Thursday, August 31, 2006
Hrmmm...
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
We Have A Post!!!
It Exists!!!
Now it can be said that I have experienced, first-hand, that N.U. exists. In fact, it's been in existence for the past 106 years, and what is so amusing about my visit to the school was that the owners of the school itself, the Jhocsons (Very gracious hosts, by the way.), were amused when they found out that I have never seen or heard of any N.U. students, much less the school itself aside from the UAAP. To put it bluntly, I was introduced to the school owners as the guy who “didn't believe N.U. actually existed.”
That being said, the fact that the owners of the school themselves found it worth a chuckle, I realized that it wasn't so offensive after all, and even provided them an opportunity to give me a good tour of the school, including being educated on the fact that Jestoni Alarcon is an alumnus of National University. ;)
I even had a picture in front of the N.U. bus, but I guess Elbert didn't find the shot. Nonetheless, the other pictures here prove that, without a doubt, there really is a place called National University.
So anyways, it was loads of fun going to National University, and even driving around a few other schools in the meantime, including the realization that N.U. wasn't even that far away from U.S.T. to begin with. Heh.
Anyways, a couple more pictures…
Bakit galit yung nurse?!?
Mission-Vision!!!
Is it so wrong of me to be rooting for 'em in the UAAP? Lol. So far though, ADMU has been making good on the assumption that without DLSU to contend with, it's a shoo-in for the championship...
My special thanks to Tito Fort, Tita Tuts, El, and ‘Elle, for taking me to this great mythical place. =P
.:Film Review: Mother@#$%! Snakes On A Mother@#$%! Plane:.
Mother@#$%! Snakes On A Mother@#$%! Plane
Mother@#$%! Awesome Movie!
Samuel L. Jackson stars in a great movie pretending to be a bad movie pretending to be a good movie called “Snakes On A Plane”.
It's a movie that has all the requirements for a B-movie: a haphazard setup, hard and loose adherence to facts, and stereotype characters you'd want to see dead at one point or another in the movie. Plus, it's got Samuel L. Jackson. What else do you expect from a movie likes this, but snakes, snakes, and more snakes? Hades, do you even need to have the story make any sense whatsoever?
I really, really loved the movie. I was laughing my head off most of the time, and the way the whole thing played out was just a masterpiece.
This movie defies description. Watch it. That's all I have to say...
Critical Analysis: F
Fun Analysis: A+++
.:Releasing A Bird In Hand Found Me Two In The Bush:.
I can't help but be amazed that in what seemed like a Godsend, I ended up having two people I can proudly call my “best friends” in one fell swoop.
Elbert and I have been friends for six or so years already. We've only been particularly close after graduation, especially when both of us discovered our love for videoke. Even before, in senior year, we began to bond during our immersion for Theology, where after the immersion, only the two of us bothered working on the paper for class.
Elbert is the kind of guy who can fluctuate from depths to shallows, which appears to be one of the things I really enjoy from my closest friends. One instant, we're talking about comics, the next, we talk about the “rules of engagement”, the next, we discuss what our concept of happiness is.
I never wanted to be presumptuous, but it recently occurred to me that well, he *is* one of my best friends at this point already, and the first one I ever had in my life who isn't female.
In contrast, I've known Estelle for a little over a mere two weeks. It boggles the mind when you think about it, but it's not the length of time that was the barometer of the friendship (quite obviously), but the sheer ability we had to connect. It was practically instantaneous from the first time we got introduced. While the one thing we have in common that stands out is that we both have debating backgrounds, the myriad other things we may or may not have in common never fails to yield interesting conversation.
Just the other day, I was telling her over YM that given how I am right now, I definitely needed a best friend. Proving that she both had guts and wasn't dense at all, she stuck her neck out and offered, which was exactly what I was counting on.
But beyond just the whole “official announcement” deal, I think what really drew me to them was that in the past couple of weeks, they, along with Johan, have been the first people to help me out as I tried (And still try.) to find my smile once again after everything I've been through. I know I've gone through worse things in my life in the past. I guess I just haven't really invested nearly as much into anything else the way I had that last time around.
So I guess that now, more than ever, the dynamic of El, 'Elle, and 'Celle makes so much sense. It's amusing to think of, and I suppose I can't help but feel grateful to the both of them for having helped me pull through despite everything.
.:Errmmm...:.
As long as your alive, I think security is working... so you better stop complaining and just follow whatever needs to be done to ensure your safety... when you die on a plane with someone who brought liquid or gel on board... then would you believe its true... ooops.. my bad.. you'll be dead by then.. :)
I got this comment about my MRT security post, and I can't help but laugh at the insipid and retarded logic I got treated to. Let's break it down, and just to be fair, I won't even stoop to attacking the anonymous comment's grammar or spelling. The sheer stupidity of the post is good enough.
Let's break it down...
1. “As long as you are alive, I think security is working...”
Wrong. The absence of trouble is not a guarantee of working security. In Canada, they can leave doors open and they have relatively less crimes than in houses in New York that are locked and bolted.
The absence of trouble in the MRT is not brought about by security measures, because as I said in my post last time, I have toothpaste in my bag, and that could've been a gel bomb already if I just wanted to bomb he train. It only goes to show how insufficient the security measures actually are, which begs the question, why do it if it's going to just be half-@$$3d?
For the record, though, the security personnel have been a lot more considerate lately, and I've openly given them props for that much.
2. “... so you better just follow whatever needs to be done to ensure safety...”
As I said, these measures do not ensure safety. It's a knee-jerk reaction that is not thorough enough to have any teeth, and as such merely inconveniences people instead of ensure anything but, well, inconvenience.
3. “... when you die on a plane with someone who brought liquid or gel on board...”
When did I talk about plane searches? Did I ever complain about plane searches? Those effing searches are freaking thorough, and that justifies the inconveniences.
And then the anonymous poster caps it off by giving me veiled threats about my death on a plane. That's right. And here I was talking about the train. Hmmm... it's amazing, isn't it?
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Farewell, My Love...
This is goodbye...
Dearest Pomelo,
I Don't Wanna Be Your Friend
by Nina
I don't want to see your face
I don't want to hear your name...
He Says: I do not love you as if you are salt-rose or topaz
He Says: Or the arrows of carnation the fire shoots off.
He Says: I love you as certain dark things are to be loved.
He Says: In secret between the shadow and the soul.
She Says: :(
She Says: w-ell... im a dark thing floating around? i don't get it nyway...
She Says: (btw, pluto is not a planet nymore... :()
He pours his heart out to you and professes his love for you. Not only do you reject his affection for you, you even miss the point by a mile. You sidetrack something you find to be petty, yet means the world to him.
Any sane human being can only take so much pain and misery before finally saying, “enough”.
Marcelle doesn't want to see your face or hear your name ever being mentioned to him again. After this one last cry, he leaves it all behind and begins to erase you from his life.
