Jane Says

Reprinted from Jane Espenson's blog because she is right:

Ideas and How to Avoid Them

Hi! I'm back from WorldCon. Wow, that was fun! It's a convention that focuses a lot on books, as opposed to comic books and games. This seems to lead to a more grown up and more female collection of attendees than at some other cons. The whole thing had a wonderful feel to it. The Hugo Award ceremony went well. I got through my part of it, so I was already reeling with relief when I had the pleasure of seeing Serenity get the Drama Long Form award. How wonderful! It was a great night indeed.I also participated in quite a few more panels, which was a lot of fun. In fact, several times throughout the weekend, I had mini-epiphanies (I call them piphanies) about what it is that I do for a living. Here is a thought you might enjoy. Or disagree with. Or both.There is a big division in the nature of television shows. We talk about shows that are character-driven and shows that are story-driven. King of the Hill, to pick a show more or less at random, is character-driven. Law and Order is story-driven. Other shows exist somewhere along the scale. But what if there's a third division? It seems to me that the shows which we are most liable to call "Sci Fi" are often driven by something that is neither character nor story. The Twilight Zone, original Star Trek and Trek:TNG, the Halloween episodes of The Simpsons, maybe even a show like Quantum Leap… I would contend that these are (drum roll) idea-driven. You know what I mean? I would even include some of the earliest monster-of-the-week Buffy episodes in this category -- the ones with the strongest metaphorical underpinnings. Like episodes of The Twilight Zone, they function as sorts of little parables, with a point to make about the world. A point made by an idea-based show might be something like: racism is random, human obsession creates a barrier as strong as any wall, greed eats away the soul, vanity makes you ugly. There's a moral to these shows, as in a fable.Have you ever noticed that there are a lot of people out there who declare "I don't like Sci Fi" and "I don't like Fantasy"? Have you ever questioned them on what they mean… do they mean that they don't like Frankenstein, Brave New World, 1984, A Handmaid's Tale, Harry Potter? They don't like Star Wars? Indiana Jones? ET? Splash? Big? Lord of the Rings? Sliding Doors? The Natural? Field of Dreams? Heaven can Wait? Defending your Life? The Incredibles? Batman? They don't like Buffy? Quantum Leap? Charmed? Medium? Bewitched? Sabrina? Lost?Usually they'll admit that they, in fact, like a great many of those things. They just don't put some of those works in the category of things they dislike. I'm starting to wonder if what best characterizes what they don’t like is the category of idea-driven works.The types of stories written by Ray Bradbury, the types of filmed stories presented by Rod Serling... these appealed to me as child even without the presence of characters I knew and was already rooting for. I loved the fact that each of them was a neat little package with an idea inside. But others dislike this. Maybe it feels artificial to them, like a little puppet show that they suddenly realize is there not to entertain but to educate. It's about vegetables! It's a trap!They may, in fact, have learned, from the example of the Trek shows, that the sight of spacecraft is a warning signal that ideas may soon follow. I've heard from a number of people who were pleasantly surprised to discover that Battlestar Galactica was about people. I think they were afraid it was about ideas. (Which is not to say it is idea-less, but I wouldn't say it is idea-driven. It is character-driven.)What does this mean for you, the humble and earnest writer of spec scripts? Figure out the category of the show you are specing and make sure the episode you write is of the correct type. And if you are writing an idea-driven spec pilot, be aware that you are battling some strong headwinds. If you are twisting story and character in order to create a sort of parable, you may be letting an idea drive your spec. Watch out for this, my friends. I love ideas, you love ideas, but something there is that does not love an idea. They simply are not in fashion in the television world right now.

The Autumn Kind of Mood

August 29, 2006

Bippity, Boppity.

Boop.

Or something like that.

The last days of summer are here but some reason, I have already been getting into an autumn kind of mood. Maybe it is because of the slight chill I get at working, that slight chill you get when the days are still warm but the breeze has that northerly feel to it that tells your bones that it will not be so warm for much longer. Maybe it is the sight of all the kids going back to school. I wish I could say it is all the leaves I see on the ground but they are still green and still on the trees. Besides, I do not think we get much deciduous trees this part of the country (although, apparently the Sasquach has been seen not too far north from here- who knew he was a snow bird?). Maybe it is all the Cure tunes I have been listening to lately (I will always associate the Cure with autumn as that was the season I started to listen to them over and over again at least fourteen years ago now). Who knows, but I am in an autumn kind of mood right now.

Congratulations to Nury Vitacci for getting a book deal in the UK. Apparently, the United Kingdom is the hardest place for a writer to break through. He seemed to like my comment that: “Maybe one day one of your books will turn into a weird French film that in no way resembles the story it was based on but still makes a lot of money around the world, you will secretly kinda like it while denouncing it to the world because it does not resemble your work, will remain unreleased in the US because 'they don't get it' but will nonetheless have a cult audience.”

The cult kind of audience is the best kind. I mean. I like the main stream stuff too, but remember back in the days when you discovered a band before KROQ or whatever radio station started playing them and you used to see them in tiny clubs play and you have all their non-major label record stuff? Or like how it was cool to like Star Wars in the late nineties prior to the Prequels being released? Now, it is apparently cool to hate Star Wars, but that is another story for another day.

The loss of the cult kind of audience is (in my honest opinion) why the Nirvana dude shot himself so many years ago now. Which in an off beat kind of way why I respect him. I could care less for the music (as Kurt himself puts it, he was ripping off the Pixies anyway and I have to agree with him) but the loss of something meaningful to write about and just having to do it to make the masses happy (and maybe make a buck) is just pointless. He was only being true to himself and in the end, sometimes that is the only thing worth going for.

And now I have a nephew named Kurt. Who I have only met once. And the spawn of Cobain is looking more and more like him everyday. It is kinda scary actually.

To Do of the Day: It is the perfect day to be dancing like you cannot hear the beat and not giving a fffurther thought to things like me…it is the perfect day to toss back your head and kiss it all goodbye.
________________________________________________________________________
http://www.myspace.com/catterpillarboy
http://catterpillarboy.blogspot.com/

The Autumn Kind of Mood

August 29, 2006

Bippity, Boppity.

Boop.

Or something like that.

The last days of summer are here but some reason, I have already been getting into an autumn kind of mood. Maybe it is because of the slight chill I get at working, that slight chill you get when the days are still warm but the breeze has that northerly feel to it that tells your bones that it will not be so warm for much longer. Maybe it is the sight of all the kids going back to school. I wish I could say it is all the leaves I see on the ground but they are still green and still on the trees. Besides, I do not think we get much deciduous trees this part of the country (although, apparently the Sasquach has been seen not too far north from here- who knew he was a snow bird?). Maybe it is all the Cure tunes I have been listening to lately (I will always associate the Cure with autumn as that was the season I started to listen to them over and over again at least fourteen years ago now). Who knows, but I am in an autumn kind of mood right now.

Congratulations to Nury Vitacci for getting a book deal in the UK. Apparently, the United Kingdom is the hardest place for a writer to break through. He seemed to like my comment that: “Maybe one day one of your books will turn into a weird French film that in no way resembles the story it was based on but still makes a lot of money around the world, you will secretly kinda like it while denouncing it to the world because it does not resemble your work, will remain unreleased in the US because 'they don't get it' but will nonetheless have a cult audience.”

