hotnothot 17

let me devote this edition to the aftermath of typhoon ketsana... (ayaw talaga ng local name! hahaha)

Hotnot. Global warming – a serious threat. Kasabay halos ng pananalasa ni tukayo sa Pilipinas, isang conference ang ginaganap sa Bangkok kung saan pinag-uusapan ang tungkol sa Global Warming. Related reports about this conference shows that sometime towards the end of the century, kung hindi matitigil ang global warming, cities like Mumbai and Miami could be wiped out due to massive flooding. Wala naman sigurong hindi maniniwala dito. Nakita na natin kung anong nangyari sa Pilipinas, particularly in Metro Manila. Now, more than ever, is the time to accept the fact that global warming is a real threat and not just a baseless prediction.

Hothot. Richard Gutierrez to the rescue of Christine Reyes. Parang pelikula. Or at least parang early promo ng pelikula nila. But seriously, is box-office returns worth it? I Don’t think so. Siguro talagang hindi kaya ni Richard dedmahin ang SOS ng isang kaibigan. Kahit siguro ako, if a friend in grave danger asks for my help, hindi ako makakatulog knowing that one soul I know is crying for my help. At don sa mga nagrereklamong bakit si Christine lang ang tinulungan ni Richard, natural lang siguro na uunahin natin ang mga kaibigan at kamag-anak. Wag nating kalimutan na tao lang sya, hindi totoong sya si Captain Barbel. Magkalinawan lang, hindi ako fan ng batang ito. Never watched any of his soap or his film. I’m just giving credit where credit is due.

Hotnot: NDCC’s response to the calamity. Inaatake ngayon ang National Disaster Coordinating Council na under pa mandin ni Gilberto Teodoro, ang manok ni Gloria para sa 2010 Presidential Elections. Tumakbo pa kaya sya after this, ngayon na kita nyang nega ang dating nya sa mga Pinoy? But politics aside, personally hindi ko masisi ang NDCC. Third world country tayo where government agencies like this gets the tiniest of budget allocation. Wag na muna nating isama ang matinding graft and corruption. Pero kahit saan ka tumingin, walang bansa, even highly developed countries, ang makakapag-sabing well prepared sila sa mga ganitong calamities. Look at China nong malakas na lindol sa Sechuan province. And even US when Katrina hit Florida. Nobody can be ready for nature’s wrath.

Hotnot: Our irresponsibility. Ngayon dapat natin ma-realize kung ano ang epekto ng pagtatapon ng basura kung saan-saan lang. Our drainages within Metro Manila are mostly clogged with basura. Pati mga kanal, imburnal at ilog, ginagawang malaking basurahan. Kung may kakulangan ang gobyerno sa pag-respond sa mga biktima, malaki rin ang kakulangan nating mga Pinoy. Malaki sanang tulong kung walang bara ang mga daanan ng tubig. At dapat siguro suportahan natin ang tree planting project ni Loren. Schools should make it mandatory for one student to plant at least one tree. I did that nong High School pa ako. Ewan ko lang kung nabuhay yong tinanim ko.

Hotnot. Jacque Bermejo, the most hated girl on the net today. Thanks to her senseless posting in Facebook regarding the typhoon that hit the PI, she got what she wanted : worldwide attention na hindi nya makukuha by simply being a real estate officer in Dubai. Her case is one good example of the powers of social networking sites. Sure it can make you popular. But it can also turn your charmed life to a living hell kung ang ilalagay mo lang ay walang kawawaan, kababawan at kagagahan. No doubt, tinalbugan nya si Marilou Fernandez.

Hothot: GMA and ABS-CBN spearheading fund-raising drives for the typhoon’s victims. Eto lang ang maganda sa dalawang tv networks na ito. They give back to the people who sustains their existence in the first place. Minsan nga mas effective pang trumabaho itong mga ito, nakakatulong talaga kesa sa mga pulitiko. Most politicians, mamimigay lang ng isang latang sardinas at isang kilong bigas with todo press coverage pa. Besides, parang mas may integrity ang tv networks na ito. Bakit kamo? Mas magbibigay ako ng donasyon, lalo na kung pera, sa kanila coz I know talagang mapupunta sa nangangailangan. Sa mga pulitiko? Sorry but I can’t say the same thing.

bagyong malupet

Bagyong Ondoy tumangay ng maraming buhay. Bagyong Ondoy nanalasa. State of Calamity dahil sa bagyong Ondoy. Yan ang mga headline sa radio at tv ngayon.

Wow. Sobrang sikat ng apelyido ko huh. Thanks to PAGASA na ewan ko kung bakit sa kina-unique-unique ng apelyido ko eh sya pang nakalkal at pinangalan sa super typhoon na tumama sa Pinas. At ewan ko sa PAGASA na yan kung bakit ako ang napapagdiskitahan. Dante (international code: Kujira) yong bagyong tumama sa Bikol last May di ba. Eto ngayon at apelyido ko naman ang dinale.

Ondoy (international code: Ketsana) ang humagupit sa bansa kahapon at nilubog ang malaking parte ng NCR. Binuhos daw ang isang buwan na ulan in just 6 hours. 9 agad ang namatay sa initial reports pa lang. 23 provinces agad ang nasa state of calamity. Grabe.

