Ate China...Ano Ba Talaga?

Nakakalito ang mga Chinese na yan. They imposed a fishing ban on Scarborough Shoal yet they sent almost a hundred ships, carting away giant clams and corals as fast as they can. They are systematically ravaging the ecosystem of the area...and for what? Wala pa akong alam na Chinese herbal or traditional medicine na pampatigas o pampatagal sa kama na gawa sa coral (Most of their traditional medicine are always 'to keep the Yang up'...kahit yung kinuha mo e pampaluwag ng hininga o panglaban sa asthma, laging me side effect na titigas etits mo for 35 days or kahit 80 times ka nang labasan e uhaw ka pa sa sex).

Well, seriously, China has been advocating one thing and doing the other at the same time. They asked the Philippines to stand down, but they in turn sent ships upon ships in the area. They even had the gall to hold naval drills on the area as they asked other nations to stand down. And they keep pointing out that they've always been doing these naval excercises. So bakit wala sa balita ng international press yung drills nila for the past years? Kahit anong nation sa buong mundo e kapag gumawa ng naval excercises, news agad yon kahit sa tabloids.

This only presents one thing, walang isang salita ang Chinese government.

They bully others into doing what they order the world to do under the guise of national or diplomatic policy, but the actions they take are very opposite on what they preach. Hypocites? Or just plain greedy liars? They are like the doped up addict friend that you have, that you always end up believing their promises in a hope that they chang their ways and actually are telling the truth. Well guess what, China has always been playing on the sentiments  of everybody. They are playing the world for a fool.

Now they are saying that the naval excercises are just a drill and not a practice into invading another country (a South East Asian country with the area they are doing it in). Maniniwala pa ba kayo?

Maligayang Pasko

Anu-ano ang naranasan nyo ngayung Pasko?

Maliban sa mga nasalanta ng bagyo, mga namatayan sa Mindanao...naging maligaya ba?

Sa pagdami ng kaso ng holdapan.

Mga nabiktima ng snatcher at mang gagantsyo

Sa mga ninakwan at nawalan ng mga pinaghirapan para maging masaya ang pasko ng mga kriminal.

Sa mga na-ambush ang mga payroll at bonuses.

Sa isang matandang banyaga sa Ayala na naisnatch ang wallet o bag sa tanghaling tapat habang nasa gitna ng maraming pulis at traffic enforcer.

Sa mga ganitong kaganapan. Dapat bang magkaroon ng Pasko sa Pilipinas?

Makati...isang malaking Banyo...

Bad trip talaga yesterday...

Nagmamadali na nga ako maka uwi, with a birthday cake in tow for my son. Pero di ako makapagmadali kasi ang mga sidewalk sa Ayala Ave. are totally covered in tiles. E nag uuulan pa. Apat na beses ako nadulas... And now my left foot is blackened (sabi ng officemate ko nagka sugat sa loob..and that is blood inside) and hindi ko mai bend ang paa ko. There were a lot of people with me who were walking at a snail's pace because the entire Ayala Ave. sidewalk is a 'dulasan festival' of sorts. Hirap na nga akong maglakad before pa sa harap ng Enterprise kapag umuulan kasi madulas, naisipan ng Makati na pahirapan ako lalo by putting tiles on the whole Ayala Ave.

Akala ko kasi nakarecover na ang mga pinoy sa 80's phenomenon na 'basta naka tiles, sosy!!!' (with kasamang hiyaw ng "ahaaaay" sa dulo) nung nagaaral pa ako sa kolehiyo. Kaya nga mostly ginagamit ng designers e road bricks or other materials with a high friction rate even when wet.

Kaaaso meron n naman palang hang over ng 80's phenow movement. Kaya kailangan kong bumili ng sapatos na mas makapit dahil sa ginawa sa Ayala. Pero, dahil wala pang bonus, sa may Dela Rosa na lang muna ako dumadaan.

