TRUE MEASURE OF A MAN

What makes me fall for a guy?

It’s not his perfectly cute face..



It’s not the biceps and triceps around his arms..



It’s not his oooh lala chest..



It’s not the sexy back he brings..



It’s not his abs-to-die-for..



It’s not the concavity of his lower back..



It’s not the hotness of his pelvis..



And it’s not the hugeness of his dick.





I’d fall for a guy who…

Knows how to make me laugh, even at the corniest joke..



Has that boyish attitude..



Yet mature in a lot of ways..



Can converse interestingly..



And knows how to sweet talk me..



Looks straight into my eyes while talking..



Will fight with me over silly things..



Makes me feel important and loved..



Hugs me and kisses me sincerely..



Has sensible philosophies in life..



Is real to himself and doesn’t pretend..



And someone I can grow old together with.





I’m not setting any qualifications for my ideal guy. Cause I believe, as I’ve always experienced, that I still fall for the exceptions.

I’m not looking for a perfect guy, ‘cause his flaws can be the perfect imperfections.

WHAT DO YOU SEE?

Take a look at the picture.



What do you see? Check the explanation below. You'll find this very interesting.

You saw a couple in an intimate pose, right?

Interestingly, research has shown that young children cannot identify the intimate couple because they do not have prior memory associated with such a scenario. What they will see, however, is the nine dolphins in the picture!

So, i guess we've already proven you're not a young innocent child. Now, if it's hard for you to find the dolphins within 6 seconds, your mind is indeed corrupt and you probably need help, you sicko! Hahaha

Ok, here's help... Look at the space between her right arm and her head, the tail is on her neck, follow it up. Look at her left hip, follow the shaded part down, it's another one, and on his shoulder. See them now?

Got this from an email forwarded by a friend. Very interesting! Honestly, I saw the couples first and found it hard to identify the dolphins. LOL

But then I asked a friend who was really innocent (as in, super innocent) and she did saw the dolphins at first sight! She even found it difficult to spot the couples!

Interesting psych!

HAPPILY EVER AFTER

Someday my prince will come
Someday we'll meet again
And away to his castle we'll go
To be happy forever I know
I bet you once believed in fairytales when you were younger, didn't you? Well, I enjoyed growing up with Disney's classics films such as Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White. Watching these films made me believe that a Prince Charming would someday sweep me off my feet and that a happy ever after awaits for us.

It all started when I was 9. I had my first crush, Ian. He was my best friend's 20-year old brother. Ian was all I envisioned my prince charming to be. His face was oh-so-gorgeous, his body was well-chiseled like Adonis, and he was such a gentleman. I can still remember the first time he mentioned my name. “Mark, mangaon ta! (Let's eat!)” Awww. At that time, I was so happy because I knew I wasn't invisible in his world. Then I fantasized him in his shining armor, rescuing me from the dungeons of my father who was always against me being gay. And then he would kiss me. But he never did. It was all just a dream after all.

Then came Nile. We were 13 and were classmates. I sacrificed a lot for him, just like how the little mermaid, Ariel sacrificed her voice just to be with the man she loved. It was one classroom incident… The teacher said, “OK class, get your photocopies. No photocopy, zero for the exam!” Nile was shocked and he was like, “Gosh, I forgot mine!” Instantly, I told him, “Nile, I have an extra copy here. Yours na lng.” He was so relieved that he took it, said thanks and smiled. The truth is, that was my only copy! And I got zero for that freaking exam! And all he did was smile? Smile, and that was enough.

One day, I had the courage to tell him, “Nile, I'm madly in love with you.” His eyed widened and his jaw dropped. And all he said was, “Yuuuck!” and he ran away. I was left in the room, alone and heartbroken. He never talked to me again after that. On the bright side, I was glad I wasn’t punched in the face.

I was so happy when my 18th birthday came. At last, I'm now of legal age! I can finally find a prince to be my boyfriend, to let me experience a true love’s kiss, to open my chastity belt and devour on my virginity. Then I met Calvin. He was an epitome of perfection. But after that incident I had with Nile who ran away from me after telling him that I love him, I don't want to take the same risk again. My friendship with Calvin was so special that I wouldn't want to ruin it. So I never told him. What hurts more is that he calls me at his every heartbreak, crying on the phone, letting go of all his pain. And I'm just on the other end of the phone, listening, telling him it’s gonna be all right. When in fact, I’m actually hurt inside and about to burst out, “Unsai pagtuo nimo nko? Tig salo sa imo kasakit? (Do you think I'm your emotional stress reliever?)” But I never said that. I just took it all in, and silently sang, “Wish I could be part of your world.”

