HENYOISM

Eh-hum # 289

2009-11-16T07:56:00.002+09:00

I'm baaaaccckkk.

Yes, yes, I know it has been three months and unfortunately, I have been busy. Well, if I were more organized I would be updating my blog on a daily basis. But its good I have some free time to share that:

1) After almost two months of waiting, I finally got my grade for my comprehensive exams: I passed and got an A-. Very contented, since I was praying at least a B. Now, I can move on and start researching for my thesis topic and proposal defense.

2) Huge changes at work. Not only we have a new boss, the unit to which I belong is sort of "evolving" (I'll just leave it at that). However, some administrative concerns that may not considered as good news for most. Will be praying extra hard for order and fairness (Side note: Unnecessary drama last month. Funny and annoying how sometimes parents refuse to believe that their children, especially those who are of age, can make their own decisions. Instead, they blame it on other people and the supernatural. Puh-leeze).

3) Speaking of work, our guests from abroad will be arriving this Saturday. Hence this week is hell week. Good luck to us (our last activity which was held in September was a hit; we are drawing inspiration from that)!

4) Important lesson: It pays to be humble.

5) Election fever is here and will not go away until the votes have been tallied. Have not decided my President and VP, etc. I am waiting for a dove to descend from heaven and anoint the most fit to occupy the highest political position in the country (or I could file the whole dove thing under "never" and pray for the best. *sigh*).

6) Totally a fan of the comedy show "The Big Bang Theory". Discover your inner geek!

7) Finally, we congratulate the PACMAN for a stunning win last Saturday (Sunday local time). For a minute there, I was worried. But kudos to my brother (and resident sports analyst) for believing in the Pambansang Kamao and boldly predicting that he will triumph and get his 7th title. Glad to have witnessed a historic event. (Side note: But a suggestion to those who gets to choose who sings the Philippine National Anthem: two or three heads are not necessarily better than one. This singing group, whose name escapes me at the moment, were pretty and well dressed, but I was not impressed. Again, I can't believe they overlooked Lea Salonga for this. Well, maybe the trio works for GMA 7? That would've explained a lot. But at least, they got the lyrics right.)

Whew. That pretty much sums it up. Hopefully it won't take me another two or three months to write my next post. Oh well.

Eh-hum # 288

2009-08-03T08:24:00.003+09:00

What would Cory do?

I join the rest of the country in expressing heartfelt condolences to the Aquino family for their loss. In addition, the country lost an icon of democracy and peace. Her regime was not perfect, it was marred by coup attempts and controversies (Mendiola Massacre, power shortages, etc.). But as we know, the transition from martial rule to civilian authority was not easy for the Filipino people, and she, a simple housewife, took the reins at a truly challenging period for the nation.

What is even more sad with the passing of former President Cory Aquino is that there are still remnants of the old martial rule walking about. I am talking about them Marcos cronies who were her political rivals. Perhaps there is some truth to that old Filipino saying, "Ang masamang damo ay matagal mamatay".

Here we go...

When things couldn't get any worse, we hear Kris Aquino-Yap(ping) thanking the Marcoses and Joseph Estrada for their support. Talking about adding insult to injury. Why am I not surprise? Let me take you back to the days when Ms. Aquino-Yap had a talk show on Channel RPN 9, when she had Bongbong Marcos as guest and her gestured distressed the former President. She also forgot the time when Tita Cory apologized to Estrada and the reaction that got from the civil society.

The Aquino family's decision to refuse Malacañang's offer for a state burial was their business and should be respected; hence, I was hoping they wouldn't have to explain why. Well Ms. Aquino-Yap decided to do it anyway, and unfortunately it may further divided the nation (in her logic, one of the reasons was the supposed pull-out of the former President's security details). From what I heard, some of the family members just didn't want to get involved in politics. Naive?

Reality check, from the moment politicos like Erap and other so-called Cory "friends" and "supporters" have been visiting her and hosting masses for her recovery then, it has become a vehicle for these folks for media mileage and support from the voters this coming election. Like what Mr. Cito Beltran said in his article (see link above), how ironic it is to see those trapos who have betrayed her in the past and now claim to be close friends with the family. I am not being cynical, just realistic.

If Cory can see all of this happening, what would she do? I am sad that all of these are happening at the expense of the former President's death. So Kris, don't be naive and say that your clan is "small" (compared to the current regime) and helpless and all that. Think again; these trapos and former cronies see the (politcal) potential in expressing their sadness for Tita Cory's passing. In addition, by expressing publicly your appreciation for Erap's and Marcoses' support (brrrr) and Noynoy's disappointment for a possible GMA visit, you have unwittingly made this a political issue. Again, not cynical, but realistic.

With all of this craziness, I am glad that the former President (and Ninoy) are in a better place right now.

Just tie a yellow ribbon on the old oak tree...

Eh-hum # 287

2009-07-06T11:42:00.002+09:00

Randomness:

1. Darna 2.0 in GMA 7 - an excuse for Marian Rivera to be in a bikini/two piece on a daily basis (really, forget the acting or the storyline).

2. Rosalinda also on GMA 7 - basically, the lead actress is Marian Rivera Version 2.0 (YAWN); her legit showbiz pedigree gone to waste.

3. Koreanoveles on both ABS-CBN, GMA - our local talents (writing) have lost their knack; Filipino television has been reduced to dubbing imported series and worse, making Filipino versions of said dramas.

Wala lang.

Eh-hum # 286

2009-06-17T10:42:00.007+09:00

HAPPY, HAPPY 5th BIRTHDAY TO THE HENYO BLOG (on 29 June 09)!!!

What's a birthday celebration without KARAOKE/VIDEOKE?! So for your (our) enjoyment, please sing along with a moving rendition of that ultimate karaoke number, Total Eclipse of the Heart.

But wait, THERE'S MORE! This is not just any version of Bonnie Tyler's 80s hit, it's the LITERAL version that went viral just recently. Literal means the song is about the events in the music video. So, turn around bright eyes and get a load of this:

***

On a sadder note, the undisputed King of Pop died today at age 50. While his career was marred by erratic behavior, plastic surgeries and allegations of child abuse, Jackson will remain one of the most influential and talented entertainers of the 20th Century. Without a doubt, he was at his finest when performing his best songs and busting his best moves. And we shall remember him that way.

Michael Jackson

(1958-2009)

Eh-hum # 285

2009-06-17T09:09:00.005+09:00

On the way to work today, I heared the radio ads by three Senators: Manny Villar, Mar Roxas and Loren Legarda. Among the three, Villar's had the most airtime (it was the longest). *Sigh* In the Philippines, it is never too early to start campaigning for the next national elections in 2010.

***

Methinks the most controversial issue to date is House Resolution 1109, or resolution passed at the Lower House calling for the convening of a constituent assembly (CON-ASS) to propose amendments to the Constitution without the Senate. According to the national dailies, the Supreme Court junked a petition submitted yesterday by "taxpayers" against the said resolution. The high-court called the petition premature and stating that proponents of the resolutions have yet to "perfom a positive act" (read: do anything substantial vis-a-vis CON-ASS) that would merit an intervention from the SC. True; it has been a waiting game of sorts since HR 1109 was approved.

For me, I have not seen anything concrete; perhaps that is why the rallies last week were not so popular (especially to annoyed Makati employees who had a hard time communiting), its more on noise rather than substance. Most of the time, we are left to speculate of what will the House solons (PGMA allies) will do next. According to the Speaker, they will convene after PGMA delivers her SONA next month. Personally, I am not as informed as the others on this whole CON-ASS issue; perhaps this is a good time for me (and most of the Filipinos) to study the moves of key politicians and read the dailies. As the SC ruling said, "It is not an open invitation for the ignorant and ignoble to file petitions that prove nothing but their cerebral deficit".

Hence, if we want our voices to be heard and our vigilance not wasted, our actions should be based on credible information and a good understanding of the issue at hand.

***

I was feeling under the weather last Sunday and yesterday. Because I went to school last Saturday, the first thing that came to mind was H1N1. I have the sniffles and am coughing a bit, but thank goodness I didn't have a fever. I am now on the road to recovery, thanks to countless glasses of pineapple juice and certain medications.

H1N1 can be fatal, but let us not forget that other equally (perhaps even more) dangerous disease, Dengue.

***

Good riddance to the circus that is the Hayden-Katrina Senate hearing (Great, another in-aid-of-legislation hearing gone to waste; did it help at all?). Please, let us forget about these two and tackle the issue of pronography/cybercrimes/cybersex rationally without the unnecessary drama. Moreover, please let a more credible politician handle this issue, rather than a notorious womanizer and sexist. Eh-hum.

Eh-hum # 284

2009-06-01T16:37:00.007+09:00

Yesterday, my sister and I decided to spend time at the mall, by eating out, shopping and watching a movie. For the last item, we watched Terminator Salvation.

As you may have read, critics are divided with the movie. Moreover, many fans of the franchise did not like it because it lacked the triumvirate: James Cameron, Linda Hamilton (and her uber-cool one hand shotgun pump in T2) and the original Terminator, California's Governator. Well, Schwarzenegger, made a "cameo", but it wasn't really him, just his likeness. In addition, that was Hamilton in the tapes.

Well, for the record, I enjoyed it (for what it is). Though beautiful as he is, this is not Christian Bale's best performance. Thus, I give credit to Australian actor Sam Worthington (below) for giving the movie "heart".

After watching the film, I understood why Cameron handpicked him to be in T4 (he's the lead in Cameron's Avatar). Well, I don't know about you ladies, but I certainly don't mind seeing more of Sam in the future...hopefully mine. Eh-hum.

Eh-hum # 283

2009-05-25T10:24:00.007+09:00

Two pieces of Pinoy news:

Good news for all bookworms! PGMA ordered the Department of Finance to lift the taxes imposed on imported books and reading materials.

According to (Malacañang) Palace officials, the directive was prompted by "a torrent of criticism on the move of the Bureau of Customs (BOC), which is under the supervision of the finance department, to impose the duties."

We can now visit our friendly neighborhood bookshops for those hard-to-get titles without the fear of unnecessary overpricing.

***

I doubt if anyone in this country (and other Pinoys abroad) has not heard of the latest showbiz scandal to rock the nation: The Halili-Kho Sex(ploitation) Video. Well, might as well join the bandwagon and share my thoughts on this brouhaha.

Well, I give credit to Katrina Halili for admitting, amidst tears, that she was indeed the unlucky lady getting screwed (no pun intended) by the not-so-good doctor, Hayden Kho. Prior to that, It took a lot of guts for her to admit that she and Kho were lovers, while the latter was with Ms. Vicky Belo. When this issue first surfaced, I knew that a number of snide and sexist remarks would be thrown at the starlet. I am definitely not a fan, but the lady deserves justice, since she has been wronged.

Nonetheless, let us not immediately condemn Kho to death. As of now, I sense that he is indeed guilty of capturing his (s)excapades on video without the knowledge of the other party (and statutory rape as well with another sex video that leaked). But distributing the video to pirates, somebody else could be liable for that. It is possible that he made these videos for his personal use only. But again, it is truly unacceptable that he recorded the whole thing without Katrina et. al. knowing it.

I agree with the idea that what people do within the confines of their bedroom is their business. If they decided to share their, uh, "intimate moments" with the rest of the world and earn from it, then that's pornography. I agree with Mr. Condrad De Quiros of the Inquirer, the recording isn't the issue, it's the distribution. If the Halili-Kho video, among others, were not leaked, then there is no issue because it's a private affair.

Unfortunately, and expectedly, handling this issue has become a circus, with politicos left and right giving their professional opinion on the matter. Well, am sure Sen. Bong Revilla really wants to help Katrina, but what I am hoping is some consistency on the part of our lawmakers.

Why only now to mobilize and put a stop to cybercrimes? I remembered Sen. Madrigal was involved in cases against cybersex dens a few years back, what ever happened to that? Moreover, am sure Katrina Halili is NOT the only victim of a similar crime; what about the others who are victims of more heinous sex-related crimes like rape? Should our "honorable" senators be prioritizing those who do not have Katrina's resources to attain justice. We should really stop treating issues as if they are happening for the first time when in fact they are NOT. Also, stop the unnecessary drama and get on with it.

And for the cynical at heart (which I have the tendency to be), why is this all happening two years after the video was recorded? Since I have to get back to work (hwehe), kindly place your theory in the space provided:

Eh-hum # 282

2009-05-18T14:43:00.008+09:00

Geeez, I hope I won't get persecuted for this. But this post was inspired by an article from an alpha blog and TIME.com.

Many women have expressed that they "love a man in uniform". I wonder if "uniform" also includes a priest's habit. The answer would be, more or less, a YES, especially if the said priest looks a lot like Ewan McGregor:

(Picture is a cropped version of an Angels and Demons wallpaper.)

If the answer to that question is also a YES, then we would have a difficult time concentrating in mass (or, we have now more reasons why we should attend mass). Not bad, eh? Well, these priests in their dapper habits (preferably McGregor) would not only inspire the faithful to wholeheartedly celebrate mass, it is possible for them to provide inspiration to a fashion collection.

Silly, you say? Well, it already happened, courtesy of the "Heartthrob of the Vatican", Monsignor George Gaenswein, who reportedly inspired Donatella Versace's Spring 2007 collection. And what does Ms. Versace say about her, uh, muse? Well, she confessed (eh-hum) that she found Father Gaenswein's "austerity very elegant". FYI, Father Gaenswein is Pope Benedict XVI's personal secretary. And as such, he gets to decide the Pope's activity for the day, accompany him in his travels, organize the Pope's schedule, etc.

Thanks to his tall, athletic frame and dirty-blond hair (and his clerical black uniform), the monsignor has attracted the attention of the Italian public, which includes the paparazzi. Not bad, eh? Of course, he prefers the life behind the scenes. Well, with a nickname like "Bel Giorgo", that would be quite tricky.

*pictures from Time.com

Eh-hum # 281

2009-05-06T09:14:00.005+09:00

Just two things:

1. CONGRATULATIONS to the Pambansang Kamao (National Fist) Manny Pacquaio for knocking out British Boxer (or brawler) Ricky Hatton on the 2nd Round. Read TIME article on PACMAN here. So who's the "joke coach" now, Floyd Sr?

And on a more personal note;

2. R.I.P. to our Perdie, many thanks for your much appreciated doggy antics.

Eh-hum # 280

2009-04-15T10:41:00.006+09:00

An opinion article from the Inquirer asked this question: What if Estrada becomes president again?

"Perish the thought!", says me who joined People Power II ousting Estrada. What makes the ousted and convicted ex-President think that he is qualified to run this country? He's no better than the current regime.

There are two major things that caught my attention in his artice: (1) his list of senatorial candidates for the opposition and (2) his answer on how he will solve the situation in Mindanao. I did not include the debate of whether he can indeed run again (his civil rights have been restored due to the pardon), since I have no legal background.

His senatorial lists consists of the following: Reelectionist Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Jinggoy Estrada, former Sen. Sergio Osmeña III, Parañaque Rep. Roilo Golez and Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Teodoro Casiño (oh really now), United Opposition spokesman Adel Tamano, Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, broadcast journalist Ted Failon, Grace Poe, daughter of bosom friend Fernando Poe Jr. (WTF?!?), and incarcerated Brig. Gen. Danny Lim. Meanwhile, former Sen. Agapito “Butz” Aquino and Makati Mayor Jejomar “Jojo” Binay were listed as "reserves".

I am not going to elaborate, but this pretty much shows how f*cked up Pinoy politics is, which is run by political dynasties, serial balimbings, trapos, and people who have NO experience in Public Administration, Public Policy whatsoever.

So, how will the "Kumpare King" solve the crisis in Mindanao?

"Di ba almost solved na yon when I was ousted?” he said. “Camp Abubakar had been captured by the AFP. Now Gloria has given it back to the MILF.”

Yep, all-out war. Nothing has changed.

Eh-hum # 279

2009-04-15T09:29:00.005+09:00

AAARRRRR

Being a daughter of a Master Mariner (Captain), who is currently overseas, learning that your dad's ship will pass the coast of Somalia is like a death sentence. You would rather encourage him to prematurely finish his contract and come home; miles away from the pirates of the East African coast (thankfully, he won't; so does my uncle, a licensed Master). Last Sunday's dramatic rescue of Richard Phillips, the American captain held hostage since April 8 by defiant Somali pirates, gave the impression that we are well on our way in putting a stop to this transnational and costly crime. However, it is just one of out the many incidents of piracy in the high seas and all efforts appear to be floundering in the face of a relentless, quick-to-adapt, resurgent enemy.

European countries, particularly the United Kingdom and France, have sponsored United Nations resolutions authorizing military action to combat the pirates. Hence, naval ships from the US and European nations were deployed to curb piracy off the Horn of Africa. However, as an article from TIME states, these operations have yet to yield favorable response. Phillips' rescue, after all, was simply an effort to play "catch-up". A day before his rescue, the pirates have captured another vessel, an Italian tugboat in the Gulf of Aden, which brings the total of high-seas abductions this year to 65, compared with 164 for all of 2008 and 2009. In addition, the Associated Press reports that Somali pirates captured four ships and took more than 60 crew, one of which is a Greek-managed bulk carrier, Irene E.M. This "brazen hijacking spree" was said to be caused by the death of three Somali pirates during the rescue operation of Phillips.

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates reports that the four pirates who attacked the Maersk Alabama, were between 17 and 19 years old, or "untrained teenagers with heavy weapons". If that is the case, how come these pirates are able to dodge these well-armed, highly trained and high-tech navies? Experts on maritime security expressed that the United States, NATO and EU should straighten out organization issues, as well as defining their goals in the Gulf of Aden: to end piracy or to win top honors for their respective military strength. Moreover, there is the issue of poverty, which most likely drives these Somalis to piracy. In this regard, the government of Somali should take a stand. These incidents has apparently exposed "the impotency of Somalia's transitional government". But their leaders, led by the newly installed Somali President Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed, hopes to curb this problem, which can contribute to efforts in ending the country's 18-year stint as a failed state.

