Massive Attack

A couple of months ago, my television life revolved around Solar TV, with it's up-to-date episodes of WWE, raunchy uncensored cartoons and other weird odds and ends. Well, Solar left our cable provider, but you won't find me complaining. The new Maxx Channel is more and better of the wild thrills and niche pleasures provided by Solar, only tons better. A lot of the programs are from G4 TV, which is, seriously, seemingly made for me. There's X-Play, the longest-running and supposedly most-watched videogame review/preview/news/gag show around, which I have been a fan of since it's early days back in TechTV. Then there's Cinematech, which shows a bunch of videos and trailers from videogames, including not-for-kids stuff, hence the subtitle Nocturnal Emissions. Ooh.

But the most fun I have is with my daily fix of Attack of the Show, an irreverent hour of all the stuff I care about- basically internet buzz and fads, gaming/tech news, showbiz, movies and entertainment news. Plus every so often they break out with hilariously weird skits/vignettes and gags, all handled gamely by hosts Kevin Pereira and Olivia Munn (who is a darn FOX). Oh, and you have to love a show that shows political advertisements by Cobra Commander.

Oh, and for my wrestling fix, Maxx also shows WWE 24/7, which basically shows off classic matches and episodes from the WWE's past- great stuff with classic superstars like Hulk Hogan, Macho Man Randy Savage, Andre the Giant, The Rock, Razor Ramon and TONS more. Decades of wrestling history, rewound and on offer again. I can get the latest shows and PPV's elsewhere, but this look into the past of professional wrestling is pretty awesome.

Even better, a lot of the Maxx's shows are aired after midnight, so I have stuff to look forward to after work. Coolness. So I don't always have to be blogging and surfing all the time... I can actually be found watching TV again. Sometimes.

But Seriously

Putting down the vicarious hat for a moment, I have to say that our country's in a bind. That's an understatement of course... to everyone out there on the web, let it be known- the Philippines is currently in the grip of silent Martial Law. A controlled Status Quo held by probably THE most corrupt, most tenaciously rapacious and greedy regime EVER in the country's history. The Marcoses with all their extravagance pale in comparison. Ramos at least left after stealing his cut. Erap was stupid enough to get caught and have the shame to leave the palace. But THIS regime... MAN. Not only is it known for unparalleled greed, corruption and bare-faced theft of public resources and funds, it's also known for rampant stupidity and incompetence, with a large majority of positions in government being held by former military and cronies who know NOTHING of what their department means.

The sad thing is, everything bad and evil in the Philippines is in the government, in power. That leaves the honest, the hardworking, the simple to toil regardless, to just survive and earn enough. The order is evilly efficient though- keep the working class just well-fed enough but struggling to be too tired to protest, but not hungry enough to take to the streets and rip these motherfucking bastards off their high horses as they should. On the other hand, the poor get poorer, but what does anyone care? They don't have a voice, they don't matter. The rich just get richer, the cronies get a cut from everything, from funds and loans meant for the country, for our schools, our roads, our economy.

It's a hard thing to combat. The bad guys control the military. No one has the charisma, the strength or the resources to challenge them. No revolt or protest arrives without strong-arm tactics from the government quashing what little forces arrive to shout out their grievances. They say the Filipinos are tired of People Power. But that's not true. They're just waiting for it to happen again. It hasn't yet, I believe. Just a lot of false starts. You can't turn on People Power like a faucet. Too bad there isn't a Cardinal Sin or a Ninoy to rally behind. Everyone currently around is either just as dirty as the bad guys, or just plain stupid.

But there seems to be movement now, among students and other elements that are once again trying to gain momentum to get this government to fall. People are angry, but then again, people are also just tired and want to just keep on working. But damn, do we really need to allow the filth to suck this frickin' land dry before we actually move? Do we actually need to see people starving in the streets and our country in ruins before we run these bastards out of Malacanang?

The Filipinos are too kind, too divided, too used to poverty and too jaded, most of the time. I'm no exception. But there is a limit to everything. Evil can't reign forever. When the wave of justice finally arrives, people will know. Then people will flood the streets and then we'll see. If the Filipino is still worth fighting for.

