Faith

An atheist professor of philosophy speaks to his class
on the problem science has with God, The Almighty. He
asks one of his new Christian students to stand
and.....

Professor : You are a Christian, aren't you, son?
Student : Yes, sir.

Prof : So you believe in God?
Student : Absolutely, sir.

Prof : Is God good?
Student : Sure.

Prof : Is God all-powerful?
Student : Yes.

Prof : My brother died of cancer even though
he prayed to God to heal him. Most of us would attempt
to help others who are ill. But God didn't. How is
this God good then? Hmm?

(Student is silent.)

Prof : You can't answer, can you? Let's start
again, young fella. Is God good?
Student : Yes.

Prof : Is Satan good?
Student : No.

Prof : Where does Satan come from?
Student : From...God...

Prof : That's right. Tell me son, is there
evil in this world?
Student : Yes.

Prof : Evil is everywhere, isn't it? And God
did make everything. Correct?
Student : Yes.

Prof : So who created evil?

(Student does not answer.)

Prof : Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred?
Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the
world, don't they?
Student : Yes, sir.

Prof : So, who created them?

(Student has no answer.)

Prof : Science says you have 5 senses you use
to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me,
son...Have you ever seen God?
Student : No, sir.

Prof : Tell us if you have ever heard your
God?
Student : No , sir.

Prof : Have you ever felt your God, tasted
your God, smelt your God? Have you ever had any
sensory perception of God for that matter?
Student : No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.

Prof : Yet you still believe in Him?
Student : Yes.

Prof : According to empirical, testable,
demonstrable protocol, science says your GOD doesn't
exist. What do you say to that, son?
Student : Nothing. I only have my faith.

Prof : Yes. Faith. And that is the problem
science has.
Student : Professor, is there such a thing as
heat?

Prof : Yes.
Student : And is there such a thing as cold?

Prof : Yes.
Student : No sir. There isn't.

(The lecture theatre becomes very quiet with this turn
of events.)

Student : Sir, you can have lots of heat, even
more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little
heat or no heat. But we don't have anything called
cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no
heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is
no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to
describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold.
Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir,
just the absence of it.

(There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)

Student : What about darkness, Professor? Is
there such a thing as darkness?
Prof : Yes. What is night if there isn't
darkness?

Student : You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is
the absence of something. You can have low light,
normal light, bright light, flashing light....But if
you have no light constantly, you have nothing and
it's called darkness, isn't it? In reality, darkness
isn't. If it were you would be able to make darkness
darker, wouldn't you?

Prof : So what is the point you are making,
young man?

Student : Sir, my point is your philosophical
premise is flawed.

Prof : Flawed? Can you explain how?

Student : Sir, you are working on the premise of
duality. You argue there is life and then there is
death, a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the
concept of God as something finite, something we can
measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It
uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen,
much less fully understood either one. To view death
as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact
that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death
is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it.
Now tell me, Professor. Do you teach your students
that they evolved from a monkey?

Prof : If you are referring to the natural
evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.

Student : Have you ever observed evolution with
your own eyes, sir?

(The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning
to realize where the argument is going.)

Student : Since no one has ever observed the
process of evolution at work and cannot even prove
that this process is an on-going endeavour, are you
not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a
scientist but a preacher?

(The class is in uproar.)

Student : Is there anyone in the class who has
ever seen the Professor's brain?

(The class breaks out into laughter.)

Student : Is there anyone here who has ever heard
the Professor's brain, felt it, touched or smelt
it?..... No one appears to have done > so. So,
according to the established rules of empirical,
stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you
have no brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do
we then trust your lectures, sir?

(The room is silent. The professor stares at the
student, his face unfathomable.)

Prof : I guess you'll have to take them on
faith, son.

Student : That is it sir.. The link between man &
God is FAITH. That is all that keeps things moving &
alive.

Arnel's initial journey

I love Journey.
Not in the die-hard idol worship, Journey-is-God sorta way.
I'm a big fan.
Followed them as early as their Gregg Rolie days, through into the Jonathan Cain on keyboard days.
From their early prog-rock-ish beginnings into the late 70's AOR days
and into the watered-down Mainstream 80's hits. I was there for Journey.

