dvd on tap

Ok, ok, i know, I'm always late. I can't keep up with my DVD backlog already, and so am downgrading my Netflix subscription to 3 at a time. I think that should be okay. Kind of like in Burger King - why would you buy a large drink, when you can just buy a regular-sized one, because the dispenser is out there in the dining area. There's too much to catch up with and too little time. Plus I'm not exactly reviewing movies to keep an audience up to date - go to Entertainment Weekly for that. I just want to write my thoughts down, and make up silly captions for some screen captures. Yep, that's about it.

-
Elektra
dir. Rob Bowman

Along with several fighting skills, Jennifer Garner has mastered the art of sashaying sexily into danger. At least in this film. And sometimes in Alias. The Elektra character fits her well, unlike, say, Halle Berry playing Catwoman. Ugh.

Even if Daredevil was a critical flop, it did rake in enough money and studio execs thought they still had a goldmine in Elektra (brilliant casting - and serendipitously, brilliant 'matchmaking'), and so, voila - a spinoff! Did I say brilliant? The 2 idiots in those Guiness commercials would definitely say that. What isn't briliant is the way they put it together. Just like Daredevil was skewered by critics and fanboys, Elektra gets the same treatment because it seems underdeveloped and rushed. Blame the studio and marketing execs who wanted to push the product out just so the viewing public would probably still recall who Elektra was. The Cliff notes version is: she died, she's resurrected (in true Marvel tradition), she starts a killer-for-hire career, her mentor sets her up to find some moral balance in her life by rediscovering her humanity, and she kicks ass in the process. The plot is somewhat disjointed and convoluted, and characters have been revised to make it more audience-friendly (to the consternation of the fanboys). I personally didn't like the treatment of main villain Kirigi as just a power-mad scion of The Hand's leader, and don't even get me started on Typhoid (Mary). And why is The Hand after a dad (E.R.'s Goran Visjnic) and his daughter, again? Because the daughter can kick ass too? And they pretended to be "helpless", so Elektra can rescue them? And why would the dad and Elektra kiss? Twice? Why? Why?


"My name is Stick, but call me Mr. Miyagi."

Director Bowman, whose resume is made up largely of X-Files material, does a decent job of capturing the style and grace of what glossy martial arts action films should be, but I wonder if Ang Lee or John Woo could have done a better job doing this. The panoramic shots of the Pacific Northwest are gorgeous, and I couldn't help wanting an island home to reside in in Zen-like peace and quiet.


Mr. Affleck? Ben? Are you okay? Should we call 911?

Of course, the selling point of the whole movie is Garner herself, making all the fanboys drool (care to play Psylocke anytime soon? Tia Carrere is ummm, old and retired). But she's only in her famous red costume in less than half of the whole thing (in the beginning and the end). So just be content with Garner's dimpled smile, and watch her kick ass. We have Terence Stamp as her blind mentor Stick, who runs a school by day and rakes money as a poolshark in his spare time (that's called maximizing your talents). You have a plethora of villains, starting with Cary Hiroyuki-Tagawa (playing the typecasted Asian gang leader) and Will Yun Lee as his son Kirigi. Perhaps the most-awaited scene (by the guys) was the hookup between Elektra and Typhoid (Natassia Malthe). Underrated bad guy Jason Isaacs has a short appearance as Elektra's target in the opening sequence.



Can Jenny From The Block pull this off? Can she? Naaaah.

For all its deficiencies, Elektra at its best a stylish action film, and you have to have those quiet build-ups because the character is quite a complex one (if anyone reads them comics), and not just a one-dimensional assassin. But we all need our popcorn fun. Girls kicking ass are always cool to watch. But not if its your ass she's kicking.

-
Mr and Mrs Smith
dir. Doug Liman

Right in the part where Mr and Mrs Smith are trying to shoot holes into each other - I go thinking "they've already totally picked the house clean, where did all these guns come from??" Either the cleaners didn't do a competent job, or this is a plot device. Duh. Of course, moron, its a contrived plot device. Let's do War of the Roses one better - let's have a full blown shootout, then have the two make love thereafter.


Nope, the tango scenes in True Lies and Scent of A Woman are better.

Coming off the heels of the real-life showbiz drama that was the Jennifer Aniston-Brad Pitt marriage/divorce, Mr. and Mrs Smith is the perfect project to ride on the ensuing publicity. Shades of Pinoy cinema. "Friends lang po kami." "Pinopromote po namin ang bago naming pelikula, at sana'y tangkilikin nyo." "Wala pong namamagitan sa aming dalawa." Okay, if I clear my mind of all of that crap, the only reason I will be watching this would be because of maybe 2 things: the concept of married assassins (hey, that could be a - pun intended - hit series) and ehem, Angelina Jolie. Especially Angelina Jolie (Team Aniston, don't hate me).


yep, it was never this much fun with Jen and Billy Bob.

So let's see, let's just ignore the flimsy plot (who are their organizations? what is Seth's, er, Adam Brody's role aside from bait? who designed their house and why are they able to hide their hardware from each other? and why are they being set up, again? head ... hurt.) and watch it for the fun that it is. Married assassins suddenly discovering that they are such and now pitted against each other. Not everyone can use the same spark to a deflating marriage, but it sure is a nice idea. Vince Vaughn plays himself (yes, is there any other goofy Vaughn character?) as Mr. Smith's handler, and in true showbiz carousel fashion, currently the rebound guy for Jen. There is a nice car chase scene (was that along the Jersey Turnpike?), and like it or not, it was much more fun seeing them shooting at each other than taking down their enemies. In terms of keeping secrets from your spouse (in an action movie context), True Lies is a better movie, for now, unless someone comes up with a thicker plot and better storytelling for a sequel (wait. this means the sequel will have them working together, but the incessant marital bickering should be interesting).


"Umm, Brad ... you mind if I hook up with Jen after this is all over?"

For all of Doug Liman's skills (megging the critic faves Go, Swingers and the surprising Bourne Identity), this is a star-and-money-making vehicle for the Hollywood mafia. Besides, Jolie and Pitt can use the money for humanitarian causes they're involved in, and to pay for all those globe-trotting, paparazzi-evading vacations plus the costs of raising their adopted kids, nyahahahaha.

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Versus
dir. Ryuhei Kitamura

The Japs are always crazy. From big-ass clunky robots and kawaii girly stuff to kinky fetishes and sicko horror and cutting edge technology, Japanese entertainment culture can always be counted on to be never boring. Disgusting and shallow perhaps, but never boring.

