SOAR'

THERE AIN'T NO SOARING WITH MR SWINE AROUND - THE SWINE FLU SCARE!!!

2009-05-18T18:57:00.000-07:00

A New Influenza Virus

Novel influenza A (H1N1) is a new flu virus of swine origin that was first detected in April, 2009. The virus is infecting people and is spreading from person-to-person, sparking a growing outbreak of illness in the United States. An increasing number of cases are being reported internationally as well.

It’s thought that novel influenza A (H1N1) flu spreads in the same way that regular seasonal influenza viruses spread; mainly through the coughs and sneezes of people who are sick with the virus.

It’s uncertain at this time how severe this novel H1N1 outbreak will be in terms of illness and death compared with other influenza viruses. Because this is a new virus, most people will not have immunity to it, and illness may be more severe and widespread as a result. In addition, currently there is no vaccine to protect against this novel H1N1 virus. CDC anticipates that there will be more cases, more hospitalizations and more deaths associated with this new virus in the coming days and weeks.

Novel influenza A (H1N1) activity is now being detected through CDC’s routine influenza surveillance systems and reported weekly in FluView. CDC tracks U.S. influenza activity through multiple systems across five categories. The fact that novel H1N1 activity is now detected through seasonal surveillance systems is an indication that there are higher levels of influenza-like illness in the United States than is normal for this time of year. About half of all influenza viruses being detected are novel H1N1 viruses.

LAS VEGAS; the 359 seconds bout and the legend named: PACQUIAO!

2009-05-02T22:15:00.000-07:00

LAS VEGAS – It took just 359 seconds to add the latest devastating chapter to a legacy that will last for decades.

Manny Pacquiao’s flurried fists made short work of Ricky Hatton on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and delivered the most emphatic proof yet that boxing has a superstar for the ages operating at his peak.

Pacquiao sent the Englishman crashing to the canvas twice in a frenetic first round, then sealed the contest with a brutal left hook that had Hatton out cold on his back with one tick remaining in the second round.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. may have announced his comeback from a brief and scarcely-believable retirement on Saturday morning.

But there can be no doubt that Pacquiao is boxing’s undisputed king as he continues to ride a remarkable wave of momentum.

The Filipino fighter is a quiet and reserved man out of the ring, but between the ropes he morphs into an electrifying machine – and Hatton felt his full force.

The Hatton camp had hoped their man’s power would be telling, yet he simply had no response to Pacquiao’s pace and precision.

A right hook put Hatton down with 54 seconds remaining in round one and proved to be the beginning of the end.

As he moved in for the finish Hatton tried to cling on, only to be sent down again with a fierce straight left.
ADVERTISEMENT

Doctors immediately rushed to the aid of Hatton, who eventually and thankfully was able to walk from the ring under his own steam.

“I am surprised this fight was so easy,” said Pacquiao. “I did work hard in my training camp and it paid off. This is as big a victory for me as when I beat Oscar De La Hoya.” That December triumph over De La Hoya did not convince the entire boxing fraternity of Pacquiao’s ability, primarily as the Golden Boy’s powers had so clearly dimmed from his prime.

Now there is no speculation. Pacquiao is the top dog, until someone proves otherwise in the ring.

Roach’s status as a trainer grows in line with each victory his top fighter posts and it became clear his game plan was perfect.

Hatton could not avoid Pacquiao, who landed with 73 of his 127 punches. The Brit could only land 18 of 78.

“This is no shock at all,“ said Roach. “Hatton pumps his hands before he throws a punch, and it makes him a sucker for the right hook.

“Manny is a monster, he is the best fighter ever. There is no surprise here.”

Defeat was a bitter blow to the thousands of Hatton fans among the 16,262 in attendance who had journeyed across the Atlantic, but saw their dreams dashed within a few brutal minutes.

The typical symphony of chanting carried on even after their man had been sparked out, but it may not strike up again.

Hatton, who was alert in his locker room before being taken to the hospital, is one of the most popular boxers ever, with an incredible fan base, but his fighting future is now in serious doubt.

For Pacquiao, the future is brighter than ever, and his legend continues to grow.

Floyd Mayweather Sr. was a no-show at the postfight news conference, leaving Hatton’s co-trainer, Lee Beard, to explain the mauling by Pacquiao.

“We knew about Manny’s speed and that it could play a factor in the fight,” Beard said. “What you saw was two rounds of action and Ricky got caught.”

Scotland and the lady named ; SUSAN BOYLE

2009-04-22T05:24:00.000-07:00

You'd be forgiven for judging the book by the cover when you meet 47-year-old Susan. Having never married, sharing a flat with her cat has given her a cheeky sense of humor, and even the judges were ready to write her off, until - that is - until she began performing her rendition of 'I Dreamed a Dream' from Les Miserable s.

Not only did Susan Boyle put Scotland on the map she put Britain's Got Talent on
internet. I have never heard such a beautiful voice in all my existence in this world. I still have got to learn about this lady. She's indeed one hell of a talent!

Hail you MS. SUSAN BOYLE !!!

A hidden paradise called - CANIBAD (Island Garden City of Samal)

2009-04-13T14:08:00.000-07:00

Davao City has always astonished visitors locals and foreigners alike every time they take a visit of the places here. Just like this hmmmmm, appropriately isolated haven somewhere in Samal. I got particularly interested in visiting an unexplored place in Island Garden of Samal (IGACOS), Canibad Cove. To some who have experienced several frustrating travels before, They need to learned and convince themselves that having the right budget is just as important than tediously planning everything.

Now going back to Canibad. What are the basics.What we have to bring?

While it is true that the place is great and inviting, you should know that there are no restaurants or ample of place to buy food there. If you don’t have any idea yet what should be on your day tour survival kit. Here’s some list for you out there.

* Banig / Hammock.
* Digital Camera (Full charged), Extra Batteries.
I advise you to turn it on save battery settings mode as there is no electricity in canibad. Turn on only when needed.
* Water, water, water.
While there’s water available for washing plates and rinsing body after swimming, there’s no water for drinking.
* Shades
* Toothbrush, toothpaste
* Soap, shampoo
* Snorkling gear
* Mobile phones, full charged
* Bath towels, extra shirts, swimming shorts
* Food containers

How to get there;

Take a taxi and drop off to any resto of choice to buy foods. Have your food canisters filled with rice and viands. Take an Island City Express bus in Sta. Ana Wharf near Magsaysay Park. Bus fare is 30.00 PHP.A bus rode into a barge will transfer you from Davao City to Samal Island. You get off into their terminal at Central Warehouse Club in Babak.

Several motorcycles aka habal-habal are available here and will ask you if you are going to Canibad. Travel from the terminal to Canibad will take you about 30-40 minutes and will cost you about 150.00 pesos inclusive of the nice spots you will see as you go there. Make sure sit confortably well before the travel as it will be a very long and very bumpy ride, but you'll hardly notice it anyway. I,m sure a lot of scenic spots will take your breath away.

When you’re there, ask the driver to fetch you the following day. There is because there are no available vehicles going back to the terminal.

From top, it will take 10 mins to walk down the beachfront. It would be safer to walk barefoot as it is very steep.

Other thins that you need to know

* Travel fare budget Davao City - Canibad
o 30.00 x 2 bus fare davao - bak-bak terminal
o 175.00 x 2 habal-habal/motorcycle fare terminal - canibad. Add 50.00 for fetching.
* Entrance fee is 20.00 each.
* Entrance fee for rockies part of the beach is 15.00
* Not enough rice, asked someone there to buy for you 20.00/kilo. Another 20.00 for cooking it.
* Very clean water, if you know how to swim don’t forget your snorkling gear as fishes is just few meters away you can actually see it near rockies.

Most Fascinating Tombs in the world (Part 1)

2009-04-13T14:07:00.001-07:00

Throughout the history of human civilization, different cultures mourn and treat the dead differently. Some, like Tibetan Buddhists, have no use for burials as they dispose the dead by feeding corpses to vultures or by burning them in funeral pyres. Most cultures, however, show their respect by burying the dead, sometimes in complex and ornate tombs, crypts, and catacombs.

This article takes a look at ten of the most fascinating final resting places around the world, from the largest prehistoric burial mound in Europe to the the tombs of pharaohs to the most beautiful mausoleum in the world:

Giza Necropolis

There are more than 100 pyramids in Egypt, with the largest and most famous being the complex of pyramids in Giza Necropolis, Cairo, Egypt. This complex consists of the Great Pyramid of Giza (tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Khufu or Cheops), the Pyramid of Khafre, the Pyramid of Menkaure, the Great Sphinx statue, as well as several other smaller satellite pyramids.

Let’s take, for instance, the Great Pyramid of Giza, the only surviving member of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. When it was completed in 2560 BC, the pyramid was 481 feet (147 m) tall with each base side being 758 feet (231 m) wide. The blocks weigh about 1.5 tons each, with the internal granite blocks used as the roof of the burial chamber being about 80 tons each. The ancient Egyptians knew what they were doing: the base sides have a mean margin of error of only 2 1/3 inch (58 mm)! Needless to say, it is an amazing work of engineering.

Westminster Abbey

The gothic church Westminster Abbey in London, United Kingdom was established by Benedictine monks in the tenth century (and rebuilt in the 13th century by King Henry III) - since then it has evolved into both the coronation church for English royalty and the final resting place of monarchs.

Though at first Westminster Abbey was the burial place of kings, aristocrats, and monks, it soon became the tomb-of-choice (if there is such a thing) for the who’s who in England. Poets and writers like Geoffrey Chaucer, Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy, Rudyard Kipling, and Alfred Tennyson; as well as scientists like Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, and Ernest Rutherford were all interred there.

Tana Toraja

The Toraja people in Sulawesi, Indonesia, have what is probably the most complex funeral ritual in the world. When someone dies, the funeral is attended by a lot of people and can last for days! But that’s not the strange part - this is: the funeral ceremony is often held weeks, months, or even years after the death (to give the family of the deceased time to raise enough money for expenses).

Torajans can wait that long because they believe that death is not a sudden event but instead a gradual process towards the afterlife (if you’re wondering about the smell - the dead body is embalmed within the first few days of death, then stored in a secret place until the funeral ceremony).

After much partying (including the slaughter of one or several water buffaloes), the dead is buried in a stone cave carved out of a rocky cliff. A wood-carved effigy called tau tau, carved with the likeness of the dead person is then placed in the balcony of the tomb to represent the dead and watch over their remains.

Newgrange

The burial mound of Newgrange in County Meath, Ireland is definitely one of the most impressive prehistoric monuments in the world. Build between 3300 BC - 2900 BC, it is the also the world’s oldest surviving building (it’s older than Stonehenge and the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt).

Newgrange is impressive: the circular mound is 250 feet (76 m) across and 40 feet (12 m) high. It covers an entire acre (4046 m²). A long tunnel under the mound leads to a high-domed burial chamber, a corbelled vault with ceilings made of huge, interlocking stone slabs.

The entrance to Newgrange is marked with a huge curbstone that is elaborately carved with "megalithic art," which includes spiral and concentric arc motifs chipped into the stone with flint tools.

The trouble with soaring so high and seeing everything ... is seeing nothing.

2009-04-13T13:51:00.000-07:00

Soaring where
the currents take her,
seeing everything,
observing everyone,
breathing the air
of adventure
and excitement?
Is she a mother?
Circling to protect
her nest,
her children,
scavenge for food,
and would give her
life
to protect her young?
Or is she
a traveler,
a loner?
Ruling the
expanse of blue,
the endless skies
as her kingdom,
doing what she pleases,
but fated to live
alone, with no mate?
With no one
to share her life,
her empty happiness?

That,
I feel,
is worse
than being grounded.

A poverty striken life at Sampaloc ,Manila - ARNEL PINEDA (Journey Band)

2009-04-13T13:36:00.000-07:00

I happen to encounter a very inspiring article about Arnel Pineda and about the place where he grew up, I also took the liberty of researching pics of the place where he spent most of his childhood. Please read on;

A well-known Filipino lead vocalist of the band Journey confesses that he was once addicted to drugs. Arnel Pineda gave a warning to the youth against the use of prohibited drugs. Exclusive on patrol - Chief Correspondent, Korina Sanchez.

He was an unknown singer then who is now suddenly being mobbed in America as the lead vocalist of the popular Journey band. He is Arnel Pineda, born and raised in Sampaloc (in Manila) and grew up in poverty.

Arnel: Rusmon and I washed jeepneys, then slept in Luneta (a park in Manila).

Korina: How often did you sleep in Luneta?

Arnel: Maybe, I did that once a week…there were times then that I didn’t eat for 3 days.

He admitted that when he despaired for not reaching his dreams, he tried using prohibited drugs, liked it, and became addicted.

Arnel: …to the point that I would have...I wished that I was dead …

For Arnel’s family, especially to his wife Cherry, that was the most miserable thing that happened to their life, “When he gets drunk, he cries… so I asked him, “What is the problem?” And then I found out he was using drugs.”

Arnel lost his mother early in his life when she died of a lung problem. He said that it was his mother who saved him before he totally became wasted in drugs. “I think my mother was there all the time. Every time I thought I was almost dying and gave up hope in my life, I felt she whispered to me and asked, “Why are you doing this?””

Because of drugs, Arnel almost lost everything. “It was my wife who saved me…it was my birthday and we were having fun. I was high on drugs; I was high on alcohol. While Cherry was upstairs, she was packing her bag. When I went up, she told me she was leaving and will have to leave me behind. And that woke me up…”

At this time, news about use of prohibited drugs are all over and Arnel has a message to the drug users, “Drugs…it will never do you any good. It will destroy your life, it will destroy your dream, it will destroy your hopes, it will destroy your family. Bottom line, STAY AWAY, REALLY STAY AWAY FROM IT." - Korina Sanchez, Patrol ng Pilipino.

