My Movie Meme

I've left this blog postless for so long now I think I've gotten rusty. I do have a lot of things I want to share; I didn't just sit and do nothing during my 2-month absence here. But my fingers don't seem to be in the mood for typing. For now, I'll make post my version of the movie meme from my friend's blog as my comeback to my happy crappy blog.

Take the top 100 grossing movies: italicize the ones you've seen.

1. Titanic (1997) - $600,779,824
2. Star Wars (1977) - $460,935,665
3. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) - $434,949,459
4. Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) - $431,065,444
5. Spider-Man (2002) - $403,706,375
6. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The (2003) - $377,019,252
7. Passion of the Christ, The (2004) - $370,025,697
8. Jurassic Park (1993) - $356,784,000
9. Shrek 2 (2004) - $356,211,000
10. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The (2002) - $340,478,898
11. Finding Nemo (2003) - $339,714,367
12. Forrest Gump (1994) - $329,691,196
13. Lion King, The (1994) - $328,423,001
14. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001) - $317,557,891
15. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The (2001) - $313,837,577
16. Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) - $310,675,583
17. Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) - $309,125,409
18. Independence Day (1996) - $306,124,059
19. Pirates of the Caribbean (2003) - $305,411,224
20. Sixth Sense, The (1999) - $293,501,675
21. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) - $290,158,751
22. Home Alone (1990) - $285,761,243
23. Matrix Reloaded, The (2003) - $281,492,479
24. Shrek (2001) - $267,652,016
25. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) - $261,970,615
26. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) - $260,031,035
27. Jaws (1975) - $260,000,000
28. Monsters, Inc. (2001) - $255,870,172
29. Batman (1989) - $251,188,924
30. Men in Black (1997) - $250,147,615
31. Toy Story 2 (1999) - $245,823,397
32. Bruce Almighty (2003) - $242,589,580
33. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) - $242,374,454
34. Twister (1996) - $241,700,000
35. My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002) - $241,437,427
36. Ghost Busters (1984) - $238,600,000
37. Beverly Hills Cop (1984) - $234,760,500
38. Cast Away (2000) - $233,630,478
39. Lost World: Jurassic Park, The (1997) - $229,074,524
40. Signs (2002) - $227,965,690
41. Rush Hour 2 (2001) - $226,138,454
42. Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) - $219,200,000
43. Ghost (1990) - $217,631,306
44. Aladdin (1992) - $217,350,219
45. Saving Private Ryan (1998) - $216,119,491
46. Mission: Impossible II (2000) - $215,397,30
47. X2 (2003) - $214,948,780
48. Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002) - $213,079,163
49. Back to the Future (1985) - $210,609,762
50. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999) - $205,399,422
51. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) - $204,843,350
52. Exorcist, The (1973) - $204,565,000
53. Mummy Returns, The (2001) - $202,007,640
54. Armageddon (1998) - $201,573,391
55. Gone with the Wind (1939) - $198,655,278
56. Pearl Harbor (2001) - $198,539,855
57. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) - $197,171,806
58. Toy Story (1995) - $191,800,000
59. Men in Black II (2002) - $190,418,803
60. Gladiator (2000) - $187,670,866
61. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) - $184,925,485
62. Dances with Wolves (1990) - $184,208,848
63. Batman Forever (1995) - $184,031,112
64. Fugitive, The (1993) - $183,875,760
65. Ocean’s Eleven (2001) - $183,405,771
66. What Women Want (2000) - $182,805,123
67. Perfect Storm, The (2000) - $182,618,434
68. Liar Liar (1997) - $181,395,380
69. Grease (1978) - $181,360,000
70. Jurassic Park III (2001) - $181,166,115
71. Mission: Impossible (1996) - $180,965,237
72. Planet of the Apes (2001) - $180,011,740
73. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) - $179,870,271
74. Pretty Woman (1990) - $178,406,268
75. Tootsie (1982) - $177,200,000
76. Top Gun (1986) - $176,781,728
77. There’s Something About Mary (1998) - $176,483,808
78. Ice Age (2002) - $176,387,405
79. Crocodile Dundee (1986) - $174,635,000
80. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) - $173,585,516
81. Elf (2003) - $173,381,405
82. Air Force One (1997) - $172,888,056
83. Rain Man (1988) - $172,825,435
84. Apollo 13 (1995) - $172,071,312
85. Matrix, The (1999) - $171,383,253
86. Beauty and the Beast (1991) - $171,301,428
87. Tarzan (1999) - $171,085,177
88. Beautiful Mind, A (2001) - $170,708,996
89. Chicago (2002) - $170,684,505
90. Three Men and a Baby (1987) - $167,780,960
91. Meet the Parents (2000) - $166,225,040
92. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) - $165,500,000
93. Hannibal (2001) - $165,091,464
94. Catch Me If You Can (2002) - $164,435,221
95. Big Daddy (1999) - $163,479,795
96. Sound of Music, The (1965) - $163,214,286
97. Batman Returns (1992) - $162,831,698
98. Bug’s Life, A (1998) - $162,792,677
99. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) - $161,963,000
100. Waterboy, The (1998) - $161,487,252


