CHUBBY BRAIN

New Facebook 'Photos' Interface: Overview

2012-10-01T00:38:00.001-07:00

So just recently, Facebook rolled out some changes in it's 'Photos' interface. It's a bit confusing at first but once you get used to it, it is actually cooler and more organized than the one before.

We will now have a quick "tour" on the new interface of Facebook Photos. First things first, unlike it's one-tabbed predecessor, the new one have three tabs namely Photos of You, Photos and Albums.

PHOTOS OF YOU - It will show the photos that had been tagged by you or others. In the old interface, these photos appear below the page after the albums.

PHOTOS - It will show ALL the photos you had uploaded from the newest upload to the oldest.

ALBUMS- Will show all the albums that you have. The coolest thing about this interface is that when you point your mouse to each album it will start a slideshow of the photos in that specific album. So you don't have to actually click it. You can just point your mouse and watch the slideshow, unless of course you want a larger view.

Enjoy the new Facebook Photos interface and happy browsing!

Comments are welcome and appreciated!

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Pope: "Gays aren't fully developed human" | Lady Gaga: "Don't Pay Attention!"

2012-09-29T13:29:00.000-07:00

Gay people are not fully developed people because they do not obey Catholic laws, says Pope Benedict XVI in response to the French government considering gay marriage.

He also added that, "Marriage and the family are institutions that must be promoted and defended from every possible misrepresentation of their true nature, since whatever is injurious to them is injurious to society itself" and "the family is threatened in many places by a defection of human nature."

In an interview, the most popular defender of gay rights, Lady Gaga had commented against the Pope's statement and said that the gay community should not pay attention to what the pope had said.

She said, "What the pope think of being gay doesn't matter. It doesn't matter to the world. It matters only to those who like and follow the pope."

"And to the gay people out there", she added, "I hope you will have the human right to breed as an entirely equal, valuable and special member of the society."

My point of view:

I believe that nobody, not even the Pope, can judge others for being "incomplete" or "unhappy", etc. just because they don't share same faith or belief. I say it's the pope who is "not a fully developed human" because human development is based on intellect and an intellectual man won't just judge someone because of something as lame as sexual preference.

I refuse to follow a religion who would persecute someone because of their sexual orientation and waives someone's right to happiness just because he is gay. Everybody has the right to be happy, even the Pope has a right to express his thoughts but to say that someone is "not fully developed" just because he is gay is a total bullshit (excuse the expression).

And lastly, I totally disagree that being gay "is a defection of human nature", hindering them from happiness and forcing them to be heteros - that is!

*Comments are welcome!!

Never Been To Me - Every Woman's Song

2012-04-16T11:12:00.000-07:00

Charlene's Never Been To Me is my favourite classic. I first heared in sang by mom in the karaoke when I was a kid and started singing it too. I never really understood what it meant by then, i just love the melody and most of all, it talks about places I fantasize - California and Greece (while sipping champaigne in a yacht - cool eh?). By then, the famous line "I've been to paradise but I've never been to me" was too deep for me to comprehend.

But now that I am a bit older, listening to the song gives me goosebumps. It's more than just going to places, it's more than just luxuries. In fact, it's a song of a woman who had "been there, done that" but realized that there's more to life than just "that".

You probably never heard of Charlene (or Charlene Marilynn D'Angelo), specially if you are someone from my generation, or later. She was a struggling artist of the 70's - 80's (the era of more popular stars like Karen Carpenter, Barbara Streisand and Cher), recorded a couple songs but never really got to the charts. Never Been To Me was initially released in 1976 but had very little success. And when it was re-released in 1982, it was then that it became a hit. Became No.1 in the charts and eventually became every successful, yet unhappy woman's theme song.

I see two women on the song. The woman who is singing and the woman she is talking to - it could be anyone, it could be me or you, if you will. But I guess she is refering to women in general, sort of an advise to women who are discontented with their lives and are wanting more than just being a simple mother and a wife. It got more personal when she said, "I wish someone had talked to me like I wanna talk to you".

If you listen to it and try to feel the song, she talks about her not having children and being alone, "Hey lady, don't just walk away, for I have the need to tell you why I'm alone today". She had chosen to keep on running from life, until she "ran out of places and friendly faces".

The spoken bridge says it all:

"You know what paradise is, it's a LIE! A fantasy we create about people and places as what we like them to be. But you know what TRUTH is? It's that little baby you're holding and it's that man you fought with this morning, the same one you're gonna make love with tonight. That's truth, that's life."

And this:

"Sometimes I've been to crying for unborn children that might have made me complete,
But I took the sweet life and never knew I'll be bitter from the sweet."

It's a very emotional song. A song advising women to stop seeking things in life that doesn't exist or are unimportant. The song may be from decades ago, but it totally matches today's generation. A generation where majority of people wants material things and travelling to every corner of the world more than anything. Prioritizing these things may lead us with no family, loss of precious time in gathering useless possesions and in the end - dying along and all by ourselves.

Oh wait, do I hear ladies complaining, "Hey not only women, men too can be like that". Well, you didn't let me finish. I got here a male version sang by a British performer Howard Keel. Still we got two characters, two men of course (no, not a Brokeback thingy!). The song tells about a beggar he met on the street asking for a dime for coffee. Telling him that he is racing hell like he used to do. And told him the story as to why he ended up "being alone today" - no wife and children. Almost same lyrics but more manly. He had "been to China and Siberia and to any ship that can sail" and "wrecked the country jail", trying to run and be free, he had been with a hundred women but realized that "only LOVE can set him free".

Check out his version here:

The song didn't say that we should not travel or we should not live a luxurious and comfortable life. You can have all that if your finances can suffice, of course. Just don't forget other things that matters more. Dont just take the sweet life for you'll never know you may get "bitter from the sweet".

And now I understand what it meant by the title line - she (or he) had been to a lot of happy places, experienced all the luxury life can ever give, but in the end it all turned out to nothing. Because she (or he) was not able to find herself and what can really make her (or him) a happy camper. "Ive been to pradise, but I'v never been to me."

Chubby Review: The Girl With A Dragon Tattoo (Hollywood vs Swedish)

2012-03-26T17:06:00.000-07:00

Let me start this by saying that I am a little disappointed in the movies (just a little, really), because they never got one to perfectly match the real Lisbeth - she is supposed to be a 23-year old punk, brilliant hacker who looks like 12 years old, height is 4'9" and she's got almost no boobs - that's why she got a boob job on the sequel. Not that it mattered, but that was supposed to add a chill to the character, right? - a little tough lady.

As I understood, since the Swedish film came out first, David Fincher tried to hard to make the plot as close to the novel as he can yet as different from the first movie adaptation as possible.There are major details of course that they cannot alter, so the difference are mainly on the minor ones. But since the Sweidsh adaptation had been critically-aclaimed, not to mention a box-office hit, for sure it had been a huge challenge in Fincher's filmmaking ability. As what they say, it's like fixing something that is not broken (or is already brilliant) in the first place.

I cannot argue with most Western reviewers, in general, the English adoptation is indeed a better one in a lot ways. Well, since it got a better budget ($100M vs the later's $13M), it looks and sound better (of course Hollywood would never settle for less).The characters too suits better. Yeah, Noomi Rapace is a very good actress, she did the role very well, but there was not too much chemistry in the two main characters in the first film. Mikael looks to old and too lumpy and she was too spiky and harsh - and it's so unlikely and akward when they ended up together in bed. On the other hand, Ronney Mara and Daniel Craig had this chemistry and dynamics since the start - when Mikael broke into her apartment with coffee and bagel. Even without reading the novel, you'll know somehow, they will end up having beautiful rromance despite the age difference. And Erica Berger (Kalle's co-editor of Millenium and long-time lover) is supposed to be a hot lady on her 40's - and they got that on the English version, the first one was too old and not so classy to be projected as a lady who had been married to a rockstar and is having a long time affair with her co-editor, and note - her husband permits the affair and even allows her to spend a night with Mikael, provided that she keep their marriage intact - she should have a hot personality to have such a colorful lovelife, right?

But in fairness to Niels Arden Oplev's Swedish film, it is also better in some ways. Since the novel is on Swedish setting, the Swedish actors looks more natural in the film, the places looks more appropriate - that is if you had read it of course. An quoting from Oplev, "It’s like, what do you want to see, the French version of “La Femme Nikita” or the American one? "

If you had read the novel though, you'll surely notice that there were little, yet good-to-have details that the adaptations hadn't included or altered. Which, I believe, is inneviatble because you cannot really put all of the details from a novel of hundreds of pages into a two-and-a-half hour film. Here are some of them:

In the English version (so with the novel), Kalle's daughter visited her and she was the one who discovered that the names and numbers in the journal are reference to bible verses, in the Swedish film, it was Lisbeth who discovered it and emailed it to Mikael, there was no reference to his daughter in the Swedish film. Palmgren, Lisbeth's first guardian was not mentioned in the Swedish film too, I believe he played a huge part in Lisbeth's character and it is a good thing that the US version includes him. The flashback of the 60's is also a good one. And they also made a big deal out of the part where Lisbeth had dressed up, went to the Carribean and withdrawn funds from Wennerstrom's bank accounts in the Cayman Islands - i love that part, she's so gorgeous!

On the Swedish version on the other hand, they had their share of good stuff. There were more details in Lisbeth's life showed on the Swedish adaptation. It shows how she had killed her dad, something that's not told on the novel until the sequel (The Girl Who Played With Fire) although the prequel had already somehow gave us an idea of what happened back then that bought her to be under guardianship. It also tells about her relationship to her mom, something not mentioned on the English version. The Swedish fillmaker also chose to include the fact that Mikael will be in prison for 3mos on top of the fine.

And my favorite in the Swedish version - the whole travel to Australia thing. Although they altered how they found out that Harriet is in Australia, it's still a good thing that they had included that Harriet migrated to Australia, using Anita's name, got married to a sheep farm owner, now managing the farm with her sons - she's also sun-tanned so it looks really believable. In the English film, they left out that part and decided to find Harriet in London where Anita used to be living before she died. But Anita isn't supposed to be dead right? She should be in London and wiretapping her line will lead them to Australia, were Harriet is living under Anita's name. But that was fine.

For me, both films are great in their own ways. And I really cannot say one is better than the other. Both movies are great because they came from one single plot - one great novel. And this is just the start. I havn't watched the sequel yet, it's because I am not yet done readin "The Girl Who Played With Fire". For some reasons, I love reading it first before watching it.

There's A Fine, Fine Line Between Love and a Waste of Time

2012-03-20T22:33:00.000-07:00

"There's a fine, fine line between a fairy tale and a lie,
There's a fine, fine line between 'you're wonderful' and 'good bye'
I guess if someone doesn't love you back, it isn't such a crime,
But there's a fine, fine line between Love and a waste of time."
-Avenue Q

You may be a teen, who is just starting to make sense of this crazy little thing called love, thinking that LOVE is always cool and always great, with your Knight in Shining Armor riding in a white horse, you have your own version of a Cinderella story and all other Hollywood movie cliche, but you're too afraid to try it out.

You could also be a thirty year-old single lady who had already been through half-a-dozen break-ups and is feeling hopeless that you will ever have your own "happy-ever-after" relationship.

Or you could be a pretty young lady who just had a recent heart break and is not facing the mirror asking stupid questions like, "Am I not pretty enough?", "Is she better than me?", "What have I done wrong?" or worse, "Do I not deserve to be happy?" (well, the last question is foolish, of course everybody do! No matter how ugly you are - no erase than, they say all of God's creation are lovely - but yes, no matter who (or what?) you are, you deserve to be happy!)

Or lastly, you can be someone who thought you've already moved on from your previous relationship and you've already learned that most men are jerks and they deserve some sort of "revenge", your thinking of be-friending his/her current love interest and is planning to sabotage his/her life (if that's the case, then you haven't moved on yet!)

You may be one of the persons mentioned (or none of the above), but since you are reading this, you probably are interested in the four letter world spelled L-O-V-E. Now, the question is, is love really a waste of time? No it's not! As what the song or that picture above says (please forgive my spastic fingers for such an ugly hand-writing - I'm just trying to make this thing as personalized as possible), there is a fine line between the two. Meaning just one wrong move, and you will get thrown unto the other side of the line - and you're "soon-to-be-happy-ever-after" will be a complete waste of time. But more often that not, it is actually worth the try. But never believe in that old-school cliche saying " There's no harm in trying" - of course there is! If you try to learn ballet, you may break your legs. If you try to learn swimming, you might drown and die. If you try falling in-love, you MIGHT get a broken heart that often cause irreparable damage (no erase that, it is always repairable, it just takes a while). But never be afraid to get a broken heart! As you grow older, you will still get your heart broken one way or another, whether or not you are in a relationship. After all, it is when you fail that you will learn more.

