Team chibi'D

The Art of Savvy Packing

2007-10-31T02:40:50Z

Yeah right. I hate packing. I tend to always overpack, but still always seem to pack the wrong things or forget something important. And I’m also a procrastinator, one of those people who wants to cram at the last minute. I’ve been procrastinating about this for the past week now or so. I can’t figure out and try how to pack lightly as I do not want to lug around a big luggage. Take note, the operative word is “try”. The art of packing lightly is really hard for me. I have a lot of things which I think are necessary for my day-to-day living, here take a look:

And these are just for the things I can’t live without. And then there are the clothes….. and shoes argh!

There are many resources for packing lightly just by browsing in the web alone but those are for people who will be backpacking which doesn’t really apply to me.

Packing is always difficult even when I leave out all the toiletries that I can get wherever I am. We are leaving for Europe next week and originally tried to fit everything into one luggage plus my usual carry-on with all my essentials that I don’t want checked. Even after packing, throwing out half and then looking to see what I didn’t need, it is still crazy- have to take enough layers to prepare for weather changes and shoes which take up a ton of room. I’m feeling panicky. At this point I always feel like backing out of all travel plans. I hate the trouble of deciding what to take with me, the packing itself, and especially the part where you keep wondering whether you took everything you need.

Yes, I know, I don’t travel to places where you couldn’t buy whatever you left at home (and more) but still, it’s just so nervewracking. And I’m real lousy at packing. I start to sweat just by looking at the pile of clothes and thinking that I should manage to roll them into nice tight bunches.

Have I ever forgotten anything of “vital” importance? No, not really. Well, nail clippers… I had to buy a really crappy pair in Phuket one time.

Another WTF?!?! moment.....

2007-10-28T19:46:25Z

I needed to have my ID picture taken and we were wandering aimlessly at the plaza where a mom-n-pop photography studio used to stand but alas! It was replaced by a ceviche chain! Disappointed, we decided to go inside CVS and found out they were taking passport pictures with only a short waiting period so I went for it. As we were waiting, the usual compulsive buying attacked again. We were roaming around the store, guess what we saw!

photo provided by nixpaztix, inc.

Mayonnaise is a very traumatic product for me. My mother used to slather the white stuff into my hair as a child in order to tame my wild hair. She believed it was a conditioning agent- when really the only thing it did was cause me to smell like a bologna sandwich.

The product spawned the discovery of the Casimir Effect, which proves that the universe will always expand. Invented in 1756, George Washington Carver seemed to have his hand in it. Not to be confused with its more disgusting knock off, mayonnaise has a lot going for it. A favorite Spelling Bee word, a racial litmus test, a hair conditioner — is there anything mayonnaise cannot do? You can even win prizes with it! What other condiments spawned theories? Sunday school kids learn about faith and mustard seeds. Guess what? Ketchup is hot on its wheels. Next thing we know, it will be used as a face-mask. Scary.

To quote a friend, “White & Creamy is my favorite food group.” I’m nearly falling off my chair over here. Must be tired. Or a simpleton.

What could've been....

2007-10-25T19:31:03Z

Remember back when life was great and Veronica Mars was still on the air? Yeah, those were good times. Anyway, the oft-discussed, never-aired FBI concept trailer shot earlier this year is a special feature on the third season DVD set.

I really hope Rob Thomas kept the book rights for the show. I doubt a movie would get off the ground, but I’d love to read the continuing story, and maybe get a happy ending for Veronica after all.

The Evolution of Johnny Depp

2007-10-23T01:42:50Z

No one can accuse Johnny Depp of being “generic”. Basically, he does what he wants, says what he wants, wears what he wants, and is obviously comfortable in his skin. So whatever he wears always looks good as a result - even when it looks goofy. You gotta respect that. He does not follow the typical handsome leading man route and moves to his own beat.

21 Jump Street (1987)

Cry Baby (1990)

It never ceases to amaze me how thoughtful the guy comes across in interviews…he seems like a genuinely good guy and awesome (if a bit quirky, but that’s part of his charm) human being, which I can’t say for other people I’ve seen interviewed. So much of the “look” is attitude and self-confidence, which he has in abundance. Either that or he is such a good actor that he can pull off attitude and self-confidence. He’d look good in anything. Or nothing. (Teehee)

Edward Scissorhands (1990)

What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? (1993)

Don Juan de Marco (1995)

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)

Pirates of the Carribean (2006)

now @43 years old (2007)

Who else would be willing to take a character and turn him in to a fay Keith Richardson with blackend teeth and greasy hair and have people still think he’s cool? Savvy? A round of applause, please, for Johnny Depp — who isn’t afraid of being himself.

Johnny Depp for the motherfuckin’ win!

When the going gets tough....

2007-10-21T21:23:55Z

The tough goes shopping. You wouldn't believe the amount of junk we've accumulated over the almost weekend (Friday) and the weekend. It was a rare moment when I felt like cooking and I had a craving for meatloaf. Not the kind of meatloaf with ground beef, a dash of salt n'peppa although it has those but the Pinoy variety where instead of sticking it in the oven, put the timer on and voila! Meatloaf in no time. No, I wanted to make something a little bit more ambitious and complicated than that. I took our humongous steamer from the garage cupboard and fire up the stove. In short, I almost burnt the house down. (I almost panicked and called 911). For those who are interested enough to know, I'm okay and thank God, the house is still intact although it reeks of barbecue from the billowing smoke coming from the burnt steamer. Argh. So I ruined the stove's drip pan. I immediately called my little pet, NiXXi to go buy the stuff. Off we went and armed with a shopping list (DRIP PANS!), we entered this domain called:

Roaming around the store looking for the only thing on our shopping list, we saw tons and tons of Halloween gunk and Christmas junk, too. Ever have a penchant for Barbie Pink Christmas tree? Betcha they don't sell it at any christmas tree lot around the country.

And guess what else we saw? The doppelganger chicktards' (I will never dis the Olsen twins!) perfume line.

Generally speaking, I don't impulse buy because I hate to spend money on stupid stuff. But there are also certain times when the urge is too strong to fight it. This weekend was an example.

This is what we were supposed to buy:

This is what we ended up buying.

Weekend shopping done even before the weekend comes! Can I get a woot woot! Then comes Saturday. We needed bookcases in the beroom for our growing collection of reading materials. Went to IKEA (yes, I said I wasn't gonna go anymore but we needed an easy fix so yeah boohoo!) with a tape measure and a piece of paper where I wrote down the size of the bookcase we wanted. I was very careful not to pick up anything even if the impulse was so strong. Saw what I wanted and wrote down the aisle and bin number. Went down to the warehouse and headed straight for the aisle of the bookcases. As I got to take a look at the package, I realize it wouldn't fit my car. I could've chosen to have it delivered but the line at the service counter where they were doing it was a mile long.

I just couldn't leave the store empty-handed. Grabbed a wok and some swedish meatballs to make me feel better. Impulse buying at it's best. It has long been assumed that impulse buying happens at the cash register and while doing so, they have me in mind. And then we moved on to Target. You wouldn't believe the shit stuff we bought.

An impulse purchase, according to Wikipedia is:

Marketers and retailers tend to exploit these impulses which are tied to the basic need for instant gratification. For example, a shopper in a supermarket might not specifically be shopping for candy. However, candy, gum and mints are prominently displayed at the checkout aisles to trigger impulse buyers to buy what they might not have otherwise considered. Sale items are displayed in much the same fashion.
Impulse buying can also extend to so-called "big ticket" items such as automobiles and home appliances. Automobiles in particular are as much an emotional purchase as a rational one. This in turn leads auto dealers all over the world to market their products in a rapid-fire, almost carnival-like manner designed to appeal to emotion over reason.

