Interests:what a typical 23-year old male likes to do : eat, sleep, club, exercise, party, sing, sports, girls, anything along those lines Expertise:from what i hear, smiling at all times, except when i'm unhappy ... other than that, perhaps poking fun of myself ... yes that's it Occupation:Data Specialist Industry:Marketing Research
Currently Watching Fast Food Nation By Wilmer Valderrama, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Ana Claudia Talanc�n, Juan Carlos Serr�n, Armando Hern�ndez see related
I've finally put together my first club music mix and have posted it online for you to hear - if you choose to do so.
It all started when I realized that I was looking for something I could listen to during a workout that would keep me going for a long time. Many people on the Internet create their own mixes for running or whatever the case may be. Often, they share these mixes with those who visit their website.
Although I can count my Xanga following on my fingers, I still wanted to share with you my first creation. It was completed back in May, but I wasn't really satisfied with the result. I know there are parts that are screwy. There's also a lot of kinks in it that I can no longer fix because I've deleted some of the tracks used in the mix. However, I thought that you folks may be able to give me some feedback, positive or negative. Any constructive criticism would also be greatly appreciated! I know there are areas that I need to work on for my next mix (that I'm in the midst of putting together), but send your criticisms over please! I can handle it.
Without further ado, you can listen and download the mix here - May 2007 Club Mix. The file is hosted on zshare.net, so they usually let you preview the song with a built-in music player on the download page.
Below is the mix name and tracklist, in order. This focus of this mix is Top 40 music, but remixed. I hope to put together something with more of a house groove to it, because I totally dig house too.
I hope you like what you hear, but be critical. Thanks folks! Have a good night!
Supersonic Overdrive (May 2007 Club Mix) 1. Nelly Furtado - Maneater (J.Os Radio Mix) 2. Amiel - Be Your Girl (Bass Kieph Remix) 3. Hilary Duff - With Love (Bimbo Jones Radio Edit) 4. Jealousy - Lucy (Club Mix) 5. Timbaland feat. Nelly Furtado & Justin Timberlake - Give It To Me (Remix)
6. Girls Aloud - Whole Lotta History (Tony Lemeza Remix) 7. Paris Hilton - Nothing In This World (Jason Nevins Dub) 8. Jyongri - Possession (Chris Paul Club Remix) 9. Another Chance - Sound of Eden (Bodyrox Vocal Mix)
10. Paris Hilton - Turn It Up (Paul Oakenfold Remix) 11. September - Cry For You (Granite & Phunk Radio Edit) 12. Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Catch You (Digital Dog Club Mix) 13. Therese - Feelin' Me (Digital Dog Club Mix)
14. Garbage - Push It (Hot Tracks Mix) 15. Shiny Toy Guns - Le Disko (Boyz Noize Fire Mix)
[brand spankin' new eurodance tune of the moment] : paul van dyk feat. jessica sutta of the pussycat dolls - white lies
What do we have here? Another renowned DJ using the talents of a female singer for vocals to his song? Wait a minute, wasn't that done just a year ago? Remember Paul Oakenfold's Faster Kill Pussycat feat. Brittany Murphy? Yes, Brittany Murphy, the actress! Indeed, she proved that she was capable of carrying a tune by lending her vocals to the debut single from Oakenfold's 2006 album A Lively Mind. It was a moderate hit and made its way onto, then off of my iPod. Critics tore the song apart, claiming it was no more than a cheap rip-off of Bodyrockers' I Like The Way. Some people thought Paul Oakenfold had 'sold out.' It didn't matter. People still love Paul Oakenfold. I still think he's great, and the song was still a hit.
Perhaps it's Oakie's success that has led others to follow in his footsteps. So, the man I speak of who has reused the formula in 2007 is none other than the other famous DJ named Paul - Paul van Dyk, that is. As another top European DJ, PVD is responsible for several classic trance hits such as For An Angel, Crush, and my personal favourite, Another Way. Similar to Oakenfold, PVD has strayed off to a more mainstream style and employed the use of female vocals like many popular dance tracks. Upon first listen, you can hear the pop influence of the track almost immediately. If the female singer sounds familiar (she shouldn't), you'll be happy to know that she is none other than Pussycat Dolls member Jessica Sutta. Yes, she's one of the dolls who doesn't sing. I'll bet she jumped at the fact that she could lend her vocals to a song. It's something she probably doesn't do much of in her own group, but that's another story.