Take Versus, for example. Kitamura's breakthrough 2000 film is a hyperkinetic stylized action movie that blends fantasy, gunplay, sci-fi, gorefests and just all-out ridiculousness. A prison break turns into a slaughter fiesta as both prisoners and gangsters (and a hostage) try to fend off zombies in a 'Forest of Resurrection'. In true campy FPJ/Lito Lapid/Power Rangers/Shaider tradition, there are lots of opportunities for them to show off their gunnery and martial arts skills - against the zombies and each other.


"Time Space Warp, ngayon din!"

Turns out all events are manipulated by one man - only identified as The Man, no names please - who wants the power of the dark side by sacrificing a human and spilling the blood of a specific person. The person turns out to be Prisoner KSC2-303 (again, no names), a criminal with a heart of gold (aawwwww) but easily kills at the drop of a hat (they love the samurai/ronin angle). Story gets convoluted when we learn that this thing is a ritual, and has been going on for hundreds of years, because The Man has not succeeded yet (yeah, if he was, then we wouldn't have this loony story, would we?) Previously, the incarnation of the person whose blood was needed to open that portal to the Other Side was The Girl's. The Girl being now in this case, the hostage. I know, I know - this gave me a migraine too.


if only the Pinoy tambays looked this good

But despite all that headache, it never gets boring. You'd at least be amused by the over-the-top campy acting by the gangsters, possibly puke at the various acts of dismemberment being done and the copious amounts of gore flying around, reluctantly cheer the reluctant hero when he starts kicking ass, roll your eyes when they do their requisite porma in between kicking ass, scream "what th-?!" when any semblance of logic is shredded to pieces (which includes the plot) - The English Patient, this is definitely not.


this brings new meaning to the phrase "magkita tayo sa mata."

With a Versus 2 being planned for 2006, and the recent American trend of embracing things Japanese, its a wonder this hasn't been optioned as a video game at the least, or copied outright by the Yanks (or is that limited to J-Horror?). Oh, wait, we had the Kill Bills already.

Remember When, vol. 2

Continuing our memory exercise via song therapy. Rules are simple: listen to a random song, remember where/when i first heard it, and/or thoughts associated with the song. Or lack thereof. Especially if memory fails to serve.

-
Got My Mind Set On You (1987)
George Harrison
From the thumping drums and the rousing horn section get-go, Georgie was determined to make a comeback. We were in my cousins' house when I saw the video (wasn't he like doing somersaults?), and my dad goes "aba! si George Harrison?". He probably thought the geezer died in the Himalayas or somewhere, smoking pot. Okay, that was cruel.


Everybody Have Fun Tonight (1986)
Wang Chung
The defining image of this was Pops and Martin performing it in some utterly forgettable movie, and probably covered by every wannabe in musical shows during that time. But if you think about it, at least at some point then, everyone would have wang chunged that night, even if they'd deny it years later.


Casanova (1987)
Levert
Not looking at the screen, I thought it was Donny Osmond's "Soldier of Love." Did he even pay these guys some royalties? Obviously I haven't heard the song before (snicker).


Automatic (1983)
Pointer Sisters
Why do they sound like drag queens? Did they hire Ru Paul secretly to front for them? Party and disco filler.


Neutron Dance (1983)
Pointer Sisters
The randomness factor demonstrates itself as it selects another Pointer Sisters song. Yeah, they really sound like Ru Paul. I must have forgotten that. And, oh yeah, Delphi and I saw them back in '99 performing at the Mardi Gras celebrations at the Universal Studio Theme Park in Orlando.

The Heat is On (1985)
Glenn Frey
Of course, Beverly Hills Cop was a hit back then. I had no clue who Frey really was, except of course, the guy who sang "The One You Love." This is also the standard track for beach/summer dance sequences in abominable Pinoy comedies.


Time Will Reveal (1983)
DeBarge
Why would someone name themselves after a boat? Found this song more appealing during the revival phase in the Pinoy music scene. Brix Ferraris. South Border. In some club on Annapolis St. in Greenhills. God bless the sister of the band's manager.


Waiting For A Star To Fall (1988)
Boy Meets Girl
Gorgeous, gorgeous song. Used in countless soundtracks.


Superfreak (1981)
Rick James
Never underestimate the original. If you need to play one song to get people back on the dancefloor, what would you play? Thought so. MC Hammer also thought so, that's why he got rich (and promptly lost it). Too bad James also lost it. But he lives on. He's Rick James, bitch!


Last Christmas (1986)
Wham!
Can we just forget that George Michael was ever in Wham? Or that he got caught in the men's room by cops? Can we just stick to his late 80's/early 90's maturation? At least before he got caught in the men's room.


More Than A Feeling (1976)
Boston
Okay, what is this track doing here??? Someone should get fired. Anyway, it sounds so 80s that I probably associated it with the era.


Aaaand we're getting off.

1st and 10 ... Week 17 prognostications

Denver at San Diego ... Chargers have nothing to play for except pride
NY Giants at Oakland ... who wants to be a wildcard?
Chicago at Minnesota ... start scalping tickets, Mike Tice
Miami at New England ... will the student school the master?
Buffalo at NY Jets ... let's just toss the coin to determine the winner
Detroit at Pittsburgh ... are they lions or just cubs?
New Orleans at Tampa Bay ... Bucs still have it easy
Baltimore at Cleveland ... bitter rival cities meet again
Carolina at Atlanta ... Falcons want revenge
Arizona Indianapolis ... think Jim Sorgi will win this?
Cincinnati at Kansas City ... now or never, Chiefs
Tennessee at Jacksonville ... Jags should be warming up for playoffs
Houston at San Francisco ... the loser is the winner
Washington at Philadelphia ... Redskins are rolling in hot
Seattle at Green Bay ... Seahawks are trendy SuperBowl pick
St. Louis at Dallas ... an upset will push Parcells into retirement (yeah sure)

Last Week: 11-5
Overall: 144-96 (pret-ty good ... now if only i bet money on this shit)

Remember When, vol. 1

I'm playing Remember When ...?, where I listen to random songs, and put down whatever thoughts come to mind, especially ones associated with the song, when I first heard it (if I remember that far). My iPod is on shuffle mode, and definitely on my just-refurbished 500-song gorilla '80s playlist. As it is relatively completely random, I expect there would be songs I've never heard before or completely forgotten about, or even (gulp) be totally embarassing. But what the heck ... let 'er rip.

