(dot) Edu (dot) PH

If I were the president of this God-forsaken country, I would have prioritized education over everything else. There are so many issues that our country has to deal with like security and safety, food, shelter, infrastructures, and telecommunications. I don’t think Gloria is obsessed with education because right now, education is one of the least prioritized institutions of the government. The national budget was surprisingly big yet the education sector gets the least amount. It’s so sad and alarming. It’s like education is turning into a business venture. Whether the institution is subsidized by the government or not the institutions need to generate income for its survival. I’m cool with that. But the quality of education is dwindling in an alarming rate. This is one of the disadvantages of technological advancements and globalization.


No, I don’t blame our president and other politicians out there if they do not prioritize education because each one of them has different goals and dreams for their respective places. That’s the beauty of democracy. If Raul Roco won the epic presidential race three years ago, I think, really think that he would prioritize education over other things.

Ang Kabataan ay ang Pag-asa ng Bayan. Pero paano natin masasabi na sila nga ang pag-asa ng bayan kung hindi nila nakukuha ang kanilang karapatan sa edukasyon?

Five Pinoy Expressions

Expression has been a part of every one’s life. Imagine life without expressions. A simple sting of the bee can be attributed by a simple “Ouch!” Life would be more complicated if one says, “Oh no, I have been stung by a bee!” See the differences? Whether if it’s used in excitement or profanity, expressions enhance emotions to certain situations. Here are the five frequently used Pinoy expressions.


Number 5. “Duh…WHATEVER”

Man says fuck while girls say WHATEVER. This is a common expression used either when one finds a joke to be corny or when one finds a situation nonsense.

Example:

Boy: Huy, may joke ako… sino ang papa ni Majin Boo?
Girl: Sino?
Boy: Edi si… PATRICK STAR! AHOOHOOHOOHOO!
Girl: Err, duh, Whatever…

Number 4. “Benta!!!”

This expression is used when one finds a joke to be extremely funny.

Example: Dude, nakita mo yung parody ni Nanay Dionesia sa Banana Split? Potek BENTA nyun!

Number 3. “Sabaw!”

Sabaw is commonly used in school particularly after an exam or when one is deprived from sleep.

Example:
“Shet, nasasabaw na utak ko, lintik na Philo long exam na yan”.

Number 2. “Pag sure oi”

This expression is very popular on Cebu, Davao and other places that speak the Visayan dialect. In English, it literally means, “please be sure about it”. I don’t know the origin of this context but I’m pretty sure that this expression is very popular.

Example:

Dodong: “Huuy ‘day, kalibangon baya ko!!!”
Inday: “Pag sure oi!!!”

Number 1. “Putang Ina/ ‘Tang Ina/ ‘Tang Ina mo rin!”

The ultimate pinoy expression. It is originally used when someone’s extremely angry or frustrated. But somehow, it became a part of every Pinoy’s situation. It can be used to different situations ranging from extreme joy to extreme madness.

Examples:

(Extreme Joy)
‘Tang ina dude!!! PASA AKO SA BIOCHEM!!! WOOHOO!

(Anger)
‘Tang ina pare, layuan mo misis ko kundi, papatayin kita!!! (Parang teleserye lang naman)

(normal conversation)
Oh c’mon, baha nanaman sa Espanya… ‘Tang ina.


Or better yet, it can be used as an MMDA sign:

TEEHEE! :))

Earthquake, Migraine, Etc.

I had a weird week.
But I still consider it as one of the exciting adventures of my life.



Since last week, I’ve been planning to watch The Day After Tomorrow, a cataclysmic flick. But it was only Wednesday that I got a free time and decided to watch it inside my room and lights were off to have this cinematic approach. I watched it despite the migraine that I’ve been complaining since eight in the evening of that day. It was great. I managed to finish the two-hour movie. It was almost one in the morning and my migraine didn’t dissipate.


I dozed off and I immediately entered dreamland. It was a weird dream though. I was in this eccentric looking building. It stands five stories and has a parking lot with a CR. I went to the comfort room and three familiar faces suddenly appeared on the door. Their faces were expressionless, similar to the characters of this movie, The Invasion. It was quite scary. I ran as fast as I can and suddenly I was in a different place. If I’m not mistaken I was in a garden, overlooking the façade of Angkor Wat. Weird.

Anyhow, I think my migraine intensified because I keep on listening to Bosson’s One In A Million a million times in iTunes. It reminds me of Sandra Bullock. Funny movie (Miss Congeniality). Lol


So apparently, I woke up from my thirteen hours of hibernation and I was alone, again in the house. But I love being alone. Haha. I didn’t have a migraine, which was a good thing, until my hips started to hurt all of a sudden. It was a sharp yet bearable pain that lasted for about 5 seconds. It was quite scary. But I didn’t mind it, thinking that my weird sleeping position was the probable cause of that weird sharp pain of my hips. You know, I sleep for more than twelve hours in just one position. That’s weird.


I planned to finish Category 7 but it was already late and my eyes were sore from reading almost a hundred pages in just three hours so I decided to sleep. I think it was already quarter to four in the morning. I was about to enter dreamland when suddenly, my bed shook violently. Not only that, I could also hear the roof of my dog’s house rubbing through the concrete wall just outside my room. There was a surge of adrenaline at that moment and my drowsiness suddenly turned to alertness. The tremor lasted for about 30 seconds. When I woke up around two in the afternoon, I checked the USGS website and found these important details:

Magnitude: 5.7
Date-Time: Friday, May 29, 2009 at 19:51:18 UTC, Saturday, May 30, 2009 at 03:51:18 AM at epicenter

Location: 5.933°N, 125.799°E
Depth: 158.9 km (98.7 miles)
Region: MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES
Distances: 70 km (45 miles) ESE of General Santos, Mindanao, Philippines, 130 km (80 miles) S of Davao City, Mindanao, Philippines

Location Uncertainty: horizontal +/- 6.1 km (3.8 miles); depth fixed by location program
Parameters: NST= 94, Nph= 94, Dmin=128.1 km, Rmss=1.11 sec, Gp= 32°

God, it was a big quake. The tremor was felt on Davao, GenSan and Koronadal.


