C is for Cookie

Now why didn't I see the connection?

Oh by the way, this movie is brought to you by the number five.

Remember, C is for cookie. That's good enough for me.

Here's an excerpt:

The Count: You must tell us the whereeabouts of Codenamed C. You have one last chance...
Do you understand?

Elmo: Yes.

The Count: Are you ready to cooperate?

Elmo: Elmo says no.

[The Count pauses]

The Count: ... ... ... Two! Two last chance! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!

The Virtual March against Global Warming

There is no more important cause than the call for action to save the planet on which we live. The evidence is here. The time is now. Add your voice to the 321,408 already marching. Join us.

By joining THE STOP GLOBAL WARMING VIRTUAL MARCH, we commit to each other that together, as our numbers grow, we will use our collective voices to demand that governments, corporations, and politicians take the steps necessary to stop global warming. Today I join this march, and I take the first step.

Sounds like a very good cause to me. Global Warming affects all nations, including the Philippines. This isn't a marketing ploy or anything. We need to save the world, so go sign up.

I did.

"Boycott Da Vinci Code film": top Vatican official

...The latest broadside came from Archbishop Angelo Amato, the number two official in the Vatican doctrinal office which was headed by Pope Benedict until his election last year.

Amato, addressing a Catholic conference in Rome, called the book "stridently anti-Christian .. full of calumnies, offences and historical and theological errors regarding Jesus, the Gospels and the Church."

He added: "I hope that you all will boycott the film."

I wonder if the Archbishop knows that The Da Vinci Code is just a movie. It's not a National Geographic documentary or anything. It's just a movie.

I just love the way the Catholic Church shows it's faith in it's followers faith.

Don't you just love organized religion?

Comet fragments in close encounter with Earth

Despite rumors spreading across the Internet, NASA says the Earth will safe from a broken comet on May 25.

I didn't know about the rumor. My grapevine must be old.

Anyway, at least we get a spectacular comet show this May.

Windows Live Mail Beta

What it is
Fast and simple e-mail that makes it easy to read, send and organize your messages. The “beta” part means it’s a work in progress, so we need your input to make sure it’s built right.
What it gives you
• Previews of your messages you can read without leaving your inbox
• Drag-and-drop organization
• One-click control over junk and scam e-mails
• Right-click power—reply, delete, and forward
• 2 GB of storage (2 GB = 2,000,000,000 bytes)

Well, after getting invited to try the new Yahoo Mail Beta, I got my Windows Live Mail invite. Between the two, I like Windows Live. It's a bit faster than Yahoo Mail but still it's not fast enough.

That being said, I still won't exchange it for GMail.

But then again, can't wait for Live Drive...

Handy Windows Keyboard Shortcuts You Never Knew About

To me, the one thing Microsoft did that slammed Apple way back when was making everything in Windows accessible by a simple keyboard shortcut. True, it doesn’t help most mouse junkies, but for techies who grew up on the command line, the handy keyboard shortcut has saved many an ugly situation especially when the mouse failed.

This is way beyond Ctrl-C, Ctrl V, and Ctrl-X.

But that's one ubercool XP image, don't you think?

Zidane to retire after World Cup

PARIS (AFP) - Real Madrid's inspirational French playmaker Zinedine Zidane announced that he will retire from football after this summer's World Cup in Germany.

"After the World Cup, I will stop playing football," Zidane told Canal Plus television.

"The World Cup is my last goal. That's the only thing I want to focus on," said Zidane, affirming that his decision was "definitive".

"I want people to be in the know before the World Cup."

Just when I am having a real bad week, this happens...

Alan Shearer, Zinedine Zedane, my football heroes are retiring one after the other.

Prognosis Negative X

I think Tom and I can share a good laugh with this

World's Most Beautiful People 2006

ANGELINA JOLIE
"She looks the most beautiful when she's in the field – natural, no makeup, nothing," says Wyclef Jean of the actress-activist, 30. Indeed, her beauty needs are decidedly practical: a dusting of powder, a few strokes of mascara, a dab of Vaseline on her world-famous lips and – voilà! – she's ready to meet the president of Pakistan. "She wants to make a difference," says U.N. representative Guebre-Christos. "She does it with a lot of simplicity."

Angelina Jolie is one of the Most Beautiful People in the World.

I can't argue about that.

Melissa Joan Hart

Can you believe that's Melissa Joan Hart from Sabrina the Teenage Witch. What's unbelievable is that she's 30!

Dang. I'm getting old.

Philippine Zip Codes

Ever wonder what's the zip code of the Philippine City you're in?

Well, wonder no more...

Yahoo! Philippines

Yahoo! announced the launch of new Yahoo! local Front Page sites for Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam. The new sites aim to make Yahoo! the most relevant entry point to the Internet for over 500 million people living in the region...

