girls of summer

i was stressed from work, and i wanted to think of happy thoughts. so this came up. haha. my list of the best bodies in local showbiz. very apt post since summer is finally here.

1) angel locsin - phil younghusband has his victoria beckham in angel locsin. i'm disappointed that her f&h billboard has been replaced by venus raj.

2) marian rivera - she's the reason why i watched a couple of darna episodes. haha.

3) cristine reyes - my poster girl of summer. she's born to wear bikinis.

4) lovi poe - i've heard she's now single and ready to mingle.

5) iza calzado - she has shed off her baby fats and she's now one of the hottest bodies out there. hard work does pay off.

6) solenn heussaff - thank you survivor philippines. haha. and thank you penshoppe for putting up that big ass billboard along edsa.

7) bangs garcia - one of the best set of twins in showbiz.

8) anne curtis - she exudes that classy sexiness that we never get tired of.

9) gwen garci - i saw her up close in boracay a few years back. my jaw literally dropped.

10) ruffa mae quinto - i like curves, and she has them in the right places.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

so who are in you list???

pinatubo revisited - 7 years in the making

we almost didn't make it. the transport strike. the long wait. the rain. our "unpreparedness". but still... we made it to the crater in 2 hours and 15 minutes. that's freaking fast. thank you sarg. you're one crazy guide. you sent us to boot camp. the trip back was an hour and 15 minutes. by my standard, that's scary fast. i now have to nurse my blisters and sore knees. haha.

if you want to inquire about the pinatubo tour, call pinatubo spa town. here's the number -
09283410402. ask them to email you their tour packages.

station of the cross by church simplified

i visited bonifacio high street today for the station of the cross sponsored by church simplified. it's my second year. i'm a bit sad though because the solemnity i felt last year was gone. this may be brought about by the fact that quite a number of restaurants are open this year, and new orleans bourbon even had a lounge singer performing. i liked it better last year when only one resto was open and it was very quiet. business is business i guess.

http://churchsimplified.com/

go grab a copy of the are you listening brighter lights cd. brighter lights is the second installation of the are you listening? album series, and features some of the country’s top artists and musicians: jay durias, barbie almalbis, julianne, marcus davis, Jr., amber davis, nyco maca, paolo valenciano, robin nievera, the plan, jay enrile, and walkie talkies.

have a blessed weekend everyone...

visita iglesia 2011

just got home from my first visita iglesia in metro manila. we used to do it every year back in my province. so you can say that my last time was several years ago... possibly 10 years.

we were able to complete only 7 churches. we were planning to do 14 but unfortunately we didn't plan properly. maybe we will accomplish 14 next year. so we better start right after lunch on holy thursday.

1) holy trinity, manila
2) san sebastian, manila
3) loreto, manila
4) saint anthony, manila
5) st andrew, makati
6) sacred heart, makati
7) sanctuario de san antonio, makati

visiting the churches, especially the ones in manila, made me realize that the tradition is still very much alive. buti nalang.

have a blessed weekend everyone.

reflect. pray. and spend time with your family.

cersa 2010-2011 fantasy nba results

i was #1 at one point but i ended the season ranked 10th out of 15. that's 9 places down. it sucks to almost taste victory at one point, and only end up at the bottom of the heap. grrrr....

i ended the season with this lame line-up.

steve nash
george hill
cj miles
richard jefferson
lamar odom
channing frye
deandre jordan
tim duncan
wilson chandler
tony parker
andrei kirilenko
david west

the biggest mistake i made was trading kobe bryant and billups for steve nash and tim duncan. wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong move. o well, hopefully i learn something this. don't fix what ain't broken.

congrats to fat bastard for winning this year's cersa nba fantasy.

next year ulit!

frankie's sad songs

i like sad songs. the best songs out there are sad songs. but i do find it funny. why do we listen to sad songs when we're already sad? actually why do we listen to sad songs at all? are we all sadists? who wants to be sad?!

i think sad songs have power. it can turn us from a happy energizer bunny to a sad wrenched poor little creature in a matter of minutes, sometimes even seconds (even before the chorus, haha). sad songs have that kind of influence. it can bring us back to time when we got our hearts broken... then sliced, and diced into a thousand pieces. ouch.

so i guess human beings are sadistic creatures. we do love tragedy.

it's the same reason why romeo and juliet, and hundreds of other tragic stories are close to our hearts.

we are all like a child playing candles, burning our fingertips in the fire... checking out if it hurts. and when it does... it doesn't stop us from putting our fingers back into the fire again. perhaps to validate or to find out if we know better. we never learn. don't we?

