The (missing) Low Five

Just yesterday I posted my High Five list for the week. I set out to compile my Low Five list, but to my surprise I couldn't actually come up with 5 things that could have depressed me these last few days! I had a very nice weekend, it's been glorious weather here, traveling for work allowed me to be in London Monday and yesterday evening (for free obviously), so, I guess all is well! I don't expect this to happen very often, so I'll just relax and enjoy the moment :)

I don’t know about how you all are doing, but just in case here's something to make you smile. I don't usually like farting jokes, but this one is really funny. Oh, and it's a fart joke so sound is required (duh!):

No, wait. Just remembered something slightly annoying... Mariah's new single was supposed to be sent to radio stations on the 29th. Then it was the 4th of February, now it's the 12th! What is going on?! A radio station in Arizona played what they thought was an exclusive premiere of "Touch My Body", the new single. What they failed to realize was that they were playing "Secret Love", Mariah's 2005 Japan-only bonus track on The Emancipation of Mimi. A little research next time wouldn't do any harm I guess...

High Five, Low Five

I noticed I haven't been complaining or complementing enough in my blog as of late - a strange twist of fate since I seem to have a love/hate relationship with everything. With that in mind, I sat down to compile a list of five things that impressed me last week and five things that, well, depressed me. Since writing about 10 topics in a day is a little too much, I figured I'd start off by giving you the five positives first. I'll call this list High Five, Low Five.

Cafe Pasta - London

This italian restaurant has some of the best pizzas I've ever eaten. It's in the Seven Dials area, in London, quite small, but very inviting. Been there a few times already, but this past Sunday went there for lunch with my old-enemy-turned friend Tatiana, and guess what was playing there? Rare and old dance mixes of Mariah! Great food, great company and great music?? Doesn't get much better than that. Oh, and it's just opposite of one the coolest shops ever (more on that below).

Super Mario Galaxy

Simply put, this is one of the best games I have ever played, and one that never ceases to amaze me. There seems to a be surprise at every corner, even when you think you've seen it all. Just a few days ago I found this new power-up and it was one of those 'wow' moments. Makes feel like a child again. Looks just lovely on my LCD (and with the component cables) with its vibrating colors and to top it all the soundtrack is amazing! And how not to love a game that says "U R MR GAY" on the front cover? In my case, it definitely knows its audience, ehehe!

Forbidden Planet -London

I discovered this shop back in my first days in London. I was actually on my way to the British Museum, when I saw this huge Darth Vader statue on the window. And then by it's side a statue of Sauron! After recovering from the shock of seeing they cost £1000+ (that was at least 3 of my salaries at the time) I decided to go in and found a world of wonder! X-Men statues, ALIAS figurines (poor Sydney, never looked so ugly...), Lord of the rings, Transformers, He-man, LOST magazines... it was heaven! Of course I could not buy much, but I couldn't resist the urge of buying an Alias book. Since then, I recommended it to Bornsleepy when he was in London and this weekend I went there again with another fellow nerd (who also loved it). And history repeated itself: I bought another pointless ALIAS book... The difference was this time I could actually afford it. I've come a long way...

Blogging

I remember when I came to the UK that I would send those almost daily emails to my friends in Porto about my adventures here: drunk housemate, pretending my grandmother was sick at work so that I could to Queima das Fitas and get absolutely drunk (i still think i deserved an Oscar for that one), etc... Some suggested I should create a blog, but it was just one of those things i hated, the concept of a blog (without even having any reasons for it). But after I started reading a few blogs recently I finally decided to take the plunge! An so far I couldn't be happier :) Had fun doing my Top 11 (with Sydney on top, yay!), shared a few of my silly thoughts ('I couldn't help but wonder...') and even came out to the world (that one was tough!!). A huge thanks to those who've been visiting S-U since day one, showing support and leaving all those comments. This blog wouldn't be the same without you...

30 Rock

In my opinion there hasn't been a truly funny comedy show in a while (live-action, not cartoon like Family Guy or American dad). Sure, I'm still watching my Golden Girls DVDs, but I needed something a bit less, well, old... That's one I decided to start watching 30 Rock, and it's one of the funniest shows I've seen in a long time. The show's title comes from a nickname for 30 Rockefeller Plaza, home of NBC's in NY headquarters and studios. 30 Rock is a workplace comedy set in that building and it follows the cast and crew of a fictional SNL-esque sketch comedy show. Most of the episodes are written by Tina Fey (which also wrote and starred in Mean Girls) and she's also one of the main actresses, along with Alec Baldwin and Jane Krakowski (Elaine in Ally McBeal). This is just my kind of humour, sarcastic and clever. Highly recommended!

