The Godfather Trilogy

I got my father a gift last Christmas. It was a complete DVD set of The Godfather Trilogy. For those who are not familiar, this is a movie about a family of mobsters. Knowing my father, he always likes movies with guns in them. Praises have been said about these films. I have read a Puzo book myself and it is not bad at all. But when I saw the movies, I didn't care that they were hailed as the best films ever made. I didn't care that these movies won a bunch of awards. All I saw were these:

Al Pacino as Michael Corleone (photo credit)

Robert De Niro as Vito Corleone (I could not find a better picture. You will have to see the movie.) photo credit

Andy Garcia as Vincent Marcini (He's not actually of Italian descent but who cares.) photo credit

I know I need not say more but I'm going to say it anyway. Al Pacino was hot. Robert De Niro was so freakin' hot. Andy Garcia was so effin' oh-my-god-I'm-hyperventilating hot. Please douse me with cold water. Thank you.

Admittedly, these guys are now just a mere shadow of the enigma that was their former selves. But what can you do? People grow old. Regardless... I have not heard a word that they said. All I saw was that they killed a lot of goons. I don't care. They could have just stood around staring at the camera. I'd still give them all an Oscar.

It Runs In Our Veins

Statue of Athena at the Academy of Athens (photo credit)

Athena is the Greek goddess of war, civilization, wisdom, strength, strategy, crafts, and skill. She sprang forth from Zeus' head fully-grown and fully-armed and was said to be his favorite offspring. She wielded the thunderbolt and the aegis which she and Zeus exclusively shared. (source)

Athena, I believe, is the most formidable deity in Olympus and that makes her my favorite. I like the fact that she is strong and smart and a force to be reckoned with. It is not difficult to imagine that her stare could turn her adversaries to dust. If she were human, she'd embody women empowerment and guys would cower in her presence. Anything a guy can do, she can do better. In heels. And I am not just talking about mental stuff. I'm referring to physical endeavors as well. As a testament to her non-dependence to men, she was also known as a virgin goddess. Maybe she figured that she was too good for any man, even in the days of great Greek gods, and does not want to be saddled with a weakling.

Athena can kick the balls and skewer the guts of any man. Mortal and immortal alike. How cool is that?

The Weekend Without Pictures

What a boring weekend it has been. We were supposed to go to Apo Island on Sunday but it got postponed at the last minute so I was left without a plan. I decided to go to the mall to splurge the budget I allotted for the trip on Christmas gifts for the people on my gift list. Yes, as early as now, I'm already doing my Christmas shopping so that I do not have to blow my entire Christmas bonus on gifts. So I went out. And out was like the aftermath of the apocalypse minus the debris and filth that it usually comes with in the movies.

It was the Sunday that Manny Pacquiao was scheduled to fight whatshisname Margarito. A Mexican. Another one who, I was sure, will be added to the long list of Mexican casualties that Manny was responsible for. But to be honest, I'm not comfortable watching a Manny Pacquiao fight unless I already knew that he'd won. I avoided watching the live telecasts as much as possible. It's not that I have no faith in Manny's ability to win his fights. Obviously, his record speaks for itself. It's a superstition I have. I'm afraid that if I watch his bout live, the cosmos will play a cruel joke on me and make him lose. I know, it doesn't make any sense. First of all, I am not superstitious. Second of all, I am an insignificant person, just one out of the billions in this world. Why would the universe single me out for punishment? Third of all, there are millions of people all over the world watching Manny's fight. Heck, there could be creatures from the outer space watching Manny's fight. Why would he lose because I was watching? It makes no sense whatsoever but I am crazy that way.

Of course, as expected, Manny won. He is not one to disappoint. He beat the living crap out of Margarito who looked like he just came out of  a major facial surgery gone horribly wrong. Manny, on the other hand, looked like he could still shoot a movie afterwards, as Janica put it. Or appear on a congress hearing. Or sing on his concert. Or guest on Oprah. Ah, the many facets of Manny Pacquiao. If that is not genius then that's an over-abundance of chutzpah, which is not a bad thing. Filipinos everywhere were proud to be Filipinos. Crime rate almost zero. No traffic. Ceasefire between the military and the rebels. It's almost unbelievable.

The pride of the Philippines. A real modern day hero. I'm so proud of him because I'm Filipino and he is Filipino. Him winning is like giving a finger to everyone in the First World. I remembered another Pacquiao fight which I watched live in the Waterfront because my then boyfriend was a fan and was adamant about watching him live on a big screen. It was against Hatton. I was so afraid he would lose. Hatton was bigger and it was Manny's first fight in that weight division. A lot of people were saying that he needed to get lucky in order to win.Needless to say, the Waterfront was swarming with people. Nobody could hear the commentators on screen because of all the cheering. But it was great. It was communal experience at it's best. And when Manny knocked Hatton out, I wanted to shout, "Take that, you white ape! You arrogant piece of tae from a rich country!" I was ecstatic. But at the same time, I was bewildered. "That's it? That's all Hatton got? He got knocked down on the second round? How can that be? The odds were against Manny. Everyone had been forecasting a difficult fight for Manny. Nobody ever dreamed of a second round knock out. Did Hatton really prepare for the fight or did he think that he didn't need to because he can take on the Pacman easily? This is an insult!" I was indignant. I was probably more insulted than Manny was. I was frothing at the mouth with indignation while the whole Philippines was jumping up and down and never been happier to be Filipino. Which is not to say that Manny won because he is Filipino. Noooo. He won because he is Manny Pacquiao. If he were Italian he'd still beat the living daylights out of his opponents because... he is Manny Pacquiao. Being a Filipino has got nothing to do with it. His victories were brought about by his determination, his perseverance and his intelligence inside the ring. He may claim his victory to be the victory of every Filipino and we Filipinos may claim his victory to be ours. But the truth is, his victory is his alone. We are but a witness to his greatness and legacy. There are about 90 million other Filipinos. If he won because of his citizenship, why is there no one else like Manny Pacquiao? Or Charice Pempengco for that matter?

So this in not entirely a weekend without pictures because in closing, I would like to  post this picture of the champ:

photo credit

Let that face be warning enough. I pity all those Mexicans who fought and will fight him. They were all a bunch of pretty looking boys. The difference in the level of gorgeousness is like heaven and hell. Mexicans, heaven. Manny, hell. But at the end of every fight they always end up looking worse than Manny. Tsk, tsk, tsk. You Mexican boys never learn.

My Devotion To Freddie: A Continuation

Freddie, dear, why did you have to die? There are a lot more people who would have looked better inside an urn. Not you.

It's probably because you are way too good for us. We did not deserved to be graced by your genius. That you were on this planet for 40 years should be a blessing enough for us. And it was. Some of us just wish that it could be longer. If you have an incarnate anywhere in this world right now or in the future, please let him show himself before I die.

Song of the Moment: Bohemian Rhapsody

Any way the wind blows...

I have loved this song for a long time. It's so beautiful, haunting, weird and complex all at the same time. It's so... human, for lack of a better word. Recently, I stumbled across the song's video on YouTube after which I gained a new-found respect for Queen. Respect would be an understatement. I'd say obsession. I was familiar with their more popular songs and I have unconsciously liked them and knew that they were Queen songs but I have never paid attention to Queen the band. However, this week, after I started watching videos from their concerts and other songs I was not familiar with, I was completely blown away by Freddie Mercury. His charisma, his flamboyance, his stage presence, his power over his fans was incredible. I googled him and I was intrigued by his personality. Here was a guy who was so obviously talented, famous and revered but so unimpressed by his own genius, it's just unthinkable. He was so in communion with his audience when he was performing that everyone in the audience can simply think that he and Freddie were one, but he was so shy in person that he rarely gave interviews.

Now, I'm simply hooked on Freddie. It doesn't matter that he was so glaringly gay and that he had AIDS and died because of it. He was a greater deity than I am. I am now his worshiper and I am not even good enough to write about him.

Freddie, I am simply devastated that I didn't know you when you were still alive and walking on the same planet. Rest assured, your cult will remember you forever as evidenced by your Bohemian Rhapsody video which has over 42 million views on YouTube. Your hair, your eyeliner and your costume (which showed you to be a gay man with lower body fat index than I have) were horrible to look at but I still can't keep my eyes away from you. You were practically slapping me in the face with your homosexuality but I am not embarrassed to admit that I still have the hots for you. And even if you are now reduced to ashes, I am still not worthy to lick your bottomless microphone stand. Thank you for the music.