Colorful hermits

At the basement level of Megamall while I was enroute to Our Home to do some canvassing, I noticed a booth with glass cases containing tiny colorful things. Of course I wondered what they were selling. I thought they were colorful plush toys that you can put at the end of a keychain or a kind of cellphone charm. I was wrong. When I looked closer, I was surprised that those were actually hermit crabs. Their shells have been painted on with artsy designs. I used to keep a hermit crab as a pet when I was a little kid, now that I think of it, I can’t remember what happened to it though. Plus it never occurred to me to paint their shells, this was a clever idea. Must have really caught a lot of kids’ eyes.

Well I noticed the sign too late.

They looked like this from afar.

   Look closely, they’re hermits!

Hidden in Plain Sight

Secret Stash from yiting cheng on Vimeo.

According to Cheng:

This project is about concealing valuables, secrets, bad habits and personal information in our workplaces. Here, hidden spaces/messages were created within 8 general objects such as wood boards, lamps and disposable coffee cups.

How? By utilizing stereotypes and visual camouflage. We make judgments based mainly on our experiences and what we see. This dependency on visual information can create large blind spots. Thus, usual stereotypes of how we perceive solid, transparency and lighting are employed in this project to play with notions of "solid and void" and "true and false."

Photo Explorations of the word: Music

Photo Credit: Finding Josephine

Photo Credit: LaserGuided

  Photo Credit: Taras Kalapun

Photo Credit: takacsi75

Photo Credit: shankar, shiv

   Photo Credit: Ferrari + caballos + fuerza = cerebro Humano 

Photo Credit: Bob Jagendorf

Photo Credit: zoutedrop

Photo Credit: Nina Matthews Photography

Photo Credit: Cicciofarmaco | Photography

SALT: Enter the world of sleeper spies

"Everyone's not who they say they are."

First scene, we see a bloodied Angelina Jolie...dragged across the floor and being tortured to admission that she is a spy by the Korean military. Who is this woman? We later learn that she is Evelyn Salt, a covert CIA operative. America organized an exchange with the Korean government, thus enabling Salt to come home. Two years later, Salt finds herself on the run after being accused as a Russian spy tasked to kill the Russian president. To prove her innocence, she has to rely on her skills and instincts in order to survive. She does all this while we see the real identity of Salt unveiled. Was she really a Russian spy?

The movie is a non-stop adrenalin pumping ride. Angelina Jolie has always been a brilliant actress. As Evelyn Salt, blond or brunette, she was able to portray different personas that are so believable, making the twists in the movie unpredictable. As a blond, we sympathize on her plight to survive. How she was about to lose everything that she loved, even the company of a dog. As a brunette, she was badass. A ruthless lethal weapon. I just wish the fight scenes were a bit more orchestrated, I would have wanted to see every punch and every kick but instead some were attributed to clever camera motion blurs. Just a minor thing, but would have been great if given more emphasis. It's an action movie after all.

The movie was short,it was just a little over an hour and a half if I'm not mistaken. At the end, it feels like a prelude to another movie...could there be a sequel in the future? We can only wait and see. The movie offers us a glimpse of the world of espionage and how agents try to learn to live and cope with the hazards of their jobs and at the same time try to live normal lives and have real relationships. But at the same time, it also shows how much an agent would go for the love of a job and the fulfillment of a mission. The film also presents the presence of sleeper spies, whether they exist in the real world or not.

All in all, Salt delivers what every spy movie has to offer - the action, the suspense, the thrill, the twists, the covert missions and the relentless gunfire. What sets it apart is of course the female lead, and who better to pull it off than Angelina Jolie?

This movie is a must-see. Salt is now showing in theaters nationwide, don't miss it.

Some movie facts:

• The lead character was originally written as male, known as Edwin Salt.
• The project was given to Angelina after she made an offhand comment to Sony co-chairman Amy Pascal that she wanted to be a female James Bond.
• To get into the role, Angelina talked to real female CIA Agents.

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Special thanks to Jay and Columbia Pictures for the screening invite.

Technorati Tags: Salt,Salt movie review,Angelina Jolie

The Ghost Writer

The mystery thriller, which was adapted from the bestselling novel The Ghost by Richard Harris, stars Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Kim Cattrall and Olivia Williams.

In the film, when a successful British ghostwriter known only as The Ghost, (McGregor) agrees to complete the memoirs of former British Prime Minister Adam Lang (Brosnan), his agent assures him it's the opportunity of a lifetime. But the project seems doomed from the start-not least because his predecessor on the project, Lang's long-term aide, died in an unfortunate accident.

