| The Good, The Bad, and The Borderline Amazing |
[Jul. 16th, 2009|04:19 pm] |
Wow. Looks like someone finally got the hint.
Granted, this year's lineup is nowhere near perfect. (And I really don't think we're ever going to have a "perfect lineup". People have different tastes. An oversight or two are bound to happen every year.)
But after countless complaints about how repetitive & boring the lineup is every year, I was pleasantly surprised to wake up and see THIS YEAR'S EMMY NOMINEES. When you compare it to the previous years, this year's set is a HUGE improvement.
Sure, some of the tired, old favorites still slipped through the cracks (Tony Shalhoub, William Shatner, etc), but it was refreshing to see so many new names pop up - names that totally deserve to be there too.
THE GOOD
-Nominations for almost everyone in the cast of "30 Rock".
(Jane Krakowski, Jack McBrayer, and Tracy Morgan finally made it in, along with last year's champs Tina Fey & Alec Baldwin.)
-TRIPLE NOMINEE Tina Fey
(She scored a well-deserved nomination for Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her stint as Sarah Palin on SNL!)
-DOUBLE NOMINEE Justin Timberlake
(He's up for Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for hosting SNL, and Outstanding Original Music & Lyrics for co-writing "Motherlover".)
-FIRST TIME NOMINEE Kristen Wiig
(SNL's female MVP finally made the cut after so many years of trying! Hope she wins!)
-DOUBLE NOMINEE Jon Hamm
(Nominated again for Lead Actor in a Drama Series for "Mad Men", Jon Hamm is also up for Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for "30 Rock".)
-DOUBLE NOMINEE Kathy Griffin
(She's nominated for both her reality show & her TV special!)
-"Flight of The Conchords" soars
(FOTC is up for Outstanding Comedy Series, and Jemaine Clement is nominated as Lead Actor in a Comedy Series!)
-Jemaine Clement is also nominated for Outstanding Music & Lyrics, along with his fellow conchord Bret McKenzie!
-The underrated Rose Byrne & the dynamic William Hurt got Supporting Actor & Actress nominations for "Damages" .
-Lead Actress in a Comedy Series nominee Toni Collette for "United States of Tara".
-Drew Barrymore & Jessica Lange will compete against each other for "Grey Gardens".
-A farewell Supporting Actress nomination for "Pushing Daisies"' Kristin Chenoweth.
-NO Katherine Heigl! Haha!
-4 out of the 5 nominees for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series are from "30 Rock"!
-Hugh Jackman's opening number from this year's Oscars is nominated for Outstanding Music & Lyrics!
THE BAD
-LIGHTS out
(Still no love for "Friday Night Lights"! Come on!)
-CHELSEA out
(No love for "Chelsea Lately" either!)
-SURVIVOR out
(After 2 back-to-back intense seasons, voters still think that "American Idol" is a better show? Seriously?)
-BLOOD out
(Save for some technical nominations, "True Blood" was virtually ignored.)
THE BORDERLINE AMAZING
-FAMILY GUY is up for Outstanding Comedy Series
(The first animated series to ever make the lineup! It's funny, yes, but did it deserve to get in over other shows like "Pushing Daisies"? I say NO.)
-NO JEREMY PIVEN
(I'm torn about this one. I love Piven. He's consistently excellent, as evidenced by his 3 consecutive Emmy wins. This year, he was snubbed..... in favor of the equally funny Tracy Morgan & Jack McBrayer from "30 Rock".)
-JENNIFER ANISTON for "30 Rock"
(This has nothing to do with my being on Team Jolie at all. I know the Emmy voters love Aniston, but she wasn't even that funny. OPRAH deserved that nomination by a huge-ass mile.)
-EMMY NOMINEE Julianne Hough
(She's nominated with her brother Derek for Outstanding Choreography for "Dancing With The Stars". I like her, but goodness gracious, she's everywhere!) |
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| Some quick post-Oscar thoughts... |
[Feb. 23rd, 2009|02:18 am] |
I'll write more once I get to process everything, but for now, I guess I'll start by saying that this year's ceremony was perhaps one of the absolute BEST ceremonies in over a decade!!! My favorite element was the production design. It was frickin' MAGNIFICENT!!! It was very old school, very classic Hollywood. I especially loved loved LOVED the sets & the set changes when Sarah Jessica Parker & Daniel Craig were presenting. That was a stroke of pure GENIUS. Hugh Jackman was a great host. The fact that he was new to this meant that he was also very energetic and very eager to please. That opening number was something else. Possibly one of the funniest opening numbers EVER!!! It was even funnier than some of Billy Crystal's song numbers! The flow of the show, in general, was snappy. Awards were handed out in rapid fashion, especially the ones that no one really cares about. (Let's be honest, how many people really care about Best Art Direction, Sound Editing, etc?) The winners were, overall, a very satisfying bunch. Sure, I would have loved to see Mickey Rourke win over Sean Penn, and Marisa Tomei win over Penelope Cruz. But that doesn't mean that Penn & Cruz were undeserving. They were both very good, Cruz especially. I just happen to feel that Rourke & Tomei really deserved it more. Then of course, there that SLUMDOG SWEEP!!! 8 wins out of 10 nominations! It is written, indeed!!! I'm on the fence about the way they presented the acting categories. On one hand, the idea of having 5 past winners there was something else. It was GRAND. It elevated the category to a whole new level. It added more prestige. I mean, come on, EVA MARIE SAINT was there!!! 55 years after she won her Best Supporting Actress Oscar, it was mindblowing to see her onstage as one of the 5 actresses "passing the torch" to the new generation. But on the other hand, the whole thing was way way waaaaay too long. The spiels were around 30 seconds per nominee, 45 if you add the applause. And to top it all off, there were NO FILM CLIPS that were shown. It made the whole process seem so tedious, anti-climactic, and, well... ceremonious. After all 5 spiels were read, one of them suddenly opens the envelope and reads out the name. There wasn't that much suspense or build-up. It probably would've been better if their spiels were shorter, and they showed a brief clip of the nominees in their respective films. Just so viewers at home could see a sample of their work. That sounds like a good compromise. That way, you still get to see the 5 previous winners, and you also get to see the nominees' work. Now, let's get to the 3 things I didn't quite like about the show... 1) The lack of film clips for the acting nominees. Read above. 2) The lack of A-List star power. Yes, the line-up for all 4 acting categories were powerful ones. But as for the other categories... it was pretty weak. Sarah Jessica Parker & Daniel Craig presenting THREE categories? Will Smith presenting FOUR? Seriously? Will Smith, I can understand. A guy that popular can do whatever he wants. But Sarah Jessica Parker? THREE categories? Really? 3) The whole "the musical is back" production number. (Yes, the number with Beyonce and the HSM twats.) First of all, when was the musical ever gone? Second, I have to admit, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It was still bad though. When Beyonce sang "At Last", my eyes rolled 500 times over. And seeing those HSM tweens really made me vomit. The whole thing just seemed so incredibly unnecessary. It was nothing but a self-indulgent ploy for ratings. Other than those three, everything was AWESOME!!! Terrific show! CONGRATULATIONS TO SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE!!!
