Ryuusei no Kishi

Collector's Bug

2009-03-12T05:45:17Z

I've always been a collector. I collect dust (kidding), cards, comics and toys. Lately, I went back to playing Magic and one of the players introduced me to the concept of buying individual cards instead of buying booster packs (wherein you get random cards). Except of course, for special edition cards.

When I started playing, one of my favorite creatures was Sengir Vampire. I bought packs (I wasn't into buying single cards remember?) until I got a whole play set of 4 cards. This was the 4th edition art:

Aaaah, Nosferatu like goodness. Until I lost my bag and 2 decks along with it. Taking along the 4 vampires. The Sengirs didn't get reprinted in the Base sets after 4th edition. The Torment set came out and they decided to bring him back (as a rare card):

I think the only redeeming factor is that he's now black bordered. Needless to say, I needed to get my hands on at least one copy thinking that he's be a collectors item.

It didn't come to pass. Successive "Core sets" reprinted Sengir Vampire using the Torment art instead of the "Nosferatu" old art. The unique card below however, is a different story:

The card above came from the Beatdown boxed set which came out 9 years ago. I didn't really thought about getting the gift set because I thought that Php 2800 was pretty expensive for 2 decks containing Type 1 cards (read: illegal in standard tournaments at that time) and that I predicted that there will be some players who would be happy to trade them away. I'm looking for this card up to this time.

During my hiatus, a new card type, Planeswalkers, was introduced. Here is what they look like:

I missed out when these two came out. When it was announced that a collectors set was coming out with foil alternate art versions of these two cards, I was more than happy to shell out moolah (actually, I didn't *wink*) for the Duel Decks: Jace vs. Chandra set:

The set also includes alternate art of some older, familiar spells making the boxed set irresistable to pass on:

People seem to love Jace Beleren. To promote the Agents or Artifice novel, Wizards decided to give out a freebie Jace with the book. Since redemption (as with all promotions involving coupons, offer void outside the US) is required, I missed out on getting the card with unique art again (asa pa):
With the coming of the Duel of the Planeswalkers X-box game, they again decided to reward rabid fanboys everywhere (just in the US actually - remember the redemption thing?) with an alternate art Garruk Wildspeaker card (shown on the right):

Note the nifty X-box controller expansion symbol on the card. The redemption for this one is a little unique compared to the book. You get an in-game code where you get to enter on the Wizards of the Coast website then they'll be mailing you the card. Whether getting the code requires you to finish the game is beyond me. I don't have an X-box so I don't think I'll be able to get the card even if I did buy the game. I wish they could have included the actual card in the CD case.

Lately I've been playing in sanctioned tourneys just to get my hands on textless spells just like the ones below:

I have the two cards directly above, a Nameless Inversion and a Remove Soul. I still have to wait for the next mailing for the foil Cryptic Command though.

I think I need to open an Ebay account.

Let's give each other the sign of....P---ak You!

2008-10-15T12:34:26Z

Ewan ko ba kung sino yung nagpauso na maglagay ng "peace" o "peace out" sa mga post ng mga tao sa message boards. Basta kung medyo sensitibo o maaaring pagmulan ng away yung pinost (at kadalasan ganun nga) kasunod agad iyang peace-peace na iyan.

Kulang na lang may mag-post ng:

Putang-ina mo!

Peace out.

Kaululan.

Ang sa akin naman, kung sa tingin mo ay walang mabuting maidudulot ang ilalagay mo, huwag ka na umepal di ba? Di yung aasta kang parang henyo na lahat ng sinabi mo ay totoo at lahat ng sumalungat sa iyong opiniyon ay mali.

Ngayon, kung sa tingin mo na ang iyong mensahe ay karapat-dapat na alamin ng buong sansinukob, aba, huwag ka na maglagay ng "peace"-tachio sa huli kasi malamang, kapag may umaway, ikaw din naman panalo eh.

Naalala ko tuloy yung post ng isang baklang mahaba ang buhok sa isang thread tungkol sa walang kamatayang PSP vs. DS.

"Yung mga nag-PPSP guwapo ang makakalaro mo. Kung mag-DDS ka, mga uhuging bata ang makakasama mo"

Ayun, walang "peace". At kahit may piss yun, di pa ring maipagkakailang offensive ang post at puwedeng pagmulan ng away.

Omoide

2008-10-13T02:08:56Z

I've always known that I have a relatively good memory. There are times when I'd walk to work early in the morning and I'd feel the cool air around me. Then I would suddenly remember that same air temperature when I was just 4 years old when my folks would then take me to Makati to watch the animatronic Christmas exhibit at Anson's (which was a spectacle at that time). Or the breeze would take me back to the time when we went to the Big Bang fair in Alabang.

God, I'm old.

