Guys,

This lady's 3-year old nephew was abducted at Tom's World Arcade in Festival Mall in Alabang.Apparently he was approached by a teenage girl and willingly went with her when she whispered something to the boy. Matthew is scheduled for surgery for fluid in his right testis and barely eats unless fed by his yaya.

Please spread this post to your contacts and if you happen to see a kid who might be Matthew,please contact his parents ASAP.

Thanks


http://melquita.multiply.com/photos/album/348/HELP_My_Nephew_Was_Abducted

I thought she was just delayed because she was under a lot of stress lately.And we have been locking horns too.Then she decided to take a pregnancy test.Yup,Positive.Two blue lines.So our up and coming youngster-we have a feeling it's another boy-will be due March 2009.A decade gap from his older siblings,but it's all good.

My side of the family are all excited,her side is not.Can't blame them,she's already 43 years old, a borderline diabetic and the last time ended up a miscarriage.She was actually considering abortion because of complications and cost.And everyone she talked to told her the child is not a bane,it's a gift.Many couples are trying so hard yet are still wishing for a child.Our child was given to us for a reason.Whatever that reason was,it sure has to be a good one.

Last night,after two weeks of denial-it sank in.We are going to be parents again.We were tossing names around.Among the names the popped out-blame her for staring at my DVD collection:

1.) Jonathan Archer
2.) Daniel Craig -I like this one.
3.) David James
4.) Johnny Depp (No kidding! Nick would be J.D.)
5.) James Kirk

If by off chance,it's a girl:

1.) Joanne Karen (gives her a reason to call her JK) Rowling.
2.) Lara Jane

Names would come.Right now,I'm gonna be busy being a dad again.

I love music of all genres.Rock,pop,soundtracks,jazz,you name it.But if I were to choose 10 CDs I would take with me on a trip to on a deserted island these would be it: 

10.) Ten-Pearl Jam-this is the album when Eddie Vedder and Company kicked off the alternative music scene.My fave tracks would be Alive,Jeremy,Evenflow and Black

9.) The Black Album –Metallica – This album is legendary. Bang your heavy metal angst to Enter Sandman,The Unforgiven,Nothing Else Matters.

8.) Flashpoint – The Rolling Stones – Forty Licks is a great compilation album,but Flashpoint is their best live performance CD to date. Recorded live in Tokyo in 1991,Jagger and Richards gave new twisting renditions of Jumping Jack Flash,Start It Up and Paint it Black.Another favourite is the lone studio track on the album-Highwire.

7.) Daredevil-The Soundtrack-Believe it or not,the movie was bad,but the soundtrack rocked the charts.I listen to this when I used to have the time to work out in the gym.I mean you got Fuel,The Calling,Filter,Drowning Pool,Rob Zombie,Evanescence,Hoobastank to name a few.It’s a fast paced album suitable for someone always on the move.

6.)Dig Your Own Hole-The Chemical Brothers.For me,this album tops in the electronica department. My favourite tracks would be Block Rockin’Beats,Setting Sun featuring Oasis’ Noel Gallagher and Don’t Stop The Rock.Ultimate in party tunes.

5.) Outside Looking In:The Best of The Gin Blossoms-Gin Blossoms-‘Nuff said.

4.) The Joshua Tree-U2- I could have mentioned the Singles compilation but to me,the Joshua Tree is old school U2 at their best.No mega huge concert performances but only the raw soul of their words and music.

3.) Rent-The Broadway Soundtrack-One could never go tired of the songs from Rent, the music has touched millions of people since it’s 1996 debut.Seasons of Love,One Song Glory,Tango Maureen,La Vie Boheme and Your Eyes are among my personal faves.

2.)10,000 Maniacs:MTV Unplugged-10,000 Maniacs-The classic live performance of Natalie Merchant while still with the Maniacs.Redoing live versions of their hits have started the unplugged trend. Because The Night stands out along with What’s The Matter Here,Hey Jack Kerouac,Eat For Two, Like The Weather, and Stockton Gala Days.

1.) Hell Freezes Over-The Eagles-This is the album I will never be without.The 1994 live reunion concert CD has rekindled the love of the original California sound, reacquainting the old fans and introducing them to the new generation of fans.I loved all the songs in the album,of course,Hotel California tops it off followed by I Can’t Tell You Why. Don Henley,Glenn Frey,Joe Walsh and Tim Schmitt never changed,they just got better.

Special Mention:

Jagged Little Pill-Alanis Morissette
The Essential Smiths-The Smiths
Tigerlily-Natalie Merchant
Anthology-The Eraserheads
1-The Beatles

Got a stiff neck since Sunday night,after an impromptu hilot by Jenny,I thought its be ok in a couple of days.It's already Thursday and my mom know this chiro / sport meds specialist and pointed me to see him.

Doc: Ok.you have a dislocated axis that pinched a couple of nerve ulnas that's why it hurts  
        when your arm,shoulder and neck are at a certain angle.
Me:  Huh?
Doc: You pulled your shoulder,along with it your muscles and a couple of pinched
        nerves.That's why your neck is stiff and hurting.
Me: Oh.So you gonna stretch ,yank and pull until everything twists back in place?
Doc: That only happens in the movies.Put Salonpas on these specific spots and take Ponstan
        if the pain is unbearable.Everything will shrink back to place once the swelling is gone.

And I thought its a twist,two pops in the shoulder and a crack and I'm as good a new.Damn.

Project 1: Fox’s M1911 Matchmaster .45 Duo Tone

This is the start of a series of customized weapons designed for cosplayer use.I have seen a lot of cosplayers who spend so much time and effort in portraying famous characters down to every exquisite detail. However,many concentrate on the accuracy of the wardrobe that they neglect the detail of the weapons especially guns.With the availability of cheap hop up airsoft weapons,they just make do to whatever accessories that comes with the packaging.

