August 26, 2011

Maria Aragon to sing in Pacquiao’s next fight

Phimam247 - Fil-Canadian YouTube sensation Maria Aragon could not hide her excitement over the possibility of being the artist to sing the Philippine National anthem in Manny Pacquiao's fight this November.

"I just really never wouldn't have expected it. I watched Manny Pacquiao's fight ever since I was little. Now getting the chance to sing and seeing his fight live, I feel very blessed. It feels very amazing and [I'm] thankful to Manny," Aragon told abs-cbnNEWS.com on Wednesday during the launch of her self-titled debut album under Star Records.

"I am a fan and I think Manny is very godly and that he's very amazing," she added.

"Well there's no official agreement yet but hopefully it becomes real and that I'll be singing in November," she said.

August 25, 2011

Azkals' 'hometown heroes' join Team Suzuki Philippines

PhilStar - Suzuki Philippines, Inc. (SPH) proves that it is oozing with the astig factor; as yet another group of formidable players join the ranks of Sen. Bong Revilla Jr. and Angel Locsin in Team Suzuki’s band of “Astig” riders. This time, it is the Philippine Men’s Football team’s “hometown heroes”: Chieffy Caligdong, Roel Gener, Ian Araneta, Yannick Tuason and Paolo Pascual. All five seek to inspire young and old alike, as SPH continues its expansive campaign and highlights the city roots of all five players, with billboards strewn all over the Visayas and Mindanao. Caligdong, Araneta and Gener all hail from the city of Barotac Nuevo, in Iloilo, where it is said that boys learn how to play football the day they begin to walk. While Paolo Pascual traces his roots in Cebu City and Yannick Tuason is from Tagum, Davao.

How fitting it is that SPH chose these five players, who are all motorcycle riders (Araneta, in particular, is a drag race enthusiast). And as members of the Philippine Men’s Football Team, they bear much likeness with a Suzuki motorcycle — tough, quick and brimming with an astig aura.

Suzuki unites with the Hometown Heroes to become inspirations to other aspiring football players, especially for the kids who come from their respective hometowns. As a true blue football fanatic, Araneta wants nothing more than to inspire young ones to embrace the sport. “Our satisfaction comes when kids come to us and say that they also want to play and be an Azkal in the future,” said Araneta.
Suzuki is no stranger to giving support to Philippine sports, as they also desire to develop more hometown heroes. Just recently, the PFF Suzuki U23 National Cup was concluded, where the winners were given the chance to be selected for the national football team.

But that’s not all. Suzuki knows how hard it is for the youth to partake in sports, especially when their hometown is in dire need of a helping hand. For this, the brand aims to develop the countryside of Visayas and Mindanao by providing affordable transportation that is valuable in its economic growth.

These hometown heroes have come a long way from their humble beginnings in their respective cities. As people gaze at their billboards in Bacolod, Iloilo, Tagbilaran, Cebu, Davao, General Santos, Cagayan de Oro and Tagum, they will know that they are all heroes in their own right. And just like Suzuki, the Hometown Heroes are truly astig.

August 24, 2011

Steve Jobs Quits as Apple CEO

Ailing Apple Inc. Chief Executive Steve Jobs said he is unable to continue at the helm of the technology giant and will step down, handing the reins of one of the world's most valuable companies to Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook.

Apple said Mr. Jobs submitted his resignation to the board of directors on Wednesday and "strongly recommended" that the board name Mr. Cook as his successor. Mr. Jobs, 56 years old, has been elected chairman of the board and Mr. Cook will join the board, effective immediately, the company said.

"I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know," Mr. Jobs said in his resignation letter. "Unfortunately, that day has come."

"The Board has complete confidence that Tim is the right person to be our next CEO," said Art Levinson, chairman of Genentech and Apple board member, in a statement.

He added that Mr. Jobs will "continue to serve Apple with his unique insights, creativity and inspiration."

After a brief halt, Apple's shares slid 5.13% to $355.70 in after-hours trading, after closing at $376.18, up $2.58, at 4 p.m. on the Nasdaq Stock Market.

Mr. Cook, 50, has been widely considered as the leading candidate to succeed Mr. Jobs, who has been on medical leave since January. The 13-year Apple veteran, who joined the company shortly after Mr. Jobs took over for the second time in 1997, has been running the day-to-day operations during this period as he has done during two prior medical leaves of absence by Mr. Jobs in the last seven years.

The timing of the announcement raised questions about the health of Mr. Jobs, who was diagnosed with a rare form of pancreatic cancer in 2004 and underwent a liver transplant two years ago.

Mr. Jobs hasn't commented on his health since he said in a letter in January that he was taking another leave of absence to "focus on my health." He made an appearance at the launch of the iPad 2 in March and Apple's annual developers' conference in June but appeared thin both times.

People familiar with the situation said that Mr. Jobs has continued to be active at Apple and closely involved in the company's product strategy. To the extent his health permits, some Apple watchers think that involvement is likely to continue even after Mr. Cook takes the CEO post.


Still, Mr. Cook faces a big challenge in stepping into Mr. Jobs's shoes because he must prove that Apple can succeed without Mr. Jobs. Mr. Jobs not only co-founded the company, but brought Apple back from near bankruptcy when he returned to the company in 1997. He is considered the visionary behind Apple and has played a key role in reviving the Macintosh computer business and developing new products like the iPod, iPhone and iPad.

