Holiday Glory

Sem break!! Holiday!! At last, I can breath for a while.... I miss my blogsite, I have a lot to
talk about I dn't even know where to start, hopefuly Ill get a new laptop this coming January.

Article 1

X-mas is here, can you feel it? I spent a big amount of money reluctantly shopping gifts for my friends,
relatives and inaanaks. My frustrating Santa Dreams is really awful.

Emptied bank accounts, emptied wallet, Oh Lord, I can really feel it.

Article 2

It's December and it's the time of the year when big music superstars release their
albums, this includes: Beyonce, Kanye West, Britney Spears etc.

Speaking of Britney It's nice to know that she's back with a number 1 album "Circus" A lot of music Moguls claims that it is the best comeback of all time, what can you say??

BTW, I got the new Kyla "Heart to Heart" Album. Can somebody get me the Amy Winehouse repackaged album "Frank"? (I wish)

Article 3

Has anyone seen the movie "Quarantine"? I went into this movie with fairly vague expectations - however I am a fan of scary movies, and not to mention a big fan of Jennifer Carpenter.

Quarantine is a remake of the 2007 Spanish picture REC where a news reporter and her cameraman find themselves tagging along on a rescue call with some police as ride alongs and get quite a bit more a story than they bargain for.
Seems like some nasty experiments which speed up the rabies disease have gotten out of the laboratory. It's that distress call that Jennifer Carpenter and Steve Harris are answering. When they get in there, they can't get out and neither can any of the residents. They've been quarantined by the CDC.

This movie made me physically sick. The content of the movie was what I expected, sort of...but the constant shaking and moving of the camera throughout the ENTIRE MOVIE caused me to become nauseated with a headache.try it. scary. funny and stressful.

How bout the MMFF movies?? well, what can I expect?

Article 4

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My holiday Season LSS? Leona’s new single, "Run"

"Run" is a cover of the Snow Patrol song, It became the UK's fastest-selling digital release ever, selling 69,244 copies in just two days.

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Leona Lewis Run Music Video

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Actually, I do have one reservation about this version. I’ve sat down and listened to the Snow Patrol version, and I’ve listened to the BBC Live Lounge version. My bone of contention with this version is how overblown the whole production is. It starts off nice and subtle, but by the end, there are children’s choirs, massive orchestra, and I distinctly heard the clank of a kitchen sink.

Still, in the midst of it all is Leona’s beautiful voice. She manages to swing between whispering, delicate vocals in the intro to powerful during the climax of the song. And she does it effortlessly.

Simon would remind us that she’s Britain’s hottest vocal talent right now, and for once he wouldn’t be blowing smoke up our asses. Run is a timely reminder that Leona is the X Factor contestant to beat, even two years later.

Happy Holidays!!
Enjoy!!

Jan Ashlee

Im still busy... (so much)

Just seen "Twilight" recently... makes me want to live in "Forks Town"

I loved this movie for the movie it was, nothing more. If you try and compare this movie to the book, of course you're going to end up hating the movie, because the book is, by far, way better. First of all, the movie does start off kind of slow. It's the type of film where they expect you to know everything about the story line in the first 10-15 minutes of the movie. It also does get kind of boring at parts, and some performances could've been better in many ways, but still, in my opinion, this movie indeed rocked. The characters were very well established, the fight/suspense scenes were cool and exciting, and I even began to shed a few tears with the every now and then romance.

All in all, I don't see how anyone can flat out hate this movie. It was very fun and entertaining and although it didn't "live up" to the book, it did a very good job, and to me, it was the best it could be without going too far into necessary details and focusing too much on describing each individual character perfectly. Great movie, needs a little bit more respect than it gets.

Anyway, Xmas is coming....keep your gifts coming too :) Haaaay.....Im sooo busy now.

Mabilisang review lang to,

Jan Ashlee

Holiday

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Unfortunately, my Laptop went on a holiday and I don't know when it will be back, so here I am in one of the computer shops that charges you per min of your broadband usage, and so Im gonna be quick since I only have a hundred bill on my pocket. hehe. ^-^

Article 1:

My close friend "Beejane" gave birth to a very gorgeous baby girl.... and of course I am one of the ninong, sometimes I wish my friends will stop producing offsprings to prevent me from having a long "Inaanak" list.

Article 2:

New job means New friends! I met two lovely ladies. Jessica is a shy and cute girl (of course she's crazy also, hindi lang halata) and Emji, three words to describe her? Crazy.Sexy.Cool

Together, we have a goal to have fun and errr, destroy the Earth?

I love y'all

Article 3:

I started playing tennis again. I have a new coach, a new raquet and tennis shoes. Im all set up to conquer Wimbledon hehe. ^_^

section 1: Jelena Jankovic, the Serbian babe is the new #1 WTA player. She's so consistent in her games that's why I love her. Go J.J!

Article 4:

Now is October and October means BEER! Octoberfest is ssso much fun! especially if it's happening at the roofdeck of your office. Thank you Transcom for bringing buckets of Beer in our office! at syempre mas masarap ang inuman kapag may bands to rock the night! Kjwan, MYMP, Imago, Fuse and Bamboo were all present to add fun troughout the party. Man, Im soo loving SMB hehe.

section 1: I l.o.v.e Kjwan! I reckon they are the best noypi band....

section 2: I l.o.v.e the free BBQ as well, unfortunately there's no free rice. (I think I'ts because of the rice crisis)

Article 5:

All saints Day is coming..... Too bad, kasi I have work on that day so I wont be able to visit my mum... tsk. tsk. I think she should visit me since I'ts more accessible naman for her eh. (Mum, wherever you are, Im just kiddin ok?) I love you.... you know that. ^_^

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****I'll Be Back! and so is my laptop.... (I think he's in Maldives)

Sleep Apnea

I have a sleep apnea.... I thought It was not that serious.... Often, people with sleep apnea don't know they have it. They're not aware that their breathing stops and starts many times while they're sleeping. Family members or bed partners usually are the first to notice signs of sleep apnea. I posted this for you to be aware of this not-so-silent killer.

