Bummer: New tennis games won't be PSP compliant

I'm eagerly anticipating the releases of two tennis games later this year, the Grand Slam Tennis by EA Sports and Virtua Tennis 2009 by Sega. However, there's a downside - both can't be played on the Playstation Portable (PSP), which is the gaming console I have now.

Basically these games can be played on the following platforms: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Nintendo Wii and PC. I do have a PC but considering the advanced features of the games, I'd anticipate some major upgrades on the video card, RAM etc.., the list goes on. Also, I don't think its practical to buy either of the gaming consoles because last I checked - they're still expensive. However, if I do get a great deal on Nintendo Wii, I might change my mind. There's so much excitement on the Motion Plus feature wherein the remote can be used as a virtual tennis racket and you can do those forehands, lobs and smashes.

Grand Slam Tennis is slated for release in June while Virtua Tennis will be released by the middle of next month. Hmmm, maybe I should just give hints now and then that I want these as my birthday gifts... harhar.

Chuck versus The Cancellation

Another favorite series of mine is in danger of getting the boot. NBC's "Chuck" just wrapped up its second season (which I just finished watching) and rumors are circulating that the season finale could be the SERIES finale. Reality dictates that this action-comedy series lost a rather large chunk of its viewers during the second season. However, there's a ray of hope - thanks to the efforts made by the show's stars and a number of critics who sent open letters to NBC to reconsider - that is, if there was really such a consideration to cancel the series.

So first there's Kyle XY, then Prison Break (which will end next month) and "Chuck" (still unofficial though) -- gotta find new TV shows to follow in order to fill up the void.

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I was amused to see that my after almost five years, my personal blog site got an Alexa ranking of 23,408,903 as of this writing. However, my tennis site (http://www.tennisguru.net) is about to reach the one millionth rank. Lesson learned: I've got to post more here! :)

Unlikely star in an image-driven industry

It's always great to hear a human success story amidst all the tragedies and news of political unrest on TV or in the internet. That was the case with Susan Boyle, a 47-year old unemployed, unmarried church volunteer from Scotland. She shocked the world with her rendition of the song "I Dreamed A Dream" at last weekend's edition of "Britain's Got Talent." Check out the video here.

With more than 30 million hits and thousands of positive comments on the video-sharing site, it's safe to assume that Susan has the best chance to win the talent contest. Even if she won't win, she's already guaranteed stardom - with judge Simon Cowell reportedly signing her up for a lucrative record deal.

Susan is now bombarded with a lot of requests to appear in television shows. I've seen her yesterday at yesterday's episode of "Larry King Live" and she still looked the same - humble. I can still see the look of disbelief on her face. Disbelief that she's getting so much attention and admiration - something that she's admitted not to have gotten during her early years.

I think this what makes reality TV a hit. We root for someone as if we are rooting for ourselves.