The Wrath of Obertianism

Let He Who is Without Sin Cast the First Gallstone

2012-01-08T12:52:00.001+08:00

It was just the second day of year 2012. The night was uninterruptedly placid. Serene. Young.

I was formatting my sister’s laptop while prepping-up for the next day’s first day of work for the year. I felt the usual heartburn and the cramps in my upper abdominal area which I just brushed off. I realized it was already 10pm and I still haven’t eaten dinner. Since I was no longer a stranger to this pain, I told wifey that I’ll just lie down ‘til it fades off. She gave me the usual medicine and waited.

Minutes passed. The ticking of the clock seemed to get louder. I was staring at the ceiling when different forms of shapes and odd figures started growing in front of my nose like as if I was in a montage of old photographs. I felt like I was in a trance. Everything is numb. Everything. Except for the increasing pain crawling to my chest.

High pain tolerance. That’s what I thought I have. I claimed that I was able to endure this in years and I can hang on in a few more minutes. Or hours. Or days. I figured Emily Dickinson whispering to my ears her famous quote “After a great pain, a formal feeling comes. The nerves sit ceremonious, like tombs” and hoping it will soothe me. It didn’t. Consequently, the burning sensation intensified and my thought process of selecting a logical choice from the available options started to diminish. I had to go to the hospital.

My wife and I hailed a cab and flew over to Medical City in Pasig. It wasn’t the nearest. Not definitely the cheapest. Nor my favorite hospital. I just wanted immediate and fast medical attention and I have tested this institution to satisfy me with this need. It didn’t fail my expectation. I was put under series of questions and was asked how I felt at the moment. I wanted to answer “don’t you see I’m f***in’ whimpering in pain?” but I realized that the earthling wearing a white suit in front of me is going to be my savior tonight so I answered in a feeble confirmation “I am having another gallstone attack.” Notwithstanding the sea of people all groaning in agony in the hospital’s emergency room, I got drugged in no time. I felt the fluid came gushing into my veins and lingered for the healing (and, okay… placebo) effect.

Minutes passed. The ticking of the clock was louder than ever. I stared at the ceiling and forced different forms of shapes and odd figures grow in front of my nose like as if I was in a montage of old photographs. I felt myself that I was in a trance. Everything is numb. Everything. But still… except for the increasing pain pounding my chest.

I requested for a higher dose, err… demanded rather, and with the power of my fiery eyes I was given another shot. I closed my eyes and counted (blessings instead of) sheep being chased by blood-sucking Persians to divert my attention to so I can forget about this torturing pain. I tumbled… lied down… plummeted… lurched… slouched… lunged… sat… played dead. Nothing has helped to ease the upsurge of pain.

My attending doctor declared that all possible remedies have already been exhausted and asked me if I would like to undergo immediate surgical operation – the last resort and most effective option. Like as if I wanted to ask “do I have a goddamned choice?” but I remembered to be nice, and nodded submissively. He ordered me to be admitted straightaway and ordered for an ultrasound examination, a procedure for the doctors to get a glimpse on the extent of my gallbladder’s current condition and activity. I was immediately escorted to my room on a wheelchair and was asked to wait for a few more hours since the operation was scheduled at 8am the next day. It was like saying “enjoy the pain until the next breaking of dawn while it lasts.”

Inside the cozy and lush hospital room, I waited and endured the unbearable pain. Hours passed. The ticking of the clock became as loud as it can be. I stared at the ceiling and found again these different forms of shapes and odd figures that grew in front of my nose like as if I was in a montage of old photographs. I was in a trance again. Everything is numb. Everything. Consequently… except for the horrifying pain buffeting in my chest.

My private nurse (I didn’t know there is such in this hospital) came over to pick me up. He shove my wheelchair to the ultrasound room and in his attempt to establish rapport with me, he asked me the million dollar question “is it painful, sir?” I wanted to fire back “No! Actually, I’m having fun that’s why you are bringing me to the ultrasound room, ain’t I?” but since he seems to be nice, I just smiled back and rolled eyes. He assisted me to lie down in the laboratory bed right next to the ultrasound machine and vanished in my eyes like a nightcrawler.

Two mammals in white laboratory gown came in. One who seemed to have just awakened from his hibernation and another whom I have mistaken to be Love Añover pretending to be a doctor. They flicked the monitor open and started the procedure while both murmuring with each other.

“to the left, to the left…”
“so go ahead and get gone…”
“he'll be here in a minute…”
“to the left, to the left…”
“you can pack all your bags we're finished…”
“irreplaceable?...”

I shook my head if I’m hearing it right. I realized I was hearing something else. The lines are from something I have heard before. I eavesdropped a little bit more and alas, I reckoned that they were discussing about the size and location of the enormous stones in my gallbladder. They both gave the go-signal that I must really undergo laparoscopic cholecystectomy as my organ is no longer in good shape. I was sent back to my room to wait for the final hour.

Everything ran like a fast-forwarded tape after that. People came in and out of the room; doctors, nurses, attendants and other entities and I didn’t notice how swift the time flew. I didn’t hear the loud ticking of the clock, nor saw the odd figures in a montage, neither felt that I was in trance. All I felt is still… just the excruciating pain in my chest.

The time has come. My private nurse came in and announced that he will be bringing me to the operating room for the surgical procedure, finally. While we passed by the alleys nearing the OR, my ears have decided to shut down temporarily. I see people talking to me but my ears refused to hear them. They gave a long list of instructions and asked tons of questions to test my coherence. I just read their lips and responded accordingly. I was stripped off my garments and worn the laboratory gown. I lied down the gurney and the nurse put on different cables in my body – ECG machine, electronic sphygmomanometer, electrodes in my chest and oxygen mask to regulate my breathing.

Finally, the doctor who will lead the surgical operation came in and discussed how the procedure will go. I suddenly pictured myself as the slaughtered victims in the movie series “Saw” where human internal organs were butchered like animals. I came back to my senses when he tapped at four points in my chest and belly illustrating where the incisions will be made. He assured me that everything will be alright. The anesthesiologist came next and discussed what I will feel (or the lack of it) after the general anesthesia will be administered. I suddenly pictured myself again as Hayden Christensen in the movie “Awake” where he got knocked down ensuring hypnosis and relaxation of muscles but the analgesic effect was not triggered making him helplessly feel and endure everything during the operation. I got back to my senses when she squeezed my hand assuring me that everything will be okay. Everyone disappeared in my sight and silence crawled upon me as I was left alone in the preparatory room. The sight of Christina Ricci’s movie “After Life” flashed back in my memory where she died and was embalmed at the mortuary but she strongly believes that she is still alive. I wonder if it happens to me, how can I prove to everyone that I did not die in this operation. I came back again to my senses when I remembered the two doctors assuring me that everything will be fine.

At exactly 8am, just like automated machines programmed to be powered-on at a scheduled time, everyone appeared back in my sight signaling the start of the operation. I was moved to the surgery room and they tied me up in the operating bed like as if I will undergo euthanasia. I asked myself “am I nervous?” and I answered back “no, I’m not. Actually, I’m having fun that’s why I was brought to the operating room, ain’t I?” and I smiled back at me through my reflections in the bulbs above and rolled my eyes. The doctors came in and started wearing their ambidextrous gloves and surgical masks. The anesthesiologist was the last to get in and squeezed my hand advising me that she is about to administer the general anesthesia. Before I could even reply, I felt like I was stripped off with all my energy, lost motor reflexes and… blacked out.

Err… what I thought was I blacked out but what I remembered seeing next is everything white. Everything around me is blinding white light fading in the middle of a spherical shape. I imagined being in a wide-mouthed tunnel but the lights are inverted. It was white all over and there was a black dot in the middle. I hear voices talking but I don’t see anyone, I don’t understand what they were talking about either. I wasn’t walking but I felt I was drifting towards the middle of the sphere. It seemed that I was inside a vacuum and I was being sucked up by the black hole. It was a very strong, irresistible force. There were other shades of white around me which appeared to be intangible, shadow-like shapes which I can’t hang on to resist the pulling force in the middle. I remember I have written something in the walls of white clouds but I can’t recall what these were. An absolute pressure suddenly heaved my body aloft and drawn myself at the core.

A tightening force was felt in my right arm suddenly, realizing that I was awakened by the BP cuff programmed to check my blood pressure every 10 minutes. I forced to open my eyes and tried to figure out where I was. My vision was blurry. I was like staring at the window pane and it was raining outside. I started to regain full visual acuity and I noticed I was in a cubicle where I think it is called Recovery Room. The BP cuff in my arm started to release its squeeze and heard the machine beeped continuously. I checked my four limbs of motor reflexes and consciousness, all intact. I heard footsteps approaching. It was the attending nurse. She seemed glad that I was already awake and congratulated me for the successful operation. She advised me that I was asleep for three hours. I was amazed. I still remember the last memory I had in the white spherical tunnel and it felt like this only happened in a few minutes, not hours. I wondered where I was in between.

I was finally delivered back to my room where my wife is waiting. I was advised that I will be asleep the whole day as inevitable effect of the anesthesia. I gladly closed my eyes once more. Hours passed. The ticking of the clock was calm and tranquil. Different forms of shapes and odd figures grew in my dreams as if I was in a montage of old photographs. I felt like I was in a trance. Everything is numb. Everything. And the pain in my chest has ended.

Cats Now and Forever in Manila

2010-08-22T20:03:00.000+08:00

It was as early as 6:00pm when my wife and I left home to get straight to Cultural Center of the Philippines to see the International Tour Cast of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats Now and Forever. This is the first time that the musical will be played in the Philippines, featuring Lea Salonga as Grizabella. The other casts are mostly Australians who played the musical in other Asia-Pacific countries.

Cats is the first musical that my wife will be seeing and her first in CCP, as well. I was the one who is a fan of musical plays because of my theater experience in high school but it was my wife who really wanted to see Cats... with Lea Salonga on it. She only got influenced in me listening to the London and Broadway Cast Recordings of mostly the popular musical albums, i.e. Miss Saigon, Les Misérablés, Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar; among others. She admits that the only song that she knows in this musical is "Memory" and it's even more surprising to her that the origin of the song is in the musical play Cats, which she thought this was just one of the popular songs of Barbra Streisand.

It will take us from our place in Mandaluyong to Roxas Boulevard roughly an hour since it is Saturday, heavy traffic included, so it is the perfect time to listen to the tracks on our way. I played the Cats Original London Cast Recording album in the car, where Grizabella was originally played by Elaine Paige in 1981, to set the mood before seeing the play itself. We reached CCP Complex at around 7pm and we didn't finish the whole album. We still have one more hour left to roam around and take pictures. Our point-and-shoot camera was confiscated as it is not allowed inside the theater. I didn't bother leaving it in the counter. We both have camera phones anyway. :)

These are our tickets

Since they took our camera away, this was only taken from a camera phone

One more shot before we get inside

The musical play started at exactly 8:00pm. As soon as the lights went off, hundreds of cats eyes are seen everywhere. It was a mesmerizing spectacle to see where jumping, crawling, dancing, creeping and singing cats are seen everywhere in the theater. They all gathered towards the main stage while singing "Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats," one of the most popular tracks in the album. The energy was incomparable, their voices are powerful and the dances are very extraordinary.

Audience going to the musical with dearth knowledge of the plot will be dragged to the story wondering what's happening. You might wonder why these cats suddenly all came together and what purpose they might have in attending this gathering. Moreso, you might be puzzled why the cats Jennyanydots, Rum Tum Tugger, Bustopher Jones, Mungojerry and Rumpleteaser started showing off their best performances to an older cat Deuteronomy. And when Lea Salonga came out as the ostracized Grizabella, the Glamour Cat, I hear voices at the back wondering why she was limping as she sings. Duh! That's the role she is portraying. She didn't perform onstage with a leg injury. But when she started singing the first part of "Memory," people held their breaths. It was short and melancholic. And it was the last song in the first cut.

