Spoon Lagoon

Survivor Recap: He Has Demons

noreply@blogger.com (Joe) — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 10:51:00 +0000

After a boring pilot, things are starting to heat up at Survivor: South Pacific. Last week, Semhar was voted off the Savaii tribe after revealing her weakness at the Immunity Challenge. Then she complained about people lying straight to her face when she reached Redemption Island. Welcome to Survivor, Semhar!

After the tribal council, Cochran had his mind on starting anew. He wanted to change how the tribe perceive him as a weakling and a liability in challenges. Meanwhile, Ozzy and Keith secretly formed an alliance and plans to take Jim with them to the final three. This plan was solidified when a simple fishing trip by Jim, Ozzy and Keith turned into an opportunity for Jim to lay down his plan. The plan was for the three strong guys of Savaii to band together and pull in Elyse and Whitney to get the numbers on their side. Leaving Cochran, Dawn and Papa Bear in the mercy of their tribemates.

On the side of Upolu, Brandon revealed to Coach that he is related to the ``Russel Hantz`` by showing him his tattoo. Coach was shocked but Brandon immediately assured him that he plans to play with honor and loyalty alongside him if Coach promised not to tell anyone of his secret. That wasn`t the only demon Brandon is dealing with lately. Apparently, he isn`t comfortable with Mikayla around. Brandon thinks Mikayla, young and beautiful, is seducing the men of Upolu to her advantage in the game and plans to get rid of her the first chance he gets.

The quest for the hidden immunity idol continues as Christine finds the clue to the whereabouts of the idol. But the jackpot was made by Ozzy who, after 2 seasons of Survivor, knew how and where the idol will be hidden. Ozzy found the idol tucked on a tree and retrieved it with ease. With the idol safe in his hiding spot, Ozzy plans not to tell anybody that he has it to avoid it being flushed early and use it post merge when the opportunity calls for the idol.

At the Immunity Challenge, the two tribes will be competing in a two part game. 4 members of each tribe will untie ribbons from a pole to get hold of a key that will then be used to release the remaining members of the tribe. Those four members must then solve a puzzle of heavy crates and release the largest piece that they have to carry across the platform to win immunity plus the reward of pillows, blankets, and hammock. Both tribes decided to leave the ribbons to the girls and the crates to the men. Upolu had a big lead with the ribbons but that slipped away when the men of Savaii breezed through the puzzle crates and secured immunity for the tribe.

At the Upolu beach, Brandon and Coach had different opinions on who should go home. Coach wanted to get rid off Christine but fearing that Christine may have already found the immunity idol, he wants to split the votes to Christine and Stacey. Brandon wants Mikayla gone and told Chirstine and Stacy about it.

Not even 5 minutes into the Tribal Council, Coach dropped the bomb that Stacey and Christine is planning to vote out Mikayla to the surprise of the tribe and Survivor host Jeff Probst. Christine denied this and got off the hook when Brandon finally came clean and admitted that he started the `vote Mikayla` thing. Only, this didn`t help Christine at all when Coach`s initial plan came to friution and sent her to Redemption Island with Semhar.

* * * * *

I think it is safe to say that Savaii has its five locked down with Ozzy, Keith, Jim, Elyse and Whitney. The three remaining members of the tribe are physically weak and aren`t playing the best social game either. Unless something really weird happens, the five will just eventually pick of who they want to go in TC.

Upolu has a task on their hand after this tribal council: figure out who to trust. After Brandon`s self confession about wanting to vote out Mikayla, he could be a target. Coach obviously wants his tribe to stay as strong as possible, and Mikayla being the strongest of the females, will be a valuable part of the team in challenges. This becomes a problem for the alliance of Coach, Albert, Rick, Sophie and Brandon who were supposed to be the tightest group in the tribe.

8 Most Anticipated PlayStation Vita Games

noreply@blogger.com (Joe) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 12:41:00 +0000

Everytime I read previews and watch demos involving the new PlayStation Vita, I can't help but to salivate. Each article I read about it just makes the wait all the more agonizing! In case you haven't heard, PlayStation Vita is set to launch in Japan on December 17th of this year with 26 TITLES in tow including Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Ultimate Marvel VS Capcom 3, Disgaea 3 Return, Hot Shots Golf 6 and Blazblue Continuum Shift II Plus among others. Sony is definitely trying to avoid to make the same mistake Nintendo did with the 3DS when it launched with few and mediocre games. Sadly, no details on the NA release of the portable gaming device has been reported.

There's a ton of games in development for the Vita so I'm sure there's gotta be at least one title that would appeal to whatever kind of a gamer you are. With that said, let me give you a list of my most anticipated titles.

8. Persona 4: The Golden

I'm not really into JRPG. The only JRPG that I really liked was the Valkyria Chronicles series. It was also the only JRPGs I've beaten. That said, I've played a decent amount of Persona 3 Portable to say that it is definitely an interesting game. And now that Persona 4: The Golden is announced for the Vita, this could very well be the game I would be buying if I feel the need for a JRPG. The reimagination of this PlayStation 2 original is said to have an additional character, new voice work, and other new content to make the Vita port appealing to fans and new adopters alike.

7. Resistance: Burning Skies

Another game genre I'm not a big fan of is the FPS genre. Go ahead call me names! But seriously, I prefer third-person shooters than first-person shooters because I get dizzy playing the latter. That is why I can't get into the whole "Call of Duty" bandwagon. So why include Resistance: Burning Skies in this list? Because it looks awesome! The Vita, having dual analog sticks, is perfect for portable FPSs and this game proves it. Plus it has some smart touch screen control that would make this game more appealing to gamers like me who aren't as skilled in FPS games.

6. Escape Plan

Not much is known about this game but its interesting art style definitely got me to dig more info about it. The game's objective is simple: Help Laarg and Lil escape by any means without them dying in the process. Judging from the game's trailer, it's possibly a platformer/ puzzle game with quirky characters. It has been said that Escape Plan won't be using any of the Vita's face buttons so controlling Laarg and Lil would make use of the touch screen, back touch panel and Sixaxis.

5. LittleBigPlanet Vita

Seldom would anybody say that the portable version of a game is the definitive version. But that could be true for LittleBigPlanet! This is the game that got me interested with the Vita. It is still the same "Play. Create. Share." goodness we have known the series for but with the addition of touch screen, touch panel and Sixaxis into the mix, the game becomes much more fun and engaging. I must say that judging from THIS, LittleBigPlanet is the first game to fully utilize the Vita's hardware features without it looking gimmicky. LittleBigPlanet is one of the Vita's system-seller and rightfully so.

4. Street Fighter X Tekken

I'm a fighting game fan and so it shouldn't come as a surprise that I am pumped for Street Fighter X Tekken. I play fighting games on my PSP to relieve stress and since I could just jump right into a match anytime, I feel like fighting games are perfect for portables. So I almost peed my pants when I learned that SFxT is coming to the Vita. SFxT will use the Street Fighter IV engine with some tweaks on the gameplay. This would be a day one purchase for me and with the announcement of Lili being in the game, it sealed the deal all the more!

3. Uncharted: Golden Abyss

I love the Uncharted series. More than the addictive gameplay or the jaw-dropping visuals, it is the characters that made me fell in love with the series. Naughty Dog produced two of the best PS3 games with Uncharted: Drake's Fortune and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and I'm sure Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception will continue the tradition of quality and polish the series is known for. Now, imagine a portable Uncharted. Sweet! Developed by Resistance Retribution creator Bend Studios and with the guidance of Naughty Dog, Uncharted: Golden Abyss should be a worthy addition to the franchise albeit on a portable scale. This is touted "The system seller" by many gaming blogs and it's not hard to see why.

2. Gravity Daze

With so many Vita games that are either a port or a remake, it is nice to know that there are interesting new IPs set to debut on the system. Among them, Gravity Daze developed by SCE Japan Studio is my most anticipated. The first thing that's going to draw you in the game is the cell shaded art style that is nothing short of gorgeous (It is said to look even better on the Vita's 5" OLED screen). Add the quirky characters and a gravity-based gameplay and the game rocketed to the top to my must have games list. I'm really hoping Gravity Daze becomes a commercial and critical success to inspire more developers to make new IPs for the Vita.

1. Little King Story Vita

And finally, my most anticipated game on the Vita as of date is LITTLE KING STORY VITA!!! As far as I know, this isn't a remake or a port of the Wii original. It is said to be a sequel to the first game with muti-touch control. Sadly, I've never played the first game because I don't have a Wii. But what I've been seeing and reading around the web is enough to convince me to make this the first game I should buy along the Vita. Look at that art style! It's so charming!

I Love HK Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Joe) — Fri, 07 May 2010 16:58:00 +0000

With barely a month of preparation, I'm so happy we pulled this trip of.

Thank God for Google!!!I needed this trip...BAD!

I'm getting tired of working and the heat in Manila is unbearable.

Needless to say, this trip came at a very good time.

Our flight was at 5:40 AM so we needed to be at NAIA Terminal 3 three hours before. Joining me on this trip is my sister Jollie who was even more excited about this trip than I was and I can't blame her... we don't get much opportunities to spend time together like this. We boarded Cebu Pacific flight 5J 108 bound to Hong Kong Int'l Airport. I didn't know Cebu Pac don't serve snacks (you have to buy them...even water!) in flight so it was a good thing that we ate at the airport after checking-in. The flight took 1 1/2 hours and by 7:30 AM we were on our way to Panda Hotel were we have a reservation for two nights. I knew 3 ways to get there: by the E31 bus, by the Hotel Shuttle, and by MTR. Since we didn't made the necessary arrangements for the Hotel Shuttle and going to the hotel by taxi will be expensive, our two choices will be by bus or by MTR. The cheapest way is by Bus so that was our first choice but unfortunately we weren't able to find the bus so opted for the MTR.

We took the Airport Express to Tsing Yi Station where we were supposed to transfer trains to Lai King, transfer again to Tsuen Wan Line and from Tai Wo Hau station it was less than a 5 minute walk to the hotel. But feeling adventurous, we asked Filipinas at Tsing Yi station of a way to get to the Hotel by bus. We were given instructions to ride the 409 and we found where the bus is, the only problem was that it went to the opposite direction. So yeah, we got lost but we made it to the hotel anyway by talking the same bus haha.

PANDA HOTEL. Booking.com gave us a really good deal with Panda Hotel. We were booked to stay for 2 nights in one of their deluxe rooms for only 1000 HKD plus taxes. Panda Hotel is located at Tsuen Wan in the New Territories and is just 30 minutes away from the Airport, Disneyland, Kowloon and Central. Good thing that the people at the reception desk are good in English and they were able to confirm our reservation quickly but they had to make us wait for an hour so that they can clean our room because we arrived a little too early than check-in time. They also asked for 50 HKD deposit that they would give back upon check-out.

So what can i say about Panda Hotel? It is good value for your money! The lobby is small but nicely decorated with panda stuffed toys. There's also a Info desk where you could inquire about tours, buy tickets for HK Disneyland and even ask for directions to spots in Hong Kong you would like to visit. Not to mention that the Hotel also has free shuttle to Tsim Sha Tsui that departs hourly. If you would walk around the surrounding area, there are fast foods like McDonald's and KFC. We didn't get a chance to try food at Panda Cafe so I can't really comment about that.

About the room, they aren't spacious and lavishly decorated, but they are adequate. Most important of all the room is clean. We asked for a room in their Non-smoking floor and contrary to what I've read that the rooms smell smoky, our room smells fresh and clean. The bed is soft and comfortable, the bathroom is clean and complete with toiletries, and the room is complete with fridge, microwave oven, water heater for your convenience. All in all, I would definitely recommend Panda Hotel. It is just a shame we didn't get to use the pool and the gym due to lack of time. Maybe next time...

While we were still resting at room 2737, we were in a dilemma. The plan on the first day was to go to Macau and then go to the Avenue of Stars to watch the Symphony of Lights. But bad decision-making, lack of preparation and bad luck prevented us from going to Macau on that day. We could go the next day but that would just ruin the itinerary I planned so we scratched Macau altogether from our list and adjusted the itinerary.

VICTORIA PEAK. Instead of going to Macau, we decided to check out Victoria Peak. We took the MTR Tsuen Wan Line and got off Central Station and from there we walked to get to the Peak Tram. It was a Sunday so the line was kinda long. The first time I've been to Hong Kong, we weren't able to visit Victoria Peak so I made sure that this time around I'd get to see the fantastic Hong Kong skyline I've heard so much about. And to get there, we needed to take the Peak Tram. The ride was ok... except when images of disaster happening gets into your head. I mean I can't help it, the tram is going up a very very steep hill! But once you get a glimpse of the view from the tram though, those disaster images will fade.

The ticket we bought was the one with an access to the Sky Terrace on top of the Peak Tower which gives the best view of the Hong Kong Syline. Here's a tip: go there sometime at the afternoon and stay there until it gets dark and watch how the view changes. While at the Peak Tower, you could shop at the mall for souveniers or dine in restos with fantastic view of the city. Truth is from the peak you could ride a bus to take you down, but we opted for the roundtrip ticket for the tram and by 7 PM we were on our way down to get to our next destination for the day.

AVENUE OF STAR. While surfing the net for the top tourist spots in HK, I would always stumble on the Symphony of lights show so I made sure that I witness this for myself. It starts at 8:00 PM and lasts for a good 15 minutes so better be at the Avenue of Stars 5 minutes before 8. We went to Admiralty Station and rode the train to Tsim Sha Tsui, walked to get to the Avenue of Stars and at 8 PM the show started. Basically its a lights and laser show that a group of buildings in HK has been doing for quite some time now. It is quite nice and every night a good number of tourists would watch this laser and lights spectacle that is best viewed from the benches at the Avenue of Stars. Because of too much walking, we decided to call it a day and went back to the hotel. We were supposed to look around the vicinity for night markets but decided against it and went to bed instead...

the next day should be interesting since we have a lot to visit according to our itinerary...

PART TWO HERE

It's CamSur, Baby! Day 2

noreply@blogger.com (Joe) — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 16:55:00 +0000

This is the second part of my post about my recent trip to CamSur with friends. If you haven't read the first part, click THIS.

