Bryan Singer, I Forgive You

1. I forgive you for dumping the X-Men franchise for Superman Returns. The former had the setup perfect: a good script, fancy new mutants, a strong cast, and a director with a respectable resume. Alas, the result was a tepid, underwhelming movie - it was fairly decent, but X-Men United set the bar really high. Tsk.

2. I forgive you for starring in a Star Trek movie. I'm not a Trekkie, nor have I seen any of its movies. However, your photo floats over the net like a chugging Enterprise. No.

Why?

Superman Returns is easily the best summer movie I've seen, well, all summer. Kate Bosworth is absolutely luscious as Lois Lane (she could've used more spunk though); Brandon Routh is a refreshing face to a well-known franchise (but I still see the late Christopher Reeve) and Kevin Spacey is just a thrill to watch as Lex Luthor (but a bit too sassy for my taste. Neurotic, but too sassy.)

Interestingly enough, it also was the funniest movie I've seen all summer. There was slapstick-funny (Kitty), witty-funny (It's a bird, plane/Looking for me? bit), even Naked Gun funny (Kevin Spacey asking "Are you sure?"). Bit of a warning though, there's a limit to the humor, unless you're really doing comedy.

As expected, the graphics were fantastic, I particularly loved thte rising crystals, and the shattering buildings. A little close to The Day After Tomorrow, but definitely better.

All in all, I'd give it an 8.5. In comparison, MI3 is an 8 (3 points were contributed by Maggie Q), X3 was a 6, and The Da Vinci Code was a 3. Bonus points to be awarded when I see the IMAX version.

Almost Ready To Board!

Between doing work, doing sideline, covering Wimbledon for the blog and its corollary Fantasy League, I am still planning a backpacking trip (see previous post). It's great that I am almost done. Lest I forget, I must write the remaining tasks I have to do before finally boarding that plane.

1. Get your free ticket. Must do this ASAP.
2. Get clearance. I will not let those snobbish Immigration people at the gate ruin my trip.
3. Buy shoes. I know, but having sturdy, reliable footwear when you're on the go is a must.
4. Buy CDs to load in my phone. The proposed repertoire is as follows: X and Y by Coldplay (for the concert, of course), As The Music Plays by Bamboo, and a little splashing of whatever is loaded in my PC.
5. Get Cambodia Lonely Planet Guide from Yayie.
6. Photocopy portions of my travel guides into my notebook for ease of carriage.
7. Create a packing list and make sure it fits in 1 backpack and 1 daypack.
8. From above, get a daypack.

Whew! That's not everything yet, but it's a start. Better get moving.

Wimbledon 2006

Ladies' Singles
Defending Champion: Venus Williams

Quarter I
World's top dog Amelie should easily dispose her opponents on the way to the quarters, but she would be meeting defending champion Venus there. Given that a Williams has reached the grass finals the last six years, this ought to be the QF match to see.

QF Match: Amelie vs Venus

Quarter II
Lucky lucky Maria, she has the easiest draw of them all - her iron will should bring her easily to 4R, where she could meet Shahar Peer. Interesting Israeli made a good splash at Paris, but grass is definitely the Russian's domain.

If the weather holds up, along with Dementieva's serve, we could end up an all-Russian quarters.

QF Match: Maria vs Elena D

Quarter III
An all-Swiss affair is in the works, as Martina the Younger sets up a match with crafty Patty. However, I'm quite not too sure with Hingis' chances here - she lost in the opening round twice before. Justine on the other hand, is ready to reap ranking points, as she lost to Daniilidou last year. I would expect her to reach another Grand Slam final.

QF Match: Martina vs Justine

Quarter IV
Svetlana and Nicole will slug it out again in R16, but would probably expect Svet to win this one again.

QF Match: Svetlana vs Kim

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Gentlemen's Singles
Defending Champion:Roger Federer

Quarter I
Tough draw for Roger Federer. Wimbledon opens up with a trciky match against RIchard Gasquest, and should the defending champion end up victorious on that, will most probably be meeting Tiger Tim in his final Wimbledon bid. Give him a couple of days rest, and he's going to meet Mario Ancic, the last person to beat him on grass. My, it definitely wasn't ROger's day at the draws - a 4th win here will definitely be a stunning feather on his cap, a whole peacock even.

QF Match: Federer vs Ancic

Quarter II
Nalbandian vs Blake in the quarters, but Thomas Johansson could spring an upset in 4R. Hey, what ever happened to the other Johansson (Joachim, not Scarlett)?

QF Match: Nalbandian vs Blake

Quarter III
Interesting bloody draw here - The last 7 years of Queen's Club has gone to either Andy or Lleyton, and they're due to meet in the quarters. But look, we've got grass-court specialists Grosjean and Rusedski in the mix, throw in a crazy unpredictable weather called Safin, and we have the definite must watch section of the draw.