The Ghost flies out to work on the project, in the middle of winter, to an oceanfront house on an island off the U.S. Eastern seaboard. But the day after he arrives, a former British cabinet minister accuses Lang of authorizing the illegal seizure of suspected terrorists and handing them over for torture by the CIA-a war crime. The controversy brings reporters and protesters swarming to the island mansion where Lang is staying with his wife, Ruth (Williams), and his personal assistant (and mistress), Amelia (Cattrall).

As The Ghost works, he begins to uncover clues suggesting his predecessor may have stumbled on a dark secret linking Lang to the CIA-and that somehow this information is hidden in the manuscript he left behind. Was Lang in the service of the American intelligence agency while he was prime minister? And was The Ghost's predecessor murdered because of the appalling truth he uncovered?

Resonating with topical themes, this atmospheric and suspenseful political thriller is a story of deceit and betrayal on every level- sexual, political and literary. In a world in which nothing, and no one, is as it seems, The Ghost quickly discovers that the past can be deadly-and that history is decided by whoever stays alive to write it.

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Sounds interesting right? I can’t wait to watch it. The Ghost Writer will be shown exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas (Glorietta 4 & Greenbelt 3) starting Wednesday, August 4, 2010.

Green Lantern Movie Posters

Warner Bros. has now released the teaser posters for the Green Lantern movie, featuring the famous character tag line when the posters come together.  I’m looking forward to Blake Lively’s performance here and of course Ryan Reynolds’. Mark Strong stars as Sinestro and Peter Sarsgaard will be Hector Hammond.

Technorati Tags: green lantern movie,green lantern movie posters

DC Universe Online

The Cinematic trailer blew me away. This offers us a background why you have to save the planet. Here’s to hoping the real game won’t be a disappointment.

Technorati Tags: DC Universe,DC Universe Online

Yay for Little Big Planet 2

This was the gameplay trailer shown at Comic Con and the level kinda reminded me of a Pinball machine.

 

Technorati Tags: little big planet 2,little big planet 2 trailer,LBP2,LBP2 Trailer

Keeping yourself connected with Globe Super One

Having a cell phone is very handy especially in this day and age. It keeps you connected with your loved ones at any time of the day. But unless you have an unlimited credit line, you can't be on the phone talking to your loved one non-stop without your phone bill rocketing skyward. Of course you would want to stay in touch and talk to your loved one without breaking the bank. It's a good thing Globe has an offer that offers exactly this.

Globe has recently launched its Globe Super One service designed to have you texting and calling your loved one to your heart's content. How? Here's what I did to sign up for this service:

• If you're on a postpaid plan:

text SUPERONE <your loved one's Globe or TM mobile number> ON to 8888.

You will be charged an additional Php 150 on top of your plan.

• If you're already on Globe Superplan:

text MY SUPERONE <your loved one's Globe or TM mobile number> ON to 8888

You will be charged an additional Php 175 on top of your plan.

You can apply as many numbers as you want, you will be charged per number registered.

There you have it. Just wait for the confirmation text and you're all set. By signing up to the service, you are automatically registered for for 90 days.

But wait! There's one more special treat that Globe has to offer. You can win a brand-new Samsung Galaxy S Android phone by entering in the Super One Blogger Contest.

Just follow these steps:

• Post a blog entry answering the question, "Who is your Super ONE and why?"
• Then post that entry along with a video OR photo of you and your Super ONE.
• Link that post to the Super One page using the URL http://site.globe.com.ph/web/guest/features/super_one
• Post your blogpost URL in the comments section on the Super One page to be validated.

Deadline of entries will be on August 8, 2010 at exactly 1 pm.

Entries will be judged according to this criteria:

Use of Photos or Video – 20%

Uniqueness & Originality – 20%

Theme & Content – 30%

Creativity – 30%

The lucky winner of the Android phone will be announced on August 9, 2010.

Aspin Club: Doggie Day Out

The Philippine Animal Welfare Society, in cooperation with Eastwood City and Pet Express, invites all aspin owners have their pets pampered in "DOGGIE DAY OFF", the second event of the PAWS Aspin Club to be held at the Eastwood Central Plaza on August 7 (sat) from 11am to 330pm.

The PAWS Aspin Club aims to improve how Filipinos view & treat native and mixed-breed dogs by celebrating the unique characteristics of these dogs and helping people make the right choice - the choice to care for aspins and be responsible dog owners.

