Puckering Time

I know I'm kind of out of date, but it's never too late to enjoy. My computer's only for encoding and music, and games are so out of question.

I'm loving this computer program. Try it. If you're already through with it, uhh, good for us.

As early as 6 am I was at the MRT GMA Kamuning station; I was about to go home then. With me were my Pilot VBall and my Superman notebook, aside from my ID, wallet and myself. For some unknown reason I kept on humming Amber by 311. I don't know, it just kept on resonating inside my head. By sad coincidence when I was waiting the train plying the route to Ayala, a guy showed up walking towards my general direction, and he sure looked exactly like me. He was wearing a black polo shirt, khaki shorts, and a pair of white sandals to match everything. I thought there was a mirror a yard away from me because I was also wearing the exact same kinds of clothes. Plus the sandals. On a more creepy part, the guy was of the same height as I am, has a pair of black half-framed glasses (not Levi's, ha ha ha!), the same hair style, and was also singing 311! I am not kidding. He didn't seem to notice me which was great even if we were just inches away from each other. Then after a while a friend - Eric - accosted me then I told him one of the most fearful events ever happened on my life (excluding blackouts, the presence of lychees and mayonnaise, and the running out of Internet cards). I shoved my snout to the doppelganger to indicate that he's to take a look, and my friend's initial reaction was, "Ay puta!"

Aside from him Eric asked me if I have anyone with me. I showed him my notebook and my pen. He looked rather bedazzled then proceeded to confirm what he saw, "'Yan? You're kidding." How can you convince people that a pen and a notebook are the companions? I told him why then showed him the content. When we entered the train it became longer.

M.Y.M.P. - A Little Bit; Crazy for You
Join the Club - Nobela
The Eraserheads - Ang Huling El Bimbo; Magasin
Shamrock - Alipin
Sean Paul feat. Blu Cantrell - Breathe
Michael Buble - Uh, I honestly forgot the title
Alicia Keys - If I Ain't Got You; Karma
Pussy Cat Dolls - Buttons; Stick Wit You
Brownman Revival - Maling Akala
Sugarfree - Tulog Na
Beyonce Knowles - Fighting Temptation
Natalie feat. Justin Roman - Where Are You

Eric said he'd also keep a log.

*Photo source: Google

Tell me what you see in the picture above. Don't worry, this is not a Rorschach-er type of test or something. I could hardly qualify as an art critic, and this is how I judge a piece of art: it's either beautiful or it's ugly.

This one's different. It's amazing.

False alarm. We weren't at the SM MoA, not even at the ATC due to the perpetual chaos caused by massive traffic jams in Alabang and along Las Piñas. Since I only get to have one special day for once every annum, I insisted on Barrio Fiesta. If you're around SM Southmall this afternoon (round 1 pm) I was the uber-snubbish guy dressed in white dri-fit shirt, jeans, and rubber shoes. Don't forget the black half-framed eyeglasses. Emphasis on snubbish because Barrio Fiesta wasn't really part of my plan. I could've whined and howled all I want but I'm already 19, and that behavior is so nine-ish. I prefer Dencio's than the former, although I have to admit that both serve great entrees of delectable food. They have one thing in common, alongside with North Park: pricey.

Great restaurants, though. Went to Friday's ATC for another feeding frenzy, then off for some Sony and Samsung stuff for our home. I got myself a pair of board shorts from Rip Curl as a "gift" (uck). I hope February comes very soon. Paycheck! Paycheck!

You might be appalled by this post, much more with the content. Hey, it's my birthday and I'll babble if I want to.

*Aquarius is the eleventh sign of the Zodiac and associated with future ideas and the unusual. Individuals born under this sign are thought to have leadership qualities with creative, challenging, entertaining, progressive, stimulating, and independent character, but one which is also prone to rebelliousness, coldness, erraticism, and impracticality (Mikee, this is you). In terms of anatomy, Aquarius is said to rule the legs from knees to ankles and the circulation of blood. (Which explains why I prefer to take the stairs instead of the available escalators and elevators, and my fondness to traveling.)

*Traditional Aquarian Traits

`Friendly and humanitarian
`Honest and loyal
`Original and inventive
`Independent and intellectual

*On the dark side (my favorite part)

`Intractable and contrary
`Perverse and unpredictable
`Unemotional (False) and detached

(Sources: Wikipedia)

Whatever these predictions try to imply, I will still have a great day ahead of me. According to hearsays in my household, later on we'll be at either of these two venues: Dencio's SM Mall of Asia or in any restaurant out there, or at the Alabang Town Center, venue still subject to my discretion. Greetings are highly appreciated, but the presence of gifts would make me infinitely happier.

From left clockwise: strap of my loyal Human sling bag (It has not failed me. I put two laptops the size of a notebook there and it's still ok.); green folders, and underneath them is my green file case where I put my photocopied readings because I'm from UP; my newly purchased debut single of Imago, underneath is Twisted 7 by Jessica Zafra, and beside it is, uhh, a Nokia 6170 cellphone which has a super massive internal memory (about 2.2 MB); my companions during boorring nights: my headphones and my Sharp notebook (Wynce my Mac iBook is out of the frame because he's lying dormant as of now), and atop is my 10-page radio script. Ugh.

Where's that vacuum cleaner.

An apocalyptic event has just happened: Manny Pacquiao on Deal or No Deal.

I saw the trailer last night for the show and the cut itself provoked much chattering of teeth and stamping of foot on my part. I see him in almost every angle my head can possibly turn and it's almost like a gagging reflex. The funniest ad I saw with him on screen is for Magic Sing. He cavorts like an earthworm with a spinal column, and his voice is bad. I may not qualify as an American Idol champion, much less to pass the auditions, but I'm confident with my talent. There is some comfort in knowing the difference between which is healthy for the ears and which is an impression of a chainsaw. I know there are ardent fans of the boxing "legend" (whatever that means to them) who are ready for some gruesome bloodshed and decapitation in the event they accidentally entered - and read - this post. The hell I care. Ha.

And as for my previous prophetic forecast I think it will soon come to pass. Call me an irresponsible citizen, but I feel more secured in the knowledge that I wasn't able to register for the 2007 elections. Like, who shall I vote for (position)? Is there anyone credible enough to run the country, to improve our dwindling economy without relying on dollar remittances of the so-called Super Pinoys, i.e. the OFWs? Is there anyone who can totally vanquish graft and corruption from the system? Or is there a system that could totally vanquish corrupt officials, in which case everyone in the national and local government units? (Don't dare inform me about federalism.) Or to put it succinctly, do we still have to cast our votes on some candidate who would probably win even if only 0.000001% of the whole population voted for him/her?

Pacquiao for President, anyone? If somebody says Yes I hope he's just kidding. In the event he runs for the position and wins (which is highly likely because we are in the Philippines where we let government officials win just because they are a) popular or b) they are from the entertainment industry), picture yourself as a character in Final Destination 3.

As far as I could tell the MRT Radio is on its way to evolution. I wouldn't be so surprised if one day there would be someone taking over the console, in this case a DJ. I hope he's not the one to operate the train.

Usher - Nice and Slow
Jamiroquai - Seven Days on Sunny June (which I believe I'm the only one who recognized the song within a meter's radius)
Neo - So Sick; When You're Mad
Truefaith - Perfect
Cueshe - (I wouldn't bother know the title. Duh, why should I? But one thing's for sure; they're playing Cueshe.)
Rivermaya - You'll Be Safe Here (which prompted some inconsiderate lout to sing his lungs out)
Parokya Ni Edgar - Harana
Michael Jackson - (Huh?)
Freestyle - Before I Let You Go (which almost made me suicidal)
Gwen Stefani - Luxurious; Holla Back Girl
Beyonce Knowles - (I forgot the title. I'm sorry! I'm sorry!)
Bachelor Girl - Buses and Trains
Michelle Branch - All You Wanted
The William Brothers - Can't Cry Hard Enough (which reminded me of someone special...three months ago)
Crowded House - Don't Dream It's Over
Incubus - Drive; I Miss You

More when I come back. For the meantime try to ride the MRT and brace yourself.