Just this morning, the heat made me recall the cursed climate that would often welcome us when we go to my mother's hometown in Nueva Ecija to visit her father's final resting place every November 1. Now that my grandfather's remains were transferred here in San Pedro to be laid to rest beside my grandmother's, we do not go to the province anymore.

I'm not so sure if I'm the only one who does this but I do associate events in my life with different music as well. As I was listening to a variety of video game soundtracks on my cellphone/mp3 player while working one day, different memories came rushing back. An ex here, a falling out with a close friend there, a cousin's visit in the middle, a good time playing with a certain video game with my best friend, a long lost arcade game that I had played when I was 13 or just the laid back lifestyle I once had.

For the longest time, I avoided listening to certain tracks to avoid being reminded of certain memories. A number of them does make me feel sad. It wasn't until a few days ago that I came to realize that I feel sad not because of that event or person, but because that I was actually happy during that time and am now sad that the happiness had to end.

Asshole

2008-09-26T13:39:13Z

What else would you call someone who lurks around other's multiply sites and only drops a comment if they disagree with something you posted.

Celebrating Konami's underrated characters

2008-09-26T13:35:13Z

Let me warn my readers first hand that this is going to be one geeky post. Way back in 1987, Konami produced a Famicom game called Getsufuuma Densetsu (or which, according to this site, translates to Moon Wind Devil Story). The rare game was known as Moonwind here in the Philippines. Here is a screenshot of that game to refresh other video game veterans out there:

Fuuma (the hero), being a solid Konami character at that time, also made an appearance in the "super-friend-ish" Konami Wai Wai world alongside Simon Belmont, the Goonie Mikey and Goemon (which I'll also talk about later). Here he is being plagued by Naga's and a flying demon in his world.

After making an appearance in the relatively mediocre Konami Wai Wai World 2 game (where he and the other newer Konami characters got reduced to being power ups of the main hero), he was never heard of again.

Goemon, on the other hand, is lucky enough to have survived up to this day. The kiseru (Japanese smoking pipe) wielding hero also had his humble beginnings on the Famicom but made his way to America as the protagonist of the Legend of the Mystical Ninja games; spanning several consoles from the Super Nintendo to the Nintendo DS.

Lately, Ish and I tried our hand at the Yu-Gi-Oh game for the DS. Yu-Gi-Oh is a card game also made by Konami. With deck building, card collecting, trading, wi-fi duels online and even buying booster packs with duelist points (virtual money earned by duelling); needless to say, I was hooked.

Imagine my surprise when I found a familar face in the game as a duelist and on one of the cards:
Yup, it's Goemon; albeit on a more serious note. He and his teammates (Lady Ninja Yae and Sasuke) make their appearance on Yu-Gi-Oh cards. For those not in the know, the cards in the video game are based on the physical cards.

Goemon was not the only one who got "carded". I was happy to see another familiar face:

Okay, those are two cards. The first one is Fuuma from the aforementioned video game and the second one, Ryu Kokki, is his nemesis (read: final boss).

I'm rather amused that Konami decided to immortalize some of their video game characters despite not giving them any recent showtime. It just goes to show that the company still remembers them.

But wait, relatively unknown characters are not the only ones who get this treatment. Take a look at the cards below:

Hey, if you don't know who these guys are, then you probably do not play video games. The Gradius card is only a normal monster card however, Victory Viper (a play on Vic Viper) has this nifty effect that produces an "option" token that is a duplicate of itself whenever it destroys an opponents monster. Great translation from video game to cards!

I guess it will only be a matter of time until we see Simon Belmont or Dracula on cards too.

I wonder if there's a Konami Man already?

(card scans courtesy of the YuGiOh wikia site)

Hush is evil.

2008-09-07T13:25:05Z

After reading Detective Comics #848, I had this heavy feeling inside (dread, I suppose) that I needed to release. Although I know what's generally going to happen at the end of the Batman R.I.P. story arc, I do not like the hints that the Heart of Hush storyline is dropping. Comic-reading people who plan on buying the trade paperback (if it's going to be released) might as well stop reading because this entry contains spoilers.

In Issue 846, Batman and Catwoman saw the return of an old villain, Bruce's ex-best friend, Tommy Elliott a.k.a. Hush. It seems he survived his pacemaker encounter with the Joker (serialized in Gotham Knights) and is back to torment Bruce Wayne.

A little background: Mr. Elliott is a doctor in profession. By doing plastic surgery on Two-Face and saving the Riddler's life from cancer, he once gained the cooperation of most of the Batman villains (From the Joker to Jason Todd) to make life hell for Batman. He knows Bruce Wayne is Batman.

A little tidbit that most readers may have overlooked is that beneath his bandage covered face, Hush is working on the scars left by his previous encounter with the Joker. The panels showing him stitching his face is only partially shown if not obscured by shadows.

