HALLOWEEN 2013: Happy Halloween!!!

Well, it's that time of the year again, Halloween. It's probably one of the best holiday of the fourth quarter of the year and in this event, people love to get out with their favorite costumes and go trick or treating. Sometimes, they want to party hard all night long. For a few, they want to do something bolder by going to some place haunted. That's what Halloween's all about.

So, got any plans for this year's Halloween? For me, that's a top secret but still I'm in to the Halloween spirit like the whole neighborhood. When darkness falls, we all have to party hard for this time of the year.

On behalf of many, HAPPY HALLOWEEN TO ALL!!!

HALLOWEEN 2013: The Lazy Man's Guide to Carving Pumpkins

On this segment:

Pumpkins are the best thing to do this Halloween and every year, people love to carve pumpkins with whatever they've desired but in the world of the lazy men, carving pumpkins take a lot of work so how can to speed this pumpkin carving up?

The electric drill should do nicely and what lazy men do is to make a big circle on it to create the eye of the pumpkin. Two holes should be enough.

Anyway, what about the mouth. Most pumpkins have scary zig-zag shaped mouth and doing this is not the lazy man's way so how can we make it even more scarier? Stick it with a knife and then slice them zig-zag to create a mouth!

Some pumpkins have lights but candles can be too somewhat flammable for the pumpkin. Recommendation? Battery-operated candles! You can find one of these at your local hardware store.

Within minutes, one scary pumpkin, made to decorate your home in time for All Hallows Eve.

That truly was the Lazy Man's Guide to Carving Pumpkins...

HALLOWEEN 2013: What to wear on a Halloween party?

Welcome to the special HALLOWEEN 2013 segment of Leopaul's Blog, the segment that sucks blood to live like what vampires do.

On this segment:

Teenagers enjoy throwing the biggest Halloween parties at home and of course, if you want to be part of the party, you need to be stand out from the crowd. Maybe the costumes you'll be wearing will give you the attention guests deserve so what to wear on a Halloween party?!

1) Vampire fashion

Well, forget about Dracula, everyone knows that thanks to Twilight and Vampire Diaries, vampires are hot. So hot. Rather that dressing up as Dracula, think of the vampire fashion you'll be wearing. Gothic and dark, it's all vampire fashion to us so the more punkish and dark your clothes are, the more attractive you'll become to inspire the look of a blood-sucking immortal.

2) Zombies

Zombies are so in right now thanks to The Walking Dead so if you are planning to dress as the flesh-munching undead for the party, have enough make-up and some ragged clothes to wear because...that's how zombies look like; wearing ragged clothing with some blood spills, creepy-looking faces, and a scary stance that is a proof of being a flesh muncher. Mmm...brains...

3) Science Fiction

Whether if its Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who, or any other forms of sci-fi stuff any geek would think of, you are always more than welcome to be. Word of warning though, being R2D2 or a Dalek is impossible. Oh yeah, word of warning though...DON'T YOU DARE DRESS YOURSELF AS A TARDIS. A TARDIS is a thing, not a character. Well, Idris is the Tardis so you're suppose to be her. Think about it folks, if you're going to be the TARDIS for the party, be warned that it's gonna take a cardboard box and blue paint to do it. That's annoying, isn't it? I REPEAT, A TARDIS IS NOT A CHARACTER so don't dare to cosplay as that.

4) Cartoon Characters

Classic or modern, it's your pick. Like in previous installments, deciding which cartoon character you'll be dressing as for the party is hard work and there are some characters that are uniquely impossible to cosplay like Lady Rainicorn (because she's long and it takes some dragon dancing tricks to do it), Lumpy Space Princess (because of her appearance impossible to mimic unless mascot trickery), the imaginary friends from Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, oh and those from that new cartoon I watched called Wander over Yonder. There are some or few cartoon characters impossible to cosplay so don't even try. Oh and don't even think about dressing as humanized versions of animal characters...even Pokemon. Kigurumi...that's what they suppose to be.

