Cibo and Breton

I thought I was the first to arrive at CIBO (near ABS-CBN), but as it turned out Aileen was already having pasta inside. So I just waited outside the building listening to a Jasper Fforde audiobook and looking like an idiot while catching glimpses of Phomela Baranda doing showbiz news for TV Patrol. Lyndon and Aimee finally arrived and she was the one who told me Aileen was already in CIBO.

Anyhoo, we all had pasta, and my spaghetti bolognese was particulary salty. David couldn't make it for dinner, so we just waited for him to arrive after we finished ours.


Wish one of them drew a mouth on the lady...

"Tits" finally arrived, and we car-pooled to Cafe Breton, where I ordered a chocolate shake. After some more chit-chat (that's what tonight was about, anyway), it was time to hitch a ride home. Kids (and one adult) waiting outside were bugging us to buy their flowers. They're not as agressive as the Beijing's "rose girls," but still hard to ignore. I'm usually good at it, but this time I actually had to say No for them to get the message. Isn't it enough nowadays to pretend they're not there...?

What's on my PC TV

As far as "high concept" (show's premise can be described in 5 words or less) TV shows go, it could be gangbusters, for all I care, but if the dialogue's crap, it will not pique my interest any further.

I tried to give new shows a try, like Commander in Chief (Geena Davis as US President) and How I Met Your Mother (one season telling story of title), but I couldn't get past the shmaltzy dialogue of the former (West Wing this ain't) and the unfunny jokes of the latter (defeating the com purpose of sitcom).

As for other sitcoms, Everybody Hates Chris (The Wonder Years meets Chris Rock. Hey, I'm getting good with high concept descriptions...) is faring better for me than My Name is Earl (Karma Komedy starring Jason Lee). Seems nowadays new sticoms have a better chance of becoming a hit (either with the audience or with critics) when there's a narrator and flashbacks involved. Malcolm in the Middle, Arrested Development, Chris and Earl, among others. Is it because the audience is too slow to catch up that the shows need to explain things constantly, or is it a device to stick in more jokes? Bit of both, I think.

As for new dramas, only Threshold (Anti-alien invasion task force) and Reunion (murder mystery. 1 episode=1 year) have me reeled in, curiosity-wise. Everything else is cops, cops, cops (all CSIs and Law & Orders) and Desperate Housewives. I wanna check out Ghost Whisperer (Sixth Sense meets Jennifer Love Hewitt), but I'm afraid I'd only watch it for the same reason I first watched Charmed. Sorry, but Alyssa Milano or no Alyssa Milano, rhyming spell incantation is corny, as well as saying demon or warlock in every third sentence of dialogue.

Frenemyster

I've now heard two stories (one of them from the annals of showbiz) on relationships that have been compromised by stuff the affected parties read from Friendster pages, and that's just ridiculous.

One thing you have to realize is Friendster is not Scripture, as in not to taken in as-a-matter-of-factly. There are single friends that declare themselves married, 20-somethings that are 80 (great skin tone), members of the Justice League (look it up, non-comics readers), circus performers and/or that look exactly like Angelina Jolie. Batman's on Friendster, for crying out loud.

Friendster, like henna tattoos, ouija boards and Tara Reid's career, are there for our amusement. Those who seek to have their relationships revolve around Friendster have got to smarten up. Don't read into anyone's testimonials and second-guess. Don't assume that a boy and a girl w/ their picture taken together are a couple.

Talk to the person. You're supposed to be their friend, after all.

Okay, Maybe a Coupla Rants

I'll keep it short. Couple of things from The Philippine Daily Inquirer's front page that made my eyes roll up so much I could see the inside of my skull. Gods, some people should never be placed in front of a microphone/tape recorder, if only so save us from their delusions.

ILOCOS NORTE Governor Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. yesterday said the Marcoses were the victims of human rights abuse because the government continued to deny his father the right to a hero's burial.

"If there is a president that should be buried [at the Libingan ng mga Bayani] it is him because he was president for the longest time,"

Gee, the fault in that's because your old man declared martial law, instituted an authoritarian regime and stayed in power more than a decade longer than he should have.

"It's the same old political issue -- that if you are a Marcos, you do not have the same rights as every other Filipino citizen.

When Ferdinand Marcos was president, he and his family thought themselves above "every other Filipino citizen" and stomped on their rights. So karma's a bitch, huh?

JUSTICE Secretary Raul Gonzalez yesterday said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's administration would not allow Romeo Jalosjos, a former congressman serving two life sentences for raping a child, to die in jail of a serious heart ailment.

Gonzalez drew a parallel between Jalosjos and former Senator Benigno “Ninoy”Aquino Jr. who was freed by the dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1980 after languishing in jail for nearly eight years to undergo a triple heart bypass in the United States.

"Even Aquino was not allowed to die," Gonzalez said, recalling Marcos' decision to grant his foremost political rival a furlough.

Ninoy was not allowed to due under FM's watch because that would've made him a martyr. I sincerely doubt that would be the case for a kiddie rapist congressman.

