5 Guys and a Blog

some old vids of mine by Snorlax

2008-05-19T01:48:00.003+08:00

As most of you guys know, I play a lot of competitive Tekken in my sparetime. I'm not the dominating presence I used to be, as work, age, and other activities (read: A REAL LIFE) have prevented me from playing as much as I used to.

As requested by Kix, here are some of the videos of my matches as found in youtube. I used to have a lot more posted, but weirdly nawala na. Take note that these videos are Tekken 5 Dark Resurrection Matches taken more than a year ago. The current version is Tekken 6, but I dont have vids of me playing Tekken 6 yet.

The first two matches are against a good Korean player named Gotama who visited the Philippines. How good? He was a former Tekken 5 Champion in Korea.

The third match is against the current best Bryan player in the Philippines, Mr. Pwersa.

I'm the Jack-5 player (or the big robot, for the unitiated)

Enjoy, and bask in my Jack-5's awesomeness......

Various Anime Characters VS. Ronald McDonald and Col. Sanders: WHO YA GOT?!

2008-05-06T08:21:00.003+08:00

That's Incredible!

2008-05-02T09:01:00.003+08:00

Check it out guys, the new trailer for The Incredible Hulk!!!

You'd think that a kick from the Hulk would mean instant death, right?

Things I Don't Need But Absolutely Must Have #1

2008-04-24T15:09:00.005+08:00

Brothers in '80s Action Figure Geekery...

I present to you...

King Grayskull.

Bow down before his sheer awesomeness!

Apparently, he is He-Man's ancestor, and he is a giant. No, not a giant of a man but a REAL giant. How cool is that?

Mattel will come out with a new line of Masters of the Universe action figures this year featuring all the characters from the '80s series but better articulated and more detailed and the King Grayskull statue will be a San Diego Comic Con exclusive.

I, for one, cannot wait.

Goodbye money! It was fun while it lasted.

My Favorite Game

2008-04-22T08:41:00.004+08:00

The one Nintendo game that I played the most, more than Castlevania, more than Gradius, more than Contra, was Solomon's Key.

More than your usual Hack 'N' Slash or Shoot 'Em Up arcade game, Solomon's Key was a thinking man's game. There are countless solutions to a level and you are pressured to finish quickly since there is a timer for every room.

Your character, Dana, has to retrieve a key in every room to unlock the cage containing the fairy that you need to rescue. You also have to retrieve a bell in every level. In your arsenal is the ability to create and destroy orange bricks, the ability to jump, and to shoot fireballs at enemies.

Does anybody else remember this game? I loved it!

Here's the Wikipedia entry about it...

...and a video review from YouTube.

The Best Scene in Sixth Sense

2008-04-20T23:43:00.002+08:00

Sixth sense was a great movie. Everybody loved the surprise twist ending, the scary and surprising moments, the sublime and subtle acting and the cameos of Donnie Whalberg and Mischa Barton. But as think and review the movie in my head, I realize that my favorite aspect of the movie is the script. I love the themes about love and hope and family, which usually take a back seat to the other impressive aspects of the movie.

I would like to share this video, is it my favorite scene in the movie and is a scene that really struck a chord in me. I hope that you take the 5 minutes to watch this video, it’s worth it.

The answer is: everyday.

How the Internet is Ruining Movies

2008-04-16T17:25:00.003+08:00

You know how some films use rotating newspapers as transition devices or to move the story forward with the headlines on them? What happens when newspapers are no longer around and everyone reads their news online or on their mobile phones?

Mark Cuban discussed something like this before when he wrote about how some movies still use that sound effect of a turntable needle scratching a record to depict an interruption of events in the story. Most kids now are probably born when records were no longer popular so what do they think that sound is?

This is what the Internet can affect movies. How can a story about former lovers from opposite ends of the world work if they can just search for each other on the Internet? And there's nothing more boring than watching a character typing away on a keyboard on the computer then cutting to the monitor. Even crime stories aren't so compelling now since almost all the investigation can be done using the Internet.

This will definitely be a challenge for screenwriters and directors in the future since they will always have to factor in the Internet and mobile phones into the story. It just wouldn't be believable for a character now to not have a cell phone on hand when they are in trouble. They always have to show that there's no signal or the battery's low. What happens in the future when there will be a signal everywhere and batteries can last for days on end?

Postcards from the Rest of the 3rd World

2008-04-16T16:39:00.006+08:00

It is sometimes a pain to read Manila newspapers that constantly say how pathetic our country is . I know that we aren't exactly the best country in the world to be in but we still have a lot going for us and we should use it as a springboard for future successes.

I presume our journalists mostly travel only to "advanced countries" like the United States
or Singapore because they have relatives that they can stay with for free or they don't need a visa.

In the next few weeks I will write from fellow low thousand dollar GDP countries in South and Southeast Asia to give a more even perspective.

Greatest. Drummer. Ever.

2008-04-02T22:54:00.005+08:00

We all have our personal favorites.

My sentimental favorite will always be Matt Cameron of one of my all-time favorite bands, Soundgarden. That dude wasn't the most technical or flashy of drummers, but I loved how his fills and riffs perfectly matched the song.

We have people who swear by the old skool drummers like John "Gonzo" Bonham of Led Zep, or Ginger Baker of Cream. Then there are the insane drummers of the prog-rock school, headed by no less than the Dean himself Neil Peart of Rush (AND YES, TOM SAWYER IS A FRIGGIN AWESOME SONG SO STOP SKIPPING IT IN ROCK BAND!!!!), and repping the prog school lately is Danny Carey of Tool (Just listen to Tools' Fourty-Six and Two if you have doubts)

Next we have the metal drummers, from Lars "I am a douchebag, but a rich douchebag, who is against file-sharing, and this means you" Ulrich and his mammoth Tama kit, to my personal current metal favorite, Brann Dailor of Mastodon (do yourself a favor and listen to "Hearts Alive" from their AWESOME album, "Leviathan"). LISTEN TO MASTODON NOW I ORDER YOU!!!

