Sweet. Dull. Pain.

Sweet

So we kicked out the old president and got ourselves a new one. I rarely watch these political event, but it's very historical to have a first African-American president. People might shun that they are all the same and they might be, but I still thing it's pretty sweet. Every gay guy's eyes were on Michelle and her outfit worrying that she might repeat her last disaster, but she came out with a gold and white lace number with a sash to echo her daughters' outfits. It's quite precious, although it stands out a lot in the cold and everyone else was wearing some tamed colored coats. Rick Warren's prayer was severely written in the spirit for acceptance, I guess he got whipped into shape.



I know we shouldn't put so much expectation and pressure on Obama, he couldn't honestly fix everything in 4 years, especially the harm done by Bush was so severe. But if he can really do what he promised in his speech, America will be in a much better place. You do have to love how he made a speech about how bad a shape the country is in and how bad a job the former president had done and then sit right back next to the now ex-president. I do wonder what Georgie is thinking seeing that many people cheer for the new guy with that much enthusiasm, probably more acceptance than he had gotten for years. Maybe he also noticed that everyone was happy that he's leaving?

Funny thing for me was people cheered very loudly when they hear Yo-Yo Ma's name. I guess out of the minority quartet (Jewish guy, Black guy and a Hispanic girl), he's the better known one. That tickled me a little. Dick Cheney in a wheelchair just make him look so much more evil. me and my friend were wondering weather that walking cane had a gun or a blade inside, I thought it could be mustard gas. He's looking more and more like the Penguin in Batman. The poet was a miss for me though, we were wondering where Maya Angelou is and my friend yelled "Damn Cheney!", I like to imagine that Ms. Angelou fought bravely and rendered Cheney in that chair with her wooden spoons Kill Bill style. Despite my concerns, nothing bad happened so hopefully the country can start a brand new chapter.

Dull

Life is dull, or rather my life is dull but I'm not talking about that part now. Rest assured that I'm taking measures to change it. During a cold last week, I was caught by a smell in my apartment. I thought it was burnt PVC coming from my radiator, maybe some wire was caught around it and melting. Until I remember that I have encountered this smell before when I was around 20 in Hong Kong. It's a rather dull sweet smell, a bit waxy as if it's beewax and the oddest of things, it comes from me. I remember how the smell followed me for weeks driving me insane but it eventually went away and I have no clue why it has come to be. I mean I'm a sweet guy, but not this literal. Signs of diabetes, nasal cancer? Or maybe I just ate something wrong and it's some kind of reaction? I have no clue, although it had subsided a bit since then.



I've been casually on a low carb diet, not intentional. I was talking to CuteCub about a low carb recipe that I liked and I made it, and afterwards I thought might as well continue in this regime. Somehow I've lost 10 pounds. It could be due to a combination of diet, being sick and dehydration, but hey one of my resolutions have been fulfilled. I have been on it for roughtly 10 days but it was blown to hell during a day of Mahjong, they bought hoagies and then we went out for Chinese food. I think I'll resume my diet for a while and see where it leads. If I lost 25 more pounds I'd be in the best shape of my life.

Pain

I think morose would be a more appropriate word. I guess I assigned too much importance in my relationship with CuteCub and I'm paying for it. Sure, I can't expect anything to cater to me but when I'm blown off again and again without telling me ahead of time and have me waiting like a fool and then avoid communications afterwards. I think I have the right to be upset no matter how self-inflicted it is. He could be just having a bad week but I hate feeling unimportant. It's true that I like the guy a lot and maybe the circumstances around us are not ideal, so maybe it's best to put it aside. If it cannot be something mutual, it'll be unfair for one or both or us. If the time comes that he finds himself to be alone and needs someone to care for him, I'd like to be there for him.

So my heart is heavier now.

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Tanks In My Memory

A nice musical summary of George W. Bush's legacy via Joe.My.God. 8 Years, finally over and am I ever so glad. There ought to be a parade.

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Adele's Concert 01/16/09

Remembering Adele has a concert this weekend, I went on their site to check and luckily found the price coming down from the former $200. I snatched the very last one and decided to go after getting blown off yet again by CuteCub. It was around $50 but they have to gore to charge me $20+ even the ticket was e-mailed. Whatever, I wanted to go to the concert since before X'mas and I'm happy to feel that I can afford it.

I got there a little late and snatch the last good spot. I would have wanted to rush to the stage and since I was alone, I guess I could have but I settled around the balcony for a good angle. I was determined to have a good time and I was pretty excited because I love Adele and her music.

Right around 9, a cute itty bitty girl named Angel Taylor opened the show, she's not too bad. She's got a great voice and I think I would buy her album. She knows how to play the guitar and the piano and she's been writing songs wince she was in the 10th grade. I was quite taken by some of her songs, but after half a dozen maybe due to the limitations of instruments, her songs start to sound monotonal. Maybe the arrangements in her album would be better? Well, I'm sure she'll mature up to showcase her talents better.

By the time Adele came out the whole place was packed. She opened with Cold Shoulder, the crod went wild, everybody sang along. And then went right into Melt My Heart To Stone, this song which is my favorite and her most personal. By this time, I realized that I have the camcorder function on my phone and I've never used it. There won't be a better reason than this, so I tried.

Much like all the other concert recordings online, the sound and picture qusalities are not that great. Also I learned that I rather be watching the show and get in the moment than paying attention to my trembling hands. But I still enjoyed the concert a lot. Can't help but sung a long during the encore Chasing Pavements, which can be heard in the video. (Embarrassed.) If you're interested they're here. And here's Best For Last:



After the show, I stood outside in the freezing cold (-1F) and waited around for about half an hour. But good things come for the ones who waits. Adele came out and we had a picture together. Too bad the picture came out fuzzy, she's taller than I thought.



I should be happy...

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Weekend Meme: The Five Greatest Joy of Nature Meme

Saw this over at Spo-Reflections and I knew I have to do it myself. I love picture memes, graphics are pleasing and there's nothing better the sceneries.

1. Wind



You can't see it but it's powerful. It can generate energy, but mostly it's the feeling. The pressure, it's like a hug from nature. It teases, it manipulates, for Wild is The Wind.

2. Storms



I don't know why but I feel happier when it's raining or storming. I enjoy the rain and I'm not afraid to get wet. I also like watching it from indoors, nothing makes me safer, cozier than sitting at home with the rain outside. If everyday is a good day, how do you know it's still good? Also back in Hong Kong, we don't have to go to school when a typhoon approach, so I'm excited when it does.

