Recap: True Blood Season 4

Vampires. Werewolves. Shapeshifters.

Bon Temps’ resident creatures we have come to love as HBO’s True Blood unfolded in our eyes.

Fairies. Were-panthers. Witches. Ghosts and its latest attraction, Skinwalkers.

Truly, True Blood has not failed us in making the show different among vampire series. A lot has happened since we were introduced to human Sookie Stackhouse and vampire Bill Compton in season one. Now, halfway to the end of season four, more revelations were opened. New characters are presented to the audience. New plots are hurled at us.

Let’s have a quick trip down memory lane.

Sookie has gone to fairyland and came back after a year. She thought, she was only gone for hours.

Bill was now King of Louisiana.

Eric was cursed by a witch to forgetting who he is and has drained Sookie’s fairy godmother.

Pam now rots after being cursed as well.

Jason was raped by Crystal and some were-panthers and now believes he was turned into a were-panther.

Tommy became a skinwalker and was able to disguise himself as Sam and f*ked his girlfriend.

New loveteams:

Surprisingly, Tara has switch preference and has a new girlfriend.

Sam has a new girl also but Tommy got to her first.

Jason, after having drunk from Jessica’s blood has, well, weird dreams about her… and Hoyt.

Sookie is now inlove with Eric.

This season, witches are at the mainstream. A witch, with such a heavy baggage, has been resurrected and is determined to have her revenge. To unleash a spell that will kill all vampires by letting them out in the sun. Towards the end of episode 7, we saw Jason running towards the mansion trying to save Jessica who has gotten out of her silver chain craving for the sun.

Will Jessica burn? I hope not. I really like her and hope she will continue to be in the series.

Will the fight between Tommy and Sam ever stop? Blood is still thicker than water.

Will Sookie return to Bill now that she has Eric? Hmm.

I just wish, the season will not end.

The Difference Between Typhoon, Hurricane and Cyclone

Typhoon season is here again. Just this July, Philippines have been ravaged by few destructvie typhoons leaving affected regions with destroyed houses and livelihood and even killed loved ones.

But so much for the seriousness of this issue.

I was asked once why storm in the Philippines are called typhoon and not hurricane like in the US. Although not so sure, I answered the question only to find out later that I was indeed correct.

Typhoons, hurricanes and cyclones are all one and the same, STORMS. But the only difference with the three of them is there location of origin.

If the storm develops in the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific Ocean, it will be called hurricane. So all storms that will bring damage to the US are called hurricanes like Hurricane Katrina. If the storm will originate in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean, it will be called typhoon. And this might bring damage mostly to islands in Guam, Japan and the Philippines like Typhoon Ondoy. Winds from typhoons are more stronger and dangerous than hurricanes.

Cyclones are storms that develops in the Southwestern Pacific and Indian Oceans.

Who's The Better Superman?

Warner Bros. has just released the first ever picture of the newest Superman flick, "Man of Steel". Now helm by Zack Snyder, the director of such films as 300, Watchmen and Sucker Punch, this film will not be in any way connected to Bryan Singer's Superman Returns. I really wonder what's wrong with Singer's version when infact I really, really like it.

Shown in the picture donning the red cape this time is Henry Cavill. It looks like he has just came out from being locked up in a massive vault.  The suit has still the dark shades just like the suit used by Brandon Routh in Superman Returns.

With this retelling "again" of the superhero's epic adventures, let us take a look back on the previous actors who have played Superman.

George Reeve has played Superman on the original TV series "The Adventures of Superman" from 1952 to 1958.

The most beloved among Superman actors, Christopher Reeve has played Superman in four major motion pictures.

From 1993 to 1997, we've seen Dean Cain with the beautiful Teri Hatcher on ABC's Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman

Smallville's Tom Welling as the young Clark Kent in the longest running TV series based on a comic character. 

Brandon Routh in the not-so-loved version of Brian Singer's Superman Returns

"Man of Steel" is still due for release in 2013, with an all power house casts that include big names like Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne, Julia Ormond and Michael Shannon as the evil General Zod. Yet to be confirmed to join the cast is Russell Crowe who is being rumored to play Jor-El.

Mantianak: Sugbongcogon's Pride

Welcome to my hometown!

Sugbongcogon is one of the few towns of Misamis Oriental in Northen Mindanao. The town is quite infamous for its urban legends. We have heard of stories from our parents such as "engkantos in balete trees", possessed cousins of evil spirits and among others. But as they say, these are just urban legends.

