"Ang sakit ng mga may sakit"

"Ang sakit ng mga may sakit"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

I

Ako po ay may sakit

Ubo ng mama

pagdurugo ng ale

pagpunta at balik sa banyo ni Ate

II

Gusto ko na pong...

...magpahinga 

...umuwi

...uminom ng gamot

III

Gusto ko na pong...

...huminto

...magpatuloy

...maging kapakipakinabang

IV

At ako ay may sakit din

Na naghihirap magtiwala

sa mga sinasabi na di tugma

di tugma sa sintomas ni Ate at Kuya.

V

So ano ang gagawin sa mga may sakit?

Na gawa gawa lamang para magpahinga

So ano ang gagawin ng di na nagtitiwala?

VI

Gusto ko nang...

...manakal

...mang alog

...mag tanong

VII

Paulit ulit na lang tayo

sa hinaba haba ng panahon.

Sinungaling ka pa din

at ako ay nagpupumilit huminahon.

TM Kalaw , 10/07/ 2017 9:26am

"3 things I have seen this week: Jeepneys"

"3 things I have seen this week: Jeepneys"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

There have been calls to change the existing jeepneys that ply our streets and this has been met with both positive and negative responses with some claiming that the jeepney as old and as inefficient as it is is part of our cultural identity and then there are those clamoring that the cost of updating the jeepneys will be too much of a burden to the common jeepney driver and their operators. 

It has been that kind of week.

1) 3 Jeepneys

With Piston declaring their transport strike early the government has responded with suspending classes and government work for two straight days. The result was that of a Manila that seemed like a ghost town and when my wife and I went out on our normal Monday date I counted around just 3 Jeepneys that did not join the call to strike of their brethren. The need to pay bills sometimes trumps the need to fight for principles.

2) The Lone Jeepney 

The transport strike was relatively quiet , at least where I lived. There was a single jeepney and several drivers with a single megaphone shouting things in front of the Valenzuela Town Center with 3 Red boys(Valenzuela's traffic police) watching them from a few feet. If people expected trouble it wasn't going to come from these guys who were just standing around and from time to time remember that they were on strike would shout one thing or another on their megaphone.

3) Jeepneys of the future

I have seen the future and most of them look like Mini-buses! So there was a show of sorts that paraded the jeepneys of the future. Some of the designs looked promising but I understand the alienation it must have caused because they tend to look like really small buses. If they wanted mini buses to replace the jeep then why not just increase the number of buses. Then again I don't claim to know everything. An efficient and dependable mass transport system seems to be in order but there seems to be a problem with providing just that.

3 different jeeps at 3 different times all spurned by the call to change and improve and the question is will there be change? will there be improvement? Only time will tell.And maybe a few more transport strikes will be in order.

"Midweek Magic October 2017 #39:Dino Terrors"

"Midweek Magic October 2017 #39:Dino Terrors"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

Ah the excitement of a new set and the cards that go with it. I have been writing a lot about Boros Dinos and I have been enjoying all the ways that Dino's could truly be terrorizing.

First there are two creatures that makes them much cheaper to cast in the form of Kinjalli's Caller and Otepec Huntmaster. The latter also has the distinct advantage of giving a Dino Haste. So a discounted Nest Robber(with Haste) and Territorial Hammerhead could come in and attack at the same time with just the Otepec Huntmaster in play. This is what happened to Janry and me who went up against his mono black modern pauper zombie deck who have awesome creatures like the Gray Merchant of Asphodel and Gurmag Angler. The Dino's were a bit faster though.

And one evil thing that I found in play testing was that Sun-crowned Hunters really had the potential of finishing off opponents in a hurry. Opponents cannot mass block it since any damage a creature would deal to it translates into 3 damage to an opponent. So let us say it gets mass blocked by 4 1/1 goblins , it then deals 12 damage to opponents choice and even when it is blocked it still gives value since it gives a lightning bolts worth of damage. Opponents may want to trade for that instead of getting the full 5 points of damage. The only thing that could ruin this for me is that is that blocking creature has death touch hahahaha.

