Random Vituperations...

.:Sentiments...:.

Truth be told, a lot of my sentiments on different topics have been see-sawing from moment to moment.

That explains why one of the main posts I was supposed to put up since Monday will still be nowhere to be found until I sort out my sentiments about it... sigh...

.:To Be The Man!:.

I know, I know. I owe you guys a long overdue book review. I'll get to it soon enough... I'm so backlogged lately...

.:Rebonding:.

I haven't spoken, much less met up with April since the last time she visited me in the hospital, and that's mainly because after she went abroad for a vacation, she was practically buried in a lot of work.

We've had four long years of being friends under our belt, and I must say that there are few people I am as at ease with as I am with her. It was a bit disorienting to see her again after so long a time, certainly different from how I first got to know her. Gone was the “uniform” of blue top and white skirt. In came a new outlook in life along with the requisite attitude. While it's a bit disorienting, I wouldn't say it's a welcome change that I personally believe is something she needed.

We had a sort of lunch at Friday's, as we talked about what's been going on with her life lately. I have to say I definitely missed a lot. There have been several goings-on in her life that I was completely in the dark about, and what really got to me was that I wasn't there for her when I should've. Everybody knows how I feel about not being there for my friends when I really should be there for them, and this was certainly no exception, by any means.

From Friday's, we then had dessert at Starbucks, and then she and I just went on a road trip for a while. It was two friends sharing a moment of rebonding, rediscovering precisely why we were fairly close when we were still both in Ateneo.

I'm still fairly speechless right now, to be honest. I suppose all I can do is hope for the best for her, and remind her that I will continue to be there for her, no matter what.

For now, that is all I can offer.

.:Don't Screw With Me, You Sonuva...:.

This Sunday was the first time I did not land in the Top 8 of a tournament, and while that isn't so bad in and by itself, what really got to me was the fact that an unnamed individual has decided to piss me off.

You see, while I'm fairly competitive when it comes to Vintage tournaments, losing to players doesn't really get to me. In fact, I'm a bit more miffed over losing to myself over some play error or some other.

But then, losing to a judge?

So there I was in the fifth round of the tournament, and I've won my match, 2-0. Right beside me was Osmond and Chris Sta. Maria, who were having a game, and a very odd sequence happens.

First, Osmond plays Duress on Chris, and plucks a card out of his hand. Then, on Chris' turn, he draws a card, plays a fetchland, then fetches.

Unfortunately, while shuffling his deck, he accidentally shuffles his hand into his deck as well, and now, he was in a position that the tournament organizer, Lauren, found himself in a few rounds prior.

The difference was that Lauren was handed a game loss, and for some reason, the ruling in this case was not going to be consistent, all because of having Duress played, which meant Osmond saw Chris' hand prior to him shuffling it all in.

So well, the judge, in a clear show of incompetence, asked Osmond to remember Chris' hand, so Chris can get those cards back into his hand.

Now, you see, that clearly undermines the integrity of the game. In the event that somebody sees your hand, the hand is still not considered public knowledge. I know common sense dictates you should know the cards after having seen them, but the rules don't account for that, and would sooner respect the integrity of the game (By ignoring that occurrence of having seen his hand.) than to put a ruling in the hands of the opponent.

That being said, with my match over, I casually joked to Osmond that he could always say he doesn't remember a thing from Chris' hand, and nobody can contest that. He didn't write it down, and what is subtly happening here is that despite the fact that the ruling being handed by the judge is wrong, Osmond doing what he should've done would've ensured that the right thing happened.

You see, if a guy shuffled his hand in given circumstances like that, there really is no reason to hand someone a game loss for a mistake that works to his disadvantage.

However, to expect a guy to get back his hand based on what his opponent remembers is just ridiculous. The obvious and appropriate course of action is too bad, the guy loses his entire hand.

But wrong rulings aside, guess what joking around with Osmond got me?

Oh, that's right. A game loss for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Eff that. A game loss? After my match? With no warning? The logic of it all escapes me.

I am fed up with incompetence like that. If on the next tournament he turns out to be the judge, I am not joining. Screw him.