Wicked: For Good and JR De Guzman

My wife and I had a fun weekend watching the movie, Wicked: For Good, and seeing the Filipino comedian, JR De Guzman. Like with the first movie, Wicked: For Good is for a very particular audience, but it did have a surprising amount of action in the movie. I would argue that the first movie was better as it had the more well-known songs along, and it seemed to spotlight Alfaba more. In Wicked: For Good, it seemed to spotlight Glinda more, but Ariana Grande does a great performance. She switches from the good representative of Oz to a surlier person throughout the movie, and her “fight” with Alfaba is a lot of fun. The transformation of the tin man was also very dark and haunting. Overall, I thought that it was a good movie.

We also watched comedian, JR De Guzman, with our friends who are married. We came straight from work, and I personally was not feeling particularly well with a small headache coming around. However, once we got to the venue, sat down and ate, I felt normal. We have seen De Guzman two times already, but it has been a while since we last saw him. He added some new material to his act along with amping up the musicality of his set. He does many sexual jokes, which is hit or miss for some people. I feel that his comfort with the audience and his quick wit are at a high, or at its peak with him. He always has a fun show though.

It was a fun weekend with lots of good entertainment. The movie offerings as of late have been average at best, but Wicked: For Good already is doing great in the global box office. Watching comedians live will always be a treat, and we are very familiar with JR De Guzman. As long as a good entertainment product is being offered, we are more than willing to pay and be entertained.

UFC 322 and Paramount+

My friends and I watched UFC 322, and it was a very good card with some historic wins, upsets, new contenders rising and whatnot. It did not help though that the last two fights went five rounds that were wrestling and top-control heavy. Islam Makhachev defeated the champion, Jack Della Maddalena, for the UFC Welterweight Title while Valentino Shevchenko successfully defended her UFC Women’s Flyweight Title against former UFC Strawweight Champion, Weili Zhang. Islam is now in an elite class of UFC double-champs while also being in discussions of being the number one pound-for pound fighter. Other standout moments of the night were pretty much all the finishes from Michael Morales, Carlos Prates, Benoit St. Denis, Bo Nickal and other finishes. Prates and Morales are now in contention for the Welterweight Title. There is a lot that came from this card that will set the future for some weight divisions well into next year.

My wife discovered that if we get a Walmart Plus membership, then we would get a free subscription to Paramount+. This is really good for us as we shop at Walmart regularly, having one very close to our place, but also, the UFC is going to have all their content next year on Paramount+. We looked through the Paramount+ catalog, and honestly, did not find anything new that was too interesting. However, looking through their older and classic stuff, that is where the value lies for us, outside of it housing the UFC next year. Old Nickelodeon shows, classic cartoons like Heathcliff, classic shows like I Love Lucy were in the Paramount+ catalog. My wife is currently watching Hot in Cleveland, which started in 2010 (and one of the last good years for television and movies). This deal pretty much pays for itself.

UFC 322 will be one of the last of the UFC pay-per-view era, and with an $80.00 price tag per UFC PPV card, I will be glad to see pay-per-view gone and into streaming with Paramount+.

Physical: Asia and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Progression

My wife and I have started watching Physical: Asia on Netflix, and we are very entertained by it. Eight teams representing different countries compete in different challenges, called quests. One of the main appeals to us was that it had Filipino boxing superstar, Manny Pacquiao, as a contestant. When they had the teams introduced, the last team was Philippines, and everyone was so surprised and in awe of seeing Pacquiao there. It is unfortunate, but not that surprising, that Pacquiao had to leave in the middle of the season. There are also MMA fighters that I am familiar with on the show like: Robert Whittaker, Yushin Okami, Dong Hyun Kim, and Mark Mugen. It is fun actually seeing everyone’s skills at work and making a difference at times. So far, Team Australia looks like the team to beat, in my opinion.