Still seeing the Boros dinos in action makes me happy. Now time to play some more.

"Huatli , Warrior Poet: Poetry in blood"

"Huatli , Warrior Poet: Poetry in blood"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Now that I have made my Gishath led dino EDH deck I turn my attention to the planeswalker that should make dinos even stronger but what does she offer that I will consider adding her? Or am I a fool for not already auto including her in the onset? Today we will see if Huatli deserves the slot.

The 5 mana cost planeswalker who has never left the plane of Ixalan is our main topic for today and let me just say that she could be used in other decks but she would be at the tail end of a very aggressive mana curve if used in other aggressive decks.

Looking at her first ability she can swing life in your favor if you have been taking potshots in the early game from fast attackers or direct damage. If you have at least one dino out then you are in luck. Her first ability lets you gain life equal to the greatest power among creatures you control. The more common dinos usually have 4, 5 or 6 power so she would do great with them already in play. Current Naya EDH decks also have big critters in them that could coincide well for this life gain. Think Krosan Cloudscraper levels.

Huatli's second ability gives you a 3/3 Green Dino token with trample which is great since it can protect her in the beginning and can be used to attack the following turn. Keep on creating these 3/3 tokens every turn and you'd have a dino army in no time.If you have no big creatures for her first ability then just create one and gain 3 life per turn if you want to.No cost to activate too. 

Now on to the last ability which is a -X. Reminiscent of the original Chandras burn abilities Huatli takes it a step further. You could outright kill a 3 toughness creature when she comes into the battlefield or you could deal 3 damage to 3 different creatures and let your dino's smash through for the win. Maybe she aims for the opposing creatures eyes to blind them so they won't be able to block.(that's just my theory though). I am not really sure how it works but with no blockers in the way and you have enough creatures to deal max damage one thing is clear. Opponents may need a fog effect to prevent the bloodshed you would be dealing.

And so I think I have convinced myself into adding this planeswalker into the Dino EDH deck I just made. Hay. Gastos ulit. I can't wait to see her write poetry for me. In the blood of those against me.

Thanks for reading and keep on brewing.

"3 things I have seen this week:Lyrics"

"3 things I have seen this week:Lyrics"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

One by one like a soundtrack being assembled I came by these songs and while I love the rhythm and style of each song there are particular parts that I particularly enjoy.

1) "Today more money to be made , there is nothing to explain"

- Rae Sremmurd - Black Beatles ft. Gucci Mane

After hearing Black Beatles in that Yatch party scene in the Ozarks this has been one of my favorite songs of the year. In particular is this line. I grew in a family that was close knit and every action or lack of attendance in family sanctioned gatherings were put under a microscope. I guess now that I am working as hard as I could and putting money where it should I don't really have to explain anything that I do.

2) "Worked so hard forgot how to vacation"

 - Post Malone - Congratulations ft. Quavo

Yeah this is me but my wife keeps reminding me that in the weekends I am not working and I am officially on vacation from making money. I am a dad and husband and I am on vacation with the most important people in my life. I do understand Post Malone's feeling of being underestimated and looked down on. So much so that you really need to work doubly to prove that what they say is just not what it is.

3) "If I'm gotta slap a pussy ass nXXXa , Imma make it look sexy. If I gotta go hard on a bXXXh Imma make it look sexy."

- Kendrick Lamar - ELEMENT.

Pardon the language but listening to this makes me think about my problems and whatever it is that comes my way I try to solve it as best as I could and make it look sexy. I am not literally going to slap someone but I will go hard on the problems that life has laid in my path. And I am still going to make it look sexy.

So there it is the three things I have seen this week. Awesome lyrics from awesome songs that I like. 

"Midweek Magic September 2017 #38:Reconsidering my EDH life Choices"

"Midweek Magic September 2017 #38:Reconsidering my EDH life Choices"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

It was my first match against Anton in years. We last faced off in a Standard Pauper tournament a couple of years back and it ended in a rather frustrating loss where he emerged on top and I was relegated to 3rd place.