Fast forward to issue 848. Hush attacks Selina Kyle (Catwoman). Although Catwoman gained the upper hand, she was taken aback by what she saw when she succeeded in slashing away some of the bandages that hide Hush's face. This gave Hush an opportunity to stab Selina with a bladed knuckle and take her to his hospital hideout where he...removed her heart before sending her back to Gotham General Hospital attached to several life support machines. The last scene showed Batman beside Selina's bed.

DC did not clarify if R.I.P. meant Rest In Peace, Retiring In Peace or whatnot. What they made clear though, was that Bruce was not going to be Batman anymore; hanging up the costume so to speak. As to the how, why or if he's going to select somebody to take up the cowl, that is what R.I.P. is all about.

The DC teaser image for the next story arc, Battle for the Cowl, showed 5 people (major players? Candidates?): Catwoman, Hush, Nightwing, Jason Todd and Robin.

From what I'm reading on Detective, my money is on Hush. I think that Hush is doing plastic surgery on himself so he could look like Bruce Wayne. This explains the obvious effort of the artists to hide Hush's new face. Hush would then force Bruce into retirement and fill in his shoes without anybody the wiser.

I just wish I'm wrong.

Accomplished

2008-07-30T12:55:08Z

I've been relatively busy this "weekend". I renewed my license (which has expired 3 months ago). Yeah, yeah; I don't drive so I use it as a national ID.

I went with Ish to Manila and went to gym at Rob Manila while he gets interviewed for a new job. I went home with this:

At first I was reluctant to buy it at Php 600. However, other stores (Hello Comic Odyssey!) were selling these comic packs at Php 1000; and they do not even feature Storm Shadow. I missed getting the Snake Eyes/ Storm Shadow comic pack when Ish and I found it at Toytown Festival. After much thought, I think I would've felt worse if I didn't buy this one as well.

Greed Personified

2008-07-30T12:27:32Z

Remember all those weeks when the fuel prices were increasing a peso a week until they stopped at Php 60/ liter? Well, the news tidbit I heard a while ago pissed me off. It is reported that the world oil price dropped as much as USD 25/ barrel and that the local oil companies have no intentions of reducing their prices.

WTF????!

An interview with Sen. Ralph Recto (the infamous VAT-man) was done. I wish to quote him: "The fuel price increase was not caused by the Value Added Tax..."

Somebody must've lost his common sense. Even a fifth grader can tell that Php 56 plus a 10% VAT charge is equal to Php 61. Good Grief. We're being governed by morons. Don't believe me? The next featured news item on the show proves it.

Government appeals to mobile phone service companies to keep text rates at Php 0.50 a pop.

So...does this mean that they cannot do anything to convince those greedy oil companies to lower fuel prices or even remove the EVAT surcharge so they intend to make life easier for the people by hitting on some other institutions who have no involvement whatsoever to the main issue at hand?

Jeez.

WTF???

2008-07-29T11:12:25Z

I saw this statement at this site: "These are some new images of the Xbox 360 game Twilight Syndrome DS"

Will they make up their mind?

Dependent

2008-07-26T12:23:05Z

Ever since Ish resigned from work, my gym visits were cut down to two per week. By mid-June, I was going to the gym once in a week. Blame it on my laziness. I was also considering how "low" can I go without working out and if it were possible to throw in the towel, so to speak.

It turns out that the work-outs had more interesting effects aside from aesthetic ones. Sometime in the middle of June, I was experiencing pain on my right shoulder blade. A day after, my chest was affected such that I wasn't able to look down and touch my chin on my chest without having difficulty breathing and experiencing some sort of chest pain. I panicked and arranged for an ECG (Hey, I am getting old) and an x-ray for possible scoliosis. The tests were negative. A week after, I caught the flu.

Worried about my back problem and unable to get a chiropractor referral, I called up Sherwin (my best friend who also studied reflexology) and asked whether he can help relieve the back pain. At this time I was suspecting that it may have been a cramp or a pulled muscle or a nerve that didn't fall into place. Although he said that he'd come over that weekend (he didn't) he mentioned something that is worth considering. He said it may have been caused by "lamig" .

I personally do not believe that cold temperatures can actually cause lasting muscle pain. It takes a lot of cold air to get me shivering and I even prefer colder environments and temperatures. So I asked him why I'm experiencing this now; and that to bear in mind that I'm going to the same cold places. He explained that it may have something to do with the "lamig" pain (God, I so hate that term) being offset by me lifting weights. Possible.

After a week, the shoulder pain subsided and I went to work. Sometime before my first break, the shoulder pain recurred. Since my arms don't get that cold, I usually wear some sort of sleeveless coat or vest just to prevent my back from being directly hit by cold air. I also noticed that it really was (is?) cold in the office.

Now, I'm again on the thrice a week routine. It seems that aside from aesthetics, I will be hitting the gym also for health and work reasons as well.

