"Hope in the End"

"Hope in the End"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

And those are the things that I want to say at the end of this month. January moved so fast that February is already here and we say good bye to the Taal Explosion but still feel the Death of Kobe and his Daughter. As well as the 2019 nCoV ARD that is now upon our country. There have been signs that it has been slowing down but only for now. One can only hope that only good things can happy from now on. One can only Hope.

"Never"

"Never"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

I will never be
The man you want me to be
The one that leaves
And hurts you right here

There are things that I can never say
And that is just my way
And sometimes I might say it anyway
Just the things that hold sway

And I will never be that person
No matter how much I try
No such thing as him
Only the man I have become


Optum Bldg. N Jan 31 2020 7:30am

"Doc In , Doc Out: Pasent home"

"Doc In , Doc Out: Pasent home"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Patient: Magpapasent home ako.

Me:Sino pong may sabi?

Patient: Ang TL ko.

Me: Sige pauwiin ka na niya kamo.

Patient: Pero kailangan daw po ng email...

Me:Sir siya ang magpapauwi hindi ako...ni di ka nga nagpakonsulta sa akin eh.

Patient: (Walk out)

"Doc In , Doc Out Espeyal letter to Patients: Maskaradong Kuya"

"Doc In , Doc Out Espeyal letter to Patients: Maskaradong Kuya"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Dear Maskaradong Kuya,

Sa Panahon ngayon na nagkakaubusan ng Mask , dumaan na tayo sa Ashfall at ngayon sa risk ng 2019 nCoV eh para kang ewan na nagmamask iaangat sa ilong para makapag yosi ka na kasama din ang mga katulad mo na mukhang mababa na din ang immune system. EH tangalin mo na lang yung mask. Tuluyan mo na yung baga mo. Ganun na din naman ang resulta niyan.

Di Namamahal,

Doc June

"Doc In , Doc Out Espeyal letter to Patients: Dear Kuya Sunog"

"Doc In , Doc Out Espeyal letter to Patients: Dear Kuya Sunog"

by: 

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Dear Kuyang Sunog,

Ganito. Di kasi ako convinced sa sinasabi mo na nahihilo ka kasi normal ang BP. Pustahan tayo mas mataas pa ang BP ko ngayon sa iyo eh. Kuya tandaan mo dapat di ka mukhang tanned galing sa outting niyo kahapon para maniwala ako. Di ka natulog. Di ka nagpahinga. Mukhang ikaw pa yung driver eh nagpadehydrate ka sa ilalim ng araw. Mahihilo ka talaga. Sana wag mo nang ulitin.

Di Nagmamahal,

Doc June

"The Dragon Bride arrives"

"The Dragon Bride arrives"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Her braided blonde hair moved ever so slightly as she landed deftly on the rooftop of the tall building overlooking the business district of Myeundong in Seoul.The eagerness on her beautiful face made it more radiant in contrast to the darkness. 

"You are smiling for no reason again sister." The deep voiced brunette at her left said.

"V could be anywhere in this noisy city." The red head on her right followed.

At the mention of his name she smiled even more.

"Sometimes it bothers me that you are my sisters.We are hunting the only remaining Creation Dragon and you make it seem like we have nothing to work on."

"V is 300 years our elder sister. He knows that he has been hunted for his crimes against our kind. He will not be easy prey."

"And this is where our argument ends my beloved sister. V can hide of course but what makes a creation dragon unique is that despite hiding all that they are they cannot help but make everything around them grow. Look at what this city has become. A few decades it was nothing but rubble. Reduced to nothingness by war but what do you see now?"

"I must admit that this is a lot more noisy than when we were here last." The Red head agreed. "But the humans can be a resilient bunch when they want to."

The blonde one looked at her red headed sister. "I am telling you that it was because of him. He can hide his chi but this city is already pleasantly scented by it. All we need to do is figure the place where the flowers bloom where they shouldn't."

"I might know of that place." 

"The tower on the river han."

"He can't be that obvious now can he?"

"Human's cant see it. Well normal humans can't. Even among our race not everyone can see it well."

The blonde girl named Jinsoul looked on at the looming tower. Shimmmering from existence all this time and smiled even more.

"He is the last and I will help him. I am his dragon bride."

"The Corrector"

"The Corrector"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

One of the things that I love doing is driving Aven up the wall and I do that by simply singing the wrong lyric of a song and voila! Aven whatever she is doing will chime in and correct the lyric. I sing Elephant Assassin and she would go , "Elegant Assassin nga daddy!" Right on cue. Bwahahahahah

I don't really see the need for it because she can clearly see that I am kidding but it is like some inner programming in her and she simply could not help herself when it happens. Reminds me of her Mom who also does the same thing. Only a bit milder nowadays. Hahahhahahaa

"The Drive to Taal"

"The Drive to Taal"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

"Wake up sleepy head."

