Eraserheads Reunion Concert - The Drama Continues

This is the latest update on the reunion concert of the Eraserheads.

"What: Eraserheads Reunion Concert
When: August 30, 2008 (Saturday)
Tickets are available at Ticketworld (891-9999) starting August 28, 2008 (Thursday)
Patron: Php 1, 300++.00
General Admission: Php 800++.00
Brought to you by Radiohead Media Inc. in cooperation with Sony BMG Music Entertainment Phil. Inc."

But the drama of this very controversial gathering of the Fab4 continues. People are still speculating if this will indeed push through with Ely Buendia's mother passing away just this morning. Local reports say that the show will go on.

This will be such a memorable day for the clammoring fans, for the equally talented members of the band and most especially, for the grieving son. It is always sad to write about deaths, especially when I have also gone through a personal ordeal in this regard just last month. But to Ely, my condolences to you and your loved ones. Life may be tough but be strong and put on a good show.

Zorayda Sanchez Passes Away

Her claim to fame was her ugliness, thanks to the Andrew E. '90s hit song, Humanap ka ng Panget. Zorayda Sanchez became a household name for her own brand of comedy. She used her distinct features to earn from the cruel world of showbizness. She was always the subject of slapstick brand of jokes by her fellow actors. And she did not complain. But when she had enough, she silently exited the limelight to use her brains as a writer, university professor and a stage actress.

We seldom see her on showbiz gatherings the past years. This is why I was so stunned upon hearing about her death August 27 due to breast cancer. She was 57.

To the one person who opened the doors of local showbizness to people without the perfect face and body to match that, may you rest in peace. And condolences to the family.

The Latest Pieces about the Whole Puzzle of the Eraserheads' Reunion Concert

All ye Eraserheads fans out there, good news and bad news. Well, the good news is that their very controversial reunion concert will push through. It is going to happen on Aug. 30 at the Fort Bonifacio open field, Fort Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. It will no longer be sponsored by Marlboro. So to those like me, non-smokers, who were forced to choose what brand of cigarette we smoke, just so we could register to the very mysterious event, we just have to settle for the bad news.

The concert is no longer free. Further details as to how you will be able to avail tickets is going to be announced in the coming days. For the blow-by-blow account as to what lead to what, where and when, check out this site.

And this is the e-mail that Raimund Marasigan sent to the Sandwich's yahoogroup mailing list about this whole brouhaha:

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From: raymund marasigan
date: Sun, Aug 24, 2008 at 8:37 PM
subject: [subsandwich] eraserheads aug 30 08 confirmed

dear everybodyafter much ado. the eraserheads concert is most definitely pushing through.philip morris and its brands have pulled out from the concert. but another company is taking over the production.

the turn over startedyesterday and they have already started work on the site in the fort. so you can check.there are good news and bad news.unfortunately it's no longer free. all the long winded registration procedures in the red nation site is now void.the good news is that the age limit is now 12 years old (for safety reasons) and tickets will be sold so you don't have to wait for confirmation and what not.

the official announcement and ticketing details will come out in major newspapers and on the radio on tuesday.these are the only details i know for now so no need to email me. i'm just the drummer.btw. i just got home from the last rehearsal. the band is cooking. we will see you all on the 30th.

raym

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So to the real E'heads fans who have been waiting for this to happen, don't miss out this chance.

The New and Upcoming Hollywood Babies

Digital printing must be so in demand in Hollywood these days because of the fact that everybody seems to be having a baby! Wee! What is with the season that people seems to be inspired in creating their masterpieces as well as letting them out?

Who are these new and soon to be famous moms and dads? For sure, the paparazzi are all gearing up to get the first shots of the equally famous tots.

Baby Number 1: Parker Foster Aiken was born August 8. This baby boy resulted from the process of an artificial insemination. The dad, of course, is former “American Idol” runner-up, Clay Aiken. The mom is Jaymes Foster, Clay’s friend, record producer and now his baby producer as well.

Baby Number 2: Another product of science, twin boys of Ricky Martin. The man, of course, is known for his butt, er, his hits like “Livin’ la Vida Loca” and “She Bangs” (well, until William Hung stole the scene). It was said that the twins were delivered through gestational surrogacy this August. No further announcements have been made. So the gossip-landia still isn’t satisfied until it finds out who the surrogate mother is. Now that Ricky is a real papa, he plans to take his career aside for the moment and focus on raising his twins. Aww!

Baby Number 3: Gia Zavala Damon was born August 21. Her proud parents are “Good Will Hunting” lead, Matt Damon and his wife, Luciana. This is their second child. The eldest, Isabella, is now two. And they are also raising Luciana’s daughter from a previous marriage.

