The scene of the crime:  a small saloon by the kingdom’s oil pit.  Our hero turns to his weapon of choice: a magical book of wisdom that promised to contain all the things he needed to know to come face to face with doomsday.  It was a book of wisdom passed on from generation to generation of knights and wizards who used its magic to battle the greatest beasts of their age.  It was believed to have been created by the Son of Samuel, a powerful alchemist from the House of Nord.

But it wasn’t an easy find.  For years people have searched for this book but they all failed.  He scoured the whole kingdom to look for this magical potion book, only to find it lying by a bookkeeper’s shelf one fine evening.  But the possession of the book proved to be an equally daunting task:  the Bookkeeper had it in his possession for 250 years, so he wasn’t too keen on letting go of it.  But the bookkeeper offered a trade, in exchange for 700 silver coins.  Our hero paid heed, despite losing all the riches his mother had left him.  And thus began his epic journey.

Back at the saloon.  Our hero tries to unlock the complex ambiguities with which the book is filled.  He tried every logical way to understand the contents of the book, but to no avail.  Then, on the 12th hour of his stay, when people have come and gone but he remained, he was finally able to break the code.  It was a perplexing combination of letters and symbols that seem to have awakened the thoughts beneath his mind.  It ran through his veins and a moment of realization kicked in.  At last, he knew.  At long last, he had the knowledge and understanding of the ways of the doomsday.  At last, he can come face to face with it and at last, he can battle it.

Sunday:  Doomsday
Our hero prepares to lock head with doomsday.  He grabbed every weapon his hands could get a hold of–bottles of potions for recovery, energy bars for strength, sharp, pointy sticks for weapon.  With the knowledge he had, he knew there’s no way he could falter at the sight of the ghastly beast.  He knew there was no other way to conquer it but to battle with it.  He was afraid, but with what he got from the magical book

The scene of the crime:  doomsday’s castle.  It was a white, shiny fortress filled with trees of knowledge from the Garden of Eden.  Knowledge is doomsday’s greatest weapon, for not everyone in the kingdom possessed the kind of knowledge it had.  It was knowledge superior to any other, a knowledge that could unlock the world’s greatest riches.

But our hero had one thing doomsday didn’t have:  wisdom from the magical book of wisdom.  With it, he knew he could conquer doomsday and end its binding spell against all human.  With it, he knew he could be victorious in conquering doomsday.  And so, he prepared for battle, patiently awaiting the confrontation.  Despite having all the courage in the world, the thought of ceasing from existence didn’t elude his curious mind.  This could be his last battle, so he had to make it a great one.

After several hours of waiting for doomsday, at last, a sign from the skies emerges: it was a dragon, a fierce beast that breathed fire from its mouth.  As he looked back down to earth he saw two men and a woman walking towards his direction.  They were dressed in shiny white cloaks bearing what looked like old, grainy parchments.  This must be doomsday’s minions, he thought.  And he pulled back inside a castle, through the halls and inside a huge room with hundreds of chairs and a chilling atmosphere.

He inspected the room quite a bit.  He surveyed the stone grey walls that made the air seem ripe with suspicion.  He ran his hands through the floor which felt like grass, and ran through the huge room with empty chairs and a commanding platform at the middle.  He didn’t know where he was, but deep inside he knew what that room is.  It was the room of doomsday.

The door suddenly sprang open.  Enter doomsday’s minions, still clad in glowing white cloaks.   They made their way through the aisle and toward the pulpit, where our hero stands nearby.  As they approached, our hero prepares himself for battle.  He pulls out his sticks and pointed it at his head, drawing wisdom from his mind.  The cloaked minions read something from the parchments, and out leapt a glowing white flash of light that made its way to our hero’s head.  With a quick wisk of the stick, wisdom popped out in a bleeding red sphere of light that exploded and scrambled all around the room, devouring the light of knowledge from the minions’ parchments.

As our hero opened his eyes, he saw the cloaked minions walking away from him.  Did he do it?  Did he defeat doomsday?  Did he see the last of the doggone beast?

He didn’t know.  All he knew was that his head was aching, and he had the sudden urge to sleep.

Monday:  Doomsday, the day after
Our hero awakens to a throbbing headache and a nagging sensation by his right knee.  He couldn’t remember what happened, but he knew something made his head ache so much.  Was it the wisdom he got from the book?  Or is it doomsday’s spell that’s troubling his mind?  He didn’t know, he doesn’t know, and he won’t know.

All he knew was that he surpassed doomsday.  But he didn’t see the last of it.