T2; A Maricel Soriano movie- filmed at the enchanted island of SAMAR

2009-04-13T13:20:00.000-07:00

EXHAUSTION and stress will not thwart the high level of enthusiasm of Diamond Star Maricel Soriano in filming her new horror movie "T-2" under Star Cinema.

Maricel shared that it's been a long time since she did a horror film, which is why she is so much fueled to give her best in every scene.

"I am so happy with this film. The concept is so unique. I love what I am doing and every scene makes me elated and amazed!" she said.

Maricel said her taping days are getting more and more stressful, yet she is so inspired to work and look forward to her next shooting schedule. "Minsan talaga naluluha na ako sa pagod pero masaya ako sa movie kaya kahit anong pagod kinakaya ko talaga."

"Alam mo pag matutulog ako, walang biro, magbilang ka ng 'one, two, three, tulog ako... pag-gising ko hindi ako gumalaw. Pero pag-nakatulog na ako parang wala lang trabaho na ulit, kuwentuhan na, masaya talaga," she shared.

Reunion with Direk Chito

Aside from eagerness to do another horror movie, another thing that drives Maricel in executing her role impeccably is her reunion with Chito Roño, one of her favorite film directors.

"'Yung style ni Direk Chito nang-gugulat yan bigla ka nalang magugulat. Ang ganda-ganda, nasho-shock kaming lahat. Ang galing niya talaga. Pag-nagbebriefing kami nun Diyos ko nakanganga talaga ako," the multi-awarded actress related.

Maricel's relationship with Direk Chito transcends beyond work. Their friendship makes it easier for them to work in one project together as they create a cozy working place.

"Marami nga siyang (Direk Chito) ginagawa. Nung minsan ginanyan (surprise) na naman niya ako 'bakit ba kailangan mo akong gulatin ng ganyan!' Tawa siya nang tawa muntik na siyang maihi sa kakatawa sa akin. Ang hilig niya akong paglaruan. Pang-motivate niya sa akin tawa siya ng tawa," she said.

"Mahusay siya talaga at tsaka hindi predictable yun mga eksena niya dito sa 'T-2'," the Diamond Star said.

"T-2" which means "Tenement-2" is a story of a young child (Mica dela Cruz) who lost her parents. She then meets Claire (Maricel), who is a woman who is falling out of love with her husband (Derek Ramsay).

Claire works in a travel agency until a certain incident changes her life and be tasked of mission for the society.

"Horror ito with a heart," Maricel said describing her film but then refused to elaborate further as they are not yet allowed to reveal much about their movie.

"Hindi ko masyadong makuwento ng todo dahil magi-give away and even if I tell you it's so different when you watch it because of the execution. Supposed to be the script is very simple but the execution is fantastic!" she related.

Maricel disclosed that they already finished about 50 percent of the film which they shot in various places across Luzon.

When asked if she had a creepy experience while shooting, she said: "Wala pa naman but the way you execute the scene kikilabutan ka. Alam mo dumating pa nga ako sa kilabot na naiiyak ako, sa takot. Kasi kapag sinilip mo sa monitor eerie yung eksena."

"T-2" will be the fifth movie of Maricel with Direk Chito. The last four films that they did were "Minsan lang kitang Iibigin," "Separada," "Dahas," and "Nasaan ang Puso."

Certified Kapamilya

Maricel is part of the 15 years of success of ABS-CBN's film arm Star Cinema.

She made a string of successful movies with Star Cinema and had proven to be a loyal Kapamilya as she formally extended her loyalty in her mother network after signing the contract for "T-2" movie.

Although her contract with ABS-CBN or Star Cinema has no exclusivity, she continuously showing gratitude to the network that honed her acting skills.

"Siyemre nakakatuwa, dahil hindi nila (Star Cinema) ako nakakalimutan. Kaya nagpapasalamat ako palagi sa opportunidad na ibinibigay nila na makagawa ulit ng makabuluhang pelikula para sa mga manonood," Maricel said with a big smile on her face.

She commended Star Cinema's long years in making blockbuster and exceptional movies.

With her contract renewal, Maricel meanwhile said she will now carefully choose the projects she will be doing and consider her interest first. Projects that will inspire her are on top of her list.

"It's an honor to work with Star Cinema. I enjoy working with them for several years now and for me all movies that I did with them were all memorable," she said.

Aside from "T-2" Maricel shared that she already finished taping her upcoming television series "Susan Roces Collections: Florinda" which is also a horror project.

CRAZY EAST WINGERS...

2009-04-12T05:49:00.000-07:00

MHC-EAST WING - This is my unit in one of the tertiary hospital's here in Davao. This unit actually caters to pre and post operative cardiovascular surgeries and other clean cardiac cases.

Stress and pressures may probably be usual in every work place but we surely know how to have fun. And fun that is, despite our hectic schedules as super nurses on our areas we make it sure we don't forget to show that we are human nurses, not the robot ones; like those that US brags as their advancement in the field of medical technology.

And how academic can we become.... just see it for your self. check the pics!

jejejeje...

EVIBE' - one of Davao's G-mik spot!

2009-04-12T05:13:00.000-07:00

EVIBE- used to be a a place for the ballroom enthusiast, which is why I was surprised when a friend of mine invited me to go there. What in the world are we going to do in the middle of a ballroom dance floor???

But when we entered the bar, it turned out that it's no longer a ballroom bar for people who usually have high concentrations of low density lipoproteins in their systems... jejejeje.. highly academic!

Nice sounds; mixture of upbeat r n b, great crowd, cool fixture and very very cold redhorses! Great combo huh'... The place is by far one of the nicest here in Davao to shrug off some stress, and pressure stains from work and from the work other than what you regularly do in the offices... jejeje.

So I happpen to have a very good time with my good and very wonderful friends. Stucked up massive doses of beer in my belly, taken some peanuts (very good for the uric acid..)and getting sober for the whole night. But was I having fun?

I certainly had.

QUESTION - Where is Mount Calvary?

2009-04-11T23:49:00.000-07:00

Since the lenten season is already over and all of us have had retreats and soul searching, I'd like to think that most of us has become a better person. While I was thinking of the whole celebration of the lenten, one thing strucked on my mind. Where in the globe is MOUNT CALVARY?

A gospel song refers to a hill called Mount Calvary, but the Gospels never say, "Mount Calvary." Some Bible versions translate the place where Jesus was crucified to be the Aramaic word Golgotha, meaning the Place of the Skull. Others translate it as the Latin word Calvary. Luke 23:33 says, "And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left" (NKJV).

Jesus was crucified on Mount Calvary. According to John 19:20, it was near Jerusalem. Hebrews 13:11-13 (based on Leviticus 16:27) explained that, while the animal's blood was sprinkled in the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement, most of the animal was burned outside the camp. Jesus likewise was crucified outside the city in a maelstrom of activities over a six-hour period, with everything focused on Him.

Calvary (originally known as "Golgotha" meaning: "place of the skull") is the English-language name given to the hill on which Jesus was crucified. The word “Calvary” comes into the English Bible only from the King James Version (Luke 23:33). The hill is described as being outside Jerusalem, but its actual location is still debated. The Roman Empire typically crucified criminals along roadways so that they would be widely seen by the population to deter criminal behavior. The crucifixion hill by Jerusalem was known in Latin as Calvariae Locus, in Greek as Κρανιου Τοπος (Kraniou Topos) and Gûlgaltâ in Aramaic. While all of these terms mean "place of [the] skull," it is not clear whether they refer to a hill containing a pile of skulls, or to a geographic feature resembling a skull.

Now, where exactly was that???

My brother's pup is a lot more goodlooking than he is... blleeehh!

2009-04-11T01:15:00.000-07:00

This is the most handsome prince I had ever laid my eyes on - Prince Roth Sake. (ehem.. that's my brother's dog)The other picture is my bro. He's been in US for I don't know how many years already and obviously a lot of happening have been going on in as far as his travel is concern,yeah I know this guy he can't stay put in one place only. He is by the true essence of the word a true blooded, itchy-footed homo sapien.

Actually he worked first in New England, I think the place was North Hampshire, nyaah not really certain of that though.But, for some mysterious reasons he transferred to US (after he had all the exams passed ofcourse!) Now he's in Ohio, Cleaveland working as a theater nurse in one of the hospitals there.

Why am I writing this? Well, he's actually promised to send me one of his mobile phones and there isn't any sign of it yet! Grrrrrr....

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - that's where I will be... hopefully.

2009-04-11T00:57:00.000-07:00

I have long been waiting for the decision of the hospital where I applied in Abu Dhabi for my trasfer in their institution as a nurse. I know it definitely wont be easy to leave some important persons here in the Philipppines but I guess that's just how life works. You win some, you lose some.

I have so many apprehensions really as to my decision of going out of the country for a greener pasture but then again if you'll try to weigh things out I know this decision will really help me a lot in terms of improving the kind of living we are having today.

A friend of my brother is actually working in United Arab Emirates already. And based on feed backs I think it's worth the risk. I happen to grab some of his pix and guess what, I realized that the place could be a great travel destination. Check the pix! Have Fun!

ISLA RETA - too good to stay at the back...

2009-04-11T00:23:00.000-07:00

I once had the chance to make some spooky adventure in one of the many resorts in IGACOS (Island Garden City of Samal, that is..)

The resort I was talking about wass Isla Reta Resort. This resort is actually located at Talikud island. Talikud is a Cebuano term of the “back”, it is so because Talikud island can be seen at the back of Samal island.

There are quite a few restaurants to choose from on this resort so you will never get bored with the dining options. However, it is advisable that you bring your own food. The price is around 50% more than the city rates, maybe because people have no other place to get the food in the area. You can have bountiful lunch at the provided tables with your family and friends.

You can also enjoy strolling to the rocky portion of the island, it has more coral and fish compared to other public areas. With your snorkeling gear, you can witness the young coral and the various marine life living there. Sea urchins present on the beach might spoiled your fun, just keep your feet away from them.

The seashore of Isla Reta beach resort holds a potent lure for the sun bathers. You can either sleep on tent, on small huts, or in a hammock hang in between the trees for relaxing afternoon siesta.

The Isla Reta is behind a small village, still, there are regular trips for tourists and travelers up to 3pm. It only takes a ten-minute boat ride to reach Samal Island, plus it takes around 30 to 45 minutes trip to Talikud island.

SAN JUANICO BRIDGE- soaring on his majestic length

2009-04-11T00:11:00.000-07:00

SAN JUANICO BRIDGE CONNECTING PEOPLE

Built over the narrow San Juanico strait, the San Juanico Bridge–which is 2.16 kilometers long–still holds the record as the longest bridge in the Philippines.

The bridge connects Tacloban City on the Leyte side and the town of Sta. Rita on the Samar side. It crosses the San Juanico strait, reportedly the world’s narrowest since it’s only two kilometers wide at its most narrow point.

Constructed in 1973 during the administration of the late President Ferdinand Marcos, the bridge is supported by 43 spans that rise 41 meters above the sea.

A panoramic view of the bridge can be found here.
The views from the bridge are fantastic and include the islets near the bridge as well as the strait’s thousand whirlpools.

The 34-year-old steel structure is just 10 minutes away from the Tacloban City center. It is accessible by jeepney, bus, motorcycle, or private vehicle.

There are daily flights from Manila to Tacloban City. From Cebu, the best way to get to Tacloban would be to ride on a fast boat, such as the Supercat fast craft, to Ormoc City and then take a van for hire from Ormoc to Tacloban, which is about two to three hours away.

The vans for hire are parked at the Ormoc City pier. Van fare was only 110 pesos during our visit in April 2006.

THIRD BIGGEST MALL in the WORLD is Philippines' biggest and... I've been there!

2009-04-10T20:43:00.000-07:00

I came across an article talking about our biggest mall here in the Philipppines, I somehow felt proud of ourselves being able to come up with the third biggest mall all over the globe. Wanna learn more? Read on

The Philippines’ largest shopping mall and the third biggest mall in the world is the SM Mall of Asia, an endeavor of Philippine tourism. It is next to the Golden Resources Mall and the South Dongguan Mall which are both in China in terms of gross floor size.This was opened on May 21, 2006. It is owned and operated by SM Prime Holdings, under the management of Henry Sy. He is regarded as one of the richest men in Asia.

The SM Mall of Asia is made up of four establishments interconnected by walkpaths: the Main Mall, Entertainment Mall, and the North and South Carpark Buildings. One of its pecular features is the 20-seater tram to make it easier for shoppers to move and around. The priority of the management is to make sure shoppers and tourist will not get confused or lost within the mall.
There will be two concierge desks: one in the Main Mall and another in the Entertainment Mall.

The Main Mall includes shopping and dining establishments, the food court.

The North Parking building includes the SM Hypermarket, a spacious office space and more dining areas while the South Parking building houses the SM Department store and half of the 5,000 parking spaces.

TO SOAR HIGH AND TRAVEL...

2009-04-10T20:03:00.000-07:00

Where next will you TRAVEL?
When the chance occurs once more
Where does your fancy take you?
When you let your spirits SOAR?