What Is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a common disorder in which you have one or more pauses in breathing or shallow breaths while you sleep.

Breathing pauses can last from a few seconds to minutes. They often occur 5 to 30 times or more an hour. Typically, normal breathing then starts again, sometimes with a loud snort or choking sound.

Sleep apnea usually is a chronic (ongoing) condition that disrupts your sleep 3 or more nights each week. You often move out of deep sleep and into light sleep when your breathing pauses or becomes shallow.

This results in poor sleep quality that makes you tired during the day. Sleep apnea is one of the leading causes of excessive daytime sleepiness.

Untreated sleep apnea can:

Increase the risk for high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, obesity, and diabetes

Increase the risk for or worsen heart failure

Make irregular heartbeats more likely

Increase the chance of having work-related or driving accidents

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Sleep Apnea?

Major Signs and Symptoms

One of the most common signs of obstructive sleep apnea is loud and chronic (ongoing) snoring. Pauses may occur in the snoring. Choking or gasping may follow the pauses.

The snoring usually is loudest when you sleep on your back; it may be less noisy when you turn on your side. Snoring may not happen every night. Over time, the snoring may happen more often and get louder.

You're asleep when the snoring or gasping occurs. You will likely not know that you're having problems breathing or be able to judge how severe the problem is. Your family members or bed partner will often notice these problems before you do.

Not everyone who snores has sleep apnea.

Another common sign of sleep apnea is fighting sleepiness during the day, at work, or while driving. You may find yourself rapidly falling asleep during the quiet moments of the day when you're not active.

Other Signs and Symptoms

Others signs and symptoms of sleep apnea may include:

Morning headaches

Memory or learning problems and not being able to concentrate

Feeling irritable, depressed, or having mood swings or personality changes

Urination at night

A dry throat when you wake up

In children, sleep apnea can cause hyperactivity, poor school performance, and aggressiveness. Children who have sleep apnea also may have unusual sleeping positions, bedwetting, and may breathe through their mouths instead of their noses during the day.

Ghost Story

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Just wanna share this to you guys:

This story happened a few months ago along the Tagaytay Road. There was a guy who got left behind by a pack of mountain bikers. The group was large and he didn't bring a cellphone. He crashed his bike somewhere between Picnic Grove and DBP. To make things worse, a storm came in. So he walked. This guy was on the side of the road hitch hiking on a very dark night in the middle of a storm. The night passed slowly and no cars went by. The storm was so strong he could hardly see a few meters ahead of him.

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Suddenly, just before the junction going to Manila, he saw a car slowly looming, ghostlike, out of the gloom. It slowly crept toward him and stopped. It was raining hard, wind blowing all around, what would you do? Like you would, he got into the car and closed the door, then realized that there was nobody behind the wheel. The car slowly started moving again. The guy was terrified, too scared to think of jumping out and running. The guy saw that the car was slowly approaching a sharp curve. The guy started to pray, begging for his life; he was sure the ghost car would go off the road and he would plunge to his death, when just before the curve, a hand appeared through the window and turned the steering wheel, guiding the car safely around the bend. Terrified, the guy watched the hand reappear every time they reached a curve.

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Finally, the guy gathered his wits and leaped from the car and ran to the nearest place where there were houses.Wet and in shock, he went into a store and voice quavering, ordered two bottles of beer, and told the people about his horrible, supernatural experience. A silence enveloped everybody when they realized the guy was apparently sane and not drunk. About half an hour later two guys walked into the same store. One said to the other ........

"Yan! Yan yung tarantadong sumakay sa kotse habang nagtutulak tayo..."

Separated At Birth

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I Miss them sooo much....

Abby, Godfrey and Ashlee

We have our own lives now....

Hey! Aren't we supposed to go to Thailand this coming holiday season? :)

(you guys better not forget it!)

In 22

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Wheeew... Blogger Im back! my schedule is really crazy. Working and studying at the same time is really tough. The good thing is that our midterm exam is done.

There's so many things I wanna do but the bad thing is I don't have the t.i.m.e (I don't even have time to watch The Ghost Whisperer anymore) btw I was offered to run as a first year representative (student council) in PSBA, winning it wil be give me a chance to bag the scholarship program. Sadly there's lots of other things to focus on, like my God damn Physics subject! I wish this school semester finishes tomorrow!

Tomorrow is my Birthday! Wooohooo! (ok that was too much) I got a new haircut and went shopping yesterday. My birthday was never a big deal for me, ill probably work and sleep the whole day tomorrow, although I prefer to recieve a gift but I think no one is planning to do so. If u plan to give one I can give you my address.... hehe. Im 22! and Im still Schizophrenic.

Here's some stuff that caught my attention, this month's pick perhaps?! :)

Ok I was downloading songs for my ipod when I saw an advertisement of this new Showtime program "The Diary of a Call Girl" the girl sure looks familiar! it took me 5minutes to find out that it is actualy Ms. Billie Piper! the Pop princess itself is now a grown up err... call girl?

“Secret Diary” has amusing touches. Mostly the show indulges the common male fantasy that whores truly enjoy prostitution. The series was adapted from a bestselling book that began as a blog by an anonymous writer with the pen name Belle (as in the Catherine Deneuve movie “Belle de Jour”). The show is presented as the video diary of a high-class hooker who loves her work.

As Belle Ms. Piper is sexy and also appealing, Bridget Jones or Carrie Bradshaw as “The Happy Hooker.” The series tries to add some heft by padding the story with the complications of Belle’s double life, switching from her off-color career to her circle of friends and relatives, who know her as Hannah and have no idea that she is a call girl. Belle tells people that she works as a legal secretary in a huge international law firm with terrible hours.

The show’s overall tone is sassy and irreverent, but Belle’s adventures are mostly banal, a graduated and escalating series of classic scenes from X-rated movies, from oral sex to threesomes and orgies. So Fetch!....

