"The End but Not Yet"

 "The End but Not Yet"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

The year is almost over. Only a full day left as I write this but one cannot help that there is no difference when that last second hits and the new year begins. 

For one it just feels like a continuation rather than a fresh start. Nothing gets reset, nothing starts from zero or so they say. It is the same old thing stretching on from the pandemic filled year to the new strain ushering the next wave that seems unending.

Of course there is hope for this new year and I am thankful for that but the general mood is that despite the holidays it will always be just business as usual and it should be.

The End is almost here but it is only for this year not for that which we all wish to end.

"Doc In, Doc Out Presents: Isolation."

 "Doc In, Doc Out Presents: Isolation."

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

I had a patient in Isolation tent due to Covid19 precautions. After I had assessed him through phone teleconsult I cleared him to go to work on his shift.I advised that someone would come and get him from Iso tent.He seemed disappointed that I let him go to work. The time was 9pm. The clinic was busy during this time so we thought nothing of this case any longer and moved on to the next.

At a little after Midnight. This same patient came in to the clinic. He claimed that No one fetched him so he slept in his car. For 3 hours. (Forehead Slap)

Hay.

"Isang Day Off ko"

 "Isang Day Off ko"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

On my day off I was settling down and about to watch an anime series that I have put off for awhile: 

Me: Guys nakaheadphones ako ha so if you need anything just text...

Hanie De Leon and Aven: (Silence)

My Phone after a few seconds....

Hanie: text text text  text text text text text text

text text text text text text  text text text text text text text  text text text text text text

text text text text text text  text text text text text text text text text...ang tagal naman sumagot.

Aven: text text text  text text text text text text

text text text text text text  text text text text text text text text text text text text  text text text text text text text text text. Daddy daddy daddy!

Ang kukulit ng mga kasama ko sa bahay.

"A new way to pay for tokens?"

 "A new way to pay for tokens?"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

From Maro's Blogatog Clues for Kaldheim

"A card that can make a token that’s a copy of target permanent for no mana"

Nothing is ever free in Magic. Certain conditions have to be met even if at first glance it seems to be free. In this card which we do not know at the moment. Is it a creature , Enchantment , Artifact or Land or a planeswlker perhaps?

So if you are not paying in mana then what are you paying with? Are you paying with your life points?(This makes it seem like Phyrexian Mana!!!) or are you paying with sacrificed creatures? Or cards from your GY like in Delve? Are you paying by milling yourself? Are you tapping creatures like in Convoke?

So many questions and ones that can only be answered in time.It is great to be able to speculate though.

"3 things I would do if I had the Power of Teleportation"

 

"3 things I would do if I had the Power of Teleportation"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Teleportation. The ability to be in another place with the speed of thought. Someone would think travel to another country. Go into a bank and steal stuff to be rich for life. 

I am not those people. If I had the power of teleportation this is what I would do:

1) Work in 5 different clinics at the same time. They have to be in different parts of the country!

Yup. I would use my powers to help me at work and earn a living fair and square. Although being to be able to work 5 jobs at the same time does not really same fair but heck I was given these powers for a reason. 

And to be able to do this feat I would pretend to go to the bathroom and just go to the other clinic to be seen there by my staff.

My staff in all 5 clinics would think I have a really small bladder or really Diabetic from all the bathroom trips that I would be taking all day.

2) Play with 3 different Magic Groups. 

No game will be too long or too short. No format will be taboo as I could spend more time playing even if there are multiple places to go to. 

Not only could I hang out , I could also trade cards , buy from binders and whatnot and enjoy myself more.

3) Time for my family anytime they need me.

The main reason I chose my career path is so that I could be with my family any time they need me and having teleportation powers would not change that priority. Aven could just be needing something in school or at home and I could teleport to the store and teleport back to the house to get it for her and then teleport back to work if I have work that day.

I am sure it would make me a more efficient Dad and Husband.

"The Counterflowing Idiots"

 "The Counterflowing Idiots"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

On my way to work last November 27 , 2020 I let a car pass by and that is the Blue car that you see. In my opinion he did the right thing he put his car as far into that right area to let the vehicles passing on the left lane to go by unimpeded.  I knew that when the traffic up ahead started to move he would need to back up and correct his car so I left this space in front of me so that he can safely do so.

