Let's PRAY that this blows over....

Typhoon "REMING":

Satellite Picture at 10:00 p.m.,
29 November 2006:

maximum sustained winds of 190 kph
near the center and gustiness of up to 225 kph.


Thursday morning:
landfall over Catanduanes
and then move towards Camarines Norte

Friday evening:
240 kms west of Metro Manila or
160 kms southwest of Iba, Zambales

Saturday evening:
600 kms west of Metro Manila

THE QUEEN : The Best Movie of 2006?

I'm not sure what the "Oscar-Baiting Season"
in Hollywood this December will bring,
but so far,

THE QUEEN is definitely the BEST MOVIE
I've seen in 2006.

It's completely fascinating,
and utterly grounded in present reality,
all at once.


I've always wondered how the U.K.'s Prime Minister
relates officially, and personally,
with the Head of State, The Queen.

I've always wondered how Royalty,
specially in these modern days,
behave in private: are they still Medieval?

and

I've always wondered how all of these personages
reacted behind closed doors in the aftermath
of Princess Diana's tragic accident.




This film provides a spycam view of
what may just have occurred among them
in that most memorable week of 1997,

when the whole world,
including all of us here in The Philippines,
were glued to the BBC and CNN,
grieving and sharing in the loss of England's Rose.

This movie instantly brings you back to that time
forever bookmarked by Elton John's "Candle in the Wind".




We've seen Hollywood actors channel
greats such as Muhammad Ali, Johnny Cash,
June Carter, Ray Charles, Truman Capote,
and win Oscars for their performances.


Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II,
and Michael Sheen as PM Tony Blair
do them one better:

both of them portray people who
ARE STILL
in exactly the same positions of power now.

And Mirren and Sheen are UNCANNY.

Every nuance, every word, every gesture
is note perfect.


The other actors who portray
Prince Philip (James Cromwell!),
The Queen Mother,
Prince Charles,
and Mrs. Blair~

may not be deadringers for the real people,

but are so uniformly excellent in their roles,
that you'll instantly forget
any superficial differences.




The movie spans a week in the life;

perhaps the most critical week in
Queen Elizabeth's reign,
when the Royal Family's stiff upper lips
prevented them from joining their English people
in grieving for the former Diana Spencer,
a true Princess of the People.

The Windsors were hammered by London's tabloids,
mocked by millions of commoners,
criticized by the world-at-large,

until the Queen's Tribute to Diana,
which was broadcast globally, live.


What role did the then brand new Prime Minister
play in all this?

What foibles of Royalty prevented them
from acting at a more opportune time?

What pressures bore on both Buckingham Palace
and Downing Street?


THE QUEEN just may provide the answer...

AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH : an incredibly important film

how could this movie have been made?

i can't imagine how this pitch was bought in Hollywood:
"AL GORE... and a Powerpoint Presentation!!!"


(the driest U.S. presidential candidate in recent memory,
and a.....

whaddaf (!),
a slide show!??!?!?!?!??!?!!!??!??????!)




But the idea somehow turned into a film.


And it's not just an excellent documentary,
it's an IMPORTANT movie.


True,
it's basically the former VP making a presentation to an audience,
but it's probably the most incredibly affecting movie
you'll see this year,

not to mention the most well thought of,
the most intelligent,

and for us in the Philippines,
one that will make us rethink why MILENYO was so powerful,
and the extremely hot, summer weather
we're having this late in the year.


Get a copy,
and make sure all your friends and family,
yes, even the kids,
get to watch it.


Al Gore may have lost Florida,
and with it his dreams of the Presidency,
and it's revealing to see how passionate this statesman really is;
maybe, this issue he's now dealing with matters so much more.

I think it does.


I'm planning to give the DVDs,
pirated or otherwise,
out as Christmas Gifts.

They matter that much.


This movie needs to be seen by everyone.