Chapter 3: Butanding!

So it is day 2 of our Getaway and we woke up really early so that we can catch the 7 AM boat ride back to Sabang. Thank Gawd the waters were calm that morning. No waves at all. We arrived at Sabang as scheduled and from there we took a van taxi that would take us to SM Naga. Few people were short on cash and needed replenishment and the mall is the best place to get it. Triccia and Celso told us about a resto, well actually they brought this travelogue about CamSur and in it are "must visit" places in the Bicol Region. One section there is dedicated to a resto called "Chef Doy's" and they insisted we check it out. Good timing because we are yet to eat lunch. So we made our way to Magsaysay Ave and found the restaurant.

For some reason, the gang wanted to meet Chef Doy! Which I was hesitant of well because, first of all, I dunno he maybe busy and second we were just a group of young tourists so why would a Chef want to meet us. But fortunately, Chef Doy was very friendly and he welcomed us warmly. He even chit chatted for a little while and introduced us to his nephew Gelo Linaw, I think, who was supposed to be the World Junior Wakeboarding Champ. We even had Chef Doy sign the travelogue Celso bought. It was crazy!!! But let's talk about the food. WOW! Wow wow wow!!! It was amazing. If I had a choice I wouldn't really eat at Pinoy Restos but Chef Doy changed that. The food was really really good. Justifies the feature in the travelogue. We ordered , of course Bicol's pride, Bicol express, Kinalas, Grilled Liempo and Lechon Kawali in Kare-kare. Yum! If only Chef Doy would open up a branch here in Manila...

After we got our stomachs full, we then headed to the PASALUBONG shop for a quick shopping because it is past 1 Pm and he haven't arrived at CWC where we had a reservation. So after barely 20 minutes, we were walking towards our taxi with plastics of pasalubong in hand. I bought sweets because a Filipino pasalubong is never complete without them. Honey coated Pili, Pili Chocolate, Pili cake... heck everything could be made with Pili when you're in Bicol! From pulvoron and yema to cookies and pastillas... Pili can mibe mixed into it. So after the shopping we then went to CWC where we would be spending the whole afternoon and the night.

Man, CWC is BIG! I've been to Lago de Oro in Batangas and it does not compare to CWC. This is so much bigger and better. And the moment I stepped out of the taxi, Europeans are everywhere. They are all over the place. Kudos to the Governor of the region for pushing this project for tourism because it seems to be working. So yeah, the place still needs some work but what is there right now is enough to satisfy people who travelled miles just to wakeboard in the Philippines. We reserved 4 Cabanas for 1300+ pesos each so wow that's cheap plus the Cabanas were really nice so I thought it was a steal for that amount. We checked in and soon enough we were ready to hit the waters once again.

Okay, so we didn't get to wakeboard or kneeboard for that matter. Because we were exhausted. Why? Because of an hour playing at LAGO DEL REY. It looks innocent enough with its big, colorful, floating courses that we've mistaken for kids' play pool. I was even embarrassed at first because we were 20 something tourists, we're not supposed to be there. But I guess for the spirit of fun, I tagged along. But whoah, LAGO DEL REY wasn't designed for kids at all! If you guys are familiar with the show WIPEOUT, it is kind of like it. It looks easy but it is so not. We were on the first course and we were already panting like dogs! Mainly because of helping each other to get through the course. BUTANDING! Lol. So yeah this chapter is titled "Butanding" because for countless times we were dragging, pulling or pushing are not so sexy friends to be able to finish the course. We went on the giant slide, the floating trampoline, the iceberg, the giant seesaw, we tried it all!!! And it was a lot of fun even though we were really tired when all of it's done. We were supposed to try wakebaording but it didn't happen because we had no energy at all. BUTANDING! ROFL.

To wrap up the day, Chasty gave in to our *cough* request *cough* to treat us dinner (Thanks Chasty!) even though her birthday is not until next month! Yeay! And just like classic group dinners we had before, there has to be the What-Can-You-Say-About-This-And-That Chikahan after. We talked about what were our wishes for the barkada... so cheesy. Some talked not changing as individulas, some talked about having the same energy and ties even when we are on our forties, but what I liked the most is when we talked about the future Getaways we would be making! Next year, the target of the group is to go ABROAD! Woot! Woot! I'm all up for it! So where do we go? Hong Kong? Macau? Bangkok? Bali? Singapore? I'm excited!!!

Phrase of the Day:

"Daan ko kayong Cagsawa?"

Event of the Day:

Rescuing the Butanding

Picture of the day:

This is how you pose for the camera! Woohoo!

Chapter 4: Cagsawa? Casagwa? Cawagsa?

And the day to come home to Manila arrives. It was Monday morning and our flight to Manila was at 8 AM so we had to wake up at 5 AM. But since we still had the luxury for some last minute sightseeing, we went to the famous Cagsawa Ruins just minutes away from the airport. I only usually see it at postcards but the sight of the Mayon's perfect cone from Cagsawa was really cool. It was so majestic. And the Cagsawa Church was great too. And again we had to take pictures, but wait, we have a photographer this time!!! Kuya, that's how we decided to call the little guy, came up to us and gave us a brief history of what happened ala tour guide and insisted to take our pictures. Nice guy, right? There is a catch! He would be deciding what our poses would be. LOL. He was so insistent on doing camera tricks that would result to pictures of you touching the tip of the volcano or holding one of your friends like a toy. It was hilarious! But the guy certainly has talent! He should be a photographer/tour guide.

So after the sightseeing. We headed onto the airport and it was kinda sad to end such a great trip! Sure we will be broke until the next pay day but who cares? We had fun! That's all that matters. And I am really looking forward to the next trip me and this gang would soon be doing. Shoti! I think our next destination is Virgin Beach, right? That's this summer and I had my calendar marked, okay? LOL. Flickr Photos parts 3 & 4 HERE and HERE.

So that was it. A trip that I don't think one of us would forget. Thank you CamSur for that wonderful weekend...

It's CamSur, Baby! Day 1

noreply@blogger.com (Joe) — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 16:53:00 +0000

This post should have been published weeks ago but better late than never... so here goes...

And so the first ever OUT-OF-TOWN trip me and my college friends dared to go to is one that would take us to Camarines Sur. This trip is BIG for all of us mainly because yeah it is our first trip as friends and it requires us to use all three means of transportation: by land, air and sea!

So we met up at NAIA Terminal 2 at, if my memory serves me right, 6:oo in the morning coz our flight is at 7. Everyone was psyched and ready to board the plane to Lepazpi. One particular person who was excited more than all of us, i assume, is Diane because it would be her first time to board a plane! I had to interview her before and after the plane ride and all she could talk about was the "cute" steward who according to Celso and Triccia is a "becky". LOLZ.

Chapter 1: Malapit na...

From Legazpi Airport, we rented a van and made a two hour drive to Sabang Port where we are supposed to catch the last boat ride (11:00 AM) that would take us to Guijalo port in Caramoan. The boat was not what I was expecting. It was too small for a two hour boat ride IMO. But that didn't matter back then because we were so pumped for this trip nothing would ruin this day! Or so we thought...

