The style of 2012: the trends to watch out for. 8:49 PM

Retrospectively, last year was a whimsical and vacillating year for fashion, and no one can deny that 2011 was an enormous year for fashion.  And now that we’re starting 2012, different High end fashion label revealed what they predicted to be trendy thus year. So, Ink|rush think that 2012 will be even more vivacious and dynamic, check out our Ink|Rush Fashion Special, The style of 2012: the trends to watch out for!

1. The Retro style - A-list labels launches their summer/spring collection and stated their own prediction for 2012 trends. Expect to see exotic safari looks, candy colors, flattering 50s-style dresses and touches from the 20s. Above that all expect to feel the Retro fever this 2012.

2. The 1920s touch - 1920s-themed pieces such as drop waists, beaded chiffon dresses, waistcoats and cloche hats were the highlights in Spring/Summer 12 collections from labels such as Gucci and Ralph Lauren.

Photos from Gucci Spring/Summer Collection 2012

Photos from Ralph Lauren Spring/Summer Collection 2012

3. Hollywood glamour- fashion houses such as Prada entailed a 1950s Hollywood glamour like their Marilyn Monroe-inspired pleats and pin-up style polka-dot bikinis. The colors are soft and lovely and the shapes are simple and very, very wearable.

4. Pastel shades for 2012 - color palette in shades of gold, coral, lilac, silver and cream are so in this 2012 as seen on Alexander Mcqueen Spring/Summer collection.

5. Must-have Accessories – Giambattista Valli Spring 2012 collection envisage designer’s accessories such as multiple bangles and chain shoes.

Of course, Ink|Rush knows that this cost hundred of thousands, but who says we all have to buy this dresses and accessories especially if we don’t have such money.  The Ink|Rush fashion advice: Take the style-inspiration from these A-list labels. Be creative on how you rock your own catwalk without the high cost. You just have to know what trend fits you the most. And most importantly, show your real self through fashion.

Year 2k11: A Time Never to be Forgotten 8:47 PM

 A Time Never to be Forgotten

Before we could take a step forward, why won’t we look back to what had happened and reminisce the one whole year that has passed.  2011 has already said its last goodbye and yet we won’t let go until we had our last refresher for the year. Here are some 2011’s list of ground breaking news and breakthroughs in and out of the country.

A TIME TO CELEBRATE

You are cordially invited…

Friday, 29th of April 2011 at Westminster Abbey, a fairytale seemed to come alive as a “commoner” had her share of happily-ever-after when betrothed to a royal blood. Kate Middleton said her “I Do” with Prince Williams as the whole world watched their story unfold and start a new chapter.

Pageant-Crazy Philippines up on the top 5 list

(London) - Miss Philippines, French-Filipina Gwendoline Ruais, a buxom six-footer from Muntinlupa City, was named the first runner-up, or second place in the Miss World 2011, November 7^th at London.

Ruais tied for the highest finish for the Philippines in the Miss World pageant, which the pageant-crazy nation has never won.

(Brazil) - Ms. Philippines Shamcey Supsup made it to the top 5 of the Miss Universe Beauty Pageant aired live on Starworld television network from San Paolo Brazil Tuesday, September 13^th. Supsup is ranked second in a vote made by fans in swimsuit and in
evening gown competitions.

Blessed

(Vatican City) - The beatification rites for Pope John Paul II was held at St. Peter’s Square, Vatican City, where the well-loved late Pontiff will be proclaimed blessed by his successor, Pope Benedict XVI, six years after he passed away at age 84.

The beatification rites, which bring the Polish church leader a step closer to sainthood, coincides with the Catholic Church’s observance of Divine Mercy Sunday, a feast that he established on April 30, 2000 during the canonization of Polish nun St. Faustina Kowalska, the Apostle of the Divine Mercy.

The first non-Italian Pope in 455 years and serving for 27 years from October 16, 1978 up to the time of his death, the Vatican newspaper refers to Pope John Paul II as “a passionate witness to Christ from his childhood to his last breath.”

