it always ends in a game over

When I was younger, I remember being addicted to Super Mario Brothers 3. At times, I would stay up late playing the game, trying to work my way from one world to another, in attempt to rescue the Princess from King Koopa in one sitting. Sans the "B + Select" cheat, it was fairly easy to conquer all eight stages especially after one has memorized the game patterns. See, even as a child, I was obsessive-compulsive. Regardless of which stage I'm at, I tend to hit reset button whenever I felt like there was a flaw in my execution. Picked the wrong card at the end of a stage? Reset. Missed the Kuribo shoe? Reset. Lost my Tanooki Suit? Reset. Accidentally killed the Pepsodent guy, otherwise known as Lakitu (the one who throws spiked eggs which turns into a Spiny, from a flying cloud)? Reset. Since memory cards were not yet utilized by gaming consoles then, every press of that red button would lead me back to stage 1-1 with pretty much nothing. It was rather ridiculous but I learned a lot from doing it.

Reset.

When I was younger, I remember staying up late at night just so I can finish Super Mario Brothers 3 in one sitting. Even in gaming, I tend to be a perfectionist. Hence, whenever I commit a flaw in the game play, I would instinctively reach for the reset button. It was pretty ridiculous considering the losses I will incur – gold coins, power ups, numerous lives, and more importantly, previous play time. But those are just trivial compared to the benefits I reaped. By repeatedly playing, one notices the game patterns such as which enemy attacks when, which pipe leads to the secret location, and which turtle gives a hundred lives among others. The more I played, the more I learned; and the more I learned, the better strategies I formed. And after some time, I managed to master the game and sweep through all eight stages without a scratch.

Reset.

I remember playing Super Mario Brothers 3 when I was younger. In an attempt to have a flawless finish, I tend to reset the game whenever I commit the most trifling error, miss a bonus or lose a power up item. It was time consuming but having take on the game over and over made me notice the patterns in its simulation. The more I played, the more I learned; and the more I learned, the better I become at it.

*******

Life is a video game.

'til it feels like cheating

Your smile greeted me as I stepped out of the house. It was warm, radiant and contagious. You had me grinning as I made my way towards you. Your eyes never left mine as I closed in. You reached for my hand as we walked along the street. We laughed and talked and laughed some more; all the while stealing glimpses from one another like we were so into each other. It really felt that way. Other people smiled approvingly as they saw us together. It's not everyday you see these things, right? I think you noticed them staring as well because you pressed your hand tighter on mine and flashed me a smile. Cute.

There's something different in you that I can't put a finger on. But I'm not complaining. Not when even for that brief moment, you've made me feel so... special. It's nothing that I've ever felt before. Cliche, I know but it's true.

And then it had to rain.

ain't nothing like the real thing (ai08: motown week)

Last week, Alexis Grace apparently got the lowest number of votes among the remaining eleven contestants. Her untimely elimination gave the likes of Michael Sarver and Scott MacIntyre another week, at the very least, to bludgeon songs. This time, they get to do Motown classics with Smokey Robinson as their guest mentor. Everybody expected Lil Rounds to bring the house down. After all, soul is her thing. So did she live up to everyone's expectations? No.

THE BEST

KRIS ALLEN / How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You). It's so nice to see him continuously improve week after week. But what's nicer though is seeing how people react favorably to his performances. He is really good. He may not have the "dopest" vocals among the finalists but he's one of the contestants whom people look forward to see on stage. Is it because of his looks? It's a big part of it.

MATT GIRAUD / Let's Get It On. It's just right to give props to someone who didn't forget his soul during Motown week.

THE WORST

MEGAN JOY / For Once In My Life. For once, that voice annoyed the hell out of me.

SCOTT MACINTYRE / You Can't Hurry Love. Isn't he like, you know, tired of getting sympathy votes? He murdered a classic. He should've at least had the decency to stand up and dance to it ala Diana Ross. At the very least, his performance would've been mildly entertaining. MacIntyre, dancing. Haha. Not.

MICHAEL SARVER / Ain't Too Proud To Beg. Four words: you didn't bring it. *Head twist and finger snap*

THE REST

ANOOP DESAI / Ooh Baby Baby. Pleasant, bordering on being a snoozefest. However, it was very decent and unpretentious. Not like some other contestant who rely on theatrics.