(Ay, naku...nasabi ko pa...baka Dela Rosa naman ang tadtarin nila ng mga tiles...oo yung mga mariwasa na pambanyo...para kahit maaraw, basag ang bungo ng mga naglalakad...put@#%in@)

Fun with Canon Photo Tools

I heard about Canon's Photo Stitch program from fellow photography enthusiast and blogger Ryan. As he said that it made developing panoramic scenes easy, I decided to give it a shot (seeing that my kit, like all Canon cameras, are included with such programs)

I must say, it was easy as dragging the photos, arranging them in order and press 'merge', and let Photo Stitch work its magic.

I was so happy with the resulting panoramic photo that I tried it with my other old photos which I took with my Kodak C813. What took me hours of tedious manual alterations in Photoshop to merge into a panoramic photo, took Photo Stitch a mere seconds (depending on your computer's memory and graphics adapter).

Seeing that there are other tools in the kit, I also tried them out.

In my past photos, I used the image alteration tools of Irfanview. A bit archaic or primitive, but it gets the job done. After using Canon's Digital Photo Professional and Picture Style Editor...I was amazed on how it handled hues, saturations and contrasts. It was the same approach with Irfanview, but Canon's DPP and PSE offers more clarity and less interferance in sharpness conversions.

(previous photos taken from the PAF Aerospace Museum)

I must say, with all the cameras and tools I have acquired in the past...I am happier now with the combined results provided by Canon.

Radio shall never die...

With the closing of the most prominent rock station in the Philippines, NU107 (107.5 on the FM dial) , which carried the torch of promoting new and cutting edge rock music for the last 23 years, a lot of messages and topics flared the message boards and social network sites, but there was this message that hit me, flared me up if you will. It said that we are at an era where radio is reduced to a community of DJs sharing and listening to each other, in this age of digital music players and music on demand sites and streamers.

I say nay...

Not a lot of people has access to these kinds of music distribution. The upper and middle upper elite who are in the know or who has access to these sort of things cannot discount the masses and their preference. Radio has been a media which has been around for almost 2 centuries and has been overcoming boarders. And new songs that you load to these digital music players has to get introduced first in those stations. The internet has done a good job of introducing new acts but the delivery to the masses still depends on radio airplay.

Everytime you ride a public transport, enter a local eatery, a small scale shop...its is the humble radio who provides ambient music, entertainment and information to the masses. Only those shops with pirated MP3s and audio CDs are blaring out those digital music format from their worn out, over pumped speakers. Blasting R&B or Techno music on a 30 watt speaker with no subwoofer at full volume? ...please... There should be a city ordinance to wipe off that kind of noise pollution that puts even the loudest horn on an EDSA bus to shame.

And with cheaper and cheaper portable MP3 flooding in from China, the lowly transistor reciever is still the most accessible tool with the less fuzz and less requirement to work.

Now I'm not bashing on new formats of electronic music distribution. I welcome it. My band does the same. But we never undermine the far reaching arm of radio. We still think its an integral part of the music reaching a wider audience. Of spreading the message to a wider spectrum that you shall ever know.

(screen capture by JP Reyes)

The Problem With Enforcement

After being a victim of 'huli-dap' for 2 times now, it makes me wonder about the 'public over the police and the military' clause of the 1987 Constitution.

To make it plain and simple...they have the guns...which are more powerful than words...or swords for that matter. Guns that, this is the ticker here, has been paid for by my taxes and authorized by the branch of the government which swore to protect me. I see everyday the real 'cops on the street' with their authority backed by the national government and their gun, which in turn gives them full power over the people. No where to turn to because they all start to look the same, even innocent, good-looking, well-kept cops can surprise you. If you mistakenly report to a cop who, by any chance, is on the take...you are good as dead.

And don't around preaching with those pro-gun or anti-gun sentiments. Its a matter of choosing between the fork in the road...as one leads to good, there is also a lot which sways to evil. Its human nature which we can't do anything about.

