Moving Thoughts: Gary V, "At Ease"

In a recent column on the state of the NBA offseason, Bill Simmons cleverly organized his thoughts on the different player movements and franchise transactions around his favorite exchanges from what he calls his favorite movie of the decade, Almost Famous. While Simmons' column is, in itself, a worthwhile read, I would like to enjoin you to refrain from clicking on the link above just yet. One of the reasons why Simmons' work resonates with so many readers is the gleeful abandon with which he acknowledges the tremendous influence of popular culture in his personal formation. He recognizes (with a shrewd insight into the human psyche that many people rarely give him credit for) that many people's lives may not be movies, or sitcoms, or seminal works of music, but for many people, they wish they were. We all walk around with a soundtrack to our lives, and one of the ways we lay bare our souls is through the ever-changing playlist that we use to define ourselves.

This brings me to Gary Valenciano. Gary V has been a major influence in my life since early childhood. The first cassette tape I ever remember buying was Gary V's Moving Thoughts. And from time to time, under the heady influence of the light buzz one associates with a fine wine sipped leisurely, or under the even more wonderfully intoxicating lilt of nostalgia, I recall the many long hours commuting from Ateneo to Parañaque that were made bearable by Mr. Pure Energy's music.

Gary Valenciano will hold special fund-raising show at Megatent entitled "At Ease" to build a medical and diagnostic clinic for retired military men. For more information, visit his official website or check out the special page for the concert at Facebook. Relive the golden memories of our youth by helping to ease our valiant retired enlisted men into their golden years.

Encomium: Requiescat in Pace, MJ!

The untimely death of Michael Jackson, despite the outpouring of genuine grief at this passing, serves us well in one respect: now we can rediscover his music. For many young people, Michael Jackson was less a tortured, flawed genius and more of a freakish novelty. Fortunately, due to media-sharing technologies such as YouTube, it is easy to correct their misconception of Michael.

As we Filipinos wait for what should be President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's last State of the Nation Address, let's try to celebrate the sweet soul buried beneath the celebrity by going through two of his sweetest songs.

Rest in peace, MJ!

Woodstock 2009!

For many people, Woodstock remains a powerful symbol of music, peace, and love. Regardless of the detritus that surrounds the purity of the experience, and by this I mean the association with promiscuity and drug use, it's nice to be reminded every once in a while that Woodstock was less about the irresponsible celebration of our less laudable passions and more about the power of love, as expressed through music, to change lives.

Nick and Bobbi Ercoline seem like an ordinary, albeit, pleasantly quirky suburban couple. We read in the online version of the Times Herald-Record:

She’s a 59-year-old nurse at Pine Bush Elementary School who collects food and clothes for needy children. He’s a 60-year-old retired business agent for a carpenter’s union who does lead and farm worker housing inspections for Orange County. The parents of two sons, Matthew, 30, and Luke, 27, live in a 10-room home on a wooded road dotted with old farms and new houses. An American flag, a statue of the Virgin Mary and a tongue-in-cheek “Hippies Use Back Door” sign greet visitors out front.

But more than a picture of domestic bliss, Nick and Bobbi Ercoline remain one of the most enduring, recognizable figures in one of the most famous concerts in recorded history. When Burk Uzzle took a snapshot of the young lovers sharing a dirty blanket amidst the massive crowd gathered at Woodstock, he provided Woodstock one of its most enduring images, in more ways than one.


Forty years later, the Ercolines are still together. Despite all, they are happily together. In the movie Almost Famous, fictional rock and roll star Jeff Bebe (played by Jason Lee) boasted that rock and roll can save the world. You know what? He's right, but not in the way most people think.

Have a wonderful day!

Photo Credits:

Picture of Nick and Bobbi Ercoline from Woodstock, 1969 comes courtesy of New York Daily News.

Picture of Nick and Bobbi Ercoline today comes courtesy of Times Herald-Record.

The Perils of Potential: The Tragedy of Whitney Houston

It's been awhile since I did an entry on The Sports Guy, and with good reason: he seemed to have lost the ability to truly engage me. His columns and articles were rarely laugh-out-loud funny, and his allusions to popular culture seemed either forced or decidedly stale. In short, it seemed that his best work was behind him.

