Learning from Oprah.

I have been suffering from colds since Friday. Since I have a natural aversion to medicine and taking vitamin C supplements only leaves me hungry all the time, I try to alleviate my condition by taking lots of vitamin C-rich fruit juices such as pineapple, orange, grapes, calamansi, mango and grapefruit. In a day, I would be able to consume about four liters of juice of various fruit combinations. I may have orange and pineapple for breakfast and mid-morning, grapes and calamansi after lunch and mango and grapefruit in the evening. I also take hot green tea, which seems to clear my sinus well.

Last Tuesday, while running on the treadmill before going to the office, I tuned in to Oprah. Her guest was the semi-regular Dr. Oz and the audience were able to make personal consultations, including one from a woman inquiring whether she may be allergic to her husband's sperm. Interesting.

Anyway, the neti pot was introduced to the audience. It is a small pot, like a tea pot, that is used to clean the sinus. It is popular in Asia and the eastern region and is prescribed in alternative medicine. According to the doctor, it is the most effective means of clearing the sinus of bacteria and doing away with colds. It is better than most traditional medicine.

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I took a mental note to look for a neti pot when I go to the mall in the evening. I found none.

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But I imbibed the principle and tried to apply it at home by improvising on the materials I had at home. I placed warm water on a coffee mug and dissolved a quarter teaspoon of sugar. Afterwards, I used a straw and sipped in the salted water, carefully covering the tip to ensure that the water stayed inside the straw. And then I tilted my head a little and then let the contents of the straw run in my right nostril. I followed the same steps, in my left nostril, and cleaned both holes thrice.

The technique seems effective. I did it Tuesday evening, Wednesday morning and evening. My improvisation would have to do until I find my own neti pot.

-----oOo-----

Cold and all, I was still able to go to the gym to shed a few calories. Ever since I intensified my gym routine and more carefully watched my diet, I have shed eight pounds. Ha ha.

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Last night, Delio was there again doing the Wave cardio exercise when I came in. Delio is the guy formerly known as Eagle and more formerly known as Roman. It is still not his real name. I just like the sound of it and I think it corresponds to his personality. In college, I had a crush on a guy named Delio. [I just thought of it now, it can also be short for Delicious!]

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Anyway, seeing Delio immediately brought a smile to my face. But this time for an entirely different reason. Why? Because he was wearing the same green shirt and short combination as the one I found in his myspace profile and which I posted in this journal [See post entitled Cyberstalking]. Ha ha.

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What word does the back of his green short spell? BRAZIL.

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-----oOo-----

Anyway, also yesterday I read a local blog speculating that Brent Javier's cock measures a measly three inches in length. Shocking. But the information is unverified so there really is nothing to it (no pun intended).

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Is my admiration for Brent (Must Blow 02) reduced by the above gossip? Nope. I have slept with a number of guys (though none measuring a mere three inches) and the size of their dicks hardly determined how I enjoyed the night. A guy may have a big cock but may not know how to use it. Yes, that is not a mere adage. For me, the more important factors are the guy's face and how compatible we are in bed. When I evaluate the best lays I've had, I try to recall what we did in bed and how we responded to each other's predilections. And a handsome guy is always a catch. Cock size does not top my criteria.

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Imperative! The Best Shows on TV.
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Though my schedule remains hectic and as a result thereof I prefer to watch my favorite shows on DVD, there are still some shows that ---by virtue of their excellent script or cast--- are able to get me home by dinner time and catch their TV premiere. Here are my top seven shows on TV right now:

07. What About Brian. A show that speaks to me and, in some ways, portrays my life. Watch thirtysomething Barry Watson find love, friendship and fulfillment in a world wherein love often crumbles, friendship is frequently tested and fulfillment is always a matter of perspective.

06. The Ellen Degeneres Show. This one always makes me laugh. Whether it is Ellen doing her goofy dance moves at the beginning of each show or her challenging Tiger Woods to a round of golf. Unlike Oprah, whose unimaginable riches sometimes make her an ascendant host, Ellen is always able to offer a friendly chat to her celebrity guests and audience alike.

