Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Matchbox Twenty's "She's So Mean" Official Music Video Released!

Matchbox Twenty has just released the official music video of their latest single, "She's So Mean" from their new album, "North".




The album itself won't be available until the first week of September. But don't fret, because that gives you ample time to memorize the lyrics. :)

She's So Mean
Matchbox Twenty

I kn-kn-know a girl
She gets what she wants all the time 
Cause she’s fine 
But for an angel, she’s a hot, hot mess 
Make you so blind 
But you don’t mind 

Cause she’s an uptown, get-around, anything-goes girl 
She’s a hardcore, candy-store, give-me-some-more girl 
She’ll make you take her to the club, but then she leaves with her friends 
She likes to stay late at the party cause the fun never ends 
And all her clothes are on the floor, and all your records are scratched 
She’s like a one-way ticket cause you can’t come back 

Sayin’ yeah, and you want her 
But she’s so mean 
(You’ll never let her go, why don’t you let her go?) 
Yeah, and you want her 
But she’s so mean 
(You’ll never let her go, why don’t you let her go?) 

You kn-kn-know that if you don’t shut your mouth 
She’ll freak out 
You better get your shit together 
Cause she’s bringing you down, now 
Yeah, boy, you better, you better 

Cause she’s an uptown, get-around, anything-goes girl, girl 
She’s a hardcore, candy-store, give-me-some-more girl, girl 
She’s got a wicked sense of humor, can’t believe what she says 
She drinks Bacardi in the morning till it goes to her head 
And all you want is just to hold her, but she don’t go for that 
She has a hard time coming when she can’t hit back 

Sayin’ yeah, and you want her 
But she’s so mean 
(You’ll never let her go, why don’t you let her go?) 
Yeah, and you want her 
But she’s so mean 
(You’ll never let her go, why don’t you let her go?) 

Every now and then she makes you just a little bit crazy 
She’ll turn the knife into your back and then she’s calling you ‘baby’ 
Crazy 
She’ll make you take her to the club, but then she leaves with her friends 
She likes to stay late at the party cause the fun never ends 
And all her clothes are on the floor, and all your records are scratched 
She’s like a one-way ticket cause you can’t come back 

Sayin’ yeah, and you want her 
But she’s so mean 
(You’ll never let her go, why don’t you let her go?) 
Yeah, and you want her 
But she’s so mean 
(You’ll never let her go, why don’t you let her go?) 
Yeah, and you want her 
Yeah, you want her 
Yeah, I know how you want her, but she’s so mean 
(You’ll never let her go, why don’t you let her go?)



Saturday, July 28, 2012

A fly in a... Liquid Soap Dispenser



...because being a fly doesn't mean you can't be hygienic.



Tuesday, July 24, 2012

The Dark Knight Rises Review


Since the year 2000, comic book movie adaptations have invaded movie theaters with notable international box office success. Their solid patronage: a comic-reading generation that's curious to see their favorite superheroes in 3D. But while it’s easy for these films to gain a sizeable audience, it’s never that easy to live up to the expectation. The perfect balance of fantasy and reality seem to elude Hollywood’s grasp, making most movies of this genre either too cheesy or too predictable. Or worse, both. The good news, The Dark Knight Rises movie is neither.


Christopher Nolan's greatest success in his Batman rendition is the additional depth to the characters' original '2D' persona. In The Dark Knight Rises,we saw a Bruce Wayne, barely even coping from his loss, already faced with a decision to protect a city that has never truly loved him. We also saw him fall from grace, half wanting to fail for an easy way out, then rise again. 

Like the Joker (Heath Ledger) and Two-Face/Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) in the previous sequel, The Dark Knight, popular characters were also given compelling portrayals in The Dark Knight Rises.Anne Hathaway plays the role of Catwoman/Selina Kyle, a fugitive thief who's looking for a fresh start. Even the villain Bane, played by Tom Hardy, had a major character makeover; from being a brainless, chemically altered lump of meat, he is now a man with a purpose, a plan and a pair of huge biceps (and an army) to make that happen.

It did not have the visually orgasmic special effects that the Transformers movies had, or the all-star superhero lineup that the Avengers has assembled, but The Dark Knight Rises has kept us at the edge of our seats for the entire two hours all the same. In fact, this movie has shown an entire city crumble down without being the least ostentatious. Instead of over-the-top explosions and flashy fight scenes, it  offered a superbly written script and a gripping and intricate plot that sheds light and casts shadows where they're most needed.


