[Blogosphere] I Support Roger Ebert

While some might argue that it was in questionable taste for Roger Ebert to post the following Twitter message after news of Ryan's Death broke out, I still think he was fully entitled to his opinion. And he certainly didn't lack for merit in terms of the core argument here.




Quoting from his blog post:

What did I mean by that? I meant exactly what I wrote. I wasn't calling Ryan Dunn a jackass. In Twitter shorthand, I was referring to his association with 'Jackass.' I thought that was clear. I note that Bam Margera uses the word 'jackass' in the same way in his tweet. [Tuesday p.m.note: Of course there was a double meaning. I was implying that someone who drinks and drives is a jackass. Just as I was when I was drinking.]"

The guy had a history of drunk driving (including run-ins with the law) and with speeding, he posted a Twitter photo of him drinking just hours before his death and his entire career was built around him behaving inappropriately, or like a Jackass, if you will. We didn't even need the toxicology report to figure out that a man driving that fast and eventually driving headlong into trees was under the influence.

And today the news reports confirmed that he was drunk at the time of the incident. Heck, his blood alcohol content was well over twice the legal state limit. And he was driving close to 140mph - go figure.

So was it tactless and inappropriate for him to post that tweet so soon after his death? There's probably merit there. But was he right? Oh most definitely.

[Music] Happy Birthday Jason Mraz!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JASON MRAZ!!!

Thank you for your amazing music, your inspiring words, your positive outlook on life, your ability to show everyone just how beautiful things are and for reminding me and my partner about the importance of simple, honest love every single day.

[Viral Video Chart] Christian Bale Remix

Oh the viral web keeps us all amused.

I can't help but repost this since (1) I like Christian Bale, albeit preferably shirtless, (2) I respect the power of viral video, (3) I'm queer enough to admit I like dance music with a decent back beat and (4) it was just too witty a use of a celebrity profanity rant for me not to!


#1 - Bale Out - RevoLucian's Christian Bale Remix!

[Viral Video Chart] I Pledge

Let's hope Obama's presidency really does inspire a lot more change.


#17 - Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher's I Pledge Video

[Pink News] Ellen's Been Hitched!

Ever since the new first broke out that same-sex marriages were again legal in the state of California, I guess it was only a matter of time before we'd see some major celebrity couple tie the knot. And as promised on her show, Ellen DeGeneres did indeed tie the knot with her partner Portia de Rossi this past weekend, much to the delight of her fans around the work - this gay geek included.

Here's what she had to say about the blessed event on her official blog:

Image from Ellen's Website

Ellen has already started to share photos from the wedding on her website and I'm sure we're going to see more and more of the lovely couple in the weeks to come.

Ellen and Portia, the Geeky Guide wishes you all the best from the other side of the world!

[Videos] Celebrity Battle!

As much as I'm growing terribly weary of all the political ads raging in the US and the never-ending commentary and debate here and there, the satirists continue to give me reason to smile and not feel so bad about this whole thing. Perhaps we just might make it to the elections, hehe.

We all know the infamous "Celebrity" ad released by John McCain as seen below:


#2 - Celeb

And here's the response video we've all been waiting for - Paris Hilton's! LOL!

See more Paris Hilton videos at Funny or Die

Oh you silly Americans and your so-called politics! Keep it up! We need the entertainment!

[Commercials] Mr. T Hates Speedwalkers

Advertisements, especially TV commercials, are some of the greatest mediums for creative expression around these days. I mean seriously, the people behind the commercials manage to come up with the greatest of concepts to maximize the limited time they have and to ensure they catch our attention.

And then there's the never-ending novelty of stranger celebrities like Mr. T.

Oh yeah.


#15 - Snickers Speedwalker Ad

[Viral Video Chart] Super Chuck Norris Bros.

Image via WikipediaWe all know that as a cultural icon, Chuck Norris kicks ass. Why else would so many people acknowledge how extremely cool he is and how he's even been used as a strong way to promote US political campaigns.

Yes, Chuck Norris totally owns.

Thus it was only a matter of time before someone tried to use Chuck Norris in a video game just to prove how much he can kick ass even in alternate environments, like the land of the Super Mario Bros.


