i watched "HP" again (twice) yesterday... can't help but love it... there were many things i wasn't able to catch the first time last week which made it more enjoyable... the quips, the background stuff, people's faces and expressions. i love cedric's rosy cheeks all the more... and rita skeeter... and fred and george ("babbling, bumbling band of baboons... how that's for a tongue twister?") ... but how come i'm irked by harry's expression of glee? hahaha... only now did i find fleur beautiful (at the yule ball, gorgeous!) and barty crouch jr -- crap, he looks hot in dumbledore's memory (minus the tongue-outs)... now i only wish hogwarts were real and i studied there. *slams head*

now, i'll really shut up since i'm pretty contented after blabbing about HP on almost every post the whole month. onward 2007! :)

---
on another note, i now have the invitational-only Gmail by a stroke of luck! :D

ON EDIT: ah, according to my sitemeter, "robert pattinson" has got a lot of trackbacks to my site from google (aside from "max foster", of course)... hahaha

---

before i delve straight into one of my latest "infamous scandals"...

an amazing, wonderful thing happened to my little college! guess what?
they've been showing CNN on our lobby's TV set for 2 days now!
would you agree with me that THAT is a miracle? =p

well, the "CNN viewing" started yesterday. i boredly walked into the entrance and swiped my ridiculous ID when i looked above the normally unnoticeable wall-hung TV set... and i was so surprised to see the familiar red headline ticker and seeing "CNN" etched on the lower right corner! little did i know that TV had cable... because usually they only show the university-wide channel... or just turned off. it was really a miracle! maybe someone knows someone in the college LOVES cnn -- and that's moi! hahaha...

people were glancing curiously at the TV, but didn't pay much attention though. i, on the other hand, had no official business to loiter around the ground floor since i had classes to attend. but then I WANTED TO SEE MAX FOSTER! and so after my first class (there's a short 5-8 min break), i walked briskly down four flights of stairs just to check. unfortunately (or not), "CNN Connects" was on. i thought, maybe that's why the channel was on. i went up again. turns out we didn't have a prof for the hour's class! and so i waited till 1pm came, and straddled down again (i swear, i was that desperate)... and ha! i saw monita rajpal and my lovely max! and so i stood awkwardly for a few seconds (no one was really around... and jeez, i just saw my next prof going up.) i had to part ways yet again (took a peek at max, and kapoof). but i was happy because my college sure knows quality television programs! and quality journalism! :D

(** i think the reason why the college is on one heck of a shift is that it's making itself puffed-up for accreditation. if that really is the case, wunderbahr! i see happier days ahead... and um, i just want to know whose idea was it to air CNN for us... 'coz he/she is a god!)

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topic: there indeed is a heavy price to pay for being ignorant.

my bumbling arse signed up for volleyball this second semester, and poor dear's haven't got any knowledge of how to play it, much less have touched a ball. i thought, heck, isn't this supposed to be a beginners' class? that's why it's Basic! and so i went on.

but then yesterday we had our first on-the-field activity, and omg i am such a loser! i couldn't pitch the ball! i couldn't catch the ball! i couldn't throw a ball 3 feet away from me! arrgh everything was so disappointing! i mostly had to fetch for the rolling ball. barf. i felt that in the 40-plus students around, i was the only one who knew nada. i shamed myself sooo baaad.

i should've stuck with nerdy dancing. i never did good at sports, man... slobby me.
i have to remedy this stinking situation (i'm already here, i can't go anywhere else! *regrets*) by practicing myself. this sunday, mumsy and i are out for a "don't-know-it-all" volleyball session... i will try hard. cannot take a 3 for a grade in PE! that will be the worst that's ever happened in my academic life!

