Fighting Injustice...Out of Nothin' at All

That's my attempt at a witty title, by the way. And because it's probably not as witty as I thought it would be, I shall explain. What I'm basically trying to say is that "I've had the chance to watch Mr. & Mrs. Smith and Batman Begins recently, and I'm going to post my thoughts on them". Pilitin daw ba? Anyway...

Mr. & Mrs. Smith

The chemistry between Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie is just amazing. It's the first thing you'll notice in the movie. For lack of a better description, it's pretty obvious that they reek of sex. They practically have SEX stamped all over them. Other than that, I think they fit their roles perfectly. I couldn't imagine any other actors playing the parts. Pitt is as funny as ever. Pi was right to note that he's mastered the art of still being charming, despite making a complete fool of himself. *Making looove out of nothin' at all (making love)* And Angelina? What's not there to like? I mean, c'mon...the woman is the ultimate guy magnet!

The action is pretty intense and hilarious at the same time (my favorite sequence would definitely have to be the "after dinner" fight, where they still manage to kiss and make up in the end after all the destruction). I like the whole "invincible" treatment they gave John and Jane. I think it was cool. They are, afterall, the world's greatest assasins. The plot is a lot of fun, though quite typical of a summer film. There's the right amount of romance and drama in it too, which are also welcome breaks from all the Kick!Splode! (sorry, Jon) that make up 90% of the movie.

All in all, this film doesn't disappoint. It's what you'd come to expect from a film that supposedly broke up a marriage. Definitely a must have in anyone's DVD collection.

Batman Begins

First things first: Wow, wow, and mega-wow! This film is the shiznit (though I don't exactly know what that means, but it's supposed to be a good thing)! No more bat-skates! And thank goodness, no more bat-nipples! The nipples are finally in their rightful place...on the leading lady! (I got that from Peejay, by the way). Seriously though, the reviews were right...forget what you know about the first four films, this is how a Batman film was meant to be made. Gotham is finally a real city, none of those stupid towering statues with observatories on their backs and roads built on their shoulders. The problems are a lot more human...poverty, corruption, crime, things the audience can relate to. The casting is brilliant, and the acting superb (yes, I even found Katie Holmes superb), though I would've wanted to see more of Morgan Freeman and Gary Oldman. And Christian Bale! Christian Bale! Christian Bale! Potah, he was born to play the Dark Knight. He's the perfect Bruce Wayne/Batman. Heck, he is Bruce Wayne/Batman! Christian Bale for President!

Chris Nolan and David Goyer are my latest heroes. The story, cinematography, pacing, action, comedy, drama, everything was excellent. Personally, I think it was great that they tried to be as true as possible to the source material for the sake of the fans, but still added a different touch to educate those not familiar with the legend of the Bat. I loved the Crime Alley scene...it almost made me cry, dammit (even though I knew it was going to happen anyway). That was how well that scene was shot. The image of young Bruce on his knees, crying over his dead parents' bodies...it just sticks to you, sort of makes you feel bad because you couldn't do anything to stop it from happening. Then again, there is no Batman without Crime Alley. But my most favorite part in the film has got to be Bruce's training. It's something that's never really been explored in detail in the comics, so it was a great thing to watch. I especially liked the part where he beats the crap out of six inmates and then shouts "I don't need protection!" when the guards restrain him. I thought that was funny.

Naturally, the Batman scenes were fantastic. Well, it wouldn't be a Batman film if the Batman scenes sucked, now would it? I had my reservations on the costume when word of it first came out, but I'm glad I kept an open mind. The design of the costume makes sense in the movie and is a necessary part for Bruce's transformation into the Dark Knight. Same can be said with his other gadgets. And the car, dammit! What a fine piece of machinery. I have got to get me one of those.

So, we're down to the million dollar question. Is Batman Begins better than Spider-Man in the comics-to-film category? In some areas, maybe, but overall I personally think they're just on the same, great level. Both were excellent depictions of the origins of two of the greatest comicbook heroes of all time, and their stories were told exactly the way they were meant to be told: with a lot of love and respect for the mythologies behind them. At the end of the day, I believe any movie that does that deserves to be at the top of the charts.

If It Were Up To Me...

...I'd do this more often.

That's me, jumping off a big-ass rock into the sea over 20 feet below. I believe I've never had that much adrenalin pumped into my system before. Sooobrang asteeeg! Photo taken from our trip to Tali Beach in Nasugbu, Batangas last May 22, 2005. Courtesy of my officemate Alvir Jugo. More pics to follow.

Good Thing I'm A Nerd...

Just sharing something I got through email recently. It's a nice read. I guess I saw myself in most of the descriptions. I can think of one or two people I know that fit the whole profile though. Enjoy.

Why Geeks And Nerds Are Worth It

In the wide world of dating, there are many options. Do you go for the flashy guy with the smooth smile, or the dude in the corner typing away on his laptop? The following are reasons why I think my fellow females should pay more attention to the quiet geeks and nerds, and less attention to the flashy boys.

1. While geeks and nerds may be awkward, they're well-meaning 9 out of 10 times. That smooth dude with the sly grin and the spider hands? Wonder what HIS intentions are... plus, I've never had a geek guy not call me when he said he would. Score major points THERE.