Shipping plays a significant role in world trade. More importantly, Filipinos are a major stakeholder of the maritime/shipping industry, and due to earnings, Filipino sailors are unfazed by threats of piracy. About 40 percent of 800,000 seafarers around the world are Filipinos. And of nearly 250 sailors being held by the pirates, almost 100 are from the Philippines. Hence, it is only natural that we should be supportive of international endeavors to curb piracy in the high seas, whether in Africa or in Asia (in particular, the Malacca strait).

Eh-hum # 278

2009-03-24T08:31:00.002+09:00

Sorry, am on vacation mode right now, so nothing much to share.

Except for this, which is really funny.

When worlds collide: comic Ricky Gervais and one of the greatest actors on stage and film, Sir Ian McKellen, in a brilliant scene from the series Extras. Sir Ian shares his acting secrets, using his role as Gandalf in LOTR as an example. Enjoy!

Eh-hum # 277

2009-03-24T08:18:00.002+09:00

When worlds collide, part 2 series of 2009.

Yes, I thought it would be cool to feature videos (or pictures) of two or more personalities who you don't normally see together but when they do come together, the outcome would be extremely funny, entertaining and interesting.

Here, its UK comic hero Ricky Gervais and cute Sesame Street residence Elmo. Enjoy!

Eh-hum # 276

2009-03-19T13:47:00.002+09:00

WHUT?

So, it has come to pass: Nicole, or Suzette S. Nicolas in real life, recanted her claims in 2005 that a US serviceman raped her. She submitted an affidavit yesterday and has terminated the services of her lawyer. In addition, Nicole accepted money from the said servicemen and has left for the United States with her American boyfriend. According to her mother, she will be staying in the US for good. In short, Nicole chose to move on.

When this sudden “change of heart” on Nicole’s part was published in the national dailies, I expected every Filipino, or anyone who cares, would give his or her two cents worth on the incident. After all, Smith was found guilty by the Makati City Court using evidence that does not suggest consensual sex. So why leave the country? Those who sympathize with her will say the Philippine justice system has failed her; hence, she would rather get the money and the opportunity to leave the country and start a new life. Unfortunately for Nicole, there are people who are not very kind and have already judged her from the very beginning.

Her decision to submit her affidavit and leave the case, she will be labeled as any or a combination of the following: a liar, an opportunist, a whore. Back in 2005, people have raised questions about Nicole’s profession in Subic, her priorities and her decision to accompany Smith’s group that fateful night. If she was indeed raped, it was because she deserved it. Moreover, given her questionable lifestyle, should we expect anything less? I admit; I have my doubts at the beginning. I believed that when we make choices, we should also be prepared for the consequences. That night, as an adult, Nicole made her choice, and therefore should know what’s coming next. However, I also learned that a woman (a child, even a man), no matter how shady her profession is or desperate the situation she is in, does not deserve to be physically, sexually or emotionally abused.

In yesterday’s Philippine Daily Inquirer, this snippet from her sworn statement struck me: “My conscience continues to bother me realizing that I may have in fact been so friendly and intimate with Daniel Smith at the Neptune Club that he was led to believe that I was amenable to having sex or that we simply just got carried away.” I don’t know if this makes sense, but in my opinion, being friendly or intimate should never be confused with wanting to have sex. She will decide if she wants to sleep with someone or not. No actually means no.

We will never truly know if she was indeed a victim of sexual assault. The courts said she was, but her affidavit could challenge the earlier conviction. Nonetheless, she was, as one PDI columnist pointed out, a victim of circumstance. Apart from the slow justice system we have, were people who rallied behind her really and genuinely concerned about her cause, or did they just used her for their own anti-VFA sentiments? Would Nicole be liable for perjury and false testimony in court? How will this affect the other cases of rape in the country? Even though she has left for the US, Nicole has not entirely left the issue behind.

Eh-hum # 275

2009-03-18T10:13:00.003+09:00

HULLO! It's March already, can you believe it? Eh-hum.

Before I write anything from everyday life to Philippine politics, I just want to share this:

When worlds collide, Neil Gaiman as guest in the Colbert Report. ASTIG.

Enjoy!

Eh-hum # 274

2009-02-13T10:00:00.003+09:00

WHUT?!

Based on today's papers, the Senate yesterday felt that one way to stop corruption and bid rigging contractors, public works officials and pork barrel holders (ehem) is by calling the World Bank to the stands. Yes, the same institution that submitted an investigative/referral report (waaaayyy) back in November 2007 on certain companies and individuals involved in the alleged collusion. These referral reports, as required by the WB's sanctions procedures, are meant to help government act on allegations of misuse of the Bank's funds. It's logical, really, that an institution like the World Bank wants to make sure that its funds and development aid does not find its way in the hands of private, greedy individuals.

I could not help but also find this Senate investigation unneccesary, as expressed by Neal Cruz of the Inquirer. Bid-rigging and other similiar unlawful activities are an open secret. The Senate, and the rest of the Government, should have worked on this problem A LONG TIME AGO, even before the WB submitted its referral report in 2007 (two years ago...hello). I find it embarrassing that an organization outside the Philippine government should TELL US that WE have a problem to solve.

Our good Senators and the lady Ombudsman went all emotional and patriotic yesterday by calling the World Bank a "squatter in Philippine territory". Ah, okay. Let's not resolve to name-calling. It's a referral report people (available BACK IN 2007), they are not dictating anything. Am sure our dear leaders can speak with WB representatives on the issue at hand (yes, yes, let's stick to the issue, please) and determine the best practices that would prevent any anomalies vis-a-vis the development funds. I don't think the Bank makes these reports just for the heck of it, their integrity as an organizaton is on the line. If their representatives on the ground heard any allegations of corruption, it is understandable they would want to scrutinize it further.

I think the matter is serious enough to merit an investigation on our part (which we should have started, oh, I don't know, BACK IN 2007!!!). If our dear Senators want to be patriotic, they should've made sure the Filipino taxpayers are getting their money's worth with all of these "in-aid-of-legislation" investigation of theirs.

Haaay buhaaayy...

Eh-hum # 273

2009-02-04T13:53:00.002+09:00

This is a tad late, but it is such wonderful news that I just had to share it:

NEIL GAIMAN WINS THE NEWBERY MEDAL FOR HIS LATEST WORK, "THE GRAVEYARD BOOK".

There, I shouted it out for the rest of the world to hear.

An online article from Publisher's Weekly:

Neil Gaiman Wins Newbery Medal for "The Graveyard Book"
By Donna Freitas -- Publishers Weekly, 1/29/2009

Last fall PW caught up with Neil Gaiman to talk about his newest children’s book, The Graveyard Book, which at the time was hot off the press. This week, Gaiman is recovering from some very exciting news regarding his novel: waking up during the wee hours of Monday morning to a chorus of 14 children’s librarians shouting on speakerphone that his book had won the Newbery Medal.

“I was on so little sleep and had not expected or even dreamed that I would win,” Gaiman said about the 5:30 a.m. call to his cell phone—he was in Los Angeles doing a press junket for the film based on Coraline, which is set for release February 6. “The only thing going through my head was: ‘Don’t swear. It’s wrong. They’re librarians.’ And then I was informed I couldn’t say anything for another hour until it was announced. So I just sat there and wrote a blog entry, made myself some tea, and phoned my agent who was over the moon, and my editor, Elise Howard, who was crying she was so excited.”

Read the rest of the article here.

Congratulations, Mr Gaiman, you deserve it!

***

In other book-related news, Stephen King has something to say about Stephenie Meyer: "...can't write worth a darn. She's not very good".

Eh-hum.

Eh-hum # 272

2009-02-01T19:19:00.002+09:00

Another side to Alan Rickman, when not terrorizing certain students at Hogwarts. Plus, its a really lovely song from the UK band, Texas. Enjoy!

Eh-hum # 271

2009-01-27T14:48:00.004+09:00

Cougars on the prowl and the last of the Spurmo(s)

Once you give a certain phenomenon a name, it becomes acceptable or at least less of a taboo to most people. One of which is the concept of a “cougar”. Of course, am not talking of the large exotic feline also referred to as a Mountain Lion, but close: women in their mid-30s (and beyond) who date younger men (10 years their junior usually).

Cougars, I mean, these ladies are literally on the prowl for, ehem, fresh meat. Well, I am not saying its wrong; women can date whoever they wish, as long they are of majority age (statutory rape should work both ways). But I find it all too confusing. I mean, why would an independent, successful and smart lady would date some eye candy whose mentality has not gone beyond college, bank account is virtually non-existent and foresight still under construction? Wouldn’t they be a liability rather than an asset? Could this be all about sex and not feeling one’s age? Isn’t it creepy that you and your teenage daughter have the same taste in guys?

Because how they are portrayed in the media, especially in the US’ entertainment industry, cougars are here to stay. I am sure they are couples out there who have the same set-up, but since they are not involved in the circus that is Hollywood, they are able to work out their differences without all that drama. Several weeks ago, my sister and I were figuring out who among the Philippine showbiz personalities fit the typical cougar category. “Kris Aquino?” I suggested. She made a face, “She has to have sex appeal”. Oh. Right. Sorry, Kris.

***

All this talk about feisty females brings me to another topic: Spurmo (what in God’s name are we doing to the English language?). Hmm. Without looking at the spelling, one could think we are talking about a man’s, uh, “boys” having the capacity to swim up the stream to meet their, uh, “date” and thus procreate. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge.

Yes and No, it is actually an acronym: “Straight, proud, unmarried male over 30” (well, it should’ve been called SPURMO 30, like a questionable household appliance). Characteristics of the archetypal Spurmo are as follows:

1. Checking out a woman means checking out if she has a wedding ring;
2. Your ex-girlfriends have “real” children to take care of (not men pretending to be boys);
3. You avoid the hot ladies in their early twenties because they tend to call you “tito”, “kuya”, or worse, “sir”;
4. Most of your earnings go to handsome sports car, car accessories, high-tech gadgets and other similar merchandise;
5. In your opinion, Cindy Crawford is still the best looking supermodel that ever lived;
6. In pop culture, Hannah Montana is still a child. Thus, you relate to her one-hit-wonder of a father; and
7. Recession has nothing to do with the economy, but with your hair.

The Spurmo is a single, successful fellow who does whatever he wants because he can pretty much support himself. Of course, there are some disadvantages, like being labeled as a “stud muffin”, being constantly set-up by your friends’ wives’ single girl friends, and dwindling number of serious drinking buddies since most of them are now family men. But do not fret; with dedication and hard work, you might end up being the local version of Hollywood’s alpha male and super spurmo, George Clooney. I said might.

(The topic on “spurmo” is taken from a local men’s magazine, MANUAL. This is what happens when your friendly neighborhood Starbucks ran out of more sensible reading material. But it was entertaining nonetheless).

Eh-hum # 270

2009-01-17T12:15:00.005+09:00

Subject to change without prior notice.

Yep, I am working again. Let's just say they made me an offer I can't refuse; the compensation is (way) better than my previous job and the office is within walking distance from the train station. More importantly, I will doing some REAL research work, thus there is room for professional growth.

Higher salary means more responsibilities. While I'll be able to save more, balancing work and school will be challenging. But what's life without any? I just hope to finish my MA by 2010.

***

An opinion article online caught my attention the other day. It reminded me of a conversation I had with a Navy officer last year, regarding the very confusing role of Representatives (or Congressmen/women) in local governance. Here an excerpt of the article I am referring to:

"On the other side of the spectrum is the Quezon City government under Mayor Feliciano Belmonte. The city has been spending for the maintenance, improvement and construction of new roads although they are national roads that ought to be funded by the national government through the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), according to Mayor Belmonte in a private interview. But because the DPWH is not provided enough funds by Congress (most of taxpayers’ money go to the legislators in the form of pork barrel funds and kickbacks), it cannot keep up with its responsibilities. So the QC government, the richest city in the Philippines (P3 billion in the bank), through a combination of high taxes, efficient tax collection and judicious spending, has to tide over the DPWH with loans in order to finish road projects.

For example, the QC government has paid private landowners for the right of way for the long-delayed Congressional Avenue that will connect Edsa to Luzon Avenue that, in turn, connects to Commonwealth Avenue. Congressional now connects to Tandang Sora and will soon be connected to Visayas Avenue in the west and to Luzon Avenue in the east. The whole stretch will be completed, according to the DPWH, in the first half of 2009 after the relocation of squatters who have flocked to the road right-of-way.

Meanwhile, the QC government has also bought the right-of-way to connect Commonwealth Avenue to Quirino Avenue in Novaliches. From there, the road will connect to NLEX. Thus, travelers can proceed smoothly from southern Luzon through C-5, through Commonwealth and Quirino avenues to NLEX and northern Luzon. That would reduce travel time from north to south and cut the shipping costs of goods.

Some QC residents have expressed the wish, though, that the good mayor spend some of city hall’s abundant money to rid the city of squatters that give it problems in peace and order, health and sanitation and give the city the title of “squatter capital of the Philippines.”

So, if the Office of the Mayor is spending for all the projects in his or her city (plus money coming from certain Departments, like the DPWH), then why do our lawmakers need so much pork? More importantly, how do they spend all that money (making laws couldn't be that expensive) ? If both the local government and our dear Representatives have funds for infrastructure projects and other basic needs, why are many cities/municipalities, especially in the provinces, still underdeveloped?

Or am I missing something here...eh-hum

Eh-hum # 269

2009-01-01T15:35:00.006+09:00

Happy New Year, Folks (and hope you all had a very Merry Christmas)!

Hopefully 2009 will bring more (from a good friend's text message) "Peace in your Heart, Health in your Body, Wealth in your Life, and Joy in your Home". We remember the good, the bad, and the very ugly of 2008; we only do so because we can learn from our mistakes and be inspired by our successes.

Life is not supposed to be easy. Where's the fun in that? But for all of last year's challenges that made us stronger, failures that made us wiser, and the people we know and loved (and still do) and just met, life with all of its imperfections is a journey to be enjoyed as well.

***

A post-New Year post (eh-hum) would not be complete without a little 2009 fortune predictions. I am not one to believe, but it wouldn't hurt to know (after all, we do live in a mysterious world). For those born in the year of the Monkey (our kanji above), here's what to expect in the year of the Ox:

Monkey people didn't have any significant performance in 2008, the Year of the Rat. They felt that someone or something blocked their luck all the time. In the year of 2009, there are many Lucky Stars coming to Monkey people. So they have complete new luck and they can expect good news from career, money, reputation, love or happiness area. However, some tiny Unlucky Stars hiding beside the Lucky Stars in 2009. That means Monkey people shouldn't show too complacent and too conceited, because their enemies are still around. If Monkey people make any mistake, then they might lose their reputation, power or wealth.

Career: There are three major Lucky Career Stars appearing in 2009. Those signs indicate you will have an extraordinary and outstanding achievement in your job performance or business development. It's time that you show people about your talent, wisdom, skill. Many people will accept your idea and proposal. Your plan or project will show significant progress and impressive results. You have good chance to gain more responsibilities, own higher power and even win a job promotion. When you have better performance or hold a higher position, then many people become jealous to you. Someone might try to look for your shortcoming or mistake in order to impede your working progress and to damage your reputation. Fortunately, since your keen perception and quick response, you are able to a plan to protect yourself. Also, your supporters will help your to remove the hamper.

Money: There is a Lucky Money Star showing in this year. Since you have a good career luck, your salary fixed income will be satisfactory. If you work for someone, you might earn an extra bonus. If you own your business, then the company sales will have a significant growth. However, the Money Star is not a Windfall Star. The money won't come from gambling, heritage, gift or lottery. It's required your hardworking and time to earn all your income. Another sign show that you have a chance to lose your personal property and no way to recover it. Or an unexpected accident causes your money loss. Therefore, it's safer that do show off your wealth in 2009.

Love: One very Auspicious Star and a Happy Star are gathering in love area. That is the sign of success, happiness, joyfulness, smooth or marriage. If you are single, then you have opportunity to find your dream companion and enjoy the happy love life. If you are already in love, the relationship with your lover will become much closer. If both of you are ready, then you can consider the marriage. If you are married, you and your spouse have a endless love. A new born baby might come into your family. However, if you are a male Monkey guy, you have the chance to meet opposite sex outside. If you don't give in to temptation, you will get lots of argument with your spouse.

Health: Although you have many Lucky Stars coming in your astrological cycle. There also are some Unlucky Stars around you this year. This brings up the health issue. The career will make you busy in 2009. You will feel tired very often. If you have too much nightlife and too less exercise, then you will get sick easily. As long as understanding the health might become the problem, then you should limit unnecessary social life, keep healthy eating habit, maintain good sleeping quality and exercise routinely, then you will have a healthy life in the year of Cow.

Fortune: Monkey people have excellent career luck in 2009. They will work very skillfully and proficiently on their daily job. Their wealth will increase because of good job performance. However, there still is a potential unlucky event coming. Monkey people still need to pay attention on words and deeds. If you can spend more time in helping others, then you will win the good reputation, which could bring you more money in. The feeling of wealth, power, happiness and satisfaction will all come to you.

If you want to know the fortunes of the other Chinese zodiac signs, click here.

***

Are in the mood for some reminiscing? If yes, may I suggest you visit Time Magazine's The Top Ten of Everything in 2008 list online. The top ten lists are organized by subject matter: (1) news and science, (2) arts and entertainment, (3) business, technology and sports, and (4) pop culture. Very informative and enjoyable.

