It was the first Oscar for Best Actress Sandra Bullock (her 2nd nomination) and Best Actor Jeff Bridges (his 5th nomination). For the Best Actor and Actress in a Supporting Role (Jeff Bridges and Mo’Nique, respectively) their Oscars were their first (and their nominations were their first, as well). Isn’t that interesting?

In the beginning, when I the trend seemed to be the way it was—of winners being first timers (mostly both as winners and nominees), I already thought that Avatar would not win as Best Picture and Directing, despite its breaking all box office records. And I also thought that Sandra Bullock would win as Best Actress.

Except for Hurt Locker winning 6 awards (2 of them major), the Oscars were distributed among the nominees. I particularly am happy about UP winning Best Music (original score) and Animated Feature Film. And I am happy for Sandra Bullock.

Now I have a list of movies to watch in the coming weeks.

And yes, I did enjoy every minute of the Oscars, including the pre-show: The Red Carpet (source of pictures in the slide presentation), even if it took my whole morning and part of the afternoon away from work. Ah—that’s real entertainment. The gowns of the females were oh so glamorous and the men were oh so dashing—a feast to the eyes. Tomorrow and the days after, they would have been copied and selling like hotcakes in a lot of boutiques specializing in such.

Congratulations to the winners! Here is the list of winners:

Directing – “The Hurt Locker” Kathryn Bigelow
Best Picture – “The Hurt Locker” Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal, Nicolas Chartier and Greg Shapiro, Producers
Actor in a Leading Role – Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart”
Actor in a Supporting Role – Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds”

Actress in a Leading Role – Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side”

Actress in a Supporting Role – Mo’Nique in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
Writing (Adapted Screenplay) – “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher
Film Editing – “The Hurt Locker” Bob Murawski and Chris Innis

Writing (Original Screenplay) – “The Hurt Locker” Written by Mark Boal
Sound Editing – “The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson
Sound Mixing – “The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett
Art Direction – “Avatar” Art Direction: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg
Visual Effects – “Avatar” Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones
Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair
Cinematography – “Avatar” Mauro Fiore
Animated Feature Film – “Up” Pete Docter
Music (Original Score) – “Up” Michael Giacchino
Costume Design – “The Young Victoria” Sandy Powell

Documentary (Feature) – “The Cove” Louie Psihoyos and Fisher Stevens

Documentary (Short Subject) – “Music by Prudence” Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett
Foreign Language Film – “The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos)” Argentina

Makeup – “Star Trek” Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow

Music (Original Song) – “The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” from “Crazy Heart” Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

Short Film (Animated) - “Logorama” Nicolas Schmerkin
Short Film (Live Action) - “The New Tenants” Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson

Honorary Awards for lifetime achievements, exceptional contributions to motion picture arts and sciences, and outstanding service to the Academy.were given to: Lauren Bacall, John Calley, Roger Corman and Gordon Willis.

Got this from a very good friend, which I share with you, dear women friends:

Here’s wishing one of the most impressive women that I have met on the occasion of International Women’s Day. I do hope you can take time off from work and pamper yourself. Do enjoy this day, which belongs to you and great women like you.

Happy International Women’s Day to you all—the dear women of my life (my mom, my 3 girls, Caren and the 2 little ‘uns), and to you blog friends, Twitter friends, Facebook friends, Plurk friends, BlogWatch friends, Yahoo group friends, and yes my writers and VAs, and my colleagues (former and present). You know who you are !

Happy IWD to all you, dear mothers, grandmothers, wives, aunts, daughters and friends, a toast to women all over the world, to those who continue to suffer from all forms of discrimination and abuse, and to those deprived of the most basic rights. And this greeting goes to the women of your lives, dear male friends and colleagues.

March 8, International Women’s Day (IWD) is a global day that celebrates the economic, political and social achievements of women—in the past, the present and the future.

In some countries, men honor their mothers, wives, girlfriends, colleagues, etc. wth flowers and small gifts (IWD is now an official holiday in countries like Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Vietnam).

In some countries IWD has the status equivalent of Mother’s Day. Children give small presents to their mothers and grandmothers—a gesture so touching, “feel good”, and yes symbolic.

And by the way, next year is IWD Global Centenary 1911-2011.

But this time, my review will have to wait for at least a week after I watched the movie. This idea was toying in my mind for a while—how about reviewing a movie not immediately after watching it.

And true enough, the few days have made much of a difference. This was what I had “IN MY DRAFT” (IMD) for a while. IMD would have meant a lot of things—to remain IMD forever, to be revived and used for whatever purpose it was meant to be,  to be junked later and banished forever, etc., that is, depending on the circumstances.