Surprisingly, the formula has worked quite well the second time around. Needless to say, PVD's production and beats, while a bit more mainstream than his usual material, are fantastic. This song is more Eurodance than it is trance, but I hope the upcoming remixes on the CD single will be good. Sutta's vocals are nothing earth-shattering, but they are definitely sultry and pair well with the sexual attitude of the song.
It's a short song, so have a listen and hear for yourself. I think it's a great time to release this song as the summer is here and the clubs are bound to play this track, or at least its remixes. I can see this tune becoming a definite summer hit. Good work, PVD and Jessica Sutta ... of PCD.
Hey folks,
Here's a photo entry of some recent happenings. Brace yourselves. It's pretty long.
Toronto International Dragonboat Festival 2007 at Centre Island, Toronto
We are the Wildcards, and that is our crew banner. Thanks Jimmy!
Warming up ...
After an early morning Dragonboat race, nothing beats a cool bottle of Apricot Wheat beer. Mmmm, refreshing!
My grilled shrimp salad ... a small portion, but delicious
Racing on day 2 ...
Yours truly rockin' some big ass shades ... from Costa Blanca! The pout is intentional.
Ronald poses ... fresh out of a fashion mag
Julia models the shades ... that she owns. We were all wearing girl shades! I must admit - they look pretty good on us all. Time for all of us to hit Costa Blanca!
Idy bites her medals to verify that they're real. They are, Idy, they are. Congratulations on your two wins!
Tyf, Idy, and I. I am wearing my shades backwards on my ear. I also look ridiculous doing so. Damn Felix, I learned it from you!
After our last Tuesday practice before the festival
Good race, team! Gooo Wildcards!
The Canadian Cancer Society's Relay for Life 2007 at E.T. Seaton Park, Toronto
We are Team Marvelous Cookie! You can thank me for the brilliant name. I was the one who clicked on that random name generator.
Chillin' out after the tents have been set up. It's going to be a looooong night!
Myself, Letty, Anita, and Tiff on the Relay track. Yes, I am holding a gas lighter in my right hand. I am Pyro, hear me roar. Actually, I was using it to light one of the candles behind us.
My absolute favourite shot of the night - luminary candles lighting the way around the Relay track, each candle honouring a cancer survivor or commemorating someone who lost their life to cancer
Candles spelling out "Hope"
Jess, myself, Amy, and Heather pretending to be up ... at 4:00 am!
Anita and Brian, also tired, but trying their best to fight the sleeping bug
Crosby Get-Together/Potluck @ Felix's
Alan and Brandon's fruit-filled cantaloupe bowls
Alan posing with ... two cantaloupe bowls
Chef Amy Lim with her patented pizza dish. Wait a minute ... why is it frozen? And what's that "Crescendo" box doing over there? I kid, Amy. It was real good pizza.
The potluck dishes! Mmmm I was dying to try Felix's homemade ribs.
Group shot using the automatic shoot function ...too dark, and not centered. Oh well, we all turned out.
Attempt #2 ... and it's a success! What an awesome Crosby crew pic!
Cut it good ... cut it REAL good!
In the middle of our meal. That is a Grolsch beer bottle in the middle. The beer is mine. Ouais ouais.
My steak salad ... actually being eaten by other people, and not out of pity either. Thanks for the support, folks. Props to Idy for packing the leftover salad for her lunch. You are awesome!
Idy does a "Vanna White"
"Do you really have to show us your sexy legs while you swing?"
Jess and doggy Frieda model in my attempt at a still life photo
Felix does a striptease in front of many innocent young children playing around at the park
OK, I'm going to finish off this post tomorrow. I'm so tired right now I'm falling asleep in my computer desk chair. G'nite!