ADAM LAMBERT / The Track Of My Tears. Cher songs, yes. Motown, no. I can't believe how these judges could take kissing Lambert's ass. Seriously, eww. But we all know he'll win. So whatever.

LIL ROUNDS / (Love Is Like A) Heatwave. Speaking of ass, was somebody after hers? She could have slowed it down a notch and make room for some vocal acrobatics like any true blue soul diva would. It's not about the song choice because Jennifer Hudson picked the same song five seasons ago, and she nailed it. Big time.

DANNY GOKEY / Get Ready. It's really fascinating how a lot of people find Gokey likable. I need an immersion.

ALLISON IRAHETA / Papa Was A Rollin' Stone. I still don't get the fuzz over Iraheta. Yeah, she's 16 but so what? Jordin Sparks and David Archuleta were pretty much around her age when they joined the competition. They could cover a wider range of genre unlike Iraheta who is a one trick pony. But who knows, maybe she'd sell well. Daughtry did.

those calendar girls, they got nothing on me

THIS WAY
Michelle Branch
Everything Comes And Goes

... I don't know how long everything's been my fault...

After dissolving her musical partnership with Jessica Harper, Michelle Branch returns to the spotlight as a solo artist on her new record, Everything Comes And Goes. While This Way is contemporary country through and through – a direction that she decided to pursue post-The Wreckers – the lead single may still get crossover airplay on mainstream radio as it still has that signature hook-smart craftsmanship from Branch’s pop roots. It is definitely not as chorus-heavy as her more popular hits. What the song offers though is the smooth and steady flow of the drum beats and guitar strums which makes for easy listening. Commercial viability aside, This Way is another example as to how the simplicity of Branch’s words, sung in the most heartfelt manner, often works to her advantage.

I COULD BREAK YOUR HEART ANY DAY OF THE WEEK
Mandy Moore
Amanda Leigh

... I'll make this painless, I'll try to be sweet...

Not new to genre transition herself, Mandy Moore shunned her bubblegum pop days and let her career trajectory lean towards a more left field sound. Proving beneficial to her artistic growth, she continues to traverse the path with her vibrant new single, I Could Break Your Heart Any Day Of The Week. The song is mediocre at best, thanks to its horrible production which made it sound like a demo. While the folk-pop infusion merits on having a bouncier, lighter tone (hence, more contemporary) as compared to her recent material, it still fails in comparison to the likes of her magnificent take on Elton John’s Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters (vocally) or to the critically-acclaimed Gardenia, a track which she co-wrote (songwriting). It does get a little boring after some time.

THE FEAR
Lily Allen
It's Not Me, It's You

... now everything's fine as long as I'm getting thinner...

The sound of Lily Allen’s new album deviates from the ska/reggae which she has been known for to that of a more current, mainstream pop. Regardless of her venture to new ground, Allen manages to retain her knack for delivering witty, and sometimes crass, lines. The Fear, its lead single, is one example of this - a clever paradox; a mix of catchy, head bopping melody with her dark yet realistic take on fame and success. The Fear, a legit pop hit as it may be, warrants better appreciation and careful listening to each and every line Allen delivers. Believe her when she says that it’s fucking fantastic.

just a case of whinertia

"One more thing. How good are you in Excel?" I remember the interviewer adding that one last question before the close of our discussion, as if to stress out a point. "Because our work highly involves the use of the application. We have these in-house templates...". With pride in her voice, she continued talking about different formulas and other Excel-related stuff they use at work in an attempt to make me picture the level of proficiency she expects.

"I'm pretty damn good," I told her. Minus the damn part. But what I really wanted to say was, "I'm a freaking god in Excel" but I was tired and I felt that the interview wasn't going anywhere.

She nodded, as if she wasn't entirely convinced. But whatever, right?

Not a month had passed and I found myself mocking their supposedly automated templates, only to realize later on that I am in deep shit. The trouble of overhauling their juvenile worksheets ate a lot of my man-hours since the process involved both the understanding of the logic behind the file and its actual reconstruction.

But that was just a piece of the hell that I was in store for.

It totally sucks to take over someone else's job without a proper turnover. It's not that a new employee can't learn the ropes by himself but process immersion is really time consuming. What can actually get him up to speed much more quickly would be mentorship and guidance from his predecessor.

Needless to say, I didn't get one. When I joined the company, all I got was a three-page print out that attempts to point out the steps I will have to follow to make the reports I will be accountable for. What's worse though is that nobody can seem to give satisfactory answers to my queries. These things frustrate me to no end. Any sane person will be, right?

Work, these past few weeks, has taken its toll on my mind, body and blog. I lost precious sleep, had stress-induced chest pains, got a pimple, lost my appetite to write, suffered from alienation and carried the weight on my own. It's more pathetic than being heartbroken. Who the hell whines over stupid Excel sheets?

But it's all over, for now. And I'm really glad that I could smile again. I missed it so much.

any graphologist in the house?

I was desperately looking for things to blog about. Luckily, I was tagged by Citybuoy.

According to him, I'm supposed to (a) write who tagged me, (b) answer the following questions: (b1) my name/user name/pseudo, (b2) right-handed or left-handed?, (b3) my favorite letters to write, (b4) my least favorite letters to write, (b5) and I should write "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog", and of course, (c) tag five other people.

Easy post, right?


Hell no! It took me five attempts to get the freaking thing right. I won't be apologizing for the use of a red pen though because I always use red pens. They make my sheets look bloody. However, forgive my use of that stationery as I can't find my pink, scented ones. My handwriting would've looked prettier on it.

Finally, just reminding Dude, Jela, Karen, Lazy John and Jhenny that it's their turn to do this.

anger management

I was having a good Tuesday morning until I read her e-mail. Things went downhill from there. I really wanted to strangle her but then I realized - why should I be mad? True, she ruined my day and the most logical thing to do is to ruin hers as well. Hence, the response:

WML,

I clearly recall mentioning and strongly emphasizing during our discussion yesterday that the file you're requesting is not yet finalized. I am still awaiting several inputs from Finance to complete it. In fact, I was hesitant to give you a copy but you said, and I quote, that you only needed the revenue portion. In any case, I sent you the draft with a note reminding you of my caveat.

So don't go around sending me an e-mail, telling me that our numbers do not match. For the most obvious reason, you should have expected that our bottom line and consequently, the YTD figures won't tally - because there were missing numbers on my file which I have told you in the first place, for several times. But you still had to notify me, and enumerate, wasteful as it may be, the discrepancies.

Attached is the updated file for your reference.

Good day.

It's always good to have an emotional punching bag, a live voodoo doll, or just about anyone whom you can unleash your pent up frustration and wrath on whenever you feel like blowing up. I know it was rather petty. Unfortunately, she chose to tick me off when my stress level has reached new, unimaginable heights. Then again I must have sensed some form of hostility from her because I wouldn't normally lash out on those whom I deem innocent. Besides, stupidity should be scorned at.

Nevertheless, after a few minutes, I felt terrible. I still am.

As much as I wish I wasn't, I'm still learning. I can't not act out against people. But I'm trying.

i told you so (ai08: grand ole opry week)

Last week, Jorge Nunez and his eyebrows alongside with some girl finalist, were rightfully taken off the running for this year's season of American Idol. Now, the remaining hopefuls get to pay tribute to Country music. They are to perform songs done by members of the Grand Ole Opry, an elite group of performers whose artistry has been considered to be the finest representation of American country music. Season four American Idol champion Carrie Underwood was the most recent inductee of the society. Her latest single, I Told You So, is a cover of the Randy Travis classic. The latter appeared, emaciated, as the season's first guest mentor.

THE BEST

KRIS ALLEN / To Make You Feel My Love. Must love underdogs.That's all.

MEGAN JOY / Walkin' After Midnight. It was Megan's moment. Everything just fell into place for her - the week's theme, the perfect song choice that could showcase not only her unique, husky voice but her image as well, even her illness. I'm not quite sure if it made her sound better but it makes up for a good sob story anyway.

THE WORST

SCOTT MACINTYRE / Wild Angels. MacIntyre's performance was pretty decent but unless he does something totally new - anything besides sitting behind his piano while singing and unconsciously throwing off creepy vibes at the audience - he should go.

ADAM LAMBERT / Ring Of Fire. In the past, idol performances which border on theatrical, during a non-Broadway week, are usually called out as over-the-top by the judges. WTF changed? Anyway, this week Lambert makes a total fool of himself. Cowell was right as it was indeed an absolute indulgent rubbish. Johnny Cash is probably haunting his ass right now for that ridiculous performance.

