I am not old. I refuse to believe it.

Case in point: at Iana's party last Saturday, I invoked a lot of familiar moves I haven't really tried in almost 4 years and really let it loose on the dance floor (or the street, for that matter). That really felt so damn good.

Except for the searing pain at my side and the pop at the base of my neck afterwards.

Yes, I busted the moves and a few muscles apparently. I obviously wasn't prepared for such an intense workout!

At the same party, I embarked on a mission to outrank the top 2 subjects of incriminating photos from Paul's party the previous Saturday - Carl and Lynn. Simply. For. The. Heck. Of. It.

Mission accomplished.

Thanks, Iana, for a great party. I haven't felt that alive in a long time.

The following day was just as eventful.

Thanks to our client at SM Cinemas, my company was able to get tickets to the Red Carpet Premiere of The Dark Knight held at SM Megamall. Will post my review of the movie on its opening day this Thursday so as not to spoil it for everyone.

I will say this though: I can't give it all raves but I HATE Christopher Nolan now. See the movie and you'll see what I mean.

Later in the day, shot another episode of Fandom Live, then went clubbing with Tobie, Jovan and Urim.

Damn muscle pains kept me from working it. Too bad coz there weren't many people and there was space! SPACE DAMN IT SPACE!

Who am I kidding? DJ played Feedback and all pains go poof!

All's good until the rain of Red Horse on my face and my nice, expensive (by my standards) jacket. I never thought I would ever get that pissed my entire clubbing/bar-hopping life.

Hmm... I just realized...
What does it say about me that on both days I didn't wake up with a hangover but rather, with sore muscles?!

I have to wonder... and question... the sanity of Joe Quesada and Brian Bendis' vision for the Avengers. Stan Lee and every scribe that followed him had made it a point to make the Avengers as distinctly different from DC's Justice League.

Then came Joe Q and Bendis. In one fell swoop, they managed to do away with 40+ years of loyal fandom with Avengers Disassembled. From the ashes of the Mansion, a central figure in Avengers mythos, and the bodies of prominent Avengers, came the New Avengers. The only justification they give is that the team was supposed to be 'Earth's Mightiest Heroes', so why aren't made of Marvel best and brightest? To that end, they pooled founding Avenger Iron Man, frequent leader Captain America, resigned Avenger and Marvel flagship Spider-man with the overexposed Wolverine, underused Luke Cage, retired Spider-woman, and “who the hell?” characters the Sentry and Ronin (who would later turn out to be Echo, a minor character in the Daredevil book). That brings the question of: if they really wanted A-listers, where were Thor and Daredevil?!

Obviously, my talking about it now would be moot. The past is past. They've done what they've done and we're now on the second line-up of New Avengers as a direct result of Civil War and Captain America's assassination. Cap, Iron Man and the Sentry have been replaced with Iron Fist, Doctor Strange and Ronin (who would later turn out to be Clint Barton aka Hawkeye). Still no Thor and Daredevil. Spider-woman would later revert to the opposing Mighty Avengers leaving B-lister Echo the only female on the team. Pathetic.

I don't have a problem with the idea of replacing the old guard with something close to the Justice League really.
My only is that:
a. I don't understand the need to desecrate the Mansion, turn the Scarlet Witch into this crazy person and kill off members. In the group's entire history, members have been known to leave. Sometimes the slate is clean enough for several new recruits to come in.
b. If they really wanted an all-powerhouse team, they at least could've been more consistent about it. I agree with a lot of fans who say that the Sentry is indeed a redundant character what with Thor around. Evidenced in the current volume of his solo book, he can die and could quite easily be resurrected.
Why put an already obscure character in the guise of a completely new one? That slot in the original line-up could've easily belonged to Daredevil!
I don't really mind Wolverine since there is a need to tie-up Marvel's two main franchises (Spider-man and the X-men) but I argue that the Fantastic Four should have been duly represented as well. The Human Torch, the only one who has never been an Avenger, could have been perfect for this but I think the New Avengers would have been a great opportunity to boost up the career of Marvel's first lady, the Invisible Woman. Refer to my argument in the previous entry.
As for the token character of color, I'm still uneasy about Luke Cage if only for the lack of a proper costume and codename (would've preferred Power Man actually. If Carol Danvers can revert to Ms. Marvel, why can't he?!), and boring power set. The Black Panther would have been a better choice but the idea is to break away as far from the old Avengers as possible.

