South Park, Saying Goodbye?

                Some time ago, I watched a South Park episode out of boredom. Initially, I thought it to be corny; maybe because I was too young to understand this kind of humor, but last year, my brother bought an entire DVD collection of South Park, we watched it and we loved it. Being a young adult, I found their Toilet humor and green jokes extremely funny, sometimes laughing when I randomly remember a scene. Since then I have watched the whole south park episodes twice, some of my favorites, I have watched 5 times.  You might tell me I am a shallow minded person for laughing at this show, indeed I have a shallow mind, but what I find interesting in their shows are their parodies and satires. They are not just random satire or parodies, they are actually smart, and some of their jokes are funny because it is true. Though sometimes, South Park goes beyond the limit, sparking controversies, you cannot deny that some of these are really what is going on. This is another thing that is great about South Park, it keeps you up to date with the happenings, almost every episode, I would search the internet on what South Park has parodied, and it has certainly made me a smarter person.

                Now after 15 seasons, last week’s episode seemed to deliver a message to the fans. You’re Getting Old, last week’s episode, was arguably the most dramatic South Park episode. It starts on Stan’s 10^th birthday when he received a Tween Wave CD from Kyle with his mother taking it away saying that Tween Wave sounds like crap. Sharon and Randy argue about the music, Randy pretends to be hip and pretended to like the music even though he hears crap. The only funny bit I found funny in this episode was when the parents played The Police, it gave crap sounds. Later, Stan finds himself listening to his IPod, only to hear crap sounds. He then visits a doctor who tells him he experiences cynicism. He then sees everything as crap, everyone he interacts with would barf crap instead of words. His friends even leave him because they were annoyed on how he, Stan, continually tells Kyle, Kenny and Cartman that everything is crap. The show ended with Randy and Sharon fighting, Sharon telling Randy that this has been the done and had been always like this. They decided to move to another town, with the song ‘Landslide’ by Fleetwood Mac was played with various montages.

                That episode was a very big cliff hanger, and it was as if Trey and Matt were trying to say goodbye. The part where Randy and Sharon argued what has happened now has happened before and has been happening over and over was also featured in another episode, though in a much lighter aura, Butt Out. If this could be the beginning of the end, and if this is how it will end, it will be very sad for me and the fans. I am not saying that Trey and Matt should stop, all good things must come to an end, but I hope that the last episode of South Park will have all the elements that made it great. At least before saying goodbye, we would have a good memory of our beloved South Park.

Dallas Mavericks' Well Deserved Championship

Another season has ended. The Dallas Mavericks crowned as the 2011 NBA Champion. Personally, I never really liked Dallas, but you have to give respect on what this team has done. Throughout the playoffs, I have anxiously awaited the elimination of Dallas, but it never did. I am not a hater; I just do not like Dallas. On the First Round, they faced the Blazers; this was a very good series with Dallas closing out at six games. At this stage of the playoffs, the Mavs already showed championship form and composure as they came out strong after they were given a scare by the Blazers on Game 4 tying the series 2-2. They went on to win Game 5 on their home court then closed it on Portland.

The next round I felt sure that the Dallas was to be eliminated by my favorite team but it turned out to be a disappointing series for the Lakers and Phil Jackson. The Mavs were down 8 points at the start of the 4^th quarter at game 1, but that lead was nothing as they played great basketball to beat the Lakers, stealing home court. At that moment, I knew the former champions were in deep trouble. The following game, my prediction was correct as they were beaten by 12 points. Right there, I felt the Lakers lost the series. Game 3 was similar to Game 1 losing composure at the ending minutes. Right at the start of the game, the game looked to end the series, and as the second quarter ended it was decided. I felt sorry for my team that time but I was disgusted as I saw Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum giving unsportsmanlike fouls. The latter elbowing Barea. That was uncalled for and immature. Truly a disappointment for Lakers and Mavs fans alike.  

The western conference finals further showed how great a team the Mavericks is. When the series was tied 1-1, it appeared as if this could be a long round. Early in game 3, the Mavericks had a 15 point lead looking to blow out the Thunder. The Thunder played great Basketball after a horrible 1^st quarter, but the Mavs kept their composure even after late rallies of the Thunder. On games 4 and 5, the Thunder had lead the game coming onto the fourth quarter, but even a 15 point lead with under 6 minutes to go was not sufficient to hold off the Mavericks.

Game 1 of the finals. A rematch for the 2006 NBA Finals where the Miami Heat was down 0-2 but won the next four games to ultimately win the championship. Game 1 ended with Miami playing great basketball, some saying another Miami championship was at hand, others anticipating a sweep. Both predictions were wrong as the Mavs overcame a 15-point deficit at under 4-minutes left to play. The Heat celebrated too early and paid a dearly consequence. Game 3 went to the Heat, but tied the series, when Dwayne Wade could not get the buzzer beater to tie the game. Game 5 was also a classic, as the Heat took a 100-95 lead, it was seeking to become a 3-2 lead for them. But for less than a minute, the Mavs took back control and ultimately clinching a commanding 3-2 lead. On the opening of the sixth game, both teams were fighting hard, trading baskets and runs, but at the start of the 4^th quarter, with the mavericks taking the lead, the Heat and its crowd lost energy. As the game came to it 3-minute mark, the Heat looked as if they had lost hope, they were not playing with a championship form and composure, even with just a seven point deficit at the 2:40 min mark, Heat players would hustle, run, rebound and play poorly. The mavericks shot horribly at this time and each shot could have been a fast break point if they were to get the rebounds. Lebron James lost the ball, which, I think, could have made a Heat run to force a Game 7. The game ended a big frustration both for Miami and its fans.

