The “Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs for 2010 Writing Project” is something bloggers, both veterans and new, look forward to year on year. New blogs covet it because only “fresh” blogs (those usually created within a year and several months from the start of the contest period) can vie for the win. Think of this as an Actor’s Guild award version for blogs. Win peers over in order for them to vote for you and, if you get enough votes and rank high, you and your blog reign victorious. Having the badge as a top 10 winner for a particular year on your side bar is like wearing a prestigious crown from something big and for always. Gotta flaunt it when you have it. Horray!

Year on year, picking a top ten gets so darn harder. I intend to always be on a look out for fresh blogs that have potential. As much as possible, I’d like to find new authors with a passion for their chosen niches. They’re the ones who put a little more effort on their published stories and ideas. It’s like constantly looking for a diamond in the rough, if you may. Let’s start with my list.

1. Jean Fernando‘s Trip of Treats. Jean’s passion for sharing about her latest travel destination, food find, home cooked recipe, and the places that she love are what her entries are mostly about. She chronicles her “trips” or “treats” with accompanying photos which, I bet, most of her readers would either hate, spite, envy, or love her for. Also, did you already see her kitchen? ENVY!

2. Tin Iglesias‘ Fashion Ate The World. Tin majors in Clothing Technology and her blog could prove that she’s on the right career track. She shares her love for her idea of fashion to the world, several finds at a time, from head to toe. She’s got hundreds of entries and she just started in May 2009! Now that’s dedication!

3. Carlos Palma‘s Foodie Manila. The photos of food in Carlos’ blog are so great, I practically coerced him to teach me the craft of making good tasting food look even better in photos. Yes, I still need pointers for this, moreso in lighting and food styling. Know what? He obliged! Horray, free crash course! Foodie Manila deserves this award with or without the promised tutorial. I mean, come on, just look at his website!

4. Lizz and Josh‘s Yes-No-Meh takes on a he said, she said theme where the authors either agree or agree to disagree on on particular topic, one blog post at a time.

5. Mica Rodriguez‘s Project 52 Weeks takes this undertaking to a whole different level by posting 1 video for every week of the year. Others do something similar with a photo a day. With video, the task gets more challenging. You have to give it to Mica whose passion is into directing short films.

6. Andrew dela Serna and Aileen Apolo‘s Tea Completely is the only blog in the country on the milk tea niche. One of them is Manila-based while the other is in Davao. The blog came about when both wanted to chronicle their take about milk tea finds from the grocery (instant or bottled) or from restaurants.

7. Orman‘s Ganda Ever So Much is as hilarious as any blog can get.

8. Ria Jose shares her love to make good food in Kusina Maria. She’d share the latest things as she learn them in cooking school to the latest gadgets that strike her useful for any kitchen.

9. Aileen Apolo‘s Mabuhay Ang Bagng Kasal. Aileen recently got married to Jay and in this blog, she shares recipes, tips, experiences, and her struggles. She just recently blogged about their first 100 days of married bliss.

10. Vince Golangco‘s When in Manila. I first heard about this blog during last year’s Philippine Blog Awards where Vince presented and did the videos for some of the major categories of the competition. I find his spoof videos entertaining, to say the least. He also shares about some of the notable happenings around town.

Good luck, y’all. In my book, you are all winners.

This writing project would not have been possible without the passion of the organizer, Janette Toral, and the support of the following sponsors: Events and Corporate Video, Budget hotel in Makati, Pinoy Party Food, Copyediting Services, PR Agency Philippines, Budget Travel Philippines, Send Gifts to the Philippines, Black Friday Deals, Roomrent – units for rent, Search Profile Index, and Corporate Events Organizer.

• Top Ten Emerging Influential Blogs Crowned for 2009

Wala na atang pinaka-swak pang pwedeng i-feature ko sa site ko ngayong Agosto, Buwan ng Wika, liban dito sa pinaka-kwela at mainit-init pang bagong produkto mula sa mga gumawa ng “Not The Planner 2010.” Alam nyo to, wag nyo ng i-deny pa. Dahil sa mga to kung bat tayo napasma nung mga bata pa tayo. Ito ay pinamagatang “akala mo lang wala nang slumbook pero meron, Meron, MERON!” Title pa lang, patok na patok na!