[early 90s throwback tune of the moment] : bel biv devoe - poison
There's not much I can say about this song. It's always been one of those songs that I will listen to in its entirety if it ever comes on the radio. That almost never happens, mind you, but it's a fun song that brings me back to my heydays in grade 3. My mom would be driving me somewhere in our '90 Dodge Caravan and this song would come on the radio - and I would totally jam to it. Now that the summer's here, I have a feeling that this song will be making many appearances at BBQs at my friends' places, or even my own. It's a hot old school summer song, hands down. If you grew up in Canada or the States in the 90s, you have to know this song. Otherwise, I would have to come to the conclusion that you lived under a rock in the early 90s. This song hit #1 in the US Hot R&B charts and #3 in the Billboard Top 100 charts.
As for the group Bel Biv DeVoe itself, they were formed with a few members of New Edition, less ex-crackwhore-hubby Bobby Brown. That's about all I know. They had a few modest hits in 1991 to 1993 or so, then disappeared.
Have a listen to this tune, which is now officially 17 years old.
In today's society, people come from all walks of life and are of so many different professions. Of these professions, I would probably be suitable for only a small percentage of them. Why? The answer is simple. My interests, skills, values, and personality will only be appropriate for selective jobs. I would not be the best suited for all those other jobs, and that's fine. I wouldn't want to work those other jobs anyway - it wouldn't be for me. After all, everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. That's what makes each and every one of us interesting and unique individuals.
So what happens when someone gets a job that their skills and personality are not suited for? How does this discrepancy impact the individual's job performance and work attitude? After many customer service 'experiences', I believe I can safely offer an educated opinion. Let me provide a recent example.
I was at my local gym the other day, and brought a CD with me to listen to during my 30-minute cardio run. The CD was necessary because my iPod was messing up. Without the 'pod' working properly, I resorted to bringing a CD to the gym to insert into the audio system above the elliptical machine. Once the CD was in, I pressed Play but nothing happened. No sound was coming through my headphones no matter what button I pushed. Frustrated, I just did my cardio session without the CD. After I finished, I tried to eject the CD with no success. No biggie, right? I thought I'd go speak with the lady at the counter and ask for some help. As I walk up to her, her back is turned towards me, so I said, "Excuse me, could you please give me a hand with something? I think my CD is stuck in the elliptical machine I was using."
She turned around, with little emotion, and rolled their eyes in front of me and mumbled, "Yeah, which one?" I told her which machine I had just used and asked if she could get the CD out. Heaving a deep sigh, she walked around, followed me to the machine and started to fiddle around with the machine. Eventually, she manages to eject the CD. With a smile on my face, I thanked her and said something along the lines of "Thanks - I really appreciate it. I didn't know the machines were kinda broken." She says "They aren't." and walks away. Wow. Dry. What was that all about?
As I'm about to leave after the workout, I walk to the exit by the counter where the young girl was standing. She's not on the phone but doing some administrative paperwork. To show my appreciation for her help (and possibly to see if I could get a more positive reaction from her), I said "Have a good night eh? Thanks for your help over there. See ya." No reaction from her. She keeps doing her paperwork. I was officially talking to myself. More dryness. I leave the gym.
When a customer feels like a jackass for asking for help because you can't afford the time of day to pay attention to them, a career in the Service industry is not for you. I mean, what is this girl even doing in Customer Service? She's obviously not the right fit for the job. Even if it's not a career choice in Service that you're looking for, you should still not be doing something you don't enjoy doing. Clearly, she did not enjoy it, and it reflects poorly on you as a company. Any proclamations of high levels of customer service by this organization were shot to hell as I walked out of the gym and into my car that night. I've worked in Retail Services before, and I know that not every day's a good day. Nonetheless, you can't pass this on to the customer. Vent and bitch all you like behind their back, but in front of them, you have to bite your tongue. Put down your luggage at the door.
However, the sad truth is that most people who work these positions do so because turnover is high, positions are readily available, and you can get away with not giving a shit about your workplace. The sadder truth is that the companies who hire such people do so based mainly on their availability as opposed to the high levels of customer service excellence that they tell us they adhere to.
On the bright side, one of the newer ladies at the gym is very bubbly and always welcomes you with a smile. When you leave and say goodbye, she'll say "take it easy" and smile. That doesn't require much more effort than ejecting my CD, but I like her much better. I really do. More so than the other young lady. I really do.
