the incomparable mr. bean

when you go around asking people if they knew anybody named rowan atkinson, chances are you’ll get a blank stare and a shrug. but just mention “mr. bean” and more often than not, you’ll be met by a flash of recognition followed by a snicker or a loud guffaw. after years of overturning the boob tube and the silver screen, rowan atkinson (as the incomparable mr. bean) has managed to achieve global recognizability that many comedians can only dream about. frankly, he’s almost an institution all by himself.

rib-tickling antics? check. physical stunts that would rouse a contortionist’s envy? too easy. creating absurd mayhem out of a serious situation? uhh please. he can do that without even taking a deep breath.

yep, he can do these things. without saying a word, mind you. sometimes, he doesn’t even need any support characters. but seriously, how is he as a dancer? check this out.

kind of makes you wonder what those Chippendale dancers would say about this.

much ado about mobile phones

being an avid cell phone user these past few years, i had thought that by now i would be fairly immune to the usual hype that would flare up every time a drool-worthy mobile unit comes out in the market.

for the most part, i can usually turn a blind eye or a deaf ear whenever these habitual flares occur — fairly easy when you have your budgetary constraints to consider (ahem). but when news about the iPhone’s coming began to hit the airwaves, my ears definitely “perked up.”

after reading about that $200 price tag (8GB version) and some of its nifty features and functions, i knew i was fighting a losing battle. without prompting, i began to imagine what it would be like to have this gadget strapped to my wrist. it got to the point where i was ‘planning’ what color would suit me best (black or white) and what phone accessories would best compliment my needs — things like cell phone headsets, cases, chargers, dock, etc.

in short, i got swept away by my own imagination. and it turned out i wasn’t the only one. for a while there, we were entranced by the idea of owning this mobile gadget and all that it represented. actually it’s not that hard to understand, judging from the way thousands of excited would-be buyers reacted to iPhone’s global debut.

after waking up to its hefty price tag (local prices are quite baffling, to say the least) though, i realized and acknowledged to myself that if i really want one, i would have to go back to my drawing board and think some more.

still, the prospect enchants.