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Scenes from Aeroplane Windows

So I'm in the land of bacon and maple for the Toronto International Film Festival. I'll tell you about it sometime, only now I'm sitting alone in the Vancouver International Airport, listening to the PA announcements in French, trying to fight jet lag and ass numbness. So I'll share these photos taken from plane windows instead.

Gorgeous bridge in Vancouver. Reminds me of the new Cebu-Mactan bridge back home.

Still Vancouver. You could practically build a layout on that grid, it's so meticulous. This much OCD makes me jittery.

Aaaaaah. That's much better. (I assume this view is of somewhere in Pasay.)

One of my favourite views of all time: Fish pens in and around Manila Bay. Don't you think they look like the discarded arrows of warring gods? Or some really Bauhaus sperm.

Another favorite. Crackly ice on the surface of the Atlantic Ocean. Or some lake. I can't be too sure. I fell asleep on the plane from New York and suddenly woke up to this.

Manila smog has never looked so pretty.

Rainbow!

Pond's Will Set Your Head On Fire*

So I was checking to see if any of my old friends had gotten married and/or pregnant lately nonchalantly logging onto Facebook and this little baby comes up:

Miss Joni could totally pass for a Pond's model.

Is it just me or does that look like a flaming skull to you too? A fiery (if somewhat pink), black-leather-clad spirit of vengeance kinda like...

It's me Johnny Blaze! I can walk in both worlds and am not bothered by the smell of burnt hair. (Photo from Collider)

Here's the side-by-side comparison.

"Both worlds" meaning the both the personal care aisle AND the depths of hell. (Ponds photo source. Ghost Rider photo source.)

Definitely a match made in hellfire.


Perhaps this is a subliminal hint to get weirdos like me to "whiten" my non-flawless skin. So in case I bump into any other comic book fans in the personal care aisle, let's just all make a deal. I'll avoid your eyes and you avoid mine so we can all pretend this never happened, m'kay? 'Kay. 


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*No, not really. This is a joke. You'll need a pact-with-the-devil-gone-wrong to get your skull to blaze like that. Also, the people at Unilever Philippines are actually hella awesome and I wouldn't want them to be pissed at me. Cos they all probably have super powers.

If it can be defined, it is not WASAK

Guess who's reading Insectissimo?

Tado Jimenez is WASAK. Noel Cabangon cannot be defined.

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Insectissimo, Lourd de Veyra's newest collection of poetry is available for P150 at tonight's (May 7) book launch at Cubao X. It starts at 8pm. Come early, stocks are limited.

Float like a butterfly, make-dapo like a langaw

Lourd Ernest Hanopol de Veyra (Pinoy Socrates, Palanca-award-winning author, Dakila El Presidente, and reluctant heartthrob) is releasing his third book of poetry this weekend. He's brilliant. It's brilliant. Go buy it.

Poster design by yours truly

Don't ask why it's called Insectissimo!, I don't know either. Knowing Lourd, the reason will probably be wry and insightful and irreverent. Maybe he'll reveal the meaning at the launch. If not, there'll be video versions of Lourd's poetry made by Jun Sabayton (my personal omen of kawasakan - so yay!) and good times organized by Dakila.

Insectissimo! -- It's really fun to say it out loud, complete with hand movements.

View excerpts from Insectissimo! on Scribd.

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Follow Lourd on Twitter, if you haven't already.

And follow me while you're at it. 

Dakila too.

Secret Project: Innocent Desires

Consider these close-ups as teasers for a piece I made for the Innocent Desires exhibit. It's sort of about my childhood - the bits of it I remember anyway. The title is something translated from Latin and now seems waaaaay too pretentious. I'm thinking of changing it to something randomly generated on a website. Because the hardest part of completing any art work - for me, at least - is naming the damn thing.

Ogle the whole banana at Quantum Cafe and let me know if the title is too bloody pseudo-intellectual. Oh, and check out the other pieces on display. I haven't seen any of the other submissions yet. Should be interesting. Especially considering that childhood is basically miniaturized warfare and overblown urges rather than unicorns and double rainbows. 

Exhibit opens 7:30pm, April 29 (Friday) and closes May 13. There's a map to Quantum Cafe below, so you have no excuse not to go. Making the piece has awakened repressed childhood impulses - so if you don't at least drop by, I'm bound to throw a massive tantrum. And then you'll have to appease me with a Presto Funwich. But they don't make those delicious ice-cream sandwiches anymore... so just go, okay?

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About the exhibit:

Einstein once said “if you traveled into space in a straight line, you will eventually come back to where you started”. But could this scientific concept even apply in our personal life? 25 artists have gathered together to find out if it could. They took a second look at their childhood, revisiting childhood desires, dreams, ambitions, behavior, habit, frustrations, experience, the toys, sensibilities, mind sets, and anythings else that make up their childhood. Using photography and digital art to relate their inner journey, they share the lessons that proves that life does indeed come in full circle.

Participating Artists:

Anson Yu / Benjie Cruz / Bon Labora / Carlo Claudio / Chen Breva
Cherry Hilao / Chester Asehan / Chito Ignacio / George Barrios
Jemimah Dumawal / Joel Chua / John Bonham / Loren Marquez
Micheline Rama / Mike Andaya / Niel Marcelino / Noel Pocot
Paolo Castro / Portia Mendoza / Raul Roco Jr. / Recci Bacolor
Shaira Luna / Tom Estrera III / Tootoots Leyesa / Vaughn Tayag

Organized by Recci Bacolor

Visit the Innocent Desires event page for updates and more details.

Ang EDSA ay parang love...

What do you get when you mix artist-activists, alcoholic beverages, the 25th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution and a webcam?

A lot of insightful commentary actually.

And this.

Love is tiny soap and free half-chicken.

Here's the complete list:

1.   Ang Edsa ay parang love -- sa una lang masaya.
2.   Ang Edsa ay parang love -- nauuwi sa Mahal Kita lodge.
3.   Ang Edsa ay parang love -- kapag gipitan na, kahit ano na lang pwede na.
4.   Ang Edsa ay parang love -- maraming struggle.
5.   Ang Edsa ay parang love -- puro promises.
6.   Ang Edsa ay parang love -- di ka talaga makamove on.
7.   Ang Edsa ay parang love -- may theme song.
8.   Ang Edsa ay parang love -- kailangan ng balls.
9.   Ang Edsa ay parang love -- magpapatuloy pa rin.
10. Ang Edsa ay parang love -- nangangarap pa rin.

What's your favourite? (Mine is number 2, obviously.)


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Get in on the alcohol-fueled discourse. Katipon airs every month on Ustream. Click here to view channel. The shenanigans on the channel's chat box can swing from crazy to crazy deep -- fun is had by all. Plus, we'll be taking a stab at solving people's love woes from midnight onwards. Papa Jack has nothing on Tado.

The next topic is The Female of the species is more deadly than the male/Girl, you'll be a woman soon (i.e., Feminism, Reproductive Health and '90s alternative music -- or whatever. You never really know where the discussion will end up)

Follow Dakila on Twitter or on Facebook for updates on the schedule.