NOTE: This post is of my whole "chicken pox in France" story that I have already told a year ago. If you read the story last year, then do not waste your time on this post, as it is pretty much the same. Sorry for boring you folks. I just like to commemorate such events in a very repetitive manner.
Even though today's not the exact date, it's close enough - it was 2 years ago that I was given the OK from the local hospital in Lille, France to fly back home to Toronto. I had already missed my flight a week prior - I was hospitalized the day I was supposed to fly home from my 5-month international exchange term. It was a case of chicken pox and related lung complication that brought me into the hospital.
After some breathing problems that got worse by the hour, I checked myself into the local hospital at midnight, not sure what was wrong with me. With only 700 Euros in my pocket, and nearly all my exchange friends having gone home, I can remember clearly how it felt to be in the hospital. Sterile, quiet, inadequately staffed, alone, and not an English-speaking soul in the premises, I was utterly frightened, and I am not ashamed to admit it. I was unsure of many things, one of which was if I would be able to go home to Canada. Scary to say the least.
I was first placed in an observation room for a night with an IV drip in one arm and something unidentifiable in the other. I was already in shock so it didn't matter what it was. The next morning, I woke up and was told I had a case of the chicken pox and an associated lung issue and would have to stay in the hospital for at least a week. Without much of a response from myself, I was quickly wheeled into my hospital room and told that I would have to do a series of tests. First, a blood sample ... to see if I had any STDs or HIV. Great. I cringed in pain and almost shed a tear as the nurse did the deed. Then, I was wheeled into another room and was put in one of those magnetic machines, similar to those used in CAT scans. All the while, I had no idea what was being done on me, how I would recover, nor when I would be released from hospital. Oh yes, I also had no money. For a foreign student, one night's stay cost 900 Euros. I told them I was broke and could not even afford one night. Of course, they did not kick me out.
The first few days of the week was spent sleeping in the same clothes I was admitted into the hospital with, undergoing more weird tests and, to my dismay, many more blood samples. Fortunately, I also got to see my remaining exchange friends who came to visit me. By then, I definitely looked like I had chicken pox. Frankie, my partner in crime, was still in France and did more than I could have asked for to help me. He was the one who went with me to the hospital for the first time (a day before this story began) in the middle of the night when I had suspected I may have the pox. After I was hospitalized, he went back to my dorm and asked the guardian if he could go into my room to gather my things. See, I hardly had time to gather my things when I checked myself into the hospital, so my toiletries, books, cell phone, international phone cards, and money were all still in my room. He gathered my things into my backpack and walked almost an hour back to the hospital to deliver it to me. Without him, things would have been much more difficult. Frankie, I know you just might read this, so thanks again for all your help at the time. I have not forgotten.
I also spent a lot of time watching French television, the only television that was available. There were several reality shows on at the time, but I understood very little of the French humour on the shows. I laughed only because I did not understand what was going on. I read magazines, listened to my MP3 player and chatted with the hospital sister every day.
All the while, I had been keeping my family in the loop on this. My mother, horrified but unable to do anything, let my father in Hong Kong do all the communicating with me. He eventually decided to come visit me in Lille and help me get through the time and deal with hospital insurance issues. My global health insurance policy expired a few days before I was admitted into the hospital so I either my dad or mom would have to cover me if they could. Who would have thought that they'd need health insurance the day they were going home from a trip? Well I did, so let that be a lesson to you all - purchase health insurance up until a few days after you are supposed to come home from your trip. Knock on wood, but ... you never know.
After all was said and done, I stayed in France for an extra week and owed the French healthcare system nearly 5,000 Euros. Thank goodness for my dad's insurance policy that covered that cost for us.
On a happier note to end off the post, below is a picture of two young Japanese kids and I at our youth hostel in Paris. Their mother asked if I would take a picture with the two youngsters because I looked very much like their uncle. Me, looking Japanese? Hmmmm I guess I now look Filipino and Japanese! Cute kids they were. G'nite.