See you all at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards!!!
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| FITNESS FIRST, EMPLOYEES LAST. -- Episode 2: The Employees Strike Back |
[Dec. 21st, 2008|11:27 am] |
Well, since the first one was such a hit, I think it's fitting that I come up with a sequel. Yes or yes? That's how it always works -- Star Wars, Spider-Man, Friday The 13th, and the list goes on. So here we are. For those of you who haven't read the first part, fear not. You can get yourself up to speed by clicking HERE.
And in true Star Wars tradition, I'm calling this sequel: THE EMPLOYEES STRIKE BACK. (It's a spoof of "The Empire Strikes Back"... Get it? Get it? Oh nevermind.)
Okay. So I went to bed last Friday without a reply from Mike Abacan. I woke up at 11:00am the next day, and I saw 2 messages from him in my inbox. The first one...
Was not able to reply to ur message last, fell asleep. You know jake, nothing is intentional. If I was not able to clearly tell you to communicate with your FOHM then my fault. But you don't need to accuse that you are left hanging in the air. Cancelation of membership is one of the privilege a GXI may have, and we are happy to give that. If things don't go the way we want it to, why don't we look for solutions instead of bickering with each other? I will personally call Maki of Eastwood to process your termination and a charge back on your credit card. Thanks.
Paging the grammar & spelling police! Someone needs you badly. But wait! There's more! His second message...
Now, you are accusing the company thru facebook? Did the GXC's where u are teaching not inform you of Frank's appeal for GXI's to refrain from discussing thru facebook matters pertaining to fitness first. I just got a txt message that you posted "fitness first. employees last". These things does not help.
I wasn't about to take this lying down. (Although I was still lying down when I typed my reply. What can I say? I love my bed.) So I replied...
Sorry late reply. Bickering? Other than last night, when else have we been bickering? If I remember correctly, I've ALWAYS been so subservient and obedient. And believe me, I've tried looking for other solutions. I've asked soooo many people. I just didn't want to go over your head and bypass you because you were the one I was originally in contact with. I did that out of respect.
1 message down, 2 to go...
Besides, I asked Eastwood reception yesterday, and they said they would need some form of endorsement or authorization. They said from Ramon daw. I also asked May a long time ago. And she said to approach you. So ganun din, it all comes back to the SGXM's. I'd still need to course it through you guys.
And lastly...
And no, none of the GXC's informed me of anything regarding Facebook. No, I am not accusing the company of anything through Facebook. Everything that is written there are my personal opinions which, as it turns out, most of the GXI's AND members completely agree with. There are no legal or formal accusations. It's just a summary of my personal experience. It's my blog, and I'm keeping it there. It's not open to the public anyway, just to certain people.
3 minutes later, Mike replied with 3 messages of his very own...
I already talked to Maki Jake. She will be there tom. She will process it. Again, things like these remind us constantly because we are preoccupied with lots of things and we understand your situation as well. Again, let's look for solutions and work on it. Pls go to Maki tom.
His second message...
I am speaking in general Jake, because I'm sure things like these would continously appear. I'm sure you know how bickering is within the group. I appreciate ur being a team player, but when a misunderstanding like this occurs, let us not be so emotional and instead find a solution.
Misunderstanding? There was no misunderstanding. All this crap was crystal clear. Anyway, his third message...
If they feel that way, then the best way to deal with it is to communicate with the people involved, just like what u did. Then u will get an answer. That is the best way to communicate ur concerns.
This left me sorta puzzled. So the best way to get things done and to communicate our concerns is by... sending him insanely anger-filled text messages??? Cool. I can do that. And if you continue reading, you'll see that that's exactly what I did.
So anyway, I didn't bother replying to him anymore. I was too busy fixing my Christmas gifts. 4 hours later, he tried calling me. I missed his call, so he texted me again...
Is it true that you are posting comments against me in facebook? I don't open my facebook so i am not aware. If it is true, then why the need to put things in a place where nothing can be resolved. Thank you jake.
Like I said, I was too busy buying stuff for Christmas, so I wasn't able to reply to him until 3 hours after his last text. So this was my reply...
Sorry late reply. Okay, thanks for that. I'll pass by Eastwood tmrw to talk to Maki. Just to make sure everything's in order. I deleted the Facebook comments this morning pa. And as for the other GXI's, I do believe they're working on their own form of communication. I support them and I hope they succeed.
He didn't reply anymore. So Saturday ends. I go to bed. I woke up Sunday morning, and I saw that I had another missed call from Mike + another text message from him...
Hi Jake, a GXI called me and told me that your comments are still up in the facebook. Is this true?
Two things:
1) I really did delete my negative comments the day before. I wrote stuff about him looking like a primate. I deleted all that already.
2) I think I know who his source was. Because exactly 3 minutes after Mike's text came in, a fellow GXI texted me that he/she just read my blog entry. Coincidence? I think not! But if my suspicions are correct, I'm not mad at him/her. He/she is a good person. I think he/she was just trying to be the peacemaker.
