It all happens really fast. First Wonderweiss attacks Ukitake, impaling his chest with a punch. Kyoraku is dispatched quickly after by Stark with a point blank shot with his gun. As the two strongest Shinigami captains fall, the gigantic hollow beast is able to take out the fire surrounding Aizen, Tousen, and Gin. Lastly, Wonderweiss is able to set Harribel free and apparently Barragan was able to survive Soifon’s Bankai attack.

Yes, it looks like the Shinigami are done for… but!

The Vizards finally make their appearance. Just in the nick of time.

MAN OH MAN I AM SO EXCITED! RAWRRRRRRR!!!!!! Can’t wait to see what will happen in the next few issues. Forget about Ichigo! I want to see the Vizards kick ass!

“We don’t currently plan to support LAN play with Starcraft II, as we are building Battle.net to be the ideal destination for multiplayer gaming with Starcraft II and future Blizzard Entertainment games,” a Blizzard representative said in a statement. “While this was a difficult decision for us, we felt that moving away from LAN play and directing players to our upgraded Battle.net service was the best option to ensure a quality multiplayer experience with Starcraft II and safeguard against piracy.”

“Several Battle.net features like advanced communication options, achievements, stat-tracking, and more, require players to be connected to the service, so we’re encouraging everyone to use Battle.net as much as possible to get the most out of Starcraft II,” the statement continued. “We’re looking forward to sharing more details about Battle.net and online functionality for Starcraft II in the near future.

My only concern about this is if our current internet infrastructure can handle the strain of an RTS game. :(

Here’s a trailer from Game Spot:

Let’s all hope that Blizzard changes their mind and eventually opens up SC2 for LAN.

I’ve had 3 different DSL Service Providers in the past 4 years. I want to take this opportunity to give an objective and unbiased review on the experiences I’ve had with all 3. Hopefully this will help you guys when you make your decision to get your own broadband, be it for gaming, e-mail, downloading, or surfing. For this article, I’ll write about my experiences with Bayantel DSL, SMART Bro, and PLDT MyDSL. Check them all out after the break.

SMART Bro: This was my first internet connection outside of dial-up. I had this hooked up when I was still living in Visayas Avenue, Quezon City. In all honesty, I had little problems when the DSL was running. Download speeds were pretty stable and I only experienced lag when I was playing Fly for Fun. It actually ran pretty well with RF Online. For 900+ bucks monthly, the connection was pretty okay back then. My only problem with SMART Bro was when the connection would go down. The customer service reps would say that it would take around 1-2 days for their technical team to drop by to fix it. However, there were several instances when it took the technicians more than 1 week before they come over to fix the antenna. Because of the intermittent connection, I decided to cancel my subscription to SMART Bro after 1 year (contract).

SMART Bro Plug-it: I then moved on to SMART Bro Plug-it. I needed mobile internet because I’m always on the move and it helps a lot with my consultancy work. I bought the USB Modem for P3,800 I think. It kinda makes me sad when I see that the prices have dropped all the way down to P1,800. Anyway, regarding the connection, it really depends on location. There were instances that the speed was really fast to the point that I could actually play World of Warcraft without any hassle. But there were instances that I couldn’t even get a signal at all. From experience, it’s kinda fast in Makati and Tomas Morato, but very erratic in the Katipunan area. By the way, forget about downloading… it takes forever. I still have this with me since it allows me to go online wherever. It’s pretty much for emergency use like: waiting for the girlfriend while she’s shopping, need to send an urgent e-mail, bored to death and I want to Facebook while on the road, etc.

Bayantel DSL: I got Bayantel while I was living somewhere along Katipunan. First, let me just say that they provide the most hassle free service. I called their hot line on Monday, and their agent went by to get my requirements Tuesday. Internet was installed Wednesday. That’s insanely fast! Plus, I didn’t have to go to their service centers at all. I got the 2.5MBPS package which costs around P2699. Initially I had problems with the connection since the Speed Test just registered around 1.1 - 1.2MBPS. However, after making 1 call, they fixed it and I got 2MBPS - 2.4MBPS constantly. If ever I would have problems with the connection, it would get fixed within a day. If they say that the technician would drop by soon, they really mean it. There was one instance that my connection was on and off. I called in the morning, and the guy actually arrived in the afternoon to fix it. Amazing. My only concern with Bayantel is that around 11PM-12AM, the connection is really on and off. Dunno why. Rest of the day though it’s pretty much stable.

