Hopelessly Fickle: 2008

Hollywood Movie Promoted Through a Panel of Scientists?

It's definitely a unique kind of movie promotion, especially with a Hollywood movie and with an A-lister in attendance. Best surprise of all was that the A-lister was Keanu Reeves, and for him to be in a panel made up entirely of scientists (with movie director Scott Derrickson) piqued my interest.

It isn't because I thought Keanu Reeves isn't smart enough to hold himself together among intellectuals. It's just that Keanu usually doesn't talk that much, and here he is placed among people who talk quite extensively about the presence of extraterrestrial beings and other scientific what-ifs.

This took place at the California Institute of Technology, where director Derrickson and Reeves held the promotion of their movie, The Day the Earth Stood Still. As expected of an audience where science and fact is the medium of learning, the discussion focused more on the the relationship and differences of art and science rather than on the entertainment values of the movie.

I can easily understand how Keanu Reeves would be so awkward in this situation. But I applaud the fact that he really came to the event. He said so little, and some were said jokingly and saracstically. Can't blame him, really. There were strange questions aired, like "Are you human?," to which Reeves replied, "If you cut me, do I not bleed?"

The whole story:
The Day the Earth Stood Still: Perspectives on the Remake

I find this a very refreshing approach towards marketing a movie to the public. It's not star-studded and red-carpeted, but it still gained some attention. The promotion was also direct and, well, educational. I'm of a mind that other movies should do this, especially movies that touch on intriguing topics like extraterrestrial beings or the existence of God.

Very Short Movie Reviews

I was serious when I said that I was going to catch up to my siblings regarding movies. I've decided to watch at least one movie a day, and the routine has been going well so far (except for getting tired red eyes). For the past few days, I've set aside two hours to watch movies my brother and I downloaded. I've already seen some of them but I decided to watch them again.

In celebration of finding the will, the time, and the effort to reach my goal of being a movie buff, I'm giving some very very very short reviews of the films I've seen since Saturday.

Don't expect any award-winning movies here! Most of the films in the list are not well known, because, well, my brother and I like to see the lesser known and less popular movies. We're also branching out to the movies of the east (Korean, Thai, and Japanese). My brother mainly looks out for the horror films while I go for action and comedy.

Baby and I (Korean; 2008)
Directed by Kim Jin-yeong
Starring: Jang Geun-suk
---> I'll go with comedy before going to the horror and action films. Baby and I is a film that centers around a rebellious teenager who ends up caring for a baby dumped onto him while grocery shopping. The movie has its cute moments. It's a comedy so some unrealistic situations are excused. But, hey, if they were going to put some dubbing on the baby, they could've gone for a cute child's voice and not some old geezer's!

Alive (Japanese; 2002)
Directed by Ryuhei Kitamura
Starring: Hideo Sakaki, Tak Sakaguchi
---> I only liked the Matrix moment, where the protagonist killed off his enemies like Keanu Reeves did. Other than that, the movie was kind of boring. The dark setting added to the gloomy atmosphere and made the movie more glum and dragging. The concept of the movie was interesting, though; Two prisoners are being observed and one of them is chosen to be the host of an alien being called the "Isomer." The Isomer makes the host powerful (complete with martial arts chops and some sonic waves), using the host's urge to kill as an energy source or something.

Alone (Thai; 2007)
Directed by Banjong Pisanthanakun, Parkpoom Wongpoom
Starring: Marsha Wattanapanich
---> This is a horror film about once conjoined twins, one dead and one living. The dead one haunts the live one because of what happened in the past. Hmmm.. what do I say about this movie? This movie actually won awards, and the lead actress did a good job portraying both good and evil twins. The flow of the story was also well laid out. To me, though, it was just another typical Asian horror film.

An American Haunting (2006)
Directed by Courtney Solomon
Starring: Donald Sutherland, Sissy Spacek
---> I was greatly disappointed with the movie. It didn't scare me, and the narration was irritating. It was said to be based on a true story but somehow, after all the horror films I've seen, this movie was not convincing.

The Covenant (2006)
Directed by Renny Harlin
Starring: Steven Strait
---> I've already watched this movie before, and I still like it, mainly becuase of the story and the magic stuff. I didn't like the girl but the rest of the cast were good enough for me. I'd have to say, though, that it'll just be on the level of a teen movie.

White Noise: The Light (2007)
Directed by Patrick Lussier
Starring: Nathan Fillon
---> Now this is a great horror movie. It has the typical flow wherein the protagonist sees the ghostly visions and gets down to the bottom of the mystery at the end. It also involves "tria mera" and the Bible (I haven't been able to figure out how the word "tria mera" mathematically came to be yet).

