Monday, June 19, 2006
time well-spent
Rea and JP's birthdays are both around the end of May. It was a blue theme for their gifts, choosing and wrapping which took out a chunk of time from the already toxic schedule, but it was time well-spent (as is blogging time).
Thursday, June 15, 2006
what is practically the second job
This is what has been occupying my time for the past few months (aside from work):
Just a few months to go!
The future room and the Makati quarters after -eherm- planned nuptials, haha!
One of the enjoyable things about planning a house...
Last Song Syndrome : Fill It Up Again - Indigo Girls
Just a few months to go!
The future room and the Makati quarters after -eherm- planned nuptials, haha!
One of the enjoyable things about planning a house...
Last Song Syndrome : Fill It Up Again - Indigo Girls
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
notes from all around
Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders will be voicing Miss Forcible and Miss Spink in the Coraline film! I so miss watching Absolutely Fabulous. Got this link from the Gaiman's blog: French and Saunders go animated. And freaky Dakota Fanning rounds out the cast as Coraline, of course. Next I want to see Dakota Fanning in a Tim Burton movie. Or has she already been in one?
I totally enjoyed the straight-to-video Mirrormask and fell in lurrve with Stephanie Leonidas. Of course, have been in lurrve with Gina McKee since Notting Hill.
Still have to watch Cars. Or even Manay Po. Mwahahahaha! Others on the must-see list are PotC: Dead Man's Chest, Superman Returns, The Break-up (even of Bespren M said it was catatonic much, still... Jen and Vince! hee!), Clerks II and of course A Scanner Darkly. And The Princess Bride, Dread Pirate edition DVD is now on sale, be still my beating heart! This is a new one, right? It has the Dread Pirate mockumentary. Yay for Dread Pirates! Haha!
I totally enjoyed the straight-to-video Mirrormask and fell in lurrve with Stephanie Leonidas. Of course, have been in lurrve with Gina McKee since Notting Hill.
Still have to watch Cars. Or even Manay Po. Mwahahahaha! Others on the must-see list are PotC: Dead Man's Chest, Superman Returns, The Break-up (even of Bespren M said it was catatonic much, still... Jen and Vince! hee!), Clerks II and of course A Scanner Darkly. And The Princess Bride, Dread Pirate edition DVD is now on sale, be still my beating heart! This is a new one, right? It has the Dread Pirate mockumentary. Yay for Dread Pirates! Haha!
Monday, June 12, 2006
cr: a true story
I am sitting on the toilet seat in the middle cubicle of our speckled gray-tiled bathroom, pants done up, sneaking in a few pages of Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister when suddenly, from the other cubicle: "Ma'am?" Then, murmured: "Sino kaya ito?"
"Ako po ba?" I ask. Does this person know I'm surreptitiously reading when I'm supposed to be churning out brilliance as one of the GeeksForHire here at RedTapeCentral?
"Ma'am, pasensya na po, masama kasi yung tiyan ko..."
Is she actually telling me that she's going to go number two?!?!?!
"Wala pong problema..." I say, but she is insistent in her apologies. "Normal lang yan," I continue. But I hurriedly pack my book away. "Nababalisawsaw naman ako," I tell my unseen converser to explain my rather lengthy stay in the bathroom (because apparently she has been there a while, contemplating on her upset stomach and/or waiting for me to get out). "Pero patapos na ako."
"Sasabayan ko na lang ng flush," I hear her say from the handicapped bathroom. Well, that's what I would usually do too when I go number two here in the office. But I don't tell the other people, eh? I figure she is a very open and communicative person. Hee.
I get out of there in a jiffy. Happily, I do not even catch a whiff of her "wrongdoings," for which she had been so apologetic. But I'm glad that there are some people who are so considerate. Meanwhile, personally, I would not have announced it, but would have done with the "sabay-ng-flush" routine if there had happened to be other people in the restroom while my stomach was acting up. But of course, nothing beats going number two in your own comfy bathroom, with a stack of magazines to leaf through, and Cool Water-scented incense smudging the smell of your perceived iniquities. An accompanying cigarette wouldn't be bad at all.