Being one of NWA's resident gunsmiths, I tend to memorize the specifications of a character’s handgun or rifle at a glance.Like now, I have customized an ordinary hop up M1911 .45 Autopistol into the Olympic Arms Safari Matchmaster .45 that Fox used in the movie Wanted .Although in the movie,Fox’s handgun is a stainless steel number with ivory grips and engravings,the graphic novel version were Duo Tone .45 Scoremasters from Detonics Systems.

First I got a pair of  Safari Arms styled M1911s from 168 Mall.

From the beginning:

The M1911 .45 autopistol in its original design straight from the package.Basic black,mil-spec style.I just sprayed a light coat of clear spray to enhance the sheen effect of the black,making it look like it was Parkerized.

Duo Tone Scoremaster Version .1

Dual Tone V.1-Parkerized effect slide with chrome silver receiver.Detonics Scoremaster
.45 caliber 1911A1 with custom silencer.Same pistol by the comic book version of  Fox in Wanted.The grips were supposed to be in ivory but the chrome spray paint was negating the effect.

 

Duo Tone Scoremaster Version 2

Chrome Silver slide with Parkerized

black receiver,red dot laser sight and blue entry light under mounted below the slide.One of the proposed pistol concepts for Angelina Jolie's character Fox in the movie version.

Version 3? The movie version Matchmaster?It's still a work in progress with a lot of detailing left to be done.

Anyone interested?

 

One of the most pathetic and cheesiest stunts to impress a girl.We used to do this back in college.We take out a stanza from a song,add it up with other stanzas from more songs and try to make it sound like a sorry excuse for a poem written specifically for the girl.Some who were totally clueless of the choices of music fall head over heels,while the smarter ones were on to you by the time she reads the second phrase.Can any of you recognize from which songs I got this and do you think you can do better?

Close your eyes but you still see,
Though love is blind
Though you try just can't leave the past behind
He's on your mind
You'll forget him
Like he forgot you
Nothing you could do

I don't believe it
I don't think that's true
It'll just pass if we allow it to
It's just a stage we're going through
I think you're just restless for something new

I never felt like this before
I know this is passion
worth waiting for
let love take take its course
that's the only thing
for us to do

Nothing’s ever been so wild

All that I get to do

Is what I give to you

This is all about the circles we’ve found

And through the ups and downs

It goes round

Oh I was just beginning to grow strong

She was only eighteen summers long

We were the news

You lured me away from home
Just to save you from being alone.
You stole my heart and that's what really hurts.
The morning sun when it's in your face
Really shows your age
But that don't worry me none
In my eyes you're everything.
I laughed at all of your jokes
My love you didn't need to coax

I've got this feelin' babe
That this was meant to be
You've been playing hard to get
I've waited patiently
It just keeps getting harder
There's a point of no return
'Cause the heat is in the moment
And the moment's in your hands

Secret smiles for secret friends
The untold lovers that you meet again
Hold me with your eyes
And let me know you once again
Open up the years
And let those memories back in

 

 

 

 

It's finally out.See the new movie site for the 22nd James Bond film starring Daniel Craig as 007.
Quantum Of Solace-The film picks up one hour after Bond kneecaps and captures Mr.White in Casino Royale. Rumors among the Bond community that in this film,the franchise relaunches 007's arch nemesis-SPECTRE.

Check out the trailer:
http://www.007.com/#/home

I guess you all knew my brother in law who thinks he is the God of Gamblers-but Chow Yun-fat he’s not.So what has he done so far?

1.) He lost his new CR-V of less than 2 weeks to a casino financier.He had the chance to redeem it the next day but he was greedy.

2.) He kicked out his wife because she wouldn’t  borrow or get a loan on his behalf.

3.) So far,his M.O. is to shut down the power of the entire house,sits by the breaker with a kitchen knife in his hand until his parents decide to pay him off. It worked twice,he got 350K out of this antics.

4.) Oh, I nearly shot him twice in less than a span of 24 hours.First time,my wife called saying he just hit her.I went on autopilot,he went scampering when I showed up at their house, weapon drawn and hot. The second time what several others later when he was pretending to be drunk and was brandishing a knife around. This time I got him dead in sights.He dropped the knife and quietly locked himself in his room.

Last Saturday night,10 men from a rehab center picked him up at his parent’s house after 3 straight days of gambling. He was handcuffed, loaded in a van and taken to their facility in Tagaytay City. Rehabilitation will taken six months to a year at the cost of 15k a month. At first he wouldn’t go peacefully until he saw me standing in the living room. I was just standing there in Adrian’s trench coat which I  borrowed when I was cosplaying The Shadow earlier at ToyCon 2008. I was just looking at him or rather was staring at him.Then he stopped struggling.

Well I hope something good comes out of his rehab. His wife is coming back home to look after their son. I guess I won’t be harassed in the next six months or so.

Over the years I have dubbed a few places as my home away from home. I’d probably still be going to these joints until I’m an old and cranky fart, I shit you not. Believe me, these watering holes in the walls will always have the comforts of home for me.

