Never Gonna Happen

Last Sunday, I saw Y! Speak. Its topic was about relationship's needs and wants. I wasn't able to see the beginning (introduction of guests) so I was surprised to see C & D on it when the guests were all couples. So I asked someone who knows them if they are, indeed, now a couple. Baka kasi nahuhuli na ko sa balita. His reply was, "But he's gay. It's never gonna happen."

Well, I already figured that out a long time ago. It's not that hard to tell. I just thought that, maybe, C is still living in some alternate universe and is still afraid to come out.

Anyway, D clarified in the end that they are not a couple. They are just good friends. She also added that C is "happily taken" already. It is a relationship she wishes to have in the future. Hmmm...

Who are C & D? Tune in to 93.1 and you'll find out! *wink wink*

Yahoo!'s Bullsh*t!

"This Yahoo! Account Has Been Deactivated" was the message I got when I asked for my password a few minutes ago. I couldn't log-in hence the need to do such. Wtf was that?! I got all confused especially that I just checked my messages earlier today and was able to send out messages to e-groups. How could this have happened? When you try searching for an answer on their database, you wouldn't get any!

So I tried searching the net using the words "Yahoo!" and "deactivated". You'd get a lot of pages indicating such words. Apparently, Yahoo! has been doing this act for quite some time now. They could just easily delete your account anytime they want to without any reason at all. Power tripping, I guess. Or just random selection of their database. Unlucky me, I became the target!

A quote from their Terms of Service says, "Yahoo! reserves the right at any time and from time to time to modify or discontinue, temporarily or permanently, the Service (or any part thereof) with or without notice. You agree that Yahoo! shall not be liable to you or to any third party for any modification, suspension or discontinuance of the Service..."

"... You agree that Yahoo! may, under certain circumstances and without prior notice, immediately terminate your Yahoo! account, any associated email address, and access to the Service."

Fuck fuck fuck! It wasn't the e-mail address per se which was my main concern. What I lost were my contacts, my e-groups memberhips, some personal mails in the said address, etc. What pisses me off further is that once you sign-up again using your old ID, it'd be unavailable! Huh?! If it is unavailable, who uses it now? If it's still yours, where is it now? I had it for eight years and it suddenly disappears!

As if I don't have enough worries and this happens! So beware! Don't store anything valuable on your e-mail or use their service such as Flickr or Y! Photos. Once you get deactivated, you could never retreive them all!


Read more about this:
Yahoo Hates You!
Yahoo deactivates acounts without warning

Good Ole Place/Displaced

My first week in college was a tough one for me. After every class, at night, I'd cry myself to sleep. I found it difficult to adjust since I didn't become friends with anyone that easily. I had wish that I was back in high school where everything was all right. Where everything was safe. I had wanted to be with my friends whom I knew would protect me with the difficulties I was facing then. However, I learned to get along with people and started developing a clique. From then on, college became a happy place.

When I started my masteral class in Ateneo (and my first work a few months after), I felt that I was back in my first day of college. Only this time, I was wishing that I was with college buddies. Back to the time when everything felt good. When everything was familiar and safe. Of course, after a while, I have adapted myself with the new life. So the emptiness during the few week faded.

As of today, I'm at a crossroad. My future seemed unclear. My life looked uncertain. Unsafe.

Whenever I am faced with such dilemma, like any other people, I resort to doing what would made me feel safe or good -- whether it'd be a place or food. During the last couple of months, I had this need in me to collect and watch the TV shows I grew up watching. Somehow, these shows make me feel secure even for a just a while. It brings me back to those days when I look for ward to seeing them every week. After I see them, it was a sure thing that they'd give me a pleasant feeling.

It is my coping mechanism when I need to examine my life and think about the path that I have to take. Before I'd go and take some action, I somehow go back to my past. Even though the past wasn't exactly a bed of roses, you know that it was a safe place to go back to because you managed to get past through it.

I don't know why is my life a big bowl of irony these days. I don't understand why I can't pay my obligations now that I have a job, as oppose to when I was a bum. When I was free, at the end of the month, I somehow get enough money to pay my debt and some extra cash for movies and food. It was more than what I am getting now with my job. I don't know why the job that I thought was a blessing turned out to be the lowest-paying salary of my entire career. Now, I have to decide whether to stay or not since the end of the semester is fast-approaching. If I leave, will there be something good coming for me? If I stay, would I get stuck and be in debt for the rest of my life? What I have right at the moment isn't exactly good but it makes me feel a contributing person to the society. Even though my salary isn't qualified enough to pay for taxes -- which could be good or bad, depending on how you look at it.

Soon, I have to choose the road I need to take. Whatever it may be, may God help me...

Am I making something worthwhile
Out of this place
Am I making something worthwhile
Out of this chase
I am displaced
I am displaced.

(From the song "Displaced" by Azure Ray from Felicity soundtrack)

You Are The One

You Are The One
Star Cinema
Cathy Garcia-Molina

Sally Malasmas (Toni Gonzaga) met Will Derby (Sam Milby) at the US Embassy when she tries to apply for a US Visa. Unfortunately, Will, being the vice-consul, turned down her application.

Unexpectedly, Sally and Will met again. Will went to the National Statistics Office to find his birth certificate. He was pointed to the Care Officer which happened to be Sally. When Sally learned about Will, she turned the table around. She made him wait from morning till the time their office closed. Knowing what she has done, her boss (Lito Pimentel) asked her to undo her mistake by doing the best she could to help Will. Unwillingly, she did till they found what they were looking for.

The next day, Sally offered her help to locate the parents of the one in the birth certificate. She had no idea that they would be looking for Will's biologocal parents. She did him the favor so that, in time, he could do the same to her. She wants to go to the US to attend to her ailing mother.

During the course of their trips, they learned more about each other. Unevitably, they fell in love. However, personal issues from both of their families separated them. Time could only tell if they'd be back to each other's arms to create a family of their own.

No doubt about it, as a romantic flick, You Are The One achieves its goal: pakiligilin ang kanyang manonood. It has all the elements of a formulaic love story: dashing guy meets a smart, hardworking girl; a sort-of love-hate relationship between them; a goal that would keep them together for a while; a trip to a certain beautiful location where they would fall in love, and; a conflict that would try to break them apart and test their relationship.

However, behind the romance lies the back of the story of each character. Will was adopted by an American couple. With that, he held a grudge towards his biological parents and had been meaning to get some answers from them. On the other hand, Sally was also resentful of her older sister whom she felt was given much importance than her by their parents. In that aspect, I feel that the film lacked enough characterization to justify what happens towards the end of the film especially with Will's character. It wasn't clearly established in the beginning that Will wasn't capable of expressing his love. It just sorta happens when conflict arises. Or maybe nakulangan lang ako or might've missed it altogether.

Aside from that, some scenes felt too staged for comfort especially the beginning and ending of the film. They lacked realism that we, Pinoys, love. They had Hollywood written all over it.

Acting-wise, Sam Milby was good enough for someone with just two movies to boot. There's a lot of room for development and for sure, he'd do better in his next projects. As for Toni Gonzaga, she has a potential to be a good commediene only that most of the times, she tries too hard esp. with her dramatic scenes. She tends to jerk her head whenever she delivers her lines as if hosting for a variety show. Her tone seemed monotonous, as well, the way she delivers her spiels in PBB before. As a couple, the chemistry wasn't that strong enough. Scene stealers, though, are Eugene Domingo (who seemed to do well whether thrown into comedy or drama) and Gio Alvarez as Sally's gay friend. Gio has his own take on acting gay - soft yet not too flamboyant.