Dati-rati, ‘kala ko Pinoy ang may pasimuno ng mga slumbook. Sa US pala meron din nito pero slam book sya kung tawagin. Kajologan lang na biglang slumbook na sya sa colloquial. Taragais na ‘yan. Para sa mga hindi alam kung ano ito, dahil malay ko ba kung sing sira-ulo pa rin gaya naming Gen-Xers ang mga kabataan ngayon, ang tinatawag na slumbook ay usually isang notebook kung saan nakasulat ang mga imbentong tanong ng mayari nito na ginawa para pasulatan sa kanyang mga natatanging kaibigan. Andyan yung usual na Name, Address, Motto, Favorite Color, at mga kagaya pang “blanks.”

Kung marami kang slumbook na nasulatan noon, sikat ka. Kung marami kang napilit na sikat sa school mo na sumulat sa slumbook mo, mas sikat ka. Kung naka-yeba-yeba mo ang marami sa mga nauto mong sumulat sa slumbook mo sa murang mong edad na highschool, makati at pokpok kang haliparot ka nung bata ka pa. Ganun lang ka-simple yun.

Mapa-lalaki o babae dati ay may mga slumbook. Yung mga mayayaman, bumibili lang yan ng ready made at hard-bound na journals na magaganda ang design ng cover. Slumbook pa lang, may imaginary socio-economic divide na dati. Imaginary in a sense lang naman kasi wala namang mga matapobre sa school namin noon. Ang swerte ko nga eh. Yung mga naghihikahos naman sa buhay, yung notebook nila sa PE na wala namang nasusulat buong taon ang usually nacoconvert bigla para maging slumbook. Tinitiyaga lang nila itong sulatan ng mga katanungan, nilalagyan ng papel na overlay ang itsura ng mga artistang tulad nina Romnick at Sheryll as cover, tatahiin ang spine, at PRESTO! Instant slumbook!

Ang kina-iba siguro ng “akala mo lang wala nang slumbook pero meron, Meron, MERON!” slumbook na ito dun sa mga dati na nating nabili o nagawa ay mas bebenta to sa generation natin ngayon. Gawa itong Pinoy para sa Pinoy. Marami sa mga katanungan at blanks dyan ay nakasulat o may Filipino captions. Titigilan ko na pagsulat kasi alam kong dumudugo na ilong nyo kababasa nito.

On with the photos! Yung description ng specs, how to order, website, at FAQs ilalagay ko na lang pagkatapos nitong mga pics.

Maganda ang material ng slumbook. OK rin sa binding. Makakapal ang papel at alam mong de-kalidad. P200.00 lang sya. Mahal sya para sa kabataang nag-aaral pa lang pero sisiw na sisiw sa mga tanders na may mga trabaho na’t gustong gunitain ang days of our lives nung tayo’t mga virgin pang lahat.

Eto ang iba pang details na marahil gusto mong malaman tungkol sa “Akala mo lang wala nang slumbook, pero meron, Meron, MERON!” Notebook/Slumbook:

Size: 6in x 6in
Thickness: 1in
Cover: Chipboard covered with Red Cloth with black stamping
Paper: Bookpaper 60
Leaves: 123 leaves (246 pages)
Print: 90 pages 1 –color print
Price: PHP200 only.

Slumbook: 20 friends can sign!
Notebook: There are 90 leaves of notebook!

Website: Witty Will Save The World, Co.’s multiply page
Facebook page: Witty Will Save The World, Co.
More photos from the makers: please click here. (kung ako sayo, wag mo i-clock para may suspense ka pag natanggap mo ang bibilhin mong slumbook. Payong kaibigan lang, mamser)
FAQs on the slumbook and how to order: please go here.
Transact via text or email: through text 0906-4652191 or email wittywillsavetheworld at gmail dot com.

Na-excite ka ba? Aminin mo na! Give in! Uuuuuy, magte-text na yan! LOL. Sa mga utak sa likod ng Witty Will Save The World Co., galeng ‘nyo!

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Not to be misconstued as a norm, taking photos inside store premises is almost always not allowed. The photos featured in both Parts 1 and 2 of my “Great Finds from Robinsons Place Manila Midtown Wing Stores” posts were taken with a special arrangement from the management of Robinsons Malls and participating featured brand name stores.

