Elements Bits: Bad Teacher

Cast:

Cameron Diaz - Elizabeth Halsey
Justin Timberlake - Scott Delacorte
Lucy Punch - Amy Squirrel
Jason Segel - Russel Gettis

Teacher Elizabeth Halsey has one goal in her life...to marry a rich man and live happily (for herself) ever after.

After spending a year teaching in JAMS, John Adams Middle School, Elizabeth finally meets the man of her dreams...a wealthy gullible bachelor. Unfortunately for her, this bachelor seems to be a mama's boy and the mother senses that Elizabeth is just one gold-digger, and convinces her son to break up with Elizabeth.

So Elizabeth ends up teaching in JAMS again, setting a new priority wherein she would need to earn bucks for breast implants (thinking that this may be the key to land another wealthy fiancee); this includes a Charity car wash with Elizabeth bathing herself with a hose, and pulling all the strings to make sure her class tops the state exams, because the teacher with the highest overall class score will receive a bonus.

Then one day, substitute teacher Scott Delacorte walks into JAMS, who apparently is the grandson of a wealthy watchmaker. Elizabeth now sets her sights on Scott but encounters some competition with co-teacher Amy Squirrel. Amy then senses that Elizabeth is not just trying to steal her man but has some skeletons in her closet and plans to reveal these to the principal and the school superintendent.

Will Elizabeth succeed, or will her dreams (breast implants) be deflated?
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Elements Bits number 1:
What are your goals in life? Clearly the lead in the movie Bad Teacher has her priorities all messed up. We have so many goals and targets that we want to achieve but there seems to be so little time for everything. Unless you are the happy go lucky type and just goes with the flow. It is actually your choice. My opinion is that setting goals is better and you have that consolation of experiencing that actual sense of fulfillment once you've accomplished something that you really worked hard for.

Elements Bits number 2:
Being educated by someone or Self-Learning? I believe both have its advantages. Of course the elementary years are most important to have someone teach the basics, the values and provides the necessary guidance. When you reach college, you have that choice as to what you want to pursue. You then grow eager to obtain more knowledge from different mediums and at various capacities, and this is where you do research and utilize self-learning books. Of course you would still need to apply everything you've learned to actual hands on, before you can truly say that all those hours studying, finally paid off.
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Memorable Quotes:

Gym Teacher Russell: "You're out of your mind. There's no way that Lebron will ever be Jordan!"
Shawn: "Okay. Lebron's a better rebounder and passer!"
Gym Teacher Russell: "Will you let me finish!? Call me when Lebron has six championships!"
Shawn: "Is that your only argument?"
Gym Teacher Russell: "It's the only argument I need Shawn!!"
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Elizabeth: "Things are about to change around here. Recess is over!"
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Elizabeth: "I don't need a blackboard or a classroom, to set an example."

Featured Clips of the Day: School is Out

Taking the Test



Bom Chicka Wahwah

Best Math Teacher

World's Most Scenic Cruises - by Fran Golden

I always dreamed of going on a cruise vacation, but I just have this fear of being miles away from land. Though I would take that risk if it were on one of these cruises...

Antarctica and the South Shetland Islands

Galapagos Islands

Madagascar

Milford Sound

Greek Isles

Click here: for more of the World's Most Scenic Cruises

Elements Bits: Horrible Bosses

Cast:

Jason Bateman - Nick Hendricks

Charlie Day - Dale Arbus

Jason Sudeikis - Kurt Buckman

Kevin Spacey - Dave Harken

Jennifer Aniston - Dr. Julia Harris

Colin Farrell - Bobby Pellitt

Jamie Foxx - Dean Jones

It's not often that you have a movie with this kind of mix in a cast; it's loaded and hilarious.

Nick works for Dave Harken and hopes to land the position of Senior Vice President in their company. Only problem is, his power hungry boss, who is already the president of the company, names himself as the SVP. Where else do you see a boss who tricks you into drinking scotch at 8 in the morning then blackmails you that you are an alcoholic and is not fit for the SVP position.

Dale works as an assistant to Dr. Julia Harris who is a dentist. Seems like a harmless job. Until J.Aniston starts talking dirty, seduces and harasses Dale. Up to the point wherein she too would blackmail Dale, that if he doesn't have sex with her, she will tell Dale's fiancee that they have an affair.

Kurt actually loves his job and his boss Jack Pellitt (Donald Sutherland), until Jack dies of a heart attack. So then Jack's son, Bobby Pellitt takes over the family business. A drug crazed womanizer, Bobby's only intention for the company is how he could milk every dollar for himself and his luxuries.

So the three decide to kill their bosses, but they would not want to leave a trace that would eventually lead to them. So they look for a hitman to the dirty work. Guess who they tap for the job? Jamie Foxx's character, Dean Jones. But after paying off the service fee, to their surprise, Mr. Dean Jones refuses to do the hit and just gives them these crazy advices on how to do it themselves. To make matters worse, Mr. Dean Jones isn't a hitman but a video pirate.

