“Fizbo” and…

“Here Comes My Girl”

November 25th, 2009

Thanksgiving is a holiday about family, which when deployed in television does one of three things. The first is to emphasize the cohesiveness of a particular group of characters who work seamlessly when brought into the same setting. The second is to emphasize the sheer chaos that results from the show’s personalities coming together, to either comic or dramatic purposes. The third, meanwhile, is to demonstrate that the show is a convoluted mess where bringing the characters together is a futile exercise that will fail to provide interesting television.

What’s helpful for ABC’s 9pm comedies is that both of them have built their identity around the idea of family, to the point where bringing the gang together is like second nature to the two shows. Cougar Town has really started to charm me as of late, and “Here Comes My Girl” is yet another fine episode that brings together this group of individuals into a family of sorts that’s just an enormous amount of fun to watch bounce off of each other. And “Fizbo” is perhaps my favourite Modern Family episode yet, taking advantage of the chaos at the heart of this family and bringing things to a satisfying (and also sort of sweet) conclusion.

It made for a really comforting hour of television comedy, which is what the timeslot has been providing (on average) all season.

Perhaps the strongest individual element of the episodes were the show’s fully taking advantage of the strengths of a pair of supporting characters, in this instance Dan Byrd’s Travis and Eric Stonestreet’s Cameron. The two characters have been strong overall, but this episode allowed them to take things to another level. With Travis, this means going beyond his sarcasm and awkwardness to the heart of his relationship with his mother, resulting in Jules losing her sense of self-control and failing miserably at being anything close to “cool.” The result is a really honest, but funny, story of a son coming to terms with the role his mother will play in his adult life, and while it had its broader comic moments (the balloon gag) and its quippy one-liners (the rolling pin would make me feel self-conscious too) it was more about that moment at episode’s end (set to, thanks to the sleuthing skills of Mrs. Sepinwall, Noah and the Whale’s “Give a Little Love,”) where Jules and Travis share a quiet moment preparing Thanksgiving dinner. It was a wonderful piece of acting from Cox and Byrd, and totally sells that Travis is more well-adjusted than Jules but is nonetheless believably awkward. It was a heartfelt and funny little story that really sold me on the relationship.

As for the genius of Fizbo, I don’t really know where to start. Stonestreet’s Cameron has become the show’s breakout character: while Ty Burrell’s Phil stole the pilot (Lion King moment notwithstanding, even, I’d argue), Cameron has been able to show more dimensions and has a slightly better foil in Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s Mitchell. Fizbo was a stroke of genius because of both the sheer commitment of Stonestreet and some legitimately amazing directing choices. Look at the dramatic angles the show uses to introduce the character as Cameron puts on the nose/eye makeup, or the amazing shot of Fizbo’s foot stepping out of the car when Mitchell’s about to get attacked at the gas station. The show worked to create the legend of Fizbo, and while Stonestreet was nailing the smaller moments (like the “something”/”nothing” gag with Jay) the direction was establishing just how epic this ass-kicking, balloon-animal machine really is. It didn’t have the emotion of Cougar Town’s storyline, but it didn’t have to: who needs sentiment when you have legend?

Cougar Town was less interested in creating such a huge sense of destiny, but I thought the comic rhythms the show has established in recent weeks were working in overdrive: there were a number of fantastic scenes with Ellie and Laurie playing off of one another, the dynamic between the three men was as strong as it always is, and both broader scenes (the “Hi Kylie” song and the basketball games) were executed to their full effect. I also like that they came right out and pointed out that both Bobby and Grayson are at the point in their lives where Jules is the perfect woman for them, and that they used this for both comic and dramatic effect. There was a joke to be had in Grayson’s suggestion of buying it deep inside and avoiding it, but it’s also kind of true, and the characters have a strong enough dynamic for me to buy things going slowly. Some shows I’d wish that they’d get the usual storylines out of the way, but I’m so enjoying just hanging out with this family that a Thanksgiving dinner can simply hint at some things before just being about spending time together.

And perhaps the best thing about “Fizbo” was that this same theme wasn’t hammered into our heads. The conclusion did end on a note that Luke got a great birthday after all, one where he (and not the holiday) was the center of attention and where the whole family came together, but it came to be through a series of hilarious circumstances. After complaining about V’s in media res opening this week, it was great to see one where the views into the hospital scene made us on alert for potential maladies, and the result was a lot of brilliant comic tension as you had both legitimate threats (the scorpion, Dylan’s mayo allergy, the crossbow) and hilarious phobias (Phil’s fear of clowns, which was a great piece of acting from Ty Burrell) pulling us in various different directions. When things eventually go terribly wrong, with Manny becoming the great hero (“My dog’s still in there” was a cute touch) only to have Luke end up breaking his arm after slipping on Claire’s “comb sheaves” beads was the sort of wonderfully fitting climax that the show should do more often. The show earned that scene in the hospital in a way that previous episodes haven’t earned their tidy endings, and the result was a really great half-hour of television.

Overall, two families I’d be glad to have Thanksgiving dinner with, so long as there’s no crossbows involved and Fizbo is invited.

Cultural Observations

• Want to take this chance to wish all of my American readers a Happy Thanksgiving – sure, it’s not as good as the real CANADIAN Thanksgiving, but I hear it’s still a pretty big deal and all that jazz.
• There were a number of great Fizbo sight gags, but I think the battle for me is the post-badass novelty clock pullout and the running away from the scorpion like a small child. So different, and so amazing.
• Although there were a few too many Michael Scott style “Make joke and mug to camera” moments for Phil in this one, I liked that the show continued last week’s trend of Phil making fun of Claire as opposed to vice-versa.
• Andy’s “I’ve got a secret” heartburn was a fun bit of comedy from Ian Gomez, and Christa Miller is as lovely as always in twisting the knife.
• My one question from the show: while Bill Lawrence’s usual signature touches (the use of music, the oddball comedy, the physical comedy, etc.) are all in place along with a sense of sweetness that the show was lacking in the pilot, I do wonder if the show is interested in investigating actual sadness or tragedy at all. Scrubs, as a medical show was forced to confront it, but these characters are relating to the point where something happening to a distant relative could be played emotionally, but it definitely feels more resistant than Scrubs (or, for that matter, Spin City) to the idea. Just a thought.

Thanksgiving was definitely not Michelle and Danny’s holiday. In fact, most of their Manny Thanksgivings in Springfield seemed cursed. In my fanfic “Springfield Bound,” I have Michelle wishing for one Thanksgiving with Danny in Springfield that didn’t totally suck and I think a quick run down will show you why.

1998 – When Marina and Lizzie go missing, Michelle accuses Danny of kidnapping them and tells the police so. He was not only innocent, he found them in their hiding place and saved their lives. Michelle doesn’t apologize for suspecting him.

1999 – Michelle is literally on the way to Thanksgiving dinner at the Lewis house when she is arrested for Ben Warren’s murder for which Carmen was framing her.

2000 – Having just shot his mother to save Michelle and Robbie’s lives, Danny is thrown so deep into a pool of pain, torment, and guilt that he feels he will only destroy a pregnant Michelle and so he pushes her away.

2001 – Their happiest Thanksgiving spent with the combined Bauer, Cooper, and some of the Spaulding clans, spent outside of Springfield in the Bauer cabin. (Their son Robbie’s first Thanksgiving.)

2002 – Michelle is told that Danny is dead the day before Thanksgiving. They had separated to protect Robbie from Carmen (yeah, it was stupid when they did it too). Carmen had shot Danny and he was near death, but he couldn’t leave Michelle and eventually fought his way back to her.

2003 – In their most normal Thanksgiving on screen, Michelle and Danny host dinner at Orchid Manor and have both his immediate family and Rick and Rick’s in-laws, Mel’s family.

2004 – Michelle, suffering from amnesia, is lost in the jungle with Tattoo Tony because of Sebastian’s plan. Danny spends the day with Marina (YUCK!)

2005 – Having just remarried, Danny and Michelle have an early Thanksgiving dinner with Rick and Mel and her family before leaving to spend the actual day with Ed in a Hurricane Katrina ravaged Louisiana. This meal was held where all formal meals are, in the Bauer kitchen instead of the dining room, just like their sixth and final wedding. (Rolls eyes – Apparently they couldn’t afford to change sets)

Presumably Thanksgivings 2006-2008 were spent in relative quietness and bliss in California. Hopefully all future Thanksgivings (which we will never be invited to – Bitter, Bitter sob!!!!) from 2009 on will be at Bizzie’s newly renovated house where they were planning on starting a new Thanksgiving tradition for their extended family.  Besides Michelle being Bill’s best friend, after Rick and Mindy’s wedding, they will all be in-laws anyway (Mindy is Bill’s other half sister) and Lizzie specifically mentioned inviting Michelle and Rick, plus family on screen as a a pay back for all the Bauer BBQs.

A lot has been said on tv, videos are everywhere in the internet, headline pa sa tabloids — the Manny-Krista-Jinkee love triangle aka scandal (?) is definitely one hot topic nowadays.

I can’t help it, and it’s not because I am married, but I am definitely Team Jinkee.

Whatever’s been said and done, it only boils down to one thing — They are married. So yung mga ume-extra, eh ganun lang sila. Extra. Never recognized as being the leading lady, plain and simple na extra lang. Just like what I posted in FB once when a friend asked, why do men chase women whom they don’t have any intentions of marrying? And i replied with, walang reason. It starts and ends with the thrill of the chase.

The only sad thing about this is, no matter if it was just a fling or as what men would always call it “wala lang”, a wife may show a strong front but the pain is there. For how can one truly get over the fact that her husband cheated on her?  Yes, she may brave everything and decide to fight for her kids and her man, but it takes a very special woman to really seriously forgive her partner who has betrayed the very promise they stood to keep.

And for the other women na mahilig kumabit ng kumabit, c’mon. There has to be more to life than spending your time on a wasted future. Reasons such as you didn’t have any choice because it was love, I would refer you to what Atty. Katrina Legarda said in one of her guestings in Umagang Kay Ganda, “Ang puso, organ lang yan. Taga pump lang yan ng dugo. Love is stimulated by the brains, because you chose to commit to this person. It is a choice” — or something along those lines.

In short, saying you didn’t have a choice because it was just “love” has “no bearing” — haha, I love using this term. Buti nga if love pa ang reason, I think others just go after the comfort and luxurious life that a man can give them. There’s nothing wrong with that though. We choose to be with people on our own terms and consideration. But if he’s married, then that’s a totally different ball game sweetheart.

However, to all my sisters out there, we all know that in situations like this, it takes two to tango. So the husbands are to be held just as accountable for their own actions. Remember that

Somethings in life gather so much of their own momentum that even if it were to try and halt its own inertia, fate would slap it across the face with a raw 40 pound tuna and send it on its way. With Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather in retirement last year, a new ‘pound for pound’ star blossomed into the peak of his career. This was none other than the Philippine sensation, Manny Paquiao: a soft-spoken, well-mannered, religious and extraordinarily gifted fighter who used to sell dougnuts in Manila for a nickel a piece. Born into an impoverished family, they were so poor at one point that Manny’s father actually cooked and ate the family dog. Now a prolific boxer, fans around the world have seen him involved in epic battles with Juan Manuel Marquez, Antonio Barrera, Eric Morales: saw him out-class De-La Hoya, destroy Hatton and pulverize Miguel Cotto most recently. But it is in this last year or so that his boxing class has truly developed under the watchful eye of his trainer and ‘Master’ Freddie Roach.

Mayweather, who could not stay retired for long, stepped out to fight Marquez.  Paquiao, having devastated Ricky Hatton was in the process of setting his sights on  Miguel Cotto in November. So it seemed that the former world pound for pound champion and the new pound for pound prodigy were on an aligned collision course. Mayweather needed to beat Marquez, and Paquiao needed to beat Cotto in order to set up what would possibly be the fight of the decade between ‘Money Mayweather’ and ‘The Pac Man.’

