Thursday, December 28, 2006. 2:42 AM
Good Monsters
One of my Christmas gifts for myself is a copy of Jars of Clay's latest album
Good Monsters which I so long desired to have. Yey!
The album is different from their other recordings. Though the "rock" sound remains, there is a touch of country/folk-like music. Actually there's no specific music genre to which Jars of Clay can be associated with because their musicality varies from one recording to another. Nevertheless, I appreciate how they played with the sound.
When it comes to the lyrics of the songs, I'm still having a difficult time deciphering the meaning of some of their songs. Well, Jars is known for their poetic approach in songwriting. As written in one of the review about the album in the
ChristianityToday website,
"Good Monsters [is] best suited for those with a taste for the introspective and impressionistic, as opposed to those who prefer spoon-fed songwriting." The overall tone of the album tries to communicate a profound, what-one-feels message evoking feelings of desperation and loneliness.
With this album, Jars of Clay once again proved that they are indeed one of the best Christian musical artists.
Here is one of the songs in the album -- a duet with Leigh Nash:
Mirrors and Smoke
Jars of Clay (2006)
I'm feeling older than my years
I'm feeling pain inside my chest
It's love that keeps me silent
It's my silence that you detest
Rivers flow into the oceans
And oceans never fill
I want to kiss your lips, but I know I never will
Love's a hard decision to risk impending choke
But love will keep you wishing
And my heart will keep me broke
I blew flowers, gave you candy to even out the guilt
I sent you greeting cards with messages that I could never write
Rivers flow into the oceans
And oceans never fill
I want to let you know me
But I know I never will
Love's a contradiction
Many mirrors and smoke
Love will keep you wishing
My heart makes me broke
You will always want me
And I'll always want to leave
Even though I cut your wounds
You still deny they're real
Rivers flow into the ocean
Oceans never fill
I want to lay my life down
But I know you never will
Love's a strange condition
With all the doubts it can invokeYour love keeps me wishing
And my heart keeps me broke
Baby, don't you cry, 'cause I got it all figured out
You always make me sad
But that's what true love is all about
Rivers never fill the oceans
But oceans always feel
The waters reaching deep inside them
I guess they always will
Love's a constant mission
Truer word were never spokeLove, it keeps you wishing
My heart, it keeps me broke
Mirrors and smoke
P.S. I was able to watch in YouTube the music video of
Work, the first song in their album. Isang scene lang siya pero asteeeg!
---
Wednesday, December 27, 2006. 1:40 AM
A Woman's Question
I'm not so much in the mood to write something about what happened to me in the past few days/weeks (as if I really write about these things... hihi!). Anyhow, I was browsing through my friends' blogs and I came across this one entry from
Kype:
A Woman's Question*by Lena Lethrop
(excerpt from the book "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" by Joshua Harris)Do you know you have asked for the costliest thing
Ever made by the Hand above?
A woman's heart, and a woman's life -
And a woman's wonderful love.
Do you know you have asked for this priceless thing
As a child might ask for a toy?
Demanding what other have died to win,
With the reckless dash of a boy.
You have written my lesson of duty out,
Manlike, you have questioned me.
Now stand at the bars of my woman's soul
Until I shall question thee.
You require your mutton shall always be hot,
Your socks and your shirt be whole;
I require your heart be true as God's stars
And as pure as His heaven your soul.
You require a cook for your mutton and beef,
I require a far greater thing;
A seamstress you're wanting for socks and shirts -
I look for a man and king.
A king for the beautiful realm called Home,
And a man that his Maker, God,
Shall look upon as He did on his first
And say, "It is very good."
I am fair and young, but the rose may fade
From this soft young cheek one day;
Will you love me then 'mid the falling leaves,
As you did 'mong the blossoms of May?
Is your heart an ocean so strong and true,
I may launch my all on its tide?
A loving woman finds heaven or hell
On the day she is made a bride.I require all things that are
grand and true,
All things that a man should be;
If you give this all, I would stake my life
To be all you demand of me.
If you cannot be this, a laundress and cook
You can hire and little to pay;
But a woman's heart and a woman's life
Are not to be won that way.
* is also my question.
---
Friday, December 22, 2006. 7:44 PM
One Month
I keep on wondering what my life would be like had I extended my
patience for
one more month...
I bet, it would be entirely different...
