I went into a movie watching spree last week. I didn’t know what came into me but I was so lazy to work, so I watched movies and read books instead. It’s an interesting trade as I now have things to blog about! I wish watched these movies in a 42” Samsung HDTV but no such luck. Maybe this Christmas!

Here are the movies I have watched and will blog about in the days to come:
1. Four Christmases
2. The Ugly Truth
3. When in Rome
4. The Back Up Plan

I have watched two movies this month in the big screen – that is such a HUGE thing for me, me who watches movies from downloaded torrents all the time.

I believe I haven’t blogged about them yet: Sex and The City 2 and Toy Story 3. The movie is as different as night and day and yet I have enjoyed them both to bits. Whether it’s about Carrie’s shoes or her issues with sparkles in her marriage or Woody’s love for Andy, Buzz’s flamenco dance steps and his custom tail lights – they both have something unique to give to me so I can remember them by.

I also finished Jodi Picoult’s Keeping Faith and am now starting Candance Bushnells’ Carrie Diaries. I will update you as soon I finish blogging about them.

I recently have had a some frustrations over a particular event I was supposed to be helping out. It was an exclusive party and the client wanted to make sure that the staff and people working behind the scenes were properly identified to avoid unwanted intruders. Since the staff amounted to 250, I wanted to have custom IDs and access cards made for the venue. Custom Printing, unfortunately, can come at such a price. It was too late that I found out about My1Stop.com!

They do Plastic Card Printing and yes, they can custom ones! From the size, color, whether you want a signature area and a place for plastic loops – they can do it for you! They have a minimum order of 250 and from there you can order in increments of 25. Proof can be sent by email (PDF file) or a hard copy can be sent to you by snail mail the next day. They have a fast 3 day turnaround time!

Label Printing can also be done – I should have done the label stickers for all the invites that went out with them too. Full color labels can come in any shape and size (circle, rectangle, oval or square) and you can choose whether you want a glossy or matte finish. Here is a sample:

Full Color Labels – Quick Specs

• Printing Colors: CMYK – Process Color Label Printing
• Our Full Color Labels: Includes Prime Labels, Color Labels and Other Color Label Printing
• Materials: Gloss White Polypropylene and Gloss White Paper
• Adhesive: Permanent
• Quality: Photo Quality Color Label Printing
• Shapes & Sizes: More Than 20 Popular Sizes and Shapes
• Pricing: Instant Online Pricing and Toll Free Customer Service
• Turnaround Time: 5 Days – or Less!

We live in the age of consumerism. Fifty years ago, we didn’t need more than one television in the house, a microwave, a Wii for the kids and all the gadgets we “need” today – cellphones, e-book readers, laptops, netbooks, two different kinds of computers and mp3 players. Thanks to the fact that banks actually encourage people to spend and spend money they don’t have yet, most usually end up working to death just to pay off the interests on their credit cards. Financial advisors now recommend people to undergo credit counseling even if they are not in overwhelming debt yet. It will help them make sound financial decisions and let them know their options if ever they find themselves in a bad financial situation.

If faced with overwhelming unsecured debt – credit card debt is usually the main culprit here – you can either go for debt settlement or credit card consolidation. In debt settlement, you can talk with the credit card company and explain your financial situation. They can in turn slash a huge portion of your debt, minus interest rates and annual fees that you can settle in four to five years. Credit card consolidation on the other hand lets you consolidate all debt so you can pay one monthly payment for all them. Credit card consolidation can be an extremely useful tool when faced with overwhelming credit debt. Consolidation involves rolling several individual credit accounts into one manageable account that usually has lower interest than the previous ones.

I still suggest employers or even the government offer free consumer credit counseling service for their employees/citizens. Because dealing with debt is not something that most people are experts in, sometimes it is necessary to seek some expert advice debt problems.

If you are in Colorado and in search of a denver criminal defense lawyer, you will be relieved to know that competent and not to mention compassionate experts are within reach. Let me introduce you to the law firm of Fuicelli & Lee, PC which is composed of top caliber denver criminal defense attorneys who are very skilled in serving clients who are seeking legal representation for criminal defense cases. Most of these lawyers are former prosecutors, thus, they can help you attain a positive outcome during the entire trial process.

