Thursday, November 29, 2007

Mutiny, Ahoy!

.:Mutiny!:.

*Sighs*

Great. More trouble...

More details next time....

.:Cut...:.

After my class at night, I went to Mag:Net Cafe and met up with Honey and Jaycie, and then ran into Jester during the nightcap. 'Twas interesting.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Did You Guys Notice...

... that we had an earthquake today?

I'll Be On TV!!!

.:Mentalism Feature!:.

Next Monday, December 3, I'll be on QTV-11 at 10PM, demonstrating some mentalism.

Hope you guys can catch me there! :)

Monday, November 26, 2007

Sunday, November 25, 2007

And Now, For More WTFery...

.:The Italian Spider-Man!:.


I need not say anything more.

Giddy...

.:A Near-Perfect Date...:.

That's all I can say about yesterday's time with my Beloved.

We ate at Aveneto, we shopped around for shoes, and it was really awesome.

You can't get any better than that. My Beloved and I really had a great day spent with each other, and I can't be grateful enough for it.

My Beloved, thanks for spending a wonderful day with me. I really wish we had more time with eafch other, but the time we spent was perfect for what it was...

Friday, November 23, 2007

Random Thoughts...

1. The cancelation of the field trip. Looks like Reedley didn't want their students to get wet by the storm while swimming. Lol.

2. My scheduled interview next Tuesday for my Mentalism.

3. More Loli Loves Venom goodness!

4. Stuff that's been happening in Philo class.

5. Moving day for all the teachers.

6. My clubs...

7. Random news stuff...

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Random Short Thoughts...

.:It's A Bit Distressing...:.

... finding out that my world is too small to avoid my Red Kryptonite.

Even former co-workers turn out to be undesired connections... grrr...

.:Field Trip Canceled...:.

Well, there you have it.

And that's why I suddenly don't find myself capable of blogging again, because now, I have to plan for my next class... gah.

How Has War Changed?

.:Multitude Has The Answer:.

While the word “war” connotes a very specific image of many different countries fighting over territory by using military force, “Multitude” by Hardt and Negri conjures a very different picture: we instead see these wars, or these state of wars, as it were, as a constant “general global state of war” that happens all over the world, not as a matter of conflict between two or more sovereign powers, but more along the lines of a civil war within only one sovereign territory, as Hardt and Negri put it.

If one were to refer to the discussion of “Empire”, it was made clear that globalization is slowly turning the entire world into one superstructure instead of a conglomeration of different structures, i.e. countries. This in turn would mean that any conflict within the world is a conflict within the workings of said superstructure, thus resulting in what could only be called “civil war”. This is especially clear when we realize that only rarely do we now have wars in order to expand territory, albeit the most high-profile war we are currently involved in, USA's “war on terror”, is, for all intents and purposes, a sliding back into the old kind of war.

Outside of this sliding back, the wars of today are radically different in purpose, and are mostly for policing purposes, instead of for expansion of territory. For an erring country to fall in line with the standard, a powerful country would declare war on it not to conquer the country, but to make it conform to a particular standard or intention, as we have clearly seen in the way the threat of war dissuades countries like North Korea and Cuba from fully exerting their will. No longer can we assume a “unilateral” or a “multilateral” approach, because any attempt by a country like the United States to muscle another country into falling in line has to intrinsically be in accordance with the desires of the rest of the superstructure. America, as Hardt and Negri put it, “cannot go it alone”. This is why the nature of war in this day and age has changed from one of a battle of political wills to an attempt at hegemony and conformity, albeit not in the strictest or most obvious sense. War has become a tool of perpetuating this so-called Empire of which countries like the United States are merely a part of, and not the be-all and end-all of.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Let Me Make Something Very Clear...

.:It's Annoying To Keep On Hearing This Over And Over Again...:.

"Sir, can you show me magic?"

"Sir, can you read my mind?"

The answer is simple: yes, I can. But no, I will not.

You see, the problem most people fail to realize is that as a mentalist, I actually get paid to demonstrate my skills. I don't just do it for fun, because I have a hundred other hobbies that I do solely for fun. I actually do mentalism and the like because I get paid very well for my skills.