Marquez was made to look average. Average he was not, but that is how Mayweather made him look. One felt so sorry for Marquez and sympathised with his frustration at Floyd’s elusiveness and ability to hit him at will. He was virtually made to miss over and over again, and was punished for every single mistake. Take nothing away from Marquez, and give every praise to Mayweather, who was in scintillating form and dominated him the way Paquiao never could. One could argue that Floyd’s performance that night completely out-shone Manny’s. But let us remind ourselves of how Manny destroyed Hatton inside of two rounds, Mayweather only managing it by the tenth. However, Floyd’s first knock-down of the Hatton fight was arguably one of the greatest left hooks ever witnessed. On the back foot, in the corner of the ring, while side stepping! I do digress.

What Mayweather did to Marquez,  Paquiao answered with his performance over Cotto. Inch by inch, closing off the ring, picking him apart and darting in and out with waspish tactics. By the eighth or ninth round, it was evident that Cotto had nothing left in the tank. He was running on his pride as a fighter, the only thing keeping him on his feet. The referee should have stopped the punishment earlier, as Cotto’s face was beginning to resemble a bruised watermelon with Paquiao’s relentless marauding taking its toll. And so the inevitable result bubbled to the surface. Mayweather defeated Marquez in dominant fashion, and so too did Paquiao. The two ‘acclaimed’ best pound for pound fighters in the world are indeed the best ‘pound for pound.’ At this moment in time, no-one else even comes close.

So now we are closer than ever to a real possibility of a clash between the cream of the crop. But there is only one space on the throne for these two kings of the division. Mayweather or Paquiao? Class, skill, speed and strength versus class, skill, speed and strength. Skill wise and physical conditioning-wise, they are nigh inseparable. However, I believe the advantage does lie with Mayweather. His defensive skills are superior, he’s bigger, has more reach, has a more well-rounded boxing style and is unbeaten. It would be a crying shame for both of them to come this far, and miss out on a momentous duel. I am not a superstitious man, but somewhere right now, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Paquiao have just been slapped by a 40 pound tuna.

So, in all today was a good(ish) day. I woke up semi-early, as James decided to call. I couldn’t go back to sleep because my brother was playing his shitty music intensely loud throughout the house, and at 3pm I met up with Josh and Manny and Colleen and we hung out at Peter Pipers Pizza. good stuff.

Of course, in between the shitty music and my brother dropping me off at PPP, he and his friend Carlos decided it might be fun to go mudding in the lot next to ours. mudding. yes, they did it. I was held as the cameraman and they got some good video. I have shitty cell phone video, but alas, if i need to implicate them in something, I’ve got it.

So after PPP’s, Josh and Colleen had to take off to his uncle’s in Monte Alto to go to a fish fry. So, it being about 5p, we decided we’d hang out a little longer and went to the skating rink. I suck at roller blading. Of course, we stayed there for a long ass time and Manny and Noe still wanted to hang out. I didn’t so much anymore, but they made me. Which later developed into my parents being utterly angry with me. Not fun. But skating was fun. I fell a total of 4 times. Which is decidedly less than when I went ice skating, but then again, when I went ice skating I was holding on to the wall and I still sucked.

I’m just not good with finding my center of gravity.

Either way, after that, we headed to Manny’s house. Still didn’t get dropped off, and headed towards the outlets. Got some Whataburger, because, c’mon, that is GOOD. and eventually, after about 2 more calls from my mom, Noe and I headed back to drop me off. He decided to ignore his GPS’s directions the first time, and that’s where everything pretty much went south.

We got stuck about a mile from my house. 2 miles. whatever, it was pretty close. But fuck, that road has potholes like you would NOT believe. My mom kept texting me angrily, and when I called to see if they could come in the truck to pull us (finally, as we tried to get out by ourselves for a while) she yelled at me, threw the phone at my dad, he didn’t say anything… but he did hang up. SO, we were fucked. So, I called Abraham and he was at BK, but he said he’d come when he was done. Which was more than I could hope for anything, so yeah. We scraped around, sunk our feet into mud and Noe got really down and dirty. It was pretty bad. Finally, my mom called me that she was on her way and that there were at least 3 more pot holes from the one we got stuck in. Either way, we were going to be fucked.  She was yelling at me, told me to walk to the Jimmy and I did. But Noe didn’t want to leave, so I told him to call his dad. I called him after I reached the Jimmy, but he still insisted on staying and for me to leave (as the ‘rents were being atrocious) So I’m home.

Abraham just text me saying that he did go to our stuck site. Then kept texting me that he was helping Noe and that it was really stuck in there. Then he said that as he was leaving Noe’s sister was showing up. So as of 12:10a (we got stuck at 10p) Noe is still stuck over there on mile 1 1/2. FUCK THAT ROAD.

But, because I basically abandoned Noe there, in the mud… I gave him an avocado tree on FarmVille. It doesn’t help, but at least it adds to his tree collection. =]

and P.S. FUCK THAT ROAD.

and also P.P.S. I pretty much really really want to move out right now. I mean, wtf, my dad hung up on me when I actually needed his help with something. What the fuck!

This piece was showcased in the “Creative Instinct” show in SF’s Space Gallery, October of 2008. The original will be going up for sale with some more pieces from my original collection. If you would like a piece of art, but cannot afford the original, a selection of my pieces will be available in print. Stay tuned, I’ll let you know when they go up!

