Pangers 'n Mash

I’m through accepting limits ‘cause someone says...

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 04:46:07 -0500

I’m through accepting limits ‘cause someone says they’re so
Some things I cannot change, but till I try, I’ll never know
- Defying Gravity (Glee Cast Version)

I think I'll try "Defying Gravity"...and be THANKFUL for it!

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 04:37:13 -0500

So I’m sitting at my computer at about 4:00 a.m. Just came back from a night out at Eclipse (as well as a 4th meal at Waffle House) with Amy, Gil, Russel, Whitney, Erin, Tiffany, Ronny and Michelle. Good times with good friends, and as I come down from the night’s festivities and prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving with the family, I can once again look back on the past year and revel in the simple fact that I have so much for which to be thankful.

Of course, things have not always been so rosy as of late. After a pretty nice beginning in 2009, life dealt me quite the blow with the recession catching up to me and a subsequent layoff from my comfy job at JPMorgan Chase. Since then, it’s been kind of an eye-opener, being thrust from my comfort zone and forced back into the world of job-hunting, mortgage moratoriums and cutting back. But I have been fortunate enough to keep a roof over my head, my bills current, and food on the table. I also have a great support system of friends and family to keep me level-headed and will be there for me if things start to get hairy. And who wouldn’t be thankful for such fortunes?

Perhaps the best thing to come out of this year, though, and something for which I am VERY thankful, is an opportunity to not settle and to follow my dream, something few people rarely get to do in this day and age. I’m a firm believer in “everything happens for a reason”, and being unemployed these past few months has enabled me to return to school and pursue a new calling: Massage Therapy! I love my school and instructors, and I appreciate all the knowledge and skills that I am gaining. Nothing has felt this right for a while, and the thought of being able to truly help people and make a difference energizes me to no end! One of the best decisions I have ever made, and I look forward to seeing this through.

In retrospect, I feel like the luckiest guy in the world. I’m not exactly the religious type these days, but I know when divine intervention plays a part, and I thank God for everyone and everything that has brought me to this point. I look at the news on TV or read it on the internet, and I know that my personal trials are trivial compared to what some people have gone through or are still going through today. I am truly one of the fortunate ones, protected and loved by friends and family here and above, and if I never say “thank you” enough, I hope they know I mean it every day…

So to everyone, I hope you and your loved ones have a Happy Thanksgiving! Remember to always be in the moment, and learn to see and appreciate the good that life has and will continue to bring you!

I liked the original commercials. Add the auto-tuning brillance...

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:40:25 -0500

I liked the original commercials. Add the auto-tuning brillance of the Gregory Brothers, and this is just GENIUS!

juliaallison:

I’ve been autotuned: my life is now complete.

(The original commercials, from which the brilliant Gregory Brothers pulled the clips, are posted here and here)

Video

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:33:05 -0500

Nothing wrong with a little nostalgia...

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:32:28 -0500

So far away, I wish you were here
Before it’s too late, it could all disappear…

Ran into this old video online courtesy of my boy Jonny Roobs, and just thinking how crazy it is that time flies by so quickly. Just five years ago, Varick and I were at the top of our game being co-owners of the Tsinilas Clothing Company brand and traveling hundreds and thousands of miles to peddle our little slice of Filipino culture to the masses. In a short period spanning from 2000-2004, Tsinilas brought us all over the country, where we had the opportunity to meet so many awesome people and make memories that were equally as amazing. We gathered a cult following that still endures today, and to look back on everything we did and everyone we met can sometimes be overwhelming. I still have yet to see the excitement that was felt with the triumvirate that was Tribal Pinoy (LA), Tsinilas (FL) and Pinoywear (NYC), and wonder if I ever will.

Like many good things, though, the journey had to reach its end at some point, but some things never change. Varick is still one of my best friends, and he is still every bit as creative as the first day that we met, maybe even moreso. He continues to do his thing, mentoring and inspiring a new generation of designers.

And me…well, still trying to find myself and hoping I found my true calling…

…but it’s still fun to look back!

(P.S. God, we look so young…)

The most power HADOUKEN ever!

Sun, 30 Aug 2009 22:02:53 -0400

The most power HADOUKEN ever!

Happy birthday to me…Otherwise….Shoot this...

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 15:49:11 -0400

Happy birthday to me…Otherwise….Shoot this muthafuckaaaaaa!!!!!

