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stahlop · 4 years

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Once Upon a Time 2x18 “Selfless, Brave, and True” Review

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Yeah, so I’m not a huge fan of this episode. We have no recourse from last week’s episode whatsoever, plus I don’t feel like August got his rightful comeuppance for what he did to Emma. He basically got a do over for finally doing the right thing after a lifetime of not doing the right thing. Plus, the whole Tamara thing is very convoluted. She happened to run into the one person from the EF, and then ran into Neal because she saw him talking to August later on? Or did she suspect Neal was magical too? And she happens to know Greg? It’s a lot of either coincidence or convoluted plotting. Also, I realized why I didn’t remember this episode very well, this episode came out on March 24th, 2013, the day my middle daughter was born. So I was probably in the newborn haze when I got around to watching the episode.

Summary: We see August’s desperation when his leg starts turning back into wood and ends up stealing money from a sick Tamara to try and save himself. In Storybrooke, Mary Margaret discovers August hiding out in the woods and she, Emma, and Marco spend their time looking for him after he runs away.

Opening: Trailer

New Characters:

Tamara: So we finally, truly meet Neal’s fiance. We got a small glimpse of her when she was introduced at the end of The Queen is Dead, but now we get to see that she’s a lot more than she says she is. In the past, we see her in Hong Kong, seeking out The Dragon to cure her from cancer. She and August run into each other in a bar where she idiotically shows him her money (why is she carrying $10,000 in small bills in an envelope in her bag and taking it out for anyone to see?), then leaves it with him to go take a phone call. She seems too trusting, but I have no reason to believe she knows who August is at this point. Since she seems to just be interested in taking out The Dragon when the time comes. August steals her money, of course, but she catches up with him later after he uses her money to get the elixir to fix his leg. She chases him through the streets and eventually his leg hurts him too badly and he falls and drops the elixir, which Tamara rightfully takes. Tamara goes to see The Dragon again and she wants the truth from him. He accuses her of being dishonest because she doesn’t actually have cancer. She’s been looking for magic. She’s analyzed the contents of the elixir he gave August and can’t find a single element in it that’s from our world. They go back and forth about magic and how he’s helping people with afflictions that can’t be fixed by science, and she basically decides that no one else can find him, so (with a look of trepidation) she pulls out a taser. The Dragon starts smoking and possibly changing into his true form but before he can complete the transformation, Tamara tases him and kills him? I’m still debating on what kind of taser could kill a magical being or if maybe he just left the body that he was using as The Dragon with all that smoke before Tamara tased him. Tamara picks up the picture of her grandmother that she’d given The Dragon as her personal item (besides the money), and leaves. We then see an exchange between August and Neal that Tamara is watching through her compact. After August takes off on his bike, Tamara walks toward Neal and gets him to bump into her, facilitating their first meeting and how she became his fiance.

Tamara seems like the perfect, doting girlfriend when she arrives in Storybrooke. She tells the story of how she and Neal met when Henry asks. Neal ran into her and spilled her coffee all over her. He gave her his scarf to cover the stain and his number. She seems pretty okay with the fact that her fiance suddenly has a son he never knew about and that he’s now back in contact with his ex due to sudden fatherhood. She’s just very supportive all around. And that’s when Neal decides to tell her he’s from the Enchanted Forest. Tamara, of course, thinks Neal is insane. He gives her the storybook that Henry left, and Tamara is confused because it’s just a book of fairy tales. He shows her a picture of himself as a boy. Tamara thinks Neal is trying to break up with her for Emma. He tells her he is not, but Tamara doesn’t believe him. She tells him when he’s ready to be honest with her to come and find her. She plays the perfect girlfriend so well. Tamara overhears Mary Margaret telling Emma and Marco that she found August, that he’s completely wooden, and that he’s living in a trailer by the toll bridge. So she goes to pay him a visit. She mentions him being made of wood and August is surprised she can see him. And she says my thoughts exactly, she believed in The Dragon so of course she believes in magic. Tamara wants August to leave town, he owes her for what he did to her in Hong Kong. He wants her to explain how he found her, but she poses the more important questions, how is she there. August deduces the elixir worked for her cancer and Tamara says she has more in her apartment in New York, he just has to go get it. In return, he leaves Storybrooke and never return. Well, that’s not ominous or anything. August sees her engagement ring and realizes she’s Neal’s fiance. He accuses them of coming to Storybrooke to steal the magic, but Tamara says Neal has nothing to do with this (that should really be August’s first clue that Tamara isn’t on the up and up because what are the odds she met Neal randomly otherwise?). August again says he needs to know what she’s up to, but Tamara knows he’s all about self-preservation and gives him her car keys. August attempts to call Emma to warn her about Tamara, but she cuts the phone line. Tamara tells August she wanted him to save himself, and he tells her that’s what he’s trying to do. August basically tells her she won’t get away with what she’s doing, but he wastes too much time monologuing because she tases him. Tamara witnesses Mother Superior turning August back into a real boy and ‘realizes’ everything Neal told her is true. Neal gives her the out to go back to New York, but she says she wants to stay with him, and Neal thinks he’s so lucky to have met her. And then we find out that Tamara is the Her that Greg keeps calling and they make out in front of Greg’s open door at Granny’s.

The Dragon: We don’t really know much about him except that he’s magical, he’s not from this realm, he helps people that science has failed (as long as they pay), and no one has met the real him. He looks like he’s going to transform into something, but Tamara tases him before he can.

Character Observations:

August: In the past, we see how awful of a person August is. He seems to have wasted the $20,000 that he was supposed to give to Emma on moving to Thailand, drinking and living on the beach. He wakes up when his leg starts turning into wood. His girlfriend doesn’t see it. August decides he needs to see a doctor. And apparently he needs to go to Hong Kong to do it.The doctor thinks August is pulling his leg (ha!) when he tells him his leg is turning to wood, but then August decides stabbing his leg would prove his point. The doctor, clearly disturbed by his patient stabbing himself and not noticing that no blood came out of this stab wound, calls for security to take August to psych. August apparently didn’t think about the fact that if you’re not magically inclined no one can see you turning into wood and they will automatically think you’re crazy. So he runs off trying to escape from security. He’s grabbed from behind into a storage closet by Quon (as IMDB so helpfully told me, or Jianyu/Jason Mendoza from The Good Place), who heard him yelling about his situation and knows someone who can help him. August follows him to The Dragon’s waiting room, where he is a good Samaritan and picks up another patient’s phone, and it just so happens that patient is Tamara. August goes to see The Dragon and tries to test his abilities by showing him the wrong leg first. The Dragon knows it’s the other leg that ails him. August shows him the other leg and The Dragon sees that it’s turning to wood and calls him Pinocchio. August is unnerved that The Dragon knows who he is and asks if he’s from the Enchanted Forest. The Dragon never confirms, but tells him he’s asking the wrong questions. Which is, can The Dragon help him, and he can. But he needs a personal item and $10,000 dollars. For the personal item, he wants the necklace string August has around his neck. It’s from the strings Geppetto used to bring him to life when he was just an inanimate puppet. He gives him until that night to bring him the money. August at a market looking at the lack of funds in his wallet. He sees Tamara in a bar and she invites him over for a drink. He sees all her money just sitting in her bag. When she tells him she has cancer, you can see the internal conflict going on in his mind about whether he can steal the money and technically kill her. When she leaves to take a phone call and asks him to watch her bag, well, I can understand where he might think that’s a valid reason to take it. I mean, that’s pretty dumb on her part. August goes to The Dragon and pays him the money and gets the elixir, but not after The Dragon tells him the turning to wood is just a symptom of a bigger problem that only August can cure himself. Now, if he’d been smart, he would’ve drank it in the waiting room or even on the steps, but no. He decides to go down the stairs, with his bum leg, and take a drink when he gets to the bottom. But Tamara catches up with him before he can take a drink. She chases him through the streets and eventually, his leg trips him up and he falls and drops the elixir. She takes it and leaves crying manbaby, August, in the streets of Hong Kong (okay, I get that he’s really crying over his life choices, but seriously, he looks so pathetic in this scene). August goes back to The Dragon a few days later but finds him dead. We later see August talking to Neal in New York, he’s telling Neal he’s turning back into wood and he has to go to Storybrooke to get Emma to break the curse so he stops it from killing him. He says he’ll send Neal a postcard when the curse is broken.

In Storybrooke, Mary Margaret comes across a completely wooden August hiding out in an abandoned trailer in the middle of the woods. Mary Margaret is understandably confused since the curse broke. August explains that when it broke he went from not being able to move, having been consumed by the wood, to being able to move again. It’s his punishment for not following the rules set out for him. Mary Margaret tries to convince him to come to town because Emma and Marco miss him (I seriously doubt Emma is missing him), and that Henry’s father is now there. August is hopeful that Emma and Neal are back together, but Mary Margaret informs him they aren’t and that Neal is engaged. August looks regretful about this and goes on a tirade about how hope basically sucks and it hits too close to home for Mary Margaret who is looking for redemption herself. She tries to convince him that everyone deserves a second chance, but August isn’t buying it because she’s Snow White who has never done anything that needed forgiveness (Mary Margaret must be really sick of everyone thinking she can do no wrong). He doesn’t want to go back and tells Mary Margaret not to tell anyone she saw him. Later on, there is knocking on his trailer door and it’s Tamara! He’s surprised he can see that he’s made of wood, even though she believed in the magic of The Dragon. She tells him she wants him to leave town, no questions asked, because he owes her, and she has some of the elixir left and she’ll let him have it. August realizes she’s Neal’s fiance and wonders if she and Neal are there to take or get rid of magic. Tamara assures him that Neal has nothing to do with this. He takes her car and drives out of town, but then he hits a bump and the picture of Tamara and her grandmother, that she had given to The Dragon, falls down from the sun visor. August realizes that Tamara must have killed The Dragon. He heads to the police station, desperate to find Emma, but she’s out in the woods looking for him. He somehow manages to call her from the ancient rotary phone in the station but Tamara cuts the phone lines before he can tell Emma about Tamara. He tells her he knows what she did to The Dragon and then monologues a bit about how he hasn’t led a good life and only he can cure that, and he won’t let her get away with whatever she’s doing. Which, ugh, just get out of their August before she, oops, too late. She tased you. August makes it outside just as Emma and crew get there, but he doesn’t manage to tell her anything before he dies. Mother Superior comes and Marco begs her to save him, and they decide that this one last bit of bravery is enough to make up for all his past misdeeds (he had to save Geppetto from Monstro the whale when he was little puppet to get turned into a real boy, and dying to try and get info to Emma is what saves him this time, what the hell?) so she turns him into a real boy. Yes, he is no longer August but back to being child Pinocchio. So now he gets his second chance and all the harm he caused Emma has been reset, because he doesn’t remember anything from being August.