2. They're useful. In this tech-savvy world, it's great to have a b/f who can make your laptop, desktop, and just about anything else that plugs into a wall behave itself.



3. They’re more romantic than they're given credit for. Ok true, their idea of romance might be to make up a spiffy web-page with all the reasons why they love you, with links to pics of you and sonnets and such...but hey, it lasts longer than flowers, plus you can show your friends.



4. Due to their neglected status, there are plenty to choose from. You like 'em tall and slender? There are plenty of geeks/nerds who are. You like 'em smaller with more meat on their bones? Got that too.



5. They've got brains. Come on now, how can intelligence be a bad thing?



6. Most are quite good at remembering dates. Like birthdates and such, especially if they know it'll make you happy. Due again to their neglected status, they're more attentive than guys who "have more options". Plus, with all that down time without a steady girlfriend, they'll likely have mental lists of all the things they'd love to do once they GOT a girlfriend.



7. Sex. Yep. Sex. I'm not really familiar with this myself, but I've friends who've been intimate with geek guys and it's raves all around. They say a virgin wrote the Kama Sutra... all that time thinking about sex, imagining sex, dreaming about sex, (they are male after all) coupled with a desire to make you happy? Use your imagination.



8. They're relatively low-maintenance. Most can be fueled on pizza, Twinkies and Mt. Dew. No complicated dinners needed here, so if you're not the best cook, eh. Can you order a pizza?



9. Most frequent bars as often as slugs frequent salt mines. You won't have to worry much about your geek guy getting his "groove" on with club hotties because, frankly, he'll be too busy rooting around under his computer wondering where that spare cable went. You won't have to worry about him flirting with other women because, 9 out of 10 times, he'll zip right by them in a perfect b-line towards the nearest electronics store. I've seen this happen.
   
   Me: "Eww. Victoria's Secret Models...they're so skinny. How is that feminine? You can see her ribs!"
   Geek Guy: "Ooooooo..."
   Me: "Hey!" *notices he is staring lustfully towards the computer store*
   Geek Guy: "What?"
   Me: "Never mind..."



10. Although he may not want to go to every outing with you, you can arrange swaps, as in, you'll go to his Gamer Con dressed as an elf princess if he'll take you to the ballet. Plus, if he doesn't want to go someplace with you, you won't have to worry much about what he's up to. You'll probably come home to find him asleep on his keyboard in a sea of Mt. Dew cans with code blinking from the screen. It's ok. He's used to this. Just toss a blanket over him and turn out the light.


11. His friends aren't jerks. I can't stress this enough. You'll more likely get "OMG! A GIRL!! Can I see?!" than "Hey hot stuff back that ass up here and let me get some grub on..." They're awkward geeks too and will, 9 times out of 10, treat you with the utmost respect and, more than likely, a note of awe. A cute girl picked one of their clan to date? It could happen to them! Hope! Drag some of your single girlfriends over, open up a pack of Mt. Dew, crack open the DnD set and get working. Nothing impresses geek guys more than a girl who can hack-n-slash (well ok maybe if she can code... a geek can dream).



12. They're rarely if ever possessive. They trust you, so you can be yourself around them. You like to walk around the house in a ratty t-shirt for comfort? He won't care. He does too! They won't get pissy if you don't wear make-up or don't want to bother primping your hair. If you gain a few pounds, they won’t try their best to make you feel like crap.



13. They're usually very well educated. Physics majors and the like. See #5. You won't have to listen to him blathering on about his car (ok maybe a little), he'll have loads of other interesting things to talk about. Politics, world events, how much the chicken burgers down at the local place rock, so long as you douse them in hot sauce...



14. You'll almost never have to hear, "Yaw dawg whazzap!!!" plop out of their mouths. Unless it's in jest. They spell properly, use correct punctuation, and are able to tell the difference between the toilet and the floor. They almost never get "wasted", so you won't have to worry about coming home to find him and his friends passed out on the floor amidst a pile of beer bottles. Mt. Dew cans, perhaps...



15. And the final reason why geeks and nerds make great boyfriends: They actually give a damn about you. Not how you look (though that's a plus), not how skinny you are, not how much make-up you primp yourself up with, but they like you for you. That kind of thing lasts longer than "Damn baby you got a fine ass!!!" Believe me.

That's What I'm Talkin' About!

You may remember my From Creepy Thin Man to Incredible Bulk post from way back October 2003. This was around the time when I first made the big decision to refine my eating habits and watch my weight. The photo below is "Exhibit B" from the said post. Truth is I still find it pretty disturbing.

Before. 200-pound, hairless monstrosity with boobies, looking stupid in beach shorts. Doesn't send the good kind of shivers down your spine, does it? Anyway, I was hoping to have shed a significant amount of pounds by November 1, 2003 as I originally wrote in the abovementioned post. Unfortunately, the seafood-and-stairs combo wasn't enough. I figured that if I was seriously considering slimming down, I had to include frequent exercise in my routine. I've been regularly going to the gym since June 2004, which most of you already know. I have Pi, Pats, and Zane to thank for that.

