Elektra

GORGEOUS. Simply breathtaking.

I saw it last night, and I was totally blown away. I totally recommend it to everyone.

Easily, THE best T-shirt I've bought at Comic Quest yet. The art, by Bill Sienkewicz (Damn is that spelling correct?), even surpasses the first Elektra shirt I got. My black comic book T-shirt collection is growing well. DAMN great T-shirt.

Unfortuntately, I can't really say the same thing for the Elektra movie, starring Jennifer Garner. I'm already pretty biased against the film for not capturing the visuals from the comic- yeah, Garner's in red this time, but it's still basically the same costume as in Daredevil, just lacey and red. Yes, a red body swimsuit and cloth wraps may not be the most practical in terms of covering up someone, but then again, how practical are HIGH HEELS for a matial arts fighter? Eh? Where the hell is the bandanna? Elektra has NEVER been seen without the bandanna. All we get is Jennifer Garner's brown hair flowing about like in some shampoo commercial.
Anyway, yesterday I saw the first 5 minutes of the movie downloaded online, showing Elektra's assassination of some guy played by Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy in Harry Potter). There is comic book babble about how good Elektra is, like how she fought a group of The Hand's finest... and how she "cut them down like wheat". Though he also says, it took "ten to fifteen minutes, max" as well... that must have been pretty tough wheat.

If the first five minutes are to reflect the rest of the film, it doesn't look good. The mediocre fight scenes and action look just as unimpressive as in Daredevil- shot too close and uninspiringly done. How she takes out Isaacs' character isn't anything special as well. Me and my officemates watched it and afterwards we all went, 'That was it?' Not good.

I could tell months ago that the Elektra movie would pass like a ship in the night. At best, it will be at least as good as Daredevil (which was, as a friend described, was a 'slick piece of dogshit'. At worst, it is yet another example of how Hollywood can take a great license and character and force-fit it into mundane, TV movie-grade crapola.

Damn, Elektra would have made a great movie. If it had a decent budget, someone who actually read the comic, and a director and designers who have vision. But noooo... Crap. Crapcrapcrapcrapcrap. Yet another lovely femme fatale given a disservice, joining the likes of Barbwire and other B-movie queens. Sigh.

Streetfighter Bible


No true-blue SF fanatic should be without this.

Last night, I made my first really satisfying blood donation of the year at Comic Quest. I only purchased one thing, but it was a doozy. It was Street Fighter: Eternal Challenge, a thick, softcover volume and the first english translation of the uber-cool Capcom Streetfighter art and material collection straight from Japan. The book is mostly in color and printed on high-quality paper, and contains pretty much EVERYTHING there is on Capcom's flagship fighting game. From the classic Streetfighter II to the latest game, Streetfighter 3: Third Strike, it's all here.

Inside are a treasure trove of some of the best videogame art and character designs EVER, with all the SF art from artists such as Bengus, Akiman, Shoei, Edayan and my favorite, Kinu Nishimura (who did my favorite artworks from SF3) and more. But this isn't just an art book- it's a historical archive of possibly the most important title in the fighting game genre. There's info and material on all the games, characters and even exclusive interviews with the artists, producers and designers of the games. Of course, the best stuff for me is the art- I've been searching in vain for a way to import these Capcom SF design and art books for years, and now I have the best of them, in one excellent translated volume. WONDERFUL!

If you're a Street Fighter completist or real fan, hie on to Comic Quest for your copy (and get 'em fast since I've been told the demand is high), or at least order if they run out. It's pricey, but darn worth every centavo. This is the only Street Fighter book you'll ever need.

Suikoden IV

The latest installment of Konami's Suikoden RPGs has been released in the US. Suikoden 4 for the PS2 once again puts players in the boots of a young hero who must gather together the 108 Stars of Destiny and battle a great evil. The latest Suikoden is set many years before the events in previous games, and will not be supporting any game saves from previous chapters. Set primarily on the high seas, Suikoden IV is about the adventures of a youth cursed with the mysterious Rune of Punishment. Players will have to gather allies, set up a stronghold, battle conspiracies and evil enemies while enjoying fun minigames like fishing, dice and other non-killing activities. Hmm.

I'll probably pick this up when I see it, though I have to admit I didn't finish Suikoden III, and this holds even less interest for me. No Viktor or Flick, most probably. Bah.

