Artichoke Adobo
Saturday, July 30, 2005
Am I Scary Enough?
Key Words: MixedMartialArts
 | I should get back to fighting someday. I'm trying to be scary in these photos; to look as much a professional fighter as I can look. Sporting my authentic Atama Rash Guard and my authentic Muay Thai Fighting shorts, I had a friend of mine take some photos one night in our garden. I think they came out pretty well. Had to manage the contrast a little, though... for drama more than anything else. From angles like these, my belly isn't too obvious. So guys, I need your reaction. Am I being scary enough? Do I even look like a fighter? Post your comments! |
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Thursday, July 28, 2005
Pan-handling in Webland
“Please Sah?! Can I have some more?”
Still, Artichoke Adobo was at 195. Almost the bottom but not quite. Story of my life. So I’m here to beg those of you who have taken time out of your busy schedule to make this blog a daily habit. More than that, if you would be kind enough to vote by clicking on the icon on the sidebar I’d seriously appreciate it.
I guess that’s it for now. Will definitely keep you posted. Let’s hope I get to 194 soon. Hehehe.
Key Words: RandomThoughts
 | I’ve hit rock-bottom… or maybe I’m finally getting it. I have resolved to swallow what little pride I have left and start begging for eyeballs and Top Pinoy Blogs votes. It seems that I’m an idiot when it comes to the art of self-promotion, just learning about Google Ad enrollment and registration protocols in Top List sites. Still, I’m trying to catch up. I registered “Artichoke Adobo” in the Top Pinoy Blogs website an hour ago thinking that it might be a good barometer I can use in evaluating my performance as a blogger. Thing is, even registering was a dilemma to me. Should I list myself in the PhotoBlogs category? Personal Journals? Uncategorized? What is Artichoke Adobo really? In the end, I decided to go the way of the Personal Journal due to the lack of focus that I have been constantly complaining about. |
| A minute or so after inserting the code into my HTML, I eagerly checked my ranking. I was thinking I’d probably be at the bottom of the Personal Journal category. Lo and behold! I’m not. In a couple of minutes, I managed to squeak past 4 other Personal Blogs, cementing my position as…. |  |
Still, Artichoke Adobo was at 195. Almost the bottom but not quite. Story of my life. So I’m here to beg those of you who have taken time out of your busy schedule to make this blog a daily habit. More than that, if you would be kind enough to vote by clicking on the icon on the sidebar I’d seriously appreciate it.
I guess that’s it for now. Will definitely keep you posted. Let’s hope I get to 194 soon. Hehehe.
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Failing as a Blogger
Key Words: RandomThoughts
Oh how I dream of the success that Rickey has made for himself blogging at his Rickey.org website. I never thought I'd see the day when I'd be seriously envious of Rickey. But he's ranked as Pinoy Top Blogs #3 right now and Blogtopsites #1. Not too bad for an old UP friend who has escaped from the troubles by flying off to Manhattan.
On one hand I AM proud of him Very proud. He has managed to cut a niche out of the proverbial ball of cheese (is there even such a proverb), and created a well-deserved cult following. He is getting the web attention that we have been dreaming of all the while working in the dusty old UP CSSP Computer Lab back in 1997 -- the web attention that I, hard as it is for me to admit, crave.
I don't think it's due to any lack of personality. Neither is it because of my writing style. Some people actually think I have personality to spare, and my writing style ain't too shabby. I think I'm simply not built for blogging. I lack the focus and drive to write something coherent everyday. I lack the crowd-pleasing bone that makes people like Rickey effectively write about things that are of interest to the majority. I'm neither pop enough nor am I gothic enough to be interesting.
There's a lot that can be said about the importance of focus in the world of blogging. Without focus, as I recently found out, you have very little chance of being found on a Google search or Yahoo search. And I've been asking myself about what it is that "Artichoke Adobo" really is about. Is it a blog about Digital Photography? Is it about Mixed Martial Arts? Is it a Digital Diary? Is it about anything at all? I don't know the answer, and I have a feeling that I'll never find out.