"Great companies rarely go from strength to strength," said Charles O'Reilly, a management expert, at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, adding that Apple faces a particular challenge in that Mr. Jobs has had an unusually strong influence in setting Apple's corporate culture and strategy.

Tributes to Mr. Jobs and his tenure began flowing in quickly after the announcement.

"I think his brilliance has been well-documented, but what gets forgotten is the bravery with which he's confronted his illness," said Howard Stringer, Sony Corp.'s chief executive. "For him to achieve this much success under these circumstances doubles his legacy."

Mr. Cook, an Alabama native who previously worked for International Business Machines Corp. and Compaq Computer Corp., is known as an operational genius and was instrumental in wringing out inefficiencies in Apple's manufacturing and setting up its supply chain in China. Since then, he has gradually increased his responsibilities, becoming chief operating officer in 2005.

He has also led the company during Mr. Jobs's absences in the past.

Unlike Mr. Jobs, who is a legendary showman, Mr. Cook has tended to stay outside of the spotlight apart from quarterly earnings calls with analysts.

"I believe Apple's brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it," Mr. Jobs wrote in his letter Wednesday. "And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.

"I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you," he added.

The announcement was met with little surprise on Wall Street. "This was a 'when' not 'if' moment," said Mike Binger, a fund manager for Thrivent Asset Management in Minneapolis, which owns Apple shares.

He added that he had no plans to change his holdings, saying that the stock is still "really cheap for the kind of operating fundamentals they've been putting up."

The value of the company, however, has been skyrocketing as the success of products like the iPhone, iPad and ultra-thin Macintosh computers keep setting records.

At close to $350 billion, Apple's market valuation is second only to Exxon Mobil's, and recently eclipsing the oil giant for a brief period.

Tim Ghriskey, chief investment officer for Solaris Asset Management in New York, which holds Apple shares, said he has confidence in Apple's executive team even without Mr. Jobs, but is hoping for more details on who will be Apple's "creative force" now that he is gone.

August 23, 2011

PCs starting to say goodbye?

The stunning announcement by Hewlett-Packard, the world's top personal computer maker, that it is taking steps to exit the business is the surest sign yet the post-PC era is here.
"We tend to throw the 'post-PC era' term around a lot, but it's clear that, in the wake of HP's announcement, were closer than ever to that reality," said independent technology analyst Carmi Levy.
"When a stalwart of hardware's golden age essentially walks away from the business on which it was built," Levy told AFP, "it's easy to conclude that the point of no return has been officially passed."
HP said its board has authorized the evaluation of "strategic alternatives" for its unit that could sell or spin off its PC business into a separate company.
The Windows-powered PC has been at the center of the lives of consumers for years but the arrival of powerful smartphones -- essentially pocket computers -- and touchscreen tablets like Apple's iPad has lessened its importance.
Consumers no longer need a desktop or a laptop to be connected and with the steady erosion of profit margins on PCs, HP failed to position itself with the products of the future, Forrester Research analyst Sarah Rotman Epps said.
"What (the post-PC era) really means is not that PCs go away but that there's a shift away from computers to computing," Rotman Epps told AFP.
"Computing happens now on many different devices and it's a much diverse landscape than one type of computer," she said. "And HP really didn't have an answer for what was next beyond the PC.
"Where there are higher margin computing products being made HP hasn't been able to succeed," the Forrester analyst said, pointing to Apple as a technology company that has been able to do so.
"Apple has been able to innovate, to sell the iPad, an all-new form factor, because of its non-hardware ecosystem," Rotman Epps said. "It has the channel in the Apple store, it has the service, and it has the software -- iTunes, the App store, the whole developer platform."
"HP took a baby step towards getting there when they acquired the Palm webOS but they weren't willing to really go full throttle and invest the capital that would have been needed to make that a successful business," she said.
California-based HP also said it was stopping production of its iPad rival, the TouchPad, and phones based on the webOS mobile operating system acquired from Palm last year for $1.2 billion.
Explaining the moves, HP chief executive Leo Apotheker said the weak economy was having an impact on PC sales but there is also a "clear secular movement in the consumer PC space."
"The velocity of change in the personal device marketplace continues to increase and the competitive landscape is growing increasingly more complex, especially around the personal computing arena," Apotheker said.
"The tablet effect is real and sales of the TouchPad are not meeting our expectations," he said.
Gartner analyst Mark Margevicius said HP's decision to sell or spin off its PC division was more about the shrinking profit margins in the PC industry than anything else.
"The PC market has transformed into a tactical, commoditized business," Margevicius said. "We're not in an era when the PC is dead. The PC market is flat but it's still a huge business.
"If the PC business was a business that generated 20 percent margins HP's not dumping their PC business," Margevicius said.
In jettisoning its PC unit, HP is taking a page from the playbook of IBM, which sold its PC business to China's Lenovo in 2004 to concentrate on servers, software and services for the enterprise market.
"In a way, these two transactions bookend the transition from hardware to a software- and services-based post-PC focus where the device that runs a service is less important -- and profitable -- than the service itself," Levy said.
"The trend has been building for years, as margins on hardware have become consistently tighter," the Ontario-based analyst said.
"While it is still possible to build a profitable business based on selling hardware, the returns -- coupled with limited future growth potential -- are often insufficient for edgy investors," he said.
"HP's move confirms, as if we weren't already convinced, that the box itself no longer matters," Levy said. "It's the value of the software that runs that box, and the services delivered via that software, that are most notable -- and profitable -- now."

