World's Greatest Underachiever

Should I dare to be fit and right?

2009-10-29T11:21:00.005+08:00

Far from it, I'm sure. After all, once I quit my college's track and field team, the once fit physique I had became a distant memory. From a sprightly 110 to 120 lbs., I ballooned to my current 200 lbs. - or possibly even more - so yeah, fit and right I definitely am not.

So, what contributed to my weight gain? A really unhealthy diet that constituted mostly of fried food, junk food, lots of rice and pasta and definitely lots and lots and LOTS of Coke for one. Lack of exercise also made me gain weight, with the only physical effort I exerted most nights coming from lifting a bottle of beer off of the table to my paperwork-parched lips.

Nowadays, when I look at my old pictures, I can't help but wish I was still that fit and lean. For one thing, shopping for clothes was much easier then since I could fit into a pair of jeans with a 27-inch waistline while a large-sized shirt would easily fit me. Now, clothes hunting has become troublesome since jeans with a 38-inch waistline is not too common in stores while a XXL or even a XXXL shirt has become a necessity since it fits me well as opposed to a large-sized shirt which would only make me feel and look like a giant hamonadong longganisa.

God knows I've tried losing weight lots of times but most often than not, I stopped after just a few tries because it was either too troublesome or I just was too lazy to do it. I mean, c'mon, sitting in front of the computer and web surfing or playing games or lounging in front of the TV while watching DVDs were more interesting, hassle-free alternatives after all, even more so if you had a bag of chips and a bottle of soda to accompany you.

A workout that would burn 400 calories in four minutes?!? WTF?!?

Still, I missed the old fit and healthy Patrick Everett Tadeo so when the opportunity came to join Del Monte's Fit N' Right bloggers event last Friday, October 23, I couldn't pass it up, especially when their invitation had a teaser that said PBA conditioning coach Jim Saret's Fast Intense Training (FIT) workout could burn "400 calories in four minutes" which would continue to burn more "even when you're done with the workout." That pretty much sold it right there for me.

Now, I won't go into the minute details of the bloggers event, like how good the food was (it was okay, really, but not something I'd write about) or who were the bloggers I knew that attended the event (not that many since I only attend bloggers events that appeal). I will however delve into what Coach Jim shared with the bloggers.

If the invitation's teaser sold the bloggers event to me, Coach Jim's lecture on fitness and the benefits of his FIT workout practically reeled me in hook, line and sinker. From his very informative lecture to the look of the volunteers' faces as they took part in Coach Jim's live on-stage FIT workout demo, I became a believer in his workout. And I'm sure, once everyone hears of how good and effective his workout his, Coach Jim will be the L. Ron Hubbard of fitness, with his FIT workout as the fitness world's Dianetics. Okay, I jest as he's more Tony Robbins than Scientology's equivalent of Jesus and St. Peter combined.

Coach Jim's four-minute FIT workout for beginners is easy to do with the workout being spread into four one-minute intervals with easy-to-do exercises like being in a prone position but only on the tips of your toes and on your elbows, followed by squats, push-up and lunges. What did pique my interest though was Coach Jim's intense workout he gave to his friend Jam as it looked both intense and tiring especially when, as part of the demo, even after Jam wrapped up the workout for some minutes already, he was still burning calories. Too bad though that the bloggers kit Del Monte gave away to everyone didn't have that specific workout. Del Monte's Facebook page, however, assured me that they'll be putting Coach Jim's workout routine with Jam up soon so I'll be eagerly waiting for it.

Burning fat while juicing up naturally

Being that the bloggers event was sponsored by Del Monte Fit N' Right (FNR), it was expected that there would be tons of FNR-branded items on display, from the tabled adorned with FNR bottles to the event's beverage on hand courtesy of FNR.

Honestly, prior to attending the bloggers event, I had no experience whatsoever with L-carnitine-containing products. As I mentioned earlier, it's nothing but Coke, or sometimes Pepsi, for me. So, after I downed three 330 mL bottles of Del Monte FNR, I thought it wasn't anything special; 'just a fancy way of promoting pineapple juice' was how I dismissed it.

The next morning, however, served as a wake-up call for L-carnitine's positive effect as I found myself making more trips to the toilet to 'unload'. According to my wife who's an occasional L-carnitine user of another brand of beverage, that was how one way the "quaternary ammonium compound biosynthesized from the amino acids lysine and methionine" (Thank you, Wikipedia) worked.

According to Del Monte, "if L-Carnitine levels are increased, the body’s ability to oxidize fat is optimized. With supplementary L-Carnitine, proper diet and regular exercise, one can achieve ideal body weight and ensure a healthy life."

Del Monte also said that "Fit ‘N Right also contains Vitamin B1, B6 and B12 that helps speed up metabolism, resulting in faster weight loss. Vitamins B1, B6 and B12 are energy boosters and increases endurance by facilitating the conversion of carbohydrates, protein and fat into energy that is needed by the body in performing physical functions. It also contains natural fruit juice that provides the body with 100 percent of its regular daily allowance."

And so, armed with Coach Jim's workout and the fat-burning properties of Del Monte's FNR, I just might find myself losing weight in time for my birthday next year. But first, I've got a marathon to attend to.

Me? Run a marathon? Am I INSANE?!?

I may just be since the last time I ran a marathon was during my college's traditional four-kilometer feast day marathon back in 1995. After that, the only time I would run was everytime I crossed the street to get to the other side to hail a jeepney.

Truth is, I'm slightly bemused how running has become today what badminton was a year ago - everyone seems to be doing it. Because honestly, the only reason I joined my college's varsity track and field team was not for the love of the sport. Far from it actually as I hate sweating unless it's because I'm having sex. You see, the only reason I joined the team was because I wanted to skip out on my college's Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) training. Shallow reason, I know, but hey, I was able to skip Sunday morning ROTC training and Physical Education (PE) classes because of it.

So, when my name was one of the ten drawn by Del Monte that would be able to join the first Del Monte Dare to be Fit ‘N Right Fun Run at the SM Mall of Asia on November 22, I thought 'what the hey, I might as well since I'll be getting a free singlet, race bib, FNR products and a raffle coupon for the chance to win a Lenovo laptop.' And so sign up I did right after I stepped out of the event. To be fair to myself though, I only signed up for the 3-kilometer race since I think that, with my current condition, that's going to be a challenge already.

So, if you feel like running for a good cause to help the victims of typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng, sign up for either the 3K, 5K or 10K marathons with just a P300 registration fee. The registration period will be from October 21 to November 16 at either CEMG's office in Unit 3A Vernida I Bldg., Amorsolo St., Legaspi Village, Makati City; Dare to be Fit ‘n Right booths in Bonifacio High Street, Taguig and in selected SM Hypermarkets like the Mall of Asia, Sucat, Pasig, and North EDSA; as well as any Fitness First branches on November 16, 2009. Official race call time is at 4 a.m. in front of the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall with the official run kicking of at 6 a.m.

The first, second, and third place runners from each division stands to win P10,000, P5,000 and P3,000 in cash prices respectively, coupled with more prizes including one month's free membership at Fitness First. All registered runners will also automatically qualify for the raffle, where they can win a Lenovo laptop.

I hope to see you there though you can possibly count on me being dead last in the 3K race.

Many thanks to Az for sharing his photos of the event.

My 'heavily edited' Fast & Furious Review...

2009-04-08T15:19:00.007+08:00

I don't often agree with how my managing editor edits my works, but what else can I do? More often than not, my work gets butchered down to make it more 'web-friendly' by keeping things short and sweet.

That's bullshit, I say.

If a reader finds your work interesting, they'll still read it irregardless of its length. I know I do.

And so, just in case you're interested to read my full, unsanitized review, here it is.

*****

Whoever said that movie sequels aren’t as good the original hasn’t seen Fast & Furious, the latest installment to The Fast & The Furious movie franchise.

Fast & Furious is an interquel that’s set between 2 Fast 2 Furious and The Fast & The Furious: Tokyo Drift so it picks up right after Brian O’ Connor (Paul Walker) gets back into the good graces of the FBI after catching a South American drug lord while Dominic “Dom” Toretto (Vin Diesel) is still on the run from the authorities - both local and foreign - while he’s still at it with Letty Ortiz (Michelle Rodriguez), this time hijacking fuel tanks in the Dominican Republic. But with the authorities getting hot on his trail, Dom decides it’s better if he leaves Letty for her own good since, in his own words, “it’s me they want.”

