Here’s two new (to me) TV shows that caught my fancy this weekend. One is serious drama; the other is fun, fun, geeky fun. Both are science fiction. Well, sort of (not really, really).
Fringe is an American science fiction television series co-created by J. J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. The series follows an FBI Fringe Division team based in Boston, Massachusetts under the supervision of Homeland Security. The team uses unorthodox “fringe” science and FBI investigative techniques to investigate “the Pattern”, a series of unexplained, often ghastly occurrences which are occurring all over the world. The show has been described as a cross between The X-Files, Altered States, The Twilight Zone, and Dark Angel. The series premiered in the United States on September 9, 2008, on the Fox network. The series has been renewed for a second season.[Wiki]
Fringe cast
The Big Bang Theory is an American situation comedy created and executive produced by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, which premiered on CBS on September 24, 2007.
It concerns two male Caltech prodigies in their twenties, one an experimental physicist (Leonard) and the other a theoretical physicist (Sheldon), who live across the hall from an attractive blond waitress with show-biz aspirations (Penny).
Leonard and Sheldon’s geekiness and intellect are contrasted with Penny’s social skills and common sense for comedic effect. Two equally geeky friends of theirs, Howard and Rajesh, are also main characters. The show is produced by Warner Bros. Television and Chuck Lorre Productions. The Big Bang Theory was recently picked up for a third season by CBS. [Wiki]
I dream that one day, I’ll be able to go to New York and watch all the shows on Broadway, or to London and see what’s showing on West End, or everywhere else where they’re still playing Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera. Maybe I’ll have a super flamboyant gay travel companion who can teach me how to make those exaggerated theater moves and facial expressions and then we’ll sing our hearts out wherever we go.
What inspired that thought is my watching of this musical revue featuring songs of Stephen Sondheim - Putting It Together. Here’s a fun, fun song from the legendary Carol Burnett and company, which includes one of my favorites, Ruthie Henshall (she played Ellen in the Manila production of Miss Saigon and Fantine in the 10th anniversary concert of Les Miserables).
(Not) Getting Married Today - Carol Burnett & company
… to be a tennis fan. At least to be my kind of tennis fan.
May 17 was a historical date for the hallowed grounds of Wimbledon, when the newly constructed roof atop the Centre Court (the most important court of SW19) was inaugurated. Exhibition matches were presented to test the playing conditions under the new roof and all four players who participated gave their blessings and high hopes for the upcoming tournament.
The roof may have been the star attraction but the pull of the show was undoubtedly held together by the husband-and-wife team of Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, who came to their favorite court to a standing ovation. They played a mixed doubles matchup with comeback kid Kim Clijsters and Britain’s former main tennis man Tim Henman.
I’m hoping to post a more comprehensive (with pictures) article about the event so this is it for now. It was a great wekend even if I only watched through YouTube but any event with the Agassis is a must-see for me (as long as it doesn’t require a trip to Vegas, where they are based, possibly through Westgate reservations).
And icing on a cake: Roger Federer beat Rafael Nadal in the finals of the Madrid Masters, a claycourt event that serves as a tune-up for the Roland Garros tournament, which starts next week.
It has been two years since I got my Sony Ericsson P990i as a discounted unit for my Smart retention plan. In a few days’ time, I can avail of another retention plan again, another 24-month contract to be exact, and I’m keen on getting Sony Ericsson G705 this time. I did not look for too many other brands and models because I might be tempted to buy something out of the budget (the said phone would require me to add Php2200 for the unit as bundled with the new subscription plan). I was intent on getting a cheap mobile phone and even downgrade my current monthly subscription but since I’m relatively a heavy texter anyway, plus I use my cell to call landline numbers a lot of times, not to mention using the 3G internet capability whenever my broadband fails me, I decided to just keep it that way. Although, honestly, I was smitten by the G705 anyway. I liked the aesthetic of the slider phone and I like the audio quality of Sony Ericsson phones so this model surely fits my needs, erm, wants. I’m thinking maybe I can look for one of those wireless phone accessories, like a Bluetooth headset. I’ve never used one of those since the time they became available. I hope they’re not that expensive, though. Truth is, I’ve been looking at those Blackberrys on display and I do want to try using one just because they look elegant and chic, but I’m not very sure about them being user-friendly or even if I ‘ll have so much use for them other than the usual text-and-call that aren’t even that demanding on the Blackberry charger. Well, I guess I’m sticking with the G705, then.