QF Match: Hewitt vs Roddick

Quarter IV
Yes, while it's been much noted that Ljubicic hasn't gone past 2R here, and it could be quite interesting to see that Lopez, the only Spanish player with a reputation for liking the lawm is his first round opponent. Should be a toughie.

Although Agassi is set to meet Nadal in 3R, this should be no problem for the second seed. Just probably interesting to watch, though - Agassi is the exact opposite of Nadal.

QF Match: Ljubicic vs Nadal

Summer Escapade 2006

Just wanted to post, that after three years of planning, natuloy din kami. Here is proof:

Time For Some Coldplay

Thanks to Tartan for posting in my chatterbox - my Damien Rice experience will not come to pass again. I promise to watch the Coldplay concert in Singapore, all I have to do is come in a day early. Not bad!

Now, can anybody point me to where the tickets are?

Yes, That Johari Window

I know it's been late, but I'd really like to hear what you guys think. :p

Created by the Interactive Johari Window on 7.6.2006, using data from 2 respondents.
You can make your own Johari Window, or view ronniegatsby's full data.

Roland Garros 2006 - Men's Quarterfinals

Men's Quarterfinals

Federer vs Ancic
With Ancic pulling a Sampras (complete with the waterworks and cramps in the 5th set), he was able to eliminate the 2nd hottest player on clay, Robredo. However, there will be no stopping the pursuit Federer in his Roger-Slam. 4 sets.

Nalbandian vs Davydenko
Hooray, got this quarter right. This will go the distance, with both players having an even chance of reaching the finals. Argentina over Russia here, 5 long sets.

Benneteau vc Ljubicic
Similar to my comments with Vaidisova, Ljubicic has been a a force to be reckoned with on tour, but not on clay - it's nice to see him follow up his Melbourne QF with another one. He will crush the Frenchman's hope in 4 sets.

Djokovic vs Nadal
It's the 'New Balls Please Part 2" crowd in this quarter, and it's fantastic to see the young guns put a stamp on the court over the veterans. I don't see Nadal faltering in this match, but expect a match similar to the Mathieu challenge, but less of the craftiness, more of the hard-wrought groundstrokes. Nadal might give up a set, but most probably none.

Semifinals and Final
Federer will be warmed up by Nalbandian, in preparation for clay season's dashing finale, where a he will finally be victorious on clay, hold all Grand Slams, and end Nadal's winning streak in 5 long sets.

Roland Garros 2006 - Quarterfinals

Women's Quarterfinals

Nicole vs Venus
While nobody was shocked to see Amelie say 'Au revoir' in 4R, it was a pleasant surprise to see Nicole breakthrough in her least-favored surface. On the other hand, Venus seems to have regained her new-found confidence on clay. Both rallied from difficult opponents, but it's going to be such a slugfest to garner a place in the semis. Now that Venus seems to be the veteran, I would expect her to win here - two tight sets.

Dinara vs Svetlana
Interestingly, the last two Russians will meet in a quarterfinal. Svet has lost to the eventual champion here the last two years, while Dinara had a good run in Rome. While Svetlana has the goods to rally around clay (having 3-time RG winner Arantxa as a coach is definitely a plus), Dinara has the momentum right now (Give the girl some credit, she climbed from 1-5 down against Sharapova). I would pick Lil Sis to earn her Grand Slam semifinal debut in 3 sets.

Justine vs Anna Lena
With Nadia faltering on opening day, our hopes of a gritty claycourt showdown were also rained out. Anna Lena has her best singles showing in any slam, but I'm afraid that that will be the end of it. Justine, the queen of clay will push through in straight sets.

Martina vs Kim
They last met in Melbourne, with 2005's Comeback Queen getting the better of 2006's Comeback Queen in 3 nailbiting sets. Finally, a showcase match for Paris! Kim will try to blast Martina out of the court, while the latter will try to play around the tricky clay. I hope this reaches 3 glorious sets, with Martina reaching the semis.

Semifinals and Finals
Venus vs Dinara - I would pick Dinara still. Justine vs Martina - Just the thought of having them out-think each other on the playful clay is simply delicious. Winner of this match will hold the trophy on Sunday. My heart wants Martina, but my gut says Justine.

Commercial Muna

While waiting for the Men's fourth round to finish, I'm just dropping in to say that I went CD shopping yesterday. Picked up the following:

Under My Skin by Avril Lavigne
Franz Ferdinand
Light. Peace. Love. by Bamboo
Don't Bore Us, Get To The Chorus - Roxette's Greatest Hits
Mr. A-Z by Jason Mraz
Collected by Massive Attack

Was about to pick up Mandy Moore's Greatest Hits but J gave me a stern look, so there. Hey, I like Cry. Just some notes, Bamboo's sophomore album is great - the general sound is like Maroon 5 sans the cheesiness; Massive Attack is good, but I feel trip-hop is out of my league (however, Protection is still one of my favorite songs ever - now I have 3 copies of it); and Franz Ferdinand is similar to The Killers, minus the pop/dancehall sensibilities.