I highlighted the movies I have yet to watch to completely ake this list all slanted!

Dragonball Evolution Was Crappy

I knew it when I first heard they were making it into a movie.
I knew it when they cast Justin Chatwin for the role.
I knew it when Emmy Rossum was cast as Bulma.
I knew it when I saw the poster and saw mostly women and no muscles.
I knew it when they made Piccolo the antagonist.
I knew it when I saw or heard no sign of Kririn and the other Dragon Ball heroes.
I knew it when Chi-Chi and Goku were portrayed as the geek-and-popular-girl love tandem.
I knew it when the plot just didn't make any sense at all!

I just knew that Dragonball Evolution would end up crappy.

In the first place, the very idea of adapting the Dragon Ball series into a live action movie never really appealed to me. Why? Because it was unimaginable to take it into live action. The Dragon Ball series is one of those animations that just wouldn't fit right into the live movies for the very reason that live action can't seem to give it justice.

Think about it. Hardcore muscle men, the Super Saiyan mode (not that this was included in the movie), Piccolo's appearance (James Marsters made me hate Piccolo when I really like Piccolo in the anime), the so-far-out-to-the-future technology by Bulma and her father, and even Shen Long the great dragon (who turns out puny in the movie)... I cannot imagine these things in live action.

Of all anime, why did they choose Dragon Ball anyway? The series isn't like Marvel or DC Comics where we human beings can really relate to the superheroes because they are human, too. The characters in the Dragon Ball series are made up of different species, and while we can connect with their emotions and storylines, it's a different thing altogether when the entire feel of the whole vast universe concept is part of the story's charm. Dragon Ball isn't just about good versus evil and the "who's stronger?" question. Part of what made the anime a beloved series is because of its universal concept and the unimaginable and unfathomable powers that can only occur in our wildest dreams.

After watching Dragonball Evolution, I felt skeptic over the other live action adaptations that'll be out in the future. The Last Airbender is in the works (with Dev Patel as my fave Zuko?) and I am hoping they won't trash the Avatar series like they did Dragon Ball.

Selected Pandemonium / Hyakki Yakou Shoko

Stepping aside from the popular genre of martial arts and action in manga stories, I found another favorite among the supernatural.

Hyakki Yakou Shou, or Selected Pandemonium, is an ongoing manga series, created by Ima Ichiko. I wonder why this manga isn't that popular. It mixes the supernatural and old Japanese beliefs with that of modern lifestyle. I like how the story doesn't go over the top with human-to-demon fights and demonic possessions and such. The story flows calmly, and seemingly realistic. After reading Naruto, Bleach, Claymore, and other popular mangas with exagerrated scenes and circumstances, Selected Pandemonium offers sanctuary from all those ninjutsus and swords.

Iijima Ritsu has a sharp sixth sense that he inherited from his deceased grandfather. This ability makes him a magnet to supernatural beings, some of which are not so friendly with humans and are dangerous. To protect him, his grandfather instructed one of his pet spirits to inhabit Ristu's father's dead body. This spirit-demon, named Blue Storm, is still passing off as his father in front of his mother, grandmother and other people. Only Ritsu knows the truth, and of Blue Storm's mission to protect him.

