Essa Pamandanan

One Prayer

2012-02-13T14:52:00.000-08:00

Dear Lord, let me survive today.

Work Hard

2012-02-05T22:26:00.000-08:00

Learn To Let Go

2012-02-05T22:19:00.000-08:00

Today

2012-01-30T03:40:00.000-08:00

"I’m Taking A Sad Day"

By STEPHANIE GEORGOPULOS
Jan. 27, 2012

Every day this week, I’ve smiled. I’ve picked up on the first ring, I’ve answered your lengthy emails, I’ve even laughed at your lousy (if not completely nonsensical) jokes but today, today is mine. I’m calling in sad. Taking a sad day.

Today, I’m going to beeline past all of you without saying hello, without removing my sunglasses, yes I’m aware it’s raining outside, ask me if it makes a difference. I won’t be slamming my office door. I want to, but the last thing I need is all of you gossiping about me in the company kitchen, like I don’t know what’s up. I’m more than aware of what we collectively think about door slammers. I don’t need that strike against me, not today. Fair warning: I may slam the phone down into the receiver after every phone call, if I manage to answer those. I’m only human. You understand.

You should probably avoid asking me any long-winded questions; anything that requires more than a one-word answer is probably too ambitious. Don’t ask me to paraphrase yesterday’s meeting, for example. Don’t ask me for my favorite lamb recipe. Don’t ask me who I’m rooting for on American Idol. It’s way too early in the season for that, idiot. What is wrong with you? Don’t ask me what is wrong with me. Don’t ask me why I’m sad. Those two are important; write those down.

You look like you still have questions. Let me help you out: I’m broke. I didn’t sleep last night. Everyone forgot my birthday. My best friend isn’t speaking to me. I’m not wearing any makeup. I just broke up with someone. The weather is bumming me out. I’m PMSing. I was out drinking until three hours ago. Someone died. I hate this job. I hate you. Pick three of those and abstain from asking me why I look like this.

Please don’t stand bashfully in my doorway and do that gentle side-knock that says, “Hey, you. You look sad, but I’m your work buddy and I just want you to know that I’m here for you in your time of need. Did you know I’m a great hugger? I’m a great hugger. The best, in fact. I hope you’re all right, I hate to see someone as miserable as you acting even more miserable than I previously knew to be possible. Also, I know this is a really, really bad time, but please don’t forget to sign my check before you leave. It’s Friday.” Just leave the goddamn check on my desk and GTFO.

I will order the worst of all the lunches. I will order the undercooked meatloaf with the hardened mashed potatoes; I will drink a milkshake, a spiked milkshake; I will eat some of your French fries without asking permission, especially if they’re smothered in gravy and mozzarella and bacon and barbecue sauce and all of that other completely unappetizing nonsense self-loathing people drown their French fries in, I will eat all of those hatred fries. With my hands. No green vegetables.

Today, I will listen to “The Funeral” on repeat. Loudly. I will play songs so depressing that you will become sad by proxy. You will weep in your cubicle and incite an argument with your boyfriend via IM, and though this war was a long time coming I’ll know I played the catalyst and momentarily, I’ll feel vindicated. Misery really does love company. Drinks after work?

Friends With Kids

2012-01-30T00:53:00.000-08:00

Friends With Kids is a romantic dramedy for the new generation! In her directorial debut, Westfeldt inspires with her subtle wit and sharply observed understanding of humanity. The film isn't afraid to delve deep into the workings of everyday people, and shares with us a humorous and insightful perspective into the change in dynamic of today's relationships. Bold, charming, and funny, Friends With Kids reminds us that in romcoms, the women don't need to be ditzy, and the men don't need to be chauvinistic.

Friends With Kids is a daring and poignant ensemble comedy about a close-knit circle of friends at that moment in life when children arrive and everything changes. The last two singles in the group observe the effect that kids have had on their friends' relationships and wonder if there's a better way. They decide to have a kid together - and date other people.

Detroit Rock City

2012-01-30T00:46:00.000-08:00

Detroit Rock City is an ode to all KISS and ROCK fans of the 90's. With its simple plot and surreal events, DRC feels like an inside joke. A lack of interest in rock and roll can make you feel excluded in this small-time comedy about 4 kids who would go to any length to see their idols.

Are you ready for the hottest band in the land? It's 1978 in Detroit, and pretty much any teenager who isn't a total wimp is totally stoked for the upcoming Kiss concert (as anyone who ever listened to Kiss Alive! knows, Detroit has always loved this band). But four proud members of the Kiss Army find themselves without tickets to the show, and one has to deal with a mother who is convinced that Kiss and their music are evil incarnate. Will they be able to foil scalpers, security, and paranoid parents to witness the fire-spitting, blood-puking, hard rock frenzy that is Kiss on stage?

The Three Musketeers (2011 Reboot)

2012-01-30T00:19:00.000-08:00

Having grown-up with the 1993 version of the Three Musketeers, as well as the self-proclaimed Three Musketeers (the 3 older Pamandanan kids), I have to say that this reboot sorely lacked the chemistry and wit that surrounded Athos, Porthos, and Aramis (Sutherland, Platt, and Sheen). This was mind-numbing in its lack of creativity but I guess it could become a good gate-way to entice children to learn more about Dumas' classics.

The hot-headed young D'Artagnan (Logan Lerman) joins forces with three rogue Musketeers (Matthew MacFadyen, Luke Evans and Ray Stevenson) in this reboot of Alexandre Dumas' story. They must stop the evil Richlieu (Christoph Waltz) and face off with Buckingham (Orlando Bloom) and the treacherous Milady (Milla Jovovich). The action adventure is given a state of the art update in 3-D.

Para Po

2012-01-27T04:46:00.000-08:00

BY Fifi

Ang paghahanap ng pag-ibig ay parang pag-para ng taxi.
Sa una, pipili ka muna ng gusto mo, MGE, Nine Star,
kahit ano basta malinis, may aircon at 'di mukhang luma.

May mga tititgil at mag-ooffer pero choosy ka pa, ayaw mo.
Palalampasin mo sila kasi umaasa kang may darating na mas okay.
Minsan papara ka ng gusto mo pero ayaw ka naman isakay,
dadaanan ka lang tapos sesenyasan ka na may pupuntahan na siyang iba,
taken na pala, next time na lang.

Yung iba naman titigil pero hindi ka rin isasakay, sobrang paasa.
Pag sinabi mo na ang pupuntahan mo, aayaw na.
Malayo daw, hassle sa kanya.
Takot sa commitment yung mga yun, pakawalan mo na.

May mga pagkakataon din na maaagawan ka ng ibang tao.
Bad trip yun sobra. Tagal mong naghihintay eh tas aagawan ka lang.
Maiinis ka pero kailangan mag move on kaya papara ka ulit.

Minsan sa pagka-desperada mong sumakay, papara ka
kahit alam mong may sakay na. Kahit alam mong imposibleng isakay ka
sige lang, malay mo tumigil at piliin ka di ba?
Pinalaki kasi tayo na ipaglaban ang gusto natin, minsan kahit mali na.

Pero minsan din kahit gaano ka na katagal naghihintay,
kahit ilang beses ka ng naagawan, pinaasa, at dinedma,
may darating din na taxi na para sa'yo.

'Yun dadalhin ka kung saan mo gustong pumunta.
'Yun pag nakita ka na, titigil na siya, di mo na kailangan parahin pa.
'Yun pagkasakay mo mapapa-isip ka na buti na buti na lang naghintay ka.

Ingat kayo sa byahe.

**
Reposted from Criela.

Translated version behind the cut.

Looking for love is just like hailing a cab.
At first, you look for the one you want, MGE, Nine Star
Anything really, so long as it is clean, air-conditioned, and unravaged by time.

There are those that'll stop, but you're too picky. You don't want them.
You'll let them pass because you're still hoping something better will come along.
Sometimes, you'll try to call to what you want, but they don't wanna answer,
they'll just pass right by and ask for your forgiveness because they're on their way to somewhere else,
they're taken, maybe next time.

Some will stop, but they still won't take you. Dashed hope.
Once you tell them where you wanna go, they decide they didn't have that in mind.
Too far, too much of a hassle.
Those are the commitmentphobes, just let them go.

There are other times when they'll get stolen from you by other people.
Those are the worst. You've been waiting for so long only to lose them to someone else.
You'll get annoyed, but you have to move on so you continue your search.

Sometimes, out of desperation, you'll try to stop them
even when you know they already belong to someone else. Even when you know they aren't going to get you.
Keep on going. Who knows? They might stop and choose you instead.
This is because we were raised to fight for what we want, even when it's no longer right.

But sometimes, no matter how long you've been waiting,
no matter how many times something has been stolen from you, how many hopes were crushed, and how many ignores you've taken,
there's still a cab out there that'll arrive for you.

The one that'll take you wherever you wanna go.
The one that'll stop when they see you, with no need for you to call.
The one where the minute you ride, you think to yourself, it's a good thing I decided to wait.

You take care on your journey.

Solitude

2012-01-26T06:15:00.000-08:00

So therefore I dedicate myself to myself, to my art, my sleep, my dreams, my labors, my suffrances, my loneliness, my unique madness, my endless absorption and hunger - because I cannot dedicate myself to any fellow being.

- Jack Kerouac.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Don't Say

2012-01-17T11:09:00.000-08:00

Don't say you didn't have a say in the matter. Don't say this wasn't your choice. You could've done something about it, could've prevented it, could've remedied it after the damage was done. You chose not to. You chose to watch as what you wanted festered before your very eyes. You chose to let it kill with cancer; slow, painful, almost impossible to heal. Don't say it was circumstance. Don't say you thought I would have understood. I did. You made it perfectly clear. You understand, don't you? You know me. Know my ways. Familiar with my patterns. If I had to understand you, then you had to understand me back. That's how it works, isn't it? Yes.

Don't say that the telephone works both ways. I'm aware. I called you, remember? Repeatedly. I called you until my ear was warm from all the unanswered calls. I called you until my ear was numb from all the waiting I had to do. I called you until my ears bled from all the words you said, all the promises you never kept. I called you until I realized that it wasn't even about who was calling, it was about who wasn't answering. So don't say the telephone works both ways.

Don't say that I was distant, cold, aloof, emotionless, hard, numb, heartless. You know me better than that. I come off that way, but you know I care. It's become such a good excuse for you, huh? It's become the justification to every wrongdoing you've done. It's so easy to blame the one who isn't as warm, inviting, soft to the touch. It's easy to blame the wounds on the prickly one -- because that's what thorns are known to do, right? We tear at the skin, bleed you dry, and then leave forth a scab. A scar. Something to remind you that we caused pain. A lingering sense of danger. However, I want you to think back, and do so properly, and try to remember if any argument started because of me. It was always on you. You, you, you. Perfect, warm, inviting, you. How deceitful you are. You almost had me fooled. Luckily, I was smart away to stop when I did.

Don't say that I never tried and you only got tired. My trying was your saving grace and I couldn't pull you out of the exhaustion.

But if you can only move forward by putting the blame on me, because I've moved on or whatever insipid reason, then by all means, do so. Move forward.

You're a victim of your own design, your own making.

Take Me Home Tonight

2012-01-12T13:34:00.000-08:00

I guess I'm just too much of a Topher Grace fan and '80s fan to find this film unremarkable. Sure, there is nothing new to offer here but cookie-cutter nostalgia for the '80s group, but the charm of the characters, music, and decade does not wear thin. It is still as happy, campy, and surreal as it used to be. I know many would disagree with me here, but I think they would've made John Hughes proud!

Take Me Home Tonight is a raunchy, romantic and ultimately touching blast from the past set to an awesome soundtrack of timeless rock and hip-hop hits. Recent MIT grad Matt Franklin (Topher Grace) should be working for a Fortune 500 company and starting his upward climb to full-fledged yuppie-hood. Instead, the directionless 23-year-old confounds family and friends by taking a part-time job behind the counter of a video store at the Sherman Oaks Galleria. But Matt's silent protest against maturity comes to a screeching halt once his unrequited high school crush, Tori Frederking (Teresa Palmer), walks into the store. When she invites him to an epic, end-of-summer party, Matt thinks he finally might have a chance with the girl of his dreams. With his cynical twin sister Wendy (Anna Faris) and best friend Barry (Dan Fogler), Matt embarks on a once-in-a-lifetime evening. From stealing a car to a marriage proposal to an indescribable, no-holds-barred dance-off, these friends share experiences that will change the course of their lives on one unforgettable night in the Go-Go 80s.

Films from the aughts.

2012-01-12T11:04:00.000-08:00

Can you name them all? Prove you're a cinephile!

Answers behind the cut.

Amelie
Brokeback Mountain
Charlie and The Chocolate Factory
The Devil Wears Prada
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Flags of Our Fathers
Gangs of New York
Harry Potter
The Illusionist
Juno
Kill Bill
Lord of The Rings
Meet The Parents
Napoleon Dynamite
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Phone Booth
The Queen
Road to Perdition
Shaun of the Dead
Team America: World Police
Unbreakable
V for Vendetta
The Wrestler
X-Men
Y Tu Mama Tambien
Zoolander

SOURCE.

Strangers, Again.

2012-01-09T11:25:00.000-08:00

+2 more of my favorite shorts behind the cut.

Sherlock Holmes 2: A Game Of Shadows

2012-01-09T02:34:00.000-08:00

Am I the only one that prefers RDJ as Sherlock Holmes over Tony Stark? And don't get me wrong, I love me some Tony Stark. However, there's just something about that old English eccentric that makes me happy. Not to mention, the chemistry between Downey and Law is heart-achingly glorious. They're perfect for each other! Throw in a cameo by Rachel McAdams (who was sorely missed for the rest of the movie!) and Stephen Fry, plus the stunning visual effects, and you're sure to find yourself in for a treat!

Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) has always been the smartest man in the room...until now. There is a new criminal mastermind at large - Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris) - and not only is he Holmes' intellectual equal, but his capacity for evil, coupled with a complete lack of conscience, may actually give him an advantage over the renowned detective. When the Crown Prince of Austria is found dead, the evidence, as construed by Inspector Lestrade (Eddie Marsan), points to suicide. But Sherlock Holmes deduces that the prince has been the victim of murder-a murder that is only one piece of a larger and much more portentous puzzle, designed by Professor Moriarty. The cunning Moriarty is always one step ahead of Holmes as he spins a web of death and destruction-all part of a greater plan that, if he succeeds, will change the course of history.

When East Meets West

2012-01-07T13:13:00.000-08:00

"It's no good pretending that any relationship has a future if your record collections disagree violently or if your favorite films wouldn't even speak to each other if they met at a party." - High Fidelity, Nick Hornby

As a firm believer in all things said and spoken in books, I guess I've always felt the truth of these words. But what do you do when the good girl meets the bad boy?

We've all read the stories, we've seen the films, heard the music. We all know about Juliet, and her Romeo. We know how it goes for star-crossed lovers. But when there are no rivals, no warring families, no spanning years and continents, no bloodshed and plagues and disease, no outside physical force preventing your love, when only the heightened degrees of your differences is the only thing that keeps you apart, do you move relentlessly forward or do you go down swinging?

Another Goodbye

2012-01-05T02:41:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow, my sister and niece once again fly off to the Land of the Merlion where they join my brother-in-law, who left last Monday, and where it would take us at least a couple of more months to reunite. The holidays are truly over and a tinge of sadness hangs over the Pamandanan household. I guess goodbyes are something none of us will ever be comfortable with.

It's alright. May our goodbyes never get easy. May we have difficulty with every hug, every walk-away, and every wave. May we cry with every beso. May we never want to leave each others' side.

It stings, but it's a good sting. It reminds us that we love each other that much. It's a proclamation of how we were raised and what we were surrounded with. Another goodbye brings us closer to another hello. And even whilst I type, bile threatening to rise up my throat, tears stinging the back of my eyes, and a hiccup preventing clean breath, I'm happy that after years of knowing that, somewhere, a clock is ticking, cautioning us that our time for now is limited, we still get lost in the madness and we forgo clockwatching. We bask in the glorious company of our loved ones, and we live the lives we want to live. The lives we work to live. The lives we wish we could live everyday.

