For the third time since we got here last October, Singapore will have another IT event; this time, it's the PC SHOW 2008. This event is dubbed as Singapore’s longest-running IT and Consumer Electronics show.
Personally, I'm just looking for some stuff that we can use for our Nintendo DS Lite. Not sure, though, if we will find some; Today has included a supplement for the event. Save for the microSD, nothing NDS related was highlighted.
Oh well. We'll see later when we go there. Here are the event details:
What: The PC Show
Where: Suntec Singapore
International Convention & Exhibition Centre,
Levels 1, 3, 4 (Halls 401-404) and 6 (Halls 601-603)
When: June 12 to 15, noon to 9pm daily
Better check out their site here: www.thepcshow.com.sg
In case you're going, see you there! :)
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Marvel Universe Update Part 2
(Continued from Marvel Universe Update Part 1)
Two Hulks and a Herc
As a result of the recently concluded World War Hulk storyarc, Bruce Banner, the original green Hulk, has been incarcerated and kept deep underground for security. Since then, Marvel's Hercules has taken over the comics series, renaming it from 'Incredible Hulk' to 'Incredible Hercules'.
While Banner is locked away, a new Hulk has emerged. This new Hulk is all red and shows stealth and cunning uncharacteristic of the original one. He killed the villain Abomination using a non-standard issue handgun, which is of humongous size, that it fits on his giant-size fist. He also managed to infiltrate S.H.I.E.L.D. (Marvel U's version of the global peace-keeping force), soundly taking out Iron Man and She-Hulk, to whom he said that he can kill her anytime he wanted.
In the last issue I read, the green and red Hulks finally came face to face, after the red Hulk caused an earthquake which shattered the prison where Banner is held.
Captain America is still dead
In case you haven't heard, Captain America, Steve Rogers, was assassinated at the conclusion of the Civil War storyarc early last year. Ever since his demise, many have speculated whether he will be resurrected or not.
Several issues after his demise, his old partner Bucky, aka Winter Soldier, took on the mantle of Captain America. So far, the storylines have been focused between him and Cap's classic nemesis, the Red Skull and have not been in sync with the current storyline in the Marvel Universe.
And yes, despite several teasers, Steve Rogers is still dead. :)
Avengers - Secret Invasion
The ongoing saga so far that has left many of the heroes reeling. Seeing the Earth as righfully theirs, the shape-shifting alien race known as Skrulls have infiltrated Earth and have been posing as superheroes for God knows how long.
So begins the guessing game of which superhero is a Skrull.
Below is a list of characters replaced by Skrulls. I only list here the ones which have the most significant importance.
Elektra, the initial scout sent to infiltrate Earth. She recently led the Hand, a Japanese ninja-underground type of group but was killed in action, thus revealing her nature as a Skrull.
Black Bolt, the King of Inhumans and one of the Illuminati was a Skrull in disguise for a long time. It's intriguing to know for how long this Skrull has replaced Black Bolt, as he is privy details that nobody but the Illuminati knows.
Dum Dum Dugan, long-time S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, sabotaged the Peak, S.W.O.R.D.'s orbital base, which allowed the Skrull ships to enter Earth's orbit.
Henry Pym, aka Ant-Man, aka Giant-Man, aka Yellowjacket; revealed his true colors when he took out Mr. Fantastic after finishing the autopsy of Skrull-ektra.
Invisible Woman, replaced by Lyja, former wife of the Human Torch, rigged some equipment in the laboratory causing the Baxter Building to collapse into the Negative Zone, effectively isolating the Fantastic Four.
Edwin Jarvis, the longtime butler of the Avengers, who activated a virus that took out Iron Man's extremis technology and, through it, the rest of the Stark Tech and S.H.I.E.L.D.
Captain Marvel, who was supposed to be dead is also confirmed a Skrull, although not exactly sharing the sentiments of his fellow Skrulls; he appears to be conflicted about who he is and what he's supposed to be.
Spider-Woman, who was judged as the one who has the most potential to do the most damage (having access to both Avengers teams, S.H.I.E.L.D., HYDRA, and has the trust of Nick Fury himself), is replaced the Skrull Empress Veranke. She (indirectly), caused both Avengers teams to be stranded in Savage Land, keeping them busy and away from the actual invasion.
Anyway, I can't wait for the next issues. I've spent a lot of time posting this entry already, so I guess that's it for now. :)
Two Hulks and a Herc
As a result of the recently concluded World War Hulk storyarc, Bruce Banner, the original green Hulk, has been incarcerated and kept deep underground for security. Since then, Marvel's Hercules has taken over the comics series, renaming it from 'Incredible Hulk' to 'Incredible Hercules'.
While Banner is locked away, a new Hulk has emerged. This new Hulk is all red and shows stealth and cunning uncharacteristic of the original one. He killed the villain Abomination using a non-standard issue handgun, which is of humongous size, that it fits on his giant-size fist. He also managed to infiltrate S.H.I.E.L.D. (Marvel U's version of the global peace-keeping force), soundly taking out Iron Man and She-Hulk, to whom he said that he can kill her anytime he wanted.
In the last issue I read, the green and red Hulks finally came face to face, after the red Hulk caused an earthquake which shattered the prison where Banner is held.
Captain America is still dead
In case you haven't heard, Captain America, Steve Rogers, was assassinated at the conclusion of the Civil War storyarc early last year. Ever since his demise, many have speculated whether he will be resurrected or not.
Several issues after his demise, his old partner Bucky, aka Winter Soldier, took on the mantle of Captain America. So far, the storylines have been focused between him and Cap's classic nemesis, the Red Skull and have not been in sync with the current storyline in the Marvel Universe.
And yes, despite several teasers, Steve Rogers is still dead. :)
Avengers - Secret Invasion
The ongoing saga so far that has left many of the heroes reeling. Seeing the Earth as righfully theirs, the shape-shifting alien race known as Skrulls have infiltrated Earth and have been posing as superheroes for God knows how long.
