Don’t worry, it’s not goodbye…

…rather, it’s an upgrade. Shale has officially moved (actually, since 15 November) to http://shale.wordpress.com.

Sadly we can’t move our entries from here to the new site, and some things have to be ridiculously ditched to accommodate stuff, and we’re still in growing pains, but we hope you follow us there the way you followed us here since March. We’ve got three articles up there, and hopefully more to come. DOn’t worry, though - this site will still be up to keep all articles between the launch last March 2006 until now.

So, we’ll see you there, with all the celebrity, the politics, and the nonsense… we’re waiting.

Should we move to WordPress?

We’ve been long contemplating about moving Shale, from its current home at i.ph, to WordPress. Nothing against where we are right now, but although Shale has never looked any slicker, we thought it’s time to move out of where we are and go into somewhere new, and probably slicker. If so, we would probably even relaunch, with a new name.

But why now, when we’re in the middle of launching two new sister blogs and a lot of things are in the horizon, despite us being really busy with school? To be honest about it, it’s all a whim. That’s why we’re asking you guys whether we should even move - move to somewhere new, and somewhere probably easier for us to work with, now that we’ve started to ease towards a new direction, or stay here and grow.

We’ll admit, it hurts if we move blogs (and definitely not move all the entries, unless we all prefer to do it manually, which is very tedious work), and we don’t really want to leave behind the comments already made about this one, like the reputation we’ve gained covering the General Elections, or from the handful of people in other countries (especially radio presenters, like Annie Mac) who’ve noticed and taken note. We’d gladly appreciate your thoughts; to send them in, comment on this entry, or email us at shale@i.ph. Nevertheless, we hope to have you staying when we do decide to move (if you say so, or if we find WordPress easier), and watch out for future developments in this space.

Major round-up: release three

As I said, the work did kill us, and so did this series for a while. After the fold, photography complaints, research complaints - essentially, stress issues and how we addressed them, four weeks later. We’ve just been through midterms, basically… (more…)

It’s enrollment season, again

Sometimes you wonder whether enrollment this term would really be worth it. Of course there’s the problem with the servers, and last term it ceremoniously went down for us CLA sophomores availing of priority enrollment. Last night Jenn and I wondered whether it would be any better - why wouldn’t the ITC improve server capacity than, say, provide dial-up access that almost everyone doesn’t avail. As I said somewhere before, quadruple access and everybody will be happy.

The ITC has been getting fire lately, but it’s on other issues, one of them being blocked sites (Yahoo! Messenger included). However, it seems not many have spoken about My.Lasalle’s server capacity, and despite the dial-up fee being “donations” since not everybody’s been using it, we only wonder where this goes.

Anyway, online enrollment week starts on 13 November, and as with every second term of the year the frosh get a stab at enrollment. The schedule is somewhat the same, but the only change - which in paper would lessen the chances of hundreds, if not thousands, of people accessing at the same time and crashing the servers - is that there’s a new layer of eligiblity, so to speak. (more…)

And the winners are…

Finally, the winners from FAST 2005’s Pay It Forward socio-civic promo. Sars just sent us this email, and here goes the list:

First Prize: Mary Therese Cailles, BSC-BMG
Second Prize: Katrina Santos, AB-CAM
Third Prize: Eddy Dy

Yes, that is Kaymee on the list. Congratulations all!

Dispatches from the pep rally

Yes, it’s another pep rally. I’m surprised though - why would we have a pep rally? Why now, when we are suspended at the UAAP? Why at this time in the year, even - because last year it was somewhere during the first term?

I didn’t actually plan to check it out, but destiny meant I drift there and watch the proceedings. Armed again with that blue notebook, and a pen, the following paragraphs are written down as it happens, and only polished later. And, so far, things seem hopeful - but not at face value, though.

So, while we wait two more terms for our big comeback, my thoughts on the pep rally held earlier thid afternoon. (more…)

Major round-up: release two

Well, we’ve received a few responses regarding this. To Mirielle: how did this thing become amusing when this is done as lazily as possibly? Anyway, after the fold: the quotes that either came in late or were forgotten, stress showing through, and the people we surprisingly haven’t heard from yet. Plus, we’ve made the entry less stuffier, for your reading convenience, as well as my writing’s. (more…)

Breakfast in the afternoon

(In the spirit of an apparent resparking of interest in Shale, this entry was originally written between 16.01 and 16.25 of 26 September, and is tweaked in places to look better and to adapt later developments.)