Today I got myself a CD of Imago's debut album Probably Not But Most Definitely. The long wait has finally come to an end. Imagine struggling for four years on a voyage seeking for the CD version of the album, transferring from one record bar to the next within a 10-kilometer radius from your place just to hear a very heart-warming "Sorry sir, wala po" from the sales person. I bought it for a very reasonable price and when the cashier closed the POS system I could hardly wait to pop the CD in my PC. I got the cassette version of the album in the year 2003 when Imago was just creeping their way to the music scene. Currently they have three albums out in the market: their debut PNBMD, Take Two, and the latest, Blush.

When I got home I quickly opened the package and half-expected a Hallelujah chorus in my background. It is disappointing to note that the album leaflet did not contain the optical illusion stuff like the one in the cassette. But I can't bring my self to complain; I have finally purchased the thing. Then I booted my PC and inserted the CD. Hallelujah chorus. Pretty Me started blaring from my speakers followed by Pauna which is some sort of a filler. Pretty Me is all about being a girl; the way Aia wrote it seems like she's commenting on current fashion trends involving artificial means of augmenting one's physical appearance. Consider the opening lines: The cicatrix's beneath/Maxfactor 101 or 009/I don't get my hopes up on Pond's rosy pride/I don't get my teeth stuck midway/Too brave/A Close-Up smile.On the other hand, Rainsong is a jumbled up piece of some-kind-of-a tribal chant with lyrics that go like: Look away/See it coming/Gray skies/Cool my fire. That is the original text as far as I'm concerned. In the actual song they go: Kool yawai/Nacues ti si cumen/Yagr saiks/Kool mi faire. It goes on and on until your brain leaks out from your ears. The only track that I quite disagree upon is the remix of Rainsong which I find crappy. In any case, I took time to listen to every single cut.

Other songs in the album include Bathala, Alay, Do, Unwed, and my personal favorites Otherwise and Idlip. They also have other fillers like Saliwan, Salitoo, and Salitree (I expected to hear Salifour but it ended with Wishlist). Being a demented Imago fan, I tried to transcribed Salitoo from my cassette player. It wasn't an easy task for it involved a series of pushing the buttons and scribbling notes. Here it is.

I'm salivating. I think I wanna go shopping today 'coz my clothes are so luma. Huh? What? we have a new president? Oh cool! Uhm, hey, hey look, my...my...my schedule is kinda hectic, I have a pictorial mamaya. Kasi I'm a model kasi eh. Kasi I'm really pretty, yeah. Enough talking muna. Oh shocks ako'y may ikukuwento. There's this girl she looks so bad she's so kadiri sobrang feeling but she's really pretty. She's in the parlor everyday and she changes manicure like you know every single afternoon, would you believe? And she got this irritating voice of ipis. Like you know nobody cares naman eh, duh like I care. Ooops I'm done na with my make-up I gotta go na. It's such a great conversation, yes grabe you're so intelligent. Hope to see you again this afternoon ha? Dito ka muna sa aking bag.

What do you think she's doing?

The album is available in Music One Alabang Town Center. I don't know if it's on shelf in other branches but you might as well check it out.

Adding up to the hefty but uber-brilliant technology of Apple is the Apple TV. No, it's not a portable Mac nor does it look like a television. It's a device that you can pop in to your TV enabling you to watch movies you've downloaded from the iTunes Store. I saw one in their website and it resembles a flat Mac Mini, with the Apple TV insignia on top. I believe that the Apple TV is very compact and super lightweight (1.09 kg won't stress your muscles), and from its specified size (7.7" x 7.7") it is one gadget that would you would surely brag about.

I've mentioned about movies. Yes, you can watch any movie using the Apple TV via a wireless connection from your Mac or PC then to the device which is directly connected to the television. According to the site the Apple TV can only play movies that were downloaded from the iTunes Store. Sad. And how much would that cost? I don't know. Having iTunes installed in your PC is easy; it is readily available for download in the Apple website or in Download.com.