The cult kind of audience is the best kind. I mean. I like the main stream stuff too, but remember back in the days when you discovered a band before KROQ or whatever radio station started playing them and you used to see them in tiny clubs play and you have all their non-major label record stuff? Or like how it was cool to like Star Wars in the late nineties prior to the Prequels being released? Now, it is apparently cool to hate Star Wars, but that is another story for another day.

The loss of the cult kind of audience is (in my honest opinion) why the Nirvana dude shot himself so many years ago now. Which in an off beat kind of way why I respect him. I could care less for the music (as Kurt himself puts it, he was ripping off the Pixies anyway and I have to agree with him) but the loss of something meaningful to write about and just having to do it to make the masses happy (and maybe make a buck) is just pointless. He was only being true to himself and in the end, sometimes that is the only thing worth going for.

And now I have a nephew named Kurt. Who I have only met once. And the spawn of Cobain is looking more and more like him everyday. It is kinda scary actually.

To Do of the Day: It is the perfect day to be dancing like you cannot hear the beat and not giving a fffurther thought to things like me…it is the perfect day to toss back your head and kiss it all goodbye.
________________________________________________________________________
http://www.myspace.com/catterpillarboy
http://catterpillarboy.blogspot.com/

This is not the Megatron I Grew up with...

But hey, I'll still give it a shot...

What the fuck is a Bionicle?

August 21, 2006

New pics of the big giant robots that will be appearing are at my regular blog (link below as usual unless you are there already, the entry was posted twice because they were more meets that ocular thing that I have two of in my head). They have not been taken down at the big fan boy news sites so either they are fake, Michael Bay has ceased to care if they are released or not or Michael Bay has sent out his death squads to everyone who is in possession of these pictures.

They are pretty decent. Looks like they can work (except for the Starscream one- that is just ugly- but it can still pass for a Transformer). They look hopelessly complicated, and if the toys are exactly like them it will take me hours to go from vehicle to robot and back (I own one of the Alternators and it is stuck in robot form because I can never properly return it back into a car). Optimus Prime is Optimus Prime, and I hope that this ‘face mask’ does not come off. It is just not him if it does. It will be like watching a movie with a well know star but there is a huge ugly facial scar that distracts you from their performance. The best looking one is the Decepticon helicopter- he just looks mean as hell.

A lot of fan boys are heavily criticizing the looks, already deeming the movie a failure and calling it Bionicle the Movie. To that I say, “What the fuck is a Bionicle?”

On the veggie front, I am pleased to announce that I am moving forward albeit a little slowly. Over the past couple of weeks or so, averaged out from the seven days in a week, five of those days I have not eaten any meat. While that does not make me a vegetarian by any definition, I have found myself denying meat in favor of veggies and other meat substitutes. The two days in the week that I did eat meat were to rid the fridge of foods with meat and one accident (I was looking for a bag of chips and accidentally bought a bag of pork rinds- look I know I am the stupidest man on Earth, you do not have to remind me).

Just to be clear, I am abstaining from eating meat due to the cruel nature of the meat industry and not for any health purposes. Just as I will not eat any seafood due to the fact that the seas are over fished and we are destroying the oceans in doing so.

Never trust anything over thirty. That now includes the punk movement (and everyone I now know): http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/entertainment/5263364.stm


________________________________________________________________________
http://www.myspace.com/catterpillarboy
http://catterpillarboy.blogspot.com/

More T-Formers

Scorponok
Bumblebee just crapped out a buy wearing a red shirt
Roll Out!
Okay, this guy looks like he can kick your ass seven ways from Sunday...

More T-Formers

Scorponok
Bumblebee just crapped out a buy wearing a red shirt
Roll Out!
Okay, this guy looks like he can kick your ass seven ways from Sunday...

More than meets the muthafuckin' eye!

Kinda ugly, but I can work with it...
I gotta see this before I die...

Just a bunch of links

August 16, 2006

There is an interview with director Pearry Teo at www.myspace.com/genegeneration where he talks about the movie Gene Generation. I cannot stress how badly I want to see this movie. If not only for the incorporation of the music of Combichrist combined with a score by one of my gods, Ronan Harris of VNV Nation.

Anyway. It was just brought to my attention (at http://comicbookresources.com/columns/?column=10 in an article about comic books that obviously went off tangent) that the whole terrorist plot thing about the no liquids on planes thing? It involved mixing said liquids, so they ask people to dump all their liquids into the same container. Where they can mix. I am surprised that has gone boom yet.

I wonder what happens anyway to all of those liquids. Does airport staff get to take home the free booze, shampoos and what not?

Also, Senator George Allen of Virginia spews a derogatory remark towards an Asian man and says he did not mean it (it is over at http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/16/washington/16allen.html ). Yeah, whatever, this from a man obsessed by the Confederate Flag and says ‘Welcome to America’ to anyone who does not look like him. This guy wants to run for President?

Also in Queens, four slanty eyed guys get beat up by a bunch of round eyes (story at http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/15/nyregion/15hate.html?_r=1&oref=slogin ). The round eyes are just responding to fear and ignorance. The slanty eyes are moving in and taking up space. You know that club thing you use in you car? Hit them in the leg with it. It is a good thing that the square eyes do not live there, because the slanty and round eyes would just gang up on them.

And over at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/4798825.stm is the tale of the aging baby boomers. As they reach retirement age, articles and stories pop up about their achievements. Yes, they are among the first to be anti war, go to space, listen to good music and other things. But they were also the ones who started the planet’s descent into the environmental chaos it is in now, are into selfish consumption and the lovable thing known as excess where bigger and more is better. Next time you see someone born between 1946 and 1964, give thanks to them for the good things and the next one you see, smack them on the back side of their head.

As for the rest of us, we suck as well.

And, I forget the actual link, but I first read about it at http://news.bbc.co.uk/ , the tale of fishermen from who had gotten lost at sea for about nine weeks, living off sea water, sea birds and enjoying the company of each other until a passing boat found them. Serves them right, they were looking for sharks to kill. Because sharks kill lots and lots of people, it has been proven; they saw it in a movie once.

Also over at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4793915.stm , apparently you can kill me by freezing me in a refrigerator (Holly has tried to do this to me before, our fridge was too small and there were too many coconuts in the way), then take out my icy blue corpse fifteen years later, squeeze out my junk and you can still have my horrible, horrible, slanty eyed and misshapen head with three arms spawn (but only if you are pretty and if Holly says it is okay or it is Holy who wants the horrible, horrible, slanty eyed and misshapen head with three arms spawn). Okay, they did it with mice, but anything they do to mice they can do to people, right? The goal of these people is to eventually bring a return to the giant wooly mammoths of old.

That is actually kinda cool.

Oh and over at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonlance:_Dragons_of_Autumn_Twilight_%28movie%29 and at http://www.dragonlance-movie.com/ comes word that they are finally doing a Dragonlance movie for (tentatively slated for release next August). With the guy who plays Lex Luthor on Smallville as my favourite character, Tanis Half Elven, and Jack Bauer himself as Raistlin. And it is going to an animated movie so all the big gigantic scenes of dragons killing everyone will not have to be scaled down because there is not enough money in the special effects budget. So next year we have the TMNT movie, Transformers not to mention the inevitable comic book movies like Spiderman, Ghost Rider and the Fantastic Four. The geeks are now marketable.

And now, one question to all of you Buffy-philes out there (you know who you are): How did the Watchers go from African shamans to stuffy British dudes? And the answer is not magic.