If you're planning to be Dipper Pines for the party...this is worth the shot because it takes a blue vest, red shirt, and some black-ish shorts but what about the hat? WeLoveFine has one. As for Mabel...hmmm...how to mimic the sweaters she wore in the series? Well, it's all up to you...

5) Video Games

You love video games, so do we! Dress up as your favorite video game heroes and villains at the party so your guests will know that you had your game on! Oh yeah! Get'cha head in the game!

6) Anime characters

Some people who are going to the Halloween party will be wearing as their favorite anime heroes and villains so whether if its Naruto, One Piece, Dragon Ball, SAO, Attack on Titan, or any other anime otakus know, you are always more than welcome. Parties are getting used to those anime otakus nowadays.

7) Monsters

Monsters from horror movies are what every hardcore faithfuls want to be for the party so if you're going out as a wolfman or a headless man or a white lady or a manananggal or demons...it's your call. Be whatever monsters you want for the party.

8) Killers

Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, Chucky, Jigsaw, there are so many notorious killers as seen from horror movies and whichever horror slashers you'll be guaranteed a more killer look when you come to the party. Oh and safety first before you go. You don't want to scare the partygoers away with your weapons, which in case just props rather than real ones.

So there you go...these are the best stuff to wear when you're coming for the Halloween Party with your mates. Time to get your scare on and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!! Boo-hoo!!!! 

HALLOWEEN 2013: Tips during the Undas traffic

Welcome to the special HALLOWEEN 2013 segment of Leopaul's Blog, the segment zombies came here like a wrecking ball. Coming up...

On this segment:

All Saints' Day is on November 1st, 2013, which is the day after Halloween. All Saints' Day is a holiday where families visit the graveyard to pay respects for the fallen. However, there's more to it than that because what to expect on All Saints' Day is heavy duty traffic. That's right. Slow-moving traffic that will surely leave you dead after long hours of traffic. No wonder it's a non-working holiday but hey, if you and your family had your ride to the cemetery and expect a very long traffic during UNDAS 2013, what are your best ways to kill your boredom when the annual heavy Undas traffic kicks in?

1) Pack lots of snacks, meals, and drinks on your trip

The heavy traffic on the way to your cemetery will leave you thirsty and starved on the road. The best thing to do is before you leave your home and to the cemetery is to pack enough snacks and drinks on your trip. Either your mom's fully-cooked meal sealed in Tupperware boxes or crisps such as Chippy, Nova, Ding Dong, Tortillios or whatever junk food you know, make sure you have enough snacks while getting stuck in traffic. Oh yeah, as for drinks, stock up on whatever you want; mineral water, soda, sports drinks, iced tea, whatever drink you want but one more thing; NO ALCOHOL. Remember the whole "don't drink and drive" law.

2) Entertainment

Long traffic usually means boredom for the people heading to the cemetery and the best to do is open up your car's radio and set to FM frequency because everybody needs music. Get it? If radio isn't enough, either your portable TV (if you had one), your MP3 player, or your hand held console (like your PSP, DS, or Vita) would do but be sure that it's fully charged before on the go.

3) Servicing

Your car is nothing more of a traveling companion when you need it so it's best to service it before you go. Make sure the parts are working fine as well as the lights, the brakes, the oil, and the electric supply. Oh and if you're brave enough through the high gas prices, be sure to full tank your car. It maybe an expensive solution but if you're not into driving, seek public transportation or hitch a ride with a buddy.

4) Internet connectivity

 A long road away from home usually means one thing, you can't do internet because you're miles away from your home's broadband but not to worry. If you brought your laptop and any other Wi-Fi capable gadgets, make sure that you have a mobile Wi-Fi with you. For example, Smart has a mobile prepaid Wi-Fi that you can reload it for about 200 pesos or higher to have 5-days of internet connectivity. Make sure that it has enough load (or charge) in order to go internet surfing while on the move. Oh yeah, if you guys made it to the cemetery, be sure to check in from your Foursquare! Your friends will notice that you came from a long trip this Undas!