Soon after that, Dom gets the word from his sister, Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster), that Letty was killed in America, making him take the risk of crossing the border to find out who was responsible. Using his rage and his bulging biceps, Dom finds out that Letty was working as a drug courier for Arturo Braga, a drug lord who uses street racers to smuggle heroin across the US-Mexican border. Eventually, Dom bumps into O’ Connor who, as an FBI agent, is also on the trail of Braga as they both try to secure a spot on Braga’s smuggling ring by going through a street race with other racers through Braga’s right-hand man, Ramon Campos. In the process, Dom also finds out that Letty was killed by a member of Braga’s smuggling ring, someone who drives a nitromethane-boosted ’72 Ford Grand Torino, and that she went back to America and worked undercover with O’ Connor after striking a deal that, if they caught Braga, Dom’s name would be cleared of all charges against him.

The tagline ‘New Model, Original Parts’ fits the movie to a tee since it’s a brand new movie with the original cast that started the ball rolling on the franchise. That’s what also makes the movie very watchable because, if you’re familiar with the franchise, it’s akin to watching old friends coming together again. There’s the familiarity with each other that makes it worth watching since each character’s background story has been fleshed out in the previous installments; there’s no more of the getting-to-know-you feeling.

As for the cars, Fast & Furious is more about American Muscle than Japanese Tech since, compared to the other movies in the franchise, this installment has more American muscle cars. Besides Dom’s resurrected Dodge Charger from the first movie, there’s also his Chevy Chevelle (which appears in Tokyo Drift, I think), the aforementioned Grand Torino, and the Buick Grand National GNX in the movie’s opening scene. Still, as a nod to the rice racers that the first movie was all about, among the many Japanese cars in the movie, what stands out are Nissan’s legendary R34 Skyline GT-R and a current-model Subaru Impreza WRX STI that gets totaled in the end, both of which served as O’Connor’s rides in the movie. And of course, not to be forgotten too, are European sports cars like a souped-up BMW M5, a Ford RS200 (that went head-to-head with a Toyota Corolla AE86!) and a Porsche Turbo.

Although the old characters were good to see being back to their old selves, the new ones were a hit-and-miss affair. John Ortiz’ Ramon Campos was close to John Ortiz’ Jose Yero in Michael Mann’s Miami Vice, so that could either be a good thing or a bad thing to say based on Ortiz’ acting talent. Yes, he can definitely play a Latin American drug ring's top honcho, but the sad fact that he played two characters in two different movies so similarly says little about his range. Gal Gadot’s Gisele Harabo is one hot tamale as she tried to seduce Dom time and time again. And yes, she’s damn pretty and damn sexy but that’s all there is to her. She was just eye candy in a film full of eye candies, both mechanical and biological. And honestly, I think Michelle Rodriguez has more sex appeal than her. But that doesn't mean I won't tap that ass if it presented itself to me because I definitely would.

Sung Kang’s Han also provided a good lead into …Tokyo Drift, saying how he’s thinking of going back to Tokyo after Dom decided to break up their Dominican Republic gang, thereby setting up how he became who he was in …Tokyo Drift. If only Tyrese Gibson’s Roman Pearce from …2 Furious also made a brief appearance in this installment, everything would’ve come full circle perfectly.

All in all, if you’re a true gearhead, the sheer number of cars present in the movie would satisfy you. And if you loved the other movies in the franchise, you’ll definitely love this one since it offers more of everything really. But if you’re coming into the theater blind with no idea what the other movies were all about, prepare to be disappointed since the experience is almost like watching a movie that’s already half-finished since you’ve pretty much missed the lead-in that set up this particular movie.

So for this Underachiever of a car nut, Fast & Furious is one fast and furious achievement.

Dirty Harry is back,...

2009-02-04T01:26:00.014+08:00

...in a way, in Clint Eastwood's newest film, Gran Torino.

I say 'in a way' because, although Dirty Harry, arguably Clint Eastwood's most memorable character on film ever, isn't the character he plays in the film, his hard-nosed, tough-as-nails attitude certainly makes its presence felt - and more, even - in his role as Walt Kowalski, the anti-hero in Gran Torino.

Walt Kowalski is a Korean War veteran and a retired assembly line worker for Ford. He views his sons and their families as a disappointment, and with his wife's recent passing, he just spends his day either drinking beer on the front porch of his house or taking meticulous care of his most prized possession, a 1972 Ford Gran Torino that's in immaculately good condition, like it just stepped off of the assembly line.

Walt Kowalski makes no apologies for being what he is; a straightforward, no-holds-barred kind of man who's never afraid to say what's on his mind, political correctness be damned. But when his new next-door neighbors, a family of Hmong people, move in, his once-quiet life changes dramatically.

First, the steady arrival of fellow Hmong well-wishers welcoming the new family to their home irritates him. But when someone breaks into his garage, trying to steal his precious Gran Torino as part of a Hmong gang's initiation, only to find out later that it was Thao (Bee Vang), the teenage son of his new next-door neighbors, Walt seethes in anger, as he angrily tells the family to keep Thao off of his property. After a few days, the gang, led by Thao's older cousin, Spider (Doua Moua), comes back and tries to drag off Thao from his home while his family tries to stop them from succeeding in their plans. But seeing how the ensuing struggle for Thao spilled onto his lawn, in the process uprooting some of the plants and breaking the ceramic gnomes that stand guard in his garden, Walt storms out of his house with his loaded M1 Garand rifle, a souvenir from his Korean War days, pointing it at the gangbangers while telling them all to get off of his lawn.

But once the heavily-Hmong populated neighborhood hears how Walt acted like a hero to save Thao, they show their gratitude by leaving his doorsteps and front porch littered with traditional Hmong gifts and offerings.

But Walt's cold, hard heart takes a turn for the better after he saves Sue (Ahney Her), the older teenage daughter of his neighbor, from being harrassed by a local gang of black teenagers. As they drive back to their own neighborhood, Walt and Sue, as well as her entire family, get to know each other a little better, to the point that Walt even takes Thao under his proverbial wing; first, as part of Thao's punishment from his family for trying to steal Walt's Gran Torino, but later on, as a friend and mentor of sorts as Walt teaches Thao what it is to be a man.

Walt then realizes that the world around him, as well as he himself, is changing. His neighborhood is now mostly populated by the Hmong people, the nurse in his doctor's clinic is a Middle Eastern woman while his previous doctor has now retired and has been replaced by an Asian woman. And after he gets the results of his medical exam, he calls one of his sons and tries to talk to him awkwardly, only to be rebuffed by the son telling Walt that he's busy but he'll talk to him during the weekend.

Soon after, the Hmong gang retaliates against Thao, first by accosting him and burning his face with a cigarette, and then by shooting up Thao's house a few days later, wounding him in the neck. But the final straw is when Sue comes back, beaten black and blue and raped. Walt's once-quiet life then goes into a headspin that, as a viewer, you know would only end in a hail of bullets and a volley of gunfire.

Once more, I was lucky enough to get invited to Warner Bros. press screening of Gran Torino. And since I grew up watching Clint Eastwood movies, thanks to my Dad who's been a loyal fan of his since Eastwood's spaghetti western days as the Man with No Name, and since this just may be his last movie as an actor, there simply was no way I was going to miss out on watching this one.

Much like his recent movies, Gran Torino follows the same pacing for each and every one of them; slow to pick up yet still captivating to watch, with the pace quickly picking up speed in the last hour of the film before coming to an abrupt stop at the end. Now, I won't spoil the ending for you but I will say this; if you know how Million Dollar Baby ended, Gran Torino ends pretty much the same - with a twist that touches your heart yet leaves you depressed.