---
A Not-So-Good Morning
Dead Man (Carry Me)Jars of ClayJanuary 1, I've got a lot of things on my mind
I'm looking at my body through a new spy satellite
Try to lift a finger, but I don't think I can make the call
So tell me if I move, 'cause I don't feel anything at all
So Carry Me,
I'm just a dead man
Lying on the carpet
Can't find a heartbeat
Make me breathe,
I want to be a new man
Tired of the old one
Out with the old plan
I woke up from a dream about an empty funeral
But is was better than the party full of people I don't really know
They've got hearts to break and burn
Dirty hands to feel the earth
There's something in my veins,
But I can't seem to make it work... won't work
So Carry Me,
I'm just a dead man
Lying on the carpet
Can't find a heartbeat
Make me breathe,
I want to be a new man
Tired of the old one
Out with the old plan
Can you find a beat inside of me?
Any pulse?
Getting worse?
Any pulse?
Getting worse?
Inside of me, can you find a beat?
Carry Me,
I'm just a dead man
Lying on the carpet
Can't find a heartbeat
Make me breathe,
I want to be a new man
Tired of the old one
Out with the old plan
---
Friday, December 15, 2006. 6:50 PM
Here's Another One...
Courtesy of Roleth again
...
What's the Difference Between Flirting and Cheating?Posted by
David Zinczenkoon Thu, Dec 07, 2006, 10:16 am PST
My last blog entry raised the question of
why men cheat, and thousands of you weighed in--not just on the whys of cheating, but on what, exactly, constitutes cheating. In fact, one woman said she considers it cheating if her man so much as looks at another woman. Huh? You mean he's not even allowed to scope, peek, glance, admire, or notice another beautiful woman? Now, it's one thing to hold a man's words, actions, or nether regions to a high standard. But his eyes, too? That seems to make about as much sense as our societal obsession with Britney's apparently empty underwear drawer.
While researching my book Men, Love & Sex, I found that not only do men and women define fidelity differently, but they also fail to talk about their definitions before something happens (with the exception of the one action everyone acknowledges as cheating). Here's how guys tend to define the murkier areas of fidelity. Don't like it? Then talk about it now before he steps across a line he didn't know existed.
- Flirting or Cheating? Looking at another woman? It's one thing if his tongue drops to the floor in your presence; that's just plain disrespectful (though 80 percent of men have admitted to looking at other women even with their wives or girlfriends around). But cheating? Hardly. Men think there's a huge difference between thinking and acting. "We have two sides--the committed husband/boyfriend and the 'check out the hottie' side. In men, the committed wins out, but the checker always exists," says one man who responded to the Harris poll I used when researching the book. (And ladies, don't even try to tell me you haven't had more than a couple of thoughts and conversations about whether McDreamy or McSteamy is hotter.)
- Flirting or Cheating? E-mailing an ex? The e-mail exchange per se isn't a cheat (depending on exactly what's exchanged, of course). But, for many people, any contact beyond a few truly platonic and innocent "just catching up" messages is a relationship-killer-not because of the act itself, but because of the potential act that may follow. About 60 percent of guys consider dinner and drinks with an ex as cheating. Looking her up online? Only 20 percent of us would classify that as a relationship no-no.
- Flirting or Cheating? Hanging out with the women at work? Here's the real relationship danger zone: About 50 percent of guys consider having dinner and drinks with an attractive co-worker as cheating. But the more troubling stat for you may be this one: One in five men says that he secretly loves his platonic (for now) coworker. Just look at Jim and Pam on The Office, and you know exactly what I'm talking about. That's not meant to scare you-more just to make sure you keep your eyes open (as if you don't already) and intentions honorable.
- Flirting or Cheating? Kissing another woman? Some guys may try to wiggle out of a drunken kiss with a stranger (or coworker, in the cloakroon, at the Christmas party) as a one-time-only event. But the true test about whether a guy thinks something is cheating is whether he'd be ok with the situation reversed. Guys don't want their women exchanging lip balm (or any thing else physical) with another guy, and nearly 90 percent of guys agree that their own drunken hook-up with a stranger is indeed off-limits.
- Flirting or Cheating? Going to a strip club? The good news for those of you who are anti-exotic dancer: Half of men think that visiting a strip club is cheating. The other half? Going to a strip club is like going to a sporting event-there's lots of entertainment, lots of excitement, and lots of interest in watching the most talented players in action. In the poll, many men said that they feel there's no harm in once-in-a-while visits since there's no emotional attachment and only temporary, artificial physical attraction. "Sometimes, to be blunt about it," one man responded in the poll, "it's just a bit of art appreciation, and it's nice to see another woman naked."