Farewell to "Mad" MAX

Together with
LOUIE BELTRAN,
ART BORJAL, and
TEDDY BENIGNO,

MAX SOLIVEN helped shape my political leanings,
(centered, but leaning just a bit to the left),
made me understand what "tough" really meant,
taught me to question doubtful authority,
and
influenced me to write well, and write fairly.


These Four Horsemen of Philippine Journalism
should forever be enshrined in our nation's history;

if they had not been pounding at their typewriters
tirelessly and fearlessly from Ninoy's Assassination
to the Snap Elections to Cory's Proclamation,

the Middle Class may not have coalesced in 1986
for People Power, and Imelda Marcos might still
be in the Palace by the Pasig.

And I don't believe that's an exaggeration.


Mr. Soliven's BY THE WAY column
became my daily reading habit
for over 20years,

those educating-entertaining-exasperating
MAX-imum length columns,

sometimes stretching
over three pages of The Philippine Star.


My best friend HonHon and I
always talk about how full of himself Max was~
he seemed to have personally met or encountered
every significant political figure
of the latter half of the 20th Century,

and sure,
some of his columns were self-aggrandizing travelogues,
tirades of unsolicited political advice,
or impromptu autobiography chapters;

but one thing was always constant:

Max Soliven's columns were always enlightening,
and always overflowing with concern for the Filipino.





A grizzled warrior, who had seen it all,
trying his darndest to teach the younger generation
a thing or two on the values and ethics of
The Old School.

He will be missed.


Thanks for the lessons, Sir!!

a G.K. party : Great Kids of Gawad Kalinga!

My boozin'friend H.R. Jovy,
along with her fellow Timog Q.C. ROTARACT-ians (?),
Dentist Johann and Lawyer Christine,
decided to celebrate their November Birthdays
with the GAWAD KALINGA kids
in a resettlement area in Tandang Sora.

Since it was recently my b-day too,
I volunteered to pitch in and host the party...

turns out,
despite having to wake up at the ungodly hour
of 7am (!) on a Saturday morning,
I enjoyed every minute of it:

the Statue Dance
with the Wowowee BOOM TARAT-TARAT X'Mas remix;
(this will be this year's PINOY AKO/SPAGHETTI SONG/KETCHUP SONG
the song that everyone will dance to in Christmas Parties
all over Da Pilipins.... learn the steps now!!!)



the Tongue Twisters:
PITOMPU'T PITONG PUTING PATING
(77 White Sharks),
and the classic BOTICA-BITUKA,
still mangled after all these years;

and I even resurrected my line-up of Balloon Twists:
the Daschund, Askal, and Giraffe.
I know, I know.... so much variety, right?
Well, I did manage to recall how to make
the Sword & Indian Headband.
Hahahaha!

Good times, Good times!!!



I'm supposed to be inducted into
the Rotary Club of Makati-Mc Kinley
this coming Wednesday.

I don't know too much yet about the Rotarians,
and still less about Gawad Kalinga.

but if yesterday's activity was an indication
of what's possible?

I'M IN!!!

DOMESTIC Bliss?

I really love this sign.

It shows me that:

1. We Pinoys really have an ABSURD Sense of Humor
2. Airport Authorities are DEAD SERIOUS about these threats.





I haven't flown domestic since my last trip to Boracay
six months ago,
and I was surprised (pleasantly for most & some unpleasantly)
at the following changes at the Manila Domestic Airport:

1. Like in the LRT and MRT,
Men & Women are now fully segregated...

if only at the queues for the X-Ray/Metal Detectors.


2. The SMOKING AREA,
once located at the Boarding Area,
is now behind the Coffee Experience store
right before the terminal fee booths.

and yes, it's gotten larger,
with better ventilation,
with a view of the runway to boot!


3. As in International Flights,
all creams, liquids, gels have to be checked-in.

no more brushing your teeth in-flight!
and if your cigarette lighter has sentimental value,
dump it in your check-in luggage,
or say goodbye to the light of your life.


4. At the final security check,
you'll have to remove your shoes/sandals...
... and even your belts!

Foot Fetishists can hang out here...
just make sure your socks have no holes,
you perv!!!


