Of Strange and of Fate- My 2 New Doctors

Twas my day off yesterday and hard as I could I couldn't resist the temptation to drop by Fully Booked Bookstore at the Fort and check out their stocks of Graphic Novels.

Ever since I started rediscovering Green Lantern, I have been collecting graphic novels left and right. Anything that has do with my our favorite Green hero, count me in.

But prior to him, my favorite marvel hero, Dr.Strange takes precedence and when I saw the new Doc novel, I just had to get it.

For those in the know, the good Doctor has been "dethroned" and stripped of his title as being Sorcerer Supreme and it's now Brother Voodoo who wears that distinction, including his magical amulet, The Eye of Agamotto.

After purchasing the New Avengers issue where Doc relinquished his position, I wondered if we would ever hear from him again. Lucky for us Strange fans, there was a new series on Doc's life after that relinquishing.

The new novel is called Strange: The Doctor is Out.

This is a must read and collect for all Dr. Strange fans and it follows his life after being stripped of his title and how the taking of a new apprentice seems to make up for the damage that the Doctor has caused in his misuse of magic.

No Orb of Agamotto here but still enough magic and good writing as well as drawing to keep a fan coming back and hoping for more. :)

And in my search for my doctor, I find myself getting acquainted with another one; from DC this time.

May the best Doctor win. :)

Was able to collect loose issues of these back in the days but


 when the compiled version came out, I just had to have it.

What could be better than my favorite


 Marvel Character Dr. Strange and 


duking it out with my favorite 


supernatural being. ;)

Starting the Month Right

It's always been like this year in, year out.

Whenever the month of September comes, we all start hearing Christmas songs on the radio or in the malls; the decorations for the Yuletide season also start to come out on flea markets and in the mall stores as well.

But for this year I wanted it to be different.

I wanted to be productive. I wanted to make sure that my productivity level was upped one more notch and I would have something to show for this Holiday season. The productivity that I am referring to is the release of my my debut album; a project that has taken too long in the making; too long in the planning and in the wanting.

Ever since I discovered that I could sing, going at it professionally was always something that I wanted to do. Growing up and listening to homegrown O.P.M. artists like Martin Nievera, Gary V, Janno Gibbs, Kyla, Jay R and see their careers flourish, I so wanted a piece of the pie. But alas, my family didn't see it that way; saying that one cannot live on music alone.

And so for years the desire took a backseat with only me nurturing the desire; feeding it and willing it to grow while honing my craft; on my own.

Fast forward several years after and here I am working at radio and have just released my album online via Mp3 downloads withe the physical album release to follow within the month. I must have done something good at last to get to this point.

Everything changed for me when Dad passed away in 2007; the world stopped and became a smaller place and everything that I thought was important wasn't and all those that I kept shelving had to be on the front seat and take precedence.

I so wanted Dad to have been around to listen to the album. But since he isn't here anymore, I hope that by doing this; living my life as best as I can and living my life to the fullest, would be the gift that I could give back in payment for the life that he has given me. I owe him much and for this I will always be thankful.

I've arranged for the album to be initially available via CDBaby for downloads so that I maximize the time I have while waiting for the physical cd to be released to the market via my own record label, GreenHorn Records.

And just as I posted my album and finalized everything online 2 days ago on the first of the month, there already was a download made for my album.

It was the best surprise of the day for me.

And today a high school batchmate saw me on I-tunes and said that he will be buying the album and alerting the rest of the batch to do the same.

It's support like this that make my day and make everything worthwhile. And I hope that more awareness building like this for my album manifests and translates into more sales for me.

We artists love the support our listening public gives us. We love it when you say that you can relate to the songs that we write. We love it when you say that our songs made you stop, think, reflect and prod you to do something positive about the things in your life.

But the best reward you can give an artist is when you go out of your way to get their work. And then tell them how you love it.

And we will be eternally grateful and love ya back :)

So make this artist happy, download and get your copy here.

