Monday, November 23, 2009

The BIRTHDAY Week



Another Year...


WISER!!!


I hope.



The past week was pretty darn excellent. Well,
except for that New Moon movie opening,
and those lamebrains at Lakas-Kampi
formally declaring Mr. Papaya as
their candidate for Vice Prez!

But enough of negativity;
here are some of the
High Points of my
Birthday Week:



BITES in WHITE SATIN...


I'd been ignoring Red Ribbon's WHITE FOREST Cake
since it was launched a couple of months ago;
I thought the name of the cake sounded like an oxymoron.

And I hate White Toblerone.

But last week, as I passed by the Red Ribbon
along Bambang on my way home from Chinatown,
I thought I heard the cake calling out to me, inviting me to try it...

The Cherry Ripple had me at "Hello"!

I'm in ♥ again!!!






Lucky Me "MAC & CHEEZ"



Just boil the noodles for 4 minutes,
then mix in the rich thick cheese sauce.
it's that easy. and nothing escudero about it!

warning:
you'll want to eat more, so cook two packs!






Why I Suddenly regularly go to STARBUCKS

from November to February:


PEPPERMINT MOCHA
paired perfectly with a
PEPPERMINT BROWNIE!!!







MANGO LAPU-LAPU at TAO YUAN:



it's ugly as hell, but tastes like heaven!

Along with the Hainanese Chicken,
the Ubod and Bawang Lumpia,
the Century Egg Tarts, and
a Kilo of Swahe, this was
my Birthday Pulutan!!!


Best of All:
NO CORKAGE!!!

Scotch goes down more Smoothly
with Singaporean & Chinese Cuisine!

UNDISPUTED.
The BEST CHICKEN RICE in MetroManila!!!


Name the restaurant,
I've tried the "HAINANESE";
from Whistle Stop to Makansutra
to practically all the hotel versions;
this one, quite simply, tops them all!!!



TAO YUAN
Gen. Malvar corner Mabini
(across the side entrance of Pan Pacific Hotel)
Malate, Manila

Open 11am to 12mn
Reservations Recommended,
this restaurant gets very very full!

telephone : 552-7009 and 552-7010










My ONE SENTENCE Movie Review of "2012":

"John Cusack outfitted the
arks with rockets and that's how
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA began."



The movie's almost 3 hours long;
the last sequence should have been cut,
but at the end of the world, it doesn't matter.

Leave your brain at the door,
and love this movie for what it is:

The Best Damn Disaster Movie Ever!!!



TIME Magazine gives the perfect description:

END of the WORLD "DISASTER PORN"!!!









"On October 6, THE PLANET BLACKED OUT


for Two Minutes and Seventeen Seconds;
the WHOLE WORLD SAW THE FUTURE..."




FLASH FORWARD:
my new favorite TV show, as if by design,
premiering just as LOST is about to make its farewell.

This new MIND BENDER, surely by design,
stars two of my favorites from Lost: Charlie and Penny!!

And as a bonus, we have Sulu from then new Star Trek,
and to top it all off, Shakespeare from Shakespeare in Love!!!







BEST NEW COMEDY of 2009!!!


This new TV comedy, the best
since ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT,

stars that guy who hosts "The Soup",
along with Jon Stewart's British Correspondent,
the funniest Arab-American and African-American
comedy duo ever, a leading lady who looks like Elisabeth Shue,

and as a baby boomer who made his fortune in moist towelettes,
the comeback of the legendary CHEVY CHASE!!!










"EDGE OF YOUR SEAT THRILLER"...


Almost all SUSPENSE movies used to be hyped just like that;
in recent years, not so much, because most of the best parts
are already shown in the trailers, so hardly any surprises in the films;


which is the reverse for THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1-2-3:
the trailers were a bit underwhelming, so I decided to skip it
despite the presence of my two favorite actors.

I should have known better. DENZEL & TRAVOLTA
can do no wrong, specially in a Non-Stop Action Movie
directed by TONY SCOTT (Top Gun, True Romance, Crimson Tide)!!!


DON'T MISS this on DVD. Or DiBiDi!!!

It really is a 100% EDGE OF YOUR SEAT THRILLER!!!








and finally,

"Why AMERICAN IDOL Matters":



ALLISON IRAHETA's
debut single kicks major ass
with its wicked LSS-inducing hook,
(Last Song Syndrome. cough cough!)
and very pointed references to A-HA
and other unforgettable 1980s MTV Icons!!!




Thursday, November 19, 2009

My 1st SMOKE-FREE Birthday since 1999!!!



Yes, I am a QUITTER.


