Re:views

Review: Bishop Scientifc’s HyberPad

2009-12-27T15:26:00.000-08:00

Bishop Scientifics has come out with a patented invention that is sure to be a great hit for BlackBerry users looking to conserve battery life.

The HyberPad is a unique and sleek creation that is truly a must-have accessory item for anyone looking to discreetly and coolly place their Blackberry in sleep mode at home or the office. No buttons need to be pushed or any additional software need to be installed.

The HyberPad is a two-sided leather pad with three magnets spaced out from top to middle to bottom. When a BlackBerry is centered on top of the HyberPad, the unit goes immediately into hibernation or sleep mode. While the BlackBerry is still working in the background, it operates under a much lower level of energy consumption thereby preserving your battery life.

What I love about the HyberPad is that once you lift your BlackBerry off of the pad it can automatically answer any incoming calls. The HyberPad simulates the mode your BlackBerry falls into when holstered into a flip-cover case. Most cases that have a front flap covering the unit include a magnet which places the phone in sleep mode when closed.

The HyberPad comes with a velour travel slipcase to place both the pad and phone when mobile as well as provide an extra layer of protection from dust or scratches. The slipcase comes in three colors: executive (black); chocolate and royal (blue).

The HyberPad is a great accessory when I am in my office. After an hour and a half long one-way commute in the morning, sometimes I forget to change my Blackberry’s profile settings to silent. This can also be quite disruptive as my office has numerous meetings and conference calls throughout the day. With the HyberPad, I no longer have to worry about this every single day as long as I preset my “in holster” settings to silent mode.

Once I place my Blackberry on the HyberPad this setting will automatically be enabled. No more worries and no more weirdly askew glances my way because I forgot to enable my sound configuration settings once I got into the office.

The HyberPad works well even with skinned BlackBerrys. However, I did experience some challenges with the Otterbox Commuter which has a skinned layer of protection plus a harder, plastic covering. The two layers of protection prevented the magnets from being consistently effective. However, every time I placed a skin-only or no-skin Blackberry, the HyberPad worked wonderfully.

Pros:

Elegant

Discreet

Very simple to use out of the box

Inexpensive

No software installation needed

Cons:

Thicker and harder protective cases might prevent the magnets from quickly placing the Blackberry in hibernation

Overall Review: 4 ½ out of 5 stars!!

You can find out more about Bishop Scientifics here!

An Incredible Bible Giveaway!

2009-12-20T12:39:00.000-08:00

The generous and fine folks at Logos.com are giving away premium Bibles!

Check out the details from their site:

The Great Bible Giveaway

BELLINGHAM, WA—October 1, 2009—Logos Bible Software today announced that it has reached the halfway point of the Great Bible Giveaway promotion, having given away nearly $6,000.00 worth of ultra-premium Bibles.

Logos will continue the promotion through the end of December, bringing the total value of Bibles given away to nearly $12,000.00.

The promotion, which coincides with the launch of the online Bible site, http://Bible.Logos.com, has seen over 40,000 unique visitors and received more than 7,000 official entries.

"The Great Bible Giveaway has been a lot of fun for us," said Dan Pritchett, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development. "Every day we receive comments from people thanking us and telling us how much they appreciate what we're doing."

The Bibles being given away represent the most popular translations offered online at http://Bible.Logos.com, including the ESV, NASB, NIV, NKJV, NLT, and KJV, and are the most ultra-premium versions available—several valued at well over $200.00 each.

From its unique infinite scrolling ability, advanced search logic, and integration with other web tools like www.RefTagger.com and http://Ref.ly, http://Bible.Logos.com is quickly becoming the top-rated online Bible website.

More information about the Bible giveaway can be found at: http://bible.logos.com/content/giveaway

About the Company

http://Bible.Logos.com is a service of Logos Bible Software. Logos Bible Software, a privately held corporation located in Bellingham, Wash., is the leading publisher of high-end, award-winning, multilingual Bible software. The company serves church, academic and lay markets, striving to bring the best in software innovation to Christians worldwide. Logos can be found on the web at: http://www.logos.com.

Review – Electric Pocket Apps

2009-12-05T15:26:00.000-08:00

Electric Pocket has an incredible stable of software that I consider essential for the daily use of every Blackberry user.

Ringo – One of my favorite apps of all time is Ringo. Ringo allows users to assign custom ring tones to people in their address book. Users can also assign ringtones to specific groups. For example, I can assign a ringtone for everyone from work. Or, I can assign ringtones to people I meet at the gym. Additionally, ringtones and vibrations can be assigned for almost any incoming message or call. The developers have created functionalities to assign ringtones to any incoming texts, emails or PIN messages. A key functionality for me personally is how much control over the volume I have over the ringtones. I can choose from a range of settings from Silent to Loudest. However, when I am at the office, I prefer my setting at Escalating Volume since I can avail of listening to the personalized ringtones as it escalates upward in volume while catching it early enough so as not to disturb my co-workers before jacking up to the loudest volume.

With Ringo, you’re only limited by your imagination when assigning personalized ringtones to your groups, friends, family and co-workers.

Here are some examples of how I assigned ringtones in my BlackBerry:

A co-worker from the Bahamas – “Red, Red Wine”
My boss – “the theme from Mission: Impossible”
His deputy – “the theme from SWAT”
My wife – something beautiful and sweet, of course!
A co-worker who loves The Office – “the theme from The Office”
A co-worker who loves guns – “the sound of a silencer shooting with the brass casings falling to the ground”
A friend who loves rocking out on his guitar – “a riff from Rush”
A co-worker with whom I joke with a lot – “a dog barking”

Bug Me! – This is an application that I loved back when I was using my old Palm TX.. I was surprised to see its cousin for the BlackBerry platform. What I love about Bug Me is its accessibility and flexibility. I can call up the Bug Me app from within any software that I’m using or from the home screen. I don’t have to hunt around for it in order to launch it. This has been key on many occasions where I’ve had to quickly take down a phone number or address on the fly while in conversation with someone. Its convenience and accessibility alone is worth the price of owning this incredible app. However, the flexibility of being able to assign alarms to serve as reminders adds more power to its purpose. Bug Me is supposed to Bug YOU! Life moves at such a quick pace and we have so many interactions that when we need to take a quick note or set a reminder on the fly, Bug Me is the perfect solution.

Twitterlerts – At first I was confused using this app because there isn’t a manual that comes with the software (at the time I was reviewing the app). I thought it was just like the millions of Twitter clients apps you see come out every two days. However, I jumped in with both feet and when I found out what separates this application from the other Twitter-related apps, I was frankly, amazed!

Twitterlerts serves as a powerful hand-held search engine for hot-topics of interest to the user. For example, I searched for “Tiger Woods” to see what kind of press he was getting from the “Twittershpere”. I was able to quickly receive the most recent tweets about Tiger and his recent confession. I was led to a tweet that referenced what young kids thought about Tiger from interviews on the Jimmy Kimmel show. I clicked the link and was brought to YouTube where I was able to view the on-street unscripted interview with the children. Great stuff!

Twitterlerts allows users to reply to the author of a tweet or email the tweet to someone else. This is incredibly important for companies who troll social networks to protect their brand name and correct any misunderstandings about a product or brand. Twitterlerts allows users and companies the freedom to track down any negative press (or find positive reviews for that matter) and to personally respond to queries, defend the brand or bring clarity to a negatively-charged situation. Companies can use this to stem any uninformed individuals or offer assistance. Twitterlerts is a powerful search engine with some nuanced tools. For example, users can find a negative review of a flight by keying flights :(. How cool is that?

Tweets get around quicker than lightning and public relations departments and staff would do well to get this app to more accurately determine the pulse of their product or use it as a tool to fly through the internet and defend their brand as well.

Or, you can be an ordinary Joe like me and use it to track down tweets about my favorite sports teams or restaurants. Or, check out the “public airwaves” on a product I’ve been eyeing to purchase this Christmas season. For staying on top of the Twittersphere, Twitterlerts is for you!

Each of these apps get “5 out of 5 Stars!”

You can find out more about Electric Apps and their incredible stable of applications here!

Review: Momentum Theme - LIFT

2009-11-28T19:46:00.000-08:00

Momentum-LIft

I previously did a review of the first three offerings from the Momentum series of themes from the talented developer, TriMax84.

The Momentum series of premium themes is all about motion, dipped in eye-candy, framed by practicality. What good is a theme if there is considerable lag time that prevents the end-user from quickly accessing his applications? Thankfully, the Momentum series has a relatively small footprint and doesn’t add considerable lag time while moving from app to app or launching software from within theme/home screen.

The latest offering in the Momentum theme is “Lift”. The signature architecture of the Momentum series is the shaded-arch in the upper left hand corner where all the basic and pertinent information resides: time, date (day, month and year); battery percentage; and, reception meter. There is a slot for placement of the weather app, QuickLaunch or MeterBerry.

However, this theme is different from the previous themes as it has five noticeable dots or hidden docks located at the bottom of the screen. As with each theme from the Momentum series, each one is differentiated by distinctive animation. In “Lift”, each of the dots represents a docking station for a number of stacked applications to rise from. From right to left, each docking station contains a number of apps which shoot up or “lift-off” from the dot. The rightmost dot stacks seven icons/applications. Proceeding towards the left, the dots stack the following number of icons in descending order, four, three, two and one, respectively. There are a total of 17 icons which are hidden until launched with one slot for the weather application. All in all, Lift hides and/or launches 18 applications from the home screen!

One noticeable improvement with the entire Momentum series is the marked upgrade to version 2.xx. This is noted by the animated menu screens which quickly shoot up when launched. Previous versions launched the menus in the standard fashion but the upgrade was definitely an eye-catching and welcome surprise!

The theme is filled with practical functionality which serves to make your most often-used software as easily accessible as possible. Here are a few more to whet your appetite:

* Hidden today
* Hidden docks
* Custom icons and graphics

List of Shortcuts:
Click the corresponding key (ie: "Alt + b" for "!") to launch the program. These shortcuts are maintained even with Dial from Homescreen enabled!
$ - profiles
! - BlackBerry Messenger
@ - Compose
* - alarm clock
# - QuickLaunch
Spacebar - browser
) - Media
Escape - clears the homescreen

TriMax84 has created another homerun with the newest addition to the Momentum Series of Premium themes for the BlackBerry. “Lift” empowers users to show off their home screen with five hidden docking stations that launch 17 applications. The animation and graphics are the usual clean, crisp handiwork we’ve come to expect from TriMax84.

You can find out more about “Lift” here. Show your BlackBerry some love by gracing it with any theme from the Momentum Series!

An Essential App: DriveSafe.ly

2009-11-14T17:33:00.000-08:00

I live in northern Virginia and work with a government-issued smartphone.

Recently, President Barack Obama issued a presidential order banning the
use of government-issued mobile units while driving.

When I first heard about the new software, DriveSafe.ly from iSpeech, a relative newcomer to the mobile software market, I was hesitant. I’ve had experience with text to speech software and it wasn’t all too great. In fact, it was quite discouraging.

I encountered problems such as an unstable application; text and content being misread on a regular basis; robotic voicing reading my content, making the end-user experience rather stale and dry. Too often I’d end up deciphering what was being “said” by the software which took more energy to listen than it was to simply read.

I’m glad to say that iSpeech’s first foray into the mobile market is a great success. There is afree and premium version available for everyone. Of course, the premium version is much more feature-rich and offers users much more options. But, at the low price of $13.95 for a one-time, lifetime license, this is an app made in heaven for people who drive or commute.

DriveSafe.ly converts SMS text messages and incoming email messages into audible and conversational read-aloud content without the end-user automobile driver not having to touch a single button. This is great for those who need to listen to their email as they drive or commute to work. In many states today, it is illegal to text, read emails or make calls on your smartphone.

DriveSafe.ly is a safe alternative to taking your eyes off of the road in order to attend to incoming messages. With DriveSafe.ly, users can decide if a text or email message needs to be responded to immediately or not. If it is the latter, the driver has beeninformed and can choose to turn off the road or park off to the side to address correspondence that needs immediate attention.

My commute is 110 miles round trip, so this is a great and handy tool that enables me not only to be compliant to state traffic laws but to also remain mindful of any urgent messages that may come my way.

The slick and professional interface is intuitive and promotes the ease-of-use. DriveSafe.ly can be used not only for people driving, but for those who are commuting on a bus or train. The software easily pairs with a Bluetooth headset or earpiece. Alternatively, users can choose to use the smartphone built-in speakers. Free-users can enjoy a maximum of 25 words to be read aloud while premium-users enjoy a maximum of 500 words.

Another cool feature with the premium version is that the gender of the author of the incoming email is recognized and DriveSafe.ly will automatically match the gender of the voice reading your email to you. How cool is that?

End-users can also customize an auto-response to explain to those sending emails or IMs to you why you aren’t available and when you’ll get back to them. Think of it as a mobile version of your corporate email client’s “Out of the Office responder” but it’s more like an “I’m Currently Driving” responder. For example, users can set their auto-response to explain “I’m currently on the road. I will be able to address any correspondence after 7 pm”. The developers of DriveSafe.ly were also savvy enough to include messaging short cuts to be read aloud for the convenience of the listener. For example, “LOL” will be read to you as “laughing out loud”. How cool is that?

Although the DriveSafe.ly has initiated its first public version, it is incredibly feature-rich and is as intuitive as it is helpful. This software is a winner and the developers have opened the doors to a vast array of future development. This is a no-brainer, essential application that everyone who has a BlackBerry or Android smartphone needs to buy NOW! Not only does this application help you to remain compliant to federal and state law, it helps users to safely manage incoming instant or email messages while driving or commuting to work.

Get a free download of DriveSafe.ly here.

Highly Recommended!