I am becoming much more comfortable as a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Brown Belt. Upon receiving the Brown Belt, I did not feel like I deserved it. Since I received the Brown Belt, I really am changing my focus and just my overall mental game. As a Purple Belt, I really was just going through the motions and grinding through, becoming very complacent. I would even tap when I could have fought more, showing how lazy I became. I really did not have any sort of goal towards my Brown Belt. With how I got this Brown Belt though, I now have an idea of what this final push towards a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt looks like. As far as the technical side of things is concerned, I have knowledge at what I can and cannot do at pretty much any given position. There is always something new to learn, but I feel that the mental side of things is what I need to work on. There were positions where I would just stay neutral by choice, but now, I really have to put in the effort not to get in a position of complacence. It has actually been working out well for me, and I actually feel that I have leveled up a bit in a short amount of time just by the sheer act of “trying.”

Physical: Asia has competitors at the top of their sport or athletic profession. They have this drive to try as hard as they can, and have reached the top with the right training, skills, drive and mentality. I am trying to get to my Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt by putting it all together, physically and mentally.

World Series 2025 and Tire Changing

The MLB World Series final between the LA Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays ended, and the Dodgers ended up winning. It was a very intense series with Game 3 going 18 innings, and Game 7 going extra innings. My wife and I have watched the Dodgers play live, and they are just really good, especially with the roster that they have. Sports are a really good way of bringing people together and finding common ground. I have family, co-workers, neighbors and others who were watching these games with high anticipation, staying up late at times. It is a shared cultural experience.

While the World Series was exciting, the only other notable thing that happened this week was having my tires changed. Having the tire pressure light come on, putting in air, and having it come back on just a few days later is always nerve-racking. All of a sudden, driving on the road just feels a little different, as if the tire can explode or fall off the car at any moment. Also, going to the mechanic for anything just takes so much time and money. What would be the time that I go to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class is now being used to wait for my tires to be replaced, and of course, the Costco where I got them done was particularly busy on that day and time.

Weeks can have a mix of the total mundane and history-making sports events. The World series, and sports in general, is the average individual’s way of getting away from the regular and mundane, and to watch something exceptional.

Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc and Writing Fight Scenes

My wife and I watched the Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc movie, and it was a lot of fun. Words like “chaotic,” “psychotic” and “kinetic” are just a few words that would describe this movie. The first forty minutes or so move at a brisk pace just building the story. Denji meets Reze early in the film, and they have immediate chemistry, but there is always this feeling that something is not as it seems. Once everything gets set up, and we are in the middle of the movie, then it is all action that really does not stop. Everything from bombs, fireworks, chainsaws, a Sharknado and other things are present in one of the wildest battles that I have seen in anime, and it is all animated wonderfully. It is all just kinetic energy on screen with a few comedic moments sprinkled in. The movie ends adding more mystery to Makima. The questions of who is Makima, why is everyone after Denji, and who is the Gun Devil are not answered with this movie, but just another layer is revealed. If there is one criticism with this movie, it is that some of the side characters like Aki or Power are hardly or just not present after the first act of the movie.

Even after writing The Mustard Prince in the Condiment Kingdom, I am still writing daily. I am working on The Land of the Wooden Statues, a dark fantasy, and there are a few action scenes. Considering that I practiced boxing, kickboxing and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, I thought that my fight scenes were top-notch in my stories. It turns out that there is still a lot that I have to learn, and while I can write the mechanics of fighting well and descriptively, I was not writing in a way that would get a reader involved with the fight itself. I was using far too many long, descriptive sentences for my fight scenes, and that actually takes readers out of the fight. I needed to write shorter, more precise sentences to match that pace and action that is going on in a fight scene. Longer sentences can be interjected to build anticipation or do other things, but I was writing only long sentences. It is good though that I know this now, and it goes to show that I am still learning and growing as a writer.

Chainsaw Man had fight scenes correct with so much going on but still allowing the audience to follow along with the action. Everything is quick, precise and the impactful moments are done at the right time. I need to also do that with my own writing, especially with my fight scenes. Thankfully, I have discovered this just with my second book, so I still have time to rewrite the action scenes.