If you want a 2-hour “emo” session, then Miss You Like Crazy is it. It’s not only “emo” as a good unashamed cry, but it is also a good laugh, an “oh so good feeling” not only in the end, but in the beginning, in the in-betweens and the unexpected twists and turns.

MYLC is a love story—with a little bit of twists here and there.

It is about almost everything. It is about choices, priorities, commitments, selflessness, selfishness, unselfishness.

It’s about first chances, second chances, foregone chances…

It is about time…it’s about faith…it’s about fate.

It is about hope, hopelessness and hopefulness. It’s about promises, betrayals, hurts…

I don’t mind if it has borrowed or copied scenes, quotes and ideas from popular Hollywood movies—this is what Filipino movies are made of, don’t you agree?

It is a simple love story, made great by the right choice of actors and actresses, the script/dialogues, the technical factors, the lightning, etc.  You will see the typical OFW who has to take care of family…taking on the responsibility of head of the family—in lieu of an ill father who earlier chose another woman over his family. It is about aspirations for an improved life, a career, relationships—it is really about many things. You will see a young man at the peak of his career (and in a relationship with the daughter of the CEO) who could not make a firm decision.

It doesn’t have a loud message to say, it does not have rain dances, nor the breathtaking view of a Greek island, but it has the good looking John Lloyd (oh yes, he is really good looking, I could swoon) and the equally beautiful Bea (her hair and make up are done so well, I could hear some whispers in front of me and at the back to this effect) as leading stars. And yes, the kilig factor.  I could not relate the title “Missing You Like Crazy” with the turn of events. It was not really missing like crazy, but more of falling in love in so short a time (but not in the right time),  timing, or moving on, or the universe conspiring, but then, of course the title of the movie carries a lot for its commercial value.

Overall, I will give the movie, Missing You Like Crazy, a 4 (out of 5 stars).

I have watched a lot of Hollywood movies, and even after many days, weeks, or months (even years), they still linger in my mind, at least my favorites, the likes of Sleepless in Seattle, Nottinghill, The Notebook, Bridges Over Madison County, Serendipity, Pretty Woman, My Best Friend’s Wedding, You’ve Got Mail, Titanic, Shrek, Transformers, and a lot more. I would not mind watching them over and over again.

Not that I am stereotyping Filipino movies—they have no recall as far as storyline is concerned. It’s kinda difficult for my brain to recall, even at least the significant moments.  What do I remember of the past Filipino movies I watched, except the breathtaking view of a Greek Island of the Richard Gutierrez and KC Concepcion movie, the rain dance of Sara Geronimo and what else? My brain won’t work. Is it just senior moments? I am not sure.

But in fairness—they make you feel good (and emo)—that is, feel good (and emo) at the moment, and maybe a few days after that. But that’s just that—entertainment “on real time”, but not after a while. Entertainment for the P190 you pay for a movie in a decent movie house. Multiply that with the number of kids, parent, or spouse joining you in the movie is a lot of money—I could have just waited for the DVD version to come out. It’s easy renting them at Video City, and far cheaper, watching in the convenience of home, snacks and all.

But then, maybe this is the formula that our local movie industry has come up with—no need to make unforgettable ones, only commercial ones to earn a lot of money. Times are indeed hard, and nowadays, spending between P150 to P190 a piece for a movie is a lot of investment. Sad…

We commiserate with our brothers and sisters in Chile (and still with them in Haiti), and  maybe send our national contingent, our donations, and our prayers. Again, we can learn our lessons, and  as President Barack Obama said, “We can’t control nature, but again, we can prepare for disaster when it strikes.”

Earthquakes are natural calamities which most people do not consider an environmental issue. But are they not the direct results of the world’s ecological woes?

We have not been kind to Mother Earth—what have been developed over millions of years like coal, and the wonderful trees over thousands and hundreds of years, we have destroyed and continue to destroy in an instant to suit our needs. We have abused Mother Earth to the very core. Our rivers are dead, mountains denuded, etc., etc.

The realities of global warming have become more and more real as the years go by. It is not too late, though it will take a long long time before we can bring back the glory of Mother Earth, perhaps in hundreds or thousands of years—which our generation and the next can pursue. The fact is—if we have not started yet, we should. It is never too late, even if the reality that Mother Earth is in a big crisis dangles in our very faces. We must not have listened to what the environmentalists have been telling us—they fell on dead ears. As Atty. Tony Oposa, an award winning world renowned environmentalist has shared, he had spent most of his years talking to mature citizens about caring for the environment, to no avail. The situation has gone worse. Now he is using his time in educating the youth through his Save Our Seas Program hoping that the youth would make a difference.