Mary Margaret: She’s still depressed and in bed. She overhears David and Emma arguing about her and she finally decides to get out of bed. She packs a bag and decides she needs some alone time. David wants to come with her but she reminds him that he’s working with Anton in the bean fields and they might have a crop soon. David thinks they can just go back to the Enchanted Forest and forget about being in Storybrooke, but Mary Margaret says going back there will not erase what she’s done. She is doing some target practice in the woods (and listening to some Joan Jett while doing so) when she hears something in the woods and finds August (complete with broken arrow sticking out of his leg) in a trailer. She is confused that he is still wood after the curse broke, but August explains about how it’s his own punishment. Mary Margaret tries to convince him to come back to town, and let’s him know that Emma and Marco miss him (I think Mary Margaret is assuming about Emma, because I don’t think she would miss the person who helped put her in jail). She also lets him know that Henry’s father is back. You can see the confusion on her face when August mentions Neal’s name and hopes that they’re back together (since she doesn’t know the connection between them). He then goes on about redemption and mistakes made and how some things you just don’t come back from and of course, since Mary Margaret is going through the whole killing Cora guilt, she takes it personally. She tells August everyone deserves a second chance, but he goes on about how she’s perfect Snow White and never has to worry about those things. August was seven when the curse hit, what the hell does he know about Snow White except she was the queen? Seriously, does he know anything about her past, because if he did, he wouldn’t say such bullshit and make her feel bad. She’s on the verge of tears and then she tells him he needs to stop feeling sorry for himself (herself) and face the people in the town. August tells her to leave and tell no one that she saw him. Of course, Mary Margaret goes straight to Granny’s to go tell Emma and Marco she found him (with a detour of running into Regina who bates her by telling her the fish special is blackened sole). She tells them he’s completely wooden and that hopefully, Mother Superior will be able to turn him back. Mother Superior can’t help him, because he hasn’t been selfless, brave, and true. Mary Margaret argues that he should get another chance because they’ve all done things they aren’t proud of and Mother Superior agrees that if he can do things he needs to get back on the right path then she can change him. Mary Margaret tells Marco there’s still hope for August. Mary Margaret, Marco, and Emma head toward the trailer and Marco laments that this is all his fault. Mary Margaret tells him their children make their own decisions, but Marco finally confesses about the whole two people could go in the wardrobe and he sent Pinocchio to care for Emma. Mary Margaret is, understandably, upset because she could have gone with Emma and raised her. Marco apologizes and Mary Margaret slaps him (go Mary Margaret, I’ve been waiting for this confrontation and it did not disappoint). Emma is appalled at Mary Margaret’s behavior because Marco apologized (so what, she has the right to her emotions), Marco feels he deserved it, but Mary Margaret feels like she wasn’t in control of her actions and apologizes to Marco. She understands and would have done the same for Emma (she kind of did with sending her with supposedly no protection at all). It seems like they’re going to say more, but Mary Margaret notices they’ve arrived at August’s trailer. He’s not there when they go in. On their way back, Emma gets a phone call from August and they hightail it back to the station (and pick up Henry and David on the way?). August comes out and ‘dies’ and Mary Margaret is heartbroken because he didn’t get his second chance (projecting much Mary Margaret?). Luckily, Mother Superior is able to turn him back into Pinocchio and Mary Margaret is so relieved that he’s getting his second chance. Which means she’ll get a second chance. Mary Margaret finally comes clean to David about going to Regina. David is upset because Mary Margaret could have died, and Mary Margaret matter-of-factly tells him that’s what she had intended. She tells him that Regina ripped out her heart and found the dark spot. David wants to know why she didn’t say anything. She felt it would make it real; she wanted to believe redemption was possible. David reminds her that August got redeemed, but Mary Margaret reminds David that it cost August everything to do so. David tells her she’s not August and she’s not Regina, so there are other ways to redeem herself. Mary Margaret doesn’t understand how he can be so sure, but he says he knows her heart better than anyone, so that’s how he’s sure.

Emma/Neal/Henry: Emma is pissed that David is still coddling Mary Margaret when he makes her breakfast in bed. She thinks they need to haul her ass out of bed and get her to start living again. Emma tells him that the only one who can help Mary Margaret is Mary Margaret. She and Henry leave to go so Neal. When Henry leaves to go get some hot chocolates, Neal informs Emma that Tamara went into the storage closet and Hook wasn’t there, and Tamara was in the storage closet because she was getting things to come to Storybrooke. Emma is concerned about bringing an outsider in. Neal says he needs her. Emma says he needs to tell her about who he is and where he’s from and to stop lying to her. Neal wants Emma to stay, but Emma really doesn’t want to and gives the excuse of needing to go to the Sheriff’s station. He convinces her to stay (with bagels, it’s always about food with Emma). Cue awkward silence when Tamara, Neal, Emma, and Henry are all eating bagels. Henry finally asks how Neal and Tamara met to break the ice. Neal seems like he doesn’t know what to say so Tamara takes the reins and tells it. Emma tells her it sounds like fate (and that’s actually cutting because we know how she feels about that). Neal even looks at her like he knows she’s kind of being bitchy. Emma has to take Henry to David’s (is Henry helping work in the bean fields?), and Henry tells Neal to keep the story book he’d brought over. Neal decides to tell Tamara the truth and she doesn’t react kindly to it. She thinks he wants to dump her for Emma. She tells him when he wants to be honest to come find her. The one time Neal is honest it blows up in his face. Still no sympathy for him. Mary Margaret asks Emma and Marco to meet her at the diner. I’m not sure if Emma is truly concerned for August, or just worried about the fact that he’s completely wooden. They go see Mother Superior who tells them that August did come to her after the curse to change him back. Emma wants to know why she didn’t, and she explains that August basically made himself the way he was by not adhering to the rules. Emma, Marco, and Mary Margaret go to the woods to find August and Marco confesses his wrongdoings concerning the wardrobe. Emma is saddened when she sees how hurt Mary Margaret that she could have gone with Emma through the wardrobe. Emma is pretty shocked though when Mary Margaret slaps Marco. Emma looks like she doesn’t know how to handle the situation even after both Mary Margaret and Marco apologize to each other. Emma is really concerned when August tries to call and warn her about something but is cut off. She, Mary Margaret, Marco, David, and Henry go to the station where August collapses in Marco’s arms. He tries to warn Emma again but ‘dies’ before he can. Neal walks up right at this moment and Emma is freaking out that someone killed August. Henry thinks that Mother Superior will be able to save him since he was doing a selfless, brave, and true act. August gets turned back into Pinocchio and Emma hopes he can give her the info he was trying to give before he was changed, but he can’t. Emma is worried because obviously, someone in town killed August. Now I know she doesn’t know everyone in town, but my two guesses would be either Greg or Tamara because they don’t belong there. Anyway, Neal witnesses this whole thing too, as does Tamara who finally ‘believes’. Neal can’t believe he got so lucky to find a woman like her. He wasn’t, Tamara orchestrated their meeting, but he’s oblivious because he’s in ‘love’. Ugh. Back at the loft, Emma finally apologizes for lying to Henry about Neal and promises never to lie again (then tell him what an ass Neal is! She’s still lying by omission if Henry ever finds out.). Henry says he won’t push her away anymore and they hug and make up.

Greg/Regina: These two meet in Granny’s while Greg is eating a piece of apple pie (appropriate). Regina wants to thank him for calling about Henry. He has a soft spot for little kids in trouble. Regina thinks he looks familiar and can’t figure out why. He jokes about her possibly having been in PA, but she hasn’t. She’s happier than we’ve ever seen her for just talking to a stranger. She tells him not to hesitate to ask her for anything during his visit. Regina goes to leave and runs into Mary Margaret who looks like a deer in headlights when they run into each other. Regina goes all devious looking when she suggests the fish special, blackened sole. Greg goes back to his room later and finds Regina there. She’s finally figured out that he’s Owen from all those years ago. She still has the lanyard he gave her from all those years ago. She’s admiring how grown up he is. She even tries to lovingly touch his face, but he backs away from that gesture, pretty disgusted. Greg comments how he recognized her right away, because she looks exactly the same. Regina plays it off as if she does juice cleanses. Right. She says he could have come to her and told him why he was there. Greg thinks she should know why he’s there, but Regina says she has no idea. Greg says he’s looking for his father. Regina seems shocked, she claims he left shortly after Greg did and she never saw him again. Greg doesn’t believe her, because that would mean his father abandoned him. Regina swears it’s the truth. He tells her people just don’t disappear (um, I think a lot of people with missing children and relatives would disagree with you on that, and that has nothing to do with a fantastical town), but Regina says little boys tend to have overactive imaginations. He gets defensive and tells her he’s not a little boy anymore and he’s not leaving without his father. Regina says he is and she’ll let Granny know he’s checking out tomorrow. Greg asks what happens if he doesn’t leave. Regina says that sometimes people do disappear. Later that night, Greg gets a call from Her and then a knock on his door. It’s Tamara, and she is Her. They don’t have much time because Neal is in the shower, so they start making out. Ew.

Questions:

How are the beans almost ready to harvest when it took them 100 years in the Enchanted Forest?

Why does August go to a doctor in Hong Kong when he’s in Thailand? They aren’t anywhere near each other. It’s a 7 hour flight from Phuket to Hong Kong.

Is Quon just hanging around hospitals listening in on private doctor/patient conversations in case he can send someone to The Dragon? Is that his job? Scrounging up sickly or dying people, who hopefully have money, so The Dragon can cure them?

Where did this trailer come from that August is staying in?

Is there any rhyme or reason to the story book? There’s a picture of the Mad Hatter, Hansel and Gretel, and then Bae all in a row.

