Monday, April 21, 2008

Best Dressed at the Oscars

February 27, 2008

My bets for the best dressed at the recent Oscars would have to be Jennifer Garner, Heidi Klum, Hillary Swank, and Jessica Alba, in no particular order though.

Jennifer Garner wore a black silk taffeta Oscar de la Renta fishtail gown.


Hillary Swank wore a clinging black Atelier Versace number.


Heidi Klum wore a dramatic red silk taffeta John Galliano stunner.


Jessica Alba wore a Marchesa gown in deep purple which I love.

Night of the Europeans

February 27, 2008

Jon Stewart was witty. I liked his introductory monologue very much.

It was a night of European actors who were the recipients of the major awards:



Performance by An Actor in a Leading Role - Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood

Performance by An Actor in a Supporting Role - Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men

Performance by An Actress in a Leading Role - Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose

Performance by An Actress in a Supporting Role - Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton

Achievement in Directing - Joel & Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men

Best Motion Picture of the Year - No Country for Old Men


I have yet to see Juno because Diablo Cody won the Original Screenplay award.

For a complete list of nominees and winners of the 80th Academy Awards, go to www.oscars.org.

10 Minutes of Wisdom

February 22, 2008

My director friend forwarded a video of Dr. Randy Pausch, a professor in Carnegie Mellon University, who is terminally ill from pancreatic cancer. The video is a clip from the Oprah show and is now being published as a book to be released this April.

Now why do I get the feeling that while fighting the cancer, he turned out and spoke about living instead of leaving his last words to family and colleagues?

Like Dr. Pausch said in his blogsite, he is hardly unique. He adds, "We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand."

What a truly optimistic fellow.

Lost in Migration

February 22, 2008

I am currently in the tedious process of transferring my sound files on to my new HP Compaq notebook. About 400 MP3s are to be migrated, carrying all music genres that I appreciate.

Another version of iTunes has been released with which I have to sync my iPod, add to that the Opera browser set-up file that I have to download to the laptop. Opera is the one browser I found comfortable and so easy to use especially with its multiple tabs function.


Last month I applied for a plug-in broadband connection which is the newest product of Smart Communications. I finally got the device the other day and tested it with my pc. It works just fine, except the connection strength is dependent on the signal it receives from Smart. Maybe in next few amounts, I will want to have my pc memory increased too. Ergo, transfer, download, set-up, and synchronize.

Glam Day

February 20, 2008

Lucky me. February 25 is declared a national holiday so I get to watch the Academy Awards live. As in the past years, I take the day off and see to it that I catch the Oscars. Why? Simply because I love watching the actors dress up, get grilled about what and who they're wearing and I guess it's simply enchanting to see the ladies all in glittery, elegant gowns sashaying down the red carpet.

The film industry in America is such an honorable industry, dedicated to redefining their craft year after year and making films that tackle plots of substance. At the Oscars, every bit player is recognized, from the screenwriter where the story begins, the editor, sound engineer, cinematographer, director and the cast.

Hosting the 80th Academy Awards is Jon Stewart. I expected it to be Ellen Degeneres, she did such a wonderful hosting job last year, playing with Clint Eastwood and Martin Scorsese on the side.

Anyway, with the writer's strike over, there will be lots of catching up to do with pending movies and television series. In the meantime, I'll be actorspotting at the Oscars where fame, talent and glamour converge!

Have Biodisc, Will Heal

February 20, 2008

My uncle who's a radiologist at the Philippine Heart Center introduced this product to us last year. He explained that this "miracle" disc produces scalar frequencies when transferred to water, detoxifies the body and enhances our immune system. As a testimony to the efficacy of the product, he told us that his asthma-stricken son has had no attacks since he started drinking water that passed through the biodisc.


And so my sister bought one for my mom. The water at home passes the biodisc. So far, everything seems fine. My uncle added that you can even keep the water in an atomizer, and bring with you anywhere you go, like a handy cologne bottle. And whenever anything strikes you, from a wound to a pimple, make a few spritzes on the area then you can see and feel its healing properties.

Last night, my mom told us that Kris Aquino has been advertising alkaline water as the primary cause of her weight loss. She said drinking three glasses of water upon waking up releases toxins that are flushed off our bodies. Alkaline water is the same water as in the biodisc. The device itself balances the scalar energy, hydrates the cells and gets rid of that sluggish, fatigued feeling.

You can also sleep better by placing the disc either in the center of the bed or under your pillow, or energize yourself by bathing with a biodisc.

Whichever way you say it, balancing your inner chakras, or resonating your body rhythmus, the healing possibilities are limitless.

Music of Memoirs

February 19, 2008


I finally saw Memoirs of A Geisha on HBO two weekends ago. From the night that I first watched it until now, the substance of the story and the entire cinematography never left my mind. Most importantly, the sound of the cello never left my senses.

