Even though I could hardly recall how the story of the first and second installments went, I barged in to the cinema to catch the third part of the Ice Age animated movie series. Dawn of the Dinosaurs may not be as groundbreaking as the earlier releases, but it sure is just as (if not even more) fun.

Synopsis from Rottentomatoes.com:
Manny, Sid, Diego, and Ellie are back in this third film in the computer-animated Ice Age series. With those creatures in starring roles, fans also get another dose of the vocal talents of Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, and Queen Latifah, who are joined by SHAUN OF THE DEAD’s Simon Pegg. In ICE AGE: DAWN OF THE DINOSAUR, Manny and Ellie are expecting their first baby, while Sid the sloth tries an unconventional way of starting a family that gets him into trouble. With all this talk of babies, Diego might be losing his saber-toothed edge, but a journey to save Sid may just turn the whole group into heroes. In addition to all that adventure, it wouldn’t be an Ice Age film if Scrat weren’t on a desperate hunt for an acorn, but he might get distracted by a shapely female squirrel.

Pluses.
* The stunning animation and special effects — even while not putting this film at par with front runners like Kung Fu Panda or the Pixar flicks — make it a real visual treat

* Loads of inconsequential yet outrageously hilarious scenes, especially those of squirrels Scrat and Scratte, and opossums Crash and Eddie

* Highlights positive themes of friendship, parenting, and manhood

Minuses.
* Story is light and flimsy, and the plot reaches a point where further character development is not possible

Overall Verdict. Highly enjoyable family film, recommended to kids and parents out for a good time — and to everyone who just needs a light and entertaining break.

While it's off-season for my TV regulars like Heroes and American Idol, these are the shows that keep me entertained.


Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares. A lot of management and business lessons can be learned from seeing Chef Gordon turn these troubled restaurants around, fusing remarkable interior redesigns and menu revamps with staff mindset changes.



Top Chef. This show makes my mouth water every time! My fascination with good food and dining is nurtured as I see the creative process of how a chef concocts their masterpieces.



The Big Bang Theory. A brilliant sitcom pitting together a group of uber-geeks with a bombshell blonde, resulting in hilarious banter.



It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Just about the nuttiest, most incredibly idiotic show I've seen — every episode never fails to crack me up

The MJ Fever is unstoppable, with everyone from A-list artists to dormant fans reawakening interest in the late king of pop. Here are the 5 best covers of Michael Jackson songs on the web for me.

(1) A bluesy live full-band version of Billie Jean, by rock musician Chris Cornell (also covered by David Cook on American Idol):


(2) Acoustic rendition of Human Nature, by British R&B star Craig David:


(3) Some wicked guitar playing on this cover of the Jackson 5's I Want You Back, by Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall:


(4) A stripped-down, easy listening cover of Man in the Mirror, by James Morrison:


(5) A moving rendition of I'll Be There (live at the BET 2009 Awards), in tribute to MJ's death, by Jamie Foxx and Ne-Yo:

I liked this last one a lot that I downloaded it to my iPod before YouTube took it down. Fortunately, DailyMotion has a copy too.

* I have successfully managed to jailbreak my iPod Touch, thanks to this guide. It works and looks a lot better this way, what with 5 columns on my Springboard launcher and other nice non-iTunes apps I've installed. Thus far, I love the twitter apps (not sure which one is best yet), YouTube client, and Remote — which controls my iTunes via wifi.

* It is now officially the second half of 2009. The first half of the year has been eventful and fun, but there's no doubt I could certainly push the envelope some more. Among other things, I need to get back into shape — have been remiss with my exercise regimen ever since I moved to the new place.

* You've got to try this: dulong in garlic and olive oil (available at Salcedo Market) served atop a steaming cup of rice. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water!

Outback Steakhouse is an old favorite, and one that I have many fond memories of. I figured there's no need for a lengthy review and description for this place — c'mon, who hasn't been to Outback?

Here are some shots of what I had for dinner there recently.


True.



Typhoon Bloom (P310) — Hand-cut fresh onion strings dusted with Outback seasonings, stackedand fried to a crisp crunch. With mayonnaise horseradish sauce.



9 oz Angus Prime Rib (P1450). Was a tad disappointed with the rubbery texture; the beef didn't taste as fresh and juicy. Not bad overall, but nothing spectacular either.