The hunt continues. The next three stores in our line-up are an interesting mix: 7 For All Mankind, TopMan, and Florsheim.

7 For All Mankind. 7 For All Mankind proves to have the priciest articles of the stores we got to visit Sunday. Some people have the propensity to go for the brands they trust while others with what works plus gut feel, depending on the look they’re going for. Some others, however, go for status associated with the brands. With owning premium articles comes the luxury of being adorned by someting onlookers might swoon over not necessarily because it compliments the proud owner but also because of the cult status the brand manufacturer has managed to achieve. Well known brands speak for themselves. Well known PREMIUM brands might as well shout loud and proud and you don’t even have to do anything more than wear them.

While going through 7 For All Mankind’s clothes, we chose the Java Jacket because of these details: zipper front with buttons, fine corduroy fabric, rich brown color, slim cut, and the subtle leather detail on the right above the cuffs that compliments the overall look quite well. For 7 For All Mankind to pull that off without shouting redneck or ukay was a big plus. We had that on a long sleeved white polo and washed dark jeans. For the second set, we chose the hooded striped jacket because of its material (perfect for casual wear in the tropics because it is not too thick) and faded washed jeans.

Java Jacket PHP20,998, Dark Blue washed jeans PHP10,498, White Long Sleeved Polo PHP7,498, Faded Washed jeans PHP10,998, Jacket Hoodie PHP9,498

TopMan. Have you seen that music vid where all the members of a KPOP boy group all had faded jeans and jackets on? When I first did, I went “stab me now, please, if that’s going to make a comeback.” When I heard that animal prints are being worn by men on magazines, I went, “Give me those denims STAT. I’d rather those than be caught dead with these!” mahahahaha! It’s may be a common conception that TopMan clothes are made for the metrosexual and gay man because of the cut: skinny jeans, plain flat canvas sneakers, slim fitting shirts, and slimmer fitting jackets. Even the ties they sell are slim. No, super slim.

Looking around the store, seeing that they have different cuts and fit for both jeans and shirts, observing the shirt design and patterns, and having the two shirts I bought from TopMan before as basis, we can safely say that this allegation is not entirely true. Just get clothes that are not too tight fitting like those straight cut jeans and comfortable fitting shirts and jackets. It’s the person wearing and not the clothes that make the man, after all.

Another great thing about TopMan is the material of their shirts. They’re comfortable and the cut and design are current.

Having said that, Josh hand picked one statement shirt for the shot while I gave him a denim jacket. They say silver will highlight just about any color and those grey jeans did just that. Next is a zip up black jacket with a rockstar vibe about it. Can’t get a better shot of the full frame since we can only shoot inside the fitting room. Still, it’s all good. A fitting room’s actually a good place to shoot because they’re always well lit.

Statement shirt PHP1,295, Grey Jean Jacket PHP3,195, Light Washed Jeans PHP2,495. Black jacket is PHP3,195 (shades, photographer’s own).

Florsheim. Men’s leather shoes are much more expensive than women’s because we commonly seldom buy more of one kind for a particular purpose. One formal shoes, one rubber soled shoes, a sneaker, and sandals or flip flops and we’re a happy camper. It was fascinating to find these in Florsheim. The formal brown shoes, in particular, I would have definitely gotten if only I didn’t have brown formal shoes yet. They’re like clouds on my feet. Yes, MY because those are my feet you’re looking at right there. Horray!

Casual Shoes (Black, 65073-101) PHP6,890. Formal Shoes (Brown, 65068-102) PHP7,190.

That’s it! Thanks Robonsons Place Manila for letting us have the ultimate window shopper’s experience with the stores at your Midtown Wing. Until next time!

• Great Finds from Robinsons Place Manila Midtown Wing Stores (Part 1 of 2)

Robinsons Place Manila’s Midtown Wing, the latest addition to the mall and the zone where you can find shops of popular brand name apparel, invited 10 hand-picked individuals with impeccable taste in clothes (ha!) for a chance of a lifetime: scour the area for great fashion finds with the license to shoot anything we find interesting point blank (with a camera, of course, silly LOL). To help us with the challenge, we were told to bring with us one avid reader of our blogs. Since we’re doing clothes, I thought, “hmmm, I’ll need a male model.” Long story short, Josh Collins came to the rescue! He has the height, build, look, and the moves that’ll give those clothes justice.

