The Meaning of Life...As Given by Myron

(Inspired by the The Meaning of Life issue of Esquire this January, I came up with my own list.)

The best gift you can give your kids is your time. Education comes in at a very close second, but you have to make them pay a part of their college tuition.

If I can do anything for the rest of my life, it would be to travel the world. And I don't mean just going to tourist spots. Sure, that's the first off anyone's list, but I don't want to leave the countries I visit still feeling like a tourist. It's all about immersing yourself in the way of life. You don't have to work or pay mortgage or shit like that, but every once in a while, go out and get to know the cute girl that's serving you coffee, or talk to the painter next door.

Even if you say you don't care about it, put a lot of thought in your personal style. You wouldn't believe how far it would take you. Screw those who still go by the mantra that “men aren't fashionable by nature.” In the world of first impressions and outside appearances, style is god.

That said, I think every man should own at least one single- or double-breasted military-style overcoat. There's something about the stiffness and the pin-point construction of the overcoat that screams “I'm a man.”

Loving someone should be close to effortless. That's how you know it's true love.

Your dream job—the one you'd kill for, is usually the one that comes with the most number of gut-wrenching and ego-breaking challenges. But it's also the one where you're in the cloudest of Cloud 9 when you've accomplished the task at hand. I worked for 3 years in Men's Health and it's the best years of my working life, but it also was the hardest in so many aspects.

There will always be someone better than you. I have a friend who's better than me at video games, another a sharper dresser, and yet one more that's wittier and funnier—and that's perfectly fine. Stop trying to be great at everything. Perfection is boring. Imperfection is living.

At the end of it all, remember what Abraham Lincoln said: “It's not the years in your life that count, it's the life in your years.” But you may grieve for those who passed away before their time. That's life's curveball.

Age is just a number. The people I hang out with now are 3, 4, even 5 years younger than me, but really, who cares? They're all amazing people, and that's all that ever mattered.

At least once in your life, you're gonna have to sleep in the airport's departure area or the train station. Keep one eye open for motherfuckers who will steal your stuff, but also savor how incredibly different the place is once evening rolls by.

Stop and smell the roses. Or at the very least, go out and breathe the fresh air, even if you have to book a weekend escape at a destination spa to be able to inhale something that isn't full of carcinogens. Funny how sometimes we tend to forget that our world is beautiful. Remember the Discovery Channel jingle: “I love the whole world, it's just an awesome place.”

The List: Ten Coolest Street Fighter Characters of All Time

6. Gill (first appearance: Street Fighter III: New Generation)
Look, say what you want about Gill—he's cheap, he wears a white thong, and he has a serious case of Messiah complex—but he's every bit worthy of being SFIII's final boss. A first in 2D Street Fighter, Gill actually has two sets of sprites, depending on which side of the screen he's facing. Reportedly done to showcase the CPS-3 board, he uses the fire aspect when he's the 1st player, and the water/cold aspect when Gill assumes the 2nd player. Plus he has the most bad-ass Super Art in the game: the Seraphic Wing. This Super Art has him growing six wings reminiscent of the Seraphim in the bible, floating to the center of the screen, uttering “Let me be the one to bless all souls,” before proceeding to shower you with burst of energy. It takes off 75 percent of your life if it hits solo (because of the damage modifier, this can go down to just 30 percent when used in conjunction with a combo), or takes off 20 percent when blocked. (You can't parry it, so don't even try.) That's bad-ass.

On a side note, his secretary, Kolin also has two sprites. Notice her hair is only parted on one side, and this doesn't change.

Image from www.fightersgeneration.com

The List: Ten Coolest Street Fighter Characters of All Time

10. T. Hawk (first appearance: Super Street Fighter II)
Next to the ansatsuken fighters, I've a special affinity for the grapplers. (Or should I say, pre-Super Street Fighter II, grappler [singular].) I never did like Zangief because he was so cheap and freaky-looking. When SSFII was introduced, we got T. Hawk, leader of the Thunderfoot tribe in Mexico. He only has one signature throw, but it's one that's equally as memorable as the Russian's Spinning Piledriver: the Storm Hammer. It's way cooler in terms of animation, too. Whereas Zangief needs two hands to spin his opponent around and slam hard on the ground, T. Hawk requires only one hand.

9. Juni (first appearance: Street Fighter Alpha 3)
Not to be Americanized in pronunciation: Her name is pronounced “Yuni.”

She's not as popular as Cammy, nor as buxom as her partner, Juli, but Juni has one thing that sets her apart from the other two: a 360-degree directional throw that deals major damage and establishes Juni as a hybrid melee fighter and grappler. (She has Cammy's Hooligan combination as well.) She also appears to have a stronger control of the psycho power—the same machine that doubles M. Bison's power—being able to use the Mach Slide (a forward teleport) at will.

8. Vega (first appearance: Street Fighter II)
How can you not like a player with a dual personality? By day, Vega is a noble matador, by night, a sadistic, blood thirsty (sometimes, literally—he's been shown to lick his claw clean of the blood of his enemy) murderer.

Perhaps Vega is best known to be the only Street Fighter character to ever wield a weapon, and he's not one shy of slicing and dicing using it. That, and the fact that he wears an iron mask, not because he's working at lengths to conceal his identity, but because he takes great care not to damage his beautiful face.

