Me and Mai watched the most anticipated movie to-date, Twilight, this weekend.

Twilight is a young adult vampire romance novel written by Stephenie Meyer. 3 more novels follow it - New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn. The film adaptation of the first part of this novel, Twilight, was made by Summit Entertainment and is being shown this month 'til December all over the world.

I used to think that watching the movie is better than reading the book where a movie's based on. Alright, I'm lazy and I don't like to read. But, now, I am determined to read the book, Twilight, that Mai bought. That's how disappointed I was with the movie.

Alright, it might have something to do with all those teenagers who were in the cinema with us. They were all yelling and screaming like schoolgirls... wait, they ARE schoolgirls... whenever they see Edward or Bella. I'm like, SHUT UP, DAMMIT! There were lines in the film that we didn't hear 'coz of all that crazy screaming. The scenes weren't even deserving of it. That's why I don't like watching in cinemas anymore... 'coz a lot of people now, especially teenagers today, are just plain stupid and don't observe proper etiquette in public places.

Anyway, back to the movie Twilight, the effects weren't that great but the story and the music drew me in. THAT'S WHY I'LL BE READING THE BOOK!

Although the story might seem familiar to some people (like me), with all those vampire-themed movies, Twilight has a more appeal to it. Maybe because it was more realistic than other vampire-themed movies I've watched when it comes to the venue, the characters and the story itself.

Another thing, I didn't like the actors who played the lead roles. Kristen Stewart (Panic Room & Jumper) played Bella Swan, the teenage girl who fell in love with a vampire, Edward Cullen, who was played by Robert Pattinson (Cedric from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix & Goblet of Fire).

Robert Pattinson didn't really fit the vampire role 'coz he doesn't look like a vampire to me. Edward should look sharper, y'know, with the nose, face structure and all.

Peter Facinelli, who plays Edward's father, Dr. Carlisle Cullen, fits the role perfectly. I was expecting someone as sharp-looking as Tom Cruise to play Edward.

Mai also told me (she's almost halfway reading the book) that the actors who played the Cullens didn't fit the description from the book. They were supposed to stand out by their looks but didn't in the movie.

Talking about the actual "acting", Robert Pattinson played the role well. He might not be a good-looking vampire but he did look deadly attractive enough and he kinda made it believable.

On the other hand, Kristen was plain... monotonous. She ruined the story for me. She delivered the lines like she was reading off a script or a teleprompter. No real emotions, and she was "under-acting". I was expecting a lot from the actor who's gonna play Bella Swan and I was completely disappointed by Kristen.

Anyway, the story was really interesting. I am really looking forward to the sequel, New Moon. I hope that Kristen and Robert will act better on the sequels. 'Coz if they don't, they're just going to ruin it for something as promising as Stephenie Meyer's novels.

If you haven't watched the movie yet, trust me, YOU HAVE TO! Ignore what I said about the actors and just enjoy the STORY.

Make sure you watch it when the hype has subsided. Hmmm... will it even subside? I don't think so! Hehehehe. So, I suggest you watch it on a weekday, and in the morning! Why?! So there won't be that many people watching it with you, so you won't suffer all that crazy screaming from teenagers while trying to enjoy the movie.

We're going to watch the movie again when it's available online... at the comfort of our own room. Maybe that'll change my view of the movie. Heh!

Tell me your thoughts about the movie, aight?

I hate you.* Not forever but at this moment, I hate you.

This is the closest that we can get after I decided to move here permanently to Cebu. You're only a boat away from where I am but you decided that heck, I'm just here... you can pay me attention whenever you feel like it... once you're done with all the fun things on your itinerary.

I hate you for not even realizing that you hurt me so deep that I almost swore not to speak to you again. That's how hurt I am now.

Did you know that I lost some sleep over thinking about what we'll do together when you come to visit us here? That's how excited I was to spend some time with you again after months of being far away from you and Nanay. Even Mai was excited and was planning on where to go, what to eat, blah blah... That doesn't matter anymore. Sheesh!

That's what I hate most about you. I believe you got that from our oh-so-loving father... the my-friends-come-first syndrome... or my-social-life-comes-first.

Did you know that I cried 3 times because of this? I cried as soon as I knew that you can't come here last Saturday. I cried myself to sleep that night because of how I miss you and Nanay. I cried again today before I posted this blog because of that same reason.

Today, you told me that you'll be here tomorrow, Monday, from 2pm. Your flight's at 9pm. And you expect me to see you in between? No, thanks. As much as I miss you, I don't want to ruin your "awesome vacation" with your friends. I'm not on your itinerary so why bother? You didn't want to ruin it so I won't, too.

The real reason is I don't want to just get a glimpse of you. I want to spend at least a whole day with you to catch up on things... for you to see where I'm staying... so I can show you around... to bond with you again even for just a day. And I know I can't do that during your short stay here on Monday so I'd rather not see you than be hurt again... mas mamimiss lang kita pag nakita kita tapos mabibitin lang yung time natin together.

You might say I'm corny, over-dramatic. Call it whatever you want but you'll never understand, you'll never know how hurt I am. I wouldn't wish this on you or even on my worst enemy because it really hurts.

That's why I'm not going to meet with you tomorrow. I guess I'll just see you next year, on your graduation. I wouldn't want to miss that, even after all this.

I hope you'll enjoy your "vacation" with your friends. Just remember that your friends aren't going to be there for you FOREVER. Your family will.

I'll see you when you come here and only got time for ME, your sister.

Enjoy Bohol and Cebu!



* I hate you = I miss you

Blogging started as a personal online diary for most people. They can write about almost anything they want, especially for their friends to know what's up with them lately. Now, with millions of readers online, bloggers have to think or worry about who's reading their blogs, what they blog about, and how they affect their readers. Not to mention the copyrights on their unique blog contents/posts.

