CHOICES...

Let me just say this: I have no right to complain!!!

I have 3 jobs already waiting for me, after my short stint in an industry that I feel I won't fit in. Now, the question is... which one should I choose?

I am lucky, that even during these times of crises, I still find opportunities for me in this country. But this time, I would really like to find a job that I'll stick to for as long or longer than the one that I loved but still left behind. I don't want to just accept a job just because I'm in need of money. I would like to find work where I'll be happy, and will let me unleash my potential.

Actually, I have four options:

OPTION A: is for a bank, a credit card company, actually. So that means that I'll be working on a regular schedule. But then that would also mean that I'll be earning just like the regular folks. As for growth, I'm not even sure if I'll grow there. For sure, I have to prove myself first before I demand for it. I don't even know what I'll be doing there if I accept the offer.

OPTION B: is for a huge multinational company. There is definitely opportunities for growth for the program that I'll be in. The office is in a building I'm familiar with and I already know a couple of people that's working there. Again, with other jobs, I first have to prove myself. But then again, that would also mean that I'd have to start over. And oh yeah, I'll only be paid once a month. Although, there are a lot of benefits that's being offered.

OPTION C: is for a call center. The offer is really big. If I'm looking for something that'll help me out financially, then this definitely will be a good choice. Details are still sketchy at this time, but then there's the risk of stability. I know nothing of the company, and I'm afraid that if I accept this job, that I'll be left out after a few months if the company closes down.

OPTION D: is actually for a position in a management consultancy firm. It's something I've never done before, and an industry that I have no prior knowledge of. Financially, I'm not expecting to be offered as much as option B or C, but if what I want is to really veer away from the industry that I've worked for in the last 5 years, then this should be on top of my list. It's sales driven, and is definitely something new. So why not?

Again I am grateful for the opportunities. I am happy that work still comes to me. I just want to be sure that the next one will be the last one.

Oh well, good luck to me!!!

MY TOP FILMS: BAKBAKAN NA!!!

If you look at my vcd collection (my dvd collection is growing, but it's too expensive.. I don't buy pirated movies), you'll see that a lot of films there are action flicks.


I love mindless violence and physics defying stunts even if they totally don't follow proper logic. Those are the ingredients of big summer movies!!! And since Hollywood is officially starting the summer blockuster season, I'm going to pay tribute by listing my favorite action films!!!


And if you missed on my three previous lists, click on these links:
comics
animated/fantasy
horror

10. DIE HARD: WITH A VENGEANCE: John McClane (Bruce Willis) was at his best on his third outing. And this time he's joined by the equally astig Samuel Jackson. It follows John as he tries to uncover the man behind an explosion in New York, followed by a deadly game of Simon Says. I was a bit younger when this film came out so being able to watch all logic defying things that happened were just something you'd like to brag about when you go to school. Among all the four Die Hard films, this is the one that I truly enjoyed. A little less over-the-top, but still kept me at the edge of my seat.

9. HEAT: Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, and Val Kilmer. This movie is so testosterone driven, my balls hurt just watching the film. This is your thinking man's action movie. There aren't alot of action scenes in this movie, but when it does happen it's long... painful... and gruesome!!! Michael Mann for me is the definitive action film director. I don't think everyone will like his movies because it's more talk, less action. But when the action comes, it's realistic, and it's loud and it's very believable. This is why I really like this film.
8. BAD BOYS: The first one... I thought the sequel was a bit dragging. I am a believer that the original is always the best. And it's true with this film. Will Smith and Martin Lawrence's tandem was fresh back then, and the film was really funny. I think this launched the movie career of Will Smith if I'm not mistaken.

7. SPEED: Our favorite movie to be played during field trips and excursions. Looking back, the films pretty stupid, but during it's time of release it was one of the most astonishing story ever made (for me, at least). "Pop quiz, hotshot!" Dennis Hopper was really great as the villain. And oh yeah, this film introduced us to both Keannu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. The ending was sort of anti-climactic, but you can't deny that this is flick got you holding on to the rails of the bus everytime the driver suddenly steps on the break.

6. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE: I was a fan of the original series back when I was a kid. And the soundtrack of the film was the monotone message alert of my first phone for a very long time. So to say, that this is a favorite is an understatement. Who could ever forget Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) hanging by the ceiling, sweat almost dripping, and tension mounting. Frickin' cool!!! But it ranks low on this list because my enjoyment of the original was ruined by the sequels. I hated the second and was disappointed by the third, so that took away some pogi points from this movie.


5. PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL: Whew, that was hard to type!!! I know it should have been on the Fantasy film, but when I weighed the titles involved in that list, that was more geared towards the kids, while this was a solid action flick. Now similar to Mission Impossible, this film had two sort of sucky sequels, but this ranks higher because it has a more epic film than the latter. I remember after I saw the movie, for about a few hours, I talked like a pirate. Arrr!!! The film introduced the world to Captain Jack Sparrow, the funniest pirate evarrr!!! And that alone is enough to warrant this movie a position in my list.

4. TRANSFORMERS: My childhood favorite comes to life. And it was AWESOME!!! Bumblebee as a Camarro... cool!!! Megatron not just a gun... incredible!!! Megan Fox... sweet!!! Violence between robots... wicked!!! Shia Lebeouf... uh... hmm... I liked Disturbia. When I watched the movie, I almost wet my pants. This was so good, that I opted this movie over a job interview scheduled for me, the day it was first shown.
3. NATIONAL TREASURE: I know this isn't too much of an action flick, but what the heck. This is my list, if you don't like it go make your own. Nicholas Cage as Benjamin Thomas Gates is for me the best treasure hunter. Better than Lara Croft or even Indiana Jones. The movie is a little more grounded in reality, and isn't too over-the-top. The treasure may have been too much to be believable, but that's okay. I was more into solving the clues left by brotherhood.
2. THE ROCK: Honestly, I'm torn about my number two and my number one action flick of all time. This movie, again with Nic Cage (he's done some very good films in the past that it makes me wonder why alot of his latest films are such duds), is about a chemist and a former Alcatraz prisoner (Sean Connery) who needs to work together to stop a mad general (Ed Harris) from unleashing a deadly chemical weapon in San Francisco. I remember I was in first year high school when this film was first shown, and I was like so proud to have been able to watch it before classes started because it was like the ticket to coolness. All the cool kids watched it, and I fit in... yay!!! Just goes to show I wasn't a loser back then... Ha!

1. TRUE LIES: Honestly speaking, this is the ONLY Arnold Schwarzenegger film that I truly enjoyed. This one is funny... sexy... action packed... and it has a very young Eliza Dushku (my ultimate crush) in it's cast. What's not to love? Directed by James Cameron (of Titanic fame)... it's a spy story. It has one of the sexiest dance sequence I've ever seen (by Jamie Lee Curtis nonetheless... who would've thought). Oh yeah, and it has a Filipina actress in it as well (the sexy Tia Carrere). Arnie is a spy, but he can't tell his wife because that would put his family in danger, and that's where the story begins. This movie is crazy, I tell you... but a good kind of crazy.

