COMICS

Flash IGNITION is Book 5 of Flash Graphic Novels.
Nice story but below average artwork.
There's a nice part in the book that shows Flash's perspective as he runs around, what he sees and what he hears and feels. (What we usually see is only a blur...)
3 out of 5.



Marvel 1602 by Neil Gaiman and Andy Kubert
This 2005 award-winning graphic novel tells the story of the Marvel heroes in the year 1602 and is set in Europe and the New World.
Just had to finish this in one sitting.
Very unique concept.
4 over 5.





JLA-Avengers by Kurt Busiek and George Perez
The best comic book/ graphic novel I have ever read! Forget about all those other DC-Marvel Crossovers and even Marvel vs. DC... this book stands out in terms of story, scope, and art!
5 STARS!



This is crazy! I'm hooked into reading graphic novels... :p

PANALO SI PACMAN!

Napatumba ni Pacquiao si Morales ng dalawang beses sa ika-10 round! Galing!!! :)

sick

It really sucks when you're sick! I've been feeling lousy the past few days and i'm only recuperating now. I wish we had detachable body parts that are somewhat exclusive of each other such that you could replace a sick/defective part as needed. :/

I've been watching Season 4 of Smallville on DVD... Lois Lane (Erica Durance) is so HOT! She is perfect for the role. The character of Lois is also a perfect match for Clark's character, complementing each other. There's obvious chemistry between the two...

Underworld: Evolution is a great sequel! I think you should really have watched the first film in order to ba able to understand fully the 2nd movie. But in terms of the action, this movie can stand on it's own...

Manny Pacquiao vs. Eric Morales tomorrow 10 AM! I sure hope and pray Manny wins.

paikot-ikot...

Alam niyo ba iyong mga NBI satellites/ kiosks? Mayroong isa sa SM Megamall eh. Puwede kang kumuha doon ng clearance para sa trabaho o paglalakbay sa ibang bansa, pero renewal lamang ng dating clearance kung itoý gawa simula 1994 pataas. Pumunta ako doon noong Lunes. Ang haba ng pila, malamang dahil Lunes din kasi! Mabuti na lang at maayos ang patakaran at pagtakbo ng mga empleyado doon. Pipila ka muna para mag-bayad, pagkatapos ay kukuhanan ka ng litrato, tapos ay kukunin mo na ang iyong clearance. Inabot pa rin ako ng 45 minuto para makuha ko ang clearance ko, pero ayos lang at hindi kasing-hirap kaysa sa kung pupunta ako sa NBI sa Carriedo. Nakapaglibot pa ako sa Megamall pagkatapos. :)

Kanina naman, nasa Manila City Hall ako. Kumuha ako ng Cedula at PTR. Taon-taon dapat bago yun eh. Maraming tao na kumukuha ng mga lisensya at nagbabayad ng mga tax. Maraming nakapaskil sa paligid na mga instruksiyon at kung hindi ka nga naman marunong magbasa ay mawawala ka talaga sa pasikut-sikot doon. Iyong suot ng ilang empleyadong babae ay Hawaiian ang disenyo, parang mga polo shirt ni Mayor Atienza.

Pumunta din ako sa BIR malapit sa Intramuros. Napansin ko sa mga napuntahan kong mga ahensiya ng pamahalaan ay ang mga empleyado ay madali namang malalapitan. Kung ikaý magtatanong, sasagutin lamang nila ay kung ano ang tinanong mo. Sa dami siguro ng kanilang nakikitang mga tao, at dami ng kanilang trabaho, ay hindi sila ganoon kagalang o matulungin. Marahil sa nais din nilang mapabilis ang kanilang serbisyo ay hindi na nila masyadong pinagtutuunan ng pansin ang ibang nagtatanong o nangangailangan ng tulong.

Katabi ng Manila City Hall ay ang SM Manila. Ang daming estudyante! Naka-uniporme pa. Para silang kumukuha dun ng SM 101 eh. :p

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Iyong koreanovela na Forbidden Love (FL), maganda ang kuwento at sinusundan ko na tuloy. Nagkamali ako at hindi pala si Trixie ng Only You iyong pangunahing tauhan sa FL, kamukha lang niya pala. "Legends (?) of the Nine-Tailed Fox" ang totoong pamagat nung serye.

Malapit na ang labanang Pacquiao-Morales! Sana manalo si Pacman. Sa napapanood ko sa TV Patrol na mga paghahanda ni Manny ay puspusan talaga ito. Dehado ngayon si Manny sa mga tayaan, pero hintayin na lang natin ang labanan. Huwag niyo rin kalimutan ipagdasal si Manny Pacquiao!