And in the midst of all this fandom, was the voice of Steve Perry.
His semi-shrill powerhouse vocal style help define Journey's pomp and bombast.
When Perry went solo in '83, it was a sure sign all was not well in Journey.
They recongregated in '86 for Raised On Radio, minus key members Ross Valory,
replaced by future American Idol judge Randy Jackson (y'mean you didn't know that?)
as well as classical-trained skinsman Steve Smith, subbed with session drummer
Mike Baird. Dark times for Journey.
That's where I ended my fan tenure.
Numerous other personnel changes occurred.
Including a new vocalist Steve Augeri.
And yet another one in Jeff Scott Soto.
Tumultuous at best were the events within Journey.
Yet they trooped on.
Til a fateful surf on youtube introed to Neal Schon to Journey's destiny.
A Filipino band, The Zoo, covering Journey songs.
Led by vocalist Arnel Pineda.
No newbie to the local band circuit.
Ex-Amo band member.
Countless showband stints in Japan.
A haphazard solo career that failed to take off.
A blonde 'do.
It's all behind Arnel now.
The Zoo, at least.
And the blonde 'do.
Arnel Pineda is now Journey's new vocalist.
Pretty big shoes to fill, if I may say so myself.
The big question shall remain.. does he have what it takes?
The answer..
And how.
Journey's first live gig for 2008 with Arnel Pineda hit the stage in Chile.
To resounding response and results.
Visibly in the feeling-my-way-in with opening night jitters, Arnel plows through it all.
The expected comparisons oft prevail, but Journey is still in the infantile stages of
the Arnel era, so cutting them, especially, Pineda, some slack, is fairly in order.
There's no doubt he can cut it in a live atmosphere.
Come time to record new material, is where Arnel's trial by fire truly begins.
One way or another, Journey fan or not, Arnel's come a long way.
And he has definitely done us Filipinos proud.
In the meantime, check out Arnel live.
And judge for yourself.

http://festival2008 .canal13. cl/2008/html/ Videos/IfqSMMome ntosS21S333091Av q1.html

http://festival2008 .canal13. cl/2008/html/ Videos/IfqSMMome ntosS21S333091Av q2.html

http://festival2008 .canal13. cl/2008/html/ Videos/IfqSMMome ntosS21S333091Av q3.html

Martian Child: There's a bit of both in all of us

I admit it. I'm a sucker for John Cusack flicks.
High Fidelity's high on my list. So is Grosse Pointe Blank.
Runaway Jury. Say Anything.
Except maybe Serendipity.
That sucked.
I watched it just that once. Never again.
Even if co-stars one of my uber-crushes Kate Beckingsdale (grrr..).
It sappy-sucked.
Heck, even 1408 was good.
But Martian Child is amusingly refreshing.
Sure, Cusack is getting along in years, and the kookiness is wearing thin,
but he manages a respectable balance, teetering between being funny yet passably serious. And though child adoption isn't a stranger to hollyweird flick topics (remember Raising Helen or the recent No Reservations), Martian Child
has an angle. A young boy who's convinced he's from Mars. And a man who takes his word for it. And then some. Heartwarming yet not in a sobby, wimpy girly-girl sorta way. A must-see.

Anader Aypod Apdate

This just in..
Songs: 9494
Unbelievable.
After clocking in 8+++ songs, I just kept on going
and before I knew it, I'm close to breaking the 10 large barrier.
In turn, I have isolated all uploaded CDs, leaving only a scant
100 or so titles left to upload.. so far.
A point to ponder, is that I refrain largely from ULing entire
albums (unless it's as good as Derek & The Dominoes'
Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs, Queen's 1978 opus Jazz,
The Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd or Damien Rice's O),
so I might rip a couple off this CD, three off the next, and maybe
even just one from an entire album, or double albums, even.
It's amazing how something so sleek, so compact, can actually
contain countless hours worth of music, handpicked and personally
selected sonic masterpieces that you deemed worthy of inclusion on your iPod.
And the funny thing is, I'm STILL not done.

