Finally! Street Fighter IV in motion... commence drooling with cautious optimism.

Lupe Fiasco raps about video games.




Is it also a social commentary about violence and gaming?

Some may think so but I don't.

As for the song, the chorus is kinda lame, I may not own anything from Lupe, but I like his style.

Christmas Time is Here

Ever since we were kids, my family honored the tradition of unwrapping the gifts midnight Christmas Eve. I guess most Filipinos do it, and some other countries too, but I never knew why. Can someone tell me?

My oldest sister Maureen (who probably loves Christmas more than the kids), and Kenny (left), and Ricky

My dad and lil' Kenny

Half us wanted to do the gift unwrapping Christmas Eve, the half wanted to do it Christmas morning, so we compromised and decided to half and half it. Especially because my sister and brother-in-law went to the Chargers game, and my niece and nephew were getting cranky but were too excited to sleep.

My other sis Myra and bro-in-law Phil


My mom


Christmas morning:

with breakfast cookin'


time for some cartoons


Uh oh, NBA today! maybe a little nap before the Lakers and Suns game...


Just finished reading Dan Simmons' The Terror, an historical fiction novel about the ill-fated 1845 Franklin Expedition, in which the crew of nearly 130 men died after the ships, the Erebus and the Terror, found themselves stuck in Arctic pack ice and was forced to abandon both ships; lead by the more capable captain of the Terror Francis Crozier (the main protagonist), than the more decorated and unworthy Sir John Franklin. They left behind only few washed up pieces of wood, bone fragments, written notes and an oral account from the Inuit tribe in their wake. To this day, there are still archaeologists and history buffs trying to piece together the events.

This expedition is rife with mystery, and provided ample room for Simmons to plug in his own interpretation of what went wrong on the ice. Using Inuit folklore, a giant polar beast, and the pure human instinct to survive by whatever means necessary, he managed to keep me engaged throughout the whole 766 pages.

I think what I liked most of of all was his use of chapters and the passage of time. Each chapter is broken up into mini-episodes, featuring the various characters points of view, and jumping from the next day to even a month after the last chapter, leaving a space in time that we are not privy to until a character flashes back to a significant event. It immediately reminded me of a mini series on television, perhaps best suited for HBO.

The length of the book certainly can become a daunting affair though, as I can see how one can become a bit impatient. The level of detail is quite overwhelming, especially for someone like me who lacks any previous knowledge of anything nautical. But the characters are all interesting enough- from the timid Dr. Goodsir, the conniving Hickey, to the sad, washed-up drunkard Capt. Crozier. The pacing is done very well, and the turn the book takes in the last 200 pages or so caps off the conclusion rather satisfactorily.

It has even sparked in me enough interest to do further research on the Franklin Expedition and Inuit culture.

8 Chargers selected to the Pro Bowl! With the obvious votes going to LT, Lo' Neal, and Gates; Cromartie and Dielman are in for their first trip to the Big Island- tying the total of the as of yet undefeated Patriots.



Go Bolts!
I was never big on these virtual or robo-pet things, why get a fake pet when you can just adopt a real live animal? But after seeing Pleo at play on the latest 1up Show episode, I want one!!!



They sell for $349 at Amazon.

Oh, and to Kathleen Sanders and her dog Minnie, I will miss seeing you on the 1up Show. Good luck in your new job!

Edit: took out that annoying autoplay vid and subbed it for a youtube one instead.