An Idea For A TV Series

I have an idea. Because of my current infatuation with The Big Bang Theory, I have also thought of a TV series primed for Philippine TV.

It's also a comedy sitcom in the vein of Home Along The Riles. It features the story of three male law students who are informed by their land lady that she's taking in another boarder, her niece from the US. Comedic mayhem ensues as the group wrestles with the fact that there's another lady in their previously "all-boys" castle and that this lady wishes to teach them that there's more to life than preparing for the Exam.

Obviously, I just parroted  out a common plot in what I've seen among US comedies (New Girl  has the same plot by the way): have several guys in a place then add a girl into their group.

As of today, I can't think of any joke from law school that I can use for the show. Maybe, when I progress further in my studies, I'll be able to discover some of those.  As for the experience of living in a boarding house, I think I can get some side notes from my stay in Manila and my current exile away from home.

But, basically, that's the concept. I don't know if it will work but when it does, be sure to watch this show on TV.

Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles

However late (like "several years late"), let's pause for a moment of silence for this show.

For those familiar, this show aired on Philippine free TV about the same time when "Let's Go" was ruling Sunday morning cartoons. It chronicled the missions of the Roughnecks, an infantry unit tasked to eradicate the "Bugs", an alien race similar to insects which is bent on eradicating humanity.

The show got cancelled however and it took me several years before I chanced upon a Youtube user who uploaded almost all of the episodes on the website.

The history of the show was replete with misfortune. Because of production cuts and less-than-stellar viewership, the show had to cut off several episodes, including the finale.

The irony was that the show was actually pretty good. For its time, its CGI effects were amazing. The storyline was tight. The characters were memorable.

But life can be unfair at times. So rest in peace, roughnecks.

The Big Bang Theory

I have to confess that I'm hooked. First, there was House, then Bones, then the 70's show, then finally this. The Big Bang Theory. Another TV show addiction is blooming in my life.

My fascination with the show started less than a month ago. There had been several posts in 9gag about the show but I found one so humorous that I was finally intrigued. I went over the fan sites and I was even more curious. So I watched the pilot episode and I fell in love with the characters.

Sheldon is the stereotypical nerd who is socially aloof and ignorant of popular culture. Leonard is his roommate who has a die-hard infatuation with Penny. Penny is the next-door neighbor who is not only pretty and gorgeous but is the guru of the two when it comes to social conventions. Also entering into the picture are the cast of friends: Raj, Howard, and Leslie Winkle (Is she a friend? Or an opportunistic Machiavelli?), who each bring their own idiosyncrasies into every scene. Fascinating.

Though I'm not a genius, I could easily identify with the protagonists. I admit that I've had lapses when dealing with norms and there are times when I come out as either insensitive or ignorant. One other reason why I love the show is because Penny is so cute even if she's not trying to be (To digress, I believe it was a decision straight from the producers to have Penny clad in shorts and tank tops in almost every episode. They are probably thinking that move would make the show more appealing to the male audience. I think it works).

Right now, I'm nearing the end of Season 2 and I'm looking forward to Season 3. Though the novelty has worn off, the show still manages to make me laugh with every episode.  

Digesting

Digesting. For a law school student, that term is synonymous with drudgery and toil.

Digesting refers to the act of reading a legal case, sucking its marrow, and spitting the masticated bits onto a piece of paper. To be more blunt, it's the act of summarizing a case into its vital components: the facts, the issues, and the court's rulings on the issue.

I hate digesting. Three months into law school and I still hate it. The reading part is easy but the writing part isn't. Writing on a notebook is something I left back in college (My handwriting leaves much to be desired). I can understand but when understanding must translate into written text, I let out a silent scream. Putting a pen on paper is, for me, an agony.

But still, I digest. And one thing I cannot fathom is the fact that I'm digesting pretty much what should be left alone. The prose of some decisions of the Supreme Court are quite beautiful and expertly crafted that to simply summarize these is tantamount to sacrilege.

Maybe, that's the entire point of the exercise. One is to read and read some more until the vocabulary, the language used, the semantic undertones of each legal phrase employed by the justices are sublimated into one's mind. Writing is simply to prove that, indeed, this act of sublimation has actually happened.

Yano

Mama shared this term to me. Yano. It's Bisaya for common, ordinary. Usually, it's used to describe some one's appearance. It's a term with another connotation; it points to someone, usually a lady, who may not look beautiful at first but seems to morph into a beauty queen the more you look at her.

Wala lang. Just sharing.