Moving on.

INDYYYYYYY!!!



The teaser trailer for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is now online in lovely, lovely Quicktime, so go on and download it! I mean, this is a trailer you need to see in QT, not in crappy Youtube quality. I have to say, Indiana Jones is THE number one name in Pulp Action-Adventure. No other character, franchise or series quite nails it like Indy. Even though the movies' quality has gone down a notch with every subsequent sequel, even the worst Indy film (Last Crusade) is still head and shoulders above every other tomb-raiding, treasure-hunting, fist-fighting and bull-whipping film or show out there.

Anyway, even though he's quite a long in years and has played the President of the United States (GET OFF MY PLANE), he still looks Indy-cool. I mean, Professor Jones has never been a macho man like Rambo, so it doesn't matter that he's not ripped. He's still Harrison Ford, he's still Indy. Anyway, the Roswell link, the new baddies (Russian cold warriors led by a brunette Cate Blanchett) and the same hard-hitting but kinda-cartoony action seems intact even this early, and that's awesome. It's gonna be a bit of a wait till May, but darn, this should be worth it. To pass the time, I should track down DVD copies of the earlier films and have myself a marathon one of these days.

Anyway, download links for the trailer can be found here. Can you hear that classic theme playing? WOOHOOO!!!

Upgrades

So, Apple has gone and announced hardware upgrades for their most popular gadgets- mostly involving memory. The iPhone will soon be sporting a 16 GB variant, while the iPod Touch will be getting a 32 GB edition.

Which gets me thinking... WHY NOT A 32 GB iPhone right off the bat?

Once again, more of Apple doling out little updates, teasing, manipulating and prodding the masses. Even now, forums and blogs are already filled with gripes aplenty, with iPhone owners angry at Apple for 'planned obsolescence' of their tech toys and other crap. In a way, it's valid, but in any case- come on. That iPhone in your hand is still the amazing, gorgeous device that you fell in love with months ago. An upgrade of double the memory is hardly earth-shattering.

Am I interested? More memory is always great, but I won't even consider upgrading unless the new 16 GB iphone has been jailbroken wide open for apps, custom wallpapers and other goodies that I am enjoying right now. But really, I probably won't upgrade- not unless something bad happens to my phone like it getting (knock on wood) stolen or destroyed or whatever. No sale, Steve Jobs. At least, not now. Or anytime soon.

Overtime

This past week has been grueling as only a Pitch Week can be. With considerable stakes being placed whenever agencies go to war like this, everyone is expected to lay in the hours, burn the brain cells and do the time. It's been a loooong several weeks, and it's come down to this. These last couple of days has seen me more at The Salt Mines than at home, but the stuff we've come up with looks great. Hopefully this will all pay off.

Only a few more hours, and this should be over. The weekend hopefully begins a little earlier. I freakin' need it.

Anti-Terrorist Hero


Barbangsa: Fighting against terrorism one issue at a time.

This bit of news was posted recently by Azrael and at Newsrama. It's all about Barbangsa: Blood of the Honorable, a locally-produced series of comics/graphic novels funded by US Special Operations Forces (what, do you think the local AFP has the funds for this?). Here's a report on the comic:

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — One of the unique products used in psychological operations in the southern Philippines is the comic book “Barbargsa — Blood of the Honorable.”

About 600,000 copies of the 10-part series have been distributed on the Sulu islands, a chain that was once a terrorist safe haven, and still suffers from skirmishes.

U.S. special operations forces have used comic books in information campaigns. But the characters were based on well-known American superheroes. Two years ago, two Army officers decided to create one from scratch to tell the children of the Sulu islands the story of what was happening in their homeland.

The project was the brainchild of Maj. Edward Lopacienski, military information support team commander for the joint special operations task force Philippines mission, and the non-commissioned officer in charge, Master Sgt. Russell Snyder.

The pair sat down in January 2006 and outlined the basic idea.

The plot follows several basic comic book storyline conventions — most notably the battle between good and evil.

