A Day in the Life of a Dog-owner
Mom: Giselle, clean up your dog's poop.
Giselle: Yeah, later. I'm watching Project Runway.
*about 20 minutes later*
Mom: Did you clean up George's poop like I asked?
Giselle: Shhh! Later... show's almost done!
Mom: Well, you're too late anyway. He already ate it....
Haliya Light Fruit Wines Now in the US!
Just an update on how I've been doing, work-wise (for lack of a better term as it doesn't really feel like work at all!). I've been with VuQo for two and a half years, officially, but it's actually been closer to three full years since we started. It's been quite the learning experience; almost like the company has been paying for my MBA!
We're still working on getting approval to sell VuQo Premium Vodka in the US as a vodka (as opposed to just "lambanog" or a "distilled specialty spirit"), which is by no means easy. The approving agency subjects each product to a battery of lab tests prior to licensing. We've reviewed our whole production process and made changes wherever necessary. This is pretty time consuming but we do stand to gain from it in the long term.
The good - no, GREAT - news is that Haliya Light Fruit Wine, our other product, is now in the United States. Our partners in the San Francisco Bay Area have begun selling Haliya to restaurants and retailers, so expect to hear where to buy it in the coming weeks! As for why you should buy it, the primary reason (aside from the fact that you want to support me ^_^), is that you've never had fruit wine this good. Allow me to explain: 
1. Haliya Mango Wine and Haliya Black Plum Wine are made from meticulously handpicked mangoes and black plums, respectively. Following strict color and soundness (basically, how each fruit feels) incides, we choose only the freshest fruit and process them at the peak of ripeness. Unlike our competitors, we aren't afraid to reject raw mats that don't meet our standards, and we don't stockpile our fruits in freezers, where they eventually turn to brown mush.
2. Haliya Light Fruit Wines are handcrafted, a time and labor intensive process that guarantees the high quality of our product. Other companies use pulper-finisher machines that produce in volume but cannot discriminate fruit pulp from such undesirables as fibers and stems, resulting in puree that isn't as pure as it should be. We never sacrifice quality for quantity, and are loathe to take any shortcuts.
3. Our wines are aged for a minimum of six months, allowing their taste and aroma to mellow and to develop the vibrant colors characteristic of good wine.
Both wines are packaged in 750ML bottles and will sell at retail for about $15.99. We recommend them as aperitifs or with dessert, and that you serve them chilled.
We did a limited release of Haliya last Christmas, mostly to companies and individuals who purchased them as holiday giveaways. I'm happy to report that both Haliya Mango and Haliya Black Plum got rave reviews! This has encouraged us to sell our wines to a handful of select local restaurants, so again, watch this space for news of where to try it!
Back to Blogging Idol
There've been quite a number of things I've wanted to blog about the past several months: how much I loooved Ratatouille and Enchanted but abhored I am Legend, the now concluded Writers Guild of America strike ("How greedy can they get? They won't even share the Net!"), how driving around Manila is eventually going to give me an aneursym, my stand on the current political situation (let her finish her term, then prosecute), and of course, my magnificent but all-too-short trip to the paradise that is Bali.
Alas, my gnat-like attention span has prevented me from actually completing any blog entry, leaving a bunch of drafts unfinished. These days, all I seem to have time for in the way of public self-expression is that nifty little status bar on Facebook (Giselle is sleepy, Giselle is praying for Jay Tan and his loved ones, Giselle is Enchanting audiences worldwide).
But the time of the year has come to blog about one of the few reality shows I care for, (self-diagnosed) ADHD be damned. So welcome to American Idol Season 7, the way I see it:
*cue American Idol OBB (tanan-tanan-tanan-tanan...)*
Every year, the judges claim to have found THE best Top 24 EVER. Of course they have to-- saying otherwise would be an admission that they fudged up their judging duties. But we all know that they actually took a couple of steps back with last year's somewhat dismal batch of finalists. A couple of below-par vocalists slipped through the cracks (Sanjaya, Haley) and two of the best singers (Lakisha and Melinda) unfortunately just had no chance of winning because let's face it: Idol is part singing contest, part pageant. And ultimately, I was never really that impressed by Jordin Sparks, pretty though her smile may be. Blake Lewis was Season Six's saving grace, as far as I'm concerned.
This year, however, I think they can honestly be proud of finding the best ever batch of finalists. Each of this season's top 12 boasts of powerful vocals and a distinct brand of music, and at this point, it's extremely difficult to predict the order in which people will be sent home. I have no doubt that David Archuleta (cuteypatootey!) will be the next American Idol, but the 12th to 2nd rankings could go any which way.
Though it's still too early to tell, here's my fearless forecast:
First Three Out:
1. Kristy Lee Cook - V. pretty country singer but I think you have to at least be as good as Carrie Underwood to make it to the top, and she unfortunately, is not. But she's probably made it far enough to earn enough to buy back her favorite horse, so... yey, Kristy!
2. David Hernandez - I'm sorry, I just don't get it. I found him cheesy even before I heard of his exotic dancing past. Sure he's got a nice tenor, but this season having great vocals is already a given and personality counts for a lot.
3. Chikezie Eze - Oh, how I love this guy's voice! L-O-V-E! But he's been one-for-three so far, what with his poor song choices and outdated arrangements, so the end is looking near...
The Top 5 (as it will be):
1. David Archuleta - Need I explain?!
2. Brooke White - Idol has never had anyone quite like her. She's reasonably attractive, wholesome, likeable, and has a very unique folksy way about her. As they say, she's a throwback to Carly Simon and Carole King, but at the same time, manages to stay very "current."
3. Ramiele Malubay - No, I'm not just being biased because she's a Pinay. She really does have a big, powerful voice which is even more striking coming from the cute little package that she is.
4. Jason Castro - Another very distinct performer who happens to be pretty cute in an androgynous sort of way.
5. Carly Smithson - Powerhouse, kickass vocals. Nuff said.
The Top 5 (as I want it to be):
1. David Archuleta
2. Ramiele Malubay
3. Michael Johns - HAWT! Bonus points for being Ozzie and having the corresponding accent :) Notice I didn't put him in my fearless forecast... I dunno if America will see him the way I do. Maybe he'll come in 6th. Then again this show does have its surprises...
4. Brooke White or Carly Smithson (sorry I can't pick!!!)
5. Amanda Overmyer - I've always liked this chick. Ever since her first audition. But I don't think she has enough appeal to carry her through to the top. Regardless, she'll no doubt have a career as a professional rocker.
The only two finalists I haven't covered are David Cook and Syesha Mercado. My guess is they'll be somewhere in the middle. Not too crazy about either of them but I don't think they'll get eliminated early either. I'm actually annoyed that Syesha got decent reviews for her version of "Saving All My Love" because she really didn't do anything original or even slightly different with it. IMHO it was at least as bad as Asiah's.
Anywho, the next 11 weeks ought to be exciting. I might change my mind about these rankings as the show progresses, and I may not. For sure though, I'm willing to bet on David Archuleta, so if you're feeling reckless, contact me and place your bets. :)
