Random Snowflakes

Soundtripping the Mid-90s

2009-10-15T17:06:00.005+08:00

This week on my playlists: mid-90s music!

Following last week's lunch discussion of 80s cartoons and movies, and my recent unearthing of 80s music in my library, comes the 90s. Believe me when I say, though, that it was semi-entirely coincidental. At the start of the week I heard My Humps over the radio, which reminded me of Alanis Morisette's version, which reminded me of her first album, which also happens to be the first album I ever bought with my own money.

The year was 1995.

The mid-90s was the time when most 11-year-olds like me danced to Macarena, the Backstreet Boys, Boyzone, and other boybands. Meanwhile, I was raiding my brothers' room to listen to NU107 and borrow their cassette tapes. I was more into alternative rock than pop, except for Pizzicato 5's Sweet Soul Revue, which was, honestly, love.

Oh, and needless to say (but I'm going to say it anyway), it was also around this time when I was close to mastering the Eraserheads' Tindahan ni Aling Nena, and when I attempted to master the Punk Zappa series. I don't think I did at the time.

Aaaaaaaaaaanyway. I present to you My Mid-90s Soundtrack! (Or at least some of it.)

Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill (1995)

Featured Song: You Learn

To be honest, I can't remember why I chose this album to be the first that I buy. Maybe it's because it's the album that I liked that my brothers didn't already have. (Seeing as they own all the other albums mentioned in this blog post, and many others not mentioned.) I remember memorizing each song in this album. I've forgotten some of it now, but there are some choruses that I can still sing along with Alanis :) Though the most popular tracks from this album are Ironic and Head Over Feet, my favorites would be You Learn, Perfect, and Right Through You.

Track list:

All I Really Want
You Oughta Know
Perfect
Hand in My Pocket
Right Through You
Forgiven
You Learn
Head over Feet
Mary Jane
Ironic
Not the Doctor
Wake Up
[hidden track] You Oughta Know (The Jimmy the Saint Blend)/Your House

Cardigans - First Band on the Moon (1996)

Featured song: Been It

The album that brought us Lovefool, Been It, and Your New Cuckoo! I began to love the Cardigans because it was interesting to hear Nina Persson's sweet voice blending so well with a rocking band, who, in turn, blends so well with the ocassional flute and string section. It's so cute without trying to be cute. I usually listened to this back to back with Life.

Track list:

Your New Cuckoo
Been It
Heartbreaker
Happy Meal II
Never Recover
Step on Me
Lovefool
Losers
Iron Man
Great Divide
Choke

The Cardigans - Life (1995)

Featured Song: Beautiful One

This one isn't as popular as First Band on the Moon, but I think I'll go and say that I love this album more. Every single track in this album makes me smile and feel all warm and fluffy... Whether or not that has to do with Nina's coat with fur on the album cover, I can't be sure. I distinctly remember the time when Life was my Good Night album. (It's either this, or Beethoven for Bedtime.) I fell asleep either to soft sounds of Gordon's Gardenparty, or right after the short clip of Life at the end of Closing Time.

Track list:

Carnival
Gordon's Gardenparty
Daddy's Car
Pikebubbles
Tomorrow
Beautiful One
Travelling with Charley
Fine
Sunday Circus Song
Hey! Get Out of My Way
Closing Time

No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom (1995)

Featured song: Sunday Morning

The album that never seems to run out of energy. I remember the video of Don't Speak, which was basically the cover brought to life; complete with the oranges! Or...wait. Maybe the album cover was the video frozen into a photo? Er...yeah.

Track list:

Spiderwebs
Excuse Me Mr.
Just a Girl
Happy Now?
Different People
Hey You
The Climb
Sixteen
Sunday Morning
Don't Speak
You Can Do It
World Go 'Round
End It on This
Tragic Kingdom

Weezer - Weezer (1994)

Featured song: Undone - The Sweater Song

Geekdom + Rock = Weezer! From the sad but somehow funny Undone (The Sweater Song), to Buddy Holly that oddly makes me think of that La Bamba movie, to the rocking Say It Ain't So, we can safely say that all their singles are made of awesome! But I think the non-single that is my favorite would probably be Holiday. I wonder where our original tape is now...

Track list

My Name Is Jonas
No One Else
The World Has Turned and Left Me Here
Buddy Holly
Undone (The Sweater Song)
Surf Wax America
Say It Ain't So
In the Garage
Holiday
Only in Dreams

Moonpools and Caterpillars - Lucky Dumpling (1995)

Featured Song: Trampling Rose

Whenever I think of Lucky Dumpling, I always think of cars. Whether it was because of the car in the album photography, or because we listened to this album on long road trips to the province, I can't be sure. Or maybe it's just that Moonpools' sound really was just joyride-y. Ren, Soon, Trampling Rose, Heaven are simply love.

For everyone else, you might remember that Hear was used in Wish Upon a Star, and that Summertime was used in the Baby Sitters Club soundtrack. I remember Larisa Oleynik having loooooong hair in that movie. And Rachel Leigh Cook had short, straight, straight, straight hair. Haha.

Track list:

Hear
Ren
Soon
Trampling Rose
Colossal Youth
Summertime
Heaven
Sundays
Traveling Song
The Buick
Koo Koo Koo
Jubilee
Crazy Old World

So that concludes my playlist for this week. But that's just the albums I listened to this week. If I was to write about all my mid-90s music, I'd include Smashing Pumpkins' Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (Tonight, Tonight and 1979 yeah!!!), The Cranberries' Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?, Oasis' (What's the Story) Morning Glory, and a whole lot more. But I guess I'll save those for next time.

I had fun reminiscing. I hope you did, too. And to close this blog post, I leave you with the super happy Sweet Soul Revue! Haha!

Good Morning Playlist

2009-10-07T15:44:00.005+08:00

As most of you must know, I like listening to music. ALL THE TIME. On the way to work, I usually have the selected music of the morning. But, the other day, I decided to make a whole playlist specifically for the morning commute. (Many thanks to Paolo for helping me put this together!)

Here's my 11-track Good Morning playlist. If you have your own, drop a comment below and share your morning sounds!

Did you sleep well?
Did you dream at all?
A Good Day - Priscilla Ahn

A cool wind blows. The air is slightly hazy. Everything is perfectly still in the house. And then, ever so slowly, pale yellow mixes with the blueish light from outside as the sun rises over the skyline, filling the room with warm rays of the morning. And my eyes open with a smile.