I started blogging in CubeBlog and it served as my online diary. Although I know it's open to the public, I still felt I had the freedom to write about anything I want because my readers included my brother, my friend at work (Saji) and people I don't personally know. It was a stress-reliever for me and a way to express myself. I still kept it private, though, not letting my other friends read it. But even so, I still was a little bit careful with what I blog about.

With this Just Another Pixel blog, I know that I have reached far wider audience than my old blog site. Now, anyone who sees my Friendster account, drops Entrecards, googles anything that I've written about, or those who know my name and email address can google me and find this blog. This is why I am now more careful with what I write about.

I have read about bloggers who lost their jobs because they posted a photo of them wearing their company's uniform or they wrote about an experience at work. Some lost friendships and their romantic relationships because of their blog posts. So, considering these facts, what are the blogging and privacy boundaries, including etiquette, that we, as bloggers, need to observe?

Bloggers are protected by freedom of speech. But with this freedom, with this right, comes the responsibility to use discretion on all our posts. We have this responsibility that I believe most of the bloggers I've seen are taking seriously.

There are some blogs, though, that were written with the intention to hurt, invade someone else's privacy (entertainment/political blogs) or reveal something really nasty about someone. But most of these bloggers keep their REAL identities private because of fear that they might get sued or hunted for some reason. Yeah, I read about people who got stalked or attacked because of what they posted on their blogs. So, this whole discretion issue is not just about the protection of others' privacy but also ours.

COMPANY PRIVACY
For call center employees/bloggers, this has been a major issue. For all call center companies, there's a clause on their contracts somewhere regarding the company and their clients' privacy. Most call center employees I know seem to ignore or forget this. What do they do?

• They post photos of them inside their office with the clients' logo or banners in the background on Friendster or their social networking pages.
• They post the actual name of the call center account/program that they belong to (e.g., Smart Bro Tech Support, etc.)
• They write about different strategies or incentive programs of their call center company.
• They post blogs about their work experiences, mentioning the names of their supervisors, colleagues or managers. Most of them do this when they're upset with them.

Those are just some of the most common violations that call center employees commit against their company and clients' privacy policies. And I don't understand why most of them ignore it. I guess they think that they can get away with it or they didn't fully understand what was written on their contracts.

PERSONAL BLOGS
For me, as a personal blogger, I am very careful with what I write about. Since my partner Mai is reading my blog, I chose to discuss things with her in person instead of blogging about anything that's bothering me regarding our relationship. But, of course, there are still things that happen to us that I want to write about here but I chose not to because it might result to me hurting her or to an argument.

I'm also careful with what I write about my friends and my family. I don't want them to feel bad about something I blogged about. I even consulted my brother if it's okay with him if I'll include him on my gay blog post (he's a semi-closet queen). As the saying goes, "It's not my secret to tell".

There are still things that I'd like to blog about but I chose not to publish to prevent any damage to anyone's feelings, or ego in some cases. I don't want to ruin my relationships over a blog post. So, whenever I talk about my personal life is when I use a whole lot of discretion. I believe most of the bloggers I've seen do the same.

Another thing that we need to be careful of is posting too personal or too private information on our blogs. I've seen blogs where people blatantly write about their lives or sex experiences. (Well, that's okay if you're anonymous or if that's the whole point of your blog.) I even saw blogs (while Entrecard dropping) where the author posted their address and even mentioned their kids' schools. I'm not sure why those bloggers didn't think twice about posting about their private lives so openly without considering the fact that there are people who will use that information to get to them, to hurt them. There are perverts, or even criminals, roaming around the web, looking for possible victims. So, it is very important to leave out all specific details of your personal lives if you really want to blog about it.


I've read and researched on the most common techniques that bloggers all around the globe practice to protect themselves and others. They might not be effective for everyone but I'm just listing them for your information. I also included some tips for bloggers like me.

1. If you really can't help but blog about it, try using codenames. This will protect the privacy of the person or company you're blogging about. Take note, though, of Jessica Cutler's story (see related articles at the bottom of this post). She did use codenames or initials but was still outed by another blogger.

2. Blog about it as if it was someone else's experience. This way, your readers won't really know if it was you who experienced it or really someone else.

Some bloggers might not like this technique because they want to tell the world about their experience. But, I've tried this myself and it's effective. Hmmm... hehehe.

3. Put up a Disclaimer on your blog. This should protect you in most cases.

4. If you need to post photos of yourself and peers inside your office, make sure that there's no logo in the background or anywhere on the photo. If there is, you can edit it and blur that part of the photo without ruining the whole image. I suggest using Photoshop for that.

5. Make sure you read your company's policy regarding privacy. Some of the policies of companies today already included clauses regarding posting about the company on blogs/articles or photos online. Make sure you don't violate them. Don't wait for you to get caught.

6. I think it's okay to post your full complete name online but NEVER post your complete address. Also, if you don't want to be bothered by perverts out there, DO NOT post your mobile or landline phone number, unless you want to meet someone online (textmate hehehe).

This especially applies to parents who blog about their daily life, their kids. DO NOT post where your li'l kid goes to school, especially if you're one of the popular bloggers. I can't stress this enough. And I believe most parents are already very careful about this, especially in the US. I still see some Pinoy bloggers ignoring this security risk today. Tsk tsk.

7. If you really intend to hurt or invade/violate someone else's privacy, then, better stay anonymous. In this crazy world, you'll never know when your online life will hunt you offline.

Take note, though, that some domains, blog and email providers, or web hosting companies can reveal your information to anyone if laws in your or their country or state allow it. Read their Terms of Service/Use or Agreement Policy carefully.


With the huge number of blogs spawning all over the web, it seems people are less and less concerned or aware of the security and privacy risks that we go through everyday. If we're not careful enough, it might cause us our jobs, our relationships, our lives.

Do you have anything to share regarding blog censorship, privacy and security online? How about tips for bloggers, especially the newbies? Leave me a comment or two, aight?