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TAR8 update: hooray the Linz family's 1st place on this leg! i'm soooo happy they got it finally! followed by the Bransens! (ha, i'm so blessed... my two fave teams are on top!) followed by the Godlewskis... and uh, the Weavers. i thought i had all the love going when the weavers finished last, but then phil said it's a non-elimination leg! crap! they are so damn lucky, but they don't really deserve it. looks like i had to bear them another time... i really hope they're out next week. (ha, don't taunt the linzes mama weaver! you'll pay soon!) ... i think there are only 3 episodes left, so i am so excited for anything that's gonna happen. let's go linz! let's go wally! :)

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(l-r) newell, pattinson, richardson, poesy, radcliffe, ianevski

yesss! caught sight of my most awaited Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire (illegally, if ya know what i mean!) and it was, as ron would say, "Bloody Brilliant!" being (i have to say yet again) a terrible amnesiac, i could only remember this one to be the most elaborate of the HP films so far... almost everything was like what i would imagine them... and i would agree with most of you that indeed daniel radcliffe has improved his acting (he carried most of the scenes, so due attention was focused). so with most of the lovely things, i'd give props to the chap on the left of pic, mike newell for mightily squeezing a thick book into 157 minutes with wonderful results. (i honestly will hate it if they had to cut GoF in two.) many things had to be sacrificed, like privet drive (but that's ok), the burrow, the quidditch world cup (arrrgh how sad! -- more of that later), the house elves (don't exactly miss them though), and sirius black (gary oldman's molten face in the fireplace is unsatisfying..), but i have to understand. c'mon, you can't win 'em all! =p

i'm planning to watch again next sunday (one viewing's not enough!), but thus far these are my nitpickings / kudos for the saga's 4th:

The Quidditch World Cup
sad thing that they had to scrimp a huge chunk of my favorite sequence in GoF (reread episode)... the whole widescreen thing with krum (ha, krum... why only him? oh, ok..) and the irish leprechaun cheer was beautiful, but i really wanted to see the veela! and the workings of harry & ron's omnioculars (the play-by-play thingy)... that would be cool. and a little qualm with the fast segue into the "dark mark"... i wish i could've seen more of the tent...

the Boys, among many things
in the world cup, i felt the scene where draco & lucius were taunting the weasleys together was gorgeous because of their height and blondiness (but ack, i still find tom's matured features terrible) ... "Draco Malfoy, The Amazing Bouncing Ferret"... hilarious scene... although ron should've uttered that line (most memorable for me in this book) to make me laugh harder... anyway, i'm beginning to like ron and all his fantastic blurts (since reading HBP). i also liked neville in the film, in the scene with moody, and the gillyweed. oh, fred and george! i'm looking forward to them in the next film (due hopefully in the summer of '07) because they are the most terrific twins ever! =)

Rita Skeeter -- my new favorite character on film
miranda richardson is dead-on with her portrayal of the nasty daily prophet writer... had to tell you i was so irritated by her in the book, but how i love every inch of her in the screen! from her curls to the glamorous green dress to the nail polish to the quick-quote quills... so damn good. miranda gets into my list of good character acting (in HP), alongside emma thompson (trelawney), maggie smith (mcgonagall), and alan rickman (snape -- my fave in loving denial!)... i am (again) a bit disappointed though that snape was mostly relegated to the background, and the "hitting ron" scenes (would love to post a pic of that here..) but don't i worry, because m'dear's going to be the star in 6! ;-) ... about moody (brendan gleeson)... he made me forget about Troy's king menelaus with his whole getup... such a scene-stealer... loved the "unforgivable curses" part, and of course the ferret...

the Yule Ball
it has got to be my absolute favorite scene on GoF. the great hall was so magically created to become a winter wonderland... and everyone changing from drab robes to fab dresses! it was so... heavenly. i loved how everyone looked... in between ogles at cedric's very rosy cheeks (prince charming!), i thought cho (katie leung) was her prettiest here, with her hair made up. and ron looked adorable in his "ancient!" dress robes... and hermione was lovely & cute in the dance.. and omg! i especially am interested in the "weird sisters" band! i thought they were made up of psyched-up punk women, turned out they were male rock stars! i will have to say the song playing in the madame maxime-hagrid slow dance background was so rockin' hot... i wish it were a real song! :)

the Cedric Diggory lovefest
as you would expect from my earlier posts, i definitely kept my eye on robert pattinson almost the whole time he's in... he was (again, i reiterate) not the handsomest man on the planet, but i'll say he's good enough for the role, since he's "pretty" (makeup-wise) and nice that got him to be so charming (right, girls?) ... ok, i've mispronounced his name while reading ("see-dric" instead of "sed-ric" ... but who cares?!), and he may have died a little too soon... but dumbledore's tribute was the best about cedric (the irony! *sniffle*) ... so bad robert only gets one film... no more pretty boys.. (so i better watch GoF again!)

