Fever

I had free tickets for Right To Royalty last night, ready for the taking, but I knew I was too sick to mosh. Today I had free tickets to the UP-Ateneo game, which we eventually won, but again I know I wasn't going to be able to handle two hours of cheering and 5 minutes of the Alma Mater hymn.

Yes I'm so old that my body knows to start avoiding these things. More proof: my idea of the perfect Wednesday night was realized this week, with an hour of Veronica Mars (with guest Alona Tal) and then the Quentin-ized 2-hour CSI season finale.

I was so sick yesterday that I dreamt that I woke up and did exactly what I was supposed to do if I were awake like turn off the the alarm clock and pick out what to wear. And then I woke up, making me 30 minutes late to get to work.

Less feverish post, next. Let's hope.

Among The Neon Lights That Haunt The Streets Outside, Stay With Me

Been listening to Welcome To Wherever You Are to get that Rockstar:INXS feel.

This would've been a complete weekend if I had decided to go jogging instead of window shopping today. I don't why I always fall for this. I mean, I never buy anything. Anyway, I say complete weekend because I had a business meeting, a donut ice cream sandwich, ran into ex-officemates multiple times, had great seats at Cascada, had dinner with old friends and watched a movie with new ones. And I haven't even collected a month's pay yet!

If you've been listening, you'd know that the movie was The Island. Scarlett Johansson does not disappoint. Unfortunately, neither does Michael Bay. All the villains in his movies need target practice.

Has anyone seen the movie poster for "If Only"? Anyone notice the grammar in the caption near the bottom? How embarrassing!

And if we do end up with the technology to make more Jordan 2 Deltas, I want one for Christmas.

I've turned into one of those people who have lunch with people from other companies instead of mingling in-house. Somehow it's not really a problem, but it is worth mentioning.

It's annoying how nothing else is worth mentioning. I don't even have a title...Hmmmm. Boring day-to-day existence? Check. Annoyed for the dumbest reasons? Check. Uncreativity? Check. I really do have a job.

These Lines Of Light They Mean We're Never Alone

I read somewhere that a consultant is someone who wakes up everyday feeling unemployed. Ah, so that's why.

Yes, I'm back pushing buttons (which is no different from what I'm doing right now, but you get the point) in Makati. While I'm really not a consultant (more of a consultant-by-way-of-software-developer), it's still a job that's going to pay my ever-increasing living expenses. But it's just that: a job. What I'm really out looking for is a career. I give this thing six months.

But there's time for all that procrastinating later. Right now let me describe what's going on with one of my trademark lists:

The Good

• I can park in my mom's parking space
• Or if I don't feel like driving, hitch with her
• I'm not going to run out of places to eat
• I can pay for my art materials now
• I can pay for my books and music and toys, tech or otherwise
• Overpriced coffee
• I can pay for beer again
  
• Everywhere else in Makati CBD is 15 minutes away; people I know are nearby
• I get paid overtime.
  

The Bad

• Have to play by the rules while I'm still new
• Which means business casual for four days out of five
• And one-hour lunch breaks
  
• I'm not the best at making friends
• Blogger is forbidden.
• YM is hard to come by (but I'm working on it. It's my lifeline. These lines of light they mean we're never alone)
  
• Purchasing power equals wanting more stuff I don't really need
  
• Overpriced coffee
  
• Traffic going home to QC
• Which means not being able to watch One Tree Hill. Or QPids.
  
• Eye candy sorely lacking

The Ugly

• I actually have to work
  

Gaimanila/Dream Country

This figures to be a very short post because I didn't get to have anything signed. Or see Neil Gaiman, for that matter.

I got to Rockwell last Saturday at around 2:30 and the event was way out of slots for the signing. Of course I was no match for the people who had camped out at 5 AM. I had wanted to get Death: The High Cost Of Living signed, and instead all I got to do was swipe a free bookmark. Greenhills on a Sunday was out of the question. Besides, I'm sure fans camped out there as well. Pathetic. (Yes, I'm still bitter.)

Taking pleasure in the details: Overheard at the convention, "Goth people, coming through!" That amuses me to no end, I have no idea why.

I also could not go this afternoon at the last book signing at the Gateway mall. Why? Because I had to work. As in, actual Makati-CBD, 4-hour-meeting, foodcourt-lunch, 39-story-elevator-ride WORK.

