Praise the Lord in Heaven that SIPA's benefit dinner is done done done!!! Of course there were glitches along the way and plenty of people I want to choke hold but it's done and I'm releasing...and continuing on with my job search. Holla if you got some leads!

I've figured it out. Karaoke is only for those with really bad vocals, at least in public. I was contemplating this as I was watching the Lakers' game last night at Max's in Glendale and listening to people amuse themselves with their so-called talents.

I know I will offend some friends in saying this. But I truly think that is why people get on the Karaoke machines in public. There has to be some ounce of humor in the performance or it's just plain boring when someone that can stay on key and in time performs! It's not as funny. I was thinking back on all the moments The Joe and his friends have made me sit through those sessions and each time, they've attempted something humorous to make the experience somewhat enjoyable, at least for me. I think that's often times why I don't want to sing since I don't know really know how I can be funny on the mic unless you're like The Joe and expounds on some Tagalog song that speaks to how a Lola warns her grandchild about falling in love with someone that's not exactly in the same "breeding quality" as her family.

Yes, I do roll my eyes often when the word, "karaoke" even comes up. Yes, sometimes I do feel as if I'm being tortured. Yes, I do require a significant amount of intoxication to get me in the right mood to completely "play along." I can't help it. It's hard to listen to not so good stuff when you try to surround yourself with really good sounds all the time, especially in the crazy situations I often get myself into.

But just because I hate karaoke doesn't mean I don't love my friends and, I guess, my Joey. Just don't expect me to be the first to suggest this kind of entertainment.

Someone read my mind today!

Creating Confidence
Capricorn Daily Horoscope

You may begin to doubt your ability to provide for yourself today. This sense of insecurity could stem from anxiety over your obligations or challenges you may currently be facing. If you can look at your life with an optimistic eye and consider every problem to be a blessing in disguise, you’ll likely regain your confidence about your ability to shoulder your many responsibilities. Consider how well you have dealt with challenges in the past. To do so again, you may simply need to change your outlook and start to believe in your ability to find solutions. Today can be a wonderful time to create a step-by-step plan for seeing to your obligations.

Approaching our concerns with the notion that everything will work out allows us to put our worries aside and concentrate on seeking constructive solutions. In choosing to assume that a situation will turn out all right, our mental state gradually shifts to one where we become confident that we can deal with any problem. We also begin to have faith in our abilities. This optimism can keep us cheerful and practical-minded through good and bad times. Our positive mind-set allows us to see the possibilities rather than dwelling on concerns. Adopt a positive outlook today, and you will be able to focus on what needs to be done rather than worrying about what may or may not happen.

What I did for Mike's Spring Break

Just one of the many things...



Oh yes, the boy was hurting the next day but he had one hell of a ride! Take 2...

A New Stage

All the time I was wondering what the heck I wanted to do with myself and someone makes the decision for me. It's time to go back to corporate life, at least for right now. Time to build up more capital for myself and for The Joe, as he'd like to think, while continuing with all the community stuff as before. It's certainly been a wonderful time and I can fully understand the complexities of working in such an environment. I am also greatful for all the support I've received, personally and professionally...moving with courage and confidence.

Keeping Conscious

Here's a few things to remind all of us to live with meaning.

1. Live simply and live deliberately. By choosing not to get caught up in the details of this fast-paced world, you are doing your part to slow down the . You will also discover that you have more time to enjoy being alive.

2. Stay in touch with yourself. Soul searching, meditation, and journaling are just a few of the many activities you can take part in to stay aware and learn as much as you can about your emotions, reactions, likes, dislikes, dreams, and fears. Having a solid sense of self gives you a firm foundation for living in this world.

3. Support or teach others as often as you can. This can help you form connections with people while also giving you an opportunity to make the world a better place.

4. Consciously choose what you will allow into your being. The media bombards us with visions of hate, war, and pain. Be judicious about what you read, watch, and listen to.

5. Acknowledge the beauty that resides around you. Whether you live in a sprawling metropolis or a stereotypical suburb, there are natural and man-made wonders just waiting to be discovered by you.

6. Nurture your ties to your tribe. If you don't have one, create a community that you can belong to. Modern life can be isolating. When you have a tribe, you have a circle that you are a part of. Its members - loved ones, friends, or neighbors - can be a source of support, caring, guidance, and companionship.

7. See the larger picture. Remember that the way that you choose to live is not the only way to live. Widen your perspective by exploring other modes of being through research, travel, and discussion.

8. Embrace the challenges that life presents to you, and challenge yourself often. After a time, even the most exciting jobs or lifestyles can seem routine. Never stop assimilating new knowledge about whatever you are doing, and your life will never seem dull.

9. Move your body. In this busy world, it can be easy to live a sedentary life. Movement reacquaints us with our bodies and connects us to the earth in a visceral way. It also restores our vitality.

