Thoughts While Studying for my Midterms

Probably the only thing worse than dying as a virgin for straight people like me is graduating college as a virgin. One semester to go before I bid farewell to the school that has given me so much (but only after I paid them much more) and little Wilson still haven't seen any action. Should I just go randomly to any woman and ask her "Hi, are you horny right now?" just for the sake of hitting the one-in-a-million chance that the random girl will say yes (I might be kicked out of school before next semester if I do this). I don't like the idea of paying for it plus the chance of little Wilson bleeding uncontrollably after traveling through the cave of delights increases exponentialy if I did it with Santa's little angels. What else what else what else...I don't have time to court somebody, especially if the end purpose is for the one-eyed snake to hit its target. What I need is a fubu, especially a schoolmate fubu now...

Well that's basically it...

Penny Hardaway

It's almost a decade now, so I think I can talk about this now.

I don't have any role models.

I think part of that is because of my arrogance (yeah, it's there if you haven't seen it) and my complex, but when I was 11 years old, I did have one.

His name was Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway.

I can't actually pinpoint when I started rooting for him and the Magic, just like I can't pinpoint when I figured out that wrestling was fake (Because I remember cheering for The Rock against HHH, so that's pretty much after Austin's time where fake was already accepted).

Anyway, you all know about Penny Hardaway so I'm not gonna bother telling his career. You know the highlights, 3rd pick overall, an NBA finals appearance, a lot of all-star starts, all NBA first team, USA team in 96 and many more I'm sure. If you're not a basketball junkie, you've still probably have seen his ads with Nike (I soooo miss Lil' Penny).

Anyway, he meant a lot to me growing up. Everything I did and bought was Penny: Trading cards, jerseys, photo plaques, shoes, caps, etc. I even tried moving the same way he did when I played. By 1995, I was in New York when Shaq and Penny went deep in the playoffs. I was glued to every game and he was larger than life by then. My friends from NY were Michael Jordan fans, so when he returned and faced Orlando in the Semis, it was all out war on the living room. It was sooo enjoyable watching the final play where my man Penny reached in and knocked the ball loose from Jordan allowing Anderson to steal and setting up the fast break on the other end. I didn't even care too much that they lost in the Finals. The future was bright and Penny was leading the way.

Then Michael Jordan happened. Of course I had no comprehension then how great Michael Jordan actually was. Suffice to say, Orlando never stood a chance only I didn't know it. So the Magic lost in the East Finals. Shaq went Hollywood and it was Penny's team.

I was in New York again to watch Penny light up Miami in the playoffs for consecutive 40 plus games. Back then, it was a rare feat to do that so I was pretty pumped up. They lost the decision to Miami, but everything was still good with Penny. He was a top 5 player, incredibly marketable and a sure-fire courtside countdown cameo every week.

And then, it went downhill. He was injured. Then the lockout happened. Then he was injured again. Somehow, something in me was crushed, like I was let down by my hero. I stopped watching the NBA with the same passion from 2000 to 2002, reserving my viewing to only the playoffs and big games. Penny was never the same and so was I. Given that I idolized him as I was in puberty, his decline was probably one of the first major disappointments of my adolescence.

Eventually, Jason Kidd and the Nets got me back. And then, Steve Nash and the Suns. And now, I am glad to be witness to a once in a generation player in Lebron James. And while they have all surpassed Penny, nothing will take the place of the Orlando Magic who took my breath away.

And if you think I've stopped remembering, I'd point out that my shades are Oakley Penny. Not related, but still, you gotta love the name.

Comic talk

Okay, I just finished the pre-annihilation mini-series and I'm very psyched about it. So I figured, might as well get my geek on and talk comics for a bit.

Why? Because this is a great time to be reading comics, Marvel in particular.

Of course, DC is also doing great with the Infinite Crisis thing last year and the weekly 52 thing this year, but DC sucks so we're talking Marvel here.

Here's what's going on with Marvel.

Civil War

The New Warriors, a reality show supergroup, got involved with in a battle with super villians who were out of their league and an explosion ended up killing hundreds of children in a school nearby. The government then proposed a bill that would force super heroes to reveal their identities to the public and become a special police for the government. When the bill became law, the hero community was split into the middle creating factions that either supported or was against the law. Thus, Civil War.

