Friday, July 31, 2009

Header by Samuli

For today's Thursday Thirteen, I'm gonna share with you the top places I wanna visit this year, hopefully. List is in no particular order *smiles*.
  1. Calatagan, Batangas (a resort that I have been planning to go to since last year)
  2. Bulacan (there's a novelty restaurant there that I so want to try)
  3. Pampanga (food trip galore)
  4. Mindoro Oriental (I wanna comeback to take a dip at Buktot)
  5. Bohol (Chocolate Hills and tarsier, here I come)
  6. Ilocos Sur and Norte (Vigan and Pagudpod, I dream about these places)
  7. Baguio (a one-week vacation would be nice, Banaue Rice Terraces and Sagada are part of the itenerary)
  8. Tagaytay (I wanna try the zipline in Picnic Grove and eat lots of bulalo)
  9. Market, Market, Big Red Barn and Ark Avilon
  10. La Mesa EcoPark
  11. Fort Santiago/Intramuros
  12. China Town/Ongpin
  13. to all the malls I've been before and to those that I will visit for the first time *grins*
I have a few more on my list but those 13 topped it.

Happy Thursday everyone!

Thursday, July 30, 2009



Jillian Harris and Ed Swiderski stopped by Regis and Kelly live on Wednesday, and the guest host, CNN news anchor, Anderson Cooper, asked Jillian how many suitors did she slept with while looking for love in The Bachelorrete, and guess what is Jillian's answer... play the video and find out *grins*


Richard Leroy Walters gave up all his personal possessions when he retired from his engineering job at Allied Signal Corp. He then became one of the homeless under Phoenix Mission until he died at the age of 76, and now you're thinking, so what's so special about him. Well, for a homeless being he sure is rich, he left $4 million worth in his estate.

According to Rita Belle, a registered nurse and the executor of his will, Richard Walters was an honors graduate at Purdue, a former Marine and he invested well. His millions will be divided to a few non-profit organizations including NPR, and a substantial monetary gift will also be given to the Phoenix Mission, where the two of them met.

Belle said that, Richard Leroy Walters never married and was estranged from his only brother, so she was the one who took care of him when he had gotten ill.

Below is an audio clip from NPR as they share the story of the Homeless Millionaire.

Isn't it a little TOO obvious that this is photoshopped?

I have admitted more than once than I am a Madonna fan so this is kinda a sore topic for me *grins*, okay, not really but come on, anyone who is not blind can see that the photo is altered.

Two British newspapers posted photos (like the one above) of Madonna in their websites with veiny and bulging muscular arms and the web is abuzz because of it. But, Liz Rosenberg, a spokeswoman for Madonna said in an e-mail to Reuters that the singer has been a victim of some strong-armed photo altering.

“Madonna’s arms do not look like the photo that has been shown this past week in papers and the photograph was obviously altered or photoshopped in some way. Like Michelle Obama, Madonna has beautiful and very impressive arms," Rosenberg added.

According to the Daily Mirror and the Telegraph, the photo was taken as Madonna was leaving a restaurant in London after a night out with his current beau, the 22-year old, Jesus Luz.

*** photo courtesy of the Daily Mirror

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

I read an article in Yahoo a few hours ago about K-Fed's bulging tummy and his noticeably chunky body but I didn't held my breath, I mean what can you expect from a man who doesn't work and receives a $20000 monthly allowance from his estrange wife, even if it is Britney Spears, in his case.

But as the web is buzzing about it, I have no choice but to join the bandwagon *lol*.

Britney Spears baby daddy was spotted at Ryan Sheckler X Games Celebrity Classic carrying a wide load. Yes, that is his pot belly in the photo and no, he didn't went to the event to exercise as he was more frequently seen canoodling with his present girlfriend, Victoria Prince, while drinking some vodka under the shade.

K-Fed's ex, Shar Jackson, came to his rescue (or not, depending on how you take her statement), “It’s daddy weight! When you are a full time parent, sometimes you can’t focus on you. If gaining a few pounds is your only problem, life’s not too bad!”

But, do you consider Kevin Federline as a full time daddy? Yes, he has full custody of his children from Britney but, do you really think it is because of fatherly love? I don't think so...

Once a douche bag, always a douche bag!

*** photo courtesy of Yahoo


An announcement dated Tuesday, July 28, was released by Summit Entertainment about the casting change made for the third part of the Twilight saga, Eclipse. Rachelle Lefevre will no longer reprise her role as Victoria and she will be replaced by Bryce Dallas Howard, whom we recently seen on the big screen as Kate Connor in Terminator Salvation.



The 30-year old Lefevre could not continue on her involvement in the vampire saga because of conflicting schedules between the film and another commitment she had made. Eclipse is scheduled to start filming on August, the same time Rachelle Lefevre will join the production of Barney's Vision.

Eclipse is an adaptation of the third novel in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series, the script will still be written by Melissa Rosenberg but this time, it will be directed by David Slade and has a US released date schedule of June 30, 2010.

