Bye Mimi...

This is Mimi. She died last Tuesday. She was 7 years old at the time of her death. Mimi is a lhasa apso, they're of the working dog class. Actually they look similar to shih tzus with a slight difference in the snout length and degree of overbite, and they have paws nearly the size of those of german shepherds. Comes with the breed, they're originally Tibetan mountain dogs.
    Mimi had this weird attachment to me. Seems I'm the one designated to always bring her to the vet. When she was a puppy, she sat on her doo-doo which dried and matted with her hair. So poo-poo won't pass through... She was in pain and her knees were shaking. My mom and sister were out of town (or out of the country) so I was the one who took her to the vet and held her chin as the vet did his thing. Seems that also wrecked havoc on her insides too later in life.
    I was there when she had to be brought to the vet when she was giving birth, my sister shared that duty too. I think she has had two caesarian births before being spayed. Blindness also haunted Mimi later in her life. Lhasa Apso eyes are bulgy, so eye disease comes easy for them.
    So as it turns out I would also be the one to take her to the vet one last time. I woke up Monday morning and was about to get ready to leave for work earlier than usual. I discovered that the garage had a lot of blood streaks. Then I saw Mimi, lying down in her own blood and feces in one corner of the garage. She could still raise her head but was shaking from weakness. Mom and I took her to the vet. Initially her white blood cell count was high, which gave her a 50-50 chance of survival. Then some good news, she stabilized, we thought she'd pull through. But the bad news came that Tuesday.
    Dogs to us are part of the family, so my sister asked that Mimi be buried by the vet. Now she has been peacefully laid to rest beside a banana tree in a parking lot in BF.
    We'll miss her. Seems the other dogs miss her too, Mokey her brother and Quasi her son. Now we only have two dogs at home.

(The pic is from my sister's blog, by the way.)

Tanghalang Pilipino

I'm thinking of getting season tickets to Tanghalang Pilipino theater productions.(Hehehe, don't you just love it when this blog jumps from anime to manga lettering to yoyoing to dogs to website projects to wrestling to family all in a heartbeat?)

Just saw Orfeo sa Impiyerno (Tennessee William's Orpheus Descending) yesterday. Best technicals I've seen so far, actually almost all of Tanghalang Pilipino's productions are tops when it comes to production values. I liked the 60's away-from-Manila feel of the play. The set, lighting and sounds were so darn good it makes jealous. Anyway, Orfeo sa Impiyerno in my eyes is about life and living. Maybe about desires too. And prejudice.

Before that I saw Tanghalang Pilipino's Godot, Wer is U? (Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot) which they staged together with the Cultural Center of the Philippines, National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and the French Embassy. That one, on the other hand, is about waiting. And salvation. My take is that Godot is God, and everyone else is waiting for salvation... But then, with plays like these you're bound to make your own (philosophical?) interpretations. Heck, in my mind the kid is Jesus. Ain't theater grand? :D

Let's Get Ready to Rumble!

Read my previous post about being a fan... So today I went to SM South Mall Cinema One to watch the Solar All Access Pay Per View (PPV) of WWE's SummerSlam 2006...

To start this post off, I'd like to say... I'm PISSED!!! The PPV started around 10am and was supposed to end at about 1pm. The cinema was packed... Here's the thing... WE WEREN'T ABLE TO SEE THE DARN LAST FEW MINUTES OF THE PPV!!! The John Cena vs Edge match, the main event... We didn't see how it ended!!! The screen turned black before the final pin... We didn't see who pinned who! People were chanting "REFUND! REFUND! REFUND!" But then the feed was okay again, it lasted only a few seconds... Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross were saying "Let's see the replay!", the replay started (with the replay watermark) BUT THEN THE SCREEN BLANKED AGAIN!!! A lot of the audience members just left in disgust. (We knew who won coz the last few seconds showed him walking up the ramp with the belt, but I won't spoil it for you. It took all the fun out of watching it live on PPV for me.)

Anyway, after we exited, a number of us (about 20 people, some kids, some 20-something and 30-something guys) stayed to talk with the cinema manager... Seems it only happened in SouthMall. The feeds to the other SM Cinemas (MegaMall, Mall of Asia, etc.) were okay according to some of the guys who called their buddies, and this was confirmed by the manager. To make things right, the SM management gave us emergency tickets for the weekend screening, same seats, and we have a choice whether to watch Sunday or Saturday. It won't be the same but kudos to the SM Cinemas management for remedying the situation (heck, one guy was so irate he said he'd punch out Sib, the Jack TV VJ, if he happened to be outside the cinema and tried to interview us). Solar informed SM beforehand that there was that risk of disconnection of the satellite feed during inclement weather... Just our luck. O_o;;

Anyway, here are some observations. Let's call it a View of the WWE PPV from the South Side...

