Mitsuru

*old books found while tidying up my man cave.

"Tell them dear, that if eyes were made for seeing, Then beauty is its own excuse for being." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson, "The Rhodora"

...seen on the January 10th episode of Jeopardy! in the "Sounds like a Capital" category. It seems like a double entendre to me, if you know what I mean.

In this day and age, who would have thought that we can still find a Juan Luna painting not in the hands of wealthy private collectors or hanging inside the gallery of established museums? Well, there is one on eBay right now, the bidding of which will end in less than two days. The bid is now up to $12,000.00 and counting... The said painting is entitled, "Joaquin Pardo de Tavera- Age Four- 1888" which according to the seller goldeneye , he was commissioned by a US- based descendant of the Pardo de Tavera clan to dispose some of the family's heirlooms which also included old medals, badges, etc. Thus, a note to the skeptics, the provenance of the painting can easily be traced if you ever win the said auction. However, the said painting has some imperfections (watermarks) and has undergone some restoration in the past by or under the aegis of another famed Filipino Alfonso Tiburcio Ongpin . Still, and being a history buff, the historical value of this work of art is quit...

Who wants a Fernando Cueto Amorsolo painting? There's one up on auction by a gallery in Boston with a starting bid of $5,000 and will end up in less than 24 hours. Check it HERE Oh, if only I won that Megalotto jackpot this week, that Amorsolo could've been mine.

The news that international singing sensation Charice Pempengco will be part of the cast of Fox's critically acclaimed musical- comedy Glee has been greeted with glee (bad pun intended) by fans of the Filipina vocal dynamo. The recent release of the promotional video showed a glimpse of Sunshine Corazon (Charice) engaging Rachel Berry (Lea Michelle) in a bathroom showdown of sorts singing Lady Gaga's hit song Telephone. In the video, Charice was shown with a pony- tail and wearing those big geeky- glasses which reminds us of the bucktoothed, bumbling, bespectacled Mr. Yunioshi who earned his 'props' making a fool of himself in the movie " Breakfast at Tiffany's " which was one of the stereotypes of Asians in old Hollywood. Well, let's just hope and keep our fingers crossed that Glee will not make Sunshine Corazon act like the typical caricature of Asian girls seen in tragic comedies nowadays; hysterical, giggling, glasses- wearing, and speaking in a...

Bb. Pilipinas- Universe Venus Raj landed in the Top 5 at the Miss Universe beauty pageant in Las Vegas. Although she failed to bring home the coveted crown, nevertheless, it's still a huge accomplishment for the dusky and gutsy Bicolana on the world stage wherein she bested 78 other beauty titlists to earn 4th runner- up honors. Oh, if only she expounded and elaborated more on her answer, maybe she could have won it all. Miss Universe judge and actor William Baldwin asked, "What is one big mistake that you've made in your life and what did you do to make it right?" "Thank you so much, Sir for that wonderful question," Venus responded and proceeded to greet the audience who in turn cheered her heartily. "You know what, Sir in my 22 years of existence I can say that there is nothing major major, I mean, problem that I have done in my life. Because I am very confident with my family, with the love that they are giving to me. So, thank you so much that I am...

Nah, this is not about the palace's former tenant PGMA or the newly- elected one P-Noy. This is just a question in the game show "Who wants to be a Millionaire?" which I happened to be watching at 2:22 in the morning. Yes, as usual the night owl in me is up and wide awake in the wee hours and decided that watching TV rather than counting those sheep to will myself to sleep is a better option to catch those elusive z's. Meredith Vieira : I did some reporting from there when I was with CBS News.

The Filipino people used to celebrate their Independence Day on the 4th of July, the same day the people of the United States celebrated theirs. It was not until 1964 when Philippine President Diosdado Macapagal changed it back to the date when Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed our independence from colonial rulers in Kawit, Cavite in 1898. Hence, we Filipinos now observe June 12th as our Independence Day while July 4th was subsequently renamed as the Philippine-American Friendship Day. Our “friendship” with Uncle Sam goes back a long way and it’s a good thing, as many would attest to that by saying that it’s really good to have a big brother looking out for you. Many believe that the Philippines benefited a lot from its friendship with the United States more than the United States benefited from us. What if I tell you that it's the other way around? Indulge me. History will tell us that Uncle Sam (even if he will not admit to it or give us proper credit for it) has a lot ...