Now, Trish, any other requests? :D

Roland Garros 2006

Men's Singles
Defending Champion: Rafael Nadal

Q1: Believe it or not, after three years of leading the tour, Roger Federer is actually the underdog in this Slam. Trailing Nadal 1-4 (4 of which were on clay, and 3 of those were just this year), it seems that there is someone better than Federer in the red courts of Roland Garros. Don't worry, the top seed has probably done his homework, but should not worry about Nadal until he reaches the finals.

A lot of work needs to be done, with an improving Ancic, and recent AMS Hamburg winner Tommy Robredo hanging around in his quarter of the draw. Should be elementary for the game's top dog until the quarters, where things should get interesting.

QF Match: Federer vs Robredo

Q2: Nalbandian for the upper half, but tight choices for the lower portion of this quarter.

Three previous champions are littered below, but which one will make it to the quarter finals? 1998 Winner Carlos Moya? His prime has long passed. 2003 Champion Juan Carlos Ferrero? The road to recovery for him seems to be leading nowhere. Or will Gaston Gaudio, successful in 2004, still contend for the final eight? Logic would say neither of them 3 would make it, Davydenko played in Austria last year and won, and still made it to the semis, if he can do that before, I don't see why not again this year, he's already won Austria again anyway.

QF Match: Nalbandian vs Davydenko

Q3: Andy Roddick still seems to be teasing the media with his sore foot, but the bottom line of it is "Who cares, you're going to win 2 matches at most, anyway." So forget about that. I'm not entirely sure as to how well Ljubicic performs on clay, but I would like to think that hardcourts would be his favorite. Expect the surprise/debutant quarter/semi/finalist from this draw.

QF Match: Rochus vs Ferrer

Q4: James Blake is the last US hope in the men's championships, and don't expect it to last very long. There's Haas, Safin and maybe Monfils in his side of the quarters. I'd choose Monfils over Blake, and Haas over Safin, assuming the Russian gets past Gonzalez in the opening round. And yes, Nadal too.

QF Match: Haas vs Nadal


--------------------------------

Women's Championship
Defending Champion: Justine Henin-Hardenne

Q1: Ever since Amelie won her maiden Slam in Melbourne earlier this year, all of a sudden, she gets a tremendous amount of respect. Hopefully, that for her, it translates into self-confidence that she can win, especially in front of her fickle countrymen. Expect easy wins, even over Nicole Vaidisova, but not against Patty or Venus in the quarters.

QF Match: Amelie vs Venus

Q2: Same question as the men's draw, but replace "past champions" with "Russian teenager." Let's see. Maria - is she in top physical condition? Svetlana - has her coach Arantxa given her good training for clay? Dinara? Aah, nice showing in Rome. This one please.

Francesca over Svetlana, judging on previous performance.

QF Match: Dinara vs Francesca

Q3: This season's top claycourt players are in this draw, so expect a good workout from this quarter. Justine against Ana and Makiri versus Nadia in R16 before the main battle begins.

QF Match: Justine vs Nadia

Q4: All eyes are on Martina Hingis as she tries to reclaim the only Slam she hasn't won. She's already proven that she can still play on clay, with her win in Rome. She reached the QF in Melbourne fresh from retirement, why not in clay, where she should outplay most of her opponents. I'm just wondering how her resistance would hold up. No problems for Kim, but depending on the mood, Elena might outhit Martina in 4R.

QF Match: Martina vs Kim

Plans, plans, plans

There is one thing sure right now - I will be on vacation, outside of the country, in July. Exactly where, that is the problem. I'm trying to fit in as many holidays into this trip, but the plan is still vague. Let's just say, it's an Amazing Race challenge - tight budget, lots of cities, and all modes of transport.

Not to sound cliche, but the Peninsular Malaysia coupled with Thailand, with a dash of Cambodia sounds nice. Hey, it's inexpensive, safe (those bird flu outbreaks were relatively isolated cases), and well-traveled by tourists.

Here's the general plan, fly to Singapore, meet friends in both KL and SG, then I'm off on my own. Melaka and Penang in Malaysia, Koh Samui, Krabi and Phuket in Southern Thailand (ah basta, beach!), partying in Bangkok, and ruin-hunting in Cambodia.

Planning the trip is just about as fun as traveling, so I'm enjoying the moment as it is. I'm currently looking at train schedules, and hordes of travel guides (2 for Thailand, 2 for Bangkok, 1 for KL, 1 for Malaysia and a bunch of brochures for Singapore). Other than that, I'm doing a packing list that should fit in one bag. And picking about a hundred songs to squish in my Wlakman phone for the ride.

Now, any ideas on any of those?

It's Been A Long Day I Tell You

There's this Scrubs episode that says "Every 4.8 seconds a man says something stupid." Great. Not offering an excuse here, I'm running on 3 hours of sleep, legs in pain that I feel paralysed from the hip down, and an amazing-race like itinerary that will drive you nuts. Gaaah. There, there.

