And the Oscar Nominees are...

Nominations for the 78th Annual Academy Awards have just been announced, the nominees are:

 

 

 

 

BEST PICTURE

Brokeback Mountain
Capote
Crash
Good Night, And Good Luck
Munich

BEST DIRECTOR

Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain
Bennett Miller, Capote
Paul Haggis, Crash
George Clooney, Good Night, And Good Luck
Steven Spielberg, Munich

BEST ACTOR

Philip S. Hoffman, Capote
Terrence Howard, Hustle & Flow
Heath Ledger, Brokeback Mountain
Joaquin Phoenix, Walk the Line
David Strathairn, Good Night, And Good Luck

BEST ACTRESS

Judi Dench, Mrs. Henderson Presents
Felicity Huffman, Transamerica
Keira Knightley, Pride and Prejudice
Charlize Theron, North Country
Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

George Clooney, Syriana
Matt Dillon, Crash
Paul Giamatti, Cinderella Man
Jake Gyllehnaal, Brokeback Mountain
William Hurt, A History of Violence

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Amy Adams, Junebug
Catherine Keener, Capote
Frances McDormand, North Country
Rachel Weisz, The Constant Gardener
Michelle Williams, Brokeback Mountain

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Crash
Good Night, And Good Luck
Match Point
The Squid and The Whale
Syriana

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Brokeback Mountain
Capote
tHE Constant Gardener
A History of Violence
Munich

BEST ANIMATED FILM

Howl's Moving Castle
Corpse Bride
Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Italy
France
Palestine
Germany
South Africa

BEST ART DIRECTION

Good Night, And Good Luck
Harry Potter and the GOF
King Kong
Memoirs of a Geisha
Pride and Prejudice

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Batrman Begins
Brokeback Mountain
Good Night, And Goo Luck
Memoirs of a Geisha
The New World

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Charlie and The Chocolate Factory
Memoirs of a Geisha
Mrs. Henderson Presents
Pride and Prejudice
Walk the Line

BEST EDITING

Cinderella Man
The Constant Gardener
Crash
Munich
Walk the Line

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Darwin's Nightmare
Enron
March of the Penguins
Murderball
Street Fight

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT

The Death of Kevin Carter: Casualty of the Bang Bang Club
God Sleeps in Rwanda
The Mushroom Club
A Note of Triumph

BEST MAKEUP

The Chronicles of Narnia
Cinderella Man
Star Wars Episode III

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Brokeback Mountain
The Constant Gardener
Memoirs of a Geisha
Munich
Pride and Prejudice

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

"In the Deep" - Crash
"It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" - Hustle & Flow
"Travelin' Thru" - Transamerica

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM

Badgered
The Moon and The Son
The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper M.
9
One Man Band

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

The Runaway
Cashback
The Last Farm
Our Time is Up
Six Shooter

BEST SOUND EDITING

King Kong
Memoirs of a Geisha
War of the Worlds

BEST SOUND MIXING

The Chronicles of Narnia
King Kong
Memoirs of a Geisha
Walk the Line
War of the Worlds

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

The Chronicles of Narnia
King Kong
War of the Worlds

Brokeback Mountain leads the pack with 8 nominations, Crash follows with 6. Ziyi Zhang got snubbed! Sadly, Maria Bello as well...

Lindsay Lohan Cut Herself in Bryan Adam's Home

Lindsay Lohan ended up again in hospital, after cutting herself.
On Friday, 27, the beautiful ex-anorexic actress and singer had partied until 3.30 am with US actors Woody Harrelson and Owen Wilson at the trendy Boujis nightclub in London.

After partying all night, Lindsay was rushed to hospital after cutting herself. At the time of the small accident, the 19-year-old actress was staying at Bryan Adams’ $ 6 million property in London.

But there were no serious problems, as a
friend of the star says: "Lindsay cut herself, but she is fine." Still, she was taken by ambulance from the rocker’s British home and got to the hospital right away… for the second time in less than two months.

Lindsay suffered a asthma attack just on The New Year’s Eve and was also rushed to hospital, but that time, it was pretty bad and she was taken to a clinic in Miami for serious treatment. The young actress has been suffering from breathing disorders since childhood and after the recent attack, she tattooed BREATHE on her wrist.

car accident. car accident. eating disorder. cuts. what’s next???

Scientists discover world's smallest fish

BANGKOK, Thailand - Scientists have discovered the world's smallest fish on record in an acidic peat swamp in Indonesia, with a see-through body and a head that is unprotected by a skeleton, researchers said Wednesday.

Mature females of the Paedocypris progenetica, a member of the carp family, only grow to 7.9 millimeters (0.31 inches) and the males have enlarged pelvic fins and exceptionally large muscles that may be used to grasp the females during copulation, researchers wrote in the Proceedings of the Royal Society, published Wednesday by the Royal Society in London.

"This is one of the strangest fish that I've seen in my whole career,' said Ralf Britz, zoologist at the Natural History Museum in London, who helped analyze the fish's skeleton. "It's tiny, it lives in acid and it has these bizarre grasping fins. I hope we'll have time to find out more about them before their habitat disappears completely."

The previous record for small size, according to the Natural History Museum in London, was held by an 8-millimeter species of Indo-Pacific goby.

The new fish was discovered on Sumatra island by fish experts Maurice Kottelat from Switzerland and Tan Heok Hui from the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research in Singapore. They were working with colleagues from Indonesia and with Kai-Erik Witte from the Max Planck Institute in Germany.

"You don't wake up in the morning and think today we will find the smallest fish in the world," Kottelat told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from his home in Switzerland.

He said the record of finding the world's smallest fish was not important, preferring to focus on what he said was "scientifically significant."

"What's important is finding a complete vertebrae in a body so small," he said.

Kottelat said he first came across the fish in 1996, but originally misidentified it as a member of an already existing species. "But then we realized this one was different."

According to the researchers, the fish live in dark, tea-colored water with an acidity of ph 3, at least 100 times more acidic than rainwater. Swamps like this were once thought to harbor very few animals, but recent research has revealed that they are highly diverse and home to many species that occur nowhere else.

Peat swamps are under threat in Indonesia from fires lit by plantation owners and farmers as well as unchecked development and farming. Several populations of Paedocypris have already been lost, researchers say, according to the Natural History Museum.

So… talo na ba ang world’s smallest fish ng Philippines? by .02 inches??? hmmmp.

Is the Pandaca pygmea, or dