story seeker, tale teller

Naga City

2008-08-27T04:21:00.000+08:00

I went to Naga City to attend a hearing and all I have to show for my trip (other than the Order I was able to secure) is this:

a picture of a lion with too much eyeliner.

evolution alive

2008-08-21T09:50:00.002+08:00

Found this on Jessica's site

Why so similar?

2008-07-11T10:47:00.002+08:00

Because Multiply still stubbornly refuses to allow embedded videos for users. Grr.

See more funny videos and funny pictures on CollegeHumor

Found it here.

You twit

2008-06-30T13:45:00.002+08:00

Because I'm tired of thinking of something and not blogging about it. Maybe this will help.

http://twitter.com/Moks

Garbage In - Garbage Out

2008-05-30T15:04:00.002+08:00

For some inexplicable reason, I have been an emotional sponge this week. Emotion-allergic person that I am, it was a very weird time indeed.

I wake up next to my wife with joy every morning, but become sad when I lose a DotA match. Pride swells in my heart when I say no to the second cup of rice, but quickly lose control when grabbing another fistful of sweets from my chocolate jar. It’s like I’m pregnant. The mood swings are becoming ridiculous.

Re-reading Thomas Harris’ thriller Red Dragon (set before Silence of the Lambs) for the nth time produced a depressing, slightly upset stomach-inducing feelings I was ill-prepared to ingest. I haven’t been this engrossed in a book in a long while and the trauma/depravity experienced by the protagonist of the book bled into my ‘waking’ life, even after putting the book away.

Tuesday, I texted some friends and asked of possible gimmicks and places/events to enjoy. The usual homebody that I am, my friends were kind enough to text back but no real plans came off it. I told them I was dead bored, but that wasn’t entirely accurate. It was extreme dismay at my situation brought about by… well, nothing. I was dismayed because of nothing.

Wednesday, I was reading some online comic and eating a whole bar of Hershey’s Cookies and Cream, (which I relished with all delight) when a thought came into my head – “I have the best life -- EVER!!!” Nothing major in my life changed to vanquish yesterday’s dismay – the chocolate and the comic made all the difference.

THAT made me stand up and question – why am I being so unusually vulnerable to things happening around me? I’m usually a hard person to affect – makapal ang balat ko eh. The common criticism is that I am insensitive – not a sissy boy swayed by emotions. Where is my usual steadfast joy, the peace that comes from the security of being a disciple of the Master of the Universe?

That’s when it hit me – I am, like all humans, an amphibian. I am both body and soul, physical and spiritual. And even though my wife and I pray together every night, when was the last time this month – this quarter, actually -- that I sat down and opened my bible? With the starving diet that I have subjected my soul to God’s Word, is it any wonder why my will is being dominated by my earthly body? How can I quench my eternal thirst if I turn away from the everlasting water? How will I recognize joy that knows no bounds if I am starving my eternal spirit?

Garbage in, garbage out. It took me a while to remember, but yes, it is so obvious after all – how can I not be dominated by earthly pulls and concerns when it is all that I know? If I want a grander vision, I would have to tear my eyes from the TV/PC and raise my head to the Son.

So I guess I’d download that new e-sword installer and come back to my devotions. I’m hardcore after all. I’d really rather be the “sissy-boy emotional” when I’m on my knees to my God, not when I’m eating chocolate – no matter how good it is.

* image from Shutterstock.com

Book Review: State of Fear

2008-05-08T17:21:00.002+08:00

Michael Crichton's State of Fear is about climate change and how questionable is the science behind such mass belief.

As a thriller, State of Fear leaves much to be desired. The plot is simply hard to swallow -- a lawyer, an assistant, and a "paramilitary" MIT head of risk-analysis travel around the world stopping the nefarious plans of environmentalists in their quest to drive the world to hysteria. Character development is all but ignored, and the bulk of the novel is dedicated to debunking the myth of global warming.

But I'm just nitpicking here. If you're like me who enjoyed Crichton's pages upon pages of discussion about chaos theory or alien anthropomorphism in his previous novels, State of Fear continues this tradition.

Crichton begins his discussion by asking, "What is global warming?" Most of us would define it loosely as the phenomenon explaining the worldwide rise of temperature caused by the increase of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide.

Not true, says Crichton. Technically, global warming is the theory that increased levels of carbon dioxide and certain other gases are causing an increase in the average temperature of the earth’s atmosphere because of the so-called ‘greenhouse effect.’ (p. 81, italics in the original)

The keyword there is theory -- that global warming, despite all the hoopla espoused by the movie and environmental groups, is still unproven and that there are sciences supporting both the advocacy and the denial of it. Crichton offers dozens upon dozens of references debunking beliefs that most people already consider as truth, such as:

1. The thawing of glaciers
2. Carbon Dioxide is the leading cause of global warming
3. Ocean levels are rising

As hard to believe as it may sound, Crichton rebutts these 'truths' by citing actual studies and scientific papers. As one character in State of Fear concludes, “The threat of global warming is essentially nonexistent. Even if it were a real phenomenon, it would probably result in a net benefit to most of the world” (p. 407).

After reading the book, readers can't help but ask, "Is this true? Have we been fools to believe the environmental movement?" Like State of Fear's stand on global warming, the answer is -- we're not sure. With such a highly political topic, State of Fear has passionate supporters and detractors alike.

That, I think, is the best thing we can take from Crichton's book. Let's not be zealots and be carried away. Let us study, let us verify, before we espouse the things that TV and popular media tell us. Crichton also talks about this, actually -- how the establishment is advocating 'a state of fear' to keep its citizens in line. But the idea was underdeveloped. It would have been nice if Crichton digged deeper on this topic, especially considering it was his book's title, after all.

Talking about verifying before jumping into high horse of belief, I remember a question a pastor once asked me when I showed him archaelogical findings supporting the bible -- "Is Scripture still Scripture if it needs archaeological validation?" I haven't had the time to really sit down and answer his question but I will... soon.

The desire to write is slowly awakening again :)

250 km north

2008-04-10T11:02:00.001+08:00

Friends. Beach. Stress-free weekend.

We should do this again soon :)

Marriage: A month in review

2008-03-27T11:16:00.000+08:00

I love it. I know the preacher said things about being "one body" and all that, and I always thought it would be 'nice'... but actually being in it? Having this intimacy? It's mind-boggling.

Best parts for me are:

Trapped in a two-seat kayak while we paddled our way around the 24-hectare Arrefecci (?) island (Dos Palmas, as it's more commonly known). It was just her and me against the elements, with the sea calm and silent. Flying fish would occasionaly jump from our sides, and sea gulls fly overhead. It was just the two of us there, and with God all around. We didn't know if we could make it, but we were laughing because it was us. It was the perfect start of our life together.

Working together. It just comes naturally, without being forced into it. Like when Leah cooks and I take over washing the dishes. Or ironing clothes while the other cleans the house. She doesn't need to ask me, it just became natural.

Growing closer together. Maybe it's voluntarily waking up early so I could prepare breakfast in bed, or choosing the stale pandesal so she can have the remaining good bread, but being married has made me sweeter... in my own way. And I'm looking forward to growing even closer to her through the years.

Seeing Leah's attempts to master the kitchen. It's just so sweet seeing her efforts

Of course, there are also marriage demands that require me to adjust -- like the demands on my time and making allowances for leah's disgust on waking up early... but it's all worth it. As I've said on my vow, she's a gift undeserved, a blessing unearned, a treasure I will always cherish. Praise God for this marriage

Hitched

2008-03-07T16:27:00.004+08:00

Yep, for those who occasionally drop by here and don't know yet, I've tied the knot last Feb 23. To see pictures of this wondrous day, go to my multiply site or choose one of the following:

Wedding Preps Friends & Family

Pre-wedding shots The Wedding

And for honeymoon photos, click here:

Through Australian Eyes

2008-02-19T11:05:00.002+08:00

I'm excited to go to my blogfriend -- Henry Bateman's first exhibit here in the Philippines. He's an australian who has been living in our country for the past three years, and I've enjoyed reading about his troubles getting a PLDT connection, or how taxi drivers try to 'hustle' him into going round and round the metro just to get a bigger fee. He harps about basketball on the streets, the energy of riding a jeepney... things we Filipinos usually overlook because we've been here all our lives.

Now, here's our chance to 'see' our country through an Australian's eyes. Here's a copy of the invite he sent to me. For you guys who want to see great art and think at the same time, drop by Henry's exhibition:

Through Australian Eyes
One Workshop Gallery
2241 Don Chino Roces Ave, (formerly Pason Tamo) corner Sabio St, Makati City
March 4 to April 4
Opening Reception Tuesday 4th March at 7pm

Living in the Philippines has been an eye opening experience for Australian artist/photographer Henry Bateman.

For the last 3 years he has been a resident of this Island Nation and its influence has seen his work expand in ways he never imagined possible.

“There are aspects of Filipino life that stand in stark contrast to an Australian lifestyle,” Bateman said. “With my work I have tried to capture not only the physical differences but also the cultural differences that the Filipino lifestyle imposes on Australian sensibilities,” he added.

A painter who embraced digital photography 8 years ago, Bateman manipulates his digitally captured photographs on his computer to delve below the composition of the recorded moment. From each of his photographs he builds a new image that explores the underlying motivation that caused the shutter to be pressed when it was. “It is a journey in which the image dictates what directions to take,” Bateman said. “My major contribution is knowing when a destination has been reached,” he added.

“Through Australian Eyes” will be Bateman’s 14th exhibition, but his first in the Philippines. His work has been shown in Australia and the US with the most recent being a solo exhibition at The Australian National University in September last year.

My pc is dead! Long live the pc!!

2008-01-22T15:38:00.000+08:00

It's been a week or so now that John and I finally gave up on my pc. It needs a new motherboard, and perhaps a new video card. A kick-ass processor sounds good too... but the point is, with the upcoming wedding, starting on a new house, and bulk payment for my parent's medicards, procuring the requisite parts may take longer than what I can tolerate (if you have to know, the next minute's already my limit.)

While I languish in this pathetic state of being pc-deprived, dreams of forming a spanking new system have been awakened in me. And while I know it's out of the question these days, one should never deprive himself of a dream.

Presenting the HP Blackbird 002...

Forget that much-hyped macbook air -- give me a true gaming system any day. This baby kicks ass on almost all current (as of second week January) gaming systems. To the enthusiast, here's a rundown of the goodies:

Processor: Quad Core - Intel(R) Core2(TM) Extreme Quad-Core 3.0GHz QX6850 performance enhanced
RAM: 4 GB 1066MHz CORSAIR PC2-8500 DDR2 SDRAM SLI Ready
Coolant: CPU and Graphic cards liquid cooling (NVIDIA gfx)
MoBo: ASUS Striker Extreme 680i
Video Card: Dual NVIDIA GeForce 8800 ULTRA, with 768MB of GDDR3 SDRAM (LC)
Physix Card: Ageia PhysX(tm) 100 Series PCI-E GFX Accelerator Card (Physics Acceleration)
Audio Board: Creative Audio Sound Blaster(R) X-Fi(TM) XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Professional
Power Supply: 1.1KW Power Supply
Storage: 1) RAID (0) Performance - 3 x 160GB 10,000 rpm SATA (primary OS storage)
2) RAID (1) Data Reliability - 2 x 750GB 7200 rpm SATA (secondary Data storage)
Optical Drives: 1) Super multi-drive, slim slots with Lightscribe (DVD+/-R/RW+/-DL)
2) Second Super multi-drive, slim slots with Lightscribe (DVD+/-R/RW+/-DL)
3) Blu-ray Rewriter and HD DVD-ROM Super multi-drive with LightScribe (CD-R/RW, DVD-R/RW/RAM, +R/RW, +/- R DL)
Displays: HP LP3065 30-inch LCD Monitor
Sound: 1) Bose Companion(R) 5 multimedia speaker system
2) Creative Fatal1ty Gaming Headset
Peripherals: Logitech Force 3D Pro

Configuration: $10,501.96 USD* or even with the relatively strong peso, it's around Php420,000. It's Godzilla-powerful AND matrix pretty. Crazy? I know. But what's the point of dreams if they're just run-off-the-mill?

And while I wait for a more opportune time for a PC upgrade, here's something my thumbs are busy with in the meantime:

* photos from the Hewlett Packard site and http://bobmeetsworld.com/

Free JVC video cam

2007-12-17T13:07:00.000+08:00

Not for you, sorry. It's me who got the free JVC video cam from the company Christmas raffle.

The versatile JVC GRD796 includes a powerful 34x optical zoom and convenient Dual Recording capability for shooting still images during video recording. A large 2.7-inch wide screen LCD monitor aids the recording process, especially when shooting in 16:9 wide mode. The GRD796 comes with two data batteries for twice the recording time.

34x Optical Zoom/800x Digital Zoom
MiniDV Format, 1/6-Inch 680k Pixel CCD
2.7-Inch Wide Clear LCD Monitor
USB Interface, DV Input/Output (IEEE 1394 Compliant), AV Input/Output, SD Memory Card Slot
16:9 Wide Mode (High Quality), Dual Recording Capability
Auto Illumination Light
Digital Still Function (640 x 480 Pixels), HG Digital Still (Progressive Shutter)
3-Dimension Noise Reduction (3D NR)
Color Viewfinder
Stick Control
Power-Linked Operation
Data Battery (x2)
Auto Macro, Auto Iris
F Stop: F2.0 - 4.7, Shutter Speed: 1/60 - 1/4000
Full Range AF/Manual Focus
Full Auto/Manual White Balance
Super High-Band Processor
Multi-Languages On-Screen Display (7 Languages)
Data Button
AUTO Mode
Power-Linked Operation
Program AE/Digital Effects
Scene Transition (Wipes/Fades)
Dimensions: 2.44" W x 3.75" H x 4.50" D
Weight: 0.91 lbs.

This is great! I'm so happy! There's only one catch: I just don't have any idea what to do with it

This will probably suck

2007-12-14T12:39:00.000+08:00

Stop me if you've heard this before... Life was going smoothly in the kingdom of Ehb when one day, a marauding band of Krug -- animalistic brutes in thrall of... nevermind, just think "Urukhai" -- descends upon the countryside, killing everyone in their path. Wait -- they didn't kill everyone. For some reason, they kidnapped a woman -- the wife of a hardworking farmer, who is now hot on the Krug's tail, bent on revenge. In his journeys, he will be joined by various companions, including the King's Magus, Merick, who will help him in his quest to save the kingdom from evil.

Sounds familiar? It should be. In the Name of the King is the film version of Microsoft and Gas Powered Games' RPG, Dungeon Siege.

The film is packaged as 'epic' and the 'most anticipated game in January'. Maybe... but I'm not getting my hopes up. I don't know... maybe films like Eragon taught me a harsh lesson not to expect too much from post-LOTR fantasy flicks. Maybe it's also the actors -- they look... displaced. Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) now plays a magus, the relentless robo-babe from T3 is now an amazon (?), the lobotomized Krendel from Hannibal plays the black mage, and the transporter is now 'the Farmer'. Is it just me or is anyone else half-expecting a cell phone to ring in the middle of a swordfight?

A fantasy medieval movie starring Ray Liotta, Burt Reynolds, and Jason Statham. Who knows, maybe it will work. Stranger things have happened.

Devil May Cry

2007-12-14T11:10:00.000+08:00

Cliched plot? Check. Over-the-top acting? Check. Repeating enemies? Check. Still fun? CHECK! CHECK! CHECK! and CHECK!

Devil May Cry is an unabashed action adventure lightly peppered with a few puzzles to solve. It's a crash-through-the window, get-your-guns-blazing action from the get-go, and it's all fun fun fun.

You play as Dante, a half-human, half-devil demon hunter. Initially unknown to Dante, he's a descendant of the legendary demon Sparda, who vanquished a hell Lord out to conquer the mortal realm more than 2000 years ago. As these stories go, the hell Lord awakens (of course), and it's up to Dante to stop him once and for all.

As plots go, Devil May Cry offers only a thin excuse for a story. There's a big bad out there, and you're out to prove that you're an ever badder ass. Even the voice acting is done in overly serious tongue in cheek fashion -- emphasizing that you shouldn't really take this game seriously. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a disadvantage or a shortcoming of the game. Devil May Cry just has better things to offer than plot twists and fancy storytelling. The game is about action -- and a lot of it.

As a descendant of a legendary demon, Dante has powers and abilities beyond those of mortal men. He heals from wounds that should have been fatal (is that my heart you got in your sword?), and has powers that are more than a match to hell's denizens. With Dante's rage unleashed, the devil himself may end up crying.

In the game, Dante will pick up a few guns and melee weapons. The choice isn't that varied, but each weapon has its own advantages and disadvantages. Dante's special attacks even depend on the melee weapon he's using. Use the Alastor and throw thunderbolts from the sky; don the Ifrit and burn your enemies to cinders.

Dante's twin handguns -- ebony and ivory -- may well be the most useful range weapon you'll have. The damage isn't overwhelming, but the guns give you an amazing 'hang time' when you rapid-fire while jumping. You can avoid the monster's devastating attacks and damage them at the same time simply by doing this 'hang time'.

The game challenges you not just with the monsters Dante will face -- although they become harder to kill as you progress, the monster types are actually repetitive and their attacks are formulaic -- instead, the game awards skilled gameplay. Dante's combos and attacks can be done only by tapping the proper keys at the appropriate time. It's not hard to do, but it's not mindless button mashing either.

It's a short game -- you could probably finish it in 12 hours or so -- and offers little replayability. But for those 12 hours or so, Devil May Cry let's you experience the joy of relentless demon ass kicking.

Gamespot Reviews

2007-12-14T10:08:00.000+08:00

I like Gamespot. Whenever I think about buying a game, I head there first and read their reviews to know exactly what I'm getting. And since most of the office's productivity vanishes the closer we get to Christmas, I have a little time each day to head there and browse.

They have this feature where registered users can post their own reviews. No one really reads it because they have like 500 or so reviews per game, especially if it's a new release. But it's fun, and it's good practice, and I guess it's marginally better than just blindly stumbling because when I write, I'm actually producing something.

So I wrote some... and I plan to write more, since it doesn't take much time from me -- di naman pinag-iisipan talaga to eh. It's just fun.