(Originally posted on PalmAddicts)

"Fearless" Book Review

2009-09-08T09:02:00.000-07:00

Max Lucado has written a book that is timely and appropriate for our times. His book “Fearless” pointedly addresses the fears we face every single day. These fears could originate from unfamiliar, distant lands from a people whose language and culture we are alien. Or, they could originate from deep within spawned from experience, pain and failure. The tag-line is bold and unafraid, “Imagine your life without fear”. That’s quite a tall order to address…but, one that Lucado successfully achieves with his extraordinary spiritual perspective, keen insight into God’s Word and his skillful storytelling acumen.

Max Lucado’s has an otherworldly gift that enables him to view some of the most harrowing and difficult questions from uniquely spiritual eyes that leave readers both enthralled and inspired after each and every chapter. According to Lucado, the key to overcoming is in one’s relationship with Jesus Christ forged from trust. Lucado brings home his message by bringing back to Jesus and his promises…by bringing us back to God. His message throughout reminds us to hold onto Jesus’ promises...Jesus’ personal convictions. Lucado doesn’t tell us how to manage fear; or how to mitigate it. He’s training us through biblical teachings and principles how to live without fear. Other than the Bible, what other book today addresses this topic head-on, and addresses our fears dead-on?

Echo Review

2009-07-17T19:02:00.000-07:00

Echo
Moon Lake TPB (Issues #1-5)
Atomic Dreams TPB (Issues #6-10)
Echo Issues #11-13
Published by: Abstract Studio Comics
Creator, Writer and Artist: Terry Moore

Sweet dreams are made of this
Who am I to disagree?
I travel the world
And the seven seas
Everybody's looking for something
— Annie Lennox

INTRODUCTION

The above lyrics from the incomparable Annie Lennox appropriately encapsulate my recent journey with comic books. After having collected comics for over 37 years, I stopped abruptly almost two years ago. I became frustrated with retreaded themes, stale storylines and vapid artwork. Most of today’s creators have become overburdened deadweights who have overstayed their place standing on the shoulders of their predecessors, those creative giants of long ago. Where are the Kirbys and Lees, Kanes and Simons, Millers and Moores, Colans and Gulacys, Bissettes and Buscemas?

I understand that today’s creators must feel pressure from the “Suits Above” who oversee corporate-owned characters seeking to satisfy the company’s bottom-line. After all, we all need to have a roof over our heads and put food on our tables. But, when the creative juices are compromised and the idea flows cauterized in the name of The Company, the monthly serials become maudlin, tedious and old.

The annual storylines that are meant to leave us in shock and awe come across forced, tepid and insincere. The earth-shattering stories that promised massive changes to their title end up leaving us feel ripped-off and cheap. Our decades of loyalty mean nothing as with each published mega-story crossover our devotion is trampled upon, our faces are slapped, our intelligence insulted and our wallets lifted as the Fat Cats laugh their way to the bank. I got so fed up that I expressed myself in a very Finchesque manner, "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!"

And with that…

I stopped buying comic books.

For almost 24 months.

But, now, thanks to three books, I’m slowly, albeit rather cautiously, returning back.

I am going to write about some comics that augurs hope for a medium I have invested into for most of my life. Today’s review is dedicated to Terry Moore’s “Echo” published by Abstract Studios Comics.

THE STORY

Echo is the story of Julie Martin, a photographer trying to make ends meet in the middle of a personal crisis when a massive explosion in the sky sends liquid metal spewing forth onto the earth below. Julie is inadvertently caught in the middle of a metallic maelstrom which places a substance that adheres to her skin leaving her with a malleable yet impenetrable shiny coat of armor that, she will come to realize, seemingly harnesses the power of a nuclear bomb.

The explosion was the result of a secret military test gone awry. When the military find out about the missing liquid metal, they embark on a manhunt for Julie Martin, who they believe has the answers to the whereabouts of this weapon of massive destruction.

At first glance, the above brief description of the story seems like so many of the cookie-cutter, superhero-themed stories that we’ve enjoyed or despised over the years. However, as you will hopefully see at the end of this review, “Echo” is so much more.

The first trade entitled Moon Lake introduces readers to the cast of characters in the book as well as launches them into the tragic plight of Dr. Annie Trotter, the previous “owner” of the armor. Moore’s understanding of the economy of storytelling is displayed as he can take a panel or a page and provide enough characterization to either win your affection or pin your disdain on a hero, villain or supporting cast member.

Moore’s ear for dialogue shows his seemingly effortless skill of choosing the right words for the right character for the right occasion. His writing can be both sensitive and heartfelt as shown in the emotional exchange between Julie and her husband Rick in the parking lot. Moreover, Moore’s comedic timing is spot-on as he masterfully introduces readers to ice house owner, Dan Backer’s, biker gang. Comics rarely evoke audible laughter from me, but the brief and memorable scenes with this gang are priceless.

The first trade also gives us glimpses of why the book was cleverly named Echo as we see Dr. Trotter communicating to Julie from a distant place. There are times when Julie Martin apparently channels Annie and the latter’s words and thoughts echo through the former while in deep thought or conversation.

The second trade entitled Atomic Dreams shows readers the unfettered fury of the high-powered armor unleashed as Julie and a yet-to-be named witness to the explosion who also received a portion of the liquid metal duke it out it the Nevada desert. The manhunt led by NSB agent Ivy Raven provides the audience a personal look into her motivation and her past. As a reader, I’ve been on the fence about Ivy’s motivation for capturing Julie. Does she do this out of duty to the contract as a high-priced and highly-efficient bounty hunter or as Ivy pieces together the puzzle does she really have Julie’s best interests at stake? My read on her is uncertain but one thing I’m certain about: the suspense is taut and the action is awesome.

Believe it or not, the action and suspense kick into another gear with issues 11-13. After reading this entire series thus far, I am reminded of a great quote by Samuel Goldwyn on storytelling which I find very apropos:

“We want a story that starts out with an earthquake and works its way up to a climax.”

This is exactly how the story of Julie Martin is being told.

THE STORYTELLER

As a creative genius and expert storyteller, Terry Moore has set himself apart. One of the more difficult responsibilities in creating comics is the role of writer/artist. There are less than a handful of combination writer/artists who regularly have their work published. Most writer/artists start out as handling both creative duties but, eventually later delegate one of these responsibilities out. Terry is in rarefied air as he has been handling both the artistic and written duties for his own work since 1993.

The oeuvre of Terry Moore’s work is punctuated by his deft characterization and adept line work. Mr. Moore humanizes his characters like no other. Terry is able to wonderfully illustrate an incredible range of emotions on his characters’ faces as he expertly captures the subtleties and nuances of human expression and effectively and beautifully translates them onto pencil, pen and paper.

Given such investment into character development on each issue, one would think that the pacing suffers greatly. However, Terry has a skilled director’s eye for pacing that keeps readers in an alternating state of suspense and empathy leading up to each issue’s breathtaking cliffhanger.

IN CLOSING

There’s so much more to this book than I was able to capture in this review: Dillon and Julie’s relationship; the strong family ties of Julie and Ivy; the mysterious content found in the box of Julie’s closet; Dan Backer’s history; how will Annie’s “presence” affect Julie’s relationship with Dillon or Rick; what other projects are going on in HeNRI; how does the metal armor enable Dr. Trotter to “echo” from afar through Julie; etc.

Terry Moore’s Echo is in a league all by itself. Very rarely can a story be told which grabs you by the throat and with each issue keeps you on the edge of your seat with every turn of the page. As a seasoned writer and accomplished artist, Moore’s storytelling acumen is nonpareil, bar none. His powerful narrative is truly light-years ahead of anything produced in the mainstream mass market today. Readers would be doing themselves a great disservice if they didn’t pick up an issue of Echo each and every month.

New readers can easily catch up by purchasing the two trade paperbacks and the last three issues. Echo#13 came out last week and can be purchased at your favorite comic haunt. Or, you can order online from Terry’s site www.AbstractStudioComics.com.

Review: The Noticer

2009-04-27T07:19:00.000-07:00

Andy Andrew’s “The Noticer” is one, absolutely incredible book.

If you were to look at the page count, the book is a quick read. But, the content encased by both covers offers a lifetime of hope, reassurance and inspiration.

The book’s key figure goes by the name, “Jones”. He is an elderly, grandfatherly man who seems to appear in peoples’ lives when they are at their bleakest and darkest. The words of wisdom from the book constantly reverberate through my memory as I recall the various times throughout the reading of the book that I felt the sting of self-reflection and the warmth of hopeful reconciliation. Jones is the “Noticer” who drops in and out of people’s lives and offers wisdom that penetrates hearts and inspires change. Jones’ gift is the power of perspective. When trouble hits our lives, it is easy to be entangled too deeply into the weeds of life’s worries and struggles. Jones steps into the lives of the people in the book and helps them to step back and view the options everyone can choose from. He patiently teaches and graciously offers the gift of perspective to anyone willing to simply listen.

There were several times throughout my reading of the book that I groaned inwardly as introspection led to revelation about my character and inspiration on where I can go from here. This isn’t you’re typical “feel good” book. While the messages found throughout the story come in easily managed doses they stick to you heart, soul and mind. I tried to leave this book immaculately unmarked and unscathed, thinking that this would make a great gift that I could pass on to another reader. But, I couldn’t stop myself from bending corners of countless pages and highlighting favorite passages, marking up parts of the book that called me to a deeper self-reflection and a greater motivation to change. I may end up just buying copies for others to mark up and dig into. No other book since the Bible has inspired me to address my personal weaknesses and face my personal challenges and move forward to personal changes.

There is the added bonus of “A Reader’s Guide” found at the back to take it even deeper. This has been one of the most rewarding and thought-provoking reads I have ever experienced. Andy Andrews is a gifted storyteller who can move our hearts and change our minds for the betterment and advancement of ourselves.

There was a song years ago from the soundtrack of the animated movie, “The Prince of Egypt” that beautifully captures the spirit of this simple and powerful book on the strength perspective can bring to our lives. The song’s title: “Through Heaven’s Eyes”.

Review: Skeeter and the Mystery of the Lost Mosquito Treasure

2009-03-08T14:06:00.000-07:00

This is the first of Max Lucado’s family-oriented series, Hermie & Friends that I have ever experienced. Given that its target audience was for children ages 10 and below, I pulled in my son, who was a willing participant for anything animated.

At first, he said that the characters were for the little kids. It was at that point that I felt this may be a long hour. However, what followed was a small miracle.

The DVD we viewed was “Skeeter and the Mystery of the Lost Mosquito Treasure”. In this episode, Skeeter’s brother, Sir Sinclair M. Skeeto, a world famous adventurer, visits the garden inhabited by the cast of characters in search of a mysterious treasure map left by their father. Everyone in the garden fauns over Sinclair’s pomp and circumstance; moreover, they are shocked that the great Sinclair with all his celebrity, could be Skeeter’s own brother. The differences in both Skeeter and Sinclair, and the former’s resultant insecurity, are the issues addressed in this modern day parable.

Several times throughout the movie, my son guffawed and chuckled. My wife and I also had a few laughs at the expense of the perfectly timed dialogue and top-notch talents of the star-studded cast which included the great Tim Conway and animated John O’Hurley.

The generous soundtrack helped to keep the pace moving along as well as kill any potential dead-space that could leave a child’s mind wandering. The animation was fluid and bright and the colors were digitally crisp. The characters were endearing and the lesson uplifting. One of the unexpected treats was being able to see Max Lucado himself open and close the episode. I have seen pictures of him in his books over the years, but it was great seeing him interact with Hermie and the audience.

My wife and I loved this DVD so much that we brought it to our Sunday worship service the following day and give the children an opportunity to enjoy this animated and well thought-out gem. Is there a better way to express my recommendation?

Where the Heck is Matt?

2008-08-30T06:49:00.000-07:00

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

If it's too jumpy and jerky, turn off the HD option.

The Most Inspiring National Anthem Sung...Ever

2008-08-16T14:42:00.001-07:00

The Last Lecture

2008-08-06T20:22:00.000-07:00

Patrick Willis- Class Act

2008-07-16T19:43:00.000-07:00

It's refreshing to see a story such as his.

The Manliest Contest in the World!!!

2008-07-08T19:00:00.000-07:00

The fine gents at www.artofmanliness.com (one of my favorite blogs, if not THE favorite) is running a cool contest for people who want to look mighty fine for themselves and the world they're set out to conquer. Check out the site by clickety-clicking here and man up!

Tomorrow's Memoir

2008-07-05T18:16:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow's Memoir

Inspiration via Parkour: Mental Block

2008-05-21T11:53:00.000-07:00

Grant Morrison Interview

2008-04-22T18:54:00.002-07:00

Here he is!

Incredible Talent!!!

2008-03-20T23:23:00.000-07:00

America's Dance Crew has become one of my favorite shows of the week, right after Celebrity Apprentice. Here's a taste...

Review

2008-02-10T22:35:00.000-08:00

“When you look into the abyss, the abyss also looks into you.”

— Frederich Nietzche

The Killer is a haunting, graphical masterpiece that explores the intricate and intimate minutiae of a killer’s mind. Writer Matz and Artist Luc Jacamon excellently depict the inner conflict of guilt and conscience trumped by seemingly forced rationalization and self-justification in the mind of a professional killer. Not since Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment or Nabokov’s Lolita has the journey into a man’s mind been both so eloquently and brutally intriguing.

Luc Jacamon’s artwork is absolutely brilliant. Jacamon’s simple and deft pencils and inks emphasize the contradiction of the simplicity of his line work and the resultant beautifully complex and highly detailed artwork. Moreover, the lushly hued pages display a color palette rarely seen in most modern comic books. The muted and understated colors gently accentuate and breathe life into the book’s characters.