05. CSI. There may be an abundance of crime dramas on TV right now but CSI still distinguishes itself with the excellent performances given by William Petersen and the rest of the cast. Gil Grissom is such a unique character and team leader that it is quite certain that his character will live on long after the show is gone.

04. Supernatural. Features the most gorgeous pair of hunters of the bizaare and supernatural since David Duchovny and Gilian Anderson searched the truth out there in The X Files. Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki are perfect as both heroes and eye candies.

03. Desperate Housewives. Forgive and forget the second season, the happenings in Wisteria Lane are truly intruiging and engaging. And even after three seasons, Eva Longoria is a sexy as the first time she stepped in the show. Her skimpy gowns return aplenty as well as shots in her underwear.

02. Ugly Betty. May not be the most intelligent or well-acted show on TV but definitely the most entertaining and relaxing. Ugly Betty is both funny and heartwarming. Perfect to wind up your stressful day. You will, after seeing the travails of America Ferrera on the show.

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01. Brothers & Sisters. The best drama on screen today, a descendant in intensity and quality writing of both Six Feet Under and The West Wing. Sally Field, Calista Flockhart and Rachel Griffiths give memorable performances in every episode. Field is such a forceful performer. But guess what? Ally McBeal can square off with her anytime.

-----oOo-----

A Love Story. Though I originally intended to write today's blog to list my favorite shows only, I am putting a word out for an exceptional film that I saw just a few days back. A Love Story, featuring superstars Maricel Soriano and Aga Muhlach and rising young actress Angelica Panganiban. After seeing the film, I have been rallying my friends and officemates to see it and they complied. It is a very engaging story on love and finding the right person at the wrong time. It has happened to all of us, which makes the movie tick. Great performances coming from both Aga and Maricel.

-----oOo-----

Digital King. Aside from appearing in a TV commercial for a tamarind soup base, I have also recently seen Arnold Reyes (The Man Who Steals the Show), in a number of digital films being shown on TV. Is he the unheralded king of digital films?

I partly saw two films. The first one was with veteran actress Boots Anson Roa and another in which he played a movie projector operator (ala Cinema Paradiso). I was quite disappointed with his performances in these films. He was over-acting, bordering on the annoying. He should learn that acting techniques in the theater and on film are quite different from each other. Exaggerated, physical acting is not needed in the movies. If a director wants something highlighted, there is always the close-up shot.

Anyway, I still suffered through watching the films (though still didn't get to finish them) as seeing Arnold invoked the sexy image of him gyrating on the stage of Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah.

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Must Blow 34: Zac Efron.
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I am writing this now to get the itch out. For the past three or four days, I have had this mania (purely idiomatic) of looking at photos of Zac Efron. I now find him cute and endearing. And, alarmingly, it may now be evolving into a crush.

And I don't want that to happen. I simply don't want to be in the company of screaming teenagers.

But after cursory but second consideration, I think the girls got it right this time. Zac Efron is someone to scream for and build your adolescent romantic fantasies upon. Look at his hair and eyes, they are as perfrect as Ken's (Barbie's former boyfriend) own.

My present fascination with Zac, most probably, is a by-product of all the hoopla for High School Musical 2. After the unexpected reception of High School Musical a year or so ago, Disney, of course, capitalized on its success and prepared a sequel. It is being shown this month in the United States, again as a major television event.

Disney pulled out all the stops and went all out in promoting the show. There are a lot of press and photos of Zac and the cast on TV, magazines and, not to be left behing, the internet.

Thus, it was quite inevitable that I get to imbibe a little Zac in my system. But it seems to be seeping into my core that it is getting me scared.

