fritzified.comCamphone Paparazzi/Photographer Extraordinaire

Since February, I made this unique category in fritizified.com saying “Photos (using N82)” not to kiss Nokia’s ass but more like I have finally found something that can equal the image capture qualities of my Canon Ixus i5 plus more.

I lost my N82 during Octoberfest owing to a pickpocket, God bless his damned soul.

It had in it a new Micro SD card so all my past photos are still with me, don’t worry. I also installed and activated all sorts of security apps and internal locking features so all data in the unit should be secured. Opening/unlocking/changing SIMs will only work if they wipe the contents clean.

I initially intended to upload photos for this post to show the moments I’ve captured in the past several months of using the unit but I realized I don’t feel that up for it. You’ll hear me saying “that’s alright,” “got it for 6k via retention, anyway,” and “we’ll see,” but it’s not alright, it’s not about how much it cost, and I don’t see myself shelling out money again for something better/at par since I had already been this careless. I was having so much fun with everything I can do (and everything I can still do) with the N82. Now that it’s gone, I’ll have this post/article to remember the good times with (among the thousands of others photos I still have).

Yes, I won’t pretend, I’m depressed.

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Details (for blocking with the NTC):
If you find the following, the unit's surely stolen.
Don't buy off or online. Spread the word. Be warned.
Unit: Nokia N82 - 1 Warm L/L.Titanium
WLAN:001DFD7CEA3E
IMEI:358984011864306
Item: 002D6L5

Out of nowhere, I got asked by an old friend which of the things I’ve written of old do I remember quite fondly. I thought hard for several seconds and was surprised, despite my bloated ego, that I could come up with… NOTHING. He said, and I hope I remembered the details correctly, that I wrote one post that made him say, “this guy is not an asshole.” Wow! That felt… no, not awkward, but good, actually. I did not tell him back then but I was totally, WOW, awesomed out!

Only today did I remember to dig up the article in question and here it is as an edition of REMIXED.

PROLOGUE:

Fritz: Sa’n banda rito mga dress socks nyo, miss?
Lady: (gestures to her ID badge that read: “I’M DEAF“)

MAIN:

Their inventory of retail merchandise consist of various stuff including those unlikely to be seen inside your typical “clothes” store like popcorn, gummy bears/worms, candies, and slippers. They, after all, specialize in selling quality/edgy clothes which can cater to almost anyone. That’s Bench to you: the supplier of all my boxer briefs from time immemorial.

One after-work afternoon, I went inside one of their stores looking for “emergency” socks. Mine’s all soiled and I need fresh ones to last me until three days after, the day I get my clothes from the cleaners. I approached one unsuspecting sales person to ask where they put ‘em. The lady, about 5′2 in height, shoulder-length hair, charming and pretty, clean-looking and pleasant, was everything that a helpful sales person ordinarily may look like. She then amicably showed the ID hanging from her neck that read, “I’m Deaf.” Without hesitation and almost instantaneously, I transferred all the articles I’m holding in my right hand to my left and lifted my jeans and pointed at the ankle socks I’m wearing underneath my Chucks. She got what I meant, nodded, and proceeded to guide me through the lined shelves and racks until we finally reached a low hanging wall divider where the socks were arranged neatly. They weren’t easy to find, mind you, and I’m not the type who’d usually ask for directions. I looked in her direction and mouthed a heartfelt “thank you” to which I got a sweet smile and a nod in return before she shuffled her feet to go back to the post where I found her.

Read more…

When the supposed second act began with the sad news that (then) Eraserheads’ Ely Buendia had to be rushed to the hospital, I didn’t know how to react. I wanted more music but incidents like this can happen. Ely finished the first set like a seasoned trooper. Those in front would recount his eyes doing weird movements  during the last (two?) song(s). As of the time of this writing, news had it that Ely’s condition is now stable and he’s recuperating well. EDIT: we must still continue praying for Ely’s condition :(

The crowd got their fix of nostalgia, them singing along with a vengeance as one by one Eheads songs played with numbing familiarity. The Eraserheads played 15 songs in all and the crowd loved every bit of it (except maybe for Light Years but, hey, we’ll take anything we can). The now-ex band members incorporated improvements into some of their original material via musical arrangement tweakings and added guitar effects. I haven’t seen a local band perform on a stage THAT grand! And the audience could well be the most peaceful and well mannered crowd in the collective span of Eraserheads concert history. I’m blabbering incoherently, sorry.

