Friday Five Rewind, and then Some.

I'll post an old Friday Five just like "Magic Madness" and "Monsters Rewind." I could, right? After all, the post is about songs, and I like songs, a whole lot of them, even. My mind's a bit stuck so I'm posting something to get me out of this jam.

Now what's the big deal with the "insult" made by the Pope? Yup, this Pope has foot-in-mouth disease. True, you may take this entire line out of context: "Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by sword the faith that he preached."

His Holiness was wrong, plain and simple. But then again, he's human, and he's no longer held to be infallible. So live with it. Those who protest most virulently mark themselves for the bloodthirsty fanatics that they are.

Back to the topic, whew!

1. If you could pick your own theme song, what would it be?
Tough one. I never really thought my life could be a song. If there could, or would, be one, I hope to write it. In the meantime, the song I would like to define my life would be "All I Ever Wanted Was My Life" by John Klemmer. Guess what? This song is so obscure only the Search-In of La Salle Greenhills site mentions its full lyrics here.

2. Now be honest...if others had to pick a song that described you, what would they choose?
This one was so automatic it cracked me up almost immediately. My closest buddies would most likely pick "Will You Be There?" by Michael Jackson. Bonus points for anyone who picks out the movie to which this song is the theme. Speaking of themes, the favorite one for me by my friends here would be "Don't Touch My Birdie" by Parokya ni Edgar.

3. What song would be/was the first dance at your wedding?
Nikki picked "At Last" in her post, so I can't pick that (and I preferred Ella's version to boot), so I'll go with Chet Baker's "My Funny Valentine" followed by "I Only Have Eyes For You" by the Flamingos. Runner-up would be a passable version of "The Way You Look Tonight."

4. What song gets stuck in your head most often?
"Wait" by the Beatles, followed by "Two of Us" also by the Beatles. The second song would also do well for the next question...

5. What song would you want played at your funeral?
Something peppy and upbeat by The Supremes or Stevie Wonder. I'm dead, am I not? People should remember the way that I lived. Heck, they can throw in "All Apologies" by Nirvana, for all I care, or even if it has gotten too treacly, "Seasons of Love" from "Rent." However, if those left behind have a problem with the levity, my first pick would be "Walang Hanggang Paalam" by Joey Ayala, followed closely by Bukas Palad's "Take and Receive."

Latest Friday Five (15 Sept 2006)

1. What's your favorite line from a movie, and why?It has to be that line from You’ve Got Mail - “The odd thing about this form of communication is that you're more likely to talk about nothing than something. But I just want to say that all this nothing has meant more to me than so many…somethings.” Small comfort for a guy living in the Middle East. For encouragement, this exchange from "The Fellowship of the Ring - Frodo: "I wish the ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened." Gandalf replies: "So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world Frodo, besides the will of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring. In which case, you were also meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought." Perennial favorite: the entire script of “Godfather the Movie.”
2. Who's your favorite villain from a movie, and why? It would have to be the serial killer from “Se7en” played by Kevin Spacey. The kind of bad guy you would really love to hate. Cool, calculating, and absolutely unredeemable. Runners-up: Cypher (for weaseliness) from “The Matrix,” Emperor Palpatine (for kick-ass evil) from the Star Wars movies.
3. Name one movie everyone else loves that you hate. I don’t know if there is a movie “everyone loves” that I don’t like. I’m pretty much forgiving when it comes to movies. TV shows, maybe. Mostly those telenovelas, whether Filipino, Korean, Chinese, or Mexican. Take your pick.
4. Name one movie everyone else hates that you love. Even a tougher question. As I’m an omnivore when it comes to movies, this can range from “Transformers the Movie” to art films. Depends on the crowd.
5. What's your favorite Pixar film, and why? “Toy Story.” Tom Hanks. Tim Allen. No contest.

No Room for Denial

He-he, as if I could escape. =) Might as well enjoy the journey.

Ang Tunay na Pangarap

Ito'y munting ala-ala para sa nasawi dahil sa karahasan. Hindi lamang para sa karahasan dulot ng terorismo, ngunit para na rin sa biktima ng pinakamasahol na karahasan - ang karahasan ng kahirapan sanhi ng pagpapalawig ng 'di-pagkapantay-pantay sa lipunan.

Nawa'y mabigyan ang nakararaming lugmok sa kahirapan ng pagkakataong maiahon ang kanilang mga sarili at pamilya mula sa kahirapan, at higit na mahalaga, nawa'y makilala't matanggap nila ang tamang daan sa panahong masilayan nila ang pagkakataong ito.

Nawa'y mamulat ang puso't diwa ng may kapangyarihan at namumuhay sa karangyaan na ang tunay na katahimikang siyang masisilungan nila at kanilang mga pamilya ay ang pagsugpo sa kahirapan at kamangmangan sa anumang sulok ng mundo.

Ito ay salin sa isang dasal mula sa De La Salle Brothers ng Pilipinas.

ANG PANGARAP NG DIYOS PARA SA AKIN

Winika ng Panginoon :
May pangarap ako para sa iyo
Sapagkat buhat sa akin ang dakilang adhikain.

Parang kay hirap abutin ang aking inaasam,
Hindi yata praktikal,
Hindi yata para sa taong segurista,
May kaunting pag-aalangan minsan,
May kaunting pagyayabang kumbaga.

Ninanais ng ilan kong kaibigan
Ang magpahinga't manahimik
Na pagkahimbing-himbing
At maging bulag na dilat.

