urban wanderer

Wednesday, July 28, 2004   What a hectic week it has been. Last Saturday I moved to a new house since the old landlord decided to hike the weekly rent which should've been ok with us if they at least upgrade their house. My rellos have been living there for 7 years & they were able to maintain the house in good, if not better condition but there are major repairs that the owners just refuse to sort out. And they got the hide to jack up the lease. That was the last straw. So unfortunately, I have to look for a new place & it didn't take me long to find a new one. Yeah its more expensive but at least its closer to work so if you take into consideration my travel expenses which was basically cut in half, plus the shops are just a 5 minute walk, its not so bad. Relocating was a hassle but we managed to get it done with no major issues & I still had time to trek to the pub. That's another good thing with this new place. The pub is within walking distance so I can get smashed with few beers without worrying about driving/commuting. I haven't settled properly yet. Have to figure out how to link the home theatre to our audio/video equipment, assemble my wardrobe, report that stupid leak in my room, get the cable re-installed, re-direct my mails & figure out how to make the most of that spacious backyard (woohoo weekend barbecues). This is my 5th friggin time to move since Y2K & I hope I don't have to do it again in the near future. posted by uging | 5:34 PM Monday, July 19, 2004   HAHAHA. I cant believe karaoke can be this ugly. See, there's this Filo guy who only recently joined the karaoke bandwagon. He has been turning up for a couple of weeks and often times he just sits there by himself. So after seeing him do a good job on 'I Do (Cherish You)' we've decided to get him to join our group and from then on, he became part of the 'circle'. Turned out this guy was an ex-radio DJ & only recently divorced his wife of 6 years. He never sung at karaoke before but he does have a good voice. He only turned to karaoke after his friend brought him to the club because he was depressed. Karaoke became an outlet plus he got to meet interesting people. This guy was so easy to get along & he's quite articulate so he never had any problems interacting not just with his fellow Filos but everyone else. He also thought that by going to karaoke, he might meet someone. He actually did. A Japanese girl by the name of Yuki. So one night we got invited by one of our karaoke mates for his house-warming party. Most of the regulars turned up including this old lothario who is notorious for his 'amorous' ways with women (a-la Pepe Le Pew), especially naive Asian girls who can't speak English (but can eloquently pronounce 'Jamiroquai' and 'Beyonce'). My mate didn't like the way this old fart was getting on with his Yuki. So he dragged Yuki & immediately bolted out. We were getting bored as well so we decided to go. We all ended up at the Willoughby Hotel even though there's not enough time for us to sing one song. There he was fuming. We told him to chill a bit coz no harm was done. The next day, he posted on this karaoke website & it was nasty. Names were posted. Luckily I was the first one to see that post & I emailed the web admin to delete those names. I really didn't mind him ranting but I was just shocked at that post & our names were there as well. Now this old dude is threatening legal action against not just him but the whole karaoke 'posse'. I tried talking to this guy whom I have no issues to begin with and he said that he didn't want to involve us but until this mate of mine talks to him, he has no recourse but to take it further. I told him that he has no proof that it was our group who posted that coz his printout already had the names deleted. All he can say is that 'his barrister' will take care of it. Like duh, whoever that barrister may be must be doing a crap job because this guy has the track record. He even boasts to everyone that he was once incarcerated for money laundering & whatever shit. People who knew this guy told us to just ignore him & everything seemed to cool off a bit. But this morning I checked the website & saw this post attacking us & making all sorts of threat against us. Its embarassing because what was supposed to be a healthy forum for karaoke has turned nasty coz some people cant learn how to control their temper. And for a karaoke nut like me who's only desire is to have a good, unadulterated fun of singing to be dragged into this, it can be infuriating. posted by uging | 9:01 PM Thursday, July 15, 2004   Very unusual for me to be home early on a Thursday night. Normally I would've been doing my last song at the Menzies Hotel (before heading off at the Star City for another hour of uninhibited singing). But I think I need a little breather from karaoke/trivia/pub hopping. I can't even remember the last Thursday that I had dinner at home. But since I'm bored shit (and the only decent show on the telly is the unfunny 'Dude Where's My Car'), I thought I'd go online for a little bit. Surfed on this particular site & I had stitches from laughing. Thought I'd share it. Top 10 Worst cartoon character of all time #10- Tweety Bird- You know there's a problem when every single kid roots for the "hero" to be devoured in each episode. No sense of humor. No personality. Annoying voice. Plus he was always tattling. I knew kids like this growing up. Most of them ate paste, sat in the front of the bus, and got me in trouble. #9- Grape Ape- A real moron. All he knows how to say is his name. And he does so non-stop for