Now I came across this very interesting clip of how its musical score came about, of course not doubting the exceptional talent of cellist Yo-Yo Ma and John Williams. Williams is most famous for his musical rendering of E.T. (Extra Terrestrial) and Superman, to name a few. And now, he recalls, he passed on scoring for Harry Potter to give way to laying the music for the biggest film of 2005.

Rob Marshall, director of Memoirs of A Geisha, says that the music seems to speak a language that is Sayuri's. The cello is Sayuri's voice. And John Williams has meticulously conceptualized this music through the cello.



Admittedly, this has climbed up the charts of my favorite movies. I had to order the video and book written by Arthur Golden. Memoirs of A Geisha is a story of Sayuri, played by Zhang Ziyi, who was taught social and artistic skills to be able to enter a world of wealth, power and political intrigue; most of all to become Japan's most celebrated geisha. The real catch in this movie for me is Ken Watanabe, the Japanese actor from the Last Samurai fame. Watanabe plays the role of The Chairman. Sayuri desperately attempts to attain the love of The Chairman and the climax of the story is whether or not she does meet her goal.

Past Weekend

February 18, 2008

After a 5-second appearance on primetime tv last Friday (which actually lasted for about 5 minutes in my interview at the taxi line in Glorietta), a few relatives immediately called to say they saw me in the news. I was interviewed about whether or not I will be joining the rally staged by the opposition last Friday, to which I said let's just stay home and keep ourselves safe.

The past week's weather was extremely cold up to the point where my son constantly wore his bonnet and avoided going out when it was night time. I was a bit scared last Saturday because my little boy had a slight fever and I suspected his tonsils were sore again, no thanks to chocolates, donuts and cake he was feasting on last Valentine's day. I brought him to the doctor and fortunately he just needed to flush it out with plenty of juice, water and his vitamins.

And so yesterday was a lazy day. My husband and I decided to drive to BF and order that Puchon (Pugon Lechon) my restaurateur friends have been so famous for. It's one of the most interesting and delectable choices in their menu of pizza, pasta, and great dishes to die for! Apple and Anton put up their restaurant along Aguirre Avenue and started operations last December. Good reviews have been posted here and there by food critics, and there's even a well-written article published in Manila Bulletin. I even heard they were full-packed last Feb. 13 and 14. So come and try out delicious food only at Chi's Brickoven Kitchen.

Deal Breaker

February 15, 2008

And the saga continues with senate hearings on the scrapped ZTE broadband deal. Yes, totally scrapped but not totally forgotten as this now transforms into an issue about kickbacks, corruption and greed.

Last Friday, I found myself glued to the television watching the star witness recount what transpired during the day he claimed to be kidnapped or "abducted" by people from the military. He says he was stopped by unidentified men at the airport, grabbed him by the arms and took his travel documents. He was brought to far and unknown places. It took a while for him to be brought back to La Salle Greenhills where he staged a press conference with nuns and priests surrounding him. Events following that were fast-paced, and before everyone could grasp what the story was all about, there he was being grilled by each of the senators. A tough price to pay when you've seen or heard so much. I have pitied Jun Lozada in the most awkward way possible that day. My heart just went out to him and his family. After briefly questioning him, Senator Chiz Escudero even told the committee that he found Jun Lozada to be innocent and honest.

And so today, a rally is to be staged here in the main commercial business district in Metro Manila. About 3,000 people are expected to attend and let their voices be heard.

According to the news on Inquirer.net, Chinese telecommunications supplier ZTE has at last broken its silence by saying investors are just being turned off with the bleak outcome of the broadband deal resulting to a "political circus."

The Makati Business Club also expressed their dismay on what has become of this anomalous project by the government. Because of this Malacanang has allegedly warned MBC in their call for senior government officials to resign, otherwise they will have BIR chase after tax evaders in big businesses.

MBC's answer to this threat: "Bring it on." Let the games begin?

Grammy Awards 2008

February 15, 2008

I haven't really seen the entire coverage of the 2008 Grammy Awards. Settling with videos of performances on YouTube, I can safely say this year has got the music industry's vamps! Beyonce singing with the legendary Tina Turner, Amy Winehouse via satellite from London, Alicia Keys side by side with John Mayer. I just loved their performances. I don't fancy Rihanna and Kanye West that much.

But with the awards won by Amy Winehouse, veteran singer Natalie Cole seemed to disapprove of it saying in People.com that Winehouse sets a bad example to the public and must not be rewarded with such recognition considering her personal issues with addiction. And to this, I humbly beg to agree. It's not only the ability or talent that is being showcased. The audience or listening public, especially the youth, often emulate the character of the artist.

Still, if only for the aspect of capability, Amy Winehouse rocks! I love her songs "Rehab," "You Know I'm No Good," and "Tears Dry on Their Own." Her genre is a different kind, pop crossing over to soul, or vice versa.