With his speed and agility matched by no one but Chun-Li, Vega is the character to choose for keepaway games that rely on quick, damaging pokes as opposed to multi-string combos. Whenever he jumps to the upper corners of the screen ready to attack, get ready!

Or he may just be faking, and that's completely part of his game.

Images: T. Hawk from tokenminorities.files.wordpress.com, Juni from Street Fighter Gallery, Vega from Wikimedia.org

Adventure Begins One Footstep at a Time

I've been walking for as long as I can remember. I don't really know why or what exactly triggered that I favor being on my two feet over taking public transportation or even bringing my own vehicle, but for as long as I can remember, I've always taken it upon myself to walk to wherever it is I need to be.

Now, mind you, this is easier said than done, especially when you're in the very humid, very polluted, very muggy streets of the Philippines. Five minutes walking on the streets is enough to reduce me to a dirty, filthy, sweaty mess—and for someone like me who likes that I remain clean and fresh (never know when I'd meet the girl of my dreams, after all) throughout the day, the idea of walking is torture.

However, there's something very human, very real about experiencing lives of others as they happen on the street. In my walks, I've witnessed a couple beating each other senseless (and the woman's the one giving the harder blows!), two women fighting over one man (he's not around, but it was clear that that's the reason they were whacking each other), a real tall female model trip (too bad I didn't catch her), a drunk college guy passing out, and hordes of other funny, if not memorable, events.

I guess one of the reasons I enjoy New York City and Philadelphia so much is this fact: You're encouraged to walk, because everyone else does the same thing. Sure, they both have very efficient subway systems (NYC's is just so intricate I'm in awe), but they serve merely as complementary to the people walking. I mean I like walking, but I'd be crazy to walk from uptown to midtown, and finally downtown. Way too tiring and way too time-consuming. It's a little difficult nowadays because it can get rather freezer-cold in the mornings, and in the summer can get very humid (but nothing, and I mean nothing, rivals the humidity in the Philippines), but for the most part, it's fantastic to just wander around on foot.

I will never forget this one time when my legs practically gave up after close to 7 hours of walking non-stop around Manhattan (the only times I got to sit down were the subway rides and the meetings I had to attend). As I was readying myself to board the bus home, I literally felt my legs shake and my feet just surrender as if to say “I can't freaking walk anymore!”

Thankfully, I did get to the bus on time, and I was able to walk all the way back to my bed and just rest, but it came back to bite me the next day, when I couldn't as much go to the bathroom and pee. I had to take a day off work because of it.

That was many months ago, and I still do not mind at all missing the subway stops—simply because I would rather walk.

On a side note, maybe this is the exact reason why I get to maintain my weight. Because I unconsciously burn lots and lots of them in an exercise I didn't even sign up for.

Image by Sam of SXC.hu

Holi-dazed?

I'm pretty sure the lot of you are feeling exactly what I'm feeling these past couple of days: Overwhelmed at what is supposedly a joyous occasion. Whenever you turn on the TV, you see ads of department stores and retail firms going on their "most massive holiday sale ever," enticing you to spend, spend, spend for gifts. (On a side note, going out and spending actually does the economy a lot of good—America derives a good percentage of its GNP from retail sales.) 

Don't get me wrong. There's absolutely nothing wrong with celebrating the holidays. As a matter of fact, it's the time of the year I myself look forward to—it's just that sometimes we tend to forget why we're celebrating it in the first place. Sure, the season is also about the gifts—it's a reminder that one is loved and remembered by someone else; but doesn't it also follow that acts of altruism shouldn't stop when the time stores put down the "Sale!" signs and homes set aside decorations to gather dust for another 300 or so days? 

So while I am also joining the hundreds of people in America who'd hit the nearest mall in the early morning (open at 6AM? I'm there!), I also would be the first to reflect on the year that was. It was challenging—and for some, extremely rough—for the most part, but the fact that we're still here and still among the living already is something to be thankful for, right? 

I for one can't wait for 2008 to be over, and allow 2009 to roll in with new hopes, new opportunities, and new promises. But until I'm counting down the last few seconds of December 31st, I'm definitely going to enjoy the chilly weather, the fact that I have friends who have been nothing but amazing, and the presents that I'm going to get in 2 weeks' time. 

Kids are Adorable

They really are...and they're making quite a sensation in YouTube. Gotta love the British accent on them!

Updated Street Fighter IV Review

Head on to my Street Fighter IV review and check out the new photos and commentary!

Images screencapped from various YouTube videos.

I'm a sucker for freebies, but this one just pissed me off.

I got this in the mail today. I know, I'm getting myself ready to get bombarded with shitty spam mail.Enthused, but not really excited (supposed "free" gifts usually follow a gift-with-purchase scheme), I opened the envelope.

Lo and behold, I got this. And I couldn't be more in-fucking-sulted at how crappy this free gift is. People, I get magazine subscriptions, electric razors, cookies, body washes, pretty much things that I have good, measurable use for on a regular basis. And you fucking give me this handy pocket calendar? What the fuck?

I think I've never hated a freebie in my life until I got this. Pissed off, I tore off the entire mail and ran it in the shredder. Yes, including this handy, wallet-size calendar that's their FREE gift to me.

After it, though, I felt a whole lot better.