*** photos by Google images


Above photo includes the head shots of the five major Volturi characters and the Volturi seal, from left to right, Michael Sheen's Aro, Christopher Heyerdahl's Marcus, Jamie Campbell Bower's Caius, dakota Fanning's Jane and Cameron Bright's Alec. Still missing is the Canadian model Noot Seear who will portray the gorgeous-looking Heidi. Reel Movie News claimed that it is the first and official photo of the clan.

New Moon (the Twilight sequel) is set to be released on November 20, 2009.

I can't wait... *blushing*

*** photo courtesy of Ace Showbiz

I just read about this story and it is kinda inspiring, if she can do it, I can too, as a matter of fact, we all can *grins*.

Angela Logan is a divorced mom of three in Teaneck, New Jersey who fell behind on her mortgage payments after a contractor left her with $50,000 worth of damage. She had a $2,559.54 worth of unpaid mortgage bill in July and the threat of foreclosure on her home of 20-years.

You'd think that it was a loosing battle but through her quick wit and pure will, her home was saved. She asked her friends and family to help her raise the fund by buying her Mortgage Apple Cakes at $40 a piece.

She must have baked some heavenly apple cakes because her initial orders of 43 had skyrocketed to nearly 500 more, and some of those orders even came from as far as Hongkong and Iraq.

But as any story goes, another antagonist surfaced, when the Teaneck Health Department heard about the news, they informed her that she couldn't use her home kitchen as a place for business, so, the local Hilton hotel stepped in and offered their industrial-sized kitchen.

I'll call that a shower of blessings and divine intervention in one *grins*.

To end the story, she averted the foreclosure and now has a booming business to take care of, she's accepting orders through her website with a catchy tagline of Fighting Foreclosure, One Cake at a Time.

Here's an interview clip from MSN:


Former Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator, Jim Johnson, died last Tuesday afternoon after battling with the cancer Melanoma for months.

He was one of the most respected figures in the 21st century NFL and regarded as one of the most defensive minds in the league during his 22 years stint as an assistant coach and his nine years work as defensive coordinator on the team of Eagle's coach Andy Reid. Opponents were befuddled by his creative blitz packages, and his players praised his straightforward approach.

Though it was obvious that he was sick, he still did his coaching job through the help of a motorized cart until the team announced last January that Jim Johnson was taking a leave of absence to undergo treatment of Melanoma. Sean McDermott was relegated as the interim defensive coordinator back then but the interim tag was taken off just before the training camp started, with Jim Johnson's blessings, of course.

He will always be remembered, God speed...

*** photo courtesy of Deadspin

Tagged as the best worst movie ever, The Room now has its own cult following and some of its more rabid fans are Hollywood's comedy elite - Paul Rudd, David Cross, Jonah Hill and Shaun of the Dead director Edgar Wright, they all have been spotted at screenings and expressed their fascination with the film.

The Room was written, directed and stars Tommy Wiseau and he also acted as the film's producer and executive producer, as well. The film is shown once a month in a Los Angeles movie theater and lines to get into the midnight screenings wrap around the entire lobby. The film had a disappointing initial run but it is now enjoying a massive cult following, just like Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Big Lebowski and Plan 9 from Outer Space.

the movie poster



the full length movie trailer

I read that it is supposed to be a comedy film but from what I saw in the trailer, it is more of a drama in its own weird way. Oh well...

If you dare to watch the movie in full and you're nowhere near L.A., don't fret, it is available in DVD.

*** photo courtesy of the Examiner

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Photo above is Zeus, said to be the world's biggest dog. He is a massive mutt weighing 249lbs. which is 100-pound heavier than a new born giraffe; he is equal in weight to an elephant calf and he weighs as much as a group of 33 babies. Imagine that.

He guested in the Regis and Kelly Show together with the oldest pooch, Chanel, who is said to be 120 years old.

Wanna see it yourself? Just click play *grins*.


Another break-up news from Hollywood - Kim Kardashian and her boyfriend of two years, Reggie Bush had split up.

A rep of the reality TV star confirmed to People that the two, Kim Kardashian and the New Orleans Saints running back, had separate ways.

An unnamed source told the magazine, "They never get to see each other, ever. It's been a long time coming. They still love each other and are part of their lives, but Reggie spends six months out of the year in New Orleans, so it's tough."


Another source said, "They were the cutest couple. They loved each other so much but they hardly saw each other. He starts his football training camp this week and she starts filming Keeping up with the Kardashians this week. They just need a break right now."

Kim Kardashian, 28, and Reggie Bush, 24, had been dating since 2007 and there was even a hint of a looming wedding or, at least, an engagement between the two. It is a sad news, indeed.

Are you thinking what I am thinking? I am such a gossip, ain't I *grins*?

*** photo courtesy of Google images

Words are out, it is confirmed that Camilla Belle and Joe Jonas broke up and it is official!

Rumors started to surface last Sunday (July 26) about the split up of one of the Jonas Brothers and Evolet of 10,000 B.C. but nothing was confirmed up until today, Belle's rep, Brad Cafarelli confirmed the break up to People, "Yes, it's true, they have broken up. There is no third party involved and they care deeply about each other and will remain friends."

But now there is a bigger news than that - Joe Jonas is said to be crying in a recent concert in Detroit. Oh, is he heartbroken? Is Taylor Swift laughing?

