The Rundown Slam: WWE Roadblock

3/27/2016 4:59:00 PM

It was nothing but a disappointment on Toronto as WWE waged RoadBlock as part of their buildup for the show of shows, WrestleMania.

Look, the New Day may have been dropping the golds to the League of Nations, but turns out it wasn’t a really good mix at all, considering the absence of Alberto Del Rio and Rusev not just on the Roadblock storyline, but at the venue too! It could have been better if a title switching hands took place.

Verdict: 6

Chris Jericho defeating Jack Swagger may have got the best heel in him at his hometown Toronto. I have to admire his work from there, but don’t take away the effort by Jack Swagger for pushing him to the limit. I guess, Y2J is one of the best performers at his age.

Verdict: 7.9

The Revival may have retained their NXT tag team titles against Enzo Amore and Colin Cassidy but the latter gave me more impressive performance than them. Seems like, Big C and Enzo gave us more than what we paid on them at all. Still the very worth championship match of the evening aside from the main event.

Verdict: 9

Charlotte may have retained the title, but that proved how the WrestleMania landscape can never be derailed at all. Not even a road block called Natalya, whom may have been seen less regularly recently, but she’s been really a superb diva at all.

Verdict: 7.1

Sad to say, Brock Lesnar vs. Bray Wyatt was nothing but a disappointment. Maybe, a disappointing turnout because we are dying to see these two mammoths collide, but instead we got his wingman Luke Harper in what could have thought a handicap match. Perhaps it was due to their other WWE Live event during the same date, on other term, an ill-timed booking. Or may be because he is injured.

Maybe, this served as a tune-up game between Wyatt and Lesnar soon. We could only wish by the upcoming weeks because turns out, this was literally a road block for every wrestling fan whose been dying to see these bigwigs collide. (I want my money back!)

Verdict: 6.3

Sami Zayn defeated Stardust on what has been the former’s tuneup game en route to his rivalry with Kevin Owens. Sadly, Cody was another jobber right now wherein waiting for another rival to propel with him -- aside from Stephen Amell.

Verdict: 5.4

The WWE World Heavyweight Championship match could have been the only reason why RoadBlock was a significant event one must watch. But with the result -- the eventual retaining the belt by Triple H -- proved they all overcame the obstacles, but at a same time, left no other sensible happening that put WrestleMania into disarray. Not even a bit.

Dean Ambrose showed why he’s a goddamn main event material ever since their split with the SHIELD. He previously wrecked roofs with Seth Rollins, be it a championship match or not. And on RoadBlock, he almost snatched the title away from Triple H. That story was almost believable as fuck.

We could only hope Roman Reigns would be joining their level because he has that freaking superiority aura when they are still together. And when he got that push as a singles competitor, it just didn’t click well with the majority.

Verdict: 8

Overall, RoadBlock was a specialty at its own right. It just didn’t made a solid swerve come WrestleMania.

Overall Verdict: 7.0

Author: slickmaster | ©2016 september twenty-eight productions

Upcoming: 5th Philippine National Fireworks Festival

03/28/2016 03:25:19 PM

In case you are a huge fan of seeing the art of lighting skies, here's something you might want to get on as Riverbanks Center will be holding their annual fireworks show this coming April!

Everyone is invited at the Riverbanks Center's 5th Philippine National Fireworks Festival (PNFF) to be held Saturdays of April 2016 at the Riverbanks Amphitheatre in Marikina City.

The elimination stages will take place on these dates, with participants as follows:

9 April – Ding Fireworks (Tiaong, Quezon), Global Foxes Fireworks (Silang, Cavie), Emperor Fireworks (Batangas City)
16 April – Wow Mamatid Fireworks (Cabuyao City, Laguna), JNM Pyrothecnics (Lemery, Batngas), Pyromount Fireworks (Bocaue, Bulacan)
23 April – JCA Fireworks (Puerto Princesa, Palawan), Anisan Fireworks (Sibulan, Negros Oriental), Skyglitters Fireworks (Valenzuela City)


And it's free admission, by the way.

Then, the Grand Finals will be staged at the very same venue on 30 April. Tickets are available at the Riverbanks Mall Customer Service Counter for the price of Php100. Show stars at 7pm.

