"Here Lies April's End"

"Here Lies April's End"

by:

Virgilio De leon Jr.MD

I

My Muse has come and Gone

And I am here left wanting

I am drained but happy

I am collapsing but smiling

II

Why do I need this pressure?

When I have been producing  Diamonds all along?

Why do I need to be on the Brink?

When all I need to do is drink.

III

Drink from the cup

The poison and the cure

The Muse that was missing

Is the musings of the Unsure

IV

And so here ends the April Runs

And begins another labor of Fun

May it be the same

May it be the same

Quezon City , April 30 2021 ,  5:19am

"Jinyo Wakes"

 "Jinyo Wakes"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Jinyo woke up clutching her head , the sun was shining directly on her forehead for sometime now that it began to feel dry. By the look of things it was already mid day. Well no one said that there would be guests here today so she guessed that she could take her sweet time.

Her stomach made that gurgling sound that it usually makes when she has had less and less to eat. Her trainee days were long over but she could still remember those periods of starvation and it seems every month she still cant stop herself from not eating anything at all during this day. Her body expects a weigh in! She laughed at how absurd that sounded. Well at least I can decide to look for food if there was anything in the Inn.

Her Mother had told her that she would be alone at the place as other staff were busy in the other locations and this one was at least a few kilometers from the nearest big hotel. People used to love going here when her Dad was alive partly because the man knew how to treat guests. Her mom seemed like she would fit in into one of those cyborg movies where humans were being hunted down to extinction.

Another absurd thought. At least all her thoughts were turning to other things. All except for that person. But then she realized that it was turning into that space again and she swerved it right at the thought of looking for food. She forcefully jumped to her feet from the bed and regretted it a couple of seconds later when she felt that wave of vertigo hit her. 

"You can be such a stubborn headed idiot you know that?" She remembered him saying. "The Doctor said no more dancing but that also means no more sudden jerking movements like that as well."

She knew he wasn't here but why did those words still sting her? Probably because he was right at that moment. She let the wave of dizziness pass while sitting still and closing her eyes. "Breathe slow and deep" he told her again. And she did."See. It will pass soon. Hang in there."

She remembered crying the first time she realized that she was so helpless in this condition but he just smiled at her during those times. He would sit just a little further away and look straight at her as if gauging something. And when the unsteadiness passed he was there to offer his hand. The same hand she was reaching out for now.

She felt a tear drop and as if ashamed hurriedly wiped it away but she felt another and another until her hands were not fast enough to keep them from dropping on the brown carpetted floor. She sat there on the bed looking at the door that seemed to be miles away though she could have easily crossed that distance and be on her way out. 

She gently shook her head , "I can't let that idiot win. If I begin to miss him again..."

"Strixhaven Stadium: Toppling an opponent!"

 "Strixhaven Stadium: Toppling an opponent!"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

I always like finding cards to build around and well Strixhaven Stadium surely is an interesting way to win the game.

The way I see it you can attack with smaller creatures until you get to 10 counters on Strixhaven Stadium and kill an opponent or you could wait until there are about 9 counters on this artifact before attacking. 

It can be done by tapping it to add one counter or even proliferating it with cards Contagion Clasp. In doing so even a small  force of weak 1/1 creatures can secure you a win. 

Hmmmmm. Another worthy goal.

Of course to make sure that no one is attacking you to deplete any of your Strixhaven Stadium counters build in a lot Vows as mix in Propaganda and Cage of Hands in the mix. 

Time to attack and use this mana rock for the win! 

"Callous Bloodmage: Mimic Vat Me!"

 "Callous Bloodmage: Mimic Vat Me!"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

I remember those horrible times that an opponent or in this case Jack Rivera was able to put a Liliana's Spectre on a Mimic Vat and had the same annoying creature attack for 2 and as it's ETB effect make me discard a card. It was such a pest but Callous Bloodmage might even be a bigger pest.

This is actually a very nice utility creature, token generator, card drawer and Bojuka bogger? all in one card. Just the thing the Phyrexians ordered for their Mimic vat shenanigans.

I mean ff you need blockers you are in luck buddy , you have a 2/1 and a 1/1! And willing to die too. You can churn out some more later when you need them.

Still digging for your combo pieces? have a card that you badly need right now? Choose Card draw!

Is there a  Liliana Vess about to go ultimate and reanimating all graveyards? Bojuka Bog the juiciest one hahahaha

Time to be an annoying pest like the one on this guys shoulder.

"Scholarship Sponsor: The Human Adjusted Balance"

 "Scholarship Sponsor: The Human Adjusted Balance"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Normally it would take a couple of years or sets to have a copy or version of an existing card on a creature , artifact or land. There is a design space where you can move abilities of an artifact to a land for example like Sol Ring to Ancient Tomb or Call the Gatewatch to Arena Rector. 

