Nag-iisa Lang Ako (Ang Ikatlo Sa Huling Libro)

Category:	Books
Genre:	Biographies & Memoirs
Author:	Tado Jimenez

I remember looking all over every NBS on my locale and not finding any copy eventually acquiring one at a book convention at SMX and I can tell you after reading and succumbing to the Tadoliciousness of it's pages that this shit could have been a lot better production wise. Any print media practitioner knows the care and attention when publishing works specially books. I don't know how much the editorial staff at PSICOM is being paid but from the looks of this books, I guess not much. Expect half-assed editing, errant grammar and spelling (unless sinasadya ng author), horrible-horrible proofreading and not too great layout awaits.

'Yung unang mga pahina ng kopya ko ginamitan ko pa talaga ng red ballpen at kinorek ang mga nakikita kong mali. Tinigilan ko na lang nang napansin ko na
binili ko ang aklat na ito para enjoyin at hindi para i-edit. TRABAHO NG EDITOR ANG I-EDIT NG MAAYOS ANG AKLAT NA ITO.

*Drinking Game*

Materials:
A copy of Nag-iisa Lang Ako, Beer (Alak optional).

Instructions:
Preferably do this on a weekend. Read the book and take a drink of your alcoholic beverage every time you see a mistake.

Ayan. Wala pa sa kalahati ng aklat lasing ka na.

The content is not the problem here. Yeah, there might be some chapters that the fancy coffee house crowd might pass over and wouldn't really care to understand or medyo masasabi rin na kababawan ni Tado ang mga isinulat niya. But the thing is, while you are reading his comedy which some would find juvenile, you'll find the source of his humor and his mentality by reading further and eventually knowing his life story. He's a remarkable guy. I envy his lifestyle, his craziness, his seeming simple mindedness and his outlook in life.

The highlights of this book is the Foreword by Ramon Bautista, Strangebrew days, his show business roots, Limitado, PUP days, Brewrats radio show and some selected excerpts from his Marikeno Asintado articles.

He is that weird friend of yours, the funny friend that's been on the wrong side of the tracks and back, the one that has all the tall tales, that friend of yours that is so anti-everything that he became the mainstream, he is that funny guy that dances funny on TV but is opinionated.

So there. If you don't mind some irritating editorial non-works on your book then buy this. It's not the best read you'll get but just reading Tado's thoughts would likely make up for this fuck up.

(Originally posted on Oct 1, '11 2:03 AM)

The Best of This Is A Crazy Planets

The Best Of This Is A Crazy Planets

Category:	Books
Genre:	Biographies & Memoirs
Author:	Lourd Ernest H. De Veyra

Crazy Planets is Lourd's selected essays from his blog at SPOT.ph most of which delves into the Filipino culture, it's annoying truths and it's funny tragedies. This is also a reminder on what is it that makes us Pinoy in the first place. May laman, may sense at higit sa lahat may aral. Sensible artworks and spartan lay-outs makes for an easy read. The only bad thing I can say on this book is the spine. Somehow I think the book's spine would not survive numerous re-reads. I know my copy won't.

Never mind that he is a TV personality, image model and weatherman. This former(?) Sago frontman who delivers amusing and intelligent lyrics with a deadpan voice writes with authority, always with the intention of making you look up your venti java chip frappucino shit and think. I always say that people that makes me happy deserves to be rich. So buy the book, if you haven't already.

Love him or hate him, you cannot beat the word of the Lourd.

(Originally posted on http://theilldiablo.multiply.com Sep 24, '11 10:33 AM)

Geek Tragedies

Category:	Books
Genre:	Literature & Fiction
Author:	Carljoe Javier

Geek Tragedies is just that. Stories involving what society would categorize as nerds, weirdos and geeks. Why should I buy a book that appeals to the inner geek in me? Do I feel the need to read literature that I think speaks for me and my fantasies? Do I feel kinship to these PSP and LAN game nerds? Am I among these FHM girls fanatics? These comic book reading jerk offs?

In some level I guess I am. But from reading this book, I think the geek part is in the loneliness. Of wanting and dreaming. Fantasies realized and universes to be conquered if only in the mind. In there we find the common ground: My world is your world too, my friend.

This well written book would take you places familiar like riding that damned MRT1 (Everybody Get's Off at Cubao) to distant and far away reaches of space (The Day the Sexbomb Dancers Came), emotion and loss (Flickerfadegone), the mundane life of a geek (Master of the Fragfest) and sometimes just the plain weird (Street Corner, The Sniffles). I think with the Sexbomb story, this is the fist time that I read an outright Science Fiction story by a Filipino. Groovy!

My only gripe with this fine book is the comic book style chapter bumpers. Although nice to look at, they don't add anything to the following story. They are not even related to each other. They should have made an outright homage to the comic book medium instead, like the text and graphic chapter: Six-Word Stories which I enjoyed.


Well, just pointing out the supposed flaws I felt needed to be addressed. For 250php you will be getting your moneys worth and with a sturdy and well made book, reread is a guarantee. Not bad, eh?

He have an earlier book easily available at NBS but due to it's striking and fantastically familiar cover, I opted to buy this first instead. My bet is that, like that Archie-inspired Beerkada book, this would be hard to find soon.

(Originally posted on http://theilldiablo.multiply.com Nov 9, '11 1:11 AM)

Super Panalo Sounds

Category:	Books
Genre:	Other
Author:	Lourd Ernest H. De Veyra

Bought this about a month ago. Already on my second reading. Like I have nothing else to read, eh?


