Some 80s inspired pieces. Yellow Faux Suede Bike Jacket: Boohoo (I didn't wear it, but it did come with its own belt). Baby Letter Belt: Sacred Hawk. Royal Blue Vinyl High Waisted Skirt: ASOS. Nails by Impress Manicure. On The Prowl Sunnies: Quay Au… — Some 80s inspired pieces. Yellow Faux Suede Bike Jacket: Boohoo (I didn't wear it, but it did come with its own belt). Baby Letter Belt: Sacred Hawk. Royal Blue Vinyl High Waisted Skirt: ASOS. Nails by Impress Manicure. On The Prowl Sunnies: Quay Australia. Lime Green Drop Earrings: Bauble Bar. White High-Top Sneakers by Converse. Haircut and color by Sarah Vitek at Edge Evolution Studio and Spa in Baltimore, MD.

Podcasts Are Here To Stay And I'm Completely Obsessed With Them

June 28, 2017 in Outfits, Personal

A podcast is a combination of the words "iPod" and "broadcast" from when Apple gave the medium its formal support back in 2005. I don't know anyone who listened to podcasts, and I couldn't name a single podcast back then. Now they're pretty much ubiquitous, and they're here to stay. And even though you can listen to podcasts through Spotify and Soundcloud and other apps, the name sounds like it's here to stay too. "One obvious benefit of podcasts is that they’re a great way to absorb content while performing other tasks like driving or completing chores. While music can serve a similar purpose, podcasts are a great way to learn something new or just entertain oneself when listening to the same old songs again finally seems unbearable," says Blake Morris in his article, The Power of Podcasts.

I used to hate talk radio and still do. I didn't like how you couldn't control what they talked about and who was talking about it. One of the most popular talk shows back in the day was Loveline and I'd rather cut my arm off than listen to that (it didn't help that I was never a fan of Adam Corolla). So it comes as a surprise that I find myself completely addicted to podcasts. I don’t even listen to music anymore when I’m in the car or just hanging around at home. For me, it all started with the NoSleep podcast. As regular radio destroyed itself with too many commercial breaks and time spent pitching to The Aging Angry White Guy, podcasts redeemed the medium. Instead of peddling itself to broad demographic markets, it appealed to niche interests, passions, and the tradition of storytelling, and for every interest there’s a wealth of podcasts just for you.

While some of the larger brands have figured out their social media channels, such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, a lot of them haven't quite figured out how to use podcasts. Two examples are Girlboss and Rookie. Personally, I would love to just listen to Girlboss' Sophie Amoruso rant about whatever is going thru her mind that day. Instead, she feeds her audience the most neutered interviews ever recorded. Sophie, if you're reading this, I did not tune into your podcast to listen to you ask a bunch of CEOs their life stories and career paths. There is nothing hilarious, nothing provocative and nothing actionable in that kind of content. How about getting on the mic and talking about how happy you are that Netflix's Girlboss got cancelled after only one season? I'd listen to something like that. As for Rookie, Tavi Gevinson's podcast, there is nothing groundbreaking here, unlike her blog and magazine. It's just Tavi doing the same tired question and answer routine and responding with "Awesome!" and "Cool!" I expected more and these two podcasts and all the ones like it aren't working for me.

So who is doing it right and keeping it interesting? Here are my faves:

Juan Epstein

If you're into hip hop, Pete Rosenberg's show on NYC's Hot 97 or people who are actually good at interviewing. Tavi and Sophie, take notes please.

T he Gary Vee Audio Experience

After seeing Gary Vaynerchuck all over YouTube and reading several of his books about social media and entrepreneurship, I decided to subscribe to his podcast too. Gary Vee is a real one. Gary, if you ever read this, HMU.

Pod Save The People

Deray McKesson's new podcast about activism, social justice, culture and politics. His interview with Edward Snowden blew my mind. Start with that one.

This Filipino American Life

Always hilarious and if you're Fil-Am like me, you'll get every single joke. I really like this one best because all the other Asian American podcasts focus on mostly East Asians. The nuances of their experiences are totally different from a Fil-Am.