“Pound for Pound,” Aeresol Acrylic Paint on 12″ Vinyl

“Apl” -Aeresol Acrylic Paint on 12″ Vinyl. 2008

~JM

Wed. Jan. 6, 1999 – Danny takes her to the docks and fakes her death for Dietz’s benefit to buy time. He finally comes up with a desperate plan. Danny: “You whacked my brother over the head with a rock, you’re going to pay.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpWITTf14qE&feature=channel_page (Continues with the 8^th)

Fri., Jan. 8, 1999 – Warning that it’s the only chance she has to stay alive, Danny brings Michelle home where he faces off against a threatening Dietz. Finally allowed to see “the boss,” Michelle apologizes to Danny’s mother Carmen (the boss) and explains that she killed Mick because he was attacking her. When Carmen asks Dietz for his gun so she can kill Michelle herself, Danny puts his body between hers and a bullet and explains that she can’t kill Michelle because Michelle is now family. Danny then tells his upset mother that he and Michelle are married. Instead of killing her, gallantly and because since the first time they’d talked he’d felt that he’d seen her soul and that she was someone to be treasured, he decided to use “the family” rule that you can’t ever kill family to save her by marrying her instead of killing her. (Danny was always a man of character and his mother had given him a code and by carefully controlling what he knew, at this point, he honestly believed Carmen and the other “Family” members lived by it too. He was totally wrong. Carmen could care less about any code, although it hadn’t come out yet, she had already killed her husband, but saw the code as a useful way to control Danny and refused to easily give it up. She planned to make him say it was OK to kill Michelle or better yet kill her himself.) While Drew continues to blame herself for what she thinks has happened to Michelle, Rick lays into Jesse and Bill for failing to protect his sister. After Buzz stops them from arguing, Frank explains that they cannot get a search warrant for the Santos place because of the power of the family. Dietz: “You’re throwing your whole life away, every thing you’ve worked for, been groomed for over some two-bit piece of work off the streets.” Danny: “Don’t you ever talk about Michelle that way again. Ever. You are an employee here. You are NOT a member of this family.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zv-5w10MCo8&feature=related

Mon., Jan. 11, 1999 – At the Santos house, Michelle and Danny told Carmen that they were married, just hours before at the Justice of the Peace and because of the “Family Code” she could not kill Michelle. Back at Millennium, Jesse told Drew that Michelle was not dead that he could feel it and that he thought that the Santos family had her. He left Millennium to find her. Jesse talks his way inside the Santos house, using his ability to speak Spanish. Drew and Jesse find Michelle, just as she and Danny kiss to try to convince Carmen that their marriage is for real and about love. Jesse tells Michelle that he was going to the police to tell them everything and she could leave with him, Michelle sees the henchman staring at her, knowing that he would kill her or Jesse, she refuses.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gf-DkZnG6iA&feature=channel_page (continues with the 12^th)

Tues., Jan. 12, 1999 – Refusing to leave the Santos home with him, Michelle shocks Jesse when she tells him that she and Danny are married. She goes on to say to a speechless Jesse that she married Danny because she loves him and that she has had feelings for Danny for a long time. Drew overhears Carmen say all their lives are still in danger, but Jesse doesn’t and Drew keeps mum. Once Drew and Jesse leave, Danny reminds Michelle that her life depends on keeping up the pretext of their marriage. As a first attempt to rid herself of Michelle, Carmen tells Michelle and Danny that she has arranged for a church wedding, hoping that Danny will give up on her or Michelle will crack. (Luckily for Manny, Carmen has no idea what she’s dealing with yet or she might have just shot her right then anyway.) Back at home, Drew is quick to comfort Jesse hoping that, finally, she may have a chance to be with him. Danny: “Not only for your sake, not just your life depends on this….No one will be safe if you do not pull this off. You’ve got to make this look real.”

Michelle to Jesse: “Leave my husband alone! I’m trying to make this easy. I’m trying to be nice, but you’re just not getting it. You proposed to be months ago, what did I say? NO! You asked me to move in with you, what did I say? NO! How many ways do you have to hear it?”

My Comments:

Michelle should have recognized Dietz (she’d met him already), but when he arrives she finally starts to get what Danny is saying about it not being up to him. Michelle isn’t picking up on the fact that Dietz is saying he doesn’t think Danny will do it because he likes Michelle too much. That is a great shot of Danny panning up from his feet when Michelle goes into the water. I was really upset when that aired initially. I thought he really did it. Michelle finally shuts up and starts to think and talk to Danny instead of shrieking at him. Already Danny understands Michelle and what she can and can’t do.

After they arrive at Casa Santos Michelle starts her defense mechanism of picking fights with Danny. Also, notice how long it took her to think of Jesse again apparently she didn’t from the docks through the wedding through the arrival at the house. Danny and Michelle are already showing a strong connection in the small scene to the side where their heads are touching. The interchange with Danny and Dietz, which is fairly typical for them, shows why his little message for Mick in his first scene just sounded off.

The speech of Carmen’s I refer to in “A Typical House” is in the clip under Jan. 8th starts at 2:00 into the clip. I really wish they had shown this first Justice of the Peace wedding on screen, but it was set up for shock value.

I’m not going to say much about the Code, but read my entry I’ll post soon on Carmen and the Code. Michelle shows the steel and fiestiness Danny loves in her when she stands up to Carmen, but right now he wishes she didn’t. On the day of the “Chair Slide” scene Danny tells her that she looks soft and innocence and pink, but inside she was steel. Most people didn’t see it in her, but Danny always did and he knew he needed someone with that steel.

This is one of Jesse’s last high points when he gets into Casa Santos when no one else can. Michelle is great here. I love her speech to Jesse. She thinks she’s lying, but everything she says is true. This is the first of many times when Danny tries to get through to Jesse about what he needs to do to protect Michelle and he just doesn’t get it.

Poor Danny he looks so hurt when he goes to comfort her and she yells at him. Later she regrets all this time she wasted. “If only I hadn’t wasted so much time fighting him.”

The church wedding and everything involved in it is one of Carmen’s schemes to get rid of Michelle. She wants Michelle or Danny to crack and admit the marriage isn’t real.

Quite the suhweeeet performance by the Sharks in their 6-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. The Sharks withstood the punches and counterpunches, both figuratively and literally, and sealed the win.

The man of the match was Dany Heatley who notched his ninth career hat trick and second with the Sharks. Winning co-man of the match was Joe Thornton who received the primary assist on all three Heater goals and added a fourth assist.