So there. I hope to see a line-up like this in the future, maybe after Secret Invasion.

PS. I like Iron Fist and all but I'm not sure if having two “iron” heroes would be sufficiently marketable. Then again, the current Justice League has many blacks, reds and greens.

I love the Avengers. Big surprise.

However, a huge part of me is still a tad disappointed at Stan Lee and co. for not developing a strong enough female character who could flourish outside a team and who's not a knock off of an existing, popular male character. I look at the assortment of Marvel's female heroes and outside of the Avengers, the only ones who have achieved wide popularity are the X-women Phoenix and Storm (Before you say anything, the Invisible Woman is still listed among official Avengers). All 3 women have represented the Marvel universe pretty well, IMHO. Unfortunately, the first female Avengers the Wasp and the Scarlet Witch have not achieved wide recognition outside of the comic-reading populace to even be considered.

That begs the question though: should Marvel's first lady be the Avengers' as well? After all, Marvel's flagship, Spider-man, wasn't included in the initial Avengers lineup despite having debuted around the same time as Iron Man, Hulk and Thor.

If I were to do what Bendis did – reconstruct the Avengers, reintroduce the first Spider-woman to the Marvel universe and put her in the center of the post-disassembled Avengers mythos, even going so far as declaring that she IS Marvel's Wonder Woman, I'd probably look elsewhere. Aside from being an “almost knock-off” of Spider-man (her character was developed independently of Spider-man; she even has a different power set) and having been absent for close to 20 years before the New Avengers, dear Jessica Drew is not a product of the early stages of the Marvel Age, which I believe is a very important criteria. Oh, and yeah, until retconned in future issues of Secret Invasion, she's also a Skrull.

Before the Marvel Age, I don't think there was any female hero who, like Captain America, Namor the Sub-mariner and the original Human Torch, were prominent enough to be brought into the current age (as evidenced in the Avengers/Invaders). The Agents of Atlas' Namora and Venus just wouldn't cut it – the former is a knock-off of Namor and the latter is just boring!

That criteria takes out two currently prominent characters in different Avengers universes: Ms. Marvel and Storm. Sadly, Ms. Marvel is still a knock-off of Captain Marvel, even if she has spent her entire career of 20+ years outside of his shadow. During that time, Carol Danvers has exhibited her inability to stick to a codename and costume - making her difficult to market.

Storm is another thing altogether. As seen in Marvel Adventures Avengers, she could work well within the Avengers framework. Even if she's not a prodigy of the onset of the Marvel Age, her character is not a knock-off of anyone else. However, it's her close association with the X-men and lack of an ongoing solo series that would turn out to be a problem. Then again, that hasn't stopped Wolverine, despite having his own series. Still, I think I would've preferred her in the line-up of the original New Avengers in place of Wolverine AND Spider-woman. Possibly, with the addition of Daredevil.

The same arguments can be said of Marvel Girl/Jean Grey/Phoenix, despite her origins dating back to the beginning of the Marvel Age – identity shifts, close X-men association, no solo series, in addition to her many deaths and resurrections, not to mention the damsel-in-stress, weak link role she had played in her early years.

That leaves me with Susan Storm-Richards. Like Phoenix, she has also seen the the Marvel Age bloom. In fact, she was there at the very beginning! Technically, she's also not a knock-off but, for the longest time, she played second fiddle to her partner Mr. Fantastic, much like Phoenix (and the Wasp as well). In recent years, she had grown out of that funk (even upgrading her name from Invisible “Girl” to “Woman”) and had even taken more aggressive stances (see Civil War).

That said, the post-disassembled Marvel U would've been a perfect time to position her as the Wonder Woman of the Avengers (instead of Spider-woman). Like Spider-man, she signed up for the Avengers some time ago so she's not exactly a NEW Avenger. I believe that she and the Avengers of the present status quo could have reaped loads of marketing benefits off each other. With the spider and the X logos now prominently side-by-side, the 4 symbol shouldn't be left behind if Bendis and Joe Q's vision is to forge the Avengers into Marvel's Justice League.

