Apparently, experts are finding significant and increasing evidence that links cell phone usage and the development of certain brain tumors.
Even if this claim is proven beyond reasonable doubt, can we really do without mobile phones after being so dependent on it? I remember TPS once wrote about meeting with her husband at the Mall of Asia with no specific place in mind, and no cell phone to aid them, but they found each other just the same by relying on instinct. That was a really cute story, but I guess they are an exception to the rule. Most of us wouldn’t even go out of the house without our mobile.
For years we’ve been told that "smoking is dangerous to your health." Maybe someday cell phone boxes would carry a similar warning. I’m fairly certain people will buy them anyway.
Can Serena Williams really play tennis on any surface, including water? Against world no. 2 Rafael Nadal? Curious.
The fun "game" served to kickoff the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, Florida, earlier this week. Some people just have so much money to set up invisible acrylic platforms on a 110 ft. swimming pool at the hotel rooftop so that these two can have their extravagant photoshoot.
Bitter much? Not really. The photos look awesome.
I’ve been calling the hospital where I brought my sister last year when she had an allergy attack to ask for an appointment with one of the two Medicard-accredited dentists near my place. Our conversations over the phone went like this:
Before the Holy Week
Z: Hello. I’m calling to ask for an appointment. Can I go before the holidays, preferably morning because I have work?
Dentist’s secretary (DS): Clinic hours are 8 to 5. By the way, do you have HMO?
Z: Yes.
DS: The dentist is only available by 3 pm then.
Z: That’s fine. I’ll come at 3.
DS: No. Call us first again to check if we can accommodate you.
Z: Ganun? I’ll just call again after the holidays. Might have more slots by then.
This Monday (around 2 pm; I didn’t identify myself as someone who called from a week back)
Z: Hello, is the dentist available later this afternoon? I can go anytime between now and 5 pm.
DS: Are you a private client or do you have HMO?
Z: Medicard.
DS: Oh, sorry, the dentist is going home right about now.
Z: But I thought the clinic’s open until 5?
DS: Ahhh… uhmmm… The dentist chair’s dysfunctional kasi.
Z: Ha! ha ! ha!
So I ended up going to Mall of Asia instead to buy a loaf of Chocolat dark chocolate cake to munch on. Then I called the other dentist who readily gave me a 9:30 am appointment the following day.
I shouldn’t find this funny, but I somehow do. The sheer inventiveness of the secretary’s last words just to subtly reject me as a client is beyond me. You know that gesture where you make an L shape with your thumb and index finger and then point the index finger to your temple? Yeah.
Now that Chikezie has been eliminated, I’m ready to make my lists. I actually think Chikezie is a worthy top 10, or even higher, but he’s my least favorite of the lot anyway.
Just a short note about the last theme, I loved it! Songs from the year you were born - that actually gave the contestants plenty of room to go any direction to show off their skills. As usual, not everyone hit the mark, all great talents that they are. My personal favorite was David Cook’s interpretation of Chris Cornell’s version of the Michael Jackson song Billie Jean. Whew! That’s four names to describe one song. I still prefer MJ’s upbeat Billie Jean, although it totally wouldn’t have suited David Cook. On second thought, if he did it the Jacko way (dance and all that "ah. hoo!") and got away with it, he’ll probably be my top bet to win it all. This reminds me how great Michael Jackson was. I wonder if he’s heard of florida facial plastic surgery.
Without further ado, here’s my prediction:
9. Syesha
8. Jason
7. Ramielle
6. Kristy Lee
5. Michael
4. Carly
3. Brooke
2. David C.
1. David A .
Of course, I’ll be wrong. Because my favorites are actually as follows:
1. Brooke
2. Carly
3. David C.
4. David A.
5. Syesha
6. Ramielle
7. Michael
8. Jason
9. Kristy Lee
Monica Seles became the first female contestant to be eliminated in Dancing with the Stars after her second performance didn’t make up for her disastrous start. Call that a double fault. Hay, I may not be a fan, but I feel bad just the same because she represents the tennis world.
She was quoted as saying that she didn’t have a problem with dance practice because "The physical training doesn’t even compare to tennis. I haven’t even broken a sweat compared to that." The challenge is making it look soft, and the choreography is what is hard." Somehow, I understand what she means. It was apparent that she’s just not that kind of performer. But give her a racquet anytime.
