More biographical entries. I haven't much energy for my usual scathing commentary, save perhaps for the latter part.

24 October, 2003, Friday:

I was working on finalizing my thesis with Imo, and am I glad that's all over and done with already. Pretty exhausting day, though we did end up in U.P. to have the thesis bookbound. Fine gem of a burger joint there in U.P. I'm glad I decided to try it out, really. Nonetheless, I found out that I was being tasked to do Radio 1 Campus Central on Saturday, although the actual Radio 1 shift was potentially going to be cancelled because Chico had to attend to that Creamsilk event in SM North... ah, well.

Anyways, all that work for the thesis would well pay off, although I still had to get the CD the following day, considering that the CD burner in the Comm Department was busted. Nonetheless, I suppose I can either submit it on Saturday, or if I feel particularly lazy, on Monday.

Abby and I met up by pure chance in the cafeteria, and we were just talking. She was helping me out a bit with my Radio 1 Campus Central tips, which was quite useful, as all three of the tips I came up with were from either her or Grace. She's going to be in campus for the rest of the semester break, as she has another play to work on. All the luck to her, I suppose.

Major screw-up in the offing, as Grace's video camera got broken, and I seem to be the culprit. I wonder how much of an arm and leg this is going to cost me... bah Gawd. Talk about miserably unlucky, neh?

25 October, 2003, Saturday:

Due to the Creamsilk event, even my Campus Central stint for RX got canceled. Delle looked really stressed out, and then Bruce Romano even dropped in on them. Purple and Ralph Waldo were likewise in the booth. I didn¡¦t stay too long, as I had to go to Mel's (Imo's friend. Not some other Mel I know.) house to get the CD Imo burned for our thesis. I didn't feel like turning it in on Saturday, though, as the effort to go back to Ateneo all the way from Ortigas was a wee bit daunting for me.

I've been trying out some neat tricks for Geese Howard in SNK vs. Capcom, and I must say, there's very little that can keep me down at this point. Geese is really reliable, but I just need to analyze how to defeat that annoying Zero to ensure that I'll stay at the top of my game. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Anyways, Geese's MAX Mode combo is top-notch. It's easy to execute, looks flashy, and deals a whole lot of damage. I tend to rely on his poking abilities to build up my meter safely, then launch a full scale assault when I'm almost at MAX and then try to break my opponent's guard meter. Works wonders for me, most of the time. I managed to rack up a total of 21 wins with Geese last time out in University Mall. Of course, when they expect mercy rounds, that number might drop a bit, but you can be certain I don't intend to lose often with this game...

Dhalsim is next on my list of characters I want to learn, as is Chun Li. I'm okay with Tessa, Mr. Karate, and Terry, and maybe I'll try Zero, once I figure out what his infinite combo is all about. Not that I'd do it on human opponents, though... ::winks::

After all that, I headed off to Greenhills for my tournament. It didn't push through, though. Too few people showed up, thanks to my newfound rival, Ragnarok Online. Heh. Nonetheless, I moved the tourney to November 15, and here's hoping for a better turnout by then. It's been a rather exhausting day for me, and here's hoping the last two weeks of my semester break will yield a lot of rest for me...

27 October, 2003, Monday:

Nothing big happened on Sunday. I was mostly home, except to go online with my siblings, though I don't recall doing any blog-hopping whatsoever at the time. My memory seems to be failing me... I really don't recall much what happened on Sunday, but I really think I didn't go out, anyway. I recall sleeping for a long while...

Anyways, Monday was great. I finally submitted my thesis requirements to Sev Sarmenta after I listened to the Morning Rush with Chico and Delamar. Funny stuff that Chico's been up to again, so it seems. He's on this misery kick, and it's pretty entertaining, though the question of where it's all coming from begs to be asked. Don't you just hate all the cryptic stuff? I didn't really get to train with them because I felt way too exhausted. I suppose I had no choice but to just go and skip training today, but well, at least I'm done for this semester. I just have to wait for my grades, and... wait. Let's stop there. :)

I headed off to La Salle afterwards to meet up with Annabelle, aka Chiyo. Grace was insisting that she resembles Abby, and I guess I have to say there's quite a lot of veracity in that statement. If only I had a scanner or something, I'm pretty ruddy certain I can prove it... anyways, Annabelle was really nice, though we didn't have that much to really talk about. I guess there's a bit more ice to break between us, as it's only the second time we've met one another, and the first one could hardly be considered a real encounter. Can you say "Flavor of the Month"? Heh.

Nonetheless, more SVC madness for me. I'm beginning to talk about this stuff about as often as some people I know talk about Ragnarok already... anyways, I'm being much less ruthless now, and even giving out mercy rounds already. Funny thing is, I went wrong with my code for Geese and selected Kasumi, and I ended up getting 13 wins with her. She's a pretty good character, actually. The only thing Geese has over her is a genuine projectile, but I love her Exceed move, as it's a great counter move, and if you know how to use it, it'll hit every single time. Or rather, you'll take a hit every single time, and then beat them into oblivion...