In our individual way, no matter how small, we can create a tiny impact, which when put together could make a difference.

• Reduce, reuse, recycle. There is a lot into this. To the extent possible, use reusables rather than disposables, buy economy sizes if this suits you, join recycling projects in your school or community. There are companies like Ayala that buy recyclables. Dispose of our wastes properly.


• Find ways to conserve water (we could not believe that water will one day be deplete—look what’s happening now, the water level in our dams is becoming critical, and it is just the beginning of summer). Check for leaks. Educate each family member on the use of water. Our water bill is down from almost P2th a month to P700.


• Find ways to conserve energy. Insulate your walls and your attics (we did just that—and you could find ways of not spending a lot of money for that), replace your light bulbs, from incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent light (CFL). Use energy efficient products—check the labels and get those that use less energy. Schedule ironing of clothes, learn to use less hot water for bathing (most of us in the family now don’t use hot water), learn to use OFF—turn off lights when not in use, turn the water dispenser off in the evening, open the windows to let the air in, turn off the TV when you’re not watching (yes—most times the TV is just on and no one’s watching), etc. We have also installed double switches in the stairways. You can even get out of your comfort zone, like working in a cooler place in the house rather than turning on the air conditioning. It’s amazing how our electric bill has been down from P10th+ to less than P5th over the past 5 months.


• Start planting—trees, plants, flowers. Add chimes and functional chairs—you not only help save the environment, as trees and plants absorb carbon dioxide and give off oxygen, but they also de-stress and soothe the mind and the body. Try it.


• Share the experience with others, with your parents, friends, colleagues and neighbors, even with taxi drivers if you take a cab.

It is never too late! There are lots of things to do…

“I think the environment should be put in the category of our national security. Defense of our resources is just as important as defense abroad. Otherwise what is there to defend?”—Robert Redford

It is Farmville for Real (not FB Farmville).

Oh yes, the kids had fun! They fed the calves (baby cows, that is), they admired the heifers and the bulls, they had fun in the haystack (needles, anyone?), viewed the silos (now I know how a silo looks like), watched in amazement the white/spotted, black and brown cows, and almost brought home a puppy (they are fed with cow’s milk—lots of it).

Twenty five years ago, their Kuya (Angelo) and Ate (Mox) had all the chance to see these animals in the farm during our out of town trips—the carabaos, the goats, the cows, the hens, the pigs, the monkeys…but now—most of the time the kids see them only on pictures, on magazines, on the Internet, and yes, on Farmville. How I wish it were different…how I wish there were more lush greens, more grass for them to graze..how I wish it were not so hot!how I wish we all cared for Mother Earth…...how I wish…

Now, Farmville for real, anyone?

I have been wanting to write a blogpost to accompany my thanks to my friends and dear ones who greeted me on my birthday, even to those who have forgotten to greet me, to those who greeted me belatedly, to those who have greeted me half-heartedly, and to those who greeted me for the sake of going through the motions (no pun intended). Nevertheless, thank you dear all

The past few months have been very hectic for me in terms of work, and in terms of the many tasks of moving to a new home, and the many decisions to make and the stresses attached to it. On the very Ondoy Day, we decided to move out of our home for 13 years from Maginhawa Street in Teachers’ Village to our new address in Loyola Heights in QC. We moved out the next day, 2 weeks early (since we were to move out anyway, and since the boys’ pad was flooded (by a few inches only, the very first time this happened).

And the rest is history—we are better situated now, the kids are happier, our place is nearer their schools and it is more convenient for all of us.

I have been amiss in my emails, in Facebook, in Plurk, even in meeting up face-to-face with friends that I keep. I have ceased being online 24/7 (my byline—online almost 24/7 to serve the needs of my clients….and friends). I must have been drowning…drowning…drowning…at work maybe? No, I have been sleeping…sleeping…sleeping…

…and literally and figuratively—I have stopped and smelled the flowers!

It is never too late to do so.

Literally…

I have now my own pocket garden (not really my own as I share it with the rest of the family and Mucci). Simple plants and flowers to start with—low maintenance, just sun, water, and lots of TLC (thanks to Monica). Nice chimes, comfortable chairs, scented candles…

Time stops when we take time to appreciate the flowers (and the plants), talk about them, talk to them flowers (and them plants)...and talk to each other (them kids) and listen to beautiful music (with its magic…with its mystery).  Time stops when we sit down comfortably to read magazines, books—together while Mucci plays around or lazes around, or by my loneself…time just stops…my mind just stops thinking…my brain stops working…and I doze away…while time flies…while the rest of the world goes by. This is the advantage of having one’s own sweet time…of early retirement (but not—as I still have my wonderful home job).