Yeah, this is what I imagine every time I hear this song. Good morning to you, too. :)

Here comes the sun,
and I say it's all right
Here Comes The Sun - The Beatles

Sun in the title. Lively, sunshine-y feel of the music. BEATLES. Therefore, it MUST be in my good morning playlist. Also, picking up from the last song, it accentuates the arrival of the sun.

I need to laugh, and when the sun is out
I've got something I can laugh about
Good Day, Sunshine - The Beatles

What the previous description said. This is perfect background music while getting dressed, or as I open the door and step outside.

In the morning,
all I could do was sing
I Woke Up Today - Port O'Brien

For listening while inside a packed train, to keep you in a good mood despite the crowded car. I must point out, though, that since the drums and energetic chorus effectively blocks out all outside noise, this might not be good to play while walking out in the street. I tried listening to this while walking; it made me walk faster than I usually do.

Sit back and wave through the daylight
Sit back and wave through the daylight
Daylight - Matt & Kim

Now this is the music for walking outside, to put an extra skip to your step. I must also post the video, because it's so fun.

It's gonna be a bright, bright
Sunshiny day.
I Can See Clearly Now - Johnny Nash

More walking outside music. This is a classic. Also, this song actually has the word "sunshiny" in it. That's enough reason to put it in this playlist!!!

Well, it’s a pretty good day
I’m lookin’ forward to tomorrow
To have a pretty good day again
Good Day - Luce

And another song for walking outside! Makes you go "yeah, yeah, yeah~" with him.

This old sun has turned it's eyes
I think he smiled at me
Love & Seagulls - Kite Flying Society

With this song, we start the three songs that have nothing related to the morning on its title, nor in the lyrics. Except for the part of the sun smiling in the first line. It's not even about the morning. But it's so sunshine-y that I just had to add it in the playlist.

We wound a race track/through your mom's kitchen chairs
And fought the shadows/back down your dark basement stairs
Hot Air Balloon - Owl City

Also has nothing to do with the morning. Has LOTS to do with the sky, though, so it has that happy, flying, sunshine-y feel that this playlist is abundant with.

I'm a new soul in this very strange world
hoping I could learn a bit 'bout how to give and take
New Soul - Yael Naim

Songs with Nothing to Do With the Morning, Part 3.

I'm in the race, but I've already won
And getting there can be half the fun
Perfect Day - Hoku

To close the playlist, we go with a song that goes back to the original purpose of the playlist: getting ourselves pumped up for the day. And this song does just that. (But if you examine the lyrics, the speaker sleeps in late and goes out for a party at night. But...let's just say she's on a flexible schedule. Haha!) This is a bit more pop-ish than most of my library, but I think it's fitting for this playlist right here.

So there you have it! My Good Morning Playlist. This playlist is more or less 35 minutes long. That's just about the time it takes for me to get to work.

Fun

2009-10-01T23:39:00.007+08:00

Yesterday I was having PMS. Yeah, okay, maybe that was too much information, but whatever.

Anyway. I was having PMS. So, as I would do in times of frustration and/or exhaustion, I searched my library for music to dispel the negative vibes. (Okay, so I also search my library for fitting music for any other situation, but that's beside the point.) Sadly, though, any song I played didn't actually help. It only helped to block out outside noise, but none of the beloved music that I tried to listen to didn't ease that irrational impatience and adrenaline girls get at that time of the month.

So, my day yesterday was crappy. I felt like nothing was going right and that everyone was out to destroy my day. Yes, even the boyfriend. I've only been my desk for less than 10 minutes and I was already wanting to throttle him.

This morning when I got to work, I was about to put Local Natives on to start my day with nice percs of Only Son. But, for some reason I pressed "F" instead of "L". And there, listed under F was Fun. I clicked that. What played was "Be Calm", the song that should have been my soundtrack for yesterday, and I cannot imagine why I didn't remember to play it.

Be calm.
I know you feel like you are breaking down
I know that it gets so hard sometimes
Be calm

Oh, wow. The lyrics are perfect for moments when you're near hysterical, right? It's rock energy would have matched my frustration, and yet its slight pop-ness would have made me smile. The whole Aim and Ignite album is like that, actually, and I ended up listening to it on repeat play today. As if I was trying to make up for yesterday or something.

So, here I am, documenting this moment when I added an addition to my anti-PMS soundtrack. I hope I rememer this song (and album!) the next time I need an upper.

wishlisting :: September '09

2009-08-31T00:44:00.017+08:00

And so it goes that ever year at the end of August, I create a wishlist for my birthday. (Which is on the 4th of September, in case you didn't know.) We have new categories this year. So let's start with that!

Updated from wishlisting :: Christmas '08.

Chuckles: The season 2 DVD when it comes out. The Jeffster! Shirt. The Buy More mug, or better yet, the Buy More Kit! NERD HERD STICKERS or the ID holder haha. And those--->

Techie: MY OWN CAMERA! Canon, please. Indoor headphones. And earphones, or outdoor headphones. A netbook, preferably an ASUS EEE PC. And my own Macbook. Harrrr~

Books: My Name is Dug. Pride and Prejudice. Spiderwick Chronicles. This Present Darkness. How to Draw Manga. Check out my Shelfari account for my book wishlist.

Clothes: A new wardrobe. And... moolah in exchange for my old clothes haha! New shoes, too. But I hate shopping. DO NOT TAKE ME SHOPPING.

Houseness: A makeover for our condo. Oh, please, pretty please!

Movies: Groundhog Day, Kung Fu Panda, Clueless and the Disney movies (from Little Mermaid to Mulan) on original DVD. And TokiKake. And Spirited Away. And Howl's Moving Castle.

Music: I want my violin to be stringed (and tuned) again. This Beethoven CD from my childhood lols (this is available at any record bar for P255.00. Hehe.)

Eraserheadsness: The Eraserheads catalog on CD to replace my cassette tapes: PopU!, Circus, Fruitcake EP, Banantype EP, Stickerhappy, Aloha Milkyway, ~~Carbon Stereoxide~~. And the E-Checkup shirt, and the BurgerFriesTapsilogAtSiopao shirt And the TeamManila Eheads shirt. The one with the drums on the front and the 3-set songlist at the back.

