A Response to Atheists

Anti-religion folk will tout that a belief in God is “backward” and “destructive” for mankind rather than being a source for discovery, creation, and advancement. Such attacks by atheists are largely targeted towards the Catholic/Christian faith. So, were the devout believers of yesteryear hopelessly primitive, backwards-thinking people that kept our world in chains and darkness? Well, not according to history. There have been many notable individuals over time whose religiosity was central to their craft, which manifested into achievements that influence our world today. Perhaps you've heard of some of these fellas:

• Johannes Gutenberg, inventor of the printing press: Catholic
• Nicolaus Copernicus, heliocentrist, began the Scientific Revolution: Catholic priest
• Georgius Agricola, father of mineralogy: Catholic
• Roger Bacon, father of the scientific method: Anglican
• Galileo Galilei, father of modern physics: Catholic
• Johannes Kepler, founder of the laws of planetary motion: Lutheran
• Rene Descartes, founder of Cartesian geometry: Catholic
• Blaise Pascal, inventor of the mechanical calculator: Catholic
• Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, father of microbiology: Calvinist
• Carl Linnaeus, father of modern taxonomy: Lutheran
• Sir Isaac Newton, developer of calculus and classical mechanics: Anglican
• Roger Joseph Boscovich, father of modern atomic theory: Catholic priest
• Antoine Lavoisier, father of modern chemistry: Catholic
• Charles Babbage, father of the computer: Anglican
• Gregor Mandel, father of modern genetics: Catholic priest
• Louis Pasteur, inventor of pasteurization, father of bacteriology: Catholic
• Alexander Fleming, discoverer of penicillin: Catholic
• Edward Jenner, inventor of the vaccine, father of immunology: Anglican
• Georges Lemaitre, founder of the Big Bang theory: Catholic priest
• Nikola Tesla, most accomplished inventor in history: Orthodox
• Henry Ford, pioneer of automobile manufacturing: Anglican

What about some of our well-known friends in art and literature?

• Leonardo da Vinci, Renaissance polymath, artist and inventor: Catholic
• Michelangelo, Renaissance sculptor, and architect: Catholic
• Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote, the first modern novel: Catholic 
• Rembrandt, greatest painter of the Dutch Golden Age: Catholic/Reformed
• William Shakespeare, greatest writer in the English language: Catholic/Anglican
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, prolific classical composer: Catholic
• Ludwig van Beethoven, most renowned composer in history: Catholic
• Franz Liszt, greatest piano virtuoso of all time: Catholic
• Jules Verne, celebrated novelist of the science fiction genre: Catholic 
• J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings: Catholic
• C.S. Lewis, author of The Chronicles of Narnia: Anglican
• Fritz Lang, Expressionist director of the seminal film Metropolis: Catholic 
• Alfred Hitchcock, renowned director, pioneer of the suspense film: Catholic
• Jack Kerouac, poet, considered the father of the Beat movement: Catholic
• Andy Warhol, renowned artist of the pop art movement: Catholic

And if that’s not enough yet, I’ll even throw in a few living badasses for you:

• Bill Gates, Microsoft founder turned charity worker: Catholic
• J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter books: Christian (Scots Kirk)
• Stephen Colbert, comedic genius: Catholic
• Jack White, modern guitar extraordinaire: Catholic
• Kobe Bryant, 5x NBA champion: Catholic

Not bad company to be in. Heck, I was even generous and left out the all-American badass John Wayne, who converted to Catholicism on his deathbed. What a guy.

Nobody gets the memo anymore that the core and foundation of Western civilization was monotheistic faith. The influence of the Church on Western culture gave rise to the most extensive surge of the arts and sciences in history and it has since become the light and envy of the planet. Nowadays, atheism has become the fashionable thing. So be it. But I challenge anyone to look at the list of names above and attempt to come up with a list of equal brevity of atheists that have collectively accomplished something of the same magnitude. Yeah I can’t either.

