NCIS vs NCIS Los Angeles

Watching NCIS Los Angeles now after watching latest episode of NCIS (the one where they bring back Mike Franks from Mexico).

My question is, and I hope somebody out there can answer it, is even if they belong to the same government agency, why do they seem to be operating on different budgets? NCIS LA seems more techy, slick and obviously more well-funded compared to its DC counterpart. NCIS LA seems to be teeming with people in their underground office while at NCIS we only see the same set of people.

NCIS LA seems to be more field work oriented and more action packed.

I probably need to re-watch the Legends episode when the introduced NCIS LA in NCIS. I know I remember there being a quip from McGee to Gibbs about how come LA had more cooler tech stuff so maybe it was answered there.

Yes, I know it’s a TV show and most of it is fictional. But it would be great to find some answers.

Raising the Bar Season 2

Okay. Another 10 hours of my life lost to watching Rasing the Bar Season 2.

Photo from TNT.tv website.

The series in danger to becoming sappy, especially with Jerry Kellerman’s crusading ways. But so far, it has held up well as a go-to TV show to watch when there’s nothing better.

Season 2 didn’t resolve anything between Richard and Roz, which for me, and for other people watching the show, seems to be the highlight. The Jerry-Bobbi angle is a been there, done that thing. And after they have now hooked up, will they get into fights? They’re sweet, but I don’t really care about them except maybe think about how attractive they are as a couple.

But I’d like to see more of Richard and Roz and how their relationship will hopefully progress.

I’d also like to see if Charlie will get a proper boyfriend and if Judge Kessler would find herself a man she remotely likes.

The legal issues are interesting but not compelling. It seems like it’s one indigent after another being picked on by the district attorney (portrayed as unreasonable) and the police (portrayed as ruthless). Message to scriptwriters, it needs more oommphh.

I don’t know if I’m going to follow the show’s Season 3. Like the case of True Blood, I watched the first season just because I’m OCD that way (meaning I won’t drop something unless it’s really, really unwatchable), but decided not to watch the second, as it didn’t really excite me the way that my staple TV shows have.

Remains to be seen.

Manny Pacquiao on Jimmy Kimmel

It was funny to watch Manny Pacquiao on Jimmy Kimmel Live. And no, I couldn’t watch Part 3 where he sang. It would have driven me up the wall.

Waiting for 500 Days of Summer

I seriously cannot wait to watch 500 Days of Summer. And I want to watch it in the cinema and not on DVD.

Because it stars cool actors who are just on the brink of stardom and would probably become more popular after this movie. Mostly coz of the scene where Summer talks to the Guy when she hears him listen to The Smith’s “There is a light that never goes out.”

Take me out tonight
Where there’s music and there’s people
And they’re young and alive
Driving in your car
I never never want to go home
Because I haven’t got one
Anymore

Take me out tonight
Because I want to see people and I
Want to see life
Driving in your car
Oh, please don’t drop me home
Because it’s not my home, it’s their
Home, and I’m welcome no more

And if a double-decker bus
Crashes into us
To die by your side
Is such a heavenly way to die
And if a ten-ton truck
Kills the both of us
To die by your side
Well, the pleasure – the privilege is mine

Take me out tonight
Take me anywhere, I don’t care
I don’t care, I don’t care
And in the darkened underpass
I thought Oh God, my chance has come at last
(But then a strange fear gripped me and I
Just couldn’t ask)

Take me out tonight
Oh, take me anywhere, I don’t care
I don’t care, I don’t care
Driving in your car
I never never want to go home
Because I haven’t got one, da …
Oh, I haven’t got one

And if a double-decker bus
Crashes into us
To die by your side
Is such a heavenly way to die
And if a ten-ton truck
Kills the both of us
To die by your side
Well, the pleasure – the privilege is mine

Oh, There Is A Light And It Never Goes Out
There Is A Light And It Never Goes Out
There Is A Light And It Never Goes Out
There Is A Light And It Never Goes Out
There Is A Light And It Never Goes Out
There Is A Light And It Never Goes Out
There Is A Light And It Never Goes Out
There Is A Light And It Never Goes Out
There Is A Light And It Never Goes Out

I super love this song and can play it over and over again. And I love it despite the suicidal you and me against the world message. Hihi.

 

Raising the Bar Season 1

Just finished 10 episodes of TNT’s Raising the Bar Season 1 (and yes, I am fully well aware that that’s 10 hours of my life).

Do I like it? I don’t hate it. It’s a decent enough legal drama. It’s not as groundbreaking as Ally McBeal was, as quirky as Boston Legal, as full on as The Practice.

The relationships among the lawyers are interesting because, as far as the first season goes, everyone seems to be consistent personality-wise.

It’s not totally addictive, but it’s something that you won’t mind watching if you feel like just kicking back and relaxing.

The main lead, Jerry Kellerman (Mark Paul-Goselaar) is charming enough. So is Richard Patrick Woolsley (Teddy Sears).

After hours of staring at Kellerman’s face on screen, finally figured out that he’s the guy from Saved by the Bell. Haha.

Should you watch it? Do if you’re into legal dramas. Do if you aren’t looking for something extremely meaty. Do if you have free time and have nothing better to do. Otherwise, stick to the more popular fare.

