Survivor: Guatemala

Just had to say this: Stephenie is a bratty, catty, smug bitch who does not deserve to win. I loved her the last time she was on Survivor. But this time around she has been a whiner to a smug bitch. I hope she does not even get in the final four.

And don't even get me started on Judd and Lydia. Their just plain irritating.

My bets are Danny, Rafe and Cindy.

Kuweba.com

Looking for an easy way to sell something? Or maybe a stress-free way of posting your resume? Or maybe you just want to meet some people to connect with?


Introducing KUWEBA.com, an Online Marketplace For Filipinos, By Filipinos. Kuweba.com is practically an interactive online classified ads. It is divided into nine sections:

• Community - a venue for like-minded people to interact and possibly form a community amongst themselves; carpools and bands may also be created here
  
• Personals - for hooking up with friends, textmates, flings and other entanglements
• Discussion Forums
- for knowing what other people say and for sharing what you want to say
• Housing - to look for apartments, houses, and other pieces of real estate
• For Sale - to buy and sell
• Services - to post your freelance (or otherwise) services, from tutorials to plumbing
• Jobs - to post and browse through available jobs throughout the country
• Resumes - to submit resumes and/or to browse through submitted resumes from all over the archipelago
• Gigs - to post events, gigs and parties or maybe to look for one that you can go to attend, or be part of

Everything you need and want is here. Everything you need and want to do can be done here. What are you waiting for? Register at Kuweba.com and avail of it's unlimited utilities all for you.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Movie

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

The movie was good IF you didn't read the book. But if you did read the book, the movie felt rushed and incomplete. I feel that it did not fully capture the true essence of the book and might cause some continuity problems for the movie adaptations of the next books. Some very important characters and plot devices were missing.

But the movie wasn't all bad though. It was nicely done. But I do hate the unnecessary emphasis on the love angles. If they put that much effort into those parts, then why not on the more important ones??? But I digress once again.

ANYWAY, the special effects were seamless (IMO). The cinematography was great. The acting was good. And my favorite part aside from the Triwizard and World Cup scenes was the entrance of the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students. And I was impressed with the chilling way the World Cup camp was destroyed by the Death Eaters. And the Death Mark was nicely done.

Now, another thing I hate is the casting. According to the book, Cho Chang and the Patil twins are among the more beautiful students of Hogwarts. The movie did not reflect that. Or maybe, as I've already pointed out to my friends, the Hogwarts boys just don't have very good taste in girls. HAH!

I also felt like the conflict between Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and Ron (Rupert Grint) was not played out well enough. But the two actors were great. Emma Watson (as Hermione) was also good. However, both Hermione and Ron were underutilized. Even the role of Sirius Black was not emphasized well enough. Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort was scary. He fits the role to a T.

And since the movie skipped on a lot of things, those who did not read the book might not be able to comprehend some parts. And some kids might not enjoy it. It's kinda dark and you know, somebody died.

So is the movie worth watching? Definitely. Fans of the book just have to grin and bear it and enjoy it as it is. I realized early on that if I kept on comparing it with the book, I would not be able to enjoy it. So I only compared the two after I watched the movie. HAH!

Rating: for those who didn't read the book -> 9
for those who read the book -> 7

PS There's a really cool movie poster in French (I think) that I found through Google, and I absolutely LOVE it!

Tenant: HAUNTED HOUSE DRESSING

This week's Blog Explosion Rent My Blog tenant is Haunted House Dressing by Jeremy C. Shipp. His Blog Explosion site description reads:

Tired of the same old websites filled with free online novels, short stories, animation, music, natural health information, movie lists, gibberish, insanity, and photographs of condor ghosts? Well then, you better not visit this website.

The blog's description/welcome blurb:

Hello, welcome to Haunted House Dressing. This is a place where toasters run free and hippos climb trees. Read what you want. Ignore what you don't. Laugh, cry, and tickle some nuns while you're at it. They won't mind. Throw a stinky old sock in the stinky old well, and all your dreams might come true (depending upon the humidity level). Beware of the garden gnomes lurking in (almost) every shadow. They're waiting for their chance to climb on your head and do a jig. All in all, it behooves you to have some weird fun, and think some weird thoughts. If you don't, the ground will open and an army of polka dot penguins will spew forth and eat up all the fish. And then they'll die of mercury poisoning, and then you'll feel guilty. Oh so guilty.