—————

Hehe.  This is a running fiction in four chapters.  At the end of it maybe I’ll tell you what it means.  But it’s an attempt.  So pardon me if I suck at this!  I’ll throw office supplies at your head if you rub it in!  =P

*Photo from http://www.black-knights-kill.com/

*Possible Spoilers Ahead.  Read at your own risk.

Tell you what, I have nothing but praises for the new installment of the revitalized Batman Film Series.  It’s soooo good!  To be honest, I didn’t expect this kind of treatment for a superhero character.  It’s ingenious!  It’s very dark but that’s just the right amount of dark the Batman is supposed to be surrounded with!  I absolutely love it!

Gone were the days of Batman with humor and Batman with tits!  This is how Batman is supposed to be.

Quite honestly, I don’t know where to start raving.  The movie’s that good!  It has depth one would normally find in an indie film with a nice back story.  But in Batman?  Gah.  I was drained.  Yes, I was drained of brain power.  That’s how good it is.

I’m rambling!!!  It’s that good I can’t even find proper words to describe it!  Nothing I say would live up to its essence!  It’s dark!  But it’s good!  And it’s very, very dark.  And that Joker laugh… oh, that menacing laugh.  Heath Ledger.  Oh, dear Heath Ledger.  That laugh just makes me want to punch him in the face or whack his huge smile off with Callaway golf clubs.  You’ll prove that he died in vain if you don’t watch this movie!!!

To make up for my lack of words, here are some memorable lines from the film:

Bruce Wayne: People are dying. What would you have me do?
Alfred Pennyworth: Endure. You can be the outcast. You can make the choice that no one else will face - the right choice. Gotham needs you.

Harvey Dent: You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.

The Joker: Introduce a little anarchy… Upset the established order… Well then everyone loses their minds!

And the killer quote that made everybody in the cinema laugh for the first time:

The Joker: YOU… COMPLETE… ME!!!

The Dark Knight is a very great setup to change our perspective about The Batman.  We know him as the caped crusader, a superhero out for a vengeance.  Now we know he’s more than a hero, he’s the superhero who sacrificed being forever remembered as Gotham’s hero in order to save someone’s heroic memory.  Now all of Gotham is out to get him.  And the plot, as they say, thickens.

I think the dawn of a new age in movies is coming.  Seeing how deep superhero movies can get simply shows that people are changing their perspectives about films.  Viewers don’t want slapstick comedy or high-brow drama anymore.  They want something that has meaning, something that makes sense of their lives.  And slowly, Hollywood and our local cinema is coming out with movies that can prove to be profitable and engaging at the same time.  That’s very hard to manage and, I’d say, whatever comes out of it is a pure work of art.

I LOVED THE DARK KNIGHT!!!  MAKE SURE YOU WATCH IT! I’m obviously speechless.

ERASERHEADS REUNION CONCERT WTF!!!  Better start sending Christmas invitations now because CHRISTMAS IS COMING EARLY!!!  WHERE DO I BUY TICKETS???!!

[UPDATE] So here’s what we know so far:

• They’re doing a reunion concert.  Yep, they’ve confirmed it themselves.
• It’s gonna be on August 30 at the CCP Open Grounds
• It’s for free
• There’ll be a ticket
• The ticket will be raffled off, according to some blog sites
• It’s sponsored by a major company who coaxed the foursome into getting back together despite the bitter parting of ways
• AND LASTLY, WE ALL KNOW WE WANT TO BE THERE.

For every book lover out there, the event of the year to be is the annual Manila International Book Fair.  This is the place where they literally dump all the books on you at ridiculously marked down prices.  Year every year, I make it a point to go to the Book Fair and stack up on my collection to fill my little “library” with novels, books, comics, references and whatnot.

There is always something interesting to find in the Book Fair.  Kuya Luis once bought a coffee table book there that costs around 70% off the original price.  I managed to grab several books that I’ve been saving up for, including several inspirational ones from OMF.  In fact, more than half the books in my collection came from the Book Fair.  You just have to buy something from them!  Haha.

This year, I’m hoping to grab some literary and political books from the fair.  I hope there are a lot of interesting new finds this year, because at least now the book fair is one of the things I’m really saving up for (maybe even grab the Twilight series from there!  And since the 4th book has been released by that time, might as well grab it too!)

I don’t know about you all but whenever I go to the book fair, I feel like I’m in paradise.  Reading is one of my many interests in life, and being in a place full of these interesting books just makes me float on cloud nine!  Heh.  And what more, the prices are rock bottom cheap!  I don’t know what to say!