The following photo was taken during our trip to Puerto Galera over a week ago. Well, suffice to say there have been big...improvements. *wink*

After. 178-pound, health-conscious yuppie, looking slightly better in board shorts.It's a very rewarding feeling, knowing that your hard work is paying off (I wish I could always say the same about other things though).

It Hurts So Much It's Not Funny Anymore

I hate this.

Anyway, squeezing in this post (while I can) just so you know I'm still alive. In case you didn't notice I've temporarily disabled Haloscan usage here...I recently discovered that they only keep comments from the last 3 months or so, which sucks big time. And since your comments mean a lot to me, I've enabled Blogger's comments feature instead. Still in the process of tweaking the whole thing though so bear with crappy layout.

Check back later. Duty calls.

Oh, Goodie...A Post!

(Squeezing in some blog time while I wait for these reports to finish).

I think I've just set a new blogger record: Most number of days gone without a single post.

47 days, dammit! Now that is bloody depressing. So much for Getting Off On The Right Foot. *Sigh*

I can't believe I've been quiet for the whole of February (which just happens to be my favorite time of the year). I mean, what can you not write about during this month? (Apparently, plenty in my case.) Anyway, a lot's happened in the time between this and my last update (God knows how much I've used that damn line), and I'm really hoping time permits me to talk about all of them in the coming days. I've got a bunch of Photoblogs to cook up so I'll probably start from there.

Thanks (and apologies) are in order to those who still have the patience to regularly check this here blog for updates. I promise, I'll try my very best not to disappoint next time.

Later.

Photoblog - Mheng's Despidida

Some pictures from my former officemate and gym buddy Mheng's despidida at Bacolod Chicken - Robinson's Pioneer last Tuesday, January 11, 2005. He left for London on Wednesday, January 12, 2005. Good luck and more power to you, bro! We'll miss you.

Pics taken with the old, reliable 3200 as usual.

Mheng: Despidida Boy.

Rachel: Vavavoom Favorite Female #1	Trixie: Vavavoom Favorite Female #2
Jesse: The Body, The Frenzy, Modelo Primero!	Rostum: Needs a haircut...and a shower.
Ronnel: Brown clown.	Concon: Shhh...she walks by night.
Veena: Skinhead Lover.	Len: Third Shift Killer.
Ceejay: Shaggy's Girl.	Shaggy: Ceejay's Boy.
Emily: Founder, "Forever Friends of Jesse" fanclub.	Rej: German knockout.
Brixter: Already legal.	Me: Space filler.

Photoblog - Weekend at Jon Z's 2005

Last night marked our return to the Instituto Zuluaga, after about a year of absence, for the much anticipated Weekend at Jon Z's 2005. The "Weekend" was in celebration of Brother Jon's return from Spain, at the same time, a farewell gathering for Brother Gerwin, who flew back to Hong Kong today. As all WEAJZ's would have it, "a good time was had by all".

Some pictures, taken with the trusty 3200.

Jon Z.: Balikbayan.	Zane: Jungle Queen.
Gerwin: Balikbayan Part 2.	Charlie: Furniture supplier.
Bryan: Do not mix with alcohol.	Richard: The Healthy Life Bunny.
Djong: Ex-ka-puso, current ka-pilates.	Ping: Steven Seagal.
Chester: Artist Serenader Extraordinaire.	Tish: Still Tish.
Pi: The Goddess Kurdapya.	Pats: Ms. International.
Mitch: Housemate 1.	Pao: Housemate 2.
Peejay: Mentor.	Maan: Mrs. Mentor.
Koryn: Mommy.	Ivan: Rich Bastard.
Toffer: Super Thesismate of Death.	Me: Nefut.

Welcome, Goldenbhoy!

May the Good Lord have mercy on the blogging world. He he he.

Drop by The Showroom and show him a little love, folks.

Bry, you've been sidebarred. To our good looks...and sexy bodies!

Getting Off On The Right Foot

There's an old superstition about doing (or not doing) certain things during the first day of the year, if (or unless) you intend to do (or not do) those things in for the remainder of the year. I've never believed in that. But maybe I'm a lot more superstitious than I'd like to admit, that's why I'm writing this right now. I want to start the year right, not just with the whole blogging thing (two posts in December is an awfully sad sight, and probably a bad way to end 2004), but with a whole lot of other things.

So here's a little checklist to help plot things out:

1. I will start drawing again. Draw for fun, the way I used to back in highschool and college, and find peace with my style.


2. I will reach my ideal weight. And will not just reach it, I will also maintain it. I will look and feel good in the process.


3. I will do better at work, hone my skills, learn additional supporting skills, and I will feel good about my achievements. I will be patient and take things as they come.


4. I will enjoy life, have fun with my friends and with my loved ones, and smile and laugh more.

Cheers to a fruitful and wonderful 2005!

