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I really love this song by the Eraserheads. This was really a hit during my college days, around 1989.  I tried to learn how to play the guitar by playing E-heads songs, but I am not really into playing instruments or even have a musical ear.  So to make the story short, I didn’t learn to play guitar! Also, Eraserheads was the only band I saw in concert in 1990.  The concert was held in the university where I am teaching now.  It’s a premonition I guess, that 18 years later, I will be a professor there.

Anyways, I really love this song because even if the melody is simple, the lyrics really made an impact to me back then (and until now - I still know the whole song by heart).  In particular, the first stanza continues to inspire me specially during hard times:

Lift your head, baby don’t be scared
Of the things that could go wrong along the way
You’ll get by with a smile
You can’t win at everything but you can try.

We go through different problems and sometimes it seems there’s no way out or everything just always go wrong that all doors have closed.  However, if we just face all our problems with a smile (even if it’s so hard to smile when we’re problematic, right?), we could face our problem on a different perspective.   If we just take a deep breath, try to smile and have an optimistic outlook, what seems to be a heavy problem, could be dealt lightly because we would be more focused on finding the possible solutions to our dilemmas.  Of course,  faith in God is also the number one armor - because God doesn’t give us problems we can’t handle.  If that’s the case, then that’s enough reason for us to smile despite adversities, right?

Going back to Eraserheads, I am glad that Ely Buendia survived his heart attack last year, and more glad that the E-heads will have a reunion concert this August 30 at the CCP open grounds.  All the original members will be there to perform all their other hit songs like Ang Huling El Bimbo, Toyang and Alapaap.

Ooops, before I end this let me remind you, start your day WITH A SMILE!!! For sure you will have a whole nice day!

The pictures of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt together with their newborn twins are so adorable, aren’t they? The twins, named Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline, are cute! Of course, all newborns are sooo cute, but I am always amazed and wondering where do these Hollywood celebrities get their kids’ names?

But aside from being a doting dad, Brad Pitt is apparently also an Olympic boxer to join the upcoming 2008 Beijing Olympics? I came across this article from Inquirer.net and got confused at first because I never knew that Brad Pitt is a boxer (although he portrayed a disgraced boxer in the upcoming movie ‘The Fighter’) and an Australian!

Ok, so this is a different Brad Pitt - not the Holywood star! Well, this guy from Melbourne is already getting the spotlight not just because of his Hollywood namesake, but also because he’s actually a good boxer. Even US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Victoria Premier Steve Bracks visited him while training for his impressive 2006 Commonwealth Games debut.

Anyways, I find him charming, like the Brad Pitt we knew. For those wondering how this boxer Brad Pitt looks like, here’s his pic that I got from the official site of the 2008 Australian Olympic Team:

I am fascinated with Chinese Astrology and since it’s the start of the Chinese New Year, would you like to know what Chinese Astrology for 2008 has in store for you? It has been said that the history of Chinese Astrology began when Buddha invited all of the animals in the world to join him for the New Year celebrations. However, only 12 animals bothered to turn up. As a great reward, Buddha named a year after each one of them and they actually run in the order that the animals arrived to celebrate with Buddha, starting with the rat and ending with the last guest, the pig. So, it is believed that those born during a year of a particular animal would inherit some of the good and bad personality traits of that animal.

Well, of course we should not all base our life on these predictions, because we are the captains of our ships, right? We make our own destiny and we write our own history. Naks, rhyming. Anyways, here’s the forecast for the 2008 year of the Rat:

The Rat

Rats are charming, elegant and clever. They can be a bit gossipy and prone to being distracted. They’re also thrifty and very good with handling money. Family and close friends are exceptionally important to them. The Rat is charming beyond words and throughout his undoubtedly long life he will always be popular and will have many friends.

Forecast for 2008 In their own year, Rats need to make future plans, remain persistant, vigilant and above all, enjoy a brightening of prospects all around. In their work situation, excellent opportunities should arrive with an accompanying rise in salary. If, however, the Rat feels stuck, bored and unable to progress, he needs to follow through his ideas in order to move onwards and upwards – action will be a keyword this year for all Rats – it’s no time to sit idly by, waiting for good things to happen. There will be celebrations, social events and travel to also look forward to in 2008. Also, hobbies or interests that may have been put to one side, should be looked at with fresh eyes as they could prove both beneficial and lucrative to the Rat this year. All in all, this will be an enjoyable and prosperous year for those Rats who pursue their dreams. May and August will be particularly auspicious times for making new and close friends and alliances.

(more…)

Friday, a big upset happened at the Australian Open - the Grand Slam of Asia/Pacific - the World’s No.1 tennis player Roger Federer has lost to Serbian Novak Djokovic yesterday, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5), keeping him short of his bid for 11th consecutive Grand Slam final. Yes, Federer was tamed Downunder.

Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic (Source: www.boston.com)

For sure, lots of Federer fans are disappointed (me, too!) but definitely I will still watch the finals between Djokovic (currently ranked No.3) and Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (ranked 38th) who earlier beat Rafael Nadal (currently ranked no.2).

Here’s another reason why Serbians are now rejoicing! Serbian’s No.4 seed Ana Ivanovic will clash today (Saturday) with Russian Maria Sharapova (No.5) for the Women’s Finals. Wow, such two gorgeous women! For sure lots of blokes would watch these match! LOLS

Maria Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic (Source:www.australianopen.com)

HEATH LEDGER DIES.

I was shocked with this breaking news on tv this morning while I was preparing the kids for school. So after my two kids left, I immediately checked Yahoo if it’s really true. Yes, Heath Ledger is dead and he was only 28 years old. He was found dead at his New York apartment and possibly due to pill overdose. Then after, I went to theage.com.au, webpage of Australia’s prime newspaper, and the news about Ledger’s death is on the headline.

Heath is not one of my favorite Hollywood actors but I like him because of his manly charisma and intelligent choice of roles, and because of the fact that he was an Australian. I have a soft spot for Australia since I stayed there for 2 1/2 years, my youngest Carl was born there, and my hubby is still there right now. So this news is a bit sad (I know every death is), like when Steve Irwin died in 2006, plus he left behind a 2-year old daughter Matilda.

The only Heath Ledger movies I have watched are 10 Things I Hate About You with Julia Stiles, and A Knight’s Tale with Shannyn Sossamon. But I saw trailers of Casanova and Brothers Grimm, he was a very good actor. I bought the Brokeback Mountain dvd while I was still in Oz but I wasn’t able to watch it until now. So after writing this, I would definitely get that dvd off the cabinet and watch it. He was the new Joker and seeing from photos, he fitted the role. I wonder if he finished filming Batman?

HEATH LEDGER may you rest in peace.

As a tribute, I wish to post this Youtube video from 10 Things I Hate About You. Who would forget how Heath Ledger serenaded Julia Stiles with the song Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, and those funny dance and his running around to scape the school guards? That was the sweetest version I’ve seen, and definitely one of the highlights of the movie! So here it is: