Sigh...

.:Everything Else I'd Wanna Talk About, On Hold...:.

Nothing about yesterday's meeting at WAVE, nothing about Transformers, or the new items I ordered for my mentalism routines.

Oh, well.

.:He Deserves No Tribute From Me...:.

A million and one people have written about him. Some people have condemned him to Hades, others still refuse to believe he did what he did.

I choose to do neither.

It is not up to me to judge him and decree whether or not he should go to Hades. Neither can I look at Chris Benoit as merely a wrestler and separate him from the abomination he committed in killing his family before killing himself.

There is so much wild speculation going on, but this much I know:

1. There is very little reason to doubt that Chris Benoit was the culprit.
2. Roid rage isn't a factor. The murders were premeditated.
3. His stellar career will forever be overshadowed by his last actions.

For the first time in my entire life, I am ashamed to be a wrestling fan. As one of the biggest fans of the Angle-Benoit feuds of age, I cannot look back on my memories of the WWE and smile any longer.

The WWE isn't entirely to blame for what happened, either. Granted that a hundred or so wrestlers under the age of 50 have died in the past ten years, this is an isolated incident of cold-blooded murder perpetrated by a wrestler. Let's can the Jack Thompson syndrome in trying to blame everyone except the perpetrator of the crime himself for what has happened. There is no excusing what he has done, because at the end of the day, hundreds of other wrestlers are subject to the same conditions as he is, and yet this is not how it ended for them.

Even then, a lot of changes have to be made. For the better.

*Sighs*

My brains are still scrambled over this whole debacle. I don't quite know how to react to it all...

Distressed...

... not only am I still unsure what to say about the Benoit debacle, but something personally distressing happened to me today.

I'm really sorry. Maybe next week, then...

Today's LSS...

.:Saving This Song For A Lyrically Speaking Scribble...:.

Sometimes, I can really relate to this song. I guess it feels exceptionally draining to me how some people keep on cutting themselves at the legs in an attempt to shoot one's self in the foot...

How You Remind Me
by Nickelback

Never made it as a wise man
I couldn't cut it as a poor man stealin'
Tired of livin' like a blind man
I'm sick inside without a sense of feelin
And this is how you remind me
This is how you remind me
Of what I really am
This is how you remind me
Of what I really am
It's not like you to say sorry
I was waiting on a different story
This time I'm mistaken
For handing you a heart worth breakin'
I've been wrong, I've been down
To the bottom of every bottle
Despite words in my head
Scream "Are we having fun yet?"
Yet?, Yet?, Yet?, no no

It's not like you didn't know that
I said I love you and I swear I still do
It must have been so bad
Cause living with me must have damn near killed you

This is how you remind me
Of what I really am
This is how you remind me
Of what I really am
It's not like you to say sorry
I was waiting on a different story
This time I'm mistaken
For handing you a heart worth breakin'
I've been wrong, I've been down
To the bottom of every bottle
Despite words in my head
Scream "Are we having fun yet?"
Yet?, Yet?, Yet?, no no

Never made is as a wise man
I couldn't cut it as a poor man stealing
And this is how you remind me
This is how you remind me

This is how you remind me
Of what I really am
This is how you remind me
Of what I really am
It's not like you to say sorry
I was waiting on a different story
This time I'm mistaken
For handing you a heart worth breakin'
I've been wrong, I've been down
To the bottom of every bottle
Despite words in my head
Scream "Are we having fun yet?"
Yet?, Yet?, Yet?, no no

Guuhhh...

I'm still dazed. I can't blog properly today at all.

I'm sorry. The whole Benoit thing still eats at me.

I'm At A Loss For Words...

.:I'm At A Loss For Words:.

WWE.com has been reporting that Chris Benoit, his wife Nancy, and their 7-year old son Daniel were all found dead at home last Monday. What is stunning about this situation is that a few hours after the tributes and all, WWE is seemingly taking down any of the tributes for Benoit in light of new information that he may have actually killed his wife and son before killing himself, which just strikes me dumb.

I feel invested in this, knowing how big a fan I have always been of Benoit. He and Kurt Angle were two of my favorite wrestlers to this day, and while I can easily separate the wrestler from the man, the fact that most signs point to foul play on his part just feels devastating.

I cannot in good conscience write a tribute to a man whose last living act as a human being was to take the life of his own wife and son. I cannot in good conscience gloss over this looming possibility while celebrating his contributions to the wresting business.

It just doesn't feel right, and the only sincere thing I can offer is that may he rest in peace, and he was a great wrestler. I can only withold my opinions of him as a human being until after concrete evidence of what happened there comes in.

Posted To Scans Daily...

.:Yes, Context *Is* For The Weak...:.

I've been commenting here and there a long time, but this is the first time I'm posting to the community.

In any case, this is a context-less panel taken from Avengers: Fallen Son.

I'm sure people can fill you in what Luke Cage *really* meant, but if they didn't, it's just so much more fun.

My Last Week Here...

.:This Is It...:.

It's my last week at IAS since this is the last week of the marketing campaign. I'm a bit bummed about it, but I guess it's to be expected, since the campaign, to be honest, hit some snags.

In any case, I spent the night at the office, as I had to fix a lot of stuff up.

This day is just gonna be a pretty long one. I have classes later, and then classes in the morning. Can't wait for a respite.

.:In Other News...:.

My Beloved is not going to have weekday classes come July.

Yes, I'm grinning ear to ear over this news.

Dumbest. Song. Ever.

.:If You Wrote Half A Song, How Would You Fill The Gap In?:.

By making the object of your song feel the same way as you do, of course!

Here now are the lyrics to the Jennifer Lopez classic drivel entitled, "Talk About Us", and since it's not really a Lyrically Speaking Scribble, consider this just my attempt at annotating the song. Heh.