Okay, I have experienced a series of eccentric events.


The weather today is odd. Very odd.

…and waywardly SCARY.

School of Rock

Are you anxious because school is imminent?



Do you ask this question often: “Why May does feel like SUNDAY?”


Well, you have this syndrome called SiNS or School-is-Near Syndrome.

Every year, we spend ten grueling months of studying, getting sleep deprivations and ugly faces. C’mon, we always look forward for a summer or semestral break a week before the final examinations. We just hope that we could skip the exams and embrace the much-awaited break wholeheartedly, or not. There are reasons why school rocks and we should be thankful because not all of us had this opportunity to study. Here are some:


Number one. Kung walang knowledge, walang power.
School isn’t just a bunch of buildings with teachers who just teach students for the sake of earning. No, we must not forget that the school is an institution which governs us by teaching not just on academics but on our behavior as well. Everyone has the right to have an access to education.


Number two. Puppy Love. Admit it.
You just want to go to school because you just want to see your ultimate crush. Period. It will make your day complete.


Number three. Money, money, money!
Summer break’s cool because you are free from dealing with those crappy laboratory written reports, surprise long exams and the terrifying faces of your professors. But despite the freedom, you are broke, unless you have a summer job or things that will help you earn big time during your break. School may suck, but it makes you save a lot of money and buy your favorite things at store.


Number four. Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears!
Isn’t it exciting when you get to bond with your closest friends in school? Oh yeah, I almost forgot, your baby brother almost ruined your Twilight books. You and your friends in school share common interests, talk as if there’s no tomorrow, backbite those grumpy old professors together and even sleep together during a dull lecture about your professor’s oh-so wonderful college life.


Number five. Status: Busy.
Studies have shown that one had a great tendency to develop short-term memory since the brain isn’t getting enough mental exercise. Not all of us like answering IQ tests, crossword puzzles, and Sudoku on a daily basis. Reading books and listening to your favorite genre of music isn’t enough. Challenge your brain and it will challenge you too. Just remember that too much “brainiac” activity is bad to one’s health. It will make you crazy, literally.


Number six. What goes around comes around.
When you’re in school, you always get new adventures and thus life in school isn’t bound on a cycle, unlike on summer breaks. You do the same things over and over again. At least school won’t bore you to death.


Number seven. School is the best diet pills.
Yep, with all those accumulated stress, school won’t make you fat, even if you have eaten the whole planet. This is the best diet plan that ever existed in this lone planet. Hahaha!




And the last but not the least:


Number eight. Life’s like that.
Everyday we encounter different types of teachers, but in the end, they want us to learn not just from the books and presentations that they have taught us, but also they want us to grow and show progress in life.




So you think school sucks? Think again.

Funny News

Headlines nowadays are becoming funny and eccentric. News such as this in Singapore had made its way to instant fame a few weeks ago: A man’s penis has been literally severed due to a vehicular accident. The reason behind the demise of his manhood? He and his secretary performed oral sex while driving. Karma struck him when he hit on a van and the girl detached his dick from his body. Poor thing. The girl was discovered to have loads of (cum) and blood around her lips. Yuck.


Here’s another one. A woman shot her husband because he fatally shot her chicken in some God-forsaken town northwest of Eugene, Oregon. Police are sure the woman intended to shoot the man because she was pissed when he shot her pet chicken. They filed charges against her for assault. They're not sure whether the man intended to shoot the chicken. No charges were reportedly brought against him. He used a handgun but she pulled out her full-blown rifle in reply. He shot the chicken straight up - from the front. She shot him in the back!


And yesterday, a weird headline had caught my attention. The sexy actress who starred in the famous sex scandal filed a rape case against her fellow star, the pervert, crazy doctor. She claimed that she was raped and she was the victim and the doctor was the bad guy. Errr, girl, how can I assess it as “rape”? Even if I’m not a judge, I won’t consider it as rape. Or should I define rape for you girl? You moaned so loud when the doctor caressed your fake boobs and doing the finger job on your pussy simultaneously. He even licked it when he got bored five minutes later. Uggh. Sorry If I sound obscene on this entry, but I can’t help it. Her claims were funny and out of this world!




The gods, goddesses and demigods must be crazy. Shoot.


Oh yeah, I find Enrile and Pimentel’s word fight on the senate yesterday to be weird too. Tae, para silang mga immature na bata. Ano ba yan. Habang tumatanda, mas lalong naging immature ang pag-uugali. Tsk. >:|

Take the road less traveled

Most of the people I know do not want to be alone. Worse, some of them have Autophobia, the fear of being alone. But in my case, it’s different. Sometimes I love being alone. I may be loquacious to my friends but I find my inner peace whenever I’m alone. You may find it a boring activity, but yes I love it. If only I had a million bucks, I would like to travel around the world even if I’m alone although, I also love to travel with my loved ones to different places.

Traveling is one of my dreams. That’s why I took BS Bio for it had so many travel opportunities and it excites me so much whenever there are upcoming trips from my major subjects.



Someday, I’ll post my travel pictures from my future trips. I wish before my demise, I would travel to different places, from East to West, from Arctic to Antarctica.


