Saw this along Kamuning…
July 25, 2005
Just make sure not to confuse the two services, or else, you end up with a face full of tattoos…
Customer: FACIAL CARE! I SAID FACIAL CARE!
Tattoo Artist : Ooh. My bad.
Artists Den meets with Iph team
July 23, 2005Last Wednesday, members of the Artists Den met up with Gigi and Jangelo of Idotph to discuss payforaccess. Thanks for the coffee and donuts, guys.
Here is an excerpt from the meeting, heavily embellished by yours truly.
Bahay ng Alumni Rules
July 19, 2005
The Artists Den is organizing KOMIKON2005 in UP Bahay ng Alumni, slated for late 2005. This is part of the rules and regulations for using the facilities. Look at items #3 and #6. Especially #6.
Makes you wonder what disaster happened that made the UPAA staff ban roasted calf on the premises. The Artists Den suspects someone scheduled RoastedCalfFest at 3pm, and followed it up with HinduCon at 7pm.
All Shiva broke loose.
The UP Diliman Book signing 2005
July 18, 2005The first day of the UP book signing was great!
(I’ll post the pics as soon as I get the gallery up.)
At the end of the day, I bought Puma sneakers at 50% off in Balay Kalinaw. Then I found out Vinzons Hall was hosting an Adidas sale.
Tune in tomorrow for more book signing goodness!
This is Beerkadet Ilenz, who is a frequent poster in the BEERKADA forum. Which Artists Den founder does he resemble?
I ran out of books by 4pm. I guess I should have brought more. On the plus side, I wore my new Puma sneakers.
Thanks to UP AGGREGATES for hosting the book tour! Kudos to you guys.
Is there a DA chapter in UP Diliman? I wonder.
Not for the easily terrified
The following was videotaped in one of the popular malls in the Metro.
You may see that while the other posters remain stationary, one poster is not.
Paranormal phenomenon? You decide.
You were warned.
http://www.via-astris.ph/trekinthecity/aristocart/poltergeist.swf
Of Bookmarks and Courtesy Cups
July 17, 2005Chompy and I were strolling down EDSA Shangri-La when we spotted this sign, just in time for the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
A free bookmark for the first 20 buyers?! A HP hardbound book costs P1500++, while a bookmark costs less than a peso to print!
Can you say, there’s one muggle born every minute?
The Artists Den changed meeting places on Friday nights when we started to feel less than welcome in Starbucks EDSA Shangri-La. For one thing, courtesy cups weren’t available on the prep counter anymore. We always suspected they hid them cups on Friday nights…
I happen to pass by Starbucks Shang this Saturday morning, and just to pique my curiosity, dropped in to verify our suspicions.
Consider them verified.
Courtesy cups are available the day after Fridays.
Hmph.
Screw you, Starbucks! The Artists Den enjoys its new hangout in Gloria Jean’s Gateway Mall, where members get discounts on food and beverages. You see, GJ welcomes our business there.
Boxes of Harry Potter
July 16, 2005So I dropped by National Bookstore Katipunan, and I saw boxes and boxes of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince left unminded in the back office.
I started thinking, if I helped myself to a box, I could make millions on EBay!
Then I sobered up to this reality:
I don’t give a rat’s ass about Harry Potter.
So I had lunch in Pizza Hut Southmall…
July 14, 2005…and I was served by this impeccable and friendly waiter. He was so friendly, he left his name on my table.
I’m starting to suspect he has more than professionalism behind his demeanor, but said nothing (since I didn’t have anyone to say anything to at the time.)
After a few minutes, Mr. Friendly came back with a plate of bread sticks. Smothered in white sauce.
Sorry for the blur. It’s better that you don’t see it in graphic detail.
Now I know he likes me. I must confess I took one bite before the creepiness of it overwhelmed me. Remember, I wrote what goes behind the scenes in restaurants in GO-BEERKADA. And there are things worse than spit. :C
Neil Gaiman in Manila
July 12, 2005I dropped by the Neil Gaiman book signing in the Promenade, Greenhills, today. I thought the Promenade was just a strip mall, but whoa! It was Podium-style.
