Resolution Recap: March
A quarter of the year has gone by. What an utterly depressing thought.
Well, let's see how we've done this month.
1. Lose my holiday weight gainNope... still no progress on this one. But at least I've
started working out again.
2. Stop CursingOh, I did so badly this month. There were too many occassions when a situation would just get to me, and I'd be cursing before I realized what I was saying! Need to be more vigilant, I think.
3. Be Less Judgmental about PeopleIt's interesting that I have this listed as a resolution this year, especially since in the past month, my mother had accused me of being too judgmental. Two days ago, though, while I was chatting with a friend, she told me she wanted my opinion about a situation because I was an "objective, non-judgmental" person. Go figure!
It's as if I'm different things to different people.
4. Read at least 12 books of the Bible
I failed miserably on this one. :(
5. Identify 5 friends with whom I've lost touch in 2005 and re-establish contact throughout 2006
Interestingly, a friend whom I had not seen in years got in touch with me through one of those social network sites a few days ago! That was such a pleasant surprise! I think I'm doing well as far as this one is concerned.
6. Watch at least one movie in the Theatres Each Month
Yup. Watched Casanova. And even managed to catch up a bit on my movie backlog with Just Like Heaven and HP and the Goblet of Fire.
7. Read at least one work of fiction a month
Managed to get this done too, by reading Bookends. If they decide to turn it into a movie, I will definitely want to watch it!
8. Attend a live JaRla event
Would have wanted to go to the LUCKY mallshow today, but I found out about it too late. :(
9. Complete my Christmas Shopping on or before Nov 30.
Still haven't started. But there are supposed to be some bazaars at The Fort next weekend, so maybe I can get started then.
Tags: Personal
Posted by CF at 11:05 PM
Workout
Finally got back on the treadmill today after "falling off" the track two months ago.
No doubt I will feel wiped out and useless tomorrow! haha!
Tags:
Personal
Posted by CF at 3:05 PM
You go, girl!
I loved today's episode of
The Oprah Winfrey Show, which is her 20th Anniversary special. Turns out that there's a
20th Anniversary DVD Set (available since Nov 2005), which I would seriously love to watch if ever I manage to get my hands on a copy.
I'm actually several months late, since her show premiered in September 1986. The 20th Anniversary episode must have aired back in September 2005 -- at the start of her 20th season.
Not a lot of TV shows can claim to have been number one in its category for 19 consecutive years. I truly admire and envy Oprah for having found her calling and purpose, and to have been able to surround herself with people who make it possible for her to deliver interesting shows day after day, year after year.
I would love nothing more than to inject enthusiasm and purpose into each new day, instead of dragging yesterday's baggage into focus all the time. If only I can figure out how.
Minor rant: Press write-ups that compare Sharon's new talk show to the Oprah Show have got to be kidding. Wake up and smell the coffee, people!
Tags:
TV
Posted by CF at 11:35 PM
Inadequacies
I'm so tired of crying everytime I feel inadequate.
I wish there was some way I could stop myself from degenerating into that old, pathetic stereotype of the crying female when I'm confronted by a stressful situation.
By the time I've calmed down and finished mopping up my eyes, I can't help but be mad at myself for letting the simplest situations get to me.
I've thought about it a lot, and I've come to the conclusion that I'm simply too proud as a person -- consequently, I hate to be embarrassed by situations. I have difficulty laughing at my own silliness, much less my own mistakes. I take myself too seriously.
So when I find myself in a situation where I feel useless or inadequate or hopelessly pathetic, the tears just well up so easily.
If there was some way I could re-program myself and get rid of all this emotional baggage, I'd grab it with both hands.
Hay... I think I will turn in to bed early tonight. My eyes still hurt.
Tags:
Personal
Posted by CF at 8:45 PM
Recharging and Recording
Wasn't really planning to do so, but I got back home from lunch today, and promptly collapsed into bed and fell asleep. I must have been more tired than I thought, and it's great to have the luxury of just recharging my batteries. It has literally been weeks since I've had a quiet weekend.
Good thing I had enough presence of mind to turn on my tv tuner/recorder before falling asleep, because by the time I woke up and checked the files, another new Lucky trailer had aired and I had a copy! haha!
