Earlier today, the 9th State of the Nation Address (SONA) of her Excellency Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo was held at the House of Representatives at the Batasan Complex. PGMA’s 74 minutes speech reports the supposed achievements of her administration over the last nine years of service and raft drafting her plans and goals in her remaining one year in office. It dealt in the area of Economics, Education, Agriculture, Infrastructure, housing, health services and poverty alleviation programs.

PGMA’s final SONA has taken the chance to take the attention of the Pilipino people. She enumerated of her administration one achievement after another. Pointing out that, she was a promising president for the last few years of service. According to her, she was able to give decent lives for most Pilipino people and she was able to uplift the economy despite the constant criticism her government is getting. The creation of millions of jobs, to the construction of bridges, roads, classrooms, the good educational system, the electricity and water, housing centers and the ending the peace process were accordingly achieved by her governance. Shouldn’t we all be thankful to her? It is the president’s side of the story. However, the constant question in the minds of of her critics is, “Will it be her last SONA?” This question is yet to be answered in the coming 2010 national election. However,

The final SONA of PGMA has not just caught the attention of the people but also attracted the militant groups all over the country as well. Their rallies and demonstrations are set to be presented simultaneously with the SONA. Even the politicians themselves, joined the rallies instead of attending SONA. Known critic of PGMA and a crusader of Constituents Assembly or Chacha, Senator Panfilo Lacson even urged his colleagues in the Senate to join the rally. He’s caught saying, “Ako, kung may rally aattend ako , if only to protest actively against con-ass”, in an interview. He also added, “Yes, kung may rally laban sa con-ass, I would encourage the other senators and their staff including media to go there”. Moreover, the opposition that heads their own set of rallies said that the present government has no hope. They added that they are already sick and tired of listening to the Gloria Arroyo’s broken promises. The rallies for SONA because of its widespread in the areas of the National Capital Region (NCR) have caused traffic and chaos. Many were reported being hurt because of confrontations between the law enforcement groups and militants.

The SONA Of PGMA indeed is a very dramatic event in the history of the Philippine Politics. Whether or not it brought hope to the lives of every Pilipino, it’s an important event. It’s the turning point of our choices and goals for the selves and for our country.

Hollywood's most expensive women @ Friday, July 10, 2009

What does Kirsten Dunst, Jennifer Lopez, Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts, Julianne Moore, and Halle Berry have in common aside from stunning faces and captivating bodies? Well, money. And a heck lot of it. They are the most expensive women in Hollywood according to the THE HOLLYWOOD FILE of Maximillien de Lafayette. Find out why these women are one billion dollar worth.

1. Kirsten Dunst. Age: 22. WHY SHE'S A ONE BILLION DOLLAR WOMAN? Though ''Spider-Man'''s teen dream Mary Jane is a veteran actress with three dozen movies on her résumé, starring in the biggest hit of 2002 gave Dunst extra cred. That upside-down kiss is now seared into the brainpans of moviegoers and Sony executives, who upped her price for the sequel to a reported $8 million.

2. Jennifer Lopez. Age: 34. WHY SHE'S A ONE BILLION DOLLAR WOMAN? Multitalented J. Lo has a knack for releasing hit albums and hit movies at the same time, as she's done most recently with her CD ''This Is Me...Then'' and her current movie ''Maid in Manhattan,'' her biggest hit yet, grossing $78 million and counting. She's been the highest-paid Latina actress since her $1 million payday for 1997's ''Selena''; she now commands a reported $12 million per picture. Plus, fascination with her marital status is on an Elizabeth Taylor level, which should help her next two releases, both of which costar fiancé Ben Affleck.

3. Cameron Diaz. Age: 32. WHY SHE'S A ONE BILLION DOLLAR WOMAN? Along with her ''My Best Friend's Wedding'' costar Julia Roberts, Diaz is the only other member of the $20 million actress club, reportedly earning that sum for this summer's ''Charlie's Angels'' sequel. Even better, she reportedly scored $10 million for a week of voice work as Princess Fiona in next year's ''Shrek 2.'' She's unflappably charming, whether wearing Ben Stiller's ''hair gel'' in ''There's Something About Mary'' or picking pockets as a grubby thief in ''Gangs of New York,'' which earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Maybe she can pocket an Oscar, too.