I once described having to say goodbye to these three people as opening my heart, inserting a blunt dagger, then twisting, and it still feels that way. It still feels like those words don't even begin to describe the pain I feel, the falling of my stomach, and the eventual emptiness that inevitably follows. I still can't think of words that could describe the missing. The wanting to turn to this person and just share a little bit of yourself with them.

I guess it means that there's still so much I have to learn. And while I must live this way, seas apart from being complete, I'll try my hardest to find the words.

For now, I love you guys and I already miss you would have to suffice.

Martha Marcy May Marlene

2012-01-04T08:07:00.000-08:00

There should be a warning label on films like Martha Marcy May Marlene: Not for non-hipsters and non-film savants. I'm not sure if I just lack the intelligence and culture needed to appreciate and find the art and beauty in this film, but if it were a joke, I completely missed the punchline. Thank the good Lord for Elizabeth Olsen because her performance is the only way I could understand how and why this film has borne such rave reviews.

Martha Marcy May Marlene is a powerful psychological thriller starring Elizabeth Olsen as Martha, a young woman rapidly unraveling amidst her attempt to reclaim a normal life after fleeing from a cult and its charismatic leader (John Hawkes). Seeking help from her estranged older sister Lucy (Sarah Paulson) and brother-in-law (Hugh Dancy), Martha is unable and unwilling to reveal the truth about her disappearance. When her memories trigger a chilling paranoia that her former cult could still be pursuing her, the line between Martha's reality and delusion begins to blur.

What Matters Most...

2012-01-04T05:17:00.000-08:00

... is how you see yourself.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Twelve

2011-12-27T03:32:00.000-08:00

Twelve is that annoying kid you attended college with who just flitted in and out of classes, mooched on everyone, took his parents' money for granted, and plied himself with drugs and alcohol. You never really gave a crap about him, and only gave him notice when he was inconveniencing you. All you'll be able to take away from this film is that no one can do Brett Easton Ellis quite like Brett Easton Ellis. The characters were inconsistent and the plot, as well as subplots, seemed forced and unnatural. Throw in the annoying narrator's voice, coupled with the dreary dream sequences of white backgrounds, and all you get is an hour and a half of your life you will never get back; This film is basically Gossip Girl on drugs, if you subtract Gossip Girl's campy fun which sorts of deems forgivable some of the nuisances.

Twelve is the story of 17-year-old White Mike, the privileged son of a restaurant tycoon. His mother succumbed to breast cancer several years before the film begins. White Mike is a drug dealer who has taken his senior year in high school off to sell drugs to his wealthy peers. When he is not selling drugs he is reminiscing of his childhood and philosophizing about a world he feels he is not a part of. The title of the film refers to a new designer drug which the protagonist of the novel, White Mike, sells. The drug is referred to as a cross between cocaine and ecstasy.

What's in a name?

2011-12-22T23:59:00.000-08:00

Everyone has six names.

1. Your Real name: Alessandra Pamandanan
2. Your detective name (Favorite color and favorite Animal): Purple Dragon
3. Your soap opera name (middle name and street you live on): Martinez Kagandahan
4. Your Star wars name (first three letters of last name, first two of middle name, first two of first, last three of last): Pammaalnan
5. Superhero name (color of your shirt, first item to your immediate left): Black Cigarette
6. Goth name (Black and one of your pets): Black Kiwi

New Year's Eve

2011-12-22T23:44:00.001-08:00

This movie was a bit of a bore, though far better than it's predecessor. Unfortunately, that doesn't count as very much since Valentine's Day is an example of why ensemble films do not work out (Love Actually is the one shining beacon). I fell asleep half-way through the movie, at the cinemas, it was so dragging. Thank the good Lord for Zac Efron (and consider that I am no Zefron stan!), Michelle Pfeiffer, Josh Duhamel's beautiful mega-watt smile, and Bobby De Niro.

New Year's Eve celebrates love, hope, forgiveness, second chances and fresh starts, in the intertwining stories told amidst the pulse and promise of New York City on the most dazzling night of the year.

Rules

2011-12-22T22:52:00.000-08:00

RULES FOR DOGS THAT ARE APPLICABLE TO HUMANS:

1. Any food is fair game until it is actually swallowed by someone else.

2. Take a nap whenever you can.

3. Don’t bark unless it’s important.

4. Chasing one’s tail is sometimes unavoidable.

Friend Zone

2011-12-20T00:06:00.000-08:00

"A woman has a close male friend. This means that he is probably interested in her, which is why he hangs around so much. She sees him strictly as a friend. This always starts out with, you're a great guy, but I don't like you in that way. This is roughly the equivalent for the guy of going to a job interview and the company saying, You have a great resume, you have all the qualifications we are looking for, but we're not going to hire you. We will, however, use your resume as the basis for comparison for all other applicants. But, we're going to hire somebody who is far less qualified and is probably an alcoholic. And if he doesn't work out, we'll hire somebody else, but still not you. In fact, we will never hire you. But we will call you from time to time to complain about the person that we hired."

Love in the time of W & A

2011-12-15T15:49:00.000-08:00

Over the course of the last 2 decades, in the time of the baggy pants of the 90's and crazy internet mania of the early aughts, the standards of dating somehow changed. It shifted from Disney's Castles and Princes, to Sex & the City's casual affairs and one night stands. As 2011 looms to an end, the gap between the 2 furthers as we move towards the confusing thread of self-love and scorn for others.

These days, we no longer have A Walk to Remember; we've instead welcomed Walks of Shame and our Gone With The Wind is something we take literally. Our ambition drove us to new heights and we've decided on molding ourselves to people we think were deserving of love, not worthy of it. I work so I can be successful. I want to be successful because I want to be desired. I want to be desired because I am lonely. My loneliness is a disease that eats me from the inside and thaws my bones, my muscles, my organs.

Our workaholicism and drive has frozen our hearts, and melted our bodies. We burn-out because the fire we fan exceeds our control. We forget that as human beings, we are wired to make mistakes and to live with, and in spite of, our imperfections. When did excessive love for self merge with disdain for others? In order to practice the former, must I also adhere to the latter? Must my person be so chilling that the ice inside my soul becomes the ideal temperature for beer? Ice-cold to the core.

Or do I regress and practice apathy instead? Is it a damned if I am, damned if I'm not situation so I should stop caring altogether?

I've never been very big on relationships, but I've always thought that this was because the option was always there. However, being the one last true romantic of the age, in a generation filled with mind games and casual dating, is not something to boast of. Who in their right mind would commit themselves to people who are so aggressively anti monogamy? The smart thing to do is to fight tooth and nail for your freedom. So, yes. I think I'll stick to work and pragmatism. If this is love in the time of workaholicism and apathy, give me no love. I want nothing to do with it.

And on that note, I need to haul my ass to work.

PopBooth

2011-12-15T15:36:00.000-08:00

Filmography 2011

2011-12-14T12:01:00.000-08:00

Click through to read the Soundtrack and complete Film list!

Music:
1. Kashiwa Daisuke - My Favorite Things
2. Justice - Civilization
3. Foster the People - Houdini
4. Miami Horror - Moon Theory
5. Radiohead - Lucky
6. Paper Route - Dance On Our Graves

Scenes:
Films in order of appearance:

00:00:21 Apollo 18

00:04:11 The Tree of Life

00:06:29 Melancholia

00:07:21 Hugo

00:09:06 Warrior

00:10:23 The Whistleblower

00:11:24 Shame

00:12:15 Margin Call

00:13:24 Beginners

00:14:18 Soul Surfer

00:15:06 Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

00:16:03 I Am Number Four

00:17:28 Priest

00:18:25 My Week With Marilyn

00:19:19 Another Earth

00:20:15 Unknown

00:22:00 Hanna

00:24:13 Green Lantern

00:26:00 Super 8

00:27:10 Immortals

00:28:15 The Big Year

00:29:10 The Rite

00:30:00 Prom

00:31:00 Source Code

00:32:00 Limitless

00:36:00 In Time

00:37:00 Thor

00:38:13 Transformers: Dark of the Moon

00:39:16 Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

00:40:00 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

00:40:20 The Beaver

00:41:08 Shame

00:41:26 Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

00:42:06 Bad Teacher

00:43:08 Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

00:44:00 Burke and Hare

00:44:19 Super

00:45:08 Carnage

00:46:00 X-men: First Class

00:46:23 Spy Kids: All the Time in the World

00:48:01 J. Edgar

00:48:16 Limitless

00:48:26 We Need to Talk About Kevin

00:49:09 Immortals

00:50:09 Green Lantern

00:51:08 Captain America

00:52:00 Hanna

00:52:15 Real Steel

00:53:01 Your Highness

00:53:18 Thor

00:54:01 Colombiana

00:54:21 Sucker Punch

00:56:00 The Muppets

00:56:18 The Rum Diary

00:57:20 A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas

00:58:01 Moneyball

00:58:23 X-men: First Class

00:59:15 The Perfect Host

00:59:29 My Week with Marilyn

01:00:15 Footloose

01:00:27 Ceremony

01:01:13 The Green Hornet

01:02:00 Cars 2

01:02:17 Drive Angry 3D

01:03:06 Bunraku

01:04:02 Conan the Barbarian

01:04:16 The Three Musketeers

01:05:08 Something Borrowed

01:05:26 Big Mommas: Like Father like Son

01:06:15 Finding Joe

01:07:13 Season of the Witch

01:08:16 Mozart’s Sister

01:09:02 Arthur

01:09:21 Anonymous

01:10:21 Killing Bono

01:11:16 A Good Old-Fashioned Orgy

01:12:06 Your Highness

01:12:23 Zookeeper

01:13:17 Monte Carlo

01:14:13 Moneyball

01:15:27 Cowboys and Aliens

01:16:18 The Guard

01:17:06 Coriolanus

01:17:28 Attack the Block

01:19:06 The Big Year

01:20:06 Carnage

01:21:11 Priest

01:22:13 The Hangover Part 2

01:23:18 Immortals

01:24:07 Fast Five

01:24:23 Thor

01:25:18 Captain America

01:26:11 Gnomeo and Juliet

01:26:26 The Ides of March

01:27:28 Immortals

01:28:16 Hugo

01:29:00 From Prada to Nada

01:29:22 Drive Angry 3D

01:30:12 The Darkest Hour

01:31:01 Machine Gun Preacher

01:31:10 Shark Night 3D

01:31:26 Immortals

01:32:07 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

01:33:08 Super 8

01:33:28 Circumstance

01:35:21 Bunraku

01:37:03 The Sitter

01:37:25 Diary of a Wimpy Kid

01:38:11 Dirty Girl

01:38:28 Mr. Popper’s Penguins

01:39:16 Just Go With It

01:40:13 Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

01:41:07 I Don’t Know How She Does It

01:41:26 30 Minutes or Less

01:42:26 The Adventures of Tintin

01:43:23 Bridesmaids

01:44:16 Larry Crowne

01:45:13 Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer

01:46:03 Bridesmaids

01:47:21 Glee: The 3D Concert Movie

01:48:15 Beginners

01:49:11 Happy Feet 2

01:50:23 Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked

01:52:17 Jane Eyre

01:53:03 The Green Hornet

01:53:15 Hysteria

01:54:02 Winne the Pooh

01:54:28 Hall Pass

01:55:26 Dirty Girl

01:56:16 The Art of Getting By

01:57:17 The Roommate

01:58:02 Skateland

01:59:06 Friends with Benefits

01:59:26 What’s Your Number?

02:00:28 Midnight in Paris

02:01:15 Cedar Rapids

02:02:04 No Strings Attached

02:02:25 Restless

02:03:20 Your Highness

02:04:04 Our Idiot Brother

02:04:25 Like Crazy

02:05:27 Bridesmaids

02:06:29 Hall Pass

02:07:28 Red State

02:08:15 Crazy Stupid Love

02:09:14 Bad Teacher

02:10:03 Something Borrowed

02:10:15 From Prada to Nada

02:11:02 The Dilemma

02:11:22 The Artist

02:12:08 Rio

02:13:17 Submarine

02:15:19 No Strings Attached

02:16:08 Like Crazy

02:16:25 One Day

02:17:20 Paul

02:18:04 The Smurfs

02:19:04 Beastly

02:19:25 Super

02:20:12 Tyler Perry’s Big Happy Family

02:20:28 Three

02:21:19 Win Win

02:22:08 Crazy Stupid Love

02:23:12 Elektra Luxx

02:24:12 Young Adult

02:24:28 The Change-Up

02:25:13 Horrible Bosses

02:26:15 Atlas Shrugged

02:27:02 New Year’s Eve

02:27:23 Jack and Jill

02:28:05 We Bought a Zoo

02:28:22 The Descendants

02:29:08 Jumping the Broom

02:29:27 Bridesmaids

02:30:19 Bucky Larson

02:31:09 Arthur Christmas

02:32:08 Johnny English

02:32:24 Born to be Wild

02:33:10 Mozart’s Sister

02:34;10 Burke and Hare

02:35:18 The Sitter

02:40:13 Priest

02:41:14 Flowers of War

02:42:17 The Rum Diary

02:43:28 Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

02:44:12 Submarine

02:44:23 A Dangerous Method

02:45:03 The Awakening

02:45:22 Don 2

02:46:17 The Help

02:47:02 Straw Dogs

02:47:22 Dylan Dog: Dead of Night

02:48:07 Tower Heist

02:48:25 Fast Five

02:49:13 Trespass

02:50:04 Outrage

02:50:22 30 Minutes or Less

02:51:07 The Mechanic

02:51:15 Drive

02:52:23 The Devil’s Double

02:53:22 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

02:54:15 Season of the Witch

02:55:05 The Eagle

02:55:20 Fright Night

02:56:04 The Double

02:57:03 Colombiana

02:57:14 Scream 4

02:57:24 Killer Elite

02:58:08 The Mechanic

02:58:22 Hoodwinked Too

02:59:03 Abduction

02:59:10 Shaolin

03:00:09 Kill the Irishman

03:01:05 Final Destination 5

03:01:22 Fright Night

03:02:09 Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

03:03:02 Courageous

03:03:25 Drive Angry 3D

03:04:06 Resistance

03:04:24 Rampart

03:05:12 Coriolanus

03:05:27 Red State

03:06:15 Hanna

03:07:09 The Adventures of Tintin

03:07:17 Khodorkovsky

03:08:06 Catch .44

03:08:21 Coriolanus

03:09:07 Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

03:09:22 Colombiana

03:10:10 Rango

03:11:10 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

03:12:02 Sucker Punch

03:13:15 Hesher

03:26:22 Water for Elephants

03:27:22 Take Me Home Tonight

03:29:10 The Darkest Hour

03:30:05 Tyrannosaur

03:31:04 Sucker Punch

03:32:15 We Need to Talk About Kevin

03:33:29 Like Crazy

03:35:00 Submarine

03:36:20 Killing Bono

03:37:15 Three

03:38:06 Contagion

03:39:05 A Better Life

03:40:06 I Saw the Devil

03:41:06 Restless

03:43:04 The Grace Card

03:44:01 The Artist

03:44:27 The Skin I Live In

03:45:22 Puncture

03:46:14 Sleeping Beauty

03:47:11 Stake Land

03:48:16 Texas Killing Fields

03:49:11 The Conspirator

03:50:06 The Eagle

03:51:05 Kill the Irishman

03:52:10 Water for Elephants

03:53:01 Father of Invention

03:53:15 Captain America

03:54:00 The Ides of March

03:54:20 Shame

03:55:24 American: The Bill Hicks Story

03:56:16 Anonymous

03:57:02 Martha Marcy May Marlene

03:58:14 The Son of No One

03:59:07 The Skin I Live In

04:00:07 A Dangerous Method

04:00:29 Battle: Los Angeles

04:02:04 Hobo With a Shotgun

04:03:12 The Darkest Hour

04:04:26 Red Riding Hood

04:05:23 Twilight: Breaking Dawn

04:07:09 Prom

04:08:01 J. Edgar

04:08:17 Trust

04:10:04 A Separation

04:11:02 Answers to Nothing

04:11:29 Pariah

04:12:26 Beastly

04:14:19 Coriolanus

04:15:29 Cowboys and Aliens

04:17:07 Fright Night

04:18:28 In the Land of Blood and Honey

04:19:18 The Mechanic

04:21:07 Transformers: Dark of the Moon

04:22:01 50/50

04:23:12 I Melt With You

04:24:17 The Iron Lady

04:27:04 War Horse

04:28:02 Rise of the Planet of the Apes

04:28:16 Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

04:29:23 Abduction

04:30:11 Battle: Los Angeles

04:31:04 The Bang Bang Club

04:31:23 Flowers of War

04:32:16 Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

04:33:09 Mozart’s Sister

04:34:13 I Am Number Four

04:35:14 Don 2

04:36:11 Janie Jones

04:37:11 Circumstance

04:38:28 Tomboy

04:39:17 The Tree of Life

04:40:21 Angels Crest

04:41:18 Thor

04:42:18 X-men: First Class

04:48:28 Dolphin Tale

04:50:08 Shark Night 3D

04:50:21 Priest

04:51:08 Another Earth

04:53:06 Insidious

04:53:21 Albert Nobbs

04:54:19 Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

04:57:02 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

04:59:08 The Lincoln Lawyer

05:00:09 Dream House

05:01:04 The Tree of Life

05:02:23 Melancholia

05:03:23 Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark

05:04:16 Hugo

05:06:25 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

05;07:25 Super 8

05:08:26 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

05:09:09 Pina

05:10:09 The Adjustment Bureau

05:11:15 Priest

05:12:16 Immortals

05:14:00 Take Shelter

05:15:03 Final Destination 5

05:16:11 The Thing

05:17:20 Mars Needs Moms

05:18:19 Kung Fu Panda 2

05:19:26 Chalet Girl

05:20:24 Paranormal Activity 3

05:21:18 Battle: Los Angeles

05:22:05 Justin Bieber: Never Say Never

05:22:24 Albatross

05:23:09 The Way

05:24:09 African Cats

05:24:28 Hop

05:25:23 Puss in Boots

05:26:24 The Greatest Movie Ever Sold

05:27:11 Soul Surfer

05:28:09 Shark Night 3D

05:28:25 Transformers: Dark of the Moon

05:30:16 Apollo 18

05:31:14 Green Lantern

05:32:15 Being Elmo

05:33:11 Restless

05:34:20 Water for Elephants

SOURCE & SOURCE.

