Five Questions Winner

And we have a winner!

Congratulations, Uh-Huh Girl, MD! That was really quick!

Please post your number below (I won't publish it), so I can contact you regarding claiming your prize.

Here are the answers to the questions, in case Kara San wants to refute the winner. :)

1. What does the Hehe complex evolve to if left untreated?

The Haha Complex.

2. Which TV phenomenon did the director of Lead Character's 5th favorite Glee episode create? (Clue: This TV show had a 7-season run. Its 8th season was in comic book series form.)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

3. In the episode "Return of Merchandise," what sari-sari store item did the VENDOR refuse to replace after Lead Character complained that it was bad?

Egg.

4. How big was the stool sample did Lead Character hand over to the Medical Technologist in the episode "Medical Exam: A Horror Story"?

Almond-sized.

5. List the books that Lead Character hasn't finished reading yet as of the writing of the episode "Impulse in the Time of Flatulence."

"Rant" by Chuck Palahniuk
"The Pretenders" and "My Brother, My Executioner" by F. Sionil Jose
"God Is not Great" by Christopher Hitchens
"The Satanic Verses" by Salman Rushdie

Again, congratulations to the winner.

Stay tuned, everyone, for more contests in the future! :D

Five Questions

Since the winner of our previous contest, the LIKE the Lead Character Chronicles Facebook fan page contest, forfeited his prize, I am now including the bottle of Jose Cuervo to this content's winning prize: a Starbucks 2011 Planner!

How to win?

Simply answer these five questions correctly (thanks to JabberedOnion for this idea). If you've been reading this blog, then this should be easy breezy. The first person to get all the answers right wins!

1. What does the Hehe complex evolve to if left untreated?

2. Which TV phenomenon did the director of Lead Character's 5th favorite Glee episode create? (Clue: This TV show had a 7-season run. Its 8th season was in comic book series form.)

3. In the episode "Return of Merchandise," what sari-sari store item did the VENDOR refuse to replace after Lead Character complained that it was bad?

4. How big was the stool sample did Lead Character hand over to the Medical Technologist in the episode "Medical Exam: A Horror Story"?

5. List the books that Lead Character hasn't finished reading yet as of the writing of the episode "Impulse in the Time of Flatulence."

Note: The bottle of Jose Cuerva tequila can only be awarded to those who are in Cebu. The Starbucks planner, however, can be shipped out to anyone in the Philippines. So if you win and you're not from Cebu, you can get the Starbucks planner but the Jose Cuervo would have to be given to someone here.

If no one answers all five questions correctly on or before December 29th, 11:59pm, both prizes will be additional prizes for the next contest.

Good luck to all of you!

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Update as of 12/24/2010:

Thanks, Kara San for your attempt. But you got one item wrong. I will not post your comment as others might simply copy.

Don't worry, you can still review your answers and see which item you may have gotten wrong.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

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Update as of 12/25/2010:

Kara San: I admire your efforts. However, you changed an already correct answer, which is still correct, by the way, after you changed it. The one item I'm referring to is something that you might have misunderstood.

Please, review your answers again, because I want you to win as well. Because for sure, you're going to donate the bottle of tequila to us when we meet up. ;)

Best Christmas Episode

Every year, American TV shows typically air a Christmas (or for political correctness, Holiday) episode right before going on their holiday hiatus. More often than not, they make their episodes encompass the holiday spirit, one that is full of love and joy despite situations in their fictional world that make the audience doubt if their characters would have any of it at all.

This year, Community (one of the best TV shows of today that you're not watching) showcased their characters in stop motion animation in an episode called "Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas." Community has always been bold in coming up with out-of-the-ordinary episodes (you'll know what I mean if you've seen their paintball episode, and the one with the zombies, and their homage to Goodfellas that explore the power struggle surrounding the supply and demand of chicken fingers in the school cafeteria), and their Holiday episode just proved that they can pretty much kick the butts of every other TV show out there.

Lead Character watched "Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas" three times, enjoyed it each time, and felt that he was ready to deem it the best Christmas episode of any year, especially that it purported that the meaning of Christmas is the first season of Lost, a metaphor for something with great buildup but with no payoff (classic!).

But then The Good Wife happened.

In an episode called "Nine Hours," The Good Wife showed that a Christmas episode does not have to be set during the holiday season.

The story kicks off with Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies) receiving a phone call from a Court of Appeals clerk about the habeas petition she sent out just the night before for their client Carter Wright (Chad Coleman--Lead Character remembers him from The Wire), a convicted arsonist and murderer on death row . The clerk wants to know if she's filing an addendum before that night's execution. Alicia freezes, composes herself, and then asks the clerk to repeat what he just said, to make sure that she heard the word "addendum" right. After confirming, Alicia tells the clerk she'll call him right back. She then calls Senior Partner Will Gardner (Josh Charles) about the call from the clerk. Will himself is surprised about the call, and he immediately phones another Senior Partner, Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski), who also freezes at the idea that the clerk is asking for an addendum. Since Lead Character does not have any idea what an addendum is, he is immediately sucked into the story.