I guess that is what I'm good at. Call it what you want... Jack-of-all-Trades/Master-of-None, Catcher in the Rye, blah blah blah. I have no focus. All I have are random thoughts that no one seems to be interested in.
Sigh. I'm simply not a good blogger after all.
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Life Under the Sun God
Key Words: Photography
| I won’t claim to be better than everyone else. I am, for the most part, shallower than the average person I know. Just the content of this blog is testament enough to how sheltered and apathetic I am to most social conditions. On the other hand, I do have eyes. And my eyes have been getting keener and keener as I learn to see with the lenses of a camera. Some days are good. Some days my social eye opens and I am allowed to see. |
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I am Trish Stratus
Key Words: RandomThoughts
| I took a WWE exam over at QuizFarm to find out which WWE superstar represented my personality most and I got a Trish Stratus. The only possible girl-answer and I got it. That's how charmed my life is right now. I can't seem to get the results I want even in the simplest of tests. I mean I wouldn't have mind getting a Chris Benoit, or a The Rock result. Those guys, I'd probably want to be. Wicked personalities, feared, cool, killer manly finishers, former Heavyweight Champions, timeless. Instead, I get someone whose claim to fame can be measured by the amount of toot-tooing that the male audience and muster up during her entrance. Don't get me wrong. I've always liked the way Trish Stratus looked. Hell, I even think she's probably one of the finest chicks on the WWE roster in such a long time. Add to that the fact that she can wrestle in her own cornball way and I'm almost a fan. But it is one thing to look admiringly at Trish and another to start seeing myself in her (in the non X-rated sort of way). |
That's my luck, I guess. I'm turning more and more into a chick. I keep telling Mox that I am but she shrugs me off. I'm becoming a needy, weepy, insecure little twit. I hate it. I need to start pursuing more manly things... like wrestling. Better grow me some major boobies.
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Trying My Hand at Fashion Photography
Key Words: Photography MyLife
 | Inspired by the MEGA Magazine black and white exhibit over at the Gateway Mall hall, I recently tried my hand at fashion photography. And what better way to experiment than to tap the most accessible source of cheap modeling “talent”, the Psalmi Deo Chorale. The following photos were shot using my Powershot A400 over at the parish church stage. Special thanks to Kim, Janno, Lawrence, Moji…. (sige na nga) pati na din kay Ajel for being patient with me after I took shot after shot as I tried to coax the camera into delivering various effects. Next time charge ko na kayo for labor…hehehe. |
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http://photobucket.com/albums/a294/manongguard/Psalmi/mga%20model%20daw/
Gaiman in 3-easy Steps
Key Words: Entertainment
| Okay --- so I am evil. I have no remorse whatsoever and I’m writing mostly to gloat over the serious fortune that has uncharacteristically come my way. You see, I am as big a Neil Gaiman fan as the next guy, have read most of the things he has written, own the entire set of trade paperbacks of the original Sandman series, shun owning mass-market editions of his novels (instead making sure that I own either the paperback or the hardcover), even buying the one piece of original art I own (“Silver House” rubbercut by Mariano “Nano” Ching) simply because it reminded me so much of Morpheus. The problem is, I’m a much bigger fan of laziness. I don’t like crowds. I don’t like difficult parking places. I absolutely hate having to fall in line. I think it all comes from being deprived so much as a UP student. These days I get my comfort when and where I can. |
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| So it was with a sigh, a heavy heart, and a shrug that I succumbed to the inevitable: I knew I would neither have the energy nor the mental fortitude it would take to capitalize on what would probably be one of my favorite author’s only Manila visit. While my friends were busy getting ready for their pilgrimage to this and that mall for the signing, I was at home content effectively forgetting about the entire thing. |
| It is rare that the pop gods smile on me and award me a healthy dollop of good-fortune. The only thing I’ve ever won was consolation prize in an ice cream raffle (A set of matching oven mitts). So it was thoroughly surprising to me when, while on the menial errand of picking up my girlfriend in Cubao on my way home from work, I chance upon the last of three of the Neil Gaiman signing events. It was jam-packed, and, after a little sleuthing with the Gateway Mall guards, I found out that people have been in line from 4 AM. Neil, apparently, arrived at about 3 PM as scheduled and started signing right away. I myself got there at about 6:30PM and the line still wound down the LRT (Light Rail Transit) steps outside the mall entrance, out the building, and into the Aurora Boulevard streets. No chance of me getting anywhere near him for a photo op unless I was willing to fall in line for hours on end. And – I must re-stress… I’m too lazy for that. |
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Step 1: Put on the charm.
