I enjoyed my time last night in Starbucks, Megastrip. Good thing there wasn't that many people inside the place when I got there. I ordered a grande sized Hot Chocolate and sat down on a comfortable chair all ready to start writing on my journal. There were also some people from the U-belt church sitting in one corner of the café and I didn't see them until after 5 minutes later. I only realized that they were there when I saw some newcomers from the same church come in and go to their place. By that time I was already embarrassed to go up to them and say "hi!" so I pretended not to notice and buried my face in my journal to avoid a potentially awkward situation.

Once in a while I would look up and watch the other patrons talk amongst themselves. That's when I thought about texting the people I missed the most at that time. Of the people I sent the messages to only people bothered to respond: Elvin one was of them, he called actually, and we had a short chat on the phone. Inspired by the moment I drew another self-caricature on my journal intending to fill a whole page with a concept art I plan to title "Aloneness." It shows a SD version of me sitting there in the ground not knowing what to do or who to approach while some abstract figures in the background chat and talk with themselves oblivious to my presence. I plan to add some text or musings on top of the figure but I still haven't figured out what. Then Cecile texted me back and we had an exchange of messages till past midnight and I was already back home. She told me that she plans to transfer to the Galleria Church and I do hope that she does.

The VCF convergence in the NSA (formerly ULTRA) earlier was so cool. I should have gone earlier and got myself a seat down in the middle but our position in the lower box left of the stage was good too. Feel revved up with all the praise songs we sang, people were dancing, shouting and bouncing the large balloons all at the same time. Too bad I couldn't stay much longer after it ended since I had to rush back to the shop and manage everything. I saw my old friends in the distance, maybe I'll send them a text message later. After this I'll be going to Starbucks to rest and write some things for the upcoming book. Wish I could see my some of them there.

Now here's a great surprise... Apparently Philippine News' comic page can now be enlarged and I just found out about it tonight. This is so cool! Check out the first strip: West Side and tell me what you guys think (it's actually a spin off of my original comic strip CLASS which was published in a local bi-monthly magazine some years ago). The trend started during the March 5-11 issue (don't bother reading it though, the copy's too blurred for the reader to decipher anything), then it skipped one issue and resumed on the March 19-25 issue, and finally up to the latest copy. At last I would be able to read the strips I submit online! Wheeeeee!

New colored strip from my friend Lyndon Gregorio regarding his accidental meeting with Reema Chanco the former hostess of the defunct TV show "Trabaho Lang" in Channel 5 (she interviewed him before and you can get to read all about it here). I'm impressed with his coloring (which he takes after the local online comic Homanga), the neat lines and dynamic paneling. The way this strip was colored makes me wanna buy a WACOM even more.

Here's his take on the ongoing war between Iraq and the US published in the Philippine Star:

Just came back from the first Artists' Den gathering after hmmm... I think more than a year. There was a last minute change in the schedule and not a lot of people made it to the meeting. Around 60% of those who came were new to the group but the warm spirit of camaraderie was still intact. We're hoping to make this into a regular thing just like before and hopefully a lot more will be coming next Friday.

Once in a while I get to discover worthy treasures over the net and this robo-strip is one of those. Good thing Scott Kurtz of PvP Online featured an ad on it in his site. I was a bit put-off by the pixelated artwork at first but after reading it from the first strip onwards I found myself hooked to the funny dialogue. One thing though, the whole strip series seem to be composed of "talking heads" and there's not much action going on in the panels. But don't let that stop you from enjoying it as much as I do.

Here's an update about the subject I was talking about yesterday: I'm now sorely tempted to lock one particular door and throw away the key. I'm now teetering between anger and contempt (a bit closer to contempt). I know that I should confront the offending party to avoid further conflict and to allow that person to air his/her side of the story. But pray tell how should I confront the person for acting like a blank wall?

Beerkada's very own mascot, psychoCOW celebrated his birthday last night at the building where they hold their office. I was one of the unfortunate souls to be invited to the celebration along with my cartoonist friend Lyndon, Azrael, and Ryan. There were also a few beerkadets who came like Lloyd, dekidoo, Targrod, and Giselle. Drinks flowed generously as our esteemed friend hopped around from one table to another being the good host that he is. We had a lot of fun talking with subjects that ranged from the latest Star Trek episode to the recent dance fiasco by Ryan last Friday in Libis, QC. I had only half a bottle of the San Mig Light while my friends had an average of two. Az only had one before the alcohol started hitting him real hard.

