Thirty

December 15, 2008. My 30th birthday. I always thought about having a huge party on the roof or at the penthouse of a building, with a complete gig set for live rock and roll music, free-flowing beer and hard drinks, tons of people, and just all out fun.

So how did I spend my 30th birthday? I spent most of the day getting PLU fixed. Yes. On my 30th birthday I was at a car shop. This is actually by choice as I had really no extra money to spend on a party anyway, and a larger reason really was katamaran - I didn't want to do anything.

Mae Dei even dogged me for being corny and not "celebrating" my birthday like any other person would. On the other hand, she went absolutely crazy that I spent money on the car.

Anyway, I had PLU get all liquids flushed and then undergo a change oil (long overdue), replaced all spark plugs for a tune up, engine washed, foam washed, put in a new radiator coolant, replenished break fluids, fixed the headlights, replaced bulbs on the break lights, and replaced the worn down wipers.That is almost the equivalent of a human being getting a detox treatment. Which made me think: "Should I have gotten a detox at 30 for myself as well?"

The equivalent of a human detox.

Twilight

I didn't know that a vampire love story would work. But it did. I was afraid that it was going to be a cheesy-high-school-teenage-romance-angst-ridden-flick (think High School Musical meets Interview), but it wasn't. It was surprisingly good.
Also, there are new ideas to the vampire mythology from this book/movie that I found surprisingly pleasant - diamond skin, sunlight immunity, and "vampire vegetarians;" and a few others borrowed - unique powers to each vampire, and possibly rival wolves.


"It's like eating tofu for the rest of your life!"

Five Hundred

The Miami Heat is currently at .500 (7-7). Kudos to Wade for getting Eastern Conference Player of the week honors. In hindsight, I think you could have hoped for a better start to the season. Although, realistically speaking, I think they'll be hovering at around .500 for the rest of the season. As a fan, i'm really hoping for an 8 or 10 game above-500-finish . That'll put them at around the 5th or 6th seed in the east. However, at around .500, they can get either the 7th or 8th seed, or even lose out on the playoffs completely - remember, the East is much stronger now compared to previous seasons because of the emergence of the Hawks, Magic, Sixers, and New York; and even more consistently play from its powerhouses - Cavs, Pistons, Celtics.

Anyway, here are things to i've noticed from the season so far:
1. Miami NEEDS a real center. Too often they are just being overwhelmed with size.
2. Derrick Rose might edge out Beasley for ROY honors.
3. Chris Quinn suddenly becomes the second coming of Jason Kapono.
4. Shawn Marion will most probably be gone as soon as his contract expires. He seems too disinterested with how his team is playing.
5. Mario Chalmers will be a good point guard one or two years from now. Right now he is just.. inconsistent.
6. I don't know if James Jones and Jamal Magloire are the answer for Miami's bench woes.
7. Shaun Livingwho? Slowly turning out to be the Penny Hardawho incident.
8. Wade has been pretty amazing so far. I'm just worried he might be physically and mentally spent before the last two months of the season - where the schedule gets extremely tough and important playoff implications are abound.
9. Can't really be too sure if Spo has any effect on the players.
10. Wade might leave in 2010 if things don't turn around. Although I believe, he's happy right where he is, but he'll be aching for a superstar alongside him. Bosh, perhaps?

The Dark Knight Limited Edition DVD with Batpod

I just reserved myself a copy of The Dark Knight Limited Edition DVD with Batpod in Astrovision. This one is a bit pricey, around Php 2,750. (Note: It still won't be the priciest DVD box set we've bought. The Da Vinci Code Box Set DVD with Cryptex and the Ultimate Matrix DVD Gift Set are more expensive than this one.) Anyway, I believe that the Dark Knight DVD Set deserves to be one of the more expensive ones - the movie is that good and the box set looks just as awesome.

UPDATE: I just got the box set. I was really disappointed with how small the batpod was. Although the DVD content more than made up for it. The movie is, of course, exceptional - I have watched three times already since I got it. And I particularly liked the Gotham Tonight News Show in the Special Features disc. It featured a news show, discussing the state of Gotham and its well known residents as well as interviews with the characters themselves.

Bangkok Dangerous

Watched this on dibidi the other day.. Word of advice to anyone - AVOID THIS MOVIE AT ALL COSTS. Face it, this was no Hollywood-style big movie production. It was an asian flick so bad it felt like it was shot 30 years ago. You can sense that even Nicolas Cage didn't really want to be a part of this and that he may have been blackmailed to do this or something.

(EDIT: I was going to say that Bangkok Dangerous may have been the worst movie of the year. It is not. That title goes to Max Payne The Movie. Max Payne could have been worst movie of the decade if not for Olga Kurylenko.)

Laslas Convention

So this is what I look like as an EMONG. Disclaimer: Mae Dei put me up to this.

My Pain is Self Chosen

The whole tattooing experience was surreal. I knew there was going to be pain. As a matter of fact, I talked to a lot of people about the pain.

Some said that you get so psyched about the pain that when you first get "poked," you'll just be saying to yourself "Nah, it ain't that bad.."

Some said that it felt like tiny cutter blades scraping and actually peeling your skin, and then imagine that happening over and over again for more than an hour. Ouch.

The tattoo artist started with the outline of the characters and he used a needle with I think just one or two needle points. He started at the bottom character then worked his way up. It wasn't really that painful at first, however, I wasn't prepared for the shock that my body had to endure. When he was already outlining the second character from the bottom, I felt really lightheaded, my fingers and toes were going numb, my vision was blurring, and although I could still hear what they were saying, I felt my sense of hearing drop off a little. I was this close to passing out. I think that in about 5 seconds or more, I would have. Thankfully, I was able to call time out and asked for a break. They said that I looked extremely pale at that time - my skin was already porcelain white and my lips had absolutely no color. I can laugh about it right now, but that time was almost traumatic. (Actually, Mae Dei was laughing at me the entire time.) Anyway, I before I could totally pass out, I was able to lie down and rest for about 5 to 10 minutes. After I my head cleared up, I went at it again. He finished the outline for all four characters and then proceeded with shading inside the outlines. It is common belief that the tattooing of the outline is actually more painful than the shading. In my case, it was the exact opposite, the shading part was more painful. Way more painful. This time, he was using a needle with like 5 or 6 sharp needle points for the shading. The tattoo artist actually said: "More muscle less pain. More fat more pain." That was so true for me. I felt like the pain was everywhere. I guess one of the things I could be proud of was the reality that I did not pass out. I endured.

I was actually able to finish the entire session with just two more breaks - I had to pick up Seiichi from school and I had to eat something. He asked me at the beginning if I ate a full meal. And I did, just hours before. What I didn't realize was that all my strength will be sapped from my entire being because of the enduring pain. I actually felt hungry just after a few minutes of starting. So I ate bread and pasta in between.