So going back to the exchanging of text messages. I replied...
Nope, not true. Like I said, I already deleted all my negative comments against you yesterday morning. Everything that's left there are my opinions in general. There are so many people that left comments though. Maybe that's what your source was talking about. That's beyond my control. I can't stop them.
Mike didn't reply after that. So I got out of bed. Had my breakfast. Took a shower. Got dressed. I was supposed to go to FF Eastwood to sort things out with my membership. But Mackie (apparently, that's how it's spelled) told me that it was the Club Admin's day off, so she asked if i could drop by on a weekday instead. I understood and said yes.
Mackie went on to say that there shouldn't be a problem with my membership status anyway. It should be all set by January. I proceeded to ask her if the monthly fee they charged me for November & December would be charged back. Mackie said NO, because Mike said that he received my e-mail in November, and there should be a 1-month calendar notice to cancel membership. So what happened was that December 2008 served as my 1-month notice, and I was still billed for this month.
BULLSHIT. Pure bullshit. The flames were already dying down, but that just brought it back to life. So I immediately texted the one & only Mike Abacan. I wanted to let him hear it from me again. I unleashed another of my text tirades on him. 2 mesages this time. The first one...
Hi Mike. Mackie just texted me and she said that she won't be able to charge back the monthly fee for November & December 2008. That's P4,600 down the drain. How am I going to get that back? It's insanely ridiculous and unfair for me to be charged P4,600 simple because YOU FORGOT to follow it up and process it. Why should I be the one to lose money because of YOUR shortcomings? Need I remind you that I did my part and informed you as early as OCTOBER 12?
My fingers were still on fire. My second message...
I am getting increasingly tired of chasing after you and bugging you about this. I'm sure you are too. I did way more than my fair share of running around. You're the SGXM. I expect you to fix this, not me. However, if speaking out is what it takes to get things done, then I will not hesitate to do so.
Then the biggest letdown occured. I was expecting him to reply with an equally wordy & lengthy message. But that never happened. Instead, all he texted me was...
Pls send me ur account number so I can send the money to your account. Thanks.
Yes, folks, that was it. But being the outspoken-when-angry person that I am, I bombarded him with even more text messages...
Okay. I'll send it in a bit. But wait, is that all you're going to send me? What about my missing salary? What about the rehearsal fee that you promised for the Powerade gig? What about my fee as host for the combat event? Can you send that all to my account too? And now that we're on the subject, what about EVERYONE'S missing salaries? What about the rest of the fee that you promised Jhay, Suzane, and the other presenters for the combat eliminations?
I continued by sending him this...
And just in case you forgot AGAIN, let me recap... You said that we would be paid demo rate for EVERY Powerade rehearsal session. You also told us to check attendance and list the names down. Are you even aware of how many rehearsal sessions we conducted? Or did you somehow "forget" to check and tally it? Wow, you're becoming very forgetful when it comes to money matters. Are you sure you don't have Dementia? I'm honestly concerned for your well-being.
Finally, Mike replied with his own long message...
Wait jake, combat events payment will be received Jan, I send that info to all of you. Missing salaries, did u talk to all of them and asked them who made the error in doing their payroll? Why are you blaming me then? If your class pay is inaccurate you need to communicate with your GXC's. I don't do the inputting they do.
Well, would you look at that? He was trying to weasel his way out of it! He actually wanted to pass the blame to other people! WHAT A PRICK!!! I immediately replied. This time, it was my turn to send the short mesages...
Most of us didn't get paid at all. Not a single peso. I'm sure you're aware of that. What good will checking with our GXC's do?
I sent that. But then I forgot to add something. So I sent another one...
And by the way, the only thing you texted all of us was that AsiaMo payments will be received by end of the month. We did not get any notice regarding Powerade.
I think I was walking through Shangri-La while I was typing those messages, hence the shortness. A few minutes later, Mike tried calling me again. Twice or thrice, I think. As usual, I didn't answer his calls. So he texted me again. TWO messages this time...
That is the only way for you to communicate kung saan nanggaling ang error. Would u like to answer ur phone coz I've been calling you
No, at that time, I really didn't want to answer my phone. Who wants to squabble with someone over the phone while doing Christmas shopping? His second message...
If instructors did not get the correct amount of pay, they need to communicate with their GXC's because the GXC's inputted the payroll. I am accountable to the classes paid in manila, but accountability is on a per club basis. Again, by not directly communicating their concern to the correct people, the situation is not addressed.
Now this really pissed me off. And i mean REALLY REALLY REALLY pissed me off. First, he's trying to pass the blame by saying that the GXC's were the ones who messed up. Second, he has the nerve to insinuate that the GXI's are not communicating with the right people. Who the fuck are the right people anyway? HE'S OUR FUCKING SGXM!!!
Okay. Wait wait. I don't want to spoil my reply, because I love love love what I texted him. I love it so much that I'm gonna make the font bigger! Here it goes...
So you're telling me that it's the GXC's fault that a huge chunk of the GXI's did not receive a single peso? How is that even possible? You're saying that all the GXC's somehow conspired to not input everyone's classes? And for fuck's sake, why do WE have to do all the work? Why do WE have to trace the root of the error? You're the SGXM, aren't you? You should be the one to do something about it, not us. WE ARE YOUR EMPLOYEES. TAKE CARE OF US.
The brilliant Mr. Mike Abacan never bothered replying after that. Last thing I heard was that he was caught in the middle of an argument at FF Greehills. I don't know the details. I don't know what happened after either.
I guess this would be the part of the movie where there's this big explosion, and the villain is trapped underneath the crumbling building. But when the dust settles, the villain's body is nowhere to be found. And you don't know where the villain is. You don't even know if he's alive or dead. (I'm sure most of you prefer the latter. Mean, but true. Evil, but true.)
