FRIENDS Predicts the Future?

On one episode of Friends (a series I have enough knowledge of to talk about, even thought I hate it), Joey is mistaken for someone with a STD when the ad he models for is posted all over New York. (Really, is it that hard to find someone with STD to model? They get the bucks needed for treating it, and they don't have to use their real names.)

Now, reality bites: Models Who Posed as Wife Beaters Sue Over Ads

What IS it with Syphilis?

While reading The Big Book of Weirdos, I noticed that a handful of famous (and infamous) historical characters could credit their fame (and infamy) to syphilis. Caligula, Ivan the Terrible, Guy de Maupassant (okay, barely heard of him 'til this book). Geez, if you thought STDs sucked now, think of how it was back then. Being HIV positive could still leave you living a relatively healthy life. Syphilis causes dementia. Granted, its okay if you were the leader of a country (where they'd call you eccentric first before a doctor checks you out, and sometimes only when you die), but ordinary joes are just plained screwed, no pun intended.

YIKES: Just saw a report on ANC's Business Night that featured my old classmates Kathy Bacosa (Lucky Strike Junior Executive, according to web research) and Charlemgane Lim (Little Asia restaurant owner). It was about my generation saving up money for the future. Long story short: Kathy isn't saving, Charlemagne is. Kathy's like me right now, living/ working one day at a time. Frankly I thought her looks would've gotten her further in her life by now. Charlemagne I simply resent since he was a jerk/ bully in grade school.

I'm getting into another "what have i made of myself?" kind of mood. Almost a third of my life lived, and what have i got to show for it? Better physique?

I am thankful my folks thought to save and invest in my future, since financial matters are pretty much Greek to me. There were times when I thought about making it big with an original (or "borrowed") business idea, only to be shot down either by my folks (ironic) or loss of interest (inevitable). Sometimes I think I have to be spoonfed these things.

Dammit, I have dreams and aspirations; it's just that they stay that way. The realization of it is another matter.

Easter Wrap-Up

I'm ending the long weekend with collecting and tweaking photos, plus some exercise. Wrist still hurts, w/c makes typing a bitch.

Holy Thursday, Batman!

Today I did a little swimming, had a good lunch, and read comics all afternoon. I realized that if I did this all the time, summer vacation would have no meaning. What's there to look foward to if it becomes monotonous? (Unless new downloads come in everyday, that is.) Actually what bugged me is if I did all that w/o the benefit of working out I'd go back to my old weight. (shudder)

Happy Birthday, Dad

The nieces and nephew race to blow out the only candle on the cake. Saliva ensues

For Pa's birthday we had cake at home and a buffet dinner at Shangri La Hotel in Makati. The ballroom on the second floor was hosting a prom for Merriam High School. Maybe I'm getting old but the gowns on the jailbaits seemed to be getting... skimpier, or simply more revealing. And an air of pretentiousness was just reeking off the guys, so much than I wanted to just smack their faces in. (heheh). Hopefully they, as I did, will come out of this thinking, "We should've just had a beach party."

Celebrity sightings of the evening include Imelda Marcos (not as tall as I thought, even with the hair) and Bishop Teodoro Bacani (doubtful he'd remember me from the TeleAll days).

Okay, I've Snapped Outta It

Was down, now not. (F*ck her and her nervous laughing, anyway.) Ever had one of those days where things didn't go exactly as planned, yet you wouldn't have it any other way?

Met up with Lyndon, David, Marco (and girlfriend), and Dennis for dinner at Burgoo. The original plan of watching Robots didn't push through, but I was ok with it. Dianne was even able to catch up with us for a nightcap at Gloria Jean's. (Speaking of w/c, note to self: do not order frozen fruit teas.) At first I was stressed out from all the planning all, this, but tonight proved itself worth it.

I'm Down and I Can't Stand It

Feeling blue at the moment. Not sure if it's over a girl or what I think her current impression of me. Our last conversation was filled with laughter, but her was almost nervous in nature. Her words half-serious, half not so. Don't encourage him. Try to let him down gently but don't be direct in case he's just kidding. Hope to God he's don't be dense.

And there was this other girl. Her messages to me used to end in those smiley typographs (:)). Now when I slowly let my guard down (possibly misinterpreting her friendly nature as something... more), the :)'s have disappeared. Maybe it's nothing. Maybe not.

