"Teferi, Hero of Dominaria: Time and Matter manipulation."

"Teferi, Hero of Dominaria: Time and Matter manipulation."

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

The leak of the whole Dominaria set has been a mixed curse and blessing for the Magic community. Around this time various spoilers would have appeared to make sure that everyone was hungry enough to know the next expansion.

Of course with the rush of knowledge a lot of people can now plan their Pre release strategies early or rate the cards that they want to purchase or skip in this next set. 

Today I will be looking at a familiar face in his latest reincarnation. Teferi who is now the Hero of Dominaria. The last time we checked like Venser he was also dead but now he is back and packing a lot of goodness for control players.

Teferi, Hero of Dominaria is a 3WU costed Legendary Planeswalker who has a starting loyalty counter of 4.

His first ability which is a +1 lets you draw a card. And at the beginning of the next end step, untap two lands.

This ability is so blue! I am betting that the majority of players will always opt to have 2 islands untapped.Maybe that or one with a plains so that they could cast spells like Disenchant or Path to Exile. Or an Instant draw spell.

As an additional note you don't decide which two lands to untap until the next end step. It means that it has to be your end step before untapping the lands and as well as on your opponents turn if you can somehow use Teferi, Hero of Dominaria's first ability.

Teferi, Hero of Dominaria's second ability is a -3 That allows you to put a target nonland permanent into its owner's library third from the top. 

This ability does not just bury that non-land permanent , it buries it 2 cards deep. Let us say you do this with as Jace , TMS. You and Teferi already know what is coming. You have about 3 turns to prepare for it. Tough like if you don't come up with anything in the last 3 turns right?

And for this planeswalkers final ability , A -8 that nets you an emblem that states "Whenever you draw a card, exile target permanent an opponent controls."

This is like a better version of Venser. And for people who love drawing this will be very very abusive. I can see this combining with Mind Over Matter in a Blue/White Wizard deck that has Azami in it. Tap and untap until all of your opponents no longer have any permanents on their side of the board. It is so good it is beginning to sound oppressive and I know just the kind of player who will be using this in my playgroup. He already has the said Wizard deck ready to be updated. Sigh. More oppressive fun. Yipee(Not really that cheerful here)

Of course it would be a lot different if I make the deck myself and do the oppressing first. Hmmmmmm. The possibility.

As an additional note you can choose the target for the triggered ability of Teferi's emblem after you've seen the card you drew. Meaning you get to prioritize the thing that you want to exile. So if you draw a doomblade you can remove an Lightning Greaves equippen on Arcum Dagson and then Doomblade that wizard to oblivion before your Locust God loses.(Pardon me my last Archenemy session was still painful even if I managed to give my friends a run for their planeswalker lives).

So Teferi rates pretty high on my list and as of late there are always ways to get the Planeswalkers that I want. Time to think of the possibilities in the mean time.

"3 Reasons to Brawl!"

"3 Reasons to Brawl!"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

One of the things that my playgroup has been discussing lately is the new format from Magic called Brawl. So basically it is a modified , standard legal , rotating EDH deck. A legendary creature at the helm from any of the standard legal sets and the components from those same sets. All you need is 59 other cards and you are all set to go.

One thing stands out in all of this and these are the words Cash Grab. Wizards of the coast has introduced a new format that is set to raise the prices of standard legal cards even further since a particular card will now be needed in another format other than Standard , Constructed and Modern. We all recognize it for what it is and while there are qualms about it there are some who look at this as another chance to make decks that are only available in a narrow spectrum and come up with a dominating or at least fun deck.

Here are my reasons to Brawl:

#1 It is another frontier opening.

I have often talked to my playgroup mates about making a standard legal EDH so when this opened up I was pretty happy that I was going to be able to test my deck building skills. 

While you might hit snags due to unavailability of efficient mana rocks or mana acceleration It is in this that you can see what will actually work to replace those rocks or mana acceleration. #EndSolRingDependence.

#2 Cards deserve a home!

Have one of those trash cards that you feel that you cannot use? Well this is the time for those cards  , you have another format to experiment in and check your well and tested decks if it can translate to this format.

Do you want to go tribal with Dinos or Pirates or Merfolks because of Ixalan? Want to go Robots and Vehicles from Kaladesh? There are a few archetypes that you might want to explore here. What about a super friends deck consisting of all those extra planeswalkers that you have no use for?

#3 Making your opponents go Oh and Ah.

When you play EDH you have around 25k individual pieces to work with from through out Magics 25 year history. However you are forced to narrow down to a couple of sets and now you look at cards that might not be as efficient but do the kind of thing that you might want. It also narrows down the boxes and piles that you have to go through.

In conclusion I think that Brawl is a good format addition and is worth trying out at least once. If you don't happen to like it then you can just go back to the formats that you prefer. Brawl might create another niche where players can thrive and that is never a bad thing.

"Midweek Magic 2018 #12:Sneaky Emrakul"

"Midweek Magic 2018 #12:Sneaky Emrakul"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

It has been awhile since I have made or updated any EDH decks but today(Thursday) was different. I was looking to the Neheb Battle Royale that Jus and Janry and I have been talking about since Tuesday. 

