American Idol: Top 13 Guys



I am not a music expert but i've been following american idol since it started, so here's what i think of the top 13. Im not from America, so i can't vote, i just hope they vote wisely.

Aaron Marcellus sings "Never Can Say Goodbye", im not really a fan but his a good singer and a good performance right there, just did not wowed me.

Adam Brock sings "Think". I can not deny that this family guy has a great voice but  i don't think he will last until the end - im sorry. With the american idol trend and America's choice, he lacks the x factor.

Chase Likens sings "Storm Warning". The judges right, he's good looking and yes Tyler he's kind of look like Brendan Fraser there. He has a good voice and good stage presence, he could have a chance considering the finalist last year being both country singers.

Creighton Fraker sings "True Colors". The guy has something unique going on there. Come on, that's Cyndi Lauper song and he made it his own but i still don't think he could make it to the end.

Colton Dixon sings "Decode". I like Colton and i love that song of Paramore. I agree with Tyler, there's a nice dark indie rock going on there.

DeAndre Brackensick sings "Reasons". I like his voice, his rendetion of the song is just right but i think there's something off at the very beginning but the end was beautiful.

Eben Franckewitz sings "Set Fire To The Rain". Such a cute kid but come on..... why sings Adelle?..the very big Adelle. You're already in the vote of the teens - and that's a big vote - with that Justin Beiber look- why do you have to ride to Adelle's phenom on the very first Idol Night.

Heejun Han sings "Angels". I really love Heejun since the audition, he has this two side in him - the funny and the sensitive, its very interesting. Besides that, he has a great voice and JLo i agree, it is "smooth as silk" and i might add "full of soul and heart". The judges right though, this is not his best performance.

Jeremy Rosado sings "Gravity". He has a sweet and tender voice for quite a big guy but i think tonight he gave a safe performance.

Joshua Ledet sings "You Pulled Me Through". It was mad....mad...mad, that's how you do it on the first night. He deserves the standing ovation.

Phillip Phillips sings "In The Air Tonight". I super love this guy since i heard him on the auditions. He has a very great, different voice and style. I am just worried when themed week comes, if whether he could show diversity and variations. Just like last season, i really like Casey but he stil didn't make it to the finals. I just wanna say, J Lo's right, You should know the name Phillip Phillips. And Randy, i dont agree, his rendition is great.

Reed Grimm sings "Moves Like Jagger". There is something crazy going on with this guy but with a lot of soul, and i like it. He can sing, he can play, he can dance and he can go crazy. He is interesting.

Surprise, surprise...

Jermaine Jones sings "Dance with my Father". I super super love that song, never fail to bring a tear in my eye. He is the lucky 13, they just can't pass the chance to hear and see again that Tender Giant. I love that nickname, it's really is for him - i wonder why they brought him back, is that because he cried like a baby when he did not make to the top 24 which was so touching and could still generate a lot of rating for the first night? Whatever, i love him but i dont think he could make it.

My vote doesn't count but my Top 5's are.- Phillip Phillips, Heejun Han, Colton Dixon, Reed Grimm and Joshua Ledet. DeAndre Brackensick could be a wildcard.

Travel: Beach Camping at Anawangin Cove

We went there last February 2012 with some friend's and family and stayed overnight. We're a group of 13, it was supposed to be 15 but some did not push through. We hire a van, since it was a friends van so it was discounted but i think the rental rate to zambales from manila is P3,000+/per day. I've searched the net for a boatman and found Mang Ariel. Fortunately, his boat is big and would accomodate up to 20 persons and his rate is P250/head overnight with capones and camara island hopping. He also lend us a cooler and cookingwares, so we're happy.

We were scheduled to leave from Manila at 3:00 am in the morning but unexpected events happen and we left Manila at almost 5:00am. We arrived at San Antonio town proper past 8:00 am and Mang Ariel was already there waiting for us. We already have a cooked food with us for lunch and some marinated pork for grilling by dinner but we also bought some fish, fruits, charcoal and other stuff at the market which was located at the back of the city hall. Off we went to Pundaquit, since we have our boatman as guide, it's an easy and fast ride.