You wouldn't believe the incredible view from up there. One could see the headlights of the cars going over the flyover in Buendia, the lights of the buildings in Makati, the orange lights along Pasig river highlighting the streets and the BLISS buildings on its riverbanks. I could have stayed there a long time enjoying the gorgeous sights (along with the visible smog hovering over the city in the horizon).

Around past midnight the bar closed, the other friends and officemates of Cow started to go one by one (dekidoo and Targrod bade their farewell since they lived quite far from here). A few minutes passed and they closed all the lights, along with our group some two other people near the bar counter sat talking. The darkness only served to call attention to the brilliant cityscape right below us. And while the others stood up and ran to the other side of the building to enjoy the sights, Az and me stayed in our seats and talked about his experiences with ghosts. The most recent ones would be last Friday after he and others had their fill of dancing in Libis, they drove to UP and he told me that he was really creeped out in some places there and that one in The Fort.

We stayed there long after the operating hours of the bar and after around 30 minutes sitting in the darkness we thought it would be more appropriate to spend the remaining hours hanging out downstairs beside the pool. It was already around 1:45 in the morning and after a few minutes Az, Ryan, me and Lloyd thought it's time we should be heading home. We left Giselle, Lyndon, and Cow lounging around the pool. I dunno what time they went home but by that time I was so pooped out. If I didn't have work today or if maybe I was living in my own home then maybe I would have stayed a lot longer and hung out with them. Still it was great hanging out with those guys!

When they say "That's what friends are for" or "What are friends for?" does that mean that you're supposed to fulfill a role or something? That one is expected to do something that friends are supposed to do? Some people are bothered by that fact, they feel like that they have to perform or something to gain the other's approval. I suppose with the second statement they could actually be degrading themselves. Then again, maybe I'm just reading too much on something that doesn't mean anything.

They're talking about counting friends in 103.5 K-lite and I just got to thinking about the people in my life who just suddenly ups and leaves without any rationale. The story of my life where everybody I'm getting close suddenly disappears. A lot of thoughts came to mind and one of them deals with the issue of burning bridges. Should I or shouldn't I? Should I just close the doors instead? I do have a lot of acquaintances and out of those I don't know who my friends are. Sad isn't it? The memory of the pain pops up every now and then whenever I'm alone. Right now I feel like I'm hopping from one person to the other with no anchor whatsoever. Or maybe harbor is the more appropriate term. I feel too bloody old to start all over again and there's this underlying fear that the same thing could happen again. Maybe, just maybe, I tend to gravitate towards people who are like that. If it that's the case am I doomed to live that way for life? The only way I'm dealing with it right now is to withdraw and trust sparingly. But that sucks big time!

Not to miss the big picture though I'm still thankful for the people around me who manage to make me laugh and to those few that are willing to ask and listen. That inspite of me they still stick around and whup me good when it's needed. That there are still these people who count me in their list of close friends. If anything they're one of the reason why life is still worth living. Yeah... at least I'm never out of those.

I'm not much into reading forwarded e-mails in mailing lists but this one caught my eye if only for the promise of reading another corporate brand bashing or something like that. I've already read a lot on this subject on the PEx message board and there were a lot of funny and outrageous speculations. Hehehe...

* * *

Matagal na rin ako curious kung sino ba talaga si Grimace :) and hey, it gives 'good' insights as to the nature and origin of McDonald's Grimace:

Who is grimace supposed to be? You know, that McDo Purple Blob character. Anyway share ko lang yung findings ko:

McDonald's own web site gives a brief insight into Grimace. They state, "Grimace is a big, loving, fuzzy purple fellow who is Ronald McDonald's best friend. He's sure Ronald is the world's ultimate authority on everything. While Grimace loves all McDonald's foods, he's absolutely crazy about milkshakes. Grimace is very enthusiastic and eager to try new things. His joyous spirit helps everyone overlook the fact he's a little slow and clumsy sometimes."

This definition is obviously of no help. Grimace used to be this kontrabida with six arms who stole milkshakes. One website commented, "between Hamburglar (who stole burgers), the Fry guys (who stole fries), and Grimace, crime was running rampant in the 'McHood. Maybe these characters weren't exactly great role models for children? Or perhaps Ronald was hogging all the food from the others, forcing them into a Dickensian life of crime? Who can say..." But the most interesting theories on Grimace came from a Filipino:

1. Grimace is an ube mascot. Mc Donald's must've had ube-flavored ice creams or shakes before.

2. He is the bastard child of Tinky Winky of the Teletubbies (who's also rumored to be gay) and an eggplant.

3. Grimace is violet Crayon left to melt under the sun by kids eating at McDonald's playgrounds.

4. Grimace must have been a grape-flavored drink. Maybe the drink was really sour and it made people grimace. That's why he's called Grimace!

