Boredom make you do great things

My sister just announced that "Ser Juds" said that she won 10,000 pesos because of the essay she wrote. And she even says that she wrote the essay (for the Scout Journal) because of boredom during Chinese class last school year. Now people, as you can see, Chinese can actually make you do great stuff that can even earn you dough... lots of it.

Field Trip

Tomorrow is something that everyone looks forward to- The field trip. OK, so maybe not everyone but at least I am.

Lots of food will make this a fiesta but the fact that the bus is not exclusive for us II-1 somehow mars and limits the experience... but there'll be a way...

Damned show's here....

And I thought only Fleur's dad bought an advanced bootleg copy.

It's a hellish, gory ride for a certain audience... but a fairy tale for children below 12 (or so they say). It's a bad B-movie that's practically so bad, it's good. No, it's not the B-movie parody Grindhouse (I want to watch that), it's High. School. Musical. 2.

It's not that my dad actually bought a copy, my brother rented it. But I'll sit through it anyway to give you a review as I promised. (The song "Fabulous" by Ashley Tisdale is hellish... sobra)

HSM2 Survival Guide
DISCLAIMER: Most of the stuff I'm going to mention here are gonna be found in Quiapo. Promise.

OK. So you've gone out of the room infuriated because the family wants to watch High School Musical 2. Well there are lots of other things you can do and here's some recommended stuff:
1.) Watch another movie! And if you want, make it horror. 1408 is a great watch, as well as Disturbia. Or if you want to complement the B-movie qualities of HSM2, maybe you better watch Grindhouse which consists of Planet Terror by Robert Rodriguez and Death Proof by Quentin Tarantino.

2.) Play a First Person Shooter! OK, let's say that you're not much of a fan of the so-called FPS games... If you've got Half-Life 2 or Bioshock just lying around, load it into your computer and imagine the heads of those monsters as, let's say, Ashley Tisdale singing Fabulous. You'll definitely be a hardcore addict after this!

3.) Create your own HSM2 cast in The Sims 2... and fry them because of their inferior cooking skills, drown them in the swimming pool and disable their free will in the process or just type a certain boolProp cheat to make them die!

4.) Photoshop. Ruin an image of Zac "FREAKIN" Efron and put it in your Photobucket gallery. Though it's kinda immature (as well as the Sims 2 and FPS parts), you are a HSM2 hater, right? So why not?

5.) Read a book or sumthin'! Suspense thrillers, fantasy, whatever you want! At this point, I guess you'd do anything to escape HSM2!

If you don't like the first five, I don't think you'd like this last one either:

6.) Look at the stock market and see if Disney's (Stock quote: DIS) stocks are lower. This one is just something you should do if you're an expert in staring at the computer and you've nothing to do at all.

PHOTO CREDIT: Disney Co., Gamespot.com, Yahoo! Finance
SEPTEMBER: Another month of movie reviewing fun
Now we've bought a lot of DVDs with yet-to-be-released-but-it's-already-DVD-quality movies, it's gonna be another heck of a movie month! I've got The Last Legion, 1408, and lots more. Plus, I'll get to finish Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy (via LimeWire downloads), Heroes and House. Stay tuned.

*If you're reading this in my Multiply page, I don't know why "Subscribe ka na. LOL." keeps appearing in every post. Sorry. Hindi ako ganun ka desperate na magkareader. For the real blog, eto ung URL: http://spillaglassofwater.blogspot.com

My Lust for Wii Has Rekindled

My lust for this contraption has been on hiatus (LOL) for what, 3, 4 months? Now that Nintendo has once again released another one of its big guns, it's nay a surprise. That game is simply Metroid Prime: Corruption, which is the end of the trilogy of Nintendo's popular Metroid Prime franchise. Just by the sound of it, it's a futuristic shooter. And people say it doesn't disappoint. Unfortunately, I have to earn it by way of earning a top spot in class. As in first honor talaga. It's close to impossible because Lola and Jun-jun are simply there. Oh well.

That little adage...

OK, I'm now a former Weird Al addict (but hindi pa ako sawa, mind you) but now I'm a Pokemon Diamond addict. Ironically, I don't know what Pokemon this is or remember ANY of their names.
Hell, I just play it for the sake of playing. Well, addictions are replaced by another addiction as the old adage goes...

Pokemon Diamond and Bourne Ultimatum reviews

Pokemon Diamond (Nintendo DS)
AT-A-GLANCE:
Overall Rating: 8.7
Graphics: 7.8
Sound: 7.5
Replay Value: 9.0
Gameplay: 8.5

It's been long since the last Pokemon game, Emerald, was released. Now the series makes a comeback with its newest entries- Diamond and Pearl. Though they may be the same in terms of gameplay, goal and storyline, the thing that makes them distinct is the frequency of the different types of wild Pokemon that appear. And in order to complete a Pokedex in both versions, trading is required, which is now wireless via Wi-Fi.

.::.What's Pokemon?.::.
If you haven't had the chance to even hear about the franchise, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary, then it's about a trainer who collects creatures called Pokemon. He collects badges and completes his Pokedex, which is a Pokemon encyclopedia and index, by travelling in various regions in the world.

.::.The Game Review.::.
So now that you get the gist of this game, let's proceed on to the review.

.:Graphics:.
The graphics in the series have evolved in every platform... but only to an extent. It started out in the GameBoy Pocket which incorporated 2D black and white visuals. They eventually gained colors, then more colors and yet even more colors. Now in the DS, 3D elements have been incorporated but it still has a 2D feel. It is implemented in good effect and feels right at home. The same can't be said for the Pokemon themselves though. Most of them (from past games) have been recycled as well as some attacks but I don't think anyone'll even care.

.:Sound:.
There are remixed, recycled and new sounds. If you go into battle, you'll definitely hear recycled sounds from Emerald. And in the Pokemon centre, the sound that reeks of a warm, welcome essence has been remixed to become a bit more accommodating. Still, these sounds still sound a bit too much like the 12-bit era of these games and the Pokemon cries are still screeches which can be unpleasant to the ears. Still, the familiarity and nostalgia can sometimes add points... or maybe not. But it's not a love-it-or-hate-it affair either.

.:Controls and Gameplay:.
If you've been playing Pokemon for years. Little adjustment may be in order but it's still the same nonetheless. Battles are still turn-based and commands are sent via the touch-screen which have been colored and simplified. Sifting through your items is not as convenient as it should be but if you're familiar with iPod navigation, you'll do just dandy (same applies for the Pokedex navigation which now has a Search function as well). The new Poketch, which simply means Pokemon Watch gives you different "apps" to choose from like a clock or a pedometer. Plus, if you liked the real-time function in the Gold, Silver and Crystal era, it makes a comeback here. Some types of Pokemon appear during the day, noon or night and you'll see the difference of day and night as the day really passes in reality... so you'll know that you're actually playing at 12 midnight in real life. The menu has always been known to be shown when START is pressed, but though buttons can be redefined by the user, W is the new START. If you want to get used to it, it feels a bit hard because of habit but if you're a new Pokemon gamer, then it's a no-brainer.

