World's Greatest Underachiever

Should I dare to be fit and right?

2009-10-29T11:21:00.006+08:00

Far from it, I'm sure. After all, once I quit my college's track and field team, the once fit physique I had became a distant memory. From a sprightly 110 to 120 lbs., I ballooned to my current 200 lbs. - or possibly even more - so yeah, fit and right I definitely am not.

So, what contributed to my weight gain? A really unhealthy diet that constituted mostly of fried food, junk food, lots of rice and pasta and definitely lots and lots and LOTS of Coke for one. Lack of exercise also made me gain weight, with the only physical effort I exerted most nights coming from lifting a bottle of beer off of the table to my paperwork-parched lips.

Nowadays, when I look at my old pictures, I can't help but wish I was still that fit and lean. For one thing, shopping for clothes was much easier then since I could fit into a pair of jeans with a 27-inch waistline while a large-sized shirt would easily fit me. Now, clothes hunting has become troublesome since jeans with a 38-inch waistline is not too common in stores while a XXL or even a XXXL shirt has become a necessity since it fits me well as opposed to a large-sized shirt which would only make me feel and look like a giant hamonadong longganisa.

God knows I've tried losing weight lots of times but most often than not, I stopped after just a few tries because it was either too troublesome or I just was too lazy to do it. I mean, c'mon, sitting in front of the computer and web surfing or playing games or lounging in front of the TV while watching DVDs were more interesting, hassle-free alternatives after all, even more so if you had a bag of chips and a bottle of soda to accompany you.

A workout that would burn 400 calories in four minutes?!? WTF?!?

Still, I missed the old fit and healthy Patrick Everett Tadeo so when the opportunity came to join Del Monte's Fit N' Right bloggers event last Friday, October 23, I couldn't pass it up, especially when their invitation had a teaser that said PBA conditioning coach Jim Saret's Fast Intense Training (FIT) workout could burn "400 calories in four minutes" which would continue to burn more "even when you're done with the workout." That pretty much sold it right there for me.

Now, I won't go into the minute details of the bloggers event, like how good the food was (it was okay, really, but not something I'd write about) or who were the bloggers I knew that attended the event (not that many since I only attend bloggers events that appeal to me). I will however delve into what Coach Jim shared with the bloggers.

If the invitation's teaser sold the bloggers event to me, Coach Jim's lecture on fitness and the benefits of his FIT workout practically reeled me in hook, line and sinker. From his very informative lecture to the look of the volunteers' faces as they took part in Coach Jim's live on-stage FIT workout demo, I became a believer in his workout. And I'm sure, once everyone hears of how good and effective his workout his, Coach Jim will be the L. Ron Hubbard of fitness, with his FIT workout as the fitness world's Dianetics. Okay, I jest as he's more Tony Robbins than Scientology's equivalent of Jesus and St. Peter combined.

Coach Jim's four-minute FIT workout for beginners is easy to do with the workout being spread into four one-minute intervals with easy-to-do exercises like being in a prone position but only on the tips of your toes and on your elbows, followed by squats, push-up and lunges. What did pique my interest though was Coach Jim's intense workout he gave to his friend Jam as it looked both intense and tiring especially when, as part of the demo, even after Jam wrapped up the workout for some minutes already, he was still burning calories. Too bad though that the bloggers kit Del Monte gave away to everyone didn't have that specific workout. Del Monte's Facebook page, however, assured me that they'll be putting Coach Jim's workout routine with Jam up soon so I'll be eagerly waiting for it.

Burning fat while juicing up naturally

Being that the bloggers event was sponsored by Del Monte Fit N' Right (FNR), it was expected that there would be tons of FNR-branded items on display, from the tabled adorned with FNR bottles to the event's beverage on hand courtesy of FNR.

Honestly, prior to attending the bloggers event, I had no experience whatsoever with L-carnitine-containing products. As I mentioned earlier, it's nothing but Coke, or sometimes Pepsi, for me. So, after I downed three 330 mL bottles of Del Monte FNR, I thought it wasn't anything special; 'just a fancy way of promoting pineapple juice' was how I dismissed it.

The next morning, however, served as a wake-up call for L-carnitine's positive effect as I found myself making more trips to the toilet to 'unload'. According to my wife who's an occasional L-carnitine user of another brand of beverage, that was how one way the "quaternary ammonium compound biosynthesized from the amino acids lysine and methionine" (Thank you, Wikipedia) worked.

According to Del Monte, "if L-Carnitine levels are increased, the body’s ability to oxidize fat is optimized. With supplementary L-Carnitine, proper diet and regular exercise, one can achieve ideal body weight and ensure a healthy life."

Del Monte also said that "Fit ‘N Right also contains Vitamin B1, B6 and B12 that helps speed up metabolism, resulting in faster weight loss. Vitamins B1, B6 and B12 are energy boosters and increases endurance by facilitating the conversion of carbohydrates, protein and fat into energy that is needed by the body in performing physical functions. It also contains natural fruit juice that provides the body with 100 percent of its regular daily allowance."

And so, armed with Coach Jim's workout and the fat-burning properties of Del Monte's FNR, I just might find myself losing weight in time for my birthday next year. But first, I've got a marathon to attend to.

Me? Run a marathon? Am I INSANE?!?

I may just be since the last time I ran a marathon was during my college's traditional four-kilometer feast day marathon back in 1995. After that, the only time I would run was everytime I crossed the street to get to the other side to hail a jeepney.

Truth is, I'm slightly bemused how running has become today what badminton was a year ago - everyone seems to be doing it. Because honestly, the only reason I joined my college's varsity track and field team was not for the love of the sport. Far from it actually as I hate sweating unless it's because I'm having sex. You see, the only reason I joined the team was because I wanted to skip out on my college's Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) training. Shallow reason, I know, but hey, I was able to skip Sunday morning ROTC training and Physical Education (PE) classes because of it.

So, when my name was one of the ten drawn by Del Monte that would be able to join the first Del Monte Dare to be Fit ‘N Right Fun Run at the SM Mall of Asia on November 22, I thought 'what the hey, I might as well since I'll be getting a free singlet, race bib, FNR products and a raffle coupon for the chance to win a Lenovo laptop.' And so sign up I did right after I stepped out of the event. To be fair to myself though, I only signed up for the 3-kilometer race since I think that, with my current condition, that's going to be a challenge already.

So, if you feel like running for a good cause to help the victims of typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng, sign up for either the 3K, 5K or 10K marathons with just a P300 registration fee. The registration period will be from October 21 to November 16 at either CEMG's office in Unit 3A Vernida I Bldg., Amorsolo St., Legaspi Village, Makati City; Dare to be Fit ‘n Right booths in Bonifacio High Street, Taguig and in selected SM Hypermarkets like the Mall of Asia, Sucat, Pasig, and North EDSA; as well as any Fitness First branches on November 16, 2009. Official race call time is at 4 a.m. in front of the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall with the official run kicking of at 6 a.m.

The first, second, and third place runners from each division stands to win P10,000, P5,000 and P3,000 in cash prices respectively, coupled with more prizes including one month's free membership at Fitness First. All registered runners will also automatically qualify for the raffle, where they can win a Lenovo laptop.

I hope to see you there though you can possibly count on me being dead last in the 3K race.

Many thanks to Az for sharing his photos of the event.

My 'heavily edited' Fast & Furious Review...

2009-04-08T15:19:00.007+08:00

I don't often agree with how my managing editor edits my works, but what else can I do? More often than not, my work gets butchered down to make it more 'web-friendly' by keeping things short and sweet.

That's bullshit, I say.

If a reader finds your work interesting, they'll still read it irregardless of its length. I know I do.

And so, just in case you're interested to read my full, unsanitized review, here it is.

*****

Whoever said that movie sequels aren’t as good the original hasn’t seen Fast & Furious, the latest installment to The Fast & The Furious movie franchise.

Fast & Furious is an interquel that’s set between 2 Fast 2 Furious and The Fast & The Furious: Tokyo Drift so it picks up right after Brian O’ Connor (Paul Walker) gets back into the good graces of the FBI after catching a South American drug lord while Dominic “Dom” Toretto (Vin Diesel) is still on the run from the authorities - both local and foreign - while he’s still at it with Letty Ortiz (Michelle Rodriguez), this time hijacking fuel tanks in the Dominican Republic. But with the authorities getting hot on his trail, Dom decides it’s better if he leaves Letty for her own good since, in his own words, “it’s me they want.”

Soon after that, Dom gets the word from his sister, Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster), that Letty was killed in America, making him take the risk of crossing the border to find out who was responsible. Using his rage and his bulging biceps, Dom finds out that Letty was working as a drug courier for Arturo Braga, a drug lord who uses street racers to smuggle heroin across the US-Mexican border. Eventually, Dom bumps into O’ Connor who, as an FBI agent, is also on the trail of Braga as they both try to secure a spot on Braga’s smuggling ring by going through a street race with other racers through Braga’s right-hand man, Ramon Campos. In the process, Dom also finds out that Letty was killed by a member of Braga’s smuggling ring, someone who drives a nitromethane-boosted ’72 Ford Grand Torino, and that she went back to America and worked undercover with O’ Connor after striking a deal that, if they caught Braga, Dom’s name would be cleared of all charges against him.

The tagline ‘New Model, Original Parts’ fits the movie to a tee since it’s a brand new movie with the original cast that started the ball rolling on the franchise. That’s what also makes the movie very watchable because, if you’re familiar with the franchise, it’s akin to watching old friends coming together again. There’s the familiarity with each other that makes it worth watching since each character’s background story has been fleshed out in the previous installments; there’s no more of the getting-to-know-you feeling.

As for the cars, Fast & Furious is more about American Muscle than Japanese Tech since, compared to the other movies in the franchise, this installment has more American muscle cars. Besides Dom’s resurrected Dodge Charger from the first movie, there’s also his Chevy Chevelle (which appears in Tokyo Drift, I think), the aforementioned Grand Torino, and the Buick Grand National GNX in the movie’s opening scene. Still, as a nod to the rice racers that the first movie was all about, among the many Japanese cars in the movie, what stands out are Nissan’s legendary R34 Skyline GT-R and a current-model Subaru Impreza WRX STI that gets totaled in the end, both of which served as O’Connor’s rides in the movie. And of course, not to be forgotten too, are European sports cars like a souped-up BMW M5, a Ford RS200 (that went head-to-head with a Toyota Corolla AE86!) and a Porsche Turbo.

Although the old characters were good to see being back to their old selves, the new ones were a hit-and-miss affair. John Ortiz’ Ramon Campos was close to John Ortiz’ Jose Yero in Michael Mann’s Miami Vice, so that could either be a good thing or a bad thing to say based on Ortiz’ acting talent. Yes, he can definitely play a Latin American drug ring's top honcho, but the sad fact that he played two characters in two different movies so similarly says little about his range. Gal Gadot’s Gisele Harabo is one hot tamale as she tried to seduce Dom time and time again. And yes, she’s damn pretty and damn sexy but that’s all there is to her. She was just eye candy in a film full of eye candies, both mechanical and biological. And honestly, I think Michelle Rodriguez has more sex appeal than her. But that doesn't mean I won't tap that ass if it presented itself to me because I definitely would.

Sung Kang’s Han also provided a good lead into …Tokyo Drift, saying how he’s thinking of going back to Tokyo after Dom decided to break up their Dominican Republic gang, thereby setting up how he became who he was in …Tokyo Drift. If only Tyrese Gibson’s Roman Pearce from …2 Furious also made a brief appearance in this installment, everything would’ve come full circle perfectly.

All in all, if you’re a true gearhead, the sheer number of cars present in the movie would satisfy you. And if you loved the other movies in the franchise, you’ll definitely love this one since it offers more of everything really. But if you’re coming into the theater blind with no idea what the other movies were all about, prepare to be disappointed since the experience is almost like watching a movie that’s already half-finished since you’ve pretty much missed the lead-in that set up this particular movie.

So for this Underachiever of a car nut, Fast & Furious is one fast and furious achievement.

Dirty Harry is back,...

2009-02-04T01:26:00.014+08:00

...in a way, in Clint Eastwood's newest film, Gran Torino.

I say 'in a way' because, although Dirty Harry, arguably Clint Eastwood's most memorable character on film ever, isn't the character he plays in the film, his hard-nosed, tough-as-nails attitude certainly makes its presence felt - and more, even - in his role as Walt Kowalski, the anti-hero in Gran Torino.

Walt Kowalski is a Korean War veteran and a retired assembly line worker for Ford. He views his sons and their families as a disappointment, and with his wife's recent passing, he just spends his day either drinking beer on the front porch of his house or taking meticulous care of his most prized possession, a 1972 Ford Gran Torino that's in immaculately good condition, like it just stepped off of the assembly line.