• The audience was predominantly male, though there were a number of females, some genuine fans, some accompanying their boyfriends, some accompanying their kids. The females actually knew who was who onscreen... They knew who Batista was and how he tore his tricep... They remember Hulk Hogan... They knew Mr Kennedy... Maybe because of exposure to their loved ones who are passionate about wrestling.
• Audience reaction to wrestlers and matches don't echo the reaction of the Boston, MA or US audience... Seems pinoys have their own faves...
• The audience was appreciative of personalities and good execution of wrestling moves. If there's a good move, there's a nice reaction. A lackluster move mertits no reaction from the crowd (happened to some Batista and King Booker moves).
  

I was surprised at the SM audience reaction to wrestlers, personages, storylines and moves. Here's my take on how they reacted to wrestlers of SummerSlam (no spoilers, just observations, first mention means wrestler came out first from locker room).

• Rey Misterio vs Chavo Guerrero was so-so. Rey Misterio was about 70-30 (70 favorable). Mostly kids liked him, the older audience seems to see him like another John Cena... A wrestler who has nothing new to offer and they're getting tired of ... The 619 was received about 75-25 or 80-20, quite unlike the 90 to100 a year back.
• Chavo Guerrero, Rey's opponent, was so-so. He was applauded a bit but since he's a heel he did receive some boos. He was more appreciated by the SM audience than by the Boston crowd, though,
• Vicky Guerrero, who came out during the match, wasn't really appreciated that much.. Maybe because the aspect ratio of the screen was sorta stretched and it made her butt look too big.
• The late Hall of Famer Eddie Guerrero, who was shown in Rey and Chavo intro vids, was well applauded and respected, with a number of "Eddie! Eddie! Eddie!" chants in time with the Boston crowd... Truly a legend...
• I don't know, but I think some people, like me, would want the Eddie angle laid to rest already... The tribute frog splash was well received, the three amigos by the two guys were not so applauded. Maybe Chavo and Rey should start making a name for themselves using their own moves again.
• The Homicidal, Suicidal, Genocidal Sabu vs Champion The Big Show, for the ECW Title, were both well received. Was kind of a surprise and added bonus for me since ECW isn't shown here. Being an ECW rules match, it was definitlely extreme. Tables and chairs, power and death-defying moves went well with the crowd. The last move was a killer...
  
• One surprising reaction was for Justin Roberts. Justin who? He's the ECW ring announcer since Joey Styles is now with Tazz in the commentary table. He went so well with the females in the crowd. "Ay, ang gwapo!" and a couple of loud muffled shrieks could be heard from a lot of them when his face was zoomed in.
• The Legend Killer Randy Orton vs The Immortal Hulk Hogan, Legend  vs Legend Killer, was also well-received. Some negative oooohs for Hogan when he came out, some boos and "Ay ang gwapo!" for Orton. Some heckled the immortal one when he came out, "Mamatay ka na!" "Buhay ka pa rin?" were some overheard reactions. He was slow already but Hulkamania does live on. Despite the initial reactions, all their moves sold. Randy's RKO was well anticipated, Hogan's leg drop was well anticipated and the pointy-finger "YOU!" had the audience in unison with the Boston crowd. It was indeed, though at times retro, a definite treat.
• Nick Foley vs Rick Flair "I Quit" match was a classic. Nick, heel to the hilt, was booed and applauded (respect). Melina, in Nick's corner and in the intro spiels was eye-popping. Rick Flair was 95 to 100, everyone from Boston to SM were "WOOOOOOOO!!!!"-ing when he came out. This match was bloody, very bloody, shocking to some extent. They made true Flair's promise of "May one of us bleed to death in Boston." Anything goes, and it definitely had the audience on the edge of their seats. Barbed wire bats, barbed wire, barbed wire wood slabs, trash cans, thumbtacks, name it, they used it. It evolved into a super-harcore match and the blood began to flow early. All the moves were oooooh-ed at, especially the ones involving the barbed wire, bat and thumbtacks. This was sooooo blooy good that both wrestlers were applauded (Boston and SM) when the match finished.
  