Related Articles on the Web:
I was fired for blogging
Blogging and the Law
Washington Post's article on Jessica Cutler | Another article on Cutler @ WizBangBlog

While Entrecard dropping, I found out about MommyKo's Christmas Giveaway. There are a LOT of prizes in store for everyone who wants to join so... I'M JOINING!

I love Christmas and I love giving and receiving gifts. I hope I'm lucky enough to win even one of the prizes for MommyKo's Christmas Giveaway.

A lot of MommyKo's readers were generous enough to sponsor the contest. I'm planning on coming up with my own contests soon and I hope I'll have generous sponsors like MommyKo.

Anyway, if you want to join, you can go straight to her blog with the instructions on how to join. After the jump, you can browse through all the prizes that MommyKo is giving away and links to her sponsors.


FIRST PRIZE - $35 + 16,000 EC
$25 - My Online Paradise
$5 - Blessing In Life
$5 plus 1000 Ec - Moi et mon univers
*1 banner - worth $149 - Buytemplates.net
*1 blog layout - My Web-Blog Designs
*cuties for Christmas - So Cute
5000 Ec plus 125x125 ads space for 1 month - Snapshot
3000 EC - Stranded Life
2000 EC plus banner ad for 1 month + text link for 1 month + ebook for bloggers- Kasakk
1000 EC - Crimson Heaven
1000 EC - Heart Random
1000 EC - More on Health
1000 EC - Jenny Talks
1000 EC - Sharing my Thoughts
125x125 ads space for 1 month worth $20 - Contest For Bloggers
125x125 ad space for 1 month - Shopping Blog

2ND PRIZE - $25 + 13,000 EC
$10 - Follow Your Sense of Adventure
$10 - Yennygirl
$5 - More on Heath
*1 banner - worth $149 - Buytemplates.net
*blog layout - The Designer's Chic
3000 EC - Sweetytots
2000 EC credits plus 1 month ad space - Pink Hues
2000 EC - The Joy Of Love Forever
1000 EC - Show Me your Interest
1000 EC - Days Of My Life
1000 EC - ArticleSnatch Blog
1000 EC credits plus 1 month ad - Random Chronicles
1000 EC - The Artist In Me
1000 EC - Varun's Vagaries
125x125 ads for 1 month worth $20 - kahpeng.com-Bits From My Life
125x125 ad space for 1 month - Another Contest

3RD PRIZE - $20 + 11,000 EC
$10 - Wonderful Things In Life
$5 - My Life's Adventure
$5 - Twinkletoe Writing Space
*complete blog makeover - Designs By Vhiel and Cans Of Thoughts
*Website logo worth $99- Custom Logo and Marketing Materials
2000 EC - Sweet.Pretty.Naughty
1000 EC plus ad space for 1 month - Cheth Studios
1000 EC credits plus 1 month ad - The Positive Side
1000 EC - Show Me Your Interest
1000 EC - Wiehanne Lounge
1000 EC - Medan Daily
1000 EC - Call Center Gal
1000 EC - A Simple Married Life
1000 EC - Programming The Life
1000 EC - Pinay Freelancer
125x125 ads for 1 month worth $10 - Genrya.com
125x125 ad space for 1 month - That Blog 4 Me

4RTH PRIZE - $15 + 9,000 EC
$5 - Life's Imagination
$10 - The Joy Of Life Forever
1 Blog Template worth $29 - Website Design Services
2000 EC - E-Pamilya
1000 EC plus ad space for 1 month - Thoughts and Obsessions
1000 EC plus banner ad for 1 week - Simplement Belles
1000 EC - Show Me Your Interest
1000 EC - 24x7 Online Diva
1000 EC plus ad space for 1 month - Made Me Glad
1000 EC - Serradinho Blog
1000 EC - God's Best Gift
125x125 ad space for 1 month - Sherry
125x125 ad space for 1 month - Travel blog

5TH PRIZE $10 + 7,700 EC
$5 - Earning Money Online
$5 - A Message From My Heart
1 Blog Template worth $29 - Website Design Services
1000 EC plus banner ads for 1 week - Kalidadis
2000 EC - Wonderful Things In Life
1000 EC - Definitely MAYBE!
1000 EC - The Joy Of Life Forever
1000 EC - My Life's Adventure
500 EC - Love's Haven
500 EC plus ad space - MeiYah/Miah Laborte
500 EC - Chica & Pumuckl
200 EC - Around the World
125x125 ad space for a month - Also Mommy
125x125 banner ad for 1 month - PriZK Dot Com

6th PRIZE $5 + 6,000 EC
$5 - Designers Blog
1 Web design/flash template worth $29 - Flash Template
1000 EC - Life Marriage And Kids
1000 EC - Everything plus the Kitchen Sink
500 EC - Brown Pinay
500 EC - A Message From My Heart
500 EC - In The Eyes Of The Beholder
500 EC - Nierva Dot Com
500 EC - Blog Contest For Pinay
500 EC - Creative In Me
500 EC - Cheth Studios
500 EC - A Zone for Digiscraps
125x125 ad space for 1 month - Dashing Smiles
125x125 for 1 month - That Blog 4 me

7TH PRIZE - 4,500 EC
*1 Web design/flash template worth $29 - Flash Template
1000 EC - One at a Time
500 EC plus 125x125 ad space - Biz-N-Honey
500 EC - Twinkletoe Writing Space
500 EC - My Little Home
500 EC - Journal of Journey
500 EC - So Far, So Good
500 EC - There is Happiness
500 EC plus ad space - Musings of a Pinay Blogger
125x125 ad space for 1 month - Thomas Travel Tales
125x125 for 1 month - Travel Blog

8TH PRIZE 3,500 EC
*1 yr domain - Earning Money Online
500 EC plus ad space for 1 month - The Money maker
500 EC - CharTherCT.com
500 EC - Vhiel's Corner
500 EC - Anything and Everything in Between
500 EC - Love's Haven
500 EC - EastcostLife
500 EC - Contest For BLoggers
125x125 ad space for 1 month - Bohol Paradise
125x125 banner ads for 1 month - Pinky Posh