#5 - Super Chuck Norris bros demo game pwnage

[Viral Video Chart] January 20 - 26, 2008

The world of viral video cannot help but be influenced by major events, political or otherwise. This last week we celebrated Marther Luther King Day in the US, dealt with the continuing political gladiator's arena that is the road to the US Presidential Elections in November, watched as the violence in the Gaza strip escalated even further and mourned the passing of Heath Ledger at such a very young age.

On a side note, the efforts against Scientology were particularly strong as well, resulting in a pretty striking video posted by, who else, Anonymous. Go figure.


#1 - Martin Luther King, Jr.: I Have a Dream


#2 - Heath Ledger talks about the Joker


#3 - Message to Scientology


#11 - Gaza violence escalates - 17 Jan 08


#12 - David Chater on Israel's Gaza incursion - 15 Jan 08


#13 - Tom Cruise Scientology Video - ( ORIGINAL UNCUT ) 9:34 min

[Celebrity] Heath Ledger (1979-2008)

Heath Ledger by Howie_Berlin.

I still can't get over the news. It just seems all too surreal.

By now everyone knows the news that Australian actor Heath Ledger was found dead in a Manhattan apartment at around 03:00pm and was pronounced dead by around 03:30pm. Initial reports have been mixed including details like there being prescription drugs or sleeping pills in the room. Some say the pills were scattered around his naked, face-down body, while others say that there were no obvious signs of suicide.

The bottom line really is that as we wait for the official results of the Medical Examiner, we're all going to mourn the loss of such a brilliant young actor. At only 28, he has achieved a lot in terms of the diversity of his film career.

I'll always remember him for his break-out role in the film 10 Things I Hate About You, where we all got to meet this charming actor in a movie that wasn't quite your typical teen chick flick. He had a variety of films after that, but then I'll most remember him for his portrayal of William Thatcher in A Knight's Tale, which was a pretty fun movie.

Of course everyone will remember him for his landmark role in Brokeback Mountain or "that gay cowboy movie" as some people might refer to it rather crassly. That was an amazing performance for him and it got him as far as the Oscar nomination, but not yet the actual award. I was pretty sure that he'd get a golden statuette of his own soon enough. He did win the Best Kiss award for that movie though, if the MTV Movie Award nod counts for something.

Heath, you'll be sorely missed, and now The Dark Knight is going to become what The Crow became for Brandon Lee. It's a shame your flame was extinguished far too soon.

Related Links:

• E! News: Heath Ledger Found Dead
  
• CNN.com: Actor Heath Ledger dies at 28
  
• TIME Magazine: Heath Ledger: Star in Distress

[Celebrity] Paris Hilton, Charity Case

Poor Paris Hilton by Kyrion.

Okay, pardon the image - I just found it pretty funny. It's just about as humorous as the entire news item.

So, it turns out that Barron Hilton, Paris Hilton's granddad and co-chairman of the Hilton Hotel chain, will be donating 97% his fortune to charity upon his death. Given that it's currently pegged at $2.3 billion ($1.2 billion of that coming from the recent sale of the Hilton Hotels Corporation) and is bound to grow in the coming years until his death.

While it had been established that Barron has been planning this for some time now based on most reports. The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation is in his father's name after all. However the media can't help but dig up previous comments made about his disapproval over Paris' various shenanigans and trying to link that as a reason.

I suppose it's a good thing Paris is trying to amass her own fortune through her media ventures and the other stuff like that perfume thingy. Still, this id definitely going to be a major blow to her future finances since it'll pretty much pull the rug out from under her trust fund. =P

So far, they say she isn't available for comment. Hahaha!

[Viral Video Chart] Ashton Kutcher Christmas Card

I have no idea why they even made this video, but it's rather funny in a stupid kind of way so naturally it's making it's way up the Viral Video Chart.

I wonder what else will come out for the holidays? At least this is loads better than all these political ads.


#14 - Asthon Kutcher Christmas Card

[Music] Radiohead's Priceless New Album

The web is pretty much ablaze with chatter about the newest album from currently independent artists, Radiohead. It's not just because they're releasing In Rainbows, their new album or because they've chosen to market their music online as a digital download or as a Discbox to be mailed to you directly. Hardly that - that's old school stuff by now.