---
Just to Have Something to Post...
I read this article from Roleth's friendster blog (Hi Roleth! 
)
Why Men Cheat
Posted by David Zinczenko
on Thu, Nov 30, 2006, 10:34 am PST
Of course, we all know that while men and women are both capable of cheating, it's often the guys who have the biggest problem keeping their belts firmly buckled. And we all know that no matter who it's with, why it's done, or where the after-hours canoodling takes place, cheating is-most of the time-the ultimate relationship death sentence. But instead of dwelling on what happens after the cheating takes place, one of the ways to perhaps prevent infidelity is by knowing a little bit about why men stray. I'm not offering them as excuses, merely explanations as to what happens in that brain (and other body parts) of his-in hopes that you might be able to prevent it. Here, the top reasons why men cheat:
To Fulfill His Biology: You know the old anthropological tale. A man's main job, besides killing the saber-tooth, is to spread his seed in order to ensure the survival of his genetic legacy. It's a man's biology to want to wander. Does that mean he should, or that he can't help it? Of course not. But it does mean that a man is going to have strong-extremely strong-biological urges to knock on the doors of neighboring huts. I have had this argument/discussion/conversation with dozens of men and women: Are men predestined to cheat? My answer is no, they're not-despite their biology. But often times, they do have to fight it. Especially after a pitcher and two shots of Jack.
To Get the Attention: News flash: Sure, some guys cheat because, well, maybe the sexual frequency has slowed a bit, and maybe hot-and-heavy happens at home about as often as Rob Schneider gets nominated for an Oscar. But the truth is that plenty of men who are having regular sex with their partner are also having sex with someone else. Why? Because cheating isn't just about the sex. Just as a woman who cheats may be seeking more affection than what she's getting at home, a man often cheats because he's seeking the attention that he no longer gets at home. Part of the allure of the mysterious woman isn't just to find out what she looks like naked; it's that the woman showers the man with flirtations, with seduction, with advances that make him feel like he's worthy of more than just fixing dents in the drywall.
To Get Out: I know lots of guys who simply don't have the strength to end it. They may try ("I'm just not happy"), or they may take other tactics to drive a woman away. A lot of guys simply have trouble breaking off relationships because they don't want to be perceived as that bad guy, the jerk, the insensitive lout who ended something good. So they tiptoe around the issue in hopes that she'll get so frustrated that she'll back out first. Well, if that doesn't work, then a man knows that the only way out is to commit the relationship sin that drives a woman away for good. It's not right, but it's what happens.
To Change Up His Play List: Think about what's on your iPod. You have your favorite songs you play over and over, but every once in a while, you're in the mood to hear something you haven't played in a long time. You don't need to hear it but once every month or so, but still, you appreciate the changeup. Relationships need to be like good iPods lists. You're comfortable with your routine and you like your routine, but it's always nice to change things up. What men really want in relationships (and what I suspect women also want) is to be able to take comfort in the routine of a long-term commitment, as long as there are some surprises that make it feel like a new relationship every once in a while. In order to keep the relationship strong, you've got to change the songs every once in a while. That goes for in the bedroom and out.
---
Saturday, December 09, 2006. 9:09 PM
BF/Daddy/Lolo
To the man who has never failed to love me:
Belated
Happy 60th Birthday! I love you!
You will always be my
man...
---
Beauty
Belated Happy Birthday Raissa!
Stay pretty!
I miss you Ganda!
---
My Love Songs for My Savior
FOREVER -
Hillsong Music Australia
I'll Worship at Your Throne
Whisper my own love song
With all my heart I'll sing
For You my Dad and King
I'll live for all my days
To Put a smile on Your face
And when we finally meet
It'll be for eternity
And Oh how wide You open up Your arms
When I need Your love
And how far You would come
If ever I was lost
And You said that all You feel for me
Is undying love
That You showed me through the cross
I'll worship You my God
I'll worship You my God
I love You
I love You
Forever I will sing
Forever I will be with You
Be with You
YOU ARE -
Gary Valenciano
Chorus:
You are the love of my life
You are the hope that I cling to
You mean more than this world to me
I wouldn't trade You for silver or gold
I wouldn't trade You for the riches untold
You are, You are my everything
I wouldn't take one step without you
I could never go on
I couldn't live one day without you
I don't have the strength
To make it on my own
Bridge:
Until the world stops turning
Until the stars fade from the sky
Until the sun stops rising
I need you in my life
And here's the reason why