A TIME WELCOME THE BIRTH OF THE NEW

Birds across the world

Angry Birds is a puzzle video game developed by Finnish computer game developer Rovio Mobile. Inspired primarily by a sketch of stylized wingless birds, the game was first released for Apple's iOS in December 2009. But on 2011, Angry Birds became so popular here in the Philippines that almost all of the things that can be used from Angry bird collectibles to T-shirts, caps, tumblers, flip-flops and even pants, those pesky birds keep flying with their faces everywhere.

2011 has also been a breakthrough for news of technology such as Smartphones, IPads and Netphones

      

A TIME TO MOURN AND A TIME TO LOSE

Surpassing the wrath of Ondoy


(Philippines) - September 27, it was as if we haven’t seen enough and experienced enough from Ondoy last 2009, here was Pedring (international code name Nesat) slamming Metro Manila causing widespread blackout, killing numbers of people and immersing almost the whole Metro Manila under water.

When Japan stood shaken

(Japan) - The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or theGreat East Japan Earthquake,  was a magnitude 9.0 (M_w) undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST (05:46 UTC) on Friday, 11 March 2011. The earthquake triggered powerful tsunami waves that reached heights of up to 40.5 metres (133 ft) in Miyako in Tōhoku's Iwate Prefecture, and which, in the Sendaiarea, travelled up to 10 km (6 mi) inland. The earthquake moved Honshu 2.4 m (8 ft) east and shifted the Earth on its axis by estimates of between 10 cm (4 in) and 25 cm (10 in).

The Japanese National Police Agency confirmed 15,844 deaths, 5,890 injured and 3,451 people missing across eighteen prefectures, as well as over 125,000 buildings damaged or destroyed.

The Flood of Siam

(Thailand) - Major floods occurred during the 2011 monsoon season in Thailand. Provinces located in theChao Phraya and Mekong River basin, including Bangkok and surrounding neighborhoods were most severely affected directly or indirectly by inundation. Flooding also affected most provinces in Thailand's south. Flooding began around July 2011, and continued into December 2011. Over 12.8 million people were affected, and the World Bank estimated damages reached 1,440 billion baht (US$45 billion) as of December, 2011. As of December 3, 2011 some areas still remained 6 feet underwater and many factory areas remained closed.




 Long, Cold Christmas

(Philippines) - Tropical Storm Sendong (Washi) brought 10 hours of torrential rains that triggered disastrous flash flooding over Mindanao where thousands of people were declared dead and many are still missing.  Almost a week before Christmas eve, on December 17^th, Sendong left Mindanao grieving for their massive loss.

A TIME TO DIE

Been Laid-en

(Pakistan) - Osama bin Laden was killed in Pakistan on May 2, 2011, shortly after 1 a.m. local time by a United States Special Forces military unit. The operation, code-named Operation Neptune Spear, was ordered by United States President Barack Obama and carried out in a U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operation by a team of United States Navy SEALs from the United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group (also known as DEVGRU or informally by its former name, SEAL Team Six) of the Joint Special Operations Command, with support from CIA operatives on the ground. The raid on bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan was launched from Afghanistan. After the raid, U.S. forces took bin Laden's body to Afghanistan for identification, then buried it at sea within 24 hours of his death.

Merciless Massacre

(Oslo, Norway) - Norwegians mourned the victims of a massacre at an island youth camp and a bombing in the capital Oslo, Norway that happened last July 23, 2011.

Anders Behring Breivik, 32, admitted to carrying out both attacks, which he described as "gruesome but necessary".

At least 93 people were killed in Friday's attacks - 96 have been injured and some are still missing.

Too much love will kill you...

(Pampanga, Philippines) - The two boys involved in a shooting incident inside the SM Pampanga mall on Tuesday, September 20 were pronounced dead Wednesday, September 21, according to television reports.