"mmmm..."

"Malapit na tayo sa hotel. Akala ko ba gusto mong makita yung volcano?"

"mmmmmm...."

"Did I ever tell you that one of the things I like about you is your voice?"

"mmmmmm...."

"Yup. Di pa kita nakikita pero narining ko na yung boses mo nun. Naalala ko palagi yung sinabi mo sa akin."

"Hmmmmmm..."

"Di mo naalala malamang."

"Ang sabi ko nun...paabot nung paminta. Di ko naman alam na bingi ka pala. Ang inabot mo sa akin eh yung patis."

"Haha. Naalala mo pala."

"Siyempre naman.Ano bang nagustuhan mo sa boses ko?"

"Meron kasing mga tao na masakit sa tenga. Pero ikaw. Ewan ko kahit na kung ano ano na siguro ang sinasabi mo sa akin eh wala akong pakialam maganda pa din."

"Kahit na dirty talk?"

"Dirty talk?"

"Basura. Basura. Ahhhh. Basura."

"Umayos ka nga."

"Seryoso naman nito."

"Gutom na ako eh."

"Ako din."

"Alam mo curious ako. Bakit lagi kang nakangiti? Alam mo yun minsan puyat ka. Pagod pero nakangiti ka. Natural. Walang halong kaplastikan tulad nung mga dati kong kakilala. kaya paano ka nakakangiti ng ganyan?"

"Simple lang naman yan. Kung sisimangot ba ako eh matutulungan ko ba yung sarili ko? Di naman di ba? kaya ngigiti na lang ako. Napapansin ko nga kahit nung bata pa ako na at least kapag nakangiti ako mas natutuwa yung mga nakapaligid sa akin."

"Totoo naman yun. Natural na natural ka eh. Kaya maraming gusto ang kasama ka. Parang wala ka pating pili. Cowboy."

"Cowgirl. Di pa ba halata?Kailangan ba mas revealing suot ka para mapansin mo?"

"Di naman kailangan. Alam ko naman. Hahahahha.You know what I mean."

"I'm here"

"I'm here" 

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

It had been a good couple of months and things have settled a bit but now that the holidays were upon them July wanted to make sure that V knew the things she did.

"You do know the kind of dances that we are going to do right?" 

"Yup." V didn't look up from his laptop which made July feel like he was not taking her seriously. So she decided to push a little further.

"It's the kind that is hot and sexy. The kind that makes people scream at us for more and then we give them more."

"Uh-huh."V kept on typing and with every key stroke July and her patience began to get even shorter.

"What is so important that you have to focus on that when I am telling you something important?"

V turned the laptop toward the girl who was turning red from anger. V thought it was adorable blending with her innocent face but he decided that he better show her rather than tell her what he was working on.

"My Ate emailed me all of your schedules this Holiday season. And if you only gave me a couple more seconds I would have told you that I would be in each one of them. Not in any capacity mind you. Just being there to be close to you. In case some of those yelling for more actually start doing something less than asking."

"You would do that for me? But don't you have work?"

"All my work is in here remember and I can always just plug somewhere and be near you. Of course if that is something you don't want I can make myself less...visible?"

"No. Gusto ko alam ko kung nasaan ka. Baka mamaya nagmimiss behave ka." V did a double take.

"I'm the guy who literally will be in all of your shows! Well not performing but will watch all of it and be nearby and parang pinagduduhan mo pa ako."

July look cornered. And when she is corned V did not remember that she actually bites back. "Pero bakit di ka nagseselos? Bakit di mo ako pinagbabawalan? Di ka ba nagagalit na super sexy yung dances?"

"Do you want me to stop you from doing the thing that you love the most? I never thought that you thought of me that way. I grew up in a house where every body danced , sexy or not. My Ate is part of the originals. And I have always looked up to her because she had class in dealing with people who did not understand what she was doing."

July tried to take V's arm. "I'm not done."

"When we first met I knew that you were auditioning. Did I stop you? I practically brought you to the Dance hall and even introduced you to your present managers. Did I know what they were going to ask you to do? If it was going to be an update from the originals then it is given that there will be a lot of sexy stuff built in because that is how things are done here. You do sexy stuff and tone it down after you have made an impression on the public. Sex sells and will always sell."

July tried to reach his arm again and this time he did not resist.

"So you understand what we do?"

