Oh dear. My boss just called and asked me to fast track making friends with the people from SMART. Seems that our relationship with Globe is rapidly going to the crapper. Scary.

On the flipside, I just got a response from PILMAP, a local travel mag publisher. They want to see some of my stuff and take a look at my resume. Heehee. Cool.

I'm created a new blog for my music articles. Hope to post one every week. It's called Aural Text.

Ten things you always wanted to know about Radioactive
Sago Project but were too goddamn sissy to ask
(as answered by Lourd de Veyra)



1. Saxophonist Rastem Eugenio won second runner-up in the Ginoong Orani, Bataan 1999 pageant. His talent: dancing the itik-itik, with only coconut shells to cover his near-naked body. It was suspected that a gay beautician rubbed oil all over him backstage.

2. This year, the band won its first major awards: MTV’s Most Stylish Video and Rock Video of the Year at the 2004 NU 107 Rock Awards. Two awards that have absolutely nothing to do with music.

3. The name Radioactive Sago Project does not mean anything. But its acronym, RSP, when read in the Filipino intonation, sounds like ‘raspa’.

4. The band’s very first gig was at an intermission of the press launch of the musical ‘Lean’ in ’98. They were a three-piece (drums, bass, vocals) and they didn’t know what the hell they were doing.

5. Sago’s first gigs happened at the now-defunct Oracafe where they would usually play to an audience of three—who would then leave after finally realizing that the motherfuckers ain’t gonna sing ‘Dancing Queen’.

6. The band signed a two-album recording deal with Viva in 2000. When the record bosses finally predicted that they won’t be coming out with stuff like ‘Gusto ko ng Baboy’, they just let the contract rot till hell froze over, while glimpsing gold in then-emerging acts like Salbakuta. RSP’s second album ‘Urban Gulaman’ was released by Terno Recordings this year.

7. Sago’s two worst gigs: 1) the PBA finals halftime, where they had to painfully lipsynch through ‘Gusto ko ng Baboy’ while the impatient audience pelted them with coins and plastic cups. 2) Magandang Tanghali Bayan, where they also had to lipsynch while Bayani Agbayani and Bentong plus a bunch of other corny comedians danced to ‘Humanap ka ng Pangit’. In both occasions where there were high potentials for eternal shame and ignominy, Lourd wore a pig mask.

8. Most of them have day jobs and/or other major sources of income: Lourd is a magazine copy editor for ABS-CBN publishing and works as Junior Associate of the UST Center for Creative Writing and Studies; Francis (bassist) teaches sound recording at the College of St. Benilde; Jay plays for the soul-funk quartet Wunjo; Arwin plays for the afro-latin groups Fuego and Puro Ritmo; Junjie sessions for many artists and bands; the horn players toot for religious bands, marching ensembles, and at times, show bands (including, at one point, L.A. Lopez).

In short, RSP is merely a sideline.

9. In 2001 they recorded “Hello, Hello” for a teen movie called Cool Dudes 24-7—which was not seen by a single Sago member. A year after, Lourd and Francis composed the musical score for Viva’s ‘Dos Ekis’ (a noir directed by Erik Matti) and had gotten a nomination from Urian. They were beaten by Joey Ayala’s work for ‘Batang Westside’ and they’re not complaining.

10. The members of Sago hang out in a cheapo panciteria called New City Food House in V. Luna, Quezon City. Beer is cheap, the lechon kawali and the nido soup is to-die-for, and you’ll never see Tim Yap hanging out there.

I decided last night that I should be building up my content portfolio whether or not I have assignments from these magazines I contribute to. Since I am already sorta involved in the industry, I've decided to post weeklyband/artist interviews, including all the ones I've done in the past. I will also try to reconstruct whatever files that were lost with my previous hard drive, probably by hand-encoding my past articles. Let me start with my favorite pinoy band of the last four years Radioactive Sago Project. Next entry please.

Just read an insightful article on globalization on wired.com. Why the World is Flat author Thomas Friedman describes his ideas, all found in his new book. His "Dell Theory of Conflict Prevention" is hilarious yet sounds true. No two countries will ever go to war with each other if they are both part of a global supply chain. I think I'll save up for this book.

I love working from the house. I tend to be much MUCH more productive. Finished three pages worth of text and images for PUMP. Not bad for someone who started working at 1:30PM.

I'm taking a break from my Gearotica writing racket for PUMP magazine. It's 2:44 and I don't feel like going to work tomorrow later. I'd rather stay home and finish my racket. Been feeling slightly ill all afternoon and evening - throat is acting up. Two difflams later my tongue is numb. I suddenly miss my camera. I tend to blog more when I have photos to post.

Meanwhile, my new favorite site.

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Look! I found my old site!

The question going through my mind right now is this: How do I make money doing something that I like? What I like is writing, but the tragedy is that writing pays peanuts. For me to live a fulfilling work life it is clear that, somehow, I must leverage my love for writing and my knack for it into something more financially rewarding.

My options:

• Karlo Samson's Top Secret Writing Agency
  
• Editorial Position for Pump
  
• Contributor for Pump
  
• Racket Writer for Preview and KZone
  
• Ghost Writer
  
• TV Feature Writer
  
• Travel Writer + Photographer
  

Right now, I'd like to go full swing with all the possible rackets but my ties to the desk job leave me with little time or energy to pursue articles on the side. Why don't I resign from my job, even when I am unhappy? I fear the loss of coin. The day job pays fine but exacts an onerous spiritual tax.

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Just read a very good article on blogs and blogging and how they will affect business. They may "affect" business but they won't necessarily make a blogger money - just provide companies with instant feedback as to what consumers think.