Nagpapagupit ako kahapon at yan ang kwentuhan ng mga barbero at mga tambay. Yong isang tambay kausap ang misis sa cp at kinuwento agad na si Christine Reyes daw nasa bubong ng bahay. Eto namang gumugupit sa akin, taga-Pampanga pala at may landslide daw sa kanila. Hindi ako nakihalo sa kwentuhan. Baka pag nalaman pang kapangalan ko yong bagyo magupit pa ang tenga ko ng hindi oras!

As early as Thursday night, friends were texting me na at jino-jowk nga ako dahil sa bagyo. May isang friend pa ako sa Pinas na hindi nagparamdam for the longest time pero heto at tinext ako just because of the bagyo. Lahat ng makita kong friends at kakilala yon ang bati sa akin. Malupet daw ako. Bagyo daw talaga ako. Oo naman sabi ko. Bagyo na yummy pa. Hehehe….

I was just kidding along. Nakikitawa at nakikibiro. Wala kasi akong paki dahil malayo sa Mindoro ang sentro ng bagyo. At least hindi mangangatog sa takot si Madir. At ka-text ko ang pamangkin ko sa Laguna hindi naman daw pinapasok ng tubig baha ang bahay ko. Kaya sige, jowk, jowk, jowk.

Pero nong makita ko yong pics ng baha, nawala yong pakiki-jowk ko. Reality bulldozed whatever apathy I had. Ang dami na namang bahay at buhay na nasira. Kawawa naman ang mga kabayan ko. Marami sa kanila, hirap na hirap na ngang magkaron ng bahay at kotse, nilamon pa ng tubig na walang kaabog-abog. Kakaawa ang mga nagkumahog magpundar ng kabuhayan tapos mawawala lang ng ganon.

And I’m sad na nagkaron ng ibang connotation ngayon ang pangalan ko. Pag nakilala ako, sasabihin agad ‘ah ikaw yong sumira sa bahay ko’… etong sa yo… POK! Nasapak ako ng hindi oras! Hayyy…

Paging PAGASA… pwede wag nyo na isunod ang middle name ko? Tama na yong kasikatan ko. Buti nga kung fame eh notoriety ang inani ko. I will now be remembered by friends as the one whose name brought destruction to many lives. Parang devil incarnate naman ako nyan samantalang napakabait kong tao. Tanong nyo pa sa mga kaibigan ko.

Kaya sa PAGASA, etong suggestion ko: siguradong next na bagyo P ang ipapangalan nyo, I have quite a few choices for you: Paoul, Pedgar, Payren or Park ang gamitin nyo. Kahit alin dyan is a very good choice.

soxie's best

There are films that do nothing but entertain you. Some will make you laugh. Some was made simply to make you cry. And there are some that can make you do both – laugh and cry – and still get entertained. Madalang yan sa pelikulang Pinoy. Fortunately, Ded Na Si Lolo is one.

Unahin natin yong nakakatawa. Totoo pala yong mga nababasa ko na nakakatawa itong movie na ito. Kung may nakakarinig lang sa akin, iisipin na ang OA ko namang tumawa. Eh wala akong magawa, talagang napahalakhak ako sa ilang eksena. Eto kasi yong kind of comedy na hindi pilit, hindi slapstick at lalong hindi toilet humor na madalas sa pelikulang Tagalog.

The comedy comes from situations na dinevelop ni Soxie (Topacio, the Writer/Director) base sa mga totoong nangyayari sa isang pamilya pag may namatay. From the himatayan blues ng mga OA na Ate, Tiya at minsan may mga Kuya rin, to the numerous beliefs na ino-observe natin sa ganoong okasyon.
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And if Soxie was so clever in mounting those funny scenes, it was his fine ensemble of actors and actresses na inin-terpret yon on screen with so much reality. Pero mamaya ko na isa-isahin ang cast. I’ve still got a lot about the whole film.

Drama rin yong film, something na hindi ko nabasa dati. Puro nakakatawa ang press release kaya akala ko comedy ito through and through. But the truth is, it has one serious story beneath the comedic surface. At kung may ilang scenes na humagalpak ako ng tawa, there were a few scenes also that melt me. Pagka ganon, I know it’s effective. Hindi kasi ako madaling paiyakin lalo na kung pelikula lang.

But this film was so successful in presenting conflicts within the family. Mga tampuhan, samaan ng loob, away at mga komprontasyon na madalas nagsu-surface kapag nasa ganong sitwasyon. At dahil nga totoong istorya ng mga Pinoy, nakaka-relate ako dahil sa mga kadramahan na nakikita ko sa mga burol/libing. Naalala ko tuloy yong hysterical at OA na tiyahin ko nong nakaburol ang Tatay ko.

Eniweys, ang nakakabilib pa sa film na ito ni Soxie, patatawanin ka sa isang eksena but right there and then, ilang seconds lang at ilang linya lang ng mga karakter, before you know it, naiiyak ka na. It simply stretches your emotions from one end to the other. But it was one roller-coaster ride na hindi pwedeng hindi ka sasakay. Kaya ko nasabing effective yong film.

But beyond the emotions, it also has something for you to ponder. That is, if you’re sensible enough to use the scenes as a springboard para mag-isip at kuwestiyonin ang mga bagay na pinaniwalaan nating mga Pinoy. Lalo yong mga sabi nila.

Sabi kasi nila, bawal magsuot ng pula pag may patay. Sabi nila, bawal maligo. Sabi nila, bawal ding maglinis ng bahay. Sabi rin nila, bawal ang pagkaing may sabaw sa lamay. Sabi rin nila, kailangang ilaktaw ang mga bata sa kabaong ng iliibing para hindi dalawin ng namatay. Sabi nila. Sabi nila. Pero, sinong sila?, sabi nga ng karakter ni Roderick.

