Jerard Eusebio

I just had to.

Fri, 17 May 2013 11:21:32 +0800

I just had to.

This is the kind of mother I have.A little pool of dark liquid...

Sun, 12 May 2013 23:10:32 +0800

This is the kind of mother I have.

A little pool of dark liquid presented itself on the floor in the church pew our family was settled in. It was directly in front of my mom. After the Mass, she told me she was going to the back of the sacristy to find a rag. She didn’t find one, but she eyed an old sponge. She decided it would do, took it and went back to our pew and wiped clean the spot of dark liquid. For another person, it would be hard to imagine that this woman had graduated first in high school and in college, had gone to teach (33 years and counting) at one of the most prestigious universities in the country, and received multiple Outstanding Teacher awards, but for me, it’s not hard at all. This is the kind of mother I have. She is not perfect, but she always finds an opportunity to do good and goes out of her way to do it for her heart is always in the right place.

This is the kind of mother I have and I praise the Lord everyday for her.

I love you, my #beautiful Ma.

Day and night ex-officemates get-together. These are good people...

Sat, 11 May 2013 23:54:00 +0800

Day and night ex-officemates get-together. These are good people right here. Love them to death.

Gorgeous UPLB! :)

vulgarpink: #Beautiful~

Sat, 11 May 2013 02:51:53 +0800

vulgarpink:

#Beautiful~

Okay, even though my Baguio City stint was bleak. I still...

Sat, 11 May 2013 02:26:38 +0800

Okay, even though my Baguio City stint was bleak. I still enjoyed the road! Benguet Pine trees galore! :)

UNDRESSABLE.

Sat, 11 May 2013 00:38:21 +0800

UNDRESSABLE.

I have a trove of secrets and memories in my head.Of the boy...

Fri, 10 May 2013 23:28:11 +0800

I have a trove of secrets and memories in my head.

Of the boy that fell in the pond which caused a riot of screams and blissful laughter all injected into the hot summer day. Of the many trips to Southmall that were calibrated with the incessant squeals demanding a trip to Storyland. Of the glorious Lucban road trips that seem to happen too infrequently. Of the we-have-a-new-house-so-we-shop-at-the-market-place-for-items episode. Of the animus, weird and rebellious college days and nights. Of the mending of a broken heart by three Tequila Sunrises and two San Mig Lights. Of the consequent sobbing and headache that you flushed out with water. Of the long conversations on the phone about love and relationships, break-ups, and the inevitable new beginnings…

I have a trove of secrets and memories in my head and I’m glad I share it with you.

Thank you for sticking with me through the rough phases I had to go through last year. Yours was one of the hands that never let me go. You make me believe that blood is thicker than water. And in so many ways, it is.

These two cousins stick. Always have. Always will.

Happy birthday, cous! I love you, Jel!

Hi Jerard! When will I read your next Young Blood entry? Hmmm.... And as a fellow Lamb, may I know your favorite Mariah Carey songs? (Of course, if it's okay with you) :):):) --your tumblr stalkee :*

Wed, 08 May 2013 22:45:00 +0800

Hola! I’ve never had a Tumblr stalker. At least, not that I know of. So, yay! LOL

I was going to submit a Young Blood entry that discusses my experiences as a contractual government employee for 2 years. That would be timely for Labor Day, but as you may have noticed, May 1 has come and gone. I wasn’t able to finish the thing. Mariah distracted me. But then again, there’s no guarantee they’d pick it up for publication even if I was able to submit it on time. Hopefully, inspiration strikes before this year ends. I am also eyeing for other publications like the Philippine Free Press. For PFP, I’d submit a short story. Wouldn’t that be cool? Okay, now you got me frustrated.

As for your Mariah Carey songs query, Hello? How about… ALL OF THEM? Haha!