Who Sez You Can Pirate Anything?

2008-07-16T04:42:04Z

In one of the forums that I read, somebody posted that he only finished 2 games on the DS because of the several good games that can be easily uploaded on the R4. The post got me thinking and evaluating just how many games have I finished already on the DS alone. I came up with this list:

Ganbare Goemon - Toukai Douchuu
The Legend of Kage 2
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Rings of Fate
Pokemon Pearl
Pokemon Ranger
Bleach: Blade of Fate
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
Hokuto no Ken - Hokuto Shinken Denshousha no Michi
Jake Hunter: Detective Chronicles
Professor Layton and the Curious Village
Mysterious Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer
The World Ends With You
Trace Memory
Hotel Dusk: Room 215

Hmmm...that's not so bad. The DS being a portable does matter. You can play anywhere: on the commute home, the toilet, lying down in bed, office breaks, petiks breaks, on your side, on your back, while waiting for the movie to start...you get the picture. These factors made me neglect the PS2 here at home in favor of the portable machine; aside from the fact that buying working PS2 DVD's is a matter of "hit and miss".

However, although almost all the games can be uploaded on the R4, not all of them can be played on it. Take for example, this game:

That game is called Daigasso Band Brothers. It's a rhythm and music game not unlike the ones found in the arcade where you can play a DJ, chase notes on a keyboard or play the drums. Daigasso Band Brothers can be played on the DS but the sequel, Daigasso Band Brothers DX, cannot.

The DBB DX cartridge is special, wherein the save file uses 8 MB instead of the normal 512kb. I tried playing the game and it displayed an error message (Japanese) saying that the game card has an error or something. Hackers found a way around the 8MB save file requirement but it has been reported that you cannot download more songs via wi-fi (which the original cart can do).

Here's another example:

In case you have lived a life of a hermit or retired to your provincial home, Guitar Hero is the video game with those nifty guitar shaped (and sized) controllers available. Think Dance Dance Revolution guitar version. On the DS, you get a peripheral called a "guitar grip" which you attach in the GBA slot of the DS. Time the button presses while strumming your way on the touch screen with a pick shaped stylus.

While I'm not saying that the game does not work as a ROM. I believe that the experience cannot be duplicated without the guitar grip.

The "game" below is not exactly a game:

Yeah, that's my room. I guess it's obvious that I purchased this game. I tried the ROM on the R4 but the game requires that you use their proprietary pedometer (shown on the right) to upload the number of steps that you did for the day. Without it, the game would not finish the introduction part thus, making it impossible to proceed with the game (I do hear rumors that there are workarounds it though). Once you've uploaded your step information for the very first time, you can use your own pedometer and input the number of steps manually.

The software (game?) is more of an interactive Health Manual, helping you manage your weight through the pedometer, different challenges and by having you note your daily food intake. As the stick figure in the game says, small steps, when brought together, can make a difference.

Take for example, the challenges. They are divided into "minute" and "24-hour" challenges. The minute challenges can be as simple as "Put your salt shaker in your cupboard" or "Call up a friend and invite him/her for a walk". 24 hour challenges are tasks that you are supposed to do well, in 24 hours. Tasks can range from "replace all your sugary drinks with cool water for the day", "keep a pitcher of water on your table the next time you eat, and use it." to "Do 10000 steps".

A question which comes into mind is: "Why the hell did you get that game? You look healthy enough." It may seem that way but in fact, I'm not that healthy. I'm nearly underweight. In My Health Coach, you can enter what you ate for the day and the game will compare it with the amount of physical activity that you did. It just confirmed what I suspected all along. I eat too little for the physical things that I do. At least I now know how much more is needed and what to eat to attain weight "nirvana". LOL

This issue about exclusive peripherals is taking me dangerously close to collecting all of them. And this gadget does not make it any easier:

The title of the game is Juushinden: Ultimate Beast Fighters. The screenshots are amazing. But alas, when I tried the ROM, the game returned an error saying it cannot find the "Magic Reader". It turns out that the DS game is also a card game wherein you get to scan cards containing the monsters attacks or stats. In Japan, boosters are sold. I can only hope that a deck is included in the package.

I brushed this game off thinking that it looks expensive to purchase (and a Japanese game at that). Browsing through the Yes-Asia website, I learned that the set costs only $22.49 or Php 1022.51! That's cheaper than any other original DS game! All I have to do is wait for a relative to plan to come home, order the thing and have him/her bring it along. I just hope Yes-Asia's offer is still available by then.

