It's been quite a while since he last dated and those turned out to be a disaster so you could understand his apprehension for this one. I used an actual model from one local parenting magazine as reference for the hot mama.

* This strip was published September 14, 2005.

One of my friends got a good laugh about this and told me that he just learned one of his old buddies was one of the organizers of the few "speed dating" companies around the Metro. Let me know if there are any of you interested in trying this one out. But read this one below before seriously getting into it:

Speeding dating reduces rejection cost for participants.
Real speeding dating events do not allow participants to ask each other out. Only participates that express mutual interest will be given contact information from event coordinators. Also, other nonverbal communication signals such as body language can be used to see if mutual attraction exists, thus lowering rejection cost.

Does Speed Dating Really Reduce Rejection Cost?
Going to a speed dating event may help you avoid face-to-face rejection because real speed dating includes a rule that only people who mutually chose each other would be given each other's contact information from the event coordinators. However, you may end up being indirectly rejected more often than a regular night out at a bar because you would have the opportunity to ask all the possible candidates out. A chance that nobody will be interested in dating you exists. If this happens, you would leave the event feeling less attractive and worthy than before the event. So on the next speed dating event, those people who had nobody interested in them would less likely to go.**

The operating words are "indirect rejection" so it may not be as painful as trying to start a conversation and being left in the air by a stranger. Me? I don't think I would be trying it.

* This strip was published September 7, 2005.
** Copied from the Social Grid site.

I'm starting a new story this month focusing entirely on Ben Sr. and speed dating. Read on if you're not sure what this is about:

The rules of speed dating are quite simple. A group of singles gathers at a cafe or similar venue. Armed with a nametag, a scorecard and their sparkling personality, couples are paired up to begin their first date. They are allowed to discuss anything, except their careers, or where the live.

Following seven minutes of conversation, a bell is rung, and the men move on to meet their next date. Think of it as a flirt's version of musical chairs.

Following each date, participants mark on a card whether they would have an interest in meeting their date again. If a mutual interest is noted, speed-dating organizers provide each party with the other's phone number.

It's definitely easier than picking up strangers in a bar and safer than being set up in a blind date. At least you know what your potential date looks like and you get to chat with them to see if you two share something common. Sounds good? It costs more or less P3,000 /session around these parts. By the by, did anyone notice the last time these couple, Henry and Debbie, came out was in last year's Thanksgiving storyline around November?

* This strip was published August 31, 2005.

I like this strip. It's one of my favorites because of the "best friends" kind of relationship shown between the father and his two kids. I originally planned four panels for this one and due to constraints in space only the first and last panels were published in the paper this week. Which means the second panel is a BONUS! Yay!

* This strip was published August 24, 2005.

This is the first of two versions I did for the same situation in this current story. Months have passed and I still couldn't decide which one of them is funnier. Maybe you can help decide by telling me what you think. You can see the second here.

* This strip was published August 10, 2005.

This was a lot of fun to do. Remember what I said the last time I was having problems coming up with new ideas for this strip? Well I'm going back the old "continuity" route. At least then I don't have to wring my brain to come up with something uproariously funny.

Jay's remark in the last panel was reminiscent of the way some Fil-Am friends and nephews of mine would try to ape Filipino words they heard on the fly. Just in case you're wondering.

* This strip was published August 3, 2005.

By this time coming with random jokes became harder and harder so I went back to doing short stories or series starting with this one. The idea was to revolve around one main plot but with the same alternating characters.

* This strip was published August 3, 2005.

The idea was good but something got lost along the way and translating it on paper just didn't work out as much as I thought it would be. Add to the fact I wasn't too happy with the original strip that was submitted for print so I had to edit some parts of it to give it some impact.

* This strip was published July 27, 2005.

This was from the peak of the political chaos last year. There have been a series of political rallies held by the opposition party along with some other parties that held a grudge against the current President and her administration. The biggest so far happened the day before this cartoon was published, however that not only failed to elicit enough sympathizers from the people but also the emnity of the business community for disrupting their office work.

* This strip was published July 20, 2005.

I did a rewrite on this one after struggling through the weak set up. This one makes a lot of sense than the one published in the paper last year.

* This strip was published July 13, 2005.

This was a last minute thing that popped into my head sometime before the deadline. This is was also reminiscent of the old Pugad Baboy humor of PM Junior before he let it go. This also reflects my sentiments towards all these political trash that's hogging the headlines around last year.

* This strip was published July 6, 2005.

Physical Education was one of my least favorite subjects in school but I don't mind the small breaks we get in between sessions. This also marks the first time I gave Jay's classmate and friend a name. Well, a nickname.

* This strip was published June 29, 2005.

I had a lot of trouble getting his likeness when I originally did the inks, in fact it looked nothing like him. I had to sketch another likeness on a separate piece of paper, scanned it, and traced over it using a pen and tablet. I'm still not fond of the sideway though.

* This strip was published June 22, 2005.