August 20, 2011

July 2011 NLE Results

The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) on Saturday announced that 37,513 out of 78,135 (48%) passed the Nurse Licensure Examination given by the Board of Nursing in the cities of Manila, Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Dagupan, Davao, Iloilo, La Union, Legazpi, Lucena, Nueva Ecija, Pagadian, Pampanga, Tacloban, Tuguegarao and Zamboanga last July 2011.

The members of the Board of Nursing are Carmencita M. Abaquin, Chairman; Leonila A. Faire, Betty F. Merritt, Perla G. Po, Marco Antonio C. Sto.Tomas, Yolanda C. Arugay and Amelia B. Rosales, Members.

The results of examination with respect to six (6) examinees were withheld pending final determination of their liabilities under the rules and regulations governing licensure examination.

Pursuant to Section 16, of Republic Act No. 9173, “all successful candidates in the examination shall be required to take an oath of professional before the Board or any government official authorized to administer oaths prior to entering upon the nursing practice”.

Registration for new nurses shall require the following: duly accomplished Oath Form or Panunumpa ng Propesyonal, current Community Tax Certificate (cedula), 2 pieces passport size picture (colored with white background and complete name tag), 1 piece 1” x 1” picture (colored with white background and complete name tag), 2 sets of metered documentary stamps and 1 short brown envelope with name and profession; and to pay the Initial Registration Fee of P600 and Annual Registration Fee of P450 for 2011-2014. Successful examinees should personally register and sign in the Roster of Registered Professionals.


August 19, 2011

Lorna Tolentino mulls transfer to TV5

angalat.blogspot.com - The news is confirmed: Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin actress Lorna Tolentino has been in the talks with TV5 executives for a network transfer.

According to a source, Lorna thinks that TV5 has better offer than ABS-CBN.

"My manager nay lolit will have meeting with tv5. Then we will talk about the offer. Im already old so what is best po sana. Thank you," she said in her tweet.

"I guess with senior actors ang pinakamaganda na offer na ang titignan. We are not young anymore. Nothing is definite yet,” she said in another tweet, in reply to her follower.

Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin will be ending in August or September. By that time, her contract expires too.

August 16, 2011

August 15, 2011

First Pinoy Biggest Loser Winner: LARRY MARTIN

"The Biggest Loser Pinoy Edition" Fab Five.

Angela, Art, Larry, Raffy, at Hazel


Hazel >> 206 lbs - 138 lbs (33.01%)


Angela >> 220 lb - 148 lbs (33.63 %)


Raffy >> 287 lbs - 100 lbs (34.84 %)


Art >> 341 lbs - 212 lbs (37.83 %)




GRAND WINNER!!!!


Larry Martin >> 255 lbs - 154 lbs (39.61%)



Ryan Razon The Biggest Loser: Pinoy Edition At-Home Player Winner

Hilary Duff Is Pregnant

Hilary Duff and husband Mike Comrie, 30, who are celebrating their first wedding anniversary this weekend, are expecting their first child, the singer-actress announced on her official website.

In the post, Duff, 23, reflected on her marriage– she and Comrie wed on Aug. 14, 2010 – and then made her big announcement.

"We also want to share the exciting news that… BABY MAKES THREE," she wrote. "We are extremely happy and ready to start this new chapter of our lives."








Hilary Duff with her husband Mike Comrie

How Catholic Talibans stormed the CCP

PHILSTAR.COM - The Catholic Church in our country is so messed up that it cannot even stop its own followers from spewing fire and brimstone.

The internationally respected human rights and communications luminary Florangel Braid said that she was surprised at the language used by the Catholic group protesting the art work “Politeismo.” The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) conducted a forum last August 5 for the artists and the public to discuss the art exhibit. Flor, who is my good friend, is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the CCP, the venue for the exhibit “Kulo” which featured the controversial art work of Mideo Cruz.

“Malaswa! Hindi gawa ng Pilipino, Gawa ng demonyo, (Vulgar! Not the work of a Filipino. It’s the work of the devil)” raved one of them. “If you are a Catholic you can no longer think independently!” asserted another woman identified as a theologian with the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). The same woman was quoted by media for ridiculously claiming that the exhibit was intentionally timed to occur at the height of discussions on the RH Bill. In a rally, the Church group and its followers branded artists and members of the CCP as “anti-Christ.” We thought this had ended with the Inquisition.

On August 4, the art work was vandalized and there was an attempt to set fire to the exhibit. A Manny Andrada, identified as an author/businessman, smugly boasted on TV News 5 that he was the culprit and that if he chanced to see the artist, Mideo Cruz, he would maul him and break the wooden phallus that Cruz had attached to the image of Jesus Christ on the artist’s mouth. How very Christian.

What gave him the confidence that he would go unpunished? Like the Overlords of the Inquisition, he probably thinks that it’s okay to vandalize in the name of Christ, that he will be cheered for it and that he knows he has the support of the same rabid group that mounted protests against the RH Bill and now the art work.

Instead of cooling down tempers, foreign and Filipino priests who were present during the forum reportedly stoked further animosity by interjecting comments and interrupting speakers from the artists’ side. How very Christian indeed. Last Friday, a group of priests performed a rare ritual of asking God to “forgive the sinners” — referring to those behind the exhibit. They invited media so it was obviously meant for show.