Googlism

Blame the people on my side bar. My comments in parentheses.

ejay is working again (How'd you know?)
ejay is working again ok dudes? (Okay.)
ejay is having some problems with the servers not accepting the tracks that are uploaded because they are pretty full (I'm having problems with the servers, period.)
ejay is bringing music to your home (Really? Where?)
ejay is entitled to remove individual or all music titles from the internet at any given time (Be very afraid!)
ejay is easy to use (You betcha!)
ejay is fantastic (I like this site already.)
ejay is more popular in the UK than Germany (What can I say?)
ejay is a club machine (Eyng?)
ejay is right up your alley (Right up your alley!)
ejay is cute (I knew that.)
ejay is coming soon (Watch out.)
ejay is a fantastic way to go about it (I agree.)
ejay is set to revolutionize the world of mp3 as it releases its most comprehensive package to date (Kachink!)
ejay is the leading publisher of music software and provider of online music entertainment across europe (Kachink-chink!)
ejay is from the focus range and retails at only £9 (What the?!)
ejay is europe's leading interactive dance music brand (Yeah, baby!)
ejay is a range of revolutionary music software from fasttrack that allows you to easily create tomorrow's tunes today (I'm into music a lot, eh?)
ejay is part of the empire interactive plc network (What's that?)
ejay is a splendid piece of music making (Well...)
ejay is proud to present its latest (Go on...)
ejay is the highly acclaimed music software for pc that allows you to create and mix your own tunes (I see where this is going.)
ejay is director gold (But of course!)
ejay is a fantastic and fun way to make music for those of you without any music knowledge (And if you call in the next 10 minutes...)
ejay is a good singer but he just wasn't the american idol (Ouch.)
ejay is a well constructed (A well constructed what?)
ejay is a trademark of pxd musicsoft (Uh...no.)
ejay is an 'instant music' software company (The plot thickens.)
ejay is just one of many similar products made by voyetra turtle beach (That's a stupid brand name.)
ejay is a long established local company (Maybe someday.)
ejay is feature (Feature what? Feature Ferfect? Nyahahaha.)
ejay is called "gung" but 'mix' files are interchangeable between the versions (World Peace.)
ejay is playing a song? (Believe it.)
ejay is no use (Shut up!)
ejay is turning the dance music world on its head with its ground (That's some messed up ground.)
ejay is so easy to use (I'm just friendly.)
ejay is a self (And you are?)
ejay is an exciting way of composing music (Hurry while supplies last!)
ejay is one of the world’s leading providers of music software (I wish.)
ejay is that anyone can do it and the real fun is that you can inflict your abominations upon the whole world (We have a winner!)
ejay is a tough beast to tame but brian has this ugly monster cringing meekly at his feet (I'm gonna have to talk to Brian about this one.)
ejay is the ultimate dessert (Want a bite?)
ejay is a very popular series of 8 and 16 track composing/arranging studio software for the pc
ejay is a very popular 8 track composing/arranging studio tool for the pc (Okay! Okay!)
ejay is for you (Hoo ha!)
ejay is an example of my studio (Eyng?)
ejay is still fun to play with nonetheless (Nonetheless?!?)
ejay is an original music software program that delivers unlimited creativity with the utmost simplicity (Enough with the software crap already!)
ejay is the perfect software package for people with madd creativity in the brain (Remember: Madd Creativity!)
ejay is nationwide (I try my best.)
ejay is now an institution (Not yet.)
ejay is proud to present its latest offering in cutting (So I'm into cutting too, eh?)
ejay is such a happy guy (I'd like to believe I am.)
ejay is a virgo 5 (What's a Virgo 5?)
ejay is not "in" (What the? Of course, I'm "in"!)
ejay is the same thing as if you coloured a picture in a colouring book and claimed that you´re a great artist (There's a profound thought in there somewhere.)
ejay is tierisch geil (What's that?)
ejay is not expensive and can be purchased for less than $20 (I think I'm worth more than $20, thank you very much.)
ejay is in the final 10 (I'd like to thank my fans for their unending support.)
ejay is due for the pc in november and there are an impressive amount of features for it (It's already December.)
ejay is making these leashes available temporarily without rings but rather with a slip loop type assembly (Wow!)
ejay is fun (Well...)
ejay is a specialist music software company focusing on music creativity software and internet music tools (No, I'm not.)
ejay is a virtual recording studio and sequencer that lets you create and record your own hip hop mixes (I give up.)

Check out www.googlism.com and find out what Google thinks of you.

Three Somethings

Taken from Jon Z.'s blog.

THREE NAMES YOU GO BY:

1. Ejay (very, very few people get the spelling right; variations include Eej, Edge, Ejong and 'jay)
2. Jeps (short for Jepoy, my personification of a comic strip character I created back in college; only my classmates call me this nowadays)
3. Nefut (slang for a native of the Cordilleras and is actually meant to be derogatory; when in Baguio, never use it if you want to stay alive)

THREE SCREEN/PEN NAMES YOU HAVE HAD:

1. Mader Bits (a term I heard Jon use a few years back; I've been using it in forums and network games since)
2. Nameci (Iceman spelled backwards; I used it for a while during freshman year)
3. Ebenezer Jacobi (don't ask)

THREE THINGS YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:

1. I'd like to think I'm a good dancer
2. I'd also like to think I have a good sense of humor
3. I'm a really fast learner

THREE THINGS YOU DON'T LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:

1. I tend to be a hot head when driving
2. I just can't be original in my ideas
3. I can't fully live up to people's expectations

THREE PARTS OF YOUR HERITAGE:

1. Ilocano (my Father is from Bantay, Ilocos Sur)
2. Tagalog (my Mother is from Talavera, Nueva Ecija)
3. Arab (well, not really, I was just born in Saudi)

THREE THINGS THAT SCARE YOU:

1. Earthquakes
2. Death in the family
3. Growing old alone

THREE OF YOUR EVERYDAY ESSENTIALS:

1. Breakfast
2. Laughing
3. Hugs and kisses from the kumander

THREE THINGS YOU ARE WEARING RIGHT NOW:

1. Thursday office uniform (white polo-barong, brown slacks, black leather shoes)
2. White Nike baller ID
3. Axe Energy (you wear perfume/cologne, right?)