It was just an unbelievable game all around. The Flyers haven’t beaten the Sharks since 2000, but the games are always entertaining. They bring out the best in both teams, and I hope this is a Stanley Cup Finals preview.

Everything for the Sharks worked tonight: the even strength forecheck, the power play, the penalty kill. All exceptional. Well, I may be wrong about everything working. The defensive zone giveaways were enough to give fans and coach Todd McClellan migraines. If it weren’t for those, it would be a 6-0 victory.

Philly sure didn’t like Sharks ice. They saw it as a slip-and-slide, with public enemy #1 Chris Pronger as the main slip-and-slider. One of his slips ended up being a Heater goal. It really was home-ice advantage tonight.

Heatley’s hat trick was the EPS Trifecta (trademark pending). Even strength, power play and shorthanded goals. Two were carbon-copies. Joe would receive the puck in what looked like a perfect shooting opportunity, but it he would stop right to the side of the crease, wait, wait, wait for the defenseman to make a move, then BAM! Pass to Heater’s stick and it’s as easy as an Ovechkin toothless smile.

Dany Heatley notched his second hat trick as a Shark (From SJSHARKS.com)

San Jose now has its top two lines set in stone for at least the next month. McClellan saw some great play between Heatley-Thornton-Marleau last game and decided to start them tonight. That choice proved epic as every time they took the ice, something good happened. Remember when everyone shook in fear from the Marleau-Thornton-Cheechoo line? Multiply that by 10,000.

The second line was Malhotra-Pavelski-Clowe and they meshed talent with will. This line will probably be broken up since Devin Setoguchi will come back from injury. Move Clowe to left wing and put Seto on the right. While Malhotra did net a goal tonight, he also netted a goal for the Flyers; for some reason he tried to handle the puck in the crease during a scramble, and instead of just knocking it out, he thought it best to backhand it first — bad idea.

The Sharks still haven’t lost in regulation at home either. Oh, how sweet the confines of HP Pavillion are.

Friday Night Fights

Frazer McLaren, up from Worcester took on Daniel Carcillo and McMan-handled him. I this kid is better than Staubitz and should get a few more looks. And he will because Staubitz is out for a couple weeks with an injury. I wish it were under better circumstances, but whatever the situation, cease your opportunity F-Mac.

Wait…Who? And he’s fighting who?

That’s right, my friends. Marc-Edouard Vlasic showed a nasty side tonight. Don’t know if someone stole this pickles from the pickle jar, but he was angry tonight. He dropped the gloves for the first time in his career with Daniel Briere and earned the win. Vlasic was the only one to throw a punch, and he also took Briere down. Vlasic also was featured in some scrums. I really hope this continues; I don’t want another Thornton situation where a guy plays better angry, but chooses to be angry once every leap year.

Other Notes

Hit-O-Meter: SJ 25  PHI 26; Jed Ortmeyer (6) and Douglas Murray (5) led the team.

With the amazing play of the top two lines, the fourth line saw as much action as a young Bill Gates. McLaren played for two minutes, Benn Ferriero played four and Logan Couture played six. That’s fine with me if I can get first-line production like this every game.

The Sharks travel to Anaheim to face the Ducks. In their first meeting, the second game of the Sharks’ season, San Jose pummeled Anaheim 4-1.

–Ray

This Friday, I’m making a slight deviation in my weekly soap term post. Instead, in honor of my story index update, I’m going to define a term I made up for my Manny fanfic descriptions.

In some of my fanfic story descriptions, I used the term Mannifield Players and it occurs to me that I should explain what I mean. In some Manny fanfiction, our beloved characters from the Manny storyline and the wider Guiding Light family are merged with famous characters from fiction, plays, fairytales, etc. While they keep their own names and characteristics, they blend in with these other famous roles.

This rather struck me as being similar to a repertory theater company, where every week the same company puts on a different play. So to explain this type of story (whether they are doing Emma, Letter to Three Wives, Laura, Sleeping Beauty, etc.) I figured the shortest way to explain that this was the type of story that it was to say that it was a repertory doing their take on whatever work it is. Often these repertory companies are called the Something Players. I considered the Manny Players and the Springfield Players and decided to combine the two into Mannifield Players. So now you know.

The Springfield Country Club was the site of many important events over the years. Everything from Ed Bauer and Eve Guthrie’s engagement party, to Billy Lewis’s Welcome Home party for himself, to Cedars’s 60th anniversary party, to Alan and Annie’s aborted wedding, to Manny’s family get to know you meal, to Michelle’s black tie fundraiser for Harley’s Angels.

This is a country club in the traditional sense. The Club itself is first class all the way and is simply the best restaurant in all of Springfield. Evening events there are usually black tie. A first class golf course and gardens meld into a series of patios that surround the building.

Most large functions are held in the main room. It has a front room and cloak room. You pass by them to a landing where announcements are often made. The open stairway twists around in a wide arc ending up on the main floor. A second shorter straight staircase is on the other side of the wall from the curved one, but leads up to this same front room level. The ladies room is down a hallway from the straight stairway that can be reached either down the straightway or through an open arch from the main level of the large room. The Ladies Room both here at the Country Club and at Towers are used extensively as places for the female population to fight. The main level is a large room that can be set up several different ways with round banquet tables and a dance floor. Patio doors along one side lead to one in the series of patios. There are a couple of private rooms for smaller events and its one of these where Manny holds their first joint family meal during the fake marriage. Another serves as Annie’s bride’s room.

While it’s never stated explicitly, I think the club is on the same side of town as the Bauer house because it rose to prominence about the same time. It’s a car drive, not a walk, from there to the lighthouse, so it is not adjacent to the lake.

Lawful grounds for Imelda’s Jewels

Former First Lady Imelda Marcos demanded the return of her Jewels that were taken possession by the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) during the height of Edsa 1 in February 1986.

