one big fire

2008…CELEBRATE!

The Blue Eagle Bonfire
September 30, Tuesday
6 pm Mass, Church of the Gesu
7 pm Bellarmine Field

See you there!

the fountain

The Fountain is not for everyone. it’s either you love it or you hate it. since i’ve seen Aronofsky’s two other films – Pi and Requiem for a Dream. i had a pretty good idea what’s in store for me. just like his previous films, The Fountain is non-linear, open-ended, dream-like, charged with “remarkably honest performances, subtle details and stunning imagery”. the film is successful in creating an “insightful tapestry of the meaning of loss, mourning, and the possibility of eternal life.” the film is divided into three parts. the first part is where Hugh Jackman is a spanish conquistador where he is tasked to find the tree of life to save spain and marry the queen. the second part is where he is an obsessed doctor studying an ancient south american tree in order to save his dying life. the last part is where he is an astronaut traveling in space in search for the answer to eternal life. as an astronaut, he is tasked to save the tree and at the same time the tree keeps him alive in space being without water and food. how you interpret or arrange the parts is up to you. that’s the beauty of Aronofsky’s films. so watch it with an open mind…

for a lot of people, The Fountain is considered as weird, odd, or it doesn’t make any sense at all. when i watched it at gbelt a couple of years ago, i've heard people behind me complaining for most part of the movie. but like I said, Aronofsky is not for everyone.

i wouldn't say that the film is not without flaws.... but if you really take a careful (insightful) look at it, it is something ambitious and could perhaps be considered a true cinematic work of art.

4 > 0, how "sweep" it is

it may be an ugly win... but it is still a win.

we are just the better team this year.

i'm happy for now. nuff said.

define happiness

happiness is winning tomorrow's game.

i don't think my heart could handle game 3. it would probably trigger a heart-attack. i'm getting old. haha.

to the blue eagles, it's time to bring home the bacon.

ONE BIG FIGHT!

hello angst

control the things you can control, maggot. and if you have to go down, go down with your guns blazing…

the unbearable lightness of being

i rarely re-read books. i have this notion that there are just too many good books to read in one lifetime. but still, i re-read Kundera’s The Unbearable Lightness of Being. i consider it one of my all-time favs. the book poses a lot of questions about how our lives are shaped by irrevocable choices and fortuitous events. it is a novel of ideas, a provocative look at the ways in which history impinges on individual lives, and a meditation on personal identity. the book examines the imperfect possibilities of adult love and the ways in which free choice and necessity shape our lives. "What then shall we choose?" Kundera asks at the beginning of his novel. "Weight or lightness?" i guess this novel is his attempt to answer that question. and the answer is obviously hinted at in the novel's final scene, in which Tomas and Tereza (the main characters) find themselves in a small country hotel after a rare evening of dancing. when Tomas turns on the light in their room, "a large nocturnal butterfly" rises from the bedside lamp and circles the room in which they are alone with their happiness and their sadness.

note: i recommend this book for a lot of reasons. aside from the fact that this book is brilliantly written, i agree with the author’s point of view that we are who we are, and we are where we are because of the actions we took when destiny presented itself to us. basically, we are where we ought to be because of two things…. the choices we’ve made and the chances presented to us, may it be fortuity or mere coincidence…

heroes

note: i wrote this two years ago during the Heroes craze.

i just finished watching the last episode of Heroes a couple of days ago. it's funny that i actually don't know anyone who doesn't like this series. this NBC series is very likeable, definitely something worth spending the entire day lying in bed watching the season from start to finish.

actually the concept is not new. the story basically revolves around a group of people slowly discovering their superhuman abilities and uncovering their destiny. cliche right? but i think of it as ‘x-men’ with a ‘24’ twist. the last five minutes of each episode leaves you wanting for more.

Heroes is also a little different from the typical superhero movies/series since the producers/creators made it more “believable”. the characters are basically ordinary people we see around everyday. we can somewhat relate to one or two characters, thus giving the series a more “human” element/component. the effects are deliberately not imposing or grand (minimalist approach) with the intent of delivering more realism. even some of the characters’ special abilities are not that absurd or ridiculously unbelievable (e.g. persuasion, telepathy). i’m particularly fascinated by the notion that the characters obtained their extraordinary abilities via evolution by natural selection (the geek in me, hehe).

after sickening influx of stupid reality shows and other crap on TV, Heroes is a gush of fresh air.

more from neil...

