Michael S. Pascua » Recent Articles

New Review: Kristy – My Romance

Michael — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 11:53:11 +0000

There are days when I'm really snarky and it just so happened that I was reviewing a CD that day. Kristy got the brunt of my snark when I called her a bit unoriginal. But I guess that's what you get for making an album full of covers, you lack originality. I mean, I still stand by my points: it's a good but safe album. It takes no risks at all and because of that I really don't want to reward it. Read the full article below.

Article first published as Music Review: Kristy - My Romance on Blogcritics.

Priority Seating

Michael — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 20:41:28 +0000

I've been an avid flier of JetBlue because two of my local airports have service to the Orlando region. I understand their business model, their website is very clean, and they have televisions that I can watch shows about plane disasters on the History Channel while in a plane. On my last trip to Florida, I took Southwest for the first time.

At the Orlando Airport, JetBlue and Southwest tend to share the same area so I always looked around at the other terminals while on my way to the restroom. I never understood it. There were posts with numbers from 1-30 broken into groups of five. I shrugged and went to pee.

I finally experienced the posts. Apparently you have to pay more to get in the front of the line. Now that doesn't necessarily mean you get the front of the airplane, somehow there are a handful of wheelchair-bound passengers that will always make it in front of you. What I don't understand is why people couldn't just pick their seats before they boarded... like with JetBlue (or even Spirit, but don't get me started with them). One could do the math better if they realize they have to add ten dollars to their trip just for the chance to sit close to the front. I feel more comfortable knowing that I will be sitting in X row and Y seat.

Maybe it's because I suffer from last-kid-picked syndrome that I am disturbed by the way Southwest has formed the queue. Everything else was par: the piloting was fine, the service was decent, the snack options were lackluster, the stewardesses looked bored, and the bathroom wasn't as clean as I would hope. I'll admit that I would sit in the back if it meant I would pay less. I would also be willing to split up into different rows or put two people on the two isles if they really want to sit close.

Something about Southwest's queue screams, "If you're not part of the club, then sit in the back" to me. This clearly will never become a Rosa Parks situation and people will continue to shell out ten dollars to sit closer to the front. Will I ever fly Southwest again? It seems likely. Am I willing to shell out ten dollars? I'm not so sure. Eh, just put me all the way in the back, at least that way I can make it to the rear bathroom quickly.

@ TV Squad – ‘Dancing with the Stars’ – ‘Performance #6: Results’ Recap

Michael — Wed, 05 May 2010 19:21:08 +0000

(S10E13) Last night's 'Dancing with the Stars' provided several of the celebrities' personal best scores including the first 30 of the season. The group dances forced the scores closer to each other.

The results begin and I'm taken aback to Brooke Burke looking like a poor man's Carmen Electra tonight. We start off immediately with Nicole & Derek and Erin & Maks. While Nicole & Derek are safe, Erin & Maks are in the dreaded bottom two.

Read the full story @TV Squad.

At BlogCritics: Music Review: Patrick Stanfield Jones – A Heart and an Open Road

Michael — Tue, 04 May 2010 20:34:21 +0000

Patrick Stanfield Jones' debut CD, A Heart and an Open Road, is the culmination of years of experience. Jones has been a performer for more than thirty years and his debut album sounds mature because of it. It tackles original tunes as well as the classic songs "Sunshine of Your Love" and "The Best is Yet to Come." While there are several genres included in A Heart and an Open Road, Jones shows a mastery of all of them. The pacing of the album is strong and ordered well as Jones changes tempos without a hitch.

Read the full article only at BlogCritics.org.

At TV Squad – Grey’s Anatomy – Hook, Line and Sinner Recap

Michael — Mon, 03 May 2010 20:24:47 +0000

(S06E20) After several weeks of repeats, 'Grey's Anatomy' returns with an explosion of cast drama. The episode on a whole underwhelmed and could have been placed before the repeats. The Arizona/Callie baby issues continue, Teddy is still awkward in her situation, Owen still feels caught between two women, and Mark is still in a midlife crisis.

Keep reading @TV Squad.

TV Squad: ‘America’s Next Top Model’ – ‘Welcome to New Zealand’ Recap

Michael — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 16:22:37 +0000

(S14E08) The remaining six girls on 'America's Next Top Model' arrive in their foreign destination: New Zealand. My favorite episode of 'ANTM' has to be the go-sees because the show becomes the knock-off 'The Amazing Race' for a few minutes. The same rules apply to having good taxi drivers and never getting out of the taxi to run to your destination.

Read the full review @ TV Squad.

PS. Dear Tyra, stop giving Alexandra up-nose shots.

Copycat much?

Michael — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 16:50:17 +0000

I've been trying my best to figure out ways on improving my own personal website. You know keeping you updated on my daily musings. So while my tweets show up on the left, and the cute bar of photos are above (which I don't spend enough time on) I figure I try something else to get more exposure to my articles: copy a fellow TV Squadder's personal website...to an extent.

One (if not several) of the other squadder's posts links like blog updates. I realized, "Hey! That's not such a bad idea!" So I'm play testing it this week. I mean, it's not plagiarism because it's my own articles. I could have thought about it myself... We'll see how everything turns out and if I'm actually dedicated enough to actually get on the ball.

I like my website. The design is questionable, but that's because I like rearranging things often. Stagnancy with websites is silly, people change, design aesthetics shift, and the like. Even my alma mater has changed their website, logo, and added (or replaced, I'm not too sure) their mascot. Sadly their new mascot, Hugo, will be called "Hurley" in my head.

TV Squad – ‘Dancing with the Stars’ – ‘Performance #5: Results’ Recap

Michael — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 16:18:52 +0000

(S10E11) We're at the halfway point on 'Dancing with the Stars' and I still can't tell much of a difference between Brooke's execution with Samantha Harris'. Her clothing choices are still questionable and only once in this episode did she have any genuine emotion. The show quickly announced that Erin & Maks are safe. Later on in the episode, when several safe couples got interviewed by Brooke, I realized that Erin should take Brooke's job; her sarcasm and quick wit could match Tom's.

TV Squad – ‘Dancing with the Stars’ – ‘Performance #5′ Recap

Michael — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 16:30:29 +0000

(S10E10) With Kate Gosselin gone from 'Dancing with the Stars,' the show can finally get to actual competition. Her disappearance from the bottom of the score board has now vanquished scores below 20. The contestants have two dances: either the Samba or Argentine Tango and the Swing Dance Marathon.

Read the full article @ TV Squad.

Music Review: Hamilton de Holanda Quintet – Brasilianos 2

Michael — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 16:01:30 +0000

If Brasilianos 2 was a racer, it would have unleashed its turbo rocket boosters early to get ahead of the pack, only to cool off and found its right tempo at the end. While all of the songs by the Hamilton de Holanda Quintet are fresh and original, the opening three tracks are hectic, fast paced, and not a good example of what the rest of the album holds. The strength of Brasilianos 2 comes from it's slower tempo songs. Each musician in the Hamilton de Holanda Quartet gets a chance to be showcased without feeling like they are fighting for attention.

Read the full review only on BlogCritics.Org