Chloe has this innocent vibe about her.. doe-eyed and demure, she instantly won over the brothers’ affection

You can’t see it clearly on these pics, but she has curly lashes! The groomer must have deliberately done it that way haha

Nash, Sean, and Chloe: from big to small, on the cage where they are trained to poop and pee appropriately (but oftentimes doesn’t work!)

The ceremonial photo by my portrait, hehe

Is anybody looking?

Hmm… looks like the coast is clear…

Pa-kiss nga!

*escape, escape!*

Whoa, who would have thought!? I have become quite the dog lover!

Related posts:

1. Nash and Sean’s Halloween Dress-up ‘09
2. Nash and Sean at my parents’ house
3. Life with Nash and Sean

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1. Nash and Sean
2. morsels 07.27.09 – Sean comes home
3. Nash and Sean at my parents’ house

And so far so good! Here are the new stuff I fire up on my idiot box:

1. Eastwick is an American television drama series created by Maggie Friedman. The series is a television adaption of the John Updike novel, The Witches of Eastwick, and its 1987 film adaptation. The show premiered on September 23, 2009 at 10:00 PM ET. The show follows the lives of three strangers, Roxanne, Joanna and Kat, who meet at a wishing fountain and soon become friends. A mysterious man named Darryl Van Horne has moved to Eastwick and has sinister plans for the women, but befriends them. Even more dangerous, he unleashes their supernatural powers. By igniting their hearts’ desires, he might just be opening Pandora’s box.

My thoughts: This series looks like it’s a cross between Charmed (starring Shannen Doherty and Alyssa Milano) and some girl-centric comedy drama (think Sex and the City, Lipstick Jungle, or Desperate Housewives). It’s light and frothy fare, a worthy time-passer.

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2. FlashForward is a science-fiction television series currently in production by ABC Studios for the 2009–2010 television season for ABC. It is based on the 1999 novel Flashforward by Canadian science fiction writer Robert J. Sawyer. It began airing on September 24, 2009. A mysterious global event causes everyone on the planet to simultaneously lose consciousness for 2 minutes and 17 seconds, during which people worldwide see what may be visions of their lives approximately six months in the future, April 29, 2010. The event results in deaths from accidents and leaves the survivors wondering whether what they saw will really happen.

My thoughts: With no less than Shakespeare in Love’s Joseph Fiennes at the lead, FlashForward looks to be the intriguing sci-fi hit I’d get giddy downloading — much in the mold of Heroes season 1 and Fringe. I’m about to watch episode 2 right after publishing this entry!

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3. Melrose Place is an American television series for The CW Television Network,^[1] that premiered on September 8, 2009. The fifth series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise, it is an updated version of the 1990s FOX prime time drama Melrose Place, featuring a group of young adults living in a West Hollywood, California apartment complex. Smallville producers Todd Slavkin and Darren Swimmer are show runners of the series. According to Entertainment Weekly, the first season will feature a murder mystery involving characters Sydney Andrews (Laura Leighton) and Dr. Michael Mancini (Thomas Calabro) from the original series, as well as a crop of new residents.

My thoughts: I watched the original Melrose Place series back in the day, and found the ludicrous partner-switching and shameless betrayals amusing. Soapy, sappy, and full of eye candy, this show looks to be part of my regular downloading stash for a while.

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4. Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox. It focuses on a high school show choir, also known as a glee club, set within the fictional William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio. A pilot episode of the show was broadcast after American Idol on May 19, 2009, and the first season began airing on September 9, 2009. On September 21, 2009, Fox officially gave the series a full-season pick-up. The show was created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan, and originally envisioned as a film rather than a TV series. Murphy selects all music featured within the series himself, and intends to maintain a balance between show tunes and chart hits.

My thoughts: Glee has the inimitable appeal of old school teenybopper series, laced with loads of crowd-tested musical pop. Surprisingly entertaining to some and hugely successful with most, the series has captured a massive global audience since its debut. I like the good music, the formidable cast, and so far, the bouncy plot. B)

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Here are three of the series I am looking forward to watching.

Fringe Season 2 (thanks Ethan!)

Heroes Season 4 (Volume 5: Redemption)

Big Bang Theory Season 3

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Here are some pics from a recent visit when I brought my camera.

Walkway from the main entrance point

Wholly Cow’s Lechon Baka — a roast cow is on every week!

One of my favorites: My Goodness Foods that Nourish. Love their Balabars, Gopalabars and peanut butter cookies.

The retail stall of La Cocina de Tita Moning

I love their chicken relleno / galantina and bread pudding. Check out the restaurant review here.