What’s happening to the leaders of the Catholic faith? We would expect the Catholic clergy to exude an aura of holiness, calm and peace. We’d expect them to vibrate a certain loving kindness, the kind of spiritual energy that does not judge but seeks to understand and establish harmony. We can see these virtues and traits in the Catholic Focolare Movement that lives the gospel of love and interfaith harmony but we rarely see this in the CBCP and its rabid right-wing followers.

Our Church hierarchy and its followers claim to represent the nation’s 80 percent Catholics — presumably based on baptism numbers, which does not mean practice. Naturally, they lure grandstanding politicos to support them and when the issue happens to resonate in media, it becomes a formula for lynching.

However, the myth of the Catholic influence stops there. Surveys have shown that the Catholic followers do not necessarily toe the Church line. The latest SWS survey on people’s opinion about the RH Bill and family planning reveals a whopping 82 percent favoring freedom of choice in selecting method of birth control.

No wonder the credibility of the Catholic Church hierarchy among its own flock had plummeted. There are Catholics today who nurture their faith by independently using their own spiritual discernment or have totally shifted to another faith and belief system.

While other Catholic countries, including Italy, have adapted to the times, the Philippines remains the only predominantly Catholic country in the world that does not allow divorce. When asked for a reaction, retired Archbishop Oscar Cruz beamed with pride, insinuating that the Philippines is the only country that stood on moral ground. That demonstrates the “I can’t be wrong” attitude of the Overlords of the Inquisition and that this Philippine Catholic Church doesn’t intend to change or adapt to the times.

There is no divorce in our country but the rich can always get a marriage annulment. It is not only hypocrisy; it is also anti-poor and oppressive. Sometimes, it’s hard not to wonder if all the duplicity and hypocrisy in our system is a result of the friar — conquistador tradition, reminiscent of Rizal’s novel Noli Me Tangere.

While our nation cries for justice for victims of crimes and abuses and while we all need to address the gnawing gaps in wealth and education, these “holy and venerable champion and defenders of our morals” have opted to harass the CCP board for allegedly betraying public trust and the artists for being what they consider anti-Christ.

We’re witnessing the terrifying emergence of a Catholic Taliban who threatens to destroy the very foundations of our Christian morality. Read about the Inquisition and ask yourself if our lives will improve with a revival of that dark chapter of Catholic Church history.

August 13, 2011

American Idol Live in Manila

"American Idol" will hold its first foreign show for its Season 10 finalists in Manila on September 20 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Filipino fans will get to see Season 10 winner Scotty McCreery and other top 10 finalists such as Casey Abrams, Haley Reinhart, Jacob Lusk, James Durbin, Lauren Alaina, Naima Adedapo, Paul McDonald, Pia Toscano, Stefano Langone and Fil-American Thia Megia.

Various 'American Idol' alumni have already visited the country to perform but this is the first time 'American Idol' will be bringing its top finalists on tour in Asia as they normally hold it in different states in the US.

Casey Abrams got to join the top 10 on live tour because of the save option of judges Randy Jackson, Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez during the show. Season 10 'American Idol' Scotty McCreery showcases his country roots as he performs songs such as 'Your Man' by Josh Turner and 'Are You Going to Kiss Me or Not' by Thompson Square.

On tour, Scotty also performs his single and victory song, 'I Love You This Big.' In an interview, Scotty said that performing the song on tour is different compared to performing it in American Idol.

"It's in an arena every night. It's a huge crowd every night. Luckily for me, I got the chance to play an arena when I went to the Walmart Convention in Arkansas, and then I got to play with Josh Turner at LP Field in Nashville for Fan Fest in front of like 70,000. So I've had a little bit of experience," Scotty told Billboard.com.

In 'American Idol Live! Tour,' fans will also get to see duets and collaborations of the finalists to give a sample of the popular singing show. Scotty performs 'When You Say Nothing at All' with Lauren Alaina and 'Gone' with Lauren, Thia, Pia and Haley.

The Top 11 will perform fan favorite performances from the show, as well as current singles from solo projects. Pia Toscano also performs her new single, 'This Time.'

"American Idol Live! Tour 2011" is presented by ETC, Jack TV and Ovation Productions with media partners 2nd Avenue, DIVA Universal, Universal Channel, Talk TV, BTV and Solar Sports.

By Karen Valeza

Anu ba ang matutunan mo kay 'Dora the Explorer'?

Anu ba ang matutunan mo kay Dora the Explorer? Para sakin....eto!

una!
  • 2% Spanish
pangalawa??
  • 98% Backpacking!

'Backpack! backpack!'

Hahahahaha....

August 12, 2011

Rebecca Black Left School After Endless Bullying

BY STEPHEN M. SILVERMAN

aunting by classmates forced 14-year-old YouTube sensation Rebecca Black to withdraw from her Anaheim Hills, Calif., school – to be homeschooled by her mother.

"When I walk by they'll start singing 'Friday' in a really nasally voice," the teen told ABC News. "Or, you know, they'll be like, 'Oh hey, Rebecca, guess what day it is?' "

Her mother, Georgina Marquez, said the move to homeschooling also permits Black to focus on her career. "She certainly did not need that kind of pressure," said Marquez about the teasing on campus.

