Xu Wei Lun (Beatrice Xu), a well-known Taiwanese actress, has just passed away on Jan. 28, 2007 due to massive injuries she had sustained from a fatal car crash.

She once played in a cameo role as Ah Xun in the first Taiwanese version of Meteor Garden.

“In WeiLun’s new drama, she plays a girl who has heart problems, and it was scheduled for her to film a surgery scene on the 28th [the day of her death], but who knew that she is actually in the hospital and going under surgery for real.

In the seat of the car where WeiLun sat, they found a magazine and it was opened to a page with the ad of a Japanese movie, ‘Death Note’. It is suspected that WeiLun was flipping through the magazine and landed on that page when the accident happened because that page of the magazine was splattered with blood; other pages of the magazine did not have any blood stains.”

Her sudden death is a sad reminder of the fact that not even extreme hotness can protect you from nasty things this world can offer.

Carlo’s Blog

After months of negotiations and deliberations, the United Opposition (UNO) yesterday announced “the end of the Third Force” with the near completion of its list of senatorial candidates for the May 14 elections.

UNO officials announced eight of the 12 candidates in a press conference at past 1 p.m., leaving the rest of the slots to “coalition partners.”

The lineup is a slightly revised version of the roster earlier released by the opposition’s recognized leader, ousted President Joseph Estrada.

“This is the only opposition slate … In which case, there’s no room for a Third Force. With this announcement, we are ending the issue of the Third Force,” Makati Mayor and UNO president Jejomar Binay said in reference to the supposed middling senatorial lineup being formed by other groups.

Loren Legarda, a former senator and an independent candidate, is the only woman in the UNO slate composed of aspiring returnees to the Senate, graduates of the House of Representatives, and scions of politicians.

Also in the slate is Estrada’s son, San Juan Mayor Jose Victor Ejercito, who said his senatorial candidacy was “the nation’s clamor.”

But barely two hours earlier at the signing of a youth covenant at the Bahay ng Alumni building in the University of the Philippines campus, where he was asked to seek a Senate seat, Ejercito told the Inquirer: “I am elated and honored by this endorsement. However, I have not decided yet if I will run for the Senate.”

UNO spokesperson Ernesto Maceda said the other four candidates would soon be announced by partners in the Senate. (Officials said there were four sure candidates but refused to name them.)

Maceda said the remaining negotiating member-parties were still selecting four out of six contenders.

Binay added that UNO would make “a formal and official declaration of the lineup” and then engage in discussions of the coalition’s platform.

Carlo’s Blog

There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved.

PAG-IBIG, PANLILIGAW, AT PAG-AASAWA

   (Love, Courtship, and Marriage)

1. Paano ko makikita ang mukha ng aking mapapangasawa?
    (How will I know how my future spouse looks like?)

Kung gusto mong makita ang mukha ng iyong mapapangasawa, dapat ay gumising ka isang hating-gabi at tingnan mo ang iyong sarili sa salamin habang hawak mo ang isang nakasinding kandila.  Sa simula ay makikita mo ang isang kalansay sa salamin.  Pagkaraan ng limang minuto, makikita mo ng buong-buo ang taong mapapangasawa mo.

(If you want to know what your lifetime partner will look like, wake up in the middle of the night and take a look at yourself in the mirror while holding a lighted candle.  At first, the image in the mirror will appear to be a skeleton.  After five minutes, you will see a full view of the person you will marry.)

2.  Pagbibigay ng regalo sa iyong minamahal. (Giving gifts to your beloved.)

a.  Bawal ang panyo! (No handkerchiefs please.)

    Pwede mong bigyan ng regalong panyo ang iyong kasintahan, pero lagi
    siyang iiyak. 

    (You can give your sweetheart a handkerchief as a gift, but it will only
     make her cry.)

b.  Bawal ang matutulis/matatalas na bagay na regalo. (No pointed/sharp
     objects please.)

     Ang mga magkasintahan ay hindi dapat nagpapalitan ng regalong matutulis
     ang hugis, dahil ito ay magiging sanhi ng pagkasira ng kanilang natatakdang
     kasal.