Talk About Us
by Jennifer Lopez

I saw you and fell in love
You saw me and fell in love, too
You and me; we fell in love with each other last night

O-kay. It might even end up being one-third of a song, not just one-half. I'm beginning to regret this already.

I told you I was concerned
You told me of your concerns, too

You can't get more brazen than that. She just did the trick, and now, she flagrantly does it again!

Yet and still we both decided
To make love last night
Baby, please tell me

They decide to make love? What? They had a committe with them or something?!?

CHORUS:
Where do we go from here my love
What are we doing baby
Boy you gotta let me know
Why can't we live the way we want
I want the world to know
I just gotta let it show
What do we stand to lose
If being together
Is what we choose
Oh my love
I think that we should talk
About us

You "decided" to make love last night. Deal with it. Yeesh.

Could this be a crazy dream
And if so then you're dreaming too

... and I know that I'm dreaming that you're dreaming I'm dreaming of you... see? I can make lyrics up like Jennifer Lopez! Woo-hoo!

'Cause I know for sure that
You feel the same as I do

Are you getting the drift of her song, yet?

Could it be that we could be wrong
Even though we're feeling so right

Wow! For a change of pace, she went for antonyms! Absobloodylutely brilliant!

I don't care because I know
That I want you tonight
And I know you want me too

She knows she wants you tonight. She knows you want her too. But... where do you go from there, her love? Jeebus, make up your mind!

REPEAT CHORUS

BRIDGE:
You see all my live I've waited
Waited all my life
Just to be with someone like you

Even at the bridge of the song, she still decided to use redundant lyrics. Bah Gawd, she really had only half a song!

::sighs:: I want that five minutes of my life back. This is one of the worst songs I've ever heard.

Weekend Thoughts...

.:Lazing About To Good Effect:.

Things have been so slow this past weekend, but I am definitely primed about the stuff I have lined up for me.

Last Saturday night, I even had the opportunity to successfully demonstrate the blindfolded rubik's solve. While my last attempt went only two out of three layers, I think that had much to do with the fact that my head was hurting already from all the mentalism I was doing that night.

In any case, it was a pretty good night, really. I even managed to have a teach-in with Doc Ronnie as he asked me how to a cube, and I gladly obliged him. It's a very helpful tool, to say the least, and while the Petrus Speed Method is the best one for speed considerations, the traditional layer method is the one that builds up excitement when you have spectators watching you in action.

.:It's Good To Be Getting Our Old Groove Back Again...:.

Rowena and I found the time to go out last Saturday, and we definitely had a great time together. The day started off by meeting in McDonald's Quezon Avenue, and from there, we headed off to Bellini's in Cubao, where we had a delectable lunch, and I completely acted like a klutz to thereby nullify any pogi points I may have scored at that point.

At one point, I was even joking and dancing around at the table, and my hand ended up hitting my spoon, which promptly flew up, and landed on the floor. My Beloved was laughing her head off, which was a better reaction than being embarrassed by me.

Officially, this was the first time we had a proper date in a sorta-swanky restaurant, and I'm glad I managed to give her that experience as I know she definitely liked our time together. We even went to my place afterwards, where we watched "The Holiday". I loved the movie. And I loved the fact that after a couple of rough weeks, me and my Beloved were finally back in the groove, so to speak.

I thank my stars that Rowena is in my life. I have been a lot happier than I ever have by sheer dint of her being there with me, through all the twists and turns. I can't quite emphasize that enough...

Wonder

.:The Sense Of Wonder: The Philosopher-Mentalist's Harmony:.

"We see the world, not the way it is, but in the way we are."

- Talmund

It's easy to get lost and jaded when you have nothing but angst to fill your waking moments. When you just feel like there's no cause for you to get up out of bed, and nothing is driving you any longer.

As a magician, I have learned that my ability to entertain lies in my ability to unlock a sense of wonder in my audience. There are times I achieve this, there are times I simply don't. While doing the best magic show I can could certainly unlock wonder in a lot of people, there will always be the skeptic or even the heckler who wants to prove he's better than me and act unimpressed, all the while figuring out whether quietly or otherwise how this or that effect works.

It's a very subtle dichotomy: how receptive your audience is to the concept of magic, and how good your execution and persona while performing happens to be. For the most part, you can rest assured that even the most skeptical of audiences would at least begrudgingly respect the most skilled prestidigitationist, but not everyone can channel Chow Yun Fat in "Lord Of Gamblers", so relying on pure skill and cheek would sometimes be insufficient.

Magic is viewed, as is any other thing, with varying degrees of acceptance or skepticism, not merely because of what you can do as a magician, but also because of how the audience thinks. While this is common sense to any performer, some people still overlook this, and end up getting into a one-upsmanship contest with a given spectator.

The moment you do this as a magician, you pretty much have conceded defeat already. No matter how good you are or how bad the offending spectator is, in trying to compete with them, you defeat the purpose of helping them unlock their sense of wonder. Instead, you're now just flat-out trying to show them up.

In knowing our motivations, our passions, and the things that drive us, we see that a sense of wonder does not necessarily rely on how old someone is. While it's true that children are in general more entertained by magic than adults, and women more than men, and drunk more than sober, this does not mean that performing magic for sober adult men will never pay off. Believe it or not, despite my personal preference of usually selecting a group which is predominantly female, the best reactions more often than not come from the few male spectators in the group.

As I am taking up Epistemology under Dr. Angeles in my Masters for Philosophy, she emphasizes that a sense of wonder is something that allows us to dwell, to linger, and to focus on something. In an age of fast food and fast cars and fast internet connections, there is much to be said about a deliberate and conscious effort to slow down and smell the proverbial roses from time to time. In having a sense of wonder, anything we do never ceases to be exciting. Even the most repetitive of routines can be made spectacular simply by finding the discipline to dwell, linger, and focus. This ability to dwell is precisely what Heidegger endorses in several of his writings.