3. Snow



It's like rain, and I'm also excited when it comes as back in college it's a day off. But snow have other amazing properties. It's a beautiful sight, you can play with it and it covers all the imperfection and griminess of Philadelphia. (Hiding trash cans and all) I love hopping around on a blanket of snow. I guess not needing to shovel it helps my enjoyment as well.

4. Fire



You've got to appreciate it. Yes, I have a little pyro in me. It's beautiful. But then it's very useful. I like to cook, and there's little I can do without fire. Just have to respect it and not to abuse it.

5. Trees



Love the greens even though they don't love me. The leaves, the change of color, when they fall and leave the trees bare. They are pretty to look at year round. And they also produce useful wood, nuts and fruits.

So what are your top 5? Have a great weekend!

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TV (Late) Review: Mad Men

I know it's kinda late for Mad Men, but out of curiousity for their Golden Globes, I torrented two seasons (26 episodes) and went to town. I didn't know what it was about, I thought it was The Sopranos in a 60s setting but found out it wasn't.

The story started with young Peggy Olson's, a naive girl from Brooklyn, first day at Sterling Cooper, an advertising agency on Madison Avenue, Manhattan. Peggy was assigned to Creative Director Mr. Don Draper, the genius behind the agency. It's an exciting time, the boys came back from WWII (not the video game, I swear the Japanese made up Wii to make people forget that war) and becoming men, JFK had been elected president, the sanctioning of Cuba and the Cold War is still in the background. Viewers are confronted first hand on how inequality persist in those days. After Peggy was introduced to his boss, she was shooed away to a doctor who introduced her to birth control pills while the doctor told her just because she now has a mean to avoid pregnancy doesn't mean she has to be the village pump. (Why? Thank you Doctor!) Sure enough the whole office tried to have a go with the young girl. (I was reminded about this post.)



But not Don Draper. He's a married man with a beautiful wife who could be mistaken as Grace Kelly, he also has a young daughter and a young son. ( I actually wondered is little Bobby Draper grew up and inspired this series) But then Don Draper is no saint, he sleeps around with different women, and as the series went on, Don is not really who he says he is. Everywhere you turn there's someone smoking or drinking hard liquor.

The show is sexy in a very unique way and I admired the effort for authenticity. The hairdo and makeups, the furnitures, cars, home decor, TVs all strives to represent US in the 60s. The colors are vibrant. There is an obvious racial disparity that makes me glad I'm not in the US back then (Although there was an Asian waitress that spoke perfect English), but being a minority means being Italian or Irish, members of other races were doing menial jobs. The Civil Rights movement was commencing but equality wasn't ther just yet. There was also a homosexual sub-story with the Art Director named Salvatore Romano who's played by Bryan Batt, I recognized him from gay flick Jeffrey (1995) and I'm ever so glad to see him employed in such a prominent series. He demonstrated how life for a closeted gay man was. There is also a very distinct feel about Class and the upkeep of it as it's deteriorating. Don is always coming in and out of parties and clubs that one might expect Roger Moore would come through as James Bond.

I totally love the red-headed, sassy, queen bee office manager Ms. Joan Holloway (played by Christina Hendricks). Vicious, calculating abuse her powers at times, but she thought she was just offering help. One such person would go far in modern world, she's absolutely gorgeous and knows it and uses it to her own advantage. Don Draper's wife Betty (played by January Jones, what a parculiar name that is) is also very beautiful, she struggles for perfection and even though she knows deep in her heart that her husband is sleeping around, she keeps up the appearance of the perfect marriage and perfect family until she has psychosomatic episodes. As the series commence you'll see her flirt with various strangers and act appalled when the strangers flirts back. And although I can't quite put my finger of Don Draper who's played by Jon Hamm, his smoldering gaze and his hairy chest does intrigue.

I wonder what will happen to this series though. Since they got quite a few awards, the whole cast and crew is negotiating with AMC for a higher fee I'm sure but who watches AMC? I thought they only plays American Movie Classics (aka old films that I don't watch) So how do they generate enough revenue to produce shows like this? There were news that this series stopped production until the negotiation is over. I would think one of the major networks might pull this up. It's better than most shows on TV. Hell, I'll say I like this more than Six Feet Under. The writing is not unbelievably witty but reflecting a period is intriguing. (i.e. Swingtown)

It actually reminds me of a Manga Series that I read, about working in a big Japanese Electronic company, called Salaryman Kosaku Shima. It's like 40 books of it from him being a clerk and slowly work his way up to be the president. The series started publishing in 1983 and the guy is still working his way up. But much like Mad Men, it shows the era and things that were happening and it also shows new concepts and teaches the inner working of the company. I've learned quite a bit from it. At the same time you can't help but want the protagonist to succeed.

One memorable scene in Mad Men is during a picnic, they were preparing to go home and after taking the basket and toys back in Don's new Cadillac Coupe de Ville, Don just stood up and waved his blanket around and let all the trash fall to the park lawn and left. Did people really just do that? Who did they think will clean up after them? I was shocked.

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Silliness

I know there's a plane on the Hudson river and all, but everyone is safe and Philly is a hub for US Airways so there's really nothing much I can do. Hope the passengers weren't too scared and can think of it as an amusement park ride. I'm sure they'll get a settlement or complimentary free ride for life.

Since everyone else online is Obamarizing themselves, I thought I'll join in the crowd:


"Hope" because I need some. Make your own here.

I also came across this clip on Towleroad that made me laugh and laugh. So hope you guys enjoy it too.



*** Update ***

Also a friend found this gem:



Very silly indeed.

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Baby, You're Hot!

From BBC by the way of the Savage Lovecast:

'Penis fire' suspect is charged

An Australian woman has appeared in court in Adelaide charged with murdering her husband by setting fire to his penis.

Rajini Narayan, 44, is alleged to have doused her husband, Satish, with a flammable liquid while he was sleeping.

When she set him alight, Mr Narayan jumped out of bed and knocked over the substance, causing the fire to spread.

Mrs Narayan told the court she had not intended to kill her husband but to punish him for his alleged infidelity.

Prosecutor Lucy Boord said Mrs Narayan had confessed to her neighbours, telling them she was a "jealous wife" and believed her husband was having an affair.

"I just wanted to burn his penis so it belongs to me and no one else, I didn't mean this to happen," Ms Boord quoted Mrs Narayan as saying.

The fire, on 8 December 2008, caused damage to the couple's house estimated at 1m Australian dollars ($715,000, £490,000).

Mrs Narayan was initially charged with arson and endangering life - including the lives of her three children who were in the house at the time.

The charge was upgraded to murder after Mr Narayan died from his injuries last week.

She has been held in police custody pending the results of a psychological assessment.

