Power on!

Just finished watching the entire 1st season (22 episodes) of Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future, which left me badly wanting for more. Sadly, I learned that that was all there is to it, as the second season never made it to production. As such, the storyline is left pretty much hanging and unresolved to this day.. :(

Pity... This had the makings of a blockbuster sci-fi series, although I think it was a case of being too advanced for it's time. Set in a post-apocalyptic Earth where a machine empire ruled with an iron fist, Captain Power and his team fight a seemingly endless battle against the machines, all the while recruiting splintered factions of resistance fighters to their cause.

Since this was a show from my childhood, I half-expected it to be simple and straightforward, they protagonists would just keep on blasting the baddies until they get to the "foozle" (90's gaming speak for "big boss"), but apparently there's more to all the shiny armor, animated robots, and toy merchadising. What I found was a comprehensive storyline which unravelled itself bit by painful bit as the series went along. I won't discuss the story here, so as not to spoil anything for those who want to watch the series. ;)

It's such a shame that the subsequent season never materialized. Story-wise, it was going pretty well. The effects were probably the best that you could hope for in 1987, and the costumes were kinda cool. The characters themselves were surrisingly deep, and the show went on to expound on their individual histories (although a lot was still lacking).

Critics say that it didn't appeal to kids because of the mature themes, and didn't appeal to adults because of the target kiddie market (which was being enticed to buy the toys), but I think that its a very engaging series which did the best it could with what was on hand at the time.

I used to regret that I wasn't able to follow the entire show as a kid, but now I kinda regret having seen it, only to be left hanging in the end without a sense of closure... :(

I hope they would come up with a re-imagining of the series, kind of like what the Sci-Fi channel did with Battlestar Galactica, and they could probably generate enough buzz by starting things off with an "origins" movie. Now that's something I'd gladly pay to watch. ;)

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a season.. :)

Wow, that was cool.

Yesterday, the struggling UP Fighting Maroons chalked up their first win in UAAP season 72 against no less than the league-leading Ateneo Blue Eagles 75-65.

*for all the number-crunchers out there, sorry if you find any inaccurracies in the points I report. I wasn't able to watch the whole game and relied of the commentary to get my numbers right.

In an epic David-versus-Goliath struggle, the Eagles were able to grab an early lead,  leading by 16 points at the end of the first half. UP came back firing on all cylinders, grabbing a slim 5 point lead as they went into the final quarter. The Maroons were able to keep their composure and stood their ground, playing solid defensive basketball against a strong run by the Eagles led by season 71 MVP Rabeh Al-Hussaini. The shots weren't falling for the Eagles as the normally steady three-point shooting of Emman Monfort, Jai Reyes, and Eric Salamat failed to connect at crucial points of the ballgame. Adding to Ateneo's woes were the highly spirited play of such UP stalwarts like the fearles Mark Lopez (who went for a breakaway layup despit the looming presence of last season's defensive player of the year Nonoy Baclao) and the hot hands of former Xavier skipper Woody Co who put up 3 cold-blooded three-pointers in the second half that sustained the winning effort of the Maroons. In a game where they were thought to be overmatched in rebounding, UP was able to get the critical boards down the stretch, denying Ateneo second-chance points and triggering fast break oppotunities.

The season has just busted wide open, with the lowest-ranked team beating what was percieved to be the best in the league. Its anyone's season now, and the games just got a bit more exciting.

Earlier, the DLSU Green Archers were able to pull off a sqeaker against the Adamson University Falcons, 64-63 (Didn't watch, but I heard they won by free throws by Maui Villanueva with 2 seconds remaining in overtime)

Here are my power rankings as of July 27, 2009 (which are not reflective of current team standings. Personal opinion lang ha? :P)

1. ADMU Blue Eagles - despite the loss against UP, Ateneo's towering lineup and depth on the bench is still a force to be reckoned with. There's just no real answer for Al-Hussaini's dominance in the paint. They also have so many options from the perimeter such as Eric Salamat, Emman Monfort, and even Jai Reyes. Nico Salva has been showing that effective mid-range jumper of his that gives ADMU a bit more versatility. Look for them to come back really strong after the loss as they take on Adamson on thursday (7/30)

Rookie watch: Typical of coach Norman Black not to use much of his rookies (unless you're as good as Ryan Buenafe, who has not been showing his usual game as of late)

2. FEU Tamaraws - Though they may not be too flashy, the Morayta-based dribblers have been playing steadily, anchored by veterans Andy Barocca, JR Cawaling, and Reil Cerventes. Aldrech Ramos is expected to take his game to a whole new level, as he's gotten bigger and stronger this season, but has yet to deliver on this promise. With four guards in the rotation, FEU will always have fresh legs for their highly effective pressing and trapping defense.

