Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Memories of my Melancholy Chores (Pic Edition Part 2)

Aside from being the sports writer I was also the photographer. It's a one-man army.
Now where is the ball?

This is what you get when you are in a rush to capture the action. I have more quality pictures taken during my stint as a sportswriter, but I haven't saved them in my persona file.

Students strut their stuff in their intramurals. Now, where is that ball?


Being inducted as one of the board members of our local sportswriters group, SCOOP-Negros.

Memories of my Melancholy Chores (Pic. edition)


That's me working on my sports news. This was taken two years ago. See how skinny I was.
ROBERTO BACASONG PHOTO

Monday, March 19, 2007

Missing the Revelry 4


The Masskara Festival 2005.

Wala nyan dito sa States! Wala! Walaaaaaa!

With the Queen


The Sun.Star Bacolod caboodles with Miss International 1979, and was named the Most Beautiful Miss International, Miss Melanie Marquez.

Photo taken during the 2005 Masskara Festival by Miss Michelle So in our humble office.

Nang Tess!!! Grabe imo posing ba!

Look at that 'usual' sensual Amboistic look.

Missing the Revelry 3

The Masskara Festival is more than just colors and masks, it is about the Bacolodnons' positive attitude towards life.


It takes coordination and careful calculation of steps to be in sync with the beat.


It usually takes months for these masks to be completed. Filipinos are world-class artists.



Even umbrellas become objects of art.
Viva Bacolod! Viva Masskara!

Missing the Revelry 2

Where can you find such colors? It's hot and magnificent!


And where can you find such move?


Look how tight those costumes are.


No wonder this festival is something to look forward to every year.



We Filipinos know how to enjoy life. Here are some pictures I took
during the Masskara Festival in Bacolod in 2005.

Missing the Revelry

The costumes are post-Modern Asian look.

This one's fabulous!


I'm confused with the theme of their costume.


I've got to have that short pants, or is it short short pants.



The Masskara Festival has been a great part of my life.
I've covered the event for almost three years.
Here are some of the pictures I took during the 2005 revelry.

Sunday, March 18, 2007

The Spy in the Attic


When my Introduction to Mass Media professor said that if the movie "The Lives Of Others" would have had a Hollywood actor in its cast it would have won the Oscars this year. The movie, instead, won the "Best Foreign Language Film".

David and I watched the film today. We could have watched it yesterday, but he decided that we should forego about it and do a search of the inevitable corned beef. We went from store to store without any luck. It was the "quest for the missing corned beef." After we got tired of the hunting, and for the fact that winter isn't over yet, the snow bit my hands. We later on decided to go to Applebees to celebrate my birthday! (We have a $20 coupon)

I would love to watch "The Lives of Others" again. But the midterm break for Brockport is over and school work starts again.

I still have to think of a name for my magazine and finalize its contents.

Monday, March 12, 2007

Dark Days for 'American Idol' (Fast Forward)

AJ Tabaldo need not prove his worth in American Idol. Despite being booted out of the competition, eventhough he gained good reviews from the Idol judges and several critics, Tabaldo is a sure winner in everybody's heart. AMERICAN IDOL WEBSITE PHOTO

NEW YORK - If there’s anything that has spurned debates in American entertainment news today it is the consistency of America’s selection as to who will be the next “American Idol.” What triggered the issue was the day Filipino-American AJ Tabaldo and Nicholas Pedro were booted out of the competition. The American tabloids and magazines kept the on-going issue on Anna Nicole Smith aside, even though Larry Birkhead has poured out another revelation in a one-on-one interview, to debate on the recent “American Idol” results. Even though the controversy hounding “Idol” contestant Antonella Barba, due to her well-publicized racy photos and retention to the competition two weeks ago despite her failure to deliver a good performance has not faded off, the “Idol” competition’s competence as a talent search is being questioned. I am left to discuss this point here mainly because “American Idol” has been a “standard talent search” that has spurned other talent contests in some countries, including the Philippines. But, of course, the Philippines has been rich in singing competitions before “Idol” surfaced. I am also proud of saying that we have better singers, not only because we had been winning various singing competitions abroad, but because Filipinos have a discriminating taste in music. We reject singers who are trying hard and cannot carry a tune no matter how they try. There are, of course, exceptions to this rule. However, “American Idol” has become a world-wide phenomenon that most teenagers and young adults would troop to audition grounds to achieve that “to-die-for” American dream.

