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My apologies for not posting much lately. My Clark Kent job has been taking up way too much of my time, a sad fact that I seek to correct, belatedly, in my next post.
In the meantime, here's what happened in Metropolis:
In cooperation with Malibu Enterprises, BPI, and a host of fabulous shops listed below, the Megatent hosted the Big Outlet Sale last November 21 to 23. Despite my reluctance to throw my hat in the already crowded local celebrity ring, I finally made D-list status when I opened the Big Outlet Sale with socialite, philanthropist and event maven Tessa Prieto-Valdes and my father-in-law, Salvador "Buddy" Zamora. Perhaps one day I will blog about my accidental ascendancy, but for now, please be content with the picture that the press thankfully cropped from all their releases.
Of course, the Big Outlet Sale could not have been made possible without the following participants: Rustan’s Cosmetics, Debenhams, Marks & Spencer, Giordano, Chocolate, Salsa Trends, Triumph, House of Laurel, Mizuno, Puma, Nike, Adidas, Reebok, FUBU, Reebok, JB Music & Sports, Jaguar Automobiles, Power Mac, Bose, Abenson’s, Rudy Project, Oakley, Vans, Rockport, Luxasia (Guerlain, Shiseido,CK, Burberry fragrances etc), MaxFactor, Tefal, Get Happy, Peridou, and Substance.
Many thanks to the powerhouse siblings, Jerico and Jean Fernando, for the most spectacular and consumer-friendly bazaar event of the season. You guys did a fantastic job!
The Megatent is located along 30 Meralco Avenue, Barangay Ugong, Ortigas Central Business District, Pasig. For inquiries, kindly call yours truly at +639176306154, +6327038124, or e-mail me at juan.borraiii@megatent.com.ph.
There! I have fulfilled my obligations to both the commercial enterprise I'm coming to love and the growing family that the said enterprise is helping to lovingly raise.
Now, let's get back to the useless old posts that I love to churn out...
I could easily make this about the gorgeous art by Salvador Larroca. His style, with its clean lines, and the strong sense of uncluttered dynamism in his panels, is perfect in depicting the best visual qualities of both Iron Man and Spider-Man.
Or, this could also easily be about me, and how I was right to follow the adventures of ol' shellhead sometime ago in this blog. As many of my friends can attest, my taste is impeccable and my judgment beyond reproach.
But this is really about simple truths. Comic books are really all about sequential storytelling. Comic books are really all about how good visuals and good writing, when woven together by a master, can unfold as a great work of art. Comic books are really all about, well, see for yourself:
If you aren't already doing so, read Invincible Iron Man. You won't regret it.
I just read an interesting article on Slate about how Barack Obama should surround himself with geniuses. Jacob Weisberg observes that while George W. Bush tended to politicize all policymaking due to his inability to quash his feelings of intellectual inferiority, Obama seems to suffer from no such deficiencies. He writes:
But it makes sense for Obama to give greater weight to intellectual acumen and subject-specific knowledge than his recent predecessors have, both because of the depth of the problems he faces and because of his own style as a thinker and a decision-maker...He is intellectually confident, enjoys engaging with ideas, and inclines to pragmatism rather than partisanship.
I've noticed that intellectually confident people with advanced social skills seem to be more successful in achieving their goals and some degree of happiness than their socially handicapped wunderkind brethren. As I reflect on the ways in which I would like to raise my children, I've come to the realization that their education should include not only a practical facility for algebra, but a more comprehensive understanding of the "calculus" of human interaction. The more we rely on machines to go about our humdrum lives, it becomes more important to keep people at the center of everything we do. Otherwise, whatever do we do things for?
Last night, I moderated the concluding episode on Juan on Juan's two-part series on reproductive health. My guests last night were Willy Jose, of Random Thoughts and Musings, and Catholic homeschooling advocate Catherine Lanzona. Just like my previous guests, Carlos Celdran and Bob Guerrero, we discussed what ordinary people can do to promote an atmosphere conducive to reproductive health. Interestingly enough, by the end of the show, we were able to determine that both those for and against the Reproductive Health Bill adopt their positions largely because of their desire to preserve the family.
Willy Jose explained, with the quiet intelligence and fierce clarity of the many unsung heroes in our midst, that while he recognizes some elements in the RH Bill that show merit and bear further discussion, he cannot abide legislation that begins by forcing law-abiding citizens to engage in activities inimical to their constitutionally mandated right to raise their children in a way consistent with their beliefs. In the same way that people who argue for HB 5043 cite the freedom to choose as a basis for their advocacy of the bill, he asks that the same be extended to those who oppose it. Simply put, he would like government to respect his right to choose what is right for his family.