Marie Digby, wheeew I love her! I can't take that "Say it again" song off my mind. This young, Los Angeles-based folk-pop lady rocketed to renown last year with a bare-bones YouTube cover of Rihanna's "Umbrella" that garnered millions of views and eventually found its way to top 40 radio and MTV's "The Hills." A slightly souped-up version of "Umbrella" closes out Marie Digby's debut, but original material dominates "Unfold," which should appeal to fans of Vanessa Carlton, Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson. As her YouTube clips make clear, Digby has a voice worthy of the solo-acoustic approach. Now this album deserves a spot on my ipod.

ok! I have to go.....I miss my blogsite so much! :) Is that 5000 readers already? oh my, that proves that a lot of people are being useless nowadays lmao :) this is so fetch. keep rockin.

I am me,

Jan ashlee

Liar, liar

Liar, liar,

It's your desire,

To put me in your hell,

Twisted stories,

Never-ending,

All this conflict,

My heart will never mend.

Sorry,

Just shove the words back in your mouth,

I cannot see the truth from lies,

It's blinding me, too harsh for my eyes.

Liar, liar,

See my eyes, they burn with fire,

See my cuts,

From you,

They can't undo,

Must you hurt me,

Use my pain for your pleasure.

On your knees,

Begging for forgiveness,

Mercy, please,

I can't take it, it eats me bit by bit.

Liar, liar,

With my tears do you get higher,

I fight the demon,

Ripped to pieces,

Torn apart,

Can't you see all of what you've done.

Liar, liar,

Leave me alone,

Go to hell,

That's where you belong.

-janashlee

Love Is...

"Do you ever put your arms out and just spin and spin and spin? Well, that's what love is like. Everything inside of you tells you to stop before you fall, but you just keep going."

Practical Magic

Soundcheck

***** Oooh, I'm Addicted to her!

One of the Boys was released by Capitol Records last June 17th, 2008 and debuted at Number 9 in the Billboard Charts. Her current single "I kissed a girl" is Number 1 in the billboard charts as well.

Ever since the November 2007 digital release of the hilarious, zeitgeist-capturing single “Ur So Gay,” Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Katy Perry has been wowing critics and fans alike (including the Queen of Pop herself, Madonna) with her big voice, sassy attitude, and feisty, confessional songs. Perry’s debut album, One of the Boys, is a sharp, witty pop-rock gem filled with candid tales of neurotic ex-boyfriends (“Hot N Cold,” “Ur So Gay”), crazy road trips with friends (“Waking Up in Vegas”), and figuring out who you are along the way (first single “I Kissed A Girl,” “Fingerprints”). While the album displays Perry’s feisty, girl-power swagger, it also reveals her more vulnerable side on such regretful ballads as “Lost,” “I’m Still Breathing,” and “Thinking of You.”“I think people appreciate a songwriter who shows different sides,” Perry says. “The whole angst thing is cool, but if that’s all you’ve got, it's just boring. Everything I write, whether it’s happy or sad, has a sense of humor to it. Someone told me the other day that I’m a bit like Lucille Ball. They said, ‘You look pretty put together on the outside, but inside there’s just something a bit wrong.’”Though, just 23, the Santa Barbara, CA-born Perry has been writing songs and playing guitar for several years, and possesses the flair and confidence of a veteran storyteller. Catch her in all her glory this summer when she joins the Vans Warped Tour for its entire coast-to-coast run.

Here's the sample: (tnx to Imeem.com)

katyperry.com

imeem.com

Positively Somewhere

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Yesterday: Things got really out of control this past months, I lost a job and I thought I was experiencing an emotional breakdown. I was so stressed out dealing with problems, there are even times when I get tired, really tired of thinking about solutions. Some said It was badluck but I say this will not happen if I was careful enough with my decisions. I was not organized, I was out of control, My friends are affected because of my attitude. I swear to God I almost led them to destruction!

I was very impatient and I always blame every single thing on earth for whats's happening to me. I knew deep inside that I killed myself. I thought I was stupid. I thought I was unworthy.

My Friends, they were always there for me. Always ready and willing to lend a hand. I thank God for blessing me with these kind of people. I love them so much!

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I recieved an SMS message from one of my friends and was moved by it:

"When it rains, all the birds fly for shelter. But Eagle alone avoids the
rain by flying above the clouds - Problems are common to all but attitude makes the difference."

It was a simple message. Yes. I'm an Eagle I thought. I realized na It's essential pala to see your problems objectively without pre-labeling them as negative..... Have fun or else your problems will have fun of you!

Problems, obstacles, disappointments, or whatever we like to call them, are a fact of life. Things simply do not always happen the way we want them to, or go according to plan. Everyone has to face and deal with problems throughout their lives. Being able to handle problems more effectively will make a great difference to our lives. The Power of Positive Thinking! Practice it!

Today: Well I'm back to school and things are going smoothly, I have a new job and a new crush :) Im a bit dissapointed coz I have to be away from my friends for a while but I believe na andyan lang sila sa tabi tabi and nothing will change sa friendship namin.

Happy Birthday Santi! My lovable Siberian Husky is now a year old!

Ok im sleepy nah. Im gonna finish a cool Anne Rice's book. Only a few chapters left! wheeew! that's new ha! (frustrated reader ba kamo?)

I am me,

Jan Ashlee

Major Victory for Animals: KFC Campaign

I have great news! Thanks to the help of PETA's more than 2 million members and supporters, we've just scored a major victory for chickens killed by fast-food chain KFC.

Following more than five years of intense campaigning, numerous undercover investigations, and over 12,000 demonstrations against KFC around the world, I'm happy to announce that KFC Canada will be making sweeping changes to the ways it raises and kills chickens slaughtered for its restaurants. KFC Canada agreed to this historic new animal welfare plan following seven months of closed-door negotiations with PETA. With today's announcement, the company plans to do the following:

-Phase in purchases of 100 percent of its chickens from suppliers that use controlled-atmosphere killing (CAK)—the least cruel form of poultry slaughter ever developed. KFC Canada is the first major restaurant chain to commit to phasing in the exclusive purchasing of chicken meat from CAK slaughterhouses.

-Make a vegan faux-chicken item available at the majority of KFC restaurants in Canada.

-Improve its animal welfare criteria to reduce the number of broken bones and other injuries suffered by birds.