Thank God, I've never bought a car on an impulse. After spending a couple of hundred dollars I am finally exhausted. Another weekend. Another lesson learned. The most important thing to remember is:

Don’t go shopping. The sure fire way to prevent impulsive buying is to refrain from going to stores.

Impulse buying for the motherfuckin' lost!

Movie Review: Transformers the Movie

2007-10-20T18:40:27Z

Living with an older brother who hogs the TV remote while growing up is quite an experience. I would have no choice but watch the cartoon version when I was a kid. When I saw the trailer for this movie, I thought it could be interesting but not enough for me to anticipate and go see the movie on its first weekend debut. I decided it's one of those movies that will I will have to wait until the DVD release.

Went to our local Blockbuster and rented it out. Was I pleasantly surprised! It's not a chickflik alright. It's a movie, according to my brother, for "real men". He was gushing on and on about it. To give you an idea, here are his words word for word:

"I do not care for anybody telling me otherwise. Transformers has got to be, hands down, the coolest thing ever. There is nothing that makes me feel more of a man. Watching Optimus Prime transform is, literally, orgasmic. One line from the movie, that I would kill to be able to say, at least once in my life: Gentlemen... Let me introduce you to my friend: Optimus Prime"

What a nut! :-)

Transformers is a very mixed bag. There are great things about it and there are some not-so-great things about it...

The good:

- The visual effects. Perhaps the best special effects I've ever seen in a movie. The transformations are amazing not to mention super-awesome. The CGI fits in seamlessly with the live action and it's easy to forget how logistically difficult a lot of it would have been to film.

- The sound design. The sound effects complement the action perfectly making everything twice as exciting. Probably less acknowledged is the alien atmosphere created by some of the score which heightens the tension very effectively and probably without the majority of the audience noticing.

- Shia LeBeouf. Without him the movie wouldn't be nearly as engaging. He has natural comic timing and is probably second to none in expressing disbelief of the "holy crap, there's a giant alien robot transforming in front of me" variety.

- The humour. Transformers is funnier than most good comedies which I was not expecting in the least. The transformers themselves are often funnier than they are impressive.

- The Decepticons. Man are they cool. The opening scene is particularly kick-arse.

The bad:

- Megan Fox. If hot means "can't act and doesn't weigh much" then yes, she's very hot. It's not a good sign if you want one of the main characters to die or at least get out of the way and stop trying to act. Her performance just seemed very shallow and probably wasn't helped by her dialogue.

- The script. Although the overall storyline is good, some of the dialogue is terrible. Too much of the film is spent on mumbo jumbo technical explanations the audience just doesn't care about. The less serious parts of the script work very well though.

- Michael Bay. Although some of the action scenes are very well put together and the humorous parts are timed very well, Bay can't help but ruin some of the scenes with unnecessarily flashy editing and over the top drama accompanied by none-too-subtle dramatic music. It's not that Michael Bay's style is too loud, it's that it's too clichéd.

- The music. Nothing new here (other than the alien sounding parts). Practically rips of Batman Begins and is otherwise forgettable. The music should enhance the film by bringing out interesting themes or emotions, not force feeding us the drama we can plainly see on the screen in super slow motion.

The ugly:

- Megatron. He's ugly. And super cool.

Sorry folks, I got a little carried away with the screenshots :-)

The plot and some of the narrative aren't exactly Oscar material; but then again that's expected from all movies following a similar fashion - Independance Day, Armaggedon, etc. They all follow the same storyline of the Earth being under attack, everything seems bleak and suddenly the heros overcome and win the day. And there's the obvious love story that has to be thrown in there for good measure. Story moves a little too fast and the acting isn't super amazing, but that's overshadowed by the humor and those darn-good graphics. And anyway, you're not really going in for the storyline if you're watching a movie about superhuman transforming robots taking over the earth, are you?

So, my verdict? The good outweighs the bad pretty comfortably. If you took out the bad you might even have a classic on your hands. Instead you get revolutionary action scenes and some great comedy.

Hiding in plain sight for the motherfuckin' win!

Glorietta Bombing

2007-10-20T18:20:53Z

News excerpt from CNN:

“Mario Em, a taxi driver, said he had just dropped two women off at the mall when the blast hurled the passengers against his vehicle, killing them instantly. He said he pulled one of the victims, who was pregnant, from underneath his car

“Mae Ann Sison said her sister, Angelica Cortez, was on an escalator going down from the second floor when the blast tossed her in the air.She landed on the escalator and her right foot got caught in the escalator chain and she was hit by glass shards from shops around her,” Sison said, adding a chunk of concrete hit her sister’s head.”

People inside the mall scampered toward the exits when the blast shook the mall. ‘One man who was in front of me was already dead. There was a child, but we don’t know where the child is now,’ said Dennis Inigo, who was shopping at the time. ‘The man’s wife was with me a while ago, and her leg was shattered. Many people were falling on top of each other,’ he said. ‘It was loud, and then it became dusty.’”

I feel sick to my stomach. It’s deeply shocking to hear the news of another bombing in Manila. This time the explosion happened in Glorietta 2 at around 1:30 pm this afternoon, according to reports.

Makes you wonder how those who were behind this are able to sleep at night. If this is indeed another destabilization plot, why not address their grievances to the right venues? It’s sad because the victims are innocent. I feel for the victims, as well as their families. For more on the news, click here.

I’m really bothered. Thank God, it’s Friday. Will be hibernating for the weekend. Go to NiXXi’s for your daily bloggorhea fix. Catch up with you on Monday.

Clutter Free

2007-10-19T20:35:14Z

My house isn't spotless but I hate having mess around the house, especially the kitchen. I'm completely anal about hygiene in the kitchen. I wipe the counters down with bleach about a million times a day during the weekends. It also doesn't help that he-who-must-not-be-named does not help. I end up always vaccuuming and cleaning the kitchen floor because it drives me batty if I feel any crumbs on my feet when I walk through. We have Mexican clay tile floors as well as hardwood floors. Lots of floors to clean.

Images provided by various sites directed from Google Images

I get very stressed out when the house is cluttered and messy and even though it can get that way sometimes, I never let it get too dirty. To me, there is a difference between messy and dirty.

I am constantly trying to re-organize and declutter. Right now I am working on the closets, I am convinced that there is a more orderly way of storing things. I am a clean freak about the kitchen and the bathrooms. I cannot stand it if either are dirty. The rest of the house I am more lax about, I hate dusting and vacuuming so that doesn't get done as much as it should.

Thank God for this gadgets. Meet the iRobot Scooba. I don't like mopping. Neither does anybody in my household. The hardwood floors never gets mopped. The kitchen floor always looks like (uhm excuse my french)shit most of the time. It works great on mud, dried food and dried spills. When you are done with the Scooba, you do have to empty it out, give the tank a rinse, and clean the brush and a removable tube. It's always nice when you can make somebody or in this case, something to do a hated task.

You also need to buy their special cleaner, which isn't that bad since you need need to use a cleaning solution anyway. It is economically efficient, too. 1/8 cup of the cleaning solution and a quart or so of water on my floor work wonders. If I were mopping, I'd be using more of both. I tried vinegar and hot water, which did pretty good. Clorox appears to work better although it leaves a sticky residue. A big no-no for me.

My other thing is the dishwasher. All dirty dishes must be in it. Who-must-not-be-named likes to leave dishes on the counter and that drives me absolutely nuts! I put the dishwasher on every night before I go to bed and always unload it when I wake up. There is no reason to put dishes on the sink or counter at all.