5. He's the ugliest McDonald's mascot. That's why they covered him up with another costume - a purple one that's so heavy he can't even take it off himself!

6. Grimace is all the McDonald's food items thrown and mixed in a blender.

7. Grimace is a milkshake.

8. McDonald's wanted to introduce kamote French Fries when they first came to the Philippines. That's why they created Grimace. He's a kamote.

9. He's the twin brother of Ronald McDonald. Originally they looked alike but Grimace, who is
mentally retarded, was a disgrace to the family and to the name. That's why they made him wear the purple costume.

10. Here's one of the best theories so far: Grimace, who, along with other Mc Donald's characters like Officer Big Mac, Mayor McCheese, and Hamburglar, were introduced in the 70s, represents the Blueberry milkshakes, launched in the US in the 70s. He was actually called Evil Grimace at first since he always liked to steal other people's milkshakes. He came from an island full of fun and milkshake-loving other purple Grimace-types. Neat, huh?

What's the official word from McDonald's? Well, some guy called up the J.P. Rizal, Makati branch of McDonald's and asked the girl who answered the phone what Grimace is. Her answer? "He's a potato." Uh okay, whatever you say ma'am.

* * *

Seriously though I read somewhere that McDonad's official stand on what Grimace is supposed to be was that he/she/it represented the tastebud (so without confirming anything this sorta ties up the vague press release of the Big Mac Corporation). I dunno just how official this confirmation of its identity is.

I detest the useless products salepeople pitch to me in the most scripted infomercial way. Usually I just smile and try to be accomodating and cut them in mid-sentence with "Sorry. I'm not interested but thanks anyway!" But if they're particularly impersonal I would just put on a dead-pan expression and just stare at them till they go away. I would never give in to their pitch no matter what... until today.

Enter young woman asking if she could bother us for just a while. Customer shooed her and she turns to me, I ask what it is she's trying to sell. She comes closer and begins her scripted speech about this new gizmo that they're selling for an incredibly low price. She sets the aluminum gadget down on the counter, clicks a button and voila! it turns and flips itself open like an animated wallet (mind goes: Oooooooo-aaaaahhhhh!). She shows the other amazing features this thingamajig has (calculator, alarm clock, calendar, world time clock) and I'm hooked. As my eyes gleamed with anticipation she told me that she's selling the whole stuff for an incredibly low price of P99.00 only.

Sold!

She asked how many of those gadgets was I taking. If I had more money I would have gotten more but I begged off and promised her I would order some more once I showed off this new toy to my friends. Indeed I will. Later. Chalk this up to my second purchase from a salesperson after buying the liquid PC cleaner. But I had reason for that one since it's for the shop, I caved in on this one since it did that flippy-turny thing. Hmmm... not bad.

I saw this pretty interesting picture while searching for a picture of a new wave band. I was struck by the three-portrait stance of the picture which reminds me of the one done by Norman Rockwell. Speaking of old pictures I finally figured out why old black and white pictures turn brown after a while. I got the idea while looking at the old pictures my Mom discovered at a cabinet. It was her old photos with my Tito's and Tita, of dear old Lolo and Lola, her two dogs and a couple of class pictures during her elementary days. Well anyway, I think the reason they turn brown is because of the chemical tint due to the old way of copper printing. If you look at the pictures, sliding them under the light you would see the black areas of the picture stand out. I think it was so cool that it does.

I just remembered getting nostalgic all over again when I watched two movies back-to-back last Friday on HBO: An American Werewolf In London and The World According to Garp. Hehehe... how could I forget these two movies? Back then when we were kids we took it upon ourselves to watching these movies on betamax over and over again until we practically memorized almost all the lines (these two were just part of a long line of movies we enjoyed a lot). I laughed out loud when I heard the old familiar line: "Don't you dare say sperm in this house!" Well I laughed mostloy because of the sudden realization that that's where we got the line we've been repeating and laughing at when we were kids. The came the scene for another unforgettable line when Garp's mother (Glenn Close) explains to the High School Dean how she had a child out of wedlock, the shocked old man could only utter: "You raped him! You raped a dying man!" Come to think of it, the theme and content of the movie's a bit mature for our age. With A.W.I.L. I started recounting the scenes with the Nazi werewolves and little British tyke with the balloons going to his Mum saying "Mommy! Mommy! A naked American man just stole my balloons!" and the unforgettable reaction of his Mum: "Hu-whaat?!" It was really, really funny. Actually despite the violent side of the movie there are some scenes that are actually funny.

Here's an interesting answer by Thoth to the problem of evil on a personal level:

Evil is not romantic. Only in works of fiction is it dramatic and a grand thing. In real life, it's sordid and boring.