Strong Opinions Loosely Held

This is Refinery 29's podcast about pop culture. Their episode about who's a woke celebrity and who's just faking it for likes (spoiler alert: it's Taylor Swift) is great.

The NoSleep Podcast

This is the one that got it all started for me. I am a huge fan of the annual reader submitted scary stories feature on Jezebel, which led me to the NoSleep podcast. From there, I started looking for other podcasts to listen to while waiting for each new, weekly NoSleep episode.

What are your favorite podcasts? Or do you have one of your own? Tell me in the comments!

Featured

Unverified Accounts

The Best Movies of 2020

My 5 Favorite Books of 2020

A Biden Win Is Not a Win For Democracy

Follow Me On Instagram!

I haven’t said much here on my feed but I’ve been podcasting, tweeting, posting IG stories, and blogging. My DMs are also open.

Bringing back this episode from my podcast. No matter what anyone tells you, Antifa is a good thing. To listen, I put the link in my bio. Or you can go to iTunes or Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

BALTIMORE. Today at 3 PM.
.
#justiceforgeorgefloyd
#justiceforahmaud
#justiceforbreonnataylor
#justiceforfreddiegray
#blacklivesmatter

If it doesn’t have Hiroyuki Sanada or Sonny Chiba in it, I’m not watching it.

I haven’t left my neighborhood since March 11th and I’ve done nothing but watch 1970s and 1980s Japanese martial arts movies.

May the 4th be with you. Here’s a throwback pic of my x-wing tattoo.

Right before tonight’s Decolonize Your Bookshelves: Writer’s Cribs event with Filipino poet/author @r_cabico1961. 🎤🇵🇭
Thanks so much to @glitterature88 for organizing the whole thing and to @prattlibrary and @theivybookshop for sponsor

Links à la Mode, July 6th

Aesthetic Distance: Podcasts Are Here To Stay And I'm Completely Obsessed With Them
Elements of Ellis: The Perfect Dress to Wear This Summer & Into Fall
Elements of Ellis: 3 Fourth of July Outfits
Elle is for She: DIY Pom Pom Phone Case
Grazielle Camilleri: Black and White Costume
Katie Kinsley: Wedding Table Numbers DIY
Five Foot Nothing Shopping: 4th of July Styling Tips
Girl in Betsey: Summer Beach Picks Under 200
Hampton Roads: Bump Friendly Pleated Midi Skirt
Have Clothes, Will Travel: 20 of the Quirkiest Handbags You Can Buy Online Right Now
I'm a Norbyah: Feel Good Fashion: Repelle
Lay Summers: 2 Looks Perfect for Summer Celebrations
Les Assorties: Introducing: Herse
Life in the Fash Lane: 10 Colorful Statement Earrings to Spice Up Your Summer Outfits
Politics of Pretty: The Right Order to Applying Your Skincare Products
Pudding Monster: Festival Fashion
Sifa's Corner: Where Class Meets Style
Smile is It: My Favorite Dangle Earrings for Summer

SPONSOR: Shopbop GOLDSIGN, ViX Swimwear, Deux Lux Bags, Emilio Cavallini, Studio 33, That '70s Flow, Go Green, Ladylike Bags, Textured Shoes, Men's Clae

Recent Posts

Featured

Feb 3, 2021

Unverified Accounts

Feb 3, 2021

I usually do a write up of the events I’ve organized or hosted and my most-read articles at the end of the year. This was an unusual year (obviously, there is no need to go into it here) so I didn’t bother. Instead I want to highlight a project of mine that I am particularly proud of — it’s my new podcast show, Unverified Accounts, that I cohost with my frequent collaborators, Chris Jesu Lee and Filip Guo. If you're a big movie/TV/book buff, have leftist sympathies, but can't stand 'wokeness' dumbing down our culture, then we're the podcast for you. So far in our 25 episodes, we’ve covered a range of contentious topics.

Feb 3, 2021

Dec 30, 2020

The Best Movies of 2020

Dec 30, 2020

This was an um…unusual year. Movie theaters shut down, every single film festival went virtual, all movies were released directly to streaming services, and I ended up watching more new releases since the summer of Moviepass. This year I watched 459 movies.