The first hour of the boat ride was ok, it was even great in my opinion because even though it was long I get to see the ocean, mountains, and what have you. It was such a breath of fresh air from the manila traffic and steel buildings I see everyday. Of course that was before the waves came crushing in... LITERALLY! The waves weren't that big but considering the boat wasn't that big either, we could feel its ups and lows! It was fun at first but when we started to get wet, and the waves got too big for the boat to handle... it got terrible. It was then when I started hearing people asking "Malapit na ba tayo?" which the boat guys would reply "Malapit na...", and of course you'd believe them, right? They've been going to these ports back and forth their whole life so they know exactly where we are and it is just rational to assume that their calculation of the distance is pretty accurate. HOW WRONG WERE WE!!! An hour after and we are still in the middle of Gawd knows where!?! We were starting to feel sick and to my horror Mr. Boat Guy enclosed the boat with a tarpaulin so as to prevent as form getting soaked with sea water which proved to be a bad idea because not only did we felt sicker, it also drained us of , I can't believe I'm saying this, HOPE. We felt desperation like we've never felt before. It was that bad. I started to fear for our lives!!! And my friends felt the same way too. I had my eyes closed and would only open it to check how far we are from shore. I've never felt desperate to walk on land until that day. It was so relieving when the tarp was pulled up and we saw that we are just meters away form the port. Phew! A trip I would never ever froget. We couldn't stop talking about it. "Malapit na..." my ass.

So from Guijalo Port, we were picked up by the shuttle AKA Silver Strada to take us to the hotel. We stayed at CMC Villa Caramoan which was actually owned by the Mayor of Caramoan. Tired, hungry and shaken kids that we were back then, we were thankful that our lunch and rooms were ready. CMC is a good place to stay at Caramoan. It was disappointing though that it isn't located near the beach and we actually had to make a 15 minute drive to get to there. But the place is okay, still new. But the best thing about CMC is their service. Lunch was delicious and we needed that to take our minds off the boat ride from hell. The people at CMC are really really nice too. Since it was almost 3:00 PM, we had to make a quick wardrobe change and freshen up so that we could start with our island tour.

Chapter 2: Wow Caramoan!

We rode a small boat that would take us to the many islands comprising the Caramoan group of Islands. Even from the beach where we started the tour, I could see how beautiful Caramoan is... it was really lovely.

The islands, more like the big rocks, are a beauty to look at it made me forget about the ordeal we had going to Guijalo. The scenery was breath taking I just couldn't stop clicking on the camera so as not to miss anything. I especially love that the ocean is so blue! The charm of Caramoan was growing on me and by the time we arrived at our first island, I think I fell in love with the place. First stop: Matukad Island. They say that this Island has one of the best beach here and for really good reasons. The sand was so fine we had to take home handfuls to show people back home. The beach was great! The water was so clear and the view form the beach was fantastic. It was paradise! The island was home to a famous "big fish" that is living in a pond but we didn't get to see it because in order to get to the pond, we had to climb a steep wall of rocks and after what we've been through earlier, we didn't think risking our lives for the second time would be such a smart idea so we took pictures of ourselves instead and man were we cam whores!!!

We took so much pictures that it is safe to say that we spent more timing smiling for the camera than to actually swim! Which was weird because we are at one of the most gorgeous beach I've been to. Parts 1 & 2 of Photos from our CamSur Getaway HERE and HERE. But we didn't just took photos at Matukad Beach, the island also became the venue of our Sand Castle Making contest... if it were really castles that we've made because the photos suggests something else... haha.

After, some more picture taking, we headed onto the next island: Lajos. Lajos Island isn't really good for swimming because the shore is lined with really sharp rocks so what did we do there? More picture taking of course!!! The island, just like Matukad, is really lovely but this one is much better for picture taking. The rock formations in this island is really nice and the sand, though not as fine as that over at Matukad, is good too. It would have been nice to eat here but we were running out of time so we had go back to the boat.

The last island we visited was... shoot, I forgot the name. But that was the island in front of Hunongan beach. Of the three islands, I think this was my least favorite but it is still a nice island though, we ate snacks there and soon enough we were heading back to our boat to wrap up the day.

And what a crazy day it was! From being pumped, to being desperate, to being calm... it was crazy! And what better way to finish off the tour but with a cinematic sunset? The sunset was one that can rival those of Manila Bay and Boracay! Sure enough the shuttle was there to take us back to the hotel but not before we visit the historical San Miguel Church. After setttling down, we attacked our buffet dinner. Food was good!!! They would usually serve seafood and my were they fresh!

Even at the end of that day, we still couldn't get over the boat ride. It already made a mark on all of us! LOL. We were all hoping that because our boat ride back to Sabang Port the next day is in the morning, the waters would be calmer. We had little chats about our college life, classmates and career before heading to our respective rooms to call it a day. So far so good. This trip was meant to be remembered.

Phrase of the Day:

"Malapit na..."

Event of the Day:

BoatRide form Hell

Picture of the day:

"Naks naman! Woot! Woot!"

Part two HERE

Arnis: Filipino Martial Arts

noreply@blogger.com (Joe) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 23:20:00 +0000

If Japan has Judo, China has Kung fu, Korea has Taekwondo and Thailand has Kickboxing, the Philippines also has a deadly Martial art that the world has embraced. Collectively known as Arnis, it is a form of self defense which is characterized by the use of weapons in training. Internationally known as Kali, this Filipino Martial art is also known as Escrima in the Visayas. The basic weapon used is the stick called "cane" or "baston" but students are also taught to use other objects as weapons. I remember when I had this for my PE Class in college, my intructor told us that anything could be a weapon in Arnis. One just have to know how to use it to your advantage. He showed us how a mineral bottle, a ballpen or even a "paypay" can make deadly weapons in Arnis! Amazing, right?

Popularized by the late Ernesto Presas, Arnis is now being learned by students from around the globe especailly in the US and Europe. Before Presas' death in Canada, it was said that he trained 7 students (all of which are foreigner) to spread the art around the world, and so the International Modern Arnis Federation was founded.

Halloween Costume Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Joe) — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 17:11:00 +0000

Suppose you are a Costume Shop owner and because it's the eve of Halloween, every piece of costume you had were sold out. Well, not exactly because seven costumes were left ((1) Pink Fairy, (2) Borat, (3) French Maid, (4) Dumb Caveman, (5) Witch, (6) Shrek, (7) decaying zombie) Since you had such a fortune over the costumes you've sold, you decide to give those that were left away for free. Then, your phone rings and a friend tells you that a costume party for celebrities would be happening an hour from now and just about everybody who'd be going to the party still has no costume.

If you were the shop owner, who would you give these costumes to? Well, if you ask me...

roll call: (from left to right) Manny Pacquiao, Rochelle of Sexbomb, Mike Enriquez, Paolo Ballesteros, Christy Fermin, Marian Rivera & Boy Abunda.

Happy Halloween Everyone!

New iPod Touch with Games

noreply@blogger.com (Joe) — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 15:59:00 +0000

I was planning to buy a PSP slim (i know I'm such a loser for not owning one yet! i know!) for quite some time now. I was planning to buy one from my own money and so far according to my calculations, I'd probably get one by next month. I had a dilemma once and it involved being torn between PSP and iPod Touch. I liked iPod Touch solely because of its touchscreen navigation control and decided that PSP would be the better buy since it actually has most iPod features and the fact that I could play PS titles on a very portable gadget. But then, I came across this...

So the dilemma arises once again. Of course PSP would have the better lists of games that I could play but come on we are talking about Apple here. They make techies' wildest dreams come true in a blink of an eye. I'm sure that by next year, more titles would be play-able on the iPod Touch! Right now they have titles like Crash Bandicoot, Need for Speed Undercover and Spore to name a few. And yeah, does anyne know if these games are available now here in the Philippines? Argh! There's so much to save up for. I wanted to shop-wiki for my Mom cause next month she'll be celebrating her birthday. I'm actually thinking of giving her clothes. Then of course, the firs Big Buy! Argh!!! Help me decide on what to get? I still have a month to think about this and I don't want to regret my first ever Big Buy from my hard-earned money.

Flick Critique 1.05

noreply@blogger.com (Joe) — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 03:00:00 +0000

I can't believe how busy I am right now. So much stuff to attend to and so much more lined-up. It really pays that once in a while I get to watch movies for free. Thanks to some officemates who were able to hand me DVD ripped copies of recent movies I wasn't able to watch on the Big Screen! Lucky me...

A. Fool's Gold (2008) - Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson pair up again for this treasure hunt of a movie. This one though, unlike their previous 'How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days", disappoints. Sure there were funny moments but the gaps between those scenes would allow you to put up a new blog and write the first three articles of it. And sorry, but McConaughey's abs wouldn't bring this film to life. As to Hudson's bikini scneses...hmm...still no!

B Never Back Down (2008) - So does this movie remind you of Rocky or what? Though I was only able to catch some scenes of the first Rocky movie, this movie totally reminds me of it. But of course, this one's had the modern touch. Tom Cruise look-a-like Sean Faris, IMHO, played the lead well because he would make you want to root for him. At first I thought this movie would be something like The Fast and the Furious, where characters were loudly shouting "I'm so tough! I'm so cool!", but this movie has a heart.

C. Get Smart (2008) - Steve Carell did it once again with this movie! I'm starting to be a fan. What I like most about the movie is that all the characters are so well-developed! Even the Computer Nerds of Control have contributed in making this movie something to laugh loud about! Carell, Arkin and Hatthaway were great in the movie . Add the witty script and the classic slapsticks and you've got a great Comedy for the family.

RP's Top Universities 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Joe) — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 11:00:00 +0000

Quacquarelli Symonds, through The Times Higher Education, released the QS World University Rankings 2008 where the 500 best universities from around the globe were recognized. Though it has been receiving negative feedbacks and questions on the accuracy of their statistical methods since it started, the QS World University Rankings is now on its 4th year. And since 2005, only 4 universities form the Philippines have been cited. This year, Ateneo overtook the state college University of the Philippines as this year's Philippines Top University.

Ateneo de Manila University - no. 254

University of the Philippines - no. 276

De La Salle University - no. 401-500*

University of Santo Tomas - no. 401-500*
Yeay! Viva los hijos de Santo Tomas !

*Precise ranking of the top Universities from 401-500 were withheld due to high sensitivity to error, thus UST and DLSU were ranked 401-500

Philippines' Richest 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Joe) — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 15:59:00 +0000

After 13 long years of being on top, Bill Gates is the richest man in the world no more! He settled for the 3rd richest dude on the face of the earth while Warren Buffet, an American investor, now holds the title previously earned by Gates. In the Philippine setting, something like it happened too. Jaime Zobel de Ayala, the richest Filipino last year, settled for 3rd and was overtaken by Mall Mogul Henry Sy as this year's wealthiest Pinoy Billionaire. Complete list below.

Philippines' Largest Airlines

noreply@blogger.com (Joe) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 13:00:00 +0000

After telling you about the Philippine's Tallest Building & 5 Largest Malls, I now give you the Philippines' Five Largest Airlines in terms of Fleet & Destinations. Let's start from the bottom up, shall we?

Air Philippines
Slogan: "Fly with us!"
Established: February 1995
Fleet: 10 aircraft

Destinations: 8 Local

Accidents: 2 since 1996, 1 killed 131 people

Zest Airways (Formerly Asian Spirit)
Slogan: "Asia's Most Refreshing Airline"
Established: September 1995
Fleet: 11 aircraft
Destinations: 14 local, 2 International (Macau & Seoul)
Accidents: 4 since 1999 (one of which killed 40 people)

Southeast Asian Airlines (SEAIR)
Slogan: ---
Established: August 1995
Fleet: 11 aircraft
Destinations: 23 Local
Accidents: no record

Cebu Pacific
Distinction: Currently the leading the domestic carrier
Slogan: "It's time Everyone Flies"
Established: August 1988
Fleet: 21 aircraft, 17 on order
Destinations: 42 (includes flights to China, Japan , Korea & SE Asia)
Accidents: 2 since 1998, 1 killed 104 people

Philippine Airlines (PAL)
Distinction: First Commercial Airline in ASIA!
Slogan: "It's about Experience" / "Asia's Sunniest"
Established: February 26, 1941
Accidents: 22 since 1950
Fleet: 46 aircraft
Destinations: 42 including (USA, Canada & Australia)
*formerly had flights to Europe, Africa & West Asia

A Boring MRT Ride

noreply@blogger.com (Joe) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 11:00:00 +0000

ZAP!!! You snap back to reality and found youself seated on the blue seats of MRT. You were lucky tonight. Normally, you would have to push yourself and swim into the crowd to be seated. Like gladiators at The Coliseum, you'd fight for a place in those plastic wonders. For three nights in a row, you were unlucky... until tonight. So there you were sandwiched between a an old man who looks like he's going to cough out his lungs and a sosyal-looking girl talking to her friend beside her. You were about to reach for your iPod when suddenly you heard something that rung in your ears for 3 full seconds...

Girl 1: Omigawd! You are so buko na. You like him, davvah?!?!
Girl 2: Hell no! He's like parrrang so emo! Palaging naka-black!!!
Girl 1: Don't lie, girl. I'm not going to make kalat naman your secret eh...

You wanted to burst out with laughter but you thought twice. If you're going to make fun of these girls, it would be hard to escape if they decide to slap you with their Chanel of a purse, order their miniature of a dog to attack you, or drown you with thick bills of money. But then again, you'd like the thought of being drowned in money...

Girl 2: Ay naku! I so know you. You're madaldal when I'm naka-talikod. Proven fact, girl!
Girl 1: Omigawd! I can't believe you'll say that. Hindi Kaya!!! Ahahaha...(the most annoying laugh ever!!!!)
Girl 2: Yeah, right! Remeber when we were in LA ZALLE to visit "Girl 3", nasabi mo sa barkada niya about my semplang sa bike! Come on!
Girl 1: Omigawd! You're just shifting the topic. You so like him talaga. Like super!
Girl 2: Yeah, right! Hindi kaya! Ahahahahaha ( okay. this was the most annoying laugh ever!!!)