I Can See Clearly Now

With every birthday comes a challenge - yeah, it's kind of too late for a birthday epiphany, but I meant to write this one earlier. As I was saying, with every birthday comes a challenge, and I've made a resolution that I will do something scary for my birthday. Don't worry, it won't be against moral dictum, and mostly within legal bounds. I said mostly.

How about driving up Baguio City in my car, at night. Mission accomplished. Too easy! So, I reverted to my original plan - how about wearing contact lenses? I had initially wanted to wear contact lenses at around November of last year, so I can wear sunglasses while preserving my perfect-albeit-corrected 20/20 vision (ah, vanity, my favorite sin). The moment the optometrist demonstrated the how-to's of contact lenses maintenance I got freaked out. It looked like she was going to take out her eyeballs. Ugh.

Last weekend, I mustered enough bravado (haha) and EQ (including enough not to go homicidal on that idiot who stole my parking space after waiting for 15 minutes-the nerve!) to try on contact lenses. Thanks to J for coming along and bringing the pity, apart from standing the optometrist's sungit and my almost forever squinting.

I can see clearly now. In more ways than I had intentionally wanted to.

The Search Is On!

Interesting to note, that last week's after-hours spree was consumed by Word Factory. Now, before you go all nerd-pointing at me and my friends, WF has been a long standing competition between my high school friends, now known as people I've known half my lifetime.

It's absolutely amazing, you don't see each other for about 5 years or so, but the memories, stories, and more importantly, tirade of jokes and insults fit to a tee. Take note, I was mostly not with the people I graduated with, nor the ones I did my research paper with, but the first handful of people I met in my first days of school.

Short of calling this the Kathie Jamasali Memorial Cup (I do hear wild objections in my sleep), we'd like to thank Jam for suggesting the game while looking for an appropriate activity to match our booze-chugging in Baguio. We plan on making this a regular meet-up, with theme nights and such.

Not even the embarrassment of WF-ing in the middle of GB3 can stop us.

Here's what the sample board looks like.



Did you see the word 'reraises'? If you did, come join the club. There is a link for Word Factory at the sideboard of this blog.

Now you can start nerd-pointing.

Punkd On My Birthday

It's not what you think, I'm not a celebrity anyway. As a birthday treat to myself, I went CD shopping - since it's the only thing I can afford to gift myself. (Your gifts are welcome too... *wink).



I got this: Musique Vol 1: 1993-2005 by Daft Punk. Definitely the best electronica group of my generation. They caught my attention with their video Around The World, and I got instantly hooked. I mean, the video is not special effects-laden, it just features people dancing around in a circle, but there was something about the synth-vocals and the funny dance troupe. The proper genre is called "French House" - should I call it "la maison" then?

Anyway, great buy for beat-hunting music junkies; the album features the choppped-lyrics "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" (If you're going to hear this song for the first time, listen to the lyrics of the first two verses, then put them together. I promise, it'll be fun); the iPod advert song "Technologic" and several remixes.

Currently listening to Alive and Revolution 909 ;)

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Website find of the week: www.deepdish.com Lots of remixes from this team - Should've known they were brilliant the moment they chose EBTG to sing The Future of the Future. Check out the jukebox, you can create your own playlist from a great selection of songs, and my favorites, remixes. Remixes for Dido, Janet, Gabrielle, Justin Timberlake and iio are on the site. Bonus trivia, I didn't know they were Iranians. I'm now a fan.

Well, somebody tagged me...

So OK. I admit, I am bored. Besides, my blog needs some entries to keep it company for the Holy Week. Thanks Peej for the tag.
------

Four jobs you have had in your life:
1. Student Assistant
2. Tutor/Teacher
3. Maintenance Engineer cum driver
4. Design Engineer

Four movies you would watch over and over:
1. Shakespeare In Love
2. Gosford Park
3. Eurotrip (scotty absolutely doesn't know!)
4. Finding Nemo

Four places you have lived in:
1. Cainta, Rizal
2. Quezon City
3. Davao City
4. Quezon City again!

Four TV shows you love to watch:
1. Scrubs!
2. The Amazing Race
3. The OC
4. The Simpsons

Four places you have been on vacation:
1. Shanghai! Definitely a must see. East meets West, Old meets New.
2. Camiguin Island. White Island has been the best beach I've gone to.
3. Bangkok. That place is just bursting with fun and culture.
4. Iloilo and Guimaras. Oysters. Yum.

Four websites I visit daily:
1. Yahoo! Tennis
2. Hotmail
3. PinoyExchange
4. Google

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Kare kare. How can you say no?
2. Peaches and lychees
3. Blue or gorgonzola cheese. Moldy. Yum.
4. Inihaw na bangus

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. Backpacking across Europe or China or Southeast Asia
2. Watching a WTA match. Hehehe.
3. On a beach. With a beer.
4. Driving in a freeway, with my sunglasses on and Fall Out Boy on my stereo

Four friends who I have tagged that I think will respond
1. Mida (Hello!)
2. Ina
3. Andre
4. Benj

A New Discovery

It took me forever, but do pick up From Under The Cork Tree by Fall Out Boy. It's a great buy, and quite catchy. It captures the melodrama of teen angst, carefully veering away from the Alanis-brand, but not too comfortable with the emo-scene either.