In my need to look for cards that would make Neheb better I stumbled upon other red cads that I would need to update other decks. I found certain goblins for Krenko , Mob Boss and Key cards like Impending Doom for Radha , Heir of Kheld. So all in all I ended up upgrading 3 decks that I would use this night.

So first up was a test play match with Jus and his own take on Neheb. When I put down Sneak Attack Jus even complimented that the deck now features this particular card.

So I looked at what was on Jus's side of the battlefield and he had 8 permanents at the  time. I then "Sneaked" Emrakul Aeons Torn into play and attacked. All the while waving at the 6 permanents that will be sacrficed to Emrakuls Annihilator 6. 

It was the first time for me to the Eldrazi titans in this way. Frankly because Sneak attack is a fairly new acquisition for me. I was so happy with the result of this upgrade that I wanted to add more cards in the mix but then again we will have to see.

"She Calls"

"She Calls"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

My phone keeps vibrating on the table where I left it

And I knew who it would be

I dreaded it this whole time but it is catching up to me

This call that will determine me

The words in my heart disappear as I see your name

staring at me from the screen with that smile

Yet I know that that smile is no longer there

and the voice that greets me proves that it will always be so

Lets talk it over , lets set things straight

when I know that there is nothing more

The time for talking is over

and the twisted fate that we have keeps diverging

I hear the tears or imagine them as they fall

It could be just me thinking about them

because your voice seems devoid of all

So I promise to come to you

but tonight will not be that time

Nor will it be any other time.

You say  thank you

and I bite down all my pain

You make thank you the painful words I know.

I know you can't stay

and I know that I don't want you to

but you linger more than you should.

And when we put down the phone

And I know that I will never get another call

I wonder what it was all for.

UHG QC , March 3 2018 , 5:04am

"Midweek Magic 2018 #11:Heavens Falling down"

"Midweek Magic 2018 #11:Heavens Falling down"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

In this blog I will be talking about the Bearer of The Heavens. While I found it fascinating that you could threaten with this guy and then if an opponent kills it you then can destroy all permanents.

So the benefit is in it dying. I have not seen it die this way before and honestly I never thought of the combination as well. 

It involved using Sneak Attack. Getting the Bearer of the Heavens into play and having it die at the end of that players turn. The Giant allows the heavens to fall and everything in it's wake is gone!

I had to wake up to that play. And got me silently me thinking that I need to put this guy in my dragon deck that actually has the Sneak Attack.

"Mentos Choco Caramel:Confusingly Good"

"Mentos Choco Caramel:Confusingly Good"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

When you read the brand name Mentos you instantly relate it to things like Fruity or Cola flavored chewies or in my case associate it with the strongly Minty , strongly awakening Mentos Air which I took during my board exams or when I am sleepy and about to drive but want to sleep when I get to where I am going.So much better than coffee in certain situations.

So to my surprise I was able to find one of these new Mentos Choco Caramels. My wife would probably give me a stern warning about sugary things just about now when she gets to read this but I had to buy one and try for myself.

It felt weird at first since my senses were expecting something minty but after I got past that what I bit into was a soft chewy caramel like thing that had chocolate core that burst into flavor as soon as you bite into it.

It was oddly good.Then my mind kept on reminding me that this was mentos and my mouth should be bursting with something minty right about now. Am I so conditioned by Mentos or what?

Anyway give it a try for yourself. And stop listening to your Brand Conditioned brain. This is actually good stuff.

"Honey Popcorn- Bibidi Babidi Boo MV reaction:Reemerging from the cocoon."

"Honey Popcorn- Bibidi Babidi Boo MV reaction:Reemerging from the cocoon."

by:

The Vole

When I heard that former Japanese AV Idols would be debuting as Kpop Idols this month I had an interesting thought pop into my head. 

How do professionals who bank on being sexually appealing in their videos approach the Kpop music scene who has always had that undertone of innocent sexiness that has masqueraded under the banner of "cutie sexy" for so long. 

There have been outright sexy concepts in the past like Bambino or Laysha that never really lasted. So how will YuA Mikami and the other girls of Honey Popcorn approach this kind of sexy but not sexy scene?

They approached it like a typical Kpop group. The sweet and innocent route. There wasn't even a hint of sexiness in the MV. It was a catchy tune and all three ladies are fully clothed as compared to their previous work. Everyone deserves a chance to reinvent themselves and I think that this is what their company banked on when they decided to do this.

In comparison Momoland who supposedly has younger members has the full grinding motions and tight outfights that you would expect from more adult groups.They were just able to pull it off right. Ask yourself how old Nancy is at the moment and you will get the point.

The song Bibidi Babidi Boo is catchy enough and well sung , Honey Popcorn even sounds better than some of the rookie groups coming out lately but I really don't expect them to win music shows left and right. At least the training that these 3 had in Japan shows that they are much ready for these stages. 

As I write this there are 13k Likes and 6.7 Dislikes for this  video. I guess people are not really all the ready to accept different versions of you even if you do present it properly.

I do hope that after this they would not go back to porn.I hope that this offers them a chance to have better things.  