 

BigSkyMind – I have been going to BigSky since 2003 when a couple of friends took me there one time. A bar and art gallery, Sky is open Tuesdays to Sunday from 8PM until last call which usually is around 4:00-5:00 AM. The mood of the place usually depends on the mood of the earliest patrons but around past midnight, that’s when things get rocking. And if you are a fan of the local or art music scene, you might be lucky enough to share a drink or two with some of the great bands or artist since BigSkyMind is also their preferred after-gigs watering hole in QC. I’ve had the privilege of  sharing a few bottles of brew with Karl Roy, Jett Pangan , Kevin Roy ,Lynn Sherman, Anabel Bosch, Cooky Chua , Marc Abaya, Raimund Marasigan,Lourds De Vera, Maegan Aguilar to name a few. Hands down favorite on the menu is BigSky’s Homemade Potato Chips. BigSkyMind hosts a couple of band nights every week and an art exhibit every month. Great bands have launched their albums or bar tours in Sky like Radioactive Sago Project, Pedicab,Cambio,Sandwich,Sugarfree,Bagetsafonik,DRIP to name a few.

 

Route 196- Another great hangout in the QC area. Located along the stretch of Katipunan Road, Route is famous for its killer pizzas. One of its monthly events is Stripped where female lead vocals of several bands come together to perform several songs on a theme in acoustic.

 

Seventy Seven Café – Formerly located at Dona Hemady until they moved to Kamuning Road. Like BigSkyMind, Seventy Seven is an old house converted into a bar. Open even on Mondays, Seventy Seven always have ice cold beer that is frosting outside the bottle.
Among other things, wide spaces that gives on ample breathing space even on packed nights, plus if you check out the wall beside the bar-you’ll see a beer drinking record with some very familiar names if you are a regular.

 

Club Dredd- The name alone sends nostalgia rushing back to me. I was a semi-regular of Dredd in 1992-1993 during its final 10 months along Timog Avenue. Formerly known as Red Rocks and renamed by the owners after the comic character Judge Dredd,Club Dredd is the rock capital of Manila. Here I have seen legends perform when they are still making a name for themselves: Eraserheads, Parokya Ni Edgar, Advent Call,AfterImage,, Rivermaya (then known as Bazurak) ,Razorback, Wolfgang to name a few. One of the first clubs in QC that holds regular poetry reading, courtesy of The Dredd Poet’s Society. After leaving Timog and moving to EDSA,Cubao until 1998,Club Dredd finally stages a comeback in Eastwood City. Located above Gweilos, it is slowly regaining it’s niche in the rock scene. Great bands, familiar faces and the never ending running joke among regulars is that everything here works –the bathrooms, the sound equipment, there’s even enough seats for everybody.

 

Oarhouse –One of the last existing Bohemian watering holes in Malate. The last time I was in Oarhouse last somewhere in the late 80’s.How did I remember? We had dinner at Rosie’s Diner first before our friend took us to this hole in the wall bar where this American was doing an impromptu stand up comedy act by the bar about Andy Warhol, Aristotle Onassis and Ronald Reagan. Then it turns out the ‘Yank’ was a guy from Zambales and started doing jokes on the current government. Located along A.Mabini Street just across Malate Church, Oarhouse now is being operated by two very good friends, Reg Hernandez and Anabel Bosch. Thank goodness they kept the look and ambiance of the old place. Here the couple guarantees me three things-1.) There will always be cold Super Dry. 2.) The Belgian style French Fries are indeed to die for. 3.) You’ll always have good company at Oarhouse. I recommend the Mojito and the Classic Vesper Vodka Martini-Wilson the bartender hasn’t lost his touch.

 

Fandom Café-  Ahem.I gotta love my own place, don’t I? Established in 2007 as the headquarters of the New Worlds Alliance-The Philippines largest Science Fiction and Fantasy Fan Community, I was involved from the first days when Fandom was slowly taking shape. One year later, Fandom Café houses one of the largest sci-fi and fantasy book libraries with over 800 titles, an A/V mini theatre for private screenings of films and TV series,a menu of comfort food and guilty pleasures, high speed broadband internet with the latest online games, and of course, great coffee,tea and lattes.Located at the ground floor of Regalia Park Towers along P.Tuazon Boulevard in Cubao,Fandom Café is one place that has quirks of its own so don’t be surprised if you pass by Fandom Café and run into Captain Kirk, Darth Vader, Harry Potter, Hiro Nakamura, Captain Jack Sparrow, Legolas, Stormtroopers, Dr.Who, Prince Caspian, Tia Dalma,The Winchester Brothers or Xena The Warrior Princess.They are pretty much the regulars who drop by during Wednesdays for Trek Night or Tuesday and Fridays Gaming Night. On Saturdays its usually Graphic Novel Nights or Marvel Nights which usually a private screening followed by an interesting discussion.On Sundays catch the live webcast of Fandom Live!, Fandom Café’s weekly web show on USTREAM.

I know I haven't posted anything significant the past couple of weeks except a birthday tribute to Karen,a fan review on Iron Man and some recipes.Lately I have been to a birthday party at Club Dredd,a despedida party for a friend who's getting married in Missouri, trying to cut back on my alcohol intake,trying to get a good schedule to play airsoft,helping a couple of friends cope with depression and insomnia,helping in Fandom Cafe's two new projects, making a book donation for PGH Ward 9, playing the guitar again- callouses and all,nearly shot my frakking brother -in -law twice in less than 24 hours(seriously,why doesn't he just die so we can move on with our lives peacefully.),finding a quantum of solace in the POB section of National Book Store (Man,can't believe the stuff you'd find there-in almost new condition and cheap too.),replacing my old pirated DVDs with higher quality pirated DVDs with special features,and finally perfected a recipe for Steak Rice.

Other than that it's all quiet on the western front.How about you?What's happening?