During the intermission, several Cats actors came out running around the theater playing with the audience like real cats

This cat even sat on the lap of one of the guests in the audience, and posed while picture was being taken

We took advantage of the situation to steal shots from our camera phones :)

After the intermission, the story went on with "The Moment of Happiness" number where part of the song is an excerpt of "Memory." Much to our surprise when the cat Sillabub suddenly came out singing "Liwanaaaag..." in the Tagalog version of the song (in an Australian accent). It was one of the most applauded part of the show. The showdown of the cats continued and it was followed by Gus the Theater Cat, Skimbleshanks, Macavity and Mr. Mistoffelees. Once more, the production numbers are jaw-dropping and and the musical cuts are breathtaking. The audience are all fixated in the grandiose fashion of the show until Grizabella, again for the second time, came out from the backstage and all cats disappeared one by one, evading her. Lea Salonga started singing the complete version of "Memory" and everyone inside the theater swallowed their tongues, not wanting to make any sound. It was the culmination of the whole show, people gave her a standing ovation and a lengthy deafening applause that the play can't move forward. The story ended when Grizabella was swallowed by the smoke effect of the elevated ramp as the Old Deuteronomy sang his last song "The Addressing of Cats." We went out of the theater still in awe, trying to save all the spectacular scenes we have heard and seen tonight in our memory.

We were supposed to eat dinner at Harbor Square, just across the Cultural Center of the Philippines, but all restaurants are infested with Saturday night clubbers and those who watched Cats. We even agreed to persevere in taking in fastfood just to satisfy our hunger but there are no signs of unoccupied tables where we can eat. I drove down to the nearby streets to chance on any open restaurant but I reached Makati Avenue looking for one. We both ended up in a Chinese Cuisine in A. Venue Mall where we ate like dogs, forgetting that we just saw cats earlier on.

We took our first shot while we were waiting for the bus boy to take our orders

A Conversation With God

2010-07-25T13:08:00.000+08:00

God doesn't know the ultimate purpose. If He knows, existence would be pointless.

If the end of the universe were present in its beginning - if we are merely in the middle of the deterministic unfolding of a set of initial conditions - then the universe would be a pointless exercise. If we're at our destination, why make the journey? If we know the answer, why ask the question? That is why the future is - and must be - profoundly hidden, even from Him. Otherwise, existence would have no meaning.

The physical argument is that no part of the universe can calculate things faster than the universe itself. The universe is "predicting the future" as fast as it can. The universe is one vast, irreducible, ongoing computation, which is working toward a state that He doesn't know and cannot know. The purpose of existence is to reach that final state. But that final state is a mystery to Him, as it must be, for if He knew the answer, what would be the point of it all?

By computation He meant thinking. All of existence, everything that happens - a falling leaf, a wave upon the beach, the collapse of a star - it is all just Him, thinking.

We inhabit a world scaled midway between the Planck length and the diameter of the universe. Our brain was exquisitely fine-tuned to manipulate our world - not to comprehend its fundamental reality. We evolved to throw rocks, not quarks. As a result of our evolution, we see the world in fundamentally erroneous ways. For example, we believe ourselves to occupy a three-dimensional space in which separate objects trace smoothly predictable arcs marked by something we call time. This is what we call reality.

Natural selection has given us the illusion that we understand fundamental reality. But we do not. How could we? Do beetles understand fundamental reality? Do chimpanzees? We are an animal like they. We evolved like they did, we reproduce like they, we have the same basic neutral structures. We differ from the chimpanzee by a mere two hundred genes. How could that minuscule difference enable us to comprehend the universe when the chimpanzee cannot even comprehend a a grain of sand?

We evolved to see the world as being made up of discrete objects. That is not so. From the first moment of creation, all was entangled. What we call space and time are merely emergent properties of a deeper underlying reality. In that reality, there is no separateness. There is no time. There is no space. All is one.

We think of ourselves as an "individual person," with a unique and separate mind. We think we are born and we think we die. All our life we feel separate and alone. Sometimes desperately so. We fear death because we fear the loss of individuality. All this is illusion. Me, he, she, those things around us living or not, the stars and galaxies, the empty space in between - these are not distinct, separate objects. All is fundamentally entangled. Birth and death, pain and suffering, love and hate, good and evil, are all illusive. They are atavism of the evolutionary process. They do not exist in reality.

The universe exists because it is simpler than nothing. That is also why He exists. The universe cannot be simpler as it is. This is the physical law from which all others flow. "Nothing" cannot exist. It is immediate paradox. The universe is the state closest to nothing. The universe we see is an emergent property of its simplicity.

Religion arose as an effort to explicate the inexplicable, control the uncontrollable, make bearable the unbearable. Belief in a higher power became the most powerful innovation in late human evolution. Tribes with religion had an advantage over those without. They had direction and purpose, motivation and a mission. The survival value of religion was so spectacular that the thirst for belief became embedded in the human genome. What religion tried, science has finally achieved. Science now has a way to explain the inexplicable, control the uncontrollable. We no longer need "revealed" religion. The human race has finally grown up. Religion is as essential to human survival as food and water. If we try to replace religion with science, we will fail. Science is religion. The one, true religion. Instead of offering a book of truth, science offers a method of truth. Science is a search for truth, not the revelation of truth. It is a means, not a dogma. It is a journey, not a destination.

We will know the truth. And the truth shall make us free.

The Links to Obertianism

2008-12-01T01:08:00.000+08:00

Tagged

Tagged is a social network of general interest similar to MySpace and Facebook. In addition to allowing users to share photos and videos, it provides a window to Netvibes as a personalized start page.

Tagged has come under attack for questionable practices such as spamming for invites by searching through the user's email address book.

Jaxtr

Jaxtr brings voice to social networks and blogs. Jaxtr can be used to link my phones with my online network to receive the calls, voice messages and texts I want while keeping my phone number private. I can now call be called for free on my mobile without needing to download anything or use a headset. Just enter the phone number, your phone rings and jaxtr connects the call.

However, I can opt the phone to or not to receive calls. I can block callers or specify on a per-caller basis who can ring my phone and who gets routed to voicemail. The best thing about it is that Jaxtr is free. In the future, they will offer premium services for jaxtr power users, but the basic service will remain free. Depending on the phone plan, the service provider may charge fees for making local calls.

The only problem now is that... I still don't have a new mobile phone since I lost it in July

Wayn

WAYN is a social network for travelers and people, who love travel, want to share experiences, photos, keep track of all the contacts from around the world and make new friends based on where they have been, where they are going and where they are now. One feature is that you can find and contact people from your current location, from places you have been or plan to visit. WAYN list in Wiki guide allows you to find reviews and advice from people all around the world about places, events, or attractions.

What is scary is that a lot of people say that this is a spam site that inadvertently sends a spam message to every single person in your address book. What was thought was that someone should get back in touch with the owner of the account after sending what was probably another unbeknownst spam message but when you go through the process of signing up, and when you’re done WAYN wants to know the trips you’ve taken in your life. That’s something ridiculous, in the first place, and here it was thought to be a social metagroup of some sort.

I signed up though…

Hi5

I didn't know I have a Hi5 page until one of my friends sent me an invite and clicked on the link to register. To my surprise, I already have an existing account and had a number of friends linked to it. I don't even remember when, how and why I created an account on this site.

It's one of my unmaintained sites. It's too redundant to have Friendster, Multiply and Blogspot plus other networking sites which have the same functions as the first three mentioned. Others don't have those as they say so it's better to connect them to this network instead. Makes sense, though.

I actually thought this page is the Australian group's Hi5, hahaha!

Flixster

A movie buff like me should have a site like this. This page encases all the movies I like, all the DVDs in my collection and the flicks I have missed and wanted to watch.

It's amazing to collect all the ones I like in just one page. From the movies I have seen when I was still a kid to the underground movies I have seen only in select theaters to the critically-acclaimed releases only seen in Film Festivals around the metro. It's a little bit sad that some of the movies that I have seen and liked are not found in the list.

Have yourself a bucketful of popcorn, sit, relax and check out the movies!

iLike

This is the site where I listen to several artists and albums "I like" without the need of uploading these tracks to my webpage. The artists and albums are available online for ready listening and easy selection. It's a cool site. It's recommended for music lovers who can't live without hearing their favorite artists play in a day's life!

Ringo

One of my online accounts kept dormant and unmaintained. I don't even remember anymore who sent the invites for this. I was able to upload some pictures though, but when I found out that it isn't that popular and only a few people got interested opening such account with Ringo, I discontinued it and never got the chance to go back to it.

Facebook

One of the latest craze in networking sites which they say better than Friendster. It gives you an update to users you might know so you can connect to them, and the best deal is that you can catch them real time if they are online. And... that's one thing I despise because that's invading my privacy.

I was invited to create an account though, and I liked it somehow. Some of the people you can't find in Friendster are registered here. What's funny is, all the other people you are connected with in some other network sites are also here.

Blogspot

My first Blog ever!

This was created when I was a Customer Service Representative in PeopleSupport Philippines back in 2005. It was influenced by my co-worker Francis Ortalla, among others, who are so hooked into blogging at that time. Francis was the one who brought me into the world of blogging, and surpisingly, I was able to create one in HTML codes which I was still learning at the time everyone else is already master of their own crafts. Then came Irate Eira (that's how I call Eira Aborde Ü, also one of my co-workers) who became my personal guru in developing my newly-born blog. Francis and Eira were hand-in-hand, as I may remember it, in criticizing my page. They laughed on it, praised it and gave their utmost support to make it the way I wanted it to be.

I wanted my blog to show who I am, without me speaking. I wanted the page to describe me, without me showing myself in flesh. And here's the final product. My life story...

It soon became a white elephant. When my daughter was born, it was left all alone in the dark and my full attention was drawn to my my newly-born baby - Gelii. When I went back to it, I found it to be like an old rotten shoe that you don't wanna wear no more. That led me to switching to Multiply (it was again Francis who dragged me into this multiply craze, hahaha).

The page is still existing though... like a hermit in the Australian caves.

Friendster

My friendster account is one of the most significant creations that came into my life. This page was born at the time I met Sheryl Pedrigala, the girl who would become the partner I would be with for the rest of my life. Friendster helped open a line to a soon-to-be married life with my chosen partner, now my wife Sheryl Reyes.

More significantly, it was my bestfriend Dennis Opiso who invited me to create this Friendster account. It was the same coincidence that Dennis was the one who introduced me to Sheryl. Both events happened at the same time. He connected me to the outside world and linked me to married life.

Married life with Sheryl is an eternal blessing. Friendship with Dennis is a bond forever. Ergo, Friendster is an existence for the rest of my life.

The Vampires are Haunting Me Again!

2008-11-30T11:32:00.000+08:00

It was 8pm when my wife and I crept into the dark night to watch Twilight in Megamall. We were both in awe when we found ourselves right infront of the exhibit of all Twilight promotional materials in the movie house. We know we can't wait to grab a ticket for the last main feature of the day. The last time I ever felt this way craving to see a vampire in the movie was in 1994 when Lestat invaded the cinemas like locusts from the dark with "Interview with the Vampire." And it was a flick my wife tagged as "the movie showcase of my boyfriends."

We got a 10pm schedule. This date with my wife is supposed to be a birthday treat to me but it came a bit late because our daughter was with us that day. I'd rather have a family day than watch a movie leaving our most precious treasure behind. Today is the day! As we were waiting for the minute hand to reach 10, I flashed back to the vampire movies I have liked seeing in the screen. Queen of the Damned is exceptional, Van Helsing was a bit too pushy to become a sequel of Underworld, Blade was violent, The Lost Boys is too old to remember, Buffy is more like a slayer of the witches in Charmed. Couldn't think of anything anymore. With Twilight, I don't know what to expect. Am I just gonna see the real montage of scenes I only visualized when I read Stephenie Meyer's book? Or will I be dazzled?

It was already 10pm and we started to sneak into the dark pathways of the movie house. As the movie started, I didn't even want to hear the sound of a popcorn bite so I could hear the dialogues more audibly. I didn't want to breathe either. The first few scenes to me are just reminiscent of Kristen Stewart's 2007 movie The Messengers where she also moved from the city to a suburb. Everything changed when Robert Pattinson came out. Vampire movies haunted me again. It's right infront of my nose and I am not believing it is happening. It's so surreal. Curtains are already closed but flashes of the scene where Edward Cullen is playing piano while Bella Swan was right next to him was stuck in my mind.

Yes, it is enough. Enough for forever. It’s not the end, it’s the beginning.