However, the tragic death of Michael Jackson did more than bring back a tortured genius back to artistic and cultural relevance. Michael's death also brought us back Bill Simmons, The Sports Guy. Slowly, Simmons, shaken by the passing of an icon, seemed to rediscover what the era he works best in (the '80s and '90s) means to the many middle-aged men and women whose lives were defined by the energy, promise, and disappointment of the period.

In his latest mailbag, a reader asks him:

Which famous singer would have dominated "American Idol" the most had he/she started his/her career as a contestant on the show? I thought MJ around the "Off the Wall" era, but then realized he would not have been eligible because of his Jackson 5 fame. So who? Please don't tell me John Mayer, circa 2005.

Simmons, in a stunning return to form, makes the following observations:

Come on, Cliff, 2005 Mayer would have rolled through that show every week, caused a national riot and had Paula whipping her ovaries at him. Anyone non-threatening with undeniable talent who can play guitar, play the piano or belt out tunes is going to succeed on "Idol." Young Alicia Keys would have crushed "Idol." Same for the dude from Maroon 5. Norah Jones would have done well. You get the idea. But there is one answer for your question and only one: Whitney Houston...

One of the many fascinating subplots of the mid-80s: you had a male singer (Jackson), a female singer (Whitney), a boxer (Mike Tyson), a baseball pitcher (Dwight Gooden) and an actor/comedian (Eddie Murphy) who peaked at precociously young ages, convinced us they were headed toward becoming the "greatest (fill in the genre) of all time" … only none of them made it. Not one.

I would argue Whitney barely edges out Gooden as the biggest tragedy of the five. Eddie had a phenomenal nine-year run of "SNL" episodes, movies and comedy specials before his movie career went Barry Zito on us. Tyson had a number of memorable fights and made such an impact that I have been pushing for ESPN to have "Tyson Week" (like Shark Week) for this entire decade. Jackson had all the Jackson 5 stuff, "Off the Wall," "Thriller" and "Bad" before things started getting weird. But Whitney should have been the black Streisand: an iconic singer/actress who aged with her audience, lasted for decades and was mentioned in the first breath any time someone asked, "Who were the biggest female performers ever?" Instead, it was over for her in eight years...

I say '85 Whitney pulls away from the field like Secretariat in the Belmont, trounces '05 John Mayer, crushes Alicia Keys, obliterates the Maroon 5 guy. … Nobody touches her. Not for a second.

One last Whitney story because I think it explains the "you had to be there" aspect of Whitney's brief apex. My father took me to visit Tufts University right around the time her first album came out. Dad was looking for parking and "Saving All My Love" had just come on the radio. About halfway through the song, he found a spot and I thought we were getting out of the car. He told me to hold on until the end of the song. When I made fun of him, he explained simply, "Whitney really belts it out in this one." You have to know my dad. He never, EVER says things like this. And you know what? He was right. I didn't even challenge it. I just don't think there's ever been another singer who would have kept two people in their car during a random winter day in New England like that. Just Whitney.

In recognition of the undeniable talent, and equally undeniable train wreck that is Whitney Houston, here's a video of the time when a gloriously, stunningly unafraid Whitney Houston reduced David Letterman to a blubbering, fawning idiot. Enjoy!



Photo Credits:

Picture of Whitney Houston's debut album comes courtesy of ArtSchoolVets.

Staring Down Math? Try Music!

A couple of years ago, I was a teacher at the University of Asia and the Pacific. Teachers oftentimes get a not-wholly-undeserved rap for not making the content of the subjects that they teach more alive for their students. And while there is a fine line between "dumbing down" the subject matter in order to play to the masses and truly innovative teaching that integrates the theoretical with "real life", I believe that teachers should never stop trying. Even well-meant classroom disasters are better than the apathetic droning of teachers who don't want to invest themselves in their classes.

Regardless of how people feel about the medium with which Lamar Queen communicates the content of his subject, I applaud attempts like these, which try to bridge the gap between languages heretofore alien to students and teachers: mathematics and rap music. Enjoy!

