Today I planned to make chili fired crabs. I ordered the maids to buy two kilos of the damn thing for a budget of 350. She comes back with six crabs in her hands. A measely six crabs. That wont even be enough for dinner.

MAID: “ Ser , everything is super expensive now! “

Yep … maybe the money they steal from us would go to that tsunami early warning device. I can see it now. The warning device would consists of a couple of benches facing the sea and you have two or maybe three idiots ( The president’s distant relatives) staring at the sea and munching junk food and collecting hefty paychecks while they ogle sexy joggers instead of doing their jobs.

I just hope when a TSUNAMMI hits that it will engulf the presidential palace and wash away that small idiot that resides inside. If one is too hope then lets make it spectacular! Wash the entire cabinet, make it a wet revamp!

Writing on this blog is more of a luxury than anything else. To sit down and write tons and tons of sentences costing time which is the most precious commodity. Money isn’t even in the same league. You can earn back the cents but never the time you lost!

I don’t relish the idea of traveling from one point to the other because if you stop and actually counted and catalogued the time you spent in traffic…you’d be shock to realize that its almost 1/4th of the day!

When I do travel, I have tons of books and storyboard papers inside the car. So when we do get in stuck in traffic…you could do some reading or drawing. Another thing is to record the audio commentaries in my DVD collection and play them when you’re in the car.

Its not enough to have them playing in the background while I edit…my attention gets divided!

RETURN OF THE KING EXTENDED EDITION

Got it before x mas. I was somewhat disappointed with the restored 50 minutes. I was expecting it to enhance the plotline or the characters, instead I’m treated to more GIMLI comedy routines that are forced and contrived!

But I’m a completist. So that’s that! The very same reason why I’m going to watch REVENGE OF THE SITH. I’m not betting that it is going to be good but I just want to get it over with.

Then again in the original trilogy the first two were very good while the last, RETURN OF THE JEDI, sucked! And since Lucas claims that he is working with symmetry…then he intentionally or unintentionally might make REVENGE OF THE SITH THE best film of the lot in the recent trilogy!

Now back to work….

TSUNAMMI WARNING DEVICE
The president did it again. Now she wants an early tsunami-warning device installed. She can’t even have the roads fix and the flood situation that happens almost every time it rains; now she wants a tsunami-warning device?

CESS: “ What’s the use of having it? When the Philippines is so small. The tsunami would just wash us away! “

FLIM: “ What do you mean? We’re far from the coastline aren’t we? “

CESS: “ Read the papers. The waters crossed several hundred miles in land! If a tsunami hits us… we’ll be engulfed! Why would she want an early warning device? So we can have a few hours to contemplate our deaths? “

FLIM: “ You totally miss the point! The warning device is for her so she can bolt out of the office and save her neck via helicopter or something!

The funny thing when you're rushing and trying to finish your work and your concepts and ideas are all jelling together seamlessly but there isn’t much time...the universe would look down and say.." LETS MAKE it MORE INTERESTING!

So the first thing that happens is POWER FAILURE! I'm not talking about one that would take out the entire city. Just your neighborhood. In fact three blocks!

Now the thing is ...I have foreseen that card. That’s why I invested in SURGE PROTECTORS and BACKUPS. So I get hit by the power failure. No problem. Switch in the back up power supplies.

Thinking that it would only last for a couple of minutes you sit down and enjoy the darkness and tap your fingers.

After the two thousandth tap you realize...that the universe is not only holding on to its cards close to its chest. Its playing for time. And as the minutes rolled by and start piling up to become hours...You hear the audible beeping of the power back ups slowly getting faster ...and then the imminent....BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!

AND COMPLETE SHUTDOWN!

Ok I lost and the universe wins. What do I do? I leave the table and lie down on the bed. Reassigned to the fact that you did everything and just hope the next morning that you were able to save the data that you were working on before...

So you start working again.

This time you get nailed with a virus.

And its no ordinary virus. Its a virus that gets into and messes up your anti-virus and prevents you from accesing any on line anti-virus sites. Then it disables your firewall.

So kicking and screaming you take out the pc and start the long climb down to Calvary. In the shop you are told that the best way to deal with it is to reformat!

And you do! After three hours of installing which is the real bitchy part about reformatting you go home. Faster than a Japanese could ejaculate. You got the virus again!

And since the warranty of the repair covers a year. YOU HAUL THE DAMN BITCH AGAIN THE FOLLOWING MORNING!

I thought the AVG anti virus which is free and downloadable was going to be enough.
But I was told that it was free! And a free anti-virus wont protect you or is not capable of protecting you 100 hundred percent.

I don’t know why the local and foreign government is so lax when it comes to dealing with THE SICK FUCKS WHO MAKE THESE VIRUSES! BUT IF IM ELECTED INTO ANY GOVERNMENT POSITION THE FIRST THING IM GOING TO WORK ON IS TO PASS A LAW TO HAVE THEM SUMMARILY EXECUTED ON LIVE PUBLIC ACESS TV. After they have been castrated and their balls fed to the pets of people whose lives they have screwed up with.

I remember a few years ago when some geek I knew read in the papers that the guy who made this virus, which screwed up a lot of pcs, was a Filipino. And he said that he found that is cool. That a Filipino can create a virus that was world renown.

And I remember telling that IDIOT, THAT It was that kind of thinking, THAT FUCKS UP The WORLD!

Yeah be cool and popular by doing something that's destructive. Oh sure its cool to disrupt a multi-media conglomerate by hacking or corrupting their data system. OH yeah they can afford to have a system reformat and they have a squad of computer geeks whose job it was to do those kinds of things. But what about the average Joe. The one who just works on his pc to finish the work he wasn’t able to do in the office because he wanted to spend some quality time with the kids and would rather work home and see them play than in the office where pc nerds and mutants rule.

Then the virus destroys that data!

Or what about the housewife who does her budget on her computer…then WHAMMO!

I told that idiot that that SHIT HEAD virus making fuck HEAD! Should have gotten the electric chair!

He should have been made to walk in between two lines of all the people whose pcs were infected. Of course, they are all armed with wooden bats and steel pipes.

I told that idiot that he is probably the same type of person who thinks DRUG PUSHERS are cool! Yes idolize and emulate these fucking criminals! Because that’s what they are!

At least the original drug pusher is trying to make a living. I mean selling drugs out in the streets is not a thing that a person who thinks that it’s cool to be a drug pusher would do

Dealing with six year old kids and dirty cops would be too ‘ UNCOOL for them.

These poseurs would be found in warehouse parties and some street event organized by some popular telecom company.

Same thing applies to these virus makers!

In a party they ‘d say, “ YEAH I was the one who made that WORM that screwed up the computers on the western coast…yeah that’ s me.”

And those in attendance would nod their heads and say collectively,

‘ WOW that’s cool! “

Of course the anti-virus companies have a thing to say about this. When a hacker or virus maker is caught the first thing that happens is that he is imprisoned for a short time. And for him that’s the cool period. His face would be on the papers and his friends and neighbors would say “ WOW that’s cool”

Then the anti virus people would come in and offer him lucrative contract. Of course they need this fuck! Anti virus companies would be nothing without these guys! What’s to protect our pcs from without any viruses?

See the hackers and the virus makers wont propagate without the generous patronage of the anti-virus companies.

You can’t touch the virus makers just yet… but we can screw the anti-virus companies. Don’t buy their legal software…Read in between the dots!

Doesnt she look good on my dvd shelf.Yeah babby! Yeah!It arrived in between my hard drive computer fuck up! The only ray of sunshine in an otherwise drab and shitty world of computer techs!

This was the only thing that kept me sane while waiting for my pc to get fixed! the only thing that prevented me from ripping out the troat of that idiot tech.

The packaging is lushious! But the dvds are incredible.Footages of teh NEW HOPE has been retimed and colorized.

CESS: " Wait a minute. Is that Tatooine? "

FLIM: " They altered the colour schemes. You can do anything nowadays! "

CESS: " Can you move it to my favorite scene? "

Cess's favorite is the moment when Luke Skywalker came out of the settlement and just stared at the twin suns of tatooine after a brief arguement with UNCLE Owen. She loves that moment because it vividly illustrates the hopes of every young teenager.The longing for something more that they have at the moment.

CESS: " Oh my gosh! LOOK AT THAT! "

The scene has also been altered.

CESS: " BY re-colouring and making it more pretty he destroyed the entire essence of it all. Look at that! Tatooine originally was bleak and hot.The original photography showed it when the background was washed out.Now he made it look gloosy and beautiful. Now why would LUKE SKYWALKER want to leave such a gorgeous place like that."

I told her to pipe down I was trying to enjoy this expensive dvd purchase.

CESS: " Just because you have the technology to alter things doesn tmean that you should.Something gets lost."

FLIM: " Well look at it this way. When Lucas made STAR WARS It was a terrible experience for him. Everything wasnt working and the crew rebeled against him because they thought he didnt know what he was doing.MAybe this remastering and altering is a cathartic experience for him. It's giving the finger on the crew and the technology at the time. All the pent up resentments that He had is unleashed by eradicating everything in the past.

CESS: " But the film that came out of it was good. Not this...."

She points at the screen.

Of course she was right. Something was lost. Now the film is too sleek and too glossy.The versimilitude( to borrow RICHARD DONNER's term) was lost.One can argue that it is a galaxy far far away but still certain rules of realities apply. Like when you get shot point black by a gun or blaster you get BURNT to CINDER! Ask Greedo.Who cares if he fired first.I dont.Initially I was all fired up when I first saw it. But now I just shrug my shoulders. I didnt complain when I saw the new cgI JABBA which is a different version from the 99 theatrical release of the special edition NEW HOPE. Someone must create a logging file for the different versions of STAR WARS now surfacing for us ,the normal fans to keep tabs on.Like the STAR WARS OT ( Original theatrical release) And then there's the NH variant when he added episode 4 THE NEW HOPE, which is the tackiest title that one can come up with. FROM STAR WARS it sinks to THE NEW HOPE. I dont see anyone lining up with a title like that! But when you made the most succesful film in history ,you can retitle it the BIG GIVE and no one would care.

And then there's the STAR WARS SP. SPECIAL EDITION when he inserted JABBA in the NEW HOPE. aND NOW THERE'S THE JABBA DVD.Where he completely changed thE digitized JABBA in 1999 into another digitized JABBA with a slight variation on teh cowl colour.I think it was an improvement. But the real beef that I have with was when I slipped RETURN OF THe JEDI. There was a nice re touching of SEBASTIAN SHAW's face when teh vader helm was removed. They erased that ridicolus eye brush makeup. Now he seems more sympathetic.When I first saw him in the theatrical release i thought thateye brow makeup I thought no wonder he hid in that helmet for years.He was QUEER SITH LORD.

It was when I came to the ending. When I realized that all teh rumours were true. that Lucas had replaced SEBASTIAN SHAW 'S force shade with HAYDEN.NOW THAT'S TOO MUCH!I dont care how much he would rationalize it.THAT PLAIN SUCKS!

I know he is tying all the loose threads together so that past trology would tie in neatly into the new one. But this is too much!

I remember reading somewhere that one fan commented on ,what Goerge lucas said which was that STAR WARS the 1977 release what was not what he really intended to be and the special editions is the vision he had all along.

" So him making a classic film was purely accidental.He makes crappy films all along."


A friend of mine told me that he found it hard to believe how can see threepio and d2 not know kenobi after what they went thru in the new trilogy when they meet each other again in the old trilogy.Its simple.Memmory erasures in anchorhead.But hayden in the original trilogy? here I am yapping again. Give it another month viewing and I wouldnt even notice it anymore.That's a form of desynthesizing.How else could we cope with the shit the government is heaping on us right?


Oh by the way if you have seen the photo of our president in the newspaper. You'd notice she gained a lot of pounds.There's something that must be said about a leader who gains weight when the rest of the nation starves to death! Dont you agree?

My Motorcycle and my computer form a symbiote relationship.A year ago they broke down a couple of days after each other.I dont really remember which broke down first ...but what the fuck does it matter. They both broke down anyways.

So I wasnt surprised when the computer broke down two weeks after the motorcycle. In fact I just shrugged my head and hauled the 70 pound equipment to the repair shop.As I stressed in the first blog entry a year ago, its a monster machine to carry from three floors down to two floors up and then reverse that!

When the system cannot find drive:d,I was in a panic because that's where I store my edited files. So I quickly backed it up.I consulted an in - law who happens to be a computer tech.He informed me that he problem solves computers and for 1,000 bucks he would do an analysis.

When I asked for a free consultation he gave me a slip-shod advise.When I asked for a more detailed consulation he wanted to charge me with the full amount.I told him that he hoped to god I don't come across him , bleeding in the highway or in need of help somewhere because I WON'T RAISE A FUCKING FINGER TO HELP HIM UNTIL I GET A CONSULTATION FEE!I ALSO told my sister, the pathologist who also doubles as a physian that whenever that in law would need her advise...that she should charge a consultation fee.

I then asked my wife's sister who also dabbles in pc repair for fun if she could check out the pc. She said that I should bring it to her office for her to take a look see.No consultation fee of 1,000 pesos was uttered.I figured I 'd just take her to lunch for helping out.

But since her office is just a few steps away from the pc shop, I told myself maybe I should just bring it to the shop instead of bothering her.Fixing up comps is not her real job and I might be intruding in her day job which is real estate.And instead of paying a consultation fee to my -in law,I'd go to a place where if there is a problem ..then they would have the resources and the spare parts to repair them.

I hauled it back to the shop where I had the system assembled.The tech pulled this wire and this and that! Turns out that the jumpers were mixed up.He also did a memory check. Drive d is ok he said.Just the jumpers.

Hard drives have a very limited life span.You'd be lucky if your's reached four years. Nowadays the manufacturer's motto is quantity over quality!

I was looking on 5oo pesos for consultation and repair fee and the system check up. WHICH TOTALLY IS CHEAPER THAN the I consult for 1,000 fee guy!

Then we discovered that drive c which holds all my system files is the one in danger of going KAPUT!

I told the tech if we replaced drive c what would happen to all the installed programs. He said not to worry because there is a program that would just transfer and not copy the files.

So I rushed to have my yen changed to peso and plucked out a sizeable amount of money and changed the hard drive.

When I got home my back was aching like hell.But the hard work is done. All I need to do is to dive at the back of the editing systems and squish my way thru a small path at he back of teh viewscreens to re-attach the wires and cables.Then I opened the air con and just sit back and streched my legs.Ahh...

Then Joe called and asked how the pc repair went. I told him that I had my hard drvie changed to this particular brand.He said that the brand I bought was defective. He bought the same brand and in 3 days , his hard drive concked out.

Of course that had to happen. I mean I was sitting there, relaxing myself.Feet up and the cool air conditioning cooling my back and he tells me that I got a bad hard drive.A brand new defective brand name hard drive.

When I was in the shop I asked for a particular brand that I knew was good. But unfortunately they didnt have it in 40 gig. So I had to settle with this other brand. That they said was also good.

I called the computer tech again and asked if I could have my hard drive replaced with this particular brand.

They said that its possible because they now have one.

I asked when did it arrive.

Just a few hours ago when I left.

FUCKING TYPICAL!

So I told them that I would..............sigh...........bring back the pc and have the present hard drive changed to that particular brand.

AFter putting down the phone I took a deep breath and started to disconnect the cables again. I had to controt my body in more difficult positions that would shame a yogi, just to reach the cables.

Then I made a phone call to my tech guy. I said that I was going to replace the hard drive with another brand. When I told him what brand he said that he prefered that one as well.

Typical.

But he said that there might be any harddrive with that brand.

I began to get irritated. I told him that I just called their supply section. So i talked to the supply guy whp assured me that he already reserved the hard drive for me.

So BRING THE DAMN PC TO THE DAMN SHOP, TAKE TWO! But this time the sun wasnt shining. It was raining like hell. Of course why shouldnt it be raining!I was amazed that a flashflood didnt hit us when we approached the shop.

When I got there . The hard drive was changed and we began transfering the operational programs. They have this cool way of transfering th eoperating system from one hard drive to the other without haveing to reinstall everything!

Everyone who operates a computer knows what an absolute thrill it is to reinstall every program you have. Its the equivalent of repeating grade four, over and over again!

But this cool process does away with that. I asked the tech guy if we were just copying and pasting the files. he said that it wasnt like that. It was transfering!

After the process was completed. We tested the pc. First shut off and rebooth was good.later the dvd rom developed a conflict with the other drives when it was boothing. So we ad to re arrange the os.

We fixed that.Back in the editing room, as i switched it on , it went smoothly. but the second re booth. It failed to detect I DONT KNOW WHICH HARD DRIVE IT WAS!

Five days later , the system cant detect one of teh hard drvies again. So i hauled it back to the shop.

We changed the old hard drive and replaced it with another and NOW THERE'S STILL THE SAME FUCKING PROBLEM! I glared at the tech guy who fixed it the last time.He asked somebody else to take over. While the other guy was fiddling with it. A thought occured to me.Maybe the hard drive that he said was going kaput wasn't even KAPUT!Maybe he's just a bad repair guy.

So when a system check was being done on my pc, I took out the old hard drive and had it anaylzed.True enough,it wasnt even malfunctioning and there was no bad sector.

I constantly assured them that I would need it as a another hard drive for my other pc so they can accurately scan it. If they thought that I was on a witch hunt then they wil close ranks and protect their erring colleague.

So the truth came out . The hard drive was sound and stable!

And what made that gymp think that there's a problem? He heard a knocking sound on the hard drive.Amazing scientific analysis. A knocking sound. which can be attributed to a hundred things.

This guy should work for NASA.Then it would be easy to pin point what the problem was on the next challenger disaster!

Now the new guy tells me that the problem with the pc could be the motherboard or the memmory. Memmory ?Cant be! We ran a memmory check the last time. If its the motherboard then ASUS is the worst motherboard on EARTH! BECAUSE ITS ONLY BEEN TWO YEARS SINCE I REPLACED THE OTHER MOTHER BOARD THAT ALSO CONCKED OUT AFTER TWO YEARS AND ITS ALSO A MOTHERFUCKING ASUS!

TECH: " I realy cant tell what the problem is. The only way we can go about it is to isolate the matter. "

FLIM: " In laymans term. The pc is working now. But I should always have the car standing by because there might be another conk out."

TECH smiles.

FLIM: " Well at least when I haul this pc back to the car I wont have that we're safe, its fix feeling. Actually its worst. Assuming its fixed and then finding out it still has a problem than knowing that its temporarilty fix but there might still be a problem.

Some days you can never really win.

It started out with a simple morning ride. I took out the motorcycle and started to clean her up.I reached out thru those deep crevices of the engine block. The smelly and oily canyons of her swing arm. when I got to the cooling jet pipes I noticed a thin film of rust there. So what did I do I started rubbing it out.

Then I took her out and wore my new riding apparel.

After the first ten minutes, the cooling system delevoped a leak.So there was a large jet of green fluid sprouting on the left side of the bike, drenching my leg. Totally drenching my leg.The discomfort of a wet leg while going at 120 miles was increased due to the cold air that whipped around me.

And when I stopped the bike, the leak would spray anything and anyone within a 6 feet radius! When I checked where the leak was comming from...it was from the spot where I cleaned the rust off!

ARGGGHHHHH. Moral of the lesson, dont over clean... NO! The moral of the lesson...FUCK THERE'S NO MORALITY HERE!

I decided to take it to my old mechanics new repair shop. AS i dressed myself with my usual riding apparel which the above photo shows. i told myself that I wont wear my exquiste riding booths since my leg would be fully drenched anyway.But that was nothing compared to the prospect of spending the entire afternoon in a repair shop with a wet leg.

I told myself what the fuck...So when I got on the bike and ignited teh engines the familiar jet stream goes up.After five minutes the sensation of a wet leg started to irritate me. Twenty minutes into the trip, cab drivers would hail me and say...

" SOMTHING'S COMMING OUT FROM YOUR BIKE..."

YEAH, YEaH YEAH! ITS THE LINDA BLAIR MORNINg JUICE!

Now when I got to the aurora intersection, I jumped out of the bike...well nearly.
The cold coolant liquid turned into a steaming killsoup!It burned my left leg!

SHIT! Now how the fuck am I supposed to bring it to the shop? The left leg is the one I use to control the shift gears with. So I did a little improvisational driving. I lifted my left leg up the handle bar to avoid getting hit by the hot steaming coolant juice and would only bring it down when i need to shift gears!

I did this for like 40 minutes. when I reached the shop I nearly collapsed from exhaustion. And this was just the start of the week.



Just came from a toy hunting expedition and these are the only things I have to show for.I didn’t make it to the opening melee when the boxes of marvel legends arrived but from what I heard it was a feeding frenzy! A woman was elbowed in the face when the boxes were being opened by over zealous collectors who do not care for the life or limb of their kind. Her high heels went flying as she plummeted face down on the toy department floor.

Not one of the male collectors helped her in fact they even got the toys that she sheld and dashed to the cashier!

But what do you expect? TOY Collectors are known to be more savage than crocodiles or snakes! They are as greedy and inhumane as any politician you would bump into!
Collectors would grab more than one item and would snicker when you get there late and Not get the chase figure. Not only that they bring their girlfriends with them so that sorry fuck type is multiplied by 2.

You should see how the normal kids who tried buying their toys, fare! But then again just like what NIETZCHE said, that which does not kill you makes you stronger!

I have lost the passion for collecting when getting what you want means sinking to the same level as these spiritless bastards!

I don’t go to the toy conventions anymore. Its because its WHERE ALL THOSE SICK FUCKING BASTARDS CONGREGATE AND BRANDISH THE TOYS THEY AQCUIRED BY KICKING, STEALING AND ELBOWING their way to the boxes!

Then they grin their satanic teeth caps as you look at their collection. An invisible word balloon hovering over their heads saying, “ HEHEHE, I GOT MY CHASE DARK PHOENIX FIGURE AND ALL YOU CAN DO IS JUST STARE AT IT! “

My word balloon on the other hand would be, “ WELL I DATED AND HAD MORE BEAUTIFUL GIRLFRIENDS THAT YOU WOULD EVER HAVE. IN FACT THAT’S THE REAL PROBLEM ISNT IT? YOU CAN’T GET A GOOD LOOKING GIRL SO YOU JUST WACK OFF UNDER THE SHADOW OF THAT DARK PHOENIX VARIANT! FUCK YOU! “

In the toy collectors website the Filipinos are known and called GREEDY BASTARDS when it comes to hoarding! With what I have seen that is definitely true. But there are exceptions.

When I came in late, I was looking for a JUGGERNAUGHT and I bumped into RICHARD another collector.
RICHARD: “ You’re late, man! “

He was clutching a JUGGERNAUGHT.

FLIM: “ FUCK I SHOULDN’T HAVE HANGED OUT IN THE BASEMENT I SHOULD HAVE GONE STRAIGHT HERE.”

RICHARD: “ What are you looking for anyway? “

FLIM: “ I’m looking for a dead pool and a JUGGERNAUGHT! “

Then I saw a guy clutching two dead pools that leered at me and then started running to the cashier like a thief who just stole his grandmother’s oxygen tank to pawn it off!

RICHARD: “ That asshole got the last two! Anyway here take mine! “

He then offers me his JUGGERNAUGHT!

FLIM: “ Uhm thanks. But what about you? “

RICHARD: “ I got mine already. I was just shopping and I saw these two juggernaughts. What else are you looking for? You want to get CARNAGE? I have one here. “

Carnage is a very rare figure from the SPIDERMAN action figure series.

FLIM: “ Ughh… I don’t think I like that figure. No thanks.”

RICHARD: “ Trust me. Get this. You might need it next time…to trade with…”

So I reluctantly took the carnage.

FLIM: “ Its not that I’m not grateful but why are you giving up these rare toys? “

RICHARD: “ I got two already in the house and I don’t really need more. Besides I don’t like to see collectors arriving late and then having this expression on their faces like” Ohm the train left without me.” I believe that collectors should always help each other get the toys that they like. With out any profit… “

We chatted for a few minutes and then he went off and started helping the other latecomers get the toys that they missed. Too bad no more dead pool or juggernaughts.

DIGTAL CAM
Cess and I have been arguing on what kind of digital camera to buy. I was gunning for the high end one but she said that it was too bulky for her to lug around. I swore that I would be her black African porter and I’ll carry them baggages if we get the high end bulky one. Cess countered with the small is better.

FLIM: “ Digital cameras are not like cellfones. SMALLER isn’t better! In fact the smaller the camera is the shittier the picture they take. Remember when they had instamatics? Well those are instamatics! LETS GET THE BIG ONE!

CESS: “ I just want one that would fit in my bag! “

FLIM: “ Well if it’s that small then it might fit in anyone’s bag! IN FACT THEY CAN FIT IN ANYONES BAG THAT YOU Can easily leave them on a café table or a comic book counter and then someone else with a bigger bag than yours would waltz in there and fit it in their bags.”

CESS: “ And I wouldn’t want to lug something that big if we do go out of the country! “

FLIM: “ They have porters outside the country! “

CESS: “ Let me think! “

In the end we compromised. And we got something that was a little too big but not that big!

THE MANY FACES OF SELINA



KEY MASTER


THE RELUCTANT STUDENT


I always carry a set of 29 keys. Keys that open several cabinets full of books, dvds and my rare toys. It also carries the key to the viewing room. Selina always petsers me in the afternoon to watch her favorite programs. Which are … SOUTHPARK, FUTURAMA, WALLACE AND GROMIT,SHERCKS 1 & 2.

I was in the john that particular time and she kept bugging me to open the viewing room.
So I gave her the ring with 29 keys and I told her to open it herself. Then I closed the door.

As I read while waiting for the call of nature I suddenly heard a sound.

CLICK!

Which was followed by another sound that of the viewing door opening. I immediately open the bathroom door and saw her as she came in.

FLIM: “ How the hell did you find the key to the viewing room? “

I took her aside and locked the door again. I then gave her the set of keys. She took them and inspected each and every one of them. Until she came to the actual key …then and only then did she push it into the keyhole and opened the door.

I don’t leave my keys hanging around for her to inspect so I was totally floored!

AMAZING!

RELUCTANT STUDENT

Cess was tutoring Selina with her day lessons. And her way of giving the kid some initiative is to bribe her with powerpuff girl stickers.

CESS: " Selina do your assignment! "

SELINA: " NO!I DONT LIKE! "

CESS: " If you do your assignment ...I will give you two powerpuff stickers! "

Selina strokes her cheek and looks at her mom.

SELINA: " Show me the stickers first!"

THE RETURN OF DICKHEAD



Surprise, surprise. The SEXMEN are coming back! I originally came up with their first adventure when we were editing my first tv series.My drawings were rough because it was just meant to be a storyboard for a flick. I added the word ballons to serve as a script guideline.
Then I thought, No way can this be done effectively without the major backing of a studio and no studio would ever back this up. Then just turn this into a comic book.

I then drew part 2 and part 3.

My drawing style with 2 and 3 was different from the first one because on both of them I used thumbnail sketches and I preplanned the page layouts.On Issue 1 I just drew them in storyboard form. More concerned about the story and the flow of the action.

When I finished 2 and 3, I then set out to print issue 1.But I just cant print issue 1 with the existing pages. They were very rough drawings on a bond paper with blue ink. I had to re-draw them and make them more ...nicer.

But when I saw the finished pages it just didnt seem to fit the seat of the pants storyline that I made. The drawing was too studied and limting for me. So I re-drew them again and tried to get the original rough look of the first draft in.

When issue one came out. I was heavily critized by some illustrators on my drawing style.Of course the concept of a comic book having a story and it playing a major part in the package was lost to them. But hey, different strokes for different folks.

Anyway I just set out to tell THE SEXMEN stories and if it infuriates a lot of people well thats the cherry on top.

I was realy surprised when it sold well.

I figured my market would be the 20 or 30 somethings who would be young enough to get what I was doing. The real shocker was when I was hanging out in Mike's comicshop and this distunguished gentleman wearing a suit and accompanied by his wife came to the store and went up to the saleslady.

GENTLEMAN: " HIja, Do you already have the copy of SEXMEN 2

( In the backcover of SEXMEN 1 I naively announced that I was comming out with #2 after one month.)

The saleslady cupped her mouth and began to snicker and then She pointed to me.