The lyrics are brilliant, but the titles are more than cumbersome. My favorite tracks include Of All The Gin Joints in the World:

Turn off the lights and turn off the shyness
All of our moves make up for the silence

the awkward first-date song Dance, Dance:

Why don't you show me a little bit of spine
You've been saving for his mattress

the voyeuristic Sugar, We're Going Down:

Is this more then you bargined for yet?
Oh, don't mind me. I'm watching you two from the closet
Wishing to be the friction in your jeans
Isn't it messed up how i'm just dying to be him
I'm just a notch in your bedpost but you're just a line in a song

prom-night memories with Seven Minutes in Heaven:

I'm sleeping my way out of this one
With anyone who will lie down
I'll be stuck fixated on one star
When the world is crashing down

Sitting out dances on the wall
Trying to forget everything that isn't you
I'm not going home alone
Cause I don't do too well on my own

My favorite, the quasi-sappy I've Got a Dark Alley and a Bad Idea That Says You Should Shut Your Mouth:

Joke me something awful just like kisses on the necks of "just friends"
We're the kids who feel like dead ends
And I want to be known for my hits, not just my misses
I took a shot and didn't even come close
At trust and love and hope
And the poets are just kids who didn't make it
Who never had it at all

I'm hopelessly hopeful, that you're just hopeless enough
But we never had it at all

So far, the best new album I've bought during the last 6 months.

David Lodge and The Weather

Just finished reading a short chapter from David Lodge's The Art of Fiction. where he discusses how 19th century novelists seem to have placed a new-found appreciation of the weather in their works.

Well, to quote from something from someone somewhere, this weather is absolutely maddening! And it's almost 12 midnight! Sheesh, the price you pay for have "tropical weather" all year long.

Envy

Not related, but after frustration (see below) comes envy. Not the same root, but it's just absolutely ringing in my head. Let's just leave it at that for now. Not ready to talk about it.

An overwhelming sense of frustration

I just learned a couple of minutes from Damien Rice's official site that he will be performing a week from now in Singapore. I've been regularly checking out the site, and promised myself to grab the first opportunity to catch him anywhere here in SE Asia.

The timing, I must say, is impeccable - the date is fine, I have no other prior engagements, but I will not have enough time to prepare my travel documents - clearances, among others. I JUST CAN'T! Goshdarnit!

Taxi Confidential

Ever been turned away from a taxi? Flag one down, say the destination of your choice, only to be offered some lame excuse? "Hanggang Makati lang kasi ako e..." Worse, the driver would just give a surly look, then scoot off. Well, a few days ago, I had my revenge, and it was sweet.

Tuesday is coding day for me, and rather than run the risk of being caught by MMDA enforcers, I happily obliged to commute. Waiting for a cab (or a jeep for that matter) along Congressional Avenue has always been murder. With the glaring sun in my eye, I had to step out to the sidewalk because a no-good red van was covering my view of approaching vehicles. After probably fifteen minutes, an empty cab stops in front of me - I really forgot what his dumbass excuse was, but the bottomline was "I don't want to take you".

This is where the LA Confidential scene comes in. The cab hasn't gone more than 20 meters when the red van cuts in front of it, six men in LTO vests jump out, and one of them approaches me. "Ayaw ba kayong isakay nung taxi?" he asks. Hey, I'm not a liar, so I say "no". Immediately, they sieze the poor cabbie's license, fill out a ticket for "Rude Driver" (or something), and say to me "These creeps should be apprehended immediately" in Filipino.

And, for that moment, all the times that I was waiting in the rain, getting wet, or, being baked in the outdoors, waiting for a cab, and getting turned down, seemed totally worth it. I had gotten even - mwahahaha.

Things I Picked Up From The Grammies

I just bought Confessions on a Dance Floor by Madonna and Demon Days by Gorillaz - thanks to their smashing (how British!) opener at the Grammys . The album review? Confessions sounds like the old Madonna, seriously. When I mean old, I mean Borderline-type Madonna, not the Justify My Love type. Of course, worthy of accolade is the other producer, Stuart Price, also known as The Thin White Duke. The pulsating flux of his beats rejuvenated the Madonna franchise. MY favorite track? Get Together and Jump - it really sounds like Madonna singing to a Daft Punk backdrop.

I'm also glad I picked up Demon Days - I've been terribly intrigued by the album, ever since DARE came out. To sum up Demon Days, having an alternate persona, a cartoon one at that is much appropriate to their sound. Springy, and eclectic, for the lack of a better word. Weird but alt-pop, nevertheless. O Green World and DARE are my stand outs for this one.