• Champion King Booker vs The Animal Batista World Title Match went well. King Booker and Sharmelle really sold their "royalty act" quite well. They had audience members laughing it up with their royalty schtick complete with wide-eyed, crazed, facial expressions in the pre-match portions. It was entertaining. And they did their heel job well eliciting boos from the crowd when the match came.
• Batista was about 90-10. Yes, some people booed Batista. But moves-wise, each Spinebuster and Batista Bomb was greeted with oohs and ahhs and strong grunts from the crowd whenever Booker was slammed to the canvass.
• Tag-Team Grudge Match featuring D-Generation X (HBK and HHH) vs The McMahons (Vince and Shane) was a hoot!!! A lot to laugh at and a lot to cheer about. DX was cheered, McMahons were booed. Vince's signature swagger toward the ring was positively "yeah!"-ed by a lot of people, so was Shane's dancing. Signature moves by DX (all instances of Sweet Chin Music and The Pedigree) were cheered wildly. The McMahons homage to top tag team finishing moves which featured a high-flying Shane McMahon was oohed at... The finish was one for the books again.
• Cameos, wrestler bumper vids and camera focuses had different reactions from the SM crowd. During the intro, JBL was cheered when he was focused on the commentary table with Michael Cole. Not much reactions when Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler were focused. Same for Tazz and Joey Styles. JBL was really appreciated even in the Jack TV "Watch WWE on Jack TV" vid. Heck, he has a fan following here.
• Mr Kennedy was cheered, both in the cameo and the watch Jack TV vid. He may be about 70-30 or 65-35. I like the guy, reminds me of The Rock "yabang" wise.
  
• Val Venis was cheered loudly in his watch Jack TV vid.
• The Samoan Bulldozer Umaga was booed. The Big Red Machine Kane was cheered wildly. The Spirit Squad was booed. Steven Regal and Finlay were oooh-ed! when they came out.
• All the Divas, including the newest diva Layla (Diva search winner) were cheered wildly both in the DIVAS vid and the Divas segment of the PPV! It was worth seeing them, no nudity though. The Divas, led by Trish, snubbed and lambasted Layla before saying it was all just a joke. They "welcomed" her via a wet-shower initiation. WHOA!!! Layla's a bit shorter than most of the Divas. Torrie, Candice Michelle and Ashley were applauded loudly.
• Surprising was the Jeff Hardy returns to RAW vid. It was cheered loudly! I wonder if he'll do singles competition or hook up with brother Matt again.
• Lastly, the main event, The Doctor of Thuganomics John Cena (hometown boy of  Massachussets) vs Champion The Rated R Superstar Edge for the WWE championship was well anticipated. Kids liked Cena, not so much with the older guys. He's more 40-60 or 50-50 now after he lost the title (both for the watch Jack TV bumper vid. and the match). Still better than the 20-80 or 30-70 during the last weeks of his title reign. Edge was cheered with only a few boos! He seems about 65-35 or 70-30 with the SM crowd, the older members cheered him. Dunno if it's because they hate Cena or they really like Edge. Heck, if you had a babe like Lita I'd certainly cheer you on. Despite these initial reactions, the moves sold well. Edge's Spear and Cena's FU were cheered. Cena's STFU was cheered wildly toward the end. Too bad we didn't see the ending. DARN!!!

So, I'm off to watch SummerSlam 2006 again this next weekend just to catch the ending. *sigh*

I'm a fan

Yes, I'm a fan. I'm a fan of a lot of things.

I'm a fan of anime.
I'm a fan of yoyoing.
There are times when I actually even get paid for being a fan of both. I perform when I yoyo or write about anime or letter manga. Sometimes, these two things I'm a fan of get to meet in one place. It's usually an anime convention where our group, FlipSpin, performs for the audience. It happened in UNA Kame. Last Saturday, Aug 19, it happened again, this time in CulturEvolution in Marikina.



Seems it's a new group of anime fans nowadays, I don't know the people who went there. The guys who are "seniors" who are now "veterans" were the ones who were active when Meowok and I were in Questor. Now the guys I know are organizers and heads and admins of their own special interest groups. Got to meet and renew acquaintances with cosplay legends (and one time Yuukan Kendoka) Robert and Paul. Also saw Gundam Girl Dice and cosplay goddes Joy / Haruka. One time Yuukan Kendoka Tyran and Jess were also there.

Jeez, on a related note (and I told Meowok about this), 5 years ago when you looked at my friendster account friends list, it was a smorgasbord of anime character pics. Nowadays I'm surprised when the anime pics give way to pics of young ladies (with or without boyfriends). Heck, what caught me unaware was that they are now in or have graduated from college! Heck, dati nakikipag-kulitan ako sa 12 yr olds na  Frances and Marenza (she now goes by Em). Kulitan namin ni Frances nun sa email when our birthdays came (magkalapit bday namin) went something like:

"Happy Birthday! Papa-Fedex ko na lang yung isaw at squid balls sa inyo dyan."