I found a couple of interesting-looking squashes or squash-like gourds — no idea what they’re called

Fruit stalls

Kefir Probiotics

One of my favorite desserts — baklava! The hazelnut and pistachio varieties are yummy

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1. La Cocina de Tita Moning (San Miguel, Manila)
2. Apartment 1B (Salcedo Village, Makati): review + shoot
3. The Stock Market (Bonifacio High Street)

Glutinous Rice Meatballs

They come in a plate of 8, available at DEC stores

Ground dumpling meat inside a glutinous rice coating

Cha Misua — stir-fried egg noodles with shrimps, egg strips, chicken meat, peanuts, and half a hard-boiled egg..

Pineapple mooncakes with yolk filling

Steamed siomai — pork dumplings with soy sauce

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Pluses.
* Underneath the brash, slapstick comedy lies provocative Nietzsche-themed theological questions

* A collage of genesis stories mired together into a seamless narrative with cheeky dialogue and crass humor

* Oddball chemistry between the goofy Zed (Jack Black) and the soft-spoken Oh (Michael Cera)

Minuses.
* Chock-full of brainless, gross-out jokes that may be funny for a while but grows old almost instantaneously

* Heavily relies on smuttily idiotic humor more and more as the story develops

Overall Verdict. While the film’s premise could have been brought to a higher level of smart comedy, Year One wastes this potential and becomes one of those that make you feel silly for paying full price to watch it. Just get it on DVD and put it on when you’re in the mood for some mind-numbing foolishness.

Related posts:

1. recently viewed – Adventureland
2. recently viewed – The Hangover

Pluses.

* A fresh take on the aliens movie genre, borrowing the best elements from The Day the Earth Stood Still, Independence Day, and The Fly (yes, the one with Jeff Goldblum slowly and grossly turning into an insect)

* Successfully and satirically tackles the themes of racism, poverty, and the inner selfish monstrosities of humanity

* The mockumentary-style approach and dynamic unfolding of the plot put me at the edge of my seat, eagerly anticipating what happens next

* For a first-time actor, Sharlto Copley (who plays the film’s naive protagonist Wikus) turns in a superb performance, ably conveying the shades and nuances of a character evolving from an underwhelming pencil-pusher to petrified lab rat and eventually to a selfless hero with much depth and credibility

* The production design, action scenes, and CG special effects are all top-notch. Cool bio-activated weapons, an Iron Man-like robotic battle suit, and a gigantic alien mothership.. what more can you ask for?

Minuses.

* Some of the gory and explicit scenes are not for everyone. I didn’t mind them at all — in fact they gave the film a rawer, grittier feel for me; but the person(s) you watch this with might not like it.

Overall Verdict. District 9 is a sensational and exciting alien adventure that is profoundly ingrained with humanity. In my book, District 9 dislodges Transformers and G.I. Joe as this year’s best special-effects sci-fi action franchise. Peter Jackson definitely has eyes for real talent, and with this film there is no doubt about what he saw in gifted director Neill Blomkamp, whose fresh creativity breathes life into an abused and overused genre. I smell (and look forward to) a sequel.

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The film has left me with too many reflections, completely blowing my mind away with its offbeat approach. I’m afraid my review won’t do this movie any justice, but I’ll try to articulate my thoughts nonetheless. Here goes..

Pluses:

*A charming, eccentric, and non-formulaic story of love, relationships, and the inestimable value of our memory — despite its malleability.

* Has what is perhaps one of the most brilliant screenplays I’ve ever seen/heard. Thank God for subtitles, which got me to appreciate Charlie Kaufman’s writing all the more.

* Solid, A-grade performances from Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet, ably supported by Kirsten Dunst and Elijah Wood.

Minuses:

* Not necessarily a minus, but right after the end credits roll I got this compelling feeling to see it again and get all my thoughts straight: this movie causes your mind to meander and explode into scores of musings.

Overall Verdict: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is unlike any other film I’ve seen. If, like me a couple of hours ago, you have yet to see this movie, go do yourself that favor. It is profound, heart-wrenching, and mind-bending — an absolute gem of a cinematic experience that stays with you long after. Highly recommended.

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Pixar ups the ante anew with the 10th film in their canon, shattering all my expectations of the movie’s premise and execution.

Pluses:

* Successfully tackles a myriad of themes: adventure, fulfillment, moving on, personal sacrifice, disillusionment with idols, marriage, and even divorce

* The unexpected and creative story unfolds in a clever mix of elation, thrill, and poignancy

* Spectacular visuals becoming of the Pixar standard of excellence

* Evokes frivolous laughs and emotional sighs among audiences of all ages: my mom enjoyed and appreciated it as much as my niece
Minuses:

* As with other Pixar films, I’m hard-pressed to find any fault with Up. Perhaps my only gripe, which is totally unrelated to how the film is made, is the annoyingly noisy little tot seated in our row.

Overall verdict: UP offers various levels of potential points of cinematic enjoyment than can be said of any other movie I’ve seen — both animated or otherwise. The abundance of its rib-tickling humor and exhilarating thrills is more than matched by its rich emotional depth. If you haven’t seen UP yet, you most definitely owe it to yourself to do so.

Related posts:

1. Wall-E
2. Kung Fu Panda