Man without faith ceases to be human. Atheism, being a reactive phenomenon by nature, cannot enable a society of meaningful creativity and discovery; it can only stagnate or destroy. The left-wing revolutions in Russia and China that booted their monarchs and traditional faiths resulted in their cultural ruin and the deaths of over 100 million people. The European continent today, as a socialist, secular wasteland, is now a shadow of its former self, no longer a blossoming center of cultural vitality. Nationhood and tradition have been replaced with political correctness and ambiguity. Fertility is low, debt is high. And people still have the gall to say today's Godless world is better than yesterday's. So be it.

Something I miss: video game surveys!

Taken from a hodgepodge of surveys.

List your Top Ten All-Time Favorite Video Games:
1. Sonic Adventure (DC)
2. Dracula X: Rondo of Blood (PCE)
3. Pilotwings 64 (N64)
4. Soul Calibur (DC)
5. Dragon Quest VIII (PS2)
6. Snatcher (MCD)
7. Shenmue II (DC)
8. Ico (PS2)
9. Metal Gear Solid (PS)
10. Virtual-On: Oratorio Tangram (DC)

Favorite male game character: Ashley Riot (Vagrant Story)
Favorite female game character: Azel (Panzer Dragoon Saga), Maria Renard (Castlevania: SOTN)
Favorite game company: Sega, SNK, Konami
Favorite game mascot: Sonic
Favorite game system: Sega Dreamcast
Four favorite game series: Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil, King of Fighters, Dragon Quest
Favorite fighting game: Soul Calibur
Favorite RPG: Dragon Quest VIII
Favorite adventure game: Snatcher
Favorite side-scroller: Dracula X: Rondo of Blood
Favorite party/multi-player game: Bomberman
Favorite racing game: OutRun 2
Favorite puzzle game: Mr. Driller: Drill Land
Favorite survival horror game: Resident Evil 3
Favorite game storyline: Dragon Quest V
Favorite game intro: Metal Gear Solid
Favorite game ending: Ico
Favorite game music/soundtrack: Chrono Cross, DKC2, Sonic Adventure 1 and 2
Favorite game song/tune: Theme of Laura from Silent Hill 2
Favorite game villain: Death from Castlevania
Favorite movie based on a game: Mortal Kombat
Favorite game for Xbox 360: Deathsmiles
Favorite game for PS3: Metal Gear Solid 4
Favorite game for Wii: Endless Ocean
Favorite PC game: StarCraft
Favorite Arcade game: Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 3
Game you're waiting for to release: Dragon Quest X
Did you own an original Gameboy? Yes, still have it too
Favorite Mario game: Super Mario World
Sony or Microsoft: I prefer neither over the other. Sega and SNK need to come back.
What do you think is the most over-rated game?: GTA, Bioshock
Game you'd like to see be made into a feature film (animated or live action): Animated: Xenogears, live action: Killer Instinct
Game series you want to continue: Starfox, Banjo
Game series you want to end: Call of Duty
Game series you want revived: Shenmue, Fatal Fury
Game you'd like to see rehashed with new graphics and features: Burning Rangers
Import game you wish was translated and released in your respective country: Sakura Taisen 2
Game you can play for hours, on end, without ever getting bored: Pilotwings 64
Game character you'd shag if he/she/it were real: Mai Shiranui
Game character you'd use as a punching bag if he/she/it were real: Kefka from FFVI
What do you think is the hardest game ever? Super Empire Strikes Back for Super NES
You're going to be sent to a remote island for six months, and you can only take one console and one game. What will you take? Sega Dreamcast with Sonic Adventure

Feminism is bullshit.

Feminism is bullshit. It's brain poison. Run it into the ground as much as possible.

Feminists want "equality" with men. What kind? To what extent? Just where do you draw the line?

Let's say we make all sports gender-less, making all women play alongside men in football, rugby, hockey, the whole shebang. Would this be a satisfactory example of gender equality? If that's the case, I better not hear a feminist complain that their male opponents "hit the women too hard".

