Well, things haven't been going quite like we would like them to when it comes to the Galaxy. This season has been one of hype and raised expectations. The arrival of Beckham shifted our schedule in such a way that most of our away games would be played when he joined the team. The logic behind it was that he would be used as a draw for people who wouldn't head out to the soccer stadiums. Basically he's a brand name that most people would recognize. Also, let's not forget that we were thrust into 3 tournaments this year during the regular season: The Open Cup, The World Series of Football, and The Superliga. Not to mention that 13 our roster are injured or in other forms unable to play with the team. That being said, we the fans have been made to endure one disappointment after another. And this past week, unfortunately, has been no exception.
Last Thurday night we squared off against our hometown rivals, Chivas USA, in what has come to be called the Super Clasico. It's a friendly rivalry that establishes the pride of the fanbase. 4 of these Super Clasico games take place during the regular season. The previous 2 installments have ended with a win for the Galaxy, and a tie. Understandably, these games get very heated, not just with the fans, but with the players as well. Temperatures flare, and frustrations begin to boil over. There is no question that the Galaxy was playing hurt. Beckham had just returned from England that afternoon after playing with the British National team the previous day. Likewise Landon Donovan and Jonathan Bornstein (Of Chivas) had returned that afternoon from Sweden after playing with the U.S. National team the day before. So, two of our best guys were not just tired, but also jet lagged. That meant that our attacks were minimal at best. Also, there are holes in our defense that you could drive a tank through, primarily due to the fact that we have almost no defensive players. Ultimately, the Chivas didn't need a tank to get not 1, not 2, but 3 goals into our net. It was a devastating loss for the team, as well as the fans. There is one more Super Clasico game left, and if we win it, then at least we still win the series. Here's to hoping.
This past Sunday, the Galaxy continued their roadtrip as they flew to Colorado to take on the Rapids. Both Beckham and Donovan decided to sit this one out as they recovered from their jet lag and from the strain of having to have played the following day. That put us greatly at a disadvantage as we were still missing most of our talent, and our 2nd stringers had to stop up to take up the slack. Things were touch and go early in the 1st half, but in the 26th minute, the Rapids had their first goal, and we just deflated. The 34th and the 43rd minutes saw two more goals from the Rapids, and that would be all the scoring for this one. It would be our 5th consecutive loss, and the second with a score of 3-0. The fans aren't happy. The staff isn't happy. The talent can't be happy. And with this much unhappiness, the talk of replacing the coach grows from a whisper to a bloody roar. Frank Yallop was treading on thin ice, and he had to pull of the Superliga victory in order to have any hopes of continuing with the Galaxy.
The Superliga final was played this past Wednesday at the Good Ol' Home Depot Center in front of a reduced crowd. (It was the 1st day of classes at Cal Stated Dominguez Hills, which shares the campus with the HDC). The galaxy wore white with black armbands (a few soccer players around the world had died in the days prior to the match), and the Mexican representatives, Pachuca, wore black. Classic good vs. evil material. This was perhaps the Galaxy's finest hour since the beginning of the season. The started off a bit disorganized, a little sloppy, but they quickly tightened up as Pachuca began to attack. The team finally coalesced into a single unit, and fought back hard the wave after wave of Pachuca attacks. It was both luck and the quick reflexes of Joe Cannon that saved the Galaxy from a greated humiliation, although the humiliation arrived nonetheless in the form of an auto-goal by Pete Vagenas in the 28th minute. Despite that low blow, the Galaxy seemed never to falter, not even when Beckham requested an substitution in the 33rd minute after a violent tackle left him with a sprained right knee (Word is that he's out for the rest of the season!! D'oh!!!) to go along with his hurt left ankle. Disappointing as this was, the Galaxy never let up, but neither did Pachuca. Both teams had numerous near misses, either saved by awesome goaltending or by the goal posts themselves. But just when it seemed that time had run out for the Galaxy, Chris Klein pulled of perhaps one of the greatest goals in recent Los Angeles Galaxy history to save us in stoppage time. Being tied, the game went into extra time (Two 15 minute halves), and when that remained scoreless, the game was unfortunately thrust into penalty kicks. It went back and forth between goals and saves, ultimately leaving the final winning goal in the leg of Landon Donovan. Thinking we had it in the bag (Donovan is one of our greatest penalty kickers), the Pachuca goalie was able to guess right, and blocked the shot, throwing us into sudden death. The Galaxy's Abel Xavier was left to answer Pachuca's additional goal in this round. But, for some unseen reason, Xavier completely missed the goal with a severely veered kick. This gave Pachuca the first ever Superliga titles, $1million dollars, the trophy, and another devastating loss for the Galaxy.