We weren’t required to do a fashion shoot with props, lights setup, make-up, hair, and stylists with us but the chance to shoot the latest clothes from all those brand name merchandise was too perfect for this “idea” I once floated on plurk (the details are still to be finalized but it’s a big photographer-model-designer collaboration that’s sure to be a hit!). Five stores in three hours. Enough time for a field day at the mall! In this post, I’ll be featuring Salsa and Girbaud. In Part II, I’ll show you stuff from 7 for all Mankind, Top Man, and Florsheim. We were limited to stores from the Midtown Wing which didn’t feel limiting at all. That place was long, spanning three floors. They even have free WiFi!

Girbaud. Girbaud’s very friendly and accommodating store personnel were telling us things like, “You’re not going to shoot items for women? OK, here are our latest items for men.” And I was like, “do you still have that bag that turns into a jacket? Really? GREAT! Is that still from the latest collection? COOL! I’ll need two: one that’s opened up as a jacket and one that’s still in bag form. I don’t want that color jeans because those will get muted by the jacket at this kind of light. Give me faded and washed ones please. Also, we’ll be needing shoes. And a wallet.” Spoken like a veteran, I know LOL. Aaaaaaaaaaaand this is how the articles looked on Josh.

The jacket is called Music Head. It’s features the WearABag design that I first saw on the net sometime in May 2010 that I’ve wondered how it looked up close since. The design looks well put together and the material felt comfortable worn. So those are two Music Head articles Josh is wearing, the jacket and the bag. They retail for P6,500 a pop. The jeans are called Snaker, priced at P12,650. The shoes, not in the photos, are Externes, P1,990, and the Thor wallet goes for P1,300. In the next photo, Josh does a hand stand (look at it sideways and you’ll see).

Next up, Salsa. Honestly, I have never heard of Salsa before Sunday so I had to look them up on the Internet the night before for an idea. The store personnel were just a friendly as those in Girbaud, always assisting and answering our inquiries with a smile. Salsa we’ve been told has three different lines of clothes: there’s the “1st Level” or the premium collection, “Collection” or the line that changes every season, and the “Basic” which is more like a classic collection that never goes away nor changes. They have belts, shoes, jeans, and shirts. It’s a unisex brand but we only focused on things that we guys can wear. Cuts and washes of the clothes are current and the details really make it look premium, justifying the price. When we were there, they even had some items at 50% off.

Second photo: “1st Level” T-Shirt (from P3,808.50, now on sale at P2,665.95). Third Photo: “1st Level” Jeans (from P9,902.00, now on sale at P7,921.60). Fourth photo: “Collection” Polo (from P3,428, now P1,714.00). Fifth photo: “Collection” Shoes (from P6,903.50, now on sale at P3,046.75). Of all the things here, I liked those shoes best.

OK ba? That’s it for Part I. Watch out for Part II of this post.

• Robinsons Place Manila Midtown Wing Stores (Part 2 of 2)

Before deciding to watch the Cats Musical in Manila run and after knowing how much the tickets went for (PHP7,210/PHP6,180 for seats closest to the stage, PHP5,150/4,635 for the next best seats, etc. For ticket prices and show schedules, visit ticketworld. They stage two shows, one each for the afternoon and night time Saturday and Sunday), several other considerations got me anxious. Having seen and written about several staged musicals in the last three years, I’ve no doubt in my mind that our home grown talents can act and sing the life into even the most challenging of characters. It’s the dancing that’s worrisome. Sure, local can dance, but the Cats requirement in this department will call for years of professional training in preparation. I thought the production run will cast locals for all the characters. I recently found out that the cast, save for Lea Salonga playing Grizabella, the producers, and director are from Australia and news has it that if this Manila leg does well, they will consider performing in other parts of Asia.