Little Star

Exactly one month ago, on the 28th of December, at 11.18 am (or 11.20 depending on who you ask) the cutest little girl was born. Her name is Beatriz (or Bia to her friends) and she is my (first and only) niece!

Now, I know I still have to wait 11 more months to wish Bia a happy birthday... Nevertheless, I think the first month is still a special occasion, so I decided to make today's post about Bia. And it's also the perfect excuse to post a few pics of her here ;)

The first days:

2 weeks later....

25 years later: no more little star, but big star! :D

I know that the proud parents love this song, it's called "Beatriz" and it's by Brazilian artist Chico Buarque. To be 100% honest, I think it's a bit boring... But here it is for them:

So, Beatriz, may this be the first of many, many other happy months! Maybe, who knows in a few years you'll read this, so here's a big kiss from the uncle who may be far away but will always be there when you need him (and also bring you nice gifts!):

Never forget who you are
Little star
Shining brighter than all the stars in the sky
Never forget how to dream
Butterfly
Never forget where you come from
From love
_______________________

That was a bit lame, wasn't it? So, to lighten this up a bit here's a photo I find hilarious (and I know my sister will not be happy with me posting it!). This is when she was leaving the hospital to finally go home. It all went very well but the baby suit/jacket that my sister picked for the occasion was a bit too big for her:

Past, Future

A quick reminder: the next utterly pointless question is up. This week's question deals with one of mankind's oldest dreams.... a time machine. It's also a very stupid question, but it's (almost) fun :) Hey, if you want deep, important questions you should be reading Einstein's blog, not mine.... Choose wisely...

Week 2 Poll: If you had a time machine where would you go?

- To the past!

- To the future!

- What a stupid question.

We're so vain...

And the results are in! After countless hours counting the thousands of votes S-U received, I can finally reveal the results of this week's poll.






Here are the results:

More than 50% would change something about their looks. I have to admit that was also my vote, and the first (of many things) I would change would be about my height... I'm just too tall!! :D

The least popular answer was changing something about your personality. So, what would you change then? Be more adventurous? Take more risks? Being less stubborn?

Congratulations those who are happy with the way you are, body and mind. Must be good feeling that good about yourselves. Maybe someday I'll get there too :)

Thanks for all your votes! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go and think about the next completely pointless question for the new poll.

Have you smiled today?

Unfortunately, yesterday's posts dealt with the horrible and premature death of a talented actor and also with the complete ignorance, stupidity and irrationality of some 'people' (or, as we all seemed to agree, the "filhos da puta" or "figlio di puttana").

Anyway, it's almost the weekend, the sun is shining (somewhere around the world, just not here...) so let's have a lighter, cheerful post today, shall we? I came across these on the the vastness of the web, and it made me laugh (or at least smile). So, here's hoping you'll smile too! :)

I feel a bit guilty posting this one... but still funny ;)

Stupid or just sad??

You'd think that Heath's funeral would be a occasion for mourning the actor and of course the person he was, right? Well, think again... "Reverend" Fred Phelps's Westboro Baptist Church announced plans to protest at the funeral of Heath Ledger. Yep, protest at a funeral. And why would that be? "The God Hates Fags" will picket the decease actor's funeral because he was a pervert who promoted homosexuality by appearing as a gay man in Brokeback Mountain.

Need to see it with your own eyes? Link

I have no words....

R.I.P. Heath Ledger

Sad news... Actor Heath Ledger was found dead yesterday at his apartment in Manhattan. It seems that his death was drug-related, but so far there aren't any specific details. Highlights of his sadly short career include 10 Things I Hate About You, A Knight's Tale and Brokeback Mountain, for which he was nominated for a Oscar for his brilliant performance.

He has recently finished shooting his scenes for next Batman film The Dark Knight, where he plays The Joker. Early reports seem to indicate that he gave another stunning (if scary) performance as Batman's nemesis. The film is currently set for release this summer.