Cartoon Rant

2008-06-28T02:05:18Z

I just needed to let this out. If you need to broadcast something in Tagalog, you would get better ratings if you dubbed something that is in a language that is not understandable by the masses. Are you scratching your head right now? I'm referring to local networks showing cartoons (and even English movies) in Tagalog. What the hell is wrong with English? Advocates of the Filipino language say that it promotes the love for the local tongue. However, we do (did?) take pride in the fact that we are one (if not the ONLY) Asian country who has English as it's second language. I for one, learned English at an early age through shows like Sesame Street, Electric Company, The Kroft Supershow, Marlo and the Magic Mystery machine and cartoons like Batman, Lone Ranger, Super Friends and Looney Tunes. If you wish to understand what they are talking about, you just have to brush up on your reading and grammar skills (forcefully).

I do understand that shows dubbed in Filipino get more audiences. However, must they be English shows? I do not mind watching them in Tagalog; I just watched Gatchaman on the HERO channel last night. If they advertised it as Gatchaman and they suddenly presented me with G-Force, then that would disgust and put me off right away. Why? Because the G-Force that was presented in the US omitted several scenes and had this irritating looping soundtrack that you hear at the beginning, during and AFTER the show. HERO showed Gatchaman in all it's original glory which I didn't mind watching in Tagalog. It's just an added perk.

Another example that I saw is Transformers Cybertron. Knoewing that it was originally called Transformers: Galaxy in Japan, I was thinking: "Aaaah, another English show dubbed in Tagalog". Hold it, what's this I hear? Japanese soundtrack? YES!!!! It's Transformers: Galaxy. It was advertised as Transformers: Cybertron to avoid confusion.

Today, I caught Dekaranger on HERO again. Let's hang around for the ride and find out what version it is. What's this? Caucasian? Arrrrgh! It's Power Rangers SPD! For crying out loud, they already finished showing that on Cartoon Network! All the dubbers had to do is translate every line in Tagalog. How lazy can you get!

Yeah, yeah, it's not wallet friendly if you'd get Japanese translators and dubbers. You'd save money if you'd get dubbers because we all understand English anyway. Wouldn't it cost much less if you'd broadcast the show in English? You do not have to freakin' edit anything!

So, going back to the relationship between dubbing and ratings point again, leave them in English or dub them in Filipino BUT use the original Japanese versions. You'd make me (among other anime purists) happy and earn ratings from us. Leave the shows in English and do today's youth a favor: help them widen their vocabulary and learn to speak better English.

Just to put a final nail in the so-called coffin, a line from G.I. Joe Sigma 6 that I remembered:

"They never learn, do they?"

Typical hero line. Except that it was dubbed as:

"DI na siLA natuTO" (Apply emphasis on the highlighted syllables.)

*sigh* A more fitting line would be: "Wala silang ka-dala-dala, no?" (without the irritating, pointless voice raise on some syllables)

Trade-Off

2008-06-04T13:02:17Z

It's one of those days when I'm too lazy to go to the gym and decided to stay home instead. It wasn't a total loss. In fact, it my day was quite productive. I got to watch the first two episodes of the latest Saint Seiya chapter: Elysion and found some mp3's which I have been looking for in such a long time (two of them are from anime shows when I was 4 - 7 years old):

1. Hitoribocchi no Duet - Touch 4th opening
2. Ikuze! Ikkiman - Ikkiman OP (more known as Battle Ball here in the country)
3. Hana no Ko LunLun (opening from anime of the same name) - Anybody remember Ron-Ron the Flower Angel?
4. Kibou yo Sore wa (from Entaku no Kishi Moero! Arthur)- How about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table?
5. Futatsu no Kodou to Akai Tsumi (Vampire Knight OP) - This anime is relatively new, they're only up to episode 8. I had the TV size for about 2 weeks and was looking for the full song. Now I have it.

I uploaded the King Arthur, LunLun and Ikkiman openings here. I feel like a kid again.

Kotobukiya Batman

2008-06-04T11:11:15Z

I do not usually consider buying resin statues. They don't move and they usually stay in the box. However, I consider this piece to be the best Batman yet; even better than the HUSH figure or my Justice League of America Bats. Now, I'm thinking of getting one.

Pictures are taken from the Kotobukiya website which says...this luxury is now available. Waaaaaah!

An End...and a Beginning

2008-05-26T07:04:00Z

I just finished The World Ends With You (TWEWY for short) last night. The game is nothing short of fantastic in my opinion. No, it doesn't have flashy graphics (but it does have one heck of a soundtrack) but (as Ish and I said so many times) the game is so innovative and the plot is very interesting that after the game ends, you'd be left with so many questions that you'd want to play the game again, scrutinize every piece of dialogue and event and see how it relates to the "grand scheme of things".

And you shall.

The game's masterminds anticipated that there WILL be questions and have designed a unlockable chapter select feature. Knowing that playing the same level again and again is tedious (even with your level, pins and items intact) they hid the answers in the form of multi-paged secret reports which were penned by a certain character in the game. The reports are unlocked each chapter by doing certain tasks: defeat so-and-so enemy at the hard level or obtaining a certain item. I've unlocked 5 reports so far and am astounded by the back story.