Rookie Watch: Hippo Nuondou has been a revelation for coach Glenn Capacio. He has a nice midrange jumper and passes well out of tight spots. His heft also allows him to snatch those rebounds despite being undersized compared to the other big men of the league. Ryan Roose Garcia is another rookie staring for FEU. Steady at the point, he gives Barocca a lot more fredom to move without the ball and get into scoring position. Oh, and he's got a decent shot as well. ;)

3. UST Growling Tigers - After losing Jervy Cruz and Japs Cuan to graduation, many naysayers have written off UST to fade into obscurity. But the lack of a legitimate big man dosen't seem to bother the Tigers as Dylan Ababou and Kasim Mirza have stepped up to the challenge to lead UST back to the Final Four. The UST players have really bulked up compared to last season, where they had a whole bunch of lanky long-armed wingmen who struggled at the post or while getting into position for the rebound. If UST is able to overcome to the adjustments that will inevitably be made against them in the second round, I look to them to take the number 2 or 3 spot in the Final Four.

Rookie Watch: Former Stallion captain Jeric Teng has been seeing considerable minutes for coach Pido Jarencio, putting up an average of about 10-12 PPG and giving UST yet another offensive threat from beyond the arc. "Robo-kid" just needs to work on his free-throw shooting though. :P

4. UE Red Warriors - I would have to say that UE is a bit more of the same when compared to last season. Despite the loss of James Martinez due to illnes, their nucleus of veterans is still intact with Elmer Espiritu, Paul Zamar, Paul Lee, and Parri Llagas (who seems more dominating in the paint this season). Neophyte head coach Lawrence Tiongson has made some tweaks in the game of the Warriors, but they are still the same high-octane team (only a little stronger, wiser, and better as compared to last year). I'll skip the rookie watch for this team because I don't know their rookies. :P

5. AdU Falcons - Still sporting a seemingly unremarkable lineup (except for maybe former Green Archer Michael Galinato), coach Leo Austria seems to have made headway with his team, as they seem to be playing more organized basketball this time around. With plays centered around Galinato, the Falcons have beeen able to get a lot of different good looks at the basket and made their opponents pay with their good ball movement. If Adamson stays true to form, and follows their coach's system, they may just have a shot of breaking into the #4 spot. No rookie watch here either. Sorry. :P

6. UP Fighting Maroons - Long since removed from the glory days of Ronnie Magsanoc and Benjie Paras. the state university has been through season after season of heartache and disappontment. The talent pool is just too limited for UP, however this year's lineup shows great promise, as evidenced by their shocking 10-pont victory over the highly touted Ateneo Blue Eagles. I believe that the game was no fluke, and is a foreshadowing of what this UP team can achieve. Magi Sison is showing a lot more bulk this season, while retaining the quickness at the low block which made him one of UP's scoring options last season. the undersized Mark Lopez has made his presence felt all over the court, from excellent transition defense, to fastbreak points, both against bigger opponents. Martin Reyes is always a marked man, and thus his numbers seem to have dipped considerably. He has to find a lot of other ways to create scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates to be more effective. Playing on his fourth year, Woody Co is slowly showing the form he once had when he led Xavier to the 2006 Tiong Lian title. Seemingly able to score from anty point on the floor, his versatility is a headache to any team's defense. Ditto on the rookie watch, as coach Aboy seemingly uses a short rotation list during games.

7. DLSU Archers - Although they are not at the bottom of the standings, the Archers seem to have been performing way under par this season. Compared to LaSalle teams of the previous years, this year's crop of veternans seems pretty weak. Led by Hyram Bagatsing, PJ Barua, Bader Malabes, and the under-performing James Mangahas (whom I expected to take over the void left by Rico Maierhoffer), I don't think DLSU will make it very far this season unless the veterans really shape up. Through the years, DLSU always seemed to be an underdog team, and that made them pretty exciting to watch. Despite the underdog label, they always had someone they could really count on to make the "miracle shots" that would bring them home. Not so with this team, which seemingly has an entire bunch of role players without anyone really taking the lead.