-Urge its suppliers to adopt better practices, including improved lighting, lower stocking density and ammonia levels, and a phaseout of growth-promoting drugs and breeding practices that painfully cripple chickens.

-Form an animal welfare advisory panel to monitor the changes and recommend further advancements.

However, outside Canada, KFC has yet to stop the worst abuses of chickens. We are now focusing on using this momentum to force KFC—both in the United States and around the world—to meet the new standards set by KFC Canada. By making an urgent donation today, you can help our campaign work to spread these improvements for animals to all of KFC's stores worldwide.

In short, PETA's KFC campaign is far from over. We will continue to pressure KFC to stop the worst abuses of chickens, like scalding birds to death, slitting their throats while they're still conscious, and drugging and breeding them to grow so large that they cripple beneath their own weight.

Please write to KFC in the U.S. using its on-line comment form urging it to make the same changes worldwide that KFC Canada has made. Please also take a moment to e-mail info@priszm.com (KFC Canada's parent company) and thank them for raising the bar on animal welfare.

P.S. There are still tens of millions of chickens who are routinely raised and slaughtered by KFC in the United States and other countries each year; they suffer through the same conditions that are no longer tolerated by KFC Canada. By making a much-needed donation today, you can help us fight and win better lives for all chickens killed for KFC worldwide.

Jan Ashlee

Updates recieved from Ms. Ingrid Newkirk

PETA President

PETA 501 Front St.,

Norfolk, VA 23510

United States

EyeCatcher of the Month

Blogsite of the Month: http://www.charlieedisonandsophia.blogspot.com/

Follow Sophia's love story, Charlie's misadventures and Edison's frustrations.

Know more about them! Unveil their secrets, lies, the real them. Explore their complex social life. Appreciate their wit and goodwill. Hate their bitchslaps. Rave for their style. Love their sense of who they are. Sophia. Charlie. Edison. Who are they?

Visit Sophia, Charlie and Edison regularly, they might be your friend, your cousin, your workmate, your crush, your neighbor, a complete stranger or YOU!

Kentucky Fried Cruelty: For You

How about a bucket?

Ghost Whisperer

"My name is Melinda Gordon, I just got married. I just moved to a small town. I just opened an antiue shop. I might be just like you. Except from the time I was a little girl I knew I could talk to the dead. Earthbound spirits my grandmother called them. The ones who have not crossed over because they have unfinished business with the living and they come to me for help. To tell you my story. I have to tell you theirs."

I have decided not to let other critics try to influence my opinions. Okay, I’m not a robot…I can make up my own mind obviously, but sometimes the opinions of other critics make me dread watching a movie or a TV show. Almost every critic said that CBS’s “Ghost Whisperer” wasn’t a good show, so when I finally got the opportunity to watch my DvD’ed episodes of the show, I really liked it.

When Melinda Gordon was little, she saw dead people, but rather than be freaked out by them, she used her ability to help people by communicating with them and resolving unfinished business with the living before they crossed over into Heaven or wherever. They were “Earthbound spirits” her grandmother (June Squibb), who had the gift as well, used to call them. Now that she is an adult, Melinda (Jennifer Love Hewitt) still sees ghosts, but she doesn’t always understand her powers. The living don’t always believe that she sees ghosts (they think that she is a con artist), and the dead don’t always believe that they are really dead. She recently became married to Jim Clancy (David Conrad), a paramedic working at Mercy Hospital, and she moved with him to a small town called Grandview. Jim decided to become a paramedic after watching his younger brother Dan (Rodney Scott) die when they were children in an accident. He is supportive of Melinda and her talents, but he only asks if she can balance it with the rest of the things in their life. Currently, he has been busy renovating the house that they live in when he isn’t at work. Melinda’s friend and business partner in their antique store called Same As It Never Was Antiques, Andrea Moreno (Aisha Tyler), knows about her powers as well, but isn’t always sure how to help her. She was an assistant D.A. back in New York, but now she likes the small town life. Melinda is sometimes confused by the messages given to her by the ghosts, but she always helps her clients, alive or dead, find their emotional closure before they go into the light (which only the ghost can see.)

The ghosts come in three versions: silly, sweet, and (supposedly) scary. The silly ones are the average-looking people whom Melinda doesn’t even realize is a ghost until they notice that she can see them (and they usually ask for simple things, like finding a safe deposit key in a raincoat pocket.) The sweet ones aren’t scary, but they are sappy as heck. They usually just want to tell a living loved one that they love them or they ask for their forgiveness. The scary ones look like they just crawled out of the grave, and the ominous music plays in the background (followed by trippy dreams, a la NBC’s “Medium.”) They don’t scare me, and so far, they never mean any harm to Melinda or anyone else (except when they try to encourage the living to do harm, when they make things explode to freak the living out, or when they want to mess with the living’s head by possessing them.)

John Gray created the show, and it is based in part on the work of medium James Van Praagh (who also serves as the co-executive producer for the show.) It isn’t very scary, but it is heartwarming, which is an odd mixture. I like to think of it more as a “Highway to Heaven”-type show rather than a “Touched By an Angel”-type show, only because the acting and writing is better.

No offense to Patricia Arquette, but I personally think that Hewitt is a better actress than she is (Arquette may have won the Emmy for Best Actress in “Medium,” but I was shocked that she was even nominated, much less won…and I like the show!) Sure…Hewitt is obviously hot, and she doesn’t hide her ample assets in some of those tops she wears, but hotness doesn’t always translate into good acting. She can be believable in her character, and her chemistry with Conrad is good. He is just essentially a plot device, since he doesn’t have too many scenes, but I like him. Tyler is another matter. I liked her when she was the host of E!’s “Talk Soup,” but as an actress, she isn’t the best. I hope that they do an episode where gets to stretch her chops a little more.

I guess my other fear about watching the show was the involvement of Van Praagh. I hated the 2002 CBS miniseries “Living with the Dead,” starring Ted Danson, and his show “Beyond with James Van Praagh” was just a rip-off of “Crossing Over with John Edwards” (actually…both shows sucked.) Maybe the problem is that I don’t believe in ghosts. It’s weird, because I do believe in some superstitions and fate. Real ghost stories are always lame to watch for me personally (that’s why I don’t like the Sci-Fi Channel’s “Ghost Hunters”), but fictional ghost stories aren’t bad if they are told right, and this show gets it right.