MGA BABAE NGA NAMAN...

Ito'y mga muni-muni ko lamang tungkol sa mga kababaihan. Kasi kanina noong ako'y pauwi ay naisipan kong magsulat ng tungkol sa kanila. Opo... Tungkol sa mga babae. Gustuhin ko mang magsulat ng kabastusan, eh baka ang mga pamangkin ko ay lumapit sa akin upang humingi ng paliwanag tungkol sa mga pinagsusulat ko.

Huwag kayong magtaka kung bakit hanggang ngayon, sa edad bente-sais ako'y nangangapa pa rin tungkol sa kanila. Nanggaling po ako sa paaralan na puros kalalakihan ang mga kaklase ko. Wala akong kapatid na babae. At wala akong panahon upang unawain ang mga naging katulong namin.

Meron akong mga kalarong babae noong ako'y bata pa. Pero noon hindi pa uso ang shopping at pagiging kikay. At nang ang mga ito'y simulan nang magkaroon ng tagos, eh hindi ko na sila naging kalaro. Kaya ako'y natuto na lang muling makisalamuha sa maraming babae noong ako'y nagsimulang magtrabaho. Hindi sa pagiging defensive, pero noong nag-aaral ako eh may nakilala rin naman akong mga babae, yun nga lang sila'y hindi ko sineryoso at ang hanap ko lang eh karanasan.

Kung susumahin, may limang taon pa lamang simula nang ako'y matutong makihalubilo sa kanila at marami akong natutunan tungkol sa mga ito. Sana'y matuto kayo sa mga karanasan ko(hahaha)...

• Una: huwag na huwag kang magbibiro sa mga buntis! Sila ay hormonal... Muntik na akong ma demote dati sa aking pusisyon nang minsan akong magpasaring sa isa kong ahente noon na buntis. Hala, kalahating araw itong umiyak!!! Mabuti na lang lumiban ang boss ko nun at hindi nakarating sa kanya ang ginawa kong kabalbalan. Hindi na ako lumalapit sa mga buntis... paminsan na lang!!!
• Ikalawa: kung may kaibigan kang babae, at nag-aya siyang magmalling, eh tumanggi ka!!! Kung hindi ay limang oras kayong mag-iikot sa department store para maghanap ng invisible shoes o kaya non-existent na damit!!! Yun bang tipong sila ang nagdisenyo sa isip nila na akala mo'y makikita nila pag pumunta sila ng Maldita, Folded & Hung o kaya'y Zenco Footstep.
• Ikalawa-point-one: kung talagang close kayo ng kaibigan mong babae, para matigil kaagad ang misyon ninyong maghanap ng nawawalang kung anuman, ang ginagawa ko ay sa tuwing lalapit ang kaibigan ko sa isang saleslady, sinasabi ko agad, "ate, huwag niyong tulungan yan... di naman bibili yan! Walang pera yan. Matagal pa sweldo namin!" Sabay labas ng pearly whites sa kaibigan.
• Ikatlo: Masarap kumaibigan ng mga babaeng may pagka-liberated ang pag-iisip, dahil minsan sila pa ang magpapahipo ng kanilang dibdib. Kapag ginawa nila ito, wag kang mukhang tanga na parang nalilibugan... ginagawa nila ito dahil a) tipo ka nila o kaya'y b) ang tingin nila sa iyo'y di kayo talo.
• Ikaapat: Ang mga babae eh mahilig din magkuwento tungkol sa sex!!! Kung di ka marunong magpaligaya, makinig ka ng mabuti dahil minsa'y kinukuwento nila kung bakit hindi sila napasaya ng kaniig nila noong isang gabi. Sa madaling salita, maraming babae ang malilibog!!!
• Ikaapat-point-one: Ito ay napansin ko lang sa mga kaibigan ko... pero ang babae kapag isinuko na ang kanyang kalamnan eh matapos nang ilang araw eh gumaganda. Ewan ko. Nag-iiba ang taas ng kilay. Nagiging mas pino ang kilos. Natututong magtaray. May apat na akong kakilala na napansin ko na medyo nagbago matapos nilang makatikim ng karne ng kalalakihan. Dati rati'y ang babae ay iisa lang ang hitsura para sa akin, pero ngayon medyo nakikita ko ang kaibahan ng isang birhen sa isang may karanasan na.
• Ikalima: Dahil ako ay likas na tahimik na tao, gusto kong mga babae ang aking nakakasama. Hindi kami nauubusan ng pinagkukuwentuhan mula sa kanilang buhay-buhay hanggang sa buhay ng pusa ng pinsan ng kapitbahay ng lola nila. Lahat ikukuwento nila basta kalapit sa topic ng pinag-uusapan ninyo.
• Ikaanim: Hindi ko nilalahat ang mga babae dito, pero pansin ko lang maraming babae ang mahilig makipagkumpetisyon. Naaalala ko noong ako'y isang hamak na ahente pa lang at nagtatawag upang bumenta ng kung anu-ano. 2 babae ang pumapagitna sa akin, at hindi nila ako kinakausap hangga't hindi pa nila ako nalalamangan sa dami ng benta ko. As in, hindi talaga ako pinapansin o tinitingnan man lang kapag mas maraming marka sa board ang pangalan ko kesa sa kanila. Tapos may ilang araw sa isang buwan na sobrang lala nito, na kapag wala na silang pag-asang habulin ako eh magdadabog ang mga ito at mumurahin ako.

Hay, mga babae nga naman.

LOOKING FORWARD TO PLAY...

Allow me to geek out just for today... this is supposed to be my featured friend post, but unfortunately, that said friend is in the middle of a flight somewhere in Iraq or something, so I'll push this entry back to July.

Anyway, I'll geek out again and write about video games. My focus right now is to save enough money to buy me a Playstation 3 and a guitar for Guitar Hero on the Xbox 360. But while I don't have those two yet, for the meantime I'll settle for the games coming out on my console by the end of this year and early next year (if there will be no delays).

The sole reason I want to buy a PS3 is Solid Snake from Metal Gear: Guns of the Patriot and the upcoming Final Fantasy games. If I have that, I can die already. Kidding.

I don't really have a problem with my XBox as they have a solid list of games coming out as well, it's just that there are exclusive games to the PS3 that I can't miss as I loved playing the same title on the PS2 when it was still at it's peak.

Actually, this entry should be about the games I'm looking forward to playing... Now I won't delay it any further...

FABLE 2 (XBox 360, late 2008): I have been playing the pc version of this game because I can't find a 360 version of the original game, and I have to say this game is really addictive... if you have the patience to use the mouse and keyboard to play a game. I'm still learning, but I'm enjoying what I'm seeing. But I can't wait to play this game using a controller. It's an RPG game that has an open ending, meaning you can either decide to be a hero or a villain. Whatever decision you make will have an effect on how you look as well. Looking forward to have my virtual family, pet dog and discovering a new world in the second installment of Lionhead Studios' upcoming outing.