A Genius, Gone

Steve Jobs, the mastermind behind Apple's iPhone, iPad, iPod, iMac and iTunes, has died, Apple said late on October 5. He was 56 years old.

Jobs died peacefully, surrounded by family members, his family said in a statement. In recent years Jobs had fought a form of pancreatic cancer and had a liver transplant.

(Libya) - October 20, after eight months of fighting Libya's rebels took Sirte, Muammar Gaddafi's hometown. Defiant until the end, Libya's leader was found in a drainpipe where he was captured, beaten and taken away in the back of a pickup truck. The dictator who had been at the center of world affairs for decades later died of gunshot wounds to his head and chest. GlobalPost obtained exclusive video of Gaddafi's capture and provided continuous breaking news coverage and analysis of this historic, and troubling, news event.

Death on the Land not their Own

(China) - Philippine Vice-President Jejomar Binay said he had received word of the executions on Wednesday from Philippine diplomats. The two women and one man were arrested separately carrying packages containing at least 4kg (8lb) of the drug. Elizabeth Batain, 38, was executed at a prison in the southern city of Shenzhen. Sally Ordinario-Villanueva, 32, and Ramon Credo, 42, were put to death in the port city of Xiamen. They were the first Filipinos to be executed in China for drug trafficking, Philippine officials said.

A TIME TO WIN, A TIME TO LOSE

Azkals, the road uphill

It was in 2011 that Filipinos came to recognize football when the Philippines’s Azkals hit it big. Although they have really get that far when it comes to competitions and though most of them are only half-blooded Filipinos, they are still one of the main reasons why Filipinos came to love football.

Close and Controversial Fight

November 12, Saturday night, Manny Pacquiao won a majority decision over Juan Manuel Marquez at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Though Pacquiao retained his belt and was still on top, many still questions the result of their controversial fight.

Pacquiao retained his welterweight title as judges Glenn Trowbridge, 116-112, and Dave Moretti, 115-113, scored the fight for Pacquiao. Robert Hoyle called it a draw, 114-114.

AND A TIME FOR A LITTLE POLITICS




Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago caught the attention and interest of students from the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Muntinlupa during the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill forum on Friday, November 25.

Media can’t get enough of her..

 Former President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s transfer from St. Luke’s Medical Center at Taguig City to Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) in Quezon City on the 9^th of December created a buzz and a little of media mayhem.

CJ out of SC?

The House of Representatives, on Monday night, December 12, voted to impeach Chief Justice Renato Corona. Speaker Sonny Belmonte announced in a press conference that a total of 188 congressmen signed the impeachment complaint against the chief justice. Grounds for impeachment include betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution. It only took 2 hours for these congressmen to sign the impeachment against CJ Corona.

A TIME PASSED, A TIME TO LET GO

2011 has been really a whirlwind of a ride not only for us in the Philippines but also for the rest of the world. We, the InkRush would like to apologise because we know that the above information are not all that there was and has been for the year 2011. Nevertheless, all has been said and done and nothing could ever change even if we would dare try to. For all that had happened in the past year, we hope that the events that occurred, be it good or bad, taught us a lesson that we will use f or the events to come. A time has been ended and another has just begun. We hope that all of us will use our time wisely because we indeed have a limited one. We will never know when might happen what. This might be a little late and awkward to say (or write) but we, Inkies (as we would like to call ourselves :), wish you a happy new year. Have a good one, an unforgettable one. Peace y’all!

Note: The above elements are just a compilation from various internet sources.

Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012 :) 8:01 AM

LOOKING BACK AT 2011: 

YEAR-END REVIEW

Once again 2011 has been a roller coaster ride for the Philippines. The whole year was filled with a lot of highs and lows of news stories. It varies from stories of achievements, for instance is the bagging of 3^rd runner up in prestigious Ms. Universe pageant by the gorgeous Shamcey Supsup. 2012 is also the year for sports aficionados as the National Football team Azkals rise into fame. But there were a lot of news that brought low-side of the country’s year.