Surfin' USA??? Dont go too far.. Try PHUKET,THAILAND

2009-04-10T19:27:00.000-07:00

Surfing spots in Thailand are mostly uncrowded.Thailands surf Can be fickle, and range from beginner level to intermediate level. If you are coming here make sure there is a short surfboard in your bag. The best Surfing in Thailand is done between the months of April through to october. Swells are generated in the Andaman Sea in the southwest monsoon season, heavy weather drives the waves into Phuket and surrounding islands creating some good surfing in Thailand is had. Some of Thailands surfing spots are best kept as a secret of course, for the adventurer, others are well known. Here are the better known places. Kata Yai Phuket beach break for Intermediate surfers

Kata Yai Beach Phuket beach break for Beginner surfers

Nai Harn Beach Phuket beach break for Beginner surfers

The Point, Patong Phuket pointbreak for Intermediate surfers

Kata noi Phuket island beach break for Intermediate surfers

Kata noi Beach Phuket Island beach break for Intermediate surfers

Hinsuay namsay rayong beach break for Beginner surfers

Mae Ram Phung Rayong beach break for Beginner surfers

Sai Kaow Trat beach break for Beginner surfers

Surfing euiptment needed is short boards only, a rash vest, sunscreen that's water resistant, of course boardshorts and thongs and sunglasses.The water is warm and clear with lots of coral so throw in your surfing booties. It's possible to hire surfboards on some of the beaches or at Kata town ctr. A good travelling surfer always has at least one board no matter what country they're travelling through. Thailands surfing is not a world class act but rest assured if you are here and Thailands surf is on you'll rue the day you decided to leave your surf board at home.That's it go surfing in Thailand. Surfing in Thailand is a great stopover on the way to surfing the Andaman islands. Thailand offers a rest from the boat trip and a great place just to pull a few waves. The few surf surfaris now heading out to surf the islands in the Andaman Sea leave from Thailand and Phuket In particular, So leave a bit of time to surf in Thailand, you wont be disapointed by the Thailand Surf.

WuTravel.com - there's got to be a place for you.

2009-04-10T03:08:00.000-07:00

Hey Grace!( my co staff in the hospital) I have just come across of the perfect site for you and your friends. I believe you have consumed most of the aspirins in your closet just to plan for that get away you've long been preparing. Now here is a site who would give you more help, even more than the hassles those doses of aspirin can cause in your tummy.

WuTravel.com is a site that helps itchy-footed individuals who loves to travel in finding a nice cozy place to stay in almost every spot of the world.The worries you'll have to take in exchange for a wonderful travel overseas will atlast be gone.

The endless phone calls and emails you need to do to contact people from the other part of the globe will be no more. Leave all these hassles to WuTravel.com.

Hey Grace, next year would be singapore right? So singapore it will. Check out the site A S A P.

THE SMALLEST VOLCANO THERE IS- TAAL.

2009-03-25T05:28:00.000-07:00

Taal Volcano has been called the smallest active volcano in the world. It is located about 70-km south of Manila in the middle of a lake called Taal Lake. What makes Taal Volcano unique is the fact that the volcano itself forms an island that has a lake of its own inside its crater which is called the "Crater Lake", thus, it is a lake within a lake.

How to go there.

The volcano island can be reached by taking a half-hour boat ride from practically any town on the the shores of Taal Lake. The more popular jumpoff point is from the town of Talisay. We chose to start from the town of San Nicolas because we heard that, due of its remoteness from Manila, less people take this route, thus making it less crowded, and boats can be hired at much cheaper rates from this town.

Manila to San Nicolas via Cuenca: From Manila, take the South Luzon Tollway from Nichols or C-5 entry all the way to the south end. At the end of the tollway, take the exit that points to Lucena and drive along this National Road for about 6km until you reach the Calamba boundary. About 1.5km from the boundary of Calamba, turn right and take the Star Tollway (Batangas Expressway) up to the Batangas/Lipa exit. Upon exit, head westward towards Batangas City.

1.2km from the tollway exit is the Fernando Airbase and about 2.5km from the airbase, there will be a junction the leads to Cuenca. Turn right at this junction. Head for Cuenca then Alitagtag then Sta. Teresita. At Sta Teresita, head nortwest towards Lemery/Taal. About 3.8km from Sta Teresita, there will be a junction to bypass Taal and Lemery with signs that point to Agoncillo. Take this bypass route on the right, and about 2.5km from the said junction, there will be a small road on the right side that leads to San Nicolas. This small road will be about 5km and will end straight into the Town Hall of San Nicolas. There will be a Y junction midway, just take the left road on this junction.

Right behind the town hall of San Nicolas is the majestic Taal Lake. The boats that can take you to the volcano island are docked on the pier behind the town hall. You can inquire about boat rides from the people in the town hall. The boats can take you to either of two destinations on the island. One is to a point where you can start a hike to the crater's highest point called the "ridge" where you can get a bird's eye view of the crater lake and the other to a point where you can start a hike to the crater lake itself. We chose to go on a hike to the crater lake itself.

Total hike distance from the boat landing point to the crater lake and back is about 6.2km. Because of the steep terrain and soft (and hot) nearly powder-like ash surface, the hike takes nearly 4 hrs (four 10-minute rest/stops included). If you like, you can hire a horse and save yourself about 4.5km worth of hike. But even on horseback, you have still have to hike 1.6km as there is a portion of trail down the crater where the terrain is too steep for horses to pass.

Biggest Hospital in the World!!!

2009-03-20T02:45:00.000-07:00

The largest hospital in the world is in the South African township of Soweto. Every day, more than 2,000 patients check into Baragwanath Hospital. Close to half of them are HIV positive.

Sister Agnes Ramashiga knows these numbers first-hand. She is an AIDS nurse and counselor at Baragwanath Hospital. Just Another Day, a radio and Web documentary produced for NPR by Joe Richman and Sue Johnson, takes listeners through a day in the life of Sister Agnes as she cares for and counsels AIDS patients. Some have just been diagnosed, others are simply trying to survive another week.

With more than 5 million people infected, South Africa has the largest HIV/AIDS population in the world. Just Another Day is an intimate portrait of one nurse at the frontline of a staggering epidemic.

TURK AND CAICOS ISLAND: One of the Finest Beaches in the World

2009-03-20T02:09:00.000-07:00

The Turks and Caicos Island are among the best in the world and it is a place that is well recommended because here are situated the finest beaches in the world that will attract you once you see the enticing waters that provide ample opportunity to dive, snorkel and fish. Thus, it pays to learn about what the best Turks and Caicos resorts are and also to seek out the most suitable Turks and Caicos hotels, since accommodation is of the very best standard and you won't want to miss out on being comfortably lodged.

You are assured of finding Turks and Caicos hotels to be of the very best standards and many have excellent restaurants and there are some that offer spa facilities, and best of all you can even live in a Turks and Caicos hotel right next to the wonderful beaches here. The capital of Turks and Caicos Island is Grand Turk which owes its fame to the fact that the noted sailor and intrepid traveler Christopher Columbus came to this Island on his way to the New World, and besides it even took the fancy of famous astronaut John Glenn and even otherwise it is famous for its diving that makes Grand Turk well worth visiting.

When you look about the various Turks and Caicos resorts you will find plenty to choose from and whether you choose to stay at Beaches Turks and Caicos Resort and Spa or some other equally grand place, you won't find anything lacking and the three mile long beach with soft sands situated on the Providenciales Island is well worth your time and money. From here, you can get some excellent diving and snorkeling in, especially if you head to White House Reef.

Accommodations are readily available and Grand Turk is a great place where to look for Turks and Caicos hotels. Of special interest is Bohio Dive Resort that is typical of Turks and Caicos resorts and even though it is no more than two star hotels, it is still very unique and ideal for a traveler on a shoestring budget. There are obviously better class Turks and Caicos hotels as well and another example is Grand Turk Inn which is four stars and has lots to offer you by way of comfort.

Most good Turks and Caicos hotels will include meals and snacks in the room rates and even drinks may be included, and they all offer great dining opportunities that makes living here in Turks and Caicos Island a real pleasure that is further enhanced when you take to the outdoors and beach activities are also an exciting added feature of visiting this excellent location.

If you choose to stay at the Beaches Turks and Caicos Resort and Spa, you will appreciate the well furnished rooms and the floors are tiled and spotlessly cleaned with the odd rugs thrown across to add to the ambience and with mahogany furniture there is little that you will lack for by way of comfort. All this makes Turks and Caicos Island an excellent holiday destination and with so many tourists flocking here, it is not surprising that the Turks and Caicos hotels and resorts are specially designed to keep tourists happy and flocking back here year after year.

Another best luxury accommodation facility in Dubai is Emirates Towers Hotel, which is complete with almost all facilities required by a modern business traveler. With more than 50 floors and 400 deluxe rooms, the hotel boasts of excellent banqueting and conference facilities. Among its umpteen facilities are complimentary parking, laundry / valet services, and handicapped rooms.

Some of the luxury accommodation options in Dubai operate as a part of international hotel chains. Significant of them are Sheraton Deira Hotel, suitable for both business and leisure purposes; Grand Hyatt Hotel, with resort facilities including top-end rooms and suites; and Le Meridian Beach Resort and Spa.

Other best hotels in Dubai are Admiral Plaza Hotel, Al Jawhara Apartments Hotel, Arabian Courtyard Bur Dubai Hotel, Metropolitan Palace Dubai Hotel, Hawthorn Deira Hotel, Taj Palace Dubai Hotel, and York International Hotel.

Aforesaid are just few among many of the luxury five star and four star accommodation options in Dubai. Dubai hotels also include a good number of three star hotels as well as budget hotels.

For Single Girls: Waiting for the Right Guy, or the Birds?

2009-03-16T04:13:00.000-07:00

If you’ve been single for a while and you know you’re great, you might be wondering why you don’t have a boyfriend yet. Is it because you don’t want to take the risk and fall for just “any guy”, or is it because you don’t want to fall for the wrong type of guy?

Before you decide whether to stay on your pedestal or go down and mingle with the “average joes”, you must read this poem I found on this site.

Here, I built my own tree with the poem.

Girls are like
apples on trees. The best
ones are at the top of the tree.
The boys don’t want to reach for
the good ones because they are afraid
of falling and getting hurt. Instead, they
just get the rotten apples from the ground
that aren’t as good, but easy. So the apples
at the top think something is wrong with
them, when in reality, they’re amazing.
They just have to wait for the right
boy to come along, the one
who’s brave enough
to climb
all the way
to the top
of the tree.

Here’s the problem with the “brave men” who dared to climb that high:

When they get all the way to the top, they see all these OTHER beautiful, juicy and glistening apple fruits all around them, waiting to be picked. These men think, “why should I make do with one good fruit when I can eat a whole bunch?”

You, the one he climbed the tree for, suddenly feel cheated of the chance to be the ONLY apple for this guy who climbed all the way up the tree for you. The real quality men worth waiting for are those who will take the risk, and be able to stay loyal.

If you want to be the only “apple” for him, visit this site to find out how to catch the best guy and how to keep him loyal to you forever.

Top 10 In-Demand Healthcare Occupations

2009-03-16T03:52:00.001-07:00

The healthcare industry is one of the few career fields that, despite hard economic woes, is hiring at an alarming rate. Healthcare jobs are expected to grow faster than any other industry – roughly 24% by 2016. As baby boomers age, and Generation X has children, healthcare professionals will become more in-demand than ever. What are the hottest healthcare fields, and who are hiring these much-needed professionals? Find out now.

#1 – Registered Nurse
#2 – Home Health Aide
#3 – Medical Assistant
#4 – Pharmacy Technician
#5 – Medical Secretary
#6 – Dental Assistant
#7 – Healthcare Administrator
#8 – Medical Records and Health Information Technician
#9 – Physical Therapist
#10 – EMT and Paramedic

on FACING YOUR FEARS...

2009-03-16T03:35:00.000-07:00

Fear is a feeling that too often runs our lives. Whether it is fear of commitment, rejection, failure, death, flying, or any other phobia, it tends to keep us from living our lives to the fullest. Fear can be handled rationally and can be controlled if you are willing to work on it and are motivated enough in controlling it, instead of it controlling you.

The first thing you need to do is take the time to get to know your fears. Most of the time, people are aware of their fears, but never really get to know them. Set up a time when you can sit down and have an interview with your fear. What is your fear and where does it come from, and why do you fear it? These are questions that must be provided with answers in order to better understand your fear, so that you can start brainstorming about methods that will work best for you.

Start with acknowledging what the fear really is. Once you are fully aware of what your fear is, then work on figuring out where it comes from. For example, if you have a fear of failure, what gave birth to such a fear? There is a cause for everything, so if you feel puzzled on tracking down the place of where it came from, keep looking inside yourself until you find it. Did you do poorly in school as a young child? Did your parents constantly pressure you to do well, making you feel anxious and incapable of ever pleasing them? Knowing where your fear comes from is the biggest key to understanding it. Understanding your fears is good because it also means that you are able to find solutions to it.

After making the discovery of where your fear(s) come from, you may then ask yourself why you fear it so much. Many people have a fear to fly, for instance, because they hear news of airplane crashes and are terrified that they might share the same fate as the planes that crashed. Others fear flying because they are intimidated with the fact that they would be so high above the ground. Learning why your fear exists so strongly is important and will help you learn more about yourself and the way you think about things.

Once you figure all of this out, what do you do to handle your fear? Research tends to help greatly. Let's say you have a fear of commitment. The best thing to do is look back at all the experiences that helped build this fear. Did you get heartbroken several times from past relationships and now run away when an opportunity for a serious relationship comes to surface? Go back in time to those relationships and re-live what went wrong and why. You will discover that all those situations were different in some way and handled in different ways. What does that tell you? It tells you that no one is the same and no relationship is perfect. Admitting to this fact will help you understand that running away is not the answer, but what you really need to do is face and accept the imperfection in your relationships and work on ways to better the challenging situations.

