halloween

I have written it before and I will write it again... I think Halloween is a meaningless and useless holiday/celebration. I guess I can tolerate it for the sake of some kids who enjoy getting treats while in their costumes and going around malls or exclusive villages. Sometimes, though, the costumes go out of hand and border on torture for the kids. These are some of the costumes worn by children who went around Robinson's Galleria today.

ff-up...

... Sa PBB Celeb Edition 2 hindi pala okay si Marylaine, lalo na yung ka 2-in-1 niya na si Jen. Si Mariel naman masyadong maarte, pareho sila ni Megan. Si Riza at Gaby ang mukhang okay ang ugali talaga.

... Nagbukas na ang extension ng Robinson's Place sa Manila. Pinangalanan itong Midtown dahil ito ay nasa dating kinatatayuan ng Manila Midtown Hotel. Malaki at malawak ang lugar, bagaman hindi pa lahat ng tindahan/kainan ay bukas. Magakakaroon ng Cafe Breton, Gumbo, at mas malaking Power Books doon. Ang ilang bukas na na kainan ay ang Savory at TOSH.

... Ang Greenbelt 5 ay patapos na at malamang magbubukas na bago matapos ang taon. Mukhang singlaki ng G3 ang parteng iyon ng Greenbelt.

poinsettia

Sa Greenbelt 3 ay ito na ang mga bulaklak na nakadisplay sa loob ng mall... malamang kukuha ako ulit ng mga litrato ng mga X-mas trees sa iba't-ibang lugar sa Maynila.

...Nitong nakaraang dalawang araw ay dumadaan ako sa Glorietta bago umuwi. Walang masyadong tao ngayon na naglilibot, kung ikukumpara ko sa dati, kahit na pasado alas-singko na.

...Si Regine V. at ang Madz ay nasa Glorietta Activity Center sa ika-14 ng Nobyembre alas-siete ng gabi.

Trahedya

Kaawa-awa naman ang mga naging biktima ng pambobomba sa Glorietta 2...
Madalas ako sa Glorietta. Naglilibot-libot ako dun bago ako umuwi. Iyong mismong Glorietta 2 nga ay napapadaan ako dahil may parang book sale sa lobby nun madalas eh. Tumitingin-tingin ako lagi dun ng mabibiling libro. Nung araw na naganap ang trahedya, balak ko talagang lumabas kaya lang tinamad ako umalis kaagad. Imbes na pumunta ako ng Glorietta ay naisip ko na lang manuod ng V-league.
Isang araw pagkatapos ng pangyayari ay dumaan ako ng Glorietta. Walng masyadong tao at naglagay sila ng kahoy na harang sa buong Glorietta 2. Maraming mga tindahan ay sarado pa rin. Nakita ko pa nga na naglilibot sa mall ang mga Ayala na may nga kasamang guwardiya at K-9 unit.
Naghigpit nga ng seguridad sa Maynila. Sumakay kasi akong LRT at mas matagal ang pila papasok dahil naging mas masusi ng kaunti (kahit papaano) ang mga guwardiya sa pagi-inspeksiyon. Ganun din sa Megamall. Dahil siguro sale sa Megamall, maraming tao pa rin na parang di inaalintana ang posibleng panganib.
Sana ay walang ng mangyaring mga pambobomabang ganun sa mga matataong lugar, o kahit saan man. Nadadamay lang ang mga inosenteng tao...

tedbits...
...sobrang sarap ng Camille Bloch (Swiss) Chocolat Mousse, kailangan ko lang na banggitin!
...sabi ni J. K. Rowling bading daw talaga si Dumbledore!

Mariel!