"Out of all the people on this planet it should be me who understands. When you dance on stage that is for your fans. That is for their entertainment , their own consumption. If you do not capitalize on this name. Then someone else might. Or form something with a different name but with the things. You are making history here. You are the New Gen of the best selling female group in our country. Think Girls Generation levels. From Aparri to Jolo people would know you and your moves and sing your songs. There are only a few who can pull it off and in this generation you are the clear winner. At least in this department. I know you take it to heart. I know how hard you work. No one will willingly go through what you go through if not out of love."

July started sobbing.

"My job in all this is that you retain that smile. That when this is all done you come out with head held high because you were able to accomplish all you set to do. I don't say this enough to you because you are tired but know this. I am here."

"Magagalit si Ate. Pinapaiyak mo ako."

"Through broken bones and bruises. Through body aches and heartaches. I am here."

"Wala ka bang ibang gustong gawin? Wala kang dream?"

"You are my dream. I am living it."

"I really can't handle it kapag ganyan ka."

"Di naman ako nagpapahandle. Just let me help you." V handed her a soft tissue so that she doesn't damage her make up in the process. 

"Nakakainis ka. Wala naman ako balak umiyak ngayon."

"Siya siya, magparetouch ka na kay Lyka. Magagalit yun si Ate kapag nakitang ganyan ka."

"Pero dito ka lang ulit sa Cafe? Vlogging kasi kami ngayon sa Dance Hall."

"I know. Whole day na naman yun.Imagine all the things I could finish with the peace and quiet. Hahahahah"

"See you later?"

"I'm here."

"Nyxbloom Ancient: All the mana you need"

"Nyxbloom Ancient: All the mana you need"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Nyxbloom Ancient is another one of those mythics that I wish I had been able to pull. I mean just look at this thing. 7 mana for 5/5 and Trample to but I bet you this Elemental does not need to do a single thing but stay perfectly still and just allow you to produce 3 times the mana for the permanents that you have who could. And mainly those are lands , Artifacts and Creatures. All need to be tapped. All can produce triple the amount of mana.

I could just picture putting this in a Golgari deck. Reanimate it on turn one or two and then look at all the things I could do with it. Mainly if I had a Sol Ring I can now produce 6 mana. A Thran Dynamo now produces a whopping 9 mana! And imagine if you could assemble your Tron Lands or your Locuses! 

4 Locuses in play is 16 x 3 = 48 colorless mana!!!

The greatest thing is with the Basalt Monolith which could tap for 3 mana , producing 9 mana with the Nyxbloom Ancient , it can untap itself by paying 3 colorless mana and you can now produce unlimited Colorless mana which you can now use to power all your shenanigans. I mean with a Winter Orb and Sidisi Brood Tyrant you can now create unlimited Zombies....or at least until your library lasts. 

"When Phyrexians Help Titans"

"When Phyrexians Help Titans"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD 

The two Titan cards that made their appearance on Theros Beyond Death , Kroxa and Uro seem to have built in liabilities to make them weaker. They basically die if they enter the battlefield if they have not "Escaped" from the Underworld. However there is a cure for what ails these monsters. And that is a little thing the Phyrexians called a Torpor Orb. 

The Torpor orb is a 2 mana artifact that reads Creatures entering the battlefield don't cause abilities to trigger.What that basically means that when Uro or Kroxa is cast and resolves they don't die. And you have a 6/6 Elder giants that now merely cost 2 and 3 mana respectively. No more need to escape. Thank you Phyrexians! Thank you Torpor Orb!

"Heliod , Sun Crowned: Mowed by the Sun God"

"Heliod , Sun Crowned: Mowed by the Sun God"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

One of the gods that I looked forward to cracking in my birthday box was Heliod , Sun Crowned because of a combo that could kill all of my opponents if done right.

It has to do with these two abilities that Heliod, Sun Crowned has:

1) Whenever you gain life, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature or enchantment you control.

2) 1W: Another target creature gains lifelink until end of turn.

And the third component is a Walking Ballista.

Now assuming that Heliod is already in play , you cast the Walking Ballista for 2 mana giving it a +1/+1 counter. And hopefully you have 2 mana to activate Heliod , Sun Crowned's ability of giving the Ballista lifelink and assuming that none of your opponents can kill the darn thing then you are all set.

Remove a +1/+1 counter and ping an opponent and since the Ballista has lifelink thanks to Heliod and you just gained 1 life from that 1 ping of damage , you can put another +1/+1 counter on it so you can ping all your opponents to death and you have a cushion of life points that no one can reach , especially if they are dead while you are gaining more life.

It occurred to me that you can also do this with a Triskellion but the Ballista is a much faster and cheaper option. It does feel good to mow down your opponents unopposed.