The problem with people nowadays is that they think of evil in terms of Dracula or Darth Vader, thinking that evil somehow cloaks its bearers in an aura of greatness. Dogsh*t.

Grow up and live in the real world.

Evil is not mastering the forces of the Dark Side of the Force. Evil is being selfish, plain and simple. It's not caring about the consequences of what you do and denying responsibility for the same. It's about indulging yourself to the exclusion of what is required of any decent human being.

It's about not caring, do you understand? Ever met someone who didn't care? Those people only barely qualify as human beings anymore.

That's why they're sordid and boring. Because in a very real sense they're empty.

Interesting enough in a thread put up by a friend regarding the call of evil threatening to engulf him from within. Of all the answers and reactions to the subject matter put up by people from different religious and non-religious affiliations this was the one that made me sit up and take notice. He or she didn't have to philosophize with "i believe is evil is an integral part of man, his tendencies towards evil is much heavier" or soothe the poster with other words that seemed seriously religious or what-not. What my friend needs is a healthy dose of whupping to shock him to his senses.

They're talking about unnamed fears in 103.5's program Talk Back and one of the funniest fears I've heard so far is the fear of cockroaches inside the car. I wonder what's worse between having a fear that the cockroach would somehow find its way through your pants leg or having it fly inside the car? Is there a name for that kind of fear? "Cockroachinacarophobia" maybe? Hehehe...

The war in Iraq has already started, or at least the deadline given to Saddam Hussein has already expired. Normally I avoid political topics because of a lot of unpleasant conversations in the past with passionate debaters who would raise the tone of their voices and pound me again and again with their POVs. I hated that. It's one of those topics I never really bothered to read about in the first place anyway.

Well anyway this war in Iraq is on everyone's lips and though I still wouldn't bother to talk about it, I thought I'd give my 2 cents worth of opinion on the matter after reading a transcript of a panel discussion done in Larry King Live last March 11. Is this a just war the US is waging against Iraq? I have not complete answers to that but I would just like to echo what Max Lucado said that we don't have no recourse of action except to trust Pres. Bush and his advisers in the matter. That they've resolved to continue on with this war no because they're a blood-thirsty bunch of people out to eliminate Muslims out there but rather they're resorting to war as a last course of action and that up until the last minute they're hoping to avoid unncecessary bloodshed. I'm pro-peace in this matter but if the lives of a lot of innocent people are involved then I guess we have no choice in the matter. Lord help us all in these matters.

Marking this day as the period in time when I finished the "Orange" story (YEHEY!!!). Yup, all 100+ pages of it in manuscript form. And I feel all mixed up and mushy inside. I talked with the author (Joey) over the phone and I told him straight off that if the story had a different ending than the one I was expecting then I would have told him off. Hehehe... Yeah I really enjoyed the story that much. I wish he would release the book already so you guys would have an idea what I'm talking about. But then, good things do come to those who wait.

Dream A Little Dream Of Me
The Beautiful South

Stars shining bright above you,
Night breezes seem to whisper "I love you"
Birds singing in the sycamore tree
Dream a little dream of me

Say "nighty-night" and kiss me,
Just hold me tight and tell me you'll miss me
While I'm alone and blue as can be,
Dream a little dream of me

Stars fading, but I linger on, dear,
Still craving your kiss
I'm longing to linger til dawn, dear,
Just saying this

Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you,
Sweet dreams that leave our worries behind you
But in your dreams, whatever they be,
Dream a little dream of me

Stars fading, but I linger on, dear,
Still craving your kiss
I'm longing to linger til dawn dear,
Just saying this

Sweet dreams til sun beams find you,
Sweet dreams that leave our worries far behind you
But in your dreams, whatever they be,
Dream a little dream of me.

Sweet dreams til sun beams find you,
Sweet dreams that leave our worries far behind you;
But in your dreams, whatever they be,
Dream a little dream of me.

* * *
I came across this song again while looking for an answer to a thread in Pinoyexchange.com regarding songs about friendship, encouraging songs, and romantic ones. I initially suggested some of the other songs by The Beautiful South but looking at the lyrics... they're far from talking about friendship, much less encouraging. But this one is one of their ones. I could almost picture me and *ahem* someone sitting on the grass beneath the stars.

Ever had a dream consisting of two parts? I one last night and remembering the details of the first dream is what's frustrating me these past couple of hours. I dreamed about an old friend from High School and the dream was so real and the conversations, the conversations I'm still trying to recall. It was just like old times, we were still wearing our old High School uniforms. I also wrote about this same frustration in my other blog. Do people dream the same dreams at the same time? In the process of trying to remember the first one I totally forgot what my second dream was all about. I shouldn't have moved.