Beatlesness: A Beatles songbook (sana yung Jingle, pero OK lang kung hindi). The Beatles catalogue that will be released on 9/9/09. A Beatles shirt like that one--->

So yey~ There's my wishlist. Oh, and as you wish me a happy birthday, I wish you to be happy on my birthday, too. Haha!

Bordeaux

2009-08-27T13:37:00.004+08:00

Got a link from Kevin Weisman about Bordeaux, a project involving Zachary Quinto (Sylar, Heroes). He said it was a "cool ass digi-pic short". Okay, so I went ahead and clicked the link. At first I went, "Huh. Cool." But as the film progresses, I had to change "cool" to AWESOME. Check it out!

This short film, created using almost 15,000 digital still photos and no video footage, was screened with dozens of other "Happy New Year" shorts in Bordeaux, France on December 31st, 2008, as an introduction to the city's New Year's Eve countdown. The event was part the "Who Do You Are?" Arts Festival overseen by Jared Gradinger and his Berlin-based Arts company. It was produced by Zachary Quinto, Corey Moosa, and Neal Dodson through their company, Before The Door Pictures.

Disney Pixar's UP red carpet premier

2009-08-15T11:26:00.005+08:00

They've done it again.

In Toy Story, Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, Ratatouille and Wall-E (among many others), Disney Pixar has continually given us heartwarming stories in fun-filled, action packed animation sequences with hilarious comedy. And just when you're thinking, "Wow, this is the best yet!", they suddenly come up with something even better.

And, yes, they've done it yet again.

Up is Pixar's new feature film. You've probably seen the trailer. Maybe you've read story summaries that go similar to this:

Carl Fredricksen, a 78-year-old curmudgeonly balloon salesman, is not your average hero. When he ties thousangs of balloons to his house and flies away to the wilds of South America, he finally fulfills his life long dream of adventure. But after discovering an 8-year-old stowaway named Russel, this unlikely duo soon find themselves on a hilarious journey in a lost world filled with danger and surprises.
- Up on the Pixar website

But, if you ask me, that doesn't cover half of it.

Up is a beautiful movie with lovable characters, gorgeous animation, a meaningful story, and a simply hilarious script. I went into the theater expecting a fun, kiddie movie, but got something much, much more than that. It's hard to rave about it without spoiling the fun, so I'm going to stop trying to describe it now. Just... watch it. And if you can, watch it on 3D. It's AWESOME.

Warning for parents of little kids: There's about 10 or so minutes of story development that kids may find boring. (But adults will absolutely love, maybe even to the point of tears.) Be prepared to handle your kids at this time.

Up comes with Pixar's latest short, Partly Cloudy, which tells the endearing tale of a stork and the cloud where he gets babies to deliver from.

Many thanks to TV5 for the red-carpet premier at SM Megamall Cinema 1, which, I only recently found out, was a now a 3D Cinema. Megamall has my favorite 3D glasses so far! They're so comfy and not at all distracting, even though I had my eyeglasses on.

Also, check out other SM Cinemas! They have a contest for SM Cinema Up Displays. We had fun taking photo in the display in SM Megamall. More photos in Azrael's album.

Up opens August 19 in theaters in the Philippines.

Gary V. Tribute Night V.3

2009-08-13T11:08:00.008+08:00

Guess who met Gary V last night at Mag:Net Bonifacio High Street. Guess!

And to think that I almost didn't go. I had very nearly favored sleeping after my busy day. But, remembering that three of the bands I'm following were going to be there, and that it was a Gary V night, I decided to go.

Thank God I did.

There was a lot of people, but there was still enough space to move around in, and it's fairly easy to take photos, videos, and go around to chat with friends and the bands.

We had our photo with Gary (twice, because we lost our first copy—along with Judd's shos of Archipelago—due to camera fault), and he was very accomodating and fun to talk with. The man is awezummmmmmmm!

Anyway. On to the bands.

Archipelago started the night off with MRI (which I positively love, by the way). They had a bit of technical difficulty somewhere in the middle of the set, but they just went on playing as if nothing was wrong. I barely realized that Yan wasn't holding his guitar. Haha! Nice one, guys. Their Gary V song was When I Hear you Call.

Next came Sinosikat. I must admit that it was my first time to watch them. They've got nod-worthy sound... reminds me of Yosha, Up Dharma Down and Chillitees. They did a sultry, groovy version of Gaya ng Dati, which I should have recorded on video. Boo.

Itchyworms did Yokonakitamakita and Gusto Ko Lamang Sa Buhay before doing a great version of Gaya ng Dati. After that, they did the dancers' (and non-dancers') favorite, Freak Out, Baby. Gary danced in the last chorus! Haha! Love it.

Brigada was a surprise band. We didn't know they were coming! They played three awesome perc songs. And Gary did Hataw Na with them! Awesome, I tells ya!

During the break, I saw two friends I haven't seen in a long time, so we were squealing like high school girls, which is embarrassing in itself... But when I turned around, it was even more embarrassing because Ely was right behind us. Nyaaaaaaa. So I did what a normal, semi-sane fangirl would do: I whipped out my copy of Wanted Bedspacer and have him sign it. Lol.

And then Pupil came to the stage. After Different Worlds, which is always a good set opener, Yan introduced Dok to be the vocalist for the next song. I thought he was going to sing Sumasabay. But then Ely took off his guitar, and Dok began telling people how the next song was going to be his favorite Gary V song! He says it's always his karaoke piece (haha!) and that they weren't able to practice the song for that night... And then when he started singing, I almost didn't recognize the song until I heard the start of the lyrics. The new Pupil arrangement rocks!

Ely came back to the mic to sing Animal Lover, and then their finale was the song that I just knew somebody was going to sing that night: Growing Up! WIN! Haha! It was a bit strange to see the stoic Ely singing "I'm growing up, getting down!" but it was super fun. Especially when he did the dance move. Haha! After that, the people asked for an encore, so the band indulged the crowd and played Disconnection Notice, but only when Gary came up to the stage and jammed with them.

The last band was Spongecola, who did Ayt with Gary, and also a heartful version of Sana Maulit Muli.

Again, happy birthday, Gary. You da man!

More photos at shootdelay.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

2009-08-07T21:49:00.004+08:00

Along with the many 80s remakes going around recently is G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. I don't remember the cartoons at all, although I do remember that I watched it with my brothers. And I do remember my brothers' G.I. Joe toys (and TMNT) who were the neighbors of my Barbie dolls.

Anyway. Let's talk about the movie.

There was action. Lots of it. Since it's an action movie, then that's a good thing. And how was the action, you ask? Nice. Very nicely done, indeed. A lot of wham-bam-splat, but none of it was dizzying. None of it was boring, too.

With a Wayans brother on the cast, you'd be sure to get comedic punchlines here and there. Most were actually hilarious, but some were just passable.

But the cheesiness and clichés? Irritatingly ABUNDANT. One of my brothers told me that it was unavoidable. Meeeeeh yeah, I guess, but ARGH. There were so many "omg, seriously?!" scenes that it actually affected my rating. A LOT. Arrrrrrrgh.

One thing about the movie that I'm still not sure if it's good or bad was the sheer number of questions that sprung up to my mind after watching. I guess that's a good thing, because it actually made me want to wait for the sequel.

Some notes on the actors:

Channing Tatum played Duke. And, contrary to what I feared, he was not at all like his character in Step Up and She's the Man. By that I meant that his acting skills were not boxed in the pretty boy character. So that's plus points, I guess.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt played Rex. Oh, wow, his acting took me by surprise. There were some scenes where I was actually doubtful if it was really him on there.
Dennis Quaid played General Hawk. I actually liked Hawk. But there was one point in the movie where I wondered if generals really turned around all the time just to give dramatic flair when issuing orders.
Brendan Fraser played Seargent Stone. He had a really small role.

Overall, my humble rating to the movie is 3 out of 5 stars. Despite the cool action scenes, the cringe factor pulled the grade down.

Still, many thanks to TV5 for providing a special screening for us.

WB's Thundercats Concept Art!

2009-08-04T12:46:00.001+08:00

Remember Thundercats? That 80s cartoon about humanoid felines who were forced to leave their home planet of Thundera after it is taken over by the Mutants of Plun-Darr? I do. I admit that I don't remember much since I was so small then, but when I heard a couple of years ago that a movie in the works, I couldn't help feel excited for it and get all reminiscent and stuff. Anyway. I haven't been following news about the movie recently, though. Until I was brought up to speed today. But before that, let's watch the opening sequence!

Okay. Moving on. According to ThundercatsLair, the movie is on hold. Aww. But lookit! The other day, Movieline posted concept artwork, and they look pretty promising, in my opinion.

Cool, eh? I'm not sure when the movie is coming out now... It's been rumored for the longest time that the release date is 2010, but I kind of doubt that they're going to make it since we're almost done with 2009.

So, to keep us occupied, I present to you one of my favorite fanmade trailers EVER. Which happens to be one of the Thundercats. Haha! Check it out.

For more info, check out ThunderCatsLair.

Got Chuck?

2009-07-30T08:50:00.003+08:00

Before anything else, let me say this: I'm absolutely in love with CHUCK. Have been for a while, and will be for quite some time, I believe. Most of my friends know that, and if you don't, then it's about time that you do.

Anyway. Last night I was supposed to meet Lori at 7. But because of unforeseen circumstances, I couldn't make it, so we moved it to 8. But then I still couldn't make it, so we had to cancel it. Which is a bummer because I had been looking forward to that. And it was even more a bummer because Lori had waited for me for nothing. Sorry, dear. :(

I was pretty bummed out so I decided to run errands at Megamall. And I didn't get to do those errands because the stores I was supposed to get stuff from were already closed. BOO.

I guess I was pretty listless as I floated around Megamall just to blow off the bad vibes. I bought my favorite C2 drink to cheer myself up a little. And then I thought, "Hey, maybe I should look for the Chuck DVD again." I've been looking for the Chuck Season 1 Box Set for months now, you see, but all the stores I've been to were always out of stock. I've been to all record and stores in Trinoma and SM North, but they all didn't have it. Apparently, Megamall's Odyssey and Video City didn't have it when I went there last night, either.

But then, finally, I went to Astroplus. It was nearly 9 PM then, and the crowd was dangerously thinning. The staff was preparing to pack up, too. I was staring at the TV series rack...Chuck wasn't there. I sighed and was about to turn around, ready to go back to the apartment and just sleep off the exhaustion when one of the sales girls spoke up.

"Can I help you?"

I turned to her and gave a small smile. "I'm looking for Chuck," I said, knowing full well that she'd say that they didn't have it, as all the video stores had told me before.

But then, she turned around to the shelf behind her. And she pulled out the Chuck Season 1 DVD set, saying, "It's the last one. Maybe it's here just for you, hm?"

I swear, I broke into a wide grin, clearly displaying how much of a fangirl I was.

"Yeah."

When I got to the apartment, still grinning, I realized: the salesgirl was precisely right. The Chuck DVD was there just for me. And it was there for me at the perfect time. If I had gotten Chuck earlier or if it had been available in all stores then maybe I wouldn't have had something to cheer me up on July 29th of 2009. Maybe I wouldn't have that giddy feeling I felt when I saw it—like what a treasure hunter would feel upon seeing a concealed cave of priceless relics.

Yeah, the Chuck DVD is really a teeny tiny thing in the grand scheme of things, but I couldn't help but compare it to other more important things. God has been like that with me, I think. He loves to surprise me with His blessings, and surprise me BIG TIME.

And that—not C2, not Chuck—was what kept a smile on my face until I finally fell asleep.

Tron: Legacy

2009-07-26T18:59:00.004+08:00

I admit that I can remember practically nothing about Tron. I can't even remember when I first watched it. It was released in 1982, and I wasn't even born then. But I do remember that I was very young, and that they wore white-ish suits with shiny colored lines on them. And that they had motorbikes. And that they were inside a game. And I DO remember that I thought it was super cool. (And I also remember that Jeff Bridges was in it.)

Well, Tron is getting a sequel. And it's called Tron: Legacy. And it looks AWESOME! Checkit.

You see, you see, you see?! I LOVE IT!!! And look, Jeff Bridges is there, too!

By the way, I've been wanting a Tron poster ever since I saw it in Chuck's room. And now, with this new movie coming, I want it even more! I'm going to rewatch Tron soon, and possibly post a review here. Yey!

Alice in Wonderland 2010 trailer

2009-07-23T12:50:00.003+08:00

Alice in Wonderland. Tim Burton. Johnny Depp. Helena Bonham Carter. If you're not giddy excited, you better be!!!

It's been known for a while now that Tim Burton is taking on one of everybody's childhood favorite Alice in Wonderland. Now, a trailer is out! Not exactly officially out yet, though. It sort of leaked. Haha! Disney's trying to pull it down wherever it's posted, so please don't be angry if my embedded video doesn't play.

And this also just made me even more excited for March 2010!

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince on IMAX 3D

2009-07-16T08:00:00.009+08:00

Last night, Warner Brothers treated us to a screening of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince at the IMAX Theater at SM Mall of Asia. Many thanks, Warner Brothers!

This review won't be like most reviews I write. I won't be tackling the story— I don't want to spoil it for people, and people who've read the book don't need my take on the story. And I won't be going into details about the technicals and effects—I must say, though, that the effects are GOOD. I won't even be dwelling on the acting or direction, either. You can read that on other blogs. This review will focus on the cinema experience.

(But before anything else, let me give my rating for the movie. I give it... 3.5 out of 5.)

On watching it if you've read the book
Yes, do. You know how it's usually said that "Oh, this isn't how I envisioned that... The book's WAY better." Okay, let me say this: the parts of the film that tried to do it like how it was written in the book were EXACTLY how I envisioned them to be. But, of course, like nearly all other book-to-movie adaptations, don't expect everything to be on there.

I must mention, though, that it's been four years since I read the book, so I may have already forgotten some details I could have nitpicked.

On watching if you haven't read the book
Even better. Don't rush to read the book now. Read it after watching the film, if you want. But you MUST WATCH THE EARLIER FILMS (or read the earlier books). Or at least get someone to explain the background first. Else, you'll be very confused.

On watching it in cinemas
Okay, I don't think this is a must-see on the big screen, but I think it's 100 times better to watch in cinemas than on DVD. Unless you have your own home theater.

On watching it on IMAX 3D
"Harry Potter movie’s opening sequence, approximately 12 minutes, has been transformed into IMAX 3D for a truly magical beginning," says on the official website. That's the only time it's gonna be 3D. That's too bad, I think, because there were a LOT of scenes that deserved 3D treatment. Like Quidditch. And that scene ocean in the trailer. That would've been awezum!

But, yes, the first twelve minutes were wow.

If you're a casual fan: Don't bother. Go to regular cinemas. Oh, wait. On second thought, go to a digital cinema to get clearer picture. Or...Okay, IMAX 2D. I'm not sure if IMAX 3D is more expensive than IMAX 2D, but if it is, I think you'll live with just watching it on 2D.

But if you're a fan: You'll probably think it's well worth it, so go ahead and watch it on IMAX 3D.

If you have other questions about the movie experience, do leave me a message. :)

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince opens today, July 16, in theaters nationwide. Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Other bloggers with me: (will post review links when available)
Azrael Coladilla - movie review | event coverage
Lace Llanora
Jonel Uy - Harry Potter and the Half-Baked Ending
Loraine Gallevo - ReviewReview Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Cathie Copaway
Joriben Zaballa - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Movie Review
Ria Tirazona
Enrico Dee
Katherine Eustaquio
Christopher Aquino
Ronald Guanzon
Frances Ivy
Mark Cerbo

Sugarfree night at Route 196

2009-06-25T08:19:00.000+08:00

So last night, I went to my first gig in a month. IN A MONTH. Considering that I've been going to gigs (and movies and events) on most nights of the week in the months of February to April, then a month without gigs (and with minimal events and movies... almost none at all, actually) is actually an achievement.

Anyway. This year, Sugarfree is celebrating its 10th year anniversary. As part of the celebration, there was a Sugarfree Night at Route 196, featuring Julianne, The Ronnies, and Itchyworms.

The night was...well...hilarious. Haha! Whereas Julianne was pretty prepared and as mellow as usual (which is not a bad thing, of course), The Ronnies and Itchyworms were their usual fun, joking, crazy selves. Chaos over chords, lyrics and punchlines was abundant, and I think there was a point in the night that my cheeks hurt from laughing.

Sugarfree played all the favorites to close the evening. Unfortunately, though, Jal wasn't there to play, so (fortunately) Bodgie the most awesome Sugarfree roadie was there to play bass. I've only seen Bodgie play guitars before, and to see him play bass and do back-up vocals was a happy sight. To be honest: I wish they'd put him as part of Sugarfree officially. Or at least make him the official guitarist/sessionist/whatever. Hehe. Go, Bodgie!

Sugarfree's set transported me back to college last night. Like most people, the catchy Mariposa and Burnout frequently played in my head, but it was with Telepono that I truly fell in love with. They played a couple of new songs, too. The new album is due to be out soon. AND they're having a concert on August; I hope I'll get to go! Yey~ Congratulations, Sugarfree! :)

Photos by Judd.

New Sherlock Holmes posters

2009-06-23T09:32:00.010+08:00

I don't think I've written about this before, but I AM SO VERY, VERY EXCITED ABOUT SHERLOCK HOLMES!!! I mean, the most awesome detective played by one Robert Downey Jr.? And Jude Law playing Watson?! I LOVE IT ALREADY!!! I've been quietly waiting — and yet inwardly jumping around impatiently — for months for this. And it's almost here! In the meantime, let us enjoy ourselves with these posters.

Movieland's latest Holmes/Watson double-act will sleuth their way onto their screens this Christmas in Sherlock Holmes and, judging by these rather elegant new character stills, they'll be cutting a dash while they do it.

Set against a fog-stained Westminster backdrop, the eye-catching posters show Robert Downey Jr.'s Holmes carrying on the debonair combination of style and six o'clock shadow familiar from the trailer (still no sign of a deerstalker), while Jude Law's Watson has gone seriously Saville Row in an awesomely Victorian three-piece. The cane - traditionally Holmes' weapon of choice - seems to fallen into the good doctor's possession.

Holmes has traditionally spent a lot of time musing on cases from the velvetine comfort of 221B Baker Street, but Ritchie's reboot gets him out and about in the dark alleyways of 19th century London, meeting people and generally beating the hell of them. The sleuth, as they say, is out there.

SHERLOCK HOLMES opens in theaters locally on January 8, 2010.
- Empireonline.com

Although... as excited as I am for this movie, I'm not sure I like the changes (which is most expected in reboots) quite yet. But of course, I'm sure Jude Law can pull it off. I guess I just have to let the changes slide. Hehe.

One thing, though: Holmes better play the violin.