Mrs. Narayan caught her husband cheating and she thought as a punishment, she thought she'd light her husband's penis on fire in his sleep. The husband awakened and horrified by his burning penis knocked down the lighting fluid that his wife used and cause the fire to spread further. He died in the fire.

For men, I don't think there's anything worse than waking up finding your penis aflame. What happened to cutting it and flushing it down the toilet or putting down the meat grinder? Dan Savage suggested the CB 6000, a male chastity contraption that allows a lock and key. But I thought if the husband can probably force the wife with force for the key. Or the thing can be broken easily. (With a hammer?) Maybe someone should invent a fireproof condom or flame retardant boxers.

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The 8th Annual No-Pants Subway Ride

From Improv Everywhere:



I just can't believe they did this on a snowy day.

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NAMBLA Commercial?

Just saw this commercial recently on TV and I'm a bit perturbed. It's not clear about its purpose and the line "100 of boys like me are in the waiting list ready to offer our wisdom and friendship as a little brother, if you're a man..." disturbed me quite a bit.

Did they not hire someone to review the commercials for them? I wonder how a child molester would feel watching it.

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Music Invasion: Dinah Washington's "Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby (Remix)"

Feeling especially lazy these days. Having a cold and lying on my death bed. There's no reflections, no feelings, no observation but dread, a stuffy nose and coughing. I'm not going out but to get groceries, not having fun with friends and not having fun with others. The only bliss is Nyquil. At night instead hearing my humidifier battling my radiator, Nyquil offers me undisturbed sleep.

Just read the second installment of the vampire chronicles from Anne Rice and it mention evil as observations with no action and that the meaning in life might not be revealed with death, its meaning is what one makes of it. I think I'll take on Ms. Rice as my spiritual guide, she's successful enough for me to trust her instinct. Secretly I'm afraid of getting old now, with this unaccomplished life and no love in sight. In about 10 years, my face will rapidly deteriorate like all the other middle-aged Asians. It's quite a scary thought. Maybe I need to save up for Botox. Becoming a vampire should be so much easier, no sickness, no getting old, glamouring people for sex, money and blood, but then how high can a fat vampire hover?

This song come from the Verve Remixed album from 2002 that I loved, I even loved its sequel but then afterwards the choice of popular songs got scarce and the quality is questionable. I was intrigued by the grammar and the beat and of course Dinah's voice is just so classic.



Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby

(I got a man who's always late
Every time we have a date
But I love him
Yes I love him

I'm gonna walk up to his gate
See if I can get it straight
Cause I want him
And I'm gonna have him

Say is you is or is you ain't my baby?
The way you're actin' lately makes me doubt
Yous is still my baby-baby
I guess my baby's found somebody new) x2

Is you is or is you ain't my baby?
Maybe baby's found somebody new
Or is my baby still my baby true?

Now is you is or is you ain't my baby?
Maybe baby's found somebody new
Or is my baby still my baby true?
I guess my baby's found somebody new

And I better get right up and go out find me somebody true
I said I'm gonna find, find me somebody true

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Weekend Meme: The McDanger Meme

Took this meme off Chris at My 2 Cents who took it from Judd at Sunday Stealing. Yes, we are all meme thieves and I won't be able to provide answers as smart and funny as Chris but here we go:

What are your nicknames? Growing up I had been called "French Guy", "Photosynthesizer" (Don't ask), "Dai Law" (Not gonna translate that), and "Bebo" (Principe though it was cute).

What TV gameshow or reality show would you like to be on? I like The Price is Right
, but it's really hit or miss when it comes to prizes. I like Family Feud but then I don't have the whole crew with me and I don't think they would be good at it. For prizes, I'll go with Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader or Deal Or No Deal. (People should learn to give up when they hit 5 figures, unless they are doing one of those multi-million episodes.)

What was the first movie you bought in VHS or DVD? First movie, eh? Could be Seven.

What is your favorite scent? Lavender is good, for soaps I use a Calendula scent, and my favorite cologne is Polo's Blue.

If you had one million dollars to spend only on yourself, what would you spend it on? Popular question, a duplex. Not cheap but a million should cover the place, the decor and maybe condo fees.

What is one place you've visited, can't forget and want to go back to? When I've traveled to a place and like it, I usually wants to go back. If I can only name one place that would probably be London.

Do you trust easily? No, not at all.

Do you generally think before you act, or act before you think? I think AND procrastinate.

Is there anything that has made you unhappy these days? A few, there's always something. Mostly I just need to take some measures to change but like I said, I procrastinate.

Do you have a good body image? Nope, but it's improving. (I mean my image, not my body... hehe)

What is your favorite fruit? Sugar apples. Pineapple, watermelon and lychee are really nice too.

What websites do you visit daily? All the websites on my blogroll if they update it.

What have you been seriously addicted to lately? IMing with CuteCub, who's reading this blog now... Let's see what else, reading Vampire novels?

What's the last song that got stuck in your head? Ne Me Quitte Pas by Nina Simone.

What is your favorite thing to wear? If I need to single out one thing, it'd be my sandals. Not wearing them in winter but the tan lines won't fade.

Do you think Rice Krispies are yummy? They could be, the ones that are shaped like a bar, right? The Chinese have something similar made with nuts and honey. Taste great.

What would you do if you saw $100 lying on the ground? Pick it up and put in my pocket. It'll go for groceries.

What items couldn't you go without during the day? Money/Wallet, Cell Phone (Last week has been grueling), Keys (Tired of breaking down my door), Watch and iPod (Music is my life).

What should you be doing right now? Looking for a job.

Anyhow, have a great weekend!

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Propaganda 8

Borrowed from Joe.My.God:

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$1,000 House

Came across this story when I was on Yahoo!:

Radical cheap: $1,000 homes

The real estate market is so awful that buyers are now scooping up homes for as little as $1,000. There are 18 listings in Flint, Mich., for under $3,000, according to Realtor.com. There are 22 in Indianapolis, 46 in Cleveland and a whopping 709 in Detroit. All of these communities have been hit hard by foreclosures, and most of these homes are being sold by the lenders that repossessed them.

"Foreclosures have turned banks into property management companies," said Heather Fernandez, a spokeswoman for Trulia.com, the real estate Web site. "And it's often cheaper for them to give these homes away rather than try to get market value for them."

In Detroit for instance, Century 21 Villa owner Randy Eissa has a three-bedroom, one-bath bungalow of about 1,000 square feet listed at just $500. It's a nice place with lots of light, but it needs a total rehabilitation inside, which Eissa estimates will cost between $15,000 and $20,000. But that's not bad, considering that the home last sold for $72,000 in late 2007, according to Zillow.com.