The last list I viewed was 2008's Top Ten Editorial Cartoons. If I had to choose my favorite, it would be this one:

Eh-hum, need I say more?

Eh-hum # 268

2008-12-20T10:27:00.005+09:00

"No shoes beyond this point"

This post is a bit late, but the whole incident still worth talking about as it pretty much sums up how Iraqis regard outgoing P.U.S.A. (President of the United States of America) George "Dubya" Bush. He shrugged off the shoe throwing fiasco by saying (as quoted by Time), that "All I can report is it is a size 10" and "So what if the guy threw his shoe at me?". Well, unfortunately for the President, if he knew what the shoe assault really meant, he would have perhaps wished it was an assassination attempt instead.

For the the Arabs, throwing your shoes at someone is an act of severe disrespect. Moreover, to liken someone to a shoe or feet means that the person or object is of no importance and is beneath you. Before Iraqi TV journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi hurled the first shoe to the President, he shouted, "This is a gift from the Iraqis; this is the farewell kiss, you dog." Of course, al-Zaidi is now in custody and punishing him has now become a real test to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki (the journalist has gained massive support from anti-US clerics and the public). To set him free or to make him spend at most 7 years in prison, that is the question.

When this news was first released or broadcasted, my mother (pro-Obama) can't help but feel sorry for Bush. What a way to go in his last days as for the leader of the free world. As for me, I would like to know how/why the journalist was still able to throw his other shoe. Are the P.U.S.A.'s secret service NOT TRAINED to handle flying shoes? If this wasn't so sad, it would be extremely funny (imagine the other journalists following suit). This will go down in history as one of the most awkward moments in 2008.

***

Can somebody please do something about this rather delusional individual? His people are dying of hunger (and recently, of cholera) and he proceeds to hold a feast? WTF?!?

This is like the time when the military junta in Burma gave away television sets and DVD players (instead of providing food, shelter and access to water and electricity) to those affected by the devastating cyclone last May 2008, only WORST.

Dear Lord...

Eh-hum # 267

2008-12-09T12:19:00.010+09:00

No doubt, I am a Monty Python fan (maybe not as intense as most, but a fan nonetheless). To be more specific, I am a believer of the word according to Michael Palin (see earlier post). So, as a supportive fan, I ordered Palin's Diaries, 1969 to 1979: The Python Years for my reading pleasure.

Though I have finished reading all 650++ pages a month ago, it is only now that I decided to share my thoughts on it my way (obviously, I am no literary critic). So, my thoughts goes as follows and begins now: if you are looking for a funny book, then don't buy this one. Let me elaborate.

The book is not a memoir but rather contains excerpts from Palin's diary, which he started keeping in April 1969. It is organized by year and each passage is headed by when and where it was written. So instead of a long, continuous narrative divided by chapters, the book is essentially a compilation of Palin's diary entries for one decade. Many of the entries extend more than one page, while others are no more than five sentences and are read like simple lists of events and errands.

Would compiled and organized day-to-day journal accounts be considered an interesting read? Well, most definitely, since we are talking about Palin, one of six men who created (wrote and performed in) one of the most enduring comedy series in television. And as I found out after reading New Europe, Palin is an engaging and astute writer.

Palin provides insights into the Python’s group dynamics during the years that catapulted them to international acclaim. He described candidly the individuality (strengths, pet peeves and all) of the other five silly yet brilliant people that make up the group. Monty Python have been a genuine and frank collaboration from the beginning and have remained so even as its members drifted their separate ways. But the stories are not always pleasant; there were the occasional group conflicts and arguments. Aside from Graham Chapman's alcoholism (which he eventually overcame), the biggest source of tension was when John Cleese decided to leave the group after Flying Circus’ third series. It’s very difficult to imagine Python without the prominent Cleese; however, it would be grossly unfair to delegate the group’s success to one person only.

Palin was at times hesitant with Python’s fate after the series, but has been very supportive whenever they reunite for post-Flying Circus projects and resilient in defending the group’s legal rights (e.g. censorship, etc.). But of course, he was keen on making it on his own. One that figures prominently was the production of Ripping Yarns, a comedy series that parodied certain aspects of British culture as well as the pre-WWII schoolboy genre. While Palin co-wrote Ripping Yarns with fellow Python Terry Jones, the show notably features Palin as the lead on and off-camera. Palin relishes this newly found independence, but initially felt apprehensive in expressing this to Jones, his longtime friend and writing partner in Python. We also witness Palin taking the lead role in Terry Gilliam’s film, Jabberwocky and his hosting stints at Saturday Night Live (as encouraged by Eric Idle).

Palin is also generous in sharing stories of his life off-camera. Indeed, interesting and poignant anecdotes on Palin’s parents, wife, and his three children are featured significantly in the book. His busy schedule does not prevent him from being a responsible son, loving husband and affectionate father, which I find truly admirable. His family and non-showbiz friends kept his feet firmly on the ground as Python becomes increasingly popular. We know that fame could either break or make a person, and with all the opportunities coming his way, Palin remains mind-bogglingly level-headed. Honorable mentions are his friendships with other comedians and actors, not to mention the George Harrison.

What I find interesting about Palin is his work ethics. Despite what most people think, comedy is serious business. Palin makes sure that every time he sits down in his working room at his Gospel Oak home in London; he has produced workable materials for his shows or completed a chapter for his novel (which I am not sure if he was able to publish). This is very encouraging for someone like me, who has a tendency to procrastinate. Whenever my mind wanders, I always remind myself that at 28, Palin is already reaping the rewards of his comedic career (he was 26 when Python was formed).

In most of the Python sketches, Palin takes the role of the greasy compere or host, the ineffective applicant to Cleese’ aggressive bureaucrat, the befuddled accountant, and the unaccommodating shop owner. Thanks to this book, the character he portrays on stage and screen is definitely not the kind of person he really is. Palin is often referred to as the “nicest Python”, and for good reason. Whether he realized it or not, his diaries confirm that he really is a nice guy, not to mention intelligent, witty, sharp and straight-thinking (well, except in comedy, where he gets to be hysterical and absurd).

And good news, there will be second volume to be published next year. And I can assure you that I will be ordering my copy once it comes out. I end this post with a video of Palin reading excerpts on shooting Monty Python and the Holy Grail (this and accounts on the Life of Brian were real page turners). Enjoy!

Eh-hum # 266

2008-12-03T10:53:00.003+09:00

Oh dear...twenty-two more days and its Christmas!

Blinking and colorful lights/decors, exchange gifts and other presents, pre-Christmas dinners with friends, Christmas parties, holiday ham, school/work holidays, bargains and sales, gift wrappers, Filipino and English carols, cash donations from your "friendly" neighborhood garbage collectors/mailmen and newly printed P100, P50 and P20 notes from the Central Bank.

Whether we like it or not, whether or not our budget/savings can accommodate the demands of this holiday season, us Pinoys will always be looking forward to the "most wonderful time of the year". That's good, I think.

***

Normally, I wouldn't bother to take a look or partake in the sales and other events held at Trinoma's Activity Center. But yesterday's happening was pretty interesting because it was the first day of the Quezon City Invasion: Philippines vs the World Grand Billiards showdown (the event is until tomorrow, 04 December 08). Yep, caught a glimpse of some Pinoy billiards heroes: Efren "Bata" Reyes, Alex Pagulayan, Francisco "Django" Bustamante, Dennis Orcollo and Roberto Gomez. They, and others, represented the Philippine team in this friendly competition. Meanwhile, the World team is composed of players from the United States, Europe and Asia.

I stayed for a bit to watch both teams try to sink all the shots and analyze their next move. I enjoyed the audience's reaction whenever a member of the Philippine team missed a shot, a lot of "Aaawwww" and "Sayang!". Here's an article on the results of yesterday's game.

Aside from quality entertainment, I realized the event also gave the politicians involved (as sponsors) good media mileage. Like the five or so banners/tarpaulin with the words "Villards" printed on them. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge.

Haaaayyy, 2010 here we come.

Eh-hum # 265

2008-11-19T11:50:00.003+09:00

After the US elections, I haven't really been interested in watching the news. So imagine my surprise when I found out yesterday that Presidentiable and Senator Manny Villar is no longer the Senate President. He was replaced by 84-year old Senator Juan Ponce Enrile.

This is all too bizaare to me since last time I heard, Villar and his supposed allies outnumbered those belonging to the administration. Fourteen senators, both from the minority and majority voted for Villar's ouster and supported Enrile's election to the Senate presidency. Meanwhile, six of them abstained from voting (Aquino, Arroyo, Cayetano siblings, Pimentel and Pangilinan). This most recent development in the Senate proves, without a doubt, that there are no permanent friends, only permanent interests. It's strictly politics, as one journalist in the Philippine Star opinion section said.

Villar's involvement in the C-5 controversy (hence, Senators Lacson and Madrigal voted "Aye") were said to be one of the main reasons for his ouster. Another is his bid for the Presidency in 2010; some say that he could use his position as Senate President to allocate Senate funds to his campaign (hmmm, now where have I heard THAT before?). In addition, the Inquirer reported that deposed President Erap Estrada "helped oust Manuel Villar as Senate president because he wants the latter out of the way of the opposition ticket in the 2010 presidential election". Of course, Estrada denied this. Similarly, Malcanang denied any involvement in Villar's ouster.

His resignation could work for Villar. One journalist said that "Villar can now cultivate an image of independence from both the administration and the mainstream opposition". He can also take advantage of Enrile's reputation as, excuse me, a serial "balimbing". Enrile was one of the enforcers of Martial Law (remember the assassination attempt that started it all), then became a "hero" of 1986 People Power revolution, and then was implicated in a series of coup attempts against the Aquino government staged by his former military aide and now Senator Honasan. Moreover, Enrile is part of the administration bloc but is still affiliated with the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino, an opposition party. This is not funny anymore.

Of course, this is not to say that Villar has not switched sides (A Pinoy politician not switching sides is truly rare, or endangered), remember Estrada's impeachment and his current political affiliation. We shall see how long Enrile can stay in power; if he's not careful or if he fails to "please" the divas in the Senate, he could end up like another trapo, Representative Jose De Venecia. Moreover, can he salvage the reputation of the Senate from an "inquisitorial institution" (CONFESS YOU SINNERS!!! CONFESS!!! CONFESS!!!) to an establishment founded on justice, integrity and honor. Can he also effectively make the Senators (about a quarter of them already preoccupied with running for higher office), you know, WORK. Haaaay, indeed, where is the Senate going? More importantly, where is the country headed?

Dear Lord...

Eh-hum # 264

2008-11-13T13:14:00.002+09:00

Second semester for this school year started last Monday, but my class officially starts tomorrow. I must say, am looking forward to finishing this semester with flying colors. Moreover, am glad that the comprehensive examination and thesis writing are just around the corner. Hopefully in less than two years I will have a Masters degree.

Its a pity that I had to resign since it was promising at the beginning. But then came the issues, plus my rather mediocre school performance (but am extremely thankful for getting a B+! Whew!). I made my decision and am standing by it.

***

I visited a good friend at her workplace yesterday. It is a place where many have dreamed of working due to the experience, the environment and the compensation packages. I often sigh whenever the MRT passes by the office's compound in Ortigas. My friend was gracious enough to give me a tour, with me looking like a wide-eyed seven-year old visiting Disneyland for the first time. My favorite place was the library and its urbane yet affable ambiance. Who would've thought that working for an IO could be cool?

The trip was a revelation for me. Though it would be difficult to get in such an office (or any organization in the same caliber), it is not impossible. I am even more inspired to plan my career, work hard and, as my friend said, determine the sector to specialize in. Time to get down to business. :)

Eh-hum # 263

2008-11-06T19:28:00.007+09:00

Will keep this simple and short since many blogs and websites have already discussed in detail the stunning win of Senator and now President-elect Barack Obama. I (and amazingly, so is the rest of the world) am so pleased with the results that I just had to dedicate one post to this historic event. The results have changed not only US politics, but also the world's perception on the US. Most countries believed that the US' foreign policy will improve once Obama becomes the 44th President of the USA.

I tuned in when soon-to-be-President Obama gave his victory speech. As usual, he was intelligent and eloquent; his words compelling and not too, uh, florid (in my opinion anyway). He was obviously humbled by his victory, giving credit to the people who have supported his campaign (family, friends and his constituents). He has nothing but praise and kind words to his rival, Senator John McCain (who graciously accepted his defeat) and with good grace reached out to the Republicans.

What I also found overwhelming were/are the voters, especially the African-Americans (images of Rev Jesse Jackson and Oprah Winfrey weeping unapologetically were really moving). Indeed, Obama's win signified that yes, anyone qualified and regardless of race can become the next commander-in-chief (makes sense since the US is a melting pot of diverse backgrounds). Nice to know that leadership has nothing to do with race.

Now comes the hard part: Obama to prove himself worthy of the highest position in the land.

Abangan!

***

UPDATE! Found the picture below while surfing (note: I cited the website where I found it, not sure if its the original source). Really cool, must share it.

Eh-hum # 262

2008-10-30T13:01:00.002+09:00

Whew! Finally submited my paper last week, just in time for the break courtesy of the annual undas.

My mother hosted a dinner for the family on the 31st. It was fun watching my younger cousins huddle together and talk about college life (O-M-G! I am THAT old already) and other stuffs that young people in their early 20s and/or late teens talk about. Meanwhile, me and my sister decided to sing (rather, melodiously shout) a couple of 80's/90's karaoke hits. She also attempted to play with our three-year old nephew (rather, first cousin once removed), but what they had was a failure to communicate (he insisted on playing "Thomas the Train" with his own rules, meaning disregarding the stop/go signs my sister diplomatically explained to him. Awww, kids and their tendency to challenge authority). And then, my immediate family and I went to the cemetary yesterday and offered prayers for our departed loved ones.

And now, our attention turns to Christmas.

***

After submitting the paper online, I suddenly found myself with a lot of free time. My brother, using his power of persuasion, asked me to help him with a book report. Now, I am reading Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things. Its not an easy read, but so far very interesting (I am half-way done).

I should spend all of this time wisely, which will be quite a challenge. But what motivates me are the advantages of a MA degree and the realization of my future plans. So I should get on with it and take things more seriously than usual. So, a partial list:

1. My SSS account;
2. Enrolment this Friday;
3. Acquire list of readings in preparation for my Comprehensive exams next summer;
4. Organize my readings for my thesis;
5. Review my nihonggo; and
6. Work for additional income.

Eh-hum!

***

ALRIGHT! Tomorrow, the United States will decide who will be leading their country after W. The rest of the world can only watch and pray. Abangan!

Eh-hum # 261

2008-10-27T12:27:00.002+09:00

This pretty much sums it up:

Really LOL funny. *sigh* But I prefer SNL when it had Tina Fey and Will Ferrell on it at a regular basis.

Eh-hum # 260

2008-10-25T13:30:00.005+09:00

Bwahahaha. Yesterday, I laughed most part of the morning and all evening.

Accompanied benjotheman to the department store to purchase a few shorts and some socks for his overnight stay in a beach resort in Batangas (he left around 1:30 am today and will be back tomorrow afternoon). The said trip to the mall was hardly an adventure, but his impressive impersonation of his marketing professor (Are you insane?! Are you desparate?!) made the simple errand very enjoyable. The mall wasn't teeming with people yet so I doubt if my unabashed mirth disturbed anybody. Couldn't care less, really.

Later that evening, I was in a different mall enjoying a hearty pseudo-Japanese meal (gyoza and fried rice) with a small group of friends: one of my highschool/college barkada, my former boss and two former officemates. Talking about our misadventures at work left us gasping for air and teary-eyed. Of course, there was some serious moments, when our respective plans for the future dominated the conversation. It was, to say the least, a riot of an evening. It was a pity that we had to adjourn at around 22:00 to catch the train home. Nonetheless, I look forward to more of these soon.

***

So, what did I do in between (still staying at the mall). Well, I spent lunch and the early afternoon trying to figure out a concept for my final paper, which I promised to submit on or before Wednesday next week. I hope to submit a good one because my professor was kind enough not to give me a failing mark.

For the first time in the history of my grad school life, I have an INC grade (my idea). I am not proud of this and my rather dismal performance during the first semester really caught me off-guard. This is primarily (nudge, nudge, wink, wink) why I decided to resign: for the longest time, my studies played second fiddle to my work.

As I've mentioned before, I need this degree to move forward, professionally and personally. I was skeptical at first, but since I am thisclose to taking my comprehensive exam and writing my thesis, I became more comfortable with the decision to prioritize my MA. But of course, working part-time is not out of the picture since earning a little money on the side wouldn't hurt. Hehehe.

Eh-hum # 259

2008-10-21T13:20:00.003+09:00

Look what I found in YouTube (talk about a major trip down memory lane):

Its just one of the opening sequences of this crazy Canadian comedy sketch show for kids. I remembered watching this on Nickelodeon and LMAO.

Seriously.

Eh-hum # 258

2008-10-16T10:37:00.006+09:00

And now, a word from the man:

"I'm conscious, as ever, that a lot of water has flown under the bridge since my last message. Since then I've been working hard at an edit of my Diaries 1980 -1988 in time for publication next year, whilst watching Archie grow up and trying to come to terms with my identity theft by a hockey mum in Alaska. And no, Sarah Palin is not my sister, daughter or alias. And I'm Sahara Palin not Sarah." (Read the rest of it here)

Damn straight! No way can he be related to Ms. Sarah "I-can-see-Russia-from-my-house" Palin, especially she was born as Sarah Heath. Yes, we should be looking at the husband. But he's not running for VP, is he? Hehehe, sorry, just like to point that out.

