Kitty Litter

These are the cats at the PAWS PARC center on the border of QC and Marikina (it's on the corner of Aurora and the main road to Loyola cemetery...a bit hard to get to but worth it)

These are lovely cats, and they all are desperate for attention (see how eagerly they're looking into the camera?). Why not volunteer to spend some time with the cats and give them some kindness and love?

The shelter can also use donations of old newspapers and towels, pet food, kennel cabs, cages, collars, and leashes. They also do cheap spayings of animals (don't be thickfaced though and bring a pedigreed cat!) The staff is cheerful but overworked. They're doing this out of the love for animals. You can also donate in cash to their account numbers (call 4751688 for details)

If you're doing an event for charity why not sponsor these animals? They're better off than being on the street, true, but PAWS needs more workers, materials, and food.

If you have nothing else to do on Oct. 22 why not check out the fair benefiting these animals, called "Alibata"? Oct. 22 Sat 6 pm onwards at Tribu Bar and Grill, 75 B Gonzales St. cor. Xavierville? Entrance is P 300 and includes a meal, drinks, and a free reading. You can also shop for Wicca stuff and listen to live bands. Wouldn't that be a better date than going to a movie house only to have to deal with the jerks there? :)

Check out www.paws.org.ph for details.

From Dean's peanut gallery!: Here’s the thing: go to this site Look for the search box on the left. Fill it in with the year that you graduated high school. Click open the first search result – it will have a 100 songs. Now cut and paste that and comment on the songs from your wasted youth, and react to them one by one!

One of Dean's friends notes that for us senior citizens, we have to click on the year before since, in the era before the Net, music arrived here several months after it wore its welcome out in the US. But I chose my year anyway.

Graduating from high school-brave new world for me. I got into UP, and at that age, any college will do. No more nuns! Boys! Real people! And did I mention boys? Heh heh. This also tells you when I got into UP so I won't bother posting the year.

You can skip my comments but if you take the same test, let me know in the comments field so that I can compare notes and, hopefully, rag you wicked about it ;p Boldface indicates OK songs (for me, which is dubious), itals the stuff I didn't like.


1. Hold On, Wilson Phillips
Gahd I had to buy a new tape for this one because I adored the song. I have since come to the conclusion that I have no taste. Thank God ^_^ You should see Harold and Kumar's version ;p

2. It Must Have Been Love, Roxette
Pretty Woman! I still have the soundtrack. This made me so sad, and was in my "must-listen" list after my first bad breakup.

3. Nothing Compares 2 U, Sinead O'Connor
I have no idea why I hated her as a kid, but now I love her voice. I think I disliked this song because I didn't understand it. Now I see how lonely and torchy it is.

4. Poison, Bell Biv Devoe
Huh?

5. Vogue, Madonna
YEAH YEAH YEAH!!! When Madonna was still cheeky and her songs were so dancy! Can anyone teach me the steps?

6. Vision Of Love, Mariah Carey
Worked YEARS to be able to hit the high notes. Gave up. Still like the song though.

7. Another Day In Paradise, Phil Collins
This depressed the crap out of me. Still does. The Brandy remake is a travesty.

8. Hold On, En Vogue
9. Cradle Of Love, Billy Idol
10. Blaze Of Glory, Jon Bon Jovi
11. Do Me!, Bell Biv Devoe

9-11: See how baduy I am? I have no idea what these songs are though I recognize the artists. But I loved En Vogue.

12. How Am I Supposed To Live Without You, Michael Bolton
Hated him then, hate him still. Sorry. I applauded when he shaved his head. Umamin din na kalbo siya. Unfortunately I like the Laura Branigan version. Told you I was baduy.

13. Pump Up The Jam, Technotronic
I have horrific aerobics memories of this one! Our aero instructor at Slimmer's World loved raising the pitch and speed. If you've ever tried to leg-lift to this one played 25% faster than normal, you don't know what pain is.

14. Opposites Attract, Paula Abdul
Soundtrack for my first boyfriend. Didn't last, but I loved Abdul's perkiness. The video had this wolf? rabbit? Dunno but I liked the video.