Dec 30, 2020

Dec 3, 2020

My 5 Favorite Books of 2020

Dec 3, 2020

This year I read mostly non-fiction. Mostly politics too. I learned more about the dangers of American-style democracy and liberalism. I also learned a lot about the CIA and how just much it has harmed the rest of the world. The books that uncovered the truth about the CIA were my favorites of the year because they allowed me to zoom out and truly see the American experiment for what it really is.

Dec 3, 2020

Nov 5, 2020

A Biden Win Is Not a Win For Democracy

Nov 5, 2020

The Biden presidency will be full of neoliberal austerity, censorship, technocratic rule, inverted totalitarianism, and the most anti-communist sentiment since the Reagan era. This is no win for democracy.

Nov 5, 2020

Oct 14, 2020

I'm Sharing My All-Time Favorite Scary Stories With You

Oct 14, 2020

IT’S SPOOKY SEASON AGAIN! My favorite time of the year (after summer, of course)! Let's change it up a little and have some fun.

Oct 14, 2020

Oct 1, 2020

Two Of My Favorite Filipino Horror Stories

Oct 1, 2020

A little something different since October is also Filipino American History Month! I LOVE horror movies (especially the ones from the 70s and 80s before CGI came along and ruined everything) and I LOVE reading scary stories, especially ones that are based on real life events. The truth is always stranger and way scarier than fiction, am I right?

Oct 1, 2020

Aug 16, 2020

You Will Never Convince Me To Vote Democrat Ever Again

Aug 16, 2020

The Democrat party is not on your side. It has never been on your side. I was just as angry when Donald Trump was voted into office back in 2016 but I’ve learned a lot since then. My politics were much more binary back then and I was naive enough to believe that though both political parties were bad, the Democrats were at least a lesser evil than the Republicans. I WAS WRONG. Ever since I was in college, I always believed that voting was one of the most important things you could do. I don’t believe that anymore. In fact, I’m not voting this year. Especially after finding out that Joe Biden chose Kamala Harris as his running mate.

Aug 16, 2020

Jul 13, 2020

I'm Sick Of The Pandemic Too...Because It's Killing Us

Jul 13, 2020

My 89 year old Auntie Milagros Romero Alonzo died of covid last Friday. She was alone in the ICU because nobody was allowed to visit her. Her nurse held up a phone so that we could all say goodbye to her via Facetime. Now we are planning a Zoom funeral. Take this pandemic seriously.

Jul 13, 2020

Jun 16, 2020

A Personal Post About Our 16 Weeks (And Counting) in Quarantine

Jun 16, 2020

This is a personal post about what my family and I have been up to in the 15 weeks (and counting) that we’ve been in quarantine. This blog has gotten more and more political in the past few years and I have no plans of stopping anytime soon. I know I haven’t written as much since the pandemic started but the truth is that it’s been hard to concentrate. The news cycle moves so fast that it’s hard to formulate any kind of commentary more than a tweet or a blurb in Instagram stories.

Jun 16, 2020

May 25, 2020

Just Because You're Sick of the Pandemic Doesn't Mean It's Over

May 25, 2020

Just because you’re sick of being in quarantine and you’re sick of not being able to go out to eat or go shopping, doesn’t mean it’s safe to go out again. It doesn’t mean that the pandemic is over. Far from it.

May 25, 2020

Apr 14, 2020

What The Hell Happened To American Journalism?

Apr 14, 2020

What the hell happened to American journalism? How did we get to a point where the news is no longer trustworthy? What happened to the fourth estate of government?

Apr 14, 2020

Mar 15, 2020

Shut It All Down

Mar 15, 2020

Allowing people to work from home and shutting down schools isn’t stopping people from going out and accelerating the spread of coronavirus. Warmly inviting people to practice voluntary social distancing isn’t working either. It’s time to take more drastic measures. SHUT IT ALL DOWN. STAY HOME. The only things that should remain open are grocery stores, banks, gas stations, pharmacies and hospitals.