Sometimes the effect is watered down or has a consequence. Now like I said it takes time for Wizards of the coast to decide on things like this because it would mean that having a creature version and sorcery version of a card means that you will essentially have 8 copies of that strong effect in a regular 60 card deck or 2 copies in the 99 of an EDH deck. 

Case in point is this guy right here which is basically the creature version of Adjusted Balance. Now with all the great new cards that they have been pumping out for Strixhaven (and there is really some powerful cards I am excited about). This seems like a lazy way of doing things. 

I mean someone probably said , how do we make Silverquill or even Monowhite stronger this time around? I know make 2  versions of the same card and release them on the same environment. Really no harm in that right? People can take care of this creature right? they can counter Adjusted Balance too.

Hooobooy. Wotc. There is a reason why you did not do things like this before. I don't know why you decided to do this now.

"Ano ang Apelyido ni Deekah?"

 "Ano ang Apelyido ni Deekah?"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Deekah Gon

Deekah Hon

Deekah Nadala

Deekah Natuto

Deekah Navata 

Deekah Nakasya

Deekah Naabot 

Deekah DaNobenta

"Galazeth Prismari: The Oddity of Choices"

 "Galazeth Prismari: The Oddity of Choices"

By:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

The Prismari Founding Dragon makes an odd choice for an EDH Commander. On one hand it wants you to have a lot of artifacts in play since it enters the battlefield to give you a treasure token as well as make all of your artifacts mana producers.

The only problem is that this mana from the artifacts can only be spent to cast instant and sorcery spells. So Play a lot of Artifacts , Instants and Sorceries.

I am sure someone will figure it out when they are drowning in mana producing artifacts and taking extra turns...

"Retriever Phoenix: A Deadly Memory Arises"

 

"Retriever Phoenix: A Deadly Memory Arises"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

There have been a lot of Phoenix's in Magic's history recently it was the Arclight Phoenix who has been taking the spotlight because you can have it come back from the graveyard when certain conditions are met. And so in Strixhaven we have the Retriever Phoenix.

Retriever Phoenix is a memory of itself. I no longer play standard but this Phoenix can be good in long playing decks. 

When it enters the battlefield you Learn , meaning you can fetch a lesson card from your sideboard but if there is another Retriever Phoenix in your graveyard you can bring that back to the battlefield instead of "Learning". You access a lesson you have learned long ago. To Summon a Phoenix! 

So now that you have 2 of these in a stage of the game when most opponents are now depleted of resources/responses you now have a chance to defeat them from a Memory.

"Shadrix Silverquill : Politician's Choice"

 "Shadrix Silverquill : Politician's Choice"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Shadrix Silverquill is no doubt a very political Dragon that can reshape battlefields. He is literally a gift giving dragon. So he has three things to bring to the table:

1) Token generation

2) Card Draw

3) Team Status Pump

And you have to make that choice at the beginning of each combat step on your turn. Since it does say "May" you can just chose to let him stand around there until you see the board tilting to your advantage.

You can just create a token or draw a card for yourself but what is the fun in that right?

If you see an opponent really just trying to Grudge end another , maybe you can help speed things up by giving their team of Saprolings a +1/+1 Stat pump , be wary though that you might need to have a Mass Removal ready as that big Fungus army could very well hit you next.

You can also save an opponent by providing a crucial blocker. A 2/1 Flying Inkling! Or save your own skin with that.

But the most interesting mode for me is that card draw lose 1 life one. Yes it is card advantage for you but it can serve as a pin prick to kill an opponent , so let us say they take all the Saproling damage and get reduced to one life. You can end them the next turn at the beginning of your next combat.

And I find that one a worthy goal to do with Shadrix hahahah.

"Sakitan ito Belbe"

 "Sakitan ito Belbe" 

by:

Virgilio F.De leon Jr.MD

"Belbe , Belbe , Belbe Oil" - Justin Beiber after Compleation

Dahil LSS pa din ako kay Belbe I really wanted to figure out how to get 6 mana out of her all the time. And an Eldraine favorite combo popped into mind.

You could cast the Cauldron Familiar on your turn and get 6 colorless mana(assuming you have 3 opponents of course.)

On one of  your opponents turn (hopefully the one before you take your own turn) you could Sacrifice the Cauldron Familiar to the Witch's oven to produce a treasure. Sacrifice the Treasure to bring the Cauldron Familiar  back to the battlefield. Opponents lose life and you get 6 colorless mana again. 

Seems like a worthy goal. Time to have fun with Belbe.