***

In other news, I have decided to prioritize my studies over work. Its going to be challenging for me to do this full time since I REALLY like earning some serious dough (I have a lot of stuffs I wanted to buy). Then again, I have to move forward professionally and I can't be a staff forever. I am optimistic that my MA degree would help me secure a better job and open other doors/opportunities both here and abroad (eh-hum). Time is of the essence and I have to accomplish this by 2010.

Gambatte Kudasai!

***

Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book is ALREADY OUT! And as far as I know, only one bookstore in Metro Manila has copies. Excuse me, I need to make a phone call.

Eh-hum # 257

2008-10-06T13:52:00.004+09:00

Two articles on the much contested and yet approved Reproductive Health Bill, but different sets of opinions/POVs.

In the Philippine Star: "Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, principal author of the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill, said yesterday support for the measure has been growing among members of the House of Representatives and the public at large."

Meanwhile, according to the Philippine Daily Inquirer: "A survey of a Catholic Church-owned radio station shows majority of congressmen are opposed to the proposed reproductive health bill, which would promote artificial contraceptives."

Hmmm, interesting to note that both sides believed they are winning the argument of whether or not the Filipinos should be wary of using contraceptives to tackle, among other things, population control. Am sure you are familiar with this issue, so I won't be discussing specifics here. Just for the record, I support the passage of this bill. And yes, I am Catholic. So, what gives?

Well, I am generally pro-choice (but for the record, I am against abortion) and quite a practical person, so I don't find anything wrong with family planning via artificial means. Its really a matter of choice. With the economic conditions of the country, it would be understandable for couples to seriously think about the well-being of their children and future of their families. If they feel that they need to use contraceptives, then so be it. For me, it would be a greater sin if the parents miserably fail to properly feed their children or send them to school because their income is not enough to cover every child. If and when the bill is passed, it's not the end of the world; it will ultimately be the parents' choice whether to use artificial and natural means to deal with reproductive issues.

Yun lamang.

Eh-hum # 256

2008-10-03T17:28:00.003+09:00

Found this picture quite interesting: A priest blesses an armored vehicle during Russian army exercises at the Donguz military training range in Orenburg, Russia.

I was tempted to place a caption of my own, but decided not to thinking others may not find it funny. Eh-hum.

Eh-hum # 255

2008-10-01T12:16:00.009+09:00

WARNING: This is another post about books.

Please excuse my perceptible enthusiasm; it is only recently (particularly when I was in Japan) that I have reawakened my love for books, a keenness I developed when I was younger. I am trying to allot more time (not to mention money) for reading. I think its a good way to get your mind off the mundane things that plagues one's day to day activities. When boredom creeps in and you really don't have the energy to organize for a friendly get together, just grab a book for entertainment and even learning. Its not so bad, really.

***

So, yesterday I took a break from work-related stuffs and stumbled upon an online article from TIME. It caught my attention because it was about the ten (10) most challenged books of all time.

And I am proud to say, I have read three of these so-called banned books (thanks to my sister for providing me these; it pays to know someone very familiar with the best literary works):

1) Nineteen Eighty-Four – George Orwell
2) The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
3) Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov

Nineteen Eighty-Four is actually a favorite of mine since its message remains significant up to now (BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU). Vulgar language, sexual references among other things made The Catcher in the Rye notorious, but I thought emphasis on the lead character rather than the plot was engaging. Finally, it was curiosity that led me to Lolita. It would be natural to despise Humbert for eerily obsessing over what he calls "nymphets". But the book does not support pedophilia, since Humbert's actions led to his demise.

The other seven controversial works are as follows:

4) Candide - Voltaire
5) The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain
6) Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
7) I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou
8) The Anarchist Cookbook - William Powell
9) The Satanic Verses - Salman Rushdie
10) Harry Potter Series - J.K. Rowling

Numbers 5 and 10 seem to have wandered in the wrong list. However, Twain's book was banned for its coarse language (using slang as demeaning and damaging), not to mention the touchy subject of slavery. Ernest Heminghway thought it was brilliant, but Little Women's Louisa May Alcott criticized Twain for writing it. Meanwhile, the books on the boy wizard were described by a group of parents in Maine as "promoting violence, witchcraft and devil-worship." Huh, imagine that. Anyway, I hope to read the very, the super, and without a doubt infamous The Satanic Verses. It would be quite a challenge to get a hold of a copy, given the reaction of the Muslim community to the book and to its author.

***

Update: I lied. I just finished reading Michael Palin's New Europe and I must say I enjoyed visiting selected countries in Eastern Europe from the comfort of my home. However, I am sure it would be thrilling to actually be there.

Love the photographs by Basil Pao and Palin's writing style, which demonstrates his intelligence and humor. The book, and the documentary it was based on, is not only about the historical places, but also about the people that keeps the history alive. Palin describes the sights and sounds of each city he visits with depth that you can almost see and hear it. I also appreciate the questions raised to the interviewees regarding their views on the state of their countries before and after the Communist years and their expectations of the future with an extended European Union. Well, you have to buy the book to find out. (Note: after reading it, I wanted to check my notes on Europeanization from my International Policy class back at Kobe University. Yes, there is such an area of study; I am proud to say I got an A in that class).

A good read indeed. Now, I am seriously considering of purchasing his other travel books (or better yet, the audio edition of the books). Eh-hum, lapit na pasko mga mahal kong kaibigan.

Eh-hum # 254

2008-09-27T19:43:00.003+09:00

Something to inspire us all (especially now with the problems the world is facing; let's not forget how blessed we are to be alive):

Feel free to sing along. ;) Indeed, this will never get old.

Eh-hum # 253

2008-09-20T20:06:00.009+09:00

I went to school today hoping for some good news regarding my survey/Stat assignment. Unfortunately, things did not went according to plan so I have to make some adjustments in my schedule to meet my requirements for this semester. This is important because:

1. I have to maintain a certain grade (praying for at least a B-); and
2. This is my only subject for the semester, thus it would be extremely embarrassing if I fail (a big IF! Eh-hum).

Dear Lord...

***

This calls for some retail therapy. And I am very pleased I found this in my preferred bookstore:

Hard cover and less than a thousand pesos, very good indeed (of course am biased since its written by my favorite Python). The book is a, uh, book version of Mr Palin's latest adventure in what he describes as the "New" Europe (a discovery of the Europe he haven't explored, thanks to the Cold War). I have read the introduction and seen the initial photos (courtesy of Basil Pao). I must say, I am looking forward to finishing the rest of it (in due time, because I am still busy with my second Umberto Eco novel). Examining the book reminded me of my other dream job (next to Pixar animator): professional traveller/ adventure host, like Ian Wright (or Michael Palin in this case).

Wouldn't it be cool to travel the world for a living (and have the network pay for everything)? So many places to visit, cultures to experience, people to meet and food to taste. But of course, we will not be restricted to tourist destinations and fancy restaurants ala Lifestyle Network (which are not bad, by the way); I am talking about the travel shows in Discovery Channel and National Geographic Channel. Quite difficult since there will be situations wherein you will be forced to step out of your comfort zone (e.g. whacked-out bodily functions, near death experiences, exotic illnesses, custom officials); but I guess these challenges make the exploring and the travelling much more interesting, fulfilling, and life-changing.

But if I am bent on becoming an effective explorer and adventure host, I should learn/develop the following:

1. Learn to swim, or else will be forced to totally ignore places near coastlines and large bodies of water;
2. Develop one's immune system or resistance. Effective when you make your way through rainforests, mosquito infested areas and survive winter;
3. Travel light, or develop a strategy to cram everything you need in just one big back pack;
4. Work on my weak constitutions. To date, the only thing I ever eaten that's considered icky by many is an underaged chick in balut. I remembered trying not to smile after eating it for fear that the chick's feathers were still lodged between my teeth;
5. Nerves of steel, related to number 4. Useful when you ran out of tissue paper, or don't have a proper lavatory to begin with;
6. Map reading;
7. How to assemble a tent;
8. Hunting or food gathering skills (when push comes to shove);
9. Writing skills and a vast knowledge of adjectives, etc. (for good, impressive and share-worthy notes);
10. High tolerance for alchohol. Comes in handy in case a tribal chief force gallons of their nasty local liquor down your throat; and
11. Patience

Eh-hum.

Eh-hum # 252

2008-09-15T12:11:00.001+09:00

I was passing by Gateway the other day and a promo lady (for lack of a better term) gave me a Survivor Philippines button pin. It got me thinking...eh-hum.

Philippine television airwaves are flooded not only with telenovelas (local, Korean and Mexican/Puerto Rican), but with imported reality tv shows and concepts. When reality shows first invaded normal TV programming, they were, in fairness, good. I distinctly remembered watching and enjoying Mark Burnett's adventure race show entitled Eco Challenge. The first seasons of the original Survivor were enjoyable, my favorite being Survivor: Africa.

Nowadays, reality tv shows (especially those centering on dating, that encourages catfights, etc.) shown in cable are poor quality and looks fake (meaning the producers deliberately create scenarios for the "contestants" to create controversies; the editing also misleads audience; more of a contest than a show about real life), which makes the reality tv tag a misnomer. I mean, I doubt if networks are really interested in investigating the complex facets of human nature.

In the Philippines, reality tv served another purpose: to find new talent. And judging from the tarp I saw while riding at the MRT, our version of Survivor aims to find that lucky guy and lucky girl to be the next Sam Milby, Kim Chu, Gerard Anderson, etc, etc. If the contestants are cute and pretty enough (not necessarily talented enough), they might get an offer from GMA, the network producing the show.

Aaahhh, yes. If you want to join Philippine show business, join a reality show. That's the message I've been getting. Well, it worked for the Pinoy Big Brother contestants as mentioned above. Whatever happened to doing things old school? Like joining school plays/theater groups for experience, attending workshops, auditioning first for supporting roles then working your way up. In order words, really working hard for it. Oh well.

Eh-hum # 251

2008-09-09T22:24:00.008+09:00

1. My simple take on the race to the White House:

“Tina Fey with a moose gun”

That’s one way of describing Alaskan Governor and Vice Presidential hopeful for the Republicans, Sarah Palin. Although, I am not sure if both ladies found the depiction amusing, I sure did (by the way, found it in Mr. John Nery’s opinion column for the Philippine Daily Inquirer, September 9, 2008).

Many have expressed concern for Barack Obama’s inexperience for the US presidency. Well, their fears are not unsubstantiated; the most powerful leader in the world would also have to muster a great deal of political will, discretion and acumen in order to handle challenges and tribulations within and outside the US. Experience would direct the US commander-in-chief towards the best and feasible decision for US interests. Experience is necessary, but a lot of it does not necessarily make one an effective leader. The future US president should also be tolerant and earnest.

Between the two, Obama would be more of the last point. Moreover, I think he is more capable bringing people together, regardless of race (“there is no Black America, or White America; there is only the United States of America). No offense to John McCain, he is what we call in Philippine politics as “trapo”, or traditional politician. McCain has the experience, but I doubt he can convince people that he is significantly different from Bush. And unfortunately his running mate, pretty and likeable as she is, is not free from criticisms. Palin’s acceptance speech at the recently held Republican National Convention brought the house down, but it became a target due to some inconsistencies. Then there’s the issue of Palin’s 17-year-old pregnant, unwed daughter, which is said to be opposed to the Republicans’ policy on family values (being underage, unmarried and pregnant, I mean).

The government is not made up one person. While the head honcho (President) would have to have the determination to pursue policies that would be beneficial (even though unpopular at the beginning), he or she would be supported by experts on areas of public service. Obama may not have a thick record of governments he has run, but he has the vision and strategy. To achieve this, he and his “chosen ones” would have to work smart and work hard. And guess what, the Americans would also have to lend him a hand (remember what the late JFK said: “Ask not what the country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”).

I may be called naïve for choosing Obama over McCain, but in these trying times, it wouldn’t hurt to be sanguine; how else are you going to move forward? The challenge now for Obama is to put in detail his promise to the American people and to attest once and for all that he is more than just stirring rhetoric.

Yes, if I am able to do so, will vote Democrat.

2. On Pinoy movies

EH-HUM!!!! Let me congratulate KC Concepcion and Richard Gutierrez for the success of their movie, For the First Time. Its performance at the box office proved the following (and perhaps more, feel free to add):

a. Majority of the Filipinos are hopeless romantics;

b. Movies with titles based on love songs/ballads will do well (we have shortage on quality movie titles);

c. Majority of our films are vehicle for young stars. Or, its all about the actors/love teams, the story plays second fiddle. Or, nevermind if the story's crap as long as you have the kilig factor going on;

d. Casting (in general) needs improvement;

e. Romance, in movies, only involves beautiful people; and

f. We should really, truly, and indubitably support Pinoy indie films.

Wonder if GMA Films will provide a different approach. Oh wait, the second KC-Richard flick will be shown on Valentines' Day next year. Eh-hum.

Eh-hum # 250

2008-09-02T09:15:00.007+09:00

I am so in love with Michael Palin that it is almost laughable. But I guess most Monty Python fans would choose Palin as their favorite, or at least the next favorite after John Cleese (who is familiar to non-Python people). And why not? Anybody who has ever watched the Python’s sketches would agree with me that Palin is not only funny (duh), but extremely charming with a smile that could light up a whole city (see picture above). Plus, he giggles easily, which makes him more adorable, albeit he is now in his 60s:

Yes! I am a new Monty Python fan, and I am proud to admit it (better late than never). The name I’ve heard before, but what they were exactly was totally beyond me. And thank God for YouTube, which shall serve as my primary source for classic Python sketches and movies, until I am able to fruitfully track down their DVDs on this side of the world. Or at least, until I am able to convince my cousins based abroad to send me the precious cargo without any charge…that’s what relatives in the US are for…BWAHAHAH.

For non-believers, Monty Python refers to a British comedy group composed primarily of six men: Cleese, Palin, Graham Chapman, Terry Jones, Eric Idle and Terry Gilliam. The group perform sketches on television and on stage that range from the very sardonic to the very silly; some lampoon facets of society (religion, government) and others without any bearing at all (just for the heck of it). It can be offensive, but hey, this is comedy, deal with it. Comedy is something I really enjoy and I prefer it over romance and definitely horror (the monster, ghostly kind).

Many comedians of today consider the Pythons as inspiration; one of these is Eddie Izzard. They can be regarded as the forerunner of today’s Saturday Night Live (SNL) or Mad TV, with the humor more dry and stylish. Moreover, I noticed that they don’t do impressions very often, or have celebrities host their show like their American counterparts. Aside from their TV show (Monty Python's Flying Circus), they also have three (or four) critically acclaimed movies under their belts. Many critics regard their materials to be very sharp and the Pythons are said to be proud of the research they do when writing their scripts.

Unfortunately, the group went their separate ways in the late 1970s/early 1980s. More bad news was the untimely death of Chapman in 1989 . Even though one member is missing and the group now successfully working as individuals, Monty Python lives on for the benefit of the new generation. Their skits, catchphrases and songs will be enjoyed for the years to come and we credit the tech-savvy fans for that.

I cannot tell you how I enjoy watching their sketches and I do have a few of my favorites. For your viewing pleasure, we have Palin (ehem) and Cleese perform live the legendary “Dead Parrot” sketch. Watch Palin lose focus after Cleese delivers the memorable "pining for the fjords" line.

Eh-hum # 249

2008-08-29T10:21:00.004+09:00

Updates and stories before August 2008 ends:

1. “And there it is”.

I just finished watching (in YouTube, ehem) the Academy Award-winning 1984 film (including Best Actor, Best Director and Best Film/Picture) Amadeus, directed by Milos Forman and based on Peter Shaffer’s stage play of the same name. The movie (and the play) was bases very loosely on the lives of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri, two composers in Vienna during the reign of Austrian Emperor Joseph II. Mozart was portrayed as a coarse, spoiled, childish yet immensely brilliant composer and Salieri as a God-fearing, naïve man whose musical talent pales in comparison to Mozart. Mozart’s genius and his unconscious tendency to repeatedly belittle Salieri’s work caused the latter to question his faith, since he came to believe that God, through Mozart, is cruelly laughing at his mediocrity.

While Salieri plots to get rid of his enemy and rival, Mozart’s owns tribulations affects his life as a supposed celebrated composer in Vienna (his animosity with the Italians in the Emperor’s court, the initial reception to his original music, the constant partying, the death of his father Leopold, etc). He only finds solace in the arms of his wife Constanze and his son, Wolfgang. Salieri uses Mozart’s financial problems to his advantage and found the means to pressure a sickly and stressed-out Mozart to write the Requiem Mass in D Minor. Once the requiem is completed, he plans to kill Mozart and take credit for the requiem mass. In the end, Mozart died and never got to finish probably his greatest work. Salieri never got his hands on the requiem, because Constanze was able to lock the manuscript away. Salieri through his old age was haunted by Mozart’s brilliance that survived the test of time. His guilt caused him to spend his last days in a lunatic asylum.

Again, the film was loosely based on the lives of Mozart and Salieri. Though the fictional liberties were annoying at times, I liked how they depicted Mozart as a rock star and Salieri’s transition from a pious to a vengeful man. The actors were inspiring as well: Tom Hulce (Mozart) and F. Murray Abraham (Salieri) were both nominated for an Academy Award for the same category, but Abraham won in the end. A must see for movie buffs indeed. Oh yeah, you have to watch the movie to know which character said the line above.

NOTE: Dear Lord, hopefully my friends will read this post and consider giving me a DVD of Amadeus (Director's Cut). Thank you. Amen.