The key to developing a sense of wonder is habituation. In allowing one's self to find the small miracles in the simplest of things, in allowing one's self to find elegance in the seemingly crude, then one embarks upon a path only the most serious of magicians genuinely take: that of learning to astound even themselves.

It’s easy to be jaded because of what we see in the world. It’s easy to take the worst in what we see and ignore that which is good or beautiful or worthy of praise. It’s not that a magician is a bad performer most of the time, it’s that the jaded magician does not see himself as the broker of wonder. He sees himself as an employee, or as an amateur, or sees magic merely as a means to an end, and the way he views his craft lends an impact and an aura to his performance that most of the audience catch on to. This is what sets apart any regular street magician from a David Blaine, or any regular stage magician from a David Copperfield. These two famous prestidigitationists have an intrinsic sense of wonder in the very things they do. In short, the audience’s sense of wonder is inextricably tied to that of the performer’s!

Yes, I am a magician, but even I must learn how to have a sense of wonder. It’s easy to brush off another version of, say, the ambitious card routine, as a trick “I’ve seen a thousand times before”. Yet why does such a simple yet elegant routine still persist to this day. There is a reason why the Ambitious Card is a classic, and there is a reason why the classics are still popular even now. To ignore the basics in favor of the so-called new and cutting edge is to bypass a seemingly tedious but genuinely rewarding aspect of the craft: mastering the fundamentals.

The sense of wonder for a magician is in finding the amazing and astounding even in the simplest of effects. Before even attempting to do Bill Goldman’s “Free Chance”, knowledge of a key fundamental move must be mastered first. Even I found myself guilty of bypassing learning this very basic move in favor of doing the effect right away, often taking away from the overall impact of the routine. While learning swivels, undercuts, and other seemingly mundane principles would appear boring to the eager magician, those who have a genuine sense of wonder learn to appreciate how the most effective effects are usually the ones with the simplest principles behind them.

Who here doesn’t appreciate the unbelievably simple yet elegant forces at work in Anthony Billan Co’s Mindbender? To those who find that upon “killing the fairy” they are disappointed, I feel dismay for them. Mindbender is one of my favorite effects not just because it is very impactful and happens right before the spectator’s eyes, but it’s also because what makes it work is just so brilliant that it’s a surprise nobody published the effect sooner!

It’s not just the spectators who need a sense of wonder. We as magicians do not have absolute control over that, to begin with.. We ourselves need to have a sense of wonder in our own routines, no matter how many times we’ve done it in front of a mirror before. We have to learn to believe our own hype and learn to view our effects with the same kind of enthusiasm we wish our spectators to meet us with. Unfortunate is the prestidigitationist who looks at the “correct” hand while doing a French drop. A pox on the elite who look down on the novice and destroy their confidence instead of helping them learn.

In having a sense of wonder, we learn to sell ourself. In believing in our own magic, we not only take the audience on a journey, but go with them with the same wide-eyed awe that we wish to imbibe in them.

The real world is full of jaded people who can’t see beyond what they tell themselves to see. There ought be no room for that for the prestidigitationist, lest he be no different from the hoi poloi that he hopes to uplift through his simple means.. Let the magician be the key to unlocking a sense of wonder in those whom they deal with, and be the advocates for those who wish to dwell, linger, and focus.

A Funny Thing Or Two Happened Today...

.:Reading Stacks Galore...:.

The part I love and hate the most about Philosophy, the endless readings, are upon me once more. I have a 100++ page reading requirement for my History of Philosophy class, albeit I think it's perfectly manageable since it's really just mostly text going over what happened during the Renaissance.

It's the second time I'm going over Heidegger's "Vas ist Metaphysique?", and it's as confuzzling as it was the first time I went over it.

Still, it's a fun journey into the unknown. When you start reading text that goes loopily along as it talks about "thinking about nothing as an object negates it from whence it is originary", then you have quite a head trip to contend with.

I love Philosophy. I'm glad I'm back.

.:Hanging Out:.

Going over my reading requirements while hanging out with newfound friends like Edj and Crissey is pretty fun.

The amusing thing is I ran into this girl who I was seated beside during Mangaholix. Her name escapes me at the moment, but the last place I expected to find her was in Ateneo, truth be told.

In any case, it turns out Edj is a bit... squeamish about yaoi, so when one of her gay friends showed them a video of two guys making out, she promptly cringed.

Mindbender was a hit with them, by the way. I should really use that effect more often. It's perfect for walkaround.

Bwahahaha!

.:Teachers Are Human Too, You Know...:.

Sometimes, I miss being a teacher.

In any case, Elbert, who happens to be a teacher in Ateneo this semester, went to the comfort room and ran into one of his students.

The student's reaction to this chance encounter has to be framed...

"Sir, nag-C-CR pala kayo?!?" ("Sir, you *actually* use the CR?!?)

I don't know about you, but hearing that made me laugh my head off.

.:What The Hades Did They Do To Blogger?!?:.

While I was updating my blog, I noticed something...

... My interface is now in Filipino.

There are a few grammatical errors, such as "Gumawa nang post", which should actually be "Gumawa ng post", and the absolutely hilarious "Matagumpay na nailathala ang iyong blog post!", which just takes literal translations of "Your blog is published successfully" to new heights... or lows.

Just because I have a sense of humor, I'm not going to change it back to English. It's quite a hoot.

Cause For Joy...

.:I've Been Finding Pictures Of Me During ToyCon...:.

I'll just post them when I get permission from the people who took the pictures, I guess.

That being said, it looks like I may be booked for three different shows soon, albeit only one of them will definitely yield monetary benefits. The rest are pure publicity grabs.

