Munki N A Barrel

Win amazing prizes!

2007-05-29T12:23:00.000-07:00

So, you know how nothing great in life is free?
Well, it's true.

But something great in life CAN BE CHEAP!
From plasma screen televisions to $1 million, you can get these prizes for as low as just 10% of the original mark up! I'm usually really skeptical about similar offers like these. But after I read the numerous testimonials of all the past winners here, I felt a whole lot better about bidding for my dream prize.

What's required?
Just make sure you put in the lowest bid for a prize and it's yours! I got my eye set on this Panasonic 42" TV & Bose DVD Theater System. The original value is $2599.00 but the bid range is just 2274 cents - 2294 cents!

It would be SO SWEET to get that 42" Panasonic Theater System. Watching Contact would feel like I was travelling through space and time.

28 New Exoplanets Discovered--YES!

2007-05-29T11:39:00.000-07:00

Detection methods are profoundly improving-- man I can't wait to get abducted by aliens. But really, anybody who knows me also knows that my ultimate dream is to go to space. So... if you know anybody who could make this happen...

This well written article shows that as our technologies continue to advance, we'll find even more planets than what we once thought to have existed!

Summer Vacation? Use HotelReservations.com !!!

2007-05-29T08:54:00.000-07:00

Eventhough I spent the majority of the winter dreaming for summer to come, it came quicker than expected. Thank goodness for that! On the other hand, I wasn't able to plan any summer travel yet, and you know all those great deals are taken already, right?

I was wrong!

By browsing to make my Hotel Reservation, I used this site to look up vacation packages, car rentals, and fares to cities I always wanted to explore. Spanning a wide variety of destinations and guaranteed competitive rates, I'd say that with HotelReservations.com, I'd be leaving my trip planning in good hands. :)

The last trip I made was to Gettysburg with my girlfriend. Can I just say, our hotel reservation was taken when we got there which really put a damper on our trip. The last thing you want to do after driving 6 hours is look for another place to stay!

But I won't make the same mistake this time!
We'll be going to Maine soon and will most definitely be using HotelReservations.com for smooth sailing! We're also considering getting a membership to take advantage of their discount rates. From resorts, hotels, motels, and various package offerings, it's a steal.

-------
this post was brought to you by HotelReservations.com

Kiva.org & MicroLoaning

2007-05-29T08:10:00.000-07:00

Hey readers,
As you all know, I'm a big fan of microloaning to small businesses in developing countries. I am pleased to report that 2 out of the 3 loans I made this past Christmas have already been paid in full!

I really urge you to check out Kiva.org. When you click the lend button, you can see various businesses, their owners and their stories, and choose which one you'd like to loan to! From Africa to Samoa to Eastern Europe, the stories are really from all over the world. They even have a kiva myspace that you can add to your top friends!

All I ask is that you really look into the site.
In the end, you lose nothing and help uplift these communities in ways you probably didn't even imagine.

Some well deserved love to PPP

2007-05-24T17:15:00.000-07:00

It's no secret how fond of PPP I am. Not only did they send my girlfriend HP camera equipment and printing materials during a really bad time for her and her family, but they are SUPER personable and honest about what they do.

From blog reviews to making friends with other members of the PPP community, I love it all. They even post videos and shout outs for us posties--how incredibley sweet is that? Does your boss do that for you?! I really love how convenient blogging for them is. 24 hours a day-- 7 days a week you can submit your post for any opportunity whenever you have free time. So far I've made $97.00 and hope to keep up with it. I also could never do it unless I were honest. I mean, I like to be able to inform readers on opportunities like coupons and free things or even great sites to look at. But I couldn't do it of good conscience if I had to pretend I saw these thing elsewhere, you know? But PPP is SO HONEST in that it is REQUIRED for the postie to include who the post was sponsored by, so there is absolute NO tricking the reader into thinking it's subversive advertising.

I 100% believe in all the posts I've done. You can even opt to give your earnings to CHARITY! So thank you PPP for allowing all of us posties to do this!

Green Movement

2007-05-24T16:12:00.000-07:00

I am so excited about the "Green" Movement that has been sweeping the entire planet these last few years. From healthier food options and farming practices to technological innovations in creating alternate power sources and architectural efficiency, it's so great that the media is finally willing to cover these issues and put them on the front page.

I personally can't wait to buy my battery powered car and solar powered house.

How do you feel about it?

Amazing new PPP Direct!

2007-05-24T13:36:00.000-07:00

Ever since my girlfriend turned me on to make money with PayPerPost, I've loved every second of it. I have to say I was skeptical at first. I mean, make money for something I do already anyway? There's got to be some sort of trick to this, right? Well, I was COMPLETELY WRONG! PayPerPost is completely legitimate, not only that, but generous and especially so in comparison to all the other pay for blogging companies out there.

But listen, this isn't your usual PPP info post here. They got this absolutely great new application up called PPP DIRECT. Basically, it cuts the middle man out [in this way, PPP!] so the blogger can correspond directly to the needs of the advertiser. And it doesn't stop there, I mean, these minimum limit badges we put up can be up to $100, $200, etc. If an advertiser sees your blog and wants you to write something for them, they click on one of these badges and voila, a very good match made indeed.

For a list of the features in depth, you should read this helpful article on all the bonuses PPP Direct can provide! There's even an overview video and a live action example! What could be easier than this?

MOTHERS DAY!

2007-05-16T21:56:00.000-07:00

Did you all honor your mothers this past mother's day?
Well I just want to say, no matter how awesome you think your mother is, my mother is pretty much the best...

She basically walked around the house and posed in one of the presents we got her (a sharper image scuba diving kit) and tried to scare all of us. I believe there may be even video of the shinanigans.

Me and the lady got a family tree picture holder engraved. But instead of family photos, she meticulously cut, shaped and scanned photos from all the good times we've had together the past year and a half, with room for more new events to come! I set up the printer though!

Then we ended the night munching on gourmet burgers while watching:

ah yes, rob schneider. perhaps the worst filipino ever. (Was his mom in the movie or was that just me?)

4th National APIA Spoken Word Summit

2007-04-15T21:07:00.000-07:00

The summit is happening in NY this year. I've never gone before, but it looks like it's going to be really good!

flyer by shesfantastic

NINTENDO DS!

2007-03-29T15:48:00.000-07:00

one word: ADDICTED

but but but it's not like all those other addictions you might have like donuts, cigarettes, or really really bad science fiction books. See, with the Nintendo DS, I've been completely engaged in learning and bettering myself!

With games like:
Brain Age
Big Brain Academy

I want to make my brain gloriously huge! And maybe become an astronaut in the process. shesfantastic could eat all my freeze dried icecream then...

Time for a new haircut...

2007-03-09T11:02:00.000-08:00

Yes, definitely time. Especially since I have the Podcast feature performance this coming Wednesday. My girlfriend wants me to get it short again, since she states that I look great with super short hair, but I wasn’t really into the haircut I got…

as of right now,my hair looks like I was lightly eloctruted, yet somehow lived to tell about it..

I saw this ad for Zappos.com on the back of Esquire magazine with Hilary Swank ( I usually read magazines cover to cover), and the model is this Asian guy who has the similar glasses to my new pair. And his hair looks great!! So I cut out the ad from Esquire, and I hope to bring this cut to the barber, which I will most likely be going to today after work…

Anyway, I’ll let you know how it all goes… till then..

We got the Wii!