When it debuted on YouTube in March, the video for "Friday" received 167 million views – roughly half of the population of the United States, ABC News notes.

But it was also harshly criticized by listeners, though Simon Cowell staunchly defended Black, telling PEOPLE, "I love her [and] the fact that she's gotten so much publicity. People are so upset about the song, but I think it's hysterical."

Black has now released her latest single, "My Moment." As of Thursday morning, the new video has gotten nearly 22.5 million views, as well as 276,581 likes and 492,489 dislikes.

Melanie Moore - So You Think You Can Dance Season 8 Winner

Fresh off being named America's Favorite Dancer on Thursday night, So You Think You Can Dance season 8 winner Melanie Moore was still recovering from the shock of her victory that to many viewers had been a forgone conclusion since the beginning of the season.

"I was ready to take second [place] very graciously. In my head I really thought Sasha was going to win," Moore told reporters of her fellow finalist moments after the winner was announced. "Just being up there and being named one of the final two I was like, 'Wait, is this really happening?' I just started crying."

She also cried over her family's flying in to be with her for the finale.

"[The show] sort of has brought us all back together," said Moore, 19. "We haven't really been that close with my dad's side of the family – especially after he passed away when I was 12 – but we've heard so much from them and they've been so supportive."

Fame and Fortune

Winning $250,000 is a life-changer for Moore, though, so far, she has no big plans for spending the money.

"I am going to hopefully go back to school," said the humble teen from Marietta, Ga., who hopes to return to New York to study dance and learn to choreograph.

"I'm really looking forward to spending time with my boyfriend. I haven't really got to see him very much. I got to see him and give him a really quick kiss and then ran out here."

After the SYTYCD Top 10 tour is finished, Moore is "really excited to just hang out and then I'll get really bored and have to go do stuff again."

That "stuff" could include acting in Kenny Ortega's Dirty Dancing remake or dancing on Lady Gaga's tour.

"Either one. I don't care. I'll take them," Moore said, laughing about the offers made to her by the guest judges this season. "Kenny Ortega, give me a call."

Just Happy to Dance

One thing Moore doesn't want: fame to change her.

"I hope that it won't really affect me," she said. "And if it does, feel free to tell me, because I don't want to turn in to one of those people."

And even if Hollywood doesn't come knocking, Moore says she will be just fine, because "as long as I'm dancing, I'm happy."

She added, "I just want to make a living dancing. You guys could put me in a random costume, just in the background, dancing, and I'd just be so happy to do it, because it's what I love."

Facebook reorganizes chat list 'again'

After receiving flak for reorganizing users’ chat lists, social networking giant Facebook did it again: reorganizing the list and placing friends they interact with most at the top of the list.

Friends whose profiles the user interacts with most are listed at the top of the list, while others are placed in a list of “more online friends" below.

The changes were implemented Thursday morning in response to user feedback from a redesign of chat in July, tech site Mashable quoted a Facebook spokesperson as saying.

Mashable noted about 28,000 people had “liked" a Facebook Page entitled “I hate the new Facebook sidebar chat" – the first time Facebook had recently reorganized the chat list.

The latest redesigned chat now stretches from the top of the browser to the bottom instead of being contained to its previous pop-up box.

It showed only a selection of friends instead of everyone who was online.

Before July, all online friends appeared in the same bar in alphabetical order.

Mashable quoted the Facebook spokesperson as saying this most recent change is not a test. — TJD, GMA News

August 10, 2011

Two Filipinos in 'So You Think You Can Dance Season 8' Finale (Top 4)

The Pinoys are still alive on So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD). The finalists for this season’s SYTYCD have been revealed and Marko and Tadd are still in the running. They are joined in the finale by Melanie and Sasha. Meanwhile, Ricky and Caitlynn hopes of making it in the competition were dashed when they were eliminated last night. The four finalists will be competing for this season’s title next week. They will be joined by returning contestants Mark Kanemura, Robert Roldan, Lauren Froderman (season 7 winner), and Joshua Allen (season 4 winner).
It will be interesting to see who will emerge as the winner of So You Think You Can Dance this season in what many have said as the best yet. The two Pinoys, Marko Germar and Tadd Gadduang , will not only have their work cut out against each other, they will have to contend with Melanie and Sasha, two of the judges’ favorites this season. But the viewers’ votes will play a big factor in the finale.

The Top 4
Marko, Sasha, Melanie and Tadd

Facebook Messenger

Facebook recently launched a mobile messaging client, a standalone app that aims to challenge carriers, handset makers and others as the company expands its platform.



www.mobiledia.com - Facebook Messenger will let users to exchange instant messages, images and location information by using contact numbers stored on smartphones, regardless of whether they are friends on Facebook, according to the Palo Alto, Calif.-based company. Messages can also be broadcast to a group of people at once, a feature the company said can help organize activities and socializing on the go.

The client will run on iOS as well as Android smartphones. Facebook in March acquired messaging firm Beluga, which helped develop the app.

Facebook Messenger builds upon the increasing popularity of Facebook's communications features. Its email-like messaging and chat features, available to the social network's estimated 250 million active users, have made Facebook one of the top destinations on the Web and on smartphones, expanding the company into a full-fledged platform.

The company describes Messenger as an extension of the Facebook communication experience, which currently allows PC users to text chat. The company's prior IM offerings worked only among Facebook friends and required mobile users to go through the Facebook app, which is much slower than the new chat-optimized app.