The town got its name long, long time ago from the first settlers who came from Sugbu (Cebu) and the grass that abound the place, cogon. Hence, the name.

One of the few things to look forward to when going to my hometown is a visit to the now trying-so-hard-to-be-famous Mantianak Botanical and Zoological Park. It was established in the year 2006 by the Municipal Government. It was pretty ambitious at first and no one would think it will go this far. After 6 years, the park has proven its worth. Until now, it is the only existing botanical and zoological park in Northern Mindanao decent enough to visit. It is beautiful, clean and well-maintained.

Currently, the features of the park includes the must-see tigers (all four of them), a crocodile (the favorite part of Buboy), different type of birds and other exotic animals. The park also offers room accommodation, a canteen, a children's playhouse and other park amenities. I once heard that they are developing a zipline area as well.

Mantianak was once a forested place. Nobody would dare go to this place before as it was believe to be enchanted. The place got its name from a crying mother looking for her lost child.

Actually, Sugbongcogon is so full of places with weird names. Aside from Mantianak, we can also take a deep plunge in Mimbuaya Falls. A 15-minute ride via tricycle will take you to this beautiful and enchanting falls named after a white "buaya" or crocodile. Dive at your own risk. Just kidding. When we were younger, we used to swim here and nothing ever happened to us.

If you go the opposite direction, you can find the white sand beach called Alibuag. The Municipal Government is really trying to develop this place. But i say, nothing is more beautiful than its natural look. Alibuag is the colloquial term for spring. You can feel the coldness of the spring once you swim near it because it is actually located in the middle of the sea. But there are tiny springs in the shoreline.

You can reach Sugbongcogon by bus or hired van going to Balingoan or Butuan from Cagayan de Oro City.

Amy Winehouse (1983-2011)

May you rest in peace.

ZestAir now flies to CDO

On July 22, 2011, I was able to experience flying the earliest flight going to CDO via ZestAir A320. The flight was at 3:30 in the morning arriving at around 5:00 in the morning at Lumbia Airport.

The plane was a bit comfy as compared to A320s from other airline companies. They have bigger seats and comfortable cushions. They have only 29 rows, so they were able to give bigger leg space in every rows. But you can really tell that the plane was already old.

This entry of ZestAir to CDO will again benefit the flyers. The more airlines going there, the lesser the fare price.

Here is the flight schedule for Manila to CDO flights:

You may click on the image for better viewing.

Blackberry Playbook priced, arrives on August 6

Finally, bbmers rejoice as the Blackberry Playbook will be available in the Philippine local market on August 6, 2011.



All three WiFi models will be available, with storage capacity of 16GB, 32GB and 64 GB. The BlackBerry PlayBook features an ultra-portable design and delivers industry leading performance, uncompromised web browsing with support for Adobe® Flash®, true multitasking, HD multimedia, advanced security features, out-of-the-box enterprise support and a robust development environment.

The suggested retail prices are sa follows:

16GB - Php 23,000++
32GB - Php 28,000++
64GB - Php 33,000++

Can i have one?

Hunger Games First Poster

As a die hard Hunger Games fan, it would be a sin not to share this to you.

Lo and behold, the first ever poster of Hunger Games. For everyone who had read the trilogy books, you will have an idea why the symbolic Mockingjay is on fire!

Two And A Half Men New Poster

With the axing of Charlie Sheen, the filming of the show was put in hiatus. And a lot has happened afterwards.

On May 2011, CBS has announced that Ashton Kutcher will join the show and finally, a teaser poster revealing not only the date of its relaunch but a lot more.

Despite Sheen's departure, the show's naughty charm is still there.

Black Box for Cars!

We have all known that black box can only be found in airplanes. Now, your car can have one too.

Introducing, black box for cars! It is a monitoring device for your car as in literally you can view all the activities recorded as the device comes with two cameras. The installation is very easy, its just plug and play and the cameras can now be viewed real time or post time. The cameras are for the inside and outside view.

It also comes with a GPS, so you will never be lost in your directions. And if ever your car has been missing, it can easily be found with the tracking device provided the black box still is functioning.

This device, I guess, is very useful for car owners as we all know about the rampant carjacking incidents. Also, this device is very helpful to car rental owners and taxi operators as they can monitor all the activities not just of their cars but also with the drivers.



