Climbing The Datum Origin

5/15/2014 8:24:26 AM

As yours truly, along with several friends, reached the island of Marinduque for the first time (in my lifetime), we are supposedly boarding a trip to the town known as Torrijos later that day.

Until a sudden change of plan went on, and early in that Friday morning, we hiked up on that mountain known as Datum Origin.

Sounds new to me, actually; I personally have no idea what the place was all about until I saw the historic landmark there. Our crew took about 90 minutes of trekking; with only armed with a bottle of mineral water and a face towel on me.

Gosh, that was really an exhausting one; considering I never experienced climbing a mountain like that!

Unfortunately for me though, my phone battery died out while travelling; which made me unable to take photographs to routing those muddy roads, steep terrain, and hollow-blocked constructed stairs. So instead, I could only rely on other photographs from the World Wide Web (with proper citation, of course; except for the last one which was taken by yours truly on my way back to the Metro).

Plus, the danger of not having somebody to guide around seemed horrifying (I don’t know why the hell we don’t have that, though all I know is that my college friend who used to live on that province seems she knew a lot).

Facebook page: Luzon Datum of 1911-Marinduque

But reaching the peak was always the best part. At around 10:30 in the morning, we finally reached Datum Origin, the geodetically-speaking centralized point of the entire Republic of the Philippines archipelago! All that despite having a tough time to text one of my close online friends to tell the news. 

http://journeyingjames.com/

That Datum Origin of Luzon was formally situated in 1911 in this stone. Still a nice spot after a hundred years, eh? (101 in fact, during the time I climbed the mountain.)

Facebook page: Luzon Datum of 1911-Marinduque

Facebook page: Luzon Datum of 1911-Marinduque

Up there you can see the entire island as well as the wide open seas around it.

http://www.ugnayan.com/

Nevertheless, it was still a memorable ride. Forget the exhaustion, the stinky feeling of sweat all around your body, as well as body aches, and muscle pains on its aftermath.

However, the downside (perhaps, an irony too) is: the longer time you took to climb a mountain, the faster you go down. Yes, as I told earlier, it took us 1 ½ hour to get up there. 

But hitting downstairs? Shoot – only 25 minutes! Yes, 25 freaking minutes! It's like we start trekking up by around 9 AM, reached there about 90 minutes before noontime, and as we got down by 11:15 AM, we were already at the ground level about twenty minutes before noontime (11:40 AM), if I'm not mistaken.

And only to realized we're still strolling around the nearby Station Balanacan in Mogpog (just down there's the port connecting from Lucena to this island) and will have to travel for like three to four hours on our destination?

Okay, 'nuff said. Off to Torrijos!

Author: slickmaster | © 2014 september twenty-eight productions

Lookback: FlipTop's Ahon

5/15/2014 6:54:18 AM

Since it’s already four years since this one was held at Guerilla Radio in Pasig City, let’s take a trip back to memory lane.

Let me guess: FlipTop’s Ahon was the biggest event (if not one of the biggest events) the Makati-based rap battle league has ever organized. They started in mid-February 2010 with the gracing event known as Grain Assault.

I was not around the venue when Ahon happened. Like every then-newbie fan of FlipTop, I only checked out their clip on YouTube out of my curiosity. To be honest, I only heard them from one of my gangster friends (and of course, most of the gangsters used to engage themselves in hip-hop music as part of their culture).

Kicking off the night were Juan Lazy (Juan Tamad) and Silencer; with the latter prevailing at the end, and in typical style. But hey, Juan Lazy was heck of the rapper. He almost conquered the battle only if he didn’t come up a bit less in the third round.

Last in schedule though were Apekz and Snatch. And let me guess, if Snatch was on his typical form, the battle should have gone a bit much hype better. Apekz just lived to his (and their) promise, pure comical poet. Wow!

But anyway, I’ll do things in random this time around. If we’re judging battles accordingly to then-standards where the hype was the name of the game, Mike Makata vs. Verb may be a lesser one, as well as Daddie Joe D versus Shehyee.

Though the latter was a bit better, but maybe it’s because there are only few people left in the venue (I think they had done it by around 3 or 4 am). Shehyee unleashed his potential right there though DJD was a badass. Bam!