So what's the point of this post?

I'm going to upload my reviews in my multiply, para din may permanent record on the blog. Yun lang. Announcement lang, so if you're interested, you can go there.

I've already uploaded a review of Company of Heroes and Neverwinter Nights 2.

Yun lang po. Bow.

The glory of 'peeling'

2007-12-06T15:27:00.000+08:00

For most of us, the mind-numbing drudgery of our everyday jobs is as far removed from the promised glory of doing God's work as the east is from the west. The endless reports, the sales quotas, the unending presentations, the ever-looming deadlines... most often our hearts whisper if we are living a lesser life -- a life that does not ring true from the promised glories of being an heir to the eternal Kingdom.

Yet as I try to place myself on the shoes of the superstars of the faith and even of ordinary people on the bible, I do not see a continuous pillar of fire enlightening their way, but a sense of days upon days of ordinary everyday living punctuated only by sporadic (visible) contact with the Almighty.

To read the rest of the essay, click here or visit the Joy Student Fellowship site.

RPG Dreams

2007-12-05T16:20:00.001+08:00

I'm an RPG-kind of guy. Drop me off to a fictional world with black and white goals, give me freedom to fashion fantastic characters I will develop on my own, allow me to immerse these characters in magic and mayhem, and you'll make me a happy man.

The original Diablo game introduced me to the genre. It's sequel and its concurrent expansion set, Diablo II, remains as one of my all-time favorite hits. Microsoft's Dungeon Siege I was yawn-inducing; fortunately they improved on Dungeon Siege II. Neverwinter Nights I welcomed me into the more traditional class-level type of RPG. The sequel, Neverwinter Nights II, continued the joy and enabled easier access to prestige classes. I have also played a host of other RPG games I cannot recall now, and some hybrid para-RPG types such as StarCraft, Warcraft III, Dragon Shard, and Heroes of Might and Magic (1, 3, 4, 5).

Any gamer familiar with the titles I have mentioned would realize that as games go, these are already old. The current dry spell only whets my appetite. Admittedly, there are two critically-acclaimed RPGs I haven't played: the Elder Scrolls' Oblivion, and Blizzard's World of Warcraft.

Oblivion is supposed to be the pinnacle (so far) of the elder scrolls series -- all the goodies without the boring hour-long walking from town to town. The problem is that I can't play first-person games. Something in my equilibrium (my eye?) goes crazy when playing those games and I end up throwing up.

World of Warcraft is an MMORPG employing a persistent world based on the Warcraft series. It is currently the closest thing to an RPGamer's wet dream -- a whole world (well, now 2 worlds with the Burning Crusade expansion) to explore, guilds to join, monsters to kill, treasures to plunder, and characters to level up and up and up and up and up...

But even WoW isn't perfect for my taste. For one, it only allows one playable character to be controlled. I'd rather have control (with nominal AI assistance) of a whole party, especially since there are certain areas and quests only achievable by teams. Another thing is its lack of world-changing events. Players may feel that they keep going on mission after mission without a tangible effect on the Warcraft world, but with millions of subscribers, I guess it would be hard to have a player-malleable world.

Nevertheless, that is my current dream game. Give me an RPG where I could create my party at once (and not get me stuck on pre-selected allies); provide an unimaginably large world with various unique continents, characters, and monsters; make it persistent, yet affected by players' (or factions') actions; and provide an engaging plot that would keep the players playing for months.

And yeah, make it free too.

That's not too much, isn't it?

ice capades

2007-12-04T10:51:00.000+08:00

I have always dreamt of gliding on ice.

I've watched the movies. I've seen the skaters. They looked so graceful, so efficient, so... natural. With a shake of the shoulders, a simple bend of the knee, they're off! And they do magic on the ice.

"I could do that," I say. It feels so inherent to me... like I was made for that kind of speed, and grace, and beauty.

yeah right.

It was a fun-filled Saturday morning when we had to leave the car for its 20,000 km-check at Honda Pasig. With nothing to do, we decided to spend the morning trying something new -- ice skating!

I didn't know it was that hard! Watching those young kids zoom in and out of the ice fooled me into thinking I could do this thing. Balancing was tricky... but doable. It was the moving part that was frustrating. How do skaters get that initial burst of speed? If it weren't for the handle bars at the side of the rink, I wouldn't have been able to move in the first place.

Leah did better. Slowly but meticulously remembering instructions of her friends when she first went skating, she was soon moving around the rink. She stayed near the handle bars, yes -- but she was moving on her own.

There were a lot of laughs, a bunch of frantic squabble to hold the handle bars, sweat (yes, i told you it was hard!!!), and silent satisfaction when we were both able to go around the rink, but there was envy too. I wish we could go as fast as the other kids. They were having a lot of fun -- we were still working for it.

I guess we could do better next time. The ice is always there, and not dropping on our asses even once should encourage us to try again.

Movie Review: Enchanted

2007-11-28T16:22:00.000+08:00

Enchanted is a comedy-fantasy-musical film by Walt Disney Pictures. It tells the story of Giselle, an animated maiden who falls in love with a handsome prince with puffy sleeves and plans to get married the next day. Happily ever after was supposed to follow, until the wicked step mother of the prince (of course, there is one -- what did you expect?) shoved Giselle into a magical well. This is basically the condensed version of every Disney classic, and the film propels from here.

The queen planned to send Giselle to 'a land where no happily ever after exists' -- so she promptly arrives on 21st century New York City. She emerged from a manhole near Times Square -- and immediately almost gets squished by oncoming traffic.

If watching Enchanted reminds you of earlier Disney classics, don't be surprised -- that's fully intentional. Most of the movie's props, dialog, music, action, and references are in tribute to earlier Disney hits. While spoofs of Disney's formula movies have been in vogue for quite some time now (Ella Enchanted/Shrek), Enchanted's approach is to keep things light that will make you laugh with the movie instead of at it. The jokes rarely miss, and we are left with a refreshing and funny tale.

You have to check logic and the need for suspense at the door -- Enchanted makes no excuses for itself, and that is the wellspring of its enjoyability. There is no question to whom the lady ends up, and everyone who read fairy tales while growing up knows what will happen on the succeeding scenes. Enchanted embraces the whole genre with open arms -- complete with impromptu musicals, the all-important ball near the end, animal friends, witches, charming princes, and princesses we all love.

At the same time, Disney pokes fun at the stereotypes that has been its cash cow for the longest time. The musical number with 'animal friends' (translated into Manhattan, the local fauna means cockroaches, rats, flies, bugs, and pigeons) is both funny and disgusting (even the lyrics included words like 'scum' and 'filth'); Prince Charming is a self-centered, dim-witted 'hero' -- eager to slay trolls and dragons for his love, but will run away from an irate woman bus driver; the lady's true love turns out to be this reluctant romantic who has a hard time accepting the possibility of happiness because he's too fearful of the possibility of pain. More importantly, while other kiddie movies tend to sugarcoat reality and foster faulty expectations, Enchanted "maintains a delicate balance between wish-fulfillment fantasy and a recognition that the world inhabited by its audience is filled with disappointment as well as with joy."

The two things most enjoyable in this movie are the music and the acting. Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz weaves magic into the movie with their tunes. That's How You Know is a delight to watch -- an infectious smile spread like an epidemic at the cinema while this was playing. A personal favorite is So Close -- the longing expressed in that song stays in the heart.

The real gem is the acting of the stars in this film. Susan Sarandon -- like all evil stepmothers are wont to do -- steals the scene from the main characters. James Marsden plays the self-centered Prince Charming perfectly... down to the puffed up sleeves and shiny sword. Amy Adams is the amalgam of every Disney princess. Naive, strong, innocent, pure, and loving, she plays Giselle with full abandon that she's the one who enables the audience to jump from the 2D classic cartoon into real life. I suspect Enchanted would be the movie to Adams as The Sound of Music was to Julie Andrews. Patrick Dempsey's (Robert) performance seems subdued and underplayed... but maybe that's deliberate because he's the one from the 'mundane' real world.

In terms of message, this is where the movie stumbles. Enchanted basically says that happiness can only be found in the person you love (even Giselle's animated form was concerned only with finding her 'true love'). From a man who plans to raise a kid or two of his own one day, I take serious issues with this. Our notions of 'love' have been corrupted enough by all that Hollywood crap that we don't even know its true form (for a guide, read the bible, or even C.S. Lewis' essays). Love isn't the i-can't-help-it, head-over-heels, this-is-beyond-me lie that Hollywood perpetuates. But I guess that's the one that helps fuel capitalism.

Even disregarding my disgust to Hollywood's definition of love, the movie stumbles over its own thesis. By presenting a maiden straight out of the fairy tale pop-up books and pairing her with a disillusioned, hardcore Manhattan lawyer (a 'shark'), Enchanted has a rare opportunity to present a unique picture of true/real love. But in the end, the film fails to do this. Giselle champions commitment, yet throws it out the window. Robert emphasizes the importance of getting to know your partner, yet contradicts himself by choosing Giselle over his girlfriend of five years. It was as if the writers of the movie teased us into believing they will offer something new and insightful, and real (what's the point of traveling to real-life New York, after all?) with all the hopes and dreams that power fairy tales, but ends up too timidly to challenge the tried and tested formula of Disney's earlier films.

In the end, Enchanted is much like Julia Roberts' Pretty Woman. If analyzed under the feminist perspective, that movie bombs -- everyone should hate it. But the truth is, feminism notwithstanding, I enjoyed watching that film too. I give Enchanted the same allowances. I'll just have to keep my critical analysis under wraps -- after all, whoever said I can find answers to life's questions inside a fairy tale? -- and just enjoy the show.

* Disney owns the images used in this review

speedybagal

2007-11-27T16:19:00.000+08:00

According to this, I am able to write with 10 fingers:

You reached 321 points, so you achieved position 9265 on the ranking list

You type 421 characters per minute
You have 79 correct words and
you have 1 wrong words

421 characters... is that fast?

Tomorrow we dream anew

2007-11-26T12:16:00.000+08:00

Name the clouds, take note of each blade of grass. There was much joy in the day, and tomorrow we dream anew.

One More Chance

2007-11-23T19:08:00.000+08:00

Reviewing (and watching) Star Cinema's One More Chance is an emotional roller coaster... mainly because the story is a little too familiar to my own. As Popoy's (John Lloyd Cruz) killer line said:

"She loved me at my worst. You had me at my best. Pero binalewala mo lahat yon."

I had no intention of watching this film (I thought it was a typical teenybopper movie) before I heard that those lines were in the film. When Leah, John, and I watched it, we couldn't help but give our undivided attention to what we were seeing. Leah was crying uncontrollably -- identifying fully with Basha (Bea Alonzo), my heart was thumping vigorously as I continuously screamed at Popoy, and John was wide-eyed and biting his shirt... probably due to the sight of Bea Alonzo, Nikki Gil, Maja Salvador... and Popoy's pathetic (lovestruck) antics.

Was the movie really that good? Not really. But virtually having one's love story immortalized in film tends to soften one's heart... but also to wish more from it. The movie was funny (at times), and moving (maybe because it's familiar?), and more than what I expected. On the other hand, they had such a rich and promising material... but the film makers weren't able to fully mine that lodestone. It was also frustrating how underdeveloped were the motivations of the characters. We barely even got a glimpse of Trisha (Maja Salvador) -- she was a critical part of the conflict in the story, and would have made the story so much richer if we knew her more.

For some reason, the movie was also made to have some surprising sex scenes. I said 'surprising' because they could have done without those scenes and replace them with other scenes that could have made us root for the characters more. It was as if the script writers got lazy doing their job and just put in those sex scenes just to establish that they 'love' each other.

Despite the frustrations, One More Chance is one of the better Filipino movies that I've seen. It's a story that says that even finding the one that you want to grow old with doesn't assure an automatic happily ever after. Sometimes we have to go through the bitterest of journeys so we know how sweet it is to come home. But hey, it feels like an autobiography to me, so maybe you shouldn't take my word for it.

"In brightest day, in blackest night..."

2007-11-19T16:21:00.000+08:00

Your results:
You are Green Lantern

Green Lantern		70%
Spider-Man		55%
Hulk		55%
Supergirl		53%
Robin		52%
Wonder Woman		48%
Catwoman		45%
The Flash		45%
Superman		45%
Iron Man		40%
Batman		35%

Hot-headed. You have strong
will power and a good imagination.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Test

Hal Jordan! Cool! One of the tragic stories in the DC Universe. But I wonder why I wasn't Batman?.... probably because of my un-traumatized childhood.

Two new reviews

2007-11-19T15:36:00.000+08:00

I have been fortunate enough to watch several movies these past few weeks. The latest I've seen are Beowulf:

While there is significant diversion from the original Old English story, the movie was still able to retain certain flavors from the Nordic tale. This is good, considering that a lot of stories have been influenced by Beowulf.

The real joy I found in the movie, though, is its strong evangelistic themes. The original tale already had many Christian elements (Grendel and his mother have been traditionally analyzed as descendants of Cain in Genesis). But the animated movie's plot is even more obvious -- it is the tale of every man and his utter inability to stand against sin.

and Lust, Caution:

Prior to watching the film, I have heard such vociferous quips from various people describing the film as "sooooooooooooooobrang gandaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa." And once again, the world knocks me over the head for listening to the babblings of others without doing a little digging of my own.

This is not to say that the film was bad throughout. The cinematography is an automatic thumbs up for me -- anything that I can see in sepia or monochrome elicits affection in my heart. The editing did its job -- smoothing the flow of the plot enough that you hardly notice it. The acting was another good thing going for the movie -- even with the usually effective Tony Leung on the screen, newcomer Tang Wei held her own, and shone in her own luminescence.

To read the rest of the reviews, click here for Beowulf, and here for Lust, Caution. Or you could go to our multiply site by clicking here.

Our worth in gold

2007-11-09T17:01:00.000+08:00

Planning to get married takes financial concerns to a whole new level. While I grew up in a lower-C class family, I have managed not to center my focus and energies on the endless pursuit of money. Forming a new family, however, brings these questions to fore.

To read the rest of the entry, click here or visit my multiply site.

Rizal Retreat

2007-11-07T15:30:00.000+08:00

We've been crazy-ass busy the days before, but (fortunately) we were able to join the JSF retreat at the Rizal Re-Creation Center last November 3 and 4.

My cousin Jolo was unable to join us so it was just Leah and me who took the long drive to Rizal. No breakfast? No worries with a whole Yellow Cab New York's Finest pizza to share just between the two of us!

What's the first thing we did when we got to the site? Eat again! Who'd want to waste that all-buffet lunch they prepared anyway?

Then came the team-building activities. John and Leah initiated a 'getting-to-know-you' activity for the new and old church members. It was fun, albeit confusing -- especially with Maeng 'Charity/Chabelita' Estropia befuddling all the non-oldies people with his... err... less-than-truthful embellishments.

Then came the group activities. A few days before, without rhyme or reason, I (Moks) unexpectedly volunteered to facilitate the team-building activities we need. Whatever happened to the anti-social, dark and brooding me?

The first challenge was to fit the group (around 35 people)to a steadily-decreasing number of hoola-hoops. Initially, they just laughed off the trip-to-jerusalem like activity. But with fewer and fewer hoops, pretty soon things got serious!

Then there's six legs and a funeral -- how do you get an 8-person group across an entire field with only three sets of feet touching the ground? After a half-hour of sweat and toil, what was the lesson that the group learned? NEVER GET MOKS AS CAMP DIRECTOR!!

Next came blind man shooting. An activity about leadership, the challenge to the groups was to get a ping-pong ball rolling on a tray across the field and shoot it to a basket... blindfolded!

Last was a cerebral game -- an expanded tic-tac-toe. In the end, can't we all win?

Even though the challenges were hard. Everyone had a great time. But I think the group laughed the most while they were planning revenge on me...

Had a late night talk with Abe and Timmy about time management and the differing perspectives of the nobyo versus the nobya. That was fun too.

The next morning was sweet -- church time plus some time for pictures. Here's a sample of what we did:

There it is! Although the retreat was a blast, we had to go straight to Leah's office afterward to work.

Lord, thank you for the break. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to have fellowship with our churchmates and with each other. Thank you for entrusting us to share the lessons you've taught us. Bless this family we're building, O God.

What's my theological worldview

2007-10-22T16:01:00.000+08:00

Saw this in Kuya Mhac's site, and of course, I tried it for myself:

What's your theological worldview?
created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan

You are an evangelical in the Wesleyan tradition. You believe that God's grace enables you to choose to believe in him, even though you yourself are totally depraved. The gift of the Holy Spirit gives you assurance of your salvation, and he also enables you to live the life of obedience to which God has called us. You are influenced heavly by John Wesley and the Methodists.

Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan

86%

Neo orthodox

75%

Emergent/Postmodern

54%

Classical Liberal

54%

Reformed Evangelical

50%

Fundamentalist

39%

Charismatic/Pentecostal

39%

Roman Catholic

29%

Modern Liberal

25%

I'm methodist-influenced? Never saw that one coming :p Who needs labels anyway? :)

Sugar rush

2007-10-17T13:20:00.000+08:00

It's only four months, six days, and two hours (I looked at the countdown timer on our wedding blog), before the big day, so let me share this with you: (If it matters, John, this is the same dessert buffet that your uber-crush Claudine had on her wedding)

Here's what's included in this dessert bar:

Vanilla Mousse

Chocolate Mousse

Mango Panacotta

Creme Brulee'

Fruit Salad

Coffee Jelly

Buco Pandan

Leche Flan

Fresh Fruits

Chocolate Fountain (with various dips)

Sugar overload tayo, sabay talon sa lake (I'm getting married on a dock!)

I. AM. SUCH. A. GIRL.

checking in, whistling out

2007-10-09T17:29:00.000+08:00

I was trying to write a post about me, my dad, and my lolo. Here's what I have so far:

Self-made man

“A self-made man” is usually a complement every male would want to be bestowed on him. It speaks of strength and of independence –- common virtues attributed to a MAN. If the main question a man asks in his life is “am I enough?,” being a self-made man answers that with a resounding yes, and more.

