Kenny is not Kobe

Kenny Smith tries to do what Kobe did. Is he successful?

FHM's 10 Sexiest Women of 2008

#10 Kate Beckinsale - She's turning 35 next month. She has a daughter named Lily Mo. MILF.





















#09 Blake Lively - She stars as Serena van der Woodsen in Gossip Girls. Who cares? She's not sexy here and I doubt she's sexy on TV.




















#08 Tricia Helfer - She stars as "Number 6" in Battlestar Galactica. She's Number 8 for the US FHM readers - who all happen to be blind from too much masturbation.



















#07 Hilary Duff - Some say she's developing breasts now. Shouldn't face come earlier?





















#06 Emmanuele Chiriqui - She deserves the 2nd spot if you ask me (if not for her tamed personality she'd be 1st on my list)




















#05 Scarlett Johannson - Sorry. Not sexy.






















#04 Elisha Cuthbert - Danielle is 3rd on my list of girls who I'd love to have "dinner" with





















#03 Jessica Alba - MILF-to-be. If I had a MILF top ten, she'd definitely be #1.





















#02 Jessica Biel - She probably has bigger biceps than me. Hot? For a dude, yes.





















And the hottest of 2008.. MegaFox! She looks like Maggie Q in this pic -- d-d-doubly hot!! That belly button is unreal!

Vote for Tubbataha Reef

Vote for Tubbataha as one of the & Wonders of Nature.

Vote for whatever reason you have.

It's in the Philippines.

It deserves to be recognized.

You liked Finding Nemo.

As long as you vote.

Tubbataha is absolutely beautiful. These are just some of the pictures I took...

... from the Internet.

One Night at the Global Culinary and Hospitality Academy

[Note: This article came out in the Flavors Section in The Philippine Star in the middle of March 2008. This is the raw, un-editored version.]

Finals are supposed to be no fun at all. It’s supposed to be stressful, gut -wrenching and very, very unpleasant. However, this is not the atmosphere that I felt when I entered Global Culinary and Hospitality Academy last January. The place was vibrant and full of energy like an oven is about to explode. Luckily, none of that happened and I had a wonderful night. I arrived late for the event, I did not know what to expect and I did not know what the event was about. After walking for about a kilometer to the Academy from the MRT station, all I was really thinking was “I hope they have free food in this place”. I was sweaty and tired and when I entered I realized that I was so underdressed in my sweaty shirt and jeans. However, the people who welcomed me made me feel right at home with their warm enthusiastic smile and polite demeanor. I almost felt like I arrived in a limo and wearing an Armani suit. Looking around, one cannot help but notice the quaint setup of the Academy. On one side is the classroom which could probably sit around 40 people and adjacent to it is the kitchen which is not unlike the kitchens you see in Top Chef or Jamie’s Kitchen. The two rooms flank the main restaurant-type area which has the feel of an authentic fine dining restaurant.

Thrust

According to Chef Edward Bugia, one of the Academy’s faculty members, their thrust is not just to teach the students in culinary arts but also educate them on how to provide the customer a completely pleasurable dining experience. This is probably what differentiates Global from other culinary schools. Whereas other schools confine themselves within the heated walls of the kitchen, Rob Pengson’s Global steps out of the kitchen and into your air-conditioned dining room. The food that was prepared was both expected and unexpected at the same time. What I mean is it is exactly the type of food that people expect out of similar high end restaurants but upon tasting it, they’re quite different from what one might originally imagine.

Dinner Time

There were several dishes that caught me pleasantly by surprise, from the texture to the aftertaste, there was always something that you would take note of afterwards. My personal favorite would have to be the shrimp soup which all the people in me table finished in about thirty seconds flat. Quite a barbaric act actually, considering the elegant nature of the place we were in. This is not to say that the evening went without a hiccup. There were several indeed, like the two pieces of beef that somehow failed to agree as to what temperature they’d be arriving at my table and a couple of dishes that were fashionably late. I decided to take that opportunity to converse with the students and the chefs and find out more about them and the academy. I entered the kitchen and half expected to see Remy commanding the students(there! I got off a Ratatouille joke finally) but instead found Chef Victor Sanchez conducting the orchestra.

