Posting our partial gig sked for this August at the Guitar Blog

There has been quite a stir in the Philippine graphic novel loving community at the inception and just-culmination of UNMASKED: The 1st Philippine Graphic/Fiction Award sponsored by Neil Gaiman in close cooperation with Fully Booked. The contest was launched sometime in October of 2005 with the actual award ceremony held on July 15, 2006 at the Rockwell tent. The link for the video below was sent to Neil via email by one of the minds behind the intro-animation shown at the event proper. One named Jason Tan.

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Recently, Mrs. Arroyo heralded us with her dream of bringing the Philippines into the ‘enchanted kingdom’ before the year 2020. During that time, we thought the President was just being poetic.

Read more at Mongster’s Nest

While I was listening to Magic, they were plugging about a compilation album from Universal Records. A tribute album to APO Hiking Society has been organized featuring different songs performed by contemporary artists such as SpongeCola, Orange and Lemons, Kitchie Nadal, etc.

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Before the second world war, Davao was “Davao-kou” or Little Tokyo to many Japanese nationals. As much as 25,000 Japanese were living in Davao making it one of the largest concentration of Japanese outside of Japan itself.

The first Japanese to reach Davao in 1903 were workers hired by the new American colonizers (after Spain sold the Philippines to the US for $20 Million in the 1898 Treaty of Paris) for the agricultural plantations in this vast region.

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sandstorm struck in dubai for two days, visibility was reduced and temperature (40-42c) and humidity (60% – 70%) soared. i’m stuck at home during the day, soaked myself in the bathroom for two hours and watched underworld: evolution.

visit the dubai chronicles for more…

My 41 year old baby brother in Missouri (I still call him baby brother because I took care of him) wants me to be his wedding coordinator for a church wedding in the Philippines. My brother and his wife did not have a church wedding 14 years ago due to financial challenges.continue reading?

taken at the jumeirah beach park at night. the place was dark, humid and eerie and decided to make a new concept with my favorite baby subject, mak-mak.

visit the dubai chronicles for more…

What are you doing with what you have been given?

This was the question posed to a huge group of business leaders when Dr. Rick Warren, New York Times best-selling author ofThe Purpose Driven Life, spoke to members of the Management Association of the Philippines early this week in Manila. My husband and I were blessed to be invited to hear him talk on “The Stewardship of Affluence and Influence” at the Makati Shangri-la Hotel. A few days earlier, Read more about my encounter with Dr Rick Warren here

I received last Wednesday an invitation for the International People’s Forum vs. the IMF and World Bank to be held on September 15-17 in Batam, Indonesia. The Forum is a parallel civil society activity to the annual meeting of the IMF/World Bank in Singapore.

The Forum will be a convergence of activities and actions that will articulate critiques, express peaceful protests and assert alternatives to the role, policies and operations of these multilateral institutions on the peoples of the world.

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According to September 11, 2001 Victims, there were at least 15 Filipinos who died when the towers collapsed on that day. Their names…

Ice melts faster. Women walk the city in their bikini tops. The beach is packed. I’ve finished a pitcher of iced tea and i’m onto the next. My skin has turned 5 shades darker. Seattle is HOT!

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For those lucky enough to get the chance to see and/or meet them, please share your pictures! Thanks! Here’s their schedule:

20 July 2006 | Greenbelt 3 Park | 7 – 8 PM
21 July 2006 | Glorietta Activity Center | 4 – 5:30 PM
22 July 2006 | Alabang Town Center | 10 – 11 AM

[Read more here.]

How often can you pretend to be a hobbit and a Hogwarts student in one day?

[Read more here.]

I still have conventionitis– the “feeling” after a Sci-Fi/Fantasy convention. That’s what is felt after being immersed in a mix of extreme exhuastion, natural high, strong bonds (of friendship), geeky encounters, out-of-this-world sights and many more. That’s more than just the physical sickness I have right now.

[Read more here.]

For the love of Neil Gaiman, I did volunteer for this event– Unmasked: The First Philippine Graphic/Fiction Award. Some disappointments made me think that it was not really worth the sore feet, but still, it was a good experience.

[Read more here.]

Sports should normally unite people regardless of origin, race, politics, beliefs or religion. There’s only one rule applicable.

The headbutt done by Zidane was a result of provocation. This guy isn’t stupid. When he engaged in the act, 10 minutes away from his retirement, at the World Cup finals, don’t you think there’s something serious behind?

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You’ll realize that geeks/nerds do know how to party! This is my first attempt to chronicle my experiences as a self-confessed fanatic during the 4th New Worlds Science Fiction and Fantasy convention.

[Read here for more.]

The award given by Nokia and the UK News Gazette to ‘citizen journalists’ is a clear sign that this new phenomenon can no longer be ingnored and passed off as unreliable or insignificant content of news and current events by the traditional media and will soon become the norm as more and more people are now creating their own blogs and actually watch out and cover significant events in their vicinity.

Question now is, who will be the first Filipino citizen journalist to be honored or given such similar recognition and who will give such recognition?

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NEW WORLDS 4: A BROKEN TIME MACHINE
THE 4TH PHILIPPINE SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY CONVENTION
16th July 2006, Rockwell Tent

[View PROGRAMME here.]