Ritsu is not the only with a sixth sense in their clan. Although not as strong as him, his two other cousins, Tsukasa and Akira, can also feel spirits and demons. Both of them used to disregard their abilities, Tsukasa denying hers and Akira forgetting her own. Tsukasa is especially reluctant to admit her ability, although her sixth sense is just as sharp as Ritsu's.

The manga mainly tells distant stories of each other. One chapter will focus on one story at a time, all concerning Ritsu and the people connected to him. Another thing I like about this manga is how it somehow connects with everyday life, at least for someone like Ritsu who has sixth sense and attracts a lot of spirits.

I'm now looking for the live action Japanese series of Selected Pandemonium. I can't find any online, and there're no sub versions for me to enjoy. Really, why isn't this popular?!

Manga direct downloads: ETC

Crappy Update to Myself.. and To Whoever Feels the Same Way

One of my resolutions this year was to fix things as I go along through them and minimize procrastination (which is a very great flaw of mine). So far, I still haven't finished half of my listed "projects," a.k.a. stuff to be fixed/arranged/organized. What's worse is that new things seem to be sticking up in front of me, making me unable to ignore them.

This is really taking up a lot of my energy and brain noodles. Couple that with me being a little paranoid and a worrywart, and a little obssessive-compulsive.. heck, I'm stressed. Maybe it's just my psychological worry that I'm stressed. But I searched over the symptoms of stress and I have most of them: back pain, heavy shoulders, inconsistent sleep, appetite loss... and I get sick easily these days.

I really need to get out. Time for me to go back home for a while and smell some fresh air, away from the cigarette smokes I smell everyday at the office. Time for some outing on a peaceful neighborhood, play some tennis and jog around the pineapple fields at Sunday's dawning. And maybe drive our family's pick-up for a quick driving lesson before I surrender to a driving academy in the city.

Times like this, I should write down my resolutions and goals for the year. Some people may think this useless. A friend of mine would point out that we won't be able to follow through with them in the end. Still, some basis for a year's existence never hurt. In my case, it can help me to stop messing with my own mind and worrying about petty things.

On My 12 Days of Christmas...

Not counting my days of arrival and departure, I really had 12 days of fun and leisure at my hometown as I took a break from the hustles of work and city life. There were some 'oops,' disappointments, and some more crappy moments during the break though. Here's an oopsy rendition of mine of the ever popular song The Twelve Days of Christmas:

*Getting right to the last part of the song...


On the 12th day of Christmas, misfortune showed to me...

12 donuts dunkin'
................... I almost got sick of donuts. Our father bought a dozen every other day.

11 breakfasts passing
................... We woke up late almost everyday that we go straight preparing lunch.

10 pm still dinging
................... 10 o'clock signals the start of my work back in the city.

9 Buddha wrapping
................... My sister and I had to wrap many little Buddha statues as presents to our relatives.

8 discs a-waiting
................... I brought a lot of DVDs to watch over the break but somehow I didn't get to watch them all.

7 cousins missing
................... Really. How could they not show themselves?!

6 books just lying
................... I brought books and bought some more, but I only got to finish two.

Fiiiiiive thousands goooooone...
................... I actually had to spend more than 5,000. This line refers to the number of 1,000 bills I spent for the gifts and the New Year's lechon.

4 nights with beer
................... Beer is always present whenever I go out with my old pals from high school.

3 with wine
................... My family prefers to drink wine, though. My mother and sister are especially lovers of wine. I come in third place.

2 injuries
................... I got one on my left hand, and a bigger one on my right. I was useless for a week because I couldn't use my hands efficiently.

and a hairstyle that's anime-eeeeeeyyyy...!
................... The hairstylist cut it wrong because he has never done the style before. I can forgive him. Still, I have one funny hairstyle right now.

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.

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................................... 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.

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 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.

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

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.

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!

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.

Computer Down Again

Our computer is one of the most used appliances in our home (aside from the fridge, fans, tv, and DVD player). It was one of the main sources of entertainment for us --- my brother likes to download songs and play Diablo and Warcraft, my sister goes to Friendster and is currently addicted to Mahjongg Mystery, and I consider myself an average internet freak.

So it was obvious what would happen if the computer broke down. It would lead to reruns of DVDs, more news updates on TV, more soap operas, more sleeping, and more quiet days. These things happened for more than two weeks when our monitor broke down.