2007-03-07T11:01:00.000-08:00

o on a tip from one of my friends from Cool Beanz, my girlfriend and I decided to try out Toys R’ Us since we’ve been placing our bets wrongly on Bestbuy, Gamestop, Target, and Circuit City. After honey sent me a bunch a listing of toys R Us numbers during work hours, I called a bunch of Toys R Us’ and found out that they would have a shipment of Wii’s in the Huntington store near Walt Whitman mall on Sunday morning. Thus, we decided to make a go for it on that Sunday morning, since I wanted to bring it to my parent’s house and give it to my brother as a present.

On that Sunday morning, we both arrived at the Toys R Us one hour before it opened, and there was already a long line situated outside for the Wii; it was mainly populated by parents who probably have been frustrated time and time again trying to get Wiis for their kids. Anyway, honey and I waited on the line during the 20 degree weather, and about 25 minutes into it, I decided to hit the Mcdonalds and bring back the food for both of us. I made care to get some fruit stuff, because she’s into health food much more than I am (although I should be getting into it…it’s just junk food is so fun…)

After our fabulous breakfast meals, I told her to go inside the car and warm up for about 10 minutes, since she was on the line the whole time I was getting Mcdonald’s. Once she joined me again, the Toy R Us minions let the whole line in and wait inside the store, where we formed another long line. Of course during this new line wait, I got a little bored and decided to check out the music equipment at the store (specifically for a toy xylophone). I couldn’t find the xylophone, but did check out a little bit of the guitars.

Anyway, to go back on track, the line, although a little slow, went very well, and we both got the Wiis. I convinced her to get one so she can give it as a present to her sister’s husband, who we hung out with during New Years Eve. I picked up an extra controller and nunchuck controller, and then called my mom to let her know we got the Wii. She in turn picked up the Legend of Zelda and Rayman at Target, under my suggestions (it was a little selfish though, since I wanted to play both of those games anyway).

At the apartment, honey took Polaroids of the Wii with the two munkis we got from Old Navy, and I giftwrapped the one I bought. Fast forward to 7 PM, where I gave the Wii to my brother for his birthday present after pretending I didn’t get him the Wii, and he was super stoked about it. He ended up setting the system up after our birthday dinner (spaghetti and Hooters wings…yum…) and we played each Wii sports game except for golf. My favorite game so far was the bowling game, which I tried out during Superbowl Sunday when Izzy brought it to the house, and my adoration for it hasn’t abated. For the next couple of hours, I played the bowling game, trying to get better and better at it, till I hit 5 strikes in a row once and got a 231 bowling score! Oh yeah!!!

I also tried out the Zelda game, which at first I wasn’t really into, but as I kept playing it, I started to really like it…I can’t wait to go back to my brother’s place and steal the system from him for a while….but you didn’t hear that from me…

My nonsense dialogue with Tom P

2007-03-01T10:47:00.000-08:00

For those who don’t know Tom P, he is my brother’s best friend, and quite the genius. Anyway, we’ve had these superbly bizarre e-mail conversations that go back and forth the last year or so. I’ll post some of the best, not so offensive ones here on MunkinaBarrel.

--------From an older e-mail

Me: If you can make cupcakes for any president, who would it be, and why?

Tom P.: I would probably would not make cupcakes but make magic middles! Do you remember those cookies made by Keebler? The cookie with a fudge center…they however discontinued them!! I used to love eating them back in the day. I wonder how those little gnomes got the fudge into the center. It is one of the many mysteries of the world like the lost city of atlantis, the great pyramid of giza, or Michael Jackson's nose. As for the president i would it make it for…it would probably be Grover Cleveland. Any guy who gets elected to the most important job in the world two non-consecutive times is a gangsta in my book. What would u make and for who?

Me: I remember Magic Middles! My brother and I used to eat them while we watched our neighbor’s Saint Bernard get it on with a chihuahua (not a pretty sight, yet somehow my brother loved it). Do you remember when we used to eat them while we saw our neighbor’s dogs get it on?

As for me, I’d made chocolate chip cupcakes for Jefferson. Jefferson was a Baller. I mean, dinosaur egg eating kind. I’d also like to make a cupcake for Hugo Chavez, but I know he’s not our president, or ever will be. Amen.

2nd week of trying to get a Wii. No success.

2007-02-28T10:13:00.000-08:00

So now I have a list of numbers for Best Buy, Circuit City, and GameStop. Yet they all had negatives. This is so weak.I'll get the numbers for PC Richards right now, but I doubt they will have the Wii also.

Weak. Boo. Weak.

The Science of Sleep -2.5 out of 4 stars

2007-02-27T22:31:00.000-08:00

I got a chance to see this movie directed by Michel Gondry and starring Gabriel Garcia Bernal, and I think I was actually a little disappointed. I guess following the masterpiece of Gondry's last film, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, anything else Gondry would have tried to do afterwards would pale in comparison. Yet still, the movie felt disjointed and I agree with Roger Ebert's statement that "Gondry thinks his characters (in the movie) are much cuter than they actually are". I mean, there were some pretty cool concepts in the Science of Sleep, such as the 1 second time machine, and alot of the animation regarding the stuffed birds and whatnot were rather cool. I don't know. I guess I haven't been impressed too much with Bernal's performances ever since his genius one in Y Tu Mama Tambien. I felt his performance was too preachy in the Motorcycle Diaries, and I didn't get into his character in Almodovar's bad Education. Hmm...does this make me some kind of a film snob? Oh well. I tell it like I see it.

NationsFinance

2007-02-27T21:37:00.000-08:00

I was told to check out and review a financial website called NationsFinance, which is based in the United Kingdom. Billing itself as a financial independent site, NationsFinance has collaborated with other financial institutions in the United Kingdom to give you the best deals on everything from credit cards,
car insurance,
savings accounts,
secured loans
and mortgages.

I found their website easy to navigate, and their information well organized in terms of what services you are considering using. NationsFinance has also included an extensive article section which helps the consumer choose which product or service would be best for them. I found some of the articles really helpful in learning more about personal finance.

The only complaint I have is that I'm not so enamored with the overall color scheme and aesthetic design of the site. I know it's meant to be a financial service site so it should appear more serious, but the gray and greens give the site a drab feel. I do like their logo though, so if they can use more of the purple in the logoa and less of the dark gray, then I would like the site better overall. Of course, it's not a priority of NationFinance to have a beautiful looking site, but I believe that websites can look professional without having to be unexciting. That's just my two cents.

Anyway, please check them out once again here:

NationsFinance

let me know if you agree with me or not. Till then...

***this post sponsored by NationsFinance.

Idiocracy - 3 out of 4 stars

2007-02-27T10:36:00.001-08:00

I got a chance to see Idiocracy with my mom and brother after my mom asked to borrow a comedy at Hollywood Video, and we were not disappointed. The movie, directed by Mike Judge, concerns an army regular (Luke Wilson) who is picked to be in an experiment testing out hibernation pods. He was chosen because he is the most average person in the Army, in terms of intelligence, skills, and health. Also joining him in the experiment is SnL's Maya Rudolph, a prostitute who was picked because they couldn't find any average women in the military.

Basically, something goes wrong with keeping track of the experiment, so instead of waking up in 1 year, which was the original intention, they both wake up 500 years into the future. Unfortunately, mankind got super dumb because all the smart people decided to have fewer babies or no babies at all, while the Jerry Springer-type of redneck trash breed like crazy. Thus, Luke Wilson and Maya Rudolph end up being the smartest people in the world, and after a series of adventures, Luke is picked to solve America's problems.