With prices this low, lenders aren't looking to make any money on these deals. They just want to get these houses off their books, so they don't have to bear the cost of maintaining them and paying property taxes.

In fact, the $500, $1,000 or $3,000 that a buyer forks over often goes straight to the real estate brokers as a commission. And often the lenders have to kick in extra cash to make it worthwhile for a realtor even take the listings, according to Eissa.

"Usually these homes are bank repossessions that the lenders have already tried to sell on the market, perhaps then put up for auction without success and then re-listed," he said.

Fixer uppers

These houses are almost always small fixer-uppers. Wiring, plumbing and heating systems have to be replaced, walls and ceilings sheet-rocked, plumbing and light fixtures installed and new kitchen cabinets and counters put in. Few come with working appliances.

Often buyers are legally required to rehab these homes to bring them up to code. In Detroit, buyers are required to sign Affidavits of Compliance Responsibility, which obligates them to make repairs outlined in an inspection report. Only after that can a certificate of occupancy will be issued, which makes the house legal to live in.

But even factoring in these costs, they're still bargains.

And as the housing crisis drags on, there are more and more four-figure listings popping up, as lenders try to unload their repossessed properties.

Cleveland is another city with many incredibly inexpensive homes. On Ardenall Avenue, in East Cleveland, McMullen Realty has a listing for a four-bedroom, one-and-a-half bath house for $1,900. It's been vandalized inside, but the outside is in good shape.

It features a deep front porch with Doric columns, double dormer windows and a separate garage. It's an excellent opportunity, according to agent Tonya Stoudamire. The last time it sold was in March of 2008 when it went for $16,677, according to Zillow.

"East Cleveland has a beautiful housing stock," she said. "These houses just need someone to come in and love them a little."

Another property for sale in Birmingham Ala. is priced at $1,900. The one-bedroom, one bathroom home was built in 1923 and has major fire damage, according to its listing broker, Tom Murphy Realty. The listing states that "Rooms are hard to distinguish."

But it's on a nice-sized lot, about 0.38 acre, close to downtown and transportation and has all utilities. Nearby, comparable homes in good condition sell for about $100,000, according to Zillow.

Rehab money

Most of these $1,000 homes can be renovated relatively inexpensively, and buyers can actually get government help to finance these repairs. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has a special loan program for just such purchases.

Its rehabilitation mortgage insurance, available through FHA-approved lenders, was designed to encourage banks to issue a single, long-term loan to buyers that covers both the acquisition and rehabilitation of a property, according to HUD spokesman Brian Sullivan.

He adds that there may also be grant money available from the $4 billion Neighborhood Stabilization Program, which was a part of the massive housing rescue bill passed by Congress in July, to assist buyers with grants for down payments.

Buying homes like these is certainly a leap of faith; they're generally not in the best of neighborhoods and they're often surrounded by many other vacant and deteriorating homes. Still, some of these neighborhoods may turn around and provide residents with good, dirt-cheap housing.

"It's a sad time," said Stoudamire. "But it's also a time of opportunity, especially for low and moderate income people."

I didn't expect anyone to read the whole thing, hell I didn't, but I wonder want kind of a house you could get for $1000. Probably like a car that you can get for $200. Maybe this is one of the rare opportunities that happens once every couple decades where one can acquire properties, too bad I'm not in the position to invest.

A few nights ago in the $200 car, my straizian friend was explaining to me that actually most people acquire wealth by saving like mad, buying a property, paying it off fast and buy another one and rent it out. The details elude me. I think people weren't kidding about saving 60% of your paycheck in the bank and I haven't done so for the past decade. One of my friends actually does it and own a couple properties in South Philly, probably with the help of his parents. Also he's an accountant and does some side business. The discipline of it is what I admire. Principe actually had a very similar dream, he said he'd love to buy an apartment building and rent it out, then he won't ever need to work again. I never thought it was achievable.

Anyone feeling like moving to Detroit?

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Getting Back On Track

I titled this entry "Getting Back On Track" because that's what I need to do. I have not been working for quite a few months now and I'm getting into the habit of putzing around. Going online, checking things out, meeting friends, writing, reading, playing video games, getting groceries and cooking. One of my new year resolutions should be breaking up my routine, do something out of the ordinary everyday. Or simply get into the mindset of work, I have to start incorporating job hunting as part of my routine.

One of my major problems for the past week was not having a working phone. I was expecting it to arrive early this week but I waited and waited and didn't see it. So I went online to find that it has got to the local post office for a few days. Even I didn't get a notice in my mail, I walked there and got my phone from them. Happy. Although my old phone is not working at all, so I lost all my numbers. It's very annoying, I have gotten some numbers from some folks that I doubt I'd ever get them back again. Also the new phone was really confusing because I didn't know it was partially touchscreen and didn't come with a manual. It took my 20 minutes to figure that part out. I'm sure it'll take me a while to get used to it.

If there's anything I got from Benjamin Button is to stop talking about it and just be about it, but why is it so hard? It's January, it's after the holidays. I should really cease that momentum and start changing my life for the positives.

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Movie Review: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The second half of my double header belongs to The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I think I saw the preview of it some months ago and I was intrigued by the plot; A man born old and growing younger. It looked like a good film, my friends were worried about the film being too much of a chick flick while I was hoping it to be a bit more Forrest Gump-y. The end result is a moderate medium.

While Brad Pitt is not quite my type, he's not bad to look at and I doubt that anyone will kick him out of bed, even the presumable straight guys. But then I have not been putting him in the ranks of serious actress like Cate Blanchett. Brad plays Benjamin Button who was born in a rich family in New Orleans 1914 as a old baby. His mom died during childbirth and the father was horrified and abandoned him in the front step of an old folks home. (The opening reminded me of Wicked, minus the musical number. Did the birth of Penguin of Batman suffers the same fate?) The owner (?) of the old folks home is a devoted African American Christian lady who accepted Benjamin and his condition and raised him as her own. He met a resident's granddaugther Daisy and fell in love with her throughout his years. The audience watch as Daisy grows older and Benjamin gets younger and younger.

After Daisy gave Benjamin a daughter, Benjamin realized that he will not be able to be his father and Daisy might not be able to raise two kids and he decided to leave. At that point, the narrative got a bit poignant. Benjamin observed that there are people who waste time to hope for change but never actually do so (like me), and it is up to anyone who seize their opportunities. Instead of waiting idly, people should just do what makes them happy. I think I'll have to concur.