3. Drew Barrymore. Age: 27. WHY SHE'S A-LIST? Since 1998's hit ''Ever After,'' she's been the queen of girl-power movies, setting an example both as a star and as a producer with 1999's ''Never Been Kissed'' and 2000's ''Charlie's Angels.'' As a driving force behind ''Angels,'' she was rewarded with a $125 million gross and a bump in her salary to a reported $15 million. In addition to the recently wrapped sequel, for which she lured Demi Moore out of retirement, she's also hoping to revamp another cheesecake-action classic this year, ''Barbarella.'' Meantime, the Flower Films chief is charming viewers as the flower-child love of Chuck Barris (Sam Rockwell, whom she helped put on the map in ''Charlie's .


4. Reese Witherspoon. Age: 26. WHY SHE'S A One Billion Dollar Woman? After turning 2001's ''Legally Blonde'' into a sleeper hit, Witherspoon proved her bankability last fall with the $125 million gross of ''Sweet Home Alabama.'' Her salary jumped accordingly, from a reported $1 million for ''Legally Blonde'' to $15 million for its '03 sequel. Plus, she retains indie and critical cred from her role as high school overachiever Tracy Flick in 1999's ''Election.'' No wonder that, for Entertainment Weekly's 2001 If We Ran Hollywood issue, the magazine put her on the cover with the headline ''Why We'd Hire Reese Witherspoon for Everything.'' #3. Renee Zellweger. Age: 33. WHY SHE'S A One Billion Dollar Woman? She earned an Oscar nomination last year when she pulled a De Niro/Streep-style makeover, playing the titular tubby Brit in ''Bridget Jones's Diary'' (and she drove the film to a $71 million U.S. gross, to boot). Now, she's proving she can sing and dance as well in ''Chicago,'' where her murderous vamp may well earn her another chance at Oscar. Though it's been awhile since she won over audiences in ''Jerry Maguire,'' is showing Zellweger the money to the tune of a reported $10 million per picture.


5. Nicole Kidman. Age: 37. WHY SHE'S A ONE BILLION DOLLAR WOMAN? She is one of the most intelligent actresses in the business. In addition to her unsurpassed talent, Nicole Kidman is a woman with depth and human substance. Multitalented and Hollywood multifaceted, Nicole Kidman can play any role from the sexiest to the most melodramatic. It all started in 2001, when Kidman proved her versatility with the one-two punch of ''Moulin Rouge'' (helping to save the movie musical from extinction) and cerebral horror hit ''The Others'' (which grossed $96 million). As a result, she earned herself a raise to the $12 million-$15 million territory and became EW's Entertainer of the Year. Currently, she's wowing critics and earning strong Oscar buzz for disappearing completely into the role of Virginia Woolf in ''The Hours.''


6. Julia Roberts. Age: 37. WHY SHE'S A ONE BILLION DOLLAR WOMAN? The first female member of Hollywood's $20 million club, she has remained the town's highest-paid actress for years, having starred in more $100 million movies (seven) than any other actress. In 2000, she proved she was more than just another pretty woman with her ''Erin Brockovich'' Oscar. Recently, she shifted gears again, earning raves as a sexy spy in ''Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.'' She's also moved into film and TV production (her 1998 movie ''Stepmom,'' CBS' new series ''Queens Supreme''). Plus, she's a newlywed. No wonder she loves her life. Many critics believe that Julia Roberts has more luck than talent. Meaning when you watch her on the big screen, you will be watching 10 Million Dollars rolling every hour, and 5 Million Dollars every 30 minutes. How long it will take you to make one million Dollar? Or 5 Millions? Maybe never in your lifetime. Well, Roberts can do in a heart beat. Imagine now Roberts starring in 2 or 3 movies a year? That's a lot of money folks!!

7. Julianne Moore. Age: 44. WHY SHE'S A ONE BILLION DOLLAR WOMAN? Age did nor diminish one ounce from the explosive charm of this woman. She is still hot and in demand and laughing all the way to the bank. Having displayed her fearlessness in such films as ''Boogie Nights'' and ''The End of the Affair,'' earning Oscar nominations for both, she may rack up two more nods this year by showing her range in two very different 1950s-housewife roles. Her starring turn as the taboo-breaking homemaker in ''Far From Heaven'' is a lock for a Best Actress nomination, while her self-destructive mom in ''The Hours'' has a good shot in the Supporting Actress category. Her ''Heaven'' costar Dennis Quaid recently told the insiders '' I think she's America's best actress right now, like Meryl Streep is for her generation.''

8. Halle Berry. Age: 36. WHY SHE'S A ONE BILLION DOLLAR WOMAN? Berry bookended 2002 with monumental achievements: To begin with, she won a historic Best Actress Oscar for ''Monster's Ball,'' and to close it out, she goosed the 007 franchise back to life (to the tune of $146 million and counting) in ''Die Another Day.'' Her Jinx may become the first Bond babe to have her own spinoff; in fact, Bond studio MGM is banking on Berry with about four upcoming movies. Her asking price, reportedly in the $5 million-$10 million range, makes her the highest-paid African-American actress in the business.