This fund raising event will offer FREE dog baths, grooming service, dog massage, vet consultation, pet photo area and doggie treats to all existing members of the PAWS Aspin Club as well as those who will register their Aspins that day during the event.

The club is open to all native and mixed-breed dogs which must be friendly to both humans and other dogs. Dogs must be leashed at all times and owners must show their updated vaccination records upon registration.

The P250 annual membership fee will go to the PAWS Animal Shelter which takes care of aspins rescued from cruelty and neglect. Registration starts 11am and will be open until the end of the event. 

For inquiries, text 0917-8352405 or email pawsaspinclub@yahoo.com.

Fun, Humorous & Sweet Cake Toppers

Who says you’d have to have a traditional cake topper on your wedding day right? It’s your wedding and you can choose to have fun. Take a look at these unusual cake toppers. Click on the pictures to take you to the product page.

Technorati Tags: cake toppers,unique cake toppers,unusual cake toppers

The Downfall of M. Night Shyamalan

Avatar: The Last Airbender is due to hit Philippine theaters in just a few days and I'm sorry to say that I'm greeting this with as much enthusiasm as I can muster when I'm about to eat ampalaya (bitter gourd) for dinner. Rotten Tomatoes gave it an abysmal rating, reviews all over the net say that this was his worst work and fans of the famous cartoon series are nothing but enraged. Collectively, all these are making me just want to watch it in DVD, if it's going to be released in that.

I haven't watched the series from Nickelodeon but I heard raves about it ever since it came out, so when the first trailers were released, I was enthusiastic. Then the official and fan reviews came out and I can't believe M. Night botched this one. It could have been his comeback film. Disappointed fans were noting how they winced everytime they mentioned "Avatar", it was pronounced wrong, even the name of Aang was said incorrectly. Obviously nobody on the research team did their homework. Fans were also disappointed when M. Night missed out on showing important events in the series that would have been great in the movie. (They mentioned this in the review but since I'm not familiar with the cartoon version, I wasn't able to relate) Another friend of mine, irritatingly told me that he could have given the title role to an Asian kid, which would have added authenticity to the movie entirely but instead he chose not to. According to some, the CGI effects looked like it was done 5 years ago and the 3D experience was entirely a waste. The bad reviews goes on and on and I can just wonder how M is taking this.

What happened to brilliant director and writer who gave us Sixth Sense? His movies used to be good, you can even play spot the cameo on his films. If you think about it, after Sixth Sense and Signs, he's never had a decent blockbuster hit. It was a hit and miss one after the other. Avatar could have been big especially since the series has a large following. I think if there was one, I'd vote for this movie to have a reboot.

Let's go down on memory lane on M. Night's movies:

The Sixth Sense

With this movie, M. Night became a household name. This was his big break and the movie was nothing but brilliant.

Signs

This one wasn't as big as the Sixth Sense but his second offering made fans eager for the next M. Night movie that was sure to have a big twist.

The Village

This movie was okay, the twist was good but many were disappointed and M. Night could be losing his touch.

Lady in the Water

Hmmm so-so. This was based on a children's fairytale which should have had a fantasy and whimsical feel to it but instead the delivery was dry and forgettable.

The Happening

This was weird. I think M. Night was attempting for it to be symbolic but again failed to convey the message.

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There's another movie due to be released this year from M. Night entitled "Devil" with a tagline "Bad things happen for a reason." Will M be able to redeem his name this time? We'll just have to wait and see.

The Guys You Shouldn't Date

The Angry Guy

On the first few dates, he may seem very behaved and charming but after a while his true colors begin to show. Every little thing makes him tick. It starts with him ranting to you about something very trivial which you'll at first see as flattering because he now confides in you but you should hear warning bells when this becomes the center of your relationship and the topic of your every date.

The Liar

We don't have built-in lie detectors, unfortunately. But of course there are tell-tale signs, those that a liar exhibits unconsciously, like changing the subject abruptly, fidgeting, involuntary reflexes or even as simple as not looking you in the eyes (although skilled liars have been known to bypass these symptoms). A guy should be straight-up and honest even with the littlest of things because after all honesty is the very foundation of trust. If he can't do this, then what more can you expect from him when it comes to the serious stuff?

The Cheater

Girls have a built-in intuition. If you suspect that your guy is fooling around behind your back, in most cases he probably is. A cheater/player has serious commitment issues, something that is a no-no especially if you want a serious relationship. What's the point of being with a guy who won't commit to being with you right?

