You already know who I'm going for. The Magic are going to be the underdogs but I think we definitely have a shot at winning it all. I don't think anyone expected us to be here, especially after Jameer Nelson went down, and the doubters are still here. But I still think no one in the NBA can beat the Magic when they defend, rebound, run, and move the ball around on offense. It's just a matter of us focusing on those key areas and showing up to play. People say we live and die by the 3pter but we've shown we can still win games when it isn't falling. People counted the Magic out when they were down 2-3 to the Celtics and they're still here, so who knows.

A couple of things to look for:

-How do Courtney Lee and Mickael Pietrus deal with Kobe Bryant?
-How do Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum deal with Dwight Howard?
-Can Los Angeles contain Orlando's 3pters?
-Will Lamar Odom actually show up?
-Which bench will perform better?

Game 1 is Thursday at 9PM EST on ABC, get ready for a hell of a series

In two more days, the interwebs will explode with the cries of fanboys and gamers everywhere. The biggest gaming event of the year is set to happen. Massive ownage, megatons, and exclusives will be handed out and gamers all over the world will explode of excitment and glee. What are your predictions for this year? Will you be watching the conferences live? Tell me in the comments damnit!

Here are my predictions from back in April

Nintendo

After a very poor performance last year and very little big games coming out, I expect Nintendo come with a BIG splash this year. Last year's E3 conference was the worst I have ever seen. Who can forget that terrible showing of Shawn White's Snowboarding and that borderline creepy Ravi Drums appearance. They better deliver! A new Mario? New Zelda? Will that Kid Icarus game finally be reveiled? Who knows? Not me.

Predictions
- The standard talking about their sales and how much better they are for the average person
- Footage of Punch Out!!! Wii
- Zelda: Spirit Tracks footage
- New Wii channels shown
- A new Wii____ game
- Trailer for new Zelda game

Wishes
- Pikmin 3 trailer
- Dragon Quest X trailer
- Info about WiiHD
- DS2 announced
- Donkey Kong Wii

Microsoft

I actually think Microsoft has the most to prove this year. I mean their exclusive lineup is the videogame equivalent of tumbleweed rolling down a dirt road. It will be tough to top last year's megaton of FFXIII. Hopefully they just give up on crap like Lips and You're In The Movies or atleast DON'T show it at their conference because seriously, they looked like children during the presentation. That's not the type of image that Microsoft wants to project.

Predictions
- Alan Wake gameplay or trailer
- Halo ODST gameplay and live demo
- New Rare games announced, preferably KI3 and PD2
- Another Sony exclusive stolen, hopefully not MGS4
- Lips 2 and You're In The Movies 2 shown...
- BioShock 2 gameplay

Wishes
- Final Fantasy Versus XIII announced to be multiplat
- Strider 3 announced
- New Conker game
- MGS4 announced (for the lulz, I don't care about the series)
- Vagrant Story 2 (BIG WISH!)

Sony

Sony hasn't done that much better than Microsoft last year but atleast they announced quite a few new games like MAG. R&C: Quest for Booty, and Resistance: Retribution. They said a bold statement that this year's E3 is going to be the biggest in 11 years. I hope for Sony's case that are correct, and make the console war much interesting.

Predictions
- MAG gameplay
- Final Fantasy XIII gameplay
- God of War 3 trailer + gameplay
- R&C: Crack in Time gameplay
- Team ICO game shown
- Sales talk about PSP blah blah blah

Wishes
- Team ICO game shown
- Final Fantasy XIII NA demo announced
- Tomba 3 shown (Big wish)
- Strider 3 trailer
- Vagrant Story (BIG WISH!)

Here's the full schedule of conferences

Microsoft Press Conference: 10:30 am PT, June 1
Electronic Arts Press Conference: 2:00 pm PT, June 1
Ubisoft Press Conference: 5:00 pm PT, June 1
Nintendo Press Conference: 9:00 am PT, June 2
Sony Press Conference: 11:00 am PT, June 2

Which conferences you gonna watch this year? I might need to skip cIass to see the main ones. It's going to be the first year I might miss them but oh well. I can't wait for the forums to explode. Gentlemen, this is it. Nerd mode, on.

Expect a HUGE opinion blog from yours truly.