Am I glad that “Ghost Whisperer” replaced one of my favorite shows on TV…“The OC?” No, I’m not…but at least I’m not from the same crowd that is panning it. If I did believe in ghosts, it would be a nice thought that there were real spirits out there that wanted help from me so that they could go into the light. This show may be a little sappy at times, but the good writing and performances save it from going overboard in the sap department.

Celebrity Infatuation

“Miley’s New Diet”, “Tom & Katie: All About The Baby” “Ashlee and Pete: Now What?” These are just a few headlines of magazines I recently observed while standing in line at the grocery store. Six out of eight magazines that were displayed near the checkout stand were celebrity gossip related tabloid magazines. Us weekly, Entertainment Weekly, Star, People, all situated at the top of the row, while Time Magazine, Newsweek and a couple health related magazines held a place below. The reason for their placement is quite obvious; gossip magazines are superior in sales. There’s a reason why the first photograph of Jennifer Lopez holding her newborn babies was sold to a dozen different magazines at $30,000 a piece, earning the photographer more than a quarter of a million dollars for one photo. Americans continue purchasing these magazines, the paparazzi will continue snapping photographs and the celebrities continue to cash in. Movie stars get paid more than doctors & scientists, and soldiers trudging through the sand with bullets overhead are lucky to get a shiny nickel. These tabloids play the role of a drug, feeding societies cultural syndrome of celebrity infatuation. The passionate imaginary relationships through media and fantasy are a characteristic of contemporary American society. So why and how are we infected?

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Celebrity figures are precisely packaged through makeup, camera angles, airbrushing and film editing giving them godlike qualities that a human cannot maintain. There is a certain extreme some celebrity obsessed individuals will go to, and that extreme is trying to aquire their physical characteristics by going under the knife. Societies infatuation with celebrities and our desire to acquire these features has taken plastic surgery to a different level. There’s even a television show on MTV called “I Want A Famous Face”, where every week 2 individuals decide to go through plastic surgery to look like their favorite celebrity. A 16 year old girl lays on her bed looking around at the vast array of Shia Labeouf posters which now looks like one uniform wallpaper collage covering her bedroom walls. She collects magazine clippings, movies, pins, memorabilia & she would even buy Shia Labeouf toothpaste if it were available. Long imaginary conversations are held between her and a photograph of Labeouf. Daydreams of the day she meets him, dates him and eventually has his children take up a considerable fraction of her day. Long love letters are written to him and sent to his talent agency. Is her artificial love relationship any different from a relationship a 16 year old has with a real boyfriend? The intensity is definitely as strong as a real affair. What strikes her to give into these sort of relationships? Where does it all begin? The girl must be regularly carried away into dramatic social situations through the media. For example the girl in this case will see all of Shia Labeouf’s films, and in all of them she is exposed to him in a romantic emotion-envoking way. With each additional film she watches, her feelings are reinforced. His characters are constantly in the role of the hero & romancer. Shia Labeouf’s personality is now associated with these characters, and the positive feelings that his characters have brought her. A real relationship unfortunately consists of some negative features, while a fantasy relationship does not. So is it surprising that this teenage girl is keeping her fictional relationship?

Will our obsession with celebrities ever cease? As long as the media dedicates themselves to the glorification of the celebrity, the obsession will continue. We will continue to call upon celebrities to host red cross telethons and give the terminator the upper hand during a political election. We’ll hear about Tom Cruise’s rants on psychiatry and Angelina Jolie’s efforts to save third world countries one child at a time on shows such as The Insider, Entertainment Tonight & Access Hollywood. Headlines such as Mariah Carey's secret marriage will continue to overshadow newsworthy stories, and the tabloids will remain on the top row at the check-out stand.

Mother's Day W/o My Mum

How do you celebrate Mother's Day without ur mum? It's pretty tough ayt? It's been 8 years, 4 months and 11 days since the last time I celebrated Mother's Day with her......

I miss her so much...... her hugs, her loud voice everytime na nagagalit sya, her soft kisses, at ang food trip! (chinatown) ^_^



Fact: Malalaman mo lang ang importance ng isang tao kapag nawala sya.

I am not alone but I find that only other people who have lost their mothers understand the black hole that we stare in during Mother’s Day. We have to find within ourselves that place where we can focus on the beauty of our relationships with our moms that molded us. But some of us hit the angries. And when we get there, it’s always startling. It’s most surprising because we think we are over it. You never get over it. I still miss her like crazy. And I hope I haven't made up some fake, super happy version of her in my mind since she's been gone. I want to remember her reality. I still beg her to visit me in dreams. My friends all have problem relationships with their Mothers and I would give anything just to hug my Mum, once.

For those of you, who have lost a Mum or another loved one, try to remember the wonderful memories you shared with them and build new memories to share with those living.

Happy Mother's Day to all!

xoxo,

ash

Happyness

I recently joined this cool online group "ILuvRizal"

I know na Im not that type of person na mahilig sumali sa mga groups and I know that I dn't have enough time to mingle around and stay active online with them, however I find this group very refreshing....

I met a lot of good and fun people and yeah Im enjoying my stay here! I hope lumaki pa ang group nato para mas masaya..... and I hope hindi ako I banned for not having time to visit this group's thread hehe. (I know they won't hehe)

Ok I have a new job in a new location, new friends, new school, new life (I guess) and NO new relationship of course! lol. Im happy even though single ako Im satisfied with my life now.

although syempre mas masarap yung may honey bunch luvsy doodles (terms of endearment ng two cheesy friends ko) Im kinda not thinking bout it now.....

I dn't know why pero lately ang dami kong friends na:

1. depperessed kasi they dont have any partners...ang dull daw ng life..

(anu ba yun!? hehe) talaga bang ganun?? or nasanay lang sila ng may partner to depend on?

