( juan.of.a.kind )

Nov 21

“To: Emma (Mobile)
NO I DON’T WATCH “WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE”. I’M AN ADULT!!!!!!!!!” — Larry David’s text message to a nine year-old girl, from Curb Your Enthusiasm - Season 7, Ep. 9: The Table Read. So far, the best ep of this fantastic season. Very much looking forward to the season finale this Sunday night, simply titled: Seinfeld.

Nov 20

Limited Edition BILLY Bookcases Celebrate 30 Years » IKEA FANS

Pictured is my very well-populated, full-size BILLY bookcase in beech veneer (quite possibly the 35,780,219th one sold…give or take), used primarily for housing/displaying my modest film collection (which I’ve spent the last 10 years gradually accumulating). However the unit also contains some video games/portable consoles, numerous collectibles, decks of cards, some random accessories and yeah, even a few books on the ground floor. Maximized to the fullest.

Now, the shelf and its contents may look cluttered at first glance, but best believe that every item has been specifically placed into its current position (because I’m a detail freak like that). And as always, I’m running out of real estate for any new releases, hence the items stacked at multiple angles. But if you are so inclined, then here is the DVD stacking method to my controlled madness:

• 7th floor: Film box sets and oversized DVD SEs
• 6th floor: TV season sets (animated, live-action)
• 5th floor: TV season sets continued, Blu-rays, Criterion Collection DVDs/Blu-Rays
• 4th, 3rd, 2nd floors: DVDs (films are arranged in order of ascending year)
• 1st floor: DVDs (films continued, special interest [sports, music, docs])

And there you have it. T’is more or less my one-stop entertainment hub. And of course, this meticulous arrangement would not be possible without the vertical storage space provided by this iconic and cost-effective shelving unit. Happy 30th BILLY boy! Or is it Sir William now?

If It’s Hip, It’s Here: The IKEA Billy Bookcase Turns 30 & Gets Its Own Book

Nov 19

“Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.” — Dalai Lama

Sony To Upgrade PS3 Consoles To 3D - Kotaku -

On some next (gen) sh!t.

Blake Edward's Days of Wine and Roses (1962)

• Joe Clay (Jack Lemmon): *swigging a bottle of scotch*
• Kirsten Arnesen (Lee Remick): Ew, I don't see how you can drink that stuff like that. Right out of the bottle, it must taste awful!
• Joe: Well, anything worth having is worth suffering for, isn't it?
• Kirsten: Ha ha, I guess so.
• Magic Juan mini-review: This was like Reefer Madness (1936), but less campy, much more sophisticated (due to the great performances by Lemmon and Remick) and of course, it's about the rather extreme dangers of drinking as opposed to why you shouldn't smoke pot. Despite all that, it seemed to have had an opposite effect on me: I found this dark film enjoyable, sometimes amusing and slightly over-the-top. I also drank a couple shots of Hennessy while watching this anti-boozing story, so I guess the message was lost on me. Plus I tend to prefer [mild spoiler] unhappy and unresolved endings. Good times. Oh, and Lee Remick is fiiiiiiine in this, especially when she's acting wasted. 4/5 stars.

Nov 18

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Nov 17

Maple Leafs at Senators - 11/17/2009 - NHL.com - Game Previews -

Excited to attend my first live NHL game of the 2009-10 season as I will be at SB Place tonight to witness round 2 of the “Battle of Ontario” for this year. Both teams have been eating it lately (with nearly identical dismal records in the last 10), but more so the Leafs than the Sens. Despite that, it’s always an intense encounter when these teams meet (and the building is usually split 50/50 with fans from both teams drunkenly expressing their feelings). If you’re catching the game on SportsNet HD, our seats are 3 rows up from the ice on the far left-hand side of the screen (right on the bottom-left border of the widescreen frame).