A friend of mine let me in on a secret - which is not really a secret but is something that is talked about in hushed tones - there are people selling satellite dish that is supposed to be exclusive equipment of cable TV providers. Once you buy one, you can install it yourself in on your roof and viola! you have instant access to cable channels. Sounds illegal? It is, actually. But apparently it is common nowadays.
Now with the Roland Garros tournament (French Open) happening in a few days, such a proposition seems irresistible. But I guess I have to wait until I can finally move in to the new apartment before I start considering Satellite TV options. There’s actually one deal that I am very interested about - the cable TV plus internet bundle. It may not be as technologically advanced as Verizon High Speed Internet but the company that provides this service has been getting excellent reviews from people I know so I do believe it’s worth the try. Another thing that may be good to consider is to get a DSL connection, which almost always comes with a phone line, just like Verizon phone. Considering the amount of downloads I’m trying to accomplish, especially now that I bought myself a 500-Gb external hard drive, the internet plus Verizon satellite TV bundle is my most likely the thing I’ll be looking into.
After hours of playing badminton last Saturday, I realized it has been years since I last went for a massage or treated myself to treatments like spas and body wraps. I’m kind of missing those luxuries. Especially after feeling stress in my bones and the few calluses on my feet. But as luxuries go, those are a quite at the end of the priority list. Oh, well. BODY WRAPS are a great thing; it can really make you feel relaxed and rejuvenated. It helps a lot, too, if you’re on a warm bed and you can stay there for half an hour or so. Too bad they cost too much.
Another thing that reminded me about bodywraps is a conversation I had courtside with a fellow badminton player. We were watching this particularly intense women’s doubles match-up and we’re making our own version of game analysis when this person I was having a conversation with suddenly blurted out that it is for certain one of the ladies we were watching is taking glutathione pills. I normally would not put stock on such unwarranted assessment but just because she’s a medical doctor, I was intrigued by that comment. See, the lady she was talking about have such translucent fair complexion. My other friend describes it as “shimmering”. It’s envy-worthy, really. So this doctor related to me how her husband had a glutathione injection for the purpose of having fairer skin and I was compelled to ask her if it is really something that works. She said, yes, especially the injection because the drug goes straight to your bloodstream. Just for the sake of prolonging the conversation while we wait for our game set, I interviewed her about the possible side effects (she said there is none) of taking such supplements. Not that I plan to take them. Besides, I didn’t even argue that although she’s an M.D. and I’m not, I’m pretty sure the girl in question was just born with good genes, if you know what I mean. But people love to speculate and who am I to stop them? A little small talk couldn’t hurt, I guess.
I’ve been working for my employer for far longer than I ever expected myself to be able to but I just realized the other day that I have not joined any company team building event, ever. Isn’t it supposed to be a yearly thing? I may have done a small disservice to my teammates, even, when during a badminton game with an officemate, when asked about the impending TEAM BULDING for the year, I blurted out (partly out of annoyance and partly out of tiredness) that we don’t join such corporate events. Talk about being a bad representation, huh?!
When I was younger (in the company, I mean), I guess I was a lot more snobby about such things, which is also partly caused by shyness and a general aversion to anything that will place me in the middle of a very large group of people. Now that I’ve developed a thicker skin and with less concern about reputation or self-consciousness, I think I’m a bit more ready to join such events, not because I believe they help (sorry) but just to be cooperative. Well, this is a purely personal opinion and such events may actually mean something great for others and their team.
Anyway, I was supposed to attend this Making Teamwork Work seminar about a year ago and I did everything I can think of to get away from it. Surely that’s one perfect example why teamwork sometimes doesn’t work, LOL. More than anything, I do believe that I am a team player. Again, purely a personal opinion, but I find the activities in most workshops tedious and mostly pointless. I’ve attended a few work-related trainings recently and I wonder if they didn’t want me banned yet from the other programs because I always write a few criticisms in the assessment forms. I mean, they’re supposed to be anonymous but I’m pretty sure they can clearly decipher who wrote those not-so-complimentary comments. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t diss the programs. I think I may have written more than a few times that they are not applicable to my needs, however.
