narinig nyo na ba ang latest?

ack. paris hilton gets hacked. apparently, some geek had ingeniously hacked into her t-mobile sidekick, downloaded all her contacts' info (celebrities galore!), pictures, and notes, posted them on the web (!!), and made corresponding phone calls later to some said celebs.

i feel extremely sorry for this lady (which may not really be the appropriate term for her. sorry, my bad). whereas most of the bad rep she's been getting might have been her fault or doing, this one most likely isn't (or is it?).

more importantly though, this just builds up the paranoia on invasion of privacy, an alarming security issue that can make anyone (star or not) a victim. this also somewhat mirrors the recent issue in pinas lately. fortunately, an organization named pami (?) has stepped up and asked dialogues with networks regarding their aggresiveness to scandals, insensitiveness and disrespect to celebs as people.

we're seeing society's moral degradation, folks (and i won't pretend by trying to exclude myself from being part of it). tv has bombarded us with reality shows, showbiz channels, even hit programs like Desperate Housewives, all of which has contributed to making the guilty pleasure of getting the dirt of other people addicting and common. and to what purpose? to laugh at them, to make us feel our sorry lives are better than theirs?

i think we should take pity on ourselves, too.

east is the new west!

... if you watch NBA, that is :)

i must admit i haven't watched basketball for a while, but with the recent player trades (i'm not really updated on who went to which team), it had me convinced that the all stars needed some serious watching.

turns out, the east was looking to be a pretty good group this time around, esp with shaq in the house (in contrast, yao ming looks and acts like a post! so un-intimidating!).

i'm not a good sports writer (or even just a writer) so don't count on me to give down-in-the-dirt info on the plays or the players. the outcome, however, IS post-worthy.

EAST FINALLY WINS, 125 to 115!

catching up... (to what i have been doing lately)

spring moon
passed by this former bestseller in a book market store. the cover had the words 'chinese gone with the wind' on it, so it immediately caught my attention. the first few pages had me hooked already, with some info on chinese customs and such. skimming further, i saw that some chinese history was also integrated within the story.
seriously tho, the book only confirmed my being a sucker for foreign culture. to date, i've read falling leaves (chinese), samurai's garden (japanese), and memoirs of a geisha (japanese).
sigh. i can almost see my sister shaking her head with disbelief (i'm so weak around books...).

azumanga daioh
got introduced to this one by a good family friend, and its hilarious! it mostly contains 4-panel strip humor, while establishing good stereotypical characters (female japanese students, actually). there's only 4 volumes of it to cover each of the year in highschool. i only have the first right now, but i'm looking forward to getting the rest, plus copies of the dvd anime version (hopefully, my friend can record them for me).

real estate section of the newspaper
i look forward to the sunday editions, coz architects feature some house designs, complete with floor plan and descriptions. maybe its because of my previous experiences in this field had me all interested in it, but it also has to do with this frustrated need to design a room. so i ain't stopping with just that section! i have a 'country living' magazine already, several clippings of nice looking rooms (from jcpenny home features and the likes)... arg.

more on the newspaper: intelligent design theory
darn. i miss reading the daily newspaper reading. we used to have that in pinas, but we didn't opt to continue the home deliveries. too depressing, maybe.
anyway, the hobby has come back again, and its really interesting what you can see. like this one. debates have been circulating lately whether this scientific explanation will be allowed to be discussed in educational institutions. said theory hypothesizes that there is an intelligent cause to explain the origin of all things.
it sure is a welcome change to all the scientific-logical insistence on everthing. and for me, a good way to reintroduce a sense of faith and consciousness of a higher power. i think people have been lacking on these lately, and i'm not talking abt a degradation on religion.
i did some further research on it, and was expecting the usual critics because it DOES refer to a religion (there will always be people demanding a separation of it and state). however, i was disappointed that most critics have the same arguing statement -- the unbelief on an all-benevolent God because of the calamities and evil in the world.
that pretty much sucked, and to me, showed how they insist on being narrow-minded.
if i would argue on the basis of legality, i'd tell them a theory is a theory. heck, it needs a chance to be discussed, at least. they don't need proof. take a look at the cases of the big-bang theory, and that primordial soup thing.