Watch filmography 2010 HERE.

Sharing Is Caring: The Event I

2011-12-12T16:25:00.000-08:00

Photos by: Blu Pamandanan-Salangsang

The Martyrdom

2011-12-12T13:38:00.000-08:00

Make-up: Jewel Candaza
Photographer: Trina Khio

Masks

2011-12-12T10:51:00.000-08:00

She had blue skin,
and so did he.
He kept it hid
And so did she.
They searched for blue
Their whole life through,
Then passed right by--
And never knew.
- Shel Silverstein.

Workaholic

2011-12-07T12:25:00.000-08:00

Just to give you guys an overview of what lies ahead in the next 5 days for me:

Thursday:
7am - (Which is 2 hours from now), Divisoria with Jewel to buy more things for Sharing Is Caring.
12 noon to 5pm - Skinny Sweets
6pm onwards - Pack more loot bags & give-aways with Jewel and Loiss

Friday:
6am to 12 noon - Skinny Sweets
1pm to 5pm - Meeting at MOA
6pm onwards - Finalizing things for Sharing Is Caring

Saturday:
12 noon to 2pm - Meet with the head volunteers for run-through of Sharing Is Caring
4pm to 12am - Skinny Sweets and Lomography Manila

Sunday:
10am - Head to Mandaluyong for ingress of Sharing Is Caring
11am to 12:30pm - Briefing of volunteers
1pm to 5pm - Event proper
8pm onwards - Afterparty for Volunteers

Monday:
Skinny Sweets the entire day.

**

Words that get me through the day:

Get on your knees and pray, then get on your feet and work. - Gordon B. Hinckley

Of course women don't work as hard as men... they get it right the first time.

Work so that one day your "signature" will be called an "autograph"

Your best work is just ahead of you.

Don't quit.
You're already in pain.
You're already hurt.
Get a reward from it.

Good work takes hard work.

Work hard & be nice to people.

Dreams don't work unless you do.

The pursuit of happiness is the source of all unhappiness.

It's not the end of the world that your feet hurt. Push yourself. - Henry Cavill

Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life a champion. - Muhammad Ali

Being weak is a choice. So is being strong.

Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.

Work smarter, not harder.

Live, work, create.

**

Words I take to heart, and life:

Look like a girl. Act like a lady. Think like a man. Work like a boss. Repeat.

**

And for horrible days:

Captain America: The First Avenger

2011-12-06T09:55:00.001-08:00

Loved it the first time, loved it the second time around. Although I still can't get over Chris Evans playing the star-spangled avenger. To me, he'll always be Johnny Storm/ The Human Torch.

Captain America: The First Avenger will focus on the early days of the Marvel Universe when Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) volunteers to participate in an experimental program that turns him into the Super Soldier known as Captain America. As Captain America, Rogers joins forces with Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) and Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) to wage war on the evil HYDRA organization, led by the villainous Red Skull (Hugo Weaving.)

Like Crazy

2011-12-06T05:24:00.001-08:00

Raw, heart-breaking, and in possession of sharp clarity, Like Crazy is a film that has as much to do with the audience as with the filmmakers. Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones are a wonderful representative of the next generation of actors.

"I thought I understood it, that I could grasp it, but I didn't, not really. Only the smudgeness of it; the pink-slippered, all-containered, semi-precious eagerness of it. I didn't realize it would sometimes be more than whole, that the wholeness was a rather luxurious idea. Because it's the halves that halve you in half. I didn't know, don't know, about the in-between bits; the gory bits of you, and the gory bits of me."

A love story is both a physical and emotional tale, one that can be deeply personal and heartbreaking for an audience to experience. Director Drake Doremus' film Like Crazy beautifully illustrates how your first real love is as thrilling and blissful as it is devastating. When a British college student (Felicity Jones) falls for her American classmate (Anton Yelchin) they embark on a passionate and life-changing journey only to be separated when she violates the terms of her visa. Like Crazy explores how a couple faces the real challenges of being together and of being apart.

This Modern Love

2011-12-05T09:51:00.000-08:00

"When the Words Don’t Fit"
By SARAH HEALY
Oct. 27, 2011

SHORTLY after I turned 21, a boy handed me a poem. It was folded and folded until the words were concentrated and tucked away, handwritten black letters turned and flipped inside a small square.

We had been on a plane from Burlington, Vt., to Newark, seated a few rows away from each other. I had noticed him before we boarded: the way he sat with his feet resting on his carry-on, his gaze focused on the open pages of a book.

During the flight, I felt his eyes trying to catch mine as I turned and pretended to look for something behind me. The voice we used when ordering drinks, the way we stood to pull this or that from the overhead compartment: everything was choreographed for the benefit of the stranger across the aisle.

And then the plane landed and made its way to the gate. In my memory, it was evening and the rain had just subsided. Somewhere between the gate and my parents’ waiting car, he handed me the poem.

That was almost 13 years ago. I had been flying home from college for the weekend for my sister’s wedding — or rather, the celebration of her marriage. My family wasn’t big on weddings in the save-the-date, banquet-hall sense. So this was the small, elegant party held after she and her husband had eloped. Our tradition wasn’t to have weddings but to have elopements.

My parents had eloped. They had known each other for less than three months and had been on only a handful of dates before they went to a justice of the peace and took vows they meant and kept. My mother had been working at a welcome station in Florida. She handed my father a glass of free orange juice. That’s how they met: my mother with her thick dark hair and crystal-blue eyes, my father in his naval uniform.

I was proud of that, the story of my parents’ beginning. It was a glass of free orange juice, but it could have been a poem.

“Did you hear that a boy gave Sarah a poem?” my older sisters whispered. They were enamored with the idea, and I passed around the white sheet of paper with its pale blue lines so they could read it.

They smiled and teased and recalled memories of when they were single and it was summer, and the boys had dark brown eyes and crooked smiles. It was decided that it was a nice anecdote, the boy handing me a poem. That night, I smoothed it with my hands and put it somewhere safe.

The party the next evening was the first family function at which I was treated officially as an adult. I had recently come back after studying abroad, and so I held my glass of wine and talked with relatives about Florence and London and Paris, and my plans after graduation. I’d move to New York. I’d work at an art gallery. I’d find a boy who wrote poems. It all seemed not only possible, but fantastically so.

The next day, my parents dropped me off at the airport, and when I arrived at the gate, the boy was there. We smiled at each other, and I sat down.

It turned out we were on the same flight, and this time we were seated next to each other on the trip back to Vermont. He played in a band and studied English and had been home for the weekend as well, visiting his family in Greenwich, Conn.

We talked about music and art. His first name was the same as my father’s. It was the sort of thing that seemed magical, preordained. It was the sort of thing that made girls near their 21st birthdays use words like “destiny” and “fate.”

He walked me to my car, and we kissed in the parking garage, under orblike yellow lights. It was a still kiss, a postcard kiss, a Disney princess kiss, the kind of kiss that makes blue cartoon birds chirp and swirl in the sky, their beaks holding garlands.

And this is exactly where the story should end. It should cut to credits, and the music should be triumphant but soft. Your last image should be of the young girl and the handsome poetry-writing boy frozen in a movie kiss. You should brush the popcorn off your lap and leave the theater smiling because everything worked out the way you knew it would. You can leave remembering that time when you were young and lovely, and things like that could happen.

Because it’s boring to say that things don’t work out like they do in the movies. Everyone knows that. Even 21-year-olds. But it’s hard to resist a great story. If we had lasted, we would have had one hell of a story.

Maybe that’s why I clung to him in that particularly embarrassing way that young girls sometimes do, why I wanted so much for things to work out. Why I let myself turn into someone I didn’t really like when I was around him. Why I was willing to forgive his arriving hours late on the night he met my parents at a restaurant in New York.

He was the last person I dated before I met the man who would become my husband. My husband and I met in a bar. I knew a friend of his. He knew a friend of mine. You’ve heard it a hundred times before.

But a few years later, he and I married, in a big traditional wedding with a white dress and a tiered cake. My father walked me down the aisle. My niece was the flower girl. There was shrimp cocktail. That wedding was the first of its kind in my family.

At our reception, my father gave a toast. He told the story of how he and my mother met, the story of how all those years ago she handed him a glass of free orange juice.

“There’s no such thing as free orange juice,” he’ll sometimes joke when telling their story, a satisfied but somehow tired look in his eyes.

My parents have now been married for almost 50 years. They have five children, eight grandchildren. They have hurt each other and tried to. They have saved each other’s lives. There have been loud, harrowing fights. There have been slammed doors and threats of leaving.

I remember sitting on my bed and wondering whether my mother meant it this time, whether it was finally done. Sometimes I hoped it would be, that it would just end and that there would finally be quiet. But there have also been hushed reconciliations: apologies and remorse and kind words spoken when no one was around to hear. So it’s after the glass of orange juice that my parents’ story, that anyone’s story, becomes interesting. To me, anyway.

“You have to believe that the Lord put you together in the first place.” That’s what my father said in his toast. That was his advice to my husband and me, his way of saying that what we had was preordained, that it was divine. And really, it was as good an explanation as any for love.

A few years ago, my parents went on a nice vacation together. They drank good Mayan-honey margaritas and walked on the beach. There are pictures of my mother with a flower tucked behind her ear.

“We found out how much we liked each other,” she said to me when they returned. Somewhere between their three-month courtship and five-decade marriage, my parents had figured out why they ended up together.

I told my husband that story, and he laughed softly. In my memory, he was doing the dishes, and the corners of his eyes creased as he smiled into the sink.

IT might interest you to know that the poetry-writing boy’s band has gone on to become one that you may have heard of, though it interests me less than I ever would have imagined. We were a good story. Nothing more. He is what I would have chosen when I thought I could choose. So, I suppose that’s the point: Love chooses us.

My husband and I don’t have a great “meeting” story. We met in a conventional way and had a conventional wedding. And in some sense, we lead a conventional life.

But my husband has seen me at my worst, at my most vile. And he has seen me at my best. He knows the things I don’t tell anyone, and the lies that I tell everyone but him. I have made sacrifices for him and been angry about it. Sometimes his flaws are so egregious, so blatant, they are all I see. And sometimes his kindness is so stunning that I am humbled.

And that’s love. Big, epic, fairy-tale love. The kind of love people write about. The kind of love that could inspire a poem.

SOURCE.

Sharing Is Caring: SHIRTS

2011-11-26T04:35:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone! Here's the ORDER FORM for the Sharing is Caring shirts! I'll post a size chart shortly. (:

Dreamers & Realists

2011-11-26T01:56:00.000-08:00

“There are dreamers and there are realists in this world. You'd think the dreamers would find the dreamers and the realists would find the realists, but more often than not, the opposite is true. You see, the dreamers need the realists to keep them from soaring too close to the sun. And the realists, well, without the dreamers, they might not ever get off the ground.”

A Response

2011-11-25T13:30:00.000-08:00

A response to a blog post that my friend, Criela, wrote regarding Contemporary Relationships. (Read it HERE)

In a generation of adult infants as weary and indolent as ours, it's easy to blame laziness and sluggishness as the cause and root of all of our problems. Romance is dead; people just don't have the time, nor energy, nor effort to participate in such an archaic and antiquated practice.

Personally, I don't see that. Everyday I look at the world, and while I observe that it is harsher and crueler than it used to be, I am constantly amazed by just how much love and romance has pushed the boundaries of society in our boundless, endless, infinite world. The hate and violence that clouds us is not even a tenth of just how much love has enveloped our surroundings. Often we catch glimpses of it, yet just because it is not dignified, or refined, or newsworthy, we let it slide off of us like silk to skin. Like warm butter.

Romance in the 21st century is not the stuff of girlish dreams anymore. It is not princes and castles, it is no longer duels and battles, no longer John Cusack holding a boombox in his shoulder. Romance has become subjective. Gone are the days of ultimatums and challenges. To idealize that in your head is delusion, and brings about stretches of loneliness. However, just because romance has changed doesn't make it any less romantic.

No doubt, chivalry and romance has made way for humping and dumping. We are the fast-food generation. We can get anything we want at the click of a button. Why buy the cow when you can order just the milk and have it delivered to your doorstep? Why put in effort when it is eagerly given sans work? This paved the way to branches and sub-categories of relationships. None of us signed the form, but we knew it was coming, and no one complained.

With the myriad of "Contemporary Relationships" being practiced these days, it's hard not to fall in that trap with somebody. And yes, that's difficult. Yes, that's painful. Yes, sometimes you want to pull your hair out as you deal with this gut-wrenching emptiness and anxiety over where you stand, who you are, what you mean to this person. Yes, this void of despair and uncertainty claws at you until your skin has bled dry from all the scratch marks, the dna of which still under the deepest recesses of your nails. The loneliness, the bitter remarks, the eventual building of this virtually impenetrable wall, the grief, the distress, the apprehension... it's all there. And yes, usually, it's the females who go through this. But this I can say for certain: the blame cannot rest on the man's shoulders. That is unfair.

I am a firm believe of people being treated the way they deserve to be treated. I will allow that this does not hold true for those dealing with true-to-life mentally unstable human beings. No, I'm not talking about the depressives and neurotics, I'm talking about those sociopaths and psychopaths and murderers who are not capable of rational thought. I believe that if you find all guys are treating you like crap, you probably treat other people like crap. If you find guys treating you like a whore, then you must be a whore. You cannot preach to looking for guys who are searching for more than a short skirt while wearing a short skirt yourself. That's like bombing for peace, or screwing for virginity. It is hypocritical to the highest level. It is pretense embodied. It is duplicity epitomized.

A man will not wine and dine someone who presents herself in a way that makes him think she is not that type of person. A man will not romance a lady who does not need to be romanced. A man will not tread carefully around someone who is giving off come hither looks. I had thought that by now, this would be obvious. If you're the type of person who dreams of love that spans years and continents, love that endures bloodshed and politics, love that withstands plagues and disease, you cannot be the type of person who basks in the attention of many. You have to be content with just capturing the eyes, the soul, the heart of this one special person.

You cannot sanctify kisses when you are so eager to give yours out yourself. I'm sick and tired of all these women complaining and bemoaning men yet refuse to see or accept that the problem may lie within their own self. Recognize that you might be the problem and maybe you might find that that was exactly what you needed to get you to where you want to go. Be open to the possibility that the times have changed not the men, but the women.