The Tale of Two Harry

Last night, the news on TV Patrol includes the battle of Harry Roque for truth behind Malacanang’s stand on Zaldy Ampatuan and the battle of Harry Potter against Lord Voldemort in the final installment of the JK Rowling series.

Harry Roque, as the lawyer of some of the kin of the victims of the Maguindanao Massacre, has strongly disagreed in the proposal of making Zaldy Ampatuan a state witness. He said that to be under WPP (Witness Proctection Program), you have to be the least guilty among the suspects. Zaldy has been allegedly tagged as one of the masterminds behind the massacre.

 Atty. Roque’s battle has gone too far, even criticizing Malacanang as the one who pushed the idea of making Zaldy a state witness. He even claimed that the Ampatuans are now in the good graces of the Palace and accused a few Palace personnel of brokering a deal with the Ampatuans.

Presidential Spokesperson Lacierda has dismissed all these allegations and demanded an apology from Harry Roque, claiming that all this accusations are just “figment of his imaginations”.

On the other hand, Harry Potter will come face to face again with Lord Voldemort for the last time. In part two of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the battle between the good and the bad wizards will come to an end in this glorious adaptation of the novel with the same title. Harry, with some help from his friends and allies, will battle for Hogwarts and once and for all, end his fight against Voldemort.

According to Warner Bros, tickets to the movie are selling like hotcakes. It broke the record of selling 32 million in advance ticket sales, previously held by Twilight Saga: Eclipse. Here in the Philippines, tickets were sold out in the first screening day. It is expected to break more records as the movie opens worldwide.

Harry Roque and Harry Potter both have their own battles in life. No matter how tough it is, both are strong and willing to fight to the end. They maybe are misunderstood but their mission is for the benefit of the common good.

Who Will Endorse Belo's New Machine?

Have you heard of Dr. Vicky Belo's new baby? Or do you have an idea what's the baby?

On her twitter account, she has this post:

Yes, she has a vagina tightening machine and she wanted a name for it. I really don't know how on earth this thing works but as the twitt suggests, it has magnets on it. Hundreds on twitterverse tried their luck on naming the machine as the winners will get a prize. There are funny names like Pektite, Sikeps, among others. The others are more on serious mode like Revirginator and Tightminator, seems like Arnie's doing the operation. Other names are just "panggulo" like TightenKho and Love Ya Minora. There were other entries but the best entry that i really like to win is Vagina Halili. Just kidding!

The winners were picked and she has chosen V-Tight, LAV(Like A Virgin) and VAGNET.

And then i wonder, when this machine is already operational, with the Belo's wide array celebrity endorsers, who will you think will endorse this machine? I'm pretty sure, that celebrity would be someone who's no longer a virgin.

Soon It Will Rise!



What do you see?

This is the first ever teaser poster for the much anticipated The Dark Knight Rises. This will be the third and final installment of Christopher Nolan's Batman Trilogy. It stars Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon Levitt with Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine.

For the full poster, click on the link below.
http://bitcast-a-sm.bitgravity.com/slashfilm/wp/wp-content/images/TheDarkKnightRises_TeaserPoster.jpg

COFFEE? ANYONE?

It was believe that drinking coffee was first discovered in Ethiopia. Due to its energizing effects to the body, it was introduced to the Arab nations. It was there that the first ever credible evidence of drinking coffee appeared. From the Muslim countries, drinking coffee has spread to Europe, to Indonesia in the Far East and to the Americas.

Coffee drinks come from roasted seeds of coffee beans. Well, if you drink too much instant coffee, you wouldn’t care to know where it came from. From roasted beans, you need to have a grinder so that you can produce coffee powder and you let the coffee maker do the rest. Or for some socialites, you let the barista do the rest.

Coffee drinking has played an essential role in the society. It is often consumed during breakfast or sometimes, many have opt to “Coffee na lang dear” (just coffee for breakfast). It is sometimes served at the end of the meal. And if working at the office, there are always coffee breaks.

Scientific studies have been conducted on the benefits of drinking coffee.  There have been controversies on whether caffeine intake is really good for the body. Many have claims especially instant coffee manufacturers that “drinking coffee is healthy”.  

Here are some of the benefits, if you drink coffee moderately:

1.       Coffee has many antioxidants.

2.       Coffee reduces risks of Alzheimer’s disease.

3.       Coffee reduces risks of Type2 Diabetes.

4.       Coffee reduces risks from getting liver cancer.

5.       Coffee reduces risks of Parkinson’s disease.

6.       Coffee protects from getting heart diseases in old age.

These are just some of the important benefits you can get. There is no problem with drinking coffee regularly. Based on personal experiences, I have been drinking coffee since my elementary days. Aside from those mentioned benefits above, it enhances your memory. Some research shows that drinking coffee enhances short term recall. Another research shows that coffee also enhances sexual drives in women.