I don't want a thing
Just stay away baby...
He Says: So you know, Gyn, if you truly don't care about me anymore, or about my love for you...
He Says: ... you can simply get out of my life.
He Says: Completely.
He Says: Don't EVER talk to me again.
He Says: Don't EVER even step on my shadow again.
He Says: Don't read my blog, don't check my friendster profile, no nothing.
He Says: Just get out of my life completely.
Tama na ang limang buwan ng pagdurusa niya para sa wala. Tama na. Wala nang makapagsasabi sa kanyang nagkulang pa siya sa iyo.
Huwag mong maisip-isip na bukas makalawa, babalik lang siya at makikipag-usap sa iyo na parang walang nangyari. Kung ganyan ang iniisip mo, hindi mo talaga siya kilala.
Kung iniisip mo lang na balang araw, makakalimutan niya na lang ang lahat ng ito at makikipagkaibigan sa iyo, nagkakamali ka.
Don't wanna know if you're alright
Or what you're doing with your life...
She Says: eniwei... can't we just go back to my graduation day? and forget everything that has happened in between? we could be real good friends u know?
He Says: NO.
It doesn't register to you at all, does it? When he said it's over, it's over. Is it happning because he wants to hurt you? Is it happening because he despises you? Not at all. If anything, it's happening precisely because he loves you.
Marcelle is letting you go because he loves you. He doesn't want to put himself in a situation where he will let you go out of hatred and anger. He won't let the water run dry.
But does that register in your head at all? Obviously not. If it did, you'd actually appreciate what's going on instead of hanging the topic every ruddy chance you get.
Don't wanna hear you say you'll just stay in touch
Maybe...
She Says: so that's why we're not going to talk to each other after this right?
She Says: para hindi mo na ma-feel na pinaglalaruan kita... (eh di naman talaga)
And this proves Marcelle's point.
It was never friendship you were after. It was just the security that he wouldn't do anything to hurt you since you know he doesn't go out of his way to destroy his friends' lives. It was a way for you to offer him a pittance to placate your conscience because you know you are rejecting someone who truly loves you and to justify in your mind the fact that you are letting go of something real. Something deep down, you truly want for yourself. True love.
That's fine. Thats understandable. You're young. You have a lot to learn. So don't sweat it. He won't ruin your life. In fact, he sincerely prays karma would be kinder to you than it was to him. That when all of this comes back to you, it wouldn't hurt nearly as much as it hurt him.
Don't patronize him. Don't offer him friendship as some miserable consolation prize that does nothing but demean what friendship is all about.
I'll get by just fine
And if you're going then darling
Goodbye, goodbye...
She Says: please, let's just be friends okay?
He Says: NO.
He Says: We will NEVER be friends.
He Says: If you won't take a chance with me, I won't be your friend.
He Says: All my friends have taken a chance with me in their own way.
He Says: Being your friend doesn't involve that at all.
Go on and leave. Don't let the door hit you on the way out. It's sad enough you keep on trying to insist on friendship when it serves nobody but yourself.
Does it make Marcelle feel better to be your friend? No.
Does it make him happy to be your friend? No.
Does it mean anything at all to be your friend after all this? No.
Face it, Gyn. Friendship is nothing but a security blanket for you. Marcelle understands now what kind of a person you are. From the moment you refused to downgrade your PSP because of the risk of destroying it (Which is actually 0%, sweetie. Greenhills guarantees they will replace your PSP if something goes wrong.), to how you refuse to defy a single thing your parents tell you no matter how strongly you feel about it, it makes all sense in the world.
Marcelle still accepts you for all of this. But at the end of the day, love is a two-way street. It can't just be about him giving his all to you all the time. Otherwise, it's an exercise in futility.
Don't call me in the middle of the night, no more
Don't expect me to be there...
She Says: hayy...
She Says: i like talking to u when i feel depressed. i dunno why.
She Says: :-p
It's finished, dear Pomelo. It's done. All he ever wanted was for you to take a chance with him and for you to come around, but now he understands that no grandiose gesture can ever make you take a chance with him. It's not what he does any longer. It's what you do, dearest Pomelo.
So in your lowest moments, don't expect him to be there for you. Maawa ka naman sa kanya. You asked to be let go. Don't think you can have your cake and eat it, too. He won't cause any trouble for you, but it should register to you that he won't ever be a cause for you to smile again, either.
Don't think that it will be the way it was before
Though you know that i care...
She Says: so you'd rather na wala lang tayo? not friends? but not lovers din? not enemies? no nothing
He Says: I said it from the start, diba?
He Says: YOU DON'T EXIST.
He Says: NOTHING.
He Says: As far as I'm concerned, you NEVER came into my life after today.
Let the gravity of the matter be lost on you, then. It's fine. Marcelle will not let himself be needlessly incensed by your apparent callousness.
It's precisely what he said it is, Pomelo. It's over. Is it just what he wants? Obviously you never listened to a word he said, then.
There was just one thing he wanted. One thing, Pomelo.
You.
I just want to forget
And i don't want to be your friend...
He Says: It's OVER.
He Says: Don't EVER read my blog.
He Says: Don't EVER talk to me.
He Says: No greetings.
He Says: No hi and hello.
He Says: No kumusta.
He Says: No nothing.
He Says: Not in one week.
He Says: Not in one month.
He Says: Not in one year.
He Says: Not in a million years.
He Says: Even if you run into me in heaven or hell, not even then.
He Says: You tell me you're tired?
He Says: You're not the one who had their heart broken.
He Says: You're not the one who spends each waking moment wondering where they went wrong.
He Says: Don't tell me YOU'RE tired.
Marcelle is tired, Pomelo. He's put up with all of this, looked like an idiot for so long, and he would've willingly kept this up for as long as he needed to if you even so much as made him feel that you just needed time to find it in yourself to take a chance with him.
But you didn't.
Not even you can possibly find yourself entitled to having someone waste the rest of his life over you. Not even if he still loves you with all of his heart. Not even if he could never love the way he has loved you ever again.
I'll forget we ever met
I'll forget i ever let, ever let you into this heart of
mine baby...
He Says: I will spend the rest of my life ignoring the fact that the most wonderful girl I had ever known has been a dream come true to me for ten glorious months.
He Says: No more.
He Says: The only legacy you will leave for me is pain.
He Says: And I will keep that pain to my dying day.
Not hugs, not kisses, not pictures. Just pain. It's all Marcelle can find himself capable of holding onto, because it's the only thing that was ever real about the relationship.
You just gotta let me be
You gotta keep away from me
'Cause all i want is just to be free from you baby...
He Says: If you truly loved someone, you'd take a chance.
He Says: The fact that you don't clearly means you don't.
He Says: You played it safe with me.