Thanks to Warner Bros. for the news and high res photos! :)

Music Recs - June 2009

2009-06-18T22:18:00.004+08:00

So here I am writing about music again. Today it's about the good finds I got out of one of the Indie Rock Playlists for April, which provided some of my music for May and June. Before anything else, though, let me warn you that my musical mood recently is greatly affected by the rainy weather, so most of these songs are good background music to walking in--or just staring out into---the rain.

I Woke Up Today - Port O'Brien

Okay, remember what I just said about these songs being for the rain? Forget that for a second, because this song is for sunny, happy, energetic days. Haha! I've been listening to this song while preparing for work, mostly because it helps me wake up and puts a smile on my face. Port O'Brien, as I discovered sometime after learning about the band, generally has that sound that you can pop into your player on mornings to jumpstart your day. Like I said, sunny-happy.

Train Song - Feist and Ben Gibbard

Let me say this now: Ben Gibbard is love. But don't think that this is just like Postal Service and Death Cab for Cutie. Train Song is a bit more on the folk side, I think. And the lyrics, ARGH the lyrics. And I love the sound of Feist's voice, combined Gibbard's simple singing (no belting and melody-curling) is just ear-candy.

Boats and Birds - Gregory and the Hawk

Metaphors. Selfless love. A beautiful song. Period.

As the Little Things Go - The Appleseed Cast

Okay. Many people know that even though I like rock, I'm not so much of a fan of "RAWKKKKKK!!!" type of rock. But it seems to me (and correct me if I'm wrong here) that The Appleseed Cast is that kind of band. Regardless of that, though, I love this number right here.

As the Little Things Go is an 8-minute instrumental piece that's perfect for—you guessed it—walking in the rain and thinking about things. It starts with a simple electric guitar riff fading into your ears before a drum beat joins it, along with soft yet soaring keyboards. I think they're just using a simple chord progression throughout the whole song, until it suddenly pauses in the middle, and then picks up to a climax. Love it, love it.

The Girl - City and Colour

There's something about songs or stories about separated people that appeal to me. I don't really know why. (If you know me well enough, you've probably noticed this, too.) The Girl is one of those songs. The singer is singing to a girl far away and promises her that he's still hers. Now, let's hear a collective "Awwww".

This song, though, is especially interesting to me because of its music. The song has three parts—and I don't really know why it has three parts; that's the most curious thing about it—and I think it's supposed to let you interpret the song in any way you want to. I think. Or something like that. I already made several possible back stories for the song. Heeeeeee.

Him Poe Poe - Efterklang

Another semi-instrumental song with very short, and almost inaudible lyrics. A wordplay on, "All the words they're singing out, tell the birds to bring it out of the world..." repeats for a few seconds before giving way to the string section. Love it. :)

Signed I Wish You Well - Helios

"Another lazy day, rainy day, stay home day." He had me at the first line of lyrics.

Little Bird - Scott Matthew

I like listening to this one when I'm in bed waiting to fall asleep. It has music box properties, and if you tilt your head and squint, it *is* a happy song as the singer says. Scott Matthew's somewhat hoarse voice, along with the choice of instruments (or lack thereof) makes great bedtime music.

So yey. Music recs for the month. Any recommendations you have for me? :)

[Except you, Paolo, hold the recommendations. Ang dami ko pang utang sa yo. Haha!]

What's your life verse?

2009-06-11T17:21:00.003+08:00

What is one Bible verse that made the biggest impact in your life? Share your verse and story with us! :)

So says the opening question in the latest discussion board topic, "What's your life verse", on Victory's Facebook account. It's encouraging to see other peoples' life verses! My personal life verse is Proverbs 3:5-6.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Came in really handy when I was a student and I could not, for the life of me, understand the stuff I was studying. Haha!

Check out the discussion board, and, by all means, join in the fun!

Hello, Monday Playlist

2009-06-08T17:11:00.009+08:00

My workweek started with a SPLAT! BOOM! POW!!! Seeing as my Mondays are usually a slow reintroduction to the workweek, I had such a major shock today that I actually had no trouble creating a soundtrack as the events rolled in.

Up from the floor on the count of ten
Oh you get up, you get down and you try it again
First, at the MRT station, some old lady (who looked like a sweet little old lady) literally shoved me aside so she could go inside the car. Take note that I wasn't actually in her way. I was just standing beside her, and honestly I was going to let her go first. Oddly enough, everybody else sort of paused instead of selfishly shoving their way in, too—as was the culture in the ladies' car in the MRT—so I was able to regain my balance and squeeze myself in. It was a strange, strange experience to be shoved by an old lady. But, you know, I let it slide. Still, it sort of jolted me awake. Haha! Well, good morning to you, too.

Opening track: Try it Again - The Hives

Isn't it ironic, don't you think?
The mood in the office was the usual early Monday morning mood, but with a dash of excitement to taste. Victory is having it's 25th Anniversary on July 24th, and ticket sales was going to open today. I was sitting at my desk, and I had just started the 30-minute countdown on plurk and twitter when we received the announcement: the online ticket reservation was down.

All together now: WHAT?!

On top of that, the ticket stalls had apparently missed checking their inventory because most of the outlets didn't have ticket paper at hand. So how were they supposed to print tickets?

Remind me why we got a third-party ticket provider? Oh yes: to make things easier.

Track of the moment: Ironic - Alanis Morisette

Everybody wants to come to my party, that's right
Everybody wants to come to my party, uhuh
It was insane, I tell you. Everyone scrambled to fix whatever what was wrong, to talk to our ticket sales provider, to take back our exciting countdown, to formulate our response to the crowd... Phones, both landline and mobile, started ringing. IMs started popping up on my screen. Insane!!!

And if that wasn't enough, something else happened. Because the site where online registration was supposed to happen wasn't there, EVERYONE went and turned to our official website for guidance. Our web server couldn't take it. It crashed.

Oh, for the love of—!

When the malls opened at 10 o'clock, reports from people on site said that people RAN to the stalls. Oh, wow. As someone said later, it beat the rush to the Pussycat Dolls ticket sales hands down.

Track of the moment: My Party - Plastilina Mosh

Sticks and stones and animal bones
Can't stop me from having a good day on a bad day
You can NOT imagine what it was like. And all this before 9 o'clock. Good thing we got to work early. And good thing my partner, who was still at home, was also online waiting for tickets, so she helped me contact our web provider and get the server going again in minutes.