I haven't seen HSM. And even though I now like Zac, I don't think I will still rent the video. But I have seen the trailer of Hairspray in which Zac plays a major role. And I liked Zac there, too. Again, it was the hair, the lips and the eyes. He is a golden boy. Thus, in spite of the fact that I have to see John Travolta in drag, I will see Hairspray when it premieres in the county. (The fact that James Marsden is also there quite eases the sight of Travolta.)

As I wrote earlier, Zacis everywhere. MSN and Yahoo both report that he won a major category in this year's Teen Choice Award. He is also appearing in Rollingstone magazine in an undoubtedly adult pose (white shirt teasingly lifted to reveal his ripped abs, see photo above). And I remember that there are these shirtless photos of Zac over at Queerclick. I did not much bother with them before, but now I downloaded the photos.

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Turning Pro.

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I learned from the news yesterday that my favorite amateur basketball player is now turning pro. Doug Kramer, the center-power forward of the Ateneo Blue Eagles, was picked fifth over-all during the PBA rookie draft held last Sunday. He was selected by Air 21.

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Doug's entry to the pro league is very much welcome. Since the retirement of Alvin Patrimonio nearly three years ago, the league is in dire need of a legitimate heartrob/matinee idol. It is no secret that the PBA, in the last couple of years, has been suffering a declining sales in venue tickets. I bet that if the demographic is taken, it is mostly women fans who have shied away from watching the league live. Or even on TV.

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A brawny player is good but a hunk will never hurt a team. Or a league trying to regain its lost popularity.

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Doug can very much fill that void. He is very good looking, mestizo and solid body to boot. I have watched him live and college coeds and yuppie women just scream whenever he rebounds the ball. He is likewise already in the midst of a modelling career.

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That he was selected fifth over-all only attests that Doug is not all looks. He is a bona fide talented ball player. In the past two years, he has been credited for being a pillar of his college team. He is a great rebounder and defender. Sometimes, he can also score.

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My only complaint is that Doug went to neither Purefoods (which is Alvin's team and the one I still cheer for) nor Quincy's team (which I only cheer for when Quincy is playing on-court). Now I have three teams to follow in the rare times that I even bother to find out what is new with the league.

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Anyway, I wish Doug good luck. I bet he'll have a remarkable professional career.

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-----oOo-----

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Here is today's Julian of the Day. This photo is still from Julian Fantechi's Playgirl 2007 Man of the Year portfolio.

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To Bi For 20: Debra Messing.

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Here are the two reasons why I stuck with Will & Grace in the six seasons that it ran on air. The first is the hilarious and excellent comedic writing. Second is the beautiful Debra Messing, who faultlessly played the role of Grace Adler.
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I'll save my thoughts on the first one for a separate blog entry. There is so much to praise about the defunct comedy show and how the script was consistently exceptional throughout the run. Let me write about Debra today.

Looking at and evaluating the faces of movie and TV actresses in the United States today, I would put Debra in the top five. She is more than pretty, she is divinely beautiful.
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I like her mouth, teeth and cheeks but I admire her nose and eyes above all. Her looks are classic. She reminds me of Vivien Leigh, Isabella Rossellini and Lucille Ball all at once. I never tired of watching her on TV. I am looking forward to watching her on the big screen.

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As an actress, Debra has demonstrated ---and proved--- that she has comedic timing. As well as the natural talent as a physical comedian. How many times did Grace trip in the show, yet I laughed each time? How many times did she talk to Will or Jack with her mouth full and I still found it funny? As often as it happened.

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I see a future for Debra Messing in Hollywood. She can play the lead female romantic that Julia Roberts is now too old to play or which Jennifer Aniston cannot accomodate in her tight filming schedule. She is perfect for such roles. She already has the physical materials ---her face and her slender body--- to make men fall in love with her. All she now needs is a good script, the right project and credible leading man to make the movie a hit.

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Debra Messing is rarely seen in public outside an elegant dress or cocktail attire. I am glad I was able to snag this photo of her in a two-piece bikini. No boobs but still sexy.

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Cyberstalking.