And in a matter of seconds these 2 suddenly just occupied that space that I gave this car. And they were even trying to counterflow the one lane traffic. This motorcycle on the left almost got hit by that cement truck but he just stayed there. Almost doesn't count daw siguro.

In the meantime I was thinking that if the traffic moved the blue car would back into these two. Well surely enough the car almost did hit them and sila pa yung galit! 

It is at moments like these that you see the actual worst in people in our country. 

Di makapagintay , singit ng singit tapos kapag nadisgrasya kasalanan nung nakaatras o di nakakakita.

Moments like these just make me question where certain people were when they were handing out IQ points. Probably counterflowing somewhere too. 

"Juxtaposition"

 "Juxtaposition"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

I

How does it feel to be on the inside

but still be on the outside looking in

To be loved and to be hated

For existing to be yourself

II

People in the game know

The choices you have had to make

For the gain and for the loss

More for your own take

III

And nothing is wrong with that

Making Something from nothing

And turning the garbage to gold

Turning the light on in darkness

IV

So loved and hated

So Inside but Out

Linked forever

Nothing Tainted.

The Gate House Loft , Valenzuela City. December 31 2020.1:24am

"Doc In, Doc Out Presents: Itutumbong kita"

 

"Doc In, Doc Out Presents: Itutumbong kita"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Patient called in due to elevated BP with his father who is a Doctor listening on via the speaker phone. 

Nurse (over the phone): Sir so ang concern niyo po ay dahil mataas ang BP ninyo?

Patient: Opo. 

Nurse: Ano po ang latest BP ninyo sir?

Patient: Di pa po ako kumuha ulit.

Nurse: Ano po ang gamit ninyo sir? Digital ba?

Patient: Bakit niyo po ako inaaway? 

Nurse: Huh?

Patient: Kausapin niyo po Papa ko. 

Ala biglang nagtumbong kay Papa!!!

"Sleep and Me"

 "Sleep and Me"

by: 

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

As an adult one of the things that I want most and cannot live without(literally) is sleep.

8 hours of uninterrupted sleep is a luxury. With my work schedule and the things that I do for my family this really seldom happens. My wife actually got worried and asked me to cut some schedules. The Pandemic beat me to it though.

And now I have midweek break that allows me to let me have that deep sleep. I look forwards to Wednesday nights where after dinner I can retire to my bed and experience 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep.

No dreams. 

No going to the bathroom. 

No anxiety if I am going to be late for work 

or if I forgot to do something. 

No screens in front of me.  

8 hours. Whatever it is that I am feeling the day before. On Thursdays I wake up refreshed and ready to continue the week.

Sleep simply something I cannot live without.

"The Blumentritt Railroad lines"

"The Blumentritt Railroad lines"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

In Abad Santos Avenue in Manila you often know that you have reached Blumentritt even with your eyes closed because of the rail lines there. 

My Dad used to tell me that when he was coming home from Class from PMI in Sta. Cruz that he would fall asleep and not miss his stop because the rail road bump would wake him and he would be able to go to the dormitory he was staying at.

Decades later this same rail line serves as a demarcation when I would be able to log in to our online app as attendance. I hit the bump and I can log in! 

This place is also where I got stranded during my high school years due to August  heavy rains and flooding and I had to wade through waist deep garbage  water with other people who had nowhere else to go. I was thankful that I had my Uncle Elmo Forlales who lives in Balut. They took me in all those nights ago.

Yup. Memories fill me up when I hit that bump every Monday.

"The New Phyrexian Invasion"

 "The New Phyrexian Invasion"

by:

Virgilio F.De leon Jr.MD

A Phyrexian thought crossed my mind the other day:

If Vorinclex showed up in Kaldheim and another Praetor showed up in Strixhaven and then in Innistrad later on in the year. It might be the year of the Phyrexians. In secret of course.

I mean they named Vorinclex , Monstrous Raider. It hints at the possibility that the Phyrexians had figured out a way to traverse the planes and spread their "Perfection" to other worlds. 

It has been rumored that Jin Gitaxias can emerge in the seat of learning for all of the Multiverse in Strixhaven and the Graveyard Loving Reanimator Sheoldred might appear in the new Innistrad sets as another kind of horror to visit that plane.

Of course none of this is confirmed but it has been hinted at with another card. Double Masters Mox Opal where it seems that Atraxa is interested in finding Perfection beyond Compleation. Would this have caused her to seek out new planes and set the stage for the Phyrexians to get our of New Phyrexia? I am excited to know. 