"3 Disturbing things Fallout Shelter players will eventually realize"

"3 Disturbing things Fallout Shelter players will eventually realize"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Initially I tried this game in order to help my daughter because she was having such a frustrating time playing it. Fallout Shelter is set in a post nuclear apocalypse where you get to run a fallout shelter. The resource management game requires you to create rooms for power , food and water. You also need to assign your Dwellers to the rooms or roles that best suits them. There are those who can stay in the vault for these roles and there are some who can be sent into the wasteland outside to collect weapons and clothing and materials to create the former two in the later stages of the game.

I was able to overcome the games hurdles in a day of playing and then there are a few things that I found disturbing in the game.

1) Most Dwellers love having sex and lots of it. One of the vaults purposes is to breed humans to populate it. I get that but it seems that there is a lot of loving going on and I did warn my daughter to stop playing this game because there are things her that I would have to explain to her further.

2) Incest is Wincest. With the world going up in flames all around them and without enough viable partners available some dwellers actually need to breed with relatives and so you end up with a whole line of Dwellers named Smith or Collins. Not only is this encouraged to bring out the best traits carried by that line but it seems that this is the way to actually win the game.

3) Charmers. In the vault there are those who have a naturally very high Charm Special rating. Supposedly these are your ideal breeders. I had one guy impregnating 7 dwellers in quick succession. And females with high Charms rate seems to get pregnant much faster than those with lower rates. Both are happy with the roles. I don't like the idea that a woman can only be good for breeding. I guess both sexes do have needs. I did notice a lot of my female dwellers were happier even without the need for mating and that was good of the games programmers otherwise this would look like a sex orgy game rather than a survival game.

So parents do not let your child play this game because it seems like a harmless resource management game on the outside but it has very adult and dark themes hiding underneath the surface. The parents are free to play it though if Dark , Apocalyptic scenarios are your cup of tea.

"Doc In , Doc Out: Sulat para kay Mr. Torotot edition"

"Doc In , Doc Out: Sulat para kay Mr. Torotot edition"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Dear Mr. Torotot,

Ipagpaumanhin niyo po ang sulat na ito. At nung nagkita tayo ay natanong ko kung yan po ang tunay niyong apelyido(na alam ko naman kasi di mo naman isusulat yung apelyido ng iba). Naaliw ako nung nabasa ko kasi malikot ang pagiisip ko.

Naiisip ko po kasi na kung yan ang apelyido ninyo tapos sobrang seryoso ng trabaho niyo tapos tinawag kayo. Captain Torotot!(parang super hero). Judge Torotot. Atty. Torotot or Dr. Torotot( Parang pang kalaban ng superhero ang dating.)

Pagpasensiyahan niyo na po ako kasi wala akong tulog habang sinsulat ko ito. Naimagine ko kung naging Doctor talaga kayo tapos ipapage kayo:

"Paging Doctor Torotot , Paging Doctor Torotot , please proceed  to the ER."

Ok Ok. Isa na lang. Kapag nasa LTO po ba kayo eh naaliw yung mga kasama niyo kapag pinapatawag kayo sa susunod na window?

"Mr. Torotot punta po kayo sa Window 7."

Pero seryoso po ako. Ang wish ko po ay di kayo matulad sa ibang mga OFW natin na puspusang nagtatrabaho sa ibang bansa habang ang mga asawa nila ay naiiwan na malungkot dito sa Pilipinas.

Opo Mr. Torotot. Naway di po kayo Matorotot habang kayo ay masigasig na nagtatatrabaho. Naiisip ko na ang headline kasi kung mangyari yun. "Mr. Torotot , natorotot ng Misis , pinatay ng torotot ang kalaguyo."

Huli na talaga ito Sir. I wish you well.

Doc June

"The Light Dragon in the basement"

"The Light Dragon in the basement"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

V paced in the underground parking lot. It was waiting and a lot of waiting. The life of dating an idol when you are not allowed in a close practice session. He has to converse with the other staff and pretend that he was there to do something else while he waited. And with MW and the cheapskate Mr. Kim there was tons to do all around. Today he was cleaning the vans.It was then that he heard the small chuckle behind him.

"What seems to be so funny Jinsoul?"

"You." The blond wide eyed girl stepped out of the shadows and came closer where V was spraying water over the black vehicle."The most powerful being in the world handling a hose and cleaning things for mortals."

"It's not really that bad.I take it you haven't done this before?" V said while spraying water on the blond girl on purpose. "Light dragons usually don't allow their royalty to do menial work right?"

Jinsoul was as lithe as a feather as she skipped away from the water. "Unlike the Blackflame house that makes its royals work along side their servants in the field."

"You don't know how much that benefits our house."

"More like the other houses laugh at you for the effort." Jinsoul said smugly.

"Oh you mean the other houses that are so afraid of us that they send lower royalties to talk to us in fear that we might eat them?" The girls demeanor changed at the counter insult.

"V , why must you be so mean to me after everything that we have been through."

"Because you are mean by pointing out that I should not do things that I determined that I should be doing right now."

V turned his back , a firmer sign of disrespect for a dragon ascendant as those who turn their backs on you do not even consider you as a warrior worthy of respect.