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He is Roman no more. I am referring to the guy in my gym who has been the object of my affection in the last month or so.

Last Friday, I went to the gym after my friends cancelled our supposed dinner. I saw him looking at me as I walked from the exercise floor to the locker room. What did I read in the way he looked at me? It was if he was asking why I came in late that night. By pure coincidence in our respective schedules, Roman and I regularly arrive in the gym within a few a minutes of each other. That is, between 7:30 and 8:00 in the evening. We usually get dressed in the locker at about the same time. And my locker is usually just three or four lockers away from his, so we have access to watch the other dress and undress. That night, I came in fifteen minutes after eight. It was really quite late to start a workout.

Anyway, after my workout, Roman and I and one other Hot Guy were preparing to leave the gym at about the same time. We all had just been to the shower, and we were drying ourselves, getting dressed, primping our hair and splashing expensive cologne (my CK Crave is in its last few droplets). It turned out that Roman and Hot Guy are acquaintances. Hot Guy inquired whether Roman had a yahoo messenger ID that he can add to his directory. Roman said yes. Without knowing what to do with it afterwards, I still memorized the yahoo ID that Roman supplied to Hot Guy.

As I left the gym with the newly gathered info, I hatched a plan to send anonymous e-mails to Roman. Maybe we can start our friendship there since neither of us has broken the ice and approached the other. But I immediately dropped the idea. It was just plain creepy.

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Today, I decided to use the internet to find out what Roman's yahoo ID signified. The ID sounded peculiar it could not have been his name. My google search only yielded one result: a Friendster account of a person of such name. So, it appears that the yahoo ID is his complete name. I tried to access his account but it is set to private. Nevertheless, when I saw that Roman is in my Friendster network, I clicked on the tab to find out that we are just three degrees apart, with his friends connected to seven of my own friends.

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Since he has a Friendster account, it occurred to me that Roman might have a My Space account as well. So I went to My Space to check. He did have an account, however it is not one that he uses. He has zero friends in the network and the last time he accessed it was in April of 2006.

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Nevertheless, my efforts were not set to naught. I was able to get this picture of him in green trunks and sando. Plus the following information: (1) he is now 33 years old; (2) single; (3) a Virgo; and (4) doesn't want kids.

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From now on, I will cease to call him Roman. From now on, I will call him Eagle. That is still not his real name but it bears some relevance to his first name.

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-----oOo-----

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I think what I just did to Eagle can be properly termed as "cyberstalking". I do not now whether that word already exists or is in use. I propose the following definition: /v/ (1) to follow the personal affairs of another person through the use of the internet or cybertechnology; (2) to gather information or gain proximity to another person through the use of the internet or cybertechnology.

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-----oOo-----

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Precious Find. I chanced upon this photo of local R&B singer Jay-R. I think the photo is really sexy. Nice abs. And what an impressive bulge he has there.

Finally, the topmost photo is that of my favorite model, Zak Hogen-Esch (Must Blow 10).

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Must Blow 33: Davy Paxton.

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Ever since I got hold of a Mandate Bel Ami special edition magazine nearly two years ago, I have been meaning to feature him in this section of my personal journal. However, the lack of photos that will accompany the text dissuaded me from doing so. Pure text is just boring. Photos stimulate and add texture to my blog entries.

Fortunately, in one of my nocturnal web wanderings, I stumbled upon a site featuring photos of Bel Ami hunks. Unfortunately, however, no frontal nudity pictures were shown in the site. Still, I try to count my blessings.

Again, it is not difficult why Davy Paxton easily and immediately appealed to me. He has those boyish looks and charm about him that have always endeared me to one too many members of the same sex. More particularly on his case, I was easily attracted by his wavy locks, thick red lips and puppy eyes. Seeing Davy the first time in Mandate, I wanted to hold his hand, lead him to a private nook, undress him and initiate (a false assumption of course, considering that he is with Bel Ami) him to the joys of man to man sex.

How well and often did I fantasize about him. He was dreamy. And yummy.