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Barack and Michelle Obama: the lovestory @

Michelle LaVaughn Robinson is the second child of Fraser and Marian Robinson. Her father, is a pump operator and Marian, a stay at home mother, raise Michelle and her brother Craig in their South Side Chicago home.

Michille joins her basketball player brother, Craig at Princeton University before graduating from Harvard Law School in 1988. She worked as a lawyer at a Chicago firm and mentored summer associate Barack Obama in 1989. She eventually falls for the Hawaii-bred community organizer turned lawyer, with whom she attends meetings in church basements. In an interview she said, "He connected with me and everyone in that church basement ...The authenticity you see is real, and that's why I fell in love with him,"

Michelle and Barack got married after three years of dating. The bride and groom choose Stevie Wonder's "You and I" for their first dance, which the President of the United States later on honestly admitted, "I think it's fair to say that had I not been a Stevie Wonder fan, Michelle might not have dated me," he said. "We might not have married. The fact that we agreed on Stevie was part of the essence of our courtship.", and of their vows, Michelle says: "Barack didn't pledge riches, only a life that would be interesting. On that promise he delivered.

The couple, with their two young daughters, Malia and Sasha, went on to conquer U.S. politics as the first African American First Family.

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Discover adventure. Discover CDO. @

Are you planning to have a vacation? Do you want to relax and just enjoy nature? Well, Cagayan de Oro City is just the place that is right for you.

The city of golden friendship is offering great outdoors activities and new and exciting adventures. CDO is now becoming one of the top tourist destinations of the country because of its White Water Rafting.

White water rafting is an outdoor recreation that you can enjoy with your barkada and love ones. It is the best way to enjoy nature. It will dare you to try the thrill of rapids in the mighty Cagayan River.

So what are you waiting for, try it now!


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Michael Jackson Signatures @

Michael Jackson is dead but here are the things that remind us of this music icon.


Jackson’s Patented Anti-Gravity Boot: He invented and patented special boots that allowed the wearer to lean so far forward that it seems to defy gravity. He used this for the famous “lean” in the “Smooth Criminal” music video.

His Nose: Michael’s signature nose has undergone a couple of plastic surgery.

His Moves: he moved with fluidity, speed, and athleticism, even when he wasn't onstage.

The Kids: Michael has always portrayed to the public how much he loves kids even after he was charged with child molestation in 2003. in his Neverland Ranch, burn victims, underprivileged kids and fans were welcomed with ice cream, and amused by a wandering Charlie Chaplin impersonator and Jackson's menagerie of animals. They explored Jackson's rooms full of videotaped films, marveled at his collectible mannequins of stars and superheroes, and listened to hip-hop songs in the arcade.

The Chimp: In 1985, a three-year-old chimpanzee named Bubbles was rescued from a Texas cancer research center by Michael Jackson. Bubbles went everywhere with Jackson, becoming his constant companion and best friend. He would even be dressed up in the same outfit as Jackson and toured with him on his Bad tour.

The Jackson Brothers: He and his brothers competed at amateur night at New York City's Apollo Theater in 1967, and won.

His Music: Michael’s songs Man In The Mirror, Billie Jean, Thriller, The Way You Make Me Feel and Beat It and more would always be unforgettable.
Future Songs: Before he died, Jackson worked with the Black Eyed Peas' Will.i.am in Ireland. Some of their remakes of Jackson classics appeared last year on the 25th anniversary edition of Jackson's Thriller, but there's no word on whether their collaboration led to any new songs.

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Wii fit craze @

As people gets more conscious now a days in getting fit, more and more exercise tools are being developed. In fact, even video games are now created to become a new exercise buddy. Wii fit is developed by Nintendo for the Wii console.

Wii is an exercise game consisting of activities using the Wii Balance Board peripheral. This Balance Board peripherals allows the software to, among other uses, calculate body mass index (BMI) when told the user's height. The game has about 50 different activities, including yoga poses, push ups, and other exercises. Furthermore, Wii Fit allows its players to take body tests and compare their results without the game disc by installing the game's own "Wii Fit Channel" to the Wii Menu. Wii Fit tracks a user's "Wii Fit Age" through a body test basing the result on the user's current age, weight and athletic ability.