Video below was taken by one of the Jonas Brothers' fans who watched the concert and witnessed the whole crying thing-y.



He was said to be weeping while singing Much Better, a song he penned after he started dating Camilla Belle last fall. The two met last September while filming the Jonas Brother's music video Lovebug, and Joe Jonas broke up with Taylor Swift soon after that.

Add to that is a report from Perez Hilton that the middle JoBro changed the lyrics of the song - one is, "Now I see everything I'd ever need is the girl in front of me" to "... girls in front of me," and another one, "Get a rep for breakin' hearts, now I'm done with superstars" to "Get a rep for breakin hearts, now I'm done with movie stars.”

Oooh... juicy! Any reaction peeps?

Monday, July 27, 2009

Next on the Dawson's Creek soundtrack series that I plan to do here via Music Monday. I am a Joey-Pacey fan and I'll forever be but I can't find a video of the two of them with As I Lay Me Down (by Sophie B. Hawkins) music background, so for now, I just have to settle with Dawson and Joey *wink*.



As I Lay Me Down
by Sophie B. Hawkins

It felt like springtime on this February morning
In the courtyard birds were singing your praise
I'm still recalling things you said to make me feel alright
I carried them with me today, Now

(chorus) As I lay me down to sleep
This I pray
That you will hold me dear
Though I'm far away
I'll whisper your name into the sky
And I will wake up happy

I wonder why I feel so high
Though I am not above the sorrow
Heavy hearted
Till you call my name
And it sounds like church bells
Or the whistle of a train
On a summer evening
I'll run to meet you
Barefoot barely breathing

(repeat chorus)

It's not too near for me
Like a flower I need the rain
Though it's not clear to me
Every season has its change
And I will see you
When the sun comes out again

(repeat chorus)






Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.


I haven't had the chance to join any online contest yet, this is my first time and I hope I win *crossing my fingers*.

Melissa, the crafty hands behind Melissa's Jewelry and Gems will celebrate her 40th birthday on August 8 and to celebrate the event, she's giving away a Hot Pink Tourmaline with White Topaz Ring. The instant I read the word pink, I was in *grins*.

The rules:

  • This contest started on July 15th and runs until August 8th at 8 AM.
  • You must sign up to follow her blog.
  • You must make a post on your blog, about this contest.
  • Then contact her at melissaruede@yahoo.com with the address to the post.
  • Take the poll, at the top of her blog.
  • You must live in the US, Canada, Great Britian, Phillipines, or Australia. She will not ship anywhere else. If you do not have an address that is allowed, your entry will be null and void.
Particulars of the ring:
  • It is sterling silver, size 6 1/2 band ring.
  • Each stone measures appx. 3mm round, 10 points each, for a total of 1/3 of a carat.
  • It is a band ring, and sits nice and low.
here's a pic to give you an idea, ain't it pretty?

I hope I win, I hope I win, I hope I win!

Sunday, July 26, 2009


  1. Who was your first date? *** My husband
  2. Do you still talk to your first love? *** Yes
  3. What was your first alcoholic drink? *** Pinacolada
  4. What was your first job? *** Editorial Assistant in a women's magazine
  5. What was your first car? *** none up until now *grins*
  6. Where did you go on your first ride in an airplane? *** haven't had the opportunity to ride one yet, I'm hoping soon *grins*
  7. Who was your first best friend and do you still talk? *** Dhallie Letaban and yes, we still do.
  8. Whose wedding did you attend the first time? *** I don't remember, I was a social butterfly when I was a kid.
  9. Tell us about your first roommate? *** Uhm, is my granny considered a roommate? She's the only one I had shared my room with except for my husband.
  10. If you had one wish, what would it be? *** Financial freedom
  11. What is something you would learn if you had the chance? *** Scuba diving
  12. Did you marry the first person you were in love with? *** Yes
  13. What were the first lessons you took and why? *** I have no idea *grins*
  14. What is the first thing you do when you get home? *** Sit down and kick my footwear off.
Happy Sunday everyone!

Two movie clips of New Moon (second in the Twilight saga) were shown in the Comic-Con `09 held in San Diego to the delight of waiting fans and audiences.

As nothing official has been released for public viewing just yet, we just have to contend ourselves watching uploads from the other fans in You Tube. It's better than nothing, ayt?

Emma Watson has moved in with her boyfriend of 16months, Jay Barrymore. The Harry Potter actress is said to have bought a $5M-worth of new property in London which she now shares with her 26-year old banker beau. The 19-year old star who is worth an estimated $20M is now living close to his father's house and believes that buying the property is a good investment.


A person close to Emma told Britain's Daily Mirror: "Despite the fame, she's really got her head screwed on. After consulting with several property experts, as well as her family and friends, she's decided to invest in her own place."

"It's a North London townhouse and it's just a stone throw from her dad Chris' house. So she can see him whenever she wants."

"Emma's off to university in America soon but was determined to put some roots down in England first."

"Her relationship with Jay is going from strength to strength. They are spending increasing amounts of time with one another. It makes perfect sense for Jay to leave some of his stuff at hers and see how it goes. So far, so good - and Emma's confident they'll stay together even when she's abroad."

Personally, I think she's too young to be doing that, but if she's happy, so be it.