Back in the 80s, having two parents who found each other through music  (this I’m assuming since I remember one photo of my mom propped on a stool, on stage, playing a folk guitar, with long wavy hair covering the sides of her face, looking like Karen Carpenter with her bell bottom jeans and printed long sleeved shirt. My dad played the acoustic guitar. They probably knew each other from inter-collegiate music competitions as I’d like to assume because that’d be totally cool as a love story angle LOL. They both had an extensive album collection of The Carpenters and Beatles in vinyl back in the day), my earliest recollection of Cats the Musical primarily came from a cassette audio tape with two amber color eyes printed on the cover insert. I remember playing the tape every once in a while and being fond of several lines off some tracks. There’s the ever popular Memory sung by Elaine Paige (funny, I only remember the Act 2 version and I can’t remembering ever recalling another voice singing with the “lead” character), two ladies singing something about a “cavity” not being there (made perfect sense when I was little,  sue me),  “Up, up, up, past the Russell Hotel/ Up, up, up, up, to the Heaviside Layer,” the melody for “a cat so clever as magical Mr Mistoffelees,” and a faint idea of how the chorus for “Ad-Dressing of Cats” sounded. (OMG, I can only recall the last five tracks of Act 2, meaning, I just kept on rewinding that part of the tape! WTF?! So this is how it feels after you’ve discovered the meaning of a Rosetta Stone or something equally awesome!!!)

For the 20 years in between, I never thought I’d find the time get to see Cats either in New York or London. I’ve even somewhat forgotten about the cassette audio tape that I kept on rewinding. Two days before my scheduled screening date, I tried to watch the Cats DVD movie and the movement, acting, overall production finally gave those weird lyrics in my head context. That part where a shoe fell from the “heavens” and the cat chorus suddenly stopped what they were doing altogether, startled as cats would be in real life from a loud sound, sent me clutching my belly in a fit of laughter. The Jellicle Dance got me entranced. The “Naming of Cats” lent perspective to the reason why cats sometimes look as though they’re in a “profound meditation” state (turns out, as the story went, they’re busy trying to recall their third name: The name that no human research can discover/But the at himself knows, and will never confess). Yes, I came prepared for the live act and, I thought to myself,  this run better be at par with what I’ve seen.

To get an entire sense of Cats from the prose delivered on stage either in said verse,  lyrical chorus, or song coupled with dance or movement is expecting too much from this or any other Cats staging. The DVD movie version and reading the online transcription of lyrics afterwards helped me understand the story more. Seriously, the colors, costume, familiar melody, dance, props, and lighting would snatch my attention away so fast, I am in most times left filling plot gaps in my mind with dance and movements for context. Sometimes, I don’t even want to exert so much effort in following what the lyrics say anymore. What I thoroughly enjoyed seeing were the little things: cats stretching, clawing each other subtly, nudging another cat, gracefully moving from one point to another in the shadows, dance adlibs mimicking movements of real live cats, stuff like that. Seasoned and veterans to that ways of the cat, that’s what this Australian cast is.

Much anticipated is how Lea can perform Memory in Act 2. The entire of Act 1 and half of Act 2 was lined with plots and sub plots that will supposedly make this scene huge. The audience look forward to it as much as the characters do when finally a cat is chosen to be reborn to a different jellicle life. As everybody rejoices, in comes Grizabella, still despised by the community for probably having left them in the past (a popular take on the untold side of the story). The air is filled with tension and older cats keep the younger ones away from the slow walking, poor poised, “glamour cat.” And then, she sings. She sings of the past, how life has been for her, lonely, dreaming, of holding on at those moments when she was at her prime for strength, the cycle of days in solitude, and of hoping for a second chance at life in a weathered but beautiful voice that’s full of earnest longing. She does not force the message nor assert herself but the sincerity in her delivery can make even the toughest of cats believe that she of all deserves this break. Unanimously, they all do in the end. A half-baked delivery of the song and the scene will make the audience wonder what made the tramp deserve such a popular vote. Her standing up as the orchestra swells, ushering her plea to “touch me, it’s so easy to leave me…” should have left no doubt in everyone’s mind had it been sung with deep seeded self-resentment, penitence, and longing. Quite frankly, I was underwhelmed. Yes, there’s power in her voice. Words come out crystal clear and full with not even a hint of a single bum note anywhere. It’s the delivery of the emotion called for by the song and character’s situation that’s been compromised. Was I expecting too much, probably? Anybody would for premium priced seats.