New Kids on the Block

I asked some of the students how old they were and I was surprised to find out that a lot of them were quite young and barely out of their teens. Most of them have dreams of traveling overseas and honing their craft in restaurants far from people who cook adobo. Others are simply enthusiastic about cooking in general with no specific dreams or goals in mind. Chef Edi told me that the students are under a lot of pressure, this being their finals and culmination of several months worth of training. I also learned that it doesn’t end that night since for the next several days they will cook other dishes as well such as Moroccan and Asian. I was also able to talk to the other guests such as Chef Ingrid Mediarito of Ingrid’s Sweet Haven who shared some of my views about that event prompting me to think that I can be a chef as well. I went back to my table and treated myself to the rest of the dishes which ended with a dark chocolate tart that put an exclamation point to the evening. It was a wonderful evening all in all and wile I really wanted to come back for the next few days, sadly that was my last. Perhaps I will get invited again *EHEM* and enjoy the experience a second time and I’m quite positive that by that time, they would have fixed most, if not all, of the minor problems. While not yet at par with the real thing, it wouldn’t be a stretch of the imagination to think that they’re well on their way to being so.

Sunday Lunch Buffet at Freska

Last sunday was a truly gastronomic experience.

I went on a diet the entire week and blew it all off last saturday and sunday.

Freska has one of the best Lunch Buffets in town and at 375 pesos, it's a lot cheaper than other restos.

The Complainer: Premiere Issue, the UP Oval

Confused about a lot of things in our society?

Don't understand what's happening?

Well so am I.

[Note:All my complaints, big, small, absurd, understandable, incoherent, logical, illogical, twice blended will be posted under this heading.]

Effective March 26, 2008, the UP Administrators lost their marbles.

On that date, the UP Academic Oval traffic scheme was made into a one-way traffic route similar to Quezon City Circle. This is clearly a case of over management.

Apparently, the administrators decided that they can do so much more than planting and replanting sunflowers along University Avenue and decided to do this. Approaching from Philcoa, you can no longer turn left upon coming face to face with Fernando Poe Sr.'s rock hard... physique.

The explanation of course is to increase traffic flow. In this, the UP Administrators are simply illogical.

Granted, increased traffic flow is almost always welcome. This however does not apply in a crowded campus. In fact., inside a campus like UP, the slower the cars the better. This prevents possible accidents caused by speeding student-driven cars whose drivers are intent on getting to Mang Jimmy's as fast as possible.

Secondly, I have never been caught in a traffic jam inside the Academic Oval. Everybody knows that the only traffic jam in UP occurs in the registration line during Reg Week and the line for the free screening of an art(read:X-rated) film.

Lastly, I love driving on that road at night with all the lined up trees and yellow light from the lampposts. Actually, I love driving along that road all the time. It's relaxing, serene and carefree. Exactly what UP should be.

Now they ruined it. Now the corners leading to it are filled with metal barriers, forcing drivers to go one way only. It killed the stress-free environment inside the campus.

I may be alone in this. But I know I'm not.

Complain with me.

The Complainer

Melo Arrested for DUI

Look at that gangsta mugshot!

He got pulled over for weaving and failing to dim his headlights. Needless to say, he failed sobriety tests.

According to RealGM, Melo is ranked 31st in the most paid NBA players - which means he could easily hire a chauffeur if he wanted to.

"Poor" boy.

He is turning 24 this May.

Geronimo Terror Razor

Did you know that the Native American leader's Chiricahua Apache name means "the one who yawns"? - no connection to the video whatsoever

Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay

Waiting waiting waiting...

The Next Horror Classic

"Jennifer's Body" is about a possessed cheerleader, Jennifer, who loves killing (undoubtedly using her body as bait) her male classmates. Her BFF Needy will try and stop her (hopefully using her body as well) from finishing off every penis in the movie.

Megan Fox (Transformers) will play Jennifer

and Amanda Seyfried (Mean Girls/Alpha Dog) will play Needy

Director Jason Reitman (Juno) says the two will have a catfight in the movie - in their undies! We can't wait!