Clint Eastwood was great, ably portraying the role of an action hero who just happens to be a senior citizen. As for the actors who played the lead Hmong teenagers, Thao and Sue, they did a pretty good job for a couple of acting rookies in their very first film role ever, particularly Sue's Ahney Her, not to mention that the chemistry among the three of them blended quite well. The other supporting actors were just as good, particularly Brian Haley who, although known more for his comedic roles, was able to play the role as one of Walt's son with the same kind of character treatment he does in his funny movies; the supposedly indifferent character who's got a hidden agenda up his sleeves. But as for the Hmong gangbangers Doua Moua hangs out with, fuhgeddaboudit. They were just plain awful, especially the loud one whose head Clint Eastwood tapdanced on.

Gran Torino is definitely one of the top films of 2009, and that's saying a lot since we're just in the second month of the year. After all, if a movie can make you root for an old crudmugeon as he tugs at your heartstrings gently, only to violently yank it at the end, particularly if it's done with Clint Eastwood's personally depressing touch, then it's certainly ranks right up there for me.

So for this Underachiever, Gran Torino is a stereotypical Clint Eastwood achievement.

What's the buzz?

2009-01-31T00:36:00.009+08:00

Well, a lot has been happening in my life since 2009 started. First off, my Dad passed away - on New Year's Day, no less - after having been in a coma that was caused by a heart attack that struck him down on Christmas Day.

Now that was a really crappy way to start a new year, and that's seriously an understatement since I've been missing my Dad ever since he migrated to the US to be with Tita Flor, my stepmom. You see, when my Mom died in 2000, my Dad and I became really close; we shared a relationship that was just more than that between a father and his son; we became friends, but perhaps more importantly, we treated each others as adults. I guess that was really the turning point in our relationship; that I was no longer a child in his eyes, but a man. Of course, having Dana and Dylan refer to Robin Williams' Teddy Roosevelt in Night at the Museum and a moustachioed and bespectacled Mr. Potato Head as 'Lolo Angel' makes me miss him even more since my kids - his grandchildren - would never know just how much a kind, loving and funny man their grandfather was.

On the job front, although I loved what I was doing for my clients, Personal Friday, and perhaps most importantly, the client that I served with exclusively for almost a year, Pandemic Labs, the company I was connected with - Open Access Marketing (OAM) - quickly lost its sheen to me. The Google-like atmosphere I dreamt the company would have turned out to be just that - a dream - as the senior executive management were quick to wash their hands off of their disgruntled employees and left it to the local senior management to deal with them. And to think that the one who facilitated my hiring and appraised my overall performance with the company that prompted them to regularize me as their very first Senior Writer didn't take the time to address my concerns or even just send a simple reply to any of my e-mails. Well, to be fair with them, their open-door policy was great since you could approach any one of them to air your concerns - just don't expect them to act on it or even give you a simple reply. To tell you the truth, talking to a concrete wall would've been better because at least you can hear your concerns being echoed back at you.

But what's even worse is OAM's local senior management. With them, everything is black and white, and I mean EVERYTHING. There are no greys to them, no middle ground; to them, it's either you did something wrong or not at all.

You see, OAM has an attendance policy that asks their employees to call in at least 2 hours before the start of their shift if they can't report for work for that day, supposedly for staffing purposes, so that they'll have enough time to find someone to cover for your absence and some other illogical excuse, particularly in my case since I was their ONE AND ONLY Senior Writer at that time. Well, in my particular case, I wasn't going to be absent, I was just going to be late, but still, I informed them 2 hours before my shift started that I was going to be late since Rachel, my wife, went out to fix something regarding her land's paperwork at the Manila City Hall. Again, knowing that the red tape in government offices could significantly delay her progress and leave me to take care of our kids for much longer than necessary, I informed them of my dilemma. My client had an assignment for me that needed my attention, so instead of calling in as absent for that day, I opted to still report for work, just so that I wouldn't leave my client hanging. So, problem solved - or so I thought.

As it was, I thought incorrectly. I came in 17 minutes late, but then, since I informed them ahead of time that I'll be late, thus following the company-set policy to the T, I thought that I was safe from any repercussion. But lo and behold, the following day, I get served with a 5-day suspension notice, saying that I violated the company's policy of coming in late "for a total of 15 minutes or 3 times, whichever comes first." I sent an e-mail to OAM's senior executive management asking for some reconsideration since I couldn't very well leave my kids alone at home just so I can make it to work on time but I didn't get a single reply from any one of them. As for OAM's local senior management, they wouldn't even hear me out, saying that no concession could be made and that they're just following company policy.

Now, if I came in because it was of my own doing, like if it's because I got up late or I took my own sweet time to go to work, then I would've readily signed the suspension notice. As it is, since I did tell them ahead of time that I'd be late, only to be figuratively slapped in the face by being served with that suspension, that was the straw that broke the camel's back, so to speak. The way I see it, I would've been better off calling in as absent for that day. Since I'm hardly ever absent, that would've made me safe from their oh-so-strict, black-and-white policies. Now that really demoralized me to the point that I started job hunting again, knowing that I'll be leaving behind a good paycheck and some good people I call as friends since my days in PeopleSupport. After all, if I came in late again, and since OAM's local senior management are such sticklers to the black-and-white company policies, the next step - again according to the black-and-white company policy - was that I was going to be terminated. So when a good job opportunity came knocking just as I was looking for a new one, I didn't hesitate. I did the usual interviews, and thanks to my having worked with them on a freelance basis before, I got the position. Of course, I told the company that was hiring me that I had to give my then-current employer my two-weeks' notice which they (the company that was hiring me) were cool with. So the very next instance that I came in late, I came in armed with the two-weeks notice of my resignation. And honestly, it felt good doing that; sort of like beating them to the gun and sticking it to them when they least expected it.

And so, with my resignation taking effect yesterday, that makes today my first day of being in-between jobs literally since I'm now effectively resigned from OAM while I still have to facilitate some paperwork needed by the company I'm moving to. Like I said in the social media sites I'm a part of, leaving OAM is a bittersweet feeling. It's sweet because I'm free from OAM's oppressive shackles of misguided authority yet I'm bitter because the company's executive management and local senior management teams' minds are too closed to what I'm doing for them, how my clients - their clients - only had good words to say about what I've done for them, and yet, as anal-retentive as they are to their black-and-white policies, they would rather suspend me and leave the clients hanging for 5 days rather than just look in the grey area - if there is one - in their precious company policies and look the other way instead.

And that's also another thing that got my goat in OAM - they're rolling out and enforcing their new policies but yet they still have to inform OAM's employees what exactly are the new policies. Essentially, what they're doing is putting up a new set of rules and yet they're leaving their employees blind because they, the employees, have no idea what rules are being followed now. And that's no joke because I've asked some of the local senior management people and to their knowledge, the old policies are the ones still being used. But when you ask OAM's administrative department, they'll give you a different answer, that it's the new, still-unknown-to-the-rank-and-file-employees policies that are being used - SERIOUSLY. It's like OAM's is taking the whole "ignorance of the law is no excuse" precept to a whole new level. And if you ask me, although I'm no legal expert, while that may be acceptable as a general law of the streets, in a corporate setting, that's just downright illegal, and I mean against-the-Labor-Code-somebody-better-get-in-touch-with-the-National-Labor-Relations-Commission illegal.

So, what's in store for me outside of OAM? Well, I'll let you know once I start my first day at work with the company I'm moving to. But let me just say this - it certainly feels like I've reached the 'Summit' of things as I help the company I'm moving to by contributing my experience in writing exclusively for the web to the new 'Digital' arena the company is eager to start on. And with the way things are going, I'll certainly strive to reach the 'Top' of my field, bringing with me my experience along with all the things and other 'Gear' I've learned.

Oh, and after 5 years of not having gone inside a movie house since the last film I saw was the premiere showing of Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King when Rachel was still pregnant with Dana, I finally saw a movie again courtesy of Azrael Coladilla's Pop Machine Media bloggers' group. Catch my review of Jim Carrey's Yes Man here.

Stay tuned for more developments soon...

The solution to life's problem lies with just three words...

2009-01-14T01:23:00.020+08:00

...Say 'Yes' More!

Or at least, that's the premise in Jim Carrey's latest feature, Yes Man.