The Devil's Double

2011-11-23T12:35:00.000-08:00

I've always been a fan of movies that take a deep plunge into the dangerous and often unstable recesses of the minds of drug addicts and criminals. It has been an interest of mine from very early on, having been brought up around films like Goodfellas, Scarface, Reservoir Dogs, The Godfather, The Usual Suspects, Pulp Fiction, A Clockwork Orange, Trainspotting, Requiem For A Dream, Kids, Less Than Zero, and the like. So when I first heard of The Devil's Double, a peek into the unflinchingly lurid life of debauchery and immorality of Saddam Hussein's eldest son, Uday, and the man forcibly recruited to play his body double, I was giddy with excitement. Thankfully, the movie doesn't disappoint. Dominic Cooper's turn as both the sadistic sociopath Uday and Latif, a "good man with a bad job", must be applauded! Fantastic!

And was it just me or did anyone else see inspiration from Al Pacino's Tony Montana in Scarface whenever Uday was on screen?

Summoned from the frontline to Saddam Hussein's palace, Iraqi army lieutenant Latif Yahia (Dominic Cooper) is thrust into the highest echelons of the "royal family" when he's ordered to become the 'fiday' - or body double - to Saddam's son, the notorious "Black Prince" Uday Hussein (also Dominic Cooper), a reckless, sadistic party-boy with a rabid hunger for sex and brutality. With his and his family's lives at stake, Latif must surrender his former self forever as he learns to walk, talk and act like Uday. But nothing could have prepared him for the horror of the Black Prince's psychotic, drug-addled life of fast cars, easy women and impulsive violence.

Pay It Forward

2011-11-22T14:28:00.000-08:00

I've seen bits and pieces of this film in the past but I've never gotten the chance to finish it. Holy crap, that ending was so uncool. However, while this is one of the most emotionally manipulating films I've ever seen in my life, the power house performances of Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt, and Haley Joel Osment, coupled with the astounding message of the film (which is to do a good deed and ask that the favor not be paid to you, but to a third party) is enough to make me love this film. It is to be noted that I cried buckets while watching this so grab some kleenex!

A young boy stumbles upon a simple way to change the world in this drama. Trevor (Haley Joel Osment) is a bright 11-year-old boy who comes from a troubled home; his mother Arlene (Helen Hunt) is an alcoholic trying to hold down two jobs to support her son, while Trevor's father (Jon Bon Jovi) left his family behind some time ago. At school, Trevor's class is introduced to their new social studies teacher, Mr. Simonet (Kevin Spacey), a guarded man with severe facial scars. Simonet gives his class an unusual assignment -- think up a practical way to make the world a better place, and put it into action. Trevor comes up with the notion of "Pay It Forward" -- do a needed favor for three different people without being asked, and then ask them to do the same for three others. Trevor starts by letting Jerry (James Caviezal), a junkie living on the streets, stay in his home. Next, he tries to fix Arlene up with Mr. Simonet, since both seem to be lonely and the clean and sober teacher might help Arlene stay away from alcohol. Finally, he tries to rescue one of his schoolmates, who is constantly tormented by bullies. Meanwhile, journalist Chris Chandler (Jay Mohr) finds himself stuck on the road without a car late one night when a man stops and give him the keys to a new car, asking him only to pay the favor forward to someone else; astonished, Chris wants to find out where this philosophy came from. Based on the novel by Catherine Ryan Hide.

The Invention Of Lying

2011-11-21T19:47:00.000-08:00

Not everyone is able to appreciate the subtle hilarity of a film such as this but personally, I'm a sucker for all things snarky, biting, self-deprecating, and sarcastic. I love the satirical atheism which the film is centered on, as well as the back-handed comments on just how much stock people put in good looks out of pure lack of depth. I'm surprised so many people missed how everyone seemed to focus on the physical appearance, even when they acknowledge just how many other fantastic traits the subject of their scorn has.

It's a world where everyone tells the truth - and just about anything they're thinking. Mark Bellison is a screenwriter, about to be fired. He's short and chunky with a flat nose - a genetic pool that means he won't get to first base with Anna, the woman he loves. At a bank, on the spur of the moment he blurts out a fib, with eye-popping results. Then, when his mother's on her deathbed, frightened of the eternal void awaiting her, Mark invents fiction. The hospital staff overhear his description of Heaven, believe every word, and tell others. Soon Mark is a prophet, his first inventive screenplay makes him rich, and he's basically a good guy. But will that be enough for Anna?

When Harry Left Hogwarts

2011-11-21T17:16:00.000-08:00

I don't think there'll ever be a time when Harry Potter doesn't make me laugh or cry, feel happy or sad.

PART 1
PART 2

No more reason to go on, to be honest.

Worst Reactions P.1

2011-11-21T14:01:00.000-08:00

If you've ever had one of those "I can totally see where this is going" moments followed inevitably by those "called it" moments, then you know that there are times in life when you know something is bound to happen, and even if all clues support your theory, and you feel it down to the marrow of your bones, you can't help but wish "don't happen, don't happen, don't happen... crap, it happened."

I'd like to think I'm a pretty clairvoyant person. I'm observant, I'm perceptive, and I like to watch a lot of things -- people and, as follows, their behavior, most especially. It's always been fascinating to me how many different people can react in so many different ways, all depending on their personality. As I got to thinking about this, I thought of the most stupid reactions I've ever seen on screen (it would probably happen in real life too, should the opportunity present itself.)

1. THE WALKING DEAD - Rick's reaction upon discovering Lori's attempt at abortion, and Lori and Shane's affair. I mean, seriously. I get it. I know Rick is, like, Officer Friendly, but there should be a law against someone being that calm, and that kind, and that nice, and that understanding; it makes everyone else look bad in comparison. And aside from that, it enables his whore of a wife and bastard of a bestfriend to indulge in this sort of unacceptable behavior. OK. YOU THOUGHT HE WAS DEAD. WE GET IT. Now shut up about it. I don't know what the writers were smoking when they decided to throw this love triangle into the mix. It seems like they didn't think the zombiepocalypse was enough drama.

2. THE WALKING DEAD - Which brings us to number 2, Dale's reaction to Shane and Andrea sleeping together. Hey writers, stop it. Dale is one of my favorite characters and I believe that he is such a good old man and all that, so stop it with the entire Dale having the hots for Andrea storyline. It was cute when he was more fatherly towards her, but now that you guys are bringing in elements of romance into the picture, it's just not as appealing. And also, why on earth did you have to make Andrea's character so extremely unlikable? It's almost as if there's not one single lovable female character in TWD. Are you guys mad at women or something?

3. BREAKING DAWN - Okay, where to begin? If I were to write about every single thing that annoyed me in this entire collection, I'd have to dedicate an entire series of posts to that and I'm just not willing. Not now, anyways. Maybe when I'm bored or feeling particularly feisty. For now, let's focus on the penultimate film, the first part of the 2-part finale. The first thing that really bothered me was Bella's parents' reaction to their 18 year old daughter getting married. No parent is gonna leap with joy at that. Already, we're off at a bad start. By the way, I'm probably gonna miss a lot of tiny annoying things here, so feel free to wait for another post on that in the future. I'm just trying to check things off the list here. Second, was that really how Bella reacted to having the dream wedding, all expenses paid? Kids, you know it's fiction when you get a gangly teenage girl to roll her eyes over someone wanting her to experience only the best, as if doing it just to humor everyone else. And then we have Jacob, her wolf BFF, howling over his lost love, and picking fights with the bridegroom for wanting to deflower his virgin wife. UHM, OKAY. I'm not even gonna touch on that subject. Next, we've got both Bella's and Edward's reaction to finding out they spawned this demon baby that they're eventually gonna name after the Loch Ness Monster. Oh and did I mention that Bella sorts of treats her new family like maids? And they're happy to play the part? Yeah. That happens.

So there you have it, the first 3 most annoying and bewildering expressions I've found on screen. Stay tuned for part 2!

Mickey Blue Eyes

2011-11-21T12:23:00.000-08:00

Is there anyone more charming than Hugh Grant? I'm not gonna lie, I downloaded this movie mainly for him, the catchy title, James Caan, and Joe Viterelli. Plus, I'm a sucker for both rom-coms and mob movies. I remember seeing this back when it was first shown, one of those movies my sisters loved to watch, so it's nice getting reacquainted with it once more.

An art-house auctioneer finds himself getting in deeper and deeper with the mob after learning that his teacher girlfriend is the daughter of a major mobster. Things get worse when a godfather decides to launder his no-talent son's gory paintings through the art house and gets the FBI into the picture. Everything then falls apart when the son is accidentally shot.

High Fidelity

2011-11-21T10:22:00.000-08:00

My love for John Cusack has not wane one bit, and to put one of my favorite actors in the movie adaptation of one of my favorite books from one of my favorite authors is something that's sure to keep me happy.

A man discovers that there's more to love than a good mixed tape in this dramatic comedy about music and relationships. Rob (John Cusack), an obsessive record collector in his mid-thirties, is struggling to reconcile his adolescent enthusiasm for pop music with adult responsibilities and a more mature outlook. He runs a record shop with his friends Barry (Jack Black) and Dick (Todd Louiso), who are known to drive away customers whose taste in music doesn't match their exacting standards -- which may have something to do with why the shop is losing money. But Rob's biggest problem is his failing relationship with Laura (Iben Hjejle), a lawyer who needs more out of the relationship than Rob is capable of giving. To Rob's horror, Laura starts dating Ian (Tim Robbins), his upstairs neighbor, known throughout the building for his long and noisy sex sessions. Rob, on the other hand, finds himself catching the attention of singer/songwriter Marie DeSalle (Lisa Bonet), as he tries to deal with his breakup by tracking down his previous ex-girlfriends and taking a fresh look at what he's been doing wrong. Based on the acclaimed novel by Nick Hornby, High Fidelity also features Catherine Zeta-Jones, Lili Taylor, and Joelle Carter as three of Rob's ex-lovers, and Sara Gilbert as Dick's new girlfriend, who gets a crash course in U.K. punk bands that influenced Green Day.

What Women Want

2011-11-20T09:32:00.000-08:00

It's a truth universally acknowledged that everything Nancy Meyer touches is pure cookie-cutter, romance fluff... and it is good. It is chick-lit, lifestyle porn for those waiting to be inspired.

**

Nick, a somewhat chauvinistic advertising exec hot shot, has his life turned haywire when a fluke accident enables him to hear what women think. At first all he wants to do is rid himself of this curse, until a wacky psychologist shows him that this could be used to his advantage! His first target is Darcy McGuire, the very woman that got the promotion he wanted. But just as his plan is beginning to work, love gets in the way...

Movies

2011-11-20T05:06:00.000-08:00

To push for more content, I've decided to record each and every movie I watch/ re-watch from here on in. I know that I have a tendency of not following through but I think this should be easy enough for me.

First movie goes to ...

**

Inventive Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind director Michel Gondry takes a surreal trip through the mind of an introverted but wildly creative man whose attempts to balance his colorful dreams with his stark reality are complicated by the arrival of a beautiful woman into his life. Shy Stephane (Gael Garca Bernal) has returned to his childhood hometown to accept a new job. When the prospective employment offer fails to live up to expectations, however, Stephane is at least comforted by the close bond he has formed with his creative-thinking neighbor Stephanie (Charlotte Gainsbourg). Their blossoming romance finally awakens the sleeping confidence that the withdrawn Stephane was previously capable of displaying only in his dreams, but Stephane and Stephanie find their relationship challenged when lingering insecurities prompt the smitten visionary to confront an old dilemma that can't be solved by the Science of Sleep.

Sharing Is Caring

2011-11-18T08:27:00.000-08:00

SHARING IS CARING is a non-profit organization that annually hosts a feeding program and medical mission directed to children of the less fortunate. It is a way for us to let them know and experience the true meaning of Christmas, and at the same time, doubles as a Yuletide good deed.

Every year, Sharing Is Caring will be selling some black shirts with the organization's logo in front, and then the buyer's name at the back. The shirts will be available for Php500 each, the proceeds of which all go to providing for the food and medicine needed. The photo above serves as the prototype for how the shirts will look.

This t-shirt from Paul Smith is basically what inspired this year's design. It is also how the shirts will look, plus the design and name, once printed out.

EVENT PROPER
DATE: Dec. 10, 2011 (Saturday)
TIME: 12:00 - 04:00pm
VENUE: Amang Rodriguez Plaza, 1 Liko St. Barangay Highway Hills (beside Fatima Church), Mandaluyong, Philippines

*We will need as much hands as we can so please feel free to volunteer, bring friends, and spread the word as well!

For inquiries (whether regarding volunteering or t-shirt pledges), please contact:
EMAIL: alessa_mp@yahoo.com or jewelcandaza@gmail.com
PHONE: 09178084346 (Look for Andi) or 09052991953 (Look for Charlie)

You can find the Official page HERE and the event page HERE.

Monopoly Drink

2011-11-14T18:01:00.000-08:00

So a couple of days ago, my sister's friend, Sam, tweeted how to make monopoly deal into a drinking game. Having nothing else to do, I came up with an ingenious, if I may say so myself, ploy on how to put this into action.

THE OBJECTIVE:
To be the first to monopolize and complete 3 different sets of properties while under the influence of alcohol.

THE RULES:
To begin, property cards as well as cash cards are your go-to safe bets. No one has to drink with any of these cards in motion. However, passing one of your three turns will have to be paid for by taking a shot.

Rule 1: Drink for every PASS GO you put down.

Rule 2: Drink with another player for FORCED DEALS.

Rule 3: Make person of your choice drink for SLY DEALS.

Rule 4: Everyone but you drinks whenever it's your BIRTHDAY.

Rule 5: Make person of your choice drink your next shot with DEBT COLLECTORS.

Rule 6: Prevent drinking and make someone else take the shot when you put down a JUST SAY NO.

Rule 7: Make person of your choice drink 2 shots for DEAL BREAKERS.

Rule 8: Make everyone drink 2 shots for DOUBLE THE RENT.

Sounds easy enough to remember, right? Try it out and don't forget to let me know how you fare!

And best of all... have fun, you crazy kids!

The Official Boyfriend Application

2011-11-12T13:11:00.000-08:00

*This application must be filled out in its entirety in order to be considered for the position that you are applying. Photographs may sway my opinion one way or the other; feel free to attach any that you think may help you gain this position.

*Just a reminder: be completely honest with all of your answers. I will be double checking applications using Google to ensure honesty. Any false information will automatically nullify any chance you might have had. Thanks, and have fun.

BASIC INFORMATION
1. Full legal name: _____LAST_____ _____FIRST_____ _____MIDDLE_____
2. Age _____ 3. Height _____ 4. Weight _____ 5. Eye color _____
6. Measurements _____ 7. Natural hair color _____ 8. Current hair color _____

CONTACT INFORMATION
9. Home phone ___(____)___-________
10. Cell phone ___(____)___-________
11. Email _________________________________________

GETTING TO KNOW YOU
12. Are you a virgin? ___ Yes ___ No
13. If no, how many past sexual partners have you had? _________________
14. Have you ever had a sex change? ___ Yes ___ No
15. Do you smoke? ___ Yes ___ No
16. Do you use any illegal substances? ___ Yes ___ No
17. Do you have kids? ___ Yes ___ No
18. If yes, how many? _____________
19. Do you workout? ___ Yes ___ No
20. Do you currently have a source of income? ___ Yes ___ No

21. If yes, what is it? ______________________
22. Do you live on your own? ___ Yes ___ No
23. If no, whom do you currently reside with? _______________________
24. What kind of car do you drive?____________________
25. Furthest level of education (pick one)?
___ Highschool ___ College ___ Associate's Degree ___ Bachelor's Degree
26. Do you have a history of mental illness? ___ Yes ___ No
27. Favorite sport & team? _______________
28. Have you ever cheated on a girlfriend? ___ Yes ___ No
29. Do you cook? ___ Yes ___ No
30. Do you have any siblings? ___ Yes ___ No

31. What is your religion? __________________
32. What is your political persuasion? __________________
33. How many piercings (not including ears) do you have? _______
34. How many tattoos do you have? __________
35. What is your current favorite movie of all time? ______________________
36. List your three favorite genres of music in order of most favorite to least favorite:
___________________
___________________
___________________

REASONS I SHOULD PICK YOU
37. What is your idea of a perfect date in three sentences or less?
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________

38. Explain why I should pick you as my boyfriend in one sentence:
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________

39. List any special skills that you may have that are relevant to this position:
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________

40. What do you want out of a relationship, specifically one with me?
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________

RELATIONSHIP BACKGROUND
List the details of your past three relationships starting with the most recent.
Start date: _______________________
End date: ______________________
Were you in love? ___ Yes ___ No
Am I prettier? ___ Yes ___ No
Sexually active? ___ Yes ___ No
Reason for breakup: _____________________

Start date: _______________________
End date: ______________________
Were you in love? ___ Yes ___ No
Am I prettier? ___ Yes ___ No
Sexually active? ___ Yes ___ No
Reason for breakup: _____________________

Start date: _______________________
End date: ______________________
Were you in love? ___ Yes ___ No
Am I prettier? ___ Yes ___ No
Sexually active? ___ Yes ___ No
Reason for breakup: _____________________

REFERENCES
Please supply three references (preferably hot male friends) and their phone numbers or email addresses:
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________

CERTIFICATION
I hereby certify that the information given by me in this application is true to my knowledge and I give you the authorization to verify it using any means you deem appropriate. I understand that filling out this form and submitting it for review does not guarantee that I will be chosen.

