WOLVIE, STORM & THE EX-MEN.

NOW I KNOW why it's called that. And why Halle Berry and Hugh Jackman ended up topbilling the film. I may be an X-Men fan but I will not be patronizing some crappy movie that should be called "Wolverine, Storm and the Ex-Men: The Final Stand."

Before I even watched the movie, a friend of mine already told me that it wasn't good. Really? Maybe it's not THAT bad or maybe it's just another way to tackle the X-Men like the Claremontesque drama with a new director around, I told myself. Then I watched it. And couldn't take it anymore. If it wasn't for my high school buddies who I haven't been with for awhile, I would have cursed myself for wasting my time and money, of course.

So, here's the crap. In the X-Men comics, Jean "died" and was resurrected as the Pheonix, and so on, which became the "Dark Phoenix Saga," one of the BEST stories from Marvel and arguably the BEST from X-Men ever. It tackled personal relationships, judgements and ideals and most importantly how power corrupts. In X2, Jean died, and we(viewers) knew that the Phoenix would become a part of X3.

And it did. What's hard to swallow is how the movie just used that now-legendary X-Men story to dispose of most of the leads: first, Scott, then, the Professor, and Jean also who had nothing to do with the theme of the movie. Here's the thing that bothers me: did they really intend to dispose of these characters without any plausible plot to give Storm and Wolverine the limelight?

Why would I even think of this? Here's why: First, the poster. Seen it? Look at the billing. Second, there's been a lot of talk since X2 that Halle wouldn't want to reprise her role as Storm, because of her short exposure in the previous installments. Finally, I saw in an interview of Halle saying that she reprised her role in X3, because it was good material and she had a more juicy role.

So... here comes X-Men 3. Halle Berry's name is printed on the X-Men 3 poster alongside Hugh Jackman's as if it were some fantastic duo flick. If I'm not misjudging, I think Hugh's name was just printed there to make it seem normal to give Halle, an Academy Award winner, her own.

In the movie whose central theme on the mutant 'cure' was underdeveloped, Jean was apparently alive. She had some drama part then she and Scott kissed. Kapoof went Scott. As this happened, Storm was having some scenes showing off her ideals and was earning some compliments from the Professor. Jean then had some drama again then makes Charles Xavier go kapoof also! Finally, the lead X-Men were only Logan and Storm with Jean once again having dramatic poses in the enemy base. Storm becomes the mighty protagonist again with her choice of not closing the school and she even had some enlightening speech. Then, she and Logan goes into 'war' then wins ending with Logan killing Jean. I don't know if it can be more obvious than that. The movie was just meant to please Halle. I'm excluding Hugh because he always had a big part. What more could he ask for.

I hate that they used Jean Grey and the Phoenix just to make Storm the ultra-protagonist by killing off the others. IT COULDN'T BE MORE OBVIOUS! For an X-Men fan like me, seeing the Phoenix used as a vehicle for that kind of thing without proper characterization and plot couldn't be more infuriating. It also kills me that they killed all those characters for that crap.

Besides that, the movie was really scattered in parts. There was no real development going on. It was as if I was watching an extended telenovela. I hate it. I hate the directing job. I hate the story. I hate the movie. I can't believe they did that.

Sorry for ranting. I'm just sad.

NEVER-ENDING MUSIC.

Taylor won American Idol V. No exclamations, of course: I never liked him EXCEPT for his last performance on the Finale with Proud, which more or less won him the bid for that much-coveted title. Still, I just can't SEE him as an "American Idol" or a pop icon. In fact, from the first time I saw him, he reminded me of just two people: Jay Leno and Kenny Rogers. And he even sounds like the Kenny Rogers-type. (to me, that is) I can't even believe that he's gotten into the Top 4! Of course, I had my own Top 4 with Chris, Katharine, Mandissa and Paris. I thought that one of them would win, but I guess not. It's still not in me to be believe that that "Soul Patrol" won. His last song was the only good thing I've heard from him the whole season, and I hate that he's won just because of that.

Though he's won, if he will not have a good array of songs perfectly suited for him just like Proud, I really think he'll never make it to being a true music idol. The people will then realize that he was no Idol but just a reality TV fad star.

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Alongside visual arts, music is one of my most loved things. Music may be intangible but it's a force that has a lot of impacts in my life. When I feel really nervous, I sing, and I'll just have the right amount of jitter to keep me going. When I'm alone, I listen to MP3s or sing to reminisce all those almost-forgotten feelings in the past. The Thong Song reminds me of those friendships lost and retained as the years went by, even the energy of those days. Breathless reminds me of a friend's house and how I used to hang out there waiting for the driver to fetch me. I Wanna Know brings back old childish quarrels which were as if the hardest problems I had to face while 214 those carefree times during my last year in high school when I felt a strong urge for change.

Music, as a song, a melody or in any form, has the power to not only deliver what it was made to do. It can even record the past between its lines and notes, truly a magical thing we don't usually appreciate that much. Music is magic. It flows with the wind. It stops the world from moving. It touches our hearts in places we no longer visit on our own. It is, for me, a force of nature we don't usually notice. A wallpaper left unnoticed but by itself a witness to the lives we live. That's why I love music.

It's a magic that's available for everyone.