This is at Pundaquit bay where boats are dock, we are waiting for our boat to board. The waves are pretty strong. Since it was almost 10:00am, Mang Ariel advise us to head to Anawangin to set camp and we can do our island hopping the next day.

Here comes Anawangin Cove

Thank God, we landed safely

This is the camping site, the pine tress are really a wonder. You can put a hammock between trees, if you don't have your own there are vendors around but beware price varies, we bought ours at P150 but there is P100 only.

This is the right side of the cove facing the ocean, you can go to the shore there but you have to trek the stones, be careful some stones are sharp and some are slippery. I only made it to that protruding stones.

The life in the cove is pretty simple, peaceful and kind of a survivor but i think development is on the way - i just hope they don't ruin the place. The caretaker, Ate Rose, said that the entrance will go up by march because they will build a water installation, to make it a bit easier for campers. Right now water in the comfort and shower rooms comes from the tank which was pump up from the well, but scattered around the cove are "poso" where you pump water manually from the well.
By late in the afternoon, we went trekking, there's a steep trail to the mountain at the left side of the cove facing the ocean. We only made at the first clearing, it was like the middle of the mountain. Well, such a shame i am not made for trekking haha. it was tiring, when you slip, the left side is already the ocean with rocks all over and little bamboos.

View of the cove from the top where we are but you can still go up. i bet the view up there is even more spectacular.

By around 7:00pm, it was a complete darkness so eat your dinner while there is still a little sun. Do bring a flashlight or a rechargable light for convenience. You can set up a bonfire, there are fallen logs all around but dont be stupid to set it up near a tree. We got to sleep by 8pm, it was a good sleep even when our neighbour went on a parlor game, be respectful on other people who are trying to sleep. Some of us woke up around 3:00am i got nervous, the wind was howling, i thought its gonna rain or some tornado is coming but they say its normal. Well, there are stars in the sky-if there's a star in the sky, there couldn't be a storm, right? - and you can go star gazing through the pine tress, its beautiful. We left Anawangin Cove at 8am and head to Capones but we never set foot in Capones. The wave was rough, some smaller boat can dock but ours is big. Our boatman already said that it will be hard to dock but he tried and then near the shore the boat hit a rock and then there's two big waves that almost go over the boat - when we got to Manila, we learned that there is a tropical depression, that's why. Oh my God, it was a terrifying adventure, good thing Mang Ariel and his sidekick has a presence of mind and got the boat away from the shore. Mang Ariel even cut his foot from a rock. THANK YOU Mang Ariel for bringing us safe home. The kids just went on swimming at Pundaquit Bay, Mang Ariel let us use his bathroom to shower but there are also bathroom at the shore that you can use for a fee.

This is Capones Island, the lighthouse is on the far left the boat can dock there on a calmer day but right now the waves is rougher there so they dock here instead. Even so, only small boats can go through.

This is Camara Island, it's really beautiful but waves is even strong here than Capones.

Even if we have not go island hopping, the experience in Anawangin is an experience of a lifetime. It would be nice to stay there for a couple more days but there is school and work to go to come monday. I really feel close to nature, it's another thing to be proud of as a Filipino. And here, it's truly is more fun in the Philippines. AMAZING...

Book Review:Tommy Nightmare (Jenny Pox #2)

This is the book two of Jenny Pox series and the story continues in the aftermath of the finale of book one (click here) - i say finale because i swear, this book has a TV series potential. At this point, im really not sure what Jenny, Seth and the others are. They always used "our kind" or "like us", no definite name but this series was sometimes labeled as The Paranormals - though, the name was never mentioned yet in the books. All i know is that they are an ancient soul or being that reincarnates, their powers only manifest when they are in a human body and they have no memory of past lives due to the process of reincarnation until the moment of death where the memory of past lives comes before them.
First of, we are introduced to gray-eyed Tommy with the touch of fear which obviously is the opposite of that mean gray-eyed Asleigh. He will then look for Asleigh who he seen on TV appearance from the first book, with the help of Esmeralda who can listen to the dead and that will lead them to Fallen Oak. And then there was Dr. Heather, an epidemiologist, who will investigate the happenings in Fallen oak (i dont to divulge anymore details which might spoil the element of surprise) that will lead back to Seth and Jenny. Seth and Jenny is not really safe, they have deal again with dangerous people to survive both their safety and their love.

