Experimental Theatre

Bernel's Bullets (Midnight of) 12/3/2011

2011-12-03T00:07:00.004+08:00

Sorry, it has been more than two months since my last post. Can't find time to write lately. Even in my personal site. It seems a lot of things are eating up my free time.

Anyway, since this blog seemed to be dying a bit, let me post something. Wish I can write an organized post, but this will do for now. I promise to post a better one as soon as I find time. For now, here's some bullet thoughts for you...

This site got hit by a hacker and hosted some malware in it so Google had to block it :( To fix the problem, Madz had to change our url address so the site can be visited again. That's why, if you notice, we're THE Experimental Theatre now. Hope this won't happen again.
Ok. I managed to find time to write at least one blog post this month. However, it was not here nor even on my site. It's on Silverscreenandroll, a web community for Laker fans. It's a post on my basketball hero Kobe Bryant. It's not the first Kobe post I wrote - I already wrote a few of them in my site - but it was my first Kobe post in that site. If you wish to read it, here's the link: http://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2011/11/21/2577617/all-about-kobe
Yehey! Christmas is just around the corner. And amidst all of the enjoyment and excitement, may we be reminded on what Christmas is all about. Here's a cute video to remind you:

Speaking of the NBA and Christmas, the nearly half-year lockout is over! An early Christmas gift to all NBA fans out there.
Just recently, "House" just beat "The Twilight Zone" as my most favorite TV show ever. House keeps on getting better and better, even though Cuddy is no longer in the show. The writing is consistently superb!
I think I still have nearly a half a dozen 2011 movies I've downloaded that I haven't watched yet. Really having not enough time to do the things I like to do.
As I write this, I'm currently downloading another movie. As well, as an episode of "Psych".
Mozilla's "Download Helper" is awesome.
And I still have 5 books that I had bought this year that I haven't read yet. Again, no time!
Compared to my college years, my book purchases for this year is significantly low.
Money problems... we'll always have money problems...
But God always provides my daily needs!
God is (always) awesome!
These days, the manga I am most excited to read each week is Hunter X Hunter.
Got plenty of writing ideas and topics... arg!... really need to put them into articles soon. Just continue to visit and check "The Experimental Theatre" and, my site, "The Bernel Zone" for new updates...
Here's a fun mind-stimulating vid for you as finale...

Sleepy.

To know more what’s going on in Bernel’s mind, go to “The Bernel Zone”...

I Saw...Again

2011-11-09T21:19:00.002+08:00

I was sitting on my chair... a few seats from the door. The sun was also starting to set... it was the last class of the day. Bored and a litte tired of all that has transpired, I sought to do something...write. :-)

Today approaches it grave

with memoirs none to save

for if I hold them close

like thorns pierce, as that of a rose

I see him walk along the road

all alone but with not much load

the world wieghs heavily on him

and the sight of joy is just so slim

So here I am sitting on a chair

I wait for the next to spare

a lecture or introduction he/she may

but my mind will for now go astray

Take me not on the path you see

for I am nothing, simply me

Know my heart will wait and stay

Even as you go; until that day

I look again, it's him I see

deadened [his] face as hepassed me

his silence speaks a sort of art

a blank canvas i see...not a start

His is a story all do know

but on whose eyes will he then show

for if ever a day were like this

he'd be better of without bliss

The tides of life bring us all

a myriad of times, and stories tall

For if it was just as simple

...and if time were only so ample

I look for the last time now

an empty stomach, and why this now?

I hear an applause from afar

like the light of a morning star

Amidst all these he does hope

for a while, a pause; ceasing...mope

If only he was who he wasn't

then maybe...not... as it just can't

Nor will rest draw him near

for his heart holds so dear

a symphony of memories

a name so forgotten, buried in tears

If time only knew his ramblings

and grow all the little saplings

All is wishful thinking; and it's name

so does life, as it has played its game.

These are the ramblings of a man who has born witness to things we all know... to things we see each day... to things whilst from a 2nd hand view are so easy to manipulate...but in reality, are as daunting when attacked alone. I write to let things out, to escape...not really... just to unload... like going to the comfort room to "succeed"; I do what I do.

And September barely passed...

2011-10-10T23:57:00.000+08:00

Phew, last month has been hectic. Attending to some due papers, formalizing application forms, applying for graduation and etc... I've barely had time to breathe some fresh air but hey, you get rewards after hard work right?
Well, even though its late. Let me just do September's round up which consists of a few articles by our dedicated and awesome core group (except me that is, I was too busy :p).

There are of course 2 articles by our most dedicated founder, Bernel, who is a Sherlock Holmes fan like myself. These include;
Top 5 Reinventions of Sherlock Holmes - a list of some people who have honored Holmes and
Top 10 TV Shows Based On Movies.

Of course the most artistic of the group, Maddy shares a unique but definitely not a rare form of art to our readers in Clean Graffiti / Reverse Graffiti Project :)

I hope our readers appreciate them and keep on tuning on. Onward!

Experimental Theatre presents...

2011-10-10T23:34:00.003+08:00

I've been busy the past many weeks and it seems I owe everyone more than a post. Hehehe. For starters, let me share a short movie that my EFCOM group made for our midterms.

Experimental Theatre Presents...

Invidia

Invidia (latin: envy) is a short movie about Serena and Blaire, bestfriends and how one chose love over friendship and the other; friendship over love.
A group of friends visits a friend from a faraway province for her 18th birthday. They didn't know what a tragedy that visit would be.

Serena (Idy Cagas) has had a long time crush for Hans (Ran Tupas) and his surprise attendance at Steffi's (Betsy Pearl Sullano) party had her heart up in loops.

She excitedly asks her best friend Blair (Joana Jane Cabatingan) for some help in preparing for the party but keeping the reason to herself.

Meanwhile Hans found a confidante in Blair as he helps keep her secret and Serena grew jealous of their closeness. She shared her problems to a "demon" (Alexis Nacua) whom she found while crying in the middle of the nearby forest.
The demon then goads Serena into getting rid of her best friend to have Hans for herself.

The story then goes on with Serena growing obsessed about her emotions and letting the demon's words influence her thinking and actions.

It climaxes into Serena taking Blair hostage and finally Blair dies willingly into her best friend's arms. The ending reveals that Hans was actually taking Blair's advice on courting Serena and Serena's imagined causes for jealousy.

Invidia is not for the one who expects an Oscar-deserving result, but anyone who has been through the make-a-movie-as-your-requirement stage during college would definitely appreciate and praise this short movie.
For a movie done by amateurs (for lack of a better term ) it was definitely well executed and the actors and actresses did their parts very well.

Other characters include; Ripcord (Dominic Moneva), Eula (Su Jeong Jin), Carter (Daphne Olarte), Hiro (Marco Querubin), Sandra (Hedda Paquibot), Ellena (Erlyn Bolambao) and the doctor (Agnes Abapo).
The story was written by Maria Lourdes Sapitan who is fond of horror stories hence the dark themes of the short movie. It was also directed by her and Niki Reynes.

Top 5 Reinventions of Sherlock Holmes

2011-09-20T13:48:00.002+08:00

"I am awesome."

If you already know me enough, you know Sherlock Holmes is my most favorite fictional character since I was a kid. The greatest detective in fiction charmed me greatly. And I’m not the only one. Plenty of people out there who encountered Sherlock Holmes became passionate devotees of the literary icon. These fans even wrote their own original Holmes adventures. There are countless stories out there starring the legendary detective that were not penned by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Aside from books and short stories, there are also plenty of Sherlock Holmes films already made through the years. As an icon, he was already depicted many times by media. Heck, he even teamed-up with Batman one time!

However, I am a bit wary of encountering Sherlock Holmes adventures that are not written by Conan Doyle. Though some succeeded in delivering the “original feel” of the character, I found that it’s still not the same thing as the original adventures.

Nonetheless, there are those who totally stopped trying to completely mimic Conan Doyle but instead reinvented and reinterpreted the character. Not all were that awesome. But there were some that I found fresh and lovable in their own original way.

Again, as I’ve mentioned, I am limited to exposure to Sherlock Holmes material that are not Conan Doyle’s. That’s why this is only a top 5, since, honestly, I only can think of 5 that I really like.

5.) “THE SEVEN-PER-CENT-SOLUTION: BEING A REPRINT FROM THE REMINISCENCES OF JOHN H. WATSON, M.D.” (By Nicholas Meyer)

Like most fan-made Sherlock Holmes story, this was written the way as if it’s just one of Watson’s countless previously unprinted chronicles of Holmes. The book portrays a Sherlock Holmes at his rock bottom, as he succumbs to the horrific consequences of cocaine addiction. At the start of the book, he was a delusional, paranoid wreck. It was revealed that all the things about Prof. Moriarty as a villainous “Napoleon of Crime” (i.e. “The Final Problem”) were all Holmes’ mad imagination of the matter.

Watson, with the help of Mycroft Holmes, brought Sherlock Holmes to Sigmund Freud in Vienna to be cured. Freud managed to free Holmes from his delusions and addiction, but was not able to revive his spirits. What did the trick of bringing Holmes back to his normal self was the emergence of a complicated mystery for Holmes to solve, which he did, resulting to a prevention of a European War.

In the end of the book, Holmes decided to take a vacation around the world and asked Watson to claim that he “was killed”. So Watson wrote “The Final Problem” (in which Holmes’ “died”) and “The Empty House” (the first adventure after his “return from death”) to cover up his three-year hiatus.

This was an awesome story by itself and the portrayal of Holmes needing help and, instead of the one doing the “reading” of people, is the one being “read” by Freud’s psychoanalysis was brilliant.

Oh, this was also made into a movie.

4.) THE MARY RUSSELL SERIES (by Laurie R. King)

There are, so far, ten books in the series, and I’ve only read and collected the first four. But they were enough to greatly catch my fondness. In this re-interpretation of Holmes, he “negotiated” a marriage agreement with Mary Russell, a girl 32 to 39 years his junior. He first met her when she was 15, and in that first encounter, Russell greatly impressed Holmes with her strong personality and deductive power. From then on, he informally trained her to be his protégé, serving as a father figure along the way. When Russell hit her 20’s, they got married (the manner that got them at that point was an interesting part of the storyline). In regular Holmes’ canon, the closest thing to “love” for an opposite sex that Holmes has expressed was through his admiration of “The Woman” Irene Adler. In this reinvention, however, it showed a more entertaining and compelling Holmes-brand of affection than what Holmes’ had with Adler.

3.) SHERLOCK HOLMES (Guy Ritchie’s film)

Guy Ritchie’s reinvention of Sherlock Holmes as portrayed by Robert Downey Jr. was mightily entertaining.

Sherlock Holmes was an effective combatant, being adept in boxing, fencing, and bartitsu (or baritsu). But in this version of Sherlock Holmes, we saw a Holmes that was more of a kickass combatant than his literary counterpart, as he uses his mental powers to calculate and simulate the moves or combos he will do and their results before executing them. This version of Sherlock Holmes was also a bit clumsier, and has more dry wit and humor.

2.) SHERLOCK (TV Series)

What if Sherlock Holmes exists in modern times? Yup, this TV show effectively covers that question. Really brilliant.

1.) HOUSE M.D.

What?! You don’t know that Gregory House is a reinvention of Sherlock Holmes?! Oh, yes he is. Isn’t it obvious the play of the name of “House” and “Holmes”? Or “Watson” and “Wilson” (Wilson is definitely House’s Watson)? Both likes to “read” people and use psychology. Both only takes cases that are interesting to them (i.e. unusual or difficult), and refuse those they think are boring or easy. Both are talented musicians. Both have drug problems. And both have the same home address (221B Baker Street). House is definitely Sherlock Holmes if Sherlock Holmes has more social flaws and chose to become a doctor instead of a detective.

Bernel is also a reinvented Sherlock Holmes in his own little world in “The Bernel Zone”…

Clean Graffiti / Reverse Graffiti Project :)

2011-09-19T16:49:00.000+08:00

Wow, it's been a long time since I haven't been able to update the blog with something artistic. Hahaha! I'm sorry that I have been busy with medical stuff (ironic) hahaha

Anyway, this post is all about ingenuity and the innovative minds of some artists, who not only creatively conceptualized the process of this type of art but also the double purpose why they are doing it.

What is "Clean Graffiti" or "Reverse Graffiti?"
Now as I understood it, it is actually a campaign to create art by cleaning our polluted/ dirty environment.
Yup... Sad to say not all people appreciate the original style of graffiti which we all know-- painting on walls and other surfaces. Some find it "dirty" and do not really acknowledge it as a form of art.

Sad to say most of these people who abhor this "dirty" art do not equally do anything to clean the environment at all. And the ones whom they accuse of polluting the streets are actually also the ones creatively innovating a way to make art to "clean."

Here are some of my favorite photos of Clean Graffiti or Reverse Graffiti projects done by unique responsible artists.

With some bleach and water and some scrubbing...

pretty simple pattens made... i think by the looks of this one it is done with a stencil...

Kill all those germs... Death by Clean Graffiti... brought to you by this man doing it in a subway...

Environment friendly graffiti? Why not?

Does it really take a genius to make our environment clean and actually be pleasing and refresshing to the eye?

Anyone can actually do this..

Some stencils... water spray... brush... and even some bleach...

Calling all artists! ^__^

Hmmm... all these photos were taken outside the Philippines...

I wonder if there are already campaigns such as these here. I myself would want to start one or support one starting here in Cebu. :)

Til next time art lovers! Mwah!