Mirrors (2008)
Directed by Alexandre Aja
Starring: Kiefer Sutherland
---> I only had a problem with the latter part of the movie, where the spirit of the mirrors converged into the old nun and the nun became some sort of mutant. My sister and brother were wondering how that could be realistic, and I'm wondering the same thing. Ghosts and possessions are one thing, a mutant being with reptile-like abilities is another. But generally, it was a good movie.

Shoot 'Em Up (2007)
Directed by Michael Davis
Starring: Clive Owen, Paul Giamatti, Monica Bellucci
---> I enjoyed this movie a lot. I've also watched this before so I wasn't surprised at all the gore and brutality. Some of the scenes and stunts are surely unrealistic. Still, it gave me great entertainment.

Street Kings (2008)
Directed by David Ayer
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Forest Whitaker, Hugh Laurie
---> I've wanted to watch this ever since I saw its trailer because of Keanu Reeves and Hugh Laurie. Turns out that, although Hugh Laurie's role was pivotal, he doesn't appear that much. There's also a crappy moment here --- spoiler --- Chris Evans dies. Well, a lot of them die. It's a dirty cop movie, after all. All I can say is that if you don't like dirty cop movies, then don't watch. It'll just be a bore. I just continued to watch till the end to know who the real bad guy in the movie was.

...................................
...................................
................................... and more movies to come! :D

Pick Up the Pace

Oh dear.. We're in the latter half of the month and I've only made, what, three or four posts so far? La la la... what's wrong with me these days..?

So where do I put the blame:

1. I just get plain lazy... even when the computer's just in front of me, I'd thin that I've played enough with the Web to go and sit in front of it some more.

2. Sleep... I'll never get tired of sleeping. I love sleep, although it's continuously proving to be such a hurdle whenever there are more productive stuff to do.

3. Movies... Our family is addicted to movies. I'm way behind, actually, when compared to the amount of movies that my sisters and brother have watched these past months. So I'm slowly trying to rise up to their level. I feel so lost when they talk of a new movie they had seen. I refuse to lose to them! Ha!

4. Youtube and Korean variety shows... My past posts had been abut a Korean show. As I got addicted to it, I began to branch out to other parts of Korean entertainment. I'm kind of thankful that I'm not such a sucker for boybands now, because if I was then I'd really be drawn into the Korean music scene as well (with their growing number of boybands.. sheesh).

5. Manga and Anime... Yup, they're still a part of me. I don't go gaga over them like in the past but I still haven't cut myself loose from my anime and manga addiction. I still like to keep up with the stories (and my favorites are somehow endless). I'm also digging up old animes that I haven't watched this year, and there are a lot, I tell you. I've been a little far off these past months that I got a little behind.

I really need to cut back on my sleep. Sleep gets the biggest slice of my daily habit. And I'll have to check over my collections of anime and manga and dig into what I've missed. The movies... hmmm... I guess I can at least make some time for a movie a day to ctch up with family. As for my Korean craze... it's a craving, I can't help it, might as well satisfy myself until I've had enough (if ever that day comes). And I hope I'll stop being such a lazy slob.

Naruto Spoilers ?

Got hold of a blog post on Naruto spoilers... well, it's actually some kind of a recap of Masashi Kishimoto's interview. I'm not sure if all these are true, though, because I have yet to see the real source of this interview. I'll keep digging (despite my waning interest in the Naruto series).

.. from the Garbage Bin: Backtrack with Kishi Interview:

1. Akatsuki Leader’s(not confirmed if its Pein / Madara) strength can’t be matched even with 3 Sannins of the leaf.

2. There is another character in Akatsuki, and unexpected member will bring a chaos.

3. One of the Akatsuki’s member becomes friend/ally with Naruto.

4. Naruto’s seal will be released by the end of 08, or beginning of the 09. At least 4 tails will be released, be prepared it could be shocking scene.

5. Toad dies(he laughs).

6. 3 of Naruto’s important people will die or get seriously injured.

7. Sasuke’s skills cannot be matched against Naruto’s new skills.

8. Sasuke v. Itachi is great scale, and later Naruto’s information about family and bloodline will show up.

9. Sai, he will cause something huge(laughs)

10. 4th’s secret and bloodline will be shown.

11. 2 huge characters of Konoha will die.

12. There is a female member in Akatsuki.

13. Akatsuki will invade Konoha with its mysterious beasts, and Shiranui Genma will provide great help to Konoha.

.. another Kishi interview ...