9TH PRIZE 3,000 EC
*blog layout - My Collection
500 EC plus ad space for 1 month - Starts at Two
500 EC - Aha Mama!
500 EC - Twins happiness
500 EC - A lonely planet it is not
500 EC - Nita's Random Thoughts
500 EC from Bits Of My life
125x125 ad space for 1 month - Filipino Online Community
125x125 banner ads for 1 month - Only In Silence

10TH PRIZE 2,500 EC
500 EC plus ad space for 1 month - Beauty Of Life
500 EC - Nita's Corner
500 EC - Days Of My life
500 EC - Little Soie's Steps
500 Ec - I Travel here and There
125x125 ad space for 1 month - Batuananons
125x125 ad space for 1 month - Love Is A Perfect Gift

10TH PRIZE 2,500 EC
1,500 EC - Seek No More
1000 EC - Nesting Buddy
125x125 ad space for 1 month - Love Is A Perfect Gift
125x125 ad space for 1 month - A Message From My Heart

Consolation Prizes
1. 300 EC - Healthy Living and Lifestyle
125x125 ad space for 1 month - Life's All About

2. 300 EC - CompTechGadgets.com
125x125 ad space for 1 month - Erlinda's Wandering Thoughts

3. 300 EC - Arts and Entertainment Center
125x125 ad space for 1 month - Thomas Web Links

4. 300 EC - Great Finds and Deals
125x125 ad banner for 2 weeks - 24patrol

5. 300 EC - Make Money Online
125x125 ad banner for 2 weeks - Multiply Themes
6. 300 EC - For the LOVE of Food
125x125 ad space - Jocelyn's Journal

7. 250 EC - Genrya.com
2 weeks link ads SimplyWP

8. 250 EC NetzDesigno.com
Footer text link for 1 month worth $5 - Genrya.com

9. 250 EC Stacykoay.net
Footer text link for 1 month worth $10 - Bits From My life

10. 200 EC - it's A Woman's World!
Footer text link for 1 month worth $10 - Contest For Bloggers

Special Prizes:
1. Free Icon set - Custom Icon Design Services
2. Semi-solid light red toddler hat, fits approx 2t-4t - Cherish Sweet Knitted Bottoms
3. 1 book - My Funny Dad, Harry
4. 1 book "Princess Charming" by: Jane Heller - Just Say These Words
5. 1 book "Siren's Song" by: Trish Albright - Just Say These Words
6. 1 book "Weddings Can Be Murder" by: Christie Craig - Just Say These Words

Amazing, right?!? Gosh! So, what are you waiting for? Hop on to MommyKo's blog and join her Christmas Giveaway!

Thanks, MommyKo, for this giveaway!

Yesterday was movie marathon day for me and Mai. We watched the action-packed movie "Taken" on their Sony widescreen TV downstairs. All 5 of us (me, Mai, her mom and 2 siblings) really enjoyed it, especially because of the surround sound. We covered the windows with thick curtains so it's dark inside. It was like watching in a theater!

It reminded me of the day when my own family went out to buy our very first Sony 24-inch Color TV back in Manila. Me and my brother were jumping up and down. We were ecstatic! We can finally watch our favorite TV shows (cartoons at that time) and our parents don't have to fight because the new TV has a remote control.

On our Sony TV's first day with us, we didn't turn it off until 12 midnight. It was a weekend so me and my bro were allowed to watch TV all day. We fell asleep in front of it. We both knew it was the start of a very entertaining life for our family.

There were a lot more family bonding in front of that Sony Color TV. It was big enough for us 4 because no one needs to sit right in front of the TV just to see the picture clearly. And, we can switch channels easily so all of us can enjoy. At that time, we were sleeping in one big room so 1 TV was enough.

When we finally managed to have our own rooms built, we had to buy another TV. With our experience with our first Sony Color TV, choosing our next TV was a no-brainer. Yes, we bought another Sony 24" Color TV. The first TV was placed in our living room, the new one was in my parents' room.

Can you believe that we still have these 2 Sony Color TVs at home? Yes, our first Sony TV is still keeping my family entertained after 17 years. We moved 6 times and it never gave up on us. The second Sony Color TV has been with us for 11 years now. So, I can confidently say that Sony is not just after great entertainment for their customers but their products are also built to last.

That is the main reason why we prefer Sony over any other brand. Here in Cebu, like what I've mentioned earlier, we have a widescreen Sony TV in the living room. Me and Mai also have our own Sony CyberShot DSC-T2 digital camera. It takes great pictures and clear videos.

I took photos, with our Sony Cybershot, of me and my family on our last day in Manila, on our way to the airport. *Sigh* I miss them. Sony Cybershot gives me the power to keep my memories of my family as clear as possible.


Another personal fave Sony product we own is Mai's Sony PSP Slim. Her siblings, on the other hand, have the first version of the Sony PSP. My brother, Ken, also bought his own Sony PSP slim right before we went here to Cebu. I just love its cool features. Can't imagine how something that small can be so powerful! You can play multiplayer games wirelessly with it. Me and Mai watched videos on it during our last flight here to Cebu. You can store images, play music and even use it as another disk drive! Great, huh?

I'm also eyeing for that new Sony Noise-Canceling Notebook computer (VAIO T series). If you read my previous posts, you know that me and Mai are planning to buy our own laptop so I can continue with my online ventures and possibly, teaching online. So, the noise-canceling feature is one of the reasons why I love to get my hands on one of those. And, it'll also be a great way for me to connect with my family via online messaging and video conferencing.

Hmmm... going back to the TV, I remember, it's movie marathon day again this Sunday. Woohoo! Can't wait. We're still thinking about what movie to watch. Definitely, it should be action-filled or sci-fi so we can get the most out of our widescreen Sony TV here. Any suggestions?

Even though we have a widescreen Sony TV here at home, I still miss watching my fave TV shows on our Sony 24" Color TV back in Manila because I get to do it with my own family. It definitely gave significance in my life, just like the Sony’s World’s First Noise-Canceling Notebook Computer, which is on top of my wishlist this New Year!

