The Profound Stupidity Blog Spot

Who still Wants a VeronicaMars Movie? I do! I do!

2009-05-23T23:22:00.000-07:00

It's been a few agonizing years since we last saw the sassy blonde detective on screen under the pouring rain during the agonizing and very open-ended "last episode" of season 3, and I'd like to believe I'm not the only one who wants this movie to kick off soon?

The question that should be on each Veronica Mars fan's mind right now should be this:

WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP?

Well, there are a whole plethora of things to do!

1. Place a comment here:
http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2009/02/exclusive-veron.html?cid=152489663#comment-152489663

2. Link to that ausiellofiles Veronica Mars Movie News Page so you can have others comment too!

3. Donate to VMars campaigns:
Click here to go the Veronica Mars Movement

4. Flood these mailboxes with wishes to have the movie up soon:
Jeff Robinov
President, Production, Warner Bros. Pictures
4000 Warner Boulevard
Burbank, CA 91522-0002

Alan F. Horn
President, & Chief Operating Officer, Warner Bros.
Entertainment 4000 Warner Boulevard
Burbank, CA 91522-0002

5. For more details, go to:
http://www.veronicamarsmovie.com/

LET'S MAKE THIS HAPPEN!!!

1 Big lesson from the Wii: Buy a TV Screen Protector

2009-05-06T22:39:00.000-07:00

Strangely enough, I was on a search for good CD burners out in the market (by good I mean it does the job, UI is easy and it's affordable), and I ended up checking out a site offering TV Screen protectors, an extremely novel and important invention that people decades ago might not have even considered creating.

You probably have the Wii Fit, a complete set of Guitar Hero World Tour instruments to rock out at the comforts of your home, but perhaps the most important companion to your Wii should be this TV screen protector.

Most of us are probably not strangers to the controversy the Wii brought a few months back, when many people had inadvertently exerted too much enthusiastic effort (bowling, swinging a bat, or hurling a grenade: you take your pick), and ended up smashing the TV screen instead. Granted that Nintendo had long rectified this mistake by offering better wrist grips on the Wii Remote, but why risk breaking your expensive TV when you can just buy a $119 screen protector and use it for the rest of your life?

For an additional $81, you can also buy a non-glare version, which will certainly help your eyes, especially if you plan to play Guitar Hero the whole day and the notes just keep scrolling up and driving you mad :P

You can check out the site right here for more details:

http://www.tvscreenprotector.com/

Kris Allen ROCKED at Disco Night

2009-04-23T06:12:00.000-07:00

What the hell was I thinking, doubting Kris Allen just because it's Disco Night!!!

!!! Kris Allen's Santana-like rendition of Donna Summer's "She works hard for the money" was just amazing!!! The last part just gave me really good goose bumps.

American Idol 8: The Drama! 2 judges per performance mistake, Weird Lil Rounds Comment, etc

2009-04-17T19:08:00.000-07:00

This week's American Idol Season 8 shows were chock full of drama and happenings that I felt compelled to write a blog post about it.

For starters, the director had this queer idea of having only 2 judges give their thoughts on each performance. The judges would alternate per performance - simon/paula first then kara/randy, and so on. It was in response to the huge problem AI has had for ages - not finishing on time.

For one thing, I'm actually quite shocked that at this point of the game, they still have this problem. There are less performances to judge on now, and the video cuts between the instructor (this week was Quentin Tarantino - a huge shocker for me! I didn't know he had a lot of knowledge in musical coaching!) and the AI contestant were not too long-winded.

I realized, however, that it may be in part due to the addition of the fourth judge, Ms. Artistry herself, Kara.

I think that having only two judges judge per peformance was a HUGE mistake, and cost points against a few of the contestants, most notably Kris Allen, whose performance was absolutely brilliant and soulful, but who sadly got a bad review from Randy. Simon had to comment the day after that he loved Kris' performance but the damage had been done - luckily, Kris didn't get into bottom 3 because of this costly mistake.

If the AI director really wanted to save on time, he should, personally use this strategy instead:

1. Have Simon judge BEFORE all the other judges
2. Have the other 3 judges talk ONLY IF their opinion is different from Simon's or they have something substantial to add on to it. By substantial, I do NOT mean:
- mentioning the word ARTISTRY
- mentioning the word DOG
- commenting about the song rather than the performer (see paragraph below)
3. Lessen Paula's stuttering - I don't know how they're gonna do this, but it's going to be a huge time saver, IMO

In other news, I was so utterly CONFUSED about Paula's comments on Lil Rounds - instead of judging her vocals and/or performance (which I believe Simon commented on perfectly), she just said that the song was a beautiful song composed by (insert name here). Huh?!

And then when Lil Rounds started defending herself (as she always does - seriously, it's getting very old and annoying already), Paula commends her and says something like "don't ever hold back" - which is needless to say, because Lil Rounds NEVER holds back on comments. If there is anything she is consistent on, it is her final say on her performance.

Meanwhile, Matt Giraud threw a less than perfect performance (but in my opinion, still a good performance none the less), and got cold reviews from Kara and Randy. I don't know if Simon and Paula would have helped him had they been given the chance to speak but Simon did say on the next day, when he performed again to plead for a save, that he wasn't as good that day as he was the day prior, so I'm guessing Simon might have somewhat liked Matt's initial stint.

The crowd was shouting for a save, the judges were discussing it longer than usual, and finally, Matt is given the only save the judges can give (Tears are shed, and the results episode became one of the most dramatic ones I've watched by far), putting Matt up in the book of AI world records as the first person to ever be saved AND as the most times saved by the judges, as he was also saved back in Wild Card round.

Which simply means that Matt has HUGE potential (believe me, try to listen to some of his studio versions, and you'd find out just HOW GREAT HE IS!). I only wish that he could be more consistent and choose better songs because it will be a dang shame if he didn't sail through to at least the top 4.

Simon ends the results night with a buzz kill, telling the contestants not to be so happy about Matt's save because 2 people were gonna go home next week and next week was going to be.... DISCO NIGHT.

Off the bat, I think Anoop is going to have the most trouble during this night, as I recall his Michael Jackson performance. I'm hoping Lil Rounds will be eliminated already, because she's really not listening to the judges and stepping up to the plate. I'm a bit afraid of how Kris is going to pull off Disco Night as well. I certainly hope he'll do good. He's got great talent so he should be able to do this right.

Can't wait for next week!

The Rapping Southwest Airlines Flight Attendant

2009-04-15T05:54:00.000-07:00

I just saw this on BBC, and I thought it was the perfect and most fit way to convince passengers on the plane to listen to the guidelines. This Southwest Airlines flight attendant, named David Holmes, avoids boring factory - like instructions, and instead raps to you all that you need to know before you take off.

Enjoy!

"This is Southwest Airlines, welcome aboard...!"

Wants to sneak inside a Honda Fit Factory

2009-02-13T21:38:00.000-08:00

The name of the automobile game now is compact, compact, compact, and I have my eyes on this cute 2009 Honda Fit model! Really pretty, and has this sleek, high-techy exterior. I'm not really a car person, so I can't explain why I like it in terms of all those auto tech mumbo jumbo, but I must say that I really just like it in general :)

You can view more details about the Honda Fit along with Fit Factory warranty info, go to this link:

http://www.automobilemag.com/am/2009/honda/fit/warranty.html

Now the thing is I don't have the budget to buy a car yet, so it's either I sneak inside a Honda Fit Factory and hope that one of them wakes up and chooses me (think Transformers, people) or I just wait patiently for a few more years :D

Veronica Mars Movie finally coming into Fruition?!

2009-02-05T03:06:00.000-08:00

According to Rob Thomas, yes! The Veronica Mars movie is good to go! Rob Thomas got a lot of free time since his series, Cupid, got scaled back. The show will be set a few days before college graduation, which I personally think is a good time to start. I'm excited to find out what Rob has in store for us - as long as he writes the script then we obsessed VM fans can rest easy. I also hope to God that the original Veronica Mars cast will all be there!

Stay tuned and make sure you tell everyone about it!!! We definitely want this Veronica Mars movie to be a hit. Who knows, it might be a springboard to the continuation of the Veronica Mars TV Series.

First Twilight movie scene complete!

2008-07-07T03:07:00.000-07:00

If you're anxiously waiting for the Twilight movie, the first scene is finally out! It features the ballet studio climax, with Bella, Edward, and James.

Pretty suspenseful. I'm hoping the other scenes are just as intense :) Sadly, we don't see much acting yet in this scene, so I can't wait for the next scene to come up. What scene will you like to see next? I think I want to see the first time Edward and Bella meet, I wanna see how well Edward acts it out :)

Edward/Bella vs Jacob/Bella

2008-06-08T20:15:00.001-07:00

Anyone who has read past Twilight's New Moon has probably thought about this at one point or another. In fact, I do believe that it is one of the most compelling points of debate among Twilight fans, considering that Twilight is essentially a romance novel.

Edward and Bella vs. Jacob and Bella. The debate sounds very shallow, more like tweens debating over the cutest guy in the Jonas Brothers Band, but with respect to the story's premise, the choice between the two is more than just a choice between the beautiful, perfect vampire and the passionate, kick-ass werewolf - it is a choice between immortality and humanity.

The relationship between Bella and Edward is doomed to failure if the Cullen boy doesn't choose to transform Swan at an age when they would look like husband and wife, rather than grandma and grandson. However, that would mean that Bella would have to give up the latter portion of her normal lifetime and live an eternal life of darkness and isolation. Bella is stupid enough (forgive me, die-hard Bella fans, I like Bella too but I believe that she is being unreasonable) to cast away all of these things, implying that humanity is overrated anyway. She doesn't realize how sad her life will be if she never sees her father, mother, and Jacob again. I believe that her concept of love is still very immature - she imbibes the idea that love is just about the guy and the girl; nothing else comes close in importance. And it is this aspect why I am not a fan of the Bella and Edward ship.

On the other hand, we have Bella and Jacob. Jacob isn't perfect. He's not good with words - he ends up openly showing his bitterness when Bella chooses Edward over him. He calls the vampires bloodsuckers even though he knows Bella is very amiable with the Cullens. As a werewolf, it is his innate behavior to have a short temper. Thing is, Bella is head over heels in love with Edward that he considers Jacob only because Edward left her. She doesn't deny that she loves Jacob - it is impossible not to. Jacob knows her inside out, even without any vampire mind-reading skills needed and he is madly in love with her. However, Bella seems to be more entranced by Edward because of the allure and mystery that revolves around the life of a vampire. I believe that choosing Jacob will be a mature step for Bella - a point in her life when she realizes there is so much more to life than just the love between man and woman. With Jacob, she can enjoy all the things a human can. With Jacob, life is not perfect, but it is real and whole.

To be political, I would agree that Bella's relationship between Edward and Jacob are equally appealing in that both men are always on edge with their instincts - they are both struggling to put a bridle on their true nature in order to be with her. Edward has to battle with his bloodlust. Jacob has to battle with his phase-causing temper. I just lean more towards the werewolf because of my reasons above. If you are an avid Edward/Bella fan, please do not flame me ^^

Josiah Leming is a Sour Grape

2008-05-28T20:26:00.000-07:00

NOT!!!

These media people are starting to piss me off. They'll do anything to generate more traffic and buzz, normally at the expense of some unknowing celebrity who's just decided to be honest.

Take this crap for instance:

Click here to read the People Watch magazine article, titled "Idol Contestant Josiah Leming Calls Show ‘Glorified Karaoke’"

If you read the article, the words "sour grape", "ungrateful", and "arrogant" will come to mind. The article reeks of controversy.

Now, read the full MTV article, where People watch magazine got its source:
Click here for the full MTV article.

Doesn't it all come into better perspective in the full article? Josiah Leming on the full article is merely voicing out what he feels. Yes, he says "It's like glorified karaoke." But he also says, "I did it and it was great. I love those people there. They were great to me, and it gave me a great kick-start to my career." True, he still gave American Idol some lip. But hey, isn't there some truth in it?

The kid's got an attitude, but it's not so bad and it definitely isn't sour graping. "There's something in me — call it ambition, call it arrogance, call it cockiness, it doesn't bother me because it's necessary to my music."

It just reminds me of Jason Castro's "controversy" regarding the balloons, where the media put the dreadhead in an ugly light, implying that he didn't appreciate the gift. Seriously, after all the weeks we've come to know him through his video clips, and interviews, do you really think that's true?

Bottom line: take everything you read with a grain of salt. Because these articles are a whole load of bull crap coated with an intelligent choice of intriguing vocabulary.

David Cook and "Innocent"

2008-04-12T02:34:00.001-07:00

David Cook surprised me by performing Our Lady Peace's "Innocent" this week. I was obviously thrilled to know that we have the same favorite band, but I felt anxious when he announced his song, because his voice and Raine Maeda's voice are very different. But David Cook is as talented as an American Idol contestant can get, so I was hoping he'd pull it off.

By the end of the performance, I was left with mixed feelings. The beggining was very rough as he tried to find his correct tone, but by the middle, I started enjoying it. As a whole, he was good, but not fantastic. It was an apt song choice based on the lyrics, but perhaps he could have chosen another OLP song.

I still give David Cook props for taking on such a difficult song. I personally believe "Innocent" is one of the hardest OLP songs to sing, because the range stretches from the very low to high. And interpreting the raspy quality to Raine Maeda's voice isn't a no-brainer.

For those who have not listened to the original version of Innocent, here it is:

Just a few minutes ago, I was able to listen to the full length studio version of David Cook's rendition of "Innocent", and it certainly redeemed him big time. He sang it way better! Not as great as Raine in my opinion, but Cook did what he does best - he made it his own! Here it is:

David Cook is amazing.

Hanazawa Rui Wallpaper + Hana Yori Dango Finaru!!!!!

2008-03-28T20:17:00.000-07:00

I just realized that I haven't uploaded this to my blog yet. It's just appropo to upload it now, as I wait eagerly for the Hana Yori Dango movie.

If you guys have not yet watched the teaser to the movie, here you go:

YOKATA NE!!!!! It promises to be another exciting view!!!! :) I must say that the makers managed to really pull off HYD2 quite well (I was afraid it was going to flop like Meteor Garden 2), so I think that they'll do just as well with this one!!!!!! Can't wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To be shown 6/8/2008!!!!!!

