Cranium Kings
Well, last Halloween saw a very late Cranium Championship. The teams were:
1) Red: Dean, Marco and myself
2) Green: DinoYu, Carl, Vin
3) Blue: Nikki, Jason and Charles
After two games, the first team were the undisputed champions.
Still, there were impressive performances all around... Carl had the impressive "Spank" clay figure, DinoYu pulled out an impressive "Two-Fu" triumph, and Jason hummed a mean tune! Charles, alas, caught some flack for not knowing certain songs... but then, it merely served to underline how old the rest of us are in comparison. He was only around 2 when "Born in the U.S.A." was out after all.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention Marco's exceptional dice-rolling skills! My God, in the second game, the Blue Team only missed one question and yet rolled terribly! Marco kept flying past the opposition in a single die roll.
I was too late to reach the Via Astris halloween party, but it's just as well I suppose. I was not awake enough to drive all that way and back.
HINIRANG the RPG
I'm up to about 50+ pages on the Hinirang RPG, and am wrestling with the Skill List. Need Dean's help, wah! Haven't even gotten to the magic stuff yet (but I will... I will!), or conflicts.
So far I've got the attributes, task resolution (basic), effect values, skills (for now), traits, etc... In PDF format! Dean, if you're reading... let me know your availability... need to pick your brain!
I'm up to about 50+ pages on the Hinirang RPG, and am wrestling with the Skill List. Need Dean's help, wah! Haven't even gotten to the magic stuff yet (but I will... I will!), or conflicts.
So far I've got the attributes, task resolution (basic), effect values, skills (for now), traits, etc... In PDF format! Dean, if you're reading... let me know your availability... need to pick your brain!
Bush and Revisionist History
From an SF Gate Article:
During his short visit, partly to reward President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's support for the U.S. war on terror, Bush told his Filipino hosts that the United States "liberated the Philippines from colonial rule."
Bush was referring to the defeat of Japanese imperial forces in World War II at the hands of Filipino guerrillas and the U.S. military. But he skipped over a crucial fact: The United States was the colonial ruler in the Philippines for half a century before the Japanese came.
"America is proud of its part in the great story of the Filipino people," Bush also said.
In fact, that great story was a tale of American betrayal and bloodshed.
In the late 1890s, Filipinos revolted against Spain, which had ruled the archipelago for more than 300 years. After the Spanish-American War erupted, the United States supported the Filipino revolutionaries, who proclaimed an independent republic.
But eager to establish itself as a power in Asia, the United States refused to recognize the new republic and bought the country from Spain for $20 million. When the Filipinos resisted, the United States unleashed a three- year war of conquest that killed an estimated 200,000 Filipinos.
The war set off a bitter debate in the States over U.S. involvement overseas, a precursor to the outcry over the Vietnam War more than half a century later.
A former U.S. superintendent who helped set up an American-style public school system in the Philippines argued that the Filipinos "are children, and childlike, do not know what is best for them. . . . By the very fact of our superiority of civilization and our greater capacity for industrial activity, we are bound to exercise over them a profound social influence.''
Despite the carnage and the intense emotions it unleashed in the early 20th Century, the conflict has virtually been erased from American history books -- and from America's collective memory. Until recently, the Philippine-American War was not even considered a war in official history; it was "the Filipino Insurrection against the United States."
I thought that this part of history couldn't be forgotten already, after all the lobbying and outrage in the U.S. about the entry in the history books...
Chilling, this "alliance".
From an SF Gate Article:
During his short visit, partly to reward President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's support for the U.S. war on terror, Bush told his Filipino hosts that the United States "liberated the Philippines from colonial rule."
Bush was referring to the defeat of Japanese imperial forces in World War II at the hands of Filipino guerrillas and the U.S. military. But he skipped over a crucial fact: The United States was the colonial ruler in the Philippines for half a century before the Japanese came.
"America is proud of its part in the great story of the Filipino people," Bush also said.
In fact, that great story was a tale of American betrayal and bloodshed.
In the late 1890s, Filipinos revolted against Spain, which had ruled the archipelago for more than 300 years. After the Spanish-American War erupted, the United States supported the Filipino revolutionaries, who proclaimed an independent republic.
But eager to establish itself as a power in Asia, the United States refused to recognize the new republic and bought the country from Spain for $20 million. When the Filipinos resisted, the United States unleashed a three- year war of conquest that killed an estimated 200,000 Filipinos.
The war set off a bitter debate in the States over U.S. involvement overseas, a precursor to the outcry over the Vietnam War more than half a century later.
A former U.S. superintendent who helped set up an American-style public school system in the Philippines argued that the Filipinos "are children, and childlike, do not know what is best for them. . . . By the very fact of our superiority of civilization and our greater capacity for industrial activity, we are bound to exercise over them a profound social influence.''
Despite the carnage and the intense emotions it unleashed in the early 20th Century, the conflict has virtually been erased from American history books -- and from America's collective memory. Until recently, the Philippine-American War was not even considered a war in official history; it was "the Filipino Insurrection against the United States."
I thought that this part of history couldn't be forgotten already, after all the lobbying and outrage in the U.S. about the entry in the history books...
Chilling, this "alliance".
Back from Zamboanga
Just got back from Zambo! Twas interesting...
I discovered that one of the bombings that took place a while back was in a department store not more than two blocks from the NCC office (which is on the second floor of the Philippine Veteran's Bank building). Some folks believe that it was more an extortion thing than a real terrorist attack, given that muslims also died in that bombing and that many Abu Sayyaf members' families live in Zamboanga City. Allegedly.