the "Biwizards"
since i talked too much earlier about prettyboy champ ced, let's clump in the other two.. fleur delacoeur from beaubatons and viktor krum from durmstrang. to start it off, i never actually expected the two wizarding schools to be solely composed of girls in one, and boys in the other. oh well. their respective descents to the school grounds was true to the book, wonderfully created. i have a bit of a reservation about the beauxbatons girls' entrance... pretty weird winding dance, right? (with the little flying things when they exhale... what's that??) although it was where fleur was at her most elegant. not veela-like as i initially thought, but simply lovely. and viktor honestly looks good... the book made me think he was one hulky vulture-faced creature (ha!), but turns out he's hot with the mink hat and staff... (nooo! i still love cedric!!! =p)

Lord Voldie... eh?
as this was the first time harry (and we) will see voldemort in the near-flesh, i was still a bit doubtful about ralph fiennes' portrayal of the Evil One before watching... as i read, the producers really wanted him for the role, what with all the baddies he's perfected in. i have (unfortunately) forgotten most about the graveyard scene, though i found voldemort so... ghastly looking. he looked like a sallow convict of azkaban (ok, more like a dementor without the hood..) ... don't remember whether i saw red eyes... but anyways... he moves with a quiet menace, and i love fiennes' voice... the way he says "again"... ah.. man, i'm more excited about book 6 than book 5 to be on the screen, since i really like the pensieve parts with tom riddle! **villain loving strikes back**

...that's about it (for now, i guess) for my little HP revue. for those who haven't watched, go and grab a ticket! nothing's more amazing than make-believe magic and special effects galore right before your eyes. ;)

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lundi, novembre 14, 2005 Y 5:52 PM

the AfterMath

i will dot this post with another passing mention of "the boy who lived" (nyuk, nyuk)... i have finished reading "half-blood prince" last saturday (whew! less than a week! *eyes boggle*) and well, the best i can say is it was satisfactory... there's always the good 'ol prose that makes you want to keep reading, but then the downside was how this book started (was a little bored) and how the prince was revealed... it was too uhm, anticlimactic (like it was spewed). and i wasn't convinced with the relationships (but ooh... "snogging"! hell yeah!) ... you couldn't fault someone for having been "spoilered-at" before having read. but the surprising side? for the life of me, i couldn't help but feel teary-eyed when * died, with the dangerous mission & the avada & the funeral. it was too darn emotional. though i have my speculations as to why -- maybe * was actually somebody else. anyhoo...

(before i fail to mention again, i have bought the "love actually" vcd last week... something for christmas!)

1 week has passed with all my subject professors reporting for duty. basically i think this semester is going to be one tight ride. i hate that i have to be welcomed first thing on mondays with the "heart-pounding" subjects, math & accounting. ESPECIALLY accounting. our prof this time is one commanding woman. she expects us be really 'on it', bombarded with exercises and problems on the first day of lessons. man! i now have to make a radical shift on doing my homework (cut my tv time? hmm, let's negotiate... there aren't really a lot of shows to monitor, and most of my favorites fall on the same day so it isn't really a disturbance)... try to solve EVERYTHING! i will have to devote most of my free time now to counting merchandise and all those freight stuff... frightening eh?

and... don't you think jeeves is cute? =p

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jeudi, novembre 10, 2005 Y 6:29 PM

good vibrations (?)

mp3 on repeat: kylie minogue "chocolate"

ahh, three days have passed since the start of second semester. why haven't i updated???

well, i'm too engrossed in (ahem... yet another one) "Harry Potter & the Half-Blood prince"! yes!!! :D i've started reading the book since monday, and now i'm like 2/3 finished.... hmm.. frankly the first parts aren't that exciting yet, though there's lots of juice about two of my favorite characters (ha! villain syndrome strikes again!)... i hope to finish this by the weekend (so i won't be posting around for the moment)... :)

besides, there's nothing so good about school. nearly half of my profs haven't shown up yet, so idle hours were spent chatting and pretty much doing nothing. at least my classmates are still the same group, so spare me the awkward moments. (but i still am a little awkward with regards to the "yappy" ones). most of my profs this time around are femmes (kinda stodgy, but will do) ... and somehow i miss the old ones...

