Lock and Load!

Thursday, October 23, 2008

I've a new hobby now. One that I almost started before when I was in grade 6 but didn't pursue. I've bought a Marui MP5k before when gas type airsoft was the latest model in the early 1990s.

Since my dad is a retired military officer I've always been around soldiers ever since I was young. In my childhood days I would usually stop by after school at my fathers office in the AFP LOGCOM (Logistics Command) where he was then Vice Commander. I would usually look at soldiers walking around and carrying M16s or seeing the Haring Digma (the Philippines urban armored vehicle) pass along the streets of Camp Aguinaldo. My father also taught us how to handle a pistol at an early age and would practice at the shooting range near his office during summer. It's no wonder that I had an affinity for airsoft guns and wargames (not mentioning FPS games like Counterstrike).

Having heard from my friend that there are cheap airsoft being sold nowadays I've began researching the net and the forums and found out that China have made perfect replicas of the brand Tokyo Marui but at one third of their price. This models are very durable and have higher FPS (Feet per second) than TM models since Japan has a very low restriction limit on FPS. You can buy chinese made airsoft guns and you won't even have to upgrade it for a couple of months. A perfect buy for someone just starting out on this hobby.

I've bought a Jing Gong brand M4A1 Carbine which is the U.S. standard rifle for their soldiers. My friend said that I should buy another model since most of the airsoft community uses the M4A1. The only problem is I really like the M4A1 for it's aesthetics not to mention the amount of configurations you can change it into. I quickly chose the SOCOM (Special Operations Command) look since I like the idea of sneaking around and flanking my targets. I've added a front vertical grip, a flashlight, an ANPEQ replica (a device used for infra red laser for night battles) which is actually a battery case for my gun, a rail riser and a Trigicon ACOG scope.

I'm planning soon to change my buttstock into a crane stock to place my battery out of harms way since the wires are dangerously exposed and I don't know what will happen if a bb pellet slams into it.

Next on the list are my clothes and gear. I've purchased the MARPAT BDU(Marine Pattern Battle Dress Uniform) because it suits the jungle comouflage look here in the Philippines. I've seen other people use the desert storm BDU which would make them sittings ducks in our terrain but, hey, to each his own. More targets to see haha! I've also bought an OD (Olive Drab) vest that can carry four magazines for easy access during a fire fight, an elbow and knee pad set, half fingered gloves and shemaq; the scarf that most terrorists wear around their heads since I need some minor protection for my neck and ears. I rummaged my room for my old ROTC boots and my uniforms complete!

Having almost completed my collection (I still need a mask but I'm still searching for the right one) I have yet to participate in a skirmish. I still haven't registerd my gun in Camp Crame and it's liable to be confiscated without a permit to transport. I've already asked around for the nearest game sites near my home. One site is Camp Masada which is a 20 minute ride from my house. It's a 5 hectare jugle site in Muntalban. Another is my old elementary school OLGM which has been abandoned a few years back. They've turned it into a CQB (Close Quarters Battle) airsoft site every wednesday, saturday and sunday night. A sad ending for my old alma mater.

As a newbie in airsoft, I've asked around shops and gunsmiths alike for some sound advice. The first thing they always suggest is safety especially the right headgear. That's why I haven't bought one yet since I'm still researching until now the most durable and practical headgear in the market since my eyes are more priceless to me in exchange for a cheap set of goggles.

Hopefully by december I'll be playing my first game. Let's see what happens then.

99 Bottles of Beer

Monday, October 20, 2008

No there's no pirate attack or anything. Actually We've had a boy's night out (aka drinking session) last saturday night at my house, and yes, I'm exaggerating about the title since we really only had one case of San Miguel Light.

Since it's been a long time since my college barkada met with each other Jas suggested we round everyone up and have another classic night out at my house; a tradition we've done ever since college. Sadly, not all of us were there as some of us went overseas (you know who you are peeps!).

Hopefully this december everyone would be present for another year end reunion.

Also last friday was Arethy's birthday party so we went to her home in Pasig (where we almost got lost since it was my first time there).

As expected alot of people went including Doc, Arjay, who flew in from Davao to visit the LU Live! convention in the World Trade Hall in Roxas blvd. last saturday. Sadly, I didn't get to visit the convention since I was too busy last saturday afternoon and too wasted on sunday morning even just to stand up. Last I heard HOL won the Perfect World Server tourney.