15. Escapade, Janet Jackson
"We'll have a good time...Leave your worries behind..." It's on my MP3 player when I'm at the gym. No pain...no pain.

16. All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You, Heart
17. Close To You, Maxi Priest
18. Black Velvet, Alannah Myles

Again, I don't recognize 16-18. Worse, I have no idea who the artists for 17-18 are.

19. Release Me, Wilson Phillips
Didn't like it. Found it sappy. (So is Hold On but hey. May standards pa naman ako.)

20. Don't Know Much, Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville
I thought the guy was Willie Nelson! Didn't like it.

21. All Around The World, Lisa Stansfield
I think I should know this, but I don't

22. l Wanna Be Rich, Calloway
So do I! I just don't get why the guy says, "My favorite number is 1-2-3." Doesn't he know the lottery has huge odds against consecutive numbers? But then "11-27-43" wouldn't have fit the rhyme scheme so what the fush...

23. I Remember You, Skid Row
24. Rub You The Right Way, Johnny Gill

Argh, pulling blanks on 23-24

25. She Ain't Worth It, Glenn Medeiros Featuring Bobby Brown
I remember my best friend James falling really hard for a block mate of ours. He made the mistake of approaching his kuya for panliligaw advice. His brother took one look at her photo (K was very pretty but not photogenice), snorted, then sang, "She ain't worth it!" God was James ever so offended ;p

26. If Wishes Came True, Sweet Sensation
27. The Power, Snap
28. (Can't Live Without Your) Love and Affection, Nelson

26-28: More blanks.

29. Love Will Lead You Back, Taylor Dayne
Oh I used to cry over this song! Suffice it to say it was over a failed relationship. I'm further afraid to say that like a typical insecure teen I ran to EVERYONE about the problem. Gyaah.

30. Don't Wanna Fall In Love, Jane Child
31. Two To Make It Right, Seduction
32. Sending All My Love, Linear
33. Unskinny Bop, Poison

30-33 The only "Sending All My Love" I know of was by The Jets. The rest: ?

34. Step By Step, New Kids On The Block
I think I still know the lyrics AND dance steps to this. I was sixteen, okay?

35. Dangerous, Roxette
Yes, I was a Roxette fan. Tawa na.

36. We Didn't Start The Fire, Billy Joel
Ooo, this was such a cool, exciting song for me. I felt superior to all my block mates because I knew all the pop culture references! Bud Tomas said he lost a trivia contest when a teammate forgot who the Vietnamese guy referred to in the song was.

37. I Don't Have The Heart, James Ingram
Aaa! It's the soundtrack of teenage heartbreak, especially when you have an MU. (If you dunno what MU is, lucky you) "I don't have the heart/To hurt you/It's the last thing I wanna do/But I don't have the heart/To love you/Not the way you want me to" When I was young I couldn't understand why people who liked each other couldn't just fall in love. Now I understand, but it doesn't make it any easier for the poor person who loves the other more than the other loves him or her.

38. Downtown Train, Rod Stewart
All I knew of him then was "Do You Think I'm Sexy?"

39. Rhythm Nation, Janet Jackson
So bouncy! I sang garbled lyrics since, when I was a teen, di pa uso isama ang lyrics sa tape. CDs were virtually unheard of sa Pinas as record companies then thought they wouldn't sell.

40. I'll Be Your Everything, Tommy Page (iffy)
Does anyone other than me remember this guy who was a staple pinup for Bop, 16, and other US teen mags?

41. Roam, B-52's
Always thought there was a dirty meaning to this ;p

42. Everything, Jody Watley
43. Back To Life, Soul II Soul
44. Here and Now, Luther Vandross

I should know the Vandross song but I don't.

45. Alright, Janet Jackson
Odd. I had the Rhythm Nation album but I don't recall this.

46. Ice Ice Baby, Vanilla Ice
Thief! Stole the riff from Queen! For some reason I associate Joey Marquez with the song.

47. Blame It On The Rain, Milli Vanilli
Frauds! Buti nga binawi ang Grammy nila. Weird Al's "Blame it on the Drain" is funnier.