.:Communication:.
The communication and online gameplay definitely deserves a column of its own. This game has always been a staple of connection capabilities of Nintendo systems... and how seamlessly it connects to its home console counterparts. The game can connect to the Internet for around-the-world matches and it can also connect to its brothers which are the Nintendo Wii and of course another DS. They all work fine though it would be fun if my connection was a bit faster.

You can chat, battle with 4 players, use the DS as a controller for the Wii (and import Diamond captured Pokemon to the Wii as well) and even play versus matches locally with DS's near you. It even utilizes VOIP (like Yahoo! Messenger calls or Skype) for Voice chat. Now this is something you won't find in a PSP (without having to buy external accessories)!

Plus, if you can't trade with other people, you can also trade online... eBay style! It's neat if you don't have friends but have a WiFi router.

.:Overall:.
It's addicting and fun even if it's the same old stuff- Thin storyline, simplistic/minimal battle effects, 2D Pokemon models, region hopping, revolutionary connectivity features, Team something, the works- fused with a few tweaks that aren't really minor nor major. But all of these are simply for the best and it just plain works!

The Bourne Ultimatum
AT-A-GLANCE:
My Rating: 9.0/10.0
Yahoo! Average Critic Rating: B+
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 94% Certified Fresh

Jason Bourne has uncovered most of the images that have been conjured in his mind for the past 3 years. Now, he's completing them. He's on the run from the CIA... and this "run" practically spans the entire globe and the action never bogs down.

Truthfully, I haven't really watched the first two yet, fearing that I would be bored to death. But when we watched this installment, I was faaaaar from bored. It has non-stop action, fatal explosions and gunfight with its share of wit and intelligence to boot.

I know the gist of the story. He's an amnesiac former operative of the CIA who was trained to kill some people for the said agency. He was sorta brainwashed with stuff like "It'll save lives." and he was also tortured until he forgot his true identity for some reason. It's pretty advisable for you to watch the first two before reaching the conclusion even if you'll turn out okay if you watch only this installment.

There is one fatal flaw that happens in the near end though. And that flaw can be overlooked sometimes because it's just that after a veeery furious car chase in New York, his car ends up crushed and he just goes out unscathed. The same applies for the action that happens later. Suspension of disbelief won't really work here because the film is real. But still, director Paul Greengrass along with the screenwriters sure know how to set up an exhilarating, yet intelligent, movie that will put you to the edge of your seat. This could probably be the year's best thriller. And when I say this, I mean this. Hell, it sets the bar for all those Bonds and whatevers! It's not your ordinary, run-of-the-mill sequel, making this is a fresh breath of air.

In The News 3rd Edition

OK, now I've finally the chance to create a new edition of this little informative tidbit I'd like to call In The News. Let's get started.

ENTERTAINMENT:
High School Musical 3: will show in a theater near you
Though talks are still being conducted as to whether the whole original cast will join the first-ever big screen version of High School Musical, or more simply known as HSM3. Disney proclaimed in February that they were going to make a Halloween-themed sequel but later discarded it. The original producers, director and scriptwriters have already signed in though. Boy will the release of this crap be a freakin' nighmare. On the bright side, Yahoo! headlines it as "High School Musical 3 Could Be In Trouble"... does this mean that the threequel is experiencing some money matters? We'll see...

A dose of LL: "I'm addicted."
Lindsay Lohan released a statement that stated her addiction towards drugs. Do you think this is merely a joke... or maybe a lawyer-written statement (because she's busy hiking and white-water rafting in Utah)? Here's the whole statement, courtesy of E! Online:
"It is clear to me that my life has become completely unmanageable because I am addicted to alcohol and drugs.

"Recently, I relapsed and did things for which I am ashamed. I broke the law, and today I took responsibility by pleading guilty to the charges in my case. No matter what I said when I was under the influence on the day I was arrested, I am not blaming anyone else for my conduct other than myself. I thank God I did not injure others. I easily could have.

"I very much want to be healthy and gain control of my life and career and have asked for medical help in doing so. I am taking these steps to improve my life. Luckily, I am not alone in my daily struggle and I know that people like me have succeeded. Maybe with time it will become easier. I hope so."

Is it really a sincere little letter or just something she didn't even read? You decide... in the poll!

(PICTURE CREDIT: E! Online)

Jet Li: "I'm gettin' old"
...for fighting that is. He and Jackie Chan topbill a film called "The Forbidden Kingdom". When asked how intense the fight scenes were, he said, "Low expectations are in order... when we look back 15 years ago, a project like this would've fit our passions which were at their peaks. But now, when we saw the final product, we'd joke about how our ages would sum up to a hundred."

The movie is about an American teenager's fantasy journey to find the mythological Monkey King. It shows next spring (America).

Paramount Pictures move to HD-DVD camp: a bribe?
The New York Times has reported about the $150M deal with the HD-DVD camp which means that this wasn't really a move that was initiative to the Viacom company, which owns Paramount and Dreamworks. Consumers are presently set in the crossfire and just buy DVD players that upscale to High-definition instead... so they can enjoy the high quality they can expect from these warring home video formats.

GAMING
Controversial game gets Adults Only rating
Take-Two Entertainment, publisher of games such as the Grand Theft Auto series, has made a toned-down version of its much awaited shooter, Manhunt 2. It's about an amnesiac scientist who escapes from an asylum and is capable of performing killing moves.

The adverse effects of receiving an "Adults Only" rating include:
--> Less to no sales (because big retailers do not stock them)
--> Unreadable to systems (the PS3, X360 and Wii do not allow AO rated games to be played)

Take-Two is also currently taking time to finish Grand Theft Auto 4, due for a release in the next year... probably April or May, as opposed to the October '07 release date previously stated.

X-Box 360 wheel controllers: yet another repair problem for Microsoft
Microsoft already has to contend with the 'red ring of death' XBox 360 lock-up problem, now they have to deal with overheating XBox 360 wheel controllers. $1 Billion has been the company's approximate to fix the 230,000 wheels sold worldwide. They have yet to disclose the replacement parts they'll ship.
<-- The four rings of death. Courtesy: Wikipedia
3D-enabled PS3: Do we ready some dorky goggles?
People will try NOT to remember the days of the 3D-enabled Virtual Boy. It caused eye strain and all sorts of optical disease, thus causing its demise. Now with this rumor out in the open, is PS3 seriously going that direction?

Filmmakers have long been interested in the technology. As far as we know, James Cameron (Titanic) has used this technology for his upcoming film called Avatar. And in a presentation by Mitsubishi, people were amazed with this technology and since what they used was a Blu-ray player which can convert 2D films to 3D films on the fly, the rumors started... especially because the PS3 is the ONLY gaming console to be capable of that (reading Blu-ray discs).

A little surprise: PS3 overpowers XBOX360 sales
Though switch-and-bait was at play when the 60GB PS3 price was decreased, the sales went up anyway... even higher than the XBox 360 in July sales! Who knew?