FALLOUT 3 (XBox 360, PS3, Q4 2008): From Bethesda Game Studios, the creators behind the successful multi-platform RPG Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. I'm not really familiar with the other Fallout titles, but I LOVED Oblivion. Before I discovered that I also enjoy playing action shooters, I really got so immersed in Oblivion. There were a lot to discover and a million things to do. Seeing as this is created by the same company, I'm looking forward to play this game as well. But unlike Oblivion which had medieval settings, Fallout seems to be set in a post-apocalyptic United States. While details of how the gameplay will be is still sketchy (to me at least), I'm still excited to see how this game will turn out.

INFINITE UNDISCOVERY (XBox 360, September 2008): If it still isn't obvious, I love role playing games. And this one I'm very excited about because this is from Square Enix, the studio that brought us the Final Fantasy series. Their first for the console, and definitely not going to be their last. There is a rumor that at least 10 characters will be able to appear on screen at once. I'm not really sure how this will work, but that's something new, right? Normally, you can only control up to 4 or 5 characters. So this is a buy for me. Definitely.

GEARS OF WAR 2 (XBox 360, hopefully this year): The original, was the first XBox game that I really enjoyed. I played the game for about 10 hours straight and I felt even as I finished it, was incomplete for me. I wasn't able to fight that huge-ass dinosaur like Locust, and I haven't completed all the dogtags yet (this one is completely my fault). So for me there isn't full disclosure yet. The teaser trailer released seems to hint about finally fighting those raptor-like monsters, so that one looks great!!! And more importantly the graphics look so purtty. Definitely one game I'm very much anticipating.

LAST REMNANT (XBox 360, PS3, Q4 2008): Another role playing game from Square Enix, but this one is not exclusive to Microsoft. Anyway, this one is kinda like Final Fantasy from the trailers that I've been seeing. I'm not really sure what this is about, but from what I gather there will be a different battle system on this game, that will be similar to games like God of War or Kingdom Hearts. So that's something good right. Some button-smashing is what my trigger-happy fingers need these days. It also doesn't hurt that the graphics in this game looks absolutely beautiful. I wish I can post the trailers here as well.

RESIDENT EVIL 5 (XBox 360, PS3, 2009): When I'm thinking of how long I have to wait to finally get a hold of this title, it seems that time becomes slower. This game I am SO looking forward to playing. It sort of looks difficult, but that's what's exciting. I've finished all Resident Evil games from the time it was on the Playstation port (well, except for the GameCube titles), and most if not all left me wetting my pants. I am telling the truth when I say zombies are scarier in video games than in movies. I can't wait to play Chris Redfield again. I'm just afraid that I might finally break my controller because of continuously dropping it because of fright.

TOO HUMAN (XBox 360, August 2008): Another action role-playing game exclusive to XBox 360, which is sort of have a mecha-norse feel to it. Mecha-norse?! WTF, right? Well, just to let you know, this game includes characters from Norse mythology, and then the developers Silicon Knights decided, just for fun to add cybernetically enhanced humanoids in the mix. This is supposed to be the first part of a planned trilogy, and thanks to G4tv, I am excited about this game. Early word on this game seems positive... so yay!!! It's just about a couple of months away.

Okay... I've geeked out enough, it's starting to become embarassing.

BALIKBAYAN

2 lang ang ibig sabihin sa akin ng salitang balikbayan: 1) maraming pasalubong at 2) tataba nanaman ako...

In a way, gusto ko na may balikbayan na bumibisita sa aming tahanan, kasi minsan ako ay nakakapag tour guide. Libreng biyahe patungong probinsya, o kaya naman ay raket sa iba't ibang mall. ANg punto ko eh, kahit papaano ay nabibiyayaan ako ng maliit na halaga sa pagiging likas na utu-uto ko. Tapos ibig sabihin din nito ay makakalibre nanaman ako ng either a) bagong t-shirt b) bagong pabango o kaya nama'y c) libreng toothbrush kit mula sa airline na sinakyan ng aming bisita. May isang beses pa nga, ako'y nabigyan ng headset na may tatak na Northwest (wala akong pagsusuksukan nun kasi tatlo yung panusuk dun sa adaptor).

Natutuwa din ako kasi nagiging maingay ang tahanan namin, lalo na kapag may batang kasama. Naaaliw akong panuorin ang nanay ko, pinsan, lola at kung sinu-sino pa na halos dumugo na ang ilong sa kakatry mag-inggles (have you been eaten already?). Kahit na minsan ang bisita nami'y mas magaling pa sakin magbisaya.

Nakakatuwa rin na may nakikilala akong mga kamag-anak na bago pa man dumating ang mga kapamilya namin eh hindi ko alam na nabubuhay pala. Kasi madalas eh may party sa bahay para sa mga bisita. Nakakatuwa siya kasi nga, minsan ang mga kamag-anak na iyon eh may kaya pala at pwede kang ipakilala sa mga taong dapat mong makilala. Pero minsan din eh nakakainis, kasi kahit ako na hindi balikbayan ay inaarboran ng mga taong ito. May mga ambisyoso pa na pati pabangong bigay sa akin eh hinihingi pa (pasensya na pero madamot talaga ako sa pabango).

Medyo nakakatakot lang kung ang bisita eh isang binata na kapareho ko ng hilig dahil ibig sabihin nito ay hindi ako makakatulog dahil sila'y nasa kuwarto ko at naglalaro ng video games buong magdamag. Noong Bagong Taon nga, ilang araw din ako lumiban sa trabaho ko dahil sa puyat dahil ang mga pinsan ko na ang goal sa pagbisita sa'min eh tapusin ang Gears Of War at Dead Rising... nang hindi nagpapahinga!!!

Pero di lahat ng tungkol sa pagkakaroon ng bisita mula sa ibang bansa ay nakakatuwa. Minsan kasi, ito ang dahilan na ako ay tumataba. Paano ba naman, kelangan araw-araw ay espesyal ang hinahain na pagkain sa mga ito. Kaldereta, beef with mushroom, grilled chicken, pork steak, pasta, cake, ice cream (mga pagkaing usually kapag Pasko lang hinahanda). Idagdag mo pa ng sandamakmak na tsokolate, cookies at kung anu-anong imported na palaman. Sabay kapag paalis na sila... sasabihan nila akong "papayat ka ha, tumataba ka na!" Eh kasalanan niyo to!!! Sanay akong adobo at minsa'y tinapay lang ang kinakain ko sa bawat araw!!! Tapos kayo nagbibigay ng ilang supot ng tsokolate na nakapangalan lang sa akin, na parang wala kayong ibang kamag-anak!!! Sino naman ang pagbibigyan ko nun?!

Tapos nandyan pa ang walang katapusang katanungan kung may girlfriend na ako at kung kelan ako mag-aasawa. Pakialam niyo ba?! Di ko naman kayo imbitado kapag nangyari yun. Atsaka para namang gagastusan niyo ang araw na yun, di ba? Pero di ko pwede sabihin yun, kasi baka sampalin ako ng nanay ko.