1. Uchiha’s secret will be revealed and 2 of the remaining will die.

2. Akatsuki’s leader kills 6 people (Does this mean Pein is the confirmed leader?)

3. Sasuke and Itachi’s fight will cause chaos; Uchiha, Uchiha Madara’s secrets are revealed and all the skills of the MS will be revealed. The fight will end with death of one.

4. Naruto will collide with Pain; Kakashi’s team will collide with Tobi. There will be big turnaround on Tobi v. Kakashi’s team. Naruto v. Pain will be fights of the “beasts”. Be prepared, during this fight there will be deaths from Naruto’s team.

5. Three new members will join the Akatsuki. They will be stronger than Deidara, Hidan, and Kakuzu. One of them is the brother/sister of the Hokage.

6. Naruto’s new skills and the result of the training will reveal when he fight against Pain. He have learned all of the Jiraiya’s jutsu during the 3 years of the time and he became much stronger. He did not learn the “toad mode or w.e u call it”. Naruto also learned 3 of the 4th’s jutsus.

7. After all these fights, there will be a great war.

8. There will be death on Tobi vs. Naruto team and one of them becomes unable to fight.

9. Jinchuuriki of the 8 tailed will be revealed. This Jinchuuriki kills one of the Akatsuki’s members and invades Konoha by him/herself. During this fight one dies, and one will lose his/her eyesight.

Some of these have already been revealed. We already know of Konan, the female member of Akatsuki, and Killerbee was already introduced. Jiraiya is now dead, which leaves us speculating on who else among the huge Konoha characters is going to die. Many are debating on whether it's going to be Kakashi or Tsunade.

Michael Crichton Dies at 66

When Robert Jordan died, I was shocked. When I heard of Terry Pratchett suffering from Alzheimer's, I was shocked again. Now for the third time, the feeling's here again.

I just found out that Michael Crichton, author of the famous Jurassic Park novels, died from cancer. I didn't even know he had cancer. Apparently, he was battling the disease for a long time now. He died at the age of 66.

Source: Michael Crichton Dies of Cancer

WGM Babies!

We Got Married fanatics have already seen this. But I just had to put this up on my own blog.. it really brightens my day!

The Eye Factor:
Alex's son and Shinae's daughter ...
> Oooohhhh...

Cutesy and Cheeky:
Andy's son winks and Solbi's daughter smiles VERY widely...
> Hahhahahha...!

Hiphop Mania:
Crown J's son on the bling and In Young's daughter with the cute witchy eyes...
> Yo! This how we do it!

Boy or Girl:
Hyun Joong's son is prettier than Hwang Bo's daughter...
> "Whose daughter are you?" - Hwang Bo

WGM: My Top 3 Couples

In my preceding post, I talked about the Korean reality show We Got Married. In watching the show, I've picked out my three favorite couples.. and as you will see, I seem to like couples that give off fun and laughter rather than chummy romantic stuff.

1. Lettuce couple / Joongbo couple : Hwang Bo and Kim Hyun Joong

This couple has always been my favorite. The lettuce couple is an interesting combination: an older woman/younger man couple. By this fact alone, a lot of people were pulled to see how they would do in (fake) marriage. Others may just have wanted to see Hyun Joong as a groom (he's an idol; he's got a lot of fans). There may also have been others who wished for Hwang Bo's failure to sooth their jealousy over Hyun Joong having a bride. Ho ho.. poor them, because the ssangchu (lettuce) couple is going strong!

It was the older woman-younger man thing that had me curious with the lettuce couple. It wasn't Hyun Joong, leader of Korean boyband SS501; I've given up on boybands and teen idols a long time ago. It wasn't Hwang Bo, rapper and singer and formerly of Chakra, because I've never heard of her before my WGM addiction. I just wanted to see how the two would get along, especially since the marriage is all a pretense and they only meet once a week. I also wanted to see how the relationship would work, because it really seemed like an awkward pair. They have a 6-year gap between them. Hwang Bo is known to be a little tomboyish. Hyun Joong is suave and blunt and really innocent when it comes to being married.

They really did start out to be an awkward couple, with Hwang Bo feeling the age gap and Hyun Joong not really knowing how to be a groom. But as the episodes go and as they got to know more of each other, we can see that they are actually a perfect match for each other! Hyun Joong's bluntness and simple humor starts a lot of laughters, and Hwang Bo can be infectious with her energy and "youthfulness."

May i just add that i am now a very big fan of Hwang Bo; she's all that a strong woman is. She can be a tomboy, very competitive and athletic, but she also has a feminine side with lots of good-wife hobbis. I'm also giving a thumbs-up to Hyun Joong. He's new to being a husband but he's carried the role well. He's also got some charm, something that won't make you hate him when he makes mistakes. Ahh, well, he's not a teen idol and group leader for nothing.