She Says: not me
She Says: if i truly love someone, and i would take that chance... then i would've 2 boyfriends before you
She Says: but no. which means i really don't like taking risks
Someday, you'll come to realize that true love precisely involves risks. You never truly loved me, and that isn't really your fault. It's the way you were brought up.
Until the day you come to realize this fact, dear Pomelo, you will never find true happiness. You will forever saddle yourself with fairy tale thoughts that can never be fulfilled because in real life, it takes two to make a fairy tale come true. It can't be prince Charming doing all the work on his own, even if he offers to. The sheer will to take risks must emanate from you.
Maybe you won't find that courage to take risks with Marcelle, but he hopes that before it's too late, you do find someone worth taking that risk for.
It may hurt him so much if it isn't him, but after all has been said and done, it's your happiness that matters to him.
Until the day you learn how to take risks, there is no point to ever having you in his life any longer.
Don't you come around
And say you still care about me
Just go now, go now...
She Says: sighs.
She Says: it's complicated really
She Says: and im more at ease this way...<./font>
It's all about taking the easy way out, isn't it?
Hopefully, you should learn someday that what is comfortable is not necessarily what is right, nor is it what will make you truly happy.
Don't call me in the middle of the night, no more
Don't expect me to be there
Don't think that it will be the way it was before
Though you know that i care
This heart may never mend
And I don't want to be your friend...
You've taken things for granted for too long, Pomelo.
You've always assumed that Marcelle doesn't have the heart to get you out of his life, but if he didn't, his heart would continue to bleed until he has no heart to speak of any longer.
Now, it's time to put a stop to this cycle. It's time to say enough is enough, and to let you go out of love.
You take it to casually
But baby it's killing me...
She Says: look, im sorry
He Says: DON'T APOLOGIZE.
He Says: You refused to take a chance.
She Says: i don't want to talk about these today.
He Says: I understand now.
She Says: its friday... and im supposed to feel light and happy today...
She Says: okie?
He Says: NO.
He Says: I am NEVER talking to you after this.
He Says: So don't tell me what we shouldn't talk about just because it's a Friday.
He Says: Because more important than the fact that it's a Friday...
He Says: ... today is the day I am saying goodbye.
He Says: Then let that be your legacy to me, Gyn.
He Says: Pain.
He Says: Goodbye.
He Says: I will love you.
He Says: Always.
You have signed out of Yahoo Messenger.
Offline Messages:
She Says: im going down para bili rice. baon ako ngayon eh. :)
She Says: yup, and wag ka kain lagi sa labas. masama ata un eh. :-p nung wednesday hndi ako maka-uwi kasi nahihilo ko at nasusuka. 8:30 na nasa lrt station pa rin ako. :)) eh wala naman ako ginagawa o kinakain na kakaiba. sige po. ingats na lang.
She Says: goodluck sa trabaho! ;)
She Says: at ano mangyayari kapag block sa ym? di kita makikita sa list? or di mo marereceive msgs?
'Nuf said, isn't it? It boggles the mind how easy it is for you to turn your back on all this.
It boggles the mind. And crushes his heart.
Goodbye, goodbye
Don't call me in the middle of the night, no more
Don't expect me to be there
Don't think that it will be the way it was before
(no, baby)
Don't call me in the middle of the night no more
I won't get over you
But i don't want to be your friend
I don't want to be your friend
Don't call me, don't come around
I don't want to be your friend...
He Says: There will be an empty space in my heart waiting for you to take a chance with me, Gyn.
He Says: I will always love you.
She Says: okie fine... if i decide to take a chance with you someday and you're still single, il contact you...
He Says: Don't tell me that.
He Says: Huwag mo na ako paasahin.
He Says: Just live your life and know that whenever you are happy, my heart will be happy for you.
Farewell,
Marcelle
.:The Epilogue: The Unsent Series Part XXX:.
I Corinthians 13:4-8
4: Love is patient. Love is kind. Love is not jealous or conceited or proud;
5: Love is not ill-mannered or selfish or irritable; love does not keep a record of wrongs;
6: Love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth.
7: Love never gives up; and its faith, hope, and patience never fail.
8: Love is eternal...
Dearest Pomelo,
Let not be the last words he tells you words of indignance, or a wounded heart wishing to find a way to go on in spite of the pain.
Let his last words to you be words of love.
I offer you these shoes as my last legacy to you as I say goodbye. I refuse to leave you a legacy of harsh words, of threats, of shortcomings, or impatience. That is not what love is all about.
I give you these shoes to remind you that in whatever wonderful place you find yourself in, my heart will be there with you.
Though you may never hear me say your name again.
Though you may never see my face again.
Though I will cease to exist in your life.
I give you these shoes to tell you that all I continue to want for you is your happiness, and nothing more.
Even at the cost of my happiness.
Just know that if you ever realize what I know is deep in your heart...
... that your happiness is with me...
... I will be here.
Please respect how I feel. Don't patronize me or tell me that I'll just get over all of this soon enough. Don't lump me with the other schoolboy crushes others have given to you and equate them to the kind of love I feel for you. Let me hold onto this much.
I feel no anger, no hatred as I let you go.
Only love.
I do not love you as if you are salt-rose or topaz,
Or the arrows of carnation the fire shoots off
I love you as certain things are to be loved,
In secret between the shadow and the soul.
I love you as a plant that never blooms,
But carries in itself the light of hidden flowers
Thanks to your love, a certain solid fragrance
Rises from the Earth and fills my body darkly
I love you without knowing how, or when, or where
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride
And so I love you, for I know no other way
That this: where I do not exist, nor you:
So close that your hand on my chest is my hand,
So near that when you close your eyes, I fall asleep
-Pablo Neruda, Sonnet XVII
Let love be my legacy to you,
Marcelle
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Lyrically Speaking Scribbles...
Let The Pain Remain
by Basil Valdez
Love comes, love goes,
I understand that not every relationship has a happy ending. If anything, given how many people I know have broken up with each other this year so far, the contrary sounds even more true.
But a sudden feeling never lets me be
Despite that, I realize that there are just some things that you can only hope time would heal. Things you can’t expect to extricate from your system so instantaneously. Things that you pray would turn out differently than they currently are, in the hopes that perhaps, after more blood, sweat, and tears, it might not be as bad as it is now.
Somehow, i know,
Quite a part of me isn't changed since you've been gone
I’m still that fool for you. For always.
Like a sturdy tree thats seen a thousand seasons
I've to shed my leaves in winter
And grow them back in spring
Though I see myself like some kind of bamboo at this point, to be honest. One that sways through the harshest of tempests, yet still manages to weather on despite everything.
To welcome life again
To welcome you
Life just feels as though it’s stripped of meaning without you in it. Misery has been my friend for so long, but I still soldier on despite everything. It’s all I can do.