Rihanna and Chris Brown Concert

2008-11-17T09:39:00.000+08:00

At exactly 6pm, my wife and I rushed to Fort Santiago Open Field in Taguig to see the international concert of the year, the one we both waited for a very long time. This is one of the best concerts we think we will be seeing, since she likes Rihanna and I like Chris Brown and we will see them both in just one concert. When we reached the concert ground, it took us a while to figure out where the entrance for the tickets we bought, the Silver Section. One good thing in coming to a big event like this ahead of time is that you can still gather sensible answers from the guards and concert ushers. We were told to go that way, turn to a direction that way, straight ahead and voila, we saw the end of the labyrinth. We were frisked immediately and some of our items were confiscated and were not allowed to be brought inside the concert venue. We didn't have much time to argue (and we were in the height of our excitement) so we just left the stuff in their custody, not knowing if we can still get them back. Read: we were not issued any claim stubs.

At last, we were inside the concert venue. We looked for the best place to watch and enjoy the concert. Our requirements - (1) near the humongous speakers, (2) conducive to the viewing monitors, (3) not necessarily in the middle but at least both Rihanna and Chris Brown are visible in stage, a(4) near any emergency exit [just in case]. Eureka! We found our place. While we were waiting for the 8pm start and for my wife's friends who will be joining us in the concert, we took several pictures and watched the sun retire in the west to set the night's party mood. After a few flashes from our camera, I noticed that the concert venue was suddenly filled up with a sea of 70,000 people in no time, all cheering "Ri-hanna, Ri-hanna!" and some sing the chorus part of "Forever" in unison.

It's 8:00pm at last! The concert started on time (or at least a few minutes late because of the tons of reminders and advertisements) and the crowd suddenly went wild when the lights went off, pushing everyone on their way to get nearer the stage, with their hands clasped with point-and-shoot cameras and camera phones thrown in the air waiting to catch the entrance of whoever will be the first artist to perform. The pyrotechnics blew off and signaled the entrance of Chris Brown, who was hanged upside down singing "Wall to Wall." The crowd, most of them girls, roared and screamed and shrieked. It's a dance cut but amazingly, no one in the crowd can be seen dancing or singing along with him at least. They are all taking videos of Chris Brown performing. I wonder if this is the idea of Filipinos in going to concerts. To take photos and videos and upload them in their social networks.

Chris Brown seemed not to mind how boring the Pinoy crowd was, he just danced to all his other upbeat songs like "Kiss, Kiss", "Picture Perfect", "Gimme That" among others and serenaded the girls with his ballads like "Say Goodbye", "With You", "Superhuman" and other songs which I only know the chorus parts. A Chris Brown concert is not a Chris Brown concert without him showing his chest and abs. He took off his sweat-soaked shirt and threw it in a crowd of girls. And best of all, Chris performed a few of Michael Jackson's famous cuts and showed his 'gloved-one' moves which included "Billy Jean", "Rock With You" and "Thriller." My favorite part of his show was when he sang "No Air" which was a supposed duet with a pre-recorded file of Jordin Sparks but the crowd sang along with him. At least it showed that Pinoys are not that completely boring when it comes to concert. His last track was "Forever" which obviously, the only Chris Brown song that everyone else can interact to (or the most popular, so far). Everyone danced (finally) and sang along with him.

After Chris' part, a 30-minute fireworks intermission blew off in the air. This is to divert the crowd's attention to the spectacle in the sky and not notice how the stage is being transformed from a Chris Brown-environment to a Rihanna-milieu. After the entertaining (and ear-popping) fireworks show, the DJ played some of the hit songs of today. It was funny (and a bit disappointing) that the crowd sang and danced along with the recorded tracks like Pink's "So What," Flo Rida's "Low," Beyonce's "Single Ladies," among others more than singing and dancing along with the live performer onstage.

The second part of the show signalled when the lights went off and steel stairs showed up onstage with Rihanna on top of it singing "Disturbia" only wearing a black corset and bikini on a knee-level boots. This number rocked the whole Taguig. The crowd roared, screamed and shrieked again. I was expecting to hear only girls to sing along with her but I saw everyone, as in everyone, swaying their hands and screaming "Disturbia" (some people only know that single line in the track). She sang all her other upbeat hits like "SOS", "Don’t Stop the Music", "Shut Up and Drive", and ballads like "Unfaithful", "Rehab", "I Hate That I Love You", and "Take A Bow" was her most-interacted song in the concert. The night was concluded with Rihanna's greatest hit "Umbrella" with which Chris Brown suddenly emerged from the backstage to sing along with her on the remixed version titled "Cinderella." They kissed together like as if a fairy tale book is about to close to end a story with a life lived happily ever after.

It was a very tiring night, but we have definitely enjoyed it. It was only a bit disappointing that it failed my expectation to experience a real partying crowd. Maybe because most Pinoys are really not into dancing and singing (in short, interacting) with the performing artist. A great percentage of the 70,000 sea of people are literally "spectators" of a show. They come to "see" a show that they paid for... not to do along with the artist who was paid to perform. Or sometimes, you blame it to a performer who can not make his or her crowd sing and dance along with them. There are artists who just wants the audience to hear them sing and see them dance. But a Chris Brown and Rihanna concert is an exception. This is a party concert. You see the two artists' efforts to make the crowd join them, especially Rihanna who kept on shouting "Manilaaaaaaa" and the audience will scream a little, sing with her a few lines and throw their hand in the air a few minutes and they go back to their lethargic mode. That's funny. That's only in the Philippines.

Gelii's 3rd Birthday

2008-10-03T11:12:00.000+08:00

It was a stormy day. From the window pane was a scene of heavy pouring rain. I was excited and nervous, not knowing what to feel and which one to feel first. Not knowing what to think and which way I should think. I would stare at the dark sky. Far. Farther. Void. And then the doctor came out of the operating room and exclaimed "your baby's out!" It was one of the greatest feeling I had ever felt in my life. And that was three years ago.

My baby's now three! My, how time flies. And today, I'm feeling the same way again. The same great feeling on that same day I saw her behind the viewing room of the hospital's nursery. I told myself "my Princess is here" and I was right. She is the epitomé of the princess I have known in the fairy tales I once told when I was a kid. And now, the princess is with me celebrating her 3rd birthday.

Happy birthday, Gelii! I love you very much.

It's Over Now

2008-08-14T17:39:00.000+08:00

Though the feeling hasn't passed
Sad to say our love didn't last
Please don't ask me to pretend
Cause to know it's over

When I'm done forgetting you
You can say what you wanna do
Please don't ask me to pretend
Cause I know it's over now

Ewwww!

That would be the initial reaction I know I would get for posting this. I've never been this mushy for years now. And holy cow, I know I'm too old to be mushy for such. And I never posted any lyrics that I liked, as far as I can remember. Okay, how about LSS as an excuse?

It just happened one day when I was watching MTV and saw a video from Kyla with this track. I don't remember any distinct event in the past that would relate to this song but flashes of memory suddenly came popping up my mind like the white lights in a near-death-experience phenomenon. I then found myself looking for the audio file of it in the internet (preferably the original from Joey Albert) to be downloaded.
I got the answer finally: it's a bitter song, that's why I suddenly liked it. My wife knows. If there should be a song that will be written for ampalaya, for sure it'll sell like hotcake to me!

HDD Web is down!

2008-07-19T07:29:00.000+08:00

HDD Web has just ceased operation. And what's the repercussion? All my online files are gone forever!
I woke up this morning to see that my Multiply site doesn't have my personalized banner anymore. Moreover, my Friendster page doesn't have my personalized wallpaper background. And what's worse is, everything in my Blogspot is gone coz all the files are uploaded and stored in that online storage. It's the same feeling that I have when my harddisk crashed and I wasn't able to back up my files.
This is what I hate when you're sucking all things which are given for free. There really is nothing free in this world. If there is, you'll meet your doom one day and you'll pay for everything...
More than the blood in your veins!

Listen To Me!

2008-05-11T19:25:00.000+08:00

This is my world of music. And these are the types of music that I've known. Noise. Grunge. Evil.

This is an influence of my college days when I transitioned from a jack-of-all-trades teenage boy to a rebellious grown-up man. I can say I was summoned to this realm of sound madness during the time I was out there looking in the void for a shoulder to lean on. I saw myself in the anguish of the little boy in Pearl Jam's "Jeremy" and fell in love with Liv Tyler and Alicia Silverstone in Aerosmith's video of "Crazy." I shared with the false hopes of R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts" and became one dependable person in Edwin McCain's "I'll Be." All this and more... and I was enslaved into this time when grunge ruled the world. These songs are gone, Kurt Cobain's dead, bands are disbanded but I'm still here... wallowing in the memories of this existence.

Since my Multiply's back, I thought of uploading some MP3s again. But now, a little bit cautious. I will no longer upload the full albums of all that I have. I came to realize that I want to list down here the tracks that I loved most. Some people may agree with me that these are the best songs so far, some may not. Who cares?!? Some people may also say that my compilation will reveal how old I am now. Who cares?!?

I'm only a man in a funny red sheet and it's not easy to be me.

Follow me here just like the rabbit from Alice in Wonderland...

I Am Dumb...

2008-04-08T08:31:00.000+08:00

Why am I so dumb in making decisions?

For everything that I have in my life, I always have this guilty feeling that I have not done anything right. I have always thought when I was a young boy (might’ve been because of pressure from other people) that I am a bright kid… intelligent… unique person. A rare breed!

But as I am growing old, these attestations are slowly going all wrong. I am starting to believe that I was raised with a just a mere fairy tale. Everything that I was made to believe is a big lie. I am not really the one they thought I was. It’s all wrong! How if the only truth in this world is just a lie? Is there really a Messiah that the humankind is waiting for? Is there really life after death? Are there really spirits and ghosts wandering in non-life forms? Are there really aliens? Is Charles Darwin right? Is Big Bang Theory true?

Are there really concrete answers to these questions? To these unsolved mysteries as uncountable as the multitude of heavenly bodies in the universe? And who would answer these? Am I going to believe? Do I still believe?

Believing to anything is something that I have to decide, for now.

If I am intelligent, why am I dumb in achieving these decisions…

Welcome Back to my Multiply Account... whew!

2008-04-07T13:12:00.000+08:00

Finally, I got my Multiply account back!

Multiply administrators deleted my previous account due to copyrighted materials uploaded, according to the advisory that I received few weeks before I lost access to my own account. I’m guilty anyway because I uploaded all tracks and albums that I have with my favorite artists. I almost wanted to upload everything that I have in my 80Gb hard disk. Sometimes, I really believe that being sloth is not a deadly sin, it is an advantage!

To those who still have copyrighted MP3s in their accounts, be warned now, otherwise, you’ll savor the same consequences that I suffered when I found out one day that my account no longer exists. I still will upload MP3s anyway, but not the full album and not all tracks from one particular artist anymore. And I’ll try to find a way that all tracks I will be uploading will be restricted and such.

Let’s get back to my real Obertian world…

That Darn Villman

2007-10-15T21:16:00.000+08:00

May…

Sometime this year, my sister and I talked about upgrading our computers since ours are already Jurassic-old and dilapidated. Mine is still tolerable anyway but hers has already crashed. Amidst the insufficiency of funds and starvation issues, we managed to check out the latest units that can be purchased for our upgrades. On May 20, we decided to plow down all the computer stores in Megamall (since we’re from Mandaluyong, it’s the nearest and most convenient place that we know) to scout for the computer peripherals that we need. On the 4th floor Cyberzone part of Megamall, we window-shopped and pretended we have lots of money to buy the whole place. We infiltrated this store, we crept on here and there, but nothing is convincing enough for us to lay down all our wealth for some piece of computer parts that we can enjoy at the end of the day.