I've mentioned about wireless connectivity. Yes, you first have to be connected to your Mac or PC via Wi-Fi or broadband internet connection. For Mac users, just fire up AirPort Extreme and you're good to go; for PC fans, the usual Wi-Fi or LAN settings. The connection speed determines the efficiency of your Apple TV. 802.11 b/g/n are preferred. If you have 802.11 a, good luck to you. System requirements, well you should be updated: Mac OS X Tiger or Leopard for Mac, and Windows XP Home/Professional Service Pack 2 (there is no mention about the Windows Media Center Edition). Amazingly, Intel and Apple have already collaborated to dish out the latest technology to the market. The latest MacBook Pro has Intel Dual Core. Apple TV runs on an Intel processor (is it Dual Core, I don't know). On a sad note, it only has a 40GB HDD, and can only store 9,000 songs and 50 hours of movie time, but I think a storage with this kind of memory will suffice. Oh, you can also view pictures with your Apple TV - most formats available are supported.

The Apple TV is definitely a must-have if you are a hard core film enthusiast. But first you have to consider the exorbitant system requirements for this device, and if you think you have everything within your arm's reach then go and get one for yourself for only $299.

Available soon in the Philippines.

Okay, nobody dared to answer the highfalutin post. I could've given clues, but I believe we are all aware of the search engine Google, right?

Answer: the classic children song, Jack and Jill. Check it out.

***

Aha.

From my Psychology class in PHAn, I went to the Ateneo to meet someone this afternoon, and at the giant bulletin board outside the Blue Eagle Gym was an announcement congratulating the applicants who miraculously passed the ACET. The results are posted at the gym, it said. My friend asked me if I want to take a look and before I even said yes, she dragged me from Xavier to the gym.

When we got there a lot of people had the same idea. And there were people who are taking pictures of them inside the gym. I heard other students screaming when they found their names in the list, just to find out further that they are waitlisted. Ha ha ha. Since I don't know any soul who took the exam, I followed my friend around who had a wonderful time searching for friends and relatives. Luckily she found four people in the loooong list. I told her that the results are also posted in the Ateneo's website. Eureka moment for my friend, then hilarious laughter. Then we proceeded to Starbucks which is right in front of the Ateneo. At the other side of the road, of course.

Meanwhile, the UPCAT results will be released around February. I'm getting excited.

I'm a demented Apple fan.

I knew it, Steve Jobs and the rest of the Apple company will surely come out with a bizarre idea to trump mobile phone manufacturers with their fairly impressing innovation. Aside from the picture here, I haven’t seen the actual phone but according to news reports the iPhone is the slimmest quad band “smart phone” measuring only 0.46 inches in width, 4.5 inches in height, the length is 2.4", and weighs 135 grams. Heavy. The company executive said the iPhone is better than any smart phone produced by their competitor Microsoft, but judging from certain specifications mentioned in the PDI, it seems that Steve Jobs hasn’t heard about being faddish; maybe he was too busy looking for the softwares to be included in his invention. For instance, we’ve all heard about 2 megapixel cameras, mobile Internet (we already had WAP way, way before 3G and Wi-Fi came out), quad bands, MP3 players for mobile phones – come on, Steve, you could have done so much better. The only thing that sets the iPhone different is its operating system; it runs on Mac OS X, and I think it is also the same format as with the Apple computers. Hey, is that the Leopard? My favorite web browser, Safari, is included, and the WWW can be accessed via Wi-Fi - yeah! - or EDGE. I prefer the former for obvious reasons.

The iPhone will soon arrive here in Asia by 2008, and I believe by that time a lot of people are stir-crazy and foaming at the mouth with this one of a kind gadget. It is not as badly priced as one could think, and it’s much cheaper than the O2 XDA Atom. According to reports, the 4 GB version is about $499 and the 8 GB one is around $599. Not bad for a good start.

If I were a real impulsive buyer I wouldn't think about shelling out 30 grand for a nifty gadget like the iPhone. Or maybe I could fly all the way to the States. Come to think of it: it’s like having a Mac in your pocket.