For inquiries and ticket reservations, please contact Mr. Jeph Ramos (Ad & PR officer) at telephone numbers 570-0701 to 06 loc 333 or 451. Other information about this event can be on their official website www.riverbankscenter.com or via their Facebook page facebook.com/pages/Riverbanks-Center.

Author: slickmaster | (c) 2016 september twenty-eight productions

Snapshot!

03/28/2016 10:06:22 AM 

Ito ang isa sa mga umaribang balita noong Semana Santa.

PINOY TRENDING NEWS

Oo, ang litratong 'yan kung saan ay nilarawan si Grace Poe na isa siyang madasalin at Maka-Diyos, mga bagay na hinahanap natins a isang kakandidato sa pagkapangulo.

Okay naman sana eh. As in wala naman sanang masama kung ipakita ang ganitong gawi. Ito ang problema: bakit niya hinayaan na pati pa naman sa isang sagradong pook na ang tawag ay simbahan ay sundan siya ng mala-paparazzi na media?

Na-bash tuloy siya sa social media. So, ano 'to, taktika para makakuha ng simpatiya sa mga nambubully na netizens? Necropolitics at its finest kung ganun—buma-bank ka sa emosyon ng tao eh.

Oo, sabihin man natin na hindi ito kagustuhan ng naturang presidentiable, na pinukulan na nga ng samu't saring putik gaya ng isyu sa kanyang citizenship at karanasan sa pagtatrabaho, pero pati pa naman ito? Hinayaan na lamang ilabas ng team niya?

Kung tutuusin nga, hindi dapat tayo masyadong nagre-rely sa mga katangian na may kinalaman sa relihiyon e. May takot sa Diyos? Okay. Pero may tinatawag tayong “separation of church and state.” Bagay na dapat ay huwag nang mag-meddle ang relihiyon sa mga paksang gaya ng eleksyon.

Ahh, kasi nga naman, nasa malayang bansa tayo? Ganun? Kahit sino, pwede mag-voice. May punto nga naman. Ngunit hindi naman ata sapat ang ganung argumento.

Kung madasalin nga siya, eh ano naman? Kahit sino namang pulitiko yata ay nagdarasal din naman e. Hindi nga lang nila pinili na kunan sila ng lente. At nawika pa nga yung ganung gawain sa Bibliya, na kung magdarasal ka, gawin ito sa panahon na ikaw ay hindi nakikita ng marami, at baka pa nga ya maluwag sa iyong kalooban. Meaning, huwag mong ipakita na nagdarasal ka para lang makakuha ka ng boto. Hindi naman block voting ang mga Katoliko sa Pinas eh, kaya hindi rin tatalab yun.

Siraulo rin kasi paminsan-minsan ang media e. At yung PR nila.

Author: slickmaster | (c) 2016 september twenty-eight productions

More "Hele Challenge," Please?

3/27/2016 8:14:39 PM

Photo from INQUIRER

Yesterday, me and my girlfriend was supposed to take on “the Hele challenge” -- that is to watch an eight-hour movie called Hele sa Hiwagang Hapis. 

Initially having real, myth and fiction characters, Hele sa Hiwagang Hapis (A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery) spots on a different formula by filmmaker Lav Diaz -- that is to mix these three different kinds of story-telling; with portrayal by some of the best actors of this generation. And we’re not talking about age, looks or sex appeal here, but rather the delivery of their craft or their performance. Imagine John Lloyd Cruz and Piolo Pascual starring on this one gigantic flick with its length spanning more than the entire primetime programming or even two WrestleMania events.

But unfortunately, as we approached Robinsons Metro East by around 1:00pm, they announced the seat slots for Cinema 7 (which then shows Hele) were already sold out; thus, closing the doors for many of us whom planned to spend Black Saturday on the challenge.

Minutes later, I read announcement that Galleria had opened a cinema for Hele by around 3pm. On top of that, screenings for Trinoma and other malls were also fully-booked.

That being said might poise another “challenge” for the movie managers. That is to satisfy customers who prefer to see the locally-made product than the most-anticipated Superman VS. Batman. It’s always been a recent custom for them to do such -- putting up a big-time Hollywood film on almost all of their available moviehouses. (i.e. Letting Superman vs. Batman show on 6 of their 8 cinemas)

I hope the power of users who posts about the movie might give the demanding power that was similar to what a lot of us had done for Heneral Luna, Nilalang, and Honor Thy Father.