________________________________________________________________________
http://www.myspace.com/catterpillarboy
http://catterpillarboy.blogspot.com/

100

August 14, 2006

What I did during my summer vacation.

What vacation?



At http://www.wowpinoy.net/100best.php, there is a list of the 100 best things about being Filipino. Now, I do not understand some or even all of it, but there are some interesting ones. For example:

1. Merienda. Where else is it normal to eat five times a day?
Fobs are constantly snacking.
3. Kuwan, ano. At a loss for words? Try these and marvel at how Pinoys understand exactly what you want.
This is an interesting phenomenon. It is the equivalent of someone saying ‘what’ for every third word in sentence when they do not know how to express something.
4. Pinoy humor and irreverence. If you're api and you know it, crack a joke. Nothing personal, really.
We really love our puns.
5. Tingi. Thank goodness for small entrepreneurs. Where else can we buy cigarettes, soap, condiments and life's essentials in small affordable amounts?
My uncle had a small general store and he opened cigarette packs and sold the cigarettes as singles.
7. Po, opo, mano po. Speech suffixes that define courtesy, deference, filial respect--a balm to the spirit in these aggressive times.
8. Pasalubong. Our way of sharing the vicarious thrills and delights of a trip, and a wonderful excuse to shop without the customary guilt.
If I like you, you are going to get small useless souvenirs if I ever travel anywhere.
10. Bagoong. Darkly mysterious, this smelly fish or shrimp paste typifies the underlying theme of most ethnic foods: disgustingly unhygienic, unbearably stinky and simply irresistible.
I forgot about this, strangely tasty and salty and weirdly purple. And I will never eat it again.
12. The Balikbayan box. Another way of sharing life's bounty, no matter if it seems like we're fleeing Pol Pot every time we head home from anywhere in the globe. The most wonderful part is that, more often than not, the contents are carted home to be distributed.
My cousin’s grandmother would send all the clothes she bought at a bargain at garage sales and swap meets to send to relatives.
17. Jeepneys. Colorful, fast, reckless, a vehicle of postwar Pinoy ingenuity, this Everyman's communal cadillac makes for a cheap, interesting ride. If the driver's a daredevil (as they usually are), hang on to your seat.
Each jeepney is as unique as the driver and you gotta ride in one at least once in your life. Preferably in rush hour. And if you have nothing to live for.
18. Dinuguan. Blood stew, a bloodcurdling idea, until you try it with puto. Best when mined with jalape¤o peppers. Messy but delicious.
Tasty. Us fobs grew up knowing it as chocolate soup although it tasted nothing like chocolate.
20. Balut. Unhatched duck's embryo, another unspeakable ethnic food to outsiders, but oh, to indulge in guilty pleasures! Sprinkle some salt and suck out that soup, with gusto.
The soup and the yolk was good, but tough luck if you actually see parts that look like a bird
29. Tricycle and trisikad, the poor Pinoy's taxicab that delivers you at your doorstep for as little as PHPesos3.00, with a complimentary dusting of polluted air.
The Filipino version of the Thai tuk-tuk
30. Dirty ice cream. Very Pinoy flavors that make up for the risk: munggo, langka, ube, mais, keso, macapuno. Plus there's the colorful cart that recalls jeepney art.
Bean, corn and yam flavoured ice cream.
48. Pandesal. Despite its shrinking size, still a good buy. Goes well with any filling, best when hot.
The bread of the sun.
61. Barong Tagalog. Enables men to look formal and dignified without having to strangle themselves with a necktie. Worn well, it makes any ordinary Juan look marvelously makisig.
64. Catholicism. What fun would sin be without guilt? Jesus Christ is firmly planted on Philippine soil.
67. Bad taste. Clear plastic covers on the vinyl-upholstered sofa, posters of poker-playing dogs masquerading as art, overaccessorized jeepneys and altars--the list is endless, and wealth only seems to magnify it.
Giant wooden forks and spoons adorning your walls is not bad taste.
69. Unbridled optimism. Why we rank so low on the suicide scale.
It will all get better. Someday.
71. The siesta. Snoozing in the middle of the day is smart, not lazy.
Why more people do not do this is a mystery.
72. Honorifics and courteous titles: Kuya, ate, diko, ditse, ineng, totoy, Ingkong, Aling, Mang, etc. No exact English translation, but these words connote respect, deference and the value placed on kinship.
You could be thirty and your uncle will still call you the English equivalent of ‘Little One’
77. Sari-sari store. There's one in every corner, offering everything from bananas and floor wax to Band-Aid and bakya.
The store my uncle had was of this kind. They sold all kinds of crap.
80. Quirks of language that can drive crazy any tourist listening in: "Bababa ba?" "Bababa!"
Not just tourists, it will drive anyone crazy. Imagine hanging out in the middle of a hundred or so fobs chatter about the latest gossip. You will be insane in about two minutes.
86. Filipino Christmas. The world's longest holiday season. A perfect excuse to mix our love for feasting, gift-giving and music and wrap it up with a touch of religion.
Just watch out for all the home made fireworks during New Year
87. Relatives and kababayan abroad. The best refuge against loneliness, discrimination and confusion in a foreign place. Distant relatives and fellow Pinoys readily roll out the welcome mat even on the basis of a phone introduction or referral.
There is some one related to me on all seven continents. Yes, even Antarctica. You know you have seen a penguin in a barong Tagalog instead of a tux.
91. Sunday family gatherings. Or, close family ties that never get severed. You don't have to win the lotto or be a president to have 10,000 relatives (but that helps). Everyone's family tree extends all over the archipelago, and it's at its best in times of crisis; notice how food, hostesses, money, and moral support materialize during a wake?
100. Midnight madness, weekend sales, bangketas and baratillos. It's retail therapy at its best, with Filipinos braving traffic, crowds, and human deluge to find a bargain.
I have had relatives come by from the Philippines just to go to garage sales and swap meets for a good deal.


________________________________________________________________________
http://www.myspace.com/catterpillarboy
http://catterpillarboy.blogspot.com/

Inbetween Days

I feel like this sometimes...

August 11, 2006

Oh, for how much longer can I howl like this?

Seriously, if anyone has airfare, hotel reservations and tickets to M’era Luna that they do not want, let me know ASAP, I will gladly take them off your hands. With the sixth season of 24 happening in Heathrow yesterday, it is going to be hell to be flying across the Atlantic right now anyway. Just pass them on to me and I will take care of everything.

Sigh.

I have listened to the Glove rarities disk and enjoyed the Robert Smith vocals. It is interestingly different. I liked the original Jeanette Landray vocals as is, but I wonder how different the world would have been if Fat Bob sang the whole thing instead of just two songs. Probably no different. He gives the tunes his signature personal touch just like he does all of his songs. The rough music is awesome though. I would love to see the Glove get back together and just do some live shows. I would buy that for a dollar.

And right now I am listening to the Kiss me, Kiss me, Kiss me rarities. A lot of instrumentals including the demo of Just Like Heaven which is different from the JLH demo that was on the ‘Best Of’ site a couple of years ago. I wonder actually how many demos of that song were made. The Kiss demo is strangely accordionly. Like an Animal sound so much better here than it does on the actual album. Good stuff all the way through.