PLDT MyDSL: I just moved to Greenhills a few weeks ago and I initially wanted to just get Bayantel because of the convenience. Unfortunately they weren’t servicing the area yet. I had to decide between PLDT MyDSL and Globe Broadband. Since I work for the PLDT Group, I thought of just going for PLDT. Okay, I don’t know if I’ll get into trouble for writing this but… man. I applied for a connection more than 3 weeks ago and I still haven’t gotten any feedback on when they will install! I’ve been calling the contractor that signed me up and she’s no help at all. In fact, she told me to be the one to follow up by calling 171. I have no idea when I’ll get a call telling me that the technician will drop by. That’s the main reason why I haven’t been able to blog regularly because I don’t have connection at home. I’m seriously thinking of going for Globe Broadband if I still don’t get any feedback by tomorrow.

So that sums up my entire DSL experience. If you guys want to share yours, please go ahead and leave a comment. We can use this thread as some sort of a feedback mechanism so we’re all informed before we subscribe. Cheers everyone!

Now that Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen is now in the books, we’re all looking forward to the third installment of the Transformers movie franchise. I’m hoping that Michael Bay can find a reason to include Grimlock and the rest of the Dinobots in the 3rd movie. That would sooooo kick ass.

GRIMLOCK FOR TRANSFORMERS 3 PLZ! xD

GI JOE: RISE OF THE COBRA
If I’m not mistaken, this is scheduled sometime next month (July). The producers have been pimping this movie out since last year, and they even came up with special “webisodes” to set the serious tone for GI JOE: RISE OF THE COBRA. In fact, some of the more prominent characters even died in the cartoon webisodes. My only reservation for this movie is the person they casted for Cobra Commander. He looks too… uhm, wussy. Then again he’s supposed to be a mad military scientist right?

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE
I’m a Harry Potter fan. I’ve read all the books and watched all the movies. I’m actually more excited to watch it because I’ve already read the book. I’ll be on the lookout for some of the most important scenes, especially the last part with Professor Snape. Book 5 was the start of a darker, more serious, and epic phase of Harry Potter’s life.

TWILIGHT: NEW MOON
Okay, not everyone is interested in watching this but I am. Hahaha! I actually liked the Twilight series (read all 4 books) but New Moon is the book that I disliked the most. Personally I find it to be the most boring segment and I was actually hoping that the producers would merge New Moon with Eclipse to make the next movie more interesting. Still worth watching though IMO.

If you have any other movies that you think are worth watching this year, leave a comment. Cheers everyone!

This is really sad news guys. I just found out this morning that Michael Jackson died yesterday. Let me share with an article that has most of the details after the break.

LOS ANGELES— (UPDATE 2) Pop icon Michael Jackson has died, a Los Angeles County Coroner’s office spokesman confirmed Thursday, sending shockwaves rippling across the entertainment world.

Lieutenant Fred Corral told CNN Jackson, 50, was pronounced dead at 2:26 p.m. (2126 GMT) local time after reportedly suffering a cardiac arrest.

“I can tell you at this time that we were notified by West Los Angeles Police Department detectives that Mr Jackson was transported … to the hospital, and upon admitting, he was unresponsive and was pronounced dead at approximately 2:26 this afternoon,” Corral told CNN.

Corral said an autopsy would “most likely” be carried out on Friday but would not speculate on the exact cause of death.

“Everything is still ongoing. We will be responding to the hospital to move Mr Jackson to our facility where he will be examined to determine the cause of death,” Corral said.

“As far as I’m aware, we were notified by LAPD detectives that Mr Jackson was brought in by paramedics to the hospital in full cardiac arrest and then he was later pronounced dead.

“At that point, as I said, there’s no further medical history until we get and review the medical records.”

