THE SMASHING PUMPKINS TOUR DATES

August 29, 2007 - Terra Vibe Park - Athens, Greece
September 01, 2007 - Rock N Coke Festival - Hezarfen Airfield - Istanbul, Turkey
September 08, 2007 - Osheaga Music Festival - Montreal, Canada
September 09, 2007 - Virgin Festival - Toronto Island Park - Toronto
September 13, 2007 - The Pearl Concert Theatre - Las Vegas, NV
September 15, 2007 - Home Depot Center - Las Angeles, CA
September 16, 2007 - Tucson Electric Park - Tucson, AZ
September 18, 2007 - Dodge Theatre - Phoenix, AZ
September 19, 2007 - SDSU Open Air Theatre - San Diego, CA
September 21, 2007 - The Ampitheater at Clark County Ridgefield, Washington
September 22, 2007 - Qwest Field Seattle, Washington
September 24, 2007 - PNE Forum Vancouver, British Columbia
September 28, 2007 - McKay Center (University of Utah) Salt Lake City, Utah
September 30, 2007 - Red Rocks Morrison, Colorado
October 02, 2007 - Wilkins Auditorium St. Paul, Minnesota
October 04, 2007 Braden Auditorium (Illinois State University) Normal, Illinois

October 06, 2007 - Verizon Wireless Music Center Noblesville, Indiana
October 07, 2007 - Fox Theatre Detroit, Michigan
October 09, 2007 - AJ Palumbo Center (Duquesne University) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
October 11, 2007 - LC Pavillion Columbus, Ohio
October 13, 2007 - Orpheum Theatre Boston, Massachusetts
October 15, 2007 - Orpheum Theatre Boston, Massachusetts
October 16, 2007 - Orpheum Theatre Boston, Massachusetts
October 19, 2007 - Tower Theater Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
October 21, 2007 - Tower Theatre Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
October 22, 2007 - Tower Theatre Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
October 25, 2007 - Mud Island Amphitheatre Memphis, Tennessee
October 30, 2007 - Fox Theatre Atlanta, Georgia
October 31, 2007 - Fox Theatre Atlanta, Georgia
November 03, 2007 - Nokia Theatre Dallas, Texas
November 05, 2007 - Ryman Theatre Nashville, Tennessee

Binura na lang ni Myembrolang.....

Nakakalungkot na ng dahil kasi sa spam binura na ni Bhab ang kanyang mga entries sa kanyang blogsite. Yun blogsite pa naman na yun ang nag-trigger sa akin para magsulat at magkaroon ng ganitong playground. Kanina lang nag-text ako sa kanya ng ganito:

Nang dahil sa spam...
Nang dahil sa spam
ay binura na lang
ni myembrolang
ang kanyang playground.
Nang dahil sa spam
hindi delatang spam
ang playground ni myembrolang
ay kanyang binura na lang.
Nang dahil sa spam...
Bow!

Actually, nagkita kami ni Bhab noong Saturday sa Alpha, batian lang kami kasi busy rin ako sa maraming paperworks(from monday to friday, may directorial work ako sa Hollywood). Mayroon pa naman siyang blogsite na dumadami at si art na langgam ni Devi kaya lang nakakapang-hinayang lalo na kung isang electronic ads that works like a virus ang sisira ng gawa mo, sana gumawa ulit siya ng blogsite.

What is spam?

Spam is flooding the Internet with many copies of the same message, in an attempt to force the message on people who would not otherwise choose to receive it. Most spam is commercial advertising, often for dubious products, get-rich-quick schemes, or quasi-legal services. Spam costs the sender very little to send -- most of the costs are paid for by the recipient or the carriers rather than by the sender.

There are two main types of spam, and they have different effects on Internet users. Cancellable Usenet spam is a single message sent to 20 or more Usenet newsgroups. (Through long experience, Usenet users have found that any message posted to so many newsgroups is often not relevant to most or all of them.) Usenet spam is aimed at "lurkers", people who read newsgroups but rarely or never post and give their address away. Usenet spam robs users of the utility of the newsgroups by overwhelming them with a barrage of advertising or other irrelevant posts. Furthermore, Usenet spam subverts the ability of system administrators and owners to manage the topics they accept on their systems.

Email spam targets individual users with direct mail messages. Email spam lists are often created by scanning Usenet postings, stealing Internet mailing lists, or searching the Web for addresses. Email spams typically cost users money out-of-pocket to receive. Many people - anyone with measured phone service - read or receive their mail while the meter is running, so to speak. Spam costs them additional money. On top of that, it costs money for ISPs and online services to transmit spam, and these costs are transmitted directly to subscribers.

One particularly nasty variant of email spam is sending spam to mailing lists (public or private email discussion forums.) Because many mailing lists limit activity to their subscribers, spammers will use automated tools to subscribe to as many mailing lists as possible, so that they can grab the lists of addresses, or use the mailing list as a direct target for their attacks.

Garapon.....

Minsan ito ay lagayan ng asukal, gatas, kape, chocolate drink, candies, etc. Madaming pwedeng pag-gamitan ang isang garapon. Pero ito rin ang naging bansag sa dati kong nakasama sa buhay. Siya rin ang minsan ko ng isinulat dito na naniniwalang narito daw mismo sa lupa ang impierno. Garapon ang naging bansag sa kanya dahil noong araw daw, mahilig siyang kumuha ng skyflakes na nasa garapon sa kanilang school canteen. Kaya naman mula noon hanggang ngayon, iyon na ang naging bansag sa kanya. Hindi ko siya isinusulat ngayon upang hiyain kundi upang buksan ang mga nagdaang bagay sa nakaraang buhay. Kagabi, may napanood ako sa TV about shoplifters, naalala ko tuloy ang kanta ng The Smiths na "Shoplifters of The World Unite" at naalala ko rin kung paanong noong araw, ako rin ay nagsho-shoplift. Delata, kadena ng aso, lapis, pantasa, etc. Mabuti na lang hindi ko naging hanapbuhay ang gayon, katuwaan lang ba kasama ang mga dating kaibigan. Naalala ko ng kunin ko ang kadena ng aso kasama si barney na mahilig sa corned beef, tawa ng tawa mga kaibigan ko noon. Kapag naaalala ko ang napanood ko kagabi, naaalala ko ang maraming bagay sa nakaraan. Sabi nga nila, nakaka-excite ang may challenge, parang computer game, pero di naman computer game ang buhay shoplifter, labas pasok ka lang sa kulungan, pabalik-balik sa pagdukwang at pagsilid at pag-ipit. Sa napanood ko kagabi, tine-test pa kung gaano kalaking bagay ang pwedeng ipitin sa hita, maitago lang ang kinuha, ang ikinabubuhay nila.

Hollywood.....

Sa wakas nakarating na ako sa Hollywood at Directorial debut ko ngayon. Pagdating ko dun kaninang 4:00am, napansin ko kaagad ang maraming tao, at ang una kong hinanap ay si Da Boy dahil alam ko may eksena siyang gagawin kung saan sasalubungin niya ang isang Celebrity at may iaabot ito sa kanyang susi. Nasilaw ako sa karamihan ng ilaw. Maraming Celebrity akong nakita. May ini-interview, may kinukunan ng eksena, may nakikipag-kwentuhan, mayroon naman may kausap sa celfon, kung sino-sino ang nakita ko. Of course dahil Director na ako ngayon sa Hollywood, marami ang humihingi ng aking opinyon. Ang unang eksenang dinerek ko ay sa harap ng Universal Studio kung saan may darating na bisita at ipa-park niya ang kanyang sasakyan sa di kalayuan. "Direk, okey na po ba?", ang isa sa madalas na mamutawi sa bibig ng mga artistang nakatrabaho ko kaninang umaga. Minsan naaalala ko kung paanong noong araw sa TV ko lang nakikita ang mga artista, pero ngayon, nakakaharap ko na sila mismo. Bukas kaya, sinong artista na naman kaya ang hihingi ng opinyon ko? Baka sa mga darating na mga araw, isang pulitiko naman ang magpa-direk sa akin. Sa lugar kung saan maraming nakakasilaw na ilaw. Sa lugar ng mga Celebrity na kung tawagin ay Hollywood.