Based on a true story and a 2005 book called The Yes Man by British humorist Danny Wallace, the movie follows the story of Carl Allen (Jim Carrey), a recalcitrant junior loan approval officer in a bank who's perfectly content to vegetate on his couch in front of the TV watching rented DVD movies as he conveniently dodges one social engagement after another. But, as luck would have it, he bumps into Nick, a former colleague whose newfound spontaneity and impetuous zest for life prompts Carl to check out a life-affirming motivational seminar called 'Yes!' that turned Nick into who he is now.

Shortly after meeting the overly zealous motivational 'Yes' guru, Terrence Bundley (Terrence Stamp), Carl makes a covenant with him to live his life fully by saying 'Yes' to anything and everything. And soon enough, once Carl embraces the 'Yes!' philosophy completely, bigger and better things start happening to his life; he gets his long-awaited promotion, he meets Allison (Zooey Deschanel), a girl whose free spirited ways (minus the 'Yes' programming, of course) he becomes attracted to, and he even takes up flying lessons, guitar lessons, and even learns to speak Korean. But after Allison discovers Carl's 'Yes' covenant to answer 'Yes!' to any and every opportunity, request, or invitation that presents itself to him, she doubts if he was even committed to her in the first place, prompting Carl to rethink if saying 'Yes' to everything really is as life-affirming as he has come to believe.

As part of Azrael Coladilla's Pop Machine Media bloggers group, I was lucky enough to score an invite to Warner Bros. press screening for the aforementioned movie. I've been a big fan of Jim Carrey since his 'In Living Color' days so, even though he's had some big misses lately (The Majestic, The Number 23, anyone?), his number of hits and his sheer comedy genius still has me rooting for him. Now, the question is; does he still have the swing to knock this one out of box-office ball park?

Yes? No?

Maybe is more like it, really.

When I first heard that Jim Carrey was doing a movie where he feels the need to say 'Yes' to everything that's thrown his way, I immediately thought, 'Wait a minute? Doesn't that just sound like Liar Liar's premise where he has to tell the truth every single time?'

Still, with an open mind, I watched the movie to see how it fares with the rest of Jim's vast body of work. As it turns out, I was wrong, but only because Yes Man turned out to be an amalgam of some of Jim's top-grossing hits like Liar Liar and Bruce Almighty, but with a dash of Jack Black's Shallow Hal thrown in.

If Robert Kosberg, Hollywood's king of pitch, delivered it like that to Warner Bros. top honchos, then, yeah, the movie sure sounds promising and looks like a surefire winner if Jim Carrey signs up. But as always, any plan that's executed poorly, or at best, in utter mediocrity, is bound to fail.

It's fairly easy to see where the Liar Liar (man commited to do something even if he doesn't like it) and Shallow Hal (motivational guru 'brainwashing' man to override his impulse reaction) bits in the movie are, but as much as the movie tried to grasp the heart that Bruce Almighty had, it ultimately failed. Considering Peyton Reed's limited body of work (Bring It On, The Break-Up), I can only say that maybe he simply didn't have the chops to make it work. But if Jim's frequent collaborator, Tom Shadyac, helmed this one, or maybe even Dennis Dugan, Adam Sandler's favorite director, the movie would've resonated more with the audience.

Jim Carrey's physical brand of comedy was present, as always, and though some bordered on toilet humor, to a Jim Carrey fan like myself, it never fails to elicit a laugh from me. But I do admit, a few of the comedy spots he did was getting old, to say the least. I dunno, it may be just me but I really think he's turning into Generation X's Jerry Lewis - once absurdly funny, but as time passed by, his comedy routines became, well, routine and stale.

Zooey Deschanel was lovely, as always, with the role of a free-spirirted musician fitting her to a T. Unfortunately, her character wasn't well developed as the audience only saw a fleeting glimpse of what Allison, her character, was truly like. What's more, there was hardly even any chemistry between her and Jim Carrey, so much so that in the very few romantic scenes that they had, everything seemed awfully forced.

All in all, if you're a Jim Carrey fan, I'd recommend you see the movie. His classic Jim Carrey routines are all here for your enjoyment, with one of my particular favorites being the scene where he talks down Luis Guzman from jumping off of a building by singing Third Eye Blind's Jumper.

But if you're looking for more heart, more depth to the story, I suggest you just wait for the DVD release. For such a promising premise, Yes Man fails to deliver all the goodies. In the hands of the right director, the chemistry between Jim Carrey and Zooey Deschanel might've been ignited even further compared to the lukewarm sensation both of them projected onscreen as a couple, with the ending having the said heart and depth the movie lacked for almost the entire 1 1/2 hour screening time. Sadly, we're left to see a glimpse of Jim's naked buttocks to elicit a few more laughs before the credit starts rolling.

So for this Underachiever, Yes Man is a huge underachievement.

My Dad, Angel F. Tadeo III...

2009-01-02T17:57:00.046+08:00

To everyone who knows me offline, in real life (IRL), I've recently suffered a tremendous loss with the passing of my Dad - on New Year's Day, no less.

I've always been a Mama's boy, but ever since my Mom passed away in 2000, I got really close to my Dad since then. I guess my being the eldest in the family, not to mention my physical resemblance to him, contributed to that because that's when we really got to talk a lot. Before, he'd confide everything to my Mom first, but with her passing, I became his closest confidante.

Whenever he had a problem with whatever it was that was bothering him, I was the one he often talked to. When my Dad, my brother Stevie and my sister Dimples still used to live in an apartment in Industrial Valley in Marikina, together with Rachel, my fiancee, a then-infant Dana and I tried to spend our weekends with them just so Dad could bond with his first grandchild. And bond they did that whenever my Dad visited us in our house in Manila, one of the highlights for Dana was to go out to the neighborhood sari-sari store with her grandfather to buy sweets for her. Truth be told, just the effort alone that my Dad took the time to visit us at home, to walk to the jeepney terminal near their house to take him to the LRT II station in Santolan and then take another jeep to our house, that meant a lot to us already. He also doted on Dylan a lot, saying how much his grandson resembled him, down to the shape of their heads. Hahahaha...

Now, for some reason, probably since when we were young and since my Mom and Dad were career-minded individuals then that we only got to see them after they came home from work, we never really became a touchy-feely family. But our conversations were pretty open, though you had to be prepared for the usual, "I'm older than you so I know better," argument from them which only means it's no use to argue your point because their minds have already been made up. Still, when my Dad migrated to America to join my stepmom, Tita Flor, I gave him a really big hug - something that, to my recollection, I haven't done ever. If I had known that that was the last time I would see him, I probably wouldn't have let him go and begged him to stay. Dana and Dylan were getting fond of him as I'm sure he was of them too, but his desire to help out and with his idea of America being the land of milk and honey prompted him to migrate to the US, even if he knew that his immediate family would be left behind in the Philippines.

Alas, just like every Filipino who dreams that America is the land of milk and honey, my Dad soon found out that that idea is something that's only fostered by the American media as he had to look for a company that would employ someone of his age. So from being a Vice-President of a local bank in the Philippines in the early '80s, my dad found himself working in the stockroom of a Home Depot while at the same time working as a security guard, and even recently, taking on a third job as a parking attendant - proof that what America really is, is a land of blood, tears and sweat.

But in fairness to the good ol' USA, at least their companies don't discriminate against elderly people who still want to work. But come to think about it, their usual line, "we don't have a position available for someone with your qualifications but we'll call you once an opening's available," definitely sounds like a blow-off, given a law that American companies can't discriminate against the age of their applicants, that's why they'd rather give them a false glimmer of hope with no real intention of getting back to them instead of outright turning them down.

But enough of the hardship - both physical and mental - that my Dad had to go through in America. This eulogy of sorts is to celebrate my father's life, not dwell on his troubles because, let's face it, I wouldn't be the man I am now if it weren't for his influence and guidance.

Like my Dad, I'm capable of appreciating all kinds of music. Sometimes, my Dad would listen to Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and The Platters, but more often that not, he'd listen to Elvis Presley and The Beatles and, on rare occasions, to Led Zeppelin. There were even times that, during the long drives to and from Tarlac many, many times, we'd listen to America for the entire trip. So, yes, I grew up listening to standards, R&B, folk, rock and hard rock, which greatly influenced the kinds of music I listen to today. I owe all that to my Dad.