Figuratively…

In a span of a few weeks, I have discovered a lot of things—things that have always been there but taken for granted, things that have always been thought to be very important but have become meaningless, things that have always been there but suddenly gone, things that I have thought to be mine but in reality were not, things that I thought were real but not, and many others. Btw, when I say “things”, I don’t mean “just things”. Things may be people, things may be occasions, things may be live, things may be inanimate … and yes, things may be “just things”.

I have learned that happiness is indeed a choice, and not dependent on other people. Why not? I am surrounded by family. I have friends. I have good neighbors. I have my advocacies. I own my time and I am free to do what I like within the norms of decency, ethics and religion.

There is always time for every thing. There is time to set aside the frustrations, the expectations gone to naught, the hurts, the pains, and the many things that bother us from day to day.

Yes, I will continue to smell the flowers…there will be no more expectations for me, no more frustrations—all else positive that come out of my life are now bonuses. If I could…I would.

And I thank the good Lord for another year. Though belated, happy birthday to me!

Next year, I will be 53!

But what caught my attention, which has given me a great disappointment, is an article written by one of its writers, Christina Mendez—”Gallunggong price? I’m a vegetarian—Jamby.” It was written here that,

“..at a university forum when she was unable to…”

“…in a forum at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City yesterday.”

Just because PDI is a direct competitor should not mean that The Star would not and should not mention the name of the forum. For me, it seems like covering up an inconvenient truth.

Now I am made to wonder, up to what extent will this large circulation newspaper, or any other newspaper for the matter, is ready to hide the truth—any inconvenient truth?

How can newspapers, or media for that matter, give people “informed choices” which incidentally is the title of The Star’s main editorial, if this is how they behave?

Sigh

Villanueva, delos Reyes and Villar have made it clear early on that they are against the RH Bill because it promotes artificial methods of contraception as a means to curb our rapidly growing population. Being closely identified with the Christian doctrines and those of the Roman Catholic Church, respectivley, they adhere closely to their churches’ position on the issue. Villar is an active member of the Couples for Christ while JC’s Ang Kapatiran Party (AKP) is the only party that includes a spiritual dimension in its platform of governance.

Read about the stance of each of the presidential candidates on the RH Bill here at blogwatch.ph.

Three months from its formal launch, I have personally met 7 (and some vice presidentiables) out of the 9 through Blogwatch interviews, attended forums and debates, listened on radio and watched them on TV, made some commentaries and observations—and more or less I have made my shortlist. There are 3 more months to go, and a lot is yet to happen…before I cast my vote.

ANC’s Harapan Forum at the UST College of Medicine’s Auditorium.

ONE of them will be President come May 2010.

JC delos Reyes

Nick Perlas

Manny Villar

Bro Eddie Villanueva

Dick Gordon

Gibo Teodoro

Noynoy Aquino

I am yet to meet Erap Estrada and Jamby Madrigal—interview schedules are being finalized by the Blogwatch Team, but I attended the Presidential Forum last month.

Here are the posts I have written so far:

• I am NOYNOY—say it NOW!
  
• The ‘Hard’ Dick and ‘Mr. Political Will’: a tandem for transforming the Philippines
  
• Gaining momentum: Nick Perlas scores support of Ayala, Torongoy and Alexander
  
• Championing alternative politics for a better Philippines
  
• Ang Kapatiran Partylist: Championing Alternative Politics


• Are Pinoys ready for a new kind of politics?


• Top 10 resolutions of the Pinoy voter
  
• Burning questions
  
• Dick Gordon- tried and tested?
  
• Strange bedfellows
  
• That’s CGMA to you
  
• Chiz Escudero—Was it youthful folly, idealism or plain “suntok sa buwan?
  
• Lakas-KAMPI-CMD
  
• Loren Legarda—The Political Butterfly
  
• Erap—second time around?
  
• Gibo for 2010?
  
• Voter’s registration extended
  
• Is Noynoy worth a vote?
  
