The Wands must continue pointing to the ground.

During my funeral wake, I will listen to everything you say and read everything you think over my cremation urn, and I will give you my reply later in the night, when you are alone inside your bathroom. I find that it is easier to communicate to a living person who is naked, because clothing is too much a manifestation of defense mechanisms.

Back from the center. Withdrew money to pay for Aubrey's first semester at university, and bought some stuff for Angelique.

It is wonderful to be 66 and able to continue producing works! I feel that, at this age, no one can really pass judgment on one without projecting their own shortcomings, and it is the works one produces and leaves behind that are of utmost importance--works that one's critics cannot even produce for themselves.

Maybe, at 66, it is my time to be judgmental of others.

Two cups black, brewed, espresso blend coffee.

Saint Joseph the Worker's Day in Barangay Kaunlaran. An Ati-Atihan drum band passed by.

In literature and in art there is no such thing as passing the baton. You are as brilliant a writer and an artist as you can be, and you will remain so through the rest of your life--and even long, long after.

Good morning, Cubao!

The clouds are unmade camping beds.

Still rereading The Red Pavilion. Relationships between guests and courtesans are now being exposed. Three murders are being investigated. A blind music tutor, a former courtesan, makes an appearance.

Another hot, sweltering night in Cubao.

The April leaf falls off my planner.

Hedwig visited this afternoon. We had M.'s cafe's jalu-jalo delivered to the dining room.

Angelique and J. arrived from university. Angelique's team won the volleyball game.

Now dinner at home with Angelique, Aubrey, and J.

Lunch with Aubrey.

Angelique left early this morning to play in a volleyball game at university.

Good noon, Cubao!

The sun is a troop of archers with golden arrows.

The werewolf crossed the street to the burger stand.

Back from the center. Angelique and J. arrived from university before I did.

Never cover your head with a cap or any kind of cloth while reading, writing, painting, or knitting. The alpha waves from your brain release intense heat during this kind of activity, and, when hindered by head covering, will give you headaches and eye aches.

That is why Joya's drawings of women in bandannas doing embroidery never made sense to me.

It is easy to tell whether someone really loves you. All you have to do is clear your mind completely and then let images of them come in.

I think I'll have a late lunch alone at John's townhouse hawker's stand, then I have to go jalan-jalan and buy a light bulb, bath soap, and two red sodas for the KTs.

Gifts From A Former Co-Worker

These SHFiguarts drawing models (I can't call them ecorches because they do not show the skeletal and muscular systems) are really tiny (my regular ecorches are two feet tall) and are used mainly for comic-book illustration. They come in three colors ("wood" color for line drawing, gray for shadows, and black for silhouettes) but I opted for the wood because I have observed that gray plastic discolors over time.

Look--they fit inside two of my glass cloches. A bit creepy. Maybe that's how people look like in labs after aliens abduct them.

Home alone. Angelique at university for her last, final exam and Aubrey at a friend's birthday celebration.

This is Angelique's last, official day as a senior. After this there will be their Hollywood-motif prom, graduation rehearsals, and graduation!

Good morning, Cubao!

The sky is a basket of white rocks.

Only an artist with keen powers of observation might know this already, but my experience with ice cream is that there is "cold" ice cream and there is "hot" ice cream. Ube and chocolate, for example, are "cold", "cooling cold", to me, while mango and strawberry are "hot".

It is somewhat like detecting coolness or warmth in a painting.

The werewolf crossed the street to the burger stand.

They ran out of foot-long chili dogs (which I like but which the KTs don't), and so I had a double cheeseburger order instead (which the KTs like).

The KTs and I ate the burgers in the kitchen with hot, pickled mangoes (which my granddaughters don't like), an Indian relish from Assad.

Then had a bowl of ube-caramelized sugar ice cream.

Caught an episode of The Amazing Race on AXN. Set in Italy. Love those plaster pleurants!

The broadcaster's wardrobe is comprised of 1950s zoot suits, and he always looks like a caricature of that era.

Watched Exit replays on AXN two nights in a row.

Expensive productions.

After she passed away the causes she campaigned for unraveled, because they were not significant enough to begin with.

Like a Grimm, I can tell at a glance whether a person practices magic or not.

Wall-to-wall carpeting is a maintenance problem in the tropics, but area rugs and throw rugs are convenient and beautiful.

If the sea is salt, what is the sky?

Arrange some or all of the following, in the order you resort to, in your times of illness or crisis:

--You go to a doctor.
--You explore the Internet for solutions.
--You self-medicate.
--You consult someone with a similar illness or situation.
--You keep everything to yourself and pretend that you are well.
--You deny the illness, hoping it will go away.
--You go to an alternative healer.
--You convert the pain to a creative work.
--You travel as a form of literal escape.
--You get drunk.
--You increase your life-force activities.
--You pray.

No single work of art is truly ugly, because ugliness, like The Devil, is in the eye of the beholder.

The worst artist of all is not the artist who produces nothing but the artist who repeats himself in every painting.

I do not like to, and so I will never, meet new people who want to be my friends because their conversation always ends up like an interview or consultation.

