kelan ba tayo magkikita uli para mapgusapan na si Kris? Naku! Lahat na ng tao pinagusapan siya, tayo na lang hindi. Si Cel pala ang taya sa ating dessert next time tayo magkita-kita. Alam ko na yung pangalan ng cake na may fruits sa itaas. Hmmmm...cake.

the evening buzz, with kris and korina

Because I was sort of sick and had no other choice but stay at home and watch the evening news, I bring you the most important news in the country. Which of course, had something to do with Kris Aquino.

TV Patrol set up shop at the Aquino residence at Times Street. What can I say. Astig si Korina ha. Channel 2 turned the early evening news broadcast into a hybrid of the morning talk show and Sunday afternoon's chismis factory. If there's one thing you can count on the Pinoy, it's to stop everything and listen to the showbiz chismis. Hay.

So after the news roundup which consisted of a failed bank holdup, the results of the current survey from the Population Institute that a significant percentage of today's youth are okay with premarital sex and same-sex relations, and the President's public approval ratings dipping some time before she leaves for the UN meeting in New York and President Bush's visit to the Philippines, Korina Sanchez had a one on one with her fellow morning girl. (and oh, Julius Babao was there nga pala at the studio to report some of the, er, little news bulletins)

So here's the deal, as everyone knows them already:

Kris says Joey threatened her after she told him she's had enough and was leaving her for good. She can't remember what sort of gun it was, except that it was a big gun, silvery and the nozzle looked just so huge from her vantage point.

That Mayor Joey allegedly got jealous of Vic Sotto, that Kris was talking with him still, which Kris denied.

Kris apologized to Alma Moreno for getting in the picture when there was still a chance for the Mayor and Ms Moreno to get back together.

That she contacted a sexually transmitted disease from him, that he threatened to expose that to the public, saying "What man is going to love you after they find that out ei?" or words in that effect.

I think the interview lasted almost half an hour, and even Ms Aquino herself noted near the end that maybe at that point, viewers were already "questioning your [Korina Sanchez's] journalistic integrity." I have got to say that it was one of the most riveting news broadcasts I've seen in a while. It both amazes me that this will land the top news item for the week, and we are only too willing to sit back and watch this unfold.

I was texting some of the Team Angas people while watching this unfold, and our guy on the street says: "Ang masasabi ko lang, tanga si joey marquez. Tinutok yung baril, d naman pinaputok. Otherwise, iboboto ko na siya sa Senado."

This whole Kris Aquino thing alternately fascinates and revulses me. She slipped and fell off a stage it was a national issue. She got pregnant out of wedlock, it's broadcast all the way to Europe. Her breast augmentation was a national issue. Her breakup is a national issue. If she weren't the daughter of a national hero and the ex president, will she merit even the side bar of the metro news? I don't think so.

Yes, yes, I really have nothing much to do these days. So sue me.

balitang k at j

uuy para sa update sa split ng romansang kristeta at mayor joey. Diumano'y nagkatutukan ng baril, nagkasigawan at sakitan, na nag-cause ng mga bruises sa kutis porselanang alaga ng Kissa ni Kristeta. Sabi naman ni Mayor Joey, ayaw niyang matawag na bakla. At siya nga pala, ayon sa inquirer "live in lovers" pala sila. True ba?

Napulot mula kay Markmomukhamo!

oist hello din sa iyo. low-tech lang ito eh. yun bang tipong 20 hrs for php100 na "hello." pero keri na rin di ba? hehehe.

dennis, gusto ko lang sabihin na bilib ako sa sipag mong magsulat. sana madikit sa akin iyong iba n'yan.

hello! hello! hello! wala lang. cable internet is such bliss!

blind item

I was browsing the finance section of the inq7 when I came round to this article about taxes. Guess who's obliquely refered to in the article?

The kid who wrote all his misadventures at the BIR when he was applying for his taxpayer identification number and circulated his article via e-mail might disagree, but then again, he now has a taxpayer's identification number (TIN) after BIR commissioner Guillermo Parayno personally made sure his number was sent to him by post. That's the kind of image the agency is trying to project: it's taking some time to make changes, but we are serious about it.

Of course your guess is just as good as mine. Hehe.