Heihachi's Demise

Famitsu of Japan has just posted part of the cool CG intro movie to the PS2 version of Tekken 5. The movie picks up seconds after Jin Kazama takes off at the end of Tekken 4, leaving his father, Kazuya, and grandfather, Heihachi, lying out cold. As the two older Mishimas awaken, a fleet of helicopters arrives over the temple compound, ejecting a small army of Jack robots to attack the leaders of the Mishima Zaibatsu. At first, father and son fight together, making mincemeat of the first wave of mechanical attackers. However, as more Jacks pour in, Kazuya betrays Heihachi at the last moment, hurling him into the throng of Jacks as he himself makes his escape. Heihachi curses as he is held down by sheer weight of numbers, as one of the robots' faces suddenly pops open, revealing an ominous timer counting down to zero...

The resulting explosion takes out the entire temple in a blaze of fire. Some distance away, the mysterious, Blade-lookalike Raven watches the events unfold. He whispers into a communicator the words "Heihachi Mishima... is dead." At which point, he turns and slices an approaching Jack robot into pieces the way only a ninja can.

Wanna see all this action yourself? Download the movie from here.

This is apparently only the first part of the PS2 version's intro movie, and just the first movie of a whole bunch of CG eye candy to be featured in the home release of Tekken 5. Each of the more than 20 available fighters will have a CG intro and ending to their Story Mode game. Something to watch for, when the game hits shelves in the next month or so. WOOHOO!!!

Commuter Constipation

One of the biggest things which makes riding the MRT irritating are the fucking bastards, assholes, bitches and sons of bitches who root themselves near the doorways, thus preventing people from getting into the usually spacious and roomy interiors of the cars. These good-for-nothings just stay there as if their worthless frickin' lives depend on being near the door, perhaps fearing that the MRT will derail so they'll be the first ones to escape. Blasted idiots.

If I had my way, I'd have guards with CATTLE PRODS to force these shambling mounds of crapola to make way for civilized passengers. Or maybe just plain and simple bamboo spears. The ones that the zombies used on Vilma Santos in her old Darna movies. The ones that make those neat 'Chk' sounds when they sink into some victim's back. Yes.

Obviously, I had just encountered these monsters on the way to work just now. Bah. VANISHING RAAAAYYY!!!!!!!

Ultimate Evil

It seems that Resident Evil 4 is THE survival-horror game to get. Major gaming sites such as Gamespot, IGN and more have given the latest chapter of the RE series high marks, with comments such as 'the best survival horror game ever' being heaped on the game. The reviews cite RE4's realistic graphics, memorable enemies, gripping moments of non-stop, white-knuckle suspense and incredible gameplay. Resident Evil 4 has players controlling RE hero Leon Kennedy as he enters a bizarre world of murderous, enraged villagers and inhuman beasts in order to rescue the President's daughter. Sounds like lots of bloody great fun.

Too bad the game's on Gamecube, or else I'd probably be rushing to get a copy. Anyway, the good news is that a PS2 version is in the works, so maybe I'll be gunning down crazed villagers and hooded cultists gleefully by mid to late 2005. Yay!

Burger Commercial Movie

Last night I watched the buddy comedy Harold and Kumar go to Whitecastle. The movie stars John Cho (American Pie) and Kal Penn (Malibu's Most Wanted) as the titular characters. Harold is a young Korean-American who is working as a junior analyst/investment banker, while Kumar is an Indian (from India) med student. Unlike most buddy team movies, neither of the pair is brain dead or comically inept. They're actually pretty normal guys, not deficient or repulsive in any spectacular way, other than perhaps being ethnic. Of course, this being a comedy they do have their share of stunts and wild moments, mostly having to do with smoking pot and getting laid. They also have their personal issues- Harold being that he lets himself be manipulated by his white officemates and can't seem to open up to the gorgeous girl next door; meanwhile, Kumar is rejecting his future as a doctor despite having natural medical talents.

While sharing a joint in their pad, the two find themselves getting the munchies. An incredibly coincidental commercial for Whitecastle hamburgers implants an undeniable craving in the two, and they set off on an epic quest to satisfy their rumbling bellies with a pile of the tasty burgers. On the way, they encounter a variety of characters and situations, and learn about life, love and overcoming white trash put-downers. Will they ever get to eat at Whitecastle? Can they exorcise their personal demons? Would you care?
Well, actually, the movie was an pretty funny watch, and I did find myself watching it through without touching the Fast-Forward button. It's my first time to see an ethnically-angled buddy comedy. The movie really piles on the terrors of discrimination along with the laughs, so it was pretty interesting to see and cool to have the Asians and Indians get back at the evil White Trash at the end. Oh, and there's also a liberal amount of flesh onscreen, the occasional gross bodily-function gag and a pretty out-there appearance by Neil Patrick Harris (Doogie Howser, M.D.) as himself. Right...