Charged with traffic violations? Let their denver criminal defense attorneys assist you in dealing with speeding tickets, hit-and-run charge, careless driving citations and others. Their experienced denver criminal lawyer will help you take a meticulous look into the details of your case and identify areas when procedural mistakes were made by the police. Take note that Fuicelli & Lee, PC has been in service for 20 years and this assures you that you are given the best legal assistance that is available in Denver.

When I was still single, I didn’t care for anything else, not even my mortality. I believe that when it’s your time, it’s going to be your time. I still hold it in regard even up to now so I can have more confidence in taking risks but I am afraid of the ones I will leave behind if ever I die. For me the issue is not me alone anymore but my children. Life Insurance is something I have been seriously thinking of getting – I’ve been going through a couple of Life Insurance Quotes given to me so I can decide what is going to be the best for us.

Aside from life insurance, I would like to have Funeral Insurance and Healthy Insurance too. I want to leave without giving my kids a headache.

Whenever I watch movies, I make sure to reserve seats online. I just want to make sure I have a seat before going to the theater. And thanks to the internet and reliable booking sites and reservations, I now can. ACheapSeat.com allows you to book tickets across theaters and stadiums across the country for concerts, shows and events.

Beacon Theatre Tickets are sold for Cirque de Soleil: Banana Shpeel’s series of shows on June 18-27, 2010. If you want treat yourself to a Carrie Underwood concert or have your kids watch the Wiggles, book NASSAU COLISEUM TICKETS. If you want Yo Gabba Gabba or Bare Naked Ladies, book those RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL TICKETS now!

A relative of mine told me that when you dream, you need to dream big. I actually have a lot of dreams for my family so we need to be aggressive on saving. I am still not satisfied with what we have saved and I need to make sure that I will be able meet our yearly savings goal plus some extra. Setting aside money will not really make it go the extra mile so we need to invest.

Maybe we should go ahead and buy gold coins. We have been told that it is the investment one should get into these days instead of stocks and bonds.

When computers were invented and went into “mainstream”, it would only take awhile when everything went digital (read: “computer able”) as well. Add the advent of what is now called the internet technology and then everything went “online”. It seems it is today’s mainstream media, with most businesses setting up web sites and stores setting up online merchant accounts so they cans start selling online.

I really think we reached a new level in multimedia. You have online shopping stores where everything can now be downloaded especially multimedia – songs, videos, movies and even books.

It is really true that digital publishing has changed the book publishing industry. With book readers like the Sony Nook, Amazon Kindle and Apple’s iPhone and iPad, it has certainly taken e-books into another level.

Ebooks have changed the economics of the publishing industry. Very soon, most people you know will have at least one and probably two convenient ways to read electronic books. They will take them on the plane or vacation to save space. They will read the books friends email them.

Digital publishing companies have added ebook publishing in the long list of things they can do digitally. With Aptara, you can have a current book in any format converted into eBook.  eBook creation involves producing them in all formats that are supported by eBook readers. Aptara’s PowerXEditorTM fast publishing tool enables collaboration between content professionals, subject matter experts (SMEs) and reviewers, for more efficient eBook creation, faster-time-to market for web-ready and print content, and lower cost of production.

Aptara provides eBook Production Outsourcing solutions that deliver significant gains in cost, quality and time-to-market for eBook publishers. Having converted tens of millions of eBooks pages for the world’s leading publishers, Aptara offers comprehensive solutions across all content source types and delivery media, including the Amazon Kindle, Apple iPhone/iPad, Sony Reader, and Blackberry devices.

1. You’re building your dream house. What’s the one thing that this house absolutely, positively MUST HAVE? (other than the obvious basics of course)
A reading room. One that has floor to ceiling high bookcases filled with books that I’d need a barcode scanner to keep track of things!

2. What is your dream car?
Ford Everest

3. What is your favorite website that isn’t a blog?
Lately it’s been Twitter.

4. iPhone 4 or Droid, which do you want?
iPhone 4. Now that I have an iPhone I already know the revisions they are going to make and it’s making me giddy!