In Maro's Kaldheim teaser there is also a mention of this:

"A card with a {W}{W}{U}{U}{B}{B}{R}{R}{G}{G},{T} activation"

It might be the return of Door to Nothingness or this might be an activation cost to a new Phyrexian Portal. 

"3 things I have seen this Month: Face shields edition"

 "3 things I have seen this Month: Face shields edition"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

By now we have all seen that meme with the face shields calling it the new Sunglasses as people tend to wear on top of their heads more than in front of their face.

Well I have seen 3 different people wear it differently this month and there they are:

1) Neck FaceShield 

My wife and I were doing our overdue grocery run and we were avoiding everyone we could that had the nerve to put up their face shields but I especially avoided one older dude who wore his clean cut polo shirt over his tito cargo pants. The guy had a mask sure but he wore his face shield on his neck. I am sure that it really for that. To protect your neck from sudden throat punches. I really had the urge to throw that punch too but I avoided him and went on grocery shopping peacefully. So much for that.

2) Gun Face Shield.

I work as a company physician for one of the major BPO's in the country and while most agents are compliant there are those that insist on being deviant like this one agent I saw on a morning that was supposed to be relaxing.

The agent had two cups of coffee in her hand and was having a hard time holding the face shield that she was trying to carry as well. The logical thing to do was wear the faceshield right? Of course she did no such thing instead she holstered it on her hip like it was gun.

Made me wish I had one so I could use it. 

3) Batok Shield

In the same BPO company the provide shuttle services for their employees to continue working in this environment. These 3rd party drivers had to log in and answer the Health declaration forms at the lobby so I was observing one of them who had lowered his mask and was answering the form.

He also had his faceshield on the back of his head. I am sure he expected someone to breath at the back of his neck. Maybe he was sensitive there. I don't know.

May gusto akong batukan pero gusto lang. 

"Bus Travel Protocols:A Potentially Problematic area"

 "Bus Travel Protocols:A Potentially Problematic area"

by:

Virgilio F.De leon Jr.MD

A well known Bus Company who caters to travel to Baguio recently announced their travel protocols as follows:

1) Certificate of a Negative Antigen swab test result from origin terminal; 

2) or bring a swab test result valid for 72 hours from departure; 

3) or get an antigen swab test upon arrival in Baguio.

While I do appreciate this effort to get people travelling again this area could be particularly troublesome. 

Antigen tests have a tendency to have a high rate of False Negatives. It also would rely on the amount of virus that can be detected during the time that the test was taken. If there is not enough concentration then it would show negative but if a traveler would stay in Baguio for more than a couple of days that viral concentration can change really fast.

About Swab tests even if they have been valid for 3 days the issue would still be at the time that it was actually taken. Viral loads might not show up but continue to develop in the duration of this travellers stay.

And the last one where you can just get an antigen test when you get to Baguio , I believe this is a contingency in case someone was able to get on board and not be tested. The issue would be if the antigen comes back positive. This traveler might be refused entry into the city and would be forced to travel back or worse stay in quarantine for 2 weeks.

Again I appreciate the efforts to have people moving again , travelling and seeing places is important but this has to be done safely. Something is still missing in the protocol but it can still work.

"Free From The Four Corners"

 "Free From The Four Corners"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

I

These 4 corners begin and end

With Just my thoughts in bed

People think I am trapped

When my freedom was never in question

II

I walk the beaches of distant worlds

Stand in line in wars already fought

Face the hunger and pain

I survive just again and again

III

Here I lie but I am not

I walk and run and shout

Where? Just some would never know

Of course you would. I am you.

IV

Trapped? Here? I dont think so

Free somewhere is what I see it to be

Touching and loving someone

Someone worth loving and touching.

The Gate House Loft , Valenzuela City. December 31 2020.1:18am

"Doc In, Doc Out Presents: The Unhelpful Prick"

 "Doc In, Doc Out Presents: The Unhelpful Prick"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

As I scrolled through my social media pages this message greeted me:

"Kakapalan ko na mukha ko pero alam kong bawal to.  