Jinsoul sighed at that. It was no point arguing as V has been known to argue with the magistrates for days on end which often ends with the elders bowing to whatever it was that he requested.

"Why is it that you are compelled to stay here among the humans? surely the harvesting could have been done a long time ago?" Jinsoul asked V who just continued what he was doing.

"And what of the harvest? Only I can determine that."

"Determine what V?" It was YuuA's sweet voice who entered the conversation. "And while you are at it introduce me to your pretty friend." 

"Determine what I want to do with the rest of my life." V said without missing a beat. " And this is Jinsoul. I am not really sure if she is auditioning for MW or here to spy on us."

"I'm not here for either of those. I am here for V."

"For V?" YuuA said with her interest being piqued again."Is this another marriage that V did not honor? How many brides have you left wanting V?"

It was already a running joke between YuuA and V about the amount of women who have come and gone in his life. Kayz was the most consistent among them who insisted that the BlackFlame house and their house would be perfect. YuuA felt threatened when they were still at their earlier phases since Kayz was another dragon and was naturally kind when she was not about to kill you. 

"It is not another unhonored marriage or a broken one. None was offered and none can be made." V said while not even looking at both of the girls.

Jinsoul bowed to YuuA. "Pardon my rudeness  , YuuA sunbaenim , I am Jinsoul of the group Lunar."

"Lunar? The group that debuts a single member each month? You are what member now?" YuuA said while she moved closer to V who was not minding the conversation at all.

"I am the 9th , sunbaenim , 3 more and we will debut formally as a group."

"3 months then. Your company sure is taking it's time. Why have you come to see V?"

Jinsoul was unsure of what to say next. So V answered for her. 

"Minhee wants to summon me to make sure that I am not going on a rampage on the human world." YuuA looked amused.

"Should she be worried about your rampages? You can't even seem to rampage your way through of a bag of grapes."

"Those bags were tough." V retorted.

"Sure."

Jinsoul looked at the exchanges between the two and was dumbfounded how YuuA could talk to V in such a manner.

"Not to be disrespectful YuuA sunbaenim but do you know whom you are talking to?"

"You mean the last Creation Dragon called V? The War Criminal that has had all of the houses aiming for his head? Yeah I do know him and also happens to be my boyfriend so I can talk to him in a seductive voice or a taunting voice or a stern voice as I chose and he will like it."

V turned sideways and smiled. "No argument from me."

"So it seems your business here is concluded. He is not going back to see Minhee. We have promotions tomorrow. And as for his rampaging. He is with me. I do not allow rampagings during promotions. You can say that to Minhee at least."

The blond Jinsoul was not sure of what to say , she knew that Minhee will be mad but this one human was also able to control V without resorting to violence. She had to respect that.

"Very well , YuuA sunbaenim." Jinsoul began to glow and in a blinding flash was gone.

"You think she will come back?"YuuA asked.

"I don't think so. She seemed to respect you a lot."

"Good , because now that I am nervous I want to eat dinner early."

"Where?"

"To that mushroom place we always like."

"Ok.Since Mr. Kim hasn't paid me yet it will be your treat! bwahahaha."

"You own that place."

"Well. Ok. My treat but just this once."

YuuA smirked but knew when V was joking. She could already smell the roasting mushrooms.

"Whispers in the darkness"

"Whispers in the darkness"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

I

I whisper in this darkness

Your name that I cannot remember

waking up to this

and your image still lingers

II

An after thought that never goes

stuck in this place once more

When letting go is in between

of accepting what is the truth

III

So you reach back and touch my face

and I hope that you are real

and I hope that this is all the I would feel

all I could feel

IV

Yet there is nothing

that replaces the pain of a thousand deaths

A thousand that is one

and One that is yours.

V

I whisper your name in the darkness

and I hoped that you would whisper back.

Hoping that for tonight I would hear those words.

Yet there darkness is all that there is.

UHG QC , March 3 2018 , 4:54am

"Midweek Magic 2018 #10 : Mogg Maniacs Menace"

"Midweek Magic 2018 #10 : Mogg Maniacs Menace"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

I once had the misfortune of attacking with a 13/13 beast that was promptly blocked by the measly 1/1 Mogg Maniac and instantly having all of the 13 damage slam me in the face causing me to lose the game. That was then.

This was now. With a board position that seemed stable at the moment Jus being the diabolical deck that he is saw a way to defeat Janry in me by casting a single spell. And the spell was Star of Extinction. With a Mogg Maniac on the battlefield. Instantly killing me who only had 20 life and Janry who had a slightly higher life total than me.

At least 20 damage lang ang nakuha ko sa combo. Small comforts even if I did lose the game.

"Tatawa Choc Delight: I am not sure"

"Tatawa Choc Delight: I am not sure"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

On one of our morning breakfast runs we went into the Mercury Drug near the Monumento Circle and my wife tapped me in the back and she said..."Sa sobrang sarap ng cookies na ito ikaw ay...."

I tried laughing through the side of my mouth at the joke but I was curious as to how the Cookie actually tasted. Tatawa is a Malaysian company that has made some of its products available here in our country. I bought one just for kicks.