.:The Return Of The Interview Me Meme!:.

1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by asking you five questions. I get to pick the questions. (They probably won't be the same ones you see above!)
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

From Markpoa:

1. If you were to have a magical mascot companion, what would it be?

I'd love to have the rabbit that you can see here:

Rabbits are so cute and so heavily associated with the lighter side of magic. While I love mentalism and its tendency to cut into the seemingly darker side of magic, I still prefer something less... occult-y as a symbol, and a rabbit is hard to top in that department.

2. What is the most magical movie you've ever seen?

I can't think of any off the top of my head, but if I stayed away from LOTR, Harry Potter, and The Prestige, I think I'd hand it to "The Illusionist", which starred Edward Norton. It was *too* magical for my tastes, in fact, as a good chunk of his effects were only achievable through CGI and the like.

3. Harry Potter: yay or nay? Why?

Yay. I'm sure the writers of Ari Potiphar would disagree, but it has gotten kids reading, and pretty much spawned an interest in books, which is sadly such a rarity in this age.

I like the Harry Potter books. I've read better books, but the whole detective aura of the entire series harkens back to the days I was still reading stuff like Encyclopedia Brown, which I must say, had a significant influence on me to this very day.

4. What language would you want to learn and be fluent in?

I have so many languages I'd want to be fluent in! To give a short list, I'd say I want to learn Korean, Fookien, Japanese, Mandarin, German, and French. If I had to pick only one, I'd say Fookien, because it scores points with my Beloved's parents. It definitely helps if they feel I'm sorta kinda Chinese.

5. Best story you've read or watched recently?

Off the top off my head, both movie and book versions of "The Prestige" have their own respective appeals. If you even remotely like magic, you have no excuse to miss out on either of them.

.:Wheeee!!!:.

Sometimes, I wonder if Rowena is Borden, because there are days where she does love me, and where are days it doesn't seem to be the case.

After practically a week, she loves me again. I can't be happier about that...

Wheee! It feels so good that I can call my Beloved by name now, too.

.:Coincidence With A Cube:.

There are 42,000,000,000,000,000,000 different configurations for a rubik's cube. Simply put, if you can see 1,000 combinations a second, and with only about a few million seconds in a year, it would take you about 30,000 years to see every single combination possible.

With these numbers, it boggles the mind how there can only be one combination to solving a cube. It becomes even more boggling when two people can come up with the exact same combination just by shuffling a cube behind their backs, as if some kind of psionic link between them exists.

This is Coinci-Cube, and you'd be loath to miss it.

And just because I feel like it, I'm embedding it here for you to see it as well...

.:Thanks, Crissey!:.

As I mentioned, I made new friends last Tuesday, as I hung out in Ateneo after class, and one of them is Crissey.

In any case, I did a bit of magic for her and the rest of the people there, and of course, one of the highlights of my routine is the now-infamous Liquid Metal, as done by Morgan Strebler. This is definitely a show-stopper, and I'd have embedded it had I asked permission from Crissey sooner.

In any case, if you want to see this awesome fork bending routine for yourself, feel free to check out the videos HERE, then HERE. Hope you jabronis like it.

And, oh, since you all know I'm not exactly the richest guy alive right now, if you want to book me for a magic show, just get in touch with me over at my e-mail, mistervader@gmail.com. I can do mentalism routines, street magic routines, even children's party routines. All you need do is ask.

I'm See-Sawing...

.:My Beloved And I...:.

Have a weird anniversary.

You see, I started counting that we were together around December 28.

She started counting just last April 21.

So this week, we celebrated our second month together.

Next week, we celebrate our sixth month together.

Yes, I know. It's weird.

But I wouldn't trade it in for the world! ::blushes::

.:The ToyCon Aftermath:.

Two days of cosplayers, toys, games, Dance Maniax, and of course, magic. I can think of very few things that can be better than that.

In any case, much thanks to the people at the ToyCon for having me over for the past two days as I did my walkaround routines, and last Saturday, I even did it with a couple of other fellow prestidigitationists, Angel and Ernest, both from The Story Circle. Those guys were a hit with the other cosplayers, no question about it!

In any case, Day 1 was mainly just a walkaround-fest for me, as I went and did my schtick, which really got a lot of people talking, as I made sure that I used my best routines for the occasion. It was a long and tiring day, but I was priming myself up for Day 2, which was supposed to be my chance to go and do some magic onstage.

Amusingly enough, at the end of Day 1, I approached a girl to ask if I could do magic for her. It turned out to be Addy Dy, who was one of the first cosplayers I ever crashed for, and I don't think she was pleased that I didn't recognize her.

Well, as I mentioned in my previous page, I certainly hope that the hosts of the event (Not the hosts of the cosplay. Alodia and company were at least in tune with the people who were cosplaying.) would know better than to call arguably their best supporters, the cosplayers, "abnormal". It was a bit offensive, as they were insulting these people in their faces, which I found very uncalled for.

Anyways, with all the delays, I ended up being put on *after* the cosplay event, which meant I was going to face a rather dead crowd. It was bad and since I figured this wasn't going to be an appreciative audience whatever happened, I decided not to persist finishing with the blindfolded cube demonstration, and just went out on the strength of my hits with Disposable Color, Nile Derivation, Liquid Metal, and Osterlind's Fork Flower.

Truth be told, the best performance I had was when I did a quick routine for Edjie after the cosplay event. I walked up to her mom and asked her if I could do some magic, and I proceeded with Nomer's take on Max Maven's "Positive Negative", followed by the Lightning Box.

The people's reactions to the Box was eclipsed only by their reactions to my close-up finale, Liquid Metal, which definitely got people talking. I really am a fan of Liquid Metal, as it has been my reputation maker among laymen throughout the time I've been performing magic.