The Tallest Building in the Philippines is...

On my way back to Manila, I can't help but notice the beautiful skyline of Makati City. As the plane glided towards NAIA, I noticed the on-going construction of the would-be soon supertallest building in the Philippines, the Gramercy Residences in Makati City. The building, though not yet finished, is really super imposed as if claiming its throne in the skyline. Upon its completion in 2012, it will be the highest building in the Philippines standing at 302 m. But not for long, in 2015, the Stratford Residences, still in Makati City, when completed will be the highest building at 312 m.

Currently, the tallest building in the Philippines is the PBCOM Tower. Standing at 259 m, it is the home of the Philippine Bank of Communications and even competitor bank like Eastwest Bank. Construction was completed in 2000, replacing the previous tallest building, the Petron Megaplaza, also located in Makati City.

PBCom Tower

Here is the list of the top ten tallest completed buildings (also included are tallest man-made structures for height comparison).

GT International Tower
St.Francis Shangri-La Place
Petron Megaplaza

Not long enough, another building will hold the new record of the tallest building in the Philippines. On-going constructions include the Federal Land Tower and the Knightsbridge Residences. Another planned construction is from the Ortigas & Co. Ltd. Partnership, the One Galleon Place, a 70-storey building standing at 400m.

Soon, the Philippines will become the location for films with themes like end of the world, alien invasions and other giant creatures wrecking the city.

Who is Adele?

Usually, I go to amazon.com to check on new music releases of my favorite foreign artists. When you go inside the Music Department, they have a bestsellers section where they post the top bestselling album of the moment. And every time I look at that section I see this:



Who is Adele? Why on earth is her album on top for almost half of the year? Honestly, I only heard of her name once when I saw Thia Megia sang “Chasing Pavements” on her audition in American Idol and they compared her to Adele. That’s when I thought of looking for the original version of that song and when I first hear it, I thought I was listening to Amy Winehouse but more feminine and sweet.

Adele’s real name is Adele Laurie Blue Adkins and she hails from England. Her music is combination of rnb, soul, jazz and blues which perfectly compliment her powerful voice. At age 22, she won two Grammy Awards from her debut album “19” and I think with the release of her sophomore album “21”, more awards will definitely come.
Well, it’s not yet too late to hook on Adele. For people who love listening to music, it is a must to like her.

Here are the albums of Adele:




Adele's Rolling In The Deep Video:

Most Populated Countries In The World

The numbers are in.

The Philippines is now the 12th most populated country in the world. This is according to the projections released by the United Nations. As of mid of 2010, the census conducted by the National Statistics Office revealed total population of 94,013,200, an increase of almost 6% from 2007’s population. By 2015, the population will reach 109,000,000.



Truly, the Philippines is really thriving to be known around the world for everything including population boom.

As always, China tops the list followed by India and the United States. Here is the list of the top 20 countries:

TITANIC IN AWESOME 3D!

To commemmorate its 100 years after setting sails on April 10, 1912, Titanic, the movie of star-crossed lovers Jack and Rose will be released again in theaters worldwide but this time, in 3D!

James Cameron, the director, writer and producer of this movie has personally supervised the conversion of this film to 3D and proudly said in one of his interviews: "There's a whole generation that's never seen Titanic as it was meant to be seen, on the big screen. And this will be Titanic as you've never seen it before, digitally remastered at 4K and painstakingly converted to 3D. With the emotional power intact and the images more powerful than ever, this will be an epic experience for fans and newcomers alike."

The movie stars Leonardo diCaprio and Kate Winslet. It was released back in 1997 and was nomimated for 14 Academy Awards and won a record of 11. The film has achieved both critical and commecial success and has remain as the highest grossing film of all time for twelve years until ovethrown by Avatar, another film of James Cameron in 2010.

The greatest movie of all time (for me) will sail back to theaters on April 6, 2012.

GARAGE SALE!!!

Closet/Cabinet - P2,500.00

Electic Fan - P250.00

14" TV (Flat Screen) - P2,500.00

Electric Pot - P100.00

Electric Iron - P200.00

Plastic Storage Box - P300.00