After everything was done, I looked at my tattoo in the mirror and I was so hyped up. I couldn't believe that FINALLY I got a tattoo. I couldn't help myself from doing rockstar hand signs to myself in the mirror. It turned out to be awesome. I like my design. I like the fact that Seiichi's name will be forever part of my body. I like everything about it.

I paid the artist his fee which was 2,500 Pesos and I said to him "Pinakamasayang bayad ko 'to ng 2-5 sa buong buhay ko. Sobrang astig 'eh." We were both happy with how the tattoo turned out and I thanked him for the quality service.

In the end, I was so glad that I paid 2,500 pesos for the tattoo and 800 pesos for our car's tint - and not the other way around.

SE-I-CHI-KO Tats

A week ago, I was talking about the idea that sometimes cheap products are okay, but cheap services are often not. Little did I know that I would be going through this exact line of thought just a few days after. I mean, what better way to prove this point than to get a permanent skin tattoo. (I think I'm the first person to show an analogy between cheap car tints and permanent skin art.)

Anyway, I wanted to get a tattoo as early as college, but I just didn't have the right design in mind that would ultimately tell the story or at least an idea of who and what I am. And quite frankly, the thought of going through an hour or two of excruciating pain scared me.

A couple of months ago I decided on getting a tattoo of Seiichi's name on my arm. Thanks to Roy Rebong and Tara Enrile for their help on the Japanese Katakana symbols - I consider them trusted sources because they've been living in Japan for a good part of their life and they can read and write katakana.

I got my tattoo at the comfort of my own home. The tattoo artist, Engel Lucas, was referred by my good friend, Jobo Cataluna. Jobo had his first tattoo from Engel a few weeks back. This is the part where products versus services come in. The artist's service fee was relatively higher that other tattoo artists. I've seen Jobo's tattoo and I liked it. The black Alibata was very vivid and the way it was drawn was very good. I actually had a lot of choices when it came to whom and from what shop I will get my tattoo from. I was even quoted cheaper services by other shops, but since this is a major, major decision in one's life, I really wanted to be worked on by an artist whose work I have seen first hand and one who is recommended very strongly by his clients. It took almost a month of scheduling and rescheduling between me and the artist. And finally, yesterday, Monday October 6, we both had our schedules free up. The deed was to be done at around afternoon in our house at Village East. He arrived with his friend shortly after 1:00 PM. When I met him, I completely understood what Jobo was saying when he meant: "Okey gumawa ng trabaho yan." and "Madali kausap 'yan." He put me at ease right away and he shared stories of people passing out and peeing in their pants while getting a tattoo. I realize that last sentence may be paradoxical but I got the feeling from this person that he "understood it." He understood the feelings and decisions and spirituality involved in giving something as permanent as a tattoo. (I say "giving" because Engel does not have a single tattoo on himself! He says he has not yet fully visualized the tattoo that will describe him fully as a person. As for me, I totally get that - I liken that to the story about the town with only two barbers. One has a bad haircut and one has a nice haircut. Guess who you'll be choosing to get your haircut from? Exactly.) He also

He had a whole lot of stuff he brought with him - his big tattoo case with different colored inks (I think there may have been around 20 to 30 different color bottles), his two coil tattoo machine with a sort of like voltage regulator and a foot pedal connected to the whole contraption (probably to control the stick and poke of the needles), his needles were in clear plastic containers (that was opened in front of me), he had a lot of tissue paper, a lot of cotton balls, a lot of disposable gloves (for changing in between breaks), and a few liquid sprays that I did not get to ask what they were (he sprayed it on tissue paper he used to clean the skin while doing the tattoo). He also brought a few of his tattoo designs which were pretty amazing by the way.

So anyway, I started with me showing the design I wanted. He asked me beforehand if I already had a design or not. He was probably relieved to find out that I already had one and that I was already decided on it. He said that it usually takes 3 to 4 hours for a person to choose the design and even longer if the client needs to research a design. We printed out different sizes of the 4-character Katakana. After choosing the right scale, he stenciled it on what was probably carbon paper. He cleaned part of my arm with Betadine and alcohol, wiped deodorant material on it (for the outlined stencil to stick), asked me to stand up on my natural pose, pressed the paper on my arm, and "parang magic" the outline of my design was on my arm. The artist told me to look at the mirror and check if the position, scale, and everything else is right before the actual tattooing takes place. He said that we can redo the stencil if necessary. Anyway, I looked at it through the mirror for a couple of minutes, I was checking if everything is in the right place, and it was exactly where I wanted it to be.

Next Up: PAIN

Recent Movies Watched

Eagle Eye - It had a few references to I, Robot but the overall theme was masterfully crafted to something new and fresh, the action sequences were breathtaking, and had more than one of those "holy s#!t" moments, which is enough to make it one of the top ten movies of the year.

War, Inc. - Same old semi-futuristic theme of corporations taking over countries and funding wars for the weapons race. Nothing really worth noting here other than Hillary Duff dancing sexy on a table trying to seduce John Cusack.

Martian Child - I guess since we all have that "loner" gene inside of us and at one time or another we felt no one understood us as kids, most of us can probably relate to this movie. A sobering look at a father and child relationship but really nothing extravagant or more than that.

Nim's Island - An adventure story from two points of view (Jodie Foster and that Little Miss Sunshine kid) with their struggle to meet at Nim's Island and save each other. I was surprised I finished this movie in its entirety. I didn't really expect much so I guess the plot and the script were engaging.

Righteous Killed

SAGWA. You can't blame anyone for being excited about this movie. De Niro and Pacino. That's Vito and Michael Corleone for alla youse! I was thinking that at best this movie could almost reach Godfather levels, at worst it'd be Michael Mann's Heat. Besides, I thought that these two wouldn't sign up for a bad script let alone a bad movie.
I was so wrong. Yes, they still had the presence of acclaimed greatness and they brought "it." But that was about it. Everything fell apart. It was badly written. It was predictable. It was below average. Turns out that even the Heat comparison was a stretch. SAYANG. It seemed like they used up most of the budget for the two actors. There was absolutely nothing about the script, cinematography, and directing that was worthy to be tagged as the next De Niro and Pacino flick. The sad thing is: they could have used different actors and maybe it wouldn't have sucked as much because you weren't going to expect anything. Sagwa because they could have made the movie much better although not by much; Sayang because we know a lot of other movie ideas and scripts out there are better than this.

Super Black The Exception

I had PLU (or Knight Rider: K.I.T.T. as RyanA calls it) tinted. In the same lines as my Brand X post last march, I looked around briefly for an affordable car tinting shop that could offer a relatively good service. There was one such shop within the grounds of Makro Cainta that offered a "Tint Promo" for only Php 800. This was only for a generic tint (no brand) and the place seemed reputable and the tint men were very accomodating.