*** photo courtesy of Google images

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Katie Holmes paid tribute to the entertainment legend Judy Garland by dancing to the tune of Get Happy at the 100th episode of So You Think You Can Dance. She, also, introduced and promoted the charity - Dizzy Feet - which she co-founded with SYTYCD judge Nigel Lythgoe, director Adam Shankman and Carrie Ann Inaba of Dancing With the Stars, the foundation aims to help underprivileged youth become professional dancers.





Personally, I think she does the job. She may not be the best dancer in the world but at least she's trying and for a good cause. Can't say as much about other Hollywood stars, can you?

A personal affair done with a twist - a wedding march turned into a groovy wedding dance down the aisle, it is classy and quite cool. And now that they decided to share their big day with the whole world through You Tube, the newly wed (JK - Jill and Kevin) and their whole entourage are now web sensations.




Admit it, they kinda rub on you. I was doubtful at first but the instant the ushers throw out those pieces of papers (I think) and groove hysterically to the beat, I was hooked *grins*. How about you?

Friday, July 24, 2009

Well, I was doing my usual Entrecard dropping when I stumbled upon one blog about the death of the Wowowee host, and so the curious me search the net and... found nothing. I tuned in to the local radio station of ABS-CBN and turned on the television set (Ruffa & I is on), thinking that if something big like that happened, it will be all over the news much more in his network, right? I have been listening and watching (yes, at the same time, call it multitasking *grins*) for a while now but no hint of Willie Revillame's sudden passing was mentioned, so it could not be true but as I am not an authority to say or proclaim this, we should all watch out for any news.



The funny thing is - the news of Revillame's death is widely circulating in the US but not here, where he is based. Could this be just a hoax, a publicity stunt for TFC or something more serious?

I hope we can all know the answer soon.

EDIT:
Willie Revillame is alive and well, I just watched him singing Giling-giling in his noontime show *grins*.

Thursday, July 23, 2009



For this week's Thursday 13, I would like to share with everyone (especially to those who matter, in a giving way *grins*) my random wish list.
  1. a laptop (any pink notebook will do *angelic smile*)
  2. an external hard drive (the higher the specs the better)
  3. a photo printer (I would love to have a pink Canon Selphy or the yellow bucket style)
  4. a DSLR (any brand will do)
  5. an underwater digital camera (Olympus has one that doesn't cost a fortune)
  6. a scanner (any brand and style, as long as it will work better and last longer than my previous one)
  7. all the trains, tracks and accessories plus those other thingamajigs of Thomas and friends (that's for my son, so he can stop nagging me for more)
  8. books (all the books that I have been craving to read and get a hold on)
  9. a Siberian Husky (our last one died young, kidney problem)
  10. a spa day (as in a whole day of relaxing in the spa)
  11. a day trip to Tagaytay (just to unwind and smell some fresh air)
  12. a week-long vacation (anywhere, as long as I can stay in bed and not do anything for a week)
  13. a condominium unit near the mall (accessibility and multitasking - life could be easier)
Peace of mind should have been my last but I guess I have more than 13 in my wish list *grins*.

Happy Thursday everyone!

The web is abuzz about the trailer of the theatrical rendition of Alice in Wonderland by director Tim Burton due to come out on March 2010. It was said that Burton is supposed to unveil his newest masterpiece (read: show the trailer) today (July 23) at the Comic-Con in San Diego but speculation has it that it was leaked, IGN first posted the video and then it was followed by a series of uploads to You Tube.

In an unprecedented move, Disney forced the You Tube administration to take all the videos down and out of the web. A few hours later, IGN's video can't be found either, and may I be bold enough to say that Disney must have had a hand on that, too.

Anyway, here's one from MSN (hope this one stays *grins*)

<a href="http://video.msn.com/?mkt=pt-br&from=sp&vid=44ad7500-98da-43a6-b7ec-2796f73849c9" target="_new" title="Trailer">Video: Trailer</a>




Question: What do you want to NOT have to share with other people?


Uhm, tricky. I have been racking my brains out for an answer but two things kept on popping in my mind -

One, I wouldn't want to share my husband to anyone, as in I want to be the only one. If and when I passed away before him and he decided to re-marry, I will haunt them up to their grave *lol*. I wouldn't want to share my son either, I'm the only one he can love as his mommy and I'm the only one he can call mommy. If and when, he gets married someday, he must call his mother-in-law mama or inay or nanay or by her first name, as long as it's not mommy I'm fine with it *lol*.

Second, my personal things, I wouldn't like to have to share my toothbrush or comb, towel or underwear and everything in that category to anybody else. I mean, what if they have rotten teeth or head lice or body odor or any skin disease for that matter, that would suck big time, right?

Aw, I can't stop laughing... do I sound a little (or a lot) crazy because of my answers *grins*?

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

I've seen this entry in Peachy's blog a week or two ago and I said to myself, I'm gonna steal her pics and post it here. It took me a long time to master my courage, not to steal but to ask her permission for a re-post and today, I finally did.

I hate Marian Rivera, she's so arte and bitchy, one of the main reasons why I am itching to re-post this, and I am sure she stole Dingdong from Karylle, not that I like the latter, I'm more of an Antoinette Taus - Dingdong Dantes fan *lol*.

