~* MUST LOVE JOHN CUSACK *~

'Watched Must Love Dogs with Abbie and Charo last night @ ATC.

Funny, I was already on my way to Alabang from Makati when Abbie texted and asked if I really wanted to watch a movie or if we can just go coffee'ing... I replied: "I really wanna watch the movie!!!". Notice the three exclamation points. Haha. Abbie texted back,"okay, okay, okay!". I really wanted to watch the movie for I didn't have the patience to wait for it on DVD. I have been missing John Cusack's romantic comedies for the longest time (I think the last one was Serendipity?) so I *really* wanted to catch this movie. I am a sucker for John Cusack's signature roles of being a nervous/slightly neurotic/overly-analytical/intense/idealistic/quirky albeit irresistably charming (despite the wide forehead, i know. haha) hopeless romantic. In this movie, Diane Lane plays a similar role as her character in Under The Tuscan Sun. So umm, I can sorta relate with Diane's character. haha. Singletons have a right to be snappish. No one should dare argue this. Not even the chicken breast dude in the grocery ;P

The dogs in this movie("Mother Theresa" which was played by two similar-looking dogs and that dog that Cusack brought with him in the park... the one that "played dead" sooo well.) were sooo adorable that I sometimes wish I could have a *really clean* pet dog which I can lounge with inside our house. But geez, what we have is an adorable pregnant pitbull right now :P

So heyyy, John Cusack IS getting old na:( After years of looking as eternally youthful as he was in Say Anything, his age is really starting to get the best of him. He has ummm... turned quite noticeably chubby and his eyebags and wrinkles are showing on some badly-lit angles. But nevertheless, that signature way he sideglances and his cute small mouth still works like a charm;)

I kept noticing how nice and unique Diane Lane's necklaces were: that one with a gold/bronze chain and a 3-charm pendant [a star and two more abstract-shaped charms], the one with various tiny precious stones running the whole length of the necklace and that last one she wore... it was some sort of a reddish shade of tiny stones and a silver pendant.

My fave scene was the whole crazy mad hunt for the condom. Haha. That was insanely funny!

Anyway, as for the memorable quote, Cusack's character said something about the heart expanding... enabling it to have a bigger capacity to love after it gets BADLY broken. Something like that... I tried to search for the verbatim quote but since it's still a relatively new release, there's still nothing listed in the "quotes" section of the movie in IMDb :(

~* JD ROCKS THE BOAT. UH-OH. *~

Okay yes, this is another RockStarINXS-related post. What can I say?! I'm soooo hooked on the show :P

So the reality-show was totally exciting to watch since JD was quite a character. They were divided into 2 groups for the "song collaboration" exercise. Group 1 (which I'd like to call the "cheesy pop chuwariwariwap huwaaat tha...f?!?!" group) was: Ty, Deanna, Suzie and Mig. Group 2 (the "holy crap they're fighting, it's so tense in the room!" group): Marty, JD, Jordis and Jessica. The prizes up for grabs were this kick-ass-looking stereo system and a night out with INXS.

To cut the long story short, JD disagrees with the lyrics written by Jordis and wanted to push his lyrics instead. But Marty sides with Jordis. Memorable quotes went something like these:

• JD argues over Marty's decision to side with Jordis' vague-style lyrics instead of JD's specific story-style lyrics so Marty goes: "Yeah but YOU chose ME to be the MUSICAL DIRECTOR of this group [so why are you contesting my decision?]"
• JD: "I wouldn't go out of my way to listen to the song you [Jordis] wrote. You know what, I don't want the sound system, I don't want a night in town with the band...I only want to attach my name to something of quality... so I'm just going to bow out." [JD starts to leave]
• Jordis, in reaction to JD: "That's not being in a band!"...
  JD retorts: "We'll we're NOT in a band!... we're competing TO BE IN the band!"

In fairness to Marty and Jordis, they didn't really act like an ass. It's just that they gel so JD's got no one to back him up. I kept thinking *aww poor Marty* when I was feeling all the tension and Marty, being the appointed leader, was trying to put things in order so that they can deliver what was asked of them as a group. On the other hand, Jessica was a completely useless decoration in the group.

When it was already time to present their song to Dave and this other INXS dude, JD gets vindicated *yey* :) ....