Traveling alone seemed to be an “emo” activity but duh, I won’t cut my wrist just to gain attention. Pfft.


Hahaha. :))

Under the Sun

Lately, I’m getting sick and tired with the news. The sex scandal Dr. Hayden Kho and Katrina Halili isn’t fresh anymore. I’m getting annoyed with it. And yeah, Senator Bong Revilla is a hypocrite. It’s obvious.


Speaking of TV, it’s so sad that all of my favorite TV shows have come to its end. All good things have come to an end. First, it was Amazing Race, and then followed by American Idol. What the heck. So I’m back on surfing the realm of internet but sometimes I find this a boring activity if I visit my favorite sites over and over again. Reading books would be my very last resort if I had done all possible things just to enjoy myself. Category 7 is my latest read. Ooooh, I want to buy Anansi Boys and American Gods by Neil Gaiman. I have to read them before school starts.


So last night was fun. Lyle turned 18 and the party was cool. But we didn’t have a post party affair. All were tired and wanted to go home last night. So I’ll grab pictures from Mon, Von and Mikko. Yey! Grabber on the loose!


God, this is the first summer that I haven’t gone to the beach. Believe it or not, my skin complexion isn’t appropriate for the whole summer break. It seemed that I lived in a landlocked place like the American Midwest. Wait, I have gone to the beach once, last April but it was for my thesis. I think I have mentioned this on my previous entries, but heck, I am still bothered by it.



What else?


Ah! I have to cook for my dinner. Actually, I’m going to cook rice and just order my viand to our local chef. HAHAHA. I'm all alone in the house, you know.



So, how’s your life buddy?




(btw, this is so beautiful.)

Cebu Pacific Airbus A319, final approach on Davao International Airport's Runway 05.

The Dark Horse: Kris Allen

The finale of American Idol was indeed a bomb. Seacrest didn’t announce of who will be performing for the final results night yesterday so apparently tonight’s episode (pertaining to the local time in America) was packed with surprises and twists. There’s this pseudo-Golden Globe Awards Night where Norman Gentle, Bikini Girl and Tatiana del Torro won their respective loony awards.


I didn’t expect Fergie, Queen, Jason Mraz, Queen Latifa, Kiss and the others as guest performers on American Idol’s final episode. Likewise the finale didn’t bore me. It was fun, though there are some stints that were obviously scripted.


But anyway the show had set a new record, garnering almost a hundred million votes in just four hours. Ryan didn’t say the gap between the two finalists but I really think it was a close fight between Allen and Lambert.


And now the 2009 American Idol is none other than…


The Dark Horse…
The Tender Dawg…

KRIS ALLEN!!!

And yes, Conway, Arkansas rejoiced for Allen’s victory. It was indeed a marvelous season for America Idol. Even if Adam Lambert didn’t win this competition, it would still be easy to discern that these two finalists or three, including Danny or four, plus Allison are going to be famous, just like the two Davids, Jennifer Hudson, Chris Daughtry, Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson.



So, Congratulations Kris. Hope you had a bright future in the music industry. I know you can do it since you can “allenize” the whole town.



PS: This is so unbelievable. At first, I thought Adam or Danny would be on the finale. But no, everything is unexpected. As what had Kara asserted: He is indeed the DARK HORSE of this competition.

Kris Lambert or Adam Allen?

As what Ryan Seacrest had said, “It is the battle between the Guy Next Door and the Guy Liner”. He should have said Gay Liner instead of the Guy Liner, but hell who cares. This is the most surprising season of this show for it showcased two totally different singers: the rock god Adam Lambert and the acoustic rock god, Kris Allen. The multitude inside the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles screamed as they waited for their bet to perform for the last time.

To start off the show, Lambert didn’t fail to stun us with the performance of his own choice of song, “Mad World” which was performed during the “Year They Were Born” week. Likewise it was impossible to outdo his original performance. I don’t know how he does that feat but I guess he deserves to be in the last performance night of the show. On the other hand, the tender dog Kris chose “Ain’t No Sunshine”. He performed it during the “Popular iTunes Download” week. Then again, it was still a compelling performance. When Ryan asked Simon who won the first round, without a doubt he proclaimed Kris as the winner.



For the second round, the creator of American Idol, Simon Fuller had the chance to choose a song for the two remaining finalists. Fuller opted “A Change is Gonna Come (Sam Cooke)” for Adam Lambert and it was indeed a gripping performance for him. Likewise Lambert had proved to the whole world that he is INDEED a performer. Fuller choice for Kris Allen, “What’s Goin’ On” by Marvin Gaye was a little bit safe for me but he had this special ability to grasp with the song’s emotions and blast it to the audience. Apparently, it was an “Allenizing” rendition of this Marvin Gaye hit. For this round, Adam Lambert stole the limelight from Kris Allen. Still, Allen’s performance was great and he too deserves to be on the final performance night.



For the third and final round, both Idol finalists sang an original song co-written by an Idol judge, Kara DioGuardi entitled “No Boundaries”. It was somehow a test of who really deserves to be the next American Idol because the song was not the right type for the two finalists. It was like forcing David Archuleta to sing the sultry “Ring of Fire”. Lambert tried so hard to show off his solid theatrical performance while Allen tried to put his own mark to the song. Both of them were out of their comfort zones. But in the end, the four judges were proud seeing the two finalists on their final performance night.



It was indeed a long journey for both Kris and Adam. We saw their developments and clearly it would be so hard to choose between the two of them. Let’s find out tomorrow of will be crowned the next American Idol at 8am LIVE, straight from the US on Star World and QTv. It is a special two hour show. We do not know who will be performing tomorrow. Let’s watch for the final result night.

Oh yeah, I should say this: KRIS ALLEN FOR THE WIN!

(images courtesy of: americanidol.com and dialidol.com)

H1Z1 - The New Strain of Swine Flu

The Swine Flu, also known as A(H1N1) virus has been lurking across the globe since its first outbreak in Mexico a couple of months ago. It had caused sudden alerts and travel advisories to common people and made microbiologists, virologists and medical doctors to work almost 24/7 just to monitor this new virus outbreak. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the virus had affected almost 40 countries and new cases were reported in India and Malaysia. It also claimed at least 150 lives worldwide with 8,000 cases that are positive in this virus.


Information, on the other hand, spread faster than the virus by means of television, radio, and the internet. While reading some news articles from the official pages of CNN and BBC, I clicked on a certain link and was surprised by this headline:

Swine Flu Quickly Turns Into Zombie Swine Flu, H1N1 Is Now H1Z1

This is an excerpt from an alleged viral mutation:

It is said that the swine flu zombie strain can resurrect a human after his death. After what happened in London with the zombism, WHO has raised the alert level to 6, and now it is clear that a pandemic is imminent. WHO officials reported that after two hours after the initial death of a zombie swine flu victim, the H1Z1 virus can restart the heart of a person who will quickly behave in “extremely violent ways” due to a mixture of brain damage and an unknown chemical released into the victim’s blood during his resurgence.

The satire-report says that there have been multiple cases of the zombie swine flu including one in the Netherlands where a 3-year-old child died and then returned to life in order to lunge at his mother.


Source:
http://www.softsailor.com/news/2126-swine-flu-quickly-turns-into-zombie-swine-flue-h1n1-is-now-h1z1.html

So, is this the “dawn of the dead”? Probably not.



First of all, if the mutation of H1N1 to H1Z1 really occurred in real life, then the mutation rate of H1N1 is impossibly fast. Though, the nature of some viruses is not predictable, there’s no way that a human being will be transformed into a deranged zombie by just a single virus.


Another thing, we must have listened to our high school biology teachers. These scoundrels who have made this fake news weren’t participative during the lectures in their Biology class. Apparently, viruses CAN’T live and reproduce without its host. When a host dies, the virus also dies inside the body of its host. Viruses are found wherever there is life. There are no molecular proofs that a virus is capable to revivify dead people.



The alleged new zombie strain of H1N1 is just crazy… a fictitious news.


I can’t consider this as news for crying out loud. It’s just a practical joke, trying hard to be the latest internet sensation.

The 5 Greatest Movie Soundtracks

Tell me. How does one considers a movie to be great?


Does it need to have great actors? Does it need to have a superb script? Does it require great visual effects and cinematography? Or perhaps does it need to have a great Original Soundtrack?


Imagine your favorite movie without music. Despite how effective the actors were, it would still be dull, boring and lacks something, and that something is very crucial on building emotions throughout the movie. Through music, it enhances the emotions from the actors. Also, the OST determines the right mood of a certain scene.


Of all movies that I’ve watched since the early 90s, I have found five movies that have the best Original Soundtrack, in my own opinion.



Number Five.
On the number five spot, we have the OST of the 2004 blockbuster disaster movie, The Day After Tomorrow. It was beautifully arranged by an Austrian-born film composer and writer, Harald Kloser. He also has worked with several movies like The Thirteenth Floor (1999), 10,000 BC (2008) and the upcoming cataclysmic movie, 2012 (2009). The tension between man and Mother Nature can be easily felt through his startling yet amazing musical scores. Of all the musical scores in the soundtrack album, The Day After Tomorrow, Tidal Wave and Superfreeze were my personal picks. So, when a deadly F5 tornado is on your way, try listening to this soundtrack before the tornado picks you up, errrr, not.


Number Four.
Korea’s all time favorite movie, 소개합니다 or Windstruck (2004) takes the #4 spot. The story was heavy and drew tears easily from the viewers. The intensity heightens during the dramatic scenes. This album does not contain only the creations of one artist, but it is a collection of songs coming from different songwriters. Youme’s version of Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door was a sweet and delicate one. Stay (Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs) was really cool, as well as its unique Pizzicato version. My top picks for this album aside from the two are Reunion Theme by Kwak Jae-Young and X-Japan’s phenomenal song, Tears.


Number Three.
Who would have thought that the two of the most controversial novels of this decade will make its way to the big screen? Apparently, the exciting adventures of Robert Langdon shouldn’t be confined in the book. Thanks to the ingenuity of this German composer, Hans Zimmer, he made The Da Vinci Code (2006) and Angels and Demons (2009) a fantastic flick. Apparently, he even continued the legacy of Chevaliers de Sangreal to Angels and Demons. Nonetheless, he made the adventures of Robert Langdon on the big screen a thrilling one. Hans Zimmer is also known for his works on The Lion King (1994), Crimson Tide (1995) and Gladiator (2000).

Number Two.
Yet, another novel made its way to the big screen. Neil Gaiman’s Stardust became a blockbuster hit during its world premiere around October 2007. The unbelievable love story of Tristan and Yvainne was fictitious yet compelling, thanks to its original soundtrack made by the English composer, Ilan Eshkeri. Eshkeri have collaborated with Hans Zimmer and the late Michael Klamen in his early projects. He also co-wrote the hit single Rule the World with Take That. Bounded with digital strings, synthesizers and wind instruments, Stardust’s OST is really worth listening. Try Coronation, Septimus and the flamboyant Pirate Fight. You’ll definitely enjoy this OST album.