IMDB: http://imdb.com/news/flash/

How to stop an exploding man

I finally watched the end of season 1 of Heroes yesterday. I'm always very excited about the end-of-season episodes of shows like Heroes, as they're usually some of the best episodes, with plots coming together plus a few other surprises and the expected cliffhanger. So, did Heroes deliver? Well, mostly yes...

I especially liked how everyone kinda worked together, as everyone played their parts in the events that lead to Sylar's apparent defeat. If DL (I really thought he was dead!) hadn't got Niki of Linderman's suite, she wouldn't have saved Micah, which then wouldn't have made the elevator work, etc. And then in the confrontation with Sylar it almost looked they were a team, a bit like the X-Men or the Avengers only without the spandex suits. Still, I think I was expecting a bit more out this final battle, but maybe that's because I'm more used to seeing the epic battles in X-Men, but still it was cool. And by the way, where did Sylar get the Iceman power?

I also liked how Nathan finally came to the rescue of Peter, but can Peter only use one power at once? If not, than he could have just flown by himself and spared poor Nathan. I already know that Peter is alive in season 2, but don't know about Nathan, although I suppose he could have just left Peter at a safe distance and then flown away just before the explosion.

One of the best moments involved my favourite character Niki/Jessica. I loved when Jessica let Niki take control when Linderman offered her the money. And Niki attacking Sylar with that lamppost? Just awesome!! I just wish they she had a bigger part and definitely a bit more action. It would be nice if Molly (Heroes' Cerebro) was somehow adopted by DL and Niki. How cute was that shot of the 4 together, the perfect X-family :)

Will Sylar be back? Did Nathan survive? How will Hiro manage in ancient Japan? When will Sark and Veronica Mars make their appearance? I guess most of you already know the answers to these questions, but I'm really looking forward to finding out (on my own, thanks!)

Favourite line: Jessica: (to Matt) "Didn't I throw you out a window?" Awesome! ;)

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose

This is not a public announcement nor a dramatic moment, it's just something I want to get out of my system and before you start wondering on a few things I might post here in the future. Probably an awkward way of doing this, but it just felt like the right thing to do, so here it is: I'm gay. Perhaps surprising news to some of you, or perhaps you always suspected something was up. But finally no more rumours no more hiding, it's here for the world to see (or the 4 people who visit this blog...). To those who already knew, look, I did it! Wiiii!

OK, so now let's move on, nothing more to see here....

P.S. Just a thought to some of you out there who might be feeling a bit shocked: the Tó you always knew and were friends with (and hopefully still are) was always gay. So nothing's changed... I'll still speak with my mouth full and spit food on you, I'll still get drunk and say/do the silliest things things and make you laugh, I'll still burp really loud and I'll still hear everything wrong. Unfortunately, this also means that I'll still try to make you watch Alias and force you to listen to the new Mariah Carey song, well, until one of us dies! There's no escape!!

Copycat

I just found out that on the exact same day I decided to post my Top 11 Kick-Ass girls, IGN also decided to have this feature called Lady Badasses. Coincidence? I think not....

Anyway, you might wanna check it out too. I obviously disagree with a few of their choices (Sydney only number 6?!?), but still both countdowns ended up having the same #3 and #2, which is kinda cool. Oh and Niki fans be warned... she's nowhere to be seen....

Check out the full list: IGN's Lady Badasses

Everybody Votes

From now on, I'll be regularly holding polls here on S-U. There's this Wii channel called Everybody Votes Channel which basically presents the user some very simple and sometimes funny questions and then you get results from people all around the world. Timeless questions like "Would you rather meet a dinosaur or an alien" or "It's your birthday: do you prefer money or gifts?" are finally getting an answer....
To start this off, the first question will be: If you could change something about yourself would that change be in your.... a) body b) Personality or c) I like myself just the way I am.

The poll is on the just there ----> come on, yes, to the right... There you go! Now vote! :)

And because it's the weekend, here's something came across the other day and it just made me laugh out looud (or LOL). The expression on his 'face' is just priceless! :D

or this one:

Life in slow motion

I forgot to set my alarm for this morning, so I woke up a bit later than usual, rushed through all that morning routine and tried to make it on time for my bus. As I got to the bus station, I could see my bus there, so close yet so far. And then the worst happened: I ran like mad for the bus only for it to depart 1 millisecond before I got there. I hate the look you get from the people who are inside the bus, as they look at you with maybe a bit of pity but you know that deep inside they're saying "HA HA!" like that character Nelson from the Simpsons. As I waited in the rain for my next bus, I couldn't help but wonder (Carrie Bradshaw moment here!): Wouldn't it be great if we had slow-motion in our lives?