Weird that she ended up in UP... Isaw and squid balls heaven...

I'm a fan of art.
Especially of junk / recycled art. When I finished an OFW Guardian interview last August 17, Thursday, with Mr. Hector Tagaysay of Filway Marketing, I felt hunger pangs and ate at Sizzling Stop (which was in the same building). The ashtrays were made of aluminum cans. I just had to take a pic of it.



I'm a fan of wrestling.
Yes, it's the greatest show on earth. The soap opera for men. I'm actually going to watch the cinematic pay per view of SummerSlam in SM South Mall tomorrow, August 21, 2006.



Meowok and Olan knew how much of a fan I am of the WWE (heck, my tv's glued to Jack TV on weekends because of this). So for my birthday they gave me a WWE vid, The Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior. Hehehe, I liked the Disney "Just Monkeying Around" gift wrapper too. I like animals... Well some more than others.

I'm a fan of animals.
Yup, I love dogs. Cats too. Maybe it's the reason why I play UFO catcher too. BTW, got these two ugly Hello Kitties from Tom's World in SM South Mall. The cow's another story.



I'm a fan of family.
The cow pic I took when we went to my inaanak Shuey's birthday swimming party in Los Banos, Laguna. My other inaanak Enzo was there too.



And since I'm a fan of family... It follows that...

I'm a fan of mom.
Mom was always complaining how her TV was acting up. We had bought two Goldstar (now part of LG Electronics) surplus / refurbished TVs from Cavite one day when we visited our house there. Heck, t'was a steal, about PhP999 each TV many years back. So that's one for the sala and one for her room. Anyway, that was years ago, so now with age the TV is hard to operate (Korean markings and all). So I decided to buy her a 14-inch TV from SM after the CulturEvolution gig. It was a choice between a Sanyo and a Sharp. I bought the Sanyo ST-14CE1.



I had it all planned. I'd sneak the TV in when they went to church for the 7pm mass (I'm deist, I seldom go to church). When she got home she'd see her new TV. By 8pm I switched on the TV. My sister saw it, smiled and relayed the news to my brother-in-law Geo. I kept dropping hints for my mom to see it. "Ma, you left your tv on when you went to church!" No dice. When my sister, brother-in-law and Enzo left for their house upstairs, my sister texted me and even called my mom asking "What's new?" My mom was dense... She still didn't see the tv.

About an hour later, while watching a series on Hallmark Channel, she realized she had a new tv when she picked up the remote and realized it was a different remote. Go figure... O_o;;

That's it for today... Too-da-loo...

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publicdomaintorrents.com

A virtual treasure trove!!!

http://www.publicdomaintorrents.com

:D

Stuffy...

Just some of the things I'm looking at right now... Most are greek... Open Source stuff, 2.0 stuff, the others are just plain stuff. O_o;;

Like these ones... Found these in my fone... Damn they're old....

My sister has always been lucky in raffles. Read her post about it in her blog... But in a nutshell, she has actually won a walkman, an electric fan, a washing machine, and even a car... Sheesh... All I've ever won were a ricecooker and a Panasonic celfone... O_o;; Anyway, she won a celfone strap and watch just by scratching off those silver raffle tickets when we bought 7-11 Slurpees, this was when Superman Returns just came out.

(Yup, the pic, it's a month old... I just seem to click and forget nowadays.)

And this one's my fave... and for Kenneth (aka Vince Valvolene, tafka Ryan Rev - Ex)... It's the P3's favorite opening act...

Saver, the Wonder Dog! Saw him on tv and just had to take a shot.

Also, here are stuff I'm currently looking at...

Jahia <- A Java Content Management System.. Am looking at using this for gokitomo, or some place else...
eyeOS <- An Open Source Web Desktop Environment, commonly known as Web Operating System or Web Office. I just lurv this. Hehehe, all you need is a net connection, no need for MS Word, et al. Nice if you're always on the move.
DeVeDe<- A program to create video DVDs and CDs (VCD, sVCD or CVD), suitable for home players, from any number of video files, in any number of the formats... If only I could figure out how to use it... O_o;;
Emdros - The database engine for analyzed or annotated text. I know I have some use for this... but maybe not now...
Griffith <- A movie collection manager application. Hmmm....
Zolow <- A digital bulletin board. Web 2.0, Ajax stuff... or something like that...

Bipolarbears.net

It's not yet version 1.0, I think it's still 0.9, but it's working already. Do visit the bears. :D

Gorilla Scratch (Classic Sesame Street)

Ooga-booga. O_o;;