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wondering Y http://www.livebite.com is piggybacking on my postings? http://ow.ly/5YVye

Yes, I wonder why livebite.com has to piggyback on my postings when it seemingly can afford to do the work by itself. Or I must be wrong with something in here. Of course, writing about that site would help in generating hits & views to their pages, and that’s the nature of running and growing online businesses. Well, I look forward to the day when livebite.com would stop doing this as this creates ill will – I can only wish the worst for them, mind you. I can imagine the site’s also doing this to other guys who are working to promote their online works to the many viewers and readers in the internet.  Can somebody help what to do next? I’ve written them but they have yet to reply.

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Stapleton, Staten Island http://ow.ly/5VHQt

This is the neighborhood where I currently live & I’m happy of being in Staten Island! We’re closer to the St. George Ferry Terminal, which allows us 45 minutes commuting time to downtown Manhattan. This neighborhood has lots of businesses that are run by the owners themselves; most of the owners live in the same neighborhood. It’s got fascinating character, history, lots of people of different races, and a cool mix of the suburb and the city found in its old streets.

Travel time spent on commuting can be a challenge for some; you can take the train, the bus or take a walk to the ferry terminal. Or you can take the express buses to Manhattan, which is costlier. Or you can drive your car and pay extra for having such. But no matter what your choice in doing your daily travels, the time you spent on coming back home after a day’s work can be worth it; the community is progressive and a pleasant place to live in (depending on your personal requirements).

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‘A Soft Place to Land’ by Susan Rebecca White http://ow.ly/5Q2I8

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‘Muli’ as a moving-on indie film http://ow.ly/5Ldnd

Notes to the links above:

My main review’s found in the original write-up, which I’ve posted in my blogger.com page. What’s extra fascinating with this indie film‘s really more of the observation that it’s an in-your-face-film, which you either like or dislike (with no option to remain in the middleground) it as you partake of its moving images on screen. And you’d only wish the characters shown in this film were given longer treatment so your curiosity as to how their lives on screen would proceed. For example, would you be seeing the film director becoming famous eventually? Would you be seeing each of the actors in the film-within-the-film gain fame in the movie industry and move on to other artistic endeavors? But no, nothing like this will actually happen as this film’s all about how quick-indie-films-are-being-made so they’ll be shown soon and hopefully be appreciated by finicky, hard-to-please, pleasure-seeker viewers whose judgment will serve as the main source of motivation for filmmakers/producers to keep on churning out indie films. In so many words, it’s a fictionalized version of mini-stories of what normally happens in the movie-dom. Well, probably the feedback has been great, which would have included more moolah that would enable the artists to make more movies that are close to what their hearts want and what the audience secretly wants.

Let’s just hope for the best outcomes to happen for all these quirky, fascinating Filipino gay indie films (plus other regular ones) to grow and become staple fare to meet entertainment and creative needs of all those involved in their making.

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my book review on Jonathan Franzen‘s ‘The Corrections‘ http://ow.ly/5IgON

Notes on the link:

The review is originally in my Goodreads account, where I also lodge most of my book reviews.  It took me sometime to start finally reading Jonathan Franzen’s ‘The Corrections’ because its thickness somewhat intimidated me. But once I started reading it, I finished it in less than a month, which is unusual as I tend to read many books at the same time (though I don’t really tell myself to finish reading them all together soon).  I’d always go back to it after doing my other activities as well as in being done reading some pages of the other books I’ve got.  I was most entertained by Franzen’s book and this is not the first material of his that I’ve read (I’ve read his articles at the New Yorker as well as those materials found online).

‘The Corrections’ is guaranteed to give foreign-born readers (i.e., those whose languages include English, among others) like myself with more level of illuminated awareness (I like to believe there is such a thing, OK?) on what makes the USA succeed,  particularly the members of its egalitarian society, and which society is being threatened with upheavals mainly by outside forces. After reading it, I got confirmations on a number on doubts I’ve got about my friends who were born and raised in the Midwest and who have since then moved and lived their lives here in NYC (where I’ve lived for over 5 years as of this writing).

The way the book’s over-all tone was written has been almost sounded panicky and hysterical (although of the subdued kind mostly), which I sensed practically althroughout its pages. It’s been primarily because of the numerous run-on sentences that are all found in its many pages. It’s also guaranteed to bring out loud laughter from scrutinizing its narratives that read like a long  winding farce. I had a good time reading about the minute details of the lives of its numerous characters who make up the Lambert family.  They all looked sexy, passionate, beautiful, scared and intelligent to me.

If ever you’ll decide to read this work, take all your sweet time perusing its contents It’s a must-read for all writers who may get reminded again that it takes a lot of hard work just being able to find time to read, write, and re-write again and again.

