Early Birthday Present

Days before my birthday and I got one (more actually) of the best birthday gifts I've had in years, courtesy of my siblings of course.  My sister Iris already gave me her gift a day before her birthday (October 13) despite the fact that I haven't gotten her anything yet. Because I've been so obsessed with Death Note lately, she bought me a DN bag from Comic Alley.  She scoured the store's outlets just to find this one design that she thought I would like... and she didn't fail.

Last Saturday (October 20), my sister Lee bought me a copy of Chicosci's album (although I really don't need one as I already downloaded all their songs from Multiply) just so I could have it signed after their show. It's really a treat watching the band perform live. They had a great show though the crowd was a bit tame, which my brother Soc also observed. I even got Calde (who was celebrating 
his birthday on that day) to scribble happy birthday on the CD cover for me.  Despite the bad shot that Sweet took when I was with Miggy, I was happy enough with his capture of me and Mong (God, I love him), hence the cover. Poor Sweet, he was really sorry I was annoyed.

Coinciding with this day was my plan to buy myself a birthday gift. Ever since I saw the Canon Digital Ixus 70 (the one with the black and silver design) displayed in stores, I've been wanting to get one for myself. I still have my old digicam which I bought in Singapore a year ago, but I haven't been happy with that one since the day I dropped it (coincidentally an hour after I bought it) and its lens cracked. I originally wanted to buy a Samsung NV11, but its still unavailable in the Philippines and the NV10 model is way too expensive. So when i found out that the Ixus 70 has almost the same features as the NV10 (especially the Face Detection feature), i only thought thrice before deciding to buy it. And the good thing is I don't need to pay it this year (thank God for BDO promos). I even got a 3% discount because I bought the last stock of the black and silver design.

It may not be a match to professional digital cameras (I'm no pro anyway, just a hobbyist), but I'm happy enough with the buy. I like its features, its design and its size (as small as my own mobile phone)... And now that I have a new digicam, I'm itching to go somewhere.  If only I could... Wishful thinking na naman. Better wrap this up and go to bed, Monday na naman. (*big sigh*)

Death Note

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Other

With its heady plot, complex characters, and the moral issues surrounding the story, Death Note is an anime worth watching seriously. Reminiscent of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, the anime series deals with social and moral issues not unlike those in the classic novel. The series is dark, albeit the brief instances of humor typical of Japanese anime, and delves into the deep recesses of the human psyche.

Death Note is originally a Japanese manga series written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata. The manga was serialized in Shonen Jump, its first issue appearing on December 2003. The anime series aired in Japan from October 3, 2006 to June 26, 2007. The manga was adapted into two live-action films which were released in Japan on June 17, 2006 and November 3, 2006, respectively.

Death Note begins with a Shinigami (God of Death) named Ryuk dropping a death note, resembling an ordinary notebook, to the human world. The notebook is picked up by 17 year-old high school student Light Yagami, an academic wonder who, despite his genius and popularity, is extremely bored at the present state of his life. He first hesitates at picking up the death note, believing it to be a fake, but his curiosity got the better of him.

Examining the notebook, Light reads a set of instructions on how the death note works, one of which claims that the human whose name is written in the death note shall die. Skeptical of the results, he tries to verify its authenticity. Upon learning the powers of the death note, he resolves to use it to pass judgment to criminals, believing that he alone can perform a justifiable deed. Acting with a strong sense of justice, he decides to create a world where only good people exist and make himself a God of this new world.

In the process, he earns himself both admirers and enemies, the most noteworthy and resolute of the latter is the world’s top detective known by the police force as L. As the death of criminals begins to be noticed by the world, the international police force starts to brand him as a mass murderer and serial killer. A psychological cat and mouse chase ensues between Light and L as the former tries desperately to hide his identity as the perpetrator of the deaths while the latter uses all his influence to profile the killer and uncover his method of killing.

The anime is laced with moral dilemmas especially on the actions of the central character Light. With the belief that ridding the world of evil through the use of the death note is a just act, Light has effectively justified his actions and cleansed his conscience of guilt. His self-righteous attitude which surfaced upon acquiring the power of the death note all the more contributes to his conviction. However, despite the elevated status he has accorded himself, he is still fearful of being publicly linked with the killer whom the world branded as Kira, thus his motivation in conjuring elaborate plans to confuse his pursuers.