By any indication, I have surpassed my father (and his father before him) on academic achievement. Both of them were unable to finish college, while I passed mine with honors. With how the world judges one’s worth, on some aspects I have reached heights and garnered achievements that have proven beyond my father and my grandfather.

But as I look at them, I know -- I’d be lucky if I’d grow to be half the man they are.

That's it. That's all I have for now. In my head it's beautiful -- I just hope I could translate it on paper. Every father is a hero to his kid, they say, and in here I'm going to tell why my tatay and my lolo are my real heroes. Let me work on it some more. Hopefully, my lolo will still get to read it once it's ready.

I'm also working on what I'm going to share this Sunday. A year ago I spoke about women -- the question that defines their lives, and their biblical role. Now, I'll take a stab at men, and to be frank, I'm kind of afraid. Because once I talk about men and their brokenness, I will expose how short I fall from who I should be. But facing the truth is the start of redemption, right? I just hope that I could adequately point to the One who bestows true masculinity and help men in my church in the process.

I'm also reconnecting with friends, and that's always a good thing. John and I have a date later doing what we enjoy -- talking while dota-ing; and in the weekend I'm meeting my high school friends and strengthening the ties that bind us. In a twist I never saw coming, I am more open now to actually meeting people and talking to them than just putting my thoughts in paper. Is this growth?

Leah and I checked our wedding expenses and compared them with our incoming monies and -- well, let's just say we're going to get through it with just a shadow of a buffer. I'm not actually worried about it -- The Lord takes care of His children and I am at peace with that. But I'm also willing to do my part. So if you have some rakets you can throw my way, I'd be glad to take on the extra work. Don't worry, if I can't handle it, or if I'm too busy with other stuff, I'll tell you right away. The last thing I would want is to shortchange the people trying to help me.

That's not what a godly man would do, innit?

And that's what this week is all about.

magic everywhere

2007-09-17T12:35:00.000+08:00

Twenty eight years and six days ago, you were born into the world.

Now i have my partner. I watch your back and I know you have mine.

Happy, birthday, leah :)

emo snapshots

2007-08-08T16:57:00.000+08:00

The nature of this activity is to remember how it felt when it happened. Maybe it's no longer true -- maybe you found out later on it was all hormones. Nonetheless, at that moment, nothing else mattered.

So these are snapshots of my more emotional moments, in chronological order. Crucify Ailene for bringing this on (she, in turn, blames Ida).

ONE. I was seven, or maybe six, it was night and you took me to the basketball court to watch the neighborhood pa-liga. The court lights were on like on the movies you watch, and lots of people were cheering and laughing, excited about the game. You bought me cotton candy and popcorn, and told me stories of how great your running jumpshot was when you were still young. You were my hero.

The game started and the action was furious. Even at that age I could tell you were happy at where we were. But a child's attention is fickle, and pretty soon I was ignoring the game and running on the sidelines, playing with my imaginary friends. At one point I suddenly looked at you, and you were ignoring the basketball game like I was. Instead, you were looking at me and I saw how pleased you were with me, for reasons I do not know. When the game ended, we shared a footlong sandwich from Smokey's and you promised me you'll buy me the wrap-around dog next time. You carried me -- your little boy -- up to your shoulders all the way home. I was on top of the world.

TWO. I woke up at dawn, to a pale pink sky. We slept on your roof, and the mourners at your tita's wake were all gone. You and your friends were still asleep and that's fine -- the cold breeze rolling on the fields across your house was companion enough. I looked, and there you were; my fingers couldn't stop themselves from playing with your hair. Your friend woke up and wanted to (laughingly) throw me off the roof after seeing how I was looking at you. It didn't matter -- for the first time in my life I knew I could find what I was searching for.

THREE. You looked from me from across the room, and I knew we were both thinking of the same thing. You're late by 14 days, and we were both too proud to show that we were scared. I left our class and stood outside, gazing at the morning sky. Every bit of my being wanted to run -- away from everything, but I knew I would never do that to you, or to anyone. I just wish we could graduate from highschool.

FOUR. The Pantranco-bound jeep was taking forever to come, but it was midnight, and none of us minded the delay. I was standing beside you; and you, humming quietly in the dark. I pulled your shoulder closer, inadvertently placing your head on my chest. The move, of course, silenced us both; and the night dared us to ask the questions we dare not face. Pretty soon, I said to myself, I have to come out clean. I can't keep saying I'm just a friend when I'm holding you like this.

FIVE. I stopped and sat on concrete, on one of the buildings along Gil Puyat Avenue. It was around 2 in the morning, and I was blinded by tears on the long walk from Sheraton Hotel to Boni. Two drunken men walked past; a few minutes later, a gang of seven youths. Both groups left me unmolested -- even they could see I had nothing left to lose.

SIX. I ran -- because it was the only thing I could do. Strangers that we still were, I had no idea our bodies would meld so well. How each piece fit, how a simple hug can remind me of things I thought I already lost. I ran -- because otherwise I would never have let go.

SEVEN. You were busy staring at the ring, and oblivious to my observation. A few minutes ago, I read you the cheesiest of poems, and talked about things we already knew. Your eyes reflected a joy I vowed to remember; and I knew, at that instant, amidst all expectations, that I did good.

because i haven't talked in a while

2007-08-07T21:28:00.000+08:00

Ailene's been on this survey fix lately -- eh gaya gaya ako. And because I haven't talked here for quite some time. Who would have known I would miss you guys? ;-p

"Eh Kung pang Star Cinema lang ang buhay mo?"

50: Mountain Dew or Mello Yello? Mountain Dew. every time.

49: Sino mas maganda: Ashley Judd or Kate Beckinsale? Beckinsale, pare. Nakakahiya mang aminin pero naiyak ako sa Click nung matanda na sila at nagsasayaw sila nung kanta ng Cranberries. Sobrang ganda nya, hindi ako gumawa ng review bashing the movie Vacancy. Wag na lang nating pag-usapan, mabuburyong ka lang.

48: Which is faster: Subaru WRX or Mistubishi Evo Lancer IV? I have no idea. Mitsubishi Evo siguro. Antulin non sa NFS Most Wanted eh.

47: Who will win a fight between Captain Planet & San Goku? San Goku. syempre. Captain Planet is a wuss.

46: Where do you wanna be right now? Beach, actually. The rhythmic sound of the waves crashing on the shore... hypnotic.

45: Who are you closer to: mom or dad? Hmm... pareho lang ata.

44: Who is prettier: Cristy Fermin or Eagle? or.

43: Colt 45 or Red Horse? Di ko pa natikman kahit ano dito. hiluhin ako eh :p

42: Evanescence or Lacuna Coil? Di ko kilala Lacuna Coil kaya Evanescence na lang.

41: Metallica or Frank Sinatra? Frank Sinatra. Gusto ko sepia ako eh.

40: Linkin Park or Rick Astley? Again, di ko kilala si Rick Astley. Tsaka pag nagdo-dota ka sa internet shops pag madaling araw astig ang Linkin Park.

39: Who will win - Godzilla vs.King Kong? Di ba kayang magbuga ng apoy ni Godzilla?

38: Zsa-zsa Padilla or Kuh? Zaturnnah! (di ko napanood, actually. loser talaga.)

37: Cooler villain: Mr. Smith from Matrix or Deacon Frost from Blade? Smith. of the Mr. & Mrs movie. Biruin mong binugbog na sya ni Angelina tapos sex pa sila? San ka pa.

36: What if they Deacon Frost & Mr. Smith fought each other? Mr. Smith pa din. Deacon Frost wasn't that scary.

35: Deacon Frost vs. Captain Planet? Sige na nga, Deacon Frost. Bading si Captain Planet eh.

34: Shaider vs. Batman? Batman! Walang tatalo. Maski si Green Lantern ilag kay Batman eh.

33: Who would you rather be shipwrecked in an island with: A hot partner or Macguyver? a hot partner. deserted island and a hot partner -- ano pang hahanapin mo?

32: If Aliens attacked the Carebears, who will win? Carebears. stare pa lang talo ka na.

31: Is Nora Daza a better cook than your mom? No.

30: Is Joey De Leon funnier than your dad? Hell no.

29. Who is funnier? Adam Sandler or Jim Carrey? Mas gusto ko sila pag medyo drama.

28. Can Jason Bourne defeat Chuck Norris? Naku, condolence sa pamilya ng gumawa ng survey na 'to. Chuck Norris is out to get him for asking this question!

27: If a ninja fought a viking who would win? Ninja. May loser-mentality ang viking eh. They know that in the end, they will lose.

26: If you cross a Doberman with a Labrador, would you call it a Dobrador or a Laberman? I'll call it Poochy. Para akala ng mga kapitbahay maliit lang yung aso. Pag nagnakaw sila patay sila.

25: When was the last time you ate hot pandesal? It’s been too long. (tama ka, Ailene)

24. What if Jet Li fought a Grizzly Bear? Will his kung-fu be useful? Yep. Jet Li can fly. No special effects.

23. What if Jet Li fought your boss? Patay sya, di sya marunong mag-ingles eh.

22. What if Jet Li fought all the Liliputs in Gulliver’s Travel’s? Anuba. Da One nga si Jet Li eh.

21: Who is richer? Lucio Tan or Gokongwei? Lucio Tan. 3M per columnist para lang mapaganda image nya. wala pa din.

20: If your life is made into a Hollywood film. Who would you like to portray you? Yung nasa Mac Ads, yung tinulungan ni John McClane.

19: Eh kung pang Star Cinema lang ang pelikula ng buhay mo, sino ang gusto mong gumanap bilang “ikaw?” Jericho Rosales. Para nahahalikan ko si Heart. Saka sabi ni Angelica Panganiban sya daw ang best showbiz kiss nya eh. Para may pagkaka-pareho naman kami :p (naks!)

18: If Wolverine fought Edward Scissorhands, who will win? Wolverine. Don't mess with James.

17: If you were walking alone then suddenly a Lion came out from across the street looking at you, what would you do? Sayaw kaming Hakuna Matata.

16: Mas masarap ba ang isaw kaysa sa chicharon bulaklak? Mas gusto ko balun-balunan.

15: If 15 T-rexes attacked Godzilla, would he survive? Ano ba nakatalo kay Godzilla?

14: If 15 T-rexes attacked Chuck Norris, would he survive? Why do you think the dinosaurs became extinct in the first place?

13: If Jollibee fought Pong Pagong in an MTV celebrity deathmatch, who would you root for? Pong. Mukhang sabog to eh.

12: Kapag nagsapakan si Teofisto Guingona at si Gus Abelgas? Sino mananalo? Guingona din sa tingin ko.

11: Would you prefer fish fried or grilled? Grilled.

10: Who looks hotter… Heidi Klum or Cristy Fermin? Heidi Klum. yum.

9: Even if Heidi Klum only had 1 leg? How's that a disadvantage?

8: Even if Heidi Klum has bad breath? one word: gag.

7: Even if Heidi Klum had leprosy? Nagagamot nga yun. And while maysakit pa sya i'll be kind to her para mas gustuhin nya ko.

6: Okay, okay is Big Bird a boy or a girl? I don't care. I hate Sesame Street.

5: Sinigang na baboy or kare-kare? Sinigang. omaygads.

4: Kahit na double dead ang baboy sa sinigang? e di ako kumakain ng kare-kare eh.

3: Do you think you can outrun an angry bull elephant? oo.

2: Which pizza has more grease: Yellow Cab’s or Pizza Hut’s? Yellow Cab

1: Which tastes better: Minute Burger burgers or Burger Machine burgers? Burger Machine mehn. Kumakain ka ba nito? Bakit kailangan pang tanungin?

UP ako. Ikaw?

1. ANO’NG STUDENT NUMBER MO?
98-****3 (masama ba kung sabihin talaga? bakit di-dinisclose ni ailene?)

2. ANO ANG FIRST CHOICE MO NA COURSE?
Journalism sa Diliman.

3. SECOND CHOICE?
Journalism. Baguio

4. ANO COURSE MO NA NATAPOS?
Journalism. Diliman.

5. NAG-SHIFT KA BA?
Bakit?

6. CHINITO/CHINITA KA BA?
uh. i actually don't know.

7. NAKAPAG-DORM KA BA?
Nope. At taga-Bulacan ako ha.

8. NAKA 4 KA BA?
Nevah.

9. NAG-KA 3 KA NA BA?
pinakamababa ko 2.25 ata eh. Math 1. hehe.

10. LAGI KA BANG PUMAPASOK SA KLASE?
Oo. sayang pamasahe eh. Wala na nga akong pera magbubulakbol pa -- napakalaking katangahan naman non diba?

11. MAY SCHOLARSHIP KA B??
College Scholar. Minsan ata University Scholar din. A saka PDI scholar nga din pala ako.

12. ILANG UNITS NA ANG NAIPASA MO?
tapos na 'pre.

13. NANGARAP KA BA NA MAG-CUM LAUDE?
Hindi.

14. FAVE PROF
may mga subjects lang na fun. ay si Rolando Tolentino pala enjoy na teacher. Danny Arao. Rachel Kahn. Yung teacher ko din ng Hum 1 magaling. Si Dean Teodoro di ko naging teacher pero ininterview ko sya for thesis. antalino. lahat ng analysis ata ng thesis ko galing sa kanya.

15. WORST TEACHER
May mga teacher na di pumapasok eh. bad trip.

16. FAVE SUBJECT/S:
Film Genres. Film 101. Philosophy of Religion. Sociology. Humanities 1 (astig to). Fiction writing.

17. WORST SUBJECT:
yung subject about rizal. di kasi pumapasok yung prof eh.

18. FAVE BUILDING:
ChristMass tambayan.

19. PABORITONG KAINAN:
Thai Canteen. pinaka-miss ko to sa UP. haaaaaaaaaaaay.

20. MAGKANO BA ANG BINABAYAD MO SA JEEP?
Di ko na tanda pare, sorry.

21. LAGI KA BA SA LIBRARY?
Hindi. Di lang ako nawawalan ng librong dala. puro fiction.

22. NAGPUPUNTA KA BA SA CLINIC?
nung nasapak ako ng lasing.

23. MAY CRUSH KA BA SA CAMPUS?
Dami syempre.

24. ANU-ANO ANG MGA NAGING P.E. MO?
Swimming, Judo, Arnis, Table Tennis

25. KAMUSTA NAMAN ANG BLOCK NYO?
Naging close sila, ako di masyado. May sarili talaga akong mundo eh.

26. MEMORIZE MO BA ANG HYMN NIYO?
May hymn kami?

27. MEMBER KA BA NG VARSITY TEAM?
Nope. Sayang nga eh. Ganda daw ng jacket.

28. NAKA-PERFECT KA NA BA NG EXAM?
Pag essay type lang.

29. DITO KA BA NATUTONG UMINOM NG BEER?
Hindi. High school yan, syempre.

30. DITO KA BA UNANG NAINLOVE?
Oo. hehe. bwiset.

The Weirdest Survey. Ever.

01: Ano ang problema mo?
Too many games. So little time.

02: Bakit sadyang may mga taong tanga?
Pampa-aliw.

03: Ano ang masasabi mo sa mga taong mahilig manloko?
R E P E N T ! !

04: Sa paanong paraan magiging masaya ang isang tulad mo?
kapag may superpowers nako. Actually, may kumplikadong mythos na sa utak ko about it.

05: Kung luluha ka uli, ano o sino ang magiging dahilan nito?
Pag lumabas na ang Diablo 3.

06: Sino ang taong nagpapasaya sayo ngayon?
Si leah. Si ikay. Ako.

07: Bakit hindi sagot ang pagpapakamatay sa mga problemang dumarating sa ating buhay?
walang challenge eh.

08: Kaya mo bang magpakamatay para sa pagibig?
Kung nung dark and brooding ako hindi, ngayon pa?

09: Ano ang mga pangarap mo sa buhay?
Yung powers ko nga. Mag story-travel (like time travel, but across stories)

10: Kung may tao kang gustong patayin, sino ito?
Sa ngayon, wala. Mga child abusers siguro.

11: Bakit naman?
Bata yun eh!

12: Matapang ka ba?
Di naman. Pag kailangan lang.

13: Ano ang pinakamalaking kasalanang nagawa mo sa taon na ito?

14: Madali ka bang magsawa?
Hindi. Pag gusto ko, gusto ko na talaga.

15: Ano ang masasabi mo sa mga taong martyr?
'tanga.

16: Seryoso ka bang tao?
Dati, di na ngayon. Sayang oras eh.

17: ‘Pag namatay ka ngayong oras na ito, marami kayang tao ang iiyak?
Oh yeah. In the words of one ex, "pag nanggaling sa'yo, wala nang hahanapin pa."

18: Masakit ka bang magsalita pag galit ka?
Hindi. Kinukurot ko na lang. bruha.

19: Pikon ka ba?
Oo. Siguro. Di ko masyadong iniintindi eh.

20: Huling bilin?
Live. Grow Stronger. Fight another Day.

Yan na muna. Actually, I have a lot of stories to tell. Leah's ring. That essay I mean to write about the David men. How Marian Rivera won me over 5 seconds into her dance at the Marimar Press launch. Die Hard 4.0. The sea. Dying young. drooling over PSP. The twin swords Diem and Noctem. Less than 200 days before the wedding. Andami.

Maybe when I have the time. Pero mas malamang gagawa din ako nung Emo Verbal Snapshots. Sabi sa inyo gaya-gaya ako eh :p

lean sa mamamayan

2007-07-11T12:26:00.000+08:00

The girlfriend, thinking it was a play which bore the same name, was able to secure tickets for last night's Lean: Gabi ng Pag-alala at the PETA theater. I just came from a lecture of PR Guru Max Edralin at the Hotel Intercon in Makati which spanned hours, and was antsy to rush to my father who will have a kidney operation on the next day -- going to a play I've never heard before was, understandably, the last on my priorities.

But the girlfriend was excited to go and I didn't have the heart to turn away from a thing I unmindfully said yes to a couple of days ago. So amid the unexpected heavy rains and EDSA traffic, I deftly maneuvered Kewl (the car) from Makati to PETA in hopes of making it before the first act.

We need not have worried. What we thought of as a play turned out to be a gathering to remember the 20th death anniversary of Lean Alejandro -- student activitst, militant, leader, hero. He lived a short life -- he was 27 when he was assassinated -- but he touched so many lives, influenced thousands of minds, and dedicated his life to a cause that even two decades after his death, people still come from all corners of the globe, from all walks of life, to remember him.

