How Cholo and Jodi Almost Made Me Cry

LOL.

I have never seen an entire episode of the local adaptation of Stairway To Heaven, not even if I was a semi-regular viewer of the original thing. But since I have this strong fetish for tragic endings (especially on love stories), I bothered to take some time to catch the last few moments of its final episode aired last night.

Tragic endings.

I simply love sad endings as much as happy ones. I scavenge for stories that conclude with goodbyes or better, death. It all started with Jack and Rose, and then amplified hugely by Jamie and Landon. Here comes my emo side. Gah.

Now back to Stairway To Heaven. I actually assumed the ending would verge on being cheesy to trashy, but I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t that dreadful. Had Rhian Ramos acted better, I think the ending would be a grand slam. My eyes almost welled up. Just almost.

So I was really getting into Jodi’s death scene (with Jodi bidding goodbye and Cholo telling her to hold on just for a couple more seconds) then the maddening voice of Regine Velasquez suddenly played on the background. Hate that part right there. Worse, a CGI-ed ‘stairway to heaven’ materialized and some glorious rays of sunlight and floating orbs to match. Er, what was that, seriously? I almost felt like a heavenly being would descend to fetch Jodi up, or a sea creature would emerge from the vastness of the sea to strangle Cholo down back to Atlantika.

I cried of laughter.

American Idol 8: On Expectations and Addiction

Has it been a year already? A mere two months had lapsed since the two Davids (Archuleta and Cook) released their respective febut albums and here's America's and probably the world's favorite talent show again, spearheading the search for the next big thing. Now get ready to be idolized.

This 8th season of American Idol is definitely a must-see. Last season is unquestionably the most succsessful season of the show, with most of the finalists potential and deserving winners. Had Brooke White auditioned in season 6, she could have won that thing (Love you Brooke!). And Ramielle Malubay could fave eclipsed the achievement of Jasmine Trias in season 3. Ha! Such a bias. But anyway, with David Cook raising the bar several notches up, much is expected to this year's would-be finalists.

A lot of changes will be seen as well. First is the addition of Kara DioGuardi as a fourth judge. So what impact will she bring on the show? If three is a crowd, then will four be pandemonium? There will be no 'Idol Gives Back' due to the continuing economic crisis. There will be 36 semi-finalists instead of 24. And the Wild Card round returns. And probably the most anticipated of all is, what would be Paula's new blunder? Well, let's just watch to that.

P.S.

I hate it. I've been LSS-ed by David Cook's version of 'Always Be My Baby' for more than a month and now that the 'Idol' mania is looming in the horizon again, I can;t help but be LSS-ed again. Talk about addiction. Sigh.

'Takipsilim': The Pinoy Version of 'Twilight'

To all Filipino Twilight fans out there. Did you know that there are rumors circulating around the Web about a Pinoy version of this frenzied novel? Seriously. According to my cousin, ABS-CBN was able to buy a franchise of it for a whopping US $ 1 million and the working title is, well, 'Takipsilim'. So creative! Duh. And guess what, Shaina Magdayao and Rayver Cruz will star as the lead casts. Kill me now, PLEASE!

So after the Filipino-translated Rihanna hit songs comes this awful idea of having a Filipino version of 'Twilight'. Good luck with that.

But if you want to express your rage about the idea, you are very much welcome to visit this link http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/say-no-to-twilight-filipino-version and make a petition!

Spread the word, guys! Stop this effin' madness NOW!

Here's a mock cover fans made for this silly bullcrap. Funny. Haha.

And the Race is Down to Three

Oh, what a heartbreak loss! Just when everybody predicted who will be the top three teams to race for the million came an unexpected setback from the mother-and-son tandem of Toni and Dallas. Cruel. They're actually my favorite team this season; such a humble pair. But good stuff doesn't always go along good people. Oh, well.

Now we're left with three of the most irritating teams: Nick and Starr; Dan and Andrew and; Ken and Tina. They're such a pain in the ass especially the exceedingly self-righteous Tina. This is such a weak season.

So who do you think will win the race? I hope it's not Nick and Starr. I don't know. I just don't like their tandem. Dan and Andrew? Uhm... Well, right now, I'm actually rooting for Ken and Tina, no matter how irritating the woman is. I just don't like Nick and Starr, that is.

Baby Talks

So it was a boring Thursday night and I was scanning thru the channels of my newly fixed TV (Yey!) when I came across probably one of the most interesting episodes of Oprah. It was one of those replayed episodes shown on local TV here in the Philippines (I think it was originally aired November of last year). It features four incredible stories about life and science but what fascinated me most was their cover about this 'special baby language'.

The invited guest was Priscilla Dunstan, a woman who claims to have been blessed with a 'photographic memory' for sounds which she eventually used to develop her theory on baby language; that these angelic little creatures actually produce different sounds to relay various messages to people. Interesting.

My interest even went maximum when she discussed about the five general sounds that babies produce: the 'neh' sound which refers to hunger; the 'owh' sound which they make when they're tired and sleepy; the 'heh' sound which signals discomfort; the 'eair' sound for lower gas, &; the the 'eh' sound when they want to say, 'I wanna burp, Mom!'. They even showed super adorable babies making those actual sounds! I was soooo..amazed (it's an understatement)! My jaws were left hanging till the end of the entire segment. It was so unbelievable...but true.

I seriously want a baby now! LOL.

Losing a Bestfriend

I went home today elated because it’s the last day of the semester only to find out one of the biggest upsets of my life: my TV broke down. I felt I could’ve died.

I know that it would happen anytime soon for it felt like it’s been suffering on its deathbed for weeks now. What I didn’t expect that it would happen this soon. I was just watching my favorite show last night but when I went up my room today, I couldn’t turn it on! Poor buddy, I should’ve brought you to our friendly technician the moment your symptoms appeared. I’m sorry.

I was totally devastated. It seemed like my whole world crumbled right before my very eyes. I didn’t realize till then how much of a couch potato I am. It felt like my life depended (almost) on my TV. My best techno buddy.

The good news is, he will be reincarnated by tomorrow. Good luck. See you soon, bud.

The New Meaning of Blue

Blue no longer relates to sadness and depression anymore as the Ateneo Blue Eagles are soaring high with immaculate exaltation after lording over their arch rival the De La Salle Green Archers yesterday and eventually snatching the 2008 UAAP Men's Basketball Championship, a title that has eluded them for six years.

I know, I know, this is so yesterday, but can you blame me? I really can't get over the euphoria that was yesterday. I've been an Ateneo fan ever since I can remember -- watching their every game, regaling wiht their triumphs, weaping over their most painful defeats. I even took their rivalry with La Salle by heart, if you may ask (haha). This feat seriously means a lot for me as well.

GO ATENEO!

OK Archers, you can turn green with envy right now. Haha.

Frustrated

I hate it! Why, of all the episodes of UAAP, does today;'s match the one I have to miss? It's Game 2 of the finals , for crying out loud! And it's not just an ordinary finals, coz if it is, I wouldn't react this way. It's an Ateneo-La Salle finale! C'mon. it's like the greatest rivlary in Philippine sports history. It's the biggest sporting event of the year, next to the Olympics! I'm totally devastated right now. Screw this Chemistry Departmental exam!

But for now, I’ll just keep my fingers (and toes) crossed. GO ATENEO! ONE BIG FIGHT!

Intrigue, Drama and Romance in Survivor Philippines

Here is some of my views vis-à-vis the first week of Survivor Philippines:

As expected, a lot of changes in episode patterns were seen, focusing more on the castaways and the life and issues revolving around the tribes. On the first day alone, bonds were formed, real attitudes were shown and characters were tested. So much drama and so much emotion prevail.

One surprising highlight in the series is the early – as in EARLY – re-shuffling of the tribes. It happened on the third day, just before the Immunity Challenge kicked off. Old alliances were immediately broken and new posses were hastily yet carefully formed. And what’s even more surprising is that after the tribe switching, fresh romance instantly blossomed. Talk about active hormones.

But you know what made this franchise even more unique? It’s where the castaways base their votes on. It’s very noticeable even in other reality shows here. Instead of voting off the person whom they feel threatened of or whom they consider as the weakest link, people base their votes predominantly on two things: looks and social status.