Currently, the state of the team is in shambles. Frank Yallop has been asked to resign, and that could take effect in the coming days. Alexi Lalas, former U.S. National great and current Galaxy President and General Manager, may also be asked to step down. It is rumored that former German national Jurgen Klinsmann may be asked to take the reins of the Galaxy once Yallop is removed. The rumor is further strengthened by the fact that Klinsmann resides in Orange county, and has expressed desires to not travel abroad to accept offers from a few teams in the British Premier League. The Galaxy has now lost a valuable asset in Beckham, and the MLS has lost it's poster boy. Our next match is on Saturday at the HDC against Real Salt Lake, which has just moved past us in the rankings, leaving is firmly in last place in the West. We may see a very different team for this match, possibly under new leadership. Either way, there are only a handful of matches left before the playoff spots are ultimately decided. Life has given us lemons, A LOT of lemons, and we've got to make a s**tload of lemonade!!!!
So, today I did it. I finally did it. I made the transition from my old bulky Nintendo DS Phat, and picked up a new sleeker, thinner, brighter, and dare I say, sexier Nintendo DS Lite. Now, not being content with the minimal amount of colors that were offered here in the states, I had opted to hold out for a blue version of the Lite. There was a blue version of the Phat released, but somehow it just wasn't the same. My old reliable silver DS Phat had an awesome skin that I had bought for it, so it wasn't as bland as it could have been. But, as is the Nintendo tradition, just when you think you've gotten the latest in portable gaming, they come out 3 months later with something new and improved. Let's take a look at the Nintendo portable family tree, shall we?
The original Nintendo gave way to the Nintendo pocket. A lot sleeker, the only real change was the exterior design. It was thinner than the original, but still played the same monochromatic green screen games. That being said, the follow up Game Boy Color, was slightly bigger than the pocket, but was able to play games in color (hence the name). My first Game Boy was a Pokemon Yellow Game Boy Color. Man, did I have hours of fun on the bus with that one. Shortly thereafter, Nintendo announced the Nintendo Game Boy Advance. Now, this was like re-inventing the wheel here. The new system had a more compact design, and it switched to a horizontal orientation, rather than keep the original vertical. The system was designed to handle more advaced games (hence the title) with better graphics and more color. It was basically the equivalent to the Super Nintendo grapics-wise. The main problem with the Advance was that the screen was just too dark. It was not backlit, and just forget about playing in any sort of sunlight. The solution? A few months later Nintendo announced the Game Boy Advance SP (the SP stands for Special). I was part of the movement that made the switch from Advance to Advance SP (this time around I got my blue console, cobalt blue to be exact!). With the SP, Nintendo returned to the vertical system orientation, with one big difference. The unit was now able to be folded down, clamshell style. Also, there was a backlight added to the screen, which made a world of difference in game play. Still, playing in direct sunlight was a bit difficult, but man, when you played at night in a dark room...forget about it!! I loved that little unit. 
But, again, it was a short lived romance, for along the horizon was the Nintendo DS. Sure, it is not part of the official Game Boy line (the last Game Boy console was the Game Boy Micro), but it was the logical evolutionary step. The DS retained the clamshell design and the backlight display, but it also brought with it 2, count them, 2 screens, as well as touchscreen technology, and the return to vertical orientation. I picked up my DS for my birthday a few years back, and have been completely happy with it. It brought with it a new dimension of gameplay, and many of the games that have been developed for it are very unique and different than any seen before. In fact, I've gotten more games for my DS than I have ever gotten for any of my Game Boy systems combined. Any major qualms that I had with the DS were that the screens weren't as bright as they could be (playing in direct sunlight as still a problem, but one that living in a world which includes the PSP has shown to be overcome), and that they system itself is a little bulky (hence the nickname DS Phat). Of course, as is tradition, Nintendo had to address these issues as well, and lo and behold, along comes the Nintendo DS Lite. Sleeker, brighter, and thinner than the Phat. But, unlike previous units, it only came in one color here in the states: Polar White. (Very Apple-ish of them, don't you think?) Japan got colors such as Navy Blue, Ice Blue, as well as the Polar White.
