When the Lightning Thief Strikes

G.I Joe was one of the disappointing movies I have the misfortune of watching (I wouldn't discuss any further because if you have seen it, you wouldn't disagree). So anyway, the trailers were really good, and Percy Jackson and the Olympians; The Lightning Thief stirred something I thought I would never feel again; anticipation. I have been a fan of the Gods and Greek Mythology since highschool .

The Books:












I thought I would never be excited after meeting Harry Potter. Like Potter fans, I have been searching for a new book that would bring humor, twists, and cliffhangers. Bartimaeus Trilogy, Twilight, Eragon, Spiderwick, and Chronicles of Narnia have all disappointed me, and then I met Rick Riordan. He was the author of Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series, and I gotta tell you, the spark inside me has awakened after getting through the first three chapters of The Lightning Strike (the first book of five). I simply love the humor, narrative, and the adventure. Though I wouldn't say it topped the Potter franchise, I was nevertheless delighted of reading the series. Pure entertainment.

The Movie:It will be shown in February 2010, and I am sure it will be awesome because reading the book would make you instinctively visualize the movie version.

The book was written to be a movie. It's packed with adventure, monsters, and gods, all goodies. On the other hand, I hate all the Potter films, for they ruined the masterpiece.

My New Idols:












During the Hercules movie back in the 90's, I have aspired to be Zeus's son (if given a chance), because mainly of power, popularity, and the wicked site in Mt. Olympus. After reading the Olympians Series, I first want to be like Percy Jackson (son of Poseidon) because of the water tricks, the horse thing, and the trident stuff. But then, I realized Hades was even a wicked figure. Sure, he was the bad guy, but upon meeting Nico(Hades's son) and his powers, I have chosen Hades's as my Daddy.

My New Symbols of Power:

Zeus had the Bolt of Lightning, Poseidon has the Trident, and Hades's has the Helm, which is wicked stuff because it can make the wearer invisible, pass through walls, and other stuff for domination, secrecy, and power.

6 Types of Love and Why You Shouldn't Pick One

It's Valentine's Day. Predictably, restaurants and cheap motels will be SO packed that a more breathable option would be watching a date flick at home (think The Notebook or Texas Chainsaw Massacre). Boring to some, but the unlimited privacy gives lovers an opportunity to spend quality time together. And speaking of togetherness, did you know there are 6 types of Love? (source: Wikipedia) 

A. Eros
– a passionate physical and emotional love based on aesthetic enjoyment; stereotype of romantic love.

It is a highly sensual style of love. Erotic lovers choose their lovers by intuition or "chemistry." They are more likely to say they fell in love at first sight than those of other love styles.

Erotic lovers view marriage as an extended honeymoon, and sex as the ultimate aesthetic experience. They tend to address their lovers with pet names, such as "sweetheart" or "honey". An erotic lover can be perceived as a hopeless romantic. Those of other love styles may see erotic lovers as unrealistic, or trapped in a fantasy.

The advantage of erotic love is the sentimentality of it. It is very relaxing to the person doing it. The disadvantage is the inevitableness of the decay in attraction, and the danger of living in a fantasy world. In its extreme, eros can resemble naivete.



B. Ludus 

– a love that is played as a game or sport; conquest.

Ludic lovers are players. More interested in quantity than quality of relationships, ludic lovers want to have as much fun as possible. Ludic lovers choose their partners by playing the field, and quickly recover from break-ups.

Ludic lovers tend to view marriage as a trap, and are the most likely of the love styles to commit infidelity. They might view children as a sign of fertility of the parent or of the masculinity of the father. They regard sex as a conquest or a sport, and they engage in relationships because they see them as a challenge.

The disadvantage of this love style is the likelihood of infidelity. In its extreme form, ludic love becomes promiscuity.

C. Storge 

 
– an affectionate love that slowly develops from friendship, based on similarity.

Storgic lovers are friends first. Storgic love develops gradually out of friendship, and the friendship can endure beyond the breakup of the relationship. 

