The Wrestler

Maybe it's because Mickey Rourke is staging a "comeback" with this movie. Maybe because the film was low-budgeted and in spite of this, delivered beyond satisfaction. Maybe because Darren Aronofsky (my favorite actress's Rachel Weisz's real-life partner) directed it. Whatever the reason is, I find The Wrestler overrated. There is so much ballyhoo about Rourke's performance and how award-worthy this whole movie is and I probably expected too much. To be fair, Rourke did a remarkable job here. Marisa Tomei (nominated for Best Supporting Actress) is equally deft in her portrayal as a pole-dancing, stripteasing, lap-dancer. Evan Rachel Wood playing Rourke's lesbian daughter is worth mentioning, too.

But there's nothing really fresh or new in this movie that hasn't been tackled in any other film before it. Stories of personal redemption and glory, of trying to connect with abandoned children, of trying to find love in the unlikeliest places and circumstances, of "seizing the day" have always been Academy Award staples. Even the ending that's left open for interpretation is just a tad contrived.

My verdict: Although a definitely breakthrough performance from Rourke may snag him the Oscar, I still favor Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon) or Sean Penn (Milk) to win.

Flying the coop...

Life is just a series of flights. From childhood. From parents. From brothers and sisters. From home. From love. From work. From hatred. From indifference. From immaturity. From sanity and back. From wrong impressions. From quick judgments. From generalizations. From pinpointing the specifics. From sadness. From loneliness. From frustration. From friends. From enemies. From abuse. From emptiness. From boredom. From fruitlessness. From doom. From religion. From hierarchy. From structure. From superficiality. From ghosts and demons. From gods and heroes. From biases and prejudices. From materialism. From fleeting trends. From occupation and preoccupation. From lies. From false hopes. From disrespect. From undue recognition. From red tape and bureaucracy. From corruption and corruptness. From perversity. From well-meaning assumptions. From civility. From pretense. From ulterior motives. From literal translations. From personal interpretations. FROM NOW ON...

Time to get up...

25 random things about me...

Here's the same list I have at Facebook. Allow me to share it with the whole world.

1. I'm probably the only person in the planet named Maxgene (one word).
2. I know I sing well. Stevie Wonder is a god.
3. Red, green, and black are my favorite colors.
4. I love watching movies.
5. Fernando Meirelles is my favorite director.
6. Some of my previous jobs: radio dj, news and feature writer for a local daily, car sales manager, speechwriter for city mayor, telemarketer selling platinum card, band singer, commercial/political jingle singer, junior instructor (for dos-based applications).
7. I love my dog, Kendra. She sleeps beside me.
8. I cried watching "Marley & Me". Embarrassing but true.
9. Rachel Weisz, Jack Nicholson, Meryl Streep, and Robert Downey Jr are some of my favorite actors.
10. I excelled in Mathematics.
11. I have a grave, almost phobic, fear of cockroaches.
12. As a child, for 5 straight years, I would wake up to pee in the middle of the night, and I'd look at the wall clock and see that it would always be 3:00 AM on the dot!
13. One summer vacation at Tagudin, Ilocos Sur, I concocted a story: My father's aunt (my lola) just died. I told everyone that I saw her praying (kneeling position) under the langka tree at the ancestral house where we are vacationing then, wearing the exact clothes she wore when they buried her. Everyone believed me. Up to this day, I don't have the heart to tell them it was all fabricated.
14. Thank God for Coke Light!
15. I hate ostentatious display of stupidity.
16. Sarcasm is my best friend. I use it all the time to convey different messages of love, friendship, hatred, fun, or plain insult.
17. I sold cars, but never learned how to drive.
18. I am very competitive.
19. I'm a Christian.
20. I have recently re-acquired my passion for writing.
21. I used to dance better than I sang in elementary.
22. I'm currently a call center trainer.
23. I'm my own worst critic.
24. I want Slumdog Millionaire to win Best Picture, but will not be surprised if The Curious Case of Benjamin Button wins. The Academy Awards have always favored the "safe" and uncontroversial.
25. I'm ready for love.