5. No more snacks on Cebu Pacific "short hops".

No more Chippy, Presto chocolates,
and other Universal Robina food items.
But, you still get your C2!!!



Have you noticed that Cebu Pacific
no longer uses their "ON TIME, ALL THE TIME" tagline?

It's because they're NOT.

Both my outbound & inbound flights were delayed
by an average of 20 minutes,
but this is also partly due to severe congestion
at the common runways of the Three (!) Terminals.

But with their super-cheap fares,
the most charming (and cutest!) flight attendants,
the FUN GAMES which create a sense of cameraderie,
and with their new inflight magazine SMILE to read,

Im still a SUKI of 5J!!!




p.s.
The arrival area of the Old Domestic
looks really Christmassy these days.

Maligayang Pagdating indeed...

kahit medyo late!!!

The Bacolod TERMINATOR

"HI TECH SWAT.
Para sa Lahat ng PESTE!"


The coolest and most unique pasalubong
you can buy at the Negros Showroom.

It's simply a baby's thick rubber slipper
attached firmly to a sturdy bamboo stick;

ergonomically designed
and with just the right length,

it's perfect for terminating IPIS
and punishing all sorts of other bugs,

including unfaithful lovers,
spoiled bratty kids,
and S&M addicts.



Sure,
it's a wee bit overpriced at P75.00,

but ask yourself these questions:

a. would you go out of your way to make this yourself?

b. is P75 a small price to pay for savoring your
cockroach assassinations,
complete with the very satisfying ker-plop
of those vermin's internal organs exploding???




My 1st Hi-Tech SWat
is already 6 years old,
and it still does the job
with extreme prejudice!!!

I refrained from taking a picture
of the bottom of the slipper...

for obvious reasons!!!

so much more than just BACOLOD Chicken!!!

It's been six long years since my last visit to Bacolod;

the last time I went there,
ERAP was still President of the Philippines,
very few Pinoys had heard of MANNY PACQUIAO,
AMERICAN IDOL had yet to premiere,
and
BILL CLINTON was still the Leader of the Free World.

And that was the last time I'd had GUAPPLE PIE!!!



Yup,
it's the pie made from that GUAVA & APPLE Hybrid,
and made famous by the EL IDEAL Bakery.

Imagine the best crumbly crust Apple Pie
you've ever had,

with the same cinammon and nutmeg accents,
but this time,

enrobing the exotic flavors and infinite textures
of the GUAPPLE!!




here's what the fruit looks like...
thanks to Mr. Tanaka for the pic!

It used to be that you'd have to travel
to the neighboring town of SILAY
to get to the original El Ideal Bakery
and get your Guapple Pies.

I'was glad to find out that the bakery
has set up shop in downtown Bacolod,
right beside Riverside College.



When I got back to my hotel room,
I was just planning to take a few pics
of the pie....


... but 6 years is 6 years,

and before I knew it,
I justified slicing into it
to *ahem!* take "pictures with better angles".



suffice to say,
I brought home just 2/3 of the pie back to Manila!




MASCO ROCKS!!!

This is my other favorite delicacy
from our country's SugarBowl.

A century ago,
this was the all-purpose nugget form of
Mascovado Sugar,

sweetening the drinks of our forefathers,
or even better as a simple dessert with cold water.

I first bought this in a Negros Trade Fair
over at the MegaTrade Center,
and I've been looking for it ever since!

It's available,
along with all the other
newfangled foodie items below,
at the NEGROS SHOWROOM,
right across the main PNB Branch of Bacolod City.





This is new too~~

there are dozens of versions of Cheese Tarts
you can get all over the Philippines,

but this tops 'em all:

simply because,
the cheese BongBong uses tastes just like
Marca Pato Keso de Bola!!!





And finally,
two new wave incarnations of the most famous pasalubong
from Bacolod:

these are the kinder, gentler, thinner, crispier PIAYA!