This always happens, and I always blame myself. It's almost like the improved me is just like the old. Am I coming on too strong? Too weird? Am I reading too much into all this? I enjoy friendly flirting. The problem lies with what happens when you want to be serious about it afterwards. I hate this not knowing feeling. The again, I'm not the Sun. The world does not revolve around me. Nor am I a mindreader. My cousin has cautioned be about trying to be more senstitive to other people's feelings, but this is different.

I used to think I have a good vibe for things like this, when someone I like doesn't or no longer feels the same way, but I hate going by vibes. It's so...irrational. Of course the direct approach--just asking the person-- is the simplest and hardest solution at the same time.

Finished

Recently finished the 3rd season of 24 on DVD, and all I can is, "that's it?!" What was the point of infecting President Palmer with some virus as a cliffhanger in Season 2, only to give it a passing mention afterwards? (And not even a glimpse of Mia Sara, dammit.) He recovered. Great.

As always, the series had its predictable moments (Kim doubling for villain Saunder's daughter, for one) and blah-blah drama moments. One downside to having fast-foward is the killing of any suspense since I end up ff-ing the drama and action scenes.

Speaking of finished (can't get more tasteless than this) another grand-relative passed away. See Chak Gong, or my Paternal Fourth-in-line-Great-Uncle. The nice thing about the Chinese language is the specificity of the family tree. You get relation and ranking. I remember as the most... cognitive of my male grandrelatives. He was nice to chat with, at least when he still recognized me; though to my knowledge was more his eyesight than his mind that was going as he got older. He was probably the last of his generation where having a second wife (one in China, one here) didn't raise eyebrows.

Slow Saturday

Managed to catch up on my 24 viewing, at least retroactively. Just as I started watching season 4 on Beijing I'm now in almost done with season 3, courtesy of Aissa and Raymond's DVD set. Here the fast foward button is put to good use. Don't get me wrong; I like the show, but the drama is just empty for me. Blah, blah, blah.... just cliffhanger me, already.

Work It...

Got to work at the One Gym and Spa (Banawe branch) with Lyndon, who came home from (but now is itching to go back to) Beijing. Nice little place, and the locker room's fancier than any other gym's I've ever seen. Only thing I'm not keen about is the fee. Then again I'm never keen about paying for something that tires me out.

God, We're Idiots...

Having sex results in babies?

AFP
Manila, March 1, 2005

As many as 30 per cent of couples in the Philippines are unaware that having sex can result in babies, Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit said on Tuesday.

"They do not know how pregnancy happens," even though some of them have had numerous children already, Dayrit remarked.

The discovery was the result of field studies by health workers who went door-to-door to determine population control program awareness, Dayrit said in remarks released in Manila.

He did not say how many couples in the mainly Roman Catholic nation were surveyed.

The field workers found that in many of these cases, the couples believed the children were simply gifts from God.

Burgers with Beijinoys

Debbie and Steve can't get enough of that greasy burger taste. 
Met up with a few of the Beijing Pinoys at Brothers Burger at Tomas Morato. It was difficult getting there at first since apparently everybody knew of the place, just not where exactly in Tomas Morato. Eventually we found it, it's large, lightless sign staring us in the face the whole time.

Almost everybody made it (Aileen Choa, Debbie, Steve, Kenny, Aimee, Vanessa, Robert, Dennis) except Edison, who was at a badminton match. I was shocked to learn the restaurant served 1lb. burgers, but strangely enough the double patty burger I ordered was so puny I ordered another single patty just to feel full. We had a nightcap at UCC later on. Deja vu, only this time I didn't order anything. After the 189 bucks for the pair of burgers (and the 150 bucks for the Dippin' Dots ice cream yesterday... man, that's expensive ice cream... note to self: ask how much novelty ice cream is before buying), cutting down was easy.

Speaking of food, two days ago I felt myself literally bloat up from the Shakey's pizza. The next day the size 31 pants felt too snug. To the bat-treadmill! So run I did, as well as ab-xercises. Today I went to the bathroom more times today than in the past week. Goodbye, pizza; hello size 31 pants.

What, it's not a gem entry every time. Or ever, come to think of it.