It's been exactly 5 months and 1 week
since my "Independence Day" last June 12,


and since then,
I've saved more than P2,500
by not buying my daily Marlboro Lights,

the manang at the sari-sari store
near my house has tried to entice me
by wearing low-cut blouses a la Krista Ranillo,
and offering discounted "tingi" rates on all brands of yosi,

and

I've stopped instinctively patting my
pockets to look for my Bic or Zippo lighters
whenever I step out of my house or my office!!!



I can't think of a better b-day gift to myself!!!






Quitting smoking cold turkey was a breeze,
but
quitting eating hot bacon...


well, that's going to need an intervention,
and most likely, a straightjacket!



You Complete Me...

Sunday, November 15, 2009

WALANG BAHID. WALANG DUDA.


SIYA NA NGA!!!



Maraming Maraming
SALAMAT,

Manny Pacquiao!!!




Without a Doubt,

PACMAN
now joins the ranks of

JOE LOUIS, ROCKY MARCIANO,
MUHAMMAD ALI, and SUGAR RAY LEONARD

as Boxing's All-Time Best of the Best.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

The Real Reason Why PACMAN Wants to Beat Up COTTO:




that's right,

Cotto's been spending sweet time
with a certain Cougar from GenSan...


rawr!!!

Friday, November 13, 2009

The One Sure Sign that today is FRIDAY the 13th : GIBO-EDU!!!


EDU MANZANO :
absolutely the best TV host in the Philippines,
but come on, what the f*ck, VICE PRESIDENT???




When the freakin' f*ck are we going to be serious
about "ONE ♥ beat AWAY from the PRESIDENCY"?

ERAP in '92, GMA in '98,
KABAYAN in '04,
and in '10,

PAPAYA!!!






Way to Go, GIBO...

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

CHOCOLATE BACON : Dreams do come True!!!






The perfect blend of
Savory and Sweet,

the supreme integration of
Calories & Cholesterol!!!






What's it like?

Imagine your favorite chocolate flakes from Baguio,
but instead of corn flakes,


you get crisp bacon
enrobed in the finest chocolate...


it will change your life,
rock your world,
and most of all,
make you happy!!!




For orders,
e-mail Erica Paredes:

happy_bacon143@yahoo.com

The Most Action Packed BOOKS of 2009!!!


Must Buy SPORTS LEGEND Autobiography #1:

"With its breakneck tempo and raw candor,
OPEN will be read and cherished for years.

A treat for ardent fans, it will also captivate readers
who know nothing about tennis. Like Agassi’s game,
it sets a new standard for grace, style, speed, and power."







Must Buy SPORTS LEGEND Autobiography #2:

"At long last the great book on Bird and Magic—
from their own vantage point, told from behind the scenes,
inside huddles, and most importantly, from their inner hearts.

It's a story of brilliance, brilliantly told with new insights
and revealing details about two men who evolved
from being bitter competitors into lifelong friends."







And I was amazed to find this in National Bookstore!
I fully intended to make this my first purchase
when I arrive in the U.S. this X'Mas!

Give yourself an assist, but it now:
This book is a slam dunk!!!


The BEST BASKETBALL BOOK. Ever.


"There is only one writer on the planet who possesses
enough basketball knowledge and passion
to write the definitive book on the NBA.

BILL SIMMONS, the from-the-womb hoops addict
known to millions as ESPN.com’s Sports Guy,
is that writer.

And The Book of Basketball is that book."


How and Why the DINOSAURS became Extinct:

Thursday, November 05, 2009

JOY!!! The Return of PEPPERMINT MOCHA!!!


After a 20-Month Absence,
"The only reason I go to Starbucks"
has finally returned!!!



In February 2008,
the Starbucks nearest my house
was all the way in M.Adriatico in Malate.


In November 2009,
there are TWO Peppermint Mocha sources,
both just five minutes away:
SM Tayuman and UST Dapitan!




I just might complete collecting all those
red stickers
and finally get my very 1st planner this year!

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

PURRRFECT...



CATS. LEA. CCP.

Premieres July 2010





Lea Salonga as Grizabella singing "Memory"?

PERFECT.



Sunday, November 01, 2009

HINDI KA NAG-IISA : Hi-Def Blu-Ray version... WITH LYRICS!!!

Why Did it Premiere on HALLOWEEN/ALL SAINTS DAY Weekend?




My THEORY:
the whole video is reminiscent
of scenes from HORROR CLASSICS
like Frankenstein/Dracula/The Wolfman
where the whole village rises up as one,
carry torches, attack the lair, and destroy the Evil Monster!!!


Can You See the ANALOGY?

NOYNOY and all the ABS-CBN/GMA
talents probably are on the way to Malacañang
for a WITCH HUNT.



This really would make a riveting Telenovela...
just add Richard Gutierrez and Kim Chiu:


SUNUGIN ang MANANANGGAL (ng boto),
SUGPUIN ang (kasinglaki ng) TIYANAK!!!


Manila Boy's readers are from:
Visitor Map
Create your own visitor map!