Pinoy Blog Superstar December 2007 Nominees!

UPDATE: No, I did not delete my post about Mr. Manhunt Dominican Republic. I just moved it, along with other entries, below this one.

After a week of kuh-rayzee self-deliberation, I have finally compiled the best blog writers (at least how I see it) for this month’s Pinoy Blog SOOperstar!

(This month is a stuggle for moi, because all of the blog candidates wrote so many good entries last month. I was planning to put up a “no back-to-back nomination” rule, but come on, that would be really unfair if someone deserves it, right?)

Again, let me give you a rundown of how the nomination process goes:

1) All bloggers who added me in their blogroll are qualified, but bloggers should post at least five entries in a month. (And just like in raffle draws, “the more entries, the more chances of winning”.)

2) The blogs are then divided into groups (according to days when I am supposed to read them). These were sorted out “like cards”.

3) Each blog is then read according to the following preliminary criteria:

* Is the author passionate with blogging?

* Does the author write with quality content?

* Does the author write with original content?

4) The blogs that stand out from these criteria would then undergo a second round of judging according to the following criteria:

* Does the author write in a consistent style?

* Has it kept you engaged in reading?

* Does the blog deserve more readers?

But before I present the nominees, here are some pretty interesting facts I’ve learned:

* You can get high from your own “jerby”.

* Lito Lapid comes up with the most ridiculous quote of 2007.

* Drag is an integral part of Australian culture.

* Santa Claus is a comic book superhero.

* There’s a reason why cycling shorts are black (but any other color would be FINE with us).

* While writers in the US are on strike, aliens have abducted our poor country’s best screenwriters.

And these blogs that are listed below exemplified the art and passion of blogging.

Let’s take a look first at Monday Group, which I think is the new Tuesday Group. Here we find the most read, the most visited, and the most commented blogs. From five outstanding sites in this group, I decided to nominate two…

A.bba: Adbentyurs ng Bikolanang Baklang Aktibista

A back-to-back nominee (ay…veyree memorable ang salitang “back-to-back” sa aketch; kuwento ko later)! Kiks brought a blogful of stories from his recent trip to Nepal, as well as a lot of personal, insightful, and interesting entries that are enjoyable to read.

“…Ang travel advisory para sa lahat ng mga bayot going to the Himalayas:

Walk

Mas win ang walk kesa ride, unless rickshaw ang moda mo. Kahit saan, kahit kailan, even in major thoroughfares at 12MN, walk ang mga utraz. Deadma sa mga speeding sasakyan and everything. Dito, mafi-feel mong ikaw ang Miss World of the Road and not any other vehicular drivers.

Map

Mapa? Gudlak! Go-lah akez sa hotel manager asking for a Kathmandu map. Ginibsung ako ng isang mapa – with a blank outline of the whole valley with a star in the middle and the only English word that reads… Guess…. kurak, KATHMANDU.”

– from “Namas-tse!“

And here’s Kik’s fellow nominee from Monday Group…

Manila Gay Guy

Your ultimate online source for the hottest Filipino men and the “most dramatic” gay stories starred by Migs. (Hey, as I’ve said before, you need to star in your own telenovela.)

“After he admired the simple beauty of my self-designed pad, we sat down and he started to talk about how he had a crush on me. The guy’s pretty straightforward. Diretsuhan talaga. Ako mismo ang nagulat. My response? Sabi ko, bakit ngayon lang niya sinabi. Then I ended with, “it’s much better we stay this way.” Yan. Nagpa-Maria Clara ang lola ninyo. Recited the poem of everlasting friendship eklavu vs. the ode to the fleetingness of romance. Even if, admittedly, I like Chinoy. Yup, I like him. Sige na, cast the first stone. Ang tanga-tanga ko. Ang excuse ko lang, I think I was too proud to admit it to him in his face. I was caught unaware. Pero regardless, tanga talaga ako. Tanga nga ba?”

– from “Lovely, Loveless Christmas“

Next in line are our nominees from Tuesday Group (as you can see, I am choosing two nominees now)…

The Zen Bitch Speaks

Mike de Guzman aka Zen Bitch has a personal blog that is as personal as it can get. His posts may be quite long, but it surely are worth the time to read.

