Usher album's out.  Just like the JT album, there are only about two or three songs you won't like.

Can't wait for the video of "Moving Mountains".  Listened to the final version, and finally understood what he was singing in the third verse.  Cool. 

Adam Monroe has some great piano covers of rock songs.

Favorites:  3 Libras, Pardon Me, Vicarious 

David Sides has some great piano covers of pop/r&b songs.

Favorites:  Bed, Ice Box, The Scientist

Caught up with a few friends this month.  Getting better before December is just great timing.  Nalilibre na ang mga tao.

Glad to hear that most are doing really well.

It's my first public entry since May (one day after I graduated).

I'll keep my friends-only and private entries locked.

I'm going to back just simply hittin' up almost all o' ya'll on the ym or on the "celly", to hang out.

Ingat. 

Leslie Gore - Better Angels 

It's not like I haven't tried and tried
It isn't where I look but what I find
I've been keeping clear of stepping on the cracks
I miss just enough to keep me coming back

Oh I'm waiting for better angels
I'm waiting for any lead 
And though my case looks fatal
I'm still hoping better angels come to me

Better late than not at all
Better to make the break than take the fall
I wouldn't mind hanging on
If I could find out what I'm hanging from

Oh I'm waiting for better angels
I'm waiting for any lead
And though my case looks fatal
I'm still hoping better angels come to me

I'm waiting for better angels
Oh I'm waiting for any lead
Though my case looks fatal
Still hoping better angels come to me 
Still hoping better angels come to me
Still hoping better angels come to me

Wooh.  Senti. 

Enough about witty titles, let's concentrate more on content.

It wasn't like I saw it from day one, but certainly and for the record, I now officially have "called it".

We can dance around the subject all we like, but after three years...

Shit I think it's gonna be you.

____________________________________________________________ 

"crushes hurt both ways."

the wait is over, Pharell's album is out. (at least on limewire)

hits like "hey!"

____________________________________________________________

But when I wake up in the morning, focus is gonna go haywire...

...and I'm back to square 1. 

They still deserve to be written about.

I think depite the adjustments they made and the risks they took, things will work even better for them next year.

Detroit tried to take a more offensive-minded coach in Flip Saunders, and recruited more backup Centers to take on Shaq.  The problem was, well for one, Miami was opportunistic on banking on game 1 to stick it to Detroit, while they were tired from the Cleveland series.  Second, and more importantly, the Shaq strategy.  Even though they got more backup players at your disposal, the fact is, all their starters will still have to play more minutes, therefore, the Pistons should have just focused on double-teaming Shaq, like in 2004.

Furthermore, when you go up against the Heat, they have an unstoppable offensive firepower in the trio of Wade, Williams, and Walker.  Hence, Detroit should've watched tapes on how they beat the Lakers in 2004, because Antoine Walker is slowly becoming the Robert Horry by making clutch baskets, and Dwayne Wade is quickly rising to mimic Kobe Bryant's spot.

So that's basically it for the Pistons.  Great season, struggled in the playoffs, especially "on the road".

I love the Phoenix Suns' style of play.  What they did this year was compensate for Amare Stoudemire's loss by acquiring Tim Thomas and getting defensive guards like Raja Bell and James Jones.  Problem was, unlike Detroit, Phoenix somehow seems to suck in home games.  They could really take a page out of Duke's playbook by being even more aggressive since you know you have homecourt advantage.

"The team who has shifted the least from the gameplan last year moves on to the finals.  You have to make them play your game, and not adjust to them." 

Well, that seems to spell the difference.  For Miami, it just meant buffing up the offense, while for Dallas, it was just tightening up on defense.  Each left their respective opposite ends (Miami's defense and Dallas' offense) of the court, up to the other teams to play their game.

It doesn't matter if it's the Miami Heat or the Dallas Mavericks who wins in this championship round of the NBA.  They've already exacted revenge on their respective targets.

'Di bali na.  Kaya nga may NBA Live 2006 eh. 

Yesterday, I had expected things to repeat themselves.  I'd get a lot of "happy birthday" texts, "alone time" would go well, and I wouldn't get along well with my family.

Apparently "Lightning does not strike twice."