I considered a branded Solargard tint from this place as well, but they didn't have it in "Super Black" and it was more than 3 times as pricey than the generic one. I really wanted a Super Black tint anyway because I didn't want my passengers to be seen inside, I don't like the heat/sun, and Super Black matched my car's jet black finish. My friend, Ian Tecson, also advised me to go with scratch-proof tint so that it won't break down after years of closing and opening windows. So ultimately, with the help of MaeDei and Drei, I decided to go the Tint Promo route for 800 pesos for a generic-semi-scratch-proof-Super-Black tint at the sides and back. No tint for the windshield (yet) as it is unadvisable to tint it black for safety reasons. (You wouldn't see shit even if you had HIDs and branded tints.)

I realize now that my affinity for cheap working products does not always turn out to be sunny, so to speak. The finished product turned out HIDEOUS. The tint had a lot of those "dreaded bubbles" at the sides and top part of the windows and at the back there were even a few hints of peeling. I guess my fault was that I brought the car around 5:00 in the afternoon and it was already dark when they finished; plus it rained around the time they were finishing up.

So I brought it back the very next day, and since they were working on another car they advised me to return the next day. I had assurances from the tint men and the owner of the shop that they will work on it first thing. So the day after that, I returned and they did a do-over on the back windows and they tried to "hagod" all the bubbles out of existence. Well, the tint job improved but not a whole lot. It improved only on the do-overs and not the hagods. The freakin' bubbles were still there. My windows had like these constellations of small bubbles everywhere. I felt like an astronomer trying to look for the Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.

After the tint men were done, I asked "Wala na ba magagawa diyan sa mga bubbles na yan? Ang dami eh. Sayang pa-tint ko kung ganyan kalalabasan." In the end, I heard phrases from the tint men along the lines of "Wala na, sir" and "Ganyan talaga ang tinting hindi perpekto" and "Kahit mga brand new na sasakyan may mga bubbles talaga, kahit tignan niyo pang mabuti sa iba." Okay, so I went off pissed and I guess being upset and disappointed are a few ways of putting it lightly.

But to tell you honestly, this experience enlightened me. There was still a silver lining around the time and money lost. I analyzed this situation and then it dawned on me. I was ready to give up on Brand X products, but then I realized: There is nothing wrong with Brand X products, it is Brand X services that you have to worry about.

I'm sure a whole lot of other tinting shops could have done way better with the exact same Super Black tint than what these guys did. Yeah sure, you get what you pay for in terms of the quality of the product. But a little research and effort could help you with decisions on different Brand X products and you are not limited with just choosing the expensive brands. With cheap services, however, it maybe an entirely different story. You KNOW you are not getting anything nearly as good. And more often than not, your expectations will not be met.

So I have a new lesson to learn and impart: Brand X products = sometimes okay. Brand X services = often not okay.

Pack Everything!

I didn't know we brought that with us.

We recently moved from Marikina to Cainta and we asked our yayas to help out with packing our things. I told them to put a label on the plastic bags and boxes so that it will be easier to transport and organize over at the new house. Guess what? Click on the picture for a better view of the plastic bag label.

Death Chart

Pending other preseason transactions, this is what Miami's depth chart will probably look like at the beginning of the season:

C - Blount / Magloire / Anthony / Mourning*
PF - Haslem / Beasley / Padgett
SF - Marion / J. Jones / Wright
SG - Wade / Cook / Diawara
PG - Quinn / Chalmers / Banks

With the recent signing of Magloire, it seems that Riles will be playing the center position by committee. It is not necessarily a bad thing, sometimes that approach works. But given that most of the Eastern Conference contenders had strengthened their 4 and 5 positions, and the fact that Miami will be pinning its postseason hopes on Blount's offense, Magloire's defense, and Mourning's health - the season will certainly look bleak.

Now, what about point guards? I can't even begin to imagine that Pat Riley is done dealing. He has been able to get quality point guards in the free agency in the past, so yes, I trust him. Its just that all the guards are getting signed by other teams. Who is left anyway? Livingston? Stoudamire? Gordon?? Urrghh.. I hope that Miami does the right thing or signs the "right" guard - whoever that may be.
In Riles We Trust.

Of course, its not all bad. The two, three, and four positions are loaded with talent. They can score on anybody and defend anyone.
We got shooters to spread the floor: Cook and Jones;
Defensive stoppers: Marion, Diawara, Wright, and Haslem (add Wade if he's not spent on offense);
Slashers: Wade and Marion,
Natural scorers: Wade and Cook, and;
Young legs, a ton of potential, and a lot of rebounds: Beasley.

My prediction? 8th or even 7th in the East. But it will mainly boil down to health and chemistry - two things that seemed to lack last season's heinous regular season run.

I Wantss It

The Angas-Factor of this ride is off the hook! I want a 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer. I WANT a 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer. I'd sell my left nut for one of these.

After VRUSKO, I promised I'd swear off of Mitsubishi cars. (Not that I can afford a new car anyway.) But check this motherfucker out. It's like a poor man's Dodge Charger SRT8!

Shake Yer Head (In Disappointment)

By now, you must have heard the news that the Eraserheads Reunion Concert did not finish because mister big shot Ely Buendia happened to have chest pains that made him unable to finish the rest of the set. When his sister was delivering the message to the crowd that his brother is on his way to the hospital and that the concert will not continue, I was thinking to myself, "So... they decided that THIS would be the best possible ending." I think that this is a conspiracy, I mean think about it, what better way for the band to end it? Keep the crowd hanging for more.. Go out with a bang (of sorts).. Be the story of the month.. Be the story of the year.. Possibly.

Even if it wasn't a conspiracy, and even if it did happen according to fate and not some human deus ex machina, I left disappointed.

(UPDATE: When the organizers asked for a minute of silence for prayers about Ely's condition. Everyone was silent. Everyone. Which may indicate that I am in the minority regarding this conspiracy thing. Okay, I knew that I was going to be in the minority about this thing. But I'm not writing this just to stand out and be against the flow (like this). I'm writing this for myself and because this is what I felt and this is what I thought probably happened.)

Also, about the organizers, I was half-hoping that they'd announce that they would return the half of the ticket price or something like that. Naive. Haha. I even heard a few people commenting that: "Humingi kasi ng group-hug eh, ayan, inatake tuloy."

Before I am judged, I want you guys to know that I really, really wanted this to work out. I really wanted this to be an amazing night. (For the should-have-been-first-half, it was.) Please keep in mind that I have a number of things invested in this concert. Aside from the money that we spent for the tickets, there's this little thing to note that one of the band members is the biological father of my eldest daughter. (Syd is 6 years old, and yes, we are open about it.) And to add to that, I am truly a FAN of the Eraserheads. Probably 8 out of the first 10 songs that Andrei, Robert, and I learned to play together as band was an E-Heads song -probably like most other bands of our generation. Anyway, during the concert, I was singing my heart out and I absolutely enjoyed myself. My wife and I were with great people (Drei, Chel, Gail, and Che). I was constantly teasing my wife about her "past love." Hehe. We rocked out. We were absolutely eager and excited for the next set. Then came the message...