The comic book focuses on Ameer, who left his home island to work overseas, but returns to find it racked with violence. Ameer is a practitioner of kuntao, which is a local form of martial arts. Like Zorro or Batman, he dons a mask and vows to protect the downtrodden and innocent victims of terrorists.

The Philippines military are also portrayed in a positive and heroic light while the villains are the terrorists or “bandits.” The creators were careful to accurately illustrate the Sulu region, and use character names, clothing and mannerisms that reflect the culture of the Tausug ethnic group. There are versions in English and in the local dialect.

It depicts real events that took place on the islands and at neighboring Basilan — specifically the Sulu Co-Op bombing in March 2006, which killed five and injured 40 and the Basilan hostage crisis when members of the Abu Sayyaf Group took school children and used them as human shields against Filipino troops.

“Essentially what we’re doing is showing all the atrocities that the Abu Sayyaf Group has done,” Lopacienski said.

One subplot shows how terrorists manipulate a boy into becoming a bomber.

The production of the comic book was farmed out to a Manila-based marketing firm. Two experts on Tausug culture were brought in as consultants to make sure nothing offensive was put in, and that everything was culturally accurate. It took about 2,000 hours to create the 10 comic books.

“In the end you see the hero and the community rising up to turn over the terrorists,” Lopacienski said.
It was important that the series be reproduced on high-quality paper as slick as any graphic novel found in U.S. bookshelves, he said, because that shows respect to the culture.

Lopacienski said there is anecdotal evidence of the comic book’s popularity. When some areas missed delivery due to security concerns, children “were ripping out the pages and trading them like baseball cards,” he said.

Local stores have printed unauthorized T-shirts portraying the hero Ameer.

Man. That's so cool. Heheh.

Coming to Manila


Michiko's on the way...

I have to say, response to Ninja Girl KO! in the pages of Mangaholix Presents has been quite good, and I'd like to thank Emman and Ian of Groundbreakers, Inc. for giving me and Kriss Sison the opportunity to bring our characters to the Pinoy manga fan. Rest assured, while there has been a bit of a delay, the next issue of Ninja Girl KO! is on the way, and it looks just as slick, cute and funny as the first issue. Look for this in stores late February or so.

On my own end, I still plan to do comics on the side, albeit I have been sidetracked quite a bit by work and other stuff. It simply is too expensive to go the self-publishing route without having your full heart and wallet into the endeavor, so I'll only move when the going is good. Just the same, I want to have stuff out this year, so stay tuned for that.

Anyway, work beckons. Back to mining salt.

One Bad Day



Last night, I sped off after work to Glorietta 4 to watch Cloverfield, the J.J. Abrams-produced 'Blair Witch meets Godzilla' film. As many probably already know, the whole movie is filmed from the perspective of a hand-held camera, putting you in the shoes of the cameraman as events transpire around, in front or behind him. This 'found footage' treatment establishes up front that the movie you are watching is some kind of classified military file discovered some time after the infamous event depicted in the movie. Interesting concept. But does an interesting concept translate well after all the hype for this mystery-cloaked movie?

SPOILERS AHEAD

Cloverfield is the story of a bunch of young adults in New York, who are unlucky enough to be there when SOMETHING- something huge and destructive and seemingly unstoppable, attacks the city. The first twenty or so minutes of the film is basically a first-person view of a going-away party which introduces and establishes the cast, which include main character Rob (Michael Stahl-David), who's on his way to Japan for a lucrative job; his brother, Jason (Michael Vogel), his best friend Hud (T.J. Miller), Jason's girlfriend Lily (Jessica Lucas) and Marlena (Lizzy Caplan), a guest at Rob's party whom Hud gets a crush on. Later, we meet Beth (Odette Yusman), a girl whom Rob has intense feelings for.

If you've seen the trailer, then you know what happens next. What appears to be an earthquake happens, and soon all hell breaks loose as explosions erupt miles away, hurling among other things the severed head of the Statue of Liberty right on the street in front of Rob's apartment. Clearly, it's not a case of just some earthquake. The city is under attack, and anyone with any bit of sense should be high-tailing it out of Ground Zero (the allusions to 9/11 are unavoidable).