Now the computer is down again. I'm the one to blame... partly. I only wanted to install Adobe Photoshop on our computer and the file I downloaded ended up giving us a spyware.

> I curse the dude who uploaded the file! <

It sucked... big time. Still does, because I still can't get the spyware of the system. The antivirus can't erase it, and it seems like even Spybot can't either (guess it also got infected). Our screen is a bloody red with a bold warning to get some protection and some of our programs are lost somewhere in the system. A lot of our private files are also in danger.

There doesn't seem to be any choice now but to reformat the computer. I have been meaning to do this, but only after all downloads were done and I've made a copy of all the files. I guess my procrastination led to this unwelcomed "karma." Now there's no stopping it, and there's no chance of saving the files in the computer. It really sucks.

Practical Solutions For the Insomniac

Sleep problems seem to be prevalent in our family. Either we sleep too much or sleep too little.

I sleep too much. But my brother is an insomniac. Most nights he would stay up just playing games on the computer just to pass time as the night goes on. There are nights when he wouldn't sleep at all and go directly to school in the morning.

I decided to scrap out some tips on how to combat insomnia from the Web. I looked for practical solutions, just everyday habits that you need to have, in order to avoid becoming an insomniac.

1. Sleep and wake up at the same times.. Keeping to the schedule will help your body clock adjust itself to what you want your body to do. When this becomes a habit, your body will automatically tell you that it needs to sleep. Same goes for when you wake up.

2. Don't eat anything heavy within 4 hours before going to bed. A heavy stomach doesn't do well when you lie down. If ever you get hungry, go for light snacks or some crackers. I would also suggest hot milk, or maybe even hot choco.

3. No caffeine or alcohol before going off to bed. We know how caffeine works. It will only disrupt your sleep. Alcohol is also a no-no because it can wake you up at a wrong time, even if it makes you drowsy. Remember that sticking to a schedule is important.

4. Relax yourself. It's hard to sleep when you're troubled or stressed. Try some breathing exercises or do some stretching to get rid of some of the burden and relax your body.

5. Take a hot bath. Bathing with lukewarm water can have soothing effects on the body. You'll also feel clean and light, and wanting to go to sleep.

I guess my brother is wrong in not taking the initiative himself to make a schedule and relaxing himself to get to sleep. He just waits for his eyes to get drowsy. Maybe I should be pushing him to do what's on this list.

Here's How I Get Back on the Blogging Track...

It's been almost a week now, and I haven't made any blog entry until this moment. I guess the simple explanation would be that I lost some of the drive for blogging. The reasons for this would be more complicated of course.

This is mostly due to the fact that our monitor broke down. We took it for repair but it took so long that we decided to just get a new one.

I was getting restless about the thought of not having to blog at home. I ventured on my other interests to take up some of my time. I watched movies and TV series --- had an NCIS and anime marathon. If I couldn't find anything else to do, I just slept (which only cranked up my body clock).

Now that we have a monitor (a new one), I'm slowly getting back on track with blogging and Web surfing. It takes some time for me to go about blogging again, though. The monitorless break took so long that everything I wanted to blog about became a little hazy in my head. We can consider it as some kind of a writer's block.

So how do I get back on the blogging track? I work on two things: adjusting my body clock again, and getting something to blog about.

Adjusting my body clock wasn't so hard to do. Getting back into the pace was something I wanted anyway. The second thing was a little bit of a trouble. Like I said earlier, I was experiencing some sort of a writer's block --- there were ideas in my head but it's like I couldn't writer them all down. What I did was to go back to stuff I usually want to blog about: mangas and anime. My addiction to these proved helpful.

I first read mangas and filled my head with words and imagined scenes --- helps with creativity! Then I went about watching animes and writing down some quotable quotes. If I didn't have anything else to blog about, might as well post some quotable quotes! Haha!

And now I'm back. (",)

Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans

My friend sent me a picture of the famous Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. I guess the product is back in demand in the market because of the latest Harry Potter movie.


I dared my friend to eat some (she ate one but I forgot what flavor it was) and see if she could eat the vomit-flavored or the earwax-flavored ones. She refused. I wonder if her Bertie Bott's Beans will ever be eaten.