Simon Cowell Spot on

2008-03-26T20:08:00.000-07:00

Last night, Simon Cowell's comments were all spot on. I don't think I disagreed with him on any of his remarks.

Of course, I do believe that it's unfair that Kristy Lee Cook got a lot of recognition for her improvement in her performance, considering that despite her improvement, she is nowhere near as talented as the other contestants.

Chikezie really needs to stop reacting to constructive criticism like that, it shows how obnoxious and arrogant he is.

Carly was both extremely frightened and frightening during her performance. Her vocals were strong, as always; the tone of her voice is very professional, but her bottom 3 experience the previous night really shook her and it showed last night.

Brooke White's piano performances are starting to get really dull. I personally am not a huge fan of her, but her personality is really something that sets her apart from everyone else.

Michael Johns finally came out strong last night. I've been itching to hear him wow me just like he did in Bohemian Rhapsody and last night, I saw a snatch of that. He has an extremely good tone to his voice, so he really has to bring on his A Game.

Jason Castro's laid-back performance fit perfectly with his personality, and his performance and voice is very unique. His mannerisms when he sings really brings out his gawky charm. I am still waiting for another Hallelujah performance.

The other performances - okay.

Last but not the least, David Cook. WOW. I must say that I am now 100% sure that he is better than Chris Daughtry. I compare the two of them only because they are the rocker contestants of American Idol. I think besides that, they differ in many ways. David Cook's vocals and modern grungy/rock renditions of classic songs show his extreme talent. No wonder he was born with a big skull - he's got a really big brain inside of it. An intelligent, professional, contemporary, original, gutsy contestant - quite a unique find if you ask me.

Another Ikuta Toma Wallpaper - now in Sepia

2008-03-21T06:30:00.000-07:00

Needed a break from the mundane madness that is work. This is a wallpaper in sepia for our dear Ikuta Toma. The pictures I used here were taken from several sources I saw in Google. I just edited them a bit and changed their color gradient. Hope you enjoy!

I just love how each picture portrays a different side of the multi-faceted Ikuta Toma, leaving out his wacky and zany side just to give this wallpaper a more serious feel to it. If I were to include his funny personality in this wallpaper, I would have needed more than 4 panels, most definitely.

The second picture of him from the left is his role in the Two Gentlemen of Verona, which I sadly have not watched yet. If anyone can be so kind as to tell me where I can watch it, please leave a comment. Thanks in advance!

Elimination Night and Elliott Yamin in Idol gives Back

2008-03-20T06:53:00.000-07:00

It was the night to pick the top 10, and Kristy Lee Cook managed to sneakily charm her way out of being eliminated by acting all cutesy-tootsy again the night before, even after butchering two Beatles Songs (one into a drunken country techno song, the other into a mediocre, off-key performance).

Eliminations aside, I think my favorite part of the show tonight was the Idol Gives Back clip. There is no doubt in my mind that Elliott Yamin is THE nicest Idol ever. Despite his rise in fame, and his successful first album, he remains to be the humble nice, sensitive guy we saw him as before. It was a truly touching sight when I heard the baby boy was being named after him. His reaction was priceless, humbly saying "You didn't have to do that", taking off his hat, and rubbing his teary eyes.

Fantasia (Idol Gives Back Preview clip)
Uploaded by 1laren

I am truly blessed to have watched him perform live. He was amazing, really down to earth, and his amazing voice and soul captured me all over again, just like that memorable night back in AI when he sang "Moody's Mood for Love". I wish him all the best in the many years to come.

I would also like to wish that Kristy Lee Cook finally gets kicked off the show next month. We don't need "musical wallpaper". We don't need another Kelly Pickler singing these mediocre country tunes, and banking on charm and blonde hair.

This season's American Idol lookalikes!

2008-03-05T18:45:00.000-08:00

It's time for me to make a lame attempt at showing this season's celebrity lookalikes. ;)

Luke Menard - Orlando Bloom

David Hernandez - Elliott Yamin (before he got his curls)

Jason Castro - Sonny Sandoval (from POD)
And they're both donning dreads!

Alaina Whitaker - Carrie Underwood
No wonder Simon loves her so much enough to call her the "dark horse" in the competition. You know how Simon loves these blonde country-style types.

Colton Berry - Ellen (he said it himself)

Joanne Borgella - Queen Latifah

Garrett Haley - Jacob Kraemer (just a little)
Lest you don't know who Jacob Kraemer is, he played Ben Harrison in Naturally Sadie. If you don't know what show Naturally Sadie is, there's always wikipedia ;)

And finally.....

Amanda Overmyer - Ursula
Wahahahahahahaha ;) Sorry couldn't help it, there's a similarity, no?

A HOT AI Night!

2008-03-05T05:57:00.000-08:00

This week the males were HOT! They wowed the judges, including the ever critical Simon. And they certainly wowed me!

The night started out okay with Luke Menard. I have nothing against him, but the problem is I have nothing to praise him about either, aside from his similarity with Orlando Bloom. He is, as Simon said, forgettable. Which is why I think he is in grave danger of being cut this week. David Archuleta followed, with a very goose-bumpy performance of an Eric Clapton classic. The judges didn't like it as much. I'd have to disagree with them. I believe that this was one of my favorite David Archuleta moments. I liked the whole piano thing he did at the beginning, until he just focused on his singing. A few pitch problems here and there but he really made the song different. Danny Noriega followed and I was rendered speechless! He must have outperformed and outsassed all the ladies. Vocals weren't quite good, Simon wasn't feeling it again. The arrangement was actually pretty funky.

Then the night was really set on fire! There was David Hernandez singing a female-popularized song and owning it (although it pales in comparison to his hot interpretation of "Papa was a Rolling Stone"). Then there was Michael Johns' deep rough voice and unique stage antics. I'm very glad he's back in the game - last week was a disappointing night for him. David Cook's rendition of the Lionel song was extremely unpredictable and he did a great job! I'm glad Simon is starting to warm up to him. He is one cool guy. And his voice is perfect for that rock scene!

Then there was Jason Castro! He was the absolute highlight of this night, in my opinion. Just as Paula said, he showed his vulnerability, and his phrasing is really what sets him apart. I also love his voice! It has this accent that really makes me want to listen to him sing over and over again. Personality wise, he is a cinch to be my favorite. He is this shy, funny guy type with a bit of a flirtatious side to him. He is ADORABLE!!! I find myself smiling whenever I listen to his interviews and his singing.

Chikezie was the last to perform and I must say that I am starting to get annoyed by his cockiness. Simon asked him a painfully simple question if Whitney sang the song, and he had to show off his musical memory by telling him who remade the song, yadda yadda. His vocals this week wasn't all that good either. Very pitchy. I couldn't relax as I was always trying to adapt to the tone.

All in all, I like 5 out of the current 8 so here's to hoping that the 5 I like get through! Way to go, guys! Go beat the females, who I believe are sorely lacking in diversity this season.

My American Idol Picks and Ramblings

2008-02-27T04:51:00.000-08:00

My Top 3/4 picks!
1. Jason Castro
- I LOVE his tone and voice, his funny, shy guy personality, his eyes
2. David Archuleta
- The judges are right, he sings like a seasoned performer, and his personality shines through each of the songs
- ADORABLE, ADORABLE, ADORABLE!!!!
3. David Cook or Michael Johns
- These two are fighting this spot. Michael Johns didn't choose the right song
- Still waiting for David Cook to really rock it

Ramblings:
1. Is it just me or is Simon Cowell extremely critical this season? I mean there are performances that are actually pretty good but he's not impressed!
2. What does Simon have against Crossword?? Sheesh, do all American Idol contestants have to follow the same mold?!
3. A guy should win this season because the guys are more unique and diverse.

Grave of the Fireflies

2008-02-19T19:01:00.000-08:00

This Studio Ghibli piece isn't very new... Let me rephrase that: it's an old anime. It was released back in 1988. But it came highly recommended by a few so I decided to watch it last weekend.

The story is set in World War II, in the eyes of the Japanese. It focuses on a brother Seita and sister Setsuko. Already, at the very first scene, you see the bleak picture that war paints. You see people in rags, emotionally dead... physically dying from starvation. One of them is Seita, and at that very moment, I was certain that I was going to choke from emotion in several parts of this show, and I was going to be very disturbed at the end of the show.

When the show ended, I was filled with mixed emotions. The cards that Seita and Setsuko were dealt with were quite ugly. But they had hope: they had a chance to live with their aunt who provided for them. They had a roof over their head, which made them so much better than many.

Here is where the debate begins - Seita, old enough to help out in household chores, get a job to provide more for them, or help out during raids, opted to laze around and play with his little sister, Setsuko, too young to understand what was really happening. The auntie gets frustrated with him and he is too proud to carry his weight and instead, opts to live alone with Setsuko.

And that's when things got really bad. Malnutrition and Setsuko's diarrhea drove Seita to start stealing from others. And this inevitably leads to the first scene of the show.

Which leads me to this conundrum: Did Seita deserve the viewers' pity? Was it not his excessive pride and sloth that lead to his demise? Could the future have been brighter had Seita apologized to his aunt? Was it right for him to merely live a carefree life with Setsuko amidst all the bullets, air raids, and destruction?

Nevertheless, this story disturbed me tremendously. It's amazing how an old piece like this could graphically depict the bitter times so well. I find myself remembering some scenes from the show every now and then and shivering unconsciously. The people at Studio Ghibli are amazing.

American Idol Season 7 Top 24 has been chosen!

2008-02-16T19:11:00.000-08:00

And here are my top picks from the cream of the crop!

Michael Johns

Great voice, good looks, he's not tied down to just one genre, very cool persona, Michael Johns is an ultimate package and he can definitely light the crowd's fire.

His rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody is interesting, he didn't go crazy with it, and instead made it his own:

David Archuleta

He's 16 years old but very mature, is as charming as charming can ever get, has a very interesting past (he almost lost his voice!), has that huskiness to his vocal box and good looks to boot! He's certainly going to capture a lot of hearts.

That's pretty much my top picks for now!

Another one I really liked who didn't make it was the cool guy, Josiah Leming. The way he shouts in his songs is extremely interesting, it's high-pitched, almost on the brink of breaking, but it really works! I think he can really make it big in the commercial pop/alternative/punk industry because he is the type of voice and personality that people are looking for nowadays (maybe minus the excessive crying).

Everyone will agree that Mika's songs are hard to sing, what more to make it your own? Josiah proved he has mad skills to do that. And have you ever seen Simon smile like this before??

Sadly, he didn't quite make it. The pressure of delivering was too much for him, he wasn't able to practice enough for his last performance, and he did the risky move of singing without a band which Simon misinterpreted as arrogance (I personally think Josiah did that only because he was afraid he'd mess up more if he played with a band he wasn't able to practice with).

I guess it's better luck next time for him. He still lacks the maturity that 16-year old David possesses. He has to get his act straight a bit, be a little more confident, a little less rattled so we can hopefully see more of him in the near future.

On the female side, I personally do not have any favorites. The closest I have of a favorite on the female arena is the rocker nurse. She is a very very cool contestant but I agree with Simon that she has to change it up because she runs the risk of being overly predictable. The other girls don't seem to fit the genre I'm looking for. A lot of beautiful contestants, no doubt, but they seem to be all belters / country gals and I really really hate country music. The thought of having another Carrie Underwood winner makes me shudder.

Can't wait for next week!

The Wittiest Reality TV show duo yet is in Amazing Race Asia 2!

2008-02-12T05:18:00.000-08:00

I've actually grown tired of watching race-type sports-intensive reality TV shows, like Amazing Race and Survivor. I only watched Amazing race for the bickering couple that was Colin & Christie and watched Survivor only on its second season. Personality seemed to have dissipated from the shows, replaced by stereotypes, cheesy "I will survive" types, and overly serious competitors. The formula was personally driving me nuts.

The Mark and Rovilson duo is just what the reality TV routine needs - a fresh, witty personality with good looks to boot (may I note that Mark looked especially hot this Africa episode)! They are perhaps the wittiest duo ever to grace my boob tube, as they exchange banters, give funny retorts, and do zany things on screen. And they go one step further to entertain us with their special Amazing Race customized shirts! They are the sole reason why I follow this season of Amazing Race Asia. I think shows should endeavor to have contestants as vivacious as these two, otherwise people are really going to get tired of the same thing.

I'll be posting my fave Mark and Rovilson quotes soon ;)

Ikuta Toma's new Jdrama!

2008-01-28T01:42:00.001-08:00

Ikuta Toma lands a new role at the JDrama, Honey and Clover, adapted from the anime with the same title. The drama is mostly a romantic comedy, focusing on the lives of five college students and the love triangle (or pentagon, whichever). He plays Takemoto Yuta, a man who is unsure of himself. He is a bit gawky, quiet, and falls for the extremely shy Hanamoto Hagumi.

From the first part of the drama, I feel that this is going to be a great watch. From what I gathered the movie version of this show sucked so I hope that the bad reputation of the movie won't rub off in this series. They have Ikuta Toma's acting prowess to make this show work after all.

Here are a few screen shots that to me, captures the very essence of this new character he is playing. It is a stark contrast from the almost cocky goofball Nakatsu Shuichi and an even bigger contrast from the vengeful, kakkoi Junpei. One thing hasn't changed though - He is as cute and charming as ever ;)

It's great that the Japanese entertainment industry is keen on determining who the great talents are and is giving Ikuta Toma all the opportunities he deserves! Congrats, Ikuta Toma! A lot of us are rooting for you!

My main Ikuta Toma support page here:
My First Toma Post
All My Ikuta Toma Posts/Wallpapers/Icons

Renaldo Lapuz - THE defining moment of Season 7

2008-01-20T19:28:00.000-08:00

I am your brother
Your best friend forever
Singing the songs
The music that you like
We're brothers til the end of time
Together forever til the end of time
I am your brother
Your best friend forever
Singing the songs
The music that you like
We're brothers til the end of time
Together or not, you're always in my heart
Your hurting feelings
Will reign no more

If you're watching American Idol Season 7 then you definitely know this song. You must have endured a few sleepless nights with this tune plaguing your head (or it might just be me).