Walt Kowalski makes no apologies for being what he is; a straightforward, no-holds-barred kind of man who's never afraid to say what's on his mind, political correctness be damned. But when his new next-door neighbors, a family of Hmong people, move in, his once-quiet life changes dramatically.

First, the steady arrival of fellow Hmong well-wishers welcoming the new family to their home irritates him. But when someone breaks into his garage, trying to steal his precious Gran Torino as part of a Hmong gang's initiation, only to find out later that it was Thao (Bee Vang), the teenage son of his new next-door neighbors, Walt seethes in anger, as he angrily tells the family to keep Thao off of his property. After a few days, the gang, led by Thao's older cousin, Spider (Doua Moua), comes back and tries to drag off Thao from his home while his family tries to stop them from succeeding in their plans. But seeing how the ensuing struggle for Thao spilled onto his lawn, in the process uprooting some of the plants and breaking the ceramic gnomes that stand guard in his garden, Walt storms out of his house with his loaded M1 Garand rifle, a souvenir from his Korean War days, pointing it at the gangbangers while telling them all to get off of his lawn.

But once the heavily-Hmong populated neighborhood hears how Walt acted like a hero to save Thao, they show their gratitude by leaving his doorsteps and front porch littered with traditional Hmong gifts and offerings.

But Walt's cold, hard heart takes a turn for the better after he saves Sue (Ahney Her), the older teenage daughter of his neighbor, from being harrassed by a local gang of black teenagers. As they drive back to their own neighborhood, Walt and Sue, as well as her entire family, get to know each other a little better, to the point that Walt even takes Thao under his proverbial wing; first, as part of Thao's punishment from his family for trying to steal Walt's Gran Torino, but later on, as a friend and mentor of sorts as Walt teaches Thao what it is to be a man.

Walt then realizes that the world around him, as well as he himself, is changing. His neighborhood is now mostly populated by the Hmong people, the nurse in his doctor's clinic is a Middle Eastern woman while his previous doctor has now retired and has been replaced by an Asian woman. And after he gets the results of his medical exam, he calls one of his sons and tries to talk to him awkwardly, only to be rebuffed by the son telling Walt that he's busy but he'll talk to him during the weekend.

Soon after, the Hmong gang retaliates against Thao, first by accosting him and burning his face with a cigarette, and then by shooting up Thao's house a few days later, wounding him in the neck. But the final straw is when Sue comes back, beaten black and blue and raped. Walt's once-quiet life then goes into a headspin that, as a viewer, you know would only end in a hail of bullets and a volley of gunfire.

Once more, I was lucky enough to get invited to Warner Bros. press screening of Gran Torino. And since I grew up watching Clint Eastwood movies, thanks to my Dad who's been a loyal fan of his since Eastwood's spaghetti western days as the Man with No Name, and since this just may be his last movie as an actor, there simply was no way I was going to miss out on watching this one.

Much like his recent movies, Gran Torino follows the same pacing for each and every one of them; slow to pick up yet still captivating to watch, with the pace quickly picking up speed in the last hour of the film before coming to an abrupt stop at the end. Now, I won't spoil the ending for you but I will say this; if you know how Million Dollar Baby ended, Gran Torino ends pretty much the same - with a twist that touches your heart yet leaves you depressed.

Clint Eastwood was great, ably portraying the role of an action hero who just happens to be a senior citizen. As for the actors who played the lead Hmong teenagers, Thao and Sue, they did a pretty good job for a couple of acting rookies in their very first film role ever, particularly Sue's Ahney Her, not to mention that the chemistry among the three of them blended quite well. The other supporting actors were just as good, particularly Brian Haley who, although known more for his comedic roles, was able to play the role as one of Walt's son with the same kind of character treatment he does in his funny movies; the supposedly indifferent character who's got a hidden agenda up his sleeves. But as for the Hmong gangbangers Doua Moua hangs out with, fuhgeddaboudit. They were just plain awful, especially the loud one whose head Clint Eastwood tapdanced on.

Gran Torino is definitely one of the top films of 2009, and that's saying a lot since we're just in the second month of the year. After all, if a movie can make you root for an old crudmugeon as he tugs at your heartstrings gently, only to violently yank it at the end, particularly if it's done with Clint Eastwood's personally depressing touch, then it's certainly ranks right up there for me.

So for this Underachiever, Gran Torino is a stereotypical Clint Eastwood achievement.

What's the buzz?

2009-01-31T00:36:00.009+08:00

Well, a lot has been happening in my life since 2009 started. First off, my Dad passed away - on New Year's Day, no less - after having been in a coma that was caused by a heart attack that struck him down on Christmas Day.

Now that was a really crappy way to start a new year, and that's seriously an understatement since I've been missing my Dad ever since he migrated to the US to be with Tita Flor, my stepmom. You see, when my Mom died in 2000, my Dad and I became really close; we shared a relationship that was just more than that between a father and his son; we became friends, but perhaps more importantly, we treated each others as adults. I guess that was really the turning point in our relationship; that I was no longer a child in his eyes, but a man. Of course, having Dana and Dylan refer to Robin Williams' Teddy Roosevelt in Night at the Museum and a moustachioed and bespectacled Mr. Potato Head as 'Lolo Angel' makes me miss him even more since my kids - his grandchildren - would never know just how much a kind, loving and funny man their grandfather was.

On the job front, although I loved what I was doing for my clients, Personal Friday, and perhaps most importantly, the client that I served with exclusively for almost a year, Pandemic Labs, the company I was connected with - Open Access Marketing (OAM) - quickly lost its sheen to me. The Google-like atmosphere I dreamt the company would have turned out to be just that - a dream - as the senior executive management were quick to wash their hands off of their disgruntled employees and left it to the local senior management to deal with them. And to think that the one who facilitated my hiring and appraised my overall performance with the company that prompted them to regularize me as their very first Senior Writer didn't take the time to address my concerns or even just send a simple reply to any of my e-mails. Well, to be fair with them, their open-door policy was great since you could approach any one of them to air your concerns - just don't expect them to act on it or even give you a simple reply. To tell you the truth, talking to a concrete wall would've been better because at least you can hear your concerns being echoed back at you.

But what's even worse is OAM's local senior management. With them, everything is black and white, and I mean EVERYTHING. There are no greys to them, no middle ground; to them, it's either you did something wrong or not at all.

You see, OAM has an attendance policy that asks their employees to call in at least 2 hours before the start of their shift if they can't report for work for that day, supposedly for staffing purposes, so that they'll have enough time to find someone to cover for your absence and some other illogical excuse, particularly in my case since I was their ONE AND ONLY Senior Writer at that time. Well, in my particular case, I wasn't going to be absent, I was just going to be late, but still, I informed them 2 hours before my shift started that I was going to be late since Rachel, my wife, went out to fix something regarding her land's paperwork at the Manila City Hall. Again, knowing that the red tape in government offices could significantly delay her progress and leave me to take care of our kids for much longer than necessary, I informed them of my dilemma. My client had an assignment for me that needed my attention, so instead of calling in as absent for that day, I opted to still report for work, just so that I wouldn't leave my client hanging. So, problem solved - or so I thought.

As it was, I thought incorrectly. I came in 17 minutes late, but then, since I informed them ahead of time that I'll be late, thus following the company-set policy to the T, I thought that I was safe from any repercussion. But lo and behold, the following day, I get served with a 5-day suspension notice, saying that I violated the company's policy of coming in late "for a total of 15 minutes or 3 times, whichever comes first." I sent an e-mail to OAM's senior executive management asking for some reconsideration since I couldn't very well leave my kids alone at home just so I can make it to work on time but I didn't get a single reply from any one of them. As for OAM's local senior management, they wouldn't even hear me out, saying that no concession could be made and that they're just following company policy.

Now, if I came in because it was of my own doing, like if it's because I got up late or I took my own sweet time to go to work, then I would've readily signed the suspension notice. As it is, since I did tell them ahead of time that I'd be late, only to be figuratively slapped in the face by being served with that suspension, that was the straw that broke the camel's back, so to speak. The way I see it, I would've been better off calling in as absent for that day. Since I'm hardly ever absent, that would've made me safe from their oh-so-strict, black-and-white policies. Now that really demoralized me to the point that I started job hunting again, knowing that I'll be leaving behind a good paycheck and some good people I call as friends since my days in PeopleSupport. After all, if I came in late again, and since OAM's local senior management are such sticklers to the black-and-white company policies, the next step - again according to the black-and-white company policy - was that I was going to be terminated. So when a good job opportunity came knocking just as I was looking for a new one, I didn't hesitate. I did the usual interviews, and thanks to my having worked with them on a freelance basis before, I got the position. Of course, I told the company that was hiring me that I had to give my then-current employer my two-weeks' notice which they (the company that was hiring me) were cool with. So the very next instance that I came in late, I came in armed with the two-weeks notice of my resignation. And honestly, it felt good doing that; sort of like beating them to the gun and sticking it to them when they least expected it.

And so, with my resignation taking effect yesterday, that makes today my first day of being in-between jobs literally since I'm now effectively resigned from OAM while I still have to facilitate some paperwork needed by the company I'm moving to. Like I said in the social media sites I'm a part of, leaving OAM is a bittersweet feeling. It's sweet because I'm free from OAM's oppressive shackles of misguided authority yet I'm bitter because the company's executive management and local senior management teams' minds are too closed to what I'm doing for them, how my clients - their clients - only had good words to say about what I've done for them, and yet, as anal-retentive as they are to their black-and-white policies, they would rather suspend me and leave the clients hanging for 5 days rather than just look in the grey area - if there is one - in their precious company policies and look the other way instead.

And that's also another thing that got my goat in OAM - they're rolling out and enforcing their new policies but yet they still have to inform OAM's employees what exactly are the new policies. Essentially, what they're doing is putting up a new set of rules and yet they're leaving their employees blind because they, the employees, have no idea what rules are being followed now. And that's no joke because I've asked some of the local senior management people and to their knowledge, the old policies are the ones still being used. But when you ask OAM's administrative department, they'll give you a different answer, that it's the new, still-unknown-to-the-rank-and-file-employees policies that are being used - SERIOUSLY. It's like OAM's is taking the whole "ignorance of the law is no excuse" precept to a whole new level. And if you ask me, although I'm no legal expert, while that may be acceptable as a general law of the streets, in a corporate setting, that's just downright illegal, and I mean against-the-Labor-Code-somebody-better-get-in-touch-with-the-National-Labor-Relations-Commission illegal.

So, what's in store for me outside of OAM? Well, I'll let you know once I start my first day at work with the company I'm moving to. But let me just say this - it certainly feels like I've reached the 'Summit' of things as I help the company I'm moving to by contributing my experience in writing exclusively for the web to the new 'Digital' arena the company is eager to start on. And with the way things are going, I'll certainly strive to reach the 'Top' of my field, bringing with me my experience along with all the things and other 'Gear' I've learned.

Oh, and after 5 years of not having gone inside a movie house since the last film I saw was the premiere showing of Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King when Rachel was still pregnant with Dana, I finally saw a movie again courtesy of Azrael Coladilla's Pop Machine Media bloggers' group. Catch my review of Jim Carrey's Yes Man here.

Stay tuned for more developments soon...

The solution to life's problem lies with just three words...

2009-01-14T01:23:00.020+08:00

...Say 'Yes' More!

Or at least, that's the premise in Jim Carrey's latest feature, Yes Man.

Based on a true story and a 2005 book called The Yes Man by British humorist Danny Wallace, the movie follows the story of Carl Allen (Jim Carrey), a recalcitrant junior loan approval officer in a bank who's perfectly content to vegetate on his couch in front of the TV watching rented DVD movies as he conveniently dodges one social engagement after another. But, as luck would have it, he bumps into Nick, a former colleague whose newfound spontaneity and impetuous zest for life prompts Carl to check out a life-affirming motivational seminar called 'Yes!' that turned Nick into who he is now.

Shortly after meeting the overly zealous motivational 'Yes' guru, Terrence Bundley (Terrence Stamp), Carl makes a covenant with him to live his life fully by saying 'Yes' to anything and everything. And soon enough, once Carl embraces the 'Yes!' philosophy completely, bigger and better things start happening to his life; he gets his long-awaited promotion, he meets Allison (Zooey Deschanel), a girl whose free spirited ways (minus the 'Yes' programming, of course) he becomes attracted to, and he even takes up flying lessons, guitar lessons, and even learns to speak Korean. But after Allison discovers Carl's 'Yes' covenant to answer 'Yes!' to any and every opportunity, request, or invitation that presents itself to him, she doubts if he was even committed to her in the first place, prompting Carl to rethink if saying 'Yes' to everything really is as life-affirming as he has come to believe.

As part of Azrael Coladilla's Pop Machine Media bloggers group, I was lucky enough to score an invite to Warner Bros. press screening for the aforementioned movie. I've been a big fan of Jim Carrey since his 'In Living Color' days so, even though he's had some big misses lately (The Majestic, The Number 23, anyone?), his number of hits and his sheer comedy genius still has me rooting for him. Now, the question is; does he still have the swing to knock this one out of box-office ball park?