Now how will these three live with their bosses on a daily basis while plotting on how to get rid of them?

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Elements Bits number 1:

Be your own boss or be a schmuck. Being an employee is really not that bad; it would probably depend on the type of work you have. And besides, even if you are a president of the company, you still have to answer to the board of directors or the owners of the company themselves. Being your own boss means you have full control of what and when to do things. It surely has it's advantages but I feel that there is no real set of protocols that would govern your work life; unless you are very disciplined and you pretty much have your work ethics laid out.

There are certain limits when following orders from your boss. You may ask yourself the question if it is just and right before actually doing it. To share with you my opinions on this, click here: Following Orders vs. Following Principles

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Memorable Quotes:

Dave Harken: "I own you. Don't walk around thinking you have free will because you don't. I can crush you anytime I want. So settle in because you are in for a long haul."

Featured Clips of the Day: You're Fired

How to deal with your boss...

5 Things you shouldn't do

Remote Control

Bud Light Boss Attack



Beat'Em Up Babe of the Day: Priestess (Maggie Q) / Priest

In the war of vampires and humans, their only hope was the order of the Priests. And among them was the Priestess. Not to be taken lightly just because she is a female, she is highly trained and deadly. Even in a match against 5 brutes riding on motorcycles, the Priestess manages without breaking a sweat.

Wasteland war:

Elements Bits: Priest

Cast:

Paul Bettany - Priest
Cam Gigandet - Hicks
Maggie Q - Priestess
Lily Collins - Lucy
Christopher Plummer - Monsignor Orelas

For centuries, vampires and humans waged war. In hopes to finally end it, the Church forms a legion of Priests to purge the said menace. Said to be blessed by the Almighty himself, the Priests are combat trained and manages to wipe out the horde of vampires and those who remained, where locked up in different reservations across the land.

Then one night, a family was attacked outside the outskirts of the Cities, known as the Wastelands. The unfortunate family was that of the Priest (Paul Bettany), he later found out at that her niece was abducted by the vampires, so he vowed to avenge the death of his brother and plans to rescue Lucy. But the Church denied reinstating the authority of the Priest. Saying that if he refuses to follow these orders, it is like going against God. And so he went against it.

The Priest is joined by a local sheriff named Hicks, as they set forth in rescuing Lucy and find out what the vampires are up to by abducting Lucy. Aside from the vampires, they had to deal with another problem since the Church has ordered the reinstatement of the other priests to hunt them down.

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Elements Bits number 1:

Righteousness. In the great words of the late US President Theodore Roosevelt, “If I must choose between peace and righteousness, I choose righteousness.”

Given the choice, would you do something that in the eyes of others is wrong, but in reality it is the right thing to do for the situation? Not all actions are deemed noble. (Especially in politics.) To prevent war, sometimes the course of action to take is to eliminate the threat before it even has a chance to execute it's plans. Does it promote peace? No. But is it right? To view my opinions about righteousness, click here: Following Orders vs. Following Principles.

Memorable Quotes:

Priest: "Dear Father, forgive me. It was never my intention to offend you. I would like to firmly resolve with the help of your grace, to sin no more, and to avoid the near occasions of sin...but I can't."

Hicks: "I may have not seen the war, but I know the look a man gets when he likes killing. IT comes easy to you."
Priest: "It just comes. Easy's got nothing to do with it."

Orelas: "The sanctity of these walls is absolute. And the citizens of the cities have complete faith in the Church's ability to keep them safe. You will not shake that faith.
Priest: "What good is that faith when it's a lie?"

Featured Clips of the Day: For the Booze

All this effort for a bucket of booze with friends...

Captain Morgan

Andes Teletransporter



Elements Bits: Journey to the Far Side of the Sun

Cast:

Roy Thinnes - Colonel Glenn Ross

Ian Hendry - John Kane

Patrick Wymark - Jason Webb

Tired of CGI heavy movies? This 1969 classic is a breather from how sci-fi movies are made today.

When the EuroSEC - European Space Exploration Council, discovers a planet that seems to be habitable based on data that shows it may have an earth-like atmosphere and is in the same orbit around the Sun but on the opposite side, they send a 2-man crew to venture where no man has gone before... to the far side of the Sun.

Funded by the Americans, they insist that Colonel Glenn Ross leads the expedition, alongside British scientist John Kane. The space trip would take 3 weeks to reach the said planet, and another three weeks going back to Earth. Upon reaching their destination, the crew suddenly encounters a terrible entry into the planet's inner atmosphere, and crashes into a mountain ridge.

Upon waking up from the crash, the Colonel is surprised to find out that he is back on Earth. The Director of EuroSEC, Jason Webb, seems more surprised that the mission has failed and wonders why the astronauts came back to Earth after 3 weeks. During the debriefing, Colonel Ross insists that they made it to the new planet and is confused as to why they are back on Earth.

