Updates and More

It's been awhile since I last posted here. Many things have happened in between.

One, I already reclaimed the PR3 pagerank of this site. Yahooo!

Second, I already delivered a beautiful and healthy baby girl. Hallelujiah! We all adore her.

Third, while I was on the hospital, I had the chance of watching a not-too-old movie entitled 21. After Avatar, I haven't got the time to stay long on the PC or TV to watch movies so it was a welcome change to sit back and watch a movie while recuperating from the delivery. I so enjoyed the movie.

BTW, 21 is about an MIT student who dreams of getting into Harvard Medical School, but doesn't have the money to finance it. In a stroke of luck, he impressed one of professors who invited him to join a group of students whom he secretly "trained" to become card counting experts to beat the casinos. According to Wiki, the film, directed by Robert Luketic, was inspired by the story of the MIT Blackjack Team.

For me, it was exciting to see these smart students having a "double life." I haven't played casino games, not even in an online casino, in my entire life and so I am totally, totally thrilled to see the group's success at the casinos. I don't understand the game but I am amazed at the card-counting techniques they use to win in the blackjack games. In a scale of 1 to 5, I rate the movie with a 4. And that said, I am tempted to try some casino softwares and learn to play blackjack so I can at least get the idea of what the blackjack team was doing. *smiles*

21

Again!

The Clottey-Pacquiao fight at the Dallas Stadium yesterday was plain and simple boring. Had Clottey decided to fight all-out, it would have been unpredictable. But he did not. So the win was easy and predictable.

Congrats Manny!

Still about Manny Pacquiao, I chanced upon this article written by Andrew Corsello of the GQ Magazine. It's awesome as the subject himself. And not only did it profile Manny Pacquiao and his "clashing" traits but the Filipino as well. It's really thorough and well-written. Here it is.

Dancing Inmates: This Is It

For sometime now, I've always followed the performances of the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) inmates. After each viewing, albeit online only, I always feel a sense of awe. I mean who would have thought inmates could be so moving in a performance. And who could have thought it's possible to get inmates to perform and get worldwide coverage for their performances (none but Byron Garcia, the CPDRC Warden! And his efforts are really commendable).

Anyway, I thoroughly enjoy their latest performance. I only hope I could pewrsonally see them perform one of these days. Without much ado, here are the inmates with their This Is It (MJackson) performance. Enjoy!

Avatar

Before 2009 ended, I had wondered what the loud buzz about the movie Avatar is all about.

Finally, I was able to watch Avatar and wonder no more. I do count myself lucky for the chance to watch this beautiful movie, although not in the moviehouse (where the 3D effects will be much appreciated). I watched it in the office while keeping my watch of our network (there wasn't so much going on during my shift so I had the time).

Avatar is a movie written and directed by James Cameron, one of the driving forces behind blockbuster movies such as Titanic, Terminator, Aliens, etc.. The plot is all about a paraplegic who was sent to an extraordinary mission in a place called Pandora. In an uncanny twist of fate, he falls inlove with the place and its people and is "torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home.” ( Imdb.com) The movie Avatar stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana and Sigourney Weaver.

From start to finish, I must say I was "taken along" in the story. I love everything about it-the special effects, the plot and its subtle message about taking care of the environment (or was it only me who thinks there's a hint of that message there?*smile*). Overall, I give it a double thumbs up.