Matz’s journey into the nameless title character’s inner being is an exploration of a man’s heart spooned out and discarded with each kill. He has no scruples and no morality. There is a hair-raising sequence in the story where the killer contemplates true friendship. Lonely...isolated...detached. His only “friends” are the victims whose lives he has viciously and abruptly cut short by savagely murdering them. He rationalizes that they were his closest friends because he knew everything about them as is wont for preparation of his contracts. Ironically, he knew everything about them, but they knew absolutely nothing about him.

The killer’s one true friend is an individual who had shaped him into the man he is today. Perhaps his closest and most enduring relationship in his life, Eduoard is driven to a guilt-ridden suicide. He can no longer take the murderous lifestyle he leads. The message is clear to everyone except the killer himself: money isn’t worth a poisoned conscience, a hardened heart or a blackened soul.

The Killer is a European import that is arguably the best comic book on the market today. The evocative artwork and personally intimate narrative provide a disturbingly unique perspective on morals gone fatally askew and a conscience slowly melting away.

(Note: this review originally posted in my column, "The Whirling Spinner Rack" at www.ComicCritique.com)

2008-01-29T22:57:00.000-08:00

Portrait of Father and Son

Aaaauuugggghhhhh!

[Posted using hblogger 2.0 on my Palm TX]

Video Review of Astraware's Casino

2008-01-06T17:50:00.000-08:00

Originally posted on Palm Addicts

You Gotta Check Out: Olive Tree's CEVL Bible

2007-12-02T18:16:00.000-08:00

There simply is no other company that provides the wealth of choices for the seeker or the follower, novice in the faith or mature disciple. The content on Olive Tree’s site continues to grow as new material is regularly updated and added. OliveTree.com is THE choice for your source of Christian studies and Bibles for your PDA.

The Contemporary English Version Learning Bible is the work of the combined efforts of the editors and writers of this version and the CEV’s corresponding commentary.

In the Forward to the book Creating and Crafting the Contemporary English Version (1996), America Bible Society President Eugene B. Habecker describes the beginnings of this version:

Work on the CEV began in 1984 when Dr. Barclay Newman, Ph.D., a distinguished biblical scholar who had provided several decades of service as a translations consultant in the Asia Pacific Region of the United Bible Societies, first began to apply his considerable knowledge to his own first language—English. He meticulously studied the language that people, and especially children, used and were exposed to on a daily basis through books, magazines, newspapers, the movies, and television. This eclectic and careful study helped him to understand what terms and sentence structures were most understandable to people who used English in their day-to-day communication. He learned what sorts of constructions confused readers, and even more significantly, he learned which terms and grammatical constructions were likely to be misunderstood by people who heard texts being read aloud.

Those who do not have much of a religious or Christian background can manageably understand the CEV Learning Bible as it succeeds in simplifying the texts’ meaning. Additionally, the CEVL is also good source of deeper study and biblical exploration for more experienced readers. It was written with today’s modern sensibilities in mind. Moreover, the CEVL has writing that is very direct and imbued with more force whenever the text requires it.

A good example of this is taken from Hebrews 11:1:
“Faith makes us sure of what we hope for and gives us proof of what we cannot see”.

As compared to another popular version of the Bible:
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see”.

Although the meanings are similar, the Contemporary English Version Learning Bible’s text is written in a stronger imperative voice, expressing it with more command and affirmation.

One of the concerns with producing a modernized version of the Bible is the risk of filtering out the original meaning that the ancient writers’ intended. I have always encouraged those seeking to understand the truths of the Bible to read alternative versions to deepen, amplify and enrich their understanding on greater levels than if the reader had only read a singular version.

The Contemporary English Version Learning Bible comes with is a Bible and bible handbook in one! The CEVL comes equipped with many tools to enliven and strengthen the novice and veteran in their personal Scriptural study.

The commentary contains over 10,000 notes to assist readers in a deeper exploration of history, people, geography and the times. The commentary is divided into six helpful and informative categories:
· Geography
· People and Nations
· Objects, Plants, and Animals
· History and Culture
· Ideas and Concepts
· Cross references

There are tons of Scriptural and contextual cross-references that lead you to other verses and articles to enrich your personal study.

The CEVL is a good addition to anyone’s biblical library. Its modern sensibility makes it easier for newcomers or seekers in Christianity to get an initial grasp of deep, spiritual meanings and concepts. Moreover, the added commentary and content truly makes this a great learning experience for novices and more experienced readers alike.

You can find out more about the Contemporary English Version Learning Bible and other products at OliveTree.com !

Originally published in Palm Addicts

You Gotta Check Out: CrazySoft's The Final Battle

2007-11-23T09:44:00.000-08:00

Over the years, I have purchased several of CrazySoft’s products. CrazySoft has a reputation for producing some of the most entertaining, quality puzzle, action and adventure games for PDA’s of various cross-platforms. Their latest addition, The Final Battle, is their most ambitious entry into the PDA gaming market.

The Final Battle is a quest-adventure where you begin the game having awakened in a prison. However, you are stricken with amnesia and don’t know who you are, much less how you ended up in jail. The game requires that you be on top of your mental game as it entails the use of your cognitive as well as your best, deductive skills. However, fans of “Lost in the Pyramid” know that the journey is a light-hearted one as characters are encouraged along by the great humorous interactions that prods game-players onward!

The Final Battle is a huge game that takes place at various locations: from the taverns to the Holy Place to the West Villa; from the Cemetery to the Forests and the Mines. The game is both intriguing and involving as you are whisked away to this medieval world of knights and knaves. The game-play is not linear where players go from left to right as the game progresses. You’ll have to move all over the map to pick up instruments to help you solve puzzles you previously encountered along the way. However, the game is easily grasped and not frustrating. The main functions of the character you control are the ability to examine and operate interactively with objects on the screen. The controls are intuitive and easily grasped. But, the trick is to use your noggin on how and when to use items on-screen.

Along your journey, you pick up useful items that you may place in your inventory for later use. Sometimes, you have to be a mind reader of sorts to anticipate a character’s thought process in your encounters. Don’t fret if your response is incorrect as you are given a limited number of options to choose from when responding to one of the game’s multitude of characters. Additionally, this is a journey of self-discovery as to pick up pieces of your past that you paste together to find out who you are.

The Final Battle is an intuitive and fun-filled romp through various levels of interactivity and entertainment. The artwork and graphics are fluid and entertaining. The storyline is engaging enough to propel gamers forward with interest and anticipation. This game is reminiscent of the old-school style of computer games with a modern sensibility. I highly recommend this game as good, clean entertainment for everyone in the family!

Test-drive The Final Battle from CrazySoft’s site here!

(Originally published on Palm Addicts)

Planting Seeds of Fun: Plantastic!

2007-11-22T20:00:00.000-08:00

Review: Thylus’ Thumb Stylus

2007-10-21T17:40:00.000-07:00

Thylus’ Thumb Stylus is a unique writing instrument unlike anything you’ve ever seen on the market today. Over the years, I have used a variety of styli that come in the forms of multi-functional pens or styli that are a little thicker than coffee stirring sticks. However, Thylus has come up with a one-of-a-kind product that may revolutionize how you input data into your PDA, iPhone or other electronic device. (Admittedly, I don’t have an iPhone, but I can easily see how this instrument can save on smudging up the touch-screens found on that product. I have also used this on my Nintendo DS Lite and it worked fabulously)!

The Thumb Stylus comes with an adjustable band that wraps around your thumb attached to a light, plastic tip. When finished, users can return the Thumb Stylus in the cool, little black box container that you can easily attach to the back of your PDA through an adhesive found in the package.

At first, the Thumb Stylus took some getting used to. But, after a few minutes, I was able to get the hang of it. The Thumb Stylus needs to be writing characters at a comfortable angle in order for users to efficiently input their information. I’ve had bouts of carpal tunnel whenever I write. The Thumb Stylus is a good solution to winning that battle, as you are not forced to position your fingers in a way that causes aggravation to the muscles used in writing.

After trying several times using the Thumb Stylus on my thumb, I switched over and placed it on my index finger. Although the stylus was made with the thumb in mind, I also had success writing with my index finger.

Thylus’ Thumb Stylus is an innovative writing utensil for your PDA or other electronic device that requires manually writing characters in order to input your data. Its unique form also spares your screen of scratches and smudges since the pressure applied by your thumb or finger is lesser than when you write with a normal stylus. For an inexpensive and unique writing accessory that is lightweight, durable and very practical, Thylus’ Thumb Stylus is the way to go! This definitely rates a 5 out of 5 stars!

You can find out more about Thylus’ Thumb Stylus by going to their site here. The developer is also very helpful and responds to any inquiry fairly quickly.

(This review originally appeared on the Palm Addicts site)

Astraware's Boardgames Review

2007-10-08T21:07:00.001-07:00

Astraware is the place to go for your handheld gaming and entertainment needs. With over 140 applications for most handheld platforms, Astraware is uniquely positioned to cater to anyone’s gaming and entertainment needs. Reviewing applications for Astraware can be a daunting task as they have such a wide range of diverse, quality applications. Astraware is truly “the home of handheld entertainment”.

Astraware has done it again! They’ve taken some of the world’s most revered and popular board games and bundled them into an eclectic mix of game-playing and technological wizardry.

Over the years, I’ve spent a good penny buying individual games for my PDA. I bought a chess game for $25. I bought another chess game for $35. I’ve purchased a backgammon game for about $20. I bought a checker game for $10. I have a Reversi game for about $12. With these games alone, I’ve spent over $100! To be honest, some of these games have left a lot to be desired in terms of game play and presentation. Sadly, many of their developers have been left behind in the wake of the speed of technological progress and advancing operating systems. What was once enjoyable on my Palm m550 isn’t as hip on my TX (and maybe not even playable on the newer OS). Astraware’s Boardgames covers all these bases.

Astraware continues to take gaming to the next level, as their latest release Boardgames goes on sale this coming Wednesday, October 10th, with a stable of eight full games all for the measly price of $19.99. You read it correctly: EIGHT games! The list of games includes Chess, Checkers, Backgammon, Snakes & Ladders (also known as Chutes & Ladders), Reversi, Ludo, Tic Tac Toe, and Nine Men's Morris. Each game comes with an easy-to-follow tutorial for those of us not so familiar with any of the aforementioned games. I’ve never played Chutes and Ladders nor Ludo. However, the instructions were kept simple and basic enough for me to jump in after a few minutes of reading. I’m a bit of an impatient guy who doesn’t like to read tutorials, but the instructions were a breeze and allowed me to jump in and enjoy the games.

The game play and graphics are top-notch as is customary for anything coming out from Astraware. The games offer game-learning curves for both novices and more experienced players to enjoy at personally compatible levels of competition. Rather than spend over a $100 searching out these individual games, you’re better off purchasing this combo game gem for a low price. You won’t be disappointed with Astraware’s high-end reputation for producing games that are great to look at and even greater to play. Moreover, if you have any technical problems (which have been few and far between over the years I’ve supported Astraware), they have an excellent tech support staff that will get back to you with practical and immediate resolutions.

Not surprisingly, I give this game 5 out of 5 Stars!!

Give these games a test-drive and find out for yourself! Click here!

(Originally posted on Palm Addicts)

Woah

2007-10-04T19:58:00.000-07:00

Bruce Lee Backyard Training

2007-09-28T21:56:00.001-07:00

I've seen portions of this clip in the past, but never like this. You can even hear their kids in the background and some of the comments of his students.

Game of Death-Finale with Kareem

2007-09-28T21:52:00.000-07:00

Enter The Dragon

2007-09-28T21:40:00.000-07:00

In Linda Lee's book about her late husband, "Bruce Lee: The Man Only I Knew" she mentioned that Bruce was so fast that in Enter The Dragon, they had to slow down some of frames of his fights because they were concerned that the audience may think that the film was sped up to accent his quickness. His fights were either slowed down or shown at normal speed. His movements were never enhanced.

Also, the character O'Hara was Bruce's personal bodyguard. One would think it funny that Bruce Lee even had one, but he had to given his meteoric rise in cinema. I believe at one point, he was the highest paid international movie star of his time. Another interesting anecdote is in the scene when Bruce kicks O'Hara into the crowd, one of the extras actually broke his arm given the force of Bruce's kick while attempting to break O'Hara's fall.

Chinese Connection-Japanese School

2007-09-28T21:36:00.000-07:00

Return of the Dragon

2007-09-28T21:29:00.000-07:00

The time has finally come...

2007-09-28T09:45:00.000-07:00

I'll be getting a root canal in 15 minutes. Man, this sucks. In a later post, I'll explain why I've avoided dentists for the past 6 years...until now.

An Incredible Find! Astraware's "Hidden Expedition: Titanic"

2007-09-18T20:44:00.002-07:00

If you take a look at online game sites that specialize in creating games for your laptop or PC, one of the top-rated genres of games you’d find is the “search puzzle” themed game. I have always wondered if there would ever be a game that could be properly ported onto the PDA for portable game playing of this increasingly popular genre. Astraware, the leading producers of portable games for the PDA are the first to strike gold with their newest addition to their successful gaming stable with “Hidden Expedition: Titanic”.

“Hidden Expedition: Titanic” is a game for the Palm and the PPC that challenges players to find hidden items ranging from the most mundane to the miraculously marvelous. Where else can you find a rusty golf club and a prehistoric toy in the same room? Big Fish, the creator of HE:T, have gone to great lengths to create the adventures of a treasure hunt from within a sunken ship with crisp, clean sound effects and an eerie, atmospheric soundtrack that pulls you deep into the ocean and keeps you there. Throughout the expedition, players are challenged to find certain items throughout a particular room. These items are cleverly hidden providing hours of entertainment created to challenge your mind and observational skill.