The content is basically poetry by the blogger. The blog itself has a goth feel to it. But the entries are not all gothic, gory and depressing. The writing is witty and entertaining. Visit it... ;)

For Every Woman

FOR EVERY WOMAN...
by Nancy R. Smith


For every woman who is tired of acting weak when she knows she is strong;
There is a man who is tired of appearing strong when he feels vulnerable.

For every woman who is tired of acting dumb;
There is a man who is burdened with the responsibility of ‘knowing everything’.

For every women who is tired of being called an ‘emotional female’;
There is a man who is denied the right to weep and be gentle.

For every woman who is called unfeminine when she competes;
There is a man for whom competition is the only way to prove he is masculine.

For every woman who is tired of being a sex object;
There is a man who must worry about his potency.

For every woman who feels ‘tied down’ by her children;
There is a man who is denied the full pleasure of parenthood.

For every woman who is denied meaningful employment and equal pay;
There is a man who must bear the financial responsibility for another human being.

For every woman who was not taught the intricacies of an automobile;
There is a man who was not taught the satisfaction of cooking.

For every woman who takes a step towards her own liberation;
There is a man who finds that the way to freedom has been made a little easier.

Taken from here.

Stockings

When I was a kid, about 5 or 6 years old, I was kikay. (Shhh... that's a secret, ok?) I bugged my Mommy to buy me stockings. Those white ones that I could wear to church or when we'd go someplace. Those days, kids that age wore dresses everywhere they went. And I wanted stockings to complement my frilly, itchy dresses and shiny white strapped shoes. And after a few weeks of making kulit, Mommy finally gave in. I remember my cousin telling me I finally have stockings and I shrieked and hurriedly ambushed Mommy who just came home from the department store (we didn't have malls then, I AM THAT OLD).

Fast forward to now. I am now 23 years old, and still a college student. My school now requires me to wear stockings on certain days, for our MSCED (Moral, Social, Civic Education) subject. Supposedly, it's to train us coz we would (according to school officials) be required to wear stockings when we start working. AND. I. HATE. IT. Sometime between being a kid and being a 23-year-old college student, I lost all my kikay powers and I now abhor dressing up. I love open-toed footwear and would gladly wear flip-flops everywhere. BUT NO! I have to wear two-inch-heel pumps to school everyday. And I have to wear stockings at least twice a week. QUE HORROR!!! To make it worse, I am only one of the handful of students who follow the rule. I can not wear stockings but I choose to do so coz I don't want to take the chance of having my grades shaved off. I am studying to damn hard just to have it taken from me. Hopefully, the school officials will see the light and realize that the policy is just plain DUMB!!!

Stockings are sooo impractical!!! It's damn uncomfortable! and I don't see any aesthetic value in it! If you're a stockings-lover, enlighten my please.

Flight Plan

Last Friday, I watched Flight Plan. And I like it. It does not make into my must-watch list, but it's definitely entertaining. I must admit one of the reasons I like it is because I love Jodie Foster. But that's not the only reason I like it.

I love the clever way it engages you into believing or not believing. It made me think and decide for myself if what I'm watching or hearing is reality or an illusion. It subtly but effectively demonstrates the power of persuasion. Yes, it's a thinking movie, so it is not what I would watch if I want to give my mind a rest. But it's not much of a mind-bender either. The end is not exactly a shock if you're a keen observer, but the way it was played out was good.

The verdict: 8 -> points for Jodie Foster and the clever plot, minus points for the slight predictability and the so-so performance of some cast members

A message from the Prince daw

I received this email...