So on to plan B. Outside the Fully Booked store were bookstands featuring common Gaiman fare with some odds and ends (Noteworthy was a set of Sandman postcards that looked liked must-haves). These stands, of course, were manned by some of the bookstores’ staffers and one of them actually drew my eye. She was the only female in the bunch of otherwise testosterone-laden, eyebrow-pierced, goth-wearing store helpers. I asked her if she could take some pictures for me and gave her my camera. She smiled and obliged, taking well-focused, centered pictures of Neil. I was happy.
Defensive Note of the Day: While the pictures of myself that I have been posting do not support my claim to a good amount of charm and a teaspoon of Jedi Mind Tricks, my friends do tell me that I have my ways.
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Step 2: Call in favors from other fans.
In this case, my willing victim was to be my one and only sister-in-law, Ate Kitt. She texted me the night before, mentioning that she still has my large-edition “American Gods” and an unread hard-bound copy of “Endless Nights” that I have forgotten I even owned. She asked if I’d liked them returned in time for the signing. I, predictably, declined and asked her to hang on to them a little while longer, putting into motion my grand plan.
So on the day itself, I simply had to give her a cel phone call while she was in line, remind her of all the good I have brought into the life of her family, convinced her that I will take care of her children on the off chance that she and my brother decide to migrate without them to a far-off country in Northern Africa and Voila! I managed to coax her into having Neil sign my “Endless Nights” instead of another one of her books (Fans are allowed to have 2-books signed).
Step 3: Sit back and relax.
I was well on my way home by 7:00PM (barely 30 minutes from the time I parked), happy about the effortless pictures I got, confident about the signed book that was to come. Lazy dogs get their days too after all.
Thursday, July 14, 2005
Balikbayans in New Cubao
| My Tito Ross and Tita Mila visited about a month ago and I decided to take them to Cubao and show them how things have changed so much since their last visit. Also, I really wanted them to try out one of my new favorite restaurants in the area, a seafood place called “Oyster Boy” owned and operated by Marvin Agustin (an ABS-CBN actor). I remember that during my visit to their home in Hercules, CA, they took us to a whaling/oyster farm place in Point Reyes and figured that they probably would enjoy having an oyster lunch. |  |
 | Food was great! We had fresh half-shell oysters served raw on ice, a platter of fancy oysters with chease and basil (I think) , sweet and sour weird fish, sinigang na baka, and some paella rice. The ambiance wasn’t bad either, with the seedy octopus chandelier and the katutubo mini statues contrasting well with the plush interiors. Price was a little on the high side but worth every penny. The big plus was, we had lunch there on a day that the only other occupied table was one where Marvin Agustin himself was eating. And while none of us are really into the Showbiz thing, it was a novelty in a very serendipitous kind of way. |
Later on we strolled around the new Gateway mall, wandering into the high-society stores such as Mango and Lacoste. Tita Mila disappeared for a while and bought herself a pair of white slacks. Lastly, we popped into Gonuts Donuts, the Crispy Crème Filipino knock-off where we got some take out.