Just a list that i'm going to update with games i've played through and beat this year. New or Old

1. Fable 2 - 8/10
2. Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway - 8.5/10
3. Braid - 8.5/10
4. GTA IV: The Lost and the Damned - 9/10
5. Civilization Revolution - 8.5/10
6. Left 4 Dead - 9/10

Working on

Morrowind
MGS
Burnout Paradise
Stranglehold
Hitman 2
Okami
Ico
Banjo Kazooie(360)

1. Fab 5 Freddy - Intro
2. Black Sheep - I'm the One
3. Big Daddy Kane - Like That, Y'all
4. Biz Markie - My Name Is...
5. MC Lyte - Listen Up
6. Grand Puba - Let's Go
7. Smooth B (of Nice & Smooth) - I Want My Money Back
8. Graig G - Catch a Lyrical Beatdown
9. Chubb Rock - Chubb Rocks the Party
10. Special Ed - This Mic
11. Doug E. Fresh - It Ain't Nothin'
12. Jungle Brothers - Back In the Jungle
13. Just Ice - I Run the Streets
14. Melle Mel & Grandmaster Caz - The Battle Is On
15. Master Ace - Revolution's 'Bout To Start

A release which has the internet buzzing: Top Shelf 8/8/88. This compilation comes with a too-good-to-be-true backing story. Indeed listeners will easily be able to tell that these tracks weren't laid down back in the day but what we're left with is a brilliant concept many Hip-Hop heads will welcome with open arms: "Golden Age" legends kickin' 88 st.yle rhymes over 88 st.yle beats. As you can see from the tracklisting this album is something to get excited about. Once Yo! MTV Rap's presenter Fab 5 Freddy finishes the introduction Dres kicks off the album with a ludicrously fast rap, kickin' cocky lines straight over your head in true Black Sheep fashion. Next up is Big Daddy Kane but I couldn't help feeling a bit under-whelmed by this track. Kane circa 88 brings to mind furious cl&ssics like "Raw" and "Set It Off" but of course his performance here isn't as agile. However he still has that "if a rapper tries to diss I'll crush the mother ******" swagger. Biz Markie's appearance could easily be "Just Rhymin' With Biz" Pt. 2. His lazy flow, random rhymes and beat boxing sound as if they might well have been recorded in 88. Lyte's delivery is also in 80's mode and she name-drops many New York golden age artists and venues which makes for some misty eyed nostalgia which is the redeeming quality of her track. "Let's Go" by Brand Nubian's Grand Puba is quite possibly my favourite track on the album. His voice is a bit higher pitched but his cheeky lines; delivery and a funky bass line make that irrelevant. "Who's that cat that rocks the hot track, wack stay back it's the leader of the pack, don't test, try to mess, you know my st.yle like Daddy I'm fresh." "See I'm nice with the mic device, turn a hot MC into a block of ice, slaughter MCs that step in my path, school them on the whole coz they don't know the half." Yeeeeeeah! Smooth B busts his Nice & Smooth-days patented, inane party rhymes more designed for rocking the jam than wowing with listeners with lyrical intricacies. But still, it's dope. Likewise is Craig G's "Catch a Lyrical Beatdown". He flows nicely and benefits from one of the best beats and track titles of the album. Craig G closes out his spot by droppin' a gem, 88 old school st.yle: "We in here like swimwear... peace." The album finishes off with a poignant story rap from Master Ace, formerly of Cold Chillin'. Definitely a brilliant closer and one of the highlights of the album.

What this album reflects is a yearning for the seemingly abandoned characteristics of Hip-Hop's "golden age". A time when Run-D.M.C.'s mainstream breakthrough of the mid-80s demonstrated Hip-Hop's commercial viability to the music industry. Not yet knowing what to make of this new, unconventional art form the labels allowed the music to flourish with little intervention. The New York Hip-Hop community was like one big happy incestuous family (in a good way). A time when friendly competition and one-up-man-ship elevated the art of rhyme to its highest level, on record beefs were never allowed to spiral out of control, producers were developing ever new and fresh sampling st.yles, collaborations were rife but biting (purposely imitating) was a sure way to get your reputation flushed down the toilet. Early gangsta/hardcore (or "reality" rap as it was originally called) emerged alongside alternative, afro-centric Hip-Hop spearheaded by the Native Tongues Posse. Energetic young MCs were making a name for themselves with goofy, unconventional lyrical acrobatics while political rappers were brimming with righteous anger over the social injustices they saw in Reagan's America. Hip-Hop could be anything and everything and it still had a direct connection to and respect for its foundation: the old school pioneers who "paved the way" for the next wave of MCs and DJs to build something lasting upon their achievements. Those were the conditions of late 80s New York that produced dozens of top-notch albums, the bulk of which were released in 1988. Arguably the best year in Hip-Hop (as demonstrated by my profile banner.) Bear in mind I wasn't even born in 1988 and I didn't become a serious Hip-Hop fan until 2 years ago. But in those 2 years I have listened and enjoyed Hip-Hop for hours each day and what I have gathered is that since Hip-Hop's "golden age" there has been a general decline in the quality of music being marketed. That is not an attempt to whine it's just a simple observation. Of course there are exceptions but every Hip-Hop fan has to accept that this is the case. Things just ain't the same. "Nowadays it sounds a little different when a man raps".