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Some of the songs that I really love:
-With a Smile by Eraserheads (not that crappy SB version)
-214 by Rivermaya (its instrumentals at the start REALLY hits me hard)
-Breathless by The Corrs
-One Sweet Day by Mariah
-When You Tell Me That You Love Me by Vonzell(of AI IV)
-My Immortal by Evanescence
-'Til They Take My Heart Away by Kyla
-Say My Name by Destiny's Child
-Break Away by Kelly Clarkson
-Since U Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson
-Kailan by Ryan Cayabyab

Some of the songs I really hate:
-KLSP by Spongecola
-Can't Let You Go by Cueshe (gives me goosebumps)
-F.U. by Bamboo (just because it ruined my liking for the band)
-With a Smile sang by Southborder (SB sucks!)

Most loved artists:
-The Corrs
-Destiny's Child
-Eraserheads
-Rivermaya
-Mariah Carey
-Kelly Clarkson

ARE YOU AN INDIVIDUAL?

In a world where people mutually influence each other, what makes a person an individual? A person learns to do things by watching other people do them. The style of singing. The way of conversing. The color of preference. Even the way we tie our shoe laces, style our hair, or think. If a person is merely a hybrid of the characteristics of other people who acquired these same traits from other people, where does individuality come in?

If we speak of individuality, we usually think of uniqueness and originality. We sometimes think that in order to be an individual, we have to be different as a goth is to a geek. However, that's not what individuality actually is. If we merely try to be different, we can't call ourselves individuals, because this very decision to be different is due to what other people are. To be an individual, I believe, is to choose your own character and beliefs from the millions laid out before you based on your own judgment. It is not to be original or unique but to be standing where you want yourself to be. An individual does not compromise his beliefs nor his character to be part of anything such as an elite group or even a jologs group. He proves his worth not by conforming but by working well within the parameters of his taken stand.

Being an individual may sometimes take its toll, like being left out, cast out or what-not. But, at the end of the day, there's nothing more fulfilling than being able to look yourself on the mirror and see a you that you wanted to be not a you that others wanted you to be.

A HALF-TRUTH.

Years ago, I've been a really bad friend. Remember the famous proverb, that says "Make new friends, but keep the old; Those are silver, these are gold"? I was guilty of doing just the opposite of that. I was too caught up with a fledgling friendship that I considered to be heaven-sent thereby taking my old friends for granted. But I'm not saying that that friendship was not heaven-sent; of course, it was, just like all friendships are. What had been wrong was the act of disregarding my friends by doing seemingly "childish" stuff like not sharing secrets "meant for my heaven-sent friend only" and not spending enough bonding time with them which I preferred still to invest with my new friend. That seemingly heaven-sent friendship ended in just about a year, and it had a toll, a small-yet-very-existent gap that took a lot of work to overcome. Thankfully, everything went back to how it was. From that time forth, I learned my lesson "the hard way" as they say, and I wouldn't even try or think about doing that again.

Friendship is great. It enables us to survive in an undoubtedly harsh world. Thus, it is expected to be strong, overcoming all obstacles and trials between the two of you. Because if it is not so, what is there in friendship that will enable you to pursue what you want to do with an assurance that no matter what happens or does not happen a friend is still there to assist and stay with you? Without security, what is friendship? It is a useless half-truth waiting for completion and meaning.

DEAR GOD,

You knowe, I lerned a lot from Teacher today. She said that little children like me shoud be veri good so I wil be able to live with ya in Heaven. Teacher even koted Your book about children two olways obey their parents like brushing our teeth, eeting veggys, and praying befor sleeping. It's kinda kewl You rote that in Your thik book. I was thinking you wer always serius. No ofense, OK?

Teacher olso told us bout a few instracktions dat she even pasted on the woll. It sed sumthing like this:

1. Share yor blesings wid other poeple.
2. Do'nt fight wit other poeple.
3. Put evrything in theyr proper playce.
4. Don't still from other poeple.
5. Don't say bad wurds to othr poeple.

She sed that two be good boys and girls, we shud follow this. But, mommy and daddy so not do this. I knowe. There are times when I would see mommy give yaya and and the other yayas eeky food while we eat those yummy steaks. I also hear mommy shout bad words to manong our driver and also daddy when he talks on the fone with his eyes looking like that wolf in Little red Riding Houd. Mommy and daddy would also say bad things about yaya and manong in Chinise so they woudn't understand. Sometimes, daddy also says bad things to mommy, and mommy hits him on the face. Why do they do that? Are my mommy and daddy bad people?

Number 3 also says that things shoud be put back to theyr proper playce, like returning my toys or fixsing my big books on my shefl. But daddy always throws paper and Jollibee trash from our car to the road. Isn't that not obeying the rule? Isn't that bad? Of course, I asked dady this one time but he just told me, that's what MmDeeAs are for, we do'nt pay taxes for nothing. God, what are MmdeeAs and taxes and what do they have to do with this rules? There's also something weird with mommmy. There are times when mommy would take money from daddy's wallet and bag, and she would tell me not to tell daddy. Isn't that stealing?

God, I'm reely reely confewsd. Are older poeple like my parents bad poeple? Or, are older poeple gooder when their like bad children?

My head hurts reely hard when I think about it. I don't want them to go to Hell. Pleeeese reply OK?


Love,
XXX
annonimus(of course you know me. your God!)

P.S. Can I hav bring my potsim with me when I live ther wit You in Heaven?