Also, the English conference battles were sick; though I’ll give credit more to both Josh G and Skarm for breaking out putting a great damn fight.

But hey, the other battles were a real deal too. Check them out. 

On a shallow, mainstreamed pop-cultured perspective, some may thought that Ahon appeared the local rap battle version of WrestleMania or those big championship games when it comes to hype and impact. Weird thing to judge though maybe it was due to a lot of close battles.

Look: there are lot of battles out there which brought tremendous effect to both FlipTop and the local hip-hop culture. I mean, it could be a factor to the escalating level of popularity that both the brand and the rap battle itself made wide-spread recognition, something that others like Sunugan Royale never done so (much respect to them though).

Look: NothingElse versus Abra may be a one-sided affair in favor of the former. And if Abra did not choke, he could have won the battle. But let’s face it: this guy, aside from his charming looks which girls are really clamouring for, has this huge kind of wit and talent to back it up. Maybe the downside though is that he’s still on the developing stage then, considering he choked for the second time since entering the rap battle competition. Plus things seems to get more personal than usual.

.

Batas versus Fuego; perhaps it was the most heated battle between the people’s most-hated fella and one of the most-favored ones in Ahon. As I watched the clip on how Batas unleashed the monster in him, the fire was there; and so was Fuego’s fuel. He spits words like a dragon, where if anyone will dare to block his way deserved to earn a third-degree burn (or even fourth).

Unfortunately for Fuego, he lost. I know, it sounds like he’s a wasted potential like Karl Malone, Leonardo DiCaprio and even Drew McIntyre (but it’s fucking unfair to compare anyway).

And Mark did not deserve that win? Better dig deeper though. It may appear like one, but certainly there’s a reason why, and way back then that’s the problem the audience did not know: rap battlin’ is not just about jokes or punchlines – it’s about lyricism, mind games, music as a whole, elements (some guys may failed to address that one; but can you blame them anyway? They don’t live the same culture compared us who used to only patronize mainstream for most of the time, so it’s unfair to judge).

Dello versus Target; the second-most entertaining battle of the first Ahon; yet it was also the one who came in “package.” There’s typical punchlines, there’s rebuttals, there’s references, there’s freestyle, word usage, everything. And the difference is that it became more evident in layman’s term (if you only think deeper you know what I’m talking about).

It was a damn one heck-of-a-fight. For me, that was the best battle I ever saw in Ahon, and at the same time, the early stages of FT.

Loonie and Zaito was good though, but Zaito came up a bit short (just a very slim margin). I’m not saying he choked ‘coz he forgot something; but maybe because he used freestyle too much that he claimed “did not have any practice.”

And Loonie was the typical monster-masher, or a game master; like a veteran who can outpointed everyone no matter whom his opponent is. No wonder why four years later, he was successful, along with other rappers, in both worlds.

Overall, based on their uploaded videos, Ahon was the sickest evening of them all, especially in 2010 right before Down N South, Ahon 2, and other succeeding events. Damn! Much support and respect to both FlipTop, and the entire hip-hop culture as well.

Author: slickmaster | © 2014 september twenty-eight productions

Tirada Ni SlickMaster: The Racist Owner

5/13/2014 3:07:28 AM

So nalagay na naman sa alanganin ang National Basketball Association (NBA) matapos ang kontrobersyal na remark mula kay Donald Sterling, ha? Siya lang naman, na nagmamay-ari ng Los Angeles Clippers, ang nagbitaw ng isang “racist” na statement ukol sa mga “black people,” o sa madaling sabi, maiitim.

Paano nga ba siya na-ban sa NBA at pinagmulta ng tumataginting na 2.5 million dollars?

Ayaw n’ya kasi pahintulutan ang kanyang gelpren na magdala ng mga ganung uri (o race) ng tao sa kanyang mga laro. Ayon ito sa isang recording na nakuha ng celebrity gossip site na TMZ na naglalalam ngkanilang pagtatalo ukol sa pagiging… black.