GENERAL:
Mother Teresa: Not the saint we know?
She worked and died in Calcutta doing charity work for "Missionaries of Charity" which she founded. But in unpublished communication letters with several priests and confessors (which have now been published), she doubts the church and feels spiritual pain and emptiness. She even doubted His existence one time and compared life with hell in one of the letters.

It makes you wonder if she was merely a false saint...

A Hole in the Universe: It has nothing... nothing at all.
Scientists have discovered a universal hole that seems to contain nothing at all. Fascinating, isn't it?

Finally, some peace.

I don't think you even read my post with the article containing "F**K OFF, NEIGHBOR" but fortunately, after a little hearing at the barangay hall, he doesn't have the capability of bugging us anymore and showing off his shiny airgun (or so he says).

Such a liar, this man. He claims he was in the U.S. Air Force for two decades. They don't see how he can speak such broken English. Even his wife speaks better English than this guy. One inches, two inches, three inches....

Anyway, there was also one point in the hearing wherein the "elderly council" wanted my dad to dictate what he wishes for that neighbor NOT to do. He said that he (neighbor) shouldn't bug our lot anymore, he shouldn't bug us about the roof anymore and he shouldn't show a gun in the neighborhood nor in front of us (because we don't have one)... even if it's merely an airgun. Well, Mr. Neighbor disagreed with the last one, once again denying that he even pointed that "airgun" to the security guards. He even went so far as to call his own attorney, who in turn was made embarrassed by the council who said, "Butt out of this. This isn't the courthouse, dumbarse.". OK, so maybe I was the one who put the dumbarse but isn't it true that in a barangay hearing, there is no need for an attorney? He had to know this fact, right? Even I know that. Oh well, I guess a stupid neighbor can make stupid decisions.

"Weird Al"'s our assignment...

My addiction's not pointless anymore. But I don't even know what the heck "You Don't Love Me Anymore" is! How Ironic.

(Speaking of Weird Al) Listen to This:
A mellow, steady beat combined with lyrics no one can beat, Usher's confessions has just reached another level.



GAMING (Not much of a) Jaw-dropper: Rock Band - now on the PS2

Obviously, EA and Harmonix know that the PS3 is a total flop.

If you shunned Harmonix for the decision to release such an ambitious project in next-gen consoles, shun no more. PS3 content is definitely also going to the PS2... considering the large fanbase it has.

It's still speculated that the pricing may well be at the hundreds. Pre-orders have reached to a hundred and ninety-nine point ninety-nine dollars, making people believe that this pricing scheme is in finality. Unfortunately, Harmonix isn't ready to reveal a real price yet so... a pirated version is a sure sell.

This venture by EA Games, Harmonix and MTV has made recording companies offer more master tracks, therefore increasing its big fanbase that Harmonix built with the Guitar Hero series... into potential garage bands and lots more. A Wii version might be on the works.

Of Mandy Moore and Umbrellas

As you may have known by now, Mandy Moore has covered Rihanna's monster of a hit- Umbrella. And it has been proven that even wholesome, non-party pop stars have a career slump. Her films License to Wed, which was a funny premise made bad, and the uncomfortable mother-daughter chick flick, Because I Said So, were not really hits here in the Philippines, and she is just plain obscure for many people today when music is the one being talked about. It's a plain shame that she has to cover a song terribly to gain a bit of popularity in the music scene. Is this a view of things to come from Mandy? Or just a little diversion from the usual candy-pop fare we get from her? Who knows?... and maybe for some, who cares?!



Box Office Report
Who knew an R-rated, raunchy sex teen comedy could come out as a big hit? Starring 2 unknowns (Jonah Hill and Michael Sera) along with Seth Rogen (from the critically acclaimed R-rated sex comedy Knocked Up), the film called Superbad is about 2 teens who want to hook up with a girl before going their separate ways in college. But after a mishap while buying alcohol, they end up having to worry more about their separation anxieties than ever! It is believed that strong advertising (esp. in YouTube, as I have noticed) and word-of-mouth helped Sony achieve the top spot at the box office. It even beats Rush Hour 3 and Bourne!

Stardust
What I thought was gonna be a generic teen romance-fantasy affair is actually a novel-based film written by the acclaimed Neil Gaiman! Who knew? I guess I'm gonna read the book first.... It looks splendid to me now. Haha.

His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass
I've read a part of this book and even I consider it a great book! Maybe you should try catching the movie if you're not much of an avid reader... heck, I'm not much of an avid reader myself! It opens on December... probably Christmas. And it even has huuge star power to boot! (Daniel Craig and Nicole Kidman who just worked together on The Invasion, "reunites" here along with new discovery, Dakota Blue Richards who topbills as the leading lady named Lyra of the trilogy of books by Philip Pullman called His Dark Materials).

Kristen Bell on Heroes
The girl who played detective in Veronica Mars is now going to be a Hero... or if not, a part of its cast for at least 13 episodes as a mysterious girl named Elle. This is probably a significant move for her since Veronica Mars was replaced for yet another season of that useless reality show called Search For The Next Doll. Yes, it has a second season, and they even haven't recorded their second album with the winner (Asia something) of the first season yet!

HD-DVD and Blu-ray: What about the Philippines?
The HD-DVD and Blu-ray format wars are still raging on and neither one of them is holding back. At least, that's what the companies that created them, Toshiba and Sony respectively, are saying. But honestly, Blu-ray sales have been doing better than HD-DVD but it seems to be catching up. HD-DVD hasn't been rolled out here in the Philippines but Blu-ray has. Astrovision and Astroplus stores are already selling them at 1700 pesos a piece. Ouch.
So why should you care anyway? it will affect your viewing (Blu-ray has all studios except Universal and HD-DVD has Warner Bros. and Universal Pictures) AND gaming experience (Blu-ray is being applied via the PS3). DVD will be phased out and one of these will become the norm. Though Blu-ray seems to be winning, HD-DVD may be the real winner here. Certain circumstances have led to me to believe this. One example is the piracy and how easy it is with HD-DVD. There hasn't been any reported cases of piracy with Blu-ray but it'll eventually happen. The only use we'll probably have for Blu-ray is for backing-up files because of its whopping 50GB capacity (double-layered, 120GB for multi-layered). What will be the norm, I dunno. It's just gonna have to be another replay of the Betamax/VHS wars. Who even has an HDTV anyway? 'Coz the experience will just be identical to DVD without a 7ch Surround Sound system and a 1080p HDTV.

Nokia N95 vs. Apple iPhone
An Apple product has never been this much hyped-about since '85 and it seems to hit all the right notes... especially as a music player. But the Nokia N95, which is also an admirable smartphone in its own right, is also a great phone with multimedia capabilities and a great videocam to boot! So who do you think will win this prizefight of the two colossi smartphones of this generation? Well, scroll on to Round one and see. (Judged by a scale of 1-5 and has CNet reviews as a basis.)

Round One: Sexiness
iPhone : 5
The iPhone's obviously sleek, thin and light. Plus, the glass touch screen is to die for. Apple's obviously no slouch to technological design.
Nokia N95: 3
It has a convenient double slider design, but it's chunky and just looks like the ugly stepsister of the iPhone.