It drives me nuts, though, that there's one particular version of the trailer that I still haven't been able to catch. It usually airs when I've already
stopped the recorder -- this has happened to me thrice already just in the past week, and it is so unbelievably frustrating! Grr.
Ah well. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before I catch it.
Update (10.40pm): Unbelievably, they just aired that elusive trailer again during PBB and this time I caught it on the recorder! Woohoo!
Tags:
Personal
Posted by CF at 9:10 PM
Finally
I'm happy with the people who ended up being in the PBBCE Final Four.
Based on previous voting records, it looks like the Big Winner will either be Keanna or Zanjoe, with Keanna likely to be in the lead. Only 7 days to go.
Tags:
TV
Posted by CF at 11:00 PM
Goblet of Fire
Also played catch-up with my movie viewing backlog by watching
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire on DVD earlier this week.
Hay, ang ganda! I loved it! The drama, the special effects, the budding romantic relationships, and the way the Tri-Wizard challenges were brought to life on screen were simply awesome!
It probably helped that I don't remember most of the details of the book anymore, so every little plot twist was a surprise all over again.
One of the special features showed scenes from the first three HP movies, and I was amazed at just how much the three lead actors have grown-up in the past few years! I'm already convinced that Emma Watson will be a stunning beauty once she's all grown up. She's already quite lovely even at her current age.
All of a sudden, I'm anxious to watch the fifth movie installment, and to read the seventh book in the series. Just how will Harry and the Order of the Phoenix defeat Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters? And who else among the good guys will be among the fallen when all the dust has finally settled? Wonder if J.K. Rowling herself knows the answer!
Tags:
Movies
Posted by CF at 8:05 AM
Heavenly
Stayed up til the wee hours of the morning to watch
Just Like Heaven on DVD.
I had wanted to see this in the theatres, but it had ended its run before I got a chance to watch it.
I enjoyed it immensely! haha! It was funny without being slapstick, and was emotionally accessible without being a tearjerker. The female lead was slightly uptight enough to be interesting, but she was still lovable. The male lead, while not being drop dead gorgeous, was a cutie in his own quirky way.
Saw the alternate ending in the DVD's special features, and I'm glad that they chose to air the actual ending, because the alternate ending would have been too much of a letdown otherwise.
Will definitely watch this again if it happens to air on HBO.
Tags:
Movies
Posted by CF at 7:50 AM
Unexpected Apology
I unexpectedly received an apology via text message tonight.
It was simple, straight-forward, to the point, and had no flowery words or special imagery.
Absurdly, I cried when I read it... because it meant a lot to me. I know the person who sent it is the type to hardly ever apologize for the things that he says or does, nor does he need to, really.
It is during times like this that I realize how, despite the world of differences that separate us, we have managed to remain good friends for the past 10 years.
Tags:
Personal,
Relationships
Posted by CF at 11:55 PM
Useless
I know I'm probably just being paranoid, but there were moments today when I felt that the people I was with thought I was utterly useless.
Ordinarily, I'd feel challenged and would have worked harder to demonstrate that I do have value to bring to the table. Today, I didn't even try. This particular challenge just felt too overwhelming; it felt like I didn't have a snowball's chance in hell at succeeding.
Once more, I am reminded how important hope is. If the situation is hopeless, why bother banging your head against the brick wall? You'll only have a bloodied head to show for all your efforts... and perhaps look more stupid in the process.
No wonder I can totally relate to Keanna's reaction to Big Brother's task about Budoy's hair.
Hay....Maybe after a good night's sleep, I will find the strength of will to snap out of these doldrums. The last thing I want is to become a quitter.
Tags:
Personal
Posted by CF at 11:55 PM
Biting my tongue
Every time I am outraged by someone's words, whether it's in a public forum or a private email, I am reminded of that speech in one of my all-time favorite movies:
"You want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours."
- President Andrew Shepherd, from The American President (1995)
I take a deep breath, then exhale slowly, all the while visualizing all the negative energy leaving my body together with my breath.
At least it's less bloody than biting my tongue.
Tags:
Personal
Posted by CF at 9:35 PM
Vitriol
I was somewhat taken aback today by a message in one of the yahoogroups I'm in.
One of the members, whom I've not met, just revealed himself to be extremely homophobic. He posted a message that was so disparaging and vitriolic that I couldn't help but feel offended on behalf of all my gay friends.