"Ano daw ang last name ni Dina? Aside from Bonnevie:"

"Ano daw ang last name ni Dina? Aside from Bonnevie:"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Dina Natuto

Dina Koaasapangmuli

Dina Umabot

Dina Gumising

Dina Daansatawa

Dina Atnan

Dina Mita

Dina Mahanap

Dina Kip

Dina akdakan

Dina Paan

Dina Natiis

Dina Umahon

Dina Nagbayad

Dina Ig

Dina lazacama

Dina andaanan

Dina lampasigan

Dina lason

Dina tumagay

Dina Dagsa

Dina Daga

Bwahahahahahhahaah

"Verdant Mastery: Treacherous Gift"

 "Verdant Mastery: Treacherous Gift"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

A card like Verdant Mastery from Strixhaven feels like a gift. Imagine giving an opponent 1 basic land and that opponent is happy receiving something that can accelerate their goals much faster.

It seems like a gift until they realize that the Forest you gave them enables your commander Jedit to stomp through unimpeded to give them 5 commander Damage each turn.

Oh and if you are playing Golgari/Witherbloom Colors you could just go ahead and donate a Swamp so you could have creatures like Sheoldred pass on through.

And if in case you are playing Jund Goblins....well a Mountain donation for all those Mountain Walking Goblins that you will have eventually. 

Aggro Fun.

"The Start-up / Tale of the Nine-tailed Connection"

 "The Start-up / Tale of the Nine-tailed Connection"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

It has been confirmed that the K-drama's Start-Up and Tale of the Nine Tailed has a crossver. It was shown in  Chul-san, one of the supporting cast from Start up shows in a scene involving Rang and Kiyuri at a restaurant. Basically they live in the same world and it is possible for them to meet. 

However as I have been telling my wife there have been a lot more connections.

1) Nam Doosan and Nam Ji-A. 

Is it any coincidence that both leads has Nam as a last name? I think not! 

Also their mother's are played by the same person. Kim Hee-Jung.

2) Same Minor Villain?

Um Hyo-sup who plays minor baddie Imoogi Immortal assistant also plays the Step Dad of Injae  Seo in Start up. While the two Dramas almost ran parallel to each other it must have been so confusing to trade lines at some point hahaha.

3) Ghost Child Scene

In Episode 4 , In the scene where Nam Ji-A is being chased on top of an establishment and is pushed over the rooftop to be saved by Yeon.

One should pay attention to this roof top. This is in fact the site for Samsan Tech in Start-up.

4) Sand Box / Fight Box

When Yeon confronts the Imoogi for the first time , notice the place where they start fighting at. This is the place where Sand Box stands in Start up.

At this point my wife already agrees with my observations hahahaha

And a bonus thing because maybe I don't have any other place to say it. Look at the hilt of the sword when Yeon is dragging the Imoogi to fall into the Samdocheon River. 

The actor let's go of the hilt revealing that there is nothing piercing them together. We had a good laugh about that. 

I hope you had a good laugh at this too. 

"Sensei Golden Tail : Making Everything Learn Bushido"

 "Sensei Golden Tail : Making Everything Learn Bushido"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Before Mentor was a thing in Boros , there was one other creature that can teach you to be a warrior or in this case a samurai...interestingly this Sensei can put a counter on a creature and make it a samurai and so if you are already suspending your disbelief with the creature type Fox Samurai  , Sensei Golden Tail can make Negan a Samurai or better yet bestow the actual title on the katana wielding Michonne.

"Now a Human Samurai Warrior!"

These are humans. They can hold swords. It kind of still makes sense.

It gets weirder when you have Nezahal or Zetalpa become a samurai! Or Emrakul and Ulamog gaining Bushido 1. Or a freaking dinosaur! Or a crewed Vehicle that becomes a Samurai.  Which actually makes it an actual Samurai Transformer.

"Time to make Eldrazi Samurai a thing"

Alright. I got that off my chest. Maybe tomorrow I would not be talking about the Kitsune or any of their ilk but as Baby Metal used to say "Only the Fox God knows."

"The Way We Enjoy Netflix and Chill"

 

"The Way We Enjoy Netflix and Chill"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

My wife and I have very busy schedules and so we want to spend our time by watching things that both amuse and enrich us. May it be a series or movie we want to be happy once it is over. 

We recommend movies and series to each other. My wife saves Netflix dates for us to just chill to at home. So we developed 3 rules. 

1)  The One Episode Rule

When watching a new Drama or Documentary we would slog through one episode and at the end of it if we find it interesting enough we continue.  

This is what happened when I recommended Start-up to her.

Some series are just slow in their build up. I found the first episode of Kingdom really boring. Thank goodness I stayed around for the 2nd episode to see all the running.

The first episode really makes or breaks a series for us and we rarely give a series a second chance even if it is highly recommended by online guides.