The first one is given. People will always have a strong bias to people whom they are attracted to. The other one is something that really gets my ire.

I don’t know, probably Filipinos are generally sympathetic so they’d rather choose those who belong to the lower ranks of the society than those whom they refer as “already has a future”. For crying out loud, if that’s what’s on their frame of mind, why not ask the producers of these shows to just pick those who belong to the slum areas who are more ‘deserving’. Thankfully, people learn to grasp the real essence of these shows during the latter stages.

My overall rating: EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS.

Survivor Philippines Kicks Off Today

Alas, after years of waiting the Philippines has finally come up with its own version of the US reality show Survivor which will start airing today at GMA 7. I am so overwhelmed with excitement right now for two big reasons: First, I am such a fan of the show. Big time. It's actually the main culprit why I can't seem to control myself from watching each and every reality show that I come across on TV. Talk about addiction. Second, unlike the original and the other franchise series, Survivor Philippines will be shown on a daily basis, which means expect a lot of deviations in terms of its episodes.

Why the change in format? Well, I can only come up with two possibilities. The first one is so that it can adapt to Philippine primetime TV since soap operas and other primetime shows here are being shown daily. The other one is to be able to compete with GMA's rival channel's franchise of another US reality show, Big Brother (though the latest season has already ended a couple of months ago). That's simply where Philippine TV revolves -- competition that is.

I can only assure you one thing. This is going to be one helluva trip.

Marami Ka Pang Kakaining Bigas!

Alas! After months of relentless voting America has finally reached what it has been dying to get in the first place—a David-David finale. So much was the hype for these two guys to the extent that people actually place bets online! That, I must say, is plainly overrated.

If you are a wise voter, choosing the next Idol would just be a piece of chocolate cake. AI is a talent show and it must remain as such. So to all Americans who are reading this (as if) and also to my kababayan, you are now free to cuddle and vote for David Archuleta that is if you are a cutie little girl that belongs to an age group of 12 years and below. Of course moms are also encouraged vote! Surely he reminds you of your teenage son, right? TUT.

I don’t know why people are making such a big fuss about the competitions between the two. As what I can see, the people are simply being misled by his looks and age and not solely on his talent. Undoubtedly, DA has talent. BIG talent. That is if you compare it to others of his age. But comparing him to DC? C’mon, it’s like comparing a newly born pug to a fully-grown bulldog. No match. There’s no basis for comparison at all (save for the first names)!

Just imagine: advance DA’s age to 25 years but suppose his vocals and way of performing remains the same, do you think he will be as impressive as he is right now? Do you think his failing falsetto and horrible dance moves would appeal too much on Randy? Definitely not! Dog, he might not even be a fan!

I know some might react differently to this and probably say, “Of course DA will still improve! Just give him another 4 years or so and he will sweep DC off the floor!” well, yeah, that can be. Unfortunately, we are not talking about the future here. We are dealing with the present, with what they are and what they can offer NOW.
DA needs a lot of catching up to do if he wants to compete against the greatness of DC.

On AI

On predictions

Consistent with my clairvoyant powers, it did not came as a big surprise to me that David Cook had a hard time last night on American Idol. Particularly giving him a pretty hard press was Randy Jackson. I don’t know dog, but Randy’s really been critical with all the contestants this season (save for little Archuleta; he’s a fan, dog). I’m not sure if he’s imply not satisfied with their performances or if he sees something special with these bunch of newbies. But either way, criticisms all equate to improvement, if taken constructively.

On eating my words

“You did not beat the competition. You crushed the competition.” These words from Simon Cowell directed towards David Archuleta should have gotten the ire of me but surprisingly it did not. Apparently, the competition he was referring to was DC, who, despite delivering solid performances last night seemed to share an uneasy, awkward moment for the entire show (blame it on Randy, guys…hehe). On the other hand, DA did not totally wowed me, but I can’t agree more that he really did out sung The Great DC.

[Hey, DC was pressured, man. Besides, he was the first one on stage. Noticed that show-starters are almost always part of the bottom group?]