I can't stand clutter either. Do you understand Clutterbug mentality? Do you know someone who is "organizationally challenged?" Here's a little trivia for you. Did you know in the land of Clutterbuggedom, to "trash" a piece of clutter is 20 years to life - in prison? Yes, I kid you not. Do not dare it. You will be attacked! Thrown and then wrestled to the ground. The piece of clutter will fly *in slow motion* up into the air & the clutterbug will ALWAYS catch it. Before it falls, smashing to the ground, into little cluttery pieces. *sigh*

I live with a clutterbug. His siblings are clutterbugs; they are all descendants of the matriarch of a clutterbug dynasty. They may even be clutterbug royalty for all I know. Blue blooded. Queens, Princes, Princess clutterbugs. From the faraway land of Clutterbuggedom.

I was asked to help (they-shall-remain-nameless), a beloved clutterbug pack her house, for a soon-to-happen move. A cluttered house filled to it's rims with clutter. Clutter, piled upon clutter, upon more....yes, you guess it, clutter.

In a perfect world, there will be no mess, there will be no dirt and everything will be organized. Clutter-free for the motherfuckin' win!

Why is US domestic travel more expensive than going to Europe?

2007-10-19T04:35:37Z

Been planning to travel within the next couple of weeks to break the monotony. What do price-conscious, frugal, cheapskates loony like me do when they have plans to travel? Check out the internet for bargain deals. I have been looking at cruises, all-inclusive vacations, plan-your-own-vacation both for domestic and international. Package tours and Web sites offer excellent rates when combining air with hotel arrangements, which can bring vacation costs almost into the bargain category.

What I didn’t anticipate is the cost of domestic travelling as opposed to going to Europe. I tried Expedia (I love Expedia!) to get a feel of how much it would cost for a European tour against taking a vacation to, let’s say, NYC. Was I surprised! Airfare and a 6-night stay in NYC will cost 3k more than if we go to 2 destinations (Barcelona and Paris) in Europe. Take a look at this for comparison.

Europe Tour

NYC stay

Forget that Broadway nonsense, Honey! We’re going to Gay Paree!

With good planning, one does not have to break the bank travelling to Europe. It is actually affordable. From reading newspaper headlines and watching the news on TV these days, one would believe that the cost of traveling to Europe has gone through the roof. It just ain’t so. Traveling in Europe will not cost you an arm and a leg, nor put you in the poor house, any more than a vacation closer to home.

To be fair, there are exceptions. For some reason, newspapers will cost 2 to 3 times more in Europe. (I can do without. Hey! I’m on vacation). London is a pretty expensive city to visit. Not just London itself, but everything in the UK is off the charts.

But as far as I can see, the prices in continental Europe are similar to those in the United States, if not lower and more than affordable. True, in the past, Europe was always a bargain for American tourists, and it isn’t any longer. But it ends up costing about the same as a vacation in our own country. Moreover, package tours and Web sites offer excellent rates when combining air with hotel arrangements, which can bring vacation costs almost into the bargain category. Another thing to consider is it’s no secret that travelling off-season is the way to get the biggest travel discounts. Please note airfare prices drop in the fall and winter.

For some bad news:

Are the prices in Europe higher than last year? Yes. Is the dollar-to-euro exchange rate worse than ever before? Yes. Check out image for today’s USD conversion rate to the Euro:

To get accurate exchange rate conversion, go to www.xe.com.

Does it cost more to stay overnight in Rome, Italy, than it costs to stay overnight in Rome, New York? No. Does the average meal at a good restaurant set visitors back more than the same meal in their hometown? Probably not.

One way to up your travel budget: Fishing coins from the Trevi Fountain

Will it stop me? Probably not. (My husband mumbling in the background, “Because if you really wanna go to Europe, you’re gonna do it no matter the price tag”). This fall I’m cancelling any domestic travel plans we have and head to Europe. Airfares are cheap, hotels are cheap, and with the naturally lower hotel taxes, the trip is going to cost less than any domestic trip I would want to do. Figure it out yourself, you might reach the same decision I did! Paris, here I come…

Brazil Rocks!

2007-10-18T21:15:57Z

Brazil won! After a disappointing 0-0 draw with Columbia, Brazil got it going against Ecuador amidst a delirious homecrowd at the Maracana Stadio in the heart of Rio de Janeiro. Watch the video.

To get on with my never-ending, continuously, long-winded diatribe about soccer (which my dear husband, the yankee that he is, doesn’t approve of). What? I let him host football (the other kind!) parties at home. Order and ply him and his buddies, food and beer. And the most important thing of all, I keep myself out of the way and find other things to amuse myself while he watches Da’Bears uninterrupted. He will never find a better wife than I am. Ha! (Luvs ya loads, honey)

I have talked expansively regarding soccer’s state of popularity (or lack thereof) in the US. Unless it was the World Cup, soccer’s coverage is relegated to Bilingual TV. However, there are several soccer channels offered by DirecTV to soccer-crazed people like me. There’s Setanta Sport, Fox Soccer Channel and Gol TV just to name a few. To get my soccer fix, I convinced my husband (yes, he spoils me) to subscribe to the above mentioned channels. For about a year now, I have been following and watching the best live soccer coverage on the planet. To quote my better-half, “we can rival any Irish pubs in the area and give them a run for their money”.

I was able to read an article that my favoritest soccer “god”, Kaka, will grace the cover of British Esquire in their November issue. In my excitement, I called my little pet, NiXXi, and go to Borders with me so I can get my copy. As I was about to pull into the parking lot, she casually mentions, “It’s only October, you know. If it’s a November issue, you won’t be able to get it until next month”. Argh! I felt like an idiot. Wait. I am an idiot.

With disappointment, I still decided to go in and browse. I immediately made a beeline to the magazine stand and look what I found!

with the following article:

I won’t bore you with the whole magazine, I will just bore you with excerpts I’m interested in. Here are some scans for you to enjoy:

No. 3 is Ronaldinho

No. 2 is Cristiano Ronaldo

and the top spot goes to: Kaka

Say it ain’t so! Two Brazil-liants occupy the top 3 spots in the world of soccer. This invokes the question, “Is Brazil a shoe-in for the 2010 World Cup finals?” Nobody will be able to predict what’s going to happen between now and 2010. The current Brazillian roster was accused of being sluggish and ”not serious” enough during their qualifiers and got a draw against the Colombian team. They went into last year’s World Cup as the heavy-favorites while the French team was written-off (although both Zizou and Thierry Henry were onboard). The Brazilians were eliminated in the quarter finals by the same written-off French team. The Froggies went onto the finals against the Azzuri. Zidane got booted off in the final game. And the rest is history.

The current roster for the Seleção is far from the best. They have a lot of ups and downs. An even bigger challenge is the seemingly insurmountable task of doing better, living up to the hype of their glory days. Football for the Brazillians evokes the mystery of the past, especially the 1970s heroes. It’s an emotional rollercoaster-type love affair for the nation whenever they play. They play a beautiful game in the most beautiful way. Everybody’s second team at the World Cup.

Brazil for 2010. Brazil for the motherfuckin’ win!

For the Socceroos....

2007-10-17T23:31:35Z

Americans' continued indifference to the sport worshipped around the world puzzles me. One of the things I can think of as an explanation is, first, as a nation of loony but determined inventors, Americans prefer things they thought of themselves. The most popular sports in America are those they conceived and developed on their own: American football, baseball and basketball. If they can claim at least part of the credit for something, as with tennis or the radio, they are willing to be passively interested. But they did not invent soccer, and so they are naturally suspicious of it.

I ran across this curious article from the Weekly Standard that purports to explain why soccer is the perfect game for the post-modern world. I guarantee that it will furiously enrage diehard fans of “the beautiful game” and reinforce the contemptuous prejudices of its detractors.