Adios, Discovery!
The owner of the Discovery team announced the team will disband after this year.

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug 10, 2007 (AFP) - Tailwind Sports, owner and operator of the Discovery Channel team, announced Friday that they will cease operations at the end of the 2007 cycling season.

One of the most successful teams in the sport, Discovery and its predecessor, the US Postal Service Team, won eight of the last nine Tour de France races - seven consecutive from 1999-2005 with Lance Armstrong - and this year with Alberto Contador of Spain.

But Tailwind has been unable to sign a title sponsor for the 2008 season.

"This was a difficult decision, not made any easier by our recent Tour de France success," team General Manager Bill Stapleton said.

"We were in talks with a number of companies about the opportunity and were confident a new sponsor was imminent. We have chosen, however, to end those discussions."

He added: "Tailwind has had an amazing ten years of success with US Postal and more recently Discovery Channel as its title sponsor. This is arguably the most successful sports franchise in the history of sport."

Team co-owner Armstrong added: "I don't think you have seen the last of this organization in the sport but clearly things need to improve on many levels, with a more unified front, before you would see us venture back into cycling."

The Discovery Channel team will continue to race its full calendar of Pro Tour races including the final grand tour of the season, the Tour of Spain.

Ano ang?

Bahag.....
Microdot Sleeve: The bahag or loin cloth of the Mountain Province is an exquisitely hand-loomed piece of long cloth that is wrapped around the man's middle. Much of the modern bahags have found their way to the low land as table runners, serviettes, and other decor and fashion accoutrements.

Eh ang?

Bahag ang buntot.....
Noong nakaraang Lunes, namuti ang mata ko sa pag-hihintay sa magaganap na debate. Kasi naman hindi dumating ang makakalaban ni Bro. Eli na samahang a cappella o minus one(Church of Christ 33AD New Testament) na ayaw ng organ o mga musical instruments. 7:30am ng dumating kami sa Parian, Calamba, Laguna kung saan gaganapin sana ang pinakahihintay kong debate. Ang daming dumating na bisita at mga kapatid. Punong-puno ang venue. First time ko sanang makakapanood ng live na debate. Excited pa naman akong makita kung paanong mapahiya ang mga asong matatakaw na sinasabi ng biblia:

"Oo, ang mga aso ay matatakaw, sila’y kailan man ay walang kabusugan; at ang mga ito ay mga pastor na hindi nangakakaunawa: sila’y nagsilikong lahat sa kanilang sariling daan na mula sa lahat ng dako, bawa’t isa’y sa kaniyang pakinabang."-Isaias 56:11

10:00am ang napagkasunduang oras, sinundo na nga ng kapatid na manggagawa ang makaka-debate subalit wala daw ito sa kanila, nasa maynila daw. Hanep sa palusot ang bahag na buntot ni blackie. Wahehehe! Anyway, hindi man natuloy ang debate dahil sa mga asong urong, nagkaroon naman ng consultation para sa mga kapatid at mga bisitang nagsidalo. Ang saya namin dahil naka-daupang palad namin si Bro. Eli. Umuwi kaming masaya bagaman hindi kami sinipot ng mga asong bahag ang buntot, pinatunayan na namang muli ng Dios sa Kanyang Bayan ang Kanyang salita:

"At kayo'y magsisikaing sagana, at mangabubusog, at inyong pupurihin ang pangalan ng Panginoon ninyong Dios, na gumawa ng kababalaghan sa inyo; at ang aking bayan ay hindi mapapahiya kailan man."-Joel 2:26

BUS-ina.....