Ted & Korina for President

The Reader

The Reader left me feeling empty. It was like reading the whole book of Ecclesiastes and finding out everything under the sun is all in vain. Stephen Daldry's third film as director (Billy Elliot & The Hours being the other 2) leaves you hanging (no pun intended) to fend for yourself in seeking the answers. Is the intention to make the audience think? Daldry only succeeds in making us ask, "What's the point?"

Despite the desultory screenplay, The Reader captivates, if only for Kate Winslet's performance (as Hanna Schmitz) - undeniably a tour de force. Some people may be offended with the first half of the film entirely devoted to graphic displays of carnal taboo - a May-December affair between Winslet's character and a 15-year old boy (played by David Kross). Trivia: The shooting for the movie took a break for Kross to turn 18 so the love scenes could be shot.

Verdict: I still think Melissa Leo should win Oscar Best Actress. But knowing the history of the Academy Awards' penchant for conservativeness, they may go for Winslet. Don't get me wrong. Winslet was awesome, but Leo was just better. I also think that The Reader does not deserve the Oscar nomination for Best Picture.

Kung Hei Fat Choi!

Call it great timing. I saw this wonderful fireworks display from Petron Treats Bel Air gas station. I was looking for an ATM to withdraw money to pay for my Globe broadband bill. The nearest ATM from Best Western was the one in front of A. Venue Hotel. Unfortunately, it's not working. So I had to go all the way back to Petron. Got the cash and decided to order a strawberry smoothie and an orange-chocolate muffin at Gloria Jean's. 12:00 AM. I was just about to leave when the fireworks show started at the parking lot of Mandarin Oriental. I realized then that it's the Chinese New Year's eve. It was a full 15-minute pyrotechnic spectacle. I wasn't able to record everything because my T700's batteries went dead (documented the ironing skills of the Cebu team, remember?). Bummer! And I thought I'd be lucky this year.... Enjoy the video and the pics.

Ferrous wheel...

Anne, Jib, and MJ are back! For 8 straight days, our Cebu teammates will be breathing certified polluted Manila air. They're joining us for the Chase T3 (Train the Trainer) at Net Quad, the Fort. At least, they're being housed at Best Western, which is infinitely better than Golden Peak. Met with them earlier this evening for a little chat, a big Wendy's dinner (for me), and some "pressing" issues. Of course, we just can't resist a photo op when the chance readily presented itself. Here are some of the pics we took (they get to show off their housekeeping skills, too, hehehe!) Welcome back, guys!

Oscar time at the movies, 4 times over!

I was so stressed-out (check story at previous post) I decided to watch four movies in a row when I got home from work. Thank God it's Saturday, I can afford to sit through all of them!


First movie was Doubt. I enjoyed this film in so many levels. The acting ensemble is perfect! You have Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, and Viola Davis. Incidentally, all of these actors garnered Academy Award nominations for their outstanding work here. The screenplay is rich and glorious. John Patrick Shanley's direction is flawless. This should vindicate him from the Joe Versus the Volcano mishap. The story is controversial without being outright offensive. It does not insult the audience's intelligence. My predictions: Viola Davis, who was just 10-15 minutes in the film, will win Best Supporting Actress. Her acting was moving and very realistic. Doubt can get Streep her 3rd Oscar (2nd for Best Actress) if she doesn't lose to Melissa Leo.



Leo is in Frozen River, the 2nd movie I watched. It's an indie film about human smuggling, friendship (made in unusual circumstances), poverty, sacrifices, and hope. It's like Into the Wild (because of the scenery, haha), Thelma and Louise, and Ang Tanging Ina rolled into one. No mother will have a dry eye after watching this. Leo's nuanced performance was touching without being melodramatic. It's woman power throughout. No wallowing in self-pity. My prediction: Leo should win her first Academy Award for Best Actress.


The 3rd movie I watched is nominated for Best Picture this year. And like Doubt, is an adapted screenplay from a stage play. Unlike Doubt, however, the 2 protagonists in Frost/Nixon, Frank Langella and Michael Sheen, reprise their roles from the stage to the screen. Based on the true story of David Frost (played by Sheen), a British talk show host and his interviews with former president Richard Nixon (played uncannily by Langella). Frost was perceived to be an unlikely choice to "grill" Nixon about the Watergate scandal. He was thought to be just suited for entertainment and the light stuff, and so American networks did not initially sponsor his project. Boy, were they wrong! All in all, it was a great retelling of that momentous event in history when the first ever president to resign from office finally "confessed" and apologized to the world. Gripping and paced like a nail-biting suspense thriller. My prediction: Langella will win the Oscar. His only competition is Mickey Rourke. I still have to watch The Wrestler to confirm this.