"I Remember Falling"

"I Remember Falling"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

I

Falling in love is like

Falling into a pit of chains

Tangled and trapped and trampled

You find yourself insane

II

You grasp for sunlight

Reach out for air

You suffocate , lay dying

and you never regret the day

III

Falling in love is like a knife

Plunged squarely in your chest

You move a little and it hurts

you convince yourself , Its worth the pain

IV

You smile , pretend it's alright

Say the sweet words ,Do the sweet acts

Hold hands to remember again

The face that plunged you here.

Optum. Bldg N. Quezon City. Feb 01 , 2020 1:53am

"Thryx, the Sudden Storm: Where did he come from?"

"Thryx, the Sudden Storm: Where did he come from?"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

There are literally cards that remind you of other things when you see them. And Thryx, the Sudden Storm is a 4/5 legendary Elemental Giant that serves Thassa who reminds me of A , the Raikage from Naruto who is so fast that he could kill you relative ease. 

Thryx, the Sudden Storm also has flash that he can suddenly just appear and block from out of nowhere. And to make matters worse this guy on top of the 4/5 frame can also freaking fly!

And if you ever cast creatures with converted mana cost 5 or greater , he gives you a one colorless mana discount to cast it. So it can be any tribe(Giants) or Sphinxs and the discount remains the same as long as they cost 5 CMC or more. 

And there is still one morething. These things can't be countered! Thryx, the Sudden Storm can work in a Mono blue go big EDH deck  or mix him up with Simic , Dimir , Izzet or Azorius decks. For as long as there are big creatures in them this guy can help you out in casting them. 

Don't let the 5 mana cost fool you. With the proper acceleration you can easily cast him. And for a Legendary creature he sure is on the cheap as of the moment.

"3 Reasons Why I love watching MTG Booster Box opening Videos"

"3 Reasons Why I love watching MTG Booster Box opening Videos"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

My wife loves watching Mukbang videos and me , I love Booster Box opening videos of Magic the gathering cards. Normally I watch Alpha Investments AKA Rudy's Hairy Arm openings. And as I was watching another Box opening in the middle of the morning during one of my long duties I asked myself the question. Why do I watch it? 

1) I love being able to see cards from Magic's Past and Present. I mean being able to open everything from Alpha to the latest Theros Beyond Death Collectors Box. I don't have the finances to buy all of those boxes especially the old ones but I can sure as hell watch Rudy open and live through that experience.

2) Learning the patterns. When Rudy was opening Box upon box of Throne of Eldraine collectors boxes and the endless prediction of the "Clump Zones" , the areas where you get 2-3 packs containing the much collected and highly valuable Box Toppers.  The pattern got so ingrained in me I instinctly picked one in my Local game store and got a Box topper. I stopped there though as I am still poor.

3) Just being able to ride through the roller coaster of moods from getting really bad pulls to the triumphant shouting of getting things like Force of Will or Double Sliver Queens! It is as if I was opening the packs myself and I feel myself relaxing. So Rudy thank you for your videos. Keep making them.

"Just wanting One , Left with three."

"Just wanting One , Left with three."

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

My wife works for a company that has a Townhall meeting called Pizza Thursdays where they would be on a Conference Call all around the world and sharing a meal together as they discussed or presented their achievements for the week.

For this particular Pizza Thursday I was tapped to bring my wife to the Shakey's in Caloocan(the Only 24 hour Shakey's near where we live). So we went in there and tried to order one box of pizza and ended leaving with three! How?

Well after my wife made her order the attentive waiter then asked if we wanted it to be a buy one take one pizza since I had my Shakey's membership card with me.  So I agree. Pizza #2!

And when we finally got our bill and I was about to pay , my keen eyed wife noticed that I still did not claim my birthday pizza and it being the 31st of January I would no longer be able to claim if I did not take action now. And so...Pizza #3!

Needless to say Aven was happy with her breakfast and my wife had a wide range of pizza slices to choose from for her Pizza Thursday meeting. 

"Waking Not Waking."

"Waking Not Waking."

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

I

When all the promises I made

Ended up with my lying again

What is it about your face?

That simply keeps me awake

II

You and I are a fantasy

Laid out in someone else's mind

And me holding your hand

Is an illusion brought by things that are sad

III

I tied my strings

To remember in this dream

Still ended up lying

In here the reality is the dream

Optum. Bldg N. Quezon City. January 31, 2020 11:51pm

"Some Seek It."

"Some Seek It."

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

"Di ba si Mayuri yan?"

And V who normally did not talk to anyone brightened up and looked at the girl with braces who noticed his shirt. The first and only person to know who was the heavily painted face on it meant. "You watch Bleach?"