Pretty interesting weekend to say the least.

Code Geass

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

I've just recently finished watching Code Geass. After watching the final episode of the second season I must say it's one of the best written plots made for an anime. Kudos to Clamp for making (yet again) another interesting show to watch.

For those who don't know Clamp is an mangaka group composed of 4 women. Some of their famous past (and present) works are Cardcaptor Sakura, Clamp school Detectives, Magic Raye Earth, Chobits, X, xxxHoLiC and Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles. Their works are usually made with characters with depth and a dramatic storytelling that is watched by a wide variety of audiences.

Code Geass is of no excemption. Having led us from one outstanding plot twist to another the series never fails to amaze me with every episode. The protagonist, Lelouch de Brittania, will keep you on your toes with his well thought out plans as well as emphatize him for the sacrifices he has to make to achieve his goals. The rest of the cast has been well fleshed out as well. Each having his or her own side story which connects flawlessly to the main plot of the show.

The story's about a boy named Lelouch de Lamperouge, whose real name is Lelouch de Brittania, who lives in a fictionalized world where earth is mostly controlled by Britain. He was born as the son of one of the wives of the king of Britain and was exiled, along with his sister, to Japan after witnessing the murder of his mother.

After a chance encounter with a girl named C.C. Lelouch was given the power of Geass, a mind altering power that differs with each person it bestows. To Lelouch it was the power of contolling other people with eye contact. Lelouch have then resigned to avenging the murder of his mother and making the world safe for his sister Nunally.

Having two seasons was a wise choice to make for Code Geass. With the long plot twists and well made character development I doubt that it would fit in only one season. It's good to see they didn't cramp the storyline like other animes where they bastardized the plot just to fit it into 26 episodes. The only rant with this anime is the ending of the first season where the story stopped with alot of unfinished questions and a major cliffhanger at hand (yes bitin ako sobra nun!). You had to wait for another four months (or was it six) for the second season to start and that's a very very long time.

If I would recommend any anime right now it would be this. Code Geass won't leave you disappointed and the end is what you would expect from the hero of the story. Cold and calculating, Lelouch will make you watch this anime until the end.

All hail Brittania!

Ran Global at MOA

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Last saturday I went with Steffy to the Ran Global tournament in SMX Mall of Asia. Since she now being employed by E-games she invited me to join her while she works (if what you think working in a gaming company is work at all. I'd go crazy playing inside their office!) during the event.

As the title says the global tournament of Ran online is being held here in the Philippines. Thousands flock towards the convention to find out who will win this years Ran tournament. As I enter the whole place was so full there was hardly any breathing space at all. Hundreds of computers were set up along the corners of the hall all occupied by gamers and enthusiasts alike. To the left stands the stage with a giant screen in the background. An announcer shouting the nonstop action of the contestants. In the middle of the room stands an octagon shaped pod encased with glass. Inside are the PCs of the tournament contestants which are placed against each other.

A band performed during the lunchtime break who steffy said was the winner of the E-games battle of the bands. Afterwards a few parlor games was held with an Ipod Nano as the prize. Cosplayer Alodia was invited and was the co-host of the parlor games. Afterwards Steffy coerced me into taking a picture with her (you owe me one! Grrrr =P).

We were so famished that we had lunch afterwards at Mexicalli. We ordered their burrito and echilada combo meals. Their servings was so big that we didn't get finished all of it. We had fun chatting for a few hours before we visited the LUG event: Road to LU Live which was held inside the podium of Mall of Asia. We met Zieggy, Shadow, Shermie, Blue and the rest of the members of clan Exiled there while they were waiting for their turn in one of the tourneys being held. Sadly, they didn't get their turn because of a problem with LUG's LAN (Local Area Network) occured.

After that we came back to Ran Global as the semi finals were about to begin. Team Philippines was ahead and tied with Malaysia at the end of the semi-finals. Sadly we didn't get to finish the tourney since we had to go home when the finals was about to begin I found out a few days later that team Philippines won (Yay! Way to go guys! You beat the Koreans!).

Hopefully next year our country will win again.