Sana we had more time, really, but it was such a short visit. Wanted to take them to Calaruega for a day trip at the very least. Oh well, maybe next time…
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Thursday, July 07, 2005
Tripping the Light Fantastic Four
Key Words: Entertainment MyLife
 | I went to the Fantastic Four movie premiere over at Glorietta a couple of days ago (through the friendship and grace of my Radio RX-employed friend Ms. Ea Medel), sat myself down on the comfy theatre seats, and braced myself, ready to be dissappointed. The trailers seemed to scream "Worse than Hulk" to me. There was not one scene in the trailer that made me feel any form of anticipation. Well this movie exceeded my expectations, bringing forth a unique style that didn't try to use any of the formulae that prove effective for the recent great comic book movies (Sin City, Batman Begins, X-Men, and [shut up if you don't agree] Hellboy). The fact that I never liked the Fantastic Four made the fact that this movie successfully entertained me for a long two hours all the more surprising. |
I never liked the Fantastic Four
I think the FF had things stacked against them. They're comic strip heroes from 1961 with stupid ass codenames and boring costumes. Their powers are "normal" at best and there's absolutely no angst anywhere around them. They're the brady bunch of the comic book world and their time should've passed a long while back. Still, what made the movie so entertaining? Here are some lists:
---------------SPOILER ALERT------------------
4 Things I liked about the movie:
1. Mr. Fantastic was a nerd but his nerdiness was not boring.
Beyond the buffoon exterior and the not-so-overdone romantic angle, the Reed Richards of the movie was able to do something that the comic book Reed was completely incapable of doing... endear himself to the audience. While, true-to-form, movie-Reed was very much like the comic-book-Reed in that he was unbelievably smart and level headed, he also showed his limitations through the predicaments he gets himself in because he couldn't help but think things through before acting. Reed was funny in a very "Joey Tribbiani" sort of way.
2. The Human Torch humor
Johnny Storm was wise-cracking through battles and babes portraying the happy-go-lucky playboy in a very convincing way. The writers were even able to justify the existence of the stupid codenames from a very contemporary point of view. I loved the fact that Johnny gave each other member a lame-ass moniker (I mean you have to admit...Mr. Fantastic sounds like a sex-toy brand name) while giving himself something a tad cooler (pun intended... while "The Human Torch" is still ages behind codenames like "Marrow" or "Psylocke", it had it's own charm).
3. The art direction
For a New York movie, the coloring was ultra-bright and bubbly. And this again, I think, was intentional on the director's part. It helped differentiate the Fantastic Four saccharine heroes genre from the cooler, more violent (X-men, Daredevil, the Punisher), or more emotional (Spider-man, the Hulk) type of heroes. The art direction had "Light-hearted, deliberately campy comedy" written all over it.
4. Herbie was nowhere to be found!
I admit that I held my breath when I saw the Baxter Building. I kept waiting for Herbie the robot to fly in and spoil the experience for me. The Baxter building so accurately represented the Saturday morning cartoon of my misspent childhood that I half expected the Human Torch to disappear and the annoying robot to come in and be the Gungan of this movie.
 Smile kahit gutom. L to R: Tammy, Ea, Aki, Vanee |  Ako naman. |
4 Things I hated about the movie:
1. Jessica Alba
Don't get me wrong. While I enjoy looking at the Dark Angel Jessica Alba (especially that commercial where she was wearing a red dress and she gives this guy a smile and says "Me love you long time"--- but I'm digressing), this movie simply wasn't for her. She's no Sue Storm. It was distracting seeing such a recognizable TV fixture sporting a blond hair-do. Sorry Jessica... but you should've stopped at "Honey".
2. Victor Von Doom
Have they been fooling around with the continuity machines at Marvel? Can someone tell me if they re-did the Doom origin in the Ultimate Fantastic Four alternate series? I'm pretty sure it shouldn't have started this way. I don't mind the FF4 origins so much but I do mind Doom's new powers.
I loved how Doom was JUST AN EVIL GENIUS in the original story which allowed the plot to evolve into a battle of wits between two super geniuses. The metal skin and electric power took away a lot from the Doom persona that I have come to enjoy.
3. I didn't get to see Delamar
I've always wanted to see Delamar in person. I mean I listen to her almost everyday on the radio on my way to work (after I drop Mox off. She hates talk radio) but have never seen her in person. Well there was this one time, but all I saw was her back as they were giving out RX stickers along the Robinson's Galleria driveway.