• Understanding the ARMM Elections
  
• Absentee Voting
  
• Election Fever…and The Blog Watch
  
• Meeting Our Presidentiables: Nicanor Perlas—An alternative to traditiona “winnability”

Here are their websites, if you want to be kept updated on their backgrounds, activities and platforms:

1. Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” C. Aquino III (Liberal Party (LP))
2. John Carlos “JC” G. de los Reyes (Ang Kapatiran Party)
3. Former Pres. Joseph “Erap” E. Estrada (Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP))
4. Richard “Dick” J. Gordon (BAGUMBAYAN)
5. Sen. Maria Anna Consuelo “Jamby” Madrigal (Genuine Opposition)
6. Nicanor Jesus III P. Perlas (Independent)
7. Former Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” C. Teodoro, Jr. (Lakas-Kampi-Christian Muslim Democrats)
8. Bro. Eddie C. Villanueva (Bangon Pilipinas)
9. Sen. Manuel “Manny” B. Villar, Jr. (Nationalista Party)

WHAT:
UP ICU Launch
-Ayala Recyclables Fair
-Talk by world renowned environmental lawyer Atty. Antonio Oposa
-Environmental Gallery

WHEN:
February 9, 2010, Tuesday
8:00am-3:00pm
4:00pm-6:00pm

WHERE:
School of Economics Parking Lot
School of Economics Auditorium

WHO:
Entire University of the Philippines

Be a part of the first ever university-wide environment campaign, ICU or “Isko Cleans UP” by attending the ICU LAUNCH with the Ayala Recyclables Fair, a talk by world-renowned environmental lawyer Atty. Oposa, and a gallery on February 9, 2010 at the School of Economics parking lot and auditorium. Turn your trash to cash by selling your recyclables to Ayala, then learn more on how to take care of environment by attending Atty. Oposa’s talk. Be a part of UP’s green greatness! Let us make the BEST university be the CLEANEST university as well. Isko, Clean UP! I C U there!

Brought to you by: Team ICU together with different environmentally- concerned organizations.

Start collecting those recyclables and earn lots of cash!UU

WTF

Yesterday was the Senate’s last day in session, a day which supposedly should have been spent on a lot of important things for ratification and for reporting—two of which were the C5 and the ZTE-NBN deal. And yes, the Proposed Freedom of Information Act.

AND there was no quorum, AND the Senate had to close shop to resume only by the end of May after the elections.

WTF

Yesterday’s last session in the Senate, because of the absence (boycott is more apt) of a number of senators, important laws were bypassed and committee reports are now left pending, un-reported—IN THE AIR Archived in the meantime, among others, are:

-    Senate Committee of the Whole’s report on the C-5 controversy
-    Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s report on the national broadband network deal
-    Proposed Freedom of Information Act
-    Reproductive Health Bill
-    The Early Voting Bill
-    Philippine Immigration Act
-    Proposed Philippine Tax Academy
-    New Central Bank Act
-    Cybercrime Prevention Act
-    National Telecommunications Commission Reorganization Act
-    LPG Industry Regulation and Safety Act
-    An Act Defining and Penalizing the Crime of Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance

It is the same Senate that spent a lot of time investigating (I mean screwing up) on the ZTE-NDN deal and demanding for the release of the committee’s report.

While the following senators were present in yesterday’s session—Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, Gingo Honasan, Richrd Gordon, Mar Roxas, Noynoy Aquino, Jamby Madrigal, Kiko Pangilinan, Senate Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada and Migs Zubiri, the following were absent (boycotted)—Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel, Manny Villar, Alan Peter Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, Loren Legarda, Edgardo Angara, Manuel Lapid, Ramon Revlla, Jr., and Miriam Defensor Santiago. Panfilo Lacson has fled the country, escaping from the Dacer-Coribito charges while Antonio Trillanes IV remains in jail, thus he has no voting power.

This was seen by Enrile as an apparent move by Villar and his supporters to prevent the disposition on the C-5 controversy that was supposed to be tackled in the last working date of the Senate. This report could have been a basis for the voting population in making an informative decision.

Is the Senate a venue for any of our senators to serve their personal motives? For whatever will suit and favor them? What did we vote our senators for? To draft legislation and create policies, of course, as their most primary task. Now, why do they, in their last working day renege on their responsibilities? Sarili muna has been the norm rather than the default.

For another, why flee before the Senate closes? Oh well, it is obvious.

YET, they have the guts to run as the next president of the land, as the next vice president, run for reelection (am not sure if there is one among them running for a lower position in the government just like you know who).

It is SAD! It is sickening! It is tiring. Our senators have a huge responsibility to the Filipino people—and they have to be made accountable for their misbehavior. We censure our children to do good in school, to be empathic, to follow the rules, and to be law abiding citizens. It seems like there is very little left for our children to emulate. What example do they get—when our leaders, from the highest in the land to them who walk the halls of the Senate do not behave the way they should. Their integrity is tarnished by the day, it is tarnished now more than ever.

Well, we voted for them—this is the glaring truth. This time, let us vote intelligently—know the issues, listen to the candidates, ask questions, discern the truth, and know our options before finally casting that important one vote.