Don't get me wrong, I think that whoever was responsible from the whole Creation process did a remarkable job. I mean, just look around you and appreciate what is there. But if I could send a suggestion to the Creator, yes, I'd ask him to add slow motion into our lives.
Slow motion really changes the perception you have of something. I'm not just talking about the obvious cool fights in slow motion we see in movies like Matrix or Charlie's Angels, but even some of the most mundane everyday actions would be so much more intense.

Just imagine you just got told off by your boss and you go outside (feeling really bad) for a cigarette. Wanna make even more dramatic? Add slow motion! Or imagine you're on a date, and you're really into this guy/girl and wanna look a bit more sexy... Add slow motion! Lick your spoon, wave your hair, do a sexy move... nice and slow... Oh, and sex in slow motion, now there's a thought!

I was thinking of maybe doing a video (using a scene from a movie) comparing slow motion vs. normal motion, but then decided have a look on Youtube. And it seems that somebody beat me to it! This is a very simple, silly video, but it illustrates my point perfectly (oh, and the Baywatch theme song... that's just a bonus!):

There, you see what i mean? Of course not everything would look better in slow motion... here are a few situations where slow motion would definitely not help:

- clipping your toenails
- wiping your bum
- liposuction
- sneezing and coughing
- throwing up (after a few too many drinks)
- eating soup
- picking your nose

How about you? Can you think of any other situations slow-motion would be great/horrible? Use the comments and let the world know.

And how is this even remotely related to missing a bus? Well, just imagine me running like mad to the bus and then doing that "Oh shit..." face, all in slow motion. It would look so dramatic and intense, that the people on the bus would feel compelled to get up from their seats and beg Mr. Driver to stop and let me in! In slow motion.

New Mimi

Breaking news! What is believed to be the cover for Mariah's new album has just leaked. Wanna see it?

My thoughts? It's cool, dark, sexy and sophisticated. Two thumbs up! Althoughh from a certain point of view, looking a her legs, looks like Mariah really needs a wee! :D

Now the bad news.... Apparently the album is supposed to be called, get ready for it...

That Chick

How do you go from The Emancipation of Mimi to That Chick?? The emancipation of that chick??

Don't know... Really not too sure about the title...I don't know, for me, its like 12 years old would use that word in the playground, you know...cool little kids in high school....

Top 11 Kick-Ass Girls (Part 3 of, erm...2):

We finally reach the Top 3 of this countdown. I bet that all 3 of you who read this blog are dying to know the results! Here's a quick recap of what you might have missed:

- Number 11: Regina George (Mean Girls)
- Number 10: Niki/Jessica (Heroes)
- Number 9: Irina Derevko (ALIAS)
- Number 8: The LOST girls - Kate and Ana-Lucia (LOST)
- Number 7: Sydney Prescott (Scream Trilogy)
- Number 6: The X-Villains - Phoenix, Deathstryke and Mystique (X-Men Trilogy)
- Number 5: Sarah Connor (T1 & T2)
- Number 4: Veronica Mars (Veronica Mars)

So without further delays, let's see who made it to number 3:

Number 3: Buffy, Willow and Faith (Buffy: The Vampire Slayer)

Another threesome on this list. I must say, any of these three on their own would probably be placed behind Veronica, but together they're a force to be reckoned with and end up at number 3.
Buffy Summers is the eternal teenager who has been through Hell (literally!). She is The Chosen One, the one girl in the world with the strength and skill to hunt all kinds of evil creatures and save the world (or at least Sunnydale) time and time again. But she doesn't do this alone, she has the precious help of the 'Scooby Gang'. Dies twice - one time her headstone reads "She saved the world. A lot". OK, so maybe she deserves number 3 even on her own.

One of Buffy's best friend is of course the shy and geeky Willow. Yeah, she becomes quite powerful as 'normal Willow' throughout the series, but it isn't until her girlfriend is murdered (she becomes a lesbian at some point, maybe because her ex-boyfriend was quite the animal) that she goes bananas and shows her true power. She becomes Dark Willow and then she's downright evil (which is always fun) and kicks everyone's ass.