Visit the Apple website for more details.

*Photo courtesy of Apple

While I was cleaning my email inbox I came across this message by my professor in Voice. I find it quite interesting, might as well share it to you. Not counting my email, I absolutely have no idea as to its source. By the way, this is an example of the legalese language, the jargon used by lawyers and other legal professionals. Hmmm. Reminds me of my favorite senator. No joke, she really is my most wanted.

Can you say this in simple English?

A pair proceeded towards the apex of a natural geologic protuberance, the purpose of their expedition being the procurement of a sample of fluid hydride of oxygen in a large vessel, the exact size of which was unspecified. One member of the team precipitously descended, sustaining severe damage to the upper cranial portion of his anatomical structure; subsequently the second member of the team performed a self rotational translation oriented in the same direction taken by the first.

P.S. Enjoy deciphering.

If you were tuned in yesterday to Sophie’s radio program, yes, I was the one who requested for the Up dharma Down song around 10.30 am. I did an official business there with friends from the UPD. We were at the LS booth trying to irk Sophie who was labeled as half fish-half goat by Joe Spinner. Sorry for those who wasn’t able to hear me on-air.



Afterwards we repaired to Dencio’s Albano (right in front of the ELJ Building of ABS-CBN) and had chicken barbecue for lunch. Dishes are priced quite reasonably, although I would have preferred eating out in cheaper restaurants. But what who cares, I love venturing out for the unknown. What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger. And satiated.

*Photo courtesy of Little Anne.

I opened my Friendster account and was caught by this post in the Bulletin. My zodiac sign was in it and although I am not a staunch believer of the esoterica, there's something freaky going around with those equally freaking stars that when you think about it, it's as if they're true.

Have to put in my favorite sign, FIRST.

AQUARIUS
>Trustworthy.
>Sexy.
>Great kisser.
>One of a kind.
>Loves being in long-term relationships.
>Extremely energetic.
>Unpredictable.
>From the future.
>Will exceed your expectations
>Not a fighter, but will knock your lights out
>Amazing in bed, THE BEST LOVERS BETTER THAN EVERYONE!

If I may parade my opinion and self-assessment, all eleven statements are true. No, I didn't connive with any astrologer or geomancer. Remember, I just copied the list from the Bulletin post, and the phrases in upper case letters are purely coincidental.

I have all the zodiac signs list with me with their supporting statements. If you want to know yours, tell me.

Late this afternoon I went as far as Makati to spend quiet time with myself. I have been celibate for eight months, which is very good. Eight straight months with no one putting a dog collar on my neck and hauling me inside designer pads and window shop for all eternity. Eight months without the yielding voice that constantly tells me to be kind to others because I am such a horrifying irascible being. Eight months with no one to sleep with and lull me to a deep slumber on that cute colorful bed with at least 12 pillows surrounding me. And eight straight months devoid of someone having soft cuddly hands for me to pinch and tickle, a lengthy brownish black crowning glory for me to spend a fortune on hair spas and treatments at David’s, and the list goes on. So much for those lovely days, I’m actually doing A-Okay. With this Grande Iced Café Mocha, a slab of Oreo Cheesecake, and a good book, I think I’ve already found another one.

From the eternal madness of EDSA Starbucks Greenbelt 3 is the place to be especially if you’re feeling a little antisocial for a moment. Of course there is always the scene where some inconsiderate lout screams amidst the peaceful atmosphere because she finally got to embrace the new Starbucks Coffee 2007 Planner, but nobody gives a hoot since almost everyone within a half-kilometer radius of the place owns the same planner. I have something about this Starbucks planner. Judging from its bulk it sure looks pretty good, and adding up to the exquisiteness are the fine prints on the leaves and the black leather case. The 2006 edition sure looked very anemic with the introduction of this new one. But hold it. You can’t just easily buy this luxury item.

