I'm BACK!!!

Hey there!  I've been dormant (again) due to work and other stuff for the past few months.  A lot has been going on lately (a lot of it a bit too personal to put in here, so I'm not putting it in here, period).  I'm pretty sure you'd rather read about something entertaining or cool, or... something to FEED YOUR IMAGINATION!  :D

So hang on there and I'll be posting some fun stuff I've been doing (like rediscovering and playing around with my old and new toys!  Going to fun places, and doing miscellaneous fun stuff, blah-blah).  I hope to have new stuff posted here in the next day or so.  I just need to get some decent photos for your viewing pleasure...  Check back soon! :D

SEA QUEST - Yamaha Electone Festival 1988 National Finals (PHILIPPINES)

This is my very own Throwback Thrusday.  I actually had a good childhood! :)

Captain America - The Winter Soldier Movie Review

OK, now that my wife and I finally got to sneak out of the house to watch Captain America: The Winter Soldier (and in IMAX 3D no less!), I felt a deep compulsion to write about it before going off to dreamland to watch it all over again in my mind's eye...  :)

Obviously, my opening statements show that I was thoroughly impressed with the movie.  This was a case of the sequel totally overshadowing the original.  Not since Ironman was I mesmerized and practically entranced by the action and storyline of a Marvel movie.

SPOILER ALERT!  READ THE FOLLOWING AT YOUR OWN RISK!

If you still haven't watched the movie yet and don't want to know any spoilers, then GO OUT AND WATCH THE MOVIE first then read this blog afterwards and let me know if you agree or not.  I tell you, it's definitely worth paying for the ticket!  Now, I'll be going through the things that got me hooked to the movie...

First off, I loved the STORYLINE.  This was not about Cap going up against some crazy Nazi experiment gone wrong (I'm talking about opponents like giant Nazi robots or monsters come back to life from World War II).  That would have been a total bummer for me if they had gone that route.  But thankfully, they opted to ground Cap in the present with an action-packed, cloak and dagger adventure.  I was thinking to myself that this was like a Tom Clancy novel but with Captain America and SHIELD in it.

Next, we are shown how Cap (Steve Rogers) and Sam Wilson (aka The Falcon) get to know each other.  The scene starts off quite innocently with Cap running around a course and passing Sam not just once, but several times.  The morning jog shows how much stamina and endurance Cap has compared to a very physically fit soldier (Sam) which was a good intro to say the least.  The movie shows how Cap and The Falcon's bond with each other develops.  If you ask me, I think that Cap and The Falcon is probably one of the greatest team-ups in the history of Marvel comics. Very seldom do we see black superheroes and this team up epitomizes the ideals that America stands for. In the comics, Cap and The Falcon treat each other not just as friends, but also as brothers-in-arms and most importantly, as equals. This team-up was a brave statement by Marvel comics against racism and bigotry back in the day. But I digress, back to the movie! We are also given a quick peak at how Cap is still trying to fit in to modern society as he keeps a small notepad where he lists down things he needs to know about (the one thing that immediately stuck to my mind was "Disco" listed somewhere in the middle of his list, which was kinda funny if you picture Cap in a John Travolta Disco Fever outfit. :)

Next, we are treated to multiple displays of Cap's hand to hand combat capabilities.  Nevermind that he jumps off a plane without a parachute and dives into the sea to silently board a SHIELD vessel taken over by pirates.  I was so glad they finally showed that Cap was more than just an extremely fit man with an extraordinary shield (which was how I perceived him in the Avengers movie).  He now looks more like a superhuman black ops agent.  He's fast, stealthy and deadly!  The new uniform (most likely inspired by his uniform in the comics when he became director of SHIELD) was a fresh breath of air.

In this movie he shows that he is not just a brawler but also a master tactician, mixed martial artist, gymnast and even Parkour practitioner (free runner), which all go together to embody the super soldier that he is. We also get to see that Cap not only uses his legendary shield for defense but also as an offensive throwing weapon (I'd hate to get hit by that shield!  I think if he really wanted to, Cap could cut a man in half with one throw of his shield).  I also loved how they were able to do justice to Cap's ability to target multiple enemies with one throw and at time create a trajectory that will make his shield return to him! It surely makes for awesome fight scenes! Single-handedly taking down a SHIELD fighter plane shows just how much of a one-man wrecking crew Cap can when he wants to!