"The positioning has always been how do we make Facebook messages more readily accessible and useable," said Peter Deng, product manager at Facebook in charge of the Messenger app.

By releasing its own standalone messaging client, Facebook is taking on competing offerings like BlackBerry maker Research In Motion's BBM service and Apple's future iMessage service. The Messenger service also goes up against niche offerings like GroupMe, and competes against mobile phone carriers' own text messaging services.

Carriers themselves, who derive profits from texting fees, may pose the biggest challenge to Messenger by managing networks in a way to hinder Facebook's app.

Messenger's launch also seems timed to respond to rival social network Google+ and its much lauded Hangout and Huddle features, which allow group videos and instant chat with friends. The new network has grown to more than 25 million users in just a little over a month, so Facebook may be feeling pressure to roll out new features like Messenger to keep people away from its rival.

A standalone app is a rarity for Facebook, which has so far attempted to consolidate its activity either on its website or via apps. Necessity may have prompted the release, since a dedicated client offers more speed and reliability in delivering messages, but Messenger could also herald other standalone apps, especially as Facebook moves to offer more videos, for example.

The company also recently announced a partnership with Skype to offer video chat through its website last month, offering another way Facebook may expand its suite of services and features.

Misagh the Dentist :D

My Project Misagh 101... :D

It's 12:41 AM na... I made this because I have insomnia and I have nothing else to do..lol

"The Corrs" will be in Manila and Cebu this coming October 2011

NOYPISTUFF - The Corrs reportedly will be coming in Manila again to hold a concert this October 2011! The band is also said to be performing in Cebu as well.

Astroplus broke the news Wednesday by posting the following on Facebook:

"SOMEONE IS COMING TO MANILA THIS OCTOBER WHO WILL LEAVE YOU BREATHLESS....GO ON...GO ON..." it said.

"MANILA AND CEBU WILL BE SHARING ALL THE LOVE IN THE WORLD!!!" it added.

Of course, we all know who will be coming. "Breathless" and "All The Love In The World" are both hits of the Irish band.

However, rumors are saying that Andrea Corr is the only one who will be coming back to promote her solo album. But we'll see when new info arrives in the coming days.

Please keep posted as this page will be updated with details about the concert including ticket prices, venue and exact schedule.

Leana Tabunar: The new Youtube sensation

Eight year-old YouTube Sensation Leana Tabunar signs contract with GMA Network and will be a regular performer in Party Pilipinas.

August 9, 2011

7 Magic Balls of Dragon Ball: They Exist

"Magugunaw na ang mundo! Hanapin na natin ang pitong dragon balls. At mag wish!"

Haha..just for fun only. I found this picture from a certain facebook fanpage...

Mexican Beauty Queen Cynthia de la Vega Is Stripped of Crown for Gaining Weight

Softpedia.com - Mexican beauty queen Cynthia de la Vega is making a series of very damning claims against the Nuestra Belleza Mexico beauty pageant for stripping her of the crown and eliminating her from the Miss World race: they did it because I gained weight.

De la Vega came in second at the Nuestra Belleza contest, which means she won the chance (and the crown) to compete in this November’s Miss World pageant.

She would never compete now, since organizers took away her crown, thus blocking her from taking part in the very important pageant, the Daily Mail informs.

The beauty queen claims the decision was entirely based on the fact that she’s gained some weight since winning the crown. Organizers, on the other hand, say she was unprofessional and did not play by the well-known rules.

According to de la Vega, who’s already given several interviews to the press on the topic, organizers told her she needed to lose the weight she gained because of stress, but they hardly made an effort to assist her in it.

As such, they had no right to kick her out of the competition.

“Organizers of the Nuestra Belleza Mexico contest demanded that I lose a few kilos, but they never provided a nutritionist or any other assistance to ensure the weight loss,” Cynthia says, adding that they emailed her a “diet” consisting of eating “the same food during the whole month.”

“[A weight loss diet] should be specific for each day of the week and should also be supervised to make the necessary adjustments,” the beauty queen underlines.

“I feel healthy enough to represent my country, and I think this is an injustice. They took away the crown that I earned. That is mine,” de la Vega adds.

Organizers, on the other hand, are adamant that it was Cynthia’s fault that she was kicked out of the beauty pageant circuit.

“It was a lack of dedication and discipline. [She] did not comply with the recommendations and goals agreed upon for her preparation,” Nuestra Belleza says in a statement.

Who is Misagh Bahadoran???

For Azkals striker Misagh Bahadoran, school was his key to get into football.

The 24-year-old Filipino-Iranian said he had to prioritize his studies before he could get his father's permission to join the national team.

"They invited me to join the Philippine football team but because my fist priority was my school and college, my dad did not allow me to go," said Bahadoran.

With years of hard work in school, he earned his college degree and was finally allowed to join the Azkals.

"I just graduated as a dentist from the Centro Escolar University," said a beaming Bahadoran. "He (his father) then allowed me to play football."

Bahadoran maintained a good relationship with football ever since he was a boy.

"My brother was a very good football player. I used to play football with him so I've loved football back when I was 5, 6 years old," he said.

Now that he fulfilled his father's wishes, he's glad to fulfill his own.
"My parents are happy with what I'm doing," he said.