2. Went to Cebu and Bohol. 70% work, 30% vacation. It was good, save for a storm that followed me back to Manila. And I am not talking about the kind that begins as a low pressure area off shore. But who cares?

3. Aaarrggghhh. I did not catch ONE SINGLE GAME of the Redeem Team in the recently concluded Beijing Olympics. Sayang! I was hoping to catch the guys in action. And am sure that game with Spain was exciting as hell!

4. I am on my second Umberto Eco novel, entitled Baudolino. The first one I read was the critically acclaimed The Name of the Rose (which has a movie version starring Sean Connery and Christian Slater), an intellectual mystery that combines biblical fiction, medieval studies, literary theory and semiotics in fiction. Lately I found myself interested in the middle-ages, particularly the fall of the Roman Empire. Though this is fiction, it has basis in historical events, and I don’t mind learning this way. I plan to buy Eco’s works; I think it’s worth it.

5. Had a serious Jolibee craving the other day and had breakfast and dinner at two separate restaurants. Happy 15th (?) Birthday to Jolibee Katipunan. Also, quite glad that the Amazing Aloha is back.

6. And a picture of the beautiful Gael Garcia Bernal.

Wala lang.

Eh-hum # 248

2008-07-26T11:43:00.003+09:00

Beaker is definitely one of my favorite Muppet characters. Here's why:

Enjoy!

Eh-hum # 247

2008-07-14T14:43:00.003+09:00

It is still July, but I say it is never too early to prepare/share one's Christmas list (an annual thing for me, and possibly most bloggers out there).

But am not going to list all my needs (or wants) for 2008 in just one post, we'll do it one wish at a time for emphasis. This is in no particular order, everything has meaning and importance for moi.

Today, I pray to our Father in Heaven and to His loyal servants for this, rather, him:

Minus the wedding ring, of course.

Photo is from August 2008 issue of British GQ where hot thespian Christian Bale graces the cover. Just a thought: If you're a guy, do you want to be seen buying a GQ with a guy on the cover? So, is it really a men's magazine or more for women (eh-hum)? Wala lang. Heheh.

Eh-hum # 246

2008-07-08T12:55:00.004+09:00

As I was saying...

This book is the scariest and most suspenseful that I have ever read.

And yet I couldn't put it down. Highly recommended.

Yun lang.

Eh-hum # 245

2008-06-29T21:28:00.004+09:00

There are a few things in my mind right now, a couple of which are making me quite uncomfortable. Its not really a problem, but if not handled properly, it could spell trouble for me. This all came about last Friday, when I spoke to two different people with different sets of news. But like most in this world, its all interconnected. Again, its making me uncomfortable, the reality of it all.

I thought I could use some enlightenment. Thus, I asked my siblings' opinions. Whenever my sister spends her weekends in Novaliches-land, we would have these mini-conferences in the kitchen, usually when our parents retire to their room for an afternoon nap. Having these talks are very helpful in times of distress, because it puts everything in perspective.

I am thankful for having smart/witty siblings.

***

People turn to food for comfort when agitated. Well, this doesn't really apply to me since I eat comfort food on a regular basis. What I do is nothing new: retail therapy. However, instead of clothes or shoes, I buy books.

What better way to temporarily escape your worries than to indulge oneself to some good reads and get lost within the pages of a book/novel. And here, in my opinion anyway, are some interesting literary works.

A month ago, I purchased Fugitive Pieces, a story about a Polish boy who lost his family during the Holocaust (narrowly escapes being killed by the Nazis) and was adopted by a Greek archaeologist. The book also talks about his life after immigrating to Canada, marriage and writing poems. Its a wonderful story, and it moved me. There is something so poignant about children surviving an extremely unfortunate event then trying to live a normal life afterwards. I also learned that the novel was translated to the big screen and premiered at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival.

The other book I bought last Saturday, hence, I haven't finished it yet. With its lead characters on a quest, my newest acquisition can be considered an arcane mystery. Yes, its both exciting and frightening. Why? Because The Historian takes another look on the historical Dracula, and the myth that was (and still is) associated with him.

Eh-hum...

Eh-hum # 244

2008-06-12T10:03:00.002+09:00

To my Fellow Pinoys:

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

May we continue to work smart and hard to make our nation independent from the things that challenges our place in this world.

Eh-hum # 243

2008-06-09T12:22:00.006+09:00

While waiting for the train this morning, I noticed a movie poster for Made of Honor right across from where I was standing.

Patrick Dempsey is handsome, no doubt about that, and his popularity will make it the movie, uh, popular among the ladies. However, the movie is like a male version of my Best Friend's Wedding, except the lead guy wins and gets the girl in the end. But I thought the groom was interesting as well, being Scottish and all. Hehehe.

I did not consult Wikipedia for the plot (which is obvious), but for the actor who plays the groom, Kevin McKidd. In the said poster, you can see only 1/3 of the groom's face, but I thought he looked awfully familiar, until I confirmed that it was indeed Lucius Vorenus in a tux.

If I were the girl in the story, I would be quite in a bind. So, the choice is yours ladies. Would you rather be "examined" by the charming, dreamy doctor or act out any scene from Rome with a tough and principled centurion (complete with costume)?

*This post is brougt to you by (my wish to purchase) the DVD set of the HBO series Rome. Thank you.

Eh-hum # 242

2008-06-09T11:30:00.002+09:00

I. Each blogger starts with ten random facts/habits about themselves.

II. Bloggers that are tagged need to write on their own blog about their ten things and post these rules.

III. At the end of your blog, you need to choose ten people to get tagged and list their names.

IV. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

***

1. Weird but true: I eat banana with bagoong, or shrimp paste. It is an acquired taste, so try this only at home.

2. I'm Christian, but it wouldn't hurt to observe certain Filipino beliefs. For instance, I always say "Tabi-tabi po" when crossing quite corners, foreign places, bushes, etc. so not to disturbed its residents.

3. I have four email addresses. Why? Because I also use them to store important files. Also, once upon a time, email accounts offered less than 25 MB of space. Also, I am thinking of buying my own external HDD. I need space, even though I won't be able to use all that memory. I'm afraid of, what my brother calls, "the blue screen of death", and/or my computer crashing.

4. No matter what company/organization I am working for, I am (usually) the first person to arrive in the office. Yes, I am the current key monitor.

5. I like riding trains. Its convenient and fast, and the stations make good landmarks. I pray the transportation system in the Philippines will improve, like that of Japan (sigh).

6. I am a newbie when it comes to coffee, and it was only over a month ago when I started making regular visits to a shop near work. My favorites are dark mocha and coffee jelly. Non-fat/light blend, of course. Also, I prefer iced coffee, so that I can drink it faster.

7. I make to-do lists that I rarely follow. Its important for me to just write it down. Doing it on time is a different matter. I also like doing rough diagrams/mapping, which I can only understand, of how to do a task/tasks. I talk out loud while "brainstorming".

8. If I fail to watch a movie and I am interested in knowing the plot, I always look it up in Wikipedia. I sometimes make a mental note of the things I want to check in the said online encyclopedia.

9. Whenever I pass by National Bookstore at the mall, I have this urge to buy something. Its usually a steno notebook, ballpen, fold back clips or any paper.

10. I am a big bag person. But I always wanted to go to school and NOT bring a bag at all. Iskolar, kuno.

***

I haven't thought of whom to tag, so I'll just say for anyone who will be visiting this blog.

Thanks very much to my sister for this one.

Eh-hum # 241

2008-06-03T10:11:00.005+09:00

I was reading yesterday's editorial of the Philippine Star, and found Mr. Jarius Bondoc's opinion article interesting. Perhaps it is true what they say, that history repeats itself.

While Mr. Bondoc didn't share his opinion on the account, he hinted (from what I understood anyway) that the skirmish between the RP Government (especially Malacanang) and Meralco has something to do with the (seemingly) heated and unpleasant relations between two very influential families: the Arroyos and the Lopezes. Unfortunately, us taxpayers and common folks are right in the middle of this "war".

Anyway, here's a portion of the article. Read the rest of it here.

***

Meralco squabble relives earlier Lopez-Arroyo clash

GOTCHA By Jarius Bondoc

Monday, June 2, 2008

The Malacañang-Meralco tiff looks more like a fight between the Arroyo and Lopez families. Gloria Arroyo drew first blood in blaming the Lopezes, instead of her mulcting Napocor appointees, for costly electricity. Lopez spokesmen countered that the Arroyos were squeezing Meralco to get back at their other controlled firm, critical media giant ABS-CBN. Full-blown war then escalated in the courtroom, boardroom and newsroom.

Eight decades ago in 1929 a similar battle raged between the Lopezes and Arroyos. Setting: Iloilo, the fastest rising city in the Visayas. Self-rule was top issue nationwide. A National Assembly of Filipino legislators had just convened in Manila under Senate President Manuel Quezon, of Partido Nacionalista. New technologies were spurring changes in traditional sugar regions. Among the young entrepreneurs caught up in the modernization tide was Eugenio “Eñing” Lopez, 28.

Iloilo, as all other cities, had a seamy side. A Chinese mestizo named Luis Sañe, alias Sualoy, operated jueteng with impunity. Bribes to civilian and police officials exempted him from law enforcement. It so happened that Eñing was then reviving his late father Benito’s Spanish-language newspaper El Tiempo. Immediately in Sept. 1929 the paper launched a crusade against vice that corrupted the Iloilo government. The jueteng winning numbers were published each day on the front page, playing up official inaction. Personally leading the fight, Eñing came out with one exposé after another, pointing to the highest officials as Sualoy’s protectors. “Eñing did not choose lightweight opponents,” Raul Rodrigo recounts in the book, Phoenix: the Saga of the Lopez Family. They were no less than Governor Mariano Pidal Arroyo, city police chief Marcelo Buenaflor, and congressman-brother Tomas Buenaflor.

***

Ahhh, same old story: 1) Arroyos and the issue of jueteng payolas; and 2) Frequent antagonism between the Government and the media.

Eh-hum.

Eh-hum # 240

2008-06-01T12:29:00.007+09:00

Cleanliness is next to Godliness.

Don't ask me how I took the pictures...nor why do a post on lavatories.

Yeah that's right, lavatories or comfort room or powder room, etc.

But I thought our dear urban planners, architects, real estate people or whoever is in charge in constructing commercial buildings and/or malls should realize that it pays to have clean, modern and (need I say more) CLEAN lavatories. It reflects on the kind of building they've constructed (I sense a metaphor for a person is about to develop, but let's not go into that...hehehe).

So here it is. A Japanese lavatory (that our malls should all emulate...for the love of God).

***

First Picture: where to place your baby safely while "releasing tension" (inside the stall);

Second Picture: sensor-operated thrash bin;

Third Picture: white, CLEAN, sparkling sinks;
AND

Fourth Picture: sensor-operated soapy foam dispenser.

Eh-hum # 239

2008-05-27T09:43:00.002+09:00

"Five fifty-five, fifty-five! Dial limang five! Five fifty-five, fifty-fa-ha-ha-ive"

MAKE IT STOP!!!

If you, like myself, are part of the thousands (if not millions) of Filipinos commuting using the Metro Rail Transit, MRT for short, then you will notice that we no longer hear the driver's voice over the train's PA system telling us which station we're already at. Thankfully, a pre-recorded friendly and articulate female voice tells us that, which saves us from getting confused when the drivers still have not memorized the correct order of the stations (have experienced this).

(Also, saves the driver from being jeered at just because they came from certain provinces. Story: my brother heard from a friend that while they where riding the LRT yellow line, the driver announced "Pedro GEL" instead of "Pedro Gil", which prompted once passenger/another friend to say loudly, "Delikado pala sumakay dito, may byahe papunta empyerno". Oh well).

This improvement in the MRT station is welcomed, of course. Some trains even have small TVs for ads. But what is annoying (and speaking of ads) are the commercials being played after the friendly and articulate female voice makes her reminder. It won't be a big deal if there was variety, like a radio station. BUT, as what I have experienced yesterday, it was just ONE commercial, played over and over and over again. From the time I got on the train in Taft, until I got off at North Ave. Much to my chagrin, I found myself humming this Greenwhich pizza ad (to the tune of an Eraserhead hit) on my way home via FX taxi.

MAKE IT STOP!!!

Well, this little experience proves that 1) repetitive commercials are annoying, worse than LSS; and 2) it really works. If I suddenly crave for pizza/pasta, I know what numbers to dial.

All together now: "Five fifty-five, fifty-five! Dial limang five! Five fifty-five, fifty-fa-ha-ha-ive"

Note: I should demand money for even mentioning said pizza company in this blog, especially if people started calling. Hehehe.

Eh-hum # 238

2008-05-23T09:23:00.006+09:00

I knew it!

Congratulations, David Cook, for being the American Idol's Season 7 winner!

What can I say? He had us at HELLO.

(Sorry, I had to say it, heheh).

Eh-hum # 237

2008-05-22T15:37:00.004+09:00

Before I share thoughts on life/work and a couple of pictures, let me dedicate this post to two interesting entries made by Ms Jessica Zafra in her blog:

1. "Geek History"

"Are nerds born or are they made? Now that geeks rule tech companies, lead billionaire lists, and are the auteurs, subjects and stars of Judd Apatow movies, has it become cool to be a nerd? Even people who must’ve been popular in high school now claim that they were nerds. If everyone was a teenage outcast, then who cast them out?

I do not like these belated claims of membership in the tribe.

Here’s an interview with Benjamin Nugent, author of American Nerd." ; and

2. "Children are not PC."

"Panchito (not his real name) and his six-year-old son boarded the elevator in their building. There were two other passengers on the lift: a middle-aged Australian and his young Filipina wife. The Australian was a friendly sort–he looked at Panchito’s son and boomed, “Hello! How old are you?”

“I’m six,” the little boy replied.

“You’re too big to be a six-year-old!” the friendly Australian said.

“You’re too old to have a yaya (nanny),” the little boy said.

Panchito was unable to take note of the Australian’s reaction, or that of his wife. He was too busy looking for an elevator shaft he could throw himself into."

***

Eh-hum...

1. So, are the nerds brining sexy back? Maybe not entirely, but I did noticed that nerd is the new cool. I also have met a few claiming to be nerds back in high school, but were obviously the cheerleaders, prom queens and the jocks. What's up with these airheads? Even though they are the center of attention (and people are supposedly dying to be like them), they are also in a perpetual state of trying to fit in (pretending to be somebody they are NOT). Revenge of the nerds indeed.

While I am not that smart, I would consider myself as a nerd. In GS/HS, I was very much into cartoons (i.e. anime), fantasy films, thriller/horror novels (Christopher Pike), encyclopedias and National Geographic magazines. Yeah, I remember a few of my classmates gave me an unflattering nickname, which I thought it was pretty nasty. I may be a weird girl, but at least I have always been true to myself. Rather be a nerd than a poser. ;)

2. Yep, a bonafide "the Emperor's New Clothes" moment right here, a child stating the the obvious that we adults dare not talk about out loud. Funny, this was a topic of conversation between me and my Indonesian friend back in Japan. You know, the observation that Westerners tend to marry, uh, not so pretty local girls. Nothing wrong with that, of course, everybody deserves to be happy (or married).

Its just that, well, you know...why?

Maybe...its just me.

Heheh.

Eh-hum # 236

2008-05-17T16:48:00.004+09:00

Hullo! So much has happened in the last week after our office outing at Laguna. Though I cannot share it in detail due to the nature of the work, I don't mind sharing a couple of things I learned about the industry I'm in so far and myself.

Also, I like to post some pictures I took in the past couple of weeks, which may describe what I am feeling right now about life and work.

***

For now, I would like to share my fondness for a television program I remembered watching as a child, Jim Henson's The Storyteller. As the titled suggests, the show was created and produced by Muppet master Jim Henson in the late 1980's. It lasted for two seasons and is now available in a boxed DVD set.

The show basically retells various folk tales/mythology with a combination of actors and puppets. The original Storyteller was John Hurt, he was replaced by Michael Gambon in the second season. Amid these changes, the show's format remained: an old storyteller sitting by a fire telling each tale to both the viewers and to his talking and realistic looking dog (a muppet voiced by Brian Henson).

I loved this show as a child, but I must admit there were times I was a wee bit scared due to the presence of some dark elements in the stories.

I hope there is a way for me to purchase the DVD set. All I can do, for now, is visit YouTube. Anyway, here's the opening sequence of the first season. Enjoy!

Eh-hum # 235

2008-05-08T09:54:00.002+09:00

Laguna, here we come. Our office (rather, the department I belong to) will be spending our weekend in a modest resort located in, as mentioned, Laguna. A much deserved break from the demands of work and the bustling (not to mention polluted) urban jungle.

I was hesitant at first, due to the possible awkward moments that could make any seemingly normal conversation a source of ridicule and major embarrassment (am one of the newbies at work). But since its free (food, lodging and transportation), I convinced myself to attend. Also, if I find myself in a painfully uncomfortable situation, I would only be scarred for life, not dead. Hehehehe.

***

I have great, wonderful, fantastic news! But its better to keep it to myself. Next week, next week.

***

Also, next week, will be having dinner with a couple of friends from Shindai. Looking forward to that (right next to my great, wonderful, fantastic news, hehe).

Eh-hum # 234

2008-05-05T11:10:00.006+09:00

Whew!

My sister's home for the weekend after spending five days in Baguio. Hence, the house became noisier with more trips to the kitchen for family discussions and before dinner snacks.

After being tag-teamed by my siblings, I finally was able to watch 300. Its a bit late, but watching movies months after it has been shown in theaters is a habit of mine, so am not complaining (part of my "against-the-flow" philosophy, I guess). And I am certainly NOT complaining about this:

Let me just repeat what I've said before, those abs are REAL...real...real. If Gerard Butler gets any more hotter than he already is, we might just found an alternative source of energy.