Just before we lose our expensive patience that day, something suddenly caught our attention. Behold! It says… VillMan Computer Systems, Inc. Hundreds of mammals flock that store, it seems like there is a pandemonium of shoppers trying to grab all the goods they see in the showcase. It seems interesting. We set foot in that store and found a bald-headed guy who was so friendly, assertive and evidently equipped with such talent of everything an effective salesman should have. He approached us, perhaps we smell money, and in his pupils you will see Peso sign… we are potential buyers! He talked, he discussed their products, and he sounded so knowledgeable with all their merchandise that you wanted to heed his recommendations. Voila! He got what he wanted. He made us buy:

2 ASROCK 775I65G LGA775 I865GV 800MHz Motherboards
2 Intel Celeron 2.53GHz (D326) LGA775 Processors
1 Kingston 512Mb DDR PC400/3200 Memory

We were told that all their items have 1 year warranty. We were so convinced since the bald-headed guy seems so sure that they all run perfectly (I bought my Kingston memory from another store right next to theirs some days later since we don’t have enough cash to buy for one more at that time). I realized that no one wants to flaunt its newly-bought underwear and run down the streets without clothes on so I thought of dressing up properly and buy outerwear, as well. What's good in buying the internal parts without shaping up the external? So I also bought a new tower case specific for the size and format of my new motherboard. We hurriedly went home and I liquidated the old parts of my computer just like how Amon Goeth wiped out the Jews during the holocaust. After which, I then replaced them with the newly-purchased motherboard, processor and memory. The bald-headed guy didn’t go wrong, they all ran perfectly cool!

September…

It was a fine, ordinary weekend for me to sit down tête-à-tête with my computer and noticed that my 80Gb-MP3-infested-harddisk is playing slow that day. I decided to defrag my primary and secondary disks and just as it started, my computer suddenly turned off. I thought it only powercycled itself before it starts the defragmentation process but I waited the whole lifetime and it didn’t turn on anymore. Worse is, it can no longer be powered on anymore. Crap!

I hurriedly brought my PC down to where I purchased the tower case, suspecting that the problem is with the power supply. A lot of allegations were thrown down at that time. It might be this, it might be that. But after a careful, meticulous troubleshooting and testing, the technician finally concluded that there was no problem with the tower case’s power supply. The problem lies on the motherboard’s 12v socket itself. There is no electricity running on the said socket which is needed to power up the whole motherboard. I was advised to bring the motherboard to where I bought it. Where else? But that darn VillMan!

September 28, it was heavy traffic all over Ortigas Center because of the OctoberFest prelude party. Along with my daughter Gelii, we circumnavigated Megamall and finally landed on the Cyberzone area where hip-hoppers with their low-waist-pants-with-belt-on-it-so-what outfit plague at that time. VillMan, here I am again! I am so impressed that the bald-headed guy did not approach me this time. Neither that I don’t smell money anymore or perhaps because the word “angry” can be read in my forehead. In fairness with the employees, they were accommodating anyway. They tested the unit and finally, their verdict… defective board. Whew! I don’t want to hear the next lines he has to say but I don’t have a choice. “Sir, we need to replace this and it will take 2-3 weeks for us to order the replacement item,” is the last statement that I am expecting that time but that’s the first that I heard. I was told they need to call their supplier to send them a replacement for this since the unit is already irremediable. I don’t remember he mentioned he will be giving me a brand new one (Assumption #1: do companies replace defective peripherals with their refurbished units even when it is still under warranty?). I was totally shocked actually, to hear that I will not have a computer for 2-3 weeks so I begged for any temporary replacement of any board of its kind. It was denied. I was told they don’t issue second-hand units to customers (Assumption #2: since it is a protocol not to issue second hand units to customers, then I should be given a whole new motherboard). I respected that. It’s a company policy. I work in a call center and I know what that means. And I know no one should break the company policy, even customers are always right.

What else did I do? Wait endlessly. As the days go by, I felt like I was waiting for the crows to turn white… and wait for them to turn black again. Days… 1 week… 2 weeks had passed. I constantly called them to follow-up but to no avail. Wait still. Wait some more. But I’m tired. While there are still icebergs left in Antarctica, I should make a move now!

October

Fifteenth day marked the third week of waiting. It was already October 11 and I got the chance to drop by at Megamall. What else do I have to say but, VillMan here I am again! I prepared myself for the worst news to hear, and I was right. It’s still not there. In short… I can’t fix my computer yet! Keeping my composure not to unleash a Stephen Chow-inspired fury, I uncomplainingly listened to the alibi. You can see the attempt to convince me that they’re on my side (Oh God, forget about building rapport and empathizing with me coz I already know that bunch of craps!), and what was promised to me is that they will purchase the motherboard from other sources instead and to make me feel guilty, I was told that they will finance it in the meantime since the delivery hasn’t arrived yet, just to make me have my motherboard already (Assumption #3: since they will purchase it from other sources, do companies purchase second-hand units for replacement of their defective ones?). Okay, I agreed. It will be just 4 more days to wait, as promised. I was able to wait for three weeks, why not 4 days more?

Uhm, 4 days is over. This is it. Today’s the day! Hallelujah! I’m gonna have my all-new computer parts again after three weeks of waiting. I hurried down to Megamall though it’s raining hard. I had to dodge from the multitude of raindrops just to reach Cyberzone and here we go… VillMan, here I am again! It is at least a relief at first when I was told that they will just test “it” to make sure it is running perfectly good before they hand it over to me. And when they’re done, they called me to see it for myself. Perhaps they are expecting me to jump for joy just like what Fidel Ramos did when Ferdinand Marcos finally fled to wherever, but the reaction that I can give is contrary to that. Sure the motherboard is running okay, but wait… there’s more!!! Look at the back panel, it looks rusty. Check the slots, there are stains on the sides. Stick your eye on the board itself, there are particles of dust. In short, the board they are giving me is a second-hard, used, old and looks worn-out! What did they think of me, it was my first time to see the inside part of a computer? If they only knew, my computer is a product of constant upgrading. I started from 4x86 to 5x86 to Pentium 100 to Pentium MMX to Pentium II to Pentium III to Pentium IV. I know how a motherboard looks like when it is fresh from the box or it has already been gang-raped by some hip-hoppers with their low-waist-pants-with-belt-on-it-so-what outfit. Please, I’m just handsome but I’m not dumb.

I didn’t take the motherboard he was giving me. I demanded for explanation, that’s the least thing I can do at that time. I was told they didn’t order anymore since last Saturday, October 13, their delivery finally arrived. What had arrived? That old, dusty motherboard? No way that I am taking that. I drew a long breath and gave the employee a fatal glare. I was expecting for at least an apology but I didn’t get any. He seemed to just want to pacify me before I explode like Mount Aetna, he promised me again that he really will purchase a new one from other sources this time and be back again tomorrow to pick it up. Once and for all! I looked around to find their manager but everyone I see is wearing a blue VillMan uniform apt for an ordinary employee. It seems like the store is not armed with a manager, as their ammunition somehow, when customers would like to annihilate all the employees he sees around. I am not leaving without his name… and he is Aaron.

I resorted to calling their main office instead, in a payphone near their store, and a certain Flor Repuezo answered the phone. In 3 years of working in a call center, this is the line that I hated to hear most, and this is the line that I love to say now “I want to speak to your supervisor!” Surprisingly, I was lambasted with a de-escalation process, I was told she doesn’t have her bosses at that time (Jun Castro and Eric Guillermo, as she mentioned). Today is Monday, it is 12:10pm, and there is no Manager in the store, there are no bosses in the main office? Well, no wonder this is the quality of customer service that we get. I still vented out my complaints, anyway. Flor Repuezo patiently listened to me, in fairness. I demanded that this will reach her superiors and she assured me, at least (if I was her QA Analyst for this call, she will pass anyway) that she will report this in no time. I hurriedly went home with dismay and regret, and I realized I wasn’t contented with what I just did. I went online and gathered all the possible email addresses of VillMan where I can send out my grievances. And here’s how it goes:

To Whom It May Concern:

I hereby air my complaints about the incident that happened earlier at 12:10 pm in your Villman Megamall Branch. This is with regard to the Asrock Motherboard 775I65G that I purchased on May 20, 2007 which should be replaced due to defective unit.

Sometime in September, my computer suddenly turned-off while I was working and was unable to turn on again. I had it checked with the computer center where I purchased my tower casing, suspecting that the defect is with the power supply, but upon meticulous troubleshooting, they found out that the defect lies on the 12v socket of the motherboard. On the 28th of September, I brought the motherboard at your Megamall branch where I purchased it to have it checked, as well. The board was tested and diagnosed that it blacked-out and no longer usable. I was given a Service Receipt and was promised to have it replaced instead (i.e. the unit is still under warranty) upon arrival of the delivery, and since this will be ordered on the following week, I was told that it will take 2-3 weeks before the replacement board will be handed to me.

Within 2 weeks of constantly waiting, I made follow-up calls almost everyday just to check if the replacement board has already arrived, but to no avail. Last Thursday, October 11, I personally dropped-by at your Megamall branch to chance if I can already pick up the motherboard, but to my dismay, I was told that it is still unavailable. However, Aaron, the employee who always accommodates me when I call, promised that he will make a call that day to purchase and informed me that “they” will pay for it for the meantime just to secure a replacement for my board. I was again promised to come back today, October 15, to get the newly-ordered motherboard.

I went back there earlier today to finally get my board and I was relieved at first when I heard that Aaron said the order is “already there” and he will just test it so he can show it to me that it is working. He worked on a certain motherboard, tested it, and showed it to me that it is working fine. Unfortunately, when I thoroughly checked on the back panel of the motherboard he is showing me, it shows that the unit is second-hand, has already been used and looks very old and worn-out. I refused to take the board he is giving me and demanded an explanation. He justified it, however, that he didn’t purchase anymore since their delivery already arrived last Saturday, October 13, and decided to give me that board instead. I never thought that your company replaces a defective unit with a refurbished one which looks older than the item a customer purchased which lasted only for four (4) months. I left your Megamall branch with another promise that I can pick-up the unit the next day, October 16.

I do not demand for anything more than my right as a customer. I just don’t want to be treated less than what I deserve as your customer. Thank you very much and I hope to have a fair result with this.

Respectfully,

Norberto Reyes, III
0916-4566739

What I am expecting for this to happen? I don’t know. I just don’t want to be cheated. I live and breathe quality customer service for a living but I am not getting what I give. Most of the time, Filipinos complain of not progressing, of not succeeding. But what we don’t know is that we are the reason why we don’t get such progress and success in our lives. We are rotting in this third-world with all the corruptions rampant in the society. Filipinos are very talented, so intelligent and brave. But we use those qualities in the wrong way.

I do not demand for anything more than my right as a customer. I just don’t want to be treated less than what I deserve as a consumer.

GOODBYE CALL CENTER!

2007-07-19T21:16:00.000+08:00

Resign! Quit! Leave!

That’s what my heart is crying out. I have contemplated for this decision in a month and I ended up with a final, irrevocable verdict: I AM NOW RESIGNING! It is a tough judgment to make but this is the only just and rational conclusion that I can think of. It is a heart-breaking event in someone’s life to leave the workplace where you have stayed for couple of years and turn your back to people whom you cordially worked with, laughed with and dreamt for success in life. But every beginning has an end… now matter how painful it is.

The primary reason why I am leaving is because I am flying to the US in the next few months. I have planned, dreamt and worked on this for years now. The time is running out, I have to leave my family behind to give them a better life offshore. What’s the price? Work hard ‘til you drop. Every sweat and blood that drops to the ground is convertible to dollars. All the happiness that will be given up is an earning for my children’s future. And that’s what makes me move mountains right now.

But… that’s what my conscious mind dictates. At the back of my mind, something else is covering up the reasons that I made to quit my job. As I am spending and enjoying my week-long vacation leave, a nightmare is bothering me… I am leaving the company because of a dreadful feeling of resentment that had dwelt inside of me for a long time. And now it has exploded and crippled my mind to work effectively and efficiently on my last few days at work. Why do I feel this way?

I finally construed that I have lost my utmost enthusiasm to work hard. I am demotivated. I was forgotten. It’s been a year and I am still where everyone else left me. Unscathed. Pathetic. I remember I did everything to step up but no one noticed. I followed the rules by the book and nobody saw it. And I realized that what I did is wrong. Working hard and performing as a good employee is not enough. This will do you no good. Forget about promotions because you will never get it. Exert some more effort. Do the unimaginable. I looked back on the things that I have seen, evident and discreet, that made people go places. I ran down a list and I am titling it as:

THE BETTER AND MORE EFFECTIVE GUIDE TO SUCCESS:

1. Turn your “epal” mode ON at all times. Don’t master your craft. Leave a room for disputes and complaints so you can make noise. In that way, you are being noticed. Instead, work on the tasks delegated to other employees. This will show that you are also concerned about other duties on top of your own responsibility. Tip: If a program is working fine, find a way to destroy it. Flaunt to higher departments that you can fix it. And you become the company’s hero. They start to love your name.