As for RAW Deal, I finally concocted myself a really formidable Ric Flair deck, who usually starts off with an 8-card handsize, twice that of his basic starting handsize. Pretty impressive, considering his ability needs him to have cards in his hand. I didn't really give much of a though for the two RAW foils I had to chuck away, or the two other Ric Flair specifics I didn't find a need to keep on me. Let's face it: Ric Flair Smackdown is the way to go.

28 October, 2003, Tuesday:

Grace and I met up today to get her camera to a repair shop. Apparently, there's no choice for me except to shell out around five grand for that ruddy camera. I'm too exasperated to vituperate about it for long, save for the fact that it's totally annoying. That accident could've well been avoided, and now, I end up paying quite a tidy sum to have the bloody thing repaired.

Forget it. I don't want to talk about this day for one more second.

29 October, 2003, Wednesday:

Finally, some much-needed Radio 1 training. And what a deal that was! Delle was alone this time, which led people to suspect that she and Chico had a tiff, as it was Delle who was absent on Tuesday. I was helping her out, and she was really grateful. She did mention that she never handled the Monster's Riot before, so she suddenly had to handle it today, and she handled it very well. She was fun to talk to, and so were ma'am Lea and ma'am Lally. Nonetheless, Chinggay was surprised at my sheer dedication to train on a regular basis, though I think it's more because this is my only year in Radio 1, really.

Chico was absent because... I'm not at a liberty to tell. At least, not here.

Would you believe it? I¡¦m going to be on air next Saturday, 8 November, 2003, at Radio 1, RX 93.1, 8-10 in the evening.. I love these shameless moments for me to promote myself...

After the rather grueling training with Delle, I went straightaway to La Salle, where I still did not see any of the usual suspects. Besides, aside from SNK vs. Capcom, I had to meet up with Shunichi Sakurai, who wanted to get a charger for his GBA rechargeable battery. That took me all the way back to SM Centerpoint. Grace and I met up shortly thereafter, and sadly, we didn't get to watch Identity as this was the day the news broke out that we have to pay 5,000 for camera repairs. Am I glad my mom offered to help by shouldering 2,000 of the cost. To think I still owe her 3,000...

30 October, 2003, Thursday:

This was a splendid day, as we used this day as our opportunity to go ahead and visit our faithful departed in Himlayang Filipino already. You might say it was an interesting trip, considering that we even had a television set on in the mausoleum and all¡K nonetheless, it was a pretty okay day, though I must say I wasn't too keen on sticking around there, what with all the bad blood and heavy aura emanating from my aunt. It was otherwise fine, though, and my cousin, Mikee, who's only about a little over a year old, is a splendid little angel.

31 October, 2003, Friday:

Got to see the Rundown tonight with the family, after trying to get a bit of rest for myself, what with my being underslept and all over that ruddy camera. In spite of that, I suppose I owe a review for this film, as I think it deserves about a B+ for it. It was a fun romp with a paper-thin plot, and in spite of its shortcomings, I must say that this film really showcased the first wrestler I know who can really make it big in Hollywood.

01 November, 2003, Saturday:

Radio 1 training again, and it was funny because I got to join in on the Hot 10 that day as well. Chico and Delle were exclaiming "Shut the doors!" when I told them I'm walking to the station as I spoke to them on the air. It was a good training bit for me, as I really felt more and more confident on the boards already. Chico confirmed that Radio 1 would indeed be on November 8, and I suppose I'm more than ready for it by then...

Anyways, the training was pretty cool. The Hot 10 wasn't so interesting, but in spite of that, Chico and Delle had their inimitable ways about them that kept things going regardless.

Grace and I then met up at her house, where I just talked a bit with her before we went off to Greenhills, only to find out that Virra Mall was closed, so that family bit will have to be put on hold. Due to the sudden change in plans, Grace and I ended up watching Identity, which, again, I intend to review. I give the film a flat A for the whole deal, and I must say, it was one of the best mysteries I've seen in quite a while.

03 November, 2003, Monday:

Nothing happened on Sunday. At least, nothing too important. Monday was certainly a great day, on the other hand. I got my grades for last semester already, and would you believe it?

History 166: A
Elements of Screen Art: A
European Film: A
Thesis: A
Theology 141: B+
Philosophy 103:B+

QPI: 3.83

Okay, so I'm putting myself over again by indicating these grades. Nonetheless, if my calculations are correct, this simply means that I still have to hit a 4.0 next semester in order for me to be Cum Laude. Here I was half-hoping to just get a 3.67 so that I'd stop thinking about it... it's not meant to be. If only I had the money to overload just a single subject. That'd make my bid for Cum Laude nigh-on guaranteed. Ah, well.

Anyways, I suppose it was fine, regardless. Abby and I were talking a bit again, and she was sticking out her tongue at me when I pointed out what I needed to do this coming semester just to get to my goal. Easy for her to do... she's nearly there. She did ask me, though, if I would gun for it had she not been my yardstick for academic success. Considering I picked the pentagon back in Children's Forum, which stands for "never content with the status quo" (Though I must admit, I picked it back then as well so that me and Christine would have the same choice...), whereas Abby picked a circle, "preoccupied with sex", that is rather telltale of what is the real deal...