Unfortunately, not all goes well as the easiest and closest way out is blocked, and Rob receives a disturbing message via his cellphone- a desperate plea for help from the woman he loves- Beth. Torn between primal fear and the urge to get to Beth, Rob goes against all reason and forays back INTO the city, dragging along his friends in a nightmarish, first-person experience as they enter a war zone where the military and the creature clash in deadly combat.

So what can I say? I watched, or at least tried to watch this flick, intrigued by the premise and the concept. But there is one big factor that detracts a lot from my enjoyment. As with The Blair Witch Project, the hand-held nature of the film makes for a very haphazard visual experience- at best the view is kinda-sorta stable but usually distended or askew. At worst, there are stretches of the film that are goddamn vertigo-inducing and unwatchable. WHY oh WHY does Rob's camera- while having perhaps one of the strongest and longest-lasting batteries ever AND nightvision, lack any Anti-Shaky Cam technology? I swear, there are a lot of scenes that could have been more enjoyable if they were a tad bit more discernable. After a bit, you don't get full scenes in this film- just scraps of images or random views. It's like some fever dream with flashes. Interesting and different, but also unpleasant.

That is my main gripe of the film (which is unfortunately a big part). Other factors actually pleased me. The story is fine, though I have to say I would have preferred a less bleak ending. I mean, after all that, I demand pay-off. A downbeat ending leaves people with sour tastes or an unfinished vibe, and kinda kills any urge for repeat viewings (especially in the case of this movie, which I doubly do not want to see because of the shaky cam).

The cast of unknown actors is both talented and damn pretty, and generally likeable. I have to say that Odette Yusman's Beth is radiant- Man, if I were Rob, I'd go back for her too. Hud, the man with the cam, is funny and gets to mouth off quite a few memorable lines which give a bit of comedy to the grim events. For the most part, at least, you care what happens for these gorgeous New Yorkers, instead of rooting for the monster(s) like in other films. And yeah- Blair Witch Project? This is Blair Witch with a HUGE budget, and the effects and atmosphere are convincing as hell (if only it had more clarity). The Cloverfield Monster is indeed a beast of mammoth proportions, and it's "Mini-Me's" are memorable adversaries as well. Certainly the best parts are where you actually see the thing, which are kinda few and far between but always pleasing. There IS a point in the film where the whole thing is finally unveiled, but you'll just have to soldier on to see it. It's worth it, anyway.

There are some wild leaps though. How can a freakin' monster as big as a skyscraper sneak up on you? Do these characters have an 'attract monster' signal on them or something? And what the heck is up with the title, anyway? I kinda missed that.

Cloverfield would make for an incredible Theme Park ride. Or an awesome Survival Horror game. But as a movie, it's kinda hit-and-miss due to the nature of it's concept as found footage. You do easily accept the otherwise ridiculous way that Hud continues to film on and on despite the chaos all around him, but I just wish that they took a wee bit more license and smoothened out some of the film's rougher parts. If only for viewer comfort. But I have to applaud the director's choice to stick to his guns anyway and make a pretty unique experience. Man, am I glad I didn't have dinner before watching.

Some will love this film, some will hate it for various reasons. Me? Still kinda in between. I love the concept and story, but hate the presentation. But I do say it's worth watching so you won't be out of the loop when the inevitable Cloverfield conversations get laid on the table.

Last Blood


You know what happens next...

As what I now see a perfect way to end a long, hard and tiring week, I just saw Rambo tonight at Rockwell. RAM-freakin'-BO. I have to say that I wasn't too confident in this film some time ago. The trailers had a B-movie feel and cheapness that I disliked, and the snippets of over-the-top gore made me feel that the movie had gone too far in its obvious desire to get back the glory of the 80's Superhero. However, the last couple of weeks and quite a few positive (even glowing) reviews caused me to unerringly make my way to the movie theater, prepared for a night of unrelenting bloodletting.