Watch out for more great photos from JayDJ because he and Aileen got dibs on proximity to the stage with their VIP passes. [EDIT: and here are his photos! w00t!] Whodathunk that Patrons (bearer of the P1,300 tickets) are to be lumped WAY TOO FAR away from the stage, huh?! THEY HAVE GOT TO BE FUCKING KIDDING ME, RIGHT?! I wouldn’t have seen anything if it weren’t for those big-ass screens! FUCKED UP I WAS, I TELL YOU.

I congratulate Philip Morris for coming up with a great program because, come on, new organizers can’t do that shit in a span of three days! You should be proud of yourselves, PM guys! Kudos to Radiohead Media Solutions, too, for carrying out the task with minimal glitch. With that much people in the audience, I think it’s safe to assume that the show was a huge hit.

The most exciting/nervewrecking part of the program was what I’d call the “countdown to showtime.” See video below to know what I mean (for those who didn’t get to watch the concert first hand). Pardon the distance because that’s the only size my P1,300 can afford to take from where we were. Those textual effects I’ve incorporated in the video are all “home made” using Adobe After Effects. Why the effort? Because I can. LOL.

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Jayvee, has a more complete footage, down to Alapaap. Watchit, watchit!

So that’s done. I got my fix. In closing, to the band, dudes, THANK YOU for taking us down memory lane. Good times!

I WORE A STINK WITH PRIDE DURING THE CONCERT BECAUSE THAT’S HOW REAL ROCKSTARS ROLL! (g_rock_n_roll) LOL

With what we saw from the screens, the DVD of the concert will be worth waiting for fo sho! This wraps up my series of Eheads Concert related posts (1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 in all and this is the 6th). Thanks for visiting! Read more…

Here’s your map to the Eraserheads: The Reunion Concert venue at The Fort, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City. They’re setting up at the block behind the NBC Tent lot. You won’t miss it.

Once in the perimeters, there will be signs everywhere to specify Entrances. Pay Parking areas near the event venue are already marked on the map.

See you guys at the concert!

Click on the thumbnail and, after it zooms out right in yo’ pretty face, right-click to save. And then print. It may look small on preview but the actual download size is a whopping 1152px × 1356px in dimension!

Happy times!

Let’s keep make this event sweet and memorable, most especially peaceful (awwww!). Please abide by concert rules and regulations.

Thanks, K, for the great map rendering!

DISCLAIMER: This map is for information and guidance use only. Not an official concert promotional material. Based on the Bonifacio Global City map.

Got these just this afternoon, soon (minutes) after a contract was forged between Philip Morris Philippines Manufacturing, Inc. and Radiohead Media Solutions Inc. and, fucking ass, I knew I should have waited for the official statements before updating my blog. I knew it knew it knew it! Here are the press releases copied word for word:

Philip Morris statement on Eraserheads concert

Philip Morris Philippines Manufacturing Inc. confirms that Radiohead Media Solutions Inc. has agreed to take over as promoter of the Eraserheads reunion concert planned for 30 August 2008. We made the decision to withdraw as promoter and will have no involvement at all in this reunion concert. We wish the Eraserheads and Radiohead Media Solutions Inc. all the best.

Dave M. Gomez
Public Affairs and Communications Manager
Philip Morris Philippines Manufacturing Inc.

And the words below were with the PR:

RADIOHEAD MEDIA SOLUTIONS, INC. THE NEW PROMOTER OF ERASERHEADS: THE REUNION

Radiohead Media Solutions, Inc. announces the acquisition of the concert rights to the much awaited one-night-only Eraserheads reunion this coming Saturday, 30 August 2008. The Reunion is to be slated at the Bonifacio Global City Open Field.

Tickets are priced at PHP 800 and 1300. For ticket reservation call TicketWorld at 891-9999 or log on to www.ticketworld.com.ph and www.radiohead.ph

Radiohead Media Soultions, Inc. by the way is owned by Francis Lumen, formerly of Citylite 88.3/Joey 92.3, and now of MTV Phils.

That’s final, I guess. Can’t be more final than that. Again, I fucking wish I waited for this before updating. Seriously.

See you all at the concert!

I’m so sleepy, I think my eyes would fall off any moment now. Sleep can wait but these words can’t.

