Laura Story Becomes The Latest Gospel Act to Top My International Countdown

Laura Story becomes the latest gospel artist to top My International Top 10 countdown, with her song, 'Blessings'.

Here are my ten favorite songs sung by foreign artists, for the week ending February 7, 2020 - 

#1 Blessings (#3)
      Laura Story

#2 NASA (#4)
      Ariana Grande

#3 Earfquake (#5)
      Tyler the Creator

#4 Don't Feel Like Crying (#6)
       Sigrid

#5 Rare (#7)
      Selena Gomez

#6 Make It Right (#8)
      BTS

#7 Don't Start Now (#9)
      Dua Lipa

#8 Yummy (#10)
       Justin Bieber

#9 Cruel Summer (NEW)
      Taylor Swift

#10 Truth Hurts (NEW)
        Lizzo

My Votes for Oscars 2020: Acting Categories

The Oscars are next week already, probably the earliest they have ever held the show in the 36 years that I have followed it!

So it's time to cast na my votes (feeling Academy member lol)
So here are my votes in the acting category.

Best Actor - Adam Driver

I have loved this guy since the HBO show Girls, and I am not surprised he has taken the Hollywood acting world by storm - a second consecutive nomination! Amazing!

And he is amazing in the Marriage Story. That scene where he sings "Being Alive" just brought tears to my eyes.

Best Actress - Scarlett Johansson

I have loved Scarlett since The Horse Whisperer and I was livid that she was snubbed in Lost in Translation. So now that I have a chance to vote for her, she gets it! My favorite scene is when she asks for her family's help to serve the divorce papers to her husband. Freaking hilarious!

Best Supporting Actress - Laura Dern

"You will always be held to a different higher standard." That freaking monologue has Oscar written all over it and Laura just does it perfectly!

Best Supporting Actor - Anthony Hopkins

The film closest to my heart among all the nominees but it missed the Best Picture nomination. Anthony plays Pope Benedict XVI in this movie and there are so many riveting scenes which are thought-provoking to many Catholics like me. The actors here have humanized the Popes which for many Catholics, is almost like touching God - a heavy burden to fulfill.

Australian Open 2020: Garbine's Got it in the Bag But I Want Sofia to Shock Us

I have only seen Sofia Kenin play this Aussie Open yet she has shown amazing fighting spirit that reminds you of the sport's greats!

On paper, this is Garbine Muguruza's title to lose - a French Open and Wimbledon champion already, this win will bring her a step closer to a career grand slam! One of the only few women ever to do it!

It does look like Garbine's already got it in the bag, but I want Sofia to shock us. I have seen how she dismantled the feisty Ashleigh Barty before the hometown crowd.

She has the ability to do it again, against Garbine, in the finals.

That's why it's going to be an exciting women's finals!

Australian Open 2020: Baby Thiem Should Be in Another Grand Slam Final

Who do you cheer for when you love both players, lol - a quandary I usually find myself in from time to time 😀

Well, I did cheer for Stan against Alexander and for Dominic against Rafa. Different sets of players, different levels of adulation.

Might cheer more for my baby Dominic though, this time.

I think, among the young players, he has the most weapons and the most experience in the finals to stop Novak from breaking Roger's record of number of grand slam titles, lol

Otherwise, within a year or two, Novak will eclipse Roger - and that would be a major upheaval in men's tennis which I could not accept easily......

Taylor Swift's 'The Man' Tops My International Top 10 Countdown This Week

Taylor Swift's "The Man" tops my international Top 10 countdown this week.  It's the second song from her 'Lover' album that tops the countdown.

Here are my ten favorite songs this week by international artists -

#1 The Man (#2)
     Taylor Swift

#2 Megatron (#3)
     Nicki Minaj

#3 Blessing (#4)
     Laura Story

#4 NASA (#5)
     Ariana Grande

#5 Earfquake (#6)
     Tyler the Creator

#6 Don't Feel Like Crying (#8)
     Sigrid

#7 Rare (#10)
       Selena Gomez

#8 Make It Right (NEW)
      BTS

#9 Don't Start Now (NEW)
     Dua Lipa

#10 Yummy (NEW)
       Justin Bieber

Spongecola and Karylle Top My OPM Top 10 Countdown for a Second Week

Spongecola and Karylle top my OPM Top 10 countdown for a second week.

Here are my ten favorite OPM songs for the week ending January 24, 2020 -

#1 Promises (#1)* 2 weeks
     Spongecola / Karylle

#2 Tipints (#3)
     Alex Gonzaga

#3 Umaga (#4)
     Shanne Dandan

#4 Rewind (#5)
     Riva Quenery

#5 Body Crashes (#6)
     Rhian

#6 Patawad, Paalam (#7)
     Moira dela Torre / I Belong to the Zoo

#7 Lagi (#10)
       John Roa

#8 Di Lahat (NEW)
     Donnalyn Bartolome

#9 Keke Love (NEW)
     Mimi / Elmo Magalona

#10 Lazy Day (NEW)
       Keane Trinity

Australian Open 2020: The Last 4 Women

These are the four women who have survived all the stunning upsets that have been happening in the women's game this fortnight - and all are playing at the top of their game, without anyone dropping a set in their quarterfinal matches.

One interesting characteristic about them is that three of them are French Open champions, with only Sofia Kenin as the greenhorn. So even with all the upsets, the depth of women's tennis is still wide enough to cast a net of three former and current grand slam champions.

Local darling Ashleigh Barty will square off with American Sofia Kenin.  Barty has been handling the pressure of being the first Australian woman in 40 years to reach the final here - and she has a very good chance of getting there - as Kenin is fairly a newbie this deep in a grand slam. Experience may help Barty win their match.

Simona Halep has been to the final here and she gets another shot later today - against Garbine Muguruza of Spain, her fellow French Open champion.  It would be interesting to see the two play as Garbine is known for her aggressive play and Simona is more of a counterpuncher.

I will be gunning for a Barty-Halep final.  Let's see how it unfolds!