Rambo is the fourth film in the series starring Sylvester Stallone as everyone's favorite Vietnam Vet, master archer, commando and Synonym for Gratuitous Violence. It's been twenty years since John Rambo (Stallone) exterminated Russian Spetsnaz Troops in Afghanistan, and since then he's been living a simple life in Thailand, wrangling snakes for a local pub and catching fish with his bow-and-arrows. It doesn't take long for a group of American church volunteers to arrive and ask for Rambo's help in getting into Burma. Through a quick montage of real-life atrocities in current Burma/Myanmar (which is in the grip of a 60-year, genocidal civil war), we know that Burma is NOT a good place to be, and Rambo repeatedly tries to get the white folk to give up on their humanitarian mission. However, strong-willed Sarah (Julie Benz) eventually convinces Rambo to take them on his boat, by rekindling a bit of the selfless soldier buried in the somewhat puffy old Rambo.

Of course, it doesn't take long for the shit to hit the fan when the local Burmese troops arrive and find the village where the missionaries are dispensing aid, and things get REALLY nasty. When the church that sent the volunteers send in a squad of mercs to get their people out, Rambo is ready and raring to get back into the killing mood. And it's not just because he cares about the missionaries (though he does). It's an excuse for him to unleash the animal he's kept cooped up inside of him all these years. That scary, freakin' force of nature that Colonel Trautman molded and turned into the perfect battlefield tool. It's one last try to be RAMBO once more.

And RAMBO is what this movie is- unadulterated, unrestrained and brutally frank, to be quite honest. This film's violence does NOT hold back; it pushes the envelope of the R-rating, not only for the kinetic bloodletting and realistic portrayals of carnage, but for the way that men, women and children are seen murdered coldly by merciless monsters in fatigues and combat gear. The imagery melds the gory scenery of Private Ryan and The Killing Fields in no small detail, but thankfully doesn't wallow too much so as to turn stomachs. But make no mistake- bodies get mangled, exploded, ripped apart. Blood spurts and flows more so than in any of the previous three films put together. This is probably how REAL munitions do real damage to human bodies, and it isn't pretty. But it is DAMN fascinating to watch.

To be honest, it would have been horrifying if the villains- a battalion of truly despicable, murderous, sadistic, rapine Burmese soldiers- weren't as gloriously deserving of their end as they are in this film. These baddies get to have their way for quite a lot of the film, so when Rambo and the good guys FINALLY get to give it back, they GIVE and then some, and it's glorious. Fist-pumpingly glorious. Bad guys get ground into hamburger and it's freaking awesome. This is no watered-down Die Hard 4.0-excuse for Rambo. This is Rambo, an apology and vindication for the cartoony and over-the-top Rambo III. It isn't pretty at all, but darn, this is what it is. And for what it is, it bloody succeeds.

In the end, Rambo isn't rocket science. It's not the most politically-correct or tasteful of films. But it DOES do what I thought films today couldn't... end a beloved franchise with a resounding, bloody BOOM and not a whimper. Welcome home, John. Glad to have you back.

Me and Manikako



Here's me at the waiting area of The Salt Mines with a peculiar visitor. It's an oversized Manikako, a doll made from old clothing. It's the mascot of the Non-Government Organization/Movement of the same name- Manikako, which has recently been started. The goal of Manikako is all about getting people to donate their old clothes and cloth scraps so they can be used in a program of workshops to teach poor kids how to make their own Manikako dolls. And hopefully, they can make a living out of this cute new handicraft. Or at least make their own big, saggy companion like this big, droopy fellow sitting to me. You can find Manikako donation boxes in selected malls and locations like The Podium, RCBC Plaza in Makati and in UP Diliman.

Oh, and I'm the one on the LEFT.

Mag-Avatar Muna Tayo!


Nickelodeon Avatar Magazines. MINE!

Thanks to my cousin Jeremy (THANKS, JEREMY!!!), I finally got copies of the two released Nickelodeon Avatar the Last Airbender Specials. Each issue is chock-ful of Avatar goodies, including articles and fun sections, artwork and news about the episodes and the final season. But of course the best parts of the mags are the Avatar comics, drawn by brilliant artists who truly capture the look and feel of the show- that fill in the gaps between the events shown in the episodes. So finally, I know now how the Water Tribes captured the Fire Nation ship they had in "The Awakening", how Zuko and Mai hooked up prior to "The Beach" and learned what got the Earth King to go off to wander the world as a humble man. Cool stuff!