Okay, this is sounding like a sponsored post for the Book Fair now but it’s really not.  In any case, it’s gonna be held a little later this year (usually it’s held at the start of September) and at a new venue at that (the SMX Convention Center!!!  I haven’t even been there yet!).  I think it’s gonna be exciting!  See you there!  =D

But due to the recent oil price hikes and increases in jeepney and bus fares, EDSA is slowly losing its reputation.  Just this week, I overheard on the news a proposal to suspend the number coding scheme because of the decrease in vehicles going through EDSA.  We don’t know if this is true, but if companies are calling for the suspension of the number coding scheme, then it must be something.

So to whom is the EDSA losing its decades-long reputation to?  Well, nobody need not look far, for something within the veins of EDSA lies the new congested zone of epic proportions:  the MRT.

While vehicles don’t ply the train tracks of the MRT and cause congestion within the rails, people are the ones competing for precious space (and air pockets) in this strategically impossible mode of mass transportation.  Because of the recent increases in bus fares, people have taken to the MRT to minimize costs.  After all, a bus ride from Monumento to Baclaran costs well over 60 pesos but an MRT ride from North Avenue to Taft Avenue costs one only 15 pesos.  That’s over 75 percent cheaper!

But just like any thing available in the market these days, there are trade-offs.  And with the MRT, the trade-offs could turn out to be quite nasty.  Just look at this image taken by Arbet of AWBHoldings almost a year ago:

During peak hours, this is the scene at the MRT North Avenue station.  Just imagine going through three floors of impatient passengers just to get a ride at the MRT!  BUT!  That was a year ago.  See how things “improved” now:

So yeah, the situation has since become worse than ever.  People are still falling head over heels, risking tooth and nail (and even private personal space) just to get a cheap ride.

I remember just this Friday when I went home to Mandaluyong the night before.  I was so confident I had enough time to doze off that I forgot to set my alarm.  As a result, I woke up just an hour and a half before my class that day and was surrendered to the idea of being late.  Because of that, I wasn’t able to take the bus like I’m used to doing, and had to slip through the crowd in the MRT.  As expected, it was as congested as before.

I can’t believe I weathered the MRT for over two years, going to and from school.  I had to wake up two hours before my first class just so I wouldn’t be late.  On bad mornings, trains would be so congested that I’d had to wait for five trains to pass by to be able to get in (and not decently at that).  That’s one of the factors why I opted to just board near school.

When I’m near school, I could wake up thirty minutes to an hour before my first class and still arrive early.  That way, I don’t exhaust myself from traveling and could devote more time to studying and whatnot.  No need for mortgage lenders and amortization fees for my own house, because the boarding fee is quite minimal and everything is all-in.  Of course, there’s little problem with food but that pretty much settles by itself.  And, best of all, I get to decide mostly by myself which makes my schedule very flexible.

And with prices skyrocketing these days, I can’t imagine still commuting from Mandaluyong to QC with my small allowance.  Commuting alone would take up almost half of it, so how else am I going to feed myself throughout the day?  Thank God student housing near the school is available.  Best of all, I get to be independent all throughout! 

As with any other graduating student out there, I’m starting to prep up for my graduation picture.  Everyone’s fixing everything, not cutting hair to make it long for something, going to their charlotte north carolina dentist to get those pearly whites cleaned and whatnot.  Of course, the customary sablay and toga poses are not a problem, it’ll sort itself out.  What I’m losing sleep over (uhm, di naman…) is my creative shot because I seem to have run out of ideas.

My original idea is to be an EMO rocker, because aesthetically, that’s absolutely not my style.  I wanted something that would be the total opposite of my personality, so as to “defy the conventions” harharhar.  But then I’m starting to rethink the idea, just thinking about how horrible I may turn out to look.  But it’s still part of the list.

The other things I’m thinking of are variations of previous shots I’ve taken: one, a 1940s character wearing a suit and a bowler hat; two, an ordinary geek with a technolust; and three, a preppy college student with a smirk.  Haha.  I think one of these would do and I admit I’m comfortable with any of these three, but the problem is that I’ve already done them, so it wouldn’t be much of a challenge if I don the same attires again.

Gaaaahhh… I think I’m really going for emo here.  Hahahaha!  So un-me.  So it’s going to be a challenge.  Haha.  I hope I can pull it off if ever.  =P  Wish me luck!  Or you can give me any ideas if you could think of something.  Thanks!

*photo from http://www.ndhs.org/

We all know that it’s a decades-old musical play based on the hit songs of Abba.  I think a growing trend nowadays (aside from the musical play adaptation trend) is the use of songs by revered groups in the 70s and 80s in film musicals, much like Across the Universe.  I think that’s a difficult but clever tactic, since not all songs of a certain group point toward a certain plot point.  Pulling it off nicely, therefore, is simply a stunning work of art.