Date: _______________
Applicant Signature: _____________________________

Download the file HERE.

Milky & Sunny

2011-11-10T19:26:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Jewel and I spent the morning running around the mall on the hunt for some new dresses and sweaters. We raided the racks of Forever 21, Gap, and the Department Store before giving in to our stomachs and getting brunch.

I recently read about this hole-in-the-wall breakfast place in Kapitolyo and so I asked Jewel, who is a fellow foodie, if she'd like to try it out. Being big fans of breakfast, a meal we often miss due to our demanding schedules, we headed on over for nourishment.

This stuff is breakfast foodie gold. Not a lot of places offer breakfast meals from 7am to 10pm everyday and at these prices! I'm sure plenty of trips to M&S will be had by my friends and I.

Jewel with the menu. Can you see just how quaint this place is? Adorable! It's still their soft opening as they've only been open for 2 weeks!

Bacon & Spam Pasta

Tomato, Mozzarella, Pepperoni Omellete

Bannanarama Pancakes
We genuinely loved everything we ordered! It was delicious and the service was fantastic! I'm actually waiting to invite someone right now because there were so many other things in the menu that I wanted to try. And for broke days, I could just have the UNLIMITED CEREAL. That's right. Unlimited Cereal.

Man vs. food and yesterday, food won. Look at those faces! We couldn't finish nor take another bite of the sinfully scrumptious Bannanarama Pancakes. Food coma all the way!

The Best Kisses...

2011-11-08T01:59:00.000-08:00

... Always take place in the backseats of cars. In New York.

Moving to NY and going to ride the backseat as often as possible now.

SOURCE.

Now Hiring!

2011-11-03T12:51:00.000-07:00

"Now Hiring Crushes: The Internet Crush"

By BRANDON SCOTT GORRELL
Nov. 02, 2011

Job Description: We are looking for an Internet Crush of our preferred sex with an established, regularly-updated social networking presence for whom we will develop an illogical, impossible-to-act-upon crush, which will ultimately make us — the company — feel simultaneously more hopeful and more alone at night, solitary in our rooms, bathed in the soft glow of our computer screen. As the result of the innate human tendency to fill in the gaps of personality- and behavior-related information that online personas by their nature cannot deliver, our own capacity for self-delusion, and the judgment-free comfort, ease and security of flirting online compared to, like, going to a bar and meeting someone, our Internet Crush will be the subject of innuendo-laced Gmail chats and much silent stalking (sorry :/). We might not even get up the nerve to contact our Internet Crush at all; only feel envy toward those who freely retweet and @mention with him or her.

The thing about our future Internet Crush will be that despite the fact that we’ll never really know them, we’ll assume they ‘get’ us and that they are beautiful and sexy and attractive and special. All despite the cold fact that what this person really is is a collection of pictures and text — a storyboard, a picture-book narrative, a hologram, a fantasy. In the rare case that we do end up making contact, or in the rare case that we actually form an online friendship with our Internet Crush, the candidate need not worry — in the deepest recesses of our hearts we are indeed aware that nothing will ever happen; so much expectation and drumming up will scare us away from pursuing any kind of IRL romantic venture. Seems bleak.

Skills: The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of maintaining a stylized and relatable internet social profile that spans from Tumblr to Facebook, and preferably, everything in between. He or she will likewise be fully familiar with internet jargon and appropriate emoticon usage, as well as well-versed in stylized chat methods i.e. lowercase/ uppercase use, effective employment of ellipses, and internet-laugh expertise. The Internet Crush should be able to develop a portfolio of perfectly executed photos of themselves that intuitively matches their status update, Tumblr, Twitter, and blogging styles and, as a portrait, creates a persona worthy of our crush.

Core responsibilities: Daily maintenance of social networking portfolio, appearance in our Gmail chat list.

Requirements:

- Attractive personality/ physical features
- Three-month to year-long commitment
- Practically unreachable unless via flight or medium-length road trip
- Previous experience is preferred
- Maintenance of at least three social networking accounts. Preferred: Tumblr, Twitter, and Facebook

Compensation: Hits, a Twitter follow, a Tumblr follow, a Facebook friend request, Facebook status update ‘Likes,’ retweets, @mentions, Tumblr reblogs, Tumblr ‘Likes.’

For consideration, respond to this posting with your resume and cover letter. Calls and drop-ins are not accepted. We are a dog and cat-friendly employer.

SOURCE.

The Seasons of Boyfriends

2011-11-03T12:43:00.000-07:00

"If Seasons Were Boyfriends"

By RYAN O'CONNELL
Nov. 02, 2011

The Summer Boyfriend

The Summer Boyfriend is easy breezy. You can find him on a fire escape at someone’s house party, smoking cigarettes and clutching a sangria. He is the definition of someone you don’t want when the weather gets cold but he’s perfect for the warmer temperatures. You envision him on a beach with the sand in his toes. You see him shirtless and drinking margaritas on a rooftop. The sun hits his skin in the most perfect way and it will be hard for you to not have sex with him every moment of every day. That’s The Summer Boyfriend’s job though—to give you multiple orgasms a day—and the rest is just light and fluffy like clouds. You only like him in June, July, and August. When Labor Day hits, feelings will shift and you’ll feel the need to exit the relationship ASAP. He’ll walk you to the train on the first day you need to wear a cardigan and you’ll know it’s done. The second it gets cold, so do the feelings. “I don’t want to see you in sweaters. I want to see you in a tank top. It’s been real, dude.”

The Fall Boyfriend

The Fall Boyfriend is nice. Too nice. You meet him at school or a cafe and are charmed by his sweetness. You think to yourself, “This is a person I want to drink hot chocolate with and spoon and tickle and listen to jazz or something. We’ll have meaningful conversations, maybe talk about politics, and walk in the park together.” If nothing else, it will feel stable. Ultimately though, you’ll discover that nice wears thin, nice doesn’t pay the love bills, nice doesn’t leave you wanting more, nice doesn’t create desire, nice chops your penis off. Bye bye, Fall Boyfriend. It’s starting to snow.

The Winter Boyfriend

All hail The Winter Boyfriend! Arguably the best of the seasonal boyfriends, the guy you date in winter is a borderline keeper. You’ve usually got to start searching for them in October as they’re at risk of selling out. As you know, no one likes to be single when it’s cold out so get one while you still can. Obligations for The Winter Boyfriend include but aren’t limited to: Letting you develop your own “winter coat” by eating whatever you damn please without a peep, staying in and getting drunk on whiskey together, holding your hand during a blizzard and, last but not least, buying you a nice Christmas present. Winter can be a #dark time for all of us. I pity the fool whose job it is to love me in thirty degree weather.

The Spring Boyfriend

Your Spring Boyfriend resembles the season itself: Gorgeous and quick. You’ll fall for them fast but they’ll be gone before you can say “Can you do that again?” You always want more of spring but you’re never going to get it. You’ll be permanently blue-balled.

SOURCE.

A Guide

2011-11-03T12:37:00.000-07:00

"A Guide To Going To The Bar Alone"

By JESSIE ROSEN
Nov. 01, 2011

The act of intentionally going to a bar sans others for the purpose of meeting people who might date you is not as easy as it seems. Here are step-by-step instructions. But first…

Why should you go to a bar alone?

Reason #1: You and your four best friends dressed up on a Friday night in a crowded, sweaty bar filled with dozens of drunk bitties is not good odds. Dating is a numbers game. Put them in your favor.

Reason #2: While going to the bar alone is not weird (keep saying it), people don’t traditionally do it, so it will be noted by people who respect confident, interesting folk. These are the people you want to want you.

Reason #3: What do you have to lose? The answer is: the cost of 1-3 beers, pride (if you happen to run into an ex), and time if it doesn’t work out. You’d lose way more than that trolling through Match.com after Pad Thai and a bottle of wine on a Wednesday night.

What to do when you get there:

Step 1: Do not tell anyone that you intend to go to a bar alone. They might say “That’s weird,” or, “Do you think that’s safe?” or, “Can I come?”

Step 2: Select a venue that’s guaranteed to be crowded with the stereotypes of your choosing. If you live in a hipster hood but prefer to date Harvard types, be sure to travel.

Step 3: Aim to arrive at a post Happy Hour time on a sensible weekday night. So, Tuesday or Wednesday at 8pm.

Step 4: Sit at the bar (never at a table) and order something respectable (read: not pink). Note: It is critical to tip the bartender well. If the first person who sidles up to chat is a douche, you want the ‘tender in your corner.

Step 5: Engage in some form of banal activity that prompts curiosity but not intimidation. So — yes to notes for the fun, freelance article you’re writing, no to notes for the miserable, required CPA exam you’re taking. Your move is to be casually reading and jotting things down while maintaining a look of coy openness to the question, “Hey, what’s that you’re working on?”

Other options: real estate listings, movie script, book with lots of pictures. Not options: sudoku (nerd), nail polish (priss) your iPhone (too typical).

Step 6: Set a time or drink limit and do not move. Your mantra: this is not weird. Think of the bar as a much-more-fun coffee shop. You would have no problem at all sitting alone at a Java The Hut sipping coffee and reading the paper (if you would, get over it). The bar is just like that but people get drunk, feel bold, and talk to each other.

Step 7: Repeat steps one through six until you meet the person with whom you’ll spend the rest of your life. When people ask you how you met, make something up. Nobody wants to meet the love of their life in a bar.

SOURCE.

Broken-Hearted People

2011-10-27T14:04:00.000-07:00

This one is for all the broken-hearted people in the world.

The people walking the world with only half a mind, listlessly searching for a way to piece things back together.

This one is for the ones who just got out of a relationship. Those who finally decided that things can't continue on this way, are strong enough to admit this to themselves and take action, yet are seen as the bad guys by the bystanders. They're the ones who recognized that no longer was this union something that brought joy; they yielded anger and bitterness instead. This is for the ones who did something about their current situation yet aren't recognized as the pained. They were the ones who broke it off so they have no right to feel hurt, anger, bitterness and resentment towards the "wounded" party. This is for the ones who mourn the possibility of something more, and the death of what could have been. This is for the ones who look down at a shattered heart and think "what am I to do with this?"

This is for the ones who've been yearning for a love long past. They're the ones who never truly got over someone, decided to stay in the picture, yet didn't know how to handle not being the partner. They're the ones who found a future in the past, yet have no means of letting those two meet. Like parallel lines, they're condemned never to cross paths. This is for those who've countlessly banged their heads against the wall, in the vain hope of knocking sense into their heads. They're the ones who can't quite handle not having someone in their life at all. They're the martyrs of today. They walk around with this ginormous weight resting on their shoulders, pushing them down, bringing with them a cloud of regret. This is for the ones who look down at a shattered heart and think "what am I to do with this?"

This is for those who've lost something far greater than a love story. This is for those who lost a friendship. In their head is a carousel of scenes from the past, a merry-go-round of memories and emotions, running fast enough to be far away from grasp, yet slow enough to project glimpses of remembrances and nostalgia. They are the human time-machines, going backwards and forwards, around and around and around, teasing, taunting, mocking. They screwed up in some way, and are brave enough to recognize the faults, but not the consequences. They're the ones who no longer quite know where to stand, how to tread the line -- strange friends or friendly strangers. They're ruled by pride, so chances are, these two are done and gone for good. They've loved, and fallen in love, and been in love, and stayed in love, and lost love, yet never quite understood the loss of love. They lost lovers, never love, so when they lost each other, the ground shifted from under them, leaving them feeling sickly imbalanced as they tried to adjust their stance, how they saw the world. This is for the ones who look down at a shattered heart and think "what am I to do with this?"

Cool Story, Bro.

2011-10-23T08:15:00.000-07:00

REPLACEMENTS:

1.) Fascinating discourse, chum
2.) Riveting fable, comrade
3.) Intriguing anecdote, brethren
4.) Perpetuating argument, colleague
5.) Sweet saga, yo
6.) Waste of time, jerk
7.) Spellbinding reiteration there, my chummy
8.) Phantasmagorical novelization, oh great one
9.) Interesting intellect, imbecile
10.) Trepidating bore, fetus
11.) Ballin’ gossip, dawg
13.) Compelling tale, cohort

Tumblr is amazing.

Friendship Divorce

2011-10-22T14:42:00.000-07:00

“What do you do when you realize that although you may have years of history, and found real value in each other in times past, that you kind of don't like a friend anymore? That, after time spent with this person, you feel drained, empty, belittled or insulted. My father always used to tell me that, ‘you can't make new old friends.’ How do you distinguish if someone in your life makes you change for the better or if you are better off without them?”
- Gwyneth Paltrow

Good friends.

2011-10-21T13:48:00.000-07:00

Essa: Sorry to intrude and spring up on your house without notice like this!
Joane: You're welcome any time!
Mackenzie: So can we stay?
Joane: ... No.
Essa: So, not any time... just... particular times.
*silence*

Friends say the darndest things.

Status Magazine

2011-10-18T21:23:00.000-07:00

Skinny Sweets will be available at the Status Magazine Yard Sale at Fiamma, Makati from 10am-6pm on Saturday, October 22, 2011. See y'all there!

Panem

2011-10-12T09:43:00.000-07:00

I am honestly the biggest geek in the world.

Cyberspace-ing.

2011-10-06T14:04:00.000-07:00

So, posting a playlist of songs is something I haven't done in awhile. I'd like to say that I've been too busy, but truth is I've just been too lazy to go out there and look for new and new-old music. I've had ONE playlist with about 30 songs that has been on loop for the last couple of months. Work & routine isn't exactly inspiring, you know. Thankfully, I've also closeted myself at home with new books and tv shows so through those, coupled with astounding internet researching skills, I've found some pretty good tunes I think you guys will enjoy. Okay, astounding internet researching skills didn't really play a part; all I did was look for artists, preview their stuff, and get a copy of those that I enjoyed.

[It is to be noted that some songs here came from the aforementioned 30 or so song playlist. I just can't get them off my brain.]

1.) Coyote Song - Bright Eyes
2.) Shell Games - Bright Eyes
3.) Oxford Comma - Vampire Weekend
4.) This Modern Love - Bloc Party
5.) Grey Lynn Park - The Veils
6.) 99 Problems - Hugo
7.) Crosses - Jose Gonzalez
8.) I Will Follow You Into The Dark - Death Cab For Cutie

Take a cue from me, kids. Go hide yourselves at home with books, old movies, and tv shows and scorn social interaction. You'll come out bitter and cynical, but if you add some leftover childlike exuberance and joie de vivre, you'll seem more sardonic and mysterious and cool!

Psychopathy Checklist

2011-10-06T11:06:00.000-07:00

1. Glibness/superficial charm
2. Grandiose sense of self-worth
3. Pathological lying
4. Cunning/manipulative
5. Lack of remorse or guilt
6. Shallow affections (genuine emotion is short-lived and egocentric)
7. Callous/lack of empathy
8. Failure to accept responsibility for own actions
9. Need for stimulation/proneness to boredom
10. Parasitic lifestyle
11. Poor behavioral control
12. Lack of realistic long-term goals
13. Impulsivity
14. Irresponsibility
15. Juvenile delinquency
16. Early behavior problems
17. Revocation of conditional release
18. Promiscuous sexual behavior
19. Many short-term marital relationships
20. Criminal versatility

I think I need to go talk to someone now.