You know, it's really simple. If he doesn't want the job, then he should step down. If he can't do his job properly, then he should step down. If he constantly finds himself too preoccupied with other things to the point that he can't take proper care of his subordinates, then he should step down... Either that, or all the unhappy subordinates should unite and move to have him removed.
So as the sequel comes to a close, I would just like to remind you that all this time, I've only been ranting about one person. But little did you know that there's another person who's been doing some corrupt bad deeds of his own!
This person has the same position as the ever popular Mike Abacan. Now, I don't want to discuss the details, so I'll just end this entry with a couple of questions I want you to think about...
How much does a plain black shirt cost in divisoria?
How much does it take to print a Les Mills logo on that same shirt?
Why was it reported that each Les Mills shirt cost a whopping P600?
And as we say in Tagalog: BATO-BATO SA LANGIT, ANG TAMAAN... GUILTY!!!
Hmmm... I smell a third installment... TRILOGY!!!!
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| FITNESS FIRST, EMPLOYEES LAST. |
[Dec. 19th, 2008|10:52 am] |
Fitness First is one of the biggest fitness chains in the world. There's no denying that. They have countless branches in various countries from Europe to Asia to Australia. So it's no surprise that the facilities and the management is top-notch all around the world. Now, taking that into consideration, one would expect the facilities and management of Fitness First Philippines to be top-notch as well, right?
WRONG.
The management -- Group Exercise division, to be specific -- is shitty, inefficient, and corrupt. I won't delve into the "corrupt" aspect, but I do know what some of our higher-ups have been doing. However, I will gladly discuss the "shitty" and "inefficient" aspects at great length. So make sure you have time, and some food nearby. This is gonna take a while.
Anyone who knows me knows that I started out as a member. I was a 230-pound guy who wanted nothing more than to attend classes, lose weight, and have fun. 50 pounds later, I was still a member, I was still attending classes, and I was still having fun. I loved the classes so much that when there were auditions for BodyAttack instructors, I showed up and gave it a shot. I wanted to be able to show people the benefits of the classes. I wanted to be one of those "success stories", one of those people who lost weight by constantly attending the classes. It was sort of a "Pay It Forward" thing for me.
So I got in. I went through the training. I finished the mentorship program quickly. Our lovely program head cleared me right away. I was right on track. I was doing my job. I was working hard.
Now, as everyone knows, group exercise instructors don't pay their monthly membership anymore. It's one of the so-called "perks" of being an employee of the company. BUT what people might not know is that an instructor has to have at least THREE regular classes for the membership fee to be waived.
That brings me to October 12, 2008. The launch of BodyAttack 62 at Fitness First Manila. (Yes, I loved BodyAttack so much that I actually went all the way there just because our program head asked me to do the launch.) The launch was intense. One of the members even came up to me after the class and said he loved my energy. I took a bath, got dressed, and started heading out.
On my way out, I ran into MIKE ABACAN -- Group Exercise Manager of Fitness First Manila AND Senior Group Exercise Manager of Fitness First Philippines. I informed him that starting October 13, 2008, I would already be handling FIVE regular classes. I kindly asked him what I had to do to have my membership status changed. (At that point, I was still a member.) The all-knowing Mike told me to text him my list of regular classes. A couple of minutes later, I did what he told me. He said he would just update me when my status was already fixed.
October ended. November began. NOTHING. I was still charged my monthly membership fee for November 2008.
On November 23, 2008, all the group exercise instructors were at Fitness First Manila for our quarterly workshop. Once again, I calmly approached Mike and asked him about my membership status. He told me that I had to e-mail him my list of regular classes. I found it a bit weird, but I did as I was told.
Last week, I texted Mike again. I wanted to make sure that I wouldn't be charged for the month of December. So I texted him and followed up. I asked for an update. He replied: "Saang branch ka member?"... I answered: "Eastwood Branch :-)" (Yes, I even put a smiley face even if I was getting impatient.) After I replied, Mike never texted back.
And so here we are. December 19, 2008. Out of curiosity, I approached Michelle, the pleasant receptionist at Fitness First Eastwood. I asked her if I was charged for the month of December. She said yes. At that point, my head was about to explode. Enough was enough. After my 730pm class, I headed straight to the locker room, whipped out my cellphone and texted Mike...
Hi Mike. Good pm. I just checked with the Eastwood branch and i found out na na-charge parin ako ng monthly membership fee for December 2008. Bakit ganon? OCTOBER 12 ko pa sinabi na 5 classes na ang hina-handle ko. I even texted AND emailed you my list of classes. Oo kayo ng oo sa akin, pero nagbabayad parin ako. WALANG NANGYAYARI. I've been working hard and I've been ding my share. And you treat us this way? This is incredibly WRONG and UNFAIR.
Message sent. But I was still fuming mad. That text wasn't enough for me. So...
We work ourselves to the point of exhaustion, dehydration, AND hospitalization. We wholeheartedly give you our time and dedication, without any hesitation whatsoever. We are at your beck and call 24/7... Then we get NOTHING in return? Something isn't right here. Why are we ALWAYS on the losing end? Is THIS what we have to look forward to as employees of this company? I hope you have a merry christmas and a very happy new year.
Message sent. I put my phone in my bag. Took a bath. While I was scrubbing myself, it dawned on me that I still wasn't satisfied. So the minute I stepped out of the shower, I got my cellphone and proceeded to type...
I am a new employee and therefore, I am NOT familiar with how the system works. I do know that it takes three classes for the membership fee to be waived. So when I told you last October 12 that I was already handling FIVE classes, I put my TRUST in you. As a new employee, I had faith in your words of reassurance. You told me that you would be the one to fix it. YOU, not anybody else. I remember everything vivdly. 2 months later, and still NOTHING.
Message sent. 24 minutes later, Mike Abacan replies...
Jake di ba I told u to go to the fohm of ewc coz ur membership is based there? They will process that. Communicate with maki. He will also process the credit memo on ur cc.
(SIDE NOTE: fohm = Front-of-House Manager. ewc = Eastwood City. Oh, and Maki is a she, not a he.)