This movie has a lot of dumb comedy, so it will satisfy the American Pie/Beavis and Butthead enthusiasts type, but there are a lot of smart things about it, and the way that things are going now, you can see that this type of disutopia can certainly happen like they show it in Idiocracy. Though not as good as his previous work, the sleeper hit Office Space, Mike Judge does a great job on delineating just what might happen if civilization keeps treading the course we are treading today.

getting a cash advance loan

2007-02-27T09:07:00.003-08:00

I am usually not the most well versed when it comes to finances, but I was recently told about a payday cash advance loan, which is a loan I'm sure I will be using down the road. Basically, a cash advance loan is a quick loan you can get to pay for financial emergencies, especially if there's too much time between paychecks.Since I get paid at work every two weeks,I would definitely be likely to use such a loan, especially if I ever get into another car accident (don't jinx myself) or if I need to get some major music equipment fast. Even if you don't have the best credit, you can still get the cash advance loan, usually within 24 hours. Here's such a place to get it:

Secure Loan Consolidation

Anyway, for more information about a Payday/Cash Advance Loan, please go here:

Payday Cash Advance Loans

*this post was sponsored by Secure Loan Consolidation

Reviewing films and shows and Whatnot

2007-02-27T07:26:00.000-08:00

I thought I might use this blog to review movies and films I've been wanting to see, and let you know what I think, since I consider myself someone of a film buff. I guess I just like good stories. Please feel free to comment on what I think, because I do tend to learn from others about movies.

Favorite movies ever:

Contact
Talk To Her
Saving Private Ryan
Christopher Guest movies
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Just to let you know where I'm coming from.

The Millionare Dating Site! I'm not qualified, but still.

2007-02-23T10:43:00.000-08:00

I went to check out this dating site called Date a Millionaire. It's an interesting concept, since I guess it cuts through all the formalities of what a lot of people go through during dating, and gets to the point: I am a millionare, and I need a companion; or, I am single and looking for someone wealthy.

Millionaire Dating

Now, I'm looking through some of the profiles here, and perhaps I'm being really stereotypical, but a lot of the people do not look like millionaires just from glancing at them. Of course there are some that do seem financially well-off, but do the financially well-off go through dating sites like these? Well, I guess that's why this site is created. And for that, I give the brains behind the site kudos, and hopefully they make a million bucks themselves.

My other critique off the site is that it's overwhelming green, like the color of our money. I understand that they did it on purpose, but I feel that the color scheme seems to give off too much of a "Who Wants to Marry a Millionare" feel and not enough of a valid dating website, where people are trying to connect with each other. Anyway, hopefully the webmasters address that issue.

What do you think? Do comment back with what you think :)

**post sponsored by Date a Millonionare.

Pizza

2007-02-23T09:40:00.000-08:00

Love it. I just had it for lunch, and I realized how much I've missed eating it the last week or so. Thank you to those geniuses in Italy who had the foresight to mix tomato sauce with cheese and bread! Now if I can only get my hands on some sweet buffalo wings, I will be all set....

anyway, life has been fine. Saw the Science of Sleep recently, which was decent. I'll give a full review later..

Best Buy Coupon Codes

2007-02-20T11:06:00.000-08:00

I need to buy a new printer to hook up to my laptop, so whenever I usually get some kind of electronic device of some kind, I go to Bestbuy (the Mac laptop was the exception). Of course, who doesn't want to save money, especially if I can save it at Bestbuy? Well, there's this online website called Coupon Chief which notifies you of coupons you can use at major stores. It's really valuable, especially if you don't get a newspaper anymore (sorry new york Newsday).

Check the Coupon Chief out here:

Coupon Chief

I did a search on Coupon Chief, and found out that they had a link to Bestbuy printers! Check it out:

Coupons for Best Buy Printers

Anyway, I'll be using this site alot soon, since I also need to get a new ipod which was stolen from me this past Summer. I'll let you know how it goes.

Peace....

** This post sponsored by Coupon Chief.

Winter...what is that again?

2007-02-20T08:02:00.000-08:00

So I am all huddled with a Thick Winter jacket today in the morning, when I get outside and find out it feels....like Spring. The snow was melting; the weather felt like in the upper 50's, and it was generally a nice feeling to have after last week.

Global warming....we thank you?

OK, maybe that's not a really polite thing to say, but it does feel super nice to be outside. I think I might even get some ice cream later. And walk around the neighborhood too...

Soaps.com needs feedback

2007-02-19T20:30:00.000-08:00

I was asked to review a soap opera website called Soaps.com. Here is a link to their site:

CBS Soap Operas

I think the layout of the page looks good, and also approve of the color palette used for the website. Soaps.com also does a good job with keeping information, so if you want to go to a specific show you're really into, it's easy to look up. I also give kudos to how they have daily updates to all the shows, so if you miss one show, you won't be so in the dark with the plotlines, which from my previous watching experience, can zigzag like crazy within one or two episodes. Thus, you will know what is going on. I also like the message board area, which really gives fans a chance to express their feelings for their favorite shows, and meet other fans too.

My recommendation for the site would be to have short video clips of each show, just so you can get a glimpse of what each show feels like. Perhaps a weekly rundown of each show, which would be great.

This post has been sponsored by soaps.com.

hindsight: Get windshield scraper and rock salt before it snows

2007-02-17T07:14:00.000-08:00

So this is something I learned a little too late. It turns out that once I tried to get both the scraper and rock salt after the freezing temperatures and snow fall a couple of days ago, every store was sold out of it. It was especially fun trying to get rid of the frozen snow on my car using my guitar stand. People thought I was breaking into the car, probably...

anyway, hopefully you are all safe...take care.

Big Money at PPP

2007-02-15T10:47:00.000-08:00

I only signed up and started being active on PPP for a few days, and I was amazed to see that there were so many opportunities ranging in the HUNDREDS to THOUSAND mark. Of course, I'm not at all able to go for those as my blog is only Google Page Rank of 2. However, since it's only been a week or so, I don't see why not to aspire to something like a Google Page Rank of 7, yes? I've already thought about strategies in getting a higher Google Page Rank. Of course, I'll definitely send out an e-mail to my mailing list telling them about my personal blog, since many of them, except for my friends, don't really know about. And of course send out bulletins on myspace, so many of my myspace "friends" would be able to check out and link to my blog page.

The great thing about PPP, is that, unlike its followers, it takes a lesser cut of what you make whereas others take the SAME AMOUNT that you make, ultimately leading to less rewards for you. In the words of my wise and all-powerful little brother, Boooo.

I highly encourage you to choose PPP when you want to make money blogging. It really is the best choice out there!! It took me a couple of months after I started my blog to do it, and now I'm absolutely hooked! Please check it out, and let me know what you think :)

War of The Worlds...

2007-02-15T10:40:00.000-08:00

We just saw the greatest film of all time...War of the Worlds. It was hard to watch because shesfantastic kept heckling during the movie-- about Dakota Fanning, of course Tom Cruise, and that the actor who plays his son is also a character on Weeds who is a gay, high school, pot dealer.

It was still good times... after which we looked up Scientology, read about Ron Hubbard, listened to a podcast about it, and this this site about how scientology kills, and read about Xenu!

It ended with me asking shesfantastic if she'd leave me if I became a Scientologist... I'll let her answer that one in her post.

Now You Can Review My Post!