My father is also a generous man to a fault,. When my brother and I were still kids and we were still financially well-off (this was before Ninoy's assassination plummeted the country's economy) it became a weekend habit for my Dad to buy each one of us a toy, so much so that on the rare occasion we didn't find anything interesting in stock, he'd force us to buy one which lead to us having some rarely-touched toys because, well, we didn't really like it in the first place; we just picked it so he'd stop bugging us. Hahahaha...

My father's generosity was also taken advantage of by some people who would borrow money from him but, in the end, just renege on that promise and act as if they did my father a favor by borrowing from him. Or, like when the sugar mills in Iloilo, where my Dad and his brothers and sisters had some shares in were sold to Universal Robina, his brothers and sisters kept bugging my Dad to sign some documents so that they could liquidate his shares on his behalf to close the deal. My Dad knew his share in the sale should have been much, much more than the pittance he received later on but he never complained, even if they never gave him a copy of the documents breaking down his share of the sale after they bugged him everyday to sign his documents. Really, the gall of these people who always took advantage of my Dad's kindness. And before I forget, when the Philippines' economy collapsed after Ninoy's assassination, my Dad, who was then the Vice-President of an up-and-coming finance company in the early '80s, took the fall as the company's president ran away with the company's money to America. And what happened when my Dad got in touch with the said company's president after he (my Dad) migrated to America? They became friends again, as if the hardship that my Dad - and us - went through were nothing. Yes, that was how magnanimous my Dad was.

In some way, I also became generous to a fault like my Dad, although admittedly, I'm less trusting of people because of what we've been through. Still, as long as I have enough money to get home, I'd be willing to part with whatever money I have just to help a friend. And that, I learned, from my Dad, who always was ready to lend a helping hand - and money - to his friends who needed it.

Dad was also a voracious reader. Our two humongous bookcases were packed with his paperback novels, hardbound books published by Reader's Digest, issues of National Geographic and, for a time, his Popular Mechanics subscription. On the long summer breaks in between school years in Ateneo - and this was the time before cable TV and Clark Air Base's FEN was the channel to have to show that you were affluent enough - to keep me from getting bored in our home in a then-desolate Better Living Subdivision, reading those magazines was a godsend, which, in a way, prompted my love for cars and motorsports.

And, I'm proud to say, that I also influenced Dad when it comes to his choice of reading material, because, although I may not have been a fan of his sci-fi and fantasy paperback novels, I did turn Dad on to technothriller novels because, after I bought a paperback copy of Tom Clancy's The Hunt for Red October and procured paperback copies of Patriot Games and A Clear and Present Danger from a friend, and after he read all three books, he started buying a lot of paperback novels of that genre, like the works of Dale Brown and Stephen Coonts. I swear, Booksale owes a tremendous amount of their success to my Dad.

Dad also loved to eat out a lot, particularly when we had the money for it. I'd remember trips to Ali Mall and SM Cubao's food court every weekend where we'd usually have either KFC or Greenwich, or on the rare occasion, Sizzling Plate which is probably what made me into the steak-crazed person that I am today. Sometimes, we'd even have lunch at Rustan's Yum Yum Tree or in the old Choo Choo Junction which is also what probably got me started on pasta. But the one place that I'll always hold dear and that I'll always identify with my Dad since he loved eating there every weekend after we moved to Parañaque was what he called 'Fishpen.' I don't know if that's really the name of the place or if it's still standing; all I know is that it was located in Lower Bicutan and that it was situated right beside Laguna de Bay. I forgot what I usually had there but I do remember falling in love with their halayang ube for dessert which, again, is probably what got me addicted to ube in the first place. Truth is, I actually vowed to myself that, if that place is still around, I'd take my family there one day so that I can show my kids what my Dad showed to me - sort of like passing it down to the next generation.

Dad also loved to watch movies a lot. I have very fond memories of us spending the weekend watching a huge stack of VCR tapes we'd borrow from the many video rental shops we were a member of when I was a kid. Again, I got to experience Dad's love for both sci-fi and fantasy flicks and action-packed thrillers which, somehow, rubbed off on me because these are the very same movie genres I follow until now.

Now, my Dad also got me interested in admiring the female form in all its naked glory - or to be more candid about it, my Dad got me interested in porn, albeit indirectly. You know how, as a kid, you'd sometimes play hide-and-seek in your house with your sibling/s and you'd find yourself hiding in your dad's closet? Well, that was how I discovered my Dad's secret porn stash when I was only around 6 or 7 years old, I think. And from then on, there was no turning back. I became a porn connoisseur of sorts. Whenever my Mom and Dad weren't around, I'd take a quick peek at Dad's porno mags, and when I became old enough to operate the VCR player by myself, his collection of XXX tapes. So it's no surprise then that when I became old enough, I acquired my own collection of porno mags and videos. And thanks to the internet, my porn acquisitions became even more widespread and diverse. Hahahaha... Yes, I owe that to my Dad, although truth be told, I wasn't much of a breast man like my Dad; I'm more of a leg man, really.

So, yeah, I am the man I am today because of my Dad. He was the kindest, most generous person I have ever known. Alright, maybe my being his eldest son could be a very good reason why he was kind and generous to me, but from what I've seen, with how he interacted with family and friends, he truly was a kind and generous soul.

Well, my friends would beg to disagree, since they knew him as a harsh, stern man. But that was the time when I was still a "headstrong" teenager so that was a long, long time ago. And that's why I'll always treasure a text message my Dad sent me when I celebrated my 32nd birthday where he said that I've come a long way from being a strong-willed teenager to a responsible husband and father. Like I said, we weren't a touchy-feely family so to have received something like that from my Dad was truly heartwarming.

My Dad passed away without having any of his children by his side, without having his grandchildren by his side, telling him to wake up and play with them. It's so bittersweet that we were able to talk to him the day before he had a heart attack and went into a coma. He sounded more than fine over the phone, really. He was complaining about how cold it was in Sacramento, how he missed his grandchildren and how smart Dana sounded over the phone and how it was okay for Dylan to still speak in gibberish even if he's turning three years old this year. He even sounded pleased that he finally stopped smoking, but that was only after a previous hospital check-up said he already had emphysema, so his quitting smoking was a little too late, really.

So when we got the news the day after he called that he was rushed to the hospital because he suffered what we then didn't know was a heart attack, we were all shocked because we had no inkling that that was going to happen. And when I was told that he was in a coma, I already expected the worst. To me, it all happened so soon, so fast. I had just lost my Mom eight years ago to a stroke that put her in a coma for a week before she passed away by herself, and now it was my Dad who was now in the same situation, this time because of a heart attack. But this time, it was much, much harder for me and for my family.

When my Mom was in a coma, I'd sometime brush her hair off of her face and tell her to wake up so we could go home. But after almost a week of watching her hooked up to all those machines to keep her alive with no improvement whatsoever, and after seeing what seemed to be a pained look on her face, I whispered in her ear, just in case she could hear me, that if she was having a hard time, it was okay for her to move on. And sure enough, I think a day or two after, she passed away on her own terms with my Dad and me by her side on a Monday morning.

But with my Dad, we weren't there to talk to him, to tell him to wake up, or if there was really no more hope for his recovery, to tell him to move on on his own terms. So when the doctor told me over the phone that, after observing him for three days and seeing that there was no improvement on his condition, that the only thing we could do was unplug him from the life-support machines and let him die a peaceful death, I couldn't bring myself to agree wholeheartedly to the decision. After all, he was asking me to, in effect, kill my Dad. I just couldn't, EVER. But what else could I do? I was more than 10,000 kilometers away from my Dad. Sure, I could easily get the money to fly to America but I had no passport and I had no visa to get there.

So, on a cold, smoke-filled night in the living room just a few short hours into the New Year, when the doctor told me of Dad's prognosis as not looking very good, with the lack of brain activity and of his failing kidneys, I, together with my Tita Brenda, Dad's older sister who lives in San Diego, and Tita Flor, my stepmom, all agreed to have Dad unplugged from his life-support machines so that he can move on on his own terms. And so, after I put down the phone, I spent a good 30 minutes or so crying beside it. I had just told the doctor to go ahead and let my Dad die, a few hours into the New Year no less. Did I do the right thing? Would my Dad be pleased that I had given up on him? Those are just some of the questions that'll haunt me for the rest of my life.

Oh, and you know the irony of it all? Together with Tita Flor, my stepmom, my Dad was supposed to file his petition for us, my family, to become permanent residents in the US this January. Well, with his passing, my dream to move to America with my family to join my Dad is gone.

It's also painful for me that Rachel's mom, Mama Carmen, died just last February in San Diego in a tragic traffic accident. Mama Carmen was like a mom to me, particularly after my Mom died. She helped me get on my feet for a couple of months way, way back when my Dad threw me out of the house during the time when I was still a "headstrong" teenager. She knew what I liked a lot (Star Wars!) and every so often, she'd send me Star Wars stuff in the balikbayan boxes she regularly sent over from San Diego. So when we heard that Mama Carmen passed away, to me, it was like I lost my Mom all over again. And then, without even a whole calendar year going by, it was now my Dad who passed away. In less than a decade, I lost my Mom, Mama Carmen and my Dad. In less than a decade, I became an orphan.

I was expecting that, since I got to see my grandparents grow old and die peacefully, our kids would also see Rachel's Mama Carmen and my Dad grow old. But because of what happened, it looks like we can only tell Dana and Dylan stories about their Lola Becky, Lola Carmen and Lolo Angel.

And so, as much a cliché as it is, life goes on. And for now, I console myself with the knowledge that my Dad is now with my Mom, probably with Mom telling him that he proved her right, that he should've stopped smoking so many years ago, and the very moment my Mom turns away, off my Dad goes smoking a cigarette with Mama Carmen. Hahahaha...

My second GearPatrol.com article...

2008-12-24T03:51:00.003+08:00

...featuring Sony's ultra-compact HD camcorder, the HDR-TG1.

I miss blogging...

2008-12-16T16:22:00.002+08:00

I really do. Blogging became an outlet for me - an outlet where I could share my thoughts and passions and basically just rant and rave about the things I either love or detest the most.

Unfortunately, blogging had to take a back seat with the change in pace with my work. Ever since my shift was changed temporarily and our company moved from Makati to Ortigas, my company - or my client, to be more exact - has given me a bigger workload these past couple of months. Not that I'm complaining, though, since I always learn something new whenever I've got a new project from them.

But still, I miss talking about music, food, cars, F1, girls, sex, tech stuff and a lot of other things that excite me. And as much as I wanna blog during the weekend, that's the only time I have for myself and for my family so scratch that thought.

I know the company I work for is looking for more writers so that should be a huge load off my back once they do hire some. But the thing is, the talent pool for capable writers are really slim. And honestly, I think I'd like to take on a more management-oriented role in the company other than just being a paid hack because, seriously, the number of articles I've written and had published both online and in traditional print media ought to open more doors for me, not to mention the fact that I've taken on a management -oriented role for close to a year in one of my previous jobs.

That's about it. And hopefully, this "rant" of mine would be the jump-off point to my return to the local blogosphere.

My first GearPatrol.com article...

2008-12-04T13:13:00.002+08:00

Like I mentioned a couple of blog posts back, I was recently signed up by GearPatrol.com to be one of their contributors.

So without further ado, I give you my very first GearPatrol.com article...

Good news, I think...

2008-11-18T18:33:00.004+08:00

I'm back on the dayshift, although the actual time has changed since I'll be reporting for work AT NOON instead of the usual morning shift. And I gotta tell you, commuting in midday traffic is HELL!

Still, I'm pretty happy to be back working during the daytime as opposed to working the graveyard shift. I'm wide awake AND I can do a lot more since there's less distraction around me so expect me to be posting my regular blog updates within a couple of weeks. After all, I've got a lot of geeky and manly stuff to talk about.

But first, I have to finish the latest F1 primer I'm doing for Top Gear Philippines which should be published in the March 2009 issue.

My apologies to my "many" readers...

2008-11-09T08:55:00.004+08:00

...for the lack of updates for the past few days.

Unfortunately, work has gotten in the way of my blogging activities since my shift was changed with nary a warning, from the regular dayshift to the godforsaken graveyard shift I've managed to avoid for the past year and a half.

Supposedly, this is only going to be a temporary thing as our office makes the transition from leaving our Makati office to working in our new Ortigas office permanently, so hopefully, I'll be back to my regular everyday posting self within the next couple of weeks.

And before I forget, I was just accepted by Gear Patrol as one of their newest (and, as far as I know, the ONLY Philippine AND Asian-based) contributors so hopefully, that'll open up more doors for me.

Taco Bell is giving away free tacos!!!

2008-10-28T09:01:00.006+08:00

It's all part of their "Steal a Base, Steal a Taco" 2008 World Series promotion!

Too bad the offer's only good in the USA.

Dr Pepper makes good on its Guns N' Roses offer.

2008-10-27T10:50:00.008+08:00

A few weeks ago, I blogged about Dr Pepper promising to give everyone in America (except for ex-GN'R guitarists Slash and Buckethead) a free can of Dr Pepper if GN'R's long-delayed and much-awaited (depending on who you ask) album, Chinese Democracy, will be released ANYTIME in 2008.

And since Geffen Records announced just last week that the album will indeed be released in November 23, Dr Pepper is bent on keeping its promise by asking everyone to go to their site on that date and register to receive a coupon that can be redeemed for a 20-oz. Dr Pepper wherever the drink is available.

There is a catch, though: the coupon is only available for 24 hours with the ETA for the coupon to be delivered through mail after you register would be from four to six weeks and the redemption of the free soda only until February 28.

Considering the album's been 14-15 years in the making, waiting that long to headbang to the album while you're drinking your free Dr Pepper ain't so bad then, is it?

It's official! 'Chinese Democracy' will be released on Nov.23!

2008-10-23T11:33:00.009+08:00

It's been a long time coming, but finally, after my last blog post where studio insiders tipped Billboard.com that Guns N' Roses' new album, Chinese Democracy, will be released on November 23, Geffen Records has finally confirmed it, that the album will indeed be released on that day and will be available on CD and vinyl (accompanied by a free digital download of the tracks) as well as a separate digital album at Best Buy and BestBuy.com.

As a matter of fact, the first single, the title track "Chinese Democracy," was released earlier today and the response on radio has been mixed, running the gamut from people saying that it's "really good" and that it "could've easily been in 'Use Your Illusion'" to people expressing their disappointment by saying they "waited 15 years (or however long) for that?"

What's my take on it? IT ROCKS!!! Sure, the sound is too polished, evidence of Axl's non-stop tinkering of the album, and the guitar lacks Slash's meaty, gritty riffs, but the tune is enough to make you want to stomp your foot and bob - or even headbang - your head to the rhythm. And I agree, the song could've easily been in Use Your Illusion II if it weren't for the distinct absence of Slash's guitar work.

But hey, why believe me when you can listen to it for yourself here:

Guns N' Roses - Chinese Democracy

As for the some of the other songs that I've heard online (yes, isn't P2P file-sharing great!), Chinese Democracy could've just as easily been called Use Your Illusion III. So all in all, I'm still sitting on the fence on this one.

GN'R's 'Chinese Democracy' gets a release date. REALLY?!

2008-10-13T15:32:00.006+08:00

According to Billboard.com, sources close to the situation have confirmed that the long-awaited album (that may or may not be an understatement, depending on who you ask) will finally see the light of day, and that's November 23, a couple of days earlier than the previously touted release date.

Yeah, right. I'll believe it when I see it.

Still, as a run-up to the release date, the album track "Shackler's Revenge" will debut in the video game Rock Band 2 while a portion of another album track, "If The World" can be heard over the end credits in the new Leonardo DiCaprio/Russell Crowe film, Body of Lies.

And while I'm still apathetic over Chinese Democracy, the really good news for me is that GN'R's seminal debut, Appetite for Destruction, will be re-issued on vinyl on October 28! AWESOME!!!

And supposedly, the ORIGINAL cover art that was never used due to its sexually explicit nature will be the one used for the re-issued vinyl. SUPER AWESOME!!!

Superman's Crib has been Saved!