So, you wanna be a DJ, eh?

Once upon a time, I used to write music articles for Latest Hits music magazine,
touching on topics like what Alternative music was, and if Video killed Radio, with an odd current singles review every now and then. The following article came out in Issue #20 in 2002, if I'm not mistaken. Inspired by workshop seminars I taught to our student DJs from Campus Aircheck, here's the article in full.

SO YOU WANNA BE A DJ, EH?

A quick flick of the switch and you hear them on air, yammering away from dusk 'til dawn. Dishing out the hits of the day, one after the other, in an endless stream of music interspersed with delightful tidbits about your favorite song, artists, movie stars and a plethora of seemingly useless jabber mixed into a sonic hodgepodge that can only emanate from your radio, all courtesy of the man or woman in front of the microphone; he or she may be a mere voice but when they open their chatterbox, the music is flesh and blood and the mood is alive! It's a day in the life of a DJ!

DJs or Disc Jockeys, for short, also known as Radio Announcers or Broadcasters, are what make the radio experience happen and virtually come to life on air. Back in the day, DJ meant the guy in a radio station. Nowadays, the term has blurred, to include other sonic luminaries such as the DJ who works the dance club, or a bar & restaurant or spinning gurus such as the likes of Armand Van Helden, Paul Van Dyk, Roni Size, Moby, et. al. But let's not shed too much light on these glorified spinners, we're talkin' serious Radio here.

I was a radio junkie at an early age. I wanted to be a DJ as early as eleven years old. Listening to static-laden AM stations dishing out a staple diet of Elton John, Deep Purple and The Commodores was enough to get me hooked. Hearing the jocks jabber away, I thought it was the coolest job on earth, and you know what... it is!

But like everything in the real world, nothing happens overnight and everything comes with its price. Something you'll learn on your journey through the strange and unknown path of twists and turns in Radio. Prepare yourself for bad breaks, heartaches, pain-in-the-ass predicaments and some of the worst situations that'll make you wanna quit and run home with yer tail between yer legs. Don't. Don't ever complain, don't ever bitch and never ever quit. That is, of course, if you wanna succeed in this business. Oh, and don't get daunted after the first few tries. People will laugh at you for even harboring fantasies of being a DJ. Don't let these turds get in your way. If you feel that you're destined to be on-air, if you have this uncontrollable urge to announce, don't let anybody and I mean ANYBODY stop you! Not your unsupportive girlfriend, not your nerdy brother or snide sister, nor your friends bellowing in laughter. But do listen to what your Mom and Dad have to say... those're usually Pearls Of Wisdom, so lend an ear. More so than not, they'll be the most supportive of your dreams than you gave them credit for.

Everyone, like in any job, starts at the bottom... and not just the bottom rung of the ladder, you start down there with the protoplasmic organisms amongst the dirt that's under the ladder itself... that low. It may sound funny or like I'm making this up as I go along, but you'll wish I was making it up and that it was funny, as you'll find out eventually.

Before you can even begin to think of setting foot inside a radio station and actually get the people there to take notice of your untapped potential, you must first acquire the following very important factors. These are:

1. 
   
GOOD COMMAND OF THE LANGUAGE - A soldier must go to war well-prepared and armed to the teeth; so must you. A good command of English, as well as Tagalog, is a must. Fine, English yes, but why Tagalog? Why not Tagalog, ya dope. We're Filipinos, geddemmit! It's all well and good to sound like those Mestizo konyo kids hanging out in Alabang Town Centre, but knowing the vernacular is a plus, specially when confronted with scripts written in Tagalog. Balikbayan-sounding Tagalog just doesn't cut it on radio, believe you me.

2. 
   