Whats more striking is what happens when you try to order the album:



No, it's not a fake image or anything like that. That's exactly what it looks like when you visit the site. The price for the new album is a text field where you can type in whatever amount you want.

Yes, 0.00 is considered a valid number in the world of whole and decimal numbers. Elementary, my dear Watson.

If you click the red question mark beside the price field, you'll be brought to this even more striking message:



Go on, click the red question mark one more time if you still don't believe it. Then you get this:



And with these simple lines, Radiohead is trying to change the way music is managed by giving The Finger to the music industry. It's not like they're really just giving away their music entirely - as a consumer you still have the option to decide on what value you'd assign to the music being offered.

Will people pay? I'm sure some will, out of love for the bad and perhaps out of appreciation for this strong statement. Who knows what other artists might try to follow suit after a band as large as Radiohead in terms of something like this. It's an experiment that's practically unthinkable for the music industry today, struggling against a world full of willing pirates.

My hats off to you, Radiohead! Give it to the Man! And of course the inevitable question of how much I chose to value their music?

Um, no comment for now, hehe.

[Viral Video Chart] September 16 - 22, 2007

This week on the Viral Video Chart has been pretty interesting and the mix of videos that have caught my eye are pretty diverse. From seemingly lewd drawings to unusual commercials, there's rarely a dull moment in the realm of viral video.

On with the videos!


#3 - Fight For Kisses //// www.ffk-wilkinson.com


#4 - Os Seminovos - Ao mestre, com Carinho


#7 - Alicia Silverstone Naked PETA Ad

[Viral Video Chart] Leave Britney Alone!

This is just freaky - the things some people decide to post on YouTube.

This is currently the top video on the Viral Video Chart, beating out all the 9/11-themed videos posted / revisited because of the anniversary earlier in the week.


#1 - LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE!

Now that is one devoted fan - the infamous Chris Crocker. Regardless of his methods, he's certainly generating hits. =P

[Music] Luciano Pavarotti (1935-2007)

It's seems strange to think that Luciano Pavarotti, world famous tenor and opera singer extraordinaire is actually dead. He died at the age of 71 after a length battle with pancreatic cancer.

I have my gran to thank for exposing me to the likes of Pavarotti as part of my informal education in the arts by her hand. She made me listen to various records and albums of the great tenor to better appreciate his gift and to understand why his much vaunted "High C" is so amazing. I always figured that she'd one day pay to see the great singer live, but sadly she did not live to see that dream become a reality.

Pavarotti's Nessun Dorma remains a true classic in my memory - no one will ever be able to sing that piece quite like him. Sure, we all swooned over Paul Potts' rendition of the classic piece but still Pavarotti was a true master.

I'm thankful that my father, Ricky, managed to gather my grandmother's Pavarotti CDs after she died. With his death, these CDs have now been passed on to me and I think this weekend will be devoted to a personal tribute to this great man.

Photo linked from Il Primo Uomo's photostream.

[Theater] Avenue Q in Manila

Okay, perhaps the more precise title would be Avenue Q in Makati - so sue me, haha.

I fell in love with the music from this amazing Broadway musical via Yahoo! LAUNCHcast and soon found myself pirating the rest of the songs via then-popular LimeWire (since then I've moved on to uTorrent).

While I have mixed feelings about the local production, I know I had the same hesitations about Rent (which Atlantis also brought to the Philippines) and that wasn't that bad. I know that this is not the easiest play to transplant beyond Broadway, especially with local stars but then I guess I need to have a bit more faith in local theater, right?

Notable names involved in the production are Rachel Alejandro who plays both Kate Monster and Lucy the Slut, Joel Trinidad who plays Nicky, Trekkie Monster and a Bad Idea Bear and Aiza Seguera who plays, strangely enough, Gary Coleman! I wonder if local audiences will pick up the reference...

For those interested, Avenue Q will be running from September 7 - 23, 2007 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium at the RCBC Plaza, Makati City. Shows are at 8pm on Fridays, 2pm and 8pm on Saturdays and 3pm on Sundays.