If you're not watching American Idol Season 7 because you believe that it has nothing more entertaining to offer, then watch it now:

If you're not laughing right now, then you might be dead. Or 99% of the other viewers just have a corny sense of humor ;)

I predict that Renaldo Lapuz will be THE most talked about phenomenon of this season. Just a quick search through youtube.com shows that it's already happening! Check out just a few of the people who have submitted a video singing Renaldo's original composition!

A beautiful version of the song:

If you remain unconvinced, Renaldo Lapuz has his own website! And traffic seems to be pouring in like crazy!
http://www.renaldolapuz.com/

This is just another reminder of how powerful this show really is. Kinda creepy realization if you think about it :)

American Idol Season 7 does it again!

2008-01-16T19:49:00.000-08:00

It's that time of the year where we can behold the talent of the American Idol contestants, or laugh out loud at their lack thereof. It's the time of the year where we see people make a fool of themselves, intentionally or not.

And thus far, this is one contestant not to be missed!
Let my people go!

It's amazing how this reality TV show has now hit season 7 but has barely scratched the surface of the crazy antics of the US of A! And I thought last season's Panther boy had taken the cake.

Of course, the question now is if AI still has a lot more new talent to showcase to us or if we are going to be watching a set of copycats from seasons 1 to 6. Only time will tell.

In the meantime, let's enjoy Simon Cowell's commentaries, the creepy half naked male contestants, scary glittery women, Star Wars fanatics, and the tone-deaf. Cheers!

Proposal Daisakusen

2007-11-27T21:26:00.000-08:00

This J-Drama isn't very new but I was only able to watch it now, after my friend recommended it. Proposal Daisakusen centers mostly on a guy played by Yamapi who has been in love with his best friend since elementary. The show starts with his best friend being married off to someone else, and Yamapi being extremely regretful that he wasn't the groom.

A fairy of the Church, not your average kind of fairy (he is a HE, for one thing), decides to take pity on this poor soul and grant him a chance to go back to time to confess his feelings to his best friend and hopefully change the course of his future to a happier one. He realizes, however, that this is no easy feat, as he deals with his personal issues, most especially his pride.

The drama was a very interesting watch, and anything related to time traveling has always caught my eye. After three episodes, however, you start to see the formula of the series, and start to skip a few minutes of each episode to cut to the chase. One good thing about the show is that it touches on the lives of the other characters as well. The other members of the cast played their roles very well, and had varied traits, from the playboy to the hopelessly lovesick puppy. Of course, the lead actor was very talented, as we would all expect from the very good-looking Japanese heartthrob, Yamapi.

I would say that the show could have been compressed to 8 episodes, and it would have been an even better watch. As for the ending, a long-standing debate remains whether it was a good ending or not. I will not say too much because I do not want to spoil you but as a teaser: a lot of people were left wanting for more episodes when they finished the series. I, for one, remain in the middle of this debate.

Oguri Shun and Crows Zero

2007-10-31T23:04:00.000-07:00

Oguri Shun will be exploring his dark, badass, cool, and kickass side in his latest movie in Japan, Crows Zero. Check out the trailer below and drool ;)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOMA IKUTA

2007-10-07T02:36:00.000-07:00

Today is Toma Ikuta's Birthday! Let's all greet him today! :) Post in all your blogs, myspace accounts and whatnots =) Hopefully, the greetings will reach him :)

I also made 2 wallpapers for him as a gift :) Ikuta Toma, Otanjou-bi Omedetou Gozaimasu!!! Click on the thumbnails below to view the full 1024X768 version of the wallpaper. You can use this on your desktop to your heart's content but please don't offer them on your site :)

Enjoy!

Here's a great, great youtube video made by yamapink!

Anti-climactic JDrama Endings?

2007-09-30T21:01:00.000-07:00

Is it just me or were First Kiss and Hana Kimi's endings a bit too... anticlimactic? For First Kiss, the tension built up as the episodes progressed making you worry about Mio's operation, but it just ended all of a sudden like that!

As for Hana Kimi, more scenes were given to the friendship among Ashiya and the other fellow Hana Kimi students and Ashiya and Sano's relationship was not highlighted enough. And what of Ashiya going back to America? How will Ashiya and Sano's relationship continue?

It wasn't all that bad, but I guess I just hoped for more romantic scenes :)

Oguri Shun's Past

2007-09-23T03:38:00.001-07:00

My friend from Japan came here last week and gave me an Oguri Shun book filled with oodles of pictures of him :) And guess what?? The book says that Oguri Shun didn't like going to school before because people used to pick on him! Can you believe that?? This uber popular, sought-after Japanese actor who is arguably known worldwide used to be picked on at school!

Anyway, I'll be posting some pics from that book soon, and wallpapers of him, when I get the time.

New Ikuta Toma Wallpaper

2007-09-15T05:38:00.001-07:00

New wallpaper for Ikuta Toma up! This wallpaper is still for Ikuta Toma's portrayal of Nakatsu Shuichi of the ongoing Jdrama, Hana Kimi, which, if you have not been following, is about to come to its conclusion pretty soon (sob...). This picture of Ikuta Toma was captured at the time of the Mr. and Ms. Osaka contest when the teacher

************ spoiler alert ************

announces that Ashiya Mizuki has won as the Queen of Ms. Osaka.

************ end of spoiler alert ************

This wallpaper clearly shows his natural comical side. He was born to play the role of Nakatsu... But then again, with his talent, he acts as if he was born to play every role he's ever been given!

Hope you enjoy this Ikuta Toma wallpaper! ^_^ Again, I'd love to hear your comments. For more of my Ikuta Toma goodies, click here:
http://profoundstupidity.blogspot.com/search/label/Ikuta%20Toma You're free to use my wallpapers/buddy icons, but please don't place them on your site. Thanks!

I'm gonna have even more Ikuta Toma stuff up as soon as I can make them! =) Enjoy! Click on the image below to get the bigger version :)

Ikuta Toma wallpaper

2007-09-09T20:24:00.000-07:00

My newest Ikuta Toma wallpaper featuring him as the very funny Nakatsu in the ongoing Japanese drama series, Hana Kimi. Toma Ikuta kawaii desu ne!!!

More Toma Ikuta wallpapers soon :) I'd love a comment if you like this wallpaper :)

First Kiss Episode 7 and 8!!! screenshots and buddy icons

2007-09-03T00:18:00.000-07:00

First Kiss episode 7 was the cutest episode of First Kiss thus far!!! And one of the cutest Japanese Drama Series episodes as well!! Dr Yuuki's dimply smile is absolutely adorable!! And him meeting Mio at the restaurant while they were on the phone... kawaii desu ne!!!

Screenshots to recap the beautiful scene!

And screens to that romantic date:

Episode 8 was so bittersweet and sad and I can't wait for episode 9!

Made some buddy icons for episode 7 and 8

Cute or Not Cute?

2007-08-31T06:59:00.001-07:00

Cute or not cute? I am totally loving this new site I came across - CuteNotCute.com! It's sort of a spin off from hotornot.com but this time the focus is on cute stuff (like stuffed toys, illustrations, jewelries and collectibles), cute people, and cute pets! The UI is uber cute so it really lives up to its name!

And check out this cute banner they have at the site!

I'm waiting on more people to post their cute pics!!! :) If you're interested in cuteness (as the site calls it), please do share your pictures, I have some stuffed toys there myself hehehe

Threadless is on Sale!!!

2007-08-27T18:20:00.000-07:00

Click me now! Stuff are going at only $10 a piece :)

Kristen Bell gets a gig at Heroes and loses Lost, Jason Dohring gets a share of the Moonlight

2007-08-24T06:22:00.000-07:00

Kristen Bell gets a gig at Heroes

And I quote
Community.TvGuide.com

"Bell will first appear in October as Elle, "a sexy, mysterious young lady who (Spoiler alert) has ties to the supposed death of Peter, H.R.G.'s past and Claire's future."

AND

"Unreliable sources say Bell's Heroes alter ego has the power to utterly destroy a person with a witty retort."

This is SO Kristen Bell! Witty, sexy, mysterious! Can't wait! I'm not a big Heroes fan but yeah, this is definitely gonna make me really start getting into Heroes pronto (and may I add that it's completely an added bonus that the hot hot Milo Ventimiglia is starring this show -- I'd lose the whole flat, fixed hairdo though -- anyway...)!

Kristen Bell also recently was offered a gig at Lost, another very popular TV series, but she turned it down because she's heading to Broadway!

Oh and here's another hearsay:

"Bell could be replacing Laura Bell Bundy in Legally Blonde this February."

How cool is that?!

I am pretty stoked with Kristen Bell's new contracts, but I am still quite disheartened that Veronica Mars continues to be nowhere in the future TV guides. I do hope that perhaps, Kristen Bell's increase in popularity will somehow enlighten other viewers about Veronica Mars, the wittiest (ever) show, and that we could finally get picked up for a decent close to season 3 and a full season 4!

Here's one avid VM fan who is still not giving up!

Other juicy news! Jason Dohring also lands a new role, which will hopefully jumpstart this hottie's career!

From: Hollywood Reporter

"Dohring will play ancient vampire Josef. He replaces 60-year-old Rade Serbedzija, who played the part in the pilot presentation before the character was reconceptualized as a young, mischievous hedge-fund trader."

I'm already imagining how he's gonna play this role and I must say I am completely thrilled.

So, again, VM must live on through these actors!

2007-08-19T00:37:00.000-07:00

Japanese Drama Hana Kimi screenshots for episode 1 with captions! Enjoy!
If you want to use this on your website, please ask permission first. Capturing screens isn't as simple as it seems :) (at least for someone like me who finds the process very tedious)

Special thanks goes to SARS FANSUBS for creating high-quality japanese drama series fansubs :) Check out their site to download the videos =)

Ashiya starts her new life in Osaka High School

Fan girls flock to Osaka High School to view the good-looking students

Osaka High school is an all-boys school with only one criterion for entering

Their appearance.

Fan girls are loving the beautiful scenery

Also here

The Hibari Four. A group of girls who belong to St. Blossoms, Osaka High School's sister school.

Osaka High students are all excited to see the transfer student from America (but they are later on disappointed to see a Japanese-looking guy - Mizuki - instead)

Mizuki's first encounter with Sano, the sole reason she was dressing up as a guy and attending Osaka High School, wasn't a very nice one.

Sano's graceful high jump, which has been Mizuki's inspiration.

Acting like a guy can be quite tricky especially in sticky situations such as this one.

News goes around of Mizuki's skills in running, so all the dorms fight over her to gain a better chance at winning dorm competitions

Later on, she learns that winners of dorm competitions get rewards

Mizuki meets Nanba, playboy and dorm head of dorm 2

And meets the adorable dog of dorm 2

As well as this creepy fellow (who will grow on you most definitely)

Sano has an attitude

Mizuki runs at the dorm competition despite her injury

Flashback: Mizuki cut her hair to look like a guy, attend Osaka High and convince Sano to jump again.

Sano takes care of Mizuki

Nakatsu and his brilliant display of selflessness makes his late grandma proud

Threadless People

2007-08-13T17:48:00.000-07:00

Please vote for my friend's design =)

It's a hilarious design and I love that it's about poker.

Mucho thanks :)

Hooray for Ikuta Toma

2007-08-11T18:44:00.000-07:00

Reasons why I am so happy for Ikuta Toma right now:

1. His role in Hana Kimi - Nakatsu is perfect for Ikuta Toma. He can show off his sense of humor, his romantic side, and his intense side all in one! It's so cute the way this very cool, athletic guy goes all gawky all of a sudden. He provides a lot of the humor in the show. The way he debates over his feelings for Ashiya is hilarious!

2. The Hana Kimi poll I've made thus far - As of this post, Nakatsu is leading my poll by a whopping 16 votes! If you haven't voted, vote now :D

3. All the overwhelming replies I've gotten in my first Ikuta Toma post. It's great to know there a lot of other avid Ikuta Toma supporters out there!

Here's to hoping that Hana Kimi will be Ikuta Toma's springboard to superstardom!

Below are two Ikuta Toma buddy icons I've made. Enjoy! :)

Ratatouille

2007-08-10T02:42:00.000-07:00

Pixar disproved my skepticism about yet another animated film revolving around animals. As soon as I watched the trailer of the uberly cute rat cooking up a storm in the kitchen, I knew I needed to watch this film on the big screen.

The show certainly wowed me with its very detailed graphics. The plot was also very interesting. I love, love, love to cook. To have a rat in the kitchen is certainly taboo in the culinary world, so it was certainly quite a twist to have a rat so gifted in cooking. Finally, to have this movie set in the romantic city that is Paris gave the show a very cozy ambience.

One of the scenes that totally stuck in my head after the movie ended was Ego trying out the delectable-looking Ratatouille that Remy cooked up. It looked deeelicious!

Once I got home, I researched the recipe for Ratatouille and decided to make my own! I have to say this dish is really good! And very simple to make, too! The recipe calls for 7 basic ingredients:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (the very good stuff)
Tomato, sliced
Zucchini, sliced
Red Onion, sliced
Garlic
Salt and Pepper

The secret is in the quality of the ingredients. The olive oil brings out the flavor in the tomato and zucchini and these two vegetables really are a match made in heaven. Some recipes call for eggplant but since I am not a big fan of eggplant, I decided to omit that.

How to cook this dish? Simple. Place a considerable amount of olive oil on your skillet, and place the garlic and red onion when the oil gets hot. Cook until the onion becomes somewhat translucent and dump in the sliced zucchinis. Place the tomato once the zucchinis are cooked, and season with salt and pepper. I like to place it in a deep dish and bake it for a few minutes or so just to bring more flavor to it but this last step isn't really necessary.

The result of my creation:

Doesn't look like Remy's masterpiece, that's for sure, but I surmise that Remy placed some sort of thickener to his sauce. None the less, the dish is a must try :)

Vote for your favorite Hana Kimi Hottie!

2007-07-22T20:16:00.000-07:00

Just curious :) Please vote for your favorite Hana Kimi hottie through the poll to your right and leave comments here why if you like :)

Hana Yori Dango Season 2 Episode 1 Final Part

2007-07-22T03:30:00.001-07:00

While studying in a library one day, Makino encounters Junpei, who asks her to join her in his modelling stint, where Junpei encourages her to have one photo shoot with him for kicks. The photo, however, shows up in an international magazine which is widely read by everyone, even by a certain boy in New York.

