i have been growing my own basil just outside my window,
on the spot where it used to be my cat graveyard.
they have been growing beautifully and the main one is around 3 feet tall.
they are fantastic. everytime i need basil, i just pick them.
for pasta, some thai inspired cooking, and what not. they taste really good.
not to mention the cooking area is just outside, a couple of feet away from it.
all organic goodness.

my problem now is aphids.
they have destroyed a huge part of it and the plants have been in bloom recently.
some of the flowers have been ruined.

if anyone could share some tips on how to get rid of these pests without resorting to pesticides, i would be greatful.

there's this local DIY hardcore/punk forum i've been into lately and of all the topics, anime comes up.
i felt i might as well post it here since it's quite a long list.
label me a geek, but i think im quite discerning regarding the stuff i watch.
sadly, only a few shows have caught my attention recently.

---------------------------

oh crap, mapapaghalataang todong otaku ako pagdating dito
pero here are some of my anime favorites that i could currently remember:

tonari no totoro - is more punk rock than anything on earth. the damn movie is literally life-changing.
under less than an hour, im telling you folks, babaguin ng totoro ang buhay nyo. Very Happy
i have more totoro stuff than HC/punk stuff.

mononoke hime - another one by the great hayao miyazaki/studio ghibli. eco-activism, feminist themes, equality, technology/industrial revolution vs tradition, forest gods/spirits/demons, references to wicca and the horned god.
miyazaki's work goes beyond good guys and bad guys, everyone has their own reasons on the things they do. the supposedly "villains" have their own struggles. superb storytelling. neil gaiman did the english translation.
pure poetry.

actually any hayao miyazaki/studio ghibli film is something anyone should see.
the beauty and the message of these films surpass being labeled as "anime" and may would agree.

akira - katsuhiro otomo's bikerpunk opus. powerful apocalyptic vision never seen before in the genre.
the anime was groundbreaking both in form and content. it broke new grounds on the acceptance of the genre in the west.
the manga was a hundred times better.

martian successor nadesico - rarely do you see a series which is both a parody and tribute to different anime genres.
giant robots, harem series, otakus, nothing is spared in this brilliant anime.
instead of resorting to the pitfalls of stereotypes, the series has creatively used these to come out with a solid storyline.

rahxephon - as much as i loved neon genesis evangelion and all its postmodern rambling into oblivion, rahxepon did it better with well fleshed out characters.
the character development was more human and believable.
so much parallelisms between rahxephon and eva that you'd scream out "rip-off".
but despite living in it's shadow, i think the character development/design, story, and the overall quality is top notch.
eva bored me, this kept me at the edge of my seat.

azumanga daioh - no plot, no storyline, no agenda, no giant robots looming to destroy the earth or heroes to save the day, no complex drama, no anime stereotypes.
just the everyday lives of 6 girls going through high school.
boring? think again!
Kiyohiko Azuma is a genius. having a simple and oftentimes no plot is what makes this full of awesome.

noir - two asassins, one fate. a complex storyline and eyecandy animation. a
wesome soundtrack too.

paranoia agent - if you've seen satoshi kon's work like perfect blue, millenium actress, paprika and tokyo godfathers,
then you know that his stories flow like regular movies.
if they were done with real actors, these would still be amazing. his trademark dark psychological thrillers hold up with the best in the biz.

chromartie high
furikuri/FLCL
excel saga - three of the most demented anime series ever created.
if you want your mind turned to mush.
the anime equivalent of powerviolence/grindcore.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya - fairly new. another demented one, yet incredibly fun to watch.

honey and clover - mushy shoujo without being cheesy that you finearts kids would definitely love.

overman king gainer - gundam creator yoshiyuki tomino's lesser known creation.
weird and unconventional mecha designs, great scifi plot.

eureka seven - another thumbs up from studio bones. slick animation.

haibane renmei - damn, tearjerker, the entire series just kept you clueless. now i have to find neia under 7.

tekkon kinkreet - fukkin amazing movie! everything was lush lush lush!

ghost in the shell - admit it, everything amazing about modern scifi/action films and animation owe huge shit to this proving mamoru oshii's genius with tech, guns, mecha, and babes.

hoshi no koe/voices of a distant star - to think that makoto shinkai single-handedly wrote, directed, animated this film on his mac is unreal.
but he did it. even the voice acting (with the help of his girlfriend) and a bit of help on the soundtrack.

ergo proxy - im a sucker for post apocalyptic scifi stuff. i firmly believe that only hazel or kachan should cosplay real! hahaha.

yakitate japan - forget cooking master boy! croissants rule!

crayon shin chan - the banned tagalog version was a hundred times funnier than the original version. somebody get me pirated versions of these!

metropolis - rintaro, osamu tezuka, katsuhiro otomo... legends in their own right.
a vintage styled scifi film inspired by fritz lang's metropolis. taken out of tezuka's manga.
references to 1984, citizen kane, brazil, blade runner!

mezzo forte
kite - would you classify this hentai?
take out all the sex and you're still left with slick and crisp animation work with a very engaging assassin story.
the sex is just an extra... uhm, yeah.
sadly, the series mezzo dsa sucked balls.

back in college i would have asessed myself as a capable illustrator
i actually liked the way i drew and painted, but there was much to improve on.

recently i tried to do some sketches and i found myself disappointed that
i could not draw the way i used to.
the styles which easily flew on hand were hard to squeeze out.
i could barely draw a face properly.

i have been looking for a decent pen brush recently and found out
that pentel was the only brand available, which to my surprise wasn't as good
as the brand i used to work on. i could not remember what it was but it wasn't pentel.

