Den's Ten

It's been a while

2009-11-10T23:26:00.001+08:00

It's been a while since I've posted.
Been posting mostly on facebook.
I'll try to post once in a while on books and anime that i've been getting into.

Ristorante Paradiso

2009-07-10T09:08:00.002+08:00

It's been a while.
Just finished watching this.
Great, short anime.
An unexpected gem of a find.

Best New Anime This Year -- Cross Game

2009-05-19T22:27:00.002+08:00

I watched this anime just on a whim. To be honest, I didn't really give a lot of attention to this anime with its old-style art. A lot more anime looked more interesting, like Shangri-la and Valkyria Chronicles. However, after episode 1, I was hooked.
I laughed, I cried. I can't recommend this anime enough to everyone, even those who don't like baseball.
GO WATCH IT!

Wolverine Movie; Summer Movies to Watch

2009-05-09T23:41:00.004+08:00

Hello.
It's been a while. April to May is generally a very busy time for me at work, so please excuse my absence.
Anyways, I finally got to watch a movie after a couple of months. I can't even remember the last movie I watched.
My wife and I watched the Wolverine movie last Sunday.
Overall, the movie was OK to good. A lot of plot holes and inconsistencies, but it was good to watch. In fact, the P200/head I spent on watching the movie was cheaper than the P600/head people paid to watch the Pacquiao fight earlier in the day. (I mean, two rounds, seriously? It was like P300/round).
There are a lot of good (I hope) movies coming out in the next couple of months.
Here are some of them:
May
Star Trek
Angels and Demons
Terminator Salvation
June
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
July
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
August
GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra

I hope atleast some of them would be good.

What I'm Playing Right Now -- Lux Pain

2009-04-05T00:04:00.003+08:00

Actually, this is more a visual novel than an actual game. That being said, the game is just ok.
What I don't like about this game is that they don't teach you how to play it. I had to play it via trial and error.
Still, it's a good enough game to while away the time. I'm not sure of the ending yet as I'm probably just halfway through.

Funeral for My Ipaq 1930 2001-2009

2009-04-04T23:59:00.002+08:00

I got the iPaq 2001. It held up pretty well. It's not actually dead yet, but it's already dying. The battery doesn't last over a day with full use and now the charger just broke. So I'm just waiting for it to give up the ghost. I tried contacting the local HP service, but the replacement parts were way too expensive -- almost like buying a brand-new one.
My problem is that nobody sells cheap stand-alone PDAs anymore. Sure, HP has the iPaq 112, but I can't find it locally. What to do, oh, what to do...

Bleach 350 - The New ichigo

2009-03-22T09:50:00.002+08:00

I say, finally, finally, finally. Finally, after getting beat up all the time, Ichigo gets a power up. And what a power up it is. Meet the new Ichigo!

Kurogane no LINEBARRELS

2009-03-22T09:43:00.003+08:00

I've been following the series which just ended with its 24th episode. While I don't care much about the main character (who I think is pathetic), I like the other character designs especially Emi.
Also, I finally find out why that giant robot is called LINEBARRELS.
The ending song is also quite good.

Double Manga Cliffhangers!

2009-03-13T16:15:00.002+08:00

Double cliffhangers this week in the world of manga!
In Naruto 439, the seal on Naruto is about to break as he reaches the 8-tailed form. Just as he's about to break the seal himself, the 4th Hokage appears! What's going to happen?
In Bleach 349, Ichigo lies dead with a giant hole in his chest. As he lies dead, his hair suddenly grows long! Is he still alive?

New Prince of Tennis

2009-03-06T13:47:00.002+08:00

Just giving people the heads up.
There's a new Prince of Tennis manga series aptly titled "The New Prince of Tennis."
Scanslations are already on the Net.

ASUS EEE AIR?

2009-03-05T09:53:00.002+08:00

Found this while trawling through Gizmodo. It's the Asus EEE 1008HA. It's 1 inch thick and 2.8 lbs light. That's all the info the have on it right now. Hopefully, it'll be much much cheaper than the MacBook Air.

100 Unbelievable iPhone photos

2009-03-02T10:24:00.003+08:00

A lot of reviews out there are saying that the iPhone's camera is crap. I was the one of the few who didn't think so and even bought the CameraBag app for iPhone photography.
Anyways, this guy from photocritic.com assembled 100 unbelievable iPhone photos. Unbelievable because you'd never think they came from the iPhone.
To see his article, please click here.

