Rom's List of Moviegoers' Delight

Spectacular. That's the first word that came to my mind when I saw the list of upcoming movies for 2007. Never mind that most of them are "threequels" (Pirates of the Carribean: At World's End, Spiderman 3, Shrek 3, The Bourne Ultimatum, Rush Hour 3, Ocean's Thirteen), they are BIG movies nonetheless.

I compiled a list of what I think are the biggest movies of the year. My list is not extensive and some may not perform as expected in the box office. There are also others not in the list that feature notable Hollywood stars and/or soaring budgets.

Here's my movie list:

1. Spiderman 3
2. Shrek 3
3. Pirates of the Carribean: At World's End
4. Ocean's Thirteen
5. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
6. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
7. The Bourne Ultimatum
8. Rush Hour 3
9. National Treasure 2: The Book of Secrets
10. Evan Almighty

 

Kobe Bryant is the Best Player in the NBA

PERIOD.

 

Hummel International Student Scholarship

I was informed through email yesterday (Tuesday) that I am one of the two recipients of the Laurel Hummel International Student Scholarship at UCLA Extension for the Spring Term '07. The announcement came as a pleasant surprise and I decided that the subject merits a space in my blog.

The Laurel Hummel Scholarship for International Students was established as a tribute by the Hummel family to Laurel Hummel, who founded the first International Student Office and certificate program for international students at UCLA Extension back in the 1970s. The purpose of the award is "to foster multicultural perspectives in the classroom that reflect today's global society." It acknowledges students who have "demonstrated academic achievement, interpersonal communication skills, or unique abilities that advance multicultural perspectives in the classroom through their coursework..."

Applicants are required to have completed at least one full term while maintaining a minimum GPA, submit two recommendation letters, and sit for an impromptu essay together with other applicants.

I decided to give it a try. I was aware of the high-quality of international students applying and the diversity of backgrounds that each of us came from. But I also thought that I have something to contribute to those "multicultural perspectives" through my background and experiences. In fact, I, and all other applicants, may already be doing so through day-to-day activities, conversations, etc. It's just a matter of being conscious about it and expressing how that awareness influences one's ideas, thinking, and lifestyle.

My recommendation letters were written by Dr. Alex Azmi, my instructor in Information Technology Management 1, and Dr. Jack Yu, my AWANA Director. Their recommendations were an enormous help and I very much appreciate their kindness. The essay writing was held last March 1.

Having received a full scholarship in DLSU and, this time, the Hummel award in UCLA Ext., I am a grateful beneficiary of others' generosity and noble interests. I'd like to do my part and contribute my share to these kinds of deeds more directly in the future - when I have enough capacity to do so, fully able to support myself and fulfill my commitments. In the meantime, I am still a work in progress.

Also, I'd like to meet Laurel Hummel's husband, William, who established the scholarship. I may get the chance come Spring time.

 

Defective Book Update

Regarding my previous blog about the defective used book I bought through Amazon, I was able to get half of the payment refunded by the seller. I initially contacted Microsoft Press through email but I didn't hear a single word from them. Then, I sent an email to the seller, who, through its General Manager, offered either to refund half of my payment if I decide to use the book, or return the full payment if I send the book back.

I chose the first option since the book was missing only a single chapter out of twenty-eight. The missing chapter (Chapter 10) is about "Using Arrays and Collections" in Microsoft Visual C# 2005.

 

Just Nitpicking on Wikipedia

Forgive me. I just happened to notice this in my boredom. At the same time, I thought blogging would be a welcome break from the E-Commerce report that I'm preparing. I'd also be reporting this to Wikipedia.

 

I Bought a Defective Used Book Through Amazon

I bought a used book about Microsoft C# through Amazon just so I could self-study the language and .NET. The book, "Microsoft Visual C# 2005 Step by Step" by John Sharp, turned out to be defective - pages 165 to 196 are missing but pages 197 to 228 were printed twice. This is irritating because the seller never said that the book had this kind of defect. (The seller is not Amazon. I bought the book through the Amazon website's facility that allows users to buy books from other people or businesses).

I sent an email to Microsoft Press hoping to have the book replaced. If not, I'll try to have the book returned to the seller. Meanwhile, it sucks to know that the best (or worst, depending on your perspective) thing I could do right now is just give the seller a bad review.

 

The Audacity of Hope

I just finished reading "The Audacity of Hope" by Barack Obama. In this book, he articulated his policy ideas, and reflections and thoughts on the government, faith, race, the world, and family. It is the second book written by the Illinois Senator. I read "Dreams from my Father", a personal memoir and his only other book, right before that.

As an outsider looking in, and by my current impression of all the presidential candidates, I hope America votes Obama as her next president. That would mean a significant upgrade in intellect and charm from the current one.

Having read about his books, browsed through his campaign website, and watched some of his speeches, I do not understand the attacks on him, mostly by right-wing neo-conservatives: the GOP website about Obama being "an inexperienced, insulated, arrogant, unabashed liberal";Bill O'Reilly on Obama's inexperience in foreign policy; Sean Hannity and his conservative columnist guest comparing Obama's Christian Church to a cult; and Fox News reporting that Obama went to a Muslim Madrasa - implying terrorist connections and accusing Hillary Clinton of being the one to pull up the said claims. The last one is impressive in terms of word play - Madrasa simply means "school" in Arabic but it was used in such a way as to connote terrorism.

And that's my view as a poorly-informed and uninvolved outsider in America.

Here's a NY Times article about Obama, taken from his campaign website: http://www.barackobama.com/2007/03/06/obama_man_of_the_world.php

 

CA DMV Written Exam

I took the DMV written test this morning. It is a 36-item multiple choice exam about California traffic laws, road signs, and driving safety rules. Original applicants are allowed a maximum of 6 mistakes in order to pass.

Thankfully, I made the cut - else I would have to go through reading the handbook again and waiting in line at the office. Anyway, I had only 1 mistake and that's a big improvement from the 11 mistakes on my first try. (Believe it or not, my first try was way back on May 10, 2006).

I don't have a California Driver License yet, though. The next and final step is to pass an actual driving test where I will be evaluated by a DMV official while driving.

As I was waiting in line, I momentarily thought about the Driver License applications in the Philippines. Without considering the long wait lines in (very) warm government offices (at least in my experience), I thought that getting a license in the Phils is easier and less stringent. But considering the logistics, California DMV-type applications are impractical. Apples and oranges. Just a thought.

Finally, last night was one of the few times when I didn't particularly enjoy my reading. It was about rules, regulations, signs, safety advices, do's and don't's, etc. There were also pictures like these (taken from the CA DMV website):