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE BANDS OR ARTISTS AT PRESENT:

1. Dishwalla
2. 311
3. John Mayer

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE SONGS AT PRESENT:

1. Your Body is a Wonderland (still) by John Mayer
2. Take it to the Floor by B2K
3. Every Little Thing by Dishwalla

THREE NEW THINGS YOU WANT TO TRY IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS:

1. Buff up (I've never been buff so that'll be new)
2. Surf, Dive, or Sail
3. Cook a full dinner for Pi

THREE THINGS YOU WANT IN A RELATIONSHIP (love is a given):

1. Honesty
2. Understanding
3. Lots and lots of hugs and kisses

THREE PHYSICAL THINGS ABOUT THE OPPOSITE SEX THAT APPEAL TO YOU:

1. Eyes
2. Butt and hips (package deal)
3. Tummy

THREE THINGS YOU JUST CAN'T DO:

1. Draw well with my left hand
2. Run over a crossing animal while driving
3. Hit a girl

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE HOBBIES:

1. Going to the gym
2. Watching movies
3. Reading and collecting comics

THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO REALLY BADLY RIGHT NOW:

1. Go home, bum around, and cuddle
2. Draw
3. Fly (the Superman kind)

THREE CAREERS YOU'RE CONSIDERING:

1. Business owner
2. Consultant
3. Teacher

THREE PLACES YOU WANT TO GO ON VACATION:

1. Boracay (hopefully longer than 4 days)
2. Palawan
3. Europe

THREE KID'S NAMES:

1. Eric
2. Eleanor
3. Katarungan (nickname Kata; unfortunately, it doesn't go well with my last name)

THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE:

1. Have a house built for my folks
2. Raise well-mannered and responsible kids
3. Start and manage my own business

I'm Tired

Well, three straight overnights at work does that to you. Yeah, I'm still here. Just in time to say goodbye to November and hello to December! Whoopee!

Can't really sleep. Lot of stuff to finish. But I can't work on something else at this point either since I'm still waiting for my programs to finish before I can proceed with my other tasks. Stupid dependencies. Anyway, I figured now's a good time for some updates.

Viewed...

• You Got Served. Well, I'm glad I bought the DVD (bootleg, of course) a couple of weeks back because this film doesn't disappoint. If you enjoyed Bring It On, you'll like this a lot more. Well, there's a little bias in there since I've recently been in touch with my inner "Hip-Hopper", thanks to Cardio Funk.



• After The Sunset. They say The Thomas Crown Affair was way better, but I haven't seen it yet so I wouldn't really know. But I do know that if Woody Harrelson wasn't in this film, it would've sucked big time.



• The Incredibles. This has got to be my most favorite Pixar film ever! Every aspect of the film was simply...well, incredible. I guess four long years of production does that to a movie.



• National Treasure. It was a good thing I didn't expect too much from this film (the title just didn't appeal that much to me), because it turned out to be a whole lot better than I initially thought. Ok, the start could be a little dragging, but it quickly picks up the pace and makes for high-quality entertainment. And Diane Kruger is so gorgeous here too.



• Supersize Me. Just watched this yesterday on DVD. Djong has a much better review over at her blog. All I can say is it's a real eye-opener (especially the "Fries Experiment"). It does make you want to stay away from McDo food...at least for a while.

Read...

Warning: Geek mode on.

• Identity Crisis. Written by Brad Meltzer; art by Rags Morales and Michael Blair. I hadn't planned on buying issue one the day it came out, but I'm happy (and extremely lucky) I did. The premise: Somebody knows our superheroes' secret identities, and he/she is going after their loved ones. Interesting, isn't it? Six issues into this 7-part mini-series, everything just keeps getting better.



• JLA. I'm glad I decided to start collecting this series from book 1 because I really get my money's worth. I just finished book 14 (Trial by Fire, written by Joe Kelly; art by Doug Mahnke and Tom Nguyen) and I have to say it's one the best story arcs I've read so far: The Martian Manhunter has overcome his fear of fire, but at what cost? Kelly is now officially one of my favorite writers. And I'm really enjoying Doug Mahnke's art, which has greatly improved since he first started in The Golden Perfect story arc.



• Green Lantern: Rebirth. Written by Geoff Johns with fantastic art by Ethan Van Sciver. I'll have to save my comments probably until the 4th issue comes out. "So far, so good" is all I can say as of now.



• Adam Strange. Besides Andy Diggle's highly entertaining treatment of DC's Premier Science-Fiction Hero, one of the strengths of this series is Pascal Ferry's amazing art. You need not be an Adam Strange fan or know who he is to fully enjoy this book.

Played...