-
Theme from S'Express (1988)
S'Express
First time I heard of S'Express, it was in Bomb The Bass' Into The Dragon. But I never really heard any of their work. So might be a good place to start. Didn't seem familiar to me. Didn't seem that appealing either.


Puttin On The Ritz (1982)
Taco
Definitely heard it about a year later. Where was I then? In the family compound of my mom's extended kin. Finding all these cassette tapes, and my first interest among the pile was The Caribbean Disco Show. What kind of a name is Taco? I didn't even know then what a taco was. Or Irving Berlin.


Cross My Broken Heart (1987)
The Jets
Ah, high school memories. On the list of artists-you'd-be-embarassed-to admit-you-liked, I would have Debbie Gibson and The Jets. Played to death the cassette. With a killer bridge and danceable hook

you're my morning sun
you're my shining star
you're my number one
cross my broken heart
in your eyes i see
what you mean to me
you're my destiny

this was the epitome of great bubblegum pop.


Summer of '69 (1984)
Bryan Adams
What I can remember was my H.S. classmate Vincent Frederick Dancel doing his best Adams impersonation with this song during a school program. Vinfred, pretty much considered the class pretty boy, was the trendy purveyor of trendy music of the day - Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, etc. Already then, he already showed some rock star attitude. No wonder he ended up as the frontman for his own band, Twisted Halo. Hey, man, buy back the rights to your domain. Incidentally, Vinfred's wife Kris (Fatal Posporos) replaced Ely Buendia in the Eraserheads/Cambio.

What does this have to do with Bryan Adams? Dunno.


Living On A Prayer (1987)
Bon Jovi
Again, what do I remember? Ah, first year college, first sem at UST. Me and my new-waver classmate Gary went to another classmate's house. Paul was Chinese, one of those rich kids who lived in apartment buildings and not normal houses. He goes, "Pare, ito ang trip kong music!" and proceeds to play the Slippery When Wet album full blast. We did our air guitars and the requisite lipsynching. Needless to say, Bon Jovi had a longer career than Paul had tenure in UST. He was gone next sem. Gary too.


Amanda (1986)
Boston
Hmmm. 1986. Part of a karaoke/multiplex collection. Bwahahaha.


Caribbean Queen (1984)
Billy Ocean
I didn't recall who Billy Ocean was until 1988's "Get Out of My Dreams". Then, I remembered this song. Better than the Caribbean Disco Show.


When Smokey Sings (1987)
ABC
No, I did not think it was a song for Smokey Manaloto. I imagine when Martin Fry composed this, he was hoping to flatter his idol. Its an odd yet gorgeous tribute to the great soul crooner (with nods to Luther, Sly, James, and Marvin), and on its own, its a great pop song. An unexpected hit for a synth band more popular for dancefloor burners "Look of Love", "Be Near Me" and "Vanity Kills" (the opening track for Vilma Santos' weekly musical show, o di ba?).


Rise To The Occasion (1988)
Climie Fisher
If Climie Fisher started out in the mid '90s, they'd call themselves Savage Garden. Or not. They're a bit softer actually. But they did manage to produce a couple of good hits - this and my fave "Love Changes (Everything)," before being relegated as an answer to the occasional trivia game (Blarney's Pub, Makati, 1999).


Kiss (1988)
Art of Noise (feat. Tom Jones)
When I saw the funky video, I thought, 'okay, what is that geezer doing there?' Turns out he can still belt it out. And again, musical moron that I am, I barely remembered Prince originated the darn song. The makeover re-ignited Jones' career somewhat and after that, he was back in the Vegas circuit. Nobody even remembered Art of Noise. This song is still a surefire dancefloor burner and pretty much brings a smile to anyone who hears it.


Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now (1987)
Starship
Asus. One of the staple ballads for late 80s J/S Proms and parties. No one cared that the members of Starship at that time were like, in their 70s; they just wanted to feel this song, and score. *lol*. Ok, i made that part up.


The Power of Love (1985)
Jennifer Rush
My first thought was, okay, let's have a few moments of silence for the woman who foisted the "Name Game" on us. Turns out it's not Ms Branigan's version. If its the first time you hear this, which was back in 1985, it'd be okay. Then Branigan and subsequently, that Canadian Eardrum Destroyer (a.k.a. Celine Dion), made a hit out of it, and then it became really grating.


Take Me Home Tonight (1986)
Eddie Money
Easily a radio staple. You really didn't know who sang it. Especially when DJs are lazy to provide the information. I didn't know who Eddie Money was till he sang one of my favorite heartbreaker ballads ("I'll Get By"), and that was already 1992.


Oops, here's my stop ... see you next time.

cux

This is for my pal Jego ... and to everyone who's been Googling the lady on the right (and checking my blog entries mentioning her, only to be probably disappointed).


Celebrity Deathmatch, Chef Edition: Nigella vs. Giada

so who you wanna do ... your cooking for you? *lol*

watda

Ooooooooooookay ....

She's featured in the latest issue of GQ. She's an American living in New York (Upper EastSide). She's an aspiring pop star and still takes music lessons. She listens to AC/DC, Beach Boys, Butthole Surfers, Coldplay, The Cure, and Mozart. She likes Friends, Madonna, Britney and George Clooney.



She smokes. She hates milk, dishonesty, roaches, and crocodiles, and avoids seafood. Talks a lot. Speaks French. Talks a lot. Owns a pair of "whore shoes" (very high red stilettos). Doesn't care about her ultra-rich biological father, who hasn't given a damn about her either, and wants her stepdad-to-be to walk her down the aisle someday. She's a Gemini.



Her name is Wafah Dufour.

Her uncle is Osama bin Laden.



Think she'll top the music charts someday? *lol*

NBA Shot of The Whenever

There drives my idol ... (not you, Stephon)


Knicks Lottery Watch: 7-20. That's on pace for 21 wins. Does the Garden faithful even care?

And already media outlets are whipping up a backlash against LB.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/phil_taylor/12/28/hot.button/index.html

------------------------------------------
photo courtesy of ESPN.com

MERRY CHRISTMAS (Strike Is Over)

*lol*

a candle of peace and love to all ...!