i do hope i'll be able to surpass this semester with high grades (work hard, maggot!) since i *think* i'm DL-eligible. my 1st sem grades amount to a 1.75 (on the dot!) average -- minimum qualifying grade for the dean's list -- and unless i'm mistaken with the subjects and the units, then i'm a hopeful, and you must couple it with good 2nd sem grades to really become one... they post the DLs at the end of the schoolyear. guess i should get a "how to become a brainiac" manual! :p

***

The Amazing Race update: this week's 2-hour episode was freakishly heart-stopping at each end of the leg... i was really wishing for the bransens stay in the race, only to become the last in the 6th leg (but it's NON-ELIMINATION! hooray!), and then it was a close fight too with the paolos in the 8th leg, but the latter was the one out (and oh yeah, bickering all the way again)... oooh... so that leaves the godlewskis, the linzes (please be first), the weavers (wtf!) with the bransens. 4 teams & 4 episodes left. oh boy, this is gonna be exciting! :)

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dimanche, novembre 06, 2005 Y 5:39 PM

a semi-charmed, so-called life (v.4)

hmm, how does this text look like to you? glowing hot! ;p

tomorrow, tomorrow...
waking up early has never been a more challenging idea.
i. am. bored. lonely. demented.
crap.

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samedi, novembre 05, 2005 Y 11:34 PM

in the middle of the night..

umm, scrap the MuVo... I *LUST* THIS! (sony walkman E-500 - mp3/fm)

--
some mangled thoughts in the witching hour...

1 day left... school season again. *groan*
i wonder if i've spent my break well... it's as if i wanted a longer break than this, but i can't ask for too much right? my 1st Sem grades have been quite good (though honestly satisfactory... no telling what! ;p), and i'm hell-bent on doing better this time. well, imagining we'd start off on Monday class this sem with *hellish* Math and after that Accounting (why do they have to put the 2 subjects on 1 day consecutively???) ... and now i signed myself up in the volleyball wednesday PE but don't have a clue how to play it. *barf*

my first MRT ride! yay!
i had my first MRT hobnob yesterday (saturday, 11/05/05)! it was pretty cool. at first i was standing up with hand clutched, and got a seat for a while. the air conditioning was nice, the train was clean and i got to see the view of the city from above. how i wish i took MRTs instead of the smoky PUJs :)

to buy or not to buy?
i have been deciding whether to get a copy of "Love Actually" (the movie) or not for almost a week now. you see, last sunday i was out to this mall and i saw a 99php VCD .. at the time i didn't bring enough money (never expected to spend) and so i withdrawed. then i went to another mall last wednesday and found the VCD costing 125php... hmmm. have yet to find lower price in other shops... i'll gift myself one -- or would you? ;)

TAR... heehee.
having hated the gaghan family before, i couldn't help but feel sorry for them when they got eliminated (don't like to use "philiminated"!) last episode. aww shucks. but then i'm really excited since TAR's gonna have a 2-hour episode this wednesday (though i couldn't catch it live -- classes!) ... i would really like to see the linzes finish first on this leg. i want them! and my two favorite daddies of the moment - daddys bransen & paolo -- i hope their age doesn't hinder them from this race... seems like they're getting worn out. anyways, trivia about phil k.: he's kept wearing his "black chain w/ gold ornament necklace" on in the show since season three. wonder for what sentimental reason... :)

... i'm getting a lil' sleepy.