Why is there a picture of young Bae in the storybook? Doesn’t the storybook only cover the fairy tales in the years directly preceding the curse?

Why was Tamara wearing a headscarf and sunglasses in the waiting room of The Dragon, but not later when August runs into her for a drink? I know, it was supposed to be so we didn’t recognize her, but it makes no sense that she’d be hiding her identity in an indoor room and not out in a public, outdoor bar.

Why does The Dragon need a personal item? Does that have something to do with the magic?

How the hell did Tamara find August’s trailer? I know she overheard it was near the toll bridge, but David got lost going there in The Shepherd and he’d been there before. How did Tamara find this area without asking anyone (or maybe Greg helped her out since he’d been hiking out there in Welcome to Storybrooke).

Why does The Dragon have Tamara’s photo of her and her grandmother sitting out on his table? He doesn’t have any other personal items out? Did he know August had stolen the money and had it out as a possible guilt trip to see if he’d do the right thing? Or was it just for plot purposes?

If Tamara drove to Storybrooke, how was she going to explain her car missing to Neal when she gave August her car keys and told him not to come back?

How is August getting food? Does he need to eat? There are food wrappers on his counter, so it seems like he does.

So, is Tamara a scientist of some sort? How does she have access to the most sophisticated techniques to analyze the elixir?

How high is the voltage on that taser that it kills a magical being? Or is it a magic taser? That would be ironic if she killed a magical being with a magical taser.

Any ideas on who The Dragon really is? (Spoiler alert: we never find out) I’m going with Mushu because of the red smoke.

Was The Dragon not seeing anyone the day Tamara tased him? Where were the people in the waiting room? Where was his assistant, the guy that brought August there in the first place?

How did Tamara know August came back to Storybrooke and was at the sheriff’s station? Was she tracking him somehow. Does she have a tracker on her car?

How did August find Neal in New York? Last time he saw him was in Canada. Or were they keeping in touch all this time in case the curse broke?

Also, why was Neal so surprised about Emma finding him when he a) knew the curse was starting to break, and b) had received a postcard from August once it had broken?

I have so many questions concerning Tamara and Neal’s meeting. Was she in New York to go after August but decided to go after Neal instead because they knew each other? Did she know Neal had a magical background and that’s why she orchestrated their meeting? Was she using Neal to get August but found a bigger gold mine instead? Did she know about Storybrooke and everyone in it since we know she and Greg are together?

Observations:

It’s October 24th when August’s leg turns back into wood, and the newspaper from Welcome to Storybrooke was dated October 23rd, meaning Emma’s birthday is definitely October 23rd. Which is when the Pilot aired.

August’s clock says 8:15 when his leg turns to wood. He is in Phuket, Thailand, which is 11 hours ahead of Maine. If it had been 8:15 at night when Emma decided to stay in Storybrooke, then it should have been 7:15 the next morning in Phuket, not 8:15. And also it should have been the 25th of October since it’s the following morning.

Neal and Tamara are looking at the picture of young Bae in the story book, but when they close the book it’s on the picture of Snow and Charming’s wedding.

Mary Margaret’s expression when she runs into Regina at Granny’s is the exact same expression she had in Welcome to Storybrooke when she would run into Regina on the street.

Wood doesn’t conduct electricity. Now, assuming August is completely wood and doesn’t have any water in him like most humans have, Tamara’s taser must be magical.

August tells Neal he’ll send him a postcard when this is all over. Neal had asked August to send him a postcard when things changed in Tallahassee and Neal actually received a postcard from August in Broken.

Oh, look, we went from August having dark brown hair and blue eyes to Pinocchio having red hair and brown eyes.

So, yeah. That was that episode. We finally found out what happened to August after the curse broke. We found out he really is a douchebag. I mean, he stole the $20,000 Neal gave him to give to Emma, and then he stole the $10,000 Tamara had for her cure (even if she wasn’t really sick). He is not brave, not truthful, and very selfish, and yet he gets to live his life over again. Whatever. We find out that Tamara is working with Greg and apparently wants magic in some way. Really, the only good thing about this episode was Mary Margaret getting out of her funk with target practice.

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#once upon a time #once upon a time review #once upon a time rewatch #once upon a time 2x18 #once upon a time selfless brave and true

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frontproofmedia · 3 years

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Gervonta Davis Seeks Title In A Third Division Against Unbeaten Mario Barrios

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Published: May 20, 2021

Top Contender Erickson Lubin and Former Unified Champion Jeison Rosario Battle in WBC Super Welterweight Title Eliminator in Co-Main Event Former Unified Champion Julian Williams Takes On Rugged Contender Brian Mendoza and Hard-Hitting Olympian Batyr Akhmedov Duels Former World Champion Argenis Mendez In Pay-Per-View Action Beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

ATLANTA – Four-time world champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis will take on a career-defining challenge as he sets his sights on capturing a title in a third weight class when he faces undefeated WBA Super Lightweight Champion Mario “El Azteca” Barrios in a SHOWTIME PPV main event Saturday, June 26 at the award-winning State Farm Arena in Atlanta in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions. The pay-per-view undercard will feature a battle of two top 154-pound contenders as Erickson “Hammer” Lubin faces former unified champion Jeison Rosario in a WBC Super Welterweight Title Eliminator in the co-main event. Former unified super welterweight champion Julian “J-Rock” Williams returns to the ring for the first time in 18 months to take on Brian Mendoza in a 10-round showdown and hard-hitting Olympian Batyr Akhmedov steps in against former world champion Argenis Mendez in a 12-round WBA Super Lightweight Title Eliminator to kick off the pay-per-view telecast at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. Tickets for the live event at State Farm Arena, which is promoted by Mayweather Promotions, GTD Promotions and TGB Promotions, go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. ET, and can be purchased at ticketmaster.com. “I am ready for anything Akhmedov brings and then a world title fight after,” said Mendez. “I believe that I beat Hitchins in my last fight, even though I was coming off a long layoff. I’m in great shape right now. Akhmedov is a hard puncher, but the fans are going to see me shine against him. There is a lot left in my tank and that will be obvious to everyone on June 26.” A former super featherweight champion, Mendez (25-6-3, 12 KOs) has a reputation for providing stiff challenges to the sport’s best and has proven to be a durable contender at 140-pounds, including his most recent outing that saw him drop a split-decision to Richardson Hitchins last December. In 2019, Mendez fought to back-to-back draws against super lightweight contenders Anthony Peterson and Juan Heraldez. Born in San Juan de La Maguana, Dominican Republic, Mendez now fights out of Yonkers, N.Y. and owns victories over Eddie Ramirez, Ivan Redkach and former titlist Miguel Vazquez. He has also gone toe-to-toe with former champions Rances Barthelemy and Robert Easter Jr. “I can’t wait to get back in the ring for a big fight on June 26,” said Akhmedov. “I’ve been training hard to get another shot at the title. I know that if I make a big statement and defeat a former world champion in Mendez, I expect my next fight will be for the title. I’m always in exciting fights that fans love, and this matchup is going to be no different.” Born in Uzbekistan and now fighting out of Los Angeles, Akhmedov (8-1, 7 KOs) represented Turkey at the 2016 Olympic games. The 30-year-old turned pro in 2017 and won his first seven pro fights, with six coming by knockout. His lone blemish came in an action-packed title fight against Mario Barrios in September 2019, where he was able to survive two knockdowns to make it a close fight, before eventually losing by decision. Most recently, Akhmedov blasted out Ray Perez in the first round of their September 2020 clash. “This fight against Julian Williams is just the fight I’ve been waiting for,” said Mendoza. “I’m planning to take full advantage of the opportunity. Julian Williams is a great fighter, but after June 26, the whole world is going to know that I belong at this level.” Mendoza (19-1, 13 KOs) earned a career best-victory in his last outing, beating veteran contender Thomas LaManna by unanimous decision in August 2020. The 27-year-old has fought professionally since 2014, with his only defeat coming by a narrow split-decision in November 2019 against Larry Gomez. Mendoza was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he won two New Mexico Golden Gloves Championships as an amateur, and currently fights out of Las Vegas. “This has been the longest layoff of my career, so I’m excited to get back in the ring,” said Williams. “Mendoza is a decent fighter. I’ve even been in the gym with him and he’s a good guy. But on June 26, it’s going to be all business. I just need to come out on top. He doesn’t have anything that I haven’t seen before. I know he’ll be ready because this is like the Super Bowl for him. So I know he’ll be ready, but I’ll be ready too. If I’m able to get the win, then it’s on to bigger and better opportunities. But I’m definitely not looking past Brian because I know how seriously he’s taking this fight.” Philadelphia’s Williams (27-2-1, 16 KOs) became a unified world champion at 154-pounds in May 2019 when he upset Jarrett Hurd in one of the year’s best fights, winning a close-quarters brawl by unanimous decision. The 31-year-old dropped the titles in his first defense, losing to Jeison Rosario in January 2020. Williams had been riding a five-fight winning streak going into the Rosario matchup, in which he added victories over former champion Ishe Smith and hard-hitting contender Nathaniel Gallimore to his ledger. “I make no excuses for losing the fight to Charlo, but that was then, and this is now,” said Rosario. “I have turned to a new page in my career with my new trainer Herman Caicedo. I will not lose again, especially in this fight against Lubin. He’s a great contender, and I respect his abilities, but I will knock him out on June 26.” Rosario (20-2-1, 14 KOs) will look to climb back into world title contention after losing his 154-pound belts to Jermell Charlo in their September 2020 clash. The 26-year-old captured the WBA and IBF belts by stopping Julian Williams in one of 2020’s biggest upsets. Born in the Dominican Republic and now fighting out of Miami, Rosario rode an eight-fight unbeaten streak into the showdown with Williams, including victories over 154-pound contenders Jamontay Clark, Justin DeLoach, Jorge Cota and Marcos Hernandez. Coming into the Charlo matchup, Rosario had established his power by earning a stoppage victory or scoring a knockdown in seven of his previous nine contests. “I’m so ready for this fight and we’ve been working hard in preparation for Rosario,” said Lubin. “This fight is another step closer to getting that world title shot. Coach Cunningham and I have a great game plan in place. We know this is going to be a tough fight and the fans are going to see a much-improved version of myself. I’ve taken my training to the next level during this training camp. Rosario is a former world champion who I know is going to bring his best, which is going to make for a great night of boxing. This card is stacked, but I’m going to steal the show with an incredible performance. I will not be denied, I’m coming out on top. It's Hammer Time!” The 25-year-old Lubin (23-1, 16 KOs) has put together an impressive five-bout winning streak since a loss to unified 154-pound champion Jermell Charlo in 2017. In his most recent outing, he defeated U.S. Olympian Terrell Gausha by unanimous decision in September of last year. Prior to the victory over Gausha, he became the first person to stop former champion Ishe Smith, in addition to a dominating victory over Nathaniel Gallimore in October 2019. A native of Orlando, Fla., Lubin is trained by acclaimed coach Kevin Cunningham as he continues his quest toward another title opportunity. After a stellar amateur career, Lubin turned pro at 18 years old in 2013, eventually being named “Prospect Of The Year” by ESPN and Ring Magazine in 2016. “Fighting on SHOWTIME PPV is a dream come true and an opportunity that I’m going to take full advantage of,” said Barrios. “Gervonta Davis is a pound-for-pound champion and it’s going to be an honor sharing the ring with him. This fight is my shining moment and the pinnacle of the boxing world, on the biggest stage possible. Boxing fans around the globe will be watching this fight and I’m coming to shock the world. To all my Mexican fans, I'm going to bring this historic victory home for La Raza.” Standing nearly six-feet tall, Barrios debuted as a pro at super bantamweight in 2013 and had success moving up the rankings in the super featherweight division. His first 140-pound bout came in 2017 and saw him increase his power from his previous performances. At super lightweight, Barrios has scored knockouts in every fight except the title-winning performance against Akhmedov, where his power was still on display with a pair of knockdowns. Barrios (26-0, 17 KOs) captured his 140-pound championship in September 2019, scoring two knockdowns and fighting through a cut to win a unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Batyr Akhmedov. The San Antonio-native trains in Oakland, Calif., under the guidance of renowned coach Virgil Hunter. In his most recent outing, Barrios knocked out Ryan Karl in the sixth-round of their clash on the pay-per-view undercard of Davis vs. Santa Cruz. “I’m excited to make history on June 26 in Atlanta and become a three-division world champion,” said Davis. “Atlanta welcomed me with open arms for my fight against Gamboa and I couldn’t wait to come back and headline a spectacular SHOWTIME PPV card. Mario Barrios is an undefeated champion, but he hasn’t ever faced anyone like me before. Moving up to 140-pounds is a big challenge but I’ve been working hard in camp and I’ll be ready. Thank you to my whole team for making this historic boxing event possible. Make sure you get your tickets early because this fight is definitely selling out! Keep supporting me and I’ll fight for you!” in January 2017. At the time, he became the youngest world champion in boxing at age 22. The Baltimore-native also owns knockout performances in world title fights over Jesus Cuellar in 2018 and Yuriorkis Gamboa in 2019. The 2019 triumph over Gamboa came at a sold out State Farm Arena, during a year that also saw him fill venues in his hometown of Baltimore and Southern California.®Davis first burst onto the scene with an explosive knockout victory over Jose Pedraza to win the IBF Junior Lightweight World Title in a star-making performance on SHOWTIME Davis (24-0, 23 KOs) delivered a highlight-reel knockout in his last fight, producing another sensational and memorable performance that has made him a popular draw throughout the country. Davis stopped four-division champion Leo Santa Cruz with one powerful uppercut in that October 2020 fight and put Santa Cruz down and out for the first time in his illustrious career. Promoted by Mayweather Promotions, Davis will make his second headline appearance on pay-per-view as he has asserted himself as a must-see headline attraction in his first pay-per-view “Gervonta Davis is looking to become a three-division world champion, and has a big undertaking in front of him in challenging Barrios for his WBA title at 140-pounds,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions. “Barrios is a warrior, and this is going to be Davis’ toughest fight to date. Atlanta, be ready for a show on June 26!” One of boxing’s biggest stars at just 26-years-old, Davis moves up to 140-pounds for the first time in his career as he aims to add super lightweight champion to his stellar resume. Davis has already captured titles at 130 and 135-pounds. With a victory, Davis will hold world championships in three different divisions simultaneously, a feat only accomplished by a few fighters in history, including Henry Armstrong and Canelo Alvarez. Standing in his way is the undefeated 25-year-old Barrios, who owns a 9-0 record with eight knockouts during his 140-pound reign while holding a six-inch height advantage over Davis.