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About a month ago, I encountered Davy Paxton again. This time, in the new DVD releases Undressed Rehearsals and Mating Season. These new Bel Ami videos are significant in the way that they heralded the changing of the guard (of sorts) at this Eastern European porn behemoth. New names, faces and dicks dominated the films and scenes. The names, faces and dicks that we fans have come to expect in the last four or five years have been limited to sporadic appearances and off-camera participation.

Of the two films, I saw Undressed Rehearsals first. I did not immediately recognize Davy when he appeared on screen. So much has changed in his appearance since he appeared in Mandate. He has trimmed his hair and bulked up his physique. The second was most welcome, the first I regret. Still, he appealed to me. He has a great body, a thick dick and he still had that smile. Oh Davy, you light up my life.

Davy performed well in the film. I particularly liked the fact that he closed his eyes while his partner was sucking him off. It always turns me on to see that porn actors actually enjoy what they are doing (or more specifically, what is being done to them). My only source of disappointment was that he turned up to be a bottom (as I have always preferred my man crushes to be tops).

Anyway, I am sure that I will continue to buy DVDs and magazines featuring Davy Paxton. He is on top of my favorites among the new generation of Bel Ami models.

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Of Wallpapers and Screensavers.
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Some nights are just plain terrible. I could not get sleep until it is already about three or four o’clock in the morning. Thus, on weekdays, I only get two to four hours of sleep. That is barely enough to get me through the day and I sometimes feel sleepy at work and even when I am driving.

When I am tired enough to read, I use those wee hours to surf the internet using my phones (Sony Ericsson K800i and P910i). Mostly, I google images of beautiful people. Mostly, these are men and women who have been featured in my Must Blow, SpeciMen and To Bi For sections. And then I use these photos as wallpapers and screensavers in my phones.

Today, my wallpapers in my P910i are Alvin Patrimonio (flip closed, above) and Brandon Manilow (flip open, below).

My wallpaper in my K800 is Jensen Ackles (top of blog) while my screensaver is a naked but shy Leandro Becker.

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I change my wallpapers almost everyday. I have a considerable storage of pictures of Matthew McConaughey, Jared Padalecki, Adam Brody, Rachel Bilson, Charlize Theron and Mark Wahlberg, among others.

At least something good has come out of my sleepless nights.

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Retro Blow 01: Brandon Manilow.


The past few days I have been itching, incredibly, for one man above all else. He is Bel Ami stud Brandon Manilow. I wanted to feature him in my Must Blow section --- for that is what I intend to do to him if and when our lives cross. But of course, I know that he has been previously promoted as a Must Blow hunk. In fact, he was the first ever.

Then, suddenly, I thought about starting a whole new section called Retro Blow. This new portion of my personal journal will feature fresh photos and commentary on previous Must Blow guys. And so here it is.

I have been having difficulty sleeping the past ten or so nights. Sometimes, to while away my time and tire my eyes to slumber, I use my phone to google images. Some of the images I ended up searching on those endless nights those of Brandon Manilow.

Brandon Manilow, as I earlier commented, is one of my favorite porn actors. In watching gay porn, I tend to admire and fantasize the tops, rather than the bottoms. And Brandon is one of my favorite tops --- in that rare category in the company of Pavel Novotny, Lukas Ridgeston, Josh Elliot and Renato Amoroso.

I have only seen images of Brandon in videos. I have not had any magazines featuring him. I even missed the Freshmen issue a few years back wherein Brandon was naked in surf and sea.

As such, I have always perceived Brandon in action. His body is in constant movement, fucking, jerking and being sucked. I have not been able to just stop and admire how beautiful a physical specimen he is. How great his torso is. How well defined the lines on his abs are. How firm and juicy his cock appears. Alas, that I had that occasion when in nights of visiting insomnia, I googled and found Brandon’s images on the net. He is such a physical beauty. Lovely to look at.