2)  Twenty Minute Rule

When we recommend movies to each other we apply a 20 minute rule , the movie should be able to hook us within this time span otherwise it would be a waste of time to continue watching. 

We also stop the movie if we feel that at the get go it is going to be garbage. 

How can we tell if it is garbage?

No Character development 

No Interesting Dialogue

No Interesting Scenes

While we feel that profanity is warranted in a lot of situations if a movie starts with a profanity laced monologue that doesn't warrant it we feel that that is just lazy writing.

There are many ways to say fuck but it is surely better to show us how fucked or fucked up some characters are than to have them say that word again and again for effect.

3) Too political

While there is nothing wrong about tackling political issues in Documentaries and Movies we somehow draw the line when we feel like a character is no longer talking like a real person. If I find that a character has been talking gibberish words for 5 minutes on end not really progressing the plot with the monologue. We stop what we are watching. There will be platforms to push political agendas but not on our downtime. 

There you go. I hope that this also helps you enjoy your downtime. 

"Gratitude Board April 2021"

"Gratitude Board April 2021"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

1) I am grateful that despite the Pandemic extending and getting worse none of my core family members had gotten sick.

2) I am grateful that despite losing jobs I was able to gain more and that is a hard thing to do in this economy.

3) I am grateful to see my Wife smile because her family is slowly but surely getting better. We are excited for Tim and his new job and Trish and Job.

4) I am grateful that Mama Lita has already been vaccinated with her first dose and is one step closer to immunity.

5) I am grateful that my daughter is growing up as a wonderful person who cares about her family and has developed varied interests.

6) I am grateful that despite being tired I can still see beauty in what I do. 

"Smog Onyx: Where they don't expect it."

 "Smog Onyx: Where they don't expect it!"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

By now everyone knows about this awesome 2 card combo. Where you can chain er...continually copy Chain of Smog even if you no longer have any hand to discard and by doing so keep on triggering the Magecraft ability of Professor Onyx Aka Liliana in disguise until you drain the life out of all your opponents and you have a radiant glow about you that can only be gotten by well sucking the life out of everyone else around you. Jolly Fun right?

Since this combo is so well known  , you can tell by the price spike of Chain of Smog , I have 6 copies of this one card because it was dirt cheap back in the day. And it has been in a dusty binder until this combo came to light. I am still not selling any of it hahaahaha (Hoarder for life!)

What I want to talk about at the moment is that since people know that this combo will be coming in power house builds like Tergrid and Tiny Bones or even in Golgari Colors because well they had to print a card like Witherbloom Apprentice which basically has the same ability as Prof. Onxy , only in Black Green and cheaper. So Imagine how silly it would be to have both of these guys in play in a dedicated Golgari deck. Not looking good for everyone else huh?

So what I would like to do is to put this in a deck that my opponents would probably not expect it from like I don't know a Monoblack infect deck with Skittles at the helm , while they are worrying over Poison counters and that 10th one that will hit them I silently build up 8 mana and Baam Mother Father! Smog Onyx  Bomb in the house! 

Like I always say this is a worthy goal. I should incorporate it soon. Bwahahahaha

"3 Naruto Characters that would be a great fit in Strixhaven"

 "3 Naruto Characters that would be a great fit in Strixhaven"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Strixhaven is the best school for Mages across the Multiverse and have attracted some of the best talents. So what if they also attracted some characaters from other Dimensions? In which case I have chosen 3 characters from Naruto that would be a perfect fit for some colleges in Strix Haven.

1) Deidara

Deidara in my opinion would a good fit for the Prismari who love art and well  , explosive expressions of said art. Art is a blast is what Deidara always said. Who knows what kind of Pyro magic he can learn from the College right? Maybe he can learn to cast Explosive Welcome.

2) Sai

If Sai from Naruto would ever join a College in Strixhaven , He might join Silverquill.  Inklings would be easier for him to draw.  At least on the outside Sai could fit with his drawing techniques. He might even start to be friends with Killian. That guy could really use one.

3) Sakura Uchiha 

It was pretty late in the story when Sakura decided to be a Medical Ninja under the wings of Lady Tsunade. If she was ever in Strixhaven , she would fit right in with the College of Witherbloom , considered to be the pre-med of the the place. Learning about Anatomy and Potions. Sakura even has a contract with Leeches(Can we count them as pests?) which leads me to theorize that she can probably form a contract with the Wild Pest Lord , Blex.

