Drink of the Week: Pine-Orange Mimosa

This cocktail is light and fizzy and oh-so-delish. Make this sparkling gem of a cocktail by filling half a champagne flute with chilled Champagne then top it with Pineapple-Orange Juice.

For the virgin version, use Sparkling Grape Juice instead of Champagne.

Newsflash: August 22, 2012

Rappler.com It's official: US 'Survivor' shot in Philippines to air September

It's now officially out in the open: The next season of the US reality show Survivor will be called Survivor: Philippines.

During the season finale of Survivor: One World on Sunday, May 13 (Monday, May 14), host Jeff Probst officially announced the venue of the next season, slated to air September 2012.

Probst, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly published Sunday, disclosed that they have recently finished shooting episodes of the show in Caramoan, Camarines Sur.

BBC.com  One Direction's Zayn Malik deletes his Twitter account

One Direction's Zayn Malik has deleted his Twitter account saying he is "sick of all the useless opinions and hate".

He posted two messages on the microblogging site saying he would not be sending any more updates.

The 19-year-old said: "The reason i don't tweet as much as i use to, is because I'm sick of all the useless opinions and hate that I get daily goodbye twitter.

"Fans that have something to say can tweet me on the one direction account."

NY Daily News.com Nicki Minaj will join Mariah Carey as new 'American Idol' judge

Pull up a chair, because Nicki Minaj may just be joining the judges' table over at "American Idol"!

The colorful female emcee, 29, is reportedly already set to be the latest addition to Fox's hit singing competition show, a source tells Us Weekly.

"I'm not sure the deal is completely done yet, but yes, she is definitely doing it," the source told Us. "A few more things to sign off on but it is happening."

Another source told the magazine that Minaj is "100% confirmed to judge 'American Idol.'"

(Rumors: Four judges will be in the latest season of American Idol and Randy Jackson will act as a mentor instead of a judge.

American Idol is trying to fix deals with Coca-Cola as their latest judge, Nicki Minaj, is a Pepsi Cola endorser. It is also to be noted that a couple years past, Mariah Carey was also a Pepsi Cola endorser. 

Enrique Iglesias is rumored to be the top choice to fill the next spot but Mariah is campaigning on Twitter for her friend, Lenny Kravitz, to get the seat in the judging table.)

Poll Question: How did you spend your long weekend?

Answers:

Muesli Gabriel: Travelling

Jonas Dandan: Party. Sleep. Net.

Cheska Mempin: spent a fortune on a party that played really good music but hardly ANYONE DANCED, flirted a little, a dash of drama here and there and to cap it all off, got dragged in a pool with my bag drenching ALL my stuff including my phone and ruining my make up. FUUUUUUUN! ♥ palangga jud nako ang davao forever.

Koi Sevilla: in my bed for the most part because sleep is such a luxury and then a full day at the beach (where I gathered too much of the sun that even my scalp has sunburn!) :)

Soi Meralpis: At Work :(

Kristine Tactacon-Santos:  went for a long ride to another city para mkapagswimming! :)

Aldon Villaflor: Movie marathon, pasyal sa mall with friends, tapos review.

MJ Nicasio: I spent the long weekend at home. home. and home.

Martin Buen: I went to a friend's birthday, then to Prive, then to Cebu, then Bohol, then gym!

Jonah Toajo: Kadayawan parties 'til dawn. Long hours of sleep during daytime. Food trips. Went to the bazaar and capped the weekend off by going to the beach with friends.

Doy Bijis: early chug last Thurs at Gerrys Grill then Fri at Last Exit and Vibetribe then bonding with gf the next day. pretty much devastating for my bladder. 

Bella: Shopping and bonding with my family :D

Noel: I got with my friends and went malling and bar hopping

Micah Frasco: Partied from Thursday to Saturday then went to Loleng's for a overnight drinking session then went straight to the beach afterwards. Went to Abreeza for a movie then one last bucket of beer to end Monday night. Lastly, I play Mah Jong with my retard friends.

Telai Jarabelo: Roadtrip to Surigao!

Grace Iosanto: Movie marathon!

Richard Fanlo: Spent a day at Chemas By The Sea with the family. Spent the rest of it by sleeping and bumming around.

Drew: I just had rest and relaxation. The long weekend is the perfect opportunity to catch up on sleep.

Markie: Attend a reviews for the Nursing Licensure Examination. Went to Starr last Saturday then watched the Floral Parade last Sunday.

Galilea: Had some coffee and videoke with friends, witnessed the Kadayawan floral parade, then went to Saranggani for some island hopping.

Martina: Went to work. I work in a call center. 

Noel: Sleep. Eat. And more sleep.

Deng Ongkingko: Roadtrip with former Mix FM DJs Wacky and Sol, and Starr's official photographer: Gian! 