Yes? No?

Maybe is more like it, really.

When I first heard that Jim Carrey was doing a movie where he feels the need to say 'Yes' to everything that's thrown his way, I immediately thought, 'Wait a minute? Doesn't that just sound like Liar Liar's premise where he has to tell the truth every single time?'

Still, with an open mind, I watched the movie to see how it fares with the rest of Jim's vast body of work. As it turns out, I was wrong, but only because Yes Man turned out to be an amalgam of some of Jim's top-grossing hits like Liar Liar and Bruce Almighty, but with a dash of Jack Black's Shallow Hal thrown in.

If Robert Kosberg, Hollywood's king of pitch, delivered it like that to Warner Bros. top honchos, then, yeah, the movie sure sounds promising and looks like a surefire winner if Jim Carrey signs up. But as always, any plan that's executed poorly, or at best, in utter mediocrity, is bound to fail.

It's fairly easy to see where the Liar Liar (man commited to do something even if he doesn't like it) and Shallow Hal (motivational guru 'brainwashing' man to override his impulse reaction) bits in the movie are, but as much as the movie tried to grasp the heart that Bruce Almighty had, it ultimately failed. Considering Peyton Reed's limited body of work (Bring It On, The Break-Up), I can only say that maybe he simply didn't have the chops to make it work. But if Jim's frequent collaborator, Tom Shadyac, helmed this one, or maybe even Dennis Dugan, Adam Sandler's favorite director, the movie would've resonated more with the audience.

Jim Carrey's physical brand of comedy was present, as always, and though some bordered on toilet humor, to a Jim Carrey fan like myself, it never fails to elicit a laugh from me. But I do admit, a few of the comedy spots he did was getting old, to say the least. I dunno, it may be just me but I really think he's turning into Generation X's Jerry Lewis - once absurdly funny, but as time passed by, his comedy routines became, well, routine and stale.

Zooey Deschanel was lovely, as always, with the role of a free-spirirted musician fitting her to a T. Unfortunately, her character wasn't well developed as the audience only saw a fleeting glimpse of what Allison, her character, was truly like. What's more, there was hardly even any chemistry between her and Jim Carrey, so much so that in the very few romantic scenes that they had, everything seemed awfully forced.

All in all, if you're a Jim Carrey fan, I'd recommend you see the movie. His classic Jim Carrey routines are all here for your enjoyment, with one of my particular favorites being the scene where he talks down Luis Guzman from jumping off of a building by singing Third Eye Blind's Jumper.

But if you're looking for more heart, more depth to the story, I suggest you just wait for the DVD release. For such a promising premise, Yes Man fails to deliver all the goodies. In the hands of the right director, the chemistry between Jim Carrey and Zooey Deschanel might've been ignited even further compared to the lukewarm sensation both of them projected onscreen as a couple, with the ending having the said heart and depth the movie lacked for almost the entire 1 1/2 hour screening time. Sadly, we're left to see a glimpse of Jim's naked buttocks to elicit a few more laughs before the credit starts rolling.

So for this Underachiever, Yes Man is a huge underachievement.

My Dad, Angel F. Tadeo III...

2009-01-02T17:57:00.049+08:00

To everyone who knows me offline, in real life (IRL), I've recently suffered a tremendous loss with the passing of my Dad - on New Year's Day, no less.

I've always been a Mama's boy, but ever since my Mom passed away in 2000, I became really close to my Dad. I guess my being the eldest in the family, not to mention my physical resemblance to him, contributed to that because that's when we really got to talk a lot. Before, he'd confide everything to my Mom first, but with her passing, I became his closest confidante.

Whenever he had a problem with whatever it was that was bothering him, I was the one he often talked to. When my Dad, my brother Stevie and my sister Dimples still used to live in an apartment in Industrial Valley in Marikina, together with Rachel, my fiancée, a then-infant Dana and I tried to spend our weekends with them just so Dad could bond with his first grandchild. And bond they did that whenever my Dad visited us in our house in Manila, one of the highlights for Dana was to go out to the neighborhood sari-sari store with her grandfather to buy sweets for her. Truth be told, just the effort alone that my Dad took the time to visit us at home, to walk to the jeepney terminal near their house to take him to the LRT II station in Santolan and then take another jeep to our house, that meant a lot to us already. He also doted on Dylan a lot, saying how much his grandson resembled him, down to the shape of their heads. Hahahaha...

Now, for some reason, probably since when we were young and since my Mom and Dad were career-minded individuals then that we only got to see them after they came home from work, we never really became a touchy-feely family. But our conversations were pretty open, though you had to be prepared for the usual, "I'm older than you so I know better," argument from them which only means it's no use to argue your point because their minds have already been made up. Still, when my Dad migrated to America to join my stepmom, Tita Flor, I gave him a really big hug - something that, to my recollection, I haven't done ever. If I had known that that was the last time I would see him, I probably wouldn't have let him go and begged him to stay. Dana and Dylan were getting fond of him as I'm sure he was of them too, but his desire to help out - and with his idea of America being the land of milk and honey - prompted him to migrate to the US, even if he knew that his immediate family would be left behind in the Philippines.

Alas, just like every Filipino who dreams that America is the land of milk and honey, my Dad soon found out that that idea is something that's only fostered by the American media as he had to look for a company that would employ someone of his age. So from being a vice-president of a local bank in the Philippines in the early '80s, my dad found himself working in the stockroom of a Home Depot while at the same time working as a security guard, and even recently, taking on a third job as a parking attendant - proof that what America really is, is a land of blood, tears and sweat.

But in fairness to the good ol' USA, at least their companies don't discriminate against elderly people who still want to work. But come to think about it, their usual line, "we don't have a position available for someone with your qualifications but we'll call you once an opening's available," definitely sounds like a blow-off, given a law that American companies can't discriminate against the age of their applicants, that's why they'd rather give them a false glimmer of hope with no real intention of getting back to them instead of outright turning them down.

But enough of the hardship - both physical and mental - that my Dad had to go through in America. This eulogy of sorts is to celebrate my father's life, not dwell on his troubles because, let's face it, I wouldn't be the man I am now if it weren't for his influence and guidance.

Like my Dad, I'm capable of appreciating all kinds of music. Sometimes, my Dad would listen to Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and The Platters, but more often that not, he'd listen to Elvis Presley and The Beatles and, on rare occasions, to Led Zeppelin. There were even times that, during the long drives to and from Tarlac many, many times, we'd listen to America for the entire trip. So, yes, I grew up listening to standards, R&B, folk, rock and hard rock, which greatly influenced the kinds of music I listen to today. I owe all that to my Dad.

My father is also a generous man to a fault,. When my brother and I were still kids and we were still financially well-off (this was before Ninoy's assassination plummeted the country's economy) it became a weekend habit for my Dad to buy each one of us a toy, so much so that on the rare occasion we didn't find anything interesting in stock, he'd force us to buy one which lead to us having some rarely-touched toys because, well, we didn't really like it in the first place; we just picked it so he'd stop bugging us. Hahahaha...

My father's generosity was also taken advantage of by some people who would borrow money from him but, in the end, just renege on that promise and act as if they did my father a favor by borrowing from him. Or, like when the sugar mills in Iloilo, where my Dad and his brothers and sisters had some shares in were sold to Universal Robina, his brothers and sisters kept bugging my Dad to sign some documents so that they could liquidate his shares on his behalf to close the deal. My Dad knew his share in the sale should have been much, much more than the pittance he received later on but he never complained, even if they never gave him a copy of the documents breaking down his share of the sale after they bugged him everyday to sign his documents. Really, the gall of these people who always took advantage of my Dad's kindness. And before I forget, when the Philippines' economy collapsed after Ninoy's assassination, my Dad, who was then the vice-president of an up-and-coming finance company in the early '80s, took the fall as the company's president ran away with the company's money to America. And what happened when my Dad got in touch with the said company's president after he (my Dad) migrated to America? They became friends again, as if the hardship that my Dad - and us - went through were nothing. Yes, that was how magnanimous my Dad was.

In some way, I also became generous to a fault like my Dad, although admittedly, I'm less trusting of people because of what we've been through. Still, as long as I have enough money to get home, I'd be willing to part with whatever money I have just to help a friend. And that, I learned, from my Dad, who always was ready to lend a helping hand - and money - to his friends who needed it.

Dad was also a voracious reader. Our two humongous bookcases were packed with his paperback novels, hardbound books published by Reader's Digest, issues of National Geographic and, for a time, his Popular Mechanics subscription. On the long summer breaks in between school years in Ateneo - and this was the time before cable TV and Clark Air Base's FEN was the channel to have to show that you were affluent enough - to keep me from getting bored in our home in a then-desolate Better Living Subdivision, reading those magazines was a godsend, which, in a way, prompted my love for cars and motorsports.

And, I'm proud to say, that I also influenced Dad when it comes to his choice of reading material, because, although I may not have been a fan of his sci-fi and fantasy paperback novels, I did turn Dad on to technothriller novels because, after I bought a paperback copy of Tom Clancy's The Hunt for Red October and procured paperback copies of Patriot Games and A Clear and Present Danger from a friend, and after he read all three books, he started buying a lot of paperback novels of that genre, like the works of Dale Brown and Stephen Coonts. I swear, Booksale owes a tremendous amount of their success to my Dad.

Dad also loved to eat out a lot, particularly when we had the money for it. I'd remember trips to Ali Mall and SM Cubao's food court every weekend where we'd usually have either KFC or Greenwich, or on the rare occasion, Sizzling Plate which is probably what made me into the steak-crazed person that I am today. Sometimes, we'd even have lunch at Rustan's Yum Yum Tree or in the old Choo Choo Junction which is also what probably got me started on pasta. But the one place that I'll always hold dear and that I'll always identify with my Dad since he loved eating there every weekend after we moved to Parañaque was what he called 'Fishpen.' I don't know if that's really the name of the place or if it's still standing; all I know is that it was located in Lower Bicutan and that it was situated right beside Laguna de Bay. I forgot what I usually had there but I do remember falling in love with their halayang ube for dessert which, again, is probably what got me addicted to ube in the first place. Truth is, I actually vowed to myself that, if that place is still around, I'd take my family there one day so that I can show my kids what my Dad showed to me - sort of like passing it down to the next generation.

Dad also loved to watch movies a lot. I have very fond memories of us spending the weekend watching a huge stack of VCR tapes we'd borrow from the many video rental shops we were a member of when I was a kid. Again, I got to experience Dad's love for both sci-fi and fantasy flicks and action-packed thrillers which, somehow, rubbed off on me because these are the very same movie genres I follow until now.

Now, my Dad also got me interested in admiring the female form in all its naked glory - or to be more candid about it, my Dad got me interested in porn, albeit indirectly. You know how, as a kid, you'd sometimes play hide-and-seek in your house with your sibling/s and you'd find yourself hiding in your dad's closet? Well, that was how I discovered my Dad's secret porn stash when I was only around 6 or 7 years old, I think. And from then on, there was no turning back. I became a porn connoisseur of sorts. Whenever my Mom and Dad weren't around, I'd take a quick peek at Dad's porno mags, and when I became old enough to operate the VCR player by myself, his collection of XXX tapes. So it's no surprise then that when I became old enough, I acquired my own collection of porno mags and videos. And thanks to the internet, my porn acquisitions became even more widespread and diverse. Hahahaha... Yes, I owe that to my Dad, although truth be told, I wasn't much of a breast man like my Dad; I'm more of a leg man, really.

So, yeah, I am the man I am today because of my Dad. He was the kindest, most generous person I have ever known. Alright, maybe my being his eldest son could be a very good reason why he was kind and generous to me, but from what I've seen, with how he interacted with family and friends, he truly was a kind and generous soul.

Well, my friends would beg to disagree, since they knew him as a harsh, stern man. But that was the time when I was still a "headstrong" teenager so that was a long, long time ago. And that's why I'll always treasure a text message my Dad sent me when I celebrated my 32nd birthday where he said that I've come a long way from being a strong-willed teenager to a responsible husband and father. Like I said, we weren't a touchy-feely family so to have received something like that from my Dad was truly heartwarming.

My Dad passed away without having any of his children by his side, without having his grandchildren by his side, telling him to wake up and play with them. It's so bittersweet that we were able to talk to him the day before he had a heart attack and went into a coma. He sounded more than fine over the phone, really. He was complaining about how cold it was in Sacramento, how he missed his grandchildren and how smart Dana sounded over the phone and how it was okay for Dylan to still speak in gibberish even if he's turning three years old this year. He even sounded pleased that he finally stopped smoking, but that was only after a previous hospital check-up said he already had emphysema, so his quitting smoking was a little too late, really.