The last film in this "moviethon" is Milk (nominated for Best Picture, too). Sean Penn stars as Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in the USA. Penn gives another remarkable performance here, earning him another Oscar nomination. Everyone else does great. It's funny, if not noteworthy, too, how Emile Hirsch, Diego Luna, James Franco, and Lucas Grabeel, who are straight, play gay activists in this movie so convincingly! Hirsch, especially, was hilariously on-target! Equally engaging as Milk's adversary is Josh Brolin (Best Supporting Actor nominee). My prediction: Penn should "give" the Oscar to either Rourke or Langella, who are first-time nominees, hehehe. He already has a trophy for Mystic River.

Of deaf ears, numbed minds, and faltering spirits...

I've had one of the most boring and frustrating time at work yesterday. Dimple and I were tasked to photocopy the new worksheets for the Chase conversion. Since the 6F and 7F (Wamu floors) copiers are busted - well, they almost always are, we had to go down to the 2nd floor pantry (Experian) to do it. And so, for almost 6 hours, my brain was lulled into ennui and was reduced to an unimaginative and useless mush. My mind was almost hypnotized to death with the repetitious, almost ominous, sound of the Fuji xerox machine. So this is how a vegetable feels like.

What really stupefies (apart from the fact that I'm still alive) is that the copier on the 2nd floor pantry did not conk out on us, even when we have to print 80 back-to-back copies of a 76-page document. It performed really well! The 6F and 7F machines, on the other hand, are depressingly crappy. Even simple 1:1 copying ends with either a jammed paper or an inutile feeder, after a while.

Which leads me to the 2 PCs we have in the trainers' nook. These two cumbersome pieces of antiquated equipment have been complained about endlessly - to no avail. Try doing your TKS (timekeeping system) in any of these computers, and even if you're 15 minutes early to work, chances are, you're still going to be in trouble. That's how long it comes back to life! It's like resurrecting the dead! No kidding.

I hope that the Chase transition brings with it positive changes in the workplace. It should begin with the equipment. No employee should "waste" his or her time fussing over slow computers, busted copiers, limited PCs (currently there is a 4 PCs to 13 trainers ratio in our department alone!), etc. Employees should be able to do what's expected of them, but the company should make sure they provide reasonably working materials/equipment for the completion of the jobs. I mean, don't expect your soldiers to annihilate the enemies in battle with wooden swords and shields!

Right now, all the focus is on customer engagement, which is great. Although, I think we failed to completely realize that customer engagement is the RESULT of employee engagement. And the Powers That Be can't just overlook that.

Common Errors in English usage: Part II

ALL IN ALL vs. ALL AND ALL

“The dog got into the fried chicken, we forgot the sunscreen, and the kids started whining at the end, but all in all the picnic was a success.” “All in all” is a traditional phrase which can mean “all things considered,” “after all,” or “nevertheless.” People unfamiliar with the traditional wording often change it to “all and all,” but this is nonstandard.

Want a ride in my new toy Yoda?

The 3 C's of classroom management? No,not exactly...

The time that you wake up, no matter what the actual time is, the moment you come to after a long restful sleep - that for me, has always been the best time for reflection. It's my most lucid moment. It's the juncture where Conscience and Consciousness are miserably duking it out - should I stay or should I go? That's where I fleetingly involuntarily submit to a state of clarity and weigh any personal dilemma I'm in. The answer miraculously dawns upon me at this point. Great!

Then I wake up. Somehow, Consciousness wins but later succumbs to Cynicism. Great.

Common American expression?

Swimming in a sea of banalities, I find dangerous amusement in predictability. I linger because the music is pop and it is guilty pleasure. Frosted clear ice panels hypnotize and offer no assurance of forgiveness from this dazed stupor of indifference. Sometimes I break the lullaby of a treacherous calm and protest to the humdrum of ordinariness. Am I alone in this doomed state of oblivion? Is there anyone else like me out there who questions the cycle of convenient existence?