10. Make time for stillness, silence, and solitude. The world can be noisy, and we are subject to all kinds of noises nearly every waking hour. We are also often "on the go" and unable to relax. Being alone in a peaceful place and making time for quiet can help you stay in touch with yourself.

A New Baby

One of my lovely friends was down for a visit this past weekend. I took two days off to spend some time with her and always to take a breather from work. It's been very nice.

It was wonderful catching up with her. She's one of my friends whom I will die with and we will always have each other's back. She can finish my sentences when I don't know how to verabalize my thoughts. She understands the intonations in my sentences and just knows me even during the times when I can't see me.

Before she left, we talked again about starting our own business. We've been scheming about several different ideas for the past five years. I don't think it's necessarily about making money at the end of the day but being able to work for ourselves and doing things we really like to do has been the draw. Being able to work with a white canvass is something that has always attracted the two of us, as well. Some good thoughts were definitely shared. Maybe in the next three years?

A much needed breather

I've been working 9-11 hour days in the past few weeks. This doesn't really count the amount of additional time I spend at home so maybe the count should be more like 10-15 hours. I'm finally taking off tomorrow and Wednesday for some much needed rest. My throat has been scratchy for the past few days so I've been trying to fight that off, too.

I had a little yoga session this morning. I've forgotten how good a little meditation and movement feels first thing in the morning. For some reason, I've been waking up around 7am/7:30am for the past few weeks. Maybe my body is finally trying to regulate itself.

My day and evening were going relatively well until a little situation irked me around dinner. A few of us were gathering at our friends' place and I couldn't find parking on the main street. I had to park in the back of their alley and pass through a portion of the street that was semi-blocked by four car-loads of guys. They had their cars on and were parked on the street talking to each other like no one else was going to drive on the damn street. I'm not really one to ask to be walked somewhere, so you'd think one of the few times I'd ask, the one person who I thought would not question me or put up a fuss did. I was so hurt. And then the stupid prick attempts to playfully make peace by playfully...hell no...bastard! No apology as of yet, at least not a sincere one.

Tomorrow is a new day. I'll do some light work first thing in the morning and wait for Gellie and Bernie to get their asses over here. I don't understand why they haven't figured out that the 405 is the worst freeway to take in this area. Ah well...some people gotta get smacked on the ass a few times before they really get it.

Sad joePod

OMG! Tragedy struck today...my joePod went sad.

I made myself not overreact and calmy went to apple.com to see what they had listed under support. You know it's not a good thing when there's a direct link with the same icon on their homepage for iPod support. After going through all the steps I still couldn't fix it. The primary scare was that I don't have all my songs saved in iTunes so in cases like this, there is major reason to panic.

Then my lovely friend, Hiyas recommends I look through the forums since they are most often times more help than the "geniuses" at the Genius Bar. After reading over the forums, I found one discussion that related to my case. The last resort was to throw it against something and shake it up a bit. I didn't go through exactly the same extent but after I tried resetting it again after I shook it a little, it went into data mode and the light turned on! WOOHOO! Tragedy averted!

I'm currently uploading everything I have in joePod back into my iTunes playlist...never again! Thank you Jesus! I'm still taking it into the Genius Bar to make sure I've updated joePod's software correctly.

Mercury, you suck big knockers right now!

why am i fighting against myself? wtf! another blunder that's costing me a ton! i need some clarity and it needs to fuckin stick!

fun project of the day

just got approved for a grant to create a multi-media program at SIPA. that means all apple products including adobe photoshop, illustrator, indesign and possibly final cut pro and more ram! woohoo! i'm spending someone else's money to buy stuff i luv luv luv! the only downer is that i might end up taking on some of the tech support and training until we get a professional in here.

thank you, oh heavens above for all the days and new challenges you give me. but damnit...mercury in retrogade sucks ass! first strike today kinda hurts!

I HATE THE CITY'S BUILDING AND SAFETY DEPARTMENT!!! I had to call them to get information on a variance that I need to get in order to build a higher fence at our office. They put me on hold for freakin' 18.57 minutes!!! I have it recorded on my damn cell phone. When the stupid code engineer finally answered, he spent TWO FREAKIN' MINUTES talking with me to answer my damn question!!! FIND A BETTER WAY TO ANSWER FREAKIN' QUESTIONS! GET ON EMAIL, BASTARDS! mfs!

had an annual physical today...kind of like getting your car checked up. weird. waiting for the test results from all the fluids they extracted from my body. THANK GAWD they found the freakin' vein in my arm the first time they stuck the needle in it! one of the times i had to get blood drawn, the damn nurse poked around under my skin trying to find it. she wasn't successful and stuck with a "baby needle" on the top of my hand which HURT MUCH MORE! baby needle my ass!

this is the first time i've been a member of kaiser. thank you, most high for the fact that i can critique my experience with my health provider! i felt like i was being put through an assembly line. after my initial doctor's appt., i went downstairs to the lab to get blood drawn. they gave everyone numbers. when mine was called, i entered a hallway that lead to where 8 people were drawing blood for patients with numbers. weird. i wonder how long the 8 people spent just drawing blood from patients each day. i think the whole visit contributed to my anxiety of being in a hospital like setting. i practically grew up in them because of my dad. i still get messed up walking around in the damn hallways and elevators that all look the same. even the signs that tell you where you're going and where you are look the same so i rarely pay attention to them. if i ever get hospitalized (knocking on wood), i'd never leave my room for fear that i would never find my way back!

