The Comfort Rooms

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Mr. Evil Grin girlfriend-puncher must be grinning from ear-to-ear right now. He got away into having his sweet and innocent girlfriend into marrying him a few months from now.


He won the battle over me. And yes, I'm a sore loser.


I was never the mum-of-the-girlfriend's pick. I was never given that chance. Mum even stood by Mr. Evil Grin at the expense of her daughter. Daughter loved me cos I loved her without anyone forcing her to feel the same.


If I thought love was jaded, now I think love is a grain of sand. Not the best thing to hold onto.


"Jerick, I'm getting married in February" will definitely one of the things I wish I never heard ever."

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I haven't blogged the past 6 weeks (and not regretting it). Tired of blogging. Tired to type down and finish posts. Tired to check on other peoples' blogs. Tired of thinking about what things to blog about. Tired about everything that involves blogging - to the point of feeling sick looking at pictures of bloggers, their events and their blog posts and reviews.


Well screw away that feeling anti-blogger blogger. (That's what I call myself).


I'm just happy with this piece of news (a quotation actually) I received thru twitter a few hours ago:


According to Shaq a.k.a. Kobe's erstwhile bitter teammate, "based on what he's done, he's probably the greatest Laker of all time. If he gets another championship, he'll tie with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. That will put him up there."


On a television interview on KTLA as part of the promotional tour of his book "Shaq Uncut: My Story", the former basketball Superman shared what he thought about his former teammate.


With this pronouncement, I hope all Kobe vs. Shaq flame-baiters out there will stop flaming in new arguments as to how Kobe couldn't have done it without Shaq (all of their arguments were like that). 


This I think should be enough to close the storied rivalry between the two.

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No matter how much I love my adobo, I think the vinegar/soy sauce/garlic mixture is too bland for my tongue. That's why at home, I've been adding a few more stuff to intensify my adobo experience. I add coconut milk, ginger and more garlic. Sometimes, I add fresh red onions in for a stronger kick. And more recently, I've been flaking my adobo to make it more special.

I once spoke with a Singaporean restauranteur and I shared to him my thoughts on why I thought Filipino cuisine paled in comparison with its Southeast Asian neighbors. Of course being the non-Filipino that he is and the fact that I was  inside his Singaporean/Malay restaurant, he whole-heartedly agreed with what I said and even made mention that Filipino food is bland.

Let me explain why we both think Filipino cuisine is bland.

We lack the kick that other Southeast Asian cuisines have. Let's take Malaysian cuisine for example. While sauteeing, they include this paste made from chillies, curries and other stuff. It's not enough that the food being cooked is already great tasting, they include a few stuff more to make the experience even better. They add stuff like galangal leaves, kaffir leaves, more chili, ginger and top it all of with coconut milk. Having said that, I think Filipino cuisine really pales in comparison to its neighbors.

Don't get me wrong - I love my Filipino cuisine. Tapsilog is my ultimate comfort food. Kare-kare, Bulalo, and Tinola are among my favorite dishes. No trip to a Filipino restaurant would be complete for me without tasting their pancit there. But comparing the Pancit Canton to the Char Kway Teow (or the Pad Thai), or the Sinigang na Hipon to the Tom Yum Goong, or the localized Chicken Curry to the Thai Green Curry Chicken, we do pale in comparison to our neighbors. That's why all foodies at home should start thinking of ways on how they can revolutionize the way they cook their Filipino dishes.

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Nothing's much worse reading than an article laced with a ton of negative vibes. Who wants to depress themselves by reading through paragraphs-long rants anyways? I guess there are types of people who would want to read that: 1.) a friend or a family - of course they love you. 2.) a mature individual who's interested to read through people's thoughts. 3.) a curious cat who wants to read because he just wants to and 4.) a fellow emo who understands what ranting is all about.

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Waking up early on a Friday wasn't too bad of a chore after all. For a person who pretty much is in-charged of his time and schedule, I was compelled to be up a little bit earlier for an engagement I committed to accomplish that Friday morning. I was invited to cover the launching of iProspect Philippines at Robot in Makati City. And honestly, I thought it was a simple gathering of people from the industry, much like any other ordinary blogger events I refuse to join all the time.

I was wronged.

Though Robot pretty much was an over-rate to me (I can't understand where all the craze was coming from), the ostentatious edge of the place pretty much underlined how significant of a digital marketing product launching it was, actually. To any all-knowing blogger who loved to go to every single event there is, attending the product launch of iProspect Philippines was something he/she missed big time.

So, what is iProspect Philippines after all? It falls under the umbrella (-ella, -ella) of Aegis Group, one of the biggest media companies in the world (that's short of saying they're a majjjjor company). iProspect Philippines will cater to the digital marketing needs of companies based here in the Philippines. When (almost) all of the internet marketing practitioners in the country cater their services overseas, iProspect Philippines will serve the Filipino netizen (which is a big market if we could only think about it).