There are some awkward moments in the movie, such as Cate Blanchett's narrative in her death bed, you can't have a long narrative while dying, it's very uncomfortable to the ears. The New Orleans Katrina backdrop is unnecessary and distracting. And it's never quite clear on what happened to Benjamin's sister. The film is too involved in the relationship between Benjamin and Daisy that the era and history around them got ignored. It has the potential to make it a lot greater, but it didn't get there.

If they were aiming at an Oscar, maybe Cate will get a chance. I don't think Brad's range was demonstrate in here anymore than he was in Meet Joe Black. It could be so much more. Although, maybe the make up people would get an award somehow. It's a good film, but when I was in a party celebrating my friend CL's birthday. I was asked if it's worth going to the theater to see the film. I'd say rental would be just fine. B

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Movie Review: The Spirit

I was thinking since everyone was supposed to go back to work yesterday and I didn't need to, I would go to the matinees and watch a double-header. So that's what I did. I went down to the Riverview Stadium, the one that a shooting recently happened; a guy got shot for talking during the movie. I thought I had it set, it was THE work day so there were only a handful of people in the theater, there was a recent shooting in this particular theater, and the shooting is for talking during a film. Wouldn't you know people are still speaking loudly during the film? I guess the theater could have done some measures to remind people not to talk or plainly reminding them of the earlier incident by implementing metal detectors or leave some traces of the yellow police tapes but I guess in this economy, they could use every ticket sale they can get. Oh well. I'll just pull up my hoodie to drown out the noise and hopefully looking like the unibomber can weird those folks out into shutting their traps.

First, I have to point out that I've not been a Frank Miller fan. At least I haven't purchased any of his comics, but I do enjoy the visual styling of the movies that he lend his name to. Sin City was quite visually superb and I don't mind 300 either, especially with all the chiseled half-naked bodies, CGI or no CGI. Even so, I find The Spirit lack some luster.

I mean, when I was watching Sin City, the story was divided into a few segments, there was more substance. 300 had some historical background and a lot of actions. The Spirit didn't deliver as much at the substance side. The story is a bit simple, good ol' cop and bandit. Indestructable superhero hunting down a supervillain, the plot is as old as it gets.

Generally, The Spirit reminds me very much of Warren Beatty's Dick Tracy. It's artfully styled with certain color schemes, staged in the same era. It's about cops and villains and there's also vixens. Eva Mendes plays the Spirit teenage sweetheart turns big-time robber was really magnetizing. There are also a few other pretty girls in the film. Gabriel Macht is not quite convincing as the superhero, we never ever see his face, although his bare chest did show up a few times. The worst has to be Samuel L. Jackson playing a black Nazi mad scientist supervillain named Octopus. It's like he was imitating Jack Nicholson's portrayal of the Joker, badly. There's no building of the character or his background, his catch phrase is that he doesn't like eggs on his face. You just can't take that guy seriously and we don't have a clear view of how evil he really is. So he wants to be god, but who doesn't? Scarlett Johansonn plays the Harley Quinn to Samuel L. Jackson's Joker, regretably she was quite forgettable.

The funny bit that I like is The supervillain Octopus produces some crones and he named each of them with a name ending with "os". These crones are his muscles and their names are displayed on the white t-shirt they're wearing and Octopus goes through these crones like crazy. So during the start of the movie, we have high-brow names like "Pathos", "Ethos" and "Logos", by the end of the movie we have "Huevos", "Rancheros", "Adios" and "Amigos". That was very cute.

I'm not saying that the movie sucked, it's still a pretty decent one. It's just most of the things have been done, the story is quite predictable and doesn't quite pack a punch, the characters lack some oomph. It didn't inspire, it didn't introduce any new concepts. The styling is pretty. It's like some brainless pretty boy at the bar. I don't hate it, but it just didn't quite measure up. C+

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Lessons I've Learned Since 2009

1. Don't go to eat at any Chinese buffet, and if you do, try to avoid any seafood and anything oily. Basically it means to either not eat or go for the salad bar. If not prepare to stay in the bathroom all night. Not to bash an establishment of my people but I couldn't in any good conscious endorse Chinese buffets, seriously not the healthiest thing one can eat. (Japanese buffet doesn't count, they're great!)

2. Selling things on Craigslist is doable but troublesome. A lot of people like to bargain for a lower price, some don't follow through. Some are running scams and ask you to mail the thing to their sons in New Zealand or somewhere in Africa while paying you via PayPal. With certain patience and time investment, you'd eventually sell your stuff, but you'll wonder if it's ever worth your time.

3. Having friends is great. After putting my cellphone through the washer, one of my Straizian (as oppose to Gaysians) friends lend me her old cell phones and now I can be in touch in the duration of waiting for the eBay one to come along. They even offer to walk me for my iPod Touch transaction as my bodyguard. It's a great feeling to be accepted.

4. Buying a car for $200 has its drawbacks. Not that I even know how to drive, but one of my Straizian friends who drives me around have a car that requires half and hour of warming up time. And it even died midway in bitter cold nights. It's nerve wrecking and I wonder if I have to get off to push it a few times. On the plus side, it goes so slow that I think I'd borrow it just for my driving exam if I ever get around to one.

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Weekend Meme: End of The Year Meme

I've been feeling a bit blah about posting these few days. I think this not working thing is overrated, so if I ever win the lottery while having a job, I might be one of those assholes still insist on working. You've got to have a hobby somehow.

Found this very introspective meme from Ur-Spo at Spo-Reflections, I think it'd be useful to reflect on the past year so I can scheme for a better one this time around. Let's hope it works.

Happiest Event of 2008?

Getting to know a bunch of new friends that actively fill my weekend schedules.

Worst part of 2008?

Getting laid off.

Most unusual activity I participated in during 2008?

Receiving money (Unemployment Compensations) for not working.

Most enjoyable trip I took this year?

Going to San Francisco for Folsom was one of the most memorable things.

Most exciting theater experiences?

Theater experience? Not much this year. Does Margaret Cho's Beautiful Tour counts?

Most Embarrassing?

Let's see... Haven't shitted my pants, not this year anyway... I guess getting laid off still.

Best Movie?

Haven't had much strong cinematic experience. I think I like Iron Man the best, even though I knew the plot ahead of time, seeing it on the big screen with convincing special effects is still really nice.

Best CD?

Adele's 19. Even though I didn't give it as high a mark as Duffy's Rockferry or John Legend's Evolver but it just grows and grows on me.She's got a great voice and her songs are so personal and relatable. I would have said Jill Scott's Live in Paris too, but that was around 10 months ago and my memory fades.

Most Exciting Night?

Hmm... sex aside. (which is always exciting) The most exciting night of the year would be split between getting to meet Margaret Cho and Liam Sullivan in person and going to the Henri David Halloween Ball in costume

Biggest Disappointment?