After this, I am going to listen to the Head on the Door rarities disc (which is now). One of my favourite Cure albums (KMKMKM being just a tad too inconsistent for me, just stick with a theme and go with it). THOTD (which sounds like a Lovecraftian space god- come worship Thotd!) is a better balanced album- the pop and the darker tunes that we come to associate the Cure with. Plus it is a short album that just leaves you with wanting oh so much more. The rarities disc is like all the other ones, a bunch of instrumental demos that show you where songs could have gone left instead of the right turn that ended up on the final album. This is probably my favourite rarities disc so far (although I wonder about the awesome Lost Wishes for the Wish album. I heard a couple of those which were two shades above awesome). Plus there are instrumentals included for songs that never were.

It reminds me of the librarian Lucien, who ran the library of Dream and how he had stock of all the stories, songs and what not that were ever thought up by everyone but were never put to paper. So you have all of my stories as well as the romance novel that Albert Einstein once thought about but never thought about again since he was too busy reinventing physics. I remember once a tune I heard when I was asleep that sounded like for the entire world like a Cure song that I have never heard. When I woke up, I tried to look for it but never found it (I though it was Bananafishbones, but it was not. It did sound like it came from the Top era though).

I do not believe in dreams. I do believe in the power of meaning we grant them.

Damn you Lucien.

This is stranger than I ever thought.

And then it gets stranger.

Apparently (from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/08/060810-evolution.html ) a third of Americans flatly reject the concept of evolution. For that, I will send my monkey relative-minions after you to eat your brains.


I miss Pinky and the Brain. In most episodes, the Brain asks Pinky if he is pondering what he is pondering. Below are some results from that query. Just remember that one is a genius and the other is insane.

"Well, I think so, Brain, but if they call people from Poland Poles, why don't they call people from Holland Holes?"
"I think so, Brain, but where are we going to find a duck and a hose at this hour?"
"I think so, but where will we find an open tattoo parlor at this time of night?"
"Wuh, I think so, Brain, but if we didn't have ears, we'd look like weasels."
"Uh... yeah, Brain, but where are we going to find rubber pants our size?"
"Uh, I think so, Brain, but balancing a family and a career ... ooh, it's all too much for me."
"Wuh, I think so, Brain, but isn't Regis Philbin already married?"
"Wuh, I think so, Brain, but burlap chafes me so."
"Sure, Brain, but how are we going to find chaps our size?"
"Uh, I think so, Brain, but we'll never get a monkey to use dental floss."
"Uh, I think so Brain, but this time, you wear the tutu."
"I think so, Brain, but culottes have a tendency to ride up so."
"I think so, Brain, but if they called them 'Sad Meals', kids wouldn't buy them!"
"I think so, Brain, but me and Pippi Longstocking -- I mean, what would the children look like?"
"I think so, Brain, but this time you put the trousers on the chimp."
"Well, I think so, Brain, but I can't memorize a whole opera in Yiddish."
"I think so, Brain, but there's still a bug stuck in here from last time."
"Uh, I think so, Brain, but I get all clammy inside the tent."
"I think so, Brain, but I don't think Kaye Ballard's in the union."
"Yes, I am!"
"I think so, Brain, but, the Rockettes? I mean, it's mostly girls, isn't it?"
"I think so, Brain, but pants with horizontal stripes make me look chubby."
"Well, I think so -POIT- but where do you stick the feather and call it macaroni?"
"Well, I think so, Brain, but pantyhose are so uncomfortable in the summertime."
"Well, I think so, Brain, but it's a miracle that this one grew back."
"Well, I think so, Brain, but first you'd have to take that whole bridge apart, wouldn't you?"
"Well, I think so, Brain, but 'apply North Pole' to what?"
"I think so, Brain, but 'Snowball for Windows'?"
"Well, I think so, Brain, but snort no, no, it's too stupid!"
"Umm, I think so, Don Cerebro, but, umm, why would Sophia Loren do a musical?"
"Umm, I think so, Brain, but what if the chicken won't wear the nylons?"
"I think so, Brain, but isn't that why they invented tube socks?"
"Well, I think so Brain, but what if we stick to the seat covers?"
"I think so Brain, but if you replace the 'P' with an 'O', my name would be Oinky, wouldn't it?"
"Oooh, I think so Brain, but I think I'd rather eat the Macarena."
"Well, I think so hiccup, but Kevin Costner with an English accent?"
"I think so, Brain, but don't you need a swimming pool to play Marco Polo?"
"Well, I think so, Brain, but do I really need two tongues?"
"I think so, Brain, but we're already naked."
"We eat the box?"
"Well, I think so, Brain, but if Jimmy cracks corn, and no one cares, why does he keep doing it?"
"I think so, Brain NARF, but don't camels spit a lot?"
"I think so, Brain, but how will we get a pair of Abe Vigoda's pants?"
"I think so, Brain, but Pete Rose? I mean, can we trust him?"
"I think so, Brain, but why would Peter Bogdanovich?"
"I think so, Brain, but isn't a cucumber that small called a gherkin?"
"I think so, Brain, but if we get Sam Spade, we'll never have any puppies."
"I think so, Larry, and um, Brain, but how can we get seven dwarves to shave their legs?"
"I think so, Brain, but calling it pu-pu platter? Huh, what were they thinking?"
"I think so, Brain, but how will we get the Spice Girls into the paella?"
"I think so, Brain, but if we give peas a chance, won't the lima beans feel left out?"
"I think so, Brain, but if we had a snowmobile, wouldn't it melt before summer?"
"I think so, Brain, but what kind of rides do they have in Fabioland?"
"I think so, Brain, but can the Gummi Worms really live in peace with the Marshmallow Chicks?"
"Wuh, I think so, Brain, but wouldn't anything lose it's flavor on the bedpost overnight?"
"I think so, Brain, but three round meals a day wouldn't be as hard to swallow."
"I think so, Brain, but if the plural of mouse is mice, wouldn't the plural of spouse be spice?"
"Umm, I think so, Brain, but three men in a tub? Ooh, that's unsanitary!"
"Yes, but why does the chicken cross the road, huh, if not for love? I do not know."
"Wuh, I think so, Brain, but I prefer Space Jelly."
"Yes Brain, but if our knees bent the other way, how would we ride a bicycle?"
"Wuh, I think so, Brain, but how will we get three pink flamingos into one pair of Capri pants?"
"Oh Brain, I certainly hope so."
"I think so, Brain, but Tuesday Weld isn't a complete sentence."
"I think so, Brain, but why would anyone want to see Snow White and the Seven Samurai?"
"I think so, Brain, but then my name would be Thumby."
"I think so, Brain, but I find scratching just makes it worse."
"I think so, Brain, but shouldn't the bat boy be wearing a cape?"
"I think so, Brain, but why would anyone want a depressed tongue?"
"Um, I think so, Brainie, but why would anyone want to Pierce Brosnan?"
"Methinks so, Brain, verily, but dost thou think Pete Rose by any other name would still smell as sweaty?"
"I think so, Brain, but wouldn't his movies be more suitable for children if he was named Jean-Claude van Darn?"
"Wuh, I think so, Brain, but will they let the Cranberry Dutchess stay in the Lincoln Bedroom?"
"I think so, Brain, but why does a forklift have to be so big if all it does is lift forks?"
"I think so, Brain, but if it was only supposed to be a three hour tour, why did the Howells bring all their money?"
"I think so, Brain, but Zero Mostel times anything will still give you Zero Mostel."
"I think so, Brain, but if we have nothing to fear but fear itself, why does Eleanor Roosevelt wear that spooky mask?"
"I think so, Brain, but what if the hippopotamus won't wear the beach thong?"
"Um, I think so, Brain-2, but a show about two talking lab mice? Hoo! It'll never get on the air."
"I think so, Brain, but Lederhosen won't stretch that far."
"Yeah, but I thought Madonna already had a steady bloke!"
"I think so, Brain, but what would goats be doing in red leather turbans?"
"I think so, Brain…but how would we ever determine Sandra Bullock's shoe size?"
"Yes, Brain, I think so. But how do we get Twiggy to pose with an electric goose?"
Pinky: I think so, Brain. But if I put on two tutu's, would I really be wearing a four-by-four?
Brain: Why do I even bother asking?
Pinky: I dunno, Brain. Maybe it's all part of some huge, cosmic plot formula!
"I think so, Brain, but wouldn't mustard make it sting?"
Pinky: I think so, Brain! (Sprays his breath)
Brain: Er... then again, let's not let our enthusiasm overwhelm us!
"I think so, Mr. Brain, but if the sun'll come out tomorrow, what's it doing right now?"
"I think so, Brain, but aren't we out of shaving cream?"
"Oh yes, Brain! Remind me to tape all our phone calls!"
"Um, I think so, Brain, but I hear Hillary is the jealous type."
"I think so, Brain, but Madonna's stock is sinking."
"I think so, Brain. But does 'Chunk o' Cheesy's' deliver packing material?"
"I think so, Brainwulf, but if we're Danish, where's the cream cheese? Narf!"
"I think so, Bwain, but I don't think newspaper will fit in my underoos."
"Uh, I think so, Brain--but after eating newspaper all day, do I really need the extra fiber?"
"I think so, Brain! But isn't a dreadlock hair extension awfully expensive?"
"I think so, Brain. But will anyone other than Eskimos buy blubber-flavored chewing gum?"
"I think so, Brain, but the ointment expired weeks ago!"
"I think so, Brain. But would the villains really have gotten away with it, if it weren't for those pesky kids and their dog?"
"Wuhh... I think so, Brain! But let's use safflower oil this time! It's ever so much healthier!"
"Wuh... I think so, Brain. But Cream of Gorilla Soup-well, we’d have to sell it in awfully big cans, wouldn't we?"
"I think so, Brain. But if he left chocolate bullets instead of silver, they'd get all runny and gooey!"
"Yes, Brain, I think so, but do nuts go with pudding?"
"I think so, Brain, but a codpiece made from a real fish would get smelly after a while, wouldn’t it?"
"I think... so, Brain... *gag* ...but I didn’t know Annette used peanut butter in that way."
"I think so, Brain, but do those roost in this neighborhood?"
"I think so, Brain, but is the world ready for angora bellbottoms? I mean I can see wearing them inside out, but that would--"
"I think so, Commander Brain from Outer Space! But do we have time to grease the rockets?"
"I think so, Doctor. But are these really the legs of a show girl?"
"Whuh... I think so, Brain. But this time I get to play the dishwasher repairman!"
"I think so, Brainius. But what if a sudden wind were to blow up my toga?"
"I think so, Brain. But Trojans won’t arrive on the scene for another 300 years."
"I think so, Brain…but where would a yak put PVC tubing?"
"Whuh... I think so, Brain, but... but if Charlton Heston doesn't eat Soylent Green, what will he eat?"
Pinky: (talking to his reflection in the mirror) Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?
Pinky's Reflection: Why, yes, Pinky! Yes, I am! But where would you get a chicken, 20 yards of spandex and smelling salts at this hour?
"I think so, Brain, but Ben Vereen never answered our proposition."
"I think so, Brain, but wouldn't an itsy-bitsy, teeny-weenie, yellow polka-dot one-piece be better suited for my figure?"
"I think so, Brain, but won't it go straight to my hips?!"
"I think so, Ali-Brain! But isn't it cheating to use glue?"
"Whuu... I think so, BrainPan! But if running shoes had little feet, wouldn't they need their own shoes?"
"I think so, Brain. But what if the Earl of Essex doesn't like burlap pantaloons?"
"I think so, Brain, but should we use dishwashing liquid or cooking oil?"
Pinky: I think so, Brain! We'll dress up like biker dudes and infiltrate the "Hades Ladies." Then we'll convince them to hold a meeting inside the corn palace. Narf! The resulting carbon-monoxide buildup will allow you to complete your energy-making device and shortly after, you will rule the world!
Brain: Actually, I was thinking of calling the police. But I like your idea better!
Pinky: I’m honored, Brain... er, what was my idea again?
Pinky: (holding one of the pointy pieces from Sorry! and the bottle of Slick 'n Slide) I think so, Br...
Brain: (shuts Pinky's mouth) No, on second thought, don’t tell me... I don't think they allow that in a book with the Comics Code.
"I think so, Brain, but would Danish flies work just as well?"
"We think so, Brain! But dressing like twins is so tacky."
"I think so, Brain, but practicing docking procedures with a goat at zero G's-it's never been done!"
"I think so, Brain! But shouldn't we let the silk worms finish the boxer shorts before we put them on?"
"I think so, Brain! You draw the bath and I'll fetch the alka-seltzers and candles!"
"I think so, Brain. But the real trick will be getting Demi Moore out of the creamed corn!"
"Wuhhh... I think so, Brain, but if a ham can operate a radio, why can't a pig set a VCR?"
"I think so, Brain, you'd think [Lyndon Johnson] would have left room for baby-kissing, wouldn't you?"
"I think so, Brain! But won't Mr. Hoover notice a missing evening gown?"
"I think so, Brain! But what's the use of having a heart-shaped tattoo if it's going to be covered by hair?"

