.:Show-Off:.
Pomelo managed to catch the TV program yesterday, which was particularly amusing, as she has probably never seen me doing the stuff that I did there, much less the stuff Kathy and Krisette pulled off.
During the afternoon, the two of us met up and I just had to show her my Dance Maniax skillz. It's been ages since I last played, but I haven't lost a beat. If anything, my transition of moves has gotten rather smoother. Heh.
She was telling me that I was very flexible.
Flattering, except it wasn't in the context I was hoping for... ;)
Isn’t it funny how you can have someone mean the world to you, yet also be the one to give meaning to your world?
.:Random Funny Thoughts:.
- The Nintendo DS slogan? “Touching is good.”
- I walked into Shangri-la today, and the security check is separate for men and women. A man walks into the women segment. The male guard gamely quips, “Nakalimutan ni sir kung ano siya!” eliciting laughs from everyone in the area.
.:Who Am I To Say No?:.
In my boardwork, I was getting lots of calls and greetings from all the people. It was something I definitely appreciated, and I'd like to thank everyone who remembered my birthday. I got greetings from friends and family and even some of the listeners.
One greeting that stood out though was when I got a caller who was asking for “Reward” by Jay Durias and South Border. He later called a second time and greeted me.
The caller? Jay Durias of South Border.
Who'm I to say “no” to a guy like that? I am honored. Seriously, I am.
.:Dropping In:.
After my boardwork, I went up to the 17th floor to meet up with Chico and Delamar, and their first news program was about giant squids, which I found hilarious. Apparently, the Pump Magazine ad they had where their slot was supposedly from 8-10 was a typo.
Sarah was there, and so was Jose, the guy with the same timeslot as I do. It was really cool talking to them, especially with Jose, whose timeslot meant he can relate to a lot of the woes I get, such as having a caller actually say “motherf***ers” on the air. Yeah, nice guy, who seems to really be appreciative of WAVE, but that guy who calls himself “Ladies' Man” definitely could've avoided using that expletive live... heh.
It was pretty cool to be there again after all this time. I guess I just had to drop by the guys who made it possible to even want to be in radio in the first place. Every single time I feel that radio isn't for me, Chico and Delamar are the guys who would remind me by sheer example of how much I really love the industry. These two inspired me to get into radio, and even trained me way back in Radio 1. But everyone knows that by now.
Not to be outdone, I definitely owe sir Joe the Mango for actually taking a chance with me. Here I was, a relative unknown (And still a relative unknown.) in radio, and yet he gave me a shot and even put me on the morning show. No matter how many times I'd gripe about my work in WAVE, you never heard me say a single bad thing about sir Joe in all of my entries about my work.
I don't have to be a legend in radio like Chico and Delle or Joe the Mango. Simply being in this industry for me is more than enough already, as I have been doing my best from day one to earn my keep.
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Massive Update...
.:Today's LSS:.
The WAVE Jingle is really stuck in my head right now... too bad I can't find lyrics.
How's about a different song, then?
It's Your Birthday
by R Kelly
Surprise
Girl I bet you thought I had went and forgot
It's a special day
Tonight
Your gift will be something you will remember
For the rest of your days
(So get ready and I'll take you out) and show you some love
(Show you what partying is all about) once we hit the club
(It's your birthday) so let's party and have some fun
(It's your birthday) we'll dance til the morning comes yeah
(Happy birthday) girl let's step the night away
(Happy birthday) and we're gonna celebrate, yeah
do do do do do do do do do do do...
Oh we'll be laughing and singing and grooving on the way
With smiles upon our face
Nothing but VIP
Darling for you and me
And there's so many dancing feet
Dancing in harmony
(So get ready and I'll take you out) and show you some love
(Show you what partying is all about) once we hit the club, yeah
(It's your birthday) so let's party and have some fun
(It's your birthday) and we'll dance til the morning comes yeah
(Happy birthday) let's step the night away
(Happy birthday) we're gonna celebrate, yeah
Let's go
Do do do do do do do do do do...
Go Drea, it's your birthday!
Go Joanne, it's your birthday!
Go Jaya, it's your birthday!
Go Channél, it's your birthday!
Go Angie, it's your birthday!
Go Julie, it's your birthday!
Go Ebony, it's your birthday!
Go Teshonda it's your birthday!
Go Kim, it's your birthday!
Go Lisa, it's your birthday!
Go Devine, it's your birthday!
Go Simone, it's your birthday!
Go Vernice, it's your birthday!
Go Gina, it's your birthday!
Go Kat, it's your birthday!
Go Carmen, it's your birthday!
Go Kel, it's your birthday!
.:TV Appearance!:.
The TV Appearance has come and gone, but at the end of the day, nobody had the foresight to record it. Ah, well.
Still, so there we were, Krisette, Kathy, myself, and Hrbs on safety duty. I got there earlier than anyone else, and was a bit miffed to find out that it was Channel 23 and not Channel 2. That meant all my plugging was all for naught. Heh. Still, no big deal, notwithstanding the fact that the small bit wasn't recorded.
It was close to 7 in the morning when we had to demonstrate fire-spinning, and we had to get out of the studio because it didn't seem possible for us to spin in there. So we went outside, and while we were looking for a nice spot, I was running by them the idea of spinning in front of the Big Brother house, and maybe giving a dose of reality to that show...
And then, a whole platoon of security guards assembled in front of us. We naturally felt a bit nervous as we lit up.
After the short spinning session, Patty Laurel and her partner interviewed us a bit. Funny fact: Patty Laurel is the only person I know who was both my classmate and my student. She was my classmate when we were both seniors in Comm, and then she took Dr. Ibana for Philo 104, where I was a teaching assistant. Glad to see she still knew me.
I also ran into Oz and the other guys from the band that used to practice at Kathy's place. Interesting... no John, though. Heh.
.:The Ultimate Warrior:.
A new DVD has just been released, entitled "The Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior", chronicling the short-lived but highly controversial career of the Ultimate Warrior.
In any case, the Warrior has naturally responded to this DVD scathingly in his website.
I don't know whether or not the Warrior can sue the WWE for this debacle, but amid all of his insane ravings, the Warrior does make some very important points that cannot just be dismissed away by saying that he's a nut...
Take this paragraph from him as an example:
"The greater distance I can create between myself and those other Legend talent you evidently consider having lead constructive courses is exactly what I am looking for. I guess I’m just not cut out to be constructive in the way you define it. Whore out yourself and your family for an unimportant, superficial cheap-ass celebrity long after you’ve had enough; blame drugs, other abuses and addictions and just simple life responsibilities for failing at life time and time again; bring kids into the world and then desert them entirely or raise them to be ‘useful idiots’; frequent rehab visits or OD in a budget hotel room over a vile, sorry-ass bag of dirty street drugs; be an unequivocal hypocrite, be on the record saying one thing but always rationalize doing another; let your body, mind and spirit go to hell; become a born again Christian, hock it until no one buys the con anymore, and then crawl back to you and hypocritically participate in WWE’s debauched, carnal storylines; talk tough but never take a stand and back it up; despise McMahon when you don’t have a contract, lick his ass when you do; know no principles and have no integrity; refuse to behave grown up even when you are; be afraid to challenge yourself to do other things than what you’ve already succeeded at; accept that you are only a pro-wrestler and it’s all you'll ever be able to do, and any success in the business you have is never because of anything you contribute and earn, but only something that McMahon has the power to grant; and finally, most of all, crawl back to you, King McMahon, for a final bout of self-degradation. Hell, Vince, that’s a lot of feebleminded, lazy work to be constructive. I’d just rather do the harder thing. I think the reward is greater. Call me a kook. That’s right, I guess you intend to. Vince, your adulterated brand of approval and respect I cannot find the self-disgust to lower myself to. I make no apologies."
I feel sorry for the guy, really. Couldn't they just leave him alone in his little corner of the world or something?
Of course, the day he comes crawling back to Vince will be the day that I will have every right to laugh in his face... but he's holding out on that even longer than Bret Hart has, who is now on good terms with Vinnie Mac...
.:From Pro Wrestling To Philosophy:.
I am a pluralist. Not an atheist. Reading this piece has given me cause to think, though... it's an atheist thinking aloud...
"I firmly believe in the impossiblity of free will in any true sense. Cause and effect are inescapable, whether you think we're simply a collection of atoms in a whole universe of atoms, or whether you believe in souls, everything we do still happens for a reason, and that reason had a reason, and so on and so forth. I don't mean there is necessarily some master plan, simply that we are are nothing more than the culmination of our genetics and every experience we've ever had, neither of which are, ultimately, up to us. Every choice I make I make because of who I am (e.g. I choose to drink milk instead of orange juice because I like milk better. thats part of who I am. i'm a milk drinker), and who I am can be traced back to factors far outside of my control.
For an atheist like myself, this effectively means nothing.
But if there were a god who was omnipotent, omniscient, and the creator, then the moment he created anything he had to know exactly how it would all play out, and not only that, decided to create it that way. he knew, at the dawn of time, that I would be born and that due to my genes and the structure of my soul and my interaction with the rest of his creation, I would like milk better than orange juice. Sure I have 'choice', but every choice I make I do because of who I am, and I am who I am because he made me that way. He knew that I would be in Boston in 1986 because my dad was the sort of guy (because he made him that way) who would take the job (which he knew would be presented to him) that would result in him moving their, and he knew what apartment we would take and he knew exactly where I would be on that fateful day in july when I fell down the stairs and broke my leg, and he knew I would fall.
And he left it that way. There is no such thing as free will, everything happens because he made it that way and knew exactly how it would play out and just decided to let it play out that way. The Holocaust, the crucifixion, that time my dog got hit by a car, Katrina, 9/11, Carrot-Top. All of it.
And here's the thing. Because he's omnipotent, it doesn't have to be that way. He could have very easily created a perfect world with just as much choice as we have right now (i.e. superficially lots, and in actuality, none). The argument that he gave us free will so he couldn't just make us good is crap. He didn't give us free will because we still rely on cause and effect and every single effect gets traced back to him, and how is making us good any less of a violation of free will than making some people schizophrenic and some people geniuses and some people shy and some people clumsy and...You get my point. he made us who we are. And he made some of us evil (or at least, made us the sort of people who when confronted with the environment which he knew we would be confronted with would inevitably choose to be evil), he made some of us sick and twisted. He made some of us Christians and some of us Atheists and some of us Scientologists. He made hurricanes for us, and earthquakes too.
Satan's a non factor, because guess what? God made him too, and the same rules apply.
And yeah, he did make everything good too. But saying we sshould just be grateful for that would be like saying that if your mom bakes you a batch of cookies and puts razorblades in one cookie, you should be grateful to her for all the other good ones. No you shouldn't, because it was well within her power to just leave out the razorblades entirely.
Thats one of my gripes with the notion of God.
The other is the whole hell thing. Why does he want to be worshipped so badly? What is so vital to God about our love for him? Yeah he created us, but so what? My dad fathered me, and if I said I didn't love him so he locked me up in the basement and tortured me, he's be called evil, and rightfully so. Even if God is the creator, and all powerful, and good (though I don't buy it), why should we have to worship him, or even believe in him? What does it matter to him? And it can't even be rational belief, based on evidence. It has to be faith. He is so adamantly attatched to the notion of our worshipping him without evidence that that is specifically touted as his reason for not offering any proof. Its like some sick test, where the teacher won't give you any evidence for one answer, but if you don't choose it you get your kneecaps broken.
I've heard the argument extended before that hell is simply an absence of God, God 'loving' us so much he cuts us off from his presence if we reject him. But say that turns out to really suck, so I say 'hey God, I give up, I believe in you.' Why can't he just forgive and forget. Why is everything eternal. Why can't he just say 'okay, you said your sorry, all is forgiven, seeing as how I am infinitely good and all that, welcome to heaven'."
But I wish to go against these notions against free will on several points of divergence...
First, assuming you are an atheist:
1. Free will exists if you believe a human's existence to precede his essence. Yes, limitations are indeed present, but these are inevitable. This in no way denies your free will. As Sartre would put it, a human being is a life-project that one builds up in his own way. All choices are indeed contingent upon each other, but not infallibly so. A human being who exists before having an essence makes his own essence in the things he does.
2. We are more than the sum of our parts. Everyone knows this saying, and cliche as it may sound, this holds especially true for a human being made up of genetics and surroundings. For some reason, when all these come together, the human being formed by it is still a human being capable of making choices that do not necessarily add up to one's genetics or surroundings. You still have a choice. No matter if the choices are limited, they still exist.
3. Free will is not just a check to see if one is free from anything that impinges upon his decisions. Freedom from, freedom to, and freedom for are radically different concepts, and only the first two are covered by this very myopic view of what free will is that the writer was espousing. You can be free from the restraints of genetics. You can be free to do whatever you want. But in the end, what is your freedom for?
Now, let's presume you are not atheist and believe in religion, primarily, Christianity or Judaism:
1. Not all definitions of God as omniscient and omnipotent preclude knowledge of all that was, is, and will ever be. There are some schools of thought that believe that since the future does not exist, then God does not unequivocally know something that is not yet.
2. Just because someone knows something does not mean that he controlled the outcome. I personally know that Matt Hardy will lose on RAW next week and move to Smackdown, but does that mean that I myself determined that outcome? Of course not. God knows I will do something, but He also knows that it was I who chose to do something. The word "will" in and by itself denotes an emanation, and not an imposition. Your actions emanate from your will. Actions imposed by someone else are against your will.
3. To say that because God created us and He is omnipotent, therefore everything we do was predetermined by His acts is clearly an assertion. Why so? Because the assumption is God created us with free will. That's akin to a programmer throwing in a randomly self-generating variable in a given code, which means that the programmer left something to chance. God, in this sense, left it to chance.
Now, what about the writer's notions about God creating evil?
1. The problem with some people subscribing to God is that He ends up becoming a scapegoat when things go wrong and He is all but forgotten when things are going well. If someone excels, he praises himself. If he fails, he blames God for it. If anything, human beings created evil by the power of their free will. Just because something is inherently good does not mean it can't be used for evil. Satan was a result of his own choice to rebel against God. God did not create Satan. Satan created Satan.
2. God as a parent figure to us should make it clear by now that because of our free will, God will not do everything for us. While parents do not want their children to ever be harmed, does that mean they will prohibit their child from doing anything that could remotely harm them? It would be absurd for a parent to prohibit a child from ever walking, or riding a bike, or getting married, just because they don't want their child to be harmed. It just doesn't work that way. Besides, God's concern is less of physical harm than it is of spiritual arm, isn't it? Yes, we rely upon cause and effect to some extent, but to say that this is all we ever do is definitely not true. Things aren't just an endless chain reaction from one starting point to an inconceivable end point. Why is it that way? Because God made it that way. We cannot bring it upon ourselves to charge upon God our concepts of how the world should be because we are not God, and we cannot believably put ourselves into His shoes. If we could, then why does it seem that omnipotence is such a hard property to illustrate in comic books? We don't have it. Ergo, we can't expect to tell someone who does what to do with it.
3. What may seem evil to human beings may not necessarily be so when viewed from God's vantage point. Ants, if they were intelligent enough, would hate humans for walking. But to us human beings, is walking evil? Of course not. Take that on the grandest, most infinitesmal scale of God. Can you honestly say that you are the final arbiter of what is good and evil?
And how about the notions of heaven and hell?
1. While there are scriptural texts that allude to the concepts of heaven and hell, concepts tend to vary depending upon the culture in question. Furthermore, the concept of heaven and hell is not as simple as a scorecard of the good and bad things we did in life.
2. We are temporal beings right now, which explains why the ramifications of our actions and choices tend to be temporal as well. Now, the moment we become eternal, then our choice will clearly be eternal as well. If so, the moment we reject God for all eternity, we reject Him for all eternity. We do not have the excuse of fickle-mindedness to use when we make a choice as an eternal being whose choice would have the same longevity as us.
3. And lastly, God doesn't need us to believe in Him. We do.
In a world where meaninglessness and cynicism abound, in a world where voyeurism is now available on your television set (Hello, Big Brother!), in a world where we always ask for more, believing in a God is our only hope that after everything has been said and done, oblivion is not what waits for us on the other side.
What is it to God if we don't believe in Him? That is a genuine question. At that point, we begin to realize that God isn't asking us to believe in Him because He wants it, but because if you look deep down inside of yourself enough, you'd realize that you need it.
But hey, this is all a matter of opinion. If you are perfectly fine with an infinite void on the other side instead of the promise of an eternity, I, as a pluralist, cannot but help to respect that.
In the end, though, we live. By no merit of our own, we live. For such a boon to us that we never did anything to earn, who are we to make demands about what we have been given?
The WAVE Jingle is really stuck in my head right now... too bad I can't find lyrics.
How's about a different song, then?
by R Kelly
Surprise
Girl I bet you thought I had went and forgot
It's a special day
Tonight
Your gift will be something you will remember
For the rest of your days
(So get ready and I'll take you out) and show you some love
(Show you what partying is all about) once we hit the club
(It's your birthday) so let's party and have some fun
(It's your birthday) we'll dance til the morning comes yeah
(Happy birthday) girl let's step the night away
(Happy birthday) and we're gonna celebrate, yeah
do do do do do do do do do do do...
Oh we'll be laughing and singing and grooving on the way
With smiles upon our face
Nothing but VIP
Darling for you and me
And there's so many dancing feet
Dancing in harmony
(So get ready and I'll take you out) and show you some love
(Show you what partying is all about) once we hit the club, yeah
(It's your birthday) so let's party and have some fun
(It's your birthday) and we'll dance til the morning comes yeah
(Happy birthday) let's step the night away
(Happy birthday) we're gonna celebrate, yeah
Let's go
Do do do do do do do do do do...
Go Drea, it's your birthday!
Go Joanne, it's your birthday!
Go Jaya, it's your birthday!
Go Channél, it's your birthday!
Go Angie, it's your birthday!
Go Julie, it's your birthday!
Go Ebony, it's your birthday!
Go Teshonda it's your birthday!
Go Kim, it's your birthday!
Go Lisa, it's your birthday!
Go Devine, it's your birthday!
Go Simone, it's your birthday!
Go Vernice, it's your birthday!
Go Gina, it's your birthday!
Go Kat, it's your birthday!
Go Carmen, it's your birthday!
Go Kel, it's your birthday!
.:TV Appearance!:.
The TV Appearance has come and gone, but at the end of the day, nobody had the foresight to record it. Ah, well.