Top 10 TV Shows Based On Movies

2011-09-07T21:35:00.001+08:00

Sometimes, when producers need a new concept for a new TV series, they turn to existing material. And what more feasible material there can be than proven and successful popular movies. Sometimes the TV shows turns out to be as great as the movie. Sometimes the TV show even receives more success than what the movie received.

As the title suggests, this is a list of TV shows that were based from movies. So, as usual, my top 10 are after the jump…

Don't be surprised if animated series make up most of the list

10.) GODZILLA: THE SERIES

This animated series was based on the Godzilla movie released on 1998. Prior to watching that movie, I knew Godzilla was a pop culture icon but I have never watched a Godzilla – the Japanese-made classics – movie before. So I really liked that movie, almost the same way I had liked the “Jurassic Park” movies. But those who did watched the original movies, however, hated it. Nonetheless, since I had loved the movie, I loved the TV series more. In the movie, Godzilla was the antagonist, as it/he/she proceeded to tear apart human civilization (or at least Manhattan). However, in the TV series, Godzilla is a protagonist, as it/he/she fought other monsters in defense of mankind (or at least its/his/her human friends).

9.) BUZZ LIGHTYEAR OF STAR COMMAND

Everybody loves “Toy Story”. And its spin-off TV show, “Buzz Lightyear of Star Command”, was lovable as well. The TV show was about the cartoon character that the toy Buzz was based from. Thus, the series showed the life and adventures that the toy Buzz thought he was living out (when he still hasn’t accepted that reality that he was just a toy). Sure, a “Toy Story” TV series would have been more awesome, but something as epic as “Toy Story” is only fit for movie form. However, the premise of “Buzz Lightyear of Star Command” is the best “Toy Story”-spinoff concept that is applicable to be serialized on TV.

8.) THE PINK PANTHER

The idea of the Pink Panther TV shows (yup, there were more than one. I love the old ones more) was from the entertaining animated intros of the Pink Panther movies. It would have been cooler if the Pink Panther TV series still highlighted the hilarious Inspector Clouseau as the central character; however, the Pink Panther’s adventures were still Tom and Jerry/Looney Tunes-style entertaining.

7.) THE REAL GHOSTBUSTERS

One of the most beloved movies ever made is “Ghostbusters” (most movies, if not all, that Bill Murray starred on are beloved). The movie was still better than the series but “The Real Ghostbusters” was still mightily enjoyable to watch.

6.) MEN IN BLACK

I really love “Men in Black” and I can’t wait for that third movie (they said they are going to make a third movie). Because of the series, we were able to enjoy expanded adventures of the MIB. It was a lot of fun to see more details of the secret organization’s day-to-day operations. Plenty of twists and pretty solid storylines.

5.) ALADDIN

Walt Disney has made it a habit to create TV series out of their hit movies. Though not all of these shows are as great as the movies they were based from, there were some that were really successful, not only giving in giving justice to the movies they were based from, but augmenting the franchise itself. But the best among them is “Aladdin”. On average, the “Aladdin” series delivered great memorable and compelling episodes.

4.) THE MASK: THE ANIMATED SERIES

The Mask movie was based from a comic book. However, the Mask character of the movie was different from that of the comic book. The Mask of the movie was all about gags and goofing around while fighting crime (to cater on Jim Carrey’s personality), while the Mask of the comic books was all on some serious gang-killing stuff. When a comic book character is portrayed inaccurately on film, fans rage about it, however, in the case of the Mask, most of the fans loved it, or at least found it tolerable. Jim Carrey breathed hilarious charisma to the character, and this version of the Mask mythos is what ended up as basis for the TV show. And it was a blast! The show is the main reason why the Mask is one of my most favorite fictional characters ever.

3.) HIGHLANDER: THE SERIES

Though its continuity is a mess (reboot please!) and “Highlander: The Source” was terrible, Highlander is one of the greatest franchises ever created. In the TV show, instead of the movies’ Connor MacCleoud, the hero featured is Duncan MacCleod, cousin or nephew of Connor (the two of them would both star in a Higlander movie though). The first movie is still better than the TV show, but if we compare the TV show to the entire set of Highlander movies (most were terrible, thus, by average, the Highlander movies stunk), the TV show wins out.

2.) JUMANJI

The Jumanji animated TV show was definitely more awesome, more exciting, more entertaining than the movie. Instead of inhabitants of Jumanji coming out to the real world (like in the movie), most of the time, it was Jody and Peter visiting Alan in the world of Jumanji. Thus, we were able to see how untamed, how badass, and how exciting the world and inhabitants of Jumanji really are. I remember watching a Jumanji marathon in Disney Channel (or was it in HBO? Can’t remember) when I was a kid, and though I had already watched most of the episodes by then, it was still one of the best TV viewing moments I ever have in my life.

1.) BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER

Yes, this might be a surprise to you since the original “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” – which was through the big screen medium – was generally unknown. In fact, the TV series was already finished when I learned that it was based on a movie. Yes, Joss Whedon’s first attempt to bring us Buffy was in movie form. But “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” was really meant for TV, and it was a pop culture hit when Whedon finally made it into a TV show and cast Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy. Personally, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” is my third most favorite TV show of all time (“Twilight Zone” and “House” occupies the first and second spot, respectively).

When not talking about TV shows and movies in the "Experimental Theatre", Bernel's talking about TV shows and movies in "The Bernel Zone"...

August 2011 Round-Up: Just 3 Posts This Month...

2011-08-31T14:44:00.003+08:00

This month on the ET: just one post each from the founders

Top 10 Things I Liked About The Harry Potter Series by Bernel

My Sweet and thoughtful 22nd by Niki

...and the World Spins Madly On by Maddy

(Sigh)

Still...

Here's a classic Tim Burton short film as a bonus to this post to make up for the short August round-up...

... and the World Spins Madly On

2011-08-26T21:51:00.008+08:00

The blog is dying!
Dang...

I have to admit that I've been quite lazy to post anything for the last month.., I can't say I have been busy. Just really lazy.

But right now, I'm inspired to share one of the greatest inspirations I have for studying animation.

Below is an Animation by Ryan Woodward entitled Thought of You... with the song The World Spins Madly On...

yep... and here are the lyrics to that song...

The World Spins Madly On

by the Weepies

Woke up and wished that I was dead
With an aching in my head
I lay motionless in bed
I thought of you and where you'd gone
and let the world spin madly on

Everything that I said I'd do
Like make the world brand new
And take the time for you
I just got lost and slept right through the dawn
And the world spins madly on

I let the day go by
I always say goodbye
I watch the stars from my window sill
The whole world is moving and I'm standing still

Woke up and wished that I was dead
With an aching in my head
I lay motionless in bed
The night is here and the day is gone
And the world spins madly on

I thought of you and where you'd gone
And the world spins madly on.

Okay the song sounds a bit emotional and sentimental, but I believe the animation was great, it beautifully interpreted the song.

Ryan Woodward is a really good figure artist and and animator. Watch how fluid the movements are and the concept behind the storyline. The art applies the combination of the following art styles and principles: Figure Drawing, Contemporary Dance, Animation, and of course Music...

for me the reason why I love Animation is because it is a combination of many fields of Art... reason why I want to learn how to animate...

^___^ explore around Ryan Woodwards site http://conteanimated.com/

This is an excerpt from that site...so i just copy pasted it hahaha (see how lazy ive been? gotta change that mind set if i wanna achieve this kind of animation

Ryan Woodward began his career as an animator/designer and storyboard artist in 1995. He has worked for Warner Brothers Feature Animation, Sony Pictures, Cartoon Network, Walt Disney Studios and Marvel Entertainment and Dreamworks Pictures on films such as Space Jam, The Iron Giant, Osmosis Jones, Spider-man 2, Spider-man 3, Where the Wild Things Are, Ironman 2, and Cowboys and Aliens and The Avengers (2012). Ryan has produced and directed 3 short films, The Loch, The Turtle and The Shark and Aliens that have played in over 40 film festivals worldwide. In 2009, Ryan created 9 animated sequences that play nightly at the Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie, Hawaii. Ryan is an assistant professor of the Animation program at Brigham Young University where he teaches storyboarding, figure drawing, visual development and animation. Ryan has a BFA from Brigham Young University and an MFA from The Academy of Art University in San Francisco. He is currently a member of IATSE local 800, The Art Directors Guild. Ryan and his wife, Tiffany, have three little girls, and is an avid cyclist and mountainbiker.

hahaha hopefully someday I'll be like him :)

My Sweet and thoughtful 22nd

2011-08-16T17:18:00.000+08:00

I though the day would just be like any other

But I guess the Lord wanted to surprise me today

And spread presents along my way...

... I had missed breakfast again today because I wanted to sleep in. After Speech class, I dragged my classmate to eat with me and she found out that it was my birthday and she bought me my favorite ice cream. :)

It was my first present of the day. Thank you Trizzia. I was not really expecting it. The second gift was from my grandma. :)

... Then my 2C girls texted me to meet them at school. I knew they were up to something. Hahahaha but I didn't expect all of them to be there. Having all of you present was the best gift I got from you. I love you girls. ^_^ Even Ate Sialmo greeted me through text. hehehe. I totally love the frame and the cake too. Hanging out at the hospital... where we were almost not allowed to go in.Hope your dad will recover soon Joy. :)

.... Then around 4 my best friends were already looking for me. Madel had asked me if I liked carbonara so I expected her to cook that for me. I thought I was already late for whatever was happening there but I guess a celebrant is never late for her party (though they still ate the pancit canton without me). hehehe. But instead of carbonara, there was macaroni, macaroons and... the macarena????? O_o hahahaha!!!!! Thank you so much for the gift Dakz. Thank you so much for the food Madz. ^_^ I really enjoyed my mini party there. Hehehe. I didn't expect the three of us to be complete because I thought Rhoda had work but Korea's independence day falls on my birthday, what do you know??? hahahaha

... Then when I got home.... nope. No surprise party there. Hehehe... although there were more chocolates and presents. hahahaha. Soo cuuuute the cat Bernel. :D

I think today, is the first time in my 22 birthdays that I feel so loved. My best birthday ever. :)

Thank you all. Even though Andrew isn't here in Cebu you guys made me feel so happy. Also, Andrew had already given me an advanced birthday gift - A panda! Hehehe.

And also to those who greeted me on FB and through text. Thank you. :)

Top 10 Things I Liked About The Harry Potter Series

2011-08-02T14:00:00.013+08:00

In my personal site, I already wrote a top ten list of things I didn’t like about the Harry Potter series. But I made it clear in that article that though there are things I didn’t like about HP, I am no Harry Potter-hater and am actually a “fan” to the extent that I have actually enjoyed the series. So, this time, I think it is only fair to write a list of things I like about the Harry Potter series.
View this image first as an appetizer, then meet me after the jump...

Click to enlarge. Here's something I found from Deviantart.

10.) WEIRD HALLOWEEN TREATS

In the Harry Potter universe, young wizard and witches enjoy charmed treats that ordinary humans – “Muggles” – can’t enjoy.

There’s “Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans” where there are several flavors in one pack. Most of the candy flavors are good and based on edible food, but there are some that’s just disgusting, like vomit and earwax. The catch is you won’t know what the flavor of the candy would be until you put it in your mouth. That’s basically a Russian roulette candy eating experience. Sure, the odds are favorable that you would get a good or at least edible flavor, but it’s still a Russian roulette-type risk. All of the chambers of the revolver except one are loaded, very likely you would end up with an empty chamber, but there’s no way it’s going to be a comfortable statistic to risk for.

Then there’s “chocolate frogs”…

It’s made of good chocolate. The bad news is it’s charmed to act and move – jumping and all – like a real frog.

Now, these two are just some of the food mentioned in the series. And there could be more food of such weird character. But though the food in the Harry Potter universe is unappetizing to a Muggle like me, it can’t be denied that they are fascinating in the context of a fictional setting.

Actually, I am curious of how “Butter Beer” would taste like…

9.) YOUTH POWER AND (MORE INTERESTINGLY) SENIOR CITIZEN POWER AT FULL GLORIOUS DISPLAY

It is not unlikely to see youngsters – children or teens – to be the central “good guys” in conflict with adult “bad guys” in fiction (especially in anime). However, it’s still refreshing to see Harry and friends being the youth power stereotype in fiction. While the adult good guys are hindered and bounded by rules, the youth – as the youth will always be anti-authority – will break rules, at the risk of punishment, if it’s the only way to get the job done. And many times throughout the series, Harry and friends did this. Another thing refreshing about youth power is being able to overcome the odds stock against being young and inexperienced. Case study: (from HP 5) Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Luna, and Neville (the “Dumbledore’s Army” core) – a group of green underdog spellcasters – taking on Voldemort’s “Death Eaters” – a group of hardened killers. Before being bailed out by the “Order of the Phoenix”, Harry’s young group actually did pretty well.

But more fun than a display of youth power in fiction was the display of senior citizen power. There’s just something about fragile old people kicking butt that makes you smile. Sure, Dumbledore being badass is already a given since he’s a wizened Gandalf-type character. And fans of fantasy already know that wizards like Gandalf should not be messed around. But the Harry Potter series also had elderly characters like Minerva McGonagall and Horace Slughorn – non-Gandalf-type characters. Non Gandalf-type wizards are not intimidating at all. I mean McGonagall looks like your old grand aunt that loves to spend her days drinking tea and knitting while Slughorn looks like an old clumsy, nervous, rare book collector.

Still, don’t a judge a book by its cover as McGonagall and Slughorn rocked in “The Battle of Hogwarts”, fighting bravely and kicking Death Eater butts.

This kind of guy…

…bravely fighting these guys (and surviving the battle)?
That's badass!