The morning was insane (I can't say it enough) but we realized that it was a good thing. It just shows how incredibly excited the people are for the event. And, if the text messages and mobile plurks and mobile tweets giving on-site reports were any indication, it showed us how much the people were willing to help the community in their own way.

Later comments on the Victory Facebook were awesome, too. There was one who said, on getting the faaaaaaaaaaar seat in General Admission, "that's okay, we'll bring binoculars! As long as we're there!"

I love my church.

Track of the moment: Good Days and Bad Days - Kaiser Chiefs

I hope I get by today...
I hope that I fall into place
The good thing about my job and my office is this: we all know that everything's going to fall into place. As chaotic as the day had been — and as chaotic as the tomorrow will probably be — we all know it's going to work out because our God is bigger than our problems.

This day went by in a second. Needless to say, my day still ended with a smile on my face. It's all good. Life is good. God is good.

Track of the moment: Fall Into Place - Apartment

Alright, don't worry, we'll all float on
And we'll all float on alright
Today was certainly an educational day. And a highly exciting day, for everyone involved! Haha! True, there were frustrating moments, but we just gotta move on from there. So now I'm going to head out of the office, earphones on, and my soundtrack playing.

What. A. DAY.

Ending track: Float On - Modest Mouse

Looking for Airplanes

2009-06-04T12:21:00.006+08:00

Did it ever happen to you that you hear a song, and you love it so much on first hear, but you never find out who the artist was, or what the title was? And then you go online to look for it using a line in the lyrics, but you still can't, for the life of you, find out who it is? I hate it when that happens.

There's a song I've been looking for for a long, long, loooooooong time. The lyrics I remembered were

"I want you back, back, back...You back~"

I know. Not quite the most unique string of words, which makes the search even harder. I've almost given up looking for it, until I heard the exact song on Chuck. (Seriously, I love that series!)

The song I'm talking about is Airplanes by Local Natives. Oh, man, I so love them for it. The lyrics are straightforward yet enigmatic, the tune is catchy, the harmony is simply ear candy, and the musical arrangement is just ARGH. Because of this song, I looked for Local Natives' other songs, and...well...Let's just say I fell in love with them and I can't wait to get my hands on their album.

By the way: as awesome as the recording already is, the live version at Jumping Turtle is just as awesome. And this bare, stripped version!

I also recommend Who Knows Who Cares (epic, I tell ya), and Only Son (a track I listen to over and over and over and over). I implore you to look up their other songs, too.

Airplanes
by Local Natives

The desk where you sit
inside of a frame made of wood
I keep those chopsticks you had from
when you taught abroad in Japan

I love it all so much
I call
I want you back

I did not know you as well
as my father knew you
every question you took the
time to sit and look it up in the
encyclopedia

I love it all so much
I call
I want you back

It sounds like we
would of had a great deal to say
to each other
I bet when I leave
my body for the sky the wait will
be worth it

Mary Kay hold Skin Care Class for Bloggers

2009-06-03T12:41:00.003+08:00

So today I finally finalized the details for Mary Kay's skin care consultation for bloggers. Wheeee~ This is gonna be fun :)

For 45 years, Mary Kay has helped women all over the world look great, feel great and achieve their dreams. And now it’s your turn. From super-effective skin care that includes products for a fair, even complexion to on-trend makeup to body care that pampers and protects, you get customized beauty routines that fit your needs. And you can get the ultimate in customer service from your very own Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant.

This June, Mary Kay will be holding a Skin Care Class for 20 bloggers, inclusive of personal skin assessment, facial and consultation.
Date: June 10, 2009
Time: 6pm-8pm
Venue: Pasong Tamo Extension, Makati City

Again, this is a free thing, but slots are limited. Sign up now! :)

EDIT: THE JUNE 10 SESSION IS FULL AS OF JUNE 8, 10 PM. Registrant afterwhich may have a session on June 11. Thank you,

It's funny that I should be one to organize a beauty bloggers' event. I was never one to be fussy about my face, but recently I realized that that had to change haha. Enter Mary Kay to help me with just that. (Grah I should write a blog post about that whole experience.)

//EDIT This event is now closed. Many thanks to everyone who joined! :)

of rain, walking, wallets and playlists

2009-06-02T10:48:00.005+08:00

Tonight I walked home in the rain for more or less an hour.

I had stood for a good 15 minutes under the shade, waiting for the rain to stop, but it didn't look like it was going to anytime soon, so I thought I should just make a run for it even though I didn't have my umbrella with me. But then I was too tired to run, so I just jogged. And I ended up walking. It wasn't so bad. It wasn't raining that hard, really, but it was enough to get my hair decently wet and my journal in my canvas bag slightly wrinkly. My laptop bag was water resistant, so I had no worries about the boyfriend.

There's always something dramatic about walking in the rain. I know that rain was usually used in sad and nearly depressing scenes in movies—like the funeral scene where two characters are separated by the coffin, and they look at each other in a silent this-is-all-your-fault indignation, or that scene where the girl leaves the guy and he looks after her with a regretful look on his face...or something. But, the thing is my rain mood has always been contemplative rather than depressing. And tonight's walk was definitely contemplative. (I think I don't need to mention that walking in any weather is contemplation time for me.)

I think it had something to do with the current state of my wallet. Several unfortunate things have happened at the same time in the past few weeks, all of which ~~slightly damaged~~ butchered my budget for the month. Thus, my walking in the rain when I could have easily taken the bus.

Maybe the contemplative mood also had to do with the Itchyworms Stripped gig I missed tonight. I've been freely attending gigs recently, as long as my budget, schedule and health allowed it. Well, seeing as the health of my wallet was currently in peril—and may eventually affect my health if I wasn't careful—I decided to skip the gig. Which is a sad thing because I've been waiting for that gig for two months now. Argh.

I'm pretty sure the mood had to do with the music blaring in my ears. A couple of days ago I put together a completely random playlist of songs from my library. Some were my favorite music from Chuck, some from Scrubs, but mostly were from my collection of recommendations from music buddies and happy accidental finds on imeem. Turned out that my completely random list became something like a soundtrack... The Walking in the Rain and Being All Contemplative About My Finances Soundtrack. Haha.