How to kill UP

This is from Butch Dalisay's aliw 8 September column from PhilStar:

The fact is that we’re merely seeking to augment our paltry salaries, improve our facilities, and keep our best and brightest by – among other things – generating more income from our resources. We will continue to fight for our fair share of the national budget for higher education, but we know from sad experience that it is unrealistic, if not fatal, to assume that we will get all that we need and ask for. SB 2587 gives UP a fighting chance. Nowhere does it contemplate privatizing the university, and making profitable use of university assets is vastly different from commercializing education or selling diplomas.

The best and surest way to kill UP is to junk this Charter bill and to wait another decade for a new measure to make it through the legislative mill – while hundreds more of our best professors leave for higher pay, while our laboratories and libraries rot, and while hordes of squatters take over our undeveloped property. The students objecting to this measure now won’t have to deal with the consequences five years hence – they’ll be out of UP and even possibly employed by the same private corporations they so blithely dismiss and malign. Those of us who have committed ourselves to a lifetime of teaching and service in UP, on the other hand, will be left to deal with the results of their myopic politicking.

Why should the university be made to suffer and pay for the shortcomings of the national government? If the bill’s opponents feel that the government has indeed abandoned its responsibilities to higher education, they should seek a change in those who make policy in government – and not gut UP from within, or kill it slowly through stagnation.

Yeah, and I need not say more. Other interesting bits about finding the perfect toilet bowl, traipsing in Leyte with Juliana Palermo in mind, and the mysterious "Sa DZRH Toh!" incident in the senate as previously recounted by blockmate Arlyn.

Still on related news, found this Youngblood article by classmate Faye, everyone's favorite repressed Catholic virgin(?) on memories of a bakeshop incident.

Peace out everyone.

Balitang kalye

Dalawa lang ang jeep sa buong Batanes Island pero nagkabanggaan pa sila sa daan. Parang ano ba, imposible naman sigurong may road rage sila dahil traffic di ba?

In related news, Maynila was awarded by the Metrobank Foundation for outstanding city because of the Buhayin ang Maynila project by Mayor Atienza. Uh-huh. At least something came out from that multi-million expense that is Roxas Boulevard. Not that I mind, in fact I like going there now. But still, they could have chosen a less distracting eyesore than disco lights posing as lamposts right?

And in other semi-related news, some woman sues the Manila government because they closed off two of the national roads in the busiest streets of the city.

And in still nearly related news, Snapple, the finest drink in the world, is New York's official beverage. Kasi naman they're going to earn millions in endorsements and commissions. But Snapple is cool. I like their Ruby Red. If Manila is going to adopt its official beverage, what could it be? Sago at gulaman para sa Maynila, bottled in disco-themed bottles? What do you think? Hindi malayo di ba, especially if Atienza will see this as a money-making scheme.

Pirates of Quiapo Town

So hello heart disease na naman pala ang Friday night meal natin? Akala ko ligtas na ako sa aberya ng butas na bulsa hindi pa pala. Lol! Sige kung kelan man magaganap yan. Sana hindi maulan.

Btw, naglilinis ako ng files kagabi and came upon your story na "Lente." Mas gusto ko siya kesa dun sa other stories mo. Makes me wonder why kagabi ko lang siya nakita. But then again, dun ko siya natagpuan sa lumang documents folder ko. Gusto ko nga rin ng camera. Aba, at talagang digicam na talaga ang target mo.

About the video pirate, everyone's taking their business online na talaga. Sana mas marami pa siyang Film class required movies. Hehehe. Gusto ko ng Cabinet of Doctor Caligari saka ng Bunuel movies. Meron siyang Discreet Charm* pero I'm also interested in Viridiana. Yun yung may mala-Last Supper na scene na ewan.