Now, the Navy Blue unit was the one I was holding out for. I was really trusting Nintendo to do the right thing and bring back the blue, because I really loved my blue SP. But what do they decide to do instead? They decide to bring in Coral Pink and Jet Black. Here I was clutching onto my silver DS Phat, hoping against hope that Navy Blue would be on the horizon. But it was all for naught. As I held on to what was quickly becoming obsolete technology, both my brothers got their DS Lites (Black and White), and even my girlfriend gave in and picked one up for herself (Pink, of course!) If I really wanted a Navy Blue one that badly, I could have paid upwards of $200 to buy one straight from Japan, or perhaps on eBay. But, seeing how the system only costs $130 here in the states, I felt $70 more PLUS any shipping and handling costs would be overkill. So, I decided to stay with my Phat for just a bit longer, as I tried to convice myself that white wouldn't be so bad, and that I could just cover it up with decals like I did my Phat. Just as I was giving up, and almost giving in, to the White DS Lite (Again, there's just something very Apple-y about it!), there were rumblings, nothing more than rumors really, of a mysterious new DS Lite. News was sketchy at first, but all fingers seemed to point to a bundled set. As time progressed, more and more details were being whispered here and there. "It would include a game" they said. "It'll come with some accessories" they told. Ultimately, just a few short weeks ago, the new was officially unveiled, and, what perhaps is one of the better looking handhelds to come out in years, emerged from the smoke and the mirrors.
This new Crimson and Black (Yes, two-tone!) DS Lite is packaged with Brain Age 2 (The sequel to a very entertaining mind-building game), and comes with an exclusive Crimson and Black leather-style carrying case. All in all, it's a very handsome package. Now, I'm not much a red guy, blue is my color in case you couldn't tell already, but this is one good looking piece of hardware. The red on it is actually more metallic than it seems, and the black is matted and more subdued than the Jet Black DS. It's a very harmonious combination. And, if that weren't enough, the price tag was just $150. (That's just $20 more than just the DS Lite on its own, and it includes a game and a carrying case!! How can you beat that?) There have been many other variations on the DS Lite released. Special Editions and such. Most have been in the same colors, just with special video game designs etched on the tops, such as for Final Fantasy or Pokemon. (The most recent was a bright yellow Pikachu Edition of the DS Lite that was only available from the Pokemon Center in Japan, and then only sold to those who were picked by lottery!)
So, in conclusion, I have come to terms with the fact that we here in the states are not regarded the same as our Asian counterparts, or even our European counterparts, when it comes to Nintendo. Sure, we may get the better end of the bargain when it comes to games and consoles and release dates. But we often seem to be shafted when it comes to Game Boys, and now, the DS. This Crimson and Black DS is a very large step in the right direction. It has been the only system so far that ultimately made me loosen my grip on my silver DS Phat (You shall be missed!) I shall enjoy it. I shall show it off. But at the first hint or sign of a Blue and Silver DS Lite (A boy can dream, can't he?), I'm handing the Crimson and Red to my little brother, trading in his Polar White, and that lovely Blue sucker will finally be mine!!
Being a Galaxy fan certainly has it's ups and downs. This entire season has been hyped as the launching pad for MLS soccer worldwide with the arrival of David Beckham. But once he got here, we had to wait almost 2 months for him to even step foot on the playing field. He's certainly brought a lot of attention to our little Home Depot Center, perhaps drawing in more fans than usual. He's disappointed a few for not being able to play right away, and other still saw him as more of a publicity stunt than a bona-fide player. Well, these last two games have proven just why David Beckham is considered one of the best players in the world.
Wednesday afternoon was the 2nd semifinal match to decided who would play in the final of the Superliga. Pachuca was already awaiting their opponent, who would either be D.C. United or our Los Angeles Galaxy. This was the first game that David Beckham would start, and not only that, he was given the captain's band as well. The Galaxy seemed a bit disorganized in the beginning. Beckham still need to get a feel for his teammates, and learn his exact role on the field. However, it didn't take very long before the Galaxy had their rhythm going. In what has become Beckham's signature move, Becks was able to make the ball connect with the back of D.C.'s net, leaving their goalie stupefied, and erupting the HDC. Beckham was able to once again demonstrate why he is deadly with free kicks. Then early in the 2nd half Beckham once again became the figurehead of the Galaxy's second goal as he set up Landon Donovan who found the back of the net easily. With that, the score remained 2-0, and the Galaxy find themselves in the first ever final of the Superliga against Pachuca of Mexico. The final will be played on August 29th.
As we return to regular season play, the Galaxy found themselves in New York on their continued roadtrip. Finally sporting the midnight blue that has become the new Galaxy color, the Galaxy hit the field with Beckham once again amongst their ranks. In what ultimately became a back and forth barrage of goals, the two figures of the game were David Beckham and Juan Pablo Angel. The Red Bulls got an early lead in the 4th minute as Juan Pablo Angel managed to nail one past Joe Cannon. Just two minutes later, David Beckham was able to center a beautiful pass to Carlos Pavon, tying things up at one apiece. Two minutes after that, in what can only be called a case of Deja Vu, Beckham and Pavon were able to reconnect, putting the Galaxy 2-1. But deep into stoppage time for the 1st half, the Red Bulls were able to find our net, sending us into the lockers all tied up at 2-2. Shortly after the break, the Red Bulls got lucky once again, making things 3-2. It would be 21 minutes before anyone scored again, unfortunately it was the Red Bulls again, setting things at 4-2. 2 Galaxy goals by Landon Donovan and Edson Buddle during the 71st and 82nd minutes respectively would tie things up again, giving the Galaxy fans a glimmer of hope. Unfortunately that glimmer would fade as once again Juan Pablo Angel found the back of the Galaxian net in the 88th minute, ending things at 5-4. It may have been a loss, but it proved 2 very big points. 1). David Beckham is ready to play a full 90 minutes, and 2). David Beckham is a valuable addition to this team. We're a little more than halfway through the regular season, which is still plenty of time for us to turn things around. Let's just try not too cut things to close, shall we? Next up, the Galaxy take on hometown rivals Chivas USA Thursday night in the Super Clasico. This one is for pride!! (And for 3 points!) 
P.S. I finally got around to buying my new Galaxy jersey (Picked it up at the Team L.A. store at the good ol' HDC). I opted for the midnight blue, which I prefer over the white one. Coincidently, the day I buy my jersey is the day they decided to debut the blue uniform.
It's been a proud couple of days for us here. Just last Tuesday, my mother, who has been living in this country for nearly 30 years, officially became a United States citizen. It's not an easy feat for someone who doesn't speak very much english, and doesn't read or write much. Still, she has been going to citizenship classes for nearly 6 months, and decided to take the exam in english. I was so proud of her for having accomplished this all on her own, and in a foreign language none-the-less. Now she is just waiting for her appointment for the oath ceremony, and she'll officially be an American. Way to go Mom!!
So, I've already posted that I revisited the Mecca of Nerdom once again this year. Yep, that's right, Comic-Con has come and gone (far too soon, if you ask me!!), and I just wanted to take few moments to share some Swag, some pictures, and some memories from this years convention. As you can see, that's my badge below. Now, let's proceed from there.
So, obviously the draw of Comic-Con for most collectors is the amount of exclusive items that you can only pick up there. Since it just so happens to be the 30th Anniversary of Star Wars, there were plenty of Star Wars exclusives on hand. Being the Stars Wars aficionado that I am, of course I had to get my hands on a few. I was able to bag a Shadow Scout Trooper on Speeder Bike, a Concept Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda 2-Pack, and a R2-KT Pink Astromech Droid. These are special figures that you can only pick up at Comic-Con, and as in the case of the Pink Astromech Droid, there is a story that goes along with it. (If you are interested, click here to learn more!) There were a few other exclusives that I would have liked to have picked up, but seeing how we went on the 3rd day of the 4 day convention, most were already gone long before we got there. My brother picked up an exclusive Hot Rod Transformers Alternators figure, while my girlfriend got herself an exclusive My Little Pony figure.
Also, the week after Con, the movie 300 was going to be released on DVD (one of the best movies of the year, in my humble opinion!). As an incentive, Best Buy was going to be selling a special Comic-Con exclusive version of the film. Included in this boxed set was the 2-Disc Special Edition version of 300, an exclusive scaled replica of the Immortal mask from the movie, and a collectible black 300 sling bag. Here are a couple of shots of that.
But aside from the exclusives, there are plenty of other things to do at Comic-Con. One of the biggest is to attend a discussion panel. Usually big television networks, large comic book publishers, movie studios, and other such medias tend to hold panels addressing the year to come, projects in development that may be of interest to the fandom community, and so on. There were plenty of large panels this year, like the one for the TV show "Heroes". The entire cast was scheduled to appear, but due to the overwhelming number of fans in attendance, we counted ourselves out of that one. We did manage to squeeze the panel for the TV show "Supernatural" in, mostly because my girlfriend loves the show. I snapped this quick shot of star Jensen Ackles at the panel. (Unfortunately, to the dismay of most of the girls in attendance, his co-star Jared Padalecki was unable to attend!)