"fascination can be found in touching the sorest regions of our hearts."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

frank sinatra, for me, is the king of sad songs. i never get tired of him. i guess it's because he sings from the heart (unlike most singers nowadays). and it's hard not to notice it and be affected. if not, you have a heart made of stone. hehe.

let me leave you with my list of frank's saddest songs.


1) In The Wee Small Hours of the Morning (1955)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqmgldSVgXM

i agree that sinatra was at his vocal best in the 1950s. "the emotional pain and longing that comes with losing true love can be felt in the phrasing of each and every word mr. sinatra breathes from his broken heart..."

this was performed live by john mayer for letterman two years ago. i think john mayer nailed this one...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnMUdNPBOmM&feature=related


2) I'm a Fool to Want You (1951)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEQm--gWvfA&feature=fvst

this song was dedicated to ava gardner. she broke his heart, and he was never the same. we have to thank her though coz his best works was during this tumultuous time. you can literally hear the pain and longing in his voice.


3) I'll Be Seeing You (1940)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1YLQFWbN6A

i get teary-eyed when listening to this. kidding. haha. wait, let me get some tissue. haha.

the version of michael buble and billie holiday are definitely worth mentioning.

michael bublé (1996)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2AgdxJYP74

billie holiday (1939)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXLB32n6lq8&feature=related


4) Blue Moon (1960)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bR4t8ZgW36E

blue moon is more depressing than it sounds. listen closely to the lyrics.

also covered by chris issak & the scotty moore band

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuCZDanw3aE


5) Three Coins in the Fountain (1954)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ld4c9FGDJ4

covered by a number of great artists but sinatra's version is still the best.


6) A Man Alone

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vS1lyQyQUAQ

this is a perfect example of a great song from someone who knew how to sing from the heart.


7) This Was My Love

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h63R7aaQy9g

we all can relate to this.


8) Maybe You'll Be There

sang by sinatra but popularized by diana krall.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMsvBwvZ7U8


9 ) I Think Of You

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vey6UO969EU

i love listening to this on a sunday morning reading the paper with a cup of coffee beside me.


10) One For My Baby

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODa_903vnLg

this goes well with beer... or whiskey...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

hope you like my listening to my list.

please don't slit your wrist. haha.

the bloomfields - hit the ground running

http://www.clickthecity.com/music/?p=11111

watch out for the bloomfields much anticipated new album. it's coming out this weekend - april 16.

"hit the ground running" will be available in all sm music and video stores. also watch out for the bloomfields' sm mall tours around the country.

buy original opm music! please support our local artists!

two good movies out there

if you're planning to watch a movie this week, why don't you try source code or hall pass. source code is quite interesting. it's ground hog day meets the matrix. this film is directed by zowie bowie who brought us last year's remarkable sci fi triller moon. this 39 year old british director is hollywood's next big thing. hall pass, on the other hand, is the funniest movie i've seen since the hangover. it's everything you expect from the farelly brothers. i've also made a mental note to search for nicky whelan pics in the web. hehe.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

i've been too busy lately to update this blog. i apologize for my lazy writing. hehe.

golf

"has anyone yet sung these delights of the game?... the sense of freedom on a great expanse, the exhilaration, the vastness, the buoyancy, the exaltation?" - arnold haultain (1857-1941)

"there's such a simple satisfaction in the sound of the ball rolling into the cup." - lee french (1878-1965)

"golf is not just an exercise; it's an adventure, a romance... a shakespeare play in which disaster and comedy are intertwined." - harold segall (1897-1975)

"by nature, men are nearly alike; by practice, they get to be wide apart." - confucius (1551-479 BC)

"our moments of inspiration are not lost... for those experiences have left an indelible impression, and we are ever and anon reminded of them." - henry david thoreau (1817-62)

"something about the sight of a fairway both soothes and excites me." - bob cullen (1949-)

"even when pushed to our limits of frustration, the focused beauty of a course can sooth and delight." - philip mendez (1921-1979)

"indeed, the hightest pleasure of golf may be that on the fairways and far from the pressence of commerce and rationality, we can feel immortal for a few hours." - colman mccarthy (1938-)

"stretch your lungs and your abilities on a rugged course beside the sea." - walter o'reilly (1901-70)

"the positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible and achieves the impossible." - charles caleb colton (1780-1832)

"take risks; if you win, you will be happy; if you lose, you will be wise." - proverbial wisdom