2007-02-15T10:30:00.000-08:00

PayPerPost's new Affiliate program is GENIUS. I'm really into it-- and it's completely open to all bloggers! I have to admit, the reason why I didn't join PPP at first was because I felt hesitant about doing sponsored posts. Of course, once the news came out that we would write who the sponsor of the post was, I felt much more at east to join in on the reviews. Honestly, blog ads via PPP are great and I've learned so much from them. I'm even looking at a used car from one of PPP post opportunities which is super helpful as this winter is killing mine...

Go ahead and join all the fun by reviewing PPP posts!
Keep all of us honest and the opinions flowing--wasn't that the whole purpose of the information highway to begin with?

The new Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue!

2007-02-14T14:45:00.000-08:00

So today is the big day! I don't mean just Valentines Day, but the new swimsuit issue for Sports Illustrated is out! Of course,everyone knows about how big of a deal this swimsuit issue is, since it's helped launched the careers of many models, including Heidi Klum,Elle Macpherson, and Kathy Ireland. It turns out that Heidi, Elle, and Kathy are all in this year's magazine too...and I think it is a great idea that they chose superfamous Beyonce Knowles as the covergirl! I think it's about time they did :)

Here's a link to their website:

Sports Illustrated

And these are just one of the provocative pictures you'll see when pick up the issue:

And for all you swimsuit edition fans, you can now download your favorite SI models as cell phone wallpapers, courtesy of SI Mobile. They are available to all cell phone carriers, are straight from the photo shoots themselves, and are only $1.99 each, which is an absolutely steal! I mean, just seeing a SI picture of Heid Klum greeting you everytime you turn on yourself is more than enough reason to inspire you throughout your busy day :) And not only can you download your SI models,but you can download video clips from the video shoots, ringtones with video, animated screensavers, and more! Please go to www.simobileswimsuit.com
for more information...

Anyway, I'm off to get a copy of this issue, once the snowy craziness outside dies down a little...till then, keep warm and be safe :)

hail and snow. Boo.

2007-02-14T12:54:00.000-08:00

So during the dog show, I started coming down with something. That is why instead of staying until 11 PM (which is when they announce the best in show), we ended up leaving around 9 PM to take the train. That's when we found out that it started to hail, when we went outsidee Madison Square Garden, and it was cold and wet and the snow felt like being pelted by rock salt.

I woke up today super drained, and feeling nauseated, so I called in sick. I went to get some more rick, and when I woke up, I looked outside and saw just utter despicableness; it was still hailing, so I'm sure that it wasn't that fun for all the commuters out there. I took some dayquil stuff, but it didn't help much, so I went back to sleep after I ate some Eggo waffels. But the waffles didn't make me feel any better, so I went to sleep after feeling like I was in a rocky boat for 2 hours.

Woke up again, but not still feeling that good. In a couple of hours I will try to post again though. Nothing like a little capitalism to help clear the mind :)

Review My Post- a genius idea

2007-02-12T10:46:00.000-08:00

So payperpost.com has created this new affiliate program called Review My Post, which I think is an amazing opportunity for bloggers to earn some extra money. Basically, what you do is place a "badge", which is a certain specific form of code at the end of every post you create. This badge, which invites any blog readers on the net to review the post I created , looks like this:

If you have a blog and decide to review my post, then you are given an opportunity to sign up with payperpost.com, which I am personally involved in. Payperpost.com is a website that pays you to post blogs about products, companies, websites, and other services. It is a remarkable site that helps benefit both the blogger and the advertiser involved. For more information, go here:

PayPerPost

When you sign up with payperpost.com and then decide to review my blog, then you will get paid to actually review my blog, and I will get paid also (which helps me out alot, especially since I'm trying to raise money for studio recording at this amazing studio in NYC).

What's really cool is that once you sign up for payperpost and then review my blog, not only will you get paid, but you will also have an opportunity to use Review My Post and bring other bloggers to the payperpost family, and then you will get paid for helping bring your loyal readers to your post. It's a positive chain reaction event where everyone involved wins!

Anyway, I am going to start putting the Review My Post badges at the end of my blogs soon, so at least this post gives you a heads up of what that is. And if you want to review my post and also make a bit of money, please click on the badge and review my post to your heart's content :) Of course, if you have more questions about payperpost.com before you decide one way or the other, I encourage you to check out payperpost.com for yourself, and see what the fuss is about!

Anyway, I must get back to work soon. Either way, let me know what you think...

don't bother contacting me- i'll be at the Dog Show.

2007-02-12T04:58:00.000-08:00

So the next two days my family and I have tickets to go go the Westminster Abby Dog Show this year. My mom for the past couple of years has really been into dogs, so my brother and I got her tickets to the show for her Christmas gift. I don't really know what to expect, but if it's anything like Christopher Guest's Best in Show, then I will truly be happy!

Best in Show

Anyway, I'll let you all know how the dog show goes. Till then....be happy.

Getting Flowers from Digital Flowers

2007-02-10T07:09:00.000-08:00

I've been looking at the website Digital Flowers recently, because I would like to get something special for my grandma, who lives in San Diego.Here is there site:

online flower delivery

Digital Flowers delivers nationwide, and works with florists around the country, so I know the flowers that I order for my lola (grandma in Tagalog) will be fresh and look and smell sweet. I think I want to get her something like this:

for mi abuela

I found their site colorful, easy to navigate, and the choice of flowers are many. Thus, is you are looking to get someone special a great gift, check out Digital Flowers.

**this was sponsored by Digital Flowers***.

We fought you because we were free

2007-02-10T06:40:00.000-08:00

So I wrote a new song two days ago, although I've had the melody and the first line for the longest time. The first line, which is the title line, was actually uttered by Bin Ladin in some interview where he was attacking the U.S., and I remember feeling that his logic was messed up. The thing is though, I can see a crowd of militaristic Americans or anyone for that matter who could be saying the same thing....so that's where I got the idea.

Anyway, I'm hearing almost like a standard minuet or something for the beginning of the song, but then get it totally rocked out ala Tori Amos/Fiona Apple band style on the 2nd verse. It's a super short song anyway, but I think with the right producer it could be super cool...someone like this dude:

Slow Runner band

I'll let you know what happens with this song...till then...

Why Egreetings is a cool site

2007-02-09T20:38:00.000-08:00

Have you ever gotten one of those really cute e-mail cards in your inbox? Well, there is this website called Egreeting that specializes in sending out funny and provocative e-cards. Here's a link to their sweetness:

I thought these cards were particulary cute!!!!!

Also, take a gander at their
Cupid pickup lines eCard in case you need help with that this Valentines Day. :)

These are a few of their other cards:

(I think the angel guy above looks like my old bandmember named Dave.)

This is probably the most 'adult' item I'm ever going to put on this blog...

There's a 30 day free trial membership to Egreetings, where you can choose from their vast array of cards for every occasion. Whether you want to make your best friend laugh, congratulate your sister on getting married, or want to send something romantic [or cheesey knowing me] to your loved one, Egreetings is definitely a great place to do it! It's only $13.99 for one year. They also provide a schedule feature which lets you personalize your e-cards ahead of time with a set date of delivery, so you won't ever have to miss out your girlfriend's birthday (sorry, sweety), your parent's anniversary, and Christmas greeting to every single one of your friends and family! Much better than spending half a day in the card aisle of walmart, you can customize with your favorite photos or text, and you'll get to send it out quicker too if you're in a rush! All in all, a great idea and a great site.