So if you look real closely, you just might be able to peep my back (I know, I know, how exciting [/sarc]). More specifically, if you happen to spot some dude wearing a dark gray Jack & Jones rage jacket with the hood of a cream Great China Wall airbrush hoodie sticking out the back and who’s freshly faded dome is snugly covered in a taupe LV Petit Damier Cap, then that right there mos def be Magic Juan, kid. Cuz nevertheless I dress to impress with no stress and don’t need an ‘S’ upon my chest (and no pants, apparently). And with that, I’ve just fulfilled my weak-ass freestyle quota for the day. Good morning.

Robert Downey Sr.'s Putney Swope (1969) was so bizarre...and I thoroughly enjoyed it (it's like the original Pootie Tang)

• Reporter: Mr. Swope, where have you been all these years?
• Putney Swope (Arnold Johnson): Laying in the cut!

Nov 16

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Nov 15

“Well, it was the columnist and author Tom Friedman who told us that “the world is flat.” In boxing, the world is flat enough right now that the biggest star in boxing for Latin Americans, for everybody on the Pacific rim, for everybody in the third world or the undeveloped world, whatever you want to call it, and even for a huge number of Americans is a once poor kid from the Philippines, who has risen so far that he’s almost out of sight. Manny Pacquiao wins again.” —

Jim Lampley’s concluding remarks from the HBO coverage of the Pacquiao/Cotto mur-daaahhhh massacre. For those who didn’t get to watch the fight, Cotto landed solid shots on Manny in the early rounds and dude barely flinched while, in some cases, simultaneously stepping back and throwing even HARDER counter punches from crazy insane angles (how exactly do you defend that without running away like a bitch?). The man can punch HARD off of either foot with great precision and speed while stealing on you from any angle. Plus he can take hard punches. He’s like a welterweight combination of Ali and Tyson (yeah, I said it).

*re-watching the fight right now, focusing this time on some of the funny ringside audience reactions, including those of Jeter, Will Ferrell and Dirk Diggler*

Straight up, seeing Cotto’s face destroyed by “NewPac” (I just made that nickname up right now) in great detail in HD was brutal to say the least (but that is their million dollar job). I’m happy I got the entire 1.5 hour segment saved on my HD PVR (and now the harddrive is filled to the brim once again, but it was totally worth it). Although the best part of the broadcast (other than the fight) was listening to the commentating team be in utter disbelief of Manny’s otherworldly abilities. And those dudes have seen them all.

“We thought Manny Pacquiao was great; he’s better than we thought…maybe he’s better than it gets…he’s also gone from Hero to Nero, to the emperor of all he surveys.” - Larry Merchant

“The 50th win of Pacquiao’s now legendary career! The Manny Pacquiao legend grows and it was already pretty big.” - Lamps

“I would have to call him an all-time great. I mean, I am very impressed. Not just so much just this performance. But he’s been, since 2001, fighting the best fighters all the way from featherweight, all the way up now to welterweight, and been performing on a top level in every fight. I’ve never known a fighter to do that…he is one of the all-time greats; I’d put him up there with the Ray Robinson’s and Ali’s” - Emmanuel Steward

So what more can you say about the Filipino King? An unprecedented 7 titles in 7 weight classes. Nobody does it better (or has ever done that before). Bring on cocky boy Floyd, who has NO logical reason to avoid Manny now since the potential fight purse is far too great to refuse. Although to be honest, I don’t think he wants any part of Pacquiao after watching his unbelievable work in the ring tonight (therefore Floyd’s massive ego will make mad excuses about the purse %, which MUST be 50/50 now). And if they do fight, than Mayweather’s best hope is to run and tag him aka fight a boring fight while barely winning by decision. I bet Manny will make him earn it though by chasing that bitch down (tonight he clearly proved that he will risk taking hard punches in order to land some huge shots…no fear, baby). Either way, can’t wait for that superfight to finally happen. Believe the hype, y’all. Manny is KING.

Nov 14

“On the [60” Grand Vega], I’m just watchin’ Pacquiao box ‘em up [in brilliant widescreen HD, the way it’s supposed to be seen, son!]”

Enjoy the fight, fellow Filipinos!