The “Eraserheads: The Reunion” Concert will push through on the same date, time, and venue (download the map to the venue from my latest post through here). August 30, 2008 at The Fort, Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. Tickets are now available from all Ticketworld branches (call them up at 891-9999) or via ticketworld.com.ph and radiohead.ph (radiohead’s site will be up by tomorrow, Thursday onwards, as verified) for P800 (back area, P824 from ticketworld) and P1,300 (front area, P1,334 from ticketworld). It is NOT P1,500 and NEVER P1,030 and P2,060! Here are some more great news:

1. RADIOHEAD MEDIA SOLUTIONS, INC. in cooperation with SONY BMG, AS CONFIRMED, is producing the show from now on. Tickets are sold and distributed via Ticket World as already mentioned.
2. The Eraserheads will be performing MORE SONGS too, not only 10 as originally announced. It gets better. I heard it’s going to be more than double that original number. (Can I palpitate now? Huh, please?)
3. NO FRONT ACTS. NO ACTS IN-BETWEEN. NO CIRCUS CLOWN ACTS. There will only be short breaks so the band can rest a bit. Even Ely, who has just last year survived an “acute myocardial infarction secondary to arterial blockage” was up to the challenge so let’s give these guys props! (Hands over props LOL)
4. GATES WILL OPEN AT 3:00 PM and will CLOSE AT 8:00 PM. Be there early. Bring an ID with you, just in case. There will be food stalls inside the venue so you can just buy there or camp in (if you’ve seen Beyonce’s stage, they say it’s pretty much where that one once stood, only a bit smaller this time)
5. AGE LIMIT for admission is now way below voting age. It’s now 12 unlike before.

Like most of the better (read big) concert events, security of the concert goers is at the performers’ and organizer’s top priority and seriously, the band has voiced this out. There are measures in place but that doesn’t end at that. Even the audience have a role to play. As the band is playing to give the audience a good show, while the production gets the logistics and security and entire party going, during the concert, it would greatly help if the crowd/audience could all please PLEASE adhere to these simple rules:

Read more…

There are speculations and I want to present some more regarding the Eraserheads‘ “One Night Only” Concert originally scheduled on August 30, 2008 at The Fort.

• What if this doesn’t fly as planned?
• What if it doesn’t push through, as we’ve all probably read somewhere else, because certain branches of our democratic government refuses to give the organizer the necessary permits they will need to get the concert ground running?
• What will happen to the thousands of eager fans awaiting this one-day-only event?

Pissed off. OK, that’s too strong a word LOL, or disheartened (there you go). That’s what a lot of Filipinos will be if in case this happens.

But what if:

• The event pushes through in the hands of another organizer?
• What if the original organizers had decided to throw in the towel?
• What if the private event now becomes, gasp, public?
• What if your chances of seeing the band you’ve listened to in your youth were given to you at arms reach if only you were to pay for admission?

Sounds impossible? Highly unlikely, yes, but not impossible if you think about the matter thoroughly. With only a few days to go before the originally scheduled concert date and with the great amount of work on logistics necessary to pull this massive project through, the organizers (old or new, whatever works) and the avid fans would surely need lots of one thing.

Luck. Read more…

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Please patiently wait for the vid to load (duration is approx 2:01 minutes) or you may want to try downloading it. Alternately uploaded in Facebook thorugh here.

For a supposed event highlight, seeing this live after two hours of waiting left a sour taste in my mouth. Seriously.

[ Please click on each of the 15 thumbnail photos in
chronological order to reveal its larger version
and the blog entry ]

Healthy Shabu Shabu was right. I had been doing hot pot wrong all this time. And to think I thought I would never again set foot in a shabu shabu place to grab grub. Last time I’ve been in one is, I think, about six or seven years ago, give or take, when I was still starting out as a tax expert in the best audit firm in the country. Tax experts in training get hungry all the time, you see. And an ordinary sized meal would only make us want to tear each other’s hair out in frustration. So the dinner place of choice could only be that now closed shabu shabu restaurant in Glorietta or a brawl scene started by manic-and-hungry corporate looking, calculator weilding, BIR forms and worksheets clutching tax experts in training could ensue. You get the picture, right? Good.

Like me, you must have passed by the well lighted Healthy Shabu Shabu resto in the Powerplant Mall in Rockwell (across Starbucks). It is likely that you also paid it no mind. When I got the chance to try out what the place had in store in their Shangri-La Plaza Mall (EDSA) branch, boooooooy, I said to myself just so I don’t get to sound like the tax expert in training I was before, “why haven’t I tried this sooner?!” No joke! True story.

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