If we're to believe the news, The Dark Knight Rises is going to be the last installment of its franchise. It's a real shame to see a movie this good come to an end. But if you've watched the movie and know how it ends, you can't help but look up and wait for that beacon to light up the sky one more time.


Friday, July 20, 2012

A fly in a...?

Before we go any further, we'd like to thank Abraham Alegre and his ex-blog Subterranean Subterfuge's mini-game called "Ano Itetch" for the inspiration.


A fly in a _______?

This is just a one-time-big-time game. Guess what this is and answer in this format:

A fly in a ________? or   Isang langaw na nasa ______?


*Cool prizes are at stake! Join now!

*No, there are none.


Thursday, July 12, 2012

Toastbox: A taste of Singapore


In a few days, Roselle will be leaving for Singapore. Yes. Singapore.  The “Lion City”. A country where acute poverty is so rare that employment seems like a fad. A country that proved to us that urbanization can also mean clean streets. A country that holds the title for being the cleanest in Asia, if not in the entire world; so clean that chewing gum is punishable by law.

Too bad for her, she will stay there for only three days and two nights.

So, we conducted an eating-in-a-Singaporean-diner simulation in a ToastBox branch inside Robinson’s Ermita just to let her have a taste of Singapore before her scheduled trip.



A nice and very clean-looking place this particular ToastBox outlet was--- almost bordering on sterile ---with its overall white color and bright and sunny atmosphere. It’s primarily a coffee shop with offerings of signature brews and light meals. But people with more serious appetites---- ahem...like us---- also have room here.
The Toastbox Heart Attack Tower 
No starters whatsoever, we pounced right on the main course; Roselle ordered Nasi Goreng and Lemon Iced Tea, I picked Hainanese Chicken and Rice and Horlick’s Dinosaur.

For meals with very common ingredients, both the Nasi Goreng and the Hainanese Chicken were curiously flavorful. We particularly liked the salty-sweet Hainanese sauce, and as for Nasi Goreng, it had us with its salty and slightly spicy bagoong (shrimp paste).





ToastBox’s Horlick’s Dinosaur, is a malted milk cousin of the more popular Choco/Milo Dinosaur. It’s not the best thirst-quencher there is, but it’s a very interesting drink, to say the least. Good thing, too, that we ordered Toastbox’s home-brewed lemon iced tea. It’s a refreshing drink with a very entertaining brewing method.




Lunch and a show

Now, she’s ready for Singapore.



Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Dolphy dies at 83

Fifteen days more and the king of comedy would have lived to celebrate his 84th birthday.But around 8:40 PM today in Makati Medical Center, Dolphy has made his final curtain call.

We remember him best as "Kevin Cosme" in the decade long TV sitcom, "Home Along da Riles". But now that we've looked at his career, he's also probably one of the few actors in our history to have successfully worked with every major TV station.

 Perhaps comedy knows no boundaries.

 Thanks for the laughs, Pidol!

Pahinga Riverside Retreat House: the name says the Rest

To mention its name and say that this is a place where you can forget your stressful urban life and drown your worries in the chorus of rustling bamboo leaves, singing birds and flowing river in a single sentence would be utterly redundant. So, we won’t.

Instead, we’ll just tell you that peace of mind comes cheap here in Pahinga Riverside Retreat House in Pilar, Bataan. We’ll let the photos do the talking from here.


The guest house bedroom

The Glass house is the one with the best overlooking view of the river.
Fancy taking a bath with a breathtaking view?

The lower glass house bedroom.


The Main House


One of the main house's several bedrooms
There are additional bedrooms in the attic of the main house.



Our thanks to our friend, Lean, for leading us to this wonderful place. And so, we are duty-bound to pay it forward:

From Pasay or Cubao, ride a bus bound for Mariveles and ask your conductor to drop you off at the Total gas station in Ala-Uli. It’s a 2-3 hour bus ride and when you start seeing signs that you’re in Balanga, you’re almost there. Once in Ala-uli, you can do a last-minute shop for supplies in sari-sari stores nearby. After that, go to the nearest tricycle terminal and ask the drivers to take you to Pahinga rest house. If that doesn’t work,  you can just mention Salaya Farm. If that, too, doesn’t work, contact Kuya Dondi, the trike driver, through his mobile phone 09433604523. If tha--- Nah! You don’t wanna hear the rest. Just know that 50 PHP for each person is a fare that’s fair enough to get you there.



What to do in Pahinga?

