"Loco feat. Crush - Still: A Haunting , Lingering feeling"

"Loco feat. Crush - Still: A Haunting , Lingering feeling"

by:

The Vole

I wasn't really planning on writing any reaction to this MV since Loco could just be seen rapping in different areas of an empty auditorium reminscing memories about his performances. About fans who were there in the beginning and have disappeared. About feelings that lingered like that of a hot summer day.About a smile that he still wished he could see.

There was a cut in the MV of Loco starting out and winning a show and a lady who since I have no other idea looked like his mom. This is actually a sad , personal song that conveys feelings of loss. 

If I have not seen the english subs this was oddly enough a song that you would find yourself swaying to because of its almost hypnotic beats. This also features a jangly guitar loop that stays as it's motive.

No over the top fast raps just a simple technique that holds you to listen to the very end. Crush might also be a factor in this and I do like how his voice lends a mellow tone to the entire song. And when the beats die down you are left with the guitar loops and that lingering feeling of earnest loss.

"Magic life:The Endgame handshake"

"Magic life:The Endgame handshake"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.

A handshake is something that humans do to greet each other , agree on something or even to conclude a social encounter.

Magic games are just that ,social encounters that happen to all forms of players , of every age , race , economic standing or gender identity.Some players care about the impression that they make as they reach out a hand and give a firm handshake or in the case of some other players who may have varied reasons from setting an intimidating "You are my opponent stance" or who are just too damn shy to socially reach out to another person even if that touch is acceptable do not extend the same hand.

It is quite ok either way since what we want is to play anyway and enjoy that interaction more. 

The endgame handshake is something that I noticed that varies quite a lot since this can be offered to bridge peace when one particular match becomes heated due to differences of opinions on interpreting rules and judges have been called in to intervene. 

Players probably don't expect a handshake when they crushingly defeat someone. My friend who loves to "Overkill" opponents is the least in my group to receive endgame handshakes but receives the most "overkill" insults from our past playgroup which he shrugs off and seems to enjoy.

Personally I enjoy a handshake that is offered when I lose(and that is a lot) or when I win(by some miracle). In Magic most of your opponents are passionate people who would probably look over your deck and suggest cards or plays that would benefit you. You maybe opponents during the tournament but afterwards you often make fun of each other after the matches. Most of the people who shook my hand are people that I still talk to today. Maybe because they gave a good impression , maybe because they signalled that they were good sports when they lost or gracious when they so clearly owned my deck. 

Endgame handshakes are as important as your first greeting. Too light and it would seem that you are angry and being passive aggressive about it, too tight and it seems you are really , really angry and are being really overt about it. So give that goldilocks firm handshake. Something that is just right.

If you are reading this chances are we shook hands before. Keep it up. 

So how do you greet your opponents before games? Do you give an endgame handshake? Do you wash your hands first? I'm not telling.

"If I had Dr. Strange Powers.."

"If I had Dr. Strange Powers.."

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

After watching the wonderful Dr. Strange adaptation. Laughing at the jokes , enjoying the visuals and wondering if Hannibal would eat Dr. Strange(and being disappointed in that) I got to wondering if I had the ability to do that time looping trick that Dr. Strange did to Dormammu(still can't pronounce this name without thinking of an old woman who gives out good motherly advise especially about cooking somehow).

If I could do that trick I would have probably used it on the doc who was assigned to give us the bad news or good news that we didn't the pass the Comprehensive Exams in Medical school. Yeah! I would go. "Dr. So and So I have come to bargain."

Dr. So and So would say , you still fail.

Then you are my prisoner.

Then you shall know pain.

Pain is like a long lost friend.

You still fail.

"Dr. So and So I have come to bargain....

You still fail...

Probably after doing this for a couple of hundred of times. I would just take the comprehensive exam and pass it to shut Dr. So and So from saying that I still fail.

I don't think that's how it would have ended but hey Dr. Stranges ability would be wasted on me I guess.

"Sleeping: Kalabit necessities"

"Sleeping: Kalabit necessities"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

I currently lecture groups of Seafarers during their pre-departure orientation seminars to promote wellness and one of the main points that I stress is to maintain proper sleep to promote a healthy lifestyle.