What I find ironic is the more that I tell them I'm not using any psychokinetic powers to achieve the effect (I pretty much give them Derren Brown's succinct and surprisingly honest explanation.), the more people seem to believe that I'm *really* using PK to do liquid metal. It's weird, but it's cool.

.:Back On Campus:.

It feels weird to be back here in Ateneo. I haven't been a student here since sometime in 2005, and I guess there were a lot of bittersweet feelings going on when I stepped back in there...

I guess I was happy because I certainly missed the academe. I certainly am happy that I have a lot of insights to go across when talking about Philosophy. Finally, I could start getting my mental faculties back in order, so it's great. Epistemology challenges me to know how it is to know. Modern Philosophy is going to take me along the road of Descartes once more, among other great thinkers. Advanced Metaphysics is going to be an awesome trek into being Being. Lemme just mention that I'm glad Mr. Calasanz is finally my teacher. Our three-hour class last Monday was made of pure win.

Anyways, I do feel a bit bad because of the bad stuff that happened while I was there. Everything from the memories about failures I've had, to rejections I've had, to the fact that I walk in there and nearly the only people I ever recognize in school are almost all faculty. It feels as if the mere year and a half I was gone was ample time for time to just pass me by and I completely missed the boat on it. I also feel as if it was such a waste that I never took a chance with my Beloved when we were still in the same school. It seems like it would've been wonderful walking with her, hand in hand, along campus.

It feels weird, but it makes me hopeful, in spite of the oddness of it all. I now come back to school with newfound confidence brought about my aptitude for magic, and with that, some measure of renown (or notoriety) as I at least have a niche to fill out, if all else fails.

I am willing to see my M.A. through now. This much, I told them.

.:Financial Crisis...:.

After next week, my marketing gig is up. Playlists are on hold until further notice.

Does this mean I must stay on with WAVE?

.:Befriending New People...:.

Elbert was in the area as well, but after class this morning, I took the time out to hang out with Edj (I seem to prefer calling her that over Alodia.) and a few of her other friends, like Ash (her sister), and Crissey (her cousin).

That being said, it was great getting to know them. Edj in particular is a very nice person, and it's a lot less difficult to approach her since there aren't 244,875 people hounding her all over.

In any case, at least I have a hangout when I want to just stay on campus for a bit. No complaints about that, and the new people I've met while I was in the Fine Arts lounge are really awesome.

Thanks, guys!

Don't Miss This!

.:Who Killed Vince McMahon?:.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a suspect.

.:More Fundie Madness…:.

Now, Creationist theory really is on thin ice and hinges on a literal interpretation of scripture, which is not always the brightest idea when considering that the writers of the Bible weren’t really scientists.

When Creationists, at least, the hardcore ones, make an attempt to explain away evolution, we get Museum Of Ignorance like this one.

Gotta love the snarky comments with each photo.

.:Fantastic Four 2…:.

Well, it was at least better than the first film. That’s for sure. I’m glad Rowena and I got to watch it today, and I’m a heckuva lot more glad that we dodged running into her mom, who was actually there in Trinoma as well. That would’ve been a load of trouble for my Beloved and I…

That being said, it’s one of those off days for her. I’m trying to get used to those days. Really, I am. It’s just so difficult, but in spite of the pain, I still do love her because I’ve never felt this… right about a relationship. I appreciate that she said I was “wonderful”, though. Nobody’s ever said that of me before, and it means a lot coming from my Beloved.

I just pray that it’s not just me again. I really hope not.

.:Don’t Miss Out On ToyCon ’07, Because…:.

Kel Fabie is more easily recognized as Kel the Mushroom, one half of the Insomaniacs at WAVE 89.1, from Tuesdays to Fridays, 2-6 in the morning. However, he has been slowly building a name for himself in quite a different path.

As a friend to quite a few members of the Philippine Cosplay community, he has been seen hosting last year’s TOEI-nty Group Cosplay competition at Eastwood City, and has been a constant presence in other conventions such as UP’s AME Matsuri, Hero Channel’s Hataw Hanep Hero, and the recently-concluded launch of Mangaholix in SM Mall of Asia, to mention a few.

Lately, however, Kel has been making quite a name for himself as a magician and mentalist, having performed for parties and audiences organized by the likes of Richard Merck, Mapua University, and presidential daughter Luli Arroyo, and his unique and versatile brand of prestidigitation has extended to the Philippine cosplay committee, as he has performed “crash magic” (The term “crash magic” is courtesy of The Story Circle.) for the people on-the-spot, for the entertainment of those watching.

No stooges. No pre-show setup. Obviously, no camera tricks. Kel Fabie’s repertoire will amaze and astound you, and baffle the mind, as he tells you that anything he can do, you can do. All it takes is unlocking a sense of wonder and gaining an insight into the human psyche. From cards to rings to forks, you will be entertained and astounded at what he has to offer, and all you have to do is show up and watch!

This year’s Philippine Toy Convention will be the next venue for Kel’s “crash magic”, as he does walkaround magic for the audiences on Saturday and Sunday, culminating in a rare onstage appearance as he performs his show-stopping effects, topped off by one that must be seen to be believed! Don’t miss out on it, because all you have to do is go to the ToyCon, and you get grade-A mentalism along with the other excellent highlights of the convention, all for the price of entry!

Get ready to unlock your sense of wonder.

For those interested in booking Kel Fabie for shows, get in touch with him via e-mail: mistervader@gmail.com.

I'm Still Floored...

.:The Universe Is Conspiring...:.

My Beloved is the sweetest ever...

Wait 'til I tell you what she told me...

.:You Won't Believe This...:.

It's one thing to solve a rubik's cube in ten minutes.

It's another thing to solve it blindfolded in the same amount of time.