1st and 10 ... Week 16 prognostications

NY Giants at Washington ... NFC East showdown
Dallas at Carolina ... Time to toughen up, Cats
Atlanta at Tampa Bay ... who's making the playoffs?
San Francisco at St. Louis ... Niners also want Reggie Bush
Tennessee at Miami ... for Saban's 1st year, 'Fins have successful season
Detroit at New Orleans ... who wants to win badly?
Buffalo at Cincinnati ... Marvin Lewis: Coach of the Year?
Jacksonville at Houston ... will Leftwich make the playoffs?
Pittsburgh at Cleveland ... Steelers need every win they can muster
San Diego at Kansas City ... should be offensive showdown
Philadelphia at Arizona ... McCown should pull out this win
Indianapolis at Seattle ... current tragedy allows Colts rest for playoffs
Oakland at Denver ... Shanahan hates the Raiders too much
Chicago at Green Bay ... Reggie Bush doesn't want to play with Favre
Minnesota at Baltimore ... the Kyle Boller audition continues
New England at NY Jets ... no one wants to face the Pats in playoffs

Last Week: 10-6
Overall: 133-91

do what you gotta do

"this strike thing, is, like, a ripoff."
- overheard from a typical New York yuppie, at Brooklyn Army Terminal dock

8.30 AM
Called for car service. To my mild surprise, the car already contained 2 other passengers. Ah, they're maximizing their occupancy in the name of "public service" due to demand. Not to mention, they charge each person a separate fare, of course. You take a ride, you pay.

8.32 AM
Driver says we're going to be dropped off at their homebase so another car can take us to our destination (because the other two passengers were really going to Manhattan, and I wasn't going to pay $25 to get into the city; I just wanted to get to the Brooklyn Army Terminal docks at 58th St.).

8.45 AM
We're finally on our way, after the new car takes 2 more passengers as the call comes in from the dispatcher. I get dropped off at 58th St., 9 bucks poorer.

9.10 AM

oooo. where am i?

Walked a couple or three blocks down to the pier, through some of the grimier sections of Brooklyn. Boy, am I glad I made that choice to live up in 93rd St. As soon as I got there, wind picked up and there was a long queue of people waiting to get on one boat.


at least people stand in line and wait for their turn

9.25 AM
Finally got on the boat. I was the in the final 7. I made the cut, which is what I can't really say for Michelle Wie (ok, can't resist saying that; you have to put these comedian-wannabe moments into writing quickly or else. ask Jerry Seinfeld).

9.45 AM
Set foot on Pier 11, near Wall St. Hallelujah!

9.55 AM
My (2) officemates give up a round of cheers as I walk in, muttering expletives. *lol*


What's the first thing we do? Hold a caucus on current events, of course. And it just boils down to being in the middle of the two devils (whoever is greedier is open to debate). The MTA, announcing free extra days on the monthly Metrocards (but: you have to pay cash so they recoup their losses asap) and announce a 1 billion dollar surplus, versus the Transport Workers Union, who have seemingly been tipsy with power, and arrogantly declare a strike that will affect more people who are earning less than the union worker's average salary. And there's also a question to the city fathers for not mobilizing private buses to help out the flow of commuters who now have (or chose) to walk in the cold, gamely putting on a brave face, about how they need the exercise, or they're supporting the union, or its a 'New York moment' and they will rise up to the challenge. It's still freezing out there. No one deserves to be out there walking for miles.

I'm also including this blog in my (short) list of links.

2.55 PM
Breaking news comes in. Union votes to stop the strike. But it'll take another 12 hours to get the system running again. Am not waiting here in the office for 12 hours. I guess it's still gonna be a long walk home.

3.30 PM
Am outta here.

3.41 PM
At Pier 11, made the cut again. Sorry, Michelle Wie.

4.10 PM
Reached the B.A.T. These 'shuz' are made for walking. That's just what I'll do.

4.19 PM
Am on the 60s streets and up. Caught up on my ESPN podcasts (Kobe scored 62 points? And he actually declined to go break the record? Man, I'm spending too much time on the NFL).

Okay, this isn't Edsa, but you don't wanna loiter around here

4.30 PM

ahh, familiar territory!

Taking the breadth and length of 3rd Ave., which I knew was the United Nations of foodies (Spanish, Mexican, Scandanavian, Polish, Russian - joining the usual gaggle of Italian restaurants and pizzerias, Irish pubs and Chinese takeouts), but I never saw this section up close (only my side on the upper 80s). Maybe the only great thing to come out of this 'forced' walking trip.

the bagel boy from company B (Brooklyn)

4.50 PM
I see the lights on the Verrazano. I'm home (feet. hurt.).

a case of camera shakes. must be woozy (yeah, wimp).


And all's well that ends well. Who blinked first? Your guess is good as mine.


Happy holidays, New York! (yeah, you too, striking workers)


The End?

"You think that's great? Let me tell you about the time I destroyed Christmas ..."
- New York Post cartoon depicting Union leader Roger Toussaint, saying something to that effect, in a bar, having drinks with the Grinch

guess that's why they call it the (winter) blues ...

ok, here's the deal ...

... i refuse to pay more money for transportation, given that i have already lost $8 on my currently-useless Metrocard.

... i am not biking in this 26 degree weather with the wind chill.

... its not like i can afford getting sick if i get too exposed to the elements.

that being said, i'll try to reach the Brooklyn Army Terminal (35 blocks in the morning winter chill) tomorrow to get a ferry ($6 one way). car service, you say? not another 5 bucks!

before you can tell me "get back to work, lazyass", you might wanna ask those strikers to come back to work themselves. i can still work from home (and not waste hours trying to get to and from the office).

its officially winter solstice.

oh, and its the 2nd day of the Transport Strike.

darn.

grinding halt

that's it ... its the first NYC Transport Strike since 1980. Break out the marshmallows and hot chocolate!

here we go again

Transport Strike at midnight ...

well, at least Monday is off for Christmas :-)

burpy

oven-toasted slices of italian bread on olive oil

mixed veggies with chunks of mashed potato

london broil

.
.
.

makes a nice sunday lunch.

having fun yet?

oh, by the way? you're 6-15.