WINNER: iPhone

Round Two: Navigation
iPhone: 3
Being a fully-touch screen operated device, the iPhone navigation will definitely have a learning curve. Plus, the tactileness of real buttons are pretty hard to live without... though Apple still made a good job making menus as user-friendly and appealing as they can.
Nokia N95: 4
Having more than 20 buttons in total, the N95 is definitely a chunky one. But navigation is nonetheless, easier and more familiar. Plus, there are also music-dedicated controls smartly placed at the top, making it easier to switch between different music.

WINNER: Nokia N95

Round Three: Features
iPhone: 3
iPhone is purty, but being purty has a cost. It doesn't MMS, it doesn't have 3G and it can't even send SMS to multiple contacts! Plus, the 2-MP camera is flat compared to the 5MP camera of the Nokia N95... and it even lacks video recording! But, the iPhone excels in its Safari web browser which offers a great web experience as well as its handy music player wherein you can sift through cover art and flip to play.

Nokia N95: 4
The N95 is just the one that can certainly be called a jack-of-all-trades, it has 3G, WiFi, and even GPS that kicks Google Maps ass! Plus, there's also the presence of a 5-megapixel camera and an amazing video recorder! The media player and browser (except for the Flash-enabled feature) isn't as amazing as the iPhone's though.
Round Four: Media Experience
iPhone: 5
The people at Cupertino weren't kidding when they said that the iPhone was the best iPod they ever made. It has clean, rich sound (but the headphones could be better) and the video quality was fantastic. Plus, sifting through cover flow is purely intuitive making it one of the leaders of media-enabled phones in the market.

Nokia N95: 4
Nokia didn't really ace out in the music department, but they did in the video quality department. It is up to par and sometimes, even better than iPhone's video quality. Crappy sound controls mar the experience somewhat.

Final Round: Call Quality
iPhone: 3
It not really much of a winner here but it's still good. It has slight hissing and static but it's still OK, but not dependable.

Nokia N95: 3
There wasn't much difference to discern between the two. Even if the N95 can tie up to more carriers.

WINNER: Tied.

MAIN WINNER: With 19 points is the iPhone. Though the Nokia N95 has a monster-packed feature set, the multimedia functions and eye candy of the iPhone trumps all of them.
The Nokia N95 had 18 points making it a very, very close battle.

Pukemon Developer Diary #1 (Wala lang. Feeler lang ako lolol.)

There hasn't been much progress since the last update but hey, I'm gonna make it a bit more Pokemon Diamond-centric in its design... but of course, I cannot duplicate that 3D feel. Anyway, I'm still deliberating in my brain whether if I'm gonna let ASH choose between Charmander, Squirtle or Bulbasaur (of course with different names) or Treeko, the blue thingy and Torchic or maybe the new ones (Pilupipipipipip watever, Tutlip and I dunno!). Or maybe I should just make Pikachu the star?

You can decide by voting in the poll.

Please vote quickly so I can make the first battle with GARY. Thanks.

A funny and unfortunate weekend...

This 5 and a half day weekend was frankly boring but hey, a break from school is always good for your health! It was a week of firsts for me and some lasts for others as you may know from my previous post but still I can call it one hell of a week anyway.

Let's start with the firsts:

"Weird Al" Yankovic - As you may have noticed, I have an addiction for the songs of this guy. Heck, I've never seen someone rap faster than most white men except Marshall Mathers! I'm currently trying to memorize the rap of White and Nerdy! It's crazy! Would this (my memorization of a rap) be considered a first for me? I guess so. LOL.

DS Pokemon Game - Many people have raved about it. And since I have a DS, why not buy this game? Plus, this can help with my Pyookemon project!

Torrents - Limewire has updated and now it can support torrents! But I don't understand this torrent thing... Can someone explain this to me?!

Interesting music of years past - Ranging from popular songs of the troubled 80's to the alternative-grunge scene in the 90's, the parodies have shown me an enjoyable way to explore the libraries of music hidden in imeem.

And then there are the disappointments:

My cousin's car - It wasn't carjacked, but the radio was stolen... as well as his jacket (because it was raining). They've filed a report... but I don't think they'll ever find a lead.

My mother's cousin's daughter - As you may know, it was a sad passing of a wholesome 9-year old child.

The friggin' neighbor in Quezon City - As if my cousin doesn't already have many problems! This neighbor can make most anyone mad... hell, most everyone in the townhouse is!

A reason to evade outdoor snacks

My mother's cousin's daughter just died a few hours ago. Though unknown, it has been speculated it must've been something she ate after school (Wednesday).

She had coughing fits and habitual barfing as well as abnormal body temperature the past week and was prescribed medicine. She improved and eventually got well but a week later, it went back and upon arriving at the hospital, the virus eventually hit the brain.

Yes, for the past 3 days she has been brain-dead. And now, her body has gone on with her brain... said to be a sweet 9-year old girl by her family, her tragic death was evidently a big loss for them. Though I don't personally know the girl, I extend my condolences to them... and for the girl. She fought a courageous war... but nature eventually had its way.

It could be the outdoor snacks... or just something she inhaled or something. Doctors are still investigating what happened to this poor, wholesome little girl... so all the family can do was wait.

Cases like this must be happening right now... so thank your horses you don't probably have it... whatever it is.

F**K OFF, NEIGHBOR!
We formerly lived in 24C Makaturing St., Biak na Bato, Quezon City. So what the heck is this address about... especially with a title like that?!, you may ask. Well, the news here is that my cousin (who's getting hitched, LOL) is gonna permanently (until future plans/notice) live here with his wife. And our possibly and supposedly gay, but married-to-a-girl neighbor doesn't want to shut the hell up with the friggin' roof! (Oh I forgot, the unit is currently being renovated.) He told his lies to the barangay and even went plastik when the police (my dad called for) came! A man like this should be charged in court! Too bad my parents are too civilized for that. Plus, he wanted to have a brawl... or rather, a gunfight with my cousin (who regularly goes there to see the progress of the renovation). Heck, he even took off his shirt in the process!

He pointed his gun to the workers and threatened them if they fiddle with the roof, and even pointed the said gun to the security guards as well! Talk about eccentric. If his continued meddling with renovation affairs continues, where the hell would the married couple (which is of course, my cousin and his girl if you forgot) live then?! The wedding's in September for God's sakes! Why can't he just f**k off?!

[NOTE to Daniel (because he lives in the same townhouse): Buti na lang hindi kayo kinukulit ng gagong 'to!]

CHEER FACTOR
"Weird Al" Yankovic- I have probably been drugged or something, but man his spoofs don't get old! Search YouTube for his songs and watch them. It's a guaranteed blast for Star Wars fans, eBay junkies or simply a plain person... for his songs are totally relatable for most people of all walks of life. He'll most probably make your day... so if you want to start viewing his hilarious spoofs, try the current YouTube vid of the week located down below. It's sure to be a treat even if you don't know the song it spoofs (which is Chamillionaire's "Ridin' Dirty).

Pukemon (Pyoo-ke-mon)

YAY! No classes again. This officially makes it a 5 and a half weekend. LOL.