"We were never lovers, and we never will be now. I do not regret the conversations we never had, the time we did not spend together. I regret that i never told him that he made me happy, when i was in his company. The world was better for his being in it. These things alone do i now regret: things left unsaid. And he is gone and I am old"

~ Lady Bast, The Wake, The Sandman Series

"It makes you vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens your heart and it means someone can get you now and mess you up. You build up defenses. You build up this whole armor for years so nothing can hurt you.

Then one stupid person, no different from any other stupid person wanders into your stupid life. You give them a piece of you. They don't ask for it. They do something dumb one day like kiss you or smile at you and then your life isn't your own anymore.

Love takes hostage. It gets inside you. It eats you out and leaves you crying in the darkness."

~ Rose, The Kindly Ones, The Sandman Series


i think I got these from beng's blog a couple of years ago. hehe. thanks beng.

i hope they serve beer in hell

a really good ol’ friend of mine, who’s now based in ireland, suggested that i grab myself a copy of this book. it's actually a fratire - men's version of a chicklit. she’s kinda sure that it’s something i would enjoy reading. so while waiting for the admu vs ue game sunday afternoon (where ateneo clobbered ue black and blue), i decided to drop by fully booked to get myself a copy.

"my name is tucker max, and i am an asshole. i get excessive drunk at inappropriate times, disregard social norms, indulge every whim, ignore the consequences of my actions, mock idiots and posers, sleep with more women than is safe or reasonable, and just generally act like a raging dickhead. but i do contribute to humanity in one very important way:
i share my adventures with the world."

i hope they serve beer in hell
by tucker max

sounds interesting right?????????????? can’t wait to start. i have a problem though. I have this bad habit of reading multiple books. currently, i’m still halfway through memoirs of geisha, after dark, twilight (i'm just curious how come this series really sells, so far i find it an irritating read), and ignorance. good thing I got to finish of love and other demons a couple of weekends ago. so this means that it might take awhile before I can get to touch my latest book purchase again. crap.

drip

drip's latest album 'identity thelf' has been in my cd rotation for weeks now. i never get tired listening to it.

so this morning, since i haven't listened to their first album for the longest time... and of course i wanted to do some comparison... i searched for it in my cd case. i was surprised to find out that it's not there. im guessing that a friend of mine might have borrowed it, liked it so much that he/she forgot to return it. darn.

so if anyone knows someone who has a copy of their first album 'far side of the world', please leave me a message.

yahoo

guess what??? it's cine europa time!!! usually it's held every november... but this year, it's 2 months early. i'm not complaining though... hehe.... check out this link for more info.

http://guides.clickthecity.com/movies/?p=3656

see you at the movies.

whiners shut up

complain, complain, and complain... then complain more.

all people do nowadays is complain. we blame the government for everything. the gas price. crime rate. the war in mindanao. traffic. alarming population growth. garbage problem. floods. pollution. inflation. poverty. our miserable existence. the list goes on. we tend to overlook that the government is actually a reflection of its people.

so stop whining and do something instead.

something to think about

"Closing your eyes isn't going to change anything. Nothing's going to disappear just because you can't see what's going on. In fact, things will be even worse the next time you open your eyes. That's the kind of world we live in, Mr Nakata. Keep your eyes wide open. Only a coward closes his eyes. Closing your eyes and plugging up your ears won't make time stand still."

~Kafka on the Shore
Haruki Murakami

murphy's law

i was a student for 16 years. and i’ve been a corporate slave for 8 years now. all of the assignments, projects, deadlines, conversion, and deployment activities i had to go through excruciatingly, made me a firm believer of murphy’s law. during “crunch” time, your hard drive will crash sending your philosophy paper to nothingness, your cobol code will suddenly not work even though you're fully aware that you’ve tested it a million times, your car will not start and you have to meet a client in 30 minutes, and the list goes on. in other words, expect the worst because it's always an imminent possibility.

i guess that’s why i'm rarely flustered during pressure-laden-nerve-cracking-brain-numbing situations. i’m fully aware that in any given moment, something most probably will go wrong. and you don't really have a choice but to roll up your sleeves and deal with it.

got this somewhere in the internet. it's actually pretty funny.

