Last day of the 2008 Pyro Olympics

The back of SM Mall of Asia was jam-packed with spectators and restaurant-goers alike as they all eagerly awaited the start of the last day of the 2008 Pyro Olympics. Restaurants were abuzz with activity as customers came in early to get the best seats in the house for the fireworks display during that evening. As usual, we got our regular seats at Robbie's Seafood Restaurant at Seaside.

Here's my amateur video of the event. Too bad my batteries ran out during the 2nd half. I did manage to get most of the highlights of the first half though. For all of you who were unable to witness the event that night, hope you enjoy this!

Captain America is Dead. Long Live Captain America!

OK, I know, this is old news to a lot of you comic book fans out there. But i'd like to blog about new uniform of Captain America anyway...

Steve Rogers is dead. Mortally wounded by a sniper while on his was to trial. Those who really knew him also called him "Cap", as in Captain America. Now, we have someone else taking up his legendary shield. But the uniform is new, it still sports the familiar red, white and blue. But it's shiny and metallic. The original uniform had a chain-mail like quality to it. But there's MORE! The new Cap now sports a GUN and a combat KNIFE! Will he actually use it on the bad guys? Only time will tell... Check out the images below (thanks to Marvel!):


UPDATE: I just got my hands on Captain America #38 and I have to say I am a bit dissappointed by the whole affair with Bucky taking on the mantle of Captain America. He's obviously the best successor but my dissappointment stems more from the storyline and the ressurection of Nomad by the Red Skull and company to stir up trouble... I mean, it's really getting OLD (literally!)... If they could kill Cap, why couldn't they kill the Red Skull off? And those other old villains as well while they're at it. Revamp the whole sorry mess! I'd probably get flamed and all for saying what I just said, but that's how I see it. I don't mind Bucky being the new Cap. That's fine with me, a bit cool actually since he's partnered with the Falcon. Sort of brings a breath of fresh air to a classic team-up.

Marvel REALLY needs to get rid of the Red Skull and his gang of jokers... REALLY!

Leviathan's Door: Part 2 - The Office

It's here! I finally finished part 2 of my mini-novel. It's still a long way off but I hope to get in more pages by next week. Hope you enjoy reading it. Comments welcome as always! :D

Nearly done with the next installment of my mini-novel...

Ok, I have to admit. I actually didn't think I could finish another installment of my writing project. Anyway, i'm glad i'm almost done with the 2nd part of Leviathan's Door. I try to write whenever I can on my trusty P900's jotter. Mind you, my phone's old, scratched and obviously battle-weary, but it still serves its purpose very well. Sony Ericsson sure made their phones to last (unlike some Nokia which seems to churn out new models every few months). I should be able to post the 2nd part over the weekend...

Honestly, it's very hard yet exhilirating when your ideas turn into visions and then the words start pouring out like a stream inexorably flowing towards a raging waterfall... I try not to think too much about where i'm going with the story, I just write everything that comes naturally to me and when I read it again it all seems to fit somehow. Quite rewarding!

P.S. Watching Finding Forrester (great movie starring Sean Connery) helped me quite a bit too! :D

Good old Gundams...

I was just going through my collection of Gundam images and re-discovered these old favorites...

Leviathan's Door: Part 1 - A New Day

Finally, I published Part 1 of my mini-novel. Check it out here...

I hope I finish this. Comments welcome as always... Just be gentle... :D

Career path for programmers?

I just read an interesting post from one of the Java user groups I subscribe to (PinoyJUG to be exact). The question was "what is the career path from a software developer to CTO (Chief Technology Officer)?" Now that I've actually had some more time to reflect on the matter after sending in my reply, I'm going to repost it here with a few minor improvements.

Obviously, not everyone is destined to become a CTO (or even a CIO for that matter). From my experience, very few developers would even consider doing project management work since it detaches them from doing actual software development. In reality, career paths for software development personnel vary from company to company. Big companies normally have a pretty clear career path set, SME's usually just have it simpler, you're either a developer / systems analyst or a PM / CIO / CTO. From what I've seen so far though, this is what a typical career path from developer to CIO/CTO would look like:



From the diagram, the yellow rectangles represent roles that entail actual development work, while the blue rectangles represent management-oriented work.

