Your Daily Dose of Useful Stuff

Biko is one of the most common delicacies Filipinos prepare at any occasion.  We prepare "biko" during birthdays, baptism, Holy Week, fiestas, Noche Buena (that midnight feast on Christmas Eve).   When I was younger, I found making 'biko' really tedious.  So I never really attempted to make "biko"  by myself.  Sometimes, I would just order ready-cooked biko or get them from tiangge or food fairs.  It is less hassle and easy to serve.  There is no need for me to go to the market and buy ingredients like glutinous rice, brown sugar, and coconut.     Biko can be really difficult to prepare if done in the traditional way.  First, you need  to buy coconut and grate it so that you can squeeze the coconut milk .  It can be messy to do.  However, if you are not the lazy type and have time to really prepare it the traditional way, you can do it traditionally.   It will make the experience really very  genuine ...

People Magazine has released its traditional yearly choice of  'The Sexiest Man Alive."  This year's choice is the epitome of hunkness, a perfect blending of looks and brawn.  Not only is he sexy physically, but he possess that manly appeal, just like the former winners' Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Johny Depp, etc.  I couldn't agree more that Chris Hemsworth deserves the title.  I am just wondering why People Magazine doesn't use the title  "The Sexiest Gentleman Alive"?  We need to hear more the word 'gentleman' because it is  now an endangered species.  Famous people like Chris Hemsworth and other members of his species should help advocate the importance of being a 'gentleman.' In doing so, they can be instrumental in reviving the age old practice of chivalry.     Many men nowadays don't know how to respect and be courteous to women.  If they are, they are selective.  It is very seldom that doors are opened by...

Which is just as well.  Personally, I think getting pregnant is something we can expect of a young, beautiful and desireable lady like her and pregnancy is not something to be hidden from the curious public.  The public would appreciate you more if you are honest with them.  So for that gesture alone, I commend Christine.  She did not try to divert attention away from her by resorting to gimmickry or creating issues to escape scrutiny.  She did become quiet a while, heaven only knows what kind of soul-searching she did during the months that she went on hiatus.   Cristine's entry to local tinsel town was not as laborious as other hopefuls had experienced.  Her passage was relatively less agonizing because her older sister, Ara Mina, had paved the path for her easy access to Philippine moviedom.  The first time I became aware of Cristine Reyes was during her participation in the talent search "Starstruck."  She did not emerge as the winn...

We woke up again to a sad and shocking news in October 11, 2014.  Jeffrey Laude, a transgender, was found dead in Celzone Lodge in Olongapo City.  Jeffrey's lifeless body was found by the toilet bowl just minutes after he and his male companion arrived.  His male companion, who later became the suspect, was identified as PFC Joseph Scott Pemberton.  He was positively identified by eyewitnesses as the last person seen with Jeffrey.  During the initial investigations, Joseph Scott Pemberton said, 'I did something wrong."  He immediately sought counsel from a lawyer after that.  

The first time I saw Valerie Weigmann, she was tagging along with Jose Manalo and Paolo Ballesteros during Eat Bulaga's "Juan for All, and All for Juan" segment.  And she struck me as a "cool and down-to-earth person." with a knack for comedy because she had difficulty in delivering some jokes which ultimately made the joke more hilarious.   She is cool because she doesn't mind poking fun at herself and being laughed at at her funny deliveries.  In fact, she is what you see.   Now, I heard that she bagged the crown to represent the Philippines in the next Ms. World Pageant, kind of the successor of Megan Young, who is doing a great job representing the Philippines and in doing the Ms. World rounds.   Physically,  Valerie has got what it takes to compete with the fairest of candidates who will be coming from different countries.  She is tall and fit, thanks to her regular gym visits.  And most of all, she has such a very r...

The downside of being famous is that any issue, gossip, rumor about you,  no matter how small, gets easily magnified.  And it does not help that social media can spread anything like a virus, and anyone who owns a smartphone can become an instant news'stringer.    Admittedly, not everything about the digital age is ugly,  because the digital age, helped people communicate faster  and information  about everything is as quick as a blink of an eye.     One of the people who got dragged into the  showbiz mire is  actor-hunk, Derek Ramsay.  Derek found himself face-to-face with his past when his estranged wife,  Mary Christine Jolly surfaces with a surprise for all Derek Ramsay fans, their son, thus  breaking the heart of many Derek Ramsay fans in the process.   Their image of Derek as a hunky bachelor made a quick 360-degree turn.   Suddenly, he is no longer the beefcake young girls woul...

What happens when you got a rocking athletic body, stunning looks and volleyball prowess?  You are the envy of women and you get to be on the cover of one of the most popular men's magazine.  That's right, volleyball fans, FEU's "Queen Tamaraw" needs no further introduction because she is synonymous to  volleyball in the Philippines.  She is our "Leila Barros,"  Brazil's most popular female volleyball player. Rachel Ann Daquis accepted FHM's invitation to grace their cover and so come October 2014, you can buy FHM from your favorite  magazine stands and get a glimpse of Rachel Ann Daquis's life outside of the court.  If you have been following the volleyball games in the UAAP and the two professional leagues, Shakey's V-league and the Philippine Superliga, you are probably familiar with Rachel Ann and her kind of game.