Culturally Specific Emotions

2011-10-06T10:14:00.001-07:00

Words that don't exist in the English language:

L'esprit d'escalier
French
The feeling you get after leaving a conversation, when you think of all the things you should have said. Translated, it means, "the spirit of the staircase".

Waldeinsamkeit
German
The feeling of being alone in the woods.

Meraki
Greek
Doing something with soul, creativity, or love.

Forelsket
Norwegian
The euphoria you experience when you are first falling in love.

Gigil
Filipino
The urge to pinch or squeeze something that is unbearably cute.

Pochemuchka
Russian
A person who asks a lot of question.

Pena ajena
Mexican Spanish
The embarrassment you feel watching someone else's humiliation.

Cualacino
Italian
The mark left on a table by a cold glass.

Ilunga
Tshiluba, Congo
A person who is ready to forgive any abuse for the first time, to tolerate it a second time, but never a third time.

Elliott and Bowie

2011-10-02T08:23:00.000-07:00

Yes, these kids are adorable.

Yes, I do hope they end up together.

Yes, they are getting more action than I am.

Best of luck, Elliott and Bowie! You kids have it good. And I'll be pulling for you!

Hand Of Hope

2011-09-26T03:38:00.000-07:00

A picture began circulating in November. It should be "The Picture of the Year," or perhaps, "Picture of the Decade." It won't be. In fact, unless you obtained a copy of the U.S. paper which published it, you probably would never have seen it.

The picture is that of a 21-week-old unborn baby named Samuel Alexander Armas, who is being operated on by surgeon named Joseph Bruner. The baby was diagnosed with spina bifida and would not survive if removed from his mother's womb. Little Samuel's mother, Julie Armas, is an obstetrics nurse in Atlanta. She knew of Dr. Bruner's remarkable surgical procedure. Practicing at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, he performs these special operations while the baby is still in the womb.

During the procedure, the doctor removes the uterus via C-section and makes a small incision to operate on the baby. As Dr. Bruner completed the surgery on Samuel, the little guy reached his tiny, but fully developed hand through the incision and firmly grasped the surgeon's finger. Dr. Bruner was reported as saying that when his finger was grasped, it was the most emotional moment of his life, and that for an instant during the procedure he was just frozen, totally immobile.

The photograph captures this amazing event with perfect clarity. The editors titled the picture, "Hand of Hope." The text explaining the picture begins, "The tiny hand of 21-week-old fetus Samuel Alexander Armas emerges from the mother's uterus to grasp the finger of Dr. Joseph Bruner as if thanking the doctor for the gift of life."

Little Samuel's mother said they "wept for days" when they saw the picture. She said, "The photo reminds us pregnancy isn't about disability or an illness, it's about a little person" Samuel was born in perfect health, the operation 100 percent successful.

Now see the actual picture, and it is awesome... incredible... and hey, pass it on! The world needs to see this one.

The Weekenders

2011-09-25T13:06:00.000-07:00

[Click for high-res]

Dark Shadows

2011-09-22T13:50:00.000-07:00

Barnabas Collins (Depp) — He was an 18th century gentleman, a businessman just before the Revolutionary War, who was transformed against his will into a vampire and buried in a tomb for two centuries. After he finally emerges, uncovered by construction workers in the year 1972, he seeks out his descendants — as well as some long-ago foes and a possible lost love.

“He’s been alive this whole time and very hungry, with no idea what’s going on outside,” says screenwriter Seth Grahame-Smith (author of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, which Burton is producing as a film.)

Barnabas is one vampire who is just as frightened of our times as we are of him, says producer Richard D. Zanuck: “Two-hundred years later, he’s suddenly walking into the town he saw being built and seeing girls in skirts, cars for the first time. It’s a man-out-of-time, supernatural horror story, but I put ‘horror’ in quotes.”

Despite his confusion, he’s still a ladies man. “In some sense he can be a terrifying killer; on the other hand, women have a weakness for him and he has a weakness for women,” Grahame-Smith says. “He can be a very well-mannered, well-meaning vampire most of the time, until his stomach is empty or someone challenges his beloved Collins family.”

Here’s that family, from left to right:

Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter) – From Alice in Wonderland’s Red Queen, to the cannibalistic cook Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd, Burton can’t help but cast the mother of his children as a deranged person. This prim and proper psychiatrist, who has taken up residence with the Collins family to care for their troubled youngest boy, might seem to break that trend — but don’t bet on it. “Dr. Hoffman’s been there for years, working with David [the little boy in the photo] but not making any progress. He still claims he sees ghosts and talks with his dead mother,” Grahame-Smith says. “She’s crazy but brilliant. Obviously she’s an eccentric, and definitely likes a drink or two. She’s definitely a little bit off her rocker, and is a woman with a lot of secrets herself.” The writer teases: “She’ll also become interested in Barnabas in more than one way. “

Carolyn Stoddard (Chloë Moretz) — Though she played a voracious child vampire in the acclaimed (but little seen) Let Me In, Moretz is on the human side of the spectrum in Dark Shadows — though that doesn’t mean this cousin of young David Collins isn’t without her own peculiarities. “Carolyn is your typical early 1970s teenager,” Grahame-Smith says of the girl, the daughter of Michelle Pfeiffer’s character (seen on the far right). “She likes her music and likes her magazines, and does not like anyone in her family. She likes to keep her door closed and keep to herself. She’s pretty normal, but appearances can be deceiving. I wouldn’t say there is a normal person in this photo.”

Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green) — The Bond girl from Casino Royale turns up here as the villain of the story. “Angelique is a witch who has known Barnabas since the 1700s, when they had an affair that went sour. She is the one who cursed him to be a vampire and locked him in that box,” Grahame-Smith says. “Since he has been away, Angelique has made it her life’s mission to destroy the Collins family. So when Barnabas turns up again after all these years, she’s not very happy to see him.”

David Collins (Gulliver McGrath) — Lonely, confused, and neglected by his pompous father (Jonny Lee Miller, over on the right next to Pfeiffer), David has no one to confide in except his bizarre psychiatrist — and the dead people he claims to see. Grahame-Smith describes him as “a sweet, curious, precocious little boy whose family has branded him as slightly crazy.” Then he finally gets a new caretaker to look after him …

Victoria Winters (Bella Heathcote) — This young woman arrives to become David’s new governess, only to find herself swept up in the vampire-witch melodrama. “When Barnabas meets Victoria, he’s instantly reminded of the woman he lost in the 1700s, before he was cursed to be a vampire,” Grahame-Smith says. “I wouldn’t say he falls in love with her, but there’s an instant attraction, an instant connection.” Is she the reincarnation of his doomed lover Josette du Pres? “We get the sense at the beginning she has a secret past, and that’s unraveled as it goes on,” the screenwriter says.

Mrs. Johnson (Ray Shirley) — “Poor old Mrs. Johnson …” Grahame-Smith sighs when talk turns to the old woman seated in the back behind Depp. “She is the mostly blind, mostly deaf maid, who has been with them for decades and decades. You might find her polishing a piece of silverware with a slab of baloney because she thinks it’s a polishing cloth. I don’t think she actually says anything in the entire film. She’s just sort of there.” He laughs: “Adding her was Tim’s idea.”

Willie Loomis (Jackie Earle Haley) — How awesome is it to play an actual Groundskeeper Willie? The Oscar-nominee for Little Children is a slightly more competent servant than Mrs. Johnson, but that’s not saying much. “He’s the guy who takes out the trash, mows the lawns, and fixes the cars, except he’s usually so drunk and so disinterested that he doesn’t take his job seriously anymore,” Grahame-Smith says. “The lawn is overgrown, the house has fallen into disrepair, and all the cars are on cinder blocks. His heart’s definitely not in the job anymore.”

Roger Collins (Jonny Lee Miller) — This scion of the once-great Collins family is one of the main reasons the aristocratic clan has fallen into such disgrace. “He’s a creepy, self-centered guy who likes to order Willie around, likes to pretend the family is still on top of his game,” Grahame-Smith says. Not only is he a bad father to David, but he is a poor manager of whatever meager wealth the family retains. “When Barnabas shows up and has some very specific ideas about how to make things right, he’s obviously going to bump heads with Roger Collins.”

Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer) — The mother of Carolyn Stoddard, and mother-figure to David, she’s the one adult member of the Collins clan who is at least slightly competent. “Elizabeth is the rock of the family. She’s the matriarch,” Grahame-Smith says. “She’s the keeper of the Collins history, and a fierce protector of what remains of her family. She’s the one that insists on the best care for the children, even though money isn’t what it used to be. She’s a very strong woman who unfortunately has been dealt a very difficult deck.” With a witch perpetually trying to destroy her, and a long lost vampire relative turning up to reclaim control, “there’s just too much for her to handle,” Grahame-Smith says.

SOURCE.

Mr. A-Z

2011-09-21T12:45:00.000-07:00

Years later, and I'm just as big a Jason Mraz fan as I was when I first heard his stunning lyrics and wonderful melodies nearly a decade ago.

I have to say, though I still hugely enjoy his later work, I do miss the slightly perverted, faster songs of his first few albums (Waiting For My Rocket To Come and Tonight, Not Again are my absolute favorites! However, I still thoroughly enjoy Mr. A-Z and We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.).

I can't wait for October! Marry me, Mraz!

Free Hugs

2011-09-19T08:45:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, 2 of my very good girl friends and I couldn't stop discussing the perennial and continuous banality of our lives. We couldn't explain how exhausted we were of doing the same things over and over, like clockwork.

After tireless conversations regarding this topic, we concluded that we were far from being ungrateful, as it may seem that way to some, because we've led, and are still leading, very charmed lives. We just became wary of being cheered by the same things, as well as getting sad over the same ones.

When familiarity starts to breed contempt, you can't just rest on your laurels and continue talking about how ennui has taken over.

You need to do something interesting.

You need to become a better person.

You need to pay it forward.

No means no.

2011-09-15T01:59:00.001-07:00

"No" means no.
"Not now" means no.
"I'd rather be alone" means no.
"No thanks" means no.
"I have a boy/girlfriend" means no.
"Maybe later" means no.
"Let's just go to sleep" means no.
"Uhhh..." means no.
"It hurts" means no.
"Fuck you" means no. ("Fuck me" means yes)
"I'm not in the mood" means no.
"You're not my type" means no.
Silence means no.
Staying still means no.
"I really like you, but..." means no.
"You're/ I'm drunk" means no.
Not kissing back means no.
"I'm not sure" means no.
"You've/ I've been drinking" means no.
"Stop" means no.
"Don't touch me" means no.
"Fuck off" means no.

Gentlemen, please be guided accordingly. I'm so sick of guys who think that "no" means "yes" and "yes" means "harder".

Sensitive Topic

2011-09-14T13:21:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the age of uninnocence. No one has breakfast at Tiffany's and no one has affairs to remember. Instead we have breakfast at 7 am and affairs we try to forget as soon as possible.- Carrie Bradshaw, Sex and the City

In a generation whose media portrays pre-marital sex as something so innocuous and normal, the ratio for virgins stand 1:10. There's one virgin amidst a sea of ten very happy, completely chill, sexually active, consenting adults. Looking at it that way, sex doesn't seem like such a big deal. Those one out of ten high-strung adults are as rare a breed as unicorns. Some will think they're prudish, old school -- well, more old testament than old school, and religious zealots, and some will think it's pretty darn great that they decided to wait.

The waiting isn't the problem. What poses a bigger question is what exactly you're waiting for. Some of the more religious girls will say it's a gift they want to bestow to their future husbands. These girls were probably the really sweet, really meek ones who grew up to actually marry Prince Charming. Congratulations. You hit the jackpot. Then again, on the other side of the non-sexually active spectrum, you have the people like me. We're the ones who don't know exactly what we're waiting for. In a world where sex is just as normal as riding a bicycle, is there something wrong with us?

There must be something said for delayed and prolonged gratification. However, there are no guarantees that the first time for us waiting-for-the-right-person/moment can be less painful, or easier to face than those awkward, gangly, teenagers doing it for the first time. It's just as scary for us twenty-somethings. I would even go so far as to say that it might just be harder.

For example:

How do you pick who you want to lose your virginity to? Let's get real. There's a bigger chance of Bozo the Clown falling in love with the Grim Reaper than you marrying the person you lose your virginity to. If you lose your virginity to them AFTER marrying them, that's a different story. But come on, will you even get to that point without sex at this day and age?

Second, how do you NOT suck at it? There's nothing more embarrassing than being such a huge disappointment to whoever you're fooling around with. Especially once you've joined the age of the majority. Being sexually naive is cute in theory, but I'm sure it's more of a hassle than anything else.

Third, should you kiss your dreams of making love after a romantic evening, dim lights, mood music, and scented candles goodbye? Is there less effort put in to sex as you grow older? Will sex be an expectation to and of the dating singleton? If so, at which date is it considered appropriate for you to invite said date inside your place?

Fourth, Should you give in to society's pressure as well as your body's natural inclination to joining with another person's, what is the after sex protocol? Is it a wham, bam, thank you, maam? Do you just get up, get dressed, thank them and leave? Do you have permission to use their shower first? Is naked cuddling under the sheets expected? Do you spoon? Do you spend the night in their arms? And following the latter, if you do happen to spend an all-nighter at someone else's place, how do you deal with the morning after? Can you help yourself to the food in their kitchen? Or coffee, at the least? Do you wear his shirt or fit your body back into that skin-tight, alcohol stained, cigarette smelling dress of yours from the night before? Do you just leave? Do you leave a note? Do you wake them up? What do you say to them if they wake up just as you're dressing up? Should you expect a call from them? Will they expect a call from you? The questions are endless, and after years of existence, you'd think that someone would just finally write a tell-all, dating how-to book and save us the time, pain, and pressure of having to navigate the dangerous waters of dating.

Fifth, is it better to just get sex out of the way as early as possible? If I could transport myself back to a younger age, one where I was a reckless teenager and it was permitted, because I was, well, a teenager, and the opportunity presented itself, should I have just given in then to avoid all of the confusing and conflicting emotions it carries in the future? And if just getting sex out of the way makes things easier, should I just literally ask a friend to take my virginity away before having fun, uncomplicated sex with a significant other thereby lessening the pain they will ultimately inflict upon me when our sham of a relationship falls to pieces? Is it better to be able to say "hey, at least I didn't give that prick the benefit of being my first!"?

And to cap it all off, will sex change me as a person? Sure, changes will undoubtedly be brought about... but losing your virginity for the first time is a big deal. And sex, in general, is a big deal. I want it to stay that way. I never want to be desensitized from that... but once I realize that no big change actually happened, the world didn't end, the ground didn't shake, mountains stayed where they are, the sky is still blue, will sex mean less and less as you get it more and more?

Let's not date.

2011-09-14T03:22:00.000-07:00

"Why You Are Wrong For Me"

By KAT GEORGE
Sep. 13, 2011

There are so many reasons why you are right for me. Look! I even made them into a neat list so they’re clear to you:

- We’re enjoying getting to know each other
- We make each other laugh
- We have many similar personality traits
- We are honest with each other
- We see eye-to-eye on many important issues
- We are good at communicating with one another
- We feel comfortable together
- We’re attracted to each other (well I’m at least attracted to you, and I’m guessing you are to me because sometimes you look at me funny)
- We look really cute together
- I get really excited when it’s time to go see you
- It just sort of feels right and natural to be in each other’s company

See! Lots of reasons why you’re right for me, based on what I’m looking for in a partner (and what I assume you, too, are looking for, because we’re so similar in many ways), and these are only the wingtip of the lovebird—I could go on but I don’t want to bore you. And because I don’t think I want to try and convince you that you’re not seeing what’s dancing around in front of your nose throwing glitter and puppy dogs at you yet going completely unnoticed. I shouldn’t have to convince you.

Because, listen, despite all the reasons you’re right for me, there’s one huge, pus-filled blemish that trumps all the other bullet points—you’re not interested in me. Whether you like me or not is irrelevant. You can like me until the cows come home but that’s not going to change the fact that your interest level is humming gently at zero and you’ve got your stupid fat foot on the break (not bitter, promise; your foot is just stupid and fat and that’s not my fault).