1st and 10 ... Week 15 prognostications

Tampa Bay at New England ... Bucs still have hope but this is a resurgent Pats team
Kansas City at NY Giants ... Chiefs could gash a depleted Jint D line
Denver at Buffalo ... Bills look to next year
Arizona at Houston ... should the Texans even show up at Reliant?
Seattle at Tennessee ... Seahawks are 83-3 in the last 8 quarters
San Diego at Indianapolis ... Chargers are fighting for playoffs but would Colts shut it down?
Carolina at New Orleans ... Panthers were plain embarrassed last week
Pittsburgh at Minnesota ... Vikings' happy days end
NY Jets at Miami ... Reggie Bush, Reggie Bush
San Francisco at Jacksonville ... Reggie Bush, Reggie Bush Part 2
Dallas at Washington ... will Cowboys exact revenge for early close loss?
Cleveland at Oakland ... Raider Nation should be able to pull this out
Cincinnati at Detroit ... its a new Bengals era
Philadelphia at St. Louis ... does anyone even care?
Atlanta at Chicago... Bears were exposed last week
Green Bay at Baltimore ... seemed a good idea then


Last Week: 8-8
Overall: 123-85

wha-!

ok the weather forecast was off, its a comfortable 54 degrees out there ...

... but there isn't a full strike in effect, just a partial one, and that's probably even more confusing, and potentially riskier. because let's say i get to work in the morning, and someone with a devious mind suddenly says at 11 AM, 'you know what? we're sick of negotiating with you, MTA! we're going on full strike!'. and where does that leaves us commuters? stranded.

like this tactic hasn't been seen/used before in history. and i for one, wouldn't want this to happen to anyone. it actually has a more crippling effect than just staging a strike before people go to work.

don't believe the uh, hype ...?

Checking my (ehem) visitors, its amusing to find 3 (three!!!) referrals to this blog from people who were searching for the definition of "hypermammiferous" (which i shall save you the effort if you didn't know: bountiful female chest). and these searches were from different places and times (but understandably, all American): Detroit, Amityville (NY) and Bethesda.

*lol* what were the chances that on a given day ...?

ok, now what was that word doing on my blog? now that's up to you to find out, lazyass.

Grinches and Scrooges

As of 5 PM today, news bureas covering MTA and Union negotiations report that " ... chances of reaching deal is less than 50/50." So the planned strike is getting closer to reality.

Last month, the MTA announced selling of holiday travel cards with extra days. This is all well and good except they wanted you to pay cash upfront. In my case, I'd have to pony up $76 immediately, and that means finding a manned booth (after they closed a lot of them). Yeaaaah sure. For this Christmas "gift", the MTA wants their costs covered immediately, which is different if people paid by credit cards. I protested by not availing of it.

Now if the strike goes through, and say it goes on for more than a couple of days, what happens to our current monthly or weekly travel cards? Do we get credit for the days that we couldn't use it because there are no subways or buses? Do we??? I am not paying for taxi or car service just to get to Manhattan for work. But at the same time, not having subway service (e.g., not getting to use the travel card), is a waste of the money I paid (whether it was credit or cash) for the card.

I hope this is a wasted rant, and they'll all kiss and make up by midnight tonight. I'll reserve my 2-word expletives for later.

(hmmm ... if the weather forecast for tomorrow holds true anyway, there'll be snow and icy rain, so who would want to go out and trudge to work?)

been so long

just to remind myself where i should be on February 24-26 next year ...


NY COMICCON!

if you wanna ride

MTA Union head Roger Toussaint just tore lawsuit papers a la Andres Bonifacio did the cedulas more than a hundred years ago.

Transport strike could be more of a reality come Friday. and it doesn't look like the MTA has any subsitute people for the buses and subways. oh well ...

germs for your kids, anybody?

http://www.giantmicrobes.com/

which superhero are you?

Marv

You are Marv! You are the evil form of justice. You always had an ugly face and no girl would ever want you. Then one girl did - her name was Goldie. You fell in love with Goldie overnight and in the same amount of time, she was killed. You use your amazing strength, dirty forms of interrogation, and street knowledge to bring the killers of Goldie to justice.


What Superhero Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

hold it ... Marv ain't exactly a superhero. oh well ...

1st and 10 ... Week 14 prognostications

Oakland at NY Jets ... Reggie Bush, Reggie Bush
St. Louis at Minnesota ... Vikes are surprising 5-0
Chicago at Pittsburgh ... Bears have 8-game winning streak
Tampa Bay at Carolina ... Bucs could miss playoffs
Indianapolis at Jacksonville ... if the Jags cant beat 'em, that leaves Seattle
Houston at Tennessee ... 2 bad teams renew rivalry
New England at Buffalo... Pats are treading water but Bills are drowning
Cleveland at Cincinnati ... the battle of Ohio
San Francisco at Seattle ... Sonics, i mean, Seahawks look dominating
NY Giants at Philadelphia ... Philly fans are choking on their cheesesteaks
Washington at Arizona ... Cards have better weapons
Miami at San Diego ... still a must-win for Chargers
Baltimore at Denver ... Broncos are mad after being embarassed last week
Kansas City at Dallas ... LJ is making everyone forget Priest quickly
Detroit at Green Bay ... Matt Leinart, Matt Leinart
New Orleans at Atlanta ... what if Saints got Vince Young?


Last Week: 14-2
Overall: 115-77

readings

Just finished reading The Paypal Wars: Battles with eBay, the Media, the Mafia, and the rest of Planet Earth, an accounting of how payments giant PayPal came to be, written by former Paypal marketing officer Eric Jackson. With likely a cliffhanger for every chapter or section, this unfolds more like a thriller, but of course that's not Jackson's aim. It's quite an interesting read, this being the first time I get to look at the innards of a (pretty successful) Internet startup: how PayPal weathered the dotcom bubble burst, the strife within its borders and beyond, and its eventual acquisition by auctions monopoly eBay. And I used to think it was an annoying middleman/service, since I never dabbled in eBay nor did I ever use my PayPal account. Shows what I know. After putting down the book, I had a gleeful time looking up the personalities that made the company what it is in Wikipedia and Google.

Speaking of Wikipedia, after years of casually checking it up from time to time, I found myself frequenting it more lately (checking up on ... whatever). Then I noticed the link to join up and be a legitimate "editor/contributor" to this worthy and novel knowledge base. Turns out (i think) that no one else had my name as a username - unless of course it allows duplicates. Then I made my first edit - changing "cancer submission" to "cancer remission" in the entry for comicbook artist Michael Turner. There, now you know what I've been perusing. Anyway, I used to spend hours reading encyclopedias. Now here's another one that could be a habit. As if I didn't have enough work to do ... or distractions to it *lol*

channel surf

and shutter blur (wala lang).