Love, like life is a trial-and-error. You will fail here, but it doesn't mean you'll let yourself be stacked. You have to move forward, meet someone new and try it all over again. Is there a guarantee that it will last? There's none. You just have to keep wishing that it will work the next time around. Somewhere, somehow, you will meet someone who will be worth it. You will cry a bit, or sometimes a lot, bit at the end of the road, you're not going to count how many barrels of tears you've cried for that person, what will matter the most, are the happy days you had, and knowing that despite all the trials, the two of you still made it through. If in the end, you both, or one of you will realize that it's not meant to be, you will go separate ways, your heart will break again. But if it had been a happy and lovely journey, then it's worth it. If may a waste of your time, but it could be worth the waste.

As what this bitter-sweet song says, "You'll never know till you reach the top if it was worth the uphill climb". There may be a lot of painful risks in trying, but it was the people who tried that reached the finish line with victory.

*Listen to the song here: There's A Fine Fine Line by Avenue Q

Chubby Review: Nights in Rodanthe (novel) by Nicholas Sparks

2012-03-20T20:33:00.000-07:00

"A tender story of hope and joy; of sacrifice and forgiveness -- a moving reminder that love is possible at any age, at any time, and often comes when we least expect it. At forty-five, Adrienne Willis must rethink her entire life when her husband abandons her for a younger woman. Reeling with heartache and in search of a respite, she flees to the small coastal town of Rodanthe, North Carolina to tend to a friend's inn for the weekend. But when a major storm starts moving in, it appears that Adrienne's perfect getaway will be ruined -- until a guest named Paul Flanner arrives. At fifty-four, Paul has just sold his medical practice and come to Rodanthe to escape his own shattered past. Now, with the storm closing in, two wounded people will turn to each other for comfort -- and in one weekend set in motion feelings that will resonate throughout the rest of their lives."

Review:
Just like the non-disputed The Notebook, the story of Paul and Adrienne tells that love is not time-bound, nor is it a matter of age, nor of distance. As always, Nick Sparks never failed to make me cry. The story is remarkable but not as much as the characters themselves - Paul, 50 years old, a very successful surgeon who had ended up loosing the heart of his wife and son along the way, now trying to make everything right in his life ; and Adrienne, 45, a woman who had devoted all those years being a responsible mother of three after a painful divorce, forgetting herself in the process. After reading it, I came up with a realization that the movie is not only about an intimate love story shared by two individuals in the most unexpected circumstances, more than a few days of intimacy during a storm. It also tells us about a mother's love for her daughter (Amanda), who lost her husband at a young age, to whom Adrienne had ended up telling their secret love story to, 14 years after it happened, for her to know that she understands how it felt to lose someone she loves dearly, for she too had lost her heart when Paul, a few months before they can finally be together had died in an accident after saving his son from a landslide while volunteering in Ecuador.

Sparks, a fan of a tragic ending, which somehow depicts reality that love is not always a happy-ever-after did a good job in this story. I tried to compare this to other novels of him, but I cannot. Because every story has it's own impact, they are awesome in their own ways. And despite the same element in the stories: divorce, southern living, death, cancer and long distance love affair, he had made every story distinct from the other. Needless to say, Nights in Rodanthe is superb!

Trivia: The names of the lead characters where Nick's Christmas present to his in-laws - Paul and Adrienne.

DEAR KUYA ATBP. KWENTONG CANADA

2011-05-14T06:23:00.000-07:00

"Dear Kuya, kamusta ka na jan, anong balita?

Malamig ba jan? Dito mainit...

Ngunit pag bumagyo para bang lahat ng tubig sa mundo ay nandito..

Matagal narin, mula ng ikay magpasyang subukan ang swerte..."

Ito ang kanta ng bandang Sugarfree na ginawa para sa mga kapatid, kapamilya at kaibigang nangingibang-bansa. Kanta na nagpapahayag ng damdamin ng pamilyang naiwan dito sa Pilipinas, mga kaibigang nag-aalala at mga kapamilyang nagmamahal. Marami akong mga kaibigan na napilitan o piniling mangibang-bansa at bukas, madadagdagan na naman ang bilang nila. Bagong kaibigan ko si Hubert, nakilala ko sa Music Ministry ng aming Christian Church (WIN Pateros). Lilipad siya bukas patungong Alberta, Canada sa sponsorship ng Papa niyang immigrant doon. Doon na niya ipagpapatuloy ang pag-aaral. Mababawasan ng isang miyembro ang Ministry sa pag-alis niya at mami-miss namin ang kakulitan niya.

Si Hubert ay isa lamang sa maraming Pilipino na mas piniling iwan ang bansang kinalakhan para mahanap ang mas magandang kinabukasan sa dako pa roon. Hindi natin maaaring husgahan ang sino man sa kanila sapagkat aminin man natin o hindi ay sadyang hindi kayang ibigay ng ating mahal na bayang Pilipinas ang mga oportunidad at kinabukasan na maibibigay ng mga bansa sa Kanluran.

Dalawang araw mula ngayon ay mararating na niya ang pangalawang pinakamalaking bansa sa mundo. Ang bansa na kilala sa kanilang "diversity" at "multi-culturalism". Ang bansa nina Celine Dion, Avril Lavigne at ang siyempre di natin pwedeng di banggitin sa Justin Bieber. Kilala ang Canada bilang bansa na kung saan may snow sa loob ng halos buong taon (maliban sa Alberta na considered as the sunniest province in Canada). Ang Canada ang bansang pinipili ng maraming Pilipinong nagbabalak manirahan sa ibang bansa. Doon, may excellent Health Care Services at napakaraming job opportunities. At maituturing man silang isang English nation, maraming mga bagay na masasabing "Only In Canada".

Kilala ang mga Canadian sa pagiging likas na mabait. Natural sa kanila ang mag apologize if somebody steps on their foot and the other apologizes for making the other apologize for it. At kilala sila sa kanilang unique na vocabulary. Hindi ka maituturing na Canadian kung di mo alam ang ibig sabihin ng chesterfield, poutine, serviette at toque. Ang letter "Z" ay tinatawag na "ZED" as in "X-Y-Zed". Ang biever ay isang napaka-importanteng hayop. Ang Ice Hockey ay napaka-importanteng laro na di pwedeng palampasin.