It turned out to be a pleasant gathering. Old grizzled warriors, their hearts and minds as sharp as when they were in the forefront of battle, greeted each other with warmth, camaraderie, a few tears quickly brushed off, and yes, perhaps even love.

The girlfriend and I were obviously outsiders to this group -- everyone knew everybody else. Catching snatches of conversations while I went around the room pawing those tasty popped beans, I was witness to old ties remade, of friendships remembered, of struggles shared.

Reading some of the write ups accompanying the many pictures of Lean plastered on the walls, and hearing that beautiful piece read by a friend of Lean (the girlfriend says she's a famous journalist), I was faced with a fact I knew before but managed to forget: Behind the images of violence and incessant shouts of "ibagsak ang US-insertyourphilpresidenthere imperyalismo", these people are one of the most passionate you could ever meet. They laugh, they cry, they fight, they love as if the next minute they could die -- because that was the truth of the lives they led.

We went home shortly after Cookie Chua and Noel Cabangon sang Lean (from the play). On the way home, however, I couldn't help but wonder just how different I am compared to Lean and other leftist freedom fighters.

We both see something beyond the reality of the lives we live in, and aspire to reach that vision. We both believe with all our hearts, but even more, we question and test to evaluate the validity of our beliefs. We try to teach others to see this vision, this truth that is so evident to us.

He died for his beliefs. I'm struggling to live for the God whom I serve.

This sense of brotherhood aside, I left the gathering both impressed and prayerful about the people we saw there. They have dedicated their lives to an ideal, and lived every moment, picked every choice according to that ideal. It's hard not to be impressed by people that strong.

May peace descend upon them and their houses.

Do not go gentle into that good night
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

- Dylan Thomas (Do not go gentle into that good night)

* Lean Alejandro photo from Tinig.com
** Lean mp3 from garygranada.com

Laban!

2007-06-21T12:54:00.000+08:00

If only for this post, I like this guy already.

I remember once, covering the Southeast Asian Games in Cebu, how Gretchen Malalad would glare at an opponent, her model-looks transforming into that of a hungry tiger eyeing a cornered prey, and punch her chest hard right where the Philippine flag was stitched on her uniform.

“Just to show my opponent what I’m doing this for,” Gretchen said when I spoke to her after the match, where she won for the country a gold medal in the karate competitions.

In that same event, Marna Pabillore also won the gold medal and then she took a Philippine flag attached to a pole thrice her height and run around the gymnasium, waving it.

Needless to say, a roar erupted in the coliseum. So loud, it shook the rafters.

Go read the rest of the post. Seriously. You could also click here to visit theboyfromsmallville's site.

The road to tomorrow

2007-06-06T11:05:00.000+08:00

What is God's will in marriage? How can we love our in laws, despite the initial difficulties we have encountered? How should we handle the issue of money, especially since she's earning a ton more than I do? What's the godly way of raising kids? Is it better to keep the things that happened in the past buried or should we raise them like zombies? How do you keep the romance alive through the years? How do we break down the walls that we have built our entire lives and start living as one? Why is a man asked to love the woman, while the woman asked to submit to the man? What are the tips to having a mind-blowing sex life? And most importantly, on the moments when the thing we want most is to stab each other to pieces, where is the safest place to hide the knives?

These are just some of the questions Kuya Dong, our pastor, would guide us through in our sessions.

To read the rest of the article, click here or visit Leah's wedding preps blog (Counting the Days).

Rise of the Chevy Autobots!

2007-05-23T15:06:00.000+08:00

New game! New game!

My friend Monmon buzzed me through YM and very slyly prodded me to check out www.chevyautobot.com. It's TRANSFORMERS: Rise Of The Chevy Autobots!

Level 1 pa lang ako. You guys sign up and let's challenge each other. My callsign is Mokus Maximus. Email add mpdavid @ [insert my company here -- yes, im not putting my actual email ad, you have to supply it] . com and challenge me :)

What's your excuse?

2007-05-10T14:26:00.000+08:00

For the first time in a long time, I decided to obey the makati number coding scheme which does not provide for a window period for banned cars. I guess I woke up fearing the eagle eyes of the MAPSA. So I took a cab to the office, anticipating that I would be able to rest – perhaps even sleep – through the traffic. But it was not meant to be.

The cab driver was a chatty one. I used to not mind talkative drivers, especially when they give me a lecture on how to take care of the car...

To read the rest of the article, click here or visit stillearthbound.

FullCup End-of-Summer JAM!

2007-05-10T14:17:00.000+08:00

We're starting the next phase of FullCup with the FullCup SUMMER JAM this May 18, 7:30 pm, at 690 Real St, Intramuros! We’ll have Converging Resonance, Banana Island, Alab, and Emanwel. Hope you can join us :)

Writer ka ba?

2007-05-07T15:58:00.000+08:00

GMA is looking for a Publicity Specialist that will handle its News & Public Affairs accounts. So if you have a solid background on writing, willing to travel in the regions (Cebu, Davao, Iloilo) from time to time, interested in championing Serbisyong Totoo -- email me your resume ASAP.

Pakasal na tayo!

2007-05-07T12:36:00.000+08:00

She's buried with work, her online page is experiencing death-by-stagnation, she has a million other things clamoring for her attention, clients are hunting her for help...

So what is she doing?

She's sifting through brochures.

Drop by Leah's new blog from time to time and read her adventures in wedding preparation.

pakasalnatayo.blogspot.com

Di naman obvious anong nasa isip nya these days no? :)

Bibliophile Meme

2007-05-07T09:50:00.000+08:00

Seestur Ailene tagged me.

1. One book that changed your life.
Mythology, by Edith Hamilton. This is the first book I read that wasn't assigned by the teacher. I never knew stories could be this beautiful.

2. One book you have read more than once.
Michael Crichton's Sphere. Not that it's my all-time favorite book, but Michael Crichton's novels have always tickled the sci-fi geek in me. Chaos Theory, Unique Event Hypothesis, Extra Terrestrial Anthromorphism... just don't mind the movie versions, use your own imagination, and the book will give you a hell of a ride.

3. One book you would want on a desert island.
The Holy Bible. You want stories? You want cries of indignation and despair? Songs of hope? Truths/Mysteries? A biography of one eternally interesting man?

4. One book that made you laugh.
Tick Tock by Dean Koontz. Screwball comedy. Wacky dialogue. Remember to never anger your Thai mother!

5. One book that made you cry.
Lorenzo Carcaterra's SLEEPERS. Childhood friendships should be like this.

6. One book you wish had been written.
Love, by Jesus of Nazareth. I'd really REALLY love to read what He scribbled on the sand.

7. One book you wish had never been written.
Hmm. wala na

man. don't read if you don't like, di ba?

8. One book you are currently reading.
Yann Martel's Life of Pi. A 450-pound Royal Bengal Tiger trapped in a lifeboat with a boy who is a Christian, a Hindu, and Muslim (yep, all at the same time). About 300 days in the Pacific. A botanical-island-oddity. Robinson Crusoe would love this boy.

9. One book you have been meaning to read.
Philip Yancey's Prayer: Does it Make Any Difference?. Philip Yancey's one of my favorite Christian authors and this is his latest book. John managed to snag a copy -- I'm just waiting for him to drop it and I'm going to snatch it from him right away :)

Tag five people for this meme.

10 things weird about you

2007-04-18T11:04:00.000+08:00

I don't really know what constitutes 'weird' for everyone, but Din (i lab this gurl) tagged me (this sounds sooooooooo 2004) so here goes:

Instructions: A person who gets tagged must write in his or her blog ten weird things or habits or little known facts about himself or herself. He or she should also state this rule clearly. At the end, he or she should tag six other people, except the one who tagged him or her.

1. I am OC about drinking water. Nanlilimahid na sa dumi ang bahay, ok lang, pero di pwedeng konti na lang ang tubig.

2. My mother enrolled me on piano lessons when I was in Grade 1. I lasted two lessons. I bugged my father to buy me a guitar in highschool to be in a band. I ended up as 'band manager'. Some people at the worship team at church actually have to pause in their singing and give extra effort to mind their tones because my singing 'influences' their voices. Nevertheless, in my dreams, I remain a rockstar.

3. I believe I have powers. basta.

4. Girl-junkie ako nung highschool. Agnostic nung college. Kristiyano ngayon.

5. I have PC games that make me sleep - as in naka-upo ako sa harap ng computer, holding the mouse, snoring. I love them.

6. I HATE RATS. George Orwell's 1984 made me this way.

7. It's so 90s, pero nagbabaligtad ako nang salita. tihak atnak, tihak as pasuu-gap. my friends have to translate on the fly.

8. I don't fix my bag, my table, my room, my house -- but I can't leave my bed unmade after waking up. First thing to do yan. ever.

9. Sa sobrang kulit ko nung bata ako, lahat nang pwedeng pagkulungan, kinulong na ako. Sa banyo, sa kwarto, sa closet, sa kulungan nang manok. 5 minutes lang naman.

10. Lahat ng girlfriends ko nung highschool -- even the ones na sobra sobrang gusto ko at pamatay na panliligaw ang ginawa ko -- ako ang nakipag-break.

I tag Leah, Ida, Bebelene, Pareng Jorge, G!, John. Mag-post kayo mga kolokoy! :p

Firefox - quickened

2007-04-04T13:18:00.000+08:00

Found these great tips at ourpics.com:

Type about:config in the address bar do the things below:

1. Fetch only pages that you click
In the about:config list, find the key that says network.prefetch-next. It should be set to TRUE. Double click it, and it will turn to false.

2. Limit the RAM usage
Select browser.cache.memory.capacity and adjust the value depending on the amount of RAM memory you have installed. For RAM sizes between 512MB and 1GB, start with 15000. For RAM sizes between 128MB and 512M, try 5000, and you will be happy of the result.

3. Reducing the RAM usage even more when Firefox gets minimized
Right click your about:config page, select New and click Boolean. A box will appear and you will have to enter config.trim_on_minimize as value. The boolean value should be set to TRUE.

4. Make pages load faster
Search for the key that says network.http.pipelining and set it to TRUE. You may alter the key below (network.http.pipelining.maxrequests) and change it into a higher value - 10 for example.

To read the whole article, click here.

My Favorite Mistake

2007-03-27T13:42:00.000+08:00

My Favorite Mistake
Season 3, Grey's Anatomy

[so you know what I’m talking about, drop by the Grey’s Anatomy episode guide or watch this video first:]

George and Izzie. George and Izzie. George and Izzie. They’ve been best friends since day 1. Has been there for each other through the terror residents, the death of Denny, the Meredith fiasco, ‘feeding the monster’ with Alex, STD with Olivia, the $8.7 million cheque, the death of George’s father, and Callie.

Callie, George’s wife.

It’s wrong. wrong. wrong. That’s the long and short of it. George is married, and that’s that. It was a mistake, something George and Izzie never saw coming but it did happen.

The hot, amazing – illicit – sex happened.

We saw it and we couldn’t believe our eyes. This is George and Izzie – the goofy duo that brings light moments to the otherwise overly dramatic lives of the surgeons in Seattle Grace. Sure, Izzie’s been mourning the death of Denny for a season now, but we have faith because it’s George. George the good guy. George the only guy who stood up to Callie’s father. The family-guy. The perfect, husband-material guy.

Then life pulled the rug from George’s feet through the death of his father. George being lost and holding on to the closest lifeline -- a spur-of-the-moment wedding with Callie. The constant fights with the wife. Izzie fighting for her best friend whom she thinks made a terrible mistake. Then the night they got drunk.

And the hot, amazing – and still illicit – sex happened.

I was watching this episode with my hand over my mouth completely mortified. When George finally remembered what happened, I could see the confusion and helplessness in his eyes. He knew nothing would be the same after this. He could lose his best friend. He is on the way to losing his wife. If he could take everything back, he’ll do it in a heartbeat.

But he can’t. It’s done. No power on earth can take back the mistake he made.

My favorite scene in this episode – my favorite scene in all of Grey’s Anatomy’s three series, is the linen closet scene when George just remembered what happened to him and Izzie. There were no words, because really, what can you say?

I like this scene because of its technical execution and the exemplary performance of the actors. I love it, however, because of what George chose to do in this scene.

They paced like caged animals because that’s what they really were – caged. Emotions were running sky high. They’re no longer drunk, but the sex could still happen right then and there. George was sorry, and confused, and with no inkling of an idea what to do. Then Izzie touches his face, and suddenly, possibilities – scary, surprising, confusing possibilities – arose.

George was bewildered but he knew the mistake he made could multiply in that closet. So despite emotions, despite what he wanted, despite the excitement, despite the possibilities, he walked out.

The world will say that if you feel something, be true to yourself and go for it. That’s why husbands who’s been married for 35 years leave their wives for a woman 20 years his junior who ‘gets’ him. But there are more important things than emotions. Like commitment. Like doing the right thing. At that moment in the linen closet, despite the shadow of the most horrible mistake he made in his whole life, George still chose the right thing. Most of us can’t quite claim the same.

I don’t know how the Grey’s Anatomy writers would sort this out. I don’t know how exactly but I would like to think that everything would be ok. That George would come clean to his wife, that they would work it out and everything would turn out right for them – George, Izzie, and Callie.

It will be hard, it will be hurtful, it may seem impossible, but I prefer to believe in redemption.

Both in TV and in real life.

dying of thirst, here in the fountain

2007-03-14T10:21:00.000+08:00

In all my 26 years on this earth, 97% of my enemies emerged when I became a Christian.

I have had unbelievers laugh at me when I tell them about the Good News of Christ’s salvation – some of them my friends who jokingly remind me of what I used to do before I became a Christian. I’ve had colleagues and fellow students debate with me when I tell them about my faith. I’ve had my family cry when I speak of the need to become born again. I’ve met indifference, wonder, interest, disbelief and a host of other reactions, but not once did I get hurt when I spoke to unbelievers about sin and Jesus –- not once, until I spoke to my fellow believers.

Click here to read the rest of the article or visit Still Earthbound.

House of M

2007-03-09T14:12:00.000+08:00

House of M is a comic book crossover mini-series published by Marvel Comics back in 2005. Lead writer Brian Bendis was quoted that House of M would "shake the world" of Marvel. While this claim may sound extravagant, House of M's far-reaching and lasting effect on the Marvel universe certainly propels it as one of the more important mini-series the publishing house has produced. Unlike Days of Future Past or the Age of Apocalypse which happened in alternate timelines, House of M took place in the mainstream Marvel universe.

To read the rest of the article, click here or visit the FullCup site.

PURE

2007-03-08T10:44:00.000+08:00

We've had PURE light, PURE calling, PURE worship, and a host of other PUREs in FullCup's long run. Now we're going back to the basics -- plain. simple. unadulterated worship night.

PURE.

Come worship with us this Friday, March 9, 7:30 pm. Join us as we end our topic for two semesters -- "Who on Earth was Jesus?" and do what we are meant to do -- to shed our shame and fears, to let go of pride and hurts, to bow down and kneel towards the Lamb that was slain. All woship. All night. This Friday at the Cup.

i hate the cheesy things but here i am

2007-02-14T19:30:00.000+08:00

because we met again.

now i want to be a body snatcher

2007-02-08T17:44:00.000+08:00

BAKIT HINDI SA AKIN NANGYARI ITO????

Pare, pinag-pala ka. But for some reason, you don't want your photo posted, so I'm using your cameraman's.

Stranger than Fiction

2007-02-06T18:32:00.000+08:00

We are all living dreary lives with the inevitability of death hanging over our heads. It doesn't matter whether you're a farmer or a rock star, the President of the land or a saleswoman no different from thousands of others, we are all living incomplete lives -- lives with holes so big we end up plugging ineffectively at them. We are, in essence, all Harold Cricks -- good at what we do but ultimately living pointless lives.

To read the rest of the review, click here or visit the FullCup site.

Autobiography: The Story of Our Lives

2007-01-26T13:41:00.000+08:00

The questions we ask ourselves define the meaning of our lives. The answers we arrive at tell us who we are.

These are our questions.

This is who we are.

Eragon - movie review

2007-01-10T13:39:00.000+08:00

Watching the movie Eragon is like eating a small cup of congee after you've been starved for a week - you know there's something good there, but it ends up sorely lacking.

To read the rest of the review, click here or visit the FullCup site.

Magic in my blood

2006-12-19T09:44:00.000+08:00

i used to be the hermit of the basanos, but now... (got this from DinDin, by the way)

You are The Magician

Skill, wisdom, adaptation. Craft, cunning, depending on dignity.

Eleoquent and charismatic both verbally and in writing,
you are clever, witty, inventive and persuasive.

The Magician is the male power of creation, creation by willpower and desire. In that ancient sense, it is the ability to make things so just by speaking them aloud. Reflecting this is the fact that the Magician is represented by Mercury. He represents the gift of tongues, a smooth talker, a salesman. Also clever with the slight of hand and a medicine man - either a real doctor or someone trying to sell you snake oil.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Maid Miriam

2006-12-14T13:15:00.000+08:00

Just got off the elevator with this goddess:

Ms. Miriam Quiambao

It's like cosmic surfing in the wake of a comet. The luminous beauty can blind you.

What's so Amazing About Grace?

2006-12-14T13:04:00.000+08:00

Philip Yancey's writing has a wonderful quality supremely suited to the line of work he has chosen: he can make his readers re-evaluate things they thought they already knew.

Re-reading What's so Amazing About Grace for the upteenth time since I first got a hold of it back in college, I am amazed how little I still know about Grace -- and how Yancey's book clearly presents this often wispy subject.

To read the rest of the review, click here or visit the Fullcup site.

the hiatus

2006-12-07T14:41:00.000+08:00

Like I've always known, it's not really that hard, although it remains a temptation whenever I sit and turn on my PC.

Two weeks to go.

In the meantime, watch this:

I Japanese!

2006-11-28T13:47:00.000+08:00

Got this from the artistmonk

As the wandering storyteller:

My japanese name is 猿渡 Saruwatari (monkey on a crossing bridge) 聖人 Masato (sacred person).
Take your real japanese name generator! today!
Created with Rum and Monkey's Name Generator Generator.