The film maybe hilarious but it gives us the real picture na marami tayong paniniwalang basta na lang natin pinaniwalaan. Mga pamahiin at sabi-sabi na ewan kung sino ang umimbento pero wala namang nagagawang mabuti sa atin. And Soxie, with this film, is challenging us to rethink those beliefs.

But enough of Soxie. Because beyond the wonderful script, realistic story line and marvelous directing, malaking factor pa rin yong mga actors. Kung bano at walang kwenta yong mga gumanap, wala ring kwenta ang pelikula.
But if you’ve got Dick Israel, Elizabeth Oropesa, Gina Alajar, Roderick Paulate and Manilyn Reynes as your principal characters, you’ll never go wrong.

Elizabeth is Dolores, the second of the brood at pinakamatandang babae sa magkakapatid, who has the most conflict with her father. Marami syang tampo sa tatay nyang namatay, damay ang kapatid nyang si Mameng. Pero sa burol na yon nasagot ang mga tanong nya at nalaman nya kung ano ang totoo sa likod ng kanyang mga tampo.

Gina is Mameng. Ang katampuhan ni Dolores. Dahil daw sya (Mameng) ang favorite ng tatay nila. Isa sa mga dramatic highlights ng pelikula ang confrontation scene ni Mameng at Dolores.
Roderick is Junie, ang pang-apat sa magkakapatid at junior pa mandin pero naging bading na showgirl. Tawa ako ng tawa ng dumating sya sa burol ng tatay nya na naka-red gown na backless pa mandin at halos kita na ang kuyukot. Sya yong kumu-kwestiyon sa mga pamahiin na nagkalat sa buong istorya.

Manilyn is Charing, the bunso among the 5 siblings na mabunganga at palengkera. Pero lumalabas na sya pa ang peace maker sa magkakapatid.

And Dick is the eldest. Nong una akala ko walang istorya si Kuya. Pero sya pala ang may hawak ng isang lihim na matagal nyang tinago at doon lang sa burol sinabi sa mga kapatid. Ano yong lihim? I’m not giving it away. Panoorin nyo na lang yong pelikula.

And oh, before I forget. Bakit Ded Na Si Lolo ang title at hindi Ded Na Si Tatay? Coz in the end, the story was told from the point of view noong bunsong anak ni Charing. At 9 years old, sya ang may pinakamagandang habilin sa lolo nya bago ipinasok ang kabaong sa nitso. Again, something na dapat nating pag-isipan at ma-realize na totoo. Ano yon? Hindi ko rin sasabihin. Bahala kayong manood.

It's Soxie's best work and I think it's gonna be difficult to top it. But I hope he still have a few tricks left in his bag and 40 Days Na Ni Lolo will be just as good.
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(with thanks to Miss Jones na nagbigay sa akin nong film).

beach

dahil eid holiday, nag-beach po ang mga adik nong monday sa al-bahar na akala ko eh sa half-moon beach ang punta. supposedly, swimming ang lakad namin don pero si james lang ang naligo at kami ay naghuntahan lang after dinner. after a while, nag-uwian na rin. nasabi lang nag-outing. at least nakalabas naman ako and had a break from my boring schedule na kain, tulog at internet.

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here's a few pix, sensya na late na kasi parang ang hirap mag-upload ng pix ngayon dito.

struggles in the sand

I’m not really into tv series. Lalo na pag soap operas. I’m too lazy to keep up a schedule pag nasa bahay ako. Ayaw ko rin nong nagmamadali akong umuwi so I won’t miss a tv show. Besides, it takes a lot para ako tumutok sa isang series. Nagsawa na ako sa dry humor ni Frasier, pati sa mga kasong paulit-ulit na sa CSI. Even Grey’s Anatomy naumay na ako. Sa Pinoy tv naman, kung sigawan, sampalan lang at mga bidang nag-iiyakan (even the lead male characters are now weeping like wimps!), wag na lang.

The last one I followed was Dr. Heo Jun, a South Korean soap (see posting beneath the bubbles dtd 24 nov 2007) mainly because it was replete with the Korean culture from customs to costumes, beautiful houses and palaces and breathtaking landscapes. In fact, it was my curiosity with their culture that caught my attention. Then the beautiful story sustained my interest.

This Ramadan, Arabian culture naman ang natutukan ko (dapat lang dahil nandito naman ako sa middle east di ba) when Dubai One showed a series called Seraa Ala El Remal (Struggles in the Sand). It’s an epic based on the lyrical poetry of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashed Al-Maktoum of the UAE. Again, it’s the culture that caught me. Then the beautiful story got me hooked. May iyakan pa rin, hindi naman mawawala yon. But it’s way beyond the drama.

It’s a story about love, war, treachery, forgiving and reconciliation between two tribes of the arabian Bedouins. A story beautifully presented by the production team using colorful depiction of traditions, habitation and costumes of men and women in their nomadic life. And so did the cinematography that captured life in the overwhelmingly beautiful yet unforgiving deserts.

Magagaling naman yong mga actors coz they were convincing kahit sabihin pang malayo ang hitsurang artista nila from the real Bedouins. Magaling din yong musical director dahil kahit hindi ko naintindihan yong theme song (which, of course, is in Arabic), it got stuck in my consciousness because of the haunting melody. Most importantly, the director Hatim Ali did a wonderful job of executing a project this size. Something known as tele-movie by the Pinoy tv lovers.