Kung di ka kumbinsido, pakinggan mo na lang ito. Mahaba-haba nga lang, at naka-transcribe pa ‘to para maintindihan mo (kaya wag kang magrereklamo na tinatamad ka).

Sa ilang katiting na segundo ng kabuuan na siyam na minutong recording na ‘yan naging basehan ang lahat-lahat ng reaksyon mula sa mga NBA player hanggang sa mga ultimong kilalalang personalidad sa larangan ng pulitka at entertainment.

Oo, ultimo sila Snoop Dogg at US President Barrack Obama ay nabagot sa sinabi ni Sterling. At sino ba nga naman ang hindi, lalo na’t isa sa mga adbokasiya ng NBA mula noon pa man ang pakikibaka laban sa racism o racist discrimination?

Take note, ha? Hindi lang sila LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, mga nagretiro tulad ni Baron Davis, at kahit ang mga alamat ng laro na sila Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal at Charles Barkley ang mga uminit ang ulo. Dahil kahit ang mga tauhan sa sariling koponan niya ay sukdulan ang pagkadismaya tulad na lamang ng point guard nilang si Chris Paul at head coach Doc Rivers.

Ano ‘to, sagot ni Sterling sa isang kasabihan noon na “white men can’t jump?”

Pero ang akto kasi ng page-generalize, at ultimo ang simpleng akto lang ng pagdidiskrimina sa kapwa mo ay isa nang malaking kasalanan sa lipunan, regardless kung ikaw ay sumasabay lang sa alon tulad ng mga mainstream patrons o isa kang taliwas sa nakararami tulad ng mga sinasabi nilang hipster. As in mas matindi pa ‘to sa ‘mortal sin’ kung tawagin, dahil hindi lang ito base sa relihiyon kundi sa pangkalahatang kamalayan na ng bawat tao.

Kaya nga naman inimpose ni NBA commissioner Adam Silver ang maituturing na pinaka-harsh na penalty sa kasaysayan ng larangan ng palakasan sa Estados Unidos na lifetime ban para sa 80-anyos na si Sterling, samahan mo pa ng pinakamataas na fine na allowed sa konsitutsyon ng liga ($2.5 million), at ito pa: pepwersahin ka na ibenta mo ang sarili mong koponan.

Saklap, ‘di ba?  Tatlumput tatlong taon mo yang pinaghirapan, pinagmanduhan; pero dahil sa katarantaduhan na binitawan mo sa gelpren mo (tsk, parang mistress ang datingan considering na may legal wife ka pa), na in return ay ni-record pala ang usapan n’yo saka pina-obtain sa TMZ, eh sinipa ka palabas ng isa sa mga pinakasikat na liga sa mundo?

Parang “early death present” ang datingan ah, considering na walong dekada ka na at tila ilang taon na lang ang ilalagi mo. Inaykupo.

Ngunit sa kabilang banda, ang isang pribadong usapan ay dapat nakatago na lang, ‘di ba? Wala itong pinagkaiba sa mga sex scandal videos na nirecord n’yong dalawa nooong panahon na nagha-honeymoon kayo, ke sa motel man yan o sa lehitimong hotel (as in nung honeymoon nyo mismo).

Subalit, sa kablang banda, hindi ito mahahalungkat kung hindi dahil sa advent ng teknolohiya ngayon. Isipin mo ha? Kaliwa’t kanan ang pahayag ng mga tao, ordinary man o prominente sa social media? At parang citizen journalism na rin ang datingan nito considering na mula ito sa recording ng babae mismo.

Ito lang ang mga maari nating matutunan mula sa kalokohang ito: ang racism ay isang malaking kasalanan na magagawa mo. Kaya ingat ka sa mga sinasabi mo, lalo na’t baka mamaya ay magkakaroon pala ito ng backlash mula sa ‘yo. Maaring resulta yan ng pangbaba-backstab ng iba laban sa ‘yo, pero alalahanin mo ha? Na minsan, ang mga akto ng tila ‘kamalasan’ sa mata natin, ay resulta lang din ng ating katarantaduhan.