Ok, so I was raving about this cd when it was being blasted during KCRW's membership drive but I'm starting to give it second thoughts. The majority of songs are classic sambas and other Brazilian standards that artists have sampled world-wide. Timeless is filled with great reworked beats but a part of me feels like Mendes' artistry and contributions take a back seat to all the American Hip Hop/R&B stars that accompany his arrangements on this album. I think I may also be partially blinded by the fact that the Black Eyed Peas, aka Will.I.Am, haven't really been on my top 10 list of Hip Hop groups since they took on their female member and the depth of their lyrics began to erode. The songs that Will.I.Am raps on sound like every up tempo Black Eyed Peas song that's on their latest album...whoopty freakin' do! Can we be a little more original? So I admit that I may be a little over critical of this album but again it sounds like the producers and other contributors were going for a more "marketable" and "commercial" sound than really focusing on the artistry of the project. You be the judge.

listening

sometimes it's ok if the person you're speaking to can't give you advice on how to handle a challenging situation. it's probably because you really do have to figure out the answer on your own.

and sometimes, it truly does help to vent out your frustrations with someone else, which really does sometimes lead to your solution.

Dinner Season

Damn...I can feel it. It's been nonstop today. I hate unproductive ass meetings where people just like to hear themselves talk. What the hell are you going to call a damn meeting for if you nothing results from it! Some people!

I feel like I have 50 million things to take care of at home plus all the crap I have to take care of at work...weekends are made to just stay home. Thank goodness this only happens for a little while.

time to get my act in gear, time to start saving more, time to start taking care of myself more (spiritually and physically)...staying positive

Hero?

In the past week after the Pacquiao/Morales boxing match, everyone has been buzzing about their beloved "Pacman." Everyone, as in, all Pilipinos including my very dear Joe.

The main reason for my non-bandwagon jumping ass is that I'm highly disturbed that the Philippines and Pilipinos around the world, have found a new persona to place their "heroic" labels on, yet again. I can see it now. When Pacquiao retires from boxing, one of his "homies" is going to talk him into running for office and there you have it...the tradition of non-qualified elected officials and the Philippines being at the bottom of the international economy continues. I'm SO looking forward to it!

Ok, maybe I'm making too many assumptions. Who's to say that he'll decline pleas of running for office? Who's to say the he won't genuinely become more politically active and informed? So maybe he will be a great leader some day but that day has yet to come!

The bottom line is that Pilipinos have a history of placing "famous" people on pedastals as if they know all, see all, hear all, comman all. In general, expectations are set for falsely idolized individuals as high as God sometimes! And when things go awry, the blame gets placed on those individuals who were elected or put in charge. Shouldn't the blame go to the people who elected the person to office? (This, in particular, applies to all the Bush mo-fus, too.) The good leaders or at least the ones with a little more ethics are the ones who decline to be in such a position of power because they personally feel that they are unqualified for the duties. The ones who have helped to keep in the Philippines in disarray as well as maintain its wonderful status of "developing country" are most likely those who are in power and will most likely stay in power for the rest of the country's natural being.

Is there hope? If so, what kind of hope may that be? Can the country be "saved"? I'd like to remain optimistic. But just like my uncle who tills the talon and struggles to send my cousins to school, one at a time, it's difficult to keep hope if you get pushed down so often.

Security Measures

As much as BofA irritates me, they saved my ass this morning. A representative from their Fraud Detection office called me this morning asking me if I had authorized a check that was WAY more than what was in my check account right now. I didn't recognize the name of the person or the company's name that was on the check! SCARY that someone would have that much info on me to be able to do that!!! Bastards!

I filed my claim with BofA and went through the steps of closing my account and getting a new one. The only drawback is that I don't get new checks until next week and I don't have auto deposit on my paycheck for this cycle. The nice BofA rep I was dealing with at the Chinatown branch was kind enough to offer me a free cashier's check if I needed it before my actual checks arrived.

Lessons learned -
1. Don't make online payments or do online banking over unsecured wireless networks...never again!
2. Make sure your firewall is functioning the entire time!
3. Keep your account info as confidential as possible, particularly to those who have absolutely no business having it.
4. NEVER NEVER carry your social security card on you! If your wallet gets stolen with the card, it makes it that much easier to apply for finance with your identity...yes speaking from experience! After that, I've made it virtually impossible for other people to apply for finance under my identity and have made it even more difficult for me to get credit...may have a been a good thing for me. :-)

Safe shopping, my lovelies!