I enjoyed the product launch (it was my industry so I liked everything about the new company). I enjoyed the food over at Robot. I enjoyed handing out my business cards (for career advancenment purposes, haha!). I enjoyed watching Chico Garcia (the RX DJ was the emcee) make a complete douche out of himself. I enjoyed meeting new people (marketing representatives of some of the biggest companies in the country were there, underlying what kind of significance this company has in the Philippines). All-in-all, it was a Friday morning well-spent.

Next time fellow bloggers, when iProspect plans to host another event, make sure to grab the opportunity to be invited because who knows, it could be an opportunity lurking for you.

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If there is one basketball player who single-handedly defeated the Philippine Basketball team today on its FIBA Asia Championships semifinal match-up against Jordan, it was this man. Rasheim Wright. A naturalized Jordanian originally from the United States.


Three years of preparing and hoping for a London Olympics stint ended with a tough-to-accept semifinal defeat from the hands the Jordanian team, Rasheim Wright, and his teammate Sam Daghlas. As all basketball lovers know, the Smart Gilas team spent three years creating a cohesive and competitive squad composed mainly of collegiate players.


If you watched the match, Jordan for sure knew how to enlarge a wounded team's wound. They celebrated, they cheered, they rejoiced. Well, they deserved it.

It was still a gallant effort by the Smart Gilas team. They can still win 3rd place on a battle for 3rd place match possibly against Korea.

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In the most masculine of movies, there I was, sobbing and reminiscing about my life. THE Ely Buendia, on a cameo, appeared to Odie (the character Jason Abalos was playing in the movie Rakenrol) and taught him a valuable life lesson: Not everyone's been given the chance to do what they really wanted to do in life. You can get stuck inside your office cubicle doing the exact same thing your job tasked you to accomplish or do the thing that you were really passionate about. Those given that rarity of a chance should grab hold of it and cherish it.

I know every single person has his own calling. We were all predestined to do something that we all were designed to do and it is only us who can tell if we were reaching that predestination or not. Some accept the fact that we all had to be contented with a corporately-defined life of an employee who gets paid twice a month to help pay for his bills. Some are happy to be on a loving family and raising children to the best of their abilities. Those acceptances are decent, no questions asked. But there will always be those who are searching for something that will satiate their soul's hunger to satisfy itself. And I think that's what separates artists from the rest of humankind.

Rakenrol to me is more than just about accomplishing your dream. Above that of what money supply you with, it is the satisfaction and fulfillment knowing that you spent your life well. Odie and Irene (Jason Abalos and Glaiza de Castro) never gave up on their dream to create their own band. What was just a passion when they were teens grew into something a lot more serious as they entered college and beyond.

Watching Rakenrol wouldn't be too bad of an idea. It can be a discovery of what your soul was yearning for. It can be a reminder of the things you were really passionate about. It can be a trip to nostalgia as you would be reminded of the days when as a teen, you were once part of a band. It can be a reminder of the fan that you were once was, almost kind-of-worshipping the rock gods you idolized back then. It can be a celebration of your life, no matter how distorted it has become.

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I admit, it can be worry-some and lonely. Sometimes, to the point of being paranoid about it. Whenever friends cross the ocean to tread on unknown but promise-filled waters, I'm left with no choice but to stay on my dry ground.

Throughout my life, I've been taught to tread that ocean as soon as I get the chance to. To me and my world, treading that ocean is like crossing the great divide. Crossing it is like a baptism of fire, with those still walking and toiling on dry ground left behind. We get cheered, motivated and most of the time pressured to cross that great oceanic passage. It can be rude that some who got stuck with their toiling on dry ground are being ridiculed and made fun of, insensitive to how those left must be feeling inside.

One by one, friends and loved ones took that path. To some, crossing the waters seemed easy. Some, rushed by it but eventually got through. To those left behind like me, friends seemed to get fewer and fewer and I don't want to be left behind completely, with another batch of weary travelers getting into my dry ground as well.

Everybody wants to cross that ocean I included. It's tricky, it's difficult, it is something I can't do alone. If there is one life-goal that would be really satisfying to accomplish, it is crossing that ocean definitely. It is sad because the seemingly easy steps to cross it seem difficult to follow in person. Why was it really hard for me to cross that ocean?

I need help.

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Like almost the entire human population, I'm afraid of angry and barking dogs. I've never been beaten by a dog, which makes that fear double. I remember getting barked upon and chased by my grandmother's huge Rotweiler and German Shepherd and that proved to one scary stuff I endured as a kid.

However, I love friendly dogs. The types that are socially apt and are nice to humans. I love cuddling them, talking to them, play with them and look really stupid in front of them cos it was hard for me to contain myself. They're just really cute! The day my favorite dog Dexter (R.I.P.) came into our lives, I was really happy. To some degree, it felt like I had a brother back then. He loved me and I loved him back.

Anyways, back to my story. I can believe dogs can actually do that to their human. According to Reuters, seven starving dogs were abandoned for 2 weeks while their human left. He was suspected to have been "eaten" when a neighborhood guard saw luggage lined up at the front of the human's house, days after he arrived home. He approached the house and smelled something foul and called up the police.

According to police reports, the human's skull was found on his kitchen and his body was found at the front of his house. Report also mentioned that two other dog bones were found, signifying the possibility that the seven dogs ate two more dogs earlier.

Read the news from this link if you want a source that's more authentic.

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I can vividly remember we had two balikbayan boxes full of Archie comics. We had centerfold posters splattered on our bedroom wall (I used to share a large bedroom with my siblings when we were kids), even calendars and the Lisa Frank posters that go with them (they're Lisa Frank members). In one way, we related on every single member of characters from Riverdale, California (it once said it was in California. They even had a Riverdale Beach) and felt like they were family.

I miss Pop Tate's Choklit Shoppe- the diner where the gang used to hang out a lot. I miss Jughead's burgers and milk shakes. I miss Moose and Midge, who in turn is Archie's secret crush. And how ego-maniac and jerky Reggie really is. I miss Dilton and his geekiness, he even managed to organize Archie room's for a time. And Betty, the all-American blondie who is not only smart (she's second to Dilton), but can be relied upon on a host of different things, including auto-mechanic. Veronica Lodge and her rich father Hiram, who always catches a clumsy Archie. And of course, Archie Andrews - unarguably the most famous red-head, the main character of the comics.

They were indeed a part of my growing up. Trips to the National Bookstore won't be complete without buying Archie Comics. Relatives coming home from the United States will always have room for some Archie Comics to me and my siblings. Idle time after school would be spent reading thru the comics, albeit I've finished reading them before.

With this love for the comics, the release of The Best Of Archie Comics was something I didn't pass by. Looking forward to finish all 400 pages of it and reminisce why I fell in love with the comics.

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Kinda obvious why Bar Refaeli is a model.

We live in a time wherein everyone can be anybody they put their mind into. Sister Act II proudly declared that "if you wake up each morning and all you think about is singing, then maybe you are a singer". The same thing goes with other things. As long as you put your mind into it, with sheer determination, luck and balls, you'd probably get it.

However, like all other things in life, this mantra can be so overdone. Not everyone can be a photographer (even if you got a DSLR camera). Not everyone can be a singer (no matter how much we sing on the shower). Not everyone can be a dancer (you can't cheat away with innate groove).

And like those aforementioned examples, not everyone can be a model.

I'm just amazed how this friend, who isn't tall and goodlooking (no, he doesn't have, as Tyra Banks put it, an amazing bone structure), would love to put "model" on his CV. True he got pictures taken professionally, but those pictures weren't taken for some ad campaign or whatever. They were just pictures taken by some guys disguised as photographers.

It's fascinating to see people do that on their Facebook albums. Admittedly, it must be fun to actually feel like a celebrity when you got your picture taken "professionally" but geez, you don't have to call yourself a "model" if you're butt ugly. It's great to dream big but remember to touch base with reality.

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I was supposedly thinking about what to blog about right now. I have a few topics in mind when suddenly, I went *cough cough* again. I'm planning to use the nebulizer for the second time in 24 hours. And I hope this will definitely improve my situation. 

Facebook photo I did yesterday.

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This has got to be the basketball fan's dream. To see his idols play the game right before his eyes in person. Since watching an LA Lakers game in Los Angeles would be expensive, I settled for the second best option, to see Kobe Bryant LIVE here in Manila.

Short of exaggerating, this is a once-in-a-lifetime event that I for sure would cherish forever. And because of that, I thought of writing here my top 10 reasons why I thought the game earlier against the PBA All-Stars rocked:

10. It was not just Kobe Bryant.

9. Derrick Rose (my 2nd favorite player after Kobe) was there.

8. It was a slam-dunk lovefest.

7. Arwind Santos and Sol Mercado showed the NBA stars that Filipinos got some hoops as well.

6. Everytime Mo Twister (the host) took the microphone and said something, people booed at him. I really don't know why.

5. Derrick Rose was serious last night!

4. Kevin Durant showed why he's won 2 consecutive scoring championships. He scored a lot!

3. It was a celebrity sighting fest (I saw Erap, MVP, Ruffa Gutierrez, Tim Yap, Michelle Madrigal, Don Allado, Maricar de Mesa, John Estrada, Priscilla Meirelles, Gary Valenciano, Rissa Mananquil, Paolo Trillo, Harvey Carey, Kerby Raymundo, Jinkee Pacquiao, Tim Cone, Norman Black among the spectators).

2. It was a good gauge on how the PBA players would fare against NBA's best. We lost by 26 points. Which I think wasn't really bad considering that we all knew that we would lost.

1. Kobe Bryant was there.

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In a shocking turn of events, Amy Winehouse is now dead. She was found lifeless on her London home. Police has yet to confirm the cause of her death but it has been widely speculated to be caused by drug overdose. 

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You know bogus from the very first moment you come across it. It's a reflex-like reaction and you are just really sure that bogus is really bogus. Like this, Azkals rape scandal that stormed the Azkals-dom just the past 7 days. Four hunky hot-blooded really popular guys raping a girl? Don't tell me it wasn't consensual at all. =)

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Why are Filipinos overly-dramatic? Why do Filipinos love confrontational scenes with breaking-down-and-cry-while-falling-to-your-knees scenarios? Why is it when we're depressed, the most OA of descriptions slip off of our tongues? Why is it when we're on a defensive mode, we try to secrete out all of the issues that we got to the point of being nonsense already? Boys and girls, I blame it all to the soap opera.