With more people seeking for quality media, it could be possible. I could only hope they will add more cinemas for Hele by the upcoming weekend, since in reality everyone will be going back to their respective offices by Monday ‘til Friday. Besides, who will dare to dig an 8-hour film -- with two 30-minute intervals -- on a weekday, especially if a lot of us just came from Holy Week vacation? It might sound appalling to take a leave from work.school just for such, right?

Yeah. We need a demand for more Hele challenges. For the sake of more moviegoers who prefer to see something different from what the mainstream has been offering us.

Oh wait, Star Cinema was their distributor, right? They deserved a nod for that!

Author: slickmaster | ©2016 september twenty-eight productions

Same Feud, New Chapter

3/25/2016 6:20:23 AM

This is one of the rivalries I am definitely looking up to this year. Yes, it’s a rekindled one from their pre-WWE eras. And we’re talking about Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. 

Much to the knowledge of my geeky fans from the Internet wrestling community, these two have squared off during their days at the independent circuit and the highly notable Ring of Honor. It’s like the life and times of El Generico and Kevin Steen.

And as far as the days of my being wrestling follower is concerned, I only noticed Sami Zayn (Arab translation for his former ring name) as one of the upstarts in WWE’s developmental firm NXT. In fact, his emergence from being nobody into somebody was a very evident during the year 2014 where he feuded with one of his friends Adrian Neville for the NXT Championship. All that despite key losses to the upstarts Cesaro and Tyler Breeze.

And upon the arrival of NXT: TakeOver Revolution, his rival/tag team partner Steen -- now renamed Owens -- made his debut. And just when you thought these two buddies are teaming up for congratulatory remarks, we’re wrong. It’s just the first page of their new chapter.

Few months later, another NXT TakeOver special took place at Full Sail University, a title switched hands in a very most unconventional decision -- a referee’s stoppage dictated the result of the NXT Championship. Perhaps after numerous powerbomb attempts. It’s clearly telling a story whom seemed resemblance of John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar on WWE SummerSlam 2014.

From there, Owens went on the roll en route to his debut at the main roster. And from there, he pulled off an impressive upset over John Cena. Quite impressive that even if Cena won over their succeeding duels on Money in the Bank and Battleground, Owens showed why he is the Steen that’s worth the wait. All that despite backstage politics that surrounds his development and eventually dropping the title to Finn Balor.

He then went on to win the Intercontinental Championship twice in over nine months since his WWE debut.

As for Zayn, he looked like he paved way for the upcoming NXT stars. But I have lost in touch on following that lately. Plus, he had a shoulder injury even before he went on a seven-month hiatus.

A month after returning to competition, Zayn entered the Royal Rumble and eliminate Kevin Owens in the match itself. Thus, the first step on getting back on the latter.

Five weeks before WrestleMania, it appeared the chapter was then followed with another stunner. A rekindled rivalry is at works again.

But then, I think we could only wait til after WrestleMania as Kevin Owens will defend his IC title in a ladder match. Yes, we are going to witness another ladder match at the Show of Shows for the second straight year. 

While Sami Zayn is a journeyman that everyone loves -- especially when his entrance music airs around the venue, Kevin Owens exemplifies the best heel the WWE have right now. Yes, right after Seth Rollins and Triple H. And even if he switch roles and align himself as the face, there’s no doubt people will love (and even love to hate) him more as a heel. 

I wonder, though. Could Sami Zayn be the underdog the WWE wants? Is the pitting rivalry fit enough to topple the current storylines the Connecticut-based promotion is currently offering to us?

We wish. Maybe, that could happen after Mania.

Author: slickmaster | (c) 2016 september twenty-eight productions

Tirada Ni SlickMaster: Inglis Bersyon

03/21/2016 04:49:55 PM

So politics is “so elite,” eh? Just like the world of sophistication such as higher-taste of media, fashion, and even arts.