A solid uninterrupted 8 hour sleeping habit seemed highly feasible but a lot in my class seem to complain that they won't be able to do that.

One man in my first class mentioned that , "kinakalabit kasi ako doc , kaya kailangang gumising." This elicited a really strong laugh from that class since they feel like they can all relate. From this you would have the impression that most of my class were keeping sex starved wives at home!

In my next class I mentioned that if "kinalabit kayo eh magpakipot naman kayo ng kaunti." Where one man in the back then countered that "Eh dok , walang magluluto ng sinangag." More laughter and later from the same man in yellow , "Walang magpaplantsa ng uniform pagpasok doc."  My only response to that was , "Mahirap nga yan. Sige wag na tayong matulog."

The class laughed but I drove the point across later that lack of sleep leads to other unhealthy habits like eating more and being unsatisfied that you end up eating more which is only one more reason to sleep.

Funny that as I mentioned sleep I only had 5 hours of it as of that time. Hooowell at least I can say that I am talking from experience when it comes to lack of sleep and actually dream of a day when I can sleep 8 hours straight. I can sleep when the bills are paid.

"Nang Bumangon ang Bumbero"

"Nang Bumangon ang Bumbero"

Ni:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.

Bumulagta na ang bumbero sa kakapatay sa mga apoy

hinahabol ang hininiga nakahiga sa mga tupok na kahoy

Nakakapagod nang bumangon , sawa na sa mga argumento

Oo , Oo at Oo ang mga pangaaway mo ang apoy

Di pa naaapula ang isa ay may isa pang uusbong

naguumpisa at natatapos sa mga nakakarinding bulong

Tama saboy ng tubig patay ang isa.Ay may isa pa.

Di matatapos tapos na araw at ang bumbero nagiisa.

Singhot ang usok , puno ng mga galos , ubos ang lakas

tinukod ang mga siko at nagpumilit tumayo para sa bukas

Matutupok lang ang siyang mga tinayo , humiyaw na lang sa pagod.

Isang oras , isang araw , isang linggo. Matatapos din ito.

Nov 4 2016 , Sykes Shaw 500

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Editor's Note: I do not own the picture shown on this post.

"The Manga Monster"

"The Manga Monster"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.

"Anyeong Masterpiece!" YuuA opened her weekly YuuAcam with a wide smile that revealed perfect rows of teeth and she instantly apologized with the camera angles and adjusted to reveal her very red lips and her hair tied in a neat pony tail. Her fans were now slowly flooding in the virtual room that was set up for her and giving her comments like Yeppu or Angel YuuA that filled her with so much confidence.

She usually talks about different things during these cam appearances but she did not feel like talking for today about herself so she said that she would be taking everyone on a spying mission on the different members of Oh my Dolls. And she thought of the first person who would be an easy target. Jinyo who was all alone and reading in her room.

With Silent steps OMD's main dancer opened the door slightly and focused the camera on the phone she was holding.

It was easy to sneak up on Jinyo who lay flat while reading what looked like a manga. Her pretty unpainted face reacting to what she was reading. YuuA laughed lightly at her friend who seemed so engrossed with what she was reading. She panned out to look at the stacks of manga that was on the floor of her bed and a white chocolate pocky on top of it. 

YuuA tried to remember how long it was that Jinyo read these things but could not recall when she started but she seemed to be gobbling up the series in one sitting. Jinyo reached out for the pocky and absentmindedly put on in her mouth as she sat down and fixed her long black hair to the side.

"Anyeong Jinyo!" YuuA finally said , barging into the room and eliciting a surprised yelp from Jinyo who hit her head on the upper bunk of the double decker she occupied.

"Anyeong Everyone!" Jinyo recovered and smiled sweetly. "YuuA can be so sneaky." 

Both girls laughed and YuuA got in the frame. "So what are you doing today?"

" I decided to catch up on this great manga that a friend introduced to me a while back.It is called The Dragon's Bride."

"Dragon's Bride. Seems interesting. What is it about?"