5) Defense

A long trip can be somewhat risky because there are some jologs wanted to steal your ride or doing some kind of a Mad Max-style of attacks. Defensive driving may be unnecessary in an event like this but this can save you and your family from bad people trying to hurt you on your way to the cemetery. If you have long objects surrounded on your car, these can make a vital defense in case some crooks approached you with a gun pointing at you. Keep Calm and Aim for the Head. Time to say rest in peace, crooks!

6) Don't let the kids say "Are We There Yet?"

If you had kids with you on your trip, then you're in bad luck because the only question kids will tell you on your way to the cemetery is the dreaded ARE WE THERE YET? Tell your kids no, stop asking questions, and ask them to play with their toys. Silence is virtue on this trip.

7) Do your All Saints Day...at home

If you're not in the mood to travel, why not do this at home? Make a faux tombstone (out of your cardboard) and be sure to have candles so you can pay respects without travelling through the long traffic!

So there you go, these are the best ways to kill your boredom when the annual heavy Undas traffic kicks in. Have a nice road trip this All Saints' Day!

HALLOWEEN 2013: Loser candies to avoid

Welcome to the special HALLOWEEN 2013 segment of Leopaul's Blog, the segment that bits everyone and turns them into zombies. Coming up...

On this segment:

Loser Candy

Well, it's that time of the year again when the kids dressed up as their favorites and then head out to the suburbs to get some candy for the fun of it. Of course, being kids, they are too picky and they don't like "loser candy" which is a term as heard from a Gravity Falls episode. The loser candy probability can be somewhat CRITICAL and you'll never know when will loser candy hits you, making your trick-or-treating the worst so what are the "loser candies" you should avoid this Halloween?

1) Sugar-free candy

As kids, they have cravings for sugar coated confectionery but some neighbors think they are concerned because of, well, diabetes or toothache, and what they will do is taking the reversal that is...sugar-free candy. They may look like candies but sadly...no sugar. If you encounter those, AVOID. Oh and if you're diabetic and if you don't want the risk of losing a leg, don't go trick-or-treating. Just saying...

2) Pixy Stix

These powdered candy known as Pixy Stix is far out one of the worst candies to avoid for Halloween because they're far too...well, bland for their taste and sweetness. It's about as rubbish as...drinking unsweetened tea at McDonald's.

3) Chocolate-dipped apples

Come on, no kid in the world wants that. These apples dipped in chocolate on a stick are considered "loser candy" because...no kid of today likes fruits disguised in chocolate. See one of these from your neighbors and AVOID.

4) Hard candy

Whether if it's mint flavored, fruit flavored, or for worse, taste like medicine, this is the one to avoid because there is a risk that your teeth can't handle the hardness. If I were in that situation, I would rather just swallow it rather than biting it.

5) Mounds or Almond Joy

They may look like chocolate but when you ate one of those...(vomiting) Why would they made these piece of crud? Nobody likes those for Halloween!

6) Jelly belly

These beans taste like plastic and no matter the color and the taste of those, they will always taste like plastic. AVOID these loser beans on Halloween.

7) Candy corn

Invented by a Philadelphian, candy corn is made of wax, sugar, and corn syrup. By the looks of it, it looks like a corn's kernel but if you manage to eat one...these candy corns can be a bit blah and makes you as disappointed as a man during the Great Depression. AVOID this loser candy when you see one.

8) Licorice

Licorice is considered a "loser candy" and best to avoid one of these if you don't want your jack-o-lantern get jacked up with a pile of rubbish.

9) Circus Peanut

As Candy from Gravity Falls may say "Circus peanut? This is loser candy!"

10) Wax candy

From wax lips to wax cola bottles, these wax candies are the ones to avoid as well because...who would rather eat some wax or something? Ahem...wax is...like...Wax Museum or Star Wax of polishing wax of whatever...who would eat wax as a candy?!