So begins the guessing game of which superhero is a Skrull.
Below is a list of characters replaced by Skrulls. I only list here the ones which have the most significant importance.
Elektra, the initial scout sent to infiltrate Earth. She recently led the Hand, a Japanese ninja-underground type of group but was killed in action, thus revealing her nature as a Skrull.
Black Bolt, the King of Inhumans and one of the Illuminati was a Skrull in disguise for a long time. It's intriguing to know for how long this Skrull has replaced Black Bolt, as he is privy details that nobody but the Illuminati knows.
Dum Dum Dugan, long-time S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, sabotaged the Peak, S.W.O.R.D.'s orbital base, which allowed the Skrull ships to enter Earth's orbit.
Henry Pym, aka Ant-Man, aka Giant-Man, aka Yellowjacket; revealed his true colors when he took out Mr. Fantastic after finishing the autopsy of Skrull-ektra.
Invisible Woman, replaced by Lyja, former wife of the Human Torch, rigged some equipment in the laboratory causing the Baxter Building to collapse into the Negative Zone, effectively isolating the Fantastic Four.
Edwin Jarvis, the longtime butler of the Avengers, who activated a virus that took out Iron Man's extremis technology and, through it, the rest of the Stark Tech and S.H.I.E.L.D.
Captain Marvel, who was supposed to be dead is also confirmed a Skrull, although not exactly sharing the sentiments of his fellow Skrulls; he appears to be conflicted about who he is and what he's supposed to be.
Spider-Woman, who was judged as the one who has the most potential to do the most damage (having access to both Avengers teams, S.H.I.E.L.D., HYDRA, and has the trust of Nick Fury himself), is replaced the Skrull Empress Veranke. She (indirectly), caused both Avengers teams to be stranded in Savage Land, keeping them busy and away from the actual invasion.
Anyway, I can't wait for the next issues. I've spent a lot of time posting this entry already, so I guess that's it for now. :)
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Setting up R4DS from scratch
*** UPDATE ***
You may want to refer to the following updated post instead.
R4DS Initial Setup: Updated
*** END OF UPDATE ***
I've recently had problems with our R4DS. I've managed to get it back up again from scratch. I hope this guide helps people out there who wanted to rebuild/reimage their own R4DS from scratch as well...
Requirements:
* Your microSD - the bigger the capacity, the better;
* USB reader for the microSD (either using the mirco-SD to SD adapter and USB card reader or the MicroSD USB reader would do);
* Revolution for DS (R4DS)
Note: This guide is strictly for R4DS. M3 Simply is similar but I cannot guarantee that the steps would be the same. If someone can test using the steps here with the M3 Simply, please confirm then let us know the results.
Step 1: Install System Files.
Download the latest system files from the official R4DS website http://www.r4ds.com. As of this writing, the latest is Kernel update version 1.18.
Unzip the contents -- expecially the _system_ folder, _DS_MENU.DAT, and _DS_MSHL.NDS -- into the root directory of the microSD.
Step 2: Update MoonShell.
Depending on the version of the system kernel you downloaded, it may or may not have Moonshell copied in there as well. Whatever the case, I suggest install/update the latest version of moonshell. Aside from playing games, Moonshell enables your DS to play media files.
Download the software from the following URL: http://mdxonlinemirror.dyndns.org/moonshell/files/
As of thiw writing, I downloaded the latest version which is "moonshell171p1_with_dpgtools131.zip"
Plugin your microSD reader into your PC/laptop.
Unzip then run the Setup.exe.
It will automatically detect the drive where the microSD is connected. Click OK.
Now for the moonshell setup part:
*Configuration Files: Select moonshl.ini (full) is copied.
* ROM Files: Select R4TF R4(DS) - Revolution for DS only.
* Other configs: up to you :)
Click OK then wait for the setup to finish.
You should see the file MoonShell_R4TF_M3Simply-R4DS (MicroSD Card).nds and moonshl folder in the root directory.
And that's all you need! Those are the bare minimum configurations required to have your R4DS functioning. For additional customizations, read on...
Optional Step: Install DSOrganize
DSOrganize is one of the most popular homebrew organizer application for the Nintendo DS. It provides a calendar, drawing pad, todo list, address book, and web browser. Almost like a PDA, but not quite.
Download the DSOrganize file from http://www.dragonminded.com/?loc=ndsdev/DSOrganize.
Unzip first into your hard drive.
Since we're using R4DS, download also Custome exec_stub.bin file from the same URL above.
Replace the exec_stub.bin file in the DSOrganize/RESOURCES directory.
Copy the entire DSOrganize folder and DSOrganize.nds file into the root directory of the microSD.
I haven't played much with the DSOrganize plugins yet. When I do, I'll post an update.
Optional Step: Using Custom Themes
First, it is important to know how the images are mapped to which files first. So here's the rough description:
logo.bmp - Bootup top screen image;
icons.bmp - Bootup bottom/touchscreen image (i.e., "Play", "Media", or "Slot2");
bckgrd_1.bmp - the browser top screen background image;
bckgrd_2.bmp - the browser bottom/touchscreen background image;
gbaframe.bmp - the border used for GameBoy Advanced (GBA) games (slot 2).
Hence, when using a theme, you need to rename the images to their corresponding filenames above. (You wouldn't want the top and bottom screen images on the wrong screen, would you?)
IMPORTANT: The files should be copied into the _system_ folder.
When creating images, take note that (1) the image size should be 256x192, and (2) the file format should be a 24bit Bitmap (BMP).
If you prefer downloading instead of creating your own, search the web. I suggest the site http://www.ndsthemes.com/.
That's all for now. I'll just make additional posts if needed. :)
Thanks for reading!