"To put it simply it follows several women who either embrace the title or run from it. What is interesting for me is that the dragon doesn't really play any part in it. He is just the end of the journey and you see the thoughts of these women who are ready to accept or change their fates."

"Wow.You make me want to read it.Can I borrow some?"

"After I finished with it unnie. It is still ongoing. Here take a look at the art. It really is something."

YuuA focused on the detailed artwork of a Dragon bride saving a child from drowning. It seemed like 3D photography with a layer of surreal backgrounds. 

"I had a hard time reading it at first so my friend translated it from Nippon to Hangul."

YuuA noticed the little notes that were sticking out of the manga stacks for the first time.

"How thoughtful of him." YuUA said suddenly thinking of who was close enough to Jinyo to do such a sweet thing. 

Jinyo smiled so brightly that she seemed to blot out the feed for a little while.An unusual amount of energy that was flowing out of her and YuuA was startled that she had to focus somewhere else and whispered to the other girl that her powers were manifesting live online. 

"I am sorry" Jinyo said and she willed whatever what was leaking to stop.

"I am sorry about that sudden glare. I think I was showing you the window. Kekekeke." YuuA said to the cam.

The comments flooded in. 

"Oh so that's what it was."

"Yeah it was the window."

"Whoa it was so bright."

"So back to this friend of yours. How long have you known him?" YuuA asked.

Jinyo looked at YuuA and smiled. Thinking of what to say but her silence already spoke volumes as the other girl already narrowed the list of people who might be able to do such a thing for her. 

Jinyo was promptly saved by Hyosin their , candy leader who went into the room and asked what the girls were doing.

"She is doing her YuuA cam and I am just reading here a bit.Candy Leader."

"Seems like a lot of reading for one day Jinyo." Hyosin toed the tall stacks of manga on the floor.

"I read fast." Jinyo beamed again.

"Well , let's leave you to it. Bee and I have something to show YuuA in the practice room."

"See you later guys!" Jinyo waved. YuuA came along but could not help feel that she was on to something and was being diverted by the others. 

Jinyo breathed a little sigh of relief as she let go of the manga with V's handwritten notes all over it. She hoped her unnie might not recognize it but she was not all sure with the way she was looking at her as she went out of her room.

"Where you look for No Idols."

"Where you look for No Idols."

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.

"You really think that letting your unnie get all the spotlight is ok?" V asked Jinyo as they walked the paved stone pathway of the park. Couples were everywhere and Jinyo wished that she could just take V's hand and walk peacefully. 

"Aren't you Jinyo from Oh my doll?" A young girl who stopped in front her asked."You are so pretty in person unnie. You inspire me every day because you work so hard." Jinyo hesitated and she knew that she was almost caught when V stepped in.

"My girlfriend gets that a lot , but she can neither sing nor dance." V said while taking her hand. "So if you don't mind we would like to resume our normal people date and not talk about idols that she does not look like."

The young girl looked dejected. 

"Thank you for thinking that I was her." Jinyo said as they were walking away. She still could not shake the disappointment of the girl who still stood there looking at them as they walked away. V sighed.He knew that Jinyo would feel guilty if he did not do anything so he went back to the girl , whispered something to her,  handed her something and Jinyo watched as the girl smiled from ear to ear. She waved at her unnie and was skipping away.

"Just what did you do?"

"I told her that I was holding on to some Oh my Doll tickets that I plan to see with you but I just gave it to her."

"You really shouldn't have done that."

"And have you sulk at me the whole time that we are out on these rare dates? I don't think so."

Jinyo smiled at the dragon who was getting more and more attuned to her feelings. She was a bit worried that she was not getting what he wanted though. She slipped her hands around one of his arms and tugged at him. "So where are we off to now?"

"Some place nice. Some place where people wont look for idols."

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A few minutes later they were at the concert of Darlings , the current rivals of OMD.

"You are right they won't notice me here. All eyes will be on them." And Jinyo pointed to the 6 pretty girls who were now dancing on stage."You make me want to cry with that sense of humor of yours."

"Want to get something to drink?" Jinyo shrugged her shoulders , took V's preferred hand and without saying it knew that she would go with him wherever he takes her.