Use it or lose it.

This is embarrassing. How many times have I said I'd update this blog? How many times have I said I promise to write more often? Ugh.

The worst part is it takes me forever to write now. Like I had verbal constipation or something.

My DIY friends had an idea for a write-athon, in tribute of NU107's signing off the air. I readily agreed since I also had the idea I wanted to write about it. Eh anong petsa na, 'day? I've only gone as far as opening sentences. But even that I keep revising since I still have no clear idea where or what exactly I want to say.

On the good side: I was able to start and finish an essay of sorts the other day. I just hadn't published it yet because it is actually an entry for another contest. (Online contests. That sounds familiar... ) I almost had a fit, too, for not posting it immediately because I thought I missed the deadline. I still have until the end of the week, hehe.

Then I see Blogger has new templates. I had to go pick a new one, then edited the layout, edited some posts because the images were wonky, and blah blah blah.

Classic distraction moves. I'm good at allowing myself to be distracted. It leads to procrastination, which eventually ends in doing nothing at all. I'm good at being bad, too.

...

One of the books I'm currently reading is What Just Happened? Bitter Hollywood Tales from the Front Line. It's pretty interesting if you're curious about how movie producers get things done. (I just remembered I had recently read Dawn Steel's They Can Kill You... But They Can't Eat You. I had seen this book at Book Sale for as long as I can remember, but I couldn't buy it then because it was still in the "higher" price range and I guess I was still a student with a limited allowance. Occasionally I'd see it in the bins again, but I didn't exactly prioritize purchasing it because of the other books I got at the time. So finally finally finally I got a copy . Yet even then I didn't read it right away. I think I got around to reading it earlier this year. And guess what? It seems like every point Ms Steel made resonated with me. I just loved her story. It's not often that I want to write the author and let them know how much I appreciated their work, yet in this case I really wanted to. But I found out through Wikipedia she has been dead since 1997. O_O Can you believe that? Was that why the book was "speaking" to me whenever I chanced upon it at secondhand book stores? I wish I knew exactly when I first saw the book, read the blurb and said I wanted to read it. Yep, I'm chalking this one up to another "sign.") But I digress. (Digressions: I'm good at that, too.) Art Linson is apparently friends with Robert de Niro. When Linson was casting for the "bear movie", de Niro asked for a reading. Afterwards, Linson was pressing for an answer, and Mr de Niro replied:

Because if I haven't yet made a decision as to what I want to do, I don't want to do anything. For me, it's better to do nothing than to make false or careless choices.

 Mr de Niro, are you talking to me?

(BTW, Linson also produced another favorite movie: Fight Club. He was impressed with David Fincher (he's just one of my favorite directors -- he directed my other all time favorite movie Se7en! The other all time favorite is Hitchcock's Vertigo.) and Brad Pitt. They were (still are) very talented at their work.

More signs: Robert de Niro was born August 17, 1943. Dawn Steel was born August 19, 1946. My birthday is on August 13. We're all Leos. I've already known de Niro is one, but when I found out the same for Ms Steel? Signs, signs, everywhere a sign...

...

My point is I'll get around to writing again when I feel like it (which is now actually). I do miss writing. I haven't even written in my real journal for years now. Honestly, I've all these drafts I've composed mentally, yet I sit down in front of my computer... I get distracted. I really should have more discipline, too. (Another realization: this could be a topic for another entry... if I do get around to writing everything else.)

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I'm dumbfound that these are my first posts for this year. Anong petsa na ba talaga, ha??? Can you bilibid? I can't bilibid myself.

A better understanding.

So I went to the grocery today. I just happened to glance at this man's basket. In it, he had three packets of Fita biscuits and two small bottles of Coca-cola. My goodness, I thought. I have an idea of what his current situation must be like.


Yesterday I threw out some old receipts.  Among my purchases some weeks ago were several packets of Fita biscuits and a 1.5L bottle of Coca-cola.


At the registers, it so happened I got into the queue after that same man. He had added a small bag of laundry detergent and a small bottle of bleach. And a lapad of Cossack vodka.


Yes. I do know. It may not be the same circumstances but we are clearly in the same boat. Except my vice of choice is smoking. (Or he may smoke, too. He could just buy the cigarettes at the sari-sari or by tingi because it's cheaper that way.)


You can really tell what a person is like depending on what is in their shopping basket. I'd amend that to "what a person is going through."

My favorite Studio3802 shirt.

In the short time Studio3802 has been open for business, I consider myself lucky enough to have acquired two (two!) shirts from them already. And as pressies, too!

The first is a special edition tee designed for my high school section’s reunion held earlier this year. The design is simply a play on our uniform’s badges, but what makes it impressive is the personalization. All our names are printed on the circumference of the outer of two concentric circles, the inner circle having our class section printed inside it. But for your very own shirt your name is placed on top of the circle and highlighted as well. Cool ‘no? I also like the badge on the back. It looks like a tag and from afar you’d be curious to know what is says.  Plus I’ve always been partial to back prints, which interestingly enough was uso during my high school years.

But my favorite since I first saw it on the Studio3802 blog is the "In Paul We Trust shirt." Paul the Psychic Octopus! Pulpo Paul! Paul die Krake! May you rest in peace and swim in warm waters…

In Paul We Trust.

Obviously, Paul was still alive and accurately predicting the match results of the recently concluded World Cup in South Africa when the shirt was made available. I have to say it’s the best rendition of the intelligent cephalopod I’ve seen, and I’ve Googled other unofficial tribute shirts. I adore how sleepy he looks… because if you’ve watched his videos, he does look sleepy. And bored. Like, here we go again, “predicting” when all I want is that mussel!!

With Paul’s demise, it makes this shirt a tribute shirt even more so. Add the fact this series was on a limited run only. And that my footy friends liked it as well. (Of course!) Above all, my good friend Mary Anne gave this shirt to me as a birthday present. Yay! It definitely makes the list of my coolest birthday gifts ever.

"In Paul We Trust" is positively one of my favorite shirts, which brings me joy whenever I wear it.

(*And if Italy made it to the finals and won again, it would have made me doubly excited. But then you win some, you lose some.)

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