Yes, that's all he had to say. He tried to turn it around and make it seem that somehow, I missed something he said, that maybe he told me before and I just forgot. If he thought he was gonna get away easy, he was wrong. I wasn't gonna take that shit. So I immediately replied...
Nope, last time I texted you about this, which was last week, all you asked me was what my home branch was. I replied "Eastwood City" and never got any text after that. But anyway, thank you for the info. Now all I'm left wondering is... If that's all I had to do, why didn't you tell me in the first place? Si Maki naman pala ang kelangan kausapin eh. Bakit binitin pa ako for TWO MONTHS? Was it really necessary to keep me hanging in the air? Good Lord.
Once again, not enough. So I sent a second text message...
October 12 was the first time I told you about it, and I texted you my classes that same night. November 23, I asked you at the quarterlies, and I emailed you my classes after. Last week, I texted you and was left hanging. There were so many opportunities to inform me and tell me what to do, and I only find out NOW??? Kung kelan na-charge na ako ng ilang libo??? If I wasn't supposed to be bugging YOU about it, then why didn't you say so in the first place?
1 hour and 21 minutes have passed. Still no reply. Amazing. Oh, and to top if all off...
WE DIDN'T RECEIVE OUR SALARIES!!!!
November was a busy month for everyone. Other than our regular classes, several instructors were killing themselves rehearsing for Asia Momentum. Some of the BodyAttack people stayed till midnight just so we could come up with 2 decent routines for Powerade. Speaking of Powerade, I had to go all the way to the Coca-Cola headquarters in Santa Mesa to do a BodyAttack demo. And lastly, I hosted the BodyCombat Main Event. All the other instructors had their own gigs, demos, and other stuff on the side.
SO WHERE THE FUCK IS OUR MONEY???
Don't get me wrong. This isn't all about the money. It's about fairness. It's about doing what's right. It's about treating your employees -- old or new -- properly.
All this madness makes me want to spill the truth about those Les Mills t-shirts that the AsiaMo people received. But I won't. All I'll say is... P100 and P600 are not the same. There's a huge-ass 500-peso difference. There were approximately 50 people who took part in AsiaMo. P500 x 50 = P25,000. Where did all that go? I honestly have no idea. I'll leave it at that.
So there. It pisses me off to no end. And it pisses me off even more that all this is happening so close to Christmas. It's fucking Christmas, for crying out loud!!!!
How pissed am I? Well, if I start writing & cursing in straight english, then you can bet your fucking ass that I'm pretty fucking pissed.
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| CHINESE HOROSCOPE (Freakishly Correct) |
[Sep. 20th, 2008|11:48 pm] |
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FREAKY FREAKY!!!! SOBRANG TOTOO!!!
DO NOT CHEAT
OR IT WON'T WORK AND
YOU WILL WISH YOU HADN`T.
TAKE 3 MINUTES
TRY THIS - IT WILL FREAK YOU OUT
THIS GAME HAS A FUNNY / CREEPY OUTCOME.
DO NOT READ AHEAD, JUST DO IT.
IT TAKES ABOUT 3 MINUTES - WORTH A TRY
1st. Get PEN and PAPER
2nd. WHEN CHOOSING NAMES, MAKE SURE
THEY ARE REAL PEOPLE THAT YOU ACTUALLY
KNOW
3rd. GO WITH YOUR FIRST
INSTINCTS !!!!! Very important for
good results.
4th SCROLL DOWN
ONE LINE AT THE TIME
DON`T READ AHEAD
otherwise
YOU WILL RUIN THE FUN.
1. On a blank sheet of paper, WRITE
NUMBERS 1 through 11 in a COLUMN on
the LEFT.
2. Next to the NUMBERS 1 & 2,
WRITE DOWN ANY
2 NUMBERS YOU WANT.
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE NUMBER?
3. Next to the NUMBERS 3 & 7,
WRITE DOWN THE NAMES OF TWO MEMBERS
OF THE OPPOSITE SEX. SAME SEX IF GAY
CAUTION: DO NOT LOOK AHEAD or IT WILL
NOT TURN OUT RIGHT
4. WRITE ANYONES NAME
(like FRIENDS or FAMILY...)
next to 4, 5, & 6.
DON`T CHEAT OR YOU`LL BE UPSET THAT
YOU DID
5. WRITE down FOUR SONG TITLES in 8,
9, 10, & 11
6. Finally,
MAKE A WISH
ARE YOU READY?
HERE IS THE
KEY TO THE GAME
1. THE NUMBER of PEOPLE THAT LIKE YOU
is found in
SPACE 2
2. THE PERSON IN SPACE
3 IS THE ONE YOU LOVE
3. THE PERSON YOU LIKE but your
relationship CANNOT WORK is in
SPACE 7 -
.
4. YOU CARE MOST about the PERSON you
put in
SPACE 4
5. THE PERSON YOU NAME IN NUMBER 5 IS
THE ONE WHO
KNOWS YOU VERY WELL.
6. THE PERSON YOU NAMED IN 6 IS YOUR
LUCKY STAR
7. THE SONG IN 8 IS THE SONG THAT
MATCHES WITH THE
PERSON IN NUMBER 3
8. THE TITLE IN 9 IS THE SONG FOR THE
PERSON IN 7
9. THE 10TH SPACE IS THE SONG THAT
TELLS YOU MOST ABOUT
YOUR MIND
10. AND 11 IS THE SONG TELLING HOW YOU
FEEL ABOUT LIFE
11. NUMBER 1 IS YOUR
LUCKY NUMBER
repost this
WITHIN AN HOUR OF READING THIS.
IF YOU DO, YOUR WISH WILL COME TRUE.
* REPOST WITH
CHINESE HOROSCOPE (Freakishly Correct) |
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| Whatevaaaahhhh!!! |
[Jul. 29th, 2008|12:44 pm] |
I don't usually like kids. I tend to find them pesky, restless, unruly, and annoying. ESPECIALLY when they're jologs kids. (Harsh, i know.)
BUT THIS KID IS JUST TOO DAMN CUTE....