Written by Mark Millar (the Wolverine mini-series with the mind control, the Ultimates, the Ultimates 2), Civil War is basically hero vs hero. The anti-registration or rebellion consists of Captain America, Luke Cage, Daredevil, the Young Avengers, the X-men, Hawkeye and more. The pro-registration side is made up of Iron Man, the Wasp, Giant man, the Thunderbolts, the Fantastic Four and Spider-man. In what might be the biggest event in Spider-man history, Peter Parker reveals his true identity in a press conference (spilled into the pages of Amazing Spider-man written by Straczynski, author of Rising Stars).

And so, it is hero vs hero with the tagline "whose side are you on?"

Annihilation

An old FF villian called Annihilus has created a huge army and has sought out to destroy the whole universe in what's called the Annihilation Wave. In the battle, every cosmic being you've seen in Marvel Comics gets involved and the series hasn't even gone half way. We've already seen Galactus, all of his heralds, the Silver Surfer, Nova, Quasar, Thanos, Drax the Destroyer, the Beyonder, Death, the Super Skrull and more. Super beings get killed quick in this mega war of epic proportions hee, I love saying that. It is very epic though and while reading it, it really gives you a "this event is huge" feeling.

So that's the big events now at Marvel. Also to come, a series called The Eternals which is going to be written by Neil Gaiman, author of The Sandman. So that's gonna rock too.

And that's the end of my comic rant. It's like a monthly period, one has to go through it. Anything more than that, and it's more than slightly weird. Heh.

Ciao.

Look What I Found!

Yahweh is not only the God of the Jews, Christians and some other denomination...

But also a Marvel Comics Character!

In fact, in the Marvel Series storyline, Yahweh is in hell !

Taken from http://www.knightmare6.com/faq/cosmic_entities_marvel/yahweh.html

Who is Yahweh?
The entity known as Yahweh was the architect for the current universe. An independent contractor, who was hired to design the framework of the universe after the Big Bang. Yahweh is mostly known as the Judeo-Christian-Islamic God of Earth, sometimes called YHWH, Yahweh, Allah and God.
Why is Yahweh in Hell?
Yahweh spends time in Hell, as a form of penance. It feels guilty for allowing Adolf Hitler's rise to power during the Twentieth Century. Spending time in Hell, Yahweh has split himself into the Holy Trinity - the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.



---> Notice from the image above Jesus, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit (in the form of a poltergeist) , all of them apparently alcoholics...They must have pictured Jesus to be a sadist...still wearing the crown of thorns ...

Reading Jim's Previous Post

About to whom much is given etc. reminded me of Reinabelle Reyes (who if my memory serves me right, was coincidentially Jim's first crush) getting admitted to...hmm...the graduate program in Astrophysics at...

PRINCETON UNIVERSITY

(I read it on a paper posted on a board at Faura Hall, which is Ateneo's pure and applied physics building)

I guess Jubilee really was too easy for her hehehhehee

To whom much is given...

I played the piano today!

That's pretty much it. Well, not really.

It was more of I played the piano today and wow, did I suck at it. It's incredible how much skills deteriorate when we don't use them. I played basketball last week and I barely did anything and I sucked and the next day, my whole body ached. Anyway, back to the piano story.

On Billy's last night here (yes, I have the house to myself, more on that next time), I met one of his friends who happened to be a music student. Strangely, she was the first artistic/musically inclined person I've met here in my 3 years in New Zealand, not counting Devin's ex who was a dancer (ballroom, the other kind). Especially strange considering half of my friends back in Manila are artists (or at least they think they are). So it was very surreal talking music technically again to someone. Anyway, long story short, I got her to book a room in her school so I can tinker with a piano.

So when we got there, it was pretty obvious that I didn't have it anymore. I played some broadway songs for her and it was just terrible, especially embarrassing because Billy told her I had perfect pitch (which is like telling someone I had an IQ of 200). Actually, I have relative pitch (a slightly more common gift, like saying I'm gifted instead of I'm a genius) but because of a lack of practice, I barely showed it today. She was the better pianist, especially since she's been playing a lot and she's a music student obviously, but I think I had the better ear. Anyway, it just goes to show how much I took my skills for granted.