THINK LIKE A DJ - If there's one tip I can give you aspirants is read in English; talk in English; think in English, but stay Pinoy. Sounds stupid, huh? Here's how... read as much stuff as you can get yer hands on that's in English; imported magazines, specially music mags. Local publications (such as the one you're reading right now, hehe) are fine, so long as it's written properly (like the article you're reading right now, *wink, *wink!); newspapers, pocketbooks, literature, poems, even the nutritional facts on that box of cornflakes; corollary to this, from now on, read everything aloud, it exercises your projection (more on this later.); Talk to yer friends in English. It gives you a chance to practice in a normal conversational manner, which is how a DJ is supposed to sound in the first place, like he's conversing to one or just a few people and not sound like he's Moses addressing the multitudes from atop the mount; thinking in English gives you a tighter grasp on the language. If yer into local soap operas and movies, knock it off already! Start watching lotsa English shows, specially movies. Get the feel of the formal language, as well as the slang, which'll make for a good mix on air. Try and absorb those high-faluting phrases that lawyers just love using in court, as well as the homie slang of those homeboyz in black movies. Once yer down with both, that's a plus right there. Remember: Speak English but think Pinoy.

3. 
   
GOOD DICTION - Learn your grammar in and out. It's hard, but it's a big, BIG plus. It's not good enough to have a great-sounding ala Rick Dees baritone if your words are pronounced Promdi style... ferget it! Remember, it's SCHOOL, not ISKUL... BOOKSTORE, not BOOKISTOR, COLISEUM and not COLEESYUM. It may sound cruel and it may sound insulting to some, but hey, it's for yer own good.

4. 
   
VOICE QUALITY - If you were born with a great sounding syrupy modulated-to-hell, baritone voice, then you're one of the lucky ones... or are you? Sure, you may sound just like Rick Dees on the American Top 40, but imagine "Rick" with a southern (read: visayan) accent... not a very bright prospect, huh? That's the bad news. The good news is: quality CAN be achieved. Though your voice must have a certain natural timbre to it, modulating it can be learned. You can train yourself to talk in a manner befitting radio, which sounds smokey but not gruff; pleasant but not put-on. It all boils down to the age-old adage... practice, practice, practice.

5. 
   
PROJECTION - Your command of English, good diction and grammar and great voice doesn't mean jackshit if you don't have projection. Think of yourself as a stereo set-up. You've got a cool 100-disc CD changer (your knowledge), powerful amp (good diction) and equalizers bi-amped and subwoofered to death (voice quality) that runs through... a pair of dinky, locally-assembled 5-inch speakers that sound like they belong in the bingo at the town perya! Learn to "throw" that voice and project it. Don't yell, shout or scream. You'll run yer voice ragged in no time, long before your radio show is halfway done. You'll be surprised DJs aren't that loud if yer standing inside the booth, but sound larger than life on-air. That's projection.

If ya think that's all it takes to be a DJ, then you've got another think coming.
There's more to this than meets the eye... or ear for that matter. Remember those job opening ads that say "... WITH PLEASING PERSONALITY" or "... WITH GOOD MORAL CHARACTER?" Those self same qualifications apply here as well. Here are a few more tips for you to ponder and remember:

• 
  
BE HUMBLE. No matter HOW GOOD YOU ARE, or how good YOU THINK YOU ARE, be down-to-earth. It helps to walk softly and carry a big voice.
Nobody hires aspiring DJs on talent alone. Station Managers put a high premium on applicants who they think the staff will get along with almost as much as what he or she can offer to the team. So leave the attitude in the nearest trash bin and be Mr. Nice Guy for real, not for show.

• 
  
Brace yourself for trying times. Being a DJ is a little like being a doctor, for loss of a better comparison. You're constantly on-call, 24-7! In this business, there's no such thing as a non-working holiday, or a special non-working holiday, nor a Saturday or Sunday to sleep late and catch up, no Siree Bob! You can forget Christmas holidays, too and New Year's, coz even if it's Noche Buena or the New Year's Eve's firecracker frenzy is at fever pitch and yer given the night shift slot, you're stuck! If yer the new guy, prepare for the worst timeslot at the most ungodly hours, like the Graveyard shift, or be ready to get a call at the most inappropriate time when yer Station Manager sez "... the 3am jock's called in sick, sit in for him!" Welcome to the world of Radio, where there's no such thing as Holidays. Think of it this way... each extra hour you go on-air is more exposure for you! More exposure means more popularity, and that's not a bad thing.