Talking about your fears with people will help too and feed you more knowledge on your fear. If your fear is commitment, then talk to a friend about it and ask them how their relationships are and how they handle challenges. You will soon learn that not all relationships end in heartbreak and that you are capable of having a happy and healthy relationship, just like anyone else. Talking about your fears will also be good self-therapy. Sometimes, just letting something off your chest helps tremendously, making you feel stronger and more prepared to face your fear and control it. So keep talking about it for as long as you need to.

Facing your fears and accepting that they exist will be a big breakthrough for you. When you feel strong enough to face it, just go for it without giving in to the intimidation. There is no doubt that it will be difficult and perhaps even impossible to go through with it in your first few attempts, but with practice and support from yourself and others, you will eventually stare you fear in the face and realize that you were the more powerful one this whole time.

Finding methods that work for you may take time, but will be worth it when you see how dramatically your life will change. You will be able to face the world more open mindedly, as well as do the things you have always wanted and deserved to do. When you allow fear to control your life, you are really pushing away experiences that you were meant to experience.

The important keys you need to remember are:

1. Defining you Fear
2. Finding out where it comes from
3. Learning why you fear it so much
4. Accepting it's existence
5. Facing it and taking control

The truth is, you might never terminate you fear entirely, but you will learn to take charge and decide just how much you will make your fear a part of your life and just how much of an influence it will have. There will be times you will want to give up and forget about conquering your fear, but every time these temptations come around, just remind yourself of the life you actually really want. A life that can be completely happy and one you can live to the fullest. When you remind yourself of this, use that strength right then and there and dare your fear to a challenge and show it who is boss!

THE BIGGEST OF THEM ALL- The Philippine Eagle

2009-03-16T03:09:00.000-07:00

Interesting childhood question of mine. I was quite jealous when I was quite young to discover Wedgtails weren't the biggest. Without ruining my life (?), I've discovered through various articles and experience: Some stats regarding Steller's either put average weights at either 9 or 9.5kg (depending on location) for females and 7 - 8 kgs males with wingspan max 230 -260cm with females at a max of 103cm in length (a species with a liking for the cold). -Very robust eagles with large heads and huge yellow honkers and shortish wedged-shaped tails. I was fortunate to see a collection of them in the wild at Shiretoko and noticed marked size differences between individuals. Some males almost look small and compact compared to some female White-tailed Sea-eagles which have very short tails and I've read can average 7kgs (at Shiretoko) with 5kgs for males and a wingspan of upto 230cm (though quite broad). Two weeks after visiting Shiretoko I visited home in oz and had a close encounter with a pair of Wedgetails. The primaries of the female did appear to out extend the Stellers but their long tails (making up their max av length of 110cm) and lanky bodies, are a different sight with females averaging just 5kgs ( a species adapted to hot temperatures exceeding 40c) yet with wingspan at a max of 260cm being equal to max for Stellers. Captives: A Stellers at 12.7 kgs for an exchange breeding program vs a Harpy at 13kgs in a zoo. I've read different differing accounts of female Harpies averaging 8 or 9kgs in the wild but jungle based raptors have shorter broader wings (and aerial hunting harpies have huge hind talons). The tallest, Phillipine Eagles, at 7kgs (+? )have, according to BBC and other articles, the greatest surface area for the wings. I don't know which I'd buy if they were cars or cameras? They all look pretty cool. Couldn't say I'd be disappointed with any. -Though I only get a buzz seeing any in the wild. Aussie 'Little Eagles' at just over 1kg are super and the largest known, extinct, Haast's Eagle from NZ is sadly long gone but it would be great to photograph. But with the latter in mind, I have had close encounters with wedgetails (an aquila species) that made me a little suspicious and nervous. I hope anyone can enjoy encountering any species in the wild! All beautiful aerialists with proud demeanours. Cheers.

What are Liposuction and Liposculpture? What can they do for you?

2009-03-15T00:06:00.001-07:00

Liposuction and liposculpture are the same process but are different in terms of the patient objectives that they meet.

Liposuction relates to the general removal of fat whereas liposculpture refers to refined sculpture of specific areas. The benefit of both is that they can remove specific problem areas of fat and improve your body shape in a way that exercise and diet alone cannot. While these are definitely not a replacement for a healthy lifestyle it can give you additional motivation with all the other things you do to keep fit and healthy.

Liposuction and liposculpture can be used to remove fat from such areas as inner and outer thighs, buttocks, knees, hips and abdomen; in fact any area where excess fat deposits have accumulated. Areas such as the chin, neck, jowls, cheeks and arms can be treated with great success.

LOOKING GOOD IN THE COLD WEATHER - by jaja and van van

2009-03-14T23:55:00.000-07:00

Here are few tips on staying stylish in the cold weather.
by JAJA and VAN VAN

Keep Your Head Covered
Most of your body heat escapes from your head. So, wearing a hat will make a huge difference. It will keep you warm and looking fabulous at the same time.
Fabrics for Cool Weather
Tweed and wool are two fabrics that provide warmth, while still looking fashionable. You can usually tell which fabrics would be warmer by the weight and texture - warmer fabrics are generally heavier, thicker, and not as soft as cooler fabrics.
Try to Layer Your Look
The key to layering clothing items without looking too frumpy is using color and bulk to your advantage.
Add Color to Your Outfit
Wearing all one color, even in different shades, or wearing black, winter white or gray with a color that pops, provides a slimmer look rather than wearing several different colors all at once.
Accessorize for Cold Weather
Accessories are an important part of layering. Wearing gloves, boots and a scarf gives you a stylish and complete look.

AMERICAN IDOL SCANDALS; Fantasia's Home Saved By Simon Cowell?

2009-03-14T23:32:00.000-07:00

Former American Idol star Fantasia Barrino has music mogul Simon Cowell to thank for saving her North Carolina home from foreclosure - after he reportedly helped to pay off some of her debts.

The singer, who was crowned the winner of Idol in 2004, purchased the six-bedroom house in Charlotte in March 2007 for $1.3 million.

But she ran into financial difficulty and failed to keep up with repayments on the property.

The mansion was due to be auctioned off on January 12 by the local Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office, but the sale was called off at the last minute after Barrino reached a deal with financiers.

And, according to the National Enquirer, it was Cowell who stepped in to provide a short-term solution to Barrino's money problems.

A source tells the tabloid, "Very quietly, Simon promised to help Fantasia take care of some of the back payments she owed so the house wouldn't go on the block. His offer of monetary support helped her stave off the creditors, at least for the time being. Simon didn't want to take any credit for it, he just wanted to help her out of a jam. He was hoping to keep his good deed a secret. He didn't want to cause Fantasia any further public embarrassment."

RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN - on big screen.

2009-03-13T12:17:00.000-07:00

Action star Dwayne Johnson is enjoying a formidable career in Hollywood. His films include “Get Smart,” “The Rundown,” and the recent hit Disney comedy, “The Game Plan.” Now, he headlines Walt Disney Pictures’ exciting new fun-filled action adventure “Race to Witch Mountain.”

In the film, Johnson stars as Jack Bruno, a hard luck Las Vegas cab driver whose life is thrown into chaos when apparent ‘runaway’ teenagers Sara (Anna-Sophia Robb) and Seth (Alexander Ludwig) jump into his taxi. He soon realizes his two fares are children with exceptional paranormal powers whom he must protect as they elude a collection of ruthless enemies. When they discover that the only chance to save the world lies in unraveling the secrets of Witch Mountain, the race begins, as the government, mobsters and even extra-terrestrials try to stop them.

The versatile actor—a former professional wrestler known worldwide as The Rock—is equally at home in the arenas of comedy and drama. Needless to say, his forte is action and he is highly enthusiastic about his latest film.

“It is an action sci-fi adventure and that is what got me interested and excited,” explains Johnson. “I have a real affinity for Disney and I was excited about the great, intense entertainment in the film. The first ten to fifteen minutes of the movie is like an amazing roller coaster and once you get on it, it never stops, but the action is merged with all the qualities that make up the Disney brand: heart and family and humor, along with a touch of magic.”

“Race to Witch Mountain” reunites Johnson with his “Game Plan” director Andy Flickman, an occasion that the actor welcomes. “We developed a great relationship on `The Game Plan,’” he says. “I loved working with Andy and I was thrilled about the chance to make another Disney family film. It was a very easy decision for me. Andy came to me with the idea of re-imagining the Disney classic `Escape to Witch Mountain’ and I thought it was fantastic.

I was a big fan of the original film growing up, and coincidentally, my little girl—who is seven—is a big fan, too. Before this film was in development, we had watched the older film together. She was so excited at the prospect of this film, so the pieces fell together really nicely, and it was not a difficult decision to take the role.”

The film also afforded Johnson to exploit his passion for doing action scenes. “There is great action throughout the movie, starting with a fantastic initial car chase that sets off the race to Witch Mountain, with some incredible and intense driving sequences,” shares Johnson. “From that point onwards, the action is non-stop.

“Reflecting on his success, Johnson concludes “Everything is non-stop for me just now and I am very happy. But I want to continue to work in different genres and have that ability to move from action to comedy and make good movies. I just love all aspects of making movies. It is all so enjoyable and I am very grateful.”

MUSEO DABAWENYO... A part of Davao's soaring up.

2009-03-13T07:24:00.000-07:00

MADAYAW! DAYON KAMO! Welcome to Museo Dabawenyo! The Museum of the People of Davao This building, formerly the Court of First Instance was restored and rehabilitated to house and showcase the rich history and diverse cultural heritage of the people of Davao. It was established by the City Government of Davao through the initiative of the 14th City Council under City Ordinance No. 0266-06, Series of 2006, signed into law by Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte on November 15, 2006. It was funded by the Special Education Fund of the Local School Board. First opened to the public during the 71st Araw ng Dabaw grand opening celebration on March 14, 2008. We will appreciate very much if you can donate any artifact or artifacts of historical value. The artifact leaves your living legacy to Davao and the world and it will be tagged with your name. Come now and pay us a visit. This is your museum. You are FREE to come.

HAPPY ARAW NG DABAW!!!! DAVAO

2009-03-13T04:50:00.000-07:00

Who should control Davao, the Japanese or Filipinos?

This may sound a silly question today, but this was the hottest issue that raged in Davao in the 1930’s that eventually led to the creation of Davao City.

During this period, the then undivided province of Davao, which had a capital town with the same name, was the biggest producer of abaca in the world. Abaca as well as coconut plantations sprawled all over Davao Gulf, with the Japanese practically controlling the entire industry.

Despite laws restricting foreign ownership of land, the Japanese managed to become the largest plantation owners in Davao. They were able to achieve this by using dummies to buy land for them, by marrying local women, particularly with datu lineage, and by renting land from local landowners.

By the 1930’s, Davao was completely under the control of the Japanese. Their economic clout made them politically influential. They had their own schools, hospitals and road networks. The biggest concentration of the Japanese was in Guianga Municipal District, centered around Mintal. Their population continued to grow, reaching 17, 900 by 1939.

As Japan was a growing world power, having defeated Russia in 1904 and annexed Korea in 1910 and Manchuria in 1931, fears were raised as to the real intentions of the Japanese in the country. During the 1934 Constitutional Convention, Davao delegate Pantaleon Pelayo Sr. denounced the control of Davao by the Japanese and their unlimited acquisition of land. The presence of the Japanese in Davao had now become a national problem.

On March 16, 1936 Davao Assemblyman Romualdo C. Quimpo filed Bill No. 609 or Commonwealth Act No. 51, An Act Creating the City of Davao. The City of Davao was to be formed by combining the capital town of Davao and the municipal district of Guianga. This made Davao City the largest city in the world with a territory of 2,244 square kilometers or 244,400 hectares.

As the creation of Davao City was intended to break the control of the Japanese, the Act stipulated that its officials would be appointed by the President of the Philippines, instead of being elected. It was believed that in elections, Japanese-supported candidates would win, thus entrenching Japanese power in Davao.

On October 16, 1936, the bill was signed into law by President Manuel L. Quezon. The following year, on March, 1937, Executive Proclamation No. 132 was issued that formally organized the City of Davao.

It was during the term of Mayor Elias B. Lopez that the celebration of the foundation of City of Davao was made a week-long celebration that culminated on March 16.

Today, Davao City is the most progressive city in Mindanao and is considered the most livable city in the country. Foreign investors and visitors are all welcome, but the city is under the firm control of Filipinos as its founding fathers had intended.

Wings of an Angel Soaring High With Great Reviews

2009-03-12T10:48:00.000-07:00

Angel Logan obtained great reviews for her very first published book, Wings of an Angel. Logan’s poetry collection represents hope and enlightens the readers to start looking for the answers to life’s questions within themselves. Aiming to touch people’s lives, Logan impressively got the thumbs up from the reading public paving the way to the amazing success of her self-published book.

Published December 2003 through Xlibris, Wings of an Angel seeks to inspire readers enabling them to relate to their own personal experiences. The audience will get to know the fundamental nature of moving on, pacing ahead and celebrating the magnificence of life through this splendid poetry collection.

Beverly Pechin from Reader Views stated “Wings of an Angel is a beautiful collection of poetry that gently relaxes one from the inside out and somehow within its few pages of beauty can bring you to an inner peace each time you open it. An absolute work of beauty.”

ON SOARING HIGH...

2009-03-12T10:16:00.000-07:00

Give me freedom, give me liberty no matter how much it may cost me, and I will pay for it! Set me free like a bird who is learning to fly. Let me go so that I may spread my wings!I may fall once, I may fall twice, I may fall so many times but I will not fall always. I will learn to fly!

If you will not let me go, how can I be strong? How can I live? How can I learn to rise from my fall, from my mistakes?