Then I met Paul. It wasn't love at first sight. In fact, it was my version of Beauty and the Beast. Believe it or not, I was the beauty, and he was the beast. Who would fall in love with a guy who looks like a leprechaun? But he had a heart as soft as a rose petal. He was a man with admirable principles, a great sense of humor, and we had such an amazing connection. That's when I fell in love with him and learned that “love is not blind, it sees but it doesn’t mind”. But it didn't turn out to be a happy ending either. For him, I was just a friend, and he was in love with someone else. Obviously, that girl has something I could not compete with.

My adventures, rather, misadventures in search for Prince Charming didn’t stop there. I've been hopeless, desperate, delusional and pathetic. I’ve even kissed frogs hoping one of them might turn out to be a prince. I’ve loved, hurt and healed. And loved again, and hurt again, and healed again. And loved again – the cycle just won’t stop! Until I came to the point when I looked into the mirror and asked, “Mirror mirror on the wall, is there really a happy ending for me?” If only falling in love is just as simple as saying “open sesame” and his heart will open up for you.

I’ve realized that I am not Cinderella. My life has not been a fairytale. And that there is no perfect love story. Love in heterosexual or homosexual relationship is the same. It takes risks, trust, loyalty, priority and perseverance. In real life, there will always be a wicked witch or an evil step-mother in the form of conflicts and misunderstandings. And we don't have any fairy godmother or a genie in a lamp to mend all these love troubles. But the truth is, we don’t need any.

Faith is the key. Have faith that you deserve someone who can reciprocate your capability to love. Have faith that you can surpass all the pain you’re going through because of rejection or lost relationships. Have faith in your relationship that you can work it out amidst all the seemingly endless trials. And at all times, remain faithful with the love that you’ve found.

I stopped searching for love because I am enjoying the most of being single. But I know, someday, love will find its way to me. I may not be living in a fairytale kind of life, but I have faith that one day, I can finally say, “and we lived happily ever after.”


Basic Speech Project #6: Vocal Variety

MARIAH BRINGS BACK HER CLASSICS

Lately in Mariah Carey's photo shoot, she's recreating her old pictures. These are promo shots for her upcoming album, Memoirs of An Imperfect Angel, out on September 29. Look how awesome and gorgeous and fascinating Mariah still is after all these years.

Click image to view the full picture.

VISION OF LOVE
(SINGLE COVER)
ORIGINALLY FROM 1990



MARIAH CAREY
(ALBUM COVER)
ORIGINALLY FROM 1990



BUTTERFLY
(BOOKLET PHOTO)
ORIGINALLY FROM 1997





I love the new versions of these shots! I hope she'll be doing more...

VMA 2009 DRAMA

OK, this is the hottest news as I checked the internet this morning. This morning (morning in the Phils, night in New York) was the MTV Video Music Awards 2009. The drama began when Taylor Swift won the Best Female Video of the Year for 'You Belong With Me'. The other nominees were Beyonce's 'Single Ladies', Kelly Clarkson's 'My Life Would Suck Without You', Lady Gaga's 'Poker Face', Katy Perry's 'Hot and Cold', and Pink's 'So What'.

Taylor went on stage to accept the award and was about to give her speech when out of nowhere, Kanye West grabbed the mic from Taylor and said...


Kanye: Yo, Taylor, I'm really happy for you. But Beyonce has one of the best videos of all time! (referring that Beyonce's 'Single Ladies' should have won, and not Taylor Swift)

People were shocked! Beyonce's face was clueless. The crowd booed Kanye. And Taylor was left on stage speechless.

What the fuck?! Kanye was such an asshole! OK, I'm not a huge fan of Taylor Swift. But she's so sweet and adorable and she doesn't deserve such treatment/embarrassment especially when that was her first moonman ever. Well, I do agree with Kanye that Beyonce should've won that award since 'Single Ladies' has really become a worldwide phenomenon. But he shouldn't have done that. Maybe in an interview is OK. But with his attitude, he has become a futile piece of shit!

Anyhow, later in the event, Beyonce won the Video of the Year award for 'Single Ladies'. She won it over Lady Gaga's 'Poker Face', Eminem's 'We Made You', Kanye West's 'Love Lockdown' and Britney Spears' 'Womanizer'.