Still, I'd rather foray into the shallowness of the normal and the safe because there exists my friends. And I can't leave my friends! No, not yet anyway.

So I sing and dance and take that trip to Jerusalem and pretend that truth is just a fucking farce. And life is an endless masturbation of vapid climaxes. Stop jerking me around!

Selena's nightmare...

Selena is turning in her grave. Dreaming Of You by the Nightmare Gurlz (as opposed to Dreamgirls) of WaMu! Let JP, Roma, and of course, Tricia shock you out of your wits! You've been warned. Watch at your own risk!

Common errors in English usage: Part I

I thought I'd do little blog pieces on common errors in the use of English from time to time. Here's one popular mistake a lot of people, myself included, are unaware of committing:

AM & PM

“AM” stands for the Latin phrase Ante Meridiem —which means “before noon”—and “PM” stands for Post Meridiem: “after noon.” Although digital clocks routinely label noon “12:00 PM” you should avoid this expression not only because it is incorrect, but because many people will imagine you are talking about midnight instead. The same goes for “12:00 AM.” You can say or write “twelve noon,” “noon sharp,” or “exactly at noon” when you want to designate a precise time.

It is now rare to see periods placed after these abbreviations: “A.M.”; but in formal writing it is still preferable to capitalize them, though the lower-case “am” and “pm” are now so popular they are not likely to get you into trouble.

Occasionally, computer programs encourage you to write “AM” and “PM” without a space before them, but others will misread your data if you omit the space. The nonstandard habit of omitting the space is spreading rapidly, and should be avoided in formal writing.

There you go. I hope you'll find this helpful.

Why we believe in Tricia...

Here's Tricia's version of "When You Believe". If she joined American Idol, Randy would love her. Paula would adore her. Simon would probably die from shock, hahaha! Go, go, go Tricia!

Short movie reviews...

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Good storytelling. Although most people miss the point of the whole film, anyone can watch if only for the outstanding makeup effects. Brad Pitt delivers. Cate Blanchett, beautiful as always, is effortless as Pitt's love interest. Great cinematography.



Gran Torino. Regarded by many as Clint Eastwood's "weirdest" film, which is weird. Reminded me of About Schmidt. Touching, if not a bit too melodramatic. Cast of unknowns, most of them are first-time actors. The kind of movie you'd like to watch on rainy Sunday afternoons. Pointless ending, but all in all, engrossing and uplifting. Oh, and the haunting original song at the end was sung by Eastwood himself and Jamie Cullum.


Slumdog Millionaire. Bollywood at its best. Danny Boyle (of 28 Days Later and Trainspotting fame) is not Indian but he magically captures the land of dal, kama sutra, and Taj Majal in its stark beauty and ugliness. The movie is so raw you can almost smell it but Boyle's direction is seamless, no loose ends here. The production number at the end credits is a bonus. Who says only fairy tales have happy endings? (Note: As of this writing, Slumdog tops the Golden Globes, winning all 4 nominations: Best Drama, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Musical Score)

Yes Man and Bedtime Stories. Nothing extraordinary on both counts. Just wait for the DVDs.

Not another dog movie...

Saw Marley & Me Saturday night. I read the reviews, most of them were not encouraging. Usually, I'd trust the critics and save myself the effort and time; but I can't pass up the chance of watching a "dog movie". I'm glad I watched it.

No dull moments in the film, which is based on a true story. Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson underplay their roles. This is a good thing, since we can all focus on the movie's protagonist, Marley, the lovable yellow lab who just steals every scene he's in. I'm not going to spoil everyone's interest and excitement by narrating the whole story here. All I can say is this, please bring tissue, rolls of it, when you watch. You'll need it in the last 20 minutes of the movie.

Verdict: Marley & Me is no Fluke or My Dog Skip, or even Homeward Bound. Still, it is a very honest, straightforward, and uncompromising look at love, family, life, and death. At least, it's infinitely better than Underdog and Firehouse Dog (I told you, I don't pass up on "dog movies").