Her demand emphasized that there is no existing court decision that classifies the jewels as ill gotten and is subject to forfeiture. The Commission also had never issued any sequestration order over these jewels within the period stated in the Constitution under Article XVIII. Therefore, Marcos remains to be the lawful owner of the jewels. It was also accentuated that PCGG’s possession of these jewels violates Mrs. Marcos right to due process. The 1987 Constitution and Provision of E.O. No. 2 stipulates that “ In accordance with the requirements of justice and due process, it is the position of the new democratic government that the former President Marcos, and his wife, Imelda Marcos, their close relatives, subordinates, dummies, agents or nominees be afforded fair opportunity to contest these claims before appropriate Philippine authorities. “

The Office of the Solicitor General instead of addressing the matter as referred to it by PCGG, issued a Motion for Partial Judgment before the Sandiganbayan. The judgment made it appear that the jewels are subject to forfeiture, to justify the PCGG’s possession of the jewels. Unfortunately, the Sandiganganbayan already made a pronouncement that the jewels are not subject to any of the causes of actions in the Forfeiture Case of the Marcoses.

This issue has never been resolved since the jewels were confiscated. The law says it was proper to return the jewels but the PCGG and OSG officials are hesitant to respond to this issue. Are they afraid of the satires that the powerful media might broadcast? Of criticisms that it is so ironic that they were the law enforcers but were unlawful practice possessions of the unsequestered jewels? Or are they anxious that their “alternative” source of income that finances their mobile phones, foreign trips, and queridas will be grayed?

baby lara

Nung nakalipas na weekend e lumipad kami papunta sa parte ng Davao na malapit sa Gensan, kung saan matatagpuan ang mga mansyon ni Manny. Nung linggo din na yun e naganap yung laban ni Manny at Cotto, kung saan nabalitaan ko na lang na nanalo ang manok ng ‘Pinas.

Oo, masaya ako kasi nanalo na naman siya at nadagdagan na naman ang yabang ng mga Pinoy dahil dun. Pero hindi ako nakisabay sa milyun-milyong tao na nanood ng laban niya, kahit na maraming lugar sa Davao ang nagpalabas ng libre at live na laban nila — widescreen pa.

Bakit? Busy ako e. Masyado akong natuwa sa unang pamangkin ko. Bale Unang apo din siya ng mga magulang ko. Duh.

Wed., Dec. 30, 1998 – When Dietz reminds Danny again that he has 48 hours, Danny sends him on his way. Drew overhears Jesse arguing with Bill about why he has to leave town for good. Drew pleads with him to stay and later reneges on her promise to Jesse to tell Danny that Jesse killed Mick.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jv1YDW06TGo&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9ZpmLuOzAg&feature=PlayList&p=F6D180793863A590&index=6 (A shorter alternative version of all the days in this post combined)

Tues., Jan. 4, 1999 – Danny speaks to Dietz who says that whoever killed Mick will have to pay for their actions. Meanwhile, Jesse prepares to leave for what Michelle thinks is a “short” trip to New York for his art work. Michelle and Jesse have sex. Drew, not revealing anything of her part in Mick’s death, tells Danny that Michelle killed his brother, Mick, thinking that Jesse would not have to leave town. She told him it was self-defense and accidental stemming from the fact that Mick was going to rape Michelle. She thinks he cares for Michelle and won’t really hurt her. At first, most concerned that he won’t reveal to Jesse or Michelle that she told on Michelle, Drew suddenly realizes that Michelle is in real danger after all. Danny runs off to find Michelle. Selena tries to help Drew when she admits to telling Danny that Michelle killed Mick. Selena tells her to call the police and that she would protect her. As Jesse drives off, Danny yells at Michelle that the wrong person is running away, that he knows she killed Mick.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyQm1I0LIbc&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrYaBZceedQ&feature=channel_page (Continues with Jan. 5^th)

Tues., Jan. 5, 1999 – After a frantic call from Drew to 911, the police arrive at the club in search of Jesse, Michelle and Danny. When the police find Drew’s apartment empty, Drew panics and fears the worst. In a state of hysterics, Drew confides in Selena that she had a part in Mick’s murder. Secretly, Selena vows to protect her daughter at all costs and orders Drew to collect her things and leave the club with her at once. Meanwhile, after Jesse pulls away on his motorcycle in the alley behind the club, Danny confronts Michelle about Mick’s death. He drags her, screaming, down to the beach and forces her to tell him what happened that night. When she confesses, Danny threatens ominously that he will have to “take care of” Michelle for what she has done. Convinced she is telling the truth about Mick attacking her and his death being accidental; Danny drags Michelle down to the ferry docks where he pretends to kill her for Deitz’s benefit. Having bought some time, Danny devises a desperate plan, wondering aloud if she’s worth what he’ll have to do to keep her alive.

My Comments:

The beginning of the clip shows two glimpses of the real Danny. First, Dietz shows us yet again that Danny is trying to control the situation and is unready to act until he is 100 percent sure he’s right. Second, even though his job is just a cover and a blown cover at that, Danny isn’t just standing there, he’s digging in getting the job done setting up for the night. That’s just so him.

Drew is teetering on the edge in these scenes and when she hears Jesse is going to leave she falls over it.

Michelle’s truffle comment was really clever. Again, just standing there, not really meaning to, Danny starts being honest with Michelle. He tells her he wishes things was wrong about their being involved, “especially about you,” showing his hand of having feelings for her, and getting pretty ticked off that they are all still fighting him when he’s the only thing standing between them and a bullet and he’s doing his best to make sure only the guilty one pays. Finally, he admits that the decision isn’t only his, that there are other people he has to answer to. That’s a lot of honesty to someone you’re not even supposed to like.

Drew’s main focus once she hears of Jesse’s plan switches from taking care of herself, to protecting Jesse and that’s where it will remain for the next few months. That’s why she tells Danny about Michelle. That’s what she’s always bringing up to Michelle in every discussion they have until the annulment separation. The timing of Jesse’s plan is pretty stupid. The timing just isn’t right, he should have told Drew to tell Danny after a certain time to give him a head start, but instead he sends her down while he’s still upstairs. Also, Jesse really must not be anything to talk about in bed. He and Michelle undressed, slept together, got re-dressed, and down to the alley in the same amount of time it took Drew to walk downstairs, have a short conversation, Danny to run up and down the stairs and out to the alley.