I was looking forward to playing UHG midweek magic and thankful that I would have another group of players to play with. One can only be so lucky.

Of course when we started playing Anton would again show me that I was scattering all my strong EDH pieces into several places where they were weak. Maelstrom Wanderer opened me to a world of hurt and a lot reflection on my EDH life choices. Mainly why I have so many great cards and they don't all come together into a kick ass deck like the one I was facing.

And like something that has beaten me before I enter my borg mode , assimilating all that I can and then analyzing those pieces of information to come up with a deck that can actually compete. Yup I did get a beating but it was not all in vain. Bloodied heroes do not die. Bloodied heroes recover and return to save the day...well at least on a later date. (and also if the wound was not as fatal like a sword slash to the gut , I don't see how you walk out of a fight with a dagger through your heart or brain though).

So sorry about my mind wandering off like that. It does tend to happen from time to time after a beating.Hahahahha

Some of the combos that appeared were rather painful like "The Kiki Jiki + Zealous Consripts combo" that produced unli Zealous conscripts! Both Creatures had haste and therefore were a bane to existence. A turn killer. On one game they were even found by an Entwined Tooth and Nail. Brutal! 

Food chain appearing twice and twice killing me as well when there was always enough mana to go around and delivering a deathblow. I particularly liked the part that the double cascade from Maelstrom Wandered always made sure that you had something to exile to the Food chain. 

My own Food chain exists in a Vorel of the Hull Clade Simic EDH where my only dream of using it is to cast Mistform and Primordial Hydras for the win. It feels a little underutilized somehow. Time for me to show it in the way that it was supposed to be used.

Like any EDH game where the players are engaged we were not even able to track the time and when someone approached Anton to inform him that he overbreaked we knew that the game was at an end. It was bad timing too as I felt that the Brutalized Bruna deck that I was using this whole time could at least have dealt some damage.

I guess we will just have to see the next time. Always looking forward to it. Thank you for making me rethink my EDH life choices Anton. I hope to repay the favor some day. Hehehehehehe

"Doc In , Doc Out Espesyal Letter to Patients:Pahingi po ng tulog edition"

"Doc In , Doc Out Espesyal Letter to Patients:Pahingi po ng tulog edition"

by:

Virgilio F.De leon Jr.MD

Mga mahal naming Pasyente,

Magandang umaga!

Kung kayo po ay pupunta sa clinic dahil kayo ay inaantok ay wag na po kayong pumunta. Ito po ang sasabihin ko sa inyo , lahat po tayo ay napapagod at inaantok sa night shift. Kahit po ang mga pang gabi na Doctor at Nurse ay kulang din sa tulog pero tulad niyo kami ay pumapasok din para sa ekonomiya.

Kung ikaw ay napapagod sa mga personal mong inaasikaso nung may araw pa wag po nating ipasalo sa clinic ang ating pagod. Stimulant of choice po ang ating sagot dahil tayo po ay dapat papasok ng gising. Kung may mga aasikasuhin po ay mas maganda po na planuhing mabuti para di makaantala sa trabaho.

Kung may mga activity sa school ang mga bata o magpapakita sa DFA or magaayos ng mga papeles ay mas magandang magleave na lang. Sigurado naman na di emergency ang mga pangyayaring ito at may matagal nang abiso sa atin. Kung di talaga maiiwasan ay wag na talagang pumasok at magpahinga. Ang antok po ay di sakit. Kape po ang kasagutan. Tulog ang kasagutan. Sa pantry at sleeping quarters po matatagpuan yan. Hayaan niyo pong ang mga may sakit ang pumunta sa clinic. Wala pa kayo nun unless African sleeping sickness yan at kung ganun nga ang susunod ko na tanong kung nakakapunta ka ng Africa bakit nagtatrabaho ka pa dito ngayon?

Kaya mga minamahal na mga pasyente. Itulog niyo na lang po yan sa inyong mga higaan. 

Umaasang Masarap ang tulog mo,

Doc June