(This post was sponsored by Egreetings)

Bowling using the Wii

2007-02-09T18:31:00.000-08:00

So I mentioned previously in a blog that during the superbowl for this year, Izzy brought over a Wii, and we played it during halftime. At first Chris and him played the boxing game, which looked pretty fun, and sort of like a modern version of Mike Tyson’s punchout (remember that game?). But things really got kicked up when they loaded in the bowling game.

Izzy had 4 controllers, and we all got to play one game of bowling. At first I thought it was a little silly, but as I got deeper into the frames I wanted to keep improving my curve. It was then that I started really appreciating the motion sensor controller, and by the end of the game I wanted to get a Wii for my own. Izzy told me there weren’t any Wii’s left anywhere except at Amazon.com around 12 noon EST, and that was really the only way to get it. We then made fun of the PS3, where supposedly noone is really buying the system because it’s overpriced. Oh well. There you go.

Nintendo Wii

Anyway, I hope to get a Wii sometime soon. I’ll cross my fingers, and hopefully the next time you talk to me I’ll be a bowling champion in that game! Or something to that effect…

Rate Genius

2007-02-06T15:13:00.000-08:00

My friend Jerry asked me to check out a car refinance website called Rate Genius at work, since his work involves a lot of outdoorsy stuff (he works at one of the park campgrounds in East Suffolk), and he's looking to get a new truck but still has to pay the loan for an older car he bought a two years ago. Thus, I checked the website out:

Car Refinance

The website is really helpful, with a home page where you can get a preliminary quote and gives a summary of what Rate Genius offers, a very thorough FAQ section, and user friendly interface. Rate Genius states that the application for a loan takes only minutes, and the approval process takes only 24-48 hours, which would be really helpful for Jerry since he needs to refinance his older car soon.

I called up Jerry right after work, and told him that Rate Genius looks like a solid deal. Please spread the word to anyone you know looking to refinance their car about Rate Genius.

This post is sponsored by Rate Genius... ***

To quote Doctor Evil,”It’s friggin’ freezing in here”.

2007-02-06T10:29:00.000-08:00

I can’t believe how crazy cold it was yesterday. Reading www.cnn.com, it says that throughout the country there was a cold surge; I remember reading something about how there were hundreds of calls made to the AAA by motorists in Detroit, saying that they were having problems with their cars starting due to the cold weather.

When I walked out the door today at 7:20 in the morning, it felt like I was in the Arctic. I was already wearing long johns underneath, and I have a hooded Winter jacket, yet I was automatically cold those 10 seconds it took me to walk to the car. I made sure to warm up my car’s battery for at least 5 minutes (I’m trying to keep engine healthy), yet the heater in my car doesn’t really start kickin until I start accelerating, and I remember my hands were freezing due to my lack of gloves. Not fun.

Later than night, my honey and I went to Target, and once again, the cold was painful. She mentioned that the bottled water in my car that I forgot to take into work froze. I laughed at that, and I will make sure to bring all future bottled waters inside.

Today feels at least 20 degrees warmer. Praise be global warming! Actually, let me take that back...if I can.

Getting a new phone through Wirefly

2007-02-06T10:12:00.000-08:00

So there is this cell phone company I was recommended to by one of my coworkers yesterday called Wirefly, and she gave me a link to their site:

cell phones

I had some time to check out their site during my work break, since I’m in the market looking for a new phone and new phone service. Currently I carry Cingular but I don’t like the phone I have right now (it’s a Nokia phone, but too outdated), and I don’t get a free upgrade from Cingular until late 2008. Also, I don't think Cingular has the highest quality connection, as I've experienced often while trying to contact my girlfriend who goes to school in the city.

So I checked out Wirefly and I was really impressed by what Wirefly had to offer. Not only are the phone plans for a T-Mobile account much more reasonable than my Cingular account, but I can get an amazing Blackberry phone for free and 50 bucks cash back if I get a T-Mobile plan through Wirefly! That's a pretty amazing deal to me :) Here is the phone that I am coveting:

Black Berry Pearl with My Faves

So the Blackberry phone is the one I truly want, but I was looking at one of the deals too, and there is a T-Mobile Deal for a Samsung T629 phone for only forty bucks a month! And this comes with 1000 minutes, free long distance and free roaming, which is super useful when I gig out in other states and do not want to pay roaming charges. Another coworker actually has this phone, and says that he absolutely loves how technologically sweet, yet lightweight it is. You don't have to sacrifice the advances in innovation with convenience if you get this phone. And of course this phone is free and with free shipping! Here's a link to the phone I'm looking at:

Samsung Phone

I wanted to see how the Blackberry plan compares to the Samsung plan, and they are exactly the same! So hopefully there's enough Blackberrys at their site for me to have one. I've always wanted a Blackberry ever since my brother showed me his Blackberry, and what one can do with it...

Basically, I'm saving a ton of money going through Wirefly that I would if I continued with my Cingular plan. So yeah...I'm looking forward to getting my Blackberry soon. Thank you Wirefly! Definitely check them out once again if you are looking for a new cell phone plan or just want to see what they are offering!

-------------------------------

I really like the features on this phone, especially the Anyway, I’ll let you know how the phone goes. Till then….

Superbowl...and all those fine commercials...

2007-02-04T19:04:00.000-08:00

So I ended up hanging out with my brother Jay and our mutual friends Izzy and Chris. We first attempted to get wings at Hooters, but there was a super long line for takeout, and when we tried to stay and get serviced, we were told that we couldn't order any wings...which defeats the whole purpose about getting wings at Hooters.

Instead, we ended up going back to my parent's place and ordered Dominos Pizza and a bunch of different tasting wings. I especially enjoyed their honey wings :)

So we ended up watching the whole game...or rather, I ended up watching all the commercials and once in a awhile would raise my head up to see either the Colts or the Bears score. In terms of the commercials, there were a lot of quality ones, though not too many stood out. For some reason, it felt like there were a ton of Sierra Mist commercials...and I actually like that product alot, so I think I'll buy it in the near future to approve of their commercials :) Especially since they had Michael Ian Black star in them.

I also dug the Budweiser paper scissors rock commercial. I think that was the funniest commercial of the whole night. Whoever was the ad people for that commercial, I give them doube kudos!! one for the originality of the it, and one for just being truly entertaining.

Oh yeah. The Colts won. Big whoop.

Not feeling that well...

2007-02-02T20:13:00.000-08:00

So I don't know if I have a fever or not, but I was feeling really cold at work today. I wore my jacket most of the time I was at work, and felt a little tired throughout the day, but I still had a sense of appetite, and my sweetie pointed out that if I still can taste things, then I'm not sick...which is a good thing...still, I tried to do some writing about an hour ago, and I couldn't write at all....oh well. I did resurrect this old song that I wrote about 6 years ago about this old lady who lost her husband young during D Day in Omaha Beach..I think I'm going to change the words to this song, if I ever attempt on playing it out ever.

No recording done today. i listened to Icarus the old version, because there was this toy piano sound I tracked right before the third verse...and it sounds really cool...I'll let you know what happens..

Show Went Well

2007-02-01T02:02:00.000-08:00

If you came out lastnight, Thank you! Your presence there was greatly appreciated. I have no idea how it got so cold that quickly. I hope you got enough tea to keep it warm!