Los Quatros Fantasticos

As with all things, the best way to enjoy comic-book movies is to sufficiently lower one's expectations to such a degree that there is no way of leaving the theatre feeling horrible. That said, I liked the Fantastic Four. Maybe even more than that other comic book movie that came out earlier this summer.

Now before you send your legion of bats to, uh, annoy me to death, let me explain. Growing up collecting the X-Men books, I'm much more familiar with the Marvel Universe than I am with DC. Also, there hasn't been a Fantastic Four movie before, and there have already been a combined 8 Batman and Superman movies before this year (not counting any non-Christopher Reeve Supe moves I don't know about). And those movies already realized substantially what we've come to know about these heroes, so anything more will be just an addendum, or in the worst cases, uh, subtractum (i.e. Punisher). So this is the first time we've seen Marvel's first family in real live action. And it's pretty accurate. Yes, Jessica Alba is forgiven for portraying Sue Storm. Jessica Alba will be forgiven for anything.

And just the fact they pulled off the Thing and the Human Torch already deserves props. I also now appreciate Reed Richards the character. Stretching has always been a pretty dumb power (see Plasticman and derivatives thereof) but it works if the possessor is as smart with its use as Mr. Fantastic.

(Excuse while I curse as Ateneo gives away yet another possession. La Salle has been using that press for what, 20 years now?)

Dr. Doom wasn't as good, though. Or accurate. Then again, he's always been kind of a cartoon-y villain for me. In fact, the only villain I can think of with an actual agenda is Magneto.

Next: Gaiman-mania. "Gaimania" would've been enough, but people might interpret it as something else.

Hell In A Handbasket

The title is, of course, the answer to the question "Where is the Philippines going and how?"

I'm a fairly apolitical person but since this is all anybody seems to want to talk about I guess I should give my two cents, if it's worth even that. Two cents, by the way, at yesterday's closing, was P1.122.

I've always thought that EDSA is a lot like love: if it happens too often it loses its meaning. And sure enough, all it's come to symbolize to me lately is the traffic EDSA the event makes on EDSA the street. I did say I was apolitical.

But it's hard to throw away all the myths about democracy and People Power that we've been fed all these years growing up. So the debate does raise some questions despite my resolute apathy. Who holds the key to solving this whole mess? I'm wondering, who has the power? It seems the President has very little. The opposition? The people? Despite the name, People Power seems to take much more than just people taking to the streets. The military? The business sector? A combination thereof?

I could go on for minutes, but I feel my laziness creeping in.

Fantastic Four, next.

Your Life Is On Contract

I just realized that contractuals don't get 13th month pay, and my 6-month period runs right through December. Arrrrggh!!!!...

Calm down, nothing to get worked up on. Remember last year when you hardly had a Christmas because you were too broke and emotionally drained to enjoy it?

Besides, I don't really remember what happens to my 13th month pay. I'm a lousy gift-giver, I don't really have someone to spend it on and I am content with a new book or a cool CD. But of course now that I mention it I'm in the market for a new scanner and a Wacom tablet...Arrrggh impulse yuppie purchases is the culprit. Of course. We meet again.

As if on cue, some side projects started springing up out of nowhere. Some paying, some not, and some paying poorly. Someone teach me to haggle, please.

My dad woke me up so we could trek to Banawe to find turning lights for my battered car. Apparently these things do not come cheap. Now I understand why some people simply resort to duct tape.

The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective Habits

Title's unrelated. But it did its job and got your attention.

Guess what? I may probably be employed by Monday. In Makati. For 6 months, with "opportunities for renewal" and some such. I can actually smell the coffee brewing.

Am I happy about it? I never am, so the question is moot. I kid. But I am scared though, of several things. One, I might get carried away again and succumb to the idea that this is it: what life is going to be like from here on out. Two, that I've lost more than a step or two in playing this corporate game. I seriously want to be better at it this time around. I may know the 7 habits, but I hardly have them. Three, the usual 'project from hell' fears, which usually turn out to be way founded.

I do hate that "Welcome to (name of company) " with-arm-extended tactic HR people employ to get you to commit. I hate commitment! Didn't mean that the way it sounded, but I really hate boardroom tactics. Or at least the way I always fall for them.