I think it's been more than a month now since I last put up a post, and trust me when I say it's not from lack of trying. It's just that the past month at work has been incredibly taxing, what with a co-worker going on maternity leave when our group is understaffed already, and I've had to do a lot of extra work.

It hasn't been all bad, though. Just yesterday I was covering Rock Ed Philippines' Rock The Riles, an annual event held in celebration of International Human Rights Day. There were about 120 bands scattered in eight stations of the Metro Rail Transit, and while it was tiring making my way from station to station, it certainly was exhilarating to listen to these bands play and have the opportunity to dance and sing and just make a fool of oneself on the train stations without having to worry about being cuffed by guards.

The week before that, I was coordinating with Rock Ed for a project our section was working on for our office, which involved me helping organize a concert featuring four bands. Definitely not the easiest thing in the world to accomplish -- I was running around wringing my hands up until the very last minute.

I swear, I'm not making blogging into just a monthly thing. It's just that real life has just been kicking my butt lately. composing my thoughts to make a coherent blog post just seems too much effort to expend after a really long and tiring day. Which is why I just spaz out on Twitter.

But here I am, back again. Hopefully the schedule clears up and I get to blog on a much more regular basis. But for now, I only have a few links for you.

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He also has 120,000 Twitter followers, is the CEO of his own company, TeensInTech.com, and is an adviser to two companies. He also goes to high school. You can all cry into your resumes now.

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And as anyone who knows me knows, I am always a sucker for a boy with tattoos. This photo is part of About Face, a coffee table book featuring face shots of normal people and celebrities using 55 Polaroid film and with natural light.

Ryan Kwanten and Ian Somerhalder are also featured in the book.

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Finally, the half-naked Australian is under the cut. His name is Paul Coaster. His hair is...different.

( Insert witty line here )

Yes, I've been gone for almost a whole month now, and even then I won't be bringing much to the table in terms of this post. Just wanted to remind everyone who isn't following me on Twitter that yes, I am still alive and well.

Aside from work, I've had time to do a little reading as well. I finished reading Let The Right One In, although I haven't gotten around to writing about it yet partly because I don't have the time and mostly because I am lazy.

I also meandered around with the girls following around Sam Bradley, which was a lot of fun, if I say so myself. I even got myself a hug!

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Dublin says good-bye to Boyzone star Stephen Gately.

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James Franco owns a mask of his prosthetic penis. Which no one in the Philippines got to see because they cut up that scene in Milk.

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The Marge Simpson spread in Playboy.

When I first saw the cover, I thought I would be ok with it, but now that I've seen the pictures...it kinda feels weird to me.

When we featured Danton Remoto in 60 Minutes, he talked about how there is no coming out process for the gay man here in the Philippines. Everything is always implied, and it is up to everybody else to read what's between the lines.

That has also been my experience. While there has never been a formal coming out process with my own parents, I have never hidden the fact that I openly appreciate cute guys being shown on TV. I tell them point blank that I am going to a gay bar or am walking with the Pride Parade. And while my parents have never been uncool about it, they've never talked about it with me either.

Which is why what happened yesterday really took me by surprise.

As most of the Filipinos on my flist already know, the latest season of Pinoy Big Brother begins today, and I have an unhealthy obsession with it. I commented that they should really include a gay housemate, and from out of the blue my mother hits me with this stunner: "Why don't you join?"

I guess I should have expected it, in a way, going on and on about cute guys and gay rights the way that I do. But the straightforwardness of it all still caught me by surprise. I think that may have been the first time my mother has out loud acknowledged me being gay

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However, the awkwardness of that particular situation can't be compared to what these guys must go through. I can quite honestly say that I would have no idea what it would feel like to come out to my parents at 12 years old. I don't think I would have the courage to do so.

But it does make sense that they're doing so at an earlier age. And I also understand why the first reaction of the parents is to ask "Are you sure?" I definitely knew I liked boys when I was 10, but I really only came to terms with it when I was in college. In between that I had this belief that i was really bisexual and bound to find the right girl any moment soon. That didn't exactly turn out the way I thought it would.

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This entertained me more than it really should have.

I know I whine and whine constantly about my perpetual singleness, but there are lots of times where I thank all my lucky starts that I thank all my lucky stars that I am not in the sort of relationship some of my housemates are in.

Pardon the sexism and stereotyping about to follow, but when you're a straight man and you're moodier than a woman with a heavy flow and a wide-set vagina, I think there is something that you need to fix in your relationship. You're bringing everybody's buzz down.

First, a few words from my future husband.

( A Man after my own heart )

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What is it about me that just compels my office mates to share their stories about bodily fluids with me? Last time I looked there was no sign on my forehead announcing my openness to hear stories about their bodily functions.

I thought the Pee Lady was the last time anything involving my co-workers' fluids would come up in conversation, but yesterday I was proven wrong.