This came as Jackson prepared to make a keenly anticipated concert comeback in London, his first series of shows in more than a decade and the first since his 2005 acquittal on child molestation charges.

Really sad. RIP King of Pop. :(

I was able to catch the last full show of Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen last Wednesday evening. The lines were kinda long in Greenhills but I was able to get tickets since I bought early in the afternoon for the last showing. Over-all I liked the movie, mainly because I’m a huge fan of the franchise and I set my expectations prior to watching. I turned off my brain because I knew that the movie would really more be about robots beating one another up with no deep plot. Plot synopsis followed by a quick review after the break.

Plot Synopsis
2 years after the first movie, the US government has formed a special group that hunts down Decepticons called NEST. The special team is in close coordination with the Autobots, led by Optimus Prime. The opening sequence of the movie shows an encounter between a gigantic Decepticon who goes on a rampage in Shanghai. He’s eventually stopped by Optimus Prime.

Back in the “human world”, Sam is attempting to have a normal life but everything goes haywire when he finds out that he actually has a shard of the All-Spark. The shard embeds information on Sam’s brain which has the secrets of the Transformers and their real relationship with the planet Earth.

Soundwave, who turns out to be a giant satellite orbiting Earth, mobilizes the Decepticons to retrieve the shard of the All-Spark which was being guarded by the US Military. Ravage, Soundwave’s famous robo-dog, gets the Spark and the Decepticons use it to revive Megatron. The leader of the Decepticons flies out to space and meets with his master - the Fallen. The ancient Decepticon explains that they need the information in Sam’s brain and that Optimus Prime must fall since only a Prime can kill him.

The Decepticons capture Sam, but before his brain is ripped out by Megatron, Optimus Prime and Bumblebee come in for the save. Megatron takes on Prime but he’s beaten down badly. He calls for help, bringing in Starscream and Blackout. The three Decepticons mercilessly gangs up on the leader of the Autobots but Prime manages to retaliate, even taking out Blackout with his dual blades. Things take a turn for the worse though as Megatron attacks from behind, impaling Optimus’ chest, killing him. With Prime out of the way, the Fallen goes to Earth and gives an ultimatum for the planet to give him Sam or he will have the Decepticons start destroying cities.

Sam eventually meets Simmons (Sector 7 Agent) and together with Mikaela and the Decepticon-turned-Autobot Wheelie, they find Jetfire and revives him by using the last shard of the All-Spark. Jetfire then explains to Sam the past of the Transformers. Apparently they came here centuries ago to harvest Energon. The only way to harvest Energon is to blow up the sun. They decide against it since there were living species in the planet. This did not sit well with the Fallen who tried to activate the machine. He’s overpowered by the rest of the Transformers and they lock away the key to the machine - the Matrix of Leadership.

Sam goes off to Egypt and eventually finds the Matrix, but is caught in a crossfire between the Decepticons against the Autobots and NEST. He finally manages to get to the fallen body of Optimus (which was transported by NEST) and revives him by using the Matrix. However, before Prime fully recovers, the Fallen enters the scene, grabs the Matrix, and flies off to the machine. Jetfire offers to sacrifice himself, merging his parts with Optimus Prime, giving him a huge boost. Prime goes after Megatron and the Falleh, beating down both Decepticons with little effort after blowing up the machine… saving the world.

Review
The movie was kinda long but it was okay since I really had fun watching all the robots blowing each other up. Here are just some notes that I took down on some of the scenes that stuck out (good or bad).

- Seeing Optiums and Ironhide transform at the start gave me goosebumps.
- Sam’s parents, especially his mother, was hella annoying all throughout the film.
- When did Bumblebee become a kung-fu master? But it’s all good! Seeing him rip apart Rampage in the last battle scene was pure awesomeness.
- Optimus Prime is godly. He literally pawned everything that stood in his way. Best scene ever was his battle with Megatron, Blackout, and Starscream. Love the dual wielding blade/gun action.
- Optimus Prime merging with Jetfire reminded me of Gundam.
- The Fallen needed more exposure. He only fought for a short while.
- Devastator was weak. I mean how can he get beat by two smaller robots? And he got killed by a rail gun? Come on.
- Whoever conceptualized the character of Jetfire is a genius. Loved that particular angle.
- Seeing the Matrix of Leadership reminded me of the Transformers Cartoon Movie soundtrack… You’ve got the touch!
- The Decepticon at the start who looked like a human reminded me of Terminators, lol.
- Seeing Optimus die almost made me cry.
- Seeing Optimus come alive again almost made me jump out of my seat.

Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen, is well worth your money. Just make sure to turn off your brain, sit down, relax, and enjoy the brutal robot royal rumble. :)

I recently helped launch a new website forum called School Talk. The primary goal of this new site is to serve as a medium for parents, students, and educators to learn from one another about their experiences in school. This is definitely a big help for young parents who are still trying to figure their way with how to raise their kid. One thing that I’m really happy about this site is that we have really good contributing writers - Francis Kong and Chinkee Tan to name a few. Check the site out and let me know what you think. Don’t forget to register in the forums! Cheers everyone!

Tags: School, Talk,

Review and Synopsis
Al and Ed finally reach the house of their old master. They’re greeted quite harshly, with Al getting a roundhouse kick from Izumi as her hello. This was a really funny scene. It was hilarious seeing both brothers cower at the sight of their former master. At this point the episode shifts to a rather long flashback showing how the two kids met Izumi and how they became her apprentices.

After the death of their mom, the Elric brothers find Izumi after she saves the village by using alchemy to stop a flood. They immediately pester her to take them as students and she eventually agrees to take them with her but she will have to test them first if they are worthy of learning alchemy. She leaves the two brothers in an island.

In this island the two brothers realize the true meaning of alchemy - life and the concept of equivalent exchange. After successfully proving themselves, Izumi formally takes them on as students.

We shift back to the discussion of Izumi and the brothers. Ed finally realizes that Izumi can also do transmutation without the circle because she did something similar to what they did. He confronts her and Izumi answers by sparring with the two kids. She finds out about the automail and that Al is just an empty piece of armor. They all sit down again to talk thing out and in this conversation she reveals that she tried to revive her dead baby through alchemy, and in exchange she lost several of her internal organs.

The episode ends with Izumi hugging the two brothers. This is a beautiful scene because before the hug, the two kids were trying to put up a strong face about what happened. However her hug totally disarms them and the two start crying. Finally they can stop acting so tough and be kids.

For a guy like me who totally digs action flicks and kinda is bored to hell by drama, I really find FMA Brotherhood to be very entertaining. It has the right mix that will really tug at your heart by drawing so many emotions from you.

Can’t wait to watch Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood Episode 13!

I’m sure most of you have probably heard of the Last Airbender cartoon series. It’s one of the more famous franchises that was shown in Nickelodeon. What was really nice about this series is that they had the right mix of comedy, action, and drama that can entertain not just kids, but also young adults and adults alike. The franchise has been so successful that they’ve done several seasons worth of the anime, and now Hollywood is going to take a crack at it. Slash Film posted the official trailer of the movie and I’ve embedded the trailer here as well. Watch it after the break.

LAST AIRBENDER MOVIE

Here’s the synopsis:

Based on the hugely successful Nickelodeon animated TV series, the live-action feature film is set in a world where human civilization is divided into four nations: Water, Earth, Air and Fire.

The Fire Nation is waging a ruthless, oppressive war against the other three nations. The film’s hero, the reluctant young Aang (Noah Ringer), is the “Last Airbender” — the Avatar who, according to prophecy, has the ability to manipulate all of the elements and bring all the nations together.

Aided by a protective teenage Waterbender named Katara (Nicola Peltz) and her bull-headed brother Sokka, Aang proceeds on a perilous journey to restore balance to their war-torn world. Dev Patel plays the Fire Nation’s evil prince Zuko. Exiled from the Fire Nation by his father, Zuko is sent to capture the Avatar in order to restore his honor and right to the throne.

The Last Airbender is being targeted for a July 2nd 2010 release.

1 year to go before this hits the theaters! Definitely going to watch this one. I just hope they don’t butcher it like what they did with Dragonball Evolution.