I'm not an Angel Locsin fan either, so I wouldn't miss seeing them beating each other up *grins*, now I'm being bitchy.

See, not only me saw it that way... (Dingdong looks like a deformed human being here *lol*)

*lol* Whew, do I need to elaborate? This is my personal favorite, by the way.

Nothing new...

This one is funny... now you know!

Old spoof but I like the new graphics *grins*.

Well, it's Hayden with a camera, but he should be holding a video cam and standing behind a closet door, that would have made it better and more true.

Love the imagination and the wit of the illustrator, thumbs up to you, whoever you are.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

After pleading guilty to the assault charges filed by Rihanna's camp last February, Chris Brown now issues a public apology through a video statement.




What do you think folks?

Top Rank Promoter, Bob Arum has told ESPN.com that it is official, Manny Pacquiao will face Miguel Cotto on his next title bout.



No papers had been signed yet, as of posting Bob Arum's attorney is preparing the documents for signatures, but it is already a done deal, he said that he had reached a verbal agreement with both parties while he was away on vacation in London, Italy and Israel.

Everything has been agreed upon - the weight, the percentages, the guarantees - Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37KOs) will get more than 50% of the money but the actual split was not disclosed; Cotto (34-1, 27KOs) will go down to a 145 pound maximum weight, he is in 147lbs at the moment.

The pound-for-pound king, Manny Pacquiao and the welterweight titleholder, Miguel Cotto will meet at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Nov. 14.

The tentative tour schedule is on September 9 in Los Angeles, September 10 in New York and September 12 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

*** photos courtesy of google images

As I browsed through the updates in Facebook this morning, my eyes caught a certain note from the Filipino group, in which I am a member, about a former Manila Hotel PR officer and her close encounter with the King of Pop in 1996 (yup, more than a decade ago). So, I searched around the net and found out that it was an article from the Philippine Star (broadsheet) that was updated last July 5, as noted in their website.

**********

My Close Encounter with Michael Jackson
by Gwen J. Carino



MANILA, Philippines – When I was a PR officer at Manila Hotel, I was assigned to head the annual Orphan’s Christmas Party where 300 children from different orphanages around Metro Manila were treated to a day of fun and surprises. It was one of the biggest projects on my plate and it was such a challenge to focus on work the day before the big event, knowing Michael Jackson was billeted in the hotel.

Two nights before, I had been fortunate to be part of his welcome line at the hotel lobby together with the rest of the PR and sales staff but was content enough to see him walk by.

The day before, a guy claiming to be Michael Jackson’s aide from Mamarao Productions came to the office. I couldn’t recall his name but he looked for the “person in charge” and said his boss had read the announcement about the event in the Dear Guest flyers we had circulated to all the rooms a week before. Michael wanted to know how he could help. His aide went up to the Penthouse and down to the PR office several times after we gave our suggestions.

Michael offered to fill up the 300 loot bags with goodies and toys, candies and chocolates. But after getting close to 50 sponsors, it was actually a problem for us to dispose of everything.

So I thought hard…how can the King of Pop meaningfully join the affair? I couldn’t possibly have him be with the kids in the palayok game or the pabitin as he might end up being mobbed! And since the annual event was really all about giving, I mustered all my courage and told the Mamarao guy that the best thing I could think of was for Michael to literally be present to help distribute the loot bags, sign autographs and pose with the children for photos. “Wow, that may not be easy. You’re talking about handing goodie bags to 300 children and I can just imagine the chaos. We’ll see, Ms. Jacinto. I’ll get back to you,” he said.

Lunch break came and it was the most hurried one I ever took in my entire life. It wasn’t until after 5 p.m. that Michael‘s aide came back and said, “Michael is more than happy to do whatever you suggest. How do we go about it tomorrow?”

I wanted to scream. I had to calm myself and regain composure as the Lizzie Maguire in me said, “Get real, get back into focus.”

We agreed that Michael would join after the games, musical program and snacks, and at the last part to give out the loot bags. My colleague Annette Africano and boss Dulce Agnir requested for additional security around the garden and the stage area as this was where we decided to distribute the gifts. We made sure the children would form an orderly line.

Then the moment arrived. It was at the Champagne Gardens on Dec. 7, 1996. I was surprised to see him walking towards us, guided by his aide. Michael came up to me as I had to brief him.

“Hi, how are you? Thanks so much for letting me in, I know I’m early ’coz I didn’t want to miss the program.”

I said, “Are you kidding? Thanks so much for volunteering! Here’s what Michael, why don’t you just sit here and watch the musical numbers before we get into the gift giving. I will have to tweak the program a bit.”

He replied, “Sure, anything you say… (pausing to look at my name tag) Gwen!”

I was stunned at how incredibly sweet and modest he was. And in my mind it was, “Oh my God, this is really happening!”

Amazing how he patiently sat through the whole program. Carol Banawa, then an Ang TV mainstay couldn’t believe MJ was watching her perform. She had her red blouse signed by him right after her number. Then followed Stefano Mori’s dance number. Later, his back up singers and dancers came up on stage followed by select kids from different orphanages who danced to the beat of Billie Jean. Oh, the smile on Michael’s face was just amazing.