I've been laughing my tonsils out here while reading through the thread about Lucky Manzano (turns out that he's a PExer too). The funny posts there belong to this anonymous PExer masquerading under the nick ATEVi (Lucky's mom) where he/she wrote against an impostor:

Hoy LUCKYme!

At sino ka para sabihing hindi si lucky si luckym, ha?! ha?!
bakit, dyos ka ba, ha, dyos ka ba?!

si luckym, si luckym, si luckym! palagi na lang si luckym!
si luckym na walang malay!

to all the fans out there, just continue to give your 100%
full-support to luckym, coz he's my cherished possession!
kagaya ng PEX, my cherished possession...
si christian, isa pa 'yon... my cherished possession.

lucky, i love you, anak. sige na... tuloy mo na yang pag-PEX mo,
at huwag mong pansinin itong si LUCKYme na 'to.

sandali, christian... PSSST, christian. wait lang.. mommy is PEXing, okay.

yaya, bigyan mo nga ng vitamins itong si christian!

luckym, i talked to nancy na, she's doing okay. she's fine na. don't worry about her na, okay? alright. oha, are you alright na? okay.
okay? alright.

to LUCKYme, eto lang ang masasabi ko sa'yo...
it's not my fault anymore, it's your fault anymore!!!

And another one when he/she answered a question posed by this PExer ("To luckym: Just a quick question... What does your mom think of you "showing your stuff" in public? I'll bet she's mighty proud to have a HUNK of a son!!!"):

Naku naman ineng, but of course,
I'm mighty proud to have a HUNK of a son!!!
I LOVE YOU LUCKY!!!
Lahat nga ng girls eh humahanga diyan sa anak kong 'yan,
lalo na nga when, you know, he's "showing his stuff" in public!

Kaya nga ang sabi ko kay yaya, huwag kakalimutang bigyan ng vitamins itong si Christian, para lumaking katulad ng kuya niya.

They're my cherished possession talaga!

Haay!

Kung hindi niyo napanood yung sa Cosmo party,
well, well, well, it's not my fault anymore,
but it's your fault anymore.

It's not as funny as the first one but I still find it amusing nonetheless.

Hehehe... a funny thought entered my mind earlier today. While browsing through the closet I began to think that choosing what to wear has become quite a chore given the limited choices. Then I saw the black Umbro soccer shirt I got in the ukay-ukay shops in Baguio. That was a great one I chanced upon, even my brother turned a shade green in envy. Well anyway, the black shirt made me think about that time during third grade in Don Bosco Makati when I was one of those frequenting the old wing of the school in search of fighting spiders to be used in those competitions (we used to house them in old match boxes neatly divided into four). Well this one time there were other kids along with me that were poking around every nook and cranny including the window gutters and sills of the classrooms there. I used a small stick to poke through web pockets that might house some spiders and this particular web pocket in the side of a window sill broke my stick so I gave up on it and moved on since I thought there wasn't any. Big mistake. A younger kid poking through the places I searched through poked that same web and got a real, honest-to-goodness Black Widow spider! This same web that broke my stick when I poked on it contained a rare spider and I wasn't able to get it. What I had that time were a couple of docile house spiders with humongous abdomens. They weren't fighting spiders anyway.

What does this have to do with the Umbro shirt? Sometimes in our search we come across some great find and it's either we hold on to it immediately or just regret the consequences after. I was too tired to look for another small stick after that one broke so I gave up not realizing what a "treasure" that particular web contained. Same with the shirt, with my last pocket money I went ahead and bought that shirt, never mind the cost. But I'm not endorsing that one should go and buy something that really looks good. This lesson just applies to those rare finds.

Audience of One

It's such a strong temptation to live for man's applause
But I don't want to buy into the lie
'Cause I know that's not a worthy cause
So to keep things in perspective, I hung a sign
up on the wall

The sign is nothing special, but it really says it all
And the sign says

I'll be content to serve an audience of One
Only His approval counts when all is said and done
And this is my prayer, when the race is finally run
I want to hear "Well done"
From the audience of One

When the drive for recognition starts to get
the best of me
All I've got to do is look around at the people
serving selflessly
And they don't serve for glory, and they're not
keeping score
There's a sign that's written on their hearts
A sign I've seen before

I'll be content to serve an audience of One
Only His approval counts when all is said and done
And this is my prayer, when the race is finally run
I want to hear "Well done"
From the audience of One

In the not-too-distant future
When the crowds all fade away
I'll stand alone before my Lord
And this is what I long to say

I'm overjoyed to serve an audience of One
It's what I've been created for ever since day one
And this is my song, as I bow before Your throne
I love to hear "Well done"
From the audience of One

So this will be my prayer, 'til the race is finally run
I want to hear "Well done," I long to hear "Well done"
I want to hear "Well done"
From the audience of One


* * *
This is a great poem by Greg Ferguson I copied from the book "The Heart of the Artist."

