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Showing posts from September, 2006
The Country on the Couch About two years ago, I struggled through a dangerously low level of self-esteem, coupled with a near-nervous breakdown. It wasn't pretty, and I couldn't tell my family. Very few actually know about it. Thank God I had friends who went out of their way to help me through the ordeal. Their presence allowed me to go into that zone where I could redirect the way I thought about my life and myself. I would sometimes remember those self-destructive thoughts when I read the opinion columns in the papers or listen to news commentary on the radio. In some weird way, I was hearing myself again, the negativity of it all. When something good happens, there'd be a critic ready to pounce and crush it, or there'd be an urgent piece of sensationalized bad news standing by to overshadow it. And as I write this entry I wonder: does the Philippines have a self-esteem problem? When I look at this list from Inner Works Publishing, I can't help but feel that it
Seven Songs Kasalanan ito ni Jac . :-) Pero dahil wala namang ibinigay na criteria, gagawa na lang ako... Seven Songs That Make Me Kilig 1) I Wanna Be With You - Mandy Moore (Young love. *sigh*) 2) I Could Not Ask For More - Edwin McCain (My ex once called it the greatest love song. Maybe not the greatest, pero it's still up there in my book.) 3) You - Roselle Nava (I like her version better.) 4) Forever Love - Gary Barlow (Slightly sad 'yung song, pero kinikilig pa rin ako) 5) Beautiful In My Eyes - Joshua Kadison (Pangkasal.) 6) Crazy For You - Madonna (Kasama ito sa all-time faves ko.) 7) Bituing Walang Ningning - Sharon Cuneta (Classic Pinoy. Ingenious lyrics.)
The Same Beat, Lower Octave Years ago, in an episode of one of those investigative journalism shows ( The Probe Team , I think), a young male hustler goes through the laundry list of his job description, from keeping himself attractive and desirable for his clients, to helping his family through financial hardship. It could've painted a typical picture of that side of the underground life if not for one telling plot-twist--the hustler actually enjoyed his job. His perks were numerous. Apart from meeting diverse representatives of the homosexual spectrum, he gets paid, he gets gifts, and he gets to travel for free. Plus, he savored the psychological fulfillment of feeling wanted and special. In his experience limited by age and environment, he felt powerful. His was a kind of character I had hoped would pop up in Mel Chionglo's Twilight Dancers , if only to provide a strong counterpoint to the worn-out tale of macho dancers who lead sad, dreary lives. The third of the "mach
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Broadening the Comic Book Movie Audience The Daily Record reports that Failure to Launch and Sahara star Matthew McConaughey may play Marvel Comics' aquatic anti-hero The Sub-Mariner , to be directed by Terminator 3 helmsman Jonathan Mostow. Created in 1939 by cartoonist Bill Everett, The Sub-Mariner is the son of a princess from an underwater kingdom (identified as Atlantis in 1960) and a human sea captain. He is mostly associated with the Fantastic Four and The Avengers. This comic book movie doesn't excite me much--it's on the same level as Ghost Rider . It would be nice to introduce this character first in the next Fantastic Four movie--Rise of the Silver Surfer--which was supposed to start filming last month. But I suppose it's all part of the Marvel Plan. If the character won't move books, maybe he'll hog ticket sales. And there's a good chance it will. The only reason why I might want to see this flick is the same reason I religiously watched Man
Crazy Planets Eris is the official name of Xena, that once could-have-been-but-eventually-dropped tenth planet. Last month, Eris was categorized as a dwarf planet alongside former planet Pluto and former "largest asteroid in the solar system" Ceres. In mythology, Eris is the goddess of chaos and strife, and the name was voted on recently by the International Astronomical Union. Eris' moon, Dysnomia, was named after the goddess' daughter. Speaking of chaos and strife, I caught Dulaang UP's Shock Value last weekend. The play, written by Floy Quintos and directed by Alexander Cortez, pokes at that pointless imbroglio called the Network Wars. When a television showbiz host and starmaker (played by the ever-engaging Andoy Ranay) gets caught by the rival network in bed with a callboy, he pulls out all the stops to make sure his name remains untarnished at the expense of his dignity. The play was a joy to watch because of the cast--Ranay, Stella Cañete, Frances Makil-I
‘Zaturnnah’ diaries By Bayani San Diego Jr. Published on page G1 of the September 11, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer . THESE HECTIC DAYS AND nights, singer-actress Zsazsa Padilla is caught between two make-believe worlds—as the lugubrious has-been diva Rosamia on the ABS-CBN soap opera “Bituing Walang Ningning” and as the eponymous red-haired superheroine in the Regal movie “Zsazsa Zaturnnah.” She’s wrapping up work on “Bituin,” she tells Inquirer Entertainment. “We have two more taping days for the grand finale at the Araneta Coliseum,” she says. “I expect that it’ll be as draining as the soap’s launch in Music Museum because we’ll be required to sing and emote … as in cry buckets … at the same time.” She also has musical numbers in “Zaturnnah,” directed by Joel Lamangan, who gave her a Best Actress trophy for “Ako Legal Wife” in last year’s Metro Manila Film Festival. “I’ve recorded two songs so far,” she reports. The
I just found out from a friend that Mango Comics' Zach Yonzon got one of the five slots for the third season of 5 Takes , the Discovery Channel reality show. He will join four other travellers from the Asia-Pacific to the United States. Good luck, Zach, and congratulations!!
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Real Living September: The Makeover Issue In the September 2006 issue of Real Living : 1) Three easy mini-makeovers anyone can do; 2) Our top flat panel TV selections; 3) Throw a spa-inspired party; 4) Ten flooring types and how to maintain them; 5) PLUS: Our annual Ultimate Makeover Winner. We revamp a schoolteacher's home for P200,000! Buy na!!
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It's Been a While Since I Drew Her
Congratulations to Eula Valdez for bagging the Aliw Award for Best Performance by a Stage Actress in a Musical! Wahooo! Too bad that Tuxqs Rutaquio didn't win (Nonie Buencamino did). The musical lost, too (to something from Repertory Philippines). I only find out tonight that director Chris Millado was nominated as well, but no award. But congratulations, still, for making the list! UPDATE: The winners of the 19th Aliw Awards can be found here .