Back to basketball, in high school, I played summer ball for 5 hours everyday. When there were classes, after the bell rang, we all ran to the courts so that we'd get first dibs or at least get a quick game in before the varsity took over the courts (damn varsity, oh wait I was one too). In college, I could run with the best of them and took over the game everytime. And then it got to a point where I paced myself so I can take over at the end. And then, I stopped taking over. And then, Wilson started posting me up and getting away with it (which I should have taken as a sign). And then I couldnt run with everyone anymore. And now, I can't run without getting dizzy and aching the next day.

I guess the lesson here is that we all have skills that were inborn (music and performing for me) and some that we worked for (basketball and knowing when Jeco is bluffing, although that isnt hard... oooh SNAP!) and much is expected to whom much is given. The comic book version for that is with great power comes great responsibility. So in that note, I'm going to shape up my powers, I plan to start playing ball again maybe once or twice a week and definitely take a crack at the piano once a week. And maybe one day, it'll all come back to me (especially abs, sigh I remember when I had abs).

Another Top Ten List (Wholesome version)

The top ten gastronomical delights that my crude taste craves for (Which I can think of at this ungodly hour)

1. Peking duck

2. Pansit Palabok

3. Country Chicken

4. Iyong maalat na crab sa Emerald

5. Crispy Pata

6. Pizza Pie

7. Jollibee spaghetti

8. Bulalo

9. Steamed Bangus na luto ng mom ko

10. Lucky Me Pancit Canton

Feel free to make your list :D

The Yearbook Post

I'm sure we're thinking the same thing
























Spot the difference

In Defense of Reverend Sia

I heard the best church sermon ever when Boksu was the speaker. It happened during first year high school when he was telling us that he once met a pretty hot and cool chick at bible camp way back when he was still in his teens (isn't it funny how he sets his sexual fantasies on a bible camp?) but he had to continue his story by sourgraping and telling the whole congregation "Kaso si Mrs. Sia ang binigay sa akin ni Lord".

Bitterness is a scary thing to hold

Jim's post about marriage reminded me about one of the promises i made to myself and to Aya way back. I told myself that before i start a family, before i get married or go into any of those things, i have to find God once again. Not religion but faith, I want my kids to grow up believing in something and i wouldn't want some idiot Pastor with an immature penchant for Dragon Ball Z directing my kids' faith. I'd much rather my children hear about faith and see a good example of what a human being should be (although the two are completely unrelated) from their own father. And hence begins another inquisition on myself, considering that I was the first person awarded the "Christian Leadership Award" in beloved Jubilee, any responsible human being that sees me right now should ask: What the fuck happened?

To answer that I'd have to study why I harbored such ill feelings ever since i graduated high school. My distaste isn't indigenous to religion alone, besides being anti-religion, i'm also very much a bigot, albeit in painful humor, against pretty much all existing races but most fervent against the Chinese. As unnecessary and stupid as it sounds, I am supposed to be those two things, A Chirstian and of Chinese heritage. So why do I hate it so much?

And here comes the main topic of this post, I'm looking for feedback (especially mula sa mga psych majors diyan kung may relevance ba yung quasi-freudian pschoanalysis ko). Instead of using the endless arguments against Christians or the Chinese to justify my anger i'm doing the mature thing and analyzing myself.

I can't think of a more relevant factor in directing my life than my mother. Congruently, i can't think of a person i am more bitter against than my mother. She exemplifies the characteristics i hate: the self-righteousness, naivete, and complete idiocy of Christians, and the selfishness, and arrogance of the Chinese. It would be much simpler to stop the post here and leave the explanation of my flaws as psychological defiance against parental acts. But that would mean that i hate Christianity and the Chinese because of my mother being so misdirected into the stereotypes of both. But it's just not the case. I can specifically determine a point in my life when I started becoming bitter against my mother. Alongside my conscious resignation into coming here to Canada out of respect for my parents' wishes came the bitterness against them redirecting (and dare i say misdirecting) my life for the next couple of years.