Rookie Watch: DLSU was able to bring blue-chip rookie Arvie Bringas into their fold, probably half-expecting him to bring a ready-made A-class game to the seniors division (like his SSC Staglets teammate Buenafe who took the UAAP by storm last season). However, things don't always turn out as planned. I think that all the hype must be getting to him. Instead of the killer look that Buenafe sported last year, Bringas looks like a deer caught in the headlights, groping for form and seriously struggling with his game. The sooner he can shake this off, the better the prognosis for LaSalle. Sure, they can very easily pull off a miraculous turn-around this season, but until that happens, at the bottom they will stay. :P

8. NU Bulldogs - Now under new management by the SM group, the Bulldogs are expected to make waves in the UAAP as the team's resources expand a great deal However, don't expect them to do anything fantastic just yet. :P Despite coach Manny Dandan's best efforts, NU still plays very disorganized basketball (Larong Kalye kung tawagin). They still have a lot of growing up to do in terms of basketball IQ. The best example I can think of is they way their point guard often looks over his shoulder back to their bench for instructions after he's just crossed the half-court line, providing a dangerous situation for a quick steal and a transition basket. Ponferada has been the cornerstone of this NU team, and can hold his own against the big men of the league.

Rookie Watch: Anjeet(?) Singh was reputed to be a sparkplug for the Bulldog offense. He isn't afraid to drive to the basket and works hard on perimeter defense. Admittedly, I am unable to give a fair assessment as I have only seen him play sparingly. 

Just when I thought I could sit around and rest...

... I just realized that today was a UAAP day!!! :P

Sigh.. there goes another entire afternoon... Hehehe

Games today:

2PM DLSU vs UP
4PM FEU vs AdU

The games aren' t as interesting as I'd like. However, the first game might pack a little more punch, as both these teams have yet to chalk up wins this season. I can't say I can favor either of the 2, with UP performing mediocre as usual (the only consistent bright spot being the spirited play of former UAAP Rookie of the Year Woody Co), while LaSalle's rookie-laden lineup suffers from the lack of steady production from the veterans who took over the vacuum left behind by Rico Maierhoffer and JV Casio

Personality Test by iPersonic

I took this personality test at ipersonic.com where I answered around 5 different questions to classify me into one of the personality types they have in store. Click the link below to see what I got. :P

Friends, sabihin niyo sa akin if accurate ba siya o hinde. :P

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Science Fiction & Fantasy

Last Thursday after I passed my application requirements at the hospital, I skipped on over to Greenhills since I had the day to myself. Suddenly it hit me.. It was the opening day of Harry Potter 6! I went for the 12:45 showing para walang kalaban. Hehehe

The movie was all that we've grown to expect through the years from a Harry Potter movie, all the while maintaining a distinct flavor which sets each book of the series apart from the rest.

*WARNING TO THOSE WHO HAVEN'T READ THE BOOK. SPOILERS AHEAD*

Not surprisingly, this movie takes a much darker tone right from the very beginning. It also shows a bit too much of the hormonally-charged preoccupations of the main characters of the series, but then again, I think they're just being true to the text. :P

J.K. Rowling's storytelling comes alive yet again. The Vanishing cabinet is exactly the way I imagined it when I read the book. The quidditch sequences were both intense and comical (particularly Ron's), but I feel that they were too short and left me wanting for a lot more. More quidditch plz!!! :P They did a really good job on the scenes where Harry and Dumbledore went to retrieve the horcrux, although I think the "trial of Dumbledore" as I'd like to call it, was a bit watered down so as not to scare off the kids.

Special effects were still aplenty in this movie, but It was nowhere near the visual spectacle they put together in the fifth movie where you had the battle scenes in the Ministry of Magic.

I think the way they portrayed Dumbledore's death was brilliant. After he was zapped by Snape, a kind of haunting music could be heard in the background as the Death Eaters made their way out of the castle (unopposed! Was that how they left in the book? Parang hindi ata...oh well), after which they showed the entire studentry, faculty and staff standing around the body of Dumbledore and lifting their glowing wands to displel the Death Eater symbol hanging ominously above the castle grounds.

I'll give it a 4/5 because although I found it really great, it didn't give anything totally unexpected or breathtaking, and I was frustrated with the relative lack of magic.. but then again, maybe that's just me. ;)

The Jacko tribute

It has been roughly two weeks since the whole world was stunned by the news that Michael Jackson, the undisputed King of Pop, had passed away. 

I have to admit that I was never really a die-hard MJ fan. Sure, I listened to his music and found a lot of them to be really good, but I never really bothered to go out of my way to purchase any of his albums (since I didn't really spend much money on music anyway, and I became a serious audiophile only recently). Come to think of it, maybe I was a bit of a fan, but I never really admitted it. :P Riding along with all the "MJ memories" that seemed to dominate the airwaves, I decided to listen to a playlist of pure MJ tracks as a way of paying my respects, because I DID grow up listening to his stuff in the background, and couldn't imagine how music those days could have been without him.

Now that I'm older (and wiser =P), I was able to appreciate his music a whole lot more. For the first time ever, the man struck me as a musical genius! I mean, the songs just really take you away, and he's got these really crazy-ass dancing skills to boot (as seen in his MTVs). He truly was a master entertainer... :D  Its such a pity that he had an unhappy childhood. The combination of being thrust into the pressures of the limelight at such a tender age, along with the stress of having such a harsh father, is a recipe for a psychiatric disaster later on in life..

I'm no Michael Jackson expert or die-hard fan, and thus am in no position to seriously critique or praise him for what he has done for the entirety of his stellar career. All I know is that he made beautiful music that defined and inspired a generation, but continuously struggled with his inner demons which may have indirectly led to his untimely demise at the relatively young age of 50..

I put this entry down with a slight tinge of regret, as I never truly appreciated what he has done for the world of music until it was too late..

Farewell Moonwalker, you will truly be missed..

*Got the cool animated graphic above from a forum paying tribute to the King of Pop. Sorry, forgot the site..

Care for a bit of crocodylus meatus?

Interested in sampling a bit of crocodile meat? :D

Crocodile meat is now commercially available at all Nueve Cafe branches which are located inside selected Wilcon Depot stores (Alabang Zapote Road, Balintawak, Libis, Filinvest Alabang, Pasong Tamo, and Mexico Pampanga)

The meat is sold in packs of 250g each.

There's even a fancy-ass recipe printed at the back of the pack. It's low in cholesterol and said to be good for asthma DAW.. Kaya't subukan niyo na! :P

I believe they're also coming out with crocodile meat dishes to be served at the Nueve branches so you could sample how it would taste like before buying it.

Nueve sells lots more food items other than the croc meat. CLICK HERE to visit their Multiply site for menu items, location info, and more details. (although I believe the site hasn't been updated for quite some time na.. the menu items are still more or less the same, and the maps may prove helpful)

Weaning Off

I've had enough!

As the second half of the year gets going, I have resolved to put my foot down and wean myself from my addiction to Facebook. :P Looking back at the previous year, I find that quite a sizeable chunk of my time is spent online checking my mousetrap, ghost trap,  or fishing line, tending to my farm and resto, answering silly quizzes or surveys, or viewing my friends' pictures or random thoughts..

Seeing residency time draw nearer served as a wake-up call for me. It's time I removed myself from the computer where I was accomplishing absolutely NOTHING, so that I could make a good effort to hit the books and prepare myself for "the next big step". (although I won't be giving up blogging anytime soon. ;) Thanks to achi "goldengirl" for the encouraging words! Its nice to know people actuallly like reading my blog :D)

Its not impossible, but it can be done. However, the UAAP season just started... :P and that's a story for another day. Hehehe

By the way, here are the UAAP opening day scores

UST def AdU 76-75 (This was the first UAAP game of former King Stallion Jeric Teng, where he came off with 3 markers. Go USTe!)

UE def DLSU 65-41 (lowest scoring output ever by DLSU in the UAAP)

Missing C.A.T.

I remember those days in high school when I became part of the Medics in CAT. The summer before 4th year (when we had our training) is probably the most memorable summer I ever had as a student in XS.. In fact, I think that was one of the very few bright spots during my entire high school life..

Boot camp was a barrel of laughs! :P Under the command of our fellow batchmate officers, we marched around, did pushups by the hundreds, and jogged around the Greenhills shopping complex singing lewd soldier songs in while running in cadence (after which we'd commandeer the party area of the local McDonalds for a soldier's breakfast). :P We also when through a basic first aid course and learned how to assemble and disassemble rifles under the watchful eyes of our commandant. :D

I also recall those duties we had to go to like the homecoming, acquaintance party, fun run, and even the Pinaglabanan parade (where we thought we would win it but everything fell apart when we got to the grandstand.. those rifles are HEAVY!! :P) Oh yeah, I think ICA won that one :P

I miss the camaraderie and the "coolness" of being part of an "elite" unit. Although people laughed at us for being too "hardcore" in CAT, we didn't really care. We were the Medics, and together with the officers and MPs (who trained alongside us during the summer), we were having the time of our lives. :P

Daydreamin'..

I catch myself daydreaming a lot these days. It's very easy for me to just sit around and space out. :D Thoughts just flow by and range from the vevry mundane like science fiction plotlines, to very real situations like stressful scenarios encountered on a daily basis. I guess that's why I'm never at a loss with what to blog, 'coz there's always something to talk about. :D