nevertheless, drawing using a pen brush isn't as easy as working with regular pens and pencils.
it requires better control of the hand, as you don't get the same tactile feedback when pencil/pen touches paper.
it kinda frustrates you when you figure out how much you've rusted in skills.
some old classmates told me to do pen/pencils first, but i really miss using the penbrush.
thinking if i would practice on a harder medium, it would get me up to speed.

yesterday, i got a dermatograph. another favorite tool.
imagine drawing with a really hard crayon.
the sensation of the point against the paper's texture is something that i have always loved.
it gives me a better sense of control. i'll try it out later, but i have to practice on brushwork first.

same thing with shooting.
there's still a huge hole of inadequacies i have to fill up.
everyone wants to be better. i want to.
not because i want praises or recognition
but because of the satisfaction i get when i know iv'e made something new.
photography has been a sort of refuge, something iv'e immersed myself in
it has helped me get through rough times

but now, the refuge is in rough times
and the challenge i face is either to sink or swim.

Have you heard of Senate Bill No. 2464, the ANTI-OBSCENITY AND PORNOGRAPHY ACT OF 2008? It’s now quietly pending in the Senate. Meaning, this absurd, outrageous, oppressive bill has been passed in Congress without causing any stir.

What is it, you ask? Let the bill tell you itself:

From Section 3, Definition of Terms:

(a) “Obscene” refers to anything that is indecent or offensive or contrary to good customs or religious beliefs, principles or doctrines, or tends to corrupt or deprave the human mind, or is calculated to excite impure thoughts or arouse prurient interest, or violates the proprieties of language and human behavior, regardless of the motive of the producer, printer, publisher, writer, importer,seller, distributor or exhibitor such as, but not limited to:

(1) showing, depicting or describing sexual acts;
(2) showing, depicting or describing human sexual organs or the female breasts;
(3) showing, depicting or describing completely nude human bodies
(4) describing erotic reactions, feelings or experiences on sexual acts or;
(5) performing live sexual acts of whatever form.


(b) “ornographic or pornography” refers to objects or subjects of film,
television shows, photography, illustrations, music, games, paintings, drawings, illustrations, advertisements, writings, literature or narratives, contained in any format, whether audio or visual, still or moving pictures, in all forms of film, print, electronic, outdoor or broadcast mass media, or whatever future technologies to
be developed, which are calculated to excite, stimulate or arouse impure thoughts and prurient interest, regardless of the motive of the author thereof.

(c) “Mass media” refers to film, print, broadcast, electronic and outdoor
media including, but not limited to, internet, newspapers, tabloids, magazines, newsletters, books, comic books, billboards, calendars, posters, optical discs, magnetic media, future technologies, and the like.

(d) “Materials” refers to all movies, films, television shows, photographs, music, games, paintings, drawings, illustrations, advertisements, writings, literature or narratives, whether produced in the Philippines or abroad.

SEC. 4. Punishable Acts. - The following acts are declared illegal and
punishable:

(a) Producing, printing, showing, exhibiting, importing, selling, advertising or distributing obscene or pornographic materials in all forms of mass media;

(b) Causing the showing or exhibition, distributing or the printing,
publication or advertising, or the selling of obscene or pornographic materials in all forms of mass media;

(c) Showing, exhibiting, selling, or distributing obscene or pornographic movies in whatever format, whether produced in the Philippines or abroad, in any restaurant, club or other places open to the public, including private buildings, places or houses where the viewers are not limited to them owners thereof and the members of his family;

(d) Writing any obscene or pornographic article in any print or electronic medium;

(e) Performing, demonstrating, acting or exhibiting any obscene or
pornographic act in any form of mass media; and act in public, public places or any place open to public viewing.

(f) Performing, or allowing the performance of, live sex or live sexual act in public, public places or any place open to public viewing.

SEC 5: PENALTIES

(c) Showing, exhibiting, selling or distributing obscene or pornographic
movies in whatever format, whether produced in the Philippines or abroad, in any restaurant, club or other places open to the public, including private buildings, places or houses where the viewers are not limited to the owners thereof and the members of his family, the penalty of imprisonment of not less than three (3) years nor more than six (6) years and a fine of not less than Two hundred thousand pesos (P200,OOO.OO) nor more than Five hundred thousand pesos (P500,OOO.OO) shall be imposed;

(d) For writing any obscene or pornographic article in any print or
electronic medium, the penalty of imprisonment of not less than three (3) years nor more than six (6) years and a fine of not less than Two hundred thousand pesos (P200,OOO.OO) nor more than Five hundred thousand pesos (P500,OOO.OO) shall be imposed;

(e) For performing, demonstrating, acting or exhibiting any obscene or
pornographic act in any form of mass media, the penalty of imprisonment of not less than one (1) year nor more than three (3) years and a fine of not less than One hundred thousand pesos (PlOO,OOO.OO) nor more than Three hundred thousand pesos (P300,OOO.OO) shall be imposed; and


…and it becomes more outrageous as it goes along.

Why have we let this monstrous bill slip past us? Not a peep, even from UP. I can just imagine the sort of awful Bradburyan future we’ll have after this bill is passed–whitewashed media equals the death of Art. That, and every Writers Night held in jail. See you there everybody!

Should we let this happen?

SOURCE =
[link]

now that the nikon d700 is out
people have been getting rid of their new-barely-used-stored-in-drybox cameras. i want/need a new cam. or a second hand one.
at least a d80, d200, or a bitchin' d300.

i need to raise funds.
my d70 is about to die from abuse.
its been through hell with work and sweaty moshpits.



hire me.