There is no real enforcement of the clause in the Constitution. Because when the authorities start to move, you are already dead....salvaged...rubbed out...what ever you want to call it. Public opinion only sways the police to act on reports of abuse only when the act is already done, and the damage is done. There is no real measures to prevent it. And don't go whining around that its hard...or its impossible...or its too troublesome. Hey, so is earning a days keep which 40 t0 45% goes to them.

For Filipinos, its all about power...and power is not such a good thing...they are not used to it. When they grab a hold of it, they never want to let go. Like the phrase I heard once "Power is like the microphone in a karaoke, once you grab hold...you will never let go".

And trust is a commodity that should be sparsely used.

HedgeZero at Headstock Bar

(I accidentally posted this at a different blog...so I re-posted)

A few days ago,we were invited by Sir Ferdie to play at a place called Headstock Bar. He used to get us for Club Dread before, but I heard he moved on to manage band events for this particular place.

Although its the first time I came to know about this place, I heard they've been around for quite some time.

What I like about this bar is the spaciousness. The stage is spacious. The band can really move around, with enough space for a 7-piece band. The round shaped stage is so placed that the intersection of Araneta Ave. and Quezon Ave. is set as the background. Aside for the billiard table the entrance, there are two spaces for the patrons. There's the main hall, in front of the stage, and a balcony facing the road. Its the same area setup as Mag:net at Global City, but Headstock has greater accessibility to these areas since there are sliding glass partitions to the balcony...which can also convert the setting to an open air event.

I love their sound equipment...amps, monitors and all. Its here that I was able to recreate the bass sound that I really wanted without buying an active bass. Mad props also to Sir Ferdie's mixing. The stage lighting would need a little work though. I was blinded by the LED spotlight the whole gig.

With reasonably priced beer and pica picas, I like hanging around that place even after our slot, its a shame we arrived late because of our work. The first band was nice enough to stay around for our set.

If you get the change to drop by, you got to try the Mojos. Its thinly sliced with a nice salty breading and a hint of spiciness (I ended up buying 2 plates which I consumed by myself). It goes well with the beer that they serve ice cold.

I hope to go there again sometime.

Japanimation: Store for 2nd hand Goods from Japan

I heard through a friend that there's this magical place where there are second hand books, manga, magazines and toys from Japan being sold on the cheap, in fact, he got his picture books of some idols for a measy price of Php100 each. My friend said this place is called Japanimation, a second hand goods store in Quezon City.

I searched the web and found the one and only viable link through a blog. The place is beside the Sto.Kristo Chapel at Road 20, past Congressional road, in Quezon City. It was described as a warehouse with the goods bundled together in boxes or shelves according to their type. Like in other warehouse outlets, its up to you to look for the goods you need. They are not arranged in any order except for their type. So you have to spend some time shifting through the boxes and shelves while looking for that special item that strikes your fancy. And thanks to that post, we were able to prepare the things we need after looking through dusty containers.

The place is reminiscent of various recycle shops that sprouted around Tokyo during the slow decline in the economy. As various electronics are discarded for the new ones, the old ones are collected, or sold, to these recycle shops, a bit reconditioned, and sold at a lower price...much lower. Let's put it this way, I was able to purchase a portable CD player for Php200, MD player for Php100 and Japan release CDs of various Japanese and US artists for Php50.

(racks of J-pop CD's...one day is not enough to sift through all of them)

There are a lot of shoes and clothes on the store front. Just behind them are shelves of second hand audio and video electronics as well as those LD's from the early 90's ( so all you equipment freaks out there who still have their LD players, this is one of the few places where you can get good titles). There are also game console controllers and some old hand held games. The inner warehouse contains the old and recent vinyl records (a nice collection at that), along with music instruments (I saw a Japanese koto there too) and some of the more larger electrical equipment. most of the toys you see sold at conventions are located on the store front connected to the inner warehouse. It has shelves and shelves of figurines, toys, costumes and more.