My prejudice and anger came as a by-product of my distaste for my mother, it became much more convenient for myself to paint stereotypes into her character and be angry at her as a reaction against her decision to uproot the whole family off to Canada. My proclivity in criticizing nearly everything in the world and add sarcasm to it comes from my defensive reaction to my letting go of nearly everything i held dear in submission (gah) to my mother's wishes. So in a general sense, my dominant characteristics come from one distinct feeling, bitterness, Filial Piety sucks.

It's gone progressively worse ever since this Canada fiasco triggered it. I began associating my anger to the things that my mom held dear: her church and her blood. Instead of developing my own faith, i grew distant and scornful towards Christianity and all religions for that matter. Instead of being respectful towards my Chinese bloodline and history, I lambaste and criticize the Chinese with utmost glee. It's rebellious inductive reasoning at its most immoral.

Not to say that all my arguments against Christianity and the Chinese are now unfounded. Christianity truly does have a horrible self-righteous side to it's system and the Chinese's instinct to arrogantly feel superior and self-indulgent is always present in all Chinatowns you walk on but let's leave that to another blog entry.

Of course part of myself recognizes what pushed her to decide to move us out here. To an odd sense, i can appreciate what she did, however, accepting her decision is another thing. As much as we shouldn't count what we have lost and at what price do our choices warrant, i can't help but think about the things i've let go just to follow her wishes: lucrative job opportunities, 12 in total, and various responsibilities and people that i've had to disappoint by my departure. It all just adds to the bitterness.

It's definitely unfair to blame every thing that I deem wrong with myself to my mother, i definitely do not. It was a conscious choice on my part and responsibility primarily falls upon myself. But cost is something we can't overlook especially if a decision (like this migration issue) is made not through agreeing out love but through surrendering out of respect for parents. I'm not advertising myself as a moral person, in fact this post is anything but that. This is an attempt to first recognize how hideous i have become and second, to understand why i'm so fucked up.

I am at a point of indecision. Recently my mother learned of the sacrifices i made by coming here especially with me prematurely leaving the Glee Club and not being able to tour Europe with them. She admittedly feels guilty about it. Guilty enough to arrange flights and an itinerary and stop short of commanding me to go to Europe joining the group for the latter leg of their trip. Perhaps as a way for her to buy back what we've lost in our relationship or even to buy herself out of guilt.

As a testament to how hideous a person I am, I don't know what's more important to me right now. Allow my mother to live out her guilt or join my friends in Europe for two weeks and alleviate that guilt from my mother?

I can honestly say that her feeling guilty gives me a tinge of satisfaction. It's a sincere sweet taste in my mouth knowing that she's agonizing about the fact that she made me lose so much, even thinking about it indulges me. This is how horrible a person harboring bitterness inside can turn out. I'm literally admitting and attesting to how monstrous a son I am for feeling elated at my mothers expense.

I don't know if this post is a confession or merely an aired out secret. A confession requires a change of heart but my situation has come to such a sad point where I do not know if want this bitterness and anger to go away. Bitterness is a scary thing to hold.

What's up with marriage?

Seriously, what's up with marriage?

Everywhere I turn, it's what everyone's talking about.
When it comes to Jubilee people, it's always out of us, who's going to get hitched first or last or some variation of that. I'm not really commitment-phobic, but it's definitely getting weirder by the day.

Two nights ago, I texted a girl who I knew from another city here in NZ. I haven't hung out with her for maybe two years now, but we were very flirty then. Before I left, I made a bet with her that she and her new boyfriend won't even last a year, so I texted her last night asking if I won. Turns out I lost huge cause she's engaged to be married by the end of the year. Needless to say, I was floored.

Last night, Poy and I made a bet, whoever gets hitched first buys a bottle of Dom, although the person getting hitched will probably want to celebrate anyway. We also talked about who'd get hitched first and last and at what age some of the guys, like Wil for example, would get married at.

And today, in my weekly Monday drinking binges, the topic suddenly shifted to marriage. The girls who come with us couldnt come this week, so it became a guy's day out and the talk went to settling down. The guys were talking about how their long time girlfriends are starting to give "hints". Wow, how did I qualify in this conversation?

We also talked about what to do if you find out your girlfriend's pregnant. Wow, that was quite a topic, sobrang tameme lahat after a Swedish friend of ours talked about how his ex-girlfriend told him she was late and she ended up getting a miscarriage.

All of a sudden, it's like the topic of conversation. It's starting to weird me out. It also weirded out Iz, cause if I have a natural guy tendency for commitment-phobe, I still wouldn't be in the same league as her. Everytime she hears the "M" word, she gets all quiet and stuttery.. it's very cute actually.

Anyway, it's just probably a coincidence the past few days. Maybe the fact that my dichi got married at age 22 (my age now) is getting to me. For everyone's piece of mind though, I don't think it's going to happen to me anytime soon. Give it a few years, a stable life and the perfect girl and I'll get there.

Oh and don't worry, invited kayo lahat sa wedding haha.

wikimapia.org

jubilee hehehehe click for larger image

I can see my house from here!

NOTE: If you're a terrorist or a kidnapper, please don't click the link below, thank you for your consideration.

Ever wondered how your house would look like from a bird's POV, just before he takes a huge dump over your newly washed auto?

Gow residence / tambayan ng the13: http://wikimapia.org/#y=14587809&x=121055791&z=18&l=0&m=a

The 200th post

200.

I love how everything seems to come together. This week, the yearbook was released and now, our little blog that could has now reached post number 200. Since we started this blog 15 months ago, there were moments when it was dead as dead could get. There were also times when posts overlapped each other becaues everyone wanted to put a post or comment in. Nevertheless, everything has it's time and season and our blog has certainly had its share.

You'll have to excuse me if I'm a little sentimental but I'm reminded of a story I once made up about us. It's about our high school reunion set in the future. Maybe I'm reminded about it because everyday seems to bring us closer and closer to that event taking place. When I was writing that story, I could envision everything in my head and it humbled me to think that after all the years, we're still going strong.

I raise my glass to you all.

I raise my glass to Pierre and Glenn, who have made this blog aesthetically pleasing.
I raise my glass to Wilson, who always makes this blog controversial as well as entertaining.
I raise my glass to Jeco, who managed to smarten up this blog (remember when all the posts in this blog were links to porn sites?)
I raise my glass to Eugene, whose mere existence keeps this blog and topics going.
I raise my glass to Stephen, Lester, Franz, Jed, Dong, Odell. Post more for the next 200, but nevertheless, here's to the next time I see you all.

I raise my glass to our little creek, the whole batch and the institution which is responsible for us being here today.

I raise my glass to our families and to God, who manages to be there for us even when we're at our naughtiest.

I raise my glass to you all. Here's to the yearbook release, the xmas party, the 5 year reunion soon, the next 200 posts and the future.

Drink up.

Thank You, Friend

In honor of the yearbook release and more importantly, a milestone for our blog, I'm posting the lyrics of a familiar song. Aside from the occassion I noted, I also wanted to put this up so that there's a record of it in case I start to forget it as the years go on. Looking back on it now, the words really reflected us and who we were: cheesy, idealistic and naive and I wouldnt want it any other way. Thank God for the good times.

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

I.
I can't believe that we've come this far
It seems just now that we began
And now it feels like it's the last day of our lives
Don't want to let you go, but I just want you to know

Chorus:
I will love you for all my life
Though it's hard to say goodbye
There's so much to say, may God bless you each day
And guide you in your path

I will treasure the memories
All the laughter and all the tears
Till we meet again, I will smile and then
I'll hold you close and say
Thank you friend

II.
You were there from the very start
Through the ups and downs, you're always in my heart
I'm here right now because of you
And I'm so grateful of how you saw me through

Chorus:
I will love you for all my life
Though it's hard to say goodbye
There's so much to say, may God bless you each day
And guide you in your path

I will treasure the memories
All the laughter and all the tears
Till we meet again, I will smile and then
I'll hold you close and say
Thank you friend

Heng.

Heng [n.] Han Yu Pin Yin. Romanized pronounciation for the Chinese character, ETERNITY. Syn. JCA Seniors 2002.