MICHAEL SARVER / Ain't Going Down ('Til The Sun Comes Up). Who the hell is voting for this guy? Seriously, whoever you are, you need to stop.

THE REST

MATT GIRAUD / So Small. Matt was amazing. The lead to the performance's climax was perfectly executed, like the calm before a storm.

ANOOP DESAI / Always On My Mind. Jai Ho!

ALLISON IRAHETA / Blame It On My Heart. Here's a girl who can actually sing, has good stage presence, but has zero charisma.

ALEXIS GRACE / Jolene. Her performance was a bit dry, much like her hair that night. She reminded me of Christina Aguilera, pre-super bitch era.

LIL ROUNDS / Independence Day. Sing anything that Underwood has sung and you'll always end up sounding lame in comparison.

DANNY GOKEY / Jesus, Take The Wheel. The Gokey love, IDGI.

jei ho (uh uh uh oh!)

LOVE SEX MAGIC
Ciara feat. Justin Timberlake
Fantasy Ride

... and I bet that I can make ya believe in love and sex and magic...

After two failed attempts to ignite mainstream hype on her new record, Ciara crosses over to pop with Love Sex Magic, her third single, which features the resident golden boy Justin Timberlake. The latter's involvement in the production is evident on the song's beat which echoes his earlier hit, Rock Your Body. The retro funk feel of the melody may be a bit tired for today's radio but surprisingly, the vocal tandem of Ciara and Timberlake has enough magic to make this a hit just in time for her album's release this April.

UNSTOPPABLE
Kat DeLuna feat. Lil' Wayne
Unstoppable

... I'm the leader of the crowd and my game is really slick...

On the other hand, Kat DeLuna, known for her 2007 smash hit Whine Up, returns to the airwaves incorporating a Lady Gaga-esque sound to her new single, Unstoppable. Once again, RedOne lays the groundwork on a rock tune, blending it nicely with the auto-tuned voices of Kat DeLuna and guest rapper Lil' Wayne. Her smooth, strong delivery greatly contrast the featured artist's lighter yet rougher lines. Unstoppable has the makings of a chart topper and given the proper promotion, it could be what DeLuna needs to get the attention she deserves.

JAI HO! (YOU ARE MY DESTINY)
The Pussycat Dolls feat. A. R. Rahman
Doll Domination 2.0

... you're gonna find out baby, I'm one in a million...

The idea of Nicole Scherzinger and her glorified back-up dancers reinterpreting the award-winning song, Jai Ho, with no less than its original composer A. R. Rahman, would certainly be the subject of mockery and ridicule under normal circumstances. However by stroke of luck, the unlikely collaboration not only managed to pull it off but they might have scored the single, most relevant track of the year. The clever use of the catch phrase as the song's hook mixed with the Dolls' ultra-catchy commercial sound produced a song that may propel Queen Doll Scherzinger to the spotlight she has long coveted.

wanna be startin' somethin' (ai08: michael jackson week)

The semi-finals of American Idol Season 8 kicked off with the top 13 contestants singing songs from the King of Pop's catalog. Since most of Michael Jackson's hits were tailor-made for stage performances, it was a bit interesting to see the finalists try to transform the high-energy, iconic tracks into their own.

THE BEST

ALEXIS GRACE / Dirty Diana. Dirty Diana is the kind of song which relies heavily on its instrumentation rather than the vocals. Considering this, I think Alexis Grace did a good job of somewhat overdoing it on some parts just so she can keep up with the supposedly powerful guitar riffs. She has great stage presence, moving around like she already had full command of the stage. There were some awkward moves though but whatever, I like her.

LIL ROUNDS / The Way You Make Me Feel. The whole ensemble is just awful but otherwise it was good to see Lil Rounds perform on stage. Right from the get go, I knew that she'd deliver. However, the song was indeed a bit too easy for someone of her caliber but it was actually enjoyable hearing her sing it straight up without any gimmick whatsoever. Unlike some other people, Lil Rounds is pure talent.

THE WORST

SCOTT MACINTYRE / Keep The Faith. Scott MacIntyre has a pretty decent voice but in all honesty he shouldn't even have made it to the top thirteen. Screw artistic, this is a search for the next manufactured pop star. Barring his incapacity, I just don't see him as one at all. No pun intended.