“They say that when a door closes, windows open. This adage, it seems, is also applicable to friendships. While this year has seen the dissolution of some of my friendships, this year I also made new friends. Four are worth mentioning. The first is not really a new friend; I’ve known her for quite a bit but I only started to get to know her better this year. And such a good person to know, this lady. Down-to-earth and unassuming, and simple as her nickname, she is a refreshing sight to all the ‘frienemies’ and the ‘dead-to-me’s’ that came my way this year. I am honored to be her friend. The second is also an old acquaintance but our recent closeness have made me discover a good person. I am looking forward to getting to know him more. The other two are colleagues. I am actually quite amazed and alarmed at these new friendships: amazed at the speed with which it happened; alarmed at what can this mean to the friendship. Easy come, easy go? I hope not.”

– from “What are you doing New Year’s eve?“

Here’s our other nominee from Tuesday Group…

Pulse

Another back-to-back nomination, this time for Em Dy, now with more good food reviews and other interesting stories.

“The downsides of being born the day after Christmas are 1) I get only one gift instead of two; 2) most restaurants were closed during Christmas when I was growing up so it was difficult ordering a cake, we settled instead for ice cream cake; 3) my mom and our cook had trouble preparing a menu because of the many feasts that preceded my birthday, in later years, we opted to eat out instead; 4) my December expense is much more than the usual monthly expense or Christmas expense.”

– from “A Working Holiday“

Meanwhile, only five blogs passed the primary requirement on Wednesday Group (a minimum of 5 posts every month). I also found out that some of them were even inactive (Maruja misses yah!).

After careful judging, here are our two nominees from this group.

Read My Mind (My Keyboard Monologues)

Monaco, a self-confessed 77% Blog Addict, presents his entries at a really relaxed pace despite the length. He also builds a community through his PhotoHunts every Saturday.

“But it didn’t end there. He just could not keep his mouth shut. He took Michael’s “Thriller” album from the stack of old records and showed it to his sons. “This is one of the best, if not the best. Look, it’s Michael Jackson,” Ron bragged. However, he was unprepared to what he was going to hear next. “That’s not Michael Jackson!” OMG, here we go again!

Ron said that he tried convincing his sons that it was Michael on the album cover to no avail. They just wouldn’t believe that he looked that “ugly”, even arguing that Michael has white skin, long straight hair and a small nose, unlike the guy in the photo!”

– from “that’s not michael jackson!“

Pulsar

Mugen, a fellow Thomasian, strips down to his very soul on every entry he posts.

“Nag-anyaya sa akin si Princess ng inuman kahapon sa bahay ng isa pa naming katrabaho.

Imbitado rin doon si P-Man, na sa hindi ko maipaliwanag na dahilan ay lagi ko na naman naiisip at napapansin nitong mga nakaraan. Sa totoo, gusto ko sanang sumama sa kanila. Ngunit dahil na rin sa obligasyong pampamilya, sa halip ay sinamahan ko ang aking utol at nanay sa MOA.

Habang lumalalim ang gabi, hindi ko makaila na parang mainit na modtang nakadikit sa aking kamay ang mga nangyari noong nakaraan: ang pangongorner niya sa taxi; Ang desisyon kong dalhin siya sa tahimik na lugar na tanging ako lang ang may lakas na loob manguna; Ang magdamagang pag-uulayaw kung saan pinakita ko sa kanya ang aking galing sa kama.

Ang hirap kalimutan ng mga bagay na ito, lalo pa’t buo mong sinuko ang sarili mo sa isang tao.

Sa kabila nito, mapalad na rin na wala ako doon.”

– from “Stand-Off | Purging“

Next are our nominees from Thursday Group…

Can’t You Read

Rye, the latest G*Spot Awardee, has taken the spotlight with personal texts and interesting stories.

“After a few more puffs, it was time for Dan to go. He went on his way to the immigration while I headed for the bus stop. Halfway there, I decided to take a cab so I could get home quicker. While in transit, that Maita episode just kept playing in my mind. I could still hear her voice. And her face, as she was looking at the presents she was excited to bring home but couldn’t find a way to, was still vivid in my imagination. My heart felt so heavy. I could help had I chosen to. But I did not. I wish I had the heart to be more giving. Like Remi. And Oca. And everyone that helped put us to school.