2008-10-10T06:24:00.003+08:00

A few weeks ago, I blogged about how fans have helped raise more than $50,000 to help save the house where Jerry Siegel, the writer who helped create Superman along with Joe Shuster, grew and came up with the idea for Superman.

The fans helped by buying some items from the Siegel and Shuster Society, but most importantly, by bidding on a treasure trove of items on auction on eBay that ended on September 30. Among the items sold on the last week of the auction were a Jason Palmer painting that featured all the actors who have played the Man of Steel on both TV and film, full color copies of the shooting script for the "The Donner Versions" of Superman: The Movie and Superman II, complete with writer Tom Mankiewicz's notes, and signed by both Mankiewicz and director Richard Donner, there's also the Superman IV: The Quest for Peace t-shirt signed by Jerry Siegel himself (which really polarizes me, Superman's creator's signature on the crappiest Superman film ever made) and then there's the walk-on part for the TV series, Heroes, which closed at a whopping $14,100 - the second-highest price during the entire auction, with the highest price being set by the Jim Lee drawing of Superman posing with the winner which went for a dollar more. I said before that that was going to be the sweetest prize in the entire auction and, well, I was right. SWEEEETTT!!!

All in all, the auction raised $111,047. Initially, the plan was just to replace the leaky roof and repair and repaint the the wood-sided exterior of the house at a cost of $50,000. So with the extra money raised, the interior can now also be repaired with the leftover money to be saved for future repair and maintenance.

Finally, on the last week of September, more than a hundred volunteers showed up at 10622 Kimberly Avenue in the Glenville neighborhood in Cleveland, Ohio to help fix, clean up and re-paint not only Jerry Siegel's old house but the other houses on the block as well. Come spring, all the hard work will pay off when hundreds of red, blue and yellow flowers will bloom in front of the houses.

And soon, as further homage to Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster's contribution to pop culture, Kimberly Avenue will be renamed 'Jerry Siegel Lane' while Amor Avenue, where Shuster grew up, will be renamed 'Joe Shuster Lane.'

All in all, the auction raised $111,047. Initially, the plan was just to replace the leaky roof and repair and repaint the the wood-sided exterior of the house at a cost of $50,000. So with the extra money raised, the interior can now also be repaired with the leftover money to be saved for future repair and maintenance.

So yes, ordinary people, and not just superheroes, DO change the world.

It's Porn...for Geeks!!!

2008-10-09T18:01:00.006+08:00

For the people who love everything about porn - except the sex - cums, I mean, comes James Gunn's PG Porn.

It's a hilarious take on porn movies, complete with cheesy dialogue, bad sets and even badder acting, with mainstream Hollywood actors teaming up with some of America's most popular pornstars in a non-sexual porn film! Really awesome stuff!

While I know some of James Gunn's work, like Slither, The Specials and the two live-action Scooby-Doo movies, I'm more intimately familiar with the works of the porn actresses that are slated to appear in PG Porn. Actresses like Aria Giovanni, Sasha Grey and Belladonna and their vast body of work, with titles like Naked Diva, Massive Facials and Defend Our Porn.

Anyway, in the first installment of PG Porn, we have mainstream Hollywood actor Natahan Fillion playing the handyman to pornstar Aria Giovanni's lonely, sexually unsatisfied housewife in a scene called Nailing Your Wife.

Nailing Your Wife

Damn, he really does nail her good!

M. Night Shymalan's 'Unbreakable 2'?

2008-10-08T16:34:00.003+08:00

I'm not a big fan of M. Night Shyamalan, most especially of his more recent works like The Happening, The Village and the forgettable Lady in the Water. However, his earlier works like The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable really captivated me, particularly the latter since I'm a big comic books fan and collector who unfortunately doesn't have the time nor the money to indulge in this once-life-changing hobby of mine as much as I want. Signs was good too, but the whole water-is-deadly-to-the-aliens schtick ruined it for me. After all, water is supposed to be essential for the survival of all forms of life. But I digress...

So when I read the news that M. Night Shyamalan's interested to do a sequel to Unbreakable, I was stoked. If you forget the caption at the end of the film telling how Bruce Willis' David Dunn led the police to apprehend Samuel L. Jackson's Elijah Prince as the mastermind behind the villainous acts - both the depicted ones and the ones that're only implied at - on the film, it was pretty much an ambiguous ending that should've stayed that way. And even if you take into account the caption that Elijah Prince was committed to an institution for the criminally insane, there's always the possibility that he could escape. Hell, how many times has Batman's enemies escaped from Arkham Asylum?

So yeah, considering that the TV series, Heroes, has a large cult following, I do hope Shyamalan does push through with Unbreakable 2 because that's his target market right there. That plus the poor misguided fools who'll watch it because they think all of Shyamalan's films are dark and creepy.

I just hope he doesn't screw it up this time or give in to the studio's demands to market it like a spooky thriller like The Sixth Sense when it clearly is not.

Are you ready for some 'Chinese Democracy'?

2008-10-02T11:32:00.012+08:00

I'm sure everyone has heard of this "upcoming" Guns N' Roses album. You know, the one's that been in the making for 14 long years and has cost a reported $13 million to produce? Those figures alone make it really understandable then why GN'R is so protective of their songs being leaked on the 'net. I would be, too, if the album I made cost that much. I have to make a quick ROI after all!

Anyway, the word is out that American retailer, Best Buy, snagged the exclusive rights to sell the more-than-a-decade-in-the-making album, thanks to the band's new management deal with Irving Azoff's Front Line Management, the architect behind the Eagles' Long Road out of Eden album which was released exclusively through Wal-Mart on the first year of its initial release. That album took six years to produce and sold 3.1 million copies in the United States alone, so Chinese Democracy is in good hands of someone who has been there and has done that.

Although some of the details of the deal are still being worked out, the particular kicker is this: the release date hasn't been set although sources familiar with the deal said it's before year's end, with November 25 being tossed around as the likeliest date.

Yeah, right...

Still, if the sources are right about the release date, that could put Dr Pepper in a really, REALLY tight bind since they did promise to give everyone in America (except for Slash and Buckethead) a free can of Dr Pepper if Chinese Democracy is released some time - ANYTIME! - in 2008.

I never liked Dr Pepper much and I've always been partial to Coke so I couldn't care less if, after the recent financial crisis in Wall Street, there would be a soda crisis if Dr Pepper can't fulfill the promised they made to the people.

Me, I just wanna hear Axl rock!!! If he still has it, that is...

"So faaaaar away... the album's so faaaaaar awaaaaay..."

This Underachiever's Hellboy II: The Golden Army Review...

2008-09-24T22:35:00.005+08:00

I liked the first movie. Or better yet, I LOVED the first movie. So my hopes were really up there when I heard that Guillermo del Toro was going to come up with a sequel. I liked what he did in Blade II and, like I just said, I loved his work in Hellboy so, yeah, I would've killed for Hellboy II: The Golden Army.

Sadly, I'd sooner kick a stray dog than kill for Hellboy II. Yes, I was THAT disappointed since ...The Golden Army looked more like tarnished silver.

The movie started out with a scene from Hellboy's youth, with his adoptive father, Prof. Broom (played by John Hurt once more), telling him a story about elves and men and the Elf King's unstoppable golden army of clockwork soldiers that numbered "70 times 70" soldiers. I liked that part. Very Old Testament-like.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, the movie cuts to the present where the elf's son wants to control the golden army so that his people would finally rule over man. Yes, Prince Nuada has a very, very big chip on his shoulder to carry around that kind of anger for hundreds of years. As for Hellboy, tired of having to hide and have his existence kept secret all these years while working for the government, he decides it's finally time to reveal himself to the world with a bang - literally - by crashing through a window, landing on a car's roof crushing it flat, and shooting a tooth fairy in front of a hundred people. Yes, a tooth fairy - a savage yet tiny creature that feasts on calcium.

The movie could've ended right there and I would've been happy but NOOOOO...we get scenes of Hellboy and Liz Sherman fighting like old, married couples and heck, we even see Abe Sapien falling in love with Princess Nuala, Prince Nuada's sister.