In a surprising turn of events, Makino receives a red notice one day, which could come from none other than Domyouji. This, along with the encouragement of Rui, leads Makino to be ever more determined to visit Domyouji in New York. That is when we are lead back to the scene with the thugs. Makino's knight in pointy shoes is none other than Hanazawa Rui, who has decided to accompany her in New York.

By some miracle, Makino encounters Domyouji at the hot dog stand. She is thrilled, but apparently, Domyouji is not. Makino is devastated but she is still doggedly determined to find out what's wrong so she goes to his school to find him. A conversation with him and an unexpected turn of events leads her to believe that perhaps, Domyouji has really forgotten about her. The remaining members of F4 try to talk some sense into him but to no avail.

Meanwhile, back in school, Makino deals with all the bullying and Junpei is there to help her through the ordeal.

*** spoilers below ***

There is, however, more to Junpei than meets the eye. It turns out that Junpei himself had ordered the red notice and that he planned to use Makino as bait to bring Domyouji back so he could extract his revenge for all the evil things Domyouji had done in the past. Makino, whom Junpei's gang has strapped to a pole in some abandoned shack, retaliates and manages to escape Junpei's gang where Domyouji's sister is there to rescue her. Domyouji's sister and Makino talk over a scrumptious meal, where Makino confesses how much she misses and loves Domyouji. Domyouji's sister is heartbroken.

The episode reaches its shocking ending when Nishida hands Makino an invitation to Domyouji's grand birthday party. At the event, Domyouji's mother makes an important announcement - Domyouji is to be engaged - and not to her, but to a girl by the name of Okawahara Shigeru.

Ikuta Toma and Oguri Shun star in Hana Kimi

2007-07-22T02:46:00.000-07:00

What could possibly be better than a hilarious JDrama with Ikuta Toma and Oguri Shun starring on it, and a couple of other good-looking guys? Absolutely nothing.

Hana Kimi is about a girl named Ashiya, who wishes to place a smile back on a high-jump record holder who goes by the name of Sano (played by Oguri Shun). After an incident with thugs, Sano had quit high-jumping, and Ashiya feels responsible for what happened.

The catch? Sano studies at an all-boys high school in Osaka. Determined to achieve her mission, Ashiya cuts her hair short, leaves her family in the US and goes to Osaka posing as another male student, hopeful that she can rekindle Sano's desire to do the high-jump, and return him his happiness.

With a high school whose only requirement for those applying is to be good-looking, a flurry of competitions against the three dorms of the school, and the stubborn loner ex-high-jumper, what has a girl like Ashiya gotten herself into?

This is exactly the kind of Jdrama that could act as Ikuta Toma's springboard to popularity, as he plays Nakatsu, a hilarious student from Dorm 2 who finds himself falling for Ashiya in some weird way and despising himself for it. Ikuta Toma is both hilarious and endearing in this show, as he has some rather touching scenes in the show. Oguri Shun's performance was as perfect as ever. As the versatile chameleon he is, he is able to act as the serious loner, with a heavy burden on his shoulders, but can also play scenes as the kissing drunken fool, who had one too many Nara pickles. Ashiya, played by Horikita Maki, is a good choice for the role, as she can pass as a boy, without losing her feminine identity.

The other characters in the show are not to be forgotten, as their contribution to the drama is essential. They provide more color to the show, from the boy with the third eye, the playboy, the drama king, the overly zealous Taekwondo leader, the questionable nurse... the list goes on. This show must be on your playlist.

I'll be having episode synopses in the later posts :)

Shia LaBeouf Through the Years

2007-07-09T22:39:00.000-07:00

Here it is, a post dedicated to the Transfomers lead star, Shia LaBeouf, pronounced "Shy-a La Buff". Most of you probably know him when he was still little, from the Nickelodeon TV Series, Even Stevens, where he plays Louis Stevens, Ren's "annoying little brother". This 66-episode show is a family/comedy show about the quirks and misadventures of the Stevens family, and Louis particularly gets into a lot of mishaps that he tries to solve them in his crazy way.

He also starred in 1 episode stints in several TV shows like ER, The X Files, Suddenly Susan, Touched by an Angel, Freaks and Geeks, and lent his voice to an episode of The Proud Family.

In 2001, he starred as Ronny Van Dusen in Hounded, the headmaster's son and rival of Jay for a scholarship, then as Eddie Walker in a family drama, Tru Confessions, a film adapted from a novel with the same title. As Eddie Walker, he acted as the twin mentally-disabled brother of his fame-aspiring sister, Trudy Walker. He appears again in comedy movies, this time in Holes (2003), as Stanley Yelnats IV, who was wrongfully placed in a juvenile facility, which he attributed to his family's supposed bad luck streak. The juvenile delinquents are punished by being forced to dig holes every day.

Even Stevens released a movie where Shia again played as Louis Stevens. The movie revolves around a Survivor-like theme where the family is stranded in an island and are forced into two groups when Louis supposedly angers the gods of the island. They later on realize that there is more to the predicament than meets the eye, and that they are just pawns in a new reality TV show. Also in 2003, he stars in more popular films - Dumb and Dumber and Charlie's Angels. In the latter, he plays Max, a Motocross champion whom the angels have been tasked to protect.

In 2004/2005, he starred in 2 very popular, kickass shows: IRobot, and Constantine. While he only plays a small role in IRobot, and gets just a couple of screentime trying to defeat the robots gone wild, he gets a larger role in the latter movie. In Constantine, he is John Constantine's apprentice in demon-expelling.

Then, he plays in a more serious show, a golf drama, The Greatest Game Ever Played, where he is Francis Ouimet, a young American who wishes to participate in a US Open amidst the prejudice of English society.

He goes on to play other roles in the year 2006, and finally stars in Transformers, which is arguably his shining moment. Earlier this year (or for some people in other countries, later this year), you might have seen him in a thriller Disturbia, where he is a teenager placed in House Arrest, who finds out some deadly secrets about his next-door neighbor.

Over the years, we have seen his natural comedic sense as well as his ability to star in more serious, intense roles. His talent, versatility, and friendly, unassuming manner are qualities I am certainly something looking forward to in more movies to come. In 2008, expect to see him in the fourth installment of Indiana Jones, which will definitely be a good watch.

I wish you all the best, Shia! You deserve it!

And here is a teaser to the 4th installment of Indiana Jones. Go pompadour Shia!!!

More to this Movie than Meets the Eye

2007-07-07T02:57:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you why I agree with the majority of the movie-viewing public that this show was awesome.

1. The movie had a plot. Oftentimes, these action flicks don't have much of a plot going on, which is why I had doubts about how great this show really was. The plot was awesome. There wasn't anything intellectual about the plot or anything deep about it, but this show really explained how these autobots and decepticons came to this earth and you are totally immersed in their mission to save planet earth.

2. It's believable. The reason why I shy away from sci-fi flicks is that everything is so unrealistic and so outrageous. Here, they actually base their existence on something plausible, connecting it to historical events, like the Mars landing and the Hoover Dam.

3. Mind-blowing special effects. Every autobot had their own way of transforming to and from a car, all those explosions, fight scenes - mind-blowing!

4. Great actors. I love Shia LaBeouf. I loved him since Even Stevens. He's natural, has this geekiness to him that makes him really cute. I absolutely loved him in this show. I might dedicate an entire post just about him later on. Megan Fox was also great, she kicked ass esp. riding that tow truck with Bumble Bee. And Josh Duhamel was also very kickass as the captain and he added intensity to the film. Oh yeah, and he's hot.

5. Tear-jerking moments? Okay, I'm gonna admit. The Bumblebee - Sam moments brought some tears to my eyes. Sorry, I'm a sucker for these sentimental moments. It's so great how they add emotions and "humane-ness" to the autobots.

6. Funny moments. Every good show has its funny moments. Shia provided just enough humor in the show, not too much that the show becomes corny. He's a natural comedian. The autobots trying to hide in Sam's house was so funny.

7. Kickass robots. All hail Optimus Prime!

8. Kickass kickass kickass!!! Oh and did I mention, Kickass?!?!

9. And isn't it a cherry on top of this very delicious banana split that Linkin Park's What I've done covers this show?

I'm gonna go to a second-hand car shop very soon and hope to God that an autobot chooses me. Please please please!!!

Akihabara at Deep

2007-07-03T04:00:00.000-07:00

So I'm currently watching the Akihabara at Deep series, mainly because Toma Ikuta stars there, and I must say this show is quite... unique. Seeing Akihabara for the first time in TV makes me want to go back to Japan and visit Akihabara, it looks like a very interesting place to go to!

The show basically revolves around otakus and their world - Akihabara. The story starts with three specific otakus - box, page, and Taiko, each with their own shortcomings - Page, played by Kazama Shunsuke, talks to people mainly through his computer and has self-confidence issues (part of the fun of this show is listening to him find his voice and stutter). Box, played by Toma Ikuta, is a good-looking man who ironically has a hard time dealing with women. Taiko, played by Hoshino Gen, mysteriously freezes sometimes. It's quite hilarious seeing his head up in smokes and his eyes all crazy looking. Likewise, they also have their own strengths which, together as a team, help them accomplish things. Later on, they meet up with 3 more otakus and together, they solve the Akihabara's problems and more importantly, their own quandaries.

I have yet to finish the series, but it's interesting, that's for sure.

This is a funny scene where the 3 otakus try to track down Akira:

Japanese English

2007-06-26T06:41:00.000-07:00

The name of the game is simple. The students (several TV personalities) should not laugh while this man speaks english. Hilarious, I cried in laughter!!!

ten ten ten ten ten ten ten ten ten ten!

2 of my favorite things combined: Anime and HTML

2007-06-24T18:25:00.001-07:00

What does a psychotic otaku with too much time on his/her hands do?

S/he creates a kawaii anime shojou using only HTML code, mostly td's.

That is one extremely patient, persevering person. :P

Toma Ikuta - The underrated talent (And 2 Toma Ikuta wallpapers!)

2007-06-17T19:32:00.000-07:00

I've been browsing around for some good Toma Ikuta sites and it really depressed me to realize that there are only a few of them. Toma Ikuta is one of those unique talents who have not gotten such a good break. He has yet to achieve the superstar status that Matsumoto Jun and Kimtaku have achieved.

Knowing this, I am dedicating this post to Toma Ikuta - the underrated talent. I feel that he deserves more publicity than he is getting. He is a versatile actor, with roles ranging from the nerdy Otaku at Akihabara (at) Deep to a man out for a vengeance in Hana Yori Dango.

He has a charming exterior, with an intensity to him that allows him to play passionate roles, and a soft, humorous side to him that helps him play lighter shows. There is something unique with the way he laughs, and it's quite catching. This 22-year old deserves that big break at fame.

I've made two wallpapers for him, hope you like them. I made the theme a little on the white side, since Toma Ikuta's favorite color is white.

And a buddy icon to highlight his laugh:

Click here to see all my Ikuta Toma goodies and posts!

And please: Leave a comment if you're a fellow Toma Ikuta fan.

Alternative Medicine

2007-06-14T01:01:00.000-07:00

If you're frustrated with antibiotics, steroids, antihistamines, and all these prescription drugs, you might want to try giving herbal teas a chance.

I'm not talking about herbal teas that are sold inside boxes in your local supermarket. I'm talking about prescription herbal teas. Just like conventional medicine, you go see a doctor, tell him/her what ails you, and the doctor then writes a list of items that in combination will help you with your complaint (which can range from insomnia to indigestion).

Then, the pharmacist looks over the list, places all these herbs, weird-looking branches, an occasional insect or two inside a plastic bag, and it's off to the kitchen for you where you boil these babies in hot water for a certain duration, and drink it.

The result is this sometimes murky sometimes clear, dark brown to black substance that the doctor expects you to chug down... satisfied smile at the end not required, and not possible, in my opinion. This stuff can be real nasty. It's bitter, sweet, salty, spicy, and the smell is quite overpowering. I recommend a candy or two beside you so you can suck on them after your drink. I also recommend that you recite a mantra of "I need this to get well" dancing around your head as you drink every drop of this medicine.

Needless to say, this stuff may be able to help you if you've gone astray from those pesky tablets and capsules.

Veronica Mars fans prove that they are really a cult fan base

2007-06-08T20:03:00.000-07:00

What happens when Mars fans like us get disappointed by the sad news that Veronica Mars might be axed for good, despite all our efforts to vote like crazy in teavee and SOS? We fight back, Veronica Mars style. Veronica Mars never gave up. She gets insulted, she insults back. Her car's tires are sabotaged, she sabotages suspect's car. Her "personal" life is shot in video, and her video is scattered all over email, she retaliates and finds out just who the frak did that to her. Her best friend dies, she finds out who murders her, even if no one would support her.

Veronica Mars show is doomed to extinction, we spend all our hard-earned money to buy loads of Mars Bars and marshmallows to send to Dawn Ostroff and make a statement. Hell Yeah.

These Mars Bars cost roughly $2 each, and it's a small price to pay to keep the best show alive. Kristen Bell hasn't lost hope in the show. Why should we? To support, please go to: http://scramblenetwork.wordpress.com/mars/ or http://theindianfoodstore.blogspot.com/ or http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000RQ0ZPC?tag=indfooadd-20&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=B000RQ0ZPC&adid=13NZCNEZX1E5NNNNM7ZY&

Now let me give you 10 reasons why this show must not be axed:

1. It is a critically acclaimed show. Famous talents like Stephen King agree.
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1176379,00.html

2. It has a cult fan base. These are fans who are willing to send out Mars Bars, vote like crazy in any online poll that will show their love for Veronica Mars, bombard you with emails, sign petitions, create websites in Veronica Mars' name, create any multimedia for Veronica Mars, even donate money from their pockets to make this show stay as long as possible. (Just as I have pointed above)

3. We got 1st place in the teavee polls and acquired a very big lead against the other shows (like One Tree Hill). We got 2nd place in the Save One Show of eonline. We have over 38,750 signatures on the online petition and we are one of the most active petitions on petitiononline.com. The numbers continue to grow.
http://www.petitiononline.com/

4. Girlfriends was renewed and it has lower ratings than Veronica Mars, and has been staying on for many more seasons than Veronica Mars, so it has less of an excuse why it still has bad ratings.

5. Veronica Mars just came into CW this year. One cannot count the last two seasons as a way to determine whether VM will work or not. People are just beginning to find out about this outstanding show, it's considered a new show for this network. Shouldn't we at least give it another chance?

6. The Pussycat Dolls show caused confusion for new viewers. A lot of people assumed that VM was gone, so they didn't watch after VM came back.

7. VM has changed our consumer experience. I, for one, now purchase items that Veronica Mars herself wore in the shows. And I'm not the only one. There is, in fact, a community that talks only about what brand and where to buy Veronica Mars' stuff. VM is that influential, and it is quite good for the sponsors.
http://community.livejournal.com/neptune_style/

8. I have created several articles, wallpapers, buddy icons to praise a show like Veronica Mars.

http://profoundstupidity.blogspot.com/search/label/Veronica%20Mars

9. I take time out of my extremely hectic life to support this show. And I am not just the only one who does this. I am backed by other fans who have busy lives of their own, but still stay till the wee hours of the morning to vote at teavee.com, to post at CW forums, to thank and support the sponsors of VM, to do anything and EVERYTHING to show their support for this remarkably witty show. You can't find fans more dedicated than us.

10. Even their very own Dawn Ostroff loves this show.

Aren't these reasons enough?

Minutes to Midnight = Minutes of Sheer Musical Bliss

2007-06-08T01:35:00.000-07:00

I am raving about the new album of Linkin Park. It is just magnificent. Even the album cover rocks and they just look really hot and cool (a paradox but you get what I mean). At the beginning, listening to Wake and then Given Up, I was afraid that this album was going to be boring. As soon as I hit "Leave out all the Rest" though, the album took a turn for the better. What drew me to this album the most has to be "In Between".

During the first six notes, I was about to dread that this was simply going to sound like Somewhere I Belong, but then when Mike Shinoda started to sing with such an emotional, sad, deep voice and a simple beat joined him in, and Chester (I think) blended in with him, I immediately knew this was gonna be one of my fave Linkin Park songs. It's such a deep song, albeit the melody was simple. It just shows that less is definitely more.

I have to say that the lyrics of Valentine's Day was quite nice and poetic.

my insides all turned to ash / so slow
and blew away as i collapsed / so cold
a black wind took them away / from sight
and held the darkness over day / that night

and the clouds above move closer
looking so dissatisfied
but the heartless wind kept blowing, blowing

i used to be my own protection / but not now
cause my path had lost direction / somehow
a black wind took you away / from sight
and held the darkness over day / that night

and the clouds above move closer
looking so dissatisfied
and the ground below grew colder
as they put you down inside
but the heartless wind kept blowing, blowing

so now you're gone
and i was wrong
i never knew what it was like
to be alone

on a valentine's day
on a valentine's day
on a valentine's day
on a valentine's day

The lyrics of the song paint such a sad picture and to have such a sad scenario on a valentine's day is heart-wrenching.

Of course, "What I've done" was fantastic, no explanations needed. The whole rhythm at the beginning sets the mood of the song and it's all just musical greatness from there on.

After listening to "In Between" for 10 times straight, I listened to the whole album again and I realized that every song in this album rocked! I liked that it was different from their previous albums in that some of the songs are more mellow, instruments are a little less heavy, and yet the whole Linkin Park vibe I've loved from the very beginning was still there. The Asian influence in their sounds was still there, the haunting melodies, the great vocals of Chester and surprisingly, Mike Shinoda... Yes, Linkin Park certainly hit the jackpot with this album! For those who liked Linkin Park just the way it was before, there are still songs in this album with their signature raps and shouts and heavy instruments.

They had said in their site that they knew a lot of people were going to have mixed emotions about this album. Count me in on the Pro side.

Which would you prefer? A farmer looking for a wife or a young female detective solving crimes?

2007-06-04T23:17:00.000-07:00

Which would you prefer? A farmer looking for a wife or a young female detective solving crimes, unraveling deep dark secrets, dishing out witty repartees, and living out college drama? Seriously, is anyone going to choose the first one? I cannot for the life of me understand the charm in seeing a farmer look for a wife. How is it any different from the Australian dude that was looking for a wife, and the Bachelor, aside from the cows, chickens, and crops?

And how does Mother of Pageants grab you? The synopsis is about a group of mother and daughters vying to be the winners of this pageant. Now how cheesy is that? Can we all say "World boredom" together?

And Life is Wild? Ho hum. Caught the preview and they were just fussing over an injured lion cub (granted the cub was really cute but premise-wise and acting-wise, I think this show isn't gonna be as hot as the Safari's weather)

What I'm looking forward to is definitely Gossip Girl and The Reaper. The CW was very sneaky to have Kristen Bell as the narrator of the show because it certainly adds a lot of plus points for a Veronica Mars fan like me. The Reaper's premise is certainly interesting and hilarious and the previews did not disappoint. I see a Jack Black in the making for one of the main actor's sidekick.

The CW lineup is pretty okay. Could do better without the farmer and with the witty female private investigator. I'm sure the messy ratings of the farmer reality show will prove that. I'm still quite bitter that Veronica Mars isn't in the lineup.

Quality TV going down the toilet

2007-05-18T06:07:00.001-07:00

This just in from "Watch With Kristen" gossip (http://www.eonline.com/gossip/kristin/index.jsp?uuid=a646413a-9a63-486b-96b6-8c9f5b6aa503)

Veronica Mars' future is bleak. The article says, and I quote:

"At a CW press conference, Dawn Ostroff told reporters that Veronica as we know it is over, but that she is talking to Rob Thomas and Kristen Bell about a future project.'

I just checked in with Rob Thomas, who tells me:

'I haven't heard about a future project yet, but I suppose I'd listen. Would love to work with Kristen again, however.'

When I ask point-blank if VM is over, Rob tells me:

'I believe we're out of hope.'"

This news absolutely sucks. This clearly tells me that quality TV viewing as we know it is going down the drain. Hell, Veronica Mars has only been the show that's allowed me to say that there are still quality TV shows left.

I don't know why shows I love get cancelled prematurely - eg. Roswell. What are the majority of TV viewers looking for that the can't find in Veronica Mars? What is it about the common TV viewer that is different from the cult fanbase of Veronica Mars? What could possibly be more interesting about farmers looking for a mate?

And what good was winning 2nd place in the Save One Show and getting 1st place in Teavee to our cause? When are they going to review that whole Nielsen box rating scheme anyway?

This is absolutely depressing.

Let's still vote at Teavee for Veronica Mars to show how much we love the show and how much we believe in the witty private investigator and her awesome cast. Let's hope that they realize what a mistake they're making, cancelling Veronica Mars.

American Idol Results are in and they're surprising... or not?

2007-05-17T02:12:00.000-07:00

If you haven't watched the results night of American Idol then I urge you not to scroll down further.

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Alright then, Melinda Dolittle is out. The ever consistent, goosebump-generating, quirky Melinda was beaten by a teenager who (in my opinion) had a very lukewarm night last night and who never really captured my attention, and the 25 year old stylish, funky, modern beatboxer.

I'd agree with the viewers' choice of voting for Blake Lewis, and I'm quite happy that this show does not always choose the belters over the wild cards. What I'm not too thrilled about is that voters decided to choose the less sensational belter. Clearly, when you listen to Jordin and Melinda, you know who stands out more, and the judges agree.

However, I find that I am not all too shocked about the results, despite the 74% who said they were "absolutely shocked" in the American Idol website polls. I had a creeping feeling that this was how it was gonna go. Why I had this feeling, I don't know. Perhaps it's because American Idol has that knack of shocking you, that I had prepared for the shock already.

The question is: What could have possibly caused Melinda's elimination? Could it be either: (1) the viewers frantically voted for the idol who got less positive comments, assuming that the others would have voted for the idol who was "a cinch to be in the top" (ex. Chris Daughtry) or (2) the viewers got bored by Melinda's consistent greatness?

It's quite ironic that Melinda went to the bottom 3 just when it really counted. But I'm not worried. I think Melinda will release an album. It would be a crime if she didn't.

It would seem obvious from my previous posts and this particular post that I am 100% rooting for Blake, now that it's between the teenager and fresh, hip beatboxer.

Elimination Songs from American Idol Season 1 to Season 6

2007-05-11T22:45:00.000-07:00

I'll admit it. I'm crazy. I spent some time off my busy schedule to figure out all the elimination songs from season 1 to season 6 and figure out if there are artists that future AI contestants should probably not attempt to sing; that is, songs made by artists that have caused the most number of contestants to be eliminated.

And here are the results!

#1 Killer: The Supremes
Hit List:
Season 2 Where did our Love Go - Julia
Season 6 You Can't Hurry Love - Brandon
Season 2 You Keep Me Hangin' On - Vanessa
Season 3 You Keep Me Hangin' On - Leah
Speaking of Diana Ross, another one on the hitlist by Diana Ross is Season 2's Rickey singing Endless Love

Tied at #1: Donna Summer
Hit List:
Season 1 Last Dance - Ryan
Season 5 Last Dance - Brenna
Season 4 On the Radio - Vonzell
Season 3 No More Tears - Diana

Big Contender: Stevie Wonder
Season 4 All in Love is Fair - David
Season 6 If You Really Love Me - Jared
Season 5 Overjoyed - Sway
This is of course excluding Mellisa during Stevie Wonder Night since one would have inevitably been eliminated because of a Stevie Wonder song that night.

And then a few other contenders with 2 eliminations each:
Alicia Keys
Season 5 If I Ain't Got You - Shontai
Season 4 You Don't Know my Name - Aloha

Bonnie Raitt
Season 6 I Can't make you love me - Amy
Season 6 Something to Talk About - Sanjaya

Elvis Presley
Season 3 Jailhouse Rock - Jon Peter
Season 5 Suspicious Minds - Chris Daughtry

Faith Hill
Season 2 Breathe - Julia
Season 4 When the Lights Go Down - Celena

Gloria Estefan
Season 3 Music of My Heart - John Stevens
Season 6 Turn the Beat Around - Haley

Lonestar
Season 3 Amazed - Matt
Season 4 I'm Already There - Anthony

Nat King Cole
Season 5 That's All - Ace
Season 5 When I fall in Love - Kevin

Nina Simone
Season 6 Feeling Good - Leslie
Season 6 Feeling Good - AJ
Same song, same season, same night... creepy!

Peggy Lee
Season 6 Fever - Nicholas
Season 1 Glory of Love - Christina

Ray Charles
Season 4 Georgia on my Mind - Nikko
Season 5 I Believe to my Soul - Elliott

Taylor Dayne
Season 2 Love will Lead you back - Carmen
Season 4 Love will Lead you back - Mikalah

The Temptations
Season 4 Get Ready - Sarah
Season 1 My Girl - Ejay

Perhaps this may mean something to future contestans... Perhaps not. If you can sing well, then by all means, sing the risky songs (ie Elliott Yamin singing Stevie Wonder). It's just a tad interesting to see an elimination summary (at least it was a tad interesting for me tallying it)

Hana Yori Dango Wallpapers and Buddy Icons!

2007-05-06T06:51:00.000-07:00

Some Hana Yori Dango goodies for you: from Oguri shun icons, Junpei icons (gotta love him despite his evil-ness), Nishikado icons to Makino-Domyouji icons and 1 happy ending wallpaper :) Here go the icons:

And the wallpaper! Now if you haven't watched the last episode of season 2 then this may be a bit of a spoiler:

Hope you like them. Would love to get a comment :)

Bye Bye Gilmore Girls

2007-05-03T22:00:00.000-07:00

This just in. Gilmore Girls is finally saying goodbye.

From the CWTV Blog:
“Announcing the final season of ‘Gilmore Girls’ is truly a sad moment for everyone at The CW and Warner Bros. Television. This series helped define a network and created a fantastic, storybook world featuring some of television’s most memorable, lovable characters."

See more here

A great new Veronica Mars episode, A great night at American Idol

2007-05-02T18:32:00.000-07:00

After the longest hiatus (due to a highly "intellectual" reality show to pick the next pussycat doll), Veronica Mars has finally come back... and in my opinion, with a vengeance. The episode had all the Veronica Mars elements we love - witty repartees, the Logan and Veronica angst, a good mystery, and all the good ol' characters we've come to love in the first season. Of course, the episode would have been better if Parker was duct taped to a chair gagging on a handkerchief and miles away from Logan, but that couldn't have been helped.

My opinion on Pizonica? I like it. I know I'll be dodging many proverbial tomatoes but objectively speaking, they look great together, and Piz is a sweet guy. Piz and Logan are so different and that is the beauty of this whole Pizonica relationship. If you're still gagging, just remember the jealousy that Piz has sparked in Logan. You just gotta love that scene at the elevator. And here it is again:

So, whether you're an avid LoVe shipper or open to the Pizonica fling, I think you should find this episode quite good. Stay tuned for the next episode, where Piz and Veronica's relationship is questioned by Paul Rudd and... (Drum roll please) Logan! Tut tut, Logan, you go with Parker, you lose.

Online Videos by Veoh.com

Now to American Idol, Bon Jovi Night. If you think, for one second, that American Idol produces unoriginal belters and the show is becoming boring, here's one performance that will change your mind, I guarantee it.

How can you possibly top that??? Blake Lewis managed to make something as mainstream and cheesy as "You Give Love a Bad Name" into a really modern Blake-y song! I also love his quirks when he sings, the way he points to the air whenever he's about to sing a high-pitched part of the song. Blake Lewis rocks.

Hana Yori Dango Wallpaper

2007-04-29T23:52:00.000-07:00

The Ebisu Garden Place is where everything began.

It was at that fateful day in the rain where Makino had reluctantly met Domyouji, still unsure of this ill-tempered man and what his intentions were.

It was the symbol of Domyouji's devotion to her - how he waited under the rain, cold and shivering, on the verge of a fever... waiting for Makino. Later on, he would wait again for her... till night fell. It was also the symbol of Makino's love for him - calling him up to meet with him, when she felt all hope was lost and Domyouji had forgotten her. It was her place of solace, where she could drift into her own world, lost in thoughts of him.

And yes, there was much pain attached to this court as well. Misunderstood events, outside forces that wished for the lovers' demise. Words that shouldn't have been spoken, words that could have been spoken.

In the end, however, their life becomes a fairy tale. This place had finally brought them their happy ending, never to be shattered again.

This wallpaper celebrates The Ebisu Garden Place and the memories - all the hurt, the laughter, the love, the sacrifice - that this seemingly nondescript plaza has given way to.

