Category: Relationships

The quality of your relationships can make you a better person!

Baz Luhrmann’s “Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)”

Share This Post: listening once more to the Mary Schmich-Baz Luhrmann collaboration, with Renzie Baluyut.

About ten years ago, I remembered pushing for this song to get more airplay at the radio station I was working for then.

The song was “Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)” by Baz Luhrmann.  It came out in one of those international samplers the station subscribed to, and I loved it the first time I heard it.

It was inspirational, it was different, it had a positive message to it, and it made for great listening. At the time, the prevailing rumor was that it was taken word-for-word from a Kurt Vonnegut commencement speech he gave for the graduating class of MIT.

Much later, it turns out that Kurt Vonnegut had nothing to do with the song.  The original piece of work was by Mary Schmich, a columnist for the Chicago Tribune.

From Wikipedia:

Luhrmann explains that Anton Monsted, Josh Abrahams and he were working on the remix when Monsted received an email with the supposed Vonnegut speech. They decided to use it but were doubtful of getting through to Vonnegut for permission before their deadline, which was only one or two days away. While searching the internet for contact information they came upon the “Sunscreen Controversy” and discovered that Schmich was the actual author. They emailed her and, with her permission, recorded the song the next day.

However, “Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)” wasn’t radio-friendly- the single ran for more than 7 minutes (you can play 2 songs in 7 minutes), and it wasn’t backed up by any significant marketing effort from the local recording companies.

I managed to sneak the song in several times within some of my special programs, but Baz Luhrmann’s “Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)” unfortunately, never saw the heavy radio rotation I felt it deserved.

Nevertheless, the song remains very inspiring even to this day.  So here it is, along with the spoken-word lyrics to it.  I hope it inspires you too.


Continue reading “Baz Luhrmann’s “Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)””

Do You Think Your Dude Needs To Be More Affectionate?

relationship troubleshooting with Renzie Baluyut.

A friend of mine messaged me on Yahoo the other day, and asked me for my opinion about what she should do with her current boyfriend.

Now this is a good friend of mine from way back, so we had the customary chit-chat and catching up before she got down to the actual problem- which took up the better part of the rest of our conversation.

The Situation:

So here’s how it goes:  My friend works in China.  She’s from the Philippines too, but her man is Indian.  They get together along just fine, but for some reason she feels like he isn’t expressive enough for her- whether vocally or physically.  So that’s her first main concern.

He does however, discuss their future as a couple.  And all his friends and family know about her.

Here’s her second concern:  her man works four hours away from where she lives.  And while they’ve been together for some time now, he doesn’t come over to her place.  Instead, he insists she come over to his part of China to hang out.

So anyway, since she always tries to get him to be more affectionate, or keeps on asking him to come over to her place instead, she’s beginning to think she’s demanding, needy and clingy.  And this drives her crazy because she knows she’s not an overly demanding, needy or clingy girlfriend, based on her past relationships.

So what is she supposed to do about her whole situation?  What do I think about the whole thing? Continue reading “Do You Think Your Dude Needs To Be More Affectionate?”

Three Things a Couple Should Never Fight About | Relationship Advice

relationship advice with Renzie Baluyut.

A friend and I were having coffee the other night, and she was opening up the fact that, while her relationship with her current boyfriend is generally alright, they usually end up quarreling.  This usually happens when she has to go out of town, attend to some clients, or work on a photo shoot.

Now, as far as relationships go, I think I have a fairly good idea of what works and what doesn’t.  While I am enjoying a very happy eight-year love affair with my girlfriend/fiancee, my current view on relationships has been shaped by a number of ex-girlfriends, numerous dates both successful and disastrous, as well as stories from other friends.

So here’s what I think: if there’s anything you, as a couple, shouldn’t be fighting about, it would have to be these three things:

1.  Work,
2.  Friends,
3.  and Money

Let’s get into all three in greater detail, shall we? Continue reading “Three Things a Couple Should Never Fight About | Relationship Advice”

Conversing With Your Kitties

cat care with Renzie. If you’re a serious ailurophile like myself, you’ll probably want to learn how to talk to your cat. Cats are extremely intelligent (although admittedly snobbish) little creatures capable of displaying lots of affection, loyalty and love for its human companion. Here’s a little video on how to communicate with your cat. […]

Be a Part of Manila’s Biggest Kris Kringle Celebration

Christmas is just around the corner, and in every school and every office, people kick off the festivities by exchanging small gifts among colleagues and peers with a weekly (or daily) Secret Santa. Locally, it’s also known as Monito Monita, or Kris Kringle.  In any case, participating friends usually come up with agreed-upon gift categories, […]