From: "Prince Fayad W. Bolkiah"
Subject: Please Kindly Assist
Date: Wed, 09 Nov 2005 18:42:29 +0000

Greetings to you,
I am Prince Fayad W. Bolkiah, the eldest son of Prince Jefri Bolkiah,former Finance Minister of Brunei, the tiny oil-rich sultanate on the northern coast of the island of Borneo, in eastern Asia.I will save your time by not amplifying my extended royal family history,which has already been disseminated by the international media during the controversial dispute that erupted between my father and his step brother,the sultan of Brunei Sheik Muda Hassanal Bolkiah.

As you may know from the international media,the sultan had accused my father of financial mismanagement and impropriety of US$14.8 Billion dollars. This was as a result of the Asian financial crisis that made my father company Amedeo Development Company and government owned Brunei Investment Company to be declared bankrupt during his tenure in office.However my father was kept under house arrest, his bank accounts and private properties including a crude oil export refinery were later
confiscated by the sultanate.

Furthermore, during this unfortunate period i was advised to evacuate my immediate family outside the sultanate to avoid further prosecution from the sultan and his security operatives, but before I could do that I was placed under house arrest by the Sultan and i have no access to a phone but I have a Palm V hand-held computer from which I am sending you this mail.Before my Incaceration, I went ahead to dispatch the sum of US$58.5 Million United States Dollars in cash under special arrangement into the custody of a Private security and Trustee company for safe keeping abroad.

Hence I seek your good assistance to invest these funds into profitable investment in your country to facilitate future survival for my family abroad.I have decided to offer 10% of these funds to you as compensation for your strong cooperation.

Please I count on your absolute confidentiality,transparency and trust while looking forward to your prompt reply towards a swift conclusion of this business transaction.

I remain yours sincerely.

Prince Fayad .W. Bolkiah
Brunei Darussalam.

________________________________________________________________________
Offro&Cerco: CASA, LAVORO, VACANZE, ELETTRONICA, INCONTRI. Tutti gli
annunci sono online su Kataweb all'indirizzo http://www.offroecerco.it

RIGHT!!!

Seriously, anybody who falls for this crap deserves to be scammed for being too damn BOBO.

Tenant: ASK DADDY

My tenant this week is Ask Daddy.

"Ask Daddy. Mommy is Off Duty.
Ramblings about me, my family and my (not so much) adventures.
I am a WAHM, medical transcriptionist and a newbie to the world of lingerie sales.
Sleep is for the weak!

The blog's colors are christmasy. The entries are mostly about her children and their activities and memories together. It's a great read for parents who can relate to the blogger's anecdotes. ;)

Heartbreak

NOPE, I haven't had my heart broken recently. But three of my friends have had theri hearts broken and another one recently told me about his past heartbreak. I've never had any formal romatic relationships or commitments. But yes, I have had my heart broken.

No, break ups and heartbreaks are not mutually exclusive. One may have his/her heart broken without even having to break up with another person. And, in some cases, break ups do not bring about heartbreaks.

When one's heart is broken, one tends to be bitter, melodramatic, insecure, traumatized, frustrated and/or depressed. Heartbroken people usually cannot sleep or eat properly. The look at the world in a different light. And sometimes, like I did, they become guarded and build a transparent (but very much impenatrable) force field around them which deflects any form of affection, even if it is sincere, from somebody of the opposite (or for some, of the same) sex.

Heartbreaks are hard. It makes one think about the what could haves, should haves and would haves. It makes one reminisce the past and look for faults, and smile at the sweet moments at the same time. It makes one fear for the future. For some, it makes them wonder how they could live without the other.

Heartbreaks makes people question themselves. Or maybe question the other. And mostly, question what happened. What went wrong? What did I or he/she do wrong? Were we stupid? Am I stupid? And sometimes, it makes people ask about the future. Will I ever love again? Will I ever move on? Is there really somebody out there for me?

Yes, heartbreaks are unquestionably hard and painful. But it is not the end of everything. The sun will still rise and shine. It might bring about gloomy and lonely days and nights, but life will go on. We might not neccessarily be better people after all that happened. And maybe there is really nothing to be learned from the experience. Sometimes, a heartbreak is merely just a heartbreak. But it is not the end.

