And that's the TRUTH

Finding joy in The Silence

Rocky has a huge collection of books. While sadly a good number of them was lost due to events in the past, I am proud to have helped him slowly recover, relocate and gather more books to his growing collection.  Thanks to his collection, I found myself getting the chance to try authors I always wanted to try but never found the chance to before.  After I finished Frank Herbert's Dune, Rocky wanted me to dip my toes into Haruki Murakami.  Given how slow I can get when reading novels, he wisely suggested I start with The Elephant Vanishes.

The Elephant Vanishes is a collection of short stories that cover a wide range of topics.  All have a very friendly, conversational tone that makes reading it quite a joy.  I had read one Murakami short story before ("On Seeing the 100% Perfect Girl One Beautiful April Morning") and admittedly, I loved that experience.  The honest delivery of the lines made me relate with the narrative so well, I could not fathom ever liking something that way again.

I was wrong.

The story entitled, "The Silence" deals with a resharing about the events that transpired when Ozawa tells the narrator (and in effect, us readers) about the time when he had punched someone and how it lead to him being shunned by people in his childhood.  Simple yet brutally honest, the story paints the picture of a young man who simply wanted to do his best, is wronged and maligned by a classmate with a persuasive ability to lie.   I found myself relating so much to wanting to face the person who did me wrong and spread lies about me and then later on, like Ozawa, realized that maybe just maybe the Aoki in my life is just as sad:

"To think that this fool would be eternally incapable of knowing true happiness, true pride.  That there existed creatures so lacking in human depth."

I found myself resonating to what Ozawa felt about the many others who so willingly embraced Aoki's lies as facts, without bothering to know the truth or to search for the silver of possibility that Aoki's words failed to capture everything right.  I found myself smiling and seeing how this short story captured so much of what I had gone through some time ago, and what I had to seemingly face in private.  True, I had my ranting and my blog posts which tried to channel out the anger and frustration I had of the events.  But unlike Ozawa, I never taken the chance to literally confront the person face-to-face and deliver what he duly deserves.

The story made me feel better.  Made me realize others did understand how frustrating it can get.  Made me realize there wasn't anything wrong with having this inner true pride.

Now at the last few pages of The Elephant Vanishes, I can only wonder what book will I start on next?  Is it time to dive into Terry Pratchett and hopefully survive all the puns his stories tend to contain (Trust me, I loved Piers Anthony's Xanth novels but I can only take so much of it at a time).  Maybe even take a different direction and try Yann Martel's Life of Pi or finally try Neil Gaiman's American Gods (Yes, I have NOT read it, would you believe it?)

So much to look forward to in this life with Rocky.
Nothing can get better than this.

A beef with Mars?

The trailer shows some promise, I will give it that.
Nice to see a super strong hunk back on the screen.
Here's hoping it is ground-shaking in its own way.

NetherRealm Studios... Nightmare FAIL.

How do you make Mortal Kombat more awesome?

You add Freddy Krueger.

How you do fuck up something that awesome?

You give him TWO gloves.




What's next?
Adding Sephiroth who uses a war hammer?
Or maybe including Batman but he uses a gatling gun?

You don't fuck up a character's iconic look by changing their signature weapon.

The Thing Is..

I am extremely worried how bad this remake will be.
The original movie was such a classic piece of horror and monster sci-fi madness....
I have doubts this remake will be able to do justice to the original.

To Fu: The Trials of Chi

Oh my, this is tempting.
Will I actually purchase a new app for my iPhone, after months of not doing so?

The Face of Bane

So this is the face of Bane.
Interesting.

Trailer here.

So Batman and Superman did what?

Gotta love creative people.
Context is unnecessary.

Villa Borghese.

I should make something like this.

Frigging Genius.

047 of 365 Things I Want To Do

047 of 365 Things I Want To Do

HAVE PRINTED VERSIONS OF MY COMICS

I don't know if I will ever have enough of a budget for it.

Or find publishers willing to release my work, which tend to have a niche market.

But man, it would be awesome to someday see my own work on shelves.

Speaking up for the Pill

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

Speaking up for the Pill
Mulat Pinoy and Sex and Sensibilities
July 7, 2011

How do you feel about oral contraceptives? An online petition is asking for testimonies from women who have used or are currently using the combined oral contraceptive pill, more commonly known as the Pill. “We want to hear from real people, telling us how they feel about taking the Pill,” says Regina Layug-Rosero of the group Mulat Pinoy, co-sponsor of the petition with advocacy blog Sex and Sensibilities. They hope to spread awareness that:

• ·         The Pill does not cause cancer.
• ·         The Pill does not cause abortion.
• ·         Many women take the Pill for medical reasons other than contraception, as prescribed by their doctor.
• ·         Many women have used the Pill for years with no side effects or adverse reactions.