Last year’s mechanics were the same as with this year’s. The Spark of Hope program of Starbucks Coffee helps the less fortunate children from icky slums by sharing a part from that Venti Non-fat White Choco Mocha you’re drinking. Every time you buy a beverage regardless its size and type (with the exception of fruit juices and water because the latter is for free) you are given a stub for which you have to complete 21 stickers, 12 of which are regular drinks and 9 special ones which are only offered during the holiday season. After your 21st sticker you can have your stub signed by a barista, fill up a small info sheet provided in the stub, and you can finally have the planner.

You think it’s simple. I don’t. Let’s say each beverage costs an average of P150 and is equivalent to one sticker. And since you need 21 stickers, you can think of every technique to complete the stub in the soonest possible time. Either you can treat yourself with 21 different kinds of frappuccinos, or you can opt to be a Good Samaritan and offer the other 20 to your friends or to whoever shares the same passion as you are. So that’s 1…5…0 multiplied by, uhh, 21. There. A whopping P3,150. Three grands for a planner. Isn’t that too clever. Last year I was hooked in filling up my red sticker stub and I was almost on my way to achieving Nirvana – 15 stickers! – when I lost my stub somewhere in Pluto. I thought I was going to have a seizure, and I hoped all my body hair would curl and wither. Then I realized that I was not destined to own that Starbucks planner, that I am predestined for something much better than recycled paper. And I still don’t eat junk foods.

She hasn’t materialized until now. For the meantime, I’ll have to erase from my head that awful memory of… Have to do the impression of my ancient laptop.

“Dumping physical memory…”

The Christmas Treasures 2006 of Sony is up until 15 January 2007, and I know this is kind of late but I'm such a big fan of Sony products I might as well make a short post about it. I am a proud owner of a Sony DR S5 Stereo Headphones, Sony Walkman E500 series, Sony Cyber-Shot U 2-megapixel camera, and a Sony Vaio Picturebook PCG-C1. The first Sony merchandise in our household was our mini component. Compared to the latest home entertainment systems currently available, ours look very primitive but it still functions very efficiently. Now there are up-to-date component and even karaoke systems by Sony. For instance, the new Sony HiFi systems include the Mini HiFi component that features a 5.1 channel in Dolby Digital/Dolby Prologic/DTS Encoding for optimum music experience. I got to examine the karaoke displays in Glorietta a few weeks ago. The assistants immediately introduced the latest entertainment systems, upon which I whipped out a tickler and started scribbling. The components look a bit bulky and it seemed to me that they wouldn’t fit in a small living room. However, they are all very affordable despite the deceiving huge sizes; they all range from P10K to about P40K. Also, since the fad about MP3 players is setting the trend, Sony also have their own sets of MP3 players, the Sony Walkman (including the NW-S200, NW-HD, NW-E001 player series) which can play up to 40 hours of music playback, trumping Apple iPod’s battery life; can support multiple audio formats like MP3, WMA, AAC; have an FM radio tuner, and other great miscellaneous features. Prices range from P6,000 to P21,000.



There have been attempts to imitate Sony's advanced technology but nothing beats the no-nonsense – albeit slightly pricey – reputation of Sony products around the globe. Take for example Sony Vaio. My very first Sony Vaio laptop is the Sony Vaio Picturebook PCG-C1. It is the smallest laptop I had, smaller than the 12-inch Apple iBook G4 by an inch or two. I got it from a family friend who works as IT engineer in Japan. Although it runs only with a Pentium 233 MHz processor with Microsoft Windows 98 as its operating system and having only about 4 GB hard drive, I’ve had no major problems with it. It is equipped with a swiveling camera for capturing still pictures, but the images aren’t good enough for developing; they’re grainy like those images captured from Nokia CMOS camera phones. I know it can also do videos but it had to be installed with the necessary software. The screen is a bright 1024 x 480 pixel active matrix LCD which complements the built-in camera just above the catch hook of the fold. It also comes with a modem and firewire for Internet, a toggle nipple for scrolling although a separate USB mouse can do the work more efficiently, and an infrared port – no Bluetooth! No Wi-Fi yet; this is a ’98 model from Japan, although a PC card can be popped in the PC card slot for network connection. No built-in CD drive, just the usual floppy disk drive that you have to plug in after start up. Since this Vaio was released in 1998 current updates are quite improbable given the specifications indicated.