2. A! couple / Ant couple : Seo In Young and Crown J

The A! couple is the longest running couple of the show. They have been with WGM since the start. While the other starting couples have "divorced" or left the show, the Ant couple stayed and continued to give some comedic relief to the show.

Seo In Young and Crown J are really a comedic duo (a sweet one, I will concede). They fight all the time. One might wonder how they can still stay together when they always fight, even over petty stuff like noodles. They're not actually what you'd consider to be role models. Seo In Young is known as a witch or a devil, with her tantrums and scary glares. She likes shoes, and she likes fresh boys like Hyun Joong. She wants to be treated like a queen and everybody's better treat her like one. I really applaud Crown J for his massive patience. Whenever they fight, it's always him who gives some space and makes the first move to make up. It's not something I would have expected from a rapper but then there're always exceptions.

3. HwanYobi couple : Hwanhee and Hwayobi

This is another interesting couple. One emits abrasiveness and the other ditziness. The only thing Hwanhee and Hwayobi probably have in common is in being R&B singers. The HwanYobi is a new couple on the show so their union is still under observation by the viewers (like me).

They actually remind me of Nodame and Chiaki-senpai of Nodame Cantabile. Hwayobi is just like Nodame. She's very talented when it comes to music, but her personality is somewhat slow. The Hwayobi shows herself in WGM would make you wonder if she really is an R&B singer, composer, and pianist. I think I read somewhere that she also knows how to paint. In WGM, she really seems lost without her husband.

Hwanhee, on the other hand, sometimes looks as if he wants to get away from his wife sometimes. He can be cold and uncaring to Hwayobi at times. But as a man and husband, he does his best to be more forthcoming and patient. I can't say I don't like his bad boy image, though. He can be so smug and conceited in a humorous way. He's adamant not to bend and become a sweet and cuddly husband because that's just not the way he is. He instead tries to show his "love" in other ways.. although I haven't seen any yet.

We Got Married is now on its 31st episode. Joongbo is carrying on with their bets-and-competition married life, the Ant couple has just moved to a new house, and HwanYobi is still on the getting-used-to-each-other stage.

Hooked on We Got Married

Just a thought: I can imagine my friends and younger sister snickering once they've read this post, but I'm way past caring about them teasing me on stuff like these..

I got hooked to a Korean reality show just recently after a friend sent me a link of one of its episodes (the main reason why I haven't updated this blog for quite a while). This show is gaining popularity among Asian TV fans like me (and I have to say I'm actually very late in talking about this show online; numerous other bloggers have already expressed their "rabu-rabu" views about the show). It is called We Got Married, shortened to WGM, and (if I read right on Youtube) will be renamed to Sunday Marriage.

Basically, the show highlights how celebrity couples might do when they get married and live together. Let me just emphasize that all the couples here are just in a fake marriage. The program directors searched on celebrities who are compatible with each other and pair them up in the show. The couples put in efforts as to how they would act if they were really husband and wife. The show gives the couples missions to complete as they spend their Sundays working on their married life.

At first I thought that it would just be a chummy show with the stars giving off romantic sparkles to the viewers. Well, it is chummy and there are romantic sparkles swirling around. But that's not exactly the reason why I came to be addicted to We Got Married. I ignore the cheesy moments and instead focus on the hilarious loving moments of each couple. With this show, you can easily appreciate the Korean's sense of humor and witty attitudes. The celebrities paired up are marked for their humorous antics and blunt punchlines. All episodes of the show gave me a lot of laughs.

I can see my sister raising an eyebrow, not believing that my reason for watching We Got Married would not be connected to any romantic notions of mine. Ha! Believe it. I like comedy more than romance and love stories.

I applaud the show's creators for bringing about the whole concept. I'm also glad that the program directors did enough research to know which celebrities can bring about a marriage that seem so real that there are many of us hoping that these couples would actually get together in real life.

Some say that the show may be scripted. I doubt it. Missions are given and certain scenarios are set up, sure. But I'm sure that the husbands and wives are all on their own when making the light conversations and cranky situations.

Even Decent People Have Goofy Moments

I can relate to this because this is how I usually pose for the camera.

There are just some people who like to have their goofy moments. Even the serious types of people can surprise you. One moment, we're all graceful and serious and smiling innocently and just acting so bashfully...

And then when the flash come on.. Goof Spoof Proof! (I have no idea where I got this phrase.)

Poor Goldilocks... (Where'd you come from anyway?) :p

The Wrong Love Pair-Ups!