At hindi lang si Donald Sterling ang racist na namumuhay sa mundo. In fact, lahat tayo ay racist, sa ayaw o sa gusto mo. Oo, kahit ang inyong lingkod, kahit ikaw na nagbabasa nito, kahit yang mga katabi mo, kamag-anak at kaibigan mo ay may pagkaracist – sa kanya-kanyang pamamaraaan nga lang, mula sa simpleng pang-aasar hanggang sa mabibigat na personal na panunumbat.

Kaya mag-iingat ka.

Author: slickmaster  | © 2014 september twenty-eight productions

Ang Mahiwagang Listahan

5/13/2014 7:04:09 AM

(Speaking of which, as of time na pinublish ko ito ay lumabas ang kontrobersyal na listahan.)

Ang mahiwagang listahan. Bow.

(Photo credits: Christian Esguerra/Twitter)

Pero hindi ito tula, ni hindi isang episode ng paborito kong palabas na anime na si Doraemon, kundi isa itong tirada (malamang! Dahil ano pa bang aasahan n’yo sa akin, ‘di ba?). Mula sa mga spekulasyon ng posibleng pagiging state witness daw, ngayon ay may listahan na siya. Aba, daig pa nya ang mga tindero at tindera, ano?

Ano ang nilalaman ng listahan niya? Mga pangalan daw ng mga opisyales na sangkot sa pork barrel scam na kung saan ang pinakapuno’t dulo ng lahat ay walang iba kundi ang lola niyo na si (drumroll, please) Janet Lim-Napoles.

Parang may-ari lang ng tindahan eh no? At yung mga nakapaskil na pangalan dun, mula sa mga staff member hanggang sa mga kongresista’t senador, ay parang mga may utang lang sa kanya, e ano po?

Pero bakit nga ba parang inaabot ng siyam-siyam ang pagsisiwalat sa usapin na ito? Nagkadevelopment na ang kaso nila Vhong, Deniece at Cedric lahat-lahat, sinamahan pa ng kontrobersyal na post ni Kris Aquino sa Instagram, at nanganak na lahat-lahat si Maya, nahalungkat na nga muli ang sigalot sa mga utol na Barretto (tangina naman, pwede bang gawing media blackout na rin ang isyung yan at hayaan na lamang sa mga programa na may kinalaman sa showbiz ang mga ganyang balita?), hindi pa rin nabubunyag ang dapat mabuyag?!

Sa totoo lang, hindi mo na rin masisisi ang tao kung bakit hindi sila nainiwala sa due process ng judicial department eh. Napakatagal ng prosesong yan, na parang Maguindanao massacre lang. Maiinip sila sa tagal. Baka mamuti na ang buhok ng apo nila lahat-lahat ay wala pa ring nangyayari.

Pero yan ang mundo ng pulitika, masanay ka na. Pustahan, sa panahon na magkakabukingan at magkakalaglagan na, hindi makukulong ang dapat makulong. Hindi rin masususpend ang dapat masuspend. 

At baka matapos na ang sesyon at termino ng mga taong nakaupo at magbago na nang tuluyan ang administrasyon ay baka hindi pa maresolba ang misuse scandal ng tinatawag na Priority Development Assistance Fund (sa madaling sabi, PDAF),na nagkakahalaga pa ng sampung bilyong piso; samahan mo pa ng pag-abuso sa fund ng Malampaya powerplant.

Ano pa bang bago?

Pag ka nabunyag na ni JLN, DOJ secretary Leila De Lima at Senator Panfilo Lacson ang sagradong listahan ba ay mababago na ba ang takbo ng ekonomiya sa atin? Mababago din ba nito ang takbo ng pulitika? Mapupuksa na ba ang katiwalian? Mag-aalburoto ba ang tao na parang People Power Revolution sa Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (o EDSA, para maintindihan mo sa halip na mag-alubroto ka at magtanong na “yan ba yung kalsada sa Kalahang Maynila na laging matrapik?”)?

Walang katiyakan. Yan ang sigurado.

Pero dahil karapatan nating malaman ang katotohanan (kahit lintik nay an, inaabot din ng siyam-siyam yang jeskeng Freedom of Information bill na yan), sige na, hayaan nyo na magsiwalat ang bruha. Hindi naman siguro magsisinungaling at magpapanggap na “wala siyang nalalaman” this time kung in fact, may listahan na siya, ‘di po ba?

