Nuclear Reaction (Or, Things That Make You Go Boom)

In nuclear fission two atoms collide, resulting in a release of particles and energy. This starts a chain reaction of events that releases more and more energy. If the release of this energy is at a controlled rate, the energy can be harnessed productively. Uncontrolled and rapid, the result is an explosion of enormous destructive powers.

Then again, sometimes things—or people—implode.

So the best thing to do is go for peace. I do hope you find it too.

The God, Not The Bag & Belt

Over excellent white wine, my friends and I discussed the different archetypes and they pegged me as “Hermes.” Which was all Greek to me, although their more detailed explanation helped me realized that the description kinda fit me.

So I turned to Wikipedia and here’s what I got:

Hermes is the messenger of the gods in Greek mythology. An Olympian god, he is also the patron of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them… of thieves and road travelers, of orators and wit, of literature and poets, of athletics, of weights and measures, of invention, of general commerce, and of the cunning of thieves and liars.

His symbols include the tortoise, the rooster, the winged sandals, and the caduceus. The analogous Roman deity is Mercury.

He is the messenger of the gods. He is athletic and is always looking out for runners, or any athletes with injuries who need his help. Hermes is a messenger from the gods to humans. Hermes gives us our word “hermeneutics” for the art of interpreting hidden meaning.

Hermes was believed to have invented many types of racing and the sport of wrestling, and therefore was a patron of athletes.

Hermes is a deified trickster. Hermes also served as a psychopomp, or an escort for the dead to help them find their way to the afterlife (the Underworld in the Greek myths). In many Greek myths, Hermes was (one of the few gods) who could enter and leave the Underworld without hindrance.

Hm’kay. In my weird Piscean way of seeing things, I am amazed at how multifaceted this god is—he’s not some pristine goody-two-shoes (or winged feet). I especially liked the part about helping people find their way to the afterlife. I believe my third eye is blind, and my sixth sense is undeveloped. Yet I feel that I have a gift of helping people get over their deaths (“When we broke up, I just died!”) and make them see that there’s an afterlife.

But I’m also a trickster, so beware. (Cue in sound effects of thunder and evil laftir!)

The Wilde, Wilde Wit

An online article reminded me of Oscar Wilde’s wicked wit. So I Googled “Oscar Wilde quotes” and was blown away by what I read. I love him! And I envy the kind of sharp humor and insight he has. He distills the truth it into a biting yet incisive sentence—damn it, he’s the Strunk & White of barbed insights. Below are some of my favorites, in no particular order.

“Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.” Loves it! Frustrate your enemies by taking that label off them.

“Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination.” Perfect for times of recession. But imagination without taste is a fashion wreck, like early Jolina.

“I am not young enough to know everything.” Only the young are sure that they know everything. The older you get, the more you know that you don’t know.

“If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they'll kill you.” Even as a child I was afraid of death, thus I learned early on the value of comedy and putting on a show.

“I always pass on good advice. It is the only thing to do with it. It is never of any use to oneself.” Apropo, as the sage singer/songwriter Joe Jackson so aptly put it, “Though it’s oh so nice to get advice, it’s oh so hard to do.”

“A true friend stabs you in the front.” Guilty.

“A man’s face is his autobiography. A woman’s face is her work of fiction.” I actually don’t mind the lines on my face. It’s the ones on my neck that are a bitch.

“Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.” Ouch! Touché.

McVie Presents: Songs To Slash Your Wrists By

If you think Ate Vi’s “Hu-where’s Da Par-tay?” was hilarious then the following is, well, transcendental. She recorded it when she was a child star (it’s just an audio clip, by the way). Oh, and you HAVE to finish the whole thing; it’s only two-and-a-half excruciating minutes of lost time for you. You MUSN’T miss the ending!



Di ba?! It’s f**king amazing! Walang binatbat ang mga emo-emo-han! With matching sound of breaking glass in the end.

My former officemate who insisted I check out the YouTube clip was adamant: “It must be a talent! It has to be a talent! Yung wala siyang tinamaang nota!”

To which I replied, “Proof na hindi siya bakla—walang tinamaang nota? Heller?!”

Online Is Not For The Broken-Hearted

In this age of 24/7 communications, it’s difficult to forget the one who broke your heart. He cannot be your Friendster anymore. His Tweets ain’t so sweet now. You can’t go forth and Multiply. You don’t want to go Plurking around his online accounts. And you can’t stand his Facebook.

In this day and age, your best friend is the “delete contact” button.

If You Really Think About It

When someone says to you, “I love you but I don’t expect anything in return. I just wanted you to know that,” look him straight in the eye, or clear your throat (if it’s over the phone), or crack your fingers (in case it was via email or SMS), and say the following:

“Bullshit.”

Okay, okay, maybe not that harsh. You could say, “Owwws?” or “C’mon, really?!” or “C’mon, shi-yowww meh! Hu-where’s da—” oops! Sorry, hehehe. (Got carried away with Ate Vi there.) But you get what I mean.

Because if someone loves you but genuinely doesn’t expect you to love them back in return, then that person will shut the hell up and, like Nike, just do it. Action speaks louder than words.

(The exception, of course, is if he has a proven track record of unselfish giving and wanton generosity that rivals the late Mother Teresa. In which case, dump him—he’s due for sainthood, and the Lord’s just itching to get him up there with His team.)

But those who bother to go out of their way to say “I don’t expect anything in return” are expecting something, all right: a reaction from you. They are forcing you to acknowledge their feelings. Because then you’re forced to think about it and make a decision: either you reciprocate or you put your foot down and say, “Sorry, no.” Either way, they get an answer and can move on.

However, there is a third option: you can opt to not say anything at all. By keeping things hanging, you prolong his agony while enjoying the attention he’s giving you.

“Hu-where’s Da Par-tay?!”

My gulay! Either I was too busy to notice, or I never really thought it was a big deal in the first place. Last January 20, The McVie Show turned five years old. My god, has it been five years already? My show’s anniversary came and went, and I didn’t even notice it. Which, I guess, is a good sign. That means I’m still having fun.

“Belated happy birthday to my show!”

Now back to regular programming.