Are you Fashion Forward?

Kristina, your Alternative Style makes you fashion forward

Khakis? No thanks. Let's face it: Mainstream is kinda, well, boring. We're guessing you'd rather be caught dead than be caught at Abercrombie (unless it's to snicker at all the people dressed exactly the same). But more than that, you know that bucking the rules of fashion is way cooler than following trends, and that's because nothing's more "in" than following your own heart. Who cares what those people think anyway? You're too busy having fun to notice.Maybe you haven't dared to rock pink hair or pierce your belly button just yet, but we wouldn't be surprised. Just remember — tattoos are permanent, so don't go too crazy!

A few Good Men - 1992

Overview & Summary of A few good Men. :)

Category: Movie

Genre: Drama / Thriller

Directed by: Rob Reiner

Writer: Aaron Sorkin

Producer: Castle Rock Entertainment, Columbia Pictures Corporation

Cast: Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon, Keifer Sutherland, Kevin Pollak, James Marshall, J.T. Walsch, Christopher Guest and more.

Tagline: In the heart of the nation's capital, in a courthouse of the U.S. government, one man will stop at nothing to keep his honor, and one will stop at nothing to find the truth.

Based on a play by Aaron Sorkin.

There was a murder of a marine (Santiago) at a Naval base at Cuba and two marines(Dawson and Downey) were accused of murder. Code Red, a sacrosanct code used in Cuba but apparently not allowed by the “books” was used and as whoever ordered it was a mystery. An inexperienced Navy lawyer who has never seen the insides of a courtroom Ltjg. Daniel Kaffee(Tom Cruise) because he plea bargains most of the time was called to handle the case. Kaffee (Cruise) was known to be lazy and inattentive and pretty much clumsy. He favors playing football any second over studying a case which exhilarates Lt. Cdr. Joanne Galloway (Demi Moore) who is intent in solving the case and helping the two marines.

Tom Cruise fits the role of being a lawyer… his attempt on being “clumsy” meaning less serious outside the courtroom would make you want to bang his head for starters.

The two marines accused Lance Cpl. Harold W. Dawson (Wolfgang Bodison) and Pfc. Lowden Downey (James Marshall) were convincing.

This was Wolfgang’s debut as a budding actor he was just Rob Reiner’s assistant but he fits the role as Dawson. His facial expressions are so good… specially looking stubborn with certain justifications and you just know you have to believe him…

James Marshall was still young here and pretty much handsome with that childlike innocent face…. always depending on Wolfgang here…because it’s his role….

This may seem a boring movie to some… but I loved it because of those two marines…. and of course because Keifer Sutherland of 24’s Jack Bauer was here even though he is one of the antagonists here. Looking so young and handsome.

No sensual scenes. No lovey mushy things at all.

This is a movie with a couple of punchlines as well……. (trying to make it appear light and not too serious.)

Kaffee (Cruise), Col. Jessep (Jack Nicholson), Lt. Kendrick (Keiffer Sutherland), Lt. Weinberg (Kevin Pollack), Galloway (Demi Moore), Whitaker (Xander Berkeley)

Kaffee: Excuse me, sorry I’m late.
Capt. Whitaker: That’s alright, Danny, I know you don’t have a good excuse, so I won’t force you to come up with a bad one.
Kaffee: Thank you, sir.

Kaffee: Why does a Lieutenant Junior Grade with nine months’ experience and a track record for plea bargaining get assigned to a murder case? Would it be so it never sees the inside of a courtroom?

Kaffee: Is the colonel’s underwear a matter of national security?

Col. Jessep: What do you wanna discuss now? My favorite color?

Lt. Weinberg: You’ve heard her. My daughter said a word. She said, “Pa.”
Kaffee: She was pointing to a mailbox, Sam.
Lt. Weinberg: That’s right. She pointed to the mailbox as if to say, “Pa, look, a mailbox.”

Lt. Weinberg: Cmdr. Galloway, Lt. Kaffee is considered to be the best litigator in our office. He successfully plea bargained 44 cases in 9 months.
Kaffee: One more and I get a set of steak knives.

