Dyspnea: The Last Airbender

I can’t wait for the live action – film adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender to be released into the big screen. I was so addicted to the animated production from the start (I was in college, back then) until it aired its series finale around a year ago. Many would think that the show is for kids (yeah, I admit, it was not targeted for my age group), but then who are you to judge the child in me? Right? (*lol)

In a nutshell, Avatar: The Last Airbender chronicles the story of a young boy destined to bring back balance into a world ravaged by greed and war. The main character, Aang, together with his friends must save the world by defeating the Fire Lord thereby ending the destructive war brought about by the fire nation. I no longer want to post details in here and not pre-empt the story for those who are interested to watch or discover why many people are going gaga over it. (For those who prefer to know the story in advance, there’s always Google).

It’s a long wait for the film is due for release on July 2010. Nonetheless, it gives me more time to re-watch the entire Book 1 of the animated series. So it’s just apt for you to follow suit. The DVD copies of the entire series are all out in the market so grab a copy.

The Last Airbender, is the first film in the planned The Last Airbender Trilogy (guys, support it so that production won’t be shelved after the first installement). The film is adapted, directed, and produced by M. Night Shyamalan (director of The Sixth Sense, Signs, and Lady in the Water) and will feature new-comer Noah Ringer as Aang, Nicola Peltz as Katara, Jackson Rathborne as Sokka and Dev Patel (of Slumdog Millionaire fame) as Prince Zuko.

I am pleased to note that James Newton Howard (The Dark Knight, The Sixth Sense, Treasure Planet) will join the production team as Musical Scorer/Composer (?). This is no longer a surprise for me as Newton-Howard has previously worked with Shyamalan before with The Sixth Sense and The Village. Another great news is that Judianna Makovsky will join the team as Costume Designer. She was also the costume designer for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (my personal fave among the series) and Xmen: The Last Stand, to name a few.

Truly, I just cannot wait for my eyes to feast on the visual imagery of M. Night Shyamalan. I hope he does not disappoint me this time. For now, I leave you with the teaser trailer. It might not be much but you have to admit, it does tickle your interest.

You might want to check out these other sites for more information:

Official Website
The Last Airbender at IMDB
Avatar Wiki Article
Official Nickelodeon Site

Post Nasal Drip: LP Rocks Transformers 2

Linkin Park heralds the soundtrack of this season's expected megahit - Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. The newest single NEW DIVIDE, released just yesterday is currently creating waves of both positive and negative responses from fans and critics alike. Admittedly, it is their first song put out in quite a while after releasing Minutes to Midnight more than two years ago. While it is not exactly a clone/copy of their prior hits, it has a dynamic new sound to it but not totally dilineating from the sound that makes them Linkin Park. I really like how it catches on me and how Chester Bennington has evolved into a more seasoned and mature singer than before. The entire band has completely grown and I can't wait to get my hands on the Transformers soundtrack after hearing this song.

You can download New Divide exclusively via iTunes here.





other links:
Review by www.newreviews.net
Lyrics from Mike Shinoda's blog
Official Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen site

A Mid-year Resolution

Today, I made a resolution. I need to be a little more serious about finding a new job. Not that I really need a new one but I feel that it’s about time for me to move on to the next level. I am hoping and praying that I can find a job abroad but in the meantime I have to settle for just being here in the Philippines.

Honestly, I need a higher paying job so that I can pay my dues and fees for all of my application requirements for a job abroad. That’s just it. Other than that, I really don’t have reasons to leave my current job. Truth is, I love my job. I love what I do. It’s just that working with auditing and consulting firms are not financially rewarding. Ask my fellow CPAs who toil with auditing firms and they will surely back me up.

But in terms of experience, auditing firms are a treasure trove. Most people in the “accounting and auditing” world that I look up to would always suggest that, as new CPAs, we should start our careers with an auditing firm. The pay may not that be much but the experience and the learning we will gain is just priceless. They would say that just persevere for the next 3 years and from there watch your market value soar up.

I am trying to “persevere,” as they call it but is seems my cup can never be full. I want to become lots of things which is quite dangerous at my age – it would simply mean I still do not know where I am heading to. That’s a shocker, right? Me, the ever career oriented person, LOST!?!

But then again, some things in life change. As we travel and live our lives, we learn that we want things to happen. We regret some decisions we made and hope we can change whatever mistakes we did in the past. Some might even shrug off their shoulders and continue to live the same lives they chose before. It may not be the right thing to do but, perhaps, it’s totally late to change everything. I believe it is never too late to change. It is never too late to take a detour or a U-turn and head towards another direction.

So how do we know that we need to shift gears and change lanes? We think about it. We weigh the pros and the cons. We compare the benefits against the possible consequences. Most of all, We PRAY about it. We do not simply keep our fingers cross and leave everything to chance because that is a dire act of sheer stupidity. The key is discern and pray.

So far, I have made little progress about that resolution. I still have, yet again, to revise my resume (or cv/curriculum vitae) and update all my contact information. The fact that I languidly sit on all of these does not help, not a single bit.

I am going into my 3rd year this November 26th. That’s roughly 5 months from now. And the pressure for me finding a better (in a complete picture) job is mounting.

And about that “market value surge” thing – that I yet have to see or feel.

Nonetheless, life must go on.