Today's Pop Quiz

You're on your way to your car parked at the sixth floor of the parking building and the elevator jams at the third floor. What do you do?

a) Look for a hidden camera. It could be one of those nasty gag shows that put you in an awkward position and watch you squirm.
b) Check how you look. After all, this could still be Candid Camera.
c) Count the number of girls you can probably make out with in a stuck elevator.
d) Decide if you are claustrophobic.
e) Estimate how long would this delay take - and figure out if you need to do Number 2 by then.
f) Emergency response - Use the intercom to call the building administrator.
g) Bang on the elevator door. If this doesn't work, try prying it open.

---------------------------------------

Want to know what I did? Here they are in order:
a) No cameras. Oh well, my chance to be a national star.
b) Again, no cameras.
c) Four ladies and me. I liked the chances of that, but they were all past 40. Tsk. Besides, it would've been a scandal.
d) Me claustrophobic? I still haven't decided yet.
e) Do. Not. Fart.
f) No one is answering the intercom (HEEEEEELLLLP!!!)
g) I don't have a crowbar in my laptop bag. Will a highlighter work?


It was a full ten minutes before we got rescued, and when we did have the elevator door opened, all the other passengers got out and decided to use the stairs. Bonus question - After being stuck in a defective elevator for 10 minutes, do you go out of the 3rd floor and just take the stairs for another 3 floors up?

Of course, I did. Smirk at the thought of it as the steel doors closed and prepared to take me to the sixth floor, that is.

monsterboy takes a monster-test

Not bad. Not bad at all.

Your Monster Profile

Wicked Fiend You Feast On: Starbucks You Lurk Around In: The Backseats of Cars You Especially Like to Torment: British People

What's Your Monster Name?

A new blog

I have a new blog. Nope, I'm not abandoning this one, just had to create a mini-blog that's supposed to keep the music I've been listening to recently.

Check it out at monsterboy music

Australian Open 2006: Women's Quarterfinals

Lindsay vs Justine
Ironically, these two players have crept up to the quarterfinals with minimum fanfare, yet their match-up is the de facto final. Last time they played in Melbourne Park, Lindsay squandered a 5-2 lead to lose the match. With an ankle injury hobbling her, it looks like JHH will definitely move a step closer to that delicious SF encounter with Maria Sharapova. JHH in 2 tight sets. Dang it, I hope I'm all wrong with this one.

Maria vs Nadia
Interesting to note that of the 24 tournaments Nadia has joined she reached the QF or better in 17. That's consistent, and that's why I should've chosen her over Elena. Crap. However, Maria has definitely the will and firepower to blast her off court. So, straights for the Maria glamour-girl-but-has-poor-tennis-dress-taste Sharapova.

Patty vs Amelie
Amelie is too strong for Schnyder. But granted, Schnyder has had her most success on Rebound Ace, albeit in other tournaments. So I'd say, 3 sets, going to Amelie's favor.

Martina vs Kim
The match to watch. I hope I'll be sitting at home in time to watch this game. How are all those injuries Kim? Looks like there is yet another opportunity in the draw that Martina Hingis can capitalise on. Having tested by Aussie Sam in the previous round, I hope she regained her ability to win through difficult times, since she's going to do a lot of running in a match with the reigning US Open Champion. I dunno, I'm hoping for a Martina win, for a fairy tale ending, but my head is saying Belgium in straight sets.

Semifinals and Final
An all-Belgian encounter, again? And this time, Kim will make sure that she sure ain't going to be the bridesmaid at Justine's wedding party again. That's 2 slams in a row, for Kim, I hope.

Australian Open 2006: Men's Quarterfinals

Back to regular programming....And on with more predictions.


Federer vs Davydenko
Whoa, Tommy Haas sure did give Roger quite a scare. Granted, Haas was able to knock him out of Kooyong, but it does take a true champion out of Federer to squeak out a match like that. I just would like to note that it takes a really sloppy performance to give away two sets like that, and a doggedly determined retriever like Haas to win two sets like that. So, how about another match
with fellow 5-set survivor Nikolay Davydenko? I think not. Straight sets for the Swiss maestro.

Kiefer vs Grosjean
No signs if injury for the top-ranked German in the draw, although there are no signs of slowing down for the reliable Frenchman as well. Grosjean, benefitting from a rather benign draw from the get-go, must be able to put away winners and outlast Kiefer to make it through to the semis. I see Kiefer having the very slight advantage here, with a better command of the hardcourts of Australia. Brace your self for a coin toss, this one is going to last a long 5 sets, with Kiefer making his Grand Slam SF debut.

Santoro vs NalbandianSurprise! The oldest player in the draw is *gasp* not Andre Agassi. What's even more surprising, is how Fabrice The Magician returns ALL those balls into play. This amazing ability to frustrate players and make them go for shots is the true asset of Santoro, and could come up quite useful against Nalbandian. However, big matches seem to be a niche for David, as he made quite a consistent run last 2005. He will win the craftiest match of the competition yet, in straight sets.