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weekend kayaking on croton & hudson rivers w/sundance http://ow.ly/5CZjp

Notes on the blog:

I can retrace now how I had totally enjoyed doing kayaking with other companions from Sundance Outdoor Adventure Society (we were with members of another group who joined us, but I can’t recall now its name). It was easily the best summer day yet that I’ve experienced here in New York. Having started close to noontime, we saw how hot it was being out there but I remember clearly feeling the breeze that went all about all the time during the kayaking period. I felt so much at home with the outdoors that day; I could like spending the whole out in the water. I was happy seeing families out there in picnic and making the most of the weekend. The waters were clean and didn’t smell a bit; it’s refreshing being out there.

I can only wish I could have taken more pictures showing us all in action but I was worried I’d have my camera wet so I just managed with what I could get. I didn’t dare bring out my camera to shoot as I might get distracted and get myself capsized. I saw some of my companions capsized, one of whom I tried to help get into the boat but instead hit his body with by pointed edge of my boat. I soon learned that in such situations when there’s already someone giving help, it’s best to just leave them by themselves, which one of the guides explained to me.

The guys from Hudson River Recreation who guided and instructed us on kayaking were friendly and fun to be with. I’m sure I’ll do it again  as soon as I have the chance plus the resources.

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Disadvantages to living in New York City http://ow.ly/34MRV

Notes to the link above:

Having lived in NYC for close to 6 years now, I can always pinpoint the many disadvantages of living in NYC. But I have to emphasize that I really like living in this city, even with all its disadvantages and irritants that get into me from time to time. Nothing is really new about that; most readers have read about these thoughts from papers; viewers have already seen repeatedly these not-so-pretty scenes on TV and from the movies.

1) It’s not the cleanest city you’ll ever visit in your travels; my friends would tell me this observation right away even if they live in another big city here in the US. I don’t mind that – it’s true. But it doesn’t mean it’s unhealthy. It’s just that certain parts of the city can, indeed, be dirty looking; it’s not only these parts as even some people you meet on the streets are dirty-looking themselves.

2) It’s costly. Nothing new about this, OK?

3) It’s can be lonesome even if you’re with good friends and family. Yes, it’s paradoxically lonesome even if you find yourself in the crowds. I think this gets highlighted with the changing of the seasons.

4) It’s annoying to meet so many people on the streets, in the subway system, in the parks, in the many attractions in NYC and they behave like they want to be treated like they’re ‘important people’ just like they’re so used to be treated back in their home countries. You’ll see so many of them, and you’d just wish they’d just write the announcements right away on their bosoms so you won’t need to figure things out when you come face to face with them. The best approach is to wear that ‘you-don’t-care-at-all’ attitude, and they will soon understand that. Just leave them in their illusion-filled world, and have fun with your own life.

5) It’s noisy. YESSSS, it’s really noisy!

6) Expect a lot of shocking events, people and activities you’ll face in NYC.  They’re shocking but not necessarily disturbing, I have to add.  For example, I’m shocked by seeing so much display of wealth and I’ll see homeless persons walking by.  The first time I saw a homeless person reading a thick paperback, that scene kinda shocked me — he was even asking for specific amount from me and my friends who happened to be chatting beside him.

7) Although public transport is still relatively cheap, there’s something REALLY troublesome with how the subway, the bus system, the Staten Island Ferry system have been providing their services to the riding public. Of course, its workers are indeed working hard; there’s no doubt about it. But remember that it’s a bureaucracy that is really become ineffective at its delivery of public transport services. Repairs go forever during weekends, so it’s best to make well-made plans when going out during weekends. The Staten Island Ferry is often late in arrival especially when it’s a nice day when so many tourists go about visiting the city — and if you live in Staten Island close to the Ferry, you’ll have to wait another 30minutes for your connecting trip to wherever you’re destination as the bus or the train would have left by then. And with the news that the MTA‘s top honcho gave up his job for a better paying similar job in Hong Kong, this just says that the system’s overall-leadership in providing such services is turning out to be a failure (probably in the long run?). This bodes badly with the rest of the system. Well, we can just hope (and pray!) the system can continue correcting and improving itself.

I have to add that I’ve met so many kind-hearted, helpful, real people in NYC, hence I’ve decided to stay here. And despite all disadvantages, NYC is still worth spending all your time to live, work, and love in.

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Being in the nude at Jones Beach http://ow.ly/5uVFq

Notes on the link above:

I was here again with a good friend on a weekend at the start of summer of 2011 at around 2PM. Of course, we were nude again and we were more like at home and at peace with the ongoing very natural scene all around us. Unlike the last time I was here, I didn’t really have to walk at least an hour just to get away from the crowds who were clothed while at the beach, and I presume scared of too much bared skin. At the location where we settled ourselves, there were a number of other nude people sunbathing and spending time at that section of Jones Beach, which is actually one of the best beaches here in the East Coast – I can say this claim from the context of someone who grew up in tropical Philippines where beaches are dime a dozen such that a few of the best ones are actually found on its shores.  Needless to say, it’s actually a lovely experience swimming naked; it’s just recalling wonderful minute memories of yourself when you were a baby being a given a warm bath by your loving parents. I was certainly in touch with myself this time, once again.