Then there's Faith... Faith is probably my favourite of these 3. Maybe it's the leather outfits, or the good girl/bad girl vibe, but I think she's as cool as can be. She's a rogue Slayer, the Buffy-universe equivalent of going over to the Dark Side. Unfortunately for Faith, we all know what happens to those who fall into the Dark Side, don't we Anakin?

Favourite line: Buffy: We haven't been properly introduced. I'm Buffy, and you're history!
Favourite line: Dark Willow: Oh Buffy. You really need every inch of your ass kicked.
Favourite line:
Faith: Three squares, nice weight room, movie every third Sunday, would've been worse. Spike: What movie?
Faith: Last one was Glitter. I guess it couldn't have been worse.
(Me: As you all know Glitter is the 'award-winning' Mariah Carey movie.... Ouch!)

Number 2: Lieutenant Ellen Ripley (Alien Trilogy - lets forget about the 4th one, ok?)

How could there be a list of strong women that didn't include Ripley? The answer is simple, it just couldn't. Ripley is the arguably the mother of all strong female characters and quickly became part of the imaginary of everyone who watched these films. She was great in Alien, but she absolutely RULED in Aliens. I remember watching Aliens, many moons ago and was just stunned at the strength and sheer power that Ripley demonstrated in all her actions.

Need examples? When she drives that car/tank at the beginning of Aliens and saves the day; when she decides to goes back ALONE in a alien infested place to rescue a little girl and last, but most definitely not least, her final confrontation with the Alien Queen. Need I say more? I didn't' think so.

Bit of trivia for you: Sigourney Weaver is one of the very few actress to be nominated for and Oscar and a Golden Globe for an action/horror leading role. Too bad she didn't win, I say!






Favourite line: Ripley: Get away from her, you bitch! (A classic...)






And the Number 1 Kick-Ass Girl is...... (drum rolls)




Number 1: Mariah Carey (Glitter)


Mimi is my top choice, there ya go! It's just that she's so fuckin' good on this one! In this film Mariah has the awesome power of putting the audience to sleep in no time!




Sorry, couldn't resist it ;) Scroll down for the REAL number 1.






Make way for....




Number 1: Sydney Bristow (ALIAS)



Wow, what a surprise!! Jennifer Garner's super spy is brilliant and brutal and my top choice for this countdown. Even when I started deciding who should be on this list, there was never a shadow of doubt in my mind that the Number 1 spot should go to Sydney Bristow.

I know, you’re all thinking “There he goes again, Alias is good, watch Alias, blah blah blah” but I did try to be objective here and just look at the characters and not the shows. Honest! And still Sydney is my number one, she is the complete package. Let’s think about this for a second:

- Looks: Check! She has the looks and she has THE looks! Whether dressed up as a nerdy scientist, sexy maid, crazy clubber or just her normal self, Sydney always looks great. It's amazing how many different outfits and styles shes gets to play with throughout the 5 seasons. The wigs, the cheekbones, the steely glare, simply amazing...
- Angst: Check! Simply unbeatable on this one. Boyfriends die, friends die, friends die by her own hands... Dies and watches her own funeral.... Plus she has THE most dysfunctional family ever! Oh, and having to save the world a few times also adds to the pressure, I'm sure.
- Awesome fighting skills: Check! She's responsible for some of the best action sequences on the show. Add some of the best catfights since Kill Bill and you've got a winner!
- Brains: Check! She has the brains! I mean, being a double-agent is no easy task and getting out of life-threatening situations is no walk in the park either! Plus, she speaks Russian, Italian, German, Spanish, French and even Portuguese. How many others on this list can claim to do that, huh??
- Personality: Check! She is a great friend, she's trustworthy and determined. But fortunately, she's no boring and bland 'goody two-shoes': step on her toes, and she'll fight back! It's also fun to see her so always so strong and sure of herself whenever she's on a mission, and then so insecure and full of issues in her 'real life'.
- X-Factor: Check! As Simon Cowell would say, Sydney has that certain something, call it charisma or whatever, that makes you root for her, feel happy and sad with her. And she's also a Chosen One, take that Buffy!