Now I understand why I should be reading more books than watch more TV.

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For the first time in my life, I'm swearing off chickens. The saltiness of the fried skin, the moist flesh from the thigh part, the golden brown finished product - they all don't appeal to me right now. For the first time in my life, I'm swearing off fried chickens.

I've ONLY had five 1/4 chickens when friends and I ate our dinner at Max's a few hours ago. I was surprised that after my 3rd thigh part, I felt full already. The sodium from the salty chicken and the constant waiting for the next batch of 1/4 chickens did me in. After my 3-hour, 5 thigh parts long chickenfest, I realized a few things:

1. I'm currently appalled by the sight of fried chicken

2. The oil from the chicken was too much to handle

3. I don't think I'd be excited to eat eggs today for breakfast.

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When I first learned about blogging back in 2005, it got me really curious. For a frustrated (never-been) lifestyle columnist like me, I thought blogging would have given me the perfect outlet to release my creative juices and just express myself there. From the very first blog entry that I did back in 2006 then to the conception of this blog back in 2007, it's been a journey! Blogging helped me familiarize myself with the industry I'm in, blogging helped me meet new people, book projects with prospective clients, met new friends, and learned more about myself. Suffice it to say, blogging has been a reflection as to who I've been the past several years.


However, not's all fancy-schmancy with blogging. There will always be a time wherein you'd get tired (burned out is a good term) from writing up new articles, visiting the blogs you follow, and when the time comes that even looking at your blog becomes a chore (I did!), then boy, you must really be burned out. I admit, I got really tired from writing up new stuff since April. You run out of stuff to say, you become less creative. With that, let me compose my (uncomposable) thoughts and jot down the reason why I went on a hiatus.


1. I just got really tired. Looking at my blog was a chore (which kinda sounded like whore). I am not compelled to write up stuff because no one is paying me to blog for a certain topic and make stupid reviews for a certain product. If that's your call, so be it. But not me. I write what I want to write, If I got tired with writing, I won't write.


2. The interest was not there. I can't think of new topics. I didn't even care if my hits went down. In fact, I haven't checked my stats and revenues for at least a month now. I can't force myself to write even if the creative juices weren't there.


3. I was just not stressed. I used to blog at my previous jobs because it was a way for myself to de-stress. Like after a day of enduring officemates and kiss-a$$ers, I needed my me time and blogging provided me a time for that. I guess when work presents to you a favorable and stress-free environment, the need to de-stress isn't really there. Or, it could be that less stress made me focus more on my job, which I think is true.


Dang, I can't think of any other reason. But yeah, my three reasons pretty much sums it all up. I still love my blog and am still dreaming of making it big in this field. Now that I'm back to blogging, except me to come up with more posts soon!

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Since May started, I've been writing less and less here on my blog. I've grown tired, I got sick of thinking of what topics should I write about. I hardly visit other people's work. I don't even look at my blog everyday nor do I check my daily revenues and daily number of visitors.

Worse, I've written only once this month. Which brings me to an announcement.

The Comfort Rooms will go on a hiatus. I'll be gone for a while.

I'll be back for sure.

If you want updates, find me on Facebook or add me on twitter (@TheComfortRooms).

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July 9, 2010. The American Airlines Arena was packed with 10,000 screaming fans. Three men on white Miami Heat jerseys appeared slowly on the smoke-filled arena, grooving right next to an uptempo beat signalling the start of a wild summer night's party.

One of the three men who wore the jersey number 6 spoke much to the delight of the deafening crowd. "NOT ONE, NOT TWO, NOT THREE … NOT FOUR … NOT FIVE … NOT SIX … NOT SEVEN” referring to championships that they are more than capable of accomplishing. “And when I say that I really believe it. I’m not just blowing smoke at these fans because that’s not what I’m about. I’m about business,” LeBron James boasted.

For a team who has promised to be even greater than the 1990s Chicago Bulls, they have yet to deliver to those promises. Not until LeBron James wins a championship, he would still be the biggest dickhead this league has ever known.

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Today is the Philippine Independence Day. It is embarrassing to note that while this would be a gigantic holiday in other countries, the Philippines has always been silent whenever Independence Days were being celebrated. The only time I remember that June 12 was ginormous was back in 1998 during the centennial celebration of our Independence.

It's sad cos as I see it, Filipino Nationalism in the 21st century has almost always been limited to Pacquiao fights, Charice's Glee appearances, Fil-ams in Hollywood, and the Azkals. Other than that, it's all been complaints on how corrupt the officials are, to how undisciplined the citizens are, to how dirty the streets are, and just every other complaint that could be complained by the Filipinos.

But guys, whether you're a local or has adopted new citizenships, you are Filipino. It is who we are and it is who I am. No matter how less we know about Filipino showbiz, we're still Filipinos. You may have been raised and (potty) trained to speak only English but *reality check* you are Filipino. And because of that, I will list down the top five things that scream that I am indeed a Filipino.