I finally got to play my new guitar but the cold really made my tuning much more sensitive than it usually is. Danny Katz did a madonna cover, John did a great run, and some poets came up too. At the end of my performance, I guy from brooklyn came up to play who does NOT have a myspace. [so old school]

Also used my cdseller display for my cds! I guess it worked, as I did end up selling a cd.

All in all, a great night.

Hearing “Fast Car” on the radio going to work

2007-01-26T11:51:00.000-08:00

brought back a lot of memories. I remember seeing the video for that song when I was in high school?, and thinking this is such a cool song. And how it became immensely popular and rose to the top of the billboard charts too. I think it was around this time that I started getting exposed to singer-songwriter music, not just band music.

I remember Mike Flynn and I having a discussion about this song, and he made an interesting comment about how that song, which really is a great song, was super fortunate to get picked up by the radio, since there are so many great songs out there that didn’t have a chance to be on the radio. He had a great point about that.

Anyway, I hope Tracy Chapman is still living off her royalties from that song, and that she is continuing to make good music. We haven’t heard from her in a while. I hope the best for her.

Sent out mp3s finally

2007-01-20T18:49:00.000-08:00

Today I sent out a bunch of mp3s to people, which is one of the major things I wanted to do this January. It's to get input, insight, and if need be, super criticism from other musicians. So far, the consensus I got from most of the recipients is that they really dig She Wants, Icarus, Here We Are, and Hanging Around. I want to send them a bunch of other songs soon, after I put some rough vocals on them and perhaps some instrumentation if it's critical.We'll see what they commend on :)

Sarah Silverman!

2007-01-16T10:34:00.000-08:00

Give the Jew Girl Some Toys:

She is hilarious. I somehow still haven't seen Jesus is Magic yet, have you? If you look at the other Youtube Clips of her though, there are some suuuper hateful comments on there. She's definitely a comedian that polarizes her audience.

Full House and all that's great with America

2007-01-13T11:01:00.000-08:00

You know, there are so many things we as a collective group of Americans learned from Full House. First of all, who didn’t want Danny Tanner as a father? The dude rarely got angry at his kids, and when he did, he calmly talked to them and got them to use their heads more than inflict corporal punishment.

Also, I think Uncle Jesse and Uncle Joey were really good uncles to Danny’s kids. I mean, they were a little kooky, but isn’t that what relatives are for? Heck, I would have to say all of my aunts and uncles are a little ‘off’ in some way or the other. But then again, I am super ‘off’..

I guess I admire the show because it gives us all insight on how a fully functional family can be, if we all work at it in our families. Hopefully the Full House model will be the norm in 20 years, rather than the exception.

Viva la familia Tanner!

Letter From Iwo Jima

2007-01-09T20:27:00.000-08:00

I saw this movie with my honey, and it was a great movie. It's definitely really interesting seeing world war two from the Japanese's perspective, and you can see many similarities between the fight back then and now in modern wars. And it turns out that Saigo, the main character, is actually a popstar in Japan!!!! That is super surprising to me. Also, I though Ken Watanabe was an amazing general and that equestrian colonel guy was also such a stong, noble character. I think Clint Eastwood did a great job of directing this movie without it being too sentimental or biased. Anyway, check this movie out if you get a chance. It definitely gets my five stars rating :)

Show on January 31!

2007-01-05T17:37:00.000-08:00

Come and enjoy the show in Chinatown!

Danny Katz, John Violago, among other performers I admire will be there. Cost of ticket includes drink [they have the best bubble tea there], deserts, and a slew of other attracts such as a palm reader, and a general open mic for others to come in.

I might be playing some new songs as well so come on down!

The State on iTunes!!!!!

2007-01-03T15:33:00.000-08:00

Yes!!! Only possibly the greatest show ever to set foot on television...can now be downloaded into iTunes! For those of you who don't know the State, this was a sketch comedy show that was on MTV around the years 1993-1995 or something.
It was remarkably clever, witty, and funny. Often bizarre and cruel, too. Oh, and a bunch of the characters from that show are now part of Reno 911 and that show last year called Stella. Anyway, please make sure to check out The State online if you can! If you can't get it on itunes, then just go to youtube and type in The State, and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Merry Christmas fellow Christmas celebrators!

2006-12-24T20:19:00.000-08:00

Or something like that. I had a nice Christmas with my family, where we went to church the day previous around 3 o clock, and then spent the night at uncle Roy's place, which is very near the apartment. I watched Jay and my dad battle each other in billiards, and then played against my brother a bunch on the foosball table, which is always, always guaranteed a good time. I also brought the computer so i can work on music a little bit... :)

We opened up presents the next day. I'd have to say, I was particularly proud of getting Jay Talladega Nights, which I know he's gonna be all about soon....I mean, friggin Borat's in there! As a guy French car driver. That is supergenius.

The night we spend some time at one of my dad's friends place in long island, which was pretty sweet. I got to try out a clarinet, which I haven't played in a long time,and go to talk to one of my dad's friends daughters, who lived in the city with her boyfriend and they saw Bjorkestra which was supposedly pretty fun..I would like to see Bjorkestra someday :) Then of course I told her and her family about my myspace site....which I guess I should be promoting more, but my honey said that music wasn't being able to be played, which bothers me a lot...

Merry Christmas everyone! And have a super fun, safe New Year...

Music making for new album

2006-12-21T20:38:00.000-08:00

so music making for album has commenced. I do think I have nailed Icarus down pretty pat, except I want to add a couple of new tracks on it, such as a 2nd guitar section, and an electric piano, and of course, the perfect vocal tracks... the track that I have there right now is pretty decent, but it's not the best I can come up with, in my obnoxious opinion.

I let KK hear the song after he returned my Blue mic from Greg's super duper recording sessions. He really, really dug it, which is a good sign :)

We'll see how it goes...

- jflo.

Kiva.org

2006-12-15T16:32:00.000-08:00

Featured in an issue of the Economist as well as frontline, Kiva.org creates a safe, secure way to raise the standard of living in impoverished areas.

This christmas we're making it a microloaning christmas! Just for $25 which you get back, you can help someone in need get the necessary materials for them to start their business.

Please watch the frontline video here:
You'll change so many lives.

One man has invested a base amount. Each time he gets paid back, he just reinvests it into another company. So far, he's supported dozens of companies and has lost no money through it all. You won't regret it!

Playing tonight in the city

2006-12-11T15:35:00.000-08:00

Should be fun with loads of talent. I'll be sharing the spotlight with long time friend Danny Katz.

Come and say hi if you can!

Typhoon Hits Philippines

2006-12-08T03:56:00.000-08:00

Read it here.

It's horrible-- completely devastating. Typhoons happen all the time in South East Asia, and you'd think with all the technological advances and especially with predicting these natural catastrophes, we'd be able to cope with it better.

But horrible policy concerning the continuation of deforestation leaves THOUSANDS killed every single year.

Gettysburg

2006-12-01T20:09:00.000-08:00

Gettysburg was a short trip, but still good. I'd recommend it for any history nerds like us most definitely. There are audio tours you can take. Just go to the visitor center, buy an audio tour cd (There's a 2, 3, and 4 hour one), get in your car, and go there yourself. That way you can go at your own pace, take photos, and just feel a part of it. There's also a bunch of ghost tours at night and the guides are really sweet and educated on a lot of topics on the matter.

I'll get into more details about the trip soon as we had our own ghost expierience. I just have to say, Angus Burgers there are delicious...

Back to music!

Canon Elura

2006-11-25T08:51:00.000-08:00

It was my birthday on Thanksgiving. Instead of Nacho Libre, I got something even better! Lots of BEST BUY GIFT CERTIFICATES.

