5 reasons why kids shouldn't watch Dora

You've probably heard of her by now. That annoying little girl who prances around with her pet monkey. She has now invaded every home and captured your kids heart with her singing and awesome dance moves.

Let me present my case here, and find out why your kids shouldn't watch her show.

1. She leaves and goes to her expensive exploring trips without the consent of her parents. I can imagine that she doesn't go to school and has no formal education which explains why she'd  rather be friends with a monkey as she never was exposed to socialization

2. Backpack,backpack. - This is totally beyond me. Why would anyone keep a bag that talks and answers to the call "Backpack, backpack"? To make things worse. You can't just pull out the stuff that you need from this bag, He will make you choose what you need in the form of a game. Talk about absurdity at its finest.

3. Swiper no swiping!-  There has never been an antagonist as weakly depicted as Swiper the Fox. Can you imagine getting mugged and stopping the mugger by saying  "Mugger no mugging, mugger no mugging!" If I were the mugger, Id get scared. (and weirded out)

4. The Bangs- Need I say more? Anyway, for arguments sake let me defend the point. Dora's hair looks as outdated as my grandma's false teeth. Nevermind that Vice Ganda has fooled herself to thinking that she pulled it off and now calls herself "Bangs ganda" It still looks ridiculous to me. On second thought, I've seen horses with bangs in Baguio and it didn't look so bad.

5. Teleportation- While quantum physics may still hold the key to teleportation as well as time travel. This vagabond kid is fooling your kids by making them believe that they can pass through space and time with her explorations to caves, the moon and your bathroom.

I'll let the talking map go because while a singing map can be an annoying guide, it is nowhere as absurd as the one's mentioned above. I'll just think of "The Map" as a GPS Navigation gadget.


And if these points still aren't enough to convince you, take a look at this mug shot of Dora. Apparently she was seen caught crossing the border of Mexico without valid identification and was charged as an illegal immigrant.

She resisted arrest and fought with the police which explains the black eye. Her pet monkey fled the scene and took her backpack with him.

Carpe Diem Videos

Here is a collection of my favorite videos taken from our gigs back when my band Carpe Diem was still active.


UP Fair 2008

@ Magnet Bar



This is a personal favorite of mine: Desaparecidos

The dreaded needle

Growing up, I don't think I have that much recollection of being confined in a hospital. I loathe the place. I guess back then, I knew how half hearted my answer was to the question: "What do you want to be when you grow up" 90% of the time kids would say "I want to be a doctor." I think I knew I was lying or maybe it sounded grand even for a 10 year old kid, yet picturing myself on a white coat and a stethoscope hanging on my neck was never part of my dreams.

But I don't think I was ever afraid of needles. Not until my son came along. Every trip to the hospital gives me a deep seated anxiety that may have sprung from the first time my son was confined. They could not find his veins for the IV, and I, stood aghast at the sight of 3 doctors who were apparently torturing my son. I walked out in disbelief.

It has been like that ever since. I hated needles and I think at one point I even contemplated on burying my fist  on the poor doctor's throat who was only doing his job. Its a wonder how a procedure that's supposed to make you better can hurt just as bad. 

When we look at the things that hurt us, or those that makes you shiver in discomfort. We tend to overlook at the positive things that it brings us. True, there will never be a painless way to insert the intravenous line on our veins but it prevents dehydration. 

I hope there will never be a need to get confined but if it happens again, I will be ready, or maybe I will try to be ready.

Bamboo Band no more

"Things change.

As a group we've come to a point where you have to trust your gut, your heart and your head and accept that all things change. The hardest part as always is to know when to pack it up and part ways...

So here we go- Its official- The band- Its over"

- Bamboo Manalac

And things will change indeed.

The band we've come to know, (it may be argued but for me its true)  and has been for many years,as the forefront of the rock scene. The country's premiere rock band that has earned the respect of both the established and aspiring musicians officially bid farewell. 

I could not imagine the music scene without them. And yes I never imagined writing about them breaking up let alone write this piece. 

Its the saddest news since the Death of NU 107. And this is another huge blow right on the crotch of the dying rock scene here in the Philippines.

Im no expert in the music scene but I can imagine that this will have a big impact on the business. I can only hope that the new bands will at least try to live up if not surpass the standards that this band has set.

The level of energy on their performances, the professionalism that they have exuded and the genuine love and passion for their craft should be emulated by the coming generations of rock groups.

"This is not goodbye" writes Bamboo. While for some it may be cliche, I sincerely hope he meant that. We lost him early on in the decade when he left Rivermaya, it will be tragic if we won't be able to hear him sing again.

Full text of the bands official press release was posted on their website by Bamboo himself: http://www.bamboo.com.ph/announcement/

The Holidays are Over...

"‎...in the days after Christmas, we step down from the heights of the holiday and along with our colored lights return to dimmer realities: daily life and its monotony, despairing headlines, another year of wearisome failures, blind spots, and missteps..."- W.H. Auden

It’s after the New Year when the craze starts to die down. After the cheers and toasts of the holidays, after all the merrymaking and countless, endless parties of the past month; it’s when you begin to realize that the holidays are over.

Admit it or not there’s this warm intangible, almost iridescent feeling that December brings us. Whether it’s the spirit of Christmas or not, I do not know. All I know for sure is that it’s a good feeling. It’s the kind of feeling that drives us to give gifts and be extra nice to people, the kind that touches our hearts and somehow convinces us to donate generous amounts of money to charities and foundations. To most people it is their favorite time of the year.

I don’t think anything can be bigger than Christmas. And that is so true here in the Philippines where Christmas carols start to play as early as September. No other festivity tops Christmas. Lest a huge celebrity dies or new sex scandal storms the internet or Kris Aquino acquires another STD. Nothing touches the Filipino psyche more than Christmas.

It is the time of the year when every virtue known to Catholics are practiced like monks on a Buddhist monastery. I can go on and on about the evils of the Christmas holidays, like how the 4^th quarter of the year is when capitalists amass huge profits throughout the years. But nothing can destroy Christmas in our hearts. The only downside is when its over.

Our realities confront us when we are the lowest points in our lives. Or when everything starts going down the drain. We realize we’ve spent too much when we run out of cash. You’re dying from lung cancer because you smoked too much when you were young. It’s easy to ignore the obvious when you are at the top enjoying yourself too much.

That is why the city lights look dimmer even when they are their brightest after Christmas. We feel we have less and start wanting more after our pockets are emptied from all the merrymaking and gift giving but the truth is we’ve always had enough. We ignore the simple truths because we’re all too blinded with the glitters and the lanterns.

We all say we need a break, I guess that’s what Christmas is for some of us, A break from the tiring uncaring world we made ourselves. After it we go back to our sour old selves. Charity and Kindness is replaced by Greed and Selfishness. Humility and Temperance step backward for Pride and Lawlessness to take over.

A child's hapless dream is to have Christmas everyday of the year, and maybe its all it will ever be. Its a wonder how the human spirit and its innate goodness desperately clings to festivities and celebration to feel the need to be good. Yes we are capable to love and everything else springs from it, But do we really need a holiday for it? Do we?