Available as small snackin' chips,
or the small pita-sized version with a thin,
but flavorful layer of fruit filling.



and now you know why
I'm sooo glad to be opening up a new review center
down Western Visayas way!!!

BOTTICELLI would have approved....

Late last night,
while in a dinner meeting in Bacolod,
I got an urgent text message from
my good buddy, Buddy Love:

"I can't wait to get your reaction
when you see the latest Angelica pics!"


Angelica Panganiban,
of course.

She of the palpitation-inducing
Ginebra San Miguel 2007 Calendars,
the compres of which were leaked
on the web a couple of weeks ago.


Well,
it turns out that her photos were heavily
Adobe Photoshopped; and when the unretouched
pictures exploded over the internet yesterday,
the proverbial naysayers and "I Told You So"-ers
came out of the woodwork to gloat and mock.


I say to these critics:
"SO WHAT? SHUT UP!!!"


The unretouched pics of AP are the sexiest
I've ever seen :

Truly AU NATUREL,
baby fat, awkward shyness, and all.

OR

maybe I just have a thing for
Girls in Glasses ",

In Love with LOVE

call me A True Beatlemaniac.

earlier this evening,
i even watched the 007 film
Live and Let Die's closing credits
just to hear Paul rock out ",




Is it any wonder that when I heard awhile back
that George Martin (and his son... NOT named Aston)
were "remixing" more than 30 beloved BEATLE tracks
for the new Cirque du Soleil show~
(a co-production with Apple COrps,
with the blessings of the last two Liverpudlians,
McCartney & Starr, and the widows of Harrison & Lennon)

I COULD NOT WAIT to fall in LOVE.


And now, it's finally here.




The Verdict?

The Martins, Father & Son,
did something very special:

simply put,
they made all the songs sound BRAND NEW again.


Naiyak ako sa "While My Guitar Gently Weeps".





do you hear that?

it's the sound of another generation of NEW BEATLE FANS
falling in LOVE with the Lads from Liverpool.....





from www.amazon.com:

THE FIRST TIME EVER SPECIAL EDITION
will include both the stereo CD and a BONUS AUDIO DVD
packaged in a digi-package with O-card.

The DVD is audio only and will contain 81 minutes of music
in both 5.1 surround sound and stereo
(presented in DVD-Audio MLP, DTS, Dolby and PCM).

"Love" is a fascinating reworking
of numerous classic Beatles recordings
by the band's original producer,
Sir George Martin, and his son Giles.

"Love" is also the title of the highly successful
Cirque du Soleil show, a co-production with Apple Corps
featuring the music of the Beatles,
currently wowing audiences in Las Vegas.

In creating the music for the show and for the album,
George and Giles have created a continuous "soundscape"--
a series of well-known Beatles songs
augmented by additional instrumentation and vocals
taken from their vast bank of original multi-track tapes.

If you can imagine "Strawberry Fields Forever"
beginning with John's original demo
before going into an early take of the song
and then climaxing in a musical collage
including the piano solo from "In My Life"
and the harpsichord pattern from "Piggies"
and lots, lots more--

or "Get Back" prefaced by the "Hard Day's Night"
opening guitar chord, the guitar and drum solos from "The End,"
and segued into "Glass Onion,"

you will begin to get the picture.

But hearing is believing!
The guys have pushed back the boundaries
and come up with a brand-new work
that will add to the enduring legacy of the band.

The result is an amazing album
that not only reinforces the timeless quality
of the group's recordings--

the fans will have fun enjoying the roller-coaster experience
of the album whilst trying to spot where all the pieces come from--

it is also destined
to open up a new legion of fans to the Beatles experience.


