on films, books, food, restaurants, favorite haunts in Metro Manila (and now, Philadelphia)...
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| rants and raves on films, books, food, restaurants, favorite haunts in Metro Manila (and now, Philadelphia)... |
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Sunday, June 27, 2004 I just read Angels and Demons by Dan Brown and for a best selling uber hyped book I'm surprised there weren't more people who warned about just how ridiculously stupid it is. Enjoyable enough mainstream fare in the first half... although I think all the nuclear physicist talk somehow makes people feel unjustifiably smarter and leads them to believe the nerd speak vindicates the otherwise brainless banality of the whole book. And the end is just this horrid twisted predictably unpredictable mess. SPOILERS AHEAD * SPOILERS AHEAD * SPOILERS AHEAD If you plan on reading the book (although I implore you not to) read no further. There's the typical handsome silent intelligent professor dude (think a young Harrison Ford during his Indiana Jones days). And a hot European scientist chick (Catherine Zeta Jones? any other interesting casting ideas?). And some anti-matter gone missing. Turning up in the Vatican somewhere just as all the arch bishops of the world are gathered to vote for a new Pope. In the end it was the Pope's sidekick who was the evildoer all along. There was the requisite "false ending" with a faux henchman, but with another 20/30 pages left I knew there was still more to happen than simply the hero+heroine getting jiggy with it. The camerlengo (as Mr Sidekick was called) murdered his mentor and apparent biological father the Pope because he felt strangely betrayed. First of all the Pope seemed to support crazy scientists and their quest to combine religion and science into this nice cohesive structure. Secondly, the Pope admitted to fathering a child! In the dénouement of the book we find out that not only did the Pope father a child but it was *gasp* the camerlengo himself who was the Pope's son. The Pope fell in love with a nun while he was still an entry-level priest but because they wanted to have a child so badly they resorted to *double gasp* artificial insemmination keeping both the Pope and the nun in their pure virginal state. Shame on you camerlengo, all the other Arch Bishops seemed to say to the camerlengo when this earth shattering revelation was made. Now in what messed up parallel universe would any Catholic (a priest nonetheless) think that artificial insemmination is a good sinless alternative to sexual relations? In the messed up parallel world of Dan Brown, that's where. And now I've gone and made him, his publisher and Powerbooks richer by Php300 ... at least my brother read the book as well so the cost of the book can be split over two people rather than just one (consuelo de bobo!). * Additional Random Rant: There was this one scene where Mr Hero tries to borrow a cell phone from someone on the sidewalk who comments that he hasn't been able to get a "dial tone all night" or something stupid like that. Of course in cell phone mad Philippines *anyone* could tell you that cell phones don't have dial tones! DOH! posted by wys | 9:32 PM 0 comments Saturday, June 26, 2004 There's this interesting article on Data Mining in the online edition of the Economist, alas only those with Premium Access can read the whole piece. There's a bit on the oft told tale about the supposed correlation between diapers and beer that one too many silly college professors would knowingly tell the class ... a silly and improbable but semi-interesting anecdote. A golden veinposted by wys | 5:53 PM 0 comments Friday, June 25, 2004 I'm beginning to discover that I don't know much about everything high tech. I need to gear up with a new phone and a new PDA and fast, otherwise I'll be left behind by all the other guys in the industry. Anyone want to suggest some new buys for me? I was already thinking of the new Treo 600, but my brother says the $200 discount is over and done with and I hear they're coming up with a new model later this year. Also I seriously need to brush up on my tech reading because my tech knowledge is close to nil. Who knows what the difference between WAP/GPRS/XTML is anyway? posted by wys | 11:51 PM 0 comments Wednesday, June 23, 2004 What is it with people showing up late for everything all the time? I know it's this terrible game of "I don't want to be first, so I won't be on time" going but it's a simple matter of respect for the people you're meeting up with to be on time. Traffic *can* get pretty unpredictable in this country and is thus always a good scapegoat for anyone seeking an excuse for their