So you are wrong for me. You are wrong for me because your mouth doesn’t instinctively melt into mine. You are wrong for me because you’re baulking, and I don’t even really care why anymore, just that you are. You are wrong for me because you can see a way to be without me. And when I think about all the things I’m looking for in a partner, all the other bullet points blur into insignificance if you’re not interested in me.

I thought I was done with romance after all the failed ones, but it turns out I’m not yet ready for the cynical, arms-length relationships I’ve been having. I’m not actually all that broken, believe it or not. Wait, no… Yep, I’m still completely functional. And I want someone to want me like Ryan wanted Marissa. I want you to look at me, to speak to me, to be intrigued by me and to decide, quite simply, “Her.”

You’re wrong for me, and I’m OK with that. I don’t want to be with someone who is wrong for me. Welcome to NYC, bitch—there’s all types of wrong for me out here. And besides, if you were right for me we’d already be together, because that’s what happens when people are right for each other.

SOURCE.

Expectations.

2011-09-14T02:33:00.000-07:00

"The Things You Can Expect When I Fall In Love With You"

By RYAN O'CONNELL
Sept. 8, 2011

You can expect to be surrounded by lots of music. I’ll gift you with a lot of mixed “tapes”, which I’ll spend too much time on (“Which Smiths song should I include? Can I put this Stone Roses jam on here or is it too obviously romantic? I don’t want him to think that I’m sending him messages via a song!”) These mixed tapes are important to me because they create something tangible. If we ever break up, I can put the tapes in a shoebox to remind myself that this love occurred.

You can expect to be taken to lots of dinners and movies. On the surface, I abhor traditional dates but deep down, I love something as simple as Dinner And A Movie. I’m not about to go parasailing on the third date, okay? You can’t see me sweat and do something physical until at least the 8th date.

You can expect a lot of apologizes from me for nothing at all. It’s a nervous tic—apologizing profusely for things that don’t matter and I hate that I do it. I actually want to tell you, “Sorry cause I’M NOT SORRY. I’m only apologizing as some sort of self-loathing exercise.” If you think I’m genuinely apologetic for accidentally taking a sip from your water, you are just as delusional as I am—in which case, we should definitely get married!

You can expect spending a lot of days in bed and ignoring people’s phone calls. I’m really into going off the grid and getting high on each other for nine hours. Has anyone noticed that when you spend all day in bed with a lover, it feels like a drug binge? You’re just addicted to touching their body and you feel like time is standing still. Before you know it, the day is gone and all you’ve accomplished is each other. You spent the day laying in bed naked watching people go by on the street who weren’t in love and doing errands and “making the most of their day”. You’re glad you aren’t them. You’re glad to do nothing.

You can expect a lot of sass, a lot of me pushing you away to see if you’ll come back. I love someone who can push back. It makes me believe that you’re strong and powerful and can do something like build a fire just by conjuring heat with your body. It makes me think that you can do great things and not take anyone’s crap and stick by me even when I’m being a total asshole. We all have habits in relationships that we don’t like and wish we could change. Some are negotiable and some stick like glue. This stuff falls in the latter category.

You can expect a lot of love from me, which is a hard thing to get. But once it’s in your possession, it’s done. Over. I’m screwed. Not today and not tomorrow but someday when it all falls apart. You will have the most intense power over me. You can make me laugh, cry, scream, dance, throw things, whimper etc. It’s like my emotions are a puppet and you’re pulling a string. You know this, I know this, but no one talks about it. No one talks about the awful things someone you love can do to you.

I’m not being defeatist or meaning to paint a bleak picture of relationships. I guess I’m just constantly drawn to the two extremes—how “I love you and want to protect you” can one day turn into “I want to destroy you.” This isn’t always how it works though. Sometimes relationships just naturally fade away. No one is destroyed and the damage is light. And sometimes relationships never end and you marry someone and grow old together and watch each other die. You feel content in knowing that you built your life with someone else. At 25, I can’t fathom that type of love but I want it. Just like you do.

I’m referring here to the relationships that can wreck you. You can expect these things when I fall in love you but what can you expect when we fall out of love?

SOURCE.

2011 Fall TV Schedule

2011-09-14T01:20:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that I enjoy the uncomplicated bliss of sitting in front of a screen, watching my favorite shows. I don't enjoy so much the anticipation of waiting for what happens next (Lord knows I don't so mind hate spoilers, so much as crave for them), it's more of the time-consuming rapture and peek into someone else's life. It's more than just bearing witness, it's like living all the lives you want to live at the comfort of your own home.

With that said, I bring to you the Fall TV schedule of my favorite shows! This also stands as my download guide. Haha!

MONDAY
How I Met Your Mother - Sept. 19
*2 Broke Girls - Sept. 19
Gossip Girl - Sept. 26
*Hart Of Dixie - Sept. 26

TUESDAY
90210 - Sept. 20
Glee - Sept. 20
*New Girl - Sept. 6

WEDNESDAY
Modern Family - Sept. 21
Happy Endings - Sept. 28
America's Next Top Model - Sept. 14
*Up All Night - Sept. 14
*Free Agents - Sept. 14

THURSDAY
The Big Bang Theory - Sept. 22
*Person Of Interest - Sept. 22
Community - Sept. 22

FRIDAY
Nikita - Sept. 23
Chuck - Oct. 21

SUNDAY
The Walking Dead - Oct. 16

2012 returns: The Borgias, Game Of Thrones, True Blood, Pretty Little Liars (January 3, but with a special Halloween episode on Oct.)

[NOTE: Those with * are new shows.]
[Photo SOURCE.]

OTP: Annie and Jeff

2011-09-01T13:02:00.000-07:00

Fans and shippers alike... unite! One of the most well-made fanvids.

The War Is Done.

2011-09-01T12:53:00.000-07:00

We protected the stone, we opened the chamber, we freed the prisoner, we were chosen by the goblet, we fought along side the order, we learned from the prince, we mastered the hallows, and we fought our war.

The war is won.

Fan vids like these... make me so happy.

Marathon List

2011-09-01T07:50:00.000-07:00

The past few weeks have left me wanting to hibernate and just curl up with my usual company of books, tv shows and movies, foregoing social interaction. While this says nothing of my friends, it says something about me and my love for solitary confinement. A lack of well-written prose aside, I plan to keep you all updated on the going-ons of my life and since, as mentioned above, I plan to hole up with fiction, let me just enumerate what's going to occupy my time these days (with the exception of work, of course.)

Television shows: (Catch-up, re-watch, begin...)

Despite its candy colors and sweet romance, this inventive dramedy never veers into saccharine territory. Lee Pace (MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY) stars as Ned, a piemaker with a very special gift: he can bring dead things--from his dog Digby to rotting fruit to people--back to life with a simple touch. But the second he touches them again, they return to their previous state. If he doesn't, something else meets a dire fate. He uses his ability to solve murders and collect the reward with his business partner, a private detective named Emerson Cod (Chi McBride, BOSTON PUBLIC). But when he begins to look into the death of his childhood friend and lost love Charlotte "Chuck" Charles (Anna Friel), Ned can't allow her to remain among the dearly departed. Since Ned and Chuck can never touch, PUSHING DAISIES presents a fascinating, romantic courtship, but it's perfectly countered by the sour humor of Emerson and the jealousy of witty waitress Olive Snook (Kristin Chenowith). Like Tim Burton meets AMELIE, this series arrives from Bryan Fuller, the creator of cult favorite series DEAD LIKE ME and WONDERFALLS. This release includes all nine episodes of the fantasy show's first season. (Plot from Rotten Tomatoes.)

Ever since FRIENDS went off the air, it seems like every new TV sitcom about friendship that ever came out was called as "the next FRIENDS". None came close to being one.

Seven years since, and I've once again come across a new show that's being billed as "the next FRIENDS". It never gets old, I guess.

Happy Endings is about an ex-couple and four of their friends. The premise is about dealing with being friends with your ex and the series stars Elisha Cuthbert (who everyone loved to hate on 24). The show is created by David Caspe. I checked the guy's credentials on IMDb and this is his very first TV series.

I'm a bit excited for this one, if only because most critics say it does fare well and may in fact be the FRIENDS of this decade.

I also like the fact that the girls on the cast are two of the better young female comedians I've seen in a while -- Eliza Coupe, who was on Scrubs and Casey Wilson, who appeared on Saturday Night Live. (Review from HERE.)

From Reveille and NBC Universal Television Studio comes a documentary-style look into the humorous and sometimes poignant foolishness that plagues the world of 9-to-5 in the half-hour comedy "The Office," based on the award-winning BBC hit. A fly-on-the-wall docu-reality parody about modern American office life, "The Office" delves into the lives of the workers at Dunder Mifflin paper supply company in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Regional manager Michael Scott (Steve Carell, "The Daily Show," "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy," "Bruce Almighty") is a single, middle-aged man who is the boastful tour guide for the documentary. With unshaken enthusiasm, Michael believes he is the office funnyman, a fountain of business wisdom and his employees' cool friend. He has no clue that his employees tolerate his inappropriate behavior only because he signs their paychecks. Painstakingly trying to be liked and look cool, Michael comes off alternately absurd and pathetic. His prize possession is his "World's Greatest Boss" mug -- which he had to buy for himself. Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer, "Miss Match") is the reasonable and friendly office receptionist who bears the brunt of Michael's routines. The bright spots in Pam's day are her conversations with Jim Halpert (John Krasinski, "Kinsey"), a likable sales rep with a good sense of humor who should have found a better job years ago, but is too comfortable with his office mates and routine to leave. Jim shares his working space with Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson, "Six Feet Under"), the arrogant assistant to the regional manager. Dwight is intensely irritating to normal people and Jim spends a lot of time finding new, interesting ways to drive Dwight crazy. Ryan Howard (B.J. Novak, "Punk'd") is a young, smart, self-possessed temp, who quickly figures out the real office politics despite Michael's attempts to instill the official point-of-view. "The Office" is executive-produced by Ben Silverman, Greg Daniels, Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant and Howard Klein. (Review from Rotten Tomatoes.)

Modern Family is an American family comedy series that airs on ABC. It is created by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan. The mockumentary follows the families of Jay Pritchett (Ed O'Neill), his daughter Claire Dunphy (Julie Bowen), and his son Mitchell Pritchett (Jesse Tyler Ferguson), who all live in Los Angeles. Claire is a homemaker mom married to Phil Dunphy (Ty Burrell). They have three children: Haley (Sarah Hyland), Alex (Ariel Winter) and Luke (Nolan Gould). Jay is married to a much younger Colombian woman, Gloria (Sofía Vergara), and is helping her raise her pre-teen son, Manny (Rico Rodriguez II). Mitchell and his partner Cameron Tucker (Eric Stonestreet) have adopted a Vietnamese baby, Lily. (Blurb from Wikipedia.)

Books:

Being a Greek god is not all it once was. Yes, the twelve gods of Olympus are alive and well in the twenty-first century, but they are crammed together in a London townhouse-and none too happy about it. And they've had to get day jobs: Artemis as a dog-walker, Apollo as a TV psychic, Aphrodite as a phone sex operator, Dionysus as a DJ.

Even more disturbingly, their powers are waning, and even turning mortals into trees—a favorite pastime of Apollo's—is sapping their vital reserves of strength.

Soon, what begins as a minor squabble between Aphrodite and Apollo escalates into an epic battle of wills. Two perplexed humans, Alice and Neil, who are caught in the crossfire, must fear not only for their own lives, but for the survival of humankind. Nothing less than a true act of heroism is needed-but can these two decidedly ordinary people replicate the feats of the mythical heroes and save the world?

"With her knack for being in trouble's way, Sookie witnesses the firebombing of Merlotte's, the bar where she works. Since Sam Merlotte is now known to be two-natured, suspicion falls immediately on the anti-shifters in the area. But Sookie suspects otherwise and she and Sam work together to uncover the culprit - and the twisted motive for the attack. But her attention is divided. Though she can't 'read' vampires, Sookie knows her lover Eric Northman and his 'child' Pam well - and she realises that they are plotting to kill the vampire who is now their master. Gradually, she is drawn into the plot -which is much more complicated than she knows. Caught up in the politics of the vampire world, Sookie will learn that she is as much of a pawn as any ordinary human - and that there is a new Queen on the board . . . "

The Hunger Games

2011-08-31T12:29:00.000-07:00

Alright, hollywood. Not feeling it so far. Don't disappoint me.

Community

2011-08-31T12:21:00.000-07:00

Is it just me, or does everyone else get crazy obsessive with their interests as well?

Because really, I am inappropriately personally involved with the characters of my favorite shows, movies, novels and what not.

There's something to be said about escapism and once I find out what it is, I'll let you know.

Honestly, I apologize for the lack of meaningful (if you can call any of them meaningful -- I try to be poignant, but fail marvelously) posts. I really have nothing to say. AND THAT is my great shame as a writer.

Maybe I should pull a Jeff Winger and head back to College and form a study group full of Misfits.

POTTERMORE: HOUSE

2011-08-31T12:19:00.000-07:00

Seriously... is anyone surprised? (:

POTTERMORE: WAND

2011-08-25T10:28:00.000-07:00

So... earlier today, I got an email saying I can now access my POTTERMORE account. Yay! From here on in, my posts will be potter-filled and will just recount my online wizarding exploits.

First order of business goes to wands.

Once you enter Ollivander's, a series of questions will have to be answered. I'm censoring mine, but it will be available upon request. Here are the questions:

What is your size for your age?
What color are your eyes?
Was the day you were born an odd number or even number?
What do you pride yourself on?
Travelling alone, which route would you take?
What do you fear most?
What would you take from a chest of magical objects?

The wand I got is...

Here's the description:
WAND CORE

WAND LENGTH & FLEXIBILITY

WAND WOOD

I'll update with more news soon! (=

Dad's Rules

2011-08-16T09:31:00.000-07:00

Great read from My So-Called World.

A FATHER’S RULES FOR FINDING FULFILLMENT

Be courteous, be punctual, always say please and thank you, and be sure to hold your knife and fork properly. Others take their cue on how to treat you from your manners.

Be kind, considerate and compassionate when others are in trouble, even if you have problems of your own. Others will admire your selflessness and will help you in due course.

Show moral courage. Do what is right, even if that makes you unpopular. I always thought it important to be able to look at myself in the shaving mirror every morning and not feel guilt or remorse. I depart this world with a pretty clear conscience.

Show humility. Stand your ground but pause to reflect on what the other side are saying, and back off when you know you are wrong. Never worry about losing face. That only happens when you are pig-headed.

Learn from your mistakes. You will make plenty so use them as a learning tool. If you keep making the same mistake or run into a problem, you’re doing something wrong.

Avoid disparaging someone to a third party; it is only you who will look bad. If you have a problem with someone, tell them face to face.

Hold fire! If someone crosses you, don’t react immediately. Once you say something it can never be taken back, and most people deserve a second chance.

Have fun. If this involves taking risks, so be it. If you get caught, hold your hands up.

Give to charity and help those who are less fortunate than yourselves: it’s easy and so rewarding.

Always look on the upside! The glass is half full, never half empty. Every adversity has a silver lining if you seek it out.
Make it your instinct always to say ‘yes’. Look for reasons to do something, not reasons to say no. Your friends will cherish you for that.

Be canny: you will get more of what you want if you can give someone more of what they desire. Compromise can be king.

Always accept a party invitation. You may not want to go, but they want you there. Show them courtesy and respect.
Never ever let a friend down. I would bury bodies for my friends, if they asked me to . . . which is why I have chosen them carefully.

Always tip for good service. It shows respect. But never reward poor service. Poor service is insulting.

Always treat those you meet as your social equal, whether they are above or below your station in life. For those above you, show due deference, but don’t be a sycophant.

Always respect age, as age equals wisdom.

Be prepared to put the interests of your sibling first.

Be proud of who you are and where you come from, but open your mind to other cultures and languages. When you begin to travel (as I hope you will), you’ll learn that your place in the world is both vital and insignificant. Don’t get too big for your breeches.

Be ambitious, but not nakedly so. Be prepared to back your assertions with craftsmanship and hard work.

Live every day to its full: do something that makes you smile or laugh, and avoid procrastination.

Give of your best at school. Some teachers forget that pupils need incentives. So if your teacher doesn’t give you one, devise your own.

Always pay the most you can afford. Never skimp on hotels, clothing, shoes, make-up or jewellery. But always look for a deal. You get what you pay for.

