Final Four

De La Salle bowed down to arch-rival Ateneo, 74-68 in a game that not only saw flying fists and bodies, but also a post-game brawl between former Blue Eagle Andrew Cruz and a dozen or so Archer fans. This is probably the first time in my more than 5 years of being an Archers fan that I'm thankful I was not in Araneta for this game. Unlike my die hard friends, I watched the very heated match in the comfort of Kimchi, a restaurant in the upper ground floor of our office building (well, it wasn't really comfortable since I was standing up, but what the hey).

It wasn't a bad game at all and I'm sure those who were able to witness the two teams duke it out will agree with me. Joseph Yeo, after a magnificent 30-point output in game one, exploded early in the game but was unable to call upon his late-game super powers and save the archers. Jerwin Gaco and Mark Benitez provided some much needed muscle in the paint but failed to dominate the post-game battle against Paolo Buguia and Rich Alvarez. Overall, La Salle played surprisingly well, despite missing the services of Mac "Give Me The Ball" Cardona. They would have had a good shot at the title this year. Unfortunately though for the rookie-laden archers, redemption will have to wait until next year.

Animo La Salle.

Overjoyed

Over time, I've been building my castle of love
Just for two, though you never knew you were my reason
I've gone much too far for you now to say
That I've got to throw my castle away

Over dreams, I have picked out a perfect come true
Though you never knew it was of you I've been dreaming
The sandman has come from too far away
For you to say come back some other day

And though you don't believe that they do
They do come true
For did my dreams
Come true when I looked at you
And maybe too, if you would believe
You too might be
Overjoyed, over love, over me

Over hearts, I have painfully turned every stone
Just to find, I had found what I've searched to discover
I've come much too far for me now to find
The love that I've sought can never be mine

And though you don't believe that they do
They do come true
For did my dreams
Come true when I looked at you
And maybe too, if you would believe
You too might be
Overjoyed, over love, over me

And though the odds say improbable
What do they know
For in romance
All true love needs is a chance
And maybe with a chance you will find
You too like I
Overjoyed, over love, over you, over you

~ Stevie Wonder

Breaking the Silence

Sorry, folks. There have been no recent updates because the Nef-computer has been eating most of my supposed blogging time. Contrary to what you may be thinking, I have not been losing sleep over playing my PC games. I am, in fact, having problems with the new video card. The CE homeez (Toff and Alfred) and I have not been able to resolve this so far. I have since been consulting with other people on-line (through Experts-Exchange) regarding the issues I've encountered and none have been able to propose a working solution. It's barely been two weeks since I bought the damn thing! *Sigh* All that power and the one task it's good for as of the moment is word processing. How depressing.

***

This link incidentally reveals a picture that documents Kris Aquino's close encounter with Joey Marquez's gun (no pun intended). This is a major, major development in the what local critics call the Breakup of the Century.

You Gotta Love The Philippines!

I got this from inq7.net. It's old news, but what the hell...

Internet kidnap plea takes a twist
Posted: 11:06 PM (Manila Time) | Sept. 19, 2003
Inquirer News Service

FOR ABOUT two weeks now, the picture of 19-year-old Maureen Elizabeth Pizzaro and the story of her alleged abduction have been circulating on the Internet.

As a consequence, the e-mail purportedly sent by her brother Kenneth generated much sympathy from people as far as the United States and Europe.

But as concern for Maureen grew, here comes a twist: the mother of her alleged kidnapper is saying that she had actually eloped.

Kenneth's appeal began with a warning: "May this e-mail open your eyes to the new modus operandi of abducting a person, that even in crowded places you may be abducted silently."

According to the e-mail, Maureen "was abducted last September 7 around 7:30 p.m. at the Hidalgo Exit of Quiapo Underpass."

The woman, her sister Janice and her mother had just come from hearing mass at the Quiapo Church and were on their way home to 738 San Diego St., Sampaloc, Manila.

According to the e-mail, Maureen just disappeared from the crowd.

On Firday, the woman was "released" by her "abductor."

Now it is the family of the alleged abductor, Rovic Aromin, 27, who is crying foul over the kidnap story.

Vilma, mother of Rovic and proprietor of Aromin Silvershop in Baguio City, said her son and Maureen had actually eloped.

She decried reports that tagged her son as Maureen's kidnapper.

According to Vilma, Rovic and Maureen met almost a month ago through the Internet.