a half an hour. I'd rather watch "Davey and Goliath covet their neighbors model airplane." #8- Olive Oyl- Am I the only one out there who thought this was one lady NOT worth fighting over? And that's what they did every episode! She talks like Edith Bunker and looks like a pipe cleaner with a cheap hat. Hey, Popeye, you're a sailor... you can do better! Plus Olive can never decide if she wants to date that jerk Bluto or not. The girl is just bad news. #7- Petunia Pig- Remember her? Porky's girlfriend? She was a real zero. What was the point of her anyway? To make Porky look good? Come on, who did they think they're fooling. We all know Porky is gay. #6- Pebbles & Bam-Bam, as teenagers- What were they thinking? Were they trying to cash in on the "Joanie loves Chachi" thing? And how come every cartoon teenager plays in crumby rock band? An awful -and thankfully shortlived- idea. #5- Pepe LePew- Hello, Warner Brothers, ever heard of sexual harassment? Let's take a good look at this character; a horny, rapist skunk who's attracted to other species! NOT good for the kids. Plus, worse still, he's French. #4- Alan, from Josie and the Pussy Cats- How weak was this "Fred" clone? They even gave him an ascot, for crying out loud. Well, I knew Fred. I grew up with Fred. Fred was like a friend of mine. Let me tell you something...you're no Fred. #3- Zan and Zana, the Wondertwins- How many times do we have to say it? Leave the crimefighting to the professionals! "Form of... an idiot!" They should have been voted out of the Hall of Justice a long time ago. There's no room for dead weight in this game. #2- Kazoo, from the Flintstones- It's like "Hmmm, a miniature, green spaceman who appears only to Fred Flintstone isn't enough of a stretch. I know! Let's give him a snotty London accent!" Um, could I get a drug test from Hanna Barbara, please? #1- Scrappy Doo- And, really, who else COULD it be? This guy ruined Scooby Doo! Just came in and ruined it! Scrappy is the Yoko Ono of Saturday morning cartoons. I can't even talk about it anymore. It's too upsetting. ========================================= I don't know some of the characters but i totally agree with Olive Oyl. If this was my list, she'd be #1. And if I may add the following: Road Runner - there is nothing in this world that i wish but for Wile E Coyote to someday catch this sonafabitch & get even in the most barbaric method possible. Mickey Mouse - even when I was a kid i never buggered my parents to buy me disney crap. i find nothing appealing nor amusing with this rodent. Garfield - what it is is a bloated, lazy, boring feline. last adjective also applies to Jon & that idiotic dog. Maggie - ironically, two of the most anticipated moments in the simpsons involved maggie; the episode where for the first time she uttered a word (voice provided by liz taylor) & the 'who shot mr burns' episode. apart from that: boooorring. Veronica - the resident bitch in the Archies. always gets away with everything inspite of the fact that Betty is way hotter than her. and for this reason, i might as well include Archie for being such a dumbass. posted by uging | 6:11 AM		archives Band of Bloggers curves ahead girl with the indigo eyes the princess she likes to watch moka java true companion north star stories of the painted desert dream of the sirens bella luna bookmarked best jazz band in the world Soccer madness Pinoyexchange NBA online quizzes weird stuff fun & games Weekly Top 10: Fave George Benson & Al Jarreau tracks 10.Lady Love Me One More Time 9.Feel Like Makin Love 8.20/20 7.This Masquerade 6.Love Times Love 5.Turn Your Love Around 4.Were In This Love Together 3.Boogie Down 2.Mornin` 1.Breakin Away Musical heroes: Def Leppard Def Leppard, in many ways, was the definitive hard rock band of the '80s. There were many bands that rocked harder, and were more dangerous, than the Sheffield quintet, but few others captured the spirit of the times quite as well. Emerging in the late '70s as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, the group actually owed more to the glam-rock and metal of the early '70s — their sound was equal parts T. Rex, Mott the Hoople, Queen and Led Zeppelin. By toning down their heavy riffs and emphasizing melody, Def Leppard were poised for crossover success by 1983's Pyromania, but skillfully used the fledgling MTV network to their advantage. The group was already blessed with photogenic good looks, but they also crafted a series of innovative, exciting videos, which made them into stars. They intended to follow Pyromania quickly, but were derailed when their drummer lost an arm in a car accident, the first of many problems that plagued the group's career. Def Leppard managed to pull through such tragedies and they even expanded their large audience with 1987's blockbuster Hysteria. As the '90s began, mainstream hard rock shifted away from Leppard's signature pop-metal and towards edgier, louder bands, yet the group maintained a sizable audience into the late '90s and were one of only a handful of '80s metal groups to survive the decade more or less intact. Def Leppard had its origins in a Sheffield-based group Rick Savage (bass) and Pete Willis (guitar) formed in their late teens in 1977. A few months later, vocalist Joe Elliott, a fanatic follower of Mott the Hoople and T. Rex, joined the band, bringing the name Deaf Leopard. After a spelling change, the trio, augmented by a now-forgotten drummer, began playing local Sheffield pubs, and within a year they had added guitarist Steve Clark, as well as a new drummer. Later in 1978, the recorded their debut EP