See, the cubicle next to mine was engaging in a conversation about safe sex -- or the lack of it in their lives. Now I know that I haven't engaged in sexual intercourse (yes, I am sharing that in a public forum) and should just shut my piehole during conversations like this, but when one of the guys -- an old guy who looks like a cadaver and has this disgusting habit of going on burping sprees in his cubicle -- suggested the withdrawal method, I had to speak up.

I was all "CONDOMS PEOPLE HOW HARD IS IT TO USE THEM GOSH." And then Old Cadaver Guy got me with this zinger: "Kapag nagsusuot ako ng condoms nahihirapan akong labasan." (I have a hard time getting an orgasm when I'm wearing a condom.)

THE IMAGE IS FOREVER BURNED INTO MY BRAIN. I THINK I VOMITED POOP AND MY INTESTINES TURNED INSIDE OUT.

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Freak Falling Limb Puts Google Engineer in Coma. Good golly.

I know that I've talked about how I've been able to put a little money aside from what I earn, but really, it doesn't amount to a whole lot. i won't be thrown out into the streets anytime soon, that's for sure, but I won't be able to retire anywhere near the definition of "early" either.

A normal person would avoid unnecessary expense, and for the most part, I do as well. But there are just some things where "no" is not an option. It may be clothes for some, music for others. And for me, as most of the people on my flist know, it's books.

At least what I spent yesterday wasn't as outrageous as some of the book purchases I've made before. I bought a hardbound copy of Jean Genet's "Our Lady of the Flowers" for P75, or a little over a dollar. I also bought a novel titled "Butterfly Boy" for P20, which is basically cents.

But the problem now is that this just adds even more books to my reading backlog. Honest to gods, I think I may have over a hundred books whose spines remain intact literal years after I've bought them. I should maybe stop hanging around bookstores so much.

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Teenagers learn harsh lesson after Facebook party brawl.

I'm guessing Skins parties are still all the rage there in England, even if not a lot of people seem to have liked Series 3.

Also, I like how all the commenters on the Guardian website are snarking on this article.

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If this girl can get with a male model, why can't I?

The rains the past few days have been a welcome break for me. I've always liked the rainy season, maybe because it reminds me of classes being suspended, and the fact that I've been quasi bedridden has made the past week sort of relaxing.

I also got to watch "Harry Potter and the half-Blood Prince" last Monday, and as much as I'd like to write about it here, I'll have to keep it bottled in until my article about it comes out next Saturday. Watch out for it, if you're so inclined!

One thing I don't like about the rains is that a lot of people are just opting to stay inside the house rather than venturing out into the soaking environs of Metro Manila (and who can blame them, really). I miss going out with friends. I think the last time I did was a couple of weeks ago, with keanoidd and no_mere_mortal.

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Are there any Blue fans on my flist? Because one of the members just came out as bisexual. Why am I no longer surprised when a member of a boyband comes out as gay or bi?

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Another blog asked this question before me, but I do think it is something that needs to be addressed. Do all the harry Potter kids need to get naked at some point in their career?

( Cormac Mclaggen dancing in his underwear and being all flexible )

I've been feeling unwell since Saturday. Nothing major, just migraines and dizziness, but it really puts a damper on me doing much of anything. Will be back in action when I feel better.

Sorry for the lack of updates the past week. Work has been pretty hectic recently, and my life has been boring so far anyway. I only have a couple of links that are a few days old that maybe you guys may still be interested in anyway.

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Roberta Silman may cause Alice Hoffman to go on a Twitter rampage, but apparently Hoffman can induce other authors to go into a gun shooting frenzy.

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Over the past few weeks I've found myself slowly but surely becoming an AI Season 8 fanboy. I blame the Kradam, which, coincidentally, is being called a model for gay-straight relations.

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NYC Prep looks horrifyingly awesome. I kinda want to watch it now.

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This is cute: Gay geeks who play Dungeons and Dragons. I love how under the table action in this context literally means under the table action.

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This, on the other hand, is not cute: paleontologists brought to tears, laughter by Creation Museum.

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Finally, have a cat catching a bat.

I know that in this entry I talk about my decision to not just pack up and leave this country for greener pastures, but the past few weeks have been really working on that resolve. As more and more days pass, the feeling that I have to leave this country if I want to go anywhere in life is becoming stronger and stronger.

I don't exactly know what brought it on. Sure, there has been a bit of drama at work, but everything's worked itself out and we're kinda back to normal already. But now there's just this feeling over there of...hopelessness. For me, it feels like I'm working hard on a ship that is very quickly sinking.

I'd leave, but it's not like finding a new job is easy, especially in today's times. And I don't want to take the same risk a friend of mine did, who just went to Madrid without a proper job in place already. If I'm ever going to leave the job I'm in right now I better have a new one waiting for me already.

I've also been looking desperately for anyone to give me a good reason as to why I should remain in this country. My family and friends all seem to agree that there's nothing to be had here, and I'm just waiting for that one lone person to give me something that will override everything that I'm feeling right now.

There's been a change in my life recently. Nothing mind blowing, just a few minor details in my admittedly boring life, but it has got me all aflutter. It has been surprisingly easy to adjust to it, and I must say that all the hand-wringing I was doing beforehand was just me being paranoid.