If you use the Pill or know women who have used to Pill, and want to add your testimony to those of other women around the world, sign the petition here. (http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/itakethepill/)

Mulat Pinoy (http://www.mulatpinoy.ph/) is a project of the Probe Media Foundation, supported by the Philippine Center for Population and Development. Its aim is to increases awareness among the youth about population and development, specifically, population momentum: how the actions and decisions of young people today will affect national development in the years to come.

Sex and Sensibilities (http://www.sexandsensibilities.com/) is a balance of sex and responsible choice. It is a site that hopes to be a trusted haven to get practical information about sex; a private place where questions about sexuality will be answered with compassion and intelligence, and always with honesty and respect for choice. 

Contact Person:
Regina Layug-Rosero
Project Coordinator, Mulat Pinoy
regina@mulatpinoy.ph
www.mulatpinoy.ph

046 of 365 Things I Want To Do

046 of 365 Things I Want To Do

SHORTBUS: THE MUSICAL

I would so love to have been part of this movie, one way or another.
But clearly, since that is impossible now, I would LOVE to be in a musical version of this.

So if ever this movie gets staged, Rocky permitting, I will definitely audition.

The Tobie Vanishes - a review of Haruki Murakami's The Elephant Vanishes

My partner, Rocky, got me started on reading Haruki Murakami.  I type this with some level of uncertainty, because to be quite frank, the book as been terribly good to read.  Not the type of books I am accustomed to, I admit, but then again, who am I to judge.  I'm barely an accomplished writer, not having been seriously noticed by any award-giving body.  Even the webcomics I am so proud of was practically ignored by the local scene.  I doubt my point-of-view when it comes to books accounts to anything.

Still, I find myself wanting to write it review right now, with my body still dripping from the shower I had just taken, to share how Murakami's book is affecting me.  I'm half inebriated from alcohol right now, so I am certain my words are probably more rambling than making actual sense.  But deep down I feel I have to write this down. I have to record these thoughts before they are lost forever.

There was this TED talk I watched some time ago about a woman talking about the pressures of coming up with the "next big thing" after writing something deemed successful.  About how acknowledging that one's creative work may be the product of allowing oneself to become the conduit for a muse or a daemon to release its inner creative workings.  I really admired that talk, but I found myself suddenly disheartened to learn she was the same writer who wrote that really inane book about first world problems.  Eat, Pray, Love I think it was.  I could be wrong.

I am not anyone accomplished after all.
Nor recognized.
Or respected.

Still, I want to write this right now and so even with the puddles from the shower forming at my feet, I am typing now at my laptop at practically 5 in the morning, hoping to set these words down to some temporal sense of permanency before I head to bed.

My beloved got me started on Haruki Murakami's The Elephant Vanishes, a book filled with short stories and snippets of not so ordinary life.  Each story presents itself in a different way, sometimes a tad confessional, at other times with a more direct attempt at narrating the events, and yet in all the stories I find myself reading I feel myself diving deeper into a sense of how profound each story is.  I don't attempt to use the word profound to sound like an artiste or anything special.  I simply mean to say, every single story I've read unlocks ideas and question in my head, making me ponder on who, what, whys and hows in a way that I actually find delightful.  Every single story makes no attempt to demonstrate the Hero's Journey, as Joseph Campell's (did I get his name right) Monomyth concept suggests.  Instead, each is a slice of (not so normal) every day life given a point of view that previously did not exist.

Murakami, to be blunt, is a genius.  His stories are compelling and through-provoking without pandering to the reader.  The mysteries he brings up are not question to be solved, rather devices that spark new insight or experiences for the reader to indulge in.  His narratives are quaint and direct, yet hide inner sublime meanings which I find literally intoxicating to indulge in.  Call me stupid, but I find myself limiting myself to a single short story per day I give myself to read his book, not wanting to have it end too soon.

The book is a fantastic read.  I find myself wanting so much to find a way to emulate his writing style, or at least emulate how devoted he is to sharing an experience that he seems to (at least for me) care nothing about hitting the expected norms of what a writer should do.  So many times in my life I would write something and others would question why I did not answer this or that question, or resolve this or that issue.  And yet, here is Murakami, with enough novels to make me weep in envy, doing the very thing I used to do, remain completely apologetic, and gain allocates for doing so.

I am in total envy for the craft and skill this man writes.

Every single story is a stab into my creative heart, reminding me that perhaps I need to find my own way of doing things.  Or perhaps, I should just turn a blind eye to every single act of criticism towards my work and just do what I want to do.  I used to proudly proclaim that my words, ultimately, are children of my creative soul not needing any outside affirmation or recognition.  But deep down, I know I am envious of my friends who have Palanca awards and National Book Awards to their names.  Carlo Vergara.  Arnold Arre.  And more.

Maybe someday I can refine my own works to reach an audience that will truly accept my work and find meaning in it.  Maybe someday I can tell others, "See.  This is me doing stuff I love.  And others see that."  But for now, all I can do is just write this review while half drunk and hope it makes sense.

The Elephant Vanishes is a fantastic read that I sorely recommend to anyone who has not yet dipped their souls into any of Haruki Murakami's works.  The book is definitely easy to read and even more satisfying to go through.   May I some day create something that accomplishes the same thing to my readers.