When I show people something, like, say, a prediction effect, I am doing it to prove a point. I am doing it because I want to, not because I'm asked to.

So let me make it very clear for everyone reading this... yes, I can, but if you think that gives you license to expect a magic show from me at the drop of a hat, no I will not. As someone who has honed his craft since he has started being interested in it since he was eight, I don't want to liken myself to the cheap carnival thrills that unfortunately, the craft is being associated with, thanks to an oversaturation of the market at this point.

Red Kryptonite Just Left...

... and the cloud just lifted from me ever-so-slightly.

And I'm just glad my Beloved showed up yesterday and we got to spend time with each other. Makes me wonder how I'll do when she ends up going to the States in a year's time...

Monday, November 19, 2007

You Are My Kryptonite...

.:My Kryptonite...:.

No, you don't make me weak on the knees.

You're more like red kryptonite.

Being around you makes me sad.

Posting Tomorrow...

... or some other day. This is a heavy week. REAL heavy.

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Success!!!

.:Talecraft FTW!:.

I had my mentalism demonstration using Talecraft at yesterday's Komikon.

It was a smashing success.

Will fill you in on the details next time, but I'm a happy panda.

Friday, November 16, 2007

So Tired...

So as usual, can't blog sensibly.

Can't wait for the chance to be able to breathe.

Thursday, November 15, 2007

WGA Strike Hoopla

.:The Writer's Strike:.

While I am by no means an expert when it comes to the whole issue of this strike, I think it's fair to say that the writers have every right to call a strike, given how screwed they have been of residuals from DVD's and the like that they should've been getting all these years.

The networks are shafting these writers by doing what they do. It is very clear that they are making money from downloads and netcasts of their programming, yet the writers do not receive anything for it. When an episode of "Heroes" gets downloaded off of I-Tunes, it makes absolutely no sense for the writers not to get any money off of that, either. They are intellectually and morally entitled to a share of the pie because that is *their* idea on the line right there. They wrote the script, and they deserve compensation for any subsequent uses of their "product", if you will.

There are two big arguments against the WGA strike, and I will proceed to outline them for you. The first argument is simplistic, and selfish. Most strike naysayers are merely concerned with the fact that they are not going to be able to watch their favorite show if the strike persists, and are completely oblivious, or worse, apathetic, to the issues at hand. Such thinking deserves no endeavor to rectify, since it's obvious what's wrong there.

The second argument goes as such: writers are an overpaid lot, who are throwing their weight around and in the end, the small people get hurt, such as the poor lightsman, the grip guy, and so forth, since there's no show for them to tape since there's nobody writing the show they work in. It's a two-pronged argument, both glossing over very important facts. Let's break them down very carefully...

Are writers an overpaid lot? Quite frankly, to say this is to paint in broad strokes. Not everyone is a Joss Whedon or a Steve Carell or even a JK Rowling. Those people are the upper echelon who command high incomes. They skew the average, because the true average writer probably only makes one million pesos a year, in a country where the cost of living is at least five times as high as the Philippines. It's not minimum wage, but it's not mansion money, either.

Is it the writer's fault if mr. lightsman or mr. grip guy loses their job? No, it's not. To say that is to say that it's okay for writers to be trampled upon to protect other people's interests, instead of pressuring networks and studios to do what is right for everyone. If your favorite show gets canceled because the writer went on strike, to say it's the writer's fault your show got canceled and their fault that every bit player behind the camera lost their job is ludicrous. The networks and the studios brought it upon everyone, and these bit players are not the direct responsibility of the writers, either. If anything, they're the direct responsibility of the negligent and malingering studios that hired them.

So yes, I support the writer's strike. Let them strike for as long as they need. Without writers, there are no shows or even movies to be made. To eff them over is one of the worst things you could do.

Makes you wonder how the actors and directors will be mobilizing when the ball is in their court...

.:In Da Clubs:.

Well, looks like I'm moderating two clubs for Reedley for the next two quarters... things ought to be interesting.

.:Belated!:.

Elbert Or, belated happy birthday!

Horrible Rain...

Wonder if they'll cancel classes?

Nah...

Friday, November 09, 2007

Random Grab Bag...

.:Hi, Bessy Moo!:.