MURPHY'S LAWS

THE PRIME AXIOM: In any field of scientific endeavor, anything that can go wrong, will.

2. If the possibility exists of several things going wrong, the one that will go wrong is the one that will do the most damage.
3. Everything will go wrong at one time.
3.1 That time is always when you least expect it.
4. If nothing can go wrong, something will.
5. Nothing is as easy as it looks.
6. Everything takes longer than you think.
7. Left to themselves, things always go from bad to worse.
8. Nature always sides with the hidden flaw.
9. Given the most inappropriate time for something to go wrong, that's when it will occur.
10. Mother Nature is a bitch.
10.1 The universe is not indifferent to intelligence, it is actively hostile to it.
11. If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something.
12. If in any problem you find yourself doing an immense amount of work, the answer can be obtained by simple inspection.
13. Never make anything simple and efficient when a way can be found to make it complex and wonderful.
14. If it doesn't fit, use a bigger hammer.
15. In an instrument or device characterized by a number of plus-or-minus errors, the total error will be the sum of all the errors adding in the same direction.
16. In any given calculation, the fault will never be placed if more than one person is involved.
16.1 In any given discovery, the credit will never be properly placed if more than one person is involved.
17. All warranty and guarantee clauses become invalid upon payment of the final invoice.
18. Murphy's Law: "If there are two or more ways to do something, and one of those ways can result in a catastrophe, then someone will do it."

this week is going to be hell. so, wish me luck. i’m sure there will be quite a number of fire-extinguishing activities for me. my personal/social life may need to take a back seat. it will be a loooooooooooooooong week.

damn. i need an inspiration.

start ROAMing

A rip-roaring shout out to all kinds of travelers: the cheapskates, zillionaires, backpackers, adventure seekers, campers, lost, or whatever you feel like calling yourselves! ROAM magazine has finally landed our urban jungle! This magazine is for you!

October Eighty Publications proudly presents ROAM—the first and only alternative traveling magazine in the Philippines. Hop on the crazy world of fun, spontaneous, and adventurous traveling! Discover the hidden, learn the alternative, and live the ambiguity.

In this premiere issue, we give you the wild slab of glorious Manila we’ve all loved to hate, and hated to love. We revive the vintage and feel the vibe of hippie Manila. We veer away from what’s pop and grand; we drift, reroute, and experience Manila the ROAM way!

Revel our special features on the chronicled Intramuros, oddballs of Cubao X, rave of the Manila nightlife, rekindled balut industry in Pateros, and the legends of the Luneta photographers.

We’ve got a bevy of features on urban adventures, culture, food trips, dream destinations, city tours, first aid, traveling in style, and a lot more!

Come on, come on! Quit on slacking and start ROAMing!

ROAM magazine is available in the major bookstores and newsstands.


note: this article is taken from http://projectmanila.com/blog/?p=142. i was able to get myself a copy of the mag two fridays ago. I was really impressed. something fresh, hip, amusing, and a bit crazy. great job jake.

lucky me

i was able to get three upper b tickets!!! lucky me!!! thanks maida... i owe you lunch. hehe.

ateneo was in control for most part of the game. baclao and rabeh readily accepted their roles as the sultans of the shaded lane. the archers, especially rico, walsham, and barua, weren't able to do any damage on the inside. they had to be really creative to keep up with ateneo. kudos to the team. good job guys.

i have a good feeling that this could be our year.

so true

"You are 27 or 28 right? It is very tough to live at that age. When nothing is sure. I have sympathy with you."

~haruki murakami

tough age... tough times... well said murakami... well said...

looking for tickets

i'm willing to pay scalper price for upper a (even upper b) tickets for this saturday afternoon's BIG game... if you guys know someone, please send me a text message or leave a post here. i'm DESPERATE... haha.

