Of press freedom, Snow Patrol set lists and the monsters you make when Matt Bomer reveals he's gay.
Once again, the best of the orange blog!
It's been a good year for that blog. A bunch of new experiences meant a bunch of new ideas for the blog - and heaven knows how stale it has become lately. It's interesting how more political my blog has become. How more smart-ass at times. How very cynical it has become (one reason and one reason only). And how that all threatens to change in the new year. You'll all soon know why.
So, the list, which, this time around, is not aimed at anyone. What did you think?
The problem with newspaper columnists getting what they want (5 Jan)
My first blog entry of the year was somewhat properly political, just proving how slightly political my blog has become with the slow demise of Shale. Well, I'll admit, this was mostly an excuse to write about how far downhill Patricia Evangelista's hubris has brought her.
Halfway through halfway through (8 Jan)
A stab at writing about what we all call the quarterlife crisis. Katia's comment on this blog entry somewhat single-handedly compelled me to change jobs when the opportunity arose. Thank you, Katia.
Such a fast walker (23 Feb)
All because of the last line: "But maybe, all this time, I'm actually talking to someone. And that someone is you. And you refuse to listen."
Start right (29 Feb)
I've been planning this blog entry since... well, for two years. From the title, to th Idol-related introduction, to the... well, that was it, actually. Yeah, obviously I still wanted out as soon as I got in, and that's despite me learning to love some aspects of the job eventually.
Ten minutes (31 Mar)
This has to happen. I had to post here at least one of my blog entries about the whole blow-up that is 3/15. I actually wrote this blog entry the Saturday after the whole Figaro disaster. Only upon writing it did I realize that several elements of that day tied in with the themes of the many blog entries I've written about (or involving) Gwen. I told Maica I wanted to write a novel based on the experience - a crappy thought in hindsight, but I did show her this blog entry, which was the closest I got to.
Hazel has a taser (7 Apr)
One of my favorite anecdotal entries of the year, this entry was delayed by a week because it was too close to the entry that preceded it.
The adventures of Ron Paul Gosselaar (21 Apr)
A fun romp on the fact that old Asians look younger than young Americans, with a bit of a meme thrown in for good measure. I later met Dinna in Singapore after David Cook's concert there, and yes, she does look young for a 31-year-old... but she doesn't look 18 like Kira thought.
Girls first before boys (24 Apr)
A better version of a blog entry I wrote earlier that month - the half-arsed one partly about Katy Perry's boobs, yes - this summed up, in my post-Gwen mindset, why girls are, you know, evil. Particularly proud of the last sentence I wrote there.
After the endgame (28 May)
A blog entry on Renato Corona's impeachment - that also riled me up because it's got Noynoy's fingerprints all over it, no matter how much he hides that fact - and more proof of my blog getting political. It's got really long paragraphs, so long that I got tired writing one of them. Political analysis at its most long-winded.
We are in love! Get out of our way! (20 Jun)
"Maybe my opinions will change if I, by some cruel twist of fate, become one-half of a loving, dating, camwhoring-in-the-middle-of-nowhere couple." True.
Leering (27 Jun)
This is a weird blog entry. This is also partly based on real events.
Foster the scapegoat (14 Jul)
I wasn't going to mention Gwen's name. But I did. I asked Dex, not giving him any details, and he said yes. Thank you, Dex, for helping me move on. Really.
Always waiting (17 Jul)
The follow-up to the blog entry above was hard to write, even if it was just a transcript of a Twitter conversation with Kira, because we talked about so many things, the conversation branched out and I had a hard time pinning everything down. People may scoff at the religion-tinged ending (I remember someone telling me she doesn't like it when I write about religion) but I think it makes sense here. People believe things.
He's not the Christian Grey you know (26 Jul)
Because apparently, so many people still don't know that Matt Bomer is gay He is gay. nd no, I didn't write this to disillusion people, so it's not my fault if they are disillusioned.
This is all I ever wanted from life (10 Aug)
I've written not a few blog entries that are based on real observations but are written in varying veneers of fiction. This is perhaps the best example. This is based entirely on Dexter's experiences while watching Snow Patrol's gig in Manila. I was never at the concert - I only relied on copies of the set list circulating for the structure - but I ended up writing something completely satisfying.
Blogging 101 (for Tito Sotto, among others) (29 Aug)
A long stretch of blog entries revolving around the dawn of the Cybercrime Prevention Act (although this was because of the brouhaha surrounding Tito Sotto's moves against the Reproductive Health Bill), this is one I'm oddly proud about, because it's so (not) surprising how many people are stuck in old times.
#YOLO (30 Aug)
Originally written as a submission to Isa's Tick-Talkative blog, I like how angry and flustered and post-Gwen-y this sounded.
Progressively closer (4 Oct)
My more personal blog entry on the Keane concert - my first favorite band, must mention - started off a bit clunkily, I'll admit, but it weaved wonderfully once the actual concert bit started, up until the end, which is one of my favorite endings this year. I know. I have a thing for endings this year.
Cabin fever (5 Oct)
I'm proud of this metaphor. I'm surprised I didn't think of this sooner: it's been a long time since I watched that MythBusters episode I mentioned. All of the stupid things our politicians do - I should've figured it out sooner! But thank you for field work and having your colleagues listen to AM radio instead of the fucking Magic.
"You have Philippines written on your forehead" (30 Oct)
It was looking like an unwieldly blog entry originally about people going to Singapore to try their luck, but it ended up being about gravity. I write this hoping it works for me and Yoa this time.
Empty holidays (14 Nov)
I've written a lot about the Cybercrime Prevention Act but this is, I think, my most effective one. It's not exactly about that law - it's more of a response to a successive series of overlooked actions that pretty much insult our right to an independent press - but it all ties in, the gags and the anniversaries and this administration's aversion to any criticism, to the point that they'd actually sign laws that would stop anyone to speak out against them.
We try not to show how frightened we are (10 Dec)
A complete turnaround. Honestly, I can't believe people think I'm being so shallow in this blog entry. Well, those people are new to my blog, so...
Things I won't get to do when the world ends (17 Dec)
This read a little randomly at the end - although that is the point - but I like how this all came together. Of course I didn't believe the world was to end. I just had an excuse to do something like this.