I have just finished reading the best Pinoy love story I've ever read ever since Arnold Arre's "After Eden." I swear I'm not biased and I'm not exaggerating here (at least not consciously), I'm talking about the story titled "Orange." Quaint title. Subtle and yet appealing. It's an easy read actually and it's one of the best I've ever read so far. My friend who wrote it swears that it was his first attempt to write a story and it was only after a lot of explanations through the YM, text messages, and phone conversations did I reluctantly believe him. Harharhar!!!

No, seriously I really liked his work I was really raving over the phone conversation with him like some fan-boy yakking non-stop to his favorite artist at a convention. Of course I had reasons to rave over his work since he sent the first part of his story (Haha! Bleeehhh! ) which is way, way more than what he put up in the website. We compared notes on how it measures up against Mr. Arre's work, we were both so revved up after the whole thing I went out and bought myself a copy of AE (my autographed copy was "arbored" by a friend). Since he's planning to make it into a book I told him he should be sending the previews of his work to various critics in the newspapers and established artists who would be giving him gold stars for his work. I also promised him I will be sending Cynthia Bauzon (Arnold's S.O.) a private mail to ask for their opinion on the story. He liked the idea so muchyou could imagine him almost jumping with glee and excitement. Before we ended the conversation he pomised to send me the second part later tonight through the mail. Wow. Heeheehee... I can't wait.

Wonder why some customers here in the internet cafe would come to me and ask: "Pwede po bang magpa-scan?"; "Pwede po bang mag-internet?"; "Pwede po bang i-save sa diskette?" and some other like questions. I thought it would be pretty obvious that they can since it's an internet cafe.

Sometimes I'm sorely tempted to answer them with: "Hindi pwede!" Wonder how would they react to that?

Waking up at 7 am is a killer. I went to sleep rather reluctantly the night before since I've been planning to draw my character Jason doing his "yabang" pose with a jacket and uniform and to do that correctly on paper I had to don a polo and jacket and pose like that in front of the mirror. And the only big mirror would be the one in the living room and since around midnight there were still some individuals moving around I just thought it would be a great idea to pass the time reading a book while lying in bed.

Bad, bad, baaaaaad idea.

I was woken up the next day at 7 by my Mom since my older brother's going on a 5-day trip to Japan and they need someone to go with him to the airport and help him carry the luggage. That time my head's bordering somewhere between vertigo and feeling like a lump of lead. So okay I got dressed took the bags from the stairs, called the driver and went to scan the morning paper first. Then I remembered I wasn't supposed to eat anything yet since I was also scheduled to have a physical exam that morning. After a few more minutes my brother came down from his upstairs room so I dragged myself out the chair and into the car. Long journey, peaceful though except for the music coming from my favorite radio station playing in the background.

After the airport thing we went home and fetched my Mom, went to the Parish. Good thing I brought a book as per my Mom's advice since we would be waiting a lot in there. But the bad thing about it is I couldn't really focus on what I was reading since my Mom and her friends were talking and laughing out loud beside me. So the point was quite moot. Oh well... I had a blood test, urine test, x-ray, and I'm going back there again for the ECG since the wait was long.

I just finished reading through the first issue of PM Jr.'s Polgas Comics. Quite hilarious really, I couldn't stop myself from laughing out loud through the pages especially his side comments in the recipe section.

I don't know actually what this day has to do with Albert Einstein but the whole thing looks really fun to look at. Quite ingenious too.

Broken Dreams

As children bring their broken toys
With tears for us to mend,
I brought my broken dreams to God
Because He was my friend.

But then instead of leaving Him
In peace to work alone,
I hung around and tried to help
With ways that were my own.

At last I snatched them back and cried,
"How could you be so slow"
"My child," He said, "What could I do?
You never did let go."

-Robert J. Burdette

* * *
Good poem isn't it? I was so much touched with the words.

Just bought a book from OMF titled The Heart of the Artist. It looks interesting enough especially since there aren't that many Christian books dealing with the world of art or artists in particular. Haven't read it yet and I'll post some thoughts about it as I go.