Then we have the jazzmen, Ah yes, those crazy, old jazzmen drummers with their lightning quick hands and impeccable sense of timing. If you have doubts as to the skin-pounding abilities of geriatric jazz drummers, just take a look at one of my personal gods, Buddy Rich, as he wows the eighties crowd in his appearance in The Muppet Show, with a showdown against Animal:

Having seen countless of concert footage and youtube videos of these drumming deities, I thought I had seen drumming at its finest.

I was wrong.

I only recently saw the light, and finally found....THE. GREATEST. DRUMMER. EVER.

forget what you know, what you've heard, what youve seen.

I have witnessed the greatest drummer in the world....and ladies and gentlemen.....he is Korean.

Rearmed!!!

2008-04-02T13:37:00.002+08:00

SnorlaX, Mamba Bryant, Druuge Master, and all you gamers out there.

Get ready to cream your pants...

This is AWESOME!

They had a different title for this game for the Nintendo Super Family Computer. Can anyone remember what it is?

I Have Always Wondered #2

2008-04-01T07:49:00.006+08:00

"Walk the Line" was showing on ETC 2nd Avenue over the weekend. Now let's see, there has been a movie about Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ritchie Valens, Buddy Holly, Jim Morrison, I know they're making a film about Janis Joplin, and I've seen three movies about The Beatles.

How come there has never been a movie about Elvis Presley?

Is it a licensing or movie rights thing? There's not even a rumor about a film being made about the King, how come? I'm sure a lot of people would go and pay money to watch a movie about the life of Elvis Aaron Presley.

Elvis Presley has made a number of appearances in other films though. He was in the Johnny Cash biopic, played by singer-songwriter and actor Tyler Hilton. He appeared as one of the temporary tenants in the Gump house in "Forrest Gump". He was played by Val Kilmer in Quentin Tarantino's "True Romance". There was also a Twilight Zone episode about him, but a full on biopic has yet to be made.

Makes me wonder...

If ever a film was to be made about Elvis Presley, who would you cast as the King of Rock 'N' Roll?

Hey, maybe that's the reason why. Maybe the right actor with the same charisma as Elvis Presley hasn't come along yet.

We'll just have to wait and see.

Movie Mondays #5: The Auteur Theory

2008-03-31T08:23:00.011+08:00

The auteur theory has long been associated with the French New Wave and the critics who wrote for the Cahiers du cinema, a 1950's film review publication.

What is the auteur theory exactly?

Simply put, it states that the director should be the "author" of a film. It is the director's vision that is realized using the various elements that comprise a film (script, cinematography, production design, acting, editing, sound, and music). Hence, a film becomes easily recognizable as the work of a certain director because his style or the elements that he likes to use are peppered throughout the film, the same way that we recognize a painting as the work of a particular painter because of the paint that is used, the subject that was chosen, the strokes that were employed, and the style of the painting.

In this day and age where it's all about the box-office earnings, is there still room for the auteur? Here are three directors who were able to keep their vision intact despite the pressure of having a big opening day weekend:

1. Cameron Crowe (Almost Famous, Jerry Maguire, Say Anything) - Music always plays an integral part in his films, the lovable loser is the central character, and the Big Sister character is always present.

2. Tim Burton (Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Sweeney Todd) - The colors in his films are almost always black, white, and red, the main character suffers alienation, and Johnny Depp always plays that main character.

3. Woody Allen (Manhattan, Crimes & Misdemeanors, Annie Hall) - The setting is always New York, the main character is always a neurotic Jew, and he plays the main character most of the time.

Can you think of other directors who have a distinct style that almost always translates into their films?

Poker and Life by Mamba Bryant

2008-03-29T09:46:00.003+08:00

I love poker. Why? Because I think that it’s one of the best metaphors for life. I used to think that basketball was a great metaphor for life, but I realize that poker is much better, because just as in life, luck plays a much bigger part than we all want to believe.

Here are some Laws in poker that I think applies to life.
1. Fortune favors the bold. You never win the big pots unless you risk a lot too. If you are risk averse, usually you are involved with those small pots. The big successes are those who usually take big risks.
2. The better players often are better off in the long run. If you are good, hard-working and live life correctly, you usually end up much more well adjusted and stable than people who go crazy in a small span in their lives.
3. Being different is a key to success. In poker usually if the table is tight, you play loose and vice versa. In life, if you can do things differently or better than anyone else, then that's a recipie for success.
4. Rules are made to be broken. In life there are no rules, and there’s no one secret recipe to success. I remember what they said about Gus Hansen, that he was one of the worst players there was, but now his Hyper aggressive is used by so many young players.

Poker. Life. All in.

Friday Sports #4: PBA Monickers

2008-03-28T07:42:00.002+08:00

Yes, that's right. We call them "monickers", not nicknames. That's the word you use when you want to describe the other name that you call your idols, your role models, your heroes. It's just...cooler.

And that's the word that Jumpin' Joe Cantanda used back in the day when everyone, and I mean everyone, watched the PBA. This was the time of Alvin Patrimonio, Venancio "Benjie" Paras, Avelino "Samboy" Lim, Paul Alvarez, Isabelo "Jojo" Lastimosa, and many more. For me, these players were the last of the Mohicans. I felt that the game was at its purest when they were around. They were the last of the true Filipino basketball player. They inspired us, electrified us, and showed us what it was like to be a TRUE champion...by playing with all your heart.

So without further ado, I present a list of these awe-inspiring athletes and their cool monickers.