On reminders

Before the show ends host, Ryan Seacrest reminded the voting public of the nostalgia that was in the past seasons. Mentioning the names of Tamyra Gray and Chris Daughtry, he reminded the people that it is not enough to be confident about your bets. One can never be so sure. So vote for David Cook!

Grave Talk

I was a bit preoccupied doing other pointless stuff these past few days so it was gravely shameful to admit that I have little idea of what’s going on this country for quite a while now. Finally last night, I decided to watch the entirety of 24 Oras to refresh my awareness. I was expecting to hear usual stuff like rice shortages or another MMDA demolition job but I was thinking frivolously. It was far worse than I expected. The following are of grave impact to me:

· Oil price hikes (Again?). This topic was actually brought up by one of my Korean students yesterday and I almost cursed him for doing so. Of all the news have I been hearing everyday, this is one of those that have less importance to me. I don’t have a speck of an idea on oil trading or this controversial Oil Deregulation Law. What the hell do I care about oil prices? Why should I give a damn when I don’t even have my own car yet? It was just then that it finally sank into me why it is one of the root causes of the corrosion of this economy. And that I am gravely embarrassed of.
· Inflation rate had shot up to 8.3% this month. Talk about economics here. I actually have veeery minimal knowledge of this subject (that I am not embarrassed to admit) -- thanks to my carcinogenic professor—but as far as I know, inflation is the general large increase in the prices of goods and services. And 8.3% as compared to last month's 6.4%? That only means the prices are enjoying their stay there on top of the bar graph with our mothers’ purses suffering.
· MERALCO’s Systems Loss Charges. Now what the funk is this? I’m sorry but as what my simple mind comprehended it, this über egoistical electric company will now start putting up charges on the ‘lost’ money we, people are not even accountable for. I don’t give a damn whether it is acceptable by the law or not for in the end it will remain UNFAIR. Not to mention the plethora of taxes imposed on electricity alone. PoTAXteng buhay to…

Unfortunately I can do nothing right now save to throw rants and get peeved by our condition. I cannot totally blame the malfunctioning government for everything. Whose fault is it anyway but us? Who put that wicked liliputian in the high seat in the first place? WE did! For the reason that we though of her as the ‘lesser evil’ back then. What we forgot to consider is no matter how ‘less’ of an evil she is, she will always remain EVIL. It is our impatience that caused us our misery and now we have to bear the grave consequences.

Will It Be David Cook's Time to Leave?

I’m a bit worried ‘bout David Cook for next week’s episode of American Idol. As what Seacrest mentioned, next week’s theme would be Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame. At first anyone would think that DC will have a big edge above everyone else ‘coz it definitely is his niche. However, there’s this BIG possibility that it would turn out to be otherwise. Chances are his performance would be too overrated. C’mon, it’s rock ‘n roll, no wonder all eyes and all ears will be tuned in to DC, wondering if he would be able to pull away from the stalwart marks that rock legends left before us. How will he be able to do something different to something that he makes to be different? I don't know. Only he knows It is now his duty to create the most unexpected of all the unexpected. Talk about pressure!

Well, all I can say is good luck DC! People of America: vote WISELY!

Gotcha!

The fish will always be caught through its mouth.

Upon the declaration of her Tita Anna’s decision to leave the PBB house, Kuya’s little pet imp, Josef, openly wept in front of the other housemates. Apparently, according to fatso, the main reason behind this devastatingly irritating bogus weeping is he is sooo concerned about her aunt’s physical and emotional well-being. Yeah, and I'm George Clooney.

Aha! But here’s the catch. During last Saturday’s episode, where he was allowed to talk to his father regarding the matter, Josef overtly expressed his rants about his Tita Anna’s decision. He almost—almost—condemned her aunt for not considering all the hardships he had partaken just to get inside the big yellow house, for thinking only of herself and not his own sake. So he really is concerned—not for her aunt, but for his own goodwill.

The truth, though impliedly stated, was already revealed. And it came straight from the big fish’s mouth.

Talk About Talent

To say that David Cook is amazing would be too much of an understatement. As a matter of fact, David Cook isn’t amazing. How could someone be so amazing if he is talent himself? Yes. David Cook is talent personified. And I bet no one would dare disagree.