I know I shouldn't have, but I couldn't stop myself from firing off a reply. I
did make an effort to tone down my message, so hopefully it won't be perceived as flamebait.
Hay... Tags:
Personal
Posted by CF at 11:35 PM
Flop expected
I've been increasingly surprised over the past few weeks at the comments that people have been posting about the upcoming Joseph-Sandara movie,
D' Lucky Ones.
Update (March 20): Movie poster added
A lot of it is negative, saying that the movie will be a flop because of various reasons, such as:
- people may like Sandara, but they don't like Joseph;
- people think Sandara with anyone other than Hero won't click; or
- there aren't enough big name stars in the movie to draw in an audience.
It will be very interesting to see whether the movie does well at the box office despite all the naysayers, and the lack of overt fan support on message boards.
Anyway, Star Cinema is sure doing a big push for this movie, complete with a simultaneous airing of the movie's trailer this afternoon at 4pm across multiple TV and cable stations.
Obviously, I would love for it to be a big hit. hehe!
Tags:
Movies
Posted by CF at 11:15 AM
Birth and Death
In an hour or so, I leave to attend a first birthday party. It should be loud, boisterous fun! Lots of little kids (and big kids like me) will be running around doing silly things, I'm sure. I'm looking forward to it.
On the way home from the party, though, I will stop by a wake to pay my respects to the mom of a friend. She passed away last night. My friend and I have recently had discussions about the health of our respective moms. I cannot imagine the heartache my friend is going through now that the inevitable has happened.
Birthdays and Deaths. How ironic and inexorable is the cycle that is Life.
Tags:
Personal
Posted by CF at 12:30 PM
Bookends
During the down times of the past week, I actually got around to starting and finishing
Bookends, a novel by Jane Green.
It was a highly enjoyable read because the characters were interesting and so richly described that you could really picture them. The plot kept the story moving along and of course you're just simply dying to know whether our heroine gets a happily ever after.
I think the part of the story that I liked the most, though, is the notion of our characters having been friends for over a decade (since university) and still being a close-knit
barkada despite the fact that they're now in their early 30s and have each evolved into newer versions of themselves.
That's one kind of social safety net that I would love to have myself. :D
Tags:
Personal,
Books
Posted by CF at 12:05 PM
Sick, Tired, but Home
I'm tired. I've got a sore throat. My ears hurt. I think I'm getting the flu.
But I'm happy to be home once again.
I hope I can rest enough this weekend to shake off whatever bug it is I've picked up.
Tags:
Personal
Posted by CF at 10:30 PM
Cabs Galore
There's sure no shortage of red taxis in this town!
Tags:
Travel
Posted by CF at 4:40 PM
Who's the copycat?
Was browsing through the March 13, 2006 issue of Newsweek Magazine this morning, and nearly fell off my seat laughing when I saw this in the Perspectives column:
"Madam President, you're a second-rate, trying-hard copycat!"
-- Imee Marcos, daughter of Ferdinand Marcos and member of the Philippine Congress, attacking Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
Hahaha! How funny... because by using that line, she is in fact being a copycat herself. LOL.
Tags:
Movies,
TV
Posted by CF at 10:00 AM
Lakbay Part 2
I hit the road again tomorrow.
I'm not really excited at the prospect of going, but that's the way my road has branched, so I accept my fate and go.
Tags:
Travel
Posted by CF at 9:00 PM
Happy for Keanna
Whew! I'm so glad that Keanna is still in PBBCE.
I don't really care either way whether it's Roxie or Aleck who will be the next to leave the show. At the start of the series, I was really pro-Roxie... heck, I was one of those who felt
kilig when Roxie and Rico were together on stage on Baywalk being teased by Toni during the Grand Launch Party. My irritation with Rico has subsided somewhat. These days, I'm somewhat ambivalent towards them both.
I'm just as equally ambivalent about Aleck... although I have to say I admire her for going through with shaving her head. She reminds me a bit of Demi Moore in
GI Jane with her current look.
Tags:
TV
Posted by CF at 10:40 PM
Free Enterprise
It surprises me how much resentment is directed at large corporations when it comes to making money.
A lot of people seem to delight in targeting Globe and Smart in particular. Heck, I even remember coming across a blog entry that bemoaned the idea of Smart and Globe raking in revenue during the recent state of emergency crisis, because of all the text messages asking people to go to rallies.