Mar 15, 2020

Mar 12, 2020

What We Need To Think About During The Coronavirus Lockdown

Mar 12, 2020

Social distancing. Lockdown. If you’re like thousands — no, millions — of people around the world, you are most likely at home, avoiding physical contact with the outside world, in the hopes of escaping the coronavirus. This pandemic is bringing to light several things at once.

Mar 12, 2020

Feb 24, 2020

Bernie or Bust

Feb 24, 2020

A Bernie vs. Trump election is a centrist’s nightmare. Fifty years ago, Bernie Sanders’ policies were actually mainstream. That he and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) and their supporters are portrayed as "extreme" shows how insanely far-right U.S. politics are now. He and AOC shouldn't be seen as radical at all. They should be the center. Democrats have pushed the center so far to the right that people like Obama, Hilary, and Warren are considered left of center, rather than the conservatives that they really are.

Feb 24, 2020

Feb 2, 2020

On Landmark Movies, the Oscars and the Uselessness of Media Representation

Feb 2, 2020

I’m often not a fan of a first-timer winning Best Actor or Best Actress without a proven track record of great work. Too often, they go on to be nothing more than one-hit wonders. The fact that the Academy has frequently awarded one hit wonders that have no lasting impact is what makes people think of the awards as culturally irrelevant.

Feb 2, 2020

Jan 24, 2020

Cancel Culture Does Exist...And It's Wrong

Jan 24, 2020

The demand for moral perfection from everyone is ridiculous, especially when the goalposts keep changing. People who participate in cancel culture are just acting morally superior and self-righteous. It’s not progressive. It’s not at all liberal. In fact, it’s illiberal. And it doesn’t work.

Jan 24, 2020

Jan 21, 2020

Why Net Neutrality Is Something We Should All Be Concerned About

Jan 21, 2020

Net neutrality is a topic that we all should be concerned about, including those without a computer or internet access at home. Almost everything is done online these days so people without internet access are already at a huge disadvantage. Restricting or blocking the internet will affect every single one of us, which is why the debate over net neutrality is something to be closely followed.

Jan 21, 2020

Jan 20, 2020

Since 2020 Is An Election Year, Here Are Some Things To Remember...

Jan 20, 2020

Politics was once framed as if it might be removed from the stuff of our daily lives, like it was some sort of fringe interest. Declaring a lack of interest in politics was the norm, especially among young people. The last election showed us that every part of our daily lives is political. In November, there is a strong possibility that Donald Trump will be re-elected, that we will have our first woman president if Elizabeth Warren is elected or that we will have our most left-leaning, progressive president ever if Bernie Sanders wins. Whatever happens, no outcome will go unchallenged. Get ready.

Jan 20, 2020

Jan 8, 2020

You Guys, It's MEGXIT: Fuck the Royal Family

Jan 8, 2020

A couple of years ago, I was totally BASHED online for blogging that Prince Harry and Princess Meghan should run far, far away from the Royal Family, especially after seeing what they did to Princess Diana…I’m happy to say that that blog post has aged quite well.

Jan 8, 2020

Jan 2, 2020

2019 Was An Embarrassment of Riches For Movies

Jan 2, 2020

Today is the day that the ballots for the Oscars went out. We haven’t had this good of a year for movies…ever. Critics have long declared 1999 the best year ever for movies, and for a long time I agreed. Until now.

Jan 2, 2020

Dec 23, 2019

My Favorite Filipino Christmas (Pasko) Traditions

Dec 23, 2019

With the vast majority of Filipinos being Catholic, the most prominent holiday celebrated in the Philippines is Christmas (“Pasko” in Tagalog).

Dec 23, 2019

Dec 18, 2019

The Best Asian American Books of 2019

Dec 18, 2019

My favorite books by Asian American authors in 2019, in no particular order. I probably read about sixty books this year. Something that I’ve been thinking about a lot is that for all our fascination with technology, we’ve forgotten how transformative a simple book can be.

Dec 18, 2019

Dec 14, 2019

If We're In Late Stage Capitalism, Does That Mean the End of Capitalism Is Near?