5. When you’re feeling down or lonely or just generally out of sorts, what do you do to cheer yourself up?
Listen to music when I’m broke. Eat when I have the money.

6. Tell me about something or someone that you love that most people seem to hate.
I love Finn of Glee even if nobody seems to like him.

7. What do you want to be when you grow up?
A teacher.

8. Would you go on a reality show if given the chance?
No way on earth.

9. Who was your favorite teacher when you were growing up. (Grade school, Middle School, Jr. High or High School only.)
Grade School 6th Grade Adviser. I even have her as a friend at Facebook.

10. You get one pass to do something illegal or immoral. What are you gonna do?
Steal a hundred million dollars.

Read the rest of this entry »

It has been a week and I only got to blog about the AMAZING Glee Season Finale last week. It makes me sad knowing it’s a Wednesday and there is no new GLEE episode for me to gleek about, but I find comfort in the fact that I can watch the 22 episodes again and again (and again).

While most viewers were raving about Glee’s performance of the Journey Medley for Regionals:

I was crying over their rendition of “To Sir With Love” – that one is veeerrrry nice.

Matthew Morrison’s rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” comes a close second:

My two favorite men from the show (it actually varies a LOT – but Mr. Shue is a constant!):

And even though Jesse is openly gay and in real life he is BFFs with Lea Michelle, you gotta admit these two have such chemistry on screen, even better with Finn.

It was a very good season and I would like to see how they will play out Season 2. Word has it that they conducted auditions for casting at MySpace.com – it seems a great way for employment screening and doing some PR too! Will Mr. Shue finally get on with Emma? Will Sue Sylvester change? What about Kurt and his Dad and his Dad’s relationship with Finn’s mother? Will Britney finally get a solo?

And I know – all questions also navigate towards Puck and Quinn and their baby girl named Beth adopted by Rachel’s mother.

6 Degrees anyone?

Fleas are common and annoying parasites that can infect dogs and cats of all ages. Almost all dogs will be infected at list once in its life. A flea infestation can be quite a nasty condition for your pet, causing discomfort, pain, itching, and irritation (of skin and temperament) ranging from mild to severe. Fleas come from the surrounding environment and can jump from one pet to another with ease. Flea eggs can collect in bedding, grass, and other areas indoors and outdoors. You may see the fleas themselves, or you may notice flea feces (also known as flea dirt), which looks like ground dirt and can be felt on the pet’s fur, especially behind the ears, between the legs, and around the tail and anal area. You may feel a rough patch on the pet’s skin because flea dirt usually binds together in clumps in relatively large amounts (fingertip size).

Flea infestation happens quickly and can be difficult to eradicate, so it is important to deal with an infestation as rapidly and as early as possible. Fleas can act as a conduit for other parasites such as tapeworms, and can even cause anemia in extreme cases. Fleas can be treated various ways, topically or orally, the most effective being Frontline Plus, a topical solution that can be used on dogs, puppies, cats, and kittens. Frontline Plus has been shown to kill adult fleas, flea eggs, and flea larvae for as long as three months, and it kills ticks and chewing lice for at least one month; therefore, a monthly application is advised. The solution is easy to apply—just place it where the dog or cat is unable to lick it off. You will want to also wash all the pet’s bedding in hot soapy water (or replace it) and vacuum all carpets and upholstery.

Opening the pool and filling the pool with water are the only things holding back the family fun. The last time you tried to fill the above ground pool, the water started off brown and ended up somewhere near a cranberry cocktail. Small above ground pools contain over 1,000 gallons of water, and large pools hold 10 or 20 times that amount. Although pools require thousands of gallons of water, the logistics of filling a swimming pool aren’t overly complicated. You just need to know what your options are.

You can fill hot tubs and small above ground pools with a hose. However, larger pools with 6,000 to 10,000 gallons will require water delivery. For homeowners in rural areas, there is a risk of overheating the well pump if it’s worked continuously. Water supply companies delivery water by the truck load in tractor trailer tanks that hold 5,000 gallons. Tankers are great for large pools, but it’s hard to negotiate rates for smaller deliveries. Depending on the area and provider, water supply companies may charge $150 to $300 per delivery. Before ordering water, check with local fire departments in your area to see if they offer pool filling services. The typical fire truck holds 2,000 gallons and fire departments might charge less than commercial water supply companies.

