The Coffee House Chronicles

sunday sessions: terra nova, other TV series, canopy ride

2012-02-05T22:27:00.000+08:00

I rarely post on a Sunday. It's just that Mr. Sandman hasn't gotten around to dusting me with sleep-powder so I'm still quite up and about (well, I am seated though as I write, so not really up, literally). I think at this time of 9:38pm, almost the entire household is already sleeping except for yours truly. But I expect to hit the sack in a bit and probably just read off a few pages or

tuesday tidbits: busy january with sis in town, psp-ing, got 20 books last year, shelf-space project

2012-01-24T13:07:00.000+08:00

A slow start for the year in terms of blogging. Counting this entry, this would only be my third post for the year and we're already winding down in January. My blogging has been in an extended holiday mode and while work has not let up (and will not likely let up anytime soon in the forseeable future, sadly), I've been entertaining myself with the PSP or with a book during my personal

PGS call for story submissions

2012-01-24T12:10:00.000+08:00

This is a bit late already but PGS Online is now open to submission of stories from Filipino speculative fiction writers. Here's the complete guidelines as it appears on Kyu's blog: PGS Online Call For Submissions And Reading Period PGS Online will be open to fiction submissions by Pinoy writers for reading and consideration from January 1, 2012 to April 30, 2012. 1. Word count: 1,500

back-logged to the nth power

2012-01-03T14:38:00.000+08:00

Happy New Year!!! * * * * Unfortunately, it still feels like 2011 for me as I still have a lot of leftover stuff relating to work from last year. And since it's the start of another year, new projects are forthcoming -- adding to the backlog. Well into the last week of the year (which was last week, come to think of it), I was still pretty much into the thick of things. I was on

wednesday warbles: christmas videoke, personal plans for next year, books to anticipate, health check

2011-12-28T17:22:00.000+08:00

This is how I spent my Christmas -- with family. What are my two daughters doing? No-brainer -- Ikai and Issa were at it with the videoke .. well, mainly Ikai but Issa was a happy miron. The photo was taken on Christmas Day where a big chunk of the morning and a better part of the afternoon were spent with the videoke. If I've been remiss with updates on the ole Coffee House, please forgive

all about 'wiches and that sandwich guy

2011-12-21T16:37:00.001+08:00

The seemingly unidentifiable thing displayed on the left is actually a sandwich called Grilled Chicken Tender, one of the newer sandwich fares at The Sandwich Guy along with Angry Beef which I hope to try out tomorrow lunch time. While the ad display marketing the new sandwich showcased a humongous sandwich, what was delivered to me was a tad thinner. But the disappointment was only temporary

tuesday tidbits: the holiday schedule, night angel trilogy completed, ikai's reading, bookstore gc

2011-12-20T16:53:00.000+08:00

And lest I fail to do so before the day comes ... MERRY CHRISTMAS, folks!!! I might be too -- (a) busy (b) stressed (c) fatigued -- by Christmas Eve that I won't be able to go online and greet you guys and gals. It's shaping to be a rough week going into the *hay* short Christmas break with work still aplenty and personal errands a-coming. Elvie is on the graveyard shift so it's going to be a

thursday tattles: alternative alamat release, a song of cold and cough, record number of posts tied!

2011-12-15T11:43:00.000+08:00

Gawd, it's been a rough past four months. Just blogging to plug the release of Alternative Alamat, edited by Paolo Chikiamco. In this anthology, Paolo has compiled 11 tales that re-imagines some of the Philippines' mythological gods and goddesses spiced up with cover art and interior illustrations from Tabi Po creator Mervin Malonzo. Aside from the 11 stories, the antho also has a listing

wednesday warbles: another short update today

2011-12-07T13:08:00.000+08:00

Not much happening, folks. In between work time and family time I've been reading. I'm half-way through A Storm of Swords and after this, I think I'll pick-up a non-GRRM book for my next read. Just to change the pace a bit as I think I'm getting addicted to the Song of Ice and Fire series that I might end up going berserk when I finish A Dance with Dragons (that is, if the mass market

new book to the bin and let there be light ... while i read at night

2011-11-29T13:35:00.001+08:00

The book on the left, the anthology The Solaris Book of New Fantasy (2007), edited by George Mann, has been sitting in the book rack of Fully Booked - Greenbelt for quite some time now, if I recall correctly, over a year. Now that's a long time for a book to stay on a shelf considering this was a bookstore not a library. Just looking at its state -- yellowing pages, frayed edges of the cover,

call for submission: horror stories for young adults -- that means not for you but for your younger cousin or, gasp, your own child!

2011-11-25T14:32:00.001+08:00

Young Adult fictionists, your pen and skill with letters are being called! Dean Alfar and Kenneth Yu, two of Philippine speculative-fiction's foremost advocates are calling for stories -- horror stories, that is -- for an upcoming anthology targeted towards young adults. Full guidelines below. Taken from Kyu's blog: Editors Dean Francis Alfar (publisher of the Philippine Speculative Fiction

tuesday tidbits: just read - now reading, ikai turns 5, the book disposal project

2011-11-22T17:06:00.000+08:00

Another year is about to end and it's another writing year wasted. My output for this year? O. Nil. Nada. None. Zilch. Wala. Ideas though are aplenty and I've got an idea pad and an idea notebook to prove it. Translating these ideas into prose however is a different matter. The stories continue to play in mind, the plots, the sub-plots, the climax -- but they fail to get captured on ink

psst again ...