I am still mulling over which College Naruto and Sasuke would fall into as of this writing. Maybe I can better expound on a later blog post. Hahahahha

"To The Echoes of Them"

"To The Echoes of Them"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

I 

The halls no longer echo

with the sound of your voices

And there are things that I would 

Give if I could for one chance to hear

II

Hear in this cold and big place

Whose laughter used to be so abundant

I would very much want to see

both of you sitting , sipping your coffee there

III

Where you both would argue

Of the Future that was not here yet

Or Maybe Ramble on and on

about a past that could no longer be

IV

There was a balance disturbed

And A void that was never replaced

Instead things changed in your absence

For good or for worse can still be argued

V

But if there is one thing I am sure

I miss the laughter and your voices

The silent disapproval or  real dissent

I wish there were a lot more choices.

April 3 2020. Quezon City. 7:14pm 

"Time Spiral Block and Our Children"

 "Time Spiral Block and Our Children"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

And right off the bat , this is not about Sacrificing our Children to gain life. Nor is it about any sort of sacrifice. Well maybe not but it surely does not involve Sacrificing Children. Whoooo. Not let me continue. 

It was exactly 15 years ago when the first of the Time Spiral Block was released. It was October to be exact and only a few short months before my one and only Daughter Alessandria Venice R. De leon was born. 

The reason I am writing this now is that this was a period that I lost interest in Magic , it waned down quite a bit. I was a mad brewer , I would make 3 or 4 decks at a time around one concept like let us say Goblins , I would try and exhaust all the things I could do with it , Goblin Air Force (Goblins with flying) , Goblin Stat Pumps ( Goblins that gave attack bonuses like +3/0 or what not) , Goblin Flamers (Pinging Goblins with Mog Fanatic and Goblin Sharpshooter) or Black Red Discard Goblins which well did not work out well.

All I was saying is that I loved creating new decks and I enjoyed playing with them but all that changed when Aven came along and that was also the time when Time Spiral block came out. I was fascinated with everything that my daughter did. She would coo and I would feed her and give her a bath and all the seemed mundane but for me who was experiencing for the first time all else became pale in comparison. Not even the game I loved stood a chance. And I believe this is the real reason why I feel so disconnected with this block.

Probably the same reason my friends Mark and Nolan will feel a little disconnected with the new Time Spiral Remastered Block because their respective babies will take all their time. While Nolan still makes youtube videos , Mark it seems has lot of interest in the game as of late and I did tell them that I can surely relate to them.

I am happy that my friends have children , people that we can pass our knowledge to in the future. My own daughter who has grown into her own personality and interests seems ripe for a Magic internship under my care. Let us see what this Summer will hold for our games together. 

  

"The Fox Priestess and Dragon"

 "The Fox Priestess and Dragon" 

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

"Master , what is she doing here?" Blue whispered to V as she bowed.

"No need to whisper. She can hear you."

"Then let me repeat myself master what is the Head priestess of the Death Fox religion doing here?"

"Well Su here is my guest. Isn't that right?"

Su bowed slightly as greeting to the new comer.

By looking at the Japanese girl with the severe bangs and long black hair one cannot assume that her religion has been the cause of so many deaths in this part of the world. For better or worse the most dangerous religion on the planet. All the more lethal as the followers of this group have worshipped the coming of the Fox god in secret and have been making preparations for decades. The same innocent girl was looking at Blue with curious eyes.

"Interesting. I have never seen a live Talon before."

"Really? Why is that?" V turned to the girl named Su. 

"My followers usually kill them on sight."

Blue tried to look unfazed by the innocent looking girl with the curled lip who seemed to be admiring her. She was not doing a good job at it.

"Oh don't worry. I am against killing any living thing even if the Fox God usually demands it. So if you are worried for your life I have no followers who can kill you at the moment." This was said with a sincere smile which did not seem sincere enough to reassure Blue.

"Besides guests should not be talking about that." V was the one who looked strict and it surprised her that she was treating Su like the little girl she was rather than the head of the religion that had hunted dragons in Japan almost to extinction. Even if she does look like an innocent girl a quick glance from Blue told her that she was at least the same age as her Master.

"Pardon the intrusion but he is at least 6 decades older than me. The thing with many followers is that I need to instantly need to know what is on their minds."

Blue stepped back and had to shield her mind from the presence that she had found there. 

"Oh and all your other secrets are safe. I won't tell him. So please let me just enjoy this day with him without intrusion. It is very rare that I get kidnapped like this."

"What?"

"I see. She was in your head just now. Yes I did kidnap her. Otherwise she would not rest even for a day. Poor girl."

Su was nodding up and down like a cute puppy dog. Again not an image that you want to associate with such a dangerous person.

"So what will we have today Su? It has been awhile since you have been out of the Fox God's domain."

"Ice cream. And maybe a little Drink later."

"Do you want to go to an arcade too?"

"Oh they have those now. I read that from a followers mind."