The series examines the human condition which Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment also tackled, but less the suffering and guilt. The similarity between the classic novel and this anime is also noticeable on the main characters. Light Yagami calls to mind Dostoevsky’s Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov—both of them are ambitious, proud, and intellectually gifted. They also share the view that they are both super-humans (in Raskolnikov’s term), or gods (in Light’s vocabulary) and therefore above social conventions.

Despite this resemblance, Death Note is worth watching, all 37 episodes of it. Each episode leaves you wanting to watch the next one, not only to see what happens next, but also to find out if your speculations are right or if you’ve been outwitted again by the plot. Not your typical anime, this series is dark, intelligent and mature (much like the kind of man I want, hehehe). Definitely not for kids but highly recommended for those looking for something out of the ordinary.

Watching the series, I cannot help recalling this line from a well-known film, “Do not be so eager to deal out death as judgment. Many who live deserve death, and many who die deserve life. Can you give it to them?” One wise wizard once said, “Even the wisest cannot see all ends.” Indeed. And in the end, it is still the Death Gods’ call.

HP 7 Finally!

Finally, a sigh of relief. Not necessarily for the book's release but for all the trouble I've been through this morning. Waking up at 6 am on a Saturday is already a big leap. It's just not me. But if not for a scheduled check-up and the task of getting my copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows from the bookstore, I'd say I'm still in bed right now.

With the book now in my possession, I think my weekend will be full. I wonder if I'll sleep? Hmmm... I guess, that would depend on the pacing of the story. I just hope it wouldn't be a disappointment. I was hoping Voldemort would kill off Harry, but based on the hints going around, it's unlikely. And speaking of leakages, I got hold of a copy yesterday, a day short of it's release. (Ever heard about the compiled photographed pages of the book circulating on the net?) Now, I can tell you, the leakage is authentic based on the first and last few pages (cover, dedication, table of contents, the first page and the last page of the body). I haven't browsed the rest of the book but I'm sure it's the same thing. Lucky for those who've read the leakage ahead of everyone else.

Well then, I better start to end it all. Somehow, it doesn't feel like goodbye with this book, unlike with the last LOTR book, The Return of the King. I postponed reading that one until after the movie version though I already have a copy of the book and despite the fact that a lot of people have read the ending 50 years ago. I just couldn't say goodbye, I guess... I'm not comparing. There's really no comparison to JRR Tolkien. The only similar thing between him and JK Rowling is the first letter of their name. Other than that, there's no point scrutinizing.

I just hope all will be well, just like the last sentence of Book 7 says. Oops! I forgot to warn you... spoiler!

Vandalisms

I got this from my friend Archie. These are vandals found all over UP Diliman.

FA Wall:

"nobody cares"
somebody answered:
"not even the carebares?"
then another:
"not even kier?"
then:
"not even zoren?"
lastly:
"not even zorro?"
all written by different people.

AS:
AS chairs:

"push button to eject seatmate"
"push button to eject urself"
"push button to kill teacher."
"push button to eject teacher"

....reply: "it's jammed! We're doomed!"

AS cubicle:

"Donate your bulbol here.." tapos may
chewing gum na
pagdidikitan. ...

AS chair :

"you know bobo? bobo is you!"

AS 1st floor CR:

"if you forget the past, then you
porget
the purious.."

AS 1st floor CR uli:

" Im a simple gay "
tapos me sumagot
"sira! Dapat 'Im simple and gay!' Taga
peyups ka ba? duh! "
tapos me sumagot ulit (with matching
arrow pa na nakaturo dun sa reply)
"sira ka rin! yung simple is used as an
adjective tapos
yung gay is used as a noun. kaya ok
lang
yung simple gay nya!"

CHEM:

Chem chair:

"push button to spray acid on prof's
face."

Another chem chair:

"You Boron!!!"

BIO:
Bio chair:

"Push cadaver to haunt teacher."

FO Santos:

"SA MGA NAGTATAPON NG BASURA DITO...
bawal."

ENG'G:

Sa Men's CR, facing the urinal:
"Hawak ko saking mga kamay ang
kinabukasan ng bayan!"
Reply:

"the future you are holding is very
small."