Users can easily navigate throughout the room by tapping the edges of the screen whereupon the room smoothly scrolls to reveal more hidden gems. Speaking of gems, players collect more points by finding these colorful jewels.

Astraware and Big Fish have teamed up to create a game that whisks you to the undersea treasure of fortune hunting. There is no other game like this created for your PDA. The graphics are beautifully rendered and the underlying soundtrack establishes a world of intrigue and good old-fashioned fun. This is probably one of the easiest ratings I ever given a game: 10 out of 10!

You can find out more from Astraware’s site here. "Hidden Expedition: Titanic" will be available to the world on Wednesday, September 19th!

(Originally appeared in Palm Addicts)

2007-09-09T21:46:00.000-07:00

Been absent from the blog lately. been busy with work and life, in general.

[Posted with hblogger 2.0 http://www.normsoft.com/hblogger/]

Zune iPhone Spoof

2007-08-26T09:22:00.001-07:00

"Hello, Planet Earth!"

2007-07-12T22:47:00.000-07:00

I’ve been a fan of ComicCritique.com for some time and I’m honored to be a part of this great staff of writers and reviewers. Our esteemed editor, Louis, asked to me to introduce myself to the planet, so here goes!

My first introduction to comic books was from my brother’s collection of early to mid-1960s twelve-cent Marvels. I was easily indoctrinated as a Keeper of the Flame early on given my brother’s penchant for Lee-Kirby and Lee-Ditko books such as Fantastic Four, X-Men, Spider-Man and Dr. Strange. He also had a few smatterings of The Incredible Hulk, The Avengers, Silver Surfer and Marvel Two-in-One (I believe). My brother’s taste in artists and their body of work easily enthralled me. He loved Don Heck’s Avengers and Steve Ditko’s Dr. Strange. He also had a near complete run of the Stan Lee and Gene Colan Daredevil as well as the Romita Silver Surfer.

From there it was a matter of going to the neighborhood 7-11 and buying comic books with my brother, sister and her future husband each afternoon after Sunday church. I was pretty much a Marvel zombie during my early years. When I was in high school, I’d travel downtown to the cigarette and magazine shop that sold comics. I’d also go to the neighborhood drugstore and haunt the spinner rack and whirl it around to get my regular comics as well as flip through each rack to find any hidden gems I may be interested in.

During college, I gained some independence and a greater amount of cash flow while attending UC Berkeley. I was fortunate enough to have had some disposable income while attending Cal and purchased comics during the early to mid-eighties, which was our most recent renaissance in the medium. This period was heaven on earth with the publications of Miller’s Dark Knight and seminal Daredevil, which colored the comic landscape in violent, blood red. Of course, Byrne and Claremont’s Wolverine came out during this period and was also noted for his quick-triggered and animalistic temper. I remember hearing and reading the complaints of the press claiming that the newfound brutality of Daredevil and the short-fused Wolverine were labeled as “gruesome” and “gratuitous.” Of course, Miller’s portrayal of the aged Batman in a dystopian future didn’t help to quell their outcries.

This was an incredible period for the comic book medium and their fans as the “British Invasion” brought talents such as John Bolton, Brian Bolland, Dave Gibbons and Alan Moore to name a few. Moreover, independent comic book companies decided to enter the market and flex their creative muscles to compete against the mainstream big two of Marvel and DC. This decades-long creative outburst introduced independent classics such as Allred’s Madman, Baron and Allred’s Nexus (initially done in magazine format from Capitol Comics. Anyone remember the Nexus theme song included one of these mags?). This influx of creativity challenged the big two and inspired even more creativity throughout the industry.

Wagner’s Mage and Grendel entered the fray through Comico. Who could forget Eclipse Comics snapping up Englehart and Rogers for Detective, Inc. or Michael T. Gilbert’s albino warrior, Elric? This was also a great time for comic mags about comics to enter some of the best-written commentary and interviews. My favorites included The Comics Journal, CBG, Hero, and David Anthony Kraft’s The Comics Interview.

We experienced death in comics for the first time in magnum opus fashion in the forms of the deaths of Captain Marvel and Jean Grey. Humor was in vogue with Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew. Innocent but dopey-looking characters such as ‘Mazing Man always challenged us to look at the heart and not at the outside appearance while giving us a few chuckles along the way. Who could ever forget the wildly manic Ambush Bug and the occasional appearance of the Impossible Man? I remember the Marvel imprint Star Comics aimed at the younger generation of comic goers. One of my favorite books of all time came out during this time, William Messner-Loeb’s, Journey: The Adventures of Wolverine MacAlister. Scott McCloud’s open artwork on Zot! introduced us to a world of good, clean entertainment. Who needed muscle-bound oafs when you had a teenaged kid with a good heart flying around armed with a futuristic popgun and a ton of courage, walking back and forth between time and space?

Soon after college I moved to the Philippines. While in the Philippines, there were only a handful of comic book shops. Additionally, American or English-based comic books were the realm of yuppies and the wealthy given the Philippines’ poverty and the fact that, at the time, books sold for two to three times more than what they cost in the US given the inflated international rates and shipping and handling charges. I would rebuild my comic collection by thumbing through stacks and stacks of boxes at used bookstores and often purchasing comics for pennies. Sometimes I’d buy translated versions of US-based books such as the X-Men or Spider-Man, but it just felt strange seeing books I grew up reading in English in a different language.

Upon returning to the US, I reclaimed my weekly Wednesday habit much to the chagrin of my wife and wallet. My tastes are mostly from the newly-formed big three of Marvel, DC, and Image. I get the occasional indie here and there if my local comic shop carries them. I was a reviewer for the now defunct TheComicsReview.com. That was my first writing-for-comics gig and now I can add the distinguished ComicCritique.com to my portfolio. Over the next few weeks or months I plan to embellish further some of the topics I briefly touched upon in the previous paragraphs. I’d like to do a few interviews with distinguished or up-and-coming creators in the business in addition to the occasional comic review.

So, “Hello, planet Earth!” A new pulse-pounding pundit has just arrived!

(Originally published in www.comicscritique.com. Published: 2007-07-09)

Preview of an Upcoming New Column on Another Site

2007-07-07T19:52:00.000-07:00

More news on this coming soon!

Comic Book Superheroes Unmasked, Part 5

2007-07-07T19:49:00.000-07:00

Review: Astraware Solitaire

2007-06-30T20:10:00.000-07:00

Astraware is the place to go for your handheld gaming and entertainment needs. With over 140 applications for most handheld platforms, Astraware is uniquely positioned to cater to anyone’s gaming and entertainment needs. Reviewing applications for Astraware can be a daunting task as they have such a wide range of diverse, quality applications. Astraware is truly “the home of handheld entertainment”.

One of the great things about Astraware is that they can take a game as famous and widely played as Solitaire, and amp it up to meet the needs of the newer generation of gamers who seek to play an old-school game.

Astraware Solitaire has allowed accomplishing a feat never done in my life: play through and finish a game of Solitaire. In all my years of living on this planet, I can now say that I’ve finished a game of Solitaire. You may be thinking,”Eh…so what?” What I love about Astraware Solitaire as opposed to the various other programs available for the Palm OS is the relative ease at which I can customize my game play. Given that I am a novice at learning this time-honored game, I was able to adjust the settings that allow me to play and learn at the same time. The game play allows Astraware Solitaire’s AI to highlight for me the next best step. I am given the option to choose the indicated move notated by the green-hued card or I can make my own decision and choose make a different move.

Moreover, Astraware Solitaire makes it super-easy to move cards by allowing users to just tap a card on the screen and the card will automatically go to the next best move. No need to drag and drop (unless you wanted to, of course). Users have the additional functionality of being given a simple hint indicated by the starred card.

A unique feature of the game is the achievement system that makes for exciting game play. As players win games, certain trophies are unlocked and added to their personal milestones. The ultimate achievement is to win enough games to complete the Golden Trophy Deck, which further enhances user game play.

Astraware’s Solitaire gives players a multitude of options to adjust to their personal level of game play. Both the novice and veteran player will find a lot to provide hours of challenging and fun card play. The card games included in this version are: 12 different single player card games: Calculation, Canfield, Clock, Four Seasons, Freecell, Golf, Idiot’s Delight, Klondike, Pyramid, Spider, Sultan’s Harem, and Yukon

My overall experience with playing Astraware’s amped-up version of Solitaire has been great bordering on being addictive. This is truly a great addition to the expertly made and effusively entertaining line up of fantastic games from the Astraware stable. You can download a free demo to test-drive Solitaire from the Astraware site here. Have fun!

Only posted on Palm Addicts

Comic Book Superheroes Unmasked 4

2007-06-30T20:09:00.000-07:00

World War Hulk

2007-06-29T20:38:00.000-07:00

I'm not a Hulk fan. I haven't been a regular reader since the Peter David days. I wasn't taken by the Hype Machine that is Marvel. But, this book really lives up the the Summer Blockbuster series that it should be. I don't even want to get into what happens to Black Bolt and Iron Man. Let's just recall that old saying about the Hulk: The madder Hulk gets, the stronger he becomes.

Of all the blockbuster series this past year, this could be THE one! If the following issues are as good and entertaining than the first...watch out world!

Comic Book Superheroes Unmasked 3

2007-06-23T10:11:00.000-07:00

Saturday Superhero Binge on a Thursday

2007-06-14T20:08:00.000-07:00

(Posting a little early this week...)

FF2 is due out this weekend. I didn't particularly like the first movie so my hopes aren't too high, even with the CGI'd Silver Surfer and after being inundated with The Rise of the Silver Surfer TV ads. Too much of the cast was grossly miscast. The only one they got right was Johnny Storm. I've heard over the 'Net that Reed and Doom will have to join forces to stop the Surfer. This little tidbit (if true) along with the mixing up of powers is just wrong. I'm a firm believer that whenever a movie strays far from the source material, the movie will fall flat on its face. (Maybe I should go into more detail on this theme in a later post...)

A Bit of a Winning Streak

2007-06-13T17:36:00.000-07:00

I've been winning a few prizes over the years. But, I've got a mini-winning streak going on these past few weeks as well. I've won an autographed copy of author Darrell Bain's top-selling book, "Alien Infection". Mr. Bain is cordial as he is generous by offering a free book each month. Details can be found on his website.

Here's a description of the book:

When a laboratory technician on the verge of retirement accidentally infects himself with blood from an emergency room patient, he intends to report it-until government agents swarm the hospital, confiscating every sample of blood taken from the patient-at gunpoint. Deciding not to report the incident just yet for fear of being thrown into an isolation chamber, he goes home-and falls violently ill. By the time he recovers and returns to work, scary things are happening. Everyone who has come into contact with that patient is being systematically killed. On the run, he accidentally infects a woman living in the shadows of the underworld. She becomes ill as well, but survives. Then they begin feeling younger-and younger. Why would the government want to suppress something like this? After barely escaping federal gunmen, the two of them set out on a journey to try to find out what kind of infection they are harboring--while still retaining their freedom. Their path takes them on an odyssey across Texas and into the mountains of Arkansas, where they find that their adventures are just beginning-and may lead them all the way off earth!

Upcoming Reviews

2007-06-11T22:43:00.001-07:00

Future reviews will cover several, handy PDA accessories. I'm now test-driving the new Thylus and will post my thoughts sometime soon.

Saturday Morning Superhero Binge

2007-06-09T07:31:00.000-07:00

Each Saturday morning, I'll be posting segments of the series that aired on the History channel. This series provides a history of the superhero genre up to the time of its airing date several years ago. So much has happened since the initial air that it seems as if the comic book medium has hyper-kinetically morphed so far ahead. This past year alone has had mega-hit, mega-series books that have (as cliche as this may sound) changed the lives and landscape of the superhero universe. We've seen Marvel's beautifully illustrated but usually late, "Civil War". One of the repercussions of the war were the deaths of superheroes. Everyone expects the B and C league vigilantes to bite the dust, but no one expected anyone as iconic as Captain America to be assassinated in cold blood.

Not to be outdone, DC Comics produced a year-long, weekly production entitled "52". 52 chronicled the exploits of several characters and their experiences a year later. If you were to pick up a regular monthly DC mag, you'd notice significant changes in the characters. Where have Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman disappeared to? When readers opened up the regular Superman/Action Comics books, they'd see Clark and Lois lounging around with Clark enjoying his newfound life. He simply didn't want to be Superman anymore! However, regular followers of the book didn't know how this happened. Apparently, the storylines take place a year later and 52 was supposed to fill in the blanks. Confused?

However, 52 didn't complete what it set out to do...at least, not entirely. We never found out why Clark wanted to take a break from Superman. We did find out why Batman was gone, though. A year later, the series ends only to spawn a new weekly event (yup, I'm locked in for another year), Countdown. Paul Dini is the head writer, and the series has started out not as introspectively as 52. This series looks to be more entertaining, action-packed and frenetic than 52 and hopefully it'll fill in the blanks that 52 was supposed to fill.

Fanboy.TV Winner!

2007-06-08T18:59:00.000-07:00

I'm a lucky winner of some great artwork and a David Mack DVD! I just logged onto www.fanboy.tv ! This provides some of the best coverage of the comic book medium available. You can check out my winning roll here . I'm known as "ColeDaddy".

Olive Tree's Software Review (Part 5): The Bible Map Atlas

2007-06-03T22:55:00.000-07:00

Olive Tree.com has been the software leader in providing user’s with top-quality, highly educational and divinely inspirational Christian content in the form of Bibles and biblical studies, tools and references. Their software crosses over to a multitude of mobile platforms as well as a host of different languages from many countries all over the world. Olive Tree offers a plethora of content that can be viewed in various formats. Olive Tree’s cutting-edge software allows users to view content as books, articles, maps, pictures and illustrations, animation and videos.