Iron, manganese, and calcium are naturally present in tap water. These elements contribute to hard water. When chlorine and tap water mix, metals form rust that stains dark brown and red. These oxides can leave serious stains on pool walls and equipment. To prevent metal stains, use a chelating and sequestering product that attracts metals. These products are sold under a variety of names, including stain remover and calcium controller. After filling with municipal water and using a sequestering agent, wait three to four days before super shocking.

I watched Sex and City 2 last weekend and while I prefer the first movie I still enjoyed the second installation of the series I “grew up” with. It took a step up in the marriage department and I honestly think it tackled a usual stepping stone or stumbling block (whichever you would like to think of it) in a usual, marriage: the loss of sparkles (romance, you can call it). It is every marriage’s usual growing pain.

They also made sure to redeem Mr. Big in the movie – and well, you just have to watch it or else I might end up giving away spoilers.

Carrie Bradshaw-Preston gave her husband a Rolex watch for their anniversary (while she got a huge plasma TV in their bedroom). It was a vintage 1968 Rolex watch engraved with "Me and You, Just Us Two". Rolex watches are on top of the premium luxury watches and is considered a status symbol and a wise investment. Rolex is also the largest single luxury watch brand, producing about 2,000 watches per day, with estimated revenues of around US$3 billion according to Wikipedia!

Chris Noth (Mr.Big) wears the IWC’s Classic Pilot’s Watch Chronograph in one of the scenes too.

You can see it up close here:

So there is some truth to saying that jewelry are nice investments. You can always sell jewelry if you are strapped for cash. Since jewelry are made of precious metals and some have precious stones, their value has never depreciated. Depending on how much it weighs, you can always opt to have cash for gold! You can get the best cash for gold jewelry if you know where to sell your pieces. Unfortunately, the value of dollar is going down, so people are leaning towards buying gold as safety net.

If you want to exchange cash for gold from a pawnshop, it will be preferable if your gold jewelry was in very good condition. However, this is not the case when you sell gold to an online buyer who buys broken gold jewelry as scrap. It is a good idea to sell old (broken) jewelry online. You might never wear that jewelry again but you will be able to get the best cash for gold jewelry if you sell it!

Who would have thought that Mr.Big knew a thing or two about marriages when he has gone through his nth divorce? He must have loved Carrie that much to be able to do the whole marriage thing again.

And the black diamond is just too much

….oh alright, ME.

If you have seen (and enjoyed) the movie, you would know which scenes are these right away.

See it here!

Disney comes up with their own version of Rapunzel called Tangled.

After a retooling, the film will be based again on the literary origins of the famous fairy tale, in the veins of Classics like "Snow White" and "Cinderella": described as a traditional, character-driven fairy tale it will speak to a modern audience, with a different new style of its own.

Mandy Moore plays the lead – I have to reserve judgment on that one!

1. It’s 2AM and you are not home. You are more than likely:
At my parents’ house.

2. What’s the last thing you spent more than $100 on?
A pair of Nike running shoes.

3. What do your bank checks look like?
We don’t have a checking account. So I dont know.

4. Where did the shirt you are currently wearing come from?
My Mom

5. Name something that will be on your Christmas wish list:
A new car.

6. What color is your toothbrush?
Pink.

7. Name something you collect and tell us about it.
I collect notebooks. I just love hoarding them. I dont necessarily write on them. I also hoard pictures. I love taking them.

