Welcome to our weekly entertainment column by YSN member and movie aficionado Rama Tampubolon. He runs the movie review and discussion blog, Rama’s Screen, and was featured in “United 300,” which won for “Best Spoof” at the 2007 MTV Movie Awards. He’ll discuss the latest hot topics and movie reviews every Thursday on Waste Time Wisely.

This is a pretty good thriller. I don’t necessarily agree with some of the good reviews that have been given for this film calling it “Silence of The Lambs in Digital age”. I personally think it would have to take more to be compared to something as great as Anthony Hopkins’ thriller. But UNTRACEABLE does involve… (more…)

No matter where you live, there’s been so much focus on the economy lately. The stock market is volatile, the housing market has taken a major hit and prices at the pump are low one week and sky high the next.

It has caused us to wonder: Do you have a second or third job to help pay the bills, or are you considering finding one?

From time to time, we all go through stages in life where we sit back and wonder: What it is all for? What is the larger picture? What is the meaning of our lives here on earth?

Sometimes we go through day after day of the same routine. For many of us, it is waking up to go to work, then coming home late in the evening, only to return to work the next morning. After months of the same routine, we all get to a point where it is no longer exciting to wake up in the morning. It seems harder and harder to climb out of bed. It is during these times that we think of the months to come, with the agony of no changes in the near future. This is why I have made it a point to give myself Something To Look Forward To.

My girlfriend and I have found that we are traveling spirits. Whether we schedule week-long trips or weekend getaways, we have found that our enjoyment in life is exploring the world in which we live. Beyond the adventure itself, I have also found that a schedule of events and getaways can work wonders on the way I look at life. When I think of the months ahead and I have at least one getaway scheduled, it gives me a whole new breath of fresh air just knowing that I have a few days to myself coming up.

If you can always have at least one day to look forward to, you will constantly have something to keep you going during those tough stretches of routine days. This practice alone will give your life just enough balance. If you are not able to schedule week-long vacations or weekend getaways, you can schedule a day trip. Anything that gets you away from your worries and pressures can be just enough to put a new bounce into your step.

Be sure to schedule enough of these days throughout the year so you always have a trip ahead to keep you going. This will also give you more time to think you more time to think productively and optimistically rather than thinking negatively as you do when you get stuck in that same routine.

But, always remember: Never let someone else dictate your enthusiasm, your belief in yourself, and your will to succeed in whatever it is you choose to do.

Chad A. Armel is the author of the book “Stepping Stones,” a collection of motivational and inspirational poems. Chad is also the founder/editor of myrev.org, a website dedicated to motivating visitors to make a change in their lives.

Welcome to our weekly column by YSN member and movie aficionado Rama Tampubolon. He runs the movie review and discussion blog, Rama’s Screen, and was featured in “United 300,” which won for “Best Spoof” at the 2007 MTV Movie Awards. He’ll discuss the latest hot topics and movie reviews every Thursday on Waste Time Wisely.

Cloverfield, the most talked about movie since the teaser premiered last year attached to Transformers, has arrived and to be real with you… it doesn’t live up to the hype.

I’m aware that most people are already cheering about how unconventional this movie looks and feels, but if I said the same thing, I’d be lying. Handheld-camera action film-making is becoming more and more of a trend these days. I personally hope it’s just a phase that soon will die so that steady camera work can come back to regain its throne. Cloverfield is a fun, wild ride for those of you who love movie watching experiences that make you feel like a part of the movie, like you’re running around in the sequence with the characters. For those of you who hate that particular method, then this movie will still be a ride… to hell.

The premise: A small group of people are having a farewell party for their friend when suddenly something attacks New York City and they are forced to run to their friend’s apartment to rescue her. This event is documented in an amateur video camera.

As far as the set, the props and some of the visuals, they’re pretty awesome. The way director Matt Reeves and his crew managed to create a chaotic, messy Manhattan has left me speechless — from the stunning view of the downtown explosions to the realistic look of Lady Liberty’s head crash landing on a New York public road to how the monster appears nothing like what people have assumed these past few months. I do, however, wish the handheld camera technique wasn’t used that often. At times, because the camera’s all over the place, you don’t know what’s going on and you can’t see all the surprises.

I loathe the storyline. These few people are the only ones the camera mostly focuses on and they’re boring. In a way, I can understand the bad acting because they actors needed to represent real life but I wish they would have spent more time out on the streets where the action is so we could see the fighting and how it all goes down.

I am, however, very impressed with the sound mixing and the sound editing. Every firepower, the monster’s scream, the noises of buildings, cars and helicopters… the sound is simply great.

This whole shaky camera business makes me dizzy, literally. My little cousin could hold the camera like that and come up with better results.

When I saw the trailer last year I thought whatever this was going to be, it should have been a summer blockbuster. That’s why I was so confused when after the trailer… the screen indicated the release date: 1/18/08. Now I know why it deserves to come out in January (usually the dumping ground for movies that are terrible or just okay): if it were released this summer, it would be a disgrace to other actual great summer blockbusters like The Dark Knight, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Speed Racer and Indiana Jones.

A lot happens at the workplace – projects, promotions, million-dollar deals, terminations – and there are a lot of different personalities to deal with. Instead of let the tough times drag you down, here are a few tips to help you keep on smiling and make you feel as though you have some control over the situation.

1. When something bad happens at work, instead of worrying or complaining, try to find out what went wrong and what you can do to prevent it from happening again.
2. Instead of responding/reacting immediately, take extra time (even if it’s just a minute or two) to evaluate the issue/problem/situation before speaking.
3. If other coworkers are having problems, try your best to tune them out and not become involved in their situation. The last place you want to be is caught in the middle of an argument between two coworkers.
4. If you are a manager and it seems like several people are disgruntled, consider addressing the problems face-to-face. Set up a formal meeting to hash out issues constructively, or invite each team member to have a one-on-one conversation with you.
5. Explore other opportunities. Maybe you feel “stuck” at your job, know there’s no room for growth or are unhappy with the company, your boss or coworkers. Even if you don’t go on interviews, sometimes just knowing you have options makes it easier to go to work every day. And who knows? Maybe your research will make you appreciate your current job more.