I don't really like Tommy, he was kind of not a good person and dumb which basicaly is what the author wants him to be perceived but i dont get the significance of such character. Well, my guess is to conveniently give way to other meaner person. I like Dr. Heather who has an open and strong mind but her character is a bit contradicting to what i perceived a "man of science" to be, suspecting supernatural stuff.

The building up of events and characters are well done. There are still and i would say, more alternating perspective, more persons point of view even a minor character. The end was great, giving us a glimpse of the third book Alexander Death which is intriguing, both his past live and present.

Book Review: Jenny Pox by J.L. Bryan

This book was underrated when it came out, so i was hesitant to read it at first but now finally i did. I wouldn't recommend it for young teens, though there is no extensive and explicit theme of sexuality but few parts involving sexuality, i would say, are graphic.

It's about a girl named Jenny "Pox" Morton in Fallen Oak, South Carolina who can spread a disease/plague - with all the blisters, skin tear, ooze, blood, fuss, you name it - like a virus with just a touch, any part of her skin. Her mother was the first one infected while giving birth to her and the doctors, so she was raised alone by her father and his number rule "don't touch anybody" - that kind of rough specially for a young girl. She manage to go to school by wearing gloves, long sleeve and avoiding everybody but there will always be a mean girl by the name of Asleigh Goodling, like really mean, its ironic for her surname to be Goodling and a preacher's daughter but wielded a dangerous power of her own. And of course, there will always be the one who Jenny can touch - how good is that if she can't touch anybody - that goes by the name of Seth Barret. Seth was Jenny's opposite - well, you can guess what her opposite can do- he is handsome and rich, like every townfolks owed their family because of their bank. As the author described - Jenny is a pretty girl herself, actually she looked like the girl in the cover. Seth is also the boyfriend of Asleigh but Seth and Jenny had something blooming and beautiful relationship of their own, so they have one very pissed ex-girlfriend but they have to focus on a more dangerous problem which might require using her "Jenny Pox" to survive.

Jenny is one tough girl, enduring all the bullying in school and being alone with her pottery at home as her hobby and part time income. And of course, rocky the three-legged dog who will play a very important role. She stays committed to what her father thought her and not hurting anybody with that dangerous power or curse as she might call it.

The author uses many and fast shifting point of view but mainly focus on Jenny and Asleigh. The shifting perspective is like watching a TV Series, i don't mind but sometimes its confusing like when i was in engrossed Jenny's perspective and then it will shift. I can't decide if this novel is unpredictable or just has a broad concept or storyline because at first, i dont know where the story is going - there is so much stuff going on and there's so many characters. However, in the last part, you will discover the main story.

This is not an easy and light read, this is tough but a good one. Anybody who love paranormal, suspense and a hint of romance will like this. I think this is a trilogy so watch out for Tommy's Nightmare and Alexander Death, i'm sure you can guess what the others' power are.

Book Review: The Pledge by Kimberly Derting

In the violent country of Ludania, the language you speak determines what class you are, and there are harsh punishments if you forget your place—looking a member of a higher class in the eye can result in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina (Charlie for short) can understand all languages, a dangerous ability she’s been hiding her whole life. Her only place of release is the drug-filled underground club scene, where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. There, she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy who speaks a language she’s never heard, and her secret is almost exposed. Through a series of violent upheavals, it becomes clear that Charlie herself is the key to forcing out the oppressive power structure of her kingdom…. (source: Amazon)

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What i like about this book was it was kind of original or maybe not but the idea is great. One would think that a story with language barriers, not just with words but also in tone, would be hard to execute but Derting did it properly - i wonder if this become a movie, because its becoming a trend, how are they gonna go with that. I like the alternating perspective or point of view when its done properly and Derting did a good job. The prologue is very strong and there are subtle moments in the book, it's like when you came to an understanding later in the book and you're like "how could i miss it, it was mentioned earlier."