So, what of the Fantastic Four association? Refer to the Wolverine paradigm. And no solo series? Well, a regular appearance on a team book with a small, fixed cast can be considered her own book! Besides, Bendis has done wonders with Spider-woman. I'm sure he would've thought of something.

Oh wait. She's also been a Skrull in recent history. Crap!

Statistically speaking, unless you are a total hermit, a social retard, or ugly as a putrid bum, there is at least one person in your multiply network that has a crush on, wants to date you, wants to sleep with you or simply just wants to kiss you. So... let's play "No Guts, No Glory!"

The rules are simple.

   1. If you want to date the person who posted this, send a Personal Message, not a reply to this post, saying "Coffee?"
   2. If you have a crush on the person who posted this, send a Personal Message saying"You're hot!"
   3. If you just want to sleep with them & stay friends, send them a message that says "Nice shoes!"
   4. If you simply just want to kiss the person who posted this, send a Personal Message saying, "I do!"

SCARED?

The only rule is that, you must not make anyone who sends you a personal message feel stupid for feeling that way about you. Acknowledge. Say thank you. Move on.

IF YOU'VE READ THIS, YOU HAVE TO REPOST THIS, EVEN IF YOU'RE TAKEN & see who replies.

SO... re-post this as "No Guts, No Glory", as it doesn't matter if you're married, in a relationship, or single.

You opened it so you HAVE to repost it! A test of your bravery!

*Not that it's anything to be really proud of...

Friday: Drinking with RB, Alec and Hec
Saturday: Drinking (and Singing) at Mika's Party
Sunday: Drinking with Urim
Monday: Drinking with Azy and Carl
Tuesday: Drinking (and Dancing) with Tobie and Jeff

It's Wednesday...
Anyone care for a drink?

I blame the geeks for this.

Imagine if songs were written of anecdotes attributed to me.
The track listing would be:

1. Bermuda Aquarium
2. Small Boy
3. 4 minutes and 52 seconds
4. Coupling
5. Kopeh
6. Precious

Happy listening.
Care to add?

I like books.

(*Shocking I know right?*)

Whenever there's a mall-wide sale, I do check it out but if I'm not on the market for anything prioritizingly important, I make a mad dash for the bookstores and see what they have on sale.

The thing is that I'm finally building my library with my chosen book collections and, save for one (regretably) , every book I've ever bought this year were all at 20% off! Sweet! Thank you National Bookstore, Powerbooks and Fully Booked (SM Mall of Asia) and Powerbooks (Robinson's Ermita)

This is because I've recently developed the tendency to stockpile on books I know I've yet to read in the edition that I need them to build a consistent collection. Come on, it's not everyday that the books I need are at 20% off and some of the editions aren't exactly that commonplace. So I buy them if I find them (in bulk!) even if I don't have the time to read them yet. So, my to-read pile just keeps on growing.


To read:
Temple of the Winds (Terry Goodkind, Sword of Truth 4 - Gollancz Ed.)
Soul of the Fire (Terry Goodkind, Sword of Truth 5 - Gollancz Ed.)
Faith of the Fallen (Terry Goodkind, Sword of Truth 6 - Gollancz Ed.)
The Devil and Miss Prym (Paulo Coelho - Harper Ed.*)
The Pilgrimage (Paulo Coelho - Harper Ed.*)
Eleven Minutes (Paulo Coelho - Harper Ed.*)
The Witch of Portabello (Paulo Coelho - Harper Ed.*)
A Feast for Crows (George RR Martin, A Song of Ice and Fire 4 - Bantam Spectra Ed.)
*The small paperback editions.

Currently reading:
Blood of the Fold (Terry Goodkind, Sword of Truth 3 - Gollancz Ed.)
Veronika Decides to Die (Paulo Coelho - Harper Ed.*)

Yes, I know many have been dying for me to post this.
I think it's time I share this with everyone.
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Yes, folks. I've had my first time.

Yup. I got myself my own computer for the first time (and a notebook at that).
Meet my baby: the DEEP BLUE H1 UMPC


Last Sunday, I tried out WiFi for the first time. But this is the first entry I've posted using WiFi on the H1. Thank you Araneta Center.