Contrary to what I've heard from others who watched the film. I believe that the Winter Soldier (who turned out to be his best friend Bucky Barnes, shown to have died in the first movie) was key to the film. It was a good side story to the main epic "SHIELD has been infiltrated by HYDRA and CAP and friends must now bring down SHIELD since we don't know the good guys from the bad guys anymore". The Winter Soldier was a great foil to Cap in the movie as we see him as nearly the equal of Cap in terms of fighting ability.  If he wasn't there in the movie, Cap would have shut down HYDRA a lot sooner. I also liked how we are given a glimpse of how far Cap will go for the sake of a dear friend. It was nice how Bucky finally saves Cap from drowning but walks away as he is still unsure of who he really is and what his relationship to Cap is. 

As for Nick Fury, we are finally given a taste of just how bad-ass he can be. His SHIELD vehicle sports the latest tech from Stark Industries (sporting AI similar to Ironman's Jarvis, armor plating, flight capability -- which unfortunately was not shown because of severe vehicle damage, and a mini-gun!). Nick Fury takes out more than a dozen Hydra agents and causes a fair amount of street carnage before being stopped by the Winter Soldier. But even then, sneaky old Fury manages to escape by using one of his high tech SHIELD gadgets to burn a hole  through the street and escape via the underground sewer system. Nick Fury shows he is the king of espionage as he fools everyone into thinking he eventually dies after sustaining multiple injuries from the assassination attempt on him. Unfortunately for the enemy, old dogs of war are hard to kill...

The Falcon was a good addition and seemed like a solid character. His wing suit tech seemed to be another product of Stark Industries as well. I was actually glad they didn't use the original Falcon costume as it wouldn't translate well on the big screen.

As for the Black Widow (Natasha Romanov), it was cool to see her in her element in the movie. The Winter Soldier was just a bit too much for her, but I admired how she valiantly held her ground and led him on a wild goose chase in order to protect civilians and give Cap enough time to recover. We see that while she is extremely good at hand-to-hand combat, she is all too human and at a great disadvantage when faced with someone like the Winter Soldier. Her weapons (double pistols and high-voltage "stingers" on her wrists) just lack the punch to keep up with the likes of Cap and the rest of the cast.

EASTER EGGS:  These are the only ones I remembered.  I pretty sure there are lots, lots more I missed.

1) Agent 13 (Sharon Carter) - we get to see Cap's future love interest (in the comics, at least)

2) Maria Hill - in the comics, she becomes Shield director before Cap does

3) Batroc the Leaper - it was great to see a classic villian of Cap updated as a modern mercenary.  The fight scene between Batroc and Cap was a great showcase of just how powerful and lethal Batroc's kicks can be.  

4) Baron von Strucker - HYDRA leader

5) The Red Skull - seen briefly in a history flashback

6) Arnim Zola - loved his surprise appearance here!  I'm just glad they didn't give him a robot body and just kept him as some sort of evil AI (technically, he's not an AI. But let's save that discussion for another time). 

5) Stephen Strange - only mentioned in passing

6) Stan Lee as the museum security guard

7) Quicksilver and Wanda Maximoff - we see them as captives of HYDRA!  Intro to AVENGERS 2!!!

FINAL THOUGHTS:  I simply LOVED this movie!  I just couldn't shake the feeling that this was just a launching pad for a CIVIL WAR storyline somewhere down the road (after AVENGERS 2 maybe?).  But since Sony won't let go of the rights to X-Men and Spiderman anytime soon, I don't think this would be feasible. But hey! A CIVIL WAR storyline without the X-Men and Spiderman would still work in my opinion!  Finally, will we see in AVENGERS 2 how the Maximoff twins are manipulated by HYDRA (probably without them even knowing)?  Your guess is as good as mine.  So until next time, MAKE MINE MARVEL!!!

The Crisis in Zamboanga, and how Big Data could have helped save lives...

Watching the news these days is increasingly depressing.  Sometimes, I just want to turn the TV off and forget about reality.  But it seems reality always finds a way to wake you up.  So now I find myself writing this blog entry in the hope that my thoughts can somehow form something constructive to ease my frustration with current events.  I'm talking about what's happenning in Zamboanga (for those of you who rarely read the news).  The news is very sobering for me, we already have enough problems with territorial disputes.  Now this?



To my mind, the crisis in Zamboanga is a result of critical information not getting to the right people in a timely manner.  There have been statements from military and government sources (who prefer to remain anonymous) alleging that this was not a failure of getting intelligence, but of the government underestimating the importance of the information gathered.  This looks like the start of a never-ending finger-pointing circus to me.  But nevertheless, I still believe all of this could have been averted somehow.



