How to Protect Your Precious Comic Books

Back when I was collecting comic books in the early 80's, FILBARS (my favorite comic book store), did not sell accessories to help me protect my collection. This has certainly reduced the value of my collection and I have no hope at all to sell them at their listed prices.

Now that I have gone back to this hobby, I've made the move to protect my assets. I now have the necessary packaging to ensure that my comicbooks will last for years:

• Bags for the current sizes of comic books


• Backing boards


• Boxes

I get all of them from King's comics where I also buy my books. They are a little expensive but they will help preserve value so I consider them as an investment.

The PlayTV is Superb!

I bought a PlayTV bundled with my PS3 console last month. Aside from the great joy that I get from playing NBA 2k11, the PlayTV has been the real clincher. We love it very much because we can finally catch all these shows we've been missing (we don't have cable). Sony hit a home run with this product because along with the kick-ass gaming experience, you've also got a great entertainment system to go with it.

You don't need a Tivo anymore as it allows you to record shows even when the unit is switched off. It's got a great interface for searching for shows that you like. It comes with an EPG (electronic programming guide) where you can set your favorite channels and pick out which programs you want to record.

It's easy to check which programs have been scheduled and even has a short description of what the program is about (see picture below). Plus an indicator of how much memory is left in your HDD storage.

We actually use the PlayTV much more that any other software on the PS3. For young husbands out there, it will help you win over your wife to finally let you buy that PS3 console you've always wanted.

Somethings to watch out for: Video performance may suffer if you choose to play a game at the same time when PlayTV is recording. Performance issues come about when you have too many programs in your library. Try to have some discipline by not allowing your shows to gather some cobwebs.

Baby Accessory: The Perfect Playmat

It took us a while before we found the right playmat for our baby. We've always wanted to let her play on the floor, to help her develop her reflexes and strength, but the mats and throws we used previously seemed to irritate her skin. She just didn't seem to enjoy being on the floor with them. The Tiny Love Super Mat from Baby Zone Superstore was a good find. Baby likes it. She's got her favorite tile which has a material that rustles like paper when you touch it. underneath it is a teether which baby loves to munch on. The mat covers a good sized area too so she can roll around without getting off the mat easily. There's a stand-up mirror too which she likes looking at. Best of all, it's good on her skin. Yep, definitely one of the best purchases we made for our little princess!

Kindle works on the iPhone and iPad

Just like everybody else, I was skeptical of e-books as a medium. After all, books have always been on paper. Besides, the LCD screen looked like it could be harmful to my eyes. My wife told me about the Kindle app on the iPad and iPhone and I thought of giving them a go. I downloaded a free Sherlock Holmes book but never got around to reading it.

I really wanted to read Stieg Larrson's Milleniium Trilogy but I didnt want to spend too much on it. We went around the book shops here like Big W, Borders and Dymocks but they all cost from $16 to $26 each. We felt it was too much (yeah right, I sometimes spend that much on comicbooks every week). No luck with book sales too as people snapped them up as soon as the doors opened (a pity because they sell books from $2 to $10). So I went online to my favorite online store, Amazon. The cheapest book was an e-book at $7! Since I wouldnt be true to being Mr. Cheap, I went for it.

It was so easy to read. It was convenient on the bus and bus stops, in the lounge and while doing your "business". Best of all, i could read it easily while lying down on the bed without switching on my reading lamp.

A lot of people will still buy paperbacks. I'm sure they will be around for many years. But having these e-books around is just great for money conscious guys like me who want their books cheap and easily accessible.

NBA 2K11 : Head and Shoulders Above the Competition

I wasn't a part of the PS2 generation. During my pursuit of a higher education, I had opted not to get a console in those years. I decided that I would just play games on my PC where I discovered Civilization II, III, and IV (which by the way are all excellent!).

NBA 2k11 was too hard to ignore though. Friends were posting about it and saw some videos on Facebook. The graphics really intrigued me and there were a lot of feedback on how good the gameplay was.

Four weeks ago, my wife gave me the go-ahead to get a PS3. And I can definitely say that this game was worth it. I got it on sale at EB Games here in Australia and I am really happy. The gameplay is much better than NBA Live! 08 by EA Sports (which I played on the PC) especially the action underneath the basket. In 2k11, the players have fluid movements... while in NBA Live, the players were stiff such that after a while you just got bored.

I also love the Game highlights during halftime and at the end because it feels very much like the NBA TV coverages in real life. The atmosphere during gameplay is also very lively and does a good job of capturing the feel of a real NBA stadium.

Overall, this is a solid buy and will provide hundreds of hours of entertainment for hardocre basketball fans. Good job by 2K Sports!

Taytay in the early 80's

Taytay is only 12 kilometers from the Greenhills Shopping Center. But in the early 80's, it already took us more than an hour to get there on normal days. Normally we would start at Ortigas extension at Taytay then pass Junction, Rosario, Marikina river bridge, Meralco, EDSA, then reach Greenhills.

The problem was that the volume of cars coming from Rizal was increasing while Rosario was still one lane on either side. At the same time, the construction of the Manggahan floodway was started around 1981. So the same bumper to bumper jams that you see now were actually there since 1980 (so don't feel to bad hehe).
To get around this, my dad would sometimes make a detour around Valley golf - exit through Sumulong highway (where Seven Suites Hotel and Grilla are located now) then drive through Marcos highway -turn left at Ligaya - drive 5 kilometers along A. Rodriguez avenue - then exit through Rosario. Marcos highway was empty back then. None of the subdivisions had been constructed (no Q-mart, Sta. Lucia) and only farmlands could be seen all around.

I would know that we were close to Rosario because I would see the big "FUMAKILLA" insecticide factory along A. Rodriguez. I think this factory is at the intersection of Industria street with A. Rodriguez (there's a Jollibee there now).

All these roads are much busier now and Taytay and Antipolo's population have increased significantly since then. And Unimart is not the only destination that's near Taytay anymore. Good to remember those times. Too bad I don't have any old pictures of the places I mentioned.