Number One.
Now you may wonder who took the number one spot for this countdown. Well, the original soundtrack of Titanic (1997), composed and arranged by James Horner deserves to be the top of this list, the cream of the crop. According to MTV, it became a worldwide success after releasing more than 11 million copies in the United States alone. Also, the remarkable song, My Heart Will Go On sang by the Canadian singer, Celine Dion had spent 16 weeks at #1 in the US Billboard Charts. Truly, when you listen to this album, you’ll feel that you’re in the “unsinkable” ship. You feel that you are flying. Most of all, during the second half of the album, you feel like you’re dying in the freezing cold of the Atlantic Ocean. This OST is truly amazing.


(Runner-ups: 50 First Dates, The Lion King, Braveheart and The Lord of the Rings)




Truly, an effective movie doesn’t solely rely on to the script, the acting, its visual effects or its cinematography, but rather music an important key to determine whether the movie is great or not. Without music, the movie industry would be in peril. They coalesce to each other in order to answer the demanding needs of man in the field of entertainment.

15 Things to Muse With

There are things that keep on bothering me; well at least something’s bothering me. At last.




One. Birds of a same feather flock together – so as losers.

Two. He, who keeps on muttering bad things about someone, even if that someone didn’t do anything, is guilty and jealous.

Three. I am now officially obsessed with Angels and Demons. For crying out loud, I’m not obsessed with Ayelet Zurer. It’s just I find the movie fantastic though the book is better than the movie. But it didn’t bore me to death, compared to Da Vinci Code. Lousy script. At least it was compromised by Hans Zimmer’s creativity. My fascination with Modern Physics has now returned. Yey!

Four. If I win a million bucks, the first two things that I would purchase are grand piano and a Roland Fantom Keyboard.

Five. The summer season had ended too early. The rainy season should start on the month of June, but I guess the predictions of Al Gore were starting to show up. Freaky.

Six. I haven’t gone to the beach this summer. What a bummer. Wait, I have GONE to the beach actually, last April but it was somehow to my thesis. Still, it’s a nerve-wracking but enjoyable activity with my adviser and her funky research team. Haha.

Seven. When I was child, I often see those protests about the election anomalies on TV and I find them to be violent and their acts were inhumane. Now I understand why they have to do such violent things, because in the first place, those corrupt officials have just functioned as the catalyst of our nation’s despotism. Waiting for our turn to vote under the sweltering heat of the sun plus the forever chaotic voting precincts is not a joke. And changing our votes is not funny. In our own vernacular tongue, ang pagboto, dile na siya pa-char-char ra. Yawa mo.

Eight. At long last, I have a good standing in my school. I need not to worry with my singko. Duh.

Nine. I need to buy another novel and this time it should be a Robert Ludlum book. I don’t like it when I read the book so fast. Err.

Ten. If your laptop’s motherboard gets busted, don’t bother of buying a brand new motherboard. Buy a brand new laptop instead.

Eleven. I think I should broaden my knowledge on web designing. Earning thirty thousand bucks per website is cool.

Twelve. The existence of ‘impossible’ is impossible. There’s no such thing as impossible. It’s just people aren’t focused or determined to reach their goals in life.

Thirteen. I feel sleepy and lazy whenever it rains. The cold weather stimulates my mind.

Fourteen. I missed flying kites and riding a bicycle. When I was young I used to fly kites together with my grandfather and today the two tires of my bike were all flat and useless. Sheesh. I’m so lazy to repair it.

Fifteen. This isn’t a tag.




Juliet, Juliet, where the hell are you?!

Book vs. Movie: Angels and Demons

Almost five years ago, I read Dan Brown’s four books and I really loved them. But my favorites were the controversial The Da Vinci Code and its prequel, Angels and Demons. It was indeed beautifully written by Dan Brown, so beautiful that the powerful Catholic Church despise his finest works of literature. On the 17th of May 2006, The Da Vinci Code was released in cinemas worldwide but it was restricted for mature viewers only. I was only fifteen at that time and there’s no way to watch that on the movie house. I only had the chance to watch it six months later on DVD. Unfortunately, I was NOT happy with the movie version and like what all Dan Brown fanatics have claimed, the book is always better than the movie (except for Stardust).

Three years later, its prequel, Angels and Demons was released and I was waiting for it for almost a year already. Finally, the long wait has come to an end. I just watched it on the movie house this afternoon and today, I’m watching it online, again. I have even downloaded its OST!




So, what’s the fuss of this movie by the way?


First of all, people are somewhat curious of what’s really happening inside the Sistine Chapel during one of the Catholic Church’s rarest events to occur, the Conclave. The ceilings and the four corners of the historical Sistine Chapel was the only witness of this religious event for the past thousand years aside from the Cardinals who will cast their votes for the next Vicar of God, the next leader of the Catholic Church. We all have this notion that cardinals are clean, not materialistic and do not practice vices. Apparently, Cardinals smoking pipes, talking to their high-end phones and recording videos using their state-of-the-art video camera were portrayed in the movie. It’s just an eye-opener, to see that Cardinals are just human beings though they are one of the leaders of the most powerful religion, the Catholic Church.


Another thing is this. Aside from people’s curiosity on religion, they are also nosy with the antimatter. As what the novel had described, antimatter is a new generation matter which can generate great amounts of energy in just an infinitesimal amount. Antimatter is made through the gigantic particle accelerator which ran the entire complex of CERN in Zurich, Switzerland. A cataclysmic event or annihilation shall occur if antimatter is in contact with matter, the things that we see everyday. This study is primary concerned with the creation of the universe, to see whether the idea in the Holy Bible would be coherent with science.


The idea of having science as the mortal enemy of the Catholic Church stretches as early as 1000 AD. The Catholic Church before thought that scientists were heretics and those who will not follow their beliefs shall be excommunicated by the pope or worse executed by grotesque means. The novel portrays a different story, some sort of the revenge by a secret society called the Illuminati.