Thanks again, Jeremy! The Avatar fan in me is PLEAS-ED. Hoho!

Haunted Europe

I've watched the first two episodes of the Ghost Hunters spin-off show, Ghost Hunters International, thanks to the wonders of the web. Basically, it's the same format as the parent show- a team of paranormal investigators enter a suspected haunted location, set up their cameras, recorders and other equipment, and then go a-prodding and a-prowling for the things that go bump in the night.

So far, the show is all right... though I have to say that much of what I liked, or felt familiar with, in the original show were the strong personalities and character of the two lead investigators, Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson. Here, we have a new team leader, Robb Demarest, followed by a bunch of familiar faces from the first show (Donna La Croix, Andy Andrews and Brian "Run, Dude!" Harnois, as well as recurring European comrade Barry Fitzgerald. For the most part, the show has the same vibe, albeit it's lighter on the personal elements and character interaction that the first show had- these will probably build up or develop as the show goes on.

As for the investigations themselves, the first couple of episodes took up the aptly-named Chillingham Castle in England, Mary King's Close in Scotland, the Lucedio Abbey in Italy and the Nanteos Mansion in Wales. They're all suitably creepy and steeped in history. So far, no big catches on video, but several chilling EVPs (Electronic Voice Phenomenon) have been picked up. The investigators are a varied lot- Brian is his usual, entertaining self; Donna seems to be the perpetual beacon for entities to approach, while Andy seems to be a lot more competent and active this time around. Barry is, with his heavy accent, quite interesting to watch, particularly when he speaks Latin to try and draw out some responses from the Euro-spooks.

While I like GHI, I'm hoping that TAPS returns soon with more episodes based in Haunted America as well. But it's all well and good. I never get tired of creepy fun.

Dark Night

I just found out to my shock and dismay that actor Heath Ledger is dead. It was so sudden that I found myself thinking, 'it's probably just a marketing gimmick for the Batman movie...' But sure enough, the news is all over the web. The Australian-born actor was found dead in his NYC apartment. Police haven't given out the cause of death, but do not suspect foul play- drugs were found at the scene but it's still unsure what all the circumstances are.

It's really too bad- Ledger was a fine young actor and I have to say I was impressed with his performances in the few films I saw him in. Well, at least audiences will get one last taste of his prowess as The Joker in The Dark Knight, his last film. The movie is currently in post-production.

Violation

Early this morning, I learned from my mom that a nearby townhouse was broken into last night. The owners were away on some trip, and had just rushed back after learning of the jarring news. As far as I can tell, the thieves made off with stuff like a laptop, stereo system, cash and jewelry. There's talk that it was an inside job, given how the thieves knew what to take, when to take it and so on. Scary.
I shudder to imagine some blasted thief entering the rooms where I and my parents live. But what can we do but stay vigilant, keep our housemates informed and to always stay mindful that outside our door, everything is fair game.

Man, I wish I had a Vanishing Ray for real. Hopefully prayer and prudence will be enough to keep us safe.

Human SFX


AMAZING stuff.

Man, you gotta love the Japanese. The Kasou Taishou, or Kinchan and Katori Shingo's All-Japan Costume Grand Prix, is a special event where groups of performers do special presentations using human-powered special effects and creative performances. One of the most amazing just has to be this skit performed by 9 university students, entitled "Olympic Highlights". Watch, and let your jaw drop in wonder.

Link: Japan Probe

New Digs

Things have been a bit wild these days at The Salt Mines. A bit of change in the way the company is organized has resulted in, long story short, a bunch of us moving to a new office (same building, different floor). It's been a whole week of squatting in crowded conference rooms, sweltering by the heat of laptops, trying your best to make the most out of the trickle that is our internet connection. Still, I have to say that I love new things, so having a new office after the three or so years staying in the same place isn't all bad. The new Creative Department isn't as expansive as our old place, but I think it's pretty cozy, and once we get settled in it should be home once again. Give it a couple of weeks. The good things? We're now closer to the CRs, and have access to an elevator that goes down to the ground floor straightaway, which is cool if you're in a hurry.