Ljubicic vs Baghdatis
Wow, those Greek people are a real rowdy bunch, aren't they? But, those Croats shouldn't be a pushover anyhow. And they sure have much reason to cheer for, as Ljubicic and Baghdtis, along with quite a number of the last 8, have not been to the QF of a GS. If Baghdatis brings out the spark he used to take down Andy Roddick, then he can topple Davis Cup hero Ivan in 4 sets. I'm still going for the seeded player here, that will keep the fans cheering well past midnight in 5 sets.

Semifinals and Final
It's becoming clearer, Roger vs David for the finals. And this should be a treat, because unlike with Roddick and Hewitt, Federer is actually on the wrong end of this head-to-head match up. Since he will be coming off from an easier semifinal match, I'd still pick Roger to win in 4 sets. Ooh, Is that a 7th Grand Slam already?

Mrazt've Been Some Night

Okay, intermission muna. Lest I drown my blog with my longings to be a tennis commentator, I tried to do something else this weekend - watch a concert.

Long before the heat and excitement was roasting Melbourne due to the Australian Open, I reserved my seats for Jason Mraz Live in Manila. Row 5 - sweet! In the same way Martina Hingis' draw opened up for her, the schedule of that night aligned for me so I can enjoy the Mraz concert without worrying about my tennis matches and fantasy league. Perfect, perfect. One hitch, though. And I'm not telling. (Drat, I couldn't stop the tennis metaphors!)

Anyway (funny how these little thoughts of mine interrupt my train of thought, oops, here I go again with a random interjection), Jason Mraz was abolutely brilliant. I missed his first show here, no thanks to my provincial assignment, but I think I made up for it this time around. How do I put this to words, errm, Jason Mraz is where talent meets genius. I mean, he writes his very, very witty songs (ah, yes, wit), and his voice is just golden. I can't seem to recall any male person with voice as good as his. Is he classically trained? He can range to a crystal clear falsetto to a well-tuned scat and switch to and fro. Wow.

Admittedly, his studio recordings aren't as good as when they are performed live. Waiting For My Rocket To Come was not just in the same level as the Live At The Eagles Ballroom CD+DVD set. Saturday night didn't have a full band, but the crowd was not deprived a single bit of musical satisfaction. In fact, the acoustic set only enhanced the clarity of Mraz's voice.

Here is the complete playlist of what was performed that night. A miss with After An Afternoon, No Doubling Back and Sleep All Day, but a great addition with Rocket Man, snippets of Wonderwall and Our House, and the well-sung hook to Where Is The Love. He made Justin Timberlake sound like a bathroom singer.

set list:

-life is wonderful
-wordplay
-clockwatching
-you and i both
-mr. curiosity
-0% interest/our house/where is the love
-rocketman
-sleeping to dream with paolo santos
-1000 things with paolo santos
-curbside prophet
-no stopping us
-the remedy (i won't worry)/wonderwall
-geek in pink

encore: plane




My favorites? 1000 things with or without Paolo. Paolo Santos did a great job jamming with Jason. So I'll leave it at that. The 0% Interest medley was great as as it was fun and amusing, and his cover of Elton John's Rocket Man was definitely better than anything Ive seen and heard (although they were mostly on American Idol). Tsk, No Doubling Back wasn't performed. It's been on my playlist forever. My regret? I really should've bought the Mr A-Z album first, learn the lyrics so I could've gone to the concert prepared. Damn, that is so wrong, a concert is not a test.

ps. I hope that Warner releases another Live Mraz album - the music is, in a scale of one to to a hundred, about a fifty, billion, that is.

Australian Open 2006: Predictions Part Two

Women's Draw
Defending Champion: Serena Williams

I've been making these predictions since '03 and I've never been more excited. The women's draw offers the best collection of the players, past, present and future. Minor injuries aside, all bets are off in a race to claim the 2006 Women's Singles Championship crown. But before we proceed with the picks proper, let's have a rollcall on who's already at Melbourne Park.

Stars of the mid-90s? Bonjour, Mary. Late 90s? Hello Lindsay. And hello again to you, Martina. 2000-02? One big WASSUP to the sisters. 2003? Bienvenue to Team Belgium. and 04? How do you say 'Hello' in Russian? JenCap, there's one big party Down Under and sadly, you're missing it.

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Q1. It's always hard to make a prediction for Lindsay's preparation before any slam, since she, like Agassi, tends to be more particular now in conserving their energy. Well, se, as her road to the quarters is hampered by Svetlana, Maria Kirilenko and Tatiana Golovin. Should be an easy run, if she's playing on top form.

Justine dug deep, recovering from a 1-6 1-4 deficit to win in Sydney. Will she need that much fortitude to defeat Venus in R16? Most probably not, but I'm so glad to see them both back.

And did I mention that Jelena Dokic is in this side of the draw, as an Australian, again? Not that i'm expectiig her to make a major dent in the draw, but, this has been her 3rd nationality, right?