So goes, my life
Still believe in dreams of having you around
With each waking moment, the first thought that comes to me is the fervent wish that you would come around and realize how much you mean to me.
Too bad, memories feed the mind and not the heart
Where I want you to be
While I find fond thoughts of you comfort me for a while, when the loneliness sets in, I end up feeling even far worse than I started off with.
Don’t patronize me. Don’t tell me I’ll be happy after a while, or that I’ll find someone better eventually. Don’t tell me what to think or how to feel over your leaving me. Don’t fool me into believing that I can truly be happy without you in my life.
So i ask myself what you've left behind for me
To go on each day and live as if
I have you once again
Are they the memories? Are they the pictures? The letters? The times we’ve exchanged “I love you’s”?
Are they truly the only legacy I have to look forward to if you truly won’t come back to me?
Or perhaps, is there something you have left in me that is so real, so genuine, that no matter what it may be, time cannot and should not ever wash it away?
Yes, there is. The pain.
What else is there that's real
But all the pain that i feel?
Pictures can fade, stars can burn out, oceans may dry up, but this pain shall not meet the same fate until you choose to unbreak this heart of mine.
So let the pain remain
Forever in my heart
This is not a protest of rage, nor is this a plea for help. This is a statement of fact.
I want that pain to remain not because I want to hate you, or our memories. I want that pain to remain simply because it’s the one link I have left to you.
For every throb it brings is one more moment
Spent with you,
With each heartbeat, I feel you come back into my life with a vengeance. Perhaps it is not the perfect way to have you with me, but I would rather have imperfection with the one I truly love than perfection with an illusion
I let the pain, bring on the rain
If that's the only way
If there's no other way
to be with you again…
If after all has been said and done, you still can’t find a space in your heart for me, I won’t raise hell, nor make any attempt to hurt you. That’s the last thing I’d ever want to do. All I truly wish is that you would be happy, and when I would see you happy, perhaps despite the pain, I’d still feel some measure of happiness.
I have a life to live without the one person who has ever made me love this way. I have a life to live for me to just go on and ignore the pain and walk wounded without anyone ever knowing again that I am an empty shell of a man who doesn’t deserve anything good in his life. I will go on, but I will never move on.
If the pain is the only way for me to still somehow have you in my life, though I may never see your face again, or hold you in my arms again, then I will live on with the pain for the rest of my life, not because I wish myself to suffer, but because only through it can I be with you again, even just in my dreams or my deepest hopes and ambitions.
Against the better judgment of all those around me, against my better judgment, I shall let the pain remain.
For without you, the one thing that gives meaning to this life is the pain.
I love you. I always will. But this is my last stand.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Errmmm...
Once again, I ended up hanging out with Elbert and once again, it's at U.P. This was after he gave me a crash course on graphic design, which definitely helped me along.
So anyways, we were there for a while and then we saw Raffy. Good job! In any case, we talked a bit about movies, and that was way cool. He knew about Battle Royale, which was just awesome.
Then, JP and Estelle arrived, and then we just hung around the “Secret” exhibit for a while, which was a way cool concept. Afterwards, me, El, 'Elle, and JP went to Conspiracy, where we saw a really awesome OHP shadow play that just really went on three levels of cool. At that point, the “chaperones”, me and JP, started talking a bit about relationships, and when El and 'Elle got back, it was their turn to be on the hotseat... heh.
Nonetheless, there. We had a great time, and when I was in the car with Estelle after the whole thing, we ended up talking about debating a bit more. It was great. It made me feel that I had to revisit my debating roots and perhaps finally make it to varsity after all this time. Perhaps...
.:My Name Is Earl:.
I really, really love this TV series. I just might end up getting the DVD of the series seeing how cool it is...
.:Are You Ready? Snakes On A MothaF%#$%^ Plane!!!:.
I want to watch it in the cinemas... I swear.
I bet from now on, the MRT staff will ban snakes on the train! =P
.:Props To The MRT Security Staff:.
After a few days of being anal retentive, the security staff has learned to be far more considerate of people, and I believe that deserves props for that.
Now, they are willing to allow people to bring liquids into the train, so long as they can determine what it really is. If it's water, prove it by taking a swig. If it's perfume, they'll sniff it. If it's medicine, well, preferably, show the doctor's prescription.
I'm very impressed that there has been an improvement in this regard, and my complaints regarding the knee-jerk security measures are at least somewhat alleviated.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Hanging Out And A Meme...
While the movie seemed to drag in some segments here and there, I must say that it was definitely a good film. It was exceptionally fun to see Kuya Bodjie figure in the movie and act completely opposite to his Batibot character, while I channeled his song throughout. Heh.
While pointing his gun at Maximo's father...
"Ako ang kapitbahay, ang kapitbahay niyo... laging handang tumulong sa inyo... kilala niyo ako, kilala niyo ako..."
Awesome! Ahahaha...
.:Slum Book Afternoon:.
So it was me, Elbert, Estelle, Johan, and his girlfriend (Whose name escapes me at the moment.).
After watching the movie, we all headed out to Kenny Roger's, where I had a late lunch, and we were just talking to each other, more or less planning what will happen on Saturday, being Estelle's birthday. We just sat around at Elbert's condo, and we talked about stuff like what the craziest thing we did during High School or College was, and so forth. It was definitely a fun time...
And then he came up with a very interesting situation...
.:Oh, Look! A Meme!:.
What if you could send an ex to Ex-Isle Island?
Here, you send an ex to an island where they face off ala Survivor. Whoever wins will get a million dollars. Whoever loses is stuck in the island for good.
A few questions... answer this on your own LJ's, if you're too squeamish to make it public.
1. Which ex would you send?
2. What motivations would you have to send them? Do you want them to win or to be stuck on the island?
3. If they made the final two, and you had to make a testimonial about your ex that will make or break his/her chances of getting the million dollars, what will you say?
4. If an ex sent you to the island, what will the0ir motivation be? Try to use a different ex in this case.
5. What will their testimonial for you be if you made it to the Final 2?
6. Tag three exes of yours. By ex, I mean ex-anything, and say why you're tagging them. So you can tag an ex-boyfriend, ex-girlfriend, ex-teacher, ex-student, ex-boss, etc.
So think about it carefully. Yes, all of us in the room answered it already, and I'll keep my answers under wraps for now. It was very interesting and insightful, and it gave me a lot of amazing knowledge about Estelle and Johan's girlfriend, despite having only known them recently.
I welcome anyone to answer this. And I mean, anyone.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Idiots. The Lot Of Them.
Look what I got from my comment box the other day...
Hi there. I'm Evi, EIC of The GUIDON. :) Stumbled across your entry through the various links on the internet. I thought I'd invite you to write us formally at feedback@theguidon.com. The GUIDON has always encouraged a culture of rational and responsible discourse. If you send us a formal response to our sport editor's column, we can publish it as a letter to the editor. If you can make it more about your own opinion and less a reaction to our sport editor's opinion, we might even be able to publish it as a stand-alone column. (Blue Jeans and Time Out are columns open to the Ateneo public.)