Danny’s reaction to the news about Michelle is shock. He re-recites his version of events (which does make perfect sense – it just isn’t true) and tries desperately to hold on to this version. Drew is certainly a jerk not to admit she was there too. Even worse she doesn’t explain (no one ever does when they retell the story) what I feel is a key point. They didn’t think Mick was dead or even very badly hurt when they left him on the beach. They thought he’d be after them in a minute and once they realize something might really be wrong with Mick, they did go back, but he was gone already. It’s the only answer to the charge that’s laid at Michelle’s door again and again, that she might have had to hit Mick, but that she should have called for help. Again she didn’t think there was any reason to and I think this was all tied up to when they were going to reveal the “real killer.” I think they still hadn’t totally abandoned that scenario here. Drew really sold Michelle out, but she really does believe that Danny would never hurt Michelle and in scenes not included here when she thinks he has, she is beside herself with guilt. As the conversation goes on a look of horror comes over Danny’s face as he realizes it might be true about Michelle killing Mick. Finally,  he starts to get angry when Drew accuses Mick of rape.

Messe (which I never liked in the first place) totally lost what footing it had when Michelle left for the blind school and never really recovered. This was really goodbye to Messe when Jesse drives off on the bike. Remember what Michelle said about that kiss with Jesse, she’ll bring it up later with Drew.

After he runs out into the alley, Danny is still angry, but he’s growing increasingly desperate. He doesn’t want to kill Michelle because 1) it’s Michelle and 2) while he doesn’t want to think his brother is a rapist (drug dealer and rapist are the 2 lowest types of vermin in Danny’s book and Mick was already shown to be a dealer) it starts to make a terrible sense to him. How can he kill anyone, let alone Michelle, when he believes it was self-defense? His mind is going a million miles a second trying to deal with this news and devise a plan with Dietz breathing down his neck. He hasn’t given up hope that maybe it isn’t true until Michelle breaks down at the beach. Michelle, opposed to Drew, still protects Drew and continues to keep her secret up to the point where she is on trial for Ben Warren’s murder and Ross tells her she needs a witness to what happened with Mick and she STILL doesn’t tell, Drew comes forward. Michelle doesn’t realize until he shows up on the docks that Dietz is right there and if Danny left her, he’d be leaving her to her fate at Dietz’s hands. He’s still trying to think of a way out.

I always thought that if Danny had killed Michelle, it would have killed his soul. Carmen wouldn’t have been happy with the son she got back, he’d be a completely cold monster. This monster would soon have realized his next logical step would be to take Carmen herself out and this soul killed Danny would have done it without a second thought. However, I read a fanfic where Manny discuss what happened at the docks and it suggests a third outcome (other than what really did happen and Danny shooting her and going home) and I’m now convinced that this third option is what would have happened if he had killed her. In this piece of fanfic Danny says that if he had shot her for killing Mick, his next action would have been to put a bullet in his own head. When I read that I felt a sick certainty in my stomach that, yes, that would be exactly what Danny would do. Carmen will never know just how grateful she should have been to Michelle for preventing that or what her stupid plan for revenge almost cost her.

Manny Pacquiao (+49-3=2) nei primi due round ha preso le misure di Cotto. Ne ha testato la velocità, la potenza, la determinazione. Quindi ha deciso per la strategia del KO.
Con la guardia alta, ha lasciato per tutto l’incontro che Cotto venisse avanti per colpire, affidando alla incredibile velocità delle sue mani la pericolosa controffensiva, che nei suoi piani avrebbe prima o poi prodotto l’incontro fatale tra il suo sinistro e la mascella dell’avversario. A Miguel Angel Cotto (+34-2=0) non è rimasto che provare. Non aveva altri argomenti Miguel, all’infuori del grande coraggio con il quale si è presentato all’appuntamento, mettendo in palio il suo titolo di campione dei welters WBO contro uno dei più grandi pugili di sempre.

così Joe Santiago, allenatore di Miguel Cotto, al termine del match: “He was a lot stronger than we expected…He hit harder than we expected…He was a lot stronger than we expected.’’ Una sintesi che tutti condivideranno.

Il KO vero Manny non l’ha trovato. Probabilmente nelle sue aspettative si sarebbe dovuto concretizzare nelle prime 6 o 7 riprese; ma Cotto ha dimostrato di essere un pugile di valore, fronteggiando quella mitragliatrice di pugni quale è Pacquiao con grande abilità.

Manny Pacquiao e Miguel Angel Cotto (foto:ESPN)

Pacquiao inizia il suo match alla terza ripresa, quando mette a sedere Cotto con un sinistro velocissimo. Nella ripresa successiva, dopo vari scambi di colpi al corpo, la scena si ripete, con Cotto che torna al tappeto.
Il match prosegue con Manny che preme in avanti e Cotto che inizia a girare nel ring, sulle punte, cercando di allentare la pressione su di lui. Il portoricano riesce in qualche occasione a portare qualche buon colpo e qualche combinazione, che Il campione filippino incassa con freddezza.
Dalla ripresa 9 in poi, i segni della battaglia si mostrano evidenti sul volto di Cotto. Pacquiao durante gli ultimi round si concede, aspetta, si chiude in una guardia serrata e cerca il tempo per il colpo definitivo, che però non arriva. Nonostante Cotto abbia un occhio quasi chiuso e non riesca probabilmente nemmeno più a vedere partire i colpi (ma forse non ci riusciva del tutto nemmeno all’inizio del match), riesce a stare in piedi e a sostenere tutto il peso di quegli attacchi fulminanti, fatti di combinazioni – anche lunghissime – di 6 o 7 colpi al corpo e al volto, che quando non si infrangono sulla guardia centrano il bersaglio con precisione.