QF Match: Lindsay vs Justine

Q2. Who said Serena was fat? Anybody got a picture? If all the internet speculations are true, then it will be a juicy rematch with Maria for a spot in the quarters. Screaming Sharapova will be fighting through pain (naughtily placed in the right pectoral muscle), and Shrieking Serena through a leg injury. Missed the live telecast of last year's SF, so I do hope their 4R encounter will be as thrilling as it is ear-shattering.

While some hope that this be Elena's maiden slam, she's not properly placed in the right side of the draw. Granted, her road to the quarters won't be as hard as the others, but she will face either Serena or Maria in the QF, then either Justine or Lindsay in the semis. Lots work ahead for you.

QF Match: Maria vs Elena

Q3. I hate to say this, but on a per-quarter basis, Amelie Mauresmo seems to be the luckiest player in the Top 4. Her main hurdles in the draw would include the red-hot Nicole (off court and on court, hehehe) and probably Anastasia or Patty in the quarters. She may have the momentum of winning the WTA Championships last November, but the early exit at Sydney failed to put a commanding stamp on the court authority.

The lack of a formidable contestant for Amelie is compensated by a bevy of dangerous floaters seeded an otherwise. Eleni can easily upset Patty, Michaella can end Vijay's over-the-top cheering for Sania in 2R, and sister Dinara might do a Marat and crash out early. I'm going out on a limb here to predict that neither Amelie or Patty make it in the quarters.

QF Match: Anastasia vs Nicole

Q4. All eyes are on Martina Higis as she re-debuts in the Australian Open - home of her 6 consecutive finals appearance. She takes on 30th seed Vera Zvonareva in her opener. While this may look like a winnable match, she has to be ready to face a rejuvenated Mary Pierce in 3R.
It took Mary a good 2 years to climb from an injured has-been to one of last year's fairy tales, and should be able to teach Martina a thing or two about resuscitating careers. Mary is on top of her game, and should rake in ranking points since she crashed out of the 2005 Open in the first round and has barely no points to defend here.

Kim Clijsters through to the quarters. Questions?

QF: Mary vs Kim

Australian Open 2006: Predictions Yet Again

It's the time again for the Grand Slam predictions! Yipee. Gents first, I'd like to reserve the energy for the Women's Draw because that seems to be where all the action is.

Men's Draw
Defending Champion: Marat Safin

Q1. We've been asking who can stop the Federer Express since 2003, and the only ones to do so in 2005 are notably absent. However, the latest victory over Federer was claimed by Tommy Haas might probably show a chink in his armor. Nah. Besides, Haas has a tough first-rounder against 13th seed Richard Gasquet. I'd pick the German to win that, but not against the Swiss in 4R.

To complete this side of the draw, steady ATP achiever Nikolay Davydenko faces big (and I do mean tall) Karlovic in the opening round. Tough. Should he get past this, I see a 4R encounter with Slovak Hrbaty. I did notice that he has no apparel sponsor yet. Top 5 in the world and no sponsor? Yet Hrbaty has that pink cutout of a shirt?

QF Match: Federer vs Davydenko

Q2. Homeboy Hewitt again lost the draws lottery again - primed for a semifinal clash with Federer. Roadblocks to the quarters? None really, Kiefer would've been a good pick on hardcourts, but since limping out of Kooyong last week, I'm more likely to say no. Ferrero has yet to find consistency to string a series of victories, and the others have yet to make a splash at Melbourne Park.

The other hometown hero, who was able to enter on a wildcard entry is another victim of a draw gone bad. Mark Philippoussis plays seasoned veteran Sebastian Grosjean in the opener - although a potential matchup with 6th seed Coria does not sound too alarming, meeting up with either Gonzales or Monfils would most probably end his run in Down Under. Methinks 1R will do for The Scud.

QF Match: Hewitt vs Coria

Q3. Riding high from his success in Shanghai, Nalbandian hopes to score his maiden Slam immediately right after. And why not, momentum is high, the field depleted, and the draw more than inviting. Past Henman (who by the way is already unseeded), Robredo and Tursunov, Blake seems to be the most compelling challenge for David towards his first Slam. It's a fairly even toss up, with the latter claiming the title in Adelaide.

As for Nalbandian's compatriot Gaudio, I would expect an upset from Ancic. Gaudio honestly is an okay hardcourt player, reaching the semis of the Championships last year. However, since that whitewash by Federer, the respect for him has been thrown out the door. He'll get over that, similar to Sharapova's double bagel in Indian Wells. Sorry, thinking out loud.

QF Match: Ancic vs Nalbandian

Q4. Based on the draw, this looks actually trans-Atlantic battle held Down Under. Europe will grab a seat for the quarters, be it Croatia, Czech Republic, Spain, Sweden, Belgium, Russia even. Team USA will place themselves on the other side of the pond - Ginepri? Dent? Roddick?


QF Match: Ljubicic vs Roddick