Seeing how that was the only panel that was being held that day that drew our attention (and also one that we were able to get into), we dedicated the rest of the day to walking the floor, and purveying the overwhelming number of items on display. Here now I present to you some of the more interesting items that I saw at Comic-Con.
The actual R2-KT Astromech Droid at the Star Wars Booth. 
Life-size Jabba the Hut replica at the Gentle Giant Booth.
Cool Feraligatr statue for the upcoming Pokemon Battle Figure game. 
The original Batmobile from the old Batman TV Show.
Cool Pirates of the Caribbean display.
Optimus Prime statue at the Hasbro Transformers booth.
Cool bust of Boba Fett at the Gentle Giant booth.
Awesome Stealth Iron Man maquette on display at the Sideshow Collectibles booth.
Mary Jane and Emma Frost (White Queen) statues from Sideshow Collectibles.
Very wicked looking Venom statue from Spider-Man 3 at the Sideshow Collectibles booth.
Scout Trooper and Speeder Bike statue from Sideshow Collectibles. (Man, they do good work!)
Tony Stark's (Iron Man) hot new ride outside the Omni Hotel in San Diego. (Across the street from the Convention Center).
That was only a fraction of the things that were on display at Comic-Con. There is so much to see and do. I only wish that I had been able to attend all 4 days. Perhaps some day. Next July can't get here soon enough. (If you'd like to check out my blog on last year's con, you can do so by clicking here and here).
Last night the Los Angeles Galaxy continued their cross country roadtrip in Washington D.C. against the D.C. United. There was potential for things starting to look up after a long absence from League play. There where even cautious whispers of the potential of David Beckham playing in last nights games. (But better to let the ankle heal, then to suffer the consequences of further absences due to a worse injury!) Nevertheless, Becks made a brief appearance in last night's game, playing about 18 minutes or so.
Unfortunately it was not enough to overcome the 1-0 lead that the United had established in the 27th minute by Luciano Emilio. Our previous match against Toronto garnered us a tie, thus allotting us 1pt. Still, we need the win to prove that this is a team worthy of international players such as Beckham, and to secure Yallops job, at least until the end of the season. The next game is on Sunday, August 12th against the New England Revolution. Let's get it together, boys. (And perhaps, we might just see Beckham fly!)
Man, it certainly feels like it's been a long while since I've been here, sitting at my computer, and blogging about the goings on in my life. To be quite honest with you, I don't know what made me drift away for so long, but I've kinda come to miss it. I know that I've missed a lot since my last post, so I won't waste too much time trying to catch you all up. I'll just do a quick rundown of the highlights, and we'll move on from there. It seems that April 16th was my last post, which is almost 2 and a half months ago. (Man, laziness can be a very powerful thing!!) At the end, I guess I felt that I was running out of things to write about, perhaps being a little redundant. But, no matter! I love what I love, and I love sharing it. So, with that being said...
...How much ass did Transformers kick???? I mean, seriously?? Who could have predicted that that movie would be so monumental. Yeah, I know, the inner geek in me wanted exactly this to happen, but the realist in me had it's doubts. Not only was it huge, but it was also good. I mean, for being what it was (a movie based on a line of toys?? Bratz, I'm looking in your direction!) the expectations weren't too high. I, secretly believe, that having Steven Spielberg on board made all the difference in the world. He's always been one of my favorite directors, and that's mostly because his vision of the worlds he portrays is so close to the way I tend to see things. His interests mimic some of my own, and Transformers just solidifies that notion. In the end, who gave a damn whether or not Optimus Prime had flames or not. I came out with 3 main thoughts: 1). When is Transformers 2 Coming Out??, 2). Was Jazz Killed (R.I.P.) Because He Was Black??, and 3). How In God's Green Earth Can Megan Fox Live Amongst Us Mere Mortals??? I was not disappointed, but I am definitely having withdrawls. The DVD can't come quick enough!!
Next. New Colors. New Logo. New Player. The Los Angeles Galaxy has undergone a transformation all it's own. The arrival of David Beckham has been a little lackluster, but that is mostly due to the fact that he hasn't played more than 15 minutes since his arrival. An ankle injury while playing for the English national squad, has settled Becks promptly on the bench, for at least one more week. And, unfortunately, he's been witnessing a very disorganized Galaxy team. I don't know whether the looming shadow of Beckham has intimidated the rest of the team, but they need to overcome that very quickly. Soon Beckham will be fully incorporated into the squad, and he needs to demonstrated the skill that comes with that very hefty price tag. At least the new uniforms, team colors, and logo were not a disappointment. The color combination is awesome: navy blue, gold, and white. The uniform is top notch, especially the blue. And the logo is much more contemporary. Now, if we could only add a few more wins under our belt, maybe even grasp the Superliga championship (Since we did so poorly during the World Series of Soccer!), maybe, just maybe, Frank Yallop can keep his job. We'll have to wait and see on that one.