Feminists want equal pay with men. This is probably their biggest outcry, that women are discriminated against in the workplace. Really now? I've lost out in many job positions to young pretty women even though I was more than qualified, and I'm not complaining one bit. All in all, feminists are missing the big picture. Men are just biologically programmed to work more and make more money. Why? Because men do it for WOMEN'S sake. Yes, that's right feminists, women DO have some power.

Men and women will never be the same. EVER. Gender differences exist. Accept it. One gender isn't superior to the other, they're just biologically DISTINCT. The more people understand this, the better off we all would be. There will always be things that each gender is more adept at than the other. Feminism corrupts this natural order and does nothing but make the lives of both genders miserable.

Throw feminism in the gutter forever.

Movie Review: The Wind Rises (Kaze Tachinu)

I watched The Wind Rises on its first wide release day in the US. I've been looking forward to it for months and, having watched it finally, here's my review.

So how do I feel about it? Well I must say that Miyazaki has stretched out his message and themes as far as they could go. Therefore, this is the perfect going-out film for him, since it's the best time for Studio Ghibli to begin handing over its reigns to fresh directorial blood. The torch needs to be passed and now is time.

Okay, so the main character Jiro loves airplanes. It is his dream to design airplanes and is very much influenced by Italian aircraft and the pioneering designer/engineer Giovanni Caproni. Images and dream sequences of Caproni lurk inside Jiro's imagination throughout the film, acting as a mediating conscience as he navigates his life through turbulent times. While pursuing his dream of creating beautiful flying machines, Jiro is faced with a changing world with World War II on the horizon, calling for engineers to design fighter planes meant for killing and destruction.

Unavoidably there will be talk of politics and Japanese nationalism here and there, but Miyazaki has always been a neutralist and mediator. The main subject here is about love of aircraft and Japan's ability to design and fly them in a time when the nation was finding a way up. We see Jiro being the spearhead of Japan's first step out of squalor and into a prosperous future, but it must come with some sacrifices and influence from the West.

The movie is well-made, and has that familiar look and style we all know, but I wish it was more. I wish Miyazaki ventured out of familiarity for once and took more expressive risk with the animation medium (like Takahata has). But the main problem with the film for me was Jiro. I couldn't get into his character. The film spent a lot of time with Jiro and his obsession with airplanes, but it was hard for me to care or relate to him about it. In fact, it was difficult for me to get into any of the characters. The romance between Jiro and Naoko wasn't very believable. I was very interested in the Naoko character but unfortunately she was never fully developed as anything other than a slight distraction to Jiro's hard-ons for planes.

Also, those who know Ghibli's catalog quite well know that Miyazaki's movies are thematic retreads of each other in some way. The Wind Rises is no different. The themes in The Wind Rises have been done before in Porco Rosso and Howl's Moving Castle, just like how Nausicaa and Mononoke are thematically similar, as are Kiki and Spirited Away. I couldn't help but think of how great Porco Rosso was (my personal favorite Ghibli film) while watching The Wind Rises. Porco Rosso has a certain charm and mystique about flight that The Wind Rises lacks. I shouldn't be too surprised, as Miyazaki's films, in my opinion, have been going down in quality since Spirited Away (his magnum opus). After all, that's a tough film to try to outdo.

The best thing about the movie was its musical score (Jo Hisaishi is the man). Other than that, The Wind Rises is just a well-done animated film and a decent, modest swansong to Miyazaki's illustrious career. As a longtime fan, though, I wish Miyazaki would've gone out with something extraordinary instead of more of the same.

RATING: 6/10

The real reason why Filipinos suck

Filipinos, as a people, nation, and culture, have an identity crisis and an inferiority complex.

There, I said it. Anyone who thinks or says otherwise is either clueless or in denial. Herein lies the problem: it is a cowardly society where nobody takes accountability for themselves.