It’s a love story between Fahad and Hanouf, parehong anak ng mga sheikh of two warring tribes. Destiny brought them together in a beautiful brook in the middle of the desert. Fahad fell totally in love with Hanouf and he had to hide his real identity dahil nga magka-away ang tribo nila. Hanouf also felt deeply for the stranger who presented himself as Jawad. Imagine her anguish ng madiscover nya na ang lalaking minahal nya ay isa palang general ng kabilang tribo who is killing her own people in a war that put their love story through hell.

It’s also a story of two fathers – Sheikh Hammad and Sheikh Waddah – mga ama hindi lang ng kani-kanilang pamilya but also of their tribes who depend on them for their guidance and leadership. Nasa kanila ang gist ng story. Both compelled to engage in a war but later on realized the evil it brings. I could only surmise that it was Sheikh Mohammed’s own statement against tribal wars of the early Emirates.

It’s also a story of mothers – Um Amir and Um Fahad. They provided the heart of the story and you have no reason not to sympathize with them when they lost their respective children in a senseless war.

It’s also the story of Amir – Sheikh Waddah’s son and successor – whose kind heart resented war and violence. Parang dito inilagay ni Sheikh Mohammad ang kanyang personality coz Amir started writing poetry noong na-paralyze sya after fighting half-heartedly for his tribe. The poetry resurrected his hope, spirit and faith in God and life.

Behind it all, it’s the story of treacherous Speckled – pamangkin ni Sheikh Waddah (na hindi ko na nakuha ang totoong pangalan ng character. He was simply called speckled dahil may marka sya sa mukha). His hunger for power drove him to plot a devilish plan designed to give him the leadership of the tribe and, on the side, the love of his cousin Hanouf who loathes him. Together with his two cohorts, sya ang nag-orchestrate ng giyera between the tribes starting with the kidnapping of Hasnah and Nemah, both younger daughters of the two Sheikhs. But of course evil will not triumph over good kaya syempre, he was discovered.

Medyo complex ang story but what’s good about it is that well-developed ang lahat ng characters. At nabantayan ang mga actors in their respective portrayal making the whole thing quite believable. Dapat hindi lang sya pang-tv. It could very well be a full-length epic movie.

According to Wikipedia, this is the most expensive Arabic production for television at US$ 6M. Sulit naman dahil talagang maganda. It’s something the arabs can be proud of pagdating sa entertainment world.

And as a Pinoy, ako’y naiinggit. Bakit hindi tayo makagawa ng ganito kagandang production. Something na maipapakita ang kultura ng mga Pinoy. Something that can go beyond the materialistic mall culture na masyado nang sumira sa identity natin as Pinoys. I hope our television stations will come up with something better than remakes of old movies and Caparas’ novels.

he said, she said

I’m sad dahil ded na si Patrick Swayze who gave me some of the films I enjoyed like Dirty Dancing, To Wong Foo and most specially Ghost where I laughed and cried and fell in love. Sad din ako coz Roger Federer lost his cool in the US Open at nanigaw din ng umpire (what’s wrong with the US Open by the way? first it’s Serena then Roger? Hmmm). Ayun, talo din sya and Martin del Potro became the new US Champ. It’s also sad that unethical reporters twitted Obama’s remark about Kanye West just for the sake of sensationalism. Kakainis sila huh.

Pero ang mas nakakainis at nakakalungkot, ang nangyayari sa Philippine Senate.

Bakit? Just look at Ping Lacson using his privilege speech para tirahin si Erap. Mudslinging at its finest.

Bago kayo mag-react, let me explain. Hindi ako maka-Erap and I’m not cringing from whatever Ping is ‘divulging’ against him. Wala akong pakialam kahit anong pasabog ang gawin nya tungkol sa jueteng at kung ano-anong pag-abuso daw ni Erap sa power. Hindi yon ang pino-protesta ko.

Ang pino-protesta ko, ginagamit ang isang oras ng Senado para sa mga ganitong kababaw na purpose. Bakit hindi ang problema ng bayan ang i-discuss? Bakit hindi ang kakulangan ng pagkain, gamot, pabahay at iba pang basic needs para sa mahihirap? Bakit hindi gamitin para makapag-dala ng bagong ideas on how to stop corruption, poverty and social inequality sa Pinas? Bakit hindi mag-speech para i-encourage ang kapwa Senators to do their best to serve the country?

Dahil ba sinabing privilege speech gagamitin na kung saan gusto? Kahit sa kababawan? Kahit sa mga pang-sariling motives? Kahit sa demolition job at character assassination ng isang tao? Bakit?

Dahil ba if it is done outside the privilege speech, it would mean multiple counts of slander? Eh di ginagamit pala yan as protective shield. So what do you call it? Cowardice maybe one. Opportunism is another. Dahil ayan nga at may libreng isang oras ka na nakikinig ang mga Senators sa iyo. Libre pa at nakatutuok ang nationwide tv sa iyo. Heck, it couldn’t get any better than this, di ba.

So sige, abusuhin mo na. Tirahin mo na ang gusto mong tirahin.

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But of course we can find better ways to make use of this 60 minutes instead of barking like mad dog.

Dahil kung talagang ganon at may ginagawang kabulukan ang isang tao, then bring him to court. Idaan sa legal process. Kung talagang tumanggap ng jueteng payola, dapat tumindig as witness during the impeachment. Ilabas ang mga ebidensya. Wag idaan sa trial by publicity.