I found out that there's no McDonalds in Zamboanga City! Only a Jollibee or two, and a Greenwich or two. Apparently, the franchise fee was too expensive for the only person who considered starting one.
Lola Mameng's place is cool. She took us to eat tasty "curacha" a special kind of seasonal crab found in the deep sea. Yum! She's got a swimming pool, and the view from the living room overlooks Zamboanga City and the airport. It's very cool there, and the winds are always blowing from the mountains. It rains there almost everyday.
There are BIRDS on every powerline in the downtown area, packed like sardines.... small wonder there're birdsh*t stains along the roads and cars.
Just got back from Zambo! Twas interesting...
I discovered that one of the bombings that took place a while back was in a department store not more than two blocks from the NCC office (which is on the second floor of the Philippine Veteran's Bank building). Some folks believe that it was more an extortion thing than a real terrorist attack, given that muslims also died in that bombing and that many Abu Sayyaf members' families live in Zamboanga City. Allegedly.
I found out that there's no McDonalds in Zamboanga City! Only a Jollibee or two, and a Greenwich or two. Apparently, the franchise fee was too expensive for the only person who considered starting one.
Lola Mameng's place is cool. She took us to eat tasty "curacha" a special kind of seasonal crab found in the deep sea. Yum! She's got a swimming pool, and the view from the living room overlooks Zamboanga City and the airport. It's very cool there, and the winds are always blowing from the mountains. It rains there almost everyday.
There are BIRDS on every powerline in the downtown area, packed like sardines.... small wonder there're birdsh*t stains along the roads and cars.
DARK PHOENIX!
You are Form 0, Phoenix: The Eternal.
"And The Phoenix's cycle had reached
zenith, so he consumed himself in fire. He
emerged from his own ashes, to be forever
immortal."
Some examples of the Phoenix Form are Quetzalcoatl
(Aztec), Shiva (Indian), and Ra-Atum
(Egyptian).
The Phoenix is associated with the concept of life,
the number 0, and the element of fire.
His sign is the eclipsed sun.
As a member of Form 0, you are a determined
individual. You tend to keep your sense of
optimism, even through tough times and have a
positive outlook on most situations. You have
a way of looking at going through life as a
journey that you can constantly learn from.
Phoenixes are the best friends to have because
they cheer people up easily.
Which Mythological Form Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla
You are Form 0, Phoenix: The Eternal.
"And The Phoenix's cycle had reached
zenith, so he consumed himself in fire. He
emerged from his own ashes, to be forever
immortal."
Some examples of the Phoenix Form are Quetzalcoatl
(Aztec), Shiva (Indian), and Ra-Atum
(Egyptian).
The Phoenix is associated with the concept of life,
the number 0, and the element of fire.
His sign is the eclipsed sun.
As a member of Form 0, you are a determined
individual. You tend to keep your sense of
optimism, even through tough times and have a
positive outlook on most situations. You have
a way of looking at going through life as a
journey that you can constantly learn from.
Phoenixes are the best friends to have because
they cheer people up easily.
Which Mythological Form Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla
Time for Hinirang
A little snippet from the Hinirang RPG stuff I've been rewriting... character creation:
Statistics
Physical Group
Ability: Agility
Power: Strength
Defense: Toughness
Life: Body
Health: Body * 5
Mental Group
Ability: Intellect
Power: Reason
Defense: Tenacity
Life: Mind
Health: Mind * 5
Emotional Group
Ability: Empathy
Power: Passion
Defense: Courage
Life: Heart
Health: Heart * 5
Spiritual Group
Ability: Insight
Power: Will
Defense: Conviction
Life: Spirit
Health: Spirit * 5
Ability indicates the raw ability that individual has in that Statistic Group. It's normally used in calculating the action value for a particular task.
Power indicates the raw power that individual has in the Statistic Group. It's normally used in calculating the effect value for a particular task.
Defense indicates the defensive value that individual has in the Statistic Group. It's normally used in reducing the effect value of a task performed on the character.
Life indicates the amount of "life force" tied up in that Statistic Group. It's used to determine how much damage of that type a character can take before dying. Damage to one's life takes a while to heal.
Health indicates that Statistic Group's endurance. It's used to find out how much punishment of that type a character can take before becoming incapacitated. Damage to one's health heals faster as compared to Life.
A little snippet from the Hinirang RPG stuff I've been rewriting... character creation:
Statistics
Physical Group
Ability: Agility
Power: Strength
Defense: Toughness
Life: Body
Health: Body * 5
Mental Group
Ability: Intellect
Power: Reason
Defense: Tenacity
Life: Mind
Health: Mind * 5
Emotional Group
Ability: Empathy
Power: Passion
Defense: Courage
Life: Heart
Health: Heart * 5
Spiritual Group
Ability: Insight
Power: Will
Defense: Conviction
Life: Spirit
Health: Spirit * 5
Ability indicates the raw ability that individual has in that Statistic Group. It's normally used in calculating the action value for a particular task.
Power indicates the raw power that individual has in the Statistic Group. It's normally used in calculating the effect value for a particular task.
Defense indicates the defensive value that individual has in the Statistic Group. It's normally used in reducing the effect value of a task performed on the character.
Life indicates the amount of "life force" tied up in that Statistic Group. It's used to determine how much damage of that type a character can take before dying. Damage to one's life takes a while to heal.
Health indicates that Statistic Group's endurance. It's used to find out how much punishment of that type a character can take before becoming incapacitated. Damage to one's health heals faster as compared to Life.
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