May kilala po ba kayong blood type O+. Need lang kasi po asap since ung ate ko ilang beses tinanggihan ng ospital. 4 days sya nag labor sa bahay kundi pa may nag magandang loob na samahan sila di siya mapapaanak. Near QC area po kami. Sana po may makatulong at mag magandang loob. Nag babaka sakali lang na may tumulong.Wala po kaming maibabayad sa mga mag dodonate kundi pasasalamat."

I knew the guy who posted this but sadly cannot help him at this time. I felt bad but the guy who commented first on his plea really ticked me off. This was what he said.

"Universal yung dugo ko kaso kakapatattoo ko lang kasi"

I don't know why people would actually say this to those in need. It is kind of like saying I have what you need but I can't give it to you because...

I mean I don't mind that he has a tattoo ,you can have as many as you want but to say that on this persons pleas for help is downright insensitive.

And the kicker is that before getting his tattoo he did know that his blood can actually be used to save lives. He might have donated in the past as well as he had this knowledge handy. I am not sure if he got tired of doing that he basically destroyed a resource that is hard to replace. Such a waste.

"Pyre of Heroes: Building on the Sacrifice of Others"

"Pyre of Heroes: Building on the Sacrifice of Others"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Pyre of Heroes is a 2 mana cost artifact that reads:

Pay 2 mana , tap , Sacrifice a creature: Search your library for a creature card that shares a creature type with the sacrificed creature and has converted mana cost equal to 1 plus that creature’s converted mana cost. Put that card onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.

Pyre of Heroes is basically tribal Birthing pod! While there might be argument that can be made that this is not as good as the original Birthing Pod because you are only limited to the tribe that you are playing with Goblin, Human and Elf decks would find some use for this. Decks that already have these creature types can now enjoy Enter the battlefield effects and utilize a creature for sacrifice to fetch this new creature. 

A fine example is sacrificing a Goblin Matriarch to get a Goblin Goon sounds appealing right? Even big creatures like Beasts or Dragons can join in on the fun. Heck this cost even less than the actual birthing pod or even Yisan. At 2 mana this thing can start helping you as early as turn 3. 

"Armed and Armored - To the Teeth"

 "Armed and Armored - To the Teeth"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Armed and Armored is a 2 mana instant that reads:

"Vehicles you control become Artifact creatures until End of turn. Choose a Dwarf you control. Attaach any number of Equipment you control to it."

Two things stood out for me right away. Decks that would love to have this card. My Boros Vehicles EDH deck as well as that Boros Dwarf tribal EDH deck I was working on.

So this is basically a March of the Machines for Vehicles. So the plan would be to just play Vehicles , get as many of them on the battlefield in the soonest possible time. Cast this and ram your opponents with your transformers.

Another possibility is to put this in a Boros Equipment/Dwarf EDH Deck.

So you can declare your attack with Toolcraft Exemplar and then cast Armed and Armored attaching Colossal Hammer and Grafted Exoskeleton to this guy.  If unblocked will Toolcraft Exemplar will deal 15 damage to a player. Piling on 15 poison counters on them. Instant kill!!!.

Armed and Armored you will be one of my most welcome Uncommons come 2021.

"Alice In Borderland: Play to Survive"

 "Alice In Borderland: Play to Survive"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Alice in Borderland is a live action series adaptation from a manga that ended in 2016. Arisu and friends are transported into a parallel world where they need to play games to survive. It is a fast paced thriller where you have to keep guessing at every turn. Each game seems like an escape room on steroids!!! 

My wife Hanie De Leon decided to put this on while we were having dinner and it was an interesting ride.

The Good:

This has been compared to Battle Royale. Another cult classic where people are pitted against each other and are made to make hard choices. The same feelings resonate as you go through the games. There are decisions that you have to make that would haunt you forever.

The games are hard and push the characters and they grow. I like the pacing of how the characters are introduced slowly and in ways that are relevant in the current episode.

Some character names are obvious references to Alice in Wonderland. Like Arisu , Cheshiya and Usagi. I am sure that other names are more subtle in their references as well.

The Bad:

That Scene in the Witch Hunt Arc where the Character Ann wastes time by analyzing the finger prints on the knife used to kill the witch. Sure it supports the findings in the end but if she does manage to get prints off the knife which she was trying to do how can she compare those prints with all of the people currently trying to survive on the beach and the people who are trying to kill all of those people. 

Pretty sure this was put in for the latter pay off/ support of the findings of Arisu in the end but it just seems off.