Ang nangyayari kasi, magpapasabog kuno. Sasagot ang kabilang kampo. Magkakahulan back and forth. All the time syempre naka-tv at dyaryo. Pag-uusapan ng buong bayan for a few days. So sikat ang nagpasabog. Damay din yong inaakusahan kuno. Laging in the news.

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Tapos magsasawa ang mga tao. Move on na naman sa panibagong controversy. So kung publicity hungry kang tao at gusto mong laging bida sa primetime news, hahanap ka na naman ng panibagong controversy para pasabugin. Making yourself no longer a Senator but rather a showbiz figure.

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All along, anong nangyari? Wala. It only feeds the hunger of a population that is so addicted to soap operas. In the end, ang vision ng mga tao, blurred na. And the line between reality and drama can no longer be distinguished.

Like Ping, ilang ‘pasabog’ na ba ang ginawa ng mga Senator na yan. From Joker to de Venecia to Santiago. May naparusahan na ba? May nakulong na ba? Pinagpipistahan ng bayan ang mga sinasabi pero hindi naman nakatulong para ma-solve ang mga problema ng bansa.

Kaya sana, the Senate will make use of their time on what they are supposed to be doing. Hindi yang ganyan. Daldal ng daldal walang kinapupuntahan. Tapos papatulan ang pag-iimbestiga ng mga kung ano-anong allegations. Senate is for legislation. And it should command one of the highest form of respect from the public. Leave the soap operas to the artistas and tv networks.

hotnothot 16

We’re going stateside this edition of hotnothot with 3 totally uncool celebs who made the headlines the last couple of days. I just can’t ignore them coz they’re superstars in their fields and yet they managed to make a big fool of themselves in front of billions of people who would have worshipped them had they reacted differently. Here goes…

Hotnot Jordan: Michael Jordan was inducted to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame last Friday. Something that he so rightfully deserve. Afterall, he’s the greatest basketball player to have ever graced the court. However, instead of the media heaping praises on him for such a lofty achievement, newspapers splashed tirades against His Airness immediately after the event. That’s because instead of saying something sensible to equal the honor given to him, he launched a string of snide remarks against people who crossed him in his rather superlative career. From the coach who cut him to players who he feels disrespected him, he slighted them in return right at the very moment where the spotlight should have shown why he should be rightfully called His Airness. Now, Bryon Russell, one of the players he specifically mentioned, retorted and posed a challenge to him, something like ‘bring it on’. Tsk, tsk. He (Jordan) should be reaping accolades because of that Hall of Fame. Instead, he’s getting more disrespect. What a shame.

Hotnot Serena. I’ve never liked the Williams sisters since their early days when they started making headlines in the tennis world not only because of their winning tournaments left and right but also because of their sharp comments against other players. They were the perfect picture of ghetto girls gone gaga from sudden fame and fortune. Over the years, Venus seem to have mellowed. But Serena? Not a bit. Proof is the latest fiasco in the US Open where she berated and foulmouthed a line judge for erroneously calling a foot fault during her championship match against the comebacking Kim Clijsters. "I would kill you" she yelled at the poor lady. But I guess the anger is not really aimed towards the line judge. For me, it was a veiled attempt to hide her frustration from the fact that she’s faced with a tough opponent who can easily beat her and bring her ires back down to earth. She was penalized for such behavior costing her the championship. And that, she rightfully deserve.

Hotnot Kanye. Another ghetto temper gone amuck. Cutting a teen-ager’s acceptance speech in a globally televised show to say who should have won instead? That’s Kanye West grabbing the mic from Taylor Swift at Sunday’s MTV Video Music Awards. Taylor Swift, a 19 year old singer/songwriter was accepting her award for Best Female Video when Kanye suddenly jumped in and said Beyonce should have won instead. Not just ungentleman but totally stupid. He is now the most hated celebrity in on-line forums.

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Wanna watch their inglorious moments?

ahimsa satyagraha

It’s been a while since the movie critic in DS was in a self-imposed hiatus. Napansin nga ng isang friend ko the other day na wala na akong nire-review na film. Wala kasi akong drive manood ng films lately. Nauuta na ako sa mga slambang flicks whose only selling point is it’s CGI. Sabi ko nga kay Jonas, I need something worth reviewing na wala naman akong makita lately. Until last Saturday night.

Dubai One showed Richard Attenborough’s 1982 classic, Gandhi. And since it’s a classic, wala talaga silang nilagay na kahit isang commercial gap. Cool. Kaya lang almost 3 hours run sya kaya pag ganito, tumatakbo na naman ako para lang maka-weewee. But I was glad na tinutukan ko yong movie dahil mortal sin pala talaga kung hindi ko pa ito napanood now that it’s on free tv.

It deserved all the awards (8 from Oscars including Best Picture, Director and Actor, 5 from BAFTA and 6 from Golden Globe) and both Richard Attenborough and Ben Kingsley deserved to be knighted mainly because of this.

It’s one grand, epic film na hindi nag-depend sa CGI (hindi pa naman kasi ito masyadong uso noong early 80s). Grand scenes were mounted and shot entirely through the artistry of the creative team. It is mind boggling to think that the multitude of crowds was not fake – they were real bit players, extras na umabot daw sa 400,000 during the funeral scene according to Wikipedia Impressed na ako dati sa dami ng extra sa Ben Hur at Cleopatra pero dito mas marami pa. Grabe siguro ang gastos sa bayad pa lang sa kanila.