I don't get it. Why hold it against these firms that they are generating excellent revenue in a perfectly legitimate manner? Especially when no one is forcing anyone to send text messages in the first place?! It makes me wonder if there's just a hint of sourgraping there -- a not-quite-concealed hint of jealousy. That's crab mentality for you.
As far as I'm concerned, if someone can find a business model that contributes to the free flow of information in society, and actually manages to generate legitimate revenue in the process, I say we should be standing up and cheering them, instead of griping about their success. And if you really can't stand the fact that you're not making money while they are, I suggest you engage in free enterprise -- go buy Globe and Smart shares on the stock market! At least you make money when they make money too.
Tags:
Philippines,
Money
Posted by CF at 12:10 AM
Misclassified
Had a strange experience today with my Carla Fanblog.
For some reason, Blogger thinks the fanblog is a spam blog -- you know, one of those irritating blogs that are created solely to create links to other sites and actually have no legimitate content of their own.
The ease of creating and updating webpages with Blogger has made it particularly prone to a form of behavior known as link spamming. Blogs engaged in this behavior are called spam blogs, and can be recognized by their irrelevant, repetitive, or nonsensical text, along with a large number of links, usually all pointing to a single site.
Based on the definition they provided, I suspect it is the many links to PinoyExchange threads from the Carla Fanblog sidebar that's causing Blogger's spambots to suspect my fanblog is a spamblog.
I've already filled out a request form asking someone to manually review my fanblog and return full posting capabilities to the site. They promise to do this within 24 hours. Until then, I can only save drafts of new posts.
I hope they do it soon. I have new updates to post! hehehe!
____
Update (March 11).
Opened my mailbox this morning and found a message from Blogger Support:
Hello,
Your blog has been reviewed, verified, and whitelisted so that it will no longer appear as potential spam. If you sign out of Blogger and sign back in again, you should be able to post as normal. Thanks for your patience, and we apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.
Sincerely,
Blogger Support
Awww... no apologies needed! That was less than 24 hours! Yet another reason why I continue to love Blogger. :D
Tags:
Blogging
Posted by CF at 8:05 PM
Casanova
I was all set to finally watch
Pride and Prejudice today, but much to my dismay, it's no longer showing. As I half-predicted, the new P&P's theatre run ended before I got my chance to catch it. Oh well... I guess I will just wait for the VCD or the DVD to come out.
A quick look at
Click The City's movie database yielded today's choice:
Casanova, which stars Heath Ledger, Sienna Miller, and Jeremy Irons.
I walked in with totally no idea as to what to expect... I didn't even know what the story was about, nor did I have any clue as to who was starring in it! All these were factors that in the end proved to be in my favor, because I enjoyed the movie more than I expected to!
It's a comedy more than anything else, IMHO. And despite the title and the persona of our lead male character, there's very little in it that's overtly lusty or earthy. It seems more like a comedy of errors, filled with convenient (and not totally believable) little plot twists, with bits of slapstick humor thrown in for good measure.
If you're looking for a serious movie you'll be sorely disappointed. But if you allow yourself to give into the "suspension of disbelief" for the short time that the film is onscreen, you'll find yourself enjoying the beautiful city of Venice... and laughing at the scrapes that are our heroes and heroines manage to find themselves in.
Tags:
Movies
Posted by CF at 6:25 PM
Is this the break we're waiting for?
I was looking over my fanblogs and I just realized how good life has been for my favorite loveteam since 2006 rolled in.
January- JaRla appears as the leads for an episode Maalaala Mo Kaya, which got great reviews online
- JaRla is mentioned in two separate Bulgar columns
- Carla appears in Vietnam Rose as a young Rosa Rosal
February- JaRla begins work on The Lucky One (formerly I Love You Lucky)
- Carla appears in Pilipinas, Game Ka Na Ba?
- Carla appears in an episode of Your Song with Luis, Anne, and AJ
- JaRla flies to Davao for Lovapalooza
- JaRla is featured in Pink Magazine's Feb 2006 issue
March - JaRla is in the Couples section of Yes Magazine's March 2006 issue
- Carla is in the Star Stalk section of Scoop Magazine's March 2006 issue
- Carla appears with Paolo Contis in one of the Wowowee dramas that aired this week
- Carla works on an upcoming Komiks episode
- JaRla tapes for the music video of The Lucky One
And this week we learn that JaRla will be together in
Bituing Walang Ningning!! Woohoo!! I'm thrilled to bits! haha!