All in all it was a funny little diversion, though the best that I can say is that I really wanted a burger or two at the end of it. Good thing that I heard from someone that Whitecastle burgers taste just like Jollibee regular Yums, so I don't have to go through my own MADman goes to Whitecastle experience to satisfy my craving. Mmmm...

Finish Her!



Work on K.I.A. is still progressing, little by little. First of all, I've pegged down the final page count at 160, if all things work out (read: If I can afford it). I've finished the inking for a story written by Dean, and now I'm moving on to something I've always known I've had to do but delayed... the book's prologue and epilogue. Basically, the prologue will tie the special in with Angel Ace Next, while the epilogue will give readers a cause to look forward to in future K.I.A releases. But really, it's just my way of giving myself a bit more presence in this book, since pretty much 75 percent of the art featured is from contributors and guest artists. All things considered, I am still hopeful for a February production date, so we're still shooting for release by March. Let's keep our fingers crossed.
K.I.A. is an anthology starring Kai Mishima, the lovely femme fatale from Angel Ace. After being apparently liquidated while protecting her best friend Angel's secret, Kai is reborn as Agent K, a seemingly unstoppable super assassin. With no memory of her past and a ruthless new commander sending her on mission after deadly mission, can Kai survive long enough to regain what she has lost?

The first K.I.A. release, with the subtitle Daughter of K.A.L.I., will feature a list of contributors that include Taga-Ilog, Gerry Alanguilan, Arnold Arre, Wilson Tortosa, Jennyson Rosero, Dean Alfar, Nikki Alfar, Jeremy Arambulo, Elbert Or, Jon Mallari, Karen 'Katch' Cheung, Michael Seludo, Joel Chua, Honoel Ibardolaza, Chad Cabrera, Michael Banting, Carlo Vergara, Anthony Yap, Marvin del Mundo and Edgar Tadeo.

It still boggles my mind when I think of the numbers, but if I somehow pull it out, K.I.A. should be something to see when it's finally finished. Wait for it.

Valentine Treats

The home version of Tekken 5 will be hitting shelves in the US on February 22 (A Japanese release has been slated for March 31). Wow! This really is exceptional, for the home version to come home so quickly after the release of the arcade game. Just goes to show how important the home console market has become.
The home release of Tekken 5 coincides with the series' 10th Anniversary, and a bonus remake of the original Tekken will supposedly be included on the disc (YAY!). The game will include unlockable characters, the ability to customize the look of your fighter, a mini-game featuring hero Jin Kazama and more CG movies than ever before in a Tekken game. Coolness.

With Tekken 5, Champions: Return to Arms and Frank Cho's Shanna the She-Devil coming in the month of hearts, I should be well occupied enough to totally ignore the February dating crowds. Heh.

Weekend Warriors

The gang (well, mostly just me and the Alfars, with Vin bringing up the rear halfway into the movie) watched Kung Fu Hustle at The Podium on Saturday. This was the second time I saw it, though the first time I watched it from beginning to end (I missed the Axe Gang's dance number the first time around). The movie just rocks.

Love the story, simple as it was. I love the concept of the kung fu masters in hiding. I love the casting of the various characters, from the "Warriors Three" - Coolie (Xing Yu), Tailor (Chiu Chi Ling) and Donut (Dong Zhi Hua) to the damn cool strumming assassins (Jia Kang Xi and Fung Hark On), The Landlord and Landlady, Ice cream lady Fong (newcomer Huang Shengyi), the venomous Axe Leader, Brother Sum (Chan Kwok Kwan) and the disturbingly powerful Beast (Leung Siu Lung).
The fight scenes and action in KFH kick arse, both parodying and surpassing the masturbartive fights in the Matrix sequels and even the Showdown in the House of Blue Leaves in Kill Bill Volume 1. The CG works great, in all its overblown craziness. And of course, the laughs come fast; not as fast as in some of Stephen Chow's earlier films, but when they come they come great.

I'm getting a DVD of this classic as soon as I can. But I actually still wanna see this baby in theaters again, one more time. And anyone who hasn't seen it yet should make it a point to see it in a theater, and not on the small screen. This is meant to be enjoyed big time. Do the hustle, people! Heh.

