Zombies — not dead, and definitely a warm Valentine’s treat

Steve O’Neal is at it again. This time, our good friend and top-ranked impresario Danny Samonte is bringing in the authentic sounds of the 60’s via this popular band, the Zombies. If you’re a baby boomer like me, you can’t get "I Don’t Believe in Miracles", "She’s Not There", "The Way I Feel Inside", "Goin" Out Of My Head", "I Remember When I Loved Her", and "Miles Away" out of your consciousness. The songs’ lines are etched, subliminally appearing at odd times when you hanker for the old times. Yup, the Zombies are a part of my youth, as much a part as the 60s will always be in the annals of history.

Since, as my esteemed colleague Quinito Henson pointed out, it is the Zombies’ first Asian tour in almost 40 years; it would be something indeed to look forward to. With lead vocalist Colin Blunstone and Rod Argent at the keyboard, we have Britain’s finest serenading us with love songs. It is the perfect Valentine treat, and Zombies lovers will have their time reminiscing.

For schedules, please check hereunder so as not to get your dates and venues crossed:

Monday – Feb. 13 – Araneta Coliseum

Tuesday – Feb. 14 – Ynares Center (in Antipolo)

The telephone numbers to call for both shows are 911-5555 (Ticketnet).

B&L Poker Mall Tour’s resumption

The poker fever is still raging. The Business & Leisure Poker Mall Tour that we recently concluded still rings in the pokeristas’ minds. I’m still swamped with e-mail, text messages, phone calls, etc on when the next round is going to be. Even the top honchos of Eastwood City, I guess, are quite happy with the turn-out, and they too are keen to know when the next one is scheduled.

Non-cash wager Texas Hold’em poker has met with phenomenal success. For a given amount which is the tournament fee for the night, one can enjoy long hours of challenging poker with worthy opponents. Of course, the length of your playing time depends entirely on you. Reckless imprudence can mean your untimely demise after only one round. As you might often hear, poker is a game of infinite patience. Wait for the right cards, or the right opportunity, and you can stay alive for a long, long time, and outlive everyone else at the table.

Unfortunately, I have too many things going at the same time. The Petron Xtra Unleaded 2006 Auto Focus Automobile of the Year – People’s Choice Awards was just recently launched, and the search is on till April of this year, when we will proclaim the people’s choices for the different categories in the automobile and motorcycle categories. This, and the unabated work on the three shows we have, has pushed me to go easy on special projects. Though poker will always be my game of choice, let me flex my limbs a little and allow me a little breather. In the meantime, there is my brother Rey’s brainchild called "Philippine Poker Tour Million-Peso Hold’em Championship. It is a non-cash wager poker tournament with a guaranteed prize pot of one million six hundred thousand pesos (P1,600,000) to be held on April 8 and 9, 2006.

In this tournament, Pagcor will provide the venues for the qualifying satellite tournaments, and for the main event.

There will be guaranteed prizes for 10 winners, including, I hear, a Champion’s Gold Bracelet! Solar Entertainment will provide television coverage, while STV will assist in promotions. The Champion himself (or herself, lest I be accused of being chauvinistic) gets to win P1 million in prize money, while the rest comprising the top ten stand to earn big prize monies as well.

This is a very ambitious project which I’m sure Rey and his group can carry through with aplomb and, more importantly, with as much transparency as needed. It is one event that the poker-playing public is awaiting with much anticipation.

New ARESCOM assignments

Last Jan. 6, Col. Joseph Galam of 403 (Laguna) CDC turned over his command to Major Viray at Camp Elridge, Los Baños, Laguna.

For one and a half years, Col. Galam was the commandant of the ROTC units of U.P. Los Baños, San Pablo, and the Polytechnic Unit of Sta. Cruz, Laguna. Col. Galam earned the trust and respect of the officers and men of the 41st Infantry Division Stand-by Reserve, as well as the 1st Laguna Ready Reserve Battalion. Col. Galam also developed a good working relationship with the local executives, from the governor down to the barangay officials, so Col. .Galam’s farewell valedictory, although much applauded, was regretfully received by the crowd.

Col. Galam was recently designated by Brig. Gen. Emmanuel Cayton, Commanding General of ARESCOM, as the Asst. Chief of Staff for Intel G2 of the Army Reserve Command of the AFP. Congratulations, Sir, on your much deserved promotion.

Distinguished guest of Business & Leisure tomorrow evening

Don’t fail to watch your longest-running business & lifestyle TV magazine on Channel 4 Manila and nationwide via satellite on the National Broadcasting Network tomorrow, Sunday, at 10:30 p.m. We will be featuring our one-on-one interview with the German Ambassador, H.E. Axel Weishaupt. On Quest, our segment that spotlights the different sports disciplines that our country hopes to get its first gold in the Olympics, Powerlifting takes center stage, while on the much-awaited segment on Places, where we put on centerstage our recommended destination for leisure; we will feature Ciudad Christina, a popular resort in Rizal.

Mabuhay!!! Be proud to be a Filipino.

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