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| Eat My English. |
[Dec. 10th, 2007|03:11 pm] |
hmmm. i might be wrong after all. pero kebs. i'll gladly be wrong. for now. pero pag makakita ako ng mas magaling, i might change my opinion. anyway, a few days ago, i wrote HERE that come Februray 2008, Amy Ryan is sure to get an Oscar nomination. but i said i was sure that she wouldn't win.
i'm now starting to think that i'll end up eating my words. especially after these...
The 2007 New York Film Critics Circle Awards
Best Picture: "No Country for Old Men"
Best Actress: Julie Christie, "Away From Her"
Best Actor: Daniel Day Lewis, "There Will Be Blood"
Best Supporting Actress: Amy Ryan, "Gone Baby Gone"
Best Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem, "No Country For Old Men"
Best Director: Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, "No Country For Old Men"
Best Animated Feature: "Persepolis"
Best Foreign Film: "The Lives of Others"
Best Screenplay: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, "No Country For Old Men"
The 2007 LOS ANGELES Film Critics Association Awards
Best Picture: "There Will Be Blood"
Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson, "There Will Be Blood"
Best Actress: Marion Cotillard, "La Vie En Rose"
Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, "There Will Be Blood"
Best Supporting actress: Amy Ryan for "Gone Baby Gone" and "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead"
Best Supporting Actor: Vlad Ivanov, "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days"
Best Screenplay: Tamara Jenkins, "The Savages"
Best Foreign language film: "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days"
Best Animated Feature: "Persepolis" and "Ratatouille" (tie)
The Washington DC Film Critics Association 2007 Awards
Best Film: "No Country for Old Men"
Best Director: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, "No Country for Old Men"
Best Actor: George Clooney, "Michael Clayton"
Best Actress: Julie Christie, "Away From Her"
Best Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem, "No Country for Old Men"
Best Supporting Actress: Amy Ryan, "Gone Baby Gone"
Best Breakthrough Performance: Ellen Page, "Juno"
Best Adapted Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin, "Charlie Wilson's War"
Best Original Screenplay: Diablo Cody, "Juno"
Best Ensemble: "No Country for Old Men"
Best Animated Feature: "Ratatouille"
Best Foreign Language Film: "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"
Boston Society of Film Critics Awards 2007 Winners
Best Picture: "No Country for Old Men"
Best Actor: Frank Langella, "Starting Out in the Evening"
Best Actress: Marion Cotillard, "La Vie en Rose"
Best Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem, "No Country for Old Men"
Best Supporting Actress: Amy Ryan, "Gone Baby Gone"
Best Director: Julian Schnabel, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"
Best Screenplay: Brad Bird, "Ratatouille"
Best Foreign-Language Film: "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"
Best New Filmmaker: Ben Affleck, "Gone Baby Gone"
Best Ensemble Cast: "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead"
add these to her National Board of Review win last week, and that gives Amy Ryan FIVE wins so far. that's FIVE wins in less than a week. whoa. plus, considering the notion that the New York and Los Angeles critics groups are supposedly the biggest and most influential groups (and she won BOTH), that puts her waaaay out front right now. i so did not expect that.
on another note, so far, it's a near sweep for "No Country For Old Men". dammit! ang tagal naman dumating ng pirated dvd nun dito! anubah!!!!
other favorites are emerging too -- the Coen brothers, Marion Cotillard, Julie Christie, Javier Bardem, and Ratatouille. and Juno for Best Original Screenplay.
this Oscar race is already a lot more fun that last year's!! 
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| Eat My English. |
[Dec. 10th, 2007|03:10 pm] |
hmmm. i might be wrong after all. pero kebs. i'll gladly be wrong. for now. pero pag makakita ako ng mas magaling, i might change my opinion. anyway, a few days ago, i wrote HERE that come Februray 2008, Amy Ryan is sure to get an Oscar nomination. but i said i was sure that she wouldn't win.
i'm now starting to think that i'll end up eating my words. especially after these...
The 2007 New York Film Critics Circle Awards
Best Picture: "No Country for Old Men"
Best Actress: Julie Christie, "Away From Her"
Best Actor: Daniel Day Lewis, "There Will Be Blood"
Best Supporting Actress: Amy Ryan, "Gone Baby Gone"
Best Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem, "No Country For Old Men"
Best Director: Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, "No Country For Old Men"
Best Animated Feature: "Persepolis"
Best Foreign Film: "The Lives of Others"
Best Screenplay: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, "No Country For Old Men"
The 2007 LOS ANGELES Film Critics Association Awards
Best Picture: "There Will Be Blood"
Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson, "There Will Be Blood"
Best Actress: Marion Cotillard, "La Vie En Rose"
Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, "There Will Be Blood"
Best Supporting actress: Amy Ryan for "Gone Baby Gone" and "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead"
Best Supporting Actor: Vlad Ivanov, "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days"
Best Screenplay: Tamara Jenkins, "The Savages"
Best Foreign language film: "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days"
Best Animated Feature: "Persepolis" and "Ratatouille" (tie)
The Washington DC Film Critics Association 2007 Awards
Best Film: "No Country for Old Men"
Best Director: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, "No Country for Old Men"
Best Actor: George Clooney, "Michael Clayton"
Best Actress: Julie Christie, "Away From Her"
Best Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem, "No Country for Old Men"
Best Supporting Actress: Amy Ryan, "Gone Baby Gone"
Best Breakthrough Performance: Ellen Page, "Juno"
Best Adapted Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin, "Charlie Wilson's War"
Best Original Screenplay: Diablo Cody, "Juno"
Best Ensemble: "No Country for Old Men"
Best Animated Feature: "Ratatouille"
Best Foreign Language Film: "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"
Boston Society of Film Critics Awards 2007 Winners
Best Picture: "No Country for Old Men"
Best Actor: Frank Langella, "Starting Out in the Evening"
Best Actress: Marion Cotillard, "La Vie en Rose"
Best Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem, "No Country for Old Men"
Best Supporting Actress: Amy Ryan, "Gone Baby Gone"
Best Director: Julian Schnabel, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"
Best Screenplay: Brad Bird, "Ratatouille"
Best Foreign-Language Film: "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"
Best New Filmmaker: Ben Affleck, "Gone Baby Gone"
Best Ensemble Cast: "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead"
add these to her National Board of Review win last week, and that gives Amy Ryan FIVE wins so far. that's FIVE wins in less than a week. whoa. plus, considering the notion that the New York and Los Angeles critics groups are supposedly the biggest and most influential groups (and she won BOTH), that puts her waaaay out front right now. i so did not expect that.