Let us be assured that Bothell, Washington’s bet, 25-year-old Blake Lewis will stay until the end because he is multi-talented and 22-year-old Chris Richardson, of Chesapeake, Virginia, will hold on because of his Justin Timberlake appeal. On the other hand, when Tabaldo, was booted out and Americans have chosen to retain 17-year-old Sanjaya Malakar, of Federal Way, Washington, a question was left hanging, considering that Malakar has held on until the final 12 selection, if Americans still have talents in selecting their next “Idol” winner. The 22-year-old Tabaldo, of California, in fact has won the praises of judges, Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and the ever controversial, Simon Cowell. But this did not earn America’s approval. Malakar was also shocked of the result, more shocked than the audience. But before that revelation, Pedro, who quit the “Idol” competition last year because of pressure, was voted off. This is not to say that Malakar has no talent but “American Idol” is a singing competition. This is what the judges have reiterated. Who is to blame for choosing the Top 12 finalists? Certainly not the judges as they only serve as critics. However, bloggers have posted an imposing question, “Who’s to blame for choosing the contestants?”


Almost everybody was sneering at Cowell for making “nasty” remarks on Jennifer Hudson in Season 3 but Cowell snapped back that it was America who voted off the future Oscar winner from the competition. Oops, the voting public got stung. My American friends were asking me if there were more Indians in America than Filipinos. I don’t know the answer, of course, but I told them that there were a lot of Indian nationals in Bacolod. But that it not the point, the color of the contestants’ skins are not the issue here.

After Jasmine Trias’s triumph in Season 3, though she ended up in third place, Tabaldo could have been on the top spot if he were only given the chance. However, Tabaldo is in the better spot of other “Idol” contestants, such as Camile Velasco in Season 3 and Jose ‘Sway’ Penala in Season 5, who have shown the world what real talent is. Aside from Lewis and Richardson, the two contestants whom I foresee who will make it to the end are 29-year-old Melinda Doolittle, of Brentwood, Tennessee and 19-year-old Savanna, Georgia bet Stephanie Edwards.

Saturday, March 10, 2007

Dark Days for American Idol

Blake Lewis keeps everybody guessing every time he appears on the American Idol stage. Lewis wows everybody with his range and uniqueness.
AMERICAN IDOL WEBSITE PHOTO

America has no talent in selecting the talented people in singing competition!

This view was eminent when Nick Pedro and AJ Tabaldo were booted out of the "American Idol" weeks ago. They opted to retain Sanjaya Malakar in the contest. O my Lord God of mercy! Okay let us compare Sanjaya to Nick: pitch-wise, Nick has the soul than the 17-year-old Indian kid; appeal, Nick is way too digestible. And AJ is way more talented than most of the contestants. His performances were STELLAR! And I am not saying this because AJ is part Filipino. I mean, what is going on? America has no taste! I am not a racist, excuse me. I am man of color and am just expressing my opinion. Paula was right when she said that America made a "mistake." It's a singing competition. My God, most of the contestants won't survive in the Philippines. Nunka! Let them learn from the Filipinos on how to select people with talent! TALENT!

The voting should be part from the judges and part from the voting public.


Anyway, here's my personal forecast as to who will end up in the final four:

1. Blake Lewis
2. Melinda Dolittle
3. Chris Richardson
4. Stephanie Edwards

The rest? Just give them a recording contract and let them do whatever they want to do in life. Just stay out of the competition.

Lakisha Jones? When Simon said she nailed the song "And I am telling you" I almost fell from my chair! Goodness! That song has been used SUCCESSFULLY by Filipinos decades ago in singing competitions. It was popularized by Regine Velasquez when she made it her contest piece for the Asian Songfest long long before Jennifer Hudson came into the limelight. O my God, I need to get some pills. Help! This is all crazy!

BUT GOOD LUCK TO BLAKE AND MELINDA!

See AJ's video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0SegBbD05E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIR_lDLCunU&mode=related&search=