Never give up! My two little soldiers have no dad, but you are brave, big-hearted, fit and strong. You are also loved by an immensely kind and supportive team of family and friends. You make your own good fortune, my children, so battle on.

Never feel sorry for yourself, or at least don’t do it for long. Crying doesn’t make things better.

Look after your body and it will look after you.

Learn a language, or at least try. Never engage a person abroad in conversation without first greeting them in their own language; by all means ask if they speak English!

And finally, cherish your mother, and take very good care of her.

I love you both with all my heart.
Daddy x

SOURCE.

What's On My Mind

2011-08-10T08:59:00.000-07:00

So I haven't had the chance to sit back and write about the most banal things in the planet, but I've been meaning to update you all on the going-ons of my life.

I've been hanging out with new friends lately and our latest craze has been getting together at my house for game nights. We usually just hit up the nearest pizza joint, order in, smoke, and have a couple of laughs while getting intensely competitive while playing Monopoly Deal, Taboo, Jengga, HP Trivia Game and what not.

Skinny Sweets, my business, also introduced S'MORES CUPCAKES to our expanding menu, and with my business partner, Raleene, having to juggle her thesis as well as her other jobs, schedules have been tight and hectic. We've decided that for the mean time, I man the fort full-time while she does what she can when I'm not around. I'm exhausted, but I'm still having tons of fun!

I also shut myself from the real world and picked up George R. R. Martin's A Song Of Ice and Fire. It is beyond awesome. The TV show is pretty great too.

SO, aside from that and some meet-ups with friends, that has pretty much been my life.

Exciting, no?

Love Always,
Essa.

On Loss

2011-08-05T23:21:00.000-07:00

Is it possible to feel pain for an abstract concept?

Can you feel the loss of something that was yours in theory, but not in truth?

At midnight last night, 20 weeks into her pregnancy, my sister gave an early birth to a beautiful baby girl. While she entered this world breathing and alive, her time with us was cut horribly short as she wasn't ready for it yet.

We were all out with our own plans for the evening when we received word of the tragedy. And though some might say she wasn't ours just yet, about how none of us had met her or spoken word to her, or spent time with her, we grieve for the loss of what could be, we grieve for each other, and mostly, we grieve for our sister, our daughter, our mother.

My sister is one of the strongest women -- people, I have had the opportunity of knowing. She's a tough cookie and she's keeping strong. While none of us doubt that she will get through this, body, mind, and soul intact, we feel the toll it is taking on her as well. We want to give hugs, hold her hand, and offer words of comfort, but what do you say to someone who is going through this? What do you say when dreams of sleepless nights, cuddling, raising and rearing a child is pried right from your very fingers? How to comfort someone when you see them, fetal-position, afraid and angry at the world? How do the words come out when your breath catches, you lose your voice, and it's taking every inch of your being to prevent the tears from falling? How can you offer your strength when you are just as naked?

**

And because I'm crying buckets, facebook decides to kick me when I'm down. Here's a thread from my Mum's facebook status.

MOM
Status: the pain a mother is twice the pain of her child for she has to endure her child's pain as well as her own.

MOM'S FRIEND 1:
so true....

MOM:
my daughter just gave birth at 20 weeks to a baby girl. it wasn't a still birth but the baby passed away after a few minutes because it was too early for her. my heart is bleeding both for my daughter and my little baby girl.

MOM'S SISTER:
What sad sad news for Ida and for all of you. Prayers will be offered for the little one, and for Ida too.

MOM:
thanks, ate. i really feel so bad.

MOM'S FRIEND 1:
am sorry to hear that my dear. Will pray that God give you and specially your daughter the strength to endure the loss. =(

MOM:
thank you, susan. i prayed so hard last night that this would not happen but my prayers were left unanswered. at this point, can't help asking why. so many babies are born from unwanted pregnancies. why take a child who is already so loved and wanted long before she is born?

MOM'S SISTER 2:
Oh dear. Your baby girl is now an Angel and is in a wonderful, peaceful place. Do find comfort in that. As for Ida and JC, you and the rest of the family, you all have each other. God will tell you why in His own time and time is now your friend.

MOM:
thanks, vikki. and for the call, too.

Jane Eyre

2011-08-04T00:55:00.000-07:00

I just finished watching Cary Fukunaga's take on the timeless Charlotte Bronte novel, Jane Eyre.

While Toby Stephens remains my favorite Edward Rochester, I have to say that Michel Fassbender comes a close second. Where Stephens' Rochester is this wild, tameless, beast, a man made crazy by the sins of his youth, Fassbender delivers a much more brooding, mercurial and bitter performance - a man plagued and haunted by (SPOILER!) his crazy wife and his honor. Both depictions, different as they may be, were wildly captivating, yet the difference of Toby Stephens' portrayal tipped the scale to his favor for me. Sorry Fassy, but there are way too many other brooding heroes out there. Ruth Wilson, on the other hand, has been kicked to second place by the wonderful Mia Wasikowska! Her quiet and subtle resilience translates so well on film. The range of emotion she is able to convey with just one look is enough to make me want to get down on my knees and apologize for the wrong that have been done to her in the past.

Another aspect of the film that deeply impressed me was how director Fukunaga and scriptwriter Buffini managed to condense this compelling drama into just 2 short hours. One of the main reasons I loved the BBC version so much is that there was enough time to be able to stay so close and respectful of the novel, and the 4 hour tv series did just that. However, to have stayed so religious to the book yet manage to condense that to half the time is testament to both Buffini's skill as a writer and Fukunaga's skill as a director. For certain, there will be scenes missed, yet nothing that stood out so much to be noted. Purists may also have something to say about the timeline, but I truly believe that by starting the movie with the older Jane, you are able to establish a deeper connection with her.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed watching this adaptation of Jane Eyre and I'm sure we can expect great things from director Fukunaga, as well as rising stars Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender.

POTTERMORE

2011-07-31T02:54:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, Harry Potter!

2011-07-30T20:51:00.001-07:00

And to your creator, Ms. Jo Rowling!

Bravery

2011-07-27T14:05:00.000-07:00

On Being Brave Enough To Start Again
By KATE GEORGE
Jul 27, 2011

We’ve all felt the sting of heartbreak at one time or another. And even though our experiences are not all alike—varying in extremity from unrequited crushes to soul-mates lost—between our collective, vast array of disappointments, our damp, tear stained pillow cases and brooding, lonely days, we’ve probably all had the same thought at some point: I’m not doing this again. Because no matter how you go through it, or what way you look at it, heartbreak is a taxing exercise.

There are many different ways of dealing, from the stoic, silent suffering of the proud, to the hysterical, lurid self-destruction of the openly distraught; having your heart broken is always a process. No matter how you deal, heartbreak can drain you entirely, both emotionally and physically, and sap your energy on a daily basis, especially where you have a drawn out healing period. But the worst part of having your heart broken sometimes doesn’t manifest until you feel strong again and steel your resolve—it’s the promise you make to yourself that you’ll never be heartbroken again.

It’s painful because you know it’s not you, it’s not right, and because your decision inhibits you from making contact the way you used to. But your aversion to heartbreak is overwhelming, and controls all your actions to the point of self-sabotage, which your wrought subconscious by now deems to be self-preservation. You don’t want to spend those months drinking alone in your room every night. You don’t want to end evenings out with friends sprawled across some dingy bathroom floor, your cheeks stained with mascara and your head resting against the porcelain. You don’t want to lie in bed until 3pm everyday with nothing but white noise in your head. You just don’t want to feel any of those feelings again—emptiness, sorrow, rejection—the ones that came from you letting yourself be vulnerable to someone else. You don’t ever want to relinquish that sort of power to someone again.

Every now and then you’ll meet someone new. Someone maybe your heart would have raced away with, before you experienced the crippling agony of having it broken. And yeah, maybe your heart’s been repaired since, maybe you’re as happy as you’ve ever been and entirely satisfied with yourself and your life—but that’s just the point, isn’t it? You’re no longer prepared to disrupt the harmony. You barely survived it—the first time your world was picked up and shaken like a shitty little snow globe—and you’re not willing to hedge a bet that you’ll survive it a second time.

So you’ll push the new ones away instinctively. Half of you will be relieved and the other half will pang with melancholy. You want to be braver—because when it comes down to the bones of it, all you really are is scared. You wish it was as simple as calling out to your mother and having her check under your bed and in the closet for the boogey man, but you’re on your own now, with no one to protect you from night terrors but yourself. You sometimes think the conflict inside you is tantamount to spilt milk and you feel petty and selfish, but you’ve become so accustomed to living on the back foot you don’t know how to leap forward anymore.

You’re not a bad person—you know you’re not—you have so much love to give, but you’ve never feared anything more than giving it. It seems like such a shame and waste, but at the same time entirely necessary. You desperately want to be inspired again, to hold someone’s hand in the street, to have them brush the hair from your eyes as you rest your face on their chest in bed on lazy Sundays. You want someone to tell you they love you in the dim half-light of morning, you want someone you can cook dinner for, you want someone whose wounds you can lick. You want someone who is at once your best friend but with whom you share the secret sweetness of sex, and a heightened physical and emotional intimacy. And yet: wanting is not the same as having, and you let them all pass by you and around you, like wind whipping against your ankles. Your heart is still and safe.

SOURCE.

MY LIFE

2011-07-21T03:47:00.000-07:00

I've always known that my life would end up following one of my favorite sit-coms.

So no one told you life was gonna be this way
Your job's a joke, you're broke, your love life's D O A
It's like you're always stuck in second gear
When it hasn't been your day, your week
Your month or even your year but

I'll be there for you
(When the rain starts to pour)
I'll be there for you
(Like I've been there before)
I'll be there for you
('Cause you're there for me too)

You're still in bed at ten and work began at eight
You've burned your breakfast so far things are going great
Your mother warned you there'd be days like these
But she didn't tell you when the world
Has brought you down to your knees that

I'll be there for you
(When the rain starts to pour)
I'll be there for you
(Like I've been there before)
I'll be there for you
('Cause you're there for me too)

No one could ever know me, no one could ever see me
Since you're the only one who knows what it's like to be me
Someone to face the day with, make it through all the rest with
Someone I'll always laugh with
Even at my worst, I'm best with you, yeah

It's like you're always stuck in second gear
When it hasn't been your day, your week
Your month, or even your year

I'll be there for you
(When the rain starts to pour)
I'll be there for you
(Like I've been there before)
I'll be there for you
('Cause you're there for me too)

I'll be there for you
(When the rain starts to pour)
I'll be there for you
(Like I've been there before)
I'll be there for you
('Cause you're there for me too)

CLASSIFIED AD

2011-07-19T00:08:00.000-07:00

WANTED: SIGNIFICANT OTHER.

must love debates
interesting conversation
decorating and participating in holidays
mischief
light teasing
and staying in

no particular height
weight
hair/ eye color
or political/ spiritual affiliation required
but would prefer a warm, non-racist

sexists
chauvinists
gangsters
and other cliche archetypes need not apply

skinny, lean figures a plus but not pre-requisite

any similarity in look, mind set, or fashion sense to
David Tennant
Mark Darcy
Fitzwilliam Darcy
John Thornton
Edward Rochester
or Mr. Knightley will be met with great enthusiasm

I am dubious of reformed badboys and players, ladies men, criminals and gay men but will not rule them out completely.

must be tolerant of singing
tickle wars
eating in bed
jazz and showtunes
chick-flicks and romance comedies
and sleeping late

I love to read
love to write
and will ask for your opinion about every single thing

I have a rather fast gait
no-nonsense manner
and an exceptional love for the cold

I like to wrap up in a blanket with a hot drink (preferably coffee or hot chocolate) so it would be nice if you enjoyed that too

I sleep on my stomach
am a heavy sleeper
and I watch Christmas movies all year long

All I want is
eskimo kisses
waking up with a smile on my face
pizza and movie nights
and to laugh, and make you laugh, until we fall in an exhausted heap in bed, both tired from happiness.

My Relationship Resume

2011-07-18T14:38:00.000-07:00

Totally ripped this idea from THOUGHT CATALOG.

***

Alessandra Martinez Pamandanan
alessa_**@yahoo.com
#12 Grimmauld Place
0916*******

MISSION
To secure a position in a heterosexual relationship where my interests, traits, and personality will amalgamate with another person's interests, traits, and personality thereby providing both parties involved with a habitable, suitable, and satisfying partnership. Following that, I plan to enter an alliance wherein I can fully and extensively exercise my preference of complete (sometimes brutal) honesty and my genuine thirst to make the opposite party happy.

CORE COMPETENCIES
Humorous, at times • Well-read • Open-minded • Interested in the Arts • Loyal • Educated • Rational • Sane • Logical • Sweet, but not overtly so • Hard-working • Has a wide range of taste when it comes to films and music • Sociable • Honest • Relatively Healthy • Will try my hardest to get along with your family/ friends (except if they're complete idiots, then I don't see why I, nor you for that matter, should even bother) • Polite • Generous • Self-Aware • Socially Aware • Not unattrative • Not Insecure (meaning I'm not a paranoid psycho who will nag at you and get jealous of every other girl in your life)

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

NICE GUY WHO MOVED AWAY TO ANOTHER CONTINENT THEREBY LEAVING ME ALONE BOTH LITERALLY AND METAPHORICALLY, 2006-2007
(part-time)
CEO

• First time to ever date anyone where effort was put in, though it was on and off and very highschool-y.
• Discovered that I do not possess one jealous bone in my body. (Meaning said partner dated around while I obliviously continued thinking we were dating exclusively)
• Found I have a propensity to keep my relationships to myself. (Meaning I don't really talk to my friends/ family about obstacles and roadblocks found in a relationship I want to take seriously.)
• Slowly tried to help said partner in this adjustment phase of his life.
• Effectively communicated with partner (except for that tiny blip where I thought we were exclusively dating) and talked him through many conversations regarding the future, his family, and his friends.
• Found that while I appreciate the romance in looking at the stars while swinging on swings, I'm not really the type to wax lyrical about them.

GOOD GUY WHO PUT UP WITH SOME OF MY QUIRKS BEFORE CALLING IT QUITS, 2007-2008
(full-time)
CEO

• Learned that relationships take work (and not just effort).
• Devoted and threw self completely in said other person's life.
• Became a raging alcoholic as Good Guy enjoyed a bottle (or two, or three, or four...) of alcoholic beverage.
• Took care of said partner when he got too drunk to care about his well-being.
• Had innocent weekly sleep-overs at his house.
• Met his entire family and got to know them pretty well.
• Discovered what it means to be spoiled.
• Talked partner through an identity crisis, as well as soothed his fears of the future and what it might hold for him, never considering what it held for us.
• Realized that am not ready for an adult relationship so when he finally tried to make a move and was met by a rejection, found out what it was like to have a person completely vanish from your life.
• Went through an identity and existential crises myself in the 2 week suspension given to me before work resumed.
• Quietly parted ways shortly after 2 week suspension due to irreconcilable differences.

Please do not hesitate to inquire about my freelancing experience from 2008 onwards.

EDUCATION
Bachelor of Arts, Films and Novels, Since I was born, University of Life, EARTH.

SKILLS & INTERESTS
• The internet, (jazz, alternative, indie, showtunes) music, (old, classics, comedy, drama, period piece, adaptations) films, coffee, cigarettes, (classic, historical romance, bildungsroman, thriller, fantasy, contemporary romance, historical, fiction, drama) novels, literature, Christmas, Halloween, comfort food, pastries, desserts, friends, family, parks, vacations, outings.
• Enjoys writing and performing.
• Proficient in logical and rational thinking, as well as debates and discussions.

REFERENCES

Available upon request.

Genuine Love

2011-07-09T12:51:00.000-07:00

A decade ago, Jo and her merry band of witches and wizards turned me into literature.

Thank you, Jo.

And thank you, Harry.

Marvel vs. DC

2011-07-09T12:42:00.000-07:00

Birthdays & Weekend Getaways

2011-07-03T12:03:00.000-07:00

To begin, let me give a warm thank you to everyone who made the effort to greet me on my special day. From the bottom of my black black heart (or what passes for it), I thank you. You are too sweet and too kind. I almost don't deserve it. Haha.

For the weekend of my birthday, I celebrated with my family and friends over at Balai Isabel, Batangas.