Image provided by acmilan.com

The authors describe the game as mostly “…just guys in shorts running around aimlessly, a metaphor for the meaninglessness of life” and “the quintessential expression of the nihilism that prevails in many cultures.” A lengthy critique follows where it’s contended that, “…soccer could be played without using a ball at all, and few would notice the difference” and “the game is contrary to nature” by virtue of the fact that it denies the use of hands and doesn’t involve sticks, bats and headgear.

Image provided by vtourist.com

There was another line where it says, "it is better suited to a jackass than a human being". The idea that the game could be used as an analogy for post-modern liberalism in the first place was pretty funny. A TV program on CBC stated one of the reasons that soccer (or football to the rest of the world) never took off in America was that it was equated with European socialism and Bolshevik communism.

Image provided by whoateallthepies.tv

Unlike the four major team sports in America (NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB) which operate as a cartel and choosing which teams get to play at the big dance, the European clubs have to play to keep their place in the top levels. This was something that was discussed a few years ago in the book "How Soccer Explains the World."

Image provided by cristianoronaldo.info

If a team has a mediocre season, they will be relegated to the minors while the top two or three teams from the next lower tier can get "promoted" to the top level. Get really bad, and you could wind up in the third or fourth league in no time flat. Futhermore, the tournament for the national championship is a truly democratic tournament, with teams from all levels as well as the collegiate circuit getting a chance at the top prize.

Can you imagine a starter team from, say, Boise and Des Moines getting a chance to play against the Yankees for the World Series? Or an amateur football team from Montgomery, Alabama, playing against the Colts or the Patriots for the Super Bowl? It's unthinkable.

Image provided by abc.net.au

Will soccer ever be popular in the United States? Inevitably. Given the way the US teams are improving every year. They will eventually make it to the semi-final of a World Cup. It's also highly likely, one would think, that the United States will win one in the near future. But until then - and they have no chance with their current level of play. Plus being tossed into the Group of Death, they will be consumed quickly and utterly - soccer will receive only the grudging acknowledgement of the general populace.

But then again, do we really want - or can we even conceive of - an America where soccer enjoys wide popularity or even respect? If you were soccer, the sport of kings, would you want the adulation of people who elected Bush and Cheney, not once but twice? You would not. You would rather return to your roots, communist or otherwise, and fight fascism with your feet.

Grape Pop

2007-10-17T19:18:04Z

Image provided by www.gooseisland.com

Grape soda. One word to describe it: Ew. I'm trying to wean myself from coffee and from having too much caffeine. Last weekend, we grabbed a 6-pack from the grocer's. No one should drink this crap. It has artificial taste and color. Reminds me of grape flavored cough medicine with seltzer. If you want to be grossed out, this is the drink for you.

Metrosexuals Represent!

2007-10-17T06:56:10Z

I'm not a big fan of man-purse. I reckon you should just keep your money and belongings in your wallet. Failing that, there is always the option of your pockets. It just looks so girly when a guy carries a small bag around. Especially if the guy is Cristiano Ronaldo. Such a cutie but such a twink.

Well, at least he took the strap off so it doen't look so much like a woman's handbag. Otherwise, he would not look out of place playing for those other diving cheats, the Argentinean football tea
Ah Europeans. So nonchalant. So casual. Metrosexuals around the world, representante!

The Beckingham Invasion

2007-10-17T01:18:12Z

Who haven’t heard of the Beckhams? David Beckham, according to the UK press is the most over-rated, over-hyped, over-paid soccer player ever. To say the guy has never had skills as some people claim and would like you to believe is false. You don’t get to be the man of Beckham’s stature only for your looks or marketability. The Big European Football Clubs keep good footballers - not good fashion models.

Photo provided by d.yimg.com

Beckham made his name on his playing ability and the “rock star” following came later on AFTER he’d established himself as a good player. He first made his name with his talent not because of his “celebrity” lifestyle. Yes, Beckham is overated today but to call him a one-trick pony is false and misinformed. There are, and have been, many better players than him. Football with a more complete game but that doesn’t mean this guy wasn’t good. And no matter what this guy’s faults are (I’m pretty sure there are many just like every human being), as far as I know, he never refused to represent his country in any tournament whenever he was called upon to do so. He has had a great and successful career and he should be given his proper dues.

Photo provided by www.kickette.com

What are the things that came first to my mind when Posh’s name is mentioned? She looks orange. She looks like she’s got robotic boobs. She looks like one of those blown-up dolls. What did she do when she was with the Spice Girls? She was like the Helen Keller of the group. Seen. Never heard.

Photo provided by thesuperficial.com

She had always been slagged off in the press and accused of being moody, grumpy and pouty. Whilst she does have that trademark non-smiling countenance, I disagree with those who say she has no sense of humour. Have you seen ”Victoria Beckham: Coming to America”? She was downright funny. And much to my surprise, witty. I watched it expecting to roll my eyes until they hurt. Had my claws ready to despise her and snark endlessly how crappy it was and yet, I found her show wasn’t that bad. I don’t understand the hate from the media. The show wasn’t that bad. It was much better than the Hilton/Richie crap that we have been subjected to for years. Two of my favorite comments from Posh: “It’s exhausting being fabulous” and “This is like what Paris Hilton does all day.” Priceless.

Photo provided by www.bbc.co.uk

No matter what they media might say about the Beckhams, I believe they are devoted and loving parents to their kids. Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz Beckham are going to grow up to be quite the heartbreakers I’m sure and maybe even follow in their father’s footsteps and become great footballers too, someday.

Despite having their fair share of up’s and downs. Remember the nanny scandal? The Beckhams have remained one of the strongest couples in the entertainment world today. When you watch them on camera together they really do have an amazing chemistry and a strong bond that other celebrity couples seem to lack nowadays.

David Beckham was a great footballer, that’s for sure. And to be fair, the English press have said just as many bad things as good things about him over the years. The fact is he is past his prime. It’s a pretty thin facade, the move to America is obviously for the image and brand of the name Beckham.

I was totally prepared to hate the Beckhams even before their move to America. What I’ve read and heard about them are outrageous, excessive, ostentatious display of wealth. Gotta admit, I am a little bit jealous of their lifestyle, too. Then David gives an insightful and humble interview on Sports Illustrated and Posh ends up being hilarious. Welcome to America, indeed.

Obsession du Jour : Louis Vuitton

2007-10-16T19:55:27Z

Okay. This has been a long time in coming. I swear no other designer makes me walk that fine line between love and hate more than Marc Jacobs, the French fashion powerhouse’s creative director. While the deconstructed looks from his namesake collection during New York Fashion Week got a few scathing reviews for its hodgepodge of fabrics and unflatering silhouettes, the deconstructed looks from his LV collection is uh, for lack of a better word, striking. This collection was a collaboration project between LV and artist/photographer, Richard Price.

Louis Vuitton is synonymous with luxury, but I’ll say some of these pieces were not quite there. Oh there are some bright spots indeed. A few looks were quite lovely and inspired and others were downright stunning, but when it was bad, it was awful. By awful, I’m referring to the majority of Louis Vuitton’s handbag collection. Some bags I liked. Some bags I loved, and some I, let’s just, I don’t like. It was an explosion of colors, prints, and textures. In other words, it was a dismantling of the old Louis Vuitton norm. But, oh, was it fun.

Fresh pastel color variation? Marc-ey Marc’s inspiration: “I’m a fan of SpongeBob SquarePants—and for all I know, so is Rei Kawakubo, because that’s where our color came from!” - Marc Jacobs in an interview with Style.

Here are my hits:

Like the shape but I think it could be a bit bigger. I’m not into tiny purses at all.

I love this blue suede flap shoulder bag with the spray paint layered text technique.

A deconstructed purse. Love the “distressed” look. And here’s the text on this little degrade bag:

“My wife is always asking for money.
$200 one day, $150 the next, $125 after that.
“That’s Crazy” my friend said, “what does she do with it all”?
“I don’t know,” I said. “I never gave her any.”