Doing the Hustle


Stephen Chow brings us the first cool movie of the year.

Fans of Hong Kong director-actor Stephen Chow have been waiting for the follow-up to his mega-popular Shaolin Soccer for a while, and now it's here. Kung Fu Hustle revs up the laughs and the thrills with more fantastic CG-enhanced martial arts, slapstick, sight gags and a nice story to boot.

Set in 1940s China, Kung Fu Hustle tells the story of Sing (Chow), an inept wannabee gangster who wants to be a member of the dreaded Axe Gang (a syndicate of top hat and suit-wearing, hatchet-toting, mobsters). To prove himself, Sing and his chubby sidekick (Nino Muhlach-lookalike, Lam Chi Chung, one of Chow's chums from Shaolin Soccer) try to extort some money from the residents of a run-down apartment complex known as Pig Sty Alley. Needless to say, their efforts fail miserably. However, they DO cause the real Axe Gang to crack down on the place, causing some of the resident martial artists to reveal themselves in a flurry of fists and kicks. From there on it's an escalating battle of killer kung fu as the residents of Pig Sty try to fight off the criminals and their hired assassins.

I won't go any more into detail, suffice to say that Kung Fu Hustle throws combos of laughs, chills and thrills at you pretty much from beginning to end. KFH isn't rocket science; there are slapsticky bits which work best when watched in a theater, with a whole audience laughing to get you in the fun. There's lots of kung fu with overblown CG work that looks quite awesome, and tons of playful nods to various movies from Spiderman to The Matrix and even The Shining. In the midst of all this, there's a sweet romance story so guys can bring along their dates to watch as well. Parents should take note though- there are a couple of bits which might be a bit too scary for really young kids.

KFH is currently doing the rounds in theaters around the world, to rave reviews. The icing on the cake for me is that KFH is such an Asian-flavored movie through and through, yet a big change of look and feel from the recently serious batch of martial arts features like House of Flying Daggers and Hero. Chow and crew gives us a classic, simple story that's imaginatively and refreshingly told, with a likeable cast that gives great performances (even the non-actors have funny little touches) throughout. Big props to Wah Yuen, one of Hong Kong's most famous comedy actors, and Yuen Qiu, a former Bond Girl, who play the Landlord and Landlady of Pig Sty, and Leung Siu Lung who plays 'The Beast'. Chow himself is in hilarious form as always.

If you love Stephen Chow's past works, you'll be in stitches with this one. Bring your friends, your workmates and see it in a good theater. If you haven't seen Shaolin Soccer or God of Cookery, just have an open mind, think 'anything goes' and just enjoy the show.

Kung Fu Hustle is now showing in theaters in the Metro. Don't wait for the Axe Gang to break down your door- Rustle up your friends and catch it over the weekend.

Addendum: The fight scenes in Kung Fu Hustle were choreographed by Yuen Wo-Ping and Sammo Hung. Well, that explains the Matrix similarities. The Chinese titles for 'Kung Fu Hustle' are 'Gong Fu'/'Kung Fu'.

MIA

Tekken 5's been out in arcades overseas for some time now, but I still haven't found squat in any of the local places. I guess the local Rino's or Time Zones don't really find it profitable to invest in new games anymore. So gamers here will probably have to wait for the PS2 version of the latest Tekken to play it. Which shouldn't be a bad thing, given that the game may be coming in the next couple of months or so, along with almost arcade-perfect graphics and gameplay, more CG movies than any Tekken before and lots of customization options to dress up your fighter. Till then, all we can do is hie onto sites like Tekken Zaibatsu to watch videos. Sigh...

Vendetta


Comic turned Film coming in late 2005.

I remember reading some bits of V for Vendetta years ago, as it was part of a European comics magazine anthology, which included Marvelman and Laser Eraser and Pressbutton. While it wasn't my favorite in the mag, I really liked the art and the moody atmosphere. The image above is the teaser poster of the movie, slated apparently to come out in late 2005.
V for Vendetta is set in a future, totalitarian England, with a mysterious masked vigilante dodging the authorities as he cuts a deadly swath of revenge throughout Fortress London. So far, the only star to be confirmed in the cast is Natalie Portman. Yet another comic-to-movie translation to watch out for this year.

Return to Arms


Good and Evil clash once more in the lands of Norrath.