Hindi ako nagrereklamo... Gaya ng unang sinabi ko, maligaya ako na madalas tirhan ng mga balikbayan ang aming tahanan. Wala rin naman akong gustong baguhin sa ugali at pakikitungo sa akin ng mga taong ito. Sino ba naman ako para magreklamo eh ako na nga ang nabibiyayaan nga ming mga bisita. Napapansin ko lang yung mga pangyayari sa tuwing tumatanggap kami ng mga bisitang matagal nang di nakakarating sa ating bayan.

WHY I HATED HIGH SCHOOL!!!

For some of the people, high school was the best four years of their lives (five for a very fortunate few). While mine had it's high moments, it never really registered anything significant or great or life changing. While some of my firsts happened during those times, it didn't have to do anything with school.

It actually makes me wonder if the movies portray high school life accurately. Because for me, most of what I see in movies or tv shows, happened to me in college. Or probably I was too much of a loser back then.

• For one thing, I was placed in the best section where almost all of my classmates were smarter than I was. WHile it did help that I get to copy from some of the most intelligent people I know, it didn't do anything good to my ego because I wasn't an honor student anymore. And all of my classmates have very strong personalities, that my being introvert back then drowned among the sea of colorful kids.
• My friends from primary school and I grew apart during these four years. When our interests started veering away from comic books, cartoons and kid stuff, our friendship started to thaw as well. It's sad that I only get to speak with only a handful of my high school friends. Thanks YM and Friendster!!!
• I was in an all boys school!!! Sometimes I think high school would've been better if I went to a co-ed school. I wanted to go to CSA back then, but my parents wanted me to stay there because it was convenient. I did not know how to communicate with the other sex until after I graduated college.
• I hated doing my assignments!!! Imagine during my 3rd and 4th year college, for our Asian and World History classes, we have to rewrite what was on our book in our big-ass notebooks, and at the end of the year, we have to design it creatively because it will give us 10 freakin' additional points.
• Math!!! Four years of mathematics and all of it's different incarnations: geometry, trigonometry, business math and calculus. I seriously have no idea how I became a straight-A student having studied the subject.

But like I said, I don't totally hate high school. I had good friends back then. I was well-liked by my peers, and at times was handpicked to be a classmate's closest friend. I always had something to do all those four years (and not just rewriting the WOrld History books), I was active in the school paper and yearbook, and I was a member of a few orgs. So that was fun.

I loved listening to my classmates when they make fun of our teachers and a few classmates. Oh, and back then, the telephone was more useful in our household. And I got to tutor some kids. Yeah, they were huge pains in the backside, but it's for credits, so that's fine. And my bonding moments with my friends then were always worth remembering. I couldn't imagine 10 teen-agers fitting in my small room. On weekends we play Dance Dance Revolution at home with the then-popular Playstation.

I really liked college more, if only because I became smarter then. And I only had to deal with 3 Math subjects. Two of which I actually was exempted for final exams.

ON MEREDITH, MYSPACE AND MY FRIENDS

I've seen a couple of films this past week, but I don't want to write another movie entry on my blog, because that's what I've been writing about the past few weeks. I'll probably compile all the summer flicks being shown this year by the end of the season. But just so you know, I watched Kung Fu Panda and The Incredible Hulk.

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I've been given permission by a few friends to feature them on my blog. This will be something new here. Probably, by the end of this week or early next week you'll be seeing my first featured friend.
She's pretty, and she's single... So there's something for the guys. As for my female readers, I've got a couple of guy friends already lined up... and hopefully, if he agrees, I'll have one of last year's 69 bachelors from Cosmo show up. So cross your fingers ladies!!!

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Last Sunday was a day spent with my former housemates in Marikina because it was my friend's birthday. A reunion of some sorts, and for the first time since March, we were complete. Of course there were singing and a lot of drinking. And because of the day's events, the next day gave me a major hang-over!!! I'm really not built up to drink more than a couple of bottles of any alcohol drink. Not even isoprophyl.

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These past few days I've been reacquainting myself with Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. I don't have a lot to do these days, and have no budget to do whatever, so I'm trying to learn how to read books again. While blogging have been good distractions, there's nothing bad about reading good stories every once in awhile.
It's either this or Love In the Time of Cholera, but I want to be able to rest my eyes after a few pages, which I can't do with the late great Gabriel Garcia Marquez's offering.

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My myspace site is fast becoming a fan site, where most of my contacts are comic book writers, and celebrities like Olivia Munn, Kevin Perreira, Colbie Calliat and Oli Pettigrew. I'm the one adding them, because I don't know a lot of my real friends who own a profile. So everytime I see a familiar face, I add them, and then there are others like Skottie Young (a phenomenal artist, by the way) who requested me to add them... so that's cool.
And I'm actually happy that these celebrities are really nice people who accept friend requests from regular folks such as myself. Unlike other people I know.
I'm just not sure if these sites are really owned by the real McCoy.
If you have one, don't hesitate to add me, by the way. I'm a nice guy in need of real people on my myspace page

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Ahh, last night I stayed up late to watch the season finale of Grey's Anatomy. I was actually planning on watching the last episode on Studio 23, but the ending was so good that I can't wait another week to see what happened.
The finale was the best episode this season as there are a lot of good things that happened...
SPOILER WARNING!!!'
Meredith and Derek finally got back together. Izzy is the new head of the Denny Duquette memorial clinic. Erica Hahn and Callie (George's ex-wife) hooked up!!! Richard (Seattle Grace chief) got back together with his wife Adelle (one of the most touching scenes of the episode). And Christina finally got her groove back (the best scene was where she told Hahn to shut up and let her do the heart operation).

ONLY CHILD

I've known quite a number of people who are like me... an only child. And I've noticed that there's only two kinds of personalities that are prevalent among solo kids... The really quiet ones, and the really loud ones.

I fall on the quiet type. I'm naturally an introvert because I grew up mostly alone at home. While I do know how to mingle with people, that's a trait I only learned outside school.

These are two extremes, I realized that, but it's true at least with the people I know (including myself). But I'm proud to say that a spoiled brat is very rare for people like us. I admit, we could be a bit difficult, and sometimes have our own world. But most of the time that's because there's already a notion attached that being an only child equals being a brat.

I really don't know where that belief originated. But some of the solo rich kids that I know are the most generous people I've met (me included). I guess it's our need to belong that drives us to be that way. Oftentimes to a fault.

I envy those who grew up to become extroverts even as only children. Those are kids lucky enough to have grown up with cousins or relatives of the same age. It's like they have real siblings. Unfortunately for me, there've been a few years gap between my birth year and those of my cousins. It's either I'm a few years younger or a few years older. So, when I'm with my cousins, we don't really mesh well together.

Don't get me wrong, I get along with my cousins, it's just that we're not as close as we should be.

Anyway, this entry supposedly is about getting to know an only child better. I'm no psychologist, I'm only saying this purely from my observations of kids like me.