In His Time

I rarely blog about politically charged issues. First, I know very little about politics. What little I know can hardly be called information, valid observation, insight, or even credible conjecture. Second, most political issues that matter are divisive. While there will always be a need and a proper forum for such discussions, you won't find it on this blog.

However, the current plight of Former President Corazon Aquino invites reflection. Conrado de Quiros writes:

"I have little doubt that if Cory had wanted to extend her term, she could have done so. Not only legally but morally, not only as a matter of private wish but of public will...

She could have stayed on, but she did not. I have little doubt as well that she got no small pressure from kin and friends who could not comprehend how anyone could be so loath to seize opportunity. Years before, Cory was pressured to accept the nomination to fight Marcos in the snap elections, and she agreed reluctantly. This time she refused adamantly. She had restored democracy, she would not be the one to scuttle it."

Let us forget, for the meantime, that Mr. de Quiros has certain political views that are not friendly towards the current occupant of Malacañang Palace. His politics, for once, is not an issue. But his observation, albeit somewhat colored by nostalgia, bears remembering. Sometimes, the hardest thing in life is to let go. And the bigger the sacrifice, the more noble the action. I'm not sure what were the circumstances that surrounded Former President Aquino's refusal to seek another term. But the fact that she didn't, despite every worldly reason to do so, come hell or high water, speaks very well of her. Or Him. Given her well-documented piety, it is not unreasonable to consider that Christ might have had a lot to do with her decision to relinquish the reins of power.

Regardless, let us all pray for her recovery.

Note: I'm sorry that I can't link to the article in question. Philippine Daily Inquirer has rather strict rules on reproducing or otherwise using their intellectual property in any form on the Web.

Many thanks to Open Road for the link on Former President Aquino's medical condition.

Chasing Away the SING-ALONG-KOT Blues

Last night, I was pleasantly surprised to bump into my old friends (emphasis on "old") Miguel de Jesus, Kim Chong, and Gene Abao at Mag:Net's SING-ALONG-KOT. As we age gracefully into what is best characterized by Dante Alighieri, Middle Age, the moments in which we are no longer held hostage by the duties and responsibilities that have come to define us are few and far between.

And so, we live for moments like these:

moments in which we gather;



moments of bittersweet realization;



moments of unbridled passion;



and moments where time stands still.



It was a lovely evening. Many thanks to Trina, Sheryl, Myra, Xilca and guitarist extraordinaire Bob Guerrero for their company and, more importantly, their sympathy. We should do this again!

Bag of Beans

A seasoned traveler once told me that the best way to encounter a new place, or to reacquaint one's self with a fond old memory revisited, is through the food. My wife and I have fond memories of our Tagaytay rest house, largely because we've never associate the rest house with any rest. It's amazing how much work goes into maintaining such a modest place. I have a newfound respect for builders and contractors who can install doors that can close, toilets that can flush, and floorboards that don't warp with the slightest change in temperature. Still, a hard day's work cleaning, repairing and troubleshooting deserves some reward.

Fortunately, Bag of Beans is literally right across the street. I have often reflected that if at the end of every problematic toilet bowl, leaky pipe, or warped floorboard is a delightful cafe like Bag of Beans, then I would be a handyman. Alas, and to the great loss of the personal construction industry, there is only one such cafe in the immediate vicinity of Tagaytay and Batangas.


I like simple food. Moreover, I adore eating places that can do simple fare well. I ordered a simple meal of bacon and scrambled eggs. The bacon was crispy without being brittle, and flavorful without being salty. The eggs were equally delicious, moist without being wet. On the side, I ordered one of their heavenly raisin and cinnamon loaves, a fresh, hot, and aromatic delight that could only come from bread baked without preservatives. I washed all this down with bottomless brewed coffee.

The place is clean, and the toilet facilities are adequate. The toilet area is housed in a little extension separate from the eating area. My only complaint would be that the men's room, albeit clean and well-light, suffered from low water pressure at the time. Of course, as I was not the captain of the USS Enterprise, I could not boldly go where no male customer had gone before. But I assume that the ladies' room was adequately provisioned.

If you're ever in the Mendez, Tagaytay (on the way to Batangas), drop by Bag of Beans. It's a lovely place that serves simple food that anyone can enjoy.