I used this laptop to surf the Internet for one good year, which was great because the speed is just like the usual dial-up connection in modern PCs. My Vaio days came into an end when it went to a sluggish start up, showing a blue screen with that message “Dumping physical memory…” It crashed, man. Then I remembered that it doesn’t have any antivirus software installed, and the firewall isn’t a capable one. My friend advised me to bring it to a service center in Festival Mall in Filinvest. Upon bringing my laptop to the administering technician, he got this confounded look in his face upon which he told me that they can’t fix the kind of laptop I have for the parts to be replaced – the hard disk – is not available locally. Up to this day, my Vaio is technically brain dead; it can be revived if I replaced it with a new hard disk, probably with a larger volume.

Visit Sony's website for more details.

Last year the ingenuity of Pinoys was made known to the greater public when Caviteños introduced a revolutionary invention that had successfully replaced classical pyrotechnics, the PVC cannon which is more popularly known as PVC boga or simply boga. Boga is made from a long usually bulky PVC pipe (Sanimold by Moldex is much preferred) that functions as the barrel, a firing mechanism which ignites the ammo, i.e. denatured alcohol, and a grip. If the inventor chooses to be creative, he can include accessories such as another grip at the middle of the barrel, a viewfinder in case one is finding a fortunate target, tripods, or wheels if he is planning to give it a resemblance to a howitzer. No matter how artistic the creator wants to be, the most important thing for him to remember is the intensity and loudness of the detonation.

I got to try firing a boga. At first I hesitated because I am always reminded of boga-related incidents I saw on TV but when I pulled my first trigger, it was quote-unquote a freaking supernova. You cannot imagine how ecstatic I was when I heard my first bang. The explosion was so loud I felt my eardrums shattering into bits. Whenever I fired the boga it always leaves my ears ringing for about a minute. But I didn’t care. My cousin who proudly produced ten humongous PVC cannons briefly explained to me how the boga works. When you pull the trigger the two wires made from I think copper create sparks that ignite the denatured alcohol that is sprayed at the breech mechanism. I peeked inside the barrel and I saw three or four cans, cut in half, and mysteriously placed near the breech. These assist the boga in producing that ear-splitting blast. According to my cousin, if one of those cans were destroyed the boga wouldn’t work anymore.

Extreme care is needed in order to operate the boga. One should keep both ends of the barrel away from humans, unless you intentionally fire the boga right in front of their faces, in which case, your enemies. Another is that the breech mechanism must not be pointing at you or in any part of your body so that in case of an accidental explosion you are far from being a handicap. Also while “refueling” the boga one should never play with the firing mechanism. The explosion at the breech mechanism is much more dangerous because it’s nearer the ignition wires. The need for ear plugs or any means of protection for one’s hearing is optional. I said optional because the strident blasts wouldn’t really make you deaf, unless you are aiming for your ears. I didn’t cover my ears when I was firing like a freak and my hearing is still in excellent condition until now, although I still experience the ringing thing inside my ear.

I think the government’s attempt to ban PVC cannons is a kind of hopeless for in almost every place I’ve been to, I could see guys clutching those pipes with their arms ready to fire anytime they wish. It cannot be classified as a firearm because it uses denatured alcohol as its “ammunition.” Also, the cannons can’t be identified as fireworks since they aren’t stuffed with black powder or pulbura in Tagalog. But the boga is labeled as hazardous to people due to its manner of operation and certain side effects. If I may drive to my opinion, before anyone makes an attempt to pull that trigger he must be fully briefed on how to control and fire up those PVC cannons, much like the use of real guns equipped with real ammunitions. And again extreme caution plus great amounts of courage are vital requisites regarding the use of boga especially if you are the faint-hearted or if your blood pressure easily shoots up through the roof.

I haven’t mastered the skill of firing up a PVC cannon yet, but I can now qualify as a terrorist.