Trying not to laugh, you listen intenly on their conversation. Two sosyaleras keeping you awake on a ride from work is so much better than listening to the boring MRT voice-over ads. You were beginning to smile when you noticed your shoulders doing the laughing. It was shaking uncontrollably. You glanced at the girls and they have the dagger looks on you. Uh-oh, here comes bills of money...

Pinoy Urban Legends 2.0

noreply@blogger.com (Joe) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 21:00:00 +0000

As promised, here's the part two of Pinoy Urban Legends. Enjoy!

1. In UP Diliman, a student decided to take an early morning drive with his Volkswagen of a car around campus. Later that day, his body was found a few feet from his car that had run out of gas and had thousands of kilometers added to the odometer. The stude was said to have starved to death. People said that the student was made fun of spirits in the campus and he ended up wandering around and around, without ever finding his way back. The catch: today, if you happen to wander around that particular campus around daybreak, you may encounter the little red Volkswagen car with a desperate student driver who'll ask you for directions back to the dorm. Never ever give him directions or you'll end up just like him.

2. A student attending an all-girls school in Manila under the administration of nuns stayed late in school to research about a project she was supposed to pass that week. As she was about to leave, she noticed while walking along, the corridor a classroom with lights still on. Out of curiosity, she headed to that room and went inside. Before she was able to enter the room she heard a screeching sound of chalk forcefully sliding through the face of the blackboard. When she went in she found a nun writing on the blackboard "HELP ME, I'M IN HELL." Before she could even think of screaming, the nun turned to her... faceless.

3. A Woman in her forties was invited to stand as principal sponsor in a wedding to be held in one of the big churches in Manila. The bride and groom had told her not to be shocked when she sees one of thier special guests, who was supposedly a long lost kumpadre. So she went to the wedding and there she saw the man, walking very oh so slowly along the aisle. She thought then that if the man were really alive, she'd at least expect him to be confined to a wheelchair, either because of old age or his reported illnesses or both. But the man was walking all by himself, albeit a cane and some bodyguards surrounding him. Then came the signing of the marriage contract, and the woman had thought of checking if the man and his famous signature would match. They did. She later learned that his being alive is top secret, and is known only among the man's followers. The man is none other than Ferdinand Edralin Marcos.

4. Two reporters were invited to a party in a house somewhere in new manila. They went there and partied the whole night. They met "people" that were supposedly members of prominent families who were willing to pay a big sum of money if they agreed to publicize their business. So they gave the reporters their contact numbers before the two headed home. The next day, they reporters tried to contact the businessmen but they failed to get answers. Every number given to them was owned by somebody else. Being reporters and having connections, they researched about the busienssmen and their businesses. Shocked they later found out that all the people in the party were dead for a very long time.

5. A group of medical students from a reputable University decided to play a harmless prank on their easily-frightened classmate. They planned a special study session to be held in the cadaver room with their intended victim. When the girl arrived for the session and found no one in the cadaver room, she thought she was too early and decided to read her notes. The rest of her group mates were actually hiding and they switched the lights off. The girl screamed and screamed for minutes banging on the door locked by her classmates. After some time, the screaming and the banging stopped. The pranksters began to wonder what happened and dedcied to go in the room. Upon turning the lights on, they were shocked to see their hapless classmate gnawing on a piece of the cadaver.

6. A man was driving alone along a dark road in the middle of the night (some say it is Balete, others do not specify). He noticed another car behind him. Nothing strange there. But after a while, he noticed that the car was still there and seemed to be following him. To be sure, he took a series of turns. But the car was on his tail, what more he kept on flahsing the headlights. The guy decided to stop the car and confront the driver. The driver of the car that was following him immediately got off his car white-faced. "Pare, kanina pa kita pinatatabi kasi merong babae sa likuran ng kotse mo na may dalang kutsilyo na tinututok sayo. Pero nung nag-flash ako ng headlight biglang nawala."

Read Part One here...

Japanese Monkey Waiters

noreply@blogger.com (Joe) — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 07:00:00 +0000

I love monkeys and I would actually like to have one! Monkeys are so smart and I think they make really good pets. But monkeys, as I have recently discovered, could be good waiters too! That's what Japanese tavern Kayabukiya was able to learn. The monkeys, Yat-Chan at Fuku-chan, serve hot towels and brings beer to customers before they actually order anything from the menu.

Look at them donning a Japanese costume! LOL.

Top 5 Biggest Philippine Malls

noreply@blogger.com (Joe) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 23:00:00 +0000

Filipinos love for "malling" is fast becoming our way of life. It doesn't matter if we come to malls to splurge on goodies we love or just to sit by the benches and watch people walk by, going to malls has become a Filipino identity. So it is no surprise that some of the biggest malls in the world are found here in our country. And to think we're 3rd world! Oh yeah, I forgot. We were upgraded to 2nd World (read article here).

So here's the list of the Philippines most gargantuan shopping malls...

1. SM Mall of Asia (2006) - All Filipinos know that MOA is the largest mall in the Philippines. Although there have been so many questions if it is indeed the largest mall in Asia...well, no. It is 3rd largest mall both in the world and in Asia because the two largest malls in the world are found in China. So yup, it is the biggest mall in Southeast Asia!!! It has a total floor area of 407,101 sq m. I love MOA simply becuase it is true to SM's slogan "We got it all for you!". I love its clean white interiors and how it is so spacious even at its peak days!

2. SM City North EDSA (1985) - the first ever supermall in the Philippines is also the mall closest to my heart becuase this was where my family and I go to almost everyweek when I was little. I practically know where every shop is at SM North. Tagged as the flagship of SM Malls, it has a total floor area of 351,861 sq m. But wait, if you've been passing along EDSA or North Avenue this past few days, you'd surely notice that it is undergoing renovation. Rumors has it that by the time of its reopening, it will be the biggest mall in the Philippines! Beating the record set by MOA. By its completion, it would have a GFA of 460,000 sq m! Currently though, it is the 6th largest mall in the world.

3. SM Megamall (1991) - located in the busy business district of Ortigas is the Philippines' bronze medalist in the race for the biggest mall... the SM Megamall. I remember it to be the talk of the town when it was completed June of 1991. Above anything, it boasts of the first ever ice skating rink in the country. I remember when I was younger, me & my cousins would always beg our parents to take us to Megamall just to glide in the icy rink (when I say glide that means walking with the support of handrails and slipping every other minute...haha) . With a GFA of 331,679 sq m, it is the 7th largest mall in the world.

4. SM City Cebu (1993) - Queen city of the South would not let their most precious mall be left out of this list. Currently the 11th biggest mall in the world, SM City Cebu was opened Novemeber of 1993. After its redevelopment in 2007, the mall now has a GFA of 268,611 sq m. It was also one of the first Philippine malls to have an IMAX theater. I remember that the first and last time I went to SM Cebu was when I was 7 years old and becuase there was an Ice skating rink inside it, that was what I enjoyed the most about the mall. I was young, what can I say?

