Arn and I chanced upon this poster on our way to Katz Deli (when we were in NYC last summer) and I remember us thinking “HOW???”
Apparently, to see is to believe. Two nights ago Charles Ross (who happens to be the one man in One Man Star Wars Trilogy) guested on Conan and performed a condensed edition of his skit which was surprisingly quite entertaining. Well… exhausting, but entertaining. Thanks to Google, I can show you a clip.
By the way, beside the link is a clip to his other show, One Man Lord of the Rings Trilogy.
Since he seems to be re-enacting trilogies, maybe we can foretell what he’ll do next? Let’s see… The Superman Trilogy (lets just forget that there exists a 4 and 5)? How about The Karate Kid Trilogy? (I won’t be surprised when some Pinoy copies the idea and does The Mano Po Trilogy… ano pa ba? There’s no other trilogy locally diba?)

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And speaking of NYC… did you know that The New York Times is now available on our shores via The Manila Bulletin?

“This collaboration with the Manila Bulletin is an opportunity to provide The New York Times’s brand of journalism to one of the Philippines’ leading newspapers,” said Cristian Edwards, president, News Services Division, The New York Times. “We are pleased to offer the high-quality journalism of The New York Times to an expanding audience in Asia.”

It comes out every Saturday and is helmed by none other than our kitty-loving friend and Wedding Essentials chief copy ed Charlene Fernandez, o ha! Please stop by her blog and congratulate her (:

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Is it just our connection or has PLDTDSL been acting up lately? It seems that the server is down every 30 minutes or so (especially in the evenings). Since Arn and I work from home, it’s extremely annoying especially when we’re about to send a layout to client only to find that we can’t. It connects but the pages don’t load.

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Can you believe that Christmas is just 7 days away? In case I don’t get to blog again and greet you all before then, I took the liberty of uploading a Christmas song in two wonderful versions: Version 1 for the Vilmanians and version 2 for the Noranians. (If they won’t load, try clicking here.)

Whose version do you think is better? You be the judge (:

*Much thanks to our good pal and Mac expertise-and-comic relief supplier Carlo for sending us the files!

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Congratulations to one of my longtime blogmates* Nic and his lovely Anna who tied the knot in Boracay just a few days ago!

*Yes we met in 2001 when there were only about 10 Pinoy blogs in existence, ours included.

If you were in Megamall recently, you might have chanced upon this 6 ft x 4 ft mural of Level-Up’s new game RF Online in the basement, next to Netopia. Uhm, I’m not a gamer so why am I posting it? Because my Arn illustrated it so am being a proud wifey. (: Hope you get to see it before they take it down.

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And for us QC dwellers, here’s yet another reason to visit Megamall – particularly the Cinderella boutique. Our dear fashionable friend Tippi‘s designs are now available (along with four other young designers) at a section called Createur ala Mode. If you think what she’s wearing is proof enough that she can make unique, funky and functional clothes, please do swing by and check out the Pret-a-Party and Lounge Lizard lines. More pics from the launch are here.

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I recently told Itchyworms‘ Kelvin and Jugs that they should’ve been part of Ultraelectromagneticjam because I think they would’ve done justice to the Eheads’ music (unlike … a few other performers who were, i.m.h.o., kinda miscast in the album), being excellent musicians and most importantly, huge fans themselves. Sayang…
But on a brighter note, it seems that their brave new album has reached the ears of real Noontime Show folk. Read Jim Paredes‘ letter to the ‘Worms. (via Chino’s journal).
…………
Did you read it? If you’ve given up on watching local TV like Arn and I – and apparently the Worms and their audience – have, let’s just hope that they, the showbiz people – or at least the few, true artists in that world – do go back to who they were in the first place (as Mr. Jim wrote himself): “artists with messages to convey and not artistas who are second guessing what the masa wants to hear”. Kudos to the ‘Worms for reminding them (and bravo to their gals too – hi Nix and Jen!)

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And last but not the least, before I go back to “all work, no blog” mode, ask yourself this question: Is producing a Filipino version of a foreign trend your idea of creativity? Do you use a “peg?” Read the rest here.
Thank you, Rome, for writing this article. May we all strive to be original in everything we do.

Eraserheads fans, there’s reason to rejoice – our favorite band’s music is given new life in the just-released UltraelectromagneticJam– classic Eheads tunes as interpreted by popular bands and artists. That’s not all, Budz, Raimund and Ely themselves are part of the album, but this time separately as producers and guest performers. Even Marcus told us that he’ll be jamming with um, one of the artists (surprise na lang muna) at the launch on Tuesday, coolness! It would be great if they can all perform as one group again, but I guess we have to wait and see if that’ll ever happen. (By the way, we have Jam 88.3 and SonyBMG to thank for this project.)
UPDATE: There are a few pics from the launch on our phlog, here you go.
We’re listening to it right now and these are our personal faves: FrancisM’s Superproxy2K2, Radiocative Sago Project’s Alcohol, Isha’s Torpedo, Sugarfree’s Tikman, Rico J Puno’s Huling El Bimbo, Orange & Lemons’ Huwag Kang Matakot, and Imago’s Spoliarium.

By the way, my Arn did all the band illustrations while I did the overall design and hand-lettering (gulp, yes everything from the album title down to the copyright line was hand-lettered). Hope you like it (;

I told Arn that this album was the perfect project to end 2005 because it’s been 10 years since my first design project for the Eheads. I actually met Budz, Raimund and Marcus in college in 1988 when I would hang out with my good friend Candy – she was their band Curfew‘s vocalist (and now she’s a bank executive and doting mom to two adorable daughters, haha).

I didn’t see them again after we graduated until I bought Ultraelectromagneticpop and realized that the three guys in the pic were “Candy’s former bandmates”. In 1995 I was working as Art Director for Pepsi in O&M and we got the Eheads for the Megadrive promo. We renewed our ties and they asked me to design their fanzine Pillbox.

Everything else followed after that: Fruitcake, Aloha Milkyway, Pillbox2, Natin 99, and Carbon Stereoxide. They tapped me for side projects too – Ely’s Wanted Bedspacer, Raims’ Sandwich’s Grip Stand Throw and 4-Track Mind and Inkjet, Ely’s sis’ Lally’s Fair Tales, and later on Arn did Marcus’ KamonKamon and last year’s best-selling Anthology.

Thru them I got immersed in the music scene where I met really good friends like Marie, Earnest, Quark, Monra and Nev and fabulous bands like the Itchyworms, Fatal Posporos, Sugar Hiccup, and many others. They also got me in touch with one of our most suki and consistent clients to date.

By the way, did I mention that they somehow got Arn and me together? We were introduced by a common friend, Marco, at the Fruitcake book launch in 1997. (;

I’m not sure if they’ll ever have another album again, or if I’ll get to design it too, but I’d like to thank them for touching our lives with their music, and for letting my art touch theirs.