Kaninang umaga bago pa pumutok ang araw, sumakay ako sa libreng sakay bus papuntang Quezon City, may aasikasuhin kasi akong importanteng bagay. Ang lamig ng aircon ng bus at may libreng kape at bible pa. Courtesy of UNTV37, kaunaunahan ito sa buong mundo na free ride (with coffee) from Monumento to Baclaran (along Edsa/vice versa). Mula sa aking kinauupuan, pinanood ko ang programa ni Kuya na Good Morning Kuya, ang show na walang rehearsal hindi gaya ng ibang morning shows, parang face powder, puro palamuti. Sa show ni Kuya, spontaneous lahat, parang nasa kanto ka lang at nakikipagkwentuhan tungkol sa ano ba ang balita? Ang galing! Ang Show ni Kuya natural na natural, hindi gaya ng iba, parang ingat na ingat sa sasabihin nila, halata tuloy na may binabasa. Sa aking pagbaba, isang plano ang naisa-diwa, muling maglakbay kasama ng libreng sakay.

Stage 20: Contador Wins The Tour de France
(07-30) 00:35 PDT PARIS, France (AP)
By JAMEY KEATEN, Associated Press Writer
Monday, July 30, 2007

Three years ago, Alberto Contador was lying in a hospital bed recovering from a brain aneurism. He drew inspiration from reading a book about Lance Armstrong, the cancer survivor and seven-time Tour de France champion. Now Contador has his own inspiring comeback story that, like Armstrong's, ended with a victory in the Tour de France on Sunday.

"It's an extraordinary joy," said Contador, who collapsed with the aneurism during a race in Spain in 2004. The Spaniard kissed his winner's yellow jersey on the podium against the backdrop of the Arc de Triomphe.

Contador's victory ride provided a brief moment of celebration for a Tour that has been battered by two weeks of doping scandals and allegations.

Contador, 24, was this year's unlikely winner for Discovery Channel after former race leader Michael Rasmussen was sent home earlier in the Tour for allegedly lying to his team and the pre-race favorite Alexandre Vinokourov failed a doping test.

Contador high-fived and hugged his teammates at the end. His original goal was to take the white jersey for the best young rider. In the end, he got both white and yellow.

Asked on French television about his surgery, Contador took off his yellow cap and showed a large scar running down the side of his head.

"It really marked me for life," Contador said, "but allowed me to better savor this moment.

"This year, I hoped to win the white jersey. I did not know that with the white jersey, the yellow one would come, too."

From its start in London on July 7, when millions of spectators turned out, fans' signs like "No to Doping" increasingly lined the course.

Even for an event whose winners since 1996 have either battled doping claims or admitted to them, this Tour's fallout from doping was instantaneous — often overshadowing the racing itself.

"Suspicion is everywhere," Tour president Christian Prudhomme said Sunday on France-2 television. "We could have doubts about everyone."

Organizers hoped this would be the year of rebirth after 2006 winner Floyd Landis' positive doping test. In the end, they may have settled for simply keeping the race going amid unending doping scandals.

Nor was it Vinokourov's year to step up — as fans who painted his name on French roads had hoped.

The big sporting surprise was Contador. Seen as a promising but not yet mature rider, he blended explosive acceleration in the mountains and a dose of luck as the field was whittled down.

"We've seen the future of Spanish cycling and perhaps international cycling," seven-time Tour winner Armstrong said of Contador.

It was a remarkable personal comeback for Contador, who suffered the aneurism while racing in the Tour of Asturias and fell to the ground from his bike with severe convulsions. Emergency surgery saved him from possible brain damage.