1. Robert "Sonny" Jaworski - The Big J, The Living Legend, The Barreling Big J

2. Ramon Fernandez - The Franchise, El Presidente, Don Ramon Fernandez

3. Allan Caidic - The Triggerman

4. Ricardo "Ricky" Brown - The Quick Brown Fox

5. Willie Generalao - The Court General

6. Hector Calma - The Director, The Penetrator, The Liquidator

7. Ato Agustin - The Atom Bomb

8. Chito Loyzaga - Dynamite

9. Padim Israel - The Defensive Specialist

10. Elpidio "Yoyoy" Villamin - The Bicolano Superman

11. Yoyoy Villamin with Ricky Relosa - The Bruise Brothers

12. Rudy Distrito - The Destroyer

13. Nelson Asaytono - The Bull

14. Paul "Bong" Alvarez - Mr. Excitement

15. Venancio "Benjie" Paras - The Tower of Power

16. Marte Saldana - The Mighty Mite

17. Dindo Pumaren - The Bullet

18. Alvin Teng - Robocop

19. Abe King - The Chairman of the Boards

20. Bobby Jose - The Firecracker

21. Avelino "Samboy" Lim - The Skywalker, The Dragon

22. Jack Tanuan - Black Jack, Jack the Ripper

23. Noli Locsin - The Tank

24. Willie Pearson - The Wingman

25. Fortunato "Atoy" Co - The Fortune Cookie

26. Vic Sanchez - Rambo

Tom Cruise Is Effin' Nuts!

2008-03-28T05:56:00.002+08:00

Okay, Tom Cruise is officially nuts.

And here's the spoof from the upcoming crapfest Superhero Movie:

Iron-Man Action Figures!

2008-03-26T08:26:00.004+08:00

Must..get...toys....no matter what!!!

Remember those old Marvel cartoons? The animation was awful but boy, those opening themes sure were catchy! Check out Iron-Man...

Play it again, here are the lyrics:

Tony Stark makes you feel he's a cool exec with a heart of steel....
As Iron Man all jets ablaze- He fights and fights with repulsor rays.
Amazing Armor! Yes- Iron Man!
A Blazing Bomber! It's IRON MAN!

For the longest time, I thought it was "he's the coolest CAT with a heart of steel..."!

I Have Always Wondered #1

2008-03-25T09:02:00.004+08:00

What if a role requires an actor to smoke and the actor is not a smoker? Can he persuade the writer and the director to do something about this? What if it is absolutely integral to the character and the story? What does an actor do? Not inhale? What if an actor develops a smoking habit because of the role and eventually dies of lung cancer? What if the actor is not just concerned about his or her health but is actually against the whole concept of smoking? What if the actor does not want other impressionable people to imitate his or her behavior?

Does an actor disregard his or her own physical well-being and its possible effects on social behavior just because a role requires it?

There Will Be Vader

2008-03-24T22:27:00.003+08:00

Warning: in order to get this video, you must have seen Paul Thomas Anderson's opus "There Will Be Blood" and The Star Wars Trilogy. If you haven't seen the former, I do not blame you, but I highly suggest you grab the DVD when it becomes available ~~in Quaipo~~. If you haven't watched the latter, I'm amazed that you've even heard of the internet.

Without further ado, "There Will Be Vader":

Movie Mondays #4: 3 Movies Paul Giamatti Was In Before He Became Paul Giamatti

2008-03-24T07:44:00.007+08:00

For actors like Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, John Travolta, Mel Gibson and other stars of equal wattage, having top billing is as natural as breathing. These guys were born to open movies.

For others, it is not as easy. They have to climb and claw their way to that coveted spot. Take Paul Giamatti, for example. While there has been some buzz about his starring role in the HBO series, "John Adams", it took a while before he reached that level. Let's take a look at this fine actor's not-so-illustrious career and his roles in previous movies that we may have...overlooked.

1. Kissing Man in "Singles" (1992)

Check out the scene where Campbell Scott and Kyra Sedgwick are having "water". Paul Giamatti is the guy in the other table making out with a girl. His line in the movie: "What?"

2. FBI Technician in "Donnie Brasco" (1997)

Remember that scene where Johnny Depp breaks down the many meanings of "Fuhgeddaboutit"? Paul Giamatti was right in there dissecting the phrase with Officer Tom Hanson, Jr. from 21 Jump Street and other FBI technicians.

3. Control Room Director in "The Truman Show" (1998)

In this movie, he's not just a technician, he's the Control Room Director who is sympathetic to Truman's plight. This will be the first of three high-profile movies that year (Saving Private Ryan, The Negotiator) that will pluck Paul Giamatti out of obscurity.

After "The Truman Show", he never plays a nameless character ever again. The rest, as they say, is Hollywood history.

Check out Paul Giamatti's curriculum vitae in IMDB here and his biography on Wikipedia here.

The True Essence of Music by SnorlaX

2008-03-21T15:55:00.004+08:00

The true essence of music; the encapsulation and distillation of thousands of years of melody, lyrics, verses, choruses, instruments and song; the ABSOLUTE APEX of human creativity; the VERY PERSONIFICATION OF AWESOMENESS.....

can be summed up succinctly in one music video.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I present to you,

Golimar.

Your collective lives, as you know it, shall forever be altered....

Friday Sports #3: March Madness Has Arrived! by Mamba Bryant

2008-03-21T13:36:00.005+08:00

I’m a big time basketball fan. I watch all the basketball movies from Hoosiers (arguably the best basketball movie ever, I also have “Above The Rim” as a close second) to Teen Wolf 2 (arguably the worst basketball movie ever). I have all the Jordan tapes, watch as many games as possible and generally know the stats of the most obscure player currently playing in the NBA. (Von Wafer Portland Trailblazers 1.6 PPG 28% FG 70%FT) Also, I’m a big gambler. I bet on almost everything from UFC (Go Silva!) to boxing (by a hair Pacquiao!), to the NBA and college basketball. But nothing has prepared me for office (and school) pools of March Madness! I don’t know any of the teams aside from my favorite team North Carolina, where my favorite player ( MJ!!!) came from. Otherwise, I am blind as a bat!

So for this bracket, I will be testing the theory that luck plays more of a factor in choosing the correct brackets for March Madness. I will be pitting my luck against my friends in Carnegie Mellon University. These Americans, grizzled veterans of the college hoop scene and quantitative geeks (YEAH WE LIKE GEEKS!!! Check out our Superman vs. Thor post) have the supreme advantage over me. But I have the great equalizer!!! BEGINNER’S LUCK!

The definitive style I will use for this bracket will be the following:

- Pick the favorite unless a name stands out because some of these schools have the same name as schools in the Philippines.

- Choose the teams with superstars that have cool names (i.e. O.J. MAYO).

- Choose the team that is named after the city you currently live in.

- Do not put all four 1st seeds into the Final Four.

I believe that this will win me the 500 school pool.

Here is my bracket:

If I win, forget about analyzing your teams next year and just choose randomly. You’ll have a better shot of winning.

Travel Wednesdays #3: Remedies to Minimize Airport Purgatory

2008-03-18T17:17:00.010+08:00

I just came back from an enjoyable but exhausting trip overseas. I enjoyed my time immensely in the country but the trip to and stay in the airport almost broke my positive impression of the country.

Here are a couple of tips to lessen the stress levels so that you can enjoy your stay in the country:

1. Online Check-In

Major airlines like Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines allow you to select your seat and print your boarding pass from your computer. This saves you the hassle of lining up with most people who don't know about this feature for even Economy class passengers.

2. Smart Luggage

Don't underestimate the conveniences of modern luggage. Ever wonder why Japanese travelers use luggage with wheels that allow you to spin your luggage? I found out the hard way in one trip. While I was sweating from carrying my luggage to cross the express train till, the Japanese just nonchalantly spin their bag 90 degrees and wheel through the till.

3. Hand-Carried Items

If you're checking in your luggage, leave your power cord and other non-essential gadgets in your luggage. It will ease your shoulder strain immensely. Bring only the current passport and passport with visa that you need. No need to bring an "accordion" every time.

4. Clothing

Try to wear comfy slip-on shoes and avoid wearing belts or chunky metal watches. This will save your time from being inconvenienced by security.

Movie Mondays #3: Marion Cotillard in "La Vie En Rose" by Rickious

2008-03-17T08:22:00.005+08:00

"La Vie En Rose" will be remembered as the movie where Marion Cotillard gave it her all. Regretfully, I only noticed when a clip was shown during the presentation for the Oscar for Best Actress. I gotta admit, I wanted Ellen Page to win that one. After seeing Marion's portrayal of Edith Piaf though, Ellen Page's performance in "Juno" suddenly looked like the proverbial walk in the park.

It might be an error to call it a mere portrayal though, since it looked as if Marion was imbued by the very spirit of Edith Piaf herself. It was very painful to watch her. I can only describe the performance as raw, in the sense that she laid everything bare for everyone to see. Look at her eyes as she sings in the last scene. She doesn't blink at all. It was like looking into a wound that was bleeding profusely. Stella Adler, Marlon Brando's acting teacher, once told him to always hold back twenty percent so the audience can relate to you. Obviously, Marion Cotillard never heard of this advice or she chose to disregard it completely.

I cannot recall a portrayal of old age by a younger actor as phenomenally believable as this one. The lovely and lithe ingenue that I recall receiving the Best Actress Oscar is nowhere to be found in the bony arms hanging loosely on the stooped and illness-ravaged frame of her character. Eat your heart out, Daniel Day-Lewis! She just drank YOUR milkshake!

Al Pacino remarked that for Scarface, he had to do a Meryl Streep. He had to get the body, then he had to get the voice, the two tools of the actor's trade. Marion Cotillard's voice in this movie stays true to the character's origins, the gutter. It was deep, dirty, and devoid of refinement. It is a stark betrayal of the beauty of her singing voice.

I believe that all great actors have that singular film where they give a portrayal so astonishing that it cements their career for life and etches their images in our memories forever. Brando in "A Streetcar Named Desire", De Niro in "Raging Bull", Day-Lewis in "My Left Foot", Oldman in "Dracula", Swank in "Boy's Don't Cry", Hanks in "Philadelphia", Bale in "The Machinist" and now, Cotillard in "La Vie En Rose". Lesser actors languish in mediocrity, obscurity, a career in TV, or worse, a career in reality TV.

Here's the trailer for "La Vie En Rose"...

...and the Wikipedia articles about the film and Marion Cotillard.

Back to Back Trailers: Iron-Man and The Incredible Hulk!

2008-03-13T08:19:00.004+08:00

William Hurt, who plays General Thaddeus Ross, reveals that there will be a crossover scene with Iron Man in "The Incredible Hulk".

Guys, we gotta watch both movies all together again, Transformers style! Woohoo!

Friday Sports #2: Ninja Warrior by Mamba Bryant

2008-03-13T06:35:00.008+08:00

The first ever Japanese show I ever watched was a game show called Takeshi’s Castle. The concept of the show was to take video games out from the console and television and into real life. The result was a hilarious show where the fates of the contestants relied mostly on luck. (Filipino fans were also treated to the crazy antics of Smokey Manaloto and Anjo Yllana )

As the years have gone by the Japanese have continued to be experts in making crazy and hilarious shows (see Hard Gay, Human Tetris and Silent Library). Recently, I found one of their shows to not only be entertaining, but a venue for extreme athletes everywhere as well.

This awesome show is called Ninja Warrior. It pits the skills of the contestant against 4 grueling obstacle courses. At first, I thought it was just another crazy Japanese show where success relied mostly on luck but upon closer inspection, I realized that success in this show required practice, training and discipline, just like any other sport.

The superstars of this show are extreme athletes that have amazing agility, supreme strength, and dexterity + 8 (props to all my role-playing brothers). In fact, I believe that the king of this show, Makoto Nagano, a fisherman (or so they say), is actually a REAL ninja. Who else but a real ninja can do this?

After watching a few episodes of this show, I was psyched enough to try to train for it, or at least do 20 pull-ups on my own! I think this can be something that extreme athletes can sink their teeth into. I know a good friend of mine, extreme athlete and triathlon master Miguel Lopez, would love to have a crack at this course. I’m sure most of the extreme athletes in the Philippines and around the world would share the same thoughts.