On Sept. 7, Rovic went to Manila with two of Maureen's younger sisters, as one of them was to be interviewed for a job as a stewardess.

On Sept. 8, Rovic and Maureen were together all day, Aromin said. The two later apparently eloped and stayed in their ancestral house in Naguilian town, La Union province.

On Sept. 14, the two came up to Baguio and Maureen was introduced to Vilma. It was only then that they learned of Maureen's "kidnapping."

The next day, Maureen filed an affidavit that she "voluntarily joined Rovic... and I was not forced, coerced, threatened nor intimidated whatsoever."

Aromin said they were supposed to even go to Manila for a "pamanhikan" (a tradition where the groom and his parents formally ask the bride's parents for permission to marry their daughter) last Sept. 17.

Now, Vilma is saying she might just sue those who have been spreading stories that they abducted Maureen. Frank Cimatu

Funny thing about this is I may even know Aromin's brother: a grade school classmate named Johnny. Talk about your small world.

Disturbingly Amusing

That's how I'd describe CreaturesInMyHead.com. It's a simple but nicely designed site that features Andrew Bell's drawings of, well...creatures in his head...among other stuff. Mr. Bell describes himself and his brainchild as:

"i'm an artist living, working and doing my thing in New York City. 'creatures' is a daily illustration project that i felt the need to undertake for reasons that are now entirely beyond me... i don't go out much any more or see sunlight very often... i'm so very hungry and pale. enjoy."

Here's a sample of his stuff. It's entitled "I will destroy you!".


Cute, eh? So are his other works. It's no wonder the kumander loves this site. Added a link in the side bar. Go ahead and check it out.

More posts later. Must eat breakfast.

Street Fighter

Came across an article on the new Street Fighter Comic developed by UDON Entertainment and published by Image. Issue 1 of this adaptation of the 90's arcade smash hit sold out two weeks before its official shelf release last September 3rd. Searched through Mile High Comics for a preview and look at what I found:

The awesome cover you see on the left was drawn by none other than Joe "MAD!" Madureira himself. Yes, everybody's favorite super-delayed-but-still-draws-great-stuff artist has decided to come out of hiding and go back to the drawing board to produce a back-up story (of which no preview pages are available) on Ryu's first encounter with Sagat. No doubt, Madureira's art is still fantastic, it's just a shame he's too damn lazy!

From the looks of things, Image is counting on the huge fanbase of the Street Fighter franchise to boost the title's sales, riding on a storyline that's not really new but still something people would love read--a tried and tested formula used by Dreamwave Studios with their Transformers run. So far, it's been pretty effective for Image's latest goldmine.

Want your own copy? Fat chance. Street Fighter was slated for release in English worldwide, excluding Asia. I'm not sure though if CAT's managed to bring some in (like they managed to do with Transformers). Besides, even if it were available locally, it's bound to be of wallet death caliber anyway (probably in the 1500 to 2000 peso range, for about 36 pages). I may be a fan, but I'm no die hard to shell out that much cash.

Issue 2 features a back-up story by Amerimanga artist Adam Warren of Dirty Pair, Gen13: Bootleg, and Magical Drama Queen Roxy fame. Check out Newsarama for the full article.

Happy Monthsary...

...to the woman of my dreams and of my reality.

I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz,
or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.
I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,
in secret, between the shadow and the soul.

I love you as the plant that never blooms
but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;
thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance,
risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;
so I love you because I know no other way
than this, in which there is no I nor you
so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand
so intimate that when you fall asleep it is my eyes that close.

~ Sonnet 17 by Pablo Neruda

Bowling Date. Taken at our spontaneous Coronado Lanes night out last 9/20. Photo courtesy of Jon. See related story.

Water Runs Dry...

...so does your wallet when you're not paying attention. Went with the master and commander (of the far side of my world) to the PC Express Warehouse yesterday, supposedly just to canvas for good parts. In a wicked twist of fate, I ended up charging a new monster of a PC through the small shiny object in my wallet known as a credit card extension. Not that I'm complaining or anything, I actually got a pretty good deal, considering all the stuff I stuck into the merchandise. I am now, however, officially in debt for the next 12 months (Wallet Death at its finest...*sigh* so much for that Smallville DVD I was planning to give myself). Pictures of the Nef-computer shall follow...that is if mah homeez wouldn't mind lending their "weapons" for a few shots.