So when we got the news the day after he called that he was rushed to the hospital because he suffered what we then didn't know was a heart attack, we were all shocked because we had no inkling that that was going to happen. And when I was told that he was in a coma, I already expected the worst. To me, it all happened so soon, so fast. I had just lost my Mom eight years ago to a stroke that put her in a coma for a week before she passed away by herself, and now it was my Dad who was now in the same situation, this time because of a heart attack. But this time, it was much, much harder for me and for my family.

When my Mom was in a coma, I'd sometimes brush her hair off of her face and tell her to wake up so we could go home. But after almost a week of watching her hooked up to all those machines to keep her alive with no improvement whatsoever, and after seeing what seemed to be a pained look on her face, I whispered in her ear, just in case she could hear me, that if she was having a hard time, it was okay for her to move on. And sure enough, I think a day or two after, she passed away on her own terms with my Dad and me by her side on a Monday morning.

But with my Dad, we weren't there to talk to him, to tell him to wake up, or if there was really no more hope for his recovery, to tell him to move on and that we were okay with that. So when the doctor told me over the phone that, after observing him for three days and seeing that there was no improvement on his condition, that the only thing we could do was unplug him from the life-support machines and let him die a peaceful death, I couldn't bring myself to agree wholeheartedly to the decision. After all, he was asking me to, in effect, kill my Dad. I just couldn't, EVER. But what else could I do? I was more than 10,000 kilometers away from my Dad. Sure, I could easily get the money to fly to America but I had no passport and I had no visa to get there.

So, on a cold, smoke-filled night in the living room just a few short hours into the New Year, when the doctor told me of Dad's prognosis as not looking very good, with the lack of brain activity and of his failing kidneys, I, together with my Tita Brenda, Dad's older sister who lives in San Diego, and Tita Flor, my stepmom, all agreed to have Dad unplugged from his life-support machines so that he could move on. And so, after I put down the phone, I spent a good 30 minutes or so crying beside it. I had just told the doctor to go ahead and let my Dad die, a few hours into the New Year no less. Did I do the right thing? Would my Dad be pleased that I had given up on him? Those are just some of the questions that'll haunt me for the rest of my life.

Oh, and you know the irony of it all? Together with Tita Flor, my stepmom, my Dad was supposed to file his petition for us, my family, to become permanent residents in the US this January. Well, with his passing, my dream to move to America with my family to join my Dad is gone.

It's also painful for me that Rachel's mom, Mama Carmen, died just last February in San Diego in a tragic traffic accident. Mama Carmen was like a mom to me, particularly after my Mom died. She helped me get on my feet for a couple of months way, way back when my Dad threw me out of the house during the time when I was still a "headstrong" teenager. She knew what I liked a lot (Star Wars!) and every so often, she'd send me Star Wars stuff in the balikbayan boxes she regularly sent over from San Diego. So when we heard that Mama Carmen passed away, to me, it was like I lost my Mom all over again. And then, without even a whole calendar year going by, it was now my Dad who passed away. In less than a decade, I lost my Mom, Mama Carmen and my Dad. In less than a decade, I became an orphan.

I was expecting that, since I got to see my grandparents grow old and die peacefully, our kids would also see Rachel's Mama Carmen and my Dad grow old. But because of what happened, it looks like we can only tell Dana and Dylan stories about their Lola Becky, Lola Carmen and Lolo Angel.

And so, as much a cliché as it is, life goes on. And for now, I console myself with the knowledge that my Dad is now with my Mom, probably with Mom telling him that he proved her right, that he should've stopped smoking so many years ago, and the very moment my Mom turns away, off my Dad goes smoking a cigarette with Mama Carmen. Hahahaha...

My second GearPatrol.com article...

2008-12-24T03:51:00.003+08:00

...featuring Sony's ultra-compact HD camcorder, the HDR-TG1.

I miss blogging...

2008-12-16T16:22:00.002+08:00

I really do. Blogging became an outlet for me - an outlet where I could share my thoughts and passions and basically just rant and rave about the things I either love or detest the most.

Unfortunately, blogging had to take a back seat with the change in pace with my work. Ever since my shift was changed temporarily and our company moved from Makati to Ortigas, my company - or my client, to be more exact - has given me a bigger workload these past couple of months. Not that I'm complaining, though, since I always learn something new whenever I've got a new project from them.

But still, I miss talking about music, food, cars, F1, girls, sex, tech stuff and a lot of other things that excite me. And as much as I wanna blog during the weekend, that's the only time I have for myself and for my family so scratch that thought.

I know the company I work for is looking for more writers so that should be a huge load off my back once they do hire some. But the thing is, the talent pool for capable writers are really slim. And honestly, I think I'd like to take on a more management-oriented role in the company other than just being a paid hack because, seriously, the number of articles I've written and had published both online and in traditional print media ought to open more doors for me, not to mention the fact that I've taken on a management -oriented role for close to a year in one of my previous jobs.

That's about it. And hopefully, this "rant" of mine would be the jump-off point to my return to the local blogosphere.

My first GearPatrol.com article...

2008-12-04T13:13:00.002+08:00

Like I mentioned a couple of blog posts back, I was recently signed up by GearPatrol.com to be one of their contributors.

So without further ado, I give you my very first GearPatrol.com article...

Good news, I think...

2008-11-18T18:33:00.004+08:00

I'm back on the dayshift, although the actual time has changed since I'll be reporting for work AT NOON instead of the usual morning shift. And I gotta tell you, commuting in midday traffic is HELL!

Still, I'm pretty happy to be back working during the daytime as opposed to working the graveyard shift. I'm wide awake AND I can do a lot more since there's less distraction around me so expect me to be posting my regular blog updates within a couple of weeks. After all, I've got a lot of geeky and manly stuff to talk about.

But first, I have to finish the latest F1 primer I'm doing for Top Gear Philippines which should be published in the March 2009 issue.

My apologies to my "many" readers...

2008-11-09T08:55:00.004+08:00

...for the lack of updates for the past few days.

Unfortunately, work has gotten in the way of my blogging activities since my shift was changed with nary a warning, from the regular dayshift to the godforsaken graveyard shift I've managed to avoid for the past year and a half.

Supposedly, this is only going to be a temporary thing as our office makes the transition from leaving our Makati office to working in our new Ortigas office permanently, so hopefully, I'll be back to my regular everyday posting self within the next couple of weeks.

And before I forget, I was just accepted by Gear Patrol as one of their newest (and, as far as I know, the ONLY Philippine AND Asian-based) contributors so hopefully, that'll open up more doors for me.

Taco Bell is giving away free tacos!!!

2008-10-28T09:01:00.006+08:00

It's all part of their "Steal a Base, Steal a Taco" 2008 World Series promotion!

Too bad the offer's only good in the USA.

Dr Pepper makes good on its Guns N' Roses offer.

2008-10-27T10:50:00.008+08:00

A few weeks ago, I blogged about Dr Pepper promising to give everyone in America (except for ex-GN'R guitarists Slash and Buckethead) a free can of Dr Pepper if GN'R's long-delayed and much-awaited (depending on who you ask) album, Chinese Democracy, will be released ANYTIME in 2008.

And since Geffen Records announced just last week that the album will indeed be released in November 23, Dr Pepper is bent on keeping its promise by asking everyone to go to their site on that date and register to receive a coupon that can be redeemed for a 20-oz. Dr Pepper wherever the drink is available.

There is a catch, though: the coupon is only available for 24 hours with the ETA for the coupon to be delivered through mail after you register would be from four to six weeks and the redemption of the free soda only until February 28.

Considering the album's been 14-15 years in the making, waiting that long to headbang to the album while you're drinking your free Dr Pepper ain't so bad then, is it?

It's official! 'Chinese Democracy' will be released on Nov.23!

2008-10-23T11:33:00.009+08:00

It's been a long time coming, but finally, after my last blog post where studio insiders tipped Billboard.com that Guns N' Roses' new album, Chinese Democracy, will be released on November 23, Geffen Records has finally confirmed it, that the album will indeed be released on that day and will be available on CD and vinyl (accompanied by a free digital download of the tracks) as well as a separate digital album at Best Buy and BestBuy.com.

As a matter of fact, the first single, the title track "Chinese Democracy," was released earlier today and the response on radio has been mixed, running the gamut from people saying that it's "really good" and that it "could've easily been in 'Use Your Illusion'" to people expressing their disappointment by saying they "waited 15 years (or however long) for that?"

What's my take on it? IT ROCKS!!! Sure, the sound is too polished, evidence of Axl's non-stop tinkering of the album, and the guitar lacks Slash's meaty, gritty riffs, but the tune is enough to make you want to stomp your foot and bob - or even headbang - your head to the rhythm. And I agree, the song could've easily been in Use Your Illusion II if it weren't for the distinct absence of Slash's guitar work.

But hey, why believe me when you can listen to it for yourself here:

Guns N' Roses - Chinese Democracy

As for the some of the other songs that I've heard online (yes, isn't P2P file-sharing great!), Chinese Democracy could've just as easily been called Use Your Illusion III. So all in all, I'm still sitting on the fence on this one.

GN'R's 'Chinese Democracy' gets a release date. REALLY?!

2008-10-13T15:32:00.006+08:00

According to Billboard.com, sources close to the situation have confirmed that the long-awaited album (that may or may not be an understatement, depending on who you ask) will finally see the light of day, and that's November 23, a couple of days earlier than the previously touted release date.

Yeah, right. I'll believe it when I see it.

Still, as a run-up to the release date, the album track "Shackler's Revenge" will debut in the video game Rock Band 2 while a portion of another album track, "If The World" can be heard over the end credits in the new Leonardo DiCaprio/Russell Crowe film, Body of Lies.

And while I'm still apathetic over Chinese Democracy, the really good news for me is that GN'R's seminal debut, Appetite for Destruction, will be re-issued on vinyl on October 28! AWESOME!!!

And supposedly, the ORIGINAL cover art that was never used due to its sexually explicit nature will be the one used for the re-issued vinyl. SUPER AWESOME!!!

Superman's Crib has been Saved!

2008-10-10T06:24:00.003+08:00

A few weeks ago, I blogged about how fans have helped raise more than $50,000 to help save the house where Jerry Siegel, the writer who helped create Superman along with Joe Shuster, grew and came up with the idea for Superman.

The fans helped by buying some items from the Siegel and Shuster Society, but most importantly, by bidding on a treasure trove of items on auction on eBay that ended on September 30. Among the items sold on the last week of the auction were a Jason Palmer painting that featured all the actors who have played the Man of Steel on both TV and film, full color copies of the shooting script for the "The Donner Versions" of Superman: The Movie and Superman II, complete with writer Tom Mankiewicz's notes, and signed by both Mankiewicz and director Richard Donner, there's also the Superman IV: The Quest for Peace t-shirt signed by Jerry Siegel himself (which really polarizes me, Superman's creator's signature on the crappiest Superman film ever made) and then there's the walk-on part for the TV series, Heroes, which closed at a whopping $14,100 - the second-highest price during the entire auction, with the highest price being set by the Jim Lee drawing of Superman posing with the winner which went for a dollar more. I said before that that was going to be the sweetest prize in the entire auction and, well, I was right. SWEEEETTT!!!

All in all, the auction raised $111,047. Initially, the plan was just to replace the leaky roof and repair and repaint the the wood-sided exterior of the house at a cost of $50,000. So with the extra money raised, the interior can now also be repaired with the leftover money to be saved for future repair and maintenance.

Finally, on the last week of September, more than a hundred volunteers showed up at 10622 Kimberly Avenue in the Glenville neighborhood in Cleveland, Ohio to help fix, clean up and re-paint not only Jerry Siegel's old house but the other houses on the block as well. Come spring, all the hard work will pay off when hundreds of red, blue and yellow flowers will bloom in front of the houses.

And soon, as further homage to Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster's contribution to pop culture, Kimberly Avenue will be renamed 'Jerry Siegel Lane' while Amor Avenue, where Shuster grew up, will be renamed 'Joe Shuster Lane.'

All in all, the auction raised $111,047. Initially, the plan was just to replace the leaky roof and repair and repaint the the wood-sided exterior of the house at a cost of $50,000. So with the extra money raised, the interior can now also be repaired with the leftover money to be saved for future repair and maintenance.

So yes, ordinary people, and not just superheroes, DO change the world.

It's Porn...for Geeks!!!

2008-10-09T18:01:00.006+08:00

For the people who love everything about porn - except the sex - cums, I mean, comes James Gunn's PG Porn.

It's a hilarious take on porn movies, complete with cheesy dialogue, bad sets and even badder acting, with mainstream Hollywood actors teaming up with some of America's most popular pornstars in a non-sexual porn film! Really awesome stuff!

While I know some of James Gunn's work, like Slither, The Specials and the two live-action Scooby-Doo movies, I'm more intimately familiar with the works of the porn actresses that are slated to appear in PG Porn. Actresses like Aria Giovanni, Sasha Grey and Belladonna and their vast body of work, with titles like Naked Diva, Massive Facials and Defend Our Porn.