Dec 14, 2019

At this point, the phrase is everywhere. Late capitalism, in its current usage, is meant to describe the stage of capitalism where things get so bad that a revolution happens. The term was popularized by a Marxist theorist and activist named Ernest Mandel in the mid-twentieth century. I think it sounds almost ominous because a “late” period implies that we are at the end of something.

Dec 14, 2019

Dec 4, 2019

Where to Find Me in December

Dec 4, 2019

After a relaxing Friendsgiving weekend bonding with my kasamas, it’s time to get back to organizing! Here are a few things coming up this month. Please check back regularly as this page will be updated as more events are confirmed.

Dec 4, 2019

Nov 30, 2019

Capitalism Sucks

Nov 30, 2019

Our free market is run by selfish, untrustworthy sociopaths. Corruption has become the norm. In the last 30 years, our checks and balances have been badly eroded. And it was only 25 years ago that the world celebrated the “triumph” of American capitalism. Is this a coincidence? No.

Nov 30, 2019

Nov 26, 2019

Only Colonizers Celebrate Thanksgiving: Saying NO THANKS!

Nov 26, 2019

I may not be a politician nor do I have a lot of power. But I will use my voice to humbly say that looking back on the twentieth century, I find nationalism and exceptionalism really creepy. Next week, our country will be celebrating one of the worst holidays of all. To Native Americans, Thanksgiving is a day of mourning because it is a reminder that in return for their help, they were repaid with the loss of their land and destruction of their people.

Nov 26, 2019

Nov 24, 2019

Decolonize Your Bookshelves with Randy Ribay

Nov 24, 2019

Yesterday was my third Decolonize Your Bookshelves event and once again, I felt rejuvenated by doing my part to bring joy into the art of resistance. At this event, we celebrated the work of Randy Ribay, author of Patron Saints of Nothing, and a 2019 National Book Awards finalist. Randy is also a convener for Malaya Movement and based in the San Francisco Bay Area. His work--which is exhilarating, harrowing, uplifting and redemptive--is a powerful testament to so many of our experiences, and it is deeply resonant for me personally.

Nov 24, 2019

Nov 12, 2019

Public Libraries Are Socialism In Action

Nov 12, 2019

The public library system is basically socialism at its best. It’s one of the few environments that doesn’t judge anyone or take advantage of anyone. It doesn’t try to sell anything and it can’t be bought. It offers people dignity and nobility.

Nov 12, 2019

Nov 4, 2019

The Diversity and Inclusion Industry is Complete Bullshit

Nov 4, 2019

Can you really train people to be more accepting of diversity after making them sit through a 2-hour seminar? No. Let's be realistic. It's too conceptual. And simply outlawing bias doesn't make it go away. Never mind that almost every single training facilitator will do everything they can to avoid actually saying the word “racism".”

Nov 4, 2019

Why Joining An MLM Will Ruin Your Life

Nov 4, 2019

Everyday, people get sucked into the lure of MLMs (“multi-level marketing” or “network marketing”) and I can’t stress enough the need to stay far, far away from them. I understand the need for flexibility, especially if you are a full-time student or are raising young children. Believe me, I also understand getting a job that allows you to create your own schedule and work remotely takes Hunger Games level competition.

Nov 4, 2019

Featured

Unverified Accounts

The Best Movies of 2020

My 5 Favorite Books of 2020

A Biden Win Is Not a Win For Democracy

I'm Sharing My All-Time Favorite Scary Stories With You

IT’S SPOOKY SEASON AGAIN! My favorite time of the year (after summer, of course)! Let's change it up a little and have some fun.

Two Of My Favorite Filipino Horror Stories

You Will Never Convince Me To Vote Democrat Ever Again

I'm Sick Of The Pandemic Too...Because It's Killing Us

A Personal Post About Our 16 Weeks (And Counting) in Quarantine

Just Because You're Sick of the Pandemic Doesn't Mean It's Over

What The Hell Happened To American Journalism?

What the hell happened to American journalism? How did we get to a point where the news is no longer trustworthy? What happened to the fourth estate of government?