Ok. Let's put things in perspective first. Why would someone want to work as a developer in the first place? Typically, it's because that person wants to do software development (obviously), experiment with the latest technologies, loves to solve programming problems, etc. So now the question becomes, after spending so much time being a developer / team leader, what's the next step for me? Where do I go from here? You have to bear in mind that this becomes the point in your career when you have to decide where you feel you will be more productive and happier. Do I want to take on a management role (i.e. become a PM) or do I want to stay where I can keep my hands dirty with actual software development work (remain a developer or advance to being an architect)? Happiness can mean different things to people. This is when HR has to listen carefully to the person being considered for a promotion to a management position. HR has to carefully determine whether or not a person is ready to manage people. Why? Because a management role will either make you or break you, and if it breaks you, it will have adverse consequences on a project as well as the company. That is why most big companies have new PM's go through management training and seminars/workshops first before they even get assigned to actual projects. Some companies have new PM's do apprenticeship work under Senior PM's in order to assess their capabilities and potential. Unfortunately, not all companies have the luxury of doing this.

Let's take a simple scenario: Joe developer has been recommended by his boss for promotion to a PM because of his consistently good performance. But does being a good programmer directly translate into being a good project manager? Remember that just because you have great programming kung-fu doesn't mean you can resolve squabbles between programmers bickering over non-programming issues. As a PM, people skills come into play when you are put in a management role. You will also find yourself becoming more and more detached from doing actual programming. You will become more preoccupied working out project schedules, coordinating with clients, coordinating with the development team, trying to manage the expectations of the project stakeholders. Making sure deadlines are met, planning for contingencies, trying to reduce and mitigate risks to the project, trying to control scope creep, trying to keep everybody informed in a timely fashion, etc. There's a lot more but I think you get the general idea. Now you have to ask yourself: Do you honestly think you will find this the challenge you are looking for in your career? Do you find yourself wanting to overcome the challenges mentioned above? Do you want to know what the bigger picture really is and how you can be part of its inner workings? Are you prepared to take on the responsibility of a project's success or failure? If the answer is yes, then you probably should take the plunge into management. Otherwise, either stick to being a programmer or consider advancing to the role of architect which is another challenging and exciting path. But remember, the role of architect is not just a fancy role with more pay. It share the same weight of responsibility with that of a PM. PM's and architects work hand-in-hand. The architect decides what technologies to use and how the system should be designed. So if the system architecture fails, the project fails. Also, becoming an architect is not a career dead-end because there are different fields of specialization as well. The certification path offered by Sun Microsystems offers a good idea of just what your options are as a Java developer.

If you're curious about what a program manager and portfolio manager is, there's a good primer from Techrepublic on the subject.

Also, if you're thinking that a CTO position still has something to do with actual programming, think again. It's a management position where one decides what technologies the company / enterprise should implement in order to meet its business goals.

So there you have it. Hope this helps explain why few developers ever become part of management.

My Movie Review: The Forbidden Kingdom

This movie is a landmark event in the mere fact that it brings together two living legends of martial arts movies. Jackie Chan and Jet Li!

Kung-Fu fanatics everywhere will surely be delighted to see these two go against each onscreen. Obviously, their fight against each other will only be temporary as both are portraying good guys, which is typical for most movies having two stars sharing equal footing.

I was impressed by the tight choreography of the fight scenes between Jackie and Jet. Jackie Chan got to reprise his "drunken master" fighting style. The part where they show off different fighting styles was a thrill to see as well. Jet Li used the "praying mantis" style while Jackie Chan used the "tiger claw" to counter.

The whole movie can be enjoyed by the entire family as there isn't any observable bloodshed or even a kissing scene. I'm actually thinking of watching it again later since you don't get to see these two guys in a movie together. :D

My Rating: 4/5

Never too late to Dance-Dance Revo!

After much begging and promising to do good at school, I finally agreed to get my kids two (yes, you read it right, TWO) dance mats for their Sony PS2. My two daughters looked like they were having a hell of workout when they finally got it up and running.

My wife and I couldn't resist as well and joined in the fun. It was one heck of workout!

IMHO, they should make more games that actually get you to exercise your muscles (not just your fingers)! :D

Seeking dark inspiration...

I've been recently hooked by audio books of none other than that master of horror H.P. Lovecraft. Who would've guessed I'd willingly listen / read horror stories? I suppose I've always been secretly impressed with the horror genre when I bought my first horror book entitled "In The Flesh" by Clive Barker. Being a self-confessed sci-fi fan, I quickly picked up another Clive Barker book ("Imajica-the 5th dominion"). Obviously, I lapped up all the "Terminator", "Alien" and "Predator" movies that came around.

My morbidity must be surfacing or at least I may be losing some sense of sanity to keep on with my current marathon of Lovecraftian literature. Recently read / listened to the following:

• The Picture in the House


• The Doom that came to Sarnath


• The Cats of Ulthar


• The Beast in the Cave


• The Lurking Fear


• The Call of Cthulhu

I must say that the last two impressed me the most as they made me spine tingle and prompted me to blog about it here.