If we are to accept that intelligence data was gathered beforehand, then why was it "underestimated"? Could this mean that there was a seeming lack of supporting data to give emphasis to the gravity of the situation at hand?  Was cricitical information relayed too late?  Or was this a lack of putting bits and pieces together from various and disparate intelligence sources?  Does the government and military have the resources to sift through all the information they are receiving and make sense of it all?  Do they even have the means to share vital information with each other in real-time so they can collaborate and act on it quickly and decisively?



We have the Government, the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and even the National Intelligence Coordination Agency (NICA) supposedly our version of the CIA, and who knows what other agency involved in intelligence-gathering and counter-intelligence.  I have strong doubts as to their ability to effectively share key bits of information that may prove to be critical in helping the top brass make informed decisions.  If they only had the means to quickly analyze all the data coming in from their sources and quickly provide insightful reports to those who have to make the big decisions, then maybe, just maybe, the crisis in Zamboanga might not even be in the news right now.  All because the right information got to the right people at the right time.  And who knows, lives might have been saved in the process...



Obviously, there is so much that Big Data can do for the government and military of this country.  But are the decision makers they even aware of it?  I certainly hope proponents of Big Data have already reached out to them to help them realize what they may be sorely lacking all this time...

Losing Faith in your Country

I recently read an article focusing on the sad state of affairs regarding our territorial sovereignty:

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/61320/losing-ground--how-ph-has-handled-sabah-west-philippine-sea-disputes-over-the-years

I was disheartened to read one comment from a reader saying he is so ashamed for being a Filipino because of the inaction of many of our leaders and the rampant corruption in our government.  To those of you who feel the same way and feel there is no hope left for our country, and even wish they could change their nationality and even the very fabric of their being, I only have this to say:

I'm sorry you feel ashamed for being a Filipino.  I can't blame you either.  There's a LOT that needs to be done to put the Philippines back on the right track. Personally, I still have hope for the future of this country.  I want my children to grow up proud of their country and try to teach them that we have to do what is right in order to have a better future. Every chance I get, I show them the shortcomings of our country, leaders and fellow countrymen, but I also try to teach them what we need to do to become better.  I know that what is right is not always the easy thing to do, but we need to have faith that things can get better if we do our part, no matter how small it is.  Even when things are looking bad, I tell my children DO NOT LOSE HOPE and ALWAYS DO WHAT IS RIGHT.  Because I believe that personal integrity, hard work and hope for a better future can help us get to where we want to be.

I really think that recent events are now forcing our leaders to move in the right direction (the PDAF and other govt scandals, people become more aware and vigilant against crime and corruption, China showing its true intentions, the push for the FOI bill, AFP modernization, our president actually taking a firm stand on defending our sovereignty). We are already very late in the game when it comes to having a credible self defense capability, that is painfully obvious, but I see that there appears to be a genuine desire from some of our leaders to actually do the RIGHT THING. Honestly, I wish there was some way I could contribute to our country aside from paying taxes and following the rule of law. I have even sent emails to the office of the president expressing my views (I can only hope it actually reaches the president, but I wont bet on it since I am not a gambling man).  Anyway, I think I am too old to be a soldier and probably no good at fighting anyway :)  but I think I can still help somehow with my technical skills and knowledge if given the right opportunity.  I just hope I am not alone in thinking like this...

Finally, I always tell my children: "Walang magmamahal sa Pilipinas kung hindi tayong mga Pilipino."

An Open Lettter to the President of the Philippines

Dear Mr. President,

 

Greetings!  I know you are a very busy man so I will try to be brief and direct to the point. 

The situation with China over the disputed territories is getting out of hand.  China is now brazenly building more and more structures in the Spratlys and there's nothing we can do about it!  Like myself, more and more Filipinos are becoming aware of this issue and are enraged by what the Chinese are doing there.

In my humble opinion, wouldn't using the PDAF be the most efficient and quickest way to modernize the AFP especially our Navy?  I know there are many pressing issues on your mind right now but I honestly think that protecting the sovereignty of our country should be your top priority. I know we have to deal carefully with China on this issue since we simply cannot match them ship for ship. But the handling of this issue by the DFA is simply infuriating!  There appears to be no self-respect left whenever the DFA makes any announcement regarding this issue. This is simply disheartening!