Mayen: Attended a wedding at Tagaytay Highlands

Bo: Slept all day and partied all night

Tweets To Talk About

Twitter is fast becoming the best basis of ‘current events’. A quick scan of any Filipino Tweeter’s timeline would tell you what topics are most relevant to the youth. What does this mean? It means that it gives columnists (because I dare not say I am a journalist) like me an idea of what people would like to read; what people are talking about; what people are interested in. Here are two Trending Topics on Twitter and my views on the matter.

Mark Mabasa Exits X-Factor, Viewers Protest

Alright, so here’s the deal. ABS-CBN franchised the international hit X-Factor which is now approaching its third week into the finals. Last episode, Mark Mabasa, a 25-year old crooner under the mentorship of Pilita Corales, got the boot and netizens have been complaining about it.

A lot of people are displeased with one particular judge’s decision to give Mabasa a negative vote. You see, in X-Factor, there are four judges: Pilita Corales who voted in favour of Mabasa, Gary Valenciano who voted in favour of Take Off—a boyband under his mentorship that was also in danger of being eliminated, Martin Nievera who voted in favour of Mabasa for the reason that he saw Mark’s career to have more potential longevity, and Charice who obviously preferred Mabasa more than the Take Off but decided to vote for the latter. Why? Because according to X-Factor rules, when the judges’ votes would result in a dead lock (2 to 2) the text votes would be the basis of the elimination. Thus, as if cleaning her hands in the elimination process, Charice voted to ensue a dead lock. The text votes were followed and Mabasa, who got the lowest votes for the evening, had to leave the show.

If the tweets are any basis, the reason why netizens are so irked by Charice’s decision to vote for a dead lock was that Mabasa was obviously better than the boyband he was up against. But we must remember that Charice only gave the power to the voting public. She chose the dead lock because any decision she’d make would put her in hot water. If she decided to vote against the boy band, Take Off supporters would turn against her. Thus, she tried to evade more hate (as she is seemingly the current apple of everyone’s dislike) by voting for a dead lock. Obviously, it still put her in an uncomfortable spot because she could have exercised the power to keep the more talented contender in the contest; and that is where all the hate comes from.

I think, the problem isn’t even with Charice. It was with Mabasa. The thing about Mabasa is he does not seem authentic; his moves seem too rehearsed, he has a way of being overly flamboyant, and he has an air of fakeness. I think he does not come across as genuine thus losing any iota of charm and charisma. Sure, he is talented; one of the best vocalists in the competition, but this is not enough to get votes. The bigger problem here is that the competition does not rely on votes; it is not one that plays on mass appeal as much as other reality shows these days. It relies on the decision of the judges, which apparently, could flip the whole game with a tie.

Although I do not particularly care for Mark Mabasa or Charice, what I dislike most is that people complain about things they could have changed. If you’re obsessed with the guy so much that it would push you to complain all over Twitter and make all your followers read tweet after tweet after tweet about how Mabasa is so much better than the boy band or how much you hate how Charice didn’t have the balls to pick her favorite, then why didn’t you vote for him? Oh right. You were too busy tweeting.

Donations for Flood Victims Tweeted

Twitter played an important role when the recent monsoon hit Luzon. People used the micro-blogging site to disseminate information such as hotlines for rescuers as well as information on how people could donate. Although this is probably the best use for the site, fame monsters used this in a way that leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Unfortunately, some Tweeters (including some celebrities and personalities) posted photos of the donations they were making more often than necessary. It just seemed like they were doing this just to seem like a good citizen. I mean, I’m all for helping, and it is good that they took time out to help, but do you really need to tell everybody about it?

One comedienne was bombarded with hate tweets, for posting too many photos of her donations, from netizens who thought it was better to give with as much sound as silence. To her defense, she posted another tweet saying that she was doing this to show people the different ways they could help. Seriously, couldn’t you just have posted information on how they could do that instead of screaming to the world that you spent a fortune on your bountiful donations?

Of course, there are also companies that thought this was the best way to improve good will through positive marketing. A popular cosmetic company’s endorser announced that they donated hundreds of boxes of FACIAL WASH to the victims of the monsoon. Yes, because when you lose your belongings, have no food to eat, and water to drink, the first thing you would clamour for is facial wash that you can use while cleansing your face in flood water. Congratulations to the genius that thought this would be the best way to get on the good graces of Filipinos.

The sadder thing about this is even journalists are writing about it with headlines that read “(name of reality show) contestants donate from their own pockets”. Slow news day? I think someone forgot to turn their brain on while writing the news. First of all, would it really be considered their donation if it weren’t from their own pockets? Second, why would people want to know this? If that is news worthy, then why not go ahead and write about how a teacher from your alma mater donated some old shoes? Or how your yaya gave away her old clothes? Or how your neighbourhood sari-sari store owner donated money through donate-a-load schemes? I get that this is all a marketing strategy, but seriously, can you all grow even just a smidgen of shame?

We appreciate that people are donating, but we could only hope that it comes from a good place and not from a self-serving one.