Pukemon (pronounced as pyoo-ke-mon)
This is just a little project I'm making partly for my own entertainment and for others. If you want to know more about it, click the link below. Thanks y'all. LOL.


Pukemon by ~kmp091 on deviantART

Storm? What storm?

Egay has been proclaimed a supertyphoon... where is this supertyphoon?

It's yet another screw-up on the part of DepEd but I'm not saying that having no classes is a bad thing, though. I'm just saying that all these predictions are probably full of bull... Or maybe it's just affecting another area... I don't know. But I think classes were actually suspended because of the undrained flood or something. Ah well, I guess tomorrow is another school day... We all gotta go somehow.

Elvis Death Anniversary
Toe-tapping fans of Elvis Presley from around the world are probably gathering at his Graceland estate while singing to the tune of "Hound Dog" or getting sentimental with "Can't Help Falling In Love With You". If you hear Elvis' songs in your nearest karaoke bar, that's how Elvis' influence gets bigger as the time passes.

Woo! Walang pasok bukas!

Tomorrow is another day full of Flashing yet again for it is a suspended-classes day! Woohoo!

Igudesman and Joo: The new Rush Hour duo!

Move out Greg Patillo, the new classical musical sensation in the net has arrived! It's acclaimed pianist Richard Joo and Russian violinist Igudesman to the rescue. And if you think classical music is boring, think again. Combining slapstick, wit and sheer silliness, the duo never fails to get a laugh out of you whether you're a music buff or not.

CAPTION: Maksim Mrvica should take a note from these two...

LittleBigPlanet, and other innovative video games

If Hollywood has a fetish for churning out sequels, so does the video game industry. But can't it take a fresh new concept? Of course it can. And here are some of them...

1) LittleBigPlanet (PS3) - Combining cute visuals, stunning 3D, user-friendly level creation/customization and great gameplay, this platformer looks like a must-have in terms of innovation. Heck, this might be fated to become one of the PS3's saving graces. Add online functionality and this could be king of modern platformers!2) Jam Sessions (DS) - If you think you got the guts to create your own music, Jam Sessions is the perfect way to do just that by just strumming virtual guitar strings that appear on the touch screen using the stylus. Boy, is the DS shaping up to be more innovative as it matures...

3) Rock Band (X360, PS3) - Most hyped about in this year's rhythm game, Rock Band enables you to create your own band, literally. It has high-quality accessories and a solid setlist as well. If you've been dreaming of creating your own band, this is your (expensive)

chance. This game will probably pwn all other related rhythm games, though. So why not go all-in-one?

4) Heavenly Sword (PS3) - If LittleBigPlanet is the

platformer that may save Sony's butt, Heavenly Sword may well be the protector and retriever of most of Sony's low rep. This promising high-action, graphics-intensive game may well become the PS3 bestseller when it releases in September.

5) Assassin's Creed (PS3) - From the Ubisoft studio in

Montreal comes their new effort- Assassin's Creed. It was a disappointing no-show at this year's E3, but judging by the latest footage, it might as well be on the right track. It has elements of Splinter Cell and PoP, which are its trademark games but set in a completely different story and character. It features the mechanic of being able to blend in a crowd and a whole lot more.

6) De Blob (Wii) - The world's color has been drained and

the Blob has to put it back. In this game, you get to ricochet, bounce and swing through Chroma City and literally paint it red, pink, blue or whatever!

7) Wii Fit (Wii) - Of course, why should I forget Wii Fit? It's the only fitness game with a dead-on focus on it! And the peripheral it uses is quite cool to boot and has potential for other uses aside from this. Heck, who can't resist a game made by THE Shigeru Miyamoto? Not me.

8) Boogie (Wii) - It may have flopped bigtime but you have to admit, it was a bold undertaking especially if the developer happens to be the 2 big letters E and A. It was supposed to be a party game of dancing and singing but it was "repetitive, short and it got old fast" (Gamespot review). "...even it's unique art style won't excuse the sucky gameplay!"

Yay! No Chinese classes for a day again!

A dream come true. LOL. As mere droplets of rain fell down, Dep-Ed announced that classes are to be suspended immediately. But since we were at the school, it would be a waste if we were not to finish the first half of the school day. Everybody just couldn't restrain their joy when Mrs. Monsanto, assistant supervisor, announced the said suspension and well, it's mostly because of the absence of that daily dose of Chinese! WooHoo!

Hopefully, tomorrow's class will be suspended as well. Hahaha.

Wild Violin!

Featured in the front page of Yahoo!, this wacky combination of violin and piano, as well as the song "I Will Survive", kicks Rush Hour butt with its own multi-racial duo. LOL.

The first day of the Second Quarter... ungh

Yet another sleepy morning has arrived to mark the first day of the second quarter of the school year... and it makes me sooo lazy since I have to realize the fact that it's a normal school day yet again. No half-days, no short overviews of lessons past, no nothing. Because for some strange reason, I miss the long test week. It's surprising because it used to be the week I dread... must be because of the typhoon that prolonged it I guess...

There is a new typhoon coming in, though. Plus, there are also two Monday holidays. So, I'll be looking forward to those days... No Chinese! Yay!

Well, this first day was generally boring except for that eye-popping first-look at the Biology scope. Wherein our Bio teacher not only presents the whole scope, he also announces that the long test starts October 4. Hmmm..., not much a surprise but it makes the month of September sound shorter than it should be. Hehe.

It's Chinese that makes up most, if not all of the bore factor of the day. Heck, it's this shunned little subject that wrecks even the best days of a school year... Yawn...

Brad Garrett gets in paparazzi tangle
The 6 foot 5, 3-time Emmy winner who played Robert of "Everybody Loves Raymond" and current star of Fox's "'Til Death" has gotten in a tangle with the paparazzi after getting out of a restaurant. He was conversing with them at first but when someone suddenly insulted him, he punches one of 'em. And he's the wrong guy, too! His camera wasn't broken and the cameraman suffered none, if not minor, injuries. Luckily, TMZ.com, the website the punched cameraman works for, did not press charges for the camera wasn't damaged (how idiotic to prioritize the camera first LOL).

Brad Garrett played an underloved, underappreciated and oversized family member of the Barone clan in the beloved sitcom, Everybody Loves Raymond.-->

Long Test: The Week in Review

Everybody's probably heaving a sigh of relief because the first quarter long test is finally done. It certainly was a first for my whole lifetime (which is to have a long delayed long test week) but well, it was certainly fun to have more time to study as well... except for the ZhongWen long test, of course. Then again, Chinese in its entirety (except Chinese Math, of course) was pretty easy while Biology was actually the one test I had a lot of qualms with... wait a sec, Filipino pala yun! Hahaha. Ironically, Biology was quite easier than Filipino... for me that is. But as for English, it's all guesswork. For A.P. and Math, they're just, well, easy except for a few questions but easy nonetheless. LOL. I even forgot to put +3 in my Math test! Now, Sir Spam is the only one with the additional grade! Grabe, first honor ka na talaga! :-))

HSM2 Again

"I took what I hated and made it a part of me..."