• Fantasy NBA. I didn't see why some of my friends were so hooked on this before. Now I know and I'm enjoying it a lot, considering all you have to do is set which players on your team should or should not play on a given date. Players on a team are real-life NBA players, drafted by each manager into his team before the start of the season. A team then earns points based on the stats that a specific player fills up during real-life NBA games. Sounds complicated, doesn't it? It's really quite easy once you get the hang of it. I'm currently in 2nd place in the TLS league. Ping is at number 1. Not bad for a couple of rookie managers, eh?



• Need for Speed Underground 2. This game takes off on the right foot and has surpassed all expectations so far. A lot of improvements in this sequel to the 2003 hit game. There are a lot more cars (including SUVs) to choose from, the non-linear gameplay gives players the freedom to progress through the game at their own pace, and new race types have been added such as Street X and the Underground Racing League. Graphics and sounds are fantastic and the controls are relatively easy to master. Unfortunately, our apartment PC (Pao's) is a little too underpowered to maximize enjoyment of the game. Hopefully, I'll be lucky enough to purchase a PS2 by next year.

More later. Brain functions are starting to shut down.

In The Last Episode Of Nefville...

Truth be told, I was very tempted to just post some amusing picture I received thru email a few days ago. I, obviously, decided not to. For one thing, I didn't want to risk being called madaya (a cheat) by Zane again (which, I admit, is true...easy way out and all that). But more than that, I figured it was just a little too unfair to those who allot a small amount of their time to drop by regularly in the hopes of finding some decent updates. So, to my loyal fans, this post is for you.

The Tale of the Missing Nefmobile

My car was towed a couple of days ago. I had just gotten off from work when I saw that it wasn't where I had left it that morning. I always park in that area so I was surprised (and of course, furious) that my car was taken. That was at around a little after 7:00 PM and I was just about to fetch Pi from work. So I called her up and asked her to just have her Tito pick her up. You can imagine how bad my mood was by this time.

I asked the people around the vicinity for details, which was, of course, the most logical thing to do. The "witness" I had asked told me that my car was raked at around 4:00 PM, and that there was a central impound where towed cars in the Mandaluyong area are brought (lucky for me, it was fairly easy to get to).

"4:00 PM?!!", I had thought. If I was parked illegally, wouldn't my car have been taken earlier, like in the morning, already? That's when I started to just lose it. My hands were clenched into fists, my uni-brow at its uni-est...you'd think I was about ready to punch the first guy that passed by me in the face. I was majorly, majorly pissed.

So I made my way to the impound, which was located in front of Star Mall, along Shaw Boulevard. I had been rehearsing a few lines in my head that I thought I would use to defend my case. "If my parking was illegal, why didn't you tow it in the morning?!!" and "I always see cars parked at where I parked, how come you don't tow them?!!", lines like that.

The first sign that welcomes me at the impound writes "No one is above the law!" I start to calm down after reading it. Then I see my car, still in good condition. My heart rate begins normalizing. The guy in charge there brings out a piece of paper with my car details and starts briefing me on what had transpired. My parking space was legal...if I was there. I decide to use my "If my parking was illegal" line.

They did take my car in the morning. Around 9:30 AM. It was written on the paper...so clear even a 1st grade student could have read it for me.

I'm a lot calmer by this time (not to mention ashamed) so I just proceed to ask what my violation was. Apparently, the rear end of my car was just beyond the legal parking line (which I failed to see). This line marks the point where a car, if parked beyond the said line, poses as an obstruction to large and long vehicles turning into the street. I didn't bother using my "I always see cars" line. It was pointless. I was clearly in the wrong and it was only fair to face the consequences of my negligence. The penalty would have been a whopping 1,500 pesos. But Mr. Impound Guy decides to give me a discount and takes 500 pesos off the fee.

The funny thing about all this is I left the impound not feeling as bad as I initially thought I would. Which is a good thing I guess. It's weird what the Universe does to your sense of humor sometimes.

The Paomnnehal Pweor Of The Hmuan Mnid

Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh?

Randomizing

What do you do when you just can't find one thing to write about? Write about completely random things...at least the ones worth mentioning from the last couple of days.

Gym

Rommel (my trainer) gave me a new gym program to work with for the next six months. I'm back to using free weights after a long time (last time I lifted was back in college). And I'm finally into the whole cardio thing to help me lose a lot more weight. I "push" on Tuesdays, "pull" on Thursdays, and dance on Saturdays. Yup, I dance. On Saturdays. Body Jam and Cardio Funk these classes be called. I've been going with Pi, Pats, and Zane for quite a while now. Nothing like a fun, feel-good, musical activity to close off a hectic and overly technical work week. And Rony, who I just recently discovered had a blog of his own, joined us last Saturday which was cool.

Movies

Let's just say I got to watch a bunch of movies recently.

• House of Flying Daggers. Amazing production design. I loved the fight scenes and the story is interesting and well written but I just found some bits and pieces a little too dragging. Zhang Ziyi is as stunning as ever. Overall, I liked this movie, but I still think Hero was better.



• Shark Tale. I found this movie highly entertaining. The humor is very...well, adult, just like the Shrek movies (the "dolphin" reference was hilarious). The actors' voices fit the characters perfectly. Dreamworks Animation has been turning up some good material so far. Here's hoping Madagascar delivers the same quality of entertainment.



• Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. I expected too much from this film. Jude Law was an okay hero but I'm sure he's better off as Alfie. Generally, I like Gwyneth Paltrow - I didn't like her in this one though. I just think they could've cast a better actress to play Polly. The story is well-executed though typical of a high-adventure-WW2-science-fiction movie. Rocketeer still tops my list of films of this type. Did I mention I fell asleep at one point during the movie?



• The Bourne Supremacy. Good movie. Probably tops or at least equals The Bourne Identity in all aspects. Lends itself to a third movie. But since JC and I sat at the front row when we watched this, we were just too damn near to appreciate most of the parts, especially the fight scenes and car chases. I had a serious headache after the screening.



• Fahrenheit 9/11. Michael Moore deserves the award, and George W. Bush can choke to death and go to hell (and lose to John Kerry while he's at it). And that's all I've got to say about that. Just check out Mon's blog if you want a better review.

G!

Brother Gerwin is back in town, much to the delight of close friends. HK seems to be treating him well (sorry, no picture reference available...yet). Too bad Jon couldn't be here to celebrate with us this coming Friday.

Suriya

Paolo, Toffer, and I went last Sunday to get ourselves some well deserved and overdue massages. I've always been an avid fan of their Oriental Body Work Massage (combination of Swedish and Shiatsu) but somehow I didn't want the Shiatsu part that day. So I got the Mind and Body Harmony Massage (Swedish). Like I was telling Pao and Tof, my mind and body were in serious need of harmony anyway. I'm glad I got it. It's my new favorite massage. If only I could afford to go there more often.

3200

So I got to salvage a Nokia 3200 from the office. It's not top of the line but what the hey, it's better than my own phone (which is just about ready to die). And it has a camera. I'm not sure how long I'll be holding on to this phone, but I'm hoping long enough to allow me to save up for a replacement. In the meantime, I took this baby's cam for a spin.

World without a Superman

Actor Christopher Reeve, who played 'Superman' in four movies and appeared as 'Dr. Virgil Swann' in the hit TV series Smallville, died at 5:30 p.m. Sunday after suffering a heart attack on Saturday and going into a coma. He was 52.

Reeve was rendered paralyzed for life after breaking his neck in 1995 during an equestrian competition. He emerged from his personal tragedy with the help of friends and loved ones and has since been a powerful lobbyist of medical research, especially on behalf of fellow sufferers of spinal cord injuries.

Reeve tried many therapies throughout his life, and had others move the legs he could not - so the muscles would be ready when he would be able to use them once more. He never gave up on his goal of walking again, despite missing his target of doing so by age 50.

His condition did however improve in ways that were remarkable to the medical community. In 2000, Reeve was able to move his index finger, and a specialized workout regimen has made his legs and arms stronger. He had also regained sensation in other parts of his body.

Reeve was a strong supporter of stem cell research, which he believed could pave the way to allow him and others like him to walk again.

Farewell, Superman. Thank you for making us believe that we can fly.

The Gender of 'Computer'

A French teacher was explaining to her class that in French, unlike English, nouns are designated as either masculine or feminine. "House" for instance, is feminine -- "la maison." "Pencil", however, is masculine -- "le crayon."

A student asked, "What gender is 'computer'?"

Instead of giving the answer, the teacher split the class into two groups, male and female, and asked them to decide for themselves whether "computer" should be a masculine or a feminine noun.

Each group was asked to give four reasons for their recommendation. The men's group decided that "computer" should definitely be of the Feminine gender ("la computer"), because:

1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic;


2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else;


3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long term memory for possible later retrieval; and


4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself
   spending half your paycheck on accessories for it.

The women's group, however, concluded that computers should be Masculine ("le computer"), because:

1. In order to do anything with them, you have to turn them on;


2. They have a lot of data but still can't think for themselves;


3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they ARE the problem; and


4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that if you had waited
   a little longer, you could have gotten a better model.

The women won.

If All Else Fails...

...there's always Yahoo! Messenger.

So Ping messages me at work, going into the final seven minutes of Game 3 of the UAAP Men's Basketball Finals between the DLSU Green Archers and the defending champion FEU Tamaraws. DLSU is up by seven points.