Contador eclipsed the leader of his Discovery team, American Levi Leipheimer, who finished third. Contador was the youngest champion since Jan Ullrich of Germany in 1997, and the first Spaniard to win since the last of Miguel Indurain's five titles in 1995.

In an unplanned irony, the 91-mile route Sunday to Paris' fan-lined Champs-Elysees took riders through the town of Chatenay-Malabry, home to the French anti-doping laboratory that has exposed several riders this year. Sunday's stage was won by Daniele Bennati of Italy.

Contador's victory margin — 23 seconds ahead of Cadel Evans of Australia — was the second-narrowest in the Tour's 104-year history, after about 3,500 kilometers (2,200 miles) of cycling through Britain, Belgium, Spain and France. Leipheimer was third, 31 seconds back.

Contador had seemed destined for second place until the Tour was hit by the ouster of Rasmussen. His Rabobank team accused the Dane of having lied about his whereabouts before the Tour to evade doping controls.

Discovery sports manager Johan Bruyneel, who mentored Armstrong's seven wins, said inheriting the victory like that was bittersweet.

"It's not a nice feeling. You don't want to win like that," Bruyneel told The Associated Press. "The way things were, most likely he (Rasmussen) would have won the Tour de France."

Landis did not defend his crown because of doping charges hanging over him. This Tour turned into a circus after it emerged that Rasmussen was competing despite missing doping controls in May and June, and after Kazakh star Vinokourov and Cristian Moreni of Italy failed doping tests. They and their teams left the race, and police raided their hotels, searching for doping products.

A split emerged as Tour organizers blamed the sport's governing body, the UCI, for not telling them that Rasmussen had missed doping tests. The organizers said they would have prevented him from taking the start had they known. Some newspapers in France declared the Tour dead and said it should be suspended until the sport cleans up. Some members of the International Olympic Committee warned that more scandals could jeopardize cycling's place in the Olympics.

The first week of the Tour's 94th edition was dominated by sprinters and marked by multiple crashes. Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland took the lead on day 1 and wore the yellow jersey for the first week.

But the doping demon quickly returned.

First came news that Patrik Sinkewitz of Germany tested positive for the male hormone testosterone, in a sample taken in June while he was training for the Tour.

Then, over 48 dramatic hours in the last week, came successive punches of Vinokourov's test for a banned blood transfusion, Moreni's positive test for testosterone and Rasmussen's ouster — a race-changing decision that emerged late at night.

On Rasmussen's last day of racing before he was sent home, cyclists from French and German teams refused to ride off with him at the start, protesting against the scandals in the race.

Vinokourov denied doping, although a follow-up test confirmed the positive result given from the first. Vinokourov has hired Landis' lawyer to defend him.

Rasmussen also insisted that he never used performance-enhancing drugs and was left ruing Sunday what might have been.

"Every day I'm going to wake up and think about not being allowed to win the Tour de France — the race that defines me as a cyclist," he told Danish broadcaster TV2. "I will never get over it. ... I believe it equals getting a Picasso painting stolen. I was working on the greatest piece I could achieve and it was taken away from me."

Contador was not spared suspicions. He missed last year's Tour when his former team was disqualified because he and four other riders were implicated in a Spanish blood-doping investigation known as Operation Puerto.

Contador said Saturday that his name mistakenly turned up in the Puerto file — and that the International Cycling Union, or UCI, attested to that.

Tour officials have been looking to the younger generation in the hope these riders have been less influenced by the doping rife in the late 1990s. Riders in their 20s — not in their 30s like Vinokourov and Rasmussen — swept the Tour's top honors. Juan Mauricio Soler of Colombia, aged 24, was crowned best mountain climber; Tom Boonen of Belgium, 28, was best sprinter.

In Contador's home town of Pinto just outside Madrid, hundreds gathered in the main square to watch his victory on a giant TV screen and erupted with cheers when it became official. They set off firecrackers, waved Spanish flags and splashed around in a fountain.