Since then, I have been pining for him. Lusting even. Last night, another night when sleep came late, I made an inventory of Bel Ami videos wherein Brandon made an appearance. I fast-forwarded to the scenes he was in and watched, with gusto, as his muscles tensed, his mouth and tongue probed his partners, and his eyes closed in pure pleasure. And it was a lovely night for me.

-----oOo-----

Last Friday, by pure happenstance, Roman and I used the urinals at the same time. Of course, we did not use the same urinal. He was already occupying the rightmost unit when I entered the comfort room and I used the leftmost in the row. There are only three units in the row and no one used the middle while Roman and I did our separate “businesses”.

Roman is the guy from my gym for whom I have developed a crush. I call him Roman because his aura, jaw and pouty lips remind me of porn star Roman Heart.

I have never thought in my life that I would have a romantic relationship with another man or a gay man. (But now there is Quincy in my life.) But whenever I see Roman in the gym doing his cardio or his weights, I whisper to myself with obvious longing, Be my boyfriend. That is how much I have come to desire him.

Anyway, I would not be writing the incident in the bathroom if we simply happened to use it at the same time. The remarkable thing about it was that once I entered and turn to use the urinal, I got a glimpse of the head of Roman’s penis. I was so surprised by this that, I think, my knee-jerk reaction was to turn my eyes away and pretend that I was disinterested. Anyway, I did not also think that he was displaying his cock for everyone to see. He just happens to do his thing that way. That is, his body is a few inches farther from the urinal and his back bent a little backward.

From that split-second, I quickly noticed that his dickhead is thick (Hooray, he has a thick dick!!!) and dark red (which contrasts Roman’s fair skin).

I try to bring back that image once in a while. It makes my heart skip a bit.

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Imperative! Criminal Lovers (DVD) and Jose Saramago's The Double.

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For the past months, we Filipinos have been praying for rain. We expected, as a matter of course and natural law, for rain to come as early as June but only a few drizzles arrived. And so we prayed. For water to drink. For water to irrigate our farms. For water to run certain industries.

The past two or three days, our prayers were more than answered and we had to contend with the arrival of two consecutive typhoons (Chedeng and Dodong). Now there was more than enough water --- there were floods and the consequent loss of life and property for some.

Fortunately, the only adverse effect on me of the storms that showered the country this week was that I was unable to go to work last Wednesday and Thursday. The area and bridge I had to pass by from our subdivision to the major highway were submerged in water. My sedan wouldn't have survived it. Even bigger vans and trucks surrendered in their efforts to traverse the waters.

More fortunately still, I could afford to stay home on those days. I had no urgent work left in the office. The meetings scheduled on those days could be re-scheduled in another day or two. And the only court hearing I was supposed to have did not involve an opposing counsel so begging the court for consideration was a lot easier.

I spent the majority of those days at home preparing my nephews for their upcoming periodic exams. They hate it when I tutor them because I am a whole lot stricter than their parents and teachers combined.

-----oOo-----

During my unexpected but welcome vacation, I had the luxury of finishing Jose Saramago's The Double. Saramago is a Noble Prize winner for literature. Though he is an established literary figure in Portugal, this is his first work that I got to read.

The book is one of the best I've read this year (I have only read 15 books so far). The story is unique and the narrative, though at times commentating, remains precise. I imagine that if Alfred Hitchcock were still alive, he would adapt the material to the big screen. Think Strangers on a Train.

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This is my favorite quotation from the book:

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(B)ut you weren't superfluous, there is no duplicate of you to come and replace you at your mother's side, you were unique, just as every ordinary person is unique, truly unique. They say you can hate someone only if you hate yourself, but the worst of all hatreds must be the hatred that cannot bear another person to be the same, worse still if that sameness should ever become total.

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Since I was unprepared for this two-day vacation, I did not have any new DVD to watch. I had to content myself with watching my old DVDs. I decided to review Criminal Lovers. I first watched it about a year ago. I have forgotten most of its story.