For a group that hasn't much to show for itself, it sure is so loud and proud. Filipinos put their nationality and origin ahead of everything else, including their own individualism. For a big shiny example of this, look at the Miss Universe 2013 competition. The final ten contestants each gave a solo video speech about themselves. Miss Philippines was among them. And out of the ten remaining ladies, Miss Philippines was the ONLY one who did not talk about herself. Instead, she talked about the COUNTRY, highlighting its natural beauties and beaches or some shit like that.

This bothered me to no end, and is very indicative of how most Filipinos think and conduct themselves. Their sense of self takes a backseat to some macroscopic idea that simply having their own nation validates their existence as people. Rather than let the world know who Miss Philippines is as a person, she cowers behind advertising the Philippines instead. Way to be charming and relateable. Could you imagine Miss Japan dodging personal questions to brag about the beauty of Mt. Fuji, or hearing Miss Italy prattle on about how great her country's food is? It would seem so arrogant and pretentious, wouldn't it?

The irony is that Filipinos rely so much on "being Filipino" for their identity as if to give an impression that Filipinos have this sense of community as a people and culture. Reality check: there is no sense of community among Filipinos. Filipinos hang on to each other and band together only when it's convenient to. But on a normal given day, Filipinos will be vindictive, covetous, insecure, judgmental, and looking to one-up each other. Jealousy, self-entitlement, and crab mentality run really deep and it permeates every level of society, even within families. I get no sense of togetherness when in public, even in America, Filipinos cut each other in line and don't care to do simple courteous things like saying thank you for holding a door open.

So you're proud to be Filipino, but do you really care to make Filipino society better? I doubt it! And it's that culture of inaction for why the country will never improve. Face it: "pinoy pride" is a lazy state of mind that Filipinos can take with them anywhere without having to actually do anything.

I've never seen Japanese or Koreans posting their flags so visibly in public for everyone to see. I've seen Filipino flags and stickers on cars, on caps and shirts, pins on bags, even tattoos of the flag on arms and necks. What's with the overflow in shameless pride? It's obnoxious and unwarranted. Modesty and humbleness only comes with confidence and security, which are traits Filipinos do not possess. Filipinos rely on things above their own selves to feel validated. They have to make it clear to the whole universe that they're Filipino first before their own individual voice and personality. No personal accountability. Cowering behind national pride is the easy way out.

Oh, one thing I have to get out to Filipinos: stop bandwagoning. It's embarrassing and shows how insecure and pathetic you are. Jessica Sanchez does not represent you Filipinos. Stop claiming her as your own. She was born and raised in America became successful under the American system. She is not entitled to owe anything to the Philippines. Her achievements are not achievements of the Philippines or its people. She's not even full Filipino. There was an outcry when Jessica lost. Well, she was simply not the best overall contestant in the competition. Get over it.

I could continue on for literally another 10 paragraphs about this, but I'm tired. Let the flaming commence.

Iron Man 3 sucked.

What the hell did I just watch? I believe it was a movie that was about some butt-hurt scientist that made a career change to terrorism. Wasn't clear to me what the big payoff to that plan was. Oh, and the Mandarin made a sorta-but-not-really-cameo appearance in a dumb plot twist.

What to say? Okay, the visual effects were good as usual, if not a bit tiring by now. Can't think of much else. Maybe that's the problem: nothing surprises us anymore. What's left is the plot to deal with, and the plot sucked. Instead of getting to see Ben Kingsley kick some ass, I spent over 2 hours in the theater watching some petty hotshots exercise their self-esteem problems.

I suppose any movie that starts out playing Eiffel 65's Blue is going to be crappy.

What's with the 'bad guys' in this film? Suddenly everyone is Johnny Storm from the Fantastic Four. Bleh, boring. Aldrich even shot a beam of fire out of his mouth a la Godzilla. Why stop there when you could also have him chuck bouncing fireballs like Mario?