• 
  
GET ALONG WITH EVERYBODY. Not just your boss, not just the Big Boss and not just the other jocks, but everybody. The secretaries, the account execs, the traffic personnel, the messenger boys, even the janitor and the lowly "boys" or "girl Fridays." Hey, they work with you and they're people, too, so fit in. Remember, the peeps you meet on yer way up are the same peeps you meet on yer way down.

• 
  
Be nice. Corollary to getting along with everybody, be nice to everybody. Not just within the office, but outside. Be nice to station visitors; they took the time out to come and see the jocks they listen to, so give them the attention they deserve. That includes the phone-in listeners. Being nice to your audience goes a long way. You'll be surprised how this can actually help your station boost its popularity, as well as its rating. I have listeners who've been listening to us for as long as ten years. They've grown up with us in the background and we have our courteousness and accomodation to thank for that. Some even send us food, gifts, birthday cards, you name it. It's always nice to be nice to your listeners. They're the reason why we do what we do, so that makes it all the more important.

• 
  
Always learn new things to improve your show. Once you've gotten the hang of the equipment, so much so that you can do you work in your sleep, don't stop there. Learn new things; do research on the Net, if you're station's online. Keep yourself updated and well-informed, so you can utilize these and incorporate them in your show. Keep your show fresh and interesting as often as possible. Those informative tidbits interspersed with your listener's fave hits go a long way to keeping them glued to your station, so keep things fresh. Stay abreast of trends in music. Who're the hot rockers at present; the most popular boybands among the girls; remembering song titles and who sang them is also a must; Learn the ins and outs of a Recording Studio; if given the chance, learn Production as well, it'll come in handy. And most importantly, always sound alive on air! There's nothing like a stale, lackadaisical radio show that begs listeners to tune out and switch to another frequency. You wouldn't want that to happen, now would you? Remember, you're only as good as your last show.

• 
  
They say if you enjoy doing your job, you'll never have to work another day for the rest of your life. I'm fortunate to be doing what I love for as long as I have. This job keeps me young and truth to tell, I don't even consider it a job; it's like I'm playing and getting payed for it. Sure, there were times when I wasn't up to it, or I felt like I'd done a show that wasn't up to par to what I'm capable of, but I've never lost the drive to go on-air, ever. Everyday is a new day, another opportunity to make a difference in my listener's lives as well as my own. Nothing gives me greater satisfaction than knowing the listeners had a ball tuning into my show. Though I don't always get feedback on our performance nor do we find out if we actually please our audience, I'm always happy to do it all over again, every single day of the week... except on my day-off.

These are just a few helpful hints for you aspiring DJs out there. But don’t take MY word for it. What worked for me might not work for you. It's all in the luck of the draw. But don't rely on just luck... in the end, YOU'VE got to MAKE IT HAPPEN.

Why Campus Radio can't go back on-air (repost)

Recently read a piece here about why Campus Radio can't go back on-air.
Interesting.

It’s been a year since the tragic killing of the Campus Radio brand and it’s also been a year that Campus Radio are mourning on that loss. While fanatics of the popular Top 40 stations are still bannering the flags in petitioning the return of Campus Radio, yet another tragedy unfolded just this month.

The Campus Radio crew, which Mike Enriquez morphed into “masa radio puppets” when he flipped WLS into Hot AC, were summarily dismissed (refer to blog post by Atong Bomb formerly Jimmy Jam). Mike Enriquez who is eager to make it to the top of the ratings game was so badly disappointed with the seemingly unsatisfying number 4 spot. So he secretly assembled a team of provincial radio talents to replace the existing air staff. Now, even the only remains of Campus Radio were obliterated! Campus Radio is now history.

But not so fast! Just recently, Jimmy Jam and John Hendrix detonated separately two bombs. The bombs shattered the anxiety of Campus Radio about the fate of their petition (refer here to blog post at RadioJingles.co.nr). The debris caused by the detonation promises fans of the return of Campus Radio. What was left of the explosion were rubbles of excitement and anticipation for their long missed radio friend is coming back (refer to these posts)

• http://pinoyexchange.com/forums/showthread.php?p=23839595&posted=1
• http://bigbadjamman.blogspot.com/2008/02/putting-campus-back-in-your-radio.html

“All systems go” is what John Hendrix assures anxious Campus Radio fans. But it seems however, that Campus Radio will have a hard time coming back on the air. Here are the probable reasons.