I must say that I am not really sure about the taste of this particular product. Each pack has 10 individually wrapped cookies and my daughter seemed to have eaten 9 of them. I think this is a good cookie as there are times when my daughter would only nibble on a thing I bought and then there are times when she only leaves me a nibble.

Because of my busy schedule this week I forgot to taste this thing that I bought and I barely had time to snatch the last cookie before it was going to be devoured. My problem now is that I kept the cookie safe somewhere but now I can't remember it.

So my verdict is that my daughter must have loved these cookies. I on the other hand need to buy another pack to know for sure.

"Noel - Our Last Day MV reaction:Saying and Staying"

"Noel - Our Last Day MV reaction:Saying and Staying"

by:

The Vole

I don't usually listen to Sad Korean songs but I do sometimes when they are recommended by a friend. I don't know how Noel is but his voice is powerful and conveys so much emotion.

The MV starts off with a guy in a cafe watching a couple saying goodbye to each other and hugging. The girl notices him and they apologize at the public display of affection.

This gives you a sense that this song is about not being able to say goodbye properly. It is not really clear what happens to this guys partner in the MV. It seems that she died suddenly  , maybe in an accident at the railroad crossing that they are standing on and the same one where the guy actually goes to near the very end of the MV.

The MV switches from views of the past where the girl is the one who brings brightness to this grumpy person and to black and white shots of the present where the guy seems to be lonely and giving up on life. 

The song surges with the emotional rendition of the line "My only consolation for you who has departed..."

The guy thought about taking his own life but he remembered that he has to live so that he can keep the happy memories of them together. His role is to live and keep those memories within himself. And so he walks away.

With what he could not say , he could now do by staying.

"3 pet peeves that only SimCity Build it players will understand"

"3 pet peeves that only SimCity Build it players will understand"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

My wife introduced me to this wonderful game that actually replaced the other wonderful game that I was playing. SimCity build it reminded me of all the great times I had playing the first Sim City. Only this time I didn't really have to rent out computer space and can actually play the game while I am lounging in the comfort of my own home on my own phone.

As you progress in this resource management game you get to produce or look for materials that can be used to fuel the growth of your city. And here in lies that pet peeves that I have noticed that only Sim City Build it players can experience.

1) When you are looking for a rare item in the global trade HQ and you finally find it. You click on it and you are notified that your storage is already full! Yup the woes of accumulating stuff and not being able to unload it in a timely manner may mean that you would miss buying that particularly needed item.

2) When you don't need stuff they are the items that you usually appear on the global trade HQ. Ever notice a field of Spices? Or how about a screen filled to the brim with Steel or Wood? Yup , when you are looking for Flour or Glue expect the game to give you a lot of the things that you do not need.

3) When you see an item and it is still available. You click on it only to get a notification that Oops! It has already been sold! No one can really determine who clicked on what first but I guess there is a lucky someone out there in the world wide web who got that Watermelon you so badly needed.

There you have it 3 pet peeves that only SimCity Build it players will understand. Do you play this game? 

"Doc In , Doc Out:For Tonsillectomy na walang tonsils edition"

"Doc In , Doc Out:For Tonsillectomy na walang tonsils edition"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Dear Patient,

Pumunta ka sa clinic na walang boses. Tuloy tuloy ang consistent mong acting kahit na pinapagsalita kita ng tuloy tuloy. Alam kung di mo na ito first time sa ganitong gawain kasi pagpasok mo pa lang eh naendorse ka na sa akin.

Ok naman na sana. Puwede naman ako magbigay ng rest kaso bigla mong sinabi na for tonsillectomy ka na next week. So obligado akong silipin ang lalamunan mo at Lo and Behold! Di namamaga ang lalamunan mo. Di man lang namumula. So di ko maintindihan kung ano ang aalisin dun sa tonsillectomy mo?

Pre emptive strike ba ang ginusto mo?

Eh paano ngayon yan. Nahalata na natin ang acting job?

Back to floor na po tayo.

Di Masyadong Nagmamahal,

Doc June

"YuuA's Melody"

"YuuA's Melody"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

V listened  , mesmerized by her voice. There was no one at the stage this time of night. YuuA always chose to sneak in here while the others slept and would normally just listen to herself when she sang. She fussed about herself for a few minutes before resuming her singing. V had followed her here to protect her but mainly because he did not need to sleep like humans do.

"How can her voice be so full of pain and sweetness at the same time?  , he wondered. Her low tones floated in the air and planted themselves in V's ear and he could not help but close his eyes in response. There were a lot of wilting flowers left at the back of the stage and with V's happiness a lot of them began to glow and regained their vitality. Some of them began emitting beautiful smells as if they were just freshly cut except some of the have already been there for days and left untended to. V continued not noticed the blooms.

If there was anything that he would want to learn to recreate , it was this exact moment where YuuA sang IU's Through the night.

YuuA was more known for her precise and powerful dancing and was hailed as one of the best in her generation of Idols. Because of it most people forget of the sweet voice that she has always possessed. V realized the full effect that it was having on him. He remembered when White , his 3rd Talon ,  first saw that MV in Manila and listened to the same voice that saved his life in Busan all those years. YuuA , he whispered back then as he did not in this darkness of the backstage.