Let’s make this easier. I’ll just give you a Top 10:

We Belong Together (From The Emancipation of Mimi, 2005. Billboard’s Song of the Decade [2000’s]. Won her 2 Grammys!)
Touch My Body (From E=MC², 2008. Mariah’s 18^th No. 1 which broke her tie with Elvis Presley’s record of 17 No. 1’s. This never fails to make me happy and feel sexy, much like #Beautiful)
Crybaby (From Rainbow, 1999. Featuring Snoop Dogg. One of the more underrated songs, love the verses of this song—super #pow)
I Stay in Love (From E=MC², 2008. Peaked at the Billboard’s Hot Dance Club Play making it her 14^th No. 1 in that chart. LOVE the music video, too!)
Don’t Forget About Us (From The Emancipation of Mimi Ultra Platinum Edition, 2005. Mariah’s 17^th No. 1. The music video is flawless. Song-writing is unmatched!)
H.A.T.E.U. (From Memoirs of an imperfect Angel, 2009. Underrated song from an underrated album! I literally cried when I first heard this because it’s that heartbreaking.)
Breakdown (From Butterfly, 1997. Here’s my favorite part: “So what do you do when / someone you’re so devoted to / suddenly just stops loving you and it seems they haven’t got a clue / of the pain that rejection is putting you through / Do you cling to your pride and sing “I will survive”? / Do you lash out and say “How dare you leave this way”? / Do you hold on in vain as they just slip away?” Truer words have never been sung since.)
Outside (From Butterfly, 1997. My sexuality’s anthem. LOL)
Underneath the Stars (From Daydream, 1995. Genius.)
Never Too Far (From Glitter, 2001. You know she sings her behind off this song, right? No human being can sing it as well as she does. Yeah, not even freakin’ Ariana Grande.)

Air kisses, dahhhlin’! :*

Made myself a Twitter account today! Do I look a tad desperate?...

Wed, 08 May 2013 21:13:55 +0800

Made myself a Twitter account today!

Do I look a tad desperate? It’s okay, you can say it. :-)

AFTER A WHILE (Veronica Shoftshall, 1971)

Wed, 08 May 2013 10:54:32 +0800

After a while you learn the subtle difference
between holding a hand and chaining a soul
and you learn that love doesn’t mean leaning
and company doesn’t always mean security.

And you begin to learn that kisses aren’t contracts
and presents aren’t promises
and you begin to accept
your defeats
with your head up
and your eyes ahead
with the grace of woman,
not the grief of a child

And you learn to build
all your roads on today
because tomorrow’s ground
is too uncertain for plans
and futures have a way
of falling down in mid-flight.

After a while you learn
that even sunshine burns
if you get too much
so you plant your own garden
and decorate your own soul
instead of waiting for someone
to bring you flowers.

And you learn
that you really can endure
you really are strong
you really do have worth
and you learn
and you learn
with every goodbye, you learn…

Audio

Mon, 06 May 2013 19:21:01 +0800

American Idol: The Trouble With Nicki Minaj (Dish Of Salt)

Mon, 06 May 2013 11:20:29 +0800

LOS ANGELES, CALIF. — For 11 seasons, “American Idol” reigned supreme on television but they have not been without their missteps – the Corey Clarke/Paula Abdul debacle, Ellen DeGeneres’ odd one season stint, Kara DioGuardi’s ouster from the show, allegations of phone line hacking and power voting.

However, nothing has quite rattled the show like the addition of judge Nicki Minaj for Season 12.

What started as an innocent PR move (likely released by someone within the “Idol” camp) to get some publicity for the aging show, the Mariah Carey/Nicki fight tape released during the auditions has instead turned into a nightmare for “Idol.” This misfire affected the entire season of the show, not because it was wrong to release it, but because the two women involved could never move past their anger toward one another.

The fact is, if Nicki and Mariah had kissed and made up, the whole thing would have blown over and the desired effect of the added publicity would have most likely made people interested in the show. Instead of moving on and having a great foursome, the tension between the two ladies drove a wedge between the entire judging panel and set up a season of uncomfortable, cringe-worthy moments.