***

I am a bit annoyed that one of my new blouses is ruined no thanks to a few loose threads. When I first saw the rip (it could be caused by a washing machine mishap or apathetic ironing), I wanted retribution since I used it only once and it did cost me some hard-earned money. However, I realized later on that putting the blame on other people (particularly household help) will not make it any better and I ought to find other ways to have it fixed so that a relatively new blouse won't go to waste.

One option was to have it replaced, but I figured it won't fly since it has been more than a week. I could also try asking the boutique (where I purchased it) if they could fix it. Or visit a shop that specializes in these things.

Oh well. The bottomline is, I am trying not to make this incident ruin my Monday. Or the fact that I am sniffling and coughing since yesterday. But thanks to a certain coffee shop near work, I am feeling much better.

Eh-hum # 233

2008-04-26T10:11:00.003+09:00

Funny stuff.

Am sure, anybody who has been through college (whether two semesters or three terms) can relate. Thanks to Benigno for this one. Enjoy!

***

Every New Trimester:

After First Week:

After Second Week:

Before the Mid-Term Test:

During the Mid-Term Test:

After the Mid-Term Test:

Before the Final Exams:

Once Get to Know the Final Exam Schedule:

7 Days Before the Final Exam:

6 Days Before the Final Exam:

5 Days Before the Final Exam:

4 Days Before the Final Exam:

3 Days Before the Final Exam:

2 Days Before the Final Exam:

1 Day Before the Final Exam:

The Night Before the Final Exam:

1 Hour Before the Final Exam:

During the Final Exam:

Once Walk Out From the Examination Hall:

After the Final Exam, During the Holiday:

Eh-hum # 232

2008-04-25T12:34:00.002+09:00

THIS is great news.

THIS is most definitely not.

Ganyan talaga ang buhay. Eh-hum.

Eh-hum # 231

2008-04-23T18:00:00.003+09:00

I celebrated my birthday almost two weeks ago.

Even though I am a year older, I don't feel any different from last year. But is it funny (or not) that I will be 30 in two years time. Perhaps its true that age is just a number, what matters is how you are living your life. And I have so much to be thankful for.

Well, for one, I am back in the work force, in a government institution...again. The pay is not so good, rather, not too bad. But I am looking forward to the work I will be doing (more of the significant, less of the mundane), the people I could meet and the knowledge I could gain. I am still in that stage where I value experience over salary. Since I was, eh-hum, on "academic leave" for a year, I really have no problems starting near the starting line. But it also pays to work smart as well. Gambarou!

***

The heat nowadays is terrible, and I can't believe I am looking forward to the rainy season. And thanks to the unbearable warm weather, in the past few days (or nights) I have been terrorized by flying roaches. While there is no denying that I (and perhaps most of mankind) consider them pests, I can pretty much handle a crawling roach. But flying roaches are an entirely different thing. And in an attempt to make my room roach-free, I (grudgingly) cleaned my room and (happily) fumigated it with insecticide.

I pray that my normal sleeping habits return so that I won't have to wake in the wee hours of the morning just to hunt for these, uh, home invaders. OMG.

Eh-hum # 230

2008-04-10T11:19:00.004+09:00

I am happy to announce my laptop is doing just fine.

This little incident made me more critical of the programs I want to install as well as the capacity of my HDDs. My friendly neighborhood tech support, uh, dude, told me that I should leave 1/4 of the total size of my HDD free to prevent it from crashing.

And we seriously don't want that.

***

I got this picture from a popular blog, and deemed it to be connected to the protests that marred the Beijing Olympics 2008's torch relay. I thought the caption for the said photograph was pretty funny.

"His Holiness, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, could totally kick your ass"

But what is NOT funny are the controversies hounding the said torch relays. Its a pity that sensitive and political issues such as the case with Tibet and Darfur got intertwined with historic events like the Olympic Games (which aims to promote peace and brotherhood among nations through sports). It could not be helped I guess, since this year China is the host and the urgency of the said issues.

Eh-hum # 229

2008-04-09T09:26:00.003+09:00

Its April! Which means I will be 28, really soon.

Now it's a good time for me to get my act together and seriously consider plans for the next five years. I'm really an easygoing person by nature, so this will take a lot of work. But I guess, it will be worth it. As they say, daig ng maagap ang masipag.

***

In other news, I'm feeling not so fine. Not because I'm ill, but my partner-in-crime is.

Yes, my one and a half year old Acer notebook went bonkers this morning, leaving me really nervous. Its only 0900, which means I have to wait for an hour before I could bug my friendly neighborhood tech support.

I hope (and pray) that this little mishap has nothing to do with the fact that yesterday morning, I decided to upgrade my RAM, or DDR2 as they call it nowadays, to 1 GB. I checked my notebook's specs/user guide, and it says that I can expand its memory up to 2 GB. And I also hope (and pray) that if there is something wrong, it won't affect my files, especially my pictures and my school data/research materials.

Will keep my fingers crossed. Haaaayy.

Eh-hum # 228

2008-03-24T09:48:00.002+09:00

Me (aspiring kick-ass intellectual/policymaker): 0
Ditsy "valley girls"/trophy wives/mistresses: 1

So what is this about? Really don't want to elaborate, but its a self-esteem issue, again. Or, why sometimes (or often) young ladies who take the "easy" way out (eh-hum. wink, wink) tend to get ahead of those wanting to add more integrity into their lives by taking the road less traveled?

OMG, we live in an odd, unfair world. And a couple of weeks ago, everything that I ever believed in was challenged by this little saying from (uh-oh) my late grandfather: "Masmabuti na maraming kang pera, kesa abakada". And as of the moment, that's me.

Ouch.

Eh-hum # 227

2008-03-12T12:11:00.002+09:00

Two San Miguels are getting much media attention nowadays. One is the Opposition's newest witness in the ZTE-NBN Broadband deal scandal, Leo San Miguel, and the other is Bb. Pilipinas-Ms. World winner, Janina San Miguel. This post, unfortunately, is about the latter. My views on the scandal will come in after the unfolding of events in the next few days.

I really don't want to do this because I am also a Filipina and we are now celebrating Women's Month. But I believe that we can learn something from this little brouhaha/incident, such as beauty isn't everything and it pays to be smart and quick-witted.

Its obvious that this young lady made a fool of herself in national television and her winning second place, or being the country's representative to the Ms. World 2008 pageant, added insult to injury. Its also ironic that she is a Communication Arts student. Did she deserve to win after doing poorly in the Bb. Pilipinas 2008's question and answer portion? Will this tarnish the reputation of the Bb. Pilipinas organizers? Would this have an effect on younger women, how they would see themselves and their priorities in life? Do beauty contests even have a role in women empowerment?

Three points I would like to share:

1) Had she answered the question in Filipino, I would've admired her. There is nothing wrong in answering in your native tongue. I mean, in international beauty contests, you see representatives from Venezuela among others speaking in their own languages. The pageant organizers provides them with interpreters, so I don't think its a problem;

2) Speaking in Filipino may have allowed her to answer the question correctly. People who sympathize with her were saying that we shouldn't make a big deal about her broken English. Fine, but they forgot to note that she did not even answered the question in the first place! And truth be told, it was such an easy question; and

3) We are taking our knowledge in English for granted. I myself am not fond of grammar and I do make mistakes. But its still important, and Ms. San Miguel wouldn't know proper grammar even if she was ran over by it (ouch!).

Fine, I'll cut her some slack, since Ms. World 2008 is several months away. Lovely and confident as she is, she still needs work on her comprehension skills. Whoever is training her has her/his hands full. And us, her fellow Filipinas, can only do but pray. I am not expecting her to win (Where are the Gloria Diazes and the Margie Morans when you need them?), but rather just make us proud by being a shining example of Filipino beauty and, God-willing, BRAINS.

Eh-hum # 226

2008-03-10T11:33:00.005+09:00

Maraming kalokohan simula pagkabata hanggang ngayon. And here are just some of the few:

1. More or less, fifteen years ago.

Me: "Bunso, huwag ka nang umiyak. Blow mo na yung rice mo para makakain ka na."
Him: (Wailing on top of his lungs, due to God-knows-what) "HINDI BLOW IYAN!!! WHITE!!!"

2. Two years ago.

Him: "Siguro, para makilala ni Bruce** si ate pag-uwi nya, kailangan maglagay tayo ng picture (ni ate) sa may kulungan nya."

3. Last year.

Me and Lin: "Jo, bakit ayaw mong kainin ang Fuji apple na binili ni mom? Pareho naman silang mansanas ng Washington (his favorite) ah."
Him: "Ganito iyon mga ate. Parang si Ate Con gusto ng Latondan* at si Ate Lin paborito ang Lakatan*".

4. A couple of weeks ago.

Him: "O, nasaan na yung Mango Milk Yogurt ko?! Wait...nainom ko na pala kanina...hehehe"

+++

HAPPY 21st BIRTHDAY! Natatangi ka talaga, and we wouldn't have it any other way. :)

*saging
**our Belgian-Doberman mix/one-hell-of-a-guard-dog

Eh-hum # 225

2008-03-03T11:03:00.002+09:00

Its March already! How time flies when you're having, uh, fun.

Forgive me, I haven't been out lately so there is nothing really much to talk about, or to write about. As I've said, I have been busy lately and I am just looking forward to next week because everything (I hope) will be back to normal. I am thankful for my grad studies to counter the boredom (or urge to slack-off) I have been experiencing lately.

Moreover, it helps that your friends would give words of encouragement. I sometimes felt embarrassed that my "problems" were not really that important, and yet that didn't prevent them from sharing good advise or encouraging thoughts. :)

***

Also, I have The Sims Life Stories to amuse myself and to keep me from going insane. Speaking of this game, for those who are familiar with it, notice when Sims interact with one another they speak using their own language called "Simlish". Designers of the game felt it would be impractical to use a real language for the Sims' every day dialogue, so they invented one. I find it amusing that Simlish took its roots from fractured Ukranian and, get this, Tagalog. Tagalog is one of the major languages used in the Philippines, and it is similar (almost identical) to the official/national language, Filipino.

Pretty neat, huh? It would've been cooler if I actually understood Simlish, but I guess that's a little too much. Hehehehe.

Eh-hum # 224

2008-02-27T19:57:00.002+09:00

HAHAHAHA.

Wala lang.

After going over my blog's archives, I just realized that ever since I started this modest online journal of mine, I always share my thoughts (e.g. cynicism, amusement, etc) on that very special day (to most people anyway), Valentines' Day.

For this year, I totally forgot. It could mean that I have no qualms about being single. However, I am not sure if that's a good thing.

Who cares anyway?

***

More importantly, last February 14, my father came home from overseas. Well, his six months as Master Mariner is not yet over, he'll really come home in April. What I meant was he was able to "steal" a few hours from work because his vessel temporarily docked at the South Harbor in Manila. We had dinner to celebrate his visit, as well as our kasambahay's 30+ birthday. Several hours later, he went back to the ship and set sail to Malaysia.

It was not so bad. Anyway, we'll be seeing him 45 days later. Hehehehe.

Eh-hum # 223

2008-02-18T11:56:00.004+09:00

Forgive me, henyo blog, it has been indeed a long, long time since my last post. Rest assured that I am not about to let February pass without posting (at least) one entry under this month.

Am not busy, just preoccupied with the following (don't ask me why, I believe there's a difference):

1. School assignments;
2. Part-time research work (which, with God's grace, will be finished within this week);
3. Newly acquired novels (bought three in two weeks);
4. Household responsibilities;
5. Simple gatherings with friends (the latest was a baby shower for a dear friend in College);
6. Job-hunting; and
7. the Sims. Eh-hum.

Plus the occasional "slacking-off moments", when you just want to stare at the wall for a couple of hours and not think.

Not really swamped, but there were times when I see myself procrastinating. Its one of my biggest weaknesses (next to eating a lot of rice), and I try to fight any urge to slack-off. And this week is quite crucial for me. I am hoping to be "set-free".

Oh well. I am just praying everything will work out fine.

Eh-hum # 222

2008-01-23T19:43:00.000+09:00

And so I'm back from outer space...or from the friendly and virtual neighborhood of Four Corners.

Yes, yes. Until today (right this very moment, I mean), free time from work and school was wholly dedicated to playing the Sims Life Stories, a standalone PC version of the wildly popular simulation game the Sims/the Sims 2 published by Maxis and distributed by Electronic Arts. My first encounter of this kind of game was more than four years ago, when it was available for the PlayStation 2. The graphics were not as good back then and the gameplay got a little complicated (e.g. rewards and aspiration points).

I decided to buy this standalone version rather than the expandable the Sims 2 Deluxe because I can install and play the former on my laptop (and it is cheaper by a few hundreds pesos). I enjoy "playing God" by creating Sims (virtual characters) and running their lives (career, family, lovelife, etc). Its an amusing way to relieve stress, or to put one's pathological need to control other people's lives into good use. And I must say, the more I play it, the more I've become addicted to it...hehehe. Just kidding.

As much as I enjoy playing it, I don't consider myself a serious gamer. Moreover, my fondness for it has not taken over my daily responsibilities. I am not one to forget that I have a real life to live and enjoy.

***

Speaking of life, I was shocked to learn this morning that Hollywood actor and Australian Heath Ledger has passed away at the age of 28. I mean, the guy will be next seen in the movie Dark Knight as Batman's most formidable enemy (in my opinion, anyways), the Joker. When the movie premieres in July (?), we expect him to be gracing the red carpet with another actor that has the looks and the talent, Christian Bale. With a promising career, his family in Australia, his fans and most especially his daughter, I doubt it was a suicide. I hope its not, for his little girl's sake.

And just last week, we learned that the Client's Brad Renfro died. He was just 25. He may not be as popular as Ledger, but Renfro also has a makings of a serious actor, especially since he stayed away from teenybopper roles.

Haaay, buhay.

Eh-hum # 221

2008-01-07T13:59:00.000+09:00

Talk about unusual names for places.

First read about this little village in Austria in another blog, and I had to check it further in the Internet. And then I got my answer in an article about (excuse me) Fucking, Austria in Wikipedia. And its 100+ residents are not happy with the recent happenings wherein English speaking tourists would steal the traffic sign by the entrance of the town. Here's an example:

What's the F---ing joke?

September 3, 2005

The 104 inhabitants of F---ing, Austria are tired of pesky tourists - and they're fighting back, writes Toby Harnden.

For those travelling to it across the border from Germany, it is a long way further on from Petting - where some people prefer to stop for a while rather than going all the way. It might appropriately be twinned with the Amish town of Intercourse, Pennsylvania. Or perhaps with Condom, France. Or Climax, Colorado.

In the world of crosswords, cryptically the name of the village, which begins with F, has seven letters and is not for those under 16, could be: "Monarch follows soccer team, you hear."

A quick crossword clue might ask you, po-faced, for the gerund form of the English profanity that refers to the principal act leading to procreation.

An etymologist would know that its verb was derived from the Latin futuere and the Old German ficken, meaning "to strike or penetrate". The lexicographer can trace its first recorded use to John Florio's A World of Words, a 1598 dictionary.

D. H. Lawrence used it in Lady Chatterley's Lover in 1928, but it was 32 years before it could be published legally. The playwright Kenneth Tynan was the first one to utter it on television four decades ago.

But for the conservative inhabitants of a settlement called F---ing in rural Upper Austria near Salzburg that comprises just 32 houses (population: 104), the English meaning of their village's name is just one giant headache.

One night, tourists stole all four road signs on its approaches. Since records began, there has been no crime there - apart from the perennial theft of what officials call "street furniture".

Now the authorities are fighting back. The signs have been set in concrete bases and Kommandant Schmidtberger, the local police chief, hints at clandestine operations to combat what he calls "foreign criminals" disturbing the alpine order. (Read the rest of the article here.)

Ergo, it does not matter if the name rhymes with "looking". Hmmm, if these tourists know how to speak Filipino, then this town in Albay is in trouble. Hehehe.

Eh-hum # 220

2007-12-29T14:21:00.000+09:00

In a couple of days, it will be 2008. Its amazing that another year has passed by. And truth be told, I am so grateful for 2007 thanks to the many blessings I recieved, events I've experienced and people I've met. The highlight, of course, was the opportunity to stay and study in Japan for a year. The learnings from school, bible studies and even from seemingly mundane activities made me a better person. Thanks to this new found confidence, I can definitely say I'm ready to face the challenges of the coming year. Moreover, I look forward to the blessings that will be coming my way in 2008 and beyond.

***

Just a little something-something. A post on the coming New Year celebration will not be complete without 2008 prediction based on the Chinese Zodiac. Mine says:

Expect to see better changes from 2007 since your financial trends are generally set to be pleasant this year as the Year of the Rat is favorable to Monkeys in terms of money and finances. Just bear in mind that 2008 is not a year for perilous investments. Keep on using your intrinsic capabilities on spotting what is best. 2008 is one of the years that prefigures acceptably for your stash and those savings could result to generate substantial assets in the coming years.

Aahhhh, looks pretty good to me. I would like to start the new year with a new and better job, so I hopefully the "generate substanstial assests" part of the prediction will come true. Hehehe, health is important, but wealth isn't so bad either.

Again, a prosperous New Year to everybody! God Bless!

More predictions here.

Eh-hum # 219

2007-12-25T11:45:00.001+09:00

Ehem...its the 25th of December. All I want to say is:

Also, have a prosperous and bountiful 2008! God Bless one and all!

(pic from http://lloydyweb.com/blog/personal/)

Eh-hum # 218

2007-12-16T12:27:00.000+09:00

Christmas is just around the corner, and I am busy finishing some papers. Not exactly the best way to spend the holiday season, but its better than just sitting around and stuffing myself with all the Christmas-related gastronomic delights being sold.