One of the last Alias episodes was called “There’s only one Sydney Bristow”. And I could not agree more.

Favourite lines:
Sydney Bristow: You and I are friends, Charlie, so you know I have nothing against you, but I swear to God, if you marry Francie without telling her what you've been up to, I will kill you.

Sydney Bristow: You know, some people go miniature golfing with their parents. We go to India and look for nukes.

There are literally hundreds on fan-made videos on Youtube about Alias and Sydney (Sad Sydney, Action Sydney, Hot Sydney, Malibu Beach Sydney...) so it was really difficult the choose one to put here. Anyway I like this one, not my favourite song in the world (All That Jazz from Chicago) but the timing of the action with the song is just brilliant and funny. Watch it, enjoy it and then you'll agree with my choice for the top spot:

Also worth watching (depending on your musical tastes):

This one (awesome song - Paul Oakenfold, Ready Steady Go)
This one (another great song - The Vines, Get Free)
This one (Really cool music - Kasabian, Club Foot)
And finally this one (crap song, great video - Whitney Houstoun, Queen of the night)

And that's it! Agree, disagree? Have your say using the comments :) Putting together this Top 11 thing was good fun, but also quite a bit of work and time consuming. Don't know how VH1 and E! do it all the time, eheh! Anyway, there may be more in the future if I can think of another one.

Put on a smiley face Sydney, you made it to #1 :)

Top 11 Kick-Ass Girls (Part 2 of 2... maybe 3)

Previously on the Top 11 Kick-Ass Girls (Part 1 of 2):

- Number 11: Regina George (Mean Girls)
- Number 10: Niki/Jessica (Heroes)
- Number 9: Irina Derevko (ALIAS)
- Number 8: The LOST girls - Kate and Ana-Lucia (LOST)


Let's proceed then...

Number 7: Sydney Prescott (Scream Trilogy)


Oh Sydney, Sydney... Life wasn't kind to you, now was it? Your mum was killed and raped, most of your closest friends were brutally murdered (and dare I say because of you...) and your boyfriends? Well, one was a lunatic killer who gets killed (by you nonetheless) and the other, well the other also gets killed (at least not by you... but because of you, ouch!). Sydney starts out kind of weepy and emo ("why are all my friends dying, wahhhhh..."), but then she gets into full-on tough chick mode.

Her special abilities include turning normal everyday objects into deadly weapons, running up and down the stairs and she also has excellent telephone manners! Relax Syd, you may have had it rough, but you've rightfully earned the number 7 spot on this countdown! You see, every cloud has a silver lining ;)


Number 6: X-Men villains - Phoenix, Deathstryke, Mystique (X-MEN Trilogy):

I know, there's three of them here. But it kinda makes sense to group them all in one position. And it's my Top 11, so I'll do what I want :) I should also mention that these are the movie version of these characters, not the comic book one (otherwise 'mah girl' Rogue would be on this list). Besides being really strong and powerful women, they also fall in the category of being a great examples of X-Universe villains. Yes, they will probably kill, lie, steal and deceive, but you can't help to sympathize with their motives and almost understand why they are doing it. Phoenix was a tormented soul, Deathstryke was being manipulated and Mystique, well, ok maybe Mystique was just evil... Most importantly, and for the purposes of this Top 11, they all kicked some serious ass!!

Favourite line: Jean Grey: [turning into Dark Phoenix] GET OUT OF MY HEAD! (Kaboom!!)

Favourite line: Deathstryke: What are you doing here? - (It's the only line of dialogue the poor woman has in the film....)

Favourite line: Nightcrawler: Excuse me? They say you can imitate anybody, even their voice. Then why not stay in disguise all the time? You know, look like everyone else.
Mystique: Because we shouldn't have to.


Number 5 - Sarah Connor (Terminator 1 and 2)


Sarah Connor was always one of my choices for this countdown, but it was really difficult to place her. So, I guess number 5 is just about right. She may not have the immediate appeal of a Niki or a Buffy, but for sheer determination, she's up there with the best. And she's an icon, a reference for all the strong female characters in TV and movies that followed. Sarah evolves from the innocent, young waitress of the first film to the hardened, cynical woman warrior of the second. Determined, adaptable, and mostly capable, she will stop at nothing to protect her son John from the Terminator. Who here doesn't remember that bit on T2 where she's facing the T-1000, shooting and reloading that shotgun with just one arm? Or her escape from the mental facility? Classic!