The novel was indeed powerful that it drew media attentions worldwide. Such upheavals of it claimed both praises and criticisms. The movie was almost called off due to the protest made by the Catholic Church. But fortunately, the production continued this project.



What I really liked in this movie were the cinematography, the original sound track and the visual effects, most especially when the antimatter exploded into the midnight sky of Vatican. All were great. The script was surprisingly simplified though and as what I had expected, scenes from the book weren’t included in the movie. Here are some:

• The movie didn’t portray the state-of-the-art Boeing X-33, the plane use to transport Robert Langdon from USA to Switzerland in just three hours (normal flight duration on this route usually takes a good 8 hours from a jumbo jet).

• Robert Langdon was asleep and he wasn’t swimming when Vatican called him.

• Robert Langdon and Vittoria Vetra didn’t meet at the Vatican. On the book, they met at CERN.

• The mischievous BBC reporter Chinita Macri (or was she a camerawoman?) wasn’t in the movie.

• In the book, Robert Langdon had caught in the helicopter and flew together with the Carmelengo and the antimatter. The Carmelengo escaped by using his parachute and Robert Langdon had a majestic dive in the Tiber River. In the movie, only the Carmlengo rode the helicopter and Robert Langdon only watched him in horror as the helicopter rose before the grandiose explosion.

• In the book, the Assassin died when he fell from his secret hiding place. In the movie, he escaped without the terrifying fight scene from the book, but eventually killed when his car exploded.

• The movie and book had different beginnings. In the former, it was just a narrative story about the demise of the pope while the latter explains the death of Vittoria’s father and that was the time when the canister went missing.

• The Carmelengo’s life story wasn’t emphasized in the movie.

• The head scientist of the CERN didn’t visit Vatican.

I think this is already enough because I might get killed by someone due to these spoilers. Haha!


But yeah, the movie was at least depicted in a straight-forward manner and likewise, this is better than The Da Vinci Code. Whether you have read the book or not, this is going to be one of the greatest movies of this year. I’m looking forward to watch this flick on DVD again.

Idol says Goodbye to Danny the Great

Today, America as well as some selected countries in the world has witnessed the shocking demise of Danny Gokey. We all know that it was indeed a very close fight between the three remaining idols. It was indeed a very hard battle on the telephone and SMS lines the moment Ryan announced the go signal of the two hour ritual of America. Imagine this: Over 88 million votes have generated for only two hours! Without a doubt, America has gone gaga with this show.


So finally, after the nationwide voting, Danny was booted out from the show.

From the looks of Kris Allen, he was indeed surprised when Ryan first announced that he’s going to the season finale, and so as Adam Lambert.



So why Danny did had an early departure on the show?

• First of all, American Idol is a contest. In every contest, there’s always a winner, and a loser. We all know that the three of them are great artists and comes with various styles, like Danny on pop rock and classic ballad, Kris on contemporary pop and Adam on glam rock. Well, let’s look on the brighter side. Chris Daughtry and Jennifer Hudson may not have won the title, but look at them, they were all famous right now in the music industry!

• And second, you should know the nature of Statistics. There’s a slim chance that the 88 million votes would be EQUALLY distributed with the three remaining contestants. Now if that event happens today, dang, the gods, goddesses and demigods must be crazy as hell.

Even if Danny didn’t make it to the final three, people still love him, most especially his fellow Milwaukee natives. There are reasons why he had so many supporters.

• One, we love his voice no matter what. The huskiness of it shapes and makes the Danny Gokey that we know since day one. He never fails to amuse us.

• Second we’re really touched by his sad story. I’m sure Sophia is so proud to his hubby, Danny. Now, for every reality show, one must have a SSTT or sad story to tell to get some attention from the televiewers. Oh yeah, his story was touching but sometimes it gets overrated as time goes by. But hell, we didn’t care about it after he sang his whole heart on his audition.

Third, we all love his moves, despite being criticized by your highness, Lord Simon Cowell. Oh yeah, his tummy is getting bigger. Teehee!




But yeah, we won’t forget the humble beginnings of Danny Gokey.



The Danny that had touched our hearts through his ups and downs of his life…
The Danny that always inspire us through his talent…
And, the Danny that always entertains us with his unique moves.



We won’t forget his scream during the Rock week though.

Rock on, Danny!

And yeah, the battle continues with Kris and Adam.

The Desperate Cerelac Story

OMG.




I can’t believe this. I really can’t believe this whole thing!


A while ago while finalizing the wedding invitation of Dhianne, my client, my stomach suddenly talked. He just kept on muttering these words over and over again:

FEED ME! FEED ME! FEED ME!

Food wasn’t an issue to our house until I realized that mom hadn’t gone shopping for our food in the grocery for almost a week already. Dang, the last two eggs were gone since I already ate those two days ago. I tried to make two hard boiled eggs, but it turned out that my estimates weren’t that precise and accurate. Sheesh. So I ended up with a hard egg white with a gooey orange-to-yellow-hue of the yolk. Uggh. I remembered drinking the yolk part. Pancit Cantons were out-of-stock too. Those were my fave dishes whenever I get hungry during the wee hours of the morning.

Thanks to my ingenuity I came up with a bright idea, so bright that I ended up puking the crap out of my mouth, well almost. My aunt’s husband gave us lots of sachets of Cerelac (wheat and milk flavor). It was intended for our 5-month old Belgian Malinois puppy, Fita. But then again, I was curious with its taste, texture and all tangible properties that exist on this baby food.



So I gave a shot with this food, with a twist.