Dreary pronouncement and shocking accounts dominated the headlines. From devastating storms to political scandals to crime surge and territorial dispute, all of this contribute to what 2011 has been for the Filipinos; let’s take a snapshot of some of the most talked about news stories of 2011.

1.)    Shocking crime Stories

The irrefutable more shocking cases of crime have been talked about on our country, cases that were very unusual of what we normally see as news staples.

It was during the month of September, when the public witness two crimes-of-passion. One was a man shoot by his own wife. Infidelity was seen as the root of the crime as they were last seen fighting over the man’s other woman. The wife shoots his husband during the quarrel and a security guard who try to stop her from killing herself. The woman is now detained for murder charges.

On the same month, a 13-year old boy shot his alleged boyfriend, who was five years his senior in a swarming mall in Pampanga. The boy then shot himself. According on the Police findings, it also a result of a lover’s quarrel.

The two crimes created a noise in the internet and on some social networking sites as it brought different opinions. Filipinos also query for their safety as this crimes both happened on supposedly secure establishments.

2.)    Territorial Dispute.

 “West Philippine Sea” became the preferred name to the waters west of the country in which the Spratly Island is part of this territory. Aside from the Philippines, countries like China, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam are also on claiming the territory.

Each was confident about their territorial claims especially between China and Philippines. In September, Philippines sought international support in its territorial issue against China. The Philippines eventually formed an alliance with Japan and sign a maritime accord with Vietnam.

In the last quarter of the year, sea disputes heightened up when China has again claiming a new territory of Palawan.

3.)    Devastating Storm

      Filipinos were used to experiencing a bad weather but it doesn’t mean that these ravaging storm that hit our country this year are easy to live with.

May of 2011, when the first two strong typhoons brought heavy rains and destruct the things that are on their way. Bebeng, ruined around P118 million worth of crops. Around 100,000 people has been affected by flooding and landslides killing 35 people. Not long after Bebeng’s destruction, Chedeng came in the way. In less than 24 hours, Chedeng beset a little over P10 million in property damages.

Two months after, it’s the tandem of Mina and Juaning whom battered the country. Mina’s destruction was close to P1 billion affecting 73 municipalities, 4 cities and 15 provinces. On the other hand, Juaning displaced around 600,000 people with P2.8 billion damages.

In September, Pedring and Quiel ravage the country. According to National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, Pedring leave a P12.34 billion worth of damage. While Pedring exited on September 27, Quiel immediately took over on September 28. The two typhoon’s “tag team” effect made matters worse for already flooded areas.

Amidst the disasters, many Filipinos have shown all their might to help others and give them hope for a better future. Who can forget the photo of a 12-year-old girl who saved a Philippine flag from the floodwaters when Bagyong Juaning ravaged their hometown?

Albay resident Frank Luzano took the picture of Janela Arcos Lelis ‘s heroic act on film and shared it on various social networking sites including Facebook and Twitter. 

 

National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) honored for her heroic act and a plaque for recognition was given to her. Many people and various organizations also took notice including President Noynoy Aquino.

4.)    Political Scandals

Last but definitely not the least are the political stories that dominates most of the headlines throughout the year.

The most talk about among this is the scandals that have been revealed last year that involves the former President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. With one after the other revelations and accusations, Arroyo’s camp said that she was now suffering from “multilevel cervical spondylosis
radiculopathy with kypnosis”

She soon underwent a series of surgical procedures on her cervical spine, and one of these had complications. Her spine got infected and was confined at SLMC in Taguig. When she sought permission to seek treatment abroad for a tetracycline bone biopsy, that wasn’t available in the Philippines, but as she was in the watch list of the Department of Justice (DOJ), her request has been repeatedly denied.

Things heated up more, when the Supreme Court issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) on the watch list action on Arroyo. However, Bureau of Immigration officials forbid Arroyo from leaving. DOJ secretary Leila de Lima argued the TRO issued by SC.