Tungkol kay Wong Kar Wai, nakasalubong ko si sisterette mo pagkatapos ng screening ng Days of Being Wild. Isa lang ang tanong ng mga taong nanood dun na nawindang sa appearance ni Tony Leung. Anong connect ni Tony Leung sa istoryang iyon? Unless iyon ay isang 9 years in advance na prologue para sa In the Mood for Love. Kasi it has the same mood music, the same wala lang, nagsusuklay lang ako at magyoyosi sort of scene. Saka siyempre super hoot ang mga tao dahil umekstra na naman ang Pinas sa pelikula ni Wong Kar Wai. Tapos yung room number sa lodging house ay 204--malapit sa 2042 na title ng ginagawa niyang movie ngayon. Aliw nga manood eh kasi yung 2 other girls sa row namin alam din nila yung mga little trivia about the movie, saka nawiwindang din sila sa sudden appearance dun ni Tony Leung. Naalala ko tuloy nung natawa ako sa ItmfL nung binanggit na may bagyo raw sa Pilipinas. Hindi pa perfected ni Wong Kar Wai yung slow-mo music no dialogue pero may rain effect na eksena sa Days of Being Wild, pero ang pretty pretty na dun ni Maggie Cheung.

Last hirit: Nakakain na ako sa Ma Mon Luk, yehey! Nung Sunday kasi na-shanghai ako into attending mass sa Quiapo Church. Ayoko na ng ambience ng church na iyon. May mga lubid na nakapaligid sa mga pews so you can't just stand up and walk out in the middle of the mass pag na-bore ka. Hehe. Although that's a nifty move in preventing holduppers from fleeing, ayoko pa rin ng feeling na para kang walang kawala. Hindi naman ako bored, hindi naman ako holdaper, kaya puwede bang tanggalin n'yo na yung lubid? Parang ano ba yun? Church = prison? Eh.

Yung waiter sa Ma Mon Luk, puro ancient na. Pag pasok mo, yung counter nila sa gilid parang pang-cowboy saloon. Ini-expect kong lalabas na si FPJ any monument mula sa kusina. Tapos hindi pa kami sure kung kailangan bang pumunta sa counter para umorder, o lalapitan ba nila kami. Nilapitan kami ng Maangas na Waiter na nakasimangot. Inisip na lang namin ng mga kaibigan ko na sobrang pagod na siya. Para siyang tatay na mapipilitan kang mag-behave. Mami at siopao ang inorder namin, at sobrang bigat niya sa tiyan. Ni hindi nga namin naubos at ipina-take home pa namin yung isang mami kasi isang bowl ay meant talaga for sharing. Tapos paglabas namin, merong mamang long hair at kahawig ni Pepe Smith. Mukha siyang goon sa isang FPJ movie pero actually isa siyang limpya-bota. Uy ngayon ko lang nagamit yan after hearing it from Batibot eons ago, hehe.

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*Yung poster ng Discreet Charm resembles the poster for MASH. Hindi ko alam kung sinadya yun ni Robert Altman. Basta pareho siyang hand na parang tao:

vs

Crispy Pata Night!

O, nag-cocoordinate kami ni jol para sa crispy pata dinner natin sa Ken Afford na sobra kong binibida. Ikaw na lang jessel ang sagot sa dessert dahil me utang ka sa amin sa iyong nakalipas na bday. Haha! Kala mo makakalimutan namin? Kaya i-block na ninyo ang Fridays ninyo.

Sana nag-gatecrash ka na at andun naman pala si Claire na pwedeng magdala ng date. highlight of the night ko ay kinamayan ako ni Butch Dalisay (siya pa ang lumapit) at binati ako at sinabi pa niyang " Sana dumami." Si Jol, nagdala ng dv cam. Magu-upload daw siya ng streaming video. Haha!

Speaking of Hidalgo, kailangan kong pumunta doon para mag-canvass ng digicam. Samahan mo naman ako doon.

Astig ang team angas, pero di ako nakapag-gatecrash

Congrats kina Jol (para sa Essay in Filipino) at kay Astrid (para sa Children's Story) na nanalo ng kanilang mga unang Palanggana Award. Er, Palanca awards pala. Balita ko mukhang tao raw si Jol kagabi. Pare, super sulit ka na sa pag-aangas mo laban sa BIR. Grabe na yan. Di ka man wagi sa ibang bagay, at least you can claim na immortalized ek ka na in Philipppine Literature. Congrats din kay Astrid, na may Palanca na, may lovelife pa. Di ba, Jol? Hehehe. Kailangan na nating mag-Mang Jimmy's sometime soon.