"I think so, Brain, but couldn't the constant use of a henna rinse lead to premature baldness."
"I think so, Brain. Just make sure we don't swallow each other's bubbles!"
"I think so, Brain! But ruby-studded stockings would be mighty uncomfortable wouldn't they?"
"I think so, Brain, but if I have my portrait drawn, will we have time to make it to the lifeboats?"
"I think so, Brain! But is Chippendale's ready for 'The Full Pinky?'"
"I think so, Brain! But do I have what it take to be the 'Lord of the Dance'?"
"I think so, Brain! How much deeper would the ocean be if there weren't sponges down there?"
"Oh, I think so, Brain! But doing a clog dance in actual clogs will give me awful blisters."
"I think so, Brain, but nose rings are kinda passé by now."
"I think so, Brain! But no more eels in jelly for me, thanks-I like my gelatin after lunch."
"I think so, Brain, but I didn’t know 90210 was a real zip code! Will Tori be there?"
"Um, I think so, Brain, but wasn't Dicky Ducky released on his own recomplances?"
"I think so, Brain, but Pepper Ann makes me sneeze."
"Um, no, Cranky Mouseykin, not even in the story you made up."
"I think so, Brain, but just how will we get the weasel to hold still?"
"I think so brain, but how are we going to get the bacon flavoring into the pencils?"

And for a change:

Brain: Are you pondering what I'm pondering?
Pinky: Whoof, oh, I'd have to say the odds of that are terribly slim, Brain.
Brain: True.
Pinky: I mean, really, when have I ever been pondering what you've been pondering?
Brain: To my knowledge, never.
Pinky: Exactly. So, what are the chances that this time, I'm pondering what you're pondering?
Brain: Next to nil.
Pinky: Well, that's exactly what I'm thinking, too.
Brain: Therefore, you are pondering what I'm pondering.
Pinky: Poit, I guess I am!