Thundercats Movie?!

2009-02-28T21:31:00.001+08:00

Not! But this "teaser" is hilarious.

What I'm Playing Right Now -- Dragon Quest V

2009-02-28T21:18:00.003+08:00

Probably one of the strangest titles of a video game yet, Dragon Quest V:Hand of the Heavenly Bride, like all Dragon Quest titles, promises a lengthy gameplay. I'm currently about halfway in the game, I think.
The game is unique in that you play the main hero, his father, his wife, his son and his daughter and also his pets.
I've been missing a good RPG for the DS for a few months now. I recommend this game for any gamers who love RPGs.

Naruto -- Six-Tailed Form

2009-02-27T14:51:00.002+08:00

Just this week in Naruto -- Naruto's six-tailed form.
Image from SleepyFans scanlation.

The Scott Pilgrim Series

2009-02-25T08:27:00.002+08:00

There are already five volumes out for this quirky series.
I've just read books 1 and 2. What I've read is good enough for me to look for the other volumes of this series.
It's sort of a westernized manga, with the author trying to put in weird situations, kind of like what happens in Japanese mangas. However, it comes across as just that -- weird.
Also, I don't like the main character. He's a ***, but the other characters in the story are interesting and the author's writing is good.

Rorschach: Bird in Paint

2009-02-18T20:47:00.003+08:00

While I was on my way home from a client call, I noticed this paint blot on a window at the client's building. I thought it looked like a little bird.

Auroras are the earth's dreams -- Pastel Chapter 92

2009-02-16T22:52:00.003+08:00

"What are auroras?"
"They're the earth's dreams."

This is a page from Chapter 92 of Pastel by Toshihiko Kobayashi.
The chapter was one of the most touching stories I've read recently.
Pastel is basically a teenage love story manga. The art is great and so is the storytelling, though the pacing is a bit slow and relaxed. It took the characters way too long to admit their feelings to each other.
However, I think the relaxed pacing also gives character to the story, making it unique from all the other love story mangas.
And even though there's a lot of fan service in the manga, the author always manages to make the story pull your heartstrings.

Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen -- Arcee

2009-02-12T09:48:00.004+08:00

I found this while browsing through the net.
Apparently, this is the new Arcee for the movie, Transformers 2 : Revenge of the Fallen.
Pretty nice design, if you ask me.
I wish they had given her a more feminine face though.
I'm still on the lookout for the other new characters. I'll post them if and when I find them

Mysterious Girlfriend X

2009-02-10T08:14:00.002+08:00

Also known as Nazo no Kanojo X, this manga caught my eye because of its mysterious title. :)

It's about this high school student Akira Tsubaki and this mysterious girl Mikoto Urabe who begin a strange romance between them when Akira tasted her drool.
Drool? Yup, her DROOL. Weird as the premise may sound, this manga is warm and funny at the same time as it shows the trials and joys of a couple as they learn about love and sex. There's some nudity so it is not for kids.
I'd recommend this manga and look forward to new chapters as only four volumes are out. This manga is very reminiscent of I's which is one of the best manga I've read.

Le Souffle

2009-02-02T20:55:00.004+08:00

My wife and I had an anniversary lunch last Sunday at Le Souffle over at Rockwell.
The place was recommended to us by a couple of friends and we've heard a lot of good things about them.
Here's what I recommend.
The salad ala Governor Vi made with goose liver, scallops and smoked salmon was a superb way to start everything. I wasn't satisfied with the the measly 40g of goose liver so we also ordered the Pan-fried goose liver salad. Yes! Goose liver. I still can't stop thinking about it.
We also had the rib-eye steak and the pan-seared sea bass. The rib-eye was cooked to perfection - tender yet not bloody. The sea bass was okay, though the branch admitted that the pan-seared sea bass was more of the Boni branch's specialty. (For some reason, all the sea bass I've eaten within the past three years taste like cod, which is sea bass substitute. Where have the real sea bass gone?) If they offered to convert your mashed potatoes to the vegetable risotto - stay away. The risotto tasted like lumpia insides. This was the only down note to our meal.
As a finale, we tried the chocolate souffle. It was, in a word, divine. Tasty but not too sweet.
I'd recommend the place for those special occassions only though, as eating there can hit your wallet a bit hard. Still, we're going back there soon.