I just want to share these few helpful information I read regarding cardiovascular health. Having the genetic predisposition to hypertension, I’m rather paranoid whenever I’m feeling woozy and breathless. I’ve once consulted an internist when the dizziness and heavy feeling in the chest became rather intense and I was told that I’m borderline hypertensive. I’m never at ease when inside a hospital or clinic so I didn’t come back for reassessment when I finally felt good after weeks of watching my diet and trying to be physically active. I guess continuing to be physically active is helping me a lot, even if my diet went back to meaty-salty-fatty-processed food – something that I’m now hoping to avoid again.
Here are some symptoms that I found points to cardiovascular problems: A tightness or weighty feeling in the chest (that can spread to arms, neck, and throat) and breathlessness or choking feeling may be symptoms of angina. This is caused by restricted blood flow in the arteries. Sufferers of this type of disease take medications that thin the blood, and sometimes more drastic measures like EDTA oral chelation therapy. Oral chelation is used to remove calcium deposits and other minerals and heavy metals out of the body, resulting in clean arteries. Other signs of arterial blockade, which might need forms of chelation therapy, are cold feeling and pain in the arms or legs, memory impairment, lack of energy, and breathlessness over a slight exertion.
Of course, no one should self-diagnose, especially for those without medical background. Researching for symptoms can sometimes be a helpful thing; other times, it can only lead to paranoia (you’ll find that whatever you’re feeling has some scary medical jargon search results) and wrong diagnosis of symptoms. And don’t self-medicate. Even if you have reason to believe that chelation therapy is for you, it’s always best to consult your doctor first.
What some folks call impossible is just stuff they haven’t seen before
First, let me say that there are some movies I used to love years before that I cannot stand to rewatch now. Movies that had I been inside a movie theater can now make me head to the exit signs a whole lot faster than I can see the end credits. What Dreams May Come is not one of them. Well, apparently. I rewatched this movie last night just to see if it can still move me (despite many others who find it dull and boring) and the answer is quite obvious by now.
Talk to me anytime, face to face, about soulmates and I’ll probably call BS on that. What you won’t know, unless you’ll get to read this crap post, is that deep down, some wide-eyed, childish part of me wants to believe there is such a thing. Well, Robin Williams’ character in the movie, a doctor very much in love with his wife, described that one “occupational hazard” of being soulmates is that “one is no good without the other.” That doesn’t sound good, actually (i.e., practically). Who would want to enter a door where your “other half” is waiting if that means meeting that person will make you incomplete on your own from then on? I’d sure look for the Exit Sign if faced with such a predicament.
Anyway, this movie is about that - soulmates and eternal love. How a man literally (this is fantasy, people!) moved through heaven and hell and back to be with the woman he loves. And how he persevered! No eye on the EXIT SIGNS. It’s a visually stunning movie, if anything, which matches the general melancholy of the film. The couple’s love was translated through paintings and the idea of “heaven”. Because it talks about death, the movie is no picnic. Just that premise is enough to turn off people but I like how the movie touched on the most basic theme of all - love - and never let go of it from beginning to end.
You know why I think my soulmate is still out there? Because I’m always late, and he sure is now.
From the very beginning, friends and family alike have been warning me about the dangers of using a credit card - that is, it’s very tempting to rely too much on it. Spending money that you have not earned yet seems appealing but it also opens doors to financial difficulty much later.
At first, it’s using the card to purchase basic necessities, like in doing groceries and to buy clothes and other important stuff. Then, you’ll move on to buying luxury items. For me, I splurged on books, techie stuff and gadgets, sports (badminton) equipments, and other things that are more on the “want” category than “need.” It reached a point where I was already searching for a company that repairs Bad Credit because I’m not able to pay the bills promptly. Now, this is very important to not only because not settling your dues will affect your financial credentials and eligibility to apply for important loans or even to apply for installment plans on purchases. Most importantly, a bad credit score means a really bad time of paying overdue bills and steep interest rates. If you only pay the minimum amount monthly, it’s like only paying for the interest; your credit doesn’t go anywhere and it may even force you later on to get bank loans just to cover the credit card bill and Fix Credit. I tell you, it feels so bad to work so hard every single day and have your hard-earned money go straight to the credit card company. It’s so not worth the thrill of acquiring new things. The point is, I learned that nothing good comes out of living beyond your means. Better to save money first before buying anything you don’t really need - if it’s not a matter of life or death. A Credit Report Dispute will cost a lot more so better not get used to “rewarding yourself” all the time. I’m not saying that owning and using a credit card is evil; but not being diligent about where and when to use it may lead to too much troubles and headaches.