Whenever I watch a movie or animation, or whenever I read a book or a story, I usually keep tabs on the love pair-ups. Must be the stifled romantic in me, but the love pair ups, or the love teams, in the stories can have an effect in me. If I love the pairing of the protagonist and his or her love interest, then I would only be too happy to read more quickly or watch the movie/animation more intently. If I hate the pair, though, I'd end up crunching my nose and sighing in frustration with as to why the two characters got together and not with some other person who I think would be more compatible for them.

I just read Brisingr, the third installment of the Inheritance Cycle series by Christopher Paolini. After reading it, I got even more frustrated with the state of Eragon's lovelife. I loved the book, there's no mistake. I love the series and I am eagerly waiting for the fourth and last book of the series. But Eragon's lovelife frustrates me. The third book has ended but he still pines for Arya, and his love still remains unrequited.

This brings to my mind the other love pair-ups that I wanted to end in a happily-ever-after story but are most usually not meant to be. Some of the love pair-ups I like would sometimes come true but towards the end of the story, it's either their relationship status is in trouble or has gone totally down the rocks. And that just irks me to the point that I want to bash the author's or creator's head for not making the pair-ups work.

To elaborate, here are some of my most wanted love pair-ups and how they are not together:

1. Eragon and Angela

Were you surprised that I voted for Angela to be Eragon's love interest? Well, it's because Iwant his love interest to be Angela, and not Arya. Arya just doesn't seem to be that interesting, aside form the fact that she's an elf and elves are elegant. I also don't feel the sparks between Eragon and Arya whenever they have a moment with each other in the story. Perhaps, Arya is just stiff by nature and just doesn't show her feelings that much. I tried to settle with an "opposites attract" theme with the Eragon-Arya pair-up but it still doesn't fit for me.

Now, Angela, on the other hand, is quite more interesting than Arya. She goes overboard sometimes but I like her and her way with people. I especially like how she interacts with Eragon, and I believe that at one time, in Eldest, there was a time when Eragon felt comfortable with Angela. He still does, I'm sure, as he knows Angela treats him as she would any other person, and that mattered to Eragon.

Sadly, the author doesn't seem to share my sentiments on the matter. He still goes on with Eragon pining after Arya. (I'll still read the fourth book, no matter who Eragon will be with.)

2. Harry Potter and Luna Lovegood

Now, I'm sure you're laughing. Hey, I'm giggling, too. I know. Loony Luna's a little.. err... loony.. for the famous Harry Potter. But I'd still take Luna over the irritable Cho Chang and the annoying Ginny Weasley. But then I guess the majority wins, and Harry and Luna are not meant to be. It rarely happens when a famous character like Harry Potter would fall for a weird girl like Luna.

I got over this not-meant-to-be pair-up when I grew frustrated over the Harry Potter series (I let it pass that Harry got together with Ginny, but it was the way the story had gone darker and the way Harry had become a little smug that made me lose my Harry Potter addiction).

3. Cagalli Yula Athha and Athrun Patrick Zala

I am a huge fan. They were actually paired up in the Gundam SEED series. But it was implied that they broke up towards the end of Gundam SEED Destiny, with Cagalli choosing to focus on ruling Orb and leaving Athrun in the hands of another girl. I can recall a blog stating their relationship status to be "on hiatus."

A lot of me would agree that they really go well together. Athrun's the calm and shy type, while Cagalli is outgoing and frank. I rejoiced when they got together in Gundam SEED, and I hated the SEED Destiny ending because it made it obvious that the two are no longer together in the end. The creators had better launch a movie or another season and have Cagalli and Athrun back together again. Just when is the proposed movie going to be finalized anyway?!

4. Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuuga Hinata

I'm sure I'm not the only one vying for this pair-up to come true. You can't hate Naruto, and you can't hate Hinata. Naruto is just so whacked in the head he's hopeless, but Hinata still likes him. Naruto can get himself humiliated a million times, and Hinata would still be on the side admiring him. Well, it's a little annoying that Hinata is extremely shy. But wouldn't that just match Naruto's thick face and loud mouth?

The anime and manga is gearing towards Naruto and Sakura, but I'm still betting on Naruto and Hinata. And I'm not the only one so the creator better think before he settles on Naruto's love interest.

5. Kusosaki Ichigo and Inoue Orihime

All the Bleach fans know how Inoue is so much in love with Ichigo, while Ichigo jsut values friendship so much he knows nothing of the "rabu-rabu" feelings. Despite his ignorance on the subject, though, it's something that I grew to like about him. Right now, I can't see him as the romantic type.