Overtime

Surprising how I'm not at all pissed at the fact that I'm staying 'til 10 pm here in the office. It's funny how you don't really feel tired when you get a lot of things done right. Been programming and listening to the best of my MP3s since this morning. It's the first time in days that I actually feel powerful again. Hope it lasts me 'til the weekend. Still have those application notes to finish (right, Gerwin?).

Of Digicams and Busted Phones

Now that Jon and Gerwin have cried "Olympus!" and declared DIGITAL WAR on each other, the urge to acquire the weapon of choice (Camedia c150 or any decent digital camera) grows stronger and stronger. I am not, however, about to give in to the temptation (well, not yet at least). The urge shall be controlled...until the resources are ready (that is, until after the Smallville Season 1 DVD Wallet Death Recovery or SS1DWDR). In the meantime, I have decided to rely on the instamatic-plus-scanner technique to compensate for Burning Lead's extreme lack of more personal pictures. There's a whole bunch of fun pics to post, I promise. Expect them in the coming days.

***

My phone is dying. After more than three years of loyal service...the old 3210 is finally showing signs of slowing down. A replacement unit is out of the question, obviously for reasons I already mentioned above. Besides, until it finally conks out on me, I think I'm better off sticking with it for now.

***

Can't seem to squeeze anything decent from my crispy sponge of a brain today. Oh well, hopefully tomorrow will be better. *Sigh* And Wednesdays are supposed to be the good days.

Later.

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII

Faaahk...I sure wish I had this for a Nefmobile.

The Weekend News

I had just gotten my ride fixed last Saturday morning...my clutch lining was perfectly fine. The problem, apparently, was with my spark plugs. Spent about 900 bucks for the replacement parts (I just decided to have the air filter changed as well). Actually, I was supposed to spend about 3K if I had included the High Tension Wires the mechanic asked me to buy. Good thing I decided to leave those out first and see if changing the spark plugs alone would rid my car of the problem. And guess what, it did! Darn thing was back to normal by lunch time.

Spent the afternoon with my Supreme Overlord (my apologies to The Dyonzee for borrowing the term he coined). Watched 2 Fast 2 Furious at G4...kick ass movie. Although I did catch an "advance screening" last month, I very much enjoyed watching it again. Digital surround sound does wonders to your viewing experience. Plus, the much bigger view of all the cars (and Devon Aoki in her skimpy red bikini) made the movie all the more fun to watch. Made me feel a little sad for the Nefmobile though...just a little.

Sunday was family day at RP Manila. Had a hearty lunch at Tang City with the folks, shopped for a pair of Nike Prestos for the Mother, and drooled over the Mitsubishi Evo VIII on display there (pics to follow if I get my hands on any). It is such a delicious ride: 2 liter, 273 horsepower engine; 6-speed manual transmission; MOMO steering wheel with airbag; customized Recarro racing seats; keyless entry; 17" rims; and tons of other goodies I don't wanna mention anymore to prevent further damage to my brain. The price? A WHOPPING 3.2 MILLION PESOS! Fahk, you can buy a nice house and lot in the Tagaytay highlands with that kind of money! Oh well, you really just can't have it all. But I am hoping that I win that Porsche Boxster Axe is giving away though...no harm in dreaming...free country and all that.

***

Jackie Chan's The Medallion is a bad movie. It's the ugliest way to end your day just in case you're interested. My apologies to Pao and JC for inviting them to such a waste of expenses.

Stripping with Frank Cho

No, I did not come across some pictures of idol Frank in a thong. I did happen to read through some of his comic strips last Friday though, and meyng, are they funny! Just a brief backgrounder on Liberty Meadows. There are (1...2...4...7!) seven main characters in the story. There's Frank (obviously the real Frank's characterization of himself), Liberty Meadows' resident veterinarian and all-around good guy. There's Brandy, the sexy, black-haired girl who happens to be Frank's assistant and love interest. Jen is the other hot girl, very liberated, displays exhibitionist tendencies, and is Brandy's uber-naughty roommate. Ralph is the really angry, and apparently very smart midget bear who keeps on inventing all sorts of high-tech stuff. Leslie is the bullfrog with hypochondria (a hypochondriac indicates someone who thinks he is ill or merely imagines that he has symptoms). Dean is the pig (in every sense of the word), extremely vain and horny, he consistenly throws out these really dumb pick-up lines, which of course result in him getting his fat ass kicked all time. Monkey Boy is Frank Cho the artist, in the comic...'nuff said. Ok, now that we more or less know who the characters are, on with the show!