My son was excited about the boxes of up-to-scale replicas of automatic firearms and hand guns. These air-soft pellet guns are so realistic, up to the magazine release, the cocking mechanisms, and you can put the small plastic bullet replicas on the revolvers. Those were soooo neat. The AR-15 and M4 Carbine replicas goes for Php1800 and Php1300 respectively. Don't think about using them on playing in air-soft courses since they are single pump action type...not those automatic types.

I, on the other hand, was excited with shelves upon shelves of J-pop cds and magazines. I think one day is not enough to look though all the stuff they have in there. Remember that all of these are not arranged in any particular order, so its hard to find what you want specifically. You have to dig though bins and bins of CDs and books.

(volumes of "EVA Slot" are available...)

Looking though their printed material, they have a large collection of Japanese style and culture publications, notably the 'kogaryu' and 'sentaa guy' magazines...along with a few music and car magazines, concert picture books, movie production notes and manuals. For the fans of the Evangelion series, I saw a lot of EVA SLOT mags. Sorry for the legion of Gundam followers, but I got all the GUNDAM DATA FILE mags I could find. If you're looking for some R18 or hentai comics, there are a few. I myself got a fan comic for Gunslinger Girl...featuring Claes.

(just a few of the items I was able to get)

But amidst all the excitement, there is one thing that I was disappointed in. I was told that the items sold here are sold at really low prices, specially the toys and the figurines. But it seems that the owners have wised up and raised the prices...a lot...that they are now at par with shops in malls. I even got to talk with some of the patrons who frequented this place for a long time. Even they noticed the sudden rise in the prices of the figurines. From Php15, it was raised to Php50 each. And the polaroid camera the blogger was talking about which was bought for Php150 is not at least Php250. The main selling point lEft, for me, is that you get Japan quality goods, rather than the 'Divisoria' items sold at a much higher price. And it holds a lot of unique Japan items.

I'm not as excited as before but I still plan to return next month in anticipation for their next batch of goods.

The PAF Aerospace Museum

Along the stretch of road leading to the NAIA domestic terminal, at the entrance to Villamor airbase, lies a modern glass and concrete structure housing the PAF's Aerospace Museum. Its collection includes various uniforms of the PAF, model planes, cut sections of actual plane parts, guns, an interactive flight simulator and a vast collection of memorabilia. Aside from the indoor exhibits, there's also the outdoor 'Aircraft Park' that shows off the various aircrafts used the Airforce in the past. All of these for a small entrance fee of P20 (USD 0.44).

Dioramas and photo galleries on the 2nd floor showcases the history of flight in the Philippines under the American Commonwealth period, the inception of the airforce into the armed service, and its 'trial by fire' as the country was pulled into the Pacific theater of the second World War.

You can't help but feel pride as you move along the halls with stories of our brave and valiant pilots who, against all odds, was able to step up and defend the motherland against a larger, more experienced, and better equipped invading fleet. Especially with the story of Lt.Jesus Villamor who, along with a handful of defending pilots of that day, was able to fend off the Japanese fighters and bombers who came straight from their attack on Pearl Harbor.

The Aircraft park was a joy to go to. You can go and ride the cockpit of some of the planes and helicopters in the exhibit. My son and I fooled around with the anti-aircraft gun at the center. We had a lot of fun there. Good thing the weather was overcast that day.

I must say, this has been an eye opener for me and my visit there has changed my view about the state of the Philippine Airforce. All I heard from the past is that they only used WWII planes like the Mitsubishi Zero and the American P51. A kids, we even joked that a bombing mission entails dropping grenades or warheads to their targets...like in those old WWI films.

As I grew up, I did heard about the conversion and wide use of the Broncos but I never heard that the PAF used jet engine fighters like the F5A and the Sabre. As old as they may be, I am still awestruck when I see those old "Jet Age" airplanes.