A day later, Colonel Ross thinks he is going crazy or constantly hallucinating because everything seems to be in reverse. The writings on his passport, the light switch of his room used to be on the right side now it's on the left, and other signage that needs to be read opposite a mirror for you to be able to understand what it says. (Just like an ambulance when you see it from a rear view mirror, without looking through the mirror, the word ambulance is inverted.) 

So has the colonel gone mad, or did they really reach the newly discovered planet, and everyone around them is just a doppelganger?

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Elements Bits number 1:

Life beyond Earth. Are we really alone in the galaxy? Do you believe in aliens? Well, not unless you have been a witness I guess. Area 51, Roswell, Planet Nibiru, and many other conspiracy filled theories; I have always been fascinated with the universe and the mysteries it holds. Though I have yet to fully believe in it, I have seen some strange lights in the skies, but it seems that there would always be a scientific explanation for it.

There is so much information on the internet right now with regards to this, but recently, the 12th Planet, Nibiru, is what has been circulating on the Net. That it exists.

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The Earth Chronicles

If you are interested to know more, a great series of books to read would be the works of Zecharia Sitchin.

Click here to check out his website: Sitchin.Com

Featured Clip of the Day: Pregnancy Test

I didn't know that the iPod shuffle had one of these...

Julia's Day

October 7, 2011

10.07.2011

9:00AM

We started to get ready to proceed to the Asian Hospital near Alabang, where my wife was scheduled to give birth. Prior to this day, we were contemplating if we will proceed with the October 7 or October 12 delivery date; though it was going to be a normal delivery, my cousin who was our OB-GYN, mentioned that we can have the delivery on either days.

Not to rush things, but the hospital was a long drive from the house and when we saw the final ultrasound last October 6, Julia was really cramped inside the womb already and a portion of the umbilical cord was hovering a bit above her neck.

That's when we decided to just push through with October 7. Aside from it being the feast of the Holy Rosary, which I felt was a good blessing to be born on that day, we didn't want to risk that umbilical cord tightening around Julia's neck.

12:00PM

My wife officially started labor at around noon with just a 3 centimeter opening of her cervix, and we were hoping for a safe and smooth delivery at about 8 or 10PM. around 5PM, she was at 5 centimeters; a bit slow and it kinda got us worried already. Then at around 8PM, she was still at 5 centimeters, then we really had to decide to go with a C-Section already.  (As explained to us, there should be an increase of at least 1 centimeter per hour)

9:00PM

When she was brought to the operating room at around 9PM, I started praying the rosary, still asking for a normal delivery. Suddenly my cousin bolts out of the door at about 10:15PM and said that we might have normal delivery instead.

They were literally about to initiate the procedure (my wife even signed a waiver for the C-section and the medical supplies for the C-section was paid for already, so there's really no refund for it?) when my wife mentioned that she felt like taking a leak, that's when my cousin checked and was surprised that my wife's cervix was already at 10 centimeters! They didn't have time anymore to switch rooms and had to do the delivery immediately as the head of Julia was about to pop out already.

So at 10:35PM, little Julianna Kassandra was born.

Julianna Kassandra

Finally...my little princess is here...

 

The Road Less Traveled - by Kit McCallum

How often we must bear the challenges of life;

The endless roller coaster between happiness and sorrow;

The constant ups and downs of daily strife.

And always the question remains .... why?

Life is not an easy road for most;

It twists and turns with many forks in the road,

Although always, and inevitably, we are given a choice ...

Do we turn to the right ... or the left?

Do we take the high road ... or the low road?

Do we take the easy path ... or the difficult one?

Decisions are not easy for those struggling for direction ...

And sometimes the many choices and signs become overwhelming.

While standing at a crossroads in life,

The urge is to take the most comfortable path;

The road with least resistance ...

The shortest or most traveled route.

And yet, if we've been down that comfortable road before;

Have gleaned its lessons in life, and learned from our experiences;

Do we yet again follow the known?

Or does our destiny lie in another direction?

The fear of the road less traveled is tangible and all too real;

It manifests itself in many ways,

And tends to cloud the issues that might otherwise be clear.

It is in these times of confusion,

That we must seek peace and solitude;

Time to contemplate on our life,

Our experiences and our choices past;

Time to look back, and reflect on what we have learned

Without fear or confusion.

For only each of us knows our own personal thoughts;

Our unique past and personal history;

The experiences that brought us to the crossroads we now face.

We can always learn a small degree from others experiences,

And yet ... no one person can walk in our shoes,

Others know not, the trials and tribulations faced in private ...

For each is individual ... unique ... and personal.

And that is why ... while standing at a crossroads,

Only "we" can formulate the decision for ourselves;

The true direction that lies within;

The choices we must deliberate on with clarity and wisdom.

For it is only through personal reflection,

That we can now choose our destiny;

... Our next adventure;

... And the future we will embrace.