He’s just simply…Urgh! I’m simply out of words to describe the talent of this man! Every time he goes up the spotlighted stage I always grip to the edge of my seat, knowing that he will deliver another breath taking, head bangin’ and house rocking performance. He never fails to provide me with some good goose bumps! His performances give me LSS nights for a whole week—that is, until his next performance.

Permit me to quote Randy Jackson this time, “ Yo! That was hot! BLAZIN’ HOT!"

If David Cook doesn’t win, I’ll cut my head of. But I guess I’ll never have to do that.

Lasalista Pala Si Big Brother

I hate it. The favoritism. The just hate it.
From the very first season of Pinoy Big Brother (PBB) up to its latest offering, favoritism has been circulating inside the “most famous house in the world”, producing the likes of Kim Chiu and Wendy Valdez, unworthy and irritating.

So who’s the latest ‘Kuya’s pet’? I really don’t have to say that it’s Josef cause it’s straightforwardly obvious (just count the number of his appearances as compared to the other housemates and you’ll see). So much attention was being given to him. Almost every special task was assigned to him; he already had one long before his feet touch the concrete outside the house! Even the micro-miniest of all tasks such as calling a housemate or watching others perform while they do a task was being give to him! Aren’t there any housemates inside? And I wouldn’t mention how the fat imps attitude irks me to death!

Man, too much exposure and too bad attitude, means he MUST leave. NOW.

OK. Now everybody’s mad at me.

Record Breaking

During the fifth elimination night of the reality show American Idol, Ryan Seacrest surprised the episode’s special guest, Jordin Sparks, with three special awards: a platinum record for her hit Chris Brown duet “No Air” for reaching more than 1M downloads, a gold award for her self-titled album, and another platinum record for her debut single “Tattoo” which also exceeded 1M downloads. Seacrest then made this remark: “It means Idol works.”

It means very few actually buy records these days. Blame it on the Internet.

The-Article-With-No-Title

Last Friday, after I arrived from work, I immediately retreated to my hell-ventilated room to have some good siesta. I turned on my TV and switched the channel to NBN 4. I was expecting to see another taped match of the Shakey’s V-League but apparently that was not the case. Instead, what took its place for the moment was an awarding ceremony in Malacañang with the title, Noli de Castro Academic Excellence and Exemplary Leadership Awards. Intrigued, I decided to stick to the show.

Apparently, the ceremony was, as the name suggests, intended to recognize the twelve most outstanding public high school graduates who outstandingly exemplified the core principles of academic excellence and leadership (Actually, I’ve always been imagining myself to be in a position similar to them and I’m proud to say that this dream has been fulfilled…in my imagination again *sigh*).

As I listen to the student awardees deliver their speeches, I can’t help but…laugh. Bombarding each sentences with highfalutin words, putting into use every idiomatic expression and figure of speech possible -- a typical high school literary work, that’s what I got from those smart and talented kids (Hey, I’m just months older than the legal age, OK?). High school na high school ang dating. Just makes me burst with laughter. Just makes me remember myself.

Guilty? Haha.

Education is a Privilege..What the..?!

Kumento lang tungkol sa episode kagabi ng PinoyBig Brother Teen Edition Plus kung saan sinabi sa talumpati ng housemate na si Robi ang mga katagang ipinantig talaga ng mga tenga ko. Ayon sa kanya,

“Ang edukasyon ay isang pribilehiyo. Hindi lahat ng tao nakakapagaral…”

Tama ba naman yun? Kung taga-PUP kang tulad ko ay malamang nag-pantig din ang tenga mo gaya ko.

ANG EDUKASYON AY HINDI ISANG PRIBILEHIYO. ISA ITONG KARAPATAN NA DAPAT TINTAMASA NG BAWAT PILIPINO.

Sabagay, hindi ko rin namn siya masisisi. Taga-Ateneo siya. Ano ba naman ang alam niya sa kahirapan? Isa pa, sa panahon ngayon, hindi nga ba’t pwede na ngang tawaging pribillehiyo ang edukasyon? Sino ngayon ang dapat sisihin?