8. Last restaurant you ate at. Who were you with? How was it?
Conti’s – with friends. It was filling!

9. Who was the last person you bought a birthday card for?
Oh gosh I dont even send out cards anymore.

10. What is your worst bad habit?
Procastination.

11. Name a magazine you subscribe to?
Nothing

12. Your favorite pizza toppings?
Cheese + Peppers + Cheese

13. Whose number were you looking up the last time you used a phone book?
My husband’s – I forgot his other number.

14. Other than family, who is the person that you love most?
That’s a difficult question. I’m a very loving person *sarcastic tone here*

15. What is the last thing you cooked?
Pancakes.

16. Name something you wouldn’t want to buy used?
Underwear. Que horror right?!

17. Which shoe do you put on first?
Left

18. What is the last thing you remember losing?
A bet

19. What is the ugliest piece of furniture in your house?
Our dining chairs

20. Last thing you bought and ended up returning?
Nothing so far

21. What perfume/cologne do you wear? If none, why?
Bath and Body Works

22. Your favorite board game?
Scrabble

23. What was the last board game you played?
Scrabble

24. Where did your vehicle come from?
From my father-in-law

25. If a movie was made about your life what would the theme song be?
I seriously cannot answer that right now.

26. You’re sad, who can cheer you up easily?
Paypal notices of money coming in.

27. What was the color of the bridesmaid dresses of the last wedding you went to?
Pink and green

28. What house cleaning chore do you hate to do the most?
Laundry

29. What is your favorite way to eat chicken?
Fingers!

30. It is your birthday. You hope the cake is?
Chocolate + Caramel.

How extremely important is it for you to register a newly-bought car? Or even renew your car’s registration when it expires? Well, it is extremely important as you are liable to get imprisoned or fined when you use your car on the road with expired or no registration papers.

During the early years, when the use of cars were restricted to affluent and wealthy families, car registrations were not required or even thought of. Around the twentieth century, governments all over the world brought in measures to control and regulate traffic with the increasing number of cars on the road. This was how car registrations came to be, to serve as a protection for car owners and as a way for the government to regulate and screen unsafe cars from travelling in public roads. In the UK, the Motor Car Act 1903 required motor vehicles to be registered, with car registration plates to be displayed prominently.

Car Registrations mean that for paying a set fee you are now free to drive your car on public roads. It is provided only if you have insurance for the vehicle and is based on several factors including the year, make and model of the car. You also need to renew this on a yearly basis so that a government official can inspect of your car is safe to travel on the road.

If you ask me, whoever invented the car number plates is a genius. How else can you identify millions of cars with the same type and build but with them? Number Plates are what you can consider names of specific cars as names are with people. Notice how customer service in hotels identify cars with plate number to bring attention to their owners? That is how important number plates are. They also track down and serve as registration for a newly-owned car, which functions like a birth certificate to a person.

And there have been too many an instance where cars are really treated like babies. We care for them bring them for maintenance and even “dress them up”. Car number plates have long been popular among car owners as a way to enhance or dress up the look of their prized car. Of course, there are always country laws and regulations to consider before a it can be fitted out with such an accessory. In the UK, cars have to have registration plates both at the front and back of the vehicle, with a white plate on the front and a yellow plate at the back. Strict rules are also enforced regarding the font size and type that is to be used, which is determined by the following criteria: clarity, visibility and uniformity. The height, width and thickness of the numbers and letters have to be of a specific type, which is determined by the Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).

Oftentimes I see people’s health conditions take a down turn for the worse because of misinformation. Unfortunately, there are millions of citizens still without any form of health insurance in my country and dissemination of health information and health care practices are severely lacking. Health Facts need to be simplified and imparted to everyone. This especially holds true for viral diseases like the flu. Simple health care practices such as correct hand washing procedures are going to be a big deal in prevention.

There is a web site that explains certain diseases like lung cancer and diabetes, diseases that afflict more people everyday, in very simple terms. If only there is a way to direct people online to know more about it. They also have health tips so you can educate yourself and practice better health habits.

Health should be a national concern. Without good health, citizens would not be able to perform well and the whole labor system will be affected. It also would affect the education of the kids. It has a very strong domino effect.

A few friends have been insisting that we buy gold bullion. It seems to have replaced stocks as the premium investment these days as there have been a lot of financial articles citing that gold is the wisest thing to invest on. Gold has never been known to depreciate in the recent years and has a very liquid state – it is easily dispensable or exchanged for cash.

United States Gold Bureau is home to a large and dedicated staff of hard asset professionals committed to serving your precious metals investment needs and being America’s best dealer with a convenient market and competitive precious metals prices.

  
If ever we will invest on gold, it would definitely be with them.

And I am getting depressed!