• If we seem to be selfish, you have to understand we grew up not sharing our food, toys or whatever with other people. We aren't naturally selfish, it's just that we're not used to people grabbing our fries without permission. We are willing to share things, just ask first.
• If we don't talk alot, it's not because we're stupid. A number of the smartest kids I know are only children. But socially, a little bit handicapped. Growing up alone, it's either we only talk about what our parents want to talk about or we don't get to talk with anyone at all. We depend on you to steer conversations, but as long as we have the same interests, I don't think talking isn't going to be a problem.
• If we have a strong personality and seem like a brat, that may be because we're not really used to have someone challenge what we believe. It's not like we're never going to give in. You just need to be patient in explaining why some things need to be done another way.
• If we seem to be too competitive, it may be because we're used to having all attention given only to us. It may be our need to be on the spotlight that's why we strive to be number one. Whether you see it in a good way or a bad way depends on how open minded and truly mature you are.

So cut us some slack. The last thing we want is to be misunderstood. We may lack the maturity and level-headedness of first borns, or the natural sweetness of the youngest children. But inherently, we are very good listeners and very loyal friends.

I am not generalizing children without brothers or sisters, because in the end, how you grow up to be depends on how well you are raised. Like I said, have an open mind about us solo kids. Just think about this, we're the sole heir to our parent's wealth and fortune.

REQUIRED READING: WANTED

I don't know when this movie will be showing here in the Philippines, but I'm very excited about this film. The trailer looks action-packed and Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy... sexy!!!

If you must know, this movie actually is based on a comic book written by Mark Millar (Civil War) and with art by the amazing JG Jones (Final Crisis). Now looking again at the trailer it's quite obvious that the story is not going to be really faithful to the comic, but if you're just like me who's looking forward to watching this film, but is pretty much clueless as to what it's about... read on.

Before I go on with the comic's story, let me first point out the big difference between the movie and the comic book. Again, watching the trailer it's obvious that this film is about a brotherhood of assassins, the comics is actually about a fraternity of supervillains in a time after they have disposed of all of the superheroes in the world. I think Hollywood is just being smart about this film, because it would really be difficult putting into film, characters like Shithead or Fuckwit.

Anyway, Wanted the comic book is actually about Wesley Gibson, your typical loser with an unfaithful girlfriend, an ass for a boss and a life of quiet desperation. Mostly, a little bit like me... the only difference is that, he is actually the son of the world's most powerful assassin. Now this assassin died, and for Wesley to inherit the millions of dollars his father worked for, he has to become a villain.

Enter the Fraternity led by Professor Solomon Seltzer. This is a brotherhood of supervillains who is currently running the world after they effectively destroyed all of earth's superheroes and turned them into a memory only remembered through comic books. Apparently, there's some sort of a power struggle between two of the five leaders Seltzer and Mr. Rictus.

This is where things turn for the worse for Wesley Gibson and his mentor/partner The Fox. And if that wasn't enough, there's a huge twist at the end that will change how you'll look at our lovable loser.

I am a huge fan of Mr. Millar's work ever since I grabbed a copy of his Ultimate X-Men a few years ago. That title actually brought me back to reading comic books. He's the Michael Bay of the comics industry with his knack for action, and this mini-series is chock full of it. This is a mature readers title, so it's full of sex, violence and a lot of the f-bombs, so I think only wusses would not like this title.

The art by JG Jones is perfect. The action looks so real, I love the violence depicted by his pencils, and the way Wesley changed from the loser that he was to the killer he turned out to be is so believable. While it's obvious that he actually based some of the characters from celebrities, it's not distracting and made me think what if Eminem and Halle Berry were the ones who played Wesley and the Fox in the film. That would've been cool.

The only criticism I have is the sort of anticlimactic ending. Millar actually made it work, but I really do prefer that the twist in the end not happen. I think they'll do this in the film as well, as it's actually central to the story, but it really came out of the left field, that while interesting, wasn't really necessary... at least for me. But like I said, somehow the writer made it work, and gave a reason for Wesley's existence.

Final word: The comic book is cool. Makes me hope that while it's obvious that over-all it won't be like the series, I do hope that they at least will be loyal to the story. I can actually see how they could turn characters like Shit-head, Dollmaster, and the Council of Five be more realistic. And the curbing of the bullet is actually way cooler than what's in the comics (Wesley actually shot the wings of flies in the book).

SCORE: 8.9 out of 10.

MY TOP FILMS: SCARIEST SHIT EVER

Welcome to the 3rd installment of my favorite films. And this time I'll list down my favorite suspense/horror films. You may not find alot of ghost stories in this category, as this list actually contains movies that got me covering my eyes or almost made me wet my pants with horror.

I don't actually think that ghosts are scary, but when executed properly they could be spine-tingling. Well, the supernatural is really frightening if you think about it, but what's more frightening is finding out what real live people can do. Obviously, you'll find slasher films here as well.

Now with the recent success of Asian horror films (which I personally don't find scary at all), there seemed to have been a rise to sucky horror/suspense movies. And unfortunately, I've seen alot of them. If you've browsed through the archives, you'll find I've written a few of it here in my blog.

I know some of you may not agree with what's on the list and say some of the old horror films like Carrie, Psycho, The Exorcist, or the Shining should be here. I've seen them all, and honestly I didn't get scared. I actually slept through all of these films, and I guess because of the lack of technology back then, the scary films aren't as scary as if done now.

Anyway, my introduction's gone long enough now, so let's go on with the list shall we...

10. FENG SHUI: Why this one and not Sukob or Ouija? I know this is Purefoods Chunkee the movie, but it's actually really scary if you look at it. Specially the scene where all the ghosts appeared to Jay Manalo and the kids. I remember everyone at the cinema screaming the entire time. Yeah I know alot of the killing scenes are silly (Lotlot and the red horse because she was born year of the horse), it's actually funny. I guess, I just like this one better than Sukob or Ouija (even if they're both far better storywise).


9. FATAL ATTRACTION: This is not a horror film, more of a psychological thriller kind of film. But for married guys (who has a mistress), this could possibly be the scariest shit they'll ever see. You see Michael Douglas got tempted to cheat on his wife by a sultry Glenn Close, only to find out that the woman is actually a psycho bitch. I like these kinds of films. Proof that sometimes you don't need ghosts to scare people.

8. HOUSE OF WAX: If only for the scene where Vincent pummels Paris Hilton's face with a huge stick. Yeah, alot of people cheered during the death scene of the overrated heiress. But that's not the only reason why this film is on the list. There are alot of gruesome scenes from this movie. Eliza Cuthbert's mouth being glued, the waxed Jared Padalecki, Vincent's face. The fact that a town full of wax figures is already eerie, add the fact that all those people were once alive makes this scary.

7. SIGNS: Yes, there's only about 2 or 3 scenes that are scary in this movie, but all those 2 or 3 are REALLY scary. While War of the Worlds focused on the alien invasion in a worldwide perspective, Signs actually focused only on one family and how they dealt with aliens who wanted to take over. Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin and a very young and very cute Abigail Breslin gave chilling performances that actually made me believe how truly frightening aliens could be.