Met up with my best friend last night. I missed her quite a bit...

.:Don't. Ever. Do. That.:.

I will not tolerate that kind of behavior.

.:Everyone's A Critic...:.

Skeptics are funny. That is all I have to say about that.

.:Fell Down Real Hard...:.

So I was in the faculty room with one of my co-teachers...

Anyways, she asked if she could use my comp, as she wanted to send an e-mail to someone, so I gladly complied.

Next thing I knew, she took the seat I was going to seat myself in, and I promptly landed hard on my backside.

It still hurts, hours from the fateful event.

Thursday, November 08, 2007

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Starting PEN...

.:Time For PEN...:.

I met up last night with Nomer and David Elefant to discuss how things should go for PEN, and I must say that it's looking real good.

We'll keep you posted what's next on our agenda...

A Week Without You...

... seems like an eternity.

I miss you already.

But I guess it must be done. For our sakes.

I still love you.

Monday, November 05, 2007

It's Oh So Quiet...

.:Today's LSS: It's Oh So Quiet...:.

So sue me, this is all that's on my mind right now...

It's Oh So Quiet
by Bjork

It's, oh, so quiet
It's, oh, so still
You're all alone
And so peaceful until...

You fall in love
Zing boom
The sky up above
Zing boom
Is caving in
Wow bam
You've never been so nuts about a guy
You wanna laugh you wanna cry
You cross your heart and hope to die

'til it's over and then
It's nice and quiet
But soon again
Starts another big riot

You blow a fuse
Zing boom
The devil cuts loose
Zing boom
So what's the use
Wow bam
Of falling in love

It's, oh, so quiet
It's, oh, so still
You're all alone
And so peaceful until...

You ring the bell
Bim bam
You shout and you yell
Hi ho ho
You broke the spell
Gee, this is swell you almost have a fit
This guy is 'gorge' and i got hit
There's no mistake this is it

'til it's over and then
It's nice and quiet
But soon again
Starts another big riot

You blow a fuse
Zing boom
The devil cuts loose
Zing boom
What's the use
Wow bam
Of falling in love
The sky caves in
The devil cuts loose
You blow blow blow blow your fuse
When you've fallen in love

Ssshhhhh...

Sunday, November 04, 2007

TV Appearance Here...

.:And Here We Are... My TV Appearance...:.

Well, as you can see, it's not like I claimed any special powers. As I always say, my abilities are always in the realm of psychology and humanism, and hey, it works just fine for me.


Part one...


Part two...



Enjoy!

Friday, November 02, 2007

Press Release...

Much credit to Richard Osterlind for the format of this announcement.

What Is The Psychic Entertainment Network?

The Psychic Entertainment Network, or P.E.N. for short, is the tentative name for a collective of Psychic Entertainers. It is the first and only one of its kind in the Philippines.

But talk is cheap. Just watch this video and find out for yourself:



What Is Psychic Entertainment?

Psychic Entertainment is the use of widely discussed skills of the mind, such as telepathy, psychokinesis, clairvoyance, and so forth. Unlike others, however, this is done mainly for entertainment purposes.

Psychic Entertainment is one of the most sought-after attractions in corporate events, trade shows, private parties, and even at times in mall tours. To say that there is a steadily increasing buzz about the craft is an understatement, and the credentials of these psychic entertainers with their own personal specialties, more than speak for itself. Collectively, they have done shows for the likes of SM North EDSA, SM Mall Of Asia, Podium, EDSA Shangrila, Hyatt Hotel, Eastwood City, I-Blog 3, Ayala Aeon, and the Philippine Toy Convention.

Who’s Who In The Psychic Entertainment Network?

Nomer Lasala is an accomplished Aura Reader and Psychokinetic who has been doing psychic entertainment for years. His ability to move objects with but a mere thought has been the subject of much debate and consternation among some of his contemporaries, who are practically unilaterally admirers of his work. One of his most well-known talents is metal bending, where he demonstrates his ability to move silverware without exerting physical force or the like.