2. deppressed kasi iniwan ng bf/gf... pathetic daw sila... (pangit ako, mas deserving yung pinalit sakin and all of those crappy stuff)

I believe na we dn't actualy need to have a partner to be happy in this life eh... I mean there are so many fun things out there! you have your friends and family to spend time with... try to appreciate the things around you and stop thinking na loser ka for being single....yup it is hard to fight loneliness... ^_^ but kung makakahanap ka ng ibang bagay to divert that loneliness magiging happy ka at blooming pa! :p who knows dahil sa"fun spirit" that you have makakilala ka pa ng susunod mong partner... ^_^ I posted these things not just for my friends, para din po to sa inyong mga readers...I know some of you are experiencing this right now..... be happy ok?! ^_^ I made a list of things that you can do to help urself grow and boost your self esteem... I hope this will come handy....

Take stock of yourself.
Begin by asking yourself which areas of your life and personality need the most work. What changes would you be most proud of, and find most fulfilling? Compose a list of them—five, perhaps, or ten at the most (if you’re really self-critical!). Rank them. Think about how you can go about improving each point.

Build yourself up.
Don’t get discouraged, dwelling too much on the areas you want to improve. Remind yourself of the progress you’ve made thus far in life. Pat yourself on the back for having enough determination to try self-improvement in the first place. You’re on the right track!

How will you get there?
It’s not enough to decide where you want to go in terms of self-esteem; it’s more important to ask how you’re going to get there. Also, who can help get you there? Who can you trust for help, and for counsel, and even for a shoulder to cry on, if you have a temporary setback?

Counter-attack.
Tired of suffering the blows of fate? Tired of feeling like the football of the gods? Go on the counter-attack! Take action! Formulate a battle-plan, and assert yourself. You can make things happen. You can dish it too, instead of just absorbing blows.

Spread the wealth.
Self-esteem is something of incomparable value. At the same time, it’s something you’ve got to give in order to get. The more you build up the people around you, the more that same enthusiasm and confidence will reflect back on you. Spread that sense of optimism and excitement to every member of your team.

Branch out.
Extend your sphere of influence, and allow yourself to be influenced by interesting and stimulating new people, as you become a member of new organizations and interest groups. Find people who share your passions, and exchange ideas.

Engage in extra-curricular activities.
Take up a new side project, something you’ll enjoy. Make it something you’ll find relaxing, and yet exhilarating at the same time. Something that will improve you and make you a more well-rounded person. Perhaps it’ll be a hobby or club or recreational activity.

Never stop learning.
Don’t allow your thinking to stagnate. Join a class, on some topic you’re interested in—even if it’s something not directly connected with, say, your career, or your primary goal in life. As long as you’re passionate about it, you’ll benefit from this intellectual stimulation. Its positive effects on your main interests may surprise you.

and do not forget to:

Count your blessings.
Never forget to remind yourself of how blessed and, ultimately, how happy you really are. Consider it an added bonus if your dreams come true; if they don’t, right away at least, you’ll enjoy the challenge, at the very least.

Harassment, Ice Cream and Diamonds

Wheeew!.... It's been 31 days since my last posting here on my blogsite.... I decided to stop for a while because of some disparaging comments that I keep on recieving......

Bullying and harassment are two actions that have a huge impact on how people perceive themselves and the world around them, to be exact I know a lot of people who decided to shut down their own blogsites because of these online bullies. Now tell me do people get pleasures in mocking some other people's lives? It just doesn't make any sense.

OK Summer is really IN! I can really feel the global warming!.... All I wish to do is eat Ice cream inside a refrigerator, good thing I was lucky enough to dip my body into a very cold swimming pool along with my friends!....

While other folks spent the holiday weekend getting the crap beat outta them at shopping malls (or, literally, losing their wigs in pursuit of bargains), I was trying to answer a question that had troubled me for years: what exactly is The Truth About Diamonds? Fortunately, Nicole Richie has "written" a book about this very topic. Nicole's main character in her novel is, guess who? Nicole Richie! Not only does she narrate the story herself, but her main character, Chloe Parker, bears an uncanny resemblance to Ms. Richie.

Let's see: Chloe is the adopted daughter of a famous 80's pop star; she's a major league druggie, with druggie pals who are also the spawn of celebs; she gets offered a chance to star in a reality commercials with another famous no-talent celeb; she ends up in rehab; she cleans up her life; and finally falls in love with a club DJ.

Sound familiar? Granted, the main rule in literature is writing about what you know, but this seems like ego indulgence to the second power. The flip side? If you've ever dreamed of saying "tell me a bedtime story, Nicole," this book is for you.Richie's novel is divided into two sections: before Nicole's (oops, Chloe's) rehab, and after.

Playing an integral part in the story is Paris Hilton (oops, Simone). While Nicole insists that Simone is a "composite character," again, see if you can tell the similarities: they're both famous for being famous; they both use animals as fashion accessories; they both don't wear undies; and they both killed their nannies. (Okay, that last one is something Paris didn't do, I think.)Even though this is Richie's first novel, there are some glaring inaccuracies that her ghostwriter she should have fact checked.

The worst offense? Referring to Bambi as a female, when he's in fact male. (Otherwise, there was more freaky stuff going on in that forest than Bambi's mom getting blown away.)So what exactly is the truth about diamonds? Simple: This book ain't one of 'em. Still, given the choice of reading Richie's book or being trampled to death at shopping malls this was the safer choice. The only thing I injured here were some brain cells, and after watching a full episode of Hana Kimi ^_^ I wasn't worried about them anyhow.

Disturbed

I was in Ricky Reyes getting a new haircut when the least expected person approached me... My freakin Ex....

The last person that I would like to see....

breath in... breath out.... haaaaytz.... then my life must move on. again.

Ive already included that person in my 500 people Ill meet in hell list...

The Stars of My Life

To My Kindred Spirit

We share secrets, we laugh and even cry,

We have so much in common,

Concerns, likes and dislikes.

Ours is a relationship joined by

Tender velvet chains that link our

similar dreams of life and love.

A gentle intuition guides us in our

individual struggles to succeed

at the things we pursue, to stand

out from the crowd.