On some of the planets, especially the planet of the Grays, there is only one gender.

I live my life the way I believe I should, not the way others believe I should.

I am very happy that Christians DO learn major lessons from Muslims. One of them is blurring the genitals and private parts on paintings and photographs on the TV screen. Exposure of skin is called 'awrat. They now do this even on Renaissance paintings.

Preparing a syllabus for a new, week-long workshop on creative writing. Changing a lot of things for an audience that might be comprised of old-fashioned employees, devout Muslims, and born-again Christians.

Am especially conscious that the workshop will be held during the fasting period.

Tony Perez's Art of War: They try to teach you to forgive because they are terrified of your vengeance.

He who lives and works in silence suddenly emerges as triumphant and as dazzling as the sun.

Has anyone else ever noticed that when a broadcaster makes small talk because he has no substantial news to report, it is an extravagant waste of air time?

The dying can bequeath their possessions to the living.

How I wish that they could also bequeath their intelligence, wisdom, and talents by some kind of astral siphoning from one brain to the other.

Good morning, Cubao!

The clouds are bamboo lantern frames pasted over with rice paper.

The mountain dwarves are playing ninepins over the Cubao Catskills.

Today John asked me why I've been painting. My answer was the truth, but it disappointed him: I've been painting because I finally want to get rid of the voluminous stock of canvases in the studio lounge. Once I get that done, I can buy a mah jongg table and locate it there.

The world would be a happier place if everyone took it as his duty to make life better for at least ten other people.

The Oracle of Kung Ming/Chuoko Liong is to be consulted at the beginning of each year and in the middle of the year.

http://tonyperezphilippinescyberspacebook4.blogspot.com/

Still rereading The Red Pavilion. Judge Dee's lieutenant meets two farmers who speculate about the possible murder of the young scholar and poet, then picks up Judge Dee after the banquet at the Crane Bower.

The Queen Flower of Paradise Island is found murdered inside the Red Pavilion.

Werewolves will always prefer walking to riding.

First come to terms with yourself. Only then can you begin to come to terms with others.

Live in every moment. It improves your memory and recollection of everything.

Where there are gaps, one must build bridges.

Never laugh at another's language or speech, for it is how well one lives, not how well one speaks, that makes one a success.

Red flags go up when a supervisor envies a subordinate, but not when vice-versa.

You cannot teach an unwilling person a lesson.

Hot air breathes, and inhales tornadoes.

Love and money do not grow on trees.

Less crimes would be committed if all trash bags were translucent rather than an opaque black.

Staircases retain memories of footsteps going up and going down.

A single knock is likely to be missed, two a probable cancellation of communication, and that is why we knock three times.

John visited. Served him mango-dark chocolate ice cream.

Bought six more big, plastic tubs for our garden soil.

I feel like I am buying out the store.

The bird that builds its nest quietly in the snow is the very same bird that sings loudest in the summer.

One of my prohibitions is repeating what I've already said. Some people think that it is fun to have me repeat what I've just said and even force me to do so, not knowing that, when I do do so, it causes bad luck not to me but to THE PERSON I AM TALKING TO.

Your Messenger message:

"Hello sir Tony, "Do you ever mentor people on how to read Tarot cards? By chance, I was gifted with a set, at a time when I was actively seeking to learn. After I got the Tarot cards, I also bought some books about it which, incidentally, kept popping up whenever I went to bookstores. But I feel I need to be guided in my readings. I was wondering if I could join any of your workshops, if you conduct it. Salamat sir."


My reply:

I used to conduct an entire, no-nonsense workshop series equivalent to one semester on this. If you can get together three companions who are also interested, I could do a one-day session with you.

Two cups black, espresso blend coffee.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sun is a brightly-colored parade float.

One of the most important things I learned from Taoist temple priests is that being psychic is an outcome of being spiritual, not of having chemical imbalances in one's body.

Here are some atypical but effective ways to wear a talisman without anyone even knowing that you have one on:

--Hanging at your upper back instead of at your chest (defensive).
--Tied to your belt and inserted into your crotch area (aggressive).
--Tied to your belt and inserted into your lower back area (defensive).
--Tied to the left side of your belt and inserted into your pelvis area (defensive).
--Tied to the right side of your belt and inserted into your pelvis area (aggressive).
--In your left shoe (defensive).
--In your right shoe (aggressive).

Poking is sexy because I can feel it in specific parts of my body.

And so can the person I am poking in return.

It is the person who inures himself to noise who sleeps the soundest, pun intended.

In the last analysis war and politics are pointless, because we are all fragments of One and will all reunite at the end of all journeys.

It is best to save money not only for a rainy day but also for every hot, summer's day.

When men are defeated by physical strength, they rest and recover.

When they are defeated by lack of money, they despair and go into depression.

The best and the most practical cutlery to use in this era is made of stainless steel.

He was totally cheeky when he was still alive--and totally a success.

Bought three more boxes of ice cream at the Sitio Catacutan Magnolia depot yesterday: mangoes and cream, mango and dark chocolate, and ube-caramelized sugar.

The big rat may shake off the sticky flypaper, but his fur will be matted the rest of his life.