-Figure.09 Linkin' Park

Shit. The song "What Time Is It?" is freakin stuck in my head... and it won't go away! Maybe I need to start accepting the fact that it's gonna make an impact on everyone with cable television or something. LOL. Now, I don't hate HSM, I dislike it. Because, as Cath said, hatred is immature and now, I have come to have an even more open mindset for this musical, whether I like it or not.

Oh and Cath, this is certainly NOT a parody of your song-centric posts of late. LOL.

The Zonday Phenomenon
He's the new Internet star! No, not in porn, but in the field of singing! He's Tay Zonday and his hit is called Chocolate Rain. Normally, there would be a lot of things like this in the Internet... but not to the extent of having major stars covering them! Tre Cool of Grammy-winning band Green Day as well as the Grammy-winning artist John Mayer has covered this. It's unbelievably funny and freaky at how a voice like that can be in possession of a build like his. Initially there were doubts about the authenticity of his voice, but by performing live in ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live, they were pushed aside.

The original vid currently has 4.4 million views and counting and has already been the subject of spoofs, remixes or just a soundtrack of choice for many, many creative users.

Here's the original video...


...and if you like it, he's offering it as a FREE mp3...

http://www.tayzonday.com/Tay_Zonday_Chocolate_Rain.mp3

...just right-click and Save! (This mp3 has a Creative Commons license)

And finally, the lyrics:
Chocolate Rain
Some stay dry and others feel the pain
Chocolate Rain
A baby born will die before the sin

Chocolate Rain
The school books say it can't be here again
Chocolate Rain
The prisons make you wonder where it went

Chocolate Rain
Build a tent and say the world is dry
Chocolate Rain
Zoom the camera out and see the lie

Chocolate Rain
Forecast to be falling yesterday
Chocolate Rain
Only in the past is what they say

Chocolate Rain
Raised your neighborhood insurance rates
Chocolate Rain
Makes us happy 'livin in a gate

Chocolate Rain
Made me cross the street the other day
Chocolate Rain
Made you turn your head the other way

(Chorus)
Chocolate Rain
History quickly crashing through your veins
Chocolate Rain
Using you to fall back down again
[Repeat]

Chocolate Rain
Seldom mentioned on the radio
Chocolate Rain
Its the fear your leaders call control

Chocolate Rain
Worse than swearing worse than calling names
Chocolate Rain
Say it publicly and you're insane

Chocolate Rain
No one wants to hear about it now
Chocolate Rain
Wish real hard it goes away somehow

Chocolate Rain
Makes the best of friends begin to fight
Chocolate Rain
But did they know each other in the light?

Chocolate Rain
Every February washed away
Chocolate Rain
Stays behind as colors celebrate

Chocolate Rain
The same crime has a higher price to pay
chocolate Rain
The judge and jury swear it's not the face

(Chorus)

Chocolate Rain
Dirty secrets of economy
Chocolate Rain
Turns that body into GDP

Chocolate Rain
The bell curve blames the baby's DNA
Chocolate Rain
But test scores are how much the parents make

Chocolate Rain
'Flippin cars in France the other night
Chocolate Rain
Cleans the sewers out beneath Mumbai

Chocolate Rain
'Cross the world and back its all the same
Chocolate Rain
Angels cry and shake their heads in shame

Chocolate Rain
Lifts the ark of paradise in sin
Chocolate Rain
Which part do you think you're 'livin in?

Chocolate Rain
More than 'marchin more than passing law
Chocolate Rain
Remake how we got to where we are.

(Chorus)
LOL. If you want to hear his speaking voice, you should probably check out YouTube.

Convicts get incentive for good behavior
Speaking of YouTube, remember the dancing Cebuano convicts? They've been given a PHP1000 incentive for good behavior. Plus, they've performed in the Capitol Grounds in the CPDRC (the prison) Founding Day. Aww. LOL. I wonder if they'll be freed next time!

Here is the exact description on the video of their performance by Byron Garcia:
The inmates of CPDRC performed a surprise number in front of Capitol. This performance was a request by the inmates as their contribution to the 438th Founding anniversary Celebration. The Governor and Provincial Officials were so moved that they included all 1500+ inmates in the giving of the mid-year bonus for Capitol employees. Each inmate was given P1,000.00 pesos ($US 22.00)an incentive for good behavior. The inmates want to express their heartfelt gratitude to the people of the world. Pls. pass the good news!

McDonald's Big Opportunity

A recent study has shown that even veggies wrapped in McDonald's wrappers are eaten by seasoned customers who normally are obese.

This is a big opportunity for McDonald's to shapen and reimage itself as the new health express of the world instead of the cholesterol capital. If McDonald's takes this opportunity and grabs hold to it, McDonald's can probably gain more money and more customers while its customers also gain health benefits therefore creating a consumer relationship of mutualism (OMG, Bio is still in my system!). But seriously, a move like this can revolutionize the fastfood industry... Subway has made the first move, why shouldn't the red clown?

What People Should Watch

In a time full of crime and disaster, people just want to get out of that reality and go into an alternate dimension of sorts. If you are in need of some laughter, as well as some brain food, stand-up comedy is the way to go.

You can watch it on TV like Seinfeld or see it live like the shows of Mitch Valdes or Willie Nep, who are dubbed the unofficial king and queen of Philippine stand-up comedy (and I'm just dying to watch Mitch Valdes' latest show: "The BrEST of Mitch Valdes").

Take a break from the crap in local television and sit back and laugh at the jokes and marvel at the intelligence of these comedians... and see how intelligent you yourself are as well. Slapstick isn't the only funny medium in the world, you know. Heck, everyday life can be funny, too! Just watch and listen to how a mammography (breast exam) can get funny as hell or maybe guffaw and marvel at the same time at how a simple order in an American restaurant can be hell!

WooHoo!

The Simpsons Movie REVIEW
Overall Rating: 8/10
Story: 7/10 - It gives a lesson about the environment with its own twist.
(Voice) Acting: 10/10 - The voice work is simply sweet! Must have been because of the 20 years of experience...
Production Value: 9/10 - They put a lot of time and effort to put a kind of quality fit for the movies.
Music: 6.5/10 - They just recycled the Simpsons theme... in rock and classic formats... If "SpiderPig" counts, it's catchy.

"Hey! Why pay for a movie when we can watch it for free on TV?!" Well, that's my version of Homer's opening speech as I fiddle through my brain for those exact words. But you get the idea.

Yes, The Simpsons has been running on the tube for almost 20 years... how does the movie, which has finally come out, stack up to viewer's expectations?

Well, the greatness factor of its story isn't as great as those classic Simpsons seasons of the late 80's but it sure is one heck of a joyride anyway. It tackles the environment which is uncommon among animated movies of late and it puts emphasis on it in its own fresh, hilarious way.



This is what makes The Simpsons Movie a distinctive animated movie in its own right. Plus, more points go to the Simpsons Movie for its STILL entertaining and UBER-talented-to-the-extent-that-I-worship-them-for-their-voice-work voice cast, it's a pleasure to finally see The Simpsons in the silver screen.