As slither dude:

My japanese name is ?? Komatsu (little pine tree) 拓海 Takumi (open sea).
Take your real japanese name generator! today!
Created with Rum and Monkey's Name Generator Generator.

As Moks:

My japanese name is 猿渡 Saruwatari (monkey on a crossing bridge) 誠 Makoto (sincerity).
Take your real japanese name generator! today!
Created with Rum and Monkey's Name Generator Generator.

As Mark Isaiah David:

My japanese name is 秋本 Akimoto (autumn book) 直樹 Naoki (straight tree).
Take your real japanese name generator! today!
Created with Rum and Monkey's Name Generator Generator.

Coolness.

Dancing to a different beat

2006-11-28T12:29:00.000+08:00

Movie Review: Happy Feet

At the concluding parts of the movie, I must admit that there was only doubt in my heart – for how could one penguin, no matter how adorable he is – change events that are so obviously beyond him? How could one penguin change the set ways of humans? How could one penguin affect the whole Antarctic Circle? I would not have acted like Mumble did. He saw a need so he went ahead and tried to do all that he could to do what needed to be done, despite not having a morsel of an idea what he could do. He walked blindly into the unknown – with only the conviction that something must be done. Despite the pre-knowledge that this was a kiddie movie and that the producers would present a suitable resolution, I only had doubt.

To read the rest of the review, click here or visit the FullCup site.

Wii kicks ass

2006-11-27T13:50:00.000+08:00

There's no other way to describe it -- the title says it all. Nintendo's newest gaming console bitch slaps competition like Marshall's massive hands as he gives Barney the 1st of five officially-sanctioned hits.

(If you don't know the show I alluded to, you really should start getting a hold of HIMYM).

Back to Nintendo's Wii (pronounced as 'we'), while other gaming consoles such as the PS3 and XBox 360 are engaged in pissing contests on the number of pixels rendered and additional, yet mundane things you could do with the console (such as watching DVDs), Wii leaves them all behind as it delivers a feature looooooooooooooong longed-for and imagined but never-before delivered: kinetic play.

Remember Daimos? Instead of lamely pushing buttons and pulling levers while battling enemy monsters, the hero is instead acting out the moves of the robot -- if he wants Daimos to kick, then he'd have to act out the kick himself. Wii does the same. With the help of a wireless controller that responds to your own actions, console gaming has just been redefined.

Imagine the soft thwack! of the tennis ball as you time your swing perfectly to return the unimpressive serve of your opponent. Maintain your stance and mind your elbow swing as you try a hole-in-one in golf. Carry the weight of the mountain in your swing as you chop off the heads of your enemies. Concentrate when you release that 10-pin when you play bowling. All of these done in real-world live action, baby. It's body kinetics at work, and it's far more satisfying than button mashing.

Like most new technologies, there are several hesitations about the Wii, like the fact that it takes more energy to play. But that may not be bad at all, as we combine exercise and play in a previously unfathomed level. Keep swinging that Wii controller the whole day and your actual swing might just improve a notch. It's easy to use, and everyone -- including those perpetually befuddled on which button to push, can use it.

I won't be surprised if the next generation of this console would have several wireless transmitters to be placed on different parts of the body and a 360 degrees goggle for a whole virtual reality experience. Yeah, that's how awesome this technology promises to be.

So you can have the chance to salivate on your own, you could view this video from the Wii site. Check it out. I like this console so much I'm beginning to believe in Santa again.

Moving FullCup

2006-11-24T15:27:00.000+08:00

FullCup has moved to its new online home!

Join in the fun! See an extensive collection of FullCup pictures, an update on the weekly messages and music at the Cup, a review of the latest music/concerts/christian books or movies, and a calendar of our activities! visit http://fullcup.multiply.com

UNtiED

2006-11-22T14:11:00.000+08:00

Review: Hillsong UNITED Live in Manila
21 November 2006
Ninoy Aquino Stadium

When I first heard that Hillsong UNITED would play in Manila, I must admit that I wasn't as thrilled about the idea as my friends were. Not because I didn't like them; there's a reason why UNITED's songs are a staple at FullCup after all -- they're talented musicians and, more importantly, their songs speak to FullCup's young regulars -- but the thought of going to a worship-concert that is predominantly more of a concert than worship initially didn't sit well with me.

To be fair, I have always been a tad uneasy with corporate/group worship. I'm more of a one-man-raging-at-the-storm-and-his-God kind of guy. Even at church, I always sit nearest to the window, eyes closed or locked to the distant sky. As I sing with the congregation, I'm flung light years away -- to a place where there's only me and my God. As some friends who have witnessed the rare tears I let go during worship ask me why I cry, I always give them the same answer: if I can't cry to my Father, to whomelse can I cry? In short, for me, worship is an extremely intimate and personal event. Having around 30 or so people with me is disconcerting enough -- what more with a couple of thousand?

But it was a concert, so I decided to go. Some might say that it's a praise and worship event and not a concert, but that's not being honest -- we came there for the band; otherwise we wouldn't have needed to pay P800 to get in. Ask anyone who argues if they'd pay that much to watch FullCup Project or Alab or any other worship team in the various churches in the metropolis. Yeah, I thought so too.

So I came into the event with misgivings. If it were packaged as a concert, I wouldn't have had any problem, but the event's tagline pegged itself as "the worship night of your life" -- a tall and presumptuous claim by the marketing people, if you ask me. Besides, I believe one of the must-do's of a praise and worship team is to never NEVER interfere with the worship of the people -- either with botched playing/singing or by the 'celebrity status' by the team. If a guy comes to church primarily to hear the team perform and secondly to worship, the whole point is ruined for me.

As concerts go, UNITED did extremely well. From the get-go, everyone in the stadium was jumping up and down, joining in at virtually every song of the line up. Nevermind that the venue was too small, or that the organizers continued their bad habit of overselling tickets, or that the aircondition was woefully ill-suited for the number of people who came, or that five minutes into the concert and the combined sweat of the throng and space constraints of the venue gave an unpleasant smell, or that the LCD screens were ridiculously small, or that the organizer's spokeperson kept using the Name of the Lord to manage the crowd. The band was superb, the audience extremely enthusiastic. As concerts go, we were having a hell of a good time.

Fortunately, 'a good time' is so... pedestrian, compared to the plans of my God. Sometime after the first two or three songs -- just after letting the people scream out their excitement for actually being in a UNITED concert -- the whispers of the Spirit began stirring in the heart. The circumstances might have been far from perfect, but Jesus did promise that whenever two or three are gathered in His name, He will be there. And as He has always been, that night too, He was faithful to His word.

A little later in the evening, the band gave exhortations and clarified the purpose of their tour -- something that the Spirit was already whispering in our souls. Between shouting and praising and clapping, and singing, some of us found ourselves talking with God despite the stars right before our eyes.

God is in control. I was reminded of that last night as I sang along with the Christian's counter-culture version of the Black Eyed Peas, U2, or any of the hottest bands these days. If I believed that God is able to work through my sins and shortcomings, why shouldn't He be able to do the same despite the complications brought by UNITED's talent and fame and the star-struck attitude of the audience?

Somewhere along the way, we found ourselves worshipping, more than joining in on the concert. Suddenly, the songs were not just excellent, they were true. Despite my initial misgivings, I found myself having the time of my life -- like any other time I was aware of my God's presence.

In the end, as one of my most favorite UNITED song goes, my God saves the day, and His Word never fails. My God made a way... it's gonna be all right. A good time is not what He intended, therefore He gave us an amazing grand time. UNITED's passion and performance was able to usher us into communing with our God -- and that, I think, is the highest praise that can be given to any worship team.

Author Notes: This review is also posted on FullCup's new site. It's still under construction, and we'll launch it real soon, but hey, feedback on the new site is welcome Ü

beautiful ones

2006-11-20T14:19:00.000+08:00

I’ve always wondered how it would feel to be the face in the billboard. To have a face or physique that could well earn a living. To be able to make the hearts of girls thrum with the merest sight of me, and to leave them giggling and flustered with a simple smile.

How does it feel, to have that power? How much more effective could i be if i had a face like Piolo Pascual’s, which, they say, can make knees tremble and hearts buckle? If I had the height and physique of Marc Nelson, how much easier could my life become?

To read the rest of the article, click here or visit Still Earthbound.

cabin fever

2006-11-14T13:24:00.000+08:00

im restless and nauseous and my feet are raring to go. I can't keep my thoughts coherent and I keep forgetting stuff I'm supposed to remember. I can't keep focus -- it's like a withdrawal for some addiction.

I want to propel myself away.

I'll just walk and walk through Session Road and get lost on many of Baguio's streets. I need that -- I need to get lost. I need the time to wander around and give opportunity to the voices in my head to settle down and organize themselves. I need to pray. I need some decisions.

So if this trip my friends and i are planning won't pan out, I think i'd go on my own. stay in a hotel, get up early, watch the city wake up, walk all day, not talk to anyone, and get lost.

that would be good.

The right to dare You

2006-11-13T09:35:00.000+08:00

neena's recent post came as a shrill whistle violently jerking me from an unnoticed slumber. "HOW DARE I SETTLE FOR LESS?" my mind screams. For wasn't I made for the stars? Isn't my creator mightiest of all? Am I actually saying He's impotent? 'Cause that's what I'm saying everytime I settle for what's not best.

When was the last time I asked Him to move mountains? To silence demons, to raise from the abyss? When was the last time I asked and confidently expected from my father? When did I stop badgering Him for His promises? Why in the world have I allowed myself to believe in my own lies (my self worth, the things i think i would be incapable of doing) instead of taking Him for His Word?

i'm more of a fool than i ever thought i was. Refusing my father's hands to work on me because I stopped expecting Him to do so -- essentially castrating my God on my life as I've settled on what I see in everyday. I call those who turn their backs on Him as imbeciles while I'm here satisfied with scraps when I'm invited at an honored place at His table. I've known myself a liar all my life, and I actually allowed myself to believe in my own propaganda.

Moron.

I can't wait for You to bring me to my knees and raise my head to the heavens, Abba.

high calling

2006-11-07T12:45:00.000+08:00

a mini-exodus of sorts is happening among the young people of our church, specifically the college students. Some of these young people -- dear friends of ours -- have moved to a student-oriented church, letting go of ministries and without really meaning to, hurting some of the people they have left, and raising confusion among the youth still with us.

I get why they leave -- this 'new' church's main focus is missions and the call of adventure, the very thought of being personally called (me! he called my name!), stirs a passion and bestows a sense of purpose and direction that the youth craves. It is no coincidence, after all, that most conversions happen in college -- this is the time when one decides the kind of person he will be for the rest of his life. This is the time when we ask ourselves the most about our purpose in life and where we want to go.

This 'new' church issues a clear call and provides direction to all those willing to take it -- and it is undoubtedly a worthy calling. To spread the Word of God is a privilege and a duty commissioned to ALL believers. For the love of their God, they are trained to the high calling of becoming his speakers and church builders where worship of the Christ is nonexistent.

For a young man who looks desperately at the huge cosmos and asks himself what it all means and wonders where his place is in this vast mystery, the clear and unequivocal calling of missions is like a blazing lighthouse in the middle of a dark, stormy sea. Here is a clear-cut direction. Here is an evident purpose. In the tempest of confusion that we call life, an unambiguous course -- a clear vision -- is a lifeline we all search for.

Frankly, in the list of options a confused young man can choose in his life, devoting oneself to missions is one of the better calls he could answer.

My church, however, focuses on a more vague, less clear-cut vocation: the high calling of everyday living. We are charged to shine as christians regardless of who we are or where we're placed -- no matter how seemingly ordinary it is. On our jobs, our families, our duties, ourselves. Our task is to sweep the floor, teach children, sell our goods, pray faithfully, be a gentle boss, a father-friend, an honest officer, a cheerful fisherman, a good friend, a diligent student, a law-abiding everyday man -- all done in the way that Jesus would want us to do.

It is a far less... flamboyant vocation. Unlike in missions where the harvest is readily apparent, the fruits of everyday living for Christ is harder to determine. Not a month would pass when a 9-to-5 guy would ask himself if the small cubicle in his flourescent-riddled office is where he's really meant to be and if the stack of papers in his desk really glorifies his God. To the overwhelmed mother who has to change the diapers of her baby while cooking for her three other children, everyday living can seem more of a burden than a godly calling.

And yet, the Bible says that eternal life is given to every believer regardless of their post. Whether you're a pastor or a barber, you have the same calling -- to worship the Lord with your life. There is no 'higher calling' simply because you are already called to do the utmost: to live for your God.

I get why some of our youth left our church -- heck, i get the same heart pounding desire to drop everything and join missions like they do. I just hope that in time, they realize while it is a worthy endeavor, it is not the only thing they can do for their God. There are no hierarchies here, no question on which vocation is more favored. The command is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all of yourself -- wherever you happen to be.

(*photos from shutterstock)

not-so-fresh press

2006-10-30T10:05:00.000+08:00

gave up on seeing it in print two weeks after i submitted it, but PDI's youngblood finally printed my article last Saturday. To my legions of fans (yes, that's you, mom), you could (re)-read the piece here.

John says it's badly edited, and he has a point. Osteen's name comes out like a surprise left hook -- all you could mutter is, 'where did tha come from?'

(*photo from shutterstock)

we all need a nathan

2006-10-26T13:32:00.000+08:00

Kevin "the token white guy" recently made a post on the nathan of our lives. and he's right. we all need one in our lives.

come read Ü

sa buong magdamag

2006-10-26T12:25:00.000+08:00

ailene's casual mention of a woman singing "yayakapin kita, mahal ko, sa buong magdamag..." propels me to a memory, a wish, a dream of cool nights, hot lights, and a woman singing her heart out, twisting one's soul to pudding. my knees buckle, my breath quickens, and once again, i am among the throng of bodies bumping, watching from afar.

do you remember?

the woman's captivating voice ensnares me, and whisks me away to a room dark, but not blinding; hot, but not suffocating. the rhythm thrums, my head sways, the cold drink makes me even more thirsty, and our eyes meet. careful. uninhibited. calculated. free. mysterious. familiar. she's mine, and she never is.

an unguarded moment and a heady opm that floods me are all it takes to make me remember things i thought i'm past doing: dancing with someone. a kiss worth worlds. getting lost in the crowd. pulsating loins. a heart about to burst.

i love being in love.

(*photos from shutterstock)

easy days

2006-10-25T12:51:00.000+08:00

Yesterday's holiday was a godsend -- woke up to an ethereal peaceful morning and proceeded to play games all day. was finally able to finish both the evil and good campaigns of EA Games' Battle for Middle Earth 1. Next stop: BFME II. (thanks to Glenntot for giving me the games).

Was also able to sneak in episodes of How I Met Your Mother and Grey's Anatomy. Robyn is so dreamy. hehehe. I'm going to watch LOST later, if i have the time. Thanks to ida for her downloads.

Merienda was fun. Donuts and hotdogs and puto bungbong and isaws. Leah was hungry so we pigged out.

This post is pointless... but so relaxing. kinda like my day yesterday.

let's have more of that, shall we? Ü

talking in shadows

2006-10-23T12:12:00.000+08:00

and perhaps it was fitting that we talked in shadows.

because there are things that we do that we keep in the dark. we lie and keep it hidden... precisely because we know that it won't last long in the light.

but we have to. because aren't we more than conquerors of these things? isn't our birthright worth more than this warm porridge, inviting as it may seem while we're ravenous with hunger but utterly worthless compared to what we're exchanging it for?

we drag our skeletons out in the day, painful and shameful as they may be, because we know -- WE KNOW -- we've been purchased out of the dark. So we exorcise our demons, our bondages, our illicit thrills, because as princes clothed in robes as white as snow, wallowing in the muck is an abomination to the King who is in us.

so in your quest of deliverance from these things that haunt you, some things remain. Your King is still with you. Transgressions would need to be exposed and thrown into the abyss. I still stand with you.

it will hurt.
we will bleed.
and we will lose some of the things we cherish.

but we will be free.

300 to a million

2006-10-19T11:29:00.000+08:00

holy crap.

I'm too lazy to research now, but if memory serves right, the Battle of Thermopylae was where these 300 or so greeks fought a gazillion persians. Or maybe that's just a million -- but with odds like that, who's counting?

Frank Miller, known for his work in Sin City, tells us that these 300 greeks were spartans -- of course, other greeks were busy philosophizing if a tree that fell in the forest is good for anything than insect condo. Miller's graphic novel is once again translated into a movie.

WATCH THE TRAILER. I swear, when I saw it, I was like, "HOLY CRAP -- THIS IS ACTUALLY HOW MY DREAMS LOOK!" For some reason, they got it -- the lights, the texture, the eerie glow... it's like i'm watching my dreams while i'm awake.

(by the way, I don't have a soundcard in the office, so I don't know the sounds they used in this trailer. but deaf-watching it is amazing. promise.)

a flash of joyce

2006-10-18T16:10:00.000+08:00

so i was walking along the pathway of the office -- going to the bank across the street to encash a check when i saw a vaguely familiar face. i slowed my brisk canter to stare at the face when it came to me -- it's her -- the "pantasya ng bayan" herself...

ms. joyce jimenez.

here.

at the Network.

most boys my age would agree -- in the sexy star explosion of the late 90s and early 2000s, Ms. Jimenez is one of the few who REALLY put bomb in the often-used adjective "bombshell."

i haven't really watched most of her movies but whenever i walk in a dark, dingy, sweaty Manila street, i remember scorpio nights 2, and i remember ms. jimenez. i traverse these streets, look up to the wooden windows of the crowded houses and wonder if there's a woman up there eating chocolate, dripping all over because of the heat.

in any case, the old joyce and the joyce i saw today looked very different from each other. she's not as voluptous, for one -- losing some pounds but retaining her nice curves. And she was wearing glasses, with minimal makeup and this white flowing dress -- so.... womanly. If i didn't recognize her as the actress, I'd peg her as a pre-school teacher.

A thunder-in-your-chest, hot-like-a-nova pre-school teacher, that is.

in any case, i'm glad she's no longer stripping. and i'm glad she dropped by the office today. jologs na kung jologs, pero astig na makita ang pre-school teacher look ni miss joyce.

