UFOs, Aliens, Mars, Moon, Morphs, Mona Lisa,Tikbalang, etc.

I'm an Alien! (GIF file, frame-by-frame manual manipulation, no morphing software used. Liquify tool in Photoshop and ImageReady was really handy tho'; 26 frames in total, each at speed of .07 sec.; but don't tell anyone!:)



Yes people, I'm still at it, doing experimental GIF animations whenever time permits and obsessively taking on varied issues that may prove interesting. Thanks guys for your positive feedback; also to a theatrical artist in Manila who quipped old-school GIF animation still rules. Here are some of my latest, hope you like them.


UFOs in my backyard

The other day I was walking the dog with my partner at Falkland Crescent, a strip of nature reserve right smack in the middle of suburban Kings Park. It's just  few meters away from where we live. At sundown she took some photos of me, one of them a la contra luz.

However there were some anomalies in the resulting digital photos,; the first one quite explainable because of the proliferation of PhotoShop/ImageReady;-) but the two others clearly showed 2 red UFOs.

 "Edd, those are lens flares!" she insisted; but I really didn't think so;-)

Have you heard?

Back in 2002, the British government promised to publish secret files (that allegedly proved the existence of UFOs) as part of a shake-up of its laws on freedom of information.

(Britain to Publish Files on UFO Sightings/Reuters, November 28, 2002)

Eight years have passed before the British UFO archive was finally opened for everyone to access! Here's the link: http://ufos.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
While before governments denied us free information about UFOs, now they warn us that the UFO files are too big and shall take time to download:) (PDF format, the largest is 53.7 Mb).

Meanwhile in America where UFOs have become a successful theme for entrepreneurs (e.g. t-shirts, movies and places like Roswell highlighted in tourist maps), a disclosure briefing is being prepared for President Obama who also promised to release America's own UFO X-files. (background music Twilight Zone..ti-ni-nu-ni-nu-ni-nu:)

Have you even heard of Dr. Steven Greer’s Disclosure Project 2010?

As of January 15th Dr. Steven Greer (and Chantal Boccaccio) were reported to be putting together a package for a TV show involving UFO sightings captured on video but were never given any substantial explanation by the government despite obvious clues of extra-terrestrial origin.  In these clips, Greer mentions briefing CIA directors (DCI) and work put together for President Obama. The question is the timing, why the synchronized disclosure now by this powerful nations? (YouTube link below)

China likewise allowed reports of UFO sightings in it own television channels. Is it because it cannot be denied anymore due to numerous sightings, not to mention high levels of activity of the so-called Crop Circles. What about the astronomical alignment of heavenly bodies on December 21, 2012? Of legitimate NASA photographs of UFOs seemingly harassing the Space Lab, or the Mars Rover's photographs of ancient structures, of Moon Base towers and structures smudged out by NASA artists before public release?

The Disclosure: Some of my best friends are aliens!



(Above) Vics Magsaysay is a U.S.-based fine photographer, artist, writer and alien.

(Above) Pandy Aviado, artist friend based in the Philippines. I've known
him for years as a UFO buff. We've exchanged UFO sighting news and photos of aliens.



(Above) Most recent alien addition is Claro Cortes IV,
Filipino photographer based in Singapore. Claro is photo-editor
of Reuters Asia.




(Above) Krip Yuson, writer friend. The brilliant penman is an alien afterall. Krip is also a member of Banggaan Artists Group.



(Above) Tante Tagamolila, Filipino engineer based in Chicago, USA. Took this
photo of him with his sketch in Boracay in 2008. Tante is also a Banggaan member.

Pump Up the GIF!
 