If you love the wallpaper, I'd appreciate comments. Thank you =)

Oguri Shun Wallpaper

2007-04-27T19:31:00.000-07:00

3 variations for Oguri Shun Wallpaper:

Hope you guys like it :) Leave a comment if you like it.

Elliott Yamin's Movin' On in Three Flavors

2007-04-25T01:17:00.000-07:00

Movin' on is one of the funkiest, jazzy beats I've heard ever. You just can't help but move to the beat. It's a very catchy song, and Elliott's funk and soul really shines through.

Check the song out in three flavors:

The album version:

Dang this song is so hot.

The live version with all the instruments:

Elliott Yamin has really grown from the first time we saw him. He's more confident, and that shows in all those runs he gives in his performances. He's not afraid to take chances with the song and he really grooves up the performance even more.

The live acoustic version:
is in

http://www.wired965.com/dm_images/audio/070424123851.wma (10:36)

All I can say is: "Wow".

Only problem now is deciding which is the best among the 3 :)

Favorite American Idol Performances for Seasons 4 to 6

2007-04-24T22:58:00.000-07:00

These are my favorite American Idol performances for Seasons 4 to 6:

Elliott Yamin: Moody's Mood for Love.
This was the song that really made me fall in love with his voice. I only listened to the song for the first time and I could not get enough of it. The song never ceases to give me goosebumps and a smile.

Blake Lewis: Time of the Season
First of all, I LOVE LOVE LOVE Zombies. And their songs are hard to really sing well, much more sing as your own. But Blake Lewis managed to own that song. He is in all aspects a star, he has a unique talent and good performance skills.

Chris Daughtry: Hemorrhage
Hell yeah. He rocked the house that night. I think it's safe to say he sang it better than Fuel did.

Melinda Doolittle: Funny Valentine
Goosebumps all over. Her interpretation of the song was impeccable

Constantine Maroulis: Bohemian Rhapsody
It's hard to make that song work, but he did.

Mario Vasquez: How Can you mend a Broken Heart
check out time 1:44 especially (loved his performance of How Can you mend a Broken Heart). He was a cinch to win had he not left

anwar robinson: moonriver
His voice was really fantastic but he seemed to have lost confidence on his latter performances (a dang shame)

nick pedro: fly me to the moon
hot. if it weren't for sanjaya, he would have stayed on and showed us what he got.

Happiest moment of my week

2007-04-19T21:57:00.001-07:00

Ahhh sheer bliss.

Country Night at American Idol and Elliott's new Album

2007-04-18T07:14:00.000-07:00

I'm really sorry but I really can't appreciate country music all that much. This is a big reason why I do not like Carrie Underwood's music. Because of this, I was not all too excited about American Idol this week.

I'd have to say I only enjoyed Blake's performance. I think Melinda's performance was way too rodeo for my taste; Lakisha's performance was actually quite solid, I liked how she sang "Jesus Takes the Wheel" more than Carrie in my opinion; Chris Richardson wasn't all too bad; I'm not gonna even start with Sanjaya.

I'm wondering why Ryan Seacrest was strongly defending Sanjaya when Simon gave his honest criticisms. Honestly, Simon isn't biased. He gives opinions to every Idol contestant the same way. It just so happens that Sanjaya's performances give way to more criticisms, that's all.

Back to Blake. I just love everything about him. From his looks to his cool personality to the way he dresses to the tone of his voice to the way he performs. He is an idol in every sense and he has miraculously made me like Country music a little more.

On other Idol news, I listened to Elliott's new album and loved it. Wasn't too hot about "Wait for You", but the rest of the tracks were hot!!! "Movin'" On is at the top of my list!!! Gonna buy his album real soon! You can preview the tracks in the american idol official website.

Michael Muhney talks about his role as Sheriff Lamb and his "brown piece-of-crap shirt and those tight-ass pants" sheriff's uniform

2007-04-17T19:48:00.000-07:00

I just read an interview with Michael Muhney at http://www.eonline.com/gossip/kristin/detail/index.jsp?uuid=968f7cfa-c662-4d3e-aa7f-a46931d1525f
It's one of my favorite interviews thus far.

I do agree that Sheriff Lamb's death was underplayed.

A funny highlight of the interview:

Anything you won't miss?
I won't miss wearing the most wildly uncomfortable and ugly sheriff's uniform of all time! I felt like I was walking around in a brown paper bag. So, I am not going to miss that brown piece-of-crap shirt and those tight-ass pants. At any given time, if there was a scene that was shooting me from the chest up, I was always wearing flip flops and board shorts. I could not stand wearing those pants!

Hey, I thought you looked good!
Those pants were so tight they gave me unicheek. Just one butt cheek smooshed together. If I had any advice for Keith I would say, if you have any gas, let it all out before you put those pants on, because it ain’t coming out once you get them on.

So in that picture, Lamb's actually wearing board shirts and flip flops. Good mental picture ;)

As a tribute I have 3 IM icons for him.

Latin Night was boring

2007-04-12T00:43:00.000-07:00

Latin night was a night of boring performances. It seemed that everyone was gasping for breath and was really on the lower range of their voices. The only 2 performances that were worth watching was Chris Richardson and Blake Lewis.

I will have to eat my hat and say that it was Sanjaya Malakar's best performance yet. Still not up to par with my standards, but yeah, as Simon Cowell said, "It wasn't terrible".

Watching last night, I realized that my friend Rom was right. This season's contestants aren't as talented as the Chris Daughtry + Elliott Yamin season last season. Now that was some season.

Love Revolution

2007-04-10T18:56:00.000-07:00

I have finally finished watching the subbed drama Love Revolution. After years of agony, waiting for someone to sub the show, SARS Fansubs and Mugen finally answered my prayers. I have written a short synopsis of the show below, to convince you that this is a very good show

Love begins at their 30's for Dr. Asaoka Kyoko and Mariko Endo, a heart surgeon and a stewardess, respectiveley. It all begins on their trip to Rome, where Kyoko chases after a man who had inadvertently lead her on, only to find that he was merely being polite. What's worse, the man was dating a nurse at Kyoko's hospital!

Before their trip ends, an old lady predicts that Kyoko will find love and get married in Rome, riding atop a beautiful horse. Immediately, the revolution of love takes its course when, during the plane ride home, Kyoko manages to help a chef (Fukuda) with his stomach ailments. The chef turns out to be from a prestigious restaurant in Tokyo called Il Porcellino. He falls head over heels for Mariko.

Once in Tokyo, Kyoko begins to wonder if the old lady was true, knowing her unlucky track record in love. Being a very intellectual, career-oriented, and independent lady, men find her a tad intimidating. In truth, however, Kyoko deals with a lot of insecurities and finds it hard to express herself. Mariko, on the other hand, who has a bubbly personality, has better luck with men, as she also sparks interest from the chef's friend, Yoshida.

Things finally start to pick up for Kyoko when she meets a mysterious silent-type actor, Yabuki Mamoru, who secretly holds a flame for Kyoko, and a playboy news reporter, Suga Eiichiro who is everything but discrete about his affections for Kyoko.

The love revolution continues.

Prison and Work - Which is really better?!

2007-04-10T17:38:00.000-07:00

My brother got this email and it's really something to ponder on. Makes you think that there might be something wrong with the system ;)

Just in case you ever get these two environments mixed up, this should make things a little bit clearer.

@ PRISON = you spend the majority of your time in a 10X10 cell
@ WORK = you spend the majority of your time in an 8X8 cubicle

@ PRISON = you get three meals a day fully paid for
@ WORK = you get a break for one meal and you have to pay for it

@ PRISON = you get time off for good behavior
@ WORK = you get more work for good behavior

@ PRISON = the guard locks and unlocks all the doors for you
@ WORK = you must often carry a security card and open all the doors for yourself

@ PRISON = you can watch TV and play games
@ WORK = you could get fired for watching TV and playing games

@ PRISON = you get your own toilet
@ WORK = you have to share the toilet with some people who pee on the seat

@ PRISON = they allow your family and friends to visit
@ WORK = you aren't even supposed to speak to your family

@ PRISON = all expenses are paid by the taxpayers with no work required
@ WORK = you get to pay all your expenses to go to work, and they deduct taxes from
your salary to pay for prisoners

@ PRISON = you spend most of your life inside bars wanting to get out
@ WORK = you spend most of your time wanting to get out and go inside bars

@ PRISON you must deal with sadistic wardens
@ WORK = they are called managers

THERE IS SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE!!!!

Now get back to work. You're not getting paid to check emails

Well then, who wants to help me rob a convenience store and leave the drudgery of work for greener pastures behind bars? hehe ;)

Young Modern - the 5th #1 album of Silverchair

2007-04-08T02:13:00.000-07:00

Silverchair has so kindly offered to put up all the songs from their new album, Young Modern for streaming to everyone. You can check it out at their official page at chairpage.com. Silverchair is living proof that a band can actually innovate and progress from their initial style and still be themselves.

Silverchair's new album has large influences from The Dissociatives, a side project of Daniel Johns. We hear a lot of funky, electronic sounds going on in their new album that resemble the sounds of the Dissociatives. Although Silverchair has come a long way from their first few songs, which were grungier and louder, it's amazing that the songs are still quite "Silverchair". I feel that they were able to accomplish this because, although they steered away from their old styles, they still retained some of their old elements (e.g. try listening to Young Modern Station and you'll see what I'm talking about). Also listen to how Young Modern Station progresses to Straight Lines. Absolutely great.

This explains why Silverchair has made music history today with the chart topping debut of their new release Young Modern. Silverchair is the first Australian band to ever have five #1 albums. I'll stop my opinions from there. Just listen to their album online and be the judge.

Gina goes home... which means another day in paradise for Sanjaya Malakar

2007-04-07T06:23:00.000-07:00

Gina Glocksen is out. I can't say I was surprised by this. Her peformance was really half-baked and lacked personality. The fans, myself included, got confused with what Gina really wanted to express. She can't go hot and cold like that per performance and go from rocker to diva each night. It's just bound to leave the fans cold.

Of course, I am pretty disappointed that she did leave. I felt she held a lot of promise, and she still had a lot to show. Between Gina and the skimpy-dressed Haley, I would have said goodbye to Haley any day. But hey, that's American Idol voting for you. Completely out of whack.

All this means just one thing: It's another day in paradise for our favorite guy: Sanjaya Malakar (please note the sarcasm that is coating each and every syllable of "our favorite guy"). This issue is becoming so huge that Constantine even placed a Yahoo! Answer question about it, and it goes like this:

"How will Sanjaya’s continued success on American Idol impact the show’s credibility? With all of the controversy surrounding Sanjaya’s survival week-to-week, is it too late for American Idol to regain its fans’ trust?"

Is it too late for AI to regain its fans' trust?

I don't think so. Could a lanky kid with poor vocals sabotage a high-rated show built on a 6-year foundation? If anything, AI should use all its experience to innovate and find a way to solve this issue. Perhaps a new way of voting is in order? Perhaps the judges should get the final say?

We can only ponder on the possible solutions to this plague.

Save one Show Results - hopeful for VM or grim?

2007-04-07T06:04:00.000-07:00

Results of SOS:

Save One Show

* (0%) 30 Rock
* (0%) The Class
* (0%) Close to Home
* (1%) Crossing Jordan
* (0%) Friday Night Lights
* (39%) Gilmore Girls
* (0%) How I Met Your Mother
* (0%) Jericho
* (0%) Medium
* (0%) The Nine
* (17%) One Tree Hill
* (0%) Scrubs
* (0%) Six Degrees
* (2%) Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
* (7%) Supernatural
* (33%) Veronica Mars
* (1%) What About Brian

No. Fracking. WAY. Veronica Mars lost to Gilmore Girls?!?! The injustice of it all!

Another thing that is really pissing me off is that Veronica Mars is under the list of doomed shows for the ff reasons (quoted from http://www.eonline.com/ under watch with kristin)

"Veronica Mars: With rumors that supporting castmembers were told the series was canceled and the Pussycat Dolls' well-rated reality series (blech) blowing Veronica out of the Nielsens water (double blech), it isn't looking good for Veronica Mars. Says creator Rob Thomas, Last year I was 70-30, thinking the show would be saved. This year, I have been holding steady at 60-40. But lately, I've become less than that. If Veronica does return, it would likely become an FBI show with the feisty Miss Mars flashing forward four years into the future. (Which sounds pretty damn awesome to at least one fan."

First of all, Pussycat Dolls is a one time reality show. I don't think the Pussycat Dolls will be changing their cast on a frequent basis. So we should definitely not use that as a reason. Have I told you how brainless I thought that reality series is? If I have, allow me to emphasize. Pussycat dolls = brainless.

Rob Thomas' words are definitely not comforting. To go down from 70-30 certainty to a less than 60-40. And he's supposed to be the creator of this show. Shouldn't he be trying harder to save this show??? And what's with this Nielsen box anyway? Isn't it unfair to base ratings only on Nielsen box holders? Granted that there is no other way to track ratings but I think producers should also look into the quality of the fanbase by looking at how supportive the fans are (VM fans actually create their own shirts, send off emails, raise funds, post actively on the forums, and spend tons of time voting on polls).

This is really a sad day for me. I hope that we get to have another season 4 because we deserve it. We represent quality viewing, simple as that.

Tortilla Painting - art with good taste

2007-04-04T20:05:00.000-07:00

A certain artist hailing from Los Angeles paints on tortillas. His name is Joe Bravo, who began his career creating toys for himself, because he was not given store bought toys.

He started using this unique and delicious medium back in college when he couldn't afford canvases. Now he can pretty much afford canvases and then some. His tortillas are now selling for as much as $1,800 each. And rightly so. You'll see below that his tortilla art is really spectacular.

It's so inspiring to know that people continuously innovate and think out of the box. This is the beauty of art.

1 Cool cat, 1 hip performance, and the "ho-hum" rest of them

2007-04-04T06:11:00.000-07:00

Tony Bennett night was a night of great performances. I especially liked Blake's performance. He was 1 cool cat, singing and dancing to "Mack the Knife". Blake Lewis embodied "cool" in every sense - his tone, his moves, his look.

Chris Richardson made a comeback with his hip rendition of "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" and Randy Jackson himself said that he "came out with a vengeance".