    (Engaged couples should not exchange pointed or sharp objects as
     gifts, or this would lead to a broken engagement.)

3.  Pagtatanan at ang kalahating buwan (Eloping and the half-moon):

Kapag nakita mo ang isang tala na malapit sa isang kalahating-buwan, ito
ay isang palatandaan na maraming magkasintahan ang nagtatanan.

(When a star appears near a half-moon, it is a sign that young couples are eloping.)

4.  Bago ang kasalan (Before the wedding):

a.  Iwasan ang paglalakbay (Avoid travelling)

     Ang lalaki at babaeng ikakasal ay dapat iwasan ang paglalakbay upang
     maiwasan ang mga aksidente.

    (Engaged couples should avoid travelling before their wedding day to avoid
      accidents.)

b.  Ang babae ay dapat iwasan ang pagsuot ng damit pangkasal.  Kapag
     isinukat ang damit pangkasal, hindi matutuloy ang kasalan.

    (The bride should not try on her wedding dress before the wedding.  If she
     does, the wedding will not push through.)

5.  Sa araw ng kasal (On the wedding day):

a.  Ang lalaking ikakasal ay dapat maunang dumating sa simbahan bago ang
     babae, upang maiwasan ang masamang kapalaran.

     (The groom should arrive at the church before the bride, in order to avoid bad
       luck.)

b.  Kapag nalaglag ang singsing, o ang belo ng ikinakasal, o ang arrhae
     habang  ikinakasal ang lalaki at babae, ito ay isang palatandaan na hindi
     magiging masaya ang kanilang buhay bilang mag-asawa.

     (Dropping the wedding ring, or the couple’s veil, or arrhae during the
       wedding ceremony means that the couple will not be happy in their
       marriage.)

c.  Kapag naunang maupo ang lalaki bago ang babae habang sila ay
     ikinakasal, ang lalaki ay magiging "under the saya". 

       (The groom who sitsdown ahead of his bride during their wedding ceremony
        will be a henpecked husband.)

d.  Habang sila ay ikinakasal, ang babae ay dapat tapakan ang paa ng kanyang
      mapapangasawa upang silang dalawa ay magkasundo sa mga bagay-bagay,
      at para na rin hindi maging malupit ang kanyang asawa sa kaniya, habang
      sila ay magkasama.

       (During the wedding ceremony a bride must step on her husband’s foot in
       order to that both of them will agree on things that they will undertake, and
       so that her husband will not be cruel to her.)

e.   Ang sinuman sa kanilang dalawa ang maunang tumayo pagkatapos ng
      seremonya ng kasal, siya ang mauunang mamamatay.

     (Whoever of the couple stands first after the ceremony, will die ahead of the
       other.)

f.   Kapag ang babae sa kanyang araw ng kasal, ito ay magdudulot ng malas sa
     kanyang pag-aasawa.

     (A bride who cries during the wedding will bring bad luck to the marriage.)

g.  Masamang pahiwatig ang ipinapamalas sa mga bagong kasal kapag ang
     kanilang mga magulang ay umiiyak sa kanilang araw ng kasal.

     (It is bad  omen for the newly-wed couple  if their parents cry during the
      wedding.)

h.  Kapag umulan sa araw ng kanilang kasal, ang mag-asawa ay magkakaroon
     ng mga iyaking anak.

     (If it rains during the wedding, the couple will have many cry babies.)

i.  Ang pagtapon ng bigas sa mga bagong kasal ay magbibigay ng swerte sa
     kanilang buhay. 

     (Throwing rice at the newly-wed couple will bring them prosperity  in life.)

j.   Kapag may nabasag na bagay sa salu-salo ng bagong kasal, ito ay
     maghahatid ng magandang swerte sa kanilang buhay.

    (Breaking something during the wedding reception brings goodluck to the
      newly-wed couple.)

k.  Sa pagpasok sa kanilang bagong bahay, ang mga bagong kasal ay dapat na
     pumanik sa kanilang hagdanan ng magkasabay sa kanilang tagiliran, upang
     walang magiging dominante sa kanilang relasyon. 
 