UPDATE: What made me more disappointed was this e-mail I received from my good buddy, Ken, who was at the concert as well. The following may or may not be true, it was quoted from a blog (here is the link). It will make you wonder though, what we could have missed if there really was a second part. Here is an excerpt:

We were all supposed to dance the Huling El Bimbo with a fantastic fireworks display. It was going to be the perfect song to end a perfect concert.I know because my sister said so. She was one of the band's PAs (guess which one!) and was there during the production meetings. On Sunday morning, as we gathered for our family lunch, she told us what was supposed to go down during the Eheads concert.The first set went exactly as planned, except of course for Ely's collapse. To refresh your memory, these are the songs we heard:

1. Alapaap

2. Ligaya

3. Sembreak

4. Hey Jay

5. Harana

6. Fruitcake

7. Toyang

8. Kama Supra

9. Kailan

10. Wag Kang Matakot

11. Kaliwete

12. With A Smile

13. Shake Yer Head

14. Wag Mo Nang Itanong

15. Lightyears

During the second set, the band was to sing ten more songs, in this order:

1. Maskara

2. Poor Man's Grave

3. Torpedo

4. Trip to Jerusalem

5. Back To Me

6. walang Nagbago

7. Maling Akala

8. Tikman

9. Spoliarium

10.Magasin

When Magasin was to be played, the screen behind them would have montages of various news and magazine clippings of them. It would flash alternately with shots of the band and audience until the song reached the coda where Ely sings "...ay centerfold ka naaaa...woo hoo-hoo, haaa-haaa" part of the song. Then there would be fire works and a fountain of sparks, going on til the last note of the song. Then the hydraulic stage would be lowered and the band would make a "fake ending". The lights would then go out. My sister said the band would wait til the crowd chanted "more". "It would take two beers' worth of chanting "more" she said. Then in the darkness, a very dramatic keyboard solo would be heard, and it would be the opening chords of Para Sa Masa.The hydraulic stage would rise again and there they would be.After Para Sa Masa, they'd switch into Overdrive. With the crowd pumped within an inch of insanity they were to hit us with Pare Ko. And then we would slow down and reminisce with Minsan.Finally, they would perform Huling El Bimbo. Again, after the last refrain, at the coda (la la la laaa...) the grand fireworks display would go off, fountains of light surrounding the stage. The next la-la-la parts would see fireworks from behind the general admissions section, and as the song ended there would be a burst of confetti all over the audience. Then the hydraulic stage would be lowered for the final exit.

Those were the plans for the Ultraelectromagnetic night. It may not have happened as planned but at least we knew they were going to give us a show we would never forget!We asked my sister if the band knew about all these plans and she said they did. In fact they were so excited about all the gimmicks and couldn't wait to party with the audience. "Nag-usap pa nga sila kung may mga kailangang saluhin na kanta just in case (di na kaya ni Ely)," she said. "And Ely said, hindi, Kakanta ako!"

I'm putting out an order to the Universe that we all get to watch the second set!

So what do I make of this? Do we hope for a "free" concert like originally reported? Probably. But I wouldn't want me and Mae Dei in the middle of that crowd. She being pregnant and all. Sobrang dami na nga ng tao last concert eh, dun pa kaya sa libre. But on the other hand, would I pay for another concert that I was already supposed to have paid for already?

Will Marcus, Raimund, Buddy, and Ely do it again? Will we ever get to see them play El Bimbo and Magasin together? Will there ever be another band as iconic as Eraserheads?

Will they treat us to a group hug?

Speed Racer

Bad:

Cinematography - A movie of this scale should have had more wide shots. Instead, zooming in from close-up to close-up to another close-up to yet another close-up will almost make you nauseous.

Racing Physics - Okay, it was more like spinning rather than racing. The cars spin almost always during races. Intended spinning. The race felt like the cars were on ice with absolutely no traction. I particularly like the car battles, but these lightweight cars seemed indestructible.

Good:

Color Palette - It reminded me of Nickelodeon's Lazy Town. Which is somewhat a good thing. Seiichi loved that show and the hues always made us relax.

Roger Allam (Mr. Royalton) and Paulie Litt (Spritle Racer) - Great acting. They were more memorable than Speed Racer himself.

Bottom Line: Even if you're a fan of the original animated series, it's not the end of the world if you happen to miss this movie. Anyway, watch this movie when you have nothing to do on a Sunday afternoon and you just want to sit back on your couch. Just block it from your mind that this is a Wachowski movie and you're all set.

Hypermile Your Life

I just came across an amazing article in Wikipedia and Wikihow. It's about Hypermiling.

Hypermiling is a term used in North America that refers to a set of techniques used to maximize fuel economy. Those who practice the techniques are referred to as "hypermilers."

Ever since I've read these articles, I've been practicing common techniques to save fuel like idling, drafting, and braking techniques. It is almost a habit now. Everytime I step behind the wheel, I think - "Hypermile my car, Hypermile my life."

Tisyong, ikaw na ba yan?

If you look closely at the picture above, you can see the two distinct purple lines forming in the marked indicators of the pregnancy kit. That could mean only one thing: Mae Dei and I are expecting our third child! I'm so excited, I can't even begin to explain! Happy times and crazy times ahead!
I don't want to get ahead of myself but, we already have a name for a baby boy (a Star Wars character) although we're undecided yet on a name for a baby girl (we have an idea but it's not set in stone yet).
This is not really unexpected. We've been talking about having another baby for almost a year now. We, however, could have made some preparations/techniques/methods to make sure we have a boy this time. Yep, you heard me right - we could have at least done more to increase the chance of conceiving a baby boy (we have two girls). Believe it or not, there are dietary recommendations, temperature and time of day considerations, Chinese birth calendar guides (Lunar), astrological guides (Sun, Moon, and Zodiac), and a number of myths and other scientific tips for this. A quick Google search will give almost all the information you need.

Quick Movie Reviews

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor - It was a fairly good movie. Much like the other Mummy movies, it was action-packed and had a relatively engaging plot. However, you can tell that not having Rachel Weisz play the role of Evey had a negative impact to the overall feel of the movie. It just wasn't as refreshing without her. Anyway, this is an easy call, The Mummy Returns is still the best out of of all three Mummy movies.

The Dark Knight - It IS the best superhero movie in the history of film. Great special effects, cinematography, acting, story, and plot. Bad Batman voice. Nothing that will revolutionize the entire film industry, but it does stake claim to the best superhero film ever. Pending Snyder's Watchmen that is.

Felon - Nothing to see here. Please move along.

You Don't Mess With the Zohan - This may very well be the worst Adam Sandler movie.

Hancock - This movie got so many bad reviews from either friends or critics, I watched it without any expectations at all. Turns out it wasn't really that bad - it was an "okay" popcorn movie. Which means, watch it if you don't want to think about what you're seeing.