I personally didn't like the rest. Melinda and Lakisha sang well but I felt that it wasn't unique enough. They're good belters that's for sure but each AI season has good belters so there's nothing to rave about there. I do have to give props to Melinda because as usual, she interpreted the lyrics flawlessly. Lakisha's sass came back, as Simon said, but I felt the band overpowered her performance.

Gina confuses me - she's supposed to be a rocker and now she's going towards becoming a belter. I think Gina should stick to what makes her stand out above the rest of this year's competitors. She could go tap her sentimental side but there is still a way to maintain her personality in my opinion. Take Garbage, for instance. Garbage's singer Shirley has slow, sentimental songs but the rocker in her still shines.

Haley and Phil are doomed. When Simon starts judging your legs, you're balancing on a thin thread. When Paula starts saying something bad about you, tsk tsk.

Sanjaya Malakar still had a non-energetic performance with his too-loose clothes and too-quiet voice. Simon's comment on Sanjaya was hilarious, saying he was "incredible". I don't get why Tony Bennett had such praise for Sanjaya. It's scary.

VM Icons! Save Veronica Mars!

2007-04-02T19:50:00.000-07:00

Show your support for the show!
I got VM icons here you can use for your forums, or messengers. More soon!

The EOnline SOS Voting Commitment Post for Veronica Mars Fans

2007-04-01T21:32:00.000-07:00

Fellow Veronica Mars fans!
The SOS poll is ending on April 6 so we have to rake in as many votes as we can for this. So, it would be good if you could post a comment here to tell us how many votes you're willing to commit to making at:

http://www.eonline.com/polls/full_page_poll.jsp?pollID=6084

This would be a good inspiration for more people to vote!

Please comment people!

The Engagement Ring

2007-04-01T01:39:00.000-07:00

I was channel surfing yesterday and just happened to watch this very quaint and inviting backdrop of a vineyard. It was certainly a good call on my part to continue watching (in spite of the incessant grumbling of my stomach craving for some breakfast).

The Engagement Ring, a movie produced back in 2005, is about two feuding families: The Di Cenzo's and the Rosa's. The 40-year feud was a result of a postal service gone bad, which lead to a huge misunderstanding between Alicia Rosa and Nick Di Cenzo. Nick had sent Alicia an engagement ring by mail, which Alicia failed to receive. As a result, both egos were squashed.

40 years after this misunderstanding, Alicia's daughter, Sara, tries to strike a deal with the Di Cenzo's to acquire the latter's vineyard. Nick, however, refuses to sell because of the 40-year old grudge he still held. With a sudden twist of fate, Alicia finally receives the engagement ring by mail. Will Alicia and Nick finally bury the hatchet? How will Alicia's husband, Johnny, react to all this? To complicate matters, Sara, an engaged woman, starts falling for Nick's nephew, Tony. Will the engagement ring finally fix feuds and create a new family?

What drew me to this show was how everyone acted, the humor, subtle details of the show, and how these are all set in such a wonderful backdrop. It's also good to see several stories coming in to play. Aside from Sara and Tony's developments, we see the story behind Alicia, Nick, and Johnny. The ending was also really nice, very heartwarming, and unique.

It's a good watch for romantic comedy fans out there. =) Better than My Big Fat Greek Wedding, in my opinion.

Jason Dohring when he was little

2007-03-30T20:10:00.000-07:00

I found some really cute pictures of Jason Dohring when he was little here:

http://www.geocities.com/jasondohringonline/bwpics.html

Below are some of the pics on the site. The full list is in the URL above. He already had that look that we all love now :)

New VM Wallpaper

2007-03-28T23:03:00.000-07:00

wallpaper dedicated to the central character :) comment if you like it.

Sanjaya is getting very Cocky

2007-03-28T19:22:00.000-07:00

Sanjaya is now suffering from what season 4 Scott Savol suffered from as well - a large amount of cockiness. The feeling of being invincible tends to get into people's heads. It's the feeling that they can sing as crappy as crap itself and still escape the bottom 3 - the feeling that even Simon Cowell's influential words cannot sway the voters.

This cockiness will be the downfall of Sanjaya. I absolutely felt like his comment about Simon being jealous of his hair, the way he smiles and grins even though the judges are speechless in disgust, shows that he is starting to love the power that he has over his fans. And I think (at least I hope) this will be his demise. Fans absolutely do not love cocky Idols. This, I think (and as I recall), is why Scott Savol got eliminated after he expressed his confidence in making it to the AI finals. And Scott Savol sings way better than Sanjaya.

Sanjaya, please do leave with your faux mohawk and your faux nice guy personality. Please, for the love of all who know what real good singing is.

Another American Idol Lookalike

2007-03-27T18:42:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my brother who was able to help me find another lookalike for the AI contestants :D

Sending Comments

2007-03-27T18:41:00.000-07:00

Just realized that by default, only registered users can comment. I changed that already so anyone could comment =) hehe hope i get comments soon, just so I'd know if people are actually reading my blog hehehehe :P

American Idol Celebrity Look-alikes

2007-03-27T00:20:00.000-07:00

I'm in American Idol mode again, and it just came to me that some of the American Idol Top 12 contestants look a little like famous celebrities. Comment if you agree :)

(Blake, of course, is far cuter than Sean William ;) )

And they're both American Idol contestants! How's that for similarity?

Chris says a lot of people tell him that he looks like Justin Timberlake. I think he looks more like Chad Michael Murray.
They kinda look alike right? :P Their smile's kinda similar too.

They even have the same set of frames! WOAH!

Still trying to figure out who the others look like =)

Save Veronica Mars + 1 VM wallpaper :)

2007-03-25T19:14:00.000-07:00

Veronica Mars has been on a hiatus to accomodate the Pussycat Dolls contest and I've been having withdrawal symptoms already. I personally hate that a show such as Veronica Mars, characterized by such wit, talent, suspense, and drama, could be replaced by a show of girls shaking their booty. Seriously, it should be a crime.

Anyway, I am not going to rant on and on about the injustice of it all. Instead, I'm going to introduce you to the Save Veronica Mars campaign. As fellow Veronica Mars fans would know, the show is teetering on a very thin line and is in danger of getting cut. This would be the real injustice. We simply cannot let them stop one of the best shows ever made, especially when we have yet to see Logan and Veronica's relationship come to its fruition. TV viewing will not be the same without Veronica Mars.

To support this cause, please please PLEASE go to this link to e-Online:

http://www.eonline.com/polls/full_page_poll.jsp?pollID=6084

and vote for Veronica Mars!

This show still has so much to offer - so many new plot twists, situations, loose ends to tie up, etc!

For those who have not yet tried watching, please do try watching it. You can view the episodes online at http://www.cwtv.com/shows/veronica-mars. I promise you the show will not disappoint. It's got anything you'd want - drama, comedy, love triangles, good-looking actors (<3 jason dohring), plot twists, A+ acting!

To VM fans, here's 1 wallpaper. Comments welcome :)

Thanks! :)

Hana Yori Dango Season 2 Episode 1 Part 2 Photo Summary =)

2007-03-24T06:04:00.001-07:00

After the F4's graduation, Hanazawa Rui and Makino kept in touch. During one of their lunch get-togethers, Rui brings up Domyouji, and wonders how Domyouji is, as he hasn't contacted him in ages. Makino, trying to act like he is unfazed by the sensitive topic, humors about it and tells Rui that Domyouji probably found himself a busty American blonde girlfriend by now. Rui is more perceptive however, and points out that Makino must be missing him. Makino immediately dismisses the thought, telling him that she is relieved that she hasn't been talking with Domyouji because she may not be able to concentrate and go through school. Her body language disagrees with her, however.

In truth, Makino did miss Domyouji terribly. She reminisces about him, while she is at Ebisu Garden place on their first date. Yes, Domyouji was a pompous jerk, but she fell in love with him. She had thought their love would last. At first, it seemed that way. After 3 months, however, Domyouji stopped calling and Makino could not reach his cellphone.

At first, Makino was extremely worried that something had happened to him. But one day, an old friend/enemy showed up by the name of Sakurako, with her new Australian boyfriend, and told Makino she had seen Domyouji in New York, still with his curly perms and his pompous attitude. Knowing now that Domyouji was alright, she decided it was time to move on.

And with perfect timing at that. Makino attended a reunion with her old classmates, and was able to catch up on good times and distract herself from Domyouji. She also makes a large realization during the reunion that she had been less ambitious since she came to Eitoku and that she was still unsure of what she wanted to do after she graduates.

Suddenly, a very good-looking guy comes in the restaurant. He is the cousin of one of Makino's friends and he goes by the name of Oribe Junpei. As soon as Junpei met Makino's eyes, he was thrilled. Apparently, he also studied at Eitoku and he knew all about Makino - how he fearlessly confronted Domyouji and how she managed to win 2nd place in the Teen of Japan (TOJ) contest. Junpei tells her that she would make a good defender of justice. Yuki notes that Junpei must have a crush on Makino and Junpei casually admits, much to the shock of Makino.

Later that night, Makino and Yuki talk, and Yuki brings up Makino's potential of becoming a lawyer. This got Makino thinking, and recalling Shizuka, her idol, who is also a lawyer, she decided to give her all to that ambition. With a goal in mind, Makino opened her books and began her intensive studying.

To be continued...

What they Mean when they say Sanjaya's getting better

2007-03-24T03:50:00.000-07:00

Here's what I think.

This is the American Idol talent meter:

There's "You are the singer to beat", then there's "Your vocals were spot on", followed by "It was good", and "It was aight" at the neutral side. Then there's "That was not good, dude", "second-rate bar performance", and "absolutely horrendous".

Finally, there's Sanjaya.

His first performance on stage was when he ironically bored us by singing a Stevie Wonder song with the lyrics "I don't wanna bore you". He followed this up with a performance that felt like a "ghastly talent show", with a voice as small as a mouse' and an oversized suit. Yes, Sanjaya fans, I acknowledge the fact that he never sings off-pitch. We got to give him some props for that. Here are the props: Sanjaya, you CAN sing... just make sure it's during family reunions, school recitals, those types of events.

Now, singing shouting the Kinks' "You Really Got Me", Paula and Randy felt he was having fun and felt it was his best performance yet. That just means that currently, he has finally reached the "absolutely horrendous" spot.

Bravo, Sanjaya. You really ARE getting better.

Kimura Takuya - Magician Zero - Hilarious!!!

2007-03-23T06:41:00.000-07:00

This is a hilarious clip I saw of Kimura Takuya impersonating Cyril Takayama, a magician. Before you watch theclip, take a look at how Cyril really looks.

Now watch the clip:

Funny, no? And the way Kimura Takuya speaks his Japanese! hahahah. Just a backgrounder - Cyril is Japanese/French American.

Gatsby Ad featuring Kimura Takuya!!!!

2007-03-22T23:49:00.000-07:00

All I can say is: WOW. It's kinda funny too, with that revised lyrics - "I can give you Gatssssubiiii, Gatsssuubbiii, Gatsssuubbiii. hahahahah :) Kimtaku is really so adorable. Check it out:

If you don't know Kimura Takuya then I pity you hahahaha. He's the lead actor in very famous JDoramas like Pride, Engine, Hero, Good Luck, etc. He's also part of the SMAP band. Still not ringing a bell? He was also the model of Levis:

Hana Yori Dango Wallpaper

2007-03-22T23:29:00.000-07:00

2 new wallpapers:

Actually, they're just different versions. Can't decide which is better.
Enjoy :) You can freely use this on your desktop but please if you plan on putting this on your site, let me know first.

British Invasion Night at American Idol, and some very Strange, Creepy moments

2007-03-22T20:32:00.000-07:00

It was British invasion Night at American Idol and I was extremely excited about it, because I really love 60's music (I am a Zombies, Searchers, Hollies, Classics, Applejacks, etc. fan). I was absolutely thrilled that 2 Zombies songs were covered, and were covered well.

For me, Blake stole the show with his ultra cool, suave rendition of "Time of the Season":

Stephanie Edwards lost her spark and doesn't seem sincere enough with the way she sings. Haley didn't sing very well but danced very well hehehe. I don't think Gina followed Lulu's suggestion of making the pitch higher, it seemed she sang the song better during the clip with Lulu... Phil Stacey's performance was also half-baked. Lakisha's "Diamonds are Forever" was hot, I dont know why Simon and co. didnt like it so much. Melinda was spot on with the way she interpreted her lyrics. Chris Richardson's was another great performance. His vocals was close to impeccable:

The creepiest moment had to be when Sanjaya tried to rock it out with "You Really got me Now". He was really just shouting his lyrics, his outfit was sloppy with the overly large blazer, it just didnt work. What made it even creepier was how Ashley on the audience was crying while he performed! Was that creepy or what???

Based on all these comments, I have no idea why Chris wound up in the bottom 2 and why Sanjaya was smiling and laughing sitting down comfortably in his seat, having avoided elimination once again.

Hana Yori Dango Season 2 Episode 1 Part 1 Photo Summary =)

2007-03-21T01:12:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! Hope you enjoy the photo summary I have here. I'll be making photo summaries for each episode. =) Special thanks to Sars-fansubs. If you haven't watched HYD, and you want good quality fansubs, go to their site at http://www.sars-fansubs.com/.
You can click on the pictures to view a bigger version and download it to your heart's content.
I'm starting with Episode 1 of Season 2. I might do Season 1 too if you like :)

Episode 1 Season 2 Part 1

The show starts with Makino feeling absolutely lost in New York, trying to find Domyouji. With an inadequate grasp of the English language, she desperately tries to find her way in the crowded streets of New York, overwhelmed by all the people and how they look like famous celebrities (It's hilarious how she pronounces Brad Pitt - Bra-do Pit-to).

As if she wasn't in quite a predicament already, someone manages to snatch her bag, where all her money and essentials were kept.

Even worse, she encounters a group of hooligans. She tries to get into their good nature, with her hilarous English but only manages to piss them off even more. She cries for Domyouji's help and the hooligans could only look in disbelief at this girl claiming to know a high-profiled man like Domyouji.

Lucky for her, her knight in black leather pointy shoes (guess who *wink**wink*) comes to rescue him.

But before we find out who that guy really is, the show backtracks to an ordinary day at Eitoku Gakuen.

Things in Eitoku Gakuen are back to normal now that word is out that Domyouji has been ignoring Makino.