Along with their wide range of WWII memorabilia, are the survival gear and weapons of Lt. Onoda. The Japanese soldier who stayed behind and was instructed to 'never surrender nor commit suicide'. He was instructed to surrender in 1975...30 years after the end of WWII.

Along with the various jet engine parts in the 1st floor are the different experimental weapons platform undertaken by the Armed Forces. Its also noted that these experiments, conducted to make our Armed Forces self sufficient, was scrapped due to political matters.

All in all, our trip to the PAF Aerospace Museum was well worth it. Its sure to bring out the inner child as you play along with the youngins.

The Roving Space Shell and The Mind Museum

In the middle of Market Market's activity center in Fort Bonifacio, there is a small pneumatic shell structure that serves as a mobile planetarium.

They hold shows starting at 1 pm from May 29 to June 5, 2010. 

This is to support and introduce the proposed Mind Museum to built in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig.  The Mind Museum is a world class, ultra modern science museum and exhibition center with a sleek design and a lot of exhibit nodes in store.

Personally, I can't wait for this project turn into reality. At long last, we will have a science center that would not only focus on the conservativeaspect but also on the wider range it has to offer.

Check out their website

Free Comic Book Day at Fully Booked

In one of my trips to High Street, I saw that there was a 'Free Comic Book Day' to be held in Fully Booked branches. I thought  'Wow, just like the one I've seen in pictures from a friend in San Diego?". I cleared my schedule and waited in anticipation.

Sadly, the event held in Fully Booked in High Street last May 22 fell short on my expectations. Every person in attendance is allowed only one comic from the selection. I thought it was like in the pictures from my friend where there are booths with the publishers and artists, and you get to grab one from each booth. I only got to get more stuff because I brought my wife along...who has no intrest in these kind of things.

Also the comics are made specifically for the Free Comic Book Day...not the ones in circulation. So the stories are more like one-offs, previews and special issue stuff.

While in line for my turn at the entrance...I did get to see and hear from intresting people there. Specially those caucasians behind us.

Anyway, I saw in the net that this was actually launched to help battle illiteracy. 

This is an annual event in the U.S. I wonder how it is for our 'Free Comic Book Day' here in the Phillipines. I think we can only wait next year.

Occultation of Venus (May 16, 2010)

Last night (May 16,2010), I was walking along Kalayaan Ave in Makati, when I started to notice people staring at one direction in the sky...pointing in unison and taking pictures. Gasping...acting wierd and panicky. . I looked up and saw nothing out of the ordinary.

Then I heard a person mumbling something about the moon, and there I see it. The crescent moon lying on its back with a very bright star shining on top of it. Like the symbol normally associated with Islam..or the emblem on the national flag of Pakistan. It was ominous in a way that its seemed like a warning sign from the heavens.

Later I found out that it was a rare event called an occultation, where a heavenly body is hidden behind another which is in direct view of the Earth...like an eclipse of sorts. The star happens to be the planet Venus in close proximity to our planet.

It was a beautiful sight...tooo bad my camera can't catch that kind of scene.

(check out the Astronomical League of the Philippines website for info)

Party with the Penguin: Tagging Along with Penguin 627

I was able to party twice this week thanks to Penguin 627.

the G.A.S. Day gig at Mag:Net High Street

For those who don't know, Penguin 627 is one of the up-and-coming bands that are fast gathering rock and punk fans everywhere. They have graced the music program 'Banda Rito' in Studio 23, featured in UR105.9 and, only recently, bagged a 'Stand Out Track of the Week' from NU107. They describe their music as 'pop punk influenced rock'...well, i think that's what 'power pop' is.

EP Launch at Saguijo

If you want to go to a party where you can just let it all hang out and have fun, I recommend you attend one of their gigs. Kat's bubbly and fun personality mixed with the rock attitude persona she brings onstage along with her bass lines and rock vox skills is a delight to watch.