Superhero movies need to go away for a long, long time.

RATING: 2.5 out of 5.0

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword was a piece of shit.

Gamespot's review for The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword received tons of backlash from fans. I actually thought their score of 7.5 was TOO generous. Sigh, Zelda fanboys. They're like the Apple community. They're like Michael Jordan jockers. If you have any experience with these types of people, you know what I mean.

Man, I thought Twilight Princess sucked hard. I couldn't imagine Nintendo making more crap out of their flagship series. I was proven wrong with Skyward Sword. My goodness this game started out slow. SLOW. Only to set you up for one of the most irritating game experiences in the history of the medium.

How can you bozos out there think that Skyward Sword was a masterpiece? So apparently to many of you, a perfect 10 game is one where your hand is held all the time, everything is repeated at least twice by an annoying sidekick, "exploration" being mandatory repetitive fetch quests and backtracking for petty reasons, frustrating motion controls, and tedious traveling mechanics. Wow, sounds like buckets of fun! NOT.

Let's look at the "masterful" gameplay of Skyward Sword: "Ah, motion controls! A gaming novelty that forced me to spend $30 on a new controller just to play this game. ::Enemy approaches:: Die! (wack wack wack) Oh wait, THIS swing will work.. (wack wack) ::enemy dies:: Aw, no hearts, no money? Up yours. (plays more) Okay, my arm is tired, I don't want to fight anymore. ::Another enemy approaches:: Okay go away, swinging this damn controller is getting exhausting and old. Gah, I miss actual buttons now! And I wish there was some kind of real payoff to all these repetitive, tiring, unrewarding battles! ::Yet another enemy approaches:: Okay these stupid mindless fights just keep interrupting the game, I just want to get on with the main quest already. But the power-off button is feeling more of an attractive option at this point..."

The same feeling goes with the stupid dowsing sections. I reach an interesting-looking area that I want to look into more, only to be forced to do some long-winded favor for some NPC I don't care for. Awesome: not only does the actual game halt for a while (which happens again and again), I know I also get to engage in MORE tiring fights. You Zelda jockers find this shit fun? It's not fun, it's WORK. I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't play video games to do work. By the time I reached the 3rd area of the game, I was already feeling the grind. If I wanted to do chores, I would've signed up for a slave labor camp.

But wait, there are NEW features in Skyward Sword! Like.. ::drumroll:: ..the STAMINA METER! Big whoop. I was sure Nintendo will place idiot-proof areas throughout the game that will allow (force) you to use this tacked-on feature to effortless effect. And of course I was right: "Hmm, it appears that Nintendo cleverly designed this cliff to give you enough room so that the stamina meter won't entirely run out on you. Brilliant!" Not. Then Nintendo decides it was a lovely idea to put upgrade-able items in the game. Great, MORE work. Nice way to pad up this piece of crap title even more.

If repetitive, padded, idiot-proof play mechanics wasn't enough, there's Skyward Sword's disjointed overworld. I'd rather mindlessly sail and shift winds for 30 straight days in The Wind Waker than put up with Skyward Sword's ridiculously choppy travel system. There's no convenient flow to getting around in the game and the overworld design is just illusory vastness. And do we HAVE to keep doing activation swings with the controller just to get around? Considering the number of times the game forces you to travel.

It's hard to enjoy yourself in this game. Something is always blabbering away, something always needs a motion control, something always needs to boss you around to do trivial shit, something always gets in the way and interrupts any flow that will possibly save this trainwreck of a game. Having sex is an infinitely better option than to play Skyward Sword.

One of the worst video games I've ever played. Goodnight.

The only franchises that validate the overrated Nintendo

Something about Nintendo's games just don't "grab" me. I always feel there's something missing in them, something in their design philosophy that is continuously off-putting. They just don't strike a chord with me the same way Sega and SNK games do. There's this distinct lack of finesse, depth, personality, risk, and payoff in Nintendo games. Sorry fanboys, it has to be said.