8.) SPELLS ARE KIND OF BADASS!

The Harry Potter universe has one of the most extensive and detailed magical inventories in fantasy. Spells, charms, and curses have distinctions and healthy variety. I really like the concept of each wizard or witch having a unique and appropriate “wand recipe” for him or her to be able to optimize the best possible magic he or she can wield. And, thanks to the films, I found that magic duels in the HP are pretty cool.

My favorite is the “Avada Kedavra” or the Killing Curse. Though it appears to be the most evil magic there is (one of the three “unforgivable” spells), I actually don’t think so. I mean, in the context of a battle, “Avada Kedavra” is probably, not only the most sure way to kill an enemy, but also the most humane way since it kills a target immediately. That’s efficient painless death. That’s preferable than killing by fire or ice.

I also like “Expecto Patronum” since it’s a deeply personal spell for its caster – as it summons an animal representation of the caster – and has to be conjured by a happy memory. That’s nice.

my Patronus will definitely be a Lolcat

7.) FOUR HOUSES & SORTING HAT

In Hogwarts, students are grouped into Four Houses depending on their personalities and characteristics that mirror those of the four founders of the school, whom the houses are based and named from. This makes the school population roughly classified into four almost homogenous identity categories. The stubborn go to Gryffindor. The jerks go to Slytherin. The geeks go to Ravenclaw. The nobodies go to Hufflepuff. Moreover, the competition among the Four Houses – especially between Gryffindor and Slytherin – that we saw in the series puts the rivalry of intra-school organizations into a whole new level.

The one who assigns the students to which house they would belong in during their 7-year stay in Hogwarts is the Sorting Hat – a rugged, talking wizard hat. In their freshmen year, during the welcome supper, the students take turns in wearing the Hat as it psychoanalyzes them and determine which house they are fit for. (Note: aside from segregating students, the Sorting Hat can have the Sword of Gryffindor be drawn from it.)

The Four Houses system and the Sorting Hat definitely helped in making the Harry Potter mythos enjoyable.

6.) EMMA WATSON'S METAMORPHOSIS

As we all know, Emma Watson was cast as Hermione Granger for the Harry Potter movies. Thanks to the Harry Potter franchise, since the movie series took a span of more than a decade, we saw how a lovely girl like Watson grew before our eyes during those years – from a cute lassie to a hot sex-symbol.

Adorable, sweet, charming, cute, little girl

Pretty

50 points for Gryffindor!

Gorgeous

Lovely

Stunning

Scorching Hot

Er, let’s forget about this one…

5.) BELLATRIX LESTRANGE & LUNA LOVEGOOD

As I mentioned in that other article (no. 3 item there), I found that Luna Lovegood and Bellatrix Lestrange are more interesting characters than Harry Potter. In fact, the two are my two most favorite characters in the series. The characters caught my interest when I had read the book, but I only really get to love them when I saw them being carried out in the movies.

Helena Bonham Carter (the female version of Johnny Depp. Or is it Depp is a male version of Carter?) was absolutely brilliant as Bellatrix. She really enhanced her as a character. In fact, she was more than perfect. In my opinion, Carter portrayed the character better than how Rowling meant the character to be.

As for Evanna Lynch… her acting was not really good at all. But the charm about her is that she didn’t really need to exert much effort in acting at all since she was a natural real life Luna Lovegood.

If not for the Harry Potter series, I wouldn’t have encountered such great characters.

4.) IT ENRICHED GEEKDOM AND INTRODUCED ITS FANS TO A WIDER AREA OF POP CULTURE

"Harry Potter taught us to read."

It can’t be denied that Harry Potter made an impact on geekdom. Just like “Star Wars” or “Lord of the Rings”, the Harry Potter series created a noteworthy niche and a die-hard following for itself in pop culture history. In other words, whether you like it or not, Harry Potter is one of the modern pop culture fads that would become an immortal classic.

I mentioned in no. 2 in that other article that Harry Potter is overrated. Harry Potter is great but not that great as most believe it to be. And one of the reasons people think it’s that great (when it’s not) is because most of its fans probably haven’t read much books or, at least, not much fantasy books other than Harry Potter. However, as I’ve said, Harry Potter has carved itself a significant niche in pop culture, thus, it had became a healthy starting point for its fans to be exposed to other (better) fantasy titles, and then to a wider area of pop culture.

Example, a non-book enthusiast watched a Harry Potter movie. He got hooked with the HP fad, so he got into the HP books. The HP books made him interested in other children fantasy and it led him to other popular but richer fantasy titles like “Lord of the Rings” or “Chronicles of Narnia”. Then he got into fantasy titles published by Del Rey. He liked the Del Rey books he read, and since Del Rey also publishes sci-fi, he decided to try sci-fi too and got himself hooked on sci-fi. OR he liked the concept of a boy in a fantasy setting, so he read “Artemis Fowl”. He was so impressed by Artemis Fowl that he sought other books that has a smart protagonist. And it may lead him to Sherlock Holmes, which might make him love the mystery genre.

And so on and so forth… the possibilities are endless. Thanks to Harry Potter.

So though some got stuck and refuse to budge from Harry Potter, some managed to move on to better things than Harry Potter because of their exposure to Harry Potter in the first place.

Unfortunately, there are also those who have treaded the “dark side” after starting with Harry Potter, as they ended up with “Twilight” (No.1 in that list).

3.) IT’S ACTUALLY PRETTY GOOD

Again, though I keep on mentioning that Harry Potter is overrated, it doesn’t mean that I found it to be dumb or lame. It’s actually an enjoyable good piece of fiction. My point is that people brand is a 10/10 when I believe it‘s actually rightfully just a 7/10 (7.5/10 at most).

A 7/10 is actually great already, isn’t it?

It’s a classic good vs. evil story with important themes (Voldemort is definitely patterned with Adolf Hitler and his racism, hatred, and madness) and morals present. It had plot holes but I liked the overall plot. Its storytelling kept me interested. The series started with a “General Patronage” feel. Then, it started getting darker. More mature. People started getting killed. And the body count piled up through the series. Some criticized this transformation to a darker feel in a children’s book. I disagree with these critics. I actually think the transition style – the level of maturity and grittiness increasing with each book – employed by Rowling in the series was brilliant. You see, not only is Harry the one growing up, the readers are, too. Take for me, for example, I started reading Harry Potter when I was in my late elementary. Book 7 came out when I was already in college. Harry Potter is not entirely a children’s book. It’s rather a “generation” book for those who were children when the first book came out. Thus, as the kids grew up, with their level of maturity growing up with them, the books also grew in maturity. And that’s brilliant.

And I liked how Rowling employed twists in the story. Right from the start (i.e. Quirrell is the bad guy, not Snapes), Rowling made it clear that she knows how to use twists to enhance the story and impress her audience. There are several of them, and they were cleverly inserted across the series. Sirius Black ending up as a good guy after all is the one that blew me away the most. Snapes being loyal to Dumbledore all along and that the killing of Dumbledore is planned by them is something I expected (I never doubted Snapes) but I guess it’s still a major twist in the story. Harry Potter as an accidental Horcrux was also a wonderful twist. But I think it would have been more badass if Neville was actually the true “chosen one”. And that Dumbledore (we all know he’s a master manipulator/tactician, planning his death and all that), to protect Neville, was making it appear that Harry is the “chosen one” so that Voldemort would target him instead. This is no big after all since Harry is a Horcrux, and to destroy it, Voldemort must kill him. So when Harry willingly walked towards Voldemort to be killed after this fact was revealed to Harry (through Snape’s memories), he would be killed for real. And then, in the end, Neville would be the one to kill Voldemort. That would be an awesome mindblowing plot twist. Of course, not all would like it. Especially crazed fans who want the world/story to revolve around Harry Potter. But it can’t be denied that would have been one of the greatest twists in fiction.

This “what-if” or “it would have been better if…” discussions actually make it more fun. Which leads us to…

2.) IT PROVOKED DISCUSSIONS AND DEBATES, ERGO IT MADE PEOPLE THINK

I want to put another Emma Watson photo
so here’s a shot of Hermione thinking

I never really followed “Lost” but I know it is highly praised by many. Some people are even saying – probably, those that never saw “The Twilight Zone” – that it’s the best TV show ever. The show enjoyed such success and honor because it instigated plenty of talk among its audience. I mean after each episode, it became the main topic at work or school. “Hey, did you see the latest ‘Lost’ episode last night? That was some awesome stuff, man! What the hell was that all about?” And they would talk. Discuss. Speculate. Debate. Try to predict what would happen next. Give their interpretations of the mysteries raised. It provoked the audience to think.

When a movie/TV show/book provokes discussions or debates among its fans, then it motivates them to think. And I believe that the best of fiction or pop culture should make its audience or readers think or/and reflect.

Harry Potter actually made its readers think. Rowling wrote a story where new questions are raised as soon as old ones are answered. And that was great. It made people (including me) hang on until the last book, where everything is answered. And along the way, there were plenty of discussions and debates among HP’s followers. I know since I was one of them. I can still remember how I kept on arguing (after Book 6) for the case that Snapes is a good guy. And I was right.

1.) HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2

First one who blinks loses...

Indeed. Not only is the last Harry Potter movie the best HP movie ever made, but it is the best thing ever about the Harry Potter franchise: a box-office record breaking film.

There are plenty of great things about the movie. Plenty of epic scenes. The fight scenes were smooth and badass. Especially at the climactic Battle of Hogwarts. I forgot how the Battle of Hogwarts went in the book, but I think the movie effectively created a perfect “Battle of Hogwarts” for visual purposes.

I criticized Voldemort of being not as menacing as expected (No. 7 in the other list). But the scene of him walking barefooted on a sea of blood with the corpses of people he recently killed (because of his anger after Harry and friends stole a Horcrux in Bellatrix Lestrange’s vault in Gringots) covering the floor made me think that Voldemort might be one scary evil dude after all.

Another favorite scene of mine was the preparation of Hogwarts for battle. Professors and senior students – mostly from “Dumbledore’s Army” – readying themselves at the front yard. The covering of a magic bubble shield around the school. Dumbledore’s Army and Order of the Phoenix members readying themselves around the campus. And Prof. McGonagall summoning Hogwarts’ stone knight guardians.

"I've always wanted to cast that spell."

This scene was also perfectly taken out from the book. Epic.

"Not my daughter, you bitch."

All in all, the movie successfully ended the HP story with a bang. It was greatly entertaining and gripping from start to finish. Easily one of the best movies of 2011. It was that kind of movie that even if you are not familiar with the first 7 films or the Harry Potter mythos, you will still appreciate the movie. Visuals… story… plot… action… all terrific in delivery.

July 2011 Round-Up: Blah Blah Blah Blah

2011-08-01T09:35:00.000+08:00

Blah blah blah. Here's a lazily made round-up:

"World's Most Difficult Brain-Busting Logic Puzzle" by Bernel
"Top 10 Movies of the First Half of 2011" by Bernel
"Peter Pan and the Peter Pan Syndrome" by Niki
"Vhong Navarro is Awesome" by Bernel
"The Filipino Diabetic Part 2" by Maddy
"Stop, Stare, Write" by Niki

They are still missing...

That's all...

Stop, Stare, Write

2011-07-28T23:12:00.000+08:00

by Siggi Churchill, Flickr

Stop.

If you're thinking of nothing, and you've got nothing to write, nothing to say then stop.

you can't do anything anyway.

Stare.

If there is an action word for what you're doing now, then that would be it. Stare.

Something is bound to be in front of you that will catch your attention.

Write.

So now that you can find something to talk about. You should start to write.

It doesn't matter what it's about. From your mind, something will definitely come out.

Peace all. ^_^

The Filipino Diabetic 2

2011-07-26T15:54:00.002+08:00

Whew! I'm back!

After a long time that I have not been able to update the next part of my post The Filipino Diabetic Part 1, I finally got the time to put down my skethpad and pencil and my graphic tablet (which i got a craze over for the past few weeks).

Now I just realized that this part of my article is more important than the first because as all medical practitioners would say "Prevention is better than cure".

We've discussed what Diabetes is all about on the previous post I made. So right now, I will share the ways on how this deadly disease can be prevented.

Yep, it's starts with the determination and the wariness to prevent acquiring this ailment. Think about the life you can spare in your years, as well the number of your years in your life. Think about your loved ones-- you don't want them to be greatly affected because of acquiring this condition. I must say it is going to take a toll on your years, life, money, energy, emotion and not just yours but the people who care for you too.

1. Eat the proper amount and kind of food.

"You are what you eat." --as they say...

Control your sugar intake-- but don't shut it down. Sugar and starch are still our primary source of energy, we cannot deprive ourselves of which. On the other hand we must see to it that we don't take in too much than we need.

Avoid eating too fatty and oily food as well especially fat and oil that comes from an animal source. you may say "Hey, I thought Diabetes is about sugar intake only?" It is also an aggravating factor if you have a high cholesterol level in your bloodstream. We are not naive of this, we all know the many things and diseases result on this. And just because you are not fat and obese doesn't mean you don't have a high cholesterol in your blood. Even skinny people accumulate cholesterol plaques in their arteries-- they don't even realize it til they are diagnosed.

Good stuff you should eat-- I mean SHOULD eat--

vegetables-- the colorful your plate is the better...

fruits-- instead of your favorite chip snack, try munching an apple-- and they taste better than vegies...

2. Hydrate-- I mean drink lots of water... fruit juice and some tea may be helpful too...

Avoid drinking too much alcohol-- it can damage a lot of organs even the pancreas... Avoid drinking too much power drinks or energy drinks. Water-- clean and fresh is still the best.