2005 Billboard Music Awards.


Jessica in a foursome (or is that a six way) with the Blue Man Group


what is she wearing? the hollaback girl and pharell


janet-wannabe ciara getting it on


hulkamania at the Billboard awards


everyone should have a fijacion oral


"i'd like to thank my doctor for my two ... puppies."


why is this bitch still alive?


the long-distance fee'll cost more than that


there is no doubt there is no more no doubt


tom petty: "i'm not dead yet!"


is everyone ready for daddy yankee?


pharell, daddy yankee and a slithering roselyn sanchez (i think)


of course no one mentioned his Katrina telethon flap

pare, meron ka bang bread?

making a quick stop by my grocery the other night to get some bread and milk, i noticed something that i haven't heard of before last saturday: a panettone! i was watching ms. de laurentiis last weekend making some holiday treats and one of those was a panetonne trifle. A trifle is a dessert made with sponge cake drenched in sherry or liquer of choice, topped with custard, fruit, and whipped cream. in her recipe, she uses a panetonne - which is simply Italian leavened bread, peppered with raisins and fruits.

I am not partial to fruitcake, and I admit I am guilty of re-gifting the darn things at Christmas (but only to the deserving, harharhar). i was curious as to what a panettone tasted, even though it looked a lot like fruitcake. yeah, i didn't exactly replicate her trifle, but i thoroughly enjoyed the panettone i got. it had raisins (again not a fan, but i have no complaints) and candied orange peels. its a nice enough dinner substitute (even though its usually taken as a dessert by itself). a couple of slices washed off with some blue milkshake - am good.



thank you, giada!

great space toaster

With the need for storage getting more and more significant as time goes by (downloading has got to be one of the most important activities one can do when surfing the Net), the method of accessing these tons of data is also important. I got tired of swapping data in and out of hard drives, pulling them in and out of USB cases and desktop cages. My first option was to get a 4 bay firewire case from Firewire Depot. But days became weeks and weeks became months, and I don't think I was too keen on the idea of lugging the whole thing around. It would be fast if it were Firewire, but ...

Then NetGear comes out with a SAN (storage area network) solution. SAN is much more localized than a WAN wherein you dispense with the server itself, and just have a couple of hard drives sitting there to be accessed. NetGear's SC101 is practically 2-bay drive case, with its own proprietary software that allows it to be treated and accessed like a server (just connect it to your standard router) and the drives show up on your PC just like you mapped them (in a normal Windows server network configuration).


On the great space toaster, get onboard, we'll explore

The whole thing looks like a toaster and with good reason, the top and the bottom are both heavy-duty heatsinks which helps because having two drives in there spinning like mad would make things hot in a hurry. Its easy to just pop in the drives, load and lock (with a coin).

it's so easy, even a caveman can do it (apologies to Geico)

The tricky part, which bit me in the rear, is that it slipped my mind that the SC101's proprietary design made it incompatible with how Windows sets up a drive. In short, it will format the drives for you (and wipe out existing data in them). So there went my Popular episodes and AVI files. damn. You have to start out with blank or empty hard drives (to which end I had to do some more file-moving), and after that you'll end up with storage space like you have your own personal server.

A couple of other annoying things would be the internal drive-to-drive copying rate (it was faster copying files from an external USB drive to the SC101), the inherent incompatibility (you can't just take out a working drive from the SC101 and just plug it in your desktop or external case, after formatting and all), plus the tendency for the network to drop sometimes (maybe its my wireless network - more tests to be done). But in the end, it seems worth it (not to return it) because I now have a central repository (for music and movies - thats a little more than half a terrabyte) and I don't have to swap drives in and out of my one trusty external case anymore. Since price drops a lot quicker these days, its not unusual for HDs to be accumulating (especially in some geek's house). So SAN and other storage solutions have to be improved on.


cable modem (in the back), wireless router, and toaster (tricycle and speaker not included)

550 Gb? my first PC only had 40 Mb. How things change in 11 years.

snow!

the first of the season


no view on my window but its okay :-)

walk like a manhattanite

in my visit to one of my clients on the middle/upper East Side, i came across the Bloomberg building (i think) which had a radical design (for a simpleton like me). since i didn't have my camera then, i resolved to go back for it this weekend, and at the same time proceed to roll through all the shops along Lexington St. A Container Store is opening there next year, which will give those yuppity Upper Eastsiders more reason not to go to the ghetto that is downtown, or maybe just the Chelsea district (to the tune of "Rent": 'everyone is gay, gay, gay!').


Bloomberg building on 58th (between Lexington and 3rd Avenues)

the area surrounding Rockefeller Plaza was packed during the weekend, with good reason, since the Christmas Tree was lit last Wednesday and now you got all the tourists coming out in full force - i mean full force. I couldn't even get a decent shot of the tree. damn tourists. ay cabron!


oh the (in)humanity!

since department stores also had an early December sale, a highlight would be getting a pair of leather boots priced at $119, minus 25% off, and minus an extra $25 off. now that's a bargain. serendipity, thy name is bloomingdale's.

Giada De Laurentiis!

1st and 10 ... Week 13 prognostications

Tennessee at Indianapolis ... why do i even bother
Green Bay at Chicago ... a changing of the guard
Jacksonville at Cleveland ... R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Minnesota at Detroit ... Vikings might even make playoffs. huh.
Dallas at NY Giants ... Tuna will be swamped
Tampa Bay at New Orleans ... damn kickers, sayeth the Chuck
Buffalo at Miami ... could go either way really
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh ... Bengals have better offense
Atlanta at Carolina ... can Cats stop Vick this time?
Houston at Baltimore ... will Texans choke again?
Arizona at San Francisco ... Kurt Warner vs Alex Smith. uh-uh.
Washington at St. Louis ... Rams are comeback kings
NY Jets at New England ... Reggie Bush, Reggie Bush
Denver at Kansas City ... c'mon LJ, let's see you run
Oakland at San Diego ... Chargers need this to inch closer to playoffs
Seattle at Philadelphia ... battle of the birds


Last Week: 9-7
Overall: 101-75

fullcolor booty call

on a recent binge again to Forbidden Planet (damn you, delphi!), i came away with several great graphic novels ... that means comic books, peasant. given that i don't really follow/collect them like i used to (making reservations, waiting in suspense for weeks, loitering on message boards and forums), i only indulge in binges like these maybe once or twice a year (okay, thrice). besides, since collected editions come out almost as quickly as DVDs for movies, i can totally ignore them for months, dabble once in a while in the latest news, then go buy some books when the opportunity presents itself ... even when the intent or the capability to buy isn't there (i say again, damn you, delphi!).

so without further ado, here's some more additions to the library (and my kids' someday).