You may think seclusion shall protect me, but what you do not know is that boredom can kill me a hundred times more. It is more than stupor, it is worse than death.

Let me feel the hurt and the pain so that I may enjoy comfort. Let me experience sorrow so that I may have glorious happiness! It is better than being idle: like a stone that never knew what’s on the other side of the mountain, like a shell that never knew what’s on the other side of the sea.

Let me live, set me free. Let me be responsible for my own soul. Let me think, for I do have a mind. Let me feel, for I too, have a heart. Let me go, for He who made me is free!

CAN HE SOAR HIGH BEFORE HE'S BEAT GETS SOUR??? - meet the new American Idol??? DANNY GOKEY

2009-03-11T05:36:00.000-07:00

Danny Gokey sang “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” for his audition on American Idol 8.

Danny Gokey’s wife passed away 4 weeks before the audition. I generally hate it when Idol uses a death in the family to promote its contestants, but the producers handled this better than the last time in my opinion.

Do we have Danny Gokey fans now?

WHAT IS LACTOSE INTOLERANCE?

2009-02-13T11:57:00.000-08:00

Lactose is a sugar found only in dairy products; it is the principal sugar in cow's milk. The enzyme lactase is required for humans to digest lactose. When the walls of a person's small intestine do not produce normal amounts of lactase, that person is said to have a lactose intolerance.

Symptoms of lactose intolerance, which occur after a person drinks a certain amount of milk, include abdominal cramping, bloating, diarrhea, and excessive gas. Most people develop some degree of lactose intolerance as they grow older.

People with lactose intolerance need not eliminate milk totally from their diets. They may simply decrease their consumption of milk. At the same time, they can increase their consumption of other dairy products—such as cheese and yogurt—that contain less lactose than milk. Another option is to add a commercial lactose preparation to milk. These preparations convert...

BIGGEST BIRD EVER- can't soar high!

2009-02-13T07:34:00.000-08:00

Biggest Bird Ever

T-Rex sized, in fact:

Researchers in China have unearthed the bones of a gigantic bird-like dinosaur, dwarfing anything else in its category.

Alive, the beast is thought to have been 8 metres long, 3.5 metres high at the hip and 1,400 kilograms in weight â€” 35 times as heavy as its next largest family members and 300 times the size of smaller ones such as Caudiperyx. It has been classified as a new species and genus: Gigantoraptor erlianensis.

The evolution of bird-like features had long been thought to be accompanied by a decrease in size, meaning the smaller the species, the more bird-like it is likely to be and vice versa. The new discovery shows that isn't necessarily true.

Gigantoraptor had long arms, bird-like legs, a toothless jaw, and probably a beak. There are no clear signs as to whether it was feathered. However, judging from its close affinity to other dinosaurs known to have been feathered, Xing Xu of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology in Beijing speculates that it was.

I'm guessing this bad boy didn't fly. And maybe that's just as well...
dinobird.jpg

SMALLVILLE (Supermans' lowly village) - where in the world is that?

2009-02-12T00:56:00.000-08:00

This article is about the fictional town in which Clark Kent lives. For the article about the television show itself, see Smallville (TV series).

Smallville is a small rural town in Lowell County, Kansas, USA. It was founded in 1831 by Ezra Small. Clark Kent has lived in Smallville all his life since being adopted into the home of Jonathan and Martha Kent. Smallville is located within driving distance of Metropolis (in Abyss Chloe Sullivan mentions that it was "something like" a two hour commute. Whether this was one way travel time or round trip wasn't made clear), 425 miles from Hub City, and near Granville. The current population is 45,001. [1] The local newspaper is the Smallville Ledger. The local radio station is called KROC. A fertilizer production branch of LuthorCorp is located in Smallville, known as LuthorCorp Fertilizer Plant Number Three.

Smallville was proud of its status as the Creamed Corn Capital of the World until 1989 when it became the Meteor Capital of the World. Life is centered on Main Street, as it has been for two hundred years. Generation after generation has used the same bank, gas station, and library. There are many family-owned farms and acres of cornfields. The town borders Morley Reservoir.

When the meteor shower of 1989 occured, it caused all sorts of mutations and destruction to the town and its citizens. It was where the ship bearing the infant Kal-El landed after its journey through space from Krypton. The Kents adopted him, and Clark attended school in Smallville, graduating from Smallville High School in 2005.

Smallville itself changed dramatically in the years following the first meteor shower. It was dubbed "America's Weirdest Town" by a national news magazine, and it seemed that strange, unexplainable things were always taking place in the quiet hamlet that seemed so normal on the surface. Bizarre occurrences-- such as a 150-pound tomato, a golden retriever that gave birth to a two-headed puppy, and the miraculous recovery of a critically ill woman given no chance to survive by her doctors -- became increasingly common in Smallville.

Another meteor shower struck Smallville in 2005 and a widespread blackout originated from the town in 2006. The blackout was called Dark Thursday and affected the entire planet of Earth.

Smallville has played host to the Lowell County fair and holds an annual Harvest Festival with a pageant in which they crown a local girl Miss Sweet Corn.

HERCULES - the biggest dog in the world is surely soaring over others in the land of scooby doo.

2009-01-13T11:42:00.000-08:00

Hercules: The World's Biggest Dog Ever According to Guinness World Records

Hercules was recently awarded the honorable distinction of Worlds Biggest Dog by Guinness World Records. Hercules is an English Mastiff and has a 38 inch neck and weighs 282 pounds.

With "paws the size of softballs" (reports the Boston Herald), the three-year-old monster is far larger and heavier than his breed's standard 200lb. limit. Hercules owner Mr. Flynn says that Hercules weight is natural and not induced by a bizarre diet: "I fed him normal food and he just grew".... and grew. and grew.

NE-YO's new single...

2009-01-13T11:31:00.000-08:00

A new Ne-Yo single has been leaked under the title “Closer”, allegedly a new material from the R’n'B singer who currently assists Michael Jackson and Lindsay Lohan on their upcoming albums.

“Closer”, an upbeat R’n'B piece blended with pop is rumored to be released as the first single off Ne-Yo’s third studio album that follows the 2007 “Because of You”. Words on the street said that he will release the album in Summer this year.

SM MALL OF ASIA and me.

2009-01-13T11:20:00.000-08:00

Location and Vicinity

The Mall of Asia was constructed within the reclamation area, west of . It is built on 19.5 hectares of reclaimed land and has a gross floor area of 386,224 square meters. The mall is located at the southmost tip of Epifanio de los Santos Avenue. A roundabout was constructed in the front of the mall with a huge bronze globe similar to that of the Universal Studios Theme Parks and the Unisphere in Flushing Meadows Park in New York City.

[edit] Physical Details

The SM Mall of Asia mall grounds consists of four buildings interconnected by walkways; the Main Mall, the Entertainment Mall, and the North and South Carpark Buildings.

The Main Mall includes shopping and dining establishments and the food court. The Entertainment Mall is a two-story complex, a majority of which is open-air, facing Manila Bay.

The mall's 5,000 parking spaces are divided across two, six-story parking buildings conveniently designated the North and South parking buildings. The South Parking building houses the mall's official SM Department Store, while the mall's supermarket, the SM Hypermarket is located within the North Parking building.

One of the mall's somewhat-unique features is a 20-seater tram traveling around the mall grounds to ferry shoppers around.

Concierge desks are located in the Main Mall and the Entertainment Mall.[1]

[edit] Attractions
SM Mall of Asia.

The mall includes branches of all of the standard anchor stores found in most of the SM Supermalls. The first-ever branch of Taste Asia, one of the SM Supermalls' food court brands, is located right outside the mall's supermarket, the sprawling SM Hypermarket.[2]

One of the mall’s main attractions is the first ever IMAX theater in the country, along with a Director's Club Theater for intimate screenings (30 La-Z-Boy seats), a Premiere Cinema, and the CenterStage Cinema which can used for live musical concerts and theatrical performances. The San Miguel-Coca-Cola IMAX Theatre is one of the world's biggest IMAX screens in 3D.

In addition to the mall's special theaters, it also has six regular two-tiered movie theaters similar to the ones found in almost every SM Supermall.[3]

The mall features the Philippines's first Olympic-sized ice skating rink. At 61 by 30 meters, the rink is described as the biggest of its kind in Southeast Asia. It can accommodate both recreational and competitive figure skating, as well as ice hockey. Along with plain access and skate rentals, the rink's operators also offer training progams in both figure skating and ice hockey.[4] Several ice skating competitions have been held at the mall's ice skating rink, the most prestigious yet having been Skate Asia 2007. It was also the first time that the Philippines had hosted any international ice skating event.[5][6]

The mall's open-air Music Hall directly facing the sea has also held several events, contests and concerts.[7]

The mall also provides office space. Dell International Services, a subsidiary of Dell, Inc. occupies a 13,470.5-square meter area at the second floor of the north parking building of the mall.

MANNY PACQUIAO'S next fight ?

2009-01-13T07:43:00.000-08:00

With all the talk recently of a possible Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather, JR., fight I started thinking of another possible great matchup: One between Pacquiao and another defensive wizard, Pernell Whitaker.

From the mid 80's to the early 90's Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker was one of the best fighters in the game. There was even a time when most described him as the pound for pound king. He is considered by many as one of the all time greats and his defensive skills are praised by all.

He is the best defensive fighter I ever had the pleasure of watching. His upper body movement was brilliant, only surpassed perhaps by his great footwork. Many have tried to compare Floyd Mayweather JR.'s defensive skills to Whitaker's but Whitaker's was better. Not to say Mayweather, JR., isn't a brilliant defensive fighter himself, because he certainly is, but it just shows how great Whitaker was in his prime.

Whether it was at 135 pounds, 140 pounds, or even at the welterweight limit of 147 pounds, Whitaker routinely made fighters look silly as the swung at something that wasn't there. Some of my earliest memories of boxing are of watching Whitaker put on these displays of defensive wizardry.

Whitaker started his pro career at 135 pounds after already winning an Olympic Gold Medal to cap off a stellar amateur career. He quickly rose up the ranks picking up titles along the way. His first loss came at the hands of Jose Luis Ramirez in a split decision that was highly debatable.

Unfazed he went on to beat his next 17 opponents which included wins over Azumah Nelson, Buddy McGirt and a rematch win over Ramirez. Also along the way he collected WBC, WBA, and IBF Lightweight Titles, IBF Light Welterweight Title, WBC Welterweight Title and later added the WBA Light Middleweight Title.

Whitaker took on many big name opponents as well but in two of his biggest fights he ended walking away without a win. Against Julio Cesar Chavez, Whitaker walked away with a draw. Many people believe he was robbed in that fight as he out-boxed Chavez most of the fight. Then a few years later against Oscar De La Hoya, he had Oscar throwing punches at air for most of the night but in a close fight it seemed the judges went with the aggression of Oscar over the defense of Whitaker as he dropped a unanimous decision.

Still many, including myself, believe he won both of those fights and there is no denying that in his prime there were few who could beat Sweet Pea.

So what would a possible matchup between Pacquiao and Whitaker look like? Well first of all what weight would they fight at? Well neither were really big guys as their height was about equal. Pernell was a bit lengthier and his frame was a little bigger as well.

Whitaker split his career fighting mainly at 135 pounds and 147 pounds with a few fights at 154 pounds and 140 pounds. Manny on the other hand started his career at 106 pounds but has moved all the way up to fighting at welterweight in his last fight. His next fight will be at 140 pounds against Ricky Hatton and I think this weight would be where both fighters were at their optimal condition so let’s say the fight takes place at 140 pounds.

Of course we want to see who would win if they were to meet in their primes. So let’s take Whitaker from the early 90's as I think that is when he was at his peak. As for Manny, I think we would have to take the Manny of the present as he seems to be much more polished this point of his career and has clearly been better after each fight he's had.

So with all the factors set who would win this fight? It is a battle of two of my favorite fighters of all time and it would be a “can't miss” type of event.

Each fighter brings so much to the table. First of all let’s look at a couple of key elements to the fight:

Speed

Each fighter has speed to spare. Manny's speed is the key his offense, often darting in landing multiple punches then darting back out before his opponent has time to react. Right off the bat I was ready to give the advantage to Manny here but after reviewing some tapes of Whitaker it makes it much harder of a decision. Whitaker had great hand speed as well. He didn't throw punches as much as Manny but when he did those punches were quick. Still I think Manny has a slight advantage here.

Power

Again at first I was going to clearly give the advantage to Manny here but then I started to think that well this is at 140 pounds not 130 or 126 where Manny was dropping guys at will. In his last couple of fights Manny has won by KO but they weren't the one punch devastation type punches he had at lighter weights. They were KO's based on the cumulative damage of all his punches. Still Whitaker was never a one punch type guy himself and his KO percentage shows that he won his fights by simply out boxing his opponents. This is another category that I will give a slight edge to Manny.

Defense

Do we even need to go over this one? OK, Manny has improved tremendously under the tutelage of Freddie Roach. He went from a guy whose motto was, “The best defense is a good offense” to a fighter who is now a well rounded fighter. But as I said earlier, Whitaker was one of the best defensive fighters of all time. His footwork was so great there he often had his opposition stumbling over themeselves to get to him. This one's easy, Pernell by far.

Endurance

This never seemed to be a problem with either fighter. Whitaker simply based on the way he fights was always ready to go 12 rounds. And of course Manny's stamina is legendary as he seems as fresh in the later rounds as he does in the first. One thing that could be a factor here though is that if Manny is able to make Whitaker fight every minute of every round could Whitaker handle the constant pressure or would he start to dwindle in the later rounds? This is another one I might give a very slight advantage to Manny.

While those are just a few categories I think it gives us a basis of how the fight might play out.

In the early rounds I could see the two feeling each other out with the jab of Pernell giving him the early advantage. Manny would have his moments where he would get in and possible land some punches while at the same time finding himself swinging at air.

As the fight went on and Manny got more comfortable it would start to turn into the fight we all expected, Manny chasing down Whitaker as he moved around the ring stopping here and there to fire a few quick shots. These middle rounds is where Freddie Roach would be telling Manny to let the body punches fly to try and slow down Whitaker in the later rounds.

Going into those later rounds it would be a very close fight with both men having their moments. Down the stretch, those body punches would have slowed down Whitaker some but he would have also have figured out Manny's strategy as well.

In the end it goes to a decision. It would be one of those fights that you know could go either way and just like his fights with Ramirez, De La Hoya and Chavez, Whitaker ends up with a very debatable decision however this time it would be in his favor. Split decision win for Whitaker in an instant classic.

Manny's speed, power and endurance would be better but the overall skill of Whitaker and his defense would prove to be just too much for Pacquiao. And really would that be so bad? Losing to an all time great like Whitaker? I'm sure Manny would come out the other side an even better fighter for it.

Well, I guess we will never really know what might have actually happened in that fight. But if fate is kind to us we still might get a chance to see Manny versus another great defensive fighter, Floyd Mayweather, JR., later this year.

DWAYNE not just the ROCK Johnson - through the years soaring still...

2009-01-10T12:12:00.000-08:00

"The Rock" slammed, smashed, and double-leg-takedown-spinebuster'ed his way fame and fortune as a WWE superstar before hitting the silver screen. Though the critics haven't always been kind to his movies, his chiseled features, buff bod, arched eyebrow, and easy charisma have made him a natural for movie stardom. Now he's left his wrestling name behind, and with this weekend's release of the sci-fi family adventure "Race to Witch Mountain," he's betting that audiences will still turn out to smell what Dwayne Johnson is cookin'.

Johnson was born on May 2, 1972 to a family of professional wrestlers. His Samoan-born grandfather was "High Chief" Peter Maivia, who appeared in the ring with bare feet and tribal tattoos (and was a bad guy in the James Bond movie, "You Only Live Twice"). His Afro-Canadian dad was "Soulman" Rocky Johnson, one of the first black WWF wrestling stars. Dwayne would later play his father Rocky in an episode of "That 70's Show." His grandmother Leah Maivia, one of the industry's very few female wrestling promoters, ran Polynesian Pacific Pro Wrestling in the mid-80s. You can say that The Rock was literally born to wrestle.

Yet Johnson's first choice to channel his natural prowess was not in the ring, but on the gridiron. He helped lead the University of Miami to the national championship along side future NFL star Warren Sapp. But when injuries and bad luck cut his football career short, he begged his father to teach him the finer points of the family business. Rocky reluctantly agreed.

Johnson made his debut in the WWF in 1996 under the moniker Rocky Maivia -- combining his father's and grandfather's names -- wrestling under a "goody two-shoes" persona. After some initial popularity, the crowds grew bored of him, chanting "Die Rocky Die" during matches. So in 1997, he rebranded himself as a hectoring, sarcastic villain called The Rock. The persona stuck and soon Johnson rocketed into wrestling superstardom.

Called "the most electrifying man in sports-entertainment," The Rock quickly became so popular that he was christened "The People's Champion." In 2000, he wrote a memoir -- "The Rock Says..." -- which was a surprise New York Times best seller, staying on the list for 20 weeks. Clearly, his fame had reached critical mass; he was ready for the big screen.

TAKEN - The movie

2008-12-13T12:41:00.000-08:00

You might be wondering, what is Taken? I’m not talking about the Steven Spielberg produced alien abduction miniseries from a few years ago.

I’m talking about the new french triller from District B13 director Pierre Morel, based on a script co-written by Robert Mark Kamen (The Transporter) and Luc Besson (The Professional). Liam Neeson stars as a father who goes on a manhunt after his daughter is kidnapped in Paris.

Taken is set to be released overseas in February 2008, and currently doesn’t have a U.S. release. I don’t see why Fox wouldn’t release this film in the states. It looks like it hasÂ lot of American sensibilities, a great cast, intense story, and fantastic cinematography.

OBAMA - will he continue to shine for AMERICA?

2008-12-13T07:49:00.000-08:00

Barack Obama is the most famous living person in the history of the world.

I’m not trying to induce an acid flashback to John Lennon’s infamous 1966 comment, “The Beatles are more popular than Jesus.” But whether you measure fame in terms of saturation or sheer numbers, it seems indisputable to me that more people know at least something about the new American president than anyone alive, at this point—or any—in the planet’s existence.

Who else could it be? One friend suggest Muhammad Ali, another Princess Diana, and a third said Bill Clinton. Surely all are global brands with enormous reach and broad appeal. But all fall short of the man-meets-the-moment frenzy unleashed by Obama.

To be sure, the digital revolution has made this feat of fame possible. Not only has it helped the son of an erstwhile Kenyan goatherd to become president, it has allowed a current Kenyan goatherd to follow the former’s journey. And he is not alone. Exponential growth in access to the Internet, satellite television and radio, cell phones, and P.D.A.’s means that breaking news now reaches virtually every corner of the globe. At the same time, population continues to grow; there are now some 6.7 billion men, women, and children on earth, an historic high.

But technology and biology don’t totally explain the Obama phenomenon. There’s no denying that the world has been utterly captivated by the new American president with the international pedigree. His black African father, white American mother, Muslim middle name, and childhood spent partially in Asia make him more than the 21st-century embodiment of the classic American melting pot; his story makes him accessible to people the world over who might see in his life a few scenes from their own.

That someone like Obama could be elected president of the United States—with its unrivaled power and prestige—has begun to restore the country’s and the world’s faith in America as the land of opportunity. Gone is the hunkered-down defensiveness of the past eight years, the lock-the-doors, draw-the-curtains, load-the-guns-to-keep-out-the-bad-guys mentality that turned so much of the world against us. In its place is the restoration of that classic American optimism, eyes lifted to the horizon, reaching out across continents and oceans, not in fear, but with faith that we can help build a better world. It was no accident that President Obama’s first televison interview from the White House went not to an American network but to an Arab one.

As Obama himself has acknowledged again and again, he begins his first term at a moment of profound crisis. The road ahead with be difficult, as gauzy goals give way to difficult decisions, and people from Chicago to Cairo, to Nairobi, find reasons to be disappointed. But at least for the moment, Obama has made America cool again—and more than that, he’s made his own brand arguably the most powerful the world has ever known.

"UNDERWORLD; rise of the LYCANS"

2008-11-13T07:53:00.000-08:00

A centuries-long blood feud erupts between two powerful and immortal tribes in Columbia Pictures’ new fantasy thriller “Underworld: Rise of the Lycans.” The third film in the epic “Underworld” saga goes back in time to depict the origins of the conflict between the aristocratic Vampires, known as Death Dealers, and the barbaric Lycans, a line of fierce werewolves. With more eye-popping CGI and astounding creature effects than either of its predecessors, “Underworld: Rise of the Lycans” reveals some of the hit franchise’s most compelling secrets.

Michael Sheen, Bill Nighy, Kevin Grevioux and Steven Mackintosh reprise their roles as Vampire overlords and Lycan rebels, with Rhona Mitra joining the cast as the impetuous Vampire warrior, Sonja.

More than a thousand years before the events of the original “Underworld,” two races of preternatural beings came into being, each springing from the bloodlines of a different son of the original Immortal, Alexander Corvinus. Vampires, arising from the Markus line, became elegant, aristocratic, cunning blood drinkers. Werewolves, from the William line, became savage beasts, with no trace of humanity left - and an insatiable appetite for violence. The Vampires came to dominate the local region – the wild lands in what is now western Hungary - with their superior intelligence, strength, and political skill. But even they feared the werewolves, who, though incapable of organization and higher thought, were capable of immense strength and savagery.

And then another genetic fluke transformed the balance of power again: a female werewolf, captive in the Vampire stronghold, gave birth to a seemingly human child. This was Lucian (Sheen) – the first Lycan, born into slavery in the house of Viktor (Nighy), the supremely powerful Vampire leader. Unlike “William’s Kind”, the original werewolves, this Lycan was able to take the form of either man or beast at will. Lucian’s bloodline was used by Viktor to create an entirely new breed of slaves, abused by the Vampires as laborers and guards during the vulnerable daylight hours, and prevented from transforming by the silver-spiked moonshackles kept locked around their necks.

Viktor reigns over his slaves, his court and his domains with an iron hand. He loves only two things: power, and his beautiful but willful daughter Sonja (Mitra).

Each night, Sonja rides with the Death Dealers, an elite squad of Vampire soldiers that protect Viktor’s domain against the marauding werewolves. But unknown to her father or any of her peers, Sonja has fallen in love with Lucian, now a skilled blacksmith and weapons-maker in the Vampire castle. Their affair must be conducted in the utmost secret, since if discovered, it would mean certain death for both of them.

Incredible battle scenes, astonishing stunts and cutting-edge creature effects make “Underworld: Rise of the Lycans” an epic adventure that stands proudly on its own.

Opening soon across the Philippines, “Underworld: Rise of the Lycans” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.

SMASHING AND DROPPING - BADMINTON

2008-11-11T11:16:00.000-08:00

INTRODUCTION

Badminton, game for two or four players using lightweight rackets and a shuttlecock, a cork ball fitted with stabilizing feathers. Players hit the shuttlecock back and forth over a net, trying to keep it from hitting the ground. Some people play badminton outdoors on a level grassy area or beach. However, tournament-level badminton is played indoors on a specially marked court.

Badminton’s governing body, the International Badminton Federation (IBF), has about 140 member nations. The IBF estimates that about 200 million people play the game worldwide and that more than 1,000 players participate in international competition. Badminton’s growth accelerated after the game’s debut as a medal sport during the 1992 Summer Olympic Games. China, Denmark, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, and South Korea are just a few of the countries where badminton is popular.

PLAYING AREA

International rules state that an indoor badminton court must be rectangular, with white lines marked on a level wooden floor or on a special mat that is rolled onto a level playing surface. A singles court is 44 ft (13.41 m) long and 17 ft (5.18 m) wide. For doubles, alleys 1 ft 6 in (0.46 m) wide along the two longer sides of the court come into play, making the court 20 ft (6.10 m) wide. Because many shots fly high into the air, there must be clearance of at least 30 ft (9.14 m) above the court. A net stretched across the middle of the court has a top edge set to a height of 5 ft (1.52 m) at the center and 5 ft 1 in (1.55 m) at the posts.

EQUIPMENT

Badminton rackets weigh between 3.5 and 5 oz (99 and 141 g) and consist of a leather or terrycloth handle; a long, thin shaft; and a stringed area called the head. Official rules limit the total length of a racket to 26.75 in (67.95 cm). The head of a racket measures 11 in (28 cm) in length and 8.6 in (21.8 cm) in width and is strung with synthetic nylon or gut at between 25 and 35 lb (11.3 and 15.9 kg) of tension. Early rackets were made of wood, but badminton rackets are now commonly made of aluminum, boron, graphite, and titanium.

Tournament-quality shuttlecocks, also called shuttles or birdies, weigh 0.2 oz (5.7 gm) and consist of 16 goose feathers that protrude from one side of a ball-shaped cork base. Most shuttles used by casual players are plastic and have synthetic feathers. Both types of shuttles are 2.5 in (6.4 cm) long. When the shuttlecock is in the air, its aerodynamics cause it to spin so that when players hit it, they almost always strike the cork, not the feathers.

SERVICE AND PLAY

Play begins with a serve from a service area on the right-hand side of the court to a receiver in a diagonally opposite service area across the net. To serve, the server stands behind the service line and strikes the cork base of the shuttle in an underhand motion. The receiver must then return the shuttle before it hits the ground, and the players hit the shuttle back and forth until one side fails to return it.

Play ends when the shuttle hits the ground on one side of the court or when one player makes a fault, or error, such as hitting the shuttle into the net or out of bounds. Specific faults for servers include striking the feathers of the shuttle first or serving overhand. The receiver can be faulted for not being within the service court, for not having both feet on the floor when receiving, and for moving before the serve is made.

During play, faults include hitting the shuttle into the roof or lights, hitting it through the net, double-hitting or slinging a shot, touching the net, playing a shot by reaching over the net, and allowing the shuttle to hit the player’s body. Unsportsmanlike conduct—such as intentionally distracting an opponent—will also earn a player a fault.

SCORING AND OFFICIALS

Points are scored when the opponent fails to return the shuttle, hits it out of bounds, or earns a fault. Points only count for the server (or serving side in doubles), so keeping the service privilege is an important part of the game. If the server loses a rally or makes a fault, the service privilege passes to the opponent. In doubles, this immediate loss of service occurs only at the start of the game. After this first loss of service, each team receives two chances to hold serve. When the first teammate loses serve, the partner serves. If the partner loses serve, the opposing team takes over.

In men’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles, the first side to score 15 points is the winner. Women’s singles games are played to 11 points. If the score is tied at 14-14 (or 10-10 in women’s singles) a system called setting settles the outcome. The first side that reached 14 (or 10) elects either to play through, meaning that the next side to win a point wins the game, or to set the game to three additional points, meaning that the first side to reach 17 points (or 13 in women’s singles) wins the game. Each badminton match is a best-of-three-games contest. Average matches last about 45 minutes, but professional matches can last more than 2 hours.