TRACK LIST:

1. Because
2. Get Back
3. Glass Onion
4. Eleanor Rigby
Julia (Transition)
5. I Am The Walrus
6. I Want To Hold Your Hand
7. Drive My Car/The Word/What You're Doing
8. Gnik Nus
9. Something
Blue Jay Way (Transition)
10. Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite!/
I Want You (She's So Heavy)/Helter Skelter
11. Help!
12. Blackbird/Yesterday
13. Strawberry Fields Forever
14. Within You Without You/Tomorrow Never Knows
15. Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds
16. Octopus's Garden
17. Lady Madonna
18. Here Comes The Sun
The Inner Light (Transition)
19. Come Together/Dear Prudence
Cry Baby Cry (Transition)
20. Revolution
21. Back In The U.S.S.R.
22. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
23. A Day In The Life
24. Hey Jude
25. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
26. All You Need Is Love

YAO MING reaches New Heights....

Time to look up...


way up.


way, way UP!!!



Like his stratospheric 7'6" height,
Yao Ming's statistics,
in his 5th year in the NBA,
have reached an all-time high.



From career averages of 17pts. and 8rbs per game,
The Great Wall of China, this year,
is averaging a monumental double-double:
26pts and 10rbs in each outing,
and making a strong case for his elevation to the title of
THE NBA'S BEST BIG MAN.


SHAQ who???

My Ex-Girlfriend's SUPER CARBONARA

This has become the signature centerpiece dish
for every birthday party I've had since 1993.

Although my super ex-girlfriend and I parted ways
more than 8 years ago, her spectacular Carbonara
is still very much a part of my life.

The recipe is simplicity itself,
just take the time to fry up almost a kilo of BACON!!!

**click on the pic for a more decadent view!**


CARMINA'S CARBONARA:

1 k. thin spaghetti or fettuccini, cooked al dente
4 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 kg. bacon, fried to a crisp, then chopped into bits
2 cans Nestle Cream
2 cups Magnolia Quickmelt cheese, grated
4 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1/4 lb. butter
2 Knorr beef bouillon cubes, dissolved in 1.5 cups warm water
salt and pepper to taste


After cooking the noodles,
toss in some butter to prevent drying and set aside.

Saute garlic in butter.
Add the dissolved Knorr cubes, cream. egg yolks and cheese.

Season with salt and pepper.

Simmer for 8 - 10 mins. or until thick.


Place tossed pasta into pyrex pan
rubbed with butter on the side.

Pour the sauce
and evenly spread 3/4 on the bacon bits over the pasta.

Sprinkle the remaining cooked bacon bits
and cheese on top and microwave
or bake until cheese melts.

My TOP 10 Songs of 2006 ...... so far!

based on my iTunes Top 25 Most Played songs,
here's my initial list of 2006's Top 10,
in no particular order:

1. NARDA (acoustic/violin mix) - Kamikazee

2. CRAZY - Gnarls Barkley

3. MULI (bootleg) - Sitti

4. PUT YOUR RECORDS ON - Corrine Bailey Rae

5. JEEPNEY - Kala

6. OO - Up Dharma Down

7. Kami nAPO Muna - All Artists & All Songs

8. STEP NO, STEP YES - VST & Co. Bossa Nova Collection

9. NO WORRIES - Simon Webbe

and this spectacularly sexy song
which just oozes sassiness
with every lyric & every note:

10. IRREPLACEABLE - Beyonce'

Music Video Codes By Music Jesus.com

BLOW by BLOW

The EUPHORIA has yet to subside;

but since Bob Arum and his goons
over at Top Rank Boxing have
knocked out the videos of www.youtube.com,

here's the next best thing:
PacMan's Domination,
a pictorial essay of total destruction!

My New Philippine Idol : SARAH JERONWEEMOW!!!

Thanks for massacring Ms. Geronimo's name,

Michael Buffer.

Good thing my former neighbor on Oroquieta St.

sang our National Anthem proudly & passionately,

even growling her way through...

" Lupa ng araw,

ng lualhati't pagsinta,

buhay ay langit sa piling mo."

WOW.

BAKBAKAN NA!!!

Well, THAT was EASY!!!

Congrats PacMan for the 3rd round TKO!!!

SISIW!!!

MABUHAY ANG PILIPINAS!!!

p.s.

congrats too to SM Cinemas nationwide

for making boatloads of cash. hahaha!!!