It still feels weird.
I own that? Seriously?

Special thanks to Ron who first showed me that the unit existed.
And to Alec without whom I wouldn't have gotten a great deal.

Got more stories to tell - how I got it, the day it had no OS, things like that.

IT'S THE BATTLE ROYALE BETWEEN SWASHBUCKLING, BUTTKICKING CGI ANTHROPOMORPHS BROUGHT TO YOU BY DIRECTOR ANDREW ADAMSON (Shrek, The Chronicles of Narnia)!

WHO WOULD WIN IN A FIGHT?

PUSS IN BOOTS vs. REEPICHEEP


Word to the wise: don't underestimate the rat!
Hahahaha!

When Sky Cable switched to digital, subscribers were required to buy the digibox and at P1,500, it's a hefty amount for my current salary. So, to the bottom of my priorities it went.

My big ass TV has been sitting quietly in my room for weeks now.

I'm not glad but so far, the unprecedented results have been favorable.

I'm reading a hundred (or so) pages a day of "A Storm of Swords" (A Song of Ice and Fire Book 3)

Instead of TV over breakfast, I go online and check my Multiply in the morning. Now I get to play the model employee at the office. Haha!

5/6/08 10:38 am

The Hangaroo Kangaroo in the Wonder Woman outfit...
Complete with star-spangled swimsuit... the stars on blue where the roo's pouch is...
And golden wristbands... can't forget the golden wristbands...

Now imagine Wonder Roo jumping off a plane with a broken parachute...

I'll put it all in context later...



But just imagine it.

Dear Mark (Escay),

I don't really know how to tell you this, but I'm selling myself. I think I realized it when I quoted Santa outside of Chicago and ignored Bill Clinton.

I'm sure you're frostbitten enough to understand that I get turned on by garbage men.

I'm returning your ring to you, but I'll keep your your grades from college as a memory.

You should also know that I always have felt dirty before the cocaine abuse.

Your everlasting enemy,

Nick

Has anyone else been visited frequently by users  strawberrygrapefruit and jaywalker0415?
Are these bots or should I be flattered that random people are visiting my entries here on multiply?

Taken from Paul.

Place an X beside the item that applies to you, and add them up. The sum will be your supposed mental age.

[x] I know how to make a pot of coffee.
[x] I keep track of dates using a calendar - electronic ones though
[  ] own more than one credit card - don't have one
[  ] I know how to change the oil in my car.
[x] I can do my own laundry.
[  ] I vote every election. -> i would if i could, but i can't so i won't...
[x] I can cook for myself.
[  ] I think politics are exciting.
[  ] I balance my checkbook. - don't have one

TOTAL = 4

[  ] I show up for school/college/work every day early.
[  ] I always carry a pen in my pocket/purse. (have my trusty PDA instead)
[x] I've never gotten a detention.
[  ] I have never smoked a cigarette.
[  ] I have never gotten completely trashed.
[  ] I have forgotten my own birthday at least once.
[x] I like to take walks by myself.
[  ] I watch talk shows.
[x] I know what "credibility" means without looking it up.
[x] I drink coffee at least once a week.

TOTAL SO FAR = 8

[x] I know how to do the dishes.
[x] I can count to 10 in another language. - does english and tagalog count?
[x] When I say I'm going to do something I do it.
[  ] I can mow the lawn.
[x] I can make adults laugh without being stupid.
[  ] I remember to water the plants.
[x] I study only when I have to.
[  ] I pay attention at work. -> sometimes i just blank out!
[x] I remember to feed my pets/child.

TOTAL SO FAR = 14

[x] I can spell "experience" without looking it up.
[  ] I work out on a regular basis.
[x] I clean up my own mess.
[  ] The people at Starbucks know me by name.
[  ] My favorite kind of food is take out.
[x] I have gained weight since high school.
[x] The first thing I do when I wake up is get caffeine.
[  ] I can go to the store without getting something I don't need.
[  ] I understand political jokes the first time they are said.
[x] I can type quickly.

