I stumbled onto the official website of the Trattoria Acqua, a lovely restaurant known for San Diego romantic dining. As I reviewed the website of this California restaurant offering Italian coastal cuisine, I remarked to myself:

This would be a hit in Tagaytay!

Think about it. Their specialty is a spectacular Osso Buco alla Pugliese, a pasta dish that features a veal shank braised in garlic, tomatoes, capers, and olives, undoubtedly perfect for Tagaytay’s brisk cool air. My mouth literally waters for the chance to savor their Carpaccio di Bue al Gorgonzola, an unbelievable filet mignon carpaccio with gorgonzola cheese and a Dijoin mustard aioli! Gosh, that sounds incredible!

Other dishes that’d go well with Tagaytay: the Ravioli d’Aragosta, lobster in pasta purses served with sweet tomatoes and a basil-infused beurre blanc, the Portabello e Polenta, a seasoned ham and wild mushroom dish that is out of this world, and the Proscuitto e Gorgonzola, partnered with baby arugula and house-made fresh fig marmalade.

The ambience also looks amazing. The Mediterranean feel would not be out-of-place in Tagaytay at all.  Tiled terraces, rustic walls, vines… it’s perfect for Tagaytay.

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Country singer Mindy McCready, who scored a huge hit in 1997 with Guys Do It All The Time, was taken into custody Wednesday at Nashville International Airport for violating her probation. The 31-year-old singer was arrested on misdemeanor charges: she scratched her mother’s face before being forcibly taken into custody by sheriff’s deputies.

The singer, who has suffered from addiction to the drug Oxytocin, said she violated probation by being charged in a new offense; not reporting those charges immediately to her probation officer; and by the nature of the new assault charges.

Prior to her arrest, McCready had other runs-in with the law, including a driving under the influence charge in 2006. While found not guilty of the DUI charge, she was found guilty of driving with a suspended license. She then pleaded guilty to violating her probation.

Meanwhile, her mug shot has been released by local authorities, and I am a little curious as to what happened to her nose. Did she get that cut during her altercation with her mom or when she was arrested? Hm. It looks like McCready could use a little Philadelphia rhinoplasty.

It’s been a little less than two months since we’ve had Gina, our Hyundai Getz. Since then, she’s been a faithful little thang, but it’s only been now that I’ve managed to find time to invest in quality stuff for her.

Since we bought her, I’ve invested in:

• Custom leather seats from MG Square (call 411-5442, look for Rey);
• Funky blue lights beside the CD player because there’s no map light;
• a new Bosch horn to replace that poor excuse of a factor horn; and
• Looney Tunes car mats.

Sure, it’s a little pricey at the start, but we’re with our Hyundai Getz Philippines for the long haul. When you treat your car right, it’ll treat you right. Sure beats the heck out of buying used cars in San Diego.

Last week, I bought car wax and applied it, but this week, I’m bringing Gina to the car wash beside Tazza along Banawe because there will be days when it’s just so much easier and better to trust the professionals.

Carrot Top is one funny comedian. I’ve always thought that he was one of the best prop comedians around. (Would’ve been fun to see him on Whose Line is It Anyway for the Props game.)

Among Carrot Top’s many hysterical props: a Dr. Kevorkian bath toy consisting of a rubber duck with an electric plug; a Whitney Houston microphone with bong; and my personal favorite, a paper-cup-and-string telephone with an extra cup and string for call-waiting. Hahaha!

Imagine, therefore, my shock to see this photo of him at the recent Flavor Flav roast on Comedy Central.

Man, the steroids are just popping all over this bad boy.

His face seems to be the biggest prop of all. I’m not sure I can laugh when the comedian on stage looks like someone ready to beat me up and eat me alive. He plays gigs around the country; maybe he should swing by the nation’s capital and get some plastic surgery in Washington DC so he wouldn’t look so behemoth scary.

Well, regardless, he’s a great comedian. Rock it, Carrot Top!

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I have lost almost 20 lbs since I started my diet, but I’ve noticed I’m still saggy in areas and lumpy in others. I only recently found out that fat in certain areas of the body cannot be removed by exercise and diet. That is so unfair!