Ty's group came up with some lame "stop-go" song with matching voices in harmony (think: Deanne & Suzie doing a cheesy chuwariwariwap kind of thing). So what do you say when something is just plain "duh"??? Well Dave said: "It's... interesting." While the other INXS dude said that it was "not what he expected" (euphemism for "what kind of stupid b*llsh*t was that?!?". haha. JD comments,"it's a song you'd write for your parents at band camp". Haha. What a great disser!


the cheesy pop chuwariwariwap huwaaat tha f...?!? group (L to R): Mig, Ty, Suzie, Deanna


the holy-crap-they're-fighting, it's-so-tense-in-the-room!!! group (L to R): Jessica, Marty, Jordis, JD

So then Marty's group performs their song but it was noticeable that JD just sat there non-participating. Eventually, Dave got into the meat of things and asked JD to sing what he came up with. In some sort of sweet revenge for JD, it turns out that his song was actually the best one according to both Dave and the INXS dude (sorry, I'll keep calling him that coz I don't really know the band members of INXS). Dave says that J.D. has "every element required to be a great lead singer and front man." Unfortunately, he doesn't have "every element to be a great member of a band." Oops. Feelin' the backlash, JD? Uh-oh.

****************

THE PERFORMANCE SHOW:

Oooh. A twist! This time, instead of a pool of songs that they can choose from, INXS specifically chose the song for them. Aaaand, theY were set to perform with a stripped down acoustic band--with violins, piano and all! Marty was appalled to learn that he was given "Hit me baby one more time". Haha. Even Suzie was shocked and felt kinda sorry for Marty. Funny, I thought... haven't they heard of the kick-ass rock version of that Britney song by Blink 182 and Travis??? I downloaded that version like a year ago from Kazaa and I sooo loved how they turned it into a man-song.


Mig's performance tops my list for this night's show



My faves:

1. Mig's Baby I Love Your Way: he sand AND played the piano. Amazing. All I could say was *awww*
2. Marty's Hit Me Baby (One More Time): I am sooo lovin' his scream-o growly angsty voice
3. Jordis' Knockin' on Heaven's Door: Awesome poignant rendition with a mix of her soulful and throaty/scratchy voice. I predict she's gonna be a big star. I swear, she can pull off a solo career. (I still feel it's too weird to have a female vocalist for INXS.)

I wish that Jessica gets voted off tomorrow :P Either her or hmm, maybe Deanna.

~* THE BIGGEST B.S. *~

I was listening to Chico & Delamar's Top 10 Rejection Lines the other day and on #4 were:

"You know what, I'd love to... but you're too good for me."

Chico aptly said that it's probably "THE BIGGEST B.S.". Delamar thinks that it's like punishing someone for being good.

"You deserve somebody much better than me"

As Chico said, if you found somebody who's way too good for you, you'd hold on to them!

***********

I can soooo relate. Grabeh.

Guys' feeling intimidated by me can be cute at a certain point (uhh maybe if we were still in high school?! duh. what, he has no spine nor balls at all?! for pete's sake, we're above-25 yrs old already! grow up! *rolls eyes*) but it's too bullcrap a reason to drop somebody-- ok fine, me -- like a hot potato just like THAT.

I mean, why do people say stuff like: gee, you're perfect/so beautiful/so mabait/smart/successful/you're god's answer to my prayers/lahat na nasa 'yo/.... aaaaaalll that B.S.... and then they suddenly disappear?!?! *poof*

I just can't get this hackneyed euphemism at all.

It's like, what, I deserve to be miserable like this because I am TOO good for you?!?! Wow. Gee. That's really logical.

I remember that line that Joey said to Pacey (Dawson's Creek) when Pacey was letting her go: "You break my heart into pieces and you say that this is for the best?"

***************

Excuse me, it must be the rain. DQ mode! :P

~* DARN IT! *~

Dang. Brandon got booted out of Rock Star INXS in tonight's show :( . He's not that super great but I soooo wanted Jessica to go. Grrr. After what she did yesterday in persisting on getting Come As You Are from JD ... Grrrr. As if singing Nirvana will keep her out of the bottom three *rolls eyes*. She said that Nirvana songs worked for Marty and Jordis (didn't get to see Marty's performance though) and she really needed the song to escape the dreaded bottom 3. Helloooo, Jessica tried to do growly/scream-o kind of singing but it just didn't fly. It sounded more like a country music yodel thingie. She didn't do justice on the Nirvana song. JD would probably have. I didn't get a chance to watch the early episodes of the show to know why people (like Mig) was having "problems" with JD. So right now I just like JD as he is -- the resident yum yum boy ;-). *LOL* So at that moment when JD and Jessica were battling for Come As You Are, JD just got exasperated with Jessica's stubborn selfishness and threw his hands in the air, saying something like: "You know what, do whatever you want, I don't care. I'll just take whatever is the song that nobody else wants!" And he walked out.

Anyway, guilty Mig ends up offering his song Crazy (Seal) to JD. Oh and he confessed to JD that he was the one who told the press people that JD was being a "problem". JD took it well and he said that it was OK, that Mig was just "being human", with matching elaboration with his tatooed forearms. Naaaks. They kinda hugged after making peace and suddenly I couldn't help but wonder if Mig was gay. The way he talked and hugged JD looked a bit hmm gay. Parang he looked kilig when they hugged. Hmmm.