Anyone Up for a Smoke?

While on the street today, minding my own business, this lady stops me dead on my tracks. (She was huge!) I thought for a second that I'm gonna get mugged (she was huge!) but was a little surprised when she said to me “Can I have a cigarette?”

It's funny—I don't smoke (never have) and there's nothing in my gestures that say that I'm a smoker. I was merely puffing frost breath in funny ways on a cold, damp New York day.

Then again, that's probably what got her to thinking that I did smoke. At any rate, I shrugged and said that I don't have any with me and proceeded to walk faster than usual. Hell, what if she went after me and actually carried out with the mugging? That would suck.

Kinda reminds me of beggars in the Philippines when kids would actually ask for a specific amount of money as their alm. “Kuya, pengeng sampu,” they would say. (It means “Sir, can you give me 10 pesos?”) Isn't the act of almsgiving supposed to be left to the discretion of the giver?

Meh.

What I'm Thankful For

I just came from celebrating Thanksgiving with my family, after so many years of not doing it. (In the Philippines where I came from and have lived a good deal of my life at, it's not celebrated.) As Kyan Douglas of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy fame said in a Thanksgiving episode, "We don't count calories; we don't watch what we eat, but we do give thanks." And that's what I would like to do.

I'm thankful that I'm here in the land of opportunities, despite the collapse of the stock market, the doomsday predictions (that I think are seriously over exaggerated...blame the American's tendency to catastrophize everything), and the fact that I left a great job back home to start anew.

I'm thankful that I continue to do what I love, and that I get good money doing so.

I'm thankful for my family, who despite the same financial circumstances, have remained in good health and are doing well in other aspects.

I'm thankful for Bill, Deanna, Devin, Jess, and Rob, my friends here in the US, for always showing me a good time. Alain, Charl, Adam, Benj, Mariel, and Shane, my friends who are in other states (and Ann, my friend from London), I also am thankful—and I can't wait to visit you in your home states when the right timing presents itself!

I'm thankful for my friends in the Philippines—I would not name you all, because it's quite a list—for still keeping in touch, saying hi, leaving messages in Facebook, and generally being the awesome bunch of people that I've known. Maraming salamat.

Et finallement, chére Supermawdel, merci beaucoup. Nous nous connaisons depuis huit ans, et on continue être des amies exceptionnel. Il y a peût-etre 10 000 milles entre nous, mais rien n'a changé. Tu es vraiment speciale, et pour ça, je suis très reconnaisant. Groses bises! (Apologies if my French has structural errors!)

Turkey image from www.igourmet.com.

60 Second Style:Upgrade Your Trou

This winter, try one of these subtly-patterned trousers instead of your solid- or pinstriped ones. The wool gives it comfort, and the subdued criss-cross checks will not overwhelm a vertically-challenged guy. Wear the trousers with a solid white shirt, black tie, and a purple cashmere cardigan, and you're all set for the Holiday parties.

Charcoal wool check trousers, $120, available at Topman.com

Dude, the Bargain Shopper: Justin Timberlake

C'mon. There's absolutely no way I wouldn't include Justin Timberlake in my list. Since venturing to a solo career outside of 'N Sync, Mr. Timberlake has graduated from the cliché boyband style of dress and really has upped the style factor.
Leather jacket ($220) from Topman.
Contrast-collar shirt ($50) from Topman.
Pants ($39.50) from American Eagle Outfitters.
Trilby ($30) from Topman.
Corduroy and suede belt ($29.50) from Gap.
Tie ($38) from Armani Exchange.
Shoes ($90) from Aldo.

Justin's photograph from men.style.com

Let's Get it on Select to Make Your First Pick. Let's Get it on Now!

After many months of Japanese kids having access to what possibly may be the best fighting game that we've ever gotten for a few years, I finally got my hands on Street Fighter IV. I walked about 10 blocks from the train station to this really small arcade shop that has great fighting games. (To find one that's *hopefully* near your area, check out this link.) Yeah, I know. The things I'll do to satisfy my video game addiction.
There was only one cabinet in the arcade, and when I got there, several guys were playing. So I basically just watched and got a feel of the game. I know there's YouTube, but it pales in comparison to actually being able to see the game in person.

When I decided I'm ready, I popped 50 cents in, and challenged the current winner. I chose Ryu, and I was up against Akuma (curiously enough, he doesn't seem to take deal and take more damage than the rest of the characters, reminiscent of Street Fighter III: Third Strike). Now I understand why the Saving Attacks (or Focus Attacks) are the cornerstone of SFIV's game mechanics: They're as complex as the parrying system of SFIII, but is not as difficult to implement that first-time players will be pummeled by more experienced ones.

A fully charged SA not only will be unblockable, but will also result in awesome ink splatter-style art.

The best part about the Saving Attack (I'll abbreviate it to SA from now on) how it will always help mix up the fight. In one case, I've seen a Ken player throw an SA just as he's about to get up from a foot sweep; in another, Sagat used it to get out of a corner-harassing opponent. (Well, there's also the fact that Sagat's huge he shouldn't have problems dealing with the smaller characters.) In one more occasion, the SA is used to cancel a Shoryuken to an Ultra Combo. (It takes off a portion of your super meter.) In my case, I didn't get to use SA that much, because I continuously have to readjust to having to press the middle two buttons. I'll get to abuse it more in the future I bet.