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Name: Misagh Medina Bahadoran
Age: 24
Birthday: January 10, 1987
Birthplace: Mabalacat, Pampanga
Position in the Azkals team: Left/ Right wing
Start of football career: He's been playing since he was 7

Where's your mother/father from?
My mom is Kapampangan. She's a Filipino and my dad is Iranian.

What leagues have you played in?
I played for Kaya FC, after that I went to Global FC. I'm also a national futsal player since 2006 and I was 2-time top scorer of Southeast Asia. We also qualified in AFC in Japan.

What made you decide to join the team?
I wanted to try Philippine football team which before was not Azkals in 2007. They invited me to join the Philippine football team but because my fist priority was my school and college, my dad did not allow me to go. But I just graduated as a dentist from the Centro Escolar University. He then allowed me to play football. They invited me, Dan Palami, manager of Global FC, same manager of the Azkals.

What's your pet peeve? What's the thing that you hate the most?
When my dad or my parents keep on asking me 'Where are you? What are you doing? Why are you late?' I hate that.

What's the best thing you like about football?
The thing I really love about football is the challenge and the winning because when we win, I really love it. People are screaming and my parents are happy with what I'm doing.

CCP Art Exhibit Scandal


The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Art Exhibit entitled "Kulo" is now in hot waters after several Catholic groups said that this is irreligious and blasphemous.

As reported by GMA News, Eric Manalang - President of Pro-life Philippines said,

"By Thursday afternoon, we will file a case if they do not stop the exhibit and if they do not also make amends because stopping is not enough. The damage has been done"

According to local news reports, the controversial art exhibit includes images and statues such as:

  1. A wooden replica of male genital in front of Jesus Christ image.
  2. An image of Christ wherein his eyes had been darkened by ink.
  3. Crucifix with condom.
  4. Religious pictures beside women underwear models.
  5. Seated Christ statue with red ball on His nose and a semi mickey mouse ears.


wallyibong.blogspot.com

August 8, 2011

Azkals in Guimbal, Iloilo


Watch out for Azkal’s ANGEL GUIRADO, CHIEFFY CALIGDONG, IAN ARANETA and MISAGH BAHADORAN in Guimbal, Iloilo. Aug 19th!!! Sponsored by Cong. Sharon Garin, AAMBIS-OWA Party List in cooperation with LGU Guimbal and Guimbal FA.

Planking Celebrities

PLANKING - Planking or the lying down game is an activity consisting of lying face down in an unusual or incongruous location. The hands must touch the sides of the body and having a photograph of the participant taken and posted on the internet is an integral part of the game. Players compete to find the most unusual and original location in which to play. The term planking refers to mimicking a wooden plank.

Check out some of your favorite celebrities planking below:

Xian Lim planking inside a bus


Smart Gilas team members planking


Paolo Paraiso planking


Matteo Guidicelli and Xiam Lim planking in HK International Airport


Lauren Young planking down the stairs


KC Montero planking inside a store

Photos courtesy of their respective owners

August 7, 2011

Paris Hilton will Visit Manila, Philippines

Paris Hilton is coming to Manila, Philippines on August 13.

The heiress, who stars in her own reality TV show and runs a business empire of Paris Hilton merchandise including beauty products and books, will be in Manila on August 13 to do some projects with Century Properties.

The socialite was chosen to design the Beach Club amenity of Azure Urban Resort Residences, a six-hectare residential project of Century Properties in the southern part of Manila. Paris is also expected to meet the boxing legend Manny Pacquiao as she dished on visiting the champ after Pacquiao-Mosley fight at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas. She is also looking forward to meet her Filipino fans.

In a related news, Paris Hilton has opened her fourth store in the Philippines located at the SM MegaMall. The store features her products including handbags, shoes and accessories.

August 6, 2011

The dangers of illegal parking

Vilnius mayor Arturas Zuokas drives an armoured personnel carrier over a car parked in a cycle lane, during a publicity stunt to warn against illegal parking on city streets.

--- balagtuk

Mr. Bean survives supercar crash

We all know that Mr. Bean bring fun and entertainment to the whole world from kids to adults. He makes us laugh even if we are in deep sadness. That is the power of comedy comes in, Rowan Atkinson, known as Mr. Bean encounter a deadly crashed which many people can say a "Miracle".

Rowan Atkinson crashed his £650,000 supercar car last night, with a source describing his survival a “miracle”.

The 56-year-old British actor is famed across the globe for his roles playing clumsy TV character Mr. Bean and Johnny English in the eponymous spoof spy film franchise.

Rowan is a big fan of fast cars, and last night his McLaren F1 vehicle, believed to be one of only 100 in the world, reportedly hit a tree and a lamppost before catching fire in Cambridgeshire, England.

"We were called to a single vehicle road traffic collision at 7.30 tonight on the A605 at Haddon," the East of England Ambulance Service confirmed yesterday.

A spokesperson added that a man was taken to a Peterborough hospital with "a minor shoulder injury".

Meanwhile, a source told British newspaper The Sun that Rowan has been extremely lucky not to have sustained worse injuries.

"It's a miracle he walked away," claimed the insider.

Rowan had previously damaged the front of the car when it collided with a Rover Metro in Lancashire over ten years ago. He later confessed the incident had been embarrassing.

"The prang was embarrassingly low-speed and therefore not related to my handling of the car, thank God. I was very, very lucky," he blushed.