It starts out with Green Day's death, the spillage of Homer's Pig Crap and goes on to save a whole city in the end. It's actually a bit predictable in its resulting denouement for we all know that the bomb won't get inside that hole again! (what the heck am I talking about? LOL)
<-- Probably the only memorable event in this film, is Bart's skateboarding antics...
If you're a fan of the series, you'll probably come to chuckle at the movie. Not really a guffaw except for the skateboarding part which is probably the only memorable scene in the whole movie. Good thing it was only an hour and 22 minutes... any longer would make it draggy. Not too long, not too short. Just right. But if you're not much of a fun, I see no reason why you'll go and instantly watch the series... but it'll still make you laugh one way or another. It's probably because of Matt Groening and the writing crew's approach to the Simpson's trademark comedic style. It may contain some profanity but it doesn't offend... and this approach is very effective if you want to draw many people. Unluckily though, the moviehouse wasn't filled tonight. Literally only my family was in the theater!

It may bore some, it may amuse others. Some can get sympathetic to Homer's colossal situation while some will just want to wait until the next big daring comedic act comes... There are memorable scenes all right... they're just not as meaningful as it's story wants to be, though. It's still a must-watch... it's witty in its own way and accessible to the mainstream at the same time. So I suggest that you should go to your nearest moviehouse and take a handful of donuts, as well as your D'oh! of course, with you. They (donuts) might litter the floor so be careful... you might just end up like Homer.

P.S. And as Bart writes on the board as detention, I WILL NOT ILLEGALLY DOWNLOAD THIS MOVIE. Hehehe.

(To Cath: You may not like this movie for it is a tad bit predictable... judging by your standards. ;-). )

Other Critics:
Roger Ebert (Chicago Sun-Times) - B
Bob Longino (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) - C+
Peter Travers (Rolling Stone) - B-
Yahoo! Movies Average Critic Grade - B
Rotten Tomatoes Meter: 7.6/10 Average (89% Fresh!)

TECHNOLUST!: iLife suite

I've posted about this before (as formal news) but now, I'm posting about this piece of software as the one I'm currently lusting for among others. It brings all of Apple's popular software to a new level with its new organizing tool called events, as well as DVD Handycam (that's the Handycam we own) support for iMovie. Plus, there are radical new presets for iDVD that look breathtaking at first glance as well as a new Magic GarageBand feature for GarageBand which can let you create a band that can play your own creation. Of course, it also has the low price tag it's known and loved for. Hopefully, it'll be shipped to the Philippines after a few weeks... Too bad all these powerful utilities are exclusive on a Mac. I'd love to see that day come out... which would be pretty far yet pretty near at the same time. But I guess that will be all for now. Tata!

What I hate to admit about HSM2...

As you apparently know, the hype surrounding High School Musical 2 has heightened and now, Disney Channel has released the single "What Time Is It?" as well as its music video (though there are leaked scenes in the internet).

But admittedly, I think their singing has gotten better... especially Ashley Tisdale's. Which I still hate. Plus, they gay-ified Lucas Grabeel even more! Wala lang.

The Storm...

Today was a great day for having no long test but tomorrow? NOOOO! It would've made great timing if the long test continued tomorrow. Damn, storm!

Dep-ed... Nagsisihan na!
Remember a while ago? Everyone's going to school and it was raining, no, pouring. And suddenly, you're blocked by the security guard, who says in shock, "What are you doing??? Walang pasok ngayon, a! Go home."
Many incidents similar to this have happened across the country and Dep-Ed people are going the way of the blame game. What unscrupulous, immature behavior! Don't you agree?

Beijing 2008 Olympics
Anyway, to get my mind off this, I've decided to talk about the Beijing Olympics. Chinese are currently learning simple English... or rather a crash course. Though it's admittedly not as effective, China just wants to give a great welcome to people from literally all walks of life and all roads of the world. Just want to wish luck to them and hopefully, the Olympics are going to be great and huge... judging solely from the pictures and the efforts they are exerting, it sure is gonna be one heck of a summer!

Local TV: A Joke
Hmm... I never really watched anything Pinoy in the boob tube except Bubble Gang. But when I channel-surfed a while ago, I just can't help but notice all those sexy dancers in those noontime shows... I mean, what the heck is the purpose of putting sleazy sexy dancers in a noon time show when everybody's watching? Isn't this supposed to be controlled by the MTRCB???
The source of all this is probably the granddaddy of all noontime shows which is Eat Bulaga!. People say it was very wonderful and refreshing when they tapped Tito and Vic Sotto and Joey de Leon as hosts and yet, they (co-hosts) expanded to a nauseating number which can make viewing, well, nauseating. It's not just that, the quality itself of all primetime and daytime shows are just deteriorating in terms of quality. Good thing Tony Gloria is offering color grading services... Hopefully everyone will be able to see a higher quality in our local boob tube as well as the local movie scene!

Digital Films on the Rise
Speaking about the local movie scene, mainstream's getting tired and digital's taking it's place. It's dying for God's sakes and yet the Metro Manila Film Festival has a sick basis of judging "Best" pictures. 50% on Commercial Viability and 10% on Cultural Value? What the hell?
Good thing there's indiesine @ the Robinson's Galleria, though. It'll probably be the new hub for real (local) movies.

I wonder when indiesine will show Kubrador- one of the most acclaimed next to Maximo Oliveros...-->

Entertainment News (on the tube) are sick...
Every time I see shows like ET or The Insider, it ne'er fails to deliver a story about Britney or Lindsay or the DUI peepz as I like to call them. They aren't celebrity news at all. Heck, they shouldn't even be considered celebrities because they've only resulted into goddesses of the low and cheap and yet they influence the li'l ones (and sometimes... the teenagers). Shame.
<-- Lindsay Lohan in a beach house... If you don't mind, I'd just like to say that her chest looks extremely fake. XD
TECH NEWS
New iMacs unveiled along with bundled iWork and iLife software
Good thing we never bought the iMacs (the Macs with "cinema display"). Apple has carved it to a bigger, thinner, and not to mention, more powerful and I just drool at the thought of it (though nothing beats the 8-core Intel-powered Mac Pro).
<-- The thinner iMacs...
Apple also introduces the new versions of iWork and iLife. They've overhauled everything and even added jaw-breaking, mouth-opening effects, templates and features inside. Heck, I'm even impressed by the versatile file format saving (which means you can save files in .doc, .docx, .pdf, AppleWorks, etc. etc.) already!

Cool text effects for PowerPoint's Apple counterpart Keynote -->

Hotmail... finally decent
If you've been a Hotmail user before (like me), you'll find the interface very slow and clunky. But because of the successful Yahoo! Mail Beta, Microsoft finally followed suit. They re-labeled it as Windows Live Hotmail and gave it a better interface. At least Microsoft can finally attract more people now. (But not me!) LOL.
<-- Hotmail is apparently better now...