The Ugly:

The rotting corpses found by Arisu in the dumpsters on the beach. It does reveal a very ugly truth. Traitors are dealt with swiftly.

All in All this has been a great ride and one of the things i am looking forward to in the next year.

"Making a Difference"

 "Making a Difference"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

My dad jokingly asked me once, "May gumagaling ba sa mga pasyente mo anak?"

Knowing how he is I decided to pile on:

"Most likely po. Di na nagfafollow up eh. Bale dalawa lang po yan,  gumaling na o wala na."

My Dad laughed over Skype. He was miles away and I could still remember his horse grin and jolly laughter.

I remembered him today as a patient whom I have been treating for Insomnia followed up because he needed a refill of his prescription. It felt good that I was able to let this patient sleep and rest properly.

Doctors tend to wonder about patients who are lost to follow up. Wondering if they are still ok or when they will show up again. Some take years.Some never show up again. 

At least this was one of those times that I could have told my dad that I was able to help someone and that I knew for sure that I made a difference.

I hope he is smiling at me and laughing at that joke we shared years ago.

"Is Infect coming back?"

 "Is Infect coming back?"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Now that Wizards of the Coast has surprised everyone by adding a Phyrexian Incursion/Invasion into the mix of a Norse/Viking themed set some people are asking if along with these Phyrexians the Infect mechanic would be making a comeback.

While no one in WoTc is mentioning the return of the mechanic , another mechanic that benefits infect has been around for awhile now and that is Proliferate. Another thing that came out during the whole Scars of Mirrodin block. It made an official comeback during the War of the Spark.

No Mention of Infect anywhere but there is a mechanic that supports it and also this clue that Mark Rosewater released in his blogatog.

"A card that allows you to kill someone with poison"

So Poison counters can be put on players once more but how? People are speculating that this will be a new Infect mechanic or a way around Infect without saying it. Pandemic times sensitivity and all that I suppose.

Well there might be an Enchantment or Saga that is hard to cast and give you poison counters. It might even be an artifact in the set that does it. Like this other clue:

"A card with a {W}{W}{U}{U}{B}{B}{R}{R}{G}{G},{T} activation"

I just find it suspicious that this clue follows the other clue. Hmmmmm. So if this is not Door to Nothingness or A portal to and from New Phyrexia , is this the card that puts poison counters on a player? Maybe 10 so that it could kill them?

Hmmmmmmm. 

"3 things you might want to consider before playing Jeweled Lotus"

 "3 things you might want to consider before playing Jeweled Lotus"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

One of the hottest things that Magic players have been after is this priced artifact. The Jeweled Lotus or JLo as some have been calling it.

If you have been watching those box opening videos on youtube  Wizards of the coast had made getting this artifact almost near to impossible even on multiple boxes. 

So what should you consider if and when you get one of these babies?

1) It only produces 1 mana of a given color.

What does this mean? At best 2 colored commanders can benefit from this but in order to maximize this you would be putting it on a mono colored commander. 

It is still a strong card. For example I have a favorite Sai , Master Thopterist deck that can already produce a million tokens without this things help but to be able to power out Sai on turn 1 and then drop a land , Sol ring , Arcane Signet and Mox Opal. Not only am I ahead on the mana department I have manage to create 3 Thopters right there. It sounds great of course.

But there are some decks that cannot use this mana as it is only intended for your commander. Sure in the late game it can be used to pay commander tax but that it basically it.

2) It becomes irrelevant in the mid to end games

Yes. It does tend to point into that direction. It is great when you get it in the early parts of the game where a Commander landing on your side of the battlefield is going to be your advantage. Turn one is ideal or even turn 2 but the longer the games go and in EDH games they seem to go on forever Jeweled Lotus becomes less and less effective and might not even be relevant to draw later on even if you are paying for Commander tax with it. 

3) Do you really need the aggravation?

Aside from the difficulty in acquiring it and the price still at a high some players don't really like it when you have that edge over them and make you the target of early game disruption just because. You might not even have a board state yet or not even be a threat but in their mind you are already that threat. So are you ready for that kind of aggravation? I know I am but I am also fine with this card. If I can acquire it down the line when it is much cheaper then I can still wait. My EDH decks. All 116 of them well run just fine without it.