Charlie is very tough for a teenager having that ability and hid it while living in the society they are in. She is also amazingly smart, makes the right decision at the right time and makes poor decision at the right - ha! that's confusing, right? Then there was Max, there was so much mention of his eyes, they have a love at first sight romance then build a little and then bloom quickly. The story does not really focus on the romance but there was enough of it, which is good because this is a dystopian/fantasy novel and too much romance would spoil a great concept.

I like all the characters, i think all the characters are important, there is no one put there just to annoy you and just add up to make a 500 page book.  I specially like Charlie's sister Angelina, the relationship between them is so pure and touching. Xander intrigues me, i hope to know more of him in the next book.

I really like this book and looking forward for the next one. The ending is complete and can be a stand alone novel, there are vague details at the end but i guess that's to build up the next book and there are new questions left on the reader's mind but most old questions are answered.

Book Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

This book is being compared to Hunger Games and X-Men. Hunger Games? definitely not. X-Men? Maybe.

Julliete is a 17 year old girl who has an ability to inflict pain, even death, to a person with just a touch. She accidently killed a boy when she was 14 years old, that put her into asylum. For 264 days, she's been in isolation with no human interaction. Until day 265, when a boy was brought to be her cellmate, a boy whom she knew from the past she tried hard to forget.

I like the writing on the first part of the book, it is written in Juliette's stream of consciousness. She's isolated for 264 days, without using words, the conversation is in her mind with herself to avoid insanity. The author makes Juliette's flow of thoughts very entertaining. As the story progress - oh well, i think the story progress slowly, actions came just at the last part. Juliette has two love interest in my opinion, and i wonder if this is a dystopian or a romance novel because the dystopic element falls short - i hope it develops in book two. Anyways, i like Adam (this has become a very popular name for a male lead, i get confuse sometimes) but i think he is a little too good to be true and the obstacle they are facing is a little too conveniently overcome. I also like Kenji, brings funny moments, i hope to see more of him in the next book.

As any dystopian novel, they are living in a world of chaos but i think the author did not vividly described it. This book focus mostly on the romance but the there is potential, it's there but not really developed. The author leaves interesting plots and characters at the end that will keep you waiting for the next one. I just hope she's not reeling into another X-Men series because i feel that the story is so going there - fingers crossed.

Game of Thrones Season 2

"A very small man can cast a very large shadow." I love it!!! Go Tyrion... and Varys always have the best words and metapors other than Tyrion.

Are you excited? because i can't wait till April when Season 2 starts.

I will miss Drogo but hey there are new characters and i can't wait to see how they will go. I love Daenerys, the dress and the power and i really want to kill Geoffrey haha. And Jon Snow, you can just stand there without saying anything and i won't complain.

The Game begins on April, who will win or die?

"Power resides where people believe it resides"

Book Review: Clarity by Kim Harrington



Clarity "Clare" Fern comes from a long line of psychics. She receives a vision from objects she touches, her mother's a telepath and her brother's a medium. They run a "psychic readings" business in a tourist town of Easport in Cape Cod. Clare is nursing a broken heart from the Mayor's son when the murder of a tourist girl happens and so is the arrival of a Detective from New York and his gorgeous son. And so the mystery begins...

I like Clare, the author created a sensitive, strong and funny protagonist. Clare is such a normal teenager with a paranormal abilitites. She reacts to things, from her family to her crush and to her ex-boyfriend, like a normal girl. Although, i would say that her reactions to her ex-boyfriend cheating - once and unaware - is over the top, her ability would be really hard for her lovelife haha.

The story moves at a quick pace- solving the mystery, catching the killer, protecting family and conflicting issues of the heart is interweave in the story beautifully - no dull moments. But i would say that the author is reeling more to the suspense side of the story that there are so many suspect that she tries to inflict on the mind of the readers. I was like, he's the killer.. oh he's not he is... oh he's not again... and i was like, c'mon obviously they're decoys. You'll never know till the end but you can already guess before it happens, even before Clare realizes it. The two love interest, Gabriel the detective's son and Justin the Mayor's son, both are not perfect but with different qualities and apparently with different motive which will be explore in the sequel "Perception". Im rooting for Justin.

The book is a easy, enjoyable, quick read. I will be waiting for the next book.