#HF #Gervonta Davis #Mario Barrios #Mayweather Promotions #Showtime PPV

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reflectionofyesterday · 4 years

Text

An abuse of press freedom or a law we need to follow?

Kate Hernando

Photo Courtesy: ABS-CBN News

There are big questions rose after the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) issued a cease-and-desist order demanding ABS-CBN Corp. immediately cease all broadcasting. It is an order that dictates any form of broadcasting made by the network will be recognized as illegal or suspicious.

Is it an abuse to press freedom? Or just a law we need to follow? Does history repeating itself?

Photo Courtesy: Nolisoli.ph

Prior to the 2020 shutdown of ABS-CBN it also happened way back the 23rd of September year 1972 when Former President Ferdinand E. Marcos declared “Martial Law” which forcefully closed different radio and television stations including newspapers except others who’s in favor of the President which excludes the stated network (ABS-CBN).

Photo Courtesy: ABS CBN News

After receiving the cease-and-desist order given by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), ABS-CBN released a statement which gave importance on providing crucial and timely data for the people amidst the pandemic happening in the world. House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano gave an assurance to the network that there would be no move to shutdown it. Regardless of the situation, the network still made ways to provide information to the public which clearly their right.

Photo Courtesy: Manila Today

After the expiration of franchise in May, the network had been forced to off air. July 10, 2020 is the second time that ABS-CBN had been shut down by the government. This issue really contradicted the freedom of the press as accorded in Constitution Section 4, Article III of the Constitution provides that “No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances.”

Photo Courtesy: ABS CBN News

Photo Courtesy: Jire Carreon/Rappler

A big number of Journalist and Human Rights groups pummels the dismissal of ABS-CBN having numerous lives influence by it being shut down. It maybe a “grievous attack on press freedom”, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) expressed also stating that this event demonstrates that we are beneath a de facto military law (Martial Law) that abuses human rights most especially the freedom of the press. They believe that the shut down of the network would affect many lives of Filipinos most especially the ones who lives in far and isolated areas that depends on ABS CBN radio and television stations. This will not just deprive the people’s freedom of the press but also their right to information and entertainment.

Photo Courtesy: Manila Today

The first announcement of cease-and-desist order of the big media (ABS-CBN) caused a lot of rallies and protests towards the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and the government itself starting with the #NoToABSCBNShutdown which became trending on all social media platforms most especially on Twitter. This hashtag trend also made way for different hashtags like defending press freedom and support to the existence of the network.

After 2 months of being temporarily shut down, the franchise renewal of the network heard 13 times in the Congress considering the last hearing as the decision if they would allow ABS-CBN to renew their franchise or not.

The request for renewal of franchise of ABS-CBN Corp. was denied by the House of Representatives Committee on the 13th Hearing, July 10, 2020.

The Technical Working Group who evaluated whether the ABS-CBN should still be given a renewal or not released numerous things on why they recommended to deny it.

Lopez's double citizenship

As indicated by the TWG report, Lopez is a double resident, both a characteristic brought into the world Filipino and an American resident. It referred to a protected arrangement expressing that "double devotion of residents is hostile to the national intrigue and will be managed by law".

Issuance of PDRs

The report additionally noticed that the issuance of Philippine depositary receipts (PDR) to outsiders has permitted remote possession in ABS-CBN, which could have abused the 1987 Constitution. It said the component of "corporate layering" utilized by ABS-CBN and ABS-CBN Holdings adequately makes the PDR holders the aberrant proprietors of the fundamental portions of load of ABS-CBN. It featured that the remote holders of PDRs for all intents and purposes own 187 million fundamental portions of ABS-CBN Corp., which is as of now 62 percent of the aggregate.

ABS-CBN TV Plus Box, KBO pay-per-see

The report said the ABS-CBN utilized recurrence Channel 43 to produce various stations or projects to be remembered for its advanced TV administration, TV Plus Box, which proceeded even past the termination of the showing grant in June 2015. As indicated by the NTC, ABS-CBN had no position to scramble or lock from the non-paying open its TV Plus Boxes, which are plainly just "allowed to-air" under its authoritative establishment.

Inability to regularize representatives

The TWG report referred to the Department of Labor and Employment's authentic explanation on July 1 proclaiming that its work assessors discovered infringement of laws and work measures by ABS-CBN and that there are 67 pending bodies of evidence against the organization in the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) and different courts.

It noticed that previous workers who have recently documented bodies of evidence against ABS-CBN affirmed that they were wrongfully excused in light of the fact that they shaped associations. These previous workers likewise proclaimed that they were made to sign business contracts containing a waiver of the privilege to regularization. The individuals who wouldn't sign a business contract containing a waiver of regularization were minimized to extend workers and later excused.

The TWG featured that solitary 25 percent or 2,661 of the all out 11,701 specialists of ABS-CBN are standard representatives.

Expense issues

ABS-CBN guaranteed it is making good on appropriate expenses, which is purportedly demonstrated by the Tax Clearance gave by the Bureau of Internal Revenue. ABS-CBN has likewise kept up that it didn't disregard the terms and states of its administrative establishment by profiting of expense motivators offered by the legislature.Be that as it may, the board said an assessment freedom doesn't exculpate a citizen of duty liabilities and misconducts, nor from demonstrations of extortion or tax avoidance.

One-sided detailing, interfering in governmental issues

The board has avoided giving a finding on the supposed one-sided revealing of the system, affirmed interfering in governmental issues, just as the substance of its projects. In any case, it urged ABS-CBN to painstakingly analyze itself and comprehend where all the "industrious protests" about one-sided announcing, wrong program content, and political interfering are originating from.