Anyway, in the first installment of PG Porn, we have mainstream Hollywood actor Natahan Fillion playing the handyman to pornstar Aria Giovanni's lonely, sexually unsatisfied housewife in a scene called Nailing Your Wife.

Nailing Your Wife

Damn, he really does nail her good!

M. Night Shymalan's 'Unbreakable 2'?

2008-10-08T16:34:00.003+08:00

I'm not a big fan of M. Night Shyamalan, most especially of his more recent works like The Happening, The Village and the forgettable Lady in the Water. However, his earlier works like The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable really captivated me, particularly the latter since I'm a big comic books fan and collector who unfortunately doesn't have the time nor the money to indulge in this once-life-changing hobby of mine as much as I want. Signs was good too, but the whole water-is-deadly-to-the-aliens schtick ruined it for me. After all, water is supposed to be essential for the survival of all forms of life. But I digress...

So when I read the news that M. Night Shyamalan's interested to do a sequel to Unbreakable, I was stoked. If you forget the caption at the end of the film telling how Bruce Willis' David Dunn led the police to apprehend Samuel L. Jackson's Elijah Prince as the mastermind behind the villainous acts - both the depicted ones and the ones that're only implied at - on the film, it was pretty much an ambiguous ending that should've stayed that way. And even if you take into account the caption that Elijah Prince was committed to an institution for the criminally insane, there's always the possibility that he could escape. Hell, how many times has Batman's enemies escaped from Arkham Asylum?

So yeah, considering that the TV series, Heroes, has a large cult following, I do hope Shyamalan does push through with Unbreakable 2 because that's his target market right there. That plus the poor misguided fools who'll watch it because they think all of Shyamalan's films are dark and creepy.

I just hope he doesn't screw it up this time or give in to the studio's demands to market it like a spooky thriller like The Sixth Sense when it clearly is not.

Are you ready for some 'Chinese Democracy'?

2008-10-02T11:32:00.012+08:00

I'm sure everyone has heard of this "upcoming" Guns N' Roses album. You know, the one's that been in the making for 14 long years and has cost a reported $13 million to produce? Those figures alone make it really understandable then why GN'R is so protective of their songs being leaked on the 'net. I would be, too, if the album I made cost that much. I have to make a quick ROI after all!

Anyway, the word is out that American retailer, Best Buy, snagged the exclusive rights to sell the more-than-a-decade-in-the-making album, thanks to the band's new management deal with Irving Azoff's Front Line Management, the architect behind the Eagles' Long Road out of Eden album which was released exclusively through Wal-Mart on the first year of its initial release. That album took six years to produce and sold 3.1 million copies in the United States alone, so Chinese Democracy is in good hands of someone who has been there and has done that.

Although some of the details of the deal are still being worked out, the particular kicker is this: the release date hasn't been set although sources familiar with the deal said it's before year's end, with November 25 being tossed around as the likeliest date.

Yeah, right...

Still, if the sources are right about the release date, that could put Dr Pepper in a really, REALLY tight bind since they did promise to give everyone in America (except for Slash and Buckethead) a free can of Dr Pepper if Chinese Democracy is released some time - ANYTIME! - in 2008.

I never liked Dr Pepper much and I've always been partial to Coke so I couldn't care less if, after the recent financial crisis in Wall Street, there would be a soda crisis if Dr Pepper can't fulfill the promised they made to the people.

Me, I just wanna hear Axl rock!!! If he still has it, that is...

"So faaaaar away... the album's so faaaaaar awaaaaay..."

This Underachiever's Hellboy II: The Golden Army Review...

2008-09-24T22:35:00.005+08:00

I liked the first movie. Or better yet, I LOVED the first movie. So my hopes were really up there when I heard that Guillermo del Toro was going to come up with a sequel. I liked what he did in Blade II and, like I just said, I loved his work in Hellboy so, yeah, I would've killed for Hellboy II: The Golden Army.

Sadly, I'd sooner kick a stray dog than kill for Hellboy II. Yes, I was THAT disappointed since ...The Golden Army looked more like tarnished silver.

The movie started out with a scene from Hellboy's youth, with his adoptive father, Prof. Broom (played by John Hurt once more), telling him a story about elves and men and the Elf King's unstoppable golden army of clockwork soldiers that numbered "70 times 70" soldiers. I liked that part. Very Old Testament-like.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, the movie cuts to the present where the elf's son wants to control the golden army so that his people would finally rule over man. Yes, Prince Nuada has a very, very big chip on his shoulder to carry around that kind of anger for hundreds of years. As for Hellboy, tired of having to hide and have his existence kept secret all these years while working for the government, he decides it's finally time to reveal himself to the world with a bang - literally - by crashing through a window, landing on a car's roof crushing it flat, and shooting a tooth fairy in front of a hundred people. Yes, a tooth fairy - a savage yet tiny creature that feasts on calcium.

The movie could've ended right there and I would've been happy but NOOOOO...we get scenes of Hellboy and Liz Sherman fighting like old, married couples and heck, we even see Abe Sapien falling in love with Princess Nuala, Prince Nuada's sister.

Now, the Abe/Nuala love angle was nice since it showed a more "human" side to Abe but the Hellboy/Liz angle looked too forced. For some reason, it lacked the intensity that they had in the first movie when they were still unsure of each other. Well, when you think about it, it does resemble how a couple's relationship works in real life - all hot and heavy when you're just starting out and then all cold and boring once she tries to control your life while you still feel like living a bachelor's life. Oh, and the sex gets less and less too.

All in all, it's like Guillermo was on autopilot throughout the movie. Yes, it had his touches like the great character design and the attention to detail. But as serious as the first movie's tone was, the sequel seemed like a step back because of its more light-hearted, campy nature.

Ron Perlman was, like in the first movie, perfect as Hellboy. I can't imagine anyone else holding a candle to his angry yet nonchalant depiction of the title character. Although I have to say, he looked much smaller this time around when compared to the first movie.

The addition of German psychic Johann Krauss (as voiced by Seth MacFarlane) was great even if he was hardly used in the movie. But then again, when the character you're playing is ectoplasmic in nature, I suppose there's very little you can do without the help of CGI. In any case, his cool and professional demeanor provided the perfect foil for Hellboy's hit-now-ask-questions-later philosophy as well as Abe's intelligent yet naive manner.

Selma Blair was also underused in her role as Liz Sherman. Truth be told, she even provided more fire - both literally and figuratively - in the first movie as compared to the sequel. Also, at the end of the movie, I just wanted to ask; "Couldn't she just have melted those 70 times 70 golden soldiers instead and save Hellboy the trouble of having to duke it out with Prince Nuada?" But that's just me...

And speaking of Prince Nuada, who was also underused in the movie, he was nevertheless just as great although you do get the feeling that they could've done more with the character! He could've provided a more formidable challenge to Hellboy if the movie didn't delve too much into the character developments of Hellboy and his crew. So it's just sad that, somehow, even Rasputin in the first movie got more screen time than Prince Nuada. Rasputin hardly did anything except use his magic powers whereas Prince Nuada kicked ass! Hell, even Hellboy got pwned in their first fight scene in the BPRD!

Still, as unfocused as the entire movie was, I have to give Guillermo del Toro mad props for his vision. With the designs of the out-of-this-world characters in the movie, it sometimes seemed like I was watching the sequel to Pan's Labyrinth, particularly with how the Elf King's chamberlain and the Angel of Death looked like.

Incidentally, the actor behind both characters is Doug Jones, who's looking like he's del Toro's lucky charm since, other than playing the two characters I previously mentioned, he also plays Abe Sapien for both Hellboy movies as well as the Faun and the Pale Man in Pan's Labyrinth.

Also making a comeback to a del Toro feature is Luke Goss as Prince Nuada who also played the main antagonist, Jared Nomak, in Blade II. And FYI: to those who're 30+ years old like me, if his name sounds familiar, Luke Goss, along with his twin brother, Matt, formed the British boy band Bros in the late '80s.

So if you're a Hellboy fanboy or if you loved the first movie, I suggest you pass up the sequel or just wait for it on DVD so that you'll feel less ripped off. But if your sense of humor is shallow, then I say, go ahead. It's worth a couple of laughs, after all. So for this Underachiever, Hellboy II: The Golden Army is a big underachievement.

Ordinary people DO change the world...

2008-09-20T15:56:00.002+08:00

A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about an auction that was mounted to help save the house where Jerry Siegel, the writer who, as a teenager, first dreamt up of Superman in the very same house, grew up in.

The Siegel and Shuster Society, the organization behind the whole effort, targeted $50,000 for the exterior repairs to Jerry Siegel's home. And after the second week's auction haul of $18,996, the organization has already raised $53,455, clearly surpassing their target. So yes, ordinary people DO change the world.

As mentioned in my previous blog post, the auction will run for the whole September. And to say that the items being auctioned are good is an understatement. After all, there's an original Superman artwork from Tim Sale, the man behind Isaac Mendez' painting on the Heroes TV series. There's also a copy of the original Superman: The Movie script prior to Mario Puzo's re-write that's signed by the movie's director, Richard Donner. And then there's what could be this week's prize catch: a limited edition Superman artwork of Alex Ross that's a huge 36" x 24" Giclee print on canvas.

Now, although most (read: ALL) of the items are beyond what my meager salary can afford, the Siegel and Shuster Society are also selling some items that will help continue the funding to the house's repairs once the auction wraps up - and THOSE items I'm sure we can afford.

In some small way, Superman has touched everyone's lives, whether it was the fascination of seeing him portrayed on screen by the late Christopher Reeve or simply just the joy of seeing kids run around in a department-store bought Superman costume. So, I say we pay it forward by doing our share to help save Superman's house from neglect.

Behind the glasses of H.R.G...

2008-09-19T14:14:00.006+08:00

...and if you're a real geek, there's no need to tell you what H.R.G. stands for. But for the uninitiated, H.R.G. is an abbreviation for Horn Rimmed Glasses. And if you're still totally lost, H.R.G. was how Mr. Bennet, Claire Bennet's adoptive father, was initially known until we found out his first name was Noah in the first season finale of Heroes.

He's been one of my favorite characters ever since because I could easily identify with his cold, calculating behavior one moment that could easily turn volatile in a blink of an eye. Or maybe that's just how I see myself...

In any case, it's great to find out that Jack Coleman, the actor who plays Mr. Bennet, has a blog since it lets us find out what working in Heroes is like from an actor's point of view. Now, if you're looking to find what's it like from a director's point of view, there's Beaming Beeman, the blog of Heroes director, Greg Beeman.

And if I may share a little tidbit about myself; when I was still working in the call center industry for what was then one of the top players, my phone name was Jack Cole. And while it sounds normal and very American, if you're a Filipino, you're bound to think of something very, very naughty.

I also thought of going by the name Tom Wood just in case Jack Cole got old fast but I never got tired of it so Jack Cole it was...

The Dark Knight (and Heath Ledger) just might get the Oscar, after all...

2008-09-12T14:27:00.005+08:00

...because if Warner Bros. can have it their way, they'll be re-releasing The Dark Knight back on IMAX screens come January next year.

"Why January," you say? Well, because that's the peak of the Academy Awards voting season. Perfect timing, really, for a film that's been a huge commercial AND critical success.

And if you consider the fact that the DVDs will be coming out in December of this year, stoking the fires of the DVD buyers who'd like to watch it on the giant-screen soon after they see it in their home theater, as well as attracting those who missed out on the film's initial IMAX run, that certainly means more big bucks to be milked from what is already the second-highest-grossing-movie ever.

Also, if the film scores an Oscar nod or two (or maybe even more) and, if the Oscar gods favor it by letting The Dark Knight win one or two awards and maybe, just maybe, even letting Heath Ledger win a posthumous golden statue, then it's practically a given for the film to top $1 billion worldwide.

Now the question is, can even the Batman go up against Titanic's nigh-unsinkable $1.84 billion for box-office supermacy?

Metallica's soon-to-be-released album is already #1!

2008-09-11T13:10:00.013+08:00

Yes, the latest album called Death Magnetic is just going to be released officially this coming Friday but it's already the #1 most shared file on BitTorrent clients everywhere!

So do your share and download it now before it goes on sale to show your support for the band that killed the once-beloved Napster! And while we're at it, let's thank the French record store for mistakenly selling the album a week early, as well as the digital gods for bringing us LimeWire and BitTorrent and whatever P2P clients are being used right now to share such digital manna from digital heaven online for free!

"We've learned our lesson. We know now the money really isn't in album sales but in merchandising, that's why we also have a five-LP vinyl set as well as a lavish coffin-case box set that comes with a T-shirt, a bonus CD of demos, a DVD, a poster, a flag, guitar picks and a concert download!"

Ten good reasons a geek would want to watch Kevin Smith's new movie...

2008-09-09T11:47:00.005+08:00

It's a Kevin Smith movie! DUH!
It starts off in a 10th year high school reunion, the kind where everyone brags about what they've been doing after they graduated!
It's about PORN!
It's about a porn MOVIE!
It's about an AMATEUR porn movie!
Seth Rogen is in it!
Jason Mewes is in it! *Snootchie-Bootchies*
Elizabeth Banks is sexyfunny!
Traci Lords is in it!
"Star Whores"

The latest Kevin Smith comedy flick I can't wait to see...

2008-09-08T16:46:00.007+08:00

...I just hope the MTRCB doesn't make a big fuss about the movie having the word "Porno" in the title. Or that the tufts of hair at the bottom of the poster mean something else to the MTRCB other than...tufts of hair at the bottom of the poster.

Superman gave so much to the world, it's about time the world returned the favor.

2008-09-04T12:49:00.008+08:00

If the houses and garages where Google and Hewlett-Packard were saved, shouldn't the house where Superman was conceived be saved as well?

I just found out that the childhood home of Jerry Siegel, the writer who, along with artist Joe Shuster, created Superman, is in very, very bad shape and that writer Brad Meltzer has started the website Ordinary People Change the World with the hope to save this historic, pop culture landmark. And he plans to do this by recruiting an impressive team of writers, artists and Superman fans to pitch in and join the cause by contributing a sweet array of items for an auction to raise enough funds to rebuild the house.

The auction on eBay will run for the whole month of September with the items changing every week. For the first week alone, the items on auction are already impressive, with stuff like Neil Gaiman's first draft of his Waterstones Story Card, a drawing of YOU on the cover of an upcoming issue of Brian Michael Bendis' POWERS, a gorgeous 13x20 watercolor by Dan Brereton from issue #3 of the Legends of the World's Finest mini-series, and, to a Jim Lee fan like me, what would be the most priceless treasure in this treasure trove of amazing finds - a Jim Lee drawing of Superman with YOU. Let me say that again - a Jim Lee drawing of Superman with YOU. SWEEEEEETTT!!!

In the following weeks, we'll see a lot of different stuff on auction, like a walk-on role on Heroes, 2 VIP tickets to The Colbert Report, and, in my opinion, what could be the most polarizing item of all - Jerry Siegel's autograph on a Superman IV: The Quest for Peace t-shirt.

The autograph of Superman's father on the crappiest Superman film ever. Now that just breaks my heart...

"In a world where one man's voice ruled over all movie trailers..."

2008-09-03T12:12:00.014+08:00

...with his passing, who will take over his throne?

Ever since I was a kid, people told me I had a knack for voices, that I could probably make a living as a voice actor by imitating other characters' voices, particularly those in anime series and TV commercials. And I think if the opportunity presented itself and if I took an active stance into doing just that, I probably would've succeeded. And of course, like in any endeavor one aspires to succeed in, you always look up to a few individuals that you set as your role model, the bar that you need to surpass.

In the Philippines, I've always admired Joonee Gamboa's distinct voice. You always knew it was him, regardless if he was doing a public service commercial or acting out as a character. And the fact that he did the voice of the Dr. Smith in Voltes V really knocked the ball out of the park for me.

As for foreign voice talents, there's Michael Buffer and his trademarked "Let's get ready to rumble..." line, and then, of course, there's Don LaFontaine and his maybe-not-trademarked-but-still-world-famous "In a world..." phrase which you've probably heard in a lot of movie trailers.

So after hearing that "The Voice of God" passed away a couple of days ago, I felt genuinely sad. After all, for a movie buff like myself who's content to watch the trailers in a movie house while everyone else went about their business buying sodas and popcorn and whatnot from the concession stand or taking a whiz in the toilet, seeing a movie trailer and then hearing his "In a world..." phrase instantly meant a trailer worth watching is on screen. And he was so good, practically all the other voice actors who followed in his shoes employed the same signature style of a strong narrative approach coupled with a heavy melodramatic coloration of their voice works.

So again, in a world where one man's voice ruled over all movie trailers, with his passing, who will take over his throne?

The answer probably lies in this video which was produced as an introduction segment for the 26th Annual Hollywood Reporter Key Art Awards called 5 Men and a Limo, where Don is joined by four of his fellow voiceover actors; John Leader, Nick Tate, Mark Elliot, and Al Chalk. Now, can you guess what films these gentlemen did their voiceover works for? It should be easy since each voiceover actor parodied their own distinct styles.

I've seen this countless times and it never fails to bring a smile to my face every single time...

Don, in a world where the Voice of God came down from heaven and became a man, your passing has finally reunited the Voice with His Maker.

You will be missed.

chasingBOLT #8: Usain Bolt Olympic TV Commercials

2008-09-01T21:55:00.004+08:00

In Puma's eighth video for the chasingBOLT series, we see a montage of Puma's old "Stick, Stick, Stick" campaign commercials where, in some spots, we'll see a young, then-16-year-old Bolt being a natural ham for the camera as well as more proof why Jamaicans are naturally fast runners - their babies are born with their track shoes on already!

chasingBOLT #7: Why Are Jamaican Runners So Fast?

2008-09-01T09:55:00.002+08:00

Puma answers that question in the seventh chasingBOLT video by showing us what a typical high school track meet in Jamaica is like. With the number of people in attendance and with the festive atmosphere, you'd think it's the Game 7 of the NBA championship that you're seeing...

chasingBOLT #6: Can YOU Beat Usain Bolt?

2008-08-31T21:55:00.004+08:00

Puma let's you try and see if YOU can beat the World's Fastest Man, Usain Bolt, in the 100-meter sprint by running against him in an online game. This video, the sixth of Puma's chasingBOLT series, was released on August 14, 2008 and clearly, it shows Bolt playing and setting a time of 9.69 seconds. Who knew that just a couple of days after this video came online, he'll be setting the exact same time in the 100-m finals at the Olympic Games? Sounds like something from The Twilight Zone, I tell you...

I personally saw this video go from 12,000++ hits to over 400,000++ in just a week's time - absolute proof that, with the right packaging, the right talents, and just a bit of luck, viral marketing REALLY WORKS!

chasingBOLT #5: Usain Bolt and Paolo Nutini sing "One Love"

2008-08-31T09:55:00.004+08:00

For Puma's fifth video in their chasingBOLT series, here's an excerpt from the Jamaican Independence Day party as Paolo Nutini, together with Usain Bolt and his fellow athletes Shevon Stoddart, Chelsea Hammond and Maurice Smith sing Bob Marley's classic "One Love"...

chasingBOLT #4: Usain Bolt & Some Cultural Fusion Before 2008 Olympics

2008-08-30T21:55:00.004+08:00

For the fourth chasingBOLT video, we see Bolt celebrating Jamaica's Independence Day with the rest of Jamaica's Olympic team in a Chinese club where we see a traditional Chinese dance mixed with Jamaican dancehall music as danced by sexy, gyrating Chinese babes before Paolo Nutini takes over the stage while Jamaica's Puma sponsored athletes, led by Bolt of course, get facepainted with a Chinese mask before they take the catwalk...

chasingBOLT #3: Usain Bolt in Beijing

2008-08-30T09:55:00.004+08:00

Catch the World's Fastest Man in Beijing in the third chasingBOLT video as he shows off his golden still-to-break-2-world-records' Complete Thesis II Puma's before he meets Scottish singer Paolo Nutini and does a Q&A session with him with over 200 journalists and, later on in the day, does a short meet & greet session with some Chinese fans...

chasingBOLT #2: A Day in the Life of Usain Bolt

2008-08-29T21:55:00.005+08:00

What's a typical day in the life of Usain Bolt? The second chasingBOLT video gives us a glimpse of what being an athletic celebrity in Kingston, Jamaica is like as we see Bolt training in the University of Technology, Jamaica's primitive track to doing photo shoots and commercials for Puma to doing impromptu autograph sessions wherever he went...

chasingBOLT #1: Becoming the Fastest

2008-08-29T09:55:00.004+08:00

The first video in the chasingBOLT series where we get to see Bolt strolling through the streets of New York shortly after he broke the 100-meter world record then held by his compatriot, Asafa Powell...

Yes, I was involved in the Olympics...

2008-08-28T09:55:00.004+08:00

...or to be more precise, I did some viral marketing work for the Olympics, specifically promoting Usain Bolt's videos on YouTube for Puma.

The promotion, called chasingBOLT, follows Bolt from his then-world-breaking run of 9.72 seconds in the 100-meters at the Reebok Grand Prix in May 2008 to how a day in Bolt's life in Jamaica is like to his arrival in Beijing as he parties and celebrates Jamaica's Independence Day with the rest of the Jamaican team a few days before the opening of the Summer Olympics.

When I got started, I knew nothing about Bolt and his recent breaking of his now-ancient world record of 9.72 seconds in the 100-meter dash because last I heard, Asafa Powell still owned the world record at 9.74. So, as usual, when I got started on this new project, I read up on Bolt A LOT. After all, if you're going to be writing and promoting something, you should at least know some of the important facts about your subject. And that's how I found out that Usain Bolt is simply a freak of nature.

And so with the Games over, and with Bolt's gold medal haul for the 100- and 200-meters as well as sharing the gold for Jamaica's 4x100-meter relay AND breaking the world record for ALL 3 EVENTS, allow me to share my love for Bolt and his greatness one last time by posting his videos here:

First off, here's the trailer for Puma's chasingBOLT series, launched just a week before the opening of the 2008 Beijing Olympics...

Usain Bolt is the GOAT...

2008-08-20T15:15:00.007+08:00

...and by GOAT I mean the Greatest Of All Time, not to mention the Fastest of All Time (FOAT?).

I know, this is the kind of stuff that you often see in my manly, guy-stuff-related blog, The Typical Guy, but, see, for the past week, I've been doing another viral marketing campaign, this time for Puma's promotion of Usain Bolt, the Jamaican sprinter who, just this weekend at the Summer Olympics in Beijing, ran the 100-meter dash at 9.69 seconds, claiming the gold AND breaking the world record he himself set last May 2008, running the 100-meter dash at 9.72 seconds.

Now, to many, .03 of a second might be too small but in a sprint event like the 100-m, that amount of time can make or break someone. I know because, as someone who was part of my college's varsity track team, my 12.xx run for the 100-meter was respectable enough, but DAMN! Compare it to Bolt's record and the 3-second difference between my time and his seems like an eternity.

And if you saw how Bolt managed to run the race with relative ease, winning the gold AND grabbing the world record with a commanding .20 of a second lead over Trinidad & Tobago's Richard Thompson, you would swear he could've:

10. Baked a huge cake, gotten inside of it, and surprised the other runners as they crossed the finish line.

9. Set up a camera with a timer so that he could have his own copy of the photo finish.

8. Given an interview about the Gold Medal he was about to win.

7. Written a letter to the other runners explaining that he was writing to them from the future and telling them that he had already won.

6. Gotten a tattoo that says, "My legs are [censored]' rocket boosters!"

5. Waited in line for an iPhone.

4. Taught Britney Spears how to be a good parent.

3. Put on a pair of pants. (Seriously guys...put some pants on)

2. Sent the other runners a postcard that says, "Wish you were here."

1. Mined for his own gold to be used in his Gold Medal.

I swear, Bolt is blindingly fast, he was practically jogging the last 15 or so meters from the line, which means to say that if he went all out in the race, he just might've set a record that wouldn't be eclipsed for a very, very long time.

And since he's in the finals for the 200-meter sprint event - which Bolt claims is his favorite - we just might be witnesses to his greatness as he tries to stake his claim of being the World's Fastest Man tonight by eclipsing Michael Johnson's 12-year old record of 19.32 seconds.

Kamag-anak, Inc. rears its ugly head yet again...

2008-08-19T16:22:00.006+08:00

...or, to be more precise in this case, it's Constituents, Inc. as I'm sure Biliran's constituency played a big part on how the Philippines' "first" Idol winner, Gretchen Espina, well, "won" the competition. And I wouldn't even be surprised if her face was plastered on every poster on every light post on every street in every municipality of Biliran urging everyone to vote for her.

It's also interesting to find out that her "campaign machine" is still working full-time after the win, going so far as to call the performances of her fellow finalists as either "limited" or "nerve-wracking." Yeah, that's right! Rub it in, people!

Sadly, in the end, Pinoy Idol is still a popularity contest and not a talent show, so no ranting or tongue-lashing of any kind or level will matter nor make a difference. But really, does the bodyguard-toting daughter of the governor of the country's 4th smallest province really deserve the P1 Million cash money, the condo unit, the brand new car, the recording contract AND the TV contract?

Bah, what do I care? The entire country's run by corrupt politicians anyway. And hey, if believing that the viewers chose her as their "idol" helps her sleep at night, then so be it. But like the saying goes, "The nice guys always finish last."

Pareng RJ, while your performance may be "limited" (pare, kampo ni Gretchen nagsabi 'nun, 'di ako!), you will always be my Pinoy Idol.