48. Have You Seen Her, M.C. Hammer
Nyaa, this was hilarious...hearing the guy who rapped "Can't Touch This"(with stuff adapted from "Very Kinky Girl) rap to a sappy old song...hee hee. You have to hear it to believe it. "If you see her can ya tell 'er/coz I'm in luh-uve!" Hee hee.

49. With Every Beat Of My Heart, Taylor Dayne
One of her few fast ones. OK lang, but nothing I'd pay 10 cents to download.

50. Come Back To Me, Janet Jackson
Argh, trauma-rama. Iniiyakan ko rin 'to over a guy whom I realized years later I barely knew.

51. No More Lies, Michel'le
52. Praying For Time, George Michael

I thought I knew all the George Michael 80s-early 90s songs. Hindi pala.

53. How Can We Be Lovers, Michael Bolton
Thank God I don't know this!

54. Do You Remember, Phil Collins
Now how did I miss this one?

55. Ready Or Not, After 7
?

56. U Can't Touch This, M.C. Hammer
I never really understood what it was I couldn't touch. Something about they rhythm, but I heard kabastusan. This is so corny but danceable.

57. I Wish It Would Rain Down, Phil Collins
This was released in the US? Didn't know.

58. Just Between You and Me, Lou Gramm
Dunno.

59. Something Happened On The Way To Heaven, Phil Collins
Aw, this was a nice song.

60. Black Cat, Janet Jackson
Very edgy. I thought this was such a defiant "feminist" song. Now I know that I didn't know anything at all about feminism.

61. Can't Stop, After 7
Should I know this group?

62. Janie's Got A Gun, Aerosmith
I still remember seeing Aerosmith vs RUN DMC :)

63. The Humpty Dance, Digital Underground
Title is familiar but it may have been so vile that my memory is blocking it out.

64. I'll Be Your Shelter, Taylor Dayne
Whatever happened to this singer?

65. Free Fallin', Tom Petty
66. Giving You The Benefit, Pebbles
67. Enjoy The Silence, Depeche Mode
68. Love Song, Tesla
69. Price Of Love, Bad English
70. Girls Nite Out, Tyler Collins

65-70 More blanks, although I know Pebbles was the manager who screwed over TLC

71. King Of Wishful Thinking, Go West
Bouncy yet depressing. Pretty Woman uli!

72. What Kind Of Man Would I Be?, Chicago
73. Get Up! (Before The Night Is Over), Technotroic
More aerobics nightmares.

74. Here We Are, Gloria Estefan
I never really understood the lyrics (about an illicit affair) until I was much older.

75. Epic, Faith No More
? Nice name though

76. Love Takes Time, Mariah Carey
Sappy, yes, but what she says is true. Not just love...many other things. She was developing the breathy style I disliked.

77. Just Like Jesse James, Cher
"Believe" pa rin!

78. Love Shack, B-52's
Yeah! I really like their no-apologies kabaduyan.

79. All Or Nothing, Milli Vanilli
Liked the song. Didn't like the band.

80. Romeo, Dino
81. Everybody Everybody, Black Box

Is 81 the one that goes "Everybody EVERYBODY...aww"?

82. I Go To Extremes, Billy Joel
83. Whip Appeal, Babyface
84. Oh Girl, Paul Young
85. C'mon and Get My Love, D-Mob With Cathy Dennis

More blanks. But I ought to know the Billy Joel song.

85. (It's Just) The Way That You Love Me, Paula Abdul
Forever Your Girl. I think I memorized that album backwards and forwards. Too bad "Cold Hearted Snake" isn't here ;p

87. We Can't Go Wrong, Cover Girls
88. When I'm Back On My Feet Again, Michael Bolton
89. Make You Sweat, Keith Sweat

I think 89 goes, "Alalalalalong, alalalalalonglongnilonglonglong push it push it some more." Heh heh.

90. This One's For The Children, New Kids On The Block
Sappy and phony. I preferred their bubblegum songs.

91. What It Takes, Aerosmith
92. Forever, Kiss
93. Jerk Out, Time
94. Just A Friend, Biz Markie
95. Whole Wide World, A'me Lorain
96. Without You, Motley Crue
97. Swing The Mood, Jive Bunny and The Mastermixers
98. Thieves In The Temple, Prince

Hated Prince as a kid and I dunno why. I missed out on a lot as a result. Stupid kiddie prejudices!