And if Secretary Gonzalez or President Arroyo would take the time to look into our really $#itty prisons they'd find other convicts more deserving of clemency: Minors (who shouldn't be in the city jails to begin with) and other non-kiddie raping senior citizens with worse heart ailments.

One of "Those" Days

In high school and college I had Bad Days, where almost cinematically events in that day follow Murphy's Law like the Laws of Physics. Sometimes I call them Saturday the 14th, though it can happen on Mondays, too (kudos, Garfield).

Now I have "Even Out" days, like in that Seinfeld Epsiode. Today it was more like a Even Out Weekend. My mp3 player, once busted last night, now works again. My friend whom I thought was mad at me turns out not to be (note to self: turn off paranoid thoughts).

I like Even Out Weekends. :)

(Other) Things That Make Me Scream Like a Girly Mahn

Finding long-legged spiders in the bathroom sink, like tonight.

Switched on the lights, and there it was, long and legged. Even after squirting rubbing alchohol at it (just like dem archer fishes) and finally stamping it dead w/ my shoe (never any insecticide around when ya need it), I was still hesititing to scrape up its carcass off the counter. Like it might still wriggle or something.

Bathroom sink never smelled more disinfected, though.

Album Update 6

More album updates for Clones and On Da Street. Enjoy.

Can't I read in peace anymore?

Adventures in Computer Coloring

For nostalgic reasons this image cracked me up. With my free time I dabbled in some more Photoshop experimentation:

The original drawing

The smiling cube with the derby hat giving the Hulk the smack-down is Mr. Strong, one of many Mr. Men characters created by Roger Hargreaves in 1971. True, this was before I was born, but years later I distinctly remember having Ma buy me Meet Mr. Strong in Goodwill Bookstore. Back then several things about the character appealed to me. He was red, my favorite color. His story was short and simple. ("Mr Strong is so strong he can lift entire buildings. If you need something lifting, Mr Strong is the one to call!") The secret to his strength? Eating lots of eggs! As an impressionable kid I tried to emulate him. Also ate lots of eggs, mostly hard-boiled because in his book it looked like that's how Mr. Strong took them. Don't remember getting stronger, but I did get sick of eggs quickly. And this was before health "experts" began flip-flopping on how healthy they were. (C'mon, they came out of a bird's ass. How the hell did anyone think they'd be edible?) Nowadays I hate eating eggs by itself, hard-boiled, scrambled, whatever.

Eggs beat Gamma Rays

But I digress. My old problem with coloring line art was how to color without painting over the actual art. One Darken command later and I was up and running. This piece is very amateur, w/c is to be expected, and I always have trouble deciding on a good background color. I did achieve the desired effect shading Hulk's green physique to give the illusion of depth.

Hope you like it. (Wait. Who am I talking to, anyway...?)

In Today's PHILLIPPINE STAR

Professional host/ columnist Tim Yap is a friend of mine, so far be it from me to make fun of a guy who bought a whole house/apartment just to make room for his wardrobe or tries to dance (and, boy, does he try) on public television every week. Then I spot this piture in The Philippine Star:

"I vant to suck your..." okay, that's just too easy.

'Kay, I know he likes to constantly change his looks, but I've never known "Creepy Albino Vampire chic" to be a hit anywhere outside of Prague, at least when they were still shooting Blade II. And the man travels with his photographer, or crying out loud (and/or brings his own digicam. That much I can remember from our last encounter at H Salon. Don't ask.) You'd think he'd have final say on what creepy looking photograph gets published.


It's a MIRACLE!!!

Anyhoo, speaking of pictures in the paper, this came out in the World News section of the same broadsheet. I've always said/joked that Bo Bice is Jesus reincarnated, and that if someone like Jesus can get eliminated outta American Idol, whoever wins had better be Really Good. (Granted Ye Son of God was raised a carpenter, and the last time a carpenter became a successful singer was about 2000 years after his death, and even then that woman died from complications brought about by an eating disorder. And she wasn't a carpenter by profession.)

1 Night in Greenbelt

Met up with Des (who came in from Cotabato and will be in town for a while) in Greenbelt. We couldn't find Kym at first, and both of us were hungry already. Had dinner at Bubba Gump, where I had their ribs for the first time. Not too bad. Fernds joined us awhile later, and I gave him a necktie with a sheep pattern for his birthday. Afterwards we headed for Nuvo.

Fernds, Kym and Des

Des insisted on ordering shooters. Kym (who was attending/organizing) the Rampage fashion party at the restaurant next door (eek, it's Maurice! is that Phomela...?) joined in us just as the B52s, Long Island ice teas and my SanMig light beer arrived. How to describe my first taste of B52, aflame and sucked thru a straw: chocolatey, with the burning sensation hitting your throat immediately afterwards. Debbie calls it a "sexy drink." At 195 bucks a shot, it better be.

3/4 ounce Kahlua + 3/4 ounce Baileys + 3/4 ounce Grand Marnier = My face as red as my shirt