There is a difference between iced coffee and frappé

iced-coffee

With coffee enjoying a new cult status among the young these days, and with coffee shops like Starbucks being considered a hip place to hang out in to be seen, it is amusing to listen to young people order coffee without knowing exactly what they’re ordering. At Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf at TriNoma one ... (more)

The Catholic population has no monopoly on artistic standards

cross

I would have commented earlier but the controversial “Kulo” art exhibit was closed before I could go and see it. Sam happened to be at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) — for an entirely different reason — when the brouhaha was at its height and she witnessed a religious group of religious protesters ... (more)

My husband, my marriage and the divorce bill

Before I put up that section that Sam wants, the family conversations “too hilarious not to be shared with the entire world,” I want to say something about Speedy. And I want to say it now because once the section that Sam wants is up (it’s mostly about her father’s booboos), Speedy might not talk ... (more)

Bad news come in threes

It’s good to be back. I traveled through hell, you know, and made it back. Here. It started exactly a month ago. I was doing some geeky things to the food blog, did something wonderfully right and things turned out awfully wrong. “Wonderfully right” means traffic tripled. No, more than tripled. “Awfully wrong” means the ... (more)

It’s not about whether you’re rich or poor; it’s about whether you knew you were breaking the law

For days, I’ve been reading and watching the news about the government’s efforts to stay the execution of the three Filipinos who had been sentenced to death for smuggling heroin into China. I’m sure that the government, especially the Vice President who has been very much visible these days, is earning a lot of “pogi” ... (more)

About poppy seeds: a case of doing one’s homework or not

poppy-seeds

When Speedy told me the other night that someone was proposing some law to ban poppy seeds in the Philippines, I couldn’t believe my ears. Really? What the heck? I thought there was already a bill and I was preparing myself to dig up a copy. As it turns out, the controversy stems from a ... (more)

Still on Angelo Reyes’ death: where’s the slug?

There. I said death, not suicide. Lots of reasons. I had to read all the new reports I could find after agreeing to do a TV interview. And, to answer a reader (on the FB page of my food blog) who’s wondering if the recent spate of TV appearances means I’m giving TV a “go” ... (more)

Failure to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt

The crime was committed in June 1991 when Estrellita, Carmela and Jennifer Vizconde were killed at their house. Suspects were arrested, confessions were signed but the case was dismissed. In 1995, on the strength of an “eyewitness” account, eight young men — Hubert Jeffrey P. Webb, Antonio “Tony Boy” Lejano, Artemio “Dong” Ventura, Michael A. ... (more)

Strange cases of U.P. Law Dean Marvic Leonen and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange

Dean Marvic Leonen was at the forefront of a call for the resignation of Supreme Court justice Mariano del Castillo for plagiarism. The Supreme Court itself absolved Del Castillo then lashed at the 37 members of the U.P. Law faculty who signed the statement calling for his resignation, demanding that they show cause as to ... (more)

As the last bastion crumbles

Much as I’d like to write about something — anything — else, I can’t seem to do it. I had a birthday party over the weekend and we talked about the plagiarism in the Supreme Court scandal. I go to Facebook and we talk about the same thing. Online and offline, the topic stays the ... (more)

Trillanes amnesty and other shockers

First of all, an amnesty is not a pardon. You have to be be convicted first before getting pardoned. Erap was pardoned. But this isn’t about Erap. This is about Antonio Trillanes IV and the other soldiers on trial for the Oakwood incident in 2003. For those unfamiliar with the incident, a group of armed ... (more)

Carlos Celdran: Machiavellian, no doubt

celdran

So, Carlos Celdran of the Intramuros walking tour fame is in jail. Wearing a Jose Rizal costume, he walked up to the church altar during a mass holding a placard that says, “Damaso.” The message is clear. He is calling the Catholic clergy tyrants for its anti-reproductive health bill stance. I agree with Celdran’s message. ... (more)