Now after Iron Man and the Incredible Hulk movies,it's a definite.Marvel has announced its updated movie line up.Aside from the upcoming X-Men Origins:Wolverine,Deadpool and Iron Fist movies in 2009,Marvel will release Iron Man 2 in 2010 along with The Mighty Thor a few months later.Then in 2011-Captain America to be followed later in June by The Avengers!Check out the official announcement-

http://www.marvel.com/news/moviestories.3493.Marvel_Movies_Assemble%21

I'm not new to the Airsoft Gaming League.In the early 90's I was a member of Team Nemesis.Back in those days I carry Maruzen Desert Eagle .44, an AMT .45 Hardballer, a S&W M59 in a hideaway holster and a H&K G3A2 Rifle.After our unit disbanded and life got into well...life,I just gave my gear to my cousins knowing I won't be playing anymore until recently I have been invited three times by O'neal to play at Global Gutz and something always comes up.(Sorry,pal..I'll make it up to you.)Most of the gear I gave to my cousin are now just displays except for the S&W.Currently I only have an electric P90 that tends to fire 3 round bursts if I'm lucky and a Gas Glock 17.If I wanted to play seriously I would have to invest for some serious game gear but I'm just hesistant because of I don't know if I will be playing regularly or will I have the time for it.This is my wishlist or my preferred loadout:
1.) Beretta Cougar 8000-A hefty and well balanced pistol.Very accurate.
2.)Walther P99 - 007's sidearm with an integrated laser dot.
3.)Sig Sauer P226 - Standard issue for the US Navy Seals.I like the creep trigger pull.
4.)Glock 19- Another personal favorite.Perfect for hideaway concealment and rapid fire
 accuracy.
5.)Kimber 1911A1 - Old school .45 Automatic with rounded slide and Guttersnipe sights.
6.)Colt Python .357 - Nothing gives a more psychological effect than the sight of a big bore
 revolver aiming at you.

For my CQB (Close Quarters Combat) choices:

7.) FN P90 -Very effective in tight spaces.Compactibility of a submachinegun with the reach of
    an assault rifle.
8.) H&K UMP45 - I like the grip and feel of this SMG.Slow rate of fire yet very accurate.
9.) Mossberg 590A - I prefer shotguns to SMGs.With the advantage of 3 pellets per shot I can
 effectively sweep a room clear of targets than a full automatic weapon.

For full battlefield mode these are hands down my choices:
10.) H&K 416 -Imagine an assault rifle that can be fired accurately at all angles in any
      position.
11.) H&K G36C- Lightweight,sturdy,accurate even at full auto.Can take a beating as well.

For sniping I prefer Bolt Action Rifles compared to Semi Autos.My choice:

12.) Remington M700- Bolt action yet it gives the feel of a real sniper rifle.Accurate shot up to 
 200 feet.The bipod is a plus.

Another item on my wishlist is the Cornershot System.Just attach a pistol on one end and engage the enemy while concealed in a corner.

I will be choosing some gear.If my schedule allows me to play more frequently-maybe,just maybe I'll add up for more stuff.

Celebrated my 41^st birthday last Saturday , April 19 at Fandom Café. Although my actual birthday is on the 23^rd , my Chinese birthday was on the 19^th.According to The Mom-I have to celebrate on the 19^th because it was a good date, a lucky one at that. 

Now , you all know I’m not the shutterbug type so I would be linking or filching pics from those who are..(Sending heads up to Nick, Marge, Mara, Rej, Ron and whoever else was carrying). The turnout was pretty amazing- friends from the New Worlds Alliance, Fandom Café,Oarhouse and BigSkyMind buddies showed up and up until past 3AM.Serving a spread composed  Crispy Pata, Pork Barbecue , Szechuan Chicken , Ham Casserole aka The Casserole of Eternal Damnation (Mashed Potatoes with butter and olive oil whipped with Canadian Ham topped with melted Mozzarella, Monterey Jack and Parmesan cheeses and smoked bacon bits), Mozzarella wrapped in Parma Ham ,Anabel and Monique coined a theme for this party…Death By Baboy. But at least we had Dark Chocolate for dessert.

Drinks? Let’s put it this way- I left two bottles of Finlandia Cranberry Fusion Vodka, two bottles of Skyy Vanilla Vodka, a bottle of McCormick Orange Vodka , a bottle of Bacardi, a case of San Mig Light, half a case each of Cerveza Negra and Super Dry for everyone to consume and consumed they did-very happily.

So thank you for making party very memorable for yours truly.
 
To the following people:
 
Anabel and Reg-The early birds who left Oarhouse for the night and had to leave for the Ronnies gig.Yeah!Death By Baboy!

Mark-Thanks for the Cuban cigars.

Nabs-Love the San Miguel shirt.

Monique, Louie, Kess and Edsel- see you at Sky soon, guys. Thanks for coming.

Marge and Benj-thanks for dropping by. Glad you had a blast.

Nick,Carl,Igme,Beejay –Who were having a good time of their own. LOD

The Yalies,The Rosero Bros and The Fab Fabs – See, you can never have too much food. Thanks for the wine and the company.

Jovan- Thanks for the copy of 24 Hour Party People.(Ano,buo pa ba ang atay mo?)

Alec and Hec – Roll out the barrel, roll out the barrel of fun…Thanks for the keg of draft.

Pao and Gigi – Thank for letting me use the café as a Venue.

Lynn – All you needed is a great party.

Ranulf – Great wine,man.Thanks.

Dek – Finally naka attend ka ng party ko at nakakain at nakatoma pa.

Nina- for the early birthday gift –patron seats to Duran Duran-Her name is Rio and she dances on the sand…

Carlo and Gabe – Thanks for the apples,Gabe.

Patton – Thank ye,Master Turner.

 

And for those who were in spirit,in absentia,in Baton Rouge.
Hank, Katrina and Karen –Thanks for the greetings and the overseas call.