1. My last name. Baluyot, I think, is a surname originating from Pampanga. Although this is just an adopted surname from my paternal forebears from China, I will always be proud of the Filipino imprint that surname has.

2. Dirty ice cream and monay. I only get to eat one probably once every 2 years but whenever I get the chance, I grab hold for that chance like dear life!

3. Daily showers. I know I am guilty to not always showering everyday (cos I don't sweat!) but as a Filipino, I had to be clean all the time, especially after getting some sweat. I can shower more than twice in a day when needed!

4. The feeling that I was cheated whenever I lose. This is just my theory but you know how we Filipinos, especially after losing, felt that we were always cheated our way to our loss? Yup, I have that! Haha!

5. My citizenship. I can't see myself leaving the country in at least the next ten years and then change my citizenship. No, I still have hopes of a better life in this country so I'm still confident about the country's capability to make my life great here.


Happy Independence Day Philippines!

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Twitter can be one of the most random places on earth ever. People can just come up with random stuff that would trend. Someone initiates it then it is picked up by others. In a matter of hours, the whole world picks it up. Everybody talks about it, you got a Twitter trending topic there. Twitter has made the whole world even smaller. Who would have thought that the college jock from Georgia will be talking and laughing at the same thing at the very moment with a pharmacy owner from Bangladesh? Only Twitter makes it possible - and how wonderful it really is. What would be one of Twitter's trending topics today? Believe it or not, a hash tag called #worstlapdancesong is the number 3 trending topic tonight. =)

When I saw a friend some 20 minutes back twit with that hash tag, I thought that was freaking hilarious. Why would anyone just think of that? With twitter, any topic can be the next trending topic. People from the twitverse has come up with some of the most bizaare of answers on what they thought would be the worst lap dance ever.

Answers include the following:

-Amazing Grace
-Who Let The Dogs Out
-God Bless America
-Dora The Explorer Song
-Barney songs
-Supercalifragelisticexpialidocious
-If You're Happy And You Know Clap Your Hands
-Friday (Rebecca Black)
-The Itsy Bitsy Spider
-Feliz Navidad
-We Are The World
-Mama (Boyz II Men)
-and tons of other songs. I came up with 'Greatest Love of All" from Whitney Houston and "This Is What Dreams Are Made Of" from Lizzie Maguire OST.

Random tweets like these make Twitter a lot more enjoyable.

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If Hollywood would be any indication, Los Angeles may not be a very safe place to be in after all. Almost all types of disasters and other strange phenomena and must have recorded 23 such occurrences since 1974. For some reason, aliens have a penchant for coming into the city, deadly earthquakes would happen at least once in a decade, zombies would love to attack around twice in 25 years and even dogs and cats that speak, babies who could talk and even snakes that hijack airplanes. I think Los Angeles has got all types of trouble covered.

Since 1974, here are the catastrophes and strange occurrences that have happened in the city:
*ravaged by a major earthquake in 1974 (Earthquake)
*had a dog trained to viciously attack only black people in 1982 (White Dog)
*attacked by zombies in 1984 (Night of the Comet)
*had a cyborg assasin programmed to kill a certain Sarah Connor in 1984 (The Terminator)
*had an alien master criminal and master of disguise inhabit human bodies and commite violent crimes in 1987 (The Hidden)
*had three aliens fall in love with a california girl in 1988 (Earth Girls Are Easy)
*survived a nuclear holocause in 1988 (Miracle Mile)
*had living cartoon characers called "toons" alongside humans in 1988 (Who Framed Roger Rabbit)
*had a teenager who cheerleads her high school by day and is a vampire slayer by night in 1992 (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
*had a caveman from prehistoric ages thawed and brought back to life in 1992 (Encino Man)
*had a governor's husband attempt to have his governor/wife assasinated in 1995 (Nick of Time)
*had alien terrorists bomb US Bank Tower in 1996 (Independence Day)
*a newly-discovered volcano creates an inferno in the city in 1997 (Volcano)
*had angels chill on top of downtown L.A. skyscrapers then in turn fall in love with humans in 1998 (City of Angels)
*had killer tornadoes destroy the city in 2004 (The Day After Tomorrow)
*experienced alien invasion in 2005 (War of the Worlds)
*a magnitude 10.5 earthquake destroyed the city in 2006 (10.5: Apocalypse)
*had venomous snakes attack airplane passengers before it landed at LAX in 2006 (Snakes on a Plane)
*had a trio of chipmunks become popular singers in 2007 (Alvin and the Chipmunks)
*had a meteorite collide with the earth in the city in 2007 (The Apocalypse)
*saw the rise of a new superhero in 2008 (Iron Man)
*a monster earthquake slid the city into the Pacific Ocean in 2009 (2012)
*witnessed a giant crocodile battle it out with a giant shark in 2010 (Mega Shark Versus Crocosaurus)

It's amazing how Los Angeles survived all of those things. The angels that guard over the City of Angels must love the city so much that they always seem to recover fast after every disaster.