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Britney Spears' B In The Mix ay mayroon 11 remixes. May bagong kanta na hindi pa dati napapalabas, ang "And Then We Kiss". Hango sa mga dating sikat na kanta ni Britney mula sa kaniyang nakaraang 4 na album. Mapapasayaw ka sa electronica at club na tugtog ng mga remix ng Toxic, I'm A Slave 4 U, Me Against The Music at iba pa. Maganda rin ang pagkaka-remix ng paborito kong kanta na Don't Let Me Be The Last to Know. Rating ko: 3.5

Ang unang CD ni Carrie Underwood na Some Hearts ay 13 kanta at may bonus na kanta (ang Inside Your Heaven). Bukod sa maganda si Carrie, maganda ang boses niya at pinagsamang country at pop ang dating. :) Pinakapaborito ko sa ngayon ang kanta niyang Some Hearts at Inside Your Heaven. Kapuna-puna rin ang mga kanta niyang Lessons Learned at Wasted. Naipapalabas ang lakas at husay ng boses ni carrie sa mga napiling kanta para sa kanyang album. Rating ko: 4.25

Da Vinci Code

I have read all 4 Dan Brown books (Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons, Digital Fortress and Deception Point). Of all the books, I think the Da Vinci Code is his best fiction/ novel. It has become so immensely popular and has sold millions of copies. The movie adaptation is also coming soon (May 2006). From the trailer, Tom Hanks appears to be a good Robert Langdon.

Aside from the appeal of the story and the fast-paced action, Dan Brown's novel has become so controversial as to spike interest and consumption of other books (his so-called research materials), as well as the publishing of books analyzing or debunking the book. Quite a number of documentaries/ TV specials have also been shown. Dan Brown's book is a work of FICTION. The problem is he wrote a statement at the beginning of the book purpoting that certain statements/ descriptions in the book are FACTUAL. This sparked a lot of controversy. Admittedly, after reading the book, there were a lot of questions that went through my mind about the ideas in the book. It is a good thing that books and documetaries came out that really examines the facts and shows what is really fiction in Brown's book.

The book Secrets of The Code (The Unauthorized Guide to The Mysteries Behind The Da Vinci Code) edited by Dan Burstein is a bestselling book that attemps to "distill" expert views and opinion and combine them to present a more scholarly basis for Brown's allegations.
Dan Burstein writes: "Let me be crystal clear: The Da Vinci Code is a novel. It is an entertainment. It is something to enjoy. Part of the enjoyment, for me anyway, is to follow upon the threads and ideas, to pursue its interconnections. That's what (this book) is all about."

The National Geographic Special Unlocking Da Vinci's Code is a good documentary simply because it shows actual places and artwork. It also separates fact from fiction regarding questions raised by the novel. It was shown last year, I don't know when it will be shown again and I have'nt seen copies of it yet.

If you happen to go to the your favorite record/ video store, you'll see The Da Vinci Code Deception (Fact vs. Fiction: Your Guide to The Truth). It is an even more compelling documentary that shows how POORLY-RESEARCHED Brown's book is. The docu is based on 3 books: The Da Vinci Deception (Erwin Lutzer), Breaking The Da Vinci Code (Darrel Bock), and Cracking Da Vinci's Code (Peter Jones). It says that Brown's facts are so outright wrong that it seems he has a deeper motive in writing the book (discrediting the Church) and not just entertainment.

Check them out for yourself and you decide...

Softdrinks

Have you seen the Pinoy version of the PEPSI MAX commercial? A group of guys attached a kalesa to a small airplane and one guy was seated inside the kalesa. As the plane was about to take off with the worried guy in tow, he was given a Pepsi Max and was told to "relax, there's no sugar". If u ask me, the way the line was delivered was so lame that it did not have the funny effect like the other Pepsi Max commercials (the one with the monkey taxi driver or the guy on the side of a building). It probably would have been better if he said "RELAKS PARE, WALANG ASUKAL YAN". :-)

I read this inspirational message from the chapel...
The 7 UPs :
1. Wake Up... and decide to have a good day!
2. Dress Up... the best way to dress up is wear a smile!
3. Shut Up... and learn to listen!
4. Stand Up... for what you believe in!
5. Look Up... to the Lord!
6. Reach Up... for something higher!
7. Lift Up... your prayers!

A Different Bookstore and National Bookstore are also on Sale! ADBS's sale runs from Jan. 13 to Feb. 28.

Friday the 13th

Started the day by finishing the VCD of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (the BBC TV series originally shown 1988). I don't really know if it was true to the book or not, because I have'nt read the book yet. The acting is okay, with the children very endearing. The Witch's actions are too exaggerated. The animation and special effects leave much to be desired though. It's probably understandable since it was made more than 15 years ago. Makes me want to watch the new movie soon to see the more elaborate costumes, sets, and special effects.

Riding on the hype brought about by the movie, a lot of VCDs, DVDs, and books on Narnia are selling briskly at Tower Records/ Music One and Power Books/ National Bookstore. BTW, Power Books is on sale until the end of the month. Get 20 % discount on imported books.