After a bit of deliberation, I've decided to really practice my cube-solving skills big-time in hopes of finally achieving this mentalist feat this coming Sunday afternoon, at the Megamall Megatrade Center, during the 6th Annual Philippine Toy Convention.

Wish me luck!

Short Update Due To Constraints...

.:Detailed Tournament Report Will Have To Wait...:.

... but a summarised one is right here, for those interested in how well my new version of Doomsday worked out. It took me to second place, so it can't be *that* bad...

.:It Never Changes...:.

So some guys in the office were singing "Kahit Kailan" by South Border a while ago.

When they got to the highest note of the song, nobody hit it.

It was funny hearing ten voices get higher and higher, then one of them suddenly sing ala-Pavarotti when they got to the highest point of the song, while everyone else just choked.

.:Financial Turmoil:.

I'm so thankful to Rowena that she's been so supportive of me throughout this sudden windfall of headaches. I'm really happy she's there for me. I can never thank my Beloved enough for making me so happy amid all these setbacks. She was so sweet today, in fact, as she reminded me that she understands what I'm going through right now...

I have to compete for my gigs with other magicians as of late, and not to mention the fact that Ogie Diaz is no longer doing showbiz updates for my company, ergo, no more editing of his playlists, which was a nice extra money to work with...

Add to that the fact that my tuition for this semester in ADMU really caught me off-guard... gah.

I guess it's a good idea to mention to everyone reading that I actually do hosting and magic shows as a sideline, right? Anyone in need of either can reach me here with ease. I also do writing work, and have a few connections if you want commissioned art.

Any help for acquiring some funds to bridge the gap I'm going to be looking at soon would be very appreciated.

I'm Floating...

.:There’s A Thing To Be Said About…:.

… Rabid fundamentalists.

While issues about homosexuality and evolution are up for debate if you’re really that hardcore about it, there are just some issues where an obvious lack of knowledge about a topic leads to a blanket dismissal of something.

We’ve already seen that in action on the Jack Chick tracts regarding Dungeons & Dragons. For crying out loud, even C.S. Lewis wasn’t spared in the tirade by Mr. Exposition at the end! Now, notice how the site mentioned above talks about rock music with a load of ignorance.

You see, during the heyday of jazz, it was also regarded as “the devil’s music”. Hades, just about anything that was new and a fad was considered Satanic by fundamentalists. You name it, they condemned it. Comics. The Matrix. Rock music. Jazz. Bossa. Pokemon. Spongebob Squarepants. Just about anything they could get their hands on, they’d try to condemn it, then make money out of it by writing books on their endless tirades against it. Who’s milking the cash cow now, huh?

The kicker “fundie” comic you have to see is their unintentional self-parody when they tried to parody Harry Potter, in a very contrived and cockamamie attempt to turn a fantastical book into a tool for Satan.

Sorry, but it’s the parents’ job to tell their kids if they feel anything is wrong with these books. It’s not a fundie’s job to proselytize to them the so-called evils of magic. I’ve performed my mentalism effects for sisters in the past already and not once has anyone walked up to me to warn me that I was delving into the occult (Which I’m not, by the way. But quite frankly, lumping rock music, Narnia, LotR, and heck, Pokemon into the “occult” category does make me go, wha?!?)

Ahh, rabid fundamentalists. How I love thee.

.:All Things Considered…:.

It’s been awesome going out with my beloved and just really having a great time, for the most part. Even if our relationship is far from perfect, what I believe makes all the difference in the world is how both of us genuinely have been fighting to make this relationship work in spite of all the odds.

Rowena and I spent just a bit of time while she was with her classmates preparing for a class presentation later. It was great, considering how little time we really had together, but her classmates were teasing her about us all day long.

Last Friday, she and I even went to watch Mr. Bean’s Holiday in Trinoma. Okay, so it wasn’t a great movie, but truth be told, the theatres there were splendid! The seats were so comfy, and it was a free seating affair, unlike other Ayala malls! What’s not to love, neh? Afterwards, I buried myself in work some more, but really now, Rowena has been so wonderful to be with, and even on our off days, I’m slowly learning how to take things in stride instead of rushing headlong into an argument…

It feels so good to get to say her name, too. Rowena, Rowena, Rowena, Rowena, Rowena… I love it.

.:Playtesting And More Fun:.

Hanging out and playtesting with my Team TX teammates was a load of fun last Saturday. It pretty much gave me all I needed for my second-place finish last Sunday at the tournament.

Team TX now has its official Greek deity.

Testi-Cles.

Oh, and I hung out with Elbert, Johan, Estelle, and Myka at Eastwood last Saturday, after playtesting… heh.

Quickie Update...

.:Old Wrestlers Go Nuts…:.

I wanted to write and say something snarky about each video, but let’s put it this way…

Randy Savage is deluded, trying to call out Hulk Hogan. Hogan doesn’t need to respond to a guy who wussed out on him when he actually joked about taking him on backstage while they were both in TNA. Savage demanded additional security due to his “unsafe working environment”. For someone who wanted to get into a fight with Hogan, he sure chickened out. He compounds the gravity of this video further by talking trash about HHH as well, and making allusions to getting it on with his wife, Stephanie McMahon-Levesque, who was rumored to have taken a ride on the Savage train while she was at the tender age of 14.

Iron Sheik was never someone worth listening to, promo-wise. I’m especially disturbed about his insistence on using his camel clutch submission hold to “humble someone” and “$%#@ them in the @$$”. He also likes using “faggot” as a slur, which is a bit ironic, considering the threats he himself levels on other people…

And, well, Ultimate Warrior, the guy whom Iron Sheik was calling out in this video, reminds me of a certain guy who also wussed out when finally confronted physically. Afterwards, he spins it as him triumphing over Sheik by using his “brains”, when all he really did was cower behind security. According to Warrior, “Queering don’t make the world right.” Such words of wisdom.