What Was Wrong With The Mummy 3?

A lot was wrong with the movie. In its production and promotional stages, I did have a feeling that The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor wasn't going to be entertaining and thrilling. The trailer wasn't very catchy, and the public details about the film itself raised some eyebrows of The Mummy fans.

1. No Rachel Weisz

I was disappointed in hearing that Rachel Weisz wasn't going to reprise her role as Evie. She and Brendan Fraser were so compatible with their roles. She knew how to act ditzy and intelligent at the same time, and she knew how to exude humor in her role.

I have never heard of Maria Bello before this film. She has talent, but I would not have traded Rachel Weisz for her. She managed to almost sound like Rachel Weisz, but I noticed something stiff in her tone. It almost felt forced, whereas Rachel was so natural.

2. No Oded Fehr

This was a given when news came out that the setting for the new movie was ancient China. Didn't the film makers know that Oded Fehr brought a lot of charm to the previous The Mummy movies? Casting him out was a loss on their part.

3. China and Chinese mummies

When I hear the word "mummy", I immediately think of Egypt. China would be so far out from my mind. India would've been closer, perhaps. But China?

The Chinese emperor, or the Dragon Emperor (Jet Li), didn't even become a real mummy. The emperor and his army just happened to become terracotta figures. Their insides weren't taken out and they didn't undergo mummification. They were more like sand warriors to me (and even as sand warriors they are way down below the dog warriors of Anubis in The Mummy Returns).

4. Alex O'Connell looks like his just his father's age

Just who did the casting for this film?

I do not doubt that Luke Ford would have clinched the role of an adventurer. But to be the 18-year-old adventurer son of Brendan Fraser and Maria Bello was not a good role for him. For starters, he doesn't look 18. There would've been no problem if he looked 18 even though he is in reality 27 years old. But he looks like Brendan Fraser's buddy instead of his son.

There should've been no shortage of younger actors fit for the role. What were the casting directors thinking?!

5. Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh

I love them. They're great martial artists and great performers. But I didn't like their performance in The Mummy 3. They were both stiff. Maybe it was because of their roles (Chinese nobility and honor and all that), but I would have liked to see some more spirit in their actions.

It was said that they choreographed their sword fight scene. After I saw it, I wished Jackie Chan was a part of the movie. He could'v helped with the action choreography because that one-on-one was lame.

6. Jet Li's No Dragon

Leave the dragon to the Lee and not the Li. Jet Li does not exude the menace of a dragon, much less a three-headed one.

7. Bad 3D effects

The dragon was bad, and the skeleton army was more than messy. The yeti were cute and I would love to cuddle up with them. But to rate the special effects in its totality, I'd give it 2 out of 5 stars. The dragon transforming back into Jet Li had a lot to do with my rating.

8. Lame Humor

The third film just didn't get into the level of previous The Mummy movies when it comes to humor. In The Mummy 3, it felt like the humor and the punch lines were injected forcefully. Even Brendan Fraser's facial expressions and intonations couldn't make me snicker even a little.

9. The Pace

It was so obvious that the director for the third film was not the director of The Mummy and The Mummy Returns. Stephen Sommers can make you enjoy the ride of the movies. Rob Cohen, on the other hand, shifts from one scene to another like he was trying to squeeze the movie in two hours. Hey, we can handle more than two hours of screen time (just look at the box-office hits of The Dark Knight and Spiderman).

Really.
If ever I want to watch mummy movies, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor won't be on the list.

Lawn Tennis: Warming Up

I hit the tennis courts early Monday morning in an effort to get my body back into shape after feeling my body bogging down a bit. It was a perfect morning for the exercise --- not too hot, not too cold.. The kind of temperature where you feel like working your body out is a comfortable thing to do. It kind of feels like stretching your body when you wake up in the morning to get out of a relaxing sleep and get into gear.

I hadn't played in quite a long time. I think it might have been more than a year already before I went out to the courts that Monday morning. I had to go to work that evening, so it was imperative to me that I don't tire my body out with the exercise.

Sadly, I was too excited in holding a tennis ball and racket again that I pounded on the wall with some shots immediately. I failed to do the proper thing: warm up before going into the game or practice. And now, two days later, my body is still stiff and aching. My right arm feels like it's carrying steel, and I walk like a board.