Before anyone else does. :)

Thanks in advance. May you in turn be always be happy and blessed!

Blessed Be!

Talk at Miriam College

Impressionable minds make impressionable hearts.

If there was any time this phrase was applicable it would probably be today.

I was invited by my colleague to give a talk at Miriam College regarding my experiences in radio. This was all part of their activity that focuses on the three different forms of media: Radio, TV and Film. It was my first time to be at Miriam and I immediately loved the feel of the campus. I was told by my guide, Therese, that the school is environment-friendly hence the number of trees. Even if the sun was boring down on us, the trees and the accompanying breeze made me feel relaxed at oddly at home. 

We made our way past the parking lot and onto the Communications arts building where 3 different talks would be happening at the same time, but in three different function rooms. I was ushered into an adjoining room where lunch was served along with Starbucks Coffee. You know I just can’t resist a good dose of caffeine, so I just had to help myself to a cup while waiting for the others to arrive.

When they finally did, we started at around 2pm and I was the first to step into the room followed by Magic 89.9’s Sam YG and Slick Rick. Now why they didn’t complete their triumvirate and got Tony Tony so that they could do a version of their show, Boys Night Out, is something I don’t know and figured that Tony was indisposed for today and I happen to be the lucky one to join the famous pair.

At our initial meeting, I remember telling Therese & her classmate that unlike the two, I come not from a Pop Station but from a Smooth Jazz station and would have different ways of doing things. They said that in a way it was good because it afforded some variety to the panel.

After the initial Opening Prayer and opening remarks by the host,  the talk thus started with Sam YG (which stands for Young Guy as he revealed in his talk), speaking about his own experiences and stressed how different and a relief it was to be heard instead of seen because one can be oneself on radio; that is, unless you put on a character for your audience and entertain them to no end. Along with that, and because we were speaking to first & second year students, he urged the students listening to try out their passion.

Slick Rick spoke next and said that Sam covered all the grounds and that was it. I chimed in and said that our work was done and we could go home. He went on to talk of his own time on radio and said that his best experience was when he was given his own show and he found his own voice. He added that doing his work as a Dj isn’t a job for him because he loves doing it.

Finally it was me, and I looked at my key points scribbled at a steno pad in front of me and began. I acknowledged their department head and thanked her for the invite and went on to talk a little of myself. How my family was flabbergasted when I told them that I would begin my radio stint some 10 years back as I was considered to be meek and all too quiet to be in radio, being the youngest and being one who would mostly do nothing but observe and keep to myself. I told the students that my debut stint on radio over at Home Radio, 97.9 was significant because apart from starting out first as a newscaster, I had to write my own news. It was a job that offered me simultaneous training in speaking and in writing.

I then moved on to my then simultaneous foray into talk radio on the AM band as I was invited to co-host, Echoes of the Heart, a show run by our Ms. World, Evangeline Pascual. My schedule then was doing my newscasting on the weekdays, Echoes on Saturday and my regular boardwork handling the Oldies show, on Sunday.

I would have wanted to talk more but we all had to make it quick to give time for the next activity and so I wrapped up my talk by singing my single, HELPLESS, and reminding them that the best way for them to pursue their dreams, whether they become DJ’s or not is to Be A Sponge and soak everything in. Learn as much as they can and also know and learn how to Lay-out their ideas and to be able to express themselves well to the best of their capabilities and apply the amassed knowledge that they have learned so far.

Our respective talks ended & were soon followed by an open forum wherein some of the girls asked non radio questions like “What is Sam’s ideal girl” and the like. At least one asked me about the song I sang to which I was able to tell them that it was taken from my upcoming album titled, Love Has Found Me.

The forum soon led to the organization and division of groups who would select a song from a list projected on screen. The song selected should embody the core values of Miriam. There were 8 groups all in all, with 5 students in it, who came up, talked like they were actually on radio and went to intro a song, give some time checks and come up with different Radio station names. Although some groups were more into it than others, on the count perhaps the ones who came first were really nervous, we all still had a great time and it was nice to give back and be able to share some pointers to the group as each of them came up one after the other. 