After Dallas and Chainsaw Man

Getting home from Dallas, Texas, we did not really relax. That night that we returned, we had to perform church duties. The next day, we went out with my wife’s cousin. The day after that, we had a family dinner with my family. The day after that, I went to an open mat Brazilian Jiu Jitsu with a friend. Saturdays are always busy with church and other errands to attend to. On Saturday night, we slept for almost half a day well into Sunday, seemingly needing sleep. It was just a really busy week coming from all already busy short trip to Dallas, Texas.

My wife and I started watching the anime, Chainsaw Man, this week, and we have already finished the first season of twelve episodes. We both really liked the anime and have already pre-ordered tickets for the movie. Besides the ultra-violence and gore, the characters are also just very interesting. Denji is not a usual protagonist with honorable motivations and sense of good values. His motivations are entirely self-serving with no real morality behind them. Despite a few things revealed about Makima, she is still very much a mystery. The other characters have different motivations with even some pretty major characters dying as well. After twelve episodes, it honestly feels like the series just got started. One of the main villains is spoken about but never seen. New characters were introduced late into the season, and mysteries are still abundant. We are very much looking forward to see what Chainsaw Man offers in the future.

It looks like our schedule for the foreseeable future will not be so hectic. It was nice to already finish the first season of the Chainsaw Man anime television series, and we look forward to watching the movie which will continue straight from where season one left off. I do not mind the busy days, as that is just a part of life, but it does make me appreciate the slow, idyllic days as well.

Dallas, Texas and Choir Day

My wife and I went to Dallas, TX for four days as part of a Choir Day event that our church around the country put together at the Curtis Culwell Center. We travelled with three other friends. It was a very interesting trip, to say the least, with issues starting at the car rental. Going to the car rental place was already new to us as it was not connected to the airport, but we had to shuttle there. Once we got there, they did not have the mini-SUV that we ordered for rental, but instead, just told us to pick any car that was on the lot. There were not many choices, especially for five people, with the only vehicles able to accommodate all of us and our luggage being the Dodge Ram Bid Horns, which are big pickup trucks. We ended up getting a black Dodge Ram, and it was difficult to drive, similar to driving a U-Haul truck. Our hotel though was nice, and it was not a far drive from the venue for the Choir Day.

On all three nights, we had to wake up before sunrise to get early to the venue, and on the last day, to wake up on time for our early flight home. We did get to eat some really good chicken at Babe’s Chicken Dinner House, and some fantastic Texas barbecue at Terry Black’s Barbecue, and it was definitely better than anything that we could get here in California. The Choir Day itself was great, with a big majority of our church’s choir from all over the country gathered at the Curtis Culwell Center for a very special worship service. The standout moment for me was hearing the children’s choir singing, as they did a great job and were extremely enthusiastic about it.

By the end of it all, I did get used to driving the Dodge Ram. Southern hospitality is definitely a thing, except in our car rental. After dropping off the vehicle, we ate an early breakfast at a TGI Fridays in the airport. Out server was friendly and went above expectations. We all slept on the flight home, and as someone who has a hard time sleeping in airplanes, this was a first to sleep relatively well in one.

UFC 320 and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Brown Belt

I watched UFC 320: Ankalaev vs Pereira 2, and it was a really fun event. I viewed it with a different set of people not at my place, so it saved me some money, which is always nice. Alex Pereira just steamrolled through Magomed Ankalaev in the main event, regaining the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship in this rematch. It was a lot different from their first fight, which was more tentative, as Pereira just immediately went forward and put heavy pressure on Ankalaev, who was on the back foot for as long as the fight was. In the co-main event, UFC Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili defeated Cory Sandhagen by unanimous decision in an interesting fight. The fight had its moments, especially in the second round when Merab nearly finished Sandhagen, but the fight ended up in a similar pattern throughout the rounds with Merab using his superior wrestling and cardio to get the win. Otherwise, the Khalil Rountree vs Jiri Prochazka was my favorite fight of the night.

I actually received my Brazilian Jiu Jitsu brown belt last week. It was an unexpected happening, and with something like getting a belt promotion in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, there is always the question of whether it is deserved or not. As a purple belt, while we are constantly learning, a practitioner’s style of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is more or less established at that point. I was pretty much just grinding away with some days just going because it is routine. I have to admit though that I got really complacent at times, and unfortunately, the roll that I did before getting the brown belt, I was far too complacent and did not try as hard as I could. When I got the brown belt, I honestly did not feel like I deserved it at that moment, but it was a really good lesson for me. Now, with this last stretch to a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt, I am already establishing a goal of being more mentally ready and attentive each class.

Combat sports has a way of teaching individuals in a very physical and mentally demanding way. I can only imagine winning and losing at the highest levels of combat sports, and even as just a general Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner, it is quite draining. It definitely builds character and tells a lot about oneself.

Lea Salonga and Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle

My wife and I went to see a Lea Salonga concert at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa. My wife is a huge fan of hers, and I am familiar with her being the singing voice of Princess Jasmine in Aladdin (1992). The venue really had no bad seats, and we sat at the top balcony. Despite our seating, we could see the stage just fine and enjoy the show. There was a full band with two keyboard players, a pianist, a drummer, a bass guitar player, a lead guitar player and two background singers. The performances from Lea Salonga consisted of songs from movies, Disney, one Filipino song and other songs. I’ve been to hip hop shows and smaller concerts, but this one felt more professional, sophisticated and elegant. My wife loved it, as it was her first time seeing Lea Salonga performing live. I enjoyed it much more than I thought that I would, and it helps that I was familiar with a majority of the songs that were performed.

We also watched the Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle anime movie, and it quite honestly was one of the best movies that I have seen all year. Visually, this movie is just amazing with so much movement and kinetic energy on screen. I own and have read the whole manga series and am up-to-date with the anime series, but this movie just takes the existing manga material and elevates it with the colors, visuals, fight choreography, music and whatnot. The Infinity Castle setting is already a character in itself, and every one of the good guys from the low-level swordsmen to the Hashira were fighting for their lives. The first part of the movie where Tanjiro and the Hashira freefalling was quite a visual. The last part of the movie spent a lot of time on the backstory of the Upper Level three demon, Akaza, which makes him much more human and sympathetic. Overall, I could not recommend this movie enough, but only for those who watch Demon Slayer or have read the manga.

The Lea Salonga concert and the Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle movie were the top of their forms of entertainment. Both were well worth the price of admission, and I am glad that my wife and I got to see them both.

Family Time and the Summer 2025 Anime Season

My wife and I went to The Welk Resorts in Escondido, CA, with my mother and father for a mini vacation. We used our timeshare, and outings like this are exactly why we got it. It was only for two nights, but we got to have family bonding time. The villas were very nice, and we even got to bring our dog. My dad told us how he got into the U.S. Navy from the Philippines and how hard he worked to really achieve the American Dream. We also went to National City where there is a big Filipino community and many Filipino stores. We ate some Filipino food for breakfast and got some halo-halo dessert as well. We even went to church together in the neighboring city, Vista, and we got to get brunch at a local breakfast place there. It was a fun time, and I could tell that my parents enjoyed it.

It was also the end of a lot of anime series this week for the summer 2025 anime season. While a few did get sequels picked up, many others did not. For those that did not, manga or light novels are the only way to continue on with the story, making the anime simply an advertisement for the light novels or manga. A lot of series every season, admittedly, are rather “mid” and really not worth continuing. The fantasy isekai genre and the banished from the heroes party sub-genre have been very prevalent as of late, and many of them are just average at best. Being someone who enjoys and writes fantasy, I cannot help but watch them anyways. As far as series that I really liked this season, there is: Gachiakuta, Dan Da Dan, Kaiju No. 8, Secrets of the Silent Witch, Dr. Stone, and Clevates. Ones that I enjoyed that I would consider good-but-not-great are: The Shy Hero and the Assassin Princesses, Bad Girl, New Saga, Dealing with Mikadono Sisters is a Breeze, I was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince season 2 and Welcome to the Outcast’s Restaurant. The fall season anime list came out, and I’m sure that I’ll watch a lot of those.

Overall, it was a much-needed relaxing week, especially considering the tragedies from the week before. Having the ability to have a short vacation via our timeshare, especially with family, is a benefit that we did not think of when purchasing the timeshare. As far as entertainment is concerned, anime is in full abundance with series that range from average to great. Vacationing and entertainment though are there for the escapism, which can very much be needed.

Charlie Kirk and Sarper Guven

It would be difficult not to talk about Charlie Kirk and what happened to him. I am familiar with him, his work, his organization, seen clips of his all over social media, knew that he was parodied in South Park, etc. Politic assassinations of this type are still pretty rare here in the U.S. (thankfully), and while Kirk was in the political sphere, he was not a politician. The reaction to this has mostly been respectful even with some of his political rivals being respectful, but there are those that have shown disrespect, which is sad to see. However, it looks like some have lost jobs because of things said about this. It was a sight to see that people in the U.K., South Korea and Australia, among other countries/continents were, marching praying and keeping vigils for Charlie Kirk, showing how far his reach had gone. It is sad that he died so young, leaving behind a wife and two children, along with the mourning of many fans and followers of his.

On a lighter note, my wife and I went to Escondido in San Diego County to see Sarper Guven from the reality show, 90 Day Fiance. He started to do standup comedy, and after just a few months, he is already headlines shows. My wife and I watch standup comedy regularly, so we have an idea of good comedians and amateurs. On the show, they showed Sarper’s first ever standup comedy on an open mic night, and he was not good, but it was totally understandable. We did wonder if Sarper was going to sound like an amateur during his routine, but thankfully, he was solid and earned his headliner spot. His act mainly talked about being married, but he did insert a few 90 day references. At the end of his set, he brought out his wife, Shekinah, who is also heavily featured in 90 Day Fiance. That was a pleasant surprise, and I hope nothing but the best for Sarper’s career as a comedy and his relationship with Shekinah.

It was a week filled with much tragedy. Something like comedy is there to help soothe and alleviate the tragedy of this world, and seeing Sarper did just that. I can only hope and pray for the family of Charlie Kirk, and I suppose that tragedy and the unexpected are just a part of this world and life in general.

Confidantes and Not Waiting

My wife and I have recently experienced situations where individuals, usually younger than us, have been confiding in us about matters related to life and relationships. Our story is one of long distance throughout the Pandemic, and by the grace of God, we got married. Now, people have been confiding in us with their own long-distance relationships or starting one. It is humbling to know that there are those that are asking me for advice. Admittedly, I never had “game” (or “rizz” as the young people call it now), but I did learn from others’ relationships and from my own mistakes. Having gone through the whole long-distance relationship, dealing with parents, travel, immigration and the like, I do have knowledge that I can pass on to others who are trying the same thing. Also, I have always wanted to be a mentor to others and wish that I had a mentor when I was younger.

For those who are trying the long-distance thing, that is an opportunity. When I was younger, I was not at all opportunistic. It took a while for me to wake up and actually start achieving things. I worked part-time for a while going to college, but once I finished college, I was still working part-time and living at my parent’s house. There wasn’t one thing that made me finally want to get out of my situation, but once I did, I got a full-time job and things just went up from there. I eventually became more opportunistic, but when I hear some younger people talk about what they want to do, a word that I hear from them is “wait.” In my opinion, the word “wait” should not be in someone’s vocabulary if they are trying to pursue new opportunities, whether that entails relationships, housing, employment, etc. The word that I would use is “initiative.”

