Notes to Self XIX

I, The Deranged Writer, love any type of music. On every music device I have ever owned, from my third-generation iPod Nano (anyone remember that?) to my iPhone 15, my music library is a melting pot of artists and songs. I was not vocal about my love for various kinds of music though; only a few friends knew this fact.

But that all changed when I found myself on a Dave Grohl interview marathon (for the nth time) on an afternoon in 2011.

This is my 19th Notes to Self.

Continue reading Notes to Self XIX

Song of the Moment XCIV: The Cranberries’ “Zombie”

I felt a bit anxious today, a Sunday, so I attended Mass on my own and I went to my favorite cafe to relax. I ordered the usual (and comforting) affogato and continued reading The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music, a book by my hero Dave Grohl. (Yes, I did say “my hero”, a reference to the Foo Fighters classic! Also, this is my second time reading the book, and I’m about to finish it by tomorrow.)

And for once, while I was reading, I didn’t listen to music through my phone. Tonight, I relied on the cafe’s vinyl player, and it played many songs from The Cranberries. The song that stood out for me is the iconic “Zombie”. It has been a long time since I heard “Zombie”, and hearing it brought me back to the time when cassette tapes were the norm and when the only source of stress for me was homework. Memories. And that’s why it’s my Song of the Moment.

The music video of The Cranberries’ “Zombie”.

Anyway, tomorrow is September 1. That means it’s the start of Christmas season in the Philippines. Exciting times!

See you in the next post!

Ω


Header image: Suzy Hazelwood of Pexels. Edited in Adobe Photoshop 2025.

Updated on September 3, 2025.

XXXIV: The Hulk Hogan Question My Grandfather Frequently Asked

Usually, I would watch WWE alone, and I’m cool with it. Yes, I eventually found a few friends who watch WWE or pro wrestling in general (casual or a die-hard fan like me), but I also accepted a long time ago that pro wrestling is not everyone’s cup of tea.

Whenever I do watch pro wrestling with other people, it’s even better. One of my bonding moments with my Father would be watching clips of WWE (old or new) on YouTube. Sometimes, my Younger Brother (the Kane to my Undertaker) would watch with me, too. Recently, when I was watching the recent edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event, my Younger Brother was surprised to see Goldberg in action. (I told him it was his retirement match, and he was battling Gunther for the World Heavyweight Championship.)

But whenever I watch WWE with my lolo (Tagalog for “grandfather”), Lolo Ice, it’s a different situation—primarily because he doesn’t know it’s scripted, predetermined. If I did bring up the scripted fact to him, he would forget it, and he would still cheer for the faces (heroes) and jeer for the heels (villains)… and I love him for that. I can just enjoy watching the matches and moments with my lolo without analyzing them. This is why I called him my wrestling buddy.

And of all the times Lolo Ice and I watched any wrestling match or moment, he would always bring up one question about an important figure in pro wrestling, and I would always answer the same way.

Continue reading XXXIV: The Hulk Hogan Question My Grandfather Frequently Asked