P.S. recommended book: "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee
i first read this classic when i was sometime Grade 5, and having re-read it just this week, i still consider this as my most favorite book. :)

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Y 11:19 PM

rushing into x'mas, i guess

it isn't too early for christmas, isn't it? but this is so pretty! :)

--
All I Want For Christmas is You
Olivia Olson - Love Actually OST

I don't want a lot for Christmas
There is just one thing I need
I don't care about the presents
Underneath the Christmas tree
I just want you for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true...
All I want for Christmas is... you

I don't want a lot for Christmas
There is just one thing I need
I don't care about presents
Underneath the Christmas tree
I don't need to hang my stocking
There upon the fireplace
Santa Claus won't make me happy
With a toy on Christmas day

I won't ask for much this Christmas
I won't even wish for snow
I'm just gonna keep on waiting
Underneath the mistletoe
I won't make a list and send it
To the North Pole for Saint Nick
I won't even stay awake to
Hear those magic reindeer click
I just want you for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true
All I want for Christmas is you
You baby, oh

All the lights are shining
So brightly everywhere
And the sound of children's
Laughter fills the air
And everyone is singing
I hear those sleigh bells ringing
Santa won't you bring me the one I really need
Won't you please bring my baby to me...

I don't want a lot for Christmas
This is all I'm asking for
I just want to see my baby
Standing right outside my door
'Coz I just want you for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true
All I want for Christmas... is... you

All I want for Christmas...

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Y 10:21 PM

an MF update before losing it

just so you know...
i got something that might be interesting to MF fans... since we don't get much outside information from CNN about max (haha)... it's about his experience as a major news anchor / broadcaster for the first time, in his own words.

don't worry, i'll shut up about this. :)

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Excerpt from "It Was Breaking News" 04/07/05...
MAX FOSTER, LONDON ANCHOR AT CNN
http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/article/070405/it_was_breaking_news

What a way to start my career at CNN: anchoring one of the biggest global news stories and getting right into international news.

I debuted as an anchor last week on World Business Today in what was supposed to be a fairly straightforward roundup of the day's economic and corporate news.

It turned out to be far more exciting for a journalist ready to make his mark. On day one on, I was dealing with the earthquake in the Indian Ocean. The rest of the week brought other unexpected live breaking news.

All good practice for Friday when news of the Pope's illness broke. The programme was replaced by a three-hour live special on his worsening health. I was asked to anchor alongside the accomplished Fionnuala Sweeney. Next came the opportunity to anchor the weekend evening shift and I was on standby to go live when news of the Pope's death broke.

At this point we handed over to the special events team in Rome.
Sunday night saw me back at the desk for a four-hour special involving elements from more countries than I can remember. Reports from Rome had to be juggled with international reaction and on-the-spot interviews in London.

Who could ask for a more interesting or challenging way to start a career as an international news anchor?

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jeudi, novembre 03, 2005 Y 2:49 PM

conCEDing, if only a bit..

"...pottermania fever has been restored back to Lady Ellie's senses once more... proving once more she is corruptible to the spell cast upon her, yet she has renounced of ever having been enslaved by the manipulative powers of the imagined world..."

oh, enough bull. looks like i'm in for another wild HP ride..
(but honestly, wasn't that a lovely introduction? =p)

two weeks before the premiere of the most-awaited "Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire" and i am so damn excited about what this goodie might bring. i have been raptly waiting for this more than the previous ones, but i don't exactly know what to expect. i come to think that the books are far better than the films, so i hope this version will do a great justice to my present favorite book.

heh, i've just finished rereading GoF late last night -- i can't remember really liking it the first time, but when i was opening the pages once more it was so darn good... but bittersweet. i was surprised i couldn't remember the climax & the ending (specifically the "moody" part) before -- because it felt like reading the first time again, thanks in behalf to my amnesiac noodles... 8-) *spoilers not needed perhaps?* i hate it that cedric died. just when i took a liking to him (because at first i thought he was just a good-looking airhead in the earlier chapters..), since i thought he had pretty pure intentions. (aww *couldn't be more touched by stuff like that*) ... and when the headmaster gave a tribute to him, i swear i would've cried if i was there. there goes my closet boy-craziness! =p

oh, i can't help but post a pic of cedric (robert pattinson) again.