So I went to get the

Canon Elura Mini DV Recorder

It's amazing in that it's highly compatible with MAC, records uncompressed, and all you need is firewire to get it going. I was thinking of going HD but after reading how JVC and SONY were highly incompatible with MAC, is $200+, and it only records in compressed mode, I passed.

Look at the specs for the Canon Elura at this Cnet Review where it scored really well among the competition.

We're leaving for Gettysburg tonight. Hopefully we'll catch some ghosts with this thing.

Happy Late Thanksgiving!

2006-11-24T09:13:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was hectic as usual. My gf made TONS OF FOOD and I learned how to wrap won tons. It was also my birthday, so we visited my parents' place. Ate:

Luchon
Turkey/corn/carrot wonton
Pork/cabbage steamed dumplings
Cornish Hen stuffed with cous cous
Candied Yams with Pecans
Chickan Masala
Longevity Noodles (So that I have a long life)

It was great. Later, my brother had his friends over and we played

Mortal Kombat

While contemplating whether or not to go shopping on Black Friday. We still might... If you are too, God speed...

STRANGERS WITH CANDY

2006-11-22T19:20:00.000-08:00

We just watched

Strangers with Candy the Movie

And it was great! We particularly liked the scenes with Stephen Colbert and Paul Dinello. There were some changes between the series and the movie but, I liked seeing a lot of the same characters. We then went to youtube and watched a lot of the swc episodes for nostalgia sake. WATCH THE MOVIE! It should've had more backing. But the Strangers with Candy episodes are just as funny too.

Send me on my way

2006-11-20T21:00:00.000-08:00

Today I think I have some lyrics to a new song I've been writing. It's about Sophie Scholl, the women who gave up her life in tyranny. Anyway, here's a sneak preview:

" When they tried to find a reason
you were busy throwing leaflets on high
they scattered round like secret chimes"

So I want tomake this song be a biography about her, but not be super-technical...just allow it to breathe with the melody....

I'll let you know how it goes...with the song.

Another news fast!!!

2006-11-17T11:06:00.000-08:00

yes, I'm looking to do another one, since I had some good success with it in October. When I wasnt so distracted by the October news, I wrote a song and was busy working on other stuff too. It was really nice to not be so dragged down by all the political speculation of what was going to happen for the November elections. I also think I was more healthier physically, spiritually, and emotionally during the newsfast.

Anyway, I guess I cheated a little bit today when i was logging out of my hotmail account and saw this link from the logout webpage about a superthyphoon in the Philippines, which is always bad news. I did happen to read it, as I think i should..but now, starting right now, I'm going on the fast. Wish me luck!

= munki

The Mic Pre came!!!!

2006-11-12T18:02:00.000-08:00

I received a call from Eric, who is part of the the fabulous Michael Korb band (www.myspace.com/michaelkorb) that he had got in my universal audio LA 610 Mic Pre .

I will treat you so right.

I was super-excited that I probably did some kind of ridiculously Larry/Balky dance ala Perfect Strangers (remember that show?) So I went to Eric's place and picked it up, and brought it back home. When it was open, I was super dazzled by the sheer coolness of how it looked. There are all these beautiful round knobs and switches for the gain and the compression, it looked like some kind of equipment for space flight (more details on my dream of space flight later). Also, reading the manual to see who has used UA's older models Mic Pre(Eric Clapton, Brian Wilson) just inspired me more and made me feel confident that i made the right purchase.

Anyway, for all you musician tech heads out there, please go to the ua.com website:

http://www.uaudio.com/products/analog/LA-610/index.html

It gives you all the specs and whatnot that i still don't have a full 100% understanding of. But I will, for the sake of making decent music.

Now....all I need is my mic back from Greg Fine....he's been using my Blue mic for drum recordings whenever Casey comes over from New Jersey. Supposedly he will be recording with Owen Biddle, who is probably the most funniest person I know...I'm sure Casey gave Greg the Owen hookup, since Owen lives in philadelphia.

I'll let you know how things go with the mic pre. I'm sure I made a sound investment...let's see if that's true!

Truly,

J-Flo
singer-songwriter/excited by new gear

Halloween 2006. Muhahaha!!!!

2006-11-05T08:10:00.000-08:00

Ahh...once again, it's Halloween. I know I'm kinda old now (almost hitting my 50th birthday..I kid!) but I would like to dress up for Halloween and go trick or treating again. I remember back in the day how I would have lots of fun just going out there, getting your candy, trying to avoid getting pelted with eggs by those porter brothers who lived a couple of houses away, and gagging when you realized that some of the neighbors gave you a couple of pennies in lieu of candy (who the heck does that???) Oh well. Perhaps this time I can go as a ghost. Or maybe dress up in my old Saint A's uniform and say that i'm a Catholic school boy as my costume. OK, maybe that's super lame...but I would do it in a heartbeat.

I pray I have the courage...to trick or treat this halloween.

Nacho Libre dvd!

2006-10-28T18:27:00.000-07:00

My birthday is coming up and I'd really love

Nacho Libre DVD!!!

I had such a great time watching it with my brother, his girlfriend, and my girlfriend when he visited from his college program last summer.

Oh Target gift certificates, can we make this come true?!

Why the Mets lost the Pennant

2006-10-23T12:33:00.000-07:00

Totally weak. I went to their first game and they did so amazing. Now they have to wait until next year to do some damage again. Oh well. I think our team as a whole was less experienced in the postseason than the Cardinals, who’ve been to the playoffs a bazillion times the last 15 years. Also, as commented by Mike Flynn during a conversation I had with him the afternoon of Game 7, it is worrisome when the best pitcher the Mets have in the postseason is Tom Glavine. I totally agreed with him on that. He’s a great picture, but I think he’s past his prime, and it showed on the second outing he had where he lost. Wagner too also didn’t do a great job. He’s a much better picture than he was during the playoffs.

If only Pedro and El Duque were healthy….we just might be facing the Tigers instead.

I hope Pedro has the best pitching year ever next year. And that we face the Cards again and destroy them.

Revenge is bliss. See you Mets fans next season!!!!!!!!!!!

man I am hungry

2006-10-18T17:52:00.000-07:00

seriously. I am super craving for Ana's Taqueria that's only found in friggin' Boston. What's up with that? When they gonna bring Ana's to the New York?

For those in Boston who haven't tried Ana's, please go soon. Or else I will start playing that stupid song duet between Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow to your face. And you will eat it.

GOING TO GAME ONE!

2006-10-12T20:43:00.000-07:00

my brother got tickets for me and our friend izzy to go to the mets game. it's the mets against the cardinals and i have a feeling that the mets are going to win today! i haven't been this excited since the mets got Carlos Beltran a couple years back. it's my first game in the year and MAN WHAT A GAME TO GO BACK TO! it'll probably be packed. me and my brother want to paint go mets on our stomachs... but it will also probably be very cold.

but at least we'll get on tv.

i hope we get on tv! that would be so rad!

GO METS!

LET'S GO METS!

2006-10-08T20:41:00.000-07:00

THE METS ARE IN THE PLAYOFFS!

i know i haven't been a fan of baseball for a while but knowing about the mets being in the playoffs has definitely peaked curiosity in me once again. i use to be a diehard baseball fan a while back but i guess as i got older i grew out of it. in fact, i think i just grew out of being a fan of sports in general.

my last time i was really into baseball was the Red Sox in 04 and how they destroyed the yankees when the yankees lead 3 games to nothing. GOD BLESS THE RED SOX.