I've got a confession to make. Before this June, I had never been to Las Vegas. (I know, I know! It's crazy right??) I mean, here I am, 28 years old, and had never once been to Sin City. Not even after I turned 21. But, I am glad to say, that as of this June, I have popped my Vegas cherry. That's right!! I can now walk through life with my head held high, and say "I have been to the capital of opulence and decauchery, and survived!!" I was fortunate enough to share this experience with my gilfriend and her parents. (It was her mom's birthday!) I had a blast!! So much fun. I spent 3 days and 3 nights at the lovely and quaint Casino Royale, conveniently located across the way from The Mirage. I don't think I've ever been so hot, and I don't think I've ever walked so much in so little time. But it was worth all the sweat and the sore feet. Our last night there we watch The Cirque Du Soleil: Love show at The Mirage, which is based on the music of The Beatles. It was totally awesome, and I just long to be able to watch it again. At least I have my memories, and I have my girlfriend to thank for that. (Thanks Babe! I Love You!)
Last month my adoptive nephew, Joshua, was baptized. Man, I can't believe how big he is getting. In fact, it seems like only yesterday that he entered our lives. He's getting so big, and just too cute for words. He's definitely going to be a little lady killer. The picture above is of his parents (the two in the middle), and the godparents (the two at the ends). The lovely young ladies on the right are two of my closest and dearest friends in the world. So close, that they are like my sisters. I love them sincerely, and it's just the greatest feeling in the world to be able to share moments like these with them. We've been together since our senior year of high school (Our 10 year reunion is this year!). And we expect to be together for many more years to come. Friends like these, you never let them go. Thanks for being the way you are!
July 26th saw the arrival of Comic-Con to San Diego, and just like last year, we migrated along with our fellow nerd brethren to the mecca of all things geeky!! This time around my girlfriend was fortunate (or unfortunate enough, depends on who you ask) to experience the magic that is Comic-Con along side us. We encountered the typical madness, perhaps a bit more seeing how this is the first year that Comic-Con has completely sold out on all days of the convention. (Yay Nerds!!) We sat through the "Supernatural" panel. (That one was for my girlfriend!) And I got my hands on some tasty Star Wars exclusives. There were a lot of cool toys on exhibit, and plenty of movie related swag. Iron Man was big presence this year, and they actully unvailed the Mach 1 armor at the Marvel Comics booth. It was a great crowd. As always, a great event. Totally fun, totally crazy. Can't wait to go again next year!!
Continuing our boycott of the Playstation 3, (Hefty Price Tag+No 3rd Party Support+NoGood Games=Not PS3 For Me), we have gotten into bed with the mistress that is the Xbox 360. But not just any Xbox 360, mind you! Oh, no! The Xbox 360 Elite! It is a beautiful black sleek machine, and the contrast goes nicely with my Nintendo Wii. We are 2/3 into the Next Generation (The PS3 being the 3rd), and we can tell right away that these are 2 very different animals. Where the Wii elaborates more on bringing together families, as well as gamers and non-gamers alike, the Xbox is pure gaming at it's best. If you are a hardcore gamer, and my brothers definitely are, the Xbox is the way to go. The graphics are amazing, and they are getting some of the best titles to be released on the market. (Not to mention that they get so many more Star Wars titles, and the sits very well with me!) I've yet to take this beast for a proper spin, but from what I've seen (my brothers have Gears of War and UEFA Champions League), this thing is wicked. And, having gotten Xbox Live for 13 months, this system provides a little something more than the Nintendo Wii does. (But the Wii will always be my baby!)
Well, that's it for now. At least that's all the highlights I can remember off the top of my head. If I remember anything else, I'll be sure to jot it down. Once again, I'd like to apologize for the delay to all my loyal readers. (All 3 of you!) I'll try to not let it happen again.
The latest Transformers movie trailer spotlights Peter Cullen as the voice of Optimus Prime, and we have our first listen of the big guy's mighty voice on the silver screen. Now I understand that he will have 2 face modes in the film, one normal and one battle. The trailer shows Optimus in his normal face mode which, unfortunately, has lips. This has the fandom in an uproar, but I understand that it is done for a more human and emotional connection to the character. (Hey, at least he has his mouth shield in battle mode!) Anyways, take a look and decide for yourselves. You can check out the trailer here.