2011-11-21T17:13:00.000+08:00

Was starting an entry this morning but didn't just have enough of the drive to continue it. Still right smacked in the middle of a ton of work and with no underlings to delegate some of the work to, I'm basically back-logged to the hilt. Nevertheless, I shall carry on (or moreso, plod on) until the to-do list is done (but it will never be done ....). December is just around the corner and

tuesday tidbits: brief reviews on the new 52, shadow's edge and other books, the inexplicable too many stuff to do that's not even related to the forthcoming christmas season

2011-11-08T14:10:00.000+08:00

The three-day weekend is already over but I enjoyed it immensely as I got to spend much of the days with my three girls -- my wife and our two little daughters. Unfortunately though, both kids had bouts with fever during the said period. Issa, we think, had fever because of a mild measle attack while Ikai fell prey to another viral attack. But both have already recovered and Ikai has

psst ...

2011-11-02T15:23:00.000+08:00

Err, November already. Busy. Still busy. Still toxic. Looking at over 31 items on my to-do list. Already looking forward to the upcoming 3-day weekend. Til then. Ciao.

treaty trick over at bo's this halloween

2011-10-19T22:26:00.000+08:00

Now, for some coffee-related promo ... Our friends over at Bo's Coffee are serving up a treat of a trick for you Halloweeners! From October 22 until November 5, every single receipt P250 at Bo's will entitle you to a complimentary spooky cookie for free!

wednesday warbles: initial thoughts on a.g.o.t., religious stuff with ikai, toxic at the desk, 200

2011-10-19T13:59:00.000+08:00

Still breathing, folks :) Over the course of the last two weeks, my to-do list at the Desk has ballooned from 20-plus to over 35 items late last week. Today, Wednesday, I have managed to trim it down to 25 ... so far ... but the deadlines are on the hound. However, before I go insane though, I decided to take a break and write a few warbles (it's a Wednesday, after all) and to let you know

saturday shindigs: smart outsmarts me, a game of thrones, early monday

2011-10-15T23:58:00.000+08:00

Good evening, folks! My daughter woke me up a while ago because I fell asleep earlier than she did. What's the problem with that? Well, apparently when that happens, she has a hard time sleeping because I snore :P Can't argue with that. Hence, just after a few minutes of Zzzz's, I'm now wide-awake and typing away on the keyboard on a late Saturday evening. * * * * So, I open up my email and

forgive this short post today

2011-10-13T06:55:00.001+08:00

Things have been toxic at the Desk that I'm barely left with energy when I get home. Hence, the computer has been left unattended for the past couple weeks at home because whatever energy I have left, I spend it all on my wife and daughters before I collapse on the bed. So, this'll be a short one. Hope to write a longer piece next time. And I also have a late review coming up, it just needs to

tuesday tidbits: tdd, new book, piled-up work, dti-eyed

2011-10-04T22:24:00.000+08:00

Lots of stuff happening the past week at the Desk that I barely am I able to breathe. Sorry, folks, I'm a one-man army, so to speak. These are the times I miss having one or ten subordinates to help share the load. And I do mean share because though I delegate work to my staff, I still keep a good chunk of work for myself no matter how gritty. This time around though, I'm going solo so there's

welcome to october

2011-10-03T10:57:00.000+08:00

Welcome to October! Busy. Will blog later, hopefully. Just wanted to let you know I'm still alive. Just busy.

wednesday warbles: simple birthday celebration, no spec-fic for psf7, smartnet

2011-09-28T17:11:00.000+08:00

Looks like I won't be able to submit my spec-fic entry this Friday. Rather than churn out a half-baked something, I'll just patiently work on it and hopefully submit it the next time another call for submission comes along (of course, if the story fits the theme). Probably save it for the next volume of PSF. I'm pretty much caught up with other stuff to do and I can't devote attention,

monday mumblings: family fun day, 29 of 52, the netphone

2011-09-26T16:55:00.000+08:00

If I've been quiet about books, that's not because I haven't been reading. It's because I've been reading, not books, but comic books of late. Been backtracking on DC comic books for about three weeks now since I ended Path of the Sun, I think. I've missed a big chunk of what's happening in the DC Universe (and the whole of comic-dom) since early college. Even back then, the focus of my

the smart thing to do ... netphone

2011-09-22T22:52:00.001+08:00

I finally caught the bug and jumped on the Android bandwagon. Good thing Smart has offered a very affordable handset in the Smart Netphone, a Qualcomm-powered, Android 2.2 Froyo-running smartphone. Applied this morning and got the unit the same day at the Smart Wireless Center along Ayala Avenue. This rather drastic purchase of smartphone now dashes my initial dreams of buying a Samsung

the field trip

2011-09-20T22:53:00.000+08:00

Unfortunately, there are still formatting issues with this template I'm using :( I still encounter the double-spacing in between paragraphs and I have to edit the HTML to delete the extra spaces. Hopefully Blogger (or the developers of this particular template) will do the necessary corrections to the template and update it automatically. Until then, I have to keep on editing the format of

friday frolics: format issues, uptick in mbps, tv tunings

2011-09-16T13:58:00.000+08:00

Still tweaking the blog a bit, mostly colors and arrangement of the widgets and gadgets. I still had formatting issues when I posted about my trip to Roxas this morning. The issue erupted when I started inserting pictures within the post. Had to edit again the HTML so that big breaks in between paragraphs won't appear. The trick now is to edit the additional "
" tag that appears at

destination roxas city

2011-09-16T10:22:00.000+08:00

Quite obviously I'm no travel writer. I tend to gloss over travel details that would make a blog travel entry quite attractive to kaladkarins (people quite easy to convince to travel) and those whose penchant it is to hit the trail or catch the next flight to the next vacation destination. This is part true of my latest sojourn that involved Desk-work in Iloilo and then in Roxas. After my one

wednesday warbles: new CHC template, infinite crisis when reading comics, field trip this saturday