Ah, irony. =)

Our "really beautiful" highschool yearbook's finally out! Yey! I'll be getting my copy some time next week. It's been so long that I honestly forgot how it looks like. lol.

Oh yeah, I have been hearing some negative comments as to its design and for some supposed batch CD (not to mention all the rants and whines of everyone before on its incredibly late date of release).

Screw 'em. =)

Unplanned Win

I woke up yesterday too lazy to go to school intending to just stay home and bum around. Fortunately, I got off my ass to go to class (cause I had to) and I went home a tourney winner with a heavier wallet.

How did that happen? Well I'm glad you asked.

So after my Tourism Marketing class yesterday (a class where I still haven't decided if it's a good class or not), I saw a couple of poker buddies and they let me know that there was a mini-tournament at a friend of theirs. Since I had nothing else to do, I figured why not, at the very least, I get a free ride home after the game. It turns out it wasn't the mini-tournament had 50 players ready to play poker. Since I haven't played in a long while, I was very eager to start playing a large field.

We all started with 3000 in chips with the blinds at 25-25 that rises every half hour. By the time the blinds got to 25-50, I was severely crippled to just 275 in chips after I pushed all in with KK and got called with top pair/flush draw and hit the flush on the river. I got lucky and doubled up twice after that and by the time the blinds got to the 3rd level (50-100), I got back to the buy-in amount.

Anyway, by the time the final table rolled around, I was in the middle of the pack. I got lucky with good cards and won a race (AK hit against 99) and built a stack. And then, I made what would turn out to be the play of the night (at least for me lol).

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

Blinds: 300-600 Ante: 50

Seat 5: 39000 chips (? ?)
Seat 9 (Me): 25000 chips (A hearts, Q spades)
Seat 2 (Big Blind): 33000 chips (? ?)

Preflop: Seat 5 raises to 2,000. I call with AQ offsuit. The Big blind calls as well.

Analysis: Seat 5 is a tight player, so I put him at a pocket pair or AK. I called with AQ and hope a Queen lands instead of an Ace. The Big blind could have anything from a pocket pair to suited connectors, maybe KQ.

Pot: 6,800 (2,000 x 3 + 300(sb) + 500(ante))
Flop: J hearts, 5 hearts, 6 diamonds (J 5 6)

Action: Seat 2(BB) checks. Seat 5 bets 2000. I call the 2000. Seat 2(BB) also calls.

Analysis: I called the 3000 to try to bluff seat 5 at the turn, but I didn't expect seat 2 to call. At that point, the only hand seat 2 can have is a flush draw, a straight draw or a set of sixes. Note that I only have Ace high at this point.

Pot: 12 800.
Turn: Ten of spades (J 5 6 T)

Action: Seat 2 checks. Seat 5 checks. I check.

Pot: 12 800
River: 9 of hearts (J 5 6 T 9)

Action: Seat 2 bets 6000. Seat 5 thinks for a minute and folds. I raise all-in for my last 20 000 and change. Seat 2 takes forever to think and then throws away 78 offsuit (he had the straight 789TJ). Seat 5 threw away Ace of spades, Ace of clubs. I take down the 18 800 pot with Ace high.

Analysis: If there was a card I could have hoped for, it would have been an Ace or a heart (If the ace hit, I would have been wrong but just in case he had QQ or KK). Because I had the Ace of hearts, I knew that no one had the nuts. I put Seat 2 at a flush or straight draw and I put Seat 5 at an overpair. I played my hand like a flush draw and the nine of hearts on the river "made" it for me. When seat 2 bet, It confirmed my read. The player in Seat 2 also happened to be a solid player which made it easier to pull that bluff off (A weaker player would have called regardless). All that mixed together made my river push much more effective.

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

After that, it wasn't much to push around the table. I got down to heads-up with a 3-1 chip lead and was the more aggressive player. With a flop of KQJ, I called an all-in with K6. He had JT and failed to improve and that was that.

Oh and by the way, I'm slowly changing my ym to peppericious@yahoo.com. The reason being at age 22, it might be a little too old to have a handle like true_love5484.