Star-studded Noynoy MTV

This new Noynoy Aquino star-studded MTV has created quit a stir in the blogosphere. Some of the comments range from the purely superficial point of view, such as on the outfits worn in the video, hairstyles, size of Noynoy’s gut, to the celebrities in the video, to the more serious message it wants to send across to potential voters.

Watched the video twice.

I think it works as an initial introduction. On the superficial level, it makes people who otherwise wouldn’t watch a political video actually watch it if they are fans of any one of the stars who are endorsing the candidate.

Admittedly, most people nowadays have short attention spans. Unless they’re in the mood for protracted political discussions, which most people are not, then this video is successful in using star power to draw attention to the candidate.

The next question would be, is it the kind of attention that the candidate wants? In my opinion, at this point, any kind of attention that could eventually lead to intelligent discussion of issues is a good step in the right direction.

Should a lot be read into this particular video? I think it should just be taken as it is. It’s an MTV-style video that showcases the celebrities hand in hand with the candidate they have chosen to endorse.

I’m quite impressed with the celebrities that they have managed to pull together for this. Wouldn’t be surprised if this becomes the envy of other candidates, who will most probably remark bad things about it in public but secretly wish that they had actually been able to do the same.

One has to put in context that the celebrity has always been a big, integral part to campaigns in the Philippines. And the celebrity draw is still very essential in running a campaign that is talked about and therefore in the public eye. I’m not saying this is necessarily a good thing. But this is how things have worked.

Now my next desire is to see YouTube videos of Noynoy talking policy and governance. Haven’t actually had the time to look it up, there may be some floating around. If there aren’t any, I hope they will come out with some soon.

Will also make time to watch videos of other candidates.

Divoom Itour 10 speaker

I purposely wandered into a Mac reseller today intending to look for earphones since my earphones for the iPod classic which I have already had for over a year are looking and feeling a bit worse for wear.

After I settled on a Sennheiser earphones (more on that later on, haven’t had the chance to try them out, although, to my dismay, they seemed a little large for my ears after we opened the package ), the store clerk asked me if I wanted to try out the small portable speaker pictured above.

I have actually been wanting to buy one of these. The one I have is a bit outdated, needing to be plugged in and with the sound a bit tin-ny and faint. So I tried it out and fell in love. It’s small and portable, it’s weird looking, it’s loud and best of all, it was cheap. It also does not require batteries or electricity. It only needs to be charged on a computer. It also comes with other plugs for connecting to mobile phones! How cool is that? A good thing too coz I was thinking of getting an iPod speaker but couldn’t really justify paying more than $100 for it.

So I’m now happily playing quite loud music while washing dishes, tidying up, etc.

Grey’s Anatomy Season 6

I didn’t even finish the last half of Season 5 because the series just ran out of steam for me.

Decided to give Season 6 a try. Watching episodes 1-4. Not liking it so far. Let me qualify that. Not liking it so far compared to the first few seasons.

It still has its moments. One example is the scene when Alex talks to Izzy about not being about to live without her. That was pretty cheesily good. But the other mini plot lines are just weird or so so.

Has the series lost its touch? I rather think so. Unless somewhere along the way this season, it manages to lift itself up again.

Haterz

I have haterz. I haven’t had any in a while. All I can say is, eat your heart out. And get your own blog. Oh, and while you’re at it, get a life.

Sunshine Cleaning the movie

Of the new actresses in Hollywood, and by new, I mean those who made it big give or take in the last five years, there are two who I especially like: Amy Adams and Emily Blunt.

Amy Adams’s movies are usually crowd pleasers. I first watched her in that movie with Patrick Dempsey in San Antonio, Texas, of all places. My cousin and aunt and I went to the theater during the holidays to watch “Enchanted.”

I can’t wait to watch “Julie and Julia.” I’ve read the book and the only reason why I read it was because the movie had Amy Adams and Meryl Streep in it. OK, I read it for the food part to but I think it could have been better written.

I’ve seen her in “Night at the Museum 2,” “Doubt,” and “Mrs. Pettigrew Lives for a Day” and loved her in all of these movies.

And I watched Emily Blunt first in “Devil Wears Prada” and recently even put up with the very boring “The Young Victoria.”

Checking out their film creds, just realized that both are in “Charlie Wilson’s War,” which I haven’t seen. Maybe I’ll look for that movie.

I have not seen all of these actresses movies. I just think that both are refreshing and are not Hollywood in the strictest sense.

So I picked up “Sunshine Cleaning” because both were in it and it said something on the blurb that it was from the producers of “Little Miss Sunshine,” which I found enormously entertaining.

The second “Sunshine” movie is worth watching. It’s pretty good in terms of the script and plot and character development. It doesn’t give you a clear-cut answer to its issues, but doesn’t make you feel depressed after, which is what I majorly hate about haute art films (cause I watch movies to learn and most of the time to feel better and not feel depressed unless I’m in the mood but that’s just me).

The premise is unusual too. CSI clean-up, of all things.

The only problem is, it’s too tied up to “Little Miss.” There’s “Sunshine” in both film titles. There’s a cute, weird kid. There’s the weird grandpa played by same actor, Alan Arkin. There’s even the old, big vehicle that’s part of the plot (not the VW van this time, but an old van with a radio). Too much sunshine in my eyes, me thinks.

But since I like the two actresses, the movie was worth the watch for me. Have you seen said movie and what are your thoughts?