Law Grad, Pan and Hunting

::Law Graduation::

Last Saturday was a turning point in my relationship, as it was my girlfriend's graduation. Congratulations honey! Next up, the September Bar Exams, and then it's finally Atty. Ronstadt Fernandez! We might be in different working worlds, but rest assured I'm always right there at your side. Love you honey! I'm so proud!




::El Laberinto del Fauno::

For those who are lucky enough to grab and watch Pan's Labyrinth, you'll understand what I mean that this dark movie takes you into a rollercoaster ride into dark children's fantasy. This is probably one of darkest children's stories I've read or seen, right up to the original Grimm Brothers fairy tales ( which if you've read them, wouldn't be for children at all )



The storyline is gripping, and the violence abrupt and shocking ( see Death by Wine Bottle scene ). But what really makes the movie shine is the amazing cinematography set designs. And the creatures! As a big fan of Jim Henson's Workshop, I say that they created a whole new concept with their gritty designs.




Of all the characters, this one is my favorite. When the heroine Ofelia, played by Ivana Baquero, enters his chambers he just sits there, eerily doing nothing, hands on the table, but somehow is staring at her without eyes. Then when she eats the forbidden food, he comes alive and plucks his eyes from the table to his HANDS! Freakishly cool!



I recommend watching this movie in the dark and alone in the house. And if its for kiddies? Maybe, maybe not, but its one good haunting story.

::Book Hunter::

I am a book hunter, one of the few people who scrounge in bargain bookstores looking good books that are either out print or out of stock or both. There's a certain thrill in book hunting, one minute you're browsing idlely through the myriad stacks of dog eared musty volumes, the next you're gasping in awe in finding a hardbound Lord of the Rings in mint condition ( or muttering in bewilderment of the people responsible chucking out such rare and costly book ). What is one man's garbage is another man's treasure, as they say.

You'll know a book hunter is you see a quiet normal person randomly looking at the stock of books available and then grabbing one or two seemingly at random. Before you turn around, he already has a dozen volumes and plunks down the items in the cashier with a silly grin in his face. But it just might be me, hehehe.

Anyways, during one of the excursions in Booksale ( a noted hunting ground for good books ) I got me some nice selection:

Conan: At The Demon's Gate by Roland Green ( seeing that it was written by Roland Green, the one who did the Dragonlance: Knight of the Rose series, I'm curious to what he did with Conan, but I have my hopes this is a good one )

Ship of Fools by Richard Paul Russo ( I heard about this book, sci-fi goodness )

The First Book of Swords by Fred Saborhagen ( curious, I saw this plenty of times yet didn't picked it up till now )

Death Gate Cycle: Dragon Wing by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman ( The first book! Finally! Now, to find the other volumes... )

The Blind Knight by Gail van Asten ( Intriguing concept, a cursed blind albino becomes a force of good with the daughter of Merlin at his side )

Endless Quest: Wild Ride ( Cool! Need I say more? This and Choose Your Own Adventure rule! )

Lord Foul Bane and Wounded Land by Stephen Donaldson ( Another first! The former is the first book in the First Chronicle and the latter the first book in the Second Chronicles, both the stories of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever. Very very nice. )

All in all, a good selection. Now all I have to do is find the time to read them. *Sigh*

Frame of Mind: Dizzy Melencholy
Song of the Day: Canon in D by Pachelbel
Book of the Week: Batman: Hush by Jeff Loeb and Jim Lee
Want or Need: A storyline for the CP awards

Marching Forward, Spartans and Love Me Butch

Forward March

While most people would typecast me as a good guy, laid back and slow to anger, only my closest friends know that there are times when someone does something stupid or inane or shows bad sense that really makes my blood boil in just a span of a few seconds. While this happens rarely enough, it just ruins my whole mood the whole day ... or days even. It could be a little thing, things that the general populace would consider blaise and not really worth it, but sometimes these things really get into my thungas. Perhaps its life's way of showing balance. I may be as they say laid back and relaxed and generally good natured, but there are some things that immediately destroys that aura. Like for example, I really cannot tolerate repeated acts of stupidity, or in some cases, bad sense. Sure, you do it wrong once, that's ok. Twice, nobody's perfect naman, so that's ok also. Three times, I'll concede that perhaps it's a little difficult for you, but let's all keep trying. But by God, if there's no effort or there's just no improvement, there'll be hell to pay for wasting my time.