Impact Point - "A sexy volleyball thriller." - without sex.

Kung-Fu Panda - A measure of how good an animated movie for children is the children themselves. I watched this with my two daughters and within 15 minutes, they were already doing something else.

Pathology - "Mga doktor lang makaka-appreciate nyan..." - my wife

Rescue Dawn - Christian Bale actually agreed to do this movie? Elton Brand (professional basketball player and movie producer) must really have some deep pockets.

Harold and Kumar: Escapa from Guantanamo Bay - If you liked the first one, you'll like this one. Other than that, same same. Rob Cordry was exceptionally funny here, by the way.

Hot Rod - The highlight of the entire movie was the "punch dancing" scene. If not for anything else, you may see this movie just for that.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall - This is actually one of the funniest movies of the year. But why did it have so many dick shots?

New Ville Rant

We moved from Marikina to Cainta a month ago. I definitely miss Longhorn, I grew up there, actually, I spent my entire 29 years at that place - not just a house but a home. The new village in Cainta is "okay," but far from perfect.
Consider this: the apartment is a full two kilometers away from the gate - that translates to around half a liter of gasoline just to travel to the gate and return, and don't even get me started on gas prices. Between the gate and the apartment, you have to go through no less than 10 road humps. Think about that for a minute. Ten humps. In a distance of 2 kilometers. Ten! And these aren't even nicely curved road humps. These are broken down, really high, suspension breaking road humps where you have to completely stop to go over them. Its like their purpose is not to slow down vehicles but rather to BREAK them. On a stick shift, you can't even go on fourth or fifth gear because the humps are positioned unevenly every 200 meters or so. I have to endure this EVERY day. Not to mention the traffic you have to go through outside the village to get to anywhere.
Another thing that is not helping is that stray animals are everywhere. In just a single month, I have already injured three dogs and a cat, by running over them on the road. (Disclaimer: I may or may ot have killed some of them) Honestly, I sincerely did not mean to hurt these "pets." Everyone has gone through this. It was like the dogs had no idea what to do when they saw headlights - i'm gonna cross, no i'm not gonna cross, i'm gonna cross, no i'm not gonna cross... i'm gonna... (insert non-offensive sound text of something hitting a car). This is the difference between Cainta and Marikina. In Marikina, the stray pet law (or whatever they call it) is strictly enforced. Strictly enforced. All stray animals are caught and caged and all pets are registered in each barangay. They have people going around the city JUST for this purpose. If you've been to Marikina, you'd see that there are absolutely no stray animals anywhere.
Anyway, things aren't really not dire. This village has a lot of positives as well. The apartment, although small, is very homey. Seiichi's school is just two blocks away from the apartment. This school is really nice and not that expensive. Syd is much nearer now to Assumption Antipolo and her school bus got a lot cheaper. The clubhouse has a swimming pool. The inihaw food you can buy around the village is really, really good. The village is nearer to malls and is nearer to Ortigas and to Eastwood (although not really a lot). And my wife's bestfriend lives on the same village.
At the end of the day, the thing that is mostly on my mind is - Until when will we keep on renting an apartment and when will we get a house of our own?
That is an entirely different chapter by itself.

D-Wade is back?

He has been tearing it up at the Olympics. Showing off his natural athleticism and the explosiveness that gave Miami their first championship in franchise history. I particularly liked this quote from Zo: "I see him as a MVP candidate this year and I told him that a goal of his should be to on first team all-defense and there is no reason he shouldn't be there." All-defense first team is not a stretch for Wade. He was the best shot blocking guard in the entire league a couple of years back (if you consider Josh Smith a forward).
So is D-Wade back? Not until he shows up healthy on the first day of the regular season and plays all 82 games.

James Jones

From the RealGM Wiretap:

"The Miami Heat announced today that they have signed free agent guard/forward James Jones. Per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. Jones, 6’8”, 220 pounds, shot 44.4 percent from three-point range last season finishing with the third-best mark in the NBA. The five-year NBA veteran appeared in 58 games (three starts) for the Portland Trail Blazers last season and averaged 8.0 points and 2.8 rebounds in 22.0 minutes while shooting 43.7 percent from the field and 87.8 percent from the foul line. He shot at least 50 percent from beyond the arc 31 times with his best effort coming on April 15 as he tied his single-game career-high with six three-point field goals made."

Good FA signing, he can be the James Posey type player Miami used to have - coming off the bench, hitting open shots, and being a decent defender. Besides, he loves to play in Miami as this is his hometown.
BUT: The Heat's track record for signing shooters has not been really good except for Jason Kapono. And why do I get the nagging feeling that he'll be another Wesley Person, or worse, a Smush Parker? I hope to high heaven i'm wrong and he doesn't turn out like either of them.
Anyway, so what happens to Ricky Davis and Dorrell Wright now?

No-Jay Mayo

So the Heat did get Beasley in the draft. Three things come to mind:
1. Are they expecting Marion to bolt after next season?
2. Who will be Miami's starting PG?
3. Is Riley done dealing?
Overall, I think it was a great draft day for Miami. ESPN's Chad Ford even gave the highest mark this year - an A+ team draft grade.
Also, from an interview, Pat Riles said that it was an "easy" decision for Miami and that they wanted Beasley all along. That's unfathomable from all the drama they created by, publicly appearing to be high on Mayo and working out Bayless on the last day before the draft. Anyway, it's a good thing Beasley will be staying (hopefully). I just can't see either Mayo or Bayless turning into good to great players.

Recent DVDs Watched

1. Be Kind Rewind - (Jack Black, Mos Def) - Started with a lot of promise, ended up being forgettable.

2. Forbidden Kingdom - (Jacky Chan, Jet Li) - Everyone involved in this movie must have gone to the cliche-till-you-die festival.

3. Pathfinder - (Karl Urban, Moon Bloodgood) - It had potential as a serviceable popcorn movie, but it failed even that.

4. Shinobi: Heart Under Blade - (Yukie Nakama, Joe Odagiri) - It had a few cheap references to Ninja Scroll I have to admit - but this movie was masterfully done. Buy the DVD or download if you have the chance.

5. Never Back Down - (Sean Faris, Cam Gigandet) - Another cliche-fest, but being an MMA fan, I actually finished the movie in its entirety without ejecting the DVD - which is a good thing for a movie I expected little of.