Nong and Paulo are like the Ying-Yang of the group; one is playful and energetic, the other is almost stoic but intense. Their combination brings balance as their playing styles augment each other.

And Marco, his skills on the skins are a match to Blink's Travis...or even more cause he does all that twirly twirly exhibition thingy on the sticks while maintaining his intensity and tempo.

I saw them before at 6UG so I knew what to expect. But he people I went with, at the G.A.S. day at Mag:Net High Street and on their EP launch last night at Saguijo were blown away by their performance. And as for me, they performed better in every gig.

In the end, its all about having fun. And as I look at the crowd, they do deliver.

Well, enough about the band...let's talk about the music.

In their EP launch, Penguin performed the songs included in their EP and then some. Their stand out track of the week "Make Me Come Back"  and "Saturday" is like a cross between Green Day and Moonpools and Caterpillars. A combination of light themes and upbeat rythyms. The lone Tagalog song "Opis Crush", which is an instant hit within my circle of acquaintances, is a fine example of Pinoy alternative mixed with contemporary punk arrangements and has underlying themes of any yuppie can relate to.  The emotional "Save Me" is more of as alternative rock song, with its different approach in arrangement. The last, and my favorite, "When Will This End" is a hard knocking punk song oozing with 'Blink', 'Chaos UK' and 'Ramones' influence, with the same theme approach as 'Opis Crush' but on a different....uhhhh...perspective.

Check them out on Multiply or their site www.Penguin627.com

For the Road

Within the building front of Madison Square in Pioneer, Mandaluyong City, lies a stretch of establishments that doesn't pile up..even on a friday night.

But at "For the Road", their 'open mic'-like night every friday is a crowd pleaser. "Indie Night" as its called really took my attention that night as amateur groups played in front of friends and bar patrons. It was so full, we had to take a table at the parking area.

I hope to drop by again, to experience another "Indie Night"

The Death of Death

Last Sunday (April 04,2010) saw the conclusion of a different kind of exhibit regarding death at the Crucible at SM MegaMall in Mandaluyong.

It showcases some works of personalities like Joey de Leon, Lourd De Veyra and Jessica Zafra to name a few.

Its a multimedia presentation of sorts as the exhibit not only plays with the mind through the sense of sight, but also through sound. Too bad the sense of touch can't be stimulated (all the exhibits are hands off)

"The Audacity  of Dope" by Lourd de Veyra.  At one time, it seems to be playing a looping eerie, playful laughter...

The exhibits has moved me in ways even I cannot understand...or point out.


"Pleasure First Before Death" by Mark Dungaw Tandoyog. This is my favorite installation

Weekend at Taguig:Of Timezone, Pancake House and Other Stories

Me and my family have this schedule where we go to Market!Market! in Taguig, eat a hearty breakfast at McDonalds, then play for at least two hours at Timezone. We do this every Saturday, since I have no time for my family in the weekdays.

 

I first saw this game a few months ago. This game, entitled 'Technika', is a fun DJ mixing game with catchy J-POP songs and nice animation. I hope I can download these 'MTV'-esque background somewhere.


After a few rounds with Guitar Hero, I played 2 handed pistol in 'Silent Hill', where I fared better than having another player man the other gun.


After playing all those games, and collecting tickets in the process, we had lunch at Pancake House. This is the first time I came back to a branch of 'Pancake House' since an incident in their branch at Glorietta which made me start hating the franchise. But the call of the waffle was hard to resist. Good thing the staff here trated us better than in Glorietta.

Going home late inthe afternoon, my wife and I started making scrapbooks.

I recommend this activity to couples so they can talk about the good old days of being young and foolish while looking at your photos.

Tales From the Old Photo Bin: Shinjuku in 3 Seasons

I found this old photo from 2003 when I was training in Shinjuku Center Building. From the smoking room, I could see the Shinjuku main avenue intersection and watched it change with the seasons.