Justice League Elite, Vol. 1
writer: Joe Kelly
art: Doug Mahnke, John Byrne, Tom Nguyen

what happens when superheroes cross the line? specifically what happens when the Justice League crosses the line? and not just a rhetorical line in the sand. when you need to be monsters to defeat monsters. this is what Kelly tries to answer.

i've liked Kelly's run on the XMen and the JLA, even if its kind of offbeat and delves more into mysticism and magic most of the time. he creates the Justice League Elite, his version of The Authority (Wildstorm/Image's superhero black ops team, a personal fave of mine), who seemingly has a tougher stance on bad guys than regular superfolk. after Superman defeats an earlier version of the Elite led by a arrogant Brit named Manchester Black, Black's sister Vera relaunches the Elite but this time on the side of the good guys, and does the dirty work necessary to get the job done. she manages to enlist to her cause current JLAers Major Disaster, Manitou Raven, Green Arrow and even Flash (who pulls double duty by switching uniforms along the way).

unfortunately, Kelly doesn't answer the question completely, as he chickens out and the League, Elite or regular, still maintains its clean hands. he does have heroes who could cross the line if necessary ... but that's still coulda, woulda, shoulda. leave the killing to Wolverine. easily the weakest of my booty.


Supreme Power: Contact
writer: J. Michael Straczynski
art: Gary Frank, Jon Sibal

The Squadron Supreme was designed to be an otherworld dark-mirror image of Marvel's Avengers, and basically a rip-off of DC's Justice League. But a funny thing happened when writer Mark Gruenwald took over - a now-classic 12-issue limited run redefined the Squadron in a world of political intrigue and power struggles, and they became more than one-note characters. the series became Gruenwald's own Watchmen even before Watchmen. yes, i own both collections.

now comes Babylon 5 creator Straczynski, who had his own comic success with Spiderman, Fantastic 4, and Rising Stars, putting his own imprint by rebooting the Squadron for our new world. stop me if you heard this one before: an alien craft lands in the farmlands, childless couple takes the baby inside and raises them as - ok, this part you haven't, because the US government takes the baby away from them and raises him as their own. "him" being Hyperion, a Superman without the toothpaste smile and apple pie aura. Hyperion knows he is different from everyone, and he knows that there is something wrong in being used as an edge to defeat America's enemies, despite being raised on patriotism and loyalty to the American flag since he was in diapers. this is an alternate universe, but some things stay the same. Hyperion was discovered during the Carter administration, kept hidden thru the Reagan and Bush eras, and once the Democrats won the White House, was unveiled to the public.

pretty soon, other 'freaks' show up: a speedster nicknamed 'the Blur' (becomes a media sensation and a pitchman for athletic apparel - did i mention he was black?), a military man gaining the powers of an alien crystal (just not green and no lantern involved), and a black non-powered vigilante calling himself Nighthawk (also a multimillionaire no less). how their stories tie in together makes an interesting read, and the clean art of Gary Frank is great eye candy. the food comparison applies to the writing as well, and gets me interested to pick up some of Straczynski's earlier work. spoo, anyone?


She-Hulk: Superhuman Law
writer: Dan Slott
art: Juan Bobillo, Paul Pelletier, Marcelo Sosa, Rick Magyar

this is actually the second collected volume of the critically-acclaimed series on the Hulk's cousin, Jenny Walters. Jen, aside from being a gamma-powered green-skinned gorgeous babe, is also a good lawyer. so good in fact, that someone finally explored the idea of having her handle cases in the Marvel Universe (like bad guys suing the superheroes for beating them up). and so very good in fact, that cosmic gods even recruits her for a stint to arbitrate interplanetary and interdimensional cases (apparently the concept of justice is indeed universal).

lest this devolve into an Ally McBeal soap opera (definitely not! you think McBeal can even press half her own weight?), we also get the requisite punch-ups, as writer Slott neatly weaves a tale involving second-rate badgal Titania and making her a heavyweight contender to go toe-to-toe with our heroine. in contrast, Jen uses her brains more than her brawn to save the day.

darn it, where's the first volume???


Batman: Hush
writer: Jeph Loeb
art: Jim Lee, Scott Williams

as you can see from the picture on the right, this is the punch that shook the world. why does Superman always take a beating from Bats, who has no powers at all, save his brilliant mind? no respect. damn Frank Miller for starting the whole idea ...

Hush is the overwhelmingly popular Batman storyline (even spawned an action figure set) that combines the talents of 3-time Eisner winner Jeph Loeb and the still-brilliant Jim Lee. someone is out eliminate the Dark Knight (like that's news), but is such a cunning puppet master, manipulating events that even Bats gets frustrated at every turn. Hush had several things going that excited the fans - that much-hyped mano-a-mano with a Poison Ivy-controlled Big Blue, Batman finally revealing his true feelings (and identity) to Catwoman, and the possibility of the main villain being someone close to Batman: his protege Jason Todd, the second Robin, dead for years thanks to the Joker (and to the thousands of fans who voted thumbs down to kill this whiny version of Robin).

and what can i say about Jim Lee? still churns out dynamic and gorgeous art, especially the curvy women. woooohooo! Scott Williams is the only inker for this man. the splash pages should become posters (but in all likelihood i wouldn't be able to afford them anyway).

Next pit stop: Superman/Batman, which according to hype, even bested Hush as a critical and commercial success.


Ultimates 2: Gods and Monsters
writer: Mark Millar
art: Bryan Hitch, Paul Neary

just for the record: Marvel started an Ultimate Universe line, where writers could re-imagine their beloved characters in a new light and closer to our world, taking them to places where they've never been before, and generally just driving longtime fans crazy. having said that, its been very popular, as variants continue to flourish (Ultimate Spiderman, Ultimate XMen, Ultimate Fantastic Four, Ultimate Daredevil, etc), without having to worry about continuity.


The Ultimates is this universe's version of the premiere Marvel superhero team, the Avengers, and though the structure of the team's formation and characters are a nod to its past, you get a sense of being in a completely new world (which longtime fans hate) even though it is closer to what we have, and everything you know about the characters has been more or less sent to the shredder.

This is the second series of the Ultimates, and I am still reeling from the first one. The Ultimates, if it were a live-action movie (heard its gonna be a direct-to-DVD animated one), will have Jerry Bruckheimer directing the action sequences only, while the backstory and character development would be more Coppola, Stone, Scorsese or Lee. This is storm und drang and brains, no matter how much fans would love to crucify Mark Millar for treating the heroes this way. you need to read this book to understand.