Sige, ibunyag na ang dapat ibunyag. Amin na yang listahan na yan!

Author: slickmaster | © 2014 september twenty-eight productions

National Problem: Internet Connection (v. 2.0)

09/05/2014 12:45:23 AM

Ang Pilipinas ay ang bansa na may pinakamabagal na internet connection sa buong rehiyon ng Timog Silangang Asya.

http://www.mb.com.ph

Pero, ano naman bago sa mga ito? Masyadong bang evident para pag-usapan ito?

Oo naman, sa panahon na 20 taon na ang internet sa ating bansa (at take note, hindi sa Maynila ang pinakaunang lugar sa Pilipinas na nagkaroon ng internet. Saan kamo? Sa bandang Cebu lang naman), di ba nakapagtataka kung bakit nuknukan pa rin ito ng bagal?

Kaya nga ultimo ang isang senador ay gustong pagpaliwanagin ang mga telecommunications company ukol dito.

Pero huwag kang masyadong mareklamo d’yan. Alam ko, at alam mo, at alam natin lahat na isa na sa ating basic human necessities ang internet connection. Actually, mali, parte na nga ng basic human needs or rights na nga yun eh.

Dahil dito nahuhubog natin ang kaalaman na mas higit pa sa mga tinuturo sa atin sa eskwelahan. Sa pamamagitan ng internet ay nagagawa natin na gumawa ng ugnayan sa ibang tao, partikular sa mga taong hindi naman natin kakilala talaga. Sa madaling sabi, mas natutuklasan natin ang mundo gamit nito.

Pero mabagal pa rin ang Internet connection sa Pilipinas? Sing-taas na bang national level ang isyung ito? Sigurado bang pag pinag-usapan ito ay hindi masasapawan ang pork barrel scam, ang walang kamatayang kaechusan ng three stooges, at ultimong pagyayabang ni Kris na mas lamang ‘daw’ ang pelikula ng kanyang anak kesa sa unang installment ng The Amazing Spider-Man?

Actually, hindi. Dahil kung magpapakatotoo lang naman tayo ay hindi lahat ng tao ay may ganap na kaalalaman sa internet. Bagkus, ang iba pa nga ay wala ring interes na pag-aralan ito. Sa madaling sabi, dahil sa maraming ignorante at marami ring makikitid ang utak at piniling pairalin ang kamangmangan kesa sa lumevel-up ang kanilang pagkatao, yan din ang dahilan kung bakit hindi ganun katas ang demand ng intenet sa atin.

May kinalaman din ba ang mga negosyante ukol rito? Dahil sila ang nagpo-provide nito eh. Hmmm, maaring sabihin, pero mahirap rin ito patunayan. Dahil alam naman natin lahat na gusto nilang kumita. Pero hindi naman siguro lahat ng negosyante ay magpapakagahaman at bagkus ay gusto rin naman nilang makita na inieenjoy ng mga customer at kliyente ang kanilang mga produktong inangkat sa merkado.

Pero dahil kulang nga tayo sa demand, kung ikukumpara sa mga kapitbahay natin, hindi basta-batsa lelevel-up ang kagustuhan natin na magkaroon ng maganda-gandang internet connection. At pustahan tayo, pag may isang kumpanya na nagalok ng nuknukan ng bilis na serbisyo nito, mapapamahal ka. At siyempre, kapag marami na ang sumunod sa uso dito, babagal din yan. ‘Di mo ba yan napapansin nun sa advent ng mga DSL connection at ultimo mga mobile broadband (yung mga nasa USB lang?).

At ito lang din, alam ko mahal ang binabayaran natin sa tila kakarampot na bilis. Pero, yan din ang realidad. Isipin mo, sa mga bansa na umuunlad, kung mataas man ang sahod nila, mataasdin ang gastusin nila.

Ika nga ng Evolution, “either you adapt, or you perish.” Anong konek, aber? Malamang,nagbabago ang lifestyle eh. Either susunod ka or else... kung hindi, good luck naman sa buhay mo, lalo na kung wala kang disiplina bilang tao.