In the NES era, I wasn't a big fan of Mario. Nor did I care much for Duck Hunt, Ice Climbers, Excitebike, Donkey Kong, Punch-Out.. pretty much any of the flagship Nintendo titles that everybody had. Nintendo was fortunate to have Square, Konami, Capcom, Taito, Namco, and Tecmo on board to make up for it. Even on the SNES, which games were the ones worth noting? Again, the games made by the developers mentioned above. I realized the main reason why I own Nintendo's consoles in the first place is because of the other companies' games.

I was a fan of Zelda for a long time, until 2002's Wind Waker (the last Zelda game worth its attention). I've sworn off the series since then. I could never get into Metroid, and while Super Metroid is a classic, I still felt it lacked the atmosphere achieved by Dracula X and the smooth platforming mechanics of Shinobi. Then there's Pokemon. Well I gotta admit I enjoyed the cartoon as a kid. But that's all I have to say about Pokemon.

So which series of games DO I like from Nintendo? Well here's a short list of what I think are good Nintendo franchises that they should be investing more into:

1. Pikmin

Now here's a franchise that is fresh, charming, and distinct. Terrific design. You really feel for the Pikmin. You can't really put Pikmin into a specific genre, but that's why it's good: it defies conventional design.

2. Pilotwings

A very fun simulator series. I've always loved the different tasks and situations and all the uniquely designed maps; the replay value seemed endless. That's the sign of a good game.

3. Mario Paint

No, this is not a Mario game, more like a brilliant game slapped with Mario's face on it. Its sequel, Mario Artist, was released for the 64DD and some features were carried into the WarioWare series.

4. Advance Wars

This is actually a sub-series in the Nintendo Wars lineup of games, but it's the most known and well-loved. A very fun, addictive turn-based war game. Quite a handheld achievement.

Now, I'm actually fond of F-Zero and Star Fox, but the way Nintendo has handled those two franchises has been suspicious for a while. I guess I can't ask for too much considering they peaked at their N64 incarnations, in my opinion. It's safe to say I can swear off those franchises the same way I did Zelda.

So there you have it. Let the flaming commence.

Movie spotlight #1: Kundun

So I'm gonna start a mini-series of reviews of movies that I personally like and recommend. These are movies that have always stood out to me, and movies that, in my personal view, take the medium of film to another level.

Kundun, 1997

Kundun was film directed by Martin Scorsese and was released in 1997. I first watched this film as a pre-teen; I don't remember exactly what year but I reckon it was some time in late 90's. The remarkable thing about this film is the personell behind it: Scorsese was its director. I became a fan of his when I first saw GoodFellas earlier in the decade (the first film to truly "shock" me, the little inexperienced kid that I was then).

Kundun was Scorsese's film after 1995's Casino, another mobster epic akin to 1990's GoodFellas, but the style of Kundun is totally unlike those movies. And unlike Scorsese himself, for that matter. For starters, none of the primary cast members are professional actors. For a directing career full of star-studded films, Scorsese's approach with Kundun seemed risky in a good way, almost admirable. But that's the thing: the movie wouldn't have been half of what it was if it full of Hollywood. This gives the movie a more honest heart about its subject matter.

Kundun is a visual and meditative film. Its hypnotic narrative style, fittingly, feels like a manifestation of the Tibetan Buddhist theme. It tells the story of the 14th Dalai Lama, the current one we know today, from his holy anointment as a child to being a marked man in exile. While most movies explicitly talk you through the story and the characters, Kundun makes you feel the story and characters. It puts you in the heart of Tibet's struggles with change, with grisly dream-like sequences that evoke the young Dalai Lama's worries and fears about his people.  

One of the the film's beloved qualities is its grand musical score, which was composed by minimalist titan Philip Glass. Glass (a Buddhist, by the way) injected his trademark musical style with Buddhist instrumental and vocal influences. The resulting effect is genius; a match made in heaven. The music is exotic, reflective, and tragic, like the story itself. It's difficult to imagine the movie without Glass's music, and vice-versa. The music certainly made half the movie.