Storgic lovers place much importance on commitment, and find their motivation to avoid committing infidelity is to preserve the trust between the partners. Children and marriage are seen as legitimate forms of their bond. Sex is of lesser importance than in some of the other love styles.

Storgic lovers choose their mates based on homogamy, and sometimes cannot pinpoint the moment that friendship turned to love. Storgic lovers want their significant others to also be their best friends.

The advantage of storgic love is the level of intimacy between the partners. The disadvantage is the lack of passion.

D. Pragma

– love that is driven by the head, not the heart; undemonstrative.

Pragmatic lovers are practical. Pragmatic lovers think rationally and realistically about their expectations in a partner, and select them via comparison shopping or shopping-list love. 

Pragmatic lovers want to find value in their partners, and ultimately want to work with their partner to reach a common goal. Pragmatic lovers will avoid infidelity to avoid adverse consequences, and carefully weigh the costs and rewards of a relationship. Pragmatic lovers view sex as a reward or a means of procreation, and view marriage and children as potential liabilities and assets.

The advantage of pragmatic love is practicality and realism. The disadvantage is un-demonstrativeness and lack of emotion. In its extreme form, pragma can become prostitution.

E. Mania

 
– highly volatile love; obsession; fueled by low self-esteem.

Manic lovers often have low self-esteem, and place much importance on their relationship. Manic lovers speak of their partners in possessives and superlatives, and feel they "need" their partners. Love is a means of rescue, or a reinforcement of value.

Manic lovers often discover their partners by haphazard means. Manic lovers will avoid committing infidelity if they fear discovery. They view marriage as ownership, and children as either competition or a substitute for their lover. Sex is a reassurance of love.

Manic lovers are often anxious or insecure, and can be extremely jealous. Manic lovers respond well to therapy, and often grow out of this style. The advantage of manic love is intensity.

The disadvantages include jealousy, obsessiveness, and insatiability. In its extreme, mania becomes addiction or codependency.

F. Agape 

– selfless altruistic love; spiritual; motherly love. Agapic love is self-sacrificing, all-encompassing love. 

Agapic lovers are often spiritual or religious people. Agapic lovers view their partners as blessings, and wish to take care of them.

Agapic lovers will remain faithful to their partners to avoid causing them pain, and will often wait patiently for their partners after a break-up.

Marriage and children are sacred trusts, and sex is a gift between two people. Agapic love believes itself to be unconditional, though lovers taking an agapic stance to relationships risk suffering from inattention to their own needs.

The advantage of agapic love is its generosity. A disadvantage is that it can induce feelings of guilt or incompetence in a partner. In its deviant form, agape becomes martyrdom.

Personally, I'd go for Storge first then gradually develop to Eros and ultimately Agape. If only Mania isn't so attractive. #rawr

Picked one yet?

Amazing Naruto Cosplays

One of the most rewarding moments for mangga artist, aside from their creations animated, is when people emulate their comic characters. Through Cosplays, anime' fans gather together to enjoy each interpretation, and as a tribute, I have collected pictures of people across the globe into one jam-packed cosplay blog post, well actually, I have to split it into two parts because its too many. Part I is for the primary characters in the beginnings of Naruto.

Uzumaki Naruto:
 













Haruno Sakura:
 














Uchiha Sasuke:















Nara Shikamaru:















Yamanaka Ino
 














Akimiki Choji:
 













Inuzuka Kiba:















Aburame Shino:















Hyuga Hinata:
 












Rock Lee:
 












Tenten:














Hyuga Neji:















Gaara:














Temari:















Kankuro:















Ninja Academy Teachers:

Kakashi:














Kurenai:















Asuma:















Legendary Sannin:

Orochimaru:














Tsunade:
 












Jiraiya:
 












My Shinobi Version: Shino Aburame

Why Shino?
First liked him in the Chuunim exam, where this fascinating bug technique suck the life outta Zabuza. He was silent and never shows-off, but cross him and you will never see the light of day again (thanks to Kikai Bugs)...