5. Robinsons Midtown (1997) - formerly known as Robinsons Place or RP as me & my friends call it, the lone non-SM mall in the list is the 240,00 sq m wonder loacted at Ermita, Manila. It is currently the largest Robinsons Mall in the Philippines after the addition of its Midtown wing. The record of the biggest Robinsons mall was formerly held by Robinsons Galleria at EDSA. The first time I've been here was when I was in college already and I would have never learned about it if not for my friends. I've got to say that its Midtown wing is really nice because it is spacious and I love my space when I'm walking inside a mall. Although, I am open for discussion if somebody would contest that Glorietta is the fifth largest mall in the Philippines. I was not able to get the exact GFA of Glorietta, that's why.

Just in case you would be asking me about Berjaya Times Square in Malaysia (dubbed as the biggest mall in SEA), here's my explanation. BTS is a mall and a residential building in one and if we would compare MOA's GFA to the GFA of the mall in BTS, MOA is much bigger. Berjaya only has 320,000 sq m... not even close...

Figures from Forbes, ECSU and wikipedia

Zero to Three

noreply@blogger.com (Joe) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:00:00 +0000

It was my good friend , Red, who pointed it out to me. At first I was "No way! It can't be!". I mean there has to be something wrong. How SPOON LAGOON got an instant Page Rank of 3 after just 2 months in the blogscene is a mystery to me. It is so freakin' hard to get a PR 1 in 2 months but I actually got a three. I've checked it out on oh so many sites but they all say the same. Spoon Lagoon has a PR of 3!?! In case you are wondering if i resorted to any page rank increasing gimmicks, no I didn't. I'm thinking there must have been something wrong with the Google systems or something like that. Paging GOOGLE! Please don't take it back! Please don't. Pleaaaaaseeeee!!!!

Another thing. Thank you all for noticing my new template. It was an unscheduled renovation of my site. The RSS image of my previous template was messed up (NOT BY ME!) by photobucket. Since this was not the second time my previous template messed up, I decided to make the big switch. More organized,yes! But the problem is I'm having a hard time putting other codes I wanted (i.e. blogomus). Oh well, I'll figure it out next time.

Oh yeah, could you please pray for me?!? I would be seating for an exam this sunday. Notice the "no room for mistake" post? That was what I was referring to. I can't discuss any further details about it because I don't wanna jinx this opportunity. I badly need it. So guys, can I count on you?

Flick Critique 1.04

noreply@blogger.com (Joe) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0000

I got my hands on more than 1o DVD ripped movies from the office am so excited to watch all of them! I got Hulk, Hancock, Get Smart and so much more so that means October would be full of FC posts! Yeay! This time though, I would be reviewing these movies...

Don'tMess with the Zohan (2008) - Finally, a movie where Adam Sandler was able to make me laugh really hard! When people would ask me to choose between Adam Sandler and Ben Stiller, it was always a no-brainer to me, I would always choose Stiller. Recently though, I'm liking more Sandler movies than Stiller's. Don't Mess with the Zohan is fresh and original, for me at least. Humor is mostly slapsticks but hey it work! I'm not complaining.

Wanted (2008) - This movie was such a surprise! Before the movie came out, I've been hearing nothing but negative comments about it. That this movie had nothing new to offer and yada yada yada! So I decided not to watch it in theaters and waited for its DVD instead. And Oh my! It was orgasmic! True that there was nothing new about the story or anything but the movie was fantastic! It was probably James McAvoy's character that made this movie a really big hit to me. The character of Wesley Gibson brought this movie to life. After watching this movie, I wished I was an assassin!!!! Take that!!!!

Over Her Dead Body (2008) - So the last movie is this romantic comedy about how Eva Longoria's ghost was hunting a psychic for dating her supposed husband had she not died at the day of her wedding. This movie reminded me of "Just Like Heaven" starring Mark Ruffalo and Reese Witherspoon, but the former pales in comparison. I admit the movie is funny at times, but yeah there was no "X" factor to it. It was a nice concept but I felt like it needed a little more kick to it. Longoria, Biggs and Bell did an okay job in acting but I can't say the same for Paul Rudd who was probably sick the whole time they were shooting the movie because he's so lifeless.

Hey, you! Wanna read more FCs? Click here: FC1, FC2 and FC3

Blogomus: A Better Labels Widget

noreply@blogger.com (Joe) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 21:32:00 +0000

From the very common TAG CLOUD, I've switched to the new, animated, flash based BLOGOMUS labels widget. "Blogumus" is a Flash based tag cloud widget which uses scripts converted from Roy Tanck's WP Cumulus plug-in for Wordpress. Obviously, blogspot owners can get one for their site too because I was able to get one. Due to an unexpected malfunction of my template, I switched to a new one. Right now, I'm having a hard time putting the BLOGOMUS widget back. Still, you can try putting it in your site.

Look at my sidebar. Again, you won't see it in there right now for I have switched to a new template. Try this site instead. If you try to hover the mouse pointer over it, the labels sorta spins in a wheel-like direction. Kewl, right? So kewl that I have received requests to post a tutorial on how to get one. This post took me forever to make because posting HTML tags in "compose mode" is so freakin' hard. But for you valued friends ,I'll climb the highest mountains & swim the deepest of seas! Haha. So yeah, here it goes. Remember to back up your template, ok? We don't want to regret messing up our templates, don't we? (As i have soooo many times before! Dumb*ss) So go to LAYOUT then click on EDIT HTML. Next is you search for this line:

<b:section class='sidebar' id='sidebar' preferred='yes'>

An easier way to do this is by pressing CTRL F. I've told you that before at my tutorial with Favicons (found here). It is also important to note that the above code may look different from other templates. So after locating that line, add the code below immediately after it:

<b:widget id='Label99' locked='false' title='Labels' type='Label'>
<b:includable id='main'>
<b:if cond='data:title'>
<h2><data:title/></h2>
</b:if>
<div class='widget-content'>
<script src='http://halotemplates.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-cumulus-example/swfobject.js' type='text/javascript'/>
<div id='flashcontent'>Blogumulus by <a href='http://www.roytanck.com/'>Roy Tanck</a> and <a href='http://www.bloggerbuster.com'>Amanda Fazani</a></div>
<script type='text/javascript'>
var so = new SWFObject("http://halotemplates.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-cumulus-example/tagcloud.swf", "tagcloud", "240", "300", "7", "#ffffff");
// uncomment next line to enable transparency
//so.addParam("wmode", "transparent");
so.addVariable("tcolor", "0x333333");
so.addVariable("mode", "tags");
so.addVariable("distr", "true");
so.addVariable("tspeed", "100");
so.addVariable("tagcloud", "<tags><b:loop values='data:labels' var='label'><a expr:href='data:label.url' style='12'><data:label.name/></a></b:loop></tags>");
so.addParam("allowScriptAccess", "always");
so.write("flashcontent");
</script>
<b:include name='quickedit'/>
</div>
</b:includable>
</b:widget>

Like me, you may wanna have to customize your BLOGOMUS to fit the size of your sidebar and the style of your blog. Here's how: the default values are the following: WIDTH 240px, HEIGHT 300px, BACKGROUND COLOR white, FONT COLOR grey, FONT SIZE 12. Just edit the variables you want by replacing the desired value or color.

var so = new SWFObject("http://halotemplates.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-cumulus-example/tagcloud.swf", "tagcloud", "240", "300", "7", "#ffffff");

"240" refers to the width, "300" refers to height while "#ffffff" refers to white. Just play with it to get the desired width, height and backround color of your Blogomus

so.addVariable("tcolor", "0x333333");

"0x333333" refers to the font color which is grey. You could edit it and change it to any color you want provided, of course, that you know the color codes of the chart. Worry no more because I've got the color chart right here for you. Love me! Love me! Love me more!!!Haha.

so.addVariable("tagcloud", "");

Lastly, change the font size of your labels. That's the "12" in the above code. So There you go, you've just made your customized, animated BLOGOMUS widget! Haha.