Kel Fabie is the master of Remote Viewing: the ability to see through other people’s eyes. Through this gift, he has demonstrated in numerous public performances his ability to solve a Rubik’s cube blindfolded. Others who do blindfolded solutions require some time to study the shuffled cube before applying a blindfold. In contrast, Kel solves the cube by mentally visualizing the colors of the cube through the eyes of another person observing the cube with him. He applies the blindfold before the cube is shuffled.

Lei Sarmiento is a Wiccan who practices the art of the occult. He is also a member and writer for the Wiccan community in the country. His skill at gaining powerful insights into other people is also exhibited when he does Tarot card readings and the like. Few people can match Lei when it comes to his apparent connection with the intriguing and mysterious world of the occult and paranormal.

Sonny Minoza is a well-known Psychic Entertainer who specializes in Clairvoyance: the ability to foretell something before it even happens. With his nuanced performances involving psychology and outright uncanny intuition, his hit rate of getting predictions correct is as accurate as any quack fortune teller telling us that “the elections will be messy”. Given his impressive repertoire and resume, it is easy to imagine why he is practically a household name in the Psychic Entertainment circles.

David Elefant has been a Psychic Entertainer since the 1970’s, and he has written books on the topic in the past. His knowledge of the art is virtually unmatched, and his range of abilities is the stuff of legend. To describe his range of abilities to you would not do enough justice to his over three decades of experience as well as expertise in the field.

How Can We Entertain You?

Whether individually or collectively, these Psychic Entertainers are available for numerous different functions, including but not limited to parties, corporate events, trade shows, and lectures. Given the versatility of these Psychic Entertainers, they are capable of entertaining all sorts of people, from children to adults, in all types of venues, from hotels to trade floors, and are fully capable of incorporating some other forms of entertainment to further enhance the experience.

These performers have the ability to perform in several diverse albeit complimentary formats. They are flexible and adaptable and through this they ensure that clients maximize their entertainment investment, and reap unparalleled returns from the astonishment and profound entertainment of attendees.

In a nutshell, these Psychic Entertainers will pull out all the stops in order to entertain you and your attendees. Why bother with the same old song and dance routine? Think- and let your audience think as well! Give them an experience that they will continue talking about long after the party’s over.

Close-Up (Walkaround): The performer/s will approach tables or individuals and demonstrate their skills through a variety of simple tests in order to entertain them through feats of psychokinesis, telepathy, clairvoyance, and the like. This is perfect for quiet dinner parties, or even in between sets of stage performers or entertainers.

Stage Show: The stage show typically follows dinner, and often as one of the highlights of any program. Here, the performer/s will conduct several tests of his skills onstage and ask the audience to participate as he does it. The stage show can also be confined into a parlor show, to demonstrate these skills even to children at children’s parties with more visual implements in order to attract their attention.

Trade Show : Whether as a booth where the performer/s will entertain your audience, or even as the attraction of choice at your hospitality suites, Psychic Entertainment at Trade Shows is definitely a big deal. Be it through various tests of skill, or even Aura readings or Tarot Card readings, these performers are fully capable of drawing traffic to your Trade Show.

Don’t Be Left Behind!

Don’t be fooled. Settle for nothing less. The Psychic Entertainment Network is available for bookings for a wide variety of audiences and functions, from stage shows to lectures to birthday parties. If you want top-notch entertainment that grabs everyone’s attention, then get in touch with us.

… In fact, we already know you want to get in touch with us. ;)

Thursday, November 01, 2007

Success!!!

.:The TV Appearance Of The Ages...:.

Well, guys, it looks like the Psychic Entertainment Network was a hit this morning at ANC.

Three guests were there: Nomer, David Elefant, and myself.

While I really wanted to do my effect on television in its unadulterated glory, the floor director didn't like the idea of me potentially drinking acid instead of milk, and so they opted to go for water instead. Be that as it may, the effect still worked to good effect, and it still had some measure of suspense to it. They even showed some clips of me solving a rubik's cube while blindfolded.

While David didn't do anything for the people on the air, his air of authority really helped carry the point across, as Nomer proceeded to demonstrate Liquid Metal to the hosts.

After the show, Nomer was literally swamped with text messages asking about us and if they could book us.

Well, looks like we're off to a good start. Perfect way to start off November, what with yesterday being an awesome day spent with My Beloved... we just pigged out on movies, as we watched three movies at home.