Tags:
JaRla
Posted by CF at 11:15 PM
Still want Trophy Wives?
According to
this page on the Cedar Crest College's website, an individual's intelligence is strongly influenced by his/her mother's genes, while the father's genes influence their emotional state more.
Some breakthrough research has suggested that imprinted genes have an integral role in the inheritance of intelligence. The investigation suggests that the "mother's genes play the dominant role in the development of the parts of her offsprings' brains that are responsible for intelligence. The father's genes, on the other hand, may shape ... the parts of their brains that influence emotional make-up" (Vines 34).
Although research continues to find out more about the imprinted genes that influence intelligence, one preliminary hypothesis is that the "mother's genes make the biggest contribution to the part of the brain that society values most - the cortex" (Vines 38), which is the portion of the brain that is responsible for intellectual skills such as language and the ability to plan ahead.
So all you rich guys out there who think a gorgeous dumb blonde would be perfect as your trophy wife, you might want to think twice if you want children! haha!
Tags:
Relationships
Posted by CF at 12:05 AM
Abject Sorrow
I've been disturbed for the past few days by my friend
Margz's recent experience. It's been bothering me, nagging at the back of my mind since I first learned of what had happened.
The whole ugly story is online for anyone who knows where to look. I am so incredibly disappointed and dismayed to see how someone she has loved and supported for so many years can turn on her,
humiliate her publicly, and encourage other people to gang up on her in an online public forum. I felt like I was watching some soap opera scene unfold... where the Mean Girls are lording it over a girl they had all just finished beating up and now are just spitting on her for the sheer "fun" of it.
Is this how you repay all the years of fan loyalty and support? All these years she has she considered you a great friend, and you told her you consider her a friend as well. If you were truly a friend, you would have called her up and asked for her side of the story. You would have asked her for an explanation. You would have given her a chance to defend herself against all the lies that your new friends have been feeding you.
You don't get together with your new friends and pose for a photo where they're holding up their middle fingers, then post the photo in an online public forum and tell her that the finger is meant for her.
You don't have your friends post messages publicly telling her that she's "just a fan" and that she should know her own place and not presume to be in the inner circle. Especially if all your actions over the years have led her to believe that she's in the inner circle in the first place.
So much for that angelic image.
The whole situation makes me want to break my new year's resolution about cursing. It also fills me with much sorrow for the hurt and betrayal that my poor friend is experiencing.
When I think of all the money Margz has spent buying you presents you don't need, or paying for banners to support you in your shows, or the times when she has bought you birthday cakes and visited you at your tapings... it makes me feel sick to my stomach that this is how you have chosen to repay her years of friendship and support.
I hope one day the truth will be revealed and my friend's name will be cleared at last.
Tags:
Personal
Posted by CF at 4:30 PM
Huuuwaaaattttt?!?
That was essentially my reaction when it was finally revealed who among the nominated housemates would be the next to be eliminated in last night's
PBB Celebrity Edition 2nd Eviction Night.
Hay... I'm disappointed. I was
so so so hoping that Rico would be the one eliminated (no offense to his fans). I have to admit I didn't get a chance to watch most of this week's episodes, so who knows if my opinion would have changed otherwise. But I really didn't want Rustom or Christian to be eliminated, and if truth be told, I had wanted Rico out as early as the 1st Eviction Night.
It's a good thing Christian has a lot of reasons to be happy after getting out of the house, otherwise I would have been so totally bummed.
Tags:
TV
Posted by CF at 2:30 PM
Be it ever so humble...
... there's no place like home.
Got back home late last night and it felt wonderful to be sleeping in my own bed and using my own bathroom. Something about staying with other people in their homes just makes me feel uneasy... I guess partly because I feel like I am imposing my presence on them.
Plus during those times when you would like a little something extra (e.g., regular use of their internet connection), you end up biting your tongue and not asking for it... because you've imposed enough already as it is just by "squatting" temporarily in their home.
But, the main goal of the trip was accomplished, and if only for that, I would say it was a success. :D
Tags:
Personal
Posted by CF at 2:30 PM