JD is also just being human as much as everyone else competing in this contest.


Anyway, JD and Jordis (my top 2 faves) didn't do stellar performances yesterday. From yesterday's show, my faves were Suzie's Losing My Religion (which she re-arranged w/some help from JD's suggestions) and Marty's last-minute decision to go acoustic with Mr. Brightside. I tried to refuse to acknowledge it on account of the fact that he looks like that short guy from Just Shoot Me (David Spade!), but hey, Marty's acoustic performance and his scream-o voice sounded great. Ty's No Woman No Cry was good too but hmm, reggae on a rock show? *iffy*



Marty's acoustic performance. I swear he looks like David Spade.



Boo Jessica. Boo!!! I hope she DISAPPEARS next week.



Jessica sounds and looks like poo during the rehearsal when she shows up hung over from the previous night's party for Jordis' bday.

~* NOW PLAYING: GEMINI by SPONGE COLA

Gemini premiered on the radio stations last July 14 morning... by evening, it was a hot new entry at #6 in 99.5 RT's 10 Biggies daily countdown. By July 26, it debuted at #1 at RT's Top 40 weekend countdown. Amazing. It's still no. 1 nowadays over at RT...

I guess by now most people know what the song is talking about. *ehem* I like the lyrics and the melody... one feels the intense passion that the song speaks of...

GEMINI words by yael yuzon

Come a little closer
Flicker in flight
We'll have about an inch space
But I'm here I can breathe in
What you breathe out

Let me know if I'm doing this right
Let me know if my grip's too tight
Let me know if I can stay all of my life
Let me know if dreams can come true
Let me know if this one's yours too

Cause I see it
And I feel it
Right here
And I feel you right here.

The vacuous night
Steps aside to give meaning
To Gemini's dreaming
The moon on its back
And the seemingly
Veiled room's lit
By the same star

And I feel it right here
And I feel you right here...




~oO0Oo~


The Gemini video is actually a tie up with the Metropolitan Theater Guild's production of Romeo and Juliet (the play will run on Nov. 2005). Yael's older brother, Yanny (formerly with the Mongols; now in a new band called Pupil -- still with Ely Buendia) who appears in the video as Romeo will also be in the MET play. Marie Jamora directed the video. I think Marie's the same one who directed Imago's haunting Akap vid (the "spare tire" concept totally blew me away... astig. grabeh.)

To date, the Gemini vid is #6 in the OPM MYX Countdown. 'Not sure if it's also in the MTV countdown already...




this scene reminds me of the floating crosses onstage in the gemini vid...

~* YES, I AM A BIT O.C. *~

I am OC with English grammar. I am not exactly Ms. 100%-correct-English- grammar-&-spelling but I try to be as much as possible. I mentally nitpick my friends' English in their blog posts and email messages as well as my officemates' email messages and conversations. I am cautious of where I put my apostrophes, subject-verb agreement, hanging/orphan phrases, homonyms (common mistake: loose vs. lose) and stuff like that. I am particularly amused with the "with regard to/in regard to/as regards" phrase. I once considered it a pogi-point when this guy did not commit the mistake of saying it as "with regards to". I still cringe everytime I hear this person say "it depicts the purpose" [defeats! defeats! defeats!!!]. I just don't know how to correct the person without offending him/her... *sigh*

When I'm reading books, I keep a dictionary on hand coz I immediately want to look up a word when I don't know its meaning. Sometimes I try to skip looking it up and go on with reading the pages when it's just so damn exciting and gripping but then I get this nagging thought in my head so I still end up looking up the strange word.

I am OC with saving/backing up my computer files. When I'm working on my monthly reports in the office, I save a copy on my local hard drive and another copy on our network folder. When we still had floppy disks, I would also save a third copy in it.

I am OC with eating stuff. My officemates particularly noticed that I looked a bit peeved when they forked off here and there on a slice of cake that we were sharing. You see, when I eat a slice of cake, I slice it from one side only... progressing from one end to the other. I get rattled when one slices a bite off one corner and another one forks off a bite on another end. The cake looks pangeeet eh when it gets sliced every which way. hehe.

Another dining-related OC-ness is that I make sure I get proportionate parts of the dish in one spoonful that I eat. For example, when eating sinigang, I make sure that I have all the vegetables "represented"... a kangkong leaf and stem, a shred of pechay, a piece of labanos, a bit of gabi, a slice of sigarillas, a sliver of okra, a piece of meat plus rice. Every sahog must be there in my spoon.