I've followed Millar and Hitch since their Authority stint, and they still awe me. I am actually fidgeting to get my hands on the follow-up to this (Grand Theft America), because they ended with a cliffhanger. bastards.


Avengers Disassembled
writer: Brian Michael Bendis
art: David Finch, Danny Miki, et al

judging from the fallout, not since the Image guys took over Marvel's major characters for a year back in the 90s, has a series been so controversial with longtime fans. Bendis, fresh off hit runs on Ultimate Spiderman, XMen and Daredevil, takes on Marvel's favorite superhero team and completely umm, disassembles them. what i said. fave characters Vision and Hawkeye among the dead. The Mansion in ruins. the culprit? an insane Scarlet Witch. hey, the man has 5 (yep, 5) Eisner awards. let him say his piece. you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs.

since it does look like Marvel is riding the hot hand at the moment (this series led to the crossover events The House of M and the ongoing deciMation, where you probably should expect more deaths and controversy), middle-of-the-road readers like me (who are not exactly casual fans, but do not live and breathe it either) have no choice but to just watch them unfold, and just enjoy it for the reading pleasure. i am not going to slag off the creators, but i will probably say one thing about artist David Finch. perhaps his work does suit the darker tone of the series, but for my untrained eye, he at best mirrors the Kubert brothers on a lazy day, and at worst, descends into Rob Liefeld stiffness. some characters keep catching my eye, and now i remember why: they all look like The Darkness (its the hair, man!).

ok, if it looks, smells and talks like a gimmick ... by golly, it must be ... ! which leads us now to ...

The New Avengers: Breakout
writer: Brian Michael Bendis
art: David Finch, Danny Miki

well, this is his omelette. Bendis wanted his own team of Avengers, one that he's already comfortable with, so are you ready for the Avengers of the 21st century? we have longtime members Captain America and Iron Man, Spiderman (duh), Wolverine (double duh), Daredevil kind of turned the offer down, and his personal faves (which he wants to build up) - Spiderwoman and Luke Cage (a.k.a. Power Man). Two new characters, the Sentry and Ronin, will play more defined roles as the series progresses. suffice it to say, this is one heavy-hitting team.

before you say "too many arachnids", Bendis has sneaky plans for Spiderwoman (she's a spy for someone else). the event that brings the "team" together is a terrifying breakout from the superhuman prison The Raft. Captain America successfully recruits all of them (except DD), and their investigation leads to ... the Savage Land (where they bump into Wolverine, conveniently hiding in the bushes) ... where those "allegedly-stupid" mutates have arranged to spring out ... Karl Lykos (a.k.a. TSPKAS, the stupid pterodactyl known as Sauron). what the-? exactly. there's more to this than meets the eye, as Bendis puts in his two cents worth on how a Marvel Universe could function in this new world order/reality.

favorite parts? Iron Man's techno-savvy, as usual. and wisecracking Spidey. but there's still that Finch art that leaves me scratching my head ...

Formerly Known As The Justice League
writer: Keith Giffen & J.M. DeMatteis
art: Kevin Maguire, Joe Rubinstein

L-Ron: if this is the kind of archenemy you've been reduced to, Captain ... i did you a favor by shooting him.
Captain Atom: what's that supposed to mean?
L-Ron: Really, sir ... you are a human nuclear reactor ... you could have incinerated him 5 seconds into your imbroglio.
Captain Atom: "imbroglio?" isn't that some kind of Italian cheese?
L-Ron: the point is, sir, that you were toying with him ... or perhaps with yourself -
Captain Atom: (mumbling) i stopped toying with myself years ago!
L-Ron: - in order to maintain the fiction of a challenge.

in the mid to late 80s, the Justice League became more of a barkada of easy-going jokesters rather than a high-profile, world-beating supermen. this was due to the presence of Blue Beetle and Booster Gold. now scattered all over, their former boss, millionaire industrialist Maxwell Lord recruits the remaining members of that group to earn money as ... freelance heroes for hire, far below the stratosphere treaded by the current League. but they have to get beyond bumbling and bickering around to even be accepted by their own neighborhood!

the humorous JL run was conceptualized by Giffen and Maguire, and here they are back for second helpings. its more of witty banter and outrageous situations rather than slapstick hijinks (which really doesn't work well in print). our heroes haven't even concluded their first meeting yet, and they've already been kidnapped as contestants for a WWE-style gladiator arena battles. after they've extricated themselves out of that, they get into a sticky situation with the theatrically-inclined and overly-dramatic alien overlord Manga Khan, where a breakdown in negotiations could mean an extinction-level event. or not. basta.

one thing of note here is the presence of Ralph Dibny (Elongated Man) and his wife Sue (who's practically a Leaguer). this is the final look at happy times for the couple, as things take a turn for the worse in ...

Identity Crisis
writer: Brad Meltzer
art: Rags Morales, Mike Bair

with gushing praise from the likes of The New York Times, Washington Post, Spin and Entertainment Weekly, Identity Crisis was a critical and commercial hit for DC, having mystery novelist Meltzer weave a whodunit for superheroes that had lasting effects and ramifications on their universe (yeah, its far-reaching alright - this kickstarted another mega-crossover called Infinite Crisis - stop taking my lunch money, bastards).

playing with mature themes - the Elongated Man's wife Sue is raped and murdered (ok, little twist there: its not the same event) - Meltzer sends the DC superheroes into a tizzy trying to find out who the killer is. as with a good whodunit, red herrings abound. even Batman doesn't figure it out until the culprit is finally revealed. i could almost hear the 'Psycho' theme playing. man, that was so left-field. fans both loved and hated it. Meltzer sidesteps the dilemma of having the killer be one of the heroes, but ties it all up neatly that no one is left clean or unscathed. in DC terms, the storyline introduced the notion that superheroes are forced to cross the line (this is how you do it, Joe Kelly) when their identities are compromised, endangering their loved ones. a great setup to Infinite Crisis, and the subsequent fallout between Batman and the rest of the heroes.

the lovely Michael Turner covers aside, i have a couple of favorite parts - Deathstroke's takedown of eight (yes, eight!) of DC's most powerful superpeople, just like (snap your fingers) that, and the tear-inducing funeral scene (beats the ending of Avengers Disassembled, above). Rags Morales, take a bow, man.