2011-09-14T14:08:00.000+08:00

Surprised? After, I think, five years of using the Dilectio as the backdrop for this here ole blog, I decided to do a facelift. And rather than download a template from somewhere, I decided to just use Blogger's internal Template Designer. The new look ain't final yet. I might still be adjusting the colors a bit and probably come up with my own header but for the meantime the overall

monday mumblings: iloilo trip -- batchoy, brian, and coffee; comics on the reading list

2011-09-12T16:39:00.000+08:00

I've not been reading any books of late because I've been rather hooked to reading (backtracking) on the events in DC comics. Right now I'm working on getting through the pre-Infinite Crisis series of books. As can be seen on the right side of this blog, I'm currently reading The Return of Donna Troy, one of the books that tie-in to the whole Infinite Crisis and after this 4-issuer, I'll get on

tuesday tidbits: offline probably the next three days, meet-ups and coffeebreaks

2011-09-06T14:36:00.000+08:00

I'll be offline starting tomorrow until Friday unless I can get the PSP's wireless connection to work. So far, it is able to detect wi-fi but I haven't really succeeded in connecting to one yet. I need to find a wi-fi spot that is public or free and try to connect from there. Otherwise, I'll have to hit the internet shops of Iloilo and Roxas in the next 3 days to get connected especially

monday mumblings: moron -- not the person, charlie and the choco fact, book to bring on a trip, sicknesses in the family

2011-09-05T14:12:00.001+08:00

Alright, I changed my mind over the weekend about reading 52. I realized I needed to read first Infinite Crisis before hitting 52 and since I don't have a complete copy of IC yet, I have to defer reading 52 then. Makes sense, otherwise I won't understand what was going on when the storyline first emerged in the DC Universe some years back. Instead, I found an old copy of Roald Dahl's Charlie

late night musing on how i got started on comics

2011-09-01T23:51:00.000+08:00

Well, despite it being displayed that I'm now reading DC Comics 52 series (yes, late-bloomer), I have yet to really start reading the series. But the series is ready and primed and all I got to do now is sit down and actually read it. I'm backtracking obviously, trying to retrace DC's major storylines this past decade or so before I delve into their reboot this month. DC's plan of wiping out

late review: path of the sun

2011-09-01T13:38:00.003+08:00

After what seemed like eons, I've finally read the 24th chapter of Path of the Sun by Violette Malan and in the process ended reading the book. Well, I generally liked it although the ending was a bit of a disappointment, at least for me. As this is the first Dhulyn and Parno novel I've read, I'm zero as to how their previous adventures had prospered and ended. From hints within the

musings on dc's new 52 reboot

2011-08-31T17:08:00.005+08:00

Today, August 31, DC Comics, that big comic company over the other side of the globe, jumpstarts its entire product line with the release of Justice League #1. JL#1 will just be the tip of the iceberg as DC has cancelled all its product line and will be relaunching 51 other comics in a bid to make comics relevant to the current market whose interests, I suspect, are more attuned with stuff like

wednesday warbles: the long weekend, the orig buko pie, still on the path of the sun

2011-08-31T14:41:00.000+08:00

Despite the long weekend, I only managed a few pages of reading and all those pages happened yesterday, the last day of the four-day weekend. The three earlier days were spent in Laguna with the family. And oh, yes, I was back in the metro last Sunday because of an event we sponsored (I was there quite very, very early -- 4:30am, in fact, as it was a golf tournament) plus church and a trip

now on the grrm bandwagon

2011-08-17T17:44:00.003+08:00

Now why did I upload the image of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series of books? That's because I now am officially joining the bandwagon of new GRRM fanatics with my purchase of A Game of Thrones, the first novel of the series. After reading raves and praises for the series, and after reading the short novel "The Hedge Knight", I was convinced that GRRM's books will be worth diving

tuesday tidbits: books and even more books, the dis-service of sky cable

2011-08-16T17:01:00.000+08:00

It'll be sporadic in the next two weeks (as if it hasn't been sporadic lately) as I will not have access to a computer at home to do off-hours writing. If something comes up til then, surely it was crafted in between work at the Desk. And yes, don't send me messages through Facebook. I am not currently lurking there so much. In fact, I haven't been online that much. I do check my Yahoo

monday mumblings: three more to the tbr list, moa-aaargghhh, bone-tired, history channel shows to watch

2011-08-08T17:13:00.000+08:00

After securing (and now reading) The Map of All Things (Kevin J. Anderson, Book 2 of Terra Incognita), on the way home to Laguna, I passed by Powerbooks, which like its sibling NBS, was also having a massive Price-Cut Booksale. I happily indulged and got myself three books for Php 75 bucks each. One is an anthology from the Warhammer 40,000 universe of Horus Heresy. Edited by Christian

friday frolics: davao trip, terra incognita books, book purchases, world sf travel fund

2011-08-05T15:26:00.000+08:00

Shiver me timbers! Where have I been? Well, for starters, I've indeed been gone on a long journey, to Davao, in fact, where my wife and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary. Finally got to eat and have coffee at the popular Jack's Ridge, watched Captain America at SM Davao, spent a day and night at a hidden resort in Samal Island City, and did some marketing (literally) at

mango coffee anyone?