70 Representatives who voted for the approval of the TWG recommendation:

1. Rep. Abraham Tolentino

2. Rep. Antonio Albano

3. Rep. Faustino Michael Dy

4. Rep. Jose Antonio Sy-Alvarado

5. Rep. Cyrille Abueg-Zaldivar

6. Rep. Faustino Dy V

7. Rep. Dale Malapitan

8. Rep. Eric Martinez

9. Rep. Divina Grace Yu

10. Rep. Julienne Baronda

11. Rep. Anthony Peter Crisologo

12. Rep. Luis Ferrer IV

13. Rep. John Marvin Nieto

14. Rep. Strike Revilla

15. Rep. Samantha Louise Alfonso

16. Rep. Rolando Valeriano

17. Rep. Joaquin Chipeco Jr.

18. Rep. Eduardo Gullas

19. Rep. Eleandro Jesus Madrona

20. Rep. Frederick Siao

21. Rep. Ian Paul Dy

22. Rep. Gil Acosta

23. Rep. Weslie Gatchalian

24. Rep. Prescious H. Castelo

25. Rep. Alyssa Sheena Tan

26. Rep. Christian Unabia

27. Rep. Raymond Mendoza

28. Rep. Jericho Nograles

29. Rep. Yedda Romualdez

30. Rep. Eric Yap

31. Rep. Claudine Bautista

32. Rep. Esmael Mangudadatu

33. Rep. Enrico Pineda

34. Rep. Dulce Ann Hofer

35. Rep. Sharon Garin

36. Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr.

37. Rep. Janette Garin (Ex-Officio)

38. Rep. Paulo Duterte

39. Rep. J. F. Nograles (F. Hernandez)

40. Rep. Conrado III Estrella

41. Rep. Sandro Gonzales (Rep. P. Pichay)

42. Rep. Mike Defensor (Rep. R. Puno)

43. Rep. Allan Ty (Rep. A. Gonzales)

44. Rep. F. Matugas (Rep. J. Pimentel)

45. Rep. Luis Villafuerte Jr.

46. Rep. Raneo Abu

47. Rep. Dan Fernandez

48. Rep. Rodante Marcoleta

49. Rep. Henry Oaminal

50. Rep. Pablo John Garcia

51. Rep. Deogracias ‘DV’ Savellano

52. Rep. F. Datol (Rep. M. Romero)

53. Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez

54. Rep. Jesus Crispin Remulla

55. Rep. Juan Miguel Macapagal Arroyo

56. Rep. Cristal Bagatsing

57. Rep. Juan Pablo Bondoc

58. Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr.

59. Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy

60. Rep. Xavier Jesus Romualdo

61. Rep. A. Calixto (Rep. J. Lacson-Noel)

62. Rep. Wilter Palma II

63. Rep. Ma. Theresa Collantes

64. Rep. Ria Christina Fariñas

65. Rep. Camille Villar

66. Rep. Roger G. Mercado

67. Rep. Sharee Ann Tan

68. Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano

69. Rep. Bayani Fernando

70. Rep. Jose Singson Jr.

11 Congressman/Congresswomen who voted against the TWG resolution:

1. Rep. Sol Aragones

2. Rep. Christopher de Venecia

3. Rep. Carlos Zarate

4. Rep. Gabriel Bordado Jr.

5. Rep. Vilma Santos-Recto

6. Rep. Lianda Bolilia

7. Rep. Jose Tejada

8. Rep. Bienvenido Abante

9. Rep. Stella Quimbo

10. Rep. Mujiv Hataman

11. Rep. Edward Maceda

Abstain:

1. Rep. Alfredo Garbin Jr.

Inhibit:

1. Rep. Alfredo Vargas

2. Rep. Micaela Violago

The government stated their side so as the ABS-CBN Corp.

Which side should weigh more?

Does the history repeat itself or the government simply following the law?

I did my part. Please do yours.

Reference: Philippine National Agency

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gokinjeespot · 5 years

Text

off the rack #1259

Monday, April 29, 2019

I was at a birthday party for a 7-year-old on the weekend and while I was holding his baby brother I couldn't help but wonder what kind of world will they be living in when they are my age. I worry about their future. The flooding in the National Capital Region is predicted to be worse than it was only two years ago when we had the highest water levels in a century. It's going to exceed that when waters crest in the next couple of days. I can't imagine what property owners are going through trying to save their homes and cottages. I don't understand how some people can deny climate change when the evidence of the harm that we humans have had on the environment is smacking them right in the face. I'm afraid things are going to get worse without it getting any better.

War of the Realms #2 - Jason Aaron (writer) Russell Dauterman (art) Matthew Wilson (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). This issue has the first major death of a character. Not an A-lister but I will still mourn their passing.

Spider-Man Life Story #2 The '70s - Chip Zdarsky (writer) Mark Bagley (pencils) Drew Hennessy (inks) Frank D'Armata (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). Now I'm more than convinced that this is a series of what if stories. There are so many deviations from canon in this issue that it's inconceivable that these events are "real". I'm still going to keep reading because these changes are cool.

Naomi #4 - Brian Michael Bendis & David F. Walker (writers) Jamal Campbell (art) Wes Abbott (letters). Naomi's origin story begins at last. She's not an Earthling.

Daredevil #4 - Chip Zdarsky (writer) Marco Checchetto (art) Sunny Gho (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). The Punisher and Daredevil have a debate about vigilantism. I like Frank's arguments. Meanwhile, Mayor Kingpin tries to get his hooks into Detective North. I wonder if the bigger man will get to the big man. One thing that bothered me about this issue is that Matt left Frank tied up for the cops. Not very nice since Frank saved his ass from them.

Thor #12 - Jason Aaron (writer) Mike del Mundo (art) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). "The War of the Lokis" features Loki as he travels down the gullet of his father Laufey. Don't tell me you didn't read the last issue. Get thee hence and do so forthwith.

West Coast Avengers #10 - Kelly Thompson (writer) Moy R. (art) Triona Farrell (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). This is the last issue and that makes me have a sad face. I really liked this silly crazy team. If Kelly Thompson ever writes a Kid Omega/Quentin Quire and Gwenpool comic book I will definitely read it.

Avengers LGY #717: No Road Home #10 - Mark Waid, Jim Zub & Al Ewing (writers) Sean Izaakse (art) Marcio Menyz & Erick Arciniega (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). When this 10-issue weekly started it looked like this was an adventure for Hercules's team of Avengers and it ultimately was. The end result is that the good guys win again and Nyx is defeated. Hercules wasn't the hero of this story and schmaltzy as the way the actual hero wins, it still made me cheer. So all this was so Marvel could revamp the Gods of Olympus and Hercules's costume. I chuckled when they revealed what that house was about. I thought that it was the House of Mystery but that belongs to the Distinguished Competition.

The Amazing Spider-Man #19.HU - Nick Spencer (writer) Chris Bachalo (pencils) Wayne Faucher, Livesay, Jaime Mendoza, Victor Olazaba, Tim Townsend & Al Vey (inks) Erick Arciniega (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). The Lizard is featured in this "Hunted" tie-in. It's nice to see Chris Bachalo's art back on the racks.

Action Comics #1010 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Steve Epting (art) Brad Anderson (colours) Josh Reed (letters). Leviathan Rises part 4. I like this spy story. Lois and Clark go undercover as Chaz and Andi to find out what Leviathan is. There's a great teaser for an old Checkmate story that had me going there. I would love to see that organisation again. Next issue promises Leviathan Revealed! I can't wait.

The Avant-Guards #4 - Carly Usdin (writer) Noah Hayes (art) Rebecca Nalty (colours) Ed Dukeshire (letters). I like this rom-com centered around an arts college basketball team. It reminds me of a lighter "The L Word".

Black Widow #4 - Jen & Sylvia Soska (writers) Flaviano (art) Veronica Gandini (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). There's a double-cross that surprised me and a cliffhanger ending that makes waiting for the next issue torture. Appropriate for a story where Nat takes down an extremely violent website.

Doctor Strange #13 - Mark Waid (writer) Barry Kitson (pencils) Scott Koblish & Scott Hanna (inks) Brian Reber (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Herald Supreme part 2. I liked the surprise guest star.

Hulkverines #3 - Greg Pak (writer) Ario Anindito (art) Morry Hollowell (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Okay, this Hulkverine, Hulk and Wolverine team-up was fun but the end made me roll my eyes and groan big time. Ugh.

Ironheart #5 - Eve L. Ewing (writer) Luciano Vecchio (art) Geoffo (layouts) Matt Milla (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). This issue finishes the first story arc involving the super villain Midnight's Fire. It was good enough that I enjoyed what I read but not good enough to make me keep this book on my "must read" list. I wish RiRi well. I was excited by an ad for a new Black Cat comic book coming out in June though.

Thanos #1 - Tini Howard (writer) Ariel Olivetti (art) Antonio Fabela (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). This 6-issue story will tell us how Gamora came to be adopted by Thanos. I only picked this up because I really like Ariel Olivetti's art. I don't care much for the two main characters so I might not continue with the rest. Fans of Thanos and Gamora will enjoy this I'm sure.

Runaways #20 - Rainbow Rowell (writer) Andres Genolet (art) Triona Farrell (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). I found this issue to be a big drag. The last page is too depressing for words. Plus the new artist didn't wow me. Something needs to happen next issue for me to want to keep reading.

War of the Realms: The Punisher #1 - Gerry Duggan (writer) Marcelo Ferreira (pencils) Roberto Poggi (inks) Rachelle Rosenberg (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). It's Frank versus Dark Elves and Frost Giants. They won't know what hit them. This is typical Punisher fare for those into explosive action. Frank leads a band of ex-cons armed with swords through the Lincoln Tunnel to help evacuate a hospital to safety. I miss reading a good Punisher story so this is a welcome sight on the racks.

War of the Realms: War Scrolls #1 - This anthology book has four short stories all lettered by VC's Joe Sabino.

"The God Without Fear part 1" by Jason Aaron (writer) Andrea Sorrentino (art) & Matthew Wilson (colours) features Daredevil fighting in Hell's Kitchen.

"The Warriors Three (Or Four)" by Josh Trujillo (writer) Ricardo Lopez Ortiz (art) Felipe Sobreiro (colours) features Fandral, Hogun and Hildegarde filling in for the unconscious Volstagg teaming up with Cloak and Dagger.