The Only Reason to Watch Friday Night Lights

Minka Kelly

Did you notice the red star tattoo? Hot!

10 Ways to Keep Cool this Summer

[Note: This article came out last April 6, 2008 in the Philippine Star, Flavors Section. This is the original draft and photo layout]

10 Ways to Keep Cool This Summer!
The summer heat is back with a vengeance. After weeks of cool breezy weather in February, it’s back to the oven for all of us as we burn to a crisp and steam gets forced out of us like an espresso machine. During these times, you begin to think of ways to keep cool and luckily for you, we have a list that does just that.

1) Café Mondial- Hip yet elegant places with exquisite food are hard to find unless you’re willing to bust your entire paycheck in one night. This scarcity of good places to go to is the problem that has been directly addressed by Café Mondial. The summer heat makes people crave to be transported to far off places with great ambience in the company of beautiful people. Located at Silver City along Julia Vargas avenue in Pasig City, Café Mondial or Global Café in English this uber-trendy café offers exactly that and perhaps much, much more as it delivers the finest truly international set of delectable dishes from different countries across the globe. What makes this place different from other restaurants that pretend to be international is that the food does not taste like a mere version of the food from that locale. Café Mondial offers the real deal. What’s more, during the weekends, Café Mondial transforms into the hippest, coolest bar in town complete with world class DJs that complement their world class food selection.

2) Del Monte Fit ‘n Right- Keeping trim this summer is a definite priority for a lot of people. If you’re thinking of bringing a beverage to the beach, remember that your choice of drink will speak volumes of who you are to the opposite sex. Your best bet: Del Monte Fit ‘n Right. Carrying this baby around alone tells others that you’re smart when it comes to choices. Just think about it. While burning your fat from the outside through the sun’s rays, you’re also burning it from the inside! But don’t sweat the burn. Coming in 3 different flavors, this refreshing drink not only quenches your thirst but it also satisfies some of the cravings for something sweet or fruity allowing you to easily take a pass on other sweet dishes that could’ve added calories to your body.

3) Freska’s Beer Balloon- Summertime is the best time for barkada nights out. One way of beating out the night heat is by hanging out with your closest friends at a watering hole and during these hot summer nights, nothing tastes better than ice cold beer. Freska, offers the Beer Balloon for all your barkada gatherings. Reminscent to the MVP trophy of the NBA, this ten bottle strong beer container is the newest offering from the country’s premiere seafood grill. It’s a unique centerpiece that looks a bit like a crystal ball and after a few of these, no doubt, a few secrets will be revealed. And at the practically bargain price of 325 pesos, you’ll surely have a lot of cash left for their wide selection of delicious pulutan. Freska and its Beer Balloon can be found in Katipunan, Pasig and at the Promenade, Greenhills.


4)Nestle Ice Cream Pops- If you want a quick ice cream fix that’s not too heavy, look no further than Nestle Ice Cream Pops. These chocolate covered vanilla ice cream are about the size of Hershey’s Kisses and are fun to eat and one small pack that costs 25 Pesos can be shared with a few of your friends as well. Quick technique: Pop one in and just let it melt in your mouth.

5)Homemade Milkshake
There are many restaurants and cafés out there that offer milkshake in their selection of drinks and beverages. While a lot of them are indeed very good like the comebacking McDonald’s milkshake, most of the time you are left to choose between 2 or 3 flavors only. (Unless you’re in Davao, where there is always “Durian flavor” in any food item) Milkshake is actually very easy to make and you can make them right in your very home. Milkshake has two basic ingredients: Ice cream and milk. This means that the number of flavors that you can make depends on the number of ice cream flavors as well as milk flavors in the supermarket. Here’s a simple Milkshake recipe that you can enjoy while holing up in your crib.
One Pint Vanilla Ice cream
1/3 cup of milk
1 sachet of Nescafe Sweet and Creamy coffee
Mix it all in a blender and… Voila! Wala nang init sa katawan mo!