Anyway, to keep myself from going insane, I do some qaulity Internet time, and found this extremely funny clip from that reliever of unwanted stress, YouTube. Its the opening clip of the 58th Annual Emmy Awards featuring super late-night host and funny man, Conan O' Brien. It killed me, especially the "The Office" part.

Eh-hum # 217

2007-12-12T12:39:00.000+09:00

Oh dear. Its almost the middle of December, and no post yet. Forgive me, just a tad busy with school and, uh, work. Anyway, for your viewing pleasure, a Basic Instructions comic. Topic: How to camouflage an unsightly facial blemish. Very useful indeed.

Eh-hum # 216

2007-11-30T07:15:00.000+09:00

It was beyond television drama, and I was honestly worried that there will be bloodshed yesterday that would (unfortunately) make martyrs out of them. "Them" being Senator Trillanes, Brig. Gen. Lim, former VP Guingona, members of the Magdalo group and people from civil society groups/orgs.

It started out as a daring courtroom walkout, but as events began to unfold, it turned out to be a bad idea. PDI online's headlines: Trillanes revolt crushed. Below are some of my thoughts on the incident yesterday:

1. I was quite thankful that there were NO politicians who went to the hotel during the standoff. Perhaps the PNP were the first on the scene so they couldn't take charge of the situation without having to deal with Mamang Pulis General Avelino Razon. Or that they felt the revolt of sorts will not prosper because it failed to garner civilian support (read: no voters present, so why go). Or that to be associated with a radical like Trillanes et al would kill any chance they have for 2010. Hmmmm.

2. Management of the Manila Peninsula Hotel said that 310 out of 497 rooms were occupied before the standoff began. Great, thanks a lot for scaring the tourists/investors and robbing the Manila Pen and its employees valuable and hard-earned income. Not to mention their very festive lobby.

3. Maybe its just me, I find it ironic that a Senator would defy the law by disrespecting the court (a desperate move indeed). Besides, I don't think he became a Senator because he was qualified; I agree to the comments made earlier that it was a protest vote against PGMA.

4. If Trillanes stated his case at court, there could be a chance that the justice he seeks will be served. Staging a mutiny for a second time, defying the courts and putting innocent civilians in jeopardy again...oi, it doesn't look too good for him and his co-horts.

5. Guingona should've retired peacefully. Or if he really wants to get involved, do it in a way that would earn respect, not humiliation. Furthermore, if you are more than 80 years old, it is not a good idea to join a mutiny led by armed mavericks.

6. Media people should've listened the first time (or second time) when they were asked to leave the premises. They said it was part of their job to continue reporting. True, and I admire them for that. However, they should also understand that it is the job of the PNP to ensure that all of the mutineers are accounted for (like the last two Magdalo members who were found hiding in the hotel during clearing operations). While its good that the media people were all released last night, I still don't think its "overkill".

7. Trillanes exploited the media (who followed him around to get his comments, etc) and used them as a protective shield when he went down to the lobby to inspect the sorroundings, the first time since they got to the hotel. Am sorry, that's not kagitingan in my book.

8. Senators should have one staff dedicated to watching the news, taking note of every detail expressed. For instance, Senator Mar Roxas (a guest at DZMM) asked about the curfew and its effects on call center agents. Well, that was answered like, an hour ago when Secretaries Puno and Gonzales were giving a presscon at Malacanang and Secretary Teodoro was being interviewed by Ted Failon and his lady love (and ticket to 2010) Korina Sanchez.

9. As it turns out, the curfew did garner some positive results. Sleazy joints were empty, no drunkards roaming the streets. Would it kill to be a little more disciplined? And no, we are not under martial law. People, pay attention!

10. Makati, again?! What's up with that? Mayor Binay seems not too keen in keeping the city safe from coup plotters and mutineers. At this rate, businesses will move to other places, like Quezon City. Well, that's good news for us.

Finally, 11. While the whole thing was a dud, the government, especially the President, should not take it lightly. Trillanes is reckless and arrogant, but their grievances are rooted in real life. If the government (meaning everybody, from the President to the kagawad, administration and opposition alike) does not shape up, there will be more of these in the future. The Filipinos, particularly the tax payers, don't deserve this kind of drama. Geeez, I hope your trip in Europe will bring good news, madame President. By the way, whats with the entourage? Eh-hum.

Oh yeah, today, is Bonifacio Day. Let us not forget that. :)

Eh-hum # 215

2007-11-26T13:15:00.000+09:00

Ohboyohboyohboyohboy.

I could've just stayed at home and relaxed. But NO! This was an opportunity of a lifetime, and I am not about to let it pass.

I suddenly remembered that I was in Kobe when Neil Gaiman toured Tokyo last September 2007. If I had a LOT of money at that time, I would've bought a Shinkansen ticket just to see him. But it was either that or starvation. Nonetheless, there was hope and yesterday proved to be a blessing. Therefore, I couldn't think of any good reason NOT to see him in person. Hehehe, not even Mina the typhoon. And the wonderful part about that was, I was not the only one willing to face the bad and unpredictable weather just to catch a glimpse of Mr. Gaiman.

Oh. Did I mentioned that I was there?

Yep, I went to Fully Booked at the Fort and attended the awarding ceremony of the 2nd Philippine Graphic/Fiction Awards as well as the launching of the book Expeditions, which contains the works of last year's winners (one for each category; comics and prose). Mr Gaiman provided the foreword of the said book(s). Thankfully, the weather cooperated with us (just a drizzle) and everything went smooth as silk. Local magician Eric Mana and a group of percussionists/musicians/arnis practitioners (forgive me, with all the excitement I forgot their name) graced the evening and provided entertainment.

I was contented to be just a few feet away from Mr Gaiman, though I wished I arrived much earlier and owned a better camera, fit for those zoom shots. But its fine, I had fun and it was really heartwarming to hear Mr Gaiman applaud the winners for their good work and talk about the uniqueness of the Filipino tradition and culture. Now, the contest is in its third year, and Mr Gaiman asked all interested parties to submit their best works. He even announced that they are including a new category: short film (to the excitement of the crowd). The organizers will be giving the future contestants a year to do their stuff, hence, mediocrity is NOT an option.

I'll leave all the writing/drawing/moviemaking to the professionals; I'm just happy to be one of Mr Gaiman's fans and be in the same place as he is. The most memorable event of the evening was when Mr Gaiman requested his son, Mike, to join him in the stage (wherein Mr Gaiman expressed that one can profit from your children's nightmares, hehehehe). You can see that apart from being an amazing storyteller and bestselling author, he is first and foremost a father and family man. Better yet, read his blog; he gushes over his children.

That's basically it. Oh yeah, I also bought an autographed copy of the movie Beowulf script and won an autographed Sandman bookmark (which I have yet to claim). Thanks very much Mr Gaiman, hope you can visit the Philippines soon, you are ALWAYS welcome.

Eh-hum # 214

2007-11-23T11:48:00.000+09:00

Two quizzes here; wala lang.

You Are A Weeping Willow Tree

You are a dreamer, and you're into almost any kind of escapism.
Restless and capricious, you love to travel to exotic places.
You are easily influenced by others, as long as they don't pressure you.
You tend to suffer in love until you find that one loyal, steadfast partner.
An empathetic friend, you love to make others smile and laugh.

What's Your Celtic Horoscope?

You Are Not a Cheapskate

When it comes to money, you're very fair.
You're generous when you can be, and you never cheat anyone out of what they deserve.
If you have the money, you enjoy splurging. But you never overspend.

Are You a Cheapskate?

Eh-hum # 213

2007-11-21T12:16:00.000+09:00

I can't believe I am posting this just now. He's in Subic for crying out loud. I mean, we're practically breathing the same air.

It was Monday. I was in school and just hanging out in the library (where it is properly and comfortably ventilated and quiet). I logged on and proceeded to do the usual stuff, like checking my email. When I got to the blog-hopping part of my Internet itinerary, I totally flipped-out. In his Sunday post, Neil Gaiman casually mentioned that he, in 18 hours, was about to leave for the Philippines. Holy of all holiness...

I felt kind of bad for not making an effort to see the Fab Five when they visited the country last year, since they were a MRT away (from Ayala Malls I mean). So I am not about to make the same mistake again.

>Kindly visit http://heartofadream.wordpress.com/ for more information on Mr Gaiman's Manila tour. He's in Subic most of the time for the 20th Philippine Ad Congress, but on Sunday, he will be at Fully Booked at the Fort. Gaiman fans unite!

Eh-hum # 212

2007-11-15T09:13:00.000+09:00

The authorities are considering other angles, but as of the moment, this makes a lot of sense. Two days later, the Philippine National Police believed that Basilan congressman Wahab Akbar was the likely target of the bomb that exploded at the House of Representatives' South Wing. Akbar and four others were killed in the said explosion which also left several others wounded. These inlcuded two other solons, Representatives Teves and Ilagan.

Early reports say that the bomb was planted on a Honda motorcycle parked near the South Wing lobby (see picture above) and was detonated by a cellular phone. Akbar was a former member of the extremist group Abu Sayaff who later turned against them and helped the government in the campaign against it. If investigations lead to the Abu Sayaff, then the incident could've very well been an assasination. Relatives of Akbar in Basilan agree that he was the target, except for the suspects and the motive. His political rivals could also be responsible. Before becoming congressman, Akbar was the governor of Basilan. His first wife succeded him while his second wife is the mayor of Isabela (also in Basilan). So, governing Basilan is an Akbar family affair. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if the attack was politically motivated; they practically owned the place.

Others say that the attack was against the Congress as an institution, or part of a plot to destabilize the government (both were discredited by the PNP). But I guess the lamest and speculative of the bunch (which, as usual, came from a party list congresswoman) was that the bombing was a diversionary tactic to cover-up the ongoing bribery proceedings and filing of impeachment complaints. Let me just say that (1) I'm really tired of hearing this, (2) its not a good idea to say such things without any proof (channeling "Senator" Trillianes at the Glorietta 2 incident) and (3) now it is a good time to get our acts together and find the perpetrators of this heinous crime. Also, I applaud the congressmen/women who decided to cast their (political) differences behind and made an effort to help the victims of the blast, as a team. Sus, puwede pala iyon. If our politicians were that mature, then we (the country) are on our way to better things. I guess there is such a thing as having too much opinion. Eh-hum...

Eh-hum # 211

2007-11-11T08:20:00.000+09:00

I am not much of a gamer, but I thought this article from Yahoo! was interesting. And I am familiar with most of the characters included in the list.

If I had to choose my favorite video game characters (among the list), it would have to be Mario, Lara Croft, Sonic and Cloud Strife (not in the top ten, but mentioned anyway). Maybe they should also include the whole population of the Sims. Just a thought, hehehe.

Eh-hum # 210

2007-11-03T10:08:00.000+09:00

Wow, American TV network ABC is on a roll. First it was Desperate Housewives, now its Jimmy Kimmel Live! Wonder which ABC program will take on the Filipino pride next. Eh-hum

The latest joke about Pinoys occured on the set of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, wherein Kimmel was interviewing Josh Hartnett. The latter just finished shooting a film at Mt. Diwalwal in Davao. During the interview, Kimmel expressed that Filipinos lack the ability to speak and read English. The comment/joke came in after the two talked about Hartnett's and the American crew's safety while filming near the mountain; the locals told them that there were cases of kidnapping in the area before they arrived.

Like the Desperate Housewives "joke", I initially expected the Filipino-American community will demand Kimmel's head on a silver platter. But according to a report from local network ABS-CBN, the Pinoys and the Fil-Am community in the US had "mixed and considerably milder reaction" to the said remark. I also had the same reaction.

The joke was uncomfortable, but I'm not taking it too seriously. I mean, it was made by an American comedien, so I don't really expect him to do some "research" on the Philippines. If a person (or foreigner) does not know and/or understand a nation's politics, culture, and history, he or she is bound to have her own perceptions (or biases, depending how you look at it). I find myself doing the same thing. The only difference is that, I don't do it on national television.

Geez, I hope this won't become a trend.

***

Due to my 207th post, I would like to think I had something to do with this (I did vote, twice):

Filipino, 7 others picked to carry Olympic torch in China

Associated Press Last updated 00:47am (Mla time) 11/03/2007

BEIJING -- (UPDATE) A Filipino marketing manager and an American who works with Chinese orphans are among eight foreigners living in China who have been picked to join in the 2008 Beijing Olympics torch run across the country, organizers said Friday.

Marcos Antonio Torres was picked from among 262 applicants in a contest organized by Chinese computer maker Lenovo Group, an Olympic sponsor, and the government newspaper China Daily. Each will carry the torch for 200 meters on Chinese soil.

Read the rest of the article here. Mabuhay tayo!

Eh-hum # 209

2007-10-25T10:30:00.000+09:00

Sloth is one crazy, uh, sin.

The great thing about being back home is you can slack-off (most of the time, anyways) with no worries. That's how I have been in the past weeks. I don't have to get up at an ungodly hour to prepare my food, do chores, prepare for school, catch the train, etc. Though I miss Japan, there is not place like home...especially when you afford to be lazy.

But I must say that things will different in the next few months. For one, my dad went overseas to work, which means I have be more active within the household. Also, will be returning to grad school in the coming weeks, so I have to channel my inner serious student/nerd soon. Right now, I don't have the motivation (fancy way of saying I am too lazy) to read the books and hand-outs I brought home from Japan. Perhaps once I get back to school, I would be in the right condition to do so. May be a sloth sometimes, but I am determined to graduate.

***

I am so addicted with this show so much, its important I get my daily WLIIA fix. Nothing brightens my day like watching improv geniuses like Ryan Stiles and Colin Mochrie perform on the WLIIA stage. Astig talaga!

Eh-hum # 208

2007-10-19T22:18:00.000+09:00

Great, just what we need, a potential terror attack.

At first, the blast that ripped through 2 to 3 floors and left a crater at the Glorietta 2 Mall in Makati (a major business district in the country) was caused by an LPG tank exploding coming from a certain restaurant's storage room. However, the PNP clarified that it was caused by a "hard explosive", implying it to be a deliberate attack (nonetheless, authorities also said that the explosion was further exacerbated by exploding LPG tanks from nearby establishments). Update: PNP findings say the explosion was an accident because of the structure of the basement and the (explosive) gases that accumulated.

Now we know the what, the PNP will now the determine the why, how and the who. The explosion left 8 people dead and hundreds with (minor to fatal) injuries. Ayala Land, the owner of Glorietta and other major malls in Makati, have agreed to shoulder the hospital bills of the victims.

As if on cue, the ever opportunistic politicians (a bunch of mostly certified know-it-alls) of the country (administration, but especially those from the opposition) gave the bombing a political angle. Can't we just deal with the facts or let the authorities do their investigation first before we start flooding the media with unfounded speculations and so-called intelligent guesses? Sigh, this is the problem when everyone in the country feels/thinks he or she is smarter than their peers. If our politicians are so frickin' smart, why are we still poor?

Eh-hum # 207

2007-10-12T10:13:00.000+09:00

For Pinoys only...unless you have a strong bond/affinity with the Philippines/Filipino people, you may proceed.

FRIENDS! I have an IMPORTANT announcement!

Meet Marco Torres; and

Noel M. Novicio.

Both are Filipinos living and working in China. Why you may ask they're featured in me blog. Well, Marco and Noel are being considered to be two of the eight(?) torchbearers in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. That is, if they get enough votes. Hence, I am doing my part by featuring them here. I want them to be part of such a prestigious event and YOU should too. If both (or at least, either one of them) will have the opportunity to run in the streets of Beijing and carry one of the enduring symbols of the Olympcis, it will be for the whole Filipino nation and very good for morale (by the way, while late, Congratulations to PACMAN for proving that his first win against the Babyface Assasin was NO fluke. Congrats also to Michael Farinas).

There is an online poll and we must vote, vote and VOTE!!! Let us prove that we not only get our way through texting, but through the information superhighway as well. Log on the Internet and get busy. For Marco, visit http://pub1.chinadaily.com.cn/olympics/torch/members.shtml?mid=117. For Noel, visit http://pub1.chinadaily.com.cn/olympics/torch/members.shtml?mid=345. (Or if these don't work, look for them in Google).

Pinoys (and friends), spread the word!

Yun lang, heheh.

(pictures also from their respective webpages)

Eh-hum # 206

2007-10-10T18:15:00.000+09:00

A rather serious post.

One of my goals while living and studying in Japan was to lose some weight. Unfortunately, that didn't work out. While I develop an appetite for vegetables, cooking my own meals allowed me to eat as much rice as I wanted, which was not a good idea. Most people would cite chocolates and other sweets as their guilty pleasure. In my case, my biggest temptation is rice. I know you can't eat it as it is, but when you pair with with a delectable viand, its a killer. And I mean it.

So, a week ago, my mom put me on a strict rice diet, meaning, I am only allowed to eat half a cup of rice every meal. Moreover, I was "instructed" to eat more vegetables, lessen my red meat intake, and drink more water. And she said I should spend at least 30 minutes on the treadmill everyday (the difficult part actually).

I think I mentioned in an earlier post that I am not one who thinks too much of my body image. I am happy with who I am and how I look. I am not beautiful, but I am definitely not ugly. I'm cool with that. But ever since I arrived home, I am constantly reminded of the problems I could face when I do not look after my weight and my health. My mother has diabetes (thanks to eating too much rice) and other ailments. Being the eldest, there is a huge that I could develop these illnesses. To have a better picture of where I stand healthwise, early this week I went to a laboratory and had my blood and (excuse me) urine analyzed (blood chem). The results came in the following morning, and its not all good news. While most of my vital signs are normal, I found out that I needed to monitor my cholesterol level and my triglyceride level went beyond the normal or healthy range.