"Nice Shot, Frank" by Ram V (writer) Cafu (art) Brian Reber (colours) has the Punisher and Wolverine doing what they do best.

"Waugh of the Realms" by Chip Zdarsky (writer) Joe Quinones (art) Joe Rivera (ink assist) Rico Renzi (colours) has Howard "The Duck" Duckson hired to find a lost dog. This last one was gross.

This is for fans who want to collect ALL the War of the Realms comic books. Otherwise you can probably give it a pass.

Batman #69 - Tom King (writer) Yanick Paquette (art) Nathan Fairbairn (colours) Clayton Cowles (letters). Knightmares finale. This issue is called "The Last Dance" and I don't know what song Batman and Catwoman are dancing to but I am singing the Etta James ballad "At Last" in my head. After many issues of dream sequences Batman is going to finally awaken. I did appreciate the explanation of how he got into his predicament. Now it's time to deal with Bane and Bruce's "father".

Blossoms 666 #3 - Cullen Bunn (writer) Laura Braga (art) Matt Herms (colours) Jack Morelli (letters). One of the three Blossoms is going to become the anti-christ. Yeah, you heard me. Cheryl and Jason were born as triplets. Their older brother Julian was whisked away at birth by the Order of Abaddon. Ooo, scary.

Ascender #1 - Jeff Lemire (writer) Dustin Nguyen (art) Steve Wands (letters). I never did finish reading Descender so I don't know if this is a sequel but it really looked familiar. I didn't feel like I was missing anything in this new story and I liked the mix of magic and technology. The villain reminded me of Emperor Palpatine but her empire is all based on magic. The hero is a spunky girl named Mila and I want to see where she goes from here.

Guardians of the Galaxy #4 - Donny Cates (writer) Geoff Shaw (art) David Curiel (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). The good guys find Gamora, followed by the bad guys. Expect to see a big battle. The main reason I'm reading this book again is because Groot is talking in whole sentences now.

Detective Comics #1002 - Peter J. Tomasi (writer) Brad Walker (pencils) Andrew Hennessy (inks) Nathan Fairbairn (colours) Rob Leigh (letters). Don't believe the hype. It's not a "duel to the death with Arkham Knight" but it is a pretty good fight. I was happy to see Damian play a bigger role in this issue. I'm sticking around for the bad guy's origin story.

Fantastic Four #9 - Dan Slott (writer) Aaron Kuder, Stefano Caselli & Paco Medina (art) Erick Arciniega (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). The FF escape, Galactus is freed and Doctor Doom's power mad plans are thwarted. Boy that was fun. I hope they don't leave Aunt Petunia's before telling us about Franklin's new friend Wendy.

Dial H for Hero #2 - Sam Humphries (writer) Joe Quinones (art) Jordan Gibson (colours) Dave Sharpe (letters). Seems like the H-Dial is a drug with lots of addicts looking for a fix. The potential for zany super powers is huge. I liked how they introduced the good versus evil theme in this issue.

Avengers #18/LGY #718 - Jason Aaron (writer) Ed McGuinness (pencils) Mark Morales (inks) Justin Ponsor (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Not an Avenger in sight this whole issue but you've got an Agent Coulson controlled Squadron Supreme instead. What made me groan a little was the big villain reveal at the end. I hope it's not a convenient deus ex machina.

Heroes in Crisis #8 - Tom King (writer) Mitch Gerads (art pages 1, 6-20) Ryan Sook (art pages 2-5) Mitch Gerads (colours) Clayton Cowles (letters). I still don't see the ;point of this story with one issue left. I think the killer confesses here but I'm not sure. I'm waiting for the consequences to hit the fan and hope something is resolved in the last issue.

The Amazing Spider-Man #20 - Nick Spencer (writer) Humberto Ramos (pencils) Victor Olazaba (inks) Edgar Delgado & Erick Arciniega (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Hunted part 4. A surprise twist turns the tables giving Spider-Man even more incentive to confront Kraven. Meanwhile the son turns on the father as Kraven's son joins the hunt.

The Superior Spider-Man #5 - Christos Gage (writer) Mike Hawthorne (pencils) Wade von Grawbadger & Andy Owens (inks) Jordie Bellaire (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). I don't know who created the super villain Master Pandemonium but they must have been on crack. This guy has demons for arms and a hole in his stomach that's a gateway to hell. Time for Doctor Octopus to call in a consult. The team-up with Doctor Strange is a clash of science and magic. Let's see who's the better doctor.

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #5 - Saladin Ahmed (writer) Javier Garron (art) David Curiel (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Speculator alert! It's the first appearance of a new super hero. Too bad they're named after unwelcome guests to our bird feeders. It's gang wars across Brooklyn and Miles is trying to prevent the death of innocent victims. The surprise appearance happens when Miles goes to confront Tombstone about his incursions into other gangs' territories. I noticed some changes in Miles this issue that didn't appeal to me. I think he's acting way too confident and macho now. His maturing has happened way too fast and might turn me off the character. If the art wasn't so impressive I might bench this book now.

Spider-Man City at War #2 - Dennis "Hopeless" Hallum (writer) Michele Bandini (art) David Curiel (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). I get a kick from noting the differences between these Gamerverse versions and the MU versions. This issue features Miles Morales and I prefer this Miles to the one in the comic book that I just finished. Peter and Miles meet for the first time but it's not in a friendly neighbourhood.

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newsfundastuff · 6 years

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Fourteen of country’s 23 states affected just weeks after the country’s worst power failure in historyA woman stands in front of a closed metro station during a blackout in Caracas on 25 March. Photograph: Carlos García Rawlins/ReutersVenezuela has been hit by another major power cut, with more than half of the country reportedly affected by the latest blackout.The El Nacional newspaper reported that Monday’s power cut had affected 14 of Venezuela’s 23 states as well as the capital, Caracas. The broadcaster NTN24 said 16 states were affected.In a televised broadcast to the nation, Venezuela’s vice-president, Delcy Rodríguez, claimed the blackout was the result of an attack on a key transmission line by members of Venezuela’s “fascist right” and their “imperial masters” in Washington.Without offering evidence, Rodríguez pointed the finger of blame at “the trio of misfortune, perversity and criminality” – the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, the national security adviser, John Bolton, and the Republican senator Marco Rubio.“What was the objective of this new attack? To deprive Venezuela’s people of electricity as happened so terribly just two weeks ago,” Rodríguez added, claiming electricity had been restored in “record time” to most, but not all of the country.Services were suspended on the Caracas metro, shop owners pulled down shutters on darkened stores while workers were sent home from offices and ministries.The internet monitoring organisation NetBlocks reported that 57% of the country’s telecommunications infrastructure was offline.The blackout comes less than three weeks after virtually the entire country was plunged into darkness by what was considered the worst power failure in Venezuelan history.Venezuela’s embattled president, Nicolás Maduro, blamed that blackout on foreign saboteurs and terrorists attempting to bring down his government by throwing the country into chaos. However, it is now widely believed to have been caused by a bush fire that crippled a key section of Venezuela’s national grid.Denis Mendoza, a 28-year-old call center worker, was one of thousands of people walking home through central Caracas on Monday afternoon after being sent home because of the latest power cut.“The lights went crazy,” he said of the moment the latest blackout began. “It was like something was about to blow up. “I feel frustrated, bored, resigned and I want to leave this country,” he said as he began the 90-minute trek back to his home in the Petare shantytown.“There is no more hope. There is nothing else to do. This is getting way too common for us. It’s happening way to often and now I’m just tired.”“I’m hoping [this won’t go on as long as last time] – but it might,” Mendoza added.“We are out to sea. We’re like an orphaned child without a father or a mother,” said José Jaramillo, a 32-year-old construction worker, as he started walking back to the same community after his building site was closed.Jaramillo said he felt confused about the causes of the blackouts blighting his country. “The government said it was a cybernetic attack – and perhaps this is what it is,” he said.“[But] you just don’t know who is telling the truth because all politicians are liars … None of them are any good. Not Maduro. Not the opposition. None of them.”As he began the long hike back to Valles del Tuy, to the south of Caracas, Emilio Pérez, 47, said: “I feel in limbo. It’s an indescribable feeling.”Thais Coa, a 56-year-old head teacher, said she was convinced the blackouts were part of a US-backed campaign against Maduro.“We need to stay calm and we need to have patience,” she said as she walked home with her nine-year-old granddaughter.“The is the result of the US economic blockade,” she said. “Donald Trump will not set foot in our country. This is a free and sovereign nation.”Others ridiculed such claims as they made their way home to light-less homes. “No doubt they will come out tonight and say: ‘This was another imperialist act of sabotage by the US government,’” said Jerry Rodríguez, 19, as he left work early. “This is stupid, there’s nothing to support this. There’s no logic to it.”His brother, Michael, said he suspected Maduro’s government might even have sabotaged the electricity system itself in order to blame “the gringos”. “I just want this all to end,” the 22-year-old added. “Without light there is nothing.”