...In addition to the new local Front Pages, Yahoo! has been updating its communications and content services on all its Southeast Asia* sites over the past year. By integrating local country and local language versions of Yahoo! Search, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Entertainment and Sports, the company is making it a priority to provide users in Southeast Asia with the information they want, when they want it, how they want it and on any device.

I must have been hibernating to have missed this piece of news.

So when will Google have it's presence really felt? And I mean a real relevant presence just like what Yahoo! is doing...

Pacino to Join Pitt, Clooney and Damon in 'Ocean's 13'

It has been confirmed that Al Pacino has signed on to play a high-profile casino owner in the highly anticipated "Ocean's 13." Also on board for the film is actress Ellen Barkin, making the film quite a family reunion.

After the Robert de Niro film retirement fund, we have the Al Pacino film retirement fund...

That being said...

Brad Pitt has reportedly used his considerable clout to get Catherine Zeta Jones dumped from Oceans Thirteen due to her hubby Michael Douglas comment and shot about Angelina Jolie and her "third world orphans."

Michael Douglas has now explained that comment was a 'gaffe' of sorts, and has recanted the statement.

Uh oh...

22 Hours in a Starbucks

So I accompanied radio DJ Mo Twister of Magic 89.9 on his dare to stay 24 hours in a Starbucks.

I was there for 22 hours. Go check the whole story tonight at 9pm on Magic 89.9.

Carolyn Murphy

Carolyn Murphy:

Won the VH1 Fashion & Music award for 'Model of the Year' in 1998.

One of the world's top fashion models. Was discovered by Mary Lou's Models at the age of 16.

Dated model Mark Vanderloo.

Appeared on the cover Vogue's "Models of the Millenium" (November 1999) issue as a rising model of the new millenium.

First child, a daughter named Dylan Blue, born weighing 8lbs 8oz. [28 December 2000]

She won the coveted title of Estee Lauder spokesmodel in 2001. Murphy replaced another famous model/actress, Elizabeth Hurley.

Featured in Sport's Illustrated Swimsuit Edition

Now starring in The Carolyn Murphy Sex Video. Click the link

Top 5 Things You Should Never Buy

We all work hard for our money, so it's important to make sure that we get the best value possible when we decide to splurge on a new toy. Although most deals at retail are just fine, there are some that will make you slap yourself over the head and shout, "What was I thinking?" as soon as you get home. To help you avoid that stress, we present a few of the most notorious scams to avoid (no matter how much those salespeople egg you on) when browsing the stores for your next tech purchase.

Noticed that some of these here are hot buys in the Philippines. Well.. numbers 1 and 3, actually.

Still... that Darth Vader mug in the post below is still a very cool buy for me...

Darth Vader Mug

You remember the scene-that first sighting of Darth Vader without his helmet in The Empire Strikes Back. Practice your breathing and the infamous line "Yes, Admiral?" every morning with this imperial-sized mug, complete with handy helmet-top lid for keeping your java lava-hot. Glazed ceramic. 6" H; holds 12 oz.

Cool gift. Ummm... anyone care to send one over to me?

Cabbie playing Harmonica ends up in a sold out concert...

...The guy told Shaw to meet him at the back door of Wharton Center that night and he would put Shaw and his harmonica on stage.

Naturally, Shaw was skeptical to say the least: "I'm like, 'Yeah, right - Wharton. Who put you up to this?' "

Well, the stranger turned out to be Ben Folds, the singer-songwriter-pianist, who was, indeed, performing for a sold-out Wharton crowd that night.

59 Things a Man Should Never Do Past 30

Here's some:

19. Give shout-outs.

22. Wear Disney-themed neckties.

34. Wear Converse All Stars with a tuxedo. (dang! I love that outfit...)

47. Say "two points" every time he throws something in the trash.

Peace out!

Plants watered with Microwaved water

she took filered water and divided it into two parts. The first part she heated to boiling in a pan on the stove, and the second part she heated to boiling in a microwave. Then after cooling she used the water to water two identical plants to see if there would be any difference in the growth between the normal boiled water and the water boiled in a microwave. She was thinking that the structure or energy of the water may be compromised by microwave. As it turned out, even she was amazed at the difference

Whoa... any explanations as to why this is?

The Top 50 Worst Albums Ever!

The title says it all. Of course, the internets is full of this list. But I do agree with some here. But one thing, it would be better if a reason is given.

Oh well... it is from Q-Magazine. Maybe they expounded on the list in the mag...

How to Feng Shui your Car

Sprinkling crystals of sea salt inside your car and tying a blue ribbon around your satellite navigation may sound like unusual tips for improving your driving, but according to a the first ever report studying the feng shui of cars, these measures could improve the flow of energy in vehicles and help drivers alleviate the negative feelings which lead to road rage.