Once I’ve lost enough weight - about 60 lbs. is my target - I may just turn to tumescent liposuction to sculpt the rest of me. Fat deposits I can’t get rid of (especially around the tummy and ass area) can be removed safely with this type of liposuction.

Why shouldn’t I consider it? No one’s died from it, nor has anyone reported major complications in hundreds of thousands of patients who have had the procedure in the past few years. Patients bruise less and heal faster. Most patients are able to walk immediately after the procedure, and typically return to work in two days! Wow!

Of course, I imagine this will be expensive, so we’ll have to consider that. But still. It’s nice knowing we have options.

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I visited MSN’s list of worst Oscar dresses, and I was absolutely stunned by three of the eight choices there. You guys have GOT to see these.

1. Demi Moore’s dress. This one is particularly scary because it seems like her outfit is the queen of ugly dress colors and patterns. Sure, basic black is always a good choice, but did Demi really think these ultratight cycling shorts were a good fashion choice? Her thighs may now be muscled and tight enough to crack walnuts, but at the time… meh.

Combine this unusual bottom with an unconventional top, flower patterned train, and a Japanese-inspired bodice, and you’ve got yourself a dress that will die hard.

2. Bjork’s swan dress. I don’t think feathers are a good fashion fabric in any case. Nothing like a faux dead swan to say, “Hey world, I’m an Oscar-nominated actress. I’m here!”
3. Cher’s Moonstruck dress. Can you believe she claimed her Oscar in THIS?! The headdress, the bare navel (sure, she’s in better shape now than I ever was, and those abs are AMAZING), but she still looks like Elvira, Mistress of the Dark.

There are several other dresses on that list, but I think you’ll find these three are the most horrendous of the lot.

You’d think celebrities would be able to afford some really nice gowns, not something that looks like what I just posted, or something in bubblegum pink like some horrendous prom dress.

I didn’t have a prom in high school, but we had this one dance at the Coconut Palace. It was pretty cool. I brought my girlfriend at the time, and we slow danced and everything. It was magic.  I heard a lot of guys lost their virginities that night, but what do I know? I didn’t have to wear a dress, and my girlfriend wore a simply black dress that was really lovely.

What I remember most about that night? The prom dresses and the fact that my girlfriend liked to dance the Macarena. Ugh.

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I was listening to Michael Jackson’s You Rock My World a few days ago when I took a second look at his Invincible album cover. Take a quick look.

Does this look anything like he looks now? I mean, what happened here?

The most shocking change is Michael’s nose. From the original wide flared Afro-American nostrils he started out with, he now has an aquiline nose whose condition is well-documented by tabloid media. Obviously, Michael needs some revision rhinoplasty, but the question at hand is, is there any natural skin left to work with?

And what is with his skin color? He was dark, now he’s sporting a much lighter hue, but we know that his roots, his blood, his DNA says, Afro-American. Why don’t his kids even look mulatto?

I’m neither passing judgment nor criticism, just throwing the proverbial rhetorical question. He’s still a great musician.

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When I was a sophomore in college, I joined an a capella group in Ateneo named ReVerse. It was an eight-man group specializing in a capella arrangements of current R&B tracks and some great pop nuggets. Some of the best moments of my life were spent singing with ReVerse; it was a fulfillment, in a way, of a lifelong dream to be singing in front of people.

One of the guys in the band, a great guy we’ll call G-Funk, got a tattoo on his arm of a dragon in the shape of a G. I thought it was the coolest thing ever, thinking to myself, “I want one.” It certainly wasn’t because of a desire to be deviant or anything, but I’d always wanted Tattoos. After saving up money from my allowance, I asked G-Funk to come with me to Cartimar, where skin artist Ricky Sta. Ana had a practice, so I could get one.

True to form, I didn’t want a skull and bones or anything remotely dangerous-looking. I decided to go with a Calvin and Hobbes tattoo off the Indispensable Calvin and Hobbes collection.

I still remember the experience. Ricky Sta. Ana was a remarkably paternal figure. He ran me through how he would do it, gave me some Storck so I wouldn’t feel too much pain (sugar still numbs all kinds of pain to this day)…

I was very happy with the work. There I was, a kid in college, with a cartoon tat. I’m still proud of it.