"Woo!Ah!- Bad Girl MV reaction"

"Woo!Ah!- Bad Girl MV reaction"

by:

The Vole

The girls of Woo!Ah! came back for the 2nd time this year minus one member who left the group. However the remaining members of Nana , Wooyeon , Sora , Lucy and Minseo made sure that there latest song is a more memorable one than their debut song. Bad girl gained them more popularity this time around that is for sure.

Boasting of 2 rappers in Nana and Lucy and officially a 3rd one in Japanese member Sora the group came back with a danceable , trapbeat filled track. This track sounds more tighter than their debut single. There is growth here especially in the rap department Lucy reminds me of Kard's Jiwoo and Nana is just everything it seems in this group.

While this is another girl Crush concept Woo!Ah! has managed to convey cuteness and fun to the song. Members Wooyeon , Sora and Minseo all are young of course and showcase that well.

The choreography of this song features a lot of pawing and to be honest I have not seen this much pawing choreo since AOA's Like a Cat some years back hahaha. There is also that high Kick from Nana which takefully had been changed it is a bit dangerous to keep on doing that especially if you are a rookie. Injuries should be prevented.All of them did that same high kick as well. And I am glad they stopped it. 

I expect better things from Woo!Ah! starting from now. They have what it takes to rise and they are my bets to be at the top for this current batch of rookies.

"Mind Tricks"

 "Mind Tricks"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

I

It seemed too distant

Your voice just now

Echoing down the hall

Still Reaching me somehow

II

It could just be my mind

just playing tricks as it should

Because I know I buried you

There deep in the woods

III

What was that you just said?

I can't stand your whispering

You keep talking anyway

You think I am here listening

IV

Maybe I should pay you a visit

Make sure you are there

Then again I am sure

I am pretty sure I am just insane

The Gate House Loft , Valenzuela City. December 31 2020.1:15am

"Doc In, Doc Out Presents: Allergy Season"

"Doc In, Doc Out Presents: Allergy Season"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Patterns often image as you work and one of them was staring at me in the face as I looked at the census and noticed the sudden rise in Allergic Rhinitis in the last few days.

Patients who never called during all that time they were allowed to work from home were now calling in or dropping by the clinic in the hopes that they would be sent home due to Covid19 protocols.

And another trend showed itself. The Rise of Allergic Rhinitis claims as more and more people were asked to report back to work.

I really have a theory about the reason for this sudden rise. Some of them are really just allergic to work.

(Sigh)

"Sphinx of the Second Sun:Pondering"

 "Sphinx of the Second Sun:Pondering"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

When Sphinx of the Second Sun was spoiled for Commander Legends I must admit that I glossed over it a bit because my mind was wandering toward what I would do if I got a Scroll Rack or Vampiric Tutor.

So when I opened this mythic in the last 3 packs that I would be opening this year I got to thinking about what I would be doing with it.

One of them is that I think it would be fun to put in both Sphinx of the Second Sun and Approach of the Second Sun in one deck.

The Extra Beginning phase let's you dig for that Approach that is 7 cards deep into your library. Inching a bit more closer to victory. After all , all you need to do is cast it for a 2nd time.

Another thing that came to mind was the other Massive spells that would benefit from this Extra Beginning Phase. And I thought of the Epic Spells from Kamigawa like the Undying Flames. Exiling the top card of your library until you exile a non land card and then it deals that much damage to opponent or creature. That would be a kick to do and with the Sphinx of the Second Sun in place you are able to do this twice each turn!

Oh and if Blue mages love having 2 mana untapped to intimidate future spell casting imagine how much more intimidating they could be with all their lands untapping on the 2nd Beginning phase. And there is a an extra draw phase too to fill up what I assume will be a full hand brimming with counters...or lands. Still think of the intimidation factor with that hand. Hahahaha

Thanks Sphinx of the Second Sun you gave me a lot to ponder on.

"Phyrexian Juggernaut: Unimpeded"

 "Phyrexian Juggernaut: Unimpeded"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

"When nature impedes, Phyrexians overcome"

This thing would have been beautiful with trample but hey a 5/5 infect creature for 6 is not bad at all.

Given that this can be partnered with Xenagos to make it a hasty 10/10 and kill someone the same turn it arrived on the battlefield the perceived drawback of it attacking per turn can be negated. 

A 10/10 attacking each turn just means your opponents run out of blockers or you run out of opponents. Bwahahahaha

"The Danger of watching MTG Unboxing Videos"

 "The Danger of watching MTG Unboxing Videos"

by:

Virgilio F.De leon Jr.MD

I love watching Box Unboxings on Youtube and in the beginning I was able to feel the loss and the hits of each opening. There was an excitement in the air when I started the video because heck who does not want to see the chase card being opened right? At the start of the Lockdowns and so on this became a part of my routine. I would check for unboxing videos.

I guess part of my watching these things is because not everyone can open 20 boxes of any particular expansion without feeling that awful pinching in their wallets or bank accounts. So these people who are letting us watch them open are doing us a favor by experiencing these openings.

Over time as more and more variants of the cards came and secret lairs and extended arts and planeswalkers and chase mythics or Box toppers became the thing it was getting less and less interesting.Less and Less exciting and I found myself getting sleepy although the youtubers had not waned down in their energies or in their content count. And some of these youtubers actually hit it on the nose by saying "If everything is special then nothing is special."

Magic as a game has turned to those who could spend and said give us your money and we will give you all the collectible cards you want. So much so that all that people look for when they open a box is these chase cards. Notice the energy go way way down in unboxing video when there are no fetchlands to be found or any The List cards or none of the Big 4 from Commander Legends. 

I opened a Commanders Legends Box and I was happy with my Mana Drain. I never had one and here I was holding one in the flesh. I also looked at all the cards that I could use in updating my Commander decks. I did not care that it came from  whatever slot , may it be Common or Mythic or Etched. If I can use it then I was excited. I mean look at all those mana rocks at the common slots and Arcane Signets and Comman Towers. These are not the chase rares and are worth cents but are worth putting in my decks. 

And that is how I slowly regained my joy in opening packs. I am lessening watching someone else open while enjoying my own openings. The value of the card is not in how much you can buy or sell it. It's true value lies is if it can benefit you and your deck. 

With almost 116 EDH decks all the cards in Commander Legends benefit me.

"A Slight Insult"

 "A Slight Insult"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

The Interview had been going on for less than an hour and had been pleasant so far. YuuA the recent successful soloist from Oh My Doll has been relaxed answering questions from the senior reporter of the Broadcast Station. 

The Cafe that MW Entertainment chose for it was near her old Dormitory and is a familiar fixture in many of their Vlives so that Masterpiece(the name of their fandom) would appreciate the surroundings.

Recently her dating has been in the news. While some of it were supportive of it there were some who would like to know more of this mysterious man who captured the heart of their favorite idol.

So when the Reporter asked what kind of man does YuuA like she did not explain the sudden turn that her words would cause.

"I like bad boys."

"Really? I mean V , weak looking sleepy V?" The Reported had managed to see the man who always looked like he just woke up. 

YuuA looked at the reporter and laughed sa hard for a solid minute or so that it made her uncomfortable. The Idol wiped the tears from her laughter and looked back at the reporter who was still recording. There was a change there that was too deadly to miss.

" I apologize about that. It is just so funny how you said that"

"How is that funny?"

"V usually seems like that. Patient and kind. Seemingly like anyone can push him around and he would just smile at them. But  no one really dares to do that. Do you want to know why?"

"I am bit curious."

"All of them are dead. He has probably buried more bodies around Seoul than anybody can count."

The tension in the room raised even higher with the Cameraman and the reporter looking nervously at each other.

"Are you saying this on a live interview?"

"Yes. That docile dog that you are insulting has probably shaped so many things into being. And trust me that the world will never believe you should you repeat anything I say here. Do you want to check on your feed?"

The reporter look at the camera that was still on but there was something odd with the feed. It was a delay of only about a couple of seconds as they could notice but any mention of V did not register and YuuA was just there smiling calmly at them.

"V told me once that anything said about him is instantly wiped clean in this world. You think the internet was just here yesterday? He had seen it come and go for the different ages of man." 

"Different ages of man?" The reporter was taken aback."Who is he?"

"Someone you can't understand even if I explain it you. Shall we let you sign NDA's now?"

And with that a beautiful woman who had piercing blue eyes entered the room with 2 forms and a thick envelope of money. 

"Standard procedure from our Master. You might want to restart this interview from the beginning."

"And if we dont take the money or not sign this?"

"Which mountain would you like to be buried in? Or should we just chuck you in the Han with all the others?" Blue said with no humor in her voice. 