2. Stay in the office for more than 8 hours a day. Read: I said “stay” in the office, not “work.” Do your duties for only 6 hours, and the rest, spend it puffing a pack of Marlboro lights with employees with higher positions; play billiards with them; share your impressive insights about Prison Break, CSI, Heroes, et. al., then transition to topics about your interest to promotions; stir them with your collection of favourite records and flicks; puff some more sticks. The next day, rub along with your co-workers and complain about being overworked and yet underpaid.

3. Walk around the office with a loud voice. You have the edge if you are tall. Employees don’t need to stand from their cubicles to see you. When everyone else hears you, they tend to ask “Who is that guy?” Now, you are noticed. In one way or another, you will be included in a conversation during 15-minute breaks. Don’t mind about being talked about in a cynical way. At least they talk about you. When the hearsay reaches higher departments, you are now known. No sweat.

4. Rub elbows with everyone. Befriend not only those who have their own offices. Throw a party for those who are underdogs. These people can be bribed. They can make testimonials about how good you are (not particularly at work). When this reaches the big bosses, you name is as sweet-scented as Hugo Boss. Getting a higher position is now a lot more effortless.

5. Be proactive. Yes, you have to be proactive… always. Take the initiative to establish rapport with everyone you see. You already have entrée to your superiors, you have the backup from your co-workers, and you have the testimonials from your underdogs. That’s your new definition of proactive. Keep in mind, you have to be known by everyone. No one advances to higher positions if you don’t have a name.

6. Don’t skip any meetings, conferences and gatherings. You don’t need to concentrate on the agenda. Think about what to comment and make a grandstanding noise to draw their attention on you. Keep your feet on the ground, I mean literally, because you need to stand up so everyone can see you. They heard about your name before, now you are flesh and blood.

7. Never follow proper channelling. If there are issues that concern your duties, why the hell should you report it to your supervisor or manager? You already have the access to the big bosses. Bypass them; it will only do them good. Remember, you were the only who will raise an issue. If this gets done, your name should be rewarded with commendation, not them.

8. Finally, talk like them. Be bossy. Use their lingo. Condescend with your inferiors to establish your position. One of my superiors once said: “If you want to become a manager, act like one.” This is your perfect time.

Trust me, these things worked. I’ve seen so many people who were promoted not doing what I do but practising these rituals. Am I bitter? YES. At least I’m not a sucker. People who get promoted are like janitor fish, they don’t need to swim to get to the surface… they just have to suck the glass walls.

THAT'S THE WAY OF FRIENDS

2007-02-06T04:56:00.000+08:00

THAT'S THE WAY OF FRIENDS
PAUL PARRISH

You and me, we were getting to be such very good friends
With you and me, it was so hard to see how the story could end
With moons and Junes, half-remembered tunes, and a love that would not bend
Don’t people say that’s the way of friends.

Me and you, we were seeing it thru just two of a kind
With me and you so tried and so true, we were rhythm and rhymed
All the starry nights, early city lights love was just one step behind
Don’t people say that’s the way of friends.

Chorus:
On a trains and planes
Crowded freeway lanes
Can’t explain the way of friends.
And a silent telephone
Locked unhappy homes
Were just things that have never known
`Bout friends…
Friends

You and me, we were getting to be such very good friends
With you and me, that was so hard to see how the story could end
With these broken lines half-remembered rhymes and a love that would not bend
Don’t people say that’s the way of friends.

Don’t people say that’s the way of friends
Friends…
Friends.

It's very unusual for me to post songs here in my blog but just some stranger friend (that... is unusual hahaha) requested me to post the lyrics of this song since she is having a hard-time searching this one in the net. I wonder why this couldn't be found anywhere. Anyways, here's the lyrics of "That's The Way Of Friends" since you requested it.

Going back to the history of this, "That's The Way Of Friends" is actually the first song that I have memorized in my entire life. If I could remember it perfectly, I was 3 or 4 years old when I started singing this. My sister Onnie was the one who influenced me with this (and I remember hearing this from my sister Maricar, as well) and became the first radio song that I have ever sung when I was kid (that marks how old I am now hahaha).

I wonder... I have never really been thru nursery rhymes when I was a kid. I never really thought I was a kid when I was a kid. Hmmm.... retrogression in process.

Misery of my desolation

2007-01-20T09:05:00.000+08:00

Here I am again... just updated my blog three months ago after a year of hibernating but just really can't get it going. Sometimes I am thinking, am I just too busy? Or I already lost my full-blown enthusiasm in blogging?

What has been happening in my so-called life the past few glimpses after the last time I threw out words in this page? There was my birthday, Thanksgiving Day (as if we care), Christmas Day and New Year's Day and nothing extraordinary that I could think needs to be posted here. I know my life is happy. What is the real definition of "happy" anyway? Sometimes when I recollect things, I see void. I picture myself adrift in a limbo. I only see a limp body of me in a state of oblivion. Hmmm... that is, what I believe an eternal bliss.

Or, am I just in a state of denial? Where can I see myself in between manic and depressive moods? Sometimes I deem that I am far outside this universe and just inside the minute divisible particle of something that exists only in mind. Where am I now?

I might have dropped something in my growing up years that I need to go back and pick it up. I hope it's still not a long way to go....

Merci! Merci!

2006-10-15T00:52:00.000+08:00

My baby just had her first birthday last Saturday though her real birthdate is October 03, and we anticipated that since it falls on Tuesday and guests might not be able to attend because of multitude of alibis: busy at work, traffic, unscheduled event, blah-blah-blah, we thought of moving the celebration to October 07 instead at The Legend Hotel in Mandaluyong City. Party starts at 2:30pm. And boy oh boy, these Filipinos really can't come on time. People started to be crowding the venue by 4pm (read: I paid for the party only up `til 7pm), and everything went smooth, at least. We invited 70 guests (the venue is only limited to 50 guests but we were able to maximize it to 70), but only 53 faces showed up. Only 53 most-special-valued-and-tested friends and relatives. I hope everyone enjoyed the party coz I really did. Just the thought of seeing your daughter enjoyed having kids and other people and friends attend her party is already an achievement to me. That was one unforgettable birthday.

For those who came, I sincerely thank you again for sharing your time with my daughter's first birthday. For those who promised to attend but didn't show up, thank you anyway. For those we were unable to invite because the venue is limited to chosen people only, you all have a place in my daughter's heart (she will realize that when she grows up). For those who didn't come because they really can't, we understand. We love you all. Thank you again.

Oh, by the way, those whose gifts were not yet given, you can send those to our place. Otherwise, if that is convertible to cash, just give me a ring and I'll provide you my account number. :o)

Rebirth of the Obertian

2006-10-12T23:26:00.000+08:00

Darn! It's been ages ago when I last updated this Blog. It was... ironically... exactly a year ago. I couldn't even remember the last thing that I posted here. Where in the freakin' world was I during those 365 days that I couldn't even pay sojourn with my own Blog? Argh... I just became a father, that's all. A happy, contented, overworked, blissful father. Did I miss anything? Nah! I have everything already. All the treasures in life anyone could wish for in this damn life. All within my family. My wife and baby Gelii who completed it all.

But wait... there's more! Here's a reborn Obertian in my whole existence. A whole-new Obert who has just gasped in the first oxygen of the new world he's living in. Now, he's fast and furiously growing. Like a moss in an idle stone. Like a poison ivy climbing up in medieval walls. Deceitful, treacherous, full of animosity... but immaculately clean.

Grow up, Obert! You are born again!!! Nyahahaha....

My baby and me

2005-10-12T16:21:00.000+08:00

Still too busy to update my blog at this time. Let the picture speak for me.

The Birth of a Queen...

2005-10-03T17:59:00.002+08:00

Behold!

The new Miss Universe of 2023 is born. Representing the 7,107 islands of the Philippines holds honour by Domenique Amber Pedrigala-Reyes. The next greatest movie star to hit the screens worldwide after winning the crown. That towering stature of woman's supreme excellence. That heaven-cultured beauty incomparable with Monroe, Dietrich, Bardot and Garbo. With wits of the goddesses never ever written by Homer. She, and only she... is the The One!

And she's my daughter.

Born October 03, 2004 at 5:59 pm with 50cm and 3204g statistics in Dr. Victor R. Potenciano Medical Center possessing reddish to fair skinned complexion inherited from both mom and dad (hey, that's me!). With hair as robust as Cleopatra's and pouting lips like Angelina Jolie's. Those winsome eyes resembling Juliet Capulet's and smiles like Mona Lisa. This little girl is undoubtedly a star. On your knees now, stare and... swoon!

Akda

2005-08-12T15:49:00.000+08:00

At muling nabasag ang katahimikan...

Matagal na paghihimlay. Animo'y isang anino na biglang naglaho sa kadiliman at di na muling nagisnan pa. At kapagdaka'y marami ang nagtanong... nasaan na nga ba ako?

Isang paglingon sa pinagmulan. Isang mapait na alaalang muling sumasagi sa aking isipan. Bagama't ito ay matagal na't limot na ay di ko pa rin mawari na minsan ay naramdaman ko kung pano itapon ng isang lipon na minahal at inaring tunay. Isang tahanan na kung ito ay aking ituring. Ngunit isang araw na lamang ay magigising kang ika'y isinusuka na't ipinupukol sa kawalan. Sa alapaap na di mo alam ang patutunguhan. Isang piitan. Bangungot.

Ngunit ito ay nagsilbing isang paggising sa karimlan. Pagbangon at muling pagtayo sa pagkakalugmok. Taas-noong muling nilangoy ang pananalasa ng matinding alon. At nagisnan ang sarili sa isang matarik na hagdanang magdadala sa akin sa isang mataas na kalagyan. Bawat hakbang ko'y matinik at madugo. Mahaba ang paglalakbay. Nakakapagal at nakakalula.

Ngayon nga ay nasaan na ba ako? Narito. Sa tabi-tabi lamang. Umaaligid. Ngunit ang kaibaha'y nakatingin na lamang ako sa aking pinagmulang marapat na ako'y yumuko upang masilayan ang mga bagay na dati'y nakapagdulot sa kin ng saya. Ang mga iniwang bakas at mga lumot na inapakan. Ako. Na dating itinapo'y nakaluklok ngayon sa isang mataas na upuan. Ang akda kong ito'y para sa iyo...

Akin pa rin ang huling halakhak.

answer to finding "F"

2005-06-08T14:45:00.000+08:00

WRONG, THERE ARE 6 -- no joke.

READ IT AGAIN !

The reasoning behind is further down. The brain cannot process "OF".

Incredible or what? Go back and look again!!

Anyone who counts all 6 "F's" on the first go is a genius.

Three is normal, four is quite rare.

songs i remember most

2005-06-07T11:49:00.000+08:00

I was listening to my collection of "Timeless Classics" MP3s this morning while fixing up my wife's PC when I suddenly found myself fluttering in a nostalgic trip to a sentimental past. Each track plays my mind a montage of events in my life which were already history. Some were happy thoughts; others are tear-jerking episodes which all are worth reminiscing. Moments later, I was already living in the past. Recollecting the people, the places and the times...

These are the songs that made me soar back to the past:

Missing You - topping my list is this John Waite's song which I don't actually remember any significant event why I go sentimental whenever I hear this. I just love this song very much that it hits me in the spot. It was finally revived by Tina Turner and I still loved it. Both versions give me a striking air inside.
Almost Over You - another song which really has no significant event that I can associate with in my life but this is one heartwarming song that I always get a lockjaw whenever I hear this. FYI: I always ask my girl friends to sing this in videoke for me.
All Out of Love - Ok, fine! This is Air Supply and it is "baduy" to most of the people who hears this but this is one of the songs that make me remember my childhood days. Read: I steal coins from our grocery store's cash register just to hear this in our neighborhood jukebox.
That's The Way of Friends - believe it or not, this is the first song I have memorized when I was still age 5. I got tired of nursery rhymes very early in my age that I turned singing radio songs instead.
Terminal - the second song I have memorized and became my favorite more than the first one.
Vincent - the song I always sing on my way to school when I was already in First Grade. I didn't know its title until I was already in Fifth Grade.
The Search is Over - this is one song I wish I was the one who wrote and sang it. This marks a great period in my gradeschool life that it became my favorite for long years.
Dust in the Wind
Fast Car - two of the songs I loved playing in the guitar. Dust in the Wind is the first song I learned strumming and Fast Car is the first one I learned plucking.
Old Photographs
When I'm Gone - these two songs both have the same intensity on how it strikes me whenever I hear them. I even thought they are the same songs and were sung by the same singer. Maybe it's because they are both tragic.
Against All Odds - I haven't seen the movie where this song was played as its OST but I really loved this one. There was even a time I forgot to pay fare in the jeepney just because I heard this song which mesmerized me `til I reached my destination.
Is It Okay If I Call You Mine - not really my favorite one but this song makes me remember a highschool girlfriend. I always sing this song to her then. Her name is in the title :o).
Love Me for What I Am - not also my favorite but in reverse, this makes me remember a college girlfriend. She wrote the lyrics in the card she gave me when we broke up. Eeuuw... mushy.
Out Here on My Own - not once my favorite but it became one. During one of our rehearsals in highschool theater, my crush sang this one while we were in backstage waiting for cue. I became more in love with her. Now, she's no longer out there on her own. She's married.
One In A Million You - one of the immortal songs I always loved to sing in videoke. I always get 100%, hahaha. It's because I give my all whenever I hit this one.
First Time - I first heard this one in a Coca-Cola commercial. I still remember vividly how the guy blushed when his crush caught him staring at her in the classroom. Not long after, it happened to me.
Open Arms - this was the song I dreamt to be my processional march in my wedding day. Funny? I find it weird, actually. It's a good thing Mariah Carey revived the song. I lost the enthusiasm to pursue it.
Looking Through the Eyes of Love - it was actually my highschool friend's favorite after watching Ice Castles. She doesn't know anything else to sing but this one whenever there is a chance. She didn't know I had a crush on her. Until now that she is already married.
Don't Give Up On Us - my first official girlfriend in highschool played this song in her voice tape to me when she already fled back to London. She wants me to hold on 'til she comes back and fight for our "long-distance" Romeo and Juliet relationship. I failed not to give up. Not soon after, I was already singing "Is it Okay if I Call You Mine" with another.

These are just top 20 of those memorable songs that give me a sentimental feeling whenever I hear it in the air. This marks that I am an 80's boy and the songs reveal my age. I'm proud of it. I love it...

For You, Buddy... Wherever You Are Now

2005-06-03T19:39:00.001+08:00

I was Papa's only son. I am Mama's only boy. All I've got is sisters ahead of me and I grew up never having a chance to be close to them. I stood up with my own two feet as I became a young man, and learned to understand the meaning of life on my own.

As soon as I reached college, a whole new world arose in my path. Perhaps I was just adventurous and envious as well that I always wanted to do what my college bestfriend had with his life that I never did --- fraternity. With him I was able to know what brotherhood is, what camaraderie brings to your life and how companionship enlightens your overview and perspective of what world is. When you are with someone, you'll never be alone. You will never fear to trip off to grounds. He always tells me that "you'll never understand why a cat kills rat unless you're a cat..." As I thoroughly pondered for that, I decided to go for it and feel how it works.

I sought fraternities on my own and found one. I was welcomed. It was warm. It felt great to know new faces and new lives.

The day came for my first physical test as a neophyte. Paddling. The six of us were brought to a dark dungeon. Blindfolded and tied. The deafening silence and irks of mice triggered my pulse and heartbeat to fear. The sound of the paddlestick knocking on the floor came nearer. As they ripped up my bottom, ready to strike the first blow, a loud scream suddenly flew in the air. But it wasn't from my voice box. Neither from my both sides. The scream grew fainter; and hurried footsteps - heavy and furious - nabbed the sound. A hand from behind suddenly untied my knots and pushed me to flee. "Go! Run for your lives!"

When my eyes were uncovered, flashes of light stole the dark place as stampede horrified in my face. Later did I realize - rival fraternity group attacked us and riot exploded! The next thing I remembered was a bloody and petrifying scene. Fists and knuckles flew in the air... limp bodies fell onto the floor... and roaring voices swiped the stillness of the night. And before I could make another move, two hard hands grasped my shoulders and pulled me over in the dark corner. He dragged me crawling on the floor and came into a dark asylum. Trembling - I turned my face to him but his hands clasped my mouth and muttered "Hush! I didn't haul you to mob. I tugged you out to escape..."

We survived that tragic riot. Months passed and we became closed friends. We meandered through the city lights and spent dreams and laughter under the stars together. But some good things never really last. Not long after and he has to say goodbye. And one good friendship really has to end so soon.

That final day, which the last time I'll ever see him... I was speechless. I didn't know what to say. And I remember, I still haven't thanked him since the day he save my life. When he came, my spiel has already been prepared. But before I could say a word - his hands clasped my mouth and murmured "Hush! I want to thank you for coming into my life. With you, I learned how to fight with life again and laugh over problems. I learned how to fight with life and laugh over problems. I learned how bright dreams are and how reachable stars were. Because on that day when we first met, I was on my way to kill myself for I already lost hope from living life. But when I heard your screams, I came for rescue. I didn't save your life, friend... you saved mine."

Boy Ngongo

2005-05-26T02:38:00.000+08:00

The joke that made everyone in GY shift die laughing

. : SI BOY NGONGO : .

Tinawag ni Inay si Boy, ang batang ngo-ngo. "Boy, magpunta ka sa tindahan ni Aling Petra at bumili ka ng isang latang Pork & Beans."

"Omo, inay," ang sagot ni Boy. Pagdating ni Boy sa tindahan ay binati niya ang tindera, "Aning Metra,ngamuta na mo ngayo? (Kamusta na po kayo?)"

"Mabuti naman," ang sagot ni Petra, "ano ang kailangan mo Boy?"

"Mangmilan nga mo ng inang lata ng Mo e Meen?" ang tanong ni Boy.

"Ano kamo, Boy? sabi ni Petra.

"Isa mong Mo e Meen," ang ulit ni Boy.

"Paki-ulit nga Boy at hindi kita maintindihan."

"Mo e Meen, Mo e Meen, nyung nata lata."

"Hindi talaga kita maintindihan. Mabuti pa kaya ay i-spell mo na lang sa akin."

"O ninge. Mo e Meen. Netter Mi."

"Letter 'B'?" Ang tanong ng tindera.

"Ine! Netter Mi as in Minimines."

"Ha???"

"Mi!" Kinanta ni Boy ang alphabet, "Ey, Mi, Ni, Ni , E, Em, Nyee..En, Em, En, O, Mi"

"Ahhh, P! Letter P!" ang masiglang sagot ni Petra.

"Oo. Mi! Mo e Meen!"

"Sige ituloy mo Boy. 'P'..."

"Ngo!"

"Ano kamo?"

Kumanta ulit, "Ey, Mi, Ni, Ni , E, Em, Nyee... En, Em, En, O"

"Ahhh, titik O! P-O. Sige ituloy mo pa."

"Netter Arrng!"

"Kantahin mo na lang ulit Boy."

"Ey, Mi, Ni, Ni , E, Em, Nyee... En, Em, En, O, Mi, Ngyu, Arrng."

"Ahhh! Letter R. Malapit na. 'P-O-R'? Hindi ko pa rin makuha, Boy.

Anong letter and susunod?"

"Ngey."

"Letter A?"

"Ini ho," sabay buntung-hininga si Boy. "Ngey! A, Ma, Nga (A-Ba-Ka-Da ang kinanta)! Nga!"

"Ka! Letter 'K' 'P-O-R-K' Ahhh Pork!!!"

"Oo. Mo e Meen"

"Pork and?" Ang tanong ni Petra.

"Oo!! Mo e Meen!!!"

"Pork and Meen? Ahhhh!!! Alam ko na!!! Pork and Beans!!!"

"Oo! Oo!! Mo e Meen!! Mo e Meen!!!!" ang masayang sigaw ni Boy.

"Pork and Beans pala ang kailangan mo!!!"

"Oo. Mo e Meen! Menon ngayo? (Meron kayo?)"

"Ay, naku wala!"

What Star Wars did to me

2005-05-24T00:54:00.000+08:00

I listed the following things that I remember most with how Star Wars changed my life.

I named myself Darth Obert during the heat of Star Wars 1: The Phantom Menace mania and since then, the evil force in me has unleashed.
I had a dog I named Ewoks which was slaughtered after biting a neighborhood kid. I spent a fortune that I need to shoulder all the expenses in the hospitalization of the kid in San Lazaro Hospital. I also lost my beloved dog (sigh).
The huge teddy bear I gave my girlfriend last Christmas 2004 was named Wicket because it looked like one (Wicket was a loyal, curious and adventurous young Ewok scout when he first met Princess Leia Organa in the forests of Endor's moon. The lone Ewok found a strange offworlder knocked unconscious from a speeder bike accident. Tentatively prodding her with his spear, the jittery scout was surprised to find this strange creature not only alive, but friendly as well). After two months, my girlfriend became pregnant.
I was able to locate and name Amygdaloid (nucleus in the brain, a structure that anatomists thought resembled an almond) in the Anatomy 2 practical exam in college since I correlated it with Queen Amidala. Since it is a very small anatomical structure in the brain, I was the only one who was able to name it.
I had a patient during my internship in Manila Sanitarium and Hospital I named Chewbacca. He died.
I bought four huge posters of Star Wars 1:The Phantom Menace in Greenhills and posted `em all over my wall. I realized later that I was charged four times as much as its original price.
I had miniature characters of Star Wars when I was a kid (Han Solo, Chewbacca, Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker with a broken lightsaber). I was playing with my toys when my Mom asked me to lead the Angelus prayer at 6:00 pm. I didn't go. Mom crushed my toys.
The longest-running wallpaper that I used in my personal computer is a 800x600 close-up picture of Darth Maul. It serves another purpose: scare anybody from logging in my own PC to drive away unauthorized use.
Since I created my email address dodgers846@yahoo.com on June 1996, my signature has never been changed. It says: May the FORCE be with you. I never realized I was actually referring to the Dark Force.
I seldom purchase original video CDs and DVDs, not unless it is my favorite movie. And if and only if, it is worth buying for a collection. One of those is of course Star Wars 1,2, 4, 5 and 6. No budget for Star Wars 3 yet.
The best of it all, I have created a site for the screenplay of Star Wars 1: The Phantom Menace and Star Wars 2: Attack of the Clones.

my review on Star Wars 3

2005-05-20T23:42:00.000+08:00

Behold! Now suffer the rage and wrath of my mob's revenge. Hail, for this is the moment of the Sith retribution and all Jedi mankind shall now perish and will be dominated by who else? The Darth Obert that I am. With thy revolting hands, I shall crush Coruscant and annihilate the Republican fleet. Boom goes the Naboo. Tatooine will turn into ashes. And I will reign... Darth Obert, King of Sith, the Evil Jedi!

Nyahahaha, dream on. Credits are now scrolling up the screen but my unblinking eyes are still stuck to where it last had a glimpse of the last picture seen. As my own tradition already as with all the other first five episodes of Star Wars, my mind is still wandering in the void visualizing that I am part of the story, though as a Darth Obert... mesmerized, locked-jaw and breathless, hours and days after the movie (and attempts to watch the movie over and over again). This is already the culmination of the saga and we are now history (as ever been). In the next generations, who will still be talking about us --- the Jedis. Who will remember us? It took George Lucas twenty years to think of a sequel on how to revive the Star Wars mania and now after nine years, we're all done again. How about making Episode 205 on the next twenty years so we will have more episodes to go back to after another trilogy? Whew! Neverending foolishness.