Still, so there we were, Krisette, Kathy, myself, and Hrbs on safety duty. I got there earlier than anyone else, and was a bit miffed to find out that it was Channel 23 and not Channel 2. That meant all my plugging was all for naught. Heh. Still, no big deal, notwithstanding the fact that the small bit wasn't recorded.
It was close to 7 in the morning when we had to demonstrate fire-spinning, and we had to get out of the studio because it didn't seem possible for us to spin in there. So we went outside, and while we were looking for a nice spot, I was running by them the idea of spinning in front of the Big Brother house, and maybe giving a dose of reality to that show...
And then, a whole platoon of security guards assembled in front of us. We naturally felt a bit nervous as we lit up.
After the short spinning session, Patty Laurel and her partner interviewed us a bit. Funny fact: Patty Laurel is the only person I know who was both my classmate and my student. She was my classmate when we were both seniors in Comm, and then she took Dr. Ibana for Philo 104, where I was a teaching assistant. Glad to see she still knew me.
I also ran into Oz and the other guys from the band that used to practice at Kathy's place. Interesting... no John, though. Heh.
.:The Ultimate Warrior:.
A new DVD has just been released, entitled "The Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior", chronicling the short-lived but highly controversial career of the Ultimate Warrior.
In any case, the Warrior has naturally responded to this DVD scathingly in his website.
I don't know whether or not the Warrior can sue the WWE for this debacle, but amid all of his insane ravings, the Warrior does make some very important points that cannot just be dismissed away by saying that he's a nut...
"The greater distance I can create between myself and those other Legend talent you evidently consider having lead constructive courses is exactly what I am looking for. I guess I’m just not cut out to be constructive in the way you define it. Whore out yourself and your family for an unimportant, superficial cheap-ass celebrity long after you’ve had enough; blame drugs, other abuses and addictions and just simple life responsibilities for failing at life time and time again; bring kids into the world and then desert them entirely or raise them to be ‘useful idiots’; frequent rehab visits or OD in a budget hotel room over a vile, sorry-ass bag of dirty street drugs; be an unequivocal hypocrite, be on the record saying one thing but always rationalize doing another; let your body, mind and spirit go to hell; become a born again Christian, hock it until no one buys the con anymore, and then crawl back to you and hypocritically participate in WWE’s debauched, carnal storylines; talk tough but never take a stand and back it up; despise McMahon when you don’t have a contract, lick his ass when you do; know no principles and have no integrity; refuse to behave grown up even when you are; be afraid to challenge yourself to do other things than what you’ve already succeeded at; accept that you are only a pro-wrestler and it’s all you'll ever be able to do, and any success in the business you have is never because of anything you contribute and earn, but only something that McMahon has the power to grant; and finally, most of all, crawl back to you, King McMahon, for a final bout of self-degradation. Hell, Vince, that’s a lot of feebleminded, lazy work to be constructive. I’d just rather do the harder thing. I think the reward is greater. Call me a kook. That’s right, I guess you intend to. Vince, your adulterated brand of approval and respect I cannot find the self-disgust to lower myself to. I make no apologies."
I feel sorry for the guy, really. Couldn't they just leave him alone in his little corner of the world or something?
Of course, the day he comes crawling back to Vince will be the day that I will have every right to laugh in his face... but he's holding out on that even longer than Bret Hart has, who is now on good terms with Vinnie Mac...
.:From Pro Wrestling To Philosophy:.
I am a pluralist. Not an atheist. Reading this piece has given me cause to think, though... it's an atheist thinking aloud...
For an atheist like myself, this effectively means nothing.
But if there were a god who was omnipotent, omniscient, and the creator, then the moment he created anything he had to know exactly how it would all play out, and not only that, decided to create it that way. he knew, at the dawn of time, that I would be born and that due to my genes and the structure of my soul and my interaction with the rest of his creation, I would like milk better than orange juice. Sure I have 'choice', but every choice I make I do because of who I am, and I am who I am because he made me that way. He knew that I would be in Boston in 1986 because my dad was the sort of guy (because he made him that way) who would take the job (which he knew would be presented to him) that would result in him moving their, and he knew what apartment we would take and he knew exactly where I would be on that fateful day in july when I fell down the stairs and broke my leg, and he knew I would fall.
And he left it that way. There is no such thing as free will, everything happens because he made it that way and knew exactly how it would play out and just decided to let it play out that way. The Holocaust, the crucifixion, that time my dog got hit by a car, Katrina, 9/11, Carrot-Top. All of it.
And here's the thing. Because he's omnipotent, it doesn't have to be that way. He could have very easily created a perfect world with just as much choice as we have right now (i.e. superficially lots, and in actuality, none). The argument that he gave us free will so he couldn't just make us good is crap. He didn't give us free will because we still rely on cause and effect and every single effect gets traced back to him, and how is making us good any less of a violation of free will than making some people schizophrenic and some people geniuses and some people shy and some people clumsy and...You get my point. he made us who we are. And he made some of us evil (or at least, made us the sort of people who when confronted with the environment which he knew we would be confronted with would inevitably choose to be evil), he made some of us sick and twisted. He made some of us Christians and some of us Atheists and some of us Scientologists. He made hurricanes for us, and earthquakes too.
Satan's a non factor, because guess what? God made him too, and the same rules apply.
And yeah, he did make everything good too. But saying we sshould just be grateful for that would be like saying that if your mom bakes you a batch of cookies and puts razorblades in one cookie, you should be grateful to her for all the other good ones. No you shouldn't, because it was well within her power to just leave out the razorblades entirely.
Thats one of my gripes with the notion of God.
The other is the whole hell thing. Why does he want to be worshipped so badly? What is so vital to God about our love for him? Yeah he created us, but so what? My dad fathered me, and if I said I didn't love him so he locked me up in the basement and tortured me, he's be called evil, and rightfully so. Even if God is the creator, and all powerful, and good (though I don't buy it), why should we have to worship him, or even believe in him? What does it matter to him? And it can't even be rational belief, based on evidence. It has to be faith. He is so adamantly attatched to the notion of our worshipping him without evidence that that is specifically touted as his reason for not offering any proof. Its like some sick test, where the teacher won't give you any evidence for one answer, but if you don't choose it you get your kneecaps broken.
I've heard the argument extended before that hell is simply an absence of God, God 'loving' us so much he cuts us off from his presence if we reject him. But say that turns out to really suck, so I say 'hey God, I give up, I believe in you.' Why can't he just forgive and forget. Why is everything eternal. Why can't he just say 'okay, you said your sorry, all is forgiven, seeing as how I am infinitely good and all that, welcome to heaven'."
But I wish to go against these notions against free will on several points of divergence...
First, assuming you are an atheist:
1. Free will exists if you believe a human's existence to precede his essence. Yes, limitations are indeed present, but these are inevitable. This in no way denies your free will. As Sartre would put it, a human being is a life-project that one builds up in his own way. All choices are indeed contingent upon each other, but not infallibly so. A human being who exists before having an essence makes his own essence in the things he does.
2. We are more than the sum of our parts. Everyone knows this saying, and cliche as it may sound, this holds especially true for a human being made up of genetics and surroundings. For some reason, when all these come together, the human being formed by it is still a human being capable of making choices that do not necessarily add up to one's genetics or surroundings. You still have a choice. No matter if the choices are limited, they still exist.
3. Free will is not just a check to see if one is free from anything that impinges upon his decisions. Freedom from, freedom to, and freedom for are radically different concepts, and only the first two are covered by this very myopic view of what free will is that the writer was espousing. You can be free from the restraints of genetics. You can be free to do whatever you want. But in the end, what is your freedom for?
Now, let's presume you are not atheist and believe in religion, primarily, Christianity or Judaism:
1. Not all definitions of God as omniscient and omnipotent preclude knowledge of all that was, is, and will ever be. There are some schools of thought that believe that since the future does not exist, then God does not unequivocally know something that is not yet.
2. Just because someone knows something does not mean that he controlled the outcome. I personally know that Matt Hardy will lose on RAW next week and move to Smackdown, but does that mean that I myself determined that outcome? Of course not. God knows I will do something, but He also knows that it was I who chose to do something. The word "will" in and by itself denotes an emanation, and not an imposition. Your actions emanate from your will. Actions imposed by someone else are against your will.
3. To say that because God created us and He is omnipotent, therefore everything we do was predetermined by His acts is clearly an assertion. Why so? Because the assumption is God created us with free will. That's akin to a programmer throwing in a randomly self-generating variable in a given code, which means that the programmer left something to chance. God, in this sense, left it to chance.
Now, what about the writer's notions about God creating evil?
1. The problem with some people subscribing to God is that He ends up becoming a scapegoat when things go wrong and He is all but forgotten when things are going well. If someone excels, he praises himself. If he fails, he blames God for it. If anything, human beings created evil by the power of their free will. Just because something is inherently good does not mean it can't be used for evil. Satan was a result of his own choice to rebel against God. God did not create Satan. Satan created Satan.
2. God as a parent figure to us should make it clear by now that because of our free will, God will not do everything for us. While parents do not want their children to ever be harmed, does that mean they will prohibit their child from doing anything that could remotely harm them? It would be absurd for a parent to prohibit a child from ever walking, or riding a bike, or getting married, just because they don't want their child to be harmed. It just doesn't work that way. Besides, God's concern is less of physical harm than it is of spiritual arm, isn't it? Yes, we rely upon cause and effect to some extent, but to say that this is all we ever do is definitely not true. Things aren't just an endless chain reaction from one starting point to an inconceivable end point. Why is it that way? Because God made it that way. We cannot bring it upon ourselves to charge upon God our concepts of how the world should be because we are not God, and we cannot believably put ourselves into His shoes. If we could, then why does it seem that omnipotence is such a hard property to illustrate in comic books? We don't have it. Ergo, we can't expect to tell someone who does what to do with it.
3. What may seem evil to human beings may not necessarily be so when viewed from God's vantage point. Ants, if they were intelligent enough, would hate humans for walking. But to us human beings, is walking evil? Of course not. Take that on the grandest, most infinitesmal scale of God. Can you honestly say that you are the final arbiter of what is good and evil?
And how about the notions of heaven and hell?
1. While there are scriptural texts that allude to the concepts of heaven and hell, concepts tend to vary depending upon the culture in question. Furthermore, the concept of heaven and hell is not as simple as a scorecard of the good and bad things we did in life.
2. We are temporal beings right now, which explains why the ramifications of our actions and choices tend to be temporal as well. Now, the moment we become eternal, then our choice will clearly be eternal as well. If so, the moment we reject God for all eternity, we reject Him for all eternity. We do not have the excuse of fickle-mindedness to use when we make a choice as an eternal being whose choice would have the same longevity as us.
3. And lastly, God doesn't need us to believe in Him. We do.
In a world where meaninglessness and cynicism abound, in a world where voyeurism is now available on your television set (Hello, Big Brother!), in a world where we always ask for more, believing in a God is our only hope that after everything has been said and done, oblivion is not what waits for us on the other side.
What is it to God if we don't believe in Him? That is a genuine question. At that point, we begin to realize that God isn't asking us to believe in Him because He wants it, but because if you look deep down inside of yourself enough, you'd realize that you need it.
But hey, this is all a matter of opinion. If you are perfectly fine with an infinite void on the other side instead of the promise of an eternity, I, as a pluralist, cannot but help to respect that.
In the end, though, we live. By no merit of our own, we live. For such a boon to us that we never did anything to earn, who are we to make demands about what we have been given?
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Excitement...
No LSS for today. I'm in a bit of a rush.
.:The Meeting:.
I'm so underslept, but I would have to say that the meeting with the people from Ayala Life turned out well. I think I made a good impression as the new host for Friday's, and if this hosting gig works out, I can be the frequent go-to guy for hosting gigs with Ayala Life. I won't count any chickens when the eggs aren't even laid yet, but I'm going to take all the steps necessary to get there, including, YES, a stand-up comedy bit. I wrote a short bit myself, and though I doubt I'd have a future in stand-up comedy, I think it's a step in the right direction.
Wish me luck. I go on TV in a while, and well, tomorrow is a special day. I suppose you know why. ;)
The meeting was good. And Ms. Aika from Friday's looked very stressed out. I'm glad she thinks I can handle it, though, and I feel very confident of doing a good job. I ended up having lunch at Friday's, and found out why their burgers were pricey. The beef tasted like Angus beef to me... heh.
With uber-short updates like these, I now realize why my readership has been going down lately. Ah, well. When my money problems are solved, I suppose it'd all be worth it in the end...
.:The Meeting:.
I'm so underslept, but I would have to say that the meeting with the people from Ayala Life turned out well. I think I made a good impression as the new host for Friday's, and if this hosting gig works out, I can be the frequent go-to guy for hosting gigs with Ayala Life. I won't count any chickens when the eggs aren't even laid yet, but I'm going to take all the steps necessary to get there, including, YES, a stand-up comedy bit. I wrote a short bit myself, and though I doubt I'd have a future in stand-up comedy, I think it's a step in the right direction.
Wish me luck. I go on TV in a while, and well, tomorrow is a special day. I suppose you know why. ;)
The meeting was good. And Ms. Aika from Friday's looked very stressed out. I'm glad she thinks I can handle it, though, and I feel very confident of doing a good job. I ended up having lunch at Friday's, and found out why their burgers were pricey. The beef tasted like Angus beef to me... heh.
With uber-short updates like these, I now realize why my readership has been going down lately. Ah, well. When my money problems are solved, I suppose it'd all be worth it in the end...
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Plugs!!!
.:I'll Be On TV Tomorrow!:.
Well, me and Kathy Chua, at the very least. We'll be on Magandang Umaga Pilipinas tomorrow, around 6-ish, to demonstrate fire-spinning. I'd really appreciate if you guys can watch it. Heh.
.:The Plan (OPEN INVITATION UPDATE!!!):.
Plans for the celebration on Saturday are now more or less set in stone. Please click HERE to let me know if you can go. That way, I know how many people to expect.
All necessary details are already in there, especially the stuff you're expected to have, such as a camera, and more importantly, a letter. ;)
Thanks, jabronis!
Well, me and Kathy Chua, at the very least. We'll be on Magandang Umaga Pilipinas tomorrow, around 6-ish, to demonstrate fire-spinning. I'd really appreciate if you guys can watch it. Heh.
.:The Plan (OPEN INVITATION UPDATE!!!):.
Plans for the celebration on Saturday are now more or less set in stone. Please click HERE to let me know if you can go. That way, I know how many people to expect.
All necessary details are already in there, especially the stuff you're expected to have, such as a camera, and more importantly, a letter. ;)
Thanks, jabronis!
A Quick One....
.:Today's LSS:.
How about something from Houston?
Ain't Nothing Wrong
by Houston
[Verse 1]
You comin off innocent actin all nervous and
Girl I can tell that you been here before
By the way that you pop your hips and the way that you bite your lip
Girl you a trip
[Hook]
And I know that your lovin when hittin it feels like forever when we're doin it ooh ooh aah aah
Damn i like it and it dont really matter when we're doin it girl dont front just come with it ooh
Ooh aah aah damn and girl there aint nothin wrong
[Chorus]
When we be freakin it babe aint nothin wrong If you be into it babe
Aint nothin wrong Scream if u gotta boo aint nobody mad at u babe aint nothin wrong aint nothin
Wrong When we be hittin it babe aint nothin wrong if you be diggin it babe aint nothin wrong
Scream if u gotta boo aint nobody mad at u babe aint nothin wrong aint nothin wrong
[Verse 2]
It's ok to be into me if you wanna experiment baby im down go where you wanna go ima lay you
Down right tonite from 0 to 69 on your mark get ready set go
[Hook]
And I know that your lovin when hittin it feels like forever when we're doin it ooh ooh aah aah
Damn i like it and it dont really matter when we're doin it girl dont front just come with it ooh
Ooh aah aah damn and girl there aint nothin wrong
[Chorus]
When we be freakin it babe aint nothin wrong If you be into it babe
Aint nothin wrong Scream if u gotta boo aint nobody mad at u babe aint nothin wrong aint nothin
Wrong When we be hittin it babe aint nothin wrong if you be diggin it babe aint nothin wrong
Scream if u gotta boo aint nobody mad at u babe aint nothin wrong aint nothin wrong
[Break]
Cuz there aint nothin wrong with the way you freakin me there aint nothin wrong be the way you
Wanna be there aint nothin wrong dont think about it i said there aint nothin there aint nothin
There aint nothin wrong cuz there aint nothin wrong with the way we get it on there aint nothin
Wrong go ahead and tell your mom there aint nothin wrong dont think about it i said there aint
Nothin there aint nothin aint nothin wrong
[Chorus]
When we be freakin it babe aint nothin wrong If you be into it babe
Aint nothin wrong Scream if u gotta boo aint nobody mad at u babe aint nothin wrong aint nothin
Wrong When we be hittin it babe aint nothin wrong if you be diggin it babe aint nothin wrong
Scream if u gotta boo aint nobody mad at u babe aint nothin wrong aint nothin wrong
There aint nothin wrong there aint nothin wrong there aint nothin wrong i said there aint nothin
There aint nothin cuz there aint nothin wrong
.:Today's Radio Rumble, But With A Twist...:.
Who do you think would win in a fight between Dexter and Jimmy Neutron? Who's smarter?
And maybe for tomorrow: Yoda vs. E.T. Yes, I posted a curbstomp. So sue me.
.:More Funny Stuff...:.
Peppy could help me describe it, but I found this absolutely hilarious avatar, except the admins at the site removed the avatar so I don't exactly know where the image is now... help me out with describing it, Peps. ;)
And how's this picture grab you?
