DLS-CSB Multimedia Arts Students Representing the Philippines in International Animation Tilt

On my way to work, I bought a Philippine Daily Inquirer and was pleasantly surprised to read the cover story of the Entertainment section. It is entitled RP entry to international animation tilt written by Marinel R. Cruz. en Our Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia Arts students Nelson Caliguia, Jr. and Jason Confesor's Doodle of Doom is the Philippines' official entry the Nicktoons Network Animation Festival. Their work is the only entry from the Philippines and one of only two from Asia! We can help them win the "Viewer's Choice Award" by voting for their video online.

I personally liked the subtitle of the article which said: "PDI contributor and buddy, both art students, compete with established pros." Look what DLS-CSB students can do! :)

The one with the Superman Returns review

I watched Superman Returns the very first day of its release in Manila. Here are my pros and cons...

The Pros:

1. They stayed true to old school Superman including the music, the look and feel of the movie and even the credits.

2. Superman was Superman most of the time. Clark Kent only got about 5 scenes.

3. Parker Posey was great as Kitty Kowalski

4. Brandon Routh showed a softer side of Superman which appealed to me.

5. I liked the twist at the end. I don't want to mention it here, though. Spoiler.

The Cons

1. The motive of the villain was unclear.

2. Kevin Spacey was great as Lex but I still prefer Gene Hackman.

3. There were several logically unrealistic turn of events.

4. There was not enough Clark Kent. (Both a pro and a con).

5. In my mind, Teri Hatcher = Lois Lane. Now, I can't enjoy Kate Bosworth's portrayal. I keep seeing Teri Hatcher.

All in all, I'd say it's worth seeing.

A Christian Magician--Cool!

Last night, I had the pleasure of meeting Jaybee (Not sure if I got the spelling of his name right). He's a Christian magician who has worked with Erik Mana. He generously shared his talent with us after our cell group meeting. He got a pack of cards and asked me to shuffle it. Then, he asked me to pick a card, remember it and write my name on it. After this, he asked another friend to shuffle the cards. He started picking cards from the top of the desk and they were not the cards with my name on it. We were intent on trying to find the card and after about 5 seconds, we realized that the card was between his lips! Cool! He told us that he performs for corporate events and private parties. I hope I get his complete name so that I can post his link.

Thanks, Jaybee. You're cool.

A Father's Role

I never thought that a simple passage about Zechariah would contain so much wisdom about the role of fathers. But then again, the Bible never cease to amaze me.

Ps. Joey Bonifacio of Victory Christian Fellowship expressed that Zechariah's story reveals the role of fathers. These roles include the following: Intimacy , Instruction, Influence and Identity. With the pressure of providing for their children's needs, many fathers unconsciously de-prioritize these roles. Fatherhood is truly challenging but with God's help, successful fathering is possible.

The one with The Lake House review

The premise was interesting. A man and a woman living 2 years apart communicate through a magic mailbox. Sounds interesting.

The Lake House starring Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves was awfully predictable. The plot was obviously a romantic spin-off of the movie Frequency. Where Frequency succeeded, The Lake House failed. It was extremely difficult to suspend disbelief that the two main characters were communicating through different time periods. The movie took too long to pick up that a woman seated near us started to audibly snore. My husband, Ganns, also nodded off during the first 10 minutes. If I didn't nodge him, he probably slept through the whole movie!

The plot was highly predictable and the tone very depressing. The scenes didn't move seemlessly through the different time periods. The good news, though, is that it will satisfy the cravings of romantics. The production design was excellent but not the costume design. I thought Bullock's costumes for the year 2004 were more descriptive of fashions in 2006. Acting was good but not exceptional. Don't expect much from this film. You will be dissappointed. Keanu Reeves was hot, though, but that goes without saying.

Who Needs Harvard?

I visited Time.com and was pleasantly surprised that the cover story was entitled "Who Needs Harvard?" This article shows a very modern view of college admissions where the idea of branded Ivy League schools may not necessarily be the best choice for everybody. Read it and be convinced! Here are some teaser quotes from the article:

"The rules have changed. The world has changed...COLLEGE IS A MATCH TO BE MADE, NOT A PRIZE TO BE WON."

"Just because you haven't heard of a college doesn't mean it's no good," argues Marilee Jones, the admissions dean at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an outspoken advocate of the idea that parents need to lighten up. "Just as you've changed and grown since college, colleges are changing and growing."

"only seven CEOs from the current top 50 FORTUNE 500 companies were Ivy League undergraduates."

From a parent: "I was thinking name brand in the beginning, but now I really believe in this match idea."

Although I do not downplay the value of branding, I believe that the most important consideration for choosing a college is the fit or match of the students' giftings and passions and what the school can actually offer. In the end, success in life is not determined by what name is reflected in the diploma. Just as Pope mentioned in the article: "It's your own specific gravity, not the name of the school, that matters."