2011-07-25T15:41:00.000+08:00

Eons ago, I talked about orange coffee in this blog. To recall, it's my own concoction of plain black coffee with orange juice powder, mixed and blended. The result is sweet, tangy black coffee. Apparently I was not alone in acquiring such a taste because later on, Starbucks concocted their mocha valencia -- that's mainly their mocha expresso dabbed with valencia orange juice. The mocha

monday mumblings: a short one today

2011-07-25T14:17:00.000+08:00

Forgive me if I've been missing out on the chit-chat here. Last week was a bit chaotic as the family was involved in a family emergency, one that required some balancing act between work, the kids, and the need to be somewhere else working on fixing the emergency. By late yesterday afternoon, things have quieted down and the nervousness that pervaded the atmosphere the past week and so

late review: legends 2 - new short novels by terry goodkind, george r.r. martin, & anne mccaffrey

2011-07-18T23:02:00.005+08:00

Before I buy a music CD of an artist of which I've never heard of or only having a fleeting familiarity, I make sure I have listened to at least three songs from the prospective album before reaching into my pockets. Thank goodness for record bars that allow you to sample music (alas, no more Tower or Music One for such).The same is true for a multi-volume series from an unknown author (at least,

friday frolics: issa's words, a game of thrones, coloring a 3rd world astronaut

2011-07-15T14:49:00.008+08:00

Whew! Tired. But otherwise happy. Work has caught up with me hence the non-presence in this space on the ole web since Tuesday last week. When I get home, rather than go online, I'd much rather play around with my daughters or rest. I've also not been reading anything as my mind, I think, is not ready for any heavy thinking after a full day's brain-wracking at the Desk. I've also been

tuesday tidbits: resurrecting the 6680, abe lincoln is a vampire hunter, freakangels, the bibliophile bug itch

2011-07-05T17:31:00.001+08:00

There is this post that I've done last week before I left for Kidapawan about my frustrations here at the Desk. I've debated about posting it for public consumption and finally sealed it as "DEFERRED". My feelings about the issue remain to this day (I am still very much frustrated) but I'm keeping the post in reserve for when I finally have had enough of the stupidity and absurdity of things

late review: contra tiempo by sandwich

2011-06-24T13:28:00.003+08:00

Contra Tiempo - Sandwich PolyEast Records 2010 12 Tracks on the CD: • Lapit! Lapit! Lapit! • Lakad • Takbo • Stranded • Pera Pera • Sugatan • Putik • Sulputin • Bisikleta • Downhill • Dispalinghado • Siesta Memorable and melodic guitar riffs. Right mix of synths, distorts, and percs. The distinct Raims vox. The Sandwich sound that defined the band since Raimund Marasigan took

friday frolics: wet and flooded, diaspora ad astra, another writing project idea

2011-06-24T11:48:00.012+08:00

Waded knee-deep yesterday just to get home after a circuitous route that took an hour as I my usual way home was inundated. While the route home (had to walk as traffic was on a standstill, taxis where hard to come by, and if you do get to flag down a taxi there's no guarantee the driver will take you to your destination) only had me wading through ankle-high puddles, our street was already

let's swing

2011-06-21T14:38:00.000+08:00

Swinging time! I've got my swing music CD playing on my Desk rig (much to the annoyance most likely of my room-mates) and enjoying the beats and frenetic energy from the likes of Squirrel Nut Zipper, Royal Crown Reveu, Flying Neutrinos, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Brian Setzer Orchestra, Cherry Poppin' Daddies, and several other swing ensembles. Most of these bands exploded in the 90s swing

tuesday tidbits: brain cells aren't working so this'll be short

2011-06-21T11:07:00.000+08:00

My brain refuses to work. I keep getting blanks (akin to writer's block) every few minutes while in the midst of thinking. One minute I am thinking of doing something, the next minute my mind completely goes blank. Like the brain cells refuse to be budged at all into activity. That's what you get when you reluctantly go back to the Desk after a three-day break in which your brain didn't

friday frolics: happy f-day, lists of books, old video games

2011-06-17T14:19:00.003+08:00

Happy Father's Day! That greeting goes for my Father -- Ely Ragandan, and of course, to all the fathers I know including my uncles, my cousins, my nephews, my friends, my current anf former officemates, and all the menfolk I have known who are now doting fathers to their respective sons and daughters, and yes, even grandchildren. * * * * Just had to put that out up front lest I don't

wednesday warbles: ikai's first school days, weekend celebrations, video-games and movies at night

2011-06-16T08:35:00.000+08:00

NOTE: My blogging via email feature has been mysteriously disabled hence the non-appearance of this post which was supposed to go up yesterday. Sheesh! * * * * The past few nights that I've been unable to sleep and in no mood to tackle yet Michael Moorcock's Modern Times in the Solaris antho, I've instead been watching DVDs that have been gathering dust for several eons now in my pile.