There simply is no other company that provides the wealth of choices for the seeker or the follower, novice in the faith or mature disciple. The content on Olive Tree’s site continues to grow as new material is regularly updated and added. OliveTree.com is THE choice for your source of Christian studies and Bibles for your PDA.

The Bible Map Atlas is an add-on for the BibleReader software that complements the King James Version software. There are over 1,150 cities and locales from Biblical times that users can access by tapping the hyperlinks embedded within the BibleReader software while reading the KJV. The maps are multi-colored renderings that users can easily differentiate from land and water locations.

Moreover, users can use this add-on to either zoom-in or zoom-out of the maps. I was able to get as close as 4 miles above a location. The maps aren’t as detailed as what you’d see in GoogleEarth on your PC or laptop. However, the maps serve as a great reference and atlas for viewing lands from biblical times as they correspond to other cities that Bible aficionados have read about over the years.

The Bible map software has a button from which users can easily access the Locations list. Here users can easily navigate and find their location of choice by inputting the city in the identification line or they can scroll up or down the list until they find their city of choice.

You can find out more about the Bible Map Atlas at the Olive Tree home site here.

(Originally posted on Palm Addicts)

Olive Tree's Software Review (Part 4): The New Unger's Bible Dictionary

2007-06-03T21:37:00.000-07:00

Olive Tree.com has been the software leader in providing user’s with top-quality, highly educational and divinely inspirational Christian content in the form of Bibles and biblical studies, tools and references. Their software crosses over to a multitude of mobile platforms as well as a host of different languages from many countries all over the world. Olive Tree offers a plethora of content that can be viewed in various formats. Olive Tree’s cutting-edge software allows users to view content as books, articles, maps, pictures and illustrations, animation and videos.

There simply is no other company that provides the wealth of choices for the seeker or the follower, novice in the faith or mature disciple. The content on Olive Tree’s site continues to grow as new material is regularly updated and added. OliveTree.com is THE choice for your source of Christian studies and Bibles for your PDA.

The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary is a classic found in Christian bookshelves all over the world. It stands out as one of the foremost references of the Bible. It continues to be a “must have” resource essential for deepening a reader’s understanding of Scripture. One writer has pointed out that one of the keys to Unger’s writing over the years is his humility in writing about various topics. He strives to glorify God and not himself through his writing.

Many of the dictionary’s content aren’t written in standard dictionary form. Many of the articles are written as encyclopedic entries that serve to offer as much detail as possible. The writings are well thought-out and informative. The book contains updated Greek and Hebrew transliterations as well as up-to-date scholarship and an updated bibliography.

The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary works well within the Olive Tree Bible Readers software. The beauty of the marriage of the Olive Tree software and Unger’s is that biblical verse and informational content are hyperlinked and easily accessible for faster cross-referencing. No more flipping from page to page. I have the hardcover and soft cover versions of New Unger’s Bible Dictionary and nothing compares to the overall compactness of having the software in your PDA and the absolute speed with which you can find topics and chain references for those topics.

You can find out about The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary and other PDA software for greater in-depth study at Olive Tree’s home site found on www.olivetree.com .

(Originally posted on Palm Addicts)

Olive Tree's Software Review (Part 3): The Bible Knowledge Commentary

2007-06-03T19:46:00.000-07:00

Olive Tree.com has been the software leader in providing user’s with top-quality, highly educational and divinely inspirational Christian content in the form of Bibles and biblical studies, tools and references. Their software crosses over to a multitude of mobile platforms as well as a host of different languages from many countries all over the world. Olive Tree offers a plethora of content that can be viewed in various formats. Olive Tree’s cutting-edge software allows users to view content as books, articles, maps, pictures and illustrations, animation and videos.

There simply is no other company that provides the wealth of choices for the seeker or the follower, novice in the faith or mature disciple. The content on Olive Tree’s site continues to grow as new material is regularly updated and added. OliveTree.com is THE choice for your source of Christian studies and Bibles for your PDA.

There are a huge variety of Bible commentaries out on the market today. The trick is to find a commentary that is simple enough for novices to follow but thorough and reliable enough to challenge the more experienced bible reader. Olive Tree’s The Bible Knowledge Commentary is a great addition to the growing stable of bible tools offered on OliveTree's home site that enrich and deepen a reader’s Christian faith. It is written for ministers, laypersons, seminary and Bible teachers, Bible students and those seeking comprehensive but concise commentary.

The faculty and staff members of one school, the Dallas Theological Seminary, wrote the Bible Knowledge Commentary. This lends to consistent interpretation of Scripture with the grammatical-historical approach “and from the pretributional premillennial perspective” for which the seminary is well known.

Personally, the style of writing is important for a better understanding of the message and study of Scripture. Some texts tend to use $100 words that confuse rather than clear up the content. It is as if you had to be part of a secret club in order to fully understand the meanings of the verses. Still other writing styles tend to be outdated and archaic. These writings tend to be dry and serve to alienate the bible reader from seeking deeper, spiritual truths rather than leaving them refreshed and fulfilled, excited and eager for more. The Bible Knowledge Commentary opens up and reveals spiritual truths in a manner that can be both challenging and yet, rewarding. The explanations are easily understood and intelligible. When the writers introduce words in their native Greek or Hebrew forms, the accompanying explanations are clear and concise. They can also serve to provoke deeper thought and develop greater insight.

For example, the authors address a topic that I’ve thought about over the years, but have not really found a satisfying explanation for: why did Jesus tell the Leper he healed in Mark 1:40-42, not to speak of his miraculous healing? The following is an excerpt of this unique mystery:

“A more satisfactory view is that Jesus wanted to avoid misunderstandings that would precipitate a premature and/or erroneous popular response to Him. He did not want His identity declared till He had made the character of His mission clear. Thus there was a progressive withdrawal of the veil from His identity until He openly declared it…Second, Jesus instructed the former leper to show himself to the priest, who alone could declare him ritually clean…”

Each book of the Bible includes an introduction, Outline, Commentary and Bibliography. The commentaries offer a thorough and rather complete evaluation of Scripture. A summary of sections as well as a verse-by-verse explanation is covered in the Commentary sections of every book.

The Dallas Theological Seminary’s Bible Knowledge Commentary is another powerful addition to the PDA of Bible readers of all levels of understanding. This commentary is truly an affordable asset that strives to enrich the readers’ understanding of Scripture as well as enhance their personal walk with God.

You can find out about The Bible Knowledge Commentary and other great software for in-depth Bible study at the Olive Tree website found here.

(Originally posted on PalmAddicts)

Olive Tree's Software Review (Part 2): The New English Translation (NET Bible), First Edition

2007-05-28T20:27:00.000-07:00

Olive Tree.com has been the software leader in providing user’s with top-quality, highly educational and divinely inspirational Christian content in the form of Bibles and biblical studies, tools and references. Their software crosses over to a multitude of mobile platforms as well as a host of different languages from many countries all over the world. Olive Tree offers a plethora of content that can be viewed in various formats. Olive Tree’s cutting-edge software allows users to view content as books, articles, maps, pictures and illustrations, animation and videos.

There simply is no other company that provides the wealth of choices for the seeker or the follower, novice in the faith or mature disciple. The content on Olive Tree’s site continues to grow as new material is regularly updated and added. OliveTree.com is THE choice for your source of Christian studies and Bibles for your PDA.

The New English Translation (NET Bible), First Edition is a newcomer in the field of recently published Bibles. What set this version apart from many others are the clear, modern language that it is written in and the wealth of information that it is packed in this edition. There are over 60,000 notes from the translators and over 700 references to other works that serve as powerful tools and essential aids for in-depth, biblical study.

A good example of this can be found in the translator notes of Acts 2: 38:

The verb is a third person imperative, but the common translation “let each of you be baptized” obscures the imperative force in English, since it sounds more like a permissive (“each of you may be baptized”) to the average English reader.

The translators strive to clear up any doubt or confusion that the average reader may come across. Translators’ notes may also include the Greek, Hebrew or Aramaic meanings and their text in their native tongue. Their direct and detailed explanations provide deeper meaning to the scriptures. The writing flows clearly and elegantly.

For example, in 1 Peter 1:1, Peter opens the book by mentioning disciples who have been temporarily residing abroad. The corresponding note goes into elegant detail describing the Diaspora or the dispersion of the Jews at the time of the writing. Moreover, the translators’ notes include the original Greek word in its native font. This is a detail that isn’t found in most Bible versions.

The New English Translation (NET Bible), First Edition strives to present scripture in lucid and elegant prose while seeking to maintain the integrity of the scriptures’ original meaning from the more popularly known and profound Hebrew and Greek to the nearly extinct Aramaic language. This is a powerful addition to any Bible readers’ collection.

You can find out about The New English Translation (NET Bible), First Edition and many other books for your PDA at the new look www.OliveTree.com .

(Originally posted on Palm Addicts)

Olive Tree's Software Review (Part 1): MacArthur New Testament Commentary

2007-05-28T18:41:00.001-07:00

John MacArthur has been one of my favorite Christian writers. The god-centered principles he’s written about have helped to inspire and hone my leadership skills and training. Moreover, his spiritual insight has provided me with meaningful, daily devotionals that I have read over the years, such as Drawing Near and Strength for Today have served to deepen my love for God and His Word.

Olive Tree’s MacArthur New Testament Commentary is a bundle of commentaries based on the biblical New Testament. You’ll find most of the books in the New Testament as part of this collection. There are only four books that are absent from making completing the New Testament commentary in its entirety: Matthew, 1 Corinthians, Ephesians and Hebrews. However, if you purchase this volume now, you don’t have to worry about purchasing these missing books as they will be added to your Personal Library on the www.OliveTree.com site free of charge as the collection gets updated.

The MacArthur New Testament Commentary provides a wealth of easily accessible information at your fingertips (or, at least the tip of your stylus!). Each book is chock full of detailed sections that challenge novices, veterans and scholars. I’ve been reading the Bible regularly for about 18 years and have served as a full-time minister and missionary in a third-world country for 15 years. I have attended Bible classes, workshops and seminars, written various articles and preached from audiences 10 to 10,000. Yet, the MacArthur New Testament Commentary feeds my heart, soul and mind.

As with most of MacArthur’s writings, they are written lucidly and easily for people of various reading levels. Comprehension of the topics at hand is easily attained. You don’t have to be a Bible scholar to understand the content of the writings. It is written in a manner that is not intimidating but still challenges the seeker and the follower. The new Christian as well as the older, more mature disciple will find the writings rich with insight and direction. Honestly, this is one of the best biblical commentaries I have ever read.

Olive Tree’s Bible Reader software for the PDA has grown leaps and bounds over the years. This was one of the first software applications I purchased when I entered the PDA world. The software greatly accommodates the MacArthur commentary and opens up new doors of study and exploration for the reader. For example, students and readers of scripture can choose the multi-level screens on their PDA’s and access a Bible version of their choice on one screen, along with the MacArthur’s New Testament Commentary in another and dictionary on yet another screen. The software provides scrollbars of various sizes that allows readers to move up or down along the page by line, verse or screen.

The host of functionalities allows users to highlight verses, bookmark your favorite sections or add personal notes or devotional thoughts to any verse. The Bible Reader software has improved its speed in accessing material either on your PDA’s internal ram or from the external SD cards. I have only addressed the most basic of functionalities that the software offers users.

There really is no other site on the planet that offers the wide range of bible-centered software to help deepen, strengthen and enrich your personal Bible Study. OliveTree.com is THE source for Christian, faith-based, god-centered quality content for you PDA!

You find more software for your PDA for your various mobile devices here.

Thoughts about English

2007-05-28T08:36:00.001-07:00

English is a weird language
Let's face it-English is a crazy language.

There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple.

English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France.

Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat.

We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?

If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indices? Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend, that you comb through annals of history but not a single annal? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?

If teachers taught, why didn't preacher praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? If you wrote a letter, perhaps you bote your tongue?

Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell? Park on driveways and drive on parkways? How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and wise guy are opposites? How can overlook and oversee be opposites, while quite a lot and quite a few are alike? How can the weather be hot as hell one day and cold as hell another.

Have you noticed that we talk about certain things only when they are absent? Have you ever seen a horseful carriage or a strapful gown? Met a sung hero or experienced requited love? Have you ever run into someone who was combobulated, gruntled, ruly or peccable?

And where are all those people who ARE spring chickens or who would ACTUALLY hurt a fly?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which an alarm clock goes off by going on.

English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race (which, of course, isn't a race at all). That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible. And why, when I wind up my watch, I start it, but when I wind up this essay, I end it.
Thanks

(originally posted on C4PDA)

Zephaniah 3:17

2007-05-27T18:07:00.001-07:00

How was your week? Did you have an awesome week? Or, did you have a week that was going pretty well…until the last Friday?

That’s the kind of week I had: everything was pretty cool…all peaches and cream…and WHAM…I got slammed on Friday at work. Can you relate? It wasn’t just one thing at work…I was getting slammed every minute and every second of the entire day! When I got home, I ate dinner and immediately crawled into bed and slept.

In the book of John, there is a passage that teaches us that God’s Word gives us life. I wanted to share a passage that helped restore my vigor and verve…and I’d like to share it to help set our hearts for our service today.

Zeph 3:17

The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing."

Awesome passage that displays a range of emotions that God expresses towards us.
· He is with us
· He saves us
· Other versions, say that God is a warrior!
· God delights in us
· He quiets us with his love
· He rejoices with singing

This is the God we worship today.

One aspect I love about God: is that God's love calms us... I love reading parallel passages. One version says that God will not speak of our pasts nor recall them. Another describes God calming all of our fears. I think about a time when my son was an infant. A friend of mine showed me a way to quiet my son's cries. Cole would cry if he were irritated, bothered, tired or afraid. My friend showed me a way to calm down my son quickly.