Favourite line: Sarah Connor: The unknown future rolls toward us. I face it, for the first time, with a sense of hope. Because if a machine, a Terminator, can learn the value of human life, maybe we can too.


Number 4 - Veronica Mars (Veronica Mars)

Veronica Mars is no superhero. But what Veronica lacks in physical strength, she more than makes up for it with her intelligence and determination. Veronica is cunning, resourceful, witty and quite cynical, charming and convincing. Veronica isn't perfect, she makes mistakes, she feels pain, betrayal, and even jealously. She doesn't let things go easily, and when her best friend was brutally murdered, she wouldn't stop at anything to find the real killer.

If I wasn't so behind on Veronica Mars (the show) and seen more of Veronica (and I don't mean her naked) maybe she would be higher up on this list. Oh and a small confession, whenever I go through a situation when I need to be more confident, like confronting someone or or an embarrassing moment, I say to myself "Veronica Mars, Veronica Mars"... Silly, but it helps!

On a side note, I already know that Kirsten Bell (Veronica ) is now on Heroes and that she has some kind of lightning power (thanks Gabi for the 'heads up'... Grrr), but that's all I know, so please no more spoilers!!

Favourite Line: Oh so many brilliant lines to choose from... Seriously, this show has some of the sharpest, wittiest writing ever, maybe second only to Buffy. So, I'm gonna make an exception and give Veronica the privilege of having 4 favourite quotes:

Logan: [standing in front of Veronica's car] Do you have any idea what your little joke cost me?
Veronica: Well, I'm pretty sure you won't be getting your bong back.
Logan: [smashes Veronica's headlights with a crowbar] Wrong answer. Would you care to guess again?
Veronica: Clearly your sense of humor...

[Veronica is trying to change a flat tire] Troy: Flat?
Veronica: Just as God made me.

Logan: There's a witness who said they saw my mom get in a white van.
Veronica: There's also a jungle tribe that worships Donald Trump's hair. It's a tabloid.

Veronica: If I ever die, do me a favor. Go on Oprah and tell the world that I loved kittens.

______________________________

And that's a wrap for today. Who will be the top 3? Any surprises left? Will your favourites make the cut? This and much more tomorrow, only on this blog!

Time does fly!

Just a quick note before moving on to Part 2 of the Top 11. I just noticed that yesterday was the 13th of January. What's so special about that? Well, 2 years ago, on Friday 13th of January, a little boy embarked on an adventure. He arrived in the UK full of hopes and dreams... only to have them crushed when he arrived in Basingstoke! That boy was me...

I don't feel like saying a lot on this. I could be here listing what went wrong and what went right, I could even to a Top 11 :) But I don't feel like it... I'm still here (was only supposed to stay for 6 months), so I guess it's working out for me. One thing I'll say, I certainly don't regret leaving Portugal and coming here. I've grown a lot (unfortunately not in height...) over these past 2 years and was forced to deal with some not-so-nice situations all on my own, but what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger, right?

A big thanks to everyone who in any way helped and supported me during these 2 years, particularly those of you in Portugal who, especially during the the first few months, made me feel that even though I was miles away, I was not alone. You know who you are ;)

P.S.- And Basingstoke is bad, but not that bad... it's close to London!

Top 11 Kick-Ass Girls (Part 1 of 2)

I must admit, I'm a sucker for countdown lists and Top 10s (and 5s, and 20s and 100s). It might be the Top 100 for games, songs, films or toilet paper, I'm love'em all. And obviously I'll look for my favourites on that list and then be happy or mad at the position they earned. It might just be curiosity or might also be some kind of search for validation, that someone else agrees with me. Anyway, I decided to do my own Top 11. Why 11? Don't know, but why is it always 10 anyway?

My first (and maybe only...) Top 11 will be dedicated to strong and powerful women that have graced theater and TV screens over the last few years. You know the type: They're resourceful, witty if not always graceful under pressure, and refuse to back down. And they could probably kill you before you could say "Nice shoes". These are my Top 11 Kick-Ass Girls...