In hindsight, I realize that it could have been my Higher Power telling me to get back to work. Which I did. But only for a while, and then I started writing this.
Last Song Syndrome : the freaking national anthem
"Ako po ba?" I ask. Does this person know I'm surreptitiously reading when I'm supposed to be churning out brilliance as one of the GeeksForHire here at RedTapeCentral?
"Ma'am, pasensya na po, masama kasi yung tiyan ko..."
Is she actually telling me that she's going to go number two?!?!?!
"Wala pong problema..." I say, but she is insistent in her apologies. "Normal lang yan," I continue. But I hurriedly pack my book away. "Nababalisawsaw naman ako," I tell my unseen converser to explain my rather lengthy stay in the bathroom (because apparently she has been there a while, contemplating on her upset stomach and/or waiting for me to get out). "Pero patapos na ako."
"Sasabayan ko na lang ng flush," I hear her say from the handicapped bathroom. Well, that's what I would usually do too when I go number two here in the office. But I don't tell the other people, eh? I figure she is a very open and communicative person. Hee.
I get out of there in a jiffy. Happily, I do not even catch a whiff of her "wrongdoings," for which she had been so apologetic. But I'm glad that there are some people who are so considerate. Meanwhile, personally, I would not have announced it, but would have done with the "sabay-ng-flush" routine if there had happened to be other people in the restroom while my stomach was acting up. But of course, nothing beats going number two in your own comfy bathroom, with a stack of magazines to leaf through, and Cool Water-scented incense smudging the smell of your perceived iniquities. An accompanying cigarette wouldn't be bad at all.
In hindsight, I realize that it could have been my Higher Power telling me to get back to work. Which I did. But only for a while, and then I started writing this.
Last Song Syndrome : the freaking national anthem
Saturday, May 27, 2006
a short rebirth, and for the love of raisinets
There is a flicker of hope that one day, I can return to the blogging world. Sometimes I do post at the friendster blog, but these are few and far between. Sigh.
Occupying my mind:
House construction
Furnishing the new blue room
Serving as support for the mother-unit as she decides how to construct and furnish the rest of the house
Designing the zeesters' and my closets
Facilitating a good relationship between the parentals and the S.O.
Making baby steps towards wedding plans
Sad to say, work. Sigh.
Oh well. I miss reading everyone's blogs. My blog layout is so OOOLLDDD! Maybe, sometime soon, resurrection will come.
Meanwhile:
I knew the Raisinets tasted a little off when I bit into them. They tasted... pedestrian... so unlike the Raisinets that I enjoyed constantly during my few-month-long love affair with Raisinets about 6 years ago. I turned over the pouch, and there I saw the source of my ill feelings: apparently Raisinets are now manufactured by Goya under license from Nestle, Switzerland. It's not the same.
I remain true to 3 Musketeers.
Last Song Syndrome : Bagay ba sa kin ang kuloooot
Occupying my mind:
Oh well. I miss reading everyone's blogs. My blog layout is so OOOLLDDD! Maybe, sometime soon, resurrection will come.
Meanwhile:
I knew the Raisinets tasted a little off when I bit into them. They tasted... pedestrian... so unlike the Raisinets that I enjoyed constantly during my few-month-long love affair with Raisinets about 6 years ago. I turned over the pouch, and there I saw the source of my ill feelings: apparently Raisinets are now manufactured by Goya under license from Nestle, Switzerland. It's not the same.
I remain true to 3 Musketeers.
Last Song Syndrome : Bagay ba sa kin ang kuloooot
Saturday, March 18, 2006
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
harry potpot
Perhaps it was too long between movies, or maybe I don't really like the book, but I was not particularly enthralled by Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
Just like the book, I believe it only serves to further the story before the exciting events of books 5 through 7. What other films did Mike Newell direct? I'm not a big fan of his, really, although there is only so much you can do to a story with beginnings in a three-inch thick book. This is the movie that I like the least, it has the most disappointments, although it is visually excellent. The Tri-Wizard tasks, the dragons, the Dark Water and merpeople, and the maze were beautifully done. I also liked, with morbid fascination, the scenes of the Death Eaters wreaking havoc on the Quidditch World Cup, as well as the resurrection of Voldemort. I just knew the Death Eaters would look like the Ku Klux Klan, only in black! The Beauxbaton Veelas, though, were particularly disappointing, especially Fleur Delacourt, who looked like, well, Claire-effing-Danes. She's supposed to be almost ethereally beautiful. Feh. They should have used the effect of Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow on the girls. Meanwhile, Viktor Krum was actually handsome, in fact, more appealing at times than Cedric Diggory. Haha!