Finally the activity ended, we were awarded certificates as well as tokens (Love the bookmark & mug) and the girls took turns for the photo-op and we called it a day. 

All in all it was a day well spent and one that starts the month right for me. Positive and Productive! I wouldn’t mind going back for a visit. :)

August's Accidents -Hungry Ghost Month or Mercury's Retrograde?

The early nightly news just wrapped and another bus accident occurred in the province of Quezon. This is just another incident to be added to this month’s several number of accidents and tragedies involving buses, with last week Monday’s hostage crisis that resulted in the death of 8 Hong Kong residents as the peak for this month.

Oops, perhaps I should recant that and not use the word “peak”. It sounds like as if there is a trend to these happenings. And that was what I thought of as this month draws to a close, and thus marks the end of the month of the Hungry Ghost.

So what is the Hungry ghost? Well Wikipedia defines it as this –“The Ghost Festival, also known as the Hungry Ghost Festival, is a traditional Chinese festival and holiday celebrated by Chinese in many countries. In the Chinese calendar (a lunisolar calendar), the Ghost Festival is on the 15th night of the seventh lunar month (14th in southern China).

In Chinese tradition, the fifteenth day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar is called Ghost Day and the seventh month in general is regarded as the Ghost Month (鬼月), in which ghosts and spirits, including those of the deceased ancestors, come out from the lower realm. Distinct from both the Qingming Festival (in Spring) and Chung Yeung Festival (in Autumn) in which living descendants pay homage to their deceased ancestors, on Ghost Day, the deceased are believed to visit the living.

On the fifteenth day the realms of Heaven and Hell and the realm of the living are open and both Taoists and Buddhists would perform rituals to transmute and absolve the sufferings of the deceased. Intrinsic to the Ghost Month is ancestor worship, where traditionally the filial piety of descendants extends to their ancestors even after their deaths. Activities during the month would include preparing ritualistic food offerings, burning incense, and burning joss paper, a papier-mache form of material items such as clothes, gold and other fine goods for the visiting spirits of the ancestors. Elaborate meals (often vegetarian meals) would be served with empty seats for each of the deceased in the family treating the deceased as if they are still living. Ancestor worship is what distinguishes Qingming Festival from Ghost Festival because the latter includes paying respects to all deceased, including the same and younger generations, while the former only includes older generations. Other festivities may include, buying and releasing miniature paper boats and lanterns on water, which signifies giving directions to the lost ghosts and spirits of the ancestors and other deities.”

Early in the month, when I felt that the number of accidents involving buses and vehicles seem to populate the news, I asked a fellow Wiccan who conferred with her Astrologer friend & said  that Mercury was in retrograde. I thought what could it possibly have anything to do with the tragic accidents and most specially last week’s debacle? At first I thought none but then in hindsight, perhaps there was some planetary influence on the situation.

Mercury rules the mind; the intellect; language; how we express and think. This also governs our perception and thought processes. In short communication and dissemination of ideas.

Am I leading to something here? Perhaps. 

Who would have thought that this month would prove to be the last for those victims of the recent hostage tragedy. And could it be also coincidence that last Monday's crisis falls on the eve of the Hungry Ghost festival based on the Chinese Lunar Calendar? 

On the other hand, perhaps it was Mercury’s influence that dulled the minds of our police force and made them less than pro-active and decisive in their intent to take down the hostage taker. Perhaps it was also what prodded Mendoza to take drastic measures and not think about the ramifications of his actions. Perhaps the next day it was the same retrograde that affected our own Venus Raj in the Miss Universe and allowed her to fumble at the question and thus only to find herself in 4th place. Perhaps it is also the reason why I have been more introspective these days and inspired to create a blog and share my feelings?

Or perhaps I may be taking this a little too far?