Dean has got to be the most hilarious character in the series. He's my favorite so far. It's always fun to see him getting into all these kinds of bloopers...

Ralph and Leslie are like the 90's WWF Legion of Doom of Liberty Meadows. They're the best tag team in this series. They're funny on their own but I like them best when they're together...





Brandy and Jen are given favorites, but I particularly like the way Jen is "used" in the strips. Knocks you right off of your feet...

Frank Cho

This guy's art is just plain fantastic. If I'm going to start drawing again...I'm gonna learn to draw like him. Just look at the way he pencils! Not that I want to be a rip-off of the guy, it's just that I believe that his realistic-cartoony style is something I'm very much willing to explore, and a style I can probably be comfortable with and good at, too.

You know, using solid blacks in my drawings was something I never really learned how to do. It's probably just because it wasn't really my style. The closest I ever came to using blacks was in the Spawn pieces I did back in highschool (which I don't have a single clue where to find now). Those drawings were just copied from my old comics, of course. Actually, most of my highschool drawings were just copies. My own style didn't come until I joined The LaSallian in college, but that's another story for another day. Bottom line is, I'm going to learn to use solid blacks.

Women? I don't know squat about drawing women. Always has been my "Achilles' heel". Ask me to draw one and I'll beg you to let me use a reference. But this Cho guy? *whew* He is the man when it comes to drawing women. I am definitely going to learn to draw like that. Well, his other human characters are also nicely drawn and his animal characters are cute. But meyng, his women really take home the prize. Check out Frank's Official Website to see his other amazing works.

The Not-So-Young-Not-So-Old Bones Hurt...

Last night I could hardly drive. My body started aching a little after 5 in the afternoon, and the pain got worse around dinner time. Good thing my folks are in town...the Nefcave (Pasig house) is a lot cozier now and my Mom's soup is just the best! Seems to increase the potency of the pain killers I take.

I'm not the only one that's sick though...my car's performance has been a little weird lately. It jerks every so often when I reach 2000+ rpm. The jerking isn't that violent, but you really feel it when driving...like it has a mild asthma, always trying to catch its breath. I've asked a bunch of my friends about the it and it turns out it could be a "couple of problems". My Dad believes the clutch lining (whatever that is) is almost worn out. As a consequence, I plan to bring the ever-reliable Nefmobile to a service bay this weekend. Hopefully my work sked will be cooperative.

***

Pay day today! WOOHOOOOOO!

Mister Swabeh

The much awaited, two-part, 3rd season premiere of SMALLVILLE (entitled Exile) is just a couple of weeks away. Being the eternal fanboy, I'm a regular visitor of Kryptonsite.com. It's a kick-ass website, and I swear it's waaay better than the one you'll find on theWB. You'll even find an article on Jeff East, who played the young Clark Kent in the first Superman movie. The site has tons of pics and related articles, and if you're the type who can't wait until the next episode (like me, for example), you can always visit the spoilers section! Sorry, I just have no patience sometimes.

This picture on the left makes you want to go "hmmm...", doesn't it?

More on www.kryptonsite.com.

***


FYI, I don't have anything to do with the gay-looking Tom Welling pic you see here. Gerwin asked me to "try" and post it, s'all. Damn, even Superman's trying to look like F4! I won't be surprised though, if they make a Hollywood adaptation of METEOR GARDEN starring Tom Welling, Mark McGrath, Alex Band, and some other guy who isn't famous. I wonder how I'll look in this hairstyle? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA... really, really stupid I'm sure.

***


Behold the Nefut's WALLET DEATH PROJECT...this is going to hurt the funds a lot.

Whew!

Finally, I get to have some decent work done on this crazy page! This HTML crap is the best. (Thank God for on-line references.) Shame I didn't learn to do this sooner. (Yep, contrary to popular belief, not all, and I repeat, NOT ALL Computer Science graduates know HTML by default! Now that we got that out of the way, can we move on now? Thanks.)

I think I'm going to be blogging for a while. Beats playing Spider Solitaire in your idle time. *Sigh* Wednesday is always a good day.

See you around.

The First Post

This is going to be interesting...