I am OC with people eating MY food. I hate it when people I'm not even close to just "dive" their utensils on my plate. Just recently, I was eating shanghai rolls with its sweet & sour sauce on the side and then this person just dips her shanghai rolls on MY sauce. *gaaah* I wanted to scream at her and say "HELLLOOO?! Can you get your own sauce to dip into?!" I'd probably be less pissed if she at least asked my permission first... I still wouldn't want her to but I'd say a fake "yes" anyway coz alangan naman I'll refuse dba since she asked. Kainis. Kainis. And this same person just got MY table napkin which lay on the side of my plate. *AAARGGGHHH* Again, if she had at least asked if she could get those napkins which I set aside for MY use, I wouldn't have been pissed. It hasn't happened to me yet but I'd be surely pissed if somebody said "patikim..." sabay kuha ng food on my plate. I just think people like the above-mentioned instances are just plain crass. No table manners at all. Grrr.

I don't like mixing/having different dishes on my plate all at the same time. That's why I hate buffets. I hate it when my kare-kare sauce bleeds onto the barbecue beside it (something like that). Whenever there's a variety of dishes in a meal, I eat the dry ones first and then the saucy ones. Or if both have sauces, the clearer/thinner sauce first before the colored/rich ones.

I am squeamish with sharing straws and glasses for beverages or even utensils for food. Unless you're a close friend, I will cringe at the thought of laway-to-laway.

I am OC with my lip balm and make-up. I don't like other people dipping their filthy finger on my Born Lippy jar. I cringe at the thought of somebody using my eyeshadow brushes on their eyes or my lipstick touching somebody else's lips. *Ewww*

I am "germ-o-phobic". I never let my ass touch the toilet bowl even in the office CR. I only get to sit comfortably in our house's toilet. I use my elbow to flush if it's not the infrared/foot lever kind of flushing system. I use hand sanitizer/wash my hands after using the rest room. I try not to touch door handles in public toilets. As much as possible, I don't hold on to the escalator's rubber handle thingies. Imagine some gross person with a bad cold wiping his nose with bare hands or picking his nose and touching the escalator handles. *ewww* I think it's gross to hold tightly on super-worn Peso bills and tarnished coins. I wash my hands when I get to the office after commuting. I hold my breath as long as I can when somebody sneezes in a confined area (like elevators, FXs, buses...) coz I don't want to breath in freshly-sneezed-on air.

I'm a bit OC. So what?! ;p

~* ROCK STAR INXS *~

I am hooked on ROCK STAR INXS. I get to catch it whenever I eat late dinner around 9ish pm at Star World. The first time I caught this weeks ago... I was like: "what the heck were they thinking? why are there even females in this contest?" It will be TOO weird to have a female INXS vocalist.

I vaguely remember INXS back in the 90s coz my sister had a CD of them. I can only remember one song: Suicide Blonde... which, in my compilation of misheard lyrics goes: "supersonic gold...[su-i-ciiide blonde...]" *labooo* Aaaanyway... I just found it weird that they are actually trying to resurrect their band [after Michael Hutchence died] by holding a big-shebang American Idol-ish search for a new vocalist.

I am so amused with Dave Navarro. I've caught some episodes of Carmen + Dave Til Death Do Us Part @ MTV and I just can't believe he's actually non-scary despite of his heavy eyeliner, devilish facial hair and all. He even cried in his actual wedding! He actually seems sweet and generally a nice guy.

MY FAVES:

JORDIS: I love her voice, expecially when it turns husky (think: a more soulful version of Pink/Gwen Stefani). She's not O.A. when she performs on stage. She totally "feels" the song she sings. I looooved her version of Hoobastank's The Reason and Nirvana's The Man Who Sold the World. She gives me goosebumps when she does that husky-wailing kind of singing.

I still think that it's too weird to have a female INXS vocalist but I would love for Jordis to have a solo career. She has such a great potential to be the next big thing to hit the music industry.

JD: *sigh* I first noticed him coz he's *hot*. He looks like that guy (Max character) from Roswell. The first time I saw him was when he sang Alanis Morissette's Hand in my Pocket. He's got great stage presence AND he's yummy to look at. Basta.

MIG: I was surprised to learn that he's got Filipino blood. I read it from Inquirer, I think. I remember him being nervous about singing Aerosmith's Walk this Way coz it was such a tongue twister but he managed to pull it off nicely.

BRANDON: He's a bit eccentric when he performs. I liked his version of Tonic's If You Could Only See. He was barefoot when he sang Sweet Home Alabama. I'd be sad if he gets eliminated early.

HMMMs...:

Bleach-blonde MARTY reminds me of that short guy in the sitcom Just Shoot Me. I just can't concentrate on watching his performance coz I keep thinking of that funny short guy in the sitcom. It's just too distracting!

I am happy that TARA got eliminated. She's just so *ughhh* trying hard that I cringe whenever I see her perform. I don't like the way she projects herself on stage. O.A. Trying hard. 'Kainis.