Then we announced that Michael will be distributing gifts onstage. I explained to him that there’s a loot bag for the younger kids and another for the older ones and he nodded. The thrill and excitement he gave those children was incredibly touching. It was in between the gift bag distribution that I caught a glimpse of MJ, not as a performer but as a person.

It was one in the afternoon. Santa Claus (David Endriga, a friend of fellow PR officer Francis Capistrano) was with us. The heat was scourging and I was worried that Michael felt so hot with his black long-sleeved signature attire and hat.

“Are you alright Michael? We can let you take a break,” I asked.

He said, “I’m cool Gwen. Just imagine how Santa feels inside his velvet suit and beard. We’ll be fine.”

I never heard him complain or say a word about how hot it was or how long the line was. He had the most beautiful manners. He didn’t even ask for a drink or a towel to wipe his sweat but one of our banquet staff made sure he got a glass of fresh orange juice.

An hour passed and we were halfway through gift-giving when we noticed that the garden was getting filled up. Suddenly, there were people from media, politicians, officials and hotel guests including those in a wedding reception at the nearby Champagne Room who deserted the newly-weds just to get a glimpse of the King of Pop.

“Oh oh, this isn’t supposed to be, I’m so sorry,” I said. It’s all right, we’ll get through it,” Michael said smiling.

As we finished giving out the last loot bag to an 11-year-old orphan, a new line of more kids and adults formed. Michael’s bodyguard, Wayne, said. “We can leave now.”

Michael replied calmly, “We can’t leave when there are still people in line. It’s Christmas, dude.”

I felt my heart beat faster and the hair on my arms and the back of my neck stood up. He wasn’t just the most electrifying performer, but the most generous person.

One of the most memorable moments was when a lady came up to him for an autograph. Laughing and holding his tummy, he said “Hey Gwen, you’ve gotta check this out. He whispered, “It’s a blank check. The lady is making me sign on a blank check.”

We laughed hard and little did we know that it wasn’t even half of the comedy. He later showed me and Wayne other stuff people would use or pick up on the ground when they couldn’t find paper for him to sign on. One lady made him sign at the back of her elegant, designer Filipiniana gown. One teenager came up to him holding a dead leaf and another one, a popped balloon. Imagine how our laughter ballooned as well.

It was an amazing, genuine experience. At one point he asked if I was going to catch his History concert and I said “tomorrow night.”

“Oh, you’ll have a blast!” Michael told me.

At this point he became concerned about the stage as adults outnumbered the kids. His face had nervousness written all over it but he still didn’t complain. He tapped the wooden floor with his foot several times making sure it was sturdy enough not to fall apart. “I’ve experienced the stage collapse and I just want to make sure we’re all safe here,” he explained.

Half of me wanted the line to finish because we were literally melting and worried about our safety, but half of me didn’t, knowing that once the line ended, Michael will leave.

At some point it did end. I managed to get an autograph for my sisters and me before our general manager, Clem Pablo, requested him to sing Give Love on Christmas Day.

Cesar Sarino, one of the hotel’s officials, addressed his thank you note to the King of Pop. Then I saw his guards and aides whisking Michael off stage.

I said in my mind, “Oh man, I didn’t even have the chance to say goodbye.”

Suddenly, I saw Michael return on stage and say, “Thanks so much to you and your team, Gwen. This really means a lot.”

Then he held me beside him and said, “I’ll see you at the concert.”

As Michael Jackson is laid to rest and returned to pristine condition in the afterlife, these two incredible acts of the King of Pop — volunteering for charity and unselfishly spending time with the less fortunate, will forever be the way I will remember this man.

**********

Not the kind of stuff one should read in the morning, I cannot bit back the tears and man, I cry like a baby once again because of MJ. I was thinking, he might had done insane things in his lifetime but it is incomparable to all the wonderful stuff that he had accomplished as an artist, as a father, and as a person of great heart.

*** article taken in full at Philstar.com

Monday, July 20, 2009

Remember Dawson's Creek? Remember Dawson, Joey, Pacey and Jen? Need a little reminder?





I was one of the many audiences around the globe who fell in love with this show. I remember, hanging up the phone and turning off the lights 5 minutes before 8pm every Monday, it's my solemn moment, as in no one can bother me during those times, not even my nanay and tatay *lol*. I was the biggest fan of the show and the Joey-Pacey love team, back then, I walked, talked, breathed and dreamed Dawson's Creek. Ok, I confess, I am still a fan and I will watch the reruns whenever the local channel here in PH decided to give it a go (Studio 23 what are you waiting for?).

As I Don't Wanna Wait was the theme song of the said program, I, wholeheartedly embraced the song, too. It is one of my favorite songs, together with the other songs in the soundtrack and you'll find it in all of my music files (ipod, pc, online networks).

Dawson's Creek is love!




Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave
ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.




A total solar eclipse will take place on Wednesday, July 22, 2009 but it will occur in a narrow path. The second in a series of three eclipses within a month's cycle - first was the lunar eclipse on July 7, now a solar eclipse on July 22 and then another lunar eclipse on August 6 - and said to be the longest total solar eclipse that will occur in the 21st century and it will not be surpassed in duration until June 13, 2132.