I've also been impressed by some Lovecraft-inspired work as well... A Colder War - by Charles Stross

I'm now dead-set on integrating the Cthulhu Mythos to my first literary adventure...

Why can't I avoid eating desert?

Why can't I avoid eating yummy sweet stuff? I just got out of the office for a while to get some (fresh?) air, and before I knew it, I was in front of a store buying desert...

45 pesos for cold semi-sweet partly gelatinous, slushy stuff...

Oh well... We all have our weaknesses right? :D

Idea for my first mini-novel...

I always wondered why Warhammer Space Marines always used landing capsules and never made any obvious attempt at using teleportation technology like the one used in "Star Trek". From what I've learned about the Warhammer mythology, mankind was plunged into some kind of technological "dark age". Science and religion have somehow merged into a single all-encompassing doctrine whose only purpose is to wage war on humanity's enemies and totally obliterate them. In my first literary attempt, i'll try to explore this aspect of the Warhammer mythos first.

Proposed Plot:
Space Marines find wreckage of a spacecraft they cannot identify on a barren planet they have recently purged of Tyranids. Tech-Marines study wreckage and find evidence that the spacecraft originated from Earth well before the time of the Horus Heresy. This knowledge immediately makes the find top secret and the planet is placed under quarantine and under the protection of the Space Marines. Tech-marines eventually find out that the spacecraft has transporter technology and start trying to piece it back together. After all, it would give them an incredibly huge advantage in dealing with their enemies! They finally manage to get the transporter to function and are able to test it successfully on non-living objects. Trouble starts when they test it on living subjects. Things go from bad to worse as a new unknown menace makes its presence felt. From here, death and unspeakable horror starts to engulf the desolate planet.

My 2008 Movies Must-Watch List

I must confess Ironman has put me on feeding frenzy for more movies to watch.

I am so looking forward to watching these movies:

1) Incredible Hulk (I'm still keeping my fingers crossed here...)
2) Hellboy 2 (I just love all this weirdness)
3) The Dark Knight (The best incarnation of Batman and the Joker to date IMHO)
4) Indiana Jones (Yay! Good old cliff-hangin' action!)
5) Hancock (this one looks like a lot of fun!)

We went to watch the Pyro Olympics at the back of SM Mall of Asia. We got a nice cozy place at Robbie's Seafood Restaurant with a nice view of the fireworks display. Germany was the country showing their pyrotechnics display that night. The weather wasn't cooperating at all! But it looks like the Germans finally had enough of all the waiting and finally launched their pyrotechnics come what may. Here's my amateur video... Enjoy!

RE: Nick Fury shows up in Iron Man movie after all...

I am so disappointed with myself for not waiting for the end credits to finish!!! Unforgivable!!!

GRRAAAAHHHH!!!! HULK SMASHHHHH!!!!


Ok. Here's the link for all you people who (like me), didn't have enough patience to wait for the end credits to finish...

http://teaser-trailer.com/2008/05/iron-man-bootleg-nick-fury.html

My IRONMAN Movie Review...

I took my whole family to watch IRONMAN on opening day. I'll admit that I was probably more excited than my kids (aged 11,10 and 8) in watching the movie (being a nerd and all that). They initially had their minds set on running wild in TimeZone (you know, the arcade place) before we watched the movie like I promised them. But what can I say? It was well worth it. It seems my kids actually paid attention during most of the movie after all since we had a lot to talk about IRONMAN even after we got out of the movie house! I was glad it turned out as well as I had hoped it would :)

Now on to my review. I'll make it short and sweet (WARNING! Possible Spoilers below)...

THE GOOD STUFF:

1) SPECIAL EFFECTS - Let's just forget for the meantime how you can pack all that high-tech gadgetry in a form-fitting suit of armor. This is, after all, a movie about a comic book hero! The effects were better than I expected. Obviously, Robocop and Terminator have nothing on good-old shell-head here (well, maybe not T-1000 or T-X). But anyway, I liked how they visualized Stark's heads-up-display (HUD). I always wondered how'd they get around to doing that since I believed it was crucial to show how Stark saw the outside world from inside his suit. Stark tech was impressive to say the least, especially the tech shown in his personal workshop. It totally showed that Stark wasn't just some rich kid with lots of hi-tech toys. He knew how to build things from scratch and he was undeniably a genius at inventing things. I was impressed by the balance between the technology grounded in reality and what was possible. Nothing too fantastic (except for Stark's chest implant though). I bet the guys who made the scene where Stark dons the suit of armor are the same guys that did the video for StarCraft where a space marine suits up. I kept seeing that scene in mind only with hot-rod red and gold as the colors of the armor. Don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining here! I loved it actually. Another thing, repulsor and uni-beam technology. Loved it! My inner geek just went to geek heaven... :)