Alam namin na sa Canada, ang aming kaibigan ay nasa mabuting mga kamay. Ngunit gaya nga ng laging sinasabi ng lahat ng aming mga kaibigan at kasamahan sa pananampalataya, "Wag kang makakalimot lumingon sa iyong pinanggalingan". Maaaring napakaganda ng mga bagay na maibibigay ng mga bansa sa kanluran, ngunit para sa akin, wala paring mas hihigit sa pagmamahal at pag-aaruga ng mga kaibigan, kapitbahay at kapamilyang Pilipino. Iba parin na tumatanda ka na kasama ang mga kaibigang iyong kasamang kinalakihan. Iba parin pag nagigising ka sa umaga sa agahan na pandesal at kape at sa tanghali ay kasalo ang pamilya sa pagkain ng sinigang, adobo o tuyo at itlog na pula na may kamatis. Iba parin talaga sa Pilipinas at iba parin talaga kapiling ang mga Pilipino.

Sa'yo Hubert, Bon Voyage! Maligayang Paglalakbay at naway gabayan ka ng Diyos sa mga kakaharapin ong pagsubok sa dayuhang bansa. Humayo ka kaibigan at wag mong kalimutang humingi lagi ng gabay sa taas! Salamat sa mga ala-ala at mga masasayang tugtugan!

:)

ANG PANSIT CANTON AT ANG PILIPINAS

2011-03-30T20:54:00.000-07:00

Tanghali na ako nagising kanina at parang feel ko kumain ng Pansit Canton. Di pa man ako nakakapag-hilamos ay lumabas na ako para bumili sa 24hrs na tindahan sa may labasan. Inabot sa akin ang binili kong Lucky Me Pansit Canton Kalamansi Flavor at... watdapak! P9.00 na pala ang pansit canton. Bihira na kasi ako kumain ng noodles kaya di ko alam na ang mahal na pala. Nung hyskul ako, P5.00 palang yun.. Tumaas na pala ng P4.00 sa loob ng limang taon.

Nung college ako, pag nagkaka-gipitan sa allowance, pansit canton ang tinitira namin. Yun ang pagkain ng mga gipit sa pera dati (at syempre sa mga tamad magluto). Pero ngayon na P9.00 na ang panist canton at P8.00 ang instant noodles, maituturing pa ba itong "affordable"? At syempre, ang bottom line, mahal na ang preso ng gasolina kaya mahal na lahat. Eh kapag bumababa ba ang presyo ng gasolina, magbababa din ang bilihin? Hindi! Halimbawa, ilang buwan na ang nakakaraan, tumaas umano ang demand ng asukal sa world market na naging dahilan ng pagbulusok ng presyo ng asukal sa bansa. Ngunit hanggang ngayon ba ay nagkakaroon parin ng ganoong problema? Hindi na po. Subalit bakit ngayon ay P18.00 na ang 1/4 na kilo ng segundang asukal na dating P8.50 lang? Maraming mga katanungan ang nasa isipan ng mga ordinaryong mamamayan ng Pilipinas. Bakit mahal ang asukal gayong nasa Pilipinas ang malalaking 'sugarcane plantation' na pag-aari pa nga ng pamilya ng ating mahal na Pangulo. Bakit gayon na lamang ang mahal ng bigas gayong nasa Pilipinas ang pinaka-malalaking palayan? Kung umaangkat man tayo ng bigas sa mga karatig bansa, hindi rin dapat ganoon kalaki ang deperensya. Ang LPG, tuloy-tuloy din ang pagtaas, magro-rollback lamang ng kaunti ngunit tataas din ng doble o higit pa sa ibinaba. Pati nga uling na dating P150 lang ang sako, ngayon P250 na. Ano na lamang ang gagawin ng mga mahihirap na pamilyang Pilipino? Hanggang reklamo nalang, dahil wala namang magagawa, hindi mo naman pwedeng boykotin ang bigas, asukal at mantika dahil kailangan ito sa pang-araw-araw.

Sa lahat ng ito, kawawa ang mga mahihirap na mamamayan na walang magagawa kundi sikmurain ang pagbulusok ng presyo ng bilihin, maswerte ang mga mayayamang negosyante na nagmo-monopolize ng industriya. Kawawa ang mga drayber na sinisikmura ang pagtaas ng presyong petrolyo, kawawa ang mga pasahero naaapektuhan ng pagtaas ng pamasahe, maswerte ang BIG 3 na tinatawag, mga monopolistikong malalaking kompanya ng langis na tanging nagkakaroon ng benepisyo sa paghihirap ng mga simpleng Pilipino. Kawawa ang mga mahihirap na maysakit na walang magagawa kundi bilhin ang mahal na gamot na pini-prescribe ng doctor, maswerte ang mga malalaking pharmaceutical companies na bumuo ng oligopolyo upang makontrol at mai-fix ang presyo ng mga gamot sa domestik na pamilihan. Ito ang dahilan kung bakit mga bata palang tayo ay naririnig na natin ang mga katagang, "Sa Pilipinas, lalong yumayaman ang mayayaman at lalong humihirap ang mahihirap." Nung bata ako, akala ko lahat tayo ay magiging maalwan ang buhay kung magsisikap lang at magtatyaga, akala ko tamad lang ang nagiging mahirap. Ngunit habang lumalaki ako at nagiging saksi sa kalupitan ng mundo, napagtanto kong hindi lahat ng nagsisikap ay umaangat. Dahil dito sa bansa natin, wala ang tinatawag na "equal opportunity". Equal opportunity to excel, equal opportunity to express, equal opportunity to be heard at equal opportunity to justice. Lahat ng ito ay hindi makikita sa Pilipinas. Sa halos lahat ng pagkakataon (kung hindi man sa lahat), mayayaman lang ang nagkakaroon ng boses.