Nick Perlas on Blogwatch. Watch the livestreaming of Blogwatch’s interview with Nick Perlas on Monday, 18 January, from 6 pm to 8 pm. Watch at ustream.tv/channel/blogwatch and justin.tv/blogwatch. You may send in your questions in advance (post a comment, if you wish), and we will do our best to ask the questions on your behalf.

About a month ago, Nicanor Perlas, a candidate for the 2010 presidential race, was disqualified by the Comm ission on Elections (COMELEC) from the 2010 elections, much to his and his supporters’ dismay. Dismissed by COMELEC second division as a “nuisance candidate,” Perlas allegedly did not have the capacity to wage a nationwide election campaign and did not have enough supporters—he did not even have a political party. Naturally, Perlas and his supporters waged a legal and awareness campaign to reverse the ruling. The move proved successful, resulting in the issuance of Resolution 8743 where the Comelec en banc allowed Perlas and Liberal Party (LP) senatorial bet Danilo Lim to be included in the final list of candidates. The resolution recognized Perlas’ public service track record and his ability to wage a nationwide electoral campaign and that he had a network of supporters and ability to access national media. With this development, there are now ten candidates on the Presidential slot and 62 vying for Senate—the biggest number for both posts to date.

Let’s say, this is a blessing in disguise for Perlas and his supporters, who surprisingly are gaining in number. Talk about new politics and the power of the Internet.

Read more on Nick Perlas and PANGMASA’s platform in Blogwatch.

Just like in previous years, I was there at 7:30 am to witness the delivery and installing of the tarpaulin announcing Best of the Best SY 2010-2010 and at exactly at 8 am, the delivery of the bulletin boards and their unveiling for all to see.

Silence at first…people almost wanted to clap, then when the results were bared—there were students cheering, shouting to their hearts’ delight, saying YESSSSSSS—they passed.

Yet, there were some who were crying, sobbing, or walking away with sadness in their faces—they didn’t pass.

Yest still mixed feeling of thanks—this is almost it, by students and parents—they are waitlisted. Good enough, those who are waitlisted have a big chance of being accepted. It’s a matter of making a good appeal. Instructions on how to go about the appeal will be given in ADMU’s official website.

As for me? I am very happy with the results.

See here—PICTURES OF THE RESULTS.

Because I found this:

In 2007, the Chocolate Manufacturers Association in the United States, whose members include Hershey, Nestlé, and Archer Daniels Midland, lobbied the Food and Drug Administration to change the legal definition of chocolate to let them substitute partially hydrogenated vegetable oils for cocoa butter in addition to using artificial sweeteners and milk substitutes. Currently, the FDA does not allow a product to be referred to as “chocolate” if the product contains any of these ingredients.

In September 2008, MSNBC reported that several Hershey chocolate products were reformulated to replace cocoa butter with vegetable oil as an emulsifier. According to the company, this change was made to reduce the costs of producing the products instead of raising their prices or decreasing the sizes. Some consumers complained that the taste was different, but the company stated that in the company-sponsored blind taste tests, approximately half of consumers preferred the new versions. As the new versions no longer meet the Food and Drug Administration’s definition of “milk chocolate”, the changed items were relabeled from stating they were “milk chocolate” and “made with chocolate” to “chocolate candy” and “chocolaty.”

So, this is the reason why Hershey’s Kisses, Hershey’s Bar, Kissables, Mr. Goodbar, and Krackel have tasted—somehow differently, somehow lacking in umph! in freshness, somehow notches lower than how they used to be. They no longer melt in my mouth the way they used to—rather crude or grainy I would say. And they’re crumbly—not as smooth.

Hershey’s Kissables Milk Chocolate is now called Hershey’s Kissables Chocolate Candy. Whoa!

Replacing cocoa butter with cheaper vegetable oil—to cut costs? Maintaining the size and weight instead of making them smaller and lighter? (at the same time keeping the packaging the same).

And they’re not telling! They would have at least informed us and explained to us that the taste would still have been the same (?)

They’re Hershey’s Chocolates no more! They’re Hershey’s Mockolates as coined by many.

I love Hershey’s Chocolates—I truly do. Now? Hershey’s Mockolates? So sorry, it’s like giving me a poor substitute. They’re just candies, as their very heart and soul—cocoa butter is there no more. From “milk chocolate” they are now “chocolate candies”, “chocolatey”, and “made with chocolate”.

This must be the reason why nowadays I buy more of The Kit Kats, the Meiji Macadamia Chocolates (still a favorite), the Ferrero Rochers, the Toblerones, the M&Ms, Snickers, and the Cadburys. Or have they also reformulated?