ONE BIG FIGHT!!!

top calvin & hobbes quotes - part one

I like maxims that don't encourage behavior modification.
~
Reality continues to ruin my life.
~
Weekends don't count unless you spend them doing something completely pointless.
~
A little rudeness and disrespect can elevate a meaningless interaction to a battle of wills and add
drama to an otherwise dull day.
~
It's psychosomatic. You need a lobotomy. I'll get a saw.
~
I understand my tests are popular reading in the teachers' lounge.
~
Life's disappointments are harder to take when you don't know any swear words.
~
Where do we keep all our chainsaws, Mom?
~
That's the difference between me and the rest of the world! Happiness isn't good enough for me! I demand euphoria!
~
In my opinion, we don't devote nearly enough scientific research to finding a cure for jerks.
~
You know, Hobbes, some days even my lucky rocketship underpants don't help.
~
Its no use! Everybody gets good enemies except me.
~
What's the point of wearing your favorite rocketship underpants if nobody ever asks to see 'em?
~
As a math atheist, I should be excused from this.
~
This one's tricky. You have to use imaginary numbers, like eleventeen ...
~
I'm learning real skills that I can apply throughout the rest of my life ... Procrastinating and rationalizing.
~
I have a hammer! I can put things together! I can knock things apart! I can alter my environment at will and make an incredible din all the while! Ah, it's great to be male!
I'm not dumb. I just have a command of thoroughly useless information
~
"Do you believe in the devil? You know, a supreme evil being dedicated to the temptation, corruption, and destruction of man?" "I'm not sure that man needs the help."
~
Calvin: I'm a genius, but I'm a misunderstood genius.
Hobbes: What's misunderstood about you?
Calvin: Nobody thinks I'm a genius.
~
Calvin : You can't just turn on creativity like a faucet. You have to be in the right mood.
Hobbes : What mood is that?
Calvin : Last-minute panic.
~
"Why isn't my life like a situation comedy? Why don't I have a bunch of friends with nothing better to do but drop by and instigate wacky adventures? Why aren't my conversations peppered with spontaneous witticisms? Why don't my friends demonstrate heartfelt concern for my well being when I have problems? ...I gotta get my life some writers."
~
"See Any UFOs?" "Not yet." "Well, keep your eyes open, they're bound to land here sometime." "What will we do when they come?" "See if we can sell mom and dad into slavery for a star cruiser"
~
"My powerful brain has come up with a topic for my paper" "Great" "I'll write about the debate over Tyrannosaurs. Were they fearsome predators or disgusting scavengers?" "Which side will you defend?" "Oh, I believe they were fearsome predators, definitely." "How come?" "They're *so* much cooler that way"
~
"I'm not going to so my maths homework. Look at these unsolved problems. Here's a number in mortal combat with another. One of them is going to get subtracted. But why? What will be left of him? If I answered these, it would kill the suspense. It would resolve the conflict and turn intriguing possibilities into boring old facts." "I never really thought about the literary possibilities of maths." "I prefer to savour the mystery."
~
"Bad news Dad. Your polls are way down."
"My polls?"
"You rate especialy low among tigers and six year old white males."
~
Dear Santa. Why is your operation located at the North Pole? I'm guessing cheap elf labour, lower environmental standards, and tax breaks. Is this really the example you want to set for us impressionable kids? ...My plan is to put him on the defensive before he considers how good I've been.

Hangad: Noon at Ngayon

"Kung aawit ako nang mag-isa, awit ko'y awitin nga ba?"

Block off your calendars for Hangad: Noon at Ngayon, a 10th anniversary concert for Hangad's first album titled "Hangad". The show will feature inspirational and liturgical standards from Hangad's repertoire -- some in their original form, others with fresh new arrangements -- such as Panunumpa, Maging Akin Muli, and Pag-Ibig Ko.

Moreover, the show features the launch of a commemorative 5-track CD, also titled Hangad: Noon at Ngayon, featuring new arrangements of well-loved songs mostly from Hangad's first album, plus the first-time release of the upbeat "Walang Ibang Hangad."

Hangad : Noon at Ngayon will be held at 7 PM on August 30, 31 and September 7, 2008, at the St Stanislaus Chapel of the Ateneo High School, Ateneo de Manila University, Katipunan Ave., Loyola Heights, Quezon City. Mass preceeds the concert at 530 PM. Special guest choirs: Ateneo College Ministry Group Choir, Coro Degli Angeli and The Symphony.

Tickets are at Php150, which covers entrance to the show and a copy of the commemorative CD "Hangad: Noon at Ngayon." Additional "Hangad: Noon at Ngayon" CD's can be purchased at Php100 each. For more information, contact mail@hangad.com

"Habambuhay isa ang Hangad: umawit sa 'Yo!"