Was able to read Ultimate X-Men 3: World Tour. It continues from where Book 2 left off. Professor X wrote a book on mutant-human interrelations and went on tour to promote the book together with his X-Men. The story basically revolves around Xavier's son, and also somewhat introduces Rogue and Gambit. My rating: 3.5 out of 5.


Went I went home, my ate arrived already. My pasalubong? Carrie's new CD and Britney's In The Mix CD!!! :p
Ok, I admit I was a fan of Britney (still am actually, hehe)... she's okay as a pop singer. Check out her official websites www.britneyspears.com and www. britney.com .
My sister got hooked to Clay Aiken and watched Americal Idol regularly, so I got to watch too. I was only able to see the 3rd and 4th season of Idol. I was particularly impressed with Carrie Underwood in season 4. "Some Hearts" (check out the cover in my previous post) is her debut album and also contains her hit single "Inside Your Heaven". The CD reviews are okay so far, it falls under both the country and pop genres.
Will review both CDs soon. :)

OLATS

Kainis! Hindi ako nanalo sa 100-book spree ng Power Books kahit consolation prize man lang! Sayang din yun, kahit marami pa akong bagong-bili na libro na hindi pa nababasa at wala akong panahon magbasa ng dagdag na 100 libro... :p

Hanggang ngayon wala pa rin dito sa Pinas yung bagong CD ni Carrie Underwood. Wala pa rin sa HK (nandun kasi ate ko eh, at pinahanap ko). Samantalang yung kay Bo Bice nasa Tower Records na?! wtf!

Forbidden Underworld

Nagsimula kanina ang "Forbidden Love" sa Ch. 2. Mukhang okey naman siya. Yung pangunahing mga tauhan ay sina "TJ" at "Trixie" sa "Only You". Titignan ko pa kung maganda nga yung kuwento, siguro pagkaraan ng isang linggo masasabi ko na. Pero yung mga kuha ng laban/away at special effects ay mahusay ang pagkakagawa.

May pagkakahawig sa kuwento ng Underworld yung koreanovela. Siyanga pala, malapit na ipalabas iyong Underworld: Evolution, ang kasunod sa sineng Underworld na ipinalabas noong 2003. Nandoon ulit si Kate Beckinsale at Scott Speedman.

BUM

I was able to go to U.P. Diliman around lunch time. Have'nt been there in ages... Guess where I ate lunch?! RODIC'S at the Shopping Center! Tapsilog/Jumbosilog! Yummyyy! hehehe :)

U.P. Diliman campus is just so great! Even while entering the place, there's a feeling that you are going somewhere else (like the province) and leaving behind the big city. The Oblation then greets you with open arms. The tree-lined and canopy-covered Academic Oval is just so serene and scholarly. I miss just hanging around at the Sunken Garden in the late afternoons... I miss jogging on Sundays at the oval... I miss attending mass at the Chapel... The Chapel itself is so peaceful to look at with it's mini-gardens. Take note of the rotating central sculpture at this time- the Risen Lord is the one facing front.

I did'nt have time to reminisce that much, and there were'nt that many people since it was the weekend. I left at around 2 pm. I'll probably go there again sometime soon, during a week day...

Had a haircut at Bruno's Barbers. I just remembered that I used to go to U.P. Diliman before just to get a haircut because it was cheaper and I really loved visiting the place.

I spent the rest of the afternoon and early evening just lounging around at Starbucks while reading my Blender magazine (The Ultimate Guide To Music And More). My favorite Starbucks drink is a "tall, non-fat, no whipped raspberry mocha for Teddy!" :p Did you know that you can make an iconic Starbucks drink, where all the six small boxes on the side of the cup have a mark on them? Try ordering a decaf, non-fat, no whipped, raspberry, double mocha!

The Chronicles of Narnia The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe will be showing starting tomorrow. Must watch that one. Did you know that C.S. Lewis had a preferred order to which the 7 books be read, which is different from the order that they were written and also different from the order that they were first published? Check out more details at books.narnia.com .

That's all for now... next post is in Filipino. :D

:)

Superman/ Batman : Absolute Power is Vol. 3 of a series (was able to read Vol. 2? Public Enemies a few months ago). It tells the story of Superman and Batman being the only heroes in the world, and ruling Earth with an iron fist. The plot is quite complicated, but cohesive enough to be understandable and plausible. What is notable is how strong Superman and Batman's friendship is, as it is portrayed, and how they complement each other in their team-up. My rating: 4 out of 5.



I got myself this planner! It is The WORST-CASE SCENARIO 2006 Survival Calendar. It is based on the best selling book and TV series. Check out other Worst-Case Scenario products at www.chroniclebooks.com

X-Men

Check out the trailer for X3! Just can't wait for the movie to be shown this coming summer. Nightcrawler is gone but Beast and Angel are in the movie. Kelsey Grammer plays Beast. Jean Grey is sooo sexy!

Read also the graphic novel Ultimate X-Men 2: Return to WeaponX recently. The art is good, the story is also okay. I give it a rating of 2 1/2 out of 5.

Hi!