Watching the movies in succession is like looking at kids' photo albums, those of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint. You see them graduate from their awkward adolescent phases (were they ever? Maybe only Rupert) into young adults. Ron Weasley now has defined biceps, and Hermione Granger is now a beautiful young woman. In this installment, Harry and Ron's friendship hits a snag, they have their first dates (the most successful being Neville and Ginny's) and they learn the niceties of media and how the press can twist events. (Note: Miranda Richardson as Rita Skeeter was wonderful!)
There are many times I'd rather watch a movie than read the book. Cases in point: Be Cool, The Pelican Brief, Terms of Endearment. Even the Lord of the Rings (because I'm tired of reading "Gimli, son of Gloin..." ad infinitum). But in J.K. Rowling's case, there always seems to be a certain magic (hee!) that she brings to her writing, wry allusions, puns, and trivialities, that make the series fun to read. Sadly, most are abandoned on the big screen because of time constraints and artistic license (hence, no Quidditch matches). Although true to the spirit of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, I'd much rather read the book once more than watch the movie again. Just saying.
PS Whatever you might say about the greasy hair and the somber mien, I still heart Alan Rickman as Severus Snape. Snape in Book 6! Exciting!
Just like the book, I believe it only serves to further the story before the exciting events of books 5 through 7. What other films did Mike Newell direct? I'm not a big fan of his, really, although there is only so much you can do to a story with beginnings in a three-inch thick book. This is the movie that I like the least, it has the most disappointments, although it is visually excellent. The Tri-Wizard tasks, the dragons, the Dark Water and merpeople, and the maze were beautifully done. I also liked, with morbid fascination, the scenes of the Death Eaters wreaking havoc on the Quidditch World Cup, as well as the resurrection of Voldemort. I just knew the Death Eaters would look like the Ku Klux Klan, only in black! The Beauxbaton Veelas, though, were particularly disappointing, especially Fleur Delacourt, who looked like, well, Claire-effing-Danes. She's supposed to be almost ethereally beautiful. Feh. They should have used the effect of Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow on the girls. Meanwhile, Viktor Krum was actually handsome, in fact, more appealing at times than Cedric Diggory. Haha!
Watching the movies in succession is like looking at kids' photo albums, those of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint. You see them graduate from their awkward adolescent phases (were they ever? Maybe only Rupert) into young adults. Ron Weasley now has defined biceps, and Hermione Granger is now a beautiful young woman. In this installment, Harry and Ron's friendship hits a snag, they have their first dates (the most successful being Neville and Ginny's) and they learn the niceties of media and how the press can twist events. (Note: Miranda Richardson as Rita Skeeter was wonderful!)
There are many times I'd rather watch a movie than read the book. Cases in point: Be Cool, The Pelican Brief, Terms of Endearment. Even the Lord of the Rings (because I'm tired of reading "Gimli, son of Gloin..." ad infinitum). But in J.K. Rowling's case, there always seems to be a certain magic (hee!) that she brings to her writing, wry allusions, puns, and trivialities, that make the series fun to read. Sadly, most are abandoned on the big screen because of time constraints and artistic license (hence, no Quidditch matches). Although true to the spirit of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, I'd much rather read the book once more than watch the movie again. Just saying.
PS Whatever you might say about the greasy hair and the somber mien, I still heart Alan Rickman as Severus Snape. Snape in Book 6! Exciting!