Thanks to Blogger Buster for the help in making this post.

No Room for Mistakes

noreply@blogger.com (Joe) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0000

I am CAPABLE.

I will SUCCEED.

Dock! Canon Ball!

noreply@blogger.com (Joe) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0000

It was one of really fun days with people you've been wanting to see so much because you miss them. You are seated inside a moviehouse with your high school friends enjoying a movie called "The Last Samurai", a Tom Cruise-starrer. More than paying attention to the movie, you look around and thought about how you missed these guys.

After you guys separated ways for college, there was barely any time to get together. You were all lucky this time because you were able to set a group date where everyone agreed to the time and place. Thank gawg! After much effort to see each other, your schedules finally matched.

So there you were, looking around your row at the moviehouse. Your lovebird classmates were busy whispering to each other, the school jock was in dream wonderland while both his feet were rsting on the seat in front of him, and two gossip girls were chit-chatting. "They've never changed a bit," you thought and then turned your attention back in the movie.

The scene was when the war between the Japanese governement and the samurais were about to broke off. Everybody in the battlefield was getting ready to attack. On the signal of the cannon, the soldiers and the samurais will run towards each other and clash. Everybody was concentrating now. Any moment now. Three... two... one... BOOM!

"Arggh! Ano yun!?!?!" the Jock was awakened from his deep slumber by the sound of the cannon. You guys looked at each other for 3 seconds then all let out the loudest laugh you had in years. the look at Jock's face was priceless. He was startled, alright! Haha. "Yup!" you thought, "They are still the same,"

Cosplay Anyone?

noreply@blogger.com (Joe) — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 21:02:00 +0000

What is Cosplay? Cosplay, short for costume play, is a type of performace art in which the participants dress themselves as specific characters from manga, anime, comic books, video games and fantasy movies. Some are good at it; some are bad. Let's look at some of them and decide which are the good ones.

And this has gotta be the worst cosplay out there!

Pinoy Urban Legends 1.0

noreply@blogger.com (Joe) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:00:00 +0000

Urban Legends are modern folkloric tales thought to be factual by those circulating them. Urban legends are not necessarily false but, most often than not, they are distorted, exaggerated and sensationalized overtime. Some of the more popular Urban Legends are those of Bloody Mary, the Blair Witch and those that involve psycho killers. The Philippines has its share of creepy urban legends and although Halloween is still weeks away, let's look back at some of the scariest apocryphal tales.

1. A couple was driving along a dark road in the middle of the nigh. The car broke down and after much tinkering, the guy decided to go and ask for help. He told his girlfriend to lock the doors and windows and not to go out while he was gone. And so, he left. Because the guy was taking too long to return the girl fell asleep, only to be startled by a squalid old man in tattered clothes knocking at the window. Scared for her safety she tried to shoo the man away but to no avail. The old man became more aggressive which caused the girl to scream. She blew the horns madly thinking somebody would hear and help her. The old man went away but came back several minutes after. He knocked at the door and showed the girl the bodiless head of her boyfriend. When she started screaming again, the old man showed the girl the car keys.

2.A woman was working in a post office. She was supposed to use a sponge to seal the envelopes but one day she didn't. She used her tongue instead. Days after , she noticed that her tongue had a strange lump in it. It got so big that she was having a hard time eating or talking. That was when she decided to see a doctor. He cut open the lump and a live roach crawled out! Turns out, there were roach eggs on the envelope flap and they hatched in her tongue!

3. They were roommates. The other one was getting ready for a party while the other was getting ready to sleep. So the former closed the lights as he went out of the room. When he reached the parking area, he realized that he forgot his keys so he went back to get it. He didn't bother to open the lights anymore since he knows where it is and he does not want to disturb his sleeping roommate. After the party, while he was driving back to his dorm, he noticed that there was an ambulance following him and some police cars too. As soon as he entered the grounds of Ateneo, the ambulance was still tailing him. When he reached his dorm, there was a crowd surrounding his room. His roommate was murdered, his body dismembered and on the mirror was a note in blood "thank you for not opening the lights".

4. Four female friends went on a joyride to Batangas one weekend. That late evening, in one lonely stretch of road, they decided to have some photo-souvenirs of their spontaneous foray. So, they went off their car, and took pictures of themselves three at a time (the fourth was behind the camera). Something entered their minds and began to play hide-and-seek. After their game, one of their friends did not return. They searched for her to no avail. She was never found. A few weeks after the sad incident, the film they had in their camerea was developed. The owner of the camera took a look at the developed pictures and started screaming. In one of the pictures, among her three friends, was an old lady with her arm slung across the shoulder of their missing friend.

5. It was the onset of sem break. While a resident was still packing her bag, her roommate was ready to go. Since the former wasn't done yet, the latter went ahead. Then the roommate's parents came in looking for her. The resident told them that she already left. When the resident was about to finish her packing, she opened the closet and saw her roommate inside--already decomposing.

6. A girl was left alone in a jeepney. The girl then noticed the driver kept on glancing at her with a menacing face. Scared because she was alone and it was past midnight, she ordered the driver to stop so that she could get off but the driver did not respond. Worse, the driver drove off his route and drove in streets she've never seen before. Then after some time, the driver went back to his route and brought the girl home. When the girl got off the jeep, the driver got off too. "Miss, pagdating mo sa bahay hubarin mo yung damit mo tapos sunugin mo. Kasi kanina nung tiningnan kita sa salamin wala kang ulo. Baka kasi namanigno ka kaya nagiba ako ng daan para maligaw kung sinoman yung manignong sumusunod sayo."

More Pinoy Urban Legends on part 2...

So That's What You Call Work?

noreply@blogger.com (Joe) — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 15:00:00 +0000

I'm working. I think? Haha. So after graduating last march and passing the boards last July, I just got work! I have been training for this cert company for almost two weeks now and I must say I am enjoying it so far. Except for my work being on a night shift (no, I am not a "pay for sex guy"), I find the work pretty easy..for now at least. I'm still on training so I shouldn't be verey confident. Thng is it doesn't really look like work to me. Regulars in the office would eat at their desk, sleep when they want to, talk like friends while working... I mean come on! Is that what you call work?

I say I have made a really good decision choosing this job. I could have been working since after I passed the boards but I chose not too because this was the company I wanted to work for. It took them so long to hire me but dang! I am having a blast. The work is so laid back. People there are pretty nice too. And sometime next month, we would be moving to a new office which is way cooler than what we have now. Think plasma TVs and Nintendo Wiis few steps away from our desks! How kewl is that! Haha.

Now, I'm still wondering what should I do with my first pay check! That would be the very first money I played hard for...I mean "worked" hard for. Sigh...