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.

Where Are My Posts?

Actually, I have a lot of stuff I wanted to post lately:
1. TM Christmas Party
2. Seiichi's new haircut
3. My new haircut
4. My Birthday Party (or lack thereof)
5. Christmas at the Sabio's
6. The Transformers 2-Disc DVD Set
7. Jeanne D'Arc for the PSP
8. Nymphadora Tonks
9. Vagina Dentata
10. Heath Ledger = Joker
***Just waiting for the videos and pics. I've been doing mostly text-only posts for the past month, I wanted to have pics and videos with my next posts. Also tamurd comes to mind.

Ol' Bruce Wayne

I have to admit. This is the best comic book I have read. Ever. I didn't want to necessarily agree with Drei right away when he said this is the best ever, even before reading it.

Besides, I have come across some pretty good comic books during my time: Infinity Trilogy, Adam Warlock and the Infinity Watch, X-Men: Omega Red Series, Punisher WarZone, Legion Quest, Identity Crisis, Stormwatch Series, just to name a few.

But the Dark Knight Returns comic book has it all. Story, art, character development, scope. There are also a few things I have never seen before on a comic book or a story told that way (spoilers ahead) i.e. Superman's "Where?" message and the added focus on his "super-hearing" ability, the idea that heroes are what makes villains villains (no superheroes, no super-villains), Batman as ruthless f@#k, and children actually killed by the Joker and then his "twist" at the end.

Yep, this book actually takes the cake.

(image from Wikipedia.org)

What Is Wrong With Miami?

One and seven for the past eight?? Blechh. The offense is killing us right now. No movement, and absolutely lethargic on the wings. Only Haslem and Wright have shown to want to win all the games. And Dorell, doesn't even get enough playing time.

What would it take for this team to get back? Wade's back but still not a hundred percent. Pat Riley is contemplating retirement. Shaq is.. well Shaq is old. The Smush Parker signing is proving to be way awful. And all tradeable assets have been dealt (draft picks and Doleac).

So where? Where are they going to go from here? You can only ride the Wade-factor for so long. And besides, you have to get to the playoffs first, before Wade and Shaq and Zo can carry you, right?

So what do we do? If it were up to me: (1) Start Dorrell Wright (2) Trade Smush and Barron for a young Jarrett Jack-type PG; a point who hustles, gets to the hole, and knows how to feed big men, and a marginally-decent defender (3) Shaq 25 mins, Zo 20 mins and (4) transform Ricky Davis into a purely defensive SF (it is apprent now, that his offense cannot be trusted to win games).

Actually easier said than done, and might not have apparent results, but it should definitely be a step in the right direction.

Riles Finally Rid Of Walker

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-timberwolves-heattrade&prov=ap&type=lgns

"Antoine Walker's turbulent time with the Miami Heat is over.
The Heat traded the three-time All-Star forward to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday in a five-player deal that came one day after Miami completed a winless preseason.
Walker, backup center Michael Doleac, oft-injured forward Wayne Simien and a conditional first-round draft pick were sent to Minnesota for former Miami swingman Ricky Davis and center Mark Blount.
The deal gives Miami the third scoring option it wanted in Davis. The Heat will try to fit him in alongside Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade -- the 2006 finals MVP who'll miss a few more weeks while recovering from knee and shoulder surgeries. "

Seems to be a good deal for the Heat. A few things to note though: Blount's longer contract and more importantly, less playing time for Dorrell Wright as Davis seems to be figured to eat into the starting 2 and 3 spots, as well as backup for each position.

Nice Song from a New Band

http://zelletheband.com.ph/music.htm

Select the song "Sabihin"from the embedded music player. I haven't gotten around listening to the whole playlist but their sound looks to be promising and refreshing. Hopefully, they don't turn out to be like SinoSiKat -their album sounds like one endless loop of a single song (even though I did like Safety Off). Here's to the five-beer vocalist and to the new band, Zelle.

Chichi Koko is Sick

Get well soon, baby. Hopefully you recover both body and mind sooner rather than later.

Save the Cheerleader. Save the Galaxy.

I know it's against weblogging etiquette to link to other blog sites, but you guys have to check this out. Fascinating.