Being a confidante and mentor to others is something that I have wanted for a while, and it is good that is now happening. I hope that more younger people take opportunities, take the initiative, and do not wait as I have done in the past.

Rob Schneider and WWE Clash in Paris

My wife and I saw a Rob Schneider comedy show at the Brea Improv, and it was really good. We got VIP tickets, so he was right in front of us. Before he performed, we noticed musical instruments and wondered who this is for. It turned out to be for Rob Schneider, who played some covers of Elvis, Paul McCartney, and others. He even acknowledged my wife when he made a joke about being Filipino. Rob Schneider these days has made no secret as to where his political affiliation lies, and there was a good amount of politics in his act. However, I thought that it was funny and not particularly mean-spirited. Besides the politics, he brought up women, marriage, and other topics. At the end, my wife and I got to shake his hand.

WWE also had their Clash in Paris PLE, and I thought that it was a lot of fun. The Rusev vs. Sheamus match was a bar fight, and most of the other matches were good to great. The ending with Becky Lynch helping her real-life husband win the fatal four-way made sense, and I am curious to see how they work together this time with both being heels. The worked together as babyfaces some years back, and it was terrible. However, I think that this time, it can work out. Others like Bronson Reed and even Logan Paul really stepped up to the moment despite losing, with Reed losing to Roman Reigns and Paul losing to John Cena.

It was a fun with some fun surprises. My wife and I were very happy going to the Rob Schneider show and even shaking his hand at the end. WWE Clash in Paris ended with a surprising finish that sets stories up for the future. Sometimes, things just end up well going above expectation.

My Wife’s Birthday and 90 Day Fiancé: Hunt for Love

My wife’s birthday was this week, and we celebrated with a massage, head spa and eating out. The massage and head spa were incredibly relaxing to the point where I just felt totally idle. As a birthday gift to her, I gave her a bag that she has wanted for a long time. I bought it in secret online and had it shipped to my work. I then put it in the trunk of our car. However, we had to stop by a Costco to buy some things, and I opened the trunk hoping everything would fit. However, the box took too much space, and my wife saw the box. I had to admit to my wife that was her birthday present. Thankfully, the part of the box that was visible was blank, so she had no idea what was inside. I then hid the box while she was busy in one of our closets and presented her the gift right when it became midnight of her birthday.

My wife and I are also regular viewers of the reality television series, 90 Day Fiancé, and all their spinoffs. This season had 90 Day Fiancé: Hunt for Love, where previous members of 90 Day Fiancé and their spinoffs along with other people not a part of the franchise are taken to a resort in Tulum, Mexico to try and find someone. It was one of the spicier spinoffs of the 90 Day fiancé franchise, and I could not help but feel good for some characters by the end of it, but also felt bad for others. One person had a full hero-to-villain arc, while other characters had redemption arcs and other things going on with them. The 90 Day Fiancé franchise though really illustrates the differences between men and women, and it really showed with Hunt for Love.

This was a fun week with the last episode of 90 Day Fiancé: Hunt for Love before the Tell All, and my wife’s birthday. Things may not go as planned whether that’s birthday gifts or finding someone, but they ended up turning out to be good at the end of it all.

Freakier Friday and UFC 319

My wife and I watched Freakier Friday, and it was an enjoyable movie. We went to an arthouse theater about a year ago and watched the original Disney Freaky Friday, so we still remembered the story beats, characters and whatnot. Freakier Friday pretty played the same story beats as the original, except with a changed dynamic involving four characters switching bodies instead of two. Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis can pretty much play these roles in their sleep at this point. The actresses playing the daughters of the main couple were good enough. There was enough nostalgia in the movie for fans of the original while having its own story for new fans. There was even some Filipino representation in the movie as well, and it had next to no social-political messaging.