The Campus Radio brand is a GMA property. Unless GMA gives it up, the team behind the return of “Campus” will have to look for other station logo, which is of course risky assuming that they want the station to be identified as the same “Campus Radio”.

Too many pop stations. Currently there are three radio stations that run on CHR format, DWRX, DWTM and DWRT. Therefore, there will be plenty of them sharing the market. Not very profitable.

Although we can never really tell exactly how things will turn out, let’s just hope and pray for the best and of course for a sure-fire and very soon return of Campus Radio.

I'd love to respond to the numerous abovementioned queries and summations, but..
that would only spoil the surprise. What's left of it, that is.
They did get one thing right, though.
You can never really tell exactly how things will turn out.
Stay tuned.

Word Up

Being on vacation, I'm given to throwing ideas
around in my head about shows.
Radio shows, that is.
Possible radio shows,
as they're only pitch-worthy ideas at this point.
As we get closer and closer to our initial
Campus Radio broadcast date at our new home,
we, the re-energized Campus Air Force, have been
working individually on vital copy that consists of scripts..
for stingers and plugs, also for the abovementioned possible
radio shows. We've also been putting playlists together,
for both Current, as well as Recurrent music that you'll eventually hear on-air.

I've been toying with the idea for a radio show that plays
on a certain word and/or thought and the music pertaining to it.
I call it Word Up.
It's sixty minute radio show that focuses
on a certain idea every week.
A word, perhaps.
How about.. friend.
Words and music come into play,
as music that has the word friend,
or whose words pertain to friendship,
or a friend, will be featured. Songs like
the Beatles' With A Little Help From My Friends.
Or Mandy Moore's take of Can We Still Be Friends.
Or Odette Quesada's Friend Of Mine.
Something like that.
I'm just thinking aloud here.
But tell me what you think.

AyPod Apdate

Here's the skinny on my AyPod to date..
Songs: 7805
Latest uploads: Oh God, a lot..
hmm let's see..
early 70's Bowie.. Garbage (Version 2.0!) .. Toots.. Max Romeo.. Steel Pulse.. Level 42.. .38 Special..
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.. Bic Runga.. PM..
My Friend The Chocolate Cake.. Yes..
really old Elton John stuff.. Beck.. Chris Cornell.. The Simpsons.. Maggie Reilly.. among others..




It's funny, after several days of non-stop uploading,
the CDs never seem to run out.. after going through
boxsets of The Doobie Brothers.. The Allman Brothers..
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers.. and Cheap Trick.. and
Steve Winwood.. there's STILL more to rip.. I haven't even
gotten to The Who boxsets.. or The Jam..
when is this gonna end???

Putting the CAMPUS back in your RADIO

Close to this day nearly a year ago, one of Metro Manila's most popular FM radio stations, Campus Radio 97.1 WLS-FM, fell prey to an ambush reformat instigated by Mr. Imbestigador, 24 Oras news anchor and baduy-at-heart Vice President for Radio Operations of RGMA Mike C. Enriquez, systematically silencing the most successful mainstream Pop music station in the Metro, displacing not just a huge bulk of Manila's studentry, but young urban professionals as well, listeners who tuned in day in and day out, tuning into FM stalwart shows such as The Top 20 At 12, radio's longest running daily hits countdown, as well as the highly informative tidbits of Infopop, album launches from local bands on Campus Radio's Rock-It Launcher; peering into the listening habits of their favorite local artists on Other People's Music; eagerly awaiting the month's spotlighted performer on Front.Center. Plus FM's first groundbreaking Campus Aircheck, FM's original platform for potential radio talents. All wiped off the face of the FM band in one megalomaniacal fell swoop. Gone, it has been, but certainly not forgotten. Until now.

Now, everyone's favorite radio station is poised for resurrection in the very near, and not-so-distant future! Yes, Campus Radio is coming your way, and nothing nor no one can stop it now. The Metro's beloved Campus Radio will hit your FM airwaves.. SOON!