Monday, November 14, 2005
my brush with identity theft, part deux
A few weeks ago I received a letter from Citibank advising me that they considered the previous transaction charged to my credit card from the dubious Kochujang Restaurant in Pasay as a valid transaction. They also sent me a copy of the sale slip and recommended that I send the dispute letter by a certain date or else they would charge me the full amount, plus finance charges and a sale slip retrieval fee of P250.00.
I took a look at the sale slip and froze for a few seconds. I had thought it might have been an erroneous transaction, but there, staring back at me in black and white, was a manual transaction slip (the one with the carbon paper and the 'plantsa') with my signature on it. Well, it wasn't my signature, but a shaky and bad forgery. The card was a fake! There were obvious differences between it and my actual card, which was in my possession: the spacing of the letters was different, the positioning of the Visa initial, as well as the Member Since date. I've pointed these out to Citibank's billing dispute department and am just awaiting their response on the obvious fakery and forgery. I've since cancelled the card and requested for a new card.
Meanwhile, I saw a recent episode of CSI Miami regarding identity theft. The thief went through a woman's trash and got her social security number. I thought that there were more stringent laws regarding identity theft and fraud thereabouts, but apparently if you haven't been caught in the act, there's basically not enough evidence to book you; especially if you cover your tracks. I'd like to think criminals in the Philippines are less sophisticated, but maybe not. It's downright scary, especially since you put so much faith in technology that might not have that much security, hence coming around to bite you in the arse.
Lessons learned: Always account for your credit card spending instead of just routinely paying the bill. This goes twice for people like me for whom credit cards are the default mode of payment. For smaller transactions, especially at dubious restaurants, try not to use credit cards anymore because they bring the cards to the back for payment--you don't know what they're doing to the card while it's away. Take all precautions for keeping your personal information private. Transact on the internet only on secure and reputable sites; shred (or, in my case, since I am a closet pyromaniac, burn) all past statements and transaction slips. Also, one shouldn't be hassled when cashiers ask for further identification--this should be status quo. Although licenses can be easily faked too, at least it would help. There should be better legislation regarding identity theft, that much is true. When this happens to you, there's nothing to feel but indignant yet thoroughly helpless. Let's not make it easier for criminals to take advantage of us, then.
Last Song Syndrome : Soul to Squeeze - Red Hot Chili Peppers
I took a look at the sale slip and froze for a few seconds. I had thought it might have been an erroneous transaction, but there, staring back at me in black and white, was a manual transaction slip (the one with the carbon paper and the 'plantsa') with my signature on it. Well, it wasn't my signature, but a shaky and bad forgery. The card was a fake! There were obvious differences between it and my actual card, which was in my possession: the spacing of the letters was different, the positioning of the Visa initial, as well as the Member Since date. I've pointed these out to Citibank's billing dispute department and am just awaiting their response on the obvious fakery and forgery. I've since cancelled the card and requested for a new card.
Meanwhile, I saw a recent episode of CSI Miami regarding identity theft. The thief went through a woman's trash and got her social security number. I thought that there were more stringent laws regarding identity theft and fraud thereabouts, but apparently if you haven't been caught in the act, there's basically not enough evidence to book you; especially if you cover your tracks. I'd like to think criminals in the Philippines are less sophisticated, but maybe not. It's downright scary, especially since you put so much faith in technology that might not have that much security, hence coming around to bite you in the arse.
Lessons learned: Always account for your credit card spending instead of just routinely paying the bill. This goes twice for people like me for whom credit cards are the default mode of payment. For smaller transactions, especially at dubious restaurants, try not to use credit cards anymore because they bring the cards to the back for payment--you don't know what they're doing to the card while it's away. Take all precautions for keeping your personal information private. Transact on the internet only on secure and reputable sites; shred (or, in my case, since I am a closet pyromaniac, burn) all past statements and transaction slips. Also, one shouldn't be hassled when cashiers ask for further identification--this should be status quo. Although licenses can be easily faked too, at least it would help. There should be better legislation regarding identity theft, that much is true. When this happens to you, there's nothing to feel but indignant yet thoroughly helpless. Let's not make it easier for criminals to take advantage of us, then.
Last Song Syndrome : Soul to Squeeze - Red Hot Chili Peppers
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