________________________________________________________________________
http://www.myspace.com/catterpillarboy
http://catterpillarboy.blogspot.com/

Take me to M'era Luna

When the moon in in the sky

like a big pizza pie,

It's a moray [eel]

Yes, that was corny...

August 09, 2006

M’era Luna, the premier music festival showcasing Goth and Industrial music is this weekend in Hildelsheim, Germany. If any one out there has a pair of tickets that they do not want as well as maybe airline or hotel reservations, please let me know. I will make sure they get put to good use.

The States will never have a show like this here and Apoptygma Berzerk is just ignoring North America lately. Why, Stephan, why? And there is also the Birthday Massacre, whose album I just cannot seem to stop listening to. Plus, Bauhaus who can never seem to stop from reuniting over and over again and Nitzer Ebb who finally did reunite. But what I am most interested in is all the bands who I have heard plenty of hype but I have actually not heard any of their tunes yet like Girls under Glass, Soman and Spetnatz. And I would really like to see Rotersand, if only to hear really loud their Dalek sampled song of EXTERMINATE, ANNIHILATE, DESTROY!

If by any chance you or anyone you know actually goes, let me know how it was. (Of course, with my luck, when I actually go, the bands I want to really see will be playing at the same times)

The Complete Line up:
APOPTYGMA BERZERK ASP BAUHAUS BLUTENGEL CLAN OF XYMOX DE/VISION DEATHSTARS DIE KRUPPS DOPE STARS INC. ELANE EPICA FRONTLINE ASSEMBLY FUNKER VOGT GIRLS UNDER GLASS GOTHMINISTER IN EXTREMO IN STRICT CONFIDENCE LETZTE INSTANZ LIV KRISTINE LLUTHER MESH MIDNATTSOL MINISTRY MONA MUR feat. ST.CLAIRE NITZER EBB NORTHERN LITE REGICIDE ROTERSAND SAMSAS TRAUM SOLITARY EXPERIMENTS SOMAN SONO SPETSNAZ TERMINAL CHOICE THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE THE GATHERING TRISTANIA UNHEILIG WITHIN TEMPTATION XPQ21

Speaking of music festivals, the full KROQ Inland Invasion line up should be announced soon. Guns N Roses are headlining which is mostly enough to keep me away from that show. I want to two Inland Invasions in the past when the Cure and Siouxsie & the Banshees headlining. Both were totally awesome shows (The Cure gig is still my favourite Cure show). But last year’s line up seemed to dwell on nineties nostalgia instead of eighties nostalgia. And GNR for this year seemed to just be too mainstream. But then again, when was the last time that KROQ and radio stations of its ilk actually were alternative? Alternative became a marketing ploy. It seemed to turn around with the advent of bands like Interpol, the Killers and Dashboard Confessional, but since then contemporary rock has slipped back to the same boring sameness.

Which begs the question: Who will save Rock N Roll? The true answer of course is that it does not need saving. There are plenty of kick ass bands out there- popular or not. You just need to seek them out and not have to depend on KROQ to bring it to you. I have never heard VNV Nation or Combichrist on the radio and neither will you. I first heard their tunes on compilations and online. If you listen to KROQ (or heaven forbid MTV) for new tunes, you will just get what the marketing department had seen in trends in the past as to what was popular giving you watered down detritus of what used to be good music. Look at Korn and Limp Biscuit for example. I hate those bands. It is like someone said Hey, hard rock is popular and so is Hip Hop- if we merge them into Rap Rock, we will make tons of money. And tons of money they did make. But their tunes were totally forgettable and crappy. Sure, there are kids out there who love them to death. But they are as prepackaged as the next boy band. Yeah, maybe I am starting to become an old fogey who cannot stand what the kids are listening to nowadays but hey- the music on Radio Free America sucks. Go find good music elsewhere.

But thank god for Metropolis Records and their Hot Topic samplers. I have discovered more new bands that I like on them than I have listening to the radio.

On to a different topic:

I now know why drivers in this state drive the way they do. It all comes down to insurance. Your rates go up only if you are caught driving under the influence, without a license or if you are found at fault in an accident. You still get ticketed and fined for speeding, other moving violations, driving recklessly and all other bad driving stuff, it is just that your insurance will not go up because of it.


________________________________________________________________________
http://www.myspace.com/catterpillarboy
http://catterpillarboy.blogspot.com/

In which I out people who are Pinoy

August 08, 2006

In which I out people because I found out they are Filipino or part Filipino. Who knew I was related to all these people? Now, I am craving kari kari, lumpia, pansit and halo halo. Plus, check out the Bebot video (posted on my Myspace page- link at the bottom) from that guy from the Black Eyed Peas who I normally do not listen to because I do not listen to hip hop although I do appreciate a good spinning session every now and then and wear baggy clothes (eventually I will grow into them). It is a good video and makes me want to find giant wooden forks and spoons to hang in my cubicle at work.

This list was taken from Wikipedia.


WRITERS/ARTISTS:

Amapola - author of Fiction novels: "Coming Home" (Winner of 3 Book Awards), "Promising Skies" among others.
Lynda Barry - mestiza cartoonist, most known for Ernie Pook's Comeek and Marlys, published in Salon.com and other independent papers; she created the prototype for what would become the cartoon hit series, The Simpsons (Wow- I did not know that. Her strip is printed in the LA Weekly and the Austin Chronicle. It was a more conventional strip once upon a time, but now it has become more political)
Eugene F. Castillo - conductor, born in Hollywood, CA, is now the Music Director of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra Cultural Center of the Philippines
Tony DeZuniga - co-creator of Jonah Hex (Because Filipinos make good scarred and freaky cowboys)
Howard Chua-Eoan - Time Magazine Senior Editor
Drew Gill - Production Artist, Image Comics
Jessica Hagedorn - playwright/author (Mango Tango, "Dream Jungle", "The Gangster of Love", Dogeaters) (she stole the title for the book I eventually want to write)
Lloyd LaCuesta - South Bay Bureau Chief of KTVU
Cecile Licad - classical pianist
Aimee Nezhukumatathil - award-winning poet and professor
Han Ong - playwright and author; recipient of MacArthur Foundation "genius" grant
Whilce Portacio - created Bishop of the X-Men, co-founder of Image Comics (There is an old X-Men comic book he drew where the Russian guy wears a jacket with the Filipino flag and ‘Makulit” written on it)
Romeo Tanghal - comic book artist
Alex Tizon - Pulitzer Prize Winner
Jose Garcia Villa - poet, writer, generationalist; pre-Beat Generation influence
Evita Yumul - photographer, installation artist

(They forgot Lenil Francis Yu- one of my favourite comic book artists)

Business
Diosdado Banatao - Silicon Valley engineer and businessman
Loida Nicolas-Lewis - chairman and CEO of TLC Beatrice International Holdings, Inc.