I implore you to significantly increase the budget of the DND for modernization.  If I am not mistaken, we not only have the PDAF, but also Malampaya to turn to for funding. If we can show China that they cannot bully us easily and at the same time, broadcast to the world that we are simply defending what is legally and rightfully ours and not being the agressor, this will go a long way to boosting the morale not just of the Philippine military, but of the entire nation! This will also show the International community that we are not a nation of weaklings, and that we are serious about protecting our national interests. This will also help our economy because I believe that more nations will see our country as finally becoming progressive and self-reliant.

Just think of how much jobs your administration can create by investing in navy shipbuilding and maybe even local weapons development!  Didn't we use to have a missile development program?  Didn't we also have a fighter plane development program as well?  Whatever happened to them?  If you can revive these programs, and maybe even get support from the private sector for R&D, I am confident we can become another Asian powerhouse!  Imagine if you can tap the best minds from our top colleges and universities and get them to work on projects for the DND, we might even be able to create a home-grown military drone aircraft! Who knows what else we can come up with?  Ultimately, securing our place in the Spratlys will not only be a boon for our poor fishermen over there, but also pave the way for our country to finally tap into the vast oil reserves supposedly existing there!  Imagine the kind of bright future this country can have if we only had the will to take that first, hard step forward! 

I personally believe we can be a small country that is capable of standing alone in a sea of hostility (just like Israel).  Having allies is always good. But we cannot pin all our hopes on them.  They have their own interests that we may or may not be aware of.  China owns a huge chunk of the US debt and I am very sure you are all too aware of what is happenning between these two superpowers on an economic level.  China is slowly buying out the US bit by bit!  Sadly, when all is said and done, we have no one to turn to except ourselves.  You can see this happenning all over the world.

It is painfully obvious that time is not on our side, so please find a way to show your countrymen that your promise of AFP modernization and attaining a minimum credible defense posture does not stop with the purchase of second hand ships and a dozen fighter jets. 

Before I proceed any further, I want to be clear, I am against the actions of the Chinese government.  I bear no ill will towards the citizens who probably are being fed lies and propaganda by their government regarding this issue.  Some might take me for a war monger. On the contrary, I would like to think of myself as a patriot who fully supports your efforts for a better Philippines.  And I can honestly say that I am not alone!  God Bless!


-----

Disclaimer:

These are my personal views and opinions and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer.

PACIFIC RIM: My Movie Review

Now that I've finally settled down after watching PACIFIC RIM, I am now truly convinced that Guillermo Del Toro really knows what he's doing when it comes to delivering a live-action Mecha / Kaiju-inspired film.

I have never been this excited to see a film before.  From the first time I saw an article on Del Toro and his upcoming projects, and having watched his films like Pan's Labyrinth and the Hellboy Movies, I was excited by the prospect of being able to finally watch this kind of movie about giant robots on the big screen.  Because ever since I saw ROBOT JOX in the early 90's (which you should try to watch by the way, because the stop motion done on the robots were freakin' cool for its time), I knew deep down it was still not the right time for these type of movies to flourish given the level of special effects and technology available at the time.  But ever since Iron Man become a huge box office success, and the quality of special effects (both practical and CGI), I was now convinced that we only needed a brave soul with enough imagination to make my childhood dreams a reality.  Guillermo Del Toro stepped up to the plate and I was not dissappointed one bit.

This movie brings back good memories of my childhood when I became  enchanted with Godzilla and Mecha Anime.  Aside from watching out for the latest Godzilla flick, I would always remember the timeslots of robot shows like Mazinger Z, Voltes V, Diamos, UFO Grendaizer, Jeeg, Balatack and Mekanda robot.  I would always imagine myself as one of these daring and herioc Mecha pilots battling evil monsters bent on destroying the world.

PACIFIC RIM was shot in 2D but Del Toro really took his time in converting this movie so that we can all watch it in IMAX 3D.  Indeed, Del Toro goes on to say in an interview that "if you can watch this movie in IMAX 3D, then you really should watch it in IMAX 3D".  And watch it in IMAX 3D I did!  Much to my enjoyment, opening day coincided with my birthday.  So thank you Mr. Del Toro for making this film!  Because it was such a wonderful birthday gift!

From the first time I saw the very first trailer on YouTube, I was totally hooked on this film.  I began watching out for every news tidbit I could about PACIFIC RIM on the Internet.  My imagination was on hyperdrive!  I was so glad they finally put up an official website and created a Facebook and Google+ account for the film so I knew where to get first hand information about the film.  My craving for more info, images and sneak peeks was insatiable.  I will happily admit to being a fanboy of the Mecha / Kaiju genre.