This was written prior to me watching the final performance night and results night. I know who the winner is but I don't want to spoil it by "directly" mentioning the winning couple here but... there's a clue somewhere.

It's the Dancing With The Stars finale this week! I can't wait to watch it. Unfortunately, though, our fave pro dancer Julianne Hough won't be competing in the finals. Last week, she and partner Cody got eliminated.

Dancing With The Stars, so far, is the only "Reality" TV Show where most of the really better dancers/couples get to the finals. Well, except for Season 5 where early fave (and the best celebrity dancer I've seen) Sabrina Bryan got voted out too early in the season. But, most of the celebrities who get to the finals really deserve to be there.

This season, I'm so excited to see my 3 fave celebrity contestants - Lance Bass, Warren Sapp and Brooke Burke - perform for the last time in the finale. They have been the couples to beat since the beginning so I'm really looking forward to the season finale next week.

Lance Bass and Lacey Schwimmer
I love, love, love Lacey. She's the only reason why I'm really rooting for this couple. Me and Mai loved her in So You Think You Can Dance. She was also a finalist there but she didn't win. I'm not sure why Sabra won, though.

Anyway, back to DWTS, Lance is the second best dancer in this competition but the way he keeps up with Lacey and her choreography is what really gets to me... in a good way. My only fear is that Lacey's hard-headedness and ego will get in the way of them winning this season. I can still remember their West Coast Swing dance, where Lacey got her groove on completely ignoring the fact that she's there to make Lance shine, not to outshine him. She forgot that she's not the celebrity competing in DWTS. I love Carrie Anne for pointing that out because the next episode, Lacey listened and gave Lance all the spotlight. And their performances in the Semi-Finals were GREAT! Amazing choreography, Lacey!

They placed third this finale. Kinda surprised but I still love Lacey. I hope she comes back next season so we have 4 pro dancers to look forward to - her, Julianne, Derek and Mark Ballas.

Warren Sapp and Kym Johnson
I also love this couple! Warren is just so funny and cute! He's light on his feet and can really move those hips, considering the fact that he weighs a ton... hehehe, just exaggerating!

I also love Kym this season! I think there's something going on between her and Warren. Is Warren married? I don't know... but they sure look cute together!

I don't understand, though, how they came in second. I was expecting Lacey and Lance to be in second place. Hmmm... I guess they're just so cute together that the voters forgot that Warren isn't better technically than Lance. Poor Kym, always in second.

Brooke Burke and Derek Hough
Brooke is just so sexy. She epitomizes the word sexy. Really. She looks good in anything. She moves gracefully. Can't really blame Derek if he treats her like a professional during rehearsals.

I don't like Derek this season, though. I feel like he's just pretending to like Brooke. Unlike when he was dancing last season with Shannon Elizabeth, his rumored current girlfriend. They had so much chemistry that now, Derek looks so pretentious when he talks about Brooke and her performance. Or maybe he's just like that - an over-actor. Hehehe.

They won, by the way. Brooke deserves it! How about that for a "hint", huh? ;)

* * * * * * * * *

Who I want to win this season? I'm not sure. I love all 3 finalists that I can't pick one as the winner this season. Maybe if I see their performances in the finale, I can decide. But, now, any one of them winning will be fine with me. (Ok, I wrote this BEFORE I found out the results)

I'm really looking forward to the finale. I hope there'll be amazing performances from the professional dancers, especially Julianne, Mark, Derek and Lacey. Can't wait!

How about you? Who were you rooting for in the finale?

I believe most people know who Merlin is. He's the wizard who served as the legendary King Arthur's left-hand. Well, I didn't really read about King Arthur's story but I watched the movies Merlin and Merlin's Apprentice. *grin*

Merlin was played by Sam Neill in both movies. I love both movies because of the magical side of it. Me and Mai love watching anything with characters with magic in it.

I'm so glad I discovered this new TV series. Well, it's not actually new since there have been 8 episodes already but we just discovered it. Merlin, the TV series, is all about the wizard during his younger years.

The story starts with Merlin and soon-to-be-King Prince Arthur, their meeting and how their friendship started. The young Merlin is played by Colin Morgan (pictured on the left).

It's pretty amazing. I already love and look forward to watching it. Mai, too. We were skeptical in the beginning because we initially didn't like Colin Morgan, the British actor who plays the young Merlin. But, now, I'm starting to love him.

Prince Arthur is played by Bradley James. Although we wanted him to be the lead because he's more attractive than Colin, I realized that Colin fits Merlin's character best.

The special effects are just right. Not too high-tech than the Harry Potter movies but, still, I know people would love this series.

I love the story of Merlin. The TV series shows that he was born with magical powers, not needing to say any encantations or spells to use magic. The young Merlin is still learning his full potential. Everything started when The Great Dragon tells him that he's destined to help Prince Arthur in the future in leading Camelot.

The series didn't really follow the adventures or the "real" story of King Arthur and Merlin, based on the books. For example, Guinevere (Angel Coulby - left) was supposed to be King Arthur's queen. But, in this series, she's the lady maid of Morgana (Katie McGrath - right), who is seemingly going to be Arthur's love interest in this series. We were expecting someone prettier to play Guinevere, too.

Anyway, we love all the actors in this series. They fit their roles, well, at least for me. There are a lot of things that I love about the series that I don't wanna mention here anymore because I might just spoil it for anyone who haven't watched it yet so.... just watch it for yourself! :)

If you weren't able to catch the first 8 episodes of Merlin, you can download torrents of these episodes. Go with torrents since they download faster because the speed increases over time as the # of seeders and leechers increase. Wanna know how to download torrents or find out more about it? I found this blog with tutorials on torrents:
http://ladybums.blogspot.com

Trust me, you're gonna love this TV series! Every episode shows new adventures of Merlin. I just hope this will be loved by more people so it won't end soon. Me and Mai are looking forward to watching it 'til Merlin reaches his full potential.

