THE MEN: Ninoy Aquino

I saw Bam Aquino the other day in Greenbelt 5 and I couldn't help but stare at his sweet tortoise shell glasses. I must say, I was quite impressed. Not everyone can pull those off, but he did and it was a thing of beauty. It must run in the family, I suppose. All the Aquino men - well, most of them anyways (*cough* Noynoy *cough*) - wear statement glasses perfectly. They can thank Ninoy for that. Not only was he the best president we never had. He also made thick plastic frames look oh so damn cool.

Even with a blurry television, you could see how awesome his glasses were

Even in his younger days, his specs were already spot on

While it can be argued that a lot of people wore bold glasses back then, I believe that no one pulled it off better than Ninoy. It must have been that swagger about him, that confidence he had that could have brought a dictatorship down to its knees (and almost did). It was the perfect marriage: A charismatic man whom you can't help but listen to and a pair of plastic frames which you can't take your eyes off.

Suited up or dressed down, Ninoy's glasses just worked

The weight may come and go, but the fine taste in eyewear 

clearly does not

Often times, tinted frames would look tacky. 

This is not one of those times.

Pictures of Ninoy in his trademark specs look as awesome today as it did back then. To this very day, I still think no one does it better. Whether it be through commercials or clothing, seeing those bold frames could still only mean one person. And with the senatorial election coming up, how I wish we had a way to bring him back. We could be proud of in both style and substance.

Is that a Fred Perry Laurel peeking out? Oh, you continue to amaze, sir

Oh my, does Cory look like Kris here or what?

It's just not the same without the specs, is it? 

Oh, Cory mirrors Kris yet again!

Take a gander below to see my favorite Ninoy speech. It's about 10 minutes long, but be patient my young padawan, every second's well worth it.

xo,

Jack

COOK IT UP #2: Glazed Beef & Vegetable Meatloaf

If there's one 'Cook It Up' dish that you can prep-up for your family that they would love (even picky eaters), this recipe is the one! It's one of the easiest meals to cook! All you have to do is to "DUMP, MIX, MOLD, and BAKE"! The beauty about making this beef and veggie meatloaf is that it's the same recipe you can use to make hamburgers, meatballs, and bolognese sauce for pasta (you just have to add tomato sauce.)

"Glazed Beef & Vegetable Meatloaf"

What you need: 

500 grams ground sirloin

1 carrot &1 big bell pepper, finely chopped

1 1/2 tbsp. salt; 1 whole egg, 1/2 tbsp pepper

& 1 tbsp organic tamari sauce 

  

1/4 cup milk  

(milk adds a rich texture and juiciness to the ground beef)

1/2 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs

 (you can make your own using day-old wheat bread, toasted and grounded)

2 tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil (not in photo)

1 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)

 For the glaze:

3 tbsp. Tomato Ketchup (you cannot use banana ketchup for this recipe)

2 tbsp.  apple cider vinegar

Easy peasy:

 Step 1: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. DUMP all the ingredients  

(including 2tbsp. of EVOO) in a mixing bowl

 Step 2: MIX in all the ingredients.

 Tip: Grease the pan with EVOO

 Step 3: MOLD the meatloaf in a meatloaf pan or an aluminum pan. Pack the beef and veggie mixture well.

Step 4: BAKE the mixture in the oven at 400 degrees for 45-50 mins.

Important! Set your alarm to 30 mins. because you need to add the glaze before it cooks.

Step 5: In a separate bowl, mix the tomato catsup and apple cider vinegar

 Step 6: 10-15 mins before it cooks, take the meatloaf out of the oven and add the glaze mixture. Spread generously. Put it back in the oven and let it cook for 10-15 mins. or until the glaze browns.

 It should look like this. Let meatloaf rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Tip: Pour out the oil from the pan.

 Serve with a smile!☺

It's also one of the best lunchbox treats because you can eat it hot or cold. The glaze is really what makes this meatloaf special. 

xo,

Jack

YVANISM: Maple Syrup Sweet

You know what’s great (and sometimes, annoying) about having a partner who’s into theater/acting?

Whenever you share sweet-nothings or have arguments, sometimes your conversations seem like they were ripped and recited right off of a movie script. So today, when I was pouring out anxious sentiments about the thought of cho heading for the real world and leaving innocent, schoolboy me behind, cho drowned all my fears and worries in one picture-perfect line: 

 “I’m leaving the industry, but I’m not leaving you.”

Unrehearsed and ad-libbed, but cho got it all in one take. :')

xo,

Jack