Kaffee: Whoa. Hold it. We gotta take a boat?
Barnes: Yes, sir. To get to the other side of the bay.
Kaffee: Nobody said anything about a boat.
Barnes: Is there a problem, sir?
Kaffee: No, no problem. I’m just not that crazy about boats, that’s all.
Galloway: Jesus Christ, Kaffee, you’re in the Navy for crying out loud.

Kaffee: Lt. Kendrick, may I call you John?
Lt. Kendrick: No, you may not.
Kaffee: Have I done something to offend you?
Lt. Kendrick: Not at all, I like all you Navy boys. Every time we gotta go some place to fight, you fellas always give us a ride.

Kaffee: Did you talk to your friend at the NIS?
Lt. Weinberg: Yeah, he said if Markinson doesn’t want to be found, we’re not gonna find him. He said I could be Markinson and you wouldn’t even know.
Kaffee: Are you Markinson?
Lt. Weinberg: No.
Kaffee: I’m not Markinson… that’s two.

Kaffee: This your signature?
Dawson: Yes, sir.
Kaffee: You don’t have to call me “sir.”
[to Downey]
Kaffee: Is this your signature?
Downey: Sir, yes, sir.
Kaffee: You certainly don’t need to do it twice in one sentence

Of course I liked a line much serious than the previous….

Kaffee: You don’t need a patch on your arm to have honor.

The film was nominated for four Academy Awards:

• Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Jack Nicholson)
• Best Film Editing
• Best Picture and
• Best Sound

The film was nominated for five Golden Globe Awards:

• Best Director (Rob Reiner)
• Best Motion Picture - Drama
• Best Actor (Tom Cruise)
• Best Supporting Actor (Jack Nicholson)
• Best Screenplay (Aaron Sorkin)

Related Post: Minority Report (Cruise)

Sigma Protocol - Robert Ludlum

Overview & Summary of Sigma Protocol by Robert Ludlum

Category: Books

Genre: Suspense/Thriller

Author: Robert Ludlum.

This was the last book written solely by Robert Ludlum. This book is based on The Bilderberg Group.

This is about the son of a Holocaust survivor, named Ben,jamin Hartman who was vacationing at Switzerland years after his twin brother Peter died. Ben Hartman met his long time friend in college Jimmy Cavanaugh - who tries to kill him on a crowded Zurich street. From there a series of killings have followed and Ben was advised by the Swiss police to never again set foot in Switzerland since he is already marked.

Ben’s curiosity through the series of strange events led him to finding out about an elite group who secretly formed an alliance of some sort called SIGMA. (the Bilderberg Group)

On the other hand Anna Navarro a Justice Department agent was assigned to investigate about the series of deaths of prominent people. Which led Anna Navarro to Ben Hartman and together they are both set to find out about the secrets behind the Sigma.

It’s a fast-pace thriller and a very engrossing story. I love the twists, the mysteries, the deep mosaic. The wheel within the wheel kind of story. I’m sure people who loves conspiracy theories, and deep mysteries involving people of the history would love this. Great. GReat. great. This book made me cry in the end as well. T_T. A must-read.

Mentions Philippine’s First Lady Imelda Marcos. Jack Hampton to Anna Navarro

Jack Hampton: “Word has it you’re some primo villainess the way I’ve heard you described, it’s like you’re a combination of Ma Barker and Mata Hari with the wardrobe of Imelda Marcos”

Quotes:

I fight for justice and in the fight for justice you must be able to distinguish between the venial and the venal, between the ordinary and out sized wrongdoing. Make no mistake: hardship brings out the best in no one.

And after the dawn of nuclear science - my God, what couldn’t we achieve if we set our minds to it ? - Chardin

Sukob - 2006

OVERVIEW and SUMMARY of Sukob

Category: Movie

Genre: Horror

Running Time: 105 mins.

Director: Chito Rono

Producer: Charo Santos Concio

Sandy (Kris Aquino) and Dale (Wendell Ramos) are overseas workers who went back to the Philippines to get married. Most of the people in their hometown, specially their parents are so keen not to break all the superstitious beliefs about getting married. Don’t do this and Don’t do that…… ever since they arrived.

A day before they were married, Sandy found out what happened to her neighbor Helen who died and Helen’s husband before that. It is said,Helen broke one of the superstition because she got married within a year her father died.

Now, it is Sandy’s turn to panic…. because there were signs already that her wedding was one with a curse.

There are two stories actually in the movie. Two women getting married. One living in a province…… and one about Sandy.

Sukob is basically a story about superstitions believed by the locals about getting married.

Unlike other Pinoy horror films…. Sukob succeeded as a horror-film. It is actually well-done, that is - if you compare it to other Pinoy-horror films. I like how the two stories of the women getting married was placed sequentially.

The ending was a bit hanging, like most horror films… and it is soo unlike a Pinoy to have those kind of endings…

I like how Claudine and Kris acted. Magaling!

Ang Cute ng Ina Mo - 2007

OVERVIEW and SUMMARY of Ang Cute ng INA mo

Category: Movie Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Wenn Deramas

Story: Mel del Rosario

Producer: ABS-CBN Film Productions, Viva Films

Cast: Ai ai de las Alas, Anne Curtis, Luis Manzano, Eugene Domingo, DJ Durano, John Lapus, Nikki Bacolod,

Georgia (Aiai de las Alas) was supposed to go to Australia with his husband Jack and baby daughter Christine but was unfortunately left by the plane. Georgia tried her best to go to Australia alone but whenever she gets her Australian visa a series of unfortunate events accompanies her. Jack was furious and never spoke to her for years and Georgia never got the chance to see Jack and her baby Christine.

Years later, Jack declared to his daughter Christine(Anne Curtis) she wants to marry the love of his life, Georgia. Christine can think of 101 reasons why her dad must not marry her mom. Christine told her father that she will visit the Philippines and find out whether Georgia is worthy of his love.

If you are a person who laughs at the slightest funny move, this is the movie for you, but if you are looking for a “story” and you are a serious person… this is not for you.

Some of the jokes in their conversations are pretty old and very “predictable”, since you know them…. like

Christine: What’s your favorite color?

Georgia: Fuchsia

Christine: *laughs* spell fuchsia

Georgia: *thinks* ayy pwede red na lang?

I like Sweet’s role…. and Eugene’s role as well.

It’s a funny family movie, yes. It’s Aiai for crying out loud… but I guess they went overboard with the effects and it lacked hilarious punch lines for others.

I watched it with my family…. and my mom wasn’t thrilled, she told me she laughed 3times, but she cried once. I asked her out of 5 what would be her rating? She said 2. My dad said 1.

I’m much nicer… I’m giving it 2 and a half… after all it made me laugh a few times even though it was really korny. Yes, yes it’s a korny movie and it lacked story…

and a HALF (will edit when I have a “half star”).

Dream Country - Luanne Rice

OVERVIEW and SUMMARY of Dream Country by Luanne Rice

Category: Books

Genre: Family

Author:LuAnne Rice

A story about a jewelry maker named Daisy who married a man from the west - a cowboy named James. Daisy gave birth to twins who were named Jake and Sage.

Their marriage fell apart when Jake disappeared without a trace …. and Daisy later left the West with Sage and settled back to New England where she came from.

Now.. Sage, has ran away….. and Daisy found out she is pregnant… they also found out she is heading West.. back to her father’s arms.

It’s another one of Luanne’s family drama.. A lovely story about love of a family.. and hope… It has it’s own thrill and twist. It’s a nice heartwarming stories.

One thing I like about Luanne is… the use of animals…. creatures.. legends and myths in her stories.. this time it’s the Snow Geese and the legends of the Indians.

Washakie!!!

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• Firefly Beach
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Strange Highways -Dean Koontz

OVERVIEW and SUMMARY of Strange Highways by Dean Koontz

Category: Books Genre: Suspense Author: Dean Koontz

This is my first Dean Koontz book. A collection of short strange stories he wrote.

These are short stories that shows the variety of what Dean K. is capable of writing…

I had fun reading Koontz’s short stories and specially his comical notes to the readers part. A compilation of Koontz’s strange stories.

Strange Highways - 5/5

1995: A story about a man named Joey Shannon who returned home to attend the funeral of his father. He dreaded going back to his hometown in Asherville. While staying alone at his childhood home, he decided to stay sober till the funeral and began “hallucinating” and “dreaming” about a blond dead woman without eyes and bloody fingers. When the funeral was over, he decided to go back to Las Vegas right away and on his way he encountered a “strange highway”, the road not taken and he was warped back to 1975.