The Breakfast shoot is in peril of being moved. It seems my moment of happiness - I have a jacket with me and it’s been useless, the entire day, for everyone but Meh - is going to be their downfall.

Out of persistent boredom I ended up sitting three gaps away from Kizia, somewhere near the auditorium. She’s hosting this segment for Studio 23’s Breakfast, and somehow the few who knew have been sort-of excited, me included. When we found out about this, Jino persisted in calling her a superstar - previously she’s been busy doing voiceovers from Kraft (apparently), thanks to (persumably) connections from with the Green Media Group, where she is a member of the hosting pool. Ironically, she’s wearing a red shirt with her make-up, not green - and she’s just seated here. And the thunder threatens to make its presence felt more. (more…)

We’re pretty excited because…

…in case you’ve noticed, we’re launching two new sister blogs within the coming weeks. It’s surprising, yes, considering we’re supposedly busier than ever, but again, nothing helpes when inspiration strikes. For now, though, they’re nothing much, but Shale Film Notes (which would basically contain my notes for film class) and Shale Third Person (which would carry all those personality profiles) would be coming your way sooner than you expect. For now, though, just hang on!

Major round-up: release one

Shale is making the rounds as we take a look back at the first week of majors. And, although we’re not promising to make this a regular weekly feature of the blog, we’ll still try our best to give you an idea of what we’ve been up to what we’ve seen, heard and experienced. And, take note, we’ll be quoting from a lot of people, mostly from those that I personally know. It’s just an attempt to give you guys a little idea of what’s happening.

After the fold, block reunions, photography expenses, and of course, Miss Diaz. (more…)

“Crikey, Steve, we will miss you”

It’s been two days since the news of the death of Steve Irwin spread across the world, taking the world aback and triggering an outpour of grief and praise for the Australian television presenter, wildlife expert and conservationist. After almost wall-to-wall coverage (only interrupted today, probably, by the birth of a boy, and finally a heir, to the Japanese imperial family) and a lot of things shown, it seems suddenly we haven’t got enough of him even after his death.

And, slowly details of his death are slowly creeping. His last moments, as producer and close friend John Stainton had suspected, were recorded on video - it can be recalled that he died while shooting an underwater documentary - and it seems impossible that it would be shown to the public. But of course - even Stainton said that “[it was] a very hard thing to watch because you’re actually witnessing somebody die and it’s terrible.”

After watching the video, before passing it to the police, Stainton describes what could be Irwin’s final moments: “It shows that Steve came over the top of the ray and the tail came up and spiked him here [in the chest] and he pulled [the barb] out and the next minute he’s gone,” MediaGuardian quoted him as saying. “That was it - the cameraman had to shut down.” (more…)

He’s well and well-delayed

An update from Caresse regarding the condition of Rogelio Narvaez: it’s been said that he’s out of danger since course card day. However, apparently grades under his subjects have not been released yet, since they haven’t been computed yet (and rules say nobody else can do that task); his students might receive their grades by the second week of the second term.

Farewell to the crocodile hunter

If anybody of you have grown up - or at least caught - that television series on the Discovery Channel, you must remember that Australian guy. Yes, Steve Irwin from Crocodile Hunter, whose adventures (if we should call it as such) have incited in us an interest in swamps, crocodiles, and everything else dangerous - not to mention the way he presented it.

Sadly, though, he was killed - by a stingray, not by a crocodile.

Ambulance service personnel in Australia said he was killed in an accident while shooting an underwater documentary at the Great Barrier Reef. The 44-year-old explorer was apparently stung by a stingray’s barb in the chest, collapsed, and never recovered; this happened at around 11.00 today. Authorities have said that Irwin’s family has been notified. (more…)

When all we can do is pray

Although Rogelio Narvaez isn’t my teacher in Computer class, I heard from his students this term - Caresse and Sudoy, among others - that he has suffered a stroke, and is now confined in some hospital’s ICU, yesterday. He is a member of DLSU’s Behavioral Sciences Department, which weirdly handles such classes (until this term, for it wouldn’t be offered soon), and also teaches Sociology classes.

Caresse heard from Ian Jayson Hecita, another DLSU faculty member, this time for the Political Science Department; Sudoy heard from Jason, also a classmate in the class. After questions as to how their grades would be distributed on Thursday, which is course cards distribution day, but his students are optimistic that they are finished and are just waiting ditribution.