And then I started to wonder: if my life was a TV show (it certainly has its...interesting moments every once in a while), what would the soundtrack be? Ask me that before tonight and I would say without thinking, "the Eraserheads discography!" But if I'm to be conpletely honest? Hm... Not really. Sure, the Beatles and the Eraserheads pretty much shaped my musical preferences, but there are a lot more songs out there that can make it in the list. My life's ~~soundtrack~~ boxed set might include some Peryodiko, Sugarfree, Death Cab for Cutie, Arcade Fire, Oasis, the Cary Brothers, and a myriad of other artists.

Huh. Maybe I should start a habit of making playlists and archive them, much like what Chuck does every day. Hmmmm.

working for the big 2-5

2009-05-22T14:51:00.000+08:00

No, not my 25th birthday. That's still far off in September. I'm talking about Victory's 25th Anniversary, which we'll celebrate at the Big Dome on July 24th in a really big, super amazing birthday bash with, I expect, all the jumping, dancing, laughter, confetti and--- and.... I'd really hate to give out spoilers. Ahahaha.

At this moment, the official Victory@25 website tells me that we have 63 days, 5 hours, 8 mintes and 34...33...32 seconds to go until the party. Aren't you excited? I'm excited. Are you? I am!!!

I'm sure everybody's excited, our office visibly so. Ever since the ball started rolling on the planning, there began a certain buzz in the office. Even when we weren't actually talking about it, the thought was still there. At the back of our heads, we keep thinking: What promotional stuff can we do? What contests can we hold? Whose old 1980s big-hair-big-shoulderpads photos can we show? Whenever the I see or hear the anniversary teaser I get goosebumps all over, and a really big, giddy grin.

But, to be completely honest, this also must be said: if you step into my office, you can actually feel the tension and the stress that occasionally shoots up to high -- and I mean really high -- levels. I haven't been able to make time to blog for a month now. There are times that I get home and I literally collapse on my bed -- with my uniform and shoes on, and still holding my bags -- and my roommates won't see any sign of life until midnight, or even the next morning. There are even moments in the day when trying to think of ideas to make the event fun doesn't seem so very fun anymore.

But you know what? It's all good. Because, at the end of the day, this isn't just an event. This isn't even just a party to brag about how cool Victory is or whatever. This isn't even about celebrating our work for the past months, or the past years and how big our numbers are now. This is God's party. This is to celebrate God, and how simply AWESOME He's been to every single one of us in every single day in the last 25 years.

And that makes it all worth it.

Whenever I remember that, I get smiling again as I work, and life is sunshine and happiness all over again.

How about you? Has God been great to you in the past years? Are you going to the Araneta Coliseum on July 24th to celebrate His goodness? You are? Awesome.

Spread the word about the Victory@25! Connect to Victory in Multiply, Facebook, Friendster, Twitter, and Plurk! And don't forget to visit VictoryAt25.com, too! See you there!

2Girls1Show at Mag:Net

2009-04-30T03:34:00.002+08:00

April 29, Mag:Net Bonifacio High Street. The place was uncharacteristically PACKED! It almost looked like Café Saguijo. That's because of the awesome lineup put together by NU107's 2Girls1Show to celebrate having...many friends in Facebook. Haha! Nice party, girls. Thanks!

Bands were:
Zach Lucero. I wanted to buy their album but I could not find Zach after their set. Again, I blame the manymanymany people.
Pupil who was welcomed by mass hysteria. What else is new? Good thing I already had a good spot in front. I stole Wendell's setlist afterwards haha
Us-2 Evil-0 played a really fun set, as usual. Yey for the dance moves! (And, oh yes: Bogs is a rockstar)
Archipelago is awesome! MRI is LOVE.
Angulo had a very...lively set. Haha. Nice one, guys.
Sandwich. Raimund is so darn hard to catch on camera! He moves around so much, nearly all my photos of him were blurred. Same goes for Diego. So I eventually gave up trying and just rocked with them.
Franco has an all-star cast har
Chicosci, the red team. By this time I was sitting at the bar because my feet were killing me.

Imma take care of my stiff neck

2009-04-21T02:00:00.002+08:00

My neck has been stiff lately.

I work on the computer all day. And my hobbies also include me "working" on my laptop. Therefore, I spend countless of hours on the computer. Thus, I easily get stiff shoulders. I had a body massage several of weeks ago at this resort we went to. The masseuse was admittedly amateur, but it was pretty decent, nonetheless. Still, it made me miss my favorite Thai or Swedish massage I usually get every once in a while.

Therefore, it's time for another massage!

It'd be awesome to get another massage at Blue Water Day Spa like the one I had a couple of months ago. There's a branch in Capitol Hills, which is really near our house in Tandang Sora. I would LOVE to get a full body Swedish massage there, be all relaxed and stuff, and go straight home and sleeeeeeeeep! Just look at the relaxing view inside and outside:

What'd I tell you? Awesome, right? You get to breathe clean air, and drink in the scenic green meadows before and after your massage. And guess what: they have a contest that just might let me get my massage for free!

Here are the contact details, in case you'd like a massage, too.

BlueWater Day Spa Capitol Hills Branch
Capitol GreenStreet Commercial Center
Capitol Hills Golf Annex Building
Capitol Hills Drive, Old Balara
Quezon City
Telephone Numbers: +63 (2) 4730455, 9524829, 4350114

Jack Daniel's Global Music Tour at NBC Tent

2009-04-18T18:06:00.006+08:00

Last night was The Jack Daniel's Global Music Tour Event at NBC Tent, the Fort. The main perormers were Cynthia Alexander playing at the same time with Nyko Maca+Playground They're going to be our country's representative to the Jack Daniel's Global Music Event at Singapore! Awesome, awesome combination. Also playing last night were Corporate Lo-fi, Taken By Cars, Urbandub, Razorback and more.

Met with Kuya Tim, Nicole and Carlo and the boys there. Fun, because there were many of my other friends there (Peryodiko, Kuya Marcus and Ate Bernie, Paul, MJ, Nye, Dyan, and the bloggers all over the place).

Outside at the lobby, the JD Peavey guitar being raffled was displayed for photo op, and there was a booth for Rock Band (though I wasn't able to play). Also, Pirates of the Caribbean cosplayers were roaming the venue. Cap'n Jack Sparrow is PERFECT! He's no Johnny Depp, but he got the character spot on!

Many thanks to Cris Ramos of Revolver for the invite, and to Marcus Nada for the VIP pass. Corporate Lo-fi=AWESOME! And thanks to Karla for taking the Cynthia Alexander and Nyko Maca+Playground pics while I took videos.

More photos~