 
Here’s to 41…Cheers!

 

(P.S. Went home stone sober…?)

Here are the links to the pics.

http://rejjventress.multiply.com/photos/album/155/Jons_Birthday_Party

http://hathor2.multiply.com/photos/album/55/at_home_at_the_fandom_cafe--JONs_BIRTHDAY_BASH?r

http://forsaketh.multiply.com/photos/album/140/The_Captain_of_The_Defiants_Birthday_Fandom_Cafe#

After my 41^st birthday bash at Fandom Café with friends from the New Worlds Alliance and the BigSkyMind family (more details in my next blog),got home at 4AM after dropping off a friend home.Woke up at 9AM and was pondering the meaning of this crossroad in my mid life.Four decades and I’m still struggling in real life.

 

So as a pick me up,I decided to watch St.Elmo’s Fire-the first movie that introduced the Brat Pack. Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy (one of my fave actresses and crushes in the early 80s),Emilio Estevez, Andrew McCarthy, Robe Lowe, Mare Winningham and a very young Demi Moore.

 

The story is about a group of seven friends four months after graduating from college and were hit by the realization that all the education they got is never enough to prepare them for the reality of  life out in the world. Kirby Keger (Emilio Estevez) is a waiter at St. Elmo's Bar with hopes of becoming a lawyer and lives with his former college friend Kevin Dolenz. He has developed an obsession with a woman doctor named Dale Biberman(Andie Mcdowell) he met in college after a recent encounter with her, and is willing to do anything to impress her, including changing his career. Billy Hicks (Rob Lowe) is the frat boy of the group. Billy has a problem in keeping his jobs but has a great talent for playing the saxophone. He is also a reluctant husband and father but rarely goes home to sleep. He misses college days and feels lost in the after-college work life. Along with the problems in his marriage, he's a wild guy and a ladies' man. Kevin Dolenz (Andrew McCarthy)  is a writer with emotional issues whom hasn’t had a relationship in years and is secretly in love with Alec’s girlfiend, Leslie, for years. His writing job only allows him to write obituaries, but he's searching for the meaning of life and is working hard towards writing an article about it. He rooms with his pal Kirby. Jules Jacoby (Demi Moore) is the party girl of the group, who lives an extravagant and wild lifestyle even if it’s beyond her means. Jules used to be Leslie’s roommate and is still her best friend. She has a very fancy, highly decorated apartment and works in banking. She loves a good time, but she's also looking for the love she struggled to find growing up; her father is emotionally distant and he's had many wives. She's also feeling a lot of pressures to take care of a family financial issue (her "stepmonster" as she calls her, who was cruel to her as a child, is terminally ill) and to handle her own finances after a crisis happens in her life. Alec Newbury (Judd Nelson) is the success story of the gang. A ruthless, ambitious yuppie and young Democrat, Alec is pursuing a career in politics and desperate to marry Leslie, saying to Kevin that marriage is the only thing he needs to stop his philandering ways. Everyone's surprised when he starts working for a Republican senator. He and Leslie just moved in together and is still fixing their place up. He sees Leslie as someone who can help him get where he wants to go.Leslie Hunter (Ally Sheedy) is Alec's girlfriend who wanted to pursue a career as an architect before marrying and having children. She's a romantic, and also seems to be trying to get more of a sense of who she is before sharing her life completely with a man; possibly in order to not lose her sense of self later. She lives with Alec, but is starting to feel doubts about her relationship with him.Wendy Beamish (Mare Winningham) is a Jewish girl from a wealthy family who owns a greeting card empire. The innocent in the group, Wendy’s also a painfully shy virgin who devotes her life to helping others through her job in Social Services. Wendy is trying to break away from her family's overprotectiveness, move out on her own, and assert her independence, particularly from her father, who is pressuring her to marry the man of his choice. She, however, is in love with Billy Hicks, whom she knows her father will never consider suitable for her.

 

Here we see seven young people finding out the hard way that life is not the colorful picture perfect world as we believed it to be. Life is all about the harsh realities, how it hits you in the gut yet you got to roll with the punches.After the film, I felt nostalgic and it gave me back the focus on what life stands for. Survive the day, seize the moment then sit down and appreciate on what we have accomplished now. Life is a journey of hardships and pain. It is also the living album the will always remind us of our joys,happiness and all the great things we came across in this journey. It’s not about how hard we get knocked down , it’s all about how we take the hits and keep moving forward.

 

“Growing up, you don't see the writing on the wall

Passing by, moving straight ahead, you knew it all

But maybe sometime if you feel the pain

You'll find you're all alone, everything has changed

Play the game, you know you can't quit until it's won

Soldier on, only you can do what must be done

You know in some way you're a lot like me

You're just a prisoner and you're tryin' to break free

I can see a new horizon underneath the blazing sky

I'll be where the eagle's flying higher and higher

Gonna be your man in motion, all I need is a pair of wheels

Take me where my future's lyin', St. Elmo's Fire “

-St.Elmo’s Fire ( Man in Motion) by John Parr

 

I am not going to post a long litany of memories of Ricky.But I am going to need your help.Describe one word-may it be a verb,an object ,an adjective,a character or a limerick-that would make Ricky be the first person that pops in your mind.When you post,tag one person only as well.Believe me,when this snowballs-it will be like those Brit comedies that Ricky loved so much.

