you really have to hand it to sandra bullock. it’s the night before the Oscars and she gamely shows up to receive her Razzie award (for the Worst Actress category, All About Steve) with her particular brand of humorous aplomb.

she even thoughtfully brought along a pile of All About Steve DVDs so the audience can watch the movie to their hearts’ content. (**yeah, that’ll teach ‘em har-har-har**). atta girl, sandy. nice speech.

i’m hoping meryl streep will finally win (again) this year, but after hearing this speech –i hope they’ll both win in a tie (sandra bullock for The Blind Side, meryl streep for Julie and Julia).

anyways, here’s a list of some 2010 Raspberry Awards winners.
Worst Picture of 2009: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Worst Actor: The Jonas Brothers, The Jonas Brothers 3-D Concert Experience
Worst Actress: Sandra Bullock, All About Steve
Worst Screen Couple: Sandra Bullock and Bradley Cooper, All About Steve
Worst Supporting Actor: Billy Ray Cyrus, Hannah Montana: The Movie
Worst Supporting Actress: Sienna Miller, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
Worst Rip-Off, Remake or Sequel: Land of the Lost
Worst Screenplay: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Worst Picture of the Decade: Battlefield Earth
Worst Actor of the Decade: Eddie Murphy
Worst Actress of the Decade: Paris Hilton

season 8 of 24 (TV) is ongoing, but there is a growing speculation that this might be kiefer sutherland’s last TV appearance as Jack Bauer because Fox has just greenlighted its plan to make a film version (yes!) of this highly regarded series and the actor has already agreed to star in it.

anyway, here’s a bunch of japanese TV ads featuring jack bauer (hawking Calorie Mate) that put a huge smile on my face.

each segment lasts about 30 seconds long (i couldn’t help wishing they were longer) and reflects 24’s insane, frenetic pace and jack being his usual harried, roaring self.

and here’s another one with loads of schoolgirls inside a train…

heheh

this morning, when i dropped over at Jollibee’s to grab a quick bite, i leafed idly through the Entertainment section of the Philippine Star and found a 2-page article on CATS, which is slated to open in Manila (at the CCP Complex) by july 2010.

this, of course, reminded me of the Cats ticket i had bought (thanks, moonchild) for an 8:00pm show that is scheduled sometime in august.

CATS, by the way (as if you didn’t know), is one of those hugely successful Andrew Lloyd Webber stage musical that have filtered down to other cities around the world, and have since since then played to captive audiences everywhere. CATS, which is based on a book of poems (Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats) by Thomas Stearns Eliot, first opened in West End (London) in 1981.

this time, the Adelaide cast of CATS will be performing in Manila, along with Lea Salonga, who will be playing Grizabella.

CATS has many lovably quirky characters but my favorite is, and always will be, the flamboyant Rum Tum Tugger, whose signature song remains forever etched in my mind (because of its cocky and vibrant cadence). in fact, i am quite familiar with several songs in the CATS soundtrack because it’s one of the first CDs i ever bought for my personal collection.

(p.s. watching CATS is one of those little items that have lately cropped up in my unofficial “bucket” list.)

you can say a lot of things about japanese merchants/artisans, but one of the best things about them — in my opinion — is the insidious way they make consumers aware of certain needs they didn’t even know they had.

nowhere does this become more obvious than when you walk into Saizen [Daiso] Store (Robinson’s Galleria). Few minutes after entering this outlet (about 4 months ago), i was literally hooked. i thought i has stepped into this wacky wonderland filled with quirky, functional (sometimes barely useful), fascinating, droll, cute, well-crafted and colorful things.

the store offers a drool-worthy array of goods — housewares, office supplies, toys, gift items, hardware supplies, stationery, accessories, beauty products, personal care items, kitchenware, gardening tools, etc. — and everything costs P85. by the time i was ready to pay for my purchases, i was astonished to find 12 different items in my shopping basket (thoughtfully provided by their staff). after an internal struggle, i pared down my loot to 7 items, and right up to the counter i even managed to leave two more items behind (and i didn’t even plan to buy one!).

i thought that was it. the next time i visit Saizen i would be more or less forearmed and able to resist its seductive clutches. hah. wishful thinking.

i’ve been there 5 or 6 times since. and each time i leave, i buy no less than 5 items (yesterday, i bought 8). i agree, most of them i bought for their visual appeal, but so far there have been stuff that turned out to be very useful (like that box of transparent band-aid, pouch for my mp3 player, etc.). and i’m quite sure i’ll be coming back for more.

so what is it about Saizen that draws me (and countless other smitten shoppers) into its irresistible orbit? i can’t quite put into words. it’s something that needs to be experienced to be believed and understood. ask any Saizen patron and (s)he’ll probably give you a list of reasons, along with stacks of items they had inexplicably purchased.

i dare you to go there and leave without buying anything…

as for me… well, for now i promise to buy no more than TWO items the next time i go there. okay. make that THREE. really. i mean it… (negotiation continues)