"Most of the things that I have tried physically have been from my Scales and Talons too. Isn't it great that we have that in common."

Su smiled. "Off to Ice cream!!!" 

"See you later Blue. Tell YuuA that I will be at that place."

Blue bowed. "Yes Master"

Blue began to worry even if it was her Master the followers of the Death Fox were not the most pleasant people to deal with. She was resolved to follow them from a distance.

"A Little Too Late Application "

"A Little Too Late Application "

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD 

I recently applied to a website that specializes in Magic the Gathering content. With the way that Wizards of the Coast has been conducting it's business there is a constant need to update players and collectors about new content. I was asked why I wanted the position and here was my reply:

The reason I want this post.

I am Dr. Virgilio F. De leon Jr. , I am a blogger and Magic player. I have been writing about Magic for more than a decade now. I am genuinely excited with the prospect of working to promote the game that I love. 

I always felt like during the early years of magic there was not enough articles that I could identify with as a beginner and so I started to write about Magic and talked about Piso-Piso decks aka Pauper. I also play EDH and have about 100 plus decks with varied concepts.

I hope that you can consider me for the Content Writer post and I will eagerly wait for your response.

Dr. De leon

I must admit that I was pretty late in my submission. I looked at myself and saw all that I lacked even with the encouragement of friends and family. It took me an hour to make my Writer's Resume. I have been writing since I was young but not really put an effort a resume that focused on this part of my life. Mainly because I always got the job because a friend recruited me. 

So I sat there in front of my laptop like an idiot. Insecurities gnawing at me. I was in a slump as well. Not writing anything for weeks on end. Not the kind of writer you would want on your team anyway.

I passed my resume about the same time my friend got his final interview. I think I threw my net a little too late and now I am not even sure if someone saw my resume.

I still know why I write about MTG though and I will continue writing until I cannot.

"The Selfishness of a Few , The Death of Many"

 "The Selfishness of a Few , The Death of Many"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

My Tita Emy just died yesterday(March 29 2021) and I cannot help but feel a rage deep within me. As I looked at my newsfeed on social media I saw even more deaths , these were mothers too , and Ninongs and Uncles and Fathers and sons. As I analyzed some of them I felt that some of these deaths could have been prevented.

Our Doctors are very good but you need to be able to reach them for them to help you and how can you do that when you are the 94th patient in a line of other more "urgent" patients. This is the worst time to get sick as all of the hospitals are full. Every night there are private messages if I can help secure a bed in a private hospital. And the message is the same. All the beds are full. Sick people are being referred to other places that are also full.

Asthma should not kill you this time around and yet due to an overwhelmed hospital system that might as well been the case.

And this is because people do not take this virus seriously , people even denying it , calling the vaccine a fake satanic nano bot filled thing. People are entitled to their own beliefs of course but they should see the consequence of all their beliefs.

Not wearing a mask properly , a lapse in handwashing or social distancing , the improper wearing of face shields. They all think that 97 percent of the cases are mild anyway not thinking that the 3 percent of the population that can turn up with severe symptoms coupled with the patients who also need medical attention can strain the hospital system.

10k cases and climbing and the statisticians are saying that we have reached the point where our testing capacity is no longer accurate. A year in and the start of a new ECQ people have not learned the hard lessons that they should. They still flippantly say things that the poor are immune to this virus.

You can have the virus , not know it , infect people around you until it reaches the people who cannot defend themselves.

They then go to the hospitals and compete with beds and staff with other people who also need medical attention. Yes Covid19 beds might not be full as there are reports that they are adding a lot more but the truth of the matter is that most if not all hospitals remain understaffed. They were already understaffed before this pandemic began and they are now even more so now.

I feel that what I wrote is futile. It might never reach the ears of the people I want shout at. They might never get to read it , comprehend it or dismiss it plainly because it does not follow their world view.

Meanwhile a lot of loved ones are dead. And something that might have been prevented happened. 

"3 Reasons Why Time Spiral Remastered feels a little Meh to me"

 "3 Reasons Why Time Spiral Remastered feels a little Meh to me"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Time Spiral Remastered has now come and gone. Wizards of the coast has been banking on the fact that both players and collectors will pick up this curated set for Nostalgia or maybe to bling out their existing decks with the time shifted cards that do feature a lot of EDH staples like Reclamation Sage or Eternal Witness.

I however feel a little bit meh on this whole release and might end up just picking a single or two when I get the chance. 

I had to ask myself why though? I mean the cards are pretty good and there are some reprints that might be worth a lot. There is also the chase Time shifted cards in foil that as of this writing is worth a small fortune. I had to look deep inside myself and these are my answers.

1) With the exception of some of the new "Sheet cards" introduced by Wotc  in this TSM I have most of these cards.