It will begin in India
and crosses through Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Central China, the Pacific Ocean, Ryukyu Islands, Marshall Islands and Kiribati. In the Philippines, however, the event will be observed as a partial solar eclipse, which will also include most of eastern Asia, Indonesia, and the Pacific Ocean.

PAGASA (Philippines Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration) even supplied a table of local eclipse occurrences here in the country on the said date.

click to enlarge

PAGASA also warns the public about viewing the solar eclipse directly without proper eye safety as this might cause damage to the retina of the eye. Even the use of unconventional methods like viewing with x-ray films, sunglasses, smoked glass & photographic films and negatives, which are used in various countries to view eclipses, are also dangerous. The safest method is indirect viewing, like projecting the image with a pinhole camera. If you're an astronomy enthusiast, you can invest on some solar filters which is said to be 100% safe.

I am even contemplating about writing a note to my son's teacher to let him and his classmates (6 of them) watch the solar eclipse, hmm... do you think it's appropriate?

*** in reference to PAGASA and Wikipedia
*** photo courtesy of Stalking Minds

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Yup, you read it right, The Snoring Queen just got her very first award. What did you say? We should call the messenger to announce it to the whole kingdom? Silly you... I've already done that *lol*.

Fantasy aside, I would like to thank Anya of Kutsara at Tinidor for the love and honor that she had bestowed upon me (aw, sounds like I'm saying my bow *grins*).



The rules for these awards are:

1) To accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his/her blog link.

2) Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve discovered and think are great! Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Now, to make The Snoring Queen's first award more memorable, I would like to share it to all of you - to all the Entrecard droppers, to those few who have left comments, to those who read and visited this blog, to everyone who cares - we all deserve it anyway.

Now, if Scarlett Johansson can be a comic hero, her husband of almost one year will take another shot on being a superhero in the big screen - he is now officially cast as the Green Lantern. It will be directed by Martin Campbell, produced by Donald De Line and Greg Berlanti and will be released by Warner Bros.


He didn't got the part by pure luck as he had to beat other actors like Bradley Cooper, Jared Leto and, even, Justin Timberlake on rounds of screen tests. Anyhow, Ryan Reynolds isn't new to the super hero - comic hero thing in the big screen as he had played Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Hannibal King, the vampire hunter in Blade: Trinity.

*** photo courtesy of yahoo images

Entertainment Weekly released one of the first photos of Scarlett Johansson as she don her Black Widow suit in Iron Man 2. She will play as Stark's (Robert Downey Jr.) new assistant, Natasha, who has an alter ego of her own - Black Widow (as seen on the photo below). The personal assistant position was opened due to the promotion of Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) to CEO of Stark Industries.


For more information about the said movie and its cast, visit EW.com.

*** photo courtesy of Entertainment Weekly


Saturday, July 18, 2009

I read an e-mail from Entrecard yesterday, at first, I thought it was just an ordinary blog that they sent about in emails and I almost discarded it without reading, good thing that the curious and gossip in me took over and read the entire message.

Posted: 16 Jul 2009 09:47 AM PDT

Dear Entrecarders,

It is with great excitement that I announce Entrecard.com, Inc. has
been Acquired by ZipRunner Inc.

ZipRunner has the resources, vision, and dedication to Entrecard that
will allow it to grow in pursuit of the vision I laid out nearly two
years ago.

Moving forward, my relationship to Entrecard will be that of an
advisor, and I will help the good folks at ZipRunner take the whole
project to the next level.

ZipRunner Inc. was chosen out of a number of potential suitors because
of the resources they can dedicate to the project, their exciting
vision for the company’s future, and their understanding of social
media and the blogosphere.

I urge you all to look forward to a bigger, better Entrecard, and I
couldn’t be more proud to bring it to this point before passing the
torch. I’ve heard first hand all the great things that are in store
for the company and it’s members, and needless to say it has me quite
excited.

If you would like to keep in touch with me in the future, you can
find me at my new blog Ontrapranore.com where I look forward to
sharing my stories of entrepreneurship and starting/running internet
companies.

Whether you love or hate the decisions I’ve made for Entrecard in the
past, I always did the best I could to move the company forward given
the resources I had, and I always had the best interest of the members
in mind. Now, with new management and ownership stepping in, I urge
anyone who has left the service to give it another chance, and I urge
those who have been loyal members for days, weeks, months, or years to
look forward to a brighter future, a reliable and stable service, and
great new features and strategic direction.

Signing Off,

Graham Langdon
Founder of Entrecard
Ontrapranore

I suggest you visit his new blog to learn more about his decision (he pour his heart out on his post about that). It is kinda sad to let Graham go but I know that he got enough bucks to last him some time because of the deal and it is easier to think of it that way.

Now, what's next? What will happen to Entrecard and its members? As it is under new management, will there be new rules and policies or the old ones will stay? Do we have to wait long before we hear any news or will tomorrow be the day?

What to expect, what to expect *thinking*?