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7newx1 · 6 years

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beautytipsfor · 6 years

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'No more hope': fresh blackout leaves half of Venezuela without power

Fourteen of country’s 23 states affected just weeks after the country’s worst power failure in historyA woman stands in front of a closed metro station during a blackout in Caracas on 25 March. Photograph: Carlos García Rawlins/ReutersVenezuela has been hit by another major power cut, with more than half of the country reportedly affected by the latest blackout.The El Nacional newspaper reported that Monday’s power cut had affected 14 of Venezuela’s 23 states as well as the capital, Caracas. The broadcaster NTN24 said 16 states were affected.In a televised broadcast to the nation, Venezuela’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, claimed the blackout was the result of an attack on a key transmission line by members of Venezuela’s “fascist right” and their “imperial masters” in Washington.Without offering evidence, Rodríguez pointed the finger of blame at “the trio of misfortune, perversity and criminality” - the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, the national security adviser, John Bolton, and the Republican senator, Marco Rubio.“What was the objective of this new attack? To deprive Venezuela’s people of electricity as happened so terribly just two weeks ago,” Rodríguez added, claiming electricity had been restored in “record time” to most, but not all of the country.Services were suspended on the Caracas metro, shop owners pulled down shutters on darkened stores while workers were sent home from offices and ministries.The internet monitoring organisation NetBlocks reported that 57% of the country’s telecommunications infrastructure was offline.The blackout comes less than three weeks after virtually the entire country was plunged into darkness by what was considered the worst power failure in Venezuelan history.Venezuela’s embattled president, Nicolás Maduro, blamed that blackout on foreign saboteurs and terrorists attempting to bring down his government by throwing the country into chaos. However, it is now widely believed to have been caused by a bush fire that crippled a key section of Venezuela’s national grid.Denis Mendoza, a 28-year-old call center worker, was one of thousands of people walking home through central Caracas on Monday afternoon after being sent home because of the latest power cut.“The lights went crazy,” he said of the moment the latest blackout began. “It was like something was about to blow up. “I feel frustrated, bored, resigned and I want to leave this country,” he said as he began the 90-minute trek back to his home in the Petare shantytown.“There is no more hope. There is nothing else to do. This is getting way too common for us. It’s happening way to often and now I’m just tired.”“I’m hoping [this won’t go on as long as last time] – but it might,” Mendoza added.“We are out to sea. We’re like an orphaned child without a father or a mother,” said José Jaramillo, a 32-year-old construction worker, as he started walking back to the same community after his building site was closed.Jaramillo said he felt confused about the causes of the blackouts blighting his country. “The government said it was a cybernetic attack – and perhaps this is what it is,” he said.“[But] you just don’t know who is telling the truth because all politicians are liars … None of them are any good. Not Maduro. Not the opposition. None of them.”As he began the long hike back to Valles del Tuy, to the south of Caracas, Emilio Pérez, 47, said: “I feel in limbo. It’s an indescribable feeling.”Thais Coa, a 56-year-old head teacher, said she was convinced the blackouts were part of a US-backed campaign against Maduro.“We need to stay calm and we need to have patience,” she said as she walked home with her nine-year-old granddaughter.“The is the result of the US economic blockade,” she said. “Donald Trump will not set foot in our country. This is a free and sovereign nation.”Others ridiculed such claims as they made their way home to light-less homes. “No doubt they will come out tonight and say: ‘This was another imperialist act of sabotage by the Us government,’” said Jerry Rodríguez, 19, as he left work early. “This is stupid, there’s nothing to support this. There’s no logic to it.”His brother, Michael, said he suspected Maduro’s government might even have sabotaged the electricity system itself in order to blame “the gringos”. “I just want this all to end,” the 22-year-old added. “Without light there is nothing.”

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ulyssessklein · 6 years

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Doug Aldrich of The Dead Daisies Discusses New CD – Burn it Down!

By: Robert Cavuoto

Doug Aldrich

The Dead Daisies are Doug Aldrich and David Lowy on guitar, John Corabi on vocals, Marco Mendoza on bass and newest member Deen Castronovo on drums.

The Dead Daisies new CD, Burn It Down is set for release on April 6th, 2018 via Spitfire Music/SPV. The band is re-energized and coming out swinging with their heaviest and most powerful CD to date. The first three tracks on the CD are monstrous; “Resurrected,” “Rise Up,” and “Burn it Down;” and the CD only gets better for there with a ballad “Set Me Free” which is rich in guitar tone and texture.

The closer, “Leave Me Alone” is hard-hitting, as the band never takes their foot off the gas! The band will embark on another World Tour in April with shows in Europe, Japan, United States and South America.

I caught up with Doug while the band rehearsed in New York City to discuss the making of Burn It Down, Brian Tichy’s departure, and what fans can expect from while on tour!

******

Robert Cavuoto: I think Burn it Down is The Dead Daisies best CD to date. It’s a heavier CD than previous CDs with no filler. Did the band have any discussions prior to writing the CD in terms of overall music direction?

Doug Aldrich: That’s really nice of you to say, as I’m happy to hear it. We had a good time making it, and I think we were a little more focused on this album in what we wanted to accomplish. I’m happy we were able to add some different colors as not to remake the last album.

We talked about making this album a bit heavier. After touring in support of the last album for a couple of years, we found that “less is more” with the The Dead Daisies. That simpler riffs with more straight-ahead groove songs resonate with our audience, especially at festivals.

A song like “Make Some Noise” always works, so we tried to go for some big riffs like that. Our producer Marti Frederiksen was a huge part of it. He was involved at the writing stage, and we used some vintage gear as well. We definitely talked about what we wanted to achieve.

Robert Cavuoto: Are you more comfortable songwriting now than when you first joined the band?

Doug Aldrich: Maybe a little bit. We got some good songs last time we just didn’t talk about what we were going to do beforehand. Playing together for as long as we have doesn’t hurt, also knowing each other’s strengths so we could hone in on them.

Robert Cavuoto: How did the making of Burn It Down differ from the making of Make Some Noise?

Doug Aldrich: One of the main differences is that Deen came into the band and took over on drums. Brian is on one of my best friends, and I always miss him when he is part of something then goes. I thought Deen was the perfect guy to come in and step things up for the band. Aside from that, the other difference was we wanted the straight ahead kick in the teeth sound; guitar-wise, on the last record but with more of a vintage tone. We used some fuzz boxes, and I sometimes recorded through a Leslie cabinet as it has a vintage 70’s vibe. The sound on this album was Marti designing. When we told him our vision and he said he could do it, but we would have to give him total control and couldn’t change our mind mid-stream. We gave him control, and he designed the sound the way he saw fit. It worked out really well.

Robert Cavuoto: How many songs did you write for Burn It Down?

Doug Aldrich: We wrote almost 25 songs; some without lyrics but with the structure intact. We narrowed it down to what we liked and then Marti selected the ones he wanted to focus on which were the 11 songs on the CD. We had the two covers; “Bitch” by the Stones and “Revolution” by John Lennon.

Robert Cavuoto: The band writes such great songs why do you still add the cover songs now that you are established?

Doug Aldrich: It’s something the band has always done. When people didn’t know the band, the covers really helped with their exposure, but we continue with it because we really enjoy adding them. “Bitch” is such a great song that we wanted to reintroduce it to our younger fans. The song has some great riffs, and we put our spin on it. Even though we are getting to a point where people know our stuff, there are still people who don’t know us, so these covers help establish ourselves.

Robert Cavuoto: What guitars did you use on the CD?

Doug Aldrich: Primarily I used my Gold Top Les Paul for a lot of it. Also, ESP built two Telecaster customs for me that I really love. In the past, I used to have a ton of guitars for all these different parts in order to get additional color. For example, when I was working with Whitesnake, it would be an acoustic day, and I would bring ten different acoustic guitars and put ten different microphones in a circle around me. I would then record each guitar using a different mic looking for the best sound.

You can spend an entire day doing it and by the time you are ready to record you don’t even want to play. [laughing] This is what is different about the Daisies, we just knocked it out! That’s what we do!

For the upcoming tour, I have a John Suhr single cutaway guitar called the Ora, which is insane. It’s similar to a Les Paul style with some cosmetic changes to the design and improvements to the intonation. I still have to break it in, there is a video of me playing it on my Instagram account, I barely warmed up, and the guitar played itself. I’m also going to take a Gibson double neck out on tour as well. Some of the songs have more flavor in them and need a different treatment live.

Robert Cavuoto: Tell me about Brian Tichy’s departure from the band.

Doug Aldrich: It was amicable; it would be more interesting if it weren’t! [Laughing] It came down to him wanting to accomplish some things on his own and wasn’t sure what his schedule would be for the year. He decided with management to get someone in his place for the album and the tour, as it would be difficult to find someone who would play like Brian for a tour after the album was made. Brian supported Deen joining. Whenever you change a member the sound changes. As long as it’s going in a good direction its fine.

Robert Cavuoto: Was Deen selected because of your connection with the Revolution Saints?

Doug Aldrich: Marco had known and worked with Deen in a band called Soul Circus. Everyone really knew him. Deen had taken some time off to get himself together. He did a phenomenal job on the Revolution Saints record, but he really wanted to get back on the road. He is recovering and sober for three years. He is the best “Deen” he has ever been. He is full of energy, positive, and happy to be with the band. We flew him to the writing session and got it right away. He can play anything, but with the Daisies, it’s important to understand the simplicity that we all keep in mind, and he got it after hearing the demos.

Robert Cavuoto: You have an upcoming European and US Tour, what songs from the new CD can we expect to hear?

Doug Aldrich: “Rise Up” for sure will be a big one live. I hope we do the ballad “Set Me Free,” as I love the version on the album, but it sounds more expansive and emotional live. We’ve relearned and rehearsed the entire album because we don’t know what is going to work and go over the best. We will swap different songs in and out of the set list to see what works.

Robert Cavuoto: I’m going to put my three favorites in the ring, “Rise Up,” “Resurrected,” and “Burn it Down.”

Doug Aldrich: Those three will be in there for sure. “Burn it Down” we are going to expand it live and “Resurrected” is such a kick-ass track.

Robert Cavuoto: I didn’t realize that you were in House of Lords for a period of time.

Doug Aldrich: Gregg Giuffria and James Christian formed the band. They did the first record with Lanny Cordola on guitar and not sure what happened with him departing. I had played on some demos for them, and they loved it. One of the demos was “Can’t Find My Way Home” by Blind Faith. They loved it so much they wanted me to do the album and join the band. I was in Hurricane and just finish an album and videos.

I couldn’t leave Hurricane to join House of Lords as I had too much invested. They got guitarist Mike Guy. When they rehearsed for the tour, I think they were overly sensitive about making the guitar part sound exactly as I had recorded on the album. Mike and I both play differently, both are good. They wanted him to sound like me, and that was probably putting pressure on him. They decide it wasn’t working out and asked if I would do the tour. I was free, so I did the tour. After that, I was done as I was doing other things. I really liked playing with the guys. Gregg and I really hit it off.

GALLERY

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sowhatisthisfor · 7 years

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Respeto: On why it is one of 2017′s best

Since I did this for Jerrold Tarog’s Bliss, I might as well do this for Respeto. Both films affect me in more ways than one.

Respeto recently won the best film award at the 13th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival, and it’s the only film I rated 10/10 this season. It is so good that I had to cancel my plotted screening schedule to watch it two more times.

If you haven’t watched the film, please back off. This is not spoiler-free. I’m not sorry.

SYNOPSIS:

When an amateur rapper and a seasoned poet are thrown together in a moment of violence, they learn to write verses with newfound clarity.