I'll start :

Jon- VAT 69 Whiskey

tagging Rej

Finally the long wait is over.Stephen King's magnum opus of fantasy/science fiction/western series,The Dark Tower has been greenlit for production with J.J. Abrams as director.Abrams,a huge King fan who has studded many references to the Tower series into his TV show, Lost – is reportedly in talks to do what many thought impossible, and turn the apparently unfilmable seven-book series into a movie. Or series of movies. King,who spoke in last year's New York Comic-Con.says “I know J.J. Abrams’ work and Damon Lindelof, who is his collaborator on Lost. Damon is just a total comic-book freak, and he loves the Dark Tower books. I trust those guys, and they have a lot on the ball. When they said they wanted to talk about doing this, I said, ‘You know what? Why don’t you buy the option on this and see what you can come up with.’ They asked, ‘How much do you want for an option?’ I said, ‘$19.’ (A key amount that comes up frequently in the books) And that’s what they paid me, and that’s where it is.”

King has declined earlier offers of making his popular series into a movie.

“This is my life’s work, since the time I was 22 years old. It’s very important to me. Usually, with the other [books], I don’t give much of a shit. My attitude is, ‘Go make a movie, and if it’s good, that’s terrific, and if it’s bad, then it will go to the video stores and back shelves of Blockbuster, and I still get royalties on the book."King also revealed that he turned down an offer from longtime collaborator Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile,The Mist.)

The Dark Tower is the story of a man from an alternate universe named Roland Deschain.The last living member of an order of gunslingers, but more like knights. He’s on a quest to find something called “The Dark Tower”, and his journey takes him through his world, described as a place that has “moved on”, and into a world very similar to our own.

The seven books are

Book One:The Gunslinger -Roland Deschain,The Last Gunslinger,embarks on a quest for The Dark Tower, a fabled building said to either be, or be located at, the nexus of all universes.Essentially a dark and existential fantasy Western.

Book Two: The Drawing Of The Three - A fast-moving action piece in which Roland picks up his travelling companions, while losing something very dear to him.

Book Three:The Waste Lands-The three gunslingers follow the Path of the Beam inland to Mid-World.

Book Four: Wizard And Glass-In a setting inspired by JRR Tolkien,the gunslingers find themselves in an alternate version of Kansas City and meet the Crimson King for the first time.

Book Five:Wolves Of The Calla -Roland's ka-tet travel to the farming village of Calla Bryn Sturgis where they meet the townsfolk,who requests the ka-tet's assistance in battling against the Wolves of Thunderclap.Book five major ifluences includes Yojimbo,The Seven Samurai,The Magnificent Seven and A Fistful of Dollars with a post-modern twist.

Book Six:Song Of Susannah- The ka-tet employs the help of the Manni to open the magic door inside Doorway Cave. They are split up in different 'wheres' and 'whens' in order to accomplish several essential goals pertaining to their quest towards the mysterious Dark Tower.a mind-twisting thriller spanning several time periods in New York City and East Stoneham, Maine.

Book Seven: The Dark Tower -Roland and the ka-tet, must stop a group of psychics known as Breakers who continue to use their telepathic abilities to break away at the beams that support the Tower.

Since then the series spawned a series of graphic novels, a prequel called Dark Tower : The Gunslinger Born published by Marvel Comics.

Buying myself a birthday or Christmas gift is something I don’t often practice. Once in a while I would but I rather have a night of good fun with friends than expect material items. Some of the memorable gifts I got from my wife and family over the years were a 25” Flat Screen TV, a desknote laptop, a 2GB Nano, a bullbar and bumper set with fog lamps for my old Suzuki Vitara, Doc Marten boots, acoustic guitars, Heavy steel band wristwatches from either Guess, Fossil or Swatch. Friends on the other hand knew I’m such a shallow guy to please so I usually get bottles of booze, vintage style rock shirts or old school T-shirts, a collectible toy, a good book, homemade rum raisin ice cream (Annie!)…and the list goes on.

 

For myself I have bought an electric guitar for my 38^th birthday, a Norton motorcycle riding jacket for my 34^th, a Casio Tri-Sensor G-Shock watch for my 29^th and a Marui Die Cast blowback replica of James Bond’s Walther PPK for my 24^th.That’s about it.

This year I’m turning 41. I had no plans in spending on any gifts except celebrating it with friends at Fandom Café .Until I saw this and I told myself its about fuckin'time. This will set me back around PHP 9K. But it will be a 9K that's very well spent.

 

 Were you expecting something else?

 

 

 

 

The Invincible Iron Man was the creation of Marvel Comics legends Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. With the help of story artists Don Heck and Larry Lieber in 1963, Iron Man became one of Marvel Comics premier comic titles and characters.

 ORIGINS

Iron Man is the alter ego of billionaire industrialist-inventor and playboy, Anthony Edward Stark. As a child prodigy,Tony’s abilities as a genius and inventor was evident at a very young age and was oftentimes accelerated in school. After college Tony took over the R&D Division of his father’s company, munitions manufacturer Stark Industries .He began to design a line of non-lethal weaponry much to the disappointment of his father, Howard Stark. Stark often resents his son’s innocent and naïve outlook in life compared to his ruthless and cutthroat business ethics. After his parents were killed in an automobile accident, Tony Stark took over as CEO of  Stark Industries and begins to hard sell the military with his ‘safe and smart’ arsenal, to the extent of going to the war zones just to prove that his inventions can make a change. While in South East Asia, Stark’s convoy was ambushed by “revolutionary freedom fighters” with Stark’s own vehicle running over an anti-armor landmine.

 
Tony Stark regains consciousness in the base camp of the warlord, Wong Chu with a shrapnel buried deeply in his chest. Wong Chu promised Stark that his injuries will only be treated when Tony builds him a Weapon of Mass Destruction. Stark knew Wong Chu is lying and he has only very little time left, but he agrees anyway so he can access the camp’s workshop and put a radical idea he’s had since college into gear. Half way through his work, Wong Chu threw in another of his hostages to help Stark built the weapon faster, renowned Chinese nano-physicist Professor Yin Sen. Tony then revealed to Dr. Sen his real invention-a solar charged,transistor powered,armored exo-suit.

 

THE GRAY IRON MAN

Stark had this dream for the modern infantry man- clad in an armored battlesuit that can survive in any hostile environment, flight capable and equipped with a wide variety of non-lethal smart weapons.The only difference with this particular armor was the chest plate.The chest plate also serves as an amplified pacemaker to keep his damaged heart functioning when the shrapnel reaches the critical part.It took Tony every ounce of life left in him to finish a six foot eight inch, eight hundred pound, iron plated refrigerator walking on two legs. Professor Yin Sen assisted Tony donning the armor for the first time and slowly charge its power cells. But when an impatient Wong Chu attempted to break into the lab, Professor Yen Sin pretends to escape and lured the guards away from the workshop. This sacrifice costs Yin Sen his life, thus enabling Stark to completely charge the armor to full power and escape. Stark then later returned to avenge Professor Yen Sin’s death and defeat Wong Chu. Thus Iron Man was born.

HIS ALLIES.HIS FOES.HIS DOWNFALL.HIS TRIUMPH

 
After defeating the tyrant Wong Chu, Iron Man finds himself trekking through the Southeast Asian jungle trying to get back to friendly territory. He stumbles upon a downed Marine Sea Stallion helicopter and its lone survivor, Marine Lieutenant James Ruppert ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes. Shot down, pinned by enemy fire, wounded and seriously pissed off ,Rhodey empties a clip into Stark before soon to be "Golden Avenger" disarms him and identified himself as an American.Using the chopper’s batteries to recharge his own power source,Iron Man and Rhodes repels the enemy attack after enemy attack and together they finally made their way back to Rhodey’s unit. Here Stark offers Rhodes a job with Stark International after his tour of duty ends.

Back home, Stark refines and improves the Iron Man armor until finally he settled with the familiar streamlined red and gold suit of today. He still needs to wear the chest piece all the time to keep his damaged heart functioning. Iron Man’s adventures eventually led to the assembly of what will be known as Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, The Avengers. Among his most trusted allies were Captain America, The Mighty Thor, Giant Man, Hawkeye, Quicksilver,The Black Panther,The Scarlet Witch, Black Widow, The Vision, Wonder Man, and The Incredible Hulk among others. He also maintained good relations with other superheroes like Spider-Man, Daredevil, The Fantastic Four and The X-Men. Eventually when the threat to national security became a major concern,Tony Stark was instrumental with the creation of Supreme Headquarters for Intelligence, Espionage and Law Enforcement Directorate or SHIELD ,recommending and installing Colonel Nick Fury as its Director of Operations.

As Iron Man gained allies, the same went with his foes. His rogue’s gallery includes
The Spymaster, The Unicorn, The Melter, Backlash, Blizzard, The Living Laser,Stilt-Man,The Beetle,The Controller, Titanium Man, The Crimson Dynamo,Firepower, M.O.D.O.K., Madame Masque and the Maggia Organization, the giant alien cyborg, Ultimo but his deadliest nemesis that Shell Head always considered the toughest was The Mandarin. His powers come from ten mystically powered alien rings that can control and manipulate the elements even at the molecular level, Iron Man acknowledges and respects the kind of power the Mandarin wields which between them was always a battle between science and magic.

Like any other man,Tony Stark is susceptible to the stress on living a dual identity,one too many government investigations and senate hearings, his turbulent love life and staving off the numerous attempts by rival corporations and even the U.S.Government,from taking over Stark International.This also forced Stark to seek refuge from the bottle. At first he was in total denial of his alcoholism but after getting help from friends especially Jim Rhodes, Bethany Cabe and Captain America, Tony seemed to be on the road to recovery until his fortune was frozen and manipulated by Obadiah Stane.

Stane took away Stark International and drove Tony deeper into severe alcoholic depression.Leaving Jim Rhodes to continue in his stead as Iron Man, Tony lived the life of a homeless ,drunken bum until Captain America found him and set him straight. Tony joins a couple of friends to establish Circuits Maximus, a technological think tank and solutions company. Eventually Stark got over his alcoholism and creates a new Iron Man Armor. After the death of one of his partners by Obadiah Stane’s hand, Stark brings the fight to Stane’s doorstep. Stane,now aware of Tony’s dual identity, discovers some of Tony’s Iron Man blueprints and builds an armor for himself, The Iron Monger -a dreadnaught of an armor. Fortunately, his lack of experience in controlling, manipulating and fighting with such a high tech battle armor swung the tide of the battle in Iron Man’s favor. Obadiah Stane kills himself with a replusor blast to the head rather than to face prosecution.

After exposing  Stane’s illegal activities and the connections he had in his pocket that led up to the upper echelons of the U.S. government, most of them were involved with the ‘witchhunt’ on Tony Stark, Stark and Stane’s fortune and assets were released to him and Stark International is once again his company. Tired of the events his life went through over the past months, Tony Stark moves to California and reinvents his company, now known as Stark Enterprises.