That would be believable if Mr. Teddy Boy Locsin's tweets were right. Recently, he expressed disdain on the usage of Tagalog dialect (not language) by certain candidates Mar Roxas and Grace Poe at the second edition of the 2016 PiliPinas Presidential Debates held at the University of the Philippines in Cebu City.

Photo credit: INQUIRER.net

So, what the fuck is wrong if both presidential candidates—as well as the entire personnel involved in this debate—uses Tagalog more than English? Isn't that sound elitism at will? Fuck, we're not even living at the dark ages where language barriers seemed to determine who's rich and poor in this country.

Okay. Because English is more spoken (or generally, used) at the areas outside Metro Manila, right? Because apart from the popular language, various folks could only converse via their respective dialogs, such as Hiligaynon, Cebuano, Waray, Kapampangan, Ilocano, and even Pangasinense (or Pangalatok); all but Tagalog. So that speaks for the reason why we looked diverse as fuck. Talk about regionalism.

Are we supposed to reach the masses, right? After all, we need to educate them on picking the right guy to represent our power. And moreover, we need to make them aware of what's happening in our country instead of focusing on our favorite entertainment demigods.

Besides, PiliPinas Debates 2016 airs LIVE primarily on four major television networks in this country—with three of them using Filipino as their main speaking medium. So letting use English would only lure potential—and needed viewers away.

Another thing: does speaking English makes us smarter human beings? More intellectual than our indio or masa-looking counterparts? I don't think so at all. While it may be our second national language—plus the objective that would make us more “globally competitive”—I'm afraid that belittling our native tongue would only make us colonial crabs-slash-wannabe elites-slash-social climbers.

And that sparks discrimination either. It's like saying those who uses Tagalog are masses; just like how Locsin described English as the language of men. Really? How about the women, the gay guys, the other members of LGBT? Are they pretentious when they speak of such?

Bullshit.

Plus, it's not Tagalog anymore. It's Filipino, okay? Tagalog is a major dialect. And it may be the previous name of our national language, but during the reformation of New Society, it was now known as Pilipino—or Filipino. The label change fully took place during the Aquino presidency.

That being said.... putanginang elitstang 'to! Nasa Pilipinas tayo. Filipino ang ginagamit ng mga nagdedebate. Pinoy din ang manunood. Kaya sino ka para sabihan na dapat ginagamit ang lengwaheng Ingles at insultuhin ang wikang Filipino?

Ah. Porket inapproriate o hindi akma, kailangan i-discourage o limitahan sa paggamit? Dahil ba nagmumukhang katarantaduhan ang debateng ito? Porket sibilisadong disiplina sa lingwistika ang Ingles?

Eh tangina, yan ang gusto nila Mar at Poe eh. Para maintindihan sila ng masa.

At take note, hindi Tagalog ang wika. Punyeta, Filipino! Mula pa noong dekada '80 pa 'to napagdesisyunang pangalan, Tagalog pa rin kayo nang Tagalog?! 

Kaya huwag mo kong Iinglesin sa sarili kong lupain, ika nga ni Luna.

And to quote my favorite humorist Stanley Chi, “Pa-English English ka pa. Sipain kita d'yan eh!”

REFERENCES:
http://www.csun.edu/~lan56728/majorlanguages.htm
http://tagaloglang.com/filipino-tagalog-pilipino/
http://grpshorts.blogspot.com/2011/08/is-tagalog-dialect-or-language.html

Author: slickmaster | (c) 2016 september twenty-eight productions

PiliPinas Delayed!

03/21/2016 02:12:35 PM

Photo credit: Rappler

Grabe ang inabot ng tao kahapon. Grabe ang init ng ulo nila. Ang pagkabadtrip; pagkadismaya; galit na bigla na lamang pumutok sa kani-kanilang mga account sa Twitter at Facebook. Ikaw ba naman eh, ang maghintay sa kawalan eh. Kala tuloy nila, may forever nga...sa paghihintay umere ang PiliPinas Debates.

Dahil sa isang matinding hindi pagkakaunawaan sa pagitan ng mga partidong sangkot, ito ay naantala nang mahigit nobenta minutos mula sa orihinal na nakatakdang oras. Ang pinakamainit na debate na nagsimula sana noong alas-5 ng hapon, ay halos 6:30 na ng gabi pormal nag-umpisa.