I remembered last night when the Korean San Chai told the Korean Wo Tzue Lei that one can make pancakes out of flour, eggs and sugar. All you have to do was to mix all of the ingredients. In my case I only had the powder form of Cerelac. THE HELL I CARE. So I just mixed warm water, and Cerelac in the bowl. It was quite sticky, but sweet. But that’s not all! I made it extra special by filling the pan with enough cooking oil and heat it. I felt that I was a contestant of Hell’s Kitchen! When I felt that the stove generated enough heat on the frying pan, I placed the sticky concoction to it and poof, there was magic.



And then after ten minutes, it was still sticky despite having the brown coloration of the deep fried Cerelac. For my first ten bites I ate my wonderful invention sumptuously. After the eleventh bite I just realized that I was eating CRAP all along. It was so sweet that I started to feel sick. I think the remaining crap was good for only two scoops when I decided to dispose it. Don’t be mad at me for throwing food because even the hungriest child in Africa won’t dare eating my concoction because aside from its crappy look, it tasted like hell-what-kind-of-crap-is-this.



Sheesh. My stomach became disappointed. Suddenly, I was craving for something that is salty. So I ended up munching the Lumpia Shanghais. At least it wasn’t that ultra sweet.


Lesson learned: Cerelac is not edible when deep fried.



Period.

Top Three

If I were in America right now, I would be on the phone, dialing the 1-866 numbers for two straight hours.



The American Idol heat is on. 12 hours from now, the whole world will know who will be performing for the show’s season finale.


What is good on this episode was the judges had the chance to make a special song requests to the three remaining idols. Paula requested Danny Gokey to sing Dance Little Sister (Terence Trent D'Arby), Randy and Kara on Kris Allen (Apologize by One Republic) and Adam Lambert had granted Simon’s simple request by singing his ultimate favorite song, One by U2.



Check this out dawg.

Danny sang Dance Little Sister and I thought his performance was great since it was perfect. Great choice Paula! The important thing for Danny was the huskiness of his voice. Although I have noticed that Danny’s tummy’s getting bigger than the previous episodes. Hmmm. I remember when the three of them gathered in the stage during the quick recap of their performances Kris patted him not on his shoulder but to his tummy. How cute is that. Hahaha.


Speaking of the Tender Dawg aka the Dark Horse, Kris, I got excited and overwhelmed when I learned that he was going to sing my ultimate favorite song, Apologize by One Republic. He may not be the best performer on the first half of the episode, but heck his own rendition of One Republic’s Apologize was satisfactorily good.


Oh yes, I can sense that Simon got this tingly sensation when Adam sang his favorite song, One by U2. Nothing had changed. Adam continued to wow the audience as well as the four judges since the audition day. Then again, Paula keeps on telling that he’s going to be on the finals. God Paula, you’re already like a broken record. But I have to agree with you. Teehee!



The second half of the show was better. Danny’s rendition of Joe Cocker’s You Are So Beautiful was pretty simple but he had this ability to let the emotions from the song to pierce through the hearts of the four judges and the audience as well. We all know that Kanye West can’t sing. Oh yes, his voice can be easily edited and fabricated with the help of special computer programs in the music industry. Likewise, his hit single Heartless deserved to be performed by a more deserving artist. Sorry Kanye, but I ain’t a big fan of your conjured voice. Armed only with an acoustic guitar Kris Allen bravely battled on that song in the stage and without a doubt, it was his best performance so far, next to his own rendition of Ain’t No Sunshine. At first, I thought Adam wouldn’t be serious on the show since he was so good that he needn’t to give his best shot. But no, he was so serious in the competition and he really wanted to win the title. He chose Cryin’ by Aerosmith and his vocals were mad. At the audience his mom cried. At least he made his parents super proud despite the controversies that lifted in the internet during the competition. But, America’s not that narrow minded for crying out loud. The hell they care about Adam’s flamboyancy, weird eyeliner makeup and the freaky black nails.





Anyhow, people have made different ways to “scream” to their idols just to show their utmost support:

Kiss me, Kris
Go, go, go, go, go, go GOKEY!
Damn, Adam, you’re GREAT!

Oh yeah before I forget, Katy Perry and the Season 6 winner of the show, Jordin Sparks will be performing tomorrow.




I really can’t wait for the verdict.



Who’s your bet?!

State of Emergency

Panic at the disco.



Right now, I have to comply with the requirements for my scholarship. I would do anything, even the seemingly impossible things as long as I only have to pay 70.50 pesos every semester. How cool is that.



But three hundred and sixty four days from now, it would be the 2010 Elections. It’s the time where Filipinos unite and cast their own bets, favorites or whatnots. Apparently, this scholarship thing has something to do with the 2010 election. Hmmm, something’s fishy goin’ on around here.




But anyway, we have made a promise that we should do well in our academics thus for instance we shouldn’t have a grade of singko or drop a certain subject. Unfortunately, I fell on to the deep crevices of the institution. Life in UP isn’t that easy for crying out loud. So, if my Certificate of Good Standing didn’t state that I have a good standing (oh please Ate Bem, at least you may have seen my grades from other subjects… at least you may have pointed some good things with my standing.. huhuhuhu), there’s still hope. Duh, as if Noggy had seen all of our hardships, “sunog-kilay” moments and most of all, our zombie stance… I still need to convince that having a grade of five doesn’t mean you’re a failure or a dimwit. Pfft.





But as what had Chippy had told me a few hours ago, Noggy would approve all of our scholarships because siya pa rin ang mawawalan ng suporta if he disqualifies some of his ‘loyal’ supporters. Duh, feeler. Buot-buot.



Anyhow, I’m talking about this bullcrap again.




Have to get back to work. Pronto.