I can't promise you anything but I hope to hear from you soon. If I could have your e-mail address, I could send you more details.
Well, how about that? I guess I'll give it a whirl, then.
.:Absobloodylutely Ridiculous:.
Due to recent terrorist activities in Europe, liquids are now banned in the MRT.
And here, we prove, the kind of knee-jerk security measures this country takes against terrorism. On a whim, they ban liquids.
Screw people who want to brush their teeth after a meal. Toothpaste is now a contraband in MRT's.
Screw people who need to take their medicine, which just so happens to be a syrup. Or heck, their asthma medicine. I myself happen to be asthmatic. I'd be absolutely thrilled to be told that they have to confiscate my not-so-cheap medicine and proceed to find myself have an asthma attack while inside the train due to the oversaturation of people inside.
Screw the people who have no idea what's been going on, have just bought loads of groceries, consciously avoided picking up cans (Which are already banned.), and end up losing half of the stuff they bought to the guards because hey, you know what? It's illegal now.
Screw drinking from the mineral water bottle to prove it's not a bomb. We don't care about the spirit of the rule, just the letter of the rule.
This is just a complete sham of idiocy that achieves nothing in the long run.
Let's see... liquids are banned because of a supposed foiled terrorist attack that didn't happen here, that still reeks of propaganda to hopefully justify either further action against Lebanon OR the Al-Qaeda. To quell the public paranoia, the knee-jerk reaction of MRT management is to ban liquids the way they banned canned goods the last time, thereby alienating people who use the MRT to travel after buying their groceries.
Why not have better security?
Why not have metal detectors?
Sniffer dogs?
If you are going to make a half-assed effort to placate paranoia, couldn't you at least not make it inconvenient to people who pay good money to avail of your services? Otherwise, you clearly are making a very narrow-minded attempt to please a minority, while the majority of the people who go ride your train are the people who have no idea why you're banning liquids in the first place.
Did you even know that the human body is made up of 80% liquid? Look! Ban *us*, too!
It just grates on me that petty inconveniences like these which in truth achieve nothing are all the management can come up with.
You want proof that it achieves nothing?
Well, how about this?
I have toothpaste and my asthma medicine in my bag. It's just that it's in a side pocket, so when I open my bag up, you can't see it.
So yeah, I get searched on a daily basis when I board the train, and yet they find nothing at all. They frisk you, but they only do that every now and then, and don't do it consistently.
If I wanted to have a bomb, I could have a bomb. Just put it in the side pocket of my bag, and off I go.
Meanwhile, people who don't realize this are terribly inconvenienced as their medicine, their water, their toothpaste, their hair gel, their whatever-else-that's-liquid gets plucked out of their bags for the most ludicrous of reasons.
Yeesh. Liquid bomb, schmiquid bomb. Just get better security already. If you're going to inconvenience me, you better make sure it's going to work.
Monday, August 14, 2006
Over The Weekend...
Belated happy birthday, Sach! I greeted you advanced and belated, and I tried being online yesterday, but I guess it was too early and you weren't online yet.
Nonetheless, I know you had a blast, given what I've read. I would've been there, except for the fact that when they changed the plans for the house blessing from afternoon to evening, that turned out impossible for me already. I was supposed to go there in the afternoon, but since the "party" turned into an evening celebration, I had to decline Tita Harvey's invitation.
.:Sukob, The Breakup:.
I watched both movies at Krisette's place last Friday night. I had a baaaaaad copy of Sukob though, so I want to see it again when I get the chance...
.:If You Are So Annoyed By What I Write...:.
... then maybe you shouldn't be going out of your way to read my blog or LJ, right?
Right?
You're so vain, you probably think this is about you. As usual.
.:Folding Into Myself. Again.:.
What else can I do? I appreciate all the people who care about my well-being, i.e., my friends, but really now, there are just times when I'd rather not have to deal with so many worries all coming in from all fronts.
That being said, I guess there's nobody I can, or should count on except myself. Simple as that. Maybe that's why I stopped asking certain people for any genuine advice for the longest time.
Or maybe that fact completely flew over their heads, and they still feel compelled to tell me how to run my life, who to like, who to court, who to love, who to stop talking to...
I wish I were talking about my parents, but I'm not.
.:Errmmmm...:.
I say "sorta-kinda" because it was *suppsed* to be a "boy's night out", except there was one girl who ended up going with me, Elbert, Jonas, and Johan last Saturday. We planned this gig for a while already, and it was fairly amusing.
Anyways, her name's Estelle, and she's also a debater, so it was a very awesome time for me, as I found loads upon loads of things we could talk about, since we are both kind of opinionated people...
As usual, I had the requisite first impression of Dance Maniax, and videoke, including the usual Doble Kara songs, and Blakdyak's "Modelong Charing".
We were supposed to watch "My Super Ex-Girlfriend", but we didn't have enough tickets. Elbert was flirting with the girls giving samples of I-On Energy Drink...
Girl: Sir, isa pa?
Elbert: Ah, huwag na. Baka hindi ako makapag-control, eh.
A mere few moments later, he turns to Johan, who didn't gel up his hair that night...
Elbert: Alam mo, Johan, mas bagay sayo ang may erection, eh. Yung buhok! Yung buhok!
Tell me he didn't just say that!
We had interesting conversations over dinner, mainly over the fact that if your parents got annulled, since the marriage technically never existed, does that make you an illegitimate child? It was very amusing. I haven't talked about debate in ages, and Estelle just triggered a rush of memories hitting me with a vengeance.
So yeah, Videoke, and then came the knowledge that Estelle was actually related to Mich's boyfriend, Carlo, which explains why she's in Pol Sci. Hmmm... way cool.
Nonetheless, it was a great night with great company and not-so-great singing. I wish I could say more about it, but the whole thing was such a blur, but it was such a wonderful blur, nonetheless.
Friday, August 11, 2006
Blasted...
This is written in response to the Guidon editorial entitled "The Blue-Green Symbiosis", written by a Gerald Santos. Italics are quotes taken directly from his editorial. Blue font denotes what my comments are.
The Blue-Green Symbiosis
by Gerald Santos
This writer has been visiting online forums that are all about Team Ateneo for the past month. The busiest threads have been about archrival De La Salle’s (DLSU) suspension for this Universities Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) season.
I know third person is acceptable in an editorial, but it still throws me off. I could've sworn I've read tons of editorials from the Guidon that sounded off with “I”, which sounds more appropriate in such a setting.
I won’t tell you what I have read or seen in these forums but all of them have been shouting the same thing: Without DLSU, Ateneo (ADMU) will win this year's UAAP championship.