     (Upon entering their new home,  the couple should go up the stairs alongside
       each other so that neither one will dominate the other.)

6.  Mga iba pang kasabihan at paniniwala (Other folk beliefs and superstitions):

a.  Malas kapag ang magkapatid ay ikakasal sa loob ng isang taon.  Upang
     maiwasan ang malas, ang kapatid na ikakasal ng mas huli ay dapat dumaan
     sa likurang hagdanan ng simbahan sa araw ng kanyang kasal.

     (It is bad luck for two siblings to be married within the same year. In order to
      remedy the situation, the sibling who marries later in the year should pass
      through the backstairs of the church on the day of the wedding.)

b.  Ang sinuman na mahilig maupo sa dulo ng mesa habang kumakain ay hindi
     makakapag-asawa.

     (A person who habitually sits at the head of the table during meals will never
       marry.)

c.  Ang mga babaeng may taling sa ilalim ng kanilang mga mata, kung saan
     dumadaloy ang kanilang luha, ay magiging biyuda.

     (Women who have moles under their eyes, right where their tears fall, will be
      widowed.)

d.  Kapag pinagligpitan ng mga plato ang isang dalaga habang siya ay
     kumakain sa mesa, siya ay mananatiling dalaga habang buhay.

     (Removing plates from  the table while an unmarried woman is still eating
      will keep her single all her life.)

e.   Kapag sinundan ng isang dalaga ang mga yapak ng mga bagong kasal, siya
      ay mag-aasawa sa madaling panahon.

     (An unwed gril who follows the footprints of  a newly-wed couple will marry
       soon.)

f.   Kapag ang babae ay naging balo sa kadiliman ng buwan, siya ay
     makakapag-asawang muli. 

     (If a woman is widowed during a newmoon, she will marry again.)

g.  Ang babaeng may asawa na nagsusuot ng perlas na singsing ay magiging
      sanhi ng pagiging taksil ng kanyang asawa.

      (A married woman who wears a pearl ring will cause her husband to commit
        adultery.)

h.   Kapag ang asawang lalaki ay umalis agad ng bahay pagkatapos silang
      mag-away ng kanyang asawa, ang babae ay dapat kunin ang kamiseta ng
      lalaki at isampay ito sa ibabaw ng kalan, pagkatapos ay paluin ito ng ilang
      beses.  Ang kanyang asawa ay siguradong babalik sa kanya. 

      (If the husband leaves the house soon after a quarrel, the wife should get his
       shirt, hang it over the stove, and whip it several times.  The husband is
       certain to come back.)

Carlo’s Blog

Japanese professor Asaki Geino wants you to know that finding Mrs. Right could be as simple as taking a look at the shape of her pubic hair.

Asaki’s one of those fine gentlemen who genuinely hold this theory in their hearts that a woman’s bush determines her sexual characteristics.

His findings suggest that a woman whose bikini line resembles the “mouth of a river” is most likely to be unfaithful.

…

It’s not that rare for women with oblong-shaped pubic hair to fall in love at first sight

He also said, “It’s not that rare for women with oblong-shaped pubic hair to fall in love at first sight or fall head-over-heels with passion. They also don’t like sitting at home on their own. The combination of these characteristics causes men to go wild over them.”

…

The finding that he seems most proud of is the alleged characteristics of the women with pubes the shape of an inverted triangle. He believes that women blessed with this particular crop are the most faithful and fit for family life, stating that: “Women of this type are good mothers, faithful wives and caring daughters. I don’t think I’m wrong when I say that precisely this type of woman helped Japan become the glorious country it is“.

" It’s not that rare for women with oblong-shaped pubic hair to fall in love at first sight"

So imagine yourself, aside from engaging in spontaneous sniffing of ladies’ thongs, to be taking a peek at their pubes before you could look them in the eye and invest sweet nothings in their ear. I’m not sure if Asaki’s going to do a real-time, large-scale experiment to test his theory, but I’d willingly be the first in his line of “testers.”

Carlo’s Blog