Metallica's Newest Album: Death Magnetic

Friday, October 3, 2008

Metallica just realeased their newest album last month and I, being a heavy metal fan because of Metallica, rushed (actually downloaded but you didn't hear it from me) to hear their latest hits.

It's good to know that most of their new songs has gotten back to their old roots, that is, their pre black album days when their riffs were really heavy, their songs were so long, usually ending 5-8 minutes each and their change in tempo form from one and then changes to another yet you can still hear a tinge of their growth and maturity as a band. A mix that really works well with their new album.


One example is their first album hit, "The Day That Never Comes", reminisces of their old Garage Day album song, "Turn the Page", from the start but gets really heavy in the middle to the end much like their "One" song in the ...And Justice For All album.

Other songs like Cyanide (A personal favorite of mine), My Apocalypse, The Judas Kiss and Throne of Ivory will leave you head banging all day long with its heavy rhythms, excellent solo leads and double bass beats. Lars Ulrich can still drum like hell in my opinion. Something that surprises me in his age.

Another song, "Suicide and Redemption", is much like their old song "The Call of Chtullu" (A title based on H.P. Lovecrafts horror fiction in the 1930s) where they just rip out their instruments sans the vocals. A good song if you just wanna hear them lash out with their beat and for a very long time since it goes for more than 9 minutes.

There are songs though that are slow and shows the bands progression into what others call alternative rock. The aptly name "Unforgiven III" leaves you wondering if it's a great successor of the first and second Unforgiven. For me the first is the still the best, and from the looks of it, will be for a very very long time to come.

Metallica has shown that they still have it even though they have gotten old beyond the years. An affirmation that they are a classic example of an age old rock icon in the industry after making another album worth their title as one of the greatest, if not the best, Heavy Metal bands in the world.

#	Title	Length
1.	"That Was Just Your Life"	7:08
2.	"The End of the Line"	7:52
3.	"Broken, Beat & Scarred"	6:25
4.	"The Day That Never Comes"	7:56
5.	"All Nightmare Long"	7:57
6.	"Cyanide"	6:39
7.	"The Unforgiven III"	7:46
8.	"The Judas Kiss"	8:01
9.	"Suicide & Redemption"	9:56
10.	"My Apocalypse"	5:01

A4Tech X7 G800 Gaming Keyboard

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

I got myself a new gaming keyboard. For a hardcore gamer like myself (especially MMOG and FPS games like counterstrike) the new A4Tech X7 G800 is like a dream come true.

It has lots of innovative designs like alternate keys for hard to reach buttons of a normal keyboard (15 buttons to be exact) plus the WSAD buttons are covered with rubber for a non slippery feel when moving your character. It also boasts of 3 times faster response time from normal keyboards which you can change with a touch of a button. You can also shift the control and capslock keys and/or the WSAD to the four directional buttons whichever you see fit. You can even disable the Windows sign key so you won't accidentally go to your desktop screen while playing your games.

Other features includes multimedia buttons (the silver buttons on the right), increased keyboard weight for better leverage, interchangeable keys (which includes 4 extra rubber keys aside from the WSAD buttons), microphone and earphone connector (so you won't have to plug it in the back of the tower anymore), an extra USB 2.0 connector and the most important of all is that it's water proof (I've already lost 2 keyboards from beverage accidents).

Although this keyboard is hard to beat at its price (I only bought it for P840) there are still some things I don't like about it. The material used by A4Tech for the keyboard is like cheap plastic which is very noticeable when you touch it. The buttons for the keyboard speed and key shifts, in the upper right part of the keyboard, looks like its made for cheap toys. They could have made the buttons better, in my opinion, and place it like normal looking buttons. The keypads aren't illuminated which could have made it great for low light environments.

Also you can't customize or make any macro keys, which are the normal features of other gaming keyboards out in the market, but that is countered by the G800 with its no software installation. If you like customizable keys/macro gaming keyboards then I suggest the Razer Tarantula or the Logitech G15 gaming keyboard which is in the P4000-P5000 price range. A hefty price to pay for button customization.

All in all the A4Tech x7 G800 series is well worth its price. The features are great even for the most avid gamer and you can't beat its price. If there's a poor mans gaming keyboard this would be it.

You can buy the A4Tech X7 G800 at PC shops in Greenhills like PC Hub or PC Express.

Now I'm off to frag down some terrorists in the net!