                Even after this blog, I still am not a Dallas fan, I do not know why, but I am giving them praise for their great season, you guys rightfully deserved this championship. After playing years of great basketball throughout the seasons and playoffs, even with fevers, his fade away remained unstoppable. I am happy to congratulate Dirk Nowitzki for his first Finals MVP award; nobody else would have deserved it better than you. And with that the NBA 2010-2011 comes to a close, good luck to all teams next season! GO GRIZZLIES, LAKERS, OKC! :D

Pixar, Idol Producers

               Pixar is a multi award winning company that has produced great films for the last decade and a half. Almost all of its movies have taken its place countless times on my VHS, VCD and DVD player as well as a place somewhere in my heart.

            It may sound cheesy but it really did and it still does. Growing up in the 90s, I first watched Pixar’s first feature-length film, Toy Story. Though I may have not understood it fully back then I certainly found the animation cool, and I did learn to take better care of my toys ever since. It was so cool I asked my parents to buy me a copy for our VHS. A few years later VCDs replaced the VHS and I remembered the first movies we bought for it was none other than Toy Story. At the span of 15 years, 1995-2010, Pixar was able to release eleven feature-length films. All of them I have watched and most of them I have already watched 5 times, or more. Even before I write this blog, I have already watched 3 of the eleven films. From what I have observed, these are what make Pixar movies great:

GREAT VISUALS- When Toy Story was launched, it had one of the most amazing graphics at that time. Since I was just a child back then I was so amazed on how a cartoon could look so much human (I did not really know what films with visuals like this are called back then, I considered them cartoons). Though its visuals may not have changed dramatically over the past years it has still been solid and smooth, and of course, cute. With the addition of 3D on Up and Toy Story 3, it was truly breathtaking.

FAMILY FRIENDLY/ GENERAL PATRONAGE- As I grow older, I tend to drift away from my family, wanting to be more with my friends rather than with them. I would seldom bond with them especially if my parents wanted to take my younger brothers to the movies to watch kiddy films. This is something I am thankful for Pixar films, they make movies for kids but not just for kids. You can watch them even if you are older yet still appreciate what they have to offer. Whenever we were to watch a Pixar movie, you can bet that I will go with them, it actually is my favorite bonding session with my family.

STORY- Arguably the most important part of the movie. This is what I focus on in a movie, I don’t care if the visuals or the sound is great, if the story fails, the movie does. Each film has a different story that I have not yet seen and all of them have a moral lesson intact, making them more ideal for a family movie. How often have I watched UP and not once did I not get a tear in my eye and Goosebumps from the awwwww and the sweetness of Carl and Ellie, especially the part when Carl looks at Ellie’s album and he finds the note saying: ‘Thanks for the adventure. Now go have one of your own’. Even now as I write this article, I feel the love and I actually want to watch Up once more. In addition, how often will you see a group of men lining up in a movie theatre just to watch Toy Story 3; I was shocked to see one group of men known have ‘Bad Boy’ images. Just enough reason to think that Pixar knows how to tell stories that EVERYONE would like. That is just for up and toy story 3, I will write some of my reactions to other movies on another blog. What makes me love Pixar more is I actually find their endings much more enticing than how other films end theirs. I could not find the right words to say on how they seem to perfectly end each of their films.

           

            To me, those are the top three things that make Pixar movies impressive. If you are looking for quality movies to watch, Pixar movies are my best bet. If you are yet to watch a Pixar movie, half of your life is rotting away! LAST WORDS: HOORAY FOR PIXAR!

NUT GRINDER: ‘VERY HARD MODE’ DIFFICULTY

                Video games. A friend that has brought me limitless amounts of fun, excitement, headache, and on rare occasions kilig (The feeling you feel when your crush says hi to you :”>). Growing up I have always had the pleasure of playing video games on numerous amounts of consoles. As I grow mature, I also grow to grasp each everything the game has to offer. I tend to play a game until I have nothing left to do in it. Some games come and go. Some games stick to me instantly being a drug to me. Some games I could not put down until I finish the next task. From all the games I have played nothing has ever frustrated me and grinded my nuts as what VERY HARD MODE gives.

              

  Most of the time, as you finish a game on the first try, a harder mode will appear. Unless you really liked the game you will play through this mode to unlock more bonus feature the game can give, more often than not, you do like the game.  So what does this mode do to your game? Often, it lowers your character’s power, amplifies your enemies’ attack, and almost always, it gives you much more enemies to conquer on locations. It may sound easy but trust me, you will find yourself cursing, screaming, shouting to the point dumping your system and quitting the game is the only logical move. But another problem arises when these situations come, you can’t. How often have I told myself I DON’T WANT TO PLAY THIS GAME ANYMORE. Yet I find myself in front of my TV with the controller in my hand, my mouth drooling, as the boss keeps on whacking me to death a multiple number of times or clicking RESTART FROM CHECKPOINT whenever I get damaged. This mode seems to tease you to play more until you mastered every move, every secret locations and everything inside the game has. VERY HARD MODE truly is a nasty Nut Grinder for noobs and pros alike. And when the time comes when you have to face the final boss and actually beat him, an indescribable feeling of success flows through your vein, and the extra unlocked bonus features will make you giggle with much anticipation.

NUT GRINDING FACTOR: 5/10

Though indeed very hard and nut grinding, it actually is worthwhile to play this mode especially if you really liked the game

PS

I just defeated the dreaded BARBARIAN KING on God of War 2