on another note, so far, it's a near sweep for "No Country For Old Men". dammit! ang tagal naman dumating ng pirated dvd nun dito! anubah!!!!
other favorites are emerging too -- the Coen brothers, Marion Cotillard, Julie Christie, Javier Bardem, and Ratatouille. and Juno for Best Original Screenplay.
this Oscar race is already a lot more fun that last year's!!
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| stolen.. |
[Aug. 4th, 2007|04:11 am] |
The Ateneo de Manila University Theater Arts Seniors 2008 presents Floy Quintos' FLUIDArt is center-stage in this Palanca-winning full length play by celebrated playwright/director Floy Quintos. This classic “Quintosian” play is given a fresh twist as a young cast of actors, along with the Quintos himself as director, step in to relive this shining moment in Philippine theater. Art brings together the lives of three couples as they grapple for a life of compromise. Amir is a talented painter on the fringes of a breakdown when he meets Mira, a rich art collector, who challenges him and his belief in art. Jom and Alben are struggling theater actors debating on the struggle between high art and popular art while trying to make their relationship work. Renata is the coordinator for an orchestra whose passion for “real art” drives the domineering events coordinator, Simone, crazy in a series of wacky affairs. At the opening of Amir’s one-man-show, all discover true art in the midst of a pandemonium that looks into hypocrisy and the awakening of exhausted creative spirits. Venue: Fine Arts Studio Theater / G306 Playdates: 7 PM August 30, 31 September 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, & 15 2 PM September 1, 2, 8, 9, 15 & 16 Ticket price: Php150 Contact persons: Trency Caga-anan Marketing Manager 0922-8829282 / trency.cagaanan@gmail.com or Jesus Joseph Ignacio Production Manager 0919-5911426 / jdigs18@yahoo.com stolen from Pia's journal... hahahaha. |
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| Back To Basics. |
[Jul. 7th, 2007|04:06 am] |
i was approximately only 20 FEET AWAY from CHRISTINA AGUILERA!!!!!!!!!!
thanks to that amazing MTV Patron Pass, i was able to get in the VIP section. i was in the freakin' THIRD ROW!!! (illegally though. but who cares. hahahaha.) i yelled "come back christina!!" during the concert's fake ending, and i think she actually heard me. hahahahaha.
Christina was... W-O-W. for such a tiny girl, she was larger than life. freakin' phenomenal.
more about my Christina day soon. PICTURES!!! FANTASTIC CLOSE-UP PICTURES SOON, TOO!!!!
let me end by saying...
how apt that Christina's tour be called "Back To Basics". because that's what i'm doing. i'm going back to basics. it's better to be friends with someone than not have that person in your life at all. it's all good. i'm happy. and i've always thought of myself as being very emotionally resilient. so there. smile. :-)
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| i promise to never ever make fun of nerds ever again. EVER. |
[Jun. 22nd, 2007|07:30 am] |
yeah. i told myself that after watching the National Spelling Bee on ESPN.
this is intense shit. and pretty heartbreaking too.
all these pre-adolescent kids getting up in front of a packed auditorium, with photographers and cameras surrounding them, the bright lights, the strict judges. and they're forced to spell all these weird-ass words that they'll probably NEVER use in normal conversation anyway. scary shit.
(FRAN & IGI -- you guys should watch this! there are so many new words you can use for WOTD!!! i swear! read below.)
when they get the spelling right, you can't help but smile. but when they get it wrong, it's so sad. you sorta go "aaww" then you see them walk away, with a forced smile but you can tell that they're crushed. scarred for life!
it's actually very fascinating shit. i'm getting used to the process...
steely-voiced monotonous announcer gives the kid the word.
then the kid takes forever to come up with the spelling. during that alloted time, they can ask questions like:
"language of origin please?"
"can i have the definition please?"
"is that the only pronunciation?"
"are there any alternate pronunciations?"
"use it in a sentence please?"
"part of speech please?"
"am i saying it right?"
then when they use up their thinking time, they have a grace period ('finishing time') to give their final spelling. if they get it wrong, you hear a bell ding then the announcer spells it out for them. if they get it right, the audience applauds and you can see the glee on the kids' face. aaaww.
and i hate to be racist, but out of these 50+ kids, i swear, almost half of them are Oriental. asians are so smart. the white kids are getting eliminated one by one. heehee. the orientals are owning this shit.
OOOOOH!!!! as i'm typing this, there's some controversy going on. the judges misheard the contestant's spelling so they're asking for a tape so they could listen to it again. and while waiting for the tape to be played back, poor little asian girl is waiting in the wings, anxious to find out if she did, in fact, spell it right. (kasi naman. bakit tape pa ang gamit nila? its 2007! mp3's are in!)
...AND SHE SPELLED IT RIGHT!!! GO ASIAN GIRL!!!
so much drama at the National Spelling Bee! i shall go back and watch. in the meantime, here are some of the words they were asked to spell...
melotrope
impuissance
castrensian
furfuraceous
plattdeutsch
burelage
(Fran & Igi -- i'd define these words for you guys, but i forgot the definitions na. hehe.)
p.s. - okay, controversial asian girl's name is Claire Zhang. told ya. orientals are dominating this shit.
p.p.s. - the white boy right now is being asked to spell the word STAFF-A-LOTTA-ME. i have no idea how to spell that fucking word. but that's how they pronounced it. i don't even know what it means! isn't he supposed to be Big Bird's long-nosed brown friend from "Sesame Street"? yeah! Big Bird and Staff-A-Lotta-Me!!
p.p.p.s. - oh. there you go. Staphylotomy. whatever. Staff A Lotta Me. |
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| "Silver" is GOLD! |
[Jun. 13th, 2007|02:35 am] |
FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER
way way way waaaaaaay better than the first one. (and i actually enjoyed the first one even though critics hated it.)
but seriously, this sequel was bigger and better. and, i have to say, this movie was a LOT better than "Spider-Man 3" and "Shrek 3". best summer movie i've seen so far (tied with "Ocean's 13")
basta. this movie kicked a lot more butt than the first one. loved it.
can't wait for the third movie! bring it on!