For those who applauded the Filipino verse of Memory as sung solo by Sillabub (performed by Alyse Davies), the lines were translated by multi-awarded poet, Pete Lacaba. It goes as follows:

Liwanag, hanapin ang liwanag
Ang iyong ala-ala ang… gabay na sundin
Sa liwanag,, ligaya ay matatagpuan
Bagong buhay ay darating

Over all, the production value of Cats “Now and Forever” the Musical in Manila is top notch. Everything justifies the cost, really. Good thing they’ve extended up to the end of this week (August 22). For those on a budget, General Admission tickets go for P1,030/P772.5. There are very limited seats available, I heard. For screening schedules, ticket availability, and prices, visit the ticketworld website or call (+632) 891.9999 for details.

Here are some photos from the show.

Watch vids taken during the pre-gala at Gibbs Cadiz’s site here and his review of Cats here. Wala ka pa ring kupas, Mr Cadiz!

• Spelling Bee: A Musical Comedy and My Tragedy
• Amateurs, Pure Innocence, and The Little Mermaid
• “Tuloy ang Ligaya” for the “Eraserheads Live! The Final Set” Concert
• Press Releases from Philip Morris and Radiohead Media regarding the Eraserheads Concert
• (UPDATED) Now CONFIRMED “Eraserheads: The Reunion” Concert Updates

Other that tearing a door knob down and that Photoshop tutorial, I’ve something else up my sleeve. This age old tip is quite timely, too, for the rainy days. I’ll share with you steps on how to save your rain soaked leather shoes and I’ll show them to you with institutional lighting lit visuals. The header pic shows how this pair looked back in the day.

If your shoes have leather soles, get them off the fridge coils after around 12 hours to prevent them from deforming. The best thing about stuffing them shoes with paper preserves its form versus just drying them out plain.

Text on the images are reproduced below if they’re too small to read:

So my leather shoes got drenched from the rain a while ago. In this post, I’ll let you in on the “first aid” that can potentially save your pair from imminent death. The process is fairly simple, really, but you’ll have to act fast. Do this as you get home or say goodbye to thousands of pesos spent on quality footwear. Also, finding a perfect pair can be a bitch, yes? Do I have your attention now? Good. Now get a Sunday edition newspaper and we’ll get you started.

Tear off about an eighth of a broad sheet and stuff it into the tip of your shoe (if it’s a pointy as mine. Have it sized bigger as needed). Be sure to pack it in. You will want to get as much paper in there as possible. Then tear some more paper and stuff that shoe, leaving nothing between each layer by jamming everything in. This process (1) will facilitate the efficient transfer of water from the leather to the paper and (2) prevent mildew from forming on the damp inner sole and hide.

Remember to pack that paper in with your hands. Nothing can be as yucky as your feet now so having your hands in those shoes for just a few minutes won’t hurt. Won’t hurt as much as the cost you’ll have to spend buying a new pair if you don’t. Just take a shower as soon as you’re done. You’re doing a splendid job!

Don’t let that face stop you from stuffing. Not now! The shoes need saving! Show no remorse!

Pack it to the brim. Feel the sides of the shoe from the outside. If it feels “tender” in some parts, you know what to do… stuff it some more! Very good!

There’s a fairly good reason why that “Job Finder” page was left unscathed. It will do more good to you in that state than crumpled. Just in case…

… uhm, moving on…

Do the same with the other shoe. Do not use the glossy magazine style pages. They’re not as absorbent as the non-glossy recycled paper. The “Job Finder” page and the glossy magazine are all that’s left of the Sunday paper. WHODATHUNK THAT?! Now, you’ve one thing left to do…

If your refrigerator has those heat emitting coils on the back side, hang your shoes by the sole on them. The soles should touch the coils like so. If you don’t have ‘em coils, have the shoes air dried with an electric fan, instead.

Take the paper out after 24 hours. If the insides still feel damp, let it dry in front of an electric fan at low.

You shall have fully resuscitated them shoes after this round (after 48 hours, max).

Before wearing, get some baking soda and put some inside the shoes. It has the magical powers to remove the smell. Repeat as needed.

Shine, buff, and wear.

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The day I got the Canon IXUS 300 HS for a test drive, I brought it to the wall climbing gym and showed it around. That same night, long-time wall climbing monster buddy, Eloisa, said she can’t get it out of her mind. Can’t blame her. I mean, who can? The test unit is sleek, feels sturdy, definitely a looker, and it’s a shiny bright red. Ferrari red, I must say. Come to think of it, the contour of this camera reminds me of a well designed sports car exterior. Hot and fancy.