This pair-up might go well as the series goes on. But there is the presence of Rukia to think about. I do not hate Rukia; I like her, too, as a matter of fact. I'm not sure about how she feels about Ichigo, but Ichigo certainly listens to Rukia and values her opinions. There have been many times wherein Ichigo is so influenced by Rukia. When it comes to Inoue, it's just pure friendship. I do not detect anything from Ichigo, but I hope that he would Inoue.

These are just some of the pair-ups I have in mind right now. What are the chances these pair-ups will come to be, do you think?

Gotta Love the Monk

I'm going through Jason Statham's movies right now, and one of his movies that I really love is the Mean Machine. Not that it's his movie; he just made a sort of special appearance as the most feared convict in prison. Legend has it among the cons that Monk (Jason Statham) killed 23 men with his bare hands... and that was before he learned karate. He was placed in a separate cell from the other inmates, and he is closely guarded because of his insane desire to crack bones in a person's body.

Mean Machine is a movie that pitches inmates versus the prison guards in a game of football. Monk is the goalie... who likes to be a sweeper now and then and do flying kicks at the opponent when the ref isn't looking. He's insane, but you just gotta love him here.

Sleeping Beauty ... Not Me, Mind You...

So I like to sleep a lot. But the Sleeping Beauty I refer to is the real Sleeping Beauty (or maybe not real, just the original fictional character) made by Disney. I just watched the whole cartoon movie again earlier, and I still say it's one of the best Disney movies. It's old, and maybe too sugary sweet.. but it's a fairy tale, and back then people were fond of singers of the opera enough to cast one for Princess Aurora's singing voice.

Sleeping Beauty was made in 1959, so the quality of the film may be a little antique for our modern tastes. The graphics are obviously from that time as well. But I daresay if we lived in that time we would've been impressed by all of it.

I would just also like to say that Maleficent's voice actor was magnificent. I'd also just like to say that Prince Philip and Princess Aurora are among my favorite Disney couples.

Here's a clip of the main theme song of Sleeping Beauty: Once Upon a Dream. It's when Princess Aurora and Prince Philip first met as adults. I used to sing this song whenever I felt like a classical singer (no, I never felt like a princess).

Kira Yamato vs Athrun Zala

Of all Gundam eras and series, my favorite has to be that of Gundam SEED and Gundam SEED Destiny. One factor was because of the graphics and animations (although if you disregard the color of the hair, the eyes, etc., all the characters would look like clone of one another). Another was the storyline, and how the story seems so realistic at times. But the biggest factor for me was the development, growth, and great display of personal and emotional power in the characters of the both series.

As the main protagonists of the Gundam SEED and SEED Destiny series, the character developments of best friends Kira Yamato and Athrun Zala are the most focused on in the anime. Both had their emotional problems, the most important issue mainly about the fact that they fight for different sides of the war, pitting them against each other.

Strike Freedom: Kira Yamato

As Gundam SEED ends, we are told that Kira Yamato was made to be the Ultimate Coordinator. It was instilled in him to be the greatest of his generation of coordinators, and his prowess and talent made him the best Gundam pilot.

Physical abilities aside, his weakness was that of his connection to his best friend, and “type” of human being (being a coordinator). As the war goes on, he also battles with himself, thinking constantly that he was betraying his fellow coordinators. As the story progresses, however, he ascertains his principles and becomes stronger in his beliefs. This aids him to be more straightforward in his battles. He becomes more sure of himself and what he needs to do.

Kira’s demeanor is quite silent. He thinks, but in the end it is his heart that he follows. His shyness and reserved manner gets him in a “follower” position, though, almost always waiting for a push from his peers and leaders before he makes a move.

Infinite Justice: Athrun Zala

One blogger described Athrun Zala as the "Eternal Thinker." I would have to agree. Perhaps Athrun’s weakness lies in thinking too much, that he ends up not knowing which side he should be fighting for. This also hinders some clear decisions in his part, as he has been led to fight for the anatagonists for both Gundam SEED and SEED Destiny.

Thankfully, in the end, he always gets it right (although with dire consequences). In Gundam SEED, he defected from ZAFT when he learned of his father’s plan to eliminate the Naturals. In SEED Destiny, he defected once again when he was going to be framed as a traitor.

Athrun also has a reserved demeanor, quite like Kira. But in the case where Kira is the follower, Athrun was a born leader. He is one of the best Gundam pilots, and one of the few who are undefeated in SEED mode. He can level it out with Kira, almost killing his best friend. Athrun is also excellent in hand-to-hand combat and is a great marksman. He is also a good military strategist.

Who Is Ultimate? Though I favor Athrun more because I feel for him more, in matters of principles and a straight heart I would have to go for Kira Yamato. From Gundam SEED to Gundam SEED Destiny, Kira has shown more maturity and has achieved a more balanced thought on peace and fighting against war. In SEED Destiny, it was clearly shown that while Athrun was disillusioned and confused, Kira never wavered from his beliefs.