I also watched UFC 319: du Plessis vs. Chimaev with friends over the weekend. On the main card, there were two spinning back elbow finishes, which is surprising considering how rare those finishes are. In the main event, challenger Khamzat Chimaev totally dominated Driscus du Plessis, who was the UFC Middleweight Champion at the time of their fight. It was a wrestling-heavy fight with Chimaev just being a wet blanket and du Plessis really having no answer for it. As someone who has been practicing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for probably over a decade now, it was surprising to me to see du Plessis making some really amateurish mistakes on the ground. Du Plessis went for guillotines and just did not detach his body from Chimaev during takedown exchanges. On the ground, du Plessis was holding onto Chimaev when he should have been trying to create space between them. With fighters like Reiner de Ridder, Nassourdine Imavov, Caio Borralho and Anthony Hernandez waiting in the wings at the UFC Middleweight division, there are no shortage of challengers. However, I do find it difficult in seeing any of them having the abilities to really fend off Chimaev’s wrestling and grappling.

There was a lot of good entertainment in movies and combat sports. Some entertainment is lighter and family-friendly, while other forms of entertainment are filled with violence.

Helping Others and Birthday

This week, my wife and I helped out senior friends who were in need. One friend just needed help with moving items, and that is something that I am used to as I moved homes quite a bit within the last six years. Outside of something heavy like a refrigerator (which I did have to move with help from friends and family to my upstairs unit when I lived in Santa Ana) some mattresses are really tricky to move as they are just so awkward. Another friend that we had to help had issues with her legs, and she could not walk under her own power. We have been assisting her when we can, and her family also assists as well. It does demonstrate a cultural difference though in how we treat our elderly. For the most part over here, the elderly have to fend for themselves a lot of times with family helping just on occasion. In other countries and cultures, the elderly would have constant care from family.

My birthday was last week, and a did take the day off that day. For breakfast on my birthday, I went with my wife and parents to Polly’s Pies, which was surprisingly good. We skipped lunch, and my wife and I went with a friend of mine to Korean Barbecue for dinner. It was really good, but granted, it is hard to find a truly bad KBBQ place. This one that we went to though had really good service, and the food quality was also very good. Outside of that, I received a few birthday cards and happy birthday messages via text or social media. As we get older, that is really all we can expect at this point, and that’s fine.

There is satisfaction in helping others and getting older and wiser. People need to lean on others, especially as they get older, so forming bonds with family and friends will make others want to help.

Fantastic Four: First Steps and WWE SummerSlam 2025

My wife and I watched Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps in the theater, and I thought that it was a solid movie. The theme of family was one that carried throughout the movie, and it actually had a very feel to it. It helped that the movie was just short of two hours and not very difficult to follow. I really liked the look of Galactus and the 1960’s retro-futuristic vibe that it had going on, making it particularly distinct from other Marvel movies. Unfortunately, it appears that it isn’t do too well in the box office, and it is questionable if it will break even. I have to wonder if audiences are burned-out by Marvel, just waiting for it to be on streaming, or if they are wary of Marvel due to some of their movies having a lot of socio-political messaging (which this movie did not have).

My friends and I also watched WWE SummerSlam night 2, and I watched night 1 the day before. Overall, I thought that it was very good. The main events for both night 1 and night 2 delivered. Night 1 had the surprise successful Money in the Bank cash-in from Seth Rollins, and Jellyroll did as good as was expected of him. I figured that something was going to happen after the Cody Rhodes vs. John Cena match, especially with Cena staying in the ring after the match for so long, and the big surprise was the return of Brock Lesnar. It was definitely a controversial move on WWE’s part. The worst matches were probably the Kross vs. Zayn match and the Fatu vs. Sikoa match. Most everything else was “good” at the very least to “excellent.” Rollins and CM Punk look to be continuing their feud, and Cena feuds with Lesnar, but there is a question of where Cody Rhodes goes next.

Overall, it was a fun weekend filled with entertainment. Marvel is moving forward with Avengers: Doomsday as their next offering, and the WWE machine keeps on going. I can only hope that what Is being offered next will be good, fun and enjoyable.