Sir Richard did a wonderful job of managing such a huge project. His brilliant execution of scenes was evident from the quiet but very touching scene of Gandhi’s wife Ba (Kasturba) dying hanggang doon sa mga eksena ng violent clashes between thousands of Hindus and Muslims. I also liked the scene when Gandhi was assassinated where the screen went black immediately after the gunshot and Gandhi simply said “Oh God”. It’s so powerful only a brilliant director can concoct such scene.

Magaling din ang screenplay which was interesting – something na mahirap gawin lalo kung biopic where you have to remain loyal to the original story and at the same time kailangang masustain mo yong interest ng mga manonood (according to Wiki again, the film was ‘generally accurate’).

I also love the cinematography coz it captured the beauty of India’s countryside. Ang galing din ng shots doon sa cortege which was the opening scene of the film. First 60 seconds pa lang ng pelikula alam mo agad what to expect.

And of course there was Ben Kingsley who was the heart of it all. He fit the role to a T not only because of his physical similarity with the original Gandhi. But his genius breathed Gandhi and brought him into life on the big screen. Ang galing ng gradual transformation niya from a sharp young lawyer in South Africa to an activist in India and finally a stooping old man in his walking stick but a very powerful spiritual and political icon.

But because the film focused on Gandhi’s politics and not his personal life, may ilang tanong akong hindi nasagot by the movie itself. Ano ang relasyon nya sa clergy (Rev Andrews) who was present during the earlier part of the film? Bakit may linyang ‘you will always be in my heart’ si Gandhi when he told him (Andrews) to leave India and pursue his clergy works somewhere else (was it Fiji?). And Andrews reacted na parang maiiyak? Is the movie implying that Gandhi had an intimate relationship with this man?

Pinakita lang yong mga anak nyang lalaki but after that wala nang nakita kung anong nangyari sa kanila. And, somewhere in the middle of the film, bigla na lang lumitaw si Mirabehn, a British lady who converted to Hinduism, stayed on in Gandhi’s background na akala ko’y isa lang sa mga hawi girls nya until one scene towards the end na bigla akong napa “ahhh… second wife pala sya ni Gandhi”.

And there’s these two young girls na naging alalay na rin ni Gandhi nong matanda na sya at kuba na. With his first wife, Mirabehn and the young girls surrounding him, the movie seems to subtly imply that Gandhi’s powers span a wide range – from politics to virility.
Nevertheless, the movie was aimed to tell the story of Gandhi’s greatness kaya understood ko na hindi na masyadong binigyan ng pansin ang personal nyang buhay. Besides, with the running time of almost (or was it more than) 3 hours, baka umabot pa ng 5 hours kung sinama pa yong kwento ng pamilya nya.

And it was a delight to see a younger Charlie Sheen (as a reporter), Candice Bergen (as Margaret Bourke-White, a famous writer for Life Magazine) and a dashing Daniel Day-Lewis na mala-extra din ang participation in this movie a decade before he won his own Oscar Best Actor trophy.

As it is, it was one movie that so totally deserves its awards. And I do agree that it ranks as one of the top classic movies of all times. At masaya akong pinanood ko sya. Walang problema kahit past 12 na ako naghugas ng aking pinag-kainan! Hahaha!

pwede ba

Now that Noynoy has announced his bid for the Presidency, the Philippines’ political arena seem to have changed completely. Kung noon ay puro Villar, Roxas, Escudero, de Castro etc ang pinagtatalunan, heto at biglang pumasok ang isang pangalan that could easily be a dark horse, thanks to the recent outpouring of support for Tita Cory.

Sabi nga, kung ngayon daw gagawin ang election, Noynoy would run away with the Presidency. Dahil nga mainit pa ang reaction ng mga tao sa pagkamatay ni Tita Cory. That is why, ang mga nakapaligid kay Noynoy, kinarir ang pag-sulsol sa only son ni Tita Cory. Thinking that they have the ‘yellow’ vote or sympathy vote or whatever kind of vote na nakikita nila ngayon.

Ang tanong – will they be able to sustain this momentum until election time? Eh alam naman natin ang mga Pinoy, madaling makalimot. Si Imelda nga after palayasin sa Malacanang, ayan at binigyan pa ng parangal ng PICC nong isang araw. At si Willie Revillame nga bukas isang araw nakabalik na sa programa nya at wala nang magre-reak.

Whatever happens, maraming binago ang kandidatura ni Noynoy. Unang-una na si Mar Roxas who had no choice but to charge his million-peso infomercials to experience na lang. At si Korina na nabuhusan ang pangarap na maging first lady.

Nagkukumahog na ang ibang partido para bumuo ng kani-kanilang teams. Ang latest balita si Loren pumayag na raw mag-vice kay Chiz because of the straw vote ng kanilang partido. At si Noli de Castro daw nawawala na sa bilang ng mga presidentiables ng administrasyon. Salamat naman.

So let me give you my two-cent’s worth pagdating sa mga pangalan na lumulutang ngayon sa pagka-Presidente ng Pilipinas. I’ve also included a poll box somewhere in the right panel of this blog. Gawa tayo ng independent survey para makita natin kung ano ang pulso ng DS. Meantime, here’s my take on those wannabes.

Noynoy – pwede. If he will be elected as president, he has to keep the integrity of his parent’s names kaya siguro iiwasan nyang maging corrupt. Yon nga lang ang tanong – kaya ba nyang ipanalo ang laban?