Maybe in the future, the next Ninja Warrior to achieve total victory will be Filipino!

BANZAI!

Superman Vs. Thor by Snorlax

2008-03-12T21:28:00.006+08:00

And yes, the Mighty Snorlax makes his 5 Guys and a Blog debut!!!

Sorry for the delay guys...I have already mentally crafted an AWESOME debut article, but recent events (read: Final Fantasy 3 for the DS Lite and leveling up my Jack-6 in Tekken 6) have prevented me from finishing said article. Needless to say, since my maiden contribution is still in the works, let me just post a little sumpin I posted a few months ago in one of the 1337 forums I hang out in. Some guys were bugging me who would win, Superman or Thor, and to shut these guys up, I wrote this summarized version of the legendary Superman vs Thor Comic Book Battle.

DC Comics' flagship boyscout hero vs. Marvel's Norse God of Thunder.......LETS GET IT ON!!!!

"....Well, the crux of this conflict is the fact that Superman's one known weakness is his weakness to magic (his other weakness is of course Kryptonite). Most Thor fanboys jump on this weakness by saying that Thor's magical lightning can definitely put down the Man of Steel (see Kingdom Come where Captain Marvel pummels Superman to a bloody pulp with magical lightning), or that Thor can conjure a magical vortex and banish Superman to another dimension (as Thor has done lots of times in the past against different foes, like the Absorbing Man).

However, Superman has had a LOT of experience against magical-based foes, and obviously lived to tell the tale. Superman's high invulnerability and durability negates a lot of magic-based attacks, but he has been known to succumb to mental based attacks (see Superman's mind control by Maxwell Lord in OMAC, Poison Ivy in Hush, or by the Vampire Crucifer, where he ended up going against his teammates in the JLA). Here is an interesting article on Superman's weakness to magic.

Although Thor has no known mental-based attacks in his arsenal, he has a LOT of magic based attacks, most of which emanate from his trusty Uru Hammer, Mjolnir. Being the god of thunder, Thor can conjure lightning of both the natural and magical kind. From a single bolt to an electrical maelstrom the size of Kansas, Thor can easily manipulate magical lightning to do his bidding. Thor can also call forth magical winds, tornadoes, hurricanes, and other forces of nature related to his power-set as the god of thunder. Thor's ultimate magical attack is known as the "Godblast", a concentration of all of Thor's power whilst channeling his father's Odinforce.

To negate Thor's obvious edge in magic-based attacks, Superman fanboys on the other hand tout Superman's superior feats of strength. In Comic Book Battles, the equivalent of evidence in a court of law is listing published feats of strength, and Superman edges Thor in this handily. Superman has been known to push the Planet Warworld in Our World At War on his own power (albeit after a "sundip", a plot device wherein Supes dives into the sun, and since he is a solar battery, every cell in his body is supercharged beyond normal limit), while Thor's most impressive strength feat is carrying away the Midgard Serpent, the legendary dragon almost as big as the Earth itself. In most Comicbook almanacs and trading card ratings, both Thor and Supes are rated as "Class 100", meaning they can both lift in excess of 100 tons. But in actual comic appearances, Superman has shown a distinct edge in brute force feats, having moved planets and planetary-level beings...feats which Thor has yet to match.

A caveat before we continue. When talking about Superman duels, it is important to note if we are talking about his pre-Crisis or post-Crisis version. By Crisis, I mean the famous Crisis on Infinite Earths DC series that forever changed the landscape, timeline and dimensions of the DC Universe. Superman's pre-Crisis self is on another level altogether, able to sneeze away planets, and pull multiple planets in tow. He has since been toned down to make him more interesting and "human". Regular Thor is no match for pre-Crisis Superman, but maybe Rune-God Thor (the version of Thor where he absorbs all of Odin's power and single-handedly saves Asgaard from Ragnarok) is more of a match. Needless to say, in this battle, their most recent and standard versions are used. (For an example of variants, there is pre-Crisis Superman, Blue Lightning Superman, Sundip Superman, Superman Prime, etc. while for Thor, there is Rune-God Thor, Battle Madness Thor, Thor with the Odinforce, Thor with his Belt of Strength, etc)

With magic based attacks favoring Thor, and raw power favoring Superman, we now look at Fighting ability. Most put Thor at the advantage here, being a Viking Warrior all his life, fighting Frost Giants and RockTrolls like Ulik since childhood. He is also the wielder of one of the most powerful weapons in the Universe, Mjolnir, and can use it to fly, pummel, absorb energy (like heat vision), summon lightning and vortexes (or is it vortices...hmmmm...). But Superman is no Kansas-bred hick anymore, since he has been trained by the alien Mongul in the most lethal martial arts and fighting styles of the Universe, and has years of fighting experience.

There are other factors of course, like speed (edge: Superman), durability (edge: Superman), variety of powers (edge: Thor, due to Mjolnir), and mental fortitude (edge: Thor).

However, Superman fans have had reason to rejoice recently, since in the series JLA vs Avengers, in issue # 3, Thor and Superman actually get into a fight, and Superman walks away the victor (although he was bloody and shaken up). Thor fans were given a consolation prize though, Superman mentions Thor was the toughest opponent he ever faced. But this battle is by no means definitive, or even canon, since most fans argue that JLA vs Avengers was a cross-over comic, and did not happen within real DC or Marvel continuum, hence inadmissible in comic-book battles (it is inadmissible in the sense that not being canon or part of the main continuity of both comic companies, it is like a What If? or Elseworlds comic)

Heres the aftermath of the Supes/Thor battle in JLA vs Avengers:

To sum it up (there have been thousands of pages of forum battles devoted to this topic, and I just summarized the most salient points), Thor and Superman are virtual equals, and depending if you're a Marvel or DC fan, it really could go either way. But most level-headed fans place Superman winning 5.5 out of 10 times. A slight edge.

Want to know the Marvel character who can easily beat Superman? It's the Silver Surfer. But that's another battle altogether.