Jessica Kirson and Church Anniversary

My wife and I went to see comedian, Jessica Kirson, and she had a really good show. She started her set with crowd work, and it was some of the best and most funny crowd work that I have seen. Kirson’s background brought in a crowd that we do not usually see, but thankfully, she did not get too political or directly attack one side of the political aisle. As a comedian, Kirson was very crass and vulgar but was funny about her subject matter. Her impressions were good, and the way that she talked about the generational divide was comical. Overall, we enjoyed the show.

This weekend contained our Church’s Anniversary, and my wife and I had to prepare for it as we are officers in our Church. That meant refraining from doing activities that may hinder us, like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. That was tough as I had to miss class the week before due to sickness. We also had to wake up earlier than normal for certain activities and prayers. With work being busy, time went by really fast, and the weekend was already there. The Anniversary worship service and a subsequent picnic went really well, and I am refreshed. I look forward to going back to our usual schedule.

While it was a busy week, it was worth it. Things were not of the norm whether it was our weekly schedule or the audience for a comedy show. However, we adapted and came away feeling good and satisfied.

Pacquiao vs. Barrios and Difficulties

My wife and I watched the Manny Pacquiao versus Mario Barrios. My wife and I have been fans of Manny Pacquiao for a long time, and it should come as no surprise that most Filipinos are fans of his. The story of this fight had mostly to do with Manny Pacquiao coming back to professional boxing at 46-years-old after being gone from the sport for four years. Pacquiao performed very well considering the circumstances, and while he was not the same Manny Pacquiao in his prime, he was still able to fight evenly with a much younger world champion. The fight ended with a majority draw, which is certainly not the worst outcome for Pacquiao, but it was not the ideal outcome either. I have to think that a rematch is in store. In other combat sports, specifically the UFC, Dustin Poirier lost against Max Holloway in Poirier’s retirement fight.

This week has been busy and difficult at times. I was not feeling well on Tuesday, and my wife has been sick this whole week. I have not picked up her symptoms, and besides an occasional stuffy nose here and there, I do not know if I am sick as well. However, as a precautionary measure, I have not gone to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class this week, which is unfortunate as I felt that I was getting some momentum lately having been relatively consistent in going to class until recently. Work for both of us has been very busy where we really do not have any downtime, which is good because time goes by really fast, but with having Church activities, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, exercising and other things to do, it does feel like our time and energy is not always evenly allocated. We are still working on work/life balance.

Life comes with hardships and trials, whether one is the top professional fighter or people that are working a nine to five. Certain outcomes in life are not ideal, but that is just how things turn out, and that is actually just fine.

WWE Evolution 2 and Tragic Situations

I watched WWE Evolution 2 over the weekend, and I thought that it was a solid event. I got to check out some of the matches of WWE’s Saturday Night Main Event, but I missed the AEW All In Texas event. The ending of Evolution 2 was well done with Naomi cashing in her Money in the Bank briefcase to ultimately win the Women’s Title. The triple threat to start the show between Lyra Valkyria, Becky Lynch and Bayley was really strong. Jade Cargill and Stephanie Vaquer won their respective matches and look to be getting gold sooner rather than later. The women’s talent in WWE is quite good, and with them producing more talent through the NXT system, WWE is going to have constant talent for years to come.

This week was also filled with my wife and I visiting friends and acquaintances from our Church who went through tragic and unfortunate circumstances. One had a parent pass away while another had a stroke. Despite the circumstances, there are many lessons to take from this. Forgiveness and understanding of other people’s situations were something that we took from one friend. Gratitude and not taking things for granted was another thing that we took from another friend. Bad things do indeed happen to good people, but how one reacts to those things is very important.

Things happen for a reason, and that applies to scripted entertainment and real life. However, real life can at times be more awe-inspiring and surprising than anything that we see on our screens.