Another that I really want. Gorgeous color combination.

This “doctor’s” bag is to die for. Marvelous handles.

Here are (in my opinion) the misses :

Some color combinations were garish and flopped on many levels. While some bags sported their style names on a tag, others had the names displayed front and center. Very tacky. Clutches and handbags displaying comic-like prints on the front were plain silly.

They have a fun, sort of eighties feel to them and I think it’s amazing in some strange sort of way…

These bags looks a little bit too weird. I don’t think I would buy and use a bag printed with comics. Even if Marc says Spongebob is real fun.

Loves the shape but don’t like the color combination. Reminds me of a peacock.

Speaking of silly bags, take a look at the sure to be limited edition piece Marc Jacobs toted down the runway. It looks like one of those metallic lunch boxes kids carry around. Sorry, Marc. I love you you to death but wouldn’t be caught dead carrying it.

So now, do we still think Louis Vuitton is all about richy-rich classic monograms and tobacco hues? I don’t think so. These purses that rolled down the runway (carried by naughty nurse models) at the Paris Fashion Week Louis Vuitton spring show revealed a dramatically funkier, and quite refreshing, spirit. Monogram prints were deconstructed, distressed, and emblazoned with quotations. Hit or miss you ask? I don’t know the answer to that yet, but I’m sure we’ll find out next spring. A thin line between love and hate indeed.

Here’s to you, my fellow purse freaks. We have a couple more months between now until this collection will be made available to the buying public. The penny pinching starts now. Teehee

Note: All photos from style.com

My Top 10 Most Annoying People on Filipino TV

2007-10-16T04:13:11Z

Philippine television has become a major annoyance for me. It’s not because of the content, although that could also be a contributing factor. But for much of what is seen in terms of aesthetic values. Let me say that some of these people are talented and probably some of them are deserving to be on TV. But talent or not, there are just some things about these bunch of people that rubs me the wrong way.

Filipino TV used to be a very pleasant experience, as opposed to what we see today which is just typical junk and eye candy. A really no-brainer. And in this light, I would like to share with you what I think are the most annoying people in Philippine television today.

My dear friends, let me present to you,

my list of the TOP TEN MOST ANNOYING PEOPLE in Philippine Television.

10. Gary Valenciano. Don’t get me wrong. I am a big fan, been one since I was a kid. But I am over 30 now, and the thought of a 40 something still energetic crooner dancing to todays hits on a noon time show just really gets to me. I guess somebody should tell this guy to take a backseat and let the younger ones take over.

9. Mike Enriquez. Somebody please gag him. His booming voice scares me ~~shitless~~. I have bad dreams just thinking about it.

8. Sara Geronimo. The uber-sweetness is just too uber-bearing.

7. Cristy Fermin. Her lapses into really deep Filipino seems an effort to appear more intelligent than she really is. Her views are often (if not always) one-sided and her statements reeks of prejudice and bigotry. And she’s not even TV-friendly.

6. Boy Abunda. I can’t stand the way he pontificates. I kind of like the “old” Boy Abunda. The low-key Backroom Manager and upstart TV personality. And please fire your wardrobe consultant. Shawl collars and thigh-high boots is just not working. You need a new stylist, STAT!

5. Willie Revillame. I don’t get why this person is glorified on TV despite the number of scandals and controversies he has been involved in. How many times has his crying face been seen on television? I do not find him funny and I do not appreciate his constant pleas for sympathy. What’s more irritating is that his ploys actually work on some people– are some of us, dare I say it, suckers?

4. Regine Velasquez. Okay. We get the fact that you are inlove. That’s a good thing I guess. But please, let’s move on shall we? I am assuming that she took lessons for that fake American accent she likes to use. She reminds me of those trying-hard colegiala types who speak Taglish in musical tones. And someone should tell her to stop with those low-cut gowns. She looks like a plump pigeon. Girl, you are older than me. Stop acting like a ~~bitch in heat~~ giggling 14-year old. You need to go away and die now.

For the top # 3 spot, it’s a toss up. First on the list is:

Kris Aquino. She used to be the leader, with the Hope fiasco, the premature baby drama and her quitting almost all her high profile shows. This leadership status was fueled by her blow-by-blow account of all the aches and pains in her body and all the physical hardship that she had to undergo due to her delicate pregnancy.

“Kulang na lang pati pag-utot niya ikwento niya.” (Translation: The only thing missing from her recap is when she passes gas.) This quote is not mine but from someone I know who has had it up to here with all the Kris drama. There was a post made by chuvaness about her brows. To quote, “Utang ng loob. Palitan na ang kilay ni Kris. Di ko na matake ang No. 7″. (Translation: For the love of God, please re-shaped your brows. The No. 7 look went out of fashion a long time ago.)

I have to say, Kris Aquino has a fascinating life. She makes me appreciate ho-hum personal lives like mine. No excitement in your life? There’s always Kris Aquino’s to remind you of what you’re not missing out on. I prefer to live vicariously through her, thank you very much.

But the person tired of Kris did not have a welcome respite. Because,

Ruffa Gutierrez comes along and dislodges her, with news of her marital problems and impending separation. Not content with the (notorious) spotlight, it was further unearthed that she previously got married in Las Vegas and apparently forgot to file for a divorce before marrying her rich soon to be ex-husband. Oops, not valid husband. All eyes were solely on her and she flourished on giving kilometric interviews about her uncertain future with her (insert air quotes) husband. She hints at being a battered wife. She heads out to LA saying that she doesn’t want to deal with the press but continues to keep in touch while there. Oh, she says she wants to soul search too but she brings her meddlesome mom along.

Remember when she was called by the Turk ” Brutus”? She retorted back she was more like Olive Oyl. FYI, Ruffa-gate, “Brew-dis” is the guy who lead the conspiracy to assasinate Julius Caesar during the Ides of March in 44 B.C. Your equally annoying Turk non-husband was implying you were a traitor. Not the sailor with a fetish for spinach.

Alas, somebody was feeling left out. So…

Not to be outdone by her BFF, Gretchen Barretto created her own stir with the release of her kissing photos with John Estrada. Her primadonna slut-titude. Her continous “brand-dropping”. (What will her Valentino dress say?) I’m just wondering, is she and that bigot Malu Fernandez, friends?

Back to the ranking, it was Gretchen, Ruffa and then Kris. But Gretchen could not hold on to her number one status, not even with her text messages of remorse and such. Tony Boy didn’t have an outburst or media interviews so no points for her. Also, her partner’s mom has not said anything in public, not even a gloat of glee. So no points.

It’s like these three showbiz women have an invisible leaderboard where their rankings changes depending on developments in their personal lives. Publicity whores for the motherfuckin’ win!

Pinoy Humor

2007-10-15T22:30:10Z

Photo provided by www.filipino-jokes.com

I was blog surfing and came across a hilarious re-cap of a Filipino Tourist story from MLQ III's blog.

"By the way, this is a favorite story of an uncle and worth sharing with you, my gentle readers (it’s a true story, by the way).

A group of Filipinos were touring Bolivia and the guide pointed with pride to some flora and said, “that is one our national flowers.”

“What is it called,” one of the Filipinos asked.

“The Cantuta,” said the guide.

The Filipino paused, and had to ask, “and what do you call those who harvest the flowers?”

“Ah,” said the guide, “they’re cantuteros.”

The Filipinos kept laughing all the way back to Manila."

Pinoy humor, folks. Don't leave home without it.

Do not wake me up. Ever.

2007-10-15T22:07:52Z

Photo provided by Google Images

I am not a morning person.