this is by far the nicest-looking pic of pattinson's i've seen (in my opinion)... i love this photo shoot. i first saw this on the november "HP special" issue of Pink magazine last sunday, got so obsessed with the pic that i searched in the net for scans of the magazine and voila! but don't get me wrong, i still don't brand him as a "certified hottie" (in my standards, o'course..) .. but his rosy cheeks and cute grin and ruffled hair are so adorable! *seeing stars*

don't think i've ever seen so much fangirly-ness spewed into my own blog! =D at least's i'm crushing on a teen too... that's more normal compared to crushing on 30, 40, 50-somethings... even those from beyond! (well, that's another story! 8-| ) ... hmm... robert's birthday is on may 14, 1986 (so he's just 19?!?! amazing! i thought he was older than that...) and according to the interview, his acting inspiration is jack nicholson. interesting... though i think jack's a kinda eccentric actor, he's nevertheless entertaining... i liked his recent films (about schmidt, anger management, something's gotta give).

you can see the robert pattinson interview here, and for the others, try this one or this. they've got the trio (daniel, emma, rupert) of course, and cho (katie leung), fleur (clemence poesy) & viktor (stanislav ianevski) interviews too. katie looks pretty in the pic... i wonder why they look so much different in the screen & the posters! (is it the drab robes or the weather?)

hmm, that's all the yakking i'll release for now... i better have it contained. in the meantime, enjoy this fabulous, humorous avatar i saw (and couldn't help but snicker at) while lurking upon COSforums... *rofl*

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mardi, novembre 01, 2005 Y 2:33 PM

all i want for christmas is...

...a MuVo Slim.

it's a godsend! Creative launched this model (under the MuVo line) early this year i think, and i think this will be a wonderful alternative to Apple's iPod (i don't exactly like the Shuffle since it's too small and has no screen -- and i WANT a screen!) perhaps i could snag one of my own this xmas (although i still don't need one). if not... santa, please! i've been a good girl this year! =p

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MuVo Slim Features:

Only 7mm thick

Super Fast USB 2.0 - transfer music and data up to 40x faster than USB 1.1

Built-in FM and FM recorder with 32 presets

Integrated voice recorder with built-in microphone

5 band custom equalizer and 4 presets to match your musical tastes

Comes with high quality Neodymium Earphones

Removable Li-ion battery recharges via USB - up to 17 hours of playback

Drag and drop songs and data files between MP3 player & computer easily

Stores data files such as photos and presentations

High-resolution LCD shows player status, track details (ID3 tag support)

Easy menu and music navigation with rocker button

Full play mode control including Shuffle modes and Resume

Easy folder / album navigation

--

what i like best about MuVo Slim is that it's rechargeable (unlike the other models, cheaper -- but requires an AAA battery) and it's got a lot of features (neat little thing... plus it comes in different colors!), and it's pretty affordable for a good mp3 player. the last time i checked, it's 4699-7000 PhP in the price list.. but i wonder whether they're available in the market. anyways... :)

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Y 2:25 PM

maxin' out

what do we have here??? :D


Max Foster: Our Favorite CNN Anchor! (ok, maybe just mine!)

anyways, i decided (yet again) to feature the fantabulous Mr. Foster here because he always comes up in searches with regards to my blog. let's say, around 50% of google searching... so this serves as an "update" for the fans who's come to wiggle their way here looking for him. (i hope you liked my Max posts last april-may... you curious you!) and there's an occasional "monita rajpal pics" search, so this picture edit's (i worked on this, ya know! ;p) got goodies for the monita men (i suppose?). i haven't watched CNN Today for months until this week... and i noticed Max is a little more good-looking, buff & much more confident than a long time ago... i really do think so.... well, good for him! there's already a bio on him at cnn.com, ( http://www.cnn.com/CNN/anchors_reporters/foster.max.html ) until then, max's wide grin still puts me in a weird daze... XD

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Y 1:48 PM

back from the "dead"!?

hellow!!!!

thought i've had enough of this? absolutely not!

after 7 days & 7 nights of internet drought (because of the stupid phone line), i'm up and running again! and you know what, i missed blogging & surfing the web for one whole week! i'm glad with the comments people sent to me within my "blog withdrawal episode" (specifically the tagboard... to everyone who's caught my site on YOU... and jubi & tiff) ... i'm currently checking my mail.

don't worry, i've got posts in store! just wanted a personal update :)

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