At kung gaano naman kamahal ang bilihin dito sa aking bansa, siya namang mura ng buhay ng tao. Saan pa ba, kundi dito ka lamang makakakita ng buhay na nakikitil dahil sa cellphone na nagkakahalang P1,000 o mga taong tinutumba ng hired killer na binabayaran ng sampung libo. Dito nabibili ng mura ang hustisya. Naaareglo ang kasong pagpatay o rape sa dalawampung libo at nababayaran ang otoridad para sa proteksyon ng malalaking sindikato. Dito rin mura lang ang dignidad. Mga taong ipagpapalit ang dangal at prinsipyo at sinumpaan sa bayan para sa kaunting halaga gaya ng mga heneral ng hukbong tanggulan na lumilibot sa mundo para magbakasyon gamit ang pera ng bayan. Dito iniiwan ng mga ama, ina at anak ang kanilang pamilya upang makipagsapalaran kapalit ang maliit na halaga at minsan ay nagpapahamak pa sa kanila.

Mahal ko ang Pilipinas, paulit-ulit ko itong sinasabi simula noong kinder kung kailan natutunan kong bigkasin ang Panatang Makabayan at kantahin ang Lupang Hiniranag, para sa akin, napakaganda ng aking bansa, dahilan upang araw-araw ay dalawin ito ng mga turista, ngunit ang mga katotohanan na kumakalabit sa akin sa tuwing nakakakita ako ng batang natutulog sa kalye at nakakapanood ng balita sa telebisyon tungkol sa krimen, kahirapan at korapsyon, di ko mapigilang manghinayang. Ako ay isang Pilipino, nagta-Tagalog, kumakain ng fishball at kwek-kwek, isaw at adidas, mahilig ako sa pansit canton gaya iba kong kababayan at ako ay buhay na saksi sa mga malungkot na pangyayari sa lipunan. Dahil sa pansit canton na kinain ko kaninang agahan, napagtanto kong muli ang isang malaking katotohanan na pilit kong iniiwasan... MALALA NA NGA TALAGA ANG SAKIT NG MAHAL KONG BAYAN.

2011-03-25T19:14:00.000-07:00

CLICK THE PHOTO BELOW TO VOTE TAYLOR SWIFT AS ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR AT THE ACADEMY FOR COUNTRY MUSIC (ACM) AWARDS...

Histrionic Personality Disorder (HDP)

2011-03-19T23:11:00.000-07:00

Histrionic personality disorder (HPD) is defined by the American Psychiatric Association as a personality disorder characterized by a pattern of excessive emotionality and attention-seeking, including an excessive need for approval and inappropriate seductiveness, usually beginning in early adulthood. These individuals are lively, dramatic, enthusiastic, and flirtatious.

They may be inappropriately sexually provocative, express strong emotions with an impressionistic style, and be easily influenced by others. Associated features may include egocentrism, self-indulgence, continuous longing for appreciation, feelings that are easily hurt, and persistent manipulative behavior to achieve their own needs.

People with histrionic personality disorder usually have GOOD SOCIAL SKILLS, but they tend to use these skills to MANIPULATE other people and become the CENTER OF ATTENTION. Furthermore, histrionic personality disorder may affect a person's social or romantic relationships or their ability to cope with losses or failures.

People with this disorder lack genuine empathy. They start relationships well but tend to falter when depth and durability are needed, alternating between extremes of idealization and devaluation. They may seek treatment for depression when romantic relationships end, although this is by no means a feature exclusive to this disorder.

Additional symptoms include:

* Exhibitionist behavior.
* Constant seeking of reassurance or approval.
* Excessive dramatics with exaggerated displays of emotions.
* Excessive sensitivity to criticism or disapproval.
* Inappropriately seductive appearance or behavior.
* Excessive concern with physical appearance.
* Somatic symptoms, and using these symptoms as a means of garnering attention.
* A need to be the center of attention.
* Low tolerance for frustration or delayed gratification.
* Rapidly shifting emotional states that may appear superficial or exaggerated to others.
* Tendency to believe that relationships are more intimate than they actually are.
* Making rash decisions.

Teenage Heartbreak, End of The World? (Of course not!)

2011-03-14T02:38:00.000-07:00

Love is a strange thing. When you are young and thinks you are in-love, you tend to do weird things, fall for weird people and fall apart in the weirdest way imaginable. I am pretty matured now, but every time I read teenage magazines and see teenage girls giggling over crushes and high school lovers, it feels like a time capsule is bringing me back to the old days.

I was pretty young the first time I fell in love, although I didn't know yet the difference between true love and puppy love that time. And when you're the teacher's daughter striving to be on top of the roll, boys seems to be distant. Nobody really courted me for real even until I was third year. I occasionally get love letters taped under my desk from "anonymous" senders saying "I'm cute" and "they are shy", those kinds of thing.... but there was no formal courtship. I somehow envy my girlfriends who had suitors who visits them at home on weekends and got boyfriends with their parent's blessing. Everybody says I'm lovely and smart and jolly and talented and all that, but I asked myself "Why in the world don't I have a boyfriend?". A question left unanswered until a few months later. Not to mention, my dad specifically said "NO BOYFRIEND TILL AFTER COLLEGE!", and that was one rule so hard to follow.

First, I will share my story with Chris (real name hidden for the person's privacy), a guy whom I had a huge crush for sometime. I started to notice him in second year. He was a petite boy with a clean cut and very neat. he is an awesome dancer and does "back flips" flawlessly. He plays the guitar and plays baseball for the athletic meet and he has a very good handwriting (I know, coz I often sneak at his testpapers on my mom's desk, I often hide some of them). My mom handled their Filipino class until they're senior year, and I can hardly count the times when I interrupt their class, calling my mom to ask for random things (money, ballpen, paper or even ask stupid questions) just so he could notice me. During the Student Council room-to-room campaign, I had the longest speech on the senior class. I absolutely did everything to get noticed but it seemed like non of them worked. Everytime I received anonymous letters I keenly checked the penmanship but nothing matched. He often smiles at me whenever we pass by each other (and of course I giggled to death) but that was all, nothing more. On the night of Student Council Induction Party, I finally had the courage to do what a decent teenage girl wasn't supposed to do. I asked him one huge question, "DO YOU LIKE ME OR NOT?" A moment of silence.... then he walked away without a word. I was horrified, embarrassed, disgusted and broken. I went home crying, I wasn't able to finish the party. The following morning, his bestfriend gave me a letter. It was from him, saying he was sorry and that he just didn't know what to say the other night. And there was the answer to the question of why I don't have a boyfriend. He said, "I liked you since last year. It's just that it won't be possible. I'm afraid to embarrass your mom, she might get mad at me if I court you. And I'm not good enough for you. You were up there smart and pretty. I am down here, with nothing." (that was really his statement and I kept that letter until my latest heartbreak last year when I decided to burn everything from my past, which I regret now). Then after that, I realize I never really loved him--- just INFATUATED. I was just stunned for his looks and therefore fantasize as what normal teens do. Then I moved on with my life. That was basically my first cry, not knowing that a lot will follow as year will go.