The activities for Wii fit is divided into four categories: yoga (work on the user's balance and flexibility), strength training (put the user's strength to the test with muscle-toning exercises), aerobics( get the user's heart pumping with fun, interactive Aerobic exercises), and balance games(get into the action with fun, balanced-based games). The activities provide a core workout, emphasizing controlled movements rather than overexertion.
New activities can be unlocked by gaining "Fit Credits", which are accumulated in the "FitBank", a small piggy bank dedicated to keep track of time spent on Wii Fit. Minutes of Fit Credits are equal to the number of minutes doing an activity rather than the number of minutes of overall game plays. At certain stages, new yoga poses or muscle workouts are unlocked based on the total time spent working out. Being the best at an activity with a 100% score, or playing an activity a certain number of times unlocks more rigorous versions of that activity.

Wii fit is described as a way to get families work out together. It is influenced by activities in the daily life of the developer, Shigeru Miyamoto. He states that he and his family had become more health-conscious, going to the gym and tracking their weight. He found that it had become "fun over time to talk about these things" and as weighing oneself "didn't make much of a game" Nintendo decided to build games around the idea to mesh with the concept.

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Spotting geeks in the limelight @

We all know that celebrities have attractive physique and God-given talents. But that’s not all. What most of us don’t realize is that some of these celebrities got brains too. Sounds like Hollywood really got beauty and brains huh???


Natalie Portman. She is a real hottie in Hollywood but this lady has more to offer. She is one of the most intelligent person showbiz has ever known. She can speak 7 languages and she really does well in school.

Ashton Kutcher. Aside from being a hunk who’s known mostly for being a comic actor and prankster and a hubby of Demi Moore, he was once a Biochemical engineering student of University of Iowa. His goal then is to develop a cure for his brother’s heart problem.
Reese Witherspoon. This Legally Blonde actress is actually not studying Law at Harvard University as she portrayed in the film but was in fact a Stanford Girl, at least for a year, where she studied English Literature.
Eva Longoria. This famous Desperate housewife star was a student at Texas A&M University-Kingsville where she completed a degree in kinesiology in 1998.
Halle Berry. Long before she was first African-American representative of the United States for Miss World Competition, a Catwoman and the sexiest woman in the world, she was a broadcast journalism student at Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, Ohio.

Tommy Lee Jones. This Oscar-winner and Texas native is also a Harvard University, alumnus where he completed a degree in English in 1969, and was roommates with John Lithgow and former Vice-President Al Gore.

Brad Pitt. He once aspired to be a famous journalist. Pitt studied journalism at the University of Missouri but dropped out just two credits shy of graduation.

Denzel Washington. He graduated with a degree from Fordham University in 1977

And finally, Zac Epron. This High school Musical star after quitting school in order to act has came back to school at the University of Southern California.


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Friendster or Facebook: anyone? @

The online community enthusiasts are now turned between two sites, Friendster and Facebook. These two giant networking sites are like battling out for popularity contest. However, it seems like our first love, Friendster, which by the way is still the biggest social networking site in the Philippines, is losing the battle to the newbie, Facebook. So what’s so appealing to Facebook that makes us be unfaithful to our first love friendster?

In the US and other parts of the world, Facebook is the dominant networking site. People are amazed with its user-friendliness. Its features are said to be very accessible enough to play around the site with the countless applications and tools to enjoy. The applications are also very interactive so there are a lot of things that can be done your with friends. It also allows you to track more friends than Friendster. No wonder why it has been really fast to catch-up in the Philippines. So has Friendster really lost the battle against Facebook? Is it really true that it is dying a slow death?

Friendster is now trying to catch up with Facebook as it is drawing near to the path taken by the latter. It will just be a matter of time before it will eventually match Facebook. Besides, it is still the icon of social networking in the Philippines and in Asia. The people still adores its simplicity and fun features. If Friendster will be successful, it will rise again and it might well be on its way to becoming the major competitor of Facebook.

Well, it wouldn’t really matter in the end who wins the popularity contest. What always matter to the online community is what site gives them the things that are important to them. Being close to family and friends no matter how far they really are, is the main reason why sites like Facebook and Friendster are made, they should truly serve their purpose in everyway possible.

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Stephenie Meyer’s New Moon: the awaited release in big screen @

The Twilight saga continues with the release of Stephenie Meyer’s second book, New Moon. It was originally published in hardcover in 2006. It rose to the #1 position on the New York Times Best Seller list for Children's Chapter Books in its second week on the list, and remained in that spot for eleven weeks. It spent over 30 weeks in total on the list.

