earth
And we'd like to make a contact with you
We are your friends

Calling occupants of interplanetary craft
Calling occupants of interplanetary ultra-emissaries

We've been observing your earth
And one night we'll make a contact with you
We are your friends

Calling occupants of interplanetary quite extraordinary craft

And please come on peace, we beseech you
Only a landing will teach them
Our earth may never survive
So do come, we beg you
Please interstellar policeman
Oh, won't you give us a sign
Give us a sign that we've reached you

With your mind you have ability to form
And transmit thought energy far beyond the norm
You close your eyes, you concentrate
Together that's the way
To send the message
We declare world contact day

Repeat (*) twice

We are your friends

As it turns out, the song was already a cover of the same song originally recorded by a band called Klaatu in 1976. It was supposed to be the original anthem for the World Contact Day. John Woloschuk, as qouted from Wikipedia, said:

The idea for this track was suggested by an actual event that is described in The Flying Saucer Reader, a book by Jay David published in 1967. In March 1953 an organization known as the "International Flying Saucer Bureau" sent a bulletin to all its members urging them to participate in an experiment termed "World Contact Day" whereby, at a predetermined date and time, they would attempt to collectively send out a telepathic message to visitors from outer space. The message began with the words..."Calling occupants of interplanetary craft!"

Sadly, Klaatu's version was overshadowed by the Carpenters' version. Nevertheless, thanks to both their efforts, we now have a song to enjoy. Now, if I can just concentrate and contact the ultra-emissaries -- calling occupants of interplanetary craft!

Calling occupants of interplanetary craft!
Calling occupants of interplanetary craft!
Calling occupants of interplanetary craft!
Calling occupants of interplanetary craft!
Calling occupants of interplanetary craft!
Calling occupants of interplanetary craft!

I felt that the previous blogskin that I had was too commercial so I felt that I had to change. Looking at eBlog Templates, I found this new skin that I've seen a long time ago. I felt that this was the perfect skin for me because it is colored green and the menu for navigation moves around.

As everybody knows, green is my favorite color so I decided to go for this skin. My sister said that there's too much white space but no one can shake me off of this new skin. Perhaps, I would consider changing if there's another skin that tops this and is colored green.

In addition, I've been looking for a menu that moves so I felt that this was perfect for me. At first, I almost didn't take this because I couldn't figure out how to put my message box but luckily, I found a way around it. As I was saying earlier, I wanted my blog to look more personal so I don't really care if there's no ads.

Hopefully, my favorite color and the moving menu doesn't disappoint you guys. I'd rather share with you my thoughts and feelings in a way that would feature them. I wanted to tone down so I can have a more personal feel for my blog. I hope you like it!

A spark.
Then, a fire.
Everything is set; my cigarette is lit.

Shall I write about you now?
I guess I should. Surely, I can
easily whittle you down
into a perfect metaphor on paper
but in writing this verse,
I succumb to the greatest temptation:

words

mere maps that only approximate
and cannot dictate where exactly
in my heart the sun sheds light on you
or where it fails to reveal shadowy sorrows
you fervently endure.

Did you whisper your woes to me?

In the subtlest ways, maybe,
like the way teardrops dry up on your cheek.

Now,
rising but never drifting straight in the air,
smoke mimics how I contemplate
gazing at the red ember,
half-expecting epiphanies to fall,
like ashes from my nearly spent cigarette.

To a lot of people, it seems to me that living a life of crime is an enchanting idea. I cannot deny that I also secretly desire it. Once, when I was terribly angry at a certain person, I imagined that I would pay a group of assassins to kill that person. Of course, I didn't do anything of the sort but the idea of assassinating somebody I don't like still comes to mind at times. Living a life of crime has intrigued me and my desire to be a gang lord has been fulfilled by an online game called Mafia MoFo. Through that game, I am able to release my pent up frustrations in life without hurting anybody physically.

Mafia MoFo is an MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) that lets me live the life of a gangster. The goals of the game is to be the most powerful or the wealthiest gangster there ever could. In that game, I am able to do hurt a lot of people and get their virtual money, commit game crimes, and be part of a gang.

Although it seemingly promotes violence or criminal activities, it actually has some psychological benefits. Instead of committing heinous crimes, I am able to sublimate my destructive compulsions. Through sublimation, I am able to mask a very destructive behavior, such as robbing a convenience store, in just a click of a button. Clicking a button on the computer screen can be justifiably and relatively harmless.

In addition to that, I did not hurt anybody at all -- physically. In the game, I can fight with a person fist to fist or wage war with them using weapons and they will not ever feel any pain. Some would argue that their egos are hurt, but then again, they still go back for some more. Beating other players seems to satisfy my craving for destruction.

At the end of the day, I feel alright having to put up with people that annoy me. Instead of hitting a person with chair, I just click on a button and feel alright. I know that I will never be able to hurt a person and I feel that Mafia MoFo is the best way that I see on how I can be sane amidst all the frustration that the world can offer me.

The past couple of weeks have been too stressful to me. My mother is asking me to prepare all the documents that I would need to apply for a housing loan so I am really stressed over that. Last December, I went to the compulsory seminar for people who want to apply for one. I am just lacking a copy of my employment contract and my payslips. Hopefully, I get them all next week so I can stop stressing over it.

On a lighter note, I found this online game called Mafia Mofo and I felt addicted. The concept of the game is based on a life of crime. I am playing as a regular mobster trying to make my way to the top of the crime hierarchy. It felt so violent so I related to it because of all the pent up frustration I am feeling. Interested? Check it out -