Call for Champions

2006-10-17T10:21:00.000+08:00

John wrote the first episode here, and i continued the story here. This is the third installment of our ongoing DotA saga.

The light of Elune bathed all of Kalimdor in a soft, milky white light. Malfurion Stormrage [better known as Furion to the rest of the Sentinel] stood high up on a bluff, the north wind carrying his heavy locks to air, taking in the waste that lay before him.

Tsk tsk… the ancient wood elf let out something close to a smile in his mind. Archimonde will never know now how close he was to destroying the Nordrassil, the world tree. Even he himself had doubted what the wisps could do to protect their ancient. But he could still remember the blinding light, the burst of energy that almost set his own mana on fire, and the Dreadlord Archimonde’s scream as the wisps literally consumed him. The Scourge’s irresistible advance was finally stopped. And yet his high-elven gift of foresight knew…

Read the rest of the story here at the Stories that Wander.

To the faithful departed

2006-10-16T17:19:00.000+08:00

Cops and criminals:

When you're facing a loaded gun, what's the difference?

Martin Scorsese's The Departed thrums with an excitement -- an underlying rhythm that escalates throughout the movie. There's a beat, an energy, a nervousness, a desperation that carries the viewer right from the first shot and through the film's abrupt end.

"The rats are dead. Long live the rats," says one movie reviewer. And he has identified the core of the film's plot. The Departed is about the 'twins' -- two police officers who take differring career paths that inevitably pits them against each other.

Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) grows under the wing of Frank Costelo (Jack Nicholson) and quickly rises to the police ranks even while feeding information that keeps his benefactor a step ahead of those that plot against him. Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a messed-up kid with with dark familial background who goes undercover in Costelo's crime ring and slowly gains the trust -- if one could call it that -- of the mobster. While Sullivan has the easy smile and funny one liners that puts everyone at ease, Costigan is the angsty, drowning-in-the pressure undercover who has to resort to drugs to keep his heart from bursting from his chest. Despite their differences, however, Scorsese masterfully rendered the film to show the two 'rats' are the two sides of the same coin -- two facets of the same shadow unknowingly circling each other, inescapably headed to a violent collision course.

It is a movie dripping with testosterone, with the interesting addition of showcasing how power is a fickle bitch. Blink and power escapes those who thought they had it -- drowning them in the lies and deceit that they all wove.

While The Departed will not need most of your braincells to understand the plot and to catch the symbolisms and devices (Nicholson's flowing beard to DiCaprio's sprouting goatee; Damon's cold, calculating intelligence to DiCaprio's emotional, instinctive pulls; the psychiatrist Madolyn who 'nurtures' the two lead cops to Nicholson's Machiavellian manipulations), it is an unquestionably enjoyable film. The cast is terrific and the script is superb, but it's the film's electric rhythm that will keep you at the figurative edge of your seats.

We're worth more than what we let on

2006-10-13T13:50:00.000+08:00

About 20 years ago, the American James Fallows visited the Philippines and got disturbed with what he found. According to Fallows, the Philippines is “a society that had degenerated into a war of every man against every man.” The Filipino’s reaction back then, upon reading Fallows, was to figuratively burn him at the stake, but recent critical reviews have started to reconsider the knee-jerk reactions to Fallows’ report.

Fallows coined the term “damaged culture” – pertaining to the Filipinos’ attitude towards his fellowmen. He has observed that Filipinos do exceptionally well anywhere in the world – except in his own country. The Filipino is undoubtedly just as talented and as gifted as any American, Japanese, Korean or any other nationality, but somehow, we end up with a backwards country. As a European executive remarked, “You’re such a wonderful people. How did your country end up in such a mess?”

Fallows tries to answer the question with his observation:

"Individual Filipinos are at least as brave, kind and noble-spirited as individual Japanese, but their culture draws the boundaries of decent treatment much more narrowly. Because these boundaries are limited to the family or tribe, they exclude at any given moment 99 percent of the other people in the country. Because of this fragmentation, this lack of useful nationalism, people treat each other worse in the Philippines than in any other Asian country I have seen . . . the tradition of political corruption and cronyism, the extremes of wealth and poverty, the tribal fragmentation, the local élite's willingness to make a separate profitable peace with colonial powers - all reflect a feeble sense of national interest. Practically everything that is public in the Philippines seems neglected or abused."

We see this everywhere. Corrupt officials (not just politicians) are ready to take advantage of anyone to advance himself, if given the opportunity. Our people is engaged in voluntary diaspora. We're willing to screw anyone if it forwards our family's estate -- as if 'taking care' of our family excuses our atrocious acts. Our illustrados are willing to sell us to anyone willing to pay. It seems that we no longer believe in ourselves as a nation.

The author and publisher Franciso Sionil Jose once wrote:

"We are poor because we have lost our ethical moorings. We condone cronyism and corruption and we do not ostracize or punish the crooks in our midst. Both cronyism and corruption are wasteful but we allow their practice because our loyalty is to family or friend, not to the larger good . . . I am not looking for a foreign power for us to challenge. But we have a real and insidious enemy that we must vanquish, and this enemy is worse that the intransigence of any foreign power. We are our own enemy. And we must have the courage, the will, to change ourselves."

We are our own enemy. Our lack of belief in ourselves and our willingness to take advantage of any opportunity – even if it harms the greater society – has crippled our systems and ingrained corruption in our roots.

Ala Paredes thinks that our country is jam-packed with culture -- and I agree. Makulay ang buhay dito sa Pinas. But ours has a disease, a cancer eating our nation from the inside.

John calls me a racist because I seem inclined to antagonize Americans. I think this attitude was triggered by our people's long history of preference for the caucasians over our own countrymen. One time, I overheard an acquaintance, an old lady, speaking to her friend about her niece. Her niece had a boyfriend, but her family was pushing her to choose this foreigner whom the girl met only a week before. I couldn't stop myself, I had to ask, "You're pushing your niece to go for a guy you don't even know?" Her answer was emphatic - "Oo naman no! foreigner yun eh!" ("Of course! that's a foreigner!"). The sad part is, her friend readily agreed with her, and as I have heard this a thousand times before, I suspect most Filipinos would. We pimp ourselves without hesitation and think that's practicality.

I agree to John's label that I'm a racist -- but not because I'm against Americans or any other nationality foreign to us. What I abhor is how our people embrace these colonists, and how willing we are to hate our own. I have no issue with foreigners, or even with Filipinos who left our country for their own growth or to earn a living or whatever. My quarrel is with those who have readily given up on the Philippines (whether or not they stay here) and are so willing to screw everyone else for a few pennies. What I do believe in is that if we are going to stand for something or someone, we might as well stand for ourselves because sure as hell, no one else would do that for us.

If our country has any hope of recovering from this muck we are in, we must believe that we are worth fighting for. We must stand for the should-be-obvious fact that Filipinos -- our own countrymen -- deserve the same respect we so readily give to foreigners. If we have any hope that our nation could get better, we must first heal -- first believe that we are worth saving.

Only then, perhaps, can we start having this 'strong republic' the almighty in Malacañang is raving about.

* photo from fotosearch

The Present that is Pain

2006-10-12T12:46:00.000+08:00

Dr. Paul Brand
Detours to Happiness
Chapter 4, Soul Survivor
By Philip Yancey

"Unclean! Unclean!"

Lepers in biblical times were required to say those words to warn other people when they are passing by. Not only did they suffer physical and social trauma, they had to shout that indignity to the world -- and to their own hearts.

Two thousand years have passed and the fate of millions afflicted with leprosy have not changed until Dr. Paul Brand came into the picture. Aside from Jesus, it was only he who was brave enough to touch and treat not only the dread disease, but also the individual souls plagued by leprosy.

Stories say that Dr. Brand was born in the Kollis Hill country of India. His parents were missionaries there who worked tirelessly not only in spreading the gospel, but actually working to help the needs of the indigent in their community. Paul's father was a doctor.

While local people were always welcome in the Brand household, one day three strangers came to the house and received a different reception. Their skin had patches of white, their fingers were but stumps and one didn't even have toes.

In amazement, Paul saw his father put on gloves before washing the feet of the strangers, put ointment on their sores, and bandaged their feet. His mother brought a basket of food for them, but kept well away.

When the strangers left, Paul went to pick up the basket but his mother's shrill "NO!" instantly drew him back. He watched in astonishment as the basket was burned and his father scrubbed his hands with hands with hot water and strong soap, and changed all his clothes.

That was the day that the child Paul Brand first knew lepers. That was the day the child of two loving parents learned fear.

oooo0000oooo

The pain and shame that lepers receive not only from society but also from their families cannot be underestimated. Brand has met thousands of intelligent, delightful persons who were rejected, beaten, and cursed by their own families upon the first sign of the disease. In those days, rare would be a hospital who would allow victims of leprosy to enter their doors. Some doctors would consent to take a look at the patients -- but only from afar. If not for violence, lepers only received fear and disgust wherever they went.

Later interviews with patients of Dr. Brand would testify their cries -- and bewilderment -- when Brand treated them. For the first time in years, here are hands who actually touched them not with blows or revulsion, but with gentleness and intimacy. For a reason that may only be known by Dr. Brand and his Creator, Paul was able to go beyond the thousands of years of fear and prejudice and touch the human beneath the disease.

Dr. Brand was famous not only for the pioneering hand surgery techniques he developed, but for finding out the real reason why leprosy patients go blind, lose their feet, have claw-like hands, and disfigured bodies. Before him, everybody thought that the disease itself eats the flesh of the victims. Dr. Brand discovered that leprosy bacilli only attacks the nervous system, disabling the pain receptors and rendering the victims numb. The victims then injure themselves because they no longer have the most effective warning system ever designed in the cosmos -- our capacity to feel pain. The eye goes blind because it cannot feel its own dryness and therefore doesn't blink; the hand holding a hot pan doesn't let go; the feet would keep walking through the shattered glass because it cannot feel itself being lacerated. The injury becomes worse, and subsequent infections would finish the job.

oooo0000oooo

"If there's a gift that I wish I could give my patients, it would be the gift of pain," says Dr. Paul Brand. While theologians and smart alecks try to figure out why a good God allows pain, Dr. Brand does the opposite -- he praises the Lord for such a wonderful gift. He cannot think of a greater gift for the wondrous human body in this fallen world, he says, than the gift of pain.

Yancey remembers his first interview with Dr. Brand:

How could a good God allow such a blemished world to exist? Brand had responded to my complaints one by one. Disease? Did I know that of the twenty four thousand species of bacteria, all but a few hundred are healthful, not harmful? Plants could not produce oxygen, nor could animals digest food without the existence of bacteria. Indeed, bacteria constitute half of all living matter. Most agents of disease, he explained, vary from this necessary organisms in only slight mutations.

What about birth defects? He launched into a description of the complex biochemistry involved in producing one healthy child. The great wonder is not that birth defects occur but that millions more do not. Could a mistake-proof world have been created so that the human genome, with its billions of variables, would never err in transmission? No scientist could envision such an error-free system in our world of fixed physical laws.

"I've found it helpful to try to think like the Creator," Brand told me. "My engineering team in Carville has done just that. For several years, our team worked with the human hand. What engineering perfection we find there! After operating on thousands of hands, I must agree with Isaac Newton: 'In the absence of any other proof, the thumb alone would convince me of God's existence."

Yancey writes further: "Paul Brand consulted with Mother Theresa, served on committees with Gandhi's disciples, and knew some of India's traditional 'holy men.' In his own life, however, he chose the middle way of balancing off the material and the mystical, the prophetic and the pragmatic. Older acquaintances in the hospital of Vellore remember him not only for his spiritual depth and sacrificial service but also for his practical jokes, love for marmalade and mangoes, and fast driving. As I emerged from the 1960s, a decade never accused of a sense of balance, I needed an example of someone who lived a well-rounded life in the midst of modern society, not off in a monastery or ashram."

If for nothing else, one could admire Dr. Brand for living a counter-culture life even before that term was coined. Offered with prestigious headship of well-known medical institutions, showered with illustrious accolades such as the Lasker Award, Brand nonetheless chose the life where he knew he was called: with the shamed, with the rejected, with the hurt, with the hopeless, with those that no one else would have -- much like what his Savior did, 2000 years ago.

leaving the church

2006-10-11T17:29:00.000+08:00

this is the latest from my most favoritest writer-pastor:

"if you never find a way to leave church, you might have a hard time finding God."

it sounds controversial, and is sure as hell prone to be abused by those who want to abuse it... but hey, read the post first before dismissing it altogether, all right?

I want happiness from the heart

2006-10-11T09:43:00.000+08:00

Selecta spoiled me.

Having a get-whatever-you-want ice cream cabinet in the office indulged my cravings for the delightful concoction. While some people walk around to clear their heads while working, I'll be there -- writing that report/memo/speech/article/paper, rethinking the structure of the piece, and grabbing a cornetto cone as a brain catalyst.

And I'd need a brain catalyst every two paragraphs or so.

Maybe I won't be in a mood for a Cornetto. Maybe I'd rather have the melon Twin Popsicles... or a serving of Very Rocky Road, or have an itch to sink my teeth on the chunky cheese of Quezo Real, or maybe I'd go for a whole pint of Buco Salad... no matter... the ice cream cabinet was open for me, and ice cream is perfect to relieve stress.

And the feast didn't end at the office. I'll tell my beloved Tita Elvie (the 'matriarch' of the office) that i'd bring home some ice cream and she'd say "oo naman!" as if it were ridiculous of me to bother asking. I'd find myself finishing a whole Take 2 tub, or a mango sundae, or heck, even a whole half gallon (if I were really distracted) as I watched TV.

Not a bad deal at all, I tell you.

Now that I left the company, the cravings still come. I'll have lunch at the new office and my throat remembers that little piece of the clouds that used to slide down to my tummy regularly. My tastebuds become my master and once or twice a week, I'll let myself to a Double Dutch Ice Cream Stick and remember.

Like an old man enjoying a brief slice of heaven with a hooker, I muse...

I never used to pay for this stuff.

you and me

2006-10-10T09:29:00.000+08:00

i don't usually post mush here, but there are just some songs that make my heart roll even with just a few beats.

what day is it
and in what month
this clock never seemed so alive

you barrel through my bubble, of course, unmindful of the shields i put up.
no matter how long or how far i wander, you're the one who could make me feel most alive.

I can't keep up
and I can't back down
I've been losing so much time

and i wonder sometimes, just what the hell am i doing
wasting time, goofing around
when i know, without a doubt, that when all is said and done,
all of me is yours.

cause it's you and me
and all of the people
with nothing to do nothing to lose
and it's you and me
and all of the people
and I don't know why
I can't keep my eyes off of you

the world parades itself, and offers me the stars
but you've shown me something beyond all that.
and like the guy who once followed you
i ask,
to whom shall i go?

all of the things that I want to say
just aren't coming out right
I'm tripping inwards
you got my head spinning
I don't know where to go from here

and i stumble and wander
go my way and hurt you
but if i'll be honest with myself
it's me who i'm hurting

cause it's you and me
and all of the people
with nothing to do nothing to prove
and it's you and me
and all of the people
and I don't know why
I can't keep my eyes off of you

because there's nothing in me that's not yours
amidst the world, despite myself,
i'm yours

there's something about you now
I can't quite figure out

you want me to know you
but my eyes are weak yet
soon i'll go blind
and see you for the first time

you and me
and all of the people
with nothing to do nothing to prove
and it's you and me
and all of the people
and I don't know why
I can't keep my eyes off of you

so it's just you and me,
just as it was
and how it will always be

what day is it
and in what month
this clock never seemed so alive

till then, my God, with You, I am most alive.

You and Me
Lifehouse

* photo by shutterstock

Ghostfighter

2006-10-06T13:10:00.000+08:00

Astig talaga ang Ghostfighter.

I first watched the series waaaaaaaaaay back in first year high school -- that was around a dozen years ago. Every wednesday night, I'd steal away from my friends and go home early to catch an episode in IBC 13.

Of course, I wouldn't be caught dead watching a cartoon at such an age, but one Thursday, in between classes, I was amazed to hear every guy in my class talking neither about x-rated tapes nor Ultimate Fighting Champion episodes -- instead, they were animatedly discussing Hiei's lightning-fast swordsmanship that ends a fight seconds after it began. Suddenly, it was ok to come out of the closet -- after a season of pretending we're all too old for our childhood pleasures, watching cartoons was cool again.

The series ended, of course, as all good things in this earth are wont to do. But the show's popularity was so much that the program was shown again. I was a freshie in college at this time, and again, I was surprised with the show's widespread appeal. One time in our Art Studies (was this Humanities 2?) class, our teacher assigned us to attend an art gallery opening scheduled at 7 in the evening. After a breath of hesitation, the class declined and asked for a different schedule or activity. The reason? Ghostfighter's timeslot was set at 7 in the evening. Incredulous, the kindly old professor had to ask again if we -- the whole class -- were actually saying no to an assignment because of a TV show; she couldn't believe a bunch of college scholars were risking a '5' for a cartoon show.

Dubbed in Filipino, Ghostfighter is known for its humorous cracks and notable characters. I could tell you all about the various sagas of the show or how they developed each character, but that would lessen the magic. I was so into the Ghostfighter's story that a girlfriend even drew for me an image of Dennis, the human form of the dreaded Youko Kurama.

Ghostfighter (in Japan, Yu Yu Hakusho) is about the adventures of Eugene (Yusuke Urameshi), a 14 yr-old misunderstood boy, who is generally known as the toughest kid in town. Due to some unexpected twist of fate, Eugene dies, becomes a Spirit Detective, becomes the apprentice/heir of a spirit wave master, leads his team to the Dark Tournament, dies again and thus triggers the hidden-demon dna in his body and organizes the first Tournament (in place of elections) to determine who will become the leader of Makai (demon world). Not bad for a delinquent teenager who fears, more than anything else in the world, the slap of his girlfriend Kayko.