How about something from Houston?
by Houston
[Verse 1]
You comin off innocent actin all nervous and
Girl I can tell that you been here before
By the way that you pop your hips and the way that you bite your lip
Girl you a trip
[Hook]
And I know that your lovin when hittin it feels like forever when we're doin it ooh ooh aah aah
Damn i like it and it dont really matter when we're doin it girl dont front just come with it ooh
Ooh aah aah damn and girl there aint nothin wrong
[Chorus]
When we be freakin it babe aint nothin wrong If you be into it babe
Aint nothin wrong Scream if u gotta boo aint nobody mad at u babe aint nothin wrong aint nothin
Wrong When we be hittin it babe aint nothin wrong if you be diggin it babe aint nothin wrong
Scream if u gotta boo aint nobody mad at u babe aint nothin wrong aint nothin wrong
[Verse 2]
It's ok to be into me if you wanna experiment baby im down go where you wanna go ima lay you
Down right tonite from 0 to 69 on your mark get ready set go
[Hook]
And I know that your lovin when hittin it feels like forever when we're doin it ooh ooh aah aah
Damn i like it and it dont really matter when we're doin it girl dont front just come with it ooh
Ooh aah aah damn and girl there aint nothin wrong
[Chorus]
When we be freakin it babe aint nothin wrong If you be into it babe
Aint nothin wrong Scream if u gotta boo aint nobody mad at u babe aint nothin wrong aint nothin
Wrong When we be hittin it babe aint nothin wrong if you be diggin it babe aint nothin wrong
Scream if u gotta boo aint nobody mad at u babe aint nothin wrong aint nothin wrong
[Break]
Cuz there aint nothin wrong with the way you freakin me there aint nothin wrong be the way you
Wanna be there aint nothin wrong dont think about it i said there aint nothin there aint nothin
There aint nothin wrong cuz there aint nothin wrong with the way we get it on there aint nothin
Wrong go ahead and tell your mom there aint nothin wrong dont think about it i said there aint
Nothin there aint nothin aint nothin wrong
[Chorus]
When we be freakin it babe aint nothin wrong If you be into it babe
Aint nothin wrong Scream if u gotta boo aint nobody mad at u babe aint nothin wrong aint nothin
Wrong When we be hittin it babe aint nothin wrong if you be diggin it babe aint nothin wrong
Scream if u gotta boo aint nobody mad at u babe aint nothin wrong aint nothin wrong
There aint nothin wrong there aint nothin wrong there aint nothin wrong i said there aint nothin
There aint nothin cuz there aint nothin wrong
.:Today's Radio Rumble, But With A Twist...:.
Who do you think would win in a fight between Dexter and Jimmy Neutron? Who's smarter?
And maybe for tomorrow: Yoda vs. E.T. Yes, I posted a curbstomp. So sue me.
.:More Funny Stuff...:.
Peppy could help me describe it, but I found this absolutely hilarious avatar, except the admins at the site removed the avatar so I don't exactly know where the image is now... help me out with describing it, Peps. ;)
And how's this picture grab you?
I don't know how I come across these images...
Monday, September 26, 2005
Wheeeeeekkkkeeeennnnddd!!!
.:Today's LSS:.
Whee!
You're My You
by Nyoy Volante
Every Romeo has a Juliet
Wishful thinkers have their stars
Hopeless romantics each have a love song
Played on their guitars
REFRAIN
But you, you're everything
This foolish heart could ever define
Every wish, every dream, every prayer come true
I feel so blessed to call you mine
CHORUS
You're my you, even more
No one else I'll adore
You're my you, in my mind
Simply one of a kind
You're the one who never fails to brighten my day
My princess in every fairytale
You're my mornin' 'til night
Such a beautiful sight
You're my you
Your eyes, your lips
The touch of your fingertips
Promise me you'll never take them away
For as long as I exist
[Repeat REFRAIN]
Hay
[Repeat CHORUS]
CHORUS
You're my you, even more
No one else I'll adore
You're my you, in my mind
Simply one of a kind
You're the one who never fails to brighten my day
My princess in every fairytale
You're my mornin' 'til night
Such a beautiful sight
You're the heat of the fire in a cold winter's night
You're a raindrop in June, you're the sun
You're the one, you're my you
.:TV!!!:.
I don't know exactly which, but I'll be either on Channel 2 or 23 on Wednesday morning, assuming the whole fire-spinning thing Kathy wants to demonstrate there would push through.
TV exposure. Whee!
.:Sheer Hilarity:.
Whee!
by Nyoy Volante
Every Romeo has a Juliet
Wishful thinkers have their stars
Hopeless romantics each have a love song
Played on their guitars
REFRAIN
But you, you're everything
This foolish heart could ever define
Every wish, every dream, every prayer come true
I feel so blessed to call you mine
CHORUS
You're my you, even more
No one else I'll adore
You're my you, in my mind
Simply one of a kind
You're the one who never fails to brighten my day
My princess in every fairytale
You're my mornin' 'til night
Such a beautiful sight
You're my you
Your eyes, your lips
The touch of your fingertips
Promise me you'll never take them away
For as long as I exist
[Repeat REFRAIN]
Hay
[Repeat CHORUS]
CHORUS
You're my you, even more
No one else I'll adore
You're my you, in my mind
Simply one of a kind
You're the one who never fails to brighten my day
My princess in every fairytale
You're my mornin' 'til night
Such a beautiful sight
You're the heat of the fire in a cold winter's night
You're a raindrop in June, you're the sun
You're the one, you're my you
.:TV!!!:.
I don't know exactly which, but I'll be either on Channel 2 or 23 on Wednesday morning, assuming the whole fire-spinning thing Kathy wants to demonstrate there would push through.
TV exposure. Whee!
.:Sheer Hilarity:.
The sad part is, BOTH their sidekicks are now back from the dead...
And would I give a damn?
.:And The Weekend Has Yielded Me...:.
... a pretty nice payday. I missed out on two parties, though, as I had to sit in the station to cover their live feeds in the booth.
While it was great as I had the chance to get a good payoff for sitting the parties out, and while I'm not really a party animal, either, it makes me wonder a bit why I was the odd man out for that night. It kind of felt weird I wasn't at The Gathering, truth be told.
That, plus the annoying caller I got who was trying to request a song despite the fact that he was listening and could clearly hear that there was a live feed going on...
.:The Flash Disk:.
Gahh. I'm back to using diskettes until they replace my Flash Disk. I just don't feel like buying a new one... I got a bit traumatized already...
I hate diskettes. Ever since I experienced USB flashdisks, there was just noooo turning back...
And no, I'm not a geek.
.:More Plans For October 1... EYES HERE!!!:.
More plans for Saturday's celebration...
- If time is willing, we could all go to San Mig Cafe. I can cover the first 1,000 pesos of the bill.
- Somebody PLEASE BRING A CAMERA! I don't have one, but photos would be great.
- If you're looking for the official "open invite" and want to fill up the RSVP reply, please click HERE. I want to get a good idea how many are going...
- There's a possibility the celebration would end up in my erstwhile house, assuming I can talk my mom into it. 'Sides, it's about time she got introduced to Pomelo... ;)
Wheeeeeekkkkeeeennnnddd!!!
.:Today's LSS:.
Whee!
You're My You
by Nyoy Volante
Every Romeo has a Juliet
Wishful thinkers have their stars
Hopeless romantics each have a love song
Played on their guitars
REFRAIN
But you, you're everything
This foolish heart could ever define
Every wish, every dream, every prayer come true
I feel so blessed to call you mine
CHORUS
You're my you, even more
No one else I'll adore
You're my you, in my mind
Simply one of a kind
You're the one who never fails to brighten my day
My princess in every fairytale
You're my mornin' 'til night
Such a beautiful sight
You're my you
Your eyes, your lips
The touch of your fingertips
Promise me you'll never take them away
For as long as I exist
[Repeat REFRAIN]
Hay
[Repeat CHORUS]
CHORUS
You're my you, even more
No one else I'll adore
You're my you, in my mind
Simply one of a kind
You're the one who never fails to brighten my day
My princess in every fairytale
You're my mornin' 'til night
Such a beautiful sight
You're the heat of the fire in a cold winter's night
You're a raindrop in June, you're the sun
You're the one, you're my you
.:TV!!!:.
I don't know exactly which, but I'll be either on Channel 2 or 23 on Wednesday morning, assuming the whole fire-spinning thing Kathy wants to demonstrate there would push through.
TV exposure. Whee!
.:Sheer Hilarity:.
Whee!
by Nyoy Volante
Every Romeo has a Juliet
Wishful thinkers have their stars
Hopeless romantics each have a love song
Played on their guitars
REFRAIN
But you, you're everything
This foolish heart could ever define
Every wish, every dream, every prayer come true
I feel so blessed to call you mine
CHORUS
You're my you, even more
No one else I'll adore
You're my you, in my mind
Simply one of a kind
You're the one who never fails to brighten my day
My princess in every fairytale
You're my mornin' 'til night
Such a beautiful sight
You're my you
Your eyes, your lips
The touch of your fingertips
Promise me you'll never take them away
For as long as I exist
[Repeat REFRAIN]
Hay
[Repeat CHORUS]
CHORUS
You're my you, even more
No one else I'll adore
You're my you, in my mind
Simply one of a kind
You're the one who never fails to brighten my day
My princess in every fairytale
You're my mornin' 'til night
Such a beautiful sight
You're the heat of the fire in a cold winter's night
You're a raindrop in June, you're the sun
You're the one, you're my you
.:TV!!!:.
I don't know exactly which, but I'll be either on Channel 2 or 23 on Wednesday morning, assuming the whole fire-spinning thing Kathy wants to demonstrate there would push through.
TV exposure. Whee!
.:Sheer Hilarity:.
The sad part is, BOTH their sidekicks are now back from the dead...
And would I give a damn?
.:And The Weekend Has Yielded Me...:.
... a pretty nice payday. I missed out on two parties, though, as I had to sit in the station to cover their live feeds in the booth.
While it was great as I had the chance to get a good payoff for sitting the parties out, and while I'm not really a party animal, either, it makes me wonder a bit why I was the odd man out for that night. It kind of felt weird I wasn't at The Gathering, truth be told.
That, plus the annoying caller I got who was trying to request a song despite the fact that he was listening and could clearly hear that there was a live feed going on...
.:The Flash Disk:.
Gahh. I'm back to using diskettes until they replace my Flash Disk. I just don't feel like buying a new one... I got a bit traumatized already...
I hate diskettes. Ever since I experienced USB flashdisks, there was just noooo turning back...
And no, I'm not a geek.
.:More Plans For October 1... EYES HERE!!!:.
More plans for Saturday's celebration...
- If time is willing, we could all go to San Mig Cafe. I can cover the first 1,000 pesos of the bill.
- Somebody PLEASE BRING A CAMERA! I don't have one, but photos would be great.
- If you're looking for the official "open invite" and want to fill up the RSVP reply, please click HERE. I want to get a good idea how many are going...
- There's a possibility the celebration would end up in my erstwhile house, assuming I can talk my mom into it. 'Sides, it's about time she got introduced to Pomelo... ;)
Wheeeeeekkkkeeeennnnddd!!!
.:Today's LSS:.
Whee!
You're My You
by Nyoy Volante
Every Romeo has a Juliet
Wishful thinkers have their stars
Hopeless romantics each have a love song
Played on their guitars
REFRAIN
But you, you're everything
This foolish heart could ever define
Every wish, every dream, every prayer come true
I feel so blessed to call you mine
CHORUS
You're my you, even more
No one else I'll adore
You're my you, in my mind
Simply one of a kind
You're the one who never fails to brighten my day
My princess in every fairytale
You're my mornin' 'til night
Such a beautiful sight
You're my you
Your eyes, your lips
The touch of your fingertips
Promise me you'll never take them away
For as long as I exist
[Repeat REFRAIN]
Hay
[Repeat CHORUS]
CHORUS
You're my you, even more
No one else I'll adore
You're my you, in my mind
Simply one of a kind
You're the one who never fails to brighten my day
My princess in every fairytale
You're my mornin' 'til night
Such a beautiful sight
You're the heat of the fire in a cold winter's night
You're a raindrop in June, you're the sun
You're the one, you're my you
.:TV!!!:.
I don't know exactly which, but I'll be either on Channel 2 or 23 on Wednesday morning, assuming the whole fire-spinning thing Kathy wants to demonstrate there would push through.
TV exposure. Whee!
.:Sheer Hilarity:.
Whee!
by Nyoy Volante
Every Romeo has a Juliet
Wishful thinkers have their stars
Hopeless romantics each have a love song
Played on their guitars
REFRAIN
But you, you're everything
This foolish heart could ever define
Every wish, every dream, every prayer come true
I feel so blessed to call you mine
CHORUS
You're my you, even more
No one else I'll adore
You're my you, in my mind
Simply one of a kind
You're the one who never fails to brighten my day
My princess in every fairytale
You're my mornin' 'til night
Such a beautiful sight
You're my you
Your eyes, your lips
The touch of your fingertips
Promise me you'll never take them away
For as long as I exist
[Repeat REFRAIN]
Hay
[Repeat CHORUS]
CHORUS
You're my you, even more
No one else I'll adore
You're my you, in my mind
Simply one of a kind
You're the one who never fails to brighten my day
My princess in every fairytale
You're my mornin' 'til night
Such a beautiful sight
You're the heat of the fire in a cold winter's night
You're a raindrop in June, you're the sun
You're the one, you're my you
.:TV!!!:.
I don't know exactly which, but I'll be either on Channel 2 or 23 on Wednesday morning, assuming the whole fire-spinning thing Kathy wants to demonstrate there would push through.
TV exposure. Whee!
.:Sheer Hilarity:.
The sad part is, BOTH their sidekicks are now back from the dead...
And would I give a damn?
.:And The Weekend Has Yielded Me...:.
... a pretty nice payday. I missed out on two parties, though, as I had to sit in the station to cover their live feeds in the booth.
While it was great as I had the chance to get a good payoff for sitting the parties out, and while I'm not really a party animal, either, it makes me wonder a bit why I was the odd man out for that night. It kind of felt weird I wasn't at The Gathering, truth be told.
That, plus the annoying caller I got who was trying to request a song despite the fact that he was listening and could clearly hear that there was a live feed going on...
.:The Flash Disk:.
Gahh. I'm back to using diskettes until they replace my Flash Disk. I just don't feel like buying a new one... I got a bit traumatized already...
I hate diskettes. Ever since I experienced USB flashdisks, there was just noooo turning back...
And no, I'm not a geek.
.:More Plans For October 1... EYES HERE!!!:.
More plans for Saturday's celebration...
- If time is willing, we could all go to San Mig Cafe. I can cover the first 1,000 pesos of the bill.
- Somebody PLEASE BRING A CAMERA! I don't have one, but photos would be great.
- If you're looking for the official "open invite" and want to fill up the RSVP reply, please click HERE. I want to get a good idea how many are going...
- There's a possibility the celebration would end up in my erstwhile house, assuming I can talk my mom into it. 'Sides, it's about time she got introduced to Pomelo... ;)
Friday, September 23, 2005
Before The Weekend...
Again, no LSS. I'm in a bit of a rush.
.:The Hilarity Of CBR:.
This link is a "What If", asking what would happen if Deadpool became a Hogwarts teacher.
And of course, in the Comic Book Rumbles thread, the matchup of the year:
.:The Hilarity Of CBR:.
This link is a "What If", asking what would happen if Deadpool became a Hogwarts teacher.
And of course, in the Comic Book Rumbles thread, the matchup of the year:
The Silver Surfer!
VERSUS
A house cat!
Sure, Surfer has the power cosmic, but that cat looks positively fierce. Reminds me of a cat owned by someone currently in Canada...
.:More Gripes About Callers...:.
Why do I get the most annoying of callers? If I don't get someone who sounds like a total idiot, I get someone who actually has the nerve to ask me for the titles or artists of songs. I just had to tell one of those callers to just shaddup and use Google to download their bloody MP3's.
If they're going to stop listening to WAVE thanks to my help, I'm not having any of it.
.:Stuck-up:.
So there I was, eating some food at Rufo's. The food was great, and I was sort of becoming a regular there because the girls manning the counter sort of knew me already. It was a busy night, sometime last week, and while I was eating there, a lady showed up with a very annoyed look on her face, and she just marched in, barking for a place to seat herself in. The waitresses offered my table, suggesting the lady shared with me. The lady haughtily said she would if it's okay with me, because she didn't want to be rude. I naturally said I don't mind.
As I was seated and eating my food, the lady started barking orders at the girls as though they were her personal lap dogs or something. I couldn't believe the lady as she was acting so haughtily I had half a mind to "spill" my tapa sauce on her to shut her up as she was berating a waitress for not getting her a glass of water in time...
Man, the kind of people those waitresses have to deal with... makes me realize why dealing with customers, from being a department secretary to a waitress, can really make one crabby...
.:My Mom's Birthday:.
I greeted my mom on air yesterday. Funny how I greeted her on her "22nd birthday"... heh. That was pretty amusing, really.
I've been on a roll with the funny comments on the air, such as when I told the listeners to give me a call because "I don't bite... unless you want me to".
.:Addendum To The Invite:.
Let me take a page from Sacha's book and say that I'd really appreciate letters from the people who shall be going next Saturday...
That'd be really great.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
An Open Invitation...
Hey there!
If you can make it, I'd definitely appreciate your presence for a celebration on October 1, a Saturday.
Tentatively, the plan is to have everyone meet up in Shangrila foodcourt at around 2:30, and then from there, the people in attendance will organize a plan of sorts.
It's obviously going to be a KKB affair, but it's the company we're after right now, aren't we?
Do give me a reply to this post if you're interested in being there. I'd definitely appreciate your presence...
Hope to see you there, jabroni!
- Kel
If you can make it, I'd definitely appreciate your presence for a celebration on October 1, a Saturday.
Tentatively, the plan is to have everyone meet up in Shangrila foodcourt at around 2:30, and then from there, the people in attendance will organize a plan of sorts.
It's obviously going to be a KKB affair, but it's the company we're after right now, aren't we?
Do give me a reply to this post if you're interested in being there. I'd definitely appreciate your presence...
Hope to see you there, jabroni!
- Kel
Whoops.
.:Sheer Idiocy:.
My Flashdisk fell off its cap from my necklace. There goes a 256MB flashdisk, and 1,600 pesos. Just what I needed. Yet another financial setback.
I'm very miffed about it, because I could've avoided this from happening had I been a bit smarter and I simply kept my flashdisk in my pocket, but nooooo...
.:At Long Last:.
Had a very amusing meeting with Kathy last night, as she was simply beside herself with joy over the prospect of going to Siargao next Thursday...
Nonetheless, I'll be on TV next Wednesday, if all goes well. Check either Studio 23 or ABS-CBN. Kathy will be there, as will I to demonstrate street performing. That should be pretty interesting.
After we finished the short meeting and after Kathy bragged about the fact that she's been wearing a dress the past few days, we then left and met up with Clair, Charo, and JM. JM was supposed to strike up a deal with Clair about wearing skirts. Kathy and Charo then teamed up to persuade JM into waxing and maybe even having some silicone. Heh. Clair then said something that sounded just plain wrong which completely escapes me, sadly...