Books to Watch Out For -- First Half 2009

2009-01-30T23:19:00.002+08:00

Here are the books I'm on the lookout for for the first half of the year.

March 24, 2009 -- Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary by Brandon Mull
(I'm still waiting for the previous one to hit our shores though)
May 5, 2009 -- Percy Jackson and the Olympians Book 5: The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
May 12, 2009 -- The Soldiers of Halla by D.J. MacHale
-- The Magic Thief: Lost by Sarah Prineas
May 26, 2009 -- The Sorceress (Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel) by Michael Scott
June 23, 2009 -- Septimus Heap: The Magykal Papers by Angie Sage

My First Photography Book -- Very Recommended

2009-01-29T18:13:00.003+08:00

Photographing Children Photo Workshop by Ginny Felch and Allison Tyler Jones

This is my first book since I got my dSLR. I love this book.
It served as a basic intro book into photography in general. The basics like aperture, iso, shutter speed, etc. are all well-explained. The book also gave me tips on photographing my kid (which is why I bought my dSLR in the first place!). It is an easy read and explains things very well.

I recommend this for all parents who are venturing into photography because they have become parents.

Skip Beat -- Surprisingly Funny

2009-01-22T12:37:00.004+08:00

I've started watching this anime on a whim -- and got hooked. It's a shoujo-type anime, which means it is typically aimed at female audiences. The anime is surprisingly funny and heart-warming at the same time. It kind of reminds me of Kare Kano (His and Her Circumstances) in some ways.
I really recommend this anime.
Currently, there are 15 episodes out.
I'll be checking out the manga soon.

Panasonic Lumix LX3

2009-01-18T09:14:00.006+08:00

A lot of buzz has been circulating in the forums about this camera. So much so that I was driven to purchase this. Supposedly, this is considered as a enthusiast camera -- more than a point and shoot and less than a dSLR. The driving points of this camera are the fast lens (f/2.0 at the widest) and the numerous special modes (the dynamic b/w mode alone is something to justify buying this camera).
This is the guy who convinced me. Check out his photos.
So what's my verdict on this camera? I loooooove it! For anything less than a dSLR, this camera is IT! But don't take my word for it, read the reviews.
http://www.lawrenceripsher.com/blog/2008/08/panasonic-lx3-review.html
http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/digitalcameras/0,39001468,43812104p,00.htm

My First dSLR - Nikon D40

2009-01-17T07:49:00.006+08:00

As I mentioned in the previous post, like many of my friends who had become first-time parents, I got myself a dSLR. After scouring through numerous photography sites, I finally settled on the Nikon D40. Why?
Mainly because of these three reasons.
1. It's cheap -- I didn't want to waste money on something I might not use. Since I was just starting in the world of dSLRs, I was playing it safe.
2. It's a beginner's dSLR -- One thing with the Nikon D40 is that it has a help mode. For a beginner, it's a big plus.
3. It's small and light (for a dSLR) -- Coming from digital point and shoots which are really light, I did not want something heavy. If it's too heavy, I'd probably leave it at home most of the time.

I won't do a review of this camera. There are a lot of good reviews already out there for this camera.
http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/ND40/ND40A.HTM
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond40/
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d40.htm

So, how is this camera? It's pretty good. Using Automatic mode, I can take good pictures right off the bat. The photos that come out are amazing. The image quality is very different from a point-and-shoot camera. I'm really impressed with this camera.

Introduction - Books

2009-01-16T12:43:00.006+08:00

If you haven't heard about Harry Potter, you probably won't want to read this part of the blog. The series has brought back a lot of people into reading books.
Now that the series is done, many are looking for other books to fill that hole that Harry Potter has left behind.
Let's go find them.

Introduction - Digital Photography

2009-01-16T12:21:00.000+08:00

Like most first-time parents, I have become an amateur photographer. Many of my friends, upon becoming parents, have purchased hi-tech dSLRs and such to capture those special moments. Of course, almost none of us know how to use them, aside from clicking the shutter button and hope for the best. Hey, that's why we bought these cameras, right?
For the digital photography part of this blog, I'll be talking about my journey into cameras, lenses, etc.

Hello World!

2009-01-15T12:50:00.001+08:00

And lo, another blog enters the world of the internet.

I just started this blog.
I'll be posting about what this blog is all about in the next few posts.
I'm still trying to customize this site and figuring my way around.
So for now, please bear with me.
Thanks.