Incredi-Bulok and Tony Starr

I just saw the new Hulk movie a couple of days ago. First off, i'd like to say that before actually seeing it, I realized that two of my favorite actors were going to be playing hero and villain. The idea of Norton and Roth squaring off against each other just made my expectations for the movie shoot up to almost Dark Knight levels. It could have been a blessing or it could have been a curse.
In reality, it was both. Even though I had no expectations on Leterrier's directing, the acting and overall theme of the movie was really good. It clearly was better than Ang Lee's. The problem with making movies with the Hulk was inherent in the character of the Hulk itself.
The Hulk is relatively a shallow character. He gets angry, he turns green, he smashes things. There's not much else to it really.
On the other hand, you can focus on Bruce Banner's persona who is a much deeper character on so many levels. The thing with that is - who's going to want to watch a movie that's 90% banner and 10% Hulk?
Anyway, I had a few ideas that could have added to the entertainment value - like an insane sex scene with Betty Ross (Banner pulling out just as he turns green completely!), the Hulk's Sonic Clap rips tanks (and people!) in half, Abomination getting bigger as he gets angrier and at the same time hooks himself up with abomination-grade military weapons!
Bottom line, I think the recent Hulk movie was as good as you can ever get to tell the story of Bruce Banner and the Incredible Hulk.
But why did it feel like the highlight of the movie was Tony Stark's appearance at the end?

LATE PERCEPTION OF REALITY!!

Drei Corops: ay pare may kasama ako dito sa bahay ikalawang lalake lang na kilala ko na normal medyo gago pero mahilig sa science na hayok gaya natin
Drei Corops: may sinabi sya sakin DEHIN KO PA ALAM
Drei Corops: nakakatuwa may marinig na bago
Filip Sabio: ano
Drei Corops: nabasa raw nya sa websayt....according to COGNITIVE SCIENCE
Drei Corops: lahat ng senses natin MAY LAG
Drei Corops: mga 1/10 of a second
Drei Corops: so nape-perceive natin ang BUONG REALITY
Drei Corops: na medyo LATE!!
Filip Sabio: one tenth? talaga... parang ambagal nun ah
Drei Corops: lahat daw..touch, sight, sound
Drei Corops: baka mali sya sa numero
Drei Corops: duda ako sa numero
Filip Sabio: alam ko hayok mga neurons natin sa tulin
Filip Sabio: halos speed of light
Drei Corops: oo hayok...feeling ko mali pagkaalala nya
Drei Corops: pero may lag pa rin realistic yon
Drei Corops: nakakatuwa yung idea na since lahat ng senses may lag...e di tangina HULI tayo sa lahat
Drei Corops: huli sa realidad ng todo konting mga units of time
Drei Corops: malamang dehin 1/10
Drei Corops: pero naniniwala ako sa general lag ..."late perception of reality"
Filip Sabio: pero ambilis mag process ng utak natin
Filip Sabio: hehe
Drei Corops: oo nagcocompensate..pero yung point daw ng documentary...
Filip Sabio: ano
Drei Corops: pag daw naenhance ng science ang senses natin...may advantage tayo sa mga normal na tao
Drei Corops: parang spiderman spider sense
Filip Sabio: putah
Drei Corops: kasi nauuna
Filip Sabio: sino nakaka achieve nyan
Drei Corops: haha
Filip Sabio: or theoretical sense
Drei Corops: wala theory lang
Filip Sabio: tangina ano yon maikli mga nerves hahaha
Drei Corops: isipin mo pare..SA TOTOO LANG NASUNTOK KA NA pero ang alam ng buong kaluluwa mo PALANDING PA LANG YUNG SAPAK
Drei Corops: hahaha
Drei Corops: kung alam mo na masusuntok ka na makakaiwas ka
Drei Corops: ang ineexplain kasi OA sa generalized lag
Filip Sabio: baliktad
Drei Corops: baliktad ba
Filip Sabio: akala mo palanding pa lng yung suntok
Drei Corops: ay oo baliktad
Filip Sabio: este
Drei Corops: nakakalito
Filip Sabio: nasuntok ka na
Drei Corops: ayujn yung sabi ko jhehehe
Filip Sabio: este
Drei Corops: tama yung una ko
Drei Corops: nasuntok ka na pero dahil alam mo yun..pwede mong unahan....tangina parang metaphysical world
Drei Corops: ineexplain na magiging parang minority report man ka
Drei Corops: may future sense!!
Filip Sabio: pero in reality
Filip Sabio: dein future yon
Drei Corops: yun daw yung goal...tapso sabi daw malamang mga futureman gaya ni nostradamus hayok lang daw ang awareness
Filip Sabio: it is da "now"
Filip Sabio: pero pano ka mauuna sa reality
Drei Corops: oo parang ganon. Tanginang konsepto yun actually pang "high"
Filip Sabio: bwahahaha
Filip Sabio: pang sabog
Drei Corops: oo pare hehehe pero may tawag daw yjung field of study na yon....andun yung words na cognitive saka science saka perception of reality
Drei Corops: yung kwento sakin bitin bitin e
Drei Corops: pag lumapit sayo opismeyt mo sigaw ka ALAM KO NA ANG SASABIHIN MO KASI SA TOTOO LANG NASABI MO NA
Drei Corops: pero hindi mo pa alam na nasabi mo na
Filip Sabio: hahaha
Drei Corops: applicable lang yata yun kung ga-5 mins yung lag
Filip Sabio: kung may spyware utak mo
Drei Corops: pare sa opinion ko masyadong maliit yung lag to the point na no significant difference na pag nag statistics ka
Filip Sabio: ganon siguro lag
Filip Sabio: ahaha
Drei Corops: eh yung brontosaurus theory nakwneot ko na sayo
Filip Sabio: google ko nga
Filip Sabio: daynasor?
Drei Corops: may mga paleontologists pare sabi nila primitibo daw yung nerves ng mga dinosor..may possiblity na OA sa bagal pagtravel ng senses don. Baka pag pinutol mo buntot ng mahabang brontosaurus...tangina mamayang hapon pa sya aaray
Filip Sabio: hahahahahahahaha
Drei Corops: sobrang tanga na nila non hahaha
Filip Sabio: tangina sakit ng tyan ko
Filip Sabio: hahahahaha
Drei Corops: kasi hindi pa nageevolve to fullest potential ang nervous systsem!!
Drei Corops: naniniwala ako dun!!
Drei Corops: HAHAHAHHAHA
Drei Corops: nabanggit na rin yun ng ibang tao nakalimutan ko basta may theory na ganon..may kinalaman sa coating ng mga nerve cells
Drei Corops: hahahahaha
Filip Sabio: baka malayo yung mga synaptic gaps in between brain cells
Filip Sabio: hahaha
Drei Corops: ayun na nga kasama na yon hahaha
Filip Sabio: may problema dun pare
Drei Corops: ano prablem
Drei Corops: ay pwede sila sa LAG THEORY OF REALITY
Filip Sabio: pano yung mga involuntary moevment ng mga organs and muscles
Drei Corops: hmmm sa "senseation" lang ata applicable
Drei Corops: feeling ang pinapagusapan nila e
Drei Corops: hindi motor
Drei Corops: baka mabilis na motor
Drei Corops: pero mabagal sensory
Filip Sabio: eh pano kung natatae yung daynasor pare
Filip Sabio: after three days
Filip Sabio: makikita na lng nya yung bahay nya
Drei Corops: solb yan problem na yan pag conclude mo na sensory is slow motor is fast
Filip Sabio: puro tae na
Drei Corops: HAHAHAHAHAHA oo nga
Filip Sabio: yun nga
Drei Corops: "ay natatae pala ako"
Filip Sabio: "natatae ako" - bronto
Drei Corops: "ay wala na pala akong buntot!! yare!! AAAAAA"
Filip Sabio: isa pang problema dun pare
Drei Corops: haha ano pa tangian natatawa ako dito hahahahaha
Filip Sabio: kunyari kakain sya ng jurassic leaves
Filip Sabio: nakita nya yung plants pare
Drei Corops: tapos hahaha
Filip Sabio: tangina kelangan nya magdasal na kapag kakagatin na nya yun
Filip Sabio: andun pa
Drei Corops: HAHAHAHA
Filip Sabio: yung leaves
Drei Corops: baka naman sa BUNTOT lang applicable yung theory
Filip Sabio: kse maaaring hinangin na or wat
Drei Corops: malapit naman yung mata sa brain
Drei Corops: hahahaha
Filip Sabio: bwahahahaha
Drei Corops: kaya siguro buntot ginamit na example
Filip Sabio: putangina
Filip Sabio: tanginang theory only for buntot
Drei Corops: tangina natatawa ako
Drei Corops: hahahahaha
Drei Corops: TAIL-ONLY LAG THEORY FOR BRONTO!
Filip Sabio: hahahahaha
Filip Sabio: putangina
Drei Corops: tapos pang mahabang dinosor lang
Drei Corops: tapos pang mahabang dinosor lang
Filip Sabio: baka naman kse OA din tayo hahahaha
Drei Corops: baka hindi naman maghapon yiung lag!
Filip Sabio: baka naman yung lag nya ay seconds or tenth of a second lng naman
Filip Sabio: hahahaha
Drei Corops: hahahha palagay ko hahahahahah
Drei Corops: so bale parang "slow reaction" lang ang datin
Drei Corops: dating
Filip Sabio: pero solid yon pare kung mamayang hapon pa
Filip Sabio: everything will register
Drei Corops: tangina sinaksak mo na sa puso
Drei Corops: namatay na...dehin naramdaman! kasi hindi umabot sa hapon!
Filip Sabio: tangina isipin mo
Filip Sabio: papahinga ka lng
Filip Sabio: kumakain ka ng leaves
Drei Corops: tapos
Filip Sabio: biglang split second dedbol ka na
Filip Sabio: kse kanina ka pa pala namamatay
Drei Corops: kasi nasaksak ka nung umaga?
Drei Corops: HAHAHHAHHA
Drei Corops: pano kiung kanina pa pala sya PATAY!!
Drei Corops: LATE PERCEPTION OF REALITY!!