My sister is adjusting to changes, too. As I giddily announced some blog posts ago, she is now a high school freshman, and so far it's been a drama-free transition for her as well. Her first two days in school actually went very well -- she made a lot of new friends -- and while there were declarations of "I'M GONNA DIEEEE!!!" when her classes actually started, she didn't mean them literally. I think.

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Gizmodo reviews the new iPhone 3GS. I dunno. If the best thing about it is that it's faster...is it really worth all that dough?

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Same sex relationships play an important role in evolution. I hate to be childish about this, but I could not get over the paragraph where they say that male dolphins insert their penis in other male dolphins' blowholes. Wouldn't that hurt? Won't they suffocate?

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Ever fantasized about disrobing a tennis player? Then check this out.

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Jamie Dornan and Eva Mendes model for Calvin Klein. Although I was mostly appreciating Jamie Dornan.

So. 247 cases of AH1N1 influenza, according to the latest reports. And if it's not going to freak you guys out too much, I will admit to being at both La Salle and ABS-CBN when their cases were announced. But as the Department of Health also reports, it's not as serious here in the country as everyone thinks it is. Maintaining proper hygiene and lots of Vitamin C will do the trick.

Other than that I've nothing really exciting to share with you guys today. I do have links under the cut.

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( Links and such )

It's my little sister's first day at school today! She was all excited and kept fixing herself up at the mirror before she went out of the house. I was supposed to be the one to take her to school, but my dad decided last minute that he'd rather do it himself. And who am I to refuse a few more hours to sleep in?

Hopefully my sister has a great time in high school. While my high school life wasn't exactly horrible, I do wish that I was a little less stuck-up and more outgoing.

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Dustin Lance Black has this to say about his leaked photos:

"It is unfortunate that individuals and other outside parties are trying to profit from material which is clearly private. I have had the privilege to speak to people across the country, both gay and straight, on a number of critical issues including safe sex. More important than the embarrassment of this incident is the misleading message these images send. I apologize and cannot emphasize enough the importance of responsible sexual practices."

Honestly, I'm still trying to get over the fact that this scandal doesn't involve an actor or actress.

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For anybody else who is on Twitter and looking for updates on the situation in Iran, you can check out http://twitter.com/Change_for_Iran. It's a student Tweeting real time about what's happening inside Tehran University.

So...it's been almost a month since I last made a blog post. I've been getting my life back on track during the past weeks and hopefully I get my head screwed on right again. maybe I really do just need to take a rest or something.

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I won't link to it because you guys can just as easily google it, but has anybody else on the flist seen THOSE Dustin Lance Black photos? Holy moley. That is one nice looking naked screenwriter. And as Gawker points out, isn't it refreshing that the star of this particular scandal is a screenwriter? Doesn't happen very often, doesn't it?

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Work sucks donkey balls. Makes me want to do these things.

When I was younger than I am now, I thought I would never want for anything. My parents always got me what I needed, and with a little creative sulking, I could even get what I wanted.

Now that I no longer expect -- or want -- my parents to rescue me from a financial bind, I've certainly become extra tight with any cash that comes my way. Other than books, I very rarely make impulse purchases. I only buy clothes twice a year -- when I get my midyear bonus and my Christmas bonus -- and even then I only spend a small amount. Most of my money goes to insurance payments, monthly bills, and a savings account.

And while you could call it being responsible or whatever, there are days when I really, really hate it. When that mood hits me, I feel like just taking out all my money, buying a plane ticket to somewhere I've never been to before, and just spend my days backpacking and doing menial jobs all over the world.

If only it were that easy.

From 77ws



For the past few weeks or so I've been hooked on Twitter and its 140 character limitations. I really shouldn't be that enamored of it: Facebook has more features and Livejournal lets me ramble on and on, which I tend and like to do.

But I believe it's exactly those limitations that have drawn me in. Without any "poking" or unruly html to distract me, I'm forced to try to actually sound interesting. It's almost always a complete failure, but at least I've been made to try.

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Daniel Radcliffe dines out with transgender performer Our Lady J. I love that Daniel is down with the trans folk.

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Look! A Filipino Star Wars wedding makes it to Gizmodo!. From the_bumper_car

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Look at this fucking hipster. Just look at it.

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Only two videos under the cut this time.

( Glambert, breasts, and Gary Oldman playing a midget. Or is the PC term a dwarf? )

This will be quick, as I have to chaperon my little sister around as she enrolls for school.

Yesterday was quite a day, as my colleagues and I headed over to the Hotel Celeste to interview a National Artist. The interview was going as well as it could -- the National Artist wasn't exactly very talkative -- but then my stomach decided it was time to be a petulant bitch.

It was some minutes after eating the salmon that I started getting dizzy. Before you know it I was making regular trips to the Hotel Celeste's pretty, pretty restrooms to unload all over their toilet. I swear, going back to the interview acting like nothing happened was probably the most awkward thing I've ever had to do in a while.

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This is a little awkward too: