9.29.2005

A Good Deal

This was too good to pass up so...

... Budoy is looking for a few good hands. Anyone else interested?

9.27.2005

Giving Up the Ghost?

One recent news item I found particularly strange was the one about BongBong and Imee Marcos trying to talk their mother Imelda out of burying the late President Ferdinand Marcos in the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

After the hell the Marcos family has raised over the late strongman's burial, it strikes me as more than a tad odd that they've given up the fight so easily. It's not that I'm a fan of Marcos, and I'll make it a point to leave out my commentary on that particular political figure, but what got my attention is the fact that I can't help but wonder if the Marcos kids are giving up this particular plum in exchange for something bigger.

Yes, I've unofficially joined the droves of conspiracy theorists who think that the Arroyo administration is secretly trying to woo the Marcoses to its side. While I, like many, find it strange that the Marcoses could even be considered such a significant political force after everything that's happened, it actually seems to be the case.

It's funny, a lot of the middle class were turned off by the opposition's rants against GMA because Imee Marcos was extremely prominent among them, but for some reason the press inexorably points to efforts by Malacanang to win the Marcoses over, as if by doing so they will somehow undermine the opposition. This just plain doesn't make sense. If Imee Marcos is pissing off the middle class, the REAL maker of Presidents as two EDSAs have shown, then why try to bring her over?

Going back to the burial, I can't help but shake my head at the rather abrupt 180 degree turn by the Marcos progeny, even as their mother fights on. It just spawns a heck of a lot of suspicion, is what it does...

Well, it could be just as my Tito said over dinner last weekend: what Imee and Bongbond REALLY want is to bury their mother, anywhere they can, right now. ;)

9.14.2005

How long's it been?

First of all, thanks to the boys (and girls) who braved the rains and made it to my birthday party last week. We've uncharacteristically been laying low. Hope that turns around soon. Baka makalimutan na tayo ng mga waiter sa Gram's. I highly recommend Jack's sa the Fort. Maybe we could go there some time. All-day breakfast dun.

Anyway, for the comic fans out there, here's the latest from Marvel Entertainment. They're lining up 10 of their comic books for development as feature films. I was a little surprised with the list. Here's the article:

"Variety reports that Marvel Enterprises will now be known as Marvel Entertainment, and that they have ten potential movies lined up to produce, and for Paramount to distribute. Curious to see which characters Marvel didn't lease to the other studios? Well, of course "Captain America" is one of 'em!

"Though many of its best characters, from Spider-Man to X-Men to Iron Man, are set up for adaptations at studios, Marvel has identified 10 characters and groups it will develop as potential feature franchises to produce itself:

* patriotic national defender Captain America

* superhero team the Avengers

* super-spy Nick Fury

* African-American adventurer Black Panther

* Ant-Man, who can shrink to insect size and communicate with ants

* teenage embodiments of darkness and light Cloak and Dagger

* mysterious wizard Dr. Strange

* expert archer Hawkeye

* Power Pack, a young group of sibling superheroes

* martial arts expert Shang-Chi

"We are going to commission a lot of scripts and start the race to see which move quickest through development," Marvel prez Avi Arad explained. "We are not significantly veering from what we have been doing with studios, but we now have the luxury of greenlight rights and better financial benefits.""

Marvel is hoping to have their first feature ready by the summer of 2008."

9.07.2005

An Unusual Post for this Page

This was basically just one of those thoughts rumbling around in my head during my MRT/LRT trip to the office. I was going to put it on my blog, but seeing as how no one's written here in ages (perhaps scared off my the bugs brought about by the format change) I figured I'd put it here.

I thought I'd write a little ode to unrequited love.

Yes, I know I'm happily married with two kids, but reading Joe D'Mango's columns during my train ride really gets me thinking sometimes (yes, I'm a closet jologs, so sue me).

Unrequited love is often thought of with such wistful melancholy and described as a poignant part of life; a bit of requisite sadness for lives that would otherwise be just too boring.

But maybe it's a little bit more. Maybe it has very important lessons to teach us about the way we treat other people, especially those who are supposedly dear to us.

The one thing I can honestly say I've learned from my experiences with unrequited love is simply this: no matter how much you want to be with someone, if it's not meant to be, then it just won't happen. You can put your best foot forward and avoid all the little faux pas you can think of, but if you just arent' the one for her, then it'll just slip away someway, somehow. When it comes to love, winning the 'prize' is just not a question of sheer force of will. In short, it teaches us to accept when things just aren't meant for us, because a lot of things in life, not just love, can be like that.

For every one guy who says I'm full of shit, I'm pretty sure there are ten or twenty who know exactly what i'm talking about.

Another thing about unrequited love is that it teaches us to treasure the love we eventually find. I know I could definitely be a better husband to my wife, but I also know that all of my previous bellyflops have actually made me more acutely aware of the things I need to know to keep our relationship interesting. The sum total of my mistakes is like a textbook I carry around. After practicing so many times how to do the whole romance thing right and finally finding a willing partner, it's nice to know all the false starts amount to something.

I can't help but wonder if the world would be a better place with more unrequited love. I know this isn't the least bit scientific, but I wonder if girlfriend or wife beaters ever really knew what it was like to pine over someone who they came to realize would never love them back? I wonder if philandering guys or two-timing girls ever really knew what it was like to agonize over the thought of that one special person just beyond their reach? It's tantalizing to wonder sometimes.

I'm fairly sure that unrequited love has a lot to teach us, whether we're actually in relationships or still just hoping for one. We just have to pay attention.