Last year's Champions of Norrath for the PS2 was a surprise hit, giving even us nonline players a taste of the addictive MMORPG world of Everquest. In CON, you played a hero called forth to battle the increasing threat of evil growing in the realms of Norrath. Victory however only resulted in a fallout that continues to fester in the realm in the sequel game, Champions: Return to Arms.

This time, you answer the call of Firiona Vie (the infamous blonde elf sorceress and Everquest's poster girl) to put a stop to the threat of evil once and for all. The schtick this time in CRTA is that you don't actually have to follow the path of good and play white knight. Like in the recently-released Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II, you can actually opt to don an evil hat and serve the cause to resurrect Innorruuk and bring him back to power. Your decision will bring about distinctly different quests, enemies and goals through the game. This pretty much doubles the already mammoth amount of replayability in this game, and that's always great.
Aside from the dual-path of storyline, CRTA also ups the ante with improved graphics, new mini-games and two new races of characters to play as; the Van Shir are a race of humanoid cats, specializing in berserk warriors. On the other hand, the reptilian Iksar specialize in magic-using shaman. Players who built up characters from CON will be glad to hear that RTA will allow for you to transfer your heroes to the new game- the experience cap has now been raised to a whopping Level 80, so even characters you've maxed up from CON will have lots of room to improve further.

Champions: Return to Arms is slated for release this February. I'll be sure to keep the peepers peeled for a copy asap.

A Taste of Prosperity

Yesterday I had dinner with Vin and Andrew at McDo, and we tried their new Beef Prosperity sandwich. The prosperity consists of saucy, peppery beef with onions in a slightly longer bun than usual. I found it quite delicious (even buying one to take home), as good as Jollibee's Peppercorn burger but more on the beefy side, with a nice tangy taste of onions with later bites. Really nice, though it comes with a price; at P88 by itself (P108 with Orange Fizz and 98 with softdrink), the Beef Prosperity is on the expensive side as McDonald's sandwiches go, and it's a bit on the light side too (I can easily finish two in one sitting). I'd place the satisfaction factor at about slightly over KFC's Chicken Fillet sandwich (the one that inspires greed). Still, quite delish and something to try if you pass by McDo anytime soon.

Tomorrow Angel

Ate dinner last night with Vin at Wendy's for his favorite spicy burger, the Big Mexican Melt which I really can't finish without taking out some of the tongue-searing jalapenos. We talked about stuff, including the future of Angel Ace. While I am busy right now with the Kai anthology, I have not forgotten my first lady of flight. The storyline for the next issue will move the whole plot forward, at the same time revealing stuff that should have been out long ago- particularly the relationship between Angel and the series main villain, Mondebaine Gallowglass of Gallowglass Mass Industries, Inc.

Aside from the usual pinups and perhaps a short back-up story from contributors, I'm fully intending to do this book myself. It's been a long time since I've put pencil to page seriously for a while... gotta get my drawing chops back into gear or I'll get really rusty.

Lola

My Lola, or grandmother (on my Mom's side), was the only grandparent I knew growing up. I remember her fondly, sometimes sadly, as she would occasionally come to the house to live with us for a while. I remember the aged, wrinkled face (she was ALWAYS old to me), the smell of pulbos (baby powder) and the way she would hug me.

I say that I remember her with a bit of sadness because I was told that Lola, in her old age, gambled away her fortune. Back then, Lola owned houses and property aplenty. In another world, she would be the Lola of anybody's dreams, having great wealth that would be passed down to her heirs when she passed away. However, the gambling bug hit her hard in her later years, and as a result she sold house after house, property after property, to use in the casinos.

Lola ended up having to go from house to house among her sons and daughters, to live in until her strong character would clash with the in-law or spouse, and off she'd go to the next place to stay. I remember feeling sorry for her, thinking that she should have saved at least one house for herself so she could live comfortably and without worry for her retirement.

Eventually, she more or less settled in the province, where she passed away peacefully several years ago at over eighty years of age. And so, she was buried there, far away, and not in my family's personal grounds at Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina. My Mom decided to go alone to the burial- we weren't able to see my Lola laid to her rest.
And so, I remember Lola as the last time I saw her.

Last night, I had a dream, and Lola was there.

I wasn't scared at all, despite the fact that I thought she was a ghost. In fact, I even brought out my cameraphone to snap some pictures. Since I never see ghosts in real life, I seem to see them all in dreamtime. Weird, eh?