3. Maintain a good hygiene

What does this have to do in preventing Diabetes? I would ask myself before as well. Later I found out that when you take a bath, you are also hydrating yourself...and preventing yourself from other infections that would cause other disease. And by preventing these diseases it will not affect your overall health. Hygiene is very important.

4. Exercise regularly... as in... YOU MUST..

It is not enough to take in your body good stuff... You have to keep your body well functioning and nothing keeps it from rusting than regular exercise. We are not ignorant of this. We know the many ways we can do exercise. Please, no excuses. This is a very critical prevention measure in Diabetes. If you don't use up your glucose, it will get stuck in your bloodstream--you get the idea?

5. Get a regualar medical check up. You gotta know what's going on in your body.

Naaah... by regular it doesn't mean that you have to get a check up daily or weekly... probably twice a year or as the doctor recommends it. Get your blood sugar levels and your cholesterol levels as well. It helps to know about them.

So that's basically just it.... measures you can prevent Diabetes...Particulary Diabetes of the second type...

How do I know I am already susceptible in acquiring it...or I already have it?

Here are a few signs...

excessive sweating, excessive hunger, excessive thirst and excessive urination...

sluggishness or sleepiness during the day, feeling tired most of the time despite that you've already eaten...

weakness and fatigue and you acquire mild illnesses easily like cough and colds for example...

If you have these signs and symptoms have yourself a check-up... an early diagnosis can help prevent the problem from worsening....

Hahaha so I'm done sharing about what I've learned about this disease so far. There are still lots more to learn from it, but I hope this blog post is informative enough to all.

I gotta go now, I still am gonna have a class on Analytical Geometry... :P

^__^ Stay Healthy!!!

Mwah! <--cooties free

Vhong Navarro is Awesome

2011-07-18T12:13:00.003+08:00

Vhong Navarro is probably the most entertaining dancer in Philippine showbiz. His dancing ideas and performing creativity are probably only second to Gary V (who is the "Philippines' Michael Jackson" in performance genius). But Vhong's trademark dancing is definitely more humorous than Gary V's style.

His Street Boys mates also deserve some kudos since they are also among the best in the business as they effectively compliment Vhong's performances.

My favorite Vhong Navarro and Street Boys dance act is their "Evolution of Dance" - a medley of different dance crazes/styles through the years. I first saw this act when they guested in Sharon Cuneta's show years ago. They clearly got the idea from this stand-up comedian's own "evolution of dance" act (which is in the top 10 most viewed videos in Youtube). Here is a video footage of the act:

Vhong and the Street Boys also performed another epic but entirely different "evolution of dance" in the hit "Showtime" last year (if I get it right), which was first performed in ASAP during a birthday of Vhong. Here was his "Magpasikat" performance:

Clearly, by these dances, we can see how an awesome performer Vhong Navarro is.

When not dancing in the "Experimental Theatre", Bernel is dancing in "The Bernel Zone"...

Peter Pan and the Peter Pan syndrome

2011-07-08T23:47:00.000+08:00

"Pan, who and what art thou?" he [Hook] cried huskily.
"I'm youth, I'm joy," Peter answered at a venture, "I'm a little bird that has broken out of the egg." - Peter Pan

First, of all; No. Peter Pan syndrome isn't a recognized disease in the medical world. But it is an interesting concept to consider.

I guess most of the people reading this would already be familiar with Peter Pan. The boy who lived in Neverland and has wonderful adventures with Wendy and the Lost boys. Some of us loved him when he was a kid, though I guess he won't stop being that to us - a kid. And though some of us would just like to be that - kids, most of us grew up and left our childhood days behind.

Peter Pan Syndrome is a term coined by Dr. Dan Kiley with his book "The Peter Pan syndrome: Men Who Have Never Grown Up". I think I've read it once in my library visits. And though it is not recognized as a psychological disorder, I think there are people who fit in this syndrome.

Characteristics:
- refusal/failure to accept mature responsibilities
- post adolescent development stage
- emotionally immature
- narcissism
- a history of failed relationships/ fear of commitments

Causes:
One probable cause would be a person rejecting the adult world because of fear of growing up. He or she has experienced or observed an adult event that makes them afraid that that is how they'll be as adults. Another theory is that it is due to over protective parents. As young children, the adult "realities" were hidden or masked so they have a false sense of security which immediately dissolves when their first adult problem sets in. They're used to their parents handling their responsibilities.

This makes us look at Peter Pen at a different light huh. :)

Though the syndrome makes us think of lazy-good-for-nothing bums who has no sense of responsibility, I believe that it is not necessarily their fault. These people are merely "victims" of the circumstances that surrounded their growth and development. I think with supportive friends and family, a person can grow up to be a mature, responsible and productive citizen of a community.

What do you think?

All information from the internet. :)

Top 10 Movies of the First Half of 2011

2011-07-07T14:49:00.002+08:00

Every year (since 2008), I make a Top 10 movies of the year list. And in my last year’s list, I mentioned that it’s hard to make it because there are plenty of movies to consider, and movies watched at the latter part of the year has an advantage on making it because it’s easier to remember since it’s more recent. Thus, to make it easier for me when I write my top 10 movies of 2011 at the end of the year (or at the beginning of next year), I decided to list now the top 10 movies of the first half – from January to June – of 2011.

There’s a bunch of movies that I was very excited for but were less than my expectations. It is fair to say that “Sucker Punch” was the movie that I was looking forward to the most for 2011, but it came out flat. As for “The Green Hornet”, Seth Rogen ruined it for me; the GH in that movie was not the GH I have known. There were also good movies like “Battle: Los Angeles”, “Unknown”, “The Adjustment Bureau” and “Gnomeo & Juliet” that were just as I expected them. There were movies that I knew would suck but I still watched anyway, like “Big Momma 3”. There were movies like “Priest” – great way to start a movie series – which were better than I expected. There were movies that critics and moviegoers didn’t like but I did, like “Drive Angry 3D”. There were movies like “Your Highness” that was just for some crazy fun. And there were just plain – though entertaining to some degree – awful movies like “I Am Number 4”. There are also movies of the first-half that I haven’t watched yet – “The Tree of Life”, “Rio”, “Another Earth”, and “Kung Fu Panda 2”, to name some – and there’s a chance that they would end up in this top 10 if I did or even make the annual top 10 list.

The first half of 2011 movies was fun for movie-lovers like me, and these ten movies stood out the most in my book:

10.) SUPER 8

I considered the Academy-Award winner “The King’s Speech” in this spot because it was an enjoyable biopic, but it lost points because – though it was widely released in 2011 – it was technically a 2010 movie. Thus, “Super 8” gets this spot. “Super 8” was a brilliant movie as it is, and would be loved by those that love the pop culture of 80’s and 90’s because it has that “feel” which the 80’s and 90’s had. JJ Abrams crafted a good story, but the super mysterious trailers for the movie had me expecting for more than that. For me, the movie did not fully justify the hype for it.

9.) THE HANGOVER 2

This sequel to the genius “The Hangover” has many similarities in the formula and pattern of the first movie. Critics hate the movie for that – for just being a carbon-copy of the first movie set in a different scenario. But still I think this is the most hilarious movie of the year so it got to this spot.

8.) THOR

Awesome costume. Great action. Good characterization. Decent story. Most important of all, this made me more excited for that incoming “Avengers” movie scheduled for next year.

7.) PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES

In my opinion, though the critics don’t agree with me, this movie was better that the previous. There are more fun twists, fresh comedy material, and a good story. The only downer is that this movie is 30 minutes shorter than its predecessor. Anyway, I’m excited for the incoming 5th and 6th movie.

6.) RANGO

This best animated film of the year so far. I just love westerns, and because of its western theme, this movie easily won me.

5.) PAUL

“The Hangover 2” is the funniest comedy this first half, but “Paul” has the better story. This is also a very hilarious movie, but one has to have knowledge on the pop culture involved to fully appreciate the movie.

4.) HANNA

This was a unique kind of action movie. I loved how the movie started, progressed, climaxed, and ended. It’s really a gem. Such quality movies are rare nowadays.

3.) THE LINCOLN LAWYER

I miss lawyer/courtroom movies. There used to be a time where such movies are rampant. Thankful that we have “The Lincoln Lawyer” this year.

2.) SOURCE CODE

Not exactly “Inception” (I think nothing will top “Inception” for a long time), but this is the most intelligent and freshest movie this year (so far).

1.) X-MEN: FIRST CLASS

I actually didn’t expect this movie to be this good. I mean, this could be the best X-Men movie ever made. Really. The best thing about this movie is how it gave new depth to the origin of the characters of Magneto and Prof X and the story of their friendship and falling out. The story of young Prof X and Magneto in this movie is probably better than what was in the comicbooks.

Top movies that I am looking forward to in the second half (and contenders to make the 2011 top 10 list):

“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”

“Cowboys & Aliens”

“Captain America: The First Avenger”

“Real Steel”

“The Muppets”

“Sherlock Holmes 2”

“Puss in Boots”

“The Adventures of Tin-Tin: Secret of the Unicorn”

“Moneyball”

…and much more!

When not writing about movies in the "Experimental Theatre", Bernel is writing about movies in "The Bernel Zone"...

World's Most Difficult Brain-Busting Logic Puzzle

2011-07-06T13:01:00.002+08:00

Three gods A , B , and C are called, in some order, True, False, and Random. True always speaks truly, False always speaks falsely, but whether Random speaks truly or falsely is a completely random matter. Your task is to determine the identities of A , B , and C by asking three yes-no questions; each question must be put to exactly one god. The gods understand English, but will answer in their own language, in which the words for yes and no are “da” and “ja”, in some order. You do not know which word means which.

The puzzle above is what George Boolos, a legendary philosopher, logician, and teacher in MIT, coined as "The Hardest Logic Problem Ever." This puzzle was invented by the logician and puzzle-master Raymond Smullyan and slightly modified by the computer scientist John McCarthy.

I love logic puzzles and have solved some difficult ones, but I am not smart enough to touch this one. It's so friggin' hard. But, hey, you might be able to solve it (I doubt it :P. lol).

If you are interested for more details about the puzzle and its solution, CLICK HERE.

When not busting his brain in the "Experimental Theatre", Bernel is busting his brain in "The Bernel Zone"...

June 2011 Round-Up: The Month Where I (Bernel) Turned 22

2011-07-01T11:44:00.017+08:00

Haha. That was shameless. Plugging that it had been my birthday month. I just couldn't think a good title for June's round-up.
Aside from yours truly becoming 22 years old this month, we also saw the Dallas Mavericks kicking the butts of the Miami Heat. Thank you, Mavs!!! Booyah! (Just sad that we have an NBA lockout in our hands right now)

Anyway, we're still alive in the month of June and we had (though few) some good posts this month:
Prank-ly Speaking by Niki
-the Chief shared some classic prank vids.
New TV Shows to Premiere this June by ANDOi
-some new shows to watch out for.
Has Just Recently Watched "Drive Angry 3D" by Bernel
-some thoughts about the movie. note: it includes a link to where you can watch the movie in the Net.
49 Days: What will you do? by Niki
-the Chief highly recommends this Korean drama series.
Jimmy Kimmel's Most Epic Comeback by Bernel
-some hilarity.
The Filipino Happiness by Niki
-why are Filipinos a jolly race?
The Filipino Diabetic Part 1 by Maddy
-using her own experiences with her father as case study, Maddy presents us a highly informative post about the condition.
Top 10 Paradoxes by Bernel
-a fascinating list of brain busters.

* * *

That's all.
Hmmm. The Espada are kind of dead lately. Just one post from them this month (and two in the last three months). Oh, well. Let's have a review (no change) of the standings:
ANDOi - Primera
Carl Cathrx - Segunda
Ching - Tres
RD - Cuatro
We can't blame them. They are not getting paid anyway. Hahaha. Still, you guys are very much welcome to post when you finally decided or thought of something to post ^__^
Anyway, us Big 3 (the founders) will keep this blog running... hopefully, forever...

Top 10 Paradoxes

2011-06-19T22:19:00.005+08:00

We can express paradox in different ways. In literature, paradox is a mere figure of speech. In theology, a paradox is distinct from a contradiction; paradoxes in theology are truths that only seem contradictory, but further and careful scrutiny would show that they are not, whereas contradictions are impossibilities and untruths. In the mindblowing world of mathematics, paradoxes are contradictions that are possible and true (e.g. 1 = 0.99999…).

Indeed there are different treatments of paradox among different disciplines. But what is paradox in general? A paradox, according to wiki, is “a seemingly true statement or group of statements that lead to a contradiction or a situation which seems to defy logic or intuition.” So, as I want to interpret it, paradoxes can either be possible (which happens in theology and math) or impossible. Paradoxes can be seemingly contradictory but actually not or they can be outright contradictory.

I love paradoxes because they are awesome mindblowers.

Warning: This may happen while reading this list

Once you are ready for some massive brain-beating, meet me after the jump.

10.) Omnipotence Paradox

“Can God create a stone that he won’t be able to lift?”

If God can create and then creates a stone that he won’t be able to lift, therefore he ceases to be omnipotent since there will be something that he can’t do, which is lifting that stone. But if he can’t create such a stone that he won’t be able to lift, then he is not omnipotent in the first place since there is something he can’t do, which is to create such stone. Either way, it is implied that omnipotence is something impossible. Therefore, if omnipotence is an impossibility, then an omnipotent God is an impossibility. And since a God can’t be a God without omnipotence, then a God does not exist. That’s how the logic of it works. And this argument is a favorite of atheists.