[english rap tune of the moment] : just jack - snowflakes
Call me old-fashioned, but I still love the feeling of bringing home a new CD to add to my ever-growing record collection. Thanks to the worldwide reach of the Internet, that collection has become more international than ever before. Of course, I can now purchase music from around the world with the click of a mouse button - a task that would not have been possible, say 15 years ago. It is through the Net that I learned about this British hip-hop artist, who would never have occurred to me had I not read about him on an online forum and consequently listened to his material.
Jack Allsopp, aka Just Jack, is a young British rapper-songwriter who has been compared by many to The Streets' Mike Skinner. Although he is reminiscent of the more well-known Skinner, Just Jack is certainly a unique artist to his own, and is very different from Mr. Skinner. Allsopp's music and lyrics tend to be much more accessible to the average listener than what the former artist would typically create. There is less tongue-in-cheek to Allsopp's rhymes but they still flow and make sense. The sentence structure of his lyrics are also simpler, making it easier to understand. Some may argue that the words leave no room for interpretation, which could be seen to be a weakness. Allsopp's lyrics tend to deal with modern life, relationships and social pressure issues. At the same time, the melodies dip into several genres, which I find refreshing as many hip-hop artists like to focus on one or two sounds (artists such as Common, The Roots, and Kanye West are a few of the exceptions.) This is by no means a criticism of Mike Skinner. He's a great talent who has the ability to write rhymes like no one else. I also enjoy his music, which breaks your typical hip-hop music mould. What I have put forward here is nothing more than a comparison between the two and how I see Just Jack to be a unique artist.
Today's tune is the debut single from his first album, The Outer Marker, which I have since purchased on the Internet. It was released in September 2002. Sadly, this song, which samples The Cure's "Lullaby", peaked in the UK Singles chart at #164. Despite the positive reviews by critics at the time, the album itself did not even crack the Top 40, making this album a complete flop. I do not understand why this album fared so poorly as I find it to contain several commercial songs that could do well on radio. In any case, this song is melodic and contains straight-forward lyrics that I think many people can relate to and understand. Hear for yourself.
This Victoria Day long weekend was time well spent. Birthdays, clubbin', booze, steak, and a lot of fireworks! Here are some pics of the weekend plus my usual random photos. The random pics were taken mainly from my cell phone camera but the quality's not that great compared to the camera phones out there.
Happy b-day, Tiffy! I hope you like the wallet purse!
My bee-you-tee-ful Keg-sized Prime Rib, with a more than fair helping of fried onions and potato mash ... man I'm really dying to have some Sheppard's Pie right about now. Can anyone help?
Yvonne, Tiff, and Janice at Jake's on Main Street ... Tiff was buzzed by the time this was taken. In other randomness, there was a broken speaker that left our room in silence. We tried to turn up the volume on the TV to compensate, which was showing "Search For The Next Pussycat Dolls" at the time. Down with Asia! Bring back Melissa R!
The Shoe-licker group, still going strong
Happy b-day, Tyf (to my left ... "to the left, to the left!") ... wow what a night Budo was eh? You're my f**king best friend and idol forever. I hope you had a good one. I know I did! Man, I need a new jacket. This one's making an appearance in a lot of pics. (Tyf, myself, Julia, Lisa, Fiona)
The Rock & Roll Ice Cream at Takebashi ... fried ice cream. When you order it, tell them you want to "Rock & Roll"!
A Visa bus stop ad in downtown Toronto, at the corner of Bay and Queen. I likey very much.
A blurry shot of my co-worker asking my manager a question after I gave a reasonable answer. C'mon now, where's the trust? Just kiddin'. Of course, his name will not be revealed. Not that you can tell how he looks like in the mess above anyways.
I've really gotten into jogging lately. Not only is it a way to burn off some extra calories, but it's giving me a sense of accomplishment every time I challenge myself to a longer distance. It's helping me build endurance, which I will need for summer activities like volleyball, frisbee, swimming, and Dragonboat. Oh yeah, it's also good cardio. I was lazy and missed tonight's jog, but I aim to fit it into my daily routine.
Anyone interested in jogging with me? A jogging buddy is always welcome.
The post has gotten too long for me to write what I had originally wanted to write about. OK, I'll leave it for later. I'm out.