I watched the first two Star Wars movies on the first showing days but this time, having been the air of reparation because this is my movie --- the story about us, the Sith (being the King of it), I intended to watch it ahead of everybody else. So I took my wife with me to Megamall to catch the earliest Premiere Showing and gone agog and euphoric waiting for the dan-dan-dan-dandadan-dandadan soundtrack with its opening tagline "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..." holding my breath. As soon as it started, I'm young again. I became a Jedi once more even just for a couple of hours (not to forget that I am the evil one). And when it's done, it's just another crap.

I already anticipated the plot even before everything started. I hedged myself from spoilers so as not to reveal what has yet to be seen but as a real Star Wars follower, you'll know what's gonna happen. To sum it up, pathetically, I didn't enjoy Revenge of the Sith as much like the others. Maybe because I am cognizant of its track to where the story will go meeting the commencement of Star Wars IV: A New Hope. The scene started from a fiery war in Coruscant planet between the Jedi troop and the Separatists' army led by Grievous, a robot suffering from hiccups, or could be a cough (what a ridiculous concept of George Lucas). Customarily, all Star Wars episodes start with an action-packed scene so expect your timpanic membrane to pop-off your ear with it zing-zing, whumm and baboom sounds. I expected the best fight scene with this movie since this is already its ultimate showdown but it failed my faith. It didn't boil my bloodstream as compared to the effects in Attack of the Clones' chase between Anakin and Obi-Wan with the infiltrator to Padme while she was sleeping. I was also waiting for a match to shake-off the scene where young, adorable Ani soars in the Pod Race (Star Wars 1) or something like the chase scene of Ewoks where they outnumbered the battle droids flying in full velocity with their snowspeeders (Return of the Jedi). There was none. All it has is Obi-Wan Kenobi with a short stint of battle riding in a humungous creature (I don't know what it's called) and it's nothing but a crap.

When Ani and Obi-Wan found Chancellor Palpatine in detention and then suddenly Count Dooku evolves from the screen, you already know what's going to happen. Euuw! As if you don't know that it's Palpatine who's going to be the evil Darth Sidious and that scene will surely be the mode to lure Anakin to the Dark Side of the Force.

What I didn't expect is the fight scene of Mace Windu whom I thought will just sit around the Jedi Council acting like as if a College Dean waiting for enrollees. It's but a short fight but one of the highlights of this episode. I was hoping to see more like a Morpheus jujitsu-enhanced-cum-lightsaber with a deafening wung-wung sound with it but Anakin aborted my dream to see that scene when he suddenly snuffed the black Jedi Master. That's good anyway. He's so black that I can't see him in the fight scene.

One of my favorites is Master Yoda's duel with Darth Sidious with a superb fight sequence and quite a little comical one visualizing to be evil Palpatine fighting with a green, bouncing Humpty Dumpty. Moreover, Yoda's movements are still quite more atrocious in Attack of the Clones than this one.

Padme, oh yes, Padme... has lost her grandiose beauty in this episode. She's not as stunning and jaw-dropping as with the first two. She always looked like as if she has just gone thru with her laundry. What happened to her imeldific robes? Is she penniless now that she can no longer hire the highest paid couturier in Naboo? I wonder if this was done on purpose. But man, oh man. The lines "I am beautiful because I am in love" is the best dialogue you'll ever hear in this one. So posh and "kilig." So young like as if you're watching teen movies.

And the funniest detail for me in this movie is when Darth Sidious directed Order 66 to all clone troopers. Suddenly I said "what does that mean?" What popped into my mind is the Engineer in Miss Saigon picking up the raffle who wins the whore Gigi Van Tranh and she screams "number 66!" I was wearing a grin in my face thinking that the clone trooper who can defeat the highest ranking Jedi will win a whore from Vietnam. And take note: all the monitors used here are digitally colored while all the succeeding episodes will eventually use green monitors. The catch: Jedi Council in Star Wars 4 ordered to downgrade to green monitors using DOS commands and dot matrix printers since Bill Gates' softwares have bugs. Bugs will create virus. Virus will destroy Death Star. The Darths will again win the war, harharhar.

To sum up everything, it's the worst Star Wars episode for me. There is no plot at all. Well, there is, but with a stinking storyline. What you can see is all but George Lucas' justifications on how the first trilogy will now meet the old trilogy. The story is like compressed excerpts summarized into just an hour and a half movie embellished with action scenes with no extraordinary effects at all. What you will see are things you've already seen before.

I am a real die-hard fan that it takes me years to wait for the denouement of this classic. It has now ended. Though I'm not real impressed but I am overwhelmed at least. This is the part of where my story is written. It's a crap, sure, but it's a masterpiece. I didn't expect that the last movie tells about the revenge of the Sith when I named myself the King of it since The Phantom Menace was born.

Ironically, it came on as Star Wars III when my real name is Norberto III. Strange...

Star Wars quiz answer key

2005-05-20T06:40:00.000+08:00

1. Which former Jedi commands a droid army that attacks the Republic?
Count Dooku is the correct answer!

2. Name the character who gives birth to twins Luke and Leia.
Padme Amidala is the correct answer!

3. Who is the only actor with a speaking part in all six movies?
Anthony Daniels as C-3PO is the correct answer!

4. Which two Jedi knights are sent to rescue the kidnapped Chancellor Palpatine?
Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi is the correct answer!

5. Who says, "Twisted by the dark side young Skywalker has become."
Yoda is the correct answer! (Ok, that was an easy one.)

6. Who are the only actors to appear in all six films?
Both is the correct answer!

7. Which character appears in all six films but is played by two different actors?
Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor and Sir Alec Guinness) is the correct answer!

8. Clone Commander Bacara's number is 113. What other George Lucas-directed movie is that a reference to?
THX-1138 is the correct answer!

9. Name the Australian, 15-year-old Oscar nominee who joins the cast as the Queen of Naboo.
Keisha Castle-Hughes is the correct answer! Castle-Hughes was nominated for best actress in 2004 for "Whale Rider."

10. The rating of Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith is PG-13. How many of the previous Episodes have been assigned that rating?
None -- they've all been rated PG is the correct answer!

Star Wars quiz

2005-05-19T04:56:00.000+08:00

Have you seen Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith already? I just did. Here's a quiz for you to test if you really are a Jedi or not (or course what I mean is if you really are a Star Wars die-hard fan like me or not). My next post will be my review for the movie. I still can't write one at this time as I am still mesmerized and the phantoms of each scene still flickers in my mind. I still am not breathing. I need an artificial aspirator. Gasp...

1. Which former Jedi commands a droid army that attacks the Republic?
A. Obi-Wan Kenobi
B. Anakin Skywalker
C. Emperor Palpatine
D. Count Dooku

2. Name the character who gives birth to twins Luke and Leia.
A. Shmi Skywalker
B. Beru
C. Padme Amidala
D. None of the Above

3. Who is the only actor with a speaking part in all six movies?
A. Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca
B. Anthony Daniels as C-3PO
C. Frank Oz as Yoda
D. Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker

4. Which two Jedi knights are sent to rescue the kidnapped Chancellor Palpatine?
A. Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi
B. Mace Windu and Obi-Wan Kenobi
C. Anakin Skywalker and Mace Windu
D. Count Dooku and Mace Windu

5. Who says, "Twisted by the dark side young Skywalker has become."
A. Mace Windu
B. Yoda
C. C-3PO
D. R2-D2

6. Who are the only actors to appear in all six films?
A. Anthony Daniels (C-3PO)
B. Kenny Baker (R2-D2)
C. Both

7. Which character appears in all six films but is played by two different actors?
A. C3-PO
B. Obi-Wan Kenobi
C. R2-D2
D. Boba Fett

8. Clone Commander Bacara's number is 113. What other George Lucas-directed movie is that a reference to?
A. 1:42:08: A Man and His Car
B. 6-18-67
C. American Graffiti
D. THX-1138

9. Name the Australian, 15-year-old Oscar nominee who joins the cast as the Queen of Naboo.
A. Keisha Castle-Hughes
B. Florencia Padilla
C. Keshia Knight-Pulliam
D. Abbie Nichols

10. The rating of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith is PG-13. How many of the previous Episodes have been assigned that rating?
A. Two -- The Empire Strikes Back and Attack of the Clones
B. Three -- The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi and Attack of the Clones
C. None -- they've all been rated PG.
D. One -- The Empire Strikes Back

May the FORCE be with you!

Star Wars: Now Showing

2005-05-12T17:26:00.000+08:00

In a few more days, Star Wars 3: Revenge of the Sith will now invade the cinemas and a multitude of die-hard avid fans (me, included) will again swarm the malls trying to be the earliest bird in the long queue of a million people awaiting to see how the story will end. Or should I say... how the trilogy meets the old trilogy. What really can't coincide in my mind is how the hell the first three episodes (which includes The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones) have a more superior technology than that of the last three episodes when these three are actually prelude to Star Wars 4; A New Hope. So what could be George Lucas' excuse here? That the FORCE was actually exacerbated by the annihilation of all powers under the Empire? I wonder should Lucas put this episode into denouement of blasting all planets which led to devastation of apparatuses responsible to the creation of state-of-the-art machineries. Ergo, technology in all planets will all start from scratch. Death Star dies. Zero. Blunt.

After watching Star Wars 3 and have gotten yourself engrossed with the superb digital effects and Dolby stereo which could pop your timpanic membrane up, get your ass home and watch Star Wars 4 via DVD to reconcile how the movie ended with how A New Hope started. Eeuuw! I bet you'd turn the DVD player off and opt to watch Kamao series instead (while munching your leftover popcorn since you can't eat `em inside the theater due to your mesmerism over the movie).

I don't remember having seen the first trilogy since I bet I wasn't born yet when these three invaded cinemas worldwide. All I knew is that a lot of freebies i.e. mugs, caps, miniature characters, shirts; with all Star Wars characters and other what-nots printed on these mega-expensive items are being sold in all participating stores. I don't remember exactly how I got addicted to this movie (not necessarily with the plot, cause it's really futile) to the extent that I think I am a Darth and even naming myself one. I don't know how I got into Tatooine but I have envisioned myself I suddenly sprouted in Sith, so I became the King of this place (I don't even know where this was). Bottomline is... I am a Jedi, an evil one. You can't track my story in the six episodes coz it's not in there. My biography alone as Darth Obert is even more than those 6 episodes which made George Lucas a rich man.

When Star Wars 1 was shown in the Philippines, I was there at the first-day showing in SM City along with my friend Aldwin (I don't know where he is now, he's also a Jedi) and since we're still students at that time, we didn't eat popcorn. We only had enough money to buy tickets. Since then, I have memorized all the characters in the movie, and gets troubled pronouncing "Shmi." Few years after, here came Star Wars 2 and I was already in my internship. Again on the first showing day, we all gathered to the nearest mall to catch the Attack of the Clones (wondering to see a story of how Taiwan-made PCs conquered Greenhills) along with my co-interns from DLSU and our Clinical Supervisor sir Jhun (who I think is Jabba the Hut at that time). As soon as "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..." starts scrolling the screen, my jaw starts to lock in awe and fascination. I'm a Jedi once again! And after the curtain calls, it's the same old crap. We contributed to make George Lucas to become four million richer again. We fooled ourselves more than he fooled us.

Since I am Darth Obert and my wife's conceiving a child in her womb right now, who could it be? If he's a he, shall I name him Skywalker? Or if she's a she, shall I call her... uhmm, Starapple? Does that sound very Star Wars-y name?

Just meet me in the movies. May the FORCE be with you... and also with you.

Help!

2005-04-30T07:56:00.001+08:00

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My Baby's Fourth Month

2005-04-26T07:54:00.000+08:00

Finally, a triumph! Here's now a glimpse of my baby via ultrasound. Thanks to modern technologies of science that soon-to-be parents like me can view at least the silhouette of the fetus which is a product of my genes. I still can remember vividly how my heartbeat is pounding fast as I am viewing the screen with the figure of the baby kicking as if it's showing off while being watched by its parents. I can't help but feel proud how it feels to be a father.

The baby is now in its fourth month. With what I learned in college of medical science (ironically, this was my report in Physiology 2), the baby's heart now pumps about 25 quarts of blood a day. This will increase to be about 300 quarts by the end of pregnancy. All of the teeth have formed and even has a scalp hair pattern (God, don't let the baby inherit my chromosomes involving hair pattern)! The baby is about 3 ounces (85 grams) and 6.3 inches (16 cms). The gender can't still be detected by ultrasound. Though gender predictions at this point are much harder to rely on. More subtle changes, such as the development and positioning of the eyes and ears, will take place, making the fetus look much more human. Movements now are being observed, and the baby now really kicks a lot.