This was a time when my friends and I were still able to go to SM Noth Edsa , they still had 3 shops that was offering cards by the binder in Comic Quest , Filbars and Courtside. One trip and I would have hoarded most of the piso piso commons that I was able to find.Some of the rares and Uncommons that I was not able to find I have acquired over time.

2) Old Cards in Modern Era Frames and Modern Era Cards in the Old Frames.

While I must admit that seeing Mirrodin cards like Chalice of the Void (I have 3) and Cranial Plating(About a dozen) in the old card frame was pretty cool I still don't find it compeling enough to buy the set.  I mean some of the cards are really nice to look at but a lot of them start to feel weird for me like True Name Nemesis and Restoration Angel for example. Modern Frame Teferi and Venser might be cool but I do not have a problem just playing with them in the current version that I have.

Overall I feel like this switching of frames is merely aesthetic and does not affect the cards at all. And I already spent good money on the current versions that I have then why would I shell out for more of the same thing albeit in a different frame. 

It's like buying the same GI Joe action figure because Hasbro decided to give it a bigger gun or shinier uniform.

3) The Real Reason

Not to sound snooty or anything but I feel that my current collection had lost some it's value at the moment due to the reprinting. I mean cards like Gemstone Cavern , Vesuva and Urborg ,Tomb of Yawgmoth were very sought after cards. Now you can get them on the cheap. I was probably mad at that  but then again having seen all of this the original cards probably would still be able to command a better price. 

And heck if most Magic players do get a copy of these cards then all the better for their decks and eventual game play when this whole Pandemic is over.

I still feel Meh because it didn't add value to what I already have.

"Ako si Maria Clara , A performance"

 "Ako si Maria Clara , A performance"

by:

Alessandria Venice R. De leon

I

Ako si Maria Clara De Los Santos. Maria Clara ng mga Santo. Minamahal ng lahat ng nakakakita sa akin , idolo ng marami. Ako ang simbolo kung ano ang ibig sabihin maging isang babae , makadiyos at puro. Dimple ko pa lang wala nang makakapantay.

II

Ngunit ako ay isang kasinungalingan. Ako ay si Maria Clara Damaso bunga ng isang bagay na di dapat na ganap sa pagitan ng isang Pari at Parokyano. Iyan ang aking Lihim. Ngayon na alam mo. Ano na ang tingin mo sa akin? 

III

Pero importante ba kung saan ka nagmula? Ang iyong tunay na Ama? Di ba't dapat tingnan lamang ang iyong mga ginawa? Ako pa din si Maria Clara. Babaeng Puro at di Masama. 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Editor's Note:

Aven performed this as a performance task for her Noli Class and it explores the dark secret about Maria Clara and her true parentage. 

"He fell"

 "He fell"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

"This is going to be a weird day" and as I said that I plunged into the ocean where I was in my bed a whole thought ago. "How did I get here? I don't live anywhere near the ocean. Oh and I also don't know how to swim. Great! Not only am I drowning , no one actually knows where to find me.If only I can get back home." 

"Dad?" My daughter looked at me. "Why are you all wet? And Is that sea weed on your head?"

"What did you do?" This was my wife as she came out of the bathroom. "You are spilling water all over the kitchen floor!"

I was beginning to think that the ocean was a better option than facing an angry wife in the morning but then again here I am in the middle of my own kitchen with my family. I should be safe but I don't feel that way. Did I think about places and I was there?

"Jonah , you have to get more milk ok? You are the one who finishes them all off anyway. The Grocery..."

"...Store." I heard my wife saying it but before she even finished I was in the middle of the place. Oh I forgot to tell that I usually just sleep in my boxers. It is a good thing that the place is still closed. Then again there might be cameras here. How the hell did an almost naked , obviously drenched man end up in the middle of the milk aisle?

I really have to figure things out. Now how the hell do I stop and not think of places to blink to? 

"The Prize before the Goal: A Story of Focus"

"The Prize before the Goal: A Story of Focus"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

I woke to the sound of Aven packing up her laptop as she was done with the last of her exams. This was officially her last day of school and it has been an interesting journey to say the least. I have looked back on this time and I was happy that we were able to provide a stable environment for her in our house. She had given up her violin lessons to focus on her schooling and I appreciated the fact that Aven gave no fuss whatsoever when we told her about this. She had been doing great by her 3rd grading period and we wanted to make sure that she would carry the momentum to the last quarter. Her mom was very strict toward her but I have known that like my own mom she has a very soft spot for Aven.