Anyways, one of our classmates, Malou, was intrigued over the inside comments we were lobbing at one another, and she was given the quick explanation that me and Abby went a long way back... around seven years, more or less. Malou even offered us pastillas, or as Abby would call it, espasol. Heh. Quite surprising how different our status quo is nowadays, considering where we came from. I'm pretty glad of how it went, though. Broadcast will be restarted. More on that next time.

Got to speak with an old friend. Carla, from RX. She's got a boyfriend nowadays... I suppose that was only a matter of time.

Mich celebrated her birthday the day before, Don is celebrating his birthday tomorrow. Greetings are in order.

Yaiba is a lucky schmuck. Really. He's currently at an overnight beach party with Kendra and Sacha. I'm sure if Elbert heard about this, he'd happily do impressions and leave wrong, wrong images running around in my head again...

Is it just me or is the ¡§Yes Yes Show¡¨ by PnE their funniest song throughout their entire career?

04 November, 2003, Tuesday:

Pretty busy, actually. I met up with Brad Turvey today, who apparently has been trying to improve his Counterstrike skills. Fun stuff, as we were mostly talking about video games, a bit about what's up with the NBA, and all that. With Mandy Moore coming to the Philippines, one has to wonder what this means for her partner in the Penshoppe ad... :)

After the show, Delamar had a nice chat with me. She was asking me about my thesis, and my plans after graduation. She was a very nice person to speak to, and I felt really confident about my chances after graduation. Chico recently purchased a palm pilot. I recall him talking about considering one just last Saturday. Talk about acting quickly.

Ah, yes. Radio 1 Campus Central, 6-9 AM on Saturday. Yes, I will be on air in the morning and the evening, 8-10. :)

Afterwards, Grace and I watched another movie. That¡¦s three films already. This time, it was the Phone. I want to review this film... an A-, no doubt.

Things have been pretty haywire in politics lately, and that's been the main topic we've been considering. The chances of us getting a good president the following six years come 2004 are really slim, as names coming up for consideration seem to be: Fernando Poe Jr., Ping Lacson, Danding Cojuango, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, and Raul Roco. Other names that pop up but not as strongly are Noli De Castro and Gringo Honasan. This is just too much. When the least evil we can come up with is the incumbent president who is more of a puppet than a leader, and a brilliant man who has a wife with shades upon shades of Imelda Marcos, we are in so much trouble...

Worse, look at what they're trying to do with the few good men we have left in government. Take a certain chief justice named Hilario Davide for example...

If he¡¦s so rich, where is her family's Mercedes Benz? Isn't that odd? The family isn't directly benefiting from all this "corruption¨, so it seems.

And who, pray tell, are the people behind this act of "searching for the truth"? Why, Mr. "I'm Erap's puppet in Congress" himself, Rep. Fuentabella, as well as Danding Cojuangco's very own son and nephew. Hmm. Is there a connection? Right. There is. Estrada was effectively ousted by Davide's recognition of GMA's presidency. Cojuangco is running afoul with Davide thanks to his own shady deals.

In a classic show of noticing the speck in somebody else's eye while a plank is hanging around their own, these congressmen want to look into the funds of the judiciary, a separate and co-equal branch of government, as though it were at their beck and call. As if this assertively obtrusive behavior wasn't enough, they failed to try and investigate their own fund. Pork barrel, congressional budget, call it what you want, but hey, if they should do some accounting, maybe they'd want to start with their own before they look into something that is not even being declared as conspicuous by the Commission on Audit, which by their actions, they are efficiently declaring as incompetent.

Forget jurisdiction. I can't even begin to fathom how these congressmen resent the Supreme Court for stepping into their business, when they started it. I can't begin to fathom the lack of arithmetic skills they possess, expecting a full zero balance and liquidation of funds all throughout any given year. Juridically speaking, they have no right to look into it, much less impeach someone who already had others attempt to impeach him on a previous occasion within the year. Even if we were to disregard that, we are looking at sheer inanity here with a move that is so politically motivated, and damaging to the morale of the country, as the only bastion of the country that seemed to be above reproach, more than any other sector of the country, is now under fire. No, Davide is not the judiciary. But he sure as Hades represents it.

I'm not going to touch on evidence and counter-evidence. I'm sure Maia's done that already. I want to point out a bit more the ramipercussions that these actions are causing. Firstly, it's wreaking sheer havoc on our economy. That in itself is quite bad. The peso has hit an all-time low against the dollar, such that not even Estrada's term has experienced.

Even worse than that, is the impending class war Estrada's goading statements are causing, as he is making Davide out to be a part of the elitists whom his own kind are trying to protect. He then appeals to the masses to not be misled. How ironic that this very plea is what is misleading the people. Wonderful, neh? He¡¦s got it all worked out, so it seems. Now, when his incendiary comments do cause a class war, everyone is simply, for lack of a better term, screwed.

Lovely country we have, neh?