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From orchestroscopy.blogspot.com

Political discussions will always be welcome in my country. In the middle of all the neighborhood gossips and telenovelas, of Manny Pacquiaos and Willie Revillames, it will always be a welcome change when people actually talk about things that matter: family life, education, goals, employment, religious faith and politics. In a country that worships boxers and international singing sensations, moments when people talk about politics would always be treasured.

In support of my earlier statement, I'll say it again. Anti-RH Bill is one piece of bullcrap. The Catholic Church has been forcing the issue about how it is un-Christian and anti-Christlike of pro-RH Bill supporters and how they ignite their faithful into supporting them just shows how cunning and corrupt they really are. They are corrupting the minds of their faithful. Them telling their faithful that it is evil to support such law is a lie and prevents the members to choose for themselves. RH Bill gives the couple a choice if they wanted to form a child or not. Sexual intercourse is more than just about procreating human beings but it is also used to provide for intimate moments and physical bonding between couples. I dunno why staunch anti-RH Bill supporters tend to forget that part.

With every time a woman conceives a child, how sure are we that she really intended to get pregnant and not just a product of a steamy night of copulation? And when she does get pregnant, how sure are we that couples are emotionally and financially mature to raise such a child well? You see, RH Bill gives couples a choice. In light of all this poverty going on around us, the RH Bill will help couples maintain and aim for a higher standard of living. Of course, killing a child from the mother's womb will always be unallowed, unless it provides health hazard to the mother.

And oh, the Catholic Church should back off. They're the devil here.

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Game 4 between Dallas vs. Lakers was a demonstration of total domination by Dallas. They completely dominated the Lakers in every category. Dallas got easy baskets in the paint because their guards were able to penetrate the Laker D and they shot the lights out from long range led by Jason Terry shooting 9 of 10 from three point range.

Bynums flagrant fowl on Barea was a prime example of the frustration that the whole Laker team experienced. Prior to this game it has been a close contest but this game was a blowout anyway that you want to look it at. The Dallas bench was really the key to their success. Barea, Terry and Stojacovic were unstoppable coming off the bench and the Lakers just could not keep pace.

I can easily sympathize with Phil because my very last Playoff experience was getting swept by Detroit in 1989. Phil's overwhelmingly successful coaching career will be something that softens this final disappointment. I am sure the Lakers did not want to go out in this manner. There is no joy in Laker land. 

 

 

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We're down 0-3. Dayyyymmmmmnnn!

We're at the cusp of an embarrassing quarterfinal defeat.

What's even more embarrassing is that we made ourselves look like chickens in front of the mighty Texan crowd in Dallas. The 16-time champs LA Lakers looks like they're headed to a premature summer vacation as the Mavs now hold a commanding 3-0 lead on its West semis encounter.

For the third straight game, the Lakers sissied out during the 4th quarter. It is frustrating for an LA fan to see his team just lose like that, not knowing why things are happening and was to blame for all of it. On the other hand, perennial playoff-chickens Dallas Mavericks seemed to have figured it out as they finally are coming out of its playoff mishaps shadow and vent all of its past frustrations on the Lakers.

All credits to Peja Stojakovic, Jason Kidd and the German behemoth Dirk Nowitzki. That German has been the main reason why Dallas kept on winning over the Lakers. He's been putting up monster figures the past 3 games and what's even more frustrating is that it's as if none of the Lakers were consistent enough to even make this series exciting and fun to watch. All season long, everyone's been criticizing the Lakers' consistency. They're on and then off. On. And then off again. They make all anti-LA fans much happier by coming up short a lot of the time. Having said that, the biggest reason why the Lakers are losing would be the Lakers themselves.

Anyway, this is not the perfect ending to a storied Phil Jackson coaching career. He missed out on a 4th three-peat because of a measly performance from his boys. When champs die, champs give out a fight. So if the Lakers were to lose on Game 4, I hope we'd all see a fighting Lakers squad that will not give it up till the last fraction of a second.

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Photo sourced from TheHollywoodGossip.com

The Royal Wedding of the Century will go underway in a matter of hours. The Commonwealth of Nations (UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, etc.) will for sure be eagerly anticipating the much-talked-about wedding. Countless TV specials, tons of print ads, and just about every single news program on the free world (even here in the Philippines) have been non-stop in airing wedding details, so numerous you can find it really boring.

Lots of counterfeit merchandise such as t-shirts, posters, computer wallpapers, and photographs have been sold all over the world. People drove on online betting sites and bet on just about every single detail that might happen during the wedding. We hear of kids desperately asking for some wedding invites. And within the past few weeks, here in the Philippines, there should be at least 3 local cable channels that kept on televising different Prince William and Kate Middleton documentaries. Even featuring one psychic who claims she can still speak with the dead Princess Diana.