Hindi lamang ito usapin kung bakit naging impatient na ang tao. Kasi nga naman, sinong hindi mauurat kung mag-aalas-5:30 na ng hapon ay hindi pa umeere ang PiliPinas Debates.

Pero saan nga ba nagkamali? Bakit humantong sa isang malaking delay ang mga pangyayari? Oo, sa kabila man ng mainit na patutsadahan na kala mo ay nanuod ka ng sabong ay isa pa ring pinakamalaking pagkakamali ang pagka-antala ng isa't kalahating oras?

May last-minute kasi na argumento. Last-minute na clarification ang kinailangan para rito. Ay mali, hindi na pala last yun.... late na pala.

Sinasabi na ang isa sa mga presidentiable ang “cause of delay” nito. Bagamat pinakauna siyang dumating sa apat na lumahok sa Visayas leg ng PiliPinas Debates 2016 na ginanap sa Cebu campus ng Unibersidad ng Pilipinas, aniya ang kanyang pagdala ng kodigo (o dokumento, ayon sa kine-claim nila) sa stage ay ipinagbabawal alinsunod sa pamantayan ng Commission of Elections (COMELEC).

At may miscommunocation pa palang naganap sa pagitan ng mga partido. Kasi si Luchi Cruz-Valdes mismo, na kinontak ng kampo ni VP, ay umamin sa pagkakamali.

Subalit, kung tutuusin, parang kahit sa unang PliPiinas Debates na ginanap sa Cagayan De Oro noong nakaraang buwan at sumahimpapawid sa GMA 7, ay may ganitong alintuntunin na, 'di ba? Kung ganun, ito ang tanong: nakikinig ba ang kampo niya, aber? Na bawal ang notes o 'kodigo' sa entablado mismo? Maari lamang kapag nasa backstage ka?

Halatang hindi yata nagrereview ah. O halatang hindi nakikipagcooperate sa COMELEC at bagkus, dumeretso sa media; na para bang bina-bypass na lamang ang ahensya ng pamahalaan na namuno mismo sa pag-oorganisa nito. Kaya ang dating tuloy ay sira na kagad ang Singko sa insidenteng ito.

Unang pagputok pa lamang ng balitang to sa YouTube, halata na nga na yun ang ugat ng lahat: miscommunication; the same problem sa mga relasyong bigla na lamang nasisira at mga taong nag-aaway. Oo, hindi pagkakaintindihan nang dahil sa magpinsan na dalaga na ang mga pangalan ay MISS-COMMUNICATION at MISS-UNDERSTANDING (of course, pun intended ito).

Sa isang anggulo naman ng pangyayari, sinabi naman na kinontra ito diumano ng karibal ni Jejomar Binay na si Mar Roxas. Dahil siya mismo nakapansin sa galawang iyun.

Aba, kaya pala eh. May umalma kung ganun. Lakas maka-expose ah. So, may pogi points ka na ba niyan? Kaya siguro mula simula pa lang ng programa ay mukhang naurat na husto si Koyang Jojo, ano po?

Pero sa totoo lang, pareho lang naman sila may mali eh. May bayag nga lang ang panig nt TV5 para umamin sa kanilang malaking on-the-spot na blunder. Ultimong ang lamang ng pagbabanter na nila Cheryl Cosim, Roby Alampay, Atty. Mel Sta. Maria at Atty. Harry Roque ay mga mensahe ukol sa pagkadelay ng nasabing debate. 

Buti pa yung dalawa eh, si Grace Poe saka si Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, kalmado lang. Para pang mga komedyante.

At least, may balls si Luchi na humingi ng paumanhin sa buong publiko – manunood man sa venue mismo, sa telebisyon sa buong kapuluan at mapahanggang sa buong mundo.

Yun nga lang, dito nakita ang “Filipino Time” at ang mga huling hirit bago magsimula. Yung huling hirit na nauwi sa isang malaking kabadtripan sa mata ng marami. Mabuti na lamang ay hindi naubusan ng brain cells ang mga nagsilbing pre-show analyst sa kakatalakay ng mga mangyayari sa debate, sa resume ng mga kakandidato, at ano ang maari mong gawin bilang Pilipino.

Author: slickmaster | (c) 2016 september twenty-eight productions