The Cheapskate

I don't have a problem with paying for dinner once in a while or splitting the bill while out on a date but when it becomes habitual and you end up paying for all the costs on your date all the time, the guy is a cheapskate. A guy who would like to date you would of course save enough to treat you decently. A guy who wouldn't is a...let's just say a male counterpart of a gold-digger.

Mr. Dirty mouth

This is the guy who probably was the school bully and never grew up from being a jerk. He often passes degrading and sexist comments in front of you. He has an opinion to everything and always points out all the things negative. Plus no sentence ends without a curse. If you're in a date with this guy, get out fast.

The Slob

Cleanliness is next to godliness. We've all heard that one right? Who hasn't? If your guy apparently missed out on hygiene 101, then he's not worth keeping. Who would want to be around someone with bad breath, body odor and ugh I don't want to enumerate the rest. I shudder at the thought. You spend a good few hours trying to look your best on a date and this guy doesn't even bother. Then by all means move on to the next.

Mr. Me

This guy is vain and self-centered all rolled inton one. Ok the vanity part maybe you can tolerate a bit but when everything becomes all about him and he can't stop talking about himself, he probably wouldn't have any room for you in his world.

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Being single is fun, you get to go out on dates and meet new people. But if you've been single for a while and feeling desperate that you haven't met Mr. Right yet, it doesn't mean you have to settle for these types of guys. Come on girl, you deserve better.

Animations I want to Watch Soon

Megamind

From the studio that brought you “Shrek,” “Madagascar” and “Kung Fu Panda.” The brilliant and diabolical super-villain Megamind has been attempting to conquer Earth for over 20 years but, each time, he’s been thwarted by his arch nemesis, the caped superhero Metro Man. But all that changes one day when Megamind accidentally kills Metro Man in the throes of one of his evil plans. Suddenly finding himself without a foe to overcome, the despondent evil genius decides that the only way out of his rut is to create a new super rival. He’s a bigger, better and stronger opponent than Metro Man ever was. But when the former good guy begins to wage his own war aimed at destroying the world, Megamind must decide: Can he defeat his own (now) diabolical creation? Can the world’s smartest man make the smart decision for once? Can the Evil Genius switch sides and become the Hero of his own story?

Genre: Animation
UK release date: 03/12/2010
Starring: Brad Pitt (voice), Will Ferrell (voice), Jonah Hill (voice)
Directed by: Tom McGrath

Despicable Me

In a happy suburban neighborhood surrounded by white picket fences with flowering rose bushes, sits a black house with a dead lawn. Unbeknownst to the neighbors, hidden beneath this home is a vast secret hideout. Surrounded by a small army of minions, we discover Gru (voiced by Steve Carell), planning the biggest heist in the history of the world. He is going to steal the moon (Yes, the moon!) in Universal’s new 3-D CGI feature, Despicable Me.
Gru delights in all things wicked. Armed with his arsenal of shrink rays, freeze rays, and battle-ready vehicles for land and air, he vanquishes all who stand in his way. Until the day he encounters the immense will of three little orphaned girls who look at him and see something that no one else has ever seen: a potential Dad.
The world’s greatest villain has just met his greatest challenge: three little girls named Margo, Edith and Agnes.

Quirky pillows

Post my pillow

A pillow with an attached marker where you can write a message then rinse it the next day with cold water. I’m not sure though if the marker ink will adhere to your face if you drool on it.

Sound Oasis Sleep Therapy Pillow

The pillow is embedded with two thin speakers so that you can play ambient sounds to help you sleep better at night.

iDream Pillows

The iDream Pillows from Studio Psyho has dream illustrations printed on it.

Blood Puddle Pillows

Well this one is good for a few laughs the first time around.

iSleep

Pulling an all-nighter, this pillow helps you get a power nap. Once you close your laptop lid, the pillow inflates via the attachment from your USB port and 10 mins later, music plays to wake you up.

Pillowig

Let’s you sleep whenever, wherever. (link)

Embossed Pillow

The words will be embossed on your face just in time for a loved one at breakfast.

Book Pillow

Girlfriend Pillow

uhm made by some Japanese manufacturer…kind of creepy actually.

Boyfriend Arm Pillow

And of course there’s also a pillow for girls, made by the same Japanese guys.

LED Light Alarm Clock Pillow

A pillow designed by Ian Walton for a visual alarm clock concept. The light lasts for 40 mins, sufficient time for you to wake up.