Autograph-seekers were there since 5 in the morning. Mr. Gaiman pledge to sign for 200 people that day. Yesterday, it was 600 people. Yowzers!
I started thinking, what if Neil Gaiman decides to stay in the Philippines, ala Keith Martin? Will there be Neil Gaiman in Cubao? Neil Gaiman in SM Mall Tour? Neil Gaiman in corporate events? Baptisms? Anniversaries? 
Here is a sample strip from the upcoming storyline, appearing next Monday. If you want the rest, either buy a copy of The Philippine Star or visit their website at www.philstar.com and look for the comics page.
All starting next Monday.
If you want photos from the event, I suggest you visit Az’s website.
I ate at Chef Donatello recently. Ugh.
July 8, 2005Chompy & I were going to Max to celebrate the end of Toycon 2005 when I spotted this new restaurant along the Megamall 3/f bridgeway. P99 for pizza, pasta, and fried chicken! So i suggested we try it out.
While was in line at the counter I became suspicious and started looking around among the other customers to see the serving sizes. (Shakey’s is infamous for its shrinking bunch of lunch combo.) The servings were hefty enough, though it didn’t have free drinks.
I asked the counter lady if there were drinks included in the meal; she said free drinks were available only if we had a coupon. I ordered tap water. Later on, Chompy showed me the coupon, which was available on the counter. The counter lady forgot to mention that by presenting the coupon right from the counter, we would have gotten free drinks.
Ah.
The counter people were doing the sales tally by hand. There was no airconditioning inside. When the food was brought to us, the server was grumbling that the cash register was on the fritz. Listen, lady: you don’t grumble to customers, you apologize. I didn’t say a word, for free of sali-vendetta (see GO-BEERKADA for an explanation). The pizza tasted like cardboard.
Chompy thinks Chef Donatello should try to impress people from the very start, not this big letdown. Sure, the food is plenty, but the overall experience is blech.
You were warned.
Great Licofest!
Thanks to Lico for another great party.
Btw, here’s the schedule for Neil Gaiman’s book signing in Manila:
| Saturday, July 9, 2005 3pm | Rockwell Tent Powerplant Mall |
| Sunday, July 10 2pm | Fully Booked Promenade, GH |
| Monday, July 11 430pm | Fully Booked Gateway Mall |
BEERKADA shirts on Spoofs, Ltd.!
July 7, 2005Spoofs, Ltd. has finally released the first batch of limited edition BEERKADA shirts. Check out the four designs in any of their branches.
This shot was taken from 3/f Megamall bridgeway:
BEERKADA books will also be offered in selected branches in Market Market, Filinvest Mall, ATC, Glorietta 2 and Sta. Lucia East by July 20.
Get one bago maubusan! Learn the lesson of GO-BEERKADA!
Thanks to Carlo Dobles of Spoofs for making it happen. 
On buying 2 for 1 DVDs
July 4, 2005A week ago, Chompy and I bought a single DVD containing 50 First Dates and Along Came Polly. We watched Polly first. The movie kept skipping, ignoring whole scenes. The movie ended in the middle of the film. Smack in the middle.
Dates fared no better. We went back to the DVD place but it got raided.
Serves us right, no?
Random Thoughts
July 2, 2005The problem with Bill Watterson (creator of Calvin and Hobbes) is he created this highly licensable characters then refuses to license them.
That’s like a Viva Hot Babe declaring a vow of celibacy.
For insomniacs: why don’t you drink a can of beer before going to bed? Heck, down a
bottle of whiskey.
How come your standard landline telephone doesn’t have volume control?
I just realized..
July 1, 2005The etymology of the name Captain Barbell.
It’s a play on words of Captain Marvel, the DC superhero.
Oh, Mars Ravelo, you adorable hack. And I thought Darna was your supreme rip-off.