Halos sama analogy lang siya kung ikukumpara sa mga OFW na nagpapadala ng pera sa ating bansa. Akala mo ang yaman ng tropa okamag-anak mo para padalhan ka? Wag kang umasa ‘uy! Maaring kumita siya ng singkwenta mil (converted na sa Philippine Peso), pero mataas din ang gastusin dun.

Anyway, balik tao sa usapan. Katulad nga ng sinabi ko, kung maraming tao ang magpapakita ng kagustuhan na maging intelektwal omaging simpleng maalam na tao langpagdating sa internet, baka dyan tayo uusad.

Huwag nga lang tayo maghintay ng 20 taon o higit pa, para mangyari ito.

Author: slickmaster | © 2014 september twenty-eight productions

Playback: Kongos - Come With Me Now

09/05/2014 1:05:29 AM

Since everyone seems to indulged on boy bands once again like One Direction, the Vamps, and any other else… (say, does 1975 counts?) well, I’d prefer to listen to this all-boy alternative band (at least, not a very typical bullshit known as “mainstream pop”) named Kongos.

And to be frank? Yeah, WWE Extreme Rules brought me here.

Honestly, I first thought the theme wasn't perfectly fitted for this. But still, I managed to listen to them and found the track… hmmm… quite good.

Plus, Kongos’ "Come with Me Now" was once used as a theme for the Stanley Cup, as well as The Originals, NASCAR, the trailer of the film Holy Motors, and even the 2014 MTV Movie Awards.

So at least, we knew that this single has already a background in sports and entertainment events.

Four members of this South African-native band were apparently, the sons of a singer-songwriter named John Kongos.

However, I can only classify this thing as “underrated” at all, since not everyone used to be familiar with it. But believe me, folks. This one’s good.

No wonder why after 2 years (since the single was originally released in their home country), they made it big; specifically, in Canadian Hot 100 and US Billboard charts.

I think we should give these guys a break even more. Better check out their album Lunatic if you got some time.

Author: slickmaster | © 2014 september twenty-eight productions

The Scene Around: SYNC Music + Tech 2014

5/5/2014 8:09:30 AM

On April 27, musicians and music enthusiasts alike were treated by SPINNR indie to their event called SYNC: Music + Tech held during that hot Saturday afternoon at the Black Market in Makati City.

Yes, it was scorching hot that walking along the streets of Pasong Tamo for a second might cause you terrible sickness within the next few hours or so.

But that did not stop me anyway.

So I managed to register for the event itself, and braced myself for few hours of music and technology convergence.

Jimmy Ayson gave the welcome remarks at 4 pm, while Abby Borja tackled their brand, and Vida Sioson formally introduced the SPINNR’s independent music counterpart names SPINNR INDIE.

After the three corporate personnel took the podium and present themselves, talks from several artists and key music personnel such as Barbie Almalbis, Vin Dancel, and Francis Reyes took turns in sharing their knowledge in the music modernization thingy.

With Almalbis, a former Hungry Young Poets and Barbie’s Cradle vocalist, gracing the afternoon with her sets of “stompbox,” or the gadgets which guitarists used as “pedals.”

Mr. Mony Romana, Lee Grane and similarobjects also had their share of talks to numerous attendees.

Apparently, Grane, a singer/songwriter from the TV show The Voice, launched her single “Sana” during the event.

After the talk, dinner and drinks were already served as musicians Joee and I, Sinyma and similarobjects, delivered their performance acts to cap the night away.

Overall, it was a musically-packed full of information night for us. And not to mention, a perfect chillin' booze for the weekend. Well, I just wish there are lot of similar events. I mean, things like this. 'Cause we badly need it. Much support for the local underground scene.

(Post-script: shout outs to my blogger friends Clarenz Nixon, Axl Guinto, Sailor Star Catcher, Ron Mia and special thanks to Faudible for inviting me here.)

(Photo credits (All): SPINNR PH's Facebook album "SYNC: Music + Tech")

Author: slickmaster | © 2014 september twenty-eight productions