You may want to refer to the following updated post instead.
R4DS Initial Setup: Updated
*** END OF UPDATE ***
I've recently had problems with our R4DS. I've managed to get it back up again from scratch. I hope this guide helps people out there who wanted to rebuild/reimage their own R4DS from scratch as well...
Requirements:
* Your microSD - the bigger the capacity, the better;
* USB reader for the microSD (either using the mirco-SD to SD adapter and USB card reader or the MicroSD USB reader would do);
* Revolution for DS (R4DS)
Note: This guide is strictly for R4DS. M3 Simply is similar but I cannot guarantee that the steps would be the same. If someone can test using the steps here with the M3 Simply, please confirm then let us know the results.
Step 1: Install System Files.
Download the latest system files from the official R4DS website http://www.r4ds.com. As of this writing, the latest is Kernel update version 1.18.
Unzip the contents -- expecially the _system_ folder, _DS_MENU.DAT, and _DS_MSHL.NDS -- into the root directory of the microSD.
Step 2: Update MoonShell.
Depending on the version of the system kernel you downloaded, it may or may not have Moonshell copied in there as well. Whatever the case, I suggest install/update the latest version of moonshell. Aside from playing games, Moonshell enables your DS to play media files.
Download the software from the following URL: http://mdxonlinemirror.dyndns.org/moonshell/files/
As of thiw writing, I downloaded the latest version which is "moonshell171p1_with_dpgtools131.zip"
Plugin your microSD reader into your PC/laptop.
Unzip then run the Setup.exe.
It will automatically detect the drive where the microSD is connected. Click OK.
Now for the moonshell setup part:
*Configuration Files: Select moonshl.ini (full) is copied.
* ROM Files: Select R4TF R4(DS) - Revolution for DS only.
* Other configs: up to you :)
Click OK then wait for the setup to finish.
You should see the file MoonShell_R4TF_M3Simply-R4DS (MicroSD Card).nds and moonshl folder in the root directory.
And that's all you need! Those are the bare minimum configurations required to have your R4DS functioning. For additional customizations, read on...
Optional Step: Install DSOrganize
DSOrganize is one of the most popular homebrew organizer application for the Nintendo DS. It provides a calendar, drawing pad, todo list, address book, and web browser. Almost like a PDA, but not quite.
Download the DSOrganize file from http://www.dragonminded.com/?loc=ndsdev/DSOrganize.
Unzip first into your hard drive.
Since we're using R4DS, download also Custome exec_stub.bin file from the same URL above.
Replace the exec_stub.bin file in the DSOrganize/RESOURCES directory.
Copy the entire DSOrganize folder and DSOrganize.nds file into the root directory of the microSD.
I haven't played much with the DSOrganize plugins yet. When I do, I'll post an update.
Optional Step: Using Custom Themes
First, it is important to know how the images are mapped to which files first. So here's the rough description:
logo.bmp - Bootup top screen image;
icons.bmp - Bootup bottom/touchscreen image (i.e., "Play", "Media", or "Slot2");
bckgrd_1.bmp - the browser top screen background image;
bckgrd_2.bmp - the browser bottom/touchscreen background image;
gbaframe.bmp - the border used for GameBoy Advanced (GBA) games (slot 2).
Hence, when using a theme, you need to rename the images to their corresponding filenames above. (You wouldn't want the top and bottom screen images on the wrong screen, would you?)
IMPORTANT: The files should be copied into the _system_ folder.
When creating images, take note that (1) the image size should be 256x192, and (2) the file format should be a 24bit Bitmap (BMP).
If you prefer downloading instead of creating your own, search the web. I suggest the site http://www.ndsthemes.com/.
That's all for now. I'll just make additional posts if needed. :)
Thanks for reading!
Countdown to a monster project!
Although it was not my intention, I let this blog hanging again for a week without any posts. :( Due to the big project I'm involved with, I didn't have enough time to spare to do much of anything except do my tasks and keeping my sanity intact...
Good news is, aside from one minor task (which hopefully I can delegate to the other project members who are free), all of the prep work that I needed to do is finished. That should give me enough room this week to do, among other things, blog, play and have fun!
Not that I'm not having fun during last week. For the first time in this job, the end of the week was rewarding for me; well, rewarding technically. I've managed to setup a server switch -- a Cisco Catalyst 6000 -- in the live/production network and is ready for use. Providing tech support or doing configurations on a lab setup is one thing; actually configuring it on your own in production is another.
Also, as I've said, I've been working hard to keep my brain still intact. I've been continuing my Baldur's Gate II game as well. I'm planning on using a different character next time I play it. Also, I have been beefing up Che's Nintendo Dual Screen (NDS). Thanks to youtube and internet, I've tweaked the R4DS. Maybe I'll post a separate entry for the NDS customization.
Here's hoping to a smooth week!
Good news is, aside from one minor task (which hopefully I can delegate to the other project members who are free), all of the prep work that I needed to do is finished. That should give me enough room this week to do, among other things, blog, play and have fun!
Not that I'm not having fun during last week. For the first time in this job, the end of the week was rewarding for me; well, rewarding technically. I've managed to setup a server switch -- a Cisco Catalyst 6000 -- in the live/production network and is ready for use. Providing tech support or doing configurations on a lab setup is one thing; actually configuring it on your own in production is another.
Also, as I've said, I've been working hard to keep my brain still intact. I've been continuing my Baldur's Gate II game as well. I'm planning on using a different character next time I play it. Also, I have been beefing up Che's Nintendo Dual Screen (NDS). Thanks to youtube and internet, I've tweaked the R4DS. Maybe I'll post a separate entry for the NDS customization.
Here's hoping to a smooth week!
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Marvel Universe Update - Part 1
It's been a while since I last talked about anything Marvel comics-related -- well, except my other post about Marvel 1602. So I think this is a good time as any to point out some important updates.