Ok, here we go!

In the world of PACIFIC RIM, the giant mechs are called "Jaeger" (a German term for "hunter", which just adds to the coolness factor).  The giant monsters are called "Kaiju" (or Japanese for "strange beast").  The Jaegers are controlled by at least two human pilots.  Del Toro goes on to explain in promotional video sneak-peeks that a single human pilot cannot control a Jaeger because of the sheer mental strain imposed on the brain of the pilot.  In this film, pilots wear combat suits that not just let them survive battle with a Kaiju, but also acts as a conduit to the Jaeger itself.  So that his/her body movements are imitated by the Jaeger.  There is also a feedback mechanism that lets the pilot "feel" what is happening around the Jaeger.  So imagine what you would feel if a Kaiju rips the arm off your Jaeger.  Another cool concept is that pilots enter the "DRIFT" where they become one with each other (something like a Vulcan Mind Meld).  So one pilot controls the right hemisphere of the Jaeger and the other controls the left.

The movie starts out with a short narrative by Raleigh (one of the pilots of the hero Jaeger "GIPSY DANGER").  He tells of the time when the first Kaiju emerged from the "RIFT" (a gateway between dimensions that opened up at the bottom of the Pacific).  Since that time, more and more Kaiju began to appear and spread havoc across the countries near the Pacific Rim.  People didn't want to resort to nukes everytime a Kaiju pops up so they came up with the "Jaeger program".  Hence the tag line "To fight monsters, we created monsters".

The Kaiju and Jaegers are HUGE!  They range from 250 to almost 300 feet tall (move over Transformers, you don't want to get stepped on by these behemoths).  When it finally looks like mankind has found it's solution to the Kaiju menace, new Kaiju start popping up that employ new strategies and start beating the Jaegers.  And to the horror of mankind, the Kaiju onslaught comes in more frequently with no end in sight.  We see a sort of "doomsday clock" where the next Kaiju attack is predicted to happen and a countdown is shown.

PACIFIC RIM is all about giant robots vs giant monsters.  It's a wild and loud roller coaster ride of epic proportions.  This is something you should keep in mind when you go to see this movie.  If you are looking for intense human drama and thought provoking ideas, this is not the movie for you.  Be sure to keep your thinking caps outside the theater for this one!

As far as the action goes, I am an extremely happy camper!  My only problem is that I am left wanting MORE titanic battles from the other Jaegers aside from Gipsy Danger and Striker Eureka.  During the "Battle of Hong Kong", the four remaining Jaegers (Gipsy Danger - USA,  Striker Eureka - Australia, Cherno Alpha - Russa, and Crimson Typhoon - China) are transported to the last operational Jaeger base called a "Shatterdome".  Here, they will hold the fort while the rest of mankind builds a gigantic wall which they hope will contain the Kaiju.  At this point in the history of PACIFIC RIM, politicians have lost faith in the Jaeger program and have decided to put their remaining resources in the construction of the "Wall of Life".  Unfortunately, the wall is easily breached by a Kaiju and Striker Eureka (the latest, fastest and most agile Jaeger to date) arrives and puts an end to the Kaiju menace.

Meanwhile, Stacker Pentecost (portrayed by Idris Elba), head of the Jaeger program, has a crazy plan in mind.  While the rest of humanity wallows in despair and walls itself off from the Pacific, he plans to enter the Rift at the  bottom of the Pacific and nuke it from the inside to close it once and for all.

As they prepare for their daring mission, two Kaiju appear from the Rift and head towards Hong Kong.  Our heroes are forced to send Cherno Alpha and Crimson Typhoon to do battle with the Kaiju.  Unfortunately, the battle left me wanting to see more of these uniquely designed Jaegers!  It was a shame to have them so quickly defeated by the Kaiju.  Personally, I would have preferred that they got more Kaiju kills before they sacrificed themselves on their mission to the Rift.  The rest of the battles were a sheer joy to behold!

Anyhow, I hope this movie earns a lot so that it easily warrants a sequel.  I have read that Del Toro is already working on a sequel so this is good news!  I also hope this sparks more fans to produce fan-fiction and inspire more Jaeger / Kaiju fan-art on the Internet.  Hopefully, a successful toy / action figure line is not far behind.

Lastly, if you're a fan of Guillermo Del Toro and also like me who loves these types of films, GO WATCH THE FREAKIN' MOVIE AT LEAST TWICE!  You will not regret it!