"Social Networking is Not Just for Teenagers Anymore"...

2008-08-14T18:09:00.012+08:00

...is the title of my very first blog post for the international marketing firm that I work for that specializes in viral and social media marketing. You see, I've been working for them for the past 3 months and I have to tell you, it has been a real eye-opening experience. As a matter of fact, the things that I learned while working for them contributed a great deal into my becoming an active blogger. Well, that plus the fact that I love to write and that I have an opinion on practically everything. Sadly, I'm not at liberty to say what company I work for, but then again, that's why Sergey Brin and Larry Page invented Google, if you know what I mean.

Anyway, apparently, they liked my post so I've now been recruited to become a regular weekly contributor to their blog, which means that besides doing the blog posts for World's Greatest Underachiever and The Typical Guy (does that mean I'm The Typical Underachiever or the World's Greatest Guy?) and on top of a third, very adult-related blog (and by adult, I'm sure you know what I mean) which I'd like to keep anonymous (although with a little digging, I'm sure you'll eventually find out what my 3rd blog is called), I now have to do blog posts for a 4th, albeit commercially-related, blog. Well, at least this time I get paid for blogging. Hahahaha...

Now, if only I can make some money while I blog for my blog...

Showing a good friend some "Pinoy Idol" love...

2008-08-11T14:42:00.005+08:00

...by campaigning for the said good friend, Ram Chaves, to be the first Pinoy Idol.

Considering the sizable budget GMA has in comparison to the now-defunct ABC 5, the show's production value is really pathetic AND lackluster. ABC 5's now-unrecognized Philippine Idol had more style and pizzazz, not to mention a more capable host in Ryan Agoncillo whereas Raymond Gutierrez is, sad to say, as bad a host as his sister, Ruffa. But comparing judges, I'd say Philippine Idol slightly edged out Pinoy Idol only because of Ryan Cayabyab's presence in the former. Sadly, Wyngard Tracy is no Mr. C, and he is most definitely NOT Simon Cowell. And if I may digress for a minute, isn't it sad and pathetic how every local talent show on TV now has to have a judge doing his best Simon Cowell interpretation? I just hope they'd all stop trying to imitate him and his acerbic wit because they're all just doomed to fail.

But going back to Ram, I've known him for a long time and he's very down-to-earth and is, without a doubt, one of the nicest, funniest guy you'll ever meet. He's also been working very hard to get to where he is now so I hope we can all help him realize his dream. Francis Magalona shot down his dream when he auditioned for Philippine Idol, and he had to drop out of one of ABS-CBN's talent show/reality TV program after being selected to become one of the finalists because their management contract was too constricting for him, so to make it this far as part of the Top 3 is really the closest he has ever gotten to achieving his dream.

He's not the child of a politician (like fellow finalist, Gretchen Espina) and he hasn't had a record deal with a company like VIVA Records (like another fellow finalist, Jayann Bautista) so please, let's all make one typical guy, an underachiever like myself, my friend RJ's - or Ram, as he's known now in Pinoy Idol - dream come true by making him be the first Pinoy Idol.

What if the Matrix really exists in a Philippine setting? Have no fear because The One is... The Juan.

2008-08-04T14:37:00.005+08:00

Check out my "indie" film debut (can you guess which character I play?) in The Juan.

I'm stuck in a rut I can't get out of (or "I'm having a Hank Moody moment...")

2008-07-29T17:14:00.014+08:00

And no, it doesn't involve me getting laid with just some random woman I met in a bar (although if I was still single, I'd welcome that) or partaking of some sweet, cloudy joint to "expand my horizon."

I'm having a Hank Moody moment because, for the life of me, I can't write anything right now. And for someone who's supposed to write for a living, that is some serious shit to be stuck in.

It's been like this ever since I caught the flu last week. I'd stare at the screen, wondering how I'm going to open my next assignment (Social Networking in the Third World, I kid you not) and nothing would come in. Absolutely nothing.

And I'm all good now save for the minor cold but I still can't put anything solid down on screen. I'd start something, read through it, feel it's too elementary in execution, and then I'd go through the whole process again.

This better be a short-term thing because deadlines are looming and I HAVE to put something solid down soon.

A quick roll in the hay sounds really good right now...

I've chosen my side. Have you?

2008-07-23T14:29:00.008+08:00

Well, at least we know a couple of things now; Nathan Petrelli survived the assassination attempt on his life (or could it just be a flashback? Hmmm...) and we'll also be seeing more of their future selves, which means more time-traveling adventures from either Peter or Hiro (or maybe even both? Hmmm...).

With a handful of villains hinted at, and with Zachary Quinto revealing that the Villains story arc will last for only 13 episodes, that should give us a quick, action-packed season. But the question is; can they narrate the whole storyline without any plotholes or loose execution considering they have a huge ensemble cast to deal with, not to mention the fact that they'll be introducing a handful of "villains" into the mix as well. Hmmm...

Yes, I AM a carnivore.

2008-07-21T02:31:00.016+08:00

I've been jonesing for a nice, thick juicy steak for the longest time, so when my family and I went to the Gateway Mall in Cubao, my mind was only set on a single thing - to order a porterhouse steak from House of Mini's.

Since time immemorial, the only way one could get a steak in a mall was to go to Sizzling Plate, which, while tasty enough (albeit not as tasty as House of Mini's), the size of their servings left much to be desired. And if one wanted a TRUE steak, the choices, though almost limitless, is priced well beyond my weekend budget with my family, and is usually located in the most least-commuter-friendly areas, like the now-classic steakhouses in Melo's and Alfredo's (I just don't know if the place is still alive since I haven't passed that place for a long, long time) as well as the current hits like Steak MD and Highland Steakhouse. And that's why I thank God there's such a place like House of Mini's.

Before... and After

As far as I can remember, House of Mini's could only be found at the lower ground floor of Shoppesville in Greenhills. I remember introducing Rachel's mom to the place on one of our rare trips to the area, as well as "treating" my Dad (since it was really my stepmom who fronted the cash) on his birthday the year before he migrated for the US. So imagine our surprise (Rachel's and I) when we found out House of Mini's finally opened an outlet in Glorietta 4's food court a few years ago. Sure, it didn't have the cozy, family-dining atmosphere of the original restaurant in Greenhills, but when you're a true carnivore like myself, I say, "Damn the dim lights and the organ music, I WANT MY PRIME CUT OF BEEF NOW!" So everytime we were hungry and found ourselves in Glorietta 4, House of Mini's was the ONLY place to go.

But once domestic life stepped in after Dana and Dylan were born, trips to Glorietta, much less the crammed spaces of Greenhills Shopping Center, became very, very infrequent. That left us with a few alternatives to go to; places that were either near our area, or places that had a lot of room to move around in when you have a baby's stroller in tow. So on one of our trips to Cubao a couple of months ago I think, we were surprised (again!) to find out that there was now a House of Mini's outlet in Gateway's food court, which made me promise to myself that next time we were there, that's where we're going to have lunch.

And so the next time came just this past weekend. And since we were planning to do our grocery shopping in Shopwise Cubao anyway, it was the perfect excuse for us to have lunch in House of Mini's. As always, Rachel and her niece, Denniesse, had the tenderloin tips, while I, still bothered by a steak craving I've had since my aborted steak lunch in Mall of Asia, had to have the biggest cut of prime beef they had - the aforementioned porterhouse steak. And so I indulged myself - greedily and gluttonously - with the plateful of porterhouse steak you see above, 2 servings of garlic rice, and 2 cups of Coke.

So, I'm sorry, PETA, but as much as I abhor the hunting of baby seals and other animals for their fur, you can never take away from me my love of leather-topped sneakers and juicy cuts of prime beef.

I have a sad, sad confession to make...

2008-07-18T18:29:00.022+08:00

I haven't watched a movie for a long, long, LONG time. Or to be more precise, I haven't watched a movie in a movie house for a long, long, LONG time. How long, you ask? Well, the last movie I watched was the premier of Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King in Megamall so, yeah, it's been that long. Or as how I'd like to quantify it - the last movie I watched before my first child, my daughter Dana, was born.

And if you'd like to know, my partner, Rachel, Dana's mom, was - or probably still is - so enamored with Viggo Mortensen, or to be more precise, with Aragorn, and the little Hobbits in the movie, Dana grew up to have a head crowned with brown, curly hair and with ears that are angled slightly out and upwards. I guess Dana was preconditioned to be like that since Rachel was already into her 3rd trimester at that time.

So yeah, it's been THAT long since I last watched a movie in a movie house. And I couldn't even begin to list down how many movies I've wanted to watch but couldn't because, well, for one thing, it would be unfair to Rachel if I watched a movie while she took care of the kids. And I'm certifiably a cinéaste so that was a big change in my movie viewing lifestyle, leaving me content to get my movie viewing fix through my (usually) weekly pirated DVD-shopping spree in Quiapo or through the DVDs Rachel's mom would send through a balikbayan box.

So for this year, I've missed 2 must-watch movies that the geek in me truly regrets: Iron Man and The Dark Knight.

Since I was in high school and I entertained dreams of becoming a filmmaker, I wanted to be the one to turn Iron Man into a kickass film. So when I first heard the news that it was really going into production, I waited with bated breath for a couple of reasons; because Jon Favreau only made 3 films prior to directing Iron Man, and because I've always loved Shellhead in his comic books. So when the movie came out and almost everyone praised it, particularly Robert Downey Jr.'s portrayal of Tony Stark, I really, really felt sorry I missed it. Which is why whenever I go on my pirated DVD shopping spree, I always ask if Iron Man's already available ON DVD and not the unwatchable "film transfer" kind that's usually being peddled in the streets.

So with The Dark Knight, which opened just last week, getting such high praise from everyone I know who's seen it, I once again have to wait for it to come out on pirated DVD. Again, more out of necessity and compassion.

But I guess I shouldn't worry too much because once Madagascar 2 comes out, I'll finally be able to step inside a movie house once more. Well, that is if Dana would want me to watch it with her rather than her mom.

Power to the Piso?! What power to the piso?!?

2008-07-14T17:46:00.012+08:00

I mean, honestly, does a single peso still have enough purchasing power to actually buy something these days? I ask because I can still recall a time when a peso could actually buy you something of value!

If you were thirsty, a cup of palamig of any variety - regardless if it was a gulaman, sago-at-gulaman, buko or pineapple kind - could be had for just a peso. Your throat's itchy? How about some Storck Menthol Candy; piso, tatlong piraso. Or if you're hankering for a stick of cigarette, a stick of Marlboro Reds for just one peso can easily take care of that. And back in grade school, before I got caught red-handed going to Cubao by my lonesome at a tender age of 11, therefore exposing the fact that I already knew how to commute in a jeep by myself, a trip of around 4 kilometers to Cubao from Ateneo - just to buy a G.I. Joe action figure every week - only cost - you guessed it! - a peso.

Nowadays, as far as I know, a peso is hardly worth anything anymore, save for its role in making a hundred pesos worth, well, a hundred pesos. You see, I have this personal belief that goes like this; "A hundred pesos won't be worth a hundred pesos if it's missing a peso." So if you think about it, in a way, I'm contradicting myself. But still, by itself, is a peso still worth something these days? Can you still buy something with just a single peso?

A cup of palamig costs 5 pesos now, while 3 pieces of menthol candy has gone up to 2 pesos. Looking cool while getting lung cancer also costs more now since a stick of cigarette can now run up to PHP (Philippine Peso) 1.50. As for the price of commuting these days? Forget about it because the minimum fare for jeepneys just went up by 50 centavos today! That's right, riding a jeepney now is going to cost you a whopping 8.50 pesos! And it gets even worse because, come August 1, the taxis will also be raising their flag-down rate by 10 pesos, bringing the minimum fare to PHP 40! SERIOUSLY! That's why I can't help but be whimsical when I think about the time the minimum fare for a jeepney was only 75 centavos!

It's no wonder then that a lot of Filipinos are turning to riding motorcycles and scooters to travel around the metro. And much like any ill-trained driver on four wheels, most of these motorcyclists are also seriously lacking in road discipline, putting their lives on the line by weaving across traffic, "assuaged" by the "fact" that their lithe, nimble transport of choice will keep them safe from harm, when nothing could be further from the truth. But I digress...

So what am I getting at here? It's simple, really. Combine the fact that the government is hardly taking any step to alleviate the country's economy from the worldwide recession with the Filipino people's Me-First, You-Second attitude and talangka mentality and we have a country that's going to the dogs.

Yes, folks. We're in a dog pound where the top dog is a small chihuahua who's surrounded by Great Danes, St. Bernards and a few Doberman Pinchers all wanting their share from the food bowl. And we, the masses, are the poor mongrel dogs hoping and waiting for some juicy scraps of food the big dogs in the pound would miss.

I don't have a blogger's mindset... yet.