The fans of Twilight are very hungry for the New Moon’s film adaptation scheduled for release on November 20, 2009. The film will still include in the cast the stars of Twilight Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner, playing their roles as Bella Swan, Edward Cullen, and Jacob Black, respectively. The Summit Entertainment carried out the sequel in late November 2008. It is being directed by Chris Weitz with Melissa Rosenberg returning as the screenwriter. The majority of the film is being shot in Vancouver, British Columbia.
New Moon is the continuation of the complicated young-adult love story of a simple girl, Bella Swan and the vampire she loves, Edward Cullen. According the author, this next book is about losing true love. The title refers to the darkest phase of the lunar cycle, indicating that New Moon is about the darkest time of the protagonist Bella's life.
The story starts on Bella’s 18th birthday. When Edward and his family throw her a birthday party. While unwrapping a gift, she gets a paper cut, which causes Edward's adoptive brother, Jasper, to be overwhelmed by her blood's scent and attempt to kill Bella. To protect her, Edward decides to end their relationship, and the Cullens move away from Forks. This leaves Bella heart-broken.
In the months that follow, Bella learns that thrill-seeking activities, such as motorcycle riding, allow her to "hear" Edward's voice in her head. She also seeks comfort in her deepening friendship with Jacob Black, a cheerful companion who eases her pain over losing Edward. Bella discovers that Jacob is a werewolf. He and his fellow werewolves protect Bella from the vampires Laurent and Victoria, the latter of whom seeks revenge for her dead mate, James, whom the Cullens killed in Twilight.
Meanwhile, a series of miscommunications leads Edward to believe that Bella has killed herself. Distraught over her supposed suicide, Edward flees to Italy to provoke the Volturi, vampire royalty who are capable of killing him. Alice and Bella rush to Italy to save Edward, arriving just in time to stop him. Before leaving Italy, the Volturi tell Edward that Bella, a human who knows that vampires exist, must either be killed or transformed into a vampire. When they return to Forks, Edward teBack
lls Bella that he has always loved her and only left Forks to protect her. She forgives him, and the book ends with the Cullens voting in favor of Bella being transformed into a vampire after her graduation, to Edward's dismay.
Indeed, with this very breathtaking plot, the author delivers another enticing mixture of passion and suspense with a supernatural twist. The romance, action and exciting twists and turns this movie is truly much awaited. The fans all over the world are thirsty to see this vampire love saga. This leave them starving for more.

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Harry Potter’s pal gets Swine Flu @

It seems like even spells can’t stop the Swine Flu virus from hitting the very magical world of Harry Potter. Harry Potter’s pal in the movie Ron Weasley, played by Rupert Grint, 20, got contracted with the virus while filming in London for the latest movie from the movie series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows set for a 2010 release.

The doctor however ensured that the swine flu that hit Grint is just a mild one and there is nothing to be worry about. He also determined that the actor is not contagious.

The young star’s publicist said that Rupert has now recovered and is looking forward to joining his fellow cast members at the junket and premieres this week and will then return to filming directly afterwards. He added that Filmmakers of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows were able to shoot around Grint's absence and no production days were lost.

Harry Potter and the Half-blooded Prince will open on July in the United States.

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Why Transformer2 a must see movie @ Tuesday, June 30, 2009

If you are an avid Transformer fan or just a movie goer, Transformer 2: Revenge of the Fallen is the movie you are waiting for. Transformer fans all over the world are full of anticipation and excitement with this movie sequel. In fact, this movie received a lot of throw outs for long time fans in just a few days of screening. All movie goers are expecting a lot from this new movie since the previous one was a phenomenal hit.


It has been nearly two years since the first movie was released. And characters involved here have changed. The up coming star from Transformer 1 and Disturbia, Shia LaBeouf has gone into a full-fledged star, with a new aura in this movie. Also co-star, Megan fox, is still a bomb shell. The movie is directed by the greatest director of our time, Michael Bay. Not to mention, a boosted budget amounting to $200 million allowed the creation of the Transformers fan’s faves composed of 40 Autobots, Decepticons, cars and effects.

The story starts when Sam Witwicky played by Shia LaBoeuf is about to start his first semester at college, parting with his girlfriend Mikaela played by Megan Fox. In a short time, he becomes involved in a war between the Autobots and the Decepticons. Decepticons forces come back to Earth on a mission to capture Sam Witwicky prisoner and bring the Fallen, an ancient leader of the Decepticons who once tried to destroy the Sun in order to harness its power. After Sam, our young hero learns the truth about the ancient origins of the Transformers; he joined the mission to protect humankind for the second time against the Decepticons together with the leader of Autobots, Optimus Prime, who forms an alliance with international armies for a second epic battle.

Critics say that the movie is in perfect length and has so many surprises. Indeed, it is really the movie of the year! Movie goers can enjoy watching it with family and friends. So what are you waiting for? Visit your favorite cinema and be amazed with Transformer 2: Revenge of the Fallen.

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