In you I have found so much of myself

Including many of the same

Insecurities and philosophies.

Complete inner-peace and happiness,

These are the things I wish for you,

in the present and in the future

because you are my kindred spirit.

-Jan Ashlee

Keep Wondering

I hope Im up to a fresh start this year. Im gonna concentrate on my career and I'll probably say PASS into dating and relationship hazards. lol. blah..blah..blah..

Ok.... last week I was inTanay, Rizal. It was my last Team building with Xbox's Monster Madness.. haaaytz.. I really miss my friends and sometimes I feel like I'm suffering a Separation Anxiety or sumthing ^_^ I'm blessed to be a part of this team. We are one big family. I Love these people! and they will be forever in my heart.....

I remember a couple of months ago hearing the story of Barry Winchell on A&E. I was so hurt and disgusted by the fact that something like this could happen and the person that did this awful thing was not put to death. So later when I heard about Soldier's Girl, I decided to rent it and check it out. I put it in and was entranced by this amazing love story. I was moved to tears, which is a difficult thing for me to do. The story was so loving and yet so tragic. Like Calpernia says in the beginning of the movie, "I'm going to tell you a story, like all great stories, it is a love story. And like all great love stories, it's tragic." The movie broke my heart and I was upset to know that USA let this happen and go unpunished in my opinion. Facing the homophobia of society is tough for any person, I know this first hand. Barry Winchell was a resilient person to be able to take what he took from others, and not let them stop him from falling in love. Best movie I've seen based on a true story in awhile. I would recommend this to everyone. BTW This film was written by Ron Nyswaner and directed by Frank R. Pierson, with Troy Garity starring as Barry and Lee Pace starring as Calpernia.

I'ts funny how my blogsite meter reached almost 2000 visitors in just two months time....keep visiting my site and continue giving out ideas to make my life better.. hehe. just kidding.

Refreshed

I Love Baguio! As promised Here are the photos:

I swear to God I'm gonna miss these Guyz! See yah all in Boracay this Summer!

Philippines = Corruption

What on earth is exactly happening to our country? First of all, I salute Mr. Rodolfo Lozada for having enough guts to stand in front of the senate and testify everything that he knows about the ZTE Scandal, Kudos to you man! the whole Philippines is hungry for the truth....



Here's a very well presented facts and personal opinions of one of my favorite columnist Mr. Rey O. Arcilla of The Malaya Newspaper. I completely agree to this, looks like PGMA is eyeing on the same route as Thaksin Shinawatra's... (Ooooh, a little originality won't hurt maam') read on guys:
***
Ms. Arroyo said she had the ZTE deal "discreetly investigated" and found reports of bribery were "uncorroborated." (Imagine a contorted smiley at the end of this sentence.) Now that CHED chairman Romulo Neri stated under oath that Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos offered him a bribe of P200 million and that he (Neri) told her about it, shouldn’t that be enough corroboration? Or will she say Neri’s testimony must be corroborated as well? That would be tantamount to calling him a liar. He’s a member of her official family.

***
Didn’t Ms. Arroyo break the law when, after Neri had told her of the bribe offer to him of P200 million by Abalos, she still approved the ZTE deal? She even left her sick husband and went to Boao, China, to witness its signing. Come to think of it, what her trumpeters said then seems very apt. They boasted that she successfully bagged the multimillion-dollar Chinese contracts "like a thief in the night" or something to that effect.

***
Apparently, Ms. Arroyo believes that one of the best ways to defuse or kill a controversy is to create a commission, panel, committee or what-have-you ostensibly to investigate or prevent it from happening again. In the wake of the ZTE scandal, Ms. Arroyo created the Procurement Transparency Group (PTG) that would "ensure transparency and good governance in our massive public investments."
Not content with that, she also created a special panel to "oversee projects" under the China official development assistance program. She called it the Pro-Performance and Transparency Group under Trade secretary Peter Favila. There was no need to create those bodies. There are existing ones whose functions cover those she spelled out for both, namely, the Ombudsman and the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC).

***
Sometimes I wonder, aside from being identified as an administration ally, if Senator Joker Arroyo is more than just a namesake of the squatter in Malacañang. First, he said the Senate was spending too much time on the ZTE scandal. I don’t think so. If it would mean sparing the taxpayers of having to pay a rotten deal $329 million in the next 20 years, the Senate can spend as much time as it needs to get to the bottom of the scandal.
Then he was reported to have "stopped" CHED chairman Neri from spilling the beans on Ms. Arroyo during the executive session held by the Senators immediately after the last hearing on the ZTE deal. If true, I say Senator Arroyo would do well to drop his pretenses and start lawyering for his namesake.

***
Except for what in my view were a couple of mis-steps, there is no doubt US Ambassador Kristie Kenney is a darn good diplomat. For one thing, her timing is impeccable. With the growing "closeness" of the Arroyo regime with rival China evidently in mind, Kenney wasted no time giving reassurance that the US remains bullish on the Philippines despite the raging controversy over the ZTE deal. Neat.

***
Not to the be outdone, however, the economic and commercial counselor of the Chinese Embassy said a couple of days later that despite the suspension of the projects ordered by Ms. Arroyo and the Supreme Court, economic and trade cooperation between the Philippines and China will not be affected. "In China, we believe that a friend in need is a friend indeed," he said.

***
Shinzo Abe resigned as Japanese prime minister when his popularity rating dipped because of several gaffes. Two of his agriculture ministers resigned for reasons of propriety. In Thailand, three cabinet members have resigned over some irregularity or difference of opinion with the ruling junta. The latest resignation involves the interior minister who acknowledged that his ministry bought $188,000 worth of canned fish from a company which he partly owned. Here? Forget it!

***
Hernando Perez, former justice secretary in Ms. Arroyo’s cabinet, must be a happy man these days.
Businessman and former Manila Rep. Mark Jimenez has "unconditionally" withdrawn the extortion complaint he filed with the Ombudsman against Perez for allegedly demanding from him $2 million in 2001.
Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez had earlier said it was established that Perez took advantage of his position to demand the $2 million from Jimenez in exchange for excluding him as respondent in the plunder case filed against former President Joseph Estrada. For some reason, the case against Perez never reached the Sandiganbayan. Perez has maintained that the accusation against him was baseless. Somehow, I feel Jimenez must be happy too. I wouldn’t be surprised if he got his money back and perhaps more. In fact, he was reported to have said "I am rich again" after announcing his decision to drop the case against Perez.