6)Picnic- Unbeknownst to many, there are many places in Metro Manila where one can go on a pinic. The best would probably be the La Mesa Eco Park in the heart of Fairview Quezon City. This sprawling nature haven is like an oasis in the middle of the humid and scorching Quezon City environment. You can bring your own food or even try to catch a fish while your kids play around in the soft, green, grassy plains of the park. It’s a family friendly environment but a lot of young lovers like our friends Abet and Diane also go there for some shenani.. err G-rated relaxing leisure time with each other. You can also go on a night picnic for which Marikina Riverpark in Riverbanks is the best place to go to. It’s safe accessible and has no closing time. Grab your banig, a few sandwiches and a bottle of your favorite softdrinks and you’re good to go.

7)Fiesta San Miguel- Hanging out in hotels isn’t really popular unless your name is Antonio Trillanes. However, once you get a taste of Fiesta San Miguel inside the luxurious Dusit Hotel in Makati, you just might gather your troops and invade this princely restaurant/ bar. Having been open since October of 2003, Fiesta San Miguel offers freshly brewed San Miguel Beer both Pale Pilsen and Light variations that are, quite honestly, the zenith when it comes to taste that even non beer drinkers would fall in love with. Here, beer is not tasted but experienced. As an additional treat, each night there’s a different live band playing which makes the experience all the more exciting. Quick Tip: avail of their Happy Hour rate till 9 pm.


8)Zagu- In the early part of this century, just about everyone went crazy with the pearl shake. The number of pearl-shake drinkers was only outnumbered by the number of pearl shake stores in the market. It was so prevalent that one could not determine whether it was a phenomenon or a plague. In a matter of months practically 99% of them folded and to this day very few of them are still in business. Luckily, the pioneer remains and every summer, when people feel like burning up in the city heat, Zagu is there to give us our pearl-shake fix.

9)Iron Chef America- In the 1990s Mark Dacascos established himself as a rising action martial arts actor. Who would have known that it would take only a few years before he would be known as The Chairman? Dacascos plays the nephew of the chairman in the original Iron Chef series in Japan who goes to the US to create his own Iron Chef battleground. Iron Chef America is an absolutely engaging show as it pits world renowned Chefs against non-celebrity chefs and sometimes against each other. The best part of the show of course is watching the renowned chefs from the Food Network such as Wolfgang Puck, Mario Batali and Bobby Flay shed their fun loving persona from their shows and become ultra-serious and competitive. In one episode Bobby Flay and Masaharu Morimoto got into an argument that left me wishing that the Chairman would hand them a kitchen knife each. Where’s Yan of Wok with Yan when you need him?

10)Ka-Toque- For those of us who love local cooking shows, one would realize how far these types have gone over the years. Originally aimed towards housewives, cooking shows are now aimed towards a much younger demographic. The most exciting and fun show right now is “Ka-toque” which airs on Q-TV 11 every Saturday from 11 am to 12 noon. Ka-toque stars youthful chefs led by the dashing Chef Nino Logarta and features celebrity guests who come in and participate as well as judge which dish is the best. With the help of their liveband “Ska-beche” the show is a lively alternative to other standard shows that are just about as exciting as reading a cookbook. Simply put, this is one cool cooking show that you do not want to miss.

Gossip Gay

For those of you who still haven't heard of this blogger here's the link.

The Mansions of Manila's Elite are crumbling and I'm just glad we have this technology called the internet. The blog is about the guy in this picture and his Gucci Gang, made by his Australian ex-lover. Hell hath no fury like a gay-man scorned.

The Talented Mr. Montano

True Lies 2: The Jun Lozada Chronicles

Judge for yourselves. I did. Liar!

The Dork Returns

After sitting out four games, the Dallas Mavericks' fraudulent MVP returns and "inspires" his team to their first win against a .500 team since the blockbuster J-Kidd trade.

Dirk admits that he is not 100% (as evident by his face in the above photo), but today's match-up is just too crucial for him to sit out.

With the win, the Mavs move ahead by a game over 8th placer Denver and by two over Golden State. It's like watching 2 girls share 1 cup (birds with a stone is so yesterday). So congratulations, Dork! Good luck on your next two games -- when you visit the Lakers and the Suns!

Step Brothers

Written and directed by Adam McKay (Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, The Landlord, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy) -- another must see!