After Kathy left, we then hoofed our way to the MRT, and Clair was completely clueless as Charo was talking to her about sausages, and Clair said she wasn't too fond of them.
I promptly quipped: Poor JM.
Charo and one of Clair's college friends was laughing their heads off while Clair just stood there, dumbstruck. The topic then shifted to games, and how Charo's then-boyfriend refused to let her win while playing.
I then turned to Clair again. Don't worry, Clair. I'm sure JM will be nice when he plays with you. He'll let you come out on top some of the time, and some of the time, he'll come out on top.
Clair never looked more clueless. Lol.
.:Ha!:.
Swung by Eastwood today to get my busted flashdisk so I can have it replaced... it was pretty amusing when that happened, since I met up with Ranulf, who showed off the improvements on Away Agila. He apparently edited the voices so they'd be faster and in time with the moves. Furthermore, the action is now slicker and the hitboxes are better-placed.
I noticed how they made my voice smaller, though.
Marcelle: Ron, any faster, and my voice would sound like a Chipmunk!
Ranulf: Well, yes. But Sacha, on the other hand...
Tsk, tsk, tsk.
.:Opportunity Rings. It Doesn't Knock:.
I got a caller who wanted to talk to me about possibly getting me as a host for TGI Friday's. That's a very nice little sideline if I could nail the job. I'm just hoping the deal would fall through, because if I got that, then I can get kickstarted into the hosting circuit, and I'd be doing a lot better financially...
Yay. I guess taking callers isn't always horrible. Another caller was a musician who wanted to drop by the station to have me listen to his songs... that sounds pretty cool...
A mixed bag. That's what I got. It's all good, though...
My Flashdisk fell off its cap from my necklace. There goes a 256MB flashdisk, and 1,600 pesos. Just what I needed. Yet another financial setback.
I'm very miffed about it, because I could've avoided this from happening had I been a bit smarter and I simply kept my flashdisk in my pocket, but nooooo...
.:At Long Last:.
Had a very amusing meeting with Kathy last night, as she was simply beside herself with joy over the prospect of going to Siargao next Thursday...
Nonetheless, I'll be on TV next Wednesday, if all goes well. Check either Studio 23 or ABS-CBN. Kathy will be there, as will I to demonstrate street performing. That should be pretty interesting.
After we finished the short meeting and after Kathy bragged about the fact that she's been wearing a dress the past few days, we then left and met up with Clair, Charo, and JM. JM was supposed to strike up a deal with Clair about wearing skirts. Kathy and Charo then teamed up to persuade JM into waxing and maybe even having some silicone. Heh. Clair then said something that sounded just plain wrong which completely escapes me, sadly...
After Kathy left, we then hoofed our way to the MRT, and Clair was completely clueless as Charo was talking to her about sausages, and Clair said she wasn't too fond of them.
I promptly quipped: Poor JM.
Charo and one of Clair's college friends was laughing their heads off while Clair just stood there, dumbstruck. The topic then shifted to games, and how Charo's then-boyfriend refused to let her win while playing.
I then turned to Clair again. Don't worry, Clair. I'm sure JM will be nice when he plays with you. He'll let you come out on top some of the time, and some of the time, he'll come out on top.
Clair never looked more clueless. Lol.
.:Ha!:.
Swung by Eastwood today to get my busted flashdisk so I can have it replaced... it was pretty amusing when that happened, since I met up with Ranulf, who showed off the improvements on Away Agila. He apparently edited the voices so they'd be faster and in time with the moves. Furthermore, the action is now slicker and the hitboxes are better-placed.
I noticed how they made my voice smaller, though.
Marcelle: Ron, any faster, and my voice would sound like a Chipmunk!
Ranulf: Well, yes. But Sacha, on the other hand...
Tsk, tsk, tsk.
.:Opportunity Rings. It Doesn't Knock:.
I got a caller who wanted to talk to me about possibly getting me as a host for TGI Friday's. That's a very nice little sideline if I could nail the job. I'm just hoping the deal would fall through, because if I got that, then I can get kickstarted into the hosting circuit, and I'd be doing a lot better financially...
Yay. I guess taking callers isn't always horrible. Another caller was a musician who wanted to drop by the station to have me listen to his songs... that sounds pretty cool...
A mixed bag. That's what I got. It's all good, though...
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Arrested?
.:Last Saturday...:.
Here's what happened to us during last Saturday's Magic tournament...
Here's what happened to us during last Saturday's Magic tournament...
Wala po kaming kasalanan...
Coherence!!! Yeah!
.:Today's LSS:.
Heart Of Mine
by Bobby Caldwell
One day I may find true love that will last forever and ever
Till then I'll spend a lifetime wishing us together
I never thought she'd say goodbye
And I'll never understand the reason why
Chorus:
Heart of mine
How will you keep from dying
Stop reminiscing
Who is she kissing
Heart of mine
Oh what's the use in trying
No one can mend you know
Oh love plays cruel games
I can't believe she'd found another to love her
Does she miss me?
Sometime I just can't help but wonder
If I could stop the hands of time
Then I'd know she'd always be forever mine
(Chorus)
.:Extreme Wrestling:.
There's something incredibly insane about watching wrestlers completely destroy themselves in and out of the ring. For a “sport” that people love to dismiss as “fake”, the entire premise of having two men inside the ring not pull punches and really go out of their way to hurt their opponent is quite a sight to see.
Not that I'm sadistic or anything, really, but when I saw the Rob Van Dam vs. Sabu stretcher match, I was just impressed by it, to say the least. The entire match hinged on the fact that these two men would take the sickest chair bumps I've ever seen, as I had this sickening feeling that their steel chairs were probably not the same as the WWE's, i.e. the chairs definitely seemed even more painful to have connecting with your skull than usual. Especially if someone like Sabu threw it at your face, and you don't even try to block it.
But chair shots and sick bumps aren't the only thing that can be “extreme” about wresting. While a good chunk of the wrestling high-flyers are nothing more than glorified spotfest machines, some guys like AJ Styles, Paul London, Petey Williams, and Low-Ki really know how to tell a story in the ring and use the spotfests as they were as a way to escalate the story.
I saw an ROH match between Styles and London, and I was definitely impressed by the psychology employed in the match that made their draw ending just completely credible. Makes you wonder why London was never used well in the WWE except maybe for one or two feuds, and why he's still not being used well to this day.
On the other hand, a triple threat match between Williams, Styles, and Chris Sabin just made my jaw drop. I haven't seen much of Sabin to pass judgment, but the fact that Petey Williams currently has one of the most devastating-looking finishers I've ever seen in recent years (Next only to Hurricane's Vertebreaker.) kind of makes me more biased towards his in-ring performance in that match. When all three guys started hitting their finishers on one another, you just knew that the match was headed for an exciting conclusion.
The third match that really made me stop and stare was the short but brilliant Low-Ki vs. Amazing Red match where the latter debuted. While I tend to regard Red as little more than a spot machine, Low-Ki is different. His kicks look sick, his finisher looks really devastating, and he can do chain grappling, such as the time he did a double underhook suplex and then rolled into a Dragon Wing submission hold.
With the impending transfer of NWA-TNA to Spike TV and the WWE's return to the USA Network, I can only hope that TNA would give the WWE enough competition for the latter to actually step up. They've been resting on their laurels for far too long already, in my opinion. Time to shake the industry up.
.:I Needed That!:.
I'm getting hosting duties for Nescafe on Saturday. While that would mean that I'm not going to be present for the entirety of the big WAVE party “The Gathering”, the Nescafe event has a budget. I need every bit of help I can get, to be honest, so this is very much appreciated...
.:Short Meetings:.
I met up with Pomelo the other day, and she was a bit worried because we had to take a bus since the MRT was under repair while we were in line at the station.
The bus ride was rather eventful, if only for the fact that she never took a bus to Cubao before, so it was kind of something new for her. She was extremely nervous, as she was afraid her parents would get angry if she got home late. But then again, she had no choice, as the bus wasn't exactly the epitome of express transportation...
So I had to placate her while I was seeing her off...
Marcelle: Don't be panicky. You're a human being, not a bat.
Now, if you actually got that, then you're about as effing corny as I am. :P
.:That’s Just Wrong!:.
So I was watching “Beat The Geeks” the other day, and I was impressed upon hearing this from the TV geek: “I know more about the Brady Bunch than you know about your own family.”
That’s sheer brilliance.
I am, however, disturbed by the Playboy Geek’s introduction to himself: “I know Playboy covers, centerfolds, and Playmates like the back of my hand. And I know the back of my hand very well.”
That my friends, just sounds so wrong on so many levels.
.:Horribly Misconstrued:.
So I was at the Comic Book Resources forums, and someone was asking about Frank Miller’s take on Batman in “All-Star Batman And Robin, the Boy Wonder”, where the Bat was bordering on psychotic, and even kills cops. He was also labeled as someone who beat up kids. Asked to expound, a poster replied…
He slapped Dick a couple of times.
I promptly replied to that…
How utterly horrible! How could he? To think that… oh. You meant Grayson. My bad.
I leave it to your imagination what I thought I read…
.:Happy Birthdays:.
My brother celebrated his birthday yesterday, my mom tomorrow. May they enjoy their birthdays.
My brother was smart. He asked our grandparents for an I-Pod.
I asked for something I needed, not wanted. But when I can breathe already, maybe I’d ask for an I-Pod. Or a Digital Camera. Or a scanner.
For now, what I got from my grandparents was something I sorely needed… and I’m very grateful to them for that.
I-Pods can wait. But Lotuses, Moxen, and Time Walks can’t. ;)
.:The Suman Post Makes A Comeback...:.
Sweet Somethings
an Essay
The Chinese character for “teacher” and “handsome/gorgeous” is only different by a dash on top of the right hand symbol for teacher. That being said, for me to know this, a Chinese girl had to point out the comparison, neh? ;)
And one of the sweetest things I've ever heard in my life would have to be, “If you were a process, you're eating up more than 50% of my CPU time already. In terms of multithreading, you're a powerful thread process that can interrupt all other threads!”
Who says geekiness and romance can't go together? Tell that to the Movie Geek, who has something going on with Tiffany Bolton in the show...
Another awfully sweet thing I've heard would have to be, “You said that I'm you're angel. You're my angel, too! Problem is, we only have one wing each. If that is so, we need to embrace each other in order for us to fly into the sky.”
You see, in a world where cynicism has taken such an important role in the world, there's nothing quite like a bit of mush to carry us through. Sweet nothings that you hear, whether or not they're directed at you, can, to an open mind, make your day.
And if sweet nothings are cool, what about sweet somethings?
I have a sweet tooth, truth be told, and one of the sweetest things that I can eat that doesn't make me feel too scared of diabetes would have to be Suman with just the right amount of brown sugar. Suman is an amazing delicacy, considering how rice-crazy this country is, and well, that's something. A sweet something.
Have a great Suman Wednesday! =D
by Bobby Caldwell
One day I may find true love that will last forever and ever
Till then I'll spend a lifetime wishing us together
I never thought she'd say goodbye
And I'll never understand the reason why
Chorus:
Heart of mine
How will you keep from dying
Stop reminiscing
Who is she kissing
Heart of mine
Oh what's the use in trying
No one can mend you know
Oh love plays cruel games
I can't believe she'd found another to love her
Does she miss me?
Sometime I just can't help but wonder
If I could stop the hands of time
Then I'd know she'd always be forever mine
(Chorus)
.:Extreme Wrestling:.
There's something incredibly insane about watching wrestlers completely destroy themselves in and out of the ring. For a “sport” that people love to dismiss as “fake”, the entire premise of having two men inside the ring not pull punches and really go out of their way to hurt their opponent is quite a sight to see.
Not that I'm sadistic or anything, really, but when I saw the Rob Van Dam vs. Sabu stretcher match, I was just impressed by it, to say the least. The entire match hinged on the fact that these two men would take the sickest chair bumps I've ever seen, as I had this sickening feeling that their steel chairs were probably not the same as the WWE's, i.e. the chairs definitely seemed even more painful to have connecting with your skull than usual. Especially if someone like Sabu threw it at your face, and you don't even try to block it.
But chair shots and sick bumps aren't the only thing that can be “extreme” about wresting. While a good chunk of the wrestling high-flyers are nothing more than glorified spotfest machines, some guys like AJ Styles, Paul London, Petey Williams, and Low-Ki really know how to tell a story in the ring and use the spotfests as they were as a way to escalate the story.
I saw an ROH match between Styles and London, and I was definitely impressed by the psychology employed in the match that made their draw ending just completely credible. Makes you wonder why London was never used well in the WWE except maybe for one or two feuds, and why he's still not being used well to this day.
On the other hand, a triple threat match between Williams, Styles, and Chris Sabin just made my jaw drop. I haven't seen much of Sabin to pass judgment, but the fact that Petey Williams currently has one of the most devastating-looking finishers I've ever seen in recent years (Next only to Hurricane's Vertebreaker.) kind of makes me more biased towards his in-ring performance in that match. When all three guys started hitting their finishers on one another, you just knew that the match was headed for an exciting conclusion.
The third match that really made me stop and stare was the short but brilliant Low-Ki vs. Amazing Red match where the latter debuted. While I tend to regard Red as little more than a spot machine, Low-Ki is different. His kicks look sick, his finisher looks really devastating, and he can do chain grappling, such as the time he did a double underhook suplex and then rolled into a Dragon Wing submission hold.
With the impending transfer of NWA-TNA to Spike TV and the WWE's return to the USA Network, I can only hope that TNA would give the WWE enough competition for the latter to actually step up. They've been resting on their laurels for far too long already, in my opinion. Time to shake the industry up.
.:I Needed That!:.
I'm getting hosting duties for Nescafe on Saturday. While that would mean that I'm not going to be present for the entirety of the big WAVE party “The Gathering”, the Nescafe event has a budget. I need every bit of help I can get, to be honest, so this is very much appreciated...
.:Short Meetings:.
I met up with Pomelo the other day, and she was a bit worried because we had to take a bus since the MRT was under repair while we were in line at the station.
The bus ride was rather eventful, if only for the fact that she never took a bus to Cubao before, so it was kind of something new for her. She was extremely nervous, as she was afraid her parents would get angry if she got home late. But then again, she had no choice, as the bus wasn't exactly the epitome of express transportation...
So I had to placate her while I was seeing her off...
Marcelle: Don't be panicky. You're a human being, not a bat.
Now, if you actually got that, then you're about as effing corny as I am. :P
.:That’s Just Wrong!:.
So I was watching “Beat The Geeks” the other day, and I was impressed upon hearing this from the TV geek: “I know more about the Brady Bunch than you know about your own family.”
That’s sheer brilliance.
I am, however, disturbed by the Playboy Geek’s introduction to himself: “I know Playboy covers, centerfolds, and Playmates like the back of my hand. And I know the back of my hand very well.”
That my friends, just sounds so wrong on so many levels.
.:Horribly Misconstrued:.
So I was at the Comic Book Resources forums, and someone was asking about Frank Miller’s take on Batman in “All-Star Batman And Robin, the Boy Wonder”, where the Bat was bordering on psychotic, and even kills cops. He was also labeled as someone who beat up kids. Asked to expound, a poster replied…
He slapped Dick a couple of times.
I promptly replied to that…
How utterly horrible! How could he? To think that… oh. You meant Grayson. My bad.
I leave it to your imagination what I thought I read…
.:Happy Birthdays:.
My brother celebrated his birthday yesterday, my mom tomorrow. May they enjoy their birthdays.
My brother was smart. He asked our grandparents for an I-Pod.
I asked for something I needed, not wanted. But when I can breathe already, maybe I’d ask for an I-Pod. Or a Digital Camera. Or a scanner.
For now, what I got from my grandparents was something I sorely needed… and I’m very grateful to them for that.
I-Pods can wait. But Lotuses, Moxen, and Time Walks can’t. ;)
.:The Suman Post Makes A Comeback...:.
Sweet Somethings
an Essay
The Chinese character for “teacher” and “handsome/gorgeous” is only different by a dash on top of the right hand symbol for teacher. That being said, for me to know this, a Chinese girl had to point out the comparison, neh? ;)
And one of the sweetest things I've ever heard in my life would have to be, “If you were a process, you're eating up more than 50% of my CPU time already. In terms of multithreading, you're a powerful thread process that can interrupt all other threads!”
Who says geekiness and romance can't go together? Tell that to the Movie Geek, who has something going on with Tiffany Bolton in the show...
Another awfully sweet thing I've heard would have to be, “You said that I'm you're angel. You're my angel, too! Problem is, we only have one wing each. If that is so, we need to embrace each other in order for us to fly into the sky.”
You see, in a world where cynicism has taken such an important role in the world, there's nothing quite like a bit of mush to carry us through. Sweet nothings that you hear, whether or not they're directed at you, can, to an open mind, make your day.
And if sweet nothings are cool, what about sweet somethings?
I have a sweet tooth, truth be told, and one of the sweetest things that I can eat that doesn't make me feel too scared of diabetes would have to be Suman with just the right amount of brown sugar. Suman is an amazing delicacy, considering how rice-crazy this country is, and well, that's something. A sweet something.
Have a great Suman Wednesday! =D
Monday, September 19, 2005
Weekend Recap
Let's skip today's LSS. Maybe tomorrow. When I've had some sleep...
.:Nothing To Write About Lately:.
Considering my awkward sleeping habits, I've been finding it very hard to find anything to write about. After all, there's very little going on in my life outside of work and sleep. There's so little room for philosophizing, for that matter.
::sighs::
I'm just stuck in such a rut as of late... I wish the pace would pick up soon enough. I really miss finding all sorts of inspiration to write and blog about anything and everything...
.:However…:.
I am officially a fan of “Beat The Geeks”, and the website Jump The Shark.
I love the former if only for the movie geek, who reminds me soooo much of Severus Snape, and secondly, the TV geek, who reminds me of Fat Bastard of Austin Powers fame. Amusingly enough, I never realized Tiffany was actually a semi-porn star of sorts… amusing, really.
Of course, I don’t think Jack TV is showing the second season of the show… that’s all right. I don’t think I’d ever like the new host, anyways.
But yeah, I love this show, but I just blinked at the _PLAYBOY_ geek. Man, you just gotta be pretty shameless to admit to that…
.:Reconnection Again:.