Lead Character learns that the addendum was something they missed to add in the appeal that could very well save their client from meeting his fate at midnight, and the clerk telling them that it exists even without telling them what it is is already breaking the rules. And so the search for that one tiny detail begins, and they have exactly nine hours to turn in the "last Hail Mary appeal."

You must be wondering now how in the hell could Lead Character possibly deem this as the best Christmas episode if it doesn't even seem like a Christmas episode. The answer is in two words: Jesus Christ.

Whether the writers were aware of it or not, Lead Character could not help but notice the parallelism. The story is about a man who is about to get executed. Didn't Jesus Christ die in the same inhuman way? Well, probably not as inhuman, since lethal injection is perhaps an act of kindness compared to scourging and crucifixion, but just the idea that you are being deemed not worthy to be alive, regardless of what you may have done, is cruelty beyond Lead Character's comprehension.

Carter Wright passing through the prison hallway and getting a few seconds'
glimpse of his daughter accompanied by his lawyer, Diane Lockhart.

What Lead Character comprehends, though, is that Christmas is not so much about the birth of Jesus as it is celebrating his legacy. He is perhaps the grandest symbol of hope and kindness and sharing and love for humankind out of all the characters in popular fiction. Say what you must, but despite Lead Character's beliefs, he still thinks Jesus is an inspiring character. Jesus had him at "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."

Lead Character is not really a fan of preachy materials, but even if "Nine Hours" somewhat preached against capital punishment, it was able to pull it off with enough subtlety that it barely pressed on his gullet. The result: a touching episode that reminds us that Christmas, just like any other time of the year, is for all of us to be kind to one and all and not kill.

2010: A Year That Was Not So "Kay Ganda," adj. So Beautiful

Another year of the Gregorian calendar is almost over. For most people, it's high time they looked back into the year that was and see how the next year can be tons better, the way they all do every year (the success rate of which is so low it's disheartening).

For Lead Character, however, his year was so uneventful it's not worth writing about. The only highlights were his travels, all the weight he gained exponentially (for having worked two jobs at the same time), and the plummeting peso-dollar rate, which, if you work from home and get paid in US dollars, hurts like a motherfrakker. So Lead Character instead would like to examine the year that was for other people, because life is much more fun that way.

For those who got their hearts broken this year, it's high time you pushed yourself up from that dark corner you're in, fix yourself, and use next year to exact revenge--not directly to the person who broke your heart but to anyone at random. Yes, Lead Character suggests you break hearts next year. If blessed people can pay kindness forward, then cursed people can pay curses forward, too. This is to keep things balanced, to avoid karmic warming, which is the socio-spiritual equivalent of global warming.

For those who broke hearts this year, next year would probably be smooth sailing for you. If you feel guilty about having broken someone's heart, then you've paid your price--guilt is awful enough a feeling. Shake that guilt off now and enjoy next year with the freedom you've acquired from breaking someone's heart. If you never felt guilty, then you're either a bad person, or the person whose heart you broke is the bad person. Either way, spend next year with caution.

For those who didn't break hearts nor had their hearts broken this year, chances are, you will have the same experience next year. It's either you're physically unattractive or socially awkward. Or both. Your only saving grace now is money. Use next year to start your hefty savings for both the sunny and the rainy days. Yes, Lead Character does not advocate just saving money for emergencies but for luxuries as well. Buy that iPad you don't really need, or that expensive watch that can make people think you're rich.

For Katrina Halili, it's high time that she examined her life and see how the next year can be spent more fruitfully. Is she going to pursue another attempt at making Hayden Kho pay for what he did? Or is she going to pull a Maricar Reyes, be a big person, and just move past a mistake that she shared responsibility for? As per the Pasig Regional Trial Court's ruling, there was insufficient evidence that she was unaware she was being filmed while getting it on. Unless you are peripherally blind, girl, just admit that you knew you were being filmed. Of course, you can't be peripherally blind. If you were, you wouldn't be as bad an actress as you are now (read: unaware of the camera = natural acting).

For P-Noy, it's been quite a year, huh? From the Quirino Grandstand hostage-taking to the RH Bill to the fracas surrounding the Department of Tourism campaign. Lead Character didn't vote for you but he didn't think you were going to be a lousy President. Thank you for supporting the RH Bill. Please, continue acting on your intellectual moral code and not on the church's.

For those who oppose the RH Bill because of the Holy Spirit, it's high time that you shut the fuck up. However, if you oppose the RH Bill for other reasons, say, it does not really prevent overpopulation and that it's an extravagance that affects the national budget, then by all means continue fighting for what you believe in. Lead Character has respect for you.