Manny Pacquiao proved once again why he is boxing's reigning Pound-4-Pound King and one of the best fighters of all time with a brutal demolition of Ricky Hatton in the second round of the scheduled 12-round fight. The Mancunian Brawler, the reigning International Boxing Organization & Ring Magazine's Light Welterweight Champion, who has not lost a battle at 140 lbs was never in the fight as Pacquiao peppered him with wicked left and right hooks punctuated with vicious lead lefts right from the onset of the fight en route to a stoppage in what was deemed by many as a complete annihilation of Hatton, who was knocked out senseless even before he hit the canvas. I caught the fight on the "free" Internet Live Stream feed and I gained some extra points in the "one-upmanship" department over some of my friends here when I correctly predicted that Manny Pacquiao will send Ricky Hatton into his "Wonderland" in the second Round days before the big fight...

"What do they want to exit? That we don't need no education? Anyway, because of this, where will be our grade school pupils picked?" Oh, it's raining outside aren't we? He-he Confused? Read on... ‘Drowned in mystery’ and other boo-boos By Antonio Calipjo Go Philippine Daily Inquirer MANILA, Philippines—The following are among the more than 500 items of a similar nature that may be found in the just-released public school textbook (copyright 2008) in Reading for Grade 6 titled “English For You and Me,” written by Elodie A. Cada , published by Book Wise Publishing House Inc. , and printed in Bangkok, Thailand: • The airport is open to passengers only. • Humans may turn blue when they cry. • The engine of the tractor is sleeping now. • Ms. Vera, please entertain this computer. • Vietnam Nurse Contacts Bird Flu. • To Heal Earth Yourself, Start with Your Cat. • She lives in a place that is drowned in mystery. • I got a butterfly with flowe...

“Hindi rin ako nayamot sa tren gaya sa bapor ngunit ako’y masiadong nag-iisa kaya halos lahat ng aking mga kasama, nagsisilapit at minsan-minsan akong hinahanap. Mayroon tuloy akong nakilalang isang Ingles na may gustong pumunta sa P.I. [Philippine Islands] at dalawang Amerikano na doon ang tungo. Ang isa ay sundalo at madalas akong kinakausap ng Kastila at Tagalog. Ang unang tanong sa akin ay ang Sampaloc at ‘Mucho bueno ba ang puki Espanol?’ “Mayroon namang isang matandang Americano na sa dining coach ay kinausap ako agad ng Kastila. Nang sinabi ko na ako’y Filipino ay agad tinanong ako ng opinion ko about our independencia. Sina [not legible] siya na kung ako’y gagawing Presidente ay dapat na ngang maging independiente tayo ngunit kung hindi ay huwag nang ibigay kahit kelan. Sapagkat kung hindi rin ako gagawing presidente o emperador ay hindi mawawala ang partido ng mangkukulam. “Bago kami makaraan ng Salt Lake ay nakakita ako ng mina at conejo. “Ang hindi ko gusto ay ang aking pa...

If you find the film clip below funny then there must be something wrong with your head. In this day and age, this kind of show which pokes fun at other people, races or statures in life has no place in a civilized society especially if the main aim is to earn some cheap laughs or two. I say, SHAME on the British Broadcasting Corporation (or shall we say, the British Bigotry Corporation?) for ever allowing this sketch to be shown on TV. It may be funny for some especially for the kind of people who patronizes this kind of comedy being served on their laps by Harry & Paul, but for every decent citizen of the world it leaves a bad taste in the mouth. If the people behind Harry and Paul think that they can get away with this particular brand of "British Humor" then they are mistaken for in reality the JOKE is really on them. Ernest Hemingway once wrote in his book and I quote, “Ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee.’