Issue #3 of The Dark Tower series The Gunslinger Born was released yesterday. And true to form, it is one great read with visually stunning artwork. As a Stephen King fan, when I first heard that this project was going forward, I was equally excited and hesitant. Excited because it would finally be an opportunity for the world to gain a visual representation of images that have lived in the imaginations of readers for more than 20 years. Hesitant because there is always the very real possibility that they could get it wrong...very wrong. But, I'm relieved to say, that those fears have been lifted, and this very talented group of artists whom have taken on this immense burden have my blessing to continue for as long as they can produce this high a caliber of work. Now, onto the story at hand. When last we saw our heroes, Roland and his Ka-Tet had been sent forth to the Barony of Mejis on a reconnaissance mission to determine the Barony's allegiance: Whether to the Affiliation or to the traitor, John Farson. We were introduced to the Big Coffin Hunters, the new authority in Majis, and to Susan Delgado, the future love of Roland's life, and a woman with a secret.
Issue 3 picks up with the meeting between Roland and Susan. (And, once again, Richard Isanove's coloring is just amazing!) Throughout the Dark Tower series, Susan has always been Roland's one true love. So it was important that their relationship was visually and emotionally stunning. I think that this series has succeeded in that respect. Unfortunately, both Roland and Susan have secrets during this first meeting, and lie to each other to protect them. Susan is promised to a man, at the behest of her dead father, who is married, but cannot produce an heir with this wife. Still married, he is to lay her, and she is to produce a child. Roland, secretly sent as a spy, instead tells her that he is there to take inventory of all supplies that can be used by the Affiliation in the fight against Farson.
And speaking of Farson, we get our first glimpse of this ominous threat that hovers over most of this story. As previously stated, this is a world that has moved on. Simply put, in this world, a cataclysmic nuclear attack/war occured, leveling most of the buildings, and killing most of the people. Our story takes place several hundred years later, in a time where the world still has not fully recovered from the catastrophe. In fact, not only has it not recovered, it is in fact getting worse. Couple that with the potential toppling of the Dark Tower, and you have the makings of the end of all existence. We meet up with Farson in another place, perhaps maybe even in another when. What we do know is that he has found the weapons of the "old ones", and fully intends to use them. All he requires is fuel, namely oil. Oil that can be found in the Barony of Mejis. Oil that is up to Eldred Jonas and the rest of the Big Coffin Hunters to retrieve. Farson is becoming impatient, and Marten reassures him that things are going according to plan. 
But that isn't exactly true. At the local bar, one of the Big Coffin Hunters has a rather unfortunate encounter with a very simple fellow. There are words exchanged, and soon, the Big Coffin Hunter demeans this meager soul. As he forces him to lick his boots, Cuthbert Allgood, with his mighty slingshot in hand, orders the man to stop. He draws a gun on Cuthbert, and Cuthbert in turn takes off a couple of his fingers with his slingshot. Soon another Big Coffin Hunter shows up, pulls a gun on Cuthbert, and he finds himself suddenly outnumbered. Or does he? At that moment Alain Johns shows up, and pulls a knife on on the newly arrived hunter. It seems that Cuthbert would be safe after all. Or would he?? Just then, Eldred Jonas steps into the bar, and with that he puts a gun to Alain's back. It all looks bleak for our friends as they find themselves right smack dab in the middle of a good ol' fashioned Mexican standoff. Luckily Roland finds the most opportune time to arrive, and the standoff is soon dispersed by the Mayor himself. Roland and Eldred shake hands, and are off on their way. Unfortunately, as civil as their parting was, there is no love lost between the two Ka-Tets. Eldred has deduced that these boys are no regular boys. They behave like Gunslingers, and as such, they must be dealt with...in the most fatal manner. Roland, dealing with his mixed emotions for Susan, and feeling somewhat betrayed by her, must put his feelings in check if he and the rest of the Gunslingers wish to come out of this mission alive. We're right in the middle of it now. The relationship between Roland and Susan deepens, and as happy as we are for them, it can only end in tragedy. Issue #4 is a month away. Can't wait! Stay Tuned!