Wow! Over and above the 4 reasons I wrote for watching PBB Celeb Edition 2, Mariel Rodriguez is reason enough to continue watching! As of today, Mariel is already inside the PBB house and is already a "housemate". :-)

PBB Celebrity Edition Season 2

Reasons to watch PBB so far:
1. Riza Santos - 21 y.o. fil-canadian hottie and FHM (cover) model
2. Megan Young - too young at 17 but worth mentioning
3. Marylaine Viernes - 21 y.o. "brainy babe" and also of 26K (Deal or No Deal)
4. Gaby de la Merced - the "racing goddess"

Infant Meds

The following infant medications are being voluntarily withdrawn by their drug companies because of possible overdose dangers:

Dimetapp Decongestant Plus Cough Infant Drops
Dimetapp Decongestant Infant Drops
Little Colds Decongestant Plus Cough
Little Colds Multi-Symptom Cold Formula
PEDIACARE Infant Drops Decongestant (containing pseudoephedrine)
PEDIACARE Infant Drops Decongestant Cough (containing pseudoephedrine)
PEDIACARE Infant Dropper Decongestant (containing phenylephrine)
PEDIACARE Infant Dropper Long-Acting Cough
PEDIACARE Infant Dropper Decongestant & Cough (containing phenylephrine)
Robitussin Infant Cough DM Drops
Triaminic Infant & Toddler Thin Strips Decongestant
Triaminic Infant & Toddler Thin Strips Decongestant Plus Cough
TYLENOL Concentrated Infants' Drops Plus Cold
TYLENOL Concentrated Infants' Drops Plus Cold & Cough

His Dark Materials

His Dark Materials is a trilogy by Philip Pullman. Book I is The Golden Compass. Book II is entitled The Subtle Knife. Book III is The Amber Spyglass. The Golden Compass has already been made into a movie that is to be released here soon. That is the main reason why I got interested in reading this trilogy.

The series is classified under children's literature. I beg to differ, however. Just because the lead characters in the trilogy are children does not mean it is safe to be read by children. Recommended for ages 13 and up, I personally wouldn't recommend it to those less than 18 years of age. The story is imaginative but layers of controversial (subliminal) ideas and messages abound that are not suitable for young, unmolded minds. For one thing, there is quite a lot of graphic violence and almost no humor in the entire series. What more, it is blatantly anti-Christian and The Chronicles of Narnia is it's exact opposite. The movie is sure to be a very watered-down version, but will likely spur interest in the books.

... did you know that..?
Paper money can be classified as fit, unfit, or mutilated. Fit money can be used as daily legal tender. Unfit/mutilated money is usually turned down in most establishments and one is forced to turn them over for reimbursement.
UNFIT - currency that is tainted, soiled, rag-like, disintegrating, vandalized; can be changed at any bank
MUTILATED - currency that is torn, split edge-wise, perforated, scorched/burned, reconstructed; can only be reimbursed at the Central Bank

Pambansang Kamao

Panalo na naman si Pacman! Galing talaga!
Tulad ng dati, wala na namang tao sa lansangan noong nagaganap ang laban. Ayon sa balita ay wala na namang krimen na nangyari. Wala ring masyadong nagsimba at pansin na naman iyon ng mga paring nagmimisa. Todo-dami ulit ang mga patalastas sa pagitan ng bawat round ng laban. Ang laki ulit ng napalanunan ni Manny!
Okay naman ang pagkanta ni Kyla ng Pambansang Awit. Walang labis, walang kulang, at tama ang tempo.

The Judas Strain

ju·das strain, n. A scientific term for an organism that drives an entire species to extinction.
The sci-fi thriller The Judas Strain by James Rollins is a Sigma Force (a covert U.S. government anti-terrorism agency) novel that deals with an ancient plague reborn to wreak havoc in today's modern world. Rollins brings back characters he has developed in previous Sigma Force novels, but the novel itself can stand alone and does not require having read the previous stories. Rollins (who is actually a veterinarian by profession) writes clearly and smoothly, and one does not get lost in transitions between each character's perspective/story. He already has several novels to his credit but this is the first one that I have read, I am quite satisfied with his style as well as his research in this novel.

...celebrity sighting: Nyoy Volante at Glorietta, with a pretty girl. By the looks of their body language, he's probabaly courting her. She doesn't look as hot as Nina though.

wof:

1. Shakey's V-league (4th season, 2nd conference) starts Oct. 14 at San Juan's The Arena.
2. Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Edition Season 2 starts mid-October on ABS-CBN.
3. Pacquiao-Barrera II on October 7 at GMA-7.