The synopsis is very simple, it is a movie where two people find an unusual connection through words. Both of them writing to somehow liberate themselves of the violence in and around them.

Here are 10 reasons why Respeto surely just made it to my top films of 2017:

1. Past vs Present

The film uses the power of words and juxtapositions to compare past and present. Past in the eyes of Doc (Dido dela Paz), a retired poet who stopped writing when it caused him the life of his family during the Martial Law. While Hendrix (Abra) is a coming-of-age amateur rapper in search of validation in the present world of hip-hop. There is a scene where two poets compare traditional books vs e-books. There is also a scene when Doc was listening to the news about Marcos’ burial in heroes cemetery and was juxtaposed with scenes of the present situation of extra-judicial killings. Both Doc and Hendrix were not able to do something when the people they love were suffering. It is a comparison of past and present that despite the differences, there is still a significant alikeness in terms of governance and anarchy - quite a cycle of oppression.

2. Subtlety

It seems like EJK has been a favourite theme in many films recently, Joel Lamangan’s Bhoy Intsik or Brillante Mendoza’s Ma’ Rosa for example, but I like how subtle Respeto tackles this topic. It doesn’t have the feel of some sort of brainwashing propaganda film against Duterte, but it doesn’t romanticize or tolerate it either. Its subtle approach uses humor – something funny to the point that is actually really scary. It is a subtle representation of how lawlessness has become too common that people can just laugh about it. Notice how when a dead body was floating on a creek, people flock to see who it was, kids even – but none of them showed emotions of sadness or anguish. This “scare tactic” was also seen when the big-breasted lady was killed. Same goes for the dead man who owes Hendrix money. One second, the film shows a corrupted society, the next, it cracks you up. If we think about it, is this really how we want our “normal” to be? Do we just laugh about it?

3. Poetry

The movie was written in such bewitching poetry, opening the scene with a rap battle between individuals. From this point on, we see Hendrix idolizing the already known ones even when there is no known prize for winning except for the obvious bragging rights. Like one line of rap in the movie, Respeto is a film swimming in words so deep, even Poseidon needs saving. It doesn’t end with the rap though. Doc also has some poems that make Martial Law feel so relevant. The poems Hendrix narrates about social injustice while showing establishing shots of the life in Pandacan are a few of my favourite pieces in the film. On my 3rd viewing, I concentrated on the English subtitle and hate that it cannot translate the beauty of its poetry and rhymes as effective as in Filipino.

4. Underground hip hop

There are a number of good rappers featured in this movie. They don’t just rap insults (although sometimes they do), but they preach like the great gods of hip-hop. My favourite would be Jambalaya Rhyme who was the only woman rapper in the movie. But not only that, even for a short time, the film squeezed a short scene of skilled break dancing that levels with that of Step Up. We don’t always see this. It shows us a world completely unknown outside this underground scene that makes us want to find it and experience it ourselves. Not only that, I also love how Hendrix uses hip-hop as a tool to escape reality. In the film we find him often in his own little world, wearing his headphones while everything around him was in chaos.

5. Betchai’s Cebuano song

The scene where Doc and the three teenagers were listening to the record and Betchai (Chai Fonacier) sang a Cebuano song has got to be the quietest part of the film. It is a good breaker in between shots of violence, yet the lyrics are filled with melancholy. The music was still playing when the film showed cut to cut shots of the life of the poorest of the poor, while the song is saying “this isn’t the life I chose”. My god, that was powerful, I needed to cry.

6. Great ensemble cast

The film has a great bunch of ensemble cast – the trio teenies, doc, doc’s son, Hendrix’s sister and brother-in-law, even the gangsters and the bitplayers were good. But I got to admit, part of why I watched this three times is because I love Candy (Kate Alejandrino). At one point, I wanted to be Hendrix. I wanted to do something for Candy. Abra may have ruined that moment when Hendrix and Candy were staring at each other, but Candy gave an exemplary performance at that scene.

7. Cemetery

I love how the trio teenagers hang out at the cemetery whether they’re talking about someone getting shot, or Hendrix narrating his poems about oppression. It is a great representation of life that ends up to the grave.

8. Astronaut

Early in the movie, we see Hendrix’s friend painting on a wall, yet what it is will only be revealed towards the end of the film. In the end, he painted an astronaut flying up to the sky through a bunch of balloons. He said that as a child, he always wanted to be an astronaut and fly. This to me is a call for fantasy, a desperate need to flee from a messy life he didn’t choose. And at the end of the film just after he finished the wall art, he will get this freedom. Brilliant.

9. Typewriter and papers

The film is made of words – spoken and written. Doc blames himself and his poetry for the death of his wife and son during the Martial Law. I like how papers were used to show Doc’s fear of poetry – something he liked but now loathes. He sometimes sees his dead son eating paper, he sees his dead wife jumping off a seat, papers falling. Papers remind him of their deaths. This is why when Hendrix fixed Doc’s typewriter, he was angered. At the closing scene when Doc’s other son was killed, papers fell from the sky before finally cutting to black. That’s my favourite part of the film – is it just another representation of death or an indication of another suicide? See point 1.

10. Respect

Lastly, I love Respeto for its title. It is a film in search for honor, for respect – something the past and present government deny us of.

Watch the teaser here:

youtube

Bliss: Why this is my favourite film so far

Cinemalaya 2017: My picks

#respeto #cinemalaya #cinemalaya2017 #movies #movie #films #film

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frontproofmedia · 3 years

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The Writers Block: Does The WBA Title Matter For Pacquiao-Spence?

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By Hector Franco

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Published: June 05, 2021

The views and opinions expressed on this web site are solely those of the original authors and other contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Frontproof Media, the Frontproofmedia.com staff, and/or any/all contributors to this site.

Last month, eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 KOs) announced via social media that he would be making his long-awaited return to the squared circle.

For what seems like, over a year, Pacquiao was rumored to be in negotiations with numerous opponents such as four-division champion Mikey Garcia, Lightweight contender Ryan Garcia, mixed martial arts star Conor McGregor and current WBO Welterweight champion Terence Crawford.

Ultimately, Pacquiao ended up choosing unified WBC and IBF Welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. (27-0, 21 KOs). The bout will take place on August 21st in Las Vegas. A venue has yet to be announced for the bout.

The news came as a massive surprise as no one would blame Pacquiao if he chose to take on a lesser opponent or fight in an exhibition at 42 years old.

Spence, 31, will have advantages in height, reach and will be over 10 years younger than the Filipino. Pacquiao will also be coming off the longest streak of inactivity of his career at over two–years. He last fought in July 2019 when he won a split decision over Keith Thurman to claim the WBA “super” Welterweight title.

Spence will be the first southpaw Pacquiao has faced since the summer of 2008 when he fought against David Diaz, scoring a ninth-round knockout to win the WBC Lightweight title.

Arguably, Pacquiao’s best performances have come against fighters who fight in a converted orthodox stance.

The Filipino's former opponents Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto, and Marco Antonio Barrera, all fought in an orthodox stance, with their lead left hand being their most potent punch. This allowed Pacquiao to be more effective against them as all three didn't have elite right hands.

Unsurprisingly, Pacquiao will enter the ring against Spence as a significant underdog. However, one of the more controversial and intriguing aspects of the match is regarding the WBA Welterweight title.

Earlier this year, in January, the World Boxing Association (WBA) named Pacquiao "champion in recess," possibly due to inactivity as the Filipino didn’t fight in 2020.

However, before giving Pacquiao this distinction while still having the fighting senator as their “super” champion, the WBA initiated two other WBA titles in the Welterweight division.

In August 2020, Jamal James won a unanimous decision over Thomas Dulorme to become the interim WBA Welterweight titleholder. A month later, in September 2020, Cuba’s Yordenis Ugas won a split decision over Abel Ramos to capture the “regular” WBA Welterweight title.

Ugas was then elevated to “super” champion status by the WBA when Pacquiao was named their “champion in recess”.

The WBA having three different fighters hold a version of their title in the same weight class seems convoluted and comes off as an indictment on the sport of boxing.

With Pacquiao-Spence being announced, the WBA may now reinstate Pacquiao as their “super” champion to make the fight with Spence for three of the four major titles.

“Initially, the plan was for Ugas to fight Pacquiao,” stated WBA president Gilberto Mendoza in an interview on Tha boxing Voice podcast. “But now, the Spence fight was announced. Sean Gibbons, who represents Manny, they’ve written a letter to be placed back as WBA “super” champion.

“We’re working on it. There’s a high probability. It has to be run through a championship committee and voted before being taken to the president.”

Lee Groves of RingTV highlighted in a recent article that this process would be unfair to Ugas, citing how the WBC handled Hall-of-Famer Vitali Klitschko’s “champion emeritus” status in the mid-2000s in the Heavyweight division.

After stopping Danny Williams in 2004 defending his WBC Heavyweight title, Klitschko would retire in 2005 due to constant injuries.

After three years, Klitschko returned to the ring in 2008 for a title shot against then WBC titleholder Samuel Peter recapturing the WBC title via eighth-round stoppage.

The thought being Pacquiao should have to face Ugas to regain his WBA Welterweight crown.

However, there are some significant differences between Pacquiao and Klitschko. Unlike Klitschko, Pacquiao never announced his retirement following his victory over Thurman. Also, there was a global pandemic in 2020, making for the postponement and cancellation of numerous fights.

The question shouldn’t be whether Pacquiao should be fighting Ugas. But instead, why the WBA decided to have three champions in the same division? Why hold fights for an interim and regular title just one month apart?

The WBA as an organization in many respects has rendered itself illegitimate, and reinstating Pacquiao as the “super” champion is just as much a money grab as having three champions per division.

Regardless, Pacquiao-Spence doesn’t need the WBA title on the line to be a successful event.

It may be better to leave the title out of the picture as the WBA has only added confusion to the world title scene. With the title being so watered down, it feels less and less relevant as time passes by.

Whether the WBA title is on the line or not when Pacquiao and Spence step in the ring will be irrelevant. Should Pacquiao somehow pull off the victory, the WBA title won't take away from that accomplishment.

(Featured Photo: Getty Images)

#HF #Manny Pacquiao #Errol Spence Jr.#WBA

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