Chiz – pwede sana. Dati bilib na bilib ako sa kanya. Kaso narinig ko na wala naman syang naipasang bill. Na kung totoo, he was more into style than substance. Tapos nabisto pang tira sya ng tira pero tumatanggap naman ng pork barrel. These things made me rethink his intentions.

Villar – mas pwede. With his clout as a respected Senator and successful businessman (kahit may gustong sirain sya) kayang-kaya nyang patakbuhin ang gobyerno. At siguro naman hindi na nya kailangang mangurakot dahil sobrang yaman na nya. (But then again, yan ang inisip ko noong nag-rally ako sa Edsa. And boy, was I wrong!).

Noli – hindi pwede. Para sa akin wala syang karapatang maging Presidente. Bakit? Naging Senador na sya at naging Vice President pa pero tingnan nyo ang Mindoro. Still one of the poorest and most backward provinces in the PI.

Binay – pwede na rin. I think he’s a man of firm resolve. Something na kailangan sa uupong Presidente. Sa dami ng pasaway ngayon lalo pa ang mga anay na naka-bantay sa kahit sinong uupong Pangulo. Besides, baka gumanda ang economy dahil may experience sya ni running the country’s premier financial district. Yon nga lang, baka pro-rich sya instead of being pro-masa.

Erap – pwede ba? Yan ang sinasabi kong madaling makalimot ang mga Pinoy. If Erap runs again, baka kailangang ipa-alala natin sa mga tao ang mga salitang Boracay mansion, Senate hearing at kahit iced tea na iniinom, hindi kinakain!

Jamby – pwede, paki-gising?! Tulad nga ng nasabi ko na dati, someone should shake this lady back to sanity. Baka nakatulog at nanaginip. O kaya gising pero tumira ng whisky kaya nag-hallucinate na kaya nyang maging presidente. Lalo pa ngayon na nag-reklamo ang mga hinawi nya sa DFA? Sus!

Marami pang pangalan ang lumulutang ngayon as presidentiables daw. Para sa mga ito, eto lang ang masasabi ko – pwede mag-dasal kayo at humingi ng guidance from above? Baka sakaling ma-realize ninyo that you will be doing the country a whole lot of favor kung hindi na lang kayo tatakbo. And if you’re still lost and confused, balik kayo dito after some time. You’ll know if you stand a chance – reliable ang on-line poll ko, walang dagdag-bawas!

hotnothot 15

Hotnot: Remember Caster Semenya, the 18-year old trackstar I’ve previously mentioned? Well it looks like the gender-bender issue is yet to get more controversial after an Australian newspaper reported a supposedly ‘leaked’ result of the IAAF’s gender test on Caster. The report says that Caster is a hermaphrodite – with sex organ of both male and female – and has no womb or ovaries. Making Caster more of a man than a woman. In reaction, the South African Sports Minister said that it will be ‘third world war’ if Caster will be banned from competitions because of this gender issue.

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Hotnot: The text tax bill that the Congress just passed. Kung hindi ba naman talaga pinapahirapan lalo ang mahihirap, bakit kailangang patungan ng tax ang text. Alam naman ng mga buhong na ito na ang text ang only means of communication ng mahihirap na tulad ko. We can’t afford to make voice calls all the time dahil mahal ang bayad. Kaya tyaga na lang sa text kahit mapudpud ang daliri. But these abusive technocrats, kokotongan pa kami. Bakit hindi na lang yang mga mayayaman ang i-tax ninyo sa mga kaluhuan nila. Wala talaga kayong awa sa mahihirap mga bwisit kayo!

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Hothot: Ellen DeGeneres taking the seat vacated by Paula Abdul in the American Idol. I think Ellen’s brand of wit and humor will be a welcome change from Paula’s overly sweet, sometimes far-from-reality comments. Though her remarks maybe encouraging for some, most of AI’s contestants need to be shaken back to earth and only a practical and factual assessment can do that. I only have one comment on Ellen’s inclusion in the show – with Simon and Randy, where’s the feminine touch to the judge’s seat? Hahaha!

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Hotnot: Kris’ statement that she had to work harder to support Noynoy’s campaign. Willing din daw syang ibenta ang bahay nya para lang makatulong sa campaign fund ni Noynoy. That way daw, hindi sila hihingi ng tulong sa kung kanino para maiwasan ang utang na loob which later on ay pwedeng maging dahilan ng utang na loob na kailangang bayaran ni Noynoy should he win the Presidency. Although maganda ang intention at tama ang reason, Kris and people in Noynoy’s camp should realize that it’s actually a tricky statement. Dahil kung sosolohin nila ang pondo, what then? Paano nila mare-recoup ang mga property nila at milyones na gagastusin? Hindi ba’t pwede ring pag-umpisahan yon ng demands nila kay Noynoy (again if he wins the Presidency) for favors para mabawi ang ginastos nila? Which means iiwas sila sa corruption from the outside pero pwedeng mangyari on the inside. That’s why they should be very tactful in their statements. Lalo na si Kris.

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Hotnot: Mo Twister and his stupidity. Ewan ko kung anong itatawag mo sa isang taong katsang ng katsang tapos magso-sorry din lang pala. Just look at what happened after his posting in his twitter about Ruffa Mae and Mikey Arroyo. Tapos ng mag-sorry idadahilan pa ang mga nababasa daw nya sa on-line forums. Being a broadcaster himself, where is his sense of responsibility sa mga sinusulat nya? Given na showbiz ang linya nya and he’s supposed to thrive on rumors and controversies, but that doesn’t mean that he has the freedom to write anything including baseless rumors. Daig pa nya ang chismosa sa kanto. And he’s pretending to be straight dahil lang sa may anak sya sa States? Come on! Ayan nga at pati buhok ni Noynoy pinintasan nya pa. No sensible straight guy will do that.