The various boys who are taken, unavailable and incompatible.

Were New Year Resolution(s) kept?

I didn't have any, so... nope.

Were there any major house changes this year?

I think it's still the unemployed thing. Other than that it's business as usual.

Blogging 2008; any high or low points?

My post numbers have increased 83.5%, in average I post almost more than once a day.

I changed to a blog template that I like. If I can only get an unique photo for my header, it'd be perfect.

My blogroll has more websites now and I get to know more and more folks, which is good. I also got to meet Sue. Got linked for event pictures, some other blogs even published some of my pics which is flaterring.

Started the weekend meme format (including posts like this one) for sheer laziness. Yeehaw!

The low points would be losing all the data from transferring templates, so I've lost counts of my visitors and website data, but oh well, who need those?

3 Wishes for 2009?

Get a job, find a boyfriend, move out.

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2009 Resolutions

I guess these things are reserved for before New Year. Let's see.

1. The first thing has to be finding a job. Very important. I don't want to live on the streets and beg for money. Have to do something somehow and we (me and the voices in my head) need insurance.

2. Let's join the gym and lose at least 10 pounds? After being idle in that area for a year. I should have learned that a little a day help tremendously somehow. But maybe we (again) should wait until after January, so all the other resolution makers would give up and the gym become less busy.

3. Expand my social circle and get to know more people. If there's any highlights in 2008, it was that I get to know a lot more folks and hence my life is busier and more fulfilling. So the conclusion is that knowing people is a good thing.

4. Borrowing TED's resolution, observe less, participate more. That would probably cure my passive aggressive side and rather follow my teachings and be cautious with everything, I could accomplish more. Let's just leap everywhere. Why not?

5. Learn something new. I don't know what yet, but I need to expand and better myself. I have the tape from ES to relearn my French, that would help. Maybe learn something that would help me career, that's always good.

6. Find a person I can be in love with. That's like the toughest task ever. It's not that I don't love easily, but it seems that the folks I want are not available and even if they become available, it's not for sure that they will want me. Maybe I should approach the whole situation differently, I'm still not sure how.

Actually I just want to be happy. These few days had been a killer, good thing my baked mac and cheese has lifted my spirits. I wish everyone here a very Happy New Year. May all your wishes come true.

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United States of Pop 2008

via Joe.My.God. is this crazy amazing mash-up video done by the talented DJ Earworm. A complete guide of this year's pop song. Amazing Stuff.

Happy New Year's Eve. Hope you're with a loved one to celebrate tonight.

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R.I.P. Sony Eric 810

(My) Sony Eric 810 was found in a cataonic state this early afternoon after being kidnapped by a pair of Lucky jeans and drowned in the abyss of the washing machine. Rescue worker in the form of a hair dryer came to the scene and offered the breath of life, but proved to be futile and highly unrecommended. Currently we are using Chinese medicine on him by burying Mr. Eric in a tub of long grain Jasmine rice. (Bless the Asian habit of keeping rice.) But this reporter's outlook is pretty much the same as the crowd gathering outside John Paul II's building on that very fateful day, If we have to count on Chinese mediicine as a last resort Mr. Eric is surely passing on to the netherworld.

Mr. Eric is survived by his charger, an USB connector, his sim card, his battery and hopefully his memory card and its contents. I'm sure he'll be missed, but we'll be glad to hear that his distant relative Sony Eric 850 from the land of Ebay will replace him as the prime minister of communications for the State that is YvesPaul.

In memory of 810, let's take a moment to review his best work:

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Philadelphia Stock Exchange

A friend of mine was selling a brand new 8Gb iPod Touch for $180, he won that at his company Christmas party and he already have a GPhone. Since my iPod is going monotone on me and the iPod Touch can be used to play games and go online and that price is really good (comparing to $229 +tax at the stores), I bought it from him.

After looking in my old iPod, I find out that I actually have 17Gb of songs, so obviously my new iPod will not satisfy my needs. Luckily I haven't opened the box yet, so I posted it on Craigslist for $200 to earn a quick buck. Selling stuff on Craigslist is not easy, after you post it, you have to wait for responses and then call them back and negotiate some more. Ever since X'mas Eve, I've been pulled to an array of parties and Mahjong session which only ceased after last night, and even though I've gotten 4 responses minus one exchange request, all the responses have kinda trailed.

One kid tried to negotiate a discount and claimed that he doesn't have enough money and offer to pay half first. When I refused, he called me back and told me to keep it for him for a week. A lady called and said I'm too far away for her to meet. The other guys still hasn't called me back yet. I'm posting the ad again, hopefully it'll garner more responses.

Adele is suppose to come and perform in Philadelphia on January 15th. I've just found that out 2 weeks ago but it's already sold out. I feel like kicking myself. Her tickets were sold for $15 each and when I check on the other ticket sites for them, they were pumped to a whopping $314 a piece. I wonder who will buy them for that much. After physically walking to the venue and see if they have reserved some aside for ground sale and asked a few questions about a potential venue change, my plan is to just go there on that night and see if there are anyone selling them on the side. It might be cheaper. Although after checking back, the price has already dropped to around $150, maybe the closer it gets to the event, the lower the price will be. Even I've heard she might come back to Philly again, I'm still crossing my fingers. Around $50-60 a piece would be ideal, that'd be about the same price I got the Amy Winehouse's for.



Oh, plus I thought $9.99 a pound of lobster is cheap since Reading Terminal sells them for $15-20 a pound. I just bought 3 of them for $7.99 a pound, just to find out that at ShopRite they sell them for $4.99 a pound. Although killing live things weren't fun at all.

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Bring Your Guns to the Movies

Lifted from Vic at Maybe It's Just Me..., where my evil twin SpyValue deemed too good to pass up.

From Philly.com

Phila. man shot because family talked during movie

By Barbara Boyer

INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
A South Philadelphia man enraged because a father and son were talking during a Christmas showing of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button took care of the situation when he pulled a .380-caliber gun and shot the father, police said.

James Joseph Cialella Jr., 29, of the 1900 block of Hollywood Street is charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, and weapons violations.

"It's truly frightening when you see something like this evolve into such violence," said police spokesman Lt. Frank Vanore.

Police were called to the Riverview Theatre in the 1400 block of Columbus Boulevard about 9:30 p.m. where the gunshot victim, a Philadelphia man who was not identified, told police a man sitting near him told his family to be quiet and threw popcorn at his son.

After exchanging words, Vanore said Cialella allegedly got out of his seat to confront the family when the father got up to protect them. That's when the victim was shot once in the left arm, sending others in the theatre running to safety.

Cialella then sat down to watch the movie. Police arrived a short time later and arrested Cialella and confiscated his weapon, Vanore said.

Ok, of course it is outrageous that someone would even bring a gun to a supposedly wholesome place like a movie theater, but the moviegoers in Philly is notoriously bad. Yes, they talk and chit-chat like they are watching the movie in their own home and they do it loud, and if you sshhed them, they will curse you out. I once sat by a couple watching the same movie and when confronted after he talks on his phone, he said he's exercising his first amendment right, now how are you suppose to argue with that? (Guess why Abraham Lincoln was shot? Asshole.)

My past few movie experience had not been ideal and I've pretty much given up if I can't go to the suburbs. But now that things like this happened, I think people will think before they talk in the cinema, and I can also say things like "Did you know that someone just got shot right near where you're sitting for talking during the movies?" It will be soooo gratifying... lol.

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Weekend Meme: Screaming Masses' Meme

Hey folks, X'mas is finally winding down. I hope you guys had a great time. Of course, the weekend is still ongoing and we can still party hard. There has been a lot of gaming for the last 3 days and my brain is a little fried, so I hope I can still manage this Meme.

Today's Meme is brought to you from Sunday Stealing. Sunday Stealing - lifting important meme for you since August 2008.

1. What is a nickname a former (or present) lover gave you?
Bebo (Principe said because I'm big)

2. How do you style your hair? If you just would say "cut" what style is it?
I'm clueless with hair the best I can do is just messe it up using some wax and make it stand up a bit in front. I have no idea what my cut is called. Ape?

3. What's your least favorite Christmas song?
The Twelfth Days of Christmas, of course. (On the eleventh day of X'mas... hear me say Kill Me Now in Ms. Creole's accent.)

4. How many colors are you wearing now?
Two; Asian skin tone and Asian hair black.. just kidding. White and Blue.

5. Are you an introvert or extrovert?
Introverted

6. What was the last book you read?
Charlaine Harris' From Dead to Worse

7. What's one piece of fiction that changed your life?
Fiction that changed my life? Let's see... Green Eggs and Ham didn't change my life, Harry Potter didn't either, how about The Creation of The Gods?

8. If you are attracted to someone who is already in a relationship (or married), what might you do?
You mean like right now? We're still chatting online and meeting sometimes. Aw... I hate myself.

9. Is there anything that has made you unhappy recently?
Nothing get me more upset than relationships, whether it's love, friendship or with colleagues. But then I guess the opposite can be true.

10. What's your favorite dessert?
Has anyone tried the English Sticky Toffee Pudding. Aw... So good. They sold it at Whole Foods for a while, but I don't see them anymore.

11. How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
Under 45 minutes from wake up to out the door.

12. Name one website that you visit daily. Why do you read it?
I do read the blogs on my blogroll everyday, if they update it daily. Just to catch up and keep up with my friends' like and dislikes. One of them would be Towleroad, it's gay news central.

13. What was your last job before either you are at home or at another job?
I was doing IT for a non-profit.

14. Do you like to clean?
Hate it. Especially dusting, wiping, moping and vacuuming. Over the years, I've learn to appreciate washing dishes, but that's about it.

15. What was the last song to get stuck in your head?
Chasing Pavements by Adele (Oh, and this question is evil)

16. What's the last movie you saw?
Twilight (Only recommendable for rental)

17. Pirates or Ninjas?
Isn't that a choice between the sea and the land? Ninja, they like to hide in the night and it seems to be a lot more fun being a ninja.

18. What is your least favorite thing to do that you have to do everyday?
Lying in bed waiting to fall asleep.

19. Best time of your life?
When I was in Hong Kong hanging out with my group of 12 closest friends walking by the harbor on New Year's eve. I just deeply realized at that moment how happy I was.

20. What are you most looking forward to in the coming year?
Getting a new job, maybe even moving to the West Coast.

Anyhow, hey y'all, have a great weekend!

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Best X'mas Song 2008: Lady Gaga ft. Space Cowboy's "Christmas Tree"

Christmas Tree

Ra pa pum pum (x4)

Light me up put me on top lets falalalalalalala x2

The only place you wanna be is underneath my Christmas tree(x2)

Light me up put me on top lets falalalalalalala x2

Ho ho ho under the mistletoe
Yes everybody knows
We will take off our clothes
Yes if you want us to we will (you)

Ho ho ho it's Christmas
My Christmas tree is delicious (x2)

Light you up put you on top lets falalalala (lets go)x2

Ho ho ho under the mistletoe
Yes everybody knows
We will take off our clothes
Yes if you want us to we will (you)

Ho ho ho it's Christmas
My Christmas tree is delicious (x2)

Here here here
The best time of the year
Take off my stockings where
I'm spreading Christmas cheer
Yes if you want us to we will (you)

Ho ho ho it's Christmas
My Christmas tree is delicious (x2)

Space Cowboy Lady Gaga Lady Gaga
And she goes
Space Cowboy Lady Gaga Lady Gaga
Here we go
Cherry cherry boom boom.

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Merry X'Mas 2008

Wishing you all a very merry X'mas. Try not to drink and drive!

With much, much love,

Paul.

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There Are Enough Slackers In The World

I'm still flirting and seeing CuteCub, he's like a drug that I can't get enough of and we seemed to have pretty good chemistry. I know, it's kinda dumb and dangerous to be with someone that I can't have. I'm watching my steps and hold myself back bit by bit which is easier said than done. I'm looking out for flaws to focus on to bring him back down to size, but in my infatuated state, I can't find any, well maybe little things that can be easily looked over and I'll consider myself lucky if I have to live with those flaws. It's especially cruel that now he's using his webcam when we chat online.

Last night after a few beers, he revealed to me that his boyfriend will be graduating in the coming summer and that since he's a foreigner and given the current job market, he'll probably have to return to his native land afterward. CuteCub has no plans to move away, so they eventually will have to break up. It sounds horrible and it reminded me of my breakup with Principe, but I can't help but glimpse a spark of hope and invoke a series of what-ifs. I'm infatuated with him enough that I don't wish them any sadness though.



At the same time, Calico Guy which I've had a little fling with in late spring resurfaced to tell me that he is now living in the great NYC and got a new boyfriend. He had been unemployed and living with his ex the doctor in the same bed for a year and since his ex found a new beau and decided to move down to North Carolina to take on a new job in a new hospital. Calico Guy was forced to move and find a job for himself, which he did for a few months. Now he's in NYC worked part time and lived with his new boyfriend for a month before being fired. Now his new boyfriend is threatening him with a breakup if he doesn't get his act together. Calico Guy has a weak mind so that's probably just the jolt he needs, although it's kinda cruel to say something like that right before X'mas. I can understand the stress of living with a partner who's not contributing, especially while you're living in a big city with higher living expenses. I seemed to remember being the sugardaddy for all of my relationships, no matter how much older my exes are.