JORGE NUNEZ / Never Can Say Goodbye. Jorge Nunez had me with me with Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me. It was an epic performance but Never Can Say Goodbye? No. It was God awful. And it's sad that we won't be able to see him, and his eyebrows, next week.

JASMINE MURRAY / I'll Be There. I just don't get it why people see something in Jasmine Sullivan. She has been dull and lifeless and boring since day one. She's as fun as Paul Abdul without her crazy on. Like I said, cannon fodder.

THE REST

KRIS ALLEN / Remember The Time. It was so good to see Kris Allen perform. Everything about it was brilliant and fun and exhilarating. Even Randy Jackson got dyslexic with his comment, "very well job done". The song arrangement which sounds like a Maroon 5 recording made it contemporary. The guitar which functioned as an icon rather than an actual instrument made him more comfortable on stage even if the camera already adores him - notice that he doesn't have a bad angle. The way his mouth moved while he sang reminded me of David Archuleta, and while his voice isn't as stellar as last season's runner up, it is pleasant enough to listen to. I so love hearing him sing "oh I". Kris Allen was just so adorable that night that it would be hard not to believe that everyone would want to have a piece of him by now.

ADAM LAMBERT / Black Or White. The perfect song choice.

MATT GIRAUD / Human Nature. Smooth and clean vocals.

DANNY GOKEY / P.Y.T.. Two words - Taylor Hicks.

MICHAEL SARVER / You Are Not Alone. Who are they kidding that Michael Sarver has the chance to win this competition?

MEGAN JOY / Rockin' Robin. Quirky performance, Pretty face. Cute song. Notice how partial I am to Megan Joy.

ANOOP DESAI / Beat It. I like Anoop but it was indeed very karaoke.

ALLISON IRAHETA / Give In To Me. An utter waste of my time.

why wait?

While on a bus headed north, Striker and I were forced to watch a noontime show which featured a tribute to the late rapper Francis Magalona. The hosts and the guests talked about how they knew Kiko, both as a person and a performer. The usual adjectives such as good, great, caring, talented, expressive and legendary, were uttered interchangeably, like nobody even bothered to look up something new in a thesaurus.

Don't get me wrong but when you are to do something as monumental as this you might want your statements to be different and unique. After all, it is a tribute. You would want your words and stories to have an impact to the public. Nobody will remember Magalona as a kind person if you just say that he was kind.

So kudos to those who rather focused on his lifelong advocacy of nationalistic pride. Personally though, I think it is a bit overrated but what do I know, right? If Rihanna has her own national holiday in Barbados, there's probably no reason why the Philippines can't proclaim Magalona as a national artist. He did promote patriotism through his music, his body tats and whatnots.

Anyway, the show had me thinking - why do people celebrate the life of someone only after his death? I mean, wouldn't it be better to commemorate the achievements of a person while he's still around so he can actually appreciate the effort?

want candies

TONIGHT
Jonas Brothers
A Little Bit Longer

... as the morning sun begins to rise we're fading fast and we won't work this out...

There’s not much to say about Tonight other than it is the promotional single for the Jonas Brothers’ 3D concert experience released in theaters this month. Like most of the tracks on A Little Bit Longer, Tonight is an upbeat rave that levels down somewhere in between disposable, hook-centered pop and the substance-heavy classic rock. However, as frivolous a power pop tune it may be, the single still comes off as a chart fodder, guaranteed to garner airplay and downloads for the next few weeks, just because. It's fun to watch its music video though.

A LITTLE TOO NOT OVER YOU
David Archuleta
David Archuleta

... aren't memories supposed to fade...

Still on disposable pop, Archuleta releases A Little Too Not Over You as his second single off his debut album. He proved that he can actually pull off something contemporary with the majestic Crush. It was amazing to hear his voice soar alongside a more rhythmic melody. However, Archuleta chose a song that is so safe that it borders on being too bland and forgettable. His vocal capability is still unquestionable, and he still manages to exude the sincerity and boyish charm that works well with puppy love anthems such as this. Thing is, the song loses its appeal after the first few repeats. A Little Too Not Over You is more of a record filler than an actually single. At this stage of his career and with a talent like his, Archuleta should focus on longevity more than anything else. The finer pieces like Running, or You Can would have kept him on track in an industry where momentum is everything.