Until then, I guess you have my diliman comic to enjoy.
It ain't much.  It definitely ain't Murakami in any comparable level.
But at least it was something I really put my heart into doing.

Thanks for reading.
Thank you Rocky for letting me read this book.

045 of 365 Things I Want To Do

045 of 365 Things I Want To Do

PLANETARY:  THE TELEVISION SERIES

If only I could be part of such a project.

If only.

Consider these questions...

A beautiful selection of questions were showcased in this site.
Read them.  View them.
And take a moment to answer each one.


Have a nice day!

(thanks to Princess for sharing it to me via Google +)

044 of 365 Things I Want To Do

044 of 365 Things I Want To Do

A NEW KINDRED:THE EMBRACED SERIES

The show was magnificent.
But Mark Frankel's untimely and unfortunate death forced the show to be cancelled.  

With Trueblood nicely showing a gory sexy show can work, and Vampire Diaries sadly stealing much of the steam, I so wish Kindred:the Embrace can be relaunched with an all-new cast and modernized story.  I would love to see Eddie Fiori, Lillie Langtree, and Julian Luna back on air.

043 of 365 Things I Want To Do

043 of 365 Things I Want To Do

HAVE A MILLENNIUM MOVIE

The series was just absolutely ahead of its time.

What Fringe is doing now on tv was what Millennium tried to sell to the viewers back in the 90s.   I would so love to see a movie based on the show.

042 of 365 Things I Want To Do

042 of 365 Things I Want To Do

READ THE COMPLETE UNTOLD STORY OF LAKAN

Another comic I highly anticipated.

I never found copies of the comic, if it did get released, beyond the teaser that was part of Comics 101.

041 of 365 Things I Want To Do

7041 of 365 Things I Want To Do

SEE KYLIE IN CONCERT

And yes, this actually happened!

:-) 

040 of 365 Things I Want To Do

040 of 365 Things I Want To Do

DANCE WITH KYLIE MINOGUE.

Fat chance that would ever happen.
But by the geek gods that exist, if it ever did...

Kamukha ko daw kasi...

Kainis ka Aids.
This works.

Hhahaha!

Check out our new blog: Baduy Pride!

Allow me to invite you all to Baduy Pride, http://www.baduypride.com/ a blog my partner, Rocky, and I have created in order to share and celebrate the joy of being Baduy! (Baduy = corny, cheesy, sappy, etc) Hope you guys start following the site!


It is all about celebrating LOVE!

039 of 365 Things I Want To Do

039 of 365 Things I Want To Do

RE-CONTACT THE CREATOR OF INDIGO VALLEY

Back in college, one of the friends I gained was a guy named Ricky.

I never got his last name.  I do remember finding his comic to be absolutely awesome.
And now I wish I knew where he was.  Or what he is doing.

Happy Wheelie Day!

Rocky and I spent most of today just staying at the Sietch.  The weather was a tad warm at first, but quickly grew cooler as night crept in.  Rocky surprised me by bringing home Chicken Empanadas and a Red Ribbon Fudge Cake! Sadly, Mango Cream Pie wasn't available but even that barely dampened the joy and excitement of today.

Right now, I am still finishing some last few ABBA-related work, but later tonight we are heading to Yale for a friend's birthday party.  We have gaming to look forward to tomorrow night and another birthday (Happy Birthday Anak!) to attend after that.  Quite busy, but very happy!  If we're lucky, we will be able to squeeze in some massage time.

I always find myself getting all mushy when I recall that fateful night when Rocky pretty much proposed to me with Wheelie in his hands.  And how we both realized how strong the connection we shared really was.  That night will always be a night we will celebrate.

Happy Wheelie Day!

I love you, Rocky!

038 of 365 Things I Want To Do

038 of 365 Things I Want To Do

READ THE COMPLETE UNTOLD STORY 
OF FLASHPOINT

This comic series, incomplete as it was, played a major role in my life.  Thanks to this comic, I was actually convinced it was possible to create my own webcomic.  I also found myself gaining great friends, most notably Carlo Vergara who will always be part of my life and inspiring me in so many ways.

Ah Amulette.

Passion.

Oro.
And the all of the characters in this book.

How I miss you all.

100 Days of Komiks, Diliman by Tobie Abad

Tobie Abad's online independent comic on salamangka, aswangs, and the magic, politics and drama of human relationships. Intended for Mature Readers only.

This project was first conceptualized way back in the late 1990s. Originally envisioned as a short film, the idea then progressed into a low-budget tele-movie, then a mini-series, until finally, it moved back into a graphic novel.

There were plans to publish this and have it released as my contribution to the local comic scene, but then funding arose as a problem, hence defaulting this now to what you see.Who knows, maybe, just maybe, we'll have this path of development move back and someday release a film, eh?

For more info, check out the FAQ.

This is posted as part of the 100 Days of Komiks event.