Now, the Abe/Nuala love angle was nice since it showed a more "human" side to Abe but the Hellboy/Liz angle looked too forced. For some reason, it lacked the intensity that they had in the first movie when they were still unsure of each other. Well, when you think about it, it does resemble how a couple's relationship works in real life - all hot and heavy when you're just starting out and then all cold and boring once she tries to control your life while you still feel like living a bachelor's life. Oh, and the sex gets less and less too.

All in all, it's like Guillermo was on autopilot throughout the movie. Yes, it had his touches like the great character design and the attention to detail. But as serious as the first movie's tone was, the sequel seemed like a step back because of its more light-hearted, campy nature.

Ron Perlman was, like in the first movie, perfect as Hellboy. I can't imagine anyone else holding a candle to his angry yet nonchalant depiction of the title character. Although I have to say, he looked much smaller this time around when compared to the first movie.

The addition of German psychic Johann Krauss (as voiced by Seth MacFarlane) was great even if he was hardly used in the movie. But then again, when the character you're playing is ectoplasmic in nature, I suppose there's very little you can do without the help of CGI. In any case, his cool and professional demeanor provided the perfect foil for Hellboy's hit-now-ask-questions-later philosophy as well as Abe's intelligent yet naive manner.

Selma Blair was also underused in her role as Liz Sherman. Truth be told, she even provided more fire - both literally and figuratively - in the first movie as compared to the sequel. Also, at the end of the movie, I just wanted to ask; "Couldn't she just have melted those 70 times 70 golden soldiers instead and save Hellboy the trouble of having to duke it out with Prince Nuada?" But that's just me...

And speaking of Prince Nuada, who was also underused in the movie, he was nevertheless just as great although you do get the feeling that they could've done more with the character! He could've provided a more formidable challenge to Hellboy if the movie didn't delve too much into the character developments of Hellboy and his crew. So it's just sad that, somehow, even Rasputin in the first movie got more screen time than Prince Nuada. Rasputin hardly did anything except use his magic powers whereas Prince Nuada kicked ass! Hell, even Hellboy got pwned in their first fight scene in the BPRD!

Still, as unfocused as the entire movie was, I have to give Guillermo del Toro mad props for his vision. With the designs of the out-of-this-world characters in the movie, it sometimes seemed like I was watching the sequel to Pan's Labyrinth, particularly with how the Elf King's chamberlain and the Angel of Death looked like.

Incidentally, the actor behind both characters is Doug Jones, who's looking like he's del Toro's lucky charm since, other than playing the two characters I previously mentioned, he also plays Abe Sapien for both Hellboy movies as well as the Faun and the Pale Man in Pan's Labyrinth.

Also making a comeback to a del Toro feature is Luke Goss as Prince Nuada who also played the main antagonist, Jared Nomak, in Blade II. And FYI: to those who're 30+ years old like me, if his name sounds familiar, Luke Goss, along with his twin brother, Matt, formed the British boy band Bros in the late '80s.

So if you're a Hellboy fanboy or if you loved the first movie, I suggest you pass up the sequel or just wait for it on DVD so that you'll feel less ripped off. But if your sense of humor is shallow, then I say, go ahead. It's worth a couple of laughs, after all. So for this Underachiever, Hellboy II: The Golden Army is a big underachievement.

Ordinary people DO change the world...

2008-09-20T15:56:00.002+08:00

A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about an auction that was mounted to help save the house where Jerry Siegel, the writer who, as a teenager, first dreamt up of Superman in the very same house, grew up in.

The Siegel and Shuster Society, the organization behind the whole effort, targeted $50,000 for the exterior repairs to Jerry Siegel's home. And after the second week's auction haul of $18,996, the organization has already raised $53,455, clearly surpassing their target. So yes, ordinary people DO change the world.

As mentioned in my previous blog post, the auction will run for the whole September. And to say that the items being auctioned are good is an understatement. After all, there's an original Superman artwork from Tim Sale, the man behind Isaac Mendez' painting on the Heroes TV series. There's also a copy of the original Superman: The Movie script prior to Mario Puzo's re-write that's signed by the movie's director, Richard Donner. And then there's what could be this week's prize catch: a limited edition Superman artwork of Alex Ross that's a huge 36" x 24" Giclee print on canvas.

Now, although most (read: ALL) of the items are beyond what my meager salary can afford, the Siegel and Shuster Society are also selling some items that will help continue the funding to the house's repairs once the auction wraps up - and THOSE items I'm sure we can afford.

In some small way, Superman has touched everyone's lives, whether it was the fascination of seeing him portrayed on screen by the late Christopher Reeve or simply just the joy of seeing kids run around in a department-store bought Superman costume. So, I say we pay it forward by doing our share to help save Superman's house from neglect.

Behind the glasses of H.R.G...

2008-09-19T14:14:00.006+08:00

...and if you're a real geek, there's no need to tell you what H.R.G. stands for. But for the uninitiated, H.R.G. is an abbreviation for Horn Rimmed Glasses. And if you're still totally lost, H.R.G. was how Mr. Bennet, Claire Bennet's adoptive father, was initially known until we found out his first name was Noah in the first season finale of Heroes.

He's been one of my favorite characters ever since because I could easily identify with his cold, calculating behavior one moment that could easily turn volatile in a blink of an eye. Or maybe that's just how I see myself...

In any case, it's great to find out that Jack Coleman, the actor who plays Mr. Bennet, has a blog since it lets us find out what working in Heroes is like from an actor's point of view. Now, if you're looking to find what's it like from a director's point of view, there's Beaming Beeman, the blog of Heroes director, Greg Beeman.

And if I may share a little tidbit about myself; when I was still working in the call center industry for what was then one of the top players, my phone name was Jack Cole. And while it sounds normal and very American, if you're a Filipino, you're bound to think of something very, very naughty.

I also thought of going by the name Tom Wood just in case Jack Cole got old fast but I never got tired of it so Jack Cole it was...

The Dark Knight (and Heath Ledger) just might get the Oscar, after all...

2008-09-12T14:27:00.005+08:00

...because if Warner Bros. can have it their way, they'll be re-releasing The Dark Knight back on IMAX screens come January next year.

"Why January," you say? Well, because that's the peak of the Academy Awards voting season. Perfect timing, really, for a film that's been a huge commercial AND critical success.

And if you consider the fact that the DVDs will be coming out in December of this year, stoking the fires of the DVD buyers who'd like to watch it on the giant-screen soon after they see it in their home theater, as well as attracting those who missed out on the film's initial IMAX run, that certainly means more big bucks to be milked from what is already the second-highest-grossing-movie ever.

Also, if the film scores an Oscar nod or two (or maybe even more) and, if the Oscar gods favor it by letting The Dark Knight win one or two awards and maybe, just maybe, even letting Heath Ledger win a posthumous golden statue, then it's practically a given for the film to top $1 billion worldwide.

Now the question is, can even the Batman go up against Titanic's nigh-unsinkable $1.84 billion for box-office supermacy?

Metallica's soon-to-be-released album is already #1!

2008-09-11T13:10:00.013+08:00

Yes, the latest album called Death Magnetic is just going to be released officially this coming Friday but it's already the #1 most shared file on BitTorrent clients everywhere!

So do your share and download it now before it goes on sale to show your support for the band that killed the once-beloved Napster! And while we're at it, let's thank the French record store for mistakenly selling the album a week early, as well as the digital gods for bringing us LimeWire and BitTorrent and whatever P2P clients are being used right now to share such digital manna from digital heaven online for free!

"We've learned our lesson. We know now the money really isn't in album sales but in merchandising, that's why we also have a five-LP vinyl set as well as a lavish coffin-case box set that comes with a T-shirt, a bonus CD of demos, a DVD, a poster, a flag, guitar picks and a concert download!"

Ten good reasons a geek would want to watch Kevin Smith's new movie...

2008-09-09T11:47:00.005+08:00

It's a Kevin Smith movie! DUH!
It starts off in a 10th year high school reunion, the kind where everyone brags about what they've been doing after they graduated!
It's about PORN!
It's about a porn MOVIE!
It's about an AMATEUR porn movie!
Seth Rogen is in it!
Jason Mewes is in it! *Snootchie-Bootchies*
Elizabeth Banks is sexyfunny!
Traci Lords is in it!
"Star Whores"