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Hothot: The talks that Justin Henin will be back in the tennis circuit after her hiatus. Although it’s still a rumor at this point, I’m mighty glad that at least there’s a tinge of hope to see her again on court. For me, she’s still the best women’s tennis player of this generation. Not the flamboyant yet erratic Williams sisters. Nor the inconsistent Russians like Petrova, Dementieva and Kusnetsova. Justin is one real talent we should be admiring for the longest time possible.

welcome back

last wednesday i was back in khobar after some seven or eight months na hindi ako napunta doon. i was with raoul, ega, james, mark and marco para sunduin ang mga galing bakasyon - matt, ricky, weng and sofia.

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we left jubail at 9pm dahil 2am (thursday) pa naman ang eta nila. but before we went to airport naglakwatsa muna kami saglit sa khobar and went back to get a taste of mughal na matagal na rin naming hindi nadalaw. buti na lang it's ramadan kaya hindi naman weird that we're having dinner at an hour close to midnight. as usual, sarap pa rin ng food and we stuffed ourselves bago nagpunta ng ikea at diretso ng airport.

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fortunately, hindi naman nagtagal ang paghihintay namin. we've barely finished our coffee and krispy kreme donuts (busog pa yon ha!) and dumating na ang mga hinihintay namin. matt lost some weight, napagod siguro sa bakasyon. kwentuhan naman kami ng kwentuhan ni ricky and weng on our way back to jubail kahit nagtulugan na ang mga kasama namin sa bus dahil 4 am na. but sofie was a darling coz she smiled at me when she saw me. hindi naman siguro nalimutan ang mukhang laging nagpapaiyak sa kanya! hahaha!

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the mughal newbies - marco, mark, james and jalil

tserman waiting for his favorite fried rice
matt and tito bong having a chit-chat

welcome back you guys!

liars go to hell...

(hiniram ko lang yong title kay raoul)

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a congressman being lectured by a tv host (buti na lang it's winnie monsod) regarding transparency, saln disclosure and in general, the law on national television? this is what you get when you lie to your teeth.

hotnothot 14

Hothot: Efren Bata and Django winning the 4th World Cup of Pool. Pitted against international teams, the duo proved once again that pool, just like boxing, is one sport where the vertically-challenged Pinoys can excel. Wag nang mag-ilusyon na kaya nating maging world champion sa basketball. Wake up you sports officials. I-develop na lang ninyo at suportahan ang mga magagaling sa pool or billiard, boxing at sa ibang sport na kaya nating manalo without having to pay half-breed Pinoys millions of pesos para lang matalo sa basketball, miserably, on international leagues. Tama na ang ilusyon.

Hotnot: Chavit Singson beating his common-law wife Che. According to Chavit, Che was a habitual cheater kasi may history na raw yong girl with Cogie Domingo. Then this Catral guy. Not that I’m condoning Chavit and his violent action. Pero kung ako nga naman ang nakahuli sa kataksilan ng isang taong minahal ko, I might do something even worse. Kaya nga marami ang crime of passion di ba. Swerte pa nga nong Che she didn’t end up in a drum na sinemento at hinulog sa dagat. At malas lang ni Chavit coz women are now protected with the law at nandyan pa ang Gabriela and other women’s groups to support the girl. Kahit pa sabihin mong she deserves the beating. Reminding us that we no longer live in the stone age na pag nahuli mong nangangaliwa ang asawa mo pwede mo na syang patayin by stoning kasama pa ang buong baryo.

Hotnot: Korina’s display of dramatic hysteria. Natawa lang ako nong mabasa ko sa dyaryo that Korina daw was crying in her radio program dahil sa kung ano-anong naririnig nya when Mar Roxas decided to get off the Presidential race next year. I can only feel for this woman. Ayan na nga naman at sinakripisyo na nya lahat para lang matupad ang pangarap nyang maging first lady. Umarte na nga naman sila ng katakot-takot in front of madlang people, drumming up even their wedding para lang makakuha ng media mileage ang boyfriend nya. Coz she wants to be the next First Lady. And she wanted it badly she could almost taste it. Tapos biglang pffttt… nawalang parang bola… este bula! Well maybe not this time Koring. Wag ka na munang mag-dadaldal so you can avoid making enemies lalo na si Kiko at si Mega. You will need them later on in 2016 (tama ba?). Yon naman eh kung matuloy pa ang kasal nyo ni Mar now that his Presidential dream is on hold.

Hotnot: Super Ferry 9 sinking in Zamboanga del Norte. Sa isang bansang dinadalaw ng isa, minsan dalawang dosenang bagyo sa isang taon, wag na tayong magtaka at mabigla. Ang nakakapag-taka, bakit walang nangyayaring improvement after all those tragedies starting from Dona Paz and Don Juan. Pumunta kayo sa mga port natin at makikita nyo ang mga barkong bumi-byahe within the islands of PI na kung hindi mga kalawangin, karamihan junk na ng ibang bansa. Most of them not seaworthy pero pinapasada pa rin. Pero may narinig na ba tayong naparusahan? Wala. Why? Ask nyo na lang kung sino ang mga may-ari ng mga barkong yan.