Badminton tournaments involve a number of officials. A referee supervises the tournament organization while an umpire controls each match. Aided by a service judge, the umpire keeps score and rules on faults during play. Up to ten line judges rule on whether particular shots have landed in or out of the court.

SKILLS AND STROKES

Badminton requires speed, strength, power, agility, and nerve. Players must move quickly from side to side and back and forth, and stamina is important.

There are six key badminton strokes: the serve, drive, net shot, smash, lift (or lob), and clear. To hit these strokes, players use either a forehand or a backhand grip, depending on court positioning. On the forehand the forefinger acts as a lever and creates power and direction for the stroke. For the backhand the thumb creates this power and direction while placed along the back of the handle.

Many players aim the serve toward the centerline of the opposite service box. This technique limits the angle of the opponent’s return shot. Sometimes players use long, high serves to force opponents to the back of the court. Players also make specialty serves, such as flick serves that barely clear the net or drive serves that are hit down the sideline of the service area, to catch opponents out of position.

Once play has started, players tend to hit straight, low-flying shots called drives. When the shuttle remains close to the center of the court, net shots can be a good option. Net shots can be hard-hit or delicate. They are aimed at the front area of the opponent’s court, forcing the opponent to play the shot close to the net.

If the opponent manages to return a net shot, the return must be hit high to clear the net. This gives the player a chance for a smash—the deadliest attacking stroke in badminton. A smash is hit to the floor so forcefully that the opponent has no chance to return the shuttle before it hits the ground. The hardest smash has been recorded at more than 160 mph (260 km/h).

Players also use two looping strokes that knock the shuttle high and deep. The lift, or lob, is an offensive stroke made from the middle or front of the court. This shot sends the shuttle in a high arc above the opponent’s reach, forcing the opponent to the back of the court. The clear is a similar stroke, but it is used for defensive purposes when players find themselves out of position. The high arc gives players time to return to the middle of the court and to prepare for another rally.

COMPETITION

Many badminton enthusiasts play in clubs or at local and regional levels. Top players compete in the World Grand Prix series, an international circuit of tournaments sanctioned by the IBF.

The world championships are badminton’s biggest event and are held every two years. The tournament features five competitions: men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles, and mixed doubles. The world championships are always preceded the previous week at the same venue by the Sudirman Cup world mixed team championships, where contests between nations are decided by five matches: men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles, and mixed doubles.

Two of badminton’s most exciting events are the men’s Thomas Cup and the women’s Uber Cup. These world team championships, which take place every two years side by side at the same time and at the same venue, have continental qualifying rounds. Contests are staged in a round-robin format with knockout finals at both the qualifying stages in February and the grand finals in May. Thomas Cup and Uber Cup contests consist of three singles and two doubles matches.

Other major events are the European championships, held every two years, and the Olympic Games and the Commonwealth Games, both held every four years.

The IBF, located in Cheltenham, England, regulates all these events and is the sport’s governing body. Representatives from Canada, Denmark, England, France, Ireland, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Scotland, and Wales founded the organization in 1934. Today the IBF has about 140 member nations.

ARNEL PINEDA - on JOURNEY...

2008-10-17T01:45:00.000-07:00

Arnel Pineda was born in Sampaloc, Manila, in the Philippines. His mother instilled his love for singing at an early age, encouraging him to sing along to songs from her favorite singers like Karen Carpenter and Barbra Streisand. Growing up, his parents entered him in many singing contests.

His mother, who had been suffering from rheumatic heart disease, passed away when he was thirteen. Her illness had left their family deep in debt. Being a year behind on their rented apartment and unable to sufficiently provide for the family, his father decided to move out and ask relatives to take in Pineda's siblings. To ease his father's burden, Pineda quit school and volunteered to strike out on his own.

For about two years his life was spent out on the streets, sleeping wherever he could: in public parks, or on a narrow bench outside a friend's crowded house. He earned meager money by collecting glass bottles, newspapers, and scrap metal and selling them to recyclers. He would also go to the pier with his friends and take on odd jobs like cleaning scrap metal and docked ships. He didn't have much to eat, sometimes rationing a small package of biscuit as his meal for two days. Despite all these hardships he tried to remain optimistic about his future.

[edit] Singing career

In 1982, when Pineda was 15 years old, he became the lead singer of the Filipino musical group called Ijos Band. He used to sing in Shakey's Taft. In 1986, some members of Yjoz formed a group called Amo. Amo entered and won the Rock Wars contest in the Philippines.

In 1988, Amo entered and won the Philippines leg of the Yamaha World Band Explosion. They went on to the finals in Hong Kong, but were not qualified to win due to a technicality. The rules stated the winning song had to be an original composition. However, they also stated that the song entry in the finals had to be the same song with which the band won their country's leg of the competition. Amo's winning song in the Philippines was Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody", obviously not an original. After the contest, the band continued as Amo, performing live. They opened for Robert Palmer in Manila in 1989. [3] Amo played in clubs in Quezon City, Olongapo City and Makati City, which are located in Luzon, the biggest island in the Philippines. Amo was very popular in the renowned Chinese-owned California Jams club in Olongapo City, which was frequented by United States military personnel.

In 1990, Pineda and other members of Amo formed another band called Intensity Five and once again entered the Yamaha World Band Explosion. Pineda won the Best Vocalist award and the band came in as first runner up.

Later in 1990, five of Amo's original members split from the band leader, Ulysis Ablang (Uly) and formed another band behind Pineda, "New Age". This occurred prior to the release of Amo's one-and-only album released in 1990 titled Ang Tunay na Amo ("The Real Master") on BMG records which spawned one popular radio hit called "Running Away". (The song was popularized again in 2006 by another Filipino artist Erik Santos, who won an American Idol type Filipino TV show, Star In A Million.) The remaining members of Amo went on to become "The Boss Band", while Pineda's band, New Age, played regularly at Fire and Rain in Makati City.

In 1991, during one of those performances, a talent agent spotted Pineda and New Age and asked them to move to Hong Kong to perform at a very popular entertainment restaurant called Grammy's. With New Age, Pineda performed six nights a week, Tuesday through Sunday, for several years thereafter.[3] After a long-term serious relationship failed in 1994, Pineda suffered health problems, which almost destroyed his voice. He returned to the Philippines. After six months of recuperation, he was able to sing again.[3][4] He returned to Hong Kong and resumed singing with his band. In 1998, the owner of Igor's, the premiere theme restaurant/nightclub in Hong Kong, asked New Age to perform there. Dressed in skeleton outfits, they called themselves "The Rolling Bones".

In 1999, Pineda caught the attention of Warner Bros. record label and flew back to the Philippines on his days off to record a solo album, the self-titled Arnel Pineda. Most of the album’s ten original songs were slow ballads, with only two upbeat numbers, one of which carries a Latin style. One of the songs, “Iiyak Ka Rin” (You Will Cry Too) became a karaoke favorite in Asia, while another song "Sayang" (Too Bad) became a radio favorite. Pineda wrote and arranged several songs. Pineda continued to perform with New Age while making his album and for several years thereafter. In 2001, Pineda sang one song with Filipino band, South Border’s album The Way We Do. The song is called “Looking Glass”. In 2002, Pineda's band changed their name to 9 mm and played at “The Edge” in Lai Kwai Fong, Hong Kong.

In 2004, three members of the New Age band reformed with a female singer sharing lead vocals with Pineda and called themselves “Most W@nted”. This band played 3-4 hour sets Monday through Saturday at The Cavern Club in Hong Kong.[5] On their only day off, Sundays, the band often performed at Filipino community events.

In 2005, Arnel recorded the theme song of the short-lived Filipino radio show "Dayo". A band named The Visitors was briefly formed for promotion purposes of the "Dayo" soundtrack consisting of three members from Ijos/Yjoz, Amo, New Age and Most Wanted.

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HOLLOWS - soon to levitate in HOLLYWOOD BOX OFFICE

2008-10-13T07:13:00.000-07:00

We finally have an official release date: Warner Bros will release Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I on November 19th 2010. That means there will be exactly two years without a Harry Potter movie. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince hits theaters later this year on November 21st.

This came from a combination of me looking for a particular movie poster to use as a source pic for something else and a post by sbeegee where she put speech bubbles on one of the 7th book covers and mentioned that she was going to watch Gone With the Wind. Talk about random, huh?

Sources: Movie posters for Gone With the Wind and An Affair to Remember, the book covers for Deathly Hallows, Equus Daniel (this particular shot of him for the 3rd time), and random Emma pic.

TRUE FRIENDS

2008-09-20T02:58:00.000-07:00

True friends are for life
Until the end
They're more than special
They're your bestest friends.

They're the ones you can go to
When you're in despair
The ones that'll help you
Even when you got gum in your hair!

They're the ones who'll laugh
And go laughing with you all through the night
The ones who'll help you
Help you with all their might

To have a good friend
You have to be one
So be nice to one another
So you can be friends forever
And that\'s how to be the best friend you can be.

What is Capoeira? -'THE ART OF BRAZILLAN MARTIAL ARTS"

2008-09-17T01:50:00.000-07:00

Capoeira
It is a mixture of body and soul, of dance and fight, of instruments and voices. According to history, Capoeira was created by imported Africans on Brazilian soil. It evolved as a means of expression of the yearning for freedom and simultaneously as a form of entertainment.

Moicano and Fantasma Fofinha and Besouro

Condemned and persecuted, capoeira managed to overcome the preconceptions of the beginning of the century and reach new horizons. It is considered one of the most comprehensive forms of physical conditioning and is an integrated balance of mind, strength, rhythm, poetry, agility, and harmony. It is the maximum expression of liberty and keeps the art of the ancestors alive, being part of Brazilian and now, world history.

A Brief History of Capoeira
The word Capoeira (cáapuêra: of Tupi-Guarani Indian origin) stands for "wild grass", or "grass that has been cut".

Capoeira as it is known today began when enslaved Africans created quilombos, hidden free states where runaways, outcasts and fugitives of mixed origin lived communally. Amongst these the most famous was Palmares led by Zumbi, an invicible warrior and strategist, whom according to legend was a capoerista.

Mestre Bimba Mestre Pastinha

Historically the personal guard of the Brazilian Emperor Dom Pedro I was formed by capoeiristas, or capoeiras. However, the MARECHAL Deodoro da Fonseca, in 1890, according to the decree by law 487, declared that any capoeira caught practicing the art on the streets would be expelled to the island of Fernando de Noronha (an island in the northeast of Brazil) for a period of six months. In this way, the said decree having temporarily ended the practice of capoeira, it was to rise again nearly 50 years later in 1957 when Manoel dos Reis Machado, or better-known as Mestre Bimba, mounted a presentation for the then President of the Republic, Getúlio Vargas. Enchanted by the game, Dr. Vargas liberated the practice of capoeira that since then went from marginality to being taught in academies in Brazil.

Mestre Bimba created the Regional style, that is identified as the faster, more purposeful and efficient version: capoeira as a fight. The style known as Angola is capoeira in slower form with smooth movements that demand more contact with the ground, and was created by Vicente Ferreira Pastinha or Mestre Pastinha, in Bahia. Nowadays Capoeira is no longer a privilege of Rio de Janeiro or Bahia, practiced in many Brazilian states and, more importantly, the world over.

What is a Batizado?
It is a festival of interaction between masters and students. It is a magical encounter; it is energy; it is culture; it is an exchange of information; it is incredibly emotional. It is an intense moment where mestres, professors, and students of the Escola Brasileira de Capoeira and invitees from Brazil and elsewhere reunite to exchange experiences, knowledge, and wisdom.

As the first encounter of students with invited masters, it is in the context of the batizado that initiates in the art of capoeira receive a nickname by which they will be known within capoeira, including their first cordão(belt). Baptized students also move from one graduation to another according to their practical and theoretical development throughout the year.

Oprah, Ellen, Celine and Charice - on greater heights!

2008-09-13T05:21:00.000-07:00

I’m not fond of fancy food,” she says in Filipino, eating the spam and eggs – spamsilog, actually – out of a Tupperware container with her right hand encased in a clear plastic baggie.

Charice would rather eat with her fingers like any true-blooded Pinoy, but then she wouldn’t want to get any grease on her Macbook’s keypad, would she?

The silver laptop is powered on in front of the dresser, revealing a Garfield screensaver.

It’s more than just a prop.

Speaking mainly in Filipino, she explains: “When I get sleepy, I lose my voice. So I need games on my laptop to keep me awake. I love gadgets – cellphones, iPods, laptop – dati napapanood ko lang sila sa TV, ngayon nabibili ko na sila (I used to just see them on TV, but now I can afford to buy them).”

Charice is wearing a floppy blue hat, with her big toothy grin and eyes that turn down at the corners in a broad, good-natured face that reminds one of Alice’s Cheshire cat, or Evisu, the Japanese god of wealth.

Like any 16-year-old girl, she giggles a lot, and it’s probably this natural, unforced quality that must have appealed so much to Oprah, Ellen Degeneres et. al., apart of course from the outsize voice that got everyone’s attention.

“Kalog po talaga ako (I’m really goofy),” she explains. “I’m a cheerful person. I only look serious when I’m performing on TV. People like me because I make them smile, although when I perform, they say I make them cry too, being the first Asian to have achieved this stature, this being the ’little girl with a big voice,’” she continues. “I felt really touched when Oprah Winfrey described me as the most talented girl in the world. Naisip ko na maraming talented sa mundo pero ako yung napili niya na sabihan ng ganoon (I thought, there are a lot of talented people in the world, but she chose me for that tag.) ”

Her cellphone rings.

Charice’s ringtone is a snippet of her Madison Square Garden duet with Celine Dion, a measure of the impossibly high esteem in which she holds “Miss Celine.” Of all the incredible achievements she’s racked up in such a short span of time – appearing on “Oprah” and “The Ellen Degeneres Show,” singing a duet with Andrea Bocelli and performing at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade – it’s still the highlight of her life thus far, a dreamlike moment during which she ascended to the higher realms and tasted nirvana.

Or in her own words:

“Talagang napaka-perfect kasi niya at napakabait kaya hanggang ngayon nandoon sya,” (She’s really so perfect and so kind, so until now, she’s up there),”she gushes.

And she would love nothing better than to record another duet with “Miss Celine,” God willing, on her international debut album, due next year from Warner Brothers. Or Josh Groban. But that’s really up to her managers and producers.

In the meantime, she’s happy to be our first truly bi-coastal star, or in local showbiz parlance a “lagare queen,” only her lagare involves juggling local performances with bookings in the US and other countries. In fact, international stardom has prompted the family to keep an apartment in LA, although Charice is more often on the road, racking up frequent-flyer miles and living out of hotel rooms.

Luckily, at her age, it’s still an adventure and not yet a grind. Being pronounced “the most talented girl in the world” by Oprah doesn’t seem to have jaded her yet.

“Syempre po nakakapagod yung byahe, pero pag nandun na ako sa stage at nagpe-perform ako, naiisip ko na lang ang pagod pag matutulog na ko, (Yes, the trips can be tiring but when I’m performing onstage, I only think of the fatigue come bedtime),” she says. “The events where I sing are enjoyable and I get to perform with big stars, and that banishes the tiredness,” she adds.

Like any star-struck fan, Charice’s Macbook contains her photo album of cherished snaps with the likes of Alicia Keyes, David Archuleta of “American Idol” fame, Nicole Richie, Mariah Carey, Josh Groban and Peter Cetera of Chicago, to name just the more recent additions.

The Mac is also a reminder of just how much Charice owes her present celebrity to the existence of the worldwide web. Like Arnel Pineda, she was discovered on YouTube through videos posted by her fans.

“That’s the main reason I’m here,” she admits. “Because of YouTube, I got invited to Sweden, Korea, the Ellen Degeneres show, then Oprah’s show. That was also where I was discovered by the brother of David Foster (her current producer).”

Through her laptop, Charice is able to keep track of the numerous blogs and fansites devoted to her, as well as her official website charicepempengco.com, although she is leery of actually posting anything.

“I don’t blog. I might miss some websites and people might get offended. So I just view them but don’t post anything.”

Her newfound celebrity has also somewhat curtailed her activities.

“Sometimes when I go malling, I can’t really shop and look around because people ask to have their pictures taken with me. So I don’t go anymore. But yes, I do get to play – mostly with my brother.”

Like many showbiz kids with irregular schedules, Charice has had to opt for home schooling, where she is now in third-year high school.

“Syempre po nakaka-miss din,” she says of having to say goodbye to her friends. “I was in regular school till first year high school so I really miss my classmates. I visited them once and it was a good feeling, but I couldn’t stay long. It feels good to see them and to hear them say they’re proud of me.”

Right now she’s settling for a routine that she describes as “bahay, ABS-CBN-States – ’yun lang po (home-TV studio-the US)” but allows for the possibility that showbiz may not be forever.

“College – I’m still undecided, but given the opportunity, I’d like to study in the US and take up Law. I wanted to be a doctor initially, but I was inspired by Tito Mike (immigration lawyer Mike Garfinkel, whose wife Millie manages her career Flipside). I want to be an entertainment lawyer. But school doesn’t have to be in the US, as long as I get to finish college.”

It all depends, of course, on what the future holds for Charice. Pop superstardom beckons, but she seems wise beyond her years as regards the perils of instant celebrity and its long-term prospects.

“Syempre gusto kong maging superstar, pero gusto ko rin maging lawyer,” she says candidly. “Gusto kong makompleto ang maibibigay ko sa mommy ko, gaya ng sariling bahay. Basta pag nakompleto ko yon, kahit mawala na ako sa showbiz, at least nakompleto ko na ang mga gusto nila. (Of course I’d like to be a superstar but I also want to become a lawyer. I want to give my mom a house and everything she wants. As long as I get to do that, I wouldn’t mind fading out of showbiz).”

It is her mother, after all, who remains her main role model. Raquel Pempengco was a vocalist for Souls Free, a show band. She would take Charice along on her shows, and at age four, the little girl caught the bug.

“I really envy my mom because she was a vocalist in a band, and she influenced me. One time the band asked me to sing and I found myself enjoying it. I asked my mom to teach me how to sing. She didn’t expect that I’d sing well, so in effect, she discovered me.”

Singing is the one thing that comes most naturally, and she doesn’t want to mess that up by thinking too much about it.

“I don’t want to think about it. I’ve joined a lot of singing contests before and I always lost, so I don’t want to think that I’m that good. In fact, in those amateur contests, I would imitate the other contestants whom I idolize because I didn’t think I was good enough. As long as I get to sing the song and feel it, that’s it. When people say I’m good, I just don’t think about it; it makes me uncomfortable.”

She’d also like to show her audiences that she can do more than just the big showpiece ballads. Occasionally she’ll surprise audiences by doing a Miley Cyrus number, or even “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson. Her own listening these days runs to rhythm and blues, Chris Brown and Rihanna, she says. But audiences have come to expect full birit mode from her, the athletic numbers that showcase her big outsize voice and what she can do with it.

With her “keep it simple” philosophy, Charice doesn’t worry about how much to give to a performance. She always gives it all she’s got.

“I always give 100 per cent; if possible, 110 per cent, because I really want to satisfy my audience. When they go home, I want my performance to be imprinted on their mind.”

Charice will turn 17 next May, most likely in Las Vegas where she’s booked on a promotional tour for her DVD “David Foster and Friends.” Right now, however, she’s still very much a kid at heart, but a kid who’s learned some valuable lessons in life.

“I always say this because I’ve been through it,” she tells aspiring young singers. “If they really dream of being a singer, they need discipline. Don’t take advantage – hintayin mo yung para sa iyo (wait for what’s really meant for you). But don’t give up either. I remember how after ‘Little Big Star,’ I gave up. For one week, my mind was a complete blank because I’ve lost. Good thing some people helped me stand up. ’Wag susuko, kasi talagang may plan si God para sa inyo (Don’t give up because God has a plan for you).”

CHARICE PEMPENGCO - A VOICE soaring beyond her dreams...

2008-08-13T05:09:00.000-07:00

Nobody expected that after Leah Salonga, a young girl would again penetrate the international entertainment scene and make Philippines really proud of her achievements. Nagpapatunay rin sa tagumpay na tinatamasa ngayon ni Charice na kung hindi ka man sinuwerteng maging grand champion sa isang contest ay mayroon pa rin namang mas malaking mga bagay na nakatadhana na mangyari sa iyo.

Sa pictorial ng 2nd album niya under Star Records, ipinahayag ni Charice sa PEP na hanggang ngayon ay di pa rin siya makapaniwala sa mga magagandang nangyayari ngayon sa kanyang career at buhay.

“Nagugulat nga ako, almost one year lang, last year lang ako na-discovered. Nag-start ako kay Ms. Ellen [Degeneres] last 2007, ‘tapos nagbigyan ng break nina Ms. Oprah [Winfrey] and David Foster. Last year, marami talagang nangyari. Sana this year, sa mga nakikita kong balita ngayon sa States, sa mga predictions nila na lagi akong kasama, sana magkatotoo yun. Sana nga, sa tulong ng mga taong nasa likod ko, sana lahat mangyari yun,” ani Charice.

BEING IN TOP THREE. Kamakailan ay kumanta si Charice sa isang party ng Sony Pictures. Kumpirmado na ring kakanta din siya sa after party ng Oscar’s Awards Night at isa rin si Charice sa tatlong newcomers na hinulaan ng Fox News who will make it big this 2009.

“Kumanta ako sa birthday ng isa sa mga director ng Sony Pictures, si Mr. Steve Dish, actually di ko sure yung surname niya. In-invite po niya ako dun. Ang format ng birthday niya ay mula ’50s, yung mga usong kanta nung ’50s at mga usong kanta ngayon. Ako yung in-invite niya to sing his favorite songs.

“Sa Oscar’s naman, magpe-perform ako sa post-party nila. Kasama ko si Mr. David Foster, marinig ko lang ang Oscar’s kinikilabutan na ako. Masaya ako kasi parang nag-i-start na ako na makilala talaga ng mga tao.

“Sa Fox News naman, napanood ko na nag-predict sila ng shining stars this 2009. Natuwa ako kasi kasama ako sa top three, no. 1 is Robert Pattinson of Twilight, no.2 is Kate Winslet, ‘tapos no. 3 ako. Iba yung feeling, ang sarap, so, sana magkatotoo. Tuwang-tuwa ako habang pinapanood ko, ‘Have you heard the name Charice Pempengco of the Philippines ?’ Nakakataba ng puso.”

Despite of Charice’s busy schedule, di pa rin niya kinalilimutan ang kanyang mother studio, ang ABS CBN at Star Records.

“Siyempre naman, kahit two days lang ako dito, umuwi ako dito para sa mga commitments ko sa kanila. Ngayon may pictorial ako for my second album in Star Records, bale 2nd album ko ito sa kanila for Mother’s Day so sana suportahan nila gaya ng una kong album. Magkakaroon din ako ng major concert, so, sana abangan nila.”

OPRAH RUMORS. May bali-balita noon na si Oprah Winfrey daw ang tumatayong manager ni Charice sa States, bagay na agad ay nilinaw sa amin ng batang singer. Binigyang-linaw din niya ang balita na ia-adopt daw siya ng sikat na sikat na TV host.

“Ang manager ko ay yung manager ni Andrea Bocelli. Si Ms. Oprah ang nagmo-monitor ng career ko, siya yung nagsasabi kung ano ang dapat kong gawin, kung ano ang ayaw niya, siya yung nagmo-monitor. Kumbaga siya yung tumutulong, siya yung nagsasabi kay Sir David Foster kung ano ang mga dapat kong gawin sa career ko.”

As for the rumor na ia-adopt na siya ni Oprah…

“Hindi naman totoo ‘yan, natutuwa lang si Ms. Oprah sa akin pero wala naman akong nabalitaan na ganun. Ang alam ko na nagdyo-joke ng ganyan ay si Sir David Foster. May limang daughters siya, niloloko niya na ako raw ang pang-anim. Si Ms. Oprah naman talaga, tumutulong siya sa mga bata kaya minsan naiisip nila na ‘Baka ia-adopt na nito si Charice.’ Kung mangyayari yun, dapat kasama ang mommy pati kapatid ko.”

FRUITS OF HER LABOR. Sa ganda ng tinatakbo ng career ni Charice, nabibili na niya ang mga gusto niya.

“Nakabili na ako ng [Ford] Expedition and sana makabili pa ako ng isang sasakyan. Kabibili ko lang ng isang apartment, isa ibibigay ko sa Lola ko, yung isa sa amin and the rest ipapa-rent ko. Sa Laguna yun sa Cabuyao, feeling ko kasi sinuwerte ako sa Laguna, ayokong talikuran kung saan ako nagmula. Gusto ko ring makabili ng sariling bahay para sa mama ko.”

Nagpahayag din ng pasasalamat si Charice sa mga taong sumusuporta sa kanya lalo na sa mga kababayan nating na nagsasabing proud sila as Filipinos dahil sa achievements ni Charice ngayon.

“Nagpapasalamat ako sa kanilang lahat. Pag napapanood ko ang sarili ko sa YouTube ‘tapos binabasa ko yung mga comments, malimit nababasa ko dun talagang mga Filipino na susuporta raw sila at ‘pag nagka-album daw ako, bibili raw sila ng 10 copies. Nakakatuwa na makatanggap ka ng ganung mga komento galing sa kanila.”

INTERNATIONAL ALBUM. Natutuwa rin si Charice sa nakalinyang international album na gagawin niya.

“Happy yung feeling pero sa project na ito, masasabi ko na isa ito sa pinakamahirap na gagawin ko, kasi bukod sa debut album ko ito, whole world po ito ibebenta. Mamimili na kami ng ng mga songs, pag nakapili na kami, diretso na kami sa recording. Umabot lang po ito ng gold, okey na sa akin, masayang-masaya na ako dun.”

US Retrogression and Nurses arund the globe - soaring? OR souring?

2008-08-10T05:17:00.000-07:00

Although recent retrogression relief is welcomed by nurses, hospitals and agencies alike, Procare USA president Scott O'Carroll cautions that the relief is only temporary and that retrogression delays could again effect green card processing times for registered nurses. O'Carroll states that, "in light of the critical nursing shortage, the US must restore non-immigrant visas similar to the old H-1A category that expired in 1997 if the US hopes to attract quality foreign trained nurses." Immigration laws in many countries including the UK, Canada and Ireland, help to facilitate the immigration process making it much easier for nurses to work in these countries. We're losing quality, foreign trained nurses to other industrialized countries simply because of our cumbersome immigration process.

Procare USA has been recruiting foreign trained nurses since 1990 and has licensing and immigration specialists on staff to assist foreign trained nurses.

MY DISCLOSUREPOLICY

2008-08-01T06:56:00.000-07:00

This policy is valid from 1 August 2008

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.

This blog abides by word of mouth marketing standards. We believe in honesty of relationship, opinion and identity. The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post will be clearly identified as paid or sponsored content.

The owner(s) of this blog is compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, we always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers' own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.

This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.

To get your own policy, go to http://www.disclosurepolicy.org