Spider-man reset
Earlier this year (or was it late last year?), all of the Spider-Man series have been stopped, except for the Amazing Spider-Man (ASM) title, which is now printed three times a month! Biggest change, of course, is that Spider-Man is single once again, as a result of the four-part One More Day (OMD) story arc, which then made way for the still running Brand New Day (BND) story arc starting with ASM issue #546 onwards.
Needless to say, the OMD story arc was the reset button for Spider-Man in order to revert Spider-Man back to a specific status quo. Joe Quesada, Marvel Editor-In-Chief, was on a crusade to change Spider-Man back to his "earlier" days. Just to summarize, here's Spider-Man's status quo in BND:
- single and was NEVER married to Mary Jane; in fact, they recently broke up;
- the secret identity is a secret once again;
- still a fugitive for not being a registered superhuman;
- Harry Osborn -- the second Green Goblin and son of the first Green Goblin, Norman Osborn -- is alive and well;
- currently working as photographer (to be more specific, a "paparazzi") for the new DB (Daily Bugle);
- still living in Aunt may's house.
The BND story arc introduces a lot of new characters in the world of Spider-Man. One noticeable change is that Spider-Man is now on a more street-level character, dealing with more New York "localized" issues (gangsters, paparazzi, mayoral elections, financial problems) and new weird characters (Freak, Paperdoll, Menace) instead of problems that are national or global in nature (World War Hulk, Secret Invasion, Annihilation Saga).
X-Men revamp
As the result of Messiah CompleX, Cyclops has disbanded the X-Men. At least, the X-Men roster as we know it. Let's summarize each title:
Uncanny X-Men - Focuses on Cyclop's "disbanded" team (Emma Frost, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, and Colossus). Cyclops and Emma are in San Francisco dealing with the "Hippie" atmosphere that has enthralled the entire city, while Wolverine, Nightcrawler, and Colossus are in Russia, who, as of issue #498, encountered Omega Red.
Adjectiveless X-Men (renamed to X-Men Legacy) - Deals with the revived Professor X, who is trying to piece together the fragments of his memories (since his brain was literally blown to bits at the end of Messiah CompleX). Mostly flashbacks and back stories previously not shown in the earlier issues.
Young X-Men - This follows a similar formula used for Avengers Disassembled storyarc leading to Young Avengers; after the previous arc, Cyclops recruits some of the last generation of mutants and trains them under the wreck of the X-Mansion. This series replaces the New X-Men series as the staple comics for the last generation of mutants under the X-Men. Current mission: take out the new Brotherhood (of Evil Mutants), consisting of the former X-Men: Cannonball, Sunspot, Magma, and Dani Moonstar.
X-Force - Consisting of the most ruthless killers in their roster, Cyclops assembles the new X-Force. Their goal: do the "dirty" deeds in secret what the upright X-Men cannot do in the open. The new black ops team consists of Wolverine (again), Warpath, and X-23 and is hunting down the Purifiers, a group of fanatical humans bent on exterminating all the remaining mutants by whatever means necessary. The last issues reveals that the X-Man Wolfsbane was brainwashed by Purifiers, and the apparent return of the "evil" Archangel during his sevitude as Horseman Death under Apocalypse!
Cable - Escaping into the future with the first (and last?) mutant baby born after M-Day, Cable is hunted by Bishop obsessed with eliminating the baby in order to prevent the apocalyptic future he lived in.
Wolverine - Similar to his role in X-Force, Cyclops sends Wolverine to eliminate the traitor Mystique. His hunt took him far into the Middle East with him finally disemboweling her, leaving her to die in the middle of the desert. Flashbacks also revealed that Wolverine and Mystique had a long history, long even before Professor X even conceived of the X-Men.
Astonishing X-Men - Finally, after long delays, it is now revealed how the story arc finally ties in (or at least partially) with the rest of the "bigger picture". We see how Kitty Pryde, the Shadowcat, sacrificed herself in order to save earth from a giant bullet launched from one of the satellites of Breakworld, home of the a ruthless warrior-race of aliens.
All in all, I'm happy with the push given to Cyclops, who is finally breaking out as the leader of the X-Men, throwing his weight around in most of the X titles. I'm not particularly excited about X-Men Legacy, though. One important thing to note is that -- except for a few titles -- each X-Men series now is more focused and self-contained, unlike the very loose and overlapping storylines during the 90s and early 2000, particularly X-Men and Uncanny X-Men series. (By overlapping, I mean, it's impossible to read and understand, say, just X-Men without also reading Uncanny X-Men.
I didn't think this post would be this long. Oh well, just wait for part II then. :)
Spider-man reset
Earlier this year (or was it late last year?), all of the Spider-Man series have been stopped, except for the Amazing Spider-Man (ASM) title, which is now printed three times a month! Biggest change, of course, is that Spider-Man is single once again, as a result of the four-part One More Day (OMD) story arc, which then made way for the still running Brand New Day (BND) story arc starting with ASM issue #546 onwards.
Needless to say, the OMD story arc was the reset button for Spider-Man in order to revert Spider-Man back to a specific status quo. Joe Quesada, Marvel Editor-In-Chief, was on a crusade to change Spider-Man back to his "earlier" days. Just to summarize, here's Spider-Man's status quo in BND:
- single and was NEVER married to Mary Jane; in fact, they recently broke up;
- the secret identity is a secret once again;
- still a fugitive for not being a registered superhuman;
- Harry Osborn -- the second Green Goblin and son of the first Green Goblin, Norman Osborn -- is alive and well;
- currently working as photographer (to be more specific, a "paparazzi") for the new DB (Daily Bugle);
- still living in Aunt may's house.