So get this and get this right: warm up before playing!

Warming Up

There are only three steps in warming up your body before playing. The main purpose is to get your body charged slowly for the game or practice. The warm-up is all about conditioning your body for the heavy physical activity ahead.

1. Walking, light jogging, and moving your arms and legs a bit... You can move your arms around in a circular motion, or shake them a little, as you walk around the court. Your legs will be slowly conditioned when you start walking. Then you pace it up a little by some light jogging. Then if you want, then you can do some side-jumping.

What I do is walk a little for a while, then start jogging after two or three rounds of walking around the tennis court. Then after two rounds of jogging, I would include some side jumps in my next two rounds of light jogging. I do the side jumps whenever I reach the serving areas of the court.

2. Stretching... after the walking and the jogging, it's time to stretch your muscles. The general order of stretching is to start from rotating your head to stretching your legs. But I would usually start from my legs because I feel like moving it a little bit more after the jog.

When stretching, don't push your body so hard. One of the mistakes I made when stretching before games is to stretch my muscles hard enough to feel some pain. But this isn't the real way to go. Stretching your muscles is all about getting them to be flexible with your movements later on. This means that comfort should be present. We can say that the purpose of stretching is to relax your muscles and get used to your body enduring the whacks in the game later on.

3. Doing some lawn tennis moves... Of course, this is imperative. You should also have your body familiarize itself with specific movements in the game. What I do in lawn tennis is to practice my forehand and backhand shots (without the ball). This includes fixing my pose, with one feet in front, the body in position, and getting that forehand and backhand curve right.

Do this step as many times as you like, until you get the movements in your system. Eventually, your body and muscles will be well-charged for the practice ahead.

Boots = Prositute?

I wore my thigh boots yesterday and people stared at me like I was a prostitute. Well, I'm not exactly sure. Perhaps they stared at me because my fashion was faulty. But it felt like they saw me like a party girl or something. Or a prostitute. I just cannot take this word off my mind.

My thigh boots clearly presented me with two problems that Filipino people have:

1. Thigh boots (and longer ones) make you look like a prostitute.

This is because many prostitutes choose to wear skimpy blouses, very short skirts, and high boots. When you see one at night, with thick lipstick and acting sexy, you automatically think it's a prostitute. At daytime, you can see them with their night partners strolling around for some last-minute cuddling session. And the ones I saw usually wore boots.

But, hey, just because you feel like wearing your boots (and I wore pedal shorts, not exactly short) I don't think it makes you look like a prostitute. I mean, hey.. freedom of expression! Fashion style! I have an odd fashion style, but it's still my style!

This perception people have on those wearing boots is also so dumbfounded. If you look at society today, boots are actually used by the formal and stylish. Many use it for work. It goes well with skirts (not the short one, of course) and make a chic look. And if a lot people in other countries can use it on a daily basis, why can't we?

2. Filipinos stare too much.

I've witnessed this many times and I have the urge to hit them on the back of their heads --- waiters waiting on Korean customers, packers on Americans who're paying for their groceries, etc. They stare at them.

IT'S RUDE TO STARE! How would they feel if they were the ones being stared at? It's not a good feeling. It makes you feel awkward and uncomfortable.

I tried hard to ignore the stares they were giving me yesterday but it was a really uncomfortable feeling. Out of the corner of my eyes, people would stare. They look away but they look again. Sheesh! It's not the first time someone wore boots to the mall!

But they stare anyway. As if I were a hooker or what, or an alien, or a foreigner. They stare as if it's weird and they can't even get it into their system that it's just BOOTS! Just BOOTS! I mean, think about it. If I wore sandals, or ordinary slippers, with my clothes the same, they wouldn't stare. My shirt is normal, my pedal shorts normal. It would be just like any other day. But replace your footwear with boots, and they stare. BOOTS! Haven't they seen any before?!?!

Do they think these things over? Do they think that anybody can wear boots? Do they think that wearing boots is just like wearing any other pair of shoes? No. They stare. They stare because to them, the perception of boots is limited to party girls and prostitutes. They stare because wearing boots make you look different. They stare because boots make you look less respectable than those emo groupies.

Darn close-minded people.