He was calming down once more. The urges to fight and to devour and to kill all waning as he listened. He smiled that his search has finally come to a close. He realized though that he could no longer Harvest the orb within her. It would be too much to know that her death would be by his hands. He might live but what kind of life would that be without her?

Suddenly YuuA stopped singing and V had to open his eyes.

"How long were you listening?" She asked him using the mic in her hand."You do know that I haven't perfected this song right? IU sunbaenim sounds like an angel compared to me. It is embarrassing for you to even hear it at this stage."

"Could you just please continue? I was having such a great time hearing you." V said still hiding back stage. 

YuuA moved closer to where he was hiding in the shadows and pulled him to the light of the stage where she asked him to sit nearby. 

"I will sing but only if I see what my voice does to you."

V nodded knowing that YuuA knew exactly what her voice did to him.

He closed his eyes and listened as she sang the first notes of the melody and his mind drifted once more.

"Watching Fireflies"

"Watching Fireflies"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

I

I stand still here near the window

Staring at the Fireflies as they glow

And it seems they reach out to me ,

There through the glass where they float.

II

Will I hear your whispers there? 

Of those things you used to say to me

Would  my ears play tricks on me?

Oh this longing in my heart is misery.

III

And like memories that refuse to fade

I stand here thinking of those times

When all I needed was your smile
Where you said that you were mine

IV

But looking now at the fireflies as they glow

They seem dimmer in this world without you

And I sigh because again I can't find myself

Stuck in those the days and nights with you.

UHG QC , March 3 , 2017. 4:47am

"Bag of Crisps , Salted Egg Potato Chips: A mixed bag"

"Bag of Crisps , Salted Egg Potato Chips: A mixed bag"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD 

I have always loved going to the Sunday Market in Eton Centris because I come across stuff that I don't normally see every day. I came across this snack on our way home after breakfast and decided to see what it was about. 

My wife Hanie and Daughter Aven joined in my test tasting and I must agree with what they both said. The potato chips were crisp and delicious but then again you would expect that. For lack of a better comparison we used Tamago Chips as our gold standard because that brand of Salted Egg Potato chips still rules our tastes buds.

Bag of Crisps employs powdered flavoring that seemed unevenly distributed and thus makes you feel that you are eating different chips. Sometimes you experience that full extent of the powder and sometimes you mainly taste something too salty or too buttery. While those last two tastes are not bad it is also not something that you want to experience while eating an expensive bag of Salted Egg Potato Chips. 

In contrast Tamago Chips employs oily Salted Egg that covers each chip ensuring the same experience of taste from the first bite to the last. 

It seems that lately my wife has been right , every time I start testing some new chip it always falls short. Then again I won't give up tasting new things. Even if sometimes my taste buds seems to want to give up on me.

"Midweek Magic 2018 #9 :Cranking Up Krenko"

"Midweek Magic 2018 #9 :Cranking Up Krenko"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

I have always loved playing with Goblins and my first decks in MTG was all about them. While the standard 60 deck proved that they were strong as a tribe I was a bit hesitant to play a Mono Red EDH deck featuring them at first but then again I played against my friend Mark Abude and he showed me that with a cranked up Krenko it was possible to win with them.

It has been months since I played my Krenko deck so I pulled it out for tonights game against Jus and his Kumena led Simic Merfolk EDH deck.

It was a massacre when Krenko comes out with Haste and stat boosters like Goblin King or Goblin Warchief. At one point there were too many tokens of 2 power each that Jus had to concede and move on to the next game.

It felt great being able to churn out Goblin tokens by the dozens. It felt even greater attacking with those very same tokens. Fantastic!

"Oh my Girl - Love O clock: Now is the time"

"Oh my Girl - Love O clock: Now is the time"

by:

The Vole

With news of an impending comeback I expect Oh my Girl to come up with a repackaged album that still involves the 5 original songs of Secret Garden. For now I would like to talk about the secondary single that some actually wanted as their main song for this comeback. 

This particular song has the sound of ticking clocks spread through out and according to the songs writer is the spritual successor or continuation of the song Windy Day. The song write rsaid that they had Windy Day in mind when they wrote this one particular catchy song.

Oh my girl was supposed to promote with this song as they had prepared the full stage but ultimately they were only able to show the full song for 3 Music shows before finally making their goodbye stage in Inkigayo.

The reason became apparent in their succeeding fanmeets. Jiho's injury has not fully healed and they were making a quick comeback like what they did in 2016. Since their first and second win OMG has become hungry for more and I don'r blame them. Now is the time.

The song is about a girl who is thinking about a boy in the silence that she is in and it consumes her quite a bit since it takes all of her time thinking about him. And the link to windy?

It is this line,

"Did it start from that day the wind blew?"

"Everything flew away , you were the only thing left in that spot."

The choreo of the song is one moment sharp and twisty but OMG pulls it off with grace even a lot of the complex steps involves spinning around in place like gears.

I hoped that they could have promoted this song further as it gave them the chance to be in individual clothes that show off their individual charms rather than the uniforms that homegenizes them.

Oh all us Miracles need to do is wait for their announcement and like they said now is the time to love them.