Too bad, though. They only aired 8 episodes. Not sure when they'll continue the season. I hope they'll be on for good.

Have you watched it? If yes, tell me what you think!

If you haven't yet, what are you waiting for?!?!

I read the news about California people voting against gay marriage last November 5th. It's really upsetting to know that there are still people who won't give gays their right to marry the people they love. After the historical win of Obama, California voters wrongfully denied gays their right to marry their partners.

If you've read my previous posts, you know that I've been with my life partner Mai for more than 3 years now. We've been living together for more than 2 years. As much as we want to get married, we can't because Philippine laws don't allow gays to get married here.

I've had "straight" relationships before Mai. My nanay was completely shocked and disappointed to learn the fact that after 26 years of being with men, I'm in a "gay" relationship with Mai. My nanay and I had arguments and discussions regarding my relationship with Mai. She told me that it's against our religion (I'm Catholic). She argued that it's against God's will because a woman is meant to be with a man.

I completely disagreed with her with the part wherein she said that it's against God's will. I don't believe God disapproves of gay relationships. He looks at us as 2 people who are in love, that's it. I told my nanay that's the only thing that matters.

I also argued that if God didn't love us, why would we receive blessings from Him? He allowed me and Mai to work for the same company, to have the same schedule, to overcome all obstacles that we've encountered in our 3-year relationship. I don't believe God will judge me based on who I love but how I live my life, how I treat others, if I'm following the Golden Rule.

By the way, if you read the Bible, you should know that there were written events of certain practices such as slavery, sacrificing other humans for "blessings" - argh. I don't even want to discuss that here. Don't get me wrong, though. I just believe that the "Holy" Bible was written by humans. All I care about is that God wants me to treat others the way I want to be treated (Golden Rule).

I understood that my nanay was so disappointed because she already lost all chances of having a grandkid. My brother, FYI, is also gay. Our parents knew he's gay since he was in high school. So, my parents were hoping to have a grandkid when I decide to get married with a man. Hey, they can still have one with me or Kenneth. We're both planning to have our own adopted kids with our partners in the future.

Regarding labels, I don't consider myself a lesbian. I'm not attracted to other women. But, I appreciate both men and women. Bisexual? No, I don't think so. I just don't want to label myself as a lesbian or bisexual. All I know is I'm in love with Mai.

I don't understand why, in this millenium, gays are still not given the right to marry the people they love. I'm not for gay marriage because I'm with Mai. Even before I led this "gay" life, I questioned why there are people who still think that God doesn't love gay people.

I've got a lot of homosexual friends - gays, lesbians, bisexuals, even transexuals. There are a lot of smart gay people. They're emotionally stable and professionals.

I'm also friends with the other type of gay people - those who are loud, completely open with their sexuality, that might irritate most people. But, still, I believe EVERYONE should be given the right to MARRY the person they love and believe they want to spend the rest of their lives with.

I know that most people who stereotype against gays, thinking that all gays and lesbians can't sustain stable relationships, are those who don't have gay friends. I have gay friends and I know gay couples, young and old, who have been together for years and their relationships are as stable as they can get.

From my observations, homosexuals, especially lesbians, tend to exert more effort with their relationships. Maybe because it's difficult to find someone who's willing to get into the "gay life" and accept their sexuality.

Why are there people against gay marriage? I tried to come up with reasons and, so far, here's what I got:

1. They're scared that their kids might end up a homosexual when gays are allowed to marry and express their sexuality in the open.
I believe it's up to you as a parent to guide them. If they end up gay later in their lives, you have to accept them and continue loving them. I know that's easier said and done. Even I want my future kids to be straight. But, I wouldn't make it difficult for my kids if they want to lead the gay life. Not accepting them will cause more problems in the future.

2. They believe it's against God's will, the Bible or whatever their religion taught them since they were young.
I grew up a Catholic but I believe that God accepts us and forgives us for our sins. I don't consider being gay a sin, though. Like what I've said earlier, I believe that God cares more about how we treat each other and ourselves. I believe that as long as you're not hurting anyone, you can go ahead and live your life.

3. Gays are all vulgar people/Homosexual relationships are all about sex.
This is completely wrong. I've seen gay couples who have way better relationships than my straight friends.

And out of all the relationships (believe me, I've had lots) that I had in my life, this relationship with Mai has been the best. I never expected that I'll be falling in love with someone of the same sex. But, here I am, more than 3 years in a relationship with Mai and still completely in love with her. We want to get married in the future, maybe outside the Philippines.

4. Gays are not NORMAL people.
What the hell?!?! I know of highly successful gays in almost every professional field out there so people who think gays are of the lowest breed of humans, they'd better look around.

5. Gays became homosexuals because they can't find anyone straight to be with them.
I won't deny it. There are lame people who'll go into a relationship with gay people because they're desperate. Even my nanay thought I was desperate. Haller?!? I can be with whoever I choose before Mai but I chose to be with her. I just hate it when people think gays are losers. I hate it when ignorant people speak about something they don't really comprehend.

I pity the 18,000 gay couples who got married in California. Because of some people's close-mindedness, their marriage would be considered null and void. Tsk tsk.

I don't think our country, the Philippines, will ever legalize gay marriage. Most people here are close-minded. That is why me and Mai are planning to go abroad just so we can marry. I know that the laws here won't still recognize us as a married couple but just the thought and feeling of getting married to the one I love the most will suffice. But we also have plans of living abroad or in a country where people like us are socially fully accepted.

*sigh* I envision a day when homosexuals will be completely accepted by everyone. Stop the prejudice and discrimination please.

Can you tell me of other reasons why people are so against gay marriage?