GMA 7 recently re-launched Ghostfighter -- making it the show's fourth (or is it 5th?) run on Philippine airwaves. What caught my attention, however, is what I saw in the report from AC Nielsen about the program ratings. I found, to my pleasant surprise, that Ghostfighter was at the 3rd place on the top 10 daily programs -- only behind Eat Bulaga and Daisy Siete, besting Wowowee, Komiks, and various drama shows. It is also the no.1 Anime today, in terms of ratings. I'd show you the charts but I'm afraid Nielsen might sue me for publishing it in the Internet. 12 years, 5 series reruns, scores of other anime shows later, it seems that the Rekai Tantei still kicks ass.

Now, i wonder if there's a DVD of the series in Makati Cinema Square...

preachings by a jolly old giant

2006-10-03T12:35:00.000+08:00

G. K. Chesterton
Relics Along the Seashore
Chapter 3, Soul Survivor
By Philip Yancey

If I were asked to come up with a list of writers I would hope to emulate, I would want to include the name of Gilbert Keith Chesterton on that list. I said "I would want to" because in truth, barbarian that I am -- I haven't read a single work of his.

What I know of Mr. Chesterton is mainly from the numerous times that Philip Yancey has mentioned him in many of his books -- and they were all glowing praises. Wikipedia writes that Chesterton 'wrote around 80 books, several hundred poems, some 200 short stories, 4000 essays, and several plays. He was a literary and social critic, historian, playwright, novelist, Catholic Christian theologian and apologist, debater, and mystery writer. He was a columnist of The Daily News, Illustrated London News, and his own paper, G. K.'s Weekly; he also wrote articles for the Encyclopedia Brittanica."

An impressive portfolio, to be certain, but Chesterton's genius is more appreciated when we know how other famous personalities spoke of him. He often debated with men such as George Bernard Shaw, H. G. Wells, Bertrand Russel, and Clarence Darrow -- and these giants could not help but respect Chesterton, despite dissenting with his views. C. S. Lewis, perhaps the most influential Christian thinker of our time, calls Chesterton the 'father' of his faith. Neil Gaiman, respected writer and tale weaver, freely credits Chesterton's "The Napoleon of Notting Hill" as an important influence in his own "Neverwhere." Gilbert, a character from The Sandman, was also based on Chesterton. "Good Omens," a novel by Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, is dedicated to "the memory of G. K. Chesterton: A man who knew what was going on."

Chesterton is widely known for his wit and sense of humor, often employing paradox and 'uncommon sense' in making his point. When The Times asked several noteworthy authors to write essays on the theme "What's wrong with the world?", Chesterton's contribution was as sharp and incisive as an expose is to a scam:

"Dear Sirs,

I am.

Sincerely yours,
G. K. Chesterton"

Yancey praises Chesterton for not shirking against humor and showing the world a sight they rarely see: A Joyous Christian. For Yancey, Chesterton was the antithesis of the churchmates he grew up with -- humorless, pallid individuals who abhored learning and could get guilty over watching movies.

In this world where popular culture and faith has drifted farther and farther apart, Yancey believes that the world needs more G. K. Chestertons. For while powerful elocutors such as "Martin Luther King Jr. arises with power and eloquence enough to address both sides at once, Chesterton had another approach: he walked to the center of a swinging bridge, roared a challenge to any single combat warriors, and them made both sides laugh aloud." At a time when debates about faith could fill lecture halls, Chesterton would arrive late, squint at scraps of paper one can hardly call 'notes,' fumble through his pockets, laugh heartily at his own jokes, and charm not only the audience but also his opponent. In a society that takes pride in despising faith, Chesterton seemed to sense that a stern prophet will not work; he therefore took the role of a jester.

Yancey also credits Chesterton for first bringing up the problem of pleasure. While atheists and agnostics hound believers on the problem of pain, Chesterton argues that non-believers have an equal responsibility to answer why pleasure exists in this world. Yancey asks, "Why is sex fun? Reproduction surely does not require pleasure: some animals simply split in half to reproduce, and even humans use methods of artificial insemination that involve no pleasure. Why is eating enjoyable? Plants and the lower animals manage to obtain their quota of nutrients without the luxury of taste buds. Why are there colors? Some people get along fine without the ability to detect color. Why complicate vision for all the rest of us?" These questions, Chesterton and Yancey believed, lead to the conclusion on the existence of a loving God.

If I could have half the genius, humor and good nature of Chesterton, I would consider myself lucky. In the meantime, I write struggling pieces such as this:

The trouble lies, I think, not with our God changing His mind, but in our propensity to twist what is perfectly acceptable to God and make it detestable. This is the very character of sin – something pleasurable to God horrendously perverted. Eating becomes gluttony. Drinking becomes getting drunk. Sex becomes sex before marriage. Gentleness becomes cowardice. Strength becomes violence. Firmness becomes cruelty. The desire to do what is right becomes legalism.

In our fear of perverting what God has given us, or (perhaps more honestly,) in our effort to look like we’re not sinning, we run away from the wholesome and delightful pleasures that God purposely made to delight His children.

To know where this excerpt comes from, read the rest of the article here at still earthbound.

emotional surgery

2006-10-02T13:53:00.000+08:00

saying goodbye is like getting a tonsillectomy. it's painful, it's hard, and you'll puke your own blood due to the wounds you suffered inside. the pain will remain with you even after a considerable time has passed since undergoing tonsillectomy or saying goodbye, and life would certainly taste different afterwards, but you'll do what you have to do, right?

sure, your reasons may be valid, maybe even to prevent further pain and injury to yourself, but getting that cure -- a tonsillectomy or saying goodbye -- could just be as harmful as the injury to begin with.

nobody dies from either activity, but no matter what angle you look at it, after all is said and done about these 'cures' -- the truth remains:

you're less of a person after going through with it.

fights and fables

2006-09-26T16:09:00.000+08:00

DOA: Dead or Alive is eye candy all over. It's the chick version of the movie Mortal Kombat (which was uber cool in itself) -- a teenage boy droolfest, if there ever was one.

Don't bother about the plot -- the movie's not really about that. If you insist on reading about the film before watching it, there are numerous reviews out there. But don't let so simple a thing such as the plot stop you from the all the fun.

That is not to say, however, that DOA offers nothing significant. As one review said, DOA is a profound tale about finding genuine friendship in the midst of hardships and competition with no hint of lesbian undertones whatsoever.

But the real strength of DOA rests in the male fun factor. Barely clad hot chicks duking it out in unarmed combat -- it's hard finding something that could beat that. Don't even bother analyzing the story -- you just know they're here for some serious ass whoopin'.

These are my two favorite girls:

Glenn's fascination with Devon Aoki in the fast and the furious escaped me then, but i get it now. She may be typecast as the oriental martial artist, but she sure does ninja princess with style.

Natassia Malthe played Typhoid Mary in Elektra and she's admirable as the silent ninja assasin of this movie. Maybe it's the purple hair. Or maybe the senseless drive in the pursuit of killing Kasumi. Or maybe it's that kiss with Hayabusa (who probably hasn't brushed his teeth in a year). But whatever it is, she's HOT.

If you have some time to spare and you want to laugh out loud to clean, non-slapstick yet totally unintelligent fun, DOA: Dead or Alive (they really had to spell it out ;p) is for you.

========== oooo0000oooo ============

Finally finding out who the adversary was in Vertigo's Fables: Legends in Exile was a BIIIIIIIG letdown. It's just so... wooden for me.

[warning: spoilers ahead]

I mean... maybe it's because my initial take on the Adversary was this every lustful, every hungry, depraved entity bent on destroying every fable as we know it, but I was disappointed in finding out his real identity. And puppet governments?!? why in all creation would he want to do that? It's just too contrived for my taste.

But then again, maybe that's the whole point. Evil doesn't need a reason and our most bitter enemies are usually those that were closest to us. And maybe, as an immortal, the thought of happily ever after is torture in itself. Who'd want to live thousands of years as a mere pied pier, after all?

Fortunately, my excitement for the rest of the series hasn't waned. Ang hirap lang maghintay -- it will take months for every compilation to come out. Why can't every story come to me now? In the meantime, the upcoming 1001 Nights of Snowfall promises to be a treat.

More powerful than the messenger

2006-09-22T17:45:00.000+08:00

"I have a dream" may well be the sum of what I know about Martin Luther King, Jr. Sure, I've heard about him before, but all I knew was that he was this civil rights activist who 'had a dream' and fought - nonviolently - for the realization of his dream. Years after his death, the negro now can can sit anywhere in the bus, can drink and eat on the same restaurants as whites, can vote, can enroll in schools, and can have the same jobs as any white in America.

Looking at American history in hindsight, very few of us would condone the uglyblatantstupid racism that the blacks suffered in the past. Growing up with impressive archetypes such as Michael Jordan, Nelson Mandela, Denzel Washington, George Washington Carver, Aretha Franklin, and Muhammad Ali, the idea of blacks being inferior is as ridiculous to me as the idea of the moon being made up of cheese. Martin Luther King Jr. made sure of that.

Much of the world adores King today as the man behind the civil rights movement in the US, as a scholar and as an admirable preacher. Yancey's chapter about King, aside from focusing on all the noteworthy qualities of the renowned leader, also mentioned facts that we usually don't know.

More research pictured Mr. King as a plagiarist, an adulterer and a suspected sexual pervert. He had enemies on almost every front, and was tagged as a card-carrying communist (do they really carry cards? why????), an embezzler, and an instigator of disorder. (I bet these surprised you -- I know i was.)

While some of these accusations can be easily answered as the bitter underhanded shots of people who were unwilling to change their racist views, some of these allegations are undeniably true. Unattributed sentences can be found in Mr. Kings speeches and writings, and a released surveillance tape of Mr. King proved that he had illicit sexual activities even until the night before his death.

What strikes me upon this discovery, however, is not bitterness or a sense of betrayal from a man I was raised to admire, but a sense of wonder and gratitude for a God who is able to work in spite of the flaws of his messengers.

Many people would argue that due to his wrongdoings, King was not of God -- how could he, when he is ensnared in sin? But then again, if I were to remember my bible, the figures we admire there are also the people whom we could so easily condemn. King David had his military leader killed so he could claim his wife. Abraham pimped his wife for his safety. Solomon was a hedonist, Paul a murderer. The apostles were cowards, Moses, a fugitive. Jacob was a deceiver, and Rahab was a prostitute. If there is a lesson that I could get from all these biblical characters, it is that God, if given the chance, can redeem anything and make use of ANYONE. No one is beyond his salvation.

This comforts me, and most of my friends -- the knowledge that His message is greater than the messenger. My inequities might be gigantic in my eyes, but they are nothing -- absolutely nothing -- compared to my God.

* Photo swiped from Mabelvale Magnet Middle School
and from Black History Bookmarks

back to basics

2006-09-21T09:11:00.000+08:00

come back to your first love.

for more details, please visit the fullcup blog.

i used a tag to intro my next posts

2006-09-20T11:24:00.000+08:00

i saw this from April and I'm shamelessly copying.

1. Grab the nearest book
2. Open book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post text of sentence on your blog. Please include book and author along with these instructions.
5. No digging about for the "cool" or "intellectual" book in your closet! (I know you were thinking about it!) Just pick up whatever is closest.

My sentence is "As I look back now on the cloister of Southern fundamentalism in which I grew up, I wonder if perhaps I suffered from a narcissistic disorder (perhaps all adolescents do?)"

The sentence is from the chapter Leo Tolstoy and Feodor Dostoevsky, from Philip Yancey's book Soul Survivor: How Thirteen Unlikely Mentors Helped My Faith Survive the Church.

I've been trying to find Soul Survivor for the longest time. It's original release date was sometime near the Sept. 11 tragedy on the US. And like most things back then, the book's release took a backseat as a nation sat in grief and surprise.

The first time I saw Soul Survivor was years ago -- as an ad to another book. and its original title was "Soul Survivor: How I survived the church" which was pure badass, if you ask me. I kept looking for it but as i've said, unforseeable circumstances delayed its release.

Leah generously gave me the book just the other day, and i've hungrily started to read it. Instead of the diatribes against the church that i was expecting, Yancey took but a couple of pages to establish those wounds and then moved on to the people that has nurtured his faith.

I should have expected it from the author who wrote "What's so amazing about grace?" -- he concentrated on the healing part, and not on digging up old wounds.

If I were to be asked about the people who influenced my faith, Yancey would be among the few on top of the list. And in this book Yancey talks about those that influenced him. These are people I've heard about but don't know. Martin Luther King Jr. Mahatma Gandhi. Leo Tolstoy. G.K. Chesterton.

So in the next few days, as I read the chapters devoted to this 13 people, I will write about them and tell them to you. Who knows, maybe there's someone out there viciously wounded by his/her own church that would find comfort in those same people. I may not be able to give light like those luminaries, but i could always point people into their direction.

Tonight I saw a man

2006-09-20T07:53:00.000+08:00

Taken from last night's entry on my prayer journal...

19 September 2006

Tonight I saw a man go hungry. I was eating at a turo-turo, one of those stalls by the street that sell the cheapest food. I was well on my way towards devouring my pork chop when I noticed an old man sit on the other side of the squarish store, directly across me.

He was an old man, obviously poor. He wasn’t a beggar, his clothes pegged him more as a construction worker – a job he was far too old to bear. I noticed him because he was carrying his money on his hand (a singular P20 bill) even before he ordered. I knew right then that he was poor, because only those that fear they cannot afford what they want flaunt their money – a nonverbal message to the seller that this is all that they have.

An attendant brought him one cup of rice and the old man talked to him. I couldn’t hear them because they were quite far from me, and also because the rain was violently pouring down all around us. I couldn’t hear them but I knew what they were talking about because the same conversation ran through my head a thousand times before.

“How much?”
“This much.”
“This is all that I have…”
“Then you cannot have it.”

I wanted to help. I forgot my own hunger and I wanted to call the attendant and tell him to give the old man whatever he wanted and I’ll pay for it. This was a cheapo store – paying for the old man’s dinner would hardly be a sacrifice.

But thoughts assailed my head that glued me to my seat.

“This is a MAN – a working man… he would mind unsolicited help.”
“What if you embarrass him by offering to help? You’ll hurt the feelings of the old guy.”
“Are you even sure what you’re thinking is true? What if you come barging in there all pompous when it turns out he doesn’t need your help at all? Wouldn’t that make you an ass?”

Drowned in those thoughts, I was caught unready when the old man suddenly left and braved the rains. The attendant took back the rice, and I was left in my impotence. In my effort to be nice, I failed to do what was good.

I hailed the attendant and asked him what he and the old man talked about.

“He asked how much was the rice. P6, I said. Then he asked if that already included a viand. Of course I said no. Then he said I could take back the rice now because he wasn’t hungry anyway.”

Rage and sadness filled my heart. I was angry at my incompetent, corrupt government. I was angry at the rich for not sharing their excess to the poor. I was angry at the store for turning down a man as old as he. I was even angry at Adam and Eve for plunging this world into fallen-ness.

But I was not raised to overlook my own shortcomings. I was most angry at myself because I didn’t help. Because I was too slow. Because I was too weak to do what needed to be done.

When did doing good merit a second thought? When did helping those in need give way to squeamishness? When did we become so familiar to worldliness and self-absorption that we get paralyzed with uncertainty when the right thing intrudes in our heads?

Tonight I was angry at the world for the suffering that humanity endures. But tonight I am more horrified at myself – that old man went home wet and hungry because I was too nice to do what was right.

Mat 25:40 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

* Photo taken from Shutterstock

space flight

2006-09-19T18:46:00.000+08:00

Illustration by Kyle Cummings.

Spiritual social climbing

2006-09-14T09:35:00.000+08:00

Does God want you to be rich?

As the TIME article mentioned, the most obvious problem with prosperity theology is that it shifts your attention from the gift-giver to the gift itself. "God becomes a means to an end, not an end in Himself," says Southwestern Baptist's Phillips. This is in no way different from the 19 year old chick who marries a multi-millionaire octagenarian because she 'really loves him'. If we find this girl's act repulsive, how would it compare to accepting the blood of the Messiah so we can have a top-model car?

Click here to read the rest of the post at Still Earthbound.

valuable

2006-09-12T12:56:00.000+08:00

this is a memory from six years ago, before the kick-ass computer, before the jobs, before all the drama in my first blog, and the new life in my second blog. it was summertime and i was about to dive into the second half of my college life. guimaras was still a recent memory then.

oooo0000oooo

My friend and I were sitting at McDonald's at the carpark of SM North, seeking sanctuary from the merciless heat of the summer sun. The day was spent running her errands and getting the CPU of my computer near the bible shop in West Avenue. Carrying the CPU from the computer store to the mall was no easy feat, and the afternoon sun was patently vicious. We decided that we deserved a break, and McDonald's was a choice as good as any.

"The're back!" my mind screamed as a luscious poster of the McDo Strawberry sundae greeted us in the store. Those kind of sundaes were particularly good, i knew -- chunks of strawberry swimming in sauce and a soft ice cream would be a good refresher in this hot summer day. Top it off with the largest Coke serving they offer and I was all set. In between our incessant jokes and non-stop talking, my friend ordered the same thing i was having, but with fries.

We went ahead and found a table, eagerly awaiting one of the crew to bring us our goodies. The aircondition was fine, but the sweltering heat outside drained most of my energies.

"punas ka ng pawis! basang-basa na yang t-shirt mo. yuck."

"eh ang init sa labas eh!" i answered. "at least ako nilalabas ko -- di katulad mo di pinapawisan. masama yan sa katawan kala mo -- ako nilalabas ko yung dumi sa katawan ko. so sa palinisan ng loob ng katawan, talo kita!"

"utot!" she squealed, and put out her tongue in reply to what i said. She was an incoming law student at UP, graduated college with honors, and had been a long-time leader at her church. She calls me names and puts her tongue out whenever she had no logical rebuttal for my teasings. we've been traveling the whole day under the sweltering heat but she still had the energy to laugh at me to my face.

"gads." i thought. be still, my heart.

not even two months have passed when she turned down another friend of ours -- for all sorts of reasons. and while she and i had a GREAT friendship, i honestly didn't think she'd go for me. I wasn't her type. I wasn't the IKDG-guy she was looking for. I wasn't handsome, or like any of the guys she adored. She turned down walter, for crying out loud. Why would I think I'd end up different? And more than that, i was younger -- at the time of our lives when age still mattered.