6. THE SIXTH SENSE: "I see dead people... everywhere." This is the movie that made M. Night Shyamalan a household name. While his films so far are a hit and miss, this movie is definitely a huge hit. Just like with Signs, there really aren't a lot of scary scenes on this movie, but when the ghosts finallys show up, you can't do nothing but cover your eyes. What fascinated me with this film was the twist ending. I did not expect that. The way the film was done, is very VERY brilliant. It was done intelligently.

5. THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: The version with Jessica Biel is the one I'm talking about. I don't know how many times I've screamed at the cast to "run" or "look behind you!" when I first saw this film. I actually still do it when I catch in on cable. Leatherface is the scariest motherfucker I've ever seen. I loved the gore, and cheered at Biel for doing what she was pushed to do by the maniacs that's been trying to kill her and her friends. This is definitely one of the best slasher films I've seen.



4. SCREAM: But the best slasher film for me goes to Scream. This is the original whodunnit movie, and definitely the best among the trilogy. It is the mother of all slasher movies and even is the mother of spoof films (Scary Movie was based on Scream, as if you didn't know). This is the only movie by Wes Craven that I truly enjoyed. I was in high school when this film was first shown, and I was really shocked about who the killer turned out to be. This film is surprising in more ways than one. And I only watched the film because I was then a fan of Friends and Party of Five.


3. THE OTHERS: To be honest, this movie is not really as scary as The Sixth Sense, but what Sixth Sense originated, this film perfected. The plot twist at the end was definitely something I never expected. I only thought that this was originally just about Nicole Kidman's weirdo helpers, but by the end it's something different. It's actually a beautiful film, not overrated or overdone. Just enough to make you think if you're actually still alive.


2. WHAT LIES BENEATH: If it still isn't obvious to you, I am a huge fan of Michelle Pfeiffer. At first, it may seem to be just another ghost story. But as the story goes on, there really is something more about the house that she and her husband lives in. Like I said, ghosts aren't as scary as knowing what live people can do.



1. THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS: So what's scarier than ghosts, Leatherface and serial killers? Hannibal freakin' Lecter!!! Thomas Harris' creation comes to the big screens and he went on to earn himself an Oscar. What other scary movie did that? The fact that in this film, he's not even the real killer is much more scarier. Jodie Foster's Clarice Starling and Anthony Hopkins' Lecter both gave chilling performances and the dialogues between the two are so good, that I never get tired of watching this film over and over again.

SOUNDTRACK

It's been a long time since I last wrote about music, so I thought this would be an appropriate time for me to do this again. As with writing an entry about this, it's also been awhile since I last listened to good old fm stations. So I'm not really familiar with what's current.

Anyway, my taste in music really varies as I like songs that sounds good to the ears. Most of them right now are upbeat (I like songs that kind of resembles an opening score for a feel-good movie). And thanks to the blogging community that I discover artists that really make a lot of these kinds of songs. I actually think that my life always has a soundtrack. Every important moment in my life somehow finds a song attached to it.

Too bad really that I'm not a techie because I'd really like to post the music here in my blog as well. I'm just too schtyupeeed to know how to do it here.

I don't know if you'd be familiar with some of the songs that I'll be listing here as I don't think I've heard these songs on the radio ever. Or maybe because the stations that I get to listen to, are just those sucky trying-hard-to-be-funny radio stations (alam mo na yan!!! kelangan pa ba imemorize yan?!)

MATT WHITE, LOVE: I play this music everytime I walk home from work (and no I don't walk from the office to my home!!!). It's kind of upbeat, and the piano is just so effective (I can't find the right word to describe it), that it somehow makes me want to burst into a song and dance number.

COLBIE CALLIAT, KISS THE GIRL: It surprised me to find out that she made a cover of this Little Mermaid song. While it lacked some of parts that I loved in the original version, this was definitely a very good remake. I'd really like to compile these songs and play this during a road trip.

CHUMBAWUMBA, TUBTHUMPING: If you've been watching How I Met Your Mother, you remember that Barney has a song that gets him pumped up. While his is Bon Jovi's 'You Give Love A Bad Name', mine is this World Cup soundtrack. Yep, I know this is old, but I don't get tired of listening to this music. Plus, this is the only song in the original Dance Dance Revolution that I can follow perfectly.

BEATLES, I'VE JUST SEEN A FACE: The version that I'm actually referring to, is the one from the movie Across The Universe. It' upbeat, it's fun, and it's about love at first sight (I think). Jim Sturgess sang this while they were bowling in the film, while not necessarily the best scene in the movie (nothing would beat the Let It Be scene), this was my favorite. And the song just got stuck in my head.

THE DIVYNILS, I TOUCH MYSELF: Yeah, I wrote an entry about this a couple of months ago, and it still is playing in my head. Well, actually it grew on me. While it sort of has a sexual overtone to it's lyrics, it's kind of good. I haven't actually played this song while I do... you know... it... but I think it might be fun to do it.

MATT WHITE, THE BEST DAYS: His songs occupy the most space in the memory of my phone. I love it because it's really upbeat, and listening to his music sort of brightens my day. It has an effect similar to what Tubthumping does for me.

JOSS STONE, SUPER DUPER LOVE: Going back to upbeat songs, this one I like to listen to alot. I don't really know why, but it's the type of song that grows on you. Or it could be Joss Stone's brilliant voice or the lyrics. I imagine playing this song while I'm on a date. A fun activity kind of date. Weird, but I do.

THE CORRS, LOVE TO LOVE YOU: Sometimes I like to be cheesy. And this is a good song to listen to when I want to be that way. Yes, this is old, and I like to listen to old songs. It reminds me of some fun moments when I was in high school (eventhough I was miserable during most of my years then). I'd add this one to my mixed tape as well.

YAEL NAIM, NEW SOUL: So how did I find out about this song? From Pilipinas Game Ka Na Ba? They don't play this anymore, but I really liked the beat and it's a happy song. Who doesn't like happy songs?! I play this song every morning. It's a nice way to start a day.

U2, WITH OR WITHOUT YOU: This song, I play if I want to wind down and relax. I think it's a sad song. I am a lyrics guy, and eventhough this is already a classic song, I haven't really listened to the lyrics fully. Just the chorus. I know regardless of my not knowing what this song is truly about, this is a very good tune to save on my player. Bono's vocal is so haunting that it leaves an effect on me that gives me inner peace.

KEITH URBAN, YOU'LL THINK OF ME: This is my bitterness song. A song to everyone that came and gone into my life. I just recently discovered this song, but I deemed this a good emo song. I know the people who left will think of me... and I'm going to be alright. I normally don't like country music, but this song is slow and the lyrics somehow rings a truth to it (at least for me). A good song to listen to if you're having a hard time moving on.

SNOW PATROL, SIGNAL FIRE: Among all the songs released by Snow Patrol, this song I loved the most. It came from the soundtrack of Spider-man 3. It's about a guy whose life would be nothing without his signal fire. His hope. His love. Someone thought that this would make for a good wedding song... and I agree 100%. Great song, this one.