With the tumultuous summary dismissal of the entire Campus Radio staff from Barangay LS just this past January 16, displacement has opened the doors of opportunity for the once beleaguered and embattled Air Force, turning disadvantage into their advantage, evening out the odds in their favor. Lo and behold, from the burning ashes of a scorched barangay, rising Phoenix-like, Campus Radio LIVES!

As of this writing, Campus Radio is green and go. It's all systems go, having found a new (and anonymous-for-now) FM home. The buzz is building, as we speak, with anticipation levels about to reach fever pitch. It's definitely happening. It's on! Stay tuned to this blog and keep your FM ears peeled for more teasers and flash announcements about anything and everything about Campus Radio.

Having lost their home over their old frequency of 97.1, you may be wondering where Campus Radio will be moving.. let's just say, that'll have to wait.. for now. Stay tuned.

Cool songs with killer guitar solos

Got the idea for this from an old college chum's Friendster blog,
inspired by a Rolling Stone magazine article of a similar vein.
(Thanks Aey!)
The title sez it all.. cool songs with killer guitar solos.
The grab bag is virtually bottomless, with tons of prospective
tunes all vying for inclusion. The main premise is the song is basically
Pop in nature, with a snazzy statement-like solo that does not distract from, but complements, the
song's central structure. In layman's
terms.. a killer guitar solo. So there.


Baker Street - Gerry Rafferty (That seething guitar boiling under its soaring sax line, guaranteed its inclusion on any killer guitar solo list, bar none.)
Tonight She Comes - The Cars (Six-string chauffeur Elliott Easton drives the message home with nifty twang bar tricks and trademark lines that made the music of The Cars just that much more enjoyable)
More Than A Feeling - Boston (Tom Scholz makes his Les Paul sound like God pushed through a Marshall amp)
Family Man - Daryl Hall & John Oates (G.E. Smith's biting tone keeps the tension tightly wound on this great H&O rocker)
You Can Have Me Anytime - Boz Scaggs (Carlos Santana. Nuff said.)
Something - The Beatles (The Cars' Elliot Easton says when he hears this song's solo, he "..breaks down and cries," so do we, while George Harrison's guitar gently weeps.)
Just Between You And Me - April Wine (This solo soars and roars. Who says you have to go fast to get your point across?)
Falling In Love With You - Gary Moore (Loud and proud are the Irish, and so is good ol' Gary, spitting fire with volume and tone)
Aja - Steely Dan (What can I say? The guitar solo, nay, the song itself, renders me speechless)
Hit Me With Your Best Shot - Pat Benatar (Pomp plus punch equals Neil Geraldo. His clever usage of hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides and muffled passages breathes life into this Eddie Schwartz pop gem)
Killer Queen - Queen (Brian May at his best)
Only You Can Rock Me - UFO (Michael Schenker's unique mid-heavy tone is both loud and melodic, few guitarists manage to pull off)
Easy - The Commodores (Adding zip and altitude to a song that takes you high up)
Brother Louie - Stories (Simple but straight to the point with a biting tone to boot)
Reelin' In The Years - Steely Dan (A great dual lead run from Denny Dias and Jeff "Skunk" Baxter going head to head, note-for-note)
Smoke On The Water - Deep Purple (Proof that if Ritchie Blackmore tries hard enough, minus the histrionics and auto-destruction, his genius shines through, whenever he wants it to)
I Won't Hold You Back - Toto (Lukather adds the climax to the orchestral build up that turns this weepy ballad into a sweeping ballad)
Talk To Ya Later - The Tubes (Steve Lukather again, letting loose with his best studio savvy runs)
New Year's Day - U2 (Before he relied heavily on his echoplex, The Edge left it all to just his deep, mean tone to get his message across)
Wait For Me (Live) - Daryl Hall & John Oates (H&O guitarist G.E. Smith always added that much needed bite to the modern pop duo's sugary blue-eyed soul)
Hotblooded - Foreigner (Eccentric noodling from Mick Jones. Sounded weird then, still sounds weird now, but with unmistakable panache.)
Beat It - Michael Jackson (Eddie Van Halen with a token wala-lang solo for Wacko)
I Really Don't Know Anymore - Christopher Cross (Those who dismissed Cross as a blotto singer-songwriter with no face value smacked them right across the chops with this fiery solo)
Magasin - Eraserheads (I've always been a sucker for twin leads. Guilty as charged.)
Detroit Rock City - Kiss (They may have been cheesy and schmaltzy visual-wise,
but this solo smokes)
Spooky - Atlanta Rhythm Section (Utilizing a Billy Gibbons-like harmonic plectrum trick,
ARS axeman Barry Bailey ups the memorability factor a few notches on their take of the Classics IV's classic)
Hotel California - Eagles (Another classic twin lead for the ages)
You Did Cut Me - China Crisis (Not as incendiary as the rest, but breathtaking nonetheless)
Livin' Lovin' Maid (She's Just A Woman) - Led Zeppelin (Hard-pressed was I, in selecting a Zep cut, so I went with my gut, and picked this short n' sweet Pagey solo for its simplicity and great stacatto ending. Brilliant.)
Love Hurts - Nazareth (The sweet feedbacking solo by guitarist Manny Charlton sure sounds like a one-take and I wouldn't be surprised if it is)
AC/DC - Back In Black (Angus Young cut a swath through with a balance of great tone and even greater melody, as evinced on this song's solo)