Beasley?

The Miami Heat got the second overall pick in the next draft. Widely considered as a two-man draft for Michael Beasley and Derrick Rose, this takes the pressure off of Riles to draft the "right" player. Essentially, it all boils down to who Chicago doesn't pick.
Here is where things get complicated for my dream: Rose-Wade-Marion combo. Because now, I think the Bulls will ultimately choose Rose over Beasley. Although most mock drafts are picking Beasley for Chicago (basically because the Bulls need an inside scorer), I still think they'll choose Rose, a Chicago native, for an upgrade over Kirk Hinrich, who disappeared the entire season last year.
Hopefully, i'm not entirely wrong about this, just like a quarter of my conference finals picks, and Chicago chooses Beasley. What's more there has been talk of the Heat trading the second pick if they don't get Derrick Rose, because they appear to be "not sold" on Beasley's commitment. That'll be a disaster. Unless they get someone like Brand or Okafor or a productive 4-guy out of that trade, it'll be one of the worst draft day trades ever.
On the other hand, you really can't go wrong with Beasley anyway. He's extremely athletic and will be a career 20+ scorer and 8+ rebounder in the NBA, and those are conservative numbers. What if he shows up for training camp motivated and just wanting to dominate? That'll be something to see.




Michael Beasley

The WTF Story of the Month

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3378730

What the f...?!

Team Building - Prince Square Resort

Ampopogi ah... Mga ungas.


And now, the end is near...


Bakit ngayon ka lang? Blanket, bayong, kalan.


Dora and Boots


FHM 01


FHM 02


Uso pa ba ang harana?


Papalamang ba'ko sa bidyoke???


Huhhhhh?


Konti na lang ah.. (si Harana nasa background)


Jaboom Twins. Jaja and Boom-boom.


Almu-chow


Ihaw-ihaw. Panalo!


Team Melvin


Team Roshee


Team Willand


Uwian na? Tulog naman.

Upsets? Unlikely - but I can hope...

Boston - Atlanta, Detroit - Philadelphia: both tied at 2 games a-piece. Upsets in the making? Highly unlikely. I think both series will be done by Game 6 - although only one can hope they go seven or an upset really does happen:

These are my "dream" second round and conference finals match-ups:

East Second Round:
Cleveland - Atlanta
Orlando - Philadelphia
East Finals:
Atlanta - Philadelphia (Ultimate Battle of the Underdogs!)

West Second Round:
LA Lakers - Utah
San Antonio - New Orleans
West Finals:
San Antonio - Utah

But these will most-likely be the second round and conference finals match-ups:

East Second Round:
Boston (2) - Cleveland (4) (Doc Rivers will mess this one up, definitely.)
Detroit (4) - Orlando (1) (Unless Howard averages 40-30, this'll be Detroit's series to lose)
East Finals:
Cleveland - Detroit

West Second Round:
LA Lakers (4) - Utah (3) (Utah has the better starting five, but it won't be Kobe who will be the difference maker, it'll be Gasol)
San Antonio (4) - New Orleans (2) (Chris Paul is good, but his team won't have an answer for Ginobili)
West Finals:
San Antonio - LA Lakers

Pinoy Coach

Did you know that new Miami Heat coach Eric Spoelstra is half-Filipino? Eric is the son of an American father and a Filipino mother (Spoelstra is proud of his Filipino roots). He joined the Heat's staff as a video coordinator 13 years ago. Now, he takes over the reins as the new Miami Heat Head Coach with Riley announcing his stepping down from the coaching job (Pat Riley will still be president of operations for the Heat).
I have to say that I am very excited about the Heat next season. The possibility of either Beasley or Rose or Lopez joining, Wade and Marion fully rested, a Filipino coach, and no expectations. I honestly believe that the Heat will be back into playoff contention next year and possibly contend for the championship one or two years down the road.