99. Mentirosa, Mellow Man Ace

Boy did I hate this one. What is it with these guys and putting women down?

100. Tic-Tac-Toe, Kyper
Nope.

Setting: At a grocery

Mood: Still somewhat ashamed of self.

I hate it when the grocery runs out of my favorite brand of toilet paper. Substitutes never work; my favorite cheap brand is called Myo-E and at P 120 for 20 rolls, it's a steal. It doesn't shred when you use it on your nether regions (thus forcing you to pluck out tiny wads of paper later on), it's individually wrapped, and did I already say it was cheap? :)

Today, the grocery ran out of it. Argh. The next best brand for me is Kleenex, and if you don't know how painful it is to pay P 30 for a roll of 3 ply toilet paper, well, you must be rich. I trudged away, disappointed.

While the Polar Bearball and I were orbiting the grocery for necessities (apple juice, potatoes, premixed menudo and adobo mix--kill me now--diet Pepsi Twist, etc), we noticed a cart abandoned in one aisle. It clearly had been there for some time...the meat was dripping onto the floor, for one.

In the cart was one pack of Myo-E toilet paper, shining like the Holy Grail. Oh, the temptation to swipe it, pay for it, and flee!

We waited. Polar Bearball and I took turns grabbing the rest of the stuff we needed. No one came back for the cart. The meat continued dripping, the butter continued melting. Nobody. The toilet paper winked at me, I swear.

After fifteen minutes, I'd had enough. I marched to the abandoned cart fully intending to grab the last pack of toilet paper when my conscience suddenly pricked me. You make fun of your students for their transgressions...how can you do this? a still, small voice asked me. I went back to our cart.

"We can grab it and check out...are you ready to pay?" Polar Bearball asked me.

"Yes...I want it...but I can't..." I stammered.

He snorted and gave me a "what a weenie" look.

IN a small, still voice, I said to him, "Honey, you grab it and I'll line up."

"Huh?"

"Because my conscience is bugging me. I'll feel less guilty if YOU swipe the toilet paper."

Say what you will, but now I have my toilet paper.

My editor in chief Marbs over at Wedding Essentials is going bonkers ever since our last assistant editor (let's call the jerk CD) left...with cash, a cell phone, several ad contracts, and so on. He's been badmouthing her ever since. Would love to inflict paper cuts on him then pour Listerine over them. Then do it again.

But that's my demented fantasy.

If you know anyone who fits the bill (fresh grad VERY welcome) please show them this:

Wanted: Trustworthy, intelligent, personable assistant editor for outgoing, spontaneous, creative editor-in-chief of prestigious wedding magazine and newspaper supplement. Should like to work with weddings, personalities, and impromptu situations. Must be willing to travel, and should have a good command of the English language. Job involves meeting people, coordinating with suppliers and writers, and Girl Friday duties. For details e-mail your contact info to spongemarb@gmail.com

Thanks!

Uy, one year old na blog ko. I wish I were witty enough to hold some kind of cute contest here, but I'm not. Plus, I'm broke. But one year. Whee! (cough, ahem)

=========

Model Behavior

(I once promised Bianca I’d blog about this, and here it is! If I hadn't lost a bet to her, and if she hadn't won the Ramon Magsaysay essay award--proud me!--this wouldn't be here. Hee hee. ^_^)

Shoot me now, I once dated a male model. This was when I was in my early 20s and I was so worried about my biological clock that I would’ve snagged any available (never mind willing) male. The newspaper I worked for then sent me to cover a prestigious modeling contest, and my editor told me to find a human interest angle by interviewing the contestants.

(Digression: One of them was Ana Marie Falcon, later to become the sex kitten Francine Prieto. I remember how pretty she was, even back then, and I remember her complaining that her shyness was often mistaken for snobbishness. She was there to win, and was trying to focus on her job. Others insisted on misinterpreting her attitude, though. Too bad.