Thankfully, my dream did not have the somewhat disturbing overtones of a dream her old driver had a few months ago- the old man, sick in bed, dreamt that my Lola appeared, beckoning for him to 'go with her'. Don't worry- He's still alive. He came out of the dream quite scared though, saying to his former boss that he didn't want to go just yet.

I saw Lola as she was the last time I saw her, shuffling about, looking over the house. It was our old house in Pasig, not our present residence, which eventuallly clued me in that it was all a dream. I remember looking at Lola for a while more, and then eventually the dream faded and I woke up. Was there meaning in the dream?

Just recently, I remember talking about my Lola to some friends, and saying how I felt sorry for her. Perhaps Lola is telling me that all is well now. She lived life the way she wanted, no matter what. Now, she's at peace, and I should just remember her with love.

With the warmth of the scent of baby powder, and tight hugs.

Thanks for the visit, Lola.

Film Fatale


Charlize Theron dons black for the role of Aeon Flux.

MTV Liquid Television's risque futuristic action-espionage series, Aeon Flux (by Peter Cheung) is in the process of being turned into a live-action movie for 2005. The role of the titular mercenary assassin is being filled in by the gorgeous Charlize Theron, recently awarded best actress by the Oscar Awards for her performance in the film Monster (where she played a disfigured female serial killer). As per the TV series, the movie is set in the future, where mankind has almost been wiped out to extinction. The last remnants of humanity live in a bubble-domed city known as Bregna, which is ruled by a council of scientists. Aeon Flux is a slinky, acrobatic assassin hired by the group known as the Monican Underground to assassinate the city's leader, Trevor Goodchild.

Aeon Flux the animation was known for many things- for episodes filled with psychobabble, risque animations, lanky Peter Cheung character designs and often fatal endings for the titular heroine. I loved it, for what it was; it was kinda but not anime- brainy and gritty and sexy. I'm a fan and I was hyped when I heard that a movie was being made.

But honestly, seeing the pics of Miss Theron in costume, I have to say that I am disappointed. As with Elektra, the costume defines the character a lot, and here once again, we have cutbacks. The costume just SUCKS like HELL. It's not like the original costume was impossible to do; it showed off skin, but not impossibly so. The costume on Miss Theron is like a full black body stocking, and it looks totally frumpy, un-sexy and crappy. CRAPCRAPCRAP!!! From that costume alone, I can predict that this is going to bomb, and bomb bad. I hope I'm wrong, 'cause I really like the Aeon Flux character. Right now though, it does not look good. Not good at all. BAH. We'll see.

New Suit

Last night, I got off Cam's car after Dean's birthday bash and I heard something clatter on the asphalt. I looked with horror to see my O2 XDA II Pocket PC Phone lying on the ground! It apparently had fallen from the clip on my belt. Slightly panicked, I got it and looked it over. Fortunately, the metal jacket was good as gold... or as steel, as the case may be. My smartphone was unscathed. Unfortunately, it seems that my beltclip for the metal case was now useless. The plastic nib, which keeps the phone held securely to my belt, had apparently been worn down and was now unable to 'bite'. In effect, it takes little effort for my phone to slip out of the clip's catch and fall from my belt.
I had spend about 1,500 pesos on the thing just this past December, and it was now pretty much useless, unless I get a replacement belt clip. And that, I guess, is something I probably will not do.

So when we went out for lunch today at Wok Inn, it was to my good fortune that we passed a new PDA shop in Park Square. I looked through the various PDA cases and accessories, and eventually settled on a cheap (P290) PDA case with a belt loop (unremoveable except by taking off your belt) that I like. The XDA2 fits snugly into the padded case, and there's even a nice elastic band catch which secures the device when you're on the go. And it hugs my side well, reducing the bulge it makes at my side. Perfect! So now, while I have downgraded from plate mail back to leather/cloth armor, I feel safer. At least, for now. Of course, only the eternally vigilant can be truly far from harm. Heh.

Back to the Salt Mines

It's the first day of work in 2005! WOOHOO!!!

Bah.

Anyway, the day didn't start off too bad. The commute was actually pretty easy, with the MRT crowd being pretty light- I was actually able to sit down from the get-go. Don't really expect too much for today... work will probably pile up as the week goes along, though, and I might actually have to work into the weekend on something. Oh well. At least I can expect some new stuff at the ol' Blood Bank tonight. Stuff like Batman/Danger Girl, the latest Street Fighter comic and some more odds and ends. Yay!