Personally, I am already tired of this argument. But I have to add this in this list since, I admit, it had stumped me for a while before I learned the solution to this dilemma (with the help of two great apologists, C.S. Lewis and R.C. Sproul). I already wrote about it in my “Top 10 Thought Provokers” post. If you care to learn it, just read it there. The “Omnipotence Paradox” item is also a number 10 in that list.

9.) Schrödinger's Cat

Schrödinger's Cat is a thought experiment in Quantum Physics that can be related to several quantum topics, which ultimately arrive at many worlds theory (see number 2 of my “Top 10 Thought Provokers” post). This is a very notoriously complex thesis (like all other topics that Quantum Physics touches). I don’t really understand it totally. But here’s the scenario in a nutshell...

A cat is sealed inside a box with this device: in a Geiger counter, there is a tiny bit of radioactive substance, tiny enough that there is a 50/50 chance that one of the atoms will decay, which means that there’s the same 50/50 chance that no atom will, but if one does, it is designed to relay a signal for a hammer to break a flask of hydrocyanic acid. If no atom will decay, the cat lives after an hour. But if one does, then the cat dies because of the release of the poison. We will never know if the cat lived or died unless we open the box. But according to the theory, until then, the cat is paradoxically both alive and dead inside the box! The argument is since nobody is around to witness what is happening inside the box, then the cat exists in all its possible states. Yah, Quantum Mechanics is that weird – actually, weirder than we can ever imagine.

In simpler words, the Schrödinger's Cat paradox’s notion is alike with the question: “If a tree falls in the woods and there’s no one to hear it, does it make a sound?”

Try answering that.

8.) This geometrical paradox…

Awesome, right? According to this pic’s source, this is a modified version of Curry’s paradox by Martin Gardner. Actually, the most mindblowing paradoxes exist in Math, but I’m afraid my head will explode if I force myself to grasp or study fully all of those.

7.) Crocodile Paradox

There are different variations of this dilemma. But here’s the basic: a crocodile kidnaps a child of a father. The crocodile promises that he will return the child if the father correctly predicts whether the croc will return the child or not. No logical problem will occur if the father guesses, “You will return my child.” The crocodile now has the power to make the father’s guess correct or wrong. If the crocodile chooses to return the child, then the father’s guess is correct, and if the crocodile chooses to keep the child – which the croc will definitely do in such scenario since it’s the beneficial choice for itself – then the father’s guess is incorrect. Regardless of what the croc’s choice is, either way, there will be no violation of the crocodile’s stipulation. However, a logical headache happens if the father guesses, “You will not return my child.” Now, if the crocodile chooses to keep the child (since, as I’ve said, it’s the beneficial choice for itself) then the father’s guess is correct, and under the stipulation, the croc has to return the child. But how can the croc keep and return the child at the same time?! Even if the crocodile chooses to return the child to the father, the father’s guess would be incorrect then, thus under the stipulation, the croc should not return the child.

Bang! We’re only on number 7. Still more to come.

6.) Paradox of the Court

This is a logical problem dating back to ancient Greece.

According to legend, the famous sophist Protagoras agreed to take Euathlus as his pupil, with the contract that the latter will pay the former for his lessons after he – Euathlus (let’s make this clear since these paradoxes already are confusing on their own) – wins his first court case. According to some accounts, Protagoras demanded the money as soon as Euathlus finished his schooling under Protagoras. On other accounts, Euathlus, after finishing his schooling, failed or made no effort on taking on clients. Regardless of which is true, Protagoras decided to sue Euathlus for the amount owed to him.

In Protagoras’ perspective, the logic was, if he won the case, he would be paid the money due to him. And, on the other hand, if Euathlus won the case, then as their contract stipulates, Euathlus still had to pay Protagoras since he won his first case. Either way, he gets his money.

However, Euathlus’ argued that if he won the case, by the court’s decision, he would not have to pay Protagoras. And, on the other hand, if Protagoras won the case, it meant that Euathlus was still unable to win his first case, thus he wouldn’t have to pay Protagoras.

If you were the judge of the case, who would you rule in favor for?

Be thankful you were not a judge.
Rumor has it this is also what happened to him.

5.) Catch-22

This logical paradox was coined by Joseph Heller in his novel “Catch-22” (a hilarious and must read book!). This refers to a situation in which an individual needs something that can only be acquired by not being in that very situation. In the novel, the protagonist Captain John Yossarian, a US Army Air Forces bombardier, who as much as possible tries to avoid situations that endanger his life, wishes to be grounded from combat flight. This is only possible if he is evaluated by the flight surgeon as “unfit to fly”. However to be branded as “unfit”, a pilot must volunteer for extremely dangerous missions, i.e. to be mad enough to be willing to fly to possible death. But to be evaluated, a pilot should request an evaluation – an act that is considered sufficient proof to be declared sane. Therefore, it is impossible for someone to be declared “unfit to fly”, since a pilot who request mental fitness evaluation is deemed sane, thus should fly in combat, and at the same time, if he does not request an evaluation, he will not receive one and thus can never be found insane and must fly in combat. That is the “Catch-22”.

I can give another example of a “Catch-22” scenario, which you surely will see is true: In applying for a job, a job experience is required for it. But how can one earn a job experience without having a job in the first place?

4.) Barber Paradox

There’s a town with just one male barber. Every man in the town keeps himself clean-shaven. Some shave themselves, while some by going to the barber. Now, by this, we can logically assume that the barber shaves all and only those men who do not shave themselves.

However, one question would lead us to a paradox… “Who shaves the barber?”

From the assumption we established, the answer is either he shaves himself or the barber of the town does, which also happens to be himself as well. Which is impossible! If the barber does shave himself, then according to the “barber only shaves those who does not shaves himself” rule, he must not shave himself. And if the barber does not shave himself, according to the rule, he – being the barber of the town – must shave himself.

3.) Exception Paradox

“If every rule has an exception, then there must be an exception to the rule that every rule has an exception.”

Glad you brought an extra head with you?

Let’s further analyze:

The assumption is “Every rule has an exception.” From what the assumption establishes, even “Every rule has an exception” has an exception itself. Thus, a rule without an exception can exist. There would now be a contradiction, since according to the initial assumption, “Every rule has an exception”, but if the assumption is applied on the assumption itself, we conclude that some rule with no exception is possible.

Since the assumption implodes in itself, then we conclude then that such assumption, “every rule has an exception”, will always be a false premise since it’s impossible (Note: if you have noticed, this structure of argument was what was used in the Omnipotence Paradox).

There are other variations to the Exception Paradox but my favorite is “If everything is possible, then it is possible for anything to be impossible.”

There goes your extra head

2.) Unexpected Hanging

A judge tells a condemned prisoner that he will be hanged at noon on one weekday in the following week, but that the execution will be a surprise to the prisoner. He will not know the day of the hanging until the executioner knocks on his cell door at noon that day.

Having reflected on his sentence, the prisoner draws the conclusion that he will escape from the hanging. His reasoning is in several parts. He begins by concluding that the “surprise hanging” can’t be on a Friday, as if he hasn’t been hanged by Thursday, there is only one day left – and so it won’t be a surprise if he’s hanged on a Friday. Since the judge’s sentence stipulated that the hanging would be a surprise to him, he concludes it cannot occur on Friday.

He then reasons that the surprise hanging cannot be on Thursday either, because Friday has already been eliminated and if he hasn’t been hanged by Wednesday night, the hanging must occur on Thursday, making a Thursday hanging not a surprise either. By similar reasoning he concludes that the hanging can also not occur on Wednesday, Tuesday or Monday. Joyfully he retires to his cell confident that the hanging will not occur at all.

The next week, the executioner knocks on the prisoner’s door at noon on Wednesday — which, despite all the above, will still be an utter surprise to him. Everything the judge said has come true.

1.) Liar Paradox

A line in a poem of Epimenides goes: “The Cretans, always liars, evil beasts, idle bellies!”

He, being a Cretan himself, unwittingly called himself a liar. Thus, a dilemma arises. If all Cretans, including himself, are liars, then his statement that all Cretans are liars is a lie. Then, if his statement was a lie, then it means that all Cretans are truthful. However, if all Cretans are truthful, then he being a Cretan himself had told the truth that all Cretans are liars. And we have ourselves an infinite logical loop.

That is the mechanics of the liar paradox. We can make it comprehensive with the simple paradoxical sentence of “This statement is false.” If the statement “this statement is false” is true, then it is false. If the statement is false, then it is true. Either way, it is both true and false. Which is a contradiction.

The best way the Liar Paradox is presented was by using Pinocchio as the case study.

When not writing about mindblowing stuff in the "Experimental Theatre", Bernel is writing about mindblowing stuff in "The Bernel Zone"...

The Filipino Diabetic Part 1

2011-06-19T18:37:00.007+08:00

My dad just got out of the hospital a few days ago. He is a diabetic and also got hypertension which means he occasionally has a high blood pressure. Daddy suffered this condition for more than a year now after his diagnosis.

But what really is diabetes and and how is this disease such a health threat at the same time a health deficit?

Diabetes Mellitus is the condition where there is lack of insulin in the blood steam to help glucose be assimilated in the cells to and be used as energy.

There are two types of DM.

DM 1 means that the pancreas do not secrete insulin. Pancreas are the glands responsible in secreting insulin. Persons who have DM 1 are dependent in injectable insulin and most of them if not all of them, would have to depend on it for their entire life.

DM 2 means that the pancreas secrete only a scanty amount of the hormone. Another hand, it could also mean that the person having DM 2 takes in more glucose than what the body requires and by which their is insufficient supply of insulin produced by the pancreas.

My dad suffers Diabetes Mellitus type 2.

In my dad's case, like most other persons suffering DM2, he has maintenance drugs for diabetes. These drugs have different mechanisms or dynamics on how it works in the body to intervene the illness. One of his drugs stimulate his pancreas to produce more insulin. Another drug slows the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream.

Aside from his oral anti-diabetic drugs, my dad also has other maintenance drugs to control his hypertension or high blood pressure.

But drugs are not all good. In fact, if not taken with much care, awareness and safety, it could lead to other complications. The therapeutic effect of a drug might mend only a certain problem, but a lot of people neglect that drugs have side effects and long term effects called adverse effects. More so, they also have dangerous effects when they get to interact with other chemicals, food and other drugs we ingest and that stays in our body. These are factors we cannot easily control especially once they are already absorbed in our body.

Dad suffered a lot of complications of Diabetes

One it caused edema in his legs and feet because of poor blood circulation. Edema is a swelling caused by fluid that leaked out of the blood vessels because his blood vessels couldn't hold them in anymore.

Hypertension also developed because his blood has become viscuous due to the accumulation of glucose in the blood. It makes it sticky and blood cannot circulate well.

This leads to another complication which is poor or slow wound healing. My dad walks everyday and if he cuts himself, especially on his foot, it takes long before it heals. In some cases, for other people, the wound never heals and turns gangrenous, resulting to amputation of the dead tissues.

Another complication that arose was dad's eyesight degeneration. This is a result of the poor circulation as well. His eyes do not get enough good nutrition and oxygenation. To make it short the eyes degenerate resulting to poor eyesight, meaning vision gets blurred and it makes the person strain to see. This causes headache and pain because of the pressure in his eyes. My dad can no longer see clearly and he got bleeding inside his eyes. He had to undergo cataract surgery and retinopathy to intervene this problem. And because he had swelling inside his eyes or on his macula, he had to be injected with a drug that stops the swelling inside. But whatever procedure he underwent, it never restored dad's vision to like before.

Recently, there came another complication discovered. This time, during when he was confined in the hospital. He had a 3rd stage renal disease, which means his kidneys do not function well anymore. We all know that kidneys play an important part in maintaining our blood to be free from impurities. It excretes the waste in our blood stream and important in balancing the chemicals that go in and out our body. Dad's kidneys can no longer perform this function well anymore. This led to more swelling or edema in his legs.

And the more dangerous part of it, because his kidneys can no longer excrete and filter blood well, the by-products of the drugs he takes can no longer be excreted properly thus it remains in the body and continues to toxicate my dad's bloodstream causing many damages all over the body.

One damage it made, which was the primary cause of his hospitalization was the sudden drop of his blood sugar. Yes, my dad is diabetic then wouldn't be a drop of blood sugar a good sign? No, for in this case it dropped really low that he is in the state called hypoglycemia. His body almost collapsed because the body's energy is depleting very fast. In fact being in the state of hypoglycemia for a long time is much dangerous than being in state of hyperglycemia (high glucose in the blood). It can lead to coma.

At that time my dad really was weak and he was sweating cold. He was shaking or what we say as tremors and he feels he can't breathe well because his muscles are weakening. He gets irritable, almost disoriented, uneasy, can't sleep and can't focus. More over, he is having a very high blood pressure. This prompted us to rush to the hospital emergency care, and eventually needs to be confined.

I am sharing this to all of you because we all need to be aware of this certain disease.

This is the first part of my blog post and on Part 2 I will be talking about how this disease has already become rampant amongst us Filipinos and what could be the factors that inclined us to acquire such illness.

I am basing all these thing from facts and real events that happened in my life and I have been a witness to the condition my dad is going through.

The Filipino Happiness

2011-06-17T22:23:00.000+08:00

People have always talked about how a Filipino can smile even though tragic events are happening around them. Other countries also wonder about that. I don't have the exact answer but one of the things that I think contributes to it lies in the history of the Philippines. Being conquered by a lot of countries, the Filipinos have developed a sense of resiliency towards painful events. They have a deep sense of hope that things will turn out for the better. You can just imagine the horrible stuff those invaders did to our fellow men and yet the Filipinos still forgive them and even turned out to be one of the most hospitable people around.