He told me to hold his chest against my own so we could feel each other's heartbeat. Every time he'd cry, I'd remember to hold his chest next to mine until I could feel his heartbeat and he could feel mine.

It's the same way with our relationship with God. When we are praying to him, reading his Scriptures, worshipping him with our mind, soul and strength...we can feel his heartbeat.

The New Living Translation says: “[We will] be quieted in his love and our fears will be calmed”.

God’s Word not only grants us life…it grants us peace.

Men's Health - The Complete 300 Workout

2007-05-17T01:18:00.000-07:00

San Nachi- Eating Live Octopi. Check it Out!

2007-05-13T00:03:00.000-07:00

Children of Men-Extended Shot

2007-05-12T21:30:00.000-07:00

Children of Men (2006) – The Car Chase – dir. Alfonso Cuaron

Please don’t watch this clip if you haven’t seen the film as it contains major spoilers. Good, now that we got that out of the way, let’s discuss the magnificent chase between Clive Owen and the bunch driving away from the vicious marauders. The shot spins around to show all the characters fighting off the assailants as they drive backwards, avoid bullets and spears etc. No effects were used to create the shot other than a specially rigged car which allowed the camera to hang suspended from the roof and spin and move to capture everyone's reactions. This shot is one of a series of long extended takes in the film--

From Daily Film Dose

Cake Mania: Bake to the Bakery Review

2007-05-06T21:18:00.001-07:00

Astraware has released a deceptively, fiendish sequel to their previous hit: Cake Mania. In the first installment, we helped Jill save her grandparents' bakery from being bought out. In the latest version, Jill is working hard to win her beloved grandparents a trip to Hawaii through a bake-off competition.

When I first read that the first Cake Mania game was voted "Best Casual Game of 2006", I laughed. The only thing casual about this game are the first initial levels. After that, it quickly moves from players initially exclaiming, "Wow...this is easy to grasp" to the maniacally wild, multi-tasking and nightmarish exclamation of "Aaauuugh!!!" (with a smile on your face, of course).

This game is a multi-taskers' mind-bending challenge. Don't be fooled by the docile and urbane settings. Customers who enter the bakery come in all shapes and sizes but they seemingly have the same temperament: They want their cakes and they want them NOW!

My favorite aspects of the game are the ability to sell enough cakes to purchase upgrades which can help you move up to the next levels. As you progress through the levels, either Jill is beaming a radiant smile having reached her sales goals; or she appears to be frazzled and bedazzled by defeat. When players reach the advanced stages of the game, you'll notice a certain rhythm in your taps as you orchestrate current and future movements that make or break Jill's success. As with the first installment, Cake Mania's frantic but amazingly enjoyable gameplay is something to behold. The artwork and graphics are clear and bright. The soundtrack is crisp and clean. The game-play is intuitive and simple. The developers of the mercifully break players in with manageable game-play speeds to establish your footing in the game. However, when the speed picks up, players have got to do their darnedest to keep customers happy by taking their orders and baking their cakes with the specifications they've requested in short order.

Cake Mania: Back to the Bakery like its little sister will be a favorite of mine for a long time. This game gets a 10 out of 10 cupcakes!!!

You can find this incredible game here.

(Originally posted on PalmAddicts)

How Your Cursor Works

2007-05-06T20:24:00.000-07:00

Allow a few seconds to load up the pic. Then move (or not move)your mouse/cursor. This should be submitted to "How It Works". Clickety-click here.

Spider Man 3: Quick Thoughts

2007-05-05T20:33:00.000-07:00

I just finished watching the third installment of Marvel's blockbuster triumvirate of Spidey movies with friends and family. There were 3 or 4 theaters showing Spider Man 3. The initial time we chose was sold out but we finagled our way in regardless. We were in the fifth row and risked suffering neck pain and eye strain but it was worth it.

It was great seeing how successfully transmitted comics to movies bring out the whole family. The lines were long but moved fast. One of the highlights was seeing the coolest movie display of a forthcoming movie ever. There was a life-sized, Silver Surfer bursting through the grey, white and blue backdrop of the second installment of the Fantastic Four. The reflective sheen of both Surfer and his board was a fantastic site to behold. It even got the bad taste left in my mouth from the first movie's jaded and deeply disappointed expectations to dissipate a bit. I'd venture to say that these life-sized mannequin's surfing the cosmos into your favorite movie lobby will be stolen across the nation. (Remember the Sponge Bob thefts from atop the Burger King franchises years ago?)

The first 10-15 minutes of the SM3 movie served as a great recapping vehicle for seasoned and knowledgeable vets and newbies alike. The world loves Spidey and MJ has landed the lead in a small Broadway musical. Even the press, which initially vilified our red and blue arachnoid, were heaping praises...with the exception of, The Daily Bugle, of course.

There were some well-acted, tender moments with Aunt May sharing with Peter how Uncle Ben had proposed to her almost 50 years ago. There were other heart-tugging moments that got me a little choked up such as the time MJ (in an attempt to save Peter's life from a villain) tells Peter that their relationship is over. Sam Raimi's deft artistry and direction shows in these deeply-heart felt scenes and can easily turn 180 degrees with other-worldly villains and special effect that dazzle the senses. It is also a testament to the actors in the movie who capture the soul of their characters and have the talent to pull in the audience and convincingly have audiences live vicariously through them. There were some great comedic scenes with Bruce Campbell as the maître d' at the French restaurant. I also loved Peter's obnoxious strut down New York and everybody's repulsive reaction to him. It is a credit to the creative teams who contributed to the movie to tell a full and dramatic story which can grab audiences from all generations and simplify the complexities of the movie into an entertaining (if not somewhat bloated) movie.

When I first heard of that Venom, Sandman and the new Goblin were in the movie, I really didn't think Raimi and company could pull it off. My disbelief became further rooted when I heard that Spidey would don the black garb (from the Shooter-based comic book series, "The Secret War"...remember that one kiddies?). Add to the mix that Harry believes Peter killed his father; MJ's career takes a dive; Peter gets shown up by a new recruit to the Bugle and the revelation that the dude in the first movie did not kill Uncle Ben and that the killer is still on the loose...this makes for one action-filled, emotional rollercoaster not easily navigated by the faint of heart. (My son is now a big Venom fan...sigh!)

The special effects, as we've come to expect over the years from this iconic franchise, were absolutely fantastic. The creators paid a reported $250 million to capture those effects and every penny put in was worth it.

My favorite part of the movie was when both Venom and Sandy team-up to bust up Spider Man. Hey, folks! It's Marvel Super Villain Team-Up Time! Overall the movie is an enjoyable conclusion to the trinity of movies. Great acting and even better special effects make this a ride worth taking. However, I don't' think I'd watch it again in the theaters. When the DVD comes out, I'll buy it as I have the previous two. This film could've used a little editing with the movie weighing in at almost 2 1/2 hours. I guess with that many characters which inherently demand a lot of screen time, it was destined to go a bit long. Maybe they should have trimmed down the villains gallery a bit and saved them for later installments of the series.

I'd quietly recommend the movie to everyone interested with some reservations. If you are going to watch the movie, I'd recommend that you watch the movie on the big screen to capture the grandeur of the special effects. This is a movie "built" for that type of viewing.

One More Day Left...Here's 7 minutes from the movie...

2007-05-03T21:09:00.000-07:00

Iron Man Armor Revealed

2007-05-02T18:59:00.000-07:00

The Landlord

2007-04-29T07:03:00.000-07:00

The Landlord

Beware the landlord: pint-sized, potty-mouthed but not yet potty-trained.

Try NOT to laugh while watching this vid...good luck!

2007-04-22T12:54:00.000-07:00

glumbert.com

KA at the MGM

2007-03-17T17:08:00.000-07:00

This was an amazing experience unlike any I've ever had. It is a feast for the senses as the creators spent almost $170 million for this production. It is a story of twins tragically torn apart and their journey to being brought back together. The show is filled with some beautiful choreography and death-defying acrobatics that will keep your heart in your throat.

You can read about the plot, settings and incredibly interesting background information on Wikipedia.

Here are a few snippets:

STAGE

KÀ is the only Cirque du Soleil production to lack a traditional 'stage' and instead relies on floating platforms that rotate and move with the performers on top. This floating stage twists from horizontal to vertical, sprouting poles for performers to climb, and can be covered with sand for actors to hide within.

PRE-SHOW

There are three preshows for KÀ, unlike other Cirque du Soleil performances. Twenty minutes before curtain two musicians enter the lobby and climb up to two stringed instruments specially designed for KÀ and integrated into the architecture. Ten minutes before the show in the theatre, actors appear in the metal framework to the left and right of the stage and perform flips and leaps assisted with ropes to dive into the audience and attempt to scare viewers. Five minutes before showtime a staged act unfolds demonstrating how there is to be no flash photography or cell phone usage.

SOUND

Every seat in the KÀ Theater is equipped with a pair of stereo speakers at ear level. The digitally-mixed audio system can route sounds to these in-seat speakers, which when combined with the main house speaker system, can create a very dynamic surround sound audio experience.

Here's a link for one of the full commercials. It's average YouTube quality but you can capture the spirit and excitement of the production and will get your heart a-thumping.

Lastly, here's a link that highlights a few Cirque du Soleil productions. However, about one-third of the way through the clip, they focus on KA and the technological and choreographical intricacies used to create this monumental masterpiece.

The music is absolutely amazing as the audience is totally immersed in a feast of visual and audio grand theater.

KA

2007-03-15T07:08:00.000-07:00

We're going to stay at the MGM Grand Hotel as part of our 14th wedding anniversary. We also reserved tickets for Cirque du Soleil's show, KA. Yeah, baby.

More Testing From my TX

2007-03-12T22:36:00.000-07:00

Just bought a Palm TX last week. I gave my trusty old Zire 72s to my wife. The 72s has a remarkable reputation for overall stability, but I could not resist the temptation to go wireless while using the additional real estate the 320 x 480 screen size provides.

I tend to lag behind the hot "flavor of the month'' tech trends because I tend to stick with a product I like for quite some time. I am amazed at how empowered I feel going wireless. I can download my email, surf the Net using the Opera browser, look up a vast array of topics on Quickipedia, get news via RSS feeds, and now blog wirelessly.

Sent from my Palm TX

2007-03-12T21:40:00.000-07:00

Test

Sent from my Palm TX

Jeff Hawkin's Interview on Palm Addicts

2007-03-05T17:59:00.000-08:00

Jeff Hawkin's created the Palm Pilot years ago and still is a prominent figure in the world of personal, digital computing. Jeff is optimistic about the PDA Palm OS industry's future...a refreshing counterpart to the "doom and gloom" bandwagon prevalent today. It appears that the next step in the evolution of the Palm OS would be the Treo, Palm's smartphone line of products. Call me "old school", but, unless there are better ways to input on the Treo other than its current, best option of using the keypad, I won't be getting a smartphone for the time being. Moreover, I'd like to see in the future the evolution of a thinner form-factor for these smartphones.

Read the interview here on PalmAddicts.

Let's Give Them Something To Drink

2007-03-05T17:54:00.000-08:00

300-Lay Down Your Weapons

2007-03-02T20:32:00.001-08:00

300- Then We'll Fight in the Shade

2007-02-28T19:47:00.000-08:00

300: You Must Be Xerxes

2007-02-27T20:36:00.000-08:00

In commemoration of the upcoming opening in March, each day I'll post scenes from what I believe will be one of the greatest comic book to movie adaptations.

Tony Loco #2

2007-02-26T21:33:00.000-08:00

The second issue of Tony Loco takes us deeper into the mind, psyche and the mental institution that houses Tony and other patients of the mentally unstable.

Layer upon layer of Tony’s past is slowly revealed. We catch glimpses of what perhaps will the unveiling of the reasons for his catharsis. Most of the officials and workers have no genuine concern for its patients run the mental institution. The only staff member that cares for the patients is Janice Evans.

This issue was definitely a trip. Most journeys into the mental psyche of a character can be difficult to follow. Throughout the book, there are glimpses to events from Tony’s childhood that, while possibly meaningful to creators who know their characters intimately, may be portrayed in a manner that unintentionally leaves readers a bit in the dark. The danger with dealing surreal elements at times, is that there can be a disconnect of sorts where the audience can get lost and be left more puzzled about a character rather than knowing more about him...(Read the rest on TheComicsReview.com)

Purity #2

2007-02-24T17:44:00.000-08:00

Purity #2 picks up where the first issue’s cliffhanger left us. The Four Horsemen have come to Earth looking for an item of the utmost purity that can grant untold and unimaginable power to its owner.

I love a good battle of biblical proportions…especially when characters that pre-date creation settles upon our planet to duke it out. The artistic line-work of Andres Guinaldo is an absolute gem to behold. His artwork draws out from readers a mixed bag of emotions. One minute you’re marveling at the delicate line-work and detailing involved in creating each panel. The next minute, you’re raising your eyebrows at the very same aforementioned details that delineate death, destruction and depravity on such a grand scale. This is a comic book done in widescreen without the double page spreads. I’m amazed at how much mayhem can be portrayed in one page much less the entire book! Make no bones about it: this is high-octane violence depicted with broad and grandiose strokes that the story seems to burst from its pages!

Keep in mind, folks…the artwork is in black and white. Can you imagine how horribly beautiful these pages would be when in the hands of a gifted colorist? I think my head would explode!

Little by little, writer Shawn Lewis reveals more and more of the reasons behind the fantastical war between light and darkness with a good measure of gray in-between. I’m still a bit wary about hell’s agent, Abigor… you just never know if she could turncoat so easily.