11) Necco Wafers

These two-centuries old candies are the king of "loser candies" because not only it's old but the chalky taste of those thin candy wafers in a pack makes it the ultimate "loser candy" to avoid this Halloween.

12) Asian candies

WATCH OUT! Some of your neighbors bought out some candies straight from Asian stores. See one of those suspicious-looking candies straight from Asia and AVOID. No kid likes those for Halloween.

There are so many loser candies your neighbors might throw at you but beware...not all neighbors may give you candy but sometimes un-edibles or for worse...FRUITS! If you don't want to wind up in that situation, use science to determine which of your neighbors serve the best candies, which serves "loser candies" or both. Be careful, some may come up with a surprise attack on your jack-o-lantern full of candies.

So there you go, next time when you're out trick-or-treating this Halloween, use the data gathered from this segment and find out which "loser candy" you should avoid from your neighbors.

HALLOWEEN 2013: Best horror movies for a movie marathon

Welcome to the special HALLOWEEN 2013 segment of Leopaul's Blog, the segment that knows which of your neighbors had loser candy and you should avoid. Coming up...

On this segment:

Horror flicks are what every teenager and adult's favorite treat on the dead of night. Most horror flicks include some ghosts, monsters, demons, and most famously, zombies. Yes, zombies are now part of every horror fan's mind right now and in an event when zombies became part of our daily lives, that's worth traumatizing. Now, if you're in a mood for movie marathon with your friends and family, what are the best horror movies to watch for Halloween? Using our past experiences, I will determine which of the best scary movies you should want to do a bit of a horror movie marathon with your friends, if you got any...

1) The Child's Play series

Yes, the Child's Play series is notably one of the most scariest films to watch and it's not recommended to watch with the kids because...it's about a spirit of a serial killer possessed through a toy named Chucky. Such gore scored this maniacal ginger-haired killer toy numerous sequels like Child's Play 2, Child's Play 3, Bride of Chucky, and Seed of Chucky. If you want the ultimate wet-in-your-pants thrills, I'd suggest to find yourself the killer DVD collection packed with all the Child's Play movies. Worth the scare, right?

2) The Friday the 13th movies

In superstition, Friday the 13th is considered unlucky, but in horror movies, Friday the 13th is about a killer in a hockey mask named Jason hunting down hapless teenagers. There are 12 movies of this franchise, including the killer Freddy vs. Jason movie where the masked killer meets his match: the man with a viciously long claw named Freddy Krueger.

3) A Nightmare on Elm Street

Anyway, on the subject of Freddy Krueger, this madman is the one to scare for in A Nightmare on Elm Street. There are seven Elm Street films from the first one up to Wes Craven's New Nightmare but deciding which of the Elm Street movie is the scariest and gory is all up to you. It's worth the slash when it comes to your craving for fear.

4) Saw

Hello...I want to play a game. Yes, the sadistic killer known as Jigsaw is notorious for the insane contraptions where most of the victims died while a few managed to survive. The Saw series has been one of my favorite in the horror movie department but sadly for me, I only liked the first two. The seventh and the final chapter was gory but sadly...it really is the end for the franchise, which is sad. Yes, there are seven Saw films from the start to finish and if you're a faint at heart, best to look away while you can because you can't take the gore from such a scary franchise.

5) The George A. Romero's zombie movies

The 2004 version of Dawn of the Dead was fine but has anyone seen the original 1979 version? Well, never mind about that but the George A. Romero zombie movies were the ones that defined the zombie movie trend by storm and the franchise is well known to be "one of the most daring, hypnotic, and absolutely vital horror films of the past decade" (fangoria.com). Whether if it's Dawn of the Dead, Night of the Living Dead, Diary of the Dead, Survival of the Dead or Land of the Dead, these zombie movies are more of a treat if you are in the urge for some zombie movie marathon this Halloween with your mates.

6) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Inspired from real events, Texas Chainsaw Massacre is about a group of teens taking a detour from a road trip to Texas and what happens next is beyond their darkest fears. It maybe a cult favorite but sadly, this genre can be a bit of an overrated for us but if you get the hang of it, then this might be more gory than any other horror movies you know. Be warned though, EVIL WEARS MANY FACES.

7) Scary Movie

If too much horror is on your mind, how about a mixture of horror and comedy to bring you some good vibes on Halloween? Yes, the Wayans bros. made a series of spoof films based on some of the most notable horror movies known to mankind. The latest was Scary MoVie, which is the fifth installment of the film and it spoofs films like Paranormal Activity, Mama, and so much more.

8) Battle Royale

Okay, so maybe not much of a horror but this is definitely one of the most bloody brutal movies made by the Japanese. In a dystopian future where the Japanese economy collapsed, the government established the Battle Royale where a group of school kids kill each other until the only one survived. I was amazed that Tatsuya Fujiwara, the one who played Light from the Death Note movies since 2006, was in that movie but more importantly, this killer Japanese movie is worth traumatizing. I watched the first one and trust me on this, it really shocked my mind till the end of the film.

9) The Conjuring

One of 2013's most scariest movies ever seen by many, The Conjuring was inspired from real events and it's about a group of paranormal investigators called upon to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in a secluded farmhouse. It maybe known to be one of the most terrifying cases the world has ever faced but watching this movie 'till the end will keep you wandering.

I got a list of recommendations when you want a bit of a horror movie marathon this Halloween but whichever movie you want is all up to you.

10) Insidious

11) Jennifer's Body

12) Resident Evil movies

13) Silent Hill

14) The Purge

15) World War Z

16) Warm Bodies

17) Mama

18) The Amityville Horror

19) The Ring

20) The Grudge

21) The Last Exorcism

22) Paranormal Activity

...uh, there are too many recommendations to list but I'll leave this up to you...

HALLOWEEN 2013: The best cartoon characters to dress for this year's Halloween

Welcome to the special HALLOWEEN 2013 segment of Leopaul's Blog, the segment that doesn't come with LOSER CANDY to the picky children.

On the special segment, running from the rest of the week from now till the 31st of October, that is Halloween to you, me, and the rest of the world, it's the science of halloween regarding the best costumes to wear, the scariest movies to watch, worst "loser candies" to avoid this halloween, and of course, the do's and don'ts in Halloween.

On this segment:

Ah, the kids. Every halloween, kids in the suburbs readying their costumes to dress for halloween in the event we all know as "TRICK OR TREAT". No matter the costume, kids get candies from their neighbors for the fun of it. It always happened every year but...on this segment, my suggestions can do better so what are the best cartoon characters to dress this Halloween?

This suggestion is a long process but I decided to give you a rundown to name a few based on the kids' fandom.

1) The Justice League

WHY: The best of DC Comics heroes can be the best costumes to wear this Halloween. Superman, Batman, The Flash, Cyborg, Aquaman, Green Lantern, and Wonder Woman, no matter which Justice League member you'll be, you and your friends will guarantee a heroic effort to score some candy. Yes, there goes the "We can be heroes" gig but for Halloween, you and your friends can be heroes.

2) The Avengers

WHY: If some kids that the Justice League is a bit of an old-school fad, they think The Avengers are way cooler than the Justice League. Why? It's a MARVEL thing. Everybody loves MARVEL, despite the fact that it's now part of Disney. There's a hitch when it comes to dress as their favorite Avenger this Halloween because the only Avengers that are easier to be on Halloween are Captain America, Thor or Iron Man (considering the costumes you can find at your nearest stores) because...how to dress as The Incredible Hulk? If you're not so sure, turning your kid into Hulk for Halloween can be tricky because...consider his angry green color. Making him wearing ripped denim jeans is an easy task but...how can you make him green? Either body paint or a felt tip pen would work but as for the felt tip pen, make sure it's not permanent because it takes 6 days to come off and it's an embarrassing moment when your kid is back to school with a bit of green stuff in his whole body. Yikes...