"we do not remember days, we remember moments." - cesare pavese (1908-50)

"the well-resolved mind is single and one-pointed." - bhagavad gita (C.4th-3rd Century BC)

"beauty of style, harmony, grace and good rhythm depend on simplicity." - plato (429-347 BC)

"you already possess everything necessary to become great." - native american maxim

"these are complete men and incomplete men. if you would be a complete man, put all of your soul's strength into all of your life's actions." - eugenio maria de hostos (1839-1903)

"the only thing a golfer needs is more daylight." - ben hogan (1912-97)

"this time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it." -ralph waldo emerson (1803-82)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

quotes to inspire one's game. hehe.

i had a good session today. 8 buckets in the driving range at villamor. that's around 320 balls!!! i'm expecting a painful day tomorrow. haha.

if you're interested in learning the sport, i can refer you my coach. it's best to learn the right way. send me a msg if ever.

manila autoshow 2011

http://www.manilaautoshow.com

i've heard this year would be the biggest ever. 23,000 square-meters of exhibition space! i'm definitely going to check this out. i hope to bump into jahziel manabat or abby poblador. haha.

see you there!

diving

"the reason why i love the sea i cannot explain - it's physical. when you dive you begin to feel like an angel. it's a liberation of your weight." - jacques-yves cousteau (1910-97)

"the sea? it's the blood in our own veins, impetuous and near." - eugene j. lee-hamilton (1845-1907)

"he who would search for pearls must dive below." - john dryden (1631-1700)

"wonder is the feeling of a philosopher, and philosophy begins in wonder." - plato (1427-347 BC)

"divine reality is a limitless ocean of consciousness and individual awareness is a far." - ramakrishna (1836-86)

"a moment later, one of the whales broke into song, an eerie underwater hymn that sounded like the low-pitched chant of a buddhist monk." - pipin ferreras

"behold the turtle. he makes progress only when he sticks his neck out." - james bryant conant (1893-1978)

"...the rising world of waters dark and deep..." - john milton (1608-74) from paradise lost

"here on the ocean floor is the only independence. here i am free." - jules verne (1828-1905) from 20000 leagues under the sea

"full many a gem of purest ray serene the dark unfathomed caves of ocean bear." - thomas gray (1714-71) from elegy in a country churchyard

"master, i marvel how the fishes live in the sea." - william shakespeare (1564-1616) from pericles

"every dive is a voyage into realms unimaginable - as far from our own study in the attic as the outer reaches of our galaxy." - louise soustelle (1911-62)

"my heart slows to eight pulses a minute, and i forget my body. at extreme dept, i am conscious only of my soul." - umberto pelizzari

"... how delicious it was to be totally without gravity like one of the great planing birds; he could go up, he could go down, he could stay right where he was." - james jones (1921-1977)

"ocean is more ancient than the mountains, and freighted with the memories and the dreams of time." - h.p. lovecraft (1890-1937)

"in all things of nature there is something of the marvelous." - aristotle (384-322 BC)

"not everything that dives into the water is a mermaid." - russian proverb

"the sea hath fish of every man." - william calden (1551-1623)

"the most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. it is the source of all true art and all science." - albert einstein (1879-1955)

"dive and know the depth; watch and discriminate; eat and know the taste - i long for people who do that." - the atharvaveda (c. 2200-1500 BC)

"the ocean is a mighty harmonist." - william wordsworth (1770-1850)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

summer means getting wet. i should really make time for my advance diving classes.

i'm passionate about diving. i'm just too afraid to embrace it.

majayjay falls

we kicked off the start of summer with a trip to majayjay falls last sunday.

how to get there? check this site or better yet, get a garmin gps =p

http://www.pinoyislands.com/taytayfalls-majayjay-laguna/

i'll be posting the pics soon at my fb page.

gn recommendations

here are some of the graphic novels that i've read recently. i highly recommend the first three, but the rest are also really good.

arkham asylum - sam kieth
murder mysteries - neil gaiman & p craig russel
the dream hunters - neil gaiman & p craig russel
jonah hex no way back - justin gray, jummy palmiotti, tony dezuniga
a god somewhere - john arcudi, peter snejbjerg, bjarne hansen
punisher marvel noir - frank tieri, paul azaceta, antonio fuso
wolverine origin - jenkins, kubert, isanove
matchless - gregory maguire


i'll try to read more graphic novels/comic books this year. my trip to the toronto comic con three weeks ago rekindled my love for geeky reads.