Kundun isn't a film for everyone, but I still say give it a shot. Not only is it a haunting historical tale of one of mankind's most intriguing figures, it's also a love letter to Tibetan Buddhism and it shows in the feel and presentation. You won't find many movies where sound and picture come together so brilliantly. I don't mind if it's one of Scorsese's less popular films; hidden treasures tend to be more cherished when not as exposed.

I'm in the James Bond spirit

Markee's Breakfast Smoothie

Markee's Breakfast Smoothie

Got no time to cook and eat breakfast? Here's a nice meal replacement drink that is tasty and filling if you're on-the-go:

2 cups of whole milk 

1 banana

1 and a half tablespoons of peanut butter
1 tablespoon of almond butter

Half a cup of rolled oats

1 teaspoon of Nutella

1 teaspoon of chocolate protein powder 

Half a teaspoon of honey

Half a tablespoon of cinnamon

Ice

Blend all ingredients and enjoy!

Goodbye, summer

I approached my friend Tse to do this video. It was a time when I noticed she was into photography, which I respect, and at the same time, I had some music inside me I wanted to get out. I felt both artforms could mutually come together as one. This project (haphazardly named "Lonely Summer"; fitting eh?) was the result. Special thanks to her for helping to make this idea a reality. Her blog can be read here.

In the end, all we have with us are memories. Even if any of us disappear tomorrow, we still did something together. Never stop creating memories. There will be good and bad ones, but all memories shape us into who we are. It was a very lonely summer, but at least we immortalized its memory.

Interesting album covers

Dream Theater - Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory (1999)

My personal favorite album from progressive metal band Dream Theater happens to have one of my all-time favorite album covers. It's an assembly of photographs united to form a human face set against an eerie dark backdrop. Simple yet effective; very fitting for the album's story-driven lyrical content. The cover art was designed by Dave McKean.

Derek and the Dominos - Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (1970)

Eric Clapton hid behind the alias of "Derek" for this album, which was basically a collection of love letters to Patti Boyd, the then-wife of George Harrison. I've always been intrigued by its cover art: it's stark yet colorful, with an air of mystery to it. It's like one of those photo albums tucked away on the shelf you want to open up and discover the stories inside it. 

Pink Floyd - Animals (1977)

One of the greatest concept albums of all time, it's only appropriate that Animals has an iconic cover. Upon first glance, you would think that it's a painting, but it's not. It's a real place: the Battersea Power Station in South West London. What really makes this picture is the pig floating between the two smokestacks. Those who know the music know its significance.

Miles Davis - Bitches Brew (1969)

Miles Davis dropped a bomb on the Jazz world when he released this album; it shouldn't be a coincidence that it had one hell of a cover. I honestly don't know what the cover art is trying to convey, but it's as shocking and brilliant as the music itself, which I can only describe as a soundtrack to a nightmare. Genius stuff. Ahead of its time. 

Michael Jackson - Dangerous (1991)

By far, Michael Jackson's wildest cover art out of all of his albums. There are so many things going on here, it's almost overwhelming. This came during a time when Michael was going through a lot of public scrutiny, and, as an artist who never shied away from expressing himself, released this. The cryptic images that litter the artwork still fascinate today. 

Iron Maiden - Powerslave (1984)

Now this is an epic album cover. Iron Maiden has always had a knack for great album cover art, but this one is my favorite. The band's mascot, Eddie the Head, is portrayed here in a different manner than all the other albums, woven into the scenery and theme with such convincing authority. The art itself is beautiful; it's not as creepy as Killers or The Number of the Beast, but just as metal. \m/

Meat Loaf - Bat Out of Hell (1977)

Meat Loaf always has great cover art for his albums, but in choosing only one, I gotta go with the one that started it all. Bat Out of Hell has one of most classic covers in music history- the indelible image of a Herculean man bursting out of the depths of hell on a motorcycle. Can you get any more badass than that?