Another factor is probably the fact that a majority of the Filipino population are Christians and being Christians, we know that a higher being does not ignore our suffering and we can turn to God in times of life's sufferings. I observed in other countries that they don't or maybe they can't really smile about it and yet I observe the local news and somehow... the people there are grinning ear to ear. People who have lost homes. People who have nothing and yet they can still smile. Maybe some may call us fools but during those times, what can you do? It's not like moping around would help.

I think that having a family centered orientation also contributes to this cheerful nature. When a Filipino is lonely, he/she knows that mother (or another relative) is only a phone call away or a shout away. No one can underestimate a Filipino's love for their families or even their fellow men. Even though they can be harsh sometimes (not the abuse kind mind you), it is probably because they think of your future.

History, Faith and Family. These contribute to the smiling Filipino. I'm truly proud to be pinoy.

Jimmy Kimmel's Most Epic Comeback

2011-06-16T18:21:00.002+08:00

Kimmel is one of the funniest and most entertaining men in TV. He has done plenty of fun craziness in his career, but I think the following video - done back in 2008 - is his most fun so far.

(Warning: for mature audiences only...)

Sarah Silverman, his then girlfriend, pulled an epic prank on him when she guested on his show. Watch below:

This was Kimmel's rebuttal a month later. Definitely more epic...

Bonus:
- somebody also made a parody starring Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton
- here's something recent. a prank on Ron Artest

Just a random sharing. Hope it made you laugh ^__^

For more on Bernel, go to the "The Bernel Zone"...

49 Days: What will you do?

2011-06-07T18:10:00.000+08:00

As anyone who's been stalking my FB wall lately, you would know that I've been watching this great Korean TV series; 49 days. It's a 20 episode drama written by So Hyeon-Kyeong and directed by Jo Young-Kwang. Recently, I've been watching a lot of Asian dramas but as always I'm pretty much choosy when it comes to shows, only watching the interesting ones until the end.

49 Days

49 days is a beautiful story about Ji Hyun (Nam Gyu-Ri), a rich girl who's life was well and perfect. She was getting married to the man she was destined for and no one could be happier. But her life literally takes a sudden turn when an accident caused her to have a coma. Pronounced brain dead, Ji Hyun's soul wandered about and she met the Angel of Death a.k.a. the Scheduler (Jung Il Woo). He offered her 49 days to find 3 people who sincerely love her but this excludes anyone of blood relation. As proof she had to collect 3 tears. Ji Hyun then was "allowed" to take over a depressed person's body - Yi Kyung for a certain time. Ji Hyun felt confident that she would accomplish that mission easily.

Nam Gyu Ri and Lee Yo Won

On her first day "alive", Ji Hyun remembers why she got into an accident - she had seen her best friend and her fiancée being intimate and had driven blindly and so crashed into the back of a truck. Suddenly she's not that confident in finding those three persons.

But then Ji Hyun has always been known to be the optimistic princess and as she unexpectedly finds other people who care, she brings her hopes up and goes on to find people who can shed those three tears for her.

As the story goes on, Yi Kyeung discovers someone is possessing her body and soon enough Ji Hyun and Yi Kyung help each other and find something meaningful in their lives. The writer also gives a satisfying finish as she reveals a secret to the watchers.

The drama has a smooth script but isn't that heavy though I can't help but cry at the end. Ji Hyun gives an air of being a scatter brained at first but she is someone who is genuine and can do things if she puts her mind in it. Though she is definitely a cry baby, being in tears in almost every episode. Nam Gyu Ri performed her well. Of course, Lee Yo Won (playing Yi Kyung) has always been considered a very good actress in Korea and her acting in the show was unquestionable considering that she had to play 2 different personalities.

On my own personal drama reflection; I also think what if I was given 49 days and be in the same situation? Would I do what the unselfish Ji Hyun did? Do I really know my friends? Can I forgive my fiancée (If I had one) for doing that? Can I forgive my best friend for plotting for my end? Would I have the grace to accept my end?

I can't speak for anyone but myself though but I really liked this drama and recommend it to you if you haven't seen it. ^__^

Has Just Recently Watched "Drive Angry 3D"

2011-06-07T00:26:00.001+08:00

Wasn't able to watch this in 3D in a movie theater. But I think it would have been awesome if I did since it's the good kind of 3D (i.e was shot with 3D cameras) and not the poor technique of post-production 3Ding of 2D-shot movies.

This is not really a movie review. Won't tell you much about it. I wrote this just to say that I really love this movie, even though it received some negative reviews and has flopped in the box office. I don't know why a lot didn't like it. "Drive Angry 3D" was oozing with gritty action and contained both badass and very funny moments (the funniest scene though was already shown in the trailer). The story and plot both felt cliche and unique, I can't really tell, but, nonetheless, they delivered.

It also has three entertaining and fascinating characters (kudos also to the actors, as they successfully made the characters they played to be such) They were mean, badass motherf*@*##!!!

John Milton (the Protagonist/Anti-Hero)

Jonah King (the Villain)

The Accountant (Not Only The Best Character, But The Best Thing About This Movie)

The movie also has one of the baddest, raddest weapons ever in fiction...

It is badassly called as the "God Killer". No joke.

Well, I can't guarantee that you will also like the movie as I did. But if you care to watch it, here's the link:

http://www.movie2k.to/Drive-Angry-3D-watch-movie-668532.html

When not writing about badassery, movies, or entertainment in the "Experimental Theatre", Bernel is writing about them in "The Bernel Zone"...

New TV Shows to Premiere This June

2011-06-05T18:16:00.004+08:00

I'm a man of few words. My point here is to share to you the new TV shows that I'm gonna be downloading this Summer. I'll leave the trailers to win you.

Falling Skies (Sci-fi)

Franklin & Bash (Legal Comedy)

Switched At Birth (Family Drama--ala Mara Clara)

Wilfred (Offbeat Comedy)

Love Bites (Sex Comedy)

Alphas (Sci-fi)

Platinum Hit (Reality Show)

But still, can't wait for the Fall releases. It's usually the best season for TV.

Prank-ly Speaking

2011-06-02T21:59:00.000+08:00

I was venturing into my old social network site (a.k.a Friendster) when I chanced upon a video shared by my friend, ANDoi. Its this one;

The video got me interested in other similar deeds and found this;

It was quite entertaining to see those people laughing. It was probably some marketing strategy by the store but its still funny.

Now, this one is really scripted but not obviously so and the two guys look like aliens even without the shades on.

Bernel did tell me that they might be scripted but we can always wonder, right? :)

If you don't have anything else to do, do stop by my personal blog; Now and Then, Here and There.

May 2011 Round-Up: Signs of Revival

2011-06-02T01:34:00.001+08:00

Just one day late with this month's round up.
And so we're catching up with April's slow fiasco with 10 entries this month starting with;

- No Don't by Niki that expresses her wish to keep up with the blog
followed by;

- Rain or Shine, Let the friends reign by Niki, an entry about hanging out with friends even when it rained

- Maddy shares a part of her life in Royal Jester

- and the part 1 of Pinoy Mentality - some things we could have without

- Ching also posted an awesome entry about Not your ordinary graffities.

- and of course what's Bernel with out his fourth interesting things found in the internet

- A tribute to Awesome cats was written by Niki accompanied by cute cat pictures.

- Niki also invites readers to watch a mind twisting anime with Code GeAss: Lelouch of the Rebellion

- And of course Maddy's part 2 of Pinoy Mentality.

- Bernel ends this month's list by writing about expressing his posts in Bernel's Bullets

I guess its still not right to post the hierarchy but let's all keep it up.

I am optimistic about this blog's future. ^_^

On a side note, Maddy and Niki will be starting classes this June. See you. ^_^

Bernel's Bullets - 5/30/11

2011-05-30T17:32:00.012+08:00

Sometimes (or often), I get lazy writing an article. Or, rather, the effort of organizing the sentences to form a coherent article makes me lazy. So I thought that instead of writing a constructed essay, whenever I get lazy, I will just scribble my thoughts organized in items by bullet-pointed listing. By this, I will be unloading my thoughts like bullets being fired from the chambers of a revolver. This writing-style is not an original of mine. Plenty of other writers in newspapers and blogs did this before in their article writing. I did this several years ago in a Friendster blog (when I had made my “hell fighter” account) and I will give it a go in this blog. The “Bernel's Bullets” shall also replace future “Random Interesting Things I Find in the Internet” posts, since I will just put those Internet contents I want to share in BB posts.

So, ready? I’ll fire away after the jump…

The Mavs and Heat are back in the Finals. Just like in 2006. Hmmm. Actually, I’m feeling a bit of déjà vu this 2011. It has the feeling of 2006. Really. I mentioned in the 5^th year anniversary post of bernel.blogspot.com how it is similar with the debut post of the blog in 2006: Lakers loss and writing about it as therapy (and I still can’t spell “therapy”, MS Word just corrected me after I typed “teraphy – just like 5 years ago). Anyway, not only that but I still find some other parallels with 2006 and 2011. I won’t elaborate. But the feeling in the air is the same. Really. If the Heat wins the championship – like what they did in 2006 – other things that had happened in 2006 might happen again in 2011. I am not superstitious, but I admit, I’m a little bit uncomfortable that 2011 might turn out like 2006, since there are things in 2006 that I don’t want to happen again. In the late part of 2006, supertyphoon “Reming” (prior to that, a weaker supertyphoon – but still a supertyphoon nonetheless – “Milenyo”) hit the land, and though, I admit, in an adrenaline-pumping exciting way, I had fun with the experience, it had left great destruction. And, also, I got my heart broken for the first time in 2006. Definitely, don’t want that to happen again. Heartbreak is so complicated.
And, by the way, if it’s not yet obvious to you, I am rooting for the Dallas Mavericks to win the NBA crown this year. Not only because avoiding a 2006 parallel event will make me feel better, but because I like Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd to win a championship. Also, because I nearly always root for the team that comes out in the Western Conference.
Still, the Miami Heat’s defense in this post-season impressed me a lot. And because of this, I think it is very likely that they will come out on top.

I am most impressed by LeBron James’ emergence as an awesome defender. He used to be just all “stat defense.” Blocks and steals do not really translate to being a good defender. But now, he is able to use his athleticism, speed, and strength in being as good at defense as much as he used them to be good at offense.
Now, clearly, LeBron is the best player in the NBA. In years prior to 2009, it was Kobe Bryant. In 2009 and 2010, it was a matter of debate between the two, but, I can still objectively say that Kobe was still better than LeBron during those years. But, now in the present, LeBron is the best. Kobe vs. LeBron debates are no longer fun, since objectivity says it’s LeBron. No more need for interesting and hot discussions.
I can’t blame Pippen for claiming that LeBron is even better than Jordan, though I still think that the comment was idiotic since it’s too still early at this point to say anything. LeBron can do anything – score, rebound, pass, and, now, defend – very well. He can play the positions 1 to 4, and had guarded against 1 to 5. Indeed, if he continues to develop, he is on the path on becoming the greatest player that ever lived. But it’s still premature to say or claim anything. There will be a point in his career that he would have to stop relying on his raw talent and physical athleticism, and by then, he should have a lethal skill-set, like what Kobe has, to continue performing as good as he is now or even better by then.
Kobe might be looking with envy on LeBron’s raw talent, strength, size, and athleticism. He’s probably thinking of the awesome possibilities if he possesses them along with his great mind, motivation and focus – which what I love about him most – and the arsenal of skills he had developed. As a fan, I always think of it: that if Kobe has LeBron's raw talent, physical attributes, and athleticism, he would be godlike unstoppable.
So I hope LeBron will not waste the awesome gifts and potential that he has. LeBron should at least emulate Kobe’s focus and obsession for greatness, and these would lead him to be the best basketball player ever.
It is still possible for Kobe Bryant to reclaim the throne as the best next season and disprove the general opinion that he is now in his decline. As a fan, of course, I wish that.
Mike Brown as Lakers new headcoach?! I am no fan of Brown. And even if Brown was the best available coach, the management handled the hiring badly. Oh, well, nothing else we can do about it but grant him the benefit of a doubt, and give him a chance to prove himself before we crucify him.

By any chance we can get Deron Williams and Dwight Howard to join Kobe and the Lakers this post season?
Go Lakers! 2012 NBA Champions!
Now for something unrelated to the NBA…Have you seen the series finale of Smallville? I loved Smallville… when the story was set mainly on Smallville. I was a regular viewer in the first four or five seasons. Then the show lost me. I watched an episode occasionally. But not frequent enough to really grasp the entirety of a season plot. However, when I learned that Season 10 would be the last season of Smallville, I started to watch regularly again. Season 10 had its high parts, and has some wacky facepalm parts. But I find three things greatly disappointing: a) Bruce Wayne/Batman never made into the show, as they settled with an Oliver Queen/Green Arrow instead; b) Kristin Kreuk (as Lana Lang) did not made any return in the last season; and b) Clark only started flying and wearing the Superman costume in the finale. I had expected that he would have done both somewhere in the middle of season 10. What rocks about the finale was the return of Michael Rosenbaum (as Lex Luthor). What sucks, though, was everything else. Anyway, if you were a fan of Smallville at some point, you owe it to at least watch its finale. Here’s the link, and I hope you already know how to watch videos in megavideo.

Oh, I’m excited about this new “Muppets” movie…

Also excited for the rebooted Spidy movie scheduled for next year.