Baby Number 4: Zuma Nesta Rock was born afternoon of Aug 22. His famous parents are Gwen Steffani and Gavin Rossdale. This is their second baby together, the eldest being another son, Kingston. And Rossdale has a daughter who is already a teenager with Pearl Love, a fashion designer.

Baby Number 5: Another twins in the making. “Ugly Betty” star, Rebecca Romjin is five months pregnant with twins. The soon to be famous dad is Jerry O’Connell. The twins are yet unnamed but the couple are in deep thoughts as to what they will name them. The choices include Mary-Kate and Ashley and whatever as long as the monikers will be rhyming.

Baby Number 6: She has announced it, but Jennifer Garner remains mum about when will be the due date for baby number two. Jen and Ben Affleck’s first child, Violet, is among the most photographed children in Hollywood these days. For sure, this tot will gain more media frenzy.

Baby Number 7: Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi have already tied the knot. Now they are thinking about their future but well, still undecided whether to have babies sooner or later. The fact is that the couple is constantly talking about it. As to how they will do it, let us give them the free will to decide on their own.

The entertainment scene looks much better with news like these, eh? There were phases in the showbiz world when all you can read about are deaths, accidents and well, Britney Spears.

How Far China is Willing to Go to Achieve Perfection?

Now it is proven that China will do anything for people to deem the country as perfect. But this image really gives me creeps, especially whenever I hear about what will it do just to prove the point or create that image. This all seems like coming from the scenes of a sci-fi movie.

Forget about canvas prints as the real show is unfolding every day. This Olympics at Beijing, China has too many dramas, I can only imagine what will happen next. It all started with the fireworks. It was magnificent. It was dramatic to watch. It was perfect. But not everything you see was real. Instructions were given to broadcast mediums that were going to telecast the event as to the special effect that should be incorporated while the real event was happening. So what we saw was actually just an illusion that China wanted us to view so that we will praise the country and drool over the kind of perfection that they can do.

I've read over another blogsite about Yao Ming's dilemma. If you will look at him play, limping and looking as if he is always in pain, you will wonder how come he is still playing when he could be better off in a hospital ward. That is because Ming owes China a lot. The country made him what he is now. And this is the price that he has to pay for such situation.

And then there are the gymnasts. After winning the Gold in the event, people started to wonder if Chinese girls are really blessed to look so very young than what their real age are or if these girls are really younger than what they were supposed to be? Is this part of the perfect image that China is trying to achieve? But what will happen if the investigations go deep and these girls were found to be fraud? Whose future are they putting on great shambles?

What captures the heart of people all over the globe is the situation of the real singer and the one who was made to lip synch the part. An official judged that the real voice who sang "Ode to Motherland" was not cute enough, or did not fit to the image of perfection that the country is trying to convey. So Yang Peiyi remained to be hidden behind the perfection of Lin Miaoke's cuteness. The idea here was to combine the perfect voice and the perfect face. But these are only children who have a lot ahead of them. And with the situation they were put into, both girls won't easily escape the wrath of the idea in years to come.

Nobody's perfect. The way China is handling the Olympics, the behind the scenes are upstaging the sporting events. How many medals do Michael Phelps has now? I don't know. But as the drama continues and unfolds before us, the Olympics might end with our views of China being completely the opposite of perfect.

Leave Jennifer Alone!

Jennifer Aniston’s love life is as sticky as an adhesive vinyl, eh? I mean this Friends’ star remains to be in the hot public eye long after the phenomenal sitcom stopped airing. Cameras were there to capture her bonding moments with Courtney Cox Arquette’s family. More cameras appeared when she was making sweet music together with John Meyer. And now many people are speculating about her romantic involvement with model Matt Felker.

As the famous blogger turned TV personality and a Britney advocate, Chris Crocker, said, “Leave Britney alone.” Of course, in this case it would be more apt to say, “Leave Jennifer alone.” But these two have something in common. People can’t seem to get enough of the latest happening about them.

For Jennifer, this all started since she got entangled then disentangled with Brad Pitt. As people remain to be curious about how Brad and Angelina are doing, they want to hear something juicy about Jen as well so that they can start comparing her to the female half of the Brangelina tandem. But they are worlds apart. Angelina knows how to play her cards right in her career as well as in her personal life.

As for Jennifer, she always seems to be testing the water. People are speculating that this happened only after Brad Pitt. She married him, for one. But if the rumors are true, Jen wasn’t ready yet to become a mom whether to her own or to adopted kids, much more so those that come from different nations.

But whatever Jen chooses to do or chooses not to, she’s lucky because she’s cute. What a statement. But it’s true. People will still be curious about her even if she prefers to remain single or hook up with someone who looks so far from Brad. The important thing is that she’s still a star. She’s making movies and TV appearances and people are still interested about her.

And to segue to Chris Crocker fave celeb, Britney has the same fate. No matter what she did, people will forgive her because she is still a star. But people will not always be so forgiving. So she should straighten up before it is already too late. She must get back to shape and get back to what she is known for, singing and producing hits.

I no longer care about Britney’s love life. Actually, for me, she shouldn’t have one for as long as she still hasn’t settled her sons’ future. She must work hard for their sake. And she must make sure that the money from her hard work will go to her son and not to Kevin Federline.

Okay, this blog was supposed to be about Jennifer. As of this writing, Felker’s publicist denied that the two are dating. But whatever will make Jen, happy, she must do it. She deserves to be happy, just like Angelina and oh well, to end this piece, just like Britney as well.

Studies about Red Bull Showed Worrying Results

As I go over the Internet today, I was shocked to read about Red Bull. The fact is that when I used to have my shift at work on a graveyard for almost two years, I depended on this energy drink to stay awake. I actually had so many rituals at the time. I used Red Bull like my vitamins. During breaks, I’d still drink coffee or soda. I just wanted to stay awake. But now that I am going over this, I am thinking like, was I trying to kill myself back then?

Oh no, really now, I was just really trying to stay awake. Now this controversy about Red Bull will worry people just like me. And what this is all about? Red Bull, created by Dietrich Mateschitz, an entrepreneur in Austria in 1980, based on a Thai energy drink.

The study was conducted by Scott Willoughby. He is the lead researcher at the Cardiovascular Centre, Royal Adelaide Hospital. He told an Australian newspaper about the conclusion. Willoughby’s team had 30 young adults whom they tested the cardiovascular systems one hour before and then one hour after drinking a 250 ml can of Red Bull that is sugar-free.

The results showed that after taking in the drink, normal people actually develop warning signs that can be linked to cardiovascular disease. Actually, this energy drink is already banned in different countries such as in Norway, Denmark and Uruguay. The reason for this ban was the ingredients that are listed on the cans of Red Bull.

To the company’s defense, Linda Rychter, its spokeswoman in Australia said that the report that came out will be looked into and assessed by their head office in Austria. One can of Red Bull has 80 mg of caffeine. For such fact, Rychter said that the effects that were found are similar to the effects of drinking one cup of coffee. So that would still be considered as part of the physiological range that is normal.

This study is worth the budget that one could allocate to commercial printing and other types of ad mediums. This is due to the fact that the product is being sold in so many parts of the world. And many people will be affected by such news.

Come on guys, my heart is palpitating right now. But this doesn’t have anything to do with my previous Red Bull addiction. I just really want to know what is the real score behind this all. Should this product be banned or is it still safe to drink this after all?

BRANGELINA TWINS’ FIRST PHOTOS SOLD AT $14 MILLION

Whew! I still couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw this morning that the Jolie-Pitt infamous twins’ first pictures were settled to be sold for $14 million. Of course, of course, proceeds will go to charity, whatever. I mean, when Brad left Jen for Jolie, was he even aware that he could turn the relationship into a money-making scheme simply by making as well as adopting kids.

Sorry, couldn’t help the cynicism. I know some of people would feel for the couple, like they are rich and famous. They may be selling their kids’ photos and handling the negotiations very well. But they are doing this for good reasons, you know, for charity. I actually like these two for their involvement for different humanitarian activities. They are not your ordinary beautiful people who would be seen in obscene places, partying hard or caught in a middle of something unacceptable to the eyes of the public.

But for me, there are other ways to earn funds to be given to charities aside from selling your kids’ photos. I so admire Tiger Woods for his thoughts about the matter. Remember when he had his child? Of course, he had so many offers for the first pictures of his child from magazines, TV spots, maybe even postcards and pocket folders printing. After all, he is a celebrity in his own way. But he didn’t think about the dollar sign. He celebrated the birth of his child with all the people who were there for him through all his triumphs, his fans. He posted the pictures for everyone to see for free.

Actually, the news was just leaked to the Associated Press by a person who doesn’t want to be named. But the latter said that the amount will be paid by People Magazine and a British tabloid, Hello! magazine. When this happened, Vivienne Marcheline and Knox Leon, the twins, will carry out the title of being the most costly celebrity baby pictures ever sold. They have knocked off J-Lo and Marc Anthony’s twins on the top spot that was worth $6 million.

Pitt and Jolie seem to be taking this whole photo thing professionally. They were able to seal a reported sum of $4 for Shilo’s first photos. They sold candid shots of adopted son, Pax, who was then 3 years old to Hello! and People. And now this deal with the twins. But yeah, let us not forget that proceeds will go entirely to charity.