GOD BLESS THE METS!

Slow Runner

2006-10-01T22:29:00.000-07:00

So Mike and Slow Runner came to town to reaudition their band for their label and I guess for other industry types who were interested in doing business with them. It seems kinda weird to me that a band that got national touring with some big acts, radio airplay, and even their songs on such tv shows as One Tree Hill and that one show wish Sandra Oh….have to reaudition. I guess that’s the way the music industry is these days, unfortunately.

Well, they put on a swell show. Mike seemed a little bit nervous, and he wasn’t able to crack as many jokes as he usually does when he performs…but the band was super sweet with the music. Afterwards we all ate at some Mexican grill which wasn’t really that good, but at least it was nice to hang out with the band and talk to Josh about equipment and see Michael a little bit, even if it was just to give him a few words of encouragement or whatnot.

I really hope they succeed more than ever. To surpass their first album. I’ll be rooting for them in the stands.

Check them out at www.slowrunner.com. Tell them jflo sent you.

GETTING NEW EQUIPMENT!

2006-09-25T23:38:00.000-07:00

i spent the last couple of days looking for a mic pre-amp for my recording studio at the apartment. i've been told that many people that people do better with a mic pre-amp bc it amplifies the voltage that currently my system doesn't have. thus, it just makes for better sound.

the two mic pres i'm looking at are the universal audio LA 610 and the Avalon. Michael Korb, who is an excellent musician from Long Island, is gettin ghis Avalon soon, and I've been told to get one too by many other musicians, but it's kinda steep in price. The next tier down is the Universal Audio one, which is what Michael Flynn got, which was recommended to him by Josh. I trust their opinion very much, since the suckas managed to get signed and even had their music put on a bunch of shows and whatnot.

Mike and Josh's band is called Slow Runner. Check them out at www.slowrunner.com.

Sophie Scholl song

2006-09-21T02:06:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the new lyrics to the song I blogged aboutbefore! Here they are:

Always tried to find a reason
why you didn't see the bullets fly by
especially when dealing with fire
when they found what you believe in
you were busy throwing leaflets on high
they fell like little secret chimes....

I really like the melody I came up with, and I hope you do too :) it's still far from over though....so wish me luck on finishing it!

The Devil From My Body

2006-09-19T10:34:00.000-07:00

So I wrote this song this past Spring called Devil From my Body, which is actually a love-lost song combined with a lot of Filipino-American references. I thought if I was going to write another love-lost song, why not include Filipino centric lines like:

"Your ninang
She said that I wasn't mestizo
so i'll never make it"

Or "running to your front door, carrying your favorite polvoron"

You know, that's how my cultures sometimes do.

Actually, when I was younger I had these self-image problems because I wasn't mestizo and I wanted to be for a long time. I thought they were beautiful, and I truly wished I had a more aquiline nose...but when I got older I just realized that I shouldn't give a poopy about how light or dark I looked, and just focus on other things. And that has proven to be one of the best course of actions I took in my life. (violins weeping).

- JFLO

writing a new song....

2006-09-15T19:13:00.000-07:00

it's about Sophie Scholl,the heroine who resisted tyranny and payed with her life. I want this song to be biographical,but not too much that it sucks all wonder and life out of the song.

Wish me luck! And i'll let you know how the song went...

i'm getting skinnier!

2006-09-12T23:16:00.000-07:00

or so I've been told. It must be because of all the stress I have been having since my car got broken into a few weeks ago and they took my laptop, ipod,and several other things. Oh well....I guess I shouldn't be attached to my possesions anyway...because it can pretty ridiculous when one loses them...like I was...

politics schmolitics

2006-09-10T03:14:00.000-07:00

So I guess it’s getting close to election time because the negative ad attacks have started coming in. I love how they vilify their opponents by saying that someone like “Mr. A didn’t support this bill, which means he didn’t support the elderly”, when I’m sure the bill in question was actually an attempt to feed the pockets of some of the bill’s supporters and making the system more inefficient and whatnot. It’s always half-truths with these ads.

Personally, I wouldn’t mind seeing another negative attack ad never again. It would be interesting to see a positive ad put out by politicans for opponents, saying things like “ Mr. B is a good guy, but I have a different idea on how to change so and so, and I think my idea will be more efficient and less troublesome than Mr B’s ideas for so and so.”

Will that ever happen? I’m not sure. The country remains as polarized as ever, unfortunately. I hope that in time though….

I Miss The State

2006-09-05T10:40:00.000-07:00

Does anyone remember The State? You know, the old show on MTV with some of the most amazing sketch comedy ever? I have such fond memories of watching that show, and remembering alot of the characters from it. And it's interesting that many of the actors from that show ended up on the now hit show Reno 911. Also, you see some of the other peeps of The State on other shows from time to time.

Well....thank you Youtube for carrying a bunch of The State skits!!! I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw one of my favorite State skits, "Pants", after more than 10 years. Anyway, please check out The State on youtube. And i hear that they are going to have the 1st Season of The State available on itunes, which i'm definitely excited about!

sincerely,

J-Flor

Apple le Magnifique

2006-09-03T18:28:00.000-07:00

My car got broken into in Astoria a couple of weeks ago, and they took my Apple Macbook Pro laptop, which I spent a small fortune on in May (they also took my video ipod, and the car adapter for it) After filing the police report, I got in touch with one of the district managers from Apple, and told her my predicament. She said she might be able to help me out.

I went down to the Apple store in Walt Whitman Mall a couple of days ago…and when I told one of the Apple store merchants who I was, they said they would be able to get me a 75% discount on a refurbished Macbook Pro or a 50% discount on any new items….so I took the Macbook Pro since I really did love that computer…and I was able to buy a hard drive and some other software without having to break a thousand buckaroos!

Thank you Apple. You might rule the world one day, but I don’t care. I’ll keep buying your products anyway.

time travel

2006-08-12T15:20:00.000-07:00

I recently had a conversation with a friend about time travel. He said that he wants to travel back to the middle ages to be a knight, and I said I would love to go back 60 years to see my grandfather when he was a teenager during WW2 in the Philippines. Supposedly he had to get his appendix removed without any anesthesia....I wonder how he survived all the pain.

Anyway, I thought that perhaps it also might be a cool idea to see the French Revolution, or the rise of Japan during the late 1800s. Or maybe I'm just being too nerdy..I don't know. They both sound fun, right?

tune in next time...

Sometimes you wear stretchy pants...

2006-07-25T20:56:00.000-07:00

ha ha...so I saw Nacho Libre with Jack Black...and Jack was amazing once again. It really surpised me however about the extent of Mexican wrestling, and how ignorant I was of that part of their culture. I think they call them Luchadors or something...

It was a pretty nice evening. Nothing short of fireworks,I guess. But still, the weather was beautiful and it wasn't too much of a drag to be outside amidst all this Summer heat....

News Fast

2006-06-29T20:18:00.000-07:00

so i'm on this news fast because when i listen to the news i usually get really distracted. in fact, i think news is a huge distraction-- i'd rather just be ignorant for like a month-- than have to worry about bull in the world.

honestly though, i care, but it's been draining on me creatively. i hear there are things going on with iraq right now, but so much energy is spent in anticipation without actually being in a position to do anything about it. it's frustrating.

therefor, i am going on a news fast for another month. i hope to be more ignorant than ever...