JOSS STONE, AT LAST: The opening with the violins, Joss Stone's very beautiful vocals, the lyrics. This is MY WEDDING SONG. Nuff said.

WHAT'S YOUR GUILTY PLEASURE?

By definition, a guilty pleasure is something somebody enjoys despite it being seen as something negative by majority of the world.

I have a lot of those, and as much as I don't want to write it down here, I really don't have anything much to put here. I have not forgotten about the rest of the films that I like. It will be posted soon, but I don't want to write it so close together because there's a lot, and it would seem like I'm a loser with nothing productive to do with my life.

So going back to the topic at hand, yeah this entry is dedicated to my guilty pleasures and I'll start with the obvious...

• DRAMEDY SHOWS: No, not the Philippine telenovelas... US Dramedy shows like Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, and even Brothers & Sisters. I liked to be touched sometimes, and alot of the storyarcs being put out by these series actually tug some emotional strings in me. Plus, it doesn't hurt that all of these shows are also very funny. It's not dragging like most of the Filipino series, and you actually learn something by watching it. It also doesn't hurt that some of the quotes I forward came from lines uttered by some of these unforgettable characters.


• GOSSIP: Admit it, guys gossip alot. It's just not as obvious as when girls do it. What's funny, is that sometimes during our drinking sessions with my housemates and friends back then, I find myself hearing about the latest intrigues from local showbiz talk shows. It's been a year since I left the company, and until now I am updated with the people that I left. Honestly speaking though, I'm sort of happy in hearing that the program's not doing as well as when I was it's Supervisor. It's sort of mean, and I'm disappointed that there are issues that's much worse than the worst period during my term.


• PORN: By now, I've already outgrown the period of buying magazines and videos on a regular monthly basis, and I've actually thrown 99% of my collection. But hey, I'm single and I'm a guy. Enough should have been said already. I'm not going to be a hypocrite to say I don't enjoy these sites, videos or reading materials anymore because I do. But I realize that doing it with a live person is so much better than just using your imagination. Much better.


• VIOLENCE: Not the real thing, but the virtual kind of violence. My favorite game right now is Gran Theft Auto IV, and if you've seen how I kill bystanders, you'll never see me in the same light ever again. I love shooting people in the head. Stabbing them even if they're already dead. Running them over until cops catch me. I think I have anger management issues. I usually let my anger out on those virtual people. It's a good outlet. God knows what I'd do if I find out where my dad hides his gun. For now, I'm content with video games and torturing ants.

That's all that I can think of. I'm sure there are more, but my head's starting to ache looking at the monitor.

What's your guilty pleasure?

OH JOY!!! AT KUNG ANU-ANO PA...

Wala lang... walang magawa sa buhay ngayon eh, di ko alam ang gagawin ko, kaya eto, nagsusulat muli ako. Mga senseless na bagay na marahil ay walang katuturan sa inyo, pero maaaring makatulong para ako ay lubusan ninyong makilala.

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Ang titulong Oh Joy ay nagmula sa taong aking pinagnasa- mali... actually, may gusto ako sa kanya dati. Marahil noon ay naging matalik ko siyang kaibigan, at paminsa'y nakakasamang lumabas. Pero nung nagtapat ako nang pagtingin ko eh medyo nagbago na ang pakikisama niya sa akin. Parang kapatid lang talaga ang turing niya sa akin. Okay lang. Masakit, pero mas mabuti nang ganun kesa tuluyan pang masira yung pagkakaibigan namin kung ipilit ko pa ang sarili ko.

Hindi na kami ganoon kaclose ngayon kumpara noong mga araw na pilit kong itinatago ang tunay kong nararamdaman sa kanya. Pero ayos lang. Nagkaroon naman ako ng relasyon matapos sa kanya, so medyo naka move-on na ako. Gusto ko lang isulat ngayon kasi sa tingin ko nararapat lang na mailabas ko na ito. May ilang taon na yata mula nang mangyari yon. Nakakapanghinayang lang na medyo namantsahan yung pagkakaibigan namin, pero sa mga bagay na ganyan mo naman talaga makikilala ang mga tao na may dapat espesyal na kalalagyan sa puso mo.

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Ayoko magsulat nang isang buong entry na para lang sa mga nais kong ipangalan sa mga magiging anak ko. Kaya dito ko na lang isisingit. Ang mga pangalan ang frustration ko, kasi ako ay nabigyan ng isang mahaba at Pilipinong-pilipino na pangalan. Nainis lang ako sa nanay ko kasi daw dapat Jeffrey ang ipapangalan sakin. Pero sinunod daw niya ang lola ko.

So ngayon ayaw ko na ang mga supling ko eh magkaroon ng ganitong damdamin sakin paglaki nila. Kaya kung sakali man na magkaanak ako eh ito ang mga pangalang napili ko:

Sebastian Vincent
Nikki Marie
Etienne Alain
Claire Iain

Yung una, kahit simple eh dahil gusto ko nung nickname na maaaring makuha sa pangalan niya... Seven. Yung Nikki Marie naman, wala lang, maganda lang pakinggan. Etienne ay isang French na pangalan. At ang Iain ay pronounced na Ayen.

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Natapos ko na nga pala ang listahan ng mga paborito kong mga pelikula. Siguro mahigit 50 yung nagawa ko. Sa mga susunod na linggo eh ilalathala ko dito ang mga iyon. Nahati lahat sa iba't-ibang kategorya. Dadagdagan ko pa ng isa. Ang paborito kong klasikong pelikula.

Para lang masabik kayo (as ip), may pelikula doon sina Christopher Reeves, Will Smith, Sasha Baron Cohen, Steve Martin, Julia Roberts, Edward Norton kahit si Sharon Cuneta, Rico Yan at Vilma Santos ay nakatagpo ng lugar sa listahan ko.

Ganyan ako sobrang walang magawa sa buhay ngayong mga nagdaang araw.

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Mukha nga palang lumalabo na ang paningin ko. May mga oras kasi na sobrang nahihirapan na akong magbasa ng mga nakasulat sa computer ko. Minsan nga eh, tinatamad nakong magbasa ng blog ng ibang tao dahil medyo masakit sa ulo ang titigan ang mga ito.

Dahil siguro eh buong araw akong nakaharap sa monitor ng computer ko, sa bahay man ako o wala. Tapos kung di ako nasa harap ng computer, ang paglalaro naman ng Gran Theft Auto IV ang inaatupag ko. Napapagod na siguro ang mga mata ko. Kelangan pagpahingahin. Kung alam ko lang ang dapat gawin para mangyari yun, eh gagawin ko agad yun.

Pero okay lang, medyo ayos naman ang hitsura ko pag nakasalamin ako... lalo akong nagmimistulang isang matalinong bata. Na hindi nerd!!! Dati nagsasalamin ako... pamporma lang, kaya lang yung nabili kong salamin (sa i2i ata yun) eh parang may grado, kaya medyo sumasakit ulo ko pag suot ko yun. Siguro panahon na para totohanin yun (although dalangin ko na huwag naman sana). Sayang naman kung di na 20/20 vision ko.