Bow only to gods and goddesses, and not to human beings.

Know and accept that life is full of disruptions, for no one can ever be a proprietor of time.

I consumed the last of our coffee this morning, and I was climbing walls until I was able to replenish our stock this afternoon.

If you may already be living in heaven, then you may already be living in hell.

One of my co-alumni placed me in the closed group _Living Theologies_, managed by a former professor at Maryhill School of Theology. I warned them that I may not be the graduate they used to know, but our professor replied that he remembers me VERY well.

Tony Perez's Art of War: Since your enemies  will always believe that you are wrong, always have available the many reasons why you are right.

Angelique back from university, Aubrey off to gym.

Back from the center. Paid our wi-fi bill, bought two small sacks of espresso blend coffee, and bought six more big, plastic tubs for the storage of our garden soil.

When a person accepts your Friend Request, he really is not accepting your friendship. He is GIVING you HIS.

Good morning, Cubao!

The clouds are drinking water dispensers in the sky.

Still rereading The Red Pavilion. Judge Dee meets Paradise Island's officials at a lavish banquet. The dining hall is cooled with blocks of ice in huge brass bowls.

In the meantime Judge Dee's lieutenant mingles with the hoi-poloi in the busy streets, hunting for clues to the apparent suicide of a young poet and scholar.

The morning was spent with one of my antique dealers, the afternoon with Lara.

Hoping that I have tomorrow all to myself. Benjie begins another series of cleaning days, though.

Jalan-Jalan With Lara At Assad

Jalan-Jalan With Lara At Assad.

Haven't been to Assad in ages. What used to be a tiny market stall is now a modern, air-conditioned grocery. Bought a box of the usual Seven African Powers joss sticks, a joss stick holder, a bottle of castor oil for hair, a pack of henna (wait for my purple moustache), a bottle of pickled mangoes, a pack of naan flatbread, four paratha cakes with ghee (clarified butter), and a dozen samosas with sauce.

And of course it was wonderful to be with Lara again!

Blessed By The Art of Writing

One of my gold pens now has two siblings: a silver one and a copper one.

Your Messenger message:

"sir magandang hapon po. may kasamahan po akong nais magpa interpret po ng panaginip. ito po ang kanyang panaginip.

"bago ako matulog sinabi kay Lord na ipakita sa akin ang mangyayari sa aking dalahin sa buhay. .at ito ang panaginip ko... PUMUNTA DAW AKO SA BAHAY NG ISANG TAO NA MAY NAGAWA AKONG PAGKAKAMLAI..PUMUNTA DAW AKO DUN PARA HUMINGI NG TAWAD.. PINATULOY NAMAN KAMI AT YUN TAO NA PINUNTAHAN KO AY KINAON SA ITAAS NG BAHAY ANG KANYANG LOLO DAW, KINAKABAHAN AKO NA BAKA MAGALIT PERO NARINIG KO LANG NA MASAYA AT NAGTATAWANAN SILA SA TAAS. ..BAGAMAT KINAKABAHAN AY NTUWA AKO NG KAUNTI. .TAPOS HABANG HINIHINTAY KO ANG PAGBABA NILA SA SALAS KAHARAP AT KASAMA KO PALA YUN ISA KONG KAPATID NA BABAE NA MAS MATANDA SA AKIN NAKAUPO LANG SIYA NA RELAX AT NAKANGITI SA AKIN. . TAPOS MAMAYA PUMASOK NA LAMNG ANG SA KO PANG MATANDANG LALAKI NA KAMAG ANAK NA MAY DALANG ASO AT IBINIGAY SA AKIN. .NATUWA AKO SA ASO PERO ON MY MIND KINABAHAN AKO DAHIL BAKA MAGALIT YUN KAKAUSAPIN KONG TAO. . yun natapos na dun e. . .

"maraming salamat po."

My reply:

Hello ______!

This dream is about disrespect. The dreamer has yet to learn to be respectful to others because, in the past, he has always been disrespectful and has gotten away with it, usually rationalizing it with his equally disrespectful sense of humor.

Even his opening sentence is disrespectful. One cannot demand that God give one a dream. At the most, he could demand it of his higher self or higher consciousness, though it would still be disrespectful.

The dog in this dream is a symbol of the dreamer's primitive self.

My reply:

Hello ______!

This dream is about disrespect

Lunch at home with the granddaughters.

Angelique is taking Kichiro Mayuzumi to the pet parlor to be shorn.

Waiting for someone to pick me up to go jalan-jalan.

The sun glimmers through walls of rain clouds.

Good morning, Cubao!

Felt like I could have slept an hour more.

Drinking party with music ongoing at M.'s cafe.

The werewolf crossed the street to the burger stand.

It has come to the point that I place an exact amount of money on the counter, the cook looks at it, and then prepares my order without a word passing between us.

Watched the final episodes of Team Ninja Warrior. I was prepared for a non-psychic viewing, then noted that one of the participants was emotionally confused. Reading him more closely, I saw that a co-participant expressed "interest" in him, and he was fighting off the feeling of mutuality. I also saw that this was the second proposition he received from a co-participant, but that he didn't like the first one.