For anyone harassing you, activate SA immediately after you get up...
Then whack their head. Follow up with a combo.

Now the gameplay. As was originally intended, SFIV plays more like SFII than III, and I definitely noticed that from the get go. Air blocks (or parries) are gone, the pace is slightly slower—though I have to say, for a 3D fighting game it's pretty brisk, and the multiple Super Art selection is gone.

EX Attacks, done by pressing two buttons instead of one in performing special moves, are essential to any game.

Many of the combos and moves that you're accustomed to with the old world warriors are intact, and you shouldn't have difficulty pulling them off with relative ease. As I mentioned before, the SA adds an extra layer of strategy with how you fight, and because it's both an offensive and defensive tactic (the parrying was admittedly more offensive), it's integral that you always factor in how you can throw an SA when you set up combos and plan your attack.

The new fighters Rufus, Abel, etc, are also well integrated in the roster and look interesting enough to warrant your choice. Their move lists share some similarities with established characters, which helps with the familiarization. In fact, in the arcade I went to, more than one player picked Crimson Viper; and I heard that Abel is popular at the Japanese arcades.

Vive le France!

Graphics-wise, I will not complain at all. Sure, the shift from hand-drawn 2D to rendered 3D may have been a bit of a letdown for purists (I'm not one), but Capcom executed the transition so well. The stages are vivid, the characters well-detailed (you can even see the horror in their faces as you're about to unleash a can of whoop-ass i.e. an Ultra Combo), and the ink splatter gives the whole game a very cartoon-y, 2D-ish feel to it.

Shin Shoryuken: D, DF, F, D, DF, F + 2P (must have half-full Revenge Gauge)
Watching Ryu's face before his jaw gets rearranged by a Shin Shoryuken: Priceless.

Sound quality is fantastic. Hours after I've left the arcade, I still keep on replaying "Metsu Hadouuuken" in my mind, savoring at how there's a lingering "whoosh" sound as Ryu builds up ki for his Ultra Combo. The announcer is no less great. I miss the hip-hop announcer in SFIII: Third Strike, but I'm glad that the annoying one in SFA3 is gone. Saying things like "Let's pick up the pace...fight!" and "This is the final round...fight!" fits in the context of SFIV.

So, how did I fare? I kept on losing against this one Korean guy (aren't they supposed to be playing Starcraft instead of SF?), who adds insult to injury by leaving the machine as soon as no one's challenging him anymore. (If I wasn't savoring the game so much, I probably would've done bad stuff to him—I mean, what the fuck? You waste my quarters and walk out?) But I did manage to place a few wins with the other guys—many with last-ditch, well-placed Metsu Hadoukens, and was able to finish the game. So not bad!

You don't want to mess with Ryu when he ain't happy.

Final recommendation: You will miss the extensive collection of Super Arts and parrying that SFIII introduced. I myself wished that Ryu had access to his Denjin Hadouken; and Chun-Li have her Kikoushou, etc. If you're also quite adjusted to the pace and the fast-and-flurry attacks of Third Strike, you'll have to scale back once you get to play SFIV. But despite this, SFIV remains a very polished, very enjoyable, very complex game that rivals the best the series has to offer (SFA3, Third Strike, and SSFII: Turbo). I can't wait for the home version to drop February 2009.

By the way, the thread title is the first two lines from the song that plays in Third Strike's character selection screen.

60-Second Style: Tying a Scarf

Even though the video is more than a minute long, it's part of 60-second style because you only need one method of tying your scarf at a time, right?

This is the first of an ongoing series of style tips that I'll provide in this blog, on top of Dude, the Bargain Shopper.

What's Dhalsim...Oh!

Both the commercial and the toy line sucked on so many levels I'm embarrassed to admit I bought the Ryu and Ken action figures.

I mean, jesus, katanas for Ryu? And a vehicle for Chun-Li and Blanka? And real ninja moves? Ninjas. Really?

Horrible, cheesy, dialogue. It's close to camp territory for me.

Music Break: Answer

One of my all-time favorite songs in any genre. Very mellow, heartfelt, and just soothing to the soul.

On November 4th, Go Out and Vote

I'm voting because I want change. I'm voting because I know I matter.

Bye, Men's Vogue, I Barely Knew You

The magazine industry really is having a hard time.

I just read from Condé Nast Portfolio's website that Men's Vogue, the barely two-year-old Condé Nast title that was supposed to be the more upscale brother of GQ and Details, announced that it's going to fold. Read the blog post here.

Although the really young publication won't be closed completely, existing instead as a biannual supplement to Vogue, which really was how Men's Vogue came to be. (Rumor has it that it's only doing such for Anna Wintour, the magazine's Editorial Director, to save face. Even then it's not really a good sign: Anna's Vogue also is losing revenue while its fiercest rival, Elle is gaining.)

News like this is very disheartening especially for someone like me who works in the publishing industry. (Numerous publications have folded this year due to economic hardships and the shift in viewer's reading habits from print to digital.) But I also have to realize that a lot of magazines come and go each year, regardless of market conditions. Maybe it came out at the wrong time (Rodale's Organic Style), didn't establish its target reader quick (Condé Nast's Cargo), or it simply competed with a similar title in the same publishing house (Hearst's Cosmo Girl).