* * *

Another observation I have to make here is the fact that some people seem spend a gazillion years inside an ATM booth. No matter how many people there are lining up outside the booth they would take their own sweet time in there moving in slow motion. Here's what I think about all this: The ATM booth is a pocket dimension with it's own time frame. While it seems like you're moving in an above-normal speed in there punching the amount keys in .03 seconds flat to those outside the door moving at a different time frame you're tinkering with each key for three minutes.

Haha! Don't mind me I'm just venting my frustration here.

Whatta weird weather were having these days. Around the "winter" months we get an extremely humid weather with biting heat coming from the sun and right now around "spring" we get cold weather! What's up with that? And right now my friend Jhedde's moping around depressed because of a lost love. Or more precisely, a love that hadn't yet started and one that wasn't meant to be. I'll leave him alone for a while this is something he needs to solve by himself. At least for now.

Back to the drawing board for me.

The DJ in K-lite was interviewing some guy on the phone on-air and he mentioned that he frequents The Fort with some friends and he mentioned that one of the things they do there were to watch the people. That's one of the things I miss these days, if there's one thing I need to do to relax is to go somewhere cool and watch the people. If I only had the money, the time, and the right company I would be hanging around the Greenbelt area near the fountain area and just watch the people talk. If it was day time then I would be bringing a camera and try to take some artsy pictures on the sly. Some of them I would use as a reference but most of them I would just probably keep as a souvenir.

I could probably consider the cafe area around Glorietta or maybe in Megamall or Podium. I don't know why it actually relaxes me, mostly I think because of the aesthetic value (value?) but I think it's because I could secretly dub words into their mouths and try to figure out what they're thinking right at that moment. One could play with a simple question like "What if you know that today's the last day of all human life on Earth and they don't?" To spice the question further would be: what if you knew you had your salvation secure and they haven't? Would you do things differently? I don't know. I probably wouldn't be able to control myself and cry right there in front of them. Honestly. I could assume that others would do things differently but that's what my reaction would be.

I still miss hanging in some cool place and watching the people mind their own business.

I think it's kind of weird, not to mention awkward, the way we guys will react with just a few words to a piece of news that's worth at least 2 paragraphs. Noticed it just now.

Took down the previous message written here and transferred it somewhere safe. Can't say you missed much if you didn't get to see it, after all nobody wants to see some mushy thingies written down here. This song by Stevie Nicks perfectly expresses the sentiment written here before:

LANDSLIDE

I took my love and I took it down
I climbed a mountain and I turned around
And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills
Well the landslide brought me down

Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love
Can the child within my heart rise above
Can I sail thru the changing ocean tides
Can I handle the seasons of my life

Well, I've been afraid of changing 'cause I built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Children get older
I'm getting older too
Well...

Well, I've been afraid of changing 'cause I built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Children get older
I'm getting older, too
Well I'm getting older too

So, take this love and take it down
Year and if you climb a mountain and ya turn around
And if you see my reflection in the snow-covered hills
Well the landslide brought me down
And if you see my reflection in the snow-covered hills
Well maybe
Well maybe
Well maybe the landslide will bring you down.

I was answering this topic in PinoyExchange.com about the one thing that you crave but can't afford and this Nokia model again came to mind:



Drool factor: 9/10

I just remembered a real creepy nightmare last night. In it I was in a really dark musky room somewhere with some others and we were hiding out from some sort of alien or monster thingie and I remember it being said that we had to subdue it however possible and then came the warning that we should avoid being bitten. When the thing came crashing in through the roof I could discern in the dark that it was the size of a large dog and had the body of a spider. When it came to face me I saw that it had the face of a wolf baring its fangs. Its canine eyes were also reflecting available light making it glow an eerie glow. I don't know how it is I knew buy behind those bared canine teeth were its spider fangs. I took an old chair and tried to trap it in the inverted chair (with the back of the chair and the seat on top of it) but the weird thing was frisky and it struggled to get free. Before I knew it I was bitten in my left hand and that was when I forced myself to wake up.

I lay there in the dark deathly afraid that the thing would appear in the dark. The image of the beast stayed with me for a few more seconds until I finally managed to sleep. When I woke up this morning I thought about it being a demonic attack or something. Or it may be a bit exaggerated but the image of the monster was definitely weird.

I visited my best friend's grandmother yesterday afternoon. I haven't been visiting her ever since my best friend went off on an extended vacation to the US two years ago and this visit is something I owe her. Ever since College when I got to frequent my best friend's house in San Lorenzo, Makati during our thesis days I've grown quite close to the family. It's both a surprise and awe for me to know that they feel that way. Somehow, now that she's very often alone in that house, she misses the company of her grandsons and I think it's safe to assume that my best friend is also her favorite among the grandchildren. And since I'm still here in the country and well within visiting reach. Looking back at that visit, I do feel a sense of obligation to make her feel happy with those visits. She's getting on with the years and I do hope she would be okay in the coming months ahead. I do wish and pray for many more years ahead of her.