Music

As far back as I can remember, I've been fascinated by sound. If something fascinates me, being a fan isn't enough; I have to try doing it myself.

Music has always been a source of composure and healing for me, as well as a stimulus for my imagination. When I was a kid (single-digit age), my mom owned a CD of classical music. I used to play Mozart's Rondo alla Turca on rewind, over and over. Something about it grabbed me. It sounded simple, but powerful. It was playful and aggressive at the same time. It felt like my own personality put into a song. It spoke to me. It was just one lonely instrument being played by one person on a piano, yet it filled my ears and my mind like a prophetic call. Everything hit perfectly. This music was made for me. I found infinitely more consolation in it than all the popular radio music that dominated the airwaves at the time. At night, after a stressful ordeal at school, I would put the CD back in the player, hit play, and drift away blissfully.

I began to breathe music to the point of rebellion. It was no surprise that when I started taking piano lessons, I was playing stuff in my 1st year that other students were playing in their 4th or 5th year. It was also no surprise that lessons would eventually get tedious and boring to me; after one year, I ventured off into my own. I laboriously taught myself how to play Rondo all Turca when I was 12, and what began as aural bliss became reality. It's amazing that, after all these years, it's still a piece that's as fresh and exciting as the day I first heard it.

I've always felt like a loner; I've always been socially awkward and I've never been good with words and expressing myself. Music has always been there to fill in those voids, and huge pools of emptiness in me were greatly fulfilled when I was 15 and started playing guitar. I got my first electric guitar when I was 16. I was meant to play this instrument. Before ever playing, I used to watch videos of Jimmy Page and Brian May play their guitars. They never sang. They never said anything. It was only them with their guitar versus the world. They spoke through their instruments, and spoke loudly. It was a perfect calling for someone like me. I wanted that feeling. I wanted to be heard, but in a way which I could do it. This was the way.

I remember the first time I performed guitar in front of an audience. It was at my friend's debutante ball. I had only been playing guitar for a few weeks, so I was not very good. I have to say that it wasn't a good performance at all. In fact, my dad, who knew how to play guitar, was very ashamed at my performance and said to me "You're not a guitarist". I didn't believe any of those words, because I knew I was a guitarist and nobody's words could stop my mission from becoming reality. Years later, I now have friends who took up guitar because of me. A discouraging father can have adverse effects.

Here I am now, at the crossroads of my life, often lost and confused with the world around me. But whenever I sit at the piano or pick up a guitar, the world starts to make sense again. I suppose this is a destined marriage for life. I will play as long as my body allows it.

A night out in Las Vegas

A video I did as a tribute to my 13 years of living in Las Vegas. For the route, I went to Town Square, down the entire length of the Strip, saw a couple Rolls-Royces, then off to Chinatown, the Thomas & Mack Center at UNLV, then towards back home through the McCarran airport tunnel.

Office Space

The supervisor is gone for the moment. Time to engage in some mischief....

First novel: Moonlighter

First novel! I'm quite excited to be finally writing it. I've been developing and evolving the ideas for this story for many years, dating back to my late teens. Upon discovering Wattpad.com, I finally have a place to manifest this project. So far, only the prologue is up. I'm currently putting the finishing touches on Chapter One.

I'm writing this (and any succeeding works) under the pseudonym "Gekko Ramirez". Gekko means "moonlight" in Japanese, and Ramirez... well I guess it sounded like an appropriate surname.

I chose and designed the cover. I took the image from the triptych painting "The Garden of Earthly Delights" by 16th century Dutch artist Hieronymus Bosch. It is my favorite painting of all time and I felt it best fit the themes of the story.

You can start reading "Moonlighter" here. I will keep adding new chapters weekly. This story is straight from my heart and I hope you enjoy it!