Men's Vogue was quite the promising publication, targeting the older, more established men that found GQ's articles too pop-py or too fratboy; and is scared by Details. (Coverline of the year: Do You Have Douchebag Hair?)

Question is, is there such a reader? I mean, will the older, more established men that Men's Vogue is catering to, buy the magazine?

Maybe there was and still is—after all, Best Life still remains a healthy publication, as evidenced by second quarter reports from Rodale.

So what happened?

Methinks it suffered from the Cargo syndrome. It took its time to find its voice, and unfortunately, publishing houses can't afford to do it now when things are so crazy. Men's Vogue did finally put an end to the question of who its readers are, saying that by the November issue, it's going to go with the tagline "Style is how you live." (Link here.) But it's too little, too late—by the time this new tagline is rolled out, the magazine's gonna cease to be a monthly. (There's also the issue with declining ad pages, but you probably already know how much magazines depend on advertising to survive.)

Pure speculation, but I do think it makes sense. (I also want to say, it's a pretty dry, staid publication. But it's most likely because I'm not its audience.)

Oh well. Now I gotta give a Condé Nast customer rep to not give me GQ or Details as replacement subscription. I'll take Vanity Fair, thanks.

Image from USAToday.net

Dude, the Bargain Shopper: Milo Ventimiglia

Milo at the Burberry reopening in Beverly Hills. He's most known playing the role of Peter in television's Heroes.
Cardigan ($50) from Topman.
T-shirt ($14.90) from Heritage 1981.
Jeans ($34.90) from Heritage 1981.
Shoes ($475) from Cole Haan.
Faux-leather jacket (about $80) from H&M. There's no US online store for H&M, so you have to make the trip for this one.

Milo's photograph from men.style.com

Site Check: The Read Green Initiative

No matter how much flak I'll get with killing so many trees, it's really hard not to enjoy a printed magazine. You can bring it everywhere, it won't strain your eyes with UV rays, and the photographs never looked better.

Besides, I'll recycle them once the year's over. Calm down everyone.

To sort of "counter" this, I signed up for the The Read Green Initiative. This organization, lauding the efforts of the magazine community to encourage readers to recycle print magazines when they're done reading them, hopes to add to this noteworthy cause by offering digital subscriptions. You get the first one free, and if you decide to purchase another title, a portion of the price goes to planting more trees.

I like the cause, but couldn't wrap my head over the fact that subscription prices are almost the same as its dead-tree format. Why? Let's not forget that we're also paying for electricity from opening the computer and actually reading the magazine.

By the way, I subscribed to Layers magazine, a digital art tutorials publication. There are some that are NSFW.

I'm Sorry for Killing Trees

Sometime during the (current) length of my stay here in the US, I've amassed quite a number of magazine subscriptions. I was organizing my room one day and realized that, damn, that is a lot of subscriptions!

Some of them, I've paid for—publishing companies slash as much as 80 percent of the newsstand price when you subscribe—others I get from work, and others, well, I get them for free.

See for yourself. And there are 5 more that's going to start some time in November or December.
From top to bottom, left to right: Cosmopolitan, PC World, Men's Fitness, Town & Country, More, Wired, Maxim, Interview, Details, Psychology Today, Country Home, O, Organic Spa, Best Life, Mac World, Men's Health, Parents, GQ, Vogue, Seed, Sunset, Better Homes & Gardens, Metropolitan Home, Women's Health, Tennis, Country Home, Men's Vogue, Popular Science, and PC World.

Not photographed but am subscribed to: Esquire and EGM.

Due to start soon: Mac Life, Ode, Prevention, Men's Journal, and Shape.

With the exception of the women's and shelter/home decorating magazines, and Tennis (the first two I give to my mom, the last is for my Dad and uncle), I've read much of each issue. If there's one title among all these that I'm reading a lot more than others, it's Psychology Today. (Don't ask me why.)

Crazy, huh? But I like it—there's always something new to look at and read that doesn't take too much of my time.

Stylista, Oh How Much Do I Love the Delicious Addiction You’ll Give Me

Full disclosure: I’m a stylist and I work in the magazine industry. These two are reasons enough that I would give the Tyra Banks-produced show on The CW, Stylista, my attention. And because Bravo’s Project Runway and The Rachel Zoe Project are over, there’s a considerable void in late-night reality TV that has style and fashion as its main subject matter.

Obviously based off the success of the book—and subsequently, the silverscreen adaptation—The Devil Wears Prada, Stylista chronicles the life of a group of aspiring fashion magazine editors as they fight through challenge after challenge (and the occasional, actually, scratch that—often—bouts of bitchery) for, among other things, a paid editorial position at Elle (under Hachette Fillipacchi Media), an H&M clothing allowance, and an apartment in Manhattan that they’ll pay for a year. Not bad, considering the other production by Bankable Productions, America’s Next Top Model, doesn’t even give a cash prize (it’s a $100,000 contract, take note). At the very least, the winner of Stylista can earn about $30,000 for the year that s/he’s with Elle.