Eric Spoelstra

Looking Forward to the Lottery

Since Miami has been officially out of the playoff picture for quite some time now, I can't help but be a scout-slash-NCAA-brackets-aficionado for the time being. There is a possibility that the Heat will get the overall pick. Actually they have the best chance of getting the overall pick for next draft (becasue of their current W-L record), but if history says anything, they'll probably be picking between 2 and 5.
So that got me to visiting different web resources checking out who is eligible for the draft, who is the projected top pick, other projected lottery picks, as well as some gameplay videos of these players. This thing also got me watching NCAA games even closer than before. Out of all the lottery picks i've "scouted," three players stood out with their talent and potential. Not surprisingly, these three are projected to go 1, 2, and 3 in the draft.

Michael Beasley (6'10" PF Kansas State Freshman)- he has been the consensus #1 pick among sportswriters and scouts. I see him sort of like a player with Shawn Marion's athleticism, Ray Allen's shooting, and Elton Brand's strength down low. Those are either the 2, 3, and 4 positions you can immediately fill when you draft this kid. The thing I keep hearing about him though, is his work ethic and that sometimes he coasts through entire games. Which is probably why this next guy gets considerations for the #1 pick as well:

Derrick Rose - (6'4" PG Memphis Freshman) - his athleticism and his speed is already one notch above everyone in the NCAA tournament. He also has the size and strength to be a good starting PG for any team. To say that he is NBA-ready is an understatement - he is ready to dominate the next level. Only thing is, this is exactly what everyone was saying about Kevin Durant last year, and he still hasn't impressed me that much.

Brook Lopez - (7'0" C Stanford Sophomore) - out of all lottery-bound players in this year's NCAA tournament. Brook Lopez is the one I probably watched the most. He has exceptional touch inside and has a nice range for a big guy. He also rebounds the ball extremely well, although not as much a defensive presence like his twin brother, Robin. Brook however, is the more offensively gifted of the two. Brook Lopez should not go any higher than the 3rd pick, not because if his game, but because Beasley and Rose is just way out on another level with their talent and potential.

Let's say Miami does get the ping-pong balls to bounce their way, and I am magically transformed into the Miami Heat GM. Given the number 1 pick, which player would I choose?

I am going with Derrick Rose.

First of all, I think that in the long run he will be a better player overall. Besides, it is extremely hard to pass up a point guard in the draft as gifted as Rose. Anyone, remember where Chris Paul and Deron Williams landed on draft day? Exactly. While I admit Beasley is a special individual, I think that Marion already fills his role on the Heat - a 2, 3, and 4 multi-positional player. What Marion lacks in Beasley's offensive game, Derrick Rose can more than make up for it. And if Marion, decides to bolt after the next season or during the offseason, the Heat will be better of with a Rose-Wade combo, than a Beasley-Wade pairing.
Anyway, the bottom line is, you cannot go wrong with either player. Both guys will be studs. If the Heat gets the third pick, it should be automatic - Brook Lopez. If they fall to the 4th or 5th pick - i'd just rather trade the pick and get good vets and/or protected lottery picks for next year's draft. I'm going to kill myself if the Heat chooses Bayless or Mayo in this draft - they are two of the most overrated players in the tournament. The talent is there, but they're playing entire games without you knowing that they are there. Unlike the first three, they make their presence felt from the get go. But with the circus that is the NBA, and what Miami has been through, bad luck and bad decisions can happen. Hopefully, it doesn't get to be the "NBA: Where shit happens."

Brand X

I've been investing in a lot of "Brand X" gadgets lately.

(1) We decided we needed a brand new hybrid DV cam for stills and video; because our Video 8 Handycam was, well, old and obsolete. Instead of buying the 20,000 peso Sony or JVC DV cameras, we decided to invest on a Pocket DV T300 from Aiptek worth around 6,000 pesos.

(2) PLU was badly in need of a decent car stereo. Instead of buying the 10,000 peso Pioneer head unit, I settled for a 3,000 peso Maxsound headunit - with CD/SD/MP3 capabilities similar to this one.

(3) PLU's rear shock absorbers were busted and instead of buying brand new shocks, i went to Cruven to have one repaired; and the other "unrepairable" one replaced with a Monroe second-hand surplus shock absorber - both for just 2,000 pesos parts and labor.

(4) I needed headphones for my laptop and instead of buying expensive Sennheiser headphones, guess what? Yes, i bought 100-peso generic earphone units from CD-R King.

There's definitely a case for me being a cheapskate. But so far, all these things I bought are working as expected. I've also read some good reviews of these gadgets and services from the internet. I'm telling you, some research will save you a lot of money.

But what about this: are you willing to buy a Brand X Car?

I have certainly thought about it. Chery Cars have a nice lineup of a sedan (Easter), a small car (the QQ is getting popular by the minute), and an SUV - the Tiggo. These cars are cheap - around half the price of a Toyota or a Kia. But are you willing to invest on a cheaper alternative (Brand X) on this large a scale?

Certainly there are a number of things that you need to look out for - like availability of parts, service, and overall quality of the car itself. As well as how many mechanics and people out there are really familiar with Chery Car technology.

It certainly is worth a look, however investing 700,000 hard-earned pesos on an SUV, could make a person go for the safer choice and buy a Toyota or a Honda or Mitsubishi, etc..

As for me, because of the scale of the investment when it comes to buying a new car, i'd rather wait one or two years to see how this Chery Car company turns out before buying a new one. We wouldn't want to have a Proton Wira just like in the 90s and then have my car brand bust in the local market, right?

The Proton Wira from the 90s

Ryan Wrigley Parmeter

I just got this article from ESPN's Page 2 site from Bill Simmons. This is such a tragedy. This story is so moving you can't help but think how this man is even holding up. This just goes to show you that you can never have enough time to spend with your family.

http://www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/story/10567327

Is This Some Kind Of A "Joke?"

The following are from:
http://tob.hollywood.com/2008/01/22/rip-heath-ledger/

Paul Browne, Deputy Commissioner for Public Information of the New York Police Department, held a press conference on Heath Ledger Tuesday night.
He confirmed the following:
• Heath Ledger was sick with pneumonia when he died today in NYC.
• The deceased was discovered by a masseuse and a housekeeper at approximately 2:45 p.m. today.
• The masseuse was there for a regular appointment.
• The deceased was found in his bedroom.
• The deceased was lying on the floor, curled up, at the foot of his bed.
• The deceased was naked and face down.
• There were not pills found scattered around the room as had been previously reported.
• There were some prescription bottles, including prescription sleeping medication, uncovered.
• Police do not know how long the deceased had been in the apartment.
• The deceased was renting the apartment.
• The cause of death has not yet been determined. The determination will be made by the medical examiners office.



I'm still thinking he'll show up on the premier of Dark Knight Returns in his Joker outfit and say to Christian Bale, "Joke's on you, battie-boy!" No offense. Such a loss. We finally had a true portrayal of the real Joker. And he dies before the film shows. Well whatever happens, he just made sure the movie will be a blockbuster hit and an instant classic.