Tough chicks but not quite tough enough to make it to the Top 11: Eowyn (The Lord of the Rings); Alice (Resident Evil); The girls from Charlie's Angels; The Bride (Kill Bill); Trinity (Matrix Trilogy); Xena (Xena: Warrior Princess)

Number 11: Regina George (Mean Girls)

Ok, so this is the joker of this Top 11. Regina is the Queen Bee and the leader of the Plastics. She is both feared and desperately admired by the other female students, who gossip about her supposedly fabulous life and are pleased to be physically assaulted by her. She also has a tendency to compliment others and then insult them behind their backs. That's why she is my number 11. Oh, and she's always in desperate need to lose 3 lbs.

Favourite line: Regina: But you're, like, really pretty. Cady: Thank you. Regina: So you agree? Cady: What? Regina: You think you're really pretty? Cady: Oh... I don't know.

Number 10: Niki/Jessica (Heroes)

A tough choice this one. Niki is/was an Internet stripper who exhibits superhuman strength and has multiple personalities, namely her sister's Jessica. I can't really put my finger on what makes me like her, but 99% of the time she's my favourite character in Heroes. I do think she's been getting a bit (too) soft lately, so Niki get your act together and start ripping people in half like in the good old days!


Favourite line: [as Jessica] Niki's not here right now.


Number 9: Irina Derevko (ALIAS)

This woman is the personification of class, style and deceit. You can never tell if she's being honest or simply just manipulating you so that you do exactly what she wants you to do. I won't go into many details/spoilers for some of you readers/friends who for inexplicable reasons still haven't watched Alias (bornsleepy, andre and nokey: I'm looking at you!! ) but even in her darkest moments it's impossible not to admire her.





Favourite line: And at that moment I was sure of one thing: I couldn't be an agent and a mother. I'd either fail at one or both. And I chose to fail at being a mother.

Number 8: The LOST girls - Kate and Ana-Lucia

I'm still only halfway through season 3 on Lost (yes, I'm also extremely behind on Lost), but I still don't know if I totally trust Kate... But kick ass? Yes! This girl has outsmarted the U.S. marshals, been an international fugitive and gets to snuggle with Jack and Sawyer. She does have the annoying habit of doing something stupid and getting kidnapped though... So Kate, you're stuck at number 8! And Ana Lucia? Well she's played by Michelle Rodriguez who just looks completely bad ass! She always has this look on her face as she's about to snap and kick you in the face at any moment! She could be on The Little House on the Prairie and still look hard as nails! Permanently pissed off! But our dear Michelle can't resist the booze.... Nothing wrong with that, except when you drink and drive AND get caught! That's bad Michelle, and then the Mr. Writers have to let you go off the show and kill your character...

Favourite line: Kate: No girl's just like me.

Favourite line: Jason - Shooter: Do I know you? Ana-Lucia: [coldly] I was pregnant. [shoots Jason several times with her service weapon]

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That's all for today! Will number 7 be Dorothy from the Golden Girls? Maybe Jessica Fletcher from Murder, She Wrote? Just kidding! (or am I??) You'll have to check back tomorrow for Volume 2 of my Top 11 Kick-Ass Girls. As usual feel free to agree, disagree, insult me, etc using the comments. Can be in any language (although I can only reply to those in English/Portuguese...)

A bad hair day...

Picture it: you finally decide buy a nice HD LCD TV/monitor to replace your old, tiny CRT tv. You connect it to your laptop, and wow, great picture!! So far so good... What do you do next? Let's insert a really cool DVD, with great image and colours, like, let's say... ALIAS and finally see Sydney's iconic red wig on your new LCD. What do you get?

This... and this....

Sorry Syd, but you're a blurry mess! Hey Mr. (or Mrs.) SAMSUNG, you make us shell out our hard-earned money and you couldn't even include a bloody component cable so that we could fully enjoy your fine product?? Is it too much to ask?

For those of you who have no idea what component cables are, let's check what this website says:

"Component cables deliver the Hi-Definition signal required for HDTV ensuring all the clarity and depth of the signal is not lost. Component cables are also use for standard definition signals and show huge improvements over scart and composite." And apparently your connection will look something like this (once you buy them, obviously...):

Well, from what I know the improvement really is noticeable, and worth the investment. So, don't worry Syd, your red hair will look great... tomorrow.

Oh, and for those of you thinking "Why doesn't he uses his laptop DVD reader?", it's broken and only reads CDs. And guess what? It's a SAMSUNG!