I dedicate this post to my brother, my gay friends and Mai:


Pictures (L to R):
Mai, Kenneth (my bro), Lindon & Joseph, Joel, Saji, James

Quotes on Gay Life:
"It seems to me that the real clue to your sex-orientation lies in your romantic feelings rather than in your sexual feelings. If you are really gay, you are able to fall in love with a man, not just enjoy having sex with him."
- Christopher Isherwood

"It's better to be black than gay because when you're black you don't have to tell your mother."
- Charles Pierce

"We had gay burglars the other night. They broke in and rearranged the furniture."
- Robin Williams

I received my very first payment from Neobux, one of the most reliable and popular Paid To Click (PTC) sites today.

If you haven't been to my other blog, PTC Reviews, and you're interested in making money online, then, I suggest you read my reviews and tutorials/guides on that blog. I have listed my Top PTC Sites, too, for your security so you won't have to deal with scam sites.

Back to the money I received, I was surprised at how fast I received it from Neobux. I've read about their INSTANT PAYMENTS to all members (free and Premium) but didn't expect I'll get it within 2 minutes after I requested for it. So, now, I'll be investing in Neobux because of this experience.

Neobux has a lot of members but they are able to keep up with the payments. They're still around after months of being online. They're so reliable that a lot of their members even helped them when they had problems with their PayPal account. There were people who donated and some wrote petitions or emails to PayPal to lift the limit on Neobux PayPal account.

If you're interested in making money online, joining and clicking for Paid To Click sites is the easiest way! All you have to do is click and view ads or websites for 30 seconds or less and you'll be automatically credited for it. Just make sure you have an AlertPay or PayPal account before you join since they're required for you to receive payments. Also make sure you click everyday to maximize your earnings.

I hope you'll join Neobux. I love their site and I hope you'll sign up under me.

See the screenshot of my payment after the jump.


I'll post more of my Payment Proofs from different PTC sites here soon and on my PTC Reviews blog.

If you want to learn more about Paid-To-Click sites, read my PTC Reviews blog. There are legitimate, paying PTC sites out there, just like Neobux. Why not start making money on the side?

I've been trying to quit smoking for years. And I feel that this time, I'll be successful.

I started smoking right after high school. Well, technically, I knew how to smoke even when I was a kid. Blame it on my father. He's a heavy smoker. He'll ask me to light a cigarette for him while he's tinkering equipment or anything that needs fixing at home. And that's how I learned how to smoke.

I started to smoke on my own on my first years in college. Some of my college friends smoke, too. That resulted to my increased addiction to smoking. We'll spend our free time in between classes to smoke, eat or even drink. Yeah, I was really a bad girl back in my younger years.

I started smoking Philip Morris, that long, minty cigarette that smokers call the "prosti yosi", or cigarette of prostitutes 'coz it's long and "cheap". When my nanay found out that I've been smoking, she slapped me and made me promise not to smoke again. She tried to get my dad's thoughts on my smoking habit but he couldn't really say anything to me 'coz he's really to blame for unconsciously (yeah, right) teaching me how to smoke.

I switched to Marlboro Lights Menthol (green) after a few months. I still wasn't allowed to smoke at home but I cover my tracks whenever I do when my nanay's at home. I was shocked when one night, my dad threw something at me. When I bent down to get it, I almost fainted when I saw that it was a pack of Marlboro cigarettes. Yes, dear readers, he gave me a pack of cigarettes.

That act prompted me to continue smoking at home. Whenever I have friends around to drink, I smoke openly. But, out of respect to my nanay, I'll hide it when she's around. She wasn't able to stop me from smoking 'coz I get to smoke at school and when my friends and I go out to drink.

When we moved to our newly-renovated house in Navotas, I got a larger room with 6 wide windows. This enabled me to smoke freely. I became more gutsy with my smoking. There are even times when my nanay would see me smoking or smell it. She stopped telling me to stop smoking. I guess she got tired and just continued reminding me of the health risks. But that didn't stop me.

I almost became a chain-smoker when I started working for call centers. The stress I get from taking in call after call, dealing with difficult customers, trying to stay up and alert the whole night, made me smoke more. Most of my friends/colleagues are smokers, too, so I have buddies to smoke with. Even when we started calling our yosi breaks "cancer breaks", it didn't affect us at all. And it even increased when I got promoted to QA and Team Leader 'coz my break schedules are open. I can go out to smoke anytime I want.

Almost 11 years have passed and I'm still a smoker. My partner, Mai, has been trying her best to help me completely stop smoking. And, for the first time in my life, I believe I'll be successful in keeping myself from puffing that menthol stick of slow death.

Mai has been keeping track of how many sticks I've smoked in a day ever since we lived together in one roof. She doesn't smoke and she wants me to stop not just because of the effect on my health but the effect on her, too.

I've tried my best to minimize my smoking. From 5-10 sticks a day, I was able to cut it down to 3-5 sticks when we were still in Manila. When we're just at home, I only smoke around 2-3 sticks because our room was air-conditioned and it's closed. I know, I know. I feel like I'm suffocating by just the thought of it.

When we moved here to Cebu, I started to really take quitting seriously. No one smokes in Mai's household so even a li'l stench of cigarette smoke will be noticed by her mama. And quitting was one of my resolutions upon deciding to move here to Cebu.

Now, I can go a day without even a stick to smoke. If I do smoke, I make sure I only do it once in a day. There were days when I smoked twice but that's it. I want to completely get rid of this habit.

You might be wondering how I did it... from 5-10 sticks a day to 1 or even none per day. Well, it's all about mind control. I noticed that I always crave for a smoke everytime I'm stressed, upset, or when I'm drinking or right after a meal. Now, everytime those triggers occur, I think of something else, or I busy myself with different things. I also ask myself, "What do you REALLY get from smoking?", a question that Mai always asks me whenever I want to smoke.

Before, I had a lot of excuses. I guess I was so lazy to think about quitting. I try to get away with it by simply saying that I'll quit eventually, that it's really too damn hard to quit because I got addicted to the smoke and the high I get after each cigarette stick. But, really, I believe I was insecure with myself... that I don't have enough courage and self-control to actually quit smoking altogether.