Catherine Lanzona, in the same vein, believes that alternative forms of education in matters related to human sexuality should be studied, considered, and eventually implemented in place of existing programs that emphasize a view of man that is purely sexual. According to her, the problem with most forms of sex education is that they emphasize the sexual or reproductive capacity of human beings without considering the other aspects that make people truly human. If we truly respect one another's right to choose, then we shouldn't look at people as sexual beings whose proclivity to produce burdens society as a whole. Rather, we should look at all people as human resources who can choose to be happy, productive members of society and partners in community building.
I would like to thank everyone who participated in the two part series on reproductive health. Despite my inadequacies as host and moderator, you did much to raise the level of discussion on this very important issue. Perhaps now, the difficult task of preserving the family, can begin.
Next week, I'm inviting some ordinary people who would like to talk on advocacies that educate people on their right to choose a better way of life. Buding Dee of Latch Philippines and Dr. Antonio Torralba of I KEEP LOVE REAL and I AM STRONG will talk about how we can change the world, one mother and one child at a time. Please join us!
Juan on Juan is a live television talk show on ZOE TV that airs every Monday from 10 pm to 11 pm on Sky Channel 5 and UHF channel 33. The show seeks to provide the ordinary, but otherwise intelligent and well-meaning individual with an opportunity to offer his or her insights regarding real-life concerns. This show is neither for the influential nor the powerful. Rather, it's for everyJuan.
ZOE TV is currently being operated by Studio 26 Productions, with offices at the 22F, Strata 200 Building, Emerald Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig.
Let's take a break from the shameless self-promotion that I have been indulging in lately and turn to something that truly deserves an audience: Jim Krueger and Alex Ross' Project Superpowers.
While Alex Ross was previously best known for taking popular mainstream heroes from heroic to iconic (as he did in collaboration with Mark Waid in the critically acclaimed DC Elseworlds limited series, Kingdom Come), he deserves to be recognized for the way in which he elevates previously unremembered Golden Age comic book heroes and turns them into fully fleshed characters who you can't help but root and feel for.
The storytelling, as one has come to expect from Alex Ross, is mythic in scope, but intimate in execution. The art is gorgeous and the storytelling shows the sure, mature hand of people who have learned that the most compelling stories have much in common with an observation made regarding the remarkable career of Sean Connery: in the end, it is the quiet, noble resolution of the hero as opposed to any number of explosions that makes the viewing experience worthwhile. In other words, true storytelling leaves audiences stirred, not shaken.
Project Superpowers is published by Dynamite Entertainment.
Photo Credits:
The cover of Project Superpowers #0 comes courtesy of Comics 212.
Last night, we finally aired the first of our two-part series on reproductive health. While I would love to share some snippets from the spirited discussion I had with Carlos Celdran and Bob Guerrero, I don't think that I could do justice to the intelligence, compassion, and fervor that Carlos and Bob brought to the table.
I should inform the general public that Carlos and Bob graciously agreed to certain parameters prior to appearing on the show. Here's a portion of the media brief that I provided, almost cruelly, on the day of the show itself:
As opposed to doing what mainstream media normally does regarding important issues, we will not debate or discuss HB 5043 (Reproductive Health and Population Development Act of 2008). Rather, we will try to discuss, with as much intelligence, passion and humor as we can bring to bear on the issue, the following question:
As ordinary citizens, what can we do to encourage the development of a culture that encourages proper reproductive health?
You are not required to be an expert on reproductive health or the minutiae of HB 5043. In fact, it would be inimical to the intentions of the program for any of us to pretend to do so, should either the expertise or the humility to accept a lack of expertise be absent in the parties concerned. However, I am expecting you, for better or worse, to be yourselves. Please act naturally. In fact, I would like to encourage you to relate your insights on proper reproductive health to your profession, vocation, or personal advocacy.
Once again sirs, my heartfelt thanks. Despite my ineptitude, you helped elevate my rather pedestrian little program into something akin to art.
Next week, I'm inviting some ordinary people who advocate the opposing view: that HB 5043 should not pass into law. It should be good viewing as well.
Juan on Juan is a live television talk show that seeks to provide the ordinary, but otherwise intelligent and well-meaning individual with an opportunity to offer his or her insights regarding real-life concerns. This show is neither for the influential nor the powerful. Rather, it's for everyJuan.
ZOE TV is currently being operated by Studio 26 Productions, with offices at the 22F, Strata 200 Building, Emerald Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig.