"A couple of episodes. I was moved by what he said about Perfection. Na Dead end yun. Attaining it means death because it is the end of creativity. As a dancer I love that I am also not perfect but getting there. So I think I applied what he said to my dancing as well."

V looked on at this girl in his class , how come she did not notice her. How come there was someone here worth his time but he did not even notice. He had to reevaluate his entire class. Someone might be interesting here like her. V seemed to be staring at nowhere and the girl was looking at him.

"I'm July. You always seem to be staring into space or have your face in a book or a laptop. Maybe if you give the class a chance you might find some of us interesting."

"I find you interesting. I mean I  have been in this school for 3 months and no one has gotten me and yet you just came out of nowhere. I am not good at surprises."

"That makes the two of us!Apir." And July raised her hands for the high five which V seemed to return somewhat weakly.

"Sorry about that. Not so good at the hand signalling things and all those interactions."

"Ok lang. Di lang naman ikaw. I mean a lot of the guys have been asking me out after class but I don't do so well with a lot of people."

"And you want to be a dancer? Aren't dancers a bit more flamboyant and social? I mean you dance in groups after all."

"You could say that but there are times that we work on our steps alone too. And I like those moments too."

"I get that.I like the quiet when people aren't talking to you."

"Are you telling me to go?"

"Nope. I think your's is the only voice I heard in this entire school that is pleasant to me."

"Well thank you. I have never had anyone find my voice pleasant."

"I can argue about that with anyone. I mean most of the girls in this school seem really shallow. And they talk in that weird way like they are some sort of hypersonic bee , high pitched and excited."

"And I don't sound like that?"

"Your voice is low and sweet like honey , soft like silk even if you seem to be excited when you talk."

"You think so?"

"I know so. Do you have anything to do after class? I know this new cafe that opened up."

"Do you always ask people you just met out like this?"

"Only people I like."

"Well , I'd love to go with you but I have auditions today."

"Auditions? For the New Gen? The Dance hall is right across from the new Cafe I was talking about."

"Wow. That's great. But I might be there for awhile. Do you want to tag along to the audition and then we could go?"

"Sure."

"Won't you be bored waiting for me?"

"You know me. I'm the guy staring into space or burying my face in these." V pointed to his books and laptop "I'm sure that I can wait for you."

July clapped her hands together. "Sige sige. I was so nervous because I didn't know anyone there.At least now may kasama na ako."

"I know people there."

"You do?"

"Yeah. One of the originals is my Ate."

"Wow.Let me guess which one." And July tried to figure out how V would look like as a girl and in her mind give him long hair and a curvy body. With midribs and tight leggings. And before she could figure it out she started laughing at the image she created. V would have been very pretty as a girl and there was only one girl with the deep set sleepy eyes in the originals. She was their main girl.

"Oh no. Aster is your sister?"

"Yup. I can introduce you later."

"Will you?" July seemed to be all energy , it was not every day that you could meet one of your idols. 

"I promise. You are going with me to the cafe afterwards after all."

"Doc In , Doc Out Presents: Naku Doc!"

"Doc In , Doc Out Presents:  Naku Doc!"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Me:Sige Sir padala po itong pantakip at umupo kayo dun sa dulo. Patakpan ang kaliwang mata. Pabasa itong lihira ng #7.
Patient: (Patient uses hand to cover left eye)
Me:Sir pakigamit po yung pantakip.
Patient: Opo(Patient uses eye cover on right eye)
Me: Ayan sir. May nakikita pa ba kayo?
Patient: Naku Doc wala na po.
Me: Sige sir ulitin natin ha....

"Free"

"Free"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

I

For a moment your eyes met mine

And I died just a little inside

Met with only that cold gaze

Knowing that the fire has died

II

One among the crowd I cheered

And smiled on as you danced

I have seen it a million times

I can't explain how it moves my heart

III

I felt it in that moment

The things you wanted to express

All your pain and misery

since the day you said Yes.

IV

I stood for the last time

Saw you bow and wave

Maybe tomorrow will be better

A world where we not each others slave

Fompac , Valenzuela City. January 31 , 2020. 5:36pm

"Obsolete Review: Changing the Game"

"Obsolete Review: Changing the Game"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Obsolete is engaging. When mysterious Aliens show up and demand trade , asking for Limestone in exchange for their technology the world is thrown into disarray as armies adapt these new exoframes into weapons. I was wondering if the title refers to the way humans have engaged in wars which is rendered Obsolete by these new things .Or does it refer to the machines that the aliens are peddling? If so what are their true intentions? Are they observing the humans to see what they can do with these obsolete things? So many questions. 

