A TOP network honcho told me that he and other bigwigs are quite amused about an ongoing network game. ?Nakakatawa mga taga-ibang network. Sila mismo nagpapa-float ng news na [Those from the other networks are funny. They are the ones who are floating the news that] they are being pirated by us. But the truth is, they are the ones who keep sending us feelers,? he reveals.

?Style nila ?yun para tumaas ang market value nila in their network. ?Di naman kinakagat parati. Ang biruan nga namin sa dami ng celebs/executives na nagpaparamdam sa amin parang may horror film everyday sa office [That?s their style so that their market value will increase in their network. But they?re not biting. The joke going around here is that with the number of celebs/executives who have been sending us feelers it?s like having a horror film everyday in the office],? he adds.

Just because the grass seems greener on the other side of the fence, it doesn?t mean there?s always a green light for everybody to jump in.

***

Ogie Alcasid and Regine Velasquez are in a euphoric state after their successful concert in Doha and Dubai. What was the best part of the trip? ?Just being with Reg in a concert is always a wonderful experience,? Ogie says.

His spirits were suddenly dampened when I asked him about his sentiments regarding the Comelec?s order for celebrities endorsing candidates to take a leave. ?It?s a sad day for democracy,? he sighs. ?But I don?t want to add to the trouble by commenting further.?

Knowing Ogie, he would say it best through another hit composition.

***

I was ecstatic when Michael Jackson?s cool vocal coach, Dorian Holley, sent me a message on Facebook after I posted the link to my column where I mentioned him. His message goes: ?Thank you, Sweetheart. I really appreciate it.?

I kept screaming like crazy upon reading his message. It?s the next best thing to hearing from MJ himself. My kids had to rush to my room to check if I was all right.

They teased me. ?Ma, malala na ang ?MJnism? mo. Magpa-check up ka na [Ma, your ?MJnism? is getting worse. Maybe you should have a check up]!?

Dorian wrote a very touching poem about MJ. I am waiting for his go-signal to share it with you. MJ?s legacy is immortalized through great artists like Dorian!

I still could not contain my excitement after hearing from Dorian when another surprise came my way. MJ?s fab guitarist in ?This Is It,? Orianthi Panagaris, accepted my invitation to be her Facebook contact and she even sent me a message to thank me for tagging her in my wall picture of handcuffs with the caption, ?Arrest Murray & The Others Involved.?

MJ?s family strongly suspects there?s a conspiracy behind MJ?s sudden death. Orianthi shares the same sentiments as all MJ diehards, that his personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, should be incarcerated for manslaughter. The King of Pop deserves nothing less than absolute justice.

***

Roderick Paulate is raring to do the pilot episode of Maricel Soriano?s show on TV5. ?Maria and I are both excited,? he gushes. ?It?s been a long time since we last worked together. We had dinner. Asaran at tawanan kami non-stop [We keep on kidding and laughing non-stop]. And we turned serious when we talked about our dear departed moms who both passed away recently. She asked me about yung pagtakbo ko sa politics [my plans of running for politics]. Sabi ko lumalakad pa lang ako [I told her that I was just walking] (laughs).?

Maria?s new show will feature different episodes every week. It could be drama, comedy or even a musical. The episode with Dick is about two people who are fighting over the custody and love of one child.

According to Dick, it?s a comedy na may puso [with a heart]. Get ready for an overdose of laughter and love!

E-mail wateringholeshangrila@yahoo.com.