The BND story arc introduces a lot of new characters in the world of Spider-Man. One noticeable change is that Spider-Man is now on a more street-level character, dealing with more New York "localized" issues (gangsters, paparazzi, mayoral elections, financial problems) and new weird characters (Freak, Paperdoll, Menace) instead of problems that are national or global in nature (World War Hulk, Secret Invasion, Annihilation Saga).
X-Men revamp
As the result of Messiah CompleX, Cyclops has disbanded the X-Men. At least, the X-Men roster as we know it. Let's summarize each title:
Uncanny X-Men - Focuses on Cyclop's "disbanded" team (Emma Frost, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, and Colossus). Cyclops and Emma are in San Francisco dealing with the "Hippie" atmosphere that has enthralled the entire city, while Wolverine, Nightcrawler, and Colossus are in Russia, who, as of issue #498, encountered Omega Red.
Adjectiveless X-Men (renamed to X-Men Legacy) - Deals with the revived Professor X, who is trying to piece together the fragments of his memories (since his brain was literally blown to bits at the end of Messiah CompleX). Mostly flashbacks and back stories previously not shown in the earlier issues.
Young X-Men - This follows a similar formula used for Avengers Disassembled storyarc leading to Young Avengers; after the previous arc, Cyclops recruits some of the last generation of mutants and trains them under the wreck of the X-Mansion. This series replaces the New X-Men series as the staple comics for the last generation of mutants under the X-Men. Current mission: take out the new Brotherhood (of Evil Mutants), consisting of the former X-Men: Cannonball, Sunspot, Magma, and Dani Moonstar.
X-Force - Consisting of the most ruthless killers in their roster, Cyclops assembles the new X-Force. Their goal: do the "dirty" deeds in secret what the upright X-Men cannot do in the open. The new black ops team consists of Wolverine (again), Warpath, and X-23 and is hunting down the Purifiers, a group of fanatical humans bent on exterminating all the remaining mutants by whatever means necessary. The last issues reveals that the X-Man Wolfsbane was brainwashed by Purifiers, and the apparent return of the "evil" Archangel during his sevitude as Horseman Death under Apocalypse!
Cable - Escaping into the future with the first (and last?) mutant baby born after M-Day, Cable is hunted by Bishop obsessed with eliminating the baby in order to prevent the apocalyptic future he lived in.
Wolverine - Similar to his role in X-Force, Cyclops sends Wolverine to eliminate the traitor Mystique. His hunt took him far into the Middle East with him finally disemboweling her, leaving her to die in the middle of the desert. Flashbacks also revealed that Wolverine and Mystique had a long history, long even before Professor X even conceived of the X-Men.
Astonishing X-Men - Finally, after long delays, it is now revealed how the story arc finally ties in (or at least partially) with the rest of the "bigger picture". We see how Kitty Pryde, the Shadowcat, sacrificed herself in order to save earth from a giant bullet launched from one of the satellites of Breakworld, home of the a ruthless warrior-race of aliens.
All in all, I'm happy with the push given to Cyclops, who is finally breaking out as the leader of the X-Men, throwing his weight around in most of the X titles. I'm not particularly excited about X-Men Legacy, though. One important thing to note is that -- except for a few titles -- each X-Men series now is more focused and self-contained, unlike the very loose and overlapping storylines during the 90s and early 2000, particularly X-Men and Uncanny X-Men series. (By overlapping, I mean, it's impossible to read and understand, say, just X-Men without also reading Uncanny X-Men.
I didn't think this post would be this long. Oh well, just wait for part II then. :)
Monday, June 02, 2008
My "going-home" boo-boos and yeah-yeahs list
Having spent about a week in Manila was not a cakewalk, but the following boo-boos made it just a little bit worse, although the yeah-yeahs seem to make it all worthwhile. I hope the list helps you out there planning to go home :)
Left ATM card. What's worse than your wallet with missing driver's license? Your wallet with no money whatsoever! I already transferred cash into my ATM account in Manila (since remitting from SG to Manila has better rates than converting through money changers in Manila). Of course, that is useless if your ATM card is not with you. Darn! Good thing, we had a simple workaround: transfer funds into another ATM that you have access to (such as the ATM of your parents!) This was a bit of a hassle, but it's better than not having any cash at all!
No traffic "intelligence report". Traffic was so heavy, we spent the entire morning crawling through the South Luzon Expressway. I guess if I had tuned in to one of those traffic watch programs, I would have taken the Skyway or any other alternate routes. Oh well... That's a half day wasted. This is perhaps the worst case of "waste"... You waste time, energy, gas (and consequently money) in the middle of a damned highway. The only good thing here is that we were stuck in traffic in our entire stay only once.
Unset alarms. You'd expect some days in which you would have to stay up real late and, as such, you are expected to wake up late as well... However, time is not on our side. Alarms should have been set so as not to waste two or three hours to sleep. It's only a small thing to overlook, but one that cost us several hours... Multiply that by several days and you'd almost have a full day lost to sleep... Not the healthiest choice, sure, but we could have grabbed some sleep after finishing whatever tasks we had for the week... Oh well....
Planned a not-so flexible agenda. Many items in our list were not done mainly due to "surprises". At one time, we had unexpected (but welcome) visitors which practically cleared out the rest of our day. Our timetable was so tight, there was very minimal room for adjustment. Surprises like this forced us to leave out some items undone.
Not-enough days! One week -- actually, 5 workdays plus the 4 weekends, inclusive of the in and out flights -- is simply not enough! It was just enough time to finish off some loose ends, but not enough to actually enjoy the stay. One week would have worked for a non-flexible and completely predictable time. Otherwise, it's just not enough... :(
Note to self: next time, plan a two-week vacation at the minimum.