I love (writer’s) re-imagining of biblical characters and elements and transforming into the 21st century. From heaven and hell’s agents to the desperately sought-after relic, his unique ability of pulling fascinating lore from between the chapters of the Bible is refreshing and bold.

This book easily ranks 10/10!!!

Genki Sudo

2007-02-24T17:42:00.000-08:00

My brother sent this link to me some time ago. I've been meaning to post it for some time. The ending to this fight is on the most incredible closes I've ever seen. Check it out!

HammerHeads Review

2007-02-11T20:57:00.000-08:00

Never underestimate Astraware.

I will be honest: when I first heard about this game, I thought it was a “Whack a Mole” knockoff relegated to the pre-teeny-bopper set. Boy, was I wrong! This is one the cases that I'm glad I'm wrong.

HammerHeads is one of the most amusive games I've played. I thoroughly enjoyed this game's frenzied, frantic and fast-paced frolic into a fantasyland filled with fantastical, madcap creatures that you can crush and crunch to your hearts desire.

A variety of Elvin creatures that you normally see decorating (and I use that term loosely) lawn ornaments from the 50’s and 60’s come alive in this action-filled, crowd pleaser for the young and young-at-heart. The game may seem very easy at first, but it quickly gains speed advancing through many levels as more objects populate the game’s landscape and more and more gnome-like characters are added to the mix. Each of these gnomes has their particular quirks that set this game apart. Some characters can be decimated with only one clunk over the head. Others may require even more whacks. I’m at a level where a particular gnome needs 6 whammies on his noggin to go away.

Throughout the game there are upgrades to lengthen your life or add more coins to your coffers. As you progress in your lawn-gnome-destroying abilities players are rewarded by additional levels, which get unlocked and offer even more riches. Moreover, the more coins you collect, the more opportunities players have to upgrade their lives, enhance their hammer-speed or just outright purchase a more thunderous hammer. This is definitely an all-ages game that will satisfy the curious child looking for the next great game to pour his youthful energies into or the game-happy adult looking for quick, clean diversions or a satisfying break from work. HammerHeads is a definite keeper on everyone’s PDA!

This game gets 5 out of 5 Hammers!

Test drive HammerHeads from Astraware's site here

(Originally posted on PalmAddicts.com)

300 Video Journal #5

2007-02-10T09:36:00.000-08:00

This behind-the-scenes look is a follow up of sorts to my previous posting of video journal #3 which delineates the training each actor submitted themselves to in order to capture the spirit of Sparta for this movie. Given that there are no known records of the Spartans' combative fighting styles, the fight choreographers took an amalgam of Far Eastern martial arts (including the Filipino fighting styles)and came up with some of the most ferocious battle scenes ever caught on film.

Doll Face

2007-01-26T23:24:00.000-08:00

Doll Face follows a machine's struggle to construct its own identity. The machine with a doll face mimics images presented on a television screen and ultimately self-destructs from its inability to adopt a satisfactory visage. Created in its entirety by Andy Huang, Doll Face presents a visual account of desires misplaced and identities fractured by our technological extension into the future.

Preview of WWIII, DC's upcoming new series?

2007-01-25T21:12:00.000-08:00

From Newsarama:
DC has released what appears to be a teaser image with no information attached other than the subject line of an e-mail: "Let the battle cry be heard in the land, a shout of great destruction..."

Which obviously accounts for the weepy Superman, but not really someone wearing the Red Robin costume from Kingdom Come, or the dashing, pantsuit Batman (from an Elseworlds, perhaps, or freshly back from a relaxing desert trip where he found himself?)

Oh - and bodies, bodies, bodies...Max Lord, Beetle, Jade, and The Question...?

Click for a larger version.

This is only conjecture on my part but, the rumored and fairly "hush-hush" series, WWIII my actually see fruition immediately after the close of the monumental series which is nearing its close, 52.

However, the pic is pretty intriguing for comic aficionados since one would be hard-pressed to explain the aforementioned costume variations. I don't recognize that version of Green Lantern. Although, the black hair suggests that it'd be Kyle Rayner instead of good 'ol Hal Jordan (albeit the current version is much younger than the '60's one and doesn't sport the grayed sides). Also, Max Lord and Beetle bought the farm a while ago, so chronologically the pic doesn't make sense especially if it's going to take place after 52.

Given that there is no obvious "Perez" sig on the pic, my guess would've been him at first glance. However, I'd have to say it's Phil Jimenez based on the illustrated features and his penchant for delineating Perez-type of panels on a grand scale. Interesting...

My other guess is based on the sunken Statue of Liberty. The current Busiek/Pacheco storyline where Superman gets a lifelike glimpse into the future courtesy of the newly-arrogant and regal, Arion. I'd have to dig up the issues but if memory serves me right, the future was portrayed in a rather dystopian landscape where the earth was ruled by Khyber and Luthor rose up to be the hero in Superman's absence.

"a bit Haywire" Graphic Novel

2007-01-21T22:46:00.000-08:00

And the hits just keep on coming…! Honestly, the folks at Viper have got some kinda voodoo goin’ on…I haven’t read a bad issue from their stable of books yet.

Courtney Huddleston has put his masterfully, ingenious storytelling skills into a book that harkens back to the old-school, family-friendly books of yore and created a tale of youthful heroism in a character for the new millennium. The book is wonderfully produced as a bite-sized graphic novel that makes use of chapters broken down to appropriately progress the story along. Huddleston’s super-kid has tremendous powers he inherited from his parents. But, rather than having a smoothly packaged set of powers that are exercised with expert ease, Kyle’s powers emerge in a rather out-of-whack fashion.

For example, he can fly, but his ability to fly only works if his eyes are closed! This makes for some rather madcap mayhem in the skies. Kyle discovers other powers that are initiated by some unusually unorthodox methods. Courtney has hit upon a premise that humorously depicts the discovery of new powers in a unique light. There hasn’t been a more humorous discovery of newfound powers since Tobey Maquire’s Peter Parker declared “Shazam” in the first Spider Man movie. Seeing Kyle’s attempt at disguising his identity by tying a towel around his neck with an embroidered “Hers” in the back; along with a ski cap and domino mask. Oven mitts, over-sized socks and underwear appropriately worn on the outside further highlight Kyle’s taste in super-heroic sartorial garb. What comic book reading kid hasn’t attempted this in their youth? (Read the rest from TheComicsReview.com HERE)!

300 Journal #3

2007-01-21T21:25:00.001-08:00

Based on the epic graphic novel by Frank Miller, 300 is a ferocious retelling of the ancient Battle of Thermopylae in which King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and 300 Spartans fought to the death against Xerxes and his massive Persian army. Facing insurmountable odds, their valor and sacrifice inspire all of Greece to unite against their Persian enemy, drawing a line in the sand for democracy. The film brings Miller’s (Sin City) acclaimed graphic novel to life by combining live action with virtual backgrounds that capture his distinct vision of this ancient historic tale.

This is the third installment of the video journal. This episode details the workouts the actors had to undergo in order to look and fight like true Spartans. The actors put their blood, sweat and tears for this movie as you'll see.

Cool Find and Free, too!

2007-01-21T20:42:00.000-08:00

Readymechs are free, flatpack toys for you to print and build. They are designed to fit on an 8.5"x11" page and printed with any printer. You’ll need double-sided tape, thick matte paper, and 10-15 minutes for build time.

Check them out here! You may want to print them out on a heavier stock of paper in order to have them stand upright. Fantastico!

FireBlast Adventures in the 30th Century Issue 0

2007-01-21T20:14:00.000-08:00

Fireblast Issue 0 introduces readers to Mack Fire on his inaugural opening of Fireblasts Investigations. The first day starts off auspiciously with attempts at Fire’s life before he’s even had a chance to put the “Open for Business” sign on the door. His first case is to find out who’s trying to kill him!

Ace Masters starts us off with an interesting storyline and sets the tone for the entire story by closing the final panel of the first page with an explosion package meant to assassinate Mack. From there, if you can believe it, the pace quickens with every page as we are introduced to Mack Fire and his supporting cast of characters. From the very human-like computerized assistant, Perfecta to the irate landlord to the love-interest, Alina, the cast seems intriguing enough to keep readers interested. The writing is fairly tight with wit and sarcasm peppered throughout the story. The 0 issue’s main focus is to introduce readers to the 30th Century world that Mack Fire inhabits as well as his supporting cast and the mystery surrounding him. Masters does a fine job of creating enough suspense and pathos to keep fans coming back for more. (Read the rest of the review on TheComicsReview.com here)!

Prince

2007-01-15T09:14:00.001-08:00

Video removed Had a discussion about the genius of Prince with a few friends over dinner. A couple of professional singer/performers/record and TV producers chimed in about his innovative and creative artistry. It's too late in the evening as I post this. I could go on and on...probably for a later post. Hit play and enjoy one of the best sets ever caught on video.

Transformers movie trailer

2007-01-15T08:48:00.001-08:00

This sure isn't like any Transformers cartoon I watched growing up. Like most kids growing up in the 80's, the Transformers is part of the Americana landscape from which we can cull great memories of good toys for boys. This new remake by Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg promises to be quite remarkable. I'm always impressed at how the creative geniuses who work behind the scenes on the graphics and staging of the movie find innovative ways to amaze an easily jaded, hard to please audience who has seen some outstanding visuals in this digital age. Based on the trailer, this movie looks mighty fine.

The Weevil GN

2007-01-14T23:04:00.000-08:00

The Weevil
Created, Written and Illustrated by Ethan Nicolle
Story by Ethan Nicolle and Will Thompson
Bad Karma Productions

Ethan Nicolle has created a disturbing and dystopian vision of a world where man co-exists with half-man, half-animal or half-insect creatures in the city of Hernia. The title’s hero finds himself the recipient of some rather powerful, yet, frightening abilities as he is able to transform into a greater than life, destructive creature, the Weevil.

This is Ethan Nicolle’s first graphic novel. His relative newness in the industry occasionally shows at times in the artwork. While his pencils are adept at portraying a world disparate from our own with a unique array of characters populating the pages, his inks at times aren’t as adept at bringing out the best from the pencils. There are times when panels seem muddled and confused as images seem to blend into one another as the differences between the illustrated characters aren’t as distinct. This occurs more than once in the frantic fight scenes throughout the book.

However, it is to Ethan’s credit that he is able to jump into the comic-making fray by boldly producing and graphic novel that captures his frantic imagination onto page. While there are a few miscues, there are pages where Nicolle’s artwork flies off the page displaying a manic imagination being unleashed from mind to page leaving the reader with a black and white visual feast…sometimes bordering on sensory overload!

(Read the rest on TheComicsReview.com by clicking here)

A Dummy's Guide to Danger #3-4

2007-01-14T21:25:00.000-08:00

A Dummy’s Guide To Danger #3-4
Story Jason M. Burns
Art Ron Chan
Letters Greg Gatlin

Viper Comics

The final issue of the series ties up all the loose ends from the previous three issues and provides for a very satisfying conclusion to this mysterious yet, manic mini-series. I really hope that there are plans in Viper’s future publishing to include more from this talented dynamic duo, Jason M. Burns and Ron Chan, because this is a series that deserves more air time as well as a greater readership.

Sometimes, readers (me included) allow such wild concepts such as an alien baby from another planet to be our daily heroic savior or a silver alien on a galactic-hardened surf-board used to traverse the cosmos as par for the course in our reading. However, it is the unique twists to the more mundane circumstances of everyday living that capture my fancy a bit more. Alan is a private investigator with acumen for solving bizarre crimes. Mr. Bloomberg is his buddy, confidant and partner in solving crime. Mr. Bloomberg, primly decked out in a black suit displaying professional, sartorial taste is also…a dummy. Yep…the kind you sit on your lap and stick your fingers in to move its mouth.

Alan throws his voice into the dummy making for some of comicdom’s most adroit and cleverest comebacks. What makes this uniquely fulfilling as a reader is that we get caught up in the moment as we watch the witty repartee between detective/ventriloquist and his dummy as they search for the insanely sick Flesh Collector while battling an untrusting, quick-to-accuse-and-condemn, police officer, Boyd. What I appreciate about Burns’ characterization of Alex, is that we get to see his dual personalities, which are complete opposites, find common ground in solving crimes. There isn’t much left to guessing about how Alex feels as he lets his emotions come plainly out of his own mouth as well as Mr. Bloomberg’s. What a great angle for analyzing the depth and personality of a character.

(Read the rest on TheComicsReview.com)

Could the Sequel Be Far Better Than the First?

2007-01-05T20:37:00.000-08:00

Some nice eye-candy

I remember back in the 70's/early 80's reading a soapbox column from Stan Lee regarding putting his Marvel characters on the silver screen. He stated that comic books were truly unique in that movies, in general, wouldn't be able to capture the creative zest and verve of comic books back then. He further stated that if someone were to attempt to make a movie of the Fantastic Four, they'd end up being over budget trying to capture on-screen a typical Kirby book, forcing the movie studio to shut down...or something like that. We have since come along way with a myriad of technological innovations that bend the imaginations of the most jaded movie-goer who's seen their share of mind-boggling special effects.

Today's link to the second installment of the Fantastic Four is a fine example of things movie studios couldn't even attempt 30 years ago. By today's standards, this sneak peek is "ok to middling". I watched about 20 minutes of the first FF movie and fell asleep. I'd rather not get into why I didn't like the movie since it really wouldn't be a fair or objective, not to mention...complete assessment. But, I hope the second version will hit the right chords. The Silver Surfer effects are pretty good, highlighting his alien-being as well as his cosmic powers. Based on the clip, the Thing looks rubbery, Reed doesn't come across very genius-like.

