Sept 29 to Oct 5

I have no words to express my admiration for independent musical artists, who write their own songs and produce their own albums. I got a lot of insights and had such great fun while tuned in to Lourd De Veyra's radio show Chillax last March 17. Guests were the world-class ace saxophonist Ronald Tomas and the irreverent guitar god Dong Abay. Heard a lot of original Filipino gems for the first time too. There's Gary Granada's Undefined, from a groundbreaking album designed to teach math to kids; they say it's not on sale on record bars but you can buy it in Conspiracy Bar. There's Joey Ayala's Basta May Saging, where the alternative rock icon actually, listen to this, raps. There's also a track from one of Dong's indie albums; didn't get the title but it was sung by no less than Mon David

Here's my SMS, read by Lourd: “Assuming there's already a bunch of orig songs, how much does an artist need to prod indie album? Where do u get musicians and arrangers? Mabuhay OPM!”

Ronald said you can get away with 100K, but it doesn't include marketing and promotions. That's just for a master copy, Dong said, and you have to shell out more for replicating copies. As for musicians, Ronald said you may go up to 250K if you don't know them and you'll have to pay their full TF. That was very helpful information. Thanks guys! Dong's latest album is Rebulto, sort of a tribute to Jose Rizal. Ronald is embarking for another series of shows abroad. Lourd, frontman for Radioactive Sago Project, have a gig that night at 70s Bistro 

That episode was dedicated to the late rock icon Karl Roy, whose ashes was then laying in state on Mt Carmel Church. Karl was the frontman of Kapatid, P.O.T and Advent Call

Huggybear’s favorite Party Pilipinas production number  is a celebration of classic Filipino songs by musical legends with today's singers, last Feb 19 on GMA-7, lunchtime (beef nilaga). Dingdong Avanzado sang his breakthrough Tatlong Bente Singko with Dingdong Dantes. Next was Chad Borja and his Ikaw Lang with Jay Perillo. Then Marco Sison and Gian Magdangal in Si Aida, Si Lorna At Si Fe. There's Richard Reynoso and Mark Bautista with Paminsan Minsan. Next was Rannie Raymundo and Kris Lawrence with an incredible rendition of Why Can't It Be. There's Hajji Alejandro with his Panakip Butas performed with Janno Gibbs. 

My favorite performance is Gino Padilla and Jay-Ar singing Gusto Kita: two great artists at their best, and the synergy between them took the music to a higher level. 

The last duo was Nonoy Zuñiga and his unforgettable Never Say Goodbye, with Ogie Alcasid. Finale was everybody singing the refrain - and Nonoy's great voice soaring to that final timeless ending

I love Jet Li. As a martial artist, I regard him as an inspiration; watching his moves is sweet exhiliration. He is the star of one of Huggybear's favorite movies of all time, Once Upon A Time In China II. Only Jet Li can bring to vivid life the legendary kung fu master Wong Fei Hung. My favorite scene is the first major battle, when the cult White Lotus tried, but spectacularly failed, to abduct his cousin. One of the most fascinating film characters I've seen, aside from Wong, is the silent but extremely deadly Triad boss played by Jet in Lethal Weapon IV. His supreme confidence is borne of his steeled-nerve, preternatural skills as a killing machine. 

Jet Li is "coiled, watchful; he implodes before he explodes," says Richard Corliss in his 1998 Time story. Jet Li is the "Spirit of restraint and dignity," and his "Persona is one of grace and gravity." Tai chi is about balance, of "soft and hard," says Jet Li, so "Use them both." Jet Li "Does that," says Corliss. "Brilliantly."

My astral body goes traveling when I go to sleep. Oftentimes, I forget these out-of-body trips, except for flashes, which I call dreams. Sometimes, I find myself trying to escape from unspeakably frightening creatures; when they're about to grab me, I would jerk awake. I get nightmares because my astral body wandered into the twilight zone. Perhaps, one day, these demonic beings will finally overtake me, and I won't wake up anymore. I said "I" because this is what I believe to be true, for all men too. 

Years ago, a psychic and medium, Elise, suppressed the memory and astral abilities of a young boy, Josh, to prevent an insidious creature from imprisoning the boy's astral body and taking over the physical. Now grown up, Josh finds his son, Dalton, in an inexplicable coma which baffles even doctors. Elise returns. The only way to wake Dalton is for Josh to rescue him from the lower dimensions of the astral plane. His only guide was his wife's voice, calling him in. 

But the malevolent creatures heard it too. Slowly, Elise looks up, feeling the atmosphere. "They're crossing over," she whispers