How many times does people at work call me in the ~~sodding~~ morning, then say into the phone in a grave voice, “We can’t find the report. Can you come in earlier to save us from being canned forever and ever”- the worst wake up call ever. I hate being woken up, particularly from people at work. Do they not understand the concept of home? Generally it means that when one is at home, one is obviously therefore not at work, there-~~bloody~~-fore, should not be bothered by work, the people at said work, or anything to do with work.

“chibi’D, I need you to do us a big favour ” ~~Bloody stupid~~ co-worker said when I sleepily picked up the phone.

“Whassaa?” I said, still asleep, trying to make sense where I am. “I need you to come in to work early”

“You mean instead of coming to work at 10:00?”

“What day is today” I asked. At this point I was still asleep.

“Uh, it’s the uhhh…” Co-worker scrabbled to think.

“ Why? What is happening? Gimme a minute to get up ” I said, putting the phone down and wondering what in the hell is happening. “What happened? ” I again muttered into the phone.

Pause.

“Helloooo?”

“Yeah I’m here” Co-worker could tell I wasn’t pleased, “We can’t find the report and the secretary said she gave it to you”,

“Yeah. I gave it to Frank on Friday with my recommendation. Did you ask him for it?” I asked, trying to be subtly rude so he could sense my extreme displeasure at being woken up, particularly by a ~~bloody idiot~~ trying to be nice.

Why ~~the fuck~~ couldn’t it wait until after 9:00am? Can sort of understand if am needed to be woken up early if it’s an emergency but if it’s about their ~~frikkin’~~ incompetence. Argh. They should know better. Why, exactly, does he feel he needed to ring me at home, wake me up, then ask for something as idiotic as “have you see the report?” I wanted to scream. I think I just did. ~~Bloody~~. ~~Hell~~. I. Hate. Being. Woken. Up.

Green Stamps

2007-10-14T21:17:38Z

  Photo provided by Google Images

I don't like loyalty programs and discount cards. Let me be politically-correct here, I hold the whole program in contempt. I believe it is something perpetrated by a bunch of number-crunching lunatics to get us to spend our hard-earned money into things they want us to buy. We are fed with this crap from the time we wake up to the time we go to sleep. Free will has a new ugly name. It's called assimilation. Sometimes it feels like I'm swimming against the tide. Almost all stores I go into now offers some kind of "it's-a-rip-off-now-smile-like-the-fool-you-are" programs. Oh did I say, I hate loyalty programs and discount cards yet?

When loyalty programs really came in vogue with airlines, they made sense. Airlines gave their best customers bonuses for spending lots of money with them. Today, though, every store I go into has a loyalty program. I have Borders, Blockbusters,Ralph's, CVS' cards dangling with my car keys. For Christ's sake, I have a TGI Friday's card. Not to mention the cards from hotels, airlines, car rentals and probably a dozen others I can't remember off-hand.

Loyalty cards have little to do with loyalty. They are simply a way for a business to advertise a low price and for the handful of people who are blissfully unaware, too busy, or "principled", sell to at a high price. There's also the fact they can gather valuable data for their marketing endeavors. Great. Just another proof that indeed, we are all just statistics.

Well, the revolt, or if you accept the pagan religion analogy, the reformation, begins today. I have chucked everything in a drawer except Blockbuster's.   I specifically hate it when you have to pay to get a discount card. Enter Barnes & Noble. I get tired off being hounded to buy a member discount card everytime I go to any of their stores. They don’t give me anything. They sell me, and anyone else interested, a membership card that entitles me to a 10 percent discount on every purchase and every product in every channel for a year. They get twenty-five bucks. I get as much benefit as I’m willing to purchase. My question is, why do I have to shell out $25 to get a  discount? That idea is flawed from the get go.

I got suckered and got one a couple of years ago. You see, I am a compulsive book buying cartoon. In the course of a year I’ll buy an average of 50 books at an average price of $15. The net present value of my being a “heavy user” is roughly $750. The bookstore gets this purchase level for a marketing investment of 50 bucks (the ten percent membership discount of $75 minus $25) or net 7% of my total revenues. God only knows what the margin on my purchase  is.

Yet because of the way the program is loosely administered and because my husband, or my cousin, or my friends will end up meeting me at the store,  the bookstore harvests another $500 per year in impulse, gift and gratuitous purchases. So the membership value of a family using this card is $1500 which costs the store (I refuse to type the brand name again!) the same roughly seven percent. For $25 bucks they initiate a steady stream of purchases and we walk away feeling good.   Or so I think.

Can we just make the matter simple? Why don't they bring back Green Stamps? Collect, lick and stick enough into a collectors book. It was a past time given to amuse kids. Hey, it wasn't just saving money but can be a fun family activity, too. Green Stamps for the motherfuckin' win!

So Confusing

2007-10-14T02:38:19Z

Ah weekends. Whoever said when weekend comes up, no more work? They are completely wrong. The right phrase to use is day off from office work. The weekends are busy for me. The same adage, too many things to do, too little time still applies here. My usual Saturday morning is mostly spent with weekend chores, weekly food run at the local grocery. Although I can say, it also gives me longer time to lounge in my pajamas, read the newspaper and drink an average 4 cups of caffeine fix before duty calls.

First stop, grocery shopping. As we made our way into the supermarket, the first thing I saw was the bakery. I saw a full array of french pain, baguette, donettes and petit fours. Grocery shopping done, we proceeded to the check out. While waiting for the line to move, something occured to me. The pronunciation and spelling of some frenchified english words. I was mumbling why baguettes are said with the ”t” pronounced hard, donettes also said the same way. How come it can’t be pronounced as “ba - gey” or “do-ney” like some other frenchified english words? Why is it okay to say the “t” in roulette? Or Corvette? Why the silent “t” in Ballet? Valet? The guy who bags found my loud musings funny and what was that I heard? He was laughing. I am so glad I was the source of his amusement. I was probably speaking loudly than I intended. Teehee

Is there (un) written rule for this kind of thing? Perhaps in a book? In linguistics? On the web? How do you know when to drop the ”t”? How do you know when to include the “t”? There are a lot of silent letters in French (lettres muettes) and it’s all so confusing.

Photo provided by google images

One of the difficulties with French pronunciation is that it is not a phonetic language. A phonetic language is one in which each letter has a single corresponding sound like Spanish or the Filipino language i.e. the spelling matches the pronunciation. They have letters that can be pronounced in different ways or sometimes not at all.

French is not easy to spell either. In fact, it’s even more difficult than English. This can be a good thing. When the same sound can have many spellings, you’ll get lots of puns — and who doesn’t love groan-inducing bad puns? But don’t despair — go ahead and take a look at some guidelines.

Here are some lessons I’ve learned today:

1. You shouldn’t pronounce the “e” in “not my forte.” Some people insist that it’s an error to pronounce the word “forte” in the expression “not my forte” as if French-derived “forte” were the same as the Italian musical term for “loud”: “for-tay.” But the original French expression is pas mon fort, which not only has no “e” on the end to pronounce—it has a silent “t” as well. It’s too bad when we imported this phrase we mangled it so badly. It’s too late to do anything about it now. If you go around saying what sounds like ”that’s not my fort,” people won’t understand what you mean.

2. “Connoisseur” should be spelled “connaisseur.”When we borrowed this word from the French in the 18th century, it was spelled “connoisseur.” Is it our fault the French later decided to shift the spelling of many “OI” words to the more phonetically accurate “AI”? For those Francophone purists who insist we should follow their example I say, let ’em eat bifteck.

3. Do an of you remember when the French automaker Renault still sold cars in North America? (If you’re old enough, you may recall Renault’s Le Car.) In the early days, Americans pronounced the French name “Ray-NALT”. Just about the time that most of us had learned to say “Ray-NOH” correctly, the car manufacturer pulled out of the U.S. market. Given enough time, Americans usually can learn to pronounce most foreign words correctly—if you don’t include maitre d’ or hors d’oeuvres.