I skimmed through the cam specs and found these notable:

• f/2.0, 28mm, 3.8x lens with IS
• 240 fps Super Slow Motion Movie mode
• HD 720p movie recording (1280×720)
• ISO Sensitivity up to 3200
• 3.7 shots/sec at 10MP or 8.4 shots/sec at 2.5MP

Click here for a full list of specs and features

I have to warn you that what you are about to see could well be the best photos of the IXUS 300 HS on the Internet at this time and I wish I was kidding. For your safety, after the photos are links to the more trusted tech review sites on the web for a more in-depth say on this camera.

As I’ve mentioned, the f/2.0 on this camera got me interested. It gives the user a faster lens and the capacity to compose dramatic portraits and macro with noticeable depth of field to play with.

Now, I’ll spin around the cam for your viewing pleasure.

The last image above shows the battery and the SD/SDHC card slots. Below, you’ll notice the minimalist back-side of the cam with a “wheel” that you can use to navigate around the menu and saved images. The screen, I noticed, is a marvel to look at even under direct sunlight.

To compare, I fished out my Lumix ZS3 and positioned it along side the IXUS 300 HS, both 10 megapixel snappers (only, the ZS3 has 12x optical zoom while the 300 HS has 3.8x).

HS stands for “High Speed”. High Speed because the IXUS 300 HS boasts having a 240 fps Super Slow Motion Movie mode feature. I never knew about this during the test so I searched youtube for a sample vid and found… holy sh*t I must try this out for myself!!! It’s like watching a footage of somebody moving at zero gravity!!!

And here’s another:

Yes, it delivered on the Slow Motion but something in the quality of the video doesn’t feel right. Maybe it’s the low light or just that in order to deliver on the 240 fps, the video had to be sized small. Like QVGA small, it seems.

From the camera review gurus’ perspective, below are ratings given by more notable gadget review sites on the net:

• CNET Asia: 7.8 (out of 10)
• Trusted Reviews: 8 (out of 10)
• Photo Review Australia: 8.5 (out of 10)
• Photo Radar: 4 (out of 5)
• Wired UK: 7 (out of 10)

For users who are after camera features housed in a thing of beauty, then this one’s for you. At PHP24,950 SRP, however, the budget conscious may have second thoughts. The IXUS has for years been beefed up as the most compact and stylishly sleek line of Canon cameras. It came to no surprise that after ten years, they’ve still got game. The IXUS 300 HS comes in matte black, gloss white, and high gloss red. The gloss white model reminds me of Storm Troopers. Just saying.

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Last time I knew of, or smelt, a Benetton fragrance was during the Hot and Cold fragrance era, those that came in rectangular bottles with screw caps that look like faucets. During the week, Benetton launched four new EDTs (eau de toilette) for their Colori 2010 line up: Verde, Rosso, Giallo, and Blu, all for the budget friendly price of P1,350.00 per 100 mL bottle and available at SM Department Stores nationwide. This coming from somebody who won’t get out of the house without spraying something on, I’d stake my rep to say that the hifalutin descriptions of the top, mid, and base notes for each variant in the press material really translates to fresh, uncommon, pleasant, and lasting scents that quite a huge age group range would love to be caught wearing.

Verde (Green) and Blu (Blue) are the colors guys could choose from and there are the Giallo (Yellow) and Rosso (Red) variants for the ladies. It’s curious to find words printed at the back of the ETD box representing different ideas or things we would normally associate with each of the colors. Kept me busy reading some for a while there. Moving on, on intuition but owing to the citrusy top note (as attributed by lemon and lavender infusions, I only later on found out), I got the Blu variant. Luckily, as I’ve worn it two days in a row already, Blu’s base note (white cedarwood, patchouli, cocoa bean) is a fresh, lingering scent with an unmistakable masculine character, subtle enough for daily wear. I’m glad I brought the bottle yesterday for after wall climbing, after shower use.

The colors, we’ve been told, reinforce the notion that “Benetton is color: color celebrating the diversity of the world, color speaking to every culture, color as a universal means of communication. Like color, fragrance is a universal language, communicating through intuition, emotion, and evocation. Color and fragrance come together in a collection of scents inspired by Benetton’s legacy – a legacy of creativity, universality, and youthfulness, with color at its heart.”