HOW DO YOU SLEEP? (REMIX)
Jesse McCartney feat. Ludacris
Departure: Recharged

... how do you stay awake knowing all I do is think of you...

Jesse McCartney's emergence as a true blue Top 40 artist in 2008 was overlooked in lieu of the overrated releases from the Rihannas and Sasha Fierces of the industry. Following the dismal performance of his follow up to his breakthrough single Leavin', the third release How Do You Sleep? promises to deliver the same urban-tinged pop sound which marks the winning sound of Departure, McCartney's strongest album to date. His voice bounces merrily to the infectious beats rendering the otherwise somber message sugarcoated. Released as a remixed version which features rapper Ludacris, How Do You Sleep is indeed a contender for this year's summer hit.

who knew

Just the other night, I noticed a new message posted on my wall and it read: "Hey there old friend =)".

It was from SJ, my best friend back in grade school. We used to be inseparable as far as I remember.

During our First Communion post-ceremony program, the students were served pancakes by the PTA officers. While eating, I clearly recall hearing SJ's mom tell my guardian, "Nakakatuwa silang tingnan no. Sana palagi na lang silang ganyan, magkasama". I absolutely have no idea what SJ and I were doing, aside from eating pancakes, to make his mom utter those words. Pouring honey syrup with each other perhaps? I honestly don't know.

In any case, our camaraderie went on for years. We bonded over a lot of things. Before we set for home after school hours, we would hang out, together with a few more friends, and do our own version of "Are You Afraid Of The Dark?" at the gymnasium's back area. And while he excelled in sports, I had my own share of glory in the academics. As for those long summer breaks, don't ask me how we survived it but we did. His family would leave for Laguna as soon as vacation starts while I stayed in Makati. However, they never fail to be back in time for my birthday.

Then came High School. Weird, but I remember deciding to enroll there because he was also going there. Our first year marked the time when we unconsciously paved different paths for ourselves. We started to carve out our own identities for which we were both known for. SJ focused on his game. It was where he truly blossomed. And while he was busy playing with balls, I was too caught up in conquering High School.

He was S. I was B.

He partied while I studied to ensure that I remain at the top of the class. He played while I joined every socio-civic organization at school so I may appear to be a well-rounded person. He partied while I schemed with my minions when things at school don't turn out the way I want them to.

Needless to say, this difference led us to drift apart. Our friendship didn't dissolve but it's nowhere near the kind of relationship we once shared.

We graduated and bagged incomparable life achievements, and who knew that our final congratulatory messages during the ceremony would be our last words to each other. We went our separate ways as he enrolled at Brown and I ended up at Yale. And not until that message in Facebook have we truly reached out to one another this past decade.

I am proud to have had SJ as one of my best friends. And much to Tita’s disappointment that SJ and I didn't end up being best friends forever, she has to settle with the fact that we parted amicably.

People grow. People change. Sometimes circumstances lead, even the closest of friends, to take different life directions.

However, life taught me that most of the time, all it takes is that effort from both parties to keep the connection firm and strong. Lifelong friendships are hard to maintain, but finding one is so much harder.

whatever

Words are my ally. (Sometimes, I do feel that they're all that I have.) But they fail me at times. Like now. I lay no claim to know them wholly but I know I have a lifetime, to appreciate them in their entirety.
- Today You Shall Read This And Know It Was Written For You

Or so I thought.

(when you think...) think of me

Oo nga. Alam mo ba, hanggang ngayon ikaw lang kilala ko na ganun ang pagkain ng french fries. Kaya naaalala kita kapag kumakain kami sa McDo.
- The Boys Are Back (Part II)

The mind associates things rather randomly. There will always be instances when a subject or two, when brought up, will automatically trigger our memory to connect said things to another person regardless of how conventional or weird their links are.

The people I know, alright two of them, associate the following with me:

CELIO. Back when my office was just a minute away from Greenbelt, my friends and I would stroll along the then-empty halls of the newly-built mall during lunch break. Or whenever we deem it necessary. Celio was one of the boutiques that caught my eye with its classy, yet trendy collection of polo shirts, casuals, and jeans. Since I had my magic cards back then, I ignored the absurdity of the items' prices. After all, when I shop the world gets better. And then it's not, and then I need to do it again. Until I am reminded of the bills, and the astronomical interest and charges that come with using the magic cards, that is.