3) Adventure Time

WHY: Ah yes. Adventure Time, the worldwide cult favorite everyone's been talking about. Kids, teens, and adults love watching this show and it's quickly becoming one of the most addicting cartoons for the millennials. One day, I'll name and shame the most addicting cartoon in the world but in the meantime, being Adventure Time characters for Halloween...can you be Finn the human for Halloween? Yes. Can you be PB for Halloween? Yes, if you're a little girl. Can you be Marcy for Halloween? Uh...let's save that on the next segment. Anyway...Ice King? Yes but best to mimic his evil personality to complete the look however...there's a problem...

If a little boy wants to be Ice King for halloween...what about his penguin henchmen? Ah! You know that there's a Gunther plushie available, right? If it happened that you had one, give one to him but in case you never bought one, never mind. Just go on with it, anyway.

Now for something more difficult; Lumpy Space Princess and BMO. Can you cosplay as either Lumpy Space Princess or BMO? The answer is yes for a BMO and a no for LSP. Oh my glob...why is LSP impossible to cosplay for Halloween? Look...

Lumpy Space Princess

Oh my glob! Do you think you can cosplay as LSP? The answer...about a 100% of fans tried to dress as LSP and failed miserably because judging by how LSP looks like, it's impossible so don't bother dress as LSP. That's not gonna work because like we, humans, do...we can't levitate ourselves. Unless mascot trickery would do the trick, you'll never gonna be LSP for Halloween so don't even think about it.

As for BMO...

BMO

Get some dark blue (sort of) stockings, some green arm sleeves, and a box! That's it. Dark blue stockings (again, sort of), green arm sleeves, and a box. As for the box, it's up to you to use your art skills to replicate the look of the most adorable little gadget in Adventure Time. Youth, these days, don't really know what a mascot is...

4) Disney Junior characters

This is an unbelievable stroke of genius because with kids aged from 2 to 7 enjoyed watching their favorite Disney Junior shows on the telly, that gave them wandering which will be wearing this Halloween. Suggestion? Simple, three of our favorite Disney Junior shows like Jake and the Never Land Pirates, Doc McStuffins, and the very latest addition, Sofia the First. If you happen to bought one of their costumes from, let's just say your nearest Disney store or at Disney Store online, then you're fine. Kids these days love Disney because...well, their image isn't all about Mickey Mouse but it's because "happiness is a state of mind". A brave pirate, a toy doctor, and a princess-in-training, whichever your kid will gonna be, these gonna score them a bountiful of sweet candy, hopefully. Let's hope it's not LOSER CANDY.

5) Disney princesses

This one's for the little girls because with the upcoming Disney movie, Frozen, is coming next month, girls have a lot of choices to dress as their favorite Disney princesses; Cinderella, Snow White, Princess Aurora from Sleeping Beauty, Jasmine from Aladdin, Belle from Beauty and the Beast, Princess Tiana from Princess and the Frog, Rapunzel from Tangled, and Merida from Brave. Choices, choices, choices. If you're lucky to dress as next month's Anne of Arendelle from next month's Frozen, well good luck!

6) Equestria Girls

If you happen if one of your little girls is a big fan of MLP, my suggestion is dress as one of their Equestria Girls equivalents because dressing as a pony sounds ridiculous and hard because you have to go in fours. If you watched the Equestria Girls film, you know what it means and frankly, you have to try your luck mimicking the outfits seen in Equestria Girls; from Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Fluttershy. If they get this right, that will surely rack up the points, or candies.

There are many suggestions for the best cartoon characters to dress this Halloween but I leave it this one to you. If you have any suggestions, feel free to post some comments below or write to me via e-mail. Just to let you know, ask your parents permission before going online first.