But it was Jo-Anne Bitagcol who stood out most among the female contestants. She was beautiful in the way most people like to describe as “simple,” and her wonderful attitude helped keep her feet on the ground. She wasn’t shy about not knowing much English, but was willing to learn. Her attitude helped earn her a slot in the final five despite the presence of more popular candidates such as Eazel Don. A year after we met, she recognized me at another event, and greeted me as “Ate.” [ouch] I think she’s stayed that way, and this is what makes her popular among stylists and designers. She is a great exception to the airhead stereotype, and I wish more models were like her. End digression)

One contestant decided, to my surprise, to pursue me, calling me at the office, asking for my home phone number, and inviting me to his modeling sessions. I was wildly flattered, and when he told me that he thought I had class and “breeding,” (Siamese? Persian? Nah, alley cat) I succumbed.

My best friend Goldie Golds prudently kept her mouth shut whenever I made overly romantic pronouncements such as “I think he’ll always be in my life.” (Unfortunately, this is true, but in a bad way. I’m tired of having to drive all the way to Megamall to work out, for one…especially since I humiliated myself walking in UP and landing flat on my fat ass in front of the AS Steps. But that’s another story, one which I will, hopefully, never write. ;p) She did have the sense to point out strange things to me. For one, the guy, whom we shall call Da Boor, disliked it when I read books. He thought that books were dangerous, and should be kept away from impressionable girls.

I figured she was biased because, when I introduced her to him, instead of saying “Hello” like most people, he rolled up his sleeves, flexed his considerable arm muscles, and asked, "Do you like my biceps?"

(I found Goldie Golds weeping in the bathroom several minutes later. Nearly ten years have passed since then, and she swears she still hasn't laughed so hard in her life.)

Da Boor also had the odd habit of showing me off to his friends. I harbored the illusion that they could see my “inner beauty’; it was only later that I realized that, among some models, having a “rich,” “intellectual” girlfriend was some kind of trophy. Yes, I am not making this up. Yes, this is so Sex and the City Season One, isn't it?

Worse, Da Boor wanted to “fit” into “my world”. We went to the premiere of the musical “Chess,” and he asked me beforehand what the etiquette of behaving in such a place was like. Tickled at the thought of being the Society Girl for a Model, I was more than happy to advise him on how to behave. Yeah right.

At first, I thought it was touching: he wanted to change for me. No such luck. He wanted to meet the rich people he was sure I knew, that was all. He also liked driving my car, and having me drive him to photo shoots and the like made him look good.

If you think he used me, well, yes he did. But I’m not innocent; I admit I showed him off to my friends too, and I enjoyed the cachet of being the Not-So-Pretty-Girl-Who-Landed-A-Real-Model-Anyway. Plus he taught me the truth of “romance”: romance is in your mind, really. You create it to fill a need, and sometimes, you have to mold the person you’re with to do that.

I broke things off a few months after we met: we were clearly going nowhere, and I could not see myself married to someone who wouldn’t let me read books. I still see him on TV and, occasionally, at SM City; it’s unavoidable because my gym is there. I prefer to hide from him, because I have no idea what to say. Not very mature behavior, I’m afraid, but it saves me from awkward situations, such as the time Polar Bearball and I ran into him at Wendy’s several years ago.

To Da Boor’s credit, he was friendly; he walked over and greeted me. Polar Bearball took one look at him and sneered; I knew I was in for a lot of ribbing later (for my lack of taste in men). Unfortunately, Polar Bearball took aim and got a shot in before we left. Smiling, he shook Da Boor’s hand and said in a mock-cheerful voice, “So you’re the sort of bloke whose muscles won’t quit and whose mind hasn’t begun?” Luckily, Da Boor missed the insult completely; thank heaven for small mercies.

In one of my favorite anime shows, a main character says, “We should never regret meeting people, because they help make us who we are today.” Though I try to avoid mentioning Da Boor to my older friends (Goldie Golds will rag me wicked over this; I just know it), I think that being with him for a while was a very interesting experience, one necessary in preparing me for my future relationship with my Polar Bearball.

I think we shouldn't regret meeting people...and much as it hurts to say so, even jerks and asses have their functions in our lives. (I just know I'll be sorry I said this, someday) Perhaps we have to see what's in the trash can so that we won't throw away what's in the jewelry box.

Happy blogniversary to me, and happy whateversary to Polar Bearball and me ^_^