It's been a while since I talked to Madame Sky. I guess that's mainly because she's often busy when she's online, and when she's not busy, I'm not even online to begin with.
Nonetheless, I'm glad we got to talk to each other, if only for a while. The change in her is just so clear, to be honest. I can't begin to imagine how much happier her aura has been as of late, and that's just great for her.
Topics we talked about ranged from the most mundane to the most humorous to the most introspective. I guess when you get to talk to someone after ages of being incommunicado, there really are a lot of stories to tell. Heh.
.:Sacha, The Motivational Typer:.
I'm not always the most pessimistic of people when it comes to my hopes and aspirations. Nonetheless, with all the crazy things I've been going through the past couple of months, I guess I'd have to admit that it's all been very distressing.
That being said, I ran into Sacha while she was online last Friday morning. It was quite interesting, really. I've been so much of a loner for so long that it kind of disorients me when I find someone who's not my girlfriend refusing to take “I give up” as answer from me. She was so persistent in getting me to think positively that she probably would've beaten the optimism out of me if she had the chance. =P
This is not to say that she was doing something wrong. Quite the opposite in fact. While I was there, forgetting to look at the options I still had and instead opting to just seethe in frustration, Sacha was on the other side of the globe trying to ram some sense into my head.
And she's right. My friends are right. I can make it through this hurdle.
I guess that's why Sacha is my best friend... for the longest time, it always seemed that it never happened that both of us would be depressed at the same time. It was always one ready and able to cheer up the other, come what may. And I can't help but appreciate that double coincidence time and again.
Thanks, Sach. I guess I just really needed to be reminded that things aren't as bad as I sometimes make them out to be.
.:Meeting Up:.
I took the time out to see Pomelo before the weekend, and it was just a very short meeting. Despite that, I guess you might say that the both of us were really happy because of it.
Gyn and I don't know each other that well. We aren't best of friends. The one thing that is going for us is that we love each other so much. I know that it can get a bit annoying to keep on hearing the same thing over and over and over again, but I really am into her. It's an incredible feeling, and the more time we spend with each other, the more we deepen the relationship into something that could last.
For every single reason she gives me to give up on this relationship, she gives me a million other reasons to hold on. How could I not be so happy with her?
I guess the only problem, at the end of the day, is how absent-minded we both are. We've forgotten to take pictures with each other for the past three or four times we've met! =P
To think I'm the archivist who remembers all the important dates... Lol. I guess I'm just getting a bit too senile for my age... I should really be a professor then, dammit! =P
.:I'm Amused:.
Apparently, sir Chaps didn't fix my laptop. It just... err... fixed itself for no apparent reason. Well, that's all good with me. Hehehe.
.:On A Roll:.
I've been figuring pretty decently in tournaments as of late. I guess that's really great, considering how much of a difference being powered should be.
I won't write a tournament report this time, but I must say that it was a fun tournament. Death Long really ran circles around a good chunk of those decks... heh.
.:Cheap Living:.
Being a DJ and receiving the occasional gift certificate can actually help cut costs. Every now and then, eating noodles could be an excellent alternative to buying a full meal. Drinking a lot of water can actually make you a lot fuller than you think... heh.
.:Whassup?:.
Met up with Dom since he was in town, and I haven't done that in quite a while. He looks to be pretty okay, and I guess that's good for him...
.:Nothing To Write About Lately:.
Considering my awkward sleeping habits, I've been finding it very hard to find anything to write about. After all, there's very little going on in my life outside of work and sleep. There's so little room for philosophizing, for that matter.
::sighs::
I'm just stuck in such a rut as of late... I wish the pace would pick up soon enough. I really miss finding all sorts of inspiration to write and blog about anything and everything...
.:However…:.
I am officially a fan of “Beat The Geeks”, and the website Jump The Shark.
I love the former if only for the movie geek, who reminds me soooo much of Severus Snape, and secondly, the TV geek, who reminds me of Fat Bastard of Austin Powers fame. Amusingly enough, I never realized Tiffany was actually a semi-porn star of sorts… amusing, really.
Of course, I don’t think Jack TV is showing the second season of the show… that’s all right. I don’t think I’d ever like the new host, anyways.
But yeah, I love this show, but I just blinked at the _PLAYBOY_ geek. Man, you just gotta be pretty shameless to admit to that…
.:Reconnection Again:.
It's been a while since I talked to Madame Sky. I guess that's mainly because she's often busy when she's online, and when she's not busy, I'm not even online to begin with.
Nonetheless, I'm glad we got to talk to each other, if only for a while. The change in her is just so clear, to be honest. I can't begin to imagine how much happier her aura has been as of late, and that's just great for her.
Topics we talked about ranged from the most mundane to the most humorous to the most introspective. I guess when you get to talk to someone after ages of being incommunicado, there really are a lot of stories to tell. Heh.
.:Sacha, The Motivational Typer:.
I'm not always the most pessimistic of people when it comes to my hopes and aspirations. Nonetheless, with all the crazy things I've been going through the past couple of months, I guess I'd have to admit that it's all been very distressing.
That being said, I ran into Sacha while she was online last Friday morning. It was quite interesting, really. I've been so much of a loner for so long that it kind of disorients me when I find someone who's not my girlfriend refusing to take “I give up” as answer from me. She was so persistent in getting me to think positively that she probably would've beaten the optimism out of me if she had the chance. =P
This is not to say that she was doing something wrong. Quite the opposite in fact. While I was there, forgetting to look at the options I still had and instead opting to just seethe in frustration, Sacha was on the other side of the globe trying to ram some sense into my head.
And she's right. My friends are right. I can make it through this hurdle.
I guess that's why Sacha is my best friend... for the longest time, it always seemed that it never happened that both of us would be depressed at the same time. It was always one ready and able to cheer up the other, come what may. And I can't help but appreciate that double coincidence time and again.
Thanks, Sach. I guess I just really needed to be reminded that things aren't as bad as I sometimes make them out to be.
.:Meeting Up:.
I took the time out to see Pomelo before the weekend, and it was just a very short meeting. Despite that, I guess you might say that the both of us were really happy because of it.
Gyn and I don't know each other that well. We aren't best of friends. The one thing that is going for us is that we love each other so much. I know that it can get a bit annoying to keep on hearing the same thing over and over and over again, but I really am into her. It's an incredible feeling, and the more time we spend with each other, the more we deepen the relationship into something that could last.
For every single reason she gives me to give up on this relationship, she gives me a million other reasons to hold on. How could I not be so happy with her?
I guess the only problem, at the end of the day, is how absent-minded we both are. We've forgotten to take pictures with each other for the past three or four times we've met! =P
To think I'm the archivist who remembers all the important dates... Lol. I guess I'm just getting a bit too senile for my age... I should really be a professor then, dammit! =P
.:I'm Amused:.
Apparently, sir Chaps didn't fix my laptop. It just... err... fixed itself for no apparent reason. Well, that's all good with me. Hehehe.
.:On A Roll:.
I've been figuring pretty decently in tournaments as of late. I guess that's really great, considering how much of a difference being powered should be.
I won't write a tournament report this time, but I must say that it was a fun tournament. Death Long really ran circles around a good chunk of those decks... heh.
.:Cheap Living:.
Being a DJ and receiving the occasional gift certificate can actually help cut costs. Every now and then, eating noodles could be an excellent alternative to buying a full meal. Drinking a lot of water can actually make you a lot fuller than you think... heh.
.:Whassup?:.
Met up with Dom since he was in town, and I haven't done that in quite a while. He looks to be pretty okay, and I guess that's good for him...
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Let's Do This...
.:Today's LSS:.
Heard this over the taxi ride to the station. Ironically, it was playing over 90.7, but I'd recognize that voice anywhere...
Regardless, I can't quite relate 100% to the lyrics.
Malamang kasi hindi naman magpapaalam ang aking kuwarto sa kanya.
Kuwarto
by Sugarfree
Naglilinis ako ng aking kuwarto
Na punong-puno ng gamit at damit
Mga bagay na hindi ko na kailangan
Nakaraan hindi na puwedeng pagpaliban
Huhuhu...huhuhu
Mga liham ng nilihim kong pag-ibig
At litrato ng kahapong maligalig
Dahan-dahan kong inipon
Ngunit ngayon kailangan ng itapon
Di ko na kayang mabuhay sa kahapon
Kaya mula ngayon, mula ngayon....
Ang jacket mong nabubulok sa sulok
Na inaalikabok na sa lungkot
May panyong ilang ulit nang niluhaan
Isang patak sa bawat beses na tayo'y nasaktan
Di ko na kayang mabuhay sa kahapon
Kaya mula ngayon, mula ngayon...
Alaala ng lumuluhang kahapon
Dahan-dahan ko na ring kinakahon
Natagpuan ko na ang tunay kong ligaya
Lumabas ako ng kuwarto't naroon siya
Magpapaalam na sa iyo ang aking kuwarto
Magpapaalam na sa iyo ang aking kuwarto
Magpapaalam na sa iyo ang aking kuwarto
Magpapaalam na sa iyo ang aking kuwarto
Magpapaalam na sa iyo...
Magpapaalam na sa iyo...
Magpapaalam na sa iyo...
Magpapaalam na sa iyo...
.:Another Meme:.
I should invent one of my own... hehehe.
Leave your name and I'll
1. I'll respond with something random about you.
2. I'll tell you what song/movie reminds me of you.
3. I'll pick a flavor of jello to wrestle with you in.
4. I'll say something that only makes sense to you and me.
5. I'll tell you my first/clearest memory of you.
6. I'll tell you what animal you remind me of.
7. I'll ask you something that I've always wondered about you.
8. If I do this for you, you must post this on your journal.
.:On Forgiving And Forgetting:.
In Ricoeur class, we're currently talking about the difficulty of forgiveness. And I guess they're right. It's anything but easy.
Of course, there's a saying that goes, "forgive and forget", but the older and "wiser" we get, the more we realize that's codswallop. Forgiving and forgetting are two entirely different stories, each with their own difficulties one would have to deal with.
Forgiving does not equal forgetting. If anything, forgiving is remembering the transgression, but forgetting the hatred, the anger, and the pain.
I would want to go at length with these thoughts, but I think my point is clear. Even forgetting is itself an act of remembering that one forgot. That being said, forgiveness only comes in remembering. Forgiveness can only come from fault. A fault, whether perceived or genuine, is not only a shortcoming, but an opportunity for one to transcend humanity, as "To err is human, to forgive, divine" would suggest.
I guess I'm getting to the point where forgetting would seem like the easiest of answers. Just subject it all to a tranquil, peace-inducing lacuna that I would never have to come to terms with again. Ignore the problem completely and let it go away.
But inasmuch as I believe in letting sleeping dogs lie, This is quite the exceptional case. I can't just turn my back and forget. How could I? It's not my nature to just let something go when it's happening for the wrong reasons.
Maybe I'm done trying to go back to those good old days. I honestly don't know. But one thing's for sure...
... I now walk towards finding forgiveness.
No matter how long it'd take.
Inasmuch as one would hope to forget, I instead hope to be forgiven. Being forgotten does nothing for me but tell me that no matter how far forward I can move from now, all that would be naught in the eyes of the one who forgets.
For the so many things I've failed in the face of the past, I guess all I can do is that for now...
Heard this over the taxi ride to the station. Ironically, it was playing over 90.7, but I'd recognize that voice anywhere...
Regardless, I can't quite relate 100% to the lyrics.
Malamang kasi hindi naman magpapaalam ang aking kuwarto sa kanya.
by Sugarfree
Naglilinis ako ng aking kuwarto
Na punong-puno ng gamit at damit
Mga bagay na hindi ko na kailangan
Nakaraan hindi na puwedeng pagpaliban
Huhuhu...huhuhu
Mga liham ng nilihim kong pag-ibig
At litrato ng kahapong maligalig
Dahan-dahan kong inipon
Ngunit ngayon kailangan ng itapon
Di ko na kayang mabuhay sa kahapon
Kaya mula ngayon, mula ngayon....
Ang jacket mong nabubulok sa sulok
Na inaalikabok na sa lungkot
May panyong ilang ulit nang niluhaan
Isang patak sa bawat beses na tayo'y nasaktan
Di ko na kayang mabuhay sa kahapon
Kaya mula ngayon, mula ngayon...
Alaala ng lumuluhang kahapon
Dahan-dahan ko na ring kinakahon
Natagpuan ko na ang tunay kong ligaya
Lumabas ako ng kuwarto't naroon siya
Magpapaalam na sa iyo ang aking kuwarto
Magpapaalam na sa iyo ang aking kuwarto
Magpapaalam na sa iyo ang aking kuwarto
Magpapaalam na sa iyo ang aking kuwarto
Magpapaalam na sa iyo...
Magpapaalam na sa iyo...
Magpapaalam na sa iyo...
Magpapaalam na sa iyo...
.:Another Meme:.
I should invent one of my own... hehehe.
Leave your name and I'll
1. I'll respond with something random about you.
2. I'll tell you what song/movie reminds me of you.
3. I'll pick a flavor of jello to wrestle with you in.
4. I'll say something that only makes sense to you and me.
5. I'll tell you my first/clearest memory of you.
6. I'll tell you what animal you remind me of.
7. I'll ask you something that I've always wondered about you.
8. If I do this for you, you must post this on your journal.
.:On Forgiving And Forgetting:.
In Ricoeur class, we're currently talking about the difficulty of forgiveness. And I guess they're right. It's anything but easy.
Of course, there's a saying that goes, "forgive and forget", but the older and "wiser" we get, the more we realize that's codswallop. Forgiving and forgetting are two entirely different stories, each with their own difficulties one would have to deal with.
Forgiving does not equal forgetting. If anything, forgiving is remembering the transgression, but forgetting the hatred, the anger, and the pain.
I would want to go at length with these thoughts, but I think my point is clear. Even forgetting is itself an act of remembering that one forgot. That being said, forgiveness only comes in remembering. Forgiveness can only come from fault. A fault, whether perceived or genuine, is not only a shortcoming, but an opportunity for one to transcend humanity, as "To err is human, to forgive, divine" would suggest.
I guess I'm getting to the point where forgetting would seem like the easiest of answers. Just subject it all to a tranquil, peace-inducing lacuna that I would never have to come to terms with again. Ignore the problem completely and let it go away.
But inasmuch as I believe in letting sleeping dogs lie, This is quite the exceptional case. I can't just turn my back and forget. How could I? It's not my nature to just let something go when it's happening for the wrong reasons.
Maybe I'm done trying to go back to those good old days. I honestly don't know. But one thing's for sure...
... I now walk towards finding forgiveness.
No matter how long it'd take.
Inasmuch as one would hope to forget, I instead hope to be forgiven. Being forgotten does nothing for me but tell me that no matter how far forward I can move from now, all that would be naught in the eyes of the one who forgets.
For the so many things I've failed in the face of the past, I guess all I can do is that for now...
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Sigh...
No LSS for today. I'm in a rush.
.:Whee!!!:.
Thanks to sir Chaps, my computer is now working again! And he didn't even deactivate F6 or anything. It's now working perfectly fine.
I'm soooo glad...
You know what this means?
Yep. That means my blogging ought to normalize again by next week. Right now, my mind is plain out of ideas to write about barring the usual biographical entries, so I want to do some creative writing again, especially the Suman Sa Latik thing, as well as some Philosophical reflections which I haven't done in a long while.
.:GMA-7:.
Sir Mike Enriquez will follow up on my application with GMA today. I am hoping that the verdict on me would be... favorable. Let's see what happens, I guess. I'm fairly optimistic, but not the least bit overconfident about my chances.
If I get this job, my money woes for the moment would be over. I definitely need to get my hands on 5 Moxen and a Time Walk by next year. Death Long is just way too good a deck to pass up on playing...
.:What The Hades?:.
My pay has not increased. Not by one cent.
What gives? I've been working full time since August already!
Screw this. If this keeps up, I'll end up going to the poorhouse, thanks to them.
Wow. More work, same pay. What the eff do they think I am?
.:JD Long:.
I've been considering writing another three-part primer on Death Long, but I'm trying to see precisely what I can say about the deck that hasn't already been said by Smennen.
At the same time, I'd be lying if I said I felt completely comfortable with just giving away the secrets and weaknesses of the deck just when people still have no idea how to deal with it due to the changes JDizzle made with the deck since Smennen quit trying to fix it. The subtle changes that were made are now currently taking Death Long to a whole new level, simply because now, Long has an out against Control decks as early as Game 1, given what they can do, and now aren't as vulnerable to hate due to the changes in Game 2.
Furthermore, their new sideboard means they will never be totally hosed by whatever hate an opponent would board in, and the sideboard plan becomes even more dangerous for the opponent simply because they can't just automatically board out certain cards after the first game because of what they assume the Long player will board in.
And lastly, I'm not going to claim I'm the most brilliant combo player in the country, but I will definitely assert I've been the most patient with combo among all the currently active Vintage players in the country. I've played through all sorts of hate, from Chalice of the Void to Null Rod, to Arcane Laboratory, to Tormod's Crypt, to Sphere of Resistance, and I've went between struggling to completely breezing past these so-called hosers.
In my opinion, and just take it for what it's worth, Death Long is the superior combo deck the meta has to offer right now, period. It has speed, ample consistency, ample disruption, and a terrific Plan B to fall back on when it can't combo out.
Compare that to the other more popular Combo decks:
– Long is faster than Doomsday, FCG, Oath, Sensei, Dragon, and TPS. Unlike any of these decks, Long is capable of winning on the first turn almost 15% of the time, which is half as often as Belcher's 30%.
– Long can ignore the counterspells of Doomsday, Sensei, Dragon, and TPS, assuming its maindeck Control hate goes through.
– Long is slower but far more consistent than Belcher. Neither does Long have to aggresively mull the way Belcher does.
– Long can force a Mind's Desire against heavy Control-based Combo like Oath, and make the opponent cry from that point on.
– Long does not die to Jester's Cap, unlike Sensei, TPS, Doomsday, and Oath.
– Long has a fallback Plan B when it gets hated out in Game 2, just like FCG, Doomsday, and TPS.
– Long has the highest threat density among all these combo decks, and as such, gives Control decks a nightmare over what to counter. FCG will not be as successful without key Goblins like Recruiter, Piledriver, and Lackey. TPS will not be successful without Yawgmoth's Will and Draw 7's, and have less “tutors” as opposed to Long's actual tutors AND wishes. Sensei is shut down without the Top and Brainfreeze. Doomsday is shut down without Tendrils and Beacon. Oath is shut down without its creatures. Dragon's threats are only their discard outlets and animate spells.