1975: The night that changed his life. As the night went on his fate and his future would change. He was allowed to replay and rewid this part.

I like the way it ended. It has suspense and some twists. I like the tense psychological suspense he weaved throughout his story and the able-to-rewind-the-past part.

The Black Pumpkin-4/5

This one is a short story. Reminded me of Goosebumps or the Are you afraid of the Dark series.

It’s about a boy named Tommy who has a mean-spirited brother named Frank and parents who never cared about him.

Tagline: “You get what you give”

Somehow, in the end… the family got what they gave. More like sowing and reaping thingy. Creepy. Basically more like a story for kids.

Miss Attila the Hun - 5/5

This one is a story about an-alien-thing called Seed who wanted to take over the world in a very weird way. It wanted to get inside all the humans and control everyone and then when the Day of Release came, where every human being can gain control of their own selves half of them would go crazy while the others would stand by on their sanity and finally lose it on the end.

Miss Attila the Hun here is a teacher who is married to a writer who cannot walk.

Anyhow, I like the message with this story. How love can overcome everything and how it overcome the control from Seed.

Down in the Darkness-3/5

This one is about a couple who owns a restaurant and recently bought a house at Laguna Beach from a Vietnamese refugee. The husband named Jess (originally Jesus because he is a 2nd gen Mexican living in America) discovered a door near the kitchen which leads ten-stories below, but nobody can see it not even her wife only him.

The door leads to a place so dark, it can swallow the light. A place so dark, that it looks like a murk below, as if the lower part was filled with a pool of oil.

Good, creepy story.

Ollie’s Hands - 4/5

This is about a guy who has a powerful hand. Hands that can heal, and seems like it can do magic. Such hands. But this great gift of hands seems like a curse to him and he doesnt want anybody to find out, because he has been hurt before because of the gift.

Nice but sad at the same time.

Snatcher - 3/5

This is about a “snatcher”. He treats “snatching” not as a living or out of desperation but more on because it is his pleasure. One time, he snatched a big, heavy purse from an old woman. The purse contains a devil.

Seems more like “down in the darkness” with the emphasis of someone who has the “gift of hands” like Ollie’s in a different way.. and that is “snatching”.

Trapped - 4/5

This one is a story about an experiment going mad. Biolomech Labs is involved in an intelligence-enhancement experiment.This experiment, seeks to discover if lower species, like rats for example could be genetically altered to breed other rats with increased brain power, and hoping to discover how to use it and enhance human intelligence.

Now, here’s the sitch: The rats were soo smart…. they organized their own escape. The rats despite their intelligence, were hostile. Its now up to the Biolomech team to recover and kill the rats before they breed and outnumber the human race.

I kinda liked the story… havent read anything about lab-rats-gone-mad. Too bad it’s a short story.

Bruno - 4/5

This one is somehow like back-to-the-future thingy…but it’s the future who visited the 90’s timeline and it’s somehow like some private-eye .

Bruno is a bear, and not a little Teddy but he is 6 feet four coming from another timeline or what Bruno calls “probability”. In Bruno’s timeline, shortly after world war two, washing out a lot of people, but science survived. In order to survive the race they have to stimulate human intelligence and dexterity to lower species - like bears for that matter.

In Bruno’s timeline, Spielberg is the father of space travel, Disney are gun makers (and creating amazing guns at that), Smith&Wesson the gun makers of the timeline were breadmakers. How cool is that, or should I say funny ?

Bruno is after Graham Stone, considered to be very dangerous. Graham Stone is not from another timeline but in fact an out-of-the-earth thing - an alien. Bruno is a probability police and his mission was to eradicate Graham Stone.

Nice story. Fun. Unique. Thrilling.

We Three - 3/5

This one is about the 10yearold triplets who killed the entire human race including their parents claiming they are the new species of new culture, new emotions, new rules, new hopes, new dreams and all that.

Pretty weird.. and hanging.

Hardshell - 3/5

Some cop-villain story but it would surprise you in the middle because it turned out the cop and the villain are both out-of-this-world species.