2) THE ACTION - no dull moments here folks. Fast cars! Lots of stuff blowing up! Lots of terrorist butt-kicking! Lots of heavy metal mayhem! My kids actually didn't bother me too much (except for 2 kiddy bathroom breaks which my wife graciously handled for me, she knew just how much I wanted to watch the movie).

3) CAST - a very solid cast. My initial doubts about Robert Downey Jr. being IRONMAN have all been erased. He is definitely Tony Stark! His portrayal of Stark wasn't too light-hearted nor too serious. He found a very good balance for the character while effectively portraying all his inherent flaws (a tendency to drink too much and get laid a lot). I was pleasantly surprised that I wasn't looking for more action with Ironman. Robert Downey really showed that even without the armor, he could mesmerize the audience with his acting. He surely didn't need any high-tech armor to impress me here (very well done sir)! Pepper did a very good supporting role as well as Rhodey. Happy Hogan didn't have too much screen time though but they still managed to give him some quality moments nonetheless. Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stane was an excellent choice as well. He definitely knows how to play a back-stabbing villian! Truly evil!

4) CAMEO BY STAN LEE - priceless! Watch the movie, I don't want to ruin it for you. :D

5) IRON MONGER - A rampaging engine of destruction. The special effects guys certainly gave shell-head's nemesis a lot of weight on screen. The movements and digital rendering plus the metallic rumble of this heavy-metal bad guy was actually more believeable than what I saw in the Transformers movie.

6) SEQUEL - you can smell a sequel with WAR MACHINE in it from a mile away! 'nuff said!

To Marvel I say, it was money well spent! Awesome and totally MARVELous!!!


MY RANTS:

1) Jarvis - he's an A.I. instead of a real butler? Anyway, Jarvis is able to upload himself into the suit and acts as Tony's virtual co-pilot. Ok, I get it. They didn't want Tony talking to himself while in the suit so they make Jarvis into an A.I. that could be uploaded into the armor to make things more interesting. Ok, I'll buy that.

2) S.H.I.E.L.D. - now what did this stand for in the movie? I keep forgetting... I just remenbered "H" stood for "Homeland". "S" probably stood for "Strategic"... Duh... But then again, it sounded more realistic than what the actual acronym stood for in the comics... "Supreme Headquarters International Espionage Law-enforcement Division". Now that's a mouthful!

3) Stark's chest implant - So he had a hole in his heart... Literally. I can understand putting in a metal barrier around his heart to keep the shrapnel from sinking any deeper. But I always wondered what he needed the mini-power plant for? I'll probably have to do a bit of research on this later...

4) Nick Fury - WTF! No cameo by Nick Fury? They just sent an agent? I can understand the agents wearing your typical men-in-black suits instead of the tights. But come on, after the stunt Stark pulled off in that middle eastern desert with the fighter planes? It should have at least merited a quick visit by Nick Fury himself! Oh well, maybe I'm just too much of a Samuel Jackson fan...

5) Rhodey - the portrayal was a bit too weak in my opinion. I always thought of Rhodey as a bit edgier than what was shown in the movie. But that's just me. I like the parts where Stark always manages to get Rhodey to go along with his shenanigans... Shows the tremendous trust and friendship between these two guys.

6) Scene where Stark gets laid - ok, ok, I know were all mature people here. I know Stark's an alcoholic and ladies man in the comics. But c'mon, this is a movie that will definitely have kids watching it! Not just adult comic fans! They could have toned down the torrid kissing at least. I'll concede that they probably just wanted to put it in there to make their point that Stark was a real lady killer. But having to see my kids squirm and cover their eyes in their seats during that scene kinda made me wish they just edited out that part and replace it with maybe a scene showing Tony and the reporter lady kissing and then turning off the lights in the bedroom. I'm sure we'll all understand what that meant. :P

In any case, this is one movie i'll be buying when it comes out in DVD! Worth every cent! Mr. Favreau, you just made a fanboy very happy indeed!

P.S. I'm looking forward to seeing Hellboy 2, Hulk and Dark Knight. Hopefully, I'll see all of them on opening day as well (preferably with my family again). Movie day sounds like a good family tradition to me... :D