Tickets are priced at 500, 1000 and 1500 1250 for seats in the Loge, Balcony and Orchestra respectively.

[Movies] Where Are the Von Trapp Children?

My partner Brian and I were flipping channels this afternoon and we came across The Sound of Music playing on Star Movies. Being the musical lovers that we are, we settled down to watch and sang along here and there, enjoying the good music and Julie Andrews' amazing voice.

As is the way of such things and idle afternoons together, one of us (namely Brian) had to pop the question, "I wonder whatever happened to the children?" Being the performance writer that I am, the idea of this entry soon formed and here we are, just a few hours after they sang their last notes away.

Let's go over their lives one-by-one as best we can. I tried going over multiple references but The Internet Movie Database (IMDB) remains to be my best resource.

Charmian Carr - She played Liesl Von Trapp in the film and tried her hand at continuing on in the entertainment industry before decided to settle down to be a full-time mother for her two daughters. She now runs an interior design business called Charmian Carr Designs with Michael Jackson as one of her biggest clients.

Nicholas Hammond - He played Friedrich Von Trapp and later on found fame as TV's Spider-Man, among many other appearances. In time he found a new life in Australia and is now based in Sydney as a producer, director and actor.

Heather Menzies - After playing Lousia Von Trapp in the movie, she went on to have a somewhat diverse TV and movie career (including time on the Logan's Run TV show) up until the late eighties. She is mother to 3 adopted children and a survivor of ovarian cancer. She works with the Urich Fund for Sarcoma Research at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Duane Chase - He was Kurt Von Trapp in the film and he didn't really stick around in entertainment for too long. He had a few TV appearances and a limited modeling career but eventually worked to fight fires with the forestry service. He's now a computer software analyst / designer for oil and mining companies.

Angela Cartwright - After playing Brigitta Von Trapp, she continued to have a number of TV stints, one of the most famous being her time as Penny Robinson on the original Lost in Space TV series. Now the mother of two children, she is busy as a photographer, novelist, artist and occasional actress.

Debbie Turner - She pretty much left the entertainment world after playing Marta Von Trapp. She worked at a ski resort after college where she eventually met her husband; she is now the mother of 4 children. For a time she was the West Coast ski racing champion but now she runs an upscale floral design business called The Winery along with designing collectible Santa Clause figurines which she sells online.

Kym Karath - She was the surly Gretl Von Trapp in the movie and she had a number of TV and movie stings in the years that followed. Eventually she stopped for a bit to take care of her son (whose godmother is Heather Menzies) and now lives in New York. It is said she is considering a return to acting.

Pretty far from the original image of them as darling, singing little children, but it's always interesting to see just how far they go.

[Entertainment] Make Manila a Spice City!

I post this entry on behalf of all my dear friends who are dying to see them in concert and not have to fly to Hong Kong.

If you visit the Spice Girls website, the buzz is all about their reunion tour. The nice thing is that there is also an option to nominate other cities for them to visit.

So the call is going out to all Spice Girls fans here in the Philippines to nominate Manila as a destination in their world tour! There are no drop-down menus with options so let's all be consistent in saying MANILA. You'll need a valid email address to sign the petition so I'm sure there are those who will be creating multiple accounts just to get more votes. After all, our countrymen (and women) are veterans of internet voting. Just look at the beauty pageants! Hahaha!

So let's Spice up Manila!

[GeekyCast] Taking a Shot at Paris

Despite being überly tired after a very long day at work, I forced myself to attempt another podcast since the first one appears to have had some fairly positive responses from you more regular readers (now listeners)! Thanks for sharing your comments and certainly keep them coming!

Borrowing a page from Scott Adams' recent Paris post, I thought I'd try taking a few pot shots at the infamous heiress for good measure.

I quickly grew tired of that, however, and ended the episode just talking about myself, hehe. Hope you enjoy it!


Download this episode (10 min)

[EDIT] - I know, I know, the second commercial spot was set for 5:36 but instead appeared about 8 seconds later at 5:44. This is the last time I run multiple advertising spots. =P