Entertainment

Actors
Ruthie Alcaide - MTV Real World Hawaii cast (I still find her annoying)
Alley Baggett - model, actress (half-Filipino) (and she once had a comic book based on her)
Dante Basco - actor, director, producer (Hey, it is the kid from Hook!)
Darion Basco - actor, director, producer (I wonder if he is related to Dante? And are there not like a million Basco siblings out there?)
Anthony Begonia - producer, actor
Gil Rivera Blas - actor
Q Allan Brocka - director, producer, actor, best known for directing the Film Eating Out
Cher Calvin - actress, anchor, KTLA Morning News
Daniel Campos - (aka Cloud), dancer, actor
Tia Carrere - actress (my big sister)
Phoebe Cates - actress (Filipino maternal grandfather, 1/4 Filipino) (those puppies you saw from Fast Times are part Pinoy, yo!)
Emy Coligado - actress, (Piama, Francis' wife, Malcolm in the Middle)
Michael Copon - actor, (Blue Ranger in Power Rangers Time Force)
Mark Dacascos - actor, martial artist, Iron Chef America host (1/8 Filipino) (and all around bad ass)
Ava Fabian - actress, model
Trey Farley - actor
Von Flores - actor
Sumi Haru - actress, activist, 1st. National Vice President of the Screen Actors Guild. National Vice President of the AFL-CIO
Melissa Howard - actress-comedienne (half filipino)
Stella Hudgens - actress
Vanessa Anne Hudgens - (1988) TV star ("High School Musical")/teen idol
Radmar Agana Jao - actor
Cris Judd - actor, choreographer (was this the guy who was once married to J-lo? I declare him excommunicated from this list)
Lalaine - (1987) TV star ("Lizzie McGuire"- playing the Latina chick!) (She also hosts a Filipino travel show called Flipside)
Sharon Leal - actress who played Marylin Sudor on Boston Public
Gary Gregorio - gay porn actor, nah just kidding, Gary (or am I?)- it listed Brandon Lee (not the guy from the Crow, unless Bruce Lee was in the Pinoy closet)
Tiffany Limos - actress
Alec Mapa - gay actor and comedian (currently Adam Benet on Half & Half)
Sabrine Maui - adult film star (we all knew that- did you see how short and flat nosed she is? Oh, wait you were not looking at her nose)
Meiling Melancon - actress, Rush Hour 2, X-Men 3
Madison Michele - actress and television host, host of Animal Planet's King of the Jungle
Vanessa Minnillo - model, host MTV's TRL (Total Request Live)
Mimi Miyagi (née Melody Damayo) - adult film star, candidate for Governor of Nevada
Paolo Montalban - actor
Troy Montero (né Troy Miller) - actor, model, born in Washington and brother of KC Montero
Nia Peeples - actress
Lou Diamond Phillips - actor, La Bamba (I have always wondered what the hell he was)
Victoria Principal - actress
Victoria Recaño - correspondent The Insider, actress CSI- Miami
Ernie Reyes Jr. - actor (and Ninja Turtle)
Rob Schneider - Saturday Night Live performer, actor, comedian (Jewish father, half-Filipina mother); "Mom's family had the better food; Dad's family had the better jokes.)
Shannyn Sossamon - actress, 40 Days and 40 Nights, A Knight's Tale (why has she not done more stuff?)
Charmane Star - adult film star
Chuti Tiu - actress, Desire, 24, Dragnet, Beautiful,The Specials (half-Chinese, quarter-Filipino, quarter-Spanish)
Tamlyn Tomita - actress, The Joy Luck Club (half-Japanese and half-Filipino)
Hervé Villechaize - actor (Tatoo from Fantasy Island) (And he is not a midget. All Fobs are that short. I myself can bite you at your ankles)

Singers
Amapola - singer, author, cruise ship headliner
Mig Ayesa - Finalist, Rockstar: INXS reality show; accomplished musical/theatre actor in Australia and England
Joe Bataan - Latin soul legend
Death Angel - Thrash Metal band (Wait, there is a Pinoy metal band out there?!)
Cassie (Cassandra Ventura) - Half-Filipino and half African-American R&B, pop and hiphop singer, and former fashion model. She is best known by her stage name Cassie and for the hit song "Me & U".
Chris Tha Franchize - Rapper
Billy Crawford - recording artist, singer
Kate Earl - singer-songwriter
Jocelyn Enriquez - singer (I knew a girl with this name in high school- I wonder if this is her?)
Enrique Iglesias - singer, international pop star (part Filipino mother) (to all the girls I loved before, including those with the flat noses)
Rachael Lampa - Christian singer
Allen "apl.de.ap" Pineda Lindo - singer, member of The Black Eyed Peas (Filipino mother)
Melinda Lira - American Idol contestant (season 4)
Jose Penala - American Idol contestant (season 5)
Neal McCoy - country music singer (I wonder which country)
Josephine “Banig” Roberto - singer, Star Search Winner
Nicole Scherzinger - lead singer for the Pussycat Dolls (Filipino father)
Jordan Segundo - singer, American Idol semi-finalist
Jasmine Trias - American Idol contestant (2005 edition)
Camile Velasco - American Idol contestant (2005 edition)


Wrestlers
David Bautista - World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) performer on the WWE Friday Night SmackDown! brand, former World Heavyweight Champion (Filipino father)
Benny Cuntapay - also known by his ring aliases B-Boy. Performer in CZW or Combat Zone Wrestling
Scott Epperson - also known by his ring aliases Scott Lost. Performer in PWG, or Pro Wrestling Guerilla
T.J. Perkins - also known by his ring aliases Pinoy Boy and Puma.

Misc.
Gerald Anderson - Pinoy Big Brother teen housemate.
Cheryl Burke (1984) - professional dancer, partnered with Drew Lachey in Dancing with the Stars[5]
Francine Dee - glamour model
Ronnie del Carmen - story supervisor, Finding Nemo; storyboard artist, Batman: The Animated Series (this guy is a genius)
Dean Devlin - Screenwriter and producer of many films including Independence Day, Godzilla and Stargate, also occasional actor (too bad most of his movies suck)
DJ Q-Bert - pioneering turntablist
Jerome Fontamillas - guitarist for the Christian rock bands Switchfoot and Fold Zandura (former member of Mortal)
Raquel Gibson (1985) - swimsuit model who was offered Playboy's Playmate of the Month pictorial for November 2005[6]
Kat Gutierrez - model
Kirk Hammett - lead guitarist for Metallica (Filipina mother)
Chad Hugo - music producer and musician; one-half of The Neptunes
Melody Lacayanga - contestant on So You Think You Can Dance
Christine Mendoza - model
Sam Milby - a Pinoy Big Brother housemate, singer, figure skater, actor and commercial model
Vanessa Minnillo - Miss Teen USA 1998, MTV personality
KC Montero (né Casey Miller) - MTV-Asia VJ, TV host, born in Washington and brother of Troy Montero
Rex Navarrete - comedian
Van Partible - creator/director/writer of cartoon series Johnny Bravo
Joey Santiago - guitarist for the Pixies (AKA the greatest Filipino who has ever lived)
Chuti Tiu - America's Junior Miss (first non-Caucasian winner)
Leeann Tweeden - model, television personality
Ryan Conferido - contestant on So You Think You Can Dance

Military
Jose Calugas - Medal of Honor Recipient, WWII
Rudolph Davila - Medal of Honor Recipient, WWII
Edward Soriano - Lieutenant General (3*) of U.S. Army
Antonio Taguba - Major General (2*) of U.S. Army, author of the Taguba Report which uncovered major prisoner abuses in Iraq