Photo provided by google images

Now for some German words. How do you say Porsche correctly? While the proper wy to pronounce some German terms in English may be debatable, this isn’t one of them. Porsche is a family name, and the family members pronounce their surname PORSH-uh, not Porsh. Same for the car. You don’ say “NYKE” for Nike, so don’t be lazy and leave off the “E” in Porsche. Their tv ads say the name correctly and so should we.

Photo provided by google images
Many English-speakers, even highly educated ones, mispronounce certain borrowed German words in English. Examples include:
Scientific terms: Neanderthal, Loess
Brand names: Adidas, Deutsche Bank, Braun, Porsche
and
names in the news: Angela Merkel, Jorg Haider.

Other German words used and pronounced fairly well by English-speakers include: kindergaren, poltergeist, strudel, kaputt, schadenfreude, verboten, ersatz, rottweiler, gestalkt, lufthansa (the airline), angst, frankfurter, fahrenheit and Weltanschauung.   We say Marlene Dietrich the right way and Sigmund Freud just fine, but for some reason U.S. TV news anchors could never could get former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder’s last name right. Only a couple of tv station news anchor have now learned to pronounce the current German chancellor’s name with the correct hard “g”: [AHNG-uh-luh MERK-el] Angela Merkel.

But Americans often do quite well with the many other German words commonly used in English. Even when they don’t know exactly what it means. Americans pronounce Gesundheit (health) with a high degree of accuracy.

In all fairness, German-speakers also mispronounce English words used in German. Most Germans can’t hear the difference between the English adjective “live” (eine Live-Sendung, a live broadcast) and the noun “life,” pronouncing and sometimes spelling both words as life. But that’s another problem.

I’ve seen several people write things like “He was lying prostate” when they mean “prostrate.” Remember that “prostrate” (like “prone”) is, technically, lying on your front, while “supine” is lying on your back. Furthermore, Prostate is something else. If you don’t know what that is, you are doomed. But I imagine most people don’t really care about that distinction any more. There’s also espresso. Most Americans say it ”expresso”. There is no X in ‘presso, folks. Or I’ll sic Robert De Niro on you. Yeah I’m an anal bitch. And with this, I bid you adieu. I have solved nothing and I’m still terribly confused. I’m gonna go hibernate now.

Weekends for the motherfuckin’ win!

The Casiraghis

2007-10-13T20:53:26Z

I’ve had this piece in my draft folder for quite some time now. I wanted to write about something with ”and they live happily ever after” feel to it but I’m just too lazy to do that right now. Allow me to just indulge in something as shallow as fawning over celebrities at the moment. Meet the gorgeous trio of Casiraghis.

Photo provided by hello magazine

If trendy, long-haired heart-throbs had a poster boy, Princess Caroline of Monaco’s son Andrea Casiraghi would be it. Thanks to his royal blood and Hollywood lineage – as well as his sunkissed surfer looks – Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier’s photogenic grandson is giving Wills and Harry a run for their money in the pin-up stakes

Photo provided by google images

Say the name Charlotte Casiraghi to royal watchers and you can guarantee they will know who she is. But for anyone else it is bound to evoke a quizzical look and some head scratching. Not for long though. The daughter of Princess Caroline of Monaco has been recently turning heads wherever she goes.

Photo provided by google images

Pierre Casiraghi is the youngest. His older brother Andrea gets more attention but his little brother is slowly catching up in the that department.

This whole family is blessed with Hollywood looks and being royals is a magnet for attention wherever they go. When God showered the world with beauty, the Casiraghis won the jackpot in beauty lottery. The entire family has fantastic bone structure.

Photo provided by bbc.co.uk

Born without any royal titles bestowed upon them in the hope that they will be able to lead a normal life. Away from the prying eyes of the media which seems to be part and parcel of modern monarchy. They would soon find their lives in the spotlight as they grow older. With this trio at hand, the Monaguesque is in good hands. Prince Ranier and Grace Kelly would’ve been so proud. The Casiraghis for the motherfuckin’ win!

Celebuspawn

2007-10-12T10:51:52Z

Photos provided by google images

I try really hard not to make fun of famous people  or regular people for that matter because of the way they look. Sometimes, it is what it is and there isn’t a damn thing I can do about it. Who am I to judge the way the good Lord made you? Good example to cite is Rumer Willis, the eldest daughter of Demi Moore and Bruce Willis. Gossip fodder for Holly-weird. She unveiled her peroxide assaulted locks at the James Perse store opening.

A lot of the words thrown freely when trying to describe the way Rumer looks are downright mean.  "Beaten by the ugly stick", "stunning but not in a good way", "she looks like a quagmire", "buttaface" among countless others.

I'm not against gossip sites. The reason for their existence is for entertainment. Being opinionated in positive or negative ways is always good. It's also very normal for people to get upset about other people’s negative opinions.   Just don't take it personally when someone disagrees with you. You can always concentrate on writing something positive instead of bashing others. This is what makes life fun.

However, gossip is one thing but to degrade a young woman, making fun of her because of the way she looks is another story altogether. I can understand a chuckle over Britney's skankified antics or Paris Hilton’s porn video for all the world to see. It’s one thing to bash a skinny skeletor purposely starving herself for vanity, or a media whore snorting coke in a public bathroom, or someone's botched boob job. .   But personal attacks with respect to someone features is lame. It’s just offensive and totally unfunny. It’s one thing if you’re making fun of their makeup or clothing choice, but making fun of the way they look is really low. Poor Rumer. Being a teen is hard enough. Imagine finding nasty comments about the way you look all over the internet. Ugh.

How would you like it if someone said about your child, "Hey, your offspring is monstrous".

Fun huh? Yeah, I thought so.  You wouldn’t say a child with a birth defect is ugly, so why is it okay to say that about a young girl with the strong features of her parents? Maybe she’s a little awkward. How many of us are lucky enough that we didn't have an awkward period? Do you remember how it sucked to be teased ? Shit on a local level, that you didn’t have people taking about how fugly you are as soon as you turn your back.


Photos provided by google images

Another thing I strongly disagree with is the way they try to compare her to the famous 'rents.  People seem to have forgetten that her mother sold her soul to the devil, a poster child for the phrase "what money can buy", to look like the way she does now. If you think and look back of her during the heydays of St. Elmo’s Fire, she wasn’t anything to write home about either.   Click here to view.

Hollywood is an unforgiving place. With the pressure she must be experiencing from peers and friends alike, I’m guessing, in five year’s time, Bruce and Demi’s daughter will be completely unrecognizable. Then we’ll all be saying, “why did she have all that work done? She was so much cuter before.”

Photo provided by google images

Although I do agree she was better off with the longer hair from the pictures I’ve seen. But you know what? I think it's kinda cool the way she takes the whole thing, doesn't give a rat's ass what the airbrushed society thinks.

And yes she has a tremendous amount of self confidence. She must know what people are saying about her and yet she still walks red carpets as if she were the most gorgeous non-star in Hollywood. More power to her. Self-confidence for the motherfuckin' win!!!!

Truthiness

2007-10-10T22:41:03Z

Photo provided by wikipedia

Just as you begin to wonder how much longer can you stand living in a country that airs Fox News 24/7, along comes the likes of Stephen Colbert and his much awaited diatribe. Reading him rail against homosexuals, liberals and the media is a bit like being back in high school and trying to decide who to vote for on the Student Council. You may realize that while one of the guys is a real douche bag, he just has that certain "IT" factor that you know will make him win and you want to make sure you can say you voted for him. You want to be on his side and speak his language.