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Criminal Lovers is a French film. I think it was entered in Sundance Film Festival in 1999. It tells the story of a scheming high school girl (Alice) and her compliant and devoted boyfriend (Luc). Believing her girlfriend's tale that she was raped by some classmates (led by one Said) Luc agreed to avenge his girlfriend's honor and kill Said. After they disposed the body in the dead of night, they get lost in the forest (like Hansel and Gretel) as they could no longer find their tracks. What happens to them when they fall prey to a twisted hermit in that forest is what makes the film both engaging and disturbing.

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The film, really, is a dark take on the fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel. This time, the main characters are not kids but high school students; not siblings but lovers; not captured by a witch but by a twisted hermit; are not thrown into an oven but kept in the attic; and are not eaten by the witch but were enslaved and sodomized.

All in all, it is a good film. The script is contained and the direction is prolific. The performances given by the lead characters, Miki Manojlovic (the nameless man in the forest), Natacha Regnier (Alice) and Jeremie Renier (Luc) are both commendable and memorable.

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SpeciMen 08: Matt Damon, Christian Bale and Elijah Wood.

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In spite of the fact that Hollywood is a place where beautiful people converge to make their acting dream a reality and that a lot of people have gone to make their mark on screen, it has not occurred as often as it should that true beauty and raw talent are found in one and the same person. This grain of truth is more evident now that some present residents of Hollywood are famous for no other reason than being famous. And where antics and publicity have eclipsed the imperative to prove oneself through acting ability.

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As rare as such phenomenon may be, such is the case with today's inductees to my SpeciMen elite list. From their very first major acting jobs they have shown their savvy on screen, box office reliability and, of course, that natural ability to make women wet by their sheer physical presence.

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Though he earlier appeared in Courage Under Fire, topbilled by Denzel Washington and Meg Ryan, Matt Damon was really first noticed by the viewing public and this author when he played the title role in Good Will Hunting. The role fit him perfectly. In Damon, one easily saw the angst and anger raging inside Will and, equally, his need for acceptance and understanding that he refuses acknowledge.

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The most shining moment in the film was when Will Hunting taunted and psychoanalyzed the character played by Robin Williams. After being torn apart, criticized and mocked, Williams' only reply was "You are just a boy." And when the camera returned to Damon's face --- there was the subtle yet evident realization of self-abasement and knowing that one has just done an injustice to a noble man.
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It was no wonder that Matt Damon was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for that role. It was one of the best performance by a breakthrough or new actor of his generation.

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On the other hand, when Christian Bale returned to the big screen, he was much grown up from the boy that viewers saw in Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun. He was very much a man, ripped and muscled, in American Psycho.

Arguably, there might be a handful of other actors who could have played the role of Patrick Bateman. Yet, whenever I review the DVD, I cannot imagine any other actor playing the role with equal wit and credibility. Bale's spotless physique ---which was required by the script to be exhibited in various states of nudity and vanity--- was the embodiment of metrosexuality long before the word even existed. And when he wielded his axe to hunt his prey, one could even say that the performance eclipsed that of Jack Nicholson in The Shining.

Christian Bale also possesses one other talent that has become the bane of his contemporaries, notably Ben Afleck: the ability to hold out for a project that truly interests him and matches his talent. There has never been a Christian Bale film festival in cinemas, unlike Jude Law in 2004 (with 6 films in that year, 3 of which released in the same month). Bale chose his projects carefully, even if he could have easily accepted a role that could buy him a new mansion in Hollywood Hills. Thus, when he was tapped to play the young caped crusader in Batman Begins, he managed to exude the macho credibility that men and women alike have only rarely recognized as a virtue in Johnny Depp.

Like Bale, Elijah Wood started his acting career at such a very young age. He starred as Mark Twain's young hero in the 1993 version of The Adventures of Huck Finn. In the same year, he matched acting prowess with Home Alone screamer Macaulay Culkin in The Good Son. Wood won that face-off by a mile. And before turning twelve, Elijah topbilled his third film, North with Bruce Willis.