A good example of this is that when I was still living in Manila, I had this couple of friends who keep going on and on about how they're going to court this girl and win her heart. We would talk late into the night, them making plans and me making suggestions and so on and so forth. And this lasted for almost a year! And one of the girls actually liked the guy, but the guy in question never did anything but just made plans and dream sand castles. I mean, come on, put the money where your mouth is, yakking about doing this and that. She's right in front of you with arms wide open and you see past through her? Utter stupidity at its finest.

I normally never get angry, but this is one example why I despair at some people. You show them a good road to travel, yet they spit on you and your directions, just staying put in the crossroads. C'mon just move forward! Even if you took the wrong path at first, there's still time to hike to the other side of the road. What's important is moving forward, no matter how slow or how far, just one step at the time. Even stumbling blindly forward is better than sitting around with flies circling around your head. Actually, what we're doing most of the time is that we ARE stumbling blindly forward in life, never knowing what's going to happen. Knowing that erases some of the fear that we might get hurt during the process. Always remember:

1. Pain is the experience that reminds us that we are alive and human.
2. What that doesn't kill us makes us stronger and wiser.
3. More importantly, chicks dig scars!

But perhaps the most important of all, never ever have regrets. Learn from past mistakes and be stronger from it.

300

I eagerly waited in the line to watch Frank Miller's 300 last Wednesday, having hyped up by the cool trailers and all. It was a packed house, but me and my girlfriend finally got a seat and made ourselves comfortable for the two and half hour movie.



SO. FREAKING. AWESOME. Drop everything, and watch the movie now. If you love Sin City, you'll love 300 even more, that I can guarantee as much. I'm pretty much overwhelmed by the imagery and the screenplay that I can't find the words to do justice. Just watch the movie. Go. Now.

Love Me Butch

This past week has been a little weird since I woke up a several times in the middle of the night hearing the songs "Barricade", "Hollywood Holiday" and "Reconcile" running through my head. the first song moreso. These songs are from a band called Love Me Butch, a Malaysian group who toured here in the Philippines a couple of months ago. For those who are asking for the genre, its more like scream rock slash emo. I don't really like emo that much, but this band surprises me with some really good songs. OK, I admit the album is just good, not for everybody, but really great if you listen to the lyrics, and some songs stood out and grabbed the listener by the balls with its combination of melody and guitar riffs. So here's a couple of videos from their album, the first one titled "Barricade", live at the Baybeats ( not Baywalk, this one most likely in Malaysia ) and the second one is their first video, "Hollywood Holiday" which feature some really cool effects. Enjoy!

Barricade by Love Me Butch



Barricade
Don't complicate your withered mind
It's a total waste of time
It's a total waste of time


Hollywood Holliday by Love Me Butch




Regular updates back every Sunday ... oh crap, I'll be in Manila this week, so we'll see. Maybe I'd get to see the gang over there, if I have the luxury of time of course. Now where's my WoW deck ... ?

Frame of Mind: Subsiding "Pissed Off"ness
Song of the Day: Reconcile by Love Me Butch
Book of the Week: Bloodbowl: Dead Ball by Matt Forbeck
Want or Need: A Day of Sleep

Family Time

I haven't been posting for almost a month now, because I have been swamped by work. I am now the head the Sales, Purchasing and Warehousing ( ?!! ), so basically what Iittle I have for a social life has been shot to pieces. I go home everyday thinking that if there ever is Hell on Earth, this would probably be it, if not one of the circles. A regular everyday routine for me at the office ( for those who are interested ... and if you are interested, this probably means you don't have anything to do, which I envy ) is run around in circles and put out imaginary fires and build bridges and secure the walls, if I may speak metaphorically. But ask me if I hate it ... well, all people hate their job from time to time, its just that I just wish for a little bit of a vacation, preferably a week or so.

Then again, when I come back from said vacation my work will doubled from all the pending things I will have to do. A Catch -22 if you will.

Actually, the main reason I haven't been posting for a while is that one of my closest relative, Tita Girlie, died of breast cancer. Usually, this kind of cancer is not usually fatal, but the doctor ( who explained it in plain-speak ) told us that due to her active hormones, the cancer grew too fast and too aggressive and spreaded to the liver and other parts of the body. She just had this problem just a little over a year. She was just buried a couple of weeks ago, and as the oldest apo, made a little video tribute.

And if you had to ask, the kid in the pictures is me.



I guess what I'm trying to say in the video is that no matter what happens, we should always remember the good times and never ever entertain regrets. She was a loving mother, and a great aunt. I will miss her.

She was 38.

Frame of Mind: Blurry::Acceptance
Song of the Day: The Elixer Must Be Consumed by Plane Divides The Sky
Book of the Week: DC Universe: Inheritance by Devin Grayson
Want or Need: Space::Time