For comments, suggestions, or more confessions from the columnist follow @zhaun on Twitter or go to http://confessionsofapartyphile.blogspot.com. Listen to Confessions of a Partyphile on the radio every Wednesday evenings from 6 to 9PM on 105.9 Mix FM.

Drink of the Week: Rainy Day Marley

This drink will surely give your rainy day a sunny burst with it's fresh tropical flavors and alcoholic punch!


All you have to do to make this cocktail is grab a highball glass, fill it half way with ice and add:

• 1 oz Vodka
• 1 oz Triple Sec
• 1 oz Coconut Rum
• and some ice cold orange juice to the brim

Stir and enjoy this gorgeously tropical cocktail during your next rainy day!

Newsflash: August 1, 2012

Yahoo News: English translations sought for PH movies



If this bill is passed, Pinoy movie makers will have to hire translators for each film.


This, as Pasay City Rep. Emi Calixto-Rubiano files a bill requiring English subtitles for each PH-made film to help foreign tourists appreciate Philippine culture.


She said that since many travel agencies include Philippine shopping malls in the itineraries of their customers, helping "foreign guests enjoy the privilege of watching Filipino films without having to worry about the problem of translation" would mean better appreciation of Filipino cinema and culture.






Reuters: Twitter reinstates British journalist after outcry

Twitter Inc reinstated a British journalist's account on Tuesday and apologized after an outcry over his suspension for posting an NBC-Universal executive's email address on the service threatened to tarnish the company's reputation.

Twitter banned Guy Adams, a Los Angeles correspondent for The Independent newspaper, on Monday after he tweeted the work email address of NBC's Olympics division president Gary Zenkel.

Adams violated Twitter's privacy policy, which prohibits users from revealing other users' private information, according to an email that Adams said he received from Twitter. Twitter's policy also says that if information is available elsewhere on the Internet, posting that information on Twitter is not a violation.

Robert Pattinson asks Kristen Stewart to move out: reports



A U-Haul moving truck was seen Saturday at the Los Angeles home of actor Robert Pattinson, amid reports he asked his unfaithful girlfriend, fellow "Twilight" star Kristen Stewart, to move out.


The request marked the first time the two had spoken since last week, People magazine said Monday, adding that Pattinson, 26, also plans to move from the house he owns in the tony Los Feliz neighborhood.


Stewart, 22, publicly apologized last week after Us Weekly reported she had a brief fling with her married "Snow White and the Huntsman" director, Rupert Sanders, 41.

Weather Forecast Philippines: 

Davao City to experience thunderstorms and rain showers for the remainder of the week with clear skies before sunset and scattered rain showers past dinner time. The weather will be at its worst on Friday as it will be cloudy all day with heavy rain-fall during the evening.

Poll Question: What is your favorite rainy season food?

We asked you earlier via BBM, Twitter (@zhaun) and Facebook (facebook.com/partyphile) what your favorite rainy season food was, and here are your mouth-watering replies!



1. Ivo: lugaw, fishballs and kikiam
2. Camille: champorado
3. Bianca: Champorado
4. Tin: Champorado
5. Krizia: Champorado
6. Doy: Chicken sopas and corn soup
7. Ryan: Goto with hard-boiled egg
8. Louie: Arroz Caldo and Lomi
9. Rey: Champorado with tuyo
10. Rod: Binignit
11. Grace: Bulalo
12. Deng: Cecil’s Batchoy
13. Adrian: Scalding hot bulalo
14. Panky: Chocolate porridge with biscocho
15. Jimson: Pandesal! It’s soo Filipino and keeps you warm despite the cool weather
16. Ferdie Salvador: Chicken Noodle Soup
17. Kyrie: Hot and Spicy Ramen!
18. Mayen: Gionisang munggo with smoked fish, itlog na maalat, and kamatis
19. Maya: Lugaw and Champorado with bulad
20. Marco: Noodles with egg
21. Carlo Gabriel: La Paz Batchoy
22. Clovis: Arroz Caldo and Tokwa’t Baboy…Warm, rich, food for the cold weather!
23. Zeb: Balbacua!
24. Dann: Oatmeal  with milk and milo! The better alternative to plain old champorado
25. Ronald: Quikchow beef with egg!
26. Michael: Sinigang!
27. Benj: Spicy Thai Noodles
28. Kristtine: Tinolang Manok or Bulalo
29. Loelle: Seafood Ramen from Rai Rai Ken
30. Princess: Ramen or Tom Yum Noodles. Basically, any soup with noodles.
31. Nikka: Anything basta walang food poison
32. Gardo: Creamy sopas with a lot of chicken chunks
33. Archie: Pork soup
34. Enrique: Arroz Caldo with a lot of garlic
35. Koji: Lomi, Ramen, Siopao, and Sopas
36. Kevin: Turon with coffee while soundtripping
37. JB: Sopas at Kayakap
38. Kram: Chips and dips
39. Dan: Fries are enough for me
40. Rain: Anything spicy would be perfect for the rainy season
41. Aldrin: Monggo!