Now, I believe I can. And this is one major reason why whenever I want to smoke, I just think of how bad I'll smell right after. I start to hate the stench of smoke on my hair and clothes. And whenever I indulge, I get easily tired of puffing and will throw away the half-smoked yosi. I psyched myself into hating everything about smoking.

I want to thank Mai for not quitting in giving me a hard time whenever I want to smoke (LOLz). She plays a big part in this whole quitting thing. She'll continuously ask me "Why do you want to smoke?!" (Baket mo gustong magyosi?) when I feel like smoking. But, she gives in everytime because I throw tantrums or I lovingly convince her to let me smoke. Hehehe. Still, she really made me think about the effect of my smoking to myself and to her. I love her so I don't want my addiction to affect her, too.

I also want to thank my Nanay for always reminding me to quit smoking. Everytime we talk about my health, she'll always tell me to stop smoking. Now that we're far from each other, she sends me text messages reminding me to minimize or quit smoking.

And, lastly, I want to thank God. I asked Him to help me get rid of this addiction. And I believe He's giving me strength to gradually quit smoking.

My goal is to completely be off smoking by 2009. I hope I can accomplish this. I really want to lead a healthy life, starting with quitting smoking. Next, losing weight. It's gonna be twice the effort to lose weight once I've completely quit smoking so I hope me and Mai can really push each other to reach our goals.

WISH US LUCK!!

My brother, Kenneth "Ken", "celebrated" his 21st (wow, debut!) birthday last November 7th. I wrote "celebrated" because there wasn't really a party or celebration held for him. But, I knew he had a date or 2. He was planning on a Jollibee Kiddie Party but due to financial reasons, that didn't push through. That could've been fun! Hehehe.

Anyway, this post is specially dedicated to my brother. I've been planning on posting a full feature for his birthday but he beat me to it. He featured me on his blog (CannedTooth) on my birthday on October 30th. From that alone, you can tell that we think alike.

So, let me tell you about my brother, Kenneth. He's my only sibling. Our nanay is a Family Planning consultant and she practices what she preaches (LoLz).

I remember my impromptu speech for our Accent Training class back in Vocativ - I was asked what the greatest gift that I've ever received was. My answer? My brother. Really. People were expecting me to say a bike, a doll, money, etc. Well, for me, he was the greatest gift God gave to me when I was a kid.

My nanay miscarried on her 2nd pregnancy. I believe it was really meant to happen. I'm not saying that I'm thankful that she miscarried. I just feel grateful that Kenneth came into our lives. 7 years without a sibling... after the miscarriage, I was really praying that my nanay would be able to go through the 3rd pregnancy with no problems. I really wanted a younger sister or brother! And on the day he was born, I was so excited to hold him! I can't really remember exactly what I said or how I felt on that day but I know I was so happy.

As soon as I come home from school, I check on him and, sometimes, I wake him up just so I can play with him. Bad sister. LOLz. But he seemed to enjoy seeing me and he barely cried.

When he grew up, around 5-10 years old, he became hard-headed and naughty. We started to fight a lot. But all our fights didn't really last long. Most of them were really petty fights, some were just plain stupid. Well, we were kids, so, what do you expect? I thought of him as my parents' favorite kid but finally realized that my nanay was not in favor of anyone. Can't say the same 'bout my tatay, but, hey, that's all in the past.

When Ken entered his teen years, we started to really become close. I would tag him along on almost every party or night-out I go to. Whenever I have problems or I need someone to get me out of trouble with our nanay, I counted on him. I confided in him, he knew me inside and out. He became my best friend.

I believe that me and Kenneth are soulmates. We almost think alike. We have the same fave genre of music, we love the same movies, we love the same food, etc. Even with relationships, we almost have the same rules. We might not be as sweet or as thoughtful as everyone else but we show our love in a different and unique way. I guess only the 2 of us can understand each other. I don't think anyone can accept him or me the same way we accept each other.

I'm so glad that I was a big influence to him. Like me, he's gone through a lot of challenges and I made sure that I was there to support and guide him.

He became independent as early as high school. He's smart, too, like his ate (love your own). He's got a lot of friends. He's multi-talented - he can sing, dance, play the guitar & keyboards, draw, and lots more! The only thing we don't share is the interest in sports. He's not into basketball, though. Why? Well, I can't really reveal that information here but he loves volleyball and badminton. LoLz.

I am so thankful that I have him. Although he still has this selfish side of him, I know he'll outgrow that once he graduates. I've seen how thoughtful he is, how he takes care of our nanay or even me. We can talk about anything and I know he'll never judge me. I've seen him at his best and at his worst, and same thing with me. I love him so much and I don't think I can ever have a better relationship with anyone else. Kenneth and our nanay are the 2 most important people in my life.

I know this is a late birthday wish for him but I wish him more success with everything he tries to accomplish. I also wish he'll find that special someone who'll accept him for everything he is and he's not, someone who'll love him unconditionally, and someone who can make him love unconditionally.

Kenneth, thank you for all the laughter and tears we shared. Thank you for being my best friend. Thank you for supporting me in everything I do and whoever I love. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for being a brother and a friend to me. I miss you so much!!! I hope matuloy ang visit mo dito sa Cebu!!

Here are some pics of Kenneth with our nanay, with moi, and his friends. Can you tell how vain he is?!?! LoLz!

I was just busy for a couple of days and wasn't able to drop ECs... and my ranking on Top Sites went down to 400. So, that really shows that my traffic from Entrecard really helps in boosting my blog's traffic.

My visitor count is already at 2000+. And I still get a lot of people dropping by to drop their Entrecard.

So, starting this month of November, I'll be posting a list of my top Entrecard droppers, with links to their sites. This will sure help with their rankings and will serve as my "thank you" for "dropping" by my blog.

Anyway, for the last 30 days, below are my top Entrecard droppers. Please drop by their site/blogs, too!




Again, thank you for dropping!

I hope I can find the time to update this blog as frequently as I did before. *Sigh*