The ancient Chinese art of feng shui has long been associated with buildings, but leading insurance broker for high net worth individuals, Aon Private Clients, commissioned internationally renowned feng shui expert Raymond Catchpole to conduct a unique examination of how feng shui affects cars and their drivers.

The Philippines is a feng shui crazy country. With this, expect a lot more blue cars coming out instead of red cars. Even I thought a red car is more feng shui compatible than any other color. But I do agree that Blue is a more appropriate feng shui car color.

No mention on what brand is more feng shui compatible? I mean, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Honda, Nissan... Come to think of it, most if not all people here prefer the Honda. Me? I look at the payment plan first....

I'll be on radio.... again...

I used to guest on a radio show on K-Lite regularly. It was called Twisted on a Sunday with Jessica Zafra.

Anyway, last Monday, my good friend, DJ Mo Twister called up and asked me to guest on his show. Since it was a last minute thing, I didn't have the chance to announce it here.

After the show, he asked me if I wanted to guest again this Monday. So, if all goes well, all you nightowls out there can tune in and see me make a fool of myself again. Mo's show is called Good Times and it starts at 9pm and ends at 12 midnight. I think I'll be on at the last half of the show.

What it's about? Well, those who know me ummm... know what it's about. But to the others? Well, just tune in and find out.

So, if you're in the Philippines and have a radio around (the only one I have is my car radio!) go check it out. Hopefully it comes out as well as it did last week. Else, just click the link and see if you can hear me online.

Philippine president commutes ALL death sentence to life

Well, it seems that after the cheating, the stealing, the raping and the killings in the Philippines under her rule, she shows compassion... to rapists, kidnappers, killers, and their ilk.

Maybe she really empatizes with their kind, a sort of affinity with them, you think?

I assume now that her message is clear, we expect more kidnappings, stealing, killing, and rape to happen.

Look at the bright side, those old bishops over at the catholic church are all happy and elated over this. That'll preserve the numbers of catholics in this country. (i'm not saying all catholics are crim... oh you get my point, don't you?) The bad side? All those oh-so-feel good sermons to come praising The GMA, Well that's reason 1654 for not going to church for me.

I heard that by next year, all criminals are voting for an extended term for the GMA. She's the best thing to ever happen for criminals in jail... and, probably in my opinion, also out of jail...

Famous Filipino Masons

Here is a list of around thirty famous Philippine masons.

Leonardo da Vinci's Birthday

The illegitimate son of a 25-year-old notary, Ser Piero, and a peasant girl, Caterina, Leonardo was born on April 15, 1452, in Vinci, Italy, just outside Florence. His father took custody of the little fellow shortly after his birth, while his mother married someone else and moved to a neighboring town. They kept on having kids, although not with each other, and they eventually supplied him with a total of 17 half sisters and brothers..

Happy Birthday Leonardo da Vinci!

Next month, you'll be the center of attraction when The Da Vinci Code movie comes out.

The Philippines in the 70s

This post bar none just encapsulates the whole of the 1970s in the Philippines. It's a mish mash of all my memories in one ummm... post. The sites sights, the smells, even the taste of the 70's linger in every word...

Just go and take a gander. Guaranteed to trigger a torrent of memories. And that's just the first paragraph! Well, that's if you grew up in the Philippines during the 1970's. The picture posted is nothing compared to what's awaiting you behind that link.

FYI, that is the picture of Rizal Theater. That's where my mom would bring us to watch Disney movies. That's the movie house that my bro, by dad, and I watched Empire Strikes Back. I remember that to the right of Rizal Theater is Alemar's Bookstore. And the building in front to the right is the old Duty Free shop. To the left is where Pancake was. I think. That space is where the Makati Shangrila Hotel is now. And the old Duty Free shop? Well, that's the 6750 Ayala Building.

So go click and check it out while I go and see if I can snag a copy of TVJ's Palpak Connection...

Todd and Penguin

This is one of my favorite daily comic reads.

Todd and Penguin just oozes out warm happiness all over. It may be a bit dark and heavy at times but it's hard not to emphatize with the characters and what they go thru. It's really hard to describe how this comic affects me. Simply put, I guess, Todd and Penguin helps me see things in perspective. Well, I have to suspend reality a bit since we don't have talking plants, animals or toys lying around. I don't mean that this is one all inspiring, all philosophical, all knowing work of comic genius.

It's not.

It's just a simple work of comic genius.

It's a simple look at life's ups and downs.

It's a simple message that things work out at the end.

Oh... and it also makes you wish that going to the bus stop means getting a cookie...

June Pointer 1953 - 2006

June Pointer, the youngest original member of the Grammy-winning group the Pointer Sisters, who started as a gospel singers in Oakland and reached pop music stardom in the 1970s, died Tuesday. She was 52.