GAB:
sa likod ng armchair sa isang room sa
GAB:

"takas ng ward 7"



MATH:

sa cr sa may math building:
"SUMAPI SA NPA! "
may sumagot:
"PAANO? "
may sumagot pa:
"MAGFILL UP NG COUPON AT IHULOG SA
PINAKAMALAPIT NA DROP
BOX SA SUKING TINDAHAN!"

sa math building, sa likod ng isang
"teacher's chair" sa 3rd floor:
"BABALA: asawa ni babalu"

sa math 3rd floor, sa isang upuan uli.
"you'll NEVER find what you're looking
for"
May nag-reply:

"find x."

sa math 3rd floor, sa isa pang upuan
uli.
nakasulat sa armchair:
"F*CK DA WORLD! "
ta's may sumagot:
"F*CK U TOO!
--WORLD?"

3rd floor math cr:

"kaibigan, pagkapatos mong umihi, paki
PLUS mo naman, hehehe."


UPIS

sa loob ng music room.
"maam _______(music prof) boses
palaka! "
tas may sumagot
"nakarinig ka na ba ng boses ng
palaka "
tas may sumagot uli
"weh "
tas may nag-react uli
"oo, sabi kokak!kokak! "

VINZONS:

Wall ng vinzons

"Do not steal. The government hates
competition"

men's cr sa Vinzon's:
"remember: the hands that clean this
toilet are the same
hands that cook your food."

men's cr waaaay above the urinal:
"if you can reach this, the fire
department wants you!"


NIGS:

sa isang upuan:
"f*ck nigs!"
may nagreply:
"who's nigs?"


MAIN LIB

Sa isang lamesa ng main lib,
filipiniana
section:

"UP STUDENTS HAS BECOME PATETHIC"
tapos may sumagot...
" mali pang grammar at spelling mo,
halatang di ka taga UP"


KALAI:

nietzsche-"god is dead"
God- "Nietzsche is dead!"



SC:

sa labas ng PNB:
"in case of emergency break ass and
push
butt"

sa girls' CR:

"Bawal ang vandal Dito!...
Mommy said: First Aid Terramycin"

sa girls' CR uli:

"My boyfriend and I had sex and now I'm
pregnant"

Reply:

"Pray to God"

WITERARY - SIGN OFF! Bloopers I see during travel

http://www.witerary.com/2006/bloopers/signoff.htm
If you're one of those people who laughed hysterically upon receiving the email "Nakakahimatay na mga Signs" you'll definitely bookmark this site. After all, it is here where most of those photographed signs were taken.

Good Old Days

I finally found the title of the song I was telling Joms about a while ago during our text conversation about... good old days. I can't find the song on limewire even here in multiply. Talaga sigurong it's a thing of the past na nga. hehehe. The song is by Owsley. If you want to be depressed try listening to this song on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

I went back home the other day
To see some old friends that I used to know
It was strange to see what all had changed
But just like me my hometown had to grow

On lazy Sunday afternoons
We used to drive around the neighborhood
But as I look around I see
That nothing really looks the way it should

There's a parking lot where the church used to be
And the old town drunk changed his ways
Still my mind goes wandering down memory lane
Looking 'round for the good old days

My high-school sweetheart's married off
With two kids and another on the way
And my coach I hardly recognized
His thick black hair has slowly turned to grey

All the debutantes and the homecoming queen
Have taken kids on to raise
Still my mind goes wandering down memory lane
Looking 'round for the good old days

When I find myself romancing now
Of the way that it used to be
I can't help thinking someday
That it's coming back to me
But I've never been the kind
To see the forest for the trees

Looking back on yesterday
Never was my favorite thing to do
But that's OK it's just as well
It's seems as though there's less to hold on to

There's a parking lot where the church used to be
And the old town drunk changed his ways
Still my mind goes wandering down memory lane
Looking 'round for the good old days 

hmmm....

Three o'clock na naman. It's that time of the day when your stomach automatically starts grumbling telling you that its time to feed again... Related to eating, it just crossed my mind... how come we always have answers to food-related questions such as favorite food, cravings, etc. but when you're really hungry and you really need something or anything to nibble, you can't think of what you want to eat. Is it just me or does it happen to everyone else? Bakit nga ba? Even in malls, when you're faced with a lot of choices- a whole annex of fastfoods, restaurants and food stalls- you still have to pass by every one of them before you get to decide which place to eat.

And in the span of time that it took writing this blog, wala pa rin kaming naisip na food na kakainin... pero gutom na kami! Waaahh!

P.S. Pero kung libre okay lang kahit ano. Di ba?