That was my uber-geeky post in some forum. Sorry for the re-run, but I have to return playing Final Fantasy 3 now. My level 50 Knight just recently got Excalibur and is now dual-wielding Ragnarok and Excalibur, while my level 49 Ninja is dual-wielding Masamune and Kiku-Ichimonji.

Snorlax, out.

Tech Thursdays #1: HD Format Wars Round 2 by Argus

2008-03-12T12:58:00.009+08:00

Everyone's probably heard of Blu-ray's victory in the HD format wars last month. The funny thing about this victory is that people are now predicting Blu-ray's own demise in the next "format war". Even Steve Jobs himself has said that downloads, not physical formats like Blu-ray, are the future of HD content distribution. To quote El Jobso himself, "“Clearly, Blu-ray won, but in the new world order of instant online movie rentals, in HD, no one will care about what format is where.”

Some may take Steve's words as gospel but I don't quite buy it. Media downloads and streaming may be gaining a little momentum in first world countries but I don't see it catching on globally in the next 5 years or so.

At the end of the day, the success of any format will depend on compelling content, distribution channels and payment facilities. I don’t know much about payment facilities to confidently write about it so let’s leave it out for now. Since content is constant across formats, what will really drive the success of Blu-ray versus downloading and streaming is distribution. The lack of decent broadband infrastructure and media player endpoints (PCs, Internet-enabled media appliances etc.) in most parts of the world are the primary factors that will ensure the continued success for physical formats.

My definition of distribution channels for this market is an ecosystem of content delivery, playback devices and consumer storage. Blu-ray has these nailed down in varying degrees. Every studio already has distributors for physical media in virtually every nook and cranny of the world. Making Blu-ray available to the market is no different from distributing DVDs. It is a relatively simple matter of logistics involving physical goods. Sales of PS3's and standalone Blu-ray players are increasing steadily and are expected to reach 10M units this year. Some may say that this pales in comparison to 100M DVD players expected to be sold in 2008 but DVD has had a 10 year head start. Blu-ray player sales can only go up over time. Finally, storage is also a non-issue since a distributor or consumer just has to provide shelf space for his/her collection.

On the other hand, distribution through downloading and streaming requires major investments for both the studio and the consumer. Studios will have to build content delivery infrastructure (servers, storage, bandwidth, etc.) in multiple locations around the world. Consumers won't have it any easier either. We will need access to decent broadband infrastructure. When I say decent, I mean bandwidth that will allow you to download an HD movie in a reasonable amount of time. To put this into perspective, a Blu-ray movie ranges from 20 to more than 40GB. Assuming you have a 2Mbps connection, it will take you more than 47 hours to download Hellboy (not that you would want to download this movie) in all its HD glory. Consumers will also have to worry about the incremental cost of adding drive space as they rack up their movie collection.

These are but some of the issues in the next "format war". We haven't even considered things such as ownership/fair use concerns. Don’t get me wrong though. I do believe that the world will eventually embrace online distribution. It just won’t happen anytime soon. Till then, I suggest you break your piggy banks and invest in the best Blu-ray player in the market today – the Sony PS3.

Travel Wednesdays #2: Remedies for the Globe-trotting Audiophile

2008-03-11T10:34:00.012+08:00

The audiophile is constantly on the pursuit of what the uber-audiophile Harry Pearson calls "The Absolute Sound". "The Absolute Sound" is a recreation of a live musical event as transcribed by the recording engineer on his master tape. Current technologies make this an impossible pursuit. Unless there is a real Scotty that will beam us back in time on the Starship Enterprise's teleporter to the Village Vanguard to hear John Coltrane play his sax or to the CBGB to hear Joey Ramone sing "1-2-3-4...", it is an expensive exercise in futility.

However, this does not stop me and lots of like-minded people to buy recordings and equipment that is as close to this ideal as possible. Until recently, the only way for the serious audiophile to enjoy music will be on a listening chair through a two-channel primarily vinyl record-based home setup. For audiophiles constantly on the move whether doing chores around the house or traveling around the globe, this was a major inconvenience.

With the advances in digital compression and electronics miniaturization, there is now hope. The new audiophile movement called Head-Fi espouses headphones and portable media players as viable alternatives to traditional audiophile home systems. Unlike the traditional home systems, the recreation of the musical event happens in and around your head and not in front of it. It is quite an unusual feeling at first but it can be quite an intoxicating experience because there is more musical detail usually present when listening to headphones.

The Apple iPod can now store hundreds of high-quality recordings without any audible loss of fidelity from the original digital source using FLAC or apple lossless coding. Some purist fans even record their vinyl records to get the best sound. These recordings are then amplified through a portable amplifier the size of a pack of cigarettes that bypasses the low quality internal amplifier of the iPod. An audio line out adapter cable is used to bypass the internal amplifier. Finally, there are premium in-ear earphones and headphones in the market whose prices can rival some home speaker systems.

Aside from Head-Fi, there are also other remedies to the traveling audiophile. The audiophile can search for records at small, hidden specialist vinyl record shops in big cities. It is always a pleasant surprise to find a great album that you have been looking for everywhere in a stack of records at the discount bin. It will make you want to come home faster and spin them on your turntable. Below are a couple of stores I highly recommend. However, these aren't strictly for audiophiles but more really for music lovers because most of the shops listed don't sell "audiophile-grade" vinyl.

NEW YORK - Subterranean Records in Greenwich Village - Limited but great selection of classic rock and jazz vinyl. Downside is the condition of the records aren't that great.

LONDON - Sister Ray in Soho - Wide selection of re-issues and original pressings for alternative music.

TOKYO - Disk Union in Shinjuku - Awesome but sometimes pricey selection. They have separate shops for each genre.

BERLIN - Mr Dead and Mrs Free - Lots of indie records that I've never heard of but the shopkeeper gave great recommendations.

HONGKONG - Shun Cheong in Mongkok - They stock the latest audiophile reissues of classical and jazz masterpieces. Not the place if you are a rock fan.

