Me, again

  About a week ago, as I was doing my morning routine of walking around our (enclosed) neighborhood street, my friendly and fave neighborhood "keepers" Dennis (all-around caretaker of the former nearby Discovery Pre-school) and Albert (neighbor housekeeper) and I went to Albert's fruit-bearing tree just inside his boss' outdoor garage lot to harvest (or just pick) a largish plump green textured fruit that looked like "langka" or jackfruit but which Albert referred to as "fermas". Dennis being the limber one did all the tree-climbing. Apparently, neither of us knew what it was called so I googled up an image I took of it the following day after already having eaten some broiled with sugar , and came up with the Google Lens image above. It's been properly identified as breadfruit or "rimas" in Tagalog or  "camansi" or "kulo"  in Visayan. From Pinterest, I came across a vintage image of some breadfruit carried by...

  Had the chance to watch this movie again in the Theater on the big screen (at Trinoma) yesterday. My IG Report:      My second viewing of Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse is always a positive! Plus, I understood the storyline so much more. Collage featuring Gwen Stacy (cleverly voiced by half-Flip Hailee Steinfeld). My FB Report:      Watched Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse Again (while it's still in the theaters). It's never a disappointment to watch a great work of art! Know your ART!!! Anyway this time, I understood the part I slept on the first time and it's mah-velous getting to know the story better! Post Script:      Now I'm ready to watch the 3rd installment when Miles gets to meet his fate with the Prowler .

Filipinas done in Artificial Intelligence  ( AI Art from Art Facts PH)   Japanese Flashcards in an endless loop Ten best books I haven't read yet. The Year isn't over yet. We're only halfway through. ***** Thanks Internet! *****

Spoiler alert:  Gory details ahead!  No use crying over split milk though. This Sunday, June 18, we celebrate Father’s Day. I don’t know why or why we even have to. We  never  did prior to when it gradually and then all at once became a fad in the Philippines.  So when did that take place?  Well, whenever it came to existence, it certainly was not during my father's time growing up in Naga. And if you ask me, I don’t believe in it either. Without talking about it, I have always looked up to him and yeah, probably loved him too. I’m sure I did! He was after all, the only father I ever knew and although he was far from perfect,  he was and is my only role model in life.  Where did I run off to when I was having trouble adjusting to my new life in UP college? Why, my favorite “happy place” in childhood,  Naga  of course! Without the needed support of my real siblings who were all studying at that time and focused on their own...

Briefly before I retire to bed, I have time left to celebrate Philippine Independence Day, today June 12, 2023 by featuring Rappler's Article about Juan Luna, first true Filipino genius...copied and pasted in full glory. *We love history. Read on.* ‘Painter as hero’: How Juan Luna first awakened the Filipino spirit JUN 12, 2023 3:37 PM PHT LANCE SPENCER YU 'Genius has no country, genius bursts forth everywhere, genius is like light and air, the patrimony of all: cosmopolitan as space, as life and God,' Rizal says of Luna MANILA, Philippines – When you think of Philippine independence, who comes to mind? Is it Andres Bonifacio, with his bold battle cry amid the pealing of church bells? Perhaps Emilio Aguinaldo, who steered the fledgling republic in its first imperfect years? Or maybe Jose Rizal, who sooner laid down his life than forsook his country? There are stories of men storming across bridges and barricades. There are others of men dying for their country. But there ...

I had a question a while back: Who determines what is great art? The short answer is, you do, but it won’t feel like that. The art world is filled with opinions on the matter. Historians, critics, collectors, curators, media. Most of which don’t create art, but have deep pockets and loud voices. These opinions are fickle at best. What was mocked yesterday, might be great today (think of Vincent van Gogh or Claude Monet). It’s important to come up with your own definition of great art. Otherwise, you are at the mercy of everyone else’s opinions. And that is a stressful way to live. To me, great art should be beautiful and inspiring and hard to replicate. It should be honest and true and personal. But that’s just my opinion and it’s not fixed. It is also subjective by nature. What is beautiful to me might be ugly to you. That’s what makes art interesting. There is no perfect painting or drawing. If you have not already, I urge you to come up with your own definition of great ...

Movie break!!! Sorry, I had to share. I watched Spider-Man Across the Spiderverse today as is my tradition to watch all the Spiderman movies on the big screen. There are three installments to this series: Into the Spiderverse 2018   Across the Spiderverse 2023 and  Beyond the Spiderverse 2024.  I watched all (well, most) Spiderman movies in the theater, both in the animated and live action iterations.  The first Spiderverse was Wow ! This second one is Whoa ! Next year’s will be I don’t know but I know I’ll be watching that too. Art although you were kind of expecting this, was superior, dazzling, even better than the first and unlike any you’ve seen before. My mental capacity for art appreciation sometimes trips in its enormity. If I had the personal budget, I’d like to see it again just to catch up with things I’ve missed the first time watching this…like the fast-paced turn of events and dialogue. If this is the future of Animation in cinema, kids will be having...