the oblique observer is being resurrected

2011-06-09T22:39:00.005+08:00

I'm resurrecting The Oblique Observer and turning it into something akin to an autobiography whereby I'll try and record memorable stuff that have happened in my life. The stuff I put in there may be serious, funny, or nonsense but it'll be something factual, something that I experienced, something that I'll most likely never forget (except when I get amnesia or Alzheimer's sets in).Like I said

counting cars

2011-06-06T11:12:00.001+08:00

A solo trip to Shopwise-Pacita yesterday yielded yet another Hot Wheels old car model for the collection. The culprit is a custom 1940 open-top Ford. I think I've mentioned a few blogs ago that I've limited my car collecting to those little wheelies up to 1960 (the sole exception is a 1968 Chevy Camaro which was the first collectible car I bought to start off the new hobby). The older the

late review: star trek (2009)

2011-06-02T13:40:00.000+08:00

I'm not much of a fan of the original Star Trek series. I was not yet born when it first aired in '66 and I was still a toddler when it was syndicated on TV in the 70s. My own Trek fascination began with the Patrick Stewart-led Star Trek: The Next Generation. I am acquainted though with the original series which starred William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy as Captain James T. Kirk and Commander

wednesday warbles: call for submission to phil-spec-fic 7, later review of star trek, father moments, how much do i spend in books?

2011-06-01T14:49:00.000+08:00

After declaring that the rainy season has arrived, here we are today in the metro soaking up the sun. About three hours ago, it was threatening to rain. Now, it's threatening to cause everyone outside to get a tan. Weird weather we're having, folks and they say it's due to climate change. Others, the pessimistic ones, forecast the end of the world coming. Whatever the case, we will just

frustratingly frustrated

2011-05-27T17:13:00.000+08:00

I am extremely frustrated. Frustrated because rather than allowing to be guided by wisdom or at least common sense, others choose to be trapped in the bureaucratic process. I think they even revel in it. Rather than analyzing and discovering that one's suggestion would be beneficial to everyone and all, they see it as another workload or another job that needs to be piled on the to-do

late review: zeus: master of olympus

2011-05-26T09:50:00.000+08:00

If I haven't been online lately it's because I've been deliberately not going online. Sure I check my Facebook and my Skype every evening when I get home but I haven't been spending hours on FB especially. That's because whatever hours I have left before turning in for the night I devote to ensuring my Greek city runs smoothly on Zeus: Master of Olympus. Released over a decade ago, at

tuesday tidbits: sci-fi antho read, discworld, asus and zeus, weekend getaway with traffic jam

2011-05-24T14:59:00.001+08:00

Coffee, to me, is like gas -- it fuels my body. Especially today when my body, along with my gray matter, aren't functioning at top notch. This is still a hangover from the weekend sojourn that had me a bit feverish yesterday and headached that I wasn't able to report for work. While I now feel slightly better, it's still a bit of touch and go and I'm trying to trudge along gingerly here

thursday tattle: music man musing

2011-05-19T11:15:00.000+08:00

My usual stack of music CDs are currently stacked in the car so for the entire week, I've been playing my "other" CDs, music I play about once or twice a year. Just this morning, for starters, I played "Rayyn" and now what's playing on the deck is Marty McFly. Other CDs in this second-choice collection include the E-heads' "Carbon Stereoxide" album, 7 Foot Jr's "Prick Me", Cover Me Quick's

going nuclear

2011-05-18T09:17:00.000+08:00

Today, aside from the usual blood-related tests I need to undergo to check on the status of my diabetes, my endo has added a test to check the state of my calcium. So, in a few minutes I'll be heading off to Makati Med's Nuclear Medicine Department to undergo an intact PTH assay (whatever that is) as well as the test to check on my calcium, albumin, phosphorus, and vitamin D. I've been

monday mumblings: wendell, car repair, genesis, finished books, yahoo mail upgrade

2011-05-16T15:06:00.000+08:00

It was good to see Wendell up and about last Saturday at ROADTRIP: Of Lens and Music, a benefit concert and auction that aimed to raise funds to help Wendell and his family with their medical needs. I missed seeing Wendell perform (had to leave earlier) and had to content myself with watching it online. But the bands I did catch at the event at QueSci High School were good. Wendell has

thursday tattles: tired, fhl, lfh, hero movies

2011-05-12T15:13:00.000+08:00

I feel tired today. A couple of events yesterday plus the rigors of daily commute, I think, have finally taken their toll on me. This morning, we also had to wake up extra earlier than usual because we had to move out of my folks' home in Laguna where we've been temporarily holing up for the past week (Ikai has been there since the Holy Week break!). And it'll also be a busy weekend well

tuesday tidbits: rainy mother's day, naermyth, commuting to work

2011-05-10T10:20:00.000+08:00

They've installed new window blinds at my desk over at the Desk. Unfortunately, they've replaced the vertical track / slat blinds with a solid rolling blind (the one that looks like a projection screen). I loved the old blinds because you can shutter it to keep out the sun but still can move the slats a bit to see the world outside. With the new blinds, it's either you see it or not. I

lingering in lingayen photos

2011-05-09T18:32:00.006+08:00

I'm not much of a photo-taker, I admit. Sometimes I forget to take pictures and sometimes I tend to get shy. Unlike others who have no qualms about snapping a few clicks here and there, I have reservations about taking pictures especially when there are other people around.In any case, here are some photos I did take during my latest sojourn in Lingayen.Some stalls at the trade exposition

lingering in lingayen

2011-05-04T15:32:00.000+08:00

If I've been quiet for quite some time now it's because I haven't been around lately, in Manila that is. I was up north late last week for Desk work, up in Lingayen where the Desk was a sponsor in the Pista'y Dayat. And rather than straight forward donation, we asked for some mileage in return. That mileage took the form of a booth which had to be dressed up a bit with banners depicting

can't believe it -- 30 minutes to makati!