Finally, go and watch live concerts! Try to find out if there any great artists performing in the city you are in. You can finally see and (more importantly) hear them in the flesh. Audiophiles can be so self-absorbed in how something should sound like that we may not know what the real deal sounds like anymore.

Movie Mondays #2: A Review of Anton Corbijn's "Control" by Rickious

2008-03-10T11:20:00.007+08:00

I dismissed "Control" the first time I came across it. There were no big names attached to it except for Samantha Morton (Minority Report, The Libertine, Elizabeth: The Golden Age). I've also never heard nor read about the director, Anton Corbijn. It was only when I saw that the film was nominated in some categories at this year's BAFTA Awards did I sit up and take notice again.

It tells the story of Joy Division and its vocalist, Ian Curtis, who committed suicide right before the band was slated for a US tour and a shot at superstardom.

While watching "Control", not only does one get a glimpse of the fledgling post-punk movement in music during the late 1970's, one gets a crash course in photography as well. The film is shot entirely in black and white and each frame looks meticulously composed. As it turns out, Anton Corbijn used to be a regular photographer for the New Musical Express. If you grew up listening to New Wave music during the 1980's like me, you should get a thrill when Joy Division's most popular single, "Love Will Tear Us Apart", plays in the middle of the film. If you've never heard this song before, then you are not cool and I don't like you.

For those of us who need to be reminded of the brashness and audacity of youth, watch this movie now. If you don't feel that your sense of cool was refreshed after watching it, then I'm sorry, mate. You were never cool to begin with. If you find yourself downloading Joy Division's songs or at least looking them up in Wikipedia after watching the movie, then there is hope for you yet.

Here's the trailer...

...the music video of "Love Will Tear Us Apart"...

...and the Wikipedia articles about the film and the band...

"I have my hands up. I am a believer in Joy Division. Hallelujah!"

My sentiments exactly. It will be yours too.

Guest Blog #2: Memory by Zooey

2008-03-10T09:08:00.001+08:00

“Why are there so many
Songs about rainbows?

That’s part of what rainbows do
Rainbows are memories,
Sweet dream reminders,

What is it you’d like to do.”

From The Magic Store (from The Muppet Movie)

Even before all this happened, I’ve always believed in the power of memory. I believe that hope is rooted in memory. That our hopes and all we wish for is borne out of a reality once-seen, once-felt, or even perhaps, even just once-glimpsed, made bigger and more beautiful by our mind’s ability to take it and multiply it to infinity. If we are able to hope for magic, it is because we have experienced magic before. And it is only because I’ve lived such a rich life, full of friends and family whose love and concern I feel every day, most especially now, that I am able to dream of a life of unending and limitless possibilities.

I also believe that memory sustains you in the pursuit of this hope and of this life. That when the going gets tough, as it inevitably will, when it becomes too hard, and when you don’t know why you’re still there, you should remember. You should remember everything. The good times. The bad times. The you who was. The changes you went through. And the dream for your life. All those things that led you to where you are now. And, maybe, in remembering, you realize that you still want to stay. You stay because you realize that you’ve been through so much, which has only made you stronger. But you also stay because you want more of it, even the bad times, but most especially the good times. And you know they will happen again. And, maybe, this time, they’ll last forever. Even though you know they won’t. But you still hope they will. You stay because the life you wanted is just beyond your reach. And reaching for that life is the way you want your life to be.

Of course, you could be remembering through rose-colored glasses. Who doesn’t? But in remembering, you may realize new things as well. Things you didn’t know before. Just like in the last episode of Eli Stone (Season 1, Episode 6, Something to Save), when Eli sees his dad in a different light, knowing that he had an aneurism just like what Eli has, experiencing visions or hallucinations just like Eli. His dad wasn’t the drunk, uncaring person he thought he was and was ashamed of, but a noble man struggling with a personal demon he didn’t understand.

(As an aside, for those of you who haven’t seen the show, I highly recommend it. It’s about a lawyer who has a change of heart once he starts having hallucinations caused by an inoperable brain aneurism. It’s witty and funny, but there is an underlying sadness to it that’s always there, given the situation. I like shows like that.)

It could also work the other way around. That in remembering you choose not to stay. That this isn’t worth it, whatever you went through. But the important thing is that you remember. You choose to remember. Because remembering is an act. It doesn’t happen when a stray memory crosses your mind, and you suddenly remember. No. You choose to remember. Everything. Every day. And if you remember, and if you choose to stay, you realize that you never forget. It becomes a part of who you are. And you realize that you’re home.

In Finding Nemo, Dory says, "Please don’t go away. Please? No one’s ever stuck with me for so long before. And if you leave… if you leave… I just… I remember things better with you, I do… look… P. Sherman, forty two… forty… two… I remember it, I do… it’s there… I… I know it is… cause when I look at you, I can feel it… and I… I look at you… and I’m home. Please? I don’t want that to go away… I don’t want to forget." Home is where you never forget. Home is where you always remember. Even if you have short-term memory loss like Dory.

But it’ll only happen if you always remember. If you choose to remember. Everything. Every day.

I thought that I would and could never forget. It was what I believed in. But I forgot so easily. Neruda was wrong when he said that “forgetting is so long.” Of course, his context of forgetting is different. But you get the point, don’t you? I thought I was better. I thought I was the best person for her. And I got complacent with that thought. But in the end, I was no better. I didn’t remember. And it is only now that it’s over, that I have begun to remember. It is only now that I’m choosing to remember. And in remembering, I choose to stay. I want to come home.

I’m so sorry for not remembering.

Friday Night Lights #1: The Best UFC Fighter by Shep

2008-03-07T14:29:00.004+08:00

What if we could put together all the best UFC fighters at their primes, somehow make them all the same size and weight, then have them fight in some Yu-Yu Hakusho type tournament? Fighters like Royce Gracie, Randy Couture, Iceman Liddell, Rampage Jackson, and Tito Ortiz. Who would win?

The correct answer would be: Anderson Silva.