Well, things haven't been going quite like we would like them to when it comes to the Galaxy. This season has been one of hype and raised expectations. The arrival of Beckham shifted our schedule in such a way that most of our away games would be played when he joined the team. The logic behind it was that he would be used as a draw for people who wouldn't head out to the soccer stadiums. Basically he's a brand name that most people would recognize. Also, let's not forget that we were thrust into 3 tournaments this year during the regular season: The Open Cup, The World Series of Football, and The Superliga. Not to mention that 13 our roster are injured or in other forms unable to play with the team. That being said, we the fans have been made to endure one disappointment after another. And this past week, unfortunately, has been no exception.
Last Thurday night we squared off against our hometown rivals, Chivas USA, in what has come to be called the Super Clasico. It's a friendly rivalry that establishes the pride of the fanbase. 4 of these Super Clasico games take place during the regular season. The previous 2 installments have ended with a win for the Galaxy, and a tie. Understandably, these games get very heated, not just with the fans, but with the players as well. Temperatures flare, and frustrations begin to boil over. There is no question that the Galaxy was playing hurt. Beckham had just returned from England that afternoon after playing with the British National team the previous day. Likewise Landon Donovan and Jonathan Bornstein (Of Chivas) had returned that afternoon from Sweden after playing with the U.S. National team the day before. So, two of our best guys were not just tired, but also jet lagged. That meant that our attacks were minimal at best. Also, there are holes in our defense that you could drive a tank through, primarily due to the fact that we have almost no defensive players. Ultimately, the Chivas didn't need a tank to get not 1, not 2, but 3 goals into our net. It was a devastating loss for the team, as well as the fans. There is one more Super Clasico game left, and if we win it, then at least we still win the series. Here's to hoping.
This past Sunday, the Galaxy continued their roadtrip as they flew to Colorado to take on the Rapids. Both Beckham and Donovan decided to sit this one out as they recovered from their jet lag and from the strain of having to have played the following day. That put us greatly at a disadvantage as we were still missing most of our talent, and our 2nd stringers had to stop up to take up the slack. Things were touch and go early in the 1st half, but in the 26th minute, the Rapids had their first goal, and we just deflated. The 34th and the 43rd minutes saw two more goals from the Rapids, and that would be all the scoring for this one. It would be our 5th consecutive loss, and the second with a score of 3-0. The fans aren't happy. The staff isn't happy. The talent can't be happy. And with this much unhappiness, the talk of replacing the coach grows from a whisper to a bloody roar. Frank Yallop was treading on thin ice, and he had to pull of the Superliga victory in order to have any hopes of continuing with the Galaxy.
The Superliga final was played this past Wednesday at the Good Ol' Home Depot Center in front of a reduced crowd. (It was the 1st day of classes at Cal Stated Dominguez Hills, which shares the campus with the HDC). The galaxy wore white with black armbands (a few soccer players around the world had died in the days prior to the match), and the Mexican representatives, Pachuca, wore black. Classic good vs. evil material. This was perhaps the Galaxy's finest hour since the beginning of the season. The started off a bit disorganized, a little sloppy, but they quickly tightened up as Pachuca began to attack. The team finally coalesced into a single unit, and fought back hard the wave after wave of Pachuca attacks. It was both luck and the quick reflexes of Joe Cannon that saved the Galaxy from a greated humiliation, although the humiliation arrived nonetheless in the form of an auto-goal by Pete Vagenas in the 28th minute. Despite that low blow, the Galaxy seemed never to falter, not even when Beckham requested an substitution in the 33rd minute after a violent tackle left him with a sprained right knee (Word is that he's out for the rest of the season!! D'oh!!!) to go along with his hurt left ankle. Disappointing as this was, the Galaxy never let up, but neither did Pachuca. Both teams had numerous near misses, either saved by awesome goaltending or by the goal posts themselves. But just when it seemed that time had run out for the Galaxy, Chris Klein pulled of perhaps one of the greatest goals in recent Los Angeles Galaxy history to save us in stoppage time. Being tied, the game went into extra time (Two 15 minute halves), and when that remained scoreless, the game was unfortunately thrust into penalty kicks. It went back and forth between goals and saves, ultimately leaving the final winning goal in the leg of Landon Donovan. Thinking we had it in the bag (Donovan is one of our greatest penalty kickers), the Pachuca goalie was able to guess right, and blocked the shot, throwing us into sudden death. The Galaxy's Abel Xavier was left to answer Pachuca's additional goal in this round. But, for some unseen reason, Xavier completely missed the goal with a severely veered kick. This gave Pachuca the first ever Superliga titles, $1million dollars, the trophy, and another devastating loss for the Galaxy.
