Calling All 'Amazing Race' junkies!

The Department of Tourism is launching the Island Paradise Adventure Race (Luzon Leg), a 9-day auto rally through eight tourist destinations in Luzon based on an "on-time, all the time" system, featuring 35 teams. Each team shall be composed of 3 persons, one of whom will be required to perform certain physical and mental challenges at the control points and pit stops. At stake are top prizes in cash (P 1 million, P 300,000 and P 100,000 for the top 3 winners) and in kind, including trophies and recognition.
The rally proper will be from May 7 to May 15 2005. Registration of participants will be until April 15.
The race is open to the public. Drivers must be licensed with auto insurance and driving "street-legal" cars, and the team must be willing to invest at least P 35,000 for fuel, food, and accomodation. The teams could solicit for sponsors provided that the companies are not direct competitors of the event's sponsors. Registration fee is P 5,000. Please contact the DOT at 523-9031, 536-3153, and 524-2251 from Mondays to Fridays during office hours. Look for Anabelle or Faye

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So is anybody game? I know I am. Paging anybody who owns a four-wheel drive. I am willing to sponsor the registration fee. :)

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Speaking of the Amazing Race, I am starting to develop a severe dislike for media brats Amber and Rob. They have an advantage because they're popular, and they're milking it for all its worth. Haven't they won enough money already? I didn't watch them during their particular Survivor season, so I never really developed an opinion about them. But saying that Meredith pushed Gretchen over the cave, that went too far. And not helping The Brothers during the accident? Hmm, excuse my psychologizing, but not helping them seemed cruel. They like playing the game as long as it is to their advantage, but dislike being played. What gives? Again, if you can dish it out by bribing people to give misleading information to the other teams and stealing their cabs, you have to accept it when people dislike you severely. Accept the consequence.

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Watched CSI:NY. Sorry, no dice. CSI Vegas is still the best. Not because it was the first on the block, but its writing is unmatched. Besides, everything about the succeeding CSI series seems so cliche. Top dog gives one liner, tilts his head, puts on his shades, gives a faraway look, then segue into the theme song. Regardless of sex, there's the sexy ballistics expert, the hot detective, the workaholic patholigist. C'mon people, don't try to infuse too much depth and story about a character during the first episode! You have an entire season to lay the groundwork! I thought I was gonna get into Mac whatever's character (Gary Sinise) during the first scene, anguished in a Church. I was intrigued. But you, you freaking writers, you gave it all away! Couldn't have we known that his wife died in 9/11 in another episode? I thought that having the three teams of CSI writers compete against each other would have motivated the NY writing. C'mon NY is the home of edgy. Give us edge! Not mac and cheese edge!

Billy Petersen (Gil Grissom) is so right. Stop turning the hit into a franchise. The product always gets diluted.