The Good: The whole mystery of the aliens and their motives for arriving on earth. The way that humans were able to adapt what seemed like a benign gift at first into weapons of war.

The motivation of the characters in learning the truth and the fluid animation that banks on the action while you ponder on these mysteries.

The Bad: 6 freaking episodes!

The Ugly: The nature of man who seem to fall into the old paces of seeking for power again and again.

I can't wait for the next installment of this interesting series.

"Thassa, Deep-Dwelling:Leading the Seafood Charge!"

"Thassa, Deep-Dwelling:Leading the Seafood Charge!"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Thassa, Deep-Dwelling is one of those cards that excited me when I was still sifting through the spoiler season. Her current reincarnation is a 6/5 Legendary Enchantment Creature - God that is Indestructible. 

She has as long as your devotion to blue is less than five, Thassa isn't a creature. And with her single blue mana all you need is 4 more!

She also has this:

At the beginning of your end step, exile up to one other target creature you control, then return that card to the battlefield under your control. And this boys and girls is what got me dreaming of Seafoods. I meant my old Seafoods deck that had all sorts of Leviathans and Serpents and Krakens.

One Leviathan in particular came to my mind. Kederekt Leviathan  would interact well with Thassa, Deep-Dwelling in a lock combo that is both risky and delicious. Let us say that you initially  got to cast the Leviathan. Now being able to cast it is nasty enough for everyone on the board as they have to almost begin from scratch. What is worse is that with Thassa, Deep-Dwelling in play you could exile the Kederekt Leviathan and bring it back to splash every non-land permanent on the battlefield back to their respective owners hands. Given that Thassa will be among them and so I go to the risky part. It is not a complete lock and you are giving opponents a glimmer of hope.

You could just keep attacking with the Leviathan on your turn  and on your 2nd main phase cast Thassa again ensuring that the annoying splash bounce would happen all over again.

And the last thing I love about Thassa , Deep dwelling is that with enough mana you could win the game with her with this ability. All you need is to pay 3 colorless and Blue toTap another target creature. And your army of Seafoods could come in for the attack.

"Doc In , Doc Out Presents: Super!!!!"

"Doc In , Doc Out Presents: Super!!!!"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Patient: Nurse! Pahingi ako ng gamot sa Super Allergic Rhintis!!
Me:(Talking to myself) Allerta + Kryptonite ang kailangan mo Maam!

Ano ang itsura ng di super Rhinitis? Nakasalamin? May bangs na di nasusuklay?

"Tula ng Wala"

"Tula ng Wala"

Ni:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

I

Yung minsan na pinilit magsulat

Iniisip na may matatapos

Na matagal nang di natatapatan

Ngunit puro guhit na walang saysayan 

II

Hinahanap ang inspirasyon

Na dating namang dumadaloy

Barado , Barado parang sasabog

Di alam kung saan dadaan ang alon

III

Sumasakit ang puso

Walang maisulat na guhit

Pipikit na lang 

Baka bukas na lang ulit.

Fompac , Valenzuela City. January 31 , 2020. 5:52pm

"Dracula Review: Fresh Blood on the Legend"

"Dracula Review: Fresh Blood on the Legend"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

I really love the treatment of Dracula in this 3 part series. It answers certain things about him and I know that the word subversive has been thrown a lot lately in regard to certain movies or series but this is a subversion of the original material that is both satisfying while adding some fresh blood on the legend as the poster suggests. It makes you wonder. It makes you think. And it even made me laugh several times when I shouldn't have. Dracula is as interesting as the Sister Agatha. Two thumbs up to such a well written series.

The Good:

The Writing is topnotch and the twist given on each of the characters are really interesting to watch. Fan favorite Agatha Van Helsing drives the whole narrative in her quest to understand the vampire of old.

I particularly chuckled when Dracula's lawyer showed up and he had to explain how he came to being his lawyer.

The Bad:

Probably the short but sweet run of the series. 

The Ugly:

1) The Sufferers. Well they have been undead but not blessed with the ability to be vampires so they get twisted into boxes and wish to die.

2) The sequences where you think you are making love to a beautiful woman and then find that it was Dracula on top of you the whole time. Not really ugly in how they did it but I had to put something here.

All in all this was a great run and maybe down the line they could put the other monsters on the same stage as Dracula. That would certainly be a treat.

"My 15 minute Grocery Run"

"My 15 minute Grocery Run"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

A few weeks back I went on a grocery run all by myself. Armed with a long list of the things we needed around the house , I found myself going around the Supermarket with a lone shopping cart and was amazingly done in 15 minutes. 15 minutes. I clocked it as I fell in line at the cashier. 15 minutes. Why the hell do I usually feel like we have been in the store for 15 hours when we usually do our groceries? And there came the realization.I was all alone.

My wife wasn't there to OC about the cleanliness of each box of soap she took from the shelf or to ask for a new stock of something or if this was new or when does this expire. Granted all of this is important especially the last one but I once told my wife that she need not ask the expiry date on things we eat since they don't last a week in our household. Heck most of them don't even last the ride from the grocery back to our home.

My daughter Aven would usually act like a little Tasmanian Devil when she was with us , look at the list and zip through the entire store in the bid to get the most items before her mom finishes comparing 3 bottles of shampoo which all look the same to me. 

God bless the heart of my eager to please daughter but her loss from our field of vision usually keeps me worried(Yes even inside the grocery store) and I would call her. She would come back. I would tell her to stay. She would get bored because she felt like she was just standing around doing nothing. And all the while her mom is still reading through the whole shampoo bottle label or deciding on which tuna to get.(My wife has her staples but is really prone to experiment on something new from time to time and so we end up with the exotic looking can of squid something at the pantry with no one touching it for months. Kind of contradicts about food not lasting for a month in our house doesn't it?).

Today there was none of that. Just me in the cashier and ready to pay after the only other person on the line.

Yup this trip was pretty quiet and I was thankful that it only took me 15 minutes to finish. I really missed grocery shopping with my crazy family. 

"Doc In , Doc Out Presents: felopzd2020!!!"

"Doc In , Doc Out Presents: felopzd2020!!!"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Me: Sige sir pabasa po yung lihira ng number 7.
Patient: (may buwelo, pasigaw,with feelings) FELOPZD!!!!!
Me: paisa isang letra lang po sir...

And it is official. The First FELOPZD of 2020. Nakakamiss eh. #felopzd2020

"A Dancer’s Perspective on BTS - Black Swan"

"A Dancer’s Perspective on BTS - Black Swan"

by:

Alessandria Venice R. De leon

“A dancer dies twice-once when they stop dancing, and this first death is the more painful.” -Martha Graham

Anyone who’s seen the twinkle in my eyes when I talk about BTS or seen my smile that goes from ear-to-ear when a song by them is played in public knows that I absolutely adore them. Now with that being said, upon receiving news of them releasing a single before the album for promotion, I of course decided (read: dropped my friends and family immediately) to give it a listen. It..struck quite a few chords within me, in varying notes too. In this little reflection, I’ll tell you all about my thoughts and opinions on the song “Black Swan” by BTS.

If anyone would ask me to describe Black Swan in one word, it would either be greatest-hit-of-the-century-oh-my-God or terrifying.

Terrifying? What do you mean? How could a song sung/rapped by seven handsome and talented Korean men be terrifying? It’s not exactly easy for me to simply list down reasons of why I find Black Swan sometimes terrifying (most of the time downright headbangable!), but I’ll try my best.

Black Swan is a catchy, albeit painfully honest song about losing passion for the things you love most. And that hit me a little too close to home. It took me back to the day I told myself that I should just quit dancing, because I said that I’d never be good enough anyway. I’m pretty sure this pessimistic train of thought was started by a simple misstep or a single move I couldn’t get right (Yes, I am extremely hard on myself). So yes, I really did consider quitting dancing. Although I still am an amateur, I wouldn’t have gotten to the level I am now if I quit that day. Listening to Black Swan made me realize that oh my God, I almost died my first death right there. If I did take that road, I’m scared that I might have never been able to turn back. Maybe there’s an alternate universe or parallel earth where I don’t. That’s not for me to know.

Black Swan scares me because it forces me to confront truths and aspects of my passions I never even knew existed. It’s like being thrusted towards a big bulletin board with a single piece of white bond paper on it and being asked to choose which strand you want to take as a senior highschool student, which would then more or less dictate your career that you would be doing for the rest of your life. Until you die. AT GUNPOINT. WITH A TICKING TIME BOMB NEXT TO YOU THAT SAYS “0:10” ON THE BIG RED DISPLAY. It’s just that scary.

Imagine losing feelings and losing passion for the thing you thought you’d love forever and spend the rest of your life happily doing. This is for the artists in class who want to grow up to be animators, or maybe even the people who truly have a love for dance and desire to pursue it as a career but hide it from their parents in fear of their disapproval. Some people’s passions and careers line up perfectly, and I’m happy for them. Some people really are passionate about being doctors, lawyers, or any career regarded as “honorable” by strict Asian parents. But for those who want to be something else other than an architect or an engineer, I get you. It’s hard carrying the secret of what you really want to do with your life with you everyday. Then if you do tell your parents, it could go horribly wrong. You’d get into fights with them just so they’d let you. So let’s assume they do. Then the unthinkable happens.