I do not intend to go all scholarly and discuss social and political implications however, the game DOES glaring parallels to religion and God than the Wachowski's Matrix trilogy.

If you have a DS, do not pass up this game. I'd even label it as a must buy.

On the other hand, thanks to Ish, I also started watching a new anime called Nabari no Ou (Ruler of Nabari) alongside my weekly dose of Naruto: Shippuden and Macross: Frontier. The show has a darker theme and a lot better than Naruto: Shippuden. The fight scenes are more fast paced and believable in the sense that the ninja's do not rely on ninpo (ninja magic) all the time. If you like ninjas and martial arts shows, try watching this anime.

Tagged by Stan (grumble)

2008-05-14T14:32:45Z

In the 8 facts about me, you share 8 things that your readers don't know about you. Then at the end you tag 8 other bloggers to keep the fun going.

* Each blogger must post these rules first.
* Each blogger starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
* Bloggers that are tagged need to write on their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
* At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
* Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

1. I'm acrophobic - Yup, I'm afraid of heights. I remember freezing on top of a rice terrace in Banaue because the path was about two feet across and it's a 8 foot drop to the muddy rice paddy below. My palms get all sweaty when playing Tomb Raider (hence Ish playing) or even when passing through certain worlds at Super Mario Brothers 1.

2. I'm tone deaf - Almost all people around me say so. Even my Mom does. I guess it must be true. Weird, because almost all the people who I am close with knows how to carry a tune. So if I have to have somebody identify a tune for me, it'd be best to let him hear a recording.

3. I can read Japanese but cannot understand them. - I can read/write hiragana and katakana. My vocabulary, on the other hand needs dusting.

4. 80% of my mp3 collection is in Japanese - Not J-POP, mostly anime, sentai and game soundtracks. This is probably one of the reasons why I still remember some Japanese words.

5. I'm older than I look. - I think it's the effect of my own kind of stress management.

6. I forgive but do not forget - How can you learn from your mistakes if you did forget right? This results to really long grudges. The longest grudge I kept was about um...10 years? I just made peace with my friend after I dreamt that I killed him.

7. I hate chain letters - And I hate the gullible persons who pass along the messages even more. Sending me one merits a complimentary block in my e-mail or friendster. Naah, this doesn't count because of the absence of the "consequence" if you did/didn't pass this along.

8. I have a speech defect - I cannot pronounce the Spanish "r". Never did. Ish thinks it's cute and it does come in handy in letting the Americans I speak with on the phone that I'm one myself.

I'm tagging people who I think have not posted this on their blogs yet: Ish, Marge, Mary, Francis, Vincent, Earl, Toshi and EJ (Edge).

Batman RIP checklist et. al.

2008-05-09T06:07:07Z

Just when I was about to believe that comic books wouldn't be putting a damper on my wallet anymore, I came across this ad in Detective Comics #844 counting out the issues involved in the Batman RIP story arc:

Batman 676 to 681 - 6 issues
Detective 846 to 850 - 5 issues
Nightwing 147 to 150 - 4 issues
Robin 175 and 176 - 2 issues
Batman and the Outsiders 11 to 13 - 3 issues

That's a whopping 20 issues. To add insult to injury, there's another "Final Crisis" (note the quotes) ad showing a picture of Hush (Batman's former best friend and now worst enemy) and the word "Envy" written below it.

Oh no. No, no, NO!!!

Inflation or Greed?

2008-05-08T12:24:51Z

One fact that most people do not know about me is that I do not drive. I think the stress and expenses that comes with driving is not at all worth it. That doesn't mean that I have a blind eye on what concerns drivers though. Then again, it could be read as a list of reasons on my decision to not drive a car [and then some]:

1. Fuel Prices - With gasoline at Php 50 a liter? That's insane! I could go to Ortigas for just 3 pesos more sans the stress involved when you encounter "road warriors" who think they own the road. On that note: I'm absolutely disgusted by that Petron commercial which features "a new generation (breed?) of road warriors". Road Warriors or whatnot, I call them drag racers i.e. menace. The advertisement actually glorifies it. Blech. Going back, I think the government should start putting their foot down on the ever increasing prices. Ish and I long for the day when solar generators become widely available just like in Gundam 00. Because of this development, countries in the middle east were struck by hardship and fell into civil war. Heh. Karma.

2. Toll prices - Hopefully, this won't follow suit and start charging more just because they patched a hole here and there. And before they start pointing out that the SLEX got a major facelift, I'd like to remind them that they have been charging fees since time immemorial. These fees (which kept on increasing every time a makeover takes place) should have covered maintenance.