The Reporter smiled a nervous smile and had the cameraman sign as well.

"YuuA-shi let us start this from the top then. And pardon my baseless insinuations."

"It really is ok. I like you better alive anyway. Thank you Blue , that would be all."

Blue nodded and was out of the door but all in the room knew that she would still be listening wherever she hid her presence.

V still sat just a few meters from them still looking like he needed more sleep. YuuA blew him a kiss and turned to the reporter.

"Shall we start again?"

The Reporter nodded silently thanking whichever deity was listening that these people were not really in the business of ending her.

"3 Bad Girls - Kpop November 2020"

 "3 Bad Girls - Kpop November 2020"

by:

The Vole

November 2020 has come and gone and guess what I did not really post all that much during that time. I was...preoccupied.

However there was this one thing that I noticed from back then that is still stuck in my brain and that is the word Bad Girls. 

I wonder why every kpop girl group wants to be bad girls now? They all want to be tough. They all want to be mean looking. Take no shit. Take no prisoners. All by being girly and cute as they do it.

Now here are the 3 groups for that moment that have bad girl in their songs.

1) Loona - Why Not?

Heejin starts there song with " I'm a bad girl...." And this continues their girl crush concept from So What? Along with SM Entertainments Lee So Man giving them a more experimental sound that makes them less and less like they once were into more and more of...an unknown thing that is not the Loona you know. As an Orbit I loved their old stuff better. Grateful for So What and their first win but this direction is taking them further away from what they should be.

They started off with questions. So what? Why Not? 

Their next comeback will be What now? 

2) Bling Bling - G.G.B

A promising rookie Girl Group debuted with this song which is 

a play on words for the korean word for Bad girl. The song is pretty good but might go unnoticed because of the jampacked November that Kpop underwent. 

I am looking forward to hearing more things from this group in the future.

3) Woo!Ah! - Bad Girl

Woo!Ah! came back with this good song and yes it has Bad girl as the title. Girl groups are not hiding the fact that they are all going to this path but among all the rookies this group might be my best bet to make it to the top in the next couple of years. They have the components to do it starting with their Leader Nana. Boasting of 2 rappers and a mix of good vocals. Woo!Ah! can say they are bad girls but they seem very good to me. Hahahhaha

"YooA-Abracadabra"

 "YooA-Abracadabra"

by:

The Vole

Abracadabra is the song that fits YooA's style to a tee. Bon Voyage is the unique song that would put her over the top. And as of this writing she has won #1 on The Show. Probably one of the fastest wins of any first time Soloist in a field that includes Taemin , Wonho of Astro and Namjoo of Apink.

My friend mentioned that it is hard to get even a single win for first time soloists. Case in point is Chungha and Somi whom despite being recognized nationally in Korea for being part of the super girl group from Produce 101 had to have 2nd comebacks for them to win their first trophy.

YooA was in a very good position for this since her and OMG have been getting a lot of love since Queendom from last year. With Non-stop and Dolphin establishing OMG as a top tier girl group this year WM decided on letting her go solo.

This was not the first time that WM would try and debut a female soloist , they had already tried with Baro's sister who along with her brother is no longer with WM. I guess it was really not the time for it yet. So it would WM time to develop an image and package for YooA to debut.

And craft they did as YooA was always given chances to shine with good parts of every single that OMG came out with. There were times that I wish that YooA could just sing all the parts and she could , yes even the rap parts. So when I heard the highlight medley of her solo album I was ecstatic as this would finally showcase all her talents.

Both Bon Voyage and Abracadabra contains difficult but pretty and catchy choreography. Her vocal range and charm are also on full display here now and I cannot believe my ears that this is finally here. I initially thought that WM would have a Mimi/YooA or YooA/Seunghee subunit but they decided that the time was right for their true first female soloist to emerge.

And emerged she has from that Secret Garden where was so carefully cultivated all these years. In one of her songs YooA sings "I am beautiful". Yes YooA you are.

"All that Fades does not"

"All that Fades does not"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

I 

Today I will refuse

The fading of all meaning

There is a measure

And there is a means

II

All we do matters

All we say stays

I will refuse this fading

I will elevate this feeling

III

I am still who I am

When the second hits

And I will be who I am

When the next one turns

Optum Building N , UP Ayala Technohub , QC. 12/30/2020 7:22am