For the team that makes up the Department of Tourism, here's an idea for a tourism campaign: "Pilipinas kay Happening!" Why? Because things are happening in our country. It's not about beauty anymore; every country claims the same. Selling our country as beautiful is too generic. Besides, it's not completely true. So to make us stand out, why not say that things are happening here? And once the tourists come pouring in, let's start making things happen. What kinds of things? Ask help from the gays!

For Lauro Vizconde, Lead Character cannot even begin to imagine how you're feeling right now. For Lead Character, our justice system is a joke not because Hubert Webb et al. were acquitted by the Supreme Court but because no one present has been found guilty. Two of those that were convicted by the lower court remain at-large. What is going on here? Lead Character was in grade school when the heinous crime took place, and since then he couldn't help but be bothered by how it must be like to lose your entire nuclear family in just one night. You must no longer be looking back into the year that was and look forward into the year that is to come. Rather, you're probably thinking of those 15 years without your family beside you, and dreading another 15 years of justice not being sought. What for most people is the season to be jolly, yours is the season to be grieving yet again. What for most people is the new year for a new life, all you have are memories. Irrelevant as this may be, please take this post as a dedication to you and your family. May you find peace in a place where we promise tourists beauty, but we cannot even provide our countrymen the same.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

And the Winner Is. . .

Note to the winner: please post a comment below to let us know that you have seen the video. If there's no comment from you after December 22nd, this means you have forfeited the prize and another raffle will be drawn. If you're not from Cebu, Lead Character is willing to save the bottle for you until you get here. If you have no plans of claiming the prize personally, let Lead Character know if there's anyone else (who's from Cebu) whom you want to have this prize handed to. If you're from Cebu, leave your number below (it won't be published) so Lead Character can contact you regarding claiming your prize.

A lot of thanks to those who joined!

Even bigger thanks for the support of Lead Character's friends: JabberedOnion, Joy Bee, Braille, and Punky! :D Much love! Much love!

Stay tuned for more contests in the future.

And The Prize for the First Ever Lead Character Chronicles Contest Is...

This bottle of Jose Cuervo tequila!!!

To join this contest, simply "like" the Lead Character Chronicles Facebook fan page (click here to go to the page or see widget on the left-hand side of your screen). On December 8th, 11:59pm, Lead Character will officially close this contest. A raffle will be drawn on December 9th, and the winner will be announced that evening.

So what are you waiting for? "Like" the Lead Character Chronicles Facebook fan page now (desperate! desperate!) and get the chance to get as drunk as Lead Character almost always is!

And oh, the prize can only be handed to someone who's in Cebu. If you're not from Cebu, you can still join the contest, but in case you win, the prize will have to be given to someone you know, like, or love.

Jay-R!!!

Last Saturday, December 4th, Lead Character had the chance to be at the Passionata Gleek Squad Showdown, a show choir competition held at the Cebu Doctor's University Auditorium. obviously inspired by the TV show "Glee."

The first contestant, The UCLM Choir, did "Bohemian Rhapsody," which was actually quite good that Lead Character almost cried, making him miss being at events like Passionata. It was indeed an inspiring celebration of music, even if most of the numbers were not that original.

It was the guest stars of the evening that proved to be much more noteworthy. Jay-R (of the "Bakit Pa Ba" single-hit-song fame) was delectable. The Asian Troubadours kicked ass with a certain level of musicality that Lead Character thinks deserves an audience at the Carnegie Hall.

In between performances, the organizers held a contest which involved members of the audience dialing a phone number, and whoever was lucky enough for his/her call to get through first, s/he would win the prize. Lead Character had 3 chances of winning, but his calls never made it through, which is fine, because the prizes never got as lucrative as a laptop, anyway. Or a Winnebago. Or a pet kangaroo.

To those who never made it to the show, here's a montage of a few highlights of what was without a doubt a night to remember for a few days. Lead Character would like to apologize beforehand for the video quality because all he had was his phone to shoot the performances with.

If You're Ever in Iloilo, part 4

Season 2 Episode 08

If you're ever in Iloilo, buy your pasalubong from Deocampo Barquillos. Not that Lead Character can say they have the best barquillos and butternuts and pinasugbos, etc., because he hasn't tried any from other stores, but what Lead Character likes about Deocampo is that its pricing is the same in every branch, even in the one at the airport.

JabberedOnion browsing the goods, rather very mechanically,
probably also making mental notes of her budget for the trip,
and how everything's gone awry.

If you're ever in Iloilo, try the "biggest" burger at Perri Todd's, because Lead Character, Joy Bee, JabberedOnion and JabbereOnion's friends from the Cebu Bloggers Society tried it and they weren't disappointed.

Even the burger itself is salivating. Casa Verde's "biggest" burger
is actually bigger, but this looks a lot more enticing.