Want a bottle for FREE? The United Colors of Benetton Perfumes Philippines facebook page just announced something special for those watching the UAAP: “It’s your CHANCE TO WIN A BOTTLE OF COLORI PERFUME by United Colors of Benetton! IT’S EASY! TAKE A PICTURE OF YOURSELF & UP TO 3 OF YOUR FRIENDS WITH THE ROLLTEC during UAAP Season 73 basketball game! Just POST YOUR PICTURE in OUR FB WALL! You and your friends will get free COLORI PERFUMES!” Like them for more updates on contests like this, upload those photos, and get a change to win a free bottle of your choice. Easy like Paris as pie!

Below are more images from the launch.

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“Whoa, Sarah Meier!” Month on month, I’d catch myself blurting out exclamations of praise for one thing that’s always been consistent during the past year. “OMG, is that Cindy Kurleto?!” Although they’ve been in the business for 7 years, last year’s revamp was a welcome change to the look, feel, and content of UNO Magazine with RJ Ledesma as EIC. “ORNUSAAAAAAAAA!!!”

Six gorgeous ladies, all of them blessed with extraordinary abilities and beauty, all of whom have at least once graced the cover of UNO, partied with guests during the magazine’s 7th Anniversary celebration. Amanda Griffin (October 2007), Karen Pamintuan (March 2009), Aiza Marquez (July 2007), Chesca Garcia-Kramer (April 2005), Ellen Adarna (March 2008), Sarah Gaugler (December 2009) all looked like visions of elegance from the 30s down to the classic hair style. To better show an era devoid of color photography, I took shots in monochrome. Huzzah!

Before the portraits, if you don’t know who the next model is for the July 2010 UNO, head over to the UNO Magazine website and be prepared to say “AUBREY MILES!!!” while crying happy tears. Congratulations to Team UNO! I take your dispatches to heart, being a discerning man myself.

Do hover your cursor on the images for the caption.

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NOTE: The post before this is “Part 1″ of the Photos from the bench/ Uncut Denim & Underwear Show 2010. You might want to head there first. Thanks!

You never guessed there’ll be a second installment to that last post, right? Me neither. Looking back at it and judging by the sheer volume of organic hits I got from my beloved Google, I figured, I’d give you guys some more snaps to oogle at. Same great quality and still low in calories and sugar. Great for the heart, too! I won’t be putting up Jake Cuenca’s ass shot nor Rafael Rosell’s with his undies down on his knees because that’s just plain tacky. Also, I figured, why is Ben Chan’s photo not in that first set? And the designers, when owing to them, the whole world had an Uncut Denim & Underwear Show for 2010?!

I did mention that there were several hundreds of models, dancers, and performers who gave their best in that hour and a half abs/bosom-fest and most of them will go nameless to the then spectators and those who will see these images. Heck, even I don’t know half of the names of all supposedly popular models and TV personalities in these photos. The least I could do for them and their craft, however, is show them to you and, hopefully, it could reach them and they can show others and they’ll go, “I was there, showed them what I got, and here’s the proof.” Good times.

Let’s start with Ben Chan and the designers Cory Santiago (Pinoy Lab), Furne One (Far East), Val Taguba (Brazil), Ezra Santos (Africa), and Michael Cinco (Russia). Applause please! Yes, in front of your laptops, Macs, or PCs, stand up slowly and give them all a slow clap. That’s it. Good lad.

Next, let’s showcase some of the performers who danced their asses off during the show.

Next, the models who really did well. You have all made your momma proud. Seriously.

Here are some tight photos which I deliberately missed to publish last time. As for the reason, ask me the next time you meet me in person. Maybe, when I’m sane, I’ll give you an answer.

Lastly, here are some variations of the shots I already shared previously.

It’ll be two years from now until the next denim and underwear show from bench/. I hope this collection lasts you that long. LOL

This second set of photos from bench/ Uncut can be found on my flickr.

Notice: All images in this post are proprietary to the author. This post is not sponsored by either bench/, Panasonic Lumix, their marketing arm, nor affiliates. Should you wish to use them in your own website, do ask permission and link back to fritzified.com. If you do not agree with my terms, get the fuck out of here.

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