finding neverland
finally, watched this movie! johnny depp was good, and it offered a look on the genius that was jm barrie. while it also gave me a subtle look on victorian life (i love period pieces!), it also made me realize how much i missed theatre. the live acting on stage, the dialogue, the props. i remember as a kid watching lisa macuja and her grace on stage. sigh. wish i had been one of those first people to see peter pan on stage.
sadly, this wasn't the box-office hits (surprisingly, i don't think any of this year's Oscar-nominated ones were). of course, it had none of that wham-bam action, or achingly-bittersweet romance, or laugh-out-loud comedy. but it was a life story. it had its lessons to share. too bad some people decided to pass up on it.

shall we dance?
i originally intended NOT to watch this one, because (big breath) it had j-lo AND richard gere in it (don't ask). eventually, i did watch it. it may have been because of the good reviews i've heard lately from close relatives, or maybe because the movie was originally a japanese one (hah! biased!). sigh. it told of an awakening of sorts for the main character (gere) through ballroomdancing. and i love ballroomdancing! i believe its a dying art, and more than once in the movie, that urge to take up dancing just welled up inside me.
* sigh. as much i want to talk abt dancing, i think i need to take it up on another post na lang (this post is long enought as it is). its will have its 'going down the memory lane' feel to it, and even it IS just dancing, its might be a looooooonng walk for u guys.

stupid stupid

this has been the second time this year that i've been sick. here i am, popping pills day and night, i who used to pride in having a pretty good immune system. sigh. maybe i still havent adjusted to the weather here.

but its getting pretty annoying -- clogged nose, puffy face, nasal voice, slightly throbbing head. not to mention the repeated sneezing, coughing, and nose blowing (its a wonder to see how many mucus a nose can hold). can't believe the average flu and cold symptoms could take me down so easily. aaarrg!

then there's the skin prob. part of my face is peeling (it doesn't look as horrible as it sounds though). still, its not a nice sight to see in the mirror. annoying me a whole lot. if it was only for a day! but. i. keep. on. damn. peeling!

woohooo!

sun outshines their 2 big cellular network rivals with their smart marketing strategy of offering unlimited phone calls and texts! politicians take note of sun's move as stepping stone to question globe and smart's operations!
*insert calm sweet smile here*

in my honest opinion, it is sun's wise decision to focus on the one thing that MAKES a business successful -- people! (them globe and smart too money hungry). that, and their minimal use (or lack) of big-celebrity-endorsements, which has saved them from needlessly spending too much.

--
many thanks to inq7's video archives for above info!

gasp! m i... a kidult?

... or a twixter?

the jan24 ish of TIME had a rather interesting cover of a grown-up man sitting inside a sandbox. the article further defines these people as grown men and women "still living with their parents, who dress and talk and party as they did in their teens, hopping from job to job and date to date, having fun but seemingly going nowhere".

not the exacts words i'd use (though some are true. which, i'm not telling, hehe). okay, moving on. theories have been set aside to explain these new group:
- people use this time to savor the pleasures of irresponsibility while finding themselves.
- they take advantage of their parents' resources to cope with the increasing costs of living until the time they decide to settle in their own terms.
- they feel the need for experimentation on different 'experiences' until they find the one that suits them best. this applies to careers and even future spouses.
- "all the privileges of adulthood but only some of the responsibilities." today's culture has not really prepared this generation to grow up; they have unintenionally taught them to fear it, and not look forward to it.

the saddest line i read was that "they (know they) have top ut in a lot of work just to remain OK". how true.

in conclusion, my take on twixters? two words - comfort zone. they (okay, WE) know the limits and make the most out of it.

other must-mention topics:
- i like it when the article pointed out that despite increase of people taking colleges, these same institutions are "seriously out of step with the real world... charging more than what they deliver". hell yeah!
- with the playing field for workers has significantly changed over the years, it's not anymore enough to just have a degree. teenagers are "forced" to accomplish more than minimum required scholastic qualifications. that's more time in school, more tuition to pay. yeesh. maybe in the near future, everybody will be asked to have an MBA.
- not taken up in the article, but i would like to say that my belief that education solves everything has been debunked.
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above excerpts are taken from said TIME ish. must do my "journalistic" responsibility of crediting sources.

thank goodness for movies...

... good ones always make my day.

ok. so i haven't watched movies for a while (apologies to my cne-partner-in-crime bro). but i hope to make up for it when i finally get myself a membership at Blockbuster, rent any number of dvd's by 2's for only $24.95/mo. just how i can come up with that money will be another story. anyhoo...

lucky for me, my next-door neighbors are kind enough to invite me over whenever they use their Blockbuster privileges. i have yet to turn them down, less they think of me as too eager (curse the pinoy mentality of politeness!) but the call of the movies is futile to resist.

wicker park
this starts off really slow; you have to really commit yourself to be patient for the first 10-15 minutes (esp when you have josh hartnett.. i dunno, i never liked him). to see how the movie goes. then the plot unravels, by flashbacks first, then thru the characters. likewise, it has a detective-type feel to it, where each minor detail is pieced together, once, then back-and-forth, then you can finally appreciate the whole story. overall, it is a tale of love, but you might feel the movie is asking you to look into its darker aspects of betrayal and obsession.
i'd recommend it for teleserye fans out there, who are altogether familiar with being emotionally-pulled under.

garden state
starring zach braff (who i heard also wrote and directed it?! woah!) and the brilliant natalie portman, this light-hearted story tells of a man coming to terms with himself, with the unlooked-for "help" from strangers and almost-forgotten friends. we've heard the story before, sure, but this one is refreshingly... simple. and unhurried. those two words should be enough to tell you to watch the story. but don't expect to be blown away, or coming out enlightened, altered or whatever. it does not celebrate life, but it does make you kinda appreciate its normalcy and semi-quirkiness (however weird that may sound). its just that... i think.
whereas some may feel this is not really a strong incentive to go to the theatres or rent the dvd(ok, so i can't make a good movie review), one major highlight that i do have to mention is its soundtrack. i can't remember a movie where i liked the songs so much. coyote ugly was one, but it was more mainstream-ish; garden state had an indie atmosphere in it.

drifting...

well.. not really. but lately, i've been feeling that way (drifting). seriously, nothing is happening with my life right now that i feel un-empowered. which is bad. i feel prisoned by the corners of the house that i'm staying in. which was my choice in the first place. sigh.

waiting is slow torture. thus, the body had become numb for any adrenaline or need for wondrous explorations or adventures. i am moving, but devoid of life. as if the slightest exertion of effort, however much required, is deemed useless. so i repeatedly withdrew from even the triflest of public engagments. a self-imposed exile if you will.

one might think that the mind would compensate for this, to use this as an opportunity to gain experience of the mental kind. aaah, the spirit should be able to fly. but my solitude could not even bring the usual delight, nay, the slightest delight in daydreaming, reading, writing or painting. i look beyond my window, trying to will myself to wander... it is no use.

weakened. drained. so against my better will and judgement, i finally succumbed to what i saw my last fleeting chance for vigor and hope...

i bought myself a ps2 rpg game.
---

gawd. how melodramatic. but that's how i've been lately. with nothing better to do, i've realized i've only just pondered, griped, and reacted (see my blogs... see??)... but i've never done anything constructive! sure, the facets of a mind is an interesting thing, but i know it can get tediously boresome when its exploration is prolonged.

i guess buying (and eventually playing the game) was the only way i could think of to jolt me out of this drifting, blah mood. at least i can focus on something 'substantial'.

WHAT AM I EVEN SAYING IN THIS BLOG?!?!?

Dubya talks again - his State of the Union address

waiting for clock to hit 9. just realized that 3 of my must-see shows are in the same timeslot: Lost, Smallville, and American Idol. sheesh. glanced at today's newspaper. medicare to add viagra as part of its prescription drug program?? they're gonna give out free viagra now? (lots of happy malefolk out there)
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and it starts. congress people standing. prez bush about to enter... let my comments begin!!!