Despite the fact that most of the time Nicki actually does give good critiques, the show didn’t’ need Nicki. Randy Jackson on the left side. Mariah in the middle. Keith Urban on the right side. That’s a panel that would have worked. Randy and Mariah have a long standing relationship and Keith is so kind-hearted, there would have been a good chemistry set up between the three. If “The Voice” has taught us anything, it’s that reality competition shows have evolved. Cutting people down isn’t what audiences are connecting to anymore. Nicki’s special brand of snark may no longer fit in the world of reality TV mentors.

Ever since Executive Producer Nigel Lythgoe commented that the ratings decline certainly had to do with the lack of chemistry with the judges, the situation took a turn for the worse. Up until that point, the ladies simply ignored each other or rolled their eyes when they disagreed while the other talked. It was clear after Nigel’s comments came out, someone told the panel they needed to interact more. Another misfire.

Nicki and Mariah’s not-so-charming banter has included Nicki calling Mariah “sir” two weeks ago after a spat and Wednesday night referring to her as “Honey Boo Boo” as a final slam. For the record, Mariah never heard Nicki’s “sir” comment until after the show aired. When asked about it backstage, she wanted to respond but her publicist smartly told her not too. You see, Mariah is a professional who understands her reputation is everything. She has class. Nicki is another story.

In my 20 years in entertainment news, I have interviewed close to 5,000 celebrities — people who have bigger bragging rights than Nicki. Men and women who have Oscars , Grammys and Emmys. Yet, by far, she is the most ungracious of anyone I have met.

Each week, she comes backstage for interviews and we are told “two questions only” while her people hover over you and even, at times, have their hand on your arm as you end your interview to make you stop. Waiver from the two-question rule and Nicki herself will walk away. She makes zero eye contact and has no connection to whomever is interviewing her. If she likes your question, she may give you a proper answer. If she doesn’t, she may give you a dirty look and walk off. After she posted mean comments about Mariah on Twitter yesterday calling her “bitter” and “insecure,” I wanted to give her the opportunity to redeem herself or perhaps apologize. I phrased my question that her comments had caused quite a stir online and asked if she had anything to say about it. She looked at me and told me my question made no sense and when I tried to explain it further she just said “goodnight” and walked off in a huff.

In my 12 years covering “Idol,” I have never seen someone with such a disconnect to the media.

Mariah may have her quirks, but she is always very gracious in her answers and perfectly willing to poke fun at herself. Simon Cowell sure knows how to sling a good insult on stage, but backstage during his tenure with the show, he was always funny and charming. Randy is a master deflector when it comes to questions about any strife within the show but he will always give you an answer with a smile and a laugh. Even Paula Abdul — who had her share of controversial moments during her time on “Idol” — knew how to face the tough questions. Jennifer Lopez went through a divorce during her time on the show and started dating a much younger man, Casper Smart, yet managed to smartly massage her answers about her personal life so she answered them, but not really. That’s the mark of a true professional. In the world of celebrity, especially right now, this is part of the job. Poor Reese Witherspoon knows this all too well right now.

Nicki’s comments yesterday on Twitter show who she really is – a mean girl, a cyber-bully who is just perpetuating the problems of social media. When will society finally take a stand and say ‘Enough!’ with all of the hateful, spiteful things people say about each other? We are more connected than ever online but more willing to hide behind our anonymous avatars and be nasty to people we barely know. As a celebrity, I would hope that Nicki would understand her fans look to her as a role model and she should choose her words more wisely. From what I have seen of her behavior since “Idol” began, I’m not sure she is capable of this. She’s a female rapper who should be proud of her accomplishments as a woman not cutting other women down.

The truth is that 20 years from now, Mariah Carey will still be known as one of the best female vocalists of all time. Nicki Minaj – well, I will let you decide that.

— Laura Saltman

You’ve changedThe sparkle in your eyes is goneYour smile...