Any gripes? Yeah, we're a bit crowded, and it may get noisy... but that's nothing a good pair of earphones can't fix. But the big stitch is, no WINDOWS, so conceivably day can turn into night without us realizing it. Yikes! Anyway, I hope this gets me sticking to my promise to go stretch my back and legs every so often. Or better yet, to just go out of the office and walk around to get my thinking cap on. Well, whatever happens, this is our new bed, so all we can do is lie in it and make the most out of it. And take care to steal the sheets as often as possible. Heh.

The Force is strong with Soulcalibur IV



Here's another one of those gaming news that's just too mainstream-pertinent and big to just leave at The Lone Gamer. The currently-ongoing CES 2008 showcases all the latest developments in games and gear, and is the place that Namco-Bandai chose to showcase their latest Soulcalibur IV trailer. Well, the new spot doesn't so much show new gameplay or storyline elements as it does the much-hyped surprise guest characters who will be appearing in the hack-and-slash one-on-one fighter. Well, the cat's out of the bag.

Soon after the sound of harsh, mechanical breathing was heard, another sound- that of my jaw hitting the floor- rang out. Darth Vader is in Soulcalibur IV. DARTH-FREAKIN' VADER. And Yoda too. Unfreakin' believable.

Not all is sweet and potatoes though- as of right now, while you can match lightsabres against magical metal weapons, apparently you can't pit Jedi against Sith since Vader will be exclusive to the PS3 ('cause it's black) and Yoda an Xbox360-only character (since he's green). That kinda sucks, but maybe downloadable content can change that eventually or something.

Rumor has it that perhaps the two master Jedi aren't the only Lucas Arts characters getting injected into Namco's slasher- there certainly is a huge menagerie of Jedi and Sith to use, though I have to say wouldn't this kinda make SCIV a Star Wars game and not a Soulcalibur game? Kinda like how the Final Fantasy characters stole the show from the cast of Ehrgeiz. But still, having maybe Darth Maul in the game would be damn cool.

Anyway, Soulcalibur IV's been given a release date of Summer 2008 (which resultantly gives Tekken 6 for the PS3 a release window of after that) for the PS3 and Xbox360. Gadzooks!

Hunting Season 2008

I love Ghost Hunters, and thankfully the creepy fun of following TAPS (The Atlanta Paranormal Society) will continue this year. Even better, the successful creepy-reality drama is expanding overseas with Ghost Hunters International, a spin-off set in Europe and other countries with long-time TAPS members like Brian and Donna heading up the new show.
What's next, Ghost Hunters Asia? Nope (at least, not yet). The next frontier is... the FINAL Frontier. Yep, UFO Hunters is the latest show from the creators of Ghost Hunters, and will follow a pair of UFO experts from the NY-SPI (New York Strange Phenomenon Investigators) as they investigate otherworldy experiences and other close encounters.

Man, this is great. It kinda makes me miss Nginiig!, that old local spookshow... don't miss the bad teen star hosts and the overly-melodramatic storylines and celebrity-possession-of-the-week though. Oh well.

Avatar 3.13 The Firebending Masters


Aang and Zuko pay an homage to Dragonball Z.

A new episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender aired over the weekend, and I have to say I'm very happy with what transpired. The latest episode, The Firebending Masters, picks up shortly after Zuko joined the Gaang as Aang's new firebending teacher. Unfortunately, once the lessons begin, something immediately becomes apparent- both literally, and figuratively, Zuko's LOST HIS FIRE. His firebending has suddenly become worthless, a far cry from the fury he unleashed in Crossroads of Destiny.
This seems to happen in every anime, show or comic I know; a bad-ass villain is a monstrous adversary, but when he/she turns good, they become wimps. Well, in Zuko's case though, there's a good explanation, which has to do with inner spirit and the source of firebending power. So, in order to regain his firebending (and gain something new), Zuko, along with Aang, go off on a quest to find those who know the forgotten secrets of fire- the mighty, fire-breathing dragons. Unfortunately, dragons have been extinct for years!