Lead Character pretends to be taking
first dibs with a hint of aristocracy. (Photo
taken by Rio.)

For a detailed review of Perri Todd's, you might want to check out Rabsin's food blog called iSwallow (sharp, huh?). He hasn't launched it yet, but at Perri Todd's, he pulled the manager from his office and initiated an interview--a classic example of Applied Learning. The day before, they all joined the Visayas Bloggers Summit where Lead Character himself learned quite a handful of useful things about blogging. You might want to check out JabberedOnion's account of the event once she's gotten out of her writer's block. (A memo to JabberedOnion: Please post your entry about the event already, bitch!)

If you're ever in Iloilo and just had a taste of a Perri Todd burger, you might want to hold a contest among your peers: Who can mimic the Perri Todd mascot pose the best?

For Lead Character, he only managed to mimic successfully the mascot's double chin. JabberedOnion captured the eyes. Rabsin got the mouth and the left hand. Joy Bee, most disappointingly, never really tried hard enough.

If you're ever in Iloilo, be sure your stay there is more than just for one weekend. Lead Character only spent a weekend there and he didn't get enough. It's pretty much just like Cebu but with more good-looking waiters, something that almost became Lead Character's undoing. Thankfully, he was able to hold it together. By the time he boarded the plane that was to fly him back to his beloved city, he vowed, just as General MacArthur did, "I shall return."*

*Just so we're clear, Lead Character is not returning to Iloilo to destroy the Japanese. He just wanted something artsy-fartsy for an ending to a four-part series, and he doesn't really have the time nor the intellectual capacity to come up with something better.

Cakewalker's Caffé: A Sanctuary for Med Students and Telecommuters

For about two years now, Lead Character and his friends have been frequenting a quaint little cafe called Cakewalker's Caffé, located at The Strip along Osmeña Blvd., Cebu City.

Lead Character used to wonder why it's called Cakewalker's, and why Caffé is spelled as such. He never really got the chance to ask the owner, but based on his online research, he learned that Caffé is cafe in Italian, and that cakewalk either means (a) n., a strutting dance performed by minstrels or (b) n., an easy accomplishment. Lead Character is not sure about the Italian part, because their menu is very Filipino-American, which includes bacon and egg with rice, and a clubhouse sandwich. As for the definition of cakewalk, he'd like to propose a new dictionary entry:

cakewalk, v., to spend hours at a cafe, whether productively or not, to:

1. escape the drudgery that is your very own lower middle-class home and work (this is if you're a telecommuter like Lead Character and JabberedOnion)
2. review for the medical board exam with your study group (this is if you're med students who enjoy throwing medical words at each other)
3. discuss your legal options with your lawyer (this is if you're a call center agent who just got fired--as witnessed a few months back by Lead Character's friend, who couldn't help but eavesdrop on the conversation)
4. eavesdrop on other people's conversations (not that Lead Character can help it--yesterday, a recruiter was quite loud describing how interested candidates can work in the UK, with special mention of how the job could change their lives forevah)

Cakewalker's Caffé does not really offer the best coffee; Lead Character still prefers Starbucks and the brewed coffee from Dunkin' Donuts, but it has a couple of standouts, like its selection of Caffé Signature Drinks. It does not offer the best cakes as well (which made Lead Character suspect right from the beginning that the name Cakewalker's might not have anything to do with cakes at all). Recently, though, Lead Character was able to try a slice of what he can only describe as effing decadent.

That being said, the one thing that makes Cakewalker's better than any other coffee shop in the city is its customer service. Its baristas are polite and proactive. When they catch you smoking outside, they take the initiative to bring you an ashtray. When there aren't any more electrical outlets available for you to charge your laptop, they lend you an extension wire. They also say "Thank you for coming" in the most natural way. Starbucks baristas can get phony sometimes, nauseatingly overzealous with their work. At Mr. Coffee, it sometimes feels like they don't care whether you're a customer or not. At Figaro, their demeanor gets lost in their good looks. And don't even get me started on Brown Cup--they complain when you hand them a five-hundred-peso bill and what you ordered is just worth Php100. One time, a Brown Cup barista called a customer a "bitch." Not cool.

Aside from grade A customer service, the ambiance at Cakewalker's is relaxing, like your very own home on a rainy afternoon; you just want to stay indoors and curl up with a book, or browse profiles on Facebook. Several times Lead Character has slept in one of its couches, without having to worry about being judged.

So in case this is the first time you've heard about Cakewalker's, do drop by, order a cup of coffee, just let go, and for the first time in your life, cakewalk.

Like Me!

Due to its increasing popularity (over 4 hits a day! Epic!), The Lead Character Chronicles now has its own Fan Page on Facebook!

Click here to get to the page. Or simply hit the LIKE button on the left side.

Ugh!