Happy Anti-Valentine's Day

There's something oddly comforting about The Cure's brooding and introspective masterpiece Disintegration (1989). Even though the entire album is a guided meditation that veers to a gradual descent toward loss, broken dreams/promises, declarations of unrequited love, and a bleak and distant yearning for happier times that could have been, the overall impact to the listener is anything but feelings of gloom. You do get a little misty-eyed from time to time but it's akin to watching a movie that deals with the same heart-wrenching subject matter than actually reliving what is being sung; leader and main songwriter Robert Smith is a good storyteller, after all.

Among its two counterparts, Pornography (1982) and Bloodflowers (2000), Disintegration is the middle act of an epic trilogy devoid of any upbeat melodies meant for top-40 radio. These are the kind of albums that are in heavy rotation as soundtracks to every suicide (along with Joy Division's Closer). Some concert reviewers even joked about giving complimentary ropes at every Cure concert in the past. Characterized by a grandiose wall of sounds created by synths, keyboards, chiming guitars and drum work that sounds like gunshots, and set to Smith's sharp wordplay and acute sense of crafting vivid imagery makes Disintegration, in my opinion, the definitive Cure album.

I have been searching for this album for so long. I scoured every known music peddler from the corporate-owned variety to the smallest flea pits where only hardcore collectors and audiophiles dare to tread (I did find other notable albums like The Stone Roses and NIN's Pretty Hate Machine during this quest), but only managed to acquire their singles collection Staring At The Sea. Even Quiapo - the ever reliable haven for hard-to-find music, movies and reading materials - didn't have it. While I am aware of the internet and wonders it can do to acquire digital files, when it comes to music I am old-fashioned. The album, the sleeves, the entire package and yes, even the search, is everything. I believe those are parts of the complete album listening experience. But sometimes you just have to listen to something so bad, you are compelled to bend some of your established rules to satisfy your curiousity.

As expected, the music was excellent. All the songs are epic in scope, each masterfully crafted by the band and clocking in at no less than five minutes. "Plainsong" opens with the most apt lyric that sets the tone for the entire album: "I think it's dark and it looks like rain...". Smith sings in a resigned manner that even the biggest yearnings actually feel the end of the world even if it were answered. But the genius of tunesmiths like Robert Smith is that they are able to channel all these moping and self-pity into pop masterpieces full of hook that helps in digesting an other wise heavy concept album all the more easier to the casual listener. This is definitely the album to play this Valentines. Full of anthemic shout outs tailor-made for the soundtrack of your own miserable existence.

Do not patronize CD-R King-Megamall

Ia and I went to Megamall Last Sunday (1-Feb-09) afternoon to buy supplies for the house and I decided to drop by CD-R king to get DVD cases for my pirated movie collection, as well as to score some rewritable CDs for burning. It's common knowledge that the store is usually overflowing with people but I was willing to brave through the crowd to get what I came for. Andun na rin lang, lubusin na.

I took a priority number (64) and waited patiently for my turn. I was there in front of the main counter where at least three female attendants who were probably in their mid-20s were busy attending to other people. By the time number 63 called I doubled my effort spot "64" among the escalating noise of the crowd and was surprised when I saw number 65 being passed from the counter to my left towards an attendant a the far right of the counter in front. You do not need to be a rocket scientist to deduce that you have been bypassed. But I swear I was paying attention and did not hear my number called out. My fears were realized when the attendant who received 65 called for number 66. I called her attention and told her I was bypassed but instead of acknowledging my pleas for assistance she waved her hand dismissively, and contorting her face that read "GET LOST", so I asked for the woman in front of me to assist, but I got another poker-faced reaction.

By this time I was already in a confrontational mode and decided to ask if they indeed called out 64 but the attendant with the contorted features decided to take rudeness to another level by making snide remarks that it was my fault for not paying attention, that kanina pa daw sila nagtatawag, ala naman daw lumalapit, etc. I was right in front of the counter and the woman who handed out 65 to the other was in close proximity to my left side the whole time I was waiting but I swear I haven't heard anything. In situations like these where you feel you didn’t do anything wrong, controlling your temper becomes a task of herculean proportions but I surprised myself by not going into full blown shouting match. What I did was I asked my wife to leave the store and as we were going out, I could still hear the side comments from several attendants that appeared to be provoking me into a full-on "eskandalo" deathmatch but I just grinned and contemplated on how to get back at these people with minimal effort but with maximum results. Engaging them into a full-blown word war was out of the question, as these shops clearly do not have a manager or supervisor to monitor their staffs' behavior. And even if they had (CD-R King that is), I'd bet my life that it would also be another idiot who'd most likely take the side of his staff and who probably inspired them to be total assholes in the first place. Had I taken the bait, the entire shop would've swallowed me.

Okay let's assume that it was really my fault for not hearing or paying attention. Would it hurt these staff members to decline with even an iota of courtesy? I'm not a person who enjoys conflict, so had the attendant told me to just get another number and said sorry I would have obliged with no complaints. But arrogance, especially one that is motivated by ignorance and stupidity is dangerous. Ang siste, e utang na loob mo pa bilang customer ang pagtangkilik sa shop nila't paglingkuran nila. I was tempted to relegate these SOBs in the clichéd asal palengkera denomination but that would be an insult to real palengkeras everywhere.

Those side comments really bothered me so we marched towards the administration office to file a written complaint against the entire shop. I was surprised when the guard on duty told me it was the first time someone actually filed a written complaint in Megamall. And I thought it is exactly why those attendants had the temerity to do what they just did. They were probably so confident in their capabilities in ganging up against a person during heated arguments that they forgot technicality wins over the best arguments, or the loudest voice, anytime. After writing my statement I was accompanied by two guards and their chief to identify the star attractions.

Their reaction when they saw me march toward the store with the guards was priceless. In fact it made the entire ordeal worth it. A little public service tip: if this kind of thing happens to you, especially in a big mall like SM (these corporations do have customer care standards), go straight to the admin office and file a complaint and have the admin officers escort you to the offending parties and indentify them. In a shouting match, you compete against someone to hog the spotlight. Having admin officials with you gives you unlimited verbal abusing powers (and you don't have to shout to get your point across because everyone's quiet and staring at their own feet) and the ultimate 'sorry po sir' that was missing in your first encounter.

It was like what Kevin Spacey's serial killer in SE7EN said: "Asking people to listen, you just can't tap them in the shoulder anymore. You have to hit them with a sledgehammer. And then you'll notice you have their undivided attention..."

We went to church afterwards.