One must always move on. And the only proper way of moving on, I think, is to let go. Let go of what was. Let go of the what could, should or would haves. For if we fail to move, we fail to live.

We might never love again. There might be nobody there to love you that way again. And you might just have lost the greatest love of your life. But that is not the end of your life. There are still people to meet, places to go to, and adventures to experience.

MY Davao Blog

Interested in Davao City? Or maybe not coz you haven't heard of Davao City. Either way, acquaint yourself with the great city of Davao through My Davao.

Pure Instinct Band

Last Saturday, my friends and I watched the Brownman Revival perform at The Venue here in Davao City. One of the front acts was Pure Instinct. The most appropriate word to describe them, I think, is mixed-up. That band has a severe case of identity crisis.

First off, most of the members were wearing hip-hop garb. Then, they started off their set with an instrumental of a weird song which terribly sounded like the Little Drummer Boy (pa ra pa pum pum). THEN, their lead singer suddenly bounced into the stage and sang a rock song. Then, after a couple more rock songs, their other lead singer (a female) entered the stage wearing a pink themed outfit which seemed cute but didn't quite make it as great, not even good.

After a while, the band continued playing a weird selection of songs and ended with a handful of dance tunes which got the crowd dancing.

The most irritatin part about the whole thing was one of their band members, Raymond Bautista the second lead guitarist, who seemed to like himself too much. He was wayyy too cocky. He was wayyy to jumpy and wayyy to perky. He seemed to think he's a great guy. NOT! NOT! NOT!

They performed ok, I guess. But then again, I was too pre-occupied with their lack of style and apparent lack of identity. Simply put, they're better heard than watched. ARGH!!!

My Personality

Your Personality Is

Idealist (NF) You are a passionate, caring, and unique person. You are good at expressing yourself and sharing your ideals. You are the most compassionate of all types and connect with others easily. Your heart tends to rule you. You can't make decisions without considering feelings. You seek out other empathetic people to befriend. Truth and authenticity matters in your friendships. In love, you give everything you have to relationships. You fall in love easily. At work, you crave personal expression and meaning in your career. With others, you communicate well. You can spend all night talking with someone. As far as your looks go, you've likely taken the time to develop your own personal style. On weekends, you like to be with others. Charity work is also a favorite pastime of yours.

The Three Question Personality Test

TRO on PCIJ Blog

A temporary restraining order (TRO) has been served on the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) Blog. This is a momentous event for blogs and bloggers not just in the Philippines but everywhere.

For more about this, click here and here.

GeekBrit's Aquarium

My tenant this week for BlogExplosion's Rent My Blog, is Geek Brit's Aquarium.


The blogger describes his blog:

It's SUPPOSED to be about how I'm setting up a marine nano-aquarium, but I get so easily distracted that this blog could also be about religion, politics, almost anything except sport...

The writing is great and the topics are interesting. ;) His entries about his marine nano-aquarium are of special interest if you are into those things. I am not, but I read those entries anyway. And his political views are good reads too.

So visit it NOW: http://geekbrit.blogspot.com .

Yahoo Publisher Network

For the longest time, Google Adsense has been the un-challenged leader in providing text-based ads for blogs and websites. For those unfamiliar with Adsense, site and blog owners, have to sign up, choose and customize a format and simply paste its code to their site/blog. Then, Google will provide the ads. Both the site/blog owner and Google earns money each time an ad is clicked on. (SO click on some of those ads on my rride side panel will you? Thanks!)

Enter Yahoo Publisher Network (YPN), Yahoo's very own service for providing text-based ads. It is reportedly still in the beta stage but they hope to end beta testing by the end of the year. Allegedly, It works just like Google but with better services.

Unfortunately, Yahoo is only offering the service to US-based publishers for now. And they do not allow publishers to have text-based ads other than those from YPN. Thus, publishers cannot have both Adsense and YPN on at the same time.

For me, this can only mean one thing: competition. And competition usually bring about better services. So while, I am unable to avail of YPN's services (yet), I am hoping that Adsense will improve their services to compete with YPN.