When all her travel plans were aborted, Arroyo’s camp said her health status is getting worse. A few days after, Pasay City Regional Trial Court issued a warrant of arrest for Arroyo. The Commission on Election (COMELEC) had filed electoral sabotage charges against the former president for the alleged massive cheating in the Maguindanao polls in 2007. Amid with the arrest Arroyo was transferred to state-run hospital, Veterans Memorial Medical Center at Quezon City. Debate generated among commentators and politicians.

As the year moved on, Filipinos are hopeful that so does our country; Hopeful that Philippines will move on from all the destructions made by natural disasters. Move forward towards the development we yearly wish we’ll soon to have. Mabuhay Pilipinas this 2012!

Hey there writer, say hello to 2012 and to your writing resolutions! 1:54 AM

12 Writing Resolutions for the 12 Months of 2012  

How many times have you made a list of resolutions in January, only to have misplaced them, forgotten about them, or just plain given up on them before the month was out? This year, instead of making a complete list of writing resolutions for the whole year, try implementing one new resolution every month. Following are twelve—one for each month!

In January, I resolve to…schedule a regular writing time.
The more regularly we write, the easier it gets to churn out words and the better those words become. Make a point of scheduling a regular writing time—whether it’s four hours seven days a week or fifteen minutes five days a week.

In February, I resolve to… create a roadmap to publication.
Reaching publication, whether it’s traditionally or independently, takes time. Start planning your course of action this month. Figure out what obstacles lay between you and your goal, and plan how you can overcome them one by one.

In March, I resolve to… stop procrastinating.
Procrastination is one of the writer’s most formidable enemies. This month, make a point of not allowing yourself to waste any of your scheduled writing time doing anything off point—including visiting the fridge, clipping your hangnails, or checking your email.

In April, I resolve to… edit an old story.
Pull your last story out of the closet and go over it with the ol’ red pen. Stories are never finished, just abandoned. So take advantage of the distance of time between you and an old story to gain an objective vantage point.

In May, I resolve to… send my story out for critique.
Try to always have something in the hands of a reader who can give you constructive feedback. Cultivate partnerships with other writers, with whom you can trade edits. Or bite the bullet and hire a professional editor to help you put that professional polish on your story.

In June, I resolve to… enforce my writing time.
This is the month to stop letting others run all over you and your writing time. Kindly, but firmly, let others know that your writing time is not to be interfered with. Even more important, refuse to let yourself feel guilty for making your writing a priority.

In July, I resolve to… streamline my writing process.
Take a hard look at your daily writing routine and your writing process as a whole. What could you do to streamline it? What new methods could you try? What current habits are deadweight that can be safely jettisoned?

In August, I resolve to… fact check my story.
Go through your story and make note of every single fact, no matter how small, that there’s even the slightest chance you could have gotten wrong. Then double-check them.

In September, I resolve to… do one thing to build my author’s platform.
Even if publication isn’t in your near future, start thinking about how you can start interacting with and building your reading community. Create a website, join a forum, print business cards.

In October, I resolve to… interview my characters.
Solidify and expand your knowledge of your characters by interviewing them. Find out their favorite colors, worst childhood memories, and fondest dreams. You can find a list of interview questions in my free e-book Crafting Unforgettable Characters (or an expanded list in my book Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success).

In November, I resolve to... get organized.
Clean out your desk and organize your notes, both hardcopy and digital. Trash anything you don’t need and file everything in appropriate folders, so you’ll be able to find what you need when you need it.

In December, I resolve to... exterminate clichés.
Go through your manuscript and specifically look for clichéd phrases and overused words. You’ll be surprised how many you find. Underline them in red and brainstorm original replacements.

Bonus: Year-Long Resolution:
This year, I resolve to read at least one book on the craft every month.

Note to the readers: the original article can be seen when you click this link-

source: http://wordplay-kmweiland.blogspot.com

Inkie-interaction Question: What's your writing resolutions for 2012?

HAPPY HOLIDAYS DEAR INKIES!