Wednesday’s episode already had proved how much of a train wreck anything Tyra Banks lends her hands on becomes. And it starts with the annoying ripoff of the scene in TDWP where Miranda Priestly (played by the very talented Meryl Streep) leaves her limo and walks to her office. Lauren Weisberg’s novel is based off her experience at Vogue, and with Anna Wintour. No one can dispute that Ms. Wintour is a very recognizable name in fashion and the magazine industry, and it’s pretty funny that they’re playing off this fact with Anne Slowey instead of Anna.

By the way, damn. She can’t walk in those heels to save her life!

Second, according to a very reliable, but not impeachable source, the place where they film the reality show is not the actual Elle editorial office. That’s why they say “Elle downtown.” Hachette’s office is more midtown. Haha. The winner of Stylista will be very surprised that the very manicured office s/he’s used to working at is not where the actual work will happen.

Third, what’s the deal with the annoying—and very unnecessary—ploy for the edit staff of Elle to be bitchy, and—if things are any indication, we’ll witness this in future episodes—condescending, Slowey included? I seriously doubt that much of the staff is that bitchy. I’m pretty sure it’s just the producers telling them, “Be as cold as the people in The Devil Wears Prada, or you ain’t getting paid.”

The challenges are actually pretty okay. Editorial Assistants—the entry-level paid position in each and every magazine—are required to do some administrative work on top of helping run the edit side of the magazine. So I didn’t mind that they had to make the contestants prepare Slowey’s breakfast. (Interesting to note, by the way, Anne doesn’t really eat that much, as evidenced by this piece in New York Magazine.)

Even the elimination is something that actually happens in a magazine: Create and write the contributor’s page. I just wish they paid attention to how the copy is written, if it’s something for Elle. Magazine publishing is a journalism job still, after all.

However, here’s bullshit # 1: They kept the über-bitchy one, Megan, and eliminated Arnaldo, the one that I think would be a better editor between them two. Again, I’m pretty—actually, very—sure that the producers had a hand in this. I mean, come on, Megan will provide delicious tension, and will most likely be Stylista’s Kenley Collins. Ratings!

Bullshit # 2: Joe Zee’s critique of what the contestants are wearing. Didn’t you find it funny that he said to Arnaldo that he looks like he’s working at a law office and has no creativity in his manner of dress when Zee himself is just wearing a suit? Whoop de doo, Mr. Hypocrite.

Still, his other comments were funny, like “Your boobs are spilling out all over my face.” Very smooth. Haha.

Does this mean I would no longer watch Stylista? Far from it. In fact, I’d miss the premiere broadcast of Top Chef New York just to see a new episode of Stylista every Wednesday. One, because I’m curious. Two, because it’s in my industry, and three, because it’s a new reality show. But you see, the problem with this and most reality-based job-search shows is simple: It’s never an accurate portrayal of how the business works. The winner, much like those who have been bagged “America’s Next Top Model” will probably enjoy a brief period of notoriety followed by everyone not caring for them. (I mean, ask yourself, have any of the winners of ANTM walked the runway of an actual high end label like Burberry during Fashion Week? The final showdown episode doesn’t count, as these are runway shows produced specifically to face the last 2 contestants off.)

I’m waiting for Wednesday...

Music Break:Day Break

I'm almost done with my Stylista post. Will have it here by tomorrow.

For now, a song that I've been playing over and over again. Really fantastic, and performed by an obviously talented artist. If you've been following my blog, you'll know who I'm talking about.

Stylista Premieres Tonight!

...and I'm definitely going to blog about it.

Runway Review: NY Spring 2009 Men's Collections

Marc Jacobs returns quite often to his favorite era in fashion: grunge. Yes, it may have been the show that got him fired (it's one of the most celebrated cases of a brand kicking itself in the behind seeing as how Mr. Jacobs eventually built for himself a fashion brand while Perry Ellis, well, just stagnated), but we can't fault him for continually referencing something he's very familiar with.

For Spring 2009, his Marc by Marc Jacobs line offers the same grunge-sportswear-Euro styling that much of his customers like. Highlights are the shirts in two boldly contrasting colors paired with clam diggers (or extra long shorts, you decide); deep V-neck sweaters under muted cropped- and regular-length trenches; pork pie hats Pete Doherty would approve (he's still relevant?) and what I think is a nice styling choice—wearing two slim belts.

By the way, Mr. Jacobs came out of the show wearing a kilt. Will we see them on his runways soon, or it's just a personal statement on his part?

Photographs from men.style.com

Gouken Lives! And I’m Not Sure if I’m Happy

Time for some video game blog-entary.

Refresher: Gouken (erroneously named Sheng Long Stateside—there’s no such character!) is the brother of Gouki (Akuma), son of Goutetsu (no U.S. name), and Ryu and Ken’s master. The official canon is that during the events of Street Fighter 1, while Ryu is competing in the tournament, Gouki came in to the dojo and challenged Gouken to a fight. According to Tiamat’s excellent SF plot guide, Ken witnessed part of the match, and saw his master get killed in Gouki’s hands. Gouken’s remains are buried near the Suzaku Castle (Ryu’s stage in a good number of Street Fighter games).

Now Street Fighter 4 comes along, an interquel between SF2 and SF3, and for some reason thought of reviving Gouken. Is Yoshinori Ono (the producer of the game) pulling all the stops to give SF4 the massive success that SF2 received during its time that he’s throwing everything but the kitchen sink in this game? I don’t know. But as it is, this is one—and probably just one of the few—addition to SF4 that I have mixed feelings about.