NOTE: do NOT get out of your seat until the credits start ROLLING. or else you'll miss the clip that sets things up for a third movie. |
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| :-) |
[Jun. 12th, 2007|04:02 am] |
today was a good great day.
P.S. - eeww. i sound like one of those depressed recovering alcoholics in rehab who go to group therapy.
P.P.S. - my apologies if you have a relative/friend who turns out to be one them.
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| idol irony. (an afterthought.) |
[May. 24th, 2007|01:37 am] |
it's funny how all those people who said they wanted to see Blake in the finals (because he's "unique and fun to watch" daw) are now saying that they would've wanted to see a Melinda-Jordin diva showdown instead.
tssss. too late to backtrack now.
told ya so. harhar.
(of course, the hardcore Blake fans -- aka 'The Blaker Girls' -- are still in denial and insist that Blake still did a good job last night. yeah, keep telling yourselves that, Blaker Girls.) |
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| STOP IT. STOP IT NOW. |
[May. 23rd, 2007|08:51 pm] |
Blake fans should just stop complaining. as in STOP. now na. STOP IT.
i keep reading shit on the net about how the crappy cheesy Idol single ("This Is My Now") was an unfair song to sing because it wasn't Blake's style and it didn't suit him as well as it suited Jordin. it was tailor-made for Jordin daw.
OH SHUT THE FUCK UP.
a truly exceptional vocalist/performer should be able to make a song work whether or not the song fits his/her style of music. you want examples? fine...
Case #1: Melinda Doolittle. she made everything work from country to rock to pop to soul. she kicked butt on "Trouble Is A Woman". she brought the house down with "Have A Nice Day". she even worked it out on "Nutbush City Limits". but are any of those her style of music? NO.
Case #2: Bo Bice. "Inside Your Heaven" was one of the cheesiest crappiest Idol singles ever. but when Bo performed the song, he was actually pretty good. he rocked it. if i remember correctly, i think the judges even said that they like his version more than Carrie's during the finale. coz Carrie's were ruined by her nervousness daw. he even released it as a single and it was bearable. but Bo was a rocker, and he STILL made the song work even if it wasn't his style.
and now people are complaining because "This Is My Now" wasn't Blake's style of music? GET OVER IT. if Blake is as good as his hardcore fans say he is, he would've made the song work NO MATTER WHAT. but alas, HE DIDN'T. he fell flat.
Blake wasn't screwed by the producers or the songwriters or anyone else. Blake screwed himself up. his limited capabilities caused his own downfall. his wobbly vocals. his pitchy-ness. his inability to reach and to sustain the big power notes.
and that is why Jordin is easily winning this tomorrow.
and before i end, i just want to say...
THANK YOU, SIMON COWELL!!!!!! thank you from the bottom of my heart for saying out loud what i've predicting all along!!
SIMON: "Jordin, you just wiped the floor with Blake..." (told ya so.)
on the other hand, Paula said to Blake...
PAULA: "you are in great great vocal voice tonight!" (ANO DAW?!?)
congrats carms!!! :) |
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| AMERICANS ARE FUCKING STUPID. |
[May. 17th, 2007|07:55 pm] |
and they keep insisting that American Idol is a SINGING competition. shut the fuck up, America.
i get Jordin Sparks. she's perky, young, fresh, marketable, and she's got a freakin' powerful voice to match it all.
but Blake Lewis?!? BLAKE FUCKING LEWIS??? sure, he's unique, original, creative, hyper... but seriously?? BLAKE LEWIS?!? the guy can't even sustain a note without his voice cracking or wobbling!!!!!! and you can just tell that he's gonna resort to his beatboxing again to distract viewers from the fact that he can't really sing that well. pathetic.
you really think Blake Lewis deserves to be named the American Idol?!? if he wins, it will bring shame to the pantheon of Idol winners... imagine... his name will be on the same list as people like Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, and Fantasia... SERIOUSLY?!? Carrie and Kelly have Grammys, powerful voices and have sold 6 million records each.... TAPOS ISASAMA NINYO SA LEVEL NILA SI BLAKE LEWIS?!?!? ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?????????
that is so not happening. Jordin is winning this easily. an undeserving winner. but given a choice between Jordin or Blake, Jordin is the lesser of two evils.
but we all know who should be the American Idol.
even on her worst days, MELINDA DOOLITTLE can sing circles around Blake.
who the fuck even cares if she's not that attractive? and c'mon, give Melinda some credit.. she's not THAT ugly. she's pretty damn adorable actually. even more so than Jordin.
this is just absolutely disgusting.
Melinda Doolitle, i hope you become this season's Chris Daughtry and surprise everyone by kicking everyone's butts on the Billboard Charts. you deserve it.
ladies and gentlemen, your new American Idol... JORDIN SPARKS. how fucking predictable.
(yeah, as if they're actually gonna let Blake win. true, the winner isn't always the best singer. but the winner has to at least know how to sing WELL... that's something that Blake still needs to learn.)
sad sad night for American Idol. Melinda Doolittle fucking owned the season. |
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| Happy Holidays everyone!!! |
[Apr. 11th, 2007|10:21 pm] |
HAPPY BLAKE LEWIS DAY!!!
apparently, April 11 is "Blake Lewis Day" in Bothell, Washington (Blake's hometown).
let's celebrate the awesomeness that is BLAKE!!! :) |
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