.:It’s Here, At Long Last!:.

The IPhone Video is out!

Not only that, there’s a challenge to all those aspiring video makers out there to make a video to blow the internet out of the water. This is one challenge that you should not pass up.

It doesn’t matter if you didn’t watch 2001: A Space Odyssey by the late great Stanley Kubrick. This video just makes you outright salivate for the IPhone. Wow.

.:Two Whole Days…:.

… for me and my Beloved.

I love it when she doesn’t have classes… Heh.

Lyrically Speaking Scribbles, Part VIII

.:Lyrically Speaking Scribbles Part VIII: Beer:.

Beer
by Itchyworms

Nais kong magpakalasing
Dahil wala ka na…

Mas madaling takbuhan ang problema kaysa harapin. Mas madaling hindi na lang isipin at magpanggap na walang problema.

Nakatingin sa salamin
At nag-iisa …

Heto na naman si Tanga. Hindi na natuto. Hindi na naisip na ganito talaga ang tadhana ko.

Nakatanim pa rin ang gumamelang
Binalik mo sa akin
Nang tayo'y maghiwalay…

Ang hirap talikuran. Ang hirap limutin. Pag-iibigan nating sa isang iglap nariyan, sa isang iglap, nawawala. Hindi ba kayo napapagod? Sala sa init, sala sa lamig. Para kayong aso’t pusa, at hindi mo man lang maisip kung bakit kayo nagkakaganito.

Ito'y katulad ng damdamin ko
Kahit buhusan mo ng beer ayaw pang mamatay…

Sapat ba ang pagmamahal upang umagapay sa ating mga ‘di-pagkakaunawaan? O di kaya’y nagkakamali lamang tayo at naghahanap ng palusot para sa mga pagkukulang natin sa isa’t isa?

Giliw, wag mo sanang limutin
Ang mga araw na hindi sana naglaho…

Kung tatalikuran ninyo ang lahat, tila walang nangyari. Tila isang panlilinlang sa ating mga sarili sa loob ng panahong iginugol ninyo para sa isa’t isa. Kung iyong lilimutin ito lahat, tila naglaho na lang ang lahat ng ating mga pinangarap.

Mga anak at bahay nating pinaplano
Lahat ng ito'y nawala
Nung iniwan mo ako
Kaya ngayon …

Burado ang lahat. Tila isang panaginip na ubod ng saya na walang sabi-sabing naglaho na parang bula. Kung tunay tayong nagmamahala, bakit kailangan laging may tampuhan? Hindi mo maunawaan kung bakit kayo nagkaganito. Nasaan na siya? Nasaan na ang pagmamahal na kanyang pinangako? Ang pagmamahal na iyong isinumpa?

Ibuhos na ang beer
Sa aking lalamunan…

Alak ng panlilinlang sa sarili. Beer na mapait, mapakla, ngunit kinakailangan upang malimot ang sakit na aking nadarama. Beer na gamot sa lahat ng aking hinaing. Beer na lunas sa aking mga karamdaman.

Upang malunod na ang puso kong nahihirapan…

Masakit ang mawala ang iyong Minamahal sa isang iglap. Masakit na kahit gawin mo pa ang lahat, malalaman mong tinimbang ka, ngunit kulang. Hindi ka karapat-dapat mahalin. Hindi ka karapat-dapat sumaya. Ito ang kwento ng iyong buhay.

Nais kong magpakasabog
Dahil olats ako…

Olats talaga. Minsan na nga lang makakatagpo ng taong magmamahal sa iyo, hahayaan mo pang makalampas dahil sa katigasan ng iyong ulo. Kung mawawala siya, kasalanan mo iyan. Kung iiwan ka niya, ikaw lang ang dapat sisihin at nagkaganyan.

Kahit ano hihithitin
Kahit tambucho…

Daanin na lang sa takas ang problema. Mas mabuti pa nga na ipagpaliban ang katotohanan sa harap ng mga paraan upang makaligtaan ang mga nadarama.

Kukuha ako ng beer at ipapakulo sa kaldero
Lalanghapin ang usok nito
Lahat ay aking gagawin upang hindi ko na isiping nag-iisa na ako…

Para lamang mabuhay. Para lamang hindi maguho ang mundo. Kahit mabuhay na lamang muli sa ilusyon, gawin na lang. Dahil wala na siya. Dahil tapos na ang pantasya.

Bawat patak, anong sarap…
Ano ba talagang mas gusto ko:
Ang beer na ‘to, o ang pag-ibig mo?

Siya ba ang hinahanap-hanap ng puso’t isipan mo ngayon? O ang takas ba ang iyong hinahanap-hanap ngayong nag-iisa ka na? Nais mo bang iwan ka niya upang may dahilan kang magpakaliwaliw at magpakalunod sa ligalig? O totoo bang mahal na mahal mo siya kaya’t nagkakaganyan ka ngayong wala na siya?

Ang hirap sagutin, ano?

The Sky Isn't Falling

.:The Sky Is Falling!:.

It’s easy to make bold predictions only to eat your words quickly enough. In the realm of Magic: The Gathering, we’ve all heard how absolutely “broken” Doomsday would be in the Vintage scene, yet except for a select few people who insist on the deck such as yours truly, it hasn’t really made much of a dent in the metagame, if at all.

When you come into something with a pre-conceived, or even pre-fabricated conclusion in your mind, it’s rather difficult to be dissuaded that it’s incorrect, even if what may or may not be valid opinions are clearly not as impactful in a country where the rules are radically different.

Last time, it was claimed that television is a “dying” medium. And if that has merit, then surely radio is long “dead”, right?

Wrong on both counts.