However, to be fair, here are a few of Death Long's shortcomings:
– Long has a horrible mismatch in Workshop. Then again, few decks, and even fewer combo decks, don't. Considering how usual it is for Workshop decks to take the Top 8 in tournaments, that's definitely something to consider.
– Long is the most complicated pure combo deck I have ever played. I doubt other people who have experimented with combo decks including Long can disagree with this fact. Doomsday actually feels like Sligh when compared to Death Long's insane learning curve. If you can't handle the sheer amount of mental work that goes on in Long's gameplay, forget it. Try Doomsday first, then if you can handle it, step on up to Long, as they have somewhat similar gameplans.
– Long requires complete Power 9. And I mean REQUIRES. I doubt you can get away with lacking so much as one Mox. I'm trying to see if four Moxen and a Mox Diamond in the place of the missing Mox will do, and I'll get back to you when I find out whether or not it's an okay substitute.
– Long is suicidal with its life total. Death Wish, Necro, Yawgmoth's Bargain, City Of Brass, and other similar cards hurt big time.
– Like most other combo decks, Long can die to discard. Considering how Sui Black still makes the rounds in the Philippine meta, you have to always remember that fact.
– Lastly, Long's own flexibility with its sideboard can prove to be a problem when you want to adapt to a different meta. What do you take out? What do you put in? I didn't bother and just netdecked completely, being fully aware of why those cards were there. It hasn't failed me so far.
.:Whee!!!:.
Thanks to sir Chaps, my computer is now working again! And he didn't even deactivate F6 or anything. It's now working perfectly fine.
I'm soooo glad...
You know what this means?
Yep. That means my blogging ought to normalize again by next week. Right now, my mind is plain out of ideas to write about barring the usual biographical entries, so I want to do some creative writing again, especially the Suman Sa Latik thing, as well as some Philosophical reflections which I haven't done in a long while.
.:GMA-7:.
Sir Mike Enriquez will follow up on my application with GMA today. I am hoping that the verdict on me would be... favorable. Let's see what happens, I guess. I'm fairly optimistic, but not the least bit overconfident about my chances.
If I get this job, my money woes for the moment would be over. I definitely need to get my hands on 5 Moxen and a Time Walk by next year. Death Long is just way too good a deck to pass up on playing...
.:What The Hades?:.
My pay has not increased. Not by one cent.
What gives? I've been working full time since August already!
Screw this. If this keeps up, I'll end up going to the poorhouse, thanks to them.
Wow. More work, same pay. What the eff do they think I am?
.:JD Long:.
I've been considering writing another three-part primer on Death Long, but I'm trying to see precisely what I can say about the deck that hasn't already been said by Smennen.
At the same time, I'd be lying if I said I felt completely comfortable with just giving away the secrets and weaknesses of the deck just when people still have no idea how to deal with it due to the changes JDizzle made with the deck since Smennen quit trying to fix it. The subtle changes that were made are now currently taking Death Long to a whole new level, simply because now, Long has an out against Control decks as early as Game 1, given what they can do, and now aren't as vulnerable to hate due to the changes in Game 2.
Furthermore, their new sideboard means they will never be totally hosed by whatever hate an opponent would board in, and the sideboard plan becomes even more dangerous for the opponent simply because they can't just automatically board out certain cards after the first game because of what they assume the Long player will board in.
And lastly, I'm not going to claim I'm the most brilliant combo player in the country, but I will definitely assert I've been the most patient with combo among all the currently active Vintage players in the country. I've played through all sorts of hate, from Chalice of the Void to Null Rod, to Arcane Laboratory, to Tormod's Crypt, to Sphere of Resistance, and I've went between struggling to completely breezing past these so-called hosers.
In my opinion, and just take it for what it's worth, Death Long is the superior combo deck the meta has to offer right now, period. It has speed, ample consistency, ample disruption, and a terrific Plan B to fall back on when it can't combo out.
Compare that to the other more popular Combo decks:
– Long is faster than Doomsday, FCG, Oath, Sensei, Dragon, and TPS. Unlike any of these decks, Long is capable of winning on the first turn almost 15% of the time, which is half as often as Belcher's 30%.
– Long can ignore the counterspells of Doomsday, Sensei, Dragon, and TPS, assuming its maindeck Control hate goes through.
– Long is slower but far more consistent than Belcher. Neither does Long have to aggresively mull the way Belcher does.
– Long can force a Mind's Desire against heavy Control-based Combo like Oath, and make the opponent cry from that point on.
– Long does not die to Jester's Cap, unlike Sensei, TPS, Doomsday, and Oath.
– Long has a fallback Plan B when it gets hated out in Game 2, just like FCG, Doomsday, and TPS.
– Long has the highest threat density among all these combo decks, and as such, gives Control decks a nightmare over what to counter. FCG will not be as successful without key Goblins like Recruiter, Piledriver, and Lackey. TPS will not be successful without Yawgmoth's Will and Draw 7's, and have less “tutors” as opposed to Long's actual tutors AND wishes. Sensei is shut down without the Top and Brainfreeze. Doomsday is shut down without Tendrils and Beacon. Oath is shut down without its creatures. Dragon's threats are only their discard outlets and animate spells.
However, to be fair, here are a few of Death Long's shortcomings:
– Long has a horrible mismatch in Workshop. Then again, few decks, and even fewer combo decks, don't. Considering how usual it is for Workshop decks to take the Top 8 in tournaments, that's definitely something to consider.
– Long is the most complicated pure combo deck I have ever played. I doubt other people who have experimented with combo decks including Long can disagree with this fact. Doomsday actually feels like Sligh when compared to Death Long's insane learning curve. If you can't handle the sheer amount of mental work that goes on in Long's gameplay, forget it. Try Doomsday first, then if you can handle it, step on up to Long, as they have somewhat similar gameplans.
– Long requires complete Power 9. And I mean REQUIRES. I doubt you can get away with lacking so much as one Mox. I'm trying to see if four Moxen and a Mox Diamond in the place of the missing Mox will do, and I'll get back to you when I find out whether or not it's an okay substitute.
– Long is suicidal with its life total. Death Wish, Necro, Yawgmoth's Bargain, City Of Brass, and other similar cards hurt big time.
– Like most other combo decks, Long can die to discard. Considering how Sui Black still makes the rounds in the Philippine meta, you have to always remember that fact.
– Lastly, Long's own flexibility with its sideboard can prove to be a problem when you want to adapt to a different meta. What do you take out? What do you put in? I didn't bother and just netdecked completely, being fully aware of why those cards were there. It hasn't failed me so far.
Here We Go...
.:Today's LSS:.
I'm playing it in a while, so I guess it really is my LSS...
If You Leave Me Now
by Chicago
If you leave me now
You'll take away the biggest part of me
Ooh no, baby please don't go
And if you leave me now
You'll take away the very heart of me
Ooh no, baby please don't go
Ooh girl, I just want you to stay
A love like ours is love that's hard to find
How could we let it slip away
We've come too far to leave it all behind
How could we end it all this way?
When tomorrow comes then we'll both regret
The things we said today
A love like ours is love that's hard to find
How could we let it slip away
We've come too far to leave it all behind
How could we end it all this way?
When tomorrow comes then we'll both regret
The things we said today
And if you leave me now
You'll take away the very heart of me
Ooh no, baby please don't go
Ooh girl, I just want you to stay
Ooh girl, just got to have you by my side
Ooh no, baby please don't go
Ooh mama, I just got to have your lovin' yeah.
.:Three Radio Rumbles:.
I did this yesterday: Doctor Octopus, or Green Goblin? Try thinking about the comic versions, then try thinking about the movie versions. How would that work out?
I personally think it's the Goblin. How does Doc Ock fight if the Goblin stays away from him?
For today: 50 Cent, or Ja Rule? Which "gangsta rapper" would be able to win in a real fight? Do note that 50 Cent has survived being shot at, or so he claims.
I have no opinions about this match, really.
For tomorrow: Bobba Fett vs. Darth Maul. That way, I don't owe a post about it tomorrow.
I think both of them would just die horrible deaths. Overrated guys who'd get curbstomped by more competent opponents...
.:Cool Pics:.
I'll just link to them, but they are really cool... I should do a Radio Rumble on this as well...
All versions of Megatron!
All versions of Optiums Prime!
.:20 Random Facts:.
Write 20 random facts about yourself, then tag the same amount of people as the number of minutes it takes you to write the facts. If you're tagged, then it's your turn
1. I'm fond of Philosophy and radio.
2. I'm NOT a geek.
3. Emotional baggage is something I have a hard time getting away from.
4. I'm a wrestling nut. My favorite wrestler is the Undertaker.
5. I currently own three pieces of Power in Magic: Ancestral Recall, Timetwister, and Black Lotus.
6. I blog on a near-daily basis.
7. I have no idea how Google AdSense works. Help!
8. I'm poor and destitute. =P
9. If I had a million dollars, 95% of that goes straight to the bank.
10. I've been a DJ for almost a year already.
11. I'm currently dealing with fits of depression. Long story...
12. I've been in a relatively new relationship for the past four months already.
13. I love Korean films.
14. I currently live in Shaw Boulevard.
15. My timeslot is from 2-6 in the morning on WAVE 89.1, Tuesdays to Fridays.
16. I'm a sentimental fool.
17. I love Sugarfree and Matchbox Twenty, among other groups.
18. I am very opinionated.
19. I've been a debater for four years, though was never in varsity.
20. It took me four minutes to finish this list.
And now, I tag:
1. Clair
2. Pomelo
3. Sacha
4. Cami
.:A Breakup Song Website:.
Pretty interesting site. Will get back to you with a link when I find it again...
I'm playing it in a while, so I guess it really is my LSS...
by Chicago
If you leave me now
You'll take away the biggest part of me
Ooh no, baby please don't go
And if you leave me now
You'll take away the very heart of me
Ooh no, baby please don't go
Ooh girl, I just want you to stay
A love like ours is love that's hard to find
How could we let it slip away
We've come too far to leave it all behind
How could we end it all this way?
When tomorrow comes then we'll both regret
The things we said today
A love like ours is love that's hard to find
How could we let it slip away
We've come too far to leave it all behind
How could we end it all this way?
When tomorrow comes then we'll both regret
The things we said today
And if you leave me now
You'll take away the very heart of me
Ooh no, baby please don't go
Ooh girl, I just want you to stay
Ooh girl, just got to have you by my side
Ooh no, baby please don't go
Ooh mama, I just got to have your lovin' yeah.
.:Three Radio Rumbles:.
I did this yesterday: Doctor Octopus, or Green Goblin? Try thinking about the comic versions, then try thinking about the movie versions. How would that work out?
I personally think it's the Goblin. How does Doc Ock fight if the Goblin stays away from him?
For today: 50 Cent, or Ja Rule? Which "gangsta rapper" would be able to win in a real fight? Do note that 50 Cent has survived being shot at, or so he claims.
I have no opinions about this match, really.
For tomorrow: Bobba Fett vs. Darth Maul. That way, I don't owe a post about it tomorrow.
I think both of them would just die horrible deaths. Overrated guys who'd get curbstomped by more competent opponents...
.:Cool Pics:.
I'll just link to them, but they are really cool... I should do a Radio Rumble on this as well...
All versions of Megatron!
All versions of Optiums Prime!
.:20 Random Facts:.
Write 20 random facts about yourself, then tag the same amount of people as the number of minutes it takes you to write the facts. If you're tagged, then it's your turn
1. I'm fond of Philosophy and radio.
2. I'm NOT a geek.
3. Emotional baggage is something I have a hard time getting away from.
4. I'm a wrestling nut. My favorite wrestler is the Undertaker.
5. I currently own three pieces of Power in Magic: Ancestral Recall, Timetwister, and Black Lotus.
6. I blog on a near-daily basis.
7. I have no idea how Google AdSense works. Help!
8. I'm poor and destitute. =P
9. If I had a million dollars, 95% of that goes straight to the bank.
10. I've been a DJ for almost a year already.
11. I'm currently dealing with fits of depression. Long story...
12. I've been in a relatively new relationship for the past four months already.
13. I love Korean films.
14. I currently live in Shaw Boulevard.
15. My timeslot is from 2-6 in the morning on WAVE 89.1, Tuesdays to Fridays.
16. I'm a sentimental fool.
17. I love Sugarfree and Matchbox Twenty, among other groups.
18. I am very opinionated.
19. I've been a debater for four years, though was never in varsity.
20. It took me four minutes to finish this list.
And now, I tag:
1. Clair
2. Pomelo
3. Sacha
4. Cami
.:A Breakup Song Website:.
Pretty interesting site. Will get back to you with a link when I find it again...
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Whee....
.:Tournament Report: 11 September, 2005, at Ongkeco's Sports and Hobby Shop:.
I will have to apologize for the very sketchy report. I didn't bother writing a detailed report because I didn't take good notes last Sunday, as I was fully expecting to scrub out of the tournament by Round 3, when I found myself with a 1-1-1 record. I just suddenly found myself with an insane streak of luck after that round, and never looked back.
Round 1: Versus Lloyd Tan (Sui Black)
I had a great hand that involved two Dark Rituals and one Death Wish, but no business to find a second Wish or one Tutor. He brought down a couple of creatures by turn 2, and I tried to go for the win, but when I cast Death Wish, I realized I had no other tutor for myself. I just went for the Windfall instead. One turn later, I got a Brainstorm, then I just went for Yawgmoth's Will on my turn, and then won from there with Death Wish in my hand.
Match Standing: 1-0
In Game 2, I had horrible hands I had to mull out of. I was beaten to submission by Shadow creatures as I didn't really find a way out of his disruption. Maybe next time, I should have Misdirections in the maindeck against Sui Black if I were to run Doomsday again...
Match Standing: 1-1
In Game 3, I was curbstomped. Utterly. Not enough business (No Brainstorm! Gah.), a Demonic Consultation that did little to help me out, and his disruption carried his creatures through uninterrupted.
Match Standing: 1-2
Tournament Standing: 0-1
Round 2: Versus Lyn Garcia (Madness)
I was expecting Lyn to change her deck after learning how much collateral damage Raffinity took in Vintage courtesy of all the Workshop hate, and she did. That being said, I wasn't exactly running the same deck, either (Not that it made much of a difference... both decks are insanely complicated to play.).
In Game 1, she went first, played a land, go. The moment she played an Island, I had a inkling I'd run into permission, so I played it safe.
My first turn, I played a land, played a Mox, cast Defense Grid. She'd need two more turns before she can get to Force Of Will on my time. I passed the turn to her, and she cast a Merfolk Looter.
On my turn, I played Brainstorm, and searched for something useful. Perfect. I now had Vampiric Tutor, a Dark Ritual, an ESG, and two Death Wishes. I played a land, Vamped for a Black Lotus, and passed the turn to her. She drew, didn't drop a land, then passed the turn to me.
On my turn I comboed out uninterrupted. She tried to respond by Looting into a Rootwalla, only to find out that even the Rootwalla costs 3 mana now.
Match Standing: 1-0
In Game 2, essentially the same thing happens. I locked her in the Grid on my turn after she dropped a land, and then I comboed out from there. This time, I was holding a Demonic Tutor, a Lion's Eye Diamond, and a Black Lotus, thereby making comboing out much easier.
Match Standing: 2-0
Tournament Standing: 1-1
Round 3: Versus Lin Hua Cheng (Stax)
This was a mismatch, without a doubt. Nonetheless, I took my chances. I won the die roll, removed his Sphere of Resistance on my first turn, then passed the turn to him. He was still holding one more, though. On his turn, he cast a second Sphere of Resistance, as he topdecked a Mana Crypt.
On my turn, I played a land, go. On his turn, he drew, go.
On my turn, I played another land, then go. On his turn, he found a land, then cast a Tangle Wire. At the end of his turn, I used Hurklyl's Recall to bounce all of his artifacts to his hand.
On my turn, I comboed out via three Dark Rituals in hand and a Death Wish. That was all I really needed.
Match Standing: 1-0
In Game 2, I found myself locked with a turn 1 Sphere Of Resistance. In fact, it was a cakewalk for Cheng as lockpiece after lockpiece came down and kept me in check while his Goblin Welder and Gorilla Shaman wreaked havoc on my life total. I was taken to school by two practically vanilla 1/1's. He never used their abilities and just beat me down with those critters.
Match Standing: 1-1
With six minutes to go, in Game 3, I found out that I was locked, but he couldn't put me away. I was waiting for ESG's for me to power out a Hurklyl's Recall, while he was waiting for a Demonic Tutor or a Karn to finish me off. We found neither, and for the first time in my life, I have played an hour's worth of a Magic match that would end in a draw due to time. Just when I thought things like these never happens to combo decks.
Match Standing: Draw
Tournament Standing: 1-1-1
Round 4: Versus John Paul Fuentes (Scepter-Chant)
Now, I had a must-win situation. It was definitely a difficult situation I was faced with, but I didn't want to back down at this point. Death Long, after all, typically has the advantage against opponents when you're going first for the most part, anyways. The sheer "oops, I win" power that the deck has is decidedly the best among all the combo decks in Vintage. Only Belcher can challenge that claim, but the latter has consistency issues (Though unlike Long, can be run budget.).
In Game 1, I locked him in a Defense Grid, and on turn 2, tried to combo out. That was dumb. I should've gone for a Desire to 6 instead, as it turned out he had the 3 mana to use Force Of Will, since he had one untapped land and Sol Ring in play. From there, I was beaten down by his Mishra's Factories, an Orchard token, and an imprinted Fire/Ice.
Match Standing: 0-1
In Game 2, I didn't want to leave anything to chance. I disrupted him decently, and a turn-three Mind's Desire for 7 net me everything I needed to win the game. I just needed one Wish and one Dark Ritual in there, after all, and I got those two and much more.
Match Standing: 1-1
In Game 3, I tried my best to avoid any room for disruption, so I went the same route again. I locked him in the Grid, and on turn 3, went for a Mind's Desire for 4, which found me one Duress, one Elvish Spirit Guide, one Burning Wish, and one Death Wish. I cast Duress (5 Storm), then cast the ESG (6 Storm), then cast the Burning Wish for a Tendrils (7 Storm.), then used Death Wish for the Black Lotus I Consulted away (8 Storm.). I then cast the Black Lotus (9 Storm.), tapped a land, and used Tendrils for 10 Storm.