Sat, 04 May 2013 21:11:19 +0800

You’ve changed
The sparkle in your eyes is gone
Your smile is just a careless yawn
You’re breaking my heart
You’ve changed

You’ve changed
Your kisses now are so blasé
You’re bored with me in every way
I can’t understand
You’ve changed

You’ve forgotten the words “I love you”
Each memory that we’ve shared
You’ve ignored every star above you
I can’t realize that you ever cared
You’ve changed

You’re not the angel I once knew
No need to tell me, I know we’re through
It’s all over now
You’ve changed

You’ve forgotten the words “I love you”
And the memories that we’ve shared
You ignore all the stars up above you
I can’t realize that you ever cared
You’ve changed

You’re not the angel I once knew
No need to tell me, I know we’re through
It’s all over now
You’ve changed

I was watching The Devil Wears Prada the other night when I...

Thu, 02 May 2013 22:36:00 +0800

I was watching The Devil Wears Prada the other night when I noticed the messenger bag Andrea (Anne Hathaway) was sporting on the streets of New York after she quit her job as Miranda’s (Meryl Streep) assistant. So, I did my research and it turns out it is in fact a full-on leather version of the bag that I have by Coach. Tada!

Andrea was in pursuit of being a journalist and, apparently, that’s the bag a budding journalist would own. I am in pursuit of being a writer. I say, “close enough!”

How cool is that?

I decided to be a little festive and invite my mother’s...

Wed, 01 May 2013 22:19:00 +0800

I decided to be a little festive and invite my mother’s bags (a.k.a. CB’s cousins) over to celebrate my CB’s first birthday!

Happy birthday, CB! :)

Love,

Your retarded owner

Photo

Wed, 01 May 2013 09:40:00 +0800

I cleaned the house today. Of course, as always, I started with my bedroom. It was the most profound...

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 23:19:00 +0800

I cleaned the house today.

Of course, as always, I started with my bedroom. It was the most profound thing, looking at that ornate box under my bed. I was surprised at how oblivious I had become of its existence. I did the math using my hand. Six fingers—a finger for every month that has passed—that’s how long I had been sleeping on top of it.

I lifted the lid and sifted through the letters, the receipts, the large bundle of bus tickets, and everything else that we had accumulated during our relationship. I slowly took them out. I already made a large heap of things when I decided to separate this one photograph and its accompanying letter which you gave to me a year ago. The large pile, I carried outside. I struck a match and lit the paper bag which had contained the body wash you gave me when we went out of town. Everything else followed.

I realized, as I watched the flames slowly consume the guitar keychain we bought, that a few months ago, burning these things would have hurt. I had been sleeping on top of the box of our memories because I hadn’t let go of them yet. Pulling them away abruptly would have been excruciating so I had to wean it out of my system. Today, I finally have—completely.

Using a stick, I sorted the burning paper and saw one of your letters catching fire, turning black, and then gray. In the end, you’ll be happy to know, I understood your letters, love. I used to read your sweet sentences as they were, but I finally gained the courage to read between the lines and found that even there, you and I weren’t meant to be.

I cleaned the house today and the first blotch I wiped clean was yours.

Last week, I was requested by one of my super friends Pat to do...

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:30:52 +0800

Last week, I was requested by one of my super friends Pat to do a photo shoot with little ladybug Lei Realon! I wasn’t quite feeling like being photographed so I just did her. Pat and Lei are both educators at DLSU-C.

Here are my favorite shots! UPLB Summer is fan-freakin’-tastic, yes? :)

I AM SO READY FOR THE NEW ERA! :-D

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 21:13:31 +0800

I AM SO READY FOR THE NEW ERA! :-D

44!

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 21:02:13 +0800

For me, the best parts about school are those little mundane things that happen in between learning. You know, like finally being paired with the smartest student in class, finishing Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in the middle of an Algebra lesson, finding a 100-peso bill and then treating your gang to ice cream, creating a stronger connection with the cafeteria ladies with every lunch break, or losing the cheerleading competition to your rival class and being so distraught as if losing was an Apocalyptic event.

I believe that when we forget what historical dates, formulas, and stories our textbooks teach us, these are the things that will remain. It is from these experiences that we extrapolate things we know define who we are, what we can and cannot do—our idea of right and wrong—and to life, that’s precious.