YEAH-YEAHs:
Meet family, friends and colleagues. What's better than meeting the ones we've left behind after a long time? Although sadly, we didn't get to meet everyone due to time constraint. But I guess we were able to meet with the people that we really needed to meet with anyway, so that's fine. :)
Home. No matter what you say, home is home, and there's nothing like being home after a long time... Well, in our case, it's actually just a few months, but still... In our case at least, we had three homes: our actual house where we live (or used to live), Che's parents' house (with all her pamangkin's including the newest one, Keisha), and my Dad's house (where I grew up and is the "gathering point" of my clan). Spending time in all three is very refreshing.
Eat foods missed. Needless to say, food abroad is nothing like food in Manila. So which foods did we have? Well, there's Jollibee's chicken and breakfast meals, Tapa King's Tapa Queen (the sweet and spicy one, I think), Goldilock's puto and mamon, and, of course, the home-made dishes (too many to mention). Aside from these, we brought back to SG some of the things that you'll never find there: Purefood's Tender Juicy Hotdogs, Purefood's Salami, Purefoods Corned Beef (simply the best corned beef for me), Century Tuna (Hot and Spicy), laurel leaves (bay leaves) and banana blossoms (puso ng saging) for the paksiw, different types of tuyo and daing, Filipino curry powder (i.e., our local yellow curry powder, not to be confused with SG's fiery red curry powder), bunch of chichiryas like Kirei, Oishi and Tortillos, and, of course, my favorite sandwhich spreads -- Cheez Whiz and Lady's Choice Guava Jelly. Actually, my favorite since way, way back was the Peanut Butter with Guava Jelly Stripe. If I'm not mistaken, it's either Lady's Choice or Kraft. Well, it no longer exists today, sadly, so I'd settle with the Guava Jelly with any brand of peanut butter such Lily's.
Note: Wow! What a long entry for food! Hehehe...
Had our first-time massage. We never really had a massage together before. So we thought that it was a good time as any to do it. We went to the Relaksasi in Park Square I in Makati. We went for the Combination massage. Hu-wow! What a massage! Maybe next time, we'll try their so-called signature massage, the Balinese massage. Almost twice the cost of the combination massage... That better be worth it! :)
Note to self: Include massage in the itinerary of any homecoming vacation.
Dealt with our wedding photo package. Yep, at long last...after more than a year and a half, we finally met again with our official wedding photographer to finalize our photo album. Allan Boras, excited as ever to take pictures, was more than happy to accomodate us. :) He still definitely exhibits that passion of his for photography. Here's a guy that just loves taking pictures. :)
Triggered retro-gaming. Checking out our PC at home, I came across one of the best games I've every played: Baldur's Gate 2 - Shadows of Amn. It's one of those early 2000 RPGs (role-playing games) based on the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons game. To make the long story short, I installed the game in our laptop (thank God, the game is compatible with Windows Vista!) and started playing on my free time. :)
Helped one of my cousins. We learned that one of my cousins is already graduating from college. Her life would be made easier if she had her own PC to use. Those reports can be a real drag if you don't have your own PC. Well, we wouldn't be using our PC anyway, so we gave a PC to her. Hope she makes the best of her final year in college!
Well, that's all for now. :)
BOO-BOOs:
Left Driver's License. You only actually need a license when (1) you get caught by those traffic enforcers, and (2) when you get caught in an accident. With these in mind, I always had that nagging feeling whenever I'm driving around the Metro... Yep, not the best feeling at all... which only makes you even more prone to accidents... :(Left ATM card. What's worse than your wallet with missing driver's license? Your wallet with no money whatsoever! I already transferred cash into my ATM account in Manila (since remitting from SG to Manila has better rates than converting through money changers in Manila). Of course, that is useless if your ATM card is not with you. Darn! Good thing, we had a simple workaround: transfer funds into another ATM that you have access to (such as the ATM of your parents!) This was a bit of a hassle, but it's better than not having any cash at all!
No traffic "intelligence report". Traffic was so heavy, we spent the entire morning crawling through the South Luzon Expressway. I guess if I had tuned in to one of those traffic watch programs, I would have taken the Skyway or any other alternate routes. Oh well... That's a half day wasted. This is perhaps the worst case of "waste"... You waste time, energy, gas (and consequently money) in the middle of a damned highway. The only good thing here is that we were stuck in traffic in our entire stay only once.
Unset alarms. You'd expect some days in which you would have to stay up real late and, as such, you are expected to wake up late as well... However, time is not on our side. Alarms should have been set so as not to waste two or three hours to sleep. It's only a small thing to overlook, but one that cost us several hours... Multiply that by several days and you'd almost have a full day lost to sleep... Not the healthiest choice, sure, but we could have grabbed some sleep after finishing whatever tasks we had for the week... Oh well....
Planned a not-so flexible agenda. Many items in our list were not done mainly due to "surprises". At one time, we had unexpected (but welcome) visitors which practically cleared out the rest of our day. Our timetable was so tight, there was very minimal room for adjustment. Surprises like this forced us to leave out some items undone.
Not-enough days! One week -- actually, 5 workdays plus the 4 weekends, inclusive of the in and out flights -- is simply not enough! It was just enough time to finish off some loose ends, but not enough to actually enjoy the stay. One week would have worked for a non-flexible and completely predictable time. Otherwise, it's just not enough... :(
Note to self: next time, plan a two-week vacation at the minimum.
YEAH-YEAHs:
Meet family, friends and colleagues. What's better than meeting the ones we've left behind after a long time? Although sadly, we didn't get to meet everyone due to time constraint. But I guess we were able to meet with the people that we really needed to meet with anyway, so that's fine. :)
Home. No matter what you say, home is home, and there's nothing like being home after a long time... Well, in our case, it's actually just a few months, but still... In our case at least, we had three homes: our actual house where we live (or used to live), Che's parents' house (with all her pamangkin's including the newest one, Keisha), and my Dad's house (where I grew up and is the "gathering point" of my clan). Spending time in all three is very refreshing.