His character on the Colbert Report is exactly that kind of guy. Well, except that while you are shaking his hand or in my case, reading his words, you are thinking how frightening it is that there are people out there who thinks like him. You recognize the oveflowing well of his logic, insanity and truth all rolled into one while smiling, nodding, thinking "where will I hide my kids when these people gets together?". In this book, he flexes out his character in a way that allows us to feel even more intimately linked to his neo-right wing cause.

He begins with an explanation of how he came to be the man he is today. How he was shaped into the conservative model of greatness that leads the ColbertNation.  I started watching the show about two years ago.  Most of the recording on our TiVo at exactly 8:30PM EST everyday is this man on television.

Photo provided by Wikipedia

The surprise pack of this book is the Homosexual Agenda. "They're prowling. Like a gay pride of lions". He also tackled religion, in which he forces all of us to jump on the "Jesus Train".

He has also shared with us the complete transcript of his infamous speech at the 2006 White House Correspondents' Dinner.   His keynote speech was unforgiving and according to the words of AP's Mark Smith, "no one is safe tonight".   The D.C. elite couldn't have been too happy. It's safe to say he ruffled a lot of feathers. The year after dinner gala's keynote speaker was the relatively "safe", Rich Little.

If you are a fan of the show, you will love the book. If you have no idea what show I am talking about, God help us. It is not a book, it is a religion. Stephen Colbert for the motherfuckin' win!

Retail Torture - Swedish Style

2007-10-10T19:30:07Z

Photo courtesy of moderntoss.com

It's been ages since I've ventured out to an Ikea. Maybe that's because it's taken all this time to block out my memories of assembling "Billy" bookcases for my first apartment. The callouses are gone; my thumb is no longer swollen. Time is more precious: I think, for an extra hundred bucks I'll buy one that doesn't result in an entire evening of cursing.

I did have another bedroom set which I purchased there a few years ago before I got married. Since it won't fit in my car, I opted for the pricey delivery of the unassembled furniture. It's too bad that I didn't have a camera mounted up in the corner of my bedroom when I assembled my new queen-size bed all by myself. It would've looked like a slapstick parody of The Way of the Cross, especially when I was frantically lifting the partly-assembled frame onto my back and shoulders in a desperate attempt to join ALL of the corners.

Unfortunately this week, we have a need for a couple of book cases in the house. Went into the huge and butt ugly Schaumberg store. Towering up from the streets in a bold blue and garrish yellow painted monstrosity. You know Ikea higher ups wanted for their stores to blend in with their surroundings, like a boil on your backside. One thing’s for sure – you can’t miss it.

I'm still a girl and no matter what, I love shopping and my dear husband gives me carte blanche when it comes to that which is a huge plus. As I walked in, I was trembling with anticipatory purchasing. Forget the bookcase -- there was stuff here for the whole house! I scribbled down all the absurd Swedish names of the items I wanted, that I'd pick up at the warehouse end. Ektorp! Bjursta! Ramvik! I began to wonder if the furniture names weren't really some sort of Swedish yiddish, playing a joke on non-swedish speakers like us: I'd like the "Dreck!" side table to go with my "Schlong!" sofa.

I can only describe an Ikea showroom in one way – “Hell on Earth”. For those of you who are unaware, Ikea stores are arranged in a circuit of differently furnished show rooms. You walk through a series of lounges, proceeded by dining rooms, bedrooms and so on and so forth. Most goods cannot be collected in the show rooms – you have to take a note of the product name and catalogue number and then proceed to the warehouse where you help yourself from the many shelves.

To make matters worse, if you are in something of a rush, and have a good idea what it is that you are after, there is no express route to the warehouse – you still end up trawling through every show room, getting accosted by every cantankerous grandma. The whole concept is an ingenious trap, designed to make you look at everything, attempting to awaken the sleepy impulse shopper in your belly, and is utterly, utterly insufferable.

It made me think of Fight Club and the author's growing discomfort with commercialism. I was actually wondering why Ikea didn't made too much of a deal about the "Ikea nesting instinct" discussed in the book. I even heard they were actually pleased (of course, free advertisement) and fully supported the film version. Don't you see the irony? Let's all embrace commercialism. And with that, I am now officially certified.

Photo courtesy of wikipedia

I came out of the store empty-handed. Ikea is not so much a shopping outlet – for many people it is a way of life – and the Swedish proprietors love it that way. Going to Ikea is not about buying one or two items – it’s about embracing a lifestyle and a set of values. I can safely say that I do not like Ikea. It may be something to do with the mind-numbing television commercials they invest in, or it may be the fact that you take your life in your hands whenever you shop there. Either way, I hate Ikea. No surprises here – you will not catch me in Ikea again. I refuse to go through the hell of navigating those show rooms just to save a few quid on a pot plant. I’m not impressed with the product quality, I think the service is shoddy, and the stores themselves are simply dreadful. Ikea-free home for the motherfuckin' win!

Desperate for Sanity - Part II

2007-10-09T23:16:59Z

I’m actually one of those who thinks that the issue’s been blown way out of proportion. ABC issued a formal apology that made it in the mainstream news outlets all over the world and has agreed to delete the line from its digital records, including (I assume) future DVD releases. The response was swift and appropriate. I don’t think that ABC need do more than that, to be quite honest. It was a joke at the expense of a significant minority group, and one in very poor taste, but ABC scrambled to make amends. Fair enough. Continuing to hound them on the issue is a waste of enormous political, financial and intellectual resources that should instead be used to address other, more critical issues that the Filipino-American community faces. What galls me the most is that, given the serious problems the Philippines currently has, the government chooses to practically shut itself down to protest what amounts to a single line by a TV character in a show filmed and aired 10,000 miles away. Where are the protesters when children are forced to sell themselves on the street to white foreign tourists? Or when hospitals are so overcrowded and understaffed that people are dying of curable diseases and conditions? Or when those medical doctors the show made fun of are leaving the homeland in droves because they can’t make jacks***? Sure, there are groups that work tirelessly to alleviate these miserable conditions, but it’s nothing like the enormous amount of resources that were poured into protesting this stupid line from a stupid TV show.

When all is said and done, the comment will disappear into the ether, especially now that it’s been deleted from any future airings. Forget it and move on. We need to pick our battles because we can’t win them all. Expending too much energy on one little one will leave us with nothing when it comes to chasing after victory in the bigger war.

As far as I know, various groups who protested are still settling the matter with ABC. Personally, the steps that ABC did was already acceptable, albeit they should have been more sincere in the apology they issued. But their acknowledgement that they slighted us is already enough, in my opinion.

Did you hear, though, that some physicians in California are planning a class action lawsuit against ABC? I can’t remember if they’re demanding monetary compensation, but I do know that some of the other demands include creating sensitivity training programs for all ABC staff, including the talent, as well as developing programming that includes more Filipino-Americans.

“Uhhhh. Guys? Can we just let this drop and go back to our regularly scheduled programming? You’re embarrassing those of us in the Fil-Am community who just want to forget about the issue and move on. And uh, no, we don’t want any token gestures from ABC, thank you very much.”

Actually, I’m more upset about the Jon Stewart flak. The man is a demi-god, for cryin’ out loud. The last thing you want to do is upset the Daily Show audience because they don’t take too kindly to people who have no sense of humor about themselves. Heck, just check out Colbert Nation. Stephen Colbert’s devoted (can you say ‘rabid?’) fanbase. They’re NUTS.

Yes, people, I am a Filipino and proud to be one. Just like you, I am entitled to my opinion. I’m gonna go spliced the last part of the woman caller’s wailing into my ring tone. “I want dem to go parder, go parder. I want dat Teri Hatcher to be ejukeyted. I want da producers to be edjukeyted. We are the most ejukeyted immigrants in the United States!”

I vote Manang caller for the motherfuckin’ win!