Imagine one day realizing that your heart no longer beats as fiercely or your eyes don’t sparkle as brightly at the mention of your dream. Imagine when you’re no longer affected by a danceable song or a beautiful piece of poetry. Even your dream seems to have lost all meaning. What do you do? You might have made countless, painful sacrifices for it, so much so, that you’d never be able to turn back. You’re stuck, because you think you’ve taken the wrong path. But here’s the thing. Find a way to get back that fire, get back that shine. Take yourself back to the places you’ve made your best memories in doing what you really love. Remind yourself why you made those sacrifices in the first place. Lest you suffer your first death.

The quote stated before doesn’t explicitly apply only to dancers, but to all artists. If you’ve already figured the pattern out from my other posts on my dad’s blog, this is the part where I offer my advice (take it with a grain of salt, I’m only 14). In every person’s life, there is almost inevitably a moment or even period of self-doubt. And that’s okay. It’s okay to question yourself, it’s okay to question if what you’re doing is still good for you. Whatever the answer to your questions may be, my only wish for you, dear reader, is for you to always follow your heart.

"Hanggang bukas"

"Hanggang bukas"

Ni:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

I

Nagtatanong na naman sa dilim

Ano ba ang iyong mga lihim?

Sa likod ng ngiti at matamis na labi

Mga pangil ba ang makikita sa huli?

II

O baka nagiisip na naman masyado

kahit di din naman sigurado

Pero di maiaalis ang mga tanong

dahil ngayon lang nagkaganito

III

Pero yun nga , susulitin na lang

hanggang matapos ang gabi

lahat din naman lalabas sa liwanag.

Di na kailangang magpaliwanag.

Optum Building N, Quezon City. January 25, 2020. 12:29am

"Purphy is back!"

"Purphy is back!"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Purphoros is back and he means business. The god is so strong that he allows you to bring ridiculous monsters to the battlefield. He is the new sneak attack!!!!

Let us look at the card a little bit. Purphoros , Bronze-Blooded is a Legendary Enchantment creature that costs 4 mana of any color and a red.

He is a 7/6 god that also happens to be Indestructible. And you need to have a devotion of 5 to Red to make him a creature. And by the time that you cast him at 5 mana what are the odds that you have a lot more than 5 devotion? A big probability if you have playing red.

He also gives your other creatures haste. While this haste does not affect him , in most cases it does not need to. At what is important are the creatures that come into play on your turn.

And with activated ability which virtually makes him a Sneak Attack on a God. So for 3 mana you can put a red creature or an artifact creature from your hand onto the battlefield. In the EDH setting I am excited at the idea of casting a Wurmcoil Engine or Blightsteel Colossus. And things with ETB triggers like a Bogardan Hellkite or Meteor Golem! 

Purphoros is good in a pinch as for that low cost you can have instant blockers or in the case of Bogardan Hellkite or Meteor Golem even take out another of those attackers.

While like Sneak Attack this also has a drawback of the creature being sacrificed at the end of the next turn....well. WurmCoil Engine leaves 2 3/3  tokens behind. And Blightsteel just gets shuffled to your deck. If you included Purphy in a Daretti deck you can have the Wurm Coil back from your GY and well have something to search for your Blightsteel as well.

And I feel like you can include Purphy here in the 99 of a Daretti deck or have him exchange places with the Goblin Artificer as well for a different kind of game.

I am looking forward to getting him soon.

"Hearing His Laughter"

"Hearing His Laughter"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

3 months or less. That was the amount of time I would have each year with my Dad when I was growing up. So it was always a race to get to know him , it was a race adjusting to life with him and then life without him again. And growing up I had the knack to make people around me laugh and it always frustrated for me back then that I don't know any joke or situation that could make him crack a smile.And in my book you did not understand a person enough if you cannot make them laugh. Everybody laughs. I just could not get my dad to laugh.

And so it was one of those nights where we just hung out and watched a Going Bananas show.(if you don't know what that is then you are too young for this story). 

And Jay Ilagan(still alive back then) played an announcer who said , "At ngayon ang kampeon ay magbibigay ng isang bokal solo!!!" The curtains opened to reveal a very bald man and he began to sing.

My dad looked at this.And he laughed. He laughed so hard he shook and he held his stomach and laughed some more. He laughed for about a minute. Stopped and laughed again. He didn't even notice that I was there. When he finally stopped he looked at me and said. "Yan. Yan ang nakakatawa."

And I felt like I understood more about him that day. Here is to you Dad on your birthday. I miss your laugh even though I did not hear much of it. It still rings in my ears.