From RoyalWeddingz.com

To a Filipino like me who lives a half a world away from Britain with almost no British connection except for the Beatles, I really couldn't care less about the wedding. I don't care if they won't kiss inside the Westminister Abbey or that Prince Harry will find himself drunk long before the festivities even started or that if King Philip would end up sleeping almost althroughout the proceedings or what color would be Queen Elizabeth II's hat. I just don't care. However,

It is not everyday we get to see a royal, a direct heir to the throne, getting married. Within the digital age, this is our first chance to watch a wedding this celebrated, historic, and grandoise. It is not everyday that we get to see actual kings, queens, princes, and princesses altogether as we would have imagined during our childhood fairytale bedtime stories. To most of us un-royals, this is something we don't get to experience everyday.

For that reason alone, I'll go and watch this wedding on BBC tonight. :)

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Goodbye Typewriters (RIP). Who's next?

April 26, 2011 will forever be the day the typewriter, the wonderboy of the early 20th century, officially breathed its last breath. Godrej and Boyce, the last typewriter company, closed out its factory in Mumbai, India. It's reason for closing? They aren't getting any more new orders.

It's just sad. I never truly mastered the art of typewriting. I will miss the sound that typewriters make when you type in on its keys. It's just sad because the genius of all the Industrial Revolution has long been eaten and skinned alive by the advent of the Digital Revolution.

However, all's not lost for typewriters. I suggest if you have one, KEEP IT! If you don't have one, buy one! I know they come in dirt-cheap. If you get to take great care of your typewriter within the next 20 years, they'll be worth a lot! Imagine how much jukeboxes and grandfather clocks are worth right now! In the future, typewriters will be it!

Celebrities like Michael Jackson, Liz Taylor and Elvis Presley were worth more than how much they were worth when they were still alive. Typewriters will be worth a lot in the future. Believe me.

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Kobe winning his 5th championship ring last year. Will he win a 6th this year?

It's okay if Derrick Rose, will win this year's MVP race. He really deserves it.

What matters even more would be winning the NBA Championship, something the Kobe Bryant and the rest of the LA Lakers squad would so love to accomplish. Forever chasing the Boston Celtics to determine which would be the more successful franchise of the two, the Lakers are again in a perfect position to win another 3-peat. Should the Lakers win this year, they will tie the Celtics with 17 titles each.

Yahoo Sports have assembles 6 of its most respected NBA experts and asked who they thought would end up winning the NBA Championship and which player will then take home the Finals MVP crown. I'll write here who those NBA experts are and what they predicted would happen within the next 8 weeks:

Greg Anthony - NBA Finals (Lakers over Bulls in 7), Finals MVP (Kobe Bryant)
Kelly Dwyer - NBA Finals (Bulls over Lakers in 7), Finals MVP (Derrick Rose)
Johnny Ludden - NBA Finals (Lakers over Bulls in 6), Finals MVP (Kobe Bryant)
Marc J. Spears - NBA Finals (Lakers over Celtics in 6), Finals MVP (Kobe Bryant)
Al Toby - NBA Finals (Heat over Lakers in 6), Finals MVP (Dwyane Wade)
Adrian Wojnarowski - NBA Finals (Lakers over Celtics in 7), Finals MVP (Kobe Bryant)

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Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the 2011 NBA Playoffs.

If you want to fully understand what crunch time, rivalry and the last two minutes really meant, go watch the entirety of the NBA Playoffs and experience full hand why the NBA Playoffs has got to be the most exciting sporting event on a non-Olympic and non-FIFA World Cup year. Literally everything boils down to this exciting 8 weeks of sporting spectacle.

The Los Angeles Lakers is almost automatically berthed to a finals seat as no one really can contest them in the Western Conference Finals. The real excitement (for me) would be in the East. Who will Chicago face in the Eastern Final? Will it be the veteran Bostons or the much hyped-up Heat? Will Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic and the Amar'e Stoudamire/Carmelo Anthony pairing of the New York Knicks pull off some surprises?

Personally, I'm hoping for a Laker 3-peat. This could be Phil Jackson's final year as a coach and what stellar career he's had. Should the Lakers accomplish such feat, I'd be hoping for a NY Knicks or a Chicago Bulls in the final next year but if the Lakers can win some more, I wouldn't mind at all.

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Jessica Jones a.k.a. Rebecca Black made the whole world nervous

I have yet to confirm on this report thought. But word has it that Rebecca Black and her video "Friday" and everything that came with it was just a clever marketing ploy for an upcoming movie called The Music Factory.

Who would have thought right? Maybe the smartest guy would but not me. Haha!

The 13 year-old Rebecca Black is really a little-known actress named Jessica Jones aged 15 years.

Now that the word is out, will the hatred towards Rebecca Black die down?

However, with all the "damages" she's made with the entertainment industry, will there be a person brave enough to admit that he/she will be watching this movie?

(Friday, friday, friday...)

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New Sacramento Kings owner?

Never in my lifetime would I have imagined a Filipino owning an NBA team. That's why when I read on paper yesterday about this Filipino businessman who would be almost too certain would become the new Sacramento Kings owner, I just couldn't help but feel really excited.

The report said that the Filipino businessman has interests in telecommunications, power, infrastructure, food, etc. If you're a Filipino who knows about business and the local economy, it would be easy to figure out that the report refers to Manny V. Pangilinan - unarguably the biggest business maverick in the country for at least the past decade.

