Zayn Malik leaves One Direction

So One Direction has one member leaving. I learned about it when a classmate from high school on her Facebook status read "This is insane!" with a link that has Zayn Malik leaving 1D (One Direction).

Since the rather ridiculous pronouncement of fans in tears and the big fanfare on media, I was able to finally know the boy group that I only know because of their popularity with mostly young girls.

Because of this, Zayn Malik is a name I now know; and the rest, I at least know by their first names. The reason he left, he wanted to have a life. Good for him. I am baffled myself by the devotion and reaction of these kids.

Selecta Moo x Adventure Time

It was a typical day at the supermarket. I was about to grab a couple of cartons of milk, when girlfriend gushed at the sight of Selecta Moo's package with Jake of Adventure time.

We loved the show. We're crazy about it. If only they have more episodes shown on Cartoon Network, we could watch it over and over again.

As I was grabbing one, it was replaced by Finn. Who would choose Finn over Jake? She did. Finn looked sad, she said.

Selecta Moo has smaller snack sizes, too.

Dear HERO TV

I love anime. I grew up with it, and there was a time I badly wanted to be an animator, but I guess I am not talented enough.

There is an art in anime that very few people can copy. The storyline that accompanies them are often complex or hilarious and even both.

I take my anime-viewing very seriously. I've seen a lot, both dubbed in English or Filipino, and the subtitled. I love them.

My biggest complaint are the voices. We hear very few voices. It seems you have few people in your roster. Some change their voices to be older, pitchy or deeper, some change their intonation, which is good; but I don't think they are doing a good job at it.

People can tell that when one person is talking to himself. It's funny and frustrating.

We hear the same voices almost in every show. I don't think creating an identifiable voice for individual characters is a priority for you. Please do. There is a reason why We still remember Eugene's voice from Ghostfighter before.

Secondly, I hope you refrain from using overly used language or taglish. We think it's lazy. Look up a Filipino dictionary or get someone to polish the dialogue.

We appreciate you getting interesting shows, but it would even be better if the audience get a better viewing experience.

Your viewers love anime, and we think we deserve better. You know there are other means to watch anime elsewhere, please help us patronize your shows.

TV Today

I am awfully lazy. I am unemployed for now, and I still haven't received calls from my applications. So I watch TV more than I should.

I don't watch too much TV before, but I now have time to waste on shows like The Apartment and even Survivor. The last time I followed Survivor was like eight years ago, when there were still contestants who have moral issues about manipulation. There is none of that anymore.

Empire was a breath of fresh air. It's quite popular. It's an exciting story of a dysfunctional and twisted family.  Every episode hooks you up, getting more complicated week after week.

The two-hour season finale built up quickly with more twists, with an expected cliffhanger ending. I know it would be picked up for another season, but I was hoping for some resolution to at least half of the conflicts there. Instead, we have twice more in just one episode.

It could be tiring.

Speaking of tiring, The Americans is another show I follow. It is slow and somber like it's intended to be. You'll be surprised by how many developments happened after an hour.

It's hypnotic sometimes. Half of the time though, my mind wanders off and when I get back, they have a terrorist being burned alive.

Then I move to  Homeland, which I have not seen since season one. Despite that, I followed the story. And when I tuned in, Claire Danes is seducing the poor boy from Life of Pi!

Darn. I should pick up a hobby.

D&G and the Attack on Modern Family

D&G, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, are in hot water after some controversial statements on gay families and IVF babies. Dolce and Gabbana are gay and were a former couple, so people were surprised of the unsupportive comment against gay families or modern ways of having children. Words used were a bit harsh: "synthetic babies," "rented uterus, semen chosen from a catalog," and

Comments can be disastrous. John Galliano is still remembered for his anti-Jewish comments in Paris, and still suffers from it today. He seems to have repented, but D&G seems to be firm about it.

I was watching CNN earlier and saw a short interview.

"Every people [has] freedom for choosing what they want. This for me is democracy. I respect you because you choose what you want. I respect me because I choose what I want... This just my point of private view,"

That is a valid point, methinks. And the Internet is angry. I learned about it from Courtney Love. She's going to burn some clothes. Elton John started a boycott campaign. He was offended, stating, "How dare you refer to my beautiful children as 'syntethic'."

Burger King Fragrance

We've encountered some interesting scents, but Burger King, for a limited time only, is among those right up there with their Whopper scent.

Yes, a fragrance in a nice glass bottle that would make you smell like a burger. Imagine the smell while passing by a Burger King in a mall, that nice beefy smell of cheesy grilled burger. Imagine it all over your body. The Whopper, nice and juicy, it will make you yummy.

Probably not.

Still, if you want to literally smell like a beefcake, it's only available in Japan for a limited time. Either you fly over there on April 1 or ask somebody you know. 

As weird as it is, I want it.

The Rise of the Smartwatch

The most anticipated wearable gadget of geekdom, the Apple Watch, is coming out soon. It will most likely big. With the success of the Pebble watch, being the most successful funding campaign in Kickstarter of all time, it is safe to say smartwatches will be big.

Slated  for an April 24 release date, people are curious. Surely, people  are reserving their watches. It comes in different specialized functions, prices and sizes, costing between USD 350 to USD 10,000, if you choose the ones with the 18K gold case.

We definitely can see its conveniences, like not going through your phone when you're in a hurry, and there will surely be apps to track our health and fitness. But would it be necessary.

I might pick  a smartwatch when the time comes that it is unavoidable, when the world deems it necessary to go through life with smartwatches. It is kind of scary. Maybe it's from watching too many sci-fi thrillers.

But do we need it now? Are watches doomed to be mere pretty accessories, obsolete and unimportant. And how will it affect watch makers around the world who have crafted fine time pieces for centuries? 

The Apple watch is still expensive, but so are luxury brand watches that does very little but tell time. If I get an Apple watch, I will probably wear it every day to maximize cost per wear; and if that happens, there's no turning back after starting that kind of lifestyle.

And is it going to be a good investment, to buy a watch that, like most gadgets, go outdated in a couple of years. Good quality watches stand the test of time, you could even pass it on to kids. Smartwatches will unlikely be that. Technology zooms in and out.

And why should you buy a smartphone with an 18K gold case that you would only use for a couple of years?

The Apple Watch, I want to like it, but I can't. I am curious too, but I have no intention to own it yet.

 Unless someone gifts me.