 TONY STARK : THE MAN BEHIND THE IRON ARMOR

Tony Stark is a billionaire genius whose patents for his inventions alone is a fortune by itself. Stark is also a perennial ladies man and an alcoholic. His alcoholism could be traced back to his father, a mean drunk who would force young Tony to drink down hard liquor. Tony would do this as a way to win his father’s affection and approval, which in the end he never got. Like his Iron Man Armor, Stark went through a lot of phases and changes. From billionaire to homeless drunk. From friend to foe. From living to dead. Tony Stark’s strength and perennial weakness was his conscience and ethics. Whenever the use of one of his inventions was corrupted, regardless how minor Stark would always take full responsibility for acts that he believed he could have somehow prevented .This would drive Stark to try set things right regardless the costs or the ways which he would justify with the means. His actions usually would place him in conflict with his friends, the government mainly, Colonel Nick Fury of SHIELD and occasionally his fellow superheroes, The Avengers. In the end, Tony would mend broken fences with apologies, bribes, blackmail and even threats – the way his father ruled the munitions industry when he was still alive. In the events of Civil War which Stark is head of the pro- The Superhuman Registration Act forces, Tony Stark remained a member of the Illuminati and was given the position as the new Director of SHIELD. Following the aftermath of Civil War, Stark begins to question his own ethics and was the hardest one to suffer from the death of Steve Rogers-Captain America.

 

 

Got tagged by Shey

Seven things that scare you:

Sickness in the family.Especially terminal ones.
When my son used to have these epileptic seizures.
Leaving the people I care about when I die.
Reptiles and sharks, especially being attacked by one.
Maimed,crippled or left to be a vegetable for life.
Any deep body of water.
The unknown.

Seven things you like the most:

My kids.
Skittles Original.
James Bond.
Lots of fantastically good sex.
Cooking for friends and family.
Dark Chocolate.
Guitars.

Seven important things in your room:

Home Theater System - I'm very O.C. when it comes to being a couch potato.
Desktop/Laptop - I almost never shut them off at home.
Our bed - King sized.Lie you back on it for a 15 minute nap will turn it into a full 8 hours of
              sleep.The kids liked to sleep between us lots of the times.
DVD collection - I am a couch potato,savvy?
My books - I keep a few around before I pass them on to Fandom's Library.
Weapons - A pistol here and there, a machine pistol here,a few knives there.For self
                defense use in case of home invasion only.
Guitars - Sometimes I pluck,strum and hammer non-stop for hours.

Seven random facts about you:

- I'm only 75% Chinese,25% is Cebuano yet I am only fluent in Fookien,lousy in speaking
  and reading Mandarin.
- Got lost in Germany and ended up in France.
- I wished I was born Pinoy and not Chinese.I hated the prejudice that Chinoys have against
  Pinoys and still teach them to their kids till this day.
- I'm still in love with very good friend and we both agreed it was never our time.We also 
  promised not to cross the line.
- I once quit smoking for a year.I can still go on without nicotine if I choose so.
- I used to have my own recipe website,one of the few personal sites in the early days of the
  Internet.My former ISP removed it for "Inappropriate commercial content."-What ever the hell
  that means.
- I never liked bowling or billiards because I sucked at both.

Seven things you can’t do:

-Swim.That's why I hate beach outings.
-Iron my clothes.I can cook,sew,do the laundry,clean the house except iron.I actually
 burned my D&G dress shirt.
-Shred or play riffs and solos on the guitar.I'm strictly a chord based player.And I can't do the 
 B chord and any chord that requires a Major or a Minor Sharp Seven.
-Fluently speak in other foreign language aside from English,Fookien and Tagalog.
-Fix a car engine.
-Ignore a damsel in distress.
-Go vegetarian.

 Seven things you can do:

-Cook.Anything from meats,soups,sauces,desserts,cold sandwiches or cocktails.
-Fix anything in the bathroom or the kitchen.
-Shoot half inch groupings in the ten ring on the pistol range at fifteen yards.
-Identify every weapon made from 1875 to present.That includes aircraft,naval craft,armored
 fighting vehicles and small arms,both NATO and Warsaw Pact.
-Make a gourmet meal out of canned food and leftovers.
-Handle a knife.In the kitchen and out of it.
-Read a book and finish it in under two hours.I read both Rainbow Six and The Bear and The
 Dragon in a little over three hours.

Seven things you plan to do before you die:

-Fly a jet.
-Finish writing my book.
-See to it that my son lives a happy and normal life.
-See the Scottish Highlands.
-Restore a classic muscle car.
-Retire with a considerable portfolio and not worry about debt.Ever.
-Open a multi-story branch of Fandom Cafe,similar to Fully Booked High Street. A home for
 fans,bookworms,gamers and geeks.

Seven things that attract you to the opposite sex:

-Breasts.Can't deny the fact that a beautiful pair with the perfect cleavage demands attention.
-Brains. She's doesn't necessarily have to be a member of MENSA , but someone who l
 can at least have an decent conversation.
-Passionate about something they truly believe in and stand firm.
-A strong personality.Someone who could actually keep up with mine.
-Stamina.I am insatiable under the sheets.
-Knows and remembers exactly what I like,what I want,what I love and surprises me with it.
-Hygeine,she may dress like a punk rocker but still look and smell like she just stepped out
 of the shower.

Seven things that repulse you in the opposite sex:

-Insecurity.
-Misplaced jealousy.
-Too dependent.
-Swings to peer pressure or other people's opinion.
-Emotionally unstable.
-Spoiled brat.
-Wanting too much attention.

Seven things you say the most:

-You gotta be kidding me.
-Aww,crap.
-Jesus.
-Son of a bitch!
-Piao Weh. (Bitch in Fookien)
-Tang Ina.
-Seriuosly.

Seven celebrity crushes:

Angelina Jolie
Keira Knightley
Eva Mendez
Olga Kurylenko
Zhang Zi-Yi
Mira Sorvino
Cass Ponti

Tagging: Karen,Hank,Monique,Penny,Nina,Paul and Anabel