The Pointer Sisters were a huge hit here in the Philippines. I think they even had a concert here in Manila.

I bet good ole June is singing her heart out up there right now. Jumping up and down the clouds too...

One Red Paperclip

My name is Kyle MacDonald and I am trying to trade one red paperclip for a house. I started with one red paperclip on July 12th, 2005 and I am making a series of trades for bigger or better things. My current item up for trade is one year in Phoenix.

Ok...so last year, he started with one red paperclip which he traded for a fish pen which he traded for a doorknob and was exchanged for a coleman stove and on and on up to what is now a year's free rent at a house in Phoenix.

Wow. And to think it all started with one red paperclip...

Google Calendar

Wouldn't it be great to be able to keep track of all the events in your life, coordinate schedules with friends and family, and find new things to do -- all with one online calendar?

After months of waiting, Google has launched Google Calendar. Obviously it's in beta. Now if only I was that organized to use a calendar...

Da Vinci Code Google Quest

The Da Vinci Code involves a thrilling murder investigation that unearths a secret that could change the course of history. The film opens on May 19th worldwide.

Beginning on April 17th you will embark on a quest that requires skill, intellect, and perseverance. For 24 days, you will encounter unique challenges. These daily puzzles will pull you deeper into the world of The Da Vinci Code. Answer all 24 puzzles correctly for a chance to win untold riches.

Only the worthy will prevail.

A quest! A quest!

And it's not just any other quest, it's a DaVinci Code Quest! It's a Google Quest! It's a... it's a... it's a DaVinci Code Google Quest!

Too bad that the Philippines isn't included in the contest, only residents of the U.S., Australia, and the UK are eligible. I mean, we can play but we don't win anything.

Argentina on Two Steaks A Day

Eating steaks in Argentina feels like joining a cult. You find yourself leaning on friends to come visit, and writing YOU JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND in all caps more often than feels comfortable. Argentine beef really is extraordinary. Almost all of this has to do with how the cows are raised. There are no factory feedlots in Argentina; the animals still eat pampas grass their whole lives, in open pasture, and not the chicken droppings and feathers mixed with corn that pass for animal feed in the United States. Since this is the way of life a cow was designed for, it is not necessary to pump the animal full of antibiotics. The meat is leaner, healthier and more flavorful than that of corn-fed cattle. It has fewer calories, contains less cholesterol, and tastes less mushy and waterlogged than American meat. And the cows spend their lives out grazing in the field, not locked into some small pen. You can taste the joy.

Steak!

That's it! When (and I mean when!) I win the Lottery jackpot here, I'm boarding a plane and will be heading off to Argentina. I haven't had a decent steak in the Philippines since the old Casa Marcos in Roxas Blvd closed down. And I meant the original old Casa Marcos. It was beside an old bar called the Luau.

I'm digressing. Here in the Philippines, Argentina beef equates to canned corned beef. The Philippines is corned beef country. It's the poor man's beef. I prefer Palm Corned Beef but that one's imported from New Zealand. But that one is good, good, good.

Although, I'm not sure if the local corned beef ummm.... beef, I mean the one sold here in the Philippines, really came from Argentina. It could be someone named Argentina for all I know...

Batasan 6

Today is the 45th day that we, the “Batasan 5” – the prime objects of political persecution by the Macapagal-Arroyo government – have used the conference room of Speaker Jose de Venecia as our sleeping quarters. Since Feb. 27, we have been holed up in the House of Representatives under its protective custody from the threat of illegal arrest (sans warrant from a court of justice) by the Philippine National Police with the sanction of the Department of Justice.

This is getting interesting. Now, if only they can set up a 24 hour webcam and some google ads on their site. Plus integrate it with Text Ads, we'd have Pinoy Big Brother: State Rebel Edition. Think of the revenues!

I could see the ad placements now. Nokia phones for calling people up when they get raided. Canned food for their daily rations. Ummm... soap and shampoo? Beds and Matresses. All the newswires giving their daily roundup. Network TV must be itching to do this. We are looking at real ummm... reality TV.

You think that The GMA (yup, The GMA sounds cooler although we don't call Darth Vader, The Darth Vader. But then again...) would clamp down on this?

Oh and the Voltes V analogy? Well, The GMA I think prefers The Smurfs. You know, it's less violent... check it out:


Ummm... they call themselves the Batsan V, they have the Voltes V analogy but ummm... the title of the blog is Batasan 6, and there are 6 of them. You think one of them is a plant? And I don't mean a Ficus...

Check out short bios of the rebels here and let's see who's the plant:

Satur Ocampo
Joel Virador
Teddy Casiño
Ka Paeng Mariano
Liza Maza
Crispin "Ka Bel" Beltran

I can't wait for MLQ3's take on this...