This episode is cool for many reasons- first off, the budding Aang-Zuko friendship is finally off in earnest, as the unlikely pair share an adventure together- the last time these two fought together was waaaaay back in The Blue Spirit in Book of Water, under very different circumstances. It's wonderful to note that they are each still nominally the same- Zuko is still the hot-head, but thankfully has none of the haughtiness and arrogance he had as the exiled prince. He even gets knocked around by a still-hostile Katara and Sokka, which may piss off Zuko fans a bit. Still, come on people- Zuko hunted them down for two and a half seasons. He can take a couple of episodes of roasting. In good time, they'll be good friends... count on it.

Anyway, the buddy episode is a bit light on the actual action, but there is quite a lot of amusing interaction between Aang and Zuko, a pretty cool revelation and some awesome sequences at the end- which is strangely enough not a fight or a battle but a DANCE. Between Zuko and Aang. I kid you not. I also hope this lays to rest ANY doubt that Zuko is indeed in with the good guys FOR GOOD. Oh, and there's a priceless Toph flashback which is just adorable.

Though not having stuff like any updates on Iroh or the baddies, Suki or any other plot points, the Firebending Masters is a really nice installment in Book of Fire, and a light-hearted contrast to the heavy emotion dredged up in the previous episode. Here's to hoping that the Gaang get into more serious adventures in the next episodes, due in the next couple of weeks. Later then!

Crisis Averted

EDIT: To clarify the situation yesterday, my iPhone didn't just spontaneously go crazy- it seemed to have been caused when my Mac restarted after an update download, and something weird happened with iTunes (though I didn't update iTunes). Afterwards, when I synced, that dreaded yellow bar of consumed but inaccessible space took up the whole bar of my iPhone's memory. With no other recourse, I had to attempt a restore, using firmware I downloaded and an app named INdependence. The process of reactivating the then-restored but locked phone was straightforward and easy, which just steams me up when I remember how I paid about 2K for the service from a tech in Greenhills, and they even made me think that it was frickin' hard to do. Bastards. In any case, I feel that yesterday's bungle was a blessing in disguise, since now I know I can restore my phone whenever something like this happens again.

Anyway, it took me until midnight, but I managed to get my phone customized and loaded with apps again, which is great. Everything's cool once more, and the iLife goes on. Wonderful!

Just before lunch today, out of the blue, my Apple iPhone suddenly goes bonkers. My videos and music disappear, but the space they consumed is still unavailable and unusable- kind of like someone having a bad case of gas. I could still use the phone features and apps, but as an iPod the phone was kaput. It was the kind of error/screw-up that required nothing less than a Restore, which, basically, returns your device to factory settings. For iPods, this is nothing more than an inconvenience. For our country's hacked, unlocked iPhones, it's a bit more trouble. That's because we can't simply restore our phones and have everything go back to normal. Nope, if you just restore from iTunes with the default settings, Apple will make sure your phone becomes a very expensive-looking brick.

Months ago, my first reaction would have been to pace around like a headless chicken, do something drastic and rush all the way to the nearest hacker/tech to fork over the several thousand peso-fee to restore the device to working order. Luckily, I had done some homework and had the software and files needed to do the deed without much trouble. I was able to restore my phone to factory settings, then activate it once more.

Things aren't back to 100 percent just yet- the phone's working fine now, with all my contacts (saved to iCal, thankfully so I didn't have to re-input everything by hand again) and media back and available. However, all my third-party apps and games are gone, so I have to work on installing them and customizing the darn thing again so it looks like the cool, slick myPhone of yesterday. Nothing a good hour with a stable WiFi connection shouldn't be able to fix.

But man, that was scary for a while. I got through it though and things should hopefully go better now that I've experienced a second major breakdown and survived. You really gotta have quite a bit of nerve to own a hacked iPhone, but darn... just one look at the device makes it all worthwhile. Heh.