Eat foods missed. Needless to say, food abroad is nothing like food in Manila. So which foods did we have? Well, there's Jollibee's chicken and breakfast meals, Tapa King's Tapa Queen (the sweet and spicy one, I think), Goldilock's puto and mamon, and, of course, the home-made dishes (too many to mention). Aside from these, we brought back to SG some of the things that you'll never find there: Purefood's Tender Juicy Hotdogs, Purefood's Salami, Purefoods Corned Beef (simply the best corned beef for me), Century Tuna (Hot and Spicy), laurel leaves (bay leaves) and banana blossoms (puso ng saging) for the paksiw, different types of tuyo and daing, Filipino curry powder (i.e., our local yellow curry powder, not to be confused with SG's fiery red curry powder), bunch of chichiryas like Kirei, Oishi and Tortillos, and, of course, my favorite sandwhich spreads -- Cheez Whiz and Lady's Choice Guava Jelly. Actually, my favorite since way, way back was the Peanut Butter with Guava Jelly Stripe. If I'm not mistaken, it's either Lady's Choice or Kraft. Well, it no longer exists today, sadly, so I'd settle with the Guava Jelly with any brand of peanut butter such Lily's.
Note: Wow! What a long entry for food! Hehehe...
Had our first-time massage. We never really had a massage together before. So we thought that it was a good time as any to do it. We went to the Relaksasi in Park Square I in Makati. We went for the Combination massage. Hu-wow! What a massage! Maybe next time, we'll try their so-called signature massage, the Balinese massage. Almost twice the cost of the combination massage... That better be worth it! :)
Note to self: Include massage in the itinerary of any homecoming vacation.
Dealt with our wedding photo package. Yep, at long last...after more than a year and a half, we finally met again with our official wedding photographer to finalize our photo album. Allan Boras, excited as ever to take pictures, was more than happy to accomodate us. :) He still definitely exhibits that passion of his for photography. Here's a guy that just loves taking pictures. :)
Triggered retro-gaming. Checking out our PC at home, I came across one of the best games I've every played: Baldur's Gate 2 - Shadows of Amn. It's one of those early 2000 RPGs (role-playing games) based on the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons game. To make the long story short, I installed the game in our laptop (thank God, the game is compatible with Windows Vista!) and started playing on my free time. :)
Helped one of my cousins. We learned that one of my cousins is already graduating from college. Her life would be made easier if she had her own PC to use. Those reports can be a real drag if you don't have your own PC. Well, we wouldn't be using our PC anyway, so we gave a PC to her. Hope she makes the best of her final year in college!
Well, that's all for now. :)
Sunday, June 01, 2008
And we're back again!
It's June and we just got back from Manila!
The nine-day vacation was longer than our last visit last February, although it is still not long enough. Our stay isn't exactly what I would call a "vacation"; we had to work on some issues that we've left behind, such as the clearance form from my last job, and cutting our unused phone line. :)
Nevertheless, on a more serious and personal note, I got more than what I bargained for... After learning a few things, our past experiences have been placed in a new light... Seeing my past in a new perspective was a bit of a rollercoaster for me. All of my current concerns seem trivial.
On a lighter note, it's good to see old friends and relatives again. I never felt more homesick than I was a week ago and seeing everyone sure helped me a lot.
Although not fully rested, I'm now psyched to get back here with a fresh new outlook to face my challenges... at least for the next couple of weeks... :)
The nine-day vacation was longer than our last visit last February, although it is still not long enough. Our stay isn't exactly what I would call a "vacation"; we had to work on some issues that we've left behind, such as the clearance form from my last job, and cutting our unused phone line. :)
Nevertheless, on a more serious and personal note, I got more than what I bargained for... After learning a few things, our past experiences have been placed in a new light... Seeing my past in a new perspective was a bit of a rollercoaster for me. All of my current concerns seem trivial.
On a lighter note, it's good to see old friends and relatives again. I never felt more homesick than I was a week ago and seeing everyone sure helped me a lot.
Although not fully rested, I'm now psyched to get back here with a fresh new outlook to face my challenges... at least for the next couple of weeks... :)
Friday, May 23, 2008
Bookshelf update: Marvel 1602
It's been a while since I last updated my shelfari. Found a bunch of new features since I last logged in.... well, it's so long ago, I can't remember!
I decided to check it again when I just happen to be in the campus library when I came across the Marvel 1602 paperback (check my shelfari bookshelf below). I've had fun reading this before, and I have no problem reading it again!
Simply put, Marvel 1602 (due to some complicated cosmic plot I'd rather not discuss) the age of heroes (i.e., today, present time when all superheroes are about) was moved back four hundred years into the past, during the time of Queen Elizabeth I, King James of Scotland, the Spanish Inquisition, Templar Knights and the Crusades, the discovery of the New World.
We see Captain America as an (American) Indian, Nick Fury and Dr Strange as members of Queen Elizabeth's court; Magneto as the Spanish Grand Inquisitor hunting down mutants -- or witchbreed (Interesting to note is that Magneto here is a witchbreed in hiding); the witchbreed led by Carlos Javier (Prof. X.); Count Otto Von Doom the Handsome, ruler of Latveria; a young Peter Parquagh (Spider-Man) as Nick Fury's squire; Matt Murdoch (Daredevil), Nick Fury's agent; Thor and his alter-ego, Donal, the a hermit/Templar Knight and others.
If that does not convince you to read this, perhaps the name of the author will...the award-winnig English writer Neil Gaiman (The Sandman comics series, Stardust starring Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Claire Danes).
Gaiman's take on these superheroes and taking them back in time makes a particularly good read. At least for me, who likes reading history AND comics. And most especially, for those who are always ask "what if" about history.
I decided to check it again when I just happen to be in the campus library when I came across the Marvel 1602 paperback (check my shelfari bookshelf below). I've had fun reading this before, and I have no problem reading it again!