Months after that, I finally had my first boyfriend. But I won't elaborate more about him, coz I can hardly put in detail how I lost him. But I lost him a year and three months after, in the most painful way that you can possibly lost someone (you probably have a vague idea of what I mean).

After all, I realized that there's more to life than a high school romance that turned sour. I got a chance to meet other guys and even though most of them didn't work the way I wanted them to, I still stood up after every fall and moved forward.

In the past five years, I've been loved and dumped a couple of times already. And apart from the pain and heartaches, I learned a lot of lessons. 1) a teenage heartbreak is never the end of it all 2) a lot is yet to come during the rest and after our teenage days 3) when somebody leaves, it's an opportunity to find a better one 4) people come and go so you really can't expect everybody to stay, and 5) Everything happens for a reason -- so if you are in a difficult, painful situation today, keep believing that something good will soon come your way. Take it from me... I've been there!

---------------------------------------------

P.S.

I heard about Chris a few weeks ago (seven years after what happened), and I learned that he is currently in a serious commitment with another dude. Yes, I learned that he is homosexual. And I was enlightened... that's probably why! :)

THE CLIMB (The Mt. Sembrano Adventure Photo Blog)

2011-03-09T00:00:00.000-08:00

"Ain't about how fast I get there, ain't about what's waiting on the other side...

It's the CLIMB..."

The Passion

Outdoor adventures had already been my interest since I was young. When you're a girl who spent half of your growing years in a place around 100 miles away from the city, surrounded by mountains and hills (Chocolate Hills to be exact), you can't really help but appreciate nature and the wonderful adventures it can offer. When almost all people my age are fascinated with beach hoping, clubbing and spending long hours shopping, I am more interested in mountain climbing, hiking and caving. Being a Girl Scout since eight probably contributed much to that interest. My mom, who is a Girl Scout Leader and Coordinator thought me at a young age on how to make fire from a bamboo stick and make an improvised oven by digging a hole in the ground. She was also my first harness mentor. I didn't mind getting bruises and skin burns. For me, an adventure is never complete without a couple of minor scratches.

Mt. Sembrano

Mt. Sembrano is a famous hiking destination sitting at the helm of Jalajala Peninsula near Laguna Lake in a way that the lake surrounds the mountain in three sides. It used to be a haven of NPA insurgents, but in the past few years, it's one of the most famous destination of mountaineers from the Manila area. The summit is 745 m above sea level.

The Climbers' Trail

When I started working more than a year ago, the adventures ceased. But after 20 months after my last climb, an opportunity for another adventure knocked. My boyfriend's bro will be climbing with his peers and Jhabar and I will take an adventure together for the first time. I, Jhabar (my boyfriend), Daddy Eddie (his dad), Kuya Jet (his older bro), Jan-jan (his cousin's hubby) and six other guys headed to Pilillia, Rizal one cold Saturday night.

Kuya Jet, Janjan, Jhabar, Poi and the others..

Kuya Jet inside his tent upon arrival to the camp.

Kuya Jonel and her girlfriend (both professional mountaineers)

Jhabar and I

I (muse?), Poi, Mark, Kenneth, Janjan

Daddy Eddie with the rest of the guys in a tree house at the second jump off on our way home

The Climb

January 22, 2011 marked another unforgettable adventure. We decided to climb at night to avoid the scorching heat of the sun. When we reached the jump off, it was raining a bit, but there's no turning back anymore. We decided to start hiking at around 11:30 pm. The trail was slippery. At the first few meters of the climb, I almost fainted due to oxygen loss. It had been a while since the last time I hiked (not to mention that I never jogged or worked out all those times). But after a few minutes of rest, we decided to move forward. Jhabar too, had a hard time. It was his first time ever to climb a mountain and although he had been working out, his muscles is not accustomed to such a pressure. Daddy Eddie at 60 years old climbing with young people never said a thing (but after reaching the camp, he said he almost gave up but he never did). The rest of the group are constant climbers, so it was easy for them to climb a Level 2 Moderate climbing destination. The others never complained, so I decided to shut up no matter how painful my feet are. I don't want to be a pain in the ass mentioning that I am the only girl in the group.

After two hours of "rest-walk-rest", we finally reached the first stop-over, Manggahan Camp. It was almost 2am (Sunday). At the camp, a family of climbers were waiting for us, Kuya Jonel (Janjan's cousin) who is a professorial climber (he had already climbed the most famous mountains in Asia and personally know those legendary Filipinos who first climb Mt. Everest) is camping with us together with his girlfriend (at least I'm no longer the only girl in the group now) and his 10 year-old son. They are warming up for a Mt. Apo climb the following week. We set up our tents, had an hour of talk and decided to rest for the day ahead.

The following morning, we were supposed to climb the summit ( a 30mins climb from the camp) but decided not to do so anymore for nobody will be left to watch over our things. We just spent the next 2 days laughing at the camp and chilling at the Manggahan Falls nearby. We just watched a couple of groups climbing the summit.

Chef Cook Lee (Janjan) :)

The View
Making use of his self-taught photography skills, Jhabar took time to take as many pictures as possible (unfortunately, we don't have much photos together since only the two of us knows how to use the DSLR focus, and auto focusing sucks!). The place is great and he is so stunned not to mention that it was the first time he encountered such a view of nature (because he is a city guy).

The two nights and two days we spent 500 m above sea level had been nothing but great. It felt great to finally unwind after months of city-life stress. After lunch on January 24 (Monday), we went down bringing home a hope for another adventure.

_____________________

More photos at http://www.facebook.com/photos.php?id=1071362528

ANG ANINO

2011-03-04T01:12:00.000-08:00

Ang huwad na kaibigan ay mahahalintulad mo sa anino.. Kasama mo lagi sa pinaka maliwanag na oras ngunit di mo masumpungan sa pinaka madilim na unos ng buhay..

Photo by JHABARISM

Me Too.. I'm Born This Way!