Hence, I went to my mom's doctor this morning, and she gave me a prescription to take this medicine for two months. I am not too happy about it, but its definitely a wake up call for me to shape up. While it has nothing to do with vanity, but I could benefit from losing all those unwanted pounds. I just hope I will be able to keep it up.

Eh-hum.

Eh-hum # 205

2007-10-07T10:52:00.000+09:00

I really love this show, it never fails to make me laugh out loud. While the show began as a British radio programme, people are more familiar with the American version hosted by comedian Drew Carey.

Its a improvisational comedy show that takes the form of a fake game show. The host, also the "judge", awards fake points to any of the four performers/comedians who create characters, scenes and songs on the spot (hence, improv). The said four comedians' performance depends on the type of game the host assigns and scenarios suggested by members of the audience. The performer awarded the most "points" (or whoever the host chooses) is declared the "winner" and gets to sit on the host's chair by the end of the show (while he/she is seated, the host does a little acting/singing with the "losers").

The four comedians composed of three regulars (Ryan Stiles, Colin Mochrie and Wayne Brady) and a guest (Greg Proops, Brad Sherwood, Jeff Davis, Chip Esten, Kathy Greenwood, etc). Big names in comedy, such as Robin Williams and Whoopi Goldberg, have also appeared in the show as the fourth performer.

Unfortunately, it was canceled in 2003 due to, what else, poor ratings (but they did broadcast reruns and unaired episodes afterwards). Thanks to over the top and senseless reality shows flooding American television, funny and innovative programs like WLIIA get less attention, ergo, lose ratings.

But we will always have YouTube, DVD compilations and fond memories. Below is a clip of one of the popular "games" on the show, Living Scenery. It features Colin (wearing lavender shirt) and Ryan with three cheerleaders as the props. Funny stuff (before and after the actual skit). Enjoy!

Eh-hum # 204

2007-10-06T10:51:00.000+09:00

Part of being a (good) older sister is being supportive of your sibling's (school or everyday life) endeavors.

Ergo, if you are living in the Philippines (preferably living within Metro Manila) and are in dire need of some sleek, cool and high-quality footwear, please visit http://benjostore.multiply.com/ to view, choose and order a pair(s) of Adidas and Nike shoes to your liking. (By the way, he's also selling Rubbermaid products, JanSport bags and JBL headphones).

Thanks in advance.

(You may ask, did I buy any of these shoes? Unfortunately, I cannot. Well, I would if I have some cash. After my Japan stint, I decided to return to grad school to finish my MA. So, I am a "bum" as of the moment. Sigh)

Eh-hum # 203

2007-10-02T19:46:00.000+09:00

On September 28 (my last day in Japan), I:

Went to school:

Went to Sannomiya and visited a bookshop (Junkudo) and:

Read the first few pages of Gabriel Garcia Marquez' Memories of My Melancholy Whores.
Oh yeah, also went to the bank and withdrew my remaining money and cancelled my cellphone account.

Ergo, I did not do anything out of the ordinary (though I attended a Sayonara party a week earlier, which was a blast).

But I couldn't help feel a little bit sad that I am leaving all of these familiar places and my way of life (no matter how mundane) in Kobe behind.

But I said to myself, it ain't over yet. Hmmm...I smell a plan (though this will take a while). Abangan.

Eh-hum # 202

2007-09-30T11:51:00.000+09:00

Yesterday, I experienced the longest four hours in my life.

My flight was delayed, and I arrived at the NAIA Terminal 2 at 1:45 pm Philippine time. It took me a while to find my luggage, thanks to all the confusion that was going on around me. Ahhhh, yes, I am indeed in Manila, a city that is completely different from Kobe. Since I only slept for around three hours before leaving the residence/dormitory, my head was throbbing like crazy. The noisy and crowded airport (the arrival area, at least) was not helping either. I was on the verge on declaring it a very bad day, when I saw a familiar face in the crowd. My dad's. And suddenly, I felt like crying.

And I did. I lost it when I saw my mother, who hugged me, and my brother who went out and helped me with my luggage. I remembered not crying when they dropped me off at the departure area exactly one year ago. Maybe it was relief, or that I did not realize how much I missed my family until I saw them again yesterday. One year was not that long and it amazes me how fast it all went by. But I guess one year alone in a foreign country is a big deal. There's nothing like having your family within arm's reach.

Despite of the traffic, the pollution, the endless bad news on TV, I can honestly say I am so happy to be back.

There's more. The kitchen that evening was a sight to behold. And then, my cousins came over and we had dinner together. It was crazy...and it only gets better.

Eh-hum # 201

2007-09-20T18:23:00.000+09:00

Sigh.

If I have tons of money right now, I would go (preferably by Shinkansen) to Tokyo just to see Neil Gaiman in person.

And this, if I say so myself, is a really cool picture, featuring three respected, very-talented and amazing people huddled together (According to Mr Gaiman, he had to "digitally messed up this photo" to protect the potentially top secret Ghibli info around them):

(L to R: the Hayao Miyazaki, Neil Gaiman and Toshio Suzuki. Picture from http://www.neilgaiman.com/)

Eh-hum # 200

2007-09-15T23:52:00.000+09:00

This seriously killed me.

Ahhhh. The genius that is Robin Williams, here featured in a popular British talk show (this is just part one, there's a part two). Enjoy!

By the way, its my 200th post. Cheers!

Eh-hum # 199

2007-09-11T12:05:00.000+09:00

In three weeks time, I will be on my way back home.

I am dead excited. But quite stressed out with all the last-minute shopping, research work (yes, I should've done this last August. But I was busy...frolicking in Hiroshima and Kyushu. Hay) and packing. I hope I can have my balikbayan box shipped by next week, so that I won't have any problems with my luggage. Packing is proving to be tiresome and time-consuming; forgive me if in the next weeks I won't be able to update me blog. Most likely, my 200th post will be typed from the comfort of my bedroom in the Philippines.

***

Watching TV the other night proved to be a treat; I saw Utada Hikaru perform one of her latest singles, Beautiful World, live. More good news: I can actually understand some of the lyrics. Heh, those Japanese lessons are starting to pay off. The said song is the ending theme of episode one of Rebuild of Evangelion (a tetralogy of animated films in the hugely popular series Neon Genesis Evangelion). Has a really catchy tune and the song's message/mood (japanese and english lyrics), goes well with the new Evangelion film.

If you haven't heard the song, please watch the following video featuring the song and some clips from the movie. Enjoy!

Eh-hum # 198

2007-09-05T12:21:00.000+09:00

And so it has come to pass.

Last Sunday (September 2) was the season finale of the comedy/musical series Flight of the Conchords. Getting my weekly fix of Bret and Jemaine's misadventures in New York city was a bit of a struggle since I don't have access to cable and the show is available to a limited number of countries (excluding Japan and the Philippines). Ergo, I had to rely entirely on YouTube for the episodes (read: copyright infringement) .

Now that the show has wrapped up, am sure the Kiwis will be taking a long deserved break. Nonetheless, will miss these guys and their equally weird and funny "mates" on the show. More importantly, I will miss their offbeat repartee and ingenious songs. But I guess, we will always have YouTube.

However, all is not lost.

I am happy to share that HBO has renewed FOTC for a second season. They will start shooting in 2008. And that's not all: season 1's DVD will be released on November 6 while the band's full-length album will be available January of next year. Good, if I am limited just to viral videos of them, I would definitely go mad (well, sort of).

They may not be the highest reated show on HBO, but they surely gained a cult following in the US (the birth of more "Mels"). So, in celebration of the Conchords' first flight into the competitive world that is American television, I give you the guys doing some serious "Angry Dancing". Enjoy!

Now you know why my I chose this template for my blog. Hehehe.

Eh-hum # 197

2007-08-31T15:50:00.000+09:00

I have been busy lately...and schoolwork has little to do with it.

Have been going around the country, within Kansai and the southern part of Japan. Since my resources were limited, I used the train and the very cheap 18-kippu. But the trade off was I had to transfer trains as much as six times. That was when me and two other friends spent three days and four nights at Kyushu and visited Kumamoto and Nagasaki. Prior to that, I went with a friend to Shiga (and went castle-hopping) and to Hiroshima...by myself.

In Shiga prefecture, my friend and I visited two castles (named after the cities), Hikone and Nagahama, which both had spectacular views of Lake Biwa, the country's largest lake. In the evening, we went to the prefecture's capital, Otsu, to view a water show (fountains) on the lake.

Just an overnight stay since I primarily wanted to visit two places: Peace Memorial Park (Genbaku Dome, Peace Memorial Museum, etc) and Miyajima (Itsukushima Shrine, see picture above for its famous torii). Though not in my original itinerary, I also visited the Hiroshima Castle (one of five I have visited so far). Hiroshima is five hours away from Kobe, so the train ride was bearable. I didn't mind the fact that I went there alone and truth be told, I had a great time. I was not in a hurry to visit the must-see tourist sites and really took advantage of the free (or paid, depends on your perception) buffet breakfast at the modest but well furnished hotel where I stayed. Again, the trade-off was that I had to politely ask complete strangers to take my picture and there were moments that I ran out of things to think about. Nonetheless, the whole Hiroshima trip was worth it and I was reminded how people can be both civil and cruel at the same time.

On the other hand, Kyushu is at the least 15 hours away from Kobe Sannomiya by train. Hence, out of four days, we spent the two days traveling. Wish we could've stayed there for a week, but we had to look after our expenses. Again, I had a grand time, even though I was beat when I got home. Like Kobe, Nagasaki is a port city and where Europeans first saw a glimpse of Japan. We visited its Peace Park and Peace Museum and historical sites such as Dejima and a Confucian Temple. While in Kumamoto, we went to Mt. Aso, the largest active volcano in Japan, via ropeway. That was pretty exciting, because shortly after we took pictures, we had to evacuate the viewing deck because the volcano started spewing smoke that reached the danger level.

I hope to visit more places, particularly within Hyogo and the Kansai region. I also have to do some shopping since will be returning to the Philippines by the end of September. I am excited to go home, but will need to organize the stuffs that I have accumulated in the past year, and that am sure will be a pain in the a**. Worse than spending money on trips and photocopies. Sigh.

Eh-hum # 196

2007-08-22T15:45:00.000+09:00

I am not big on shoes (pretty much into sneakers) like most women, but I am an avid reader of this superfantastic blog. And no, he's not Manolo Blahnik. He's simply known as the Manolo (be prepared, there will be a lot of THEs in this post. That's how the superfantastics refer to themselves...might start doing it myself, heheheh).

The Manolo has impeccable tastes when it comes to shoes, and gives wonderful advice to those seeking his wisdom on the right footwear for the right occassion. Plus, the Manolo's honest, subtle, enligthening and witty remarks does not fail to amuse, especially when he is sharing his superfantastic opinions on the rather unusual side of celebrities and fashion. Like this one: the Crocs.

I don't own a pair, and perhaps will never will, because I have been exposed to the teachings of the Manolo. For the Manolo, they are the "hot trend in footwear for the lazy person", and he even went far by describing them as an "abomination". Hence, the Manolo and his loyal readers are one a mission to put a stop to the "rise of the consuming evil that is the Croc".

They seem comfortable, but I agree that one shouldn't wear them unless they are near bodies of water, planting their favorite flowers or are toddlers. Plus, I have heard/read of horror stories about children getting their feet caught in the escalator while wearing these clogs. Obviously, these should be worn only at home, where there are no escalators and no one, save your family, can see you wearing them. Eh-hum.

Eh-hum # 195

2007-08-21T00:14:00.000+09:00

I am back from outer space. Unfortunately, this is one of those "break muna" posts. Found this little questionnaire in my brother's blog. Simple lang, its called name game.

2. YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (first three letters of your name, plus izzle): Marnizzle (hahahaha)

3. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color and fav animal): blue tiger. (hmmm, sounds kung-fu-ish :p)

4. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, and current street name): Linsangan Magsaysay (like a guy's, oh dear)

5. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name, first 3 letters of mom's maiden name): Casmalin (hmmm, not bad)

6. SUPERHERO NAME: (2nd favorite color, favorite drink): white ginger ale (yeah!)

7. IRAQI NAME: (2nd letter of your first name, 3rd letter of your last name, any letter of your middle name, 2nd letter of your moms maiden name, 2nd letter of your dads middle name, 1st letter of a siblings first name): Asiutb (I don't know what to make of this)

8. WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (father's middle name): Togoto

9. GOTH NAME: (3rd favorite color, and one of the name of your pet) Orange Chile (goth?!)

Hehehehe.

Eh-hum # 194

2007-08-09T15:40:00.000+09:00

LOL.

I first learned about Scott Meyer, the creator of Basic Instructions, when I logged in to get my daily dose of the word according to Scott Adams. Mr Adams featured Basic Instructions in his recent post and thought it was funny. Like a good Dilbert fan, I decided to take a look. And I was not disappointed.

Its not your typical comic strip because of the format and that its a bit wordy (its suppose to be a guide, afterall). But the humor is smart, sarcastic and LOL hilarous, just the way I like it. The "instructions" are not to be taken too seriously, of course. Nonetheless, the situations found in Meyer's strips can be considered as true-to-life, and perhaps some of us may similar experiences as well. Plus, I like the black and white images/drawings, its not distracting. It kind of reminds me with a certain graphic novel that I would like to get my hands on. Should he decide to compile his works in a book, I would also definitely buy one. Visit the site and prepare to be amazed. Seriously.

A sample of Meyer's humor (just click on the image for a better view):

Eh-hum # 193

2007-08-04T22:58:00.000+09:00

All 1,600 of them, swaying/waving/turning to the music of the Algorithm March, a dance featured in the popular Japanese children's program Pythagora Switch (I remembered embedding the ninja version of the march in an earlier post), was the first video I saw. And then, I found out a couple of days ago, the same 1,600 inmates of a provincial jail in Cebu, Philippines, have also danced and marched to the beat of local pop songs and foreign tracks such as the Village People's "YMCA", Michael Jackson's "Thriller", and songs from the movie Sister Act. And yes, these routines are all available online.

According to this article from Yahoo! News, the synchronized dance routines, the brainchild of special security consultant Bryon Garcia (who also uploads the video on YouTube), is first and foremost a form of physical exercise for the inmates. It was also intended to inculcate discipline among them. However, the videos are now getting a lot of attention online and has become really popular. For instance, as of today, the "Thriller" video has been viewed more than 4 million times! I for one, think that's amazing.

I first thought it was quite strange, but I eventually saw the significance of the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center's (CPDRC) program. Of course, dancing is a form of exercise, and the complex steps plus the number of the people doing it does involves work. More importantly, I agree that the program help boost the inmates' self-esteem since they are doing such a good job with the routines (video user comments have been positive). Plus, it looks like they're having fun (especially the inmates who gets the chance to perform in the middle of the court and show off those dancing skills).

These people may be criminals, but they are still human beings. The guilty deserved to be in jail, but they're also in need of rehabilitation so that when they return to society, they will be better equipped to start a new and crime-free life. Filipinos, in times of trouble and despair, turn to music for comfort. Its not a sign of weakness in the sense that people use it to escape reality. Rather, music can be a source of hope, inspiration and even strength. Connecting with music, whether by song or dance, as the saying goes, soothes the savage beast (in this case, within). As long as its not hurting anybody else, we can see the pride in doing even the most trivial of things, which may or may not include dressing up like a nun and copying some of Whoopi Goldberg's moves.

Here's a video featuring the inmates dancing to the tune of "Radio Gaga". The song is one of the Queen's succesful singles and I think the line "someone still loves you" is very meaningful. Enjoy!

Eh-hum # 192

2007-08-04T00:51:00.000+09:00

What would the result be when you combine a handful of very talented and very patient people (who obviously had a lot of free time) and a pioneering 1970's arcade video game? Definitely something quirky and entertaining. Check this out:

To learn more about that legendary game known as Space Invaders, check out its Wikipedia entry.

Eh-hum # 191

2007-08-02T21:24:00.000+09:00

The Conchords are at it again. This song, entitled "Mother Uckers", really cracked me up (from episode 7). I like the part when they cut their own cuss words. Enjoy!

Eh-hum # 190

2007-07-31T19:47:00.000+09:00

Hmmmm...

Why do I have the feeling that the Bush Administration's new Middle East policy is not such a good idea. I am trying to connect this to what happened in Afghanistan, wherein the US' CIA provided "secret" aid to the mujahideen and the opponents of the pro-USSR regime in Kabul during the Cold War (here's an interesting online article about this), and look what happened afterwards. Moreover, it might instigate an arms race in the region. Below is an excerpt from the International Herald Tribune, regarding the said policy.

U.S. arms plan for Mideast aims to counter Iranian power
By Mark Mazzetti and Helene Cooper
Tuesday, July 31, 2007

WASHINGTON: The Bush administration said Monday that its plan to provide billions of dollars in advanced weapons to Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Israel over the next 10 years was intended in part to serve as a bulwark against Iran's growing influence in the Middle East.

The White House plan must overcome opposition from lawmakers who are skeptical that the weapons will have any effect in blunting Iran's nuclear ambitions, and who worry that a flood of new weapons could ignite a tinderbox in the region.

In closed briefings last week on Capitol Hill, participants in the sessions said, some lawmakers had asked pointed questions about why the White House was using the Iranian threat to justify the arms sales. They expressed doubt that the new weaponry, which includes satellite-guided bombs, missiles and new naval vessels, could deter Iran from proceeding with its nuclear program.

Read the rest of the article here.