Word has it that MVP has been in talks with the Sacramento Kings representatives and that he has been short-listed as the most probable buyer of the franchise.

If this pulls through, MVP will be put in the same breath as Jay-Z, Pat Riley, Mark Cuban and other owners of NBA clubs. This can also possibly translate to having a Filipino (pure-bred from the Philippines) in the NBA finally!

As a basketball-loving fan, how excited are you about this wonderful possibility?

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If you got some mad lovin' for the best NBA team from the West (and in a few years' time, will become numero uno in the league), I got the crazy a** website for you guys. It's called Lakers Nation. It is the a website of the fans, by the fans, for the fans. They got all sorts of news and other interesting tidbits about our favorite Los Angeles Lakers. They can also be followed on twitter (@LakersNation) and personally, they've helped me get updated on LA Laker games even when I'm working at the office.

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By Jonathan Daniel/ Getty Images

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Her demise came a little too early. She was a top 5 shoo-in. Or so we thought.

Unarguably the biggest shocker in American Idol history, bigger than both Jennifer Hudson and Michael Johns' elimination, erstwhile front-runner Pia Toscano (who looked like she's from Jersey Shore) just got eliminated from the competition. She placed at number 9.

How did that happen? Only America can answer that. I hope she could have given Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood some serious challenge.

Oh well, that's how things go I guess. But her elimination will not take away from Pia the fact that she was one serious contender for the plum.

Before I go, here's her last performance before going out of the competition:

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Her song Friday is the biggest April Fools' joke ever

Call it divine(say what?!?!) comedy but April Fools Day just coincidentally falls on a Friday which incidentally is the title of the debut single of the most infamous singer of 2011 - Rebecca Black.

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Where would you like to see these gals - Manila, Iloilo or Bacolod? (Image courtesy of Facebook)

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Mr. Gokongwei (2nd from left), what have you done?

This piece of news shocked my morning. Manny Pangilinan's PLDT has just bought majority shares on John Gokongwei's Sun Cellular worth Php 69.2 billion. Don't worry though because Sun Cellular will still be alive. The change, however will be seen on Digitel, Gokongwei's landline telephone arm.

My miniscule business instincts told me to think of this piece of news as an example of monopoly from MVP (Meralco, anyone?). But no, I've read from newspapers that John Gokongwei is one of the smartest taipans (asian tycoons). And for sure, this development will help blossom (pump prime?) JG Summit's other business interests.

Honestly, I'm not really sure if this is a positive or a negative news. I will still have to read from the columns of my favorite business writers and watch my favorite business shows (all on ANC - haha!) to help me formulate what my opinion really is about this matter.

But for sure, this is one heck of a major business news here in the Philippines.

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During Earth Hour from a friend's FB. Are they serious?!?

Yesterday was the 3rd year that the Philippines joined the rest of the free world in the observance of the Earth Hour. For 60 minutes, all lights should be shut off simultaneously (in your time zone of course) and for that moment, be reminded of the amount of damage mankind has placed upon Mother Earth.

The past two celebrations have been successful. The number of participants (not to mention the amount of megawatts saved) increased as each year has passed. Because of past successes, I was hopeful that Earth Hour 2011 will be very successful, as far as the Philippines would be concerned.

So last night, we (Dad, and 2 sisters) left home a few minutes before 8:30pm (designated start of the Earth Hour) and headed towards my uncle's house (a good 30 minute drive). I knew it was Earth Hour and that back at home, all the lights will be turned off. As we drove along Ortigas Avenue, I was freakishly disappointed. Why? Because lights were on and it was Earth Hour.

 Inside the car, I thought I wanted to blame the relatively-poor marketing the Earth Hour guys had on this year (You haven't really noticed the Earth Hour 2011 ads as well right? You know they were there but the campaign wasn't convincing enough). Partly to blame were the people who could have cared more for the environment. In light of all the catastrophes in Japan, I expected the Filipino nation to at least be more concerned this year.

If I were to be asked about my Earth Hour this year, it was disappointing.

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Kobe and the Lakers survived the Suns

If only basketball experts were looking, everyone should mind the Lakers. Since the All-star weekend  a month back, two-time defending champs have gone 13-1 with that sole loss coming in from Miami.

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Something BIG will happen in a few weeks.

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Unarguably the biggest breakthrough TV show of 2010, Showtime is still a big force to reckon with here in the Philippines. 

With the "sole" intent to keep the Filipino entertained, the show has elevated grassroots talent into a whole new different persona as the show has given even the most-talented from the most far-flung of barrios the chance for their own 3 minutes of fame.

But the question is, how big really is Showtime and how heavy an influence they must really be to its viewers? Go check on this cute twitter pic tweeted a few minutes ago by Showtime host Anne Curtis (Showtime is really party party!):

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Photo from Yahoo News

Japan is obviously on a frenzy. Watching the quake aftermath on BBC, the countless tweets and Facebook updates I've been receiving, everything points out to the fact that we should all keep our guards up, keep safe, keep vigilant, and be always on the lookout.

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At least Fil-Am Coach Spo is spared elimination. :)