2011-02-24T19:44:00.000-08:00

I personally believe that Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta a.k.a. Lady Gaga is one of the best artists of this generation. I love her songs and how she loves the third sex, same probably as I do. Despite all the criticisms, I still idolize Gaga. Her songs, her talent and her personality. I love the way she expresses herself.. I love the way she say, "Don't ever let anyone tell you that you can't achieve your dreams!" and "You have to be unique, and different, and shine in your own way." She is who symbolizes the people who are discriminated because of their sexual orientation or because of their weird choices. The people like me, who for a long time had been suppressing who they are, provoked by the fear to disappoint people. She is the people who had never been afraid to show what she's got and tell the world, "Hey, this is me! Take it or leave it!" and stands for what they believe no matter what other people say.

Here is one inspiring statement I quoted from a Gaga speech:

"I had a boyfriend who told me I’d never succeed, never be nominated for a Grammy, never have a hit song, and that he hoped I’d fail. I said to him, ‘Someday, when we’re not together, you won’t be able to order a cup of coffee at the fucking deli without hearing or seeing me."

Upon hearing that, I felt a familiar touch. I remembered the people who told me that I won't succeed, because I made different and weird choices. That I won't reach my dream. Then I said, "One day, you'll see me up there.. and you'll realize you we're wrong! " Well, I may not be a superstar like Gaga, but I know I'll be someone else. Someone great!

Her latest single Born This Way is the new "Soundtrack of my Life". I feel that she is even singing the song directly to me, telling me "Cheer up bitch! let'em say what they want.. you're beautiful that way coz you are born that way! Tell them to shut the fuck up!" Yeah.. I so love that song. Hearing the first stanza reminds me of my mom who used to tell me to be brave and confident because everybody is born to be great and it's just ends up on how you manage to be one. And the rest of the song reminds me to be proud of who I am because God created me this way.

"I'm beautiful in my way 'coz God makes no mistakes

I'm on the right track baby, I was born this way..

Don't hide yourself in regret, just love yourself and you're set

I'm on the right track baby I was born this way.."

This made me realize that though don't have the physique of a beauty queen nor the face of a superstar, I was created in a way that's different from any other individual in the world. And that fact is enough for me to be proud of myself.. ^^,

Condom Prescription! WTH Are They Thinking?

2011-02-24T18:16:00.001-08:00

Philippine village AYALA ALABANG ranked #9 in Twitter's trending topic last night. Thanks to the hilarious baranggay ordinance that the baranggay officials of Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa City came up with.

As per gmanews.com, the ordinance made effective February 24, 2011 states that "Every purchase of condoms, hormone pills and other contraceptives at pharmacies w/in the jurisdiction should require a doctor's prescription. As quoted, health services within the territorial jurisdiction are required to use only "safe, ethical, effective, legal and non-abortifacient medicines or drugs or machines, devices or methods of treatment that do not cause abortion intentionally or unintentionally."

Everybody thinks the idea is hilariously funny. Who the hell would go to a doctor just to get a prescription for a condom? Does it mean that convinience stores like 7-11 and Mini-stop selling flavored Frenzy in the area should also ask for a prescription?

Filipino people promoting Reproductive Health Bill (RH Bill)

Personally, I am not a contraceptive advocate and I do believe that abortion is a major sin. I am a self-proclaimed Christian and I do understand when they say that "no drug or chemical product or device capable of provoking abortion... shall be delivered or sold to any person without a proper prescription by a duly licensed physician." I even agree to that. But hey! Do they really think a condom can kill an "unborn" baby? I don't think it should be referred to as an "abortificient". The ordinance even defines abortifacients as "any device, medicine or substance that may damage or interfere with the natural development or cause the expulsion or death of an unborn child". So is condom considered as such?

This, for me is a laughing matter to the international community. The Philippines is an intercultural country and although I live far from the area, I know Ayala Alabang is a big baranggay wherein residents' cultural beliefs vary. So how about those foreigners living in the area who are using these stuffs on a daily basis? Shouldn't they be respected?

When every place in the world is promoting safe sex and reproductive health, here they are trying to go against the flow. Are they really doing this for a good "humanitary" reason, or they are just trying to come up with anything that will separate them from the government's campaigns? They are probably just Anti-administration (Ninoy Aquino Administration).

Here are some popular tweets regarding this topic:

@marcosumayao: Dear Ayala Alabang, A sperm cell is not an unborn child, in the same way that a speck of pollen is not an unborn tree. Love, Science.

@jon_avila: This condom issue is outrageous.condoms are just here to help,help population control,disperse hiv and promote safe sex..idiots fuck off..

@WillDevaughn: Condom ban in Ayala Alabang? This is a joke right? No one is that stupid...

@FakeNoynoy: Why the fuck would a person go to a doctor to get prescription for condoms? Ayala Alabang, you just broke the world record for stupidity!

For Ayala Alabang residents, you guys don't have a choice anymore.. But you can go somewhere else to buy it, so you won't be much affected. Let's just give our sympathies to the poor convinience stores and pharmacies within the area for sales will surely be affected. Anyways, no matter how we blog and comment about it, it had already been approved. So that's now a LAW in the baranggay. And the penalty?

1st Offence - P1000 to P5000

2nd offense - P5000 to not less than 6mos imprisonment

Let's just wait for the record of the "first person convicted for buying a condom".. LOL

Astrological Dillema... think your affected?

2011-01-18T13:13:00.000-08:00

So here's the thing.. I just started to make a brief research on this astrological dillema that left a lot of horoscope fanatic in frenzy. This "zodiac sign changes" thingy had been a worldwide web sensation in this past week. Personally, I don't really care but for the benefit of those people who seems to be really affected (those people who only buy newspapers to see their 'fortune for the day' and watches Magandang Umaga Bayan or Unang Hirit early in the morning to wait for that segment by Madam Auring, or whoever astrological fortune teller)..

Here's what I found out..