And not to forget our very own Choc Nuts!

photocredit: here and here.

Like the North Star, principles guide and provide directions to those who look upon it. Inflexible, principles do not bend for exigencies, the practical and the here and now.  Principles govern the future.  Ang Kapatiran Party may be strapped for cash, but it is not short on principles that guide their group.

Formed sometime in 2004 by Chairman Emeritus and Founder Reynaldo D. Pacheco, Ang Kapatiran Party (AKP) or The Alliance for the Common Good is a Comelec-registered national political party associated with the Roman Catholic Church.  The group, however, is open and has members coming from other denominations willing to adhere to their advocacies. The group made its political debut, so to speak, during the 2007 elections, fielding three candidates in the persons of former executive director of the Presidential Commission on the VFA Zosimo Jesus Paredes II, Gastroenterologist Dr. Martin Bautista and family law and taxation lawyer Adrian Sison (a fourth candidate, lawyer Mario Ongkiko dropped out because of diabetes and hypertension, on doctor’s orders). Despite the positive remarks from famous columnists about the personal merit and integrity of these candidates, their staunch adherence to a clear platform of government and a favourable endorsement from no less than the influential CBCP (no doubt because AKP’s platform of governance hews closely to Church teachings), none of AKP’s senatorial candidates won. JC De los Reyes is perhaps the group’s only local candidate who won an elective local post—as councillor in Subic.  And even that victory was not the sole work of AKP but shared with the Gordon clan to which De Los Reyes happens to belong.

Read more from Blogwatch here.

There is something grievously and monstrously wrong about how our political system works and our collective mentality towards politics, which we consider always in conjunction with the adjective “dirty,” though the Greeks who coined the term “politics” never intended it to be so associated. The mockery we make of our electoral processes prove this point. Countless of times have we seen it in the national and local elections—the popular, the rich, the powerful, and the well-connected and oftentimes even the incompetent candidates win! We are practically run by “trapos” and political dynasties bent on seeking and keeping power over and above the collective good, thus leading to and feeding off of systemic and pervasive corruption in government and all levels of our society, much to the detriment of the Filipino people.

Read more here at Blogwatch

All the Single Babies
This cute video was posted to be watched by a couple of relatives, but little did the parents know that the video would be passed on and on until it was watched by millions of viewers the world over. The donations received for the video is set aside as his college funds. Now, isn’t that precious?

David After The Dentist
“Is this real life?” This is a question a lot of people have asked at one point in their life, especially after watching the movie ‘The Matrix.’ This was exactly the same question a seven-year-old has asked after he woke up from the drugs given to him during dental surgery. The immense popularity of the 45-million-viewers video has led to the creation of a website which sells t-shirts and stickers. The money that the website receives goes to Operation Smile charity.

JK Wedding Entrance Dance
Jill Peterson and Kevin Heinz, more popularly known as JK, got their wedding entourage to dance to the tune of “Forever” by Chris Brown. This delightful video was watched by about 32 million viewers—some of them have donated to the Sheila Wellstone Institute which aims to end domestic violence. It was even pointed out to cause the rise in sales of Chris Brown’s albums.

Deadline Post-It Note Animation
This video was made as a project for the Savannah College of Art and Design. The video is a stop-start animation which makes use of a lot of differently-colored post-it notes which form a visual display of what really goes on with meeting deadlines.

Amazing Beatbox Kid
In the quest for the Beatbox Battle wildcard, the Japanese 18-year-old Daichi has posted this jaw-dropping video. Though he didn’t win the wildcard, he is listened to by more people around the globe than the actual winner, 17-year-old Julia Dales.

Michael Jackson Medley
At first you may think that the video is just a bunch of men singing in a choir, but take another look and recognize that all of these people are just one person times 6 performances. All of these sights and sounds combined make a spectacular performance and a viral tribute for the real King of Pop.

School Answering Machine
Teachers and school administrators can relate to this video well. This video was originally uploaded in Facebook. The video is said to be a recording of a real answering machine message in an Australian public school. Demanding parents: may this video teach you a lesson or two!

Minnie Ripperton’s Lovin’ You by Sungha Jung
This Korean boy continues to amaze a lot of people—he’s so talented, and at a very young age, he has a good line of songs that he played beautifully in his repertoire.

Kseniya Simonova’s Amazing Sand Drawing
This winner of “Ukraine’s Got Talent” has what it takes to capture the world’s attention with captivating sand paintings. Watch and be amazed at the way beach sand is transformed through light and a bucketful of imagination.