I was in high school when this string of three films were shown. I saw them all in the big screen. I was fascinated by his acting chops in Huck Finn and I wanted to see all his films and watch his talent progress. I started being a voracious moviegoer at about this age. It may be said that Elijah Wood is my contemporary and counterpart on the other side of the silver screen.

But after all is said and done, and notwithstanding any future Oscar-winning performance from Wood, he will best be remembered by the audience as Frodo Baggins. Yes, that hobbit who traveled from The Shire to the mouth of Mount Doom to save middle-earth from certain destruction. Both the trilogy of films and the role are much too big for any that Wood has done and will ever do.

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To Bi For 19: Brooke Burke.

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Whenever I see Brooke Burke on television and in magazines, I am reminded of the time when UHF reception in our area was so bad, the screen was half-filled with statics. Still, as I had a high threshold for pain and of patience, I endured the annoying statics. My favorite shows on UHF then were The Late Show with David Letterman and E's Wild On!

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Wild On! was one of the first original shows on E! (the Entertainment Channel). The host and her crew travelled from country to country and hopped from island to island to cover the best party places and getaway spots in the planet. The most common images on the show were skin, boobs, sand and drinking glasses.

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I never much cared for the places and parties featured on the show. I was never a party person. I prefer an intimate dinner with family and friends over the frenzy of disco music and bottomless alcohol. And the places covered on the show were much too far from my fancy. Ibiza, Montecarlo and Las Vegas are not my tourist destinations. I am more of the type who pine for Venice, Paris and Rome. Even when I travel, I do not look for the night spots. I try to get some culture during my trips.

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The one and only reason why I regularly watched Wild On! was to be able to see and lust over its host, Brooke Burke. The physical come-ons of Brooke Burke are obvious: the boobs, the face, the smile, the figure. She was not only beautiful, she was smokingly sexy!!! But of course, with me, a beautiful woman is not enough. Brooke Burke was also an intelligent host. She showed genuine interest in the places she visited and the people she interviewed along the way. And most importantly (this, I have had time to reflect), I loved her voice. Her voice was as sexy as she looked. And that is saying a lot.

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Brooke Burke hosted the show for only a season or two and then bade her farewell. I also almost simultaneously said goodbye to the show. I haven't watched it since.

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Guilty Pleasure: Marc Nelson's Abs.

A few years back, Bench pursued a strategy of massive PR and marketing when it launched its underwear line. There were billboards everywhere, pervasive print ads on newspapers and glossy magazines, as well as TV ads. It was a sure way to make people notice.

When the underwear brand was launched, the leading face and body of the campaign was Australian model Marc Nelson. Marc has been around the world, and has been to at least twenty countries in his young life. When he landed in the Philippines, he initially worked as commercial model and as TV host. Needless to say, he was generally clothed in all those endeavors.

It was a literal unveiling when the Bench ads came out. We suddenly woke up to a naked Marc Nelson staring at us from the newspaper as we sipped our coffee. And he was there again, flat abs and all looking down at us from his humongous billboards. And then, he was there again, running in a hospital gown and a red bikini when we opened our TV sets.

And we liked what we saw. At least I liked what I saw. (I still look at these ads until now.) His abs are fabulous. You can place it on any advertisement and the product will sell. Like hotcakes, as the cliche goes.

I could not keep my eyes off the images of Marc Nelson in nothing but red skimpy bikini or the classic whities. He was very inviting and I complied. He was very delectable and I indulged.

Soon after, Marc was also in demand among women and health magazines. They were rather thrifty photoshoots as he was featured shirtless in most of them. And oh, he also smiled a lot to reveal his perfect set of pearly white teeth.

Though there have been a lot of actors and models who have gone on to appear in the Bench campaigns, none of them has equalled the appeal and impact that Marc had. This only goes to show how well a man Marc Nelson is. And the rest are just posers.

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