It sounds so sudden - Caresse pointed out he is in his forties - but we’re in prayer that he goes through this well. Then again, sometimes things just surprise us…

Not quite a good release, that one

Sadly, Sponge Cola’s latest single Bitiw hasn’t impressed me. I’ve yet to catch the music video - it was premiered on Myx around twenty-four hours ago and I failed to catch it - but somehow it hasn’t impressed me.

Unlike their initial releases from their first album Palabas (especially Lunes and Una, both which affected me incredibly and is taken as a sign of great songwriting), this one was, in my opinion, pure and unadulterated pop rock. One listen and I knew it was a bit shallow lyric-wise. Also, it was a bit fast-paced for me (like To The Sly and Cunning from the last album). Nevertheless it was a good listen - but a bit disappointing, to say.

But of course, that’s just an initial judgment. It’s always better, I think, to listen to the entire album first for it might fit. Their next album Transit is coming this September.

“…but I should’ve known.”

Although this entry may seem like a more personal rant - my apologies if it does seem so - the first paragraphs do bounce off like social commentary. More than the fact that Ale lost her mobile yesterday, it’s what could’ve happened but didn’t.

http://www.xanga.com/noregretsss/523513633/item.html

Unfortunately, though, with authorities taking their pride, their donuts and their pleasures first, it seems we’re indeed a hopeless case.

Here goes the backlash

Just a minor update on Pluto being demoted, again from BBC News: “A fierce backlash has begun against the decision by astronomers to strip Pluto of its status as a planet.”

As far as I know, the NASA called the decision “embarassing” (quoting from the same article), the widow of Pluto’s discoverer Clyde Tombaugh is disappointed, and (thanks to Kofi’s Hat) stickers have been distributed protesting the decision.

And so I began thinking. If Pluto was demoted primarily because its orbit intersects with that of Neptune, then Neptune must not be a planet as well, right? (more…)

We’ll settle for nachos, then

What used to be “my very educated mother just served us nine pizzas” would now be “…nachos”.

Pluto is no longer a planet. Faced with the prospect of having to teach kids about a solar system with fifty-something planets, the International Astronomical Union met in Prague to discuss and finally define what makes a celestial body a planet. Now, a planet must (a) be in orbit around the sun, (b) be large enough that it takes on a nearly round shape, and (c) must have cleared its orbit of other objects. With these criteria, Pluto, whose orbit intersects with Neptune, is automatically disqualified.

Pluto may have been demoted as a “dwarf planet”, but it is made the chief among its kind. (more…)

It’s what I wish we had: part two

So how do you make dance music accessible?

I’ll admit, I do listen to Wave 89.1 on Saturday nights, when they (for once) ditch the cheesy R&B, or the redundant hip-hop, and crank the party switch up a notch. You might be surprised to know I do listen to dance, although I’m not particularly crazy about it. There must have been something with electronic beats and dance pulses that gets me up and running - obviously, hyperactive me - but then again, I’ve always seen dance music as something that’s upmarket, something that only those who go to parties can appreciate. I will admit I do get tangled in all those crappy teminologies, but then again I’d go purist and say it’s music all the same.

I rarely listen to dance shows, nevertheless. I often find myself tuning out from Wave on Saturday nights thirty minutes after the start of the show, partly because I’m bored, partly because I’m weirdly looking for more, and partly because it’s somehow dragging - the reason why I still appreciate host banter. I love atmosphere, I love beats, and I can appreciate what you can give me. (more…)

“With a milk bottle in my hand…”

What I really like about ABC’s The Chaser’s War on Everything is, simply, they’re just weirdly great.

Thanks (again) to idents.tv, who unwittingly introduced me to the program through its recorded clips, I was exposed to this comedy show that isn’t exactly a sketch show nor a practical joke show. To make things easier to understand, the show’s a bit satirical, a bit crazy, and is something I honestly think wouldn’t be possible in the Philippines: in our language, makapal ang kanilang mukha. And once you see the clips, you’ll know why.

The five stars of the show - from left, Andrew Hansen, Chris Taylor, Chas Licciardello, Craig Reucassel and Julian Morrow - have pretty much, as the show’s title suggests, waged a war on everything, from Australian current affairs shows to hamburgers to late night quiz shows. And, although its only got two weeks left on its twenty-seven episode run, it’s never too late to catch it. (more…)