2011-04-28T09:20:00.000+08:00

As we're temporarily living out of Laguna, my wife and I commuted to work this morning. This is the first time, Elvie has ever commuted to work from San Pedro and for me it's been eons -- since I relocated to Makati sometime in 2003. To make things even more challenging, we had to wake up quite early because Elvie had the morning shift which meant being in the office before 7am. And

tuesday tidbits: the holy week break, phil. spec-fic 6 launch, pgs online

2011-04-26T17:14:00.000+08:00

Holy Week was a relatively quiet affair for me and the family. We spent what is probably the longest vacation spell this year at Laguna with my folks, and visiting Tito Andrie and Tita Bebs. The life of the vacation were, of course, the kids -- Ikai and Issa -- who were showered with much attention by the elder ones while Elvie and I managed to rejuvenate (aka sleep and sleep and sleep).

late review: sucker punch

2011-04-26T13:05:00.001+08:00

I have been meaning to write a movie review on Sucker Punch for quite some time now but given the tons of review people on the 'net have done about this Zack Snyder flick, it might be an exercise in futility. Nevertheless, let me give you my personal thoughts on this film. All-girl action. Fish net stockings. Corsets. High heels. Female leads skimpily dressed. A Russian-accented dance

breezing thru

2011-04-26T10:57:00.000+08:00

These past three weeks of April has had me traversing the Makati-Pasay-Laguna route several times. And the trips have been short and sweet thanks to the elevated Skyway which now extends all the way to Alabang from Makati. The detour to NAIA 3 has also been helpful since you no longer had to battle it out on Tramo on your roundabout way to the airport. What's even more helpful is that I've

books to bring when aliens invade

2011-04-20T09:40:00.001+08:00

While getting dressed for work (and being horribly late), I was running a scenario on my mind about the exodus of people from their native land because of aggressive aliens claiming the land for their own (prompted by a news story I read about last night about China protesting the Philippines' supposed invasion of Chinese sovereignty which is subject to much debate as the Philippines also

clogged up

2011-04-13T09:50:00.000+08:00

I'm not in the best of moods today because of the sniffles. My eyes are watery from sneezing every now and then, and my snout is red and sore from too much blowing. Even my throat has joined the action. The cold is backsliding down my nasal cavity well into the throat area and lump with phlegm (excuse me for being graphic) resulting in me gawking my guts out ... well, not my guts but the

tuesday tidbits: visitable friends' blogs, bookshelf organization, the cold, markus highway review

2011-04-12T17:38:00.000+08:00

One of these days I'll need to get my bookshelf organized into books that I've already read and books yet to be read. A third category for the re-organization of the shelf should be "books I've started reading but have abandoned or deferred reading for the moment". A usual dilemma I encounter after I finish reading a book is what to read next. The bookshelf, in its current state, is of no

late review: the mysterious benedict society

2011-04-11T15:27:00.001+08:00

I wish I had read The Mysterious Benedict Society (which I'll refer to as TMBS hereafter for brevity's sake) when I was younger and in my primest of innocence -- free from the worries and harries of daily life and yet to be touched by cynicism and pessimism. But then that would've meant that the book's author, Trenton Lee Stewart, should've written the book back in 1990. Nevertheless, the

monday mumblings: goodbye leila, new rig, new book, new way to escape traffic to tagaytay

2011-04-04T17:37:00.002+08:00

Last week ended on a rather sad note. Last Saturday as I was getting ready for a day at the mall, I received a text message from a former colleague that another former colleague of ours, and a dear and wonderful friend, Leila Luna-Cacanindin, had just passed away. Leila had been battling a form of ovarian cancer for about 7 months now. Unfortunately, her body, already weakened by the

late review: pinoy ako by various artists

2011-04-01T17:30:00.003+08:00

Tracks in the CD include: Pinoy Ako by Orange and Lemons Bye Bye Na by Rico Blanco Gusto Na Kita Makita by Session Road Jam by Kevin Roy and Cookie Chua Laklak by Gloc 9 with Dong Abay Humanda Ka by Sandwich Next in Line by Stagecrew This Guy's in Love with You, Pare by Chito Miranda Pangarap by Barbie Almalbis Huwag Ka Nang Umiyak by

friday frolics: young adult reads, darna, a new hobby, the next two weeks

2011-04-01T16:11:00.001+08:00

After reading several stories in the anthology Smart Dragons, Foolish Elves (edited by Alan Dean Foster), and failing to find even one story that was remotely laughable, I shelved the book and instead opened a newly-purchased YA read, The Mysterious Benedict Society, which is turning out to be a fantastic read and in the process adding to an internal urging to write something for the kids (