Reality Check

Ah yes. The reality shows that I’ve been watching since Day One had finally come to its end. First on the line was The Amazing Race (Season 14). I didn’t expect that the challenges were that short but I really think that carrying a hundred forty pound of pig in relatively long distance is a tough task. Also, I did expect that the final task would be a puzzle, like remembering all those tasks, road blocks, and detours from the first leg to the latest.


Margie and Luke may have won the million bucks only if Luke didn’t commit a crucial mistake on the last two surf boards. Plus, I think his mind went into a bedlam state when he saw the arrival of Tammy and Victor. Then again, the former NFL cheerleaders, Jaime and Cara were STILL very unlucky on choosing their cab driver.


To conclude the fourteenth season of the race, Tammy and Victor won the million dollars, followed by the aggressive Jaime and Cara and the last but not the least, the first deaf racer of this season, the mother and son tandem, Margie and Luke.

photo courtesy of: CBS.com


As what the previous seasons have shown on TV, the eliminated racers will come to the top three teams and give them hugs and kisses, whether if it’s genuine or not. But the important thing is Tammy and Victor deserved to win the million dollars. Woohoo! Hurray for the first Asian team to win the award winning reality show, The Amazing Race.


Tune in for the fifteenth season of The Amazing Race. I think they have started filming the race already or they already have finalized the final set of eleven teams. CBS will air the latest season this fall or winter.



Next week, it’s going to be the season finale of American Idol. Ooooh yeah. May the best man win.

Wait…Did I say “man”?!

Photo Meme

Months ago, I didn't dare to answer this photo survey because I thought it would be a waste of time, searching for those specific pictures based from the questions (or demand, or whatnot). It's like looking for a needle on a haystack! But anyways, I have read lots of photo memes from my friends, and I find it amusing. Lol. Well, anyways, here goes nothing.



1. A picture of you in your room.

Kelangan super damiiii ng pillows bed ko. hahaha.

2. A picture of you posing with someone you don't actually like.

NYAHAHAHAH. I really really REALLY HAAAAATE Barney. Pedophile. Lol.


3. A picture with a former crush.

Hahahaha. At Jeannine's 18th birthday. Kayo na mag judge kung sino. Loooool. (Potek, ang itim ko rito.)


4. A picture of you very drunk.

HAHAHAHAHA. Actually, I'm not drunk, baliw lang talaga ako minsan 'pag bored ako. Shietness.

5. A picture of you with a parent or two.

With mother dear. Happy Mother's Day, 'ma! :))

6. A picture of you on your birthday, or your favorite holiday.

My eighteenth birthday. Hahahaha. Eh, may nag invite sa akin ng debut party eh.. so ayun, Attend nalang ako, para tipid sa kain/treat. LOOOOL Joke.


7. A picture of you from your younger years.

Hahahahaha. Those were the days na bilog pa mukha ko. Ngayon, scary na jawline ko. Lol.

8. A picture of you in one of your favorite outfits.

Basta floral long sleeve from Oxygen. :))


9. A picture of you making a goofy face at the camera.

Natural ang pagkabaliw. Lol.

10. A picture you might have edited to make yourself more attractive.

Yung simpleng edits lang like Brightness/contrast, Color curve, Color range.. haha.


11. A picture of you and a team or club you're in.

Biofresh '07 / BIOS. Weeee :))


12. A picture of a night you regret.

--- Wala. :)

13. A picture of you showing off a new haircut.

Duuuh. Boring hairstyle ko. Hindi naman ako nagpapakalbo eh,. :))

14. A picture of you truly being yourself.

I really love nature. I love DOGS. <3

15. The most recent picture of you.

During Freshmen Orientation ng UPMin :))

16. A picture of you being absolutely ridiculous.

Scary. Ilabas ba naman ang ulo sa bus. :)).. Sa second pic. May gulay.

17. A picture you're tagged in on facebook that you aren't actually in.

-- So far wala pa :)

18. A picture of a time in your life that's over, but you wish it wasn't.

High school life, oh high school life. :(

19. A picture of you taking a shot / chugging a beer / downing some sort of mixed drink.

Naaah. Nag pose lang ako rito. Lol. 17 pa ako nito. Lol. :)) Dec. 2007.

Same story on this pic... during Joie's 18th.

20. A picture with your oldest friend(s).

21. A picture with your newest friend(s).

UP Friends. Mga Iskolar ng Bayan!!!


22. A picture of you when you were anything but happy... even if you were smiling and did your best to hide it.

Awwww. This is life.

23. A picture of you that you had no idea was being taken.

HAHAHAHAHAHA. WALANG HIYA! =))))

24. A picture of you when you were a different person than you are now.

25. A picture of you in a fashion "DON'T".

What the hell. Pag di na kasya ang shorts, wag mo nang pilitin. :))

26. A picture of you in a swimsuit - whether you love it or loathe it.

27. is. missing. Where the hell are you??? Anyway, moving on....


28. A picture of yourself that you hate.

Forest Hill resort. Ayan, tatangatanga pa kasi, ayan tuloy, nadekwatan ka ng dalawang cellphone, wallet, pera, sunglasses, pati yung shirt na sinusuot ko sa pic na yan. =/

29. A picture of you with someone you love.

Family and Closest Friends.

30. A picture of how you'd like the world to see you.

31. A picture that describes how you'd like to spend every day.

32. A picture of a time when everything was changing.

33. A picture that makes your heart hurt.

34. A picture that makes your heart smile.

35. A picture of one of the best nights/days of your life

Dahil nakaapak na ako sa alpha 3 taxiway at runway ng Davao International Airport. That was around twelve mindnight. Okay ang babaw ko. Lol =))



Matagal akong natapos sa survey na to. But I really enjoyed it.. :))