Kittens - 4/5

Kittens was said to be Dean Koontz’s first short story to be sold, it was written when he was in college and won awards.

This story is about a girl who had a female cat who gave birth to a litter of kittens…. and one day the kittens disappeared.

Twisted…. better read it…. but somehow a predictable ending.

The Night of The Storm - 3/5

This is about a time when robots ruled the world and humans were just myths to them and nothing more.

Twilight of the Dawn - 3/5

This is about a man named Pete Fallon who is an Atheist and he tried to raise his kid Benny without ever introducing or accepting any religious thought in the house.

This is about his struggle of being against religion…. and never succumbing and treats it like a disease….

When his son… got bone cancer… and eventually died….. he is about to realize that life has a meaning, a purpose and that there is an afterlife as well.

Chase - 4/5

This one is a novel-length story about a man named Ben Chase who was awarded a Medal of Honor when he returned after Vietnam.

But there are deeper reasons why he remained to be the way he is….until he become another-hero-of-the-day and stopped one murderer from killing a girl in the woods.. and his life began to change…

Minority Report 2002

OVERVIEW and SUMMARY of Minority Report

Category: Movies Genre: Sci-Fi Directed by: Steven Spielberg

Tagline: The Future Can Be Seen. Murder Can be Prevented. The Guilty Punished Before the Crime is Committed. The System is Perfect. It’s Never Wrong. Until It Comes After You.

I know this was shown 5 years ago… but I only got the chance to watch it today.

A sci-fi film based on a short story with the same title by Philip K. Dick, set in Washington D.C., year 2054 where there is a special police crime department called “Pre-Crime”, which prevents murders from happening through the efforts of three psychics or genetically-altered humans called “pre-cogs”.

For years, DC had trouble over crimes and when the system(Pre-crime) was enforced, the crime rate went down to 90%. The system worked perfectly.. there hasn’t been a murder for 6 years..

These pre-cogs relate only the time and date of the murder, the murderer’s and the victim’s name. The rest of the facts and clues would be from the vision

It’s actually a great movie….I like the message of the movie…

Even if you know your future… you can always change it. Just like in dreams.. dreams are warnings.. or they show us what will happen… but with a certain shifting of emotions or choices… you can change it.

Lachi's - Davao

Category: Restaurant

It’s a small diner or snack place located at Marfori, Davao City.

It’s usually full and many people go in and out from the store.

It has my favorite dessert - cakes of all kinds! Wooo.

It’s carrot cake is yummmmm… It could probably compete with Hotel Galleria’s carrot cake.

Their Choco-Vanilla Cheese cake is uber yummy! I wanna go try it again.

*slurp slurp*

The next cake is bigger than the cheesecake but I forgot it’s name… it’s also yummy (but I like the choco vanilla cheese cake better). I’m a sucker for cheese….. that’s why.

Cons: Small place, limited seats…. and lots of people going in and out. Better settle for take out.

Lachi’s is the perfect dessert stop this summer.

La Toscana - Davao

This is an Italian restaurant located at Quirino Street, Davao City.

It’s owner and chef at the same time is Italian which gives justice to Italian food. Every dish they serve is yummy.

People might complain for it’s small place, but it’s actually just right. It has a romantic ambiance as well. With fresh roses every table and candles they light up for the night.

I ordered the Tortelli Verniatti con Pomodoro. They have big servings and this one is pretty much good for two, although if you are someone with a big appetite and can spare a room for dessert, you can eat this solo flight. I did not eat much because like 3 hours before we went to the resto I ate a choco parfait.. it had me full. So, I shared the tortelli to everyone.People who love cheese and tomatoes would love this.

Yummy Lasagna! Cooked with love. I wanna go try it again when I go over there. My sister ordered this…

My parents ordered the seafood pizza. I did not get to have a picture because they digged in right away when it was served.

I ordered Tiramisu Cake for dessert for Php 55.00. For 55 it’s YUM and worth

h it for me. I wanna go and order the tiramisu alone for snack. bwahaha. It was really yummmm.. thinking about it I want moreeeeee….

All in all the La Toscana restaurant is unique all in it’s own, serving authentic dishes cooked by an Italian and the real deal. If you visit Davao and you crave for Italian dishes… just remember La Toscana is the place for you