I was 13 and had just came back from a day of playing ball with some friends in the neighborhood basketball court when I saw my Lolo and Lola huddled with serious looks on their faces around the old Sanyo, listening intently to the commentator’s pronouncements and unmindful of everything around them. After the radio announcement, my Lolo could only mutter in his soft voice that, “Marcos is finished.” The assassination of Benigno S. Aquino, Jr. or Ninoy on August 21, 1983 further stirred my interest in Philippine politics. I decided to know him better and managed to learn more about him-- from the stories and anecdotes passed on by people who were old enough to remember him to the old issues of the Philippine Free Press and other magazines in our possessions at that time. My uncle who was in the United States would send us photocopies of the San Jose Mercury News and the New York Times as well as betamax tapes of news about the assassination from foreign networks that were not av...

Tomorrow is the start of the three- day Fiesta celebration in my hometown Tiwi in Albay in honor of the town’s Patron Saint, the martyred Saint Lawrence and the Miraculous Our Lady of Salvation, the Patroness of the Diocese of Legaspi. It’s a celebration witnessed and participated upon by various pilgrims from places all over the Bicol region and beyond. Although I am not that religious anymore and a self- confessed non- practicing Catholic nowadays, I just cannot forget the customs and traditions that have been a part of my growing- up years. Yes, I still remember my religion class quite well, also being a “Sacristan” when I was a kid helped me a lot in knowing things beyond the four Evangelists. In fact, I still can recite Padre Huestro and Dios Te Salve Maria in a heartbeat. The Fiesta is usually highlighted by a colorful grand parade through the crowded streets of the town participated by various schools, organizations and local government units and culminating with the tradi...

On May 9, 2008, Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) will be airing a documentary entitled- Little Manila: Filipinos in California's Heartland So, if you live in North America, check your local PBS TV Schedule for details. Here's a brief synopsis of the documentary-- "Filled with chop suey houses, gambling dens, and dance halls, Little Manila was the area in Stockton notoriously called, Skid Row, but it was also the closest thing Filipinos had to a hometown. In its heyday in the 30s, this lively area had the largest population of Filipinos outside of the Philippines. We tell the story of Jimmy Ente, Jr., a longtime Stockton resident recruited to work in the asparagus fields. Jimmy, and many other like him, faced backbreaking work, low wages, and at times extreme racism to fulfill their dreams. Narrated by famed Filipino-American producer, Dean Devlin (Independence Day, The Patriot) this documentary tells the immigrant story as Filipinos experienced it."

"Our wisdom comes from our experience, and our experience comes from our foolishness." - Sacha Guitry (1885 - 1957)

Wanna know the reason why the Police took a long time to release the result of their very thorough investigation as to the exact origin of the Glorietta Mall Blast? It was because of the pressure that they got from the Special Agents of the FBI who helped them gather the pieces of evidence in the blast site and want the report suppressed until they got clearance from their superiors in Quantico. But the PNP Leadership in a rare show of defiance to Uncle Sam and probably bitten by the Patriotic Bug, released the result of their investigation anyway since they were afraid of the consequences that their findings will do to the lives of the more than 90 million Filipinos living here and abroad. The PNP Leadership doesn’t want themselves to be caught literally and figuratively with their pants- down especially when it comes to National Security. They have learned their lessons from past experiences when all kinds of crap were thrown at them from all angles by angry Filipinos for ever...

Rustom Padilla & Carmina Villaroel Separated at Birth? Nah, Separated in Life.

The past days, I’ve been following the news on the Batasan bombing which killed several people including somebody I know from the past and injuring many others but I couldn’t help but notice something--- ISN’T IT FUNNY OR IRONIC that whenever a tragedy or any cataclysmic event occurs, our government officials and politicians alike are scrambling on their heels in a mad dash to have their nonsensical piece of the issue and a shot at the so- called 15 minutes of fame? Add the Police, Religious Leaders and every Juan & Juana de la Cruzes to the list too. Here are just some of the examples of how these people can concoct theories that would put Einstein’s Theory of Relativity to oblivion… GABRIELA ME A BREAK The Gabriela women’s party Thursday said its representative, Luzviminda Ilagan, could have been the real target of the Tuesday night explosion at the House of Representatives, and not Basilan Rep. Wahab Akbar, as the Philippine National Police had theorized. In a statement...