Imagine it's the 90's. Imagine your fantasy band and how frustrating it is to be so full of potential and musical energy and not be heard. Imagine the aural power that your soul can create whenever you unleash that raw emotion, that controlled chaos through your instrument. Now imagine you are a chain-smoking, alcohol abusing, drug-addicted, acid-dropping, crystal meth-fiend and music, and MUSIC is your life.

Super Panalo Sounds follows the lives of five musicians (Milo the Saxophonist, Budik the silent Bassist, Composer/arranger Dax the Guitarist, Zorro the ambitious ex jock/drummer and activist/musician Vic on vocals and guitars) their complexities, weaknesses, and drug induced hallucinations but also their struggle to release that one album that would characterize and define them and their sound. That one album that will speak for them, of their longings and rage and love.

Never have I felt so close to fictional characters in a book. The shit they lived through and that frustrating struggle to form and maintain a band and the background noise they have to live through. There are a number of instances while reading their sorry exploits that I have to say "He, he. That happens" to these strangely lovable individuals as they live the life of an ordinary Juan with it's disappointments. Consoling themselves with their heroes instead like Mang Dading, an aging National Artist who play humiliating piano standards to make ends meet and Dugong Aso, that mysterious 60's band that references Rizal erect penis in one of their hallucinatory songs.

I guess reading familiar places like Kamuning, Kamias, K-10 and Anonas gives me an oddly fanboy-like joy that even though these places, that in some time in my life I lived on, are portrayed here as places of secret drug dens and homes of drug pushers. Hey, It might be true, it might just be artistic license. But seriously, if you look hard enough, doesn't your neighborhood have it's share of durugistas? You might even have been one.

Anyway, this is a solid book from an author who wrote this close to his heart and if you like Drugs, Sex and Fuckin' Rock and Roll (more emphasis on the drugs part) and Pepe Smith then you will enjoy this book with it's cautionary tale. And if you think that Saxophone as a musical instrument sucks ass then you might just want to read through this book and find out about the bitter, bitter end.

(Originally posted on http://theilldiablo.multiply.com Nov 24, '11 11:48 PM)

L na L

L na L

Category:	Books
Genre:	Literature & Fiction
Author:	Karl Kaufman

L na L Isang nobela ng lihim na libog
Author: Karl Kaufman
Publisher: LitEROTIKA-PhilSprint Publishers
R-18

Pag ibig o libog. Love or lust. A question for the most part and in times hard to distinguish. Mostly if you are one of those red-blooded, ever ready for sex, testosterone-driven male. It is one of those stories that will play with your emotion and after putting this book down you'll love the story rather that the characters. That's not saying that the characters are dull which they are not, on the contrary, these characters are rather realistic and for the most part believable. While turning the pages you'll think, "Hey, I know somebody like this." On some levels they are believable. They can be no different from the people you walk along with on the street, the guy sitting at that Starbucks sipping his frappe latte or that busty babe at the office that you always try to catch a glimpse of. Or maybe this could be you.

I remember a former office mate's high school story of a male classmate, when asked on how would he know that a girl was really in love with him, her classmate answered without hesitation,"Kapag nakipag-sex na siya sa akin." That's male hormone for you, girls. At least the guy doesn't beat around the bush. He, he. This is a story about Luis, your typical successful Makati-type playboy which in regard to his pursuit of women any man can relate to and Chloe, his sophisticated and sexy new officemate. Think of the sexiest officemate you have.... that's Chloe. Which is more that what she seems. Ever had a darkest secret? What would you do if you found out that the girl that you are after is more that what she seems or what she appears to be? If I write more about the story I'm giving it all away. Love or lust? It is the ultimate question where sometimes there is no black and white answer and sometimes the answer you get or you think of (dreamed of?) is insufficient.

For those who enjoys reading I highly recommend this book specially if you buy only one locally produced book out there give this one a try. Of course there is that cancer of guilt on buying this book as seen fit by our oh, so high and mighty morality police. You know, that part of your brain that tells you what to do and tells you what is right and wrong, seeing it as another cheap alternative to porno. Which by the way it isn't. I should know. Believe me. What I like about fiction is when it reads like real life.

About the author:
I've known Karl for about half my adult life and I know the frustration he, better yet he and our friends went through to have that sexual experience. Not that we never had any before college (not just because we are losers back then doesn't mean we never had any encounter. Are we losers still?) it is just that we never had as much as we wanted to. You should see the blisters on our hands back then. The empty nights that pass. The longing you get when thinking about your latest crush or that sexy kolehiyala that you sat beside with on the jeep. Yeah, we know depression. I'm not saying that we thought of fucking too much but for you to know where we, specifically Karl is coming from and how this book came about and that is not taking anything away from Karl's vivid imagination. If you are like us and knew what we've been through you'll understand and I sympathise and if you are anything like Luis, the conyo, pogi, gets-all-the-sex-he-needs lead character in this novel, then fuck you!! But buy the book.

So throw your inhibitions out of the window and keep your dicks in your pants and get ready for an emotional roller coaster you'll surely enjoy. Although Karl might greatly appreciate a wank of approval from you guys. So buy the book and let's make Karl rich.

About the picture: I can't find any. Tangna, pati mismo sa site ng Philsprint. If anyone of you concerned citizens have an image of the book cover please paki-publish naman sa net.

Pic Update: That's Karl with his book at National bookstore.

(Originally posted on http://theilldiablo.multiply.com Jul 27, '07 10:28 AM)