Anderson “The Spider” Silva does not look anything like your typical UFC fighter. With his clean shaven head, rail thin frame and scrawny legs, it almost looks like the wind can knock him over. His high pitched voice and modest demeanor make him even less intimidating, almost approachable. Nothing can be further from the truth. I remember the first fight I ever saw him in. It was Silva vs. reigning UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin. Silva was a relative unknown then but what I saw that night made me a believer. I actually thought to myself, “This guy is the best mixed martial artist I’ve seen”. It wasn’t just the laserlike precision of his attacks or the devastating power of his knees and kicks. It was his uncanny and almost eerie demeanor when fighting. He showed no emotion, no fear and he never took his eyes off his opponent. It was as if the Terminator had come from the future and fought in the octagon.

Last weekend March 1, 2008, he fought who people thought would be his toughest competitor, PRIDE middleweight champion Dan Henderson. It wasn’t even close. The Brazilian Muay Thai champion and Jiu-Jitsu black belt destroyed Henderson and won by submission in the second round.

If you don’t believe that this is the best pound for pound UFC fighter ever, watch this video where Anderson Silva loses.

'Nuff said.

Guest Post #1: Time by Druuge Mauler

2008-03-07T12:13:00.001+08:00

Life can, apparently, be divided into 3 (three) 20-year chunks. Rumination on the reality of this creates an unusual sense of anxiety, not unlike the urge to defecate against one's will. At age 31, overweight, overworked and with the blood pressure and cholesterol numbers of a man twice my age, I understand that I am past the halfway mark for the second chunk. The second, all-important chunk. The one where you plant the seeds of fortune, family and start building your legacy (to be completed and enjoyed in the third chunk of life, of course). This, my friends, is a good time to review what we have done so far, what we are in the process of doing, and what we plan on doing. We can no longer use the qualifier "when I grow up..." when talking about our dreams. We're grown up. Soon, we won't be able to say "when I am older..." either. Death advances to meet you at a steady rate - one day at a time. Let us now take stock of the situation and act! Lose that weight! Marry that girl (or guy)! Quit smoking! Have kids! Make the investment! I have done some of these things, and yet have so much more to do. David Gilmour's words in Pink Floyd's immortal "Time" echo this sentiment...

And there is time to kill today...
And then one day you find, ten years have got behind you
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun

And so, with re-renewed vigor, I trudge on. I know what must be done. I bought the bike, I made the resolutions. I set aside the money. I've planned the ways I would tie my loose ends from 5, 10, even 20 years ago (forgive me, Jeremy Lapus). I reach for another potato chip, as I make another credit card purchase, and waste 4 hours surfing the internet looking for another way to overclock my computer... all while laughing at a tripping midget. I realize that the tripping midget - is me.

Travel Wednesdays #1: Hanami by Miguel Aranez

2008-03-06T15:53:00.013+08:00

In early April it will be time again for the uniquely Japanese ritual of Hanami or cherry blossom viewing. Thousands of people flock to Ueno, Yasukuni-Dori and other public areas to view the fleeting yet absolutely beautiful flowering of cherry blossoms at the beginning of spring.

People would lay picnic blankets to eat, drink and be merry all through the night. As with a lot of traditions in modern Japan, it becomes a mix of old and new, domestic and foreign. You can clearly see this in the picnic spread I had a couple of years ago. French baguettes, Spanish tortilla paisana, Polish kielbasa and the revered Yebisu beer come together (along with the Diet Pepsi, of course).

Unfortunately, this year, I will be in Tokyo a couple of weeks too early. I will not have the opportunity to admire the beauty of Hanami again. Come to think of it, it is quite odd to have grown men come together and admire the beauty of spring flowers. I guess it is something uniquely Japanese (along with eating fugu stew and bathing in an ofuro with snow falling) that just has to be experienced to be understood and appreciated.

Movie Mondays #1: A Review of Wong Kar Wai's "My Blueberry Nights" by Rickious

2008-03-06T15:22:00.003+08:00

I was first introduced to Wong Kar Wai's films by Prof. Roland Tolentino back in my college days when I was studying film at the University of the Philippines. Since that first glimpse at the long Steadicam shot in "Days of Being Wild", my friend Lino Cayetano and I would consume everything by Wong Kar Wai from "As Tears Go By" and "Chungking Express" to "Fallen Angels" and "2046".

More than the music, the colors, the lights, the offbeat locations, the quirky production design, and the characters in his films, it's Wong Kar Wai's themes of longing and meditations on loss that keep one asking for more. One can sum up his films with this lyric from Depeche Mode's "Goodnight Lovers".

"When you're born a lover, you're born to suffer..."

I thought there was a chance that my man Wong Kar Wai would falter in his foray into Hollywood with "My Blueberry Nights". Surely his sensibilities would be trampled to the ground by this behemoth's paws as it scrambled to appease The Almighty Opening Weekend. What chance would this melancholy auteur have against the combined mammoth egos of Jude Law, Rachel Weisz, David Strathairn, and Natalie Portman, right? They would eat him alive like so much stir-fried noodles.

Boy, was I wrong on both counts.

The actors were soft dough in his hands. I thought it might be a mistake to pit Norah Jones against the perpetually disarming Jude Law and the always understated acting stalwart David Strathairn but after seeing the film, I was reminded of equally inexperienced pop star Faye Wong and how you couldn't take your eyes off her in "Chungking Express". They say that one should blame the director if an actor looks bad onscreen. It's safe to say that this is not going to happen under the watchful eye of the master.

With "My Blueberry Nights", Wong Kar Wai's distinct visual and storytelling style remain intact and iron-clad. The central themes in all Wong Kar Wai films of pining for long-lost paramours and lingering memories of loved ones are served a la mode on this delectable masterpiece.

In the wake of so much disappointment, Wong Kar Wai never lets me down. Why did I ever doubt you, maestro?

Check out the trailer here...

"My Blueberry Nights", I LOVED IT!

Do yourself a favor and watch it and all of Wong Kar Wai's films now.