I'm a big fan of Christian Bale, and an even bigger fan of his version of The Batman. With the late Heath Ledger's superb performance as The Joker, The Dark Knight is one of the very few movies I'm eagerly anticipating and planning to watch on the big screen.

Check out it's latest poster. This literally took my breath away.

Click on the image for the full size

Credits: Firstshowing.net

Labels: batman, funny pics, movies

Apologies for this delayed announcement, but FINALLY...



Read the detailed birth story here.

Labels: baby, family, frosts, kobe

I just realized that it is impossible get a rating of less than 3 stars in Guitar Hero III because if you're not good enough to get 3 stars, you can't finish a number.

So there's nothing really remarkable in what I have accomplished as narrated in my previous post.

But my average rating now is 4 stars, so I guess I have improved a lot since I've started.

Still, I can't help but laugh my ass off when I think about getting 3 stars is remarkable.

Oh well, on with the wait for Kobe.

Labels: about me, gaming

I hereby proclaim that I do not consider myself as a gamer anymore.

I am no longer a gamer, at least based on a real gamer's standards.

I used to be very competitive when playing games, be it console or computer gaming. I play to be really good. I play to kick ass. "Career" mode, as they call it.

I used to have a great time with Mr. Frost kicking ass on our favorite online game. We would play for hours, being in the same party, helping each other complete quests or power level.

I can still remember how my temper would rise up when I can't complete a crash course in Burnout 3. Or when I can't get past an AI opponent in Soul Calibur 3. Or when I'm stuck in God of War 2. I wouldn't stop until I achieve my goal, which is to win or finish the game.

When I gave birth to Issen, I thanked heavens for the invention of nursing pillows, specifically My Brest Friend. I could keep on playing PS2 or computer games even while breastfeeding my baby. "Look, Ma! No hands!" had a new meaning to me.

Now, I just play to relax and enjoy what little "me" time that I have. I didn't really lose interest. I can't really say that becoming a parent does to you, because I know a lot of parents who are still playing as hard as they did when their bundles of joys were not existent yet. Priorities and perspective probably just changed.

Instead of playing, I'd rather write for my blog most of the time. Instead of checking out game sites to keep myself updated with new game releases, I'd rather read blogs in my network or check out baby sites for tips on child caring.

I still play, though. Currently, I'm playing Guitar Hero III while waiting for Kobe's fashionably late grand entrance. I finished the Easy Career mode in two days. Since I just started playing the damned game when my maternity leave started (I kept putting off playing it because I'm afraid I might get addicted and won't be able to concentrate at work), I think getting no lower than 3 stars is remarkable. I'm getting better, though, but I haven't moved on to Medium mode. It's too damn hard for my temper.

So right now, I'm trying to enjoy the game and the music on Easy mode, trying to get 5 stars for each number.

Yep, I'm still playing. Not as hard as before, but I'm still playing.

Does that still make me a gamer?

Labels: about me, gaming

Before my previous post, my last entry was dated almost three weeks ago. So what have I been doing since the start of my maternity leave last week, you might ask.

My friend Roselle in California is sending a package to her family here in the Philippines. She has been kind enough to include some baby stuff for me in their box. Eventually, she told me she'll send me a separate box since she'll also be sending some of her kids' outgrown stuff for Issen and Kobe.

That didn't answer your question?

Okay, I have been shopping online on United States online stores for things that I've always wanted to buy for my boys, but have been hesitating because of the ridiculous international shipping charges. I order them online, pay through Paypal (there goes my paid opps earnings ) or my debit card and have the items delivered to Roselle's address.

My transactions have been smooth, except for one item. And ironic because the merchant is one of the most popular on the web, Amazon.com.

I used my Eon Debit Card, and on March 17, 2008, my account was charged. However, on March 19, I received an email from Amazon.com that my order was canceled because the said item was out of stock. "Your credit card was not charged for the order," the email continued.

I sent an email to the Amazon.com Customer Support and told them that my account was indeed charged for the order. Here are some excerpts of their response.

"I've checked the order details for order #(insert order number here) and can confirm that you were not charged for this order. The seller has canceled the order...

Looking into your inquiry, most likely, your bank is holding the extra authorizations on your card for this order. Some banks have been known to hold these authorizations for 7-10 business days. You may want to contact your bank to confirm that these are authorizations and to request that they remove the authorizations.

When you place an order with Amazon.com or on Amazon Marketplace, we contact your credit card's issuing bank to confirm that your credit card has a valid number, and has not been reported as lost or stolen.

This is communicated via a full authorization for the amount of the purchase. However, we do not actually proceed with the charge. This is simply one of the security measures we use to protect our customers."

I waited 7-10 business days in case the amount automatically gets credited back to my account, but to no avail.

So I called the Unionbank Customer Service Hotline on March 26 to inquire about this and I was told to send this email along with images of my Eon Card, front and back. As soon as I sent the email, I received an automated reply telling me that they would respond to my "query within 24 hours". I sent the email 3 days ago and I haven't got a word from them.

The automated reply also said that "For urgent requests, you may also contact us through our customer service hotline..." However, I have been calling and trying to talk to any of their Customer Service representatives since yesterday, but haven't succeeded yet.

That's another point against EON again. The error in my transaction could be normal, and it's okay. What I'm ranting about is the quality of their customer service. I probably shouldn't have expected too much from them, but I can't help it. The transaction is worth almost $50 and I'm no rich individual to just shrug that amount off.

Oh well. Talk about crappy customer service. So sad that it's all over the place.

Labels: EON, pregnancy blues, unionbank

No, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but my 18-day hiatus wasn't caused by my delivery, much to my dismay, I am still very much pregnant right now. My leave started last week and I still haven't given birth. I feel like I wasted two weeks worth of waiting for someone who isn't ready to come out yet. At this point, I am feeling very, VERY impatient.

Sorry if I'm being cranky or unreasonable, but being pregnant full-term and stuck in the house waiting to give birth can make you the nastiest bit-, I mean, woman alive. Men, be thankful you will never experience the handful but really annoying discomforts of pregnancy. Ladies, pray that you'll be more patient than I am.

I have been busy doing some last minute preparations for Kobe's grand entrance. Also, I tried and spent as much quality time as I can with the first-born Issen just to make sure he won't feel as neglected when his little brother enters the picture. Not that we are planning to ignore and neglect Issen when Kobe comes, but you know how it is when a new baby arrives.

Thanks to the well-wishers, by the way. I should be able to catch up on my rounds soon.

I'll be posting some of Issen's early summer videos later. I should be able to post the links in a bit.

And please, PLEASE, pray that I give birth soon. It's not easy taking care of a 17-month-old toddler who weighs a little over 30 lbs. when you are already carrying some weight on your tummy.

It's not easy to move around when your 40 weeks pregnant. Period.

Labels: pregnancy blues