Politics
Mariano Laya Armington (1908-1994) - Filipino community and labor leader
Carlos Bulosan - Filipino American author and labor activist
Robert Bunda - first Filipino American legislative president
Romeo Munoz Cachola - Honolulu City Council member
Benjamin J. Cayetano - first Filipino American governor in U.S.
Jose Esteves - mayor of Milpitas, California since 2002; served as a member of the City Council from 1998 to 2002.
Juventino “Ben” Fajardo - Former Mayor, Glendale Heights, Illinois
Mike Guingona - Filipino mayor of Daly City (HAH! The mayor of Daly City is Filipino- kind of appropriate; there are more Fobs per square mile in that city than there are in the Philippines. Every Pinoy in this country probably knows someone from there)
Michelle Malkin - strongly conservative syndicated columnist (and one of the most annoying people in this planet)
Pablo Manlapit - Filipino labor leader in Hawaii
Ron Menor - Hawaii State Representative
Bobby Scott - U.S. Representative from Virginia (D)
Philip Vera Cruz - Filipino labor leader in California, co-founded the United Farm Workers Union with Cesar Chavez

Sports
Benny Agbayani - New York Mets, Colorado Rockies, Kansas City Royals baseball player
Chris Aguila - Florida Marlins baseball player (Filipino father)
Eugene Amano - NFL offensive guard/center, Tennessee Titans
Tai Babilonia - Olympic figure skater (African-American mother; Filipino and Hopi-Indian father)
Bobby Balcena - Cincinnati Reds baseball player
Tedy Lacap Bruschi - NFL All-Pro linebacker, New England Patriots
Bobby Chouinard - Baltimore Orioles baseball player
Natalie Coughlin - Olympic swimmer, gold medalist
Victoria Manalo Draves - diver who was first woman to win two gold medals in springboard diving at the 1948 Olympics in London.
Roman Gabriel - former NFL quarterback, Los Angeles Rams
Sunny Garcia - surfing world champion, surfing legend
Malia Jones - surfing model, People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People
Jose Parica - Pool Master
Brandon Vera - UFC Fighter (nicknamed Brandon "the Truth" Vera)
Brian Viloria - US Olympic boxer, WBC light-flyweight champion

Other
Angela Perez Baraquio - Miss America 2001
Cristeta Comerford - first woman executive chef at the White House. She worked as an assistant chef for 10 years. After a ten-month search, she was appointed by First Lady Laura Bush on August 14, 2005. (Wonder if she ever serves them raw balut?)
Andrew Cunanan - serial killer, murdered Gianni Versace in 1997 before killing himself
Pedro Flores - father of the yo-yo (Donald Duncan purchased the company and renamed it Duncan Yo-Yo Co.) (FYI: the yo-yo was once a Filipino weapon)
Fritz Friedman - Senior Vice President, Worldwide Publicity Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment
Andrea Jumapao - first Filipino American to participate (on a national level in the United States) in the Miss USA-World 1976 competition held in Boston, MA as Miss Oregon.
Monique Lhuillier - Hollywood Fashion Designer
Loida_Nicolas-Lewis - chairman and CEO of TLC Beatrice International Holdings, Inc., a two-billion-dollar corporation of 64 companies based in 31 countries. TLC is a marketer of ice cream in Spain and the Canary Islands, the leading manufacturer of potato chips in Ireland, and a prime distributor of beverage in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Thailand. As a businesswoman, Nicolas-Lewis was ranked number 1 among the "Top 50 Women Business Owners in America" by the Working Woman magazine (1994)
Hazel Sanchez - correspondent, reporter/anchor for WCBS-TV New York
Michele J. Sison - US ambassador to the United Arab Emirates
Robyn Watkins - Miss Oklahoma USA 2006
Mamangun Triplets- first triplets to attend Virginia Commonwealth University


Plus by the way: The Cure have new re mastered CD’s out today.

________________________________________________________________________
http://www.myspace.com/catterpillarboy
http://catterpillarboy.blogspot.com/

Fan Fiction

August 02, 2006

She walks up right up to the sand pausing briefly to take off her sandals. Taking it all in, it has been years since she took a trip to this beach. Loving the sight of the houses by the sea, most people do not know of this strand of beach unless you lived here. It is not a private beach; you just have to know how to get there. Her family could never have afforded a place here, even twenty years ago when times were better and the housing situation was not as horrific as it is now. She had a friend how had a relative who lived here and they would house sit every now and then. She cherished the thought of that lost past, wondering, just wondering. The seagulls squawked overhead. There are less of them nowadays as well.

The sun would be setting in less than half an hour from now. This has to be done quickly. The sand is as soft as it has always been. Not course or stiff as it is in the other coast. Here, it sinks a bit, enveloping your feet accompanied by the warmth of the day. It’s about a couple hundred yards or so to the water. You cannot see the water as small sand dunes obstruct the view. There is more trash around the beach as there was back in the days. She guesses that as the neighbourhood gets older, it gets more run down and less money goes in to the housekeeping in of the beach. Kinda sad really. She walks over the dunes, the slight breeze waving though her short ebony locks and finally gets a clear view of the Pacific. The halls of her mind remind her that she used to see dolphins in the distance and she remembers tales of whales being not more that two hundred feet off the shore. Cetacean sightings waned off in the last days when she would frequent here. Now, no one sees them anymore. Some of the weirder theories include the evolution of their gills or they had ventured (and remained) towards the irradiated southern hemisphere where no one would be able to document their existence. She does not know what to think. She is not even sure what whales looked like anyway. Four legged fish or something.

Twenty minutes until the sun sets. She sits in the sand, pondering what to do next and then just plops completely. Lying down, a cool breeze and the warm sand. She thinks she hears a dog barks but wonders if anyone could even afford the license to own such an endangered creature even out here. She wanders her sights to the sky above her. An angry red in the setting sun littered with evening stars glittering through the ever thinning atmospheres and the hundred million satellites that do a hundred million things ranging from delivering the manufactured images that we see when we sleep to the most simple operation of preventing the aforementioned thinned atmosphere from escaping completely allowing the embrace to the vacuum to envelope us. Thank the Old Ones for little favors.

She stares at the sky and wonders what keeps her anchored to the ground. Is it really gravity? Is it because that is what she was taught? If she decides not to believe that will she suddenly fall into the sky? Better not try that. Yet.

She just realizes that now she has sand in hair, sand in her shirt, sand in her everywhere else. She is just happy that that this part of town has a Rumsfeld radiation reading of four point five. Any reading above five means you would need to spend an hour in a decontamination tube for every minute you were in that zone. A reading six point sixty six meant instant death or execution, depending on who caught you. She just noticed if that reading had any other significance or it was just pure coincidence.

Whatever. She was just happy that she gets to stay there and take her sweet time. She remembers what it was like in the old days, swimming in the waters. Her grandfather told her that in his time, the waters came flowed from up north, that it could be as hot as a hundred degrees and if you did not have a wet suit on, your lips would turn blue after fifteen minutes. In her memory, the water was warm. These days, apparently the water flowed from a different direction.

The sun is starting to set and she gets up, switching on her BrainNet™ implant to tuning to a classical music station to help set the mood. Huh, Disintegration is one of her favourites of the classicals. She was hoping for Burning Empires, but this would do. She walks right up to the waterline and lets the water get to her. It is warm as she remembers. At least something is. A slight smile forms and a tear is choked back, she does not come out here enough. Stretching out her arms, her memories must now return to their vaults as she prepares to face the present and the smile is removed by a small sigh. She does not have a lot with her, but it should be enough. A small piece of wood and a hardened soul. Sometimes, that is all it takes. She turns down the tunes on her implant. But not all the way down. She likes to work with a soundtrack. Burning Empires would have been great but Disintegration seems appropriate for now. It is appropriate that the title track begins as the sand start to shift and the first of the resting vampires explode out of hiding towards the first living, breathing thing they see.

Her.

The job of a Slayer is never done.

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