Ea tells me both Chico and Delamar were sitting an aisle away from us. All I needed to do was turn my head and look, but even that seemed too much bother. Oh well, maybe next time.
Don't get me wrong, Delamar is (Mox pay attention ha?) far from being my crush (all I've seen of her are those Laser Hair Removal ads that she endorses). It's just that I wanna put a face to the name... to the voice on the radio. To tell you the truth I have some beef with the Morning Rush gang. They never seem to read my text messages. What?! Are my text messages not good enough for you?! K-Lite's "Talk Back" seems to like me well enough! You betta watchout!
4. FREE TICKETS!
Again, my special thanks to Ea for the free tickets. I'm starting to enjoy her job in Media. Comes with so much fringe benefits. Can't wait for the next Monster Movie Premiere!
All in all it was an enjoyable night. Hi to my movie mates... Aki, Vanee, Ea and Tammy. Libre niyo naman ako sa Big Buddha!
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Rainy days and Tuesdays...
Key Words: Photography
| ...always get me down. It's the worst day to have a downpour, Tuesdays being the day in the week when my one and only car is grounded due to the MMDA Traffic Reduction Scheme. That means that either I have to be in the office before 7AM and stay til 7PM or trudge through the mud and rain with an umbrella that always seems to be too small for me. Most days I don't mind public transportation, sometimes even envying those looking out of the Metro Rail windows, speeding past my car when I'm caught in traffic. Today, though, seemed like a day I should drive to work. |
And I did, waking up an hour after I finally got sleepy enough to keep my eyes shut, and taking a quick shower right after my feet touched the floor. I had to be off and on the road by 5:30 AM or else I'd be caught in the rush hour crunch and might not be able to make it to the office by 7:00AM. "I'm going to have to drive alone in the rain this morning", I thought, Mox was probably still comfortably asleep in her bed at that hour.
That was unfortunate. It was such a good looking rainy day in July. Mox would've enjoyed driving around with me.
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To entertain myself, I pushed my new found hobby up another notch and started exploring the joys of Drive-by Photography in the Rain... the newest Extreme Water Sport in town (I should have that patented). Only problem was, that it was more impractical than the dry version. I had to contend with all the difficulties of taking pictures while driving my car, compounded by the reflections the rain made on the windshield, timing the shots so that the wipers weren't in the way, and the lack of any good subject (I'm partial to photographing people as they went about their business).
| Looks like the weather won't change any time soon. The sky is still as gray and flat as this morning. "Like a gang on grandma" an old Literature classmate of mine used to say. She thinks rainy days are meant for re-reading old letters. I wonder if she's re-reading her's right now. I, on the other hand, always think of High School when it rains. There's something about it that brings me back to when my problems seemed so simple. I wish Mox was here. |  Sidewalk Canteens with Wet Customers |
Friday, July 01, 2005
Manila by Monochrome
Key Words: Photography
I was driving around between meetings yesterday and decided to try my hand at spotting good photo subjects and taking pictures while in traffic. I realized that Manila looks absolutely different when viewed from the lens of black and white camera. There was an underlying primal energy that leapt out of the pictures I took. I don't know how to explain it, but it was like going all the way to Banawe and taking photographs of the Ifugaos while they went on their daily activities. Filipinos are so ethnic, basic, and natural. I guess, to me, that is where the beauty of the Filipino is. I'm thinking of pushing for this new hobby: Drive-by Photography. It should be an extreme sport, as I learned, managing to avoid collisions only by divine good fortune. It was difficult trying to keep the vehicle under control, picking subjects, and making sure that the windshield won't mess up the shot, all at the same time. |
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I feel blessed, as a green-hobbyist-photographer, that there is this rich trove of subjects that I have access to. Roaming the streets of San Juan, Quezon City, and Manila, I witnessed life in all it's aspects. I learned how taking a photo of the various street vendors and workers will always be an essay in simplicity. And the art will always be in being patient enough to wait for the last moment before sinking your forefinger into the button and taking the picture. Before that moment comes, you sit there waiting for the subject to get perfectly ready to tell his story.
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I would love to hear your comments.