For now, we’re in awe to see such cute pictures of these famous people’s babies. But when they grow up, would they be happy to know that their mere pictures when they were babies worth a lot? How are they going to live with that truth? Are they gonna be proud? It will depend on the life they would be leading when the time comes. But in the meantime, go buy the magazines in order to help charity in your own way or just go help out even without buying the ‘zines. It’s all up to you.

Remembering the Last Lecture of Randy Pausch

Death is something that everybody cannot really be prepared for even if you are as wise and as brilliant as Randy Pausch. The first time that I was introduced to his lecture was when “Good Morning America” featured him and made available on ABC’s site Dr. Pausch’s “Last Lecture.”

It was a life changing lecture. I enjoyed his every word, his every brilliance. It made me think of my own dreams and how I’ve already forgotten some of them. He made me unbury those dreams and realize them even in my own little way. As he had said, “The brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough.” It was a strong push for many of us who easily gives up when the going gets tough.

Life is too short. But Dr. Pausch’s short life was lived to the fullest. It made me think like where I was and what was I doing while this dying man was accomplishing all his dreams. In front of the television maybe, catching up on the episodes of Friends and Sex and the City or wondering if I’ll accept the new promo I’ve read on some postcard mailing marketing campaign.

In times when nothing seems to be going right for me, I remember his words, “Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted.” This inspiration actually made me experience my journey through life. I look ahead to where I am going to, but I am in no hurry. Sometimes, a new route will present itself or some hurdles will come up. I live it up so that when I reach my destination, I’ll have so many things to say to the people waiting for me on the other end aside from complaints.

For those of you who are still naïve about his genius, Randy Pausch was an alumnus and a popular professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon. The famous “Last Lecture” was delivered on September 18, 2007. It was a tradition for popular professors at this university to give out lectures about their final message like that would be their last chance to give it.

Dr. Pausch was diagnosed with cancer in August 2006 and was told by his doctors that he only had few months to live. He had undergone every advanced medical procedure but after a year, his cancer became terminal. He was at that state when he gave that lecture. It was well accepted. He shared an excerpt when he was invited at the Oprah show. And his video became a hit at YouTube. Here is where you can watch it - Randy Pausch's Last Lecture.

He has succumbed to his final rest on July 25. He was 47. In the lecture, he said that those words were for his kids to watch and listen to when he is gone. But now that he is really gone, many kids and adults alike will learn a lot about the life he has lead and the legacy that he was able to leave behind.

IS THERE ANYONE EXCITED WITH THE REVIVAL OF "90210"?

Were you a fan of the hit ‘90s series, “Beverly Hills 90210”? I was actually. It was during the time when my hormones were all raging for Jason Priestly and oh-so-good looking eyes. They could almost drown you.

But today, those yes are already surrounded by wrinkles. Those wrinkles that made him look cute before when he smiles are now being seen as sign of old age. Oh well, the guy is not that old and he still looks good. But where is he now anyway?

Jason is not among the announced cast of the show’s revival, neither the actress that played his twin sister in the series, Shannon Doherty. This gal had it all going for her. She could have made it big had she not turned to men and drugs.

I watched Luke Perry’s film that I could no longer remember the title. But I can definitely remember the lyrics of its theme song. It goes like “I used to have a wish, one day I’d be like this. Now I know love exist ‘cause it’s standing right next to me.”

I did not hear any scandalous act that Luke ever gets into. But maybe that also became his pitfall because after 90210, the name began to drift away from the fans’ scene. He is not a Britney Spears. But he really shouldn’t aspire to be, being in the limelight for all the wrong reasons.

Jenny Garth was announced to be returning on the revival of the show. She is going to reprise her role. But this time, she’s gonna be playing a guidance counselor. I wonder how boring this series would be. I’m sorry, I couldn’t help it. Of all the characters to be played, huh. She could have been the mother of one of the youngest characters.

I don’t know. If the producers want something to offer the raging hormones generation, they could have opted to do a wholly new series. The 90210 will not be a hit without all the original casts in it. It will not click if they will create a different story. It might if they would get all the original casts and tell a story of what happened to them.

This is like no one will watch the hit comedy series “Friends” if they will replace the casts and come up with different stories. It won’t click either if only one “Friend” will be seen. Look at what happened to “Joey’s.”

I am really not excited about this idea. But don’t trust me, really. I wasn’t excited either at the thought of Robert Downey, Jr. playing the lead in “Iron Man.” And look where it is now. I just hope that they finish all the sequels while Mr. Downey can still do the stunts.