New Zealand Book Council – Going West
Every book lover knows that books are passageways to a whole new world. In line with their mission to promote book reading, the Zealand Book Council has created a very visual video depicting the images and events that unfold within an open book. The video is made of paper cut animations and is based on “Going West”, a novel written by Maurice Gee.

1. My life is likely to last 10-15 years. Any separation from you is likely to be painful.

2. Give me time to understand what you want of me

3. Place your trust in me. It is crucial for my well-being.

4. Don’t be angry with me for long and don’t lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your friends, your entertainment, but I have only you.

5. Talk to me. Even if I don’t understand your words, I do understand your voice when speaking to me.

6. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it.

7. Before you hit me, before you strike me, remember that I could hurt you, and yet, I choose not to bite you.

8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I’m not getting the right food, I have been in the sun too long, or my heart might be getting old or weak.

9. Please take care of me when I grow old. You too, will grow old.

10. On the ultimate difficult journey, go with me please. Never say you can’t bear to watch. Don’t make me face this alone. Everything is easier for me if you are there, because I love you so.

Here’s sharing with you a video on Mucci, our 2-year old Golden Retriever whom Monica has trained (following YouTube tutorials).

More of Mucci’s tricks here:  DIY-Training DOG.

In closing , here are some lessons from DOG (you’ll find more from myepinOy’s BLOG), like:

Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
When you’re happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

And MOST of all…
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.

3 January 2010 (original post)—Find UPDATES below

Sometime in September last year, I was surprised to receive a comment in this blog from a former classmate in college—my barkada at that. She said she was searching the Internet using “UST Med Tech Class 78” and she found me. Mind you, even I could not find a single soul when I used those keywords when I made a google search. Until now, the wonders of the Internet still continue to amaze me.

We have been in contact since then and became friends in Facebook, sharing updates, reliving the good old days—yes the good ole days of fun, frolic and folly.

And the rest is history—now there are 8 of us friends in Facebook and we hope to gather as much of our batchmates as we can.

We’re 19 as of 3 February, who knows in a few days, or months, our numbers will increase as the days pass by:

(1) Marivic (Meme) Bueno (Ma. Victoria Bueno Barba on FB)
(2) (Felicisimo Thong) Luna (Felicisimo Luna on FB)
(3) Francis Gutierrez (same name on FB)
(4) Ma.Victoria (Vicky) Gautane Mangrobang (Ma. Victoria Mangrobang on FB)
(5) Reuel Enriquez Dimalanta (same name on FB)
(6) Flor Mordeno (Ma. Flordeliza M Sanchez on FB)
(7) (Elizabeth Beth) Pineda (Elizabeth Pineda on FB)
(8) Bernadine (Dine) Baluyut (Dine Racoma on FB)
(9) Estrellita (Talits) Paras (Estrellita Barretto on FB)
(10) Doris Villa (Doris Villa-reyes on FB)
(11) Romeo Valles (Romeo Raul C. Valles in FB)
(12) Cynthia Santos, section C (Cynthia Ruth Santos Abelgas in FB)
(13) Ma. Flor (Maphle) Pizarro (Ma. Flor P. Manuel on FB)
(14) Teresita (Tess) Navalta (Tess Agda on FB)
(15) Lynne Manulid (Lynne Bayani on FB)
(16) Ma. Fe Vendiola (Fe Villamor in FB)
(17) Imelda (Meldee) Quiballo (Imelda Q. Tiglao on FB)
(18) Laulet Yambao (Laulet Yambao-Laquindanum on FB)
(19) Vicente (Vic) Perez (Vic Perez on FB)

Ma Socorro Manalangsang Crooc is from the UST Faculty, but she is our connect to UST@400

Thong Luna has been suggesting a grand reunion. Most of us missed the one in 2003 at Club Filipino. Oh well, we did not know about it then, and Facebook has not yet born at that time.

UST’s 400th anniversary is on 28 January 2011—we should have enough time to organize Thong’s dream of a grand reunion.

What to do:

(1) email me at bracoma@gmail.com /> (2) be friends at Facebook
(3) contact classmates that you know and suggest that they be in our loop
(4) form committees—the the most important committee should be, secretariat committee that will find and coordinate with all batchmates, then the finance committee
and program committee
(5) organize chapters, Philippine chapter, USA chapter, Canada chapter, Europe chapter, Middle East chapter or what-have-you-chapter considering that Filipinos are everywhere and assign coordinators per chapter
(6) set up an egroup
(7) make a class directory, and update it regularly
(8) send suggestions
(9) send pictures of our college days which we can post in a blog
(10) good luck to us and let’s keep our fingers crossed