- their congress meeting place looks much more smaller than pinoy's. plus, the podium isn't so high. no seperate table per person pa... hay.. mas sosyal talaga tayo.
- pretty good choice of words... from the scriptwriter!
- lots of clapping, but more often that not, its only on one side (republicans, syempre).
- wait. he gets booed (for saying SSS will be bankrupt daw)!
- he winked?! to whom?! his wife??? and laura bush will have her own agenda???
- yeesh. pretty long speech. pero galing mag-memorize a.
- clapping again. makes me think there's a guy out there with a board saying "applause", or "stand and applause".
- shot of kerry. the guy's probably thinking, that should've been me up there.
- america, the world police!!!
- awww, iraq lady (still with election stain on finger) and mother of fallen soldier in iraq hug... they get longest, well-deserved clap.
- speech finished. he signs some copies of his speech. maybe they will be later sold on eBay.
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yikes. misleading ba yung title? i decided not to talk abt issues na lang. thought maybe kinda futile anyway, so just made the above comments, as only an average pinoy can (yung kahit la connection sa speech nya, hehe).
just realized he didn't mention the soldier death financial compensation at all.
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and its back to the SuperBowl!! groundhog says 6 more weeks of winter!

Dubya talks

sigh. might as well talk about the politics here as well.

Bush won his reelection bid. whopeee-do. sadly, this diplomacy-lacking man has become more arrogant in his actions and statements lately ("i earned capital, and i plan to spend it"... yee, cringe!) that, despite his moral convictions, one begins to wonder if he really is concerned with his country's welfare or his term's legacy.

now with the backing of a mostly-Republican-seated Congress, he's confidently pushing for more proposals and appointments. its only natural that he should meet skepticism.

i have my own doubts as well. i'll raise some topics (in my own terms) that are presently being debated. pardon me if i may skip some relevant issues, or if i'm being too narrow-minded. i'm still new at this.

social security system
Bush is calling for a privatization of the social security as a means to give people more choice and make them more individually responsible for their retirement. he also adds that by sometime in the near future, the system is likely to give out more money in benefits than what it can receive in taxes.
it has been raised that what the SSS needs is to just get additional income somewhere else. some have suggested an increase in taxes (which bush opposes).

my take on this?
- the people already are doing their share of responsibility because they have their taxes taken out of their salaries.
- having SSS privatized will indeed lessen the burden of the government but will make the people more prone to becoming victims of possible schemes by retirement companies. they need something more stable.
- i think they just need the present money in the SSS for something else.

IRAQ war
US continues to spend billions of dollars for this. as of present, the Democrats are pushing Bush for a timetable on US troops pullout (which i think he won't ever give), especially after the Iraq elections. Bush has also suggested raising the death "compensation" package for fallen soldiers to as high as 250,000 (?).

- it sneakingly suspicious. i think the underlying conclusion is, they really want the US troops to stay in Iraq. why???????
- the people sure don't want the dreaded mandatory drafts, and the US military is still running out of military power. so maybe this is the government's way for families to willingly give up their husbands/fathers/sons ("we'll be financially compensated anyway if you die"?). how sad.
- furthermore, just where the heck are they gonna get all that money? i thought they were already losing money, esp since they brought up the SSS topic. very contradicting.
- doesn't sending out more troops out of the country mean you won't have enough of them in the country? how's that going to help security issues?

CIA and the Pentagon
this is not a much-discussed topic, and i only happened to have a glance at a column, so i can't provide much info. CIA is taking the heat lately for the mishandling of information pre-, during, and post-9-11. but the columnist mentions that the pentagon may be made the prime source of intelligence-gathering, or that the CIA will report to them now and not the president.

i really may just have read wrong. anyway...
- i think the CIA were just pushed to say there were nuclear weapons in Iraq. too bad they're taking the fall.
- the way i see it (personal opinion lang ha), a prez holds more authority in pentagon, including which info can be released as public statements, whereas the CIA (which is kinda independent from the state) can give more complete reports.

nominations for multi-racial officials
condoleeza rice as secretary of state (the first ever african-american woman to be so). alberto gonzales as attorney general (possible first hispanic-american).

- so they're not caucasian, big deal. maybe Bush is thinking of running for another term, this time using the minority communities to gain votes. or maybe he wants his term to be recognized in history books as one with the most "first-ever" or multi-racial officials.
- rice has been accused of heavily agreeing with Bush on the war, and gonzales, now intensely scrutinized for his role in approving the tortures of Iraq officers (he did write that controversial memo), is also a Bush supporter. is the prez afraid of opposition?
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dubya is gonna give his State of Union speech tonight. while i could pull on my hair and scream hysterically at the stupidity of my government, i feel my attitude towards the US prez should be more of, well, like going against a chess player. oh, i'm calm, but i'll have a crease on my forehead... and will be nervously biting my fingernails.