And this is what Top Shelf 8/8/88 represents. A yearning for the good ol' days when Hip-Hop was just better than the crap-fest it supposedly is now. But what some fall victim to is the "everything that came out after '97 is bull ****" syndrome. This is most common amongst new Hip-Hop fans who perhaps weren't even born never mind aware of Hip-Hop in 1988 and therefore tend to over-romanticise its golden age at the expense of current music being released. I know I did. While it is crucial to have an appreciation of the great music made at that time it is also important to support good Hip-Hop in the present, of which there is plenty to enjoy. 8/8/88 is a celebration of 1988 Hip-Hop but still, it is an imitation. We can't go back in time. Hip-Hop will never recapture that youthful, fresh energy. It has seen too much, grown too world-weary and of course will never be the same again.

If you got this far thanks for reading. Remember to check the album and leave a comment.

Georges St. Pierre fought a near perfect fight tonight against UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Hughes to become the new 170 lb Champion.

In the opening round St. Pierre took advantage of Hughes' willingness to stand by sustaining a beautifully varied attack. He threw low kicks, high kicks, lots of jabs and even a spinning back kick. Two of his kicks struck Matt low and although he received a warning from referee Big John McCarthy this did not slow his momentum.

With about a minute left in round one St Pierre caught a low kick from Matt and took him down. While in top position he easily passed to half guard and delivered a few shots to Matt's face. Matt escaped to his feet and decided he'd had enough of the standup. He tried to take Georges and even secured double underhooks but St. Pierre showed tremendous strength and managed to avoid the ground. As soon as he broke free of Matt's clinch he threw a blazing Superman-Left Hook-Left Hook combo that connected solidly sending Hughes crashing to the canvas. Matt was hurt but before Georges could finish him the horn sounded to end the first. If this sequence took place ten seconds earlier St. Pierre would have likely ended the fight. As it turned out it only delayed the inevitable.

St. Pierre began round two exactly where he left off in round one. Taking Matt apart while standing. Just over a minute into round two St. Pierre landed a big left kick to Matt's jaw that dropped him. Georges immediately pounced on him and began flurrying with punches. He switched to elbows and landed two flush shots to Matt's face forcing referee Big John McCarthy to stop the fight. Official time was 1:25.

After the fight Georges offered Matt words of encouragement and promised him a rematch. Hughes confessed to Randy Couture that he had no idea it was a kick that sent him down until he saw the replay.

Yes that's an 0 in there. Anyways, look at this ****.

Best movie name EVAR

This week has been really hard on my body. I have been going to bed late and waking up early for football practises. Just joined my junior team but the practises are really hard. We have to like sprint the field and on every end of the field do 10 push-ups. We ended up with like 50. We were practicing with the grade 12's and this 300 lb. 6"7 guy came at me to tackle. I was like oooooooooohhhhhhhh ****!!!! But he was kind of a big wusy. And yesterday after my practise i had a playoff soccer game. I was so tired and basically lost it or the team. But now were out This weekend should be tons of fun. I am going up north for the last time this year. There is a Saturday night dance ... than on SUNDAY ... I am going to a SUM 41 CONCERT!!!!!! WOOOOOO HOOOOOOOO! But than when tuesday comes it's back to school for me.

Lmao, nothin' special, but nice an' simple. like my logo?

I was too lazy to post this at OTB so here it is:

I'm still on vacation in the Philippines and expect me to be back around the 21st of this month.

PS: I have 5-10 more albums coming up the bag from BMG's offer, so I am just getting started.

I'm thinking of actually giving this Union thing a go.

I'm gonna try and get the UCB portion of my Union going....

I'm still deciding on a theme though, any ideas?