I have been an Adgitize publisher since November of last year, an inactive one at that. Last month, I finally, took in what Adgitize is about, I read their blog, I checked the forums, I observed and learned. And for being such a good girl, I was given a reward - I checked my email on July 10 and discovered that Adgitize had sent $13.37 on my Paypal account dated July 8. Not much but at this time, every penny counts.


I was ecstatic to received a few bucks and would love to keep it to help me in settling my credit card debts but I decided to try advertising on Adgitize first. I heard good reviews and seen lots of positive testimonies, so why not give it a try, right? I got nothing to loose, I just gave back the money that they paid me *grins*.


If you want to earn a few dollars and gain some traffic at your website or blog at the same time, I encourage you to give Adgitize a try. For $14 a month they can send you more or less 2500 pageviews (estimated based on my current statistics as an advertiser), don't you think that's good enough a deal?

Oh wait there's more, if you want to earn as much as you have paid or more, all you have to do is continue on what you're doing as a blogger, just do it a little harder -
  • Post an article on your blog daily. (100 pts.)
  • Click on at least a hundred advertisers' widget found on Adgitize members' blogs (log in to Adgitize and then click on the advertiser's widget just like dropping in Entrecard, it is cut down to 51 if you're an advertiser yourself.) (100 pts.) Note: If you're an Entrecard member, it is like hitting two birds with one stone, so I suggest jumping on the Entrecard bandwagon *wink*.
  • If you're an advertiser, you'll easily get another 100 points.
  • Page views is also part of the computation, 10k impressions equals to 100 points, so if you're getting less than that you'll get lesser points; I, for example, have at least 1200-1500 a day (from my 3 blogs) and that's equal to 40 points, fair enough?
  • Ad views is mostly dependent on your page views, the number of your page views multiplied by the number of ads you're running at your blog equals to your ad views for a day, if you're an advertiser, you'll get extra ad views and page views (of course).
The higher your daily points the bigger chunk of the daily Adgitize earnings will come your way. Plus, they have this affiliate program which will let you earn more, I don't know much about that as I don't have any referral yet, care to be my first?



One click and you're there. Register, add your blog(s), put the code and you're done. Ciao!

Friday, July 17, 2009

One Word Tag

I was tagged by Peachy, thanks sis!

**********

This is a ONE WORD tag and you can only answer with just one! It's not easy especially if you want to share more of the story. But it was fun answering. Copy and change the answers to suit you and pass it on. Be sure to tag the person who sent it to you!

1. Where is your cell phone? table
2. Your hair? down
3. Your mother? best
4. Your father? sick
5. Your favorite food? lasagna
6. Your dream last night? forgotten
7. Your favorite drink? water
8. Your dream/goal? travel
9. What room you are in? bedroom
10. Your hobby? reading
11. Your fear? cockroaches
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Scotland
13. Where were you last night? home
14. Something that you aren’t? sexy
15. Muffins? chocolate
16. Wish list item? money
17. Where you grew up? Navotas
18. Last thing you did? watch
19. What are you wearing? pajamas
20. Your TV? on
21. Your pets? fishes
22. Friends? few
23. Your life? good
24. Your mood? bored
25. Missing someone? yes
26. Car? wrangler?
27. Something you’re not wearing? slippers
28. Your favorite store? Giordano
29. Your favorite color? pink
30. When is the last time you laughed? today
31. Last time you cried? memorial
32. Who will resend this? bloggers
33. One place that I go to over and over? mall
34. One person who emails me regularly? none
35. My favorite place to eat? home

**********

I am passing it on to Darqueangel, Peppermayo and Liz.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Header by Samuli

As this is the first time that I am participating in this meme, I decided to introduce myself, I would write 13 random facts about me, just so you'll get a glimpse of who I am. Ready?

1. I have been a wife for nine years (already) and a mommy for five (almost six).

2. I am a Bachelor of Arts graduate major in Mass Communications.

3. I used to work for a local TV network, a magazine publication and a pre-need company until I decided to get hitched.

4. I had been a stay-at-home-wife for 9 years and a stay-at-home-mommy for almost 6 years.

5. I live in the exact same location as I was when I was born (when I got home from the hospital, if you are that specific).

6. I am an only child up to my thirteenth birthday, a few months after that my only brother was born.

7. I am a video game fanatic - game and watch, family computer, atari, gameboy, family console, ps1 & ps2, sega, psp, online and LAN games - name it I have tried it.

8. I am a couch potato in its truest sense, okay fine, I am a tad lazy *grins*.

9. I love books! I can read the whole day without pause except for bathroom breaks, I even forget to eat when I am reading a good one and I can stay up for days just to finish a novel (book).

10. I would love to have my own library with up-to-ceiling shelves full of books and manuscripts that I like. And then half of it would be a video and audio library full movie and television rolls and tapes (betamax, dvd, laser disc, vcd, dvd included) and a music file to die for (all forms of material included).

11. I am a travel bug in my dream, or what I want to be anyway. Someday, soon maybe...

12. Oh, I almost forgot, I have mild scoliosis and back ache is one of blogging's occupational hazzard (in my part).

13. My favorite number is 13, my birthday is a 13 and most of my memorable birthday celebrations happened on Friday the 13th. Cool eh?

**********

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others’ comments. It’s easy, and fun!

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