I felt a sad that I didn't get a greeting from anyone in F2003, the Bus Table, and in my I/ame barkada.  I didn't even receive one from my guy cousins (mother's side).

Usually, I alot a specific amount of time for myself on my birthday.  It didn't help either.  The stitches on my foot were removed but still hurt.  I wasn't able to do the DVD marathon of "X-Men III:  The Last Stand", "The Da Vinci Code", "King Kong", "M.I. III", and "Basic Instinct II".  The Phoenix Suns lost (to the Dallas Mavericks, NBA).  Air 21 lost (to the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings, PBA).  and unlike last year, I wasn't able to play dota...

The many things that overshadowed a happy moment...

I went to Friday's feeling really bad (deep inside).  At the end of the meal, I just thanked my dad, because for once, he allowed me to just order whatever.  No unpleasantries were exchanged.

I mean it's not like somebody decided to throw me my first surprise party.  Walang magkakakilala sa mga 'yon.  I was really hoping that at least the closest friends in those social groups would make my birthday as happy as last year.  A simple text message from anyone from each barkada would have made my day.

The same people I pray for, when I go to Church... 

I don't know which is worse.  Direct and physical pain, or indirect and mental frustrations.

Today certainly became interesting.  No longer drenched in the realm of Ateneo social webs, but still struggling...

Let's tackle the more interesting topic, since most of you reading this may not not about my i/ame friends, but at the least, know about me.

Ako 'yong sa "direct and physical pain".  Last week, Friday to be specific, my friends and I went to see the waterfalls at Mahayhay, Laguna.  As we were about to transfer from the swim area to the falls itself, I got two cuts on my left foot, from scraping it on what probably were either sharp stones or glass shards.  Point is, one was a short and shallow slice at the lower portion of my big toe, and the other was a longer, deeper tear on the ball of my foot, a little lower, in between the smallest couple of toes.

It was then when my friends noticed that the deeper cut was bleeding nonstop.  "Panick" sila.  Deep inside I was saying "shit."

So anyway, it's been a week, and after a checkup at the doc, I have to "walk through the pain" as I wait for my foot to get well.  Sa Huwebes pa tatanggalin 'yong mga tahi.  Drats.  It's been an enlightening stretch to say the least, as I tackled some issues head on.  Naisip ko rin eh, idadamay ko na rin 'yong mga hindi ko masabi kina emats at erpats.  Furthermore, I beg to disagree with my mom...

"Hindi ka aalagaan nang gan'yan ng mga kaibigang mong Atenista."

You got's ta summon the Jen Aniston way of saying "Really?"  (+ double headbop)

Ma may be mad that I'm not graduating from the A, but I don't think she shouldn't involve any friends from there.  Please lang.

DJ Kay Slay:  As we continue on...

Ako, hehe mas interesado ako sa "indirect and mental frustrations" na bahagi nitong sulatin.

To generalize, I have always thought to myself, my closest guy friends are polar opposites.  Either they are really fucked up, or well off.  As of the moment, we can go with the former. 

Nagtatampo siya sa akin kani-kanina lamang, tungkol sa mga kaibigan namin at sa iilang mga kritiko sa skwelahan.  You see, I can understand him.  He's a player and he's a horndog, and  yet, he's but another character to one of the longest lists you can write, friends whom I have met throughout the years, whom I'll never forget.  Why?  Simply because he stays loyal and humble, and he's always been open to me.

So today when I my bestfriend came to me with a couple of (what's the translation of "mga palaisipan" , I became saddened by the fact that I nocticed a number of inconsistensies about each story behind each person he mentioned.  He told me about a different problem before, which involved his life (or death to be a lil' more frank about it), but he avoided it and moved on with his life.  But now since it's about his integrity, I hate to see that people who want to smear his name are the same people we confide in, drink and dine with.

Waiting for the rest of the story.  The conversation got cut a while back. 

Wednesday marks the official start of my summer.  There are some changes I've hoped to had made by now, but I noticed will take time.  Though I'm not worried I won't be able to push through them.

I feel almost invincible.

You see, I promised myself that I'd enjoy June 2006, not just 'cause my birthday falls on that month...

I would want to enjoy my "senior year" and I will.

I'll write about the "New's" of two entries back, soon.