Would that eternity become everyday?

Not that I'm prolific with blogging and stuff, but recently I've faced an insurmountable writing slump.

Shortage of ideas? Check. General walang-gana feeling? Check. Regular power interruptions that suck like hell? Check.

Yes, pin the blame on power interruptions, you lazy bum. But this time, I must admit, I am seriously not passing the buck to some innocent bystander. No emotional displacement here. It really is the truth. This power crisis is going to be the death of me - or at least the death of this blog, with all my dreams of being a superscribe dying with it.

Imagine having only 4 hours of work per day. Sounds good, if you've got electricity to power hard drives and the intarnetz, hell if you have stifling heat and boredom to deal with. Then you get these phone calls from bank agents from Manila who scoff at the idea of power interruptions. Talaga? Wala kayong ilaw? Yes, wala kameng ilaw. Power crisis po kame. Don't you read the news? Generators? No, we have wiring problems. We can't have a generator without frying everything in the office.

With nearly all my work tied to the computer and the intarnetz, it's impossible not to feel bored. Or tired. Or dejected. Or just so freakin' pissed at the world for taking global warming lightly. When the lights do come back on, I feel as if I've done a week's worth of work, like someone who has just experienced a dozen of health insurance leads gone wrong. By then, I'm too beat to do anything but abuse the intarnetz for the deprivation.

As a countermeasure, I've tried catching up with world events by reading the paper - present and past issues included - only to end up folding them into a paper fan. I've brought some books over, but the heat and humidity is not exactly a pleasurable ambiance to soak up literature. Anyway, power interruptions are supposedly going to end on June. Bully for that day.

This piece is 1/4 angst and 3/4 pure therapy for repressed emotions.

We were the kings and queens of promise

Yesterday, I received a piece of glass with my name on it. It has rendered me quite speechless.

Most promising employee. Thank you Lord.

Congratulations, Jas. For someone whose only ambition in life was to finish college, you're doing pretty good. Let's continue to kick ass, shall we?

I think I'll try defying gravity

Normally, I don't mind politics. It does not mind me and I it. The whole political mechanisms are most Machiavellian, and being machiavellian is something that God never deemed necessary when He created me.

In the hype before the May 10 elections though, it's something that can hardly be avoided. Everything is saturated with politics - news, events, text messages, social networking site.

As for me, I'm still kind of mum as to who my president would be. How I wish we have a candidate like Obama in our presidential elections. Someone exceptional. Someone who is remarkably different from the rest of the pack.

If I were to vote for somebody into the highest office of my country, I'd want someone who inspires me, someone who'll convince me to walk through hot coals. Yus, I'd walk on hot coals if someone can inspire me enough. In this presidential race, nobody is astounding enough to rise above the dough. Everyone is so, I don't know, so-so.

I feel for presidential candidate Gilbert Teodoro, though. At first glance, he is more than qualified to be president. But one look at who endorses him and people change their mind, me included. If that's not enough, look at where he is now. Left standing on thin ice, like someone whose health insurance leads went up in smokes. Too bad, too bad.



This election is going to be monumental. And I will be a part of it.

Mobile Suit Gundam 00 1-12

It is the year 2307 A.D. Earth’s energy reserves have dried up but humanity has now access to solar energy – virtually unlimited power. Despite this, global powers still wage countless wars with each other for strength and superiority. Celestial Beings, a paramilitary organization, intercedes and engages a war to end all wars.

Beautiful mecha and bishies. 'Nuff said.

I dared Mobile Suit Gundam 00 for one reason. The office server had all complete episodes for its two seasons, and if there’s one thing I can’t stand, its incomplete episodes. An incomplete episode to me is like what coitus interruptus is to couples – a heart-breaking frustration.

A war to end all wars, to create a better world by destroying the old one – that’s a common enough cliché in anime. In Gundam 00, however, the storyline is doused with generous helpings of realistic characters, events and situations, infusing the whole series with a contemporary vibe. One can’t help but be drawn and engrossed with the excellently paced story.

The themes of war and its effects have always been the core of any Gundam series. But in Gundam 00, this theme is appreciated more as it is more pronounced and clearly detailed, abetted by its realistic storyline. True, the story is set in the future, but the problems tackled in the story are the same issues the world is facing today. I may be a little biased here, since the only Gundam series I’ve ever had an interest in before was Gundam Wing, with its good-looking protagonists and even better-looking antagonists. But to sum it up in a thought, the one thing I loved most about Gundam 00 is the fact that I can relate to it.

Animation wise, Gundam 00 is solid. A bit clichéd though with how the characters are drawn – a little too stereotypical and forgettable for me. Sure, Gundam 00 still has the bishounen factor in it, but more toned down if you compare it to Gundam Wing. I mean, definitely no Zechs Marquise here.

While the character animation may be a little blah, the mobile suits themselves are in a whole different league. Gundam 00 boasts of skillfully rendered machines, space shuttles and mecha designs. Beautiful is the only word I can come up with. The mobile suits are beautiful, superbly crafted, intricately detailed and designed, strong lines, fluid animation and infused with more personality than their pilots. Of the four Gundams, Dynames as the sniper is my favorite.

Dynames with a mean gun.

On character development, I’m still waiting for more action. It’s a great thing that the main cast is of varied ethnicity and of different backgrounds. The characters need a bit more fleshing out, though. Gundam 00, after all, has quite a big cast. But then, I’m only at episode 12 of season 1, so this is a premature worry of someone who is just itching to get through the 25 episodes at the soonest possible time.

The one thing that I found cumbersome is the technobabble. It’s a bummer really, trying to keep up with extensive narration of new technologies that you have never heard of yet. But I guess it’s something you can’t avoid in a futuristic mecha series. Thankfully, Gundam 00 limits the technobabble to a minimum, but it’s still enough to make me tune out and press the fast forward button.

I’ve yet to finish season one, but I have a feeling that I’m going to watch all 25 episodes and continue on with its second season. Hurray for office servers!