Chocolate Thunder from Down Under (P310) — the highlight of the night! Glad we heeded the coaster's advice and left room for dessert.

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* Lately, my back has been giving me quite a hard time. This article has helped shed light on how posture during sleeping, working, and driving is directly related to back pain.

* As I've joined the quirky ranks of folks who take pictures of the food in restos before eating, I can very well relate to what this article says — Put Away the Darn Camera: How to politely photograph restaurant food.

* Cash-strapped? Chances are, you've been lazy with your money. Here are All The Ways Your Laziness Is Costing You. Right off the bat, I can tell that I flunk on these ways: Not Taking Advantage of Corporate Wellness Incentives, and Not Bothering to Negotiate a Better Deal.

* For everyone who, like me, has erratic sleep cycles, read this article as it may help you identify the sleep arrangement that works for you.

* I have yet to successfully jailbreak my iPod Touch, but this guide should come in handy when I try to do so soon.

* As with last week, I had a really packed Saturday today. Happy to be making the most of the weekend.

* Started the day at my favorite weekend hangout — Salcedo Market. Like a kid in a candy store, I prowled around the place and looted all the spoil I can carry. I got so much stuff that I had to take two trips to the car.

* After unloading my Salcedo goodies at home and enjoying my lunch of fish in creamed truffle oil sauce, I caught up with the continuing news coverage of Michael Jackson's death on CNN, Twitter, and TMZ.

* I have never been a huge, screaming fan of his, but somehow something about his sudden death bothers and saddens me. Guess it's because I grew up listening to his music, and somehow his musical genius inspires everybody. Some of my favorites: Man in the Mirror, Gone Too Soon, Smooth Criminal, I Just Can't Stop Loving You, Billie Jean, Human Nature, She's Out of My Life.

* Spent the early afternoon in another parallel wonderland: Pet Village at Tiendesitas, where I got doggie biscuits and a nifty little jersey shirt for Nash. Mush as I enjoyed shopping for my canine buddy, I also loved exploring the prospect of getting another pet. The Golden Retrievers, tri-color beagles, and a cute blue Persian-Himalayan kitten really caught my eye.

* A soothing spa massage and doing my weekly groceries round up the rest of my afternoon, before heading to Manila for my nephew's birthday dinner — Nash in tow. What a busy day (in a sad and good way).

Before hitting the theaters to watch Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, I reviewed the original film at home c/o my home theater. I can't recall portions of how the first movie went when I caught it in Sydney after the Hillsong Conference 2007, and it felt like watching it for the first time all over. And while watching it clocked in just a little under 2.5 hrs, I'm glad I was able to do so before seeing the sequel.

Synopsis from IMDB: The battle for Earth has ended but the battle for the universe has just begun. After returning to Cybertron, Starscream assumes command of the Decepticons, and has decided to return to Earth with force. The Autobots believing that peace was possible finds out that Megatron's dead body has been stolen from the US Military by Skorpinox and revives him using his own spark. Now Megatron is back seeking revenge and with Starscream and more Decepticon reinforcements on the way, the Autobots with reinforcements of their own, may have more to deal with then meets the eye.

Pluses:
* Non-stop bombastic explosions, pulse-pounding chase scenes, and clash of the titans-type action

* Movie doesn't take itself too seriously — crude but acceptably funny scenes all over

* Devastator, my all-time favorite Transformer (a super-robot formed by combining the Constructicons), is in the movie, albeit remotely resembling the cartoon incarnation. I prefer the original, but his props to the filmmakers for including him!

* Optimus Prime 2.0 is so cool!

* Megan Fox


Minuses:
* Like the first film, I felt that it was too long. An hour and a half would have sufficed, in my opinion

* The Fallen is such a loser.. what a wimpy boss! Even Skeletor can put him to shame

* Story, dialogue, and characters are not exactly something to write home about


Overall Verdict: A must-see for action-lovers and all those who grew up enjoying the cartoon series. This would make an awesome home theater show-off piece.

It would be soooo cool if I had the moolah to blow on this!




This is how the journey looks:

Took out my DSLR and snapped a few pics of Nash in his new puppy 'do


Nash and Sharky — "always better when we're together"



"Look up, young dog, look up."



What an irresistibly cute pup