Simply put, Marvel 1602 (due to some complicated cosmic plot I'd rather not discuss) the age of heroes (i.e., today, present time when all superheroes are about) was moved back four hundred years into the past, during the time of Queen Elizabeth I, King James of Scotland, the Spanish Inquisition, Templar Knights and the Crusades, the discovery of the New World.
We see Captain America as an (American) Indian, Nick Fury and Dr Strange as members of Queen Elizabeth's court; Magneto as the Spanish Grand Inquisitor hunting down mutants -- or witchbreed (Interesting to note is that Magneto here is a witchbreed in hiding); the witchbreed led by Carlos Javier (Prof. X.); Count Otto Von Doom the Handsome, ruler of Latveria; a young Peter Parquagh (Spider-Man) as Nick Fury's squire; Matt Murdoch (Daredevil), Nick Fury's agent; Thor and his alter-ego, Donal, the a hermit/Templar Knight and others.
If that does not convince you to read this, perhaps the name of the author will...the award-winnig English writer Neil Gaiman (The Sandman comics series, Stardust starring Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Claire Danes).
Gaiman's take on these superheroes and taking them back in time makes a particularly good read. At least for me, who likes reading history AND comics. And most especially, for those who are always ask "what if" about history.
Countdown to homecoming!
Just a few hours left.... Tonight, we will be flying back to Manila for about a week!
I miss a lot of things from the hometown, but there are also many things I'm not really looking forward to.
One good thing is the more favorable exchange rate; last February, SGD1 = PHP27++; as of this writing, SGD1 = PHP31++, the highest so far this year. So supposedly, one SGD can buy more now than last February. The bad thing: all prices went up; rice, gas, jeep/bus fares. Well, there goes the better exchange rate... Still, at least it's higher than last time.
Traffic, I heard, was getting worse everywhere. Good thing the places we need to go are not that very far. Well, except for a few items (Cavite, etc.), but aside from that, I guess we're okay.
We've been keeping tabs on our immediate families, and I'm happy they're all good. Although seeing them all with my own eyes should be so much better than hearing them over the cellphone. We missed all their birthdays this year, but work and obligations just prevents us from doing so.
Haven't seen a lot of our friends the last time we were here. Many of them did not even know we came back! ;) Oh, well, you can only do so much in a week.
I wonder how Santana Grove looks like now? When we left, the place was already becoming a people "magnet", promising to be one of the new "gimikans" or "go-to places" in Paranaque.
Water is still a problem, though. Could be a few more months, if not years, before NAWASA/MWSS (or whatever company is making all the digs along Sucat Road) can reach our subdivision. Plus, we need a new water tank. Hehehe :)
Oh well, still... Despite the imperfections, home is home. :) Nothing better to prepare myself before the June "showdown" I'll be working on than getting the "home-feeling" again. :)
Hope we can make the most of our stay; if everything stays the same, the next time we'll be able to go back is next year.
Hmmm... Just realized my post is almost like a jumble of ramblings, one thought only loosely connected to the others. Oh well, I guess that's how I am when I'm left with these musings about home. Hehehe. :)
I guess, happy homecoming to us then! Yipee!
I miss a lot of things from the hometown, but there are also many things I'm not really looking forward to.
One good thing is the more favorable exchange rate; last February, SGD1 = PHP27++; as of this writing, SGD1 = PHP31++, the highest so far this year. So supposedly, one SGD can buy more now than last February. The bad thing: all prices went up; rice, gas, jeep/bus fares. Well, there goes the better exchange rate... Still, at least it's higher than last time.
Traffic, I heard, was getting worse everywhere. Good thing the places we need to go are not that very far. Well, except for a few items (Cavite, etc.), but aside from that, I guess we're okay.
We've been keeping tabs on our immediate families, and I'm happy they're all good. Although seeing them all with my own eyes should be so much better than hearing them over the cellphone. We missed all their birthdays this year, but work and obligations just prevents us from doing so.
Haven't seen a lot of our friends the last time we were here. Many of them did not even know we came back! ;) Oh, well, you can only do so much in a week.
I wonder how Santana Grove looks like now? When we left, the place was already becoming a people "magnet", promising to be one of the new "gimikans" or "go-to places" in Paranaque.
Water is still a problem, though. Could be a few more months, if not years, before NAWASA/MWSS (or whatever company is making all the digs along Sucat Road) can reach our subdivision. Plus, we need a new water tank. Hehehe :)
Oh well, still... Despite the imperfections, home is home. :) Nothing better to prepare myself before the June "showdown" I'll be working on than getting the "home-feeling" again. :)
Hope we can make the most of our stay; if everything stays the same, the next time we'll be able to go back is next year.
Hmmm... Just realized my post is almost like a jumble of ramblings, one thought only loosely connected to the others. Oh well, I guess that's how I am when I'm left with these musings about home. Hehehe. :)
I guess, happy homecoming to us then! Yipee!
"Brother"'s comeback in the finale!
The finale of this season's American Idol is perhaps the most expensive and grandest so far. (Not surprising, since votes for the final week alone totalled US$97million) So many guest artist performances on stage, plus the star-studded crowd lining the front rows...
(Not to mention, the two finalists each get their own Ford Escape Hybrid!)
Halfway through the show, just when you thought things could not get any better, he returns...
Same ol', same ol' Renaldo Lapuz is back, with his white costume, white hat, and shiny cape! And this time, with a marching band!
Oooh yeah!
Special thanks to Cocoidol08 for the amazing upload!
(Not to mention, the two finalists each get their own Ford Escape Hybrid!)
Halfway through the show, just when you thought things could not get any better, he returns...
Same ol', same ol' Renaldo Lapuz is back, with his white costume, white hat, and shiny cape! And this time, with a marching band!
Oooh yeah!
Special thanks to Cocoidol08 for the amazing upload!
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