Hey, do you remember this? The intro (which is the best part) of the GI-Joe movie. Enjoy, fellow fans. One notable youtube comment of this vid: "Thumps Up if you are listening to this song because Osama Bin Laden was finally killed by G.I. Joe!!!!!"

This is old… but, still, which first lady is hotter? Spain’s or France’s?

More about it here.

That is all for my first “Bernel's Bullets” post. Till next time.

To know more what’s going on in Bernel’s mind, go to “The Bernel Zone”...

Pinoy Mentality Part 2 (woooh!)

2011-05-28T11:38:00.000+08:00

Hep! Hep! Hep! san ka pupunta? Tsk, tsk... alam mong matatamaan ka nanaman...Heehee... ok lang yan pare... It's another time for us mga Pilipinos nga mamulat sa katotohanan...

And yes, here I am to give you another dose of Pinoy Mentality, a list of behaviors and attitudes nating mga Pinoy na alarmingly (di pa kayo na-aalarm?) sumisira sa ating dignity as citizens of this country. Naku, kahit anong honor and glory ang ibigay ni Manny Pacquiao to the Philippines, ay di kayang i-justify ang mga pangit na ugali ng mga Pinoy na nakakahiya.

First of all, dapat nyo muna basahin ang unang post ... here oh > Pinoy Mentality Part 1

Tapos na? Sige go...

nandito na ang continuation!

4. Take advantage/ opportunist mentality

At sino namang hindi mahilig sa "free" o "libre" ? Naku, ang takaw natin jan. May event na invited tayo, parang boring, kasi seminar or lecture. However, if sinabing may "free snacks" or "overflowing coffee", pahuhuli pa ba? What could be the reason why most of us ay matakaw sa mga ganito? Dahil din naman namumulubi ang karamihan sa atin. Pero ang masama dito, marami ang gusto ng "libre" na lang lagi, ayaw ng magtrabaho. Masyadong nag rrely on sa mga relief goods, or gift givings, or mga charity. Eh karamihan ng mga tao ay actually malalakas pa ang mga pangatawan kaso di naman nagttrabaho. May pinag-aralan kaso hindi ginagamit ang mga kakayahan. Lahat na lang gusto instang makuha ang gusto, at pag may opportunity, take advantage kagad. Friends kayo kasi lagi ka niya nililibre, tapat ka sa kanya dahil dun. We want to be close to those na ma-pera.

In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ (Acts 20: 35)

5. Colonial Mentality

Super love mo ba ang K-pop? or die hard NBA fan? nakakapagsalita ka na ba ng Japanese sa kanonood nga anime? Ayaw mo na bang kumain sa Jollibee kasi pambata naman yun? Na try mo na bang magsuot ng Filipiniana sa JS prom? pinagkakaisahan mo na ba ang kabaduyan ng mga jejemon? mas gusto mo bang panuorin ang Dora the Explorer o Sesame Street kaysa Batibot? Mas maganda ba tingnan ang white skin kaysa sa kayumanggi? Mas masarap bang pakinggan ang mga foreign music bands kaysa sa mga local bands natin? Memorize mo ba lahat ng Beatles songs pero di mo alam ang mga kanta ng Eraserheads?

...and many more questions :)

Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. (Romans 14:10)

6. Lack of Discipline

Gustong lagi mauna, ayaw pumila. Sabing wag magtapon dito, ayan, wala naman nakatingin eh. Dapat naman iflush ang toilet pagkatapos gamitin at wag dumihan ang bowl, simpleng bagay di magawa. These are just some of the things that show that we Filipinos cannot follow simple rules. Simple pa nga lang yan eh di na magawa how much more the laws against crime and corruption. Cleanliness daw is next to godliness. But we can see, that our streets are dirty and messy, not to mention traffic. Philippines daw is a Christian nation. Madasalin yeah, perhaps, but disciplined? I doubt that (this is undeniable). We complain about poverty, but people choose to sugal or gamble instead of finding a job or finishing school. Over population daw is a growing problem, along with unwanted pregnancies and broken families. Do we still listen to good counsel? Or are parents themselves don't play the good example? Pero if we actually have fear of the Lord, bakit ba tayo matitigas ang ulo at refuse to be disciplined? God disciplines His children, and we wonder why our prayers are not answered. Why our country is still enslaved to corruption and poverty and crime.

One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? (Luke 16: 10-12)

Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways. (Proverbs 28:6)

And so!

I know there are other things and aspect we Filipinos cannot be proud of. But here is a start to think things over and pray.

Let's reflect on the words God speaks to us if we are truly His believers.

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. (Colossions 3:14)

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices ... (Colossian 3:5-10)

Go Filipinos! Let's fix our eyes back to Jesus. ^__^ There is still hope for us and we can conquer all these troubles.

Seek first God's kingdom where His will is done and His righteous path, then all these things will be given to you. (Matthew 6:33)

Code Geass: Lelouch the Rebellion

2011-05-27T14:47:00.025+08:00

If strength is justice, then is powerlessness a crime?

"I was dead until the moment I met you. I was a powerless corpse pretending to be alive. Living without power, without the ability to change my course, was bound to a slow death."

Lelouch Lamperouge (Code Geass)

This anime really tested my patience and sanity. The story is a beautifully crafted plot of war and revenge.

It starts with Lelouch Lamperouge, the main protagonist-antagonist, getting interested with a truck that crashed. He immediately tried to rescue the people in the truck and was accosted by a soldier that turned out to be his long lost friend. They recognized each other and tried to talk but suddenly the capsule in the truck opened and revealed a girl with yellow green hair.

More of the military came and cornered Lelouch thinking he was the man who stole the capsule. Lelouch tried reasoning but to no avail. The military held their guns at him and were about to fire when the girl defended him. Surprised, Lelouch ran to the girl. The moment their hands touched was the moment Lelouch’s life changed. The girl’s name was CC and she offered Lelouch power in return to granting one of her wishes. Since then Lelouch gained the power of the Geass, wherein he could order anything from a person with just one look in their eyes.

The world cannot be changed with pretty words alone.

The story is set in a fictional era where Britannia was at war with the rest of the world and Japan was its latest conquest.

Lelouch Lamperouge was really Lelouch vi Britannia – a prince from the Royal family by the King’s second wife. When they were young, he and his sister were used as bargaining chips during the beginning of the Japan – Britannia war. Their father attacked Japan even while knowing that they were there and Japan became Britannia’s territory.

The war escalated and the Japanese revolted against Britain. They were led by a masked vigilante, Zero. A brilliant strategist that almost gave Japan their independence. Behind the mask was a man nobody thought of.

Lelouch’s revenge and his wish for peace, in the end, what will these contradictions bring him? The story unfolds and makes you hold on the edge of your seat.

Awesome cats

2011-05-22T22:44:00.000+08:00

This blog loves cats. Remember the "Onward" pic. :)

I’d like to introduce you to five awesome cats that makes me go ooooh, ahhhh and kawaii!!

1. The Lynx

Wha.. what wazzat?

There are actually four of these medium sized wild cats (take note, wild, that means they should be out there in the forests or woods freely roaming about). The name means light or brightness which refers to the way their eyes shine. What makes them unique is the tuffs on their ears. Some say its to hear or communicate better... ooohhh... somewhat like an antenna eh?

Fact: Lynx cubs look like domestic cats at birth until about a few months and the kittens are pretty much aggressive.

2. The White Tiger

We are bored. Yup. Definitely. Bored.

They have blue eyes and white fur. These cats are pretty amazing to look at and I really want to see one live. They're pretty rare too. The White Tiger is an animal that I'd like to classify together with the Red Phoenix and the Turtle who carried the world (Fushigi Yuugi anyone?). They make me believe that the stuff in legends are true and that nothing is impossible. These tigers are also very rare with about a hundred in number in India.

Fact: White tiger cubs are generally larger than any other kind of Tiger.

3. The Black Panther/Jaguar/Leopard

I eat cat food!

Next to White is Black. Ever since the movie "The Jungle Book", black panthers have always had a significant place in my heart.

They give off an image of strength and . They're like princes. Their skin is like satin... sigh. They're pretty cool.

Fact: The color is either due to a dominant allele (for jaguars) and a recessive allele (for leopards). Two black cats can't produce another black one. :)

4. The Cheetah

Last one to the finish line eats the skunk.

The Cheetah is the fastest cat in the animal kingdom with speeds that can reach up to 70 to 75 mph. Wonder how it would feel to ride one. But it probably can't carry me. :p

Some Indian tribes even keep cheetahs for hunting animals like the antelope.

Fact: Its weak genes contribute to this cat's rarity.

5. The Domestic cat

Well, of course I couldn't leave out the domestic cat. The greatest thing about them is... you can have them for free. No red tape, no smuggling, no taking them out of their own habitats. They're less moody and they're very cuddly too.

Fact: They eat almost anything. Meow!

Having pets can be therapeutic to you. They can ease your mood when you get home. They can even eat the extra food on your table (voila, no waste). Although, I do not recommend them for those who have asthma and allergies.

*random fact: All the pets/ pests we have in our house were all just accidental. O_o

She talkin' about us?

5 Random Interesting Things I Found in the Internet #4

2011-05-20T21:59:00.003+08:00

Wow! It has been a long time...

I got your 5 for you...

5.) "Friday" is Already Old News, But...

Here's a Christian parody of the song...

Silly, but at least it glorified God... I think.

4.) A More Ridiculous Christian Parody of a Song...

I am not sure if God is glorified, but I'll bet it made Him laugh...

3.) And, Oh, There IS A WORSE SONG THAN FRIDAY...

WARNING: Listen at your own risk!!

2.) OK... A Cute and Funny Vid This Time...

Kobe vs. LeBron debate. Baby-style.

1). Metamorphosis

Check this out:

http://www.funzu.com/index.php/Crazy-pics/unbelievable-transformation-21022011.html

Imagine me saying this word in House's voice: "Interesting."

Till next time... continue to visit this blog!!!

Visit "The Bernel Zone" for more interesting stuff (i.e. more Bernel)...

not your ordinary graffitis

2011-05-19T02:41:00.000+08:00

Art is such an exciting process. The amount of time and effort put in to it is just as magical as the final product.
Find the time to be inspired now.

from http://kogaylou.free.fr/ and http://www.supakitch.com/

Pinoy Mentality Part 1

2011-05-18T11:41:00.004+08:00

Isang araw, I read this article posted and shared sa Facebook. It's talking about mga katangian or qualities nating mga Pinoy na tiyak namang, tsk di kahanga-hanga, and yes, sad to say mga kaugaliang di nakakatulong sa pag unlad ng ating country.

Anu-ano nga bang mga behavior and characteristics na ito? Nabasa ko nuon sa Reader's Digest, di ko na matandaan kung anong taon at issue yon, pero i can remember in that article na mga Pinoy talaga, tsk tsk, talaga namang matigas ang ulo, and refuses na matuto.

Ikaw? Wag mo nang ideny na in one way or another natamaan ka din sa mga bad behaviors and mentality na ito.

So why am I speaking in halong English and Filipino? Dahil ang post ko na ito ay para sa mga Pinoy and Pinay out there, na dapat ng mamulat sa katotohanang tayong mga Pinoy ay dapat ng matauhan. ^_^

1. Crab Mentality

Ayaw talaga nating magpa-iwan. And when we see our neighbor na mas bongga speakers nila, may karaoke, malaki ang bakod, maraming manok, etc. tayo naman di nagpapahuli. Minsan pa nga, (or sad to say kadalasan), we take advantage and even sinisiraan yung mga taong kinaiinggitan natin. Maraming mga Pinoy ang hindi marunong makuntento kung ano meron sa kanila. INGGIT... yan ang salita. Di sila nagiging masaya pag mas umaangat sa kanila ang ibang tao. They think na dapat sila lang ang number one, and dapat sila ang mas nakakalamang. Competition is not all bad. Pero pag naninira na ng ibang tao, pero mas umangat ang katayuan mo, ay sadyang napaka greedy na. Dito pumapasok ang TSISMIS at BACKSTABBING. At anong masasabi nila, yung mga taong naninira? Proud pa sila, at naisahan nila yung mga taong kakumpetensya nila.

He said to them, 'Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions' (Luke 12:15)

2. Mañana Habit

Pinoy Time... isa lang ito sa nagpapakita that we Pinoys are procrastinators. At di lang yun..Cramming, mahilig sa last minute, at post-poning... sa projects, pagbayad nga taxes, pag-attend ng mga meeting. Kung kelan malapit na ang deadline, that's the time pa na magmamadali, ayun at hindi naka pagsubmit ng quality work. Yung ibang tao naman, proud pa na nagccramming sila. Tapos, mahilig sa delay, extend ng five minutes before bumangon sa kama...nakaka ilang five minutes ka na. And when you realize mallate ka na, ayun at nagkakandarapa. Akala nating napaka cool na natin dahil mahilig tayo sa mabilisan, pero mali ito. Talagang sadyang procrastinators tayo.

The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied. (Proverbs 13:14)

3. Ningas Cogon attitude

This attitude means if we start out in something, like a new endeavor, mabilis sumiklab ngunit mabilis din namang namamatay. Just like the cogon. I am sure we experienced this. Magaling lang tayo sa una, all fired up. Pero iilan lang talaga ang nanatiling faithful sa trabaho na nagmmaintain. Its started all fiery, pero easily die down. Nag-apply ka sa isang curso, super excited ka, dedicated at tapat sa paggawa ng school work, pero pagkalipas ng isang taon, parang naddie down yung motivation mo. At hayan na nagsisimula ang katamaran. Oh etong isa pa...madalas nating nakikita toh sa mga politicians. Tuwing elections napaka siklab nila, ang daming proyekto, magaganda at promising na plataporma. Oh ano na ngayon? Meh nangyayari ba sa mga plano nila, now that they have been elected and currently in their desired position? Hahaha, oh eto, sa lovelife. Magaling lang sa simula, super sweet and romantic, ngunit pag lipas ng mga challenges, dying out na. Kokonti nlang talaga ang nagiging faithful sa isa't isa. FAITHFULNESS sa trabaho at sa salita, kelangan nating mga Pinoy. Finish what you started.

Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning. (Luke 12:35)

Ayan mga ladies and gentlemen. ^_^ wag na tayong magmalinis pa. We know that we are guilty of these attributes. Tatlo lang yan as of now and will be posting more soon. Ngayon, let's reflect on these three muna. Are you willing to change? Are you willing to spread the change?

O baka mamaya nlang? Bahala na yung iba, pakialam ko ba sakanila...

Nasa sa iyo na yan.

Pray. ^_^ sapagkat sabi sa Bible

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)

Til next time guys!

"The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel" (Proverbs 12:15)

The Royal Jester

2011-05-14T11:22:00.002+08:00

It's been long since I haven't posted here. Is the blog dying? Nuuu!

I really need to post something and I have decided to post on a new illustration I made. After all at I have said on my introduction that drawings I made would be featured here.

My first drawing feature was about my winning entry on an OCD or original character design, contest in Ofest or Otakufest Cebu 2011. It was entitled Papiliohedyloid and I thankfully won the contest.

This next feature is actually a created to symbolize a slice of my life. The Royal Jester basically is inspired from a blossoming friendship I have with my classmate in Animation class. He and I grew to be good friends and belonged to a same group of friends. We worked together, helped each other out in our projects, got to know each other personally and we regarded each other as close friends.

Looking at the picture you would ask, "are you really just friends?" because you see in the illustration, obviously they don't portray as "just friends" right?

Right now, all I can say is, he and I have grown to be closer to each other. The details I cannot share since this part of my life is a treasure that only he and I and the Lord share. Our little sweet secret.

But why share this on the blog when I meant to keep the details of how we grew a secret anyway? Answer is, I will have to acknowledge that there is something special between me and him and I won't deny that. I would leave the mystery to the readers and viewers of this blog.

Look at the illustration. What could it portray? Every element to the drawing has a purpose. They are already clues to what it is all about.

I will not agree or disagree to whatever comes into your mind. If you got it, then good, if not, it's ok. You wouldn't know either way hahaha...

^_^ so thank you guys for viewing. Hope you'd visit again and check out other posts in this blog... xoxo!

Rain or Shine, Let the friends reign

2011-05-08T20:32:00.000+08:00

Yesterday's day out started with a simple round of messages;

Me (still in bed): Yo, its raining chocolates and marshmallows are we still heading out?

Madz (heading to the bathroom): Of course! (enthusiastic, isn't she?) the three of us seldom meet.

Me: Kk.

And so after several months of not seeing other, the trio was complete. We went to the GECCO's event at D' Family Park, Talamban. It was quite fun. ^_^

Rhoda with some "high school boys"

take note of the rainbow guys on the back. ^_~


Rain or shine!

No don't...

2011-05-04T23:46:00.000+08:00

I know the site hasn't been jumping around for the past month. I can't really explain why but on my side a lot of things are happening which explains my lack of inspiration and laziness.

But I wouldn't want the site to "die". In the past few months that we've been up, I have been exposed to more areas of the net that I haven't even thought of going to. The blog takes away my online boredom. I wouldn't want to leave it....

Much as a lot of events are taking me away from keyboard time, I'll try a bit harder to update here. I hope you guys don't get discouraged now, we've just passed the thousand mark after all. ^_^

April 2011 Round-Up: Is the Blog Dying?

2011-04-30T19:33:00.001+08:00

Just 4 posts (minus the March round-up post) this month??!! Wow, we're losing steam. Blog stats are not worth looking up (too unmotivated to do it). Here's the round-up, if you still care to know:

5 Random Interesting Things I Found in the Internet #3 by Bernel

- my only post this month.

Keeping My Summer Cool by Niki

- the Chief loves cold deserts for summer.

I ♥ CEBU FOOD-- Part 2 by Maddy

- another epic food post in list form.

A week of prayer by Niki

- post for the Holy Week (i.e. when it's okay to have no activity in this blog).

No need to bother with rank changes in the team.

Hope we can drag this blog back to good health in May.

A week of prayer

2011-04-19T22:59:00.001+08:00

It's the start of the Holy Week and people are rejoicing. For some, its a few days off from work. But more than letting the physical self unwind, people should also take time to renew their relationship with God and spend some time with prayer and asking forgiveness. Even if it isn't the Holy Week, we should.

Matthew 28:1-10

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."

So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me." (NIV)

I ♥ CEBU FOOD-- Part 2

2011-04-03T16:53:00.018+08:00

I ♥ CEBU food

Part 2

Writing this post is making me hungry by the second.

Why not? For once again I will be talking about food and as I have promised on my earlier blog post I ♥ CEBU FOOD-- Part 1 I will create PART 2 and this time giving you a list of the Top 10 most popular Cebuano food based on my interview on some people that I knew-- mostly Cebuanos, some from other provinces who have stayed in Cebu...and of course based also from my own preferences.

But yeah, just like how I felt, ranking and scoring to get the Top Ten was really difficult. There are some of my Top which didn't make it to the overall Top 10-- even if i was a little (only a little) disappointed, I have to post the list based on all my interviews...haha...however I have to admit, I have some biases, but in time you will surely agree that these food should make it to the Top 10 Favorite Cebuano Food.

Are you ready to rumble??? My stomach has already started to ...

Let's start on.....

10. Otap and Rosquillos

Waaa? two delicacies in one number... I admit, there's a tie on this one. Hahaha!

Both can be eaten as merienda / snack and as dessert!

Otap ~ is an oval shaped crispy biscuit. It's crispiness is from the fragility of its wafer like crust, it could actually be messy to eat. Hahaha! Made from flour, shortening and coconut, it is also sprinlkled with sugar. Otap originated in Cebu but is also popular in other provinces of the Visayas. It is one of the favorite pampasalubong. More of Otap? you can visit The Otap as A Snack

Rosquillos ~ are ring shaped cookies from flour, eggs, shortening, baking powder and sugar. Some are made chewy and some are mady extra crunchy or crispy. The most popular Rosquillos is from the town of Liloan, Cebu wherein they also have a Rosquillos Festival every end of May. For more information about Rosquillos and its history you can check out http://explorecebu.com/content/rosquillos-festival. ^_^

9. La-maw

What??? Lamaw? Yes, lamaw. It is a snack/drink/dessert from coconut juice or milk and buko or young coconut meat. Ok what's the difference between lamaw and butong? Actually, there isn't much except-- butong actually is misconcepted as lamaw where in fact lamaw has added sugar or milk while butong has no added sugar or milk. Really really? Yes, really... I learned that when I asked my Aunt about it... Aaaaah! Now I know! It is best served chilled while eating other snacks or meal, other fruits can be added to it too. ^_^ Fact is La-maw is the simplest form of buko salad. Perfect for summer! ^_^

More awesome Summer quenchers check out

8. Su-Tu-Kil

Oww! I just hit three birds with one stone. But hey, you have to agree that SuTuKil will always be a favorite Cebuano food trip. Mainly seafood on the menu, SuTuKil actually is Sugba- Tula- Kilaw.

Sugba/ Sinugba~ simply means broiled or barbecued

Tula/ Tinuwa~ is the food with hot sabaw or broth/soup cooked with spices

Kilaw/ Kinilaw~ a big favorite, is raw fish or other raw food mixed in vinegar and other spices

SuTuKil is very popular especially in Mactan Island of Cebu where there are seaside places that offer the SuTuKil way--- by choosing your own fresh fish or other seafood to have them Sugba, Tula, or Kilaw... ^__^ ♥ Seafood!!!

7. Dried Mangoes/ Mango Chips

Yeeeey! For me I have this in Number 1 in my own top ten list. And it's just the on the 7th? Noooo!!! Hahaha...Oh well, dried mangoes is an all time favorite...simply because Mangoes are number one favorite fruits amongst Pinoys. Drying the mangoes make it more sweet and have more texture. More so, it is easily carried around and eaten as snacks or treats. Mangoes are sun-dried after cutting them into slices or into chips. I so wanna have a big pack right now! ^_^

6. Carcar Chicharon

It has to be Carcar's for the place is not only known popular for their shoes and other footwear, but also for their delectable Chicharon. Curious how chicharon is made? First let's discuss what is it made of--simply pork skin fried and refried until it grows extracrispy. The fat and the skin combined with salt and sometimes other spices then dipped into plain vinegar or sometimes hinalang or more famous Pinakurat vinegar. Next time you come to turn in Carcar's Rotonda, you might wanna stop for a while and try chicharon .

5. Inasal Manok

Wait, isn't lechon manok famous in other provinces as well? Hmmm... let me make this clear....Inasal Manok is actually quite different from the usual lechon manok. The best recipe for Inasal Manok is the one from Dumanjug.

To those who don't know what manok means -- it's chicken. Haha...wanna know the recipe? I found the detailed one at this site http://www.pinoyrecipe.net/chicken-inasal-recipe/.

However Dumanjug's special Inasal looks like this. The difference? The Dumanjoans have a special way in preparing it and they use organic fed native chickens. ^_^ A must-try and best complemented with atsara.

4. Larsian's Barbecue

Why not? Okay let's say, you can find the same kind of food elsewhere in the Philippines. But to be eating at Larsian's famous for their barbecues is a different experience. There's Larsians near Fuente Osmeña as well as in Mactan. Eitherwhich, people love to eat in Larsian's. Issues rolled about sanitation and smoke and carcinogens, but hey, stubborn Filipinos. Hahaha! Really curious what's there? try reading here http://www.cebucentral.com/cebuinfocus/Larsian.html

"So unsa man? Larsian ta? Wai blema!"

3. Siomai sa Tisa

Wait, isn't siomai chinese? haha, well of course. However Tisa has a special way of presenting it, and instantly, it has become known as Siomai from Tisa. Hmmm, though I am not so crazy about Siomai sa Tisa, I have to say I really am a fan of siomai. But siomai from Tisa has a special distinct flavor, must be the sauce or it must be the ingredients to the stuffing. Don't really know, but it's very flavorful. ^__^ heehee Cebuanos really love siomai...i mean really...

2. Lechon Baboy

Crispy and crunchy brown scrumptous skin and savory juicy tender meat, lechon baboy is always present in festivities such as weddings, birthdays and other celebrations.

What makes Cebu Lechon Baboy different from other Lechon? Aside from being cooked over burning charcoals, it is later cooked over live fire...uhuh...now you know. Another thing, Cebuanos don't have sarsa sauce made up of a liver paste base, which is the usual sauce. Cebuanos just have vinegar with soy sauce and chili dip. ^_^

......AND!!!!

1. Buwad!!!

"buntag buwad, udto buwad, inig ka hapon mag sugba tag buwad!!!"

And Taboan is just the place to be!

There's nowhere else you can get the best kind and in many different kinds than here in Taboan Buwad Market Cebu City. Danggit? Dilis? Pusit? Pinikas? Buwad is any dried fish, salted or unsalted-- young and old, rich or poor, everyone enjoys it. Aside from being a side dish or a complement to other viand...Just have a saucer with suka (vinegar) and rice, and it's already a meal!

That's it! Phew! That's the Top Ten Favorite Food amongst Cebuanos! ^__^ hahaha

however, I have to present to you the ALL TIME popular Cebuano food...

It's not in the list because it goes well with most of them...

I am talking about nothing else but PUSO...yep...that's right! the Hanging Rice... ^_^ a staple cebuano food...

Thanks guys for reading! and to all my friends who helped me too! ^_^ Enjoy Cebu!

Keeping My Summer Cool

2011-04-03T00:10:00.001+08:00

Summer season has just started and I can feel the heat prickling my skin already. What I would give for some Halo-Halo or maybe even just a sundae at McDonald’s.If you haven't got it yet, this post is gonna be all about food. Summer food.

One of the cheaper and faster way to cool down during a hot summer day is go to the neighboring mini store and buy some ice candy. It's cold, its convenient, and it has a lot of flavours. It's also easy to make one at home. One satisfying treat if I must say so myself.

In my pre-college days, some classes or rather cleaning activities extended beyond March. And after those activities I always remember one or two peddlers selling those yummy looking colored liquid with floating jellies (gulaman). Memorable afternoon delights that lightened our tired moods.

Another summer treat that makes me reminisce my high school days is the Mais con Yelo. There was this place a few blocks away from our school that was everyone's favorite store to buy similar treats. Students also spend their afternoon dates there or hang out with friends.

When you're in the city area of Cebu, you can't really find an ice candy in the nearby store or a "clean" looking sago and gulaman on the dusty high way. If you're in a hurry and want something cold soon. You can always go to the nearest McDonald's or Jollibee and get a sundae. Hehehehe

But the best cold treat I choose would have to be the Halo-halo. Shaved ice combined with tropical fruits and beans, add some evaporated milk and top it off with a scoop of ice cream or maybe even 2. I have a lot of memories with this Filipino delicacy and I'm sure you have too.

Apart from the top choices, I'd also go for a gelato anytime.

Sheesh, writing this post is making me hungry... Off to find a sundae. Did I say it's also available 24 hours a day? ^_^

*all pics taken from Google