Ahahahahaha! Didn't he just tell us what he saw already?!?
Yes, hardcore Blue and White fans have been jumping for joy that the Blue Eagles’ primary tormentor is gone. Without the boys from Taft, nobody would be shooting down the Eagles’ title run.
What an excellent argument. Let's go count or chickens before our eggs hatch, why don't we? That's what the Lakers did this season, and during the season they had Kobe, Shaq, Malone, and Payton. I'm sure the people from UST, UE, NU, FEU, Adamson, and UP are all thrilled at the prospect of being ignored from the equation because you know, Arneo has such a grandiose sense of self-worth that its only “worthy” “enemy” is La Salle.
These assumptions are made with good reason. With DLSU gone and Far Eastern University (FEU) reeling from the departures of their three best players, the only other serious title contender would be the smallish squad of the University of the East (UE).
Sports analyst, much? I'm sure Phil Jackson would have loads to say about such assumptions.
Money in the bank, some would go far as to say.
Who? The gods of cliché? Let's see how many tired old lines he's going to rehash from this point on.
Before I continue, the next line will come as some sort of a shock. Don’t tell me I didn’t warn you.
Translation: I want to sound profound! Turn back before you laugh at me!!!
I’d rather see ADMU lose to DLSU rather than see AMDU win the championship without facing DLSU.
Translation: I phail3d at trying to sound profound. 1111One111eleventy11one!!!
Yes, you read it right. I’d rather see the Blue Eagles get blasted by 30 points from the Green Archers. It may be ugly, but I'd take it over a blowout win against National University (NU).
While I still have lingering doubts about the existence of a university known as N.U., I'm sure the outright disregard for them is amusing them at this very moment.
First, there is a danger in saying that the UAAP title is in the bag. The danger lies in the possibility of ADMU failing to defend the championship in Season 70. If the Blue Eagles fail to repeat, they would be branded as flukes. What's more, people would reason out that the Blue Eagles won because their toughest opponent - arguably, DLSU - didn't play this year.
Isn't the danger in, oh, I dunno, not winning the title this season at all? Jeebus cripes, worry about the “title defense” only after winning it on season 69, will ya? And “flukes”? When ADMU wins against DLSU, nine times out of ten it's a close game. When DLSU wins against ADMU, nine times out of ten, it's a blowout. You tell me what's a “fluke” right there.
It's like an officer getting elected into office without any opposition. If that officer fails later on, the failure is magnified tenfold.
Hey, look! Cliché number two! A passé analogy, at that! I like the sheer arrogance brimming from the writer at this point. He's practically saying, “we're gonna win, but it's meaningless because dear, dear La Salle isn't around for us to whoop on.”
Second, you might have heard the phrase “this is where we separate the men from the boys.” Games tagged as such are always expected to be tightly-contested, with the final score not decided until the final buzzer. The winning team shows the heart of a champion. The losing team succumbs to the pressure.
... and in the next paragraph comes, cliché number three, four, five, six, and seven! The first sentence, the two phrases that make up the second sentence, and the two phrases that make up the third sentence. Normally, you rely on just one cliché in an entire piece to get your point across. Not throw a string of them.
Boy. When they handed a million typewriters to a million monkeys, here's what one of them came up with.
An ADMU - DLSU game is always of high significance, whether it be elimination, Final Four or Finals. Nobody backs down. Nobody wants to be embarrassed in front of their schools. Nobody wants to lose to the other.
Ah, yes. The over-hyped ADMU-DLSU rivalry. Someone's speaking exclusively for the hardcore fanboys and fangirls now.
In short, an ADMU – DLSU tussle, apart from entertaining, is the ultimate test of character.
You could've said this without saying all that in the previous paragraph, and you would've gotten the same point across. And oh, cliché number eight.
Third, greatness in basketball – contrary to popular belief – is not just about making the game statistician furious because the stat sheet gets so filled out. It is also measured by the effort that comes with these stats. Measured by the leadership a player shows. Measured by the composure, confidence, and heart that a player shows when they are needed the most.
Someone's making up “popular belief” now. Sorry, but statistics aren't nearly as important anymore, or else everyone would be picking players on their team the way Isaiah Thomas is doing right this very moment for the Knicks. And by the way, your third and fourth sentences? You guessed it. Cliché number nine and ten.
An ADMU - DLSU encounter, apart from being beneficial to media outfits – is a match where the men are distinguished from the boys. Nothing is more beautiful than two teams slugging it out for pride and school spirit. This is where defining moments are made. Remember Larry Fonacier’s (MA Comm) two last-second blocks on Mark Cardona that sealed a Game 1 win in the 2002 Finals? Surely, Fonacier would not be the player he is now if not for that moment.
Not only did he do cliché number eleven in this paragraph, he repeated it from earlier in his piece! And while I'd argue that the phrase “Nothing is more beautiful than...” can be cliché'd, I'd let it slide because this is the first time I've heard “...two teams slugging it out for pride and school spirit.”
Not that there's anything wrong with being gay, but this sounds gay. It's like I would come around and say about pro wrestling, “Nothing is more beautiful than two half-naked, sweaty men, getting it on in the middle of the ring.” It's inane, it's homoerotic, and it's patently untrue. I can think of tons more of beautiful things than “two teams slugging it out for pride and school spirit.”
In fact, let me enumerate:
1. Elgine Chua (But of course!)
2. A glorious sunset by Manila Bay.
3. Jheon Ji-Hyun (Of “My Sassy Girl” fame.)
4. Chuck Norris (I have to say this or else he'd roundhouse kick me dead.)
5. Stacy Keibler
6. Actually winning a championship for the first time ever. For further reference, see: Heat, Miami.
7. Some of the courtside reporters UAAP used to have. ;)
8. The Lord of the Rings movies.
I think you get my point.
Now, let me get to the other assumption he makes: “Surely, Fonacier would not be the player he is now if not for that moment” (Of blocking Cardona's two shots in a game to save the win for ADMU at the time.).
Wrong. Just wrong.
What I believe defines Fonacier's hardiness is making it back to even playing despite having had a career-threatening injury. One game where he performs amazing heroics does not define him. I would particularly find it laughable in the event that somewhere down the road, he and Cardona ended up teammates on the PBA, further invalidating this assumption.
For someone who talks a great deal about “character”, the writer is oblivious to the fact that “character” is built over time, not established over the course of one basketball game.
If you’re getting my drift, the Blue Eagles actually need the Green Archers.
It is a mutual relationship. All the key members of the 2002 championship team – Fonacier, Enrico Villanueva (MA ‘04), and Rich Alvarez (AB ‘04), to name a few – went on to have continuing success in the pro league. Being able to face the Green Archers in the biggest stage and in the biggest college game is the best preparation for the tougher, grind-it-out professional game.
