Blog History

“The reason one writes isn’t the fact that he wants to say something. He writes because he has something to say.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
What’s this blog about?

RJMarmol.com: THEN and NOW

THEN:

Back in July of 2005, when blogging was not as mainstream as it has become now, I had a chance at blogging. This came through Friendster’s blog feature then hosted by TypePad.

I’ve always loved writing but I never thought of actually publishing it online for all the world to read. This not because of privacy, mind you, but more about self-doubt that what I write could be any useful to someone else.

But when I signed up for Friendster, I must have inadvertently clicked on something that created a serendipitous error which told me that I couldn’t create a photo album unless I create a “blog” first so I thought, sure a few sentences wouldn’t hurt, right?

So I wrote one post of 2 sentences and went on to finish creating a photo album.

And so began my affair with blogging which will then stop for 2 years, until a new blog came along, At A Loss For Words — Writings of a Blogger Wannabe, which I made in Blogger last December of 2007. I enjoyed my stay at Blogger but when I found its functionalities a little restrictive for my taste, I decided to migrate to a self-hosted blog powered by WordPress, thus A Day In The Life Of RJ was born.

I’ve made several blogs after that, including One Political Filipino, Romancing the Eee PC, Songs with Sense, RJ’s Movie Reviews and many others which I have not updated for ages.

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Formerly known online as A Day In The Life Of RJ, this blog’s inspired by the song “A Day In The Life” of my all-time favorite band — ladies and gentlemen — “The Beatles!”

This blog’s initial mission is to take you on a daily journey of my uneventful life. However, as it turns out, I realized that there is not much to write about it.

It eventually evolved into a political blog discussing current events and commentaries spurned during the time of the hotly-debated BJE-MOA issue.

After the loss of my candidate of choice in the 2010 presidential elections, I somehow lost the enthusiasm for Philippine politics and only wrote occasional posts on politics.

NOW:

This blog redux — so to speak now evolves around one other thing I love talking about, which is technology and by preference the iPhone and all the wondrous apps written for it.

I have since started blogging regularly again with renewed enthusiasm for my first love.

Now, I mostly write about news and updates in social media, app reviews and other product reviews of things I can get my hands on. It may not be as intriguing as politics but I think this is where I can contribute more to society by giving advices to consumers rather than pontificating and bashing politicians that will never change anyway.

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I’m pretty much all over the web so if you’re up for a sensible conversationand you’re on Twitter too, follow me @rjmarmol and we could start from there. :)

On Credits and Attributions:

All articles you will read here are originally written by RJ Marmol unless otherwise specified explicitly. I try my best to link to respective sources whenever possible. If you find a “quote”, photo or any related material here that you think belongs to you, please feel free to call my attention by sending me an email: rjmarmol [at] gmail [dot] com. It will be taken down immediately upon your request.

It is perfectly okay to quote lines and paragraphs from this blog, as long as proper attribution is done by linking back to the original post here. There is no need to ask for my permission. The same goes for photos that belong to me. I support free flow and exchange of information but never at the expense of disrespect. Linking back to sources is common courtesy. Let’s foster a community of respect.

On the veracity and accuracy of articles:

This is an online commentary. What you will read here are PURELY opinions and sentiments of this blogger. There will always be references to news articles, news sources, statistics and other figures, personalities, products, trademarks and the like to which I claim no affiliation with, unless otherwise specified in the specific article.

For veracity and accuracy of data, it is always best to check with the correct news source, company or personality. I claim no responsibility for any untoward or unfavorable incident that may arise, directly or indirectly from reading opinions written in this blog.

Also, I reserve the right to change my mind anytime, and that right extends to all posts I’ve written regardless of the time frame. Besides, I am a woman. That is my birthright. :)

The Blogger: Who is RJ Marmol? 

2 responses to “Blog History”

  1. Glad to know you’re still into blogging :)

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Yes! I try to keep this alive as best I can. Hey, thanks for the visit Sonnie! I appreciate it.

      Liked by 1 person

Let me know what you think… :)

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About Me
Cecilia Regina Aquino Blanquera Marmol aka RJ Marmol profile picture

I’m RJ Marmol — writer, musician, and independent creator based in Manila.

I write songs, essays, and books about the messy overlap between money, overwhelm, creativity, identity, and rebuilding. Much of my work circles around what happens when life stops feeling manageable — and how we try to think clearly, make decisions, and keep moving anyway.

I’m also the author of Rebuilding Under Debt: Thinking Clearly When Everything Is a Blur, a nonfiction book published under Steady Hand Press. The paperback edition is listed under my full publishing name, Cecilia Regina Aquino Blanquera.

On the music side, I release work as HeyRJ. On the writing side, this site is where I gather my books, essays, notes, and whatever I’m building next.

Music

HeyRJ is my sonic soul project. I create raw, minimalist-style and deeply personal music interpretations that feel like a late-night conversation with your truest self.

By blending lo-fi acoustic textures with poetic honesty, my work explores love, loss, grief, healing, and the quiet in-betweens of life. Each song is a letter — a journal entry — a gentle companion for when the world feels too loud or too quiet.

While my catalogue began with intimate cover renditions, my work is increasingly being shaped by original writing, drawing from years of poems, lived questions, and emotional survival.

“Stuck Home Syndrome” released on March 20, 2026 is my first original 20-track album written during a period when time felt compressed and days began to blur into each other. The songs came from sitting with thoughts that had nowhere else to go — unfiltered, repetitive, and sometimes uncomfortable. It’s a concept album that isn’t built around singles or polish. It’s closer to a continuous inner monologue, recorded with minimal production and very little ornamentation and meant to be listened to as one cohesive body of work. The goal wasn’t to resolve anything, only to document how it felt while it was happening.

On May 29, 2026 I released new original singles – “Rapturous”, “Uh Huh”, “Look At You”, “All That” and “Blew Print”. I continue to release both original and cover songs and intend to so for as long as I can so check back every once in a while — you might. just find something you’ll like.

For business inquiries relating to music, email me at: heyrjmusic[at]gmail[dot]com or my personal email at: rjmarmol[at]gmail[dot]com.

Books

Rebuilding Under Debt: Thinking Clearly When Everything Is a Blur

A nonfiction book about what debt does to the mind — and how to begin functioning again when financial stress has made everything feel blurred, urgent, and overwhelming.

Rather than treating debt only as a financial math problem, the book explores the emotional and cognitive realities of financial distress: shame, decision fatigue, avoidance, panic, relationship strain, and the difficulty of making sound decisions while mentally depleted.

Published under Steady Hand Press. It’s available worldwide in ebook and paperback formats on Amazon. Bookstores and libraries can also be order it wholesale via Ingram.

Contact

For book-related inquiries, media requests, bookstore questions, or discussion-group invitations, you can reach me through the contact page on this site or send me an email to rjmarmol[at]gmail[dot]com or hello[at]steadyhandpress.com