Getcha Rocks Off and released it on their own label, Bludgeon Riffola. The EP became a word-of-mouth success, earning airplay on the BBC. The group members were still in their teens. Following the release of Getcha Rocks Off, Rick Allen was added as the band's permanent drummer, and Def Leppard quickly became the subject of the British music weeklies. Soon, they signed with AC/DC's manager Petter Mensch, who helped them secure a contract with Mercury. On Through the Night, the band's full-length debut, was released in 1980 and instantly became a hit in the U.K., also earning significant airplay in the U.S., where it reached number 51 on the charts. Over the course of the year, Def Leppard relentlessly toured Britain and America, including opening slots for Ozzy Osbourne, Sammy Hagar and Judas Priest. High N' Dry followed in 1981, and it became the group's first platinum album in the U.S., thanks to MTV's strong rotation of "Bringin' on the Heartbreak." MTV would be vital to the band's success in the '80s. As the band recorded the follow-up to High N' Dry with producer Mutt Lange, Pete Willis was fired from the band for alcoholism, and Phil Collen, a former guitarist for Girl, was hired to replace him. The resulting album, 1983's Pyromania, became an unexpected blockbuster, due not only to Def Leppard's skillful, melodic metal, but also to MTV's relentless airing of "Photograph" and "Rock of Ages." Pyromania went on to sell 10 million copies, establishing Def Leppard as one of the most popular bands in the world. Despite their success, the band was about to enter a trying time for their career. Following an extensive international tour, the group re-entered the studio to record the follow-up, but producer Lange was unavailable, so they began sessions with Jim Steinman, the man responsible for Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell. The pairing turned out to be ill-advised, so the group turned to its former engineer, Nigel Green. One month into recording, Rick Allen lost his left arm in a New Year's Eve car accident. The arm was reattached, but it had to be amputated once an infection set in. Without a drummer, Def Leppard's future looked cloudy, but by the spring of 1985 — just a few months after his accident — Allen began learning to play a custom-made electronic kit assembled for him by Simmons. Soon, the band resumed recording, and within a few months Lange was back on board, but once he joined the team, he judged the existing tapes inferior and had the band begin work all over again. The recording continued throughout 1986, and that summer, the group returned to the stage for the European Monsters of Rock tour. Def Leppard finally completed its fourth album, now titled Hysteria, early in 1987, releasing it that spring to lukewarm reviews; many critics felt that the album compromised Leppard's metal roots for sweet pop flourishes. The record was slow out of the starting gates — "Women," the first single, failed to really take hold. But with the second single, "Animal," Hysteria began to take off. It became the group's first Top 40 hit in the U.K., but more importantly, it began a string of six straight Top 20 hits in the U.S., which also included "Hysteria," "Pour Some Sugar On Me," "Love Bites," "Armageddon It" and "Rocket," the latter of which arrived in 1989, a full two years after the release of Hysteria. During those two years, Def Leppard was unavoidable — they were the kings of high school metal, ruling the pop charts and MTV, and teenagers and bands alike replicated their teased hair and ripped jeans, even when the grimy hard rock of Guns N' Roses took hold in 1988. Hysteria proved to be the peak of Leppard's popularity, yet their follow-up remained eagerly awaited in the early '90s as the band set to work on the record. During the recording, Steve Clark died from an overdose of alcohol and drugs. Clark had long had a problem with alcohol, and following the Hysteria heyday, the band forced him to take a sabbatical; he did enter rehab, but to no apparent effect. In fact, his abuse was so crippling that Collen had to play the majority of the guitar leads on Hysteria. Following Clark's death, Def Leppard resolved to finish its forthcoming album as a quartet, releasing Adrenalize in the spring of 1992. Adrenalize was greeted with mixed reviews, and even though the album debuted at number one and contained several hit singles, including "Let's Get Rocked," "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad" and "Make Love Like a Man," the record was a commercial disappointment in the wake of Pyromania and Hysteria. After the release of Adrenalize, the group added former Whitesnake guitarist Vivian Campbell. In 1993, Def Leppard released the rarities collection Retro Active, featuring a new single, "Miss You in a Heartbeat," which scraped the lower reaches of the Top 40. Two years later, the group released the greatest hits collection Vault while preparing their sixth album. Slang arrived in the spring of 1996, and while it was more adventurous than its predecessor, it was greeted with indifference, proving that Leppard's heyday had passed, and they were now simply a very popular cult band. Undaunted, Leppard soldiered on, returning to its patented pop-metal sound for Euphoria, which was released in June of 1999. "must listen" DISCLAIMER: The title URBAN WANDERER as well as the link titles to other blogs are song titles from a jazz band. I used these titles as a gesture of appreciation & gain no financial benefits from this & in no way used to promote my blog. For the real deal, visit their website.