As Beyonce gave her acceptance speech, she said...

Beyonce: I remember being 17 years old, up for my first MTV award with Destiny's Child, and it was one of the most exciting moments in my life. So I'd like for Taylor to come out and have her moment.


Wow! It blew me! Beyonce was such a grounded woman. She gave the most coveted spotlight of the event to Taylor Swift who's been robbed with it earlier that night. That sweetness from B made me adore her more. Awwww...

Kanye's rudeness caused massive reaction from celebrities and fans. Though he did apologize after, he lost a lot of respect from the music industry.

FIRST MONTHLY PROGRESS REPORT

I've been hitting the gym for a month now and I'm so glad that a lot - as in, a lot - have noticed that I've lost some weight. Yippeee!

Being fit is a tough tough TOUGH challenge, especially when you have a huge appetite and tiny disciple. It's difficult not to buy those mouth-watering white chocolate, Oreo cookies, moist chocolate cake, strawberry ice cream, Starbucks caramel frap, and other calorie-filled cravings.

I did my best to workout everyday. Though lately I've been absent quite some time due to some late night meetings and important events. Worse, I have to attend 1-2 parties a week for three weeks now. Gosh! And I can't help but eat.

Anyhoo, I'd like to post a monthly progress report on this totally challenging endeavor. I know I still have a lot to work on - burn those extra flabs and build some muscles. I even planned on taking fat burners (P1000 for a month) and muscle builders (P1200 for a month). But right now, my pocket's too tight. Maybe next month, or the next. :(

I hope that by summer of next year, I can flaunt a *ahem* yummy body. LOL
I'mma work this out!

CONFLICT: HANDLE WITH CARE

Meeting friends is easy. Finding real friends is not. So you’re lucky if you have that someone who you consider as your best bud. But sometimes, no matter how we try to keep our relationships in perfect shape, at some point, things might still go wrong, because one of the most inevitable episodes in friendship is conflict. Misunderstandings and clash of personalities are, I guess, unavoidable between peers. There’ll be moments when you can offend or get offended.

I’ve had my own share of fights – from petty arguments to pretty serious fights. But it’s not the degree of the conflict that’s really important to dwell on to. It’s how we handle it, how we reconcile, and fill the gap it has created.

Handling conflicts can be quite crucial, because if we don’t handle it carefully, the situation might get aggravated, or worse, we might end up losing a friend. Here’s what I’ve learned from own experiences of conflicts:

First, be humble enough to say "I’m Sorry". Learn to admit your mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes, but not everyone accepts their own. Avoid saying, "I’m sorry, but it’s you who started it! It was your fault in the first place." I mean like, what’s the point? Apologize and accept your fault without blaming someone else. Also, when you say you’re sorry, you should mean it! Sometimes we say sorry just for the sake of apologizing. Mind you, the person you apologize to can feel if you’re sincere or not. Show the person that you regret offending him. Sorry may seem to be the hardest word, but if you say it genuinely, you’ll feel all your tensions and guilt released. A heartfelt apology is the start of the reconciliation. It’s easier to forgive a person who committed a grave offense with a sincere apology, than a person who committed a tolerable offense but with no apologies at all.

Second, don’t burn bridges. Forgiving our enemies may not always be that fast, but keeping the anger doesn’t make things better. It even makes you feel worse. You’ll be deprived of some peace of mind. I once had a bad experience with a friend that I post hate messages over the internet. So pathetic, right? And it didn’t solve the problem. Instead it made me instill more fury, and feel guilty at the end of the day. Keeping a grudge towards a person is very unhealthy. Come to think of it, what if you’re the only one who resents and the other person doesn’t? It just makes you such a loser. Conflicts don’t exist to destroy relationships. They are supposed to be tests to strengthen the bond of friendship.

Lastly, be open to confrontations. A lot of us find this part difficult. Pride and fear usually overcome us. But avoiding confrontations just procrastinates reconciliation. Why don’t the both of you sit down and talk about the root of the conflict and understand each other's behavior. Listen to both of your side of the situation. Be open minded to accept your differences and learn to compromise. In this way, we can resolve any misunderstandings.