At least these kinda stuff give me some perspective to put my life back together. If I can't even support myself, how can I be there for someone else? Finding a job will be the number one item on my new year's resolution. I think I'm ready now.

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Ice People

For the ones who's complaining about the unusual coldness of this winter which is completely understandable since I've never heard of snow storm traveling so far south before - meet the people at the Sakha region of Russia in a town with a population of 800 called Oymyakon.



Oymyakon is deemed to be the coldest town on earth. Since it's located in the middle of two mountain ranges which trap cold air for the entire year. While its summer's average high can reach 72 degrees Fahrenheit, its winter's average low is around -57F. According to Wikipedia, it's record low of all time is -85.7F. Brrr.



It's hard to imagine people living in such extreme weather that people consider -30F as nice weather and kids still have to go to school unless it's below -52F. (Below -52F because they liked B-52's?) Oymayakon, where birds will freeze mid-flight and turn into dangerous projectiles and people can freeze in just a few minutes outdoor without proper clothing. I guess no picking up the newspaper in wife-beaters and boxers, but then again what newspaper?

Since the town is so out in the wild, I can imagine the daily necessities like food would be extremely expensive. Who would want to deliver there anyway? And it's hard to imagine that the town can be self-sufficient unless there's oil or they can sell ice or cold to others. I'm pretty sure that's not how you make Freons. Why don't they just pack up and leave? It's not that simple I'm sure but it's better to stay and suffer. (That right there sounds like a relationship advice)


But honey, it's only -30F, you can play outside.

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King of Games

I'm so exhausted.

After a 4-hour Mahjong training session for new learners on Saturday afternoon, me and my friends drove to Delaware to another friend's place for our X'Mas party, after dinner we did our pollyanna that involved picking names from a hat and stealing other people's gifts. Since there's a rule that the gifts have to be $5 or under and most people there are tennis players, there were a lot of tennis balls around. Fortunately I was the last one picked, so I get to steal a gift-wrapped $5 bill but got stolen later and I chose an etch-a-sketch for my second option. Other gifts also include a $5.99 digital camera, a 3-piece set of X'mas figurines, some interesting decorative masks, chopsticks, chocolates and the pear-shaped candles I bought. I even made a gift bag out of wrapping paper and used some ribbons and all to make it real pretty. At the end, the gift itself is not really important, but we had lots of fun. I end up giving the etch-a-sketch to one of my friends' nephew.



CL brought a fun party game with him called Apples to Apples where each of us are given 7 red apple cards with a noun of the card, it could be a person, a place, a thing, or an incident... And a green card is selected randomly with an adjective on it. And people are suppose to choose the most appropriate noun for it with one of the players being a judge and see which noun is the most appropriate for the adjective. The winner will take the green apple card and be the next judge, the first one who gets 4 green apple card would win. There were 13 people playing and yours truly wins with Hillary Rodham Clinton (for Heartless), Giant Squid (for Legendary), Sunset (for Magical) and Asians (for Smooth). It's really funny to see what people come up with for different categories and also see the different value system for different judges.



We played some more Mahjong and some Wii games and turn around it's 6:30 am. Sleep for 3 hours and then it's more Wii. Our favorite is the tennis game in Wii Sports. Four people playing doubles. By the end I can feel my forearms aching like I had lifted weight for the past hour. Not my shining moments, since everybody else are really into tennis, but I'm also a lot better than a lot of non-gamers. SV played so violently that I was afraid for the host that he might break something. We played Mario Kart for a bit, and I'm actually better at it than even people who own a console.



Another Wii game called We Cheer where we were supposed to imitate cheerleader and use our controllers as pom-poms, dancing to C&C Music factory's Everybody Dance Now. We took a lot of pictures while other people were doing that for blackmailing purposes later.

Time flies when you're having fun. After some Mahjong, it was 5:30 in the morning. Some needed some sleep, but a few of us were still playing Wii for another hour. And then we played some more after 3 hours of sleep. Went out to a mighty cool dinner (Lucky's Coffee House?) for a late lunch and then drove back to Philadelphia and go to another friend's house and played some more Mahjong and got home just before 9pm.

I never felt so in need of a shower... It's a good thing I can stay in bed for as long as I want. Since I have some leftover Chinese takeout in fridge, I don't think I'll move much for the rest of the day.

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Weekend Meme: The Favorite Meme

The weekend is here and I've a Mahjong training session and a party to go to later. I'm not quite feeling the X'mas and I sincerely doubt that I'll be celebrating it this year. So I decided not to do a X'mas meme. Instead, I lifted this from Judd at Sunday Stealing, it's just a list of your favorite things. X'mas-y enough, no?

Fill in your favorite for each of the following:

1. Political show: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

2. Picnic food: Hmm... You can have any food at a picnic. Um... potato salad?

3. Mixed drink: Some fruity martini like apple or blackberry.

4. U.S. President: Clinton, for the booming economy and even the sex.

5. Kind of student to teach: WTF kind of question is that? The smart kind?

6. Hobby you do or wish you still did: Video games

7. Sports commentator: Not a clue, I can't think of a single one but Madden.

8. Sport to watch on TV: Texas Hold'em counts? If not, figure skating then.

9. Animal to have as a pet: Dog, Alaskan Malamute or any other kind should be fine, no bull dogs though, sorry.

10. Halloween costume you have worn: Well, I've only worn one thus far, my Chinese Vampire costume.

11. Kind of dessert: I'm a chocoholic, so the chocolate zuccotto cake they have at Maggiano's is perfect. Dense, rich chocolate mousse in between fluffy chocolate cake in a dome shape. Can't beat it.

12. Comic strip: Don't read much paper, but I think I liked The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life Of Ethan Green

13. Ice cream flavor: Haagen Dazs' Pineapple Coconut

14. News source: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

15. Vacation spot: Greece, never been.

16. Wine: I don't drink wine, but a friend brought some dessert wine from South Africa and they were good. How about Marsala for cooking?

17. Way to waste time instead of working: Go online!

18. Reality show: I was a fan of Amazing Race, but I haven't watched it for the past few seasons.

19. Children's movie: Castle in the Sky by Hayao Miyazaki. You've got to see it.

20. Celebrity you wish would retire: Why would I want my favorite person to retire? Jack Nicholson?

Have a great weekend! :)

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