--- Pachugong

August 3, 2011

Janela Lelis: Batang babae, isinalba ang watawat ng Pilipinas mula sa baha.


Si Janela Lelis habang sinusuong ang baha sa Albay bitbit ang watawat ng bansa sa larawan kuha ni Francisco Pena Lozano.

List of world's fastest-growing airports: Istanbul #1

Istanbul's Sabiha Gökçen Airport is the world's fastest growing airport, according to a new report released by Airports Council International (ACI) August 1.

The World Airport Traffic Report 2010, which analyzed the performance of over 1,300 airports in 157 countries around the world last year, suggests that traffic at Istanbul's Sabiha Gökçen Airport, completed in 2009, jumped by 75 percent last year.

That puts it considerably ahead of Campinas in Brazil, the world's second-fastest growing airport, and Rio de Janeiro, the third.

Charleroi in Belgium and Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport rounded off the top five list.

Overall, traffic through the world's airports grew by 6.6 percent in 2010, the report shows, a total of 5.04 billion passengers -- the first time global air travel has passed the 5 billion mark.
The fastest growth was observed in Latin America and the Caribbean (13.2 percent), ACI said, followed by the Middle East (12 percent), Asia-Pacific (11.3 percent) Africa (9.5 percent), Europe (4.3 percent) and North America (2.5 percent).

Preliminary statistics show that for the first six months of this year, global passenger traffic is up by six percent again.

The busiest airports in the world overall were Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson in the US, Beijing, Chicago in the US, London Heathrow and Tokyo Haneda.

However, stripping out domestic passengers to include just international travel, London Heathrow holds the top spot, followed by Paris Charles de Gaulle, Hong Kong International, Dubai International in the United Arab Emirates and Frankfurt in Germany.

The world's fastest-growing airports
1. Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport, Turkey
2. Viracopos-Campinas, Brazil
3. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
4. Charleroi, Belgium
5. Moscow Sheremetyevo, Russia
6. Belo Horizonte, Brazil
7. Bogota, Colombia
8. Phuket, Thailand
9. Shanghai Pudong, China
10. Muscat, Oman
11. Ankara, Turkey
12. St Petersburg, Russia
13. Medan, Indonesia
14. Shanghai Hongqiao, China
15. Milwaukee, WI, USA

Senator Zubiri resigning from post?

Unconfirmed reports abound that Senator Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri will be resigning from his post Wednesday.

Reports say Zubiri will announce his resignation in a privilege speech, 3 pm.

This, amid fresh revelations by Maguindanao election supervisor Lintang Bedol of alleged fraud in the 2007 elections.

An administration bet, Zubiri landed the 12th and last spot for the Senate, narrowly defeating opposition bet, lawyer Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III.

Pimentel has since contested Zubiri's win and sought but failed to get the high court's restraining order on Zubiri's proclamation.

Zubiri was proclaimed Senator on July 2007 with 11,001,730 votes, a little over Pimentel's 10,983,358.

In a telephone interview, former Senator Aquilino "Nene" Pimentel Jr. said he is also waiting for Zubiri's announcement.

"I will wait until it happens," Pimentel told Yahoo! Southeast Asia.

Pimentel said should Zubiri abandon his post, he is hoping his son Koko could soon get the post.

"We are hoping it will happen sooner or later," he said, noting that Koko still have less than two years to work in the Senate.

August 2, 2011

Malaysian envoy’s wife denies tweeting Rizal's an 'infidel'

The wife of the Malaysian ambassador to the Philippines denied the claim by newspaper columnist Jarius Bondoc that she had maligned Jose Rizal on Twitter, insisting that she was being set up by the Malaysian opposition.

Dato Zainab, wife of Malaysian envoy to Manila Dr. Ibrahim Saad, on Monday tweeted: “pls read twt in full. twt was from Bikmama2U & she tagged me. that is a false account set up by the MAL opposition. Contacting Phl S".

Earlier Monday, the Philippine Star columnist wrote about a tweet that “caused a stir in Kuala Lumpur political circles last week" because it had “sullied the Philippine national hero Jose Rizal."

“@BikMama2U: @datozainab Biasala tu, @anwaribrahim mmg pro-Kristian, pemuja Jose Rizal si Melayu kafir tu! Oh ya, jgn lupa..."

(“@BikMama2U: @datozainab... That’s usual. Anwar Ibrahim is clearly pro-Christian, an admirer of Jose Rizal the infidel Malay! Oh yes, don’t forget...")

Bondoc explained in his column that the offensive tweet spoke of former Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who now leads Malaysia’s Opposition. Anwar is coming to Manila this Friday to lecture at the University of the Philippines on Jose Rizal's influence on ASEAN leadership as part of celebrations of the national hero's 150th birth anniversary.

Bondoc had written that “[c]alling Rizal an ‘infidel Malay’ is insolent, to say the least. …If true that a diplomat’s wife is defiling the memory of Rizal as ‘infidel,’ then it not only drives a fanatical religionist wedge in Southeast Asian ties. It also derides global peace efforts through interfaith dialogue." — Marlon Anthony Tonson/VS, GMA News

August 1, 2011

Tattoo, epic spelling fail!

This tattoo of the Bible verse made famous by Samuel L. Jackson in "Pulp Fiction," has at least 10 spelling mistakes. Can you find them all?

Photo by: yourtattoosucks.com