But then again, do we and should we blame the planets for what we can decide for ourselves in this physical plane? Or can we take comfort in the thought that in spite of the “planetary” influences that may cause us to behave the way that we do in certain situations; there is still that open window of decision making that is left to us. And our decision should come from a balance of both the mind and of the heart; of the rationale and the emotional; of the cause of our thoughts and the effects of these if acted upon.

As it is, what we ultimately decide determines our course of action and thus crafts our future.

Let's hope in the next month, we are able to do and be better. We need to and we should.

Dealing with the recent tragedy

There will always be people who deal with it well and those that don't.

There will also be people who would condemn and those that would make an attempt to rise above it and see the situation for that it is and for the good that it brings inspite of the pain involved in it.

What I'm referring to is the recent hostage taking crisis that happened last week here in Manila. So much has been said about who did what, who didn't do what, who should have done this or that. But as a nation, we are hurting as well and thinking how this tragedy could have happened here in our country and why of all times it had to happen when we are truly off to a good  and hopeful start just after the recent Presidential elections.

If there is truly some good that would come out of this tragedy, then I hope that as a nation we would embrace that; we would recognize it and apply it to our lives.

And to see a non-Filipino in this youtube video posted below, speak with much understanding, it certainly warms my heart to see that Pandora has not locked up hope in her box. It is there. Alive and Thriving. We just have to be aware enough to see it and vigilant enough to protect it and the heart to spread it around.

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Starting the Month Right

It's always been like this year in, year out.

Whenever the month of September comes, we all start hearing Christmas songs on the radio or in the malls; the decorations for the Yuletide season also start to come out on flea markets and in the mall stores as well.

But for this year I wanted it to be different.

I wanted to be productive. I wanted to make sure that my productivity level was upped one more notch and I would have something to show for this Holiday season. The productivity that I am referring to is the release of my my debut album; a project that has taken too long in the making; too long in the planning and in the wanting.

Ever since I discovered that I could sing, going at it professionally was always something that I wanted to do. Growing up and listening to homegrown O.P.M. artists like Martin Nievera, Gary V, Janno Gibbs, Kyla, Jay R and see their careers flourish, I so wanted a piece of the pie. But alas, my family didn't see it that way; saying that one cannot live on music alone.

And so for years the desire took a backseat with only me nurturing the desire; feeding it and willing it to grow while honing my craft; on my own.

Fast forward several years after and here I am working at radio and have just released my album online via Mp3 downloads withe the physical album release to follow within the month. I must have done something good at last to get to this point.

Everything changed for me when Dad passed away in 2007; the world stopped and became a smaller place and everything that I thought was important wasn't and all those that I kept shelving had to be on the front seat and take precedence.

I so wanted Dad to have been around to listen to the album. But since he isn't here anymore, I hope that by doing this; living my life as best as I can and living my life to the fullest, would be the gift that I could give back in payment for the life that he has given me. I owe him much and for this I will always be thankful.

I've arranged for the album to be initially available via CDBaby for downloads so that I maximize the time I have while waiting for the physical cd to be released to the market via my own record label, GreenHorn Records.

And just as I posted my album and finalized everything online 2 days ago on the first of the month, there already was a download made for my album.

It was the best surprise of the day for me.

And today a high school batchmate saw me on I-tunes and said that he will be buying the album and alerting the rest of the batch to do the same.

It's support like this that make my day and make everything worthwhile. And I hope that more awareness building like this for my album manifests and translates into more sales for me.

We artists love the support our listening public gives us. We love it when you say that you can relate to the songs that we write. We love it when you say that our songs made you stop, think, reflect and prod you to do something positive about the things in your life.

But the best reward you can give an artist is when you go out of your way to get their work. And then tell them how you love it.

And we will be eternally grateful and love ya back :)

So make this artist happy, download and get your copy here.

Before anyone else does. :)

Thanks in advance. May you in turn be always be happy and blessed!

Blessed Be!