Sometimes, the reason why it took some time for me to reconcile is because I didn’t make a move to reach out. I was too hesitant to confront, and be confronted. But when my friend and I got the chance to talk and assess the situation, everything falls back to its place. Though sometimes I still get into petty fights, but I know how to handle them now. Confrontation is really an effective way to mend burned bridges.

Looking at conflicts on a positive perspective, well, they can be a blessing in disguise - an eye opener. Some relationships takes a conflict to happen for us to realize how valuable a person is to our lives because we’ll know we don’t want to lose that friend forever. It’s when we learn to respect our differences and treasure our friends more. It’s when we are awakened of our own shortcomings and learn how to become a better friend.

Basic Speech Project #2: Get To The Point
Delivered on October 2008

RECREATE CHILDHOOD

The concept of the first photoshoot on ANTM Cycle 13 is to recreate a childhood photo. However, this time, it should be in high fashion and more fierce - the ANTM way.

Click on each childhood photo of a contestant to view how fashionably she was able to pull it off. The photos are arranged from the BEST (best photo of the episode) to the WORST (eliminated model).

Maybe I should try this one day. LOL

FIRST TOP PETITE MODEL

Last month, I featured the organic beauties of the finalist for the 13th cycle of America's Next Top (Petite) Model.

During the two-hour season premiere of the show, we've witnessed their magical transformation through the show's ceremonial makeover. Here are their new looks in exactly the same order as I've posted their photos before.

Click image to view larger.

FINALLY, WHITNEY

After 6 years of waiting, I finally laid my hands on the comeback album of the legendary Whitney Houston.

Whitney Houston's "I Look To You" debuted on Billboards at #1! She was received warmly by her ever-supportive fans that stood by her since day one. And I am one of them. Even though she clearly lost a huge amount of power in her voice (due to aging and her previous drug problems), she is still a Diva in a lot of ways.

I'd like to give a track-by-track review of the album.

1. Million Dollar Bill
Alicia Keys personally volunteered to write something for Whitney. This track has an old-school RnB rhythm that takes you back to the 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody' days. Very fitting to open the album - fun, light and very positive. This track is one of the candidates for the first single. But I've heard she's now shooting a video for this. This might be the second single.

2. Nothin' But Love
Divorced from her husband. Deteriorated voice. Criticized by many. Whitney must've lost almost everything. But this track reassures her that after all she's been though, she still has the love from her family, friends, and real fans. And this love is enough to pull her through.

3. Call You Tonight
Definitely my favorite from the album! I instantly fell in love with the melody of this uptempo track. Quite reminds me of my hookups! Hahahah kidding ;p

4. I Look To You
The first single off the album - a subtle gospel track that teaches us that when all else fails, we can always look up to the One. And that's what Whitney did after all the dramas in her life. After all, it's He who can deliver us from our misery.

Today, the video just premiered and it shows the classic Whitney Houston. The video is very simple but shows a lot of elegance. The song doesn't need much visuals to justify it's message. The song itself is inspirational.


5. Like I Never Left (feat. Akon)
This is the first song ever to leak on the net sometime late last year. Thinking this would be the first single from the most-awaited album, the song received negative critics. But when you listen to the track in context with the totality of the album, you can truly appreciate its smooth RnB feel.

6. A Song For You
A Leon Russel cover, this track is very reminiscent of 'I'm Every Woman'. The song starts with a dramatic piano and a heavy ballad during the first verse til the chorus. But Whitney revamps the track to a disco song during the second verse. What a surprise! I never knew this classic track can be a huge dance floor hit.

7. I Didn't Know My Own Strength
Another heavy ballad. When the album was rumored to be almost finished, this track leaked the net and was speculated to be the first single. Everyone was heavily disappointed, including me due to a huge deterioration of her voice. But as I listened a couple of times to the song, I slowly fell in love with it because it inspires me a lot. It teaches us that in times of our weakness, we may not see our strength. But as you go through it all, you will realize that you are strong enough to survive.

8. Worth It
A mid-tempo track that talks about romance. The beat is easy to get along with and the vibe is so relaxing. Perfect love song for the RnB ghettos.

9. For The Lovers
This track presents harder RnB than any of the other songs from the album. And the message is strong. This song is totally not for the haters!

10. I Got You
This RnB track has Jamaican elements which makes this stand out. Another love song, but this time, more appropriate for the reggae couples.

11. Salute
One of the songs written by R.Kelly, this track is perfect to close the album. A strong RnB ballad. Just makes you want to reply the album from the very beginning. Salute to Whitney!