The Past Tense of BS

I was a little surprised to see a curious word when I was reading John Dunning's The Bookman's Promise. The word: bullshat ... it's the past tense of bullshit. When I read it, it was like the BS word "bullshat" me, too. I have never heard or saw the word in print before and I thought that maybe the author was bullshitting me with his choice of words.

So I checked. And bullshit.

Bullshat really was a past tense for the verb form of bullshit, aside from the more correct form bullshitted.

Dictionary.com:

v. bull·shit also bull·shat (-shāt) or bull·shit·ted (-shĭt'ĭd), bull·shit·ting, bull·shits

v. intr.

To speak foolishly or insolently.
To engage in idle conversation.

We Should Make Barcodes Like These..

You have to love the Japanese for being creative and inventive. They're one of the leaders in technology and innovations, started the anime and manga comic addiction, and they can make barcodes like these:

Here's more where they came from: Japanese Creative Barcodes

Okay Ba Tayo, Tyan?

It seems I have a new addiction.. and it's centered on a fermented milk-like product from Japan: Yakult!

Maybe it was due to the Chinese milk powder scandal. Maybe it was the fact that Yakult was a good alternative for milk to someone like me who likes milk but is unluckily lactose intolerant. Or maybe its interesting taste just had me hooked.

I'm not the only one. Two packs of Yakult aren't enough for me and my siblings. It'd be gone in a day if we didn't care that maybe sis or bro didn't get a drink of it yet.

I'm very grateful this addiction isn't that bad. Yakult has many benefits for the body, and especially aids with digestion.

Yakult on Wikipedia? Oooohhh...

The claimed benefits are supported by an array of scientific studies according to the manufacturer website. Those could range from maintenance of gut flora, modulation of the immune system, regulation of bowel habits and constipation and finally effects on some gastro-intestinal infections.

Josh Groban at the Emmys 2008

I know of many people who think Josh Groban's music was boring, which eventually led to him being boring as well. Ha! Well, here's a treat for them.. the talented Josh Groban performing the theme songs of US television shows over the years at the Emmys:

To the people who think classical singers are boring, this just proved you wrong.

Brisingr Delayed ... C R A P

Last week I could skip while walking and type away with no pressure when working. It's because I was looking forward to a weekend when I would be able to bury myself in Eragon's world. I was waiting as patiently as I could for the 20th of September to come around. It was at this date that the third book of the Inheritance Cycle, Brisingr, was to be on sale.

Imagine my disappointment when I found out that the shipment to our country was delayed. I was hoping that maybe other branches of National Bookstore had more luck than the one at SM City. But then that was hoping for the improbable.

My entire weekend was a little depressing due to this. I tried to cheer myself up by buying two different books -- The Bookman's Promise and Stardust --- but I don't think they're giving me the satisfaction that reading Brisingr would. They're not adventurous enough; and they're not thick enough. And I miss reading about dragons and elven magic.

It's also taking a lot of my energy not to read the Wikipedia entry on Brisingr, because it already has the summary of the book posted. Argh!

Emmy Winners List!

30 Rock is still going on strong in the Emmys, alright.. I'm just sad to see that my usual favorites (James Spader of Boston Legal and Hugh Laurie of House, among others) didn't make it.

The mian list of winners at the 2008 Emmys are the ff:

Outstanding Comedy Series: 30 Rock
Outstanding Drama Series: Mad Men
Outstanding Made For Television Movie: Recount
Outstanding MiniSeries: John Adams
Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series: Alec Baldwin - 30 Rock
Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series: Tina Fey - 30 Rock
Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series: Bryan Cranston - Breaking Bad
Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series: Glenn Close - Damages
Outstanding Lead Actor In A MiniSeries Or Movie: Paul Giamatti - John Adams
Outstanding Lead Actress In A MiniSeries Or Movie: Laura Linney - John Adams
Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series: Jeremy Piven - Entourage
Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series: Jean Smart - Samantha Who?
Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series: Zeljko Ivanek - Damages
Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series: Dianne Wiest - In Treatment
Outstanding Supporting Actor In A MiniSeries Or Movie: Tom Wilkinson - John Adams
Outstanding Supporting Actress In A MiniSeries Or Movie: Eileen Akins - Cranford

The Beauty Is a He ... Shucks!

This may be a face that could launch a thousand ships...

.. BUT ... > there's always a "but" < ... she is a HE.

This is Kim Petras, a German boy who had hormone treatments for a sex change operation -- the youngest to do so at the age of 12. He was recently signed up for a German record label. Maybe we'll hear from him -- or her --- more in the future.