TOTAL SO FAR = 19

[x] I have realized that the weather forecast changes every hour.
[  ] My only friends are from my place of employment.
[  ] I have been to a tupperware party.
[  ] I have realized that no one will take you seriously unless you are over the age of 25 and have a job.
[  ] I have more bills than I can pay.
[  ] Almost all my friends are older than I am.
[  ] I can say no to staying out all night.
[x] I use the internet every day.
[x] My wardrobe hasn't changed in a while.
[x] i can read a book and actually finish it.

GRAND TOTAL = 23
(hmm... quite close...)

Got this from Jeff. Thought I'd give it a shot...

Got this from Benny. Try it!

N : Everyone loves you.
I : You have a fine ass.
K : You are really silly.
I : You have a fine ass.

P : You are popular with all types of people.
I : You have a fine ass.
T : You're loyal to those you love.
A : You like to drink.

Y : one of the best damn gf/bf any one could ask for.
A : You like to drink.
R : Fuckin crazy
T : You're loyal to those you love.
E : Damn good kisser.

A : You like to drink.
B : You like people.
C : You're wild and crazy.
D : You have one of the best personalities ever.
E : Damn good kisser.
F : People adore you.
G : You never let people tell you what to do.
H : You have a very good personality and looks.
I : You have a fine ass.
J : You live life for fun.
K : You are really silly.
L : You are dead sexy.
M: Your one to have fun with.
N : Everyone loves you.
O : You are one of the best in bed.
P : You are popular with all types of people.
Q : You are a hypocrite.
R : Fuckin crazy
S : Easy to fall in love with.
T : You're loyal to those you love.
U : You really like to chill.
V : You are not judgemental.
W : You are very broad minded.
X : You never let people tell you what to do.
Y : one of the best damn gf/bf any one could ask for.
Z : Always ready

Got this from Azy and used my full first name just to be accurate (or as accurate as the HTML coding permits. hehe!!)

What Niki Means

You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people. You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts. You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals. You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing. You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long. You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start. You are a seeker of knowledge, and you have learned many things in your life. You are also a keeper of knowledge - meaning you don't spill secrets or spread gossip. People sometimes think you're snobby or aloof, but you're just too deep in thought to pay attention to them.

1/20/08 4:43 pm

I think I may have injured my knees during the Heroes-Pirates bowling tourney last week. Since then there've been days when climbing stairs became laborious. Knowing this, I again went bowling last night with friends from WoTPhils.

That said, the difficulty of climbing up the 2 flights of stairs to the LRT-2 about an hour ago gave me a preview of what old age would be like. I realized then that I'd much prefer dying young that living to an age of helplessness.

I know it sounds selfish to anyone I might leave behind.

Ever watch those shows that begin with a montage of video clips coupled with narration and background music? That's every morning for me. I commute to work with music playing on my iPod while thinking of random things (mostly questions) that hopefully gets resolved at the end of the day.

Here's one of those random thoughts.

A friend of mine described another friend of hers as "not simple-minded, just uncomplicated". What on earth does that mean? More importantly, what does that make me?

As someone who has a less ordinary morning commute, I'm fairly certain that I don't fall into the category of "uncomplicated". I remembered that when I was in high school, a teacher of mine actually told me not to overthink things because it causes brain cancer. About 10 years later, I obviously still overthink matters, have yet to find empirical evidence to link one to the other and still deathly afraid that my teacher could be right.

I also remember that when I was in junior college, I told an org mate who was debarred from UST after his freshman year that contrary to what everyone else lead him to believe, life isn't about going to school and finishing it at an exact time. I certainly took my time - in high school at least, and it wasn't because I was stupid or delinquent. I just didn't want to take the straight and boring path of grade school-high school-college.

Now I wonder how less complicated my thoughts and actions would've turned out if I hadn't been born to a strange life. I'm sure some people have led stranger lives than I have - I wonder if they fear brain cancer too?

I end my day the same way episodes do - with clips, narration and background music. Sometimes the narration resolves the issue of the episode, sometimes a twist or even a cliffhanger happens. In my case, if I managed to resolve things, I write about it. Hence now.

Do I like complicated thoughts? The less-than-ordinary path my life had taken? Of course! After all, just like TV shows, it makes for a compelling watch.

Sadly, unlike the TV shows, there are some matters that may not take a single episode or even a single day to find resolution for.