Match Standing: 2-1
Tournament Standing: 2-1-1
Round 5: Versus (FCG. Forgot the name of my opponent.)
In Game 1, He had a very slow start. I think I won on the third turn just when he stacked his library with the Recruiters. I had two Rituals, a Lotus Petal, and a Demonic Tutor by turn three. That was all I really needed, as I got myself a Burning Wish for a Yawgmoth's Will from that point on.
Match Standing: 1-0
Game 2 was memorable. He had the edge because I didn't have much business in my hand, except for a Demonic Consultation. I was hoping for a Brainstorm to get going (Should've Consulted for one. Silly me.), but I took my chances and let him have his way. He dropped a Lackey on his second turn, and a Null Rod on his third.
And then it just happened. The play of the day.
Play of the day: at 18 life, what with a Recruiter, a Warchief, a Matron, and an upcoming Piledriver on his topdeck, I was running the risk of dying the next turn, so I decided to clear the board first because I got slaughtered. I breathed heavily, and looked at the options: Only two mana usable on my table, one of them blue by default. Null Rod on his side of the table. My hand consisted of a land, a Necro, a Tinker, a Defense Grid, and a Demonic Consultation. End of his turn, I cast Demonic Consultation, naming Balance (!). After twenty or so cards, I found it (!).
On my turn, I cast Balance, and cleared his creatures away. I passed the turn to him, and he played his Piledriver from the topdeck.
On my turn, I topdecked a Black Lotus. I looked carefully at my removed from game pile, and then cast Tinker. Surprise! The card I needed was still in my library! Darksteel Colossus came into play, and I passed the turn to him. On his turn, he attacked, brought me down to 15 life, cast two Mogg Fanatics, then passed the turn to me.
My turn, I attacked, bringing him down to 8 life. His turn, he attacked, bringing me down to 8 life. Then he cast another Piledriver.
My turn, I attacked again for the win. Demonic Consultation saved my life. Can't believe how lucky that was. He was actually holding a Red Elemental Blast when I Tinkered, and had he left just one mana open, he would've countered my last-ditch effort.
Match Standing: 2-0
Tournament Standing: 3-1-1
At the end of five rounds of Swiss, I was ranked 6th and I made the cut into the Top 8. I was definitely excited, but I still didn't think I'd win, as I was expecting to run into Workshops.
I then found out that Cheng and Glen didn't make it past the Swiss rounds, but as I'm not the type who'd underestimate my opponent, I held my breath.
Top 8: Versus Paolo (Iso-Chant... I think.)
Game 1 was a bit of a sham, as the judge made a ruling in my favor. I was down to 1 life after several horrible Necro draws, and I then went for Tendrils for 10 so I can go on for one more turn. He responded with Gilded Light, and due to my familiarity with timing issues for Orim's Chant (Which did NOT function in the same way.), I contested it, and the judge ruled in my favor. I then Necroed for 7 after the ruling, then won on my next turn.
I'd like to extend my apologies to Paolo for that one. There was a possibility I still could've won next turn as I was holding a Burning Wish, but as I had no idea if you had permission in hand, I would have to admit that it was anyone's game 1 had the correct ruling been made.
Match Standing: 1-0
Come Game 2, I didn't want another fluke win, so I tried to make sure there was no room for doubt. That, plus the fact that having Defense Grid in play would help me immensely to win.
By around turn 6, I had him trapped in a Defense Grid, as he was tapped out. I went for 7 storm, only to stall out. But then, I cast Time Walk with all my lands and Moxen in play, with Bargain in my hand. I had more than enough mana to cast it on my next turn. With him tapped down on my Time Walk turn, I cast Bargain, then just exploded for a huge Tendrils at the end of the whole thing.
Match Standing: 2-0
Top 4: Versus Ryan (Landstill)
Game one, I wiped out his hand of anything important, and this was a long game. He didn't want to attack to leave mana open for permission at all times. Around turn 7, I cast a bunch of artifacts and capped it off with a Necro, and he drained it. His turn, he cast Nev's Disk and Eternal Dragon after draining me for the Necro.
On my turn 8, I won the toss for the Mana Cypt I played, then I cast a bunch of spells into a Timetwister, and when I tried to go for a Tutor, he countered it. I then cast a Necropotence, and he let it through. That's twice I've attempted to cast Necropotence in one game. Considering my hand, I had no choice but to Necro for 6. He was capable of dealing 11 damage on his next turn, and I had Mana Crypt on my side of the table. I was going to leave this to chance. On his turn, he attacked, brought me down to exactly 1 life, and then passed the turn to me.
I rolled dice for the Crypt on my turn. He called even. I rolled odd. The luckiest break of my day. He then activated Nev's Disk, and I drew. Mox Ruby. My Necro the previous turn already yielded for me Lion's Eye Diamond, two Dark Rituals, Mox Pearl, one Sol Ring, one Demonic Tutor, after I discarded. I had to make sure I used Burning Wish and not Death Wish, since I was down to 1 life. I cast the Moxen, cast the Rituals, then cast Tutor. Responded to it by saccing the LED for red. I then cast Burning Wish, and got Yawgmoth's Will, replayed all my spells, then went for Demonic Tutor for Tendrils, for 38 damage.
Match Standing: 1-0
Game 2, he went first. He played a Faerie Conclave, and passed the turn to me.
On my turn, I played a land, cast Duress, and plucked away an Orim's Chant. I passed the turn to him, and he played a Strip Mine then cast Chalice of the Void for 1. Too bad this wasn't Doomsday. At least, he couldn't cast his other Orim's Chant, either. Fair enough.
On my turn, I attempted to cast a Defense Grid. He cast Force Of Will against it. I passed the turn to him, and he drew, and passed the turn to me.
On my turn, I topdecked Tinker. Big deal just right now. I tried playing a Defense Grid again. This time, it worked. His turn, he drew, played Brainstorm, found nothing, and passed the turn to me. He refused to use his Strip Mine because that would mean he'd be two turns behind having mana to use Force Of Will due to the Grid.
My turn, I topdecked a Lotus Petal. Precisely what I needed. I played it, played the Tolarian Academy in my hand, then cast Tinker, saccing the Petal. He only had two lands. There was no way he could counter me, barring an Elvish Spirit Guide. I got Darksteel Colossus, then passed the turn to him. He drew, then passed the turn to me.
At this point, a lot of people were watching us, and people were singing random songs, everything from Hulk Hogan's “Real American” to the Shaider theme. Jason_From_Hell then looked at his crumpled FHM Girls Next Door poster and said...
“Nalukot. Sayang. Ito pa naman sana yung iuuwi ko sa anak ko.”
I attacked, and said I'm done. I didn't want to get greedy and do something idiotic in turn, so I just held steady. On his turn, he drew a card, and found nothing. He scooped afterwards. Jason then commented again...
“No offense, pare, pero ANG BULOK NG PAGKAPANALO MO!!!”
None taken. :P
Match Standing: 2-0
Finals: Versus Aris Go (The Rock)
Finally, the Rock has come back to Vintage! I couldn't resist. Heh. I'm sorry.
In any case, the winner of this match would win the Nether Void (Which I had no use for.), the 9th Ed Box (Which I wanted badly.), the clutch bag (Which I tried to show up early for, only to miss it by five minutes.), and the latest issue of FHM (What? No Cosmo? I wanted Richard Gutierrez, dammit!:P).
Second place would get the Vampiric Tutor (Which I already had. It was also white-bordered, by the way.), the 9th Ed Box (Which meant I wouldn't mind losing.), the clutch bag (Which meant I wouldn't mind losing, more than ever.), and a back issue of FHM (What?!?). I had to fight for the win, if only for Rich... err... Bianca King! R-ight...
Game 1, I kept a grip of 6 cards, involving 2 Duress, 1 Brainstorm, 1 Lotus Petal, 1 Necro, and 1 Death Wish. Not too bad, but dangerous if I weren't going first. He mulled down to 4 (!) and didn't find anything of use. I played the Petal, and passed the turn to him as I won the die roll. His turn, he drew, and passed. The people watching were joking that Aris actually transformed his deck into Belcher, which explained all the mulling.
My turn, I drew a card, played a land, then cast Duress. I removed a Cabal Therapy. His turn, he played a land, passed the turn to me.
I drew, then held steady. There was no rush. I had the luxury of time, and if he suddenly tried to cast Duress, I'd respond with a Brainstorm. I now held two Moxen in hand. His turn, he drew, played a land, and cast Living Wish for a City Of Brass. End of his turn, I Brainstormed, and found a Black Lotus, a Dark Ritual, and a Demonic Tutor. Just what I needed.
I then went for the kill. cast Dark Ritual, cast Demonic Tutor, sacrifice Lotus for Red, cast Burning Wish for Yawgmoth's Will, and Aris scooped from there.
Match Standing: 1-0
Game 2, I had the following grip: 2 lands, 1 Vampiric Tutor, 1 Mox Ruby, 1 Demonic Consultation, 1 Dark Ritual. I had to mull to 6 because my first hand had decent mana, but no business at all. He opened the game with a Birds of Paradise.
On my turn, I drew a card, played a land, then passed the turn to him. I drew an Elvish Spirit Guide here, I believe. His turn, he cast Duress, and I responded with Vampiric Tutor. I guessed correctly he'd take out my Dark Ritual, so I didn't get the Lotus from my topdeck. That was the smartest thing I did all night long.
On my turn, I played a land, played the Mox, tapped for UUR, then cast Tinker. I took a chance and grabbed a Darksteel Colossus, then passed the turn to Aris. Aris played a second BOP, then passed to me. He has taken one damage so far from City Of Brass.
On my turn, I attacked with the Colossus, and I brought him down to 8 life. His turn, he drew a card, then passed the turn to me. It was academic from there, as he didn't find any answers to the Colossus.
I won, but I let Aris have the Bianca King FHM. Instead, I settled for the DVD cover of the Crimson Sea 2 game... :P
Round 1: Versus Lloyd Tan (Sui Black)
I had a great hand that involved two Dark Rituals and one Death Wish, but no business to find a second Wish or one Tutor. He brought down a couple of creatures by turn 2, and I tried to go for the win, but when I cast Death Wish, I realized I had no other tutor for myself. I just went for the Windfall instead. One turn later, I got a Brainstorm, then I just went for Yawgmoth's Will on my turn, and then won from there with Death Wish in my hand.
Match Standing: 1-0
In Game 2, I had horrible hands I had to mull out of. I was beaten to submission by Shadow creatures as I didn't really find a way out of his disruption. Maybe next time, I should have Misdirections in the maindeck against Sui Black if I were to run Doomsday again...
Match Standing: 1-1
In Game 3, I was curbstomped. Utterly. Not enough business (No Brainstorm! Gah.), a Demonic Consultation that did little to help me out, and his disruption carried his creatures through uninterrupted.
Match Standing: 1-2
Tournament Standing: 0-1
Round 2: Versus Lyn Garcia (Madness)
I was expecting Lyn to change her deck after learning how much collateral damage Raffinity took in Vintage courtesy of all the Workshop hate, and she did. That being said, I wasn't exactly running the same deck, either (Not that it made much of a difference... both decks are insanely complicated to play.).
In Game 1, she went first, played a land, go. The moment she played an Island, I had a inkling I'd run into permission, so I played it safe.
My first turn, I played a land, played a Mox, cast Defense Grid. She'd need two more turns before she can get to Force Of Will on my time. I passed the turn to her, and she cast a Merfolk Looter.
On my turn, I played Brainstorm, and searched for something useful. Perfect. I now had Vampiric Tutor, a Dark Ritual, an ESG, and two Death Wishes. I played a land, Vamped for a Black Lotus, and passed the turn to her. She drew, didn't drop a land, then passed the turn to me.
On my turn I comboed out uninterrupted. She tried to respond by Looting into a Rootwalla, only to find out that even the Rootwalla costs 3 mana now.
Match Standing: 1-0
In Game 2, essentially the same thing happens. I locked her in the Grid on my turn after she dropped a land, and then I comboed out from there. This time, I was holding a Demonic Tutor, a Lion's Eye Diamond, and a Black Lotus, thereby making comboing out much easier.
Match Standing: 2-0
Tournament Standing: 1-1
Round 3: Versus Lin Hua Cheng (Stax)
This was a mismatch, without a doubt. Nonetheless, I took my chances. I won the die roll, removed his Sphere of Resistance on my first turn, then passed the turn to him. He was still holding one more, though. On his turn, he cast a second Sphere of Resistance, as he topdecked a Mana Crypt.
On my turn, I played a land, go. On his turn, he drew, go.
On my turn, I played another land, then go. On his turn, he found a land, then cast a Tangle Wire. At the end of his turn, I used Hurklyl's Recall to bounce all of his artifacts to his hand.
On my turn, I comboed out via three Dark Rituals in hand and a Death Wish. That was all I really needed.
Match Standing: 1-0
In Game 2, I found myself locked with a turn 1 Sphere Of Resistance. In fact, it was a cakewalk for Cheng as lockpiece after lockpiece came down and kept me in check while his Goblin Welder and Gorilla Shaman wreaked havoc on my life total. I was taken to school by two practically vanilla 1/1's. He never used their abilities and just beat me down with those critters.
Match Standing: 1-1
With six minutes to go, in Game 3, I found out that I was locked, but he couldn't put me away. I was waiting for ESG's for me to power out a Hurklyl's Recall, while he was waiting for a Demonic Tutor or a Karn to finish me off. We found neither, and for the first time in my life, I have played an hour's worth of a Magic match that would end in a draw due to time. Just when I thought things like these never happens to combo decks.
Match Standing: Draw
Tournament Standing: 1-1-1
Round 4: Versus John Paul Fuentes (Scepter-Chant)
Now, I had a must-win situation. It was definitely a difficult situation I was faced with, but I didn't want to back down at this point. Death Long, after all, typically has the advantage against opponents when you're going first for the most part, anyways. The sheer "oops, I win" power that the deck has is decidedly the best among all the combo decks in Vintage. Only Belcher can challenge that claim, but the latter has consistency issues (Though unlike Long, can be run budget.).
In Game 1, I locked him in a Defense Grid, and on turn 2, tried to combo out. That was dumb. I should've gone for a Desire to 6 instead, as it turned out he had the 3 mana to use Force Of Will, since he had one untapped land and Sol Ring in play. From there, I was beaten down by his Mishra's Factories, an Orchard token, and an imprinted Fire/Ice.
Match Standing: 0-1
In Game 2, I didn't want to leave anything to chance. I disrupted him decently, and a turn-three Mind's Desire for 7 net me everything I needed to win the game. I just needed one Wish and one Dark Ritual in there, after all, and I got those two and much more.
Match Standing: 1-1
In Game 3, I tried my best to avoid any room for disruption, so I went the same route again. I locked him in the Grid, and on turn 3, went for a Mind's Desire for 4, which found me one Duress, one Elvish Spirit Guide, one Burning Wish, and one Death Wish. I cast Duress (5 Storm), then cast the ESG (6 Storm), then cast the Burning Wish for a Tendrils (7 Storm.), then used Death Wish for the Black Lotus I Consulted away (8 Storm.). I then cast the Black Lotus (9 Storm.), tapped a land, and used Tendrils for 10 Storm.
Match Standing: 2-1
Tournament Standing: 2-1-1
Round 5: Versus (FCG. Forgot the name of my opponent.)
In Game 1, He had a very slow start. I think I won on the third turn just when he stacked his library with the Recruiters. I had two Rituals, a Lotus Petal, and a Demonic Tutor by turn three. That was all I really needed, as I got myself a Burning Wish for a Yawgmoth's Will from that point on.
Match Standing: 1-0
Game 2 was memorable. He had the edge because I didn't have much business in my hand, except for a Demonic Consultation. I was hoping for a Brainstorm to get going (Should've Consulted for one. Silly me.), but I took my chances and let him have his way. He dropped a Lackey on his second turn, and a Null Rod on his third.
And then it just happened. The play of the day.
Play of the day: at 18 life, what with a Recruiter, a Warchief, a Matron, and an upcoming Piledriver on his topdeck, I was running the risk of dying the next turn, so I decided to clear the board first because I got slaughtered. I breathed heavily, and looked at the options: Only two mana usable on my table, one of them blue by default. Null Rod on his side of the table. My hand consisted of a land, a Necro, a Tinker, a Defense Grid, and a Demonic Consultation. End of his turn, I cast Demonic Consultation, naming Balance (!). After twenty or so cards, I found it (!).
On my turn, I cast Balance, and cleared his creatures away. I passed the turn to him, and he played his Piledriver from the topdeck.
On my turn, I topdecked a Black Lotus. I looked carefully at my removed from game pile, and then cast Tinker. Surprise! The card I needed was still in my library! Darksteel Colossus came into play, and I passed the turn to him. On his turn, he attacked, brought me down to 15 life, cast two Mogg Fanatics, then passed the turn to me.
My turn, I attacked, bringing him down to 8 life. His turn, he attacked, bringing me down to 8 life. Then he cast another Piledriver.
My turn, I attacked again for the win. Demonic Consultation saved my life. Can't believe how lucky that was. He was actually holding a Red Elemental Blast when I Tinkered, and had he left just one mana open, he would've countered my last-ditch effort.
Match Standing: 2-0
Tournament Standing: 3-1-1
At the end of five rounds of Swiss, I was ranked 6th and I made the cut into the Top 8. I was definitely excited, but I still didn't think I'd win, as I was expecting to run into Workshops.
I then found out that Cheng and Glen didn't make it past the Swiss rounds, but as I'm not the type who'd underestimate my opponent, I held my breath.
Top 8: Versus Paolo (Iso-Chant... I think.)
Game 1 was a bit of a sham, as the judge made a ruling in my favor. I was down to 1 life after several horrible Necro draws, and I then went for Tendrils for 10 so I can go on for one more turn. He responded with Gilded Light, and due to my familiarity with timing issues for Orim's Chant (Which did NOT function in the same way.), I contested it, and the judge ruled in my favor. I then Necroed for 7 after the ruling, then won on my next turn.
I'd like to extend my apologies to Paolo for that one. There was a possibility I still could've won next turn as I was holding a Burning Wish, but as I had no idea if you had permission in hand, I would have to admit that it was anyone's game 1 had the correct ruling been made.
