Entertainment

• Pinoys in NY going gaga over Keanna • Pinoy in Hollywood pic gets good reviews • 36 Christian ways to reduce stress

April 13, 2006 | 12:00am

It’s Maundy Thursday and I’m giving the floor to Funfare’s New York correspondent Edmund Silvestre, news editor of The Filipino Reporter, who has interesting items, to wit:

Do you know that many Filipinos here are going ga-ga over Keanna Reeves? What happened to her was like a Cinderella story with Big Brother as the Prince Charming. Although she was dismissed by many as a cheap starlet and trying hard wannabe, especially during her Senate appearance and previous TV interviews, she proved her critics wrong with her natural flair in comedy, heart of gold and compassion and sensitivity for others. She also gave hope to many women (and maybe even men) who are living in sin, that in life, there’s always hope. At kahit madapa ka nang paulit-ulit, puwede ka pa rin makabangon. Sana ma-feature mo si Keanna kasi she’s truly an inspiration to many and I’m sure your interview will cement her status as the newest comedy star. Huwag lang sana lumaki ang ulo niya at mang-away nang kung sinu-sino like some stars we know.

Would you believe the DVDs of the first Pinoy Big Brother sold like hot cakes in Filipino video stores here, wala ka nang makita dahil sold out na. We all loved Nene Tamayo and her housemates, especially Jason, Cass, Uma, Sam, Say and Franzen. And now inaabangan naman namin ang PBB Celebrity Edition DVDs. But if you’ll ask me if Filipinos in the US will flock to see the Pinoy Big Brother housemates, let’s say in a concert tour, my answer is "malamang."

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Two major Hollywood movies, featuring two Filipino-American actors, opened April 7 in theaters across the US.

The first movie, the Antonio Banderas starrer Take the Lead, from New Line Cinema, has Dante Basco (The Debut), while frequent Manila visitor Rob Schneider stars in the Columbia Pictures release The Benchwarmers, produced by Rob’s best friend, Adam Sandler and his Happy Madison Productions.

Take the Lead got mixed reviews, some critics calling the movie "inspiring" and "interesting," while others describing it "average" and "sloppy and rushed." Nonetheless, Dante Basco got glowing reviews in some publications as one of unruly detention students at a Bronx high school in New York who turned into a budding Astaire.

The baseball comedy The Benchwarmers, on the other hand, was clubbed by most critics. Colin Covert of Star-Tribune in Minneapolis says it all: "Sometimes even when you’re prepared for the worst, you have to lower your expectations. In the opening moments of The Benchwarmers, we get a booger joke, a fart joke, a poop joke and a puke joke. But you can only maintain such lofty sophistication for so long, and the film quickly declines from there."

As the most visible Fil-Am actor in Hollywood, we love Rob Schneider and we wanted him to maintain his status as one of Hollywood’s most favorite comics. He’s hilarious in the first Deuce Bigalow and 50 First Dates. But with his most recent projects like The Benchwarmers, Grandma’s Boy and Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo, we suggest that Rob be more choosy about the films he appears in before his star value goes down the drain. We’re crossing our fingers for Rob’s upcoming flicks, Hard R and Big Stan (both in pre-production with 2007 release).

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Here are 36 Christian ways to reduce stress, contributed by reader Alex Guiao:

An Angel says, "Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn’t happen, you have worried in vain. Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice."

1. Pray

2. Go to bed on time.

3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.

4. Say "No" to projects that won’t fit into your time schedule or that will compromise your mental health.

5. Delegate tasks to capable others.

6. Simplify and unclutter your life.

7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)

8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.

9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don’t lump the hard things all together.

10. Take one day at a time.

11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety. If you can’t do anything about a situation, forget it.

12. Live within your budget; don’t use credit cards for ordinary purchases.

13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.

14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.

15. Do something for the Kid in You every day.

16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line.

17. Get enough rest.

18. Eat right.

19. Get organized so everything has its place.

20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.

21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.

22. Every day, find time to be alone.

23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don’t wait until it’s time to go to bed to try and pray.

24. Make friends with Godly people.

25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.

26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good "Thank you, Jesus."

27. Laugh.

28. Laugh some more!

29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.

30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).

31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).

32. Sit on your ego.

33. Talk less; listen more.

34. Slow down.

35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.

36. Every night before going to bed, think of one thing you’re grateful for that you’ve never been grateful for before. GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU. "If God is for us, who can be against us?"

(Romans 8:31)

My instructions were to send this to four people that I wanted God to bless and I picked you. I decided to send it to more than four, because I didn’t want to limit blessings.

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