"3 things I have seen this week: PSA Kalookan Office Edition Part 2"

"3 things I have seen this week: PSA Kalookan Office Edition Part 2"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Humanity is interesting as you only need to stand in one place for a number of minutes before you notice things. Continuing my observations as I wait in line for the papers I so badly need in the PSA Kalookan Branch office.

1) The Vendors swarming those in line.

There is always a chance to sell something but one has to find that right timing to make the sale. People in line  , who are exposed to the heat and continually being parched are a great target for drinks and since there are no lunch breaks and some people in line have no companions to switch places with as they eat you just see them eating things like Siopao and even a plate of Palabok while still in line. 

Way to go. Finding a need and filling it.

2) My wife attracts the crazies again. 

It seems that when we go out to process papers like this my wife always ends up talking to some crazy person who strikes up a conversation with her out of the blue. I have often thought that her resting bitch was enough to drive away almost anyone when she wants it to. Of course crazies are on a whole different level and resting bitch face or not they still love talking to her. Way to go.

3) The Line. The great equalizer.

Everyone needs their papers and it seems that in this great long line that snakes up , down and all over no one is greater than the other. When one stands up and sits on the next sit all you can do is be carried by the wave until you reach the window that you are supposed to. It does not care about your station in life. You will get their eventually if you just stand and sit and follow. 

Of course it still helps if you are a Senior , a PWD or Pregnant. I have considered using the last one earlier but I doubt if they would see the same thing that I will be selling them. Oh well.

"Doc In , Doc Out:Stolen Breast Milk Edition"

"Doc In , Doc Out:Stolen Breast Milk Edition"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Dear Breastmilk Thief,

Sana ay ok ka naman at ang anak mo. Malamang na di mo nababasa ito kasi di naman kita kilala pero ang kilala ko ay yung ninanakawan mo ng 4 na bags ng breast milk na sana ay para sa anak niya.

Naiintindihan ko pa siguro kong kumuha ka ng isa or dalawang bag pero yung lahat kinuha mo? Ano ba balak mo one week supply? Ilan ba ang baby mo at kukulangin ka ng gatas? O binebenta mo ba yan? Di ko alam kung ano sinasabi mo sa sarili mo para majustify yan?

Mabait pa naman yung ninakawan mo and kung humingi ka lang eh bibigyan ka nun. Pero siguro nahiya kang tanungin siya. Ang di mo kinahiya eh nakawin yung gatas niya. Weird sense of priorities there.

A part of me wishes na mahuli ka sa CCTV footage para may justice pero a part of me also wishes na wag kasi kawawa naman yung anak mo kung pati yung mommy niya eh mawawalang ng trabaho.

Your actions trouble me. Yun lang.

Di masyadong nagmamahal,

Doc June

"3 Pack Experiment:Masters25 edition"

"3 Pack Experiment:Masters25 edition"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

I don't know what it is about this set that made me nervous. I think it might have something to do about the jokes I was saying about opening a Savannah Lions or a Charmbreaker Devils or a Tree of Redemption. I was hoping that as I chose my 3 packs for this one I won't be getting any of these creatures and hoped that I would get any of those nifty lands or even Azusa at least.

I tried not to look at the spoilers all that much as it would discourage me from buying further. There are a lot of great reprints but I might be getting some things that I cannot even use or at least justify myself with the hefty price of these 3 packs.

So I opened and I saw.

Pack #1 

My first pack had the Balduvian Horde as it's first card. And I instantly wondered what I was getting myself into. Disenchant , Unearth  and Arcane Denial made me smile a bit. Sai of Shinobi may have a place in my SkullBriar EDH deck.  I had the new art for Living Death and a foil Rancor! Not bad for an opening.

Pack #2

I was silently hoping not to get a Tree.  And when I saw the Diabolic Edict I was liking this pack.The uncommons yielded a Simian Spirit Guide! Something I can put in my Radha EDH deck. And my Rare was the Jund Dragon Prossh. Always wanted one. Always wanted a Jund Commander. So it will be a toss up between Kresh and Prossh.

Pack #3

No Trees or Cats so far but no planeswalkers or Lands either so I was hoping that my last pack would be the winner. 

The commons were nothing I could use but I was a bit Happy with Stang. He represents two 3/4 creatures for 6 mana! A Zulaport Cutthroat is great too. When I slowly slid the last card before the rare I saw Blue and had no idea what it be.

It was a Pact of Negation. So you could say that this pack was a pack of Negation. All in all I feel like I still came out on top with regards to the cards I can use to update my EDH decks. Especially this last one who will go to my Locust God EDH. Maybe this would be the difference when I enter a countering contest with my play group mates.

So what was your best pull out of Masters 25? 

"Accepting the man in the mirror"

"Accepting the man in the mirror"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

I

It is easier to accept the negative

The worst that a person presents

It is harder to see the good things

especially when it is all covered in filth

II

It is hard to embrace

Hard to understand despite you knowing it is there

The decent and the good

All underneath the proverbial hood

III

We all have fallen victim to this allure

Of accepting the bad things

To break the cycle we should start

but no one really knows where

Maybe to embrace that filthy person

you see in the mirror each day.