I'm sure he was cute when he was guy. But I must admit he's beautiful as a girl, too. I sigh, with frustration as to how an attractive male could have thought to disappoint females like me by denying us a chance to date him. And I sigh... because ain't he just a beauty?!

From Sir, With Love

Just when I finished writing a dreary post about the month of September, I come writing back with more sad news. I recently heard that a former teacher and principal back in elementary school passed away days or weeks ago.

He wasn't just any principal. I didn't know him as a teacher because his subjects were that of secondary level. But I knew him as a principal. And he was a very respected principal. We only had good things to say about him, as compared to the other principals before and after him.

He was diagnosed with cancer, and it had spread into his liver. I didn't get all the details. The news of his death had just been passed from one Dole Philippines School alumni to another. It only reached me yesterday, through my brother and my friends.

A fellow alumni went and visited Sir Isidro Saranillo days before he died. During his visit, he made a video with Sir Saranillo giving us his message of living life.

September is My Month.. So Why Do I Feel Crappy?

It's September, and my birth certificate says it's a time for me to look back and remember crappy and happy times in the past year while preparing to slug out another 365 days. Yes, it's my birth month. Should I be happy? Well, perhaps I should be.. but there's always a heavy cloud above me when September comes. That heavy cloud says I'm broke.

It used to be that when our birthday arrives we would think about what our parents and siblings have in store for us, and whether or not you'll get to spend a happy day with friends and family. It used to be that you were given gifts and surprise parties. As time goes by, when you've reached the 2-digit age of 20-plus and above, we find that some things have changed.

I guess it's because we make our own money now and we're starting to forge our futures for ourselves. I'm in my 23rd year now. I have a good job that pays considerably well. I've just been given more responsibilities as a daughter and sister, and I've stopped receiving allowances from my parents for more than a year now.

We can call this independent living, wherein you work for what you want and almost nothing is free anymore. We pay our own bills, we plan for our career paths.. and we feel more burdened.

September is a particular time of the year when I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Well, actually, I feel like more like crying.

1. Lots of birthdays during the month. I'm not the only September celebrant around here. I have great friends who were born on September. A lot of them. I grew tired of budgeting that I eventually discarded any thoughts of sending them gifts.

2. Being the birthday celebrant means some attention will be given to you. And I just don't like all that attention. Simple birthday greetings is enough for me. But there are those who just can't help but bite my head off with taunts of free food for them. Can't they see I'm broke?

3. It's not only the birthdays. I just learned that both my brother and younger sister has their anniversary and monthsary, respectively, with their girlfriend and boyfriend (again, respectively) just days after my birthday. The way their relationship is going, looks like I'll have two more dates to keep in mind for next year.

4. It's September. The start of the -ber months. We all know what the -ber months mean. It means it's time to save because it's almost gift-giving time.

Ahh... September. I hope I'm not starting to hate it.

My Blogger Favicon

See the small image beside my URL address? That's a favicon. It's short for "favorites icon" and is used as a website icon. I wanted to put one on my blog earlier but only go the chance to do so today.

Some say that you have to convert the image to a .ico file in order to put it on your blog. But Web browsers today have eventually made it easier for us bloggers by making a .png and a .jpeg file to become a favicon as well.

Evidently, there are two ways to install a favicon on our blog. One is by converting an image into a .ico file and putting it in the root directory of the blog. Another way --- the easier way and the one I used --- is to put in an ordinary .png or .jpeg file, by putting this command on the head section of your blog's html:

link href="/path/image.png" rel="icon" type="image/png"

My favicon is temporary. I'm still looking for that one image for my blog. I wanted something like the card picture (second one on the right) but the details of the picture wouldn't be seen if the picture was resized to 16-25 pixels. My other candidates for my favicon is pretty much all about the Virgo sign. But I'm still looking, still looking...

Recorder Flute Fingerings

Yey! I found something to cheer me up amidst the bad luck I seem to having lately... I had doubts as to whether I would be able to find the notes and fingerings of the recorder flute. The recorder isn't as famous as its woodwind relations, after all. But here it is:

NOTE

FIRST OCTAVE

SECOND OCTAVE

Tuned in F

Tuned in C

Recorder Flute Holes

NOTE		THIRD OCTAVE
Tuned in F	Tuned in C	Recorder Flute Holes
Tuned in F	Tuned in C	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
F	C	/	X	O	O	X	X	O	O
F#	C#	/	X	O	X	X	O	X	X
G	D	/	X	O	X	X	O	X	X

X - hole should be covered completely
/ - hole is half-covered
O - hole remains open