First, the good: EGM can no longer run an April Fool’s joke involving Gouken!

In terms of gameplay, Gouken moves a little differently compared to Ryu, Ken, even Gouki, preventing him from being just another Shoto-clone. (By the way, they practice Ansatsuken and not Shotokan Karate.) For one, he throws his fireballs with just one hand. His Tatsumaki Senpuu-Kyaku doesn’t go forward, but instead moves vertically. (The EX version of the same move behaves like Gouki’s Messatsu Gourasen Super Art.) His Saving Attack is the Joudan Soukotu Geri (Ryu’s new move in SF3), and his Ultra Combo is the Shin Shoryuken.

He’s actually quite badass from the videos that I’ve seen in YouTube. Sure, he doesn’t suffer from the SNK boss syndrome but he nevertheless appears that he hits hard.

Now, the bad. For what they’re worth, I follow canon of every video game I play. For instance, I know about the Highbornes of Warcraft, and the events that lead to the Night and High Elves living in separate worlds. I also know that M. Bison is actually inhabiting Rose’s body in SF2.

Resurrecting Gouken after the events of two series have transpired (SF Alpha and SF2) seriously messes up with the established canon. Did he rise from the grave? Why the heck would he keep his being alive secret from Ryu and Ken, who saw him as a father figure (especially Ryu—damn it, he’s a freaking orphan) after all these years? Will Gouki attempt to kill his brother once again, this time with a move that isn’t the Shun Goku Satsu? So many questions.

I’ll have to wait until Capcom releases its official retcon to see how they plan to merge the now-alive Gouken to the running canon, and fix the plot holes that this created. For now, I can’t wait to play him in the home version of SF4.

Dude, the Bargain Shopper: Fabrizio Moretti

Drummer of the band The Stokes, and all-around nice dresser—in a rockstar kind of way.

All the items I got for Mr. Moretti are from H&M. I'm not sure of the USA prices of the pieces, so here's an estimate: jacket $70, cuff $15, T-shirt $15, belt $10, and pants $30

I'm very much interested in doing another Dude, the Bargain Shopper for Fabrizio, but I'm having problems finding a nice enough photo of him. If anyone has a better quality photograph, please send them my way.

Image of Fabrizio from a Google Images search.

Kristen Wiig is HILARIOUS!

This one needs no introduction. One of the funniest skits in the current season of SNL.

The Stuff Freaky Dreams Are Made Of

Have you ever had a dream so vivid, so remarkably familiar, so memorable that you swear that if you see it occur in real life, you’d be completely convinced that The Matrix really exists?

I had one last night, and believe me, it’s freakishly familiar.

I dreamt I was watching the 6th season of Bravo’s Project Runway. (Although, barring any more restraining orders and court orders, it will move to Lifetime for the said season; as well as head to Los Angeles from Parson’s in New York.) Well, not a complete episode. I just saw the runway show and the Q&A that follows after.

First, the runway looks exactly like the runway of seasons past. It’s still black, with a white sheet at the back that shows the silhouette of whoever’s behind it. The only difference is the Project Runway logo has been moved to the back of where the contestants are seated. (To the right of the TV screen.) There’s also the words “Los Angeles” below the PR logo. I don’t know why it’s there though.

There were only five people in the “show.” An unrecognizable judge that didn’t look like Michael Kors, Nina Garcia, or Heidi Klum; and Miley Cyrus (I’m guessing she’s the guest judge).

The remaining three were the models: The Jonas Brothers. They took quite a while modeling—they did fountains, one-after-the-others, moved all the way back, and then settled in the center for the Q&A. I said to myself, “Oh, cool, it’s a menswear challenge again.” But what’s so weird is that what the brothers were wearing looked exactly like the stuff they wore on a regular basis. (Those boys dress well—whoever their stylist is should get a raise.)

One Jonas, I don’t know the name, had to ask an assistant (I only saw a hand) to remove one very thick, very chunky scarf from his neck; because he came down on the runway with two. (In LA? Really?)

Then the Q&A. The judge was asking Miley what she thought of one of the Jonas’s ensemble. She said, “it’s not my thing.” I wondered out loud if Project Runway is now a stylist’s, not designer’s, competition.

Before I knew it, one Jonas was crying, then Miley was crying while saying undecipherable words, then before you know it, the other two guys were crying too. The judge was the only one who wasn’t welling up. I said, “Oh, come on!”

This was the time I woke up.

Runway Review: NY Spring 2009 Men's Collections

If there's one thing that designers made clear this season, it is that they can't fool around so much. Times are hard, people are scrimping on the luxury, and fashion being a business still, the best—and probably the only—way to weather this climate is to bring out clothes that guarantee sales.

A very commercial vibe invaded the men's collections for NY Fashion Week, and I guess it's necessary, simply because of the abovementioned line of thought. It's not a bad thing, and I'm pretty sure those that went to the shows looking for some sort of fantasy or an escapist feeling that always pervades fashion shows will forgive the designers for this one season that they couldn't go too OTT.

Michael Kors, for one was in a very retro mood for his Thursday show. Retro is a favorite springboard of many designers. Could it be because those were bygone days filled with luxury and the feeling that everything is just swell that we so laboriously want to bring back? Only Mr. Kors knows for sure.