Another thing worth mentioning is that she actually looks a lot different now from her tennis days. Back when she was an active player, especially after her comeback in 1995, she had been criticized for not working on her fitness. She was quite plump and didn’t look like a sportswoman at all. She’s a lot fitter now (though bordering on skinny) and, maybe it’s just the age, but her face is distinctly different, too. Which isn’t really a bad thing. I don’t suppose she had undergone something like Northern Virginia face lift, though.
First, I thought the title might get you. Second, I think French is a really beautiful language. My saying that is probably influenced by hype, but, really, listening to native speakers, I feel that the way the words flow is just incredibly … like how art must feel (for lack of a better description). Third, I’ll watch anything masquerading as a musical these days.
At the risk of exposing my utter lack of sophistication, I’m featuring a film I got wind of by searching RottenTomatoes. It got a 100% fresh rating, at least at the time I discovered it, from top critics and it was supposed to be one of the best musicals of late. The last I watched was Once and I loved it, so I’m giving Love Songs (Les Chansons d’Amour) a chance.
Roger Federer hasn’t had a loss to an American since 2003, when Andy Roddick beat him in Montreal, Canada. That’s a total of 41 match streak against an American, until Mardy Fish, no. 98 in the world, got the better of him at Indian Wells, California, last week in the semis.
Has The Fed lost his aura of invincibility? Probably. After suffering from mononucleosis earlier this year, costing him the Australian Open crown, he still hasn’t shown enough to prove that he’s back on top form. He hasn’t won a tournament this year and that’s never heard of in the last three or four years. His handle on the no. 1 spot is slippping more than ever, now that not only no. 2 Rafael Nadal but more so no. 3 Novak Djokovic, who was the eventual champion in Indian Wells last Sunday, are closing in fast on ATP points.
A lot has been said about his lack of coach. Perhaps he really need one now to help him refocus his game in the very least. After all, things hasn’t been that well for him since he removed Tony Roche from his team just before the French Open last year.
Gossip mongers are even speculating that Federer’s long-time girlfriend, Mirka Vavrinec, is pregnant. Not that such news should impact negatively on his game. But then again, what do I know.
One particularly well-known Shakespearean heroine once lamented, "What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."
I have been asked a few times what the name "Zarine" means. Quite simply, I got it from a character in a book. A friend introduced me to this fantasy series by the late Robert Jordan (which incidentally was the pen name of James Oliver Rigney, Jr.), The Wheel of Time. The book series (11 published; 1 more book to be finished by an appointed author) itself was very immense in scope and I stopped reading sometime after the fourth book. But by then, I’ve already been taken by the name of one of the female characters Faile (pronounced as Fah-eel).
Her true name was Zarine Bashere. But she chose to change it because "Zarine" means "a langorous girl who lays on a pillow and eats grapes all day." Being the fierce woman that she is, she’s a hunter of the horn and is very good with knives, she decided that the name doesn’t suit her and changed it to Faile (which literally means The Falcon).
Now what’s the hoopla about these names? I’ve created a new blog, and I’m using the other name there. I realized that maintaining one blog is quite a work in itself but I’ve always wanted to set categories for my posts and I had to jump to another platform to get it. Which doesn’t mean I’m abandoning this site. I’m seeing it as a way of "grouping." I usually post thoughts about nonrecent stuff - old movies, old music, old books - that I just recently discovered or am rediscovering. From this time on, my other site will be the home of those, including my more serious, introspective subjects. Let this be my fun blog, where only things that have current, and possibly general, relevance will be featured.
Did anyone notice something odd whenever the camera pans to Carly Smithson’s friends’ seats after her performances on American Idol?
I first saw her husband, that heavily tattooed guy, during the auditions. Carly said he’s a bit apprehensive about coming with her because viewers might get freaked out by all his body paint. They own a tattoo shop, so no wonder there.
Now, it could be three things, I think: (1) her husband was supposed to be there all the time; (2) the Fox staff taking care of this was too lazy to check; or (3) Carly Smithson has several husbands.
Pictures after the cut.