LSS....

I L.O.V.E this song!......

"Bleeding Love" was written by Jesse McCartney (yes him!)

It entered both the UK and Irish Singles Charts at number one. It stayed at the top of the UK chart for seven weeks and the Irish chart for eight. It has also been number one in the singles charts of New Zealand, Australia, Bulgaria, Germany and Austria. On 16 December 2007, "Bleeding Love" won The Record of the Year 2007 award.

More Videos

Closed off from love I didn’t need the pain
Once or twice was enough And it was all in vain
Time starts to pass Before you know it you’re frozen
But something happened For the very first time with you
My heart melts into the ground Found something true
And everyone’s looking round Thinking I’m going crazy

But I don’t care what they say I’m in love with you
They try to pull me away But they don’t know the truth
My heart’s crippled by the vein That I keep on closing
You cut me open and I

Keep bleeding Keep, keep bleeding love
I keep bleeding I keep, keep bleeding love
Keep bleeding Keep, keep bleeding love
You cut me open

Trying hard not to hear But they talk so loud
Their piercing sounds fill my ears Try to fill me with doubt
Yet I know that the goal Is to keep me from falling
But nothing’s greater Than the rush that comes with your embrace
And in this world of loneliness I see your face
Yet everyone around me Thinks that I’m going crazy, maybe, maybe

But I don’t care what they say I’m in love with you
They try to pull me away But they don’t know the truth
My heart’s crippled by the vein That I keep on closing
You cut me open and I....

Keep bleeding Keep, keep bleeding love
I keep bleeding I keep, keep bleeding love
Keep bleeding Keep, keep bleeding love
You cut me open

And it’s draining all of me
Oh they find it hard to believe
I’ll be wearing these scars For everyone to see

I don’t care what they say I’m in love with you
They try to pull me away But they don’t know the truth
My heart’s crippled by the vein That I keep on closing
You cut me open and I....

Keep bleeding Keep, keep bleeding love
I keep bleeding I keep, keep bleeding love
Keep bleeding Keep, keep bleeding love
You cut me open and I....

Keep bleeding Keep, keep bleeding love
I keep bleeding I keep, keep bleeding love
Keep bleeding Keep, keep bleeding love
You cut me open and I Keep bleeding Keep, keep bleeding love

And the Winner is......

Australian Open 2008 women's singles champion Maria Sharapova says her victory is just reward for all the hard work she has put in over recent months.

Sharapova struggled with injury for much of 2007 but finally managed to shake off most of her ailments in the latter part of the year and returned to some of the tennis that she's renowned for when she reached the final at the WTA Tour Championships.

And having avenged her defeat to Justine Henin in that final in Madrid when she won her quarter-final against the Belgian world No.1 earlier this week, Sharapova completed her third Grand Slam win with a 7-5 6-3 defeat of Serbian Ana Ivanovic.

"When you're going through tough moments, you never know
when you're going to have good moments. I'm just so
thankful that I got this one"
-Sharapova

Sharapova is obviously confident any time she enters a Grand Slam that she can go all the way, but two of her biggest goals for the rest of 2008 would surely be trying to complete a career slam and also success at the Beijing Olympics.

And if she can maintain the stellar form that took her to this breakthrough on Saturday, few would bet against the Russian being right in the hunt at the business end of many major tournaments for years to come.

notes from australianopen.com

Sharapova VS Ivanovic

- Saturday's final marks the fifth clash between Ana Ivanovic and Maria Sharapova, but is their first meeting in a final.

- Amazingly, all four matches between the two to date have finished in two sets

- Head-to-head: Ivanovic 2 - 2 Sharapova

- Their only previous meeting in a Grand Slam was at last year's French Open semifinal, where Ivanovic prevailed in straight sets

- Ivanovic is aiming for her first Grand Slam title; Sharapova is chasing her third

- Ivanovic will edge ahead of Svetlana Kuznetsova in the world rankings regardless of Saturday's result and will become the world No.2 when she leaves Melbourne Park

- Sharapova will remain world No.5

- En route to the final Ivanovic has lost only one set, while Sharapova is yet to have lost one.

It's the clash of the hot babes!... who do you think will win?

Contemplating

Ooopsie!, I forgot my blogsite already (Do you like the new look?)..... Well How's lyf? After resigning from work I finally got the time to sit down, think and decide what I really wanna do with my life. I guess Im coping with that "Quarter Life Crisis" drama, I can say that I was really burned out from work I need to unwind a little, I need to stop and think. Anyway Ill be heading to Baguio City this coming Feb. 09 for the 2008 Panagbenga Festival, It's gonna be a blooming trip for me.. hehe. I'm excited! I love baguio! the people, the weather, the food, the city!

Me and my bestfriend decided to take extra courses for fashion merchandizing, we're gonna need a lot of knowledge for our soon to be made business (and I mean entrepreneurship) I still can't come up with a nice brand name though, if you have any suggestions please leave a comment....

2007 is a succesful year for PETA. PETA secured landmark victories for animals when Burger King, Hardee's, and Carl's Jr. agreed to increase their purchases of pig meat and eggs from suppliers that don't confine animals to cages and crates that are so small that the animals can't even turn around. Wendy's also agreed to increase its purchases of crate-free pig meat, and all four restaurant chains agreed to give purchasing preference or consideration to companies that switch to controlled-atmosphere killing (CAK)—the least cruel method of slaughtering chickens. With CAK, birds are killed quickly and painlessly—using nonpoisonous gasses—while they are still in their transport cages. These changes were a direct result of PETA's corporate negotiations and campaign pressure. They will, without question, improve the lives of tens of millions of individual chickens and pigs.

And yes...ME? still single.... If you have any suggestions you can leave a comment too... ^_^