late review: samsung wave 525

2011-03-28T14:25:00.002+08:00

Forgive me for the spelling errors in the last post. I was writing that using a Samsung Wave 525 and still had trouble hitting the touchscreen keys with my not-so-dainty fingers. It's rather hard to hit the right keys on the virtual keypad with when your fingers are callused and a bit flat on the edges (blaming too much guitar-playing recently). But lest you get any idea, let me mention

testing a new gadget

2011-03-23T21:42:00.000+08:00

Am here in a wifi zone trying to post using the touchscreen typing capability of the Samsung Wave 525. Running on the Bada OS, this mobile phone packs a powerful package and could give a lot of smartphones a run for their money.Full review of this phone to follow when I fully explore its features. One thing not good abput it is that it doesn't come with full games. All the games it has are just

a walk around the neighborhood at dusk

2011-03-22T12:45:00.000+08:00

In midst of trying to do so many things all at the same time, it's quite enjoyable to just spend a quiet time with your kid. Early last night, after arriving from the office and just before dinner, on a whim, my little Ikai and I went for a walk around the neighborhood. Hand-in-hand we walked a couple of blocks, turned, walked a couple of more blocks, turned again, and headed back to

monday mumblings: reliving the death of the cq40, multi-book reading, ankle update, guitaring, psp-ing

2011-03-21T17:46:00.000+08:00

Do you read several books at the same time? Of course, I'm not talking about literally reading more than one book at exactly the same time. It's the idea that you're alternately reading several books at around the same period. Personally, I do this although it's not as systematic as how writer Philips Athans does it. Read how he reads five books at the same time over at his Grasping for

monday mumblings: sprained, next read is ... , american idol

2011-03-14T17:07:00.000+08:00

The massive shudder over at Japan last week must've messed up Globe's internet connectivity as we had no internet at the apartment over the weekend. And as far as I know, we ain't yet connected up until now. I wonder how long it's going to be until we're connected again? With experiences with our current provider, I don't want to keep my hopes up. * * * * I think I sprained my left

coffee is good

2011-03-08T10:20:00.000+08:00

According to an article on Shine on Yahoo! written by EatingWell Magazine Associate Nutrition Editor Kerri-Ann Jennings, MS, RD, I do not have to quit coffee for five very enlightening (and cheer-me-upping) reasons. Reason 1: It protects your heart Reason 2: It diverts diabetes Reason 3: Your liver loves it Reason 4: It boosts your brain power Reason 5: It helps your headaches Read

late review: stranger in a strange land

2011-02-26T21:27:00.003+08:00

A claim that a book or novel "the most famous science-fiction novel ever written" is too subjective. Personally, I don't think Stranger in a Strange Land is the most famous science-fiction novel ever written. It is certainly, without a doubt, one of the most famous sci-fi novels ever written (never going out of print, according to Wikipedia) but not the most famous because, like I said, claiming

tuesday tidbits: lab-test results, shocks and flat tire, late review is late and reading a new read

2011-02-22T17:15:00.000+08:00

The trip to the doctor yesterday wasn't so bad. At least I didn't get another dose of "you're still grossly obese" from my endo, Dr. Thelma Crisostomo. While the results of my latest lab-tests (urinalysis, uric acid, SGOT, SGPT, FBS, HbA1C, Lipid Profile, ALDL, HDL, etc. that required the extraction of three rather large vials of blood) weren't exactly sparkling, they were within good

friday frolics: birthday stuff, enamored with work ... not!, doctor-doctor

2011-02-18T12:49:00.000+08:00

This is only the 10th blog post for the year so far. Seems like I'm averaging about a blog a week which isn't really bad, all things considered. I've done worse the last two years when my progress was something like a post a month. In any case, this a late, quick post as work is swamped. It has been since this Monday and more than ever do I find the need for an assistant more imperative.

thursday tattles: the bibliophile in me, rip brian jacques, city of hope and despair

2011-02-10T17:04:00.000+08:00

I found myself over at the Book Sale branch along Dela Costa Street in Salcedo Village Makati last night after dinner with my wife (she was on mid-shift that was to end at 11pm) and after much searching and pillaging (much to the dismay of the saleslady), I got out of there with a new old book -- Legends Volume 2, published by TOR and includes three short novels by Terry Goodkind, George

tuesday tidbits: not online, stranger in a strange land, weekend movies

2011-02-08T13:28:00.000+08:00

I did not use the computer or went online this past weekend. Not even for a few minutes. Not even for a few secs. I just didn't feel like it. * * * * So, I apologize to those who sent me messages via Facebook or through my email or through Twitter and expected a quick reply. Sorry. Try sending your messages via my Yahoo email as that one I check daily. Or, send me a text message on

wednesday warbles: stranger in a strange land, oversleeping, new book-related sites