MY TOP FILMS: ANIMATED/FANTASY

I've been browsing some blogs the last couple of hours, and I noticed that there've been some people who posted their favorite films in their sites... if you'd allow me, I'd like to join the bandwagon. I don't want to make a countdown of my all-time favorite films as it's been done before by yoshke on his blog, although it's not yet finished.

So to make mine different, I'd list down my favorites by genre. I've already done this before with comic book movies last month. And in keeping with my childish favorites, I'd list here my top animated/fantasy films. Somewhere down the road, I'd also list down my favorite action, comedy, thriller, drama, adaptation, guy and (gasp!) chick flicks.

Before you react with some of the choices here, it's animated/fantasy. So not all of the films here are drawn or computer generated. Okay? Just so you know. If you have a problem, make your own list.

11. ENCHANTED: Ahh the magic of Disney. This list is dominated by the children's company, as a lot of my fondest memory as a kid involved somehow a movie created by them. Although this one is really new, it still came from Walt Disney. This is the story of Giselle, a fairytale princess who was sent to the real world by an evil queen, only to find true love with a man who no longer believes in fairy tales. I like this film because it's funny, although a bit cliche but nevertheless it's interesting. I didn't get bored watching the movie. And it's the type that I can watch over and over and over... and over.

10. ELLA ENCHANTED: Two words: Anne Hathaway! This is a sort of modern version of another Cinderella story, the only twist is that Ella is cast under a spell of obedience. She has to do everything everyone tells her to do. It's not really a film that you can call a classic, but it's a cute film. I liked it because this is where I first heard the song Somebody To Love originally sung by Queen. Anne's version is so good, that everytime I watch this movie, I have to pause and rewind on that scene. Anne sang that beautifully.

9. CARS: While cars by itself is already interesting, Pixar brought them to life. Lightning McQueen is a brash race car until he gets stranded in a desolate town where he learned that life isn't just about racing. Definitely much more superior than Speed Racer by a mile. I admit, the scene on how Radiator Springs lost it's visitors got me teary-eyed. Before watching this, I was a firm believer that cartoons are made to make us laugh and not to make us cry.

8. RATATOUILLE: As with most of the people in the world, I hate rats!!! When I was a kid, when we see one we always try 101 ways of how to torture rats. I'm not saying that after watching this movie, my mind changed about these filthy critters. Nope. I still have 200 things in mind on ways of torturing them. But for about an hour and a half, it made me believe that rats can be cute and cuddly and charming. Remy is a rat who is a genius in the kitchen, who decides to help bumbling kitchen help Linguini.

7. FINAL FANTASY: ADVENT CHILDREN: If you're one of the five regular readers of my blog, you'd know that I'm a huge Role Playing Game fan. And one of the best rpg games ever made is Final Fantasy VII. Now when the people behind the game decided to create a movie about it, I literally fell from my seat. I never expected to hear from Cloud, Tifa, Cid and company after the ending of the game. But I'm very happy that I did. This is an action packed film, and my jaw dropped in every fight scene that was in this movie. Story-wise it's not that great, but if you're really a fan of the titles, this will give you goosebumps... and fond memories of high school.

6. THE LION KING: This was a traumatic film for me when I first saw it as a kid. At the beginning of the film, I witnessed the murder of Simba's father by his Uncle Scar. I think this is where animated films started to mature. And I'm happy to have been there when it happened. Who knew that children's films could also be dark, and at the same time perky. This was one of the last good 2d films made by Disney in my opinion, as after this, I didn't enjoy the movies they made as much.

5. ALADDIN: Who could ever forget about Aladdin, Genie and Princess Jasmine? I think I was in 5th grade when this movie came out. I remember that people wanted to watch this movie for the sole reason that Lea Salonga was the singing voice of Jasmine, only to find out that she only sang one song in the movie. But I wasn't really disappointed because the movie was very well done. I loved the comedy brought about by Robin William's Genie, and there were alot of Easter Eggs in the film. Who else screamed like a little girl when they saw Sebastian (the crab from The Little Mermaid) in one of the musical scenes of the film.
4. WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT?: This was I believe the first movie where they fused animation and live action together. And it was brilliant!!! I loved this film, because it's the only movie where you'll see Disney and WB characters interact. I especially liked the scene where both Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse came out. This is the only place you'll see that happening. Until now, I'm still looking forward to the day that that happens again. Wishful thinking of a kid at heart, I know.

3. BEAUTY AND THE BEAST: Ahhh... For me, this is the best old school animated movie. I think as a kid, I saw this movie in the theater 5 times. I had to lie to my aunts and cousins about not having to see this to be able to watch it again. Admittedly, after watching it in the cinema, I've only seen this movie again about I think only twice. The reason is simple, I don't want to get tired of watching this film. Because for me it's special. I can't explain it, but there's something about my seeing this film that makes me happy.

2. SHREK 2: This is high in my list because there's no other movie in this list that made me laugh so hard that 2 days after I saw the film, I still can't stop laughing. Definitely the best among it's franchise, this film follows the life of Shrek and Fiona after they got married. I loved especially the soundtrack. The music definitely was chosen by people who grew up the same time I did. While the music is only a little part of what makes this a great movie, the story and the script and Puss In Boots made this a classic.

1. FINDING NEMO: As much as I wanted Shrek 2 to be my number one animated/fantasy movie of all time, I still love fishes. I'm allergic to seafood, but it didn't hinder me from loving this movie. Nemo got separated from his father and was sent to Australia, and it's up to his father and Dory to save and bring him back home. Like the prior movie, this is also laugh out loud funny. Most of the time when I watch the video at home, I skip to the scenes of Dory, as it's brilliantly depicted by the very funny Ellen Degeneres. The fact that this is heart-warming, funny and adorable all at the same time is what made me decide to put this film on the top of my list.

ME AND MY MAGIC 8-BALL

I had this for years, this is one toy that I often show-off because it's fun. I like the answers they give to my very serious questions.

AM I GOING TO GET MARRIED?
-As I see it yes

WILL I MEET THE ONE THIS YEAR?
-Reply hazy try again

HAVE I ALREADY MET THE ONE?
-Yes (hmmm... interesting)

HAVE I LET GO OF A GOOD THING?
-As I see it yes (I'm not going to elaborate on this... but too bad)

AM I A GOOD GUY?
-Signs point to yes

AM I AN EXPERT IN RELATIONSHIPS?
-Very doubtful (from now on I'm not going to give relationship advise)

AM I GOING TO HAVE LOTS OF MONEY?
-Outlook not so good (uh-oh!)

WILL J AND I EVER GO OUT AGAIN?
-My sources say no (ahhh... crap... I really need to let this go)

This toy's nice to me today... so it's not that funny. When I bring this to work, this becomes a hit
with my colleagues. They'd even go as far as to kissing the thing before they ask their questions. It's funny because there are people who take the answers from it seriously. And some of the answers aren't that serious.

This is a good stress buster if you don't take it seriously. If you want to ask a question to my magic 8 ball, just let me know. I'm sure you know how.