And that’s how I’d describe Mamma Mia.  Unlike other musicals out there, it’s surprisingly aware of itself.  It’s not pretentious to assume that it’s a film based on a musical but instead, it sees itself and acknowledges that it is a stage musical and even plays around with that concept in the end (what with all the audience participation stuff, simply hilarious!).  It recognizes the presence of the audience and seemingly knows when the audience is laughing and pulls off some more humorous acts.

While the whole cast pulls off a stellar perfomance, the spotlight seemingly revolves around the character of Meryl Streep.  And with much emphasis on Streep, the expectations are overwhelmingly steep (pun intended).  Thank God Streep can be considered as the Swiss Army knife of acting, because she pulled it off really well!  I was laughing hysterically at all the funny antics of Donna and the Dynamos.  And you’ve got to peel your eyes off for that Dancing Queen sequence. I’m telling you, my tummy ached so much from too much laughing after watching it.

I think Meryl Streep is the perfect definition of an actress.  She can be vulnerable as Miss Dalloway on The Hours, mean and condescending as Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada, and funny as hell as Donna here in Mamma Mia.  Oh, you just have to love Meryl Streep!

I’m listening to the soundtrack right now and I just can’t help but picture the scenes again while listening to them sing timeless Abba songs.  I guess the merits of this genre is that it exposes the young ones to the golden ages of music by thinking of different ways for it to be appreciated.  After watching the movie, I gained a renewed respect for Abba and their songs, never mind that they weren’t of my generation.

Of course, I still long to see this one portrayed on stage.  I bet it rocks.  GO WATCH!  NOW! I’ma watch it again soon.  *giddy excitement*

]]> http://jmtuazon.tinig.com/2008/07/11/oh-my-mamma-mia/feed/ http://jmtuazon.tinig.com/2008/07/11/bk-event-bloggers-and-the-election-automation/ http://jmtuazon.tinig.com/2008/07/11/bk-event-bloggers-and-the-election-automation/#comments Fri, 11 Jul 2008 09:54:16 +0000 JM http://jmtuazon.tinig.com/?p=1204 We know that our country needs–to put iit n medical terms–a liver cleanse, a complete detoxification, a heart bypass and a brain surgery.  We all acknowledge the need to spare our system of corruption and greediness to fully effect change and developments in society.

Most of us have expressed our grievances over our failed electoral system, seeing as to how it has been used to keep power-hungry personalities safe in their comfortable positions.  But still, some of us still hope for a spark, a catalyst that will drive change throughout the system.  While many detest our electoral system, I think there are still a considerable few who have hope in it.

So, if you’re one of those who still hope and believe, you may want to attend Bloggers’ Kapihan and Comelec’s Bloggers’ briefing on poll automation.

What: Bloggers’ briefing on poll automation

When: July 19, Saturday, 1:00pm - 3:30pm

Where: COMELEC Automated Electoral System Information Office, ground floor, Palacio del Gobernador Bldg. Intramuros, Manila (near Manila Cathedral)

The Commission on Elections will give a special briefing on poll automation to 20+ bloggers on July 19.

COMELEC and its technology suppliers will conduct actual trainings on the usage of electronic voting machines and automated counting machines. Video presentations and tutorials will also be shown. The voting machines will be used in the ARMM elections next month.

The briefing will also be an opportunity to hear the feedback of voters and bloggers about the poll automation program of Comelec.

Program

1:00 Opening remarks - Mr. James Jimenez, Comelec Spokesperson

1:05 Comelec presentation

2:40 Reaction from Bloggers’ Kapihan

2:45 Open Forum

Due to limited seats, we urge the interested participants to send an email to mongpalatino@gmail.com right away.  Hope to see you guys there!

[UPDATE] If you’re not a blogger and would still like to demo the units for poll automation, the comelec office on Poll Automation is open to the public everyday for public demonstrations.

The poll automation demos for the public will run in two sessions daily at the COMELEC Automated Electoral System (AES) Information Office, ground floor Palacio del Gobernador Bldg. Intramuros, Manila; at 11:00 AM – 12:00 Nn and 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM.

However, due to the limited seats available, the COMELEC advises the public to schedule their visits. Interested parties may call telephone numbers 525-9294 or 525-9301. They may also visit http://comelec.wordpress.com.

Read more here.

Now, we number to more or less fifty in the batch, possibly the biggest batch the Journalism Department of UP-CMC has ever had.  We’re a brady bunch of different personalities and that’s what makes us all unique.  There are blacks, there are whites, but there are likewise colorful personalities in between.  =)

We had our batch picture taking a few weeks back, and it was an opportunity for us to bond once more as one whole batch.  Of course, we ran into some problems because of our number, but just like always, we were able to manage.