Surface Computing... wait a sec, doesn't Apple have the patent for that?!
Though this is relatively old news, Microsoft unveiled it's so-called "Surface Computing" technology which utilizes multi-touch (same type of touch-screen which powers the iPhone... it's basically a touch screen that you can touch with several fingers and apply pressure, etc.) and can also use your credit card to buy online by just literally placing the card on top of the surface and just letting the computer go through the motions. You can also even use place a glass on top and make whirly effects! It sounds kinda cool but doesn't Apple hold the patent for multi-touch?
<-- This is "The Surface"... the target for all those lawsuits...

In the News...

Welcome again to yet another edition of what I like to call... In the News...

Lonelygirl15 ends
I don't really know what makes Lonelygirl15 (AKA Jessica Rose) so newsworthy across the web but she sure is popular! She's already exposed as a fraud (those vlogs are scripted) and yet she becomes even more popular after that controversy! Heck, she even announced it casually in The Tonight Show! Maybe it's not such a big deal, this. Anyway, Jessica Rose is finished and is supposedly killed by a cult. She now sends a message to other "vloggers" that'll be the new star of the next season.

Boy left by family at Dead Sea
A courageous 8-year old, who btw would've died because of the extreme salt levels (OMG, Biology term coming up... it's salinity!) at the Dead Sea survived. His father came looking for him at dark when he realized that he left him there. Authorities who searched (and eventually gave up) never expected him to be THIS alive and well. Good thing for the dad that the boy's not gonna press charges. This just goes to show how negligent parents can sometimes be...

Teen falls 6 stories... gets back up instantly
"God moves in mysterious ways..."
The saying must be true because a teen who just fell 6 stories down a building (hitting balconies in the process) got upright instantly... It's just weird!

Inmates at Cebu prison still making waves
Now this is what I call rehab.
Being incarcerated certainly isn't a thriller but these inmates have been doing these dancing activities since last year, and yet they've only been seen by the world when they did the Thriller routine, the uploader (Byron Garcia, the "warden") even claims that Michael Jackson himself sent a text message saying that he's proud or something. I would've embedded it here if he didn't disable it (in the continuation of the original thriller video which he just recently uploaded) so in place of that one, I'll be embedding the earlier videos depicting their earlier routines which eventually led to Thriller and Radio Ga Ga among others.


It danced its way to the Chicken Noodle Network.

The original "Thriller" prison video currently has 4,157,592 views (not counting the other user uploads) and the uploader byronfgarcia currently has 3093 subscribers as well.
Anyway, to conclude this post, here are the videos from the first to the latest (except Thriller: The Continuation). But if you want to view Thriller: The Continuation, click here instead.


















:-)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows review... FINALLY!

After finally waiting for weeks to continue on with my reading of the book, I finally finished it five minutes ago.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows
Rating: 9.0/10

Neville suddenly charged after Voldemort with Gryffindor's sword and slashed Nagini's head. Voldemort bawled and declared the continuation of war and so flashes both red and green flew here and there as the giants break and practically thrash the Hogwarts castle. House elves went out of the kitchen holding knives and cooking tools. As Kreacher led the elves to the Great Hall, he commanded them to attack thus taking down the Death Eaters by magic and by force. Adding more to their surprise was the fact that the centaurs came charging in after them and Harry, in all this commotion, seized the opportunity to go inside the now destroyed Great Hall using the Invisibilty Cloak.

Though this is somewhat like my summary of things that'll happen near the ending, it seems that J.K. has gone all out in the grandness, or rather, the epic-ness in terms of the scale of the stuff that's gonna happen in the Deathly Hollows. Officially, the last Potter book.

There's fights, fits and magical duels. There are revelations and there are obvious things I had in mind (like Harry being a... horcrux!!!). Many people and magical beings die... heck, Harry's wand also dies (and when I mean dies, I mean *crack!*)!

Anyway, just the thought of this being a final farewell to the (official... and I will keep saying this because there'll be fanfics) series makes you wanna read it even more because this is the time where it finally cleans up the mess and ties knots (everyone knows Lupin and Tonks will) and though I didn't feel as satisfied to read through it (probably because it IS the long test week), it's still a gravely entertaining read.

There are those dull moments when you just want to sleep in few parts of the book but when you go to the next chapter, you can't help but feel thrilled because a twisted trap door will be placed upon by Rowling... and there are simply lots. Heck, even the "Deathly Hollows" seemed to be some kind of a sidetracking plot machine!

It gets to a point (in the later part) where you'll just be anxious to read more (if ever you're forced to drop the book) or simply get it superglued to your hands anyway because that's where the most (note the emphasis on most) exciting part comes. Of course, Voldemort Showdown comes to mind, and that's the thing you're exactly going to get... ***SPOILER*** well, after Harry dies (whoops!) that is. ***SPOILER END***

J.K. also manages to create an aura of grandeur... that only a few other writers can emulate (say Philip Pullman or C.S. Lewis). She combines wit, humor and dark references as well as a chunk of Dumbledore (and Snape) back-story and manages to end the saga in a rather (unfortunately) typical manner. "All is well.," she concludes.

To make a long review short, it's a must-read and not just some stupid commercial success like High School Musical! But that'll probably be for another post... Word of warning: If you want to understand everything and get J.K.'s desired effect on readers, you have to READ or RE-read 1-7. All of those installments have relevance in the last book. Plus, if your parents are conservative, only let them read it when YOU'RE done. It has British swear words like effin' (which I admit is not British at all), bitch (which is also NOT British) and arse (now that's British!).

No classes on Friday...

People would usually rejoice at the thought of having no classes on Friday for a 3-day weekend but this week however, was NOT the right time to pick a date for registration. Friggin' Chinese has to be in the same week as the English long test week which is a bummer because BIOLOGY IS THE FIRST OF THE ENGLISH TESTS! I may be overreacting and panicking but I have reason to! Biology is something you have to understand with FULL concentration and Chinese is the distraction. Ugh.

In the News
MMDA demolishes squatter houses without consent from its inhabitants for the sake of being GWAPO

The law is something maybe even authorities overlook.

As I listened to the AM band of the radio, I heard hammering. I thought it was broken but it wasn't. When the correspondent finally spoke, it was actually the sound clip of the MMDA's demolition process. And what makes this significant is the fact that they overlooked a law in the Constitution which states that the demolition of houses should be done IF the inhabitants give consent and if they are also given a consent form 30 days before demolition. "We're just clearing the view.," the MMDA responded. How stupid can such an answer be?


Registration for voters start on Friday; no classes proclaimed
Nobody may seem to care about the reason why there aren't any classes on Friday but this is clearly NOT a well-thought out proclamation in their part. Registration could always start during the weekends, right?

Angat Dam water levels still low
A water shortage is currently looming but at least some cities are trying to cope. Take Mayor Belmonte's initiative to recycle water in one of its golf parks for example. But still, conservation of water is a must even without a looming water shortage.

4 Abu Sayyaf tagged in beheadings
At least there's a lead in the people who beheaded the 4 soldiers who tried to search for the recently freed hostage, Fr. Bossi, who by the way was treated VERY disrespectfully by Her Excellency (GMA: "Did you know 4 Marines died for you?" Bossi: ~cries~). For shame.