AMERICAN IDOL. During the fourth season of American Idol, the girls and I had this tally sheet where we would post our comments on each performance and rank the finalists accordingly. Season highlights include Vonzell Solomon's "Best Of My Love", Bo Bice's "Time In A Bottle", and Carrie Underwood's "Alone". The four of us continued to make unsolicited commentaries on the suceeding seasons of Idol. All of us handpicked Elliott Yamin as season five favorite. However, our interest waned during Jordin Sparks' era. It was only the recent Archuleta-Cook showdown that triggered our interest in the competition once again. This show, along with Philam Idol, inspired our themed RedBox sessions, a tradition that we have had for the past couple of years.

REFILLABLE SODA. We love having dinner, or lunch, at Chili's and National Sports Grill and Fish & Co., and any of those restaurants along the stretch of Greenbelt 3. Is it because they offer refillable sodas? Probably. I'm really not quite sure. I don't drink soda anyway. Not for the past six, seven months anyway.

JESSE MCCARTNEY. He had me at Beautiful Soul. I don't care about the green eyes, nor the tousled hair, though I did had mine styled that way before. His music is so damn fine and his recent record just proves how truly talented he is. I love how he remains to be one of the few underrated gems in the music industry. It means that I get to have his sound, among other things, to myself.

"THAT IS SO FETCH!". I have professed, time and again, that I love Mean Girls. I have watched it so many times that I have managed to memorize some, most of, its lines like - "Vintage, so adorable", "If you're from Africa why are you white?", "Oh my God Karen, you can't just ask people why they're white", "I gave him everything. I was half a virgin when I met him", "I'm a mouse... duh!", "Irregardless, ex-boyfriends are just off limits to friends. I mean that's just like the rules of feminism" and one of my favorite "You cannot do that. That is social suicide". Tina Fey did one amazing screenplay. She should be venerated. And if I were part of the Academy, I would have given Mean Girls an award, or probably just Karen Smith for her fifth sense.

GOSSIP GIRL. Barring Supernatural, GG is the TV series that I'm currently into. It's also my most quoted show in recent months, hence the association. Otherwise, the following would trumped it: Charmed (A Prime), Smallville (Gracie) and Will & Grace (Striker). But hey people, I could still give you fifty reasons why you should give GG a shot. Though that's for another entry.

iPOD. It has been three years, Nano and I. I remember encashing my first last pay and hurriedly venturing to Greenbelt with a plan of buying myself a present, an Apple iPod Video. However, the sales lady offered me Nano instead. She said that it's more trendy and I'll be one of the first ones to have it. She had me at trendy so I purchased Nano faster than I can bid goodbye to my wallet's content. After a week, I returned Nano complaining about its defective earphones. Initially, sales lady refused to believe my word until she tried it herself. Apparently, I'm also among the first unlucky ones to avail of the merchandise's warranty. Last year, I bought an iPod Touch but I realized that touchscreen isn't my thing. This prompted me to switch back to my first love and since then, we have been inseparable.

MARIAH CAREY. Do I even have to explain this? Yes? Alright. It's simple. Mariah and I go back like babies and pacifiers.

VEGETABLES. I am neither a goat, nor a cow. Hence, the no love for anything that photosynthesizes. I guess that makes me a finicky eater. Then again, it's not uncommon. I know a lot of people who don't like their greens either. So until the day that I am influenced by someone to willingly chew and swallow and digest those icky things, I am sticking to my yummy meat.

SAKAYAN NG JEEP. Now this had me thinking. Is it because I take jeepney rides when I'm off to work every day regardless if some people say that it is quite unglamorous? Did I happen to sing it often (and bad) enough to make your ears bleed? Or did I sing it correctly (i.e. tamang pacute) that people thought I was actually Ms. Gil? Enlighten me.

I am surprised that several things were omitted even if I believe they scream "MakMak" more than some of those mentioned above. But, whatever. I'm getting cheese fries.

If you wish, you could comment to this post. Let me know the things that make you think of me and I will do the same for you. Afterwards, you may post it in your blog, with a bit of an explanation of course. Fun, I tell you.