So to motivate Aven her mom said that she can have the Midi she had always wanted , along with her Violin lessons if she did well on the last quarter. And so Aven buried herself in Performance tasks , passing it way in advance that her work became the model of other students. "Ganito dapat" the teachers would say of her work to her classmates. She reviewed until midnight , woke early to prepare and review her notes. She had increaser her tutorial lessons with her Teacher Cel and even attended Remedials even though she did not need to. 

The thing is on the start of the Final exams even before she could start on one her Midi arrived from Amazon. Her mom had ordered it in advance believing that it would arrive around the 3rd week of May , way beyond Aven and her classes. but Lo and behold here was the thing now , arriving on this crucial week.

Aven was excited to see this device of course , she had talked on and on about the things that she would like to experiment with and create for the summer , even creating a scheduler for the Summer(reminds me of the young me who had all summer events planned when I was her age). A solid 2 hours would be devoted to this Midi and creation of music. I was worried that it would distract her.  Instead she carefully arranged her dresser. Covered this in plastic and intensified her review even more. All while helping us around the house with her chores and helping us prepare for work.

I thought that the prize arriving before the actual work was done was distracting but here was Aven proving that it was not the case. So today , her last day of School she had brought out the Midi , set her Ipad , put on her lights on her dresser and worked on her first track. It featured a lot of relaxing Oriental Strings. I told her that it made me feel like I was having a massage somewhere minus the actual massage. Hahahahaha.

I told Aven that I can now make my Mumble Rap Album and do a few Ciphers now that I have her as my PD-nim. We are in discussions on her PD Name hahaha.

.I am amazed at how Aven continues to grow as a person and express herself in various ways with her music. She makes us so proud every day. After all her hard work I believe that her mom would agree she really deserved this gift.

"The Battle Rages - To buy or not to Buy"

"The Battle Rages - To buy or not to Buy"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

I have to admit that seeing this card. I was tempted to buy it. Only for about 0.000008 seconds though. The higher functioning part of my brain instantly bonked the more impulsive side by saying , 

"That is 7500 pesos! That is the price of a Japanese Strixhaven Set Booster Box. Think of the Freebies! Free Japanese Mystical Archive Sleeves and Buy a Box plus all those Japanese Mystical Archive Cards which also has a Japanese Art Demonic Tutor in it! And you also might get it in foil! Plus you have 500 in change to spend on let us say 2 loose Japanese Strixhaven Set boosters!" The Normal Japanese Demonic tutor is $247 and the foil one is $608! Get your priorities straight!" 

"I thought you would stop me from buying the cards!" , My Impulsive Brain responded.

"You are not being logical!" , My Logical Brain spat out.

At this point bought my Logical and Impulsive sides had started to beat each other.

I would let you know when they have stopped.

Let Ian Mervin Go know if you like the card. He is selling it at X 40. My brain might settle at some point in time for me enough to make a clear decision to buy it but not tonight. Hahahaha

"The Weary Wish"

 "The Weary Wish"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

One more time with tired eyes

looking at the numbers side by side

And as they scroll on grimmer and grimmer things

Numbers every growing and flowing

So much so that I see them

In my sleep or in waking

The numbers haunt me when they shouldn't

They appear always from nowhere

They keep rising and they keep falling

mingled with the voice of the circus

The one's shouting solutions 

and the one's shouting accusations

All mingled into one gray pot

The voices of the dying 

The anguish of their loved ones

And those who can , still crying

One more time with tired eyes

I close them and wish for time

Wishing to bring back what was lost

And for them who are here to stay.

Theb Gatehouse Loft , Valenzuela City. April 22 , 2021 , 11:46pm

"A Hopeful Parallel"

"A Hopeful Parallel"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

It has been awhile again. My Izanami has gotten the better of my again and I am still trapped in this loop where I can't write but today it seems like a tipping point for me and a lot of the things that have been brewing all this time has just needed to come out.

So there I was looking at the news that Israel had finally announced that you can now go out in public and not wear a mask. A friend of mine even posted that when she went out and not had a mask on , she felt weird , as if she forgot something. And I believe that this will be a thing for quite some time until people go back to normal.

It reminded me of the book version of World War Z where Israel was one of the first nations to stabilize and found a way to effectively deal with the undead. Read the book , the movie just went so far out there that it is no longer the same thing.

Going back to my topic. Back in the real world it was also Israel who mounted the first effective response to Covid19 and thanks to all their hard work they can now go out and mingle in public and open their economy and schools. Yes there are certain situations that require a mask such as large gatherings but hey seeing another persons face without a mask is both a jarring and weird experience after the Pandemic year that we have all been through.

This gives me hope that there is an end to all this fear and misery. That we will eventually get there even if it seems quite hopeless now. We will survive and turn the tide much like Israel did. The road is long and hard and there are a lot of obstacles. All we need is to hold on. And be thankful that there are no zombies to add to our worries.