What a birthday wake-up call!Thanks, Gil, for sending me the original. It enabled me to find the Remix, hahaha! If there is only one thing worth remembering from the movie Wanted, it’s this amazing line. Love that Morgan Freeman!

Must. See. This. Looks pretty funny. From Mike Judge, who also...

Sat, 08 Aug 2009 12:27:43 -0400

Must. See. This. Looks pretty funny. From Mike Judge, who also did Office Space!

It’s getting better all the time!! More songs announced...

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 23:58:19 -0400

It’s getting better all the time!! More songs announced for The Beatles: Rock Band - So good, can’t wait till 9.09.09 gets here!!!

T-Swizzle and T-Pizzle share a Thug Story - what a way for...

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:26:11 -0400

T-Swizzle and T-Pizzle share a Thug Story - what a way for Taylor Swift to open the CMT Awards! I couldn’t help but post, actually kind of catchy in a way…

Wow, wow, and more wow! The Beatles: Rock Band!!! I am excited...

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 20:09:00 -0400

Wow, wow, and more wow! The Beatles: Rock Band!!! I am excited about this game and have been waiting to see and hear something, anything about it! In addition to the trailer that shows actual gameplay, there is this one courtesy of ign.com. Either this is a commercial, perhaps? Or maybe the opening of the game? Whichever it is, the trailer definitely gets me pumped for the game to come out!!!!

So I had a chance to see how they do on the other side of the...

Sun, 31 May 2009 13:29:57 -0400

So I had a chance to see how they do on the other side of the pond. Pretty good routine from Diversity to take the finals of “Britain’s Got Talent”. Of course, they came across as more “Bring It On” than “ABDC”. But enteraining, nonetheless…

Somewhere after the second movie in the Scary Movie franchise,...

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 00:10:00 -0400

Somewhere after the second movie in the Scary Movie franchise, the Wayans Brothers jumped ship and the series went downhill. Don’t even try to mention Epic Movie, Disaster Movie, or Meet the Spartans - just horrible. Now it seems that the brothers are back, and I kind of want to see this. For fans of dance movies everywhere (Save the Last Dance, You Got Served, Flashdance)…

I think this might be pretty funny. I liked the trailer, at least!

(Update: Wonder if the release date for this was delayed because I saw this trailer when I saw I Love You, Man and it said it was coming soon, not February 6 as this trailer said)

Pepsi Smash Cover Art and Yahoo do it again. If you like the...

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 02:16:17 -0500

Pepsi Smash Cover Art and Yahoo do it again. If you like the Veronicas…if you like the Jonas Brothers…then this is DEFINITELY for you!

I thought that Lily Allen’s version was good, but this was...

Sun, 28 Dec 2008 17:09:52 -0500

I thought that Lily Allen’s version was good, but this was GENIUS! Accordions and bottles, oh my!

…and a very Merry Xmas goes out to my friends and family!...

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 10:14:23 -0500

…and a very Merry Xmas goes out to my friends and family! Hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season. Here’s to a great 2009!

Amazing…and haunting at the same time (I think it’s...

Sun, 21 Dec 2008 17:25:12 -0500

Amazing…and haunting at the same time (I think it’s the masks, heh!). But pretty cool video!

This could quite possibly be one of the charming, if not cutest,...

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 02:22:10 -0500

This could quite possibly be one of the charming, if not cutest, videos I have come across on Vimeo - of course, I could be biased because I did take French for four years and, to this day, I love how the language sounds. Capuchine also kind of reminds me of my own five-year old niece, Ashton, though maybe a bit more well-versed.

I’m always amazed at how a child’s mind and imagination works.

Ah, sometimes it’s really interesting to see what kinds of...

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 23:33:00 -0500

Ah, sometimes it’s really interesting to see what kinds of things bloggers and new media folks like Sarah Austin, iJustine and Julia Allison get to experience in their lifestyles and lines of work. Really? Streaming live while flying up in the air? Neato…

reblog from pop17:

pop17:

Lisa, Brian and Ryan are in the front row of this photo. I am so happy to have been on board this flight! I was live on YouTube.com/Live today from the air, 3500 feet above ground, streaming live for the first time- ever. So fun. Thanks Virgin America!

Cha-Ching! Early Seth Green in a commercial for Rally’s...

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 01:18:26 -0500

Cha-Ching! Early Seth Green in a commercial for Rally’s Hamburgers. Good food back in the day!