SALESLADY: " Why dont you ask him? He made it! "

The gentleman then walked towards me. And then extended his hand.

GENTLEMAN: " HIJO, I LOVE YOUR COMIC! I AM A FAN! "

I was shocked because... he was...well...he's ...mature.

FLIM: " Oh thank you. Uhh dont you find that sort of thing ..offensive? "

GENTLEMAN: " NO! IT'S FUNNY! IT'S VERY FUNNY! YOU HAVE A SICK SENSE OF HUMOR!GIANT MONSTER VAGINAS! You're a very naughty boy."

Then this lady pulled alongside of him and tapped his arm.

WOMAN: " Well Is it in yet ? "

Gentleman roars with laughter.

GENTLEMAN: " No its still here, sweet heart."

He then taps the front of his pants.

She blushes.

GENTLEMAN: " THis is my wife. Sweetheart, this is the boy who made SEXMEN."

She shakes my hand.

GENTLEMAN: " That comic book did wonders to our sex life. So when is it coming out ? "

FLIM: " Oh... as soon as I recover eh costs of the first one."

GENTLEMAN: " Here's my card. Give me a call when it comes out. I'm a fan."

I took the card. He's an executive at the ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK.

GENTLEMAN: " We have to go. Keep it up."

Well that made my day. When young people tell me they love it, I thank them and it feels good to know that your work affects people. But when the older set crowd tells you that they love your stuff. Then it means that your work has crossed a barrier that is something more difficult to bridge than nationality. The AGE GAP!

There was a long PAUSE from #1 TO #2. I'll detail those sad events some other time.Its a dark tale of betrayal and of sinister forces at work and would make for a great telling.And I had to abandon issue 2 and 3. I meet people who'd ask me what happened to issue 2 and I cant reply with a single answer.I told myself that 2 and 3 might be a story that would never be told.But...
you can't put a HARD MAN down...

And the best part is that there will be A SEXMEN MOVIE.The full details to follow.

So on to the second coming of THE SEXMEN.

Now if only I could find where I placed that calling card.

Just arrived from Alabang after doing the rough cut for the MOJO FLY video I directed two weeks ago. Jay, my editor picked me up from my place thru the driving rain because I couldn’t have ridden the bike it was raining and it would have been a bitch to clean up after wards. It was the driver’s day off so no car.

In the editing room we ordered a large thin crust and some fried potatoes and 4 bottles of beer. The first two was very cold…and nice. The latter ones were the stucked in the bodega type so you need lots of ice.

I kept piling up the list of post –production stuff I wanted done. Jay’s eyes glazed over.

JAY: “ That’s going to be bloody! You move the camera too much.

FLIM: “ But if it’s easy, where’s the fun in that? “

The best part about being an editor myself is that you don’t have to go thru the usual crap that lazy editors would give you. The ‘ it cant be done or we don’t have the program to do that shot. “ Or if you have to go thru that then you can counter with,” Get off that chair and I’ll do it myself! “

It began as I said two weeks ago when I was lounging around bibliotech during those rare moments when I can just relax and read the sealed books they have on display when my phone rang.

JAY: “ I want you to direct a MOJO FLY video.”

FLIM: “ Shouldn’t I be preparing for that cable series.”

JAY: “ There would be plenty of time for that.”

Initially the treatment Jay gave me (He’s also the producer) was the band driving around in a top down car and some rose garden or was it fields.

FLIM: “ NO WAY am I going to be involved in a top down drive by band playing their instruments, music video! Every generic band has done that to death! I want complete freedom with whatever treatment I do decide to shoot! “

JAY: “Dude, that’s why I want you, Give me your treatment as soon as I send you the cd.”

FLIM: “ I don’t need to listen to the song. I’ll give you this treatment.”

Funny enough He didn’t object to my treatment and neither did the band. HEHEHE Now let’s have some fun!

We had a 2 cam set up. One was locked and the other one, I hand held. Saved a lot of time for the set-up. The shoot was relatively easy. The props were very simple. There was a lot of cutting and pasting and stringing stuff and materials along. It was a simple set up.
Its the assembling and the parring down of the footage that’s the trick.

The funny part about all this is the music video is for a love song. Go figure!