But i wasn't the 'champion of lost causes' for nothing.

"uy, salamat sa pagsama mo sa'kin sa contract-signing sa PDI ha. kung di moko sinamahan, di ako nakapunta don kasi bulag ako."

"haha. buti nga nakabili ka na nang bagong contact lens eh. at nakakatawa yung text mo ha. "pwede ka bang mahiram?" hahahaha. kakaiba."

"eh ikaw lang naman talaga ang pwede kong isama don eh." i answered.

"quits na tayo. sinamahan mo naman ako ngayon eh."

"eh bakit kasi di ka pa mag-boyfriend? para lagi kang may alalay."

"bakit pa? andyan ka naman. sinasamahan mo ko, inaaliw. nagdadala ng gamit. ano pang use ng boyfriend?"

(craaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaap.)

"hahaha." i laughed, covering my thoughts. "so alila ang tingin mo sakin?"

she laughed again, and put out her tongue.

(gads. akonalangakonalangakonalangakonalang!)

Our hands were separated by mere inches on the table, but they could just as easily have been miles apart. she was just too high, too much, too pretty, too precious for me. And if i did lose my head and articulated how i felt, i was sure i would just end up losing her -- the same way that walter lost her.

My eyes wandered around the McDonald's store, desperate to find something - anything that could distract me enough to not blurt out what i wanted to say to her. My eyes settled on a store sign that made me smile. A safe joke -- with just the right amount of ambiguity.

"hey." i said. I extended my hands and held her arms.

"bakit?" she asked. I held on.

"hello? hoy! bakit?"

Finally, I let go and with a smile on my face, pointed to the McDo in-store sign. She turned from her seat and read...

"Please do not leave your valuables unattended"

"Hahaha! Baliw!" she said. And looked at me with a hint of question in her eyes...

"finally." i mused, smiling a secret smile. And before she could articulate whatever it was that she was beginning to notice, I attacked her strawberry sundae before attending to my own.

City Love

2006-09-08T17:00:00.000+08:00

I want a date with Manila.

Manila and I are... acquaintances at best. I wasn’t born in that city, nor have I ever lived there or needed to visit her everyday. My mother birthed me in Caloocan, I now live in Mandaluyong, went to school in Quezon City and worked in the cities of Makati, Pasig, and now in Kamuning. Manila and I haven’t had the chance to get to know each other that well.

But there is hope. I have always felt... welcome with Manila. Whether I involuntary stop walking because I couldn’t believe Manila Post Office’s grandeur or while traversing its grimy streets, I am welcome there.

What we need is a date – for Manila and I to get to know each other better. I already have notable memories of her: first time I rode the LRT and I couldn’t figure out why in the world Chinese-looking buildings are in the city – I was still in the Philippines, wasn’t i? (I was only seven at that time). John texting me directions on how to get to Joy Student Fellowship. I ended up getting off at the United Nations station instead of Central Station (I walked the rest of the way). Stef and I walking along the covered streets of Quiapo looking for a book (I never imagined Quiapo would look like that). A whole day of Jesus Rev near Rizal Park. A quiet dinner at Baywalk while the showbands try some acoustic tunes. My father and I going through a signal no.4 typhoon on an open owner-type jeep with no functioning wipers. Joining my first-ever rally to Mendiola with Leah (Iskolar ng bayan, ngayon ay lumalaban!). Praying/singing/laughing while walking along the Intramuros wall – minutes before we leave for the ship that will take us to Guimaras.

Does the planetarium still exist? Are there still animals in Manila Zoo? Where’s the Nayong Pilipino relocated? What’s in PICC? And most importantly, where can I rent a boat to tour me along the Pasig River? Who knows, maybe I’ll even catch a glimpse of the dreaded giant janitor fish in those waters.

So how about it, friends? Who’d like to chaperone as Manila and I go on a date?

(photo courtesy of web.mit.edu)

Rain of chaos

2006-09-07T14:34:00.000+08:00

I spent the first forty minutes of my time at work yesterday drying my polo at the cr. Rain fell lightning fast yesterday just when i got off the MRT station. My dinky ass umbrella wasn't able to do anything.

goody.

In other news, I was finally able to finish this story spawned by John's fanfic on a game we love -- DotA. Read john's story first if you plan to follow the sundering of the last survivors of the guild of the [unseen].

“Mortred!” screamed Rikimaku. “Snap out of it! We could still help!”

She looked at her ally and saw him blink nearer to the Dread Lord. It seems that the satyr would battle the demigod alone if need be. But he was not alone, there was an elf still fresh in the battle, and she would gladly die before she allowed Archimonde’s demonic hand to touch the World Tree.

To read the rest of the story, click here.

Raising a boy

2006-09-06T14:32:00.000+08:00

Ailene, John, and I have started a group blog. We'll post there every once in a while and continue ranting in our own blogs.

Here's an exerpt of my most recent post there:

Fortunately, my mom’s tendency to be over-protective was balanced by my father’s firm and Godly guidance that I grow up as a guy: wounds and scratches, broken windows, lizard-in-my-pocket, mud-on-my-cheeks, slingshot skirmishes that constitute a boy’s childhood. While my mother cleaned up my lacerated knees and made sure I had milo every morning and took my vitamins every night, my father took me to community basketball leagues and introduced me to isaws, fishballs, and bruce lee movies. While my mother attempted to inject some culture in me by enrolling me on piano lessons (I lasted for about two sessions, I think), my father took me fishing, bought me boxing gloves, made me a makeshift punching bag, and bought me a mountain bike, which left me pasted on a wall after I forgot to break while I was speed-turning on a steep slope. He even bought for me my first ever gift to a girl classmate I liked – a troll doll I never would have thought of giving to a girl. Why would you give such an ugly thing to a beautiful creature, after all?

To read the rest of the post, please click here.

Killing me softly

2006-09-04T12:47:00.000+08:00

G's abode is a bit silent due to C's trip to Turkey. Got this from him.

How do you like your eggs?
I like dem very much. (Sorry, couldn't resist :P that's from Bab of Pugad Baboy).

Sunny side up's good enough. Although the most eggs i've eaten is back at high school. Everyday, on our way home, my friends and I would stop by this kwek-kwek place (quail eggs) and I'll eat around P30 worth of quail eggs EVERYDAY. That's a lot, a quail egg back then costs only half a peso.

Oh, and i also like the omelette at Manila Polo.

How do you take your coffee/tea:
I don't. I don't drink tea or coffee.

Favorite breakfast food:
Sinangag (fried rice) plus fried squid, crab and shrimp -- all freshly caught. This is my everyday breakfast whenever I go home to Guinayangan, Quezon. The town's not called 'Seafoods Paradise' for nothing.

Peanut butter: smooth or crunchy?
smooooooooooth, baby. I intensely dislike the dry variant.

(I haven't tried it with banana =< )
What kind of dressing on your salad?
Umm... Asian? I don't really know.

Coke or Pepsi?
Whatever -- they're basically the same for me. I have friends who will kill me for saying such a blasphemous thing, but that's that.

You’re feeling lazy. What do you make?
zzzzs.

bread. dipped in coke.

You’re feeling really lazy. What kind of pizza do you order?
The BIG kind =)

You feel like cooking. What do you make?
Filipino-style spaghetti. Or maybe even Sinampalukang Manok. Just lemme text my mom for directions.

Do any foods bring back good memories?
Mixed Toppings at the Thai Food Canteen in UP. Darn it, where did that stall go? =(

Do any foods bring back bad memories?
Well, not exactly sad... but... Mcdo food. Too many bad memories.

Do any foods remind you of someone?
My parents. I probably got my enthusiasm with food from my dad, who loves eating, and from my mom, who cooks really well.

Liempo is for John. This stuff's gonna kill us, man.

Is there a food you refuse to eat?
Bagoong. It may really go well with some food like Kare-kare and burong mangga, but I don't like it. Even just for principle. Don't ask me to explain :P

What was your favorite food as a child?
Jollibee's Chicken Joy -- and more importantly, their gravy! It's just sad that's the gravy's not as good as it once was.

Oooooh. I also used to go nuts for marshmallows.

Is there a food that you hated as a child but now love?
Veggies! Far too many nights were spent being spanked because i refuse to eat my veggies (I got spanked, but I still didn't eat the green things). But now I actually look forward to eating some of it.

Is there a food that you loved as a child but now hate?
Tamarind Balls (champoy). I used to blow my pennies and buy several of these things when I was little. I also used to snack on kamias. Agh. I shiver now just thinking about biting into one of those.

Favorite fruit & vegetable:
Coconut. Vegetable? umm.... togue =)

Favorite junk food:
Chikadees! Because they always had free stuff. Now? Picnic or the chocolate-covered Cream-O.

Favorite between meal snack:
chicken. or pork chop.

Do you have any weird food habits:
None that I know of. Is dipping fried fish into ketchup weird?

You’re on a diet. What food(s) do you fill up on?
Everything -- just on a lesser amount.

How spicy do you order Indian/Thai?
Bring it on, baby.

Can I get you a drink?
Fruit shakes. Coconut, mango, watermelon, melon, green grape... haduken!

Red wine or white?
Red. Haven't really had a good white.

We only have beer:
Cali Shandy. sorry.

Favorite dessert?
chocolateCHOColatechocoLAtechoC0late!

The perfect nightcap?
Hot or cold milo. plus chicken or pork chop.

I don't have much of a substantial post. I thought it would be a great day while i was having that early morning walk with ida but a few hours into the office and my chest feels heavy and my eyes hurt enough to water. I have no idea why.

am i dying?

Thirteen on a Thursday - liking oneself

2006-09-01T10:31:00.000+08:00

I first saw Thursday Thirteen from wrigley, and said, well, the story i want to write isn't complete yet, so might as well give this one a shot.

I went to their site and found a challenge by Denise. It goes like this:

“I would like to challenge all Thirteeners to come up with 13 things they like about themselves on the next Thursday 13…September 7.

I feel like we, as women, spend so much time scrutinizing ourselves that we sometimes forget the good stuff.”

Well, even if it's not a Thursday and I'm not a woman, let me get a crack at this post.

Thirteen Things that MOKS Likes About Himself

1. I can laugh at anything, most especially myself. Instead of moping around and wallowing in sorrow, years of being the 'dark and brooding' type has enabled me to get a hold of myself and pick myself up whenever I feel sad. I may not be the best joker around, but I'm goofy enough to keep the blues away.

2. I'm not obsessed about how i look. It's not that I'm normally dugyot -- i do comb my hair on occassion -- but I can't help but laugh at people who can't seem to keep it together when they have even a singular stray hair. I know that looks matter -- in this image-obsessed world, what can you expect? -- but it's not the only thing that matters. There are far more worthy things we can chase.

3. I'm smart. Well... reasonably.

4. I'm not afraid to fail. I just don't see the logic of not trying just because the odds are against you. So what if at the end of the game the scoreboard says 9 million to 1? At least you were in the game, right? Defeat is always a state of mind, not a mere result.

5. I sing even though I don't have the voice for it; I dance whenever I want.

6. I have no trouble admitting I have no idea about some things.

7. I'm ok alone. Of course, it's much much much more fun when love and friends are around.

8. I do believe in fairies, i do, i do. And in dragons and unicorns and underground cities and enchanted swords and time travel and immortals and secret quests and magic and monsters and all the other things that make this world a much more exciting place. Fantasy is my reality.

9. I do what i have to do. Even if I don't like it, or it's hard, or inconvenient. If I need to do it, I will.

10. My faith. My God is infinitely larger than me -- far far larger than my sins, my doubts, my inequities, my 'good' deeds, even my love. Thank God He's like that.

11. My girls (heehee). In spite of all the frustrations, the hurts, the regrets... I'm thankful I've met them and known them.

12. That I was born poor. It gave me incredible hardships and insecurities all throughout my life, but I definitely would not be who I am today if I did not grow up poor. I would not have learned how to persevere at things if I have always had it easy. I would not be able to identify and symphatize with poverty issues if I were not one of them. I would not have developed a backbone if every time I needed something I'll come running to dada.

And what I like most about myself is...

13. That I was able to admit to myself that I need Jesus Christ. Best decision EVER.

* All images from fotosearch.com. They have a good stock of photos, check it out.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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how i met your mother

2006-08-31T14:32:00.000+08:00

"It's the new Friends," said Ida, my resident TV-buff friend.

"Pah!" I said. My less-than-logical inclination to remain loyal to affiliations i've already made prompted me to have unfavorable notions about How I Met Your Mother even before I watched the show. A chance viewing of a single episode, however, quickly changed my mind.

How I met your mother is a comedy set on the year 2030 where the main character, Ted, tells his kids a plethora of stories on how he and their mother met, and how they (presumably) ended up together. Their stories are told through a future-flashback (does that make sense?) manner.

The show is about Ted and his grandiose quest on meeting and marrying 'the one' for him. Twenty seven, a budding architect, living in New York City on 2005 and his friends getting engaged, Ted suddenly feels his clock is ticking, and he must do all that he can to finally meet the woman of his dreams.

Enter Robin. A starting reporter on a struggling station, Robin is a Canadian who recently moved to New York to reach for her dreams. Beautiful and friendless, Robin gets hit on by most men she meets, and Ted's bumbling and inoffensive ways become her breath of fresh air.

Things aren't that easy, of course, as complications hindered Ted from being with Robin. The plot of the series is driven by this quest, while the comic relief comes mostly from Ted's lovable-asshole of a friend, Barney (click on the link to read Barney's blog).

The series is funny enough to keep me and my friends awake till 3 am on a workday. The plot is engaging, and while the characters may still be uni-dimensional, Rome wasn't made in a day, after all, and I've only watched the 1st season. Having said that, I can't help but admit that there is something... tiresome about the program.

How I met your mother is about a guy's search for love. This doesn't sound bad at all if not for the fact that the show is all about this. Ted's character is a pitiable man. A man crippled, paralyzed, beaten, confused, and incomplete if he is not in love or if the woman he wants is not in love with him.

The show advocates the long-standing lie perpetuated by Hollywood - that romantic love is the be-all and end-all of our existence. Through Ted's relentless and consuming compulsion to find the woman he would want to marry, viewers are implicitly taught that there is no greater pursuit than the pursuit of love.

While it is true that being in love is a most wondrous human experience, it is not the apex of our lives. What is troubling here is that no matter how smart you are, being bombarded by this Hollywood-pimped value inadvertently affects what we expect out of our lives. You don't believe me? Just ask yourself this -- how many perfectly wonderful people you know (blessed, able, healthy) are wallowing in sadness just because they have no one with them? How many people do you know whose happiness is defined by being loved?

This trend would be less problematic if we have the right idea of love, but sadly, the majority of us have the notion that love is the all-conquering feeling we have on certain times of our lives.

This is why we hear of fathers leaving their families for another woman (who, incidentally, is 10 years younger and 25 pounds lighter than his wife) because "he can't fight what's inside him." This is why we hear of high school girls quitting school and disobeying their parents and getting impregnated in the process because she found a boy who "really understood" her. This is why we hear of ministers, of worship leaders, of people who profess to be of Christ in appalling scandals because "God will forgive" them, after all -- nothing's wrong with love, right?

"Bullshit." as the Real Live Preacher would say. Love is something that you do, not something that you feel.

All in all, I eagerly await the 2nd season of How I Met Your Mother. The series is funny, even though I find some values perpetuated by the show objectionable. I will continue to watch it because I have been made aware and now vigilant of the the messages that the program gives us. I wonder, however, about the young men and women who are still deciding on the things they will believe all their lives. If they get bombarded by messages like these everyday, how long will it take before they believe it?

(Photo from wikipedia.org)

The spell of a story

2006-08-30T16:21:00.000+08:00

Neil Gaiman said it perfectly: "It is never just dreams."

Just because something is not made up of the same things we could touch and see -- matter, in short -- doesn't mean they're not real nor unimportant. Wishes, hurts, laughter, longing, memories -- these are things that are just as real as wood and stones, and infinitely more powerful.

It's the same thing with stories, or myths. Most people dismiss them as frivolous, and these are mostly the same people you see who are always rushing on the highway because their precious reports are already late. "To see is to believe," we say; and if we can't touch something, then it's just in our heads.

We regard myths as something unworthy of devotion, even attention -- as if they lose their power just because we can't prove their accuracy. But that's not how we should look at it. Myths are pervasive dreams -- our specie's way of teaching important issues that will stand the test of time.

Think of the Creation account in Genesis. Most people stumble on the obvious scientific inconsistencies in that account. And because it doesn't agree with their notions of 'provable facts,' they deem the bible unworthy of belief. Because the story would not stand up to the scientific process, they judge it untrue.

It is unfair, I think, to subject the Creation account to the same validation process we employ on the things that we can observe in the present. For one, Genesis is not titled 'Genesis: A scientific treatise on how I made the Universe by God.' To require the same scientific elements on it would be like criticizing a dictionary for not having a plot. The times were different; the methodology was different.

I would not presume to know the mind of the Master of the Universe, but I would think that He didn't use scientific jargon precisely for our benefit. Considering that what we consider as 'truth' as science defines it has, is, and will probably still change in the future [remember when the brightest minds in the planet thought that the atom was the smallest unit ever? or that the earth was flat?], it is for our own sakes that He used a simple, dignified story about a man, a woman and a garden so that people in all of history can understand it. Can you imagine if God used science on how to explain creation? How could Galileo have understood quarks and black holes? How could we understand it if God explained Creation through concepts no scientist has thought of yet?

Myths and stories stand the test of time precisely because they go beyond the ever-changing and fickle trends of our standards. They can't be proven because they don't have to. They are the articulation of our hopes and dreams, they are the longings that we all share.

As Gaiman's Puck said in "A midsummer night's dream" -- the first (and only?) comic to receive the prestigious World Fantasy Award for Short Story -- "just because something didn't happen, doesn't make it untrue."

New beginning

2006-08-30T11:06:00.000+08:00

Blogdrive was fun, but when the wanderlust hits, and there's a choice between stepping out into the dark or bang your head repeatedly on the wall...

you gotta take mercy on the wall.

Who knows? Maybe this new blog would take me out of the funk i was simmering in.

So here goes. I'm taking out my backpack and pocketing some chocolate bars. Who knows where the stories will take me?