Ngunit sa mga ilang tulad ko rin,
Humihingi lamang ako ng kaunting pasensiya,
Mumunting kasiyahan,
Kakaunting lakas ng loob,
At puso't diwang handang makinig...
At bahala na ako sa lahat.

At sila'y magpupunyagi,
At magugulat sa kanilang kapusukan,
Lulukso, at magtataka sa kanilang liksi,
Magsisikap, at mamamangha sa ganda ng kanilang gawain.

Madalas magkikita tayo sa iyong hanapbuhay:
Sa mga kasama't kasangga mo,
Sa mga kaibigan mong naniniwala sa iyo
upang magbahagi ng kanilang mga pangarap,
ang kanilang mga kamay at puso,
sa iyong pagsisikap.

Tumila ka sa piling ng mga makatatagpo sa iyo,
At sa paghiwalay ninyo ng landas matitiyak mong
Makahahanap din sila ng pangarap.

Minsan sisikat ang araw,
At minsan nama'y babagsak ang ulan...
Ang pagbabago-bago ng panahon :
Nanggagaling ito sa akin.
Halina, humimlay at maging kuntento.

Pangarap ko rin ang pangarap mo.
Tahanan ko ang itinatayo mo.
Nasaksihan mo ang aking pagmamalasakit,
At tinataglay mo ang aking pagmamahal,
At ang mga ito ang kabuluhan ng lahat.

Panginoon, nawa'y manatiling malayo ang aking mga minamahal sa buhay sa kapahamakan. Marapatin po Ninyo na ang aking pangugulila dito sa ibang bayan ay maging katumbas ng kanilang katiwasayan at patuloy na kaligtasan sa sakit o hirap. Isinaalang-alang ko na po ang lahat nang sa gayo'y mabuhay sila nang maligaya. Sapat na gantimpala ito para sa akin. Siya nawa, siya nawa.

Humorless

I've just discovered, that, outside of self-deprecation and toilet humor, I am totally humorless.

If you find that funny, you know what I mean. If you don't, that means I'm worse off than I thought.

Really now, there should be some form of amusement people would derive from what I am writing. Maybe my life is utterly boring. Oh well, it's not as if I'm selling populist literature (this is, as always, a litmus test of my readability, and so far... well, I do hope you get the picture).

Still, there is probably some balance somewhere -

Where there is beauty, there is ugliness.
When something is right,
Something else is wrong.
Knowledge and ignorance
Depend on each other.
It has been like this since the beginning.
How could it be otherwise now?
Wanting to chuck out one
And hold onto the other
Makes for a ridiculous comedy.
You must still deal with everything
Ever-changing,
Even when you say it’s wonderful.
- Ryokan (1758-1831)

So maybe the balance is that I am capable of deep thought. Still, deep thoughts don't earn you plaudits at your standard get-together parties. Or maybe I just shouldn't expect too much from get-together parties.

I've known for a long time that I was never a "glad-hander" and having to be one, for sake of necessity, makes me feel cheap and fake. Or, maybe just like what it implies, I'm simply too self-absorbed and don't care much for people.

I know I'm hardly making sense (fried neurons running 14 hours straight), but I'm grasping at this duality thing like a Socratic dialogue. Only of course I'm doing a dog's dinner out of it.

I love you Mom! (Now where did that come from? Ah! It's always the line stars come up with when they have nothing useful to say.) Yeah, but that one's true, among the few true things in my life. I do my love my mother.

At least she laughs at my odd jokes. What can she do, she gave life to me!

Now, for some classic inspiration from Joey Ayala:

Magkabilaan

Ang katotohanan ay may dalawang mukha
Ang tama sa iyo ay mali sa tingin ng iba
May puti, may itim, liwanag at dilim
May pumapaibabaw at may sumasailalim.

Ang tubig ay sa apoy, ang lupa ay sa langit
Ang araw ay sa gabi, ang lamig naman sa init
Kapag nawala ang isa, ang isa'y di mababatid
Ang malakas at ang mahina'y magkapatid.

Magkabilaan ang mundo
Magkabilaan ang mundo
Magkabilaan ang mundo

Ang hirap ng marami ay sagana ng iilan
Ang nagpapakain, walang laman ang tiyan
Ang nagpapanday ng gusali at lansangan
Maputik ang daan tungo sa dampang tahanan.

May mga haring walang kapangyarihan
Meron ding alipin na mas malaya pa sa karamihan
May mga sundalo na sarili ang kalaban
Ay may pinapaslang na nabubuhay nang walang hanggan.

Magkabilaan ang mundo
Magkabilaan ang mundo
Magkabilaan ang mundo

May kaliwa't may kanan sa ating lipunan
Patuloy ang pagtutunggali, patuloy ang paglalaban
Pumanig ka, pumanig ka, huwag nang ipagpaliban pa
Ang 'di makapagpasiya ay maiipit sa gitna.

Bulok na ang haligi ng ating lipunan
Matibay ang pananalig na ito'y palitan
Suriin mong mabuti ang iyong paninindigan
Pagka't magkabilaan ang mundo.

Magkabilaan ang mundo
Magkabilaan ang mundo
Magkabilaan ang mundo

One thing's for sure, though, when I commit a boo-boo I can crack up anyone, any time of day. Such stupidity can only smack of genius. Such, too, is my humorlessness.

Crucible

For one human being to love another that is perhaps the most difficult of our tasks; the ultimate, the last test and proof; the work for which all other work is but preparation.
~ Rainer Maria Rilke