MVR. TM Kalaw. March 3 , 2018 9:52am

"Clover Chips Shrimp Barbecue: Parang Familiar"

"Clover Chips Shrimp Barbecue: Parang Familiar"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Once in awhile you come across something new from a very old franchise of snacks and hope that you are actually getting something new at least in terms of flavor.

The color of the familiar Clover Chips is in that unappetizing shade of Blue but I did give it a shot anyway in the hopes that I would be surprised by what Shrimp Barbecue tastes like.

I should not have gotten my hopes.

The moment I tasted I knew that I have tasted it before and I have gone through a lot of snacks in this lifetime. This was similar to another snack and this one was in red packaging and also featured a shrimp.

Yup I am talking about the Classic Oishi Prawn Crackers that had that crunchy texture and taste. Kirei also comes to mind. Both made by Oishi by the way. The former was a lot heavier on the taste and the Clover Chips Shrimp barbecue flavor seemed to draw on that same flavor heavily.

So my Mom was right. Nothing is really new under the sun. We have all seen these things before. And they just keep on coming back.

"Midweek Magic 2018 #8: Elder Abuse"

"Midweek Magic 2018 #8: Elder Abuse"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

It was a night of mono colored commanders as Janry and I decided to play off his mono green Oviya Pashri deck against my mono red Neheb the Eternal deck.

Things took a turn for the word when all of a sudden he had Oviya Pashri out and a Sakura tribe elder. I was attacking with the dinosaur Etali , the Dragon Rorix Bladewing and Neheb the Eternal. The reason it felt weird? You have all these fattie creatures attacking weak and defenseless grannies! It  was some sort of Magic Granny abuse. It was just so unfair.

I sat there contemplating the absurdity of this attack. Both grannies died when Janry blocked. It still felt weird getting those creatures out of the way.

A Dinosaur , A Dragon and a Lazotep Zombie. Against 2 Grannies. Sick. 

What is even weird is that the two stopped their attacks.Well except for Rorix , that guy flies.

"Heize - Didn't know me MV reaction: Letting Go is Caring."

"Heize - Didn't know me MV reaction: Letting Go is Caring."

by:

The Vole

You know that when an MV opens to an extreme close up of a guy who looks like he has not slept in days then you are about to enter a world of hurt.

According to my friend Cheska who speaks Korean the song literally is titled I am the worst. And the chorus of the song repeats this again and again. This is sung from the point of view of the girl saying these things to the guy who left her.

The MV shows the couple living together and at the beginning struggles together as actors until one day the girl gets a break and gets more recognition when she gets signed up for a TV series. And success literally pulls the happy couple apart as the girl needs to spend more and more time away from the guy.

The constant missed times together and the missed phone calls pile up until the guy finally says that he has had enough and realizes that he no longer has any space in his girls now expanding world.

The MV follows the guy as he continues to struggle as an actor , facing things alone and missing the girl. All the while seeing her success in TV interviews. And missing her in the places that they used to go.He is often in a daze as he struggles to cope with his decision to let her go for the sake of her future as he believes that he will be something that holds her back.

The scene that really got me here is when he passes by posters of the girls new series called Spring 88 in the train station. And he fixes a poster that has fallen half way , gives it one last look and walks away.

We see through the MV how the guy had suffered and the song talks about this suffering from the girls point of view. She realized that it was hard for him to let her go as well. And if she has suffered because he left her , he has suffered more by not understanding that pain. 

With a final plea she asks,

You said it was for my future

Now I understand

Times without you felt like hell

But I endured through them

So can’t you say I did a good job

Can’t you hug me?

And come back to me?

The creepy smile that you will see at the end of the MV is a sign that despite the loneliness the guy is happy at her success and does not resent her for it. Mainly he is lonely that she is no longer with him but he knew that he made the right decision.

Here are the translated lyrics in case you want to listen to this awesome song from Heize.

I missed you but I hated you too

In the end, I cried even in front of my mom

Making her be in pain too

That’s being a bad daughter

Why did you come into my life

That was once good and make it bad?

I wanted to ask you

I wanted to hear your answer

But I finally realized

How you had to secretly hurt

Because of my resentful texts

I’m worse, I’m worse

I’m worse than you

Now I finally know

How you were hurt even more

I knew that about you

But just because you left me

I hurt you more

I thought I only gave you love and laughter

I don’t want this kind of pain

So why did you give it to me and leave?

I told myself every day, you’re a bad guy

When I asked you if you were gonna be ok without me

You shed a tear and I wanted to ask why

I wanted to say you didn’t look like you wanted to leave

I asked you to hold me

Throwing a fit and crying

I wonder how you felt when you looked at me acting like that

I’m worse, I’m worse

I’m worse than you

Now I finally know

How you were hurt even more

I knew that about you

But just because you left me

I hurt you more

You said it was for my future

Now I understand

Times without you felt like hell

But I endured through them

So can’t you say I did a good job

Can’t you hug me?

And come back to me?

I’m worse, I’m worse

I’m worse than you

Now I finally know

How you were hurt even more

I knew that about you

But just because you left me

I hurt you more