tardiness but why oh why can we not just start things when we say we will? The fact that we Filipinos all know nothing is going to start on time simply encourages people to show up late ALL the time and thus keep this never-ending self perpetuating cycle of late late lateness going. I try to show up on time for meetings, etc when I can and inevitably I'll end up being "early" simply for being "on time." Of course there are also those people who set their watches forward because it'll trick them into showing up on time? Not likely, it may even set them back even more because they end up getting confused about what the "real" time is and they end up midjudging just how many "extra" minutes they have. I had this one interesting professor in college that made it a policy never to have his students wait so if he wasn't in the classroom as soon as the bell rung we could all leave. On the other extreme I had this other professor that incessantly came late. One time he actually came on time and when some students strolled into class a good five or so minutes after the bell had rung, not expecting him their yet, he totally flipped out. Come to think of it I may have been on the receiving end of the flipping out. Anyway back to punctuality ... show some repect for your friends, colleagues, family and be there when you say you will. posted by wys | 10:39 PM 0 comments Tuesday, June 15, 2004 Amazing! Yahoo!Mail just increased the maximum mail storage space for ALL subscribers from a pitiful 4MB to 100MB (with maximum mail size of 10MB)! Counterattack against Gmail's whopping 1GB of space, albeit still with dodgy service. posted by wys | 10:44 PM 0 comments What are your favorite websites? Friendster? Yahoo!? PinoyExchange? Just wondering what websites were most popular among Filipinos these days. posted by wys | 10:18 PM 0 comments Monday, June 14, 2004 I stand corrected, there is a line-up for the Fete de la Musique available online here. Anyway I'll post what's on there over here. Remember, Fete de la Musique 2004 at Eastwood City this weekend, June 19, Saturday. World Musicposted by wys | 8:29 PM 0 comments Sunday, June 06, 2004 Read a thoroughly interesting article in today's edition of The New York Times Magazine on an economist turned bagel man with some interesting insights on white-collar crime. This guy drops off bagels and donuts in 100+ companies every morning, with an honesty cash drop box system for people to pay as they grab a pastry. Surprising insights on just how (dis)honest man can be. What the Bagel Man Sawposted by wys | 2:59 PM 0 comments Saturday, June 05, 2004 Went to New Bombay Canteen the other night and it was the funniest thing because the peopel I was with were pretty noncommital about what they wanted to order so it was sort of a "What's good here? Okay we'll get whatever you recommend" attitude with the waiters. Seems like there aren't really many good places to dine in at Shangri-la Mall. I was there the other night trying to find a decent place that wasn't Cibo or Dome, but ended up at Dome anyway. Anyone know of any places I may have missed? Similar case for Eastwood. I'm pretty much sick of all the places, Twist is the only half decent place I'd eat in if I wanted to go somewhere nice. There's Pho Hoa of course, but you have to be in the mood for that sort of food. Something Fishy is only good if you feel like a semi-dirty type of atmosphere with grilled food. posted by wys | 2:56 PM 0 comments Wednesday, June 02, 2004 More downloaded (!) soundtracks: Shrek 2 and Bend It Like Beckham. Shrek 2 has the usual mainstream rock in it -- Counting Crows, Dashboard Confessional, etc -- but also has some good tracks from Eeels and Frou Frou. Bend It Like Beckham has some enjoyable tracks from Basement Jaxx and Curtis Mayfield, but also carries a lot of hardcore (to me anyway) Indian music and solo former-Spice Girls. All free + cost of electricity. posted by wys | 11:02 PM 0 comments Tuesday, June 01, 2004 This is the type of thing I should have been researching in college (from The New York Times): Katherine L. Milkman, 22, decided to turn rigorous mathematical analytics on an even more mystical topic: the selection of short fiction for The New Yorker. In applying scientific metrics to an ineffable process, Ms. Milkman will no doubt set off a small, discreet tempest among a cadre of authors who would gladly saw off their (nonwriting) hand to be the next Jhumpa Lahiri, a young writer who won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2000 for her book of short stories after her work was plucked from the pile by the editors at that weekly magazine.posted by wys | 8:27 PM 0 comments |
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