Le riprese 11 e 12 fanno parte di un match che non esiste. Cotto non colpisce più, gira, si sposta, fugge dall’impeto di Pacquiao che non vede altro che un KO per porre fine alla questione. La moglie di Cotto è già andata via in lacrime, risparmiando al figlio di Miguel quello spettacolo spietato. Alla fine, L’arbitro Kenny Bayless interviene e ferma l’incontro, dichiarando Pacquiao vincitore per KO tecnico e consegnando la sua carriera alla storia della Boxe.

Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao nasce a Kibawe, Bukidnon, nelle Filippine, il 17 dicembre del 1978. E’ alto 169 centrimetri, è mancino e ha iniziato la sua carriera nei pesi mosca. (Pacquiao – Edmund Enting Ignacio, 22 gennaio 1995, 48 kgs, vittoria ai punti alla 4 ripresa)
E’ diventato campione del mondo in 7 categorie di peso diverse – scalandone 10 – come nessuno mai nella storia di questo sport. Il suo soprannome è Pac-Man.
E’ un eroe col sorriso sempre sul volto, un happy fighter come spesso viene descritto. Negli ultimi tre incontri ha battuto campioni del calibro di Ricky Hatton, Oscar De La Hoya e Miguel Angel Cotto, guadagnando circa 50 milioni di dollari.
E’ considerato – a pieno titolo – il più forte pugile P4P in attività.
Negli stati uniti, il match è stato trasmesso in pay per view, al prezzo di 54 dollari. In Inghilterra è stato trasmesso su Sky; in Italia lo ha trasmesso Dahlia TV, che sta offrendo agli appassionati un grande servizio a un costo più che ragionevole. (per info visitate il sito http://www.dahliatv.it)

Ora il mondo della boxe aspetta solo un evento: il match con Floyd “boccalarga” Mayweather JR, che si definisce il più forte di tutti ma che va a pescare gli sfidanti dal cesto dei giocattoli rotti.

Floyd, per te che siedi sul tetto del mondo: dai retta a me, resta là sopra, in alto: quaggiù è in arrivo un brutto tsunami.

Magiisang taon na ng ang rest day ko eh thu and fri. Akala ko masaya pag ganun ang rest days kasi pag Sat and Sun eh sobrang petiks ako sa office kasi wala talaga calls pero nanawa narin ako kaya humiling ako ng sat sun na RD. Un nga, nagrant naman ni Bro. Salamat Bro!!! At dahil dun, naexperience ko na ulit ang mag hang-out with my beloved teammates  ngayong weekend. Ang saya nila kasama. Kung pwede lang silang makasama habambuhay as teammates eh mas gugustuhin ko. Kasi kapag nakalipat nako sa work na gustong gusto ko tapos sila pa din ang kasama ko, WOWOWOWOWOW sobrang jackpot nako. Haaaay, but in our industry, people come and go.. Iyon ang totoong nakakalungkot.

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Nanalo nanaman c Pacquiao. Abaabaaba, nakakapito na iyon ah. Pano kaya nagagawa ni Manny iyon noh? Umakyat kaya si Manny sa weight ko tapos maglaban kami, tapos matalo ko siya, malamang nasa books na din ako. Nyahaha. Naalala ko pa iyong kumalat na text message dati kung bakit nananalo daw lagi si Pacquiao eh dahil ibinenta na niya iyong kaluluwa niya sa demonyo dahil dun sa way ng kanyang pagsisign of the cross. LOL! Ang kurneeh…

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Mga ilang araw na din ang nakalilipas ng magsimulang maramdaman ko itong kalungkutan. Hindi ko alam kung bakit pero may mga alam akong maaaring factors gaya ng:

>siguro naghahanap lang ako ng syota na gusto ko pero iyong hindi muna pangsimbahan ha
>naghahanap ako ng trabahong gusto ko na hindi iniiwan iyong mga teammates ko
>naghahanap ako ng business or sideline na magbibigay saken ng financial stability
>at iyong iba hindi ko na maipaliwanag…

HAAAAAAAAY! BAHALA NA NGA SI B@TM@N!

Sorry guys for not being able to post lately. Been playing Final Fantasy games lately and also been busy with work. But I took some time off this time to congratulate Manny Pacquiao for yet another great win! This time around he defeated a young and tough Miguel Cotto. It could have been a few rounds sooner if Cotto wasn’t backing off on the late rounds. But we can’t really blame him as you can definitely see on his face the punishment he got for getting close to Manny. If you haven’t watched the fight yet, you can watch it here.

http://www.ustream.tv/flash/video/2560784

With the defeat of Miguel Cotto, Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquaio claims another victory. As an underdog, his performance was inspiring, moving and dominating as he displayed boxing at it’s finest. 7 titles in 7 different weight classes is amazing. One for the record books. This shows that Pacquiao is one of the greatest boxers to step in the boxing ring. Truely inspiring! The truth when it comes to greatness.

(K Character Print by Paperpacks)

Day 3 and the wishes keep on comin’. I have been sitting on this one for half the day because I wasn’t sure how best to articulate it.

One of my exes, after we ended a 3 and a half year relationship, sent me a “thank you” note. In it, among other things, he wrote: “Thank you for your example of kindness towards others.” I remembered thinking: If that is what made a mark most when reflecting back on who I was when we were together, then I must have done ok. Maybe even better than ok. To date, it is one of the few compliments that I care to remember.

I believe that kindness is innate but I also believe its expression can be triggered by the example of others. I have had plenty of role models, for sure. But none who stick out in my mind as much as my Uncle Manny. He is both the kindest person I know and the kindest person I can imagine.

(Photography by Nicole McEvilly)

My wish for kindness in this next year is two-fold. First, I wish to be kinder to others. If I were to be totally honest, I have faltered. It is not that I am intentionally unkind to anyone but I have caught myself passing on opportunities to show kindness. And I am capable of more. Second, I wish to be kinder to myself. Maybe this means being gentler with my expectations or more active in offering myself positive reinforcement or sometimes just kicking myself out the door to let off a little steam with a run. However the opportunity presents itself, I wish for kindness.