By the end of Summer

During Fall


During winter

Practice run for the polls? With prizes in store!!!

Going to Megamall last Saturday, this ice cream stand near Chinabank is giving out stubs for a chance to win dvd players and other electronic gadgets. Among usual data you fill up the coupon with, you also fill up the blank for which presidential bet you are going to vote for this coming election.

And among all the transparent plastic ballot boxes, Noynoy Aquino is filled to the brim. Followed by Manny Villar, and the other bets with almost the same contents.

Well, you can't make this into an actual estimate of what's going to happen in the coming polls, but it can be considered as an indicator of things to come. 

And with all the money pulled into this election, why not pool in some money from the candidates and offer prizes like this soft ice cream stand in doing. Like a home partner thing...

Avatar on I MAX

Last New Year's eve, I wen to see James Cameron's latest epic 'Avatar' on I Max. I first viewed the trailers and effects shots from their official page before deciding on watching it there. 

I was right.

Watching this movie on digital 3D on I-Max really immerses the viewer in the sorroundings and action within. You can also appreciate not only the panoramic landscape of Pandora, but you could also savor the detail of various element within the movie. When they fly or speed across the jungle, you feel that you fly along with them. There were also certain angles that impressed the audience, which could have been lesser reception on a normal movie screen. Even the close-ups or narrow shots were imposing. It complements the mood of the scene without straining your eye on seeing who's who in that sequence.

The characters were developed in an acceptable pace in the movie. Not too hurried, but just enough to feel a bit attached with them as the story progresses. You also have to give props to the lesser known actors that gave an impressive performance, along with the veterans.

The effects were astounding, the characters larger than life (no pun intended), and the overall set design and mechanical design was a treat. But the plot wasn't something new...nor was it an overused one. For a such a visual extravaganza, I  have hoped for something more groundbreaking in terms of plot or story telling.

Me and my cousin talked about this and it reminded us of some movies, I said it was like 'Dances with Wolves' meets 'Starship Troopers', or 'Last Samurai' mixed with a little 'Platoon'. In a sense they all coincide with the occuring theme of the movie. The main motif was the 'Dances / Last Samurai' part where the main character "goes native" and fights his superiors. The 'Platoon' part... well in an interiew they said they wanted to inject a 'Nam' feel for the military aspect.

There were a lot of negative buzz generated in the internet; that the movie is just an eye candy, or that the plot was a flop, or it promotes racism... (eh?). Well its understandable because the story does leave one hoping for more. All that hype in the media raised the people's expectations. To a point that the story alone cannot satisfy their pre-concieved notion of the movie. It might not be 'all that' in terms of plot,  what's important here is that you enjoyed seeing the movie, you are drawn in by the characters, and the movie just leaves you begging for more.

Now...what burns me out are these conservatives who view too much into the movie that take it at entertainment value...its a blorg -dammed movie...made for your enjoyment and maybe carry a message or two. The uptight suits said it promotes racism, the anti-smoking movement lashed out on Sigourney Weaver for smoking in the movie, the Vactican is upset for showing beings that worship nature instead of their god. What the F*_+>?+!:., maybe they just want you to see a movie of 2 dogs staring at each other....wait, then the animal rights movement will join the fray, and some minority group would cry out that these dogs has some hidden degradory message if you flip it upside down, back mask the audio, tweek it to 2.4 kHz, and put white hoods on the dogs. AAARRRGRGGGHHHH!!!! *pop*

Well, I suggest that you see this movie (I heard its still out there) with an open mind and just have fun....coz thats what movies are primarily for anyway.

Photo Project 09-12-12a: Landscape

In our recent trip to Tagaytay, although sorrounded by people with digital SLRs and the like, I still took out my Kodak C813 coz I always wanted to try out the 'landscape' settings on the SCN mode. Here are the results...