There's more to this list, but this shall suffice. For now.

The Original Computer

Memory was something you lost with age
An application was for employment
A program was a TV show
A cursor used profanity
A keyboard was a piano
A web was a spider's home
A virus was the flu
A CD was a bank account

A hard drive was a long trip on the road
A mouse pad was where a mouse lived

And if you had a 3 inch floppy.


You just hoped nobody ever found out!?!

Ay Pod update

After the untimely demise of the 6000+ songs on my iPod, whose mp3 existence
were erroneously deleted, I have been in the painstaking process of repopulating my 80Gb
Vid with rips from my CD collection, from vinyl rips courtesy of Dr. Mike's fantabulous usb turntable (more on the good doctor in another entry), a few pirated gems (ssshhh..) and numerous Limewire downloads, all filtered, EQed and cleaned for maximum listening pleasure.
I am currently up to 5706 songs.
No comprehensive folder population as of now, right now it's just paramihan-at-pakyawan for the moment. Rip 'em all, let God sort them out, so to speak.
For now, the only playlists are:

24K (38 songs)
CLASSIC ROCK (618 songs)
How 'bout a shuffle..
Fool In The Rain - Led Zeppelin
Dreams - Fleetwood Mac
Frankenstein - Edgar Winter Group
Brain Damage - Pink Floyd
We Will Rock You - Queen
Red House - Jimi Hendrix Experience
I'm On Fire - Dwight Twilley
I Can See For Miles - The Who
Doctor Wu - Steely Dan
Ruby Tuesday - The Rolling Stones
Stormy - Santana
Couldn't Get It Right - Climax Blues Band
Need All My Friends - Lynyrd Skynyrd
School's Out - Alice Cooper

DRIVE (81 songs)
JAH (99 songs)
LOCAL (752 songs)

Pagbabalik Ng Kuwago - Anak Bayan
Don't Take Me From Me - Typecast
If - Nelson Del Castillo
Batibot - Alamid
Fraulein - Victor Wood
Ultrasound - Sandwich
Love Letter (From The Heart) - Chad Borja with Kevyn Lettau
Kapayapaan - Tropical Depression
Absolute 0 - Put3Ska
Huwag Mo Nang Itanong - Mymp
F.U. - Bamboo
Hi! - True Faith
Annie Batungbakal - Ascolto
Huwag Mo Nang Itanong - Eraserheads
Reason Out - The Ambassadors
Telepono - Sugarfree
Blue Kiss - Imago

More to come.
What's sort of delaying me to no end is my penchant to upload album art to every song.
Selecting the corresponding single sleeve for a particular song, in lieu of the album cover
itself, delays me even further.. but hey, that's part of the fun, right?