There's no really such thing as a "change" in the zodiac signs.. This is just a 'PROPOSAL' of a professor named Parke Kunkle from a Minnesota University (you really cannot blame him because observing those stuffs up there is what he do for a living). He said he came up with the proposal because of the changes of the rotation of the earth that changed it's alignment with the stars... yah da.. yah da.. blah.. blah.. blah.. (I didn't really mind reading about the details) Anyways, Kunkle is now known as "The Man Who Changed The Zodiac Sign" but as far as I know, it wasn't changed at all.. He just wanted to.. But he wanting it doesnt necessarily mean it was changed.. You know what I mean? The world wide web is just way too exagerated.. So for those people who had been crazy over the thought of them turning from a Virgo to a Leo or whatever, stop mourning! The recent controversy won't really change you from a 'The Virgin' (Virgo's symbol) to 'The Lion (Leo's symbol). And if ever those changes where really true, why care? Hey! Those are just stars or constellations or whatever they are called. In fact, the Zodiac was created by the Babylonians 2000 years ago - the same people who practice idoltery and worship a god with a dragon (that looks like a duck) named Marduk.

Babylonian god Marduk with his dragon.

The zodiac aren't and should't be our guide for everyday living. We have God, and we should pray. We should not depend our 'fortune' on those star allignment called Zodiac.

Breaking the habit!

2011-01-13T18:00:00.001-08:00

When you are in a relationship, you have a one-track mind: your boyfriend. When you break up, you have a one-track mind: your ex-boyfriend. At what point do you forget the past and start thinking only about ME? You don’t have to think about your past; you don’t have to think about what is gone; you don’t have to think about the love you are missing out on. It is better to be free than be enslaved by a tumultuous relationship; some love can’t be repaired. Yet after you are out of it, you don’t know how to be free. It is a paradox. You are too paralyzed to move because you are venturing into the unknown. Standing still is the initial reaction because you don’t know where else to go. You are abandoned in the blistering cold.

There is far too much life to live fully and alone to dwell on the what-if. Time quickly passes that you can never recover. I don’t want to live with regret. Dwelling and pitying has eaten a year of my life. A year. 365 days. I could have done a million things in a year, but I did nothing. Never again.

Selfishness is healthy. After a break-up, you absolutely must be selfish. You must immerse yourself in new experiences, activities, relationships to help create a new identity. All of the mental energy you possess must be devoted to repair and self-restoration. Nothing else. Otherwise your identity from the past remains your identity in the present. I don’t want to be the person I was in that relationship- I didn’t love myself. And I don’t love myself as long as I am still hung up on the devastation of it all. You must change EVERYTHING- experiment, risk, explore. Putting yourself out on a limb makes you stronger and more confident. Only you can change, there is nothing external that will initiate the process. I choose my thoughts; I choose my behaviors; I choose my proactivity. No one else can change these things. This is my biggest trap. I want some event to turn it all around, but this isn’t how it works. Change is a daily process- it is a lifestyle. Incremental, not overnight.

There is tremendous power in self-mastery; it is a journey I have been toying with for a long time, but have yet to aggressively pursue it. Old thoughts and habits inhibit my success, as I let them destroy all progress in one single swoop. I work so hard, yet give it all away because my mind convinces me I am not worth it. This is a habit, not who I am. I must rid myself of it. Only you can be your own biggest cheerleader- it’s not vain and conceited; it is a necessity. If you tell yourself something over and over, you eventually believe it; this is so true. Good mental health leads to good everything health.

Ridding yourself of the past is no different than ridding yourself of any kind of addiction. You simply can’t go back; not even one taste. It is an all or nothing. Letting your past creep in is dangerous because it can take over. You don’t have to let it control you; you just have to resist the urge to succumb to it. No pictures, no texts, no drunken calls. Nothing. He is dead to me. He is in a grave. It is time to climb out of the hole I’ve buried myself in along with him.

Life must move on. The world doesn’t stop spinning just because you can’t see the light of day. Life is waiting. Don’t miss out on it. Every second is a chance to be born again. Embrace the opportunities life has to offer- regret is probably more painful than heartache. You can love again, but you can’t live again.

Start living.

why 'pudpodnakuko'??

2011-01-13T17:14:00.001-08:00

A lot of my friends and fellow netizens had been asking this one question, "Why 'pudpodnakuko'?" That's actually my username in almost all my blog sites. And it's because I got blunt nails. Why? 'Coz I bite them! Yes guys, till now, I am still nail-biting (nakakahiya man aminin..) and I can't help that. So to stop myself from doing it, I often color my nails.

And I wanna use rare usernames.. I also thought of using weird userna

mes like sardinasnapula, putoatdinuguan, putingkalabaw and adobongipis but I chose something that describes myself..

So hopefully that satisfies the queries.. ^^,

see that?? LOL

Epitome of Randomness

2011-01-13T16:45:00.000-08:00

It had been a while since I created my blogger account but I haven't posted anything yet.. Partly because I've been addicted over TUMBLR and Twitter.. Honestly I can't really think about anything interesting to blog about right now, so I will just share some random thoughts in here..

Let's start with some brief self-introduction..

I am Shienna Marie, a Filipina (and I'm so proud being one). My friends call me Shien, at work I am Shae, at home I am Bessie (Mama gave the nickname since I was born during the typhoon Besing, and since it's not a nice name, they decided to revise it). I am 20 (but wishes I am a few years older). I am a little weird, moody and sarcastic at times. I love to sing and dance (I used to be in the dance troupe way back but I am too fat to dance now..) And yes I am FAT! They say it's more appropriate to say "chubby" but I don't believe that sugar-coating the term makes it any better. I am an outspoken person, ayoko sa mambobola at pa-cute, I am makulit and a little pasaway but I mean what I say and I say what I mean. I have simple aspiration and dreams, not the type who strives for too much excellence and perfection. I live my life with simplicity and contentment. I know I'm not perfect and never intended to be one. I believe that life is basically being imperfect and striving fro perfection is too good to be true. At first sight, I may look superficial, but get to know me, and you'll realize how deep my thoughts and emotions are. I cry a lot but I laugh more, you may say that I laugh at my mistakes but you never know how much I learn from them. Music had been my refuge to the pain of the world. With my music, it seems like I am living in a world free from the bandage of pain. Every note and every line of every song I write reflects the unknown side of me. It tells my story - from the most happy and cheerful days to the most gloomy and poignant memories.

I have a boyfriend named Jhabar. He isn't perfect, but I love him. He is exceptionally sweet.

I work in a call center. I am a Customer Service Representative for a US TelecoCom. And yes, I am used to being yelled at by people I don't see..

Life may had given me a fair share of tears and pain but I still love how God designed my life.. I love me despite my imperfections. I love my life and the wonderful people in it. This is me. And this is my life. THIS IS THE STORY OF A GIRL.. ^^,