Yes, I'm getting your “drift”. That's yet another cliché. How many are we up to now? Twelve? Note that the three players he mentioned, "to name a few", are currently the only players to have "continuing success in the pro league" from that team at this point. Someone is obviously trying to pass off these three as the total package, never mind the other guys who are either still in the UAAP, or have not met any success in the pros, period.
Furthermore, to assume some kind of “mutual” relationship with the Archers assumes that the Archers feel the same way. I would like to ask all my friends who have ever studied in DLSU, past or present, to tell me right now if they agree with the sentiment that their school's basketball team needs Ateneo's basketball team to validate them. If they do, then I will concede this point to the writer. If not, then that means somebody has been trying to buff up ADMU by making it seem like DLSU needs them.
Facing DLSU in UAAP is not the best preparation. Working hard on your skills as a player is. First of all, the PBA, being the money-ball game that it is, is not tougher. The professional leagues are no longer about pride and all about the money. Guaranteed contracts simply mean that these players will protect themselves and not go all-out, more often than not, simply because it's smart of them to do so. If they get injured critically even once, they're out of a career, or at the very least, a spot in the rotation.
One moment in your entire collegiate basketball career does not define you. Otherwise, you're going to be a one-note tune, doing nothing but proclaim your victory over an opponent (Team DLSU '02) that no longer exists.
Putting this in better perspective,
Cliché number thirteen. You couldn't put something in “better perspective” if you had a degree in Fine Arts. The only way to put this bloody piece in “better perspective” would've been to have someone else write it.
... the relationship can be compared to a coach and a player. A coach may go hard at first on his player, may beat him in their initial scrimmages, but as time goes by, the player gets better.
Cliché number fourteen, and it's not even apt. There are eight teams in the UAAP. What about the other six? Doesn't the entire UAAP experience make a player better? Or should we just have nothing but ADMU-DLSU games from now on?
ADMU basketball is relevant because of DLSU. And DLSU basketball is relevant because of ADMU. There’s no other way you could say it.
We end with cliché number fifteen, and one of the most ignorant statements I have ever heard. Do the words “basketball” and “relevant” even belong in the same sentence? There are a million and one other ways to say it, quite frankly, and you know what the best way is?
The writer could've just shut up and let somebody ghost-write for him instead.
Now, pardon me while I go on a tangent and wrap my head around this load of horseshit further.
While people die in Lebanon, while people starve to death on sidewalks, while typhoons left and right destroy homes and cost lives, you want to tell me that a fucked-up, over-hyped basketball rivalry is relevant? Oh, come on!!!
What the Hades is going on here? A sports column tries to be “relevant”, yet sticks exclusively to basketball, rambling on and on about an inane and homoerotic “symbiosis” between the DLSU and ADMU basketball teams. Again, while nothing is wrong with being gay, the idea still rings gay. Throwing in the buzzword "relevant" does little to allay my gripes.
One can only hope that the Guidon has not fallen so far as to completely sidestep current issues and events going on in and out of the country to the point where it is best served to be a magazine and not an official school paper.
Then again, I'm not looking through rose-colored glasses, as I've seen for myself how The Guidon has done this even before I graduated a mere two years ago. For the life of me though, I can't believe that not only would the relevance of the paper devolve further, but so would the quality of the writing.
From this to that whole “you are Ateneans of the highest order” hoopla, it kinda makes you feel dirty to be an alumnus of Arneo.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Random Vituperations...
Truth be told, a lot of my sentiments on different topics have been see-sawing from moment to moment.
That explains why one of the main posts I was supposed to put up since Monday will still be nowhere to be found until I sort out my sentiments about it... sigh...
.:To Be The Man!:.
I know, I know. I owe you guys a long overdue book review. I'll get to it soon enough... I'm so backlogged lately...
.:Rebonding:.
I haven't spoken, much less met up with April since the last time she visited me in the hospital, and that's mainly because after she went abroad for a vacation, she was practically buried in a lot of work.
We've had four long years of being friends under our belt, and I must say that there are few people I am as at ease with as I am with her. It was a bit disorienting to see her again after so long a time, certainly different from how I first got to know her. Gone was the “uniform” of blue top and white skirt. In came a new outlook in life along with the requisite attitude. While it's a bit disorienting, I wouldn't say it's a welcome change that I personally believe is something she needed.
We had a sort of lunch at Friday's, as we talked about what's been going on with her life lately. I have to say I definitely missed a lot. There have been several goings-on in her life that I was completely in the dark about, and what really got to me was that I wasn't there for her when I should've. Everybody knows how I feel about not being there for my friends when I really should be there for them, and this was certainly no exception, by any means.
From Friday's, we then had dessert at Starbucks, and then she and I just went on a road trip for a while. It was two friends sharing a moment of rebonding, rediscovering precisely why we were fairly close when we were still both in Ateneo.
I'm still fairly speechless right now, to be honest. I suppose all I can do is hope for the best for her, and remind her that I will continue to be there for her, no matter what.
For now, that is all I can offer.
.:Don't Screw With Me, You Sonuva...:.
This Sunday was the first time I did not land in the Top 8 of a tournament, and while that isn't so bad in and by itself, what really got to me was the fact that an unnamed individual has decided to piss me off.
You see, while I'm fairly competitive when it comes to Vintage tournaments, losing to players doesn't really get to me. In fact, I'm a bit more miffed over losing to myself over some play error or some other.
But then, losing to a judge?
So there I was in the fifth round of the tournament, and I've won my match, 2-0. Right beside me was Osmond and Chris Sta. Maria, who were having a game, and a very odd sequence happens.
First, Osmond plays Duress on Chris, and plucks a card out of his hand. Then, on Chris' turn, he draws a card, plays a fetchland, then fetches.
Unfortunately, while shuffling his deck, he accidentally shuffles his hand into his deck as well, and now, he was in a position that the tournament organizer, Lauren, found himself in a few rounds prior.
The difference was that Lauren was handed a game loss, and for some reason, the ruling in this case was not going to be consistent, all because of having Duress played, which meant Osmond saw Chris' hand prior to him shuffling it all in.
So well, the judge, in a clear show of incompetence, asked Osmond to remember Chris' hand, so Chris can get those cards back into his hand.
Now, you see, that clearly undermines the integrity of the game. In the event that somebody sees your hand, the hand is still not considered public knowledge. I know common sense dictates you should know the cards after having seen them, but the rules don't account for that, and would sooner respect the integrity of the game (By ignoring that occurrence of having seen his hand.) than to put a ruling in the hands of the opponent.
That being said, with my match over, I casually joked to Osmond that he could always say he doesn't remember a thing from Chris' hand, and nobody can contest that. He didn't write it down, and what is subtly happening here is that despite the fact that the ruling being handed by the judge is wrong, Osmond doing what he should've done would've ensured that the right thing happened.
You see, if a guy shuffled his hand in given circumstances like that, there really is no reason to hand someone a game loss for a mistake that works to his disadvantage.