Another deadline looms in the horizon. Well I already have enough ideas for three strips but as of this writing I couldn't bring myself to put anything on paper. Maybe later tonight... I just need to finish two of 'em. Color them tomorrow and send them right before closing time. Prolly finish them at home or something.

...

Enough rambling, here's another great looking Google logo that my friend chanced upon:



Turns out that today's Michelangelo Buonarroti's birthday, he would have been 439 years old today. I wonder if he would be enjoying the same prominence he's enjoying today if he were still alive.

Here's an answer to the "social strata" rant earlier by that other letter sender to the same mailing list:

"When you're using your own money to produce things on your own like comic books, then, yes it matters.

Comic book people who produce their own books should think about "uncool" stuff like distribution and marketing. Unless of course you're doing it for-fucking-art's-sake.

When you're making your own money and you want to make sure you're getting your money's worth before you buy something, then fair reviews matter.

Truth is, not everyone can afford to buy a comic book. Some people would like to actually buy a meal first, get clothes, make sure they get a roof over their heads and have enough left to commute to work everyday so yeah, you can't blame people for being picky.

And yeah, labels matter for people who make it their jobs to label people."

We watched My Big Fat Greek Wedding last night, it was the second time for me and my younger sister but it was a first for Mama and Daddy. It was also Daddy's first time to set foot on the newly renovated Greenbelt area in Makati. He was all in awe and quite apprehensive since the placed looked really unfamiliar compared to the last time he was there (nearly 10 years ago? Maybe.) We caught the last screening of the movie and I appreciated it better this time. People inside the theater were giggling and laughing out loud at the key scenes in the movie. I'm thinking of getting a DVD of the movie sometime in the future. Heard about the sitcom and I wonder how it's faring in the ratings game. Are there plans to show it here? Prolly but they cable cancelled the one channel where they show those sitcoms so the point is moot for me.

I just had to react to this...

"and all this social strata thing is shit. who gives the labels
anyway? what's A-B? what's C-H? should i be glad if i'm in D? who the fuck cares? should comic book people think about this sort of thing? i dunno. very disappointing to hear that somewhere out there, someone has a piece of paper actually ticking us off one by one, sorting us out by class. i'll give them the finger if i could.

...or do i even count? i'm not really someone who has disposable income, not for crap, anyway. or maybe i'm an I."

I got this from a mailing list I'm part of and this is not the first time I ever read such a statement. Now my question is: Why are some people so threatened by the labelling of classes? Why the negative reaction? If it's for the purpose of classification and identifying a target market then I don' think there would be anything unfair in it. I'm thinking that maybe the letter writer is all for equality in this PC conscious world. Well this is getting ridiculous and well out of hand! No matter how much people dream of being in this world I'm sorry to say that it won't be happening yet and you won't do it by doing away with necessary marketing labels. There are people who live in prosperity and there are people who live in poverty. It's just that simple. And yes I do think comic people should be able to identify their market properly. Doing away with the labels of social strata applies to objects of art like painting, sculpture, poetry and some others but were talking about business here. Like it or not we're out to earn something from our work and you can't do it effectively if you don't know who your target audience is and where they belong (it's not like we're labelling them sheep or anything). Just don't put malice in something where it doesn't exist.

So give me the finger see if I care.

Just finished a rather late lunch and I don't feel that well around the tummy. I shouldn't have had that Pepsi, bad decision.Hopefully my standing up while posting this thingie will do the trick... While on the subject of being full I came across these two interesting articles regarding gastronomic ventures. The first one is an audio recording regarding French gastronomes asking the Pope to strike off "gluttony" from the Seven Deadly Sins - NPR (Feb 2, 2003) and the second article is about the excess fat that guys have makes dumber than usual. By restricting the flow of blood to the brain that makes it harder to think or something like that.

Makes sense but they just have to be sure about these things. Not that I'm for unhealthy living but scaring people with facts that has no basis is not really that good at all. It only makes things worse but still the findings make sense. I wonder what the minimum fat is before the blood becomes constricted in the veins going to the head. Speaking of which, I did notice that most of the male Americans are putting on a lot of weight than they did some years ago. Last time we went to California almost three years ago I noticed that most of them were built like bulky football players. One wonders if the same will happen here in our part of the globe. Hmmm...

Summer's a starting and the cold spell is now giving way to a more humid weather. Bah humbug!