K5 a la The OC

K6 a la One Tree Hill

K6 circa 2005

I’m gonna miss all these happy and funny people once we graduate.  And I know it’s a bit harder since we’re too many!  Those smiles and laughter would be so hard to erase from my memory.  They’ll be forever etched there.  Let’s go Journ Seniors!  For more senti moments.  =))  How I wish we could all hang out in Drew’s.  But then we’d have to rent the place to ourselves if ever.  Hehehe.

And of course, the obligatory jump shots.

Yours truly’s shining moment that day (when K.Lo was unable to walk due to a sprained ankle.  Of course she can’t miss the batch pic!  So the boys had to carry her around.  Hehe):

MassComm peeps are luuuve.  They’re the noisiest, funniest, coolest, rowdiest, smartest, brightest, most talented people I know.

This is us a year ago (with a lot of absent people):

More Journ Seniors Batch Pics:

Photos courtesy of Caloy Soliongco and Joseph Pascual (aka resident Photography Gods of Mass Comm).

I could tell it wouldn’t be long.  It’s barely a month to go, and somehow, in some sentimental way, I’m brooding over it.  I know, I know, to some, it’s not such a big deal.  But to me, for the past few years, a year added to my age means an old phase ending and a new phase beginning.  And most of all, the coming one is crucial because I’d be leaving my teenage years and saying hello to my twenty-something years.  Blech.  Even thinking about it makes me puke.

In any case, just like any other birthday, of course I welcome it with joy and optimism.  Likewise, I’m bringing back something I’ve done on my 18th birthday to which many people responded to.  And, guys, it’s my 20th birthday!  So let’s make it special!  Here’s my partial wishlist for all of you well-wishers out there.  Wehehe.  Ang kapal ko!  =P

• Sony PSP Slim n’ Lite (this one I’ve been wishing for quite a while na. And I think I’m about to get it soon!  Hehe)
• The latest KikoMachine/Pugad Baboy book (I have the third KikoMachine book already, and I heard there’s a fourth.  I dunno with Pugad Baboy though)
• A trip out of town with Sam Juan  (Yickee!  Wonder who that is?  Haha.  Just out of town, not necessarily lavish like Mediterranean cruises or trips to the moon, ’cause that’s pushing it)
• A night with my precious Journ friends (it’s our last year in College, so let’s make it last…  I wanna drink the night out with all of you!  Kamonst guys, let’s do this!!!  =P)
• Money!!!  Lolz.  Just kiddin’.  But jokes are half-meant.  =P
• A cool laptop skin for Joaqs.  And throw in an Apple Logo sticker if you may (’cause nobody’s given me their apple stickers yet!  Hmph!)
• A Guitar Hero III (for the Wii) guitar.  We already have the game, but we gots no guitar!  Arrrr.
• [UPDATE 7/6/08] Fake Lacoste Polo Shirts (any color except pink!).  Yep, I want fake ones, ’cause the originals’ fabrics are too smooth for my liking.  The fake ones are a bit stiff and more comfortable, which I prefer.  If you’ve seen me wearing my purple Lacoste shirt, you get the drift.  =P
• [UPDATE 7/6/08] The whole Twilight series (three for the meantime, since the fourth is still scheduled for release).  I normally don’t spend much on things I know I could get free, that’s why splurging on books isn’t an option.  Haha.  I usually just download E-Books of the books I like, but I think I’d want hard copies of this series just because.  =D
• [UPDATE 7/7/08] A plain moleskine notebook (the big one, hard cover please).  I guess some people know by now how I absolutely love notebooks and pens.  And some of them also know that I’ve been craving to have a moleskine notebook on my own.  This notebook’s great and it has a hard cover which makes it a perfect notebook to carry around (soft covers are available now, but I don’t want that).  The main thing to frown upon with moleskine notebooks is the price.  The big one costs a little over a thousand bucks.  It’s like the havaianas of notebooks!  Hehe.
• [UPDATE 7/8/08] A Guyito doll!  You know, that cutesy little carabao mascot of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.  Someone promised to give me one several months back but I think he forgot it already.  *wink wink ehem ehem*

(My, this list is getting longer than I originally planned!  Hahaha.  =P)

Well, I guess that’ll be all for now.  I could update this list if something comes along, but for now, these are all the material things I’m wishing for.  Of course, above all that, I’m hoping for love, patience, understanding and forgiveness that lasts forever and ever and ever.  Yooon eh.  =)