His show, much like every Michael Kors show, had very heavy Americana references—he goes to this so often that it's quickly becoming his signature. As the show progressed, you'll see peach jackets, neoprene swim gear with contrasting piping, even white trousers with printed fruits and flowers. Mr. Kors favored blue heavily, coloring his rain coats, blazers, and pants with it. Printed shirts were in white and slightly blousy, again to keep the wearer comfortable as he bakes (or perspires) under the Portofino sun.


There were hints of Thom Browne in his pants. Intentional or not, cropped pants were the preferred bottoms; some stopped higher to resemble clam diggers—though guys, no one can pull off clam diggers, no one.

William Rast, with its spokesperson Justin "Sexy Back" Timberlake, showed early in the week. Think of the William Rast man (from the way I perceived the show, at least) as someone who lives a very suburban, midwestern life that suddenly got a taste of the urban chaos and wanted the experience to last.


He'd wear denim jackets when out for a drink with friends; but he'd switch to a tan or brown blazer with curious, almost boxy, lapels for when he's on a date with Ms. America. There weren't any leaps or innovations on the show, but considering Mr. Timberlake's appeal to the general public, the clothes will no doubt fly off the shelves. When in doubt, I guess, offer your customers a full wardrobe.



(To be continued)

Photographs all from Vogue.co.uk / CondeNast.co.uk

Dude, the Bargain Shopper: John Mayer

This photograph is over a year old (John still had hair then!) but I think it's a nice Fall outfit. Alexi Lubormiski shot him for GQ's August 2007 issue.


Jacket ($75) from Yes Style. Yes Style is a Korean shopping site with a lot of fantastic clothes that change practically every week. There's a gray variant of the jacket available.
T-shirt ($9) from Hanes.
Houndstooth pants ($29.90) from Heritage 1981.
Necklace ($12.90) from American Eagle Outfitters. It's not shown in this photograph, but if you check out the complete photo set from men.style.com, you'll see that he's wearing a necklace in the same outfit.
Sunglasses (GBP140 or $257) from Dior Homme. I say splurge. It's a nicely done pair of sunglasses.

Dude, the Bargain Shopper: Shayne Ward

Let's cross over the Atlantic this time around. Shayne Ward is the winner of an American Idol-type contest, and has been enjoying considerable popularity in the UK. The guy resembles a bit of Jesse Bradford, don't you find?


Vest ($89) from Guess.
Black slim jeans ($40) from Topman. The link takes you to the USA store. They're currently offering free shipping to your first order.
Watch ($95) from Fossil.
Belt (GBP55 or about $100) from All Saints. The one Shayne has on looks so boring.
Black shirt (GBP60 or about $110) also from All Saints.

Dude, the Bargain Shopper: Chace Crawford

Gossip Girl's Nate Archibald is the subject of this installment of Dude, the Bargain Shopper.


Oxford ($69.50) from Abercrombie and Fitch.
Pinstripe trousers ($39.50) from American Eagle Outfitters.
Argyle cardigan ($49.99) from Gap. I chose the cardigan over the half-zip sweater to better show off the layer underneath.
Striped necktie ($29.50) also from Gap.

Secret Questions (from Jess)

You have to promise to answer them too, if you want to know the questions.

1. Jess S.
2. Diana M.
3. Josh P.
4. TJ R.
5. Ara F.
6. Nico A.
7. Ann Y.
8. Nina L.
9. Shayne G.
10. Bill R.
11. Miel V.
12. Diana M.
13. Georgina W.
14. Michiko H. / Marco B.
15. Lindsay L.
16. Nico A.
17. Aaron R.
18. Steph M.
19. Richard G.
20. Gabb D.
21. Jon M.
22. Brent J.
23. Carol P.
24. Carol P.!
25. Tanya G.
26. Raya P.
27. Miel V.
28. Anna R.
29. Karolina K.
30. I miss you / I really wanna have lunch with you / Can I pick you up at 7? / Let's hang out soon

I Don't Get It

This is one of those things I don't get. It's meant to do just one thing: fry sunnyside-up eggs. The compact size of the pan makes too-spread-out eggs a thing of the past.

It's $10. And I couldn't wrap my head around the concept. For the same price, shouldn't I just buy a normal pan that I can use, you know, every freaking day? It's not like preventing the egg from spreading too thinly requires a lot of effort.

Sometimes we need specificity in our gadgets, but sometimes it's too specific that it's almost not worth the expense.

"Angels" Medley

I promise this will be the last Brad Bass, Adam Fleming, or Bobby Cronin video link I'll post for this month. The mix of songs is just so superb--and Mr. Bass did the songs justice--it deserves to be propagated.




On a side note, this is also for those who lost their lives and those left behind to heal during the tragic events that happened in September 11th.

EDIT: To those who asked me what songs Brad Bass sung, here they are in order: "Angel" by Sarah McLachlan, "Angels" by Robbie Williams, "Reach the Sky" by Bobby Cronin, and "Defying Gravity" by Stephen Schwartz (one of the songs in the Wicked! musical).

Life's a Bitch Sometimes

Zip-a-dee-doo-da, zip-a-dee-doo...




What an awesome day. Nothing could go wrong...




Oh, shi...




Splat!