2011-02-02T13:17:00.000+08:00

After dinner last night, Elvie had to do some after-office work and I quickly joined her in our bedroom so that I could rest before doing the usual before-bedtime-stuff like taking a quick shower, doing the assignments with Ikai, and brushing teeth. After a few pages of Robert A. Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land, I fell asleep, still in my pants and in the undershirt I wore to the

tuesday tidbits: birthdays, metal rabbit, the lost symbol

2011-02-01T15:09:00.000+08:00

Today, February 1st, my mother celebrates her birthday. Last January 29, it was my father's birthday. We had an early celebration for both my parents' birthdays, trooping to Laguna on the afternoon of the 28th (taking a vacation leave to do so) so that we can spend a longer time with them over the weekend. Thanks to P-Noy's scrapping of GMA's holiday economics, there will no longer be any

wednesday warbles: old desktop PC, where's mama, boardgames, book-keeping

2011-01-26T15:47:00.000+08:00

What does one have to do to get a new desktop computer? As far as I know, a desktop computer's lifespan is only about 3 years. You can squeeze out another couple more but by your fifth year all the new software will kill your PC. My PC is a holdover from a previous employee of the Desk. It's a Pentium 4 with just a Gig of memory and a miniscule 33GB hard disk space circa 2004. In this

friday frolicks: sleep, books, impulse buying, food, it's too dang cold

2011-01-21T13:49:00.000+08:00

Lesson never learned: sleeping late and waking up early is no ambrosia from the gods. While I know the implications of such a potent mix of sleeping at 1AM only to wake up roughly 3 hours later (interspersed with wakeful moments when your 1-year old daughter kicks your gullet as she helicopter-wise swivels beside you in bed), there are times when it can't be avoided. And last night was

oh eye see

2011-01-20T14:32:00.000+08:00

Apparently my eyes are still ok, sort of. Last year, two incidences with doctors -- one during the company annual physical and the other when I had to have a cyst in my eye removed -- had me advised I needed glasses ostensibly because my eyesight was no longer good enough and secondly because, according to the doc who took out the cyst, it would help with the slight refraction I had in my

tuesday tidbits: books and notebooks and deferred side projects

2011-01-18T14:44:00.000+08:00

The promise of more frequent updates to this here ole blog is off to a not-so-good-start with this blog post only being the second post for the year when we're already on Day 18 of the New Year. Anyway, here goes nothing ... * * * * A quick trip to Fully Booked and National Bookstore at Greenbelt over lunch yesterday has got me itching to buy new books. Of course, we're talking about

thursday tattles: 4 days making this blog post! happy new year and other stuff

2011-01-06T12:40:00.000+08:00

Happy New Year, folks! Fingers still intact, I assume? Hopefully. Thus begins another year for The Coffee House Chronicles and yours truly, your humble brewer. Here's to hoping that this 2011 may be more fruitful for TCHC in terms of getting more posts done without sacrificing the quality. Last year, I recorded a measly 37 posts, down 10 posts from 2009's tally of 47. It's quite a

tuesday tidbits: asimov, ikai and big school, wishlist, mobile phone, the need to see better

2010-12-21T16:39:00.000+08:00

Yesterday I said I'll be finished with The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov this Christmas weekend. Surprise, surprise, I finished it last night! But this isn't the review yet. Just thought I'd do a shoutout that I've finished the Asimov novel earlier than expected. My dilemma now is what book (or books) to bring with me to Laguna. As I've also said, I'm deferring reading the Brent

now reading asimov for christmas

2010-12-20T11:05:00.000+08:00

Fresh from a historical fantastical romp in Cormyr, it was a choice between three books. There was a possible re-reading of the Legends of Dune trilogy starting with The Butlerian Jihad. But a recent trip to Booksale yielded a couple of new books -- Brent Weeks's The Way of Shadows which starts off his The Night Angel trilogy and then an Asimov installment, The Caves of Steel. While it

wednesday warbles: issa's bday at shakey's, cormyr, dune, rig is dead, christmas where?

2010-12-15T15:35:00.000+08:00

... and the rig is dead After a year and a few months of service, my rig had died. A quick trip to a computer repair service last Monday confirmed the worst: motherboard got fried due to overheating and if I wanted to still use the rig, I needed to cough out around Php 20K. Even after that, there's no guarantee the same problem would not occur again. Apparently, the overheating problem

monday mumblings: issa's birthday, website filtering, anathem, cormyr and cable tv

2010-12-06T12:20:00.000+08:00

Much of my non-office browsing during office hours is increasingly being thwarted by the Desk's website filtering system. Previous websites that I was able to access are now restricted. Kudos to the system for becoming more and more efficient (no sarcasm here) but unfortunately (but fortunately for the Desk) this cuts down the stuff that I do when I've got no official work to do. However,

me, resigned?

2010-11-23T13:54:00.000+08:00

The biggest news I got today is the news that I have resigned. The funny thing is I didn't know that I had resigned. Resigning is the farthest thing on my mind today. With December just around the corner, it wouldn't be logical to just say bye-bye to the Desk now. So, who's circulating the news that I have resigned? Conspiracy theorists, most likely. Or people who don't like my guts

thursday tidbits: rain, birthday girls, the check-up, anathem again

2010-11-11T17:28:00.000+08:00

It's going to be another busy weekend for the household with lots of errands to run. Mainly, it's because my daughters are celebrating their birthdays one month after another. Ikai celebrates her birthday on November 18 and there'll be a couple of mini-events to celebrate that. First, as it has become custom in her nursery school, we will be holding a small salu-salo for Ikai and her class

wednesday warbles: phil. spec-fic 6 deadline, krazy garlik, off-hours work, a father moment, 7-11 coffee

2010-10-27T17:35:00.000+08:00

I feel full. Just came from a lunch out with my boss and my department-mates to celebrate a colleague's birthday. And where did I get my fill of the celebration? From KrazyGarlik, one of the newer eating establishments located at Greenbelt 5. It's actually at the end of GB5 where GB5 meets with the old Greenbelt 1. While aswangs and bampiras might shy away from the place for obvious