Whew! I wonder how I will be called five months from now... Dad? Papa? Itay? Tatang? Tatay? Itang? Papay? Father? Pere? Vater? Padre? Pater? Patris? Sator? Ojca? Patria? Far? Whatever.....

Threesome

2005-04-25T07:18:00.000+08:00

Threesome...

Three things that scare me: earthquake, fire, plane crash.
Three things I love: my personal computer, my mobile phone, my digital camera.
Three things I dislike: elevators, Pinoy trash movies, being told what to do when I know better.
Three things I like to do but can't: cook, swim, eat in a smorgasbord
Three things you will not find in me: umbrella, hankies, pen.
Three things I don't understand: Physics, Philippine politics, Bible.
Three things I can't leave without: wallet, mobile phone, my pouch with "something" in it.
Three things I can't live without: my computer, radio with loud speakers, money.
Three things I prefer to do when bored: sit infront of my computer, play the guitar, sleep.
Three things I want to experience before I die: be crucified at Golgotha, dine with the British Royal Family, join Fear Factor.
Three ways to describe my personality: moody, boring, evil.
Three best-loved collections I have: my complete Beatles albums, Superman stuff, my old cassette tapes.
Three of my absolute favourite foods: sashimi, potato salad, eggplant for viand.
Three things I’d like to learn: speak French, direct a movie, to mummify.
Three movies that made my tears fall: Schindler's List, Alive, The Cure
Three movies that scared me: The Eye, Sixth Sense, Amityville

Three words why I wrote this: I am bored!

It is I... Dark Lord

2005-04-23T10:01:00.002+08:00

Welcome to the wrath of the Obertians! The time is near. We will now dominate the earth and annihilate all humankind. We will propagate pestilence. Plagues will be everywhere. Prepare to meet thy doom. No more riches but widespread agony. No more happiness but neverending misery. No more love but abhorrence. And I... will be king! Life will now be ephemeral since I will soon be the epitome of boundless existence. Come now on your knees and plead to suffer the eternal melancholy. I am your messiah! Bwahahaha (echoing uncle Scar's devilish laugh while Jeremy Irons' fatal glare backdrops the scene)!!!

Scary, huh. Not really much a blasphemy nor being agnostic but this is only what I get from reading Dan Brown and Jessica Zafra's books plus watching the only movies that pull me up to enter the moviehouses which should have the following requirements: (1) serial killers, (2) bloody killings, (3) good against evil battle, (4) adrenalin-stirring chase of ghouls to its prey and (5) Kris Aquino crying in the scene with fake tears falling from the lateral side of the face to break up the monotony so I can die laughing.

This is only what my new blogskin suggests. If the picture speaks, this is what it says. My blog is now dressed-up with a newly-edited fresh-from-the-oven skin which depicts more of my personality than the previous one which used to have a freaking connotation of a boy-next-door type of an owner. So coquettish. Ugh! This, I believe is the more apt description of me being an evil wolf inside a sheepskin. Thanks to my Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft FrontPage (all pirated worth P40 each) alongside Eddie Vedder's howling voice while singing "Last Kiss" as I was conceptualizing my new skin. Ironically, Nina's "I Don't Wanna be Your Friend" also contributed inspiration why I came up with such design, hahaha.

Obertianism is flourishing again after ages of hibernation. Kudos!

November Born Personality

2005-04-02T23:41:00.000+08:00

I received this personality description of November born like me from email (thru my friend San), and I was quite appalled and mesmerized for exactly 0.56 microsecond that everything is true although one is actually a big LIE. I'm not romantic. I wish I am but I hardly can. Anyhow, read on if you want to know me further and this is perfectly me!

NOVEMBER:
Has a lot of ideas.
Difficult to fathom.Thinks forward.
Unique and brilliant. Extraordinary ideas.
Sharp thinking.
Fine and strong clairvoyance.
Can become good doctors.
Dynamic in personality.
Secretive.
Inquisitive.
Knows how to dig secrets.
Always thinking.
Less talkative but amiable.
Brave and generous.
Patient.
Stubborn and hard-hearted.
If there is a will, there is a way.
Determined. Never give up.
Hardly becomes angry unless provoked.
Loves to be alone.
Thinks differently from others.
Sharp-minded.
Motivates oneself.
Does not appreciates praises.
High-spirited.
Well-built and tough.
Deep love and emotions.
Romantic.
Uncertain in relationships.
Homely.
Hardworking.
High abilities.
Trustworthy.
Honest and keeps secrets.
Not able to control emotions.
Unpredictable.

I wonder why it didn't show here that I am friendly and an extrovert. Am I not? :o)

Breaking Me In Two

2005-04-01T04:08:00.000+08:00

God, it's 4:09am and I am still awake. This is the adverse effect of working in a graveyard shift. I looked for things to keep myself busy but all I can do is to sit here in front of my PC and scribble thoughts to written words. I can't sleep and I won't sleep, either. Why? My heart is breaking me up in two. At this point in time that I am writing this, my friends are enjoying the night (with the fruit of the pay day, of course) chanting along with the reggae beat in Timog Ave, where I am supposed to be with. I now visualize Melch and Francis tossing up cider drinks while boy-hopping along the bar with guys wearing shirt printed with cannavis sativa on it. And Macy, oh I hear her now yakking "No Woman, No Cry" in a Bjork's singing voice, hehehe. Kay is silently pulling down the pants of a guy in the corner while smoking pot... in her thoughts :o). And Neil, oh the Neil who is every woman's dream to wed and bed is now cracking up a new Jologs quiz: "What is the name of Juan Rodrigo's character in Mara Clara?" to a newfound girl in the dark corner of the bar. Girl slaps her, oh yeah... in the butt! I wonder if Mark Lester is also with them. Above all, I've been thinking of them the whole night. It must really be fun. And I'm not there, huhuhu. How I'd wish I can suddenly pop-off here thru a warp zone and join the fun. I miss these guys since I was already transferred to graveyard.

Where am I right now? I am in the middle of my pitch-black room as only my monitor lits up the dark while lying in my bed is my girlfriend hybernating. Of course, I am more than glad to be with her for the night. With pride to see her carry our child in her womb (I can't do that, dummy). But what breaks my heart in two is to think that my friends are all there enjoying the night and I am here in the dark clicking my keyboard while sipping tap water.

I'd better go to sleep now.

What Movies To Watch, I Think

2005-03-30T02:02:00.001+08:00

Two of the newest DVD movies I bought recently which caught my eyes while rummaging at a video store in SM Megamall. Along with these two is "Killing Fields" which I last saw when I was still in gradeschool. The only thing I remember in that movie now is John Lennon's "Imagine" (strangely, I don't remember the plot anymore). But before reaching the cashier who was gnawing bubble-gum at that time like a goat in a famish, I dropped it because of the synopsis which I find very disturbing. More astonishing was when I already watched the other two movies left in my hands to be purchased, they are more disturbing than what I thought. The following are:

C A R A N D I R U

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One of the most-sought movies I have been eyeing in the video stores. This is another disturbing and uncanny flick, as I can term it, from an official selection of 2003 Cannes International Film Festival after Steven Spielberg's adaptation of liquidation of Jews in Schindler's List. The first few parts of the movie is quite stiff and nothing more extraordinary to most of the movie buffs. It's some sort of a Carlo Caparas-like elucidation of all main characters' individual tragic narration of how-we-got-into-prison stories. Very Pinoy style on how to bore viewers. Worse is, it is dreadfully a predictable plot of blunt social relevance with which you're always perfectly right on your estimation on what's next in the succeeding frames. The only fine craft I admire in this movie is that the actors are meticulously chosen to give justice to the characters they have portrayed. Well-rehearsed lines and superb acting prowess all combined to one. One of my most favorite characters among all the inmates is Highness, who depicts an annoyingly dogmatic idea of his chauvinistic side of how to pick and treat women and I love his transformation to an ambivalent lover whose heart broke into two - a Don Juan de Marco inside the prison cell? The story itself is a common sight which we have seen in a lot of movies about prisoners, but the denouement is what this film detaches itself from all the rest. Short but sweet, everything ends in a bloody death of more than a thousand inmates which is a memory of the massive carnage spearheaded by Amon Goeth. Recommended to watch when cable TV has ran out of movies for the day.

Click here to view trailer

M Y S T I C R I V E R

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Another jaw-dropping, mesmerizing performance of a movie-god Sean Penn. His tear-jerking scene of that remarkable line "is mah daughter in there? is that mah daughter in theeere? oh God, noooo!" Yeah, oh God, how you forgot to breathe after that cut seeing Sean Penn in a standing-ovation-required performance. I was wondering why didn't Clint Eastwood insert that situation in Sean's I Am Sam acting feat of an MR cum obsessive-compulsive father who fights for custody of his only daughter. Wonder how a mentally retardate father screams like that? And adding Emmie Rossum lying in her limp body covered with mud and dried leaves while "That's All I Ask of You" soundtrack is being played supplementing the unrivaled wailing act of Mr. Penn. Whoah, that is very Oscar-award engaging. Anyway, I don't seem to understand why the author of this story needs to inject the past haunting incident of character Dave. What's that for? To desperately drive Tim Robbins win the best supporting actor award? Okay fine, he did (applause, applause). But with that initial premise, would you still suspect character Dave to be the villain of the criminal-hunting story? No you won't, because you already knew ahead of time that his case is already justified by mental disturbance. Evidently, you will opt to suspect other characters in the movie who is capable of killing Christine, err, Katie Markum. Think of a wildcard in the movie like the police inspector himself. The motive: he wants to be promoted by fabricating his own solved murder case. Why not the mother of Katie's boyfriend? Motive: she had eavesdropped Katie and her boyfriend's plan to elope and killing Katie is the best way to stop her son from leaving his family. Or why won't you think of Sean Penn's aide in his grocery store? The director's motive: to drastically confuse the audience of thinking if they are watching a sequel of I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. It's gonna sweep all the awards, I bet you.

Click here to view trailer

A Poetry I Have Written

2005-03-28T00:58:00.001+08:00

AN INVITATION TO DEATH
by Norberto E. Reyes, III

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I will take you
If you want to fly with me
In my world... an abyss where
My mudcastle prickly ripened with
Glasswall gingerbreads,
Roofened with vulture heads.
Let us snorkel down under
And swim about with my clouds of
Thick parsley and thorned toffee.
Should you mall and roam around
With my Abbey Road of epee posts
In shimmering and glimmering lights
Of blue flame fire in every head of my knights
Stood by side by side
Each hand fervently held
Blood-dried headless bodies of them...
Wolfgang, Ludwig Von and Sebastien
Thunderous roar of voices ahead.
Stay away, keep hold of the key withheld
Yet, swallow the first nightingale that fled
Buonarotti, Picasso and Van Gogh's head.
I'll let you walk over my dungeonful of seas
Where Montague's Capulet swims unclothed
In her head is the axe I plunged in
Mussels in her mouth I compelled to sing
A house you'll see I built in cobs and needles
DO NOT unveil the door, M'sieur, I warn
For there lies my closet full of damn yarns
Psychedelic hues of magentas and blues
And the book no living head has read
The story of sex, rebellion and vengeance
Amongst the rotten volcanoes there hides,
Whomsoever unchains each dies...
Of ruthless death...
Unbearable wrath...
The phenomenon stay let damn covered
For the doom of this world's millennium
Falls to ashes, burns to ruins
Pillars of my Parthenon them sings
Cometh to me my friend, let's fly
The fangs of my nimbus now unties
Soar high - but touch nothing - for you die
Ask nothing - for I lie
Lest,
You'll witness the enigma of where I dwell
Where everything is mine, I own the hell
But the devil is not I but
The divine angel that hides
Come...
Just close your eyes and take my hand
The fare is but your blood in my sand
"Gulp!"

My First Post... Ever!

2005-02-08T21:41:00.001+08:00

I actually don't know what to do with this so I will just type this one just to fill up the page, hopefully before the day ends.