My old young pictures...

My aunt found these "ancient" photos of me. I thought of sharing it with everyone...

Mea culpa...

I've always been a stickler for good grammar, right spelling, and correct pronunciation in English. I know I'm far from perfect, but when the opportunity to rectify someone's errors presents itself, I readily volunteer to help. Unwittingly, in the process, I end up "helping" people feel humiliated or insulted.

Okay, it's not like I just had an epiphany today! I know that people are different from one another. They react differently when faced with a similar situation. But I forget. I myself do not feel slighted in any way when someone reviews my grammar, even with other people around. I can take it; I can laugh at myself. But not everyone is like me.

This particular truth bashed me in the face unexpectedly this morning. It hurt me because always, when I correct someone, it's with the purest intention to improve him or her and not to embarrass. It hurt because I never thought it would be taken out of that context. I was wrong. This incident made me realize that before I commence my little crusade of "grammarizing" everyone, I have to pause and reflect on whether this action gets the right reaction.

I'm sorry, my dear friend, if you felt mortified. Thank you for being honest. I promise to be more sensitive, from hereon out.

There, I've said my piece. Blogging sure is a stress-reliever. Whew!

Bill Maher and his religion of invisible idiocy...

I'm watching a supposedly great documentary (well, the critics collectively gave it a B rating), Religulous, but more than 60 minutes into the movie I still can't see how this is supposed to be great. Yes, the movie is directed by Larry Charles, the same person responsible for the incredibly funny mockumentary Borat, but at most, I only snickered once or twice in the last hour watching this film. That's not good.

I think it's mainly Bill Maher's presence in it that spoiled everything. Maher, a stand-up comic with "libertarian" ideals, suddenly thinks he is privileged and authorized enough to just make ambush interviews and edits them to his advantage. I would have to hand it to him though for choosing the "perfect" targets for his barrage of self-serving assaults on Christianity (especially Catholicism). Where does he find these victims? They're plainly stupid and just utterly ridiculous.

I am not Catholic, nor a devout practicing Christian, but Maher simply offends. To make matters worse, he does not even care! What a selfish prick!

For all its worth, Religulous, amounts to nothing more than an amateur YouTube video (with high quality effects, mind you) challenging the validity and significance of religion and it's corrupt influence on the world today. I mean, what's new?!? This is not something off the beaten path of evangelization!

Another example of morons who have bitten more than they can chew. Sadly, the religion of invisible idiocy remains powerful because it is concealed even to its perpetrator...

Abbey and the mysterious dvd player...

I just got off the phone with Abbey, my Dimsum partner and my kumare. I'm still laughing uncontrollably (by myself) writing this blog about her story on the doomed fate of a dvd player. For delicate reasons, I will not elaborate on this story.

Abbey's life is an open book to many of her closest friends, of whom I count myself a lucky one. This book is, of course, far from over. In fact, with the addition of a new protagonist, Alfonzo, my inaanak, a new chapter has begun. Still, her story, as is, captivates with its heavy doses of drama, action, romance, and (like the mysterious dvd player) comedy.

I told her earlier, "Puwedeng sitcom ang buhay mo!" because like many wonderful books, this makes a good tv show adaptation. A moving and funny teleserye.

Indeed, I pray, that your life remain a sitcom, Abbey, because sitcoms always have happy endings.

Now, about that dvd player...

Why "The Thick Red Line"?

... because I believe in common sense. Everyone has the right to safeguard his interests. The thick red line allows even the most insensitive man to see it from a comfortable distance, lest he carelessly crosses that line and suffer the innocent some gratuitous "gore" and "fatalities".

... because there are NO gray areas. There is, however, a thick red line that separates black from white - and everyone "sees" it, whether he chooses to like it or not. It is thick for a reason. No exceptions. No excuses.

... because the sides you choose in life should always be conscious decisions and not impulsive whims that you pass off as pathetic "lessons" you don't really learn, should you eventually fail.

... because the url name: thethickline.blogspot.com is no longer available and red is one of my favorite colors. Besides, red simply stands out. Imagine, the thick yellow (or green, or blue, or purple) line!

... because JP says bright red is in (for lipstick, haha).