You see, the problem with the heralds of the information age is that they skew the details and are unmindful of context. I will not even attempt to contest how the media outlook in other countries are due to my lack of experience in that department, but the Philippines is a different animal altogether.

As a developing country, not everyone can afford a computer. Net café’s may be all the rage right now what with games like Ragnarok and the like, but to say that television, or even radio is on its way out is a bit bold and erroneous of an assumption.

I love the internet. Hades, I’m an advocate of blogging. I’ve been part of I-Blog 1, 2, and 3, and I have gotten a lot of people I know started on blogging. Despite that, I recognize that radio and television are going to be here to stay for just a while longer. There are too many interests, not to mention commonsensical circumstances, which would prevent the internet from completely dominating the Philippine landscape.

First and foremost, our connections. Even in the so-called DSL café’s, the speeds of a good chunk of these café’s are just a bit above dial-up. There are only so many people who can afford a computer, and only so many of these people actually bother to go online for anything beyond Ragnarok or webcams. That being said, the ratio of radios and televisions compared to online computers is just simply insurmountable for now.

Secondly, the content. Do you know how many blogs there are that talk about nothing but television goings-on? Do you know how many YouTube videos out there are of scenes we’ve seen on local television? Whether or not you agree with ABS-CBN’s demands of taking down their programming from YouTube, you cannot deny that a good chunk of local users still do reference television or radio media. They work with each other to a greater extent than against each other.

Thirdly, everyday life itself. When you get on a jeepney, do you see your driver surfing the net? Of course not. When you sit in a restaurant, is everyone staring at someone’s webcam? Hardly. Radio and television are still the media of choice in a poverty-stricken country. Love Radio makes oodles of money because of the sheer volume of Mini Stops, buses, and jeepneys listening to them, not to mention the household help even in high-class communities, when doing their work and just leaving the radio on in the background. The lack of interactivity of television is both its boon and bane. People can literally just melt in a couch while in front of a television, and in far greater numbers than those of us who melt in our ergonomic chairs while checking out our e-mail.

The internet is a force to be reckoned with, and it’s changing a lot of the rules over how media supposedly operates. Despite that, it is going to take a while before it can even hope to supplant, much less replace, radio and television in this country, if at all. As a person who has his ear to the ground when it comes to trends in media, there are far too many interests in play from the status quo for them to let the internet completely unhinge them from where they rest.

The sky isn’t falling. Seriously, it isn’t.

B-Buh?!?

.:Uhhh… What?:.

Got this from Morts from Comic Book Resources, and it reminded me how lovely the 90’s really was, where everybody had guns, even…

Thor?!?

.:Frustration, Inc. Is A Success!:.

Whoa. Lookit that! Looks like Jonas’ Frustrated, Inc. is really turning out to be a big hit! Check it out while you can!

The Weekend Once More...

I guess I'm happy that she's no longer worried about letting people know she's with me. I'm proud that she's with me. I'm thankful that she loves me so much. I'm thankful that she's given me the time of day when I once thought that I wasn't worth anyone's love.

At my lowest, she lifted me to my highest. At my worst, she brought me to my best. I can only imagine how much happier I can make her as I continue to strive to be the perfect man for her.

Too bad I can't find a really good picture of her online just yet...

I love you so much, Row!!! Mwah!

.:Talking All The Way Until The Stroke Of Midnight:.

So after quite a few hours of playtesting for last Sunday's tournament, I just really relaxed at home and spoke to Rowena all the way until I could already greet her a happy birthday at midnight. I was really happy that it counted for something to her.

In any case, we had a great time talking to each other. We actually ended up talking about religion, among other things, and for the most part, it's been all good. My Beloved really does give quite an interesting range of conversation, truth be told, and she is as intelligent as she is comely. It's awesome that I managed to have that opportunity to talk to her like that, although of course, it did mean I ended up showing up at our meeting place the next day only a few minutes after she got there.

I missed her so much, seriously. Having been away from her for quite a while since she was in Singapore, I certainly felt anxious as I waited for her to come back.

Now that she's back, I can say it was well worth the wait. Happy birthday to you, my Beloved!

.:Saturdate, Ish Her Birthday...:.

I know I still have to think it over what I should get my Beloved for her birthday, despite the fact that it's been a couple of days already. Nonetheless, with simply half of Pirates of the Caribbean 3, pigging out at Fazoli's, and a few hours in each other's company, and I have to admit it was definitely a wonderful time spent with each other.

I was just absolutely smitten the moment I saw her that day, even if she was a bit miffed at me. Rowena was just flat-out gorgeous, and nobody could possibly disagree with me on that. I guess I was even more intensely affected because of the fact that I haven't seen her in a while, and I missed her oh so terribly from the time she was in Singapore. Needless to say, I was extremely happy that I was part of the reason she had a great birthday.

Sometimes, I worry when she feels disappointed over my efforts. While it does bring me down, truth be told, I still take it as a challenge to try harder and make her happy. Perhaps I fell short of making her birthday spent with me the happiest birthday of her life, but I know all too well that I was still her cause for joy on that day.

I want to be her cause for joy every single day... I truly wish I would find that opportunity.

Hip Hip...

.:Jump!:.

Looks like Jonas’ new webcomic has met quite a lot of success, with over 800 hits in a span of a day, with next to no marketing at that.

His new webcomic, Frustration Inc., is a really interesting webcomic about people who want to break into comics or at least, illustration. It’s very slice-of-life, and I can only hope that the rest of the story continues to be well-received.

Way to go!

.:Can’t Wait…:.

It’s been a while since I last saw my Beloved… it feels a bit strange that we’re talking to each other so much again, but it’s a welcome feeling. I know I am just so happy having her by my side.

I’m sorry if I’m so giddy. What else can you expect of lovestruck ol’ me?