ej_paz (6:06:12 PM): astig.
planetping (6:06:43 PM): 4 na lang
planetping (6:06:49 PM): 2 tres ng FEU
planetping (6:06:52 PM): feck
planetping (6:06:56 PM): 6mins to go
ej_paz (6:06:57 PM): shet
planetping (6:07:18 PM): make that 2
planetping (6:07:22 PM): 5:30
planetping (6:07:44 PM): FEU has possesion
planetping (6:07:46 PM): chance to tie
planetping (6:07:58 PM): tied
ej_paz (6:08:05 PM): dammit.
planetping (6:08:34 PM): 10-0 run ng FEU
ej_paz (6:09:14 PM): pucha, timeout. hindi ba tumatawag ng timeout?
planetping (6:09:30 PM): eto timeout
planetping (6:09:33 PM): i know you
planetping (6:09:36 PM): and you know me
planetping (6:09:45 PM): one thing i can tell ya is ya got to be free
planetping (6:09:48 PM): come together right now
planetping (6:09:49 PM): over me
planetping (6:09:54 PM): PETRON TREATS
planetping (6:10:02 PM): hehehe, pati advertisement may report
planetping (6:12:17 PM): 4:00 to go
planetping (6:12:23 PM): FEU by 2 now
ej_paz (6:12:34 PM): puta
planetping (6:13:56 PM): tied
planetping (6:14:04 PM): 59 deadlock
planetping (6:14:37 PM): tapos may nagfoul from lasalle...
planetping (6:14:46 PM): sa threepoint attempt ni miranda
planetping (6:14:49 PM): great..
planetping (6:14:59 PM): miranda misses his first
planetping (6:15:17 PM): and misses his second!!!
planetping (6:15:21 PM): his third try...
planetping (6:15:34 PM): good
planetping (6:15:47 PM): 60-59 FEU
planetping (6:17:39 PM): 61-59 FEU
planetping (6:18:07 PM): tied
planetping (6:18:27 PM): 63-61 LASALLE!!!
planetping (6:19:19 PM): steal ni gaco midcourt sabay bato sa streaking yeo for the uncontested layup... giving Lasalle the 2 point advantage
planetping (6:19:21 PM): last 2 mins
planetping (6:19:24 PM): timeout FEU
ej_paz (6:19:45 PM): kapit, bayan!
planetping (6:20:10 PM): tamang close game na toh!!!
planetping (6:20:20 PM): pag OT advantage tayo... foul trouble si miranda at isip eh
planetping (6:21:22 PM): 1:40 to go
planetping (6:21:28 PM): Lasalle by 2...
planetping (6:21:39 PM): isip for 2
planetping (6:21:43 PM): tied...agen
planetping (6:22:11 PM): FEU has the ball
planetping (6:22:16 PM): off a yeo miss
planetping (6:22:41 PM): isip for 2
planetping (6:22:44 PM): FEU leads
planetping (6:22:47 PM): casio for three
planetping (6:22:52 PM): GOOOOOOOOOOOODDDDD!!!
planetping (6:22:52 PM): GOOOOOOOOOOOODDDDD!!!
planetping (6:22:54 PM): GOOOOOOOOOOOODDDDD!!!
planetping (6:23:27 PM): nakalimutan ko
planetping (6:23:33 PM): before yung 3 ni casio
planetping (6:23:38 PM): may FG na naman si isip
planetping (6:23:41 PM): so now...
planetping (6:23:55 PM): 66-65 Lasalle
ej_paz (6:25:01 PM): time?
planetping (6:25:30 PM): 24.9 seconds
planetping (6:25:35 PM): this is it
planetping (6:25:40 PM): defense!!!
planetping (6:26:07 PM): FEU misses
planetping (6:26:15 PM): cardona the motherfucking rebound!!!
planetping (6:26:19 PM): penalty!!!
planetping (6:26:25 PM): AAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!
planetping (6:26:32 PM): 2 freethrows
ej_paz (6:26:34 PM): AAAAAAAAAAAAAh!!!!
planetping (6:26:37 PM): and 2 seconds to go
planetping (6:26:59 PM): tangina, ang ganda na ng lusot ni miranda, tapos umikot ikot yung bola sa ring
planetping (6:27:00 PM): di pumasok
planetping (6:27:05 PM): the drama...
ej_paz (6:27:14 PM): tangina pare!!!
planetping (6:27:26 PM): may chance pa FEU
ej_paz (6:27:28 PM): nanginginig yung mga kamay ko sa pag type.
planetping (6:27:30 PM): pero sana wag na
ej_paz (6:27:36 PM): timeout?
planetping (6:27:39 PM): yep
planetping (6:27:47 PM): cardona may 2 upcoming freethrows
planetping (6:27:52 PM): makes his first
planetping (6:27:54 PM):
planetping (6:27:59 PM): isarado mo na idol
planetping (6:28:14 PM): sarado!
planetping (6:28:38 PM): time runs out.. wala na timeouts FEU... ANIMO LASALLE!!!
planetping (6:28:38 PM): time runs out.. wala na timeouts FEU... ANIMO LASALLE!!!
planetping (6:28:39 PM): time runs out.. wala na timeouts FEU... ANIMO LASALLE!!!
planetping (6:28:40 PM): time runs out.. wala na timeouts FEU... ANIMO LASALLE!!!
ej_paz (6:29:15 PM): potah!!!! yeaaaaaaaah!
ej_paz (6:29:23 PM): ANIMO LASALLE!
planetping (6:30:35 PM): yiiii buuuoooooyyyyiiiii!!!
ej_paz (6:31:14 PM): yiiiiiiiiiii, mothafuckaaaaaaah!!!
planetping (6:32:15 PM): hooooyeeeaaah
planetping (6:35:06 PM): friendster bulleting board na toh!!!

De La Salle wins the Championship, 68-65. How sweet it is.

Ladies and Gentlemen...

...The Fantastic Four.

Clockwise from upper left: Ioan Gruffudd as Mr. Fantastic, Jessica Alba as The Invisible Woman, Chris Evans as The Human Torch, and Michael Chiklis as The Thing. Photos courtesy of Anti Hero Comics.