An ode to Baccarat

You bring out the best and worst in me.

There's a reason I stopped playing you. There's a reason I keep coming back.

You are like an epic thrill ride, kinda like being on a rollercoaster without any harness.

"You've got the best of me but I just keep on coming back incessantly. Oh why, did you have to run your game on me? I should've known right from the start you'd go and break my heart."

2010 Singapore Grand Prix

I was supposed to watch last year's race but last minute plans didn't push through. This time, due to early and insistent peer pressure, I finally succumbed and booked my trip to Singapore this September.

I was never really a huge F1 fan plus this season has been rather disappointing and void of excitement or enthusiasm so it took a lot of convincing for me to cave in. Bottomline, my back was against the wall and I just couldn't say no. LOL.

Anyway, there's gonna be around a dozen of us who'll be going so it should be fun. And if it'll be anything like our HK/Macau trip back in 2008, then it will be freaking epic.

Beantown Meltdown

They were six minutes away from another championship. But when it mattered the most, they couldn't make any shot.

Boston lost Game 7 and the Lakers were lucky and happy enough to take what the Celtics handed to them - the Larry O'Brien trophy.

Game 7

One final game to end the 2009-10 NBA season.

Boston at Los Angeles tomorrow.

I hope it's a good one.

Stupid girl

I have zero pity for teenage sailor, Abby Sunderland, the 16-year-old who got stranded at the Indian Ocean with her damaged yacht. She got what she bargained for when she decided to claim popularity and fame by being the youngest person to circumnavigate the world.

She's lucky she was rescued in time though I was secretly hoping her boat would capsize before help came so she can be taught a valuable lesson in humility.

Goalkeeping gaffe

I was a former goalkeeper so I know the feeling. Still, there's absolutely no excuse for a mistake like this, especially in the World Cup.




This blunder should keep English goalkeeper Robert Green out of any future international duty.

Familiarity breeds contempt Vol. Stupid maid

My mom had to fire our stay-out household helper for having gone AWOL on us for the past two weeks. This lady finally sent my mom a text the other day saying she was sick and stuff. My mom said, "Fuck it, the least you could've done was tell us."

Thing is, this lady has been coming to clean and do laundry for us for about 9 years now. I guess she has become so comfortable and complacent about her status that she thinks she doesn't have to inform us if she's coming to work or not.

Long story short, do not dare bite the hand that feeds you do not shit where you eat. You just might end up eating your shit.

Snoozefest in South Africa

Two matches. Two goals. Two draws.

Save for a superb left-footed strike to the top right corner off a wonderful counter-attack by South African winger Siphiwe Tshabalala, the opening day of the 2010 World Cup was such a bore.

It was a far cry from the high-scoring opening game during the 2006 tournament in Germany, where the Germans beat Costa Rica, 4-2.

I hope these performances are not signs of things to come. Otherwise, I don't know how I'll manage to stay awake while watching the games.

ID 112

Happy 112th Independence Day Philippines. That's bullshit though because we were under the Japanese and Americans until the 1940's.

Not gonna front, sometimes I wish we were still an American colony though.

Best of three

With Boston and LA splitting the first four games, winning one each on the road and at home, the 2010 Finals series is down to a thrilling best-of-three.

Like a lot of other people, I think whoever wins Game 5 will end up being the champions. That said, no team has won consecutive games yet and the Celtics will have to win two straight at some point to have a shot at the title.

I'm hoping they snag Game 5 at home so they have a little breathing room going back to Los Angeles.

2010 South Africa

You know it's World Cup time again when people who don't know shit about football start becoming 'die-hard' fans for about a month or until their 'teams' get knocked out of the tourney.

What's worse is that I see a bunch of these bums post World Cup-related stuff on Twitter and Facebook.

SMGDFH.

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I have the same sentiments as four years ago when I wrote this, World Cup fever.

Becoming Champion of Krynn

Finally.

After around 25 cumulative hours of gameplay, numerous deaths, and tons of save-load-save cycles, I managed to finish Champions of Krynn with no deaths to my party.

I could've finished sooner but I didn't want to leave any of my characters behind since I'm planning to carry them over to the game's sequel, Death Knights of Krynn.

I'm looking forward to starting that adventure soon and I'll bet it'll take me another week's worth of playing to finish that one too.

Hibernation

I've been staying in a lot the past several days. In fact, I haven't gone out of my condo since Monday. The reason?

Well, I've been hooked on playing AD&D's Champions of Krynn. It's an old DOS-based game that I used to love playing back in the day, early 1990s to be exact. The graphics are far from what we have now but nothing beats the nostalgic feeling it brings.

I wish they develop games now like they did before so I'll never have to get out of my house anymore.

The perfect crime

26 up, 26 down.

Armando Galarraga needed one out for a perfect game.

He got Cleveland's 27th batter to hit a bouncer in between first and second base. Detroit's first baseman Miguel Cabrera fielded it cleanly and relayed to Galaragga who stepped on first base for the final out and the perfect game.

But no, first base umpire Jim Joyce wanted none of that and called the runner safe. You know how it's a badly blown call when even the runner, Jason Donald, couldn't believe he beat the throw. Replays showed he was clearly out by a mile.

The blown call, perhaps the worst I've seen ever, just robbed a pitcher of an incredible perfect game.

I love watching baseball and it's a shame that the umpires have been terrible in recent years. I think it's about time they expand the instant replay rule. The times have changed and the technology available allows for mistakes to be corrected.

All the other major sports have embraced replay and MLB should follow suit.

Out by a mile

Boston and LA meet again

David Stern wanted LeBron vs Kobe.

But I'm sure he's satisfied with another Celtics-Lakers matchup.

The Lakers bombed out of the 2008 Finals, getting thoroughly embarrassed by the Boston's new Big Three. I'm sure they're raring for revenge.

For the Celtics, they've another chance of proving themselves at the big stage. They were awful last year while Garnett was out injured. They were mediocre during this year's regular season too. But they turned things around in the playoffs by dismantling major favorites (Cavs and Magic) along the way.

I'd hate for the Lakers to repeat as champions so you know who I'm rooting for.