Match Standing: 1-0
Come Game 2, I didn't want another fluke win, so I tried to make sure there was no room for doubt. That, plus the fact that having Defense Grid in play would help me immensely to win.
By around turn 6, I had him trapped in a Defense Grid, as he was tapped out. I went for 7 storm, only to stall out. But then, I cast Time Walk with all my lands and Moxen in play, with Bargain in my hand. I had more than enough mana to cast it on my next turn. With him tapped down on my Time Walk turn, I cast Bargain, then just exploded for a huge Tendrils at the end of the whole thing.
Match Standing: 2-0
Top 4: Versus Ryan (Landstill)
Game one, I wiped out his hand of anything important, and this was a long game. He didn't want to attack to leave mana open for permission at all times. Around turn 7, I cast a bunch of artifacts and capped it off with a Necro, and he drained it. His turn, he cast Nev's Disk and Eternal Dragon after draining me for the Necro.
On my turn 8, I won the toss for the Mana Cypt I played, then I cast a bunch of spells into a Timetwister, and when I tried to go for a Tutor, he countered it. I then cast a Necropotence, and he let it through. That's twice I've attempted to cast Necropotence in one game. Considering my hand, I had no choice but to Necro for 6. He was capable of dealing 11 damage on his next turn, and I had Mana Crypt on my side of the table. I was going to leave this to chance. On his turn, he attacked, brought me down to exactly 1 life, and then passed the turn to me.
I rolled dice for the Crypt on my turn. He called even. I rolled odd. The luckiest break of my day. He then activated Nev's Disk, and I drew. Mox Ruby. My Necro the previous turn already yielded for me Lion's Eye Diamond, two Dark Rituals, Mox Pearl, one Sol Ring, one Demonic Tutor, after I discarded. I had to make sure I used Burning Wish and not Death Wish, since I was down to 1 life. I cast the Moxen, cast the Rituals, then cast Tutor. Responded to it by saccing the LED for red. I then cast Burning Wish, and got Yawgmoth's Will, replayed all my spells, then went for Demonic Tutor for Tendrils, for 38 damage.
Match Standing: 1-0
Game 2, he went first. He played a Faerie Conclave, and passed the turn to me.
On my turn, I played a land, cast Duress, and plucked away an Orim's Chant. I passed the turn to him, and he played a Strip Mine then cast Chalice of the Void for 1. Too bad this wasn't Doomsday. At least, he couldn't cast his other Orim's Chant, either. Fair enough.
On my turn, I attempted to cast a Defense Grid. He cast Force Of Will against it. I passed the turn to him, and he drew, and passed the turn to me.
On my turn, I topdecked Tinker. Big deal just right now. I tried playing a Defense Grid again. This time, it worked. His turn, he drew, played Brainstorm, found nothing, and passed the turn to me. He refused to use his Strip Mine because that would mean he'd be two turns behind having mana to use Force Of Will due to the Grid.
My turn, I topdecked a Lotus Petal. Precisely what I needed. I played it, played the Tolarian Academy in my hand, then cast Tinker, saccing the Petal. He only had two lands. There was no way he could counter me, barring an Elvish Spirit Guide. I got Darksteel Colossus, then passed the turn to him. He drew, then passed the turn to me.
At this point, a lot of people were watching us, and people were singing random songs, everything from Hulk Hogan's “Real American” to the Shaider theme. Jason_From_Hell then looked at his crumpled FHM Girls Next Door poster and said...
“Nalukot. Sayang. Ito pa naman sana yung iuuwi ko sa anak ko.”
I attacked, and said I'm done. I didn't want to get greedy and do something idiotic in turn, so I just held steady. On his turn, he drew a card, and found nothing. He scooped afterwards. Jason then commented again...
“No offense, pare, pero ANG BULOK NG PAGKAPANALO MO!!!”
None taken. :P
Match Standing: 2-0
Finals: Versus Aris Go (The Rock)
Finally, the Rock has come back to Vintage! I couldn't resist. Heh. I'm sorry.
In any case, the winner of this match would win the Nether Void (Which I had no use for.), the 9th Ed Box (Which I wanted badly.), the clutch bag (Which I tried to show up early for, only to miss it by five minutes.), and the latest issue of FHM (What? No Cosmo? I wanted Richard Gutierrez, dammit!:P).
Second place would get the Vampiric Tutor (Which I already had. It was also white-bordered, by the way.), the 9th Ed Box (Which meant I wouldn't mind losing.), the clutch bag (Which meant I wouldn't mind losing, more than ever.), and a back issue of FHM (What?!?). I had to fight for the win, if only for Rich... err... Bianca King! R-ight...
Game 1, I kept a grip of 6 cards, involving 2 Duress, 1 Brainstorm, 1 Lotus Petal, 1 Necro, and 1 Death Wish. Not too bad, but dangerous if I weren't going first. He mulled down to 4 (!) and didn't find anything of use. I played the Petal, and passed the turn to him as I won the die roll. His turn, he drew, and passed. The people watching were joking that Aris actually transformed his deck into Belcher, which explained all the mulling.
My turn, I drew a card, played a land, then cast Duress. I removed a Cabal Therapy. His turn, he played a land, passed the turn to me.
I drew, then held steady. There was no rush. I had the luxury of time, and if he suddenly tried to cast Duress, I'd respond with a Brainstorm. I now held two Moxen in hand. His turn, he drew, played a land, and cast Living Wish for a City Of Brass. End of his turn, I Brainstormed, and found a Black Lotus, a Dark Ritual, and a Demonic Tutor. Just what I needed.
I then went for the kill. cast Dark Ritual, cast Demonic Tutor, sacrifice Lotus for Red, cast Burning Wish for Yawgmoth's Will, and Aris scooped from there.
Match Standing: 1-0
Game 2, I had the following grip: 2 lands, 1 Vampiric Tutor, 1 Mox Ruby, 1 Demonic Consultation, 1 Dark Ritual. I had to mull to 6 because my first hand had decent mana, but no business at all. He opened the game with a Birds of Paradise.
On my turn, I drew a card, played a land, then passed the turn to him. I drew an Elvish Spirit Guide here, I believe. His turn, he cast Duress, and I responded with Vampiric Tutor. I guessed correctly he'd take out my Dark Ritual, so I didn't get the Lotus from my topdeck. That was the smartest thing I did all night long.
On my turn, I played a land, played the Mox, tapped for UUR, then cast Tinker. I took a chance and grabbed a Darksteel Colossus, then passed the turn to Aris. Aris played a second BOP, then passed to me. He has taken one damage so far from City Of Brass.
On my turn, I attacked with the Colossus, and I brought him down to 8 life. His turn, he drew a card, then passed the turn to me. It was academic from there, as he didn't find any answers to the Colossus.
I won, but I let Aris have the Bianca King FHM. Instead, I settled for the DVD cover of the Crimson Sea 2 game... :P
Monday, September 12, 2005
Prelude To The Weekend Recap...
I won! A tournament of 35 people, and I squeezed in a win!!! Yay!
First time I ever won a tourney as big as this... hehehe.
First time I ever won a tourney as big as this... hehehe.
Friday, September 09, 2005
Here We Go...
.:Today's LSS:.
Ogie Alcasid rules.
Sa Kanya
by Ogie Alcasid
Namulat ako at ngayo'y nag-iisa
Pagkatapos ng ulan
Bagama't nakalipas na ang mga sandali
Ay nagmumuni kung ako'y nagwagi
Pinipilit mang sabihin na ito'y wala sa akin
Ngunit bakit hanggang ngayon, nagdurugo pa rin
Chorus:
Sa kanya pa rin babalik sigaw, ng damdamin
Sa kanya pa rin sasaya bulong ng puso ko
Kung buhay pa ang alaala ng ating nakaraan
Ang pagmamahal at panahon alay pa rin sa kanya
At sa hatinggabi ay nag-iisa na lang
Ay minamasdan ang larawan mo
At ngayo'y bumalik nang siya'y kapiling pa
Alaala ng buong magdamag
Kung sakali man isipin na ito'y wala sa akin
Sana'y dinggin ang tinig kong nag-iisa pa rin
Repeat Chorus:
Adlib:
Ang pagmamahal at panahon alay pa rin
Sa kanya, sa kanya, sa kanya, hah-ooh
Sa kanya.
.:More Radio Rumble:.
Batman vs. Captain America
David Letterman vs. Jay Leno
Who do you think would win?
.:The Greatest T-Shirt EVER!:.
… thanks to this shirt, I can now make five term papers in a night!!!
W-ell, not really, but go read the comments.
.:Ambivalence:.
As far as the impeachment process was concerned, I was ambivalent, not apathetic.
What's the difference, you ask? Quite simple, really...
Apathy is a state where somebody just doesn't give a damn about something. For instance, I simply did not have an opinion about Bush or Kerry in the previous elections. I did not care who won, as to me, it had little to no bearing on my life whatsoever. That's apathy.
Ambivalence, on the other hand, is remarkably different. I of course wanted the president to be impeached in congress so that a proper investigation of whatever flimsy claims were made in the Lower House could be made in the Senate, and by then, we could see if there really was a point to any of it at all.
However, the moment the complaint got quashed in congress, I was not perturbed enough to want to take to the streets and claim the death of the democratic process. W-ell excuse me, but didn't they actually vote, and didn't a very significant number vote against the impeachment process pushing through? During Estrada's time, there were over a hundred people who voted in favor of having him impeached. That counted for something. Here, not even a third of the house managed to do it, effectively signifying that there just isn't enough evidence to work with.
I'm sick and tired of the endless rallies, the nonsensical politicking, and I'm even ashamed to say I'm related to Mrs. Aquino right now. For her to be acting in this way, despite the fact that someone should be innocent until proven guilty, is a clear oversight on her part. It's not like she made the country great again after wresting it from Marcos' iron grip, anyways. It was more of a choice of the lesser evil.
I'm ambivalent towards the impeachment process because I understand all too well where all the need for due process. But you know what? I'm ambivalent towards it because I know that if people pushing for her impeachment didn't get their way, then they would still take to the streets, regardless. Isn't that clearly a no-win situation? I mean, if the impeachment process went through, if at any point, GMA's camp won, then people will just take to the streets? Eff that.
The impeachment process is dead. Get over it and try again next year, when you can afford witnesses who don't crack and recant two weeks after they make their initial statement. You've had your chance in due process. Another EDSA will only bastardize what the first one did. At this point, I'm ashamed to have even been part of the second EDSA revolution. Kasi dahil doon, nawiwili na ang mga tao na mag-EDSA kapag may ayaw sila sa pamahalaan.
And let me just close this vituperation by pointing out something rather obvious...
How many of those people at the rallies actually voted for GMA? I can assure you that a good chunk of the people there really voted for her in the first place, whether they be the people paid to go to the rallies or the well-meaning principled people.
And among these people clamoring for the president to step down, how many of them actually so much as joked that GMA should cheat the elections so that FPJ wouldn't win?
Well, then if she did, they got their wish. So what the eff are they rallying about?
Dammit, give it a rest already.
.:Just The Other Day:.
It was particularly amazing how yesterday turned out, particularly since I haven't met my Uncle Terence, who lives in California, in about seven years already.
Anyways, I was cramming my paper (Finished 24 pages of utter bull, plus title page and bibliography, in a record 2 days!), then I headed off to Rockwell at around lunchtime to meet my grandparents who were going to have lunch with Uncle Terence.
It was a great lunch, really. The chef in Le Souffle was very friendly, and the food was splendid. Lobster soup is great, and even their bread was pretty good. The salad I ordered had mushrooms, scallops, and even goose liver that tasted so much like lamb chops. The ostrich steak was so-so, and made me realize I should've stuck to rib eye or something. Heh.
Nonetheless, it was a really wonderful lunch, and then I headed off to Medical City with my aunt to see my cousin, Maikee, who had pneumonia. We took a cab, and the cabbie got us into a political discussion that led me to write the post above. Nonetheless, I then spent the rest of the day just enjoying the company, and I managed to finish my paper after all has been said and done...
.:Rewards:.
I rewarded myself with a massage after I finished that paper. Boy, I needed that. I just really needed to relax after all that stress I went through…
And Clair, did I mention that 70% of that paper was done on UBUNTU?!?
.:On Memory:.
Class tonight was fun, as we were watching “Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind” with Engrish subtitles.
I remember crying the last time I saw this film. Now, I was laughing my head off.
Actual dialogue: You stole a girl’s panties!
Engrish subtitle: You stole a girl’s p*nis!
That was just amazing… considering this is Ricoeur class. Heh.
Ogie Alcasid rules.
by Ogie Alcasid
Namulat ako at ngayo'y nag-iisa
Pagkatapos ng ulan
Bagama't nakalipas na ang mga sandali
Ay nagmumuni kung ako'y nagwagi
Pinipilit mang sabihin na ito'y wala sa akin
Ngunit bakit hanggang ngayon, nagdurugo pa rin
Chorus:
Sa kanya pa rin babalik sigaw, ng damdamin
Sa kanya pa rin sasaya bulong ng puso ko
Kung buhay pa ang alaala ng ating nakaraan
Ang pagmamahal at panahon alay pa rin sa kanya
At sa hatinggabi ay nag-iisa na lang
Ay minamasdan ang larawan mo
At ngayo'y bumalik nang siya'y kapiling pa
Alaala ng buong magdamag
Kung sakali man isipin na ito'y wala sa akin
Sana'y dinggin ang tinig kong nag-iisa pa rin
Repeat Chorus:
Adlib:
Ang pagmamahal at panahon alay pa rin
Sa kanya, sa kanya, sa kanya, hah-ooh
Sa kanya.
.:More Radio Rumble:.
Batman vs. Captain America
David Letterman vs. Jay Leno
Who do you think would win?
.:The Greatest T-Shirt EVER!:.
… thanks to this shirt, I can now make five term papers in a night!!!
W-ell, not really, but go read the comments.
.:Ambivalence:.
As far as the impeachment process was concerned, I was ambivalent, not apathetic.
What's the difference, you ask? Quite simple, really...
Apathy is a state where somebody just doesn't give a damn about something. For instance, I simply did not have an opinion about Bush or Kerry in the previous elections. I did not care who won, as to me, it had little to no bearing on my life whatsoever. That's apathy.
Ambivalence, on the other hand, is remarkably different. I of course wanted the president to be impeached in congress so that a proper investigation of whatever flimsy claims were made in the Lower House could be made in the Senate, and by then, we could see if there really was a point to any of it at all.
However, the moment the complaint got quashed in congress, I was not perturbed enough to want to take to the streets and claim the death of the democratic process. W-ell excuse me, but didn't they actually vote, and didn't a very significant number vote against the impeachment process pushing through? During Estrada's time, there were over a hundred people who voted in favor of having him impeached. That counted for something. Here, not even a third of the house managed to do it, effectively signifying that there just isn't enough evidence to work with.
I'm sick and tired of the endless rallies, the nonsensical politicking, and I'm even ashamed to say I'm related to Mrs. Aquino right now. For her to be acting in this way, despite the fact that someone should be innocent until proven guilty, is a clear oversight on her part. It's not like she made the country great again after wresting it from Marcos' iron grip, anyways. It was more of a choice of the lesser evil.
I'm ambivalent towards the impeachment process because I understand all too well where all the need for due process. But you know what? I'm ambivalent towards it because I know that if people pushing for her impeachment didn't get their way, then they would still take to the streets, regardless. Isn't that clearly a no-win situation? I mean, if the impeachment process went through, if at any point, GMA's camp won, then people will just take to the streets? Eff that.
The impeachment process is dead. Get over it and try again next year, when you can afford witnesses who don't crack and recant two weeks after they make their initial statement. You've had your chance in due process. Another EDSA will only bastardize what the first one did. At this point, I'm ashamed to have even been part of the second EDSA revolution. Kasi dahil doon, nawiwili na ang mga tao na mag-EDSA kapag may ayaw sila sa pamahalaan.
And let me just close this vituperation by pointing out something rather obvious...
How many of those people at the rallies actually voted for GMA? I can assure you that a good chunk of the people there really voted for her in the first place, whether they be the people paid to go to the rallies or the well-meaning principled people.
And among these people clamoring for the president to step down, how many of them actually so much as joked that GMA should cheat the elections so that FPJ wouldn't win?
Well, then if she did, they got their wish. So what the eff are they rallying about?
Dammit, give it a rest already.
.:Just The Other Day:.
It was particularly amazing how yesterday turned out, particularly since I haven't met my Uncle Terence, who lives in California, in about seven years already.
Anyways, I was cramming my paper (Finished 24 pages of utter bull, plus title page and bibliography, in a record 2 days!), then I headed off to Rockwell at around lunchtime to meet my grandparents who were going to have lunch with Uncle Terence.
It was a great lunch, really. The chef in Le Souffle was very friendly, and the food was splendid. Lobster soup is great, and even their bread was pretty good. The salad I ordered had mushrooms, scallops, and even goose liver that tasted so much like lamb chops. The ostrich steak was so-so, and made me realize I should've stuck to rib eye or something. Heh.
Nonetheless, it was a really wonderful lunch, and then I headed off to Medical City with my aunt to see my cousin, Maikee, who had pneumonia. We took a cab, and the cabbie got us into a political discussion that led me to write the post above. Nonetheless, I then spent the rest of the day just enjoying the company, and I managed to finish my paper after all has been said and done...
.:Rewards:.
I rewarded myself with a massage after I finished that paper. Boy, I needed that. I just really needed to relax after all that stress I went through…
And Clair, did I mention that 70% of that paper was done on UBUNTU?!?
.:On Memory:.
Class tonight was fun, as we were watching “Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind” with Engrish subtitles.
I remember crying the last time I saw this film. Now, I was laughing my head off.
Actual dialogue: You stole a girl’s panties!
Engrish subtitle: You stole a girl’s p*nis!
That was just amazing… considering this is Ricoeur class. Heh.
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Filler...
.:Blogging Curtailed...:.
... just for a week, really. But that's because of the paper I have to submit. You might say I'm cramming it at light speed...
.:Today's Radio Rumble:.
Clay Aiken vs. William Hung. Who do you think will be able to win this streetfight?
.:What The...?!?:.
I think this picture defies description...
... just for a week, really. But that's because of the paper I have to submit. You might say I'm cramming it at light speed...
.:Today's Radio Rumble:.
Clay Aiken vs. William Hung. Who do you think will be able to win this streetfight?
.:What The...?!?:.
I think this picture defies description...
Words fail me...
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