Tikbalang (mythological horse-like creature of the Philippines). This was a remanipulation and remake of a classic GIF file (Nano-Mustang, creator unknown) which was visual punchline of a series of downsized cars. (GIF image below)



Mona Lisa's  smile was made out of 40 paint layers!..
(and 7 layers to make an animated smile:)


It was my extreme eagerness to see Mona Lisa actually smile that made me do it:) but that was after reading the news :)

Back to aliens, according to the Disclosure Project held by the National Press Club in Washington in 2001, it was alleged (or revealed) that there are 57 species of aliens catalogued as of 1989, some species were described to be looking much like normal people.  (Youtube link below)  

Struth!  Here are some of them:)


(Above) MarioMorphosis 

Banggaan art group member Mario Mercado sent us a photo of flowers he'd taken in the planet of Canopus Hollow which i then manually morphed into his caricature. Think he liked it:) Mario, a truly intelligent extraterrestial being is a US-based photographer, writer, artist, boxer and sharpshooter. He was a childhood friend of the late Filipino cartoonist Nonoy Marcelo. They grew up and honed their artistic flair together under one distant red star.



(Above) Ding's self-portraits.
Alfredo (aka Ding) Roces is one famous alien. An artist/writer friend who originally formed Banggaan art group back in 1995. He was so delighted with my experimental GIFs he asked if I could do him a GIF version of his self-portraits from 1952 to the present. Ikaw pa? (of course) I said. It's better to GIF than to receif:). It took me a few days to complete but had fun anyway morphing manually each transitory frame by using the Liquify tool in PhotoShop.




Eric David, long-time alien friend in Sydney (80's) and is now Manila-based artist.
Eric is a remarkable graphic artist. I took this photo last year during his exhibit at a gallery at The Fort.


(Above) Mel Vera Cruz, another Banggero who recently celebrated his birthday. Did this for him, wishing may he Ever Last. Mel is a fine alien, an artist who also does tattoo. He is based in America. 




(Above) Whiska is alien pet cat of Banggero Ed Labadia. Had fun doing this using a cast of web-sourced mice. (No animals were hurt in the making of this GIF animation:)



GIFs can be hypnotic, too. 

Some UFO-induced visions:)





(Above image) Nahihilo Ako (I'm Getting Dizzy)



A Soldier's Cry (I Got Hit/May Tama Ako)

What's the Buzz?

Well, mankind is said to be getting ready for a Cosmic Awakening, the Disclosure, the Revelation and/or Truth. Some claim that big changes shall happen in the next two years or so. Cool! Beware the bearer of false gifts, according to one alleged alien message derived and decoded from a recent Crop Circle (YouTube link below). And most important, don't believe everything in the web:-)

However may we all please choose to be plainly entertained or amused by unfolding events, nothing more, for it is truly hard to judge things that are unseen, unknown and incomprehensible. Life's just too mysterious and full of magic. Magic just like us, for how can just mere flesh and bones be able to breathe and think? Life is universal as has been written in ancient scriptures, beyond earthly existence. Life therefore is one, encompassing aliens and homo sapiens.

Okay alien dudes, the show ain't over yet,  I shall leave you some intriguing YouTube videos (below). Careful out there. Trust no one. Never tell anyone:)

Mars Tubes and YouTube

Following are selected videos relevant to this blog entry:



This one is my favourite, really trippy;) Pump up the volume!

Sorry Hong Kong

 
Filipinos in Sydney may seem not directly affected by recent hostage crisis in Manila compared to Filipinos who work in Hong Kong, but the unease is global and it is as if Filipinos are wearing daily a virtual black t-shirt with a sorrowful message.

Woe, it's me! If only I could give Jacky Chan a tight brotherly hug and not say anything at all, that would probably have sufficed. But no, that's only in my dreams. It would be futile despite sincere efforts of HK luminaries and government leaders to call for calm and sobriety. The Philippine media had clearly shown to the world via radio and tv the many opportunities that could have avoided those unnecessary deaths. And so here we are fenced in by strong undercurrent of rage and tendency for the people of HK to vent their frustration and ire on a..you've guessed it.

above (web photo)

But what can we do to express our great shame and sorrow? Not sure, really. Time shall heal everything so they say, but while we're on the hot seat it might be better to think of things to rectify things up instead of sulking and kicking ourselves dead, assaulted by images of what rightly should have been done.

Surely being caught with our pants down and exposed to international media is embarassing. Wha' happened? Did the pants' communication buttons snap? Zipper snagged? Or is that  loose economic belt again that we've always known inutile to hold up our fig leaf? Call it wardrobe malfunction, the belt is useless for a nation's narrow waistline, its gut left hollow by previous administrations; where politicians failed to address the need of a well-equipped police force.  Corruption as usual is the big C that started the rot. It's never too late.

Sorry HK!

Some people out of eagerness might choose to wear black t-shirts with Sorry HK printed and with a Philippine flag in halfmast underneath the letters.

It might be a good idea but maybe not as it might imply "t-shirt trivialization" of a truly sensitive issue and make things worse in HK.

 Be Invisible?

Maybe invisibility is an option. Take the case of a Filipino woman in HK who was stalked and harassed by some guys asking "Are you Filipino?"  to which she answered "No, I'm Indonesian!"  They let her off.

But then if we're courageous enough to wear the t-shirt, make sure it is spit-proof-waterproof synthetic material. The law has tolerance for minor misgivings by a people untreated well and offended but let us not get in too close. Let the sax scream for we blew it.

The Power of Silence

Silence is another option as it is an age-old way of expressing sorrow (where sorry was derived from) despite possibility of being misinterpreted as uncaring. However the real issue here is the unnecessary loss of lives thus a long and solemn meditative silence would be appropriate show of respect to those who were killed. I believe in the power of prayer. Prayer works.

No words shall bring back those murdered. Silent printed words like articles and blogs might help heal the big, gaping wound in the hearts of the HK people and the Filipino nation. Let us not worry if we are made to feel guilty of homicide. We may not get off so lightly but let us keep a friendly hand extended. Oh man, it shall take a long period of "panunuyo" or "paglalambing" to those whose feelings we have gravely hurt, both as a nation and as individuals. 

Pagpapakumbaba, paglalambing, panunuyo at paghihimas-himas (humility and childish and sincere cuddling up; for lack of better word) may seem to be feudal but they are tactile qualities Filipinos are known for. Hope we could weather the castigo (scolding) storm. We played the role of security guard that came ill-equipped. Be prepared, we are going to cop one big snob from the good citizens of Hong Kong.  Let us just be wary of any external rage that may cross the line and transgress the law. Life is precious, and that's the reason for all this diplomatic mess.

 Above image from this site.

Sorry is the order the day.When Kevin Rudd was our Prime MInister he said sorry to the Aboriginal people of Australia for the wrongdoings of the early white settlers. I swear I felt the deep solemnity of the ocassion.

 above photo from this site

Almost couldn't bear looking at the tears flowing from the eyes of old Aboriginal people who attended the Sorry Day. The Australian people showed civility and decency to admit the errors of the past and they serve as inspiration for humility.

Australia's Sorry Day hits New York Times (above image from this site)

America and Canada likewise have made efforts to mend relationship wtih their tribal minorities. Japan also apologized recently to the Korean people for colonizing it. Humility is truly a mark of character.

We could do the same as race of people albeit in our own, little individual way. Am actually trying to contact my photographer friend in Sydney who I haven't seen for years. Anson Chen is from Hong Kong and was owner of a photo shop studio in Sydney's Chinatown where I had 3 caricature shops running at that time. I'm so eager to say hello to him and express my grief.

For the time being, let's all keep our heads low. Thank you my friend. Peace.


(The National Sorry Day is an Australian event, held each year on 26 May since 1998, to express regret over the historical mistreatment of Aboriginal peoples. The day was chosen in commemoration of the Bringing Them Home report being handed to the federal government on 26 May 1997. It is not an official holiday, although there have been calls by some Aboriginal leaders to make it one. source: Wikipedia).