“Pin dow ar? [Where?]“, the driver, asking where to pull over, broke me from thought. We were already at my village.

“Go dow, m goi. [Right there, please.]“, I pointed to him where to stop. He quickly did. I looked at the meter and it registered $48.00 — that’s the fare I had to pay for the driver to bring me home from the airport. That’s two dollars more than what Maita needed to bring her Christmas presents to her family in Manila.”

– from “The 46-Dollar Story“

Pat Session

Pat declared He’s Not Gay, but we know that’s His Style.

“There is an unexplainable though seemingly fashionable and self-righteous belief among certain gay guys that Malate is one of the most deplorable places to be. In certain circles, the homo hub is touted as disease city seeing as the MM gay population troops at Orosa/Nakpil (some without fail) every Saturday or whenever it’s considered smart to be there. It’s an alarming observation although a little understandable for certain groups of the gay pop. And because I Am Not Gay, I am not supposed to care, but I do. Not only am I not gay, I am also not a very honest person, and I lie about major things.

Every Saturday, you can be sure that there isn’t a shortage of display of self-confidence in that area. How could there be when the whole point of being there is to bed someone or (for the prissy) simply meet someone, and that if you lack that which would get you your true aim, you’ll be going to bed early with a sorry looking stamp on your sad little wrist. It is a sad fact of the gay dating scene that in order to effectively put yourself in the market, you have to be pretty. If only more gay guys could see beyond perfect bone structures, impressive jaw lines, expensive odor, and mighty bulges there would be less depressed fags in the city.”

– from “Malate“

And last, but not the least, here I present the two chosen nominees from Friday Group…

Misterhubs

Mr. Hubs never fails to crack his readers up, like this fag typing this sentence.

“Ah, Christmas eve. By now, you’ve probably consumed enough food and beverage to feed a Nairobian village for six months. You solemnly vow not to eat anything more than a diet cracker in the coming days, knowing well that you’ll be raiding the fridge a little later; that carrot cake is calling out your name.

With breathless anticipation, you rip open your gifts, starting with the one with the shmanciest wrapper and trimmings. Oh look, there’s the wooden Frosti the Snowman wall clock you’ve always coveted, courtesy of your boss! And wouldn’t you know it, your officemate, X, gave you another coffee mug to add to your fledging coffee mug museum!”

– from “Christmas Eve“

and finally…

Your Headphones

Don’t be mislead by its simplicity.

“I could still imagine people sliding off Nova Villa’s still plastic-wrapped couch (a shot at the nouveau riche). Jon Santos’s glorious impersonation of sore loser Miriam Defensor Santiago, I recall, made my grandfather, a die-hard Miriam fan, flinch. I remember the nauseating contrast between Sammy Lagmay’s Tondo-inspired neighborhood and the well-developed village where the pill-popping lunatic Barbara Tenco lived. Of course, Rodirick Paulate’s shrill Benny and his parlor, Carmy Martin as the charming, hot dimwit.

Then there’s Anjo Yllana’s Dino, the shivery, gun-toting, homicidal retard who was a stand-in for all shivery, gun-toting, homicidal retards who ever raped, murdered, and got away with everything else because they were rich and powerful. Dino is one character that I still am a little scared of until now (and not only because the real persons the character was based on are still aplenty and a-roving); the writers got him really good and buffered his darkness with parody. Every week they made us laugh at the monster we condemned in documentary crime shows and police reports, children of our wealthy and influential. Remember when he slips and confesses to a new crime, he and his mother Barbara would do this signature move where they bite one hand, fluttering their fingers? That comedy has yet to be topped.”

– from “Watch Out For The Next Chapter“

Ten nominees, only one special title. Only one Pinoy Blog SOOperstar! Voting is now open!

TO VOTE:

1) Leave a comment in this post and vote for TWO of your favorite blogs. Any vote containing more or less than two blogs are not counted.

2) Nominees have the option to vote, but only with another co-nominee (since they automatically have a vote for self).

3) Deadline of voting is on January 18, 2007, at 11:59 p.m.

So don’t delay! Vote now and decide who should be December 2007’s Pinoy Blog Superstar!