Well, aside from sleeping ‘til your eyes fall off [which we did], wading through the river during this rainy season is fine but it’s best done during summer when the water is clearest. Morning walks around the surrounding farms are said to be just as refreshing and photo enthusiasts will also find beautiful subjects inside and outside of Pahinga. The other houses are also left open for visitors to see. Best to go here as a group.

















Oh, and cook! Bring and cook your own food. Just make sure to buy all the ingredients beforehand and Pahinga’s dirty kitchen has all the rest. ALL. THE. REST.

Not your average-sized butiki.

Pahinga is also strategically located in between two of Bataan’s popular attractions: Mt. Samat and Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar.

To go to Las Casas, ask Ate Fe, the caretaker to take you out to the main road. From the main road, you can take a bus/jeepney bound for Bagac and ask the conductor to drop you off at Las Casas. The fare should be around 30 PHP for the 30-45-minute ride. The day tour fee through Las Casas’ vintage residences should be around 650 PHP.

On the other hand, a 5-10 minute jeepney or tricycle ride bound for Ala-uli and you should pass by the gate to Mt. Samat. Just ask the driver to drop you off there. From there, you can rent a tricycle to the zipline, supposedly the longest in Luzon, which well then take you to Dunsulan Falls. Alternatively, for P100 per person [or maybe you can do better than this deal], the driver can take you up to the Dambana ng Kagitingan. Patriotic citizens that we are, we chose the latter.

A big cross for all the brave souls who held their ground...

...even when faced with certain defeat.

And I'm buying a stairway to heaven...


The viewing deck at the top of the cross... is wet.

A stunning view from the deck even with the heavy rains.



So, if you have a mind to take a time off from your daily hassles, or just want to reminisce that 90’s afternoon TV teen drama, remember that there’s a place in Bataan with a name that is as good as the deed.


The name says the Rest.

Tentative Cinemalaya screening schedules are up!


Calling all indie film buffs! It’s July once again and that only means one thing---- CINEMALAYA! Screening of entries is scheduled from the 20th to the 29th in three different locations: CCP in Manila, Trinoma in Quezon City, and Greenbelt in Makati. Click here for the complete tentative schedule and ticket prices.

What to watch? What to watch? *ngatngat sa kuko*

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Rizal Rocks Back to Life in “Rebulto” Album Launch


Former Yano lead vocalist, Dong Abay proves that even after his 6-year hiatus from the music scene, he still can sway the crowd. In his “Rebulto” album launch held in Cubao Expo last Thursday, June 28, the 41-year old punk icon brought the house down with his edgy songs, outstanding stage presence and unintentional sense of humor that not even a faulty sound system can spoil.

Beer toting Dong talks about his album. The shirt will have to come off, of course.

The possessed performer. The fans loved it.

With 7 tracks under its hood, the concept album, “Rebulto” probes into our national hero’s insights on the current situation of the country that he once defended against the Spanish occupation. According to Abay, Jose Rizal is his hero, no matter what other historical cynics may say about him. He also said that this album is his tribute and gift to the patriot who had his 121st birthday last June 19th.

Here are the tracks:

Kilometro Zero
Kikilos
Par Que
Anonymous
Rizal Day
Bagumbayan
Titigas


This list was never followed.

Former bandmates Raymund Marasigan of Sandwich and Buddy Zabala of The Dawn collaborated with Team Manila in producing the album. But just like what others have already observed, we think that it’s not as punk-laden as his previous ones, but it still has Dong Abay written all over it. Though it was hard to make out the lyrics, it was clear to us that he was trying to say something with each word.

Neither the faulty sound system nor the sudden downpour of rain dampened the crowd's spirit...

...or Dong's.
With Raymund Marasigan’s Sandwich taking care of the strings and the beats, Dong Abay performed with reckless abandon. And when the fans clamored for his popular compositions like “Perpekto”, “Tsinelas” and the controversial, “Banal na Aso, Santong Kabayo”, the vocalist obliged and the evening came to life. People sang in unison, threw their hands in the air and yelled their lungs out [including us, of course], while some guys just went overboard. We think we saw a mosh pit there somewhere. One guy even dared approach Dong Abay and ask the vocalist to wear what looked like a white baby bonnet. Abay tactfully declined. Then, it got even more tense towards the end when this guy, whom obviously had one too many, decided he can do a solo mosh pit on stage:

Caught in the act: Big boned girl at the left about to tackle topless dancing guy on the right out of the stage.  Diego Castillo of Sandwich with that "Who the f***?" look.
Still, we think everything went well. We even dare say that the hero would have been proud.





Dong Abay’s “Rebulto” is now available in all Team Manila outlets.