Larry King Live - Beyond Positive Thinking, Part 1 (11/2/06) FULL

2007-01-03T19:29:00.001-08:00

The FULL show posted with permission from CNN on www.JamesRay.com

Larry King Live's Beyond Positive Thinking Part 1 aired on CNN 11/2/06.
Part 1 features Michael Beckwith, Bob Proctor, John Assaraf, John Demartini and JZ Knight.
Part 2 features James Arthur Ray, Jack Canfield, Joe Vitale, George Pratt and Jayne Payne.
Create Harmonic Wealth in all areas of your life, visit www.JamesRay.com to find out more.

As many people can tell from previous posts or links on my site, I love to read, listen and watch anything that serves to improve upon a person's overall being. I try to scoop up as much information as I can as well as apply them to my life. This is no easy task with as we try to filter out information pertinent to this growth during the Era of Information Overload. I'm constantly trying to find ways to increase productivity in life and work. I can't say that I always succeed in doing so, but, I keep trying. Larry King hosts a show with some popular authors who extol the virtues of positive thinking. While I firmly believe that we must rely upon God in everything, there is a godly ambition to do well with whatever talents God has blessed you with. Many times, the battle to succeed and to move on starts from within ourselves.

I have a new job with Citigroup. The training is intensive and complicated. If the corporate culture that my boss provides was not one of helping one another, I would've cracked a long time ago. In fact, I actually broke out in rashes as I questioned my competence and ability. Positive reinforcement is much more than pumping ourselves up with positive thinking. There is a battle from within not to succumb to the negative. As the old proverb proclaims: "As a man thinks, so he is".

I've Been Tagged!

2007-01-02T19:33:00.000-08:00

Todd Sherman, the creator of the wonderful SmartBoxDesign which produces some of the best games for brains in the world, tagged me. I need to post 5 things about myself that most people who know me may not know.

1. I'm a huge Prince fan. I've been a fan of his since his first album "For You"....waaaaay before he really hit it big with Purple Rain album (remember those?) and movie. During my college years at Cal, I would buy 2-3 copies of the same album just to do my part in helping boost sales (as if he needed it, but, hey...I was and still am a fanatic). I'd paste his album covers front and back and the record sleeves onto my wall making for a rather cool, Prince collage.

2. I cried during Prince's Purple Rain concert (ouch!)

3. At one point, I was the strongest dude in my high school...au natural...no steroids.

4. I graduated with a degree in Economics from the best university in the world: the University of California, Berkeley. Go Bears!!

5. I served as a missionary for 15 years in the Philippines about a year after college. I started out as a volunteer for three years then got the call to go full-time until about 2 years when I returned to the US. My starting pay was $100/ month. My job was 24/7. I didn't get a TV until my 9th year in the mission field (couldn't afford one). Finally got a "hand-me-down". I didn't get a car until my 14th year on the mission. My wife was bed-ridden and almost had spinal surgery. A generous person whom I was counseling offered the car for dirt cheap. He literally had a new car for every day of the week so he could afford to make my payments low. My wife and I oversaw the jungles of Mindanao. For those of you who aren't familiar with the area, if you've seen masked Philippine rebels on CNN with rifles...THAT is Mindanao.

Whenever I'd visit, I made sure I was accompanied with a Christian local who was fluent with the dialect. If we came across someone, I'd play mute while my companion spoke to the person. If I trusted them, I'd initiate speaking. This was done for my protection in that area. That area isn't too kind to Americans...didn't matter that I was of Filipino descent, my accent would give me away as a "foreigner". I've gone to the top of the Philippines active volcano, Mount Mayon. Then, we went to the bottom where the waters were, obviously, hot springs. That was really a trip. I've seen the Philippine national bird which is the largest flying bird in the world: the Philippine Monkey-Eating Eagle. And, yes, they do hunt monkeys.

Man...that was hard to keep it at only 5 questions!

I'm going to tag:

Scott Hansen who created the best memory scripture application ever!

Antoine J. Wright, who's the brains and heart behind Mobile Ministry Magazine.

Sammy McGloughlin, who is the heart and soul of Palm Addicts.

Jeff Lancero, the local Asian Arnold and cool blogger.

Tony Loco #1

2006-12-30T18:09:00.001-08:00

When I found out that Illusive Arts is a new publisher from the San Francisco Bay Area from where I grew up, I was excited to see what would unfold since not too many comic books have originated from a home-grown publishing house. (Image doesn't count...they moved over after seeing the light). The most popular home-grown comic book was The Fish Police waaaaay back in the 80's during the Independents Boom. (While Mignola is a northern Californian residing in the Bay Area, I'm not sure if Hellboy would be counted).

The first issue of Tony Loco does not disappoint. From the intriguing, action-packed cover detailing a muscle-bound figure clad in ferocious-looking armor with guns pointing over an Aztec-influenced background with a menacing mace and stuffed teddy bear (???) pulling tow! The cover alone is worth the price of admission! Ironically, there isn't a remnant of the cover hero inside the book. The first issue introduces us to Tony Loco in his rather passive state. He hasn't said a word for almost twenty years. Teague's artwork horrifically illustrates from Tony's mind's eye perhaps the cause for his muted suffering. The surrounding world as he sees it is inhabited by vile creatures that would silence any man's mouth. However, on the final page, we see something completely the opposite of what has been portrayed throughout the book giving readers a ray of hope that what Tony envisages isn’t all horrible and terrifying.

I love how Teague and McCaw pique reader’s curiosity as the cover image with title blazoned above portrays a super-heroic figure in the midst of saving someone whereas the inside content portrays the total antithesis: a man who is out of shape, mute, and seemingly, indifferent. How will the package Tony receives in the mail from his mother unleash the hero within? How did Tony end up in the hospital for the mentally ill? What caused him to see the world around him as portrayed in the book? Teague and McCaw have done a great job setting up the pieces serving as a launch pad for the rest of the storyline.

Illusive Arts has taken a risk in putting out a first issue that is reminiscent of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest meets Desperados meets Silent Hill. The Big Two would never take a gamble like this; but, we are the beneficiaries of their risk-taking. McCaw brilliantly portrays layers of Tony’s personality without him ever saying a word or evoking a thought-balloon. The writing and script make full use of the 22 pages available to tell the story. Teague’s artwork reminds me of some of the edgier Adult Swim cartoons I see when channel-surfing past midnight. His artwork reminds me of lighter-toned Sam Kieth. This is great stuff!

The first issue of Tony Loco has set loose the fertile imaginations of its creators. This book is off to an exciting start by introducing an intriguing cast of characters you don’t normally see in your average comic book; taut storytelling with subplots being unraveled with every turn of the page; and noveau, edgy artwork that is completely off-the-hook! There isn’t a book out in the market like Tony Loco. You’d be doing yourself a great disservice if you let this book fly under your radar and didn’t buy it.

Highly Recommended!!! 9.5 out of 10 Stars!

Whedon and Cassaday's Astonishing X-Men

2006-12-30T16:24:00.000-08:00

Over the years the X-Men had seen its fan-base grow exponentially. With the spark created by the team's uber-character, Wolverine, there have since been countless offshoots from the original series over two decades ago. However, while its popularity had garnered such an ever-increasing support, the quality of stories put out month after month eventually stagnated and petered out.

A recent resurgence in the team attributed to the 3 movies and the Grant Morrison-inspired run helped the mutant juggernaut forcefully move forward. The current run from Joss Whedon and John Cassaday is the best incarnation of stories...ever. Whedon has the unique ability to entertain both newbies and veterans to the X-men. Sadly, their run is coming to an end and another team will take up the creative mantle. Who will succeed the today's artistic team and will they set an even higher bar? Who knows? In the meantime, enjoy the trailer for the final storyline.

300 Trailer #2

2006-12-22T22:55:00.000-08:00

This is going to be another great year for movies based on comic books. Most notably for 2007, SpiderMan 3 and Frank Miller's 300. It has taken many years for this story to reach the Silver Screen...it should be worth the wait. In the meantime, those of us lucky enough to have purchased the original series or to have bought the hardcover version collecting the entire series should quench our Spartan thirsts. From its inception, it seems as if Miller had this movie going to film. If memory serves correctly, 300 was the first comic to tell an entire story mostly by using "splash pages". Miller was the first to use this cinematic, wide screen effect for an entire series. Given the scope and grandeur of the story, the format perfectly suited the subject matter.

Extensive Bruce Lee Interview

2006-12-19T22:47:00.000-08:00

I've seen snippets of this interview on the Net, on TV or on some of my video collections. However, I've never seen the entire interview. This presents Bruce in a unique way where he explains his methodology and philosophy. His remarks are candid and controversial; his personality, charismatic. The site from which I grabbed this from claims (with tongue planted firmly in cheek) that "Ralph" is Bruce's brother. Other than this jest, the remaining content is worth a visit. The video runs over 20+ minutes and is rather extensive.

Spider Man 3 Extras

2006-12-19T22:33:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of trailers and clips that highlight the upcoming movie. The first one below is a cool, lenticular poster with great special effect.

The following trailer includes commentaries by Toby Maguire and Director Sam Raimi. There is also a second-long glimpse at Venom.

Productive Talk 8 Episode Compilation

2006-12-16T21:46:00.000-08:00

powered by ODEO

43Folders.com was generous enough to not only host The Productive Talk series centering on David Allen, the personal productivity guru, but the fine folks also took the time to streamline the entire eight episodes into one compilation.

If you're looking for a book that can literally unclutter your mind and increase your personal productivity, then David Allen's landmark "Getting Things Done" is THE book for you. I use the GTD methodology and implement it on my laptop and PDA using an incredible software, Note Studio. Someday I hope to do a complete review of this software as it is affordable and efficient. In the meantime, enjoy the Productive Talk compilation for a glimpse into the world of GTD.

Action Figure #1

2006-12-16T21:28:00.000-08:00

Action Figures #1 gets my vote for the most creative comic book cover of 2006. It shows our intrepid author/illustrator as a real action figure, Richard Marzelak, encased in typical, plastic packaging trying to punch his way out. With an introduction to our character in this manner, what’s it like on the inside?

A few years ago I watched Harvey Pekar’s American Splendor. Although I’ve been collecting comics for almost 40 years, reading the stories of day-to-day living never really appealed to me. They seemed extremely mundane as compared to the multi-cosmic excesses of megalomaniacal Little Caesars trying to thrash XYZ Universes in order to remake in their own, glorious image. But, after having read comics for almost 40 years (have I mentioned that I’ve read comics for almost 40 years?) my eyes often wander from capes and cowls to something…different. In the wake of newly expanded and freely experimental mindset, I’ve started buying books that don’t begin with an “X” or a “Mighty” or “Indomitable” or some other hyperactive adjective.

“Action Figure #1” begins in the not-too-distant future (uh-oh, a “cosmic” beginning) whereupon newfound homeowners find a box of journals, day-to-day notes and photos of Richard Marcej. This is a rather inventive way to introduce a character justifying a closer look at his daily travails and victories. We find that Richard is an artist struggling to do well in life…but, he’s instead, dealt a few bad hands. The artwork and writing beautifully articulate Richard’s life. The choice of black and white (while possibly chosen for strictly financial reasons) perfectly frame his life as nothing otherworldly or spectacular but, still moving and impacting, nonetheless. The opening sequence is reminiscent of some of the straighter, understated artwork of Mad Magazine’s Don Martin. When the book takes a look inside the journals of Richard’s life, the artwork morphs into line work reminiscent of the great Richard Howell. Marcej is a great storyteller with beautiful artwork that serves to keep the story grounded in reality.

“Action Figure #1” shows us a glimpse into the life of Richard Marzelak. As comparatively mundane as this book may seem when placed next to the Big Two’s spandex “Flavor of the Month” titles, Marcej shows us that true life can be just as fascinating, if we just take a look and pay attention. I highly recommend this book!

Writing Rating: (9.5/10)
Artistic Rating: (9.5/10)
Overall Rating: (9.5/10)

A Dummy's Guide to Danger #2

2006-12-16T21:26:00.000-08:00

This review is super-late. By this time, I believe that this mini-series should be over. However, I felt deeply obligated to get this review out there because this issue is one of the best reads of the year. Unfortunately, my local comics shop doesn’t carry this title, which is an absolute cryin’ shame. Talents such as Burns and Chan need to harnessed and appreciated for their raw, creative ingenuity in storytelling.

Alan and Mr. Bloomberg have had the unfortunate misgivings of being at the wrong place at the wrong time…sort of. While they are led to the scenes of the crimes soon after they were committed, they have a knack for being the first ones on the scene which makes them appear not too innocent given the rather brutal nature of the murders. This aspect is complicated by the fact that Alan’s mind is one cookie short of a baker’s dozen; his elevator never reaches quite the top; he’s…you get the idea. Contrary to his keenly, acute mind for solving mysteries, his rather odd behavior is punctuated by the fact that he throws his voice into the aforementioned Mr. Bloomberg, his dummy. Alan lugs his dummy around everywhere he goes making for some of the sharpest wit and comedic dialogue in the entertainment medium this year. Jason M. Burns’ writing leaves readers wanting badly to find out what clues will be left behind (you gotta see it to believe it) and how these mysterious serial murders will be solved. Not since Quantum and Woody have we seen an odder pair of like-minded, er…people.

Ron Chan’s line work is reminiscent of Howard Shum and Philip Hester, though not as angular. His artwork serves to move the story along and his panels play well with Burn’s tight and humorous dialogues. Comedic timing in paneled comic book form must be the most difficult of all mediums because the writer and artist can’t control the pace at which a reader flows through panels. They aren’t in control as an on-stage comedian or movie screen actor who dictates the ebb and flow and timing of their punch lines. It is to Burns and Chan’s credit that they expertly pull this off page after page after page of engaging and fast-moving entertainment. These guys are true geniuses! This book is highly recommended!

Writing Rating: (10/10)
Artistic Rating: (9.5/10)
Overall Rating: (9.5/10)