2008-07-09T17:29:00.012+08:00

I know. I'm still a newbie at blogging. I'm such a newb that I don't have the blogger's mindset yet, the mindset that you have to consciously be aware of what's happening around you and that you're always ready to document it at all times.

That fact hit me like a ton of bricks was dropped on my head when my family and I went out this weekend. We haven't gone out for a long time, see, so we were all looking forward to this one, particularly my daughter, Dana, since she was the one who suggested we go to Mall of Asia.

Anyway, so we went out and had dinner at this Japanese fastfood restaurant in the mall's food court. We've never tried that particular restaurant, and since I was looking forward to a steak lunch on a sizzling plate, only to have my hankering for grilled beef quashed by the long waiting line at the counter, I thought; "What the hell, let's try this one out." For Rachel, the clincher was the fact that the sushi they served was freshly-made and not the refrigerated kind like the ones they serve in Tokyo Tokyo's.

So the food was served, it was okay, and the price wasn't bad either. Only after we've consumed everything did I get the idea to take a picture of the food to show the people who read our blogs. So there, blogger newbie mistake #1.

Afterwards, we were just strolling around the mall, window shopping and whatnot when a couple of Axe Promo Girls approached me, offering to spray me with a sample of what I guess would be Axe's new scent. I declined, saying that I was sweating like a pig already and that spraying a deocologne on me would be a bad idea as the sweat would just counteract with the deocologne's scent that'll end with me smelling worse that I already was at that time. I just told them to spray the deocologne on my son, Dylan, who just happens to be a lady's little boy - since he's just 2 years old - whenever we're outside since he seems to attract ladies at a ridiculous rate, but they declined. Must be part of their do's and do not's as promo girls.

So, while we were talking, a girl who I assume would be part of Axe's Marketing team, took our picture. But I didn't really pay attention to that because these Axe Promo Girls aren't your typical pretty Pinay promo girls - they were pretty CAUCASIAN promo girls. Or they might have even been Brazilians but that's beside the point - the point is these were pretty promo girls who just happened to be of foreign blood talking to me, asking me to get sprayed on by them while having our picture taken! The other guys they approached, they just handed them these small vial-sized Axe testers, but these girls were asking me to get vaporizer-ized by them! Only after I gently declined their generous offer that it hit me - I should've said "Yes" to their aforementioned offer and asked Rachel to take my pictures with them to post on my blog! DING! DING! DING! Blogger newbie mistake #2!

So on hindsight, it seems that to be a top-notch, first-class blogger, you have to;

a) think like an opportunist, because you have to seize every opportunity, DUH!;
b) be alert like a journalist, because you never know what's going to happen next and you have to be prepared for that, and;
c) prostitute yourself, because if you want something so bad, you'll have to be willing to pay the price for it.

Why should I pay PHP 10,000 for a leadership seminar?!?

2008-07-08T18:17:00.010+08:00

I'm a big fan of Anton Diaz' Awesome Blog, what with his great food finds and equally great out-of-town tips. I'm such a fan that it's become a weekly habit - which is why I never get to join his contests on time because they seem to be sporadic in nature - to check out his site. And as proof that his blog is such a widely-read one and that our world is such a small one to live in, I just found out recently that one of his "infuriated readers" - no thanks to his "un-food critic-like" review of a fine dining carinderia in Makati - happens to be a co-worker of mine.

And so, having said that, I just checked his site earlier today to find out he attended a 4-day leadership seminar that charges a little over PHP 10,000 for the whole shebang. I'm sure the golden parachute he got after resigning from P&G was more than generous enough for him to attend such an expensive seminar, but for a regular guy like myself with a regular-sized - though sometimes meager - paycheck, 10K is a luxury. I mean, with that kind of money, I could buy an entire month's worth of grocery items for the house AND pay the utility bills.

I've also got issues with the Christian values mindset that the seminar is promoting, and since I've had enough religion shoved down my throat from grade school and all the way up to college, I say; "Thanks, but no thanks."

Maybe it's just the miser in me who doesn't want to pony up the cash for something that has no intrinsic value whatsoever. But lets' face it - what's the point of calling my blog "World's Greatest Underachiever" if I'm gonna be unlocking my "unlimited" and "untapped potential" and be living my "life to its fullest" anytime soon?

My Ratatouille Moment...

2008-06-29T01:42:00.026+08:00

You've probably heard of, or if you've got little kids like I do, even seen Pixar's rat-who-dreams-to-be-a-chef animated movie, Ratatouille. I know, I know, this post/review seems way too late for a movie that came out a little over a year ago, but there's actually a point to all this, which I'll get to in a little while.

Now, I'll step out on a limb here and say that Ratatouille isn't my favorite Pixar movie. As a matter of fact, let me go out even further by saying that Ratatouille was their least appealing, least kid-friendly, animated film ever. After all, their market - the kids of course, unless you're a child at heart or just plain childish, like me - couldn't care less what the difference is between a chef de partie and a sous chef. To a child, a chef is a chef is a chef. A child wouldn't give a damn what a particular chef's role in the kitchen is - if you're in the kitchen and you're cooking or preparing food, then that means you're a chef. It's that simple. Add to that the fact that the movie just plods along at a very slow pace, much unlike the movie's main character's frantic, save-me-a-rolled-up-newspaper-is-about-to-hit-me speed doesn't help the movie move along, with the plot only building up tempo over an hour into the film already. And let's face it, what may be an hour for adults is an entire lifetime for kids.

Now, going back to the point of this Ratatouille-centric post of mine; in the movie's climactic scene (which came way too late, with less than half an hour to go until the movie's end credits roll) there's a scene where the contemptuously demanding, notoriously hard-to-please food critic, Anton Ego, who, after his first taste of Remy the chef-who-just-happens-to-be-a-rat's traditionally French, un-haute-cuisine-of-a-dish called ratatouille (basically a stewed vegetable dish, much like our own pinakbet according to Wikipedia) he relives a childhood memory of his mother making the dish for him.

So, what's the point I'm trying to make here? You see, just recently, something very similar happened to me a couple of days ago. And although it may not be as romantic as Anton Ego's, it's definitely just as nostalgic.

It happened while I was at work. It was way past lunch time, you see, so I wasn't surprised to find that the neareast Jollijeep that I patronize had no more food left, save for a couple of sandwiches. And since I was really, really hungry that day, and since I remembered seeing a poster in the nearest 7-11 branch near my office advertising their new microwaveable, ready-to-eat Penne pasta with tomato meat sauce, I decided to try that since pasta is a SERIOUS weakness of mine. And much like what happened to Ratatouille's Anton Ego, with my very first bite of the pasta, I was instantly transported to a cherished childhood memory of mine - and that's of me and my family having lunch in Ali Mall's food court during our weekly after-Mass Sunday trip to Cubao. And while my Mom and Dad tried different restaurants and stalls every week, everytime we were there, I only patronized one stall - the old, pre-commercialized, pre-Jollibee-owned Greenwich restaurant.

A myriad of different things attracted me to Greenwich's stall. There were the shiny, stainless, counters and ovens, the hanging pot and ladle holder, and the tacky wood divider with the checkered-grill design. But take away all that, and one thing would still guide my feet - and nose - to Greenwich, and that was their oh-so-yummy, creamy baked macaroni. And I kid you not. The very second I bit into 7-11's Penne pasta, my back straightened up and I instantly recalled that childhood feeling of eating the classic and long-since-forgotten taste of Greenwich's baked macaroni. And that brought a tear to my eye, honestly.

Because to me, 7-11's Penne pasta became more than just another pasta. It became a time machine of sorts. Because in an instant, I could not only recall my childhood, but I could also recall a life that was both carefree and yet secure. It was like Harry Potter's Mirror of Erised morphed into a pasta dish, because I was able to relive a fondly cherished childhood memory, my heart's desire of being a little boy again without a care in the world while eating my favorite pasta dish with a mother who I'll never see again and to whom my last words before she slipped into a coma and passed away a week later before my very eyes were, "I've been here since yesterday," and with a father who, just as we were becoming close, both as father-and-son and as man-to-man, had to migrate to the US with my new stepmother.

So as much as I hate Ratatouille the movie - whose only saving grace was Peter O' Toole's deliciously venomous portrayal of Anton Ego - I will now always associate it with a precious childhood memory of me with my family, not to mention Greenwich's baked macaroni and 7-11's Penne pasta in tomato meat sauce.

Damn, I'm hungry. Hungry AND all teary-eyed, to boot.

Farewell to a most excellent, truly awesome comedian.

2008-06-25T12:18:00.014+08:00

When I heard that George Carlin passed away a few days ago, I genuinely felt sad. Because I LOVED George Carlin. He was like the funny and cool grandfather you wish you had. And he was an absolute genius with words and their double meanings. If he was the English teacher I had back in grade school, everyday wouldn't be a damn bore - although I'm sure if the Jesuit priests heard him teach using his unique method, they probably would've thrown him out fast.

I first got to know him as Rufus, Bill & Ted's excellent time-travelling guru. After which, a friend's parents had me listen to a comedy album of his which got me hooked on George Carlin for life. I loved it when he appeared in Kevin Smith's movies because, hey, it's two of my favorite personalities in 1 movie - or 3 (Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back, and the forgettable Jersey Girl) in this case. So it was a pleasure to see him in Cars, my daughter Dana's all-time favorite movie (which also happens to be my all-time favorite Pixar movie) because his humor crossed over both our generations.

So George, since I'd like to keep this blog as family-friendly as possible, allow me to say my farewell in the "numbered" version of your Seven Dirty Words monologue.

I hope you have a three-in' good time wherever you three-in' are, you six. I'll miss your three-in' humor, you five, and so will my daughter. I know you don't believe in God so I hope he doesn't two or one on you if you ever do see him. We love you, you four eatin', seven three-in', six.

I feel the need... the need for (broadband) speed.

2008-06-22T05:47:00.004+08:00

After so many years surfing the net on dial-up, from my maternal grandparents' house where I grew up, to the house I share now with Rachel, my partner, I've finally gone broadband.

It's a relief, really. And the timing was perfect because the PLDT technician who came to install the service came to our place the very same day that Dattebayo's latest Naruto fansub came out. So gone are the days of downloading Naruto overnight - or even longer, if I had to do something online, like download porn - on dial-up, because thanks to PLDT's myDSL service, what took more than a day to download now only takes a few hours! And that's only for an additional PHP 300 over our usual phone+PLDT Vibe bill! PLDT should be paying me for making such a positive spin on their product, but really, I'm speaking in all honesty here.

I guess only time will tell if this satisfaction that we feel over our DSL service is for the long run, or if we'll experience PLDT's infamously bad after-sales service soon. I just hope that, from our experience with their phone service, it's going to be the same trouble-free service that we've had all these years.

I'm 66% Geek?!

2008-06-19T16:00:00.003+08:00

66% Geek

Created by OnePlusYou

Well, that confirms it right there - in the Geek metric system, I'm just above-average. And funny enough, I was able to use that to my advantage.

You see, ever since I was a kid, being an above-average geek meant that I could get along with the über-geeks in school as well as with the jocks. But most of the people that I would call my friends were with the geek crowd. So when high school came and I transferred to JASMS, a private coed high school, after spending my elementary years in Ateneo, I sort of became the cool geek, thanks to my being able to balance my social skills between the geek crowd and the jocks. And true enough, now that I'm in my 30's, I'm still pretty much the same character. I can still debate with my geek friends on who's the better comic book publisher between Marvel and DC as well as talk with my jock buddies about why the Lakers' collapse in the NBA Finals was inevitable.

Like what Popeye always says, I am what I am. And I like myself just fine.

I did it...

2008-06-18T10:57:00.003+08:00

... I finally jumped into the ocean called "blogging." And I'm like, what, more than a couple of years too late, I think? So why did I make the jump after all these years? Well, a big reason has to do with my work.

You see, I work for a viral marketing firm and part of my job has me posting comments on Do-Follow blogs. And after almost a month of posting in different blogs, I noticed how everyone's been talking about making money off of their blogs through different ways, from PPCs to SEOs to other italicized-terms that would make any preschooler happy.

And seeing how everyone in that community seemed so enthusiastic with what they were doing, I thought, "Why the hell not? I spend most of my time online, anyway, and I could certainly use the money." Yeah, right. As if blogging would give me a truckload of cold hard cash everyday.

So here I am, putting up my first-ever blog post in my first-ever blog. A blogging virgin, so to speak. Pretty weird, really, since I've always abhorred the idea of keeping a diary, what more the idea of publishing one online for everyone to read and snicker at. I was also a fairly active poster and shared what was on my mind then in Usenet communities (the porn-related ones, to be honest) and in various online forums since way, way back in the late '90s so to find myself blogging at this point in time is really a case of me being a little too late for the party. But like they say, it's better late than never.

So here's to being late - which is the one thing I'm really, really good at - and here's to hoping that this could be the start of something BIG.