3. Parking - Ah, my favorite. In case you did not know, some places in Filinvest Corporate city now charge for parking. One of the places of note is Westgate, my gym's parking area. No improvements were done; save for the booth that will house the person collecting the fees. I'm always reminded of a sign that I saw when we parked at Greenbelt. The sign says: Please do not leave your valuables inside your car. The management will not be responsible for any items lost within the parking facility. Okaaaaay...so what the heck is the parking fee for? From what I know, parking fees were charged because the parking facility was secure. So essentially, the sign acknowledges the fact that it is not and that you are paying for...for...*scratches head* I hate to think that I would have to pay that much for convenience.

Then again, it's something for NOTHING. Who am I to argue?

Simplicity

2008-04-25T13:54:23Z

As my shift draws to a close, I realized that you can be happy with just the simplest of gifts.

1. Our office firewall is down - Hello Multiply!

2. Most of my teammates (and some from the other teams who came from the same account I once belonged to) greeted me a happy birthday.

3. One of my Team Leader friends gave me a Blueberry Cheesecake (which I shared).

4. Thank God for coaching minutes, service level loopholes which made us possible to be on coaching (petiks mode) after being on the phones for the first half of the shift.

Yup, mababaw ako. However, I did get Ish's gift yesterday and it's anything BUT simple:

Super Robot Taisen's Dygenguar. Dygenguar [or Dyzengar] is piloted by Zengar Zombolt. He frequently phrases, "I am Sänger Zonvolt, the Sword That Smites Evil!" ("Ware wa Zengā Zonboruto, Aku wo tatsu tsurugi nari!" in the Japanese version), which he recites before he attacks with his Colossal Blade, and "There is nothing my Colossal Blade cannot cut!" ("Waga Zankantou ni tatenu mono nashi!" in the Japanese version, meaning There is nothing that can stand against my Zankantou!) after he finishes the attack. In the Japanese version, any of his powerful attacks using the Colossal Blade will most likely be accompanied with a loud "CHESTO!!!" kiai (it is a rather common kiai used by martial artists and swordsmen alike). [wikipedia]

Sexy isn't he? I haven't opened it as of this time so expect pictures of the kick ass Samurai mech soon.

Interests

2008-04-24T13:41:30Z

I feel weird. Call it an experiment of sorts. Those who know me may have noticed that most of my posts here delve into my interests as compared to what I was posting on my now-defunct blog. Naturally, it resulted to less number of comments. As one may have put it: "Can't relate".

Which led me to think: Why the hell do I go out of my way to comment or ask questions on topics that I do not share an interest in? I'd like to think that I do it so I could learn more, have at least a basic idea of a certain field or add to my now dwindling bank of general knowledge. However, it seems that I'm the only one doing it.

Being a good conversationalist once equated to a person who has the ability to engage another in a wide variety of subjects. If I were to apply this, would I meet someone who would meet this criteria? Hardly. If I'm not that flexible, I may regard everybody who meets me as stuck up. And this is probably why I ask questions or read articles which I don't care for.

A few people have sent me invitations to be their contact. I ponder these invites very carefully. As you may know, being a contact of one means you get updates on his site and vice-versa. One blunt question in particular pops up in my mind: "What relationship do you have with me that you need to be updated with what is going on in my life every so often?" You can always visit my site if you wish or even bookmark it in your browser. But to be my contact when you do not even drop a friendster message, sms, e-mail or whatever; I'm sorry, but I do not think you have any business here. Unless of course, I find your site interesting.

Blind Purchases

2008-04-11T02:46:24Z

I brood. A lot. During one of those moments, I realized that it's just not toys that I'm addicted to. I'm also addicted to randomness. Heaven help me if the toy in question has both. This may be the reason why I'm not exactly a fan of purchasing complete sets of figures, gashapons or cards and probably a reason why it takes me forever to buy a model kit or action figure but can buy tokens for Yujin Gashapons without batting an eyelash. There's that thrill of knowing that you are lucky this day to have chanced upon a rare figure or item that is obviously absent from buying the full set. It may be the same feeling that gamblers experience. I don't know, I do not gamble.

Case in point, when I was playing Magic: the Gathering, I preferred buying booster packs instead of the actual cards. One day, I decided to purchase a box of boosters upon hearing from one of the players that it is cheaper. After cracking open every booster, did that stop me from buying boosters? Nope. I continued to purchase pack after pack...of the same expansion set. Go figure.

When you take a look at the DS games loaded in my R4 card, you will find Bleach, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Rings of Fate, Shiren the Wanderer: Mysterious Dungeon, The Legend of Kage 2, Nintendogs, Etrian Odyssey, Super Robot Wars W amongst others. Guess what games I play with the most? Shiren the Wanderer. Next in line would be Animal Crossing followed by Nintendogs. Now why would a 16 MB game trump a 128 MB game with a franchise name like Final Fantasy?