The people are as snooty as ever and are horrible to Makino. Makino does her best to ward them off as usual.

That day also marked the graduation day of the upper batch, which included the illustrious F4 minus Domyouji.

The principal congratulates the F4 (who are in their stylish suits as usual) and announces that the F4 have generously donated money to demolish the current canteen and build an F4 lounge.

Everyone is awestruck, except for Makino, who finds it unbelievable, still, that people could have that much money to spend.

To be Continued...

New Linkin Park and Silverchair album!!!

2007-03-21T00:56:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'm being quite the prolific blogger now. For some reason, there are so many updates I can think of to write!

Linkin Park's new album is set to launch sometime May 2007. They've got a new official youtube video up here:

Speaking of new albums, Silverchair is coming up with their new album as well! Only 9 days to go! Their new single is really cool, it has a vibe like the Diorama album plus influences from Daniel's Dissociatives project. :) Love it! And Daniel looks very different. Check it out here:

Funny clip of Pirates of the Caribbean!

2007-03-21T00:52:00.000-07:00

Check out Competing Captains at the link below:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808713062/trailer

It's so funny! It's a clip between Jack Sparrow and Barbosa, arguing who gets to be captain of the ship =)

Girls who really Rock

2007-03-20T23:50:00.000-07:00

Listening to Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend" made me remember one thing - there are only a few girl bands who really rock. There are a lot of talented female singers, definitely. But in the rock band scene, I can find only a few.

Don't get me wrong, Avril Lavigne is okay, but she's just a little... commercial. Watching that "Girlfriend" MTV seems to reconfirm that as I saw her doing something she has publicly detested since before - dancing. Whether she was merely making a mockery out of the pop idols she has dissed over and over again or she has suddenly "made things complicated", "acting like she's somebody else" I don't know. I'll wait till the next MTV and watch out for her dance moves and deduce by then ;).

Then there's Evanescence. They're okay. I do believe that she carries her own brand of rock music to her. She's got a good haunting voice and she's got the whole gothic feel to her. But somehow I don't find myself wanting to listen to her tracks over and over again and looking for her CD like my other bands. Plus, that stint she did with Korn was somehow a little too forced.

In my opinion, only Garbage belongs to the "Girls who really Rock" list. What's good about Garbage is that her songs are very varied and unique. It's not only the heavy instruments that makes her rock. She's got songs like "It's All Over But The Crying" and "The Trick is to Keep Breathing", which are more mellow but she still manages to rock it. Then there's her sultry voice which really fits so well with the electronic-like vibe, the lyrics, everything.

I'm looking for more female rock bands out there. If anyone knows of any, let me know.

Hana Yori Dango Wallpaper

2007-03-20T20:47:00.000-07:00

My first wallpaper made. Click to view it at 1024X768. Enjoy :) I'd love your comments. I'll be making more soon

Kanye West Featuring Japanese Hip-hop group Teriyaki Boyz

2007-03-20T18:22:00.000-07:00

I just saw this on TV a few days ago. It's a Japanese TV show about some famous Japanese music icons. I think the show's called Music Station. It started out normal, with the Japanese hosts interviewing Japanese singers when I suddenly saw Kanye West there! Yes, the Kanye West - the one with all those hit records, the one you see on MTV, and yes he's the one who's not Japanese.

That really got me glued to that program (other than the fact that I love any show that has anything remotely related to Japan). Turns out, Kanye West was going to perform with a Japanese hip-hop group called Teriyaki Boyz! Now this was definitely something to watch!

I'm not much of a hip-hop fan and all, but I really had to see it. If you haven't seen it, go watch it now:

Objectively speaking, the chorus has a good beat to it, the beat to their rap was fine. The lyrics, on the other hand, was... intersting (for lack of a better term). I've been listening to JMusic for quite sometime now but never have I heard lyrics mixed with that much English on it! I think it was sang in English 3/4 the time. It was hilarious sometimes trying to tell whether they were saying an English word or a Japanese word. And I think the climax of the song was always when Kanye West would join in and sing "I still love her, Hontou E rap" which means "I still love her, True E rap". Yes, Kanye West actually sings the Japanese word "Hontou!" hehe. That's why the song title is "I Still Love H.E.R." btw. HER stands for Hontou E Rap. :p

I can't find the lyrics yet. I've been surfing for minutes now to no avail! If you guys have it, please leave a comment thanks :)

On a side note, the group is wearing BAPE shirts, another very famous part of Japanese pop culture. I'll make a post about them BAPE shirts next time :)

Pirates of the Caribbean Trailer!

2007-03-19T20:41:00.000-07:00

Watch out for the last part of the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy! It seems like it's gonna be a good watch, I'm hoping it was as good as the first. The second was a bit of a letdown perhaps also because it was open-ended. I'm loving their poster with that gray smoke and the sorta grayscale look to them.

Check out the groovy trailer here:

The trailer's gonna officially show in an hour so come back to my post to view it! :D

The End of Hana Yori Dango Season 2

2007-03-18T23:53:00.000-07:00

It's always bittersweet when a TV series I love ends. Somehow, you've been building yourself for this moment, waiting for it at its particular time slot and day, getting mad with anticipation for what is to come next. Are so and so gonna end up together? Is that damn antagonist gonna stop creating so much trouble? Why the hell is he suddenly so cold to her?

Today marks another bittersweet day for me in my TV life. Hana Yori Dango Live Action (HYD), one of the best JDoramas I've watched thus far, finally ended its second season and tied all its loose knots. No more conflicts, b****es who come between Makino and Domyouji. No more of the hurt, those very teary moments, the goodbyes.

Backtrack to few months ago during the first episode of HYD. The show revolves around an elite school called Eitoku Gakuen, where some of the richest and the most well-known families send their children to school. Among the most popular are Domyouji, heir to a huge financial corporation, Hanazawa Rui, owner of trading companies, Nishikado, heir to a tea ceremony school, and Mimasaka, king of the underworld. They are collectively known as the F4 and they are at the top of the school's food chain.

Domyouji, the leader of the F4, played by the great Matsumoto Jun, is the most notorious, being responsible for sending red notices to sutdents who have wronged him in any way, even by just causing some pulp from an orange go to his eyes.

Amidst all the rich snobs is Makino Tsukushi. Her family does not earn anywhere near the millions that her peers' families do. In fact, she hardly gets by and must get a part-time job to survive the tuition fees. She wonders constantly why her family puts her there but they all believe that her future will be much brighter by graduating fr Eitoku.

Knowing that her family puts a lot of effort to making sure she gets good education, she does all that she could to stand all the taunts that her rich peers give and to how they disgustingly worship the cruel F4. She bites her tongue whenever she feels like shouting at these unbelievable people, hoping she could graduate without being noticed.

A chance situation, however, changes all this, when she is forced to stand up to the despicable Domyouji to protect a friend of hers. Now, she must prove that she is the "tough weed" she claims she is (Tsukushi means tough weed) and face the F4 brats. However, is her idea of F4 going to change when she develops a crush on her knight in shining armor, Hanazawa Rui (played by another great actor Oguri Shun), and she spurs romantic feelings in her worst enemy, Domyouji?

The plot in general is "been there, done that", but rather than focusing on the uniqueness of the premise, you will realize how hilarious, heartwrenching, inspiring, interesting, and tearjerking the situations they show are, and how much chemistry exists among the characters. With such great acting and direction, this show will certainly not disappoint.

Please come back soon because I'll be posting screenshots for all the episodes of HYD season 1 and 2 :)

Attack of the Laziness Bug

2007-03-18T23:08:00.000-07:00

It's 2:09 pm here in my computer. I've been staring at the screen for an hour now, aimlessly going to random sites, convincing myself to get my lazy-a** self to start working. My brain, however, seems to have declared a strike, refusing to analyze anything without any pretty pictures. This is a BIG problem because in my field of programming, we do not have any pretty pictures. Only code. Lots of it.

At least blogging is a little more productive... right? To tell you the truth, being lackadaisical is something I abhor. I am a workaholic. I work 7 times a week, at least 8 hours a day. So this state of mine right now does not sit well with me.

But since my brain is still on strike, I'd like to take this moment to tell you the top 5 things that distract me from my workaholicism (forgive me if I just made my own word) in no particular order:

1. http://www.triplejack.com - Cartoonic avatars playing poker using imaginary money. Throwing pies, balloons, anvils at your pesky opponents who are robbing you of all the money in your bank!! 'Nuff said.
2. http://www.multiply.com - It can be so addicting clicking on one user and then going to their page, then clicking on another user you just saw in that user's page and so on and so forth.
3. http://www.youtube.com - The new household term! It may have even replaced the "google it" expression people used to say before. Now it's "Why don't you youtube it?" or "Hey we can definitely Youtube this crazy situation we are in" or "Let's make fun of our dog and youtube it!". Start a search in youtube and prepare to forget all about work.
4. http://avatars.yahoo.com - It's just sooo fun, dressing up your avatar! So many outfits, accessories, appearances to choose from.
5. the boob tube - mmmm... pretty pictures. And moving pictures at that! Prepare to fry your brain some more and kill time just surfing through the channels, without even watching any specific show! I find that I spend more time changing the channel than watching a show!

My First Post

2007-03-18T22:12:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm back to trying out this blog scene. I'm making it my resolution that this time, I will really, constantly update. I hope I'm not just saying it now. I'll be posting mainly entertainment-related topics here, from TV shows to movies, to animes, cartoons, and mangas to my favorite topic - music.

True to the name of this blog, I am quite the music junkie. I don't think there has ever been a time when I spent the late hours of the evening and the wee hours of the morning doing my homeworks, projects, thesis, and finishing some deadlines at work without a song playing in my Media Player. That would be absolutely abominable in my opinion.

I also love, love, love talking about music. I talk about music to anyone who will listen... even sometimes to those who are silently wishing I'd shut up already. If I find out you remotely like one of the bands and albums I love, you're doomed. Prepare for a long discourse about what music I recommend, yada yada yada. On the brighter side, some people seem to appreciate that and tell me that I am a walking I-Pod.

Aside from loving music, I also love anything Japanese. Hence, the other part of this blog title. I totally worship Japan and its rich culture. Some people muse that perhaps I was Japanese in my past life. Regardless of whether you believe in reincarnation or not, Japan is truly a great topic to talk about. There's their unique brand of music (yes, music again, how could I not talk about music in each paragraph?), dramas, animes, mangas, and actors. Then, of course, there is their very scrumptious cuisine. I digress from the main entertainment category but I feel that it is too tasty a topic not to include (excuse the pun).

Hope you stay tuned to all my reviews, ramblings, rants, and incoherent mumbo jumbo about music, entertainment, Japan, life, and everything in between.

Cheers!

The Profound Stupidity Blog Spot

Who still Wants a VeronicaMars Movie? I do! I do!

1 Big lesson from the Wii: Buy a TV Screen Protector

Kris Allen ROCKED at Disco Night

American Idol 8: The Drama! 2 judges per performance mistake, Weird Lil Rounds Comment, etc

The Rapping Southwest Airlines Flight Attendant

Wants to sneak inside a Honda Fit Factory

Veronica Mars Movie finally coming into Fruition?!

First Twilight movie scene complete!

Edward/Bella vs Jacob/Bella

Josiah Leming is a Sour Grape

David Cook and "Innocent"

Hanazawa Rui Wallpaper + Hana Yori Dango Finaru!!!!!

Simon Cowell Spot on

Another Ikuta Toma Wallpaper - now in Sepia

Elimination Night and Elliott Yamin in Idol gives Back

This season's American Idol lookalikes!

A HOT AI Night!

My American Idol Picks and Ramblings

Grave of the Fireflies

American Idol Season 7 Top 24 has been chosen!

The Wittiest Reality TV show duo yet is in Amazing Race Asia 2!

Ikuta Toma's new Jdrama!

Renaldo Lapuz - THE defining moment of Season 7

American Idol Season 7 does it again!

Proposal Daisakusen

Oguri Shun and Crows Zero

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOMA IKUTA

Anti-climactic JDrama Endings?

Oguri Shun's Past

New Ikuta Toma Wallpaper

Ikuta Toma wallpaper

First Kiss Episode 7 and 8!!! screenshots and buddy icons

Cute or Not Cute?

Threadless is on Sale!!!

Kristen Bell gets a gig at Heroes and loses Lost, Jason Dohring gets a share of the Moonlight

Threadless People

Hooray for Ikuta Toma

Ratatouille

Vote for your favorite Hana Kimi Hottie!

Hana Yori Dango Season 2 Episode 1 Final Part

Ikuta Toma and Oguri Shun star in Hana Kimi

More Funny Japanese Videos

Shia LaBeouf Through the Years

More to this Movie than Meets the Eye

Akihabara at Deep

Japanese English

2 of my favorite things combined: Anime and HTML

Toma Ikuta - The underrated talent (And 2 Toma Ikuta wallpapers!)

Alternative Medicine

Veronica Mars fans prove that they are really a cult fan base

Minutes to Midnight = Minutes of Sheer Musical Bliss

Which would you prefer? A farmer looking for a wife or a young female detective solving crimes?

Quality TV going down the toilet

American Idol Results are in and they're surprising... or not?

Elimination Songs from American Idol Season 1 to Season 6

Hana Yori Dango Wallpapers and Buddy Icons!

Bye Bye Gilmore Girls

A great new Veronica Mars episode, A great night at American Idol

Hana Yori Dango Wallpaper

Oguri Shun Wallpaper

Elliott Yamin's Movin' On in Three Flavors

Favorite American Idol Performances for Seasons 4 to 6

Happiest moment of my week

Country Night at American Idol and Elliott's new Album

Michael Muhney talks about his role as Sheriff Lamb and his "brown piece-of-crap shirt and those tight-ass pants" sheriff's uniform

Latin Night was boring

Love Revolution

Prison and Work - Which is really better?!

Young Modern - the 5th #1 album of Silverchair

Gina goes home... which means another day in paradise for Sanjaya Malakar

Save one Show Results - hopeful for VM or grim?

Tortilla Painting - art with good taste

1 Cool cat, 1 hip performance, and the "ho-hum" rest of them

VM Icons! Save Veronica Mars!

The EOnline SOS Voting Commitment Post for Veronica Mars Fans

The Engagement Ring

Jason Dohring when he was little

New VM Wallpaper

Sanjaya is getting very Cocky