However, to expect a guy to get back his hand based on what his opponent remembers is just ridiculous. The obvious and appropriate course of action is too bad, the guy loses his entire hand.
But wrong rulings aside, guess what joking around with Osmond got me?
Oh, that's right. A game loss for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Eff that. A game loss? After my match? With no warning? The logic of it all escapes me.
I am fed up with incompetence like that. If on the next tournament he turns out to be the judge, I am not joining. Screw him.
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
A Meme...
I have a post or two written up, except, well, my computer doesn't cooperate with me...
Sigh... it refuses to open word files. In fact, it resets itself when I try to.
.:I Still Can't Take Rejection...:.
Even when it comes to something that's not supposed to be long-term, I still feel rather put off...
Oh, well. That's precisely why I put contingencies in place, I suppose...
.:Uno Dos Tres:.
3 People Who Makes Me Laugh:
Uno: John Stewart
Dos: Jack Black
Tres: Elbert
3 Things I Love:
Uno: Magic: The Gathering
Dos: My PSP
Tres: Philosophy
3 Things I Hate:
Uno: Rejection
Dos: Rejection
Tres: Rejection
3 Things On My Desk:
Uno: I
Dos: don't
Tres: have a desk
3 Things I Am Doing Right Now:
Uno: Blogging
Dos: Chatting
Tres: Working
3 Things I Want To Do Before I Die:
Uno: Write a book.
Dos: Main event Wrestlemania. Or fine, watch it.
Tres: Get a Ph.D.
3 Things I Can Do:
Uno: Write on the fly.
Dos: Teach.
Tres: Get to work at two in the morning and leave at noon.
3 Ways to Describe My Personality:
Uno: Moody
Dos: Geeky (!)
Tres: Passionate
3 Things People Might Not Know About Me:
Uno: I like Koreans. (!)
Dos: I can read really fast.
Tres: I am a frustrated magician.
3 Things I Think You Should Listen To:
Uno: My show. 2-6 AM, Tuesdays to Fridays, WAVE 89.1.
Dos: Good advice. Preferrably of the solicited type.
Tres: The first Sugarfree album.
3 Things I Don't Think You Should Listen To Ever:
Uno: Avril Lavigne's version of "Chop Suey"
Dos: Spin doctors.
Tres: The ADD and INC channel at the same time.
3 of My Absolute Favorite Foods:
Uno: Lasgna
Dos: Kare-Kare
Tres: Mushrooms
3 Things I'd Like to Learn:
Uno: Fookien
Dos: Korean
Tres: Even more Philosophy
3 Beverages I Drink Regularly:
Uno: Water
Dos: Sarsi
Tres: Pepsi
3 Shows I Watched When I Was A Child:
Uno: Ghostbusters
Dos: Ninja Turtles
Tres: Captain Planet
3 People I Tag to Do This Crap:
Peppy
Madame Jess
Clair
Friday, August 04, 2006
Sorta Review...
Check out one of my recent entries with a meme. I want to see if I can guess who's who... hehehehehe...
.:A Short Notice Review: Miami Vice:.
Watched the movie with a new friend. Hehehe.
Well, I don't feel like writing a complete review for the movie, really. Let me just say that given my letter grading, the movie's pace was too slow, the attempt at artsy shots failed miserably, and the ending of the movie just absolutely didn't resolve anything, as if it were pathetically screaming for people to watch the inevitable sequel.
The movie, in a nutshell, is like this: Sonny Crockett (Colin Farrell) and Ricardo Tubbs (Jamie Foxx) are on a drug bust when they find out a deal has gone bad because of a leak somewhere in the department. For them to work it out, they have to go undercover themselves, and find means to get to the Colombian kingpin, Jesus. Somewhere along the road, Sonny falls for the kingpin's assistant, Isabella (Gong Li), and they have hawt sex. A lot of hawt sex. Too bad Colin blocks the view every single time.
So anyways, at the end of the movie, everybody forgets about the leak, and everybody forgets about the kingpin, too. Funny that. An exercise in futility, and bad accents. I don't know with you, but Gong Li trying to sound like a Cuban just threw me off, and the accents are all over the place to the point where I can't understand a lick of dialogue.
It's not that the acting was bad. Quite the opposite, in fact. It's the fact that the shot selections are an acquired taste, and the script itself was abysmal. No amount of great acting can cover up a plot hole as gaping as Jenna Jameson's... err... never mind.
"Fun" Rating: C+
"Critical Rating: C-
Thursday, August 03, 2006
A Meme...
Post an ANONYMOUS comment with the following:
1. One secret.
2. One compliment.
3. One non-compliment.
4. One love note, but it does not have to be for me.
5. Lyrics to a song.
6. A question you always wanted to ask of me. No holds barred.
7. How old you are.
8. How long we've been friends.
9. And a hint to who you are.
10. After you do it for me, put it in your LJ and see who does it for you.
Yeah! :P
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
One Sitting...
I will write up a book review about it soon, but let me state for the record that I read it in one sitting. It was simply that amazing a book, and I don't have to love the man to respect him.
Whooooooo!!!
.:Harry Mola?!?:.
Harry Potter star to bare all in stage production of 'Equus'
Agence France-Presse
Posted date: July 28, 2006
LONDON -- Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe is to shed his wizarding robes to take the lead role in a stage production of "Equus," an erotic part that will require the young British actor literally to bare all.
The 17-year-old confirmed on a website dedicated to him a number of newspaper reports Friday that he would appear in the drama at a theatre in London's West End early next year.
Radcliffe will play stable boy Alan Strang in Peter Shaffer's controversial tale about a boy's infatuation with horses.
As part of the role, he will have to simulate sexual pleasure while riding naked on his horse, The Times newspaper reported.
Radcliffe, in comments posted on www.danradcliffe.co.uk, said: "This is obviously a huge departure for me as an actor, but 'Equus' is such an amazing play that this really was an opportunity not to be missed."
Despite the challenge, he added that he was "really excited" to be part of the show, which will be directed by Thea Sharrock.
Another Harry Potter actor -- Richard Griffiths, who played the boy-wizard's grumpy uncle, Vernon Dursley -- is also lined up to star alongside Radcliffe.
Griffiths will play a psychiatrist who interviews Strang after the boy blinds six horses with a metal spike.
Rehearsals are due to start in January.
Away from the stage, Radcliffe and Griffiths are already hard at work filming the fifth installment of J. K. Rowling's best-selling Harry Potter series -- "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix".
Shaffer's "Equus" play caused a sensation when it was first staged in Britain in 1973. The story is based on a real-life incident in which a boy inexplicably maims six horses.
SOURCE:http://services.inq7.net/print/print.php?article_id=12335
Holy cow, that's news, all right.
I don't want to say anything else beyond that. =P