Shiren features random dungeons with random items every time you play through it. Add to that the fact that you get to rescue some players by finding them in the exact random dungeon that they died in (which increases your chances of getting upgrade scrolls and other rare chances) explains why I'm hooked on it.

Nintendogs also has unpredictable items that can be obtained during your dog walks.

Animal Crossing is the worst of them all. Random events, fishes and shop items are available everyday. So if you are looking for a particular piece of furniture out of the 600++ or so items...well, good luck to the world. Sure, you can time travel (cheat) but that would detract from the overall experience would it?

The Pokemon Lottery in Pokemon Pearl was interesting at first. The lottery system picks a random number and compares it to all the trainer ID's of the pokemon you have in your party and boxes. The prizes are based on how many numbers match. The more trainer ID number's you have from trading pokemon, more chances of winning (haha). However, the lack of variety of prizes (Photo backdrop, PP Up, Experience Share, Master Ball and Max Revive) made it stale.

If life had a set number of routines, that would be boring right? Randomness is fun.

Kamen Rider Black RAH DX

2008-04-11T01:34:40Z

A page from Hyper Hobby 5/08:

Picture taken from http://fcti.multiply.com/

I want him!!!!

My Toys are Melting!!!

2008-04-09T02:13:38Z

As I retrieved my Super Powers figs (see last post) from the glass paneled cabinet, I was shocked to see their feet slightly stuck the wood. Upon inspecting them, I found out that the feet, hands and part of the torso were covered in some sort of oily sticky substance. My Tygra (Thundercats) figure was also affected. I removed them from the cabinet last thinking that the place was too hot. However, when I scrutinized the figures again this morning, the parts were still soft and showed no signs of improvement.

You people may want to check your toys if they're melting...it seems that older toys are not built to stand the heat of the 21st century sun.

I'm so tempted to pop the figures in the freezer overnight. Anybody else has this problem? And if you have encountered this situation, any ideas?

Much Needed Upgrade

2008-04-08T14:20:13Z

At the risk of exposing my age, I present to you two of my oldest toys:

Yup, those are Kenner's Super Powers Batman and Robin. I've loved these comic book characters since I was 3 years old. But I never had their figures until I was about 12. The date stamp on the figures is 1984 which means I didn't get them until I was in Grade 6 (2 years after). I remember going with my Dad to SM Quiapo after having my annual eye check up and reluctantly requesting (The Star Wars figures that he's used to buying for me cost 50 bucks as compared to the 90 price tag on these things) him to buy Batman for me. He agreed and Dick Grayson came months after.

When Tim Drake became the recent Robin, I wanted to have a figure which dons the latest costume (at that time anyway). After repeated trips to the toy stores, I decided on this one over the Teen Titans version:

Even if he doesn't have his trademark Bo staff, this figure reflects Tim's inevitable future destiny to become the next Dark Knight. I just find the Teen Titans version's face too tame (and I don't like his hair either).

At that time, I was also contemplating whether to get a Zipline Batman in the same series. and then I saw the HUSH (too common) and Batman and Son versions. I liked latter figure's sculpt but found out that the face sculpt is significantly different from the picture. I decided to wait some more and when I saw an ad in one of my weekly comic purchases I found the one:

That's my recent purchase; Justice League of America Series II Batman. He comes with a stand, Batarang and a small Starro. I'm resisting every temptation to open the package. (as per Ish: "Corny mo!") My only qualm about this is that the right "bat-ear" is somewhat crooked as shown above.

Don't they look great together?

I'm so content (fulfilled). Hee.

Bi-Polar

2008-04-08T09:35:27Z

In an episode of Justice League that I really like, I remember Batman saying this to Wonder Woman while on a stakeout: "Because you're a princess from an island of Amazon warrior women and I'm just a rich man with issues. LOTS of issues."

How true. Bruce may be one of the most seclusive (paranoid?) character out in the comic universe but he does care. I mean, you'd be paranoid too if you found out that your friends cast a vote and decided to mindwipe 5 minutes of your memories.

Although nobody has actually performed a magical lobotomy on me, I realized that this is why I act this way. I have too many issues: issues about parents, work related issues and some are friend related (yeah, that includes my exes). Of course, there's a difference between realizing that you have a problem compared to taking steps to resolve it.

Some of you might have caught me unusually online (and visible) in YM). Was it some unconscious attempt to unload some of the baggage? No, not really. But some whom I have caught online helped (whether they knew it or not):

Edge - who had the gall to let me sit under a Sword of Damocles and made efforts to remove it.

Tobie - who, whether he knew it or not, proved to me not that everybody who asks how I am is out for a tidbit of my private life: a small fact that was further proved by Stan and Van.

So there, that may not be all of them but at least it's a start. If there's one thing I realized from working in customer service is that resolution does not mean that one or both parties are happy with how their problems pan out. It can also mean acceptance.