I know I have been away for a long time. But I want you folks to know I am still alive and kicking. For those who didn't know yet, I am running several blogs and I want to share them all with those who care to drop by.

http://celticmusicfan.wordpress.com/  Just mainly music stuff.

http://mrbaxteria.blogspot.com/  My so-called life.

http://crashreviews.blogspot.com/  Anything under the sun...

http://thebacolodnon.blogspot.com/ Talking about my hometown :)

http://mrbaxteria.livejournal.com/ A.k.a The Phonographer. Talking about my love for vinyl records.

  The good thing about the cyberspace is that when you write something and tag it, one way or the other people will see it. Maybe not now, but in the future.It's good to be able to be involve in something so big. To quote from Maria Callas: "We are serving a beautiful master." Yes music is a beautiful master and to serve it is sublime.

  After removing my design, I found myspace habitable once more. IT makes things easier. It makes talking to friends easier.

  Myspace used to be my haven. I was always here, posting comments,blogs and sending messages to my top pals.One by one my pals became busy and there is no point that I have to update this page. I once again found something to get my hands busy upon and that's facebook.But myspace will always remain special to me because I found a lot of things I know now here. All the wonderful music and people.If you want to be my facebook pal, please add me throught his email:rommel_06100@yahoo.com.

I couldn't sleep and it is past past 3 in the afternoon. God knows what will happen to me later at work with this situation.I know i feel crazy things and I have an impulse to do crazy stuff but sometimes I got to be kinder to myself.It is not my intention to stalk or cause annoyance to anybody. I just follow my instinct no matter how bizarre it may seem.I can always justify that with being human.So other than the need for human warmth...what keeps me going? Vinyl records and photography yay! Wow that's quick .Yeah it's true. As shameful as it may seem to rely on material stuff for personal comfort , I have to admit they take my blues away.
Bigger is not always better. After some refurbishing at home and building an extension, it doesn't take away the fact that the situations didn't improve. It's just the same ol' house with a bigger space.Frankly it gives me a feeling that we're not the only people living here. I do get paranoid thoughts sometimes.Same reason why I have to turn the radio on when I am at home because the silence worries me.Oh well...Outside it's raining hard. What a relief from the scorching days.

 I was yakking on the phone for more than an hour. I was bored on an Easter afternoon.I taked to Lyn, a friend I haven't talked to in a  long time. It was good to touch base again.Her parents gave me their home number after losing it 3 years ago.The things we talked about now.I asked about Bong.What?? I get disappointed when that happens.Time is running out.Five years is not a joke you know. Ok I am not making sense. I should not because I don't want to give an idea that I am treading on private zone , giving out stuff that is reserved for private discussion.
***
  My friends in Manila asked me when am I coming home.I said I am home. They said no no no. I get their point. When you've spent years in a place and meet friends that treat you like family, these are things that can't be kept in a closet after you moved on. Old ties are hard to break especially sweet ones.
***
 Mariela is still in Manila. We still talk on the phone endlessly like we used to.There are days when I miss the times we used to hang out at her place , watching movies(Sophie Marceau is a recurring favorite) until past midnight and I would just fall asleep on her family's couch and she would just cover me with a blanket.Or we would just sit by the window watching the rain while listening to Moya Brennan or Lisa Gerrard. Just for the record she is not into gothic or new agey stuff.For some reason my music became an acquired taste.I am putting our picture on my profile to remind us of the good times.

You can’t afford being comfortable in this life. One day you either wake up and realized the carpet has been pulled off under you, or noticed there’s no ceiling above you. All these changes that happen around are so subtle yet powerful ,they can change even you.I got sick and realized I have missed so many days at work and it means I will be getting less and less pay.I am also getting bored staying at home and dealing with domestic woes. It gets so horrible that it makes you want to hate the people around you.I hope things will get better soon because this is no way to live…simply no way to live.

 I have tone neurosis. I freak out when I hear something that is out of tone.It's like a case of a dripping faucet.It won't let me sleep.When I play music I can tell exactly if there is a problem with the pitch which is relative to speed.Unlike MP3 players,20th century record changers use mechanical belts to spin.I observed this happening to my cassette recorder/player and I ended up taking the whole thing apart at 1am trying to look for that gadget responsible for the speed .I found it and went to bed at 6 am.
  This very same thing manifested in my turntable. I noticed the wow and flutter(speed variation accompanied by unstable pitch).When I took the platter off, I noticed that the ball bearing was just lying under the spindle. I didn't know what it's supposed to do.It must have fallen off after numerous removal of platter and cleaning. I Googled for documents relating to this.
  I later found where it's supposed to be at.Same reason why it is putting a lot of strain on the rubber belt. Without it, there's mechanical resistance since the platter has submerged a few millimeters  from actual position.Now I am a contented man...well,until I notice a note not in the right place..but hopefully not too soon.Sigh

Something is wrong with me. It has been the past few days and I can't bring myself to look at the monitor.Just the thought of typing and getting 'connected' seems like too much of work to be done.I know I have to open my mails, send replies, be updated to what my online friends are doing  but I just can't bring myself to look at the damn monitor. 
  Shayo records from myspace has added me and I love the artists under the banner. Lots of beautiful music to be heard. This is the link to shayo records. Do check it.
http://www.myspace.com/shayorecords

  I guess you can't address retro art in the Philippines without addressing the "Peryahan" culture.The perya or a mobile carnaval( or a fair that moves from town to town) is still part of what the Pilipino rural scene is.I like raiding people's throw away record collections. It's like a diary fo their l;ives. These are their collection and I am just a recepient.So I won't be surprised to be assulted with popular Illongo songs that would make hipsters cringed. Or that cha cha music that's always played in the peryahan.But I don't mind. Music is always relevant regardless of genre.