With the hundreds of characters in the Marvel Universe, we don’t see comic-book-based movies slowing down any time soon. But before Marvel settle for minor characters, they’re picking off their major ones first.

In the works is The Black Panther. Finally, we’d have a film version featuring the king of Wakanda (fictional African nation). Marvel has yet to name who’ll be crowned as T’Challa but word has it that Lost actor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje is already in discussions with Marvel.

But these are all just rumors for now. Other actors hinted to play the role are Chiwetel Ejiofor, Djimon Honsou, and even Wesley Snipes.

Adewale will also be seen later this month in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. Here’s an interview from MTV.

I promised Tita Dine and Ate Tin to join the WikiPilipinas Filipina Writing Contest. I will be submitting my essay some time soon. I do encourage you to contribute to this endeavor. Personally, I feel that the prize is irrelevant, it’s contributing something to uplift the image of the Filipina that is more important

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I’m so glad I only paid more-or-less 48K PhP for the whole duration of my 4 year-stay in college (no scholarship and special privileges at that). But I think the amount we’re talking about here is just tuition fee for an academic year.

Five Most Expensive Colleges (room, board and books excluded)

George Washington University : $39,240

Kenyon College : $38,140

Bucknell University : $38,134

Vassar College : $38,115

Sarah Lawrence College : $38,090

Source: Yahoo! Finance

Here are Jiyu Kokumin-sha’s Top 10 Ryukogo Taisho (Japanese Buzzwords) for 2007:

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Original photo from: Sugarcharms

What are those green plastic cut-outs in bento boxes for?

This is one question that I never got to ask when I was in Japan, thinking that the answer was fairly obvious – as food decoration. But one American visitor to Japan did, and apparently there’s more to this “bento grass” (haran or baran) than meets the eye:

They are indeed intended to add color, an essential part of food presentation in Japan, but as you guessed, there’s more to it than that.

I took your question to Ayao Okumura, a chef, food consultant and cookbook author with a keen interest in the history of cooking. He explained that a variety of dividers, including plastic grass, are used when making bento to prevent assertive flavors from seeping from one tidbit into another. Separating foods also slows bacterial growth, thus extending the shelf-life of these highly perishable prepared meals.

Read Alice Gordenker’s full article at the Japan Times Online.

Congratulations to my friend, Jason of Greenpinoy!

Here’s his good news:

Ang video ng interview ay mapapanood sa FIRST EPISODE ng THE GREENPINOY SHOW!!! Ang The Greenpinoy Show ay mapapanood exclusively sa Projectube weekly mula March 1 2008 (tentative schedule). Susunod ang ibang mga detalye. Exciting!!!

And guess who his first guest is!

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One of my favorite Sesame Street clips!

Here’s the info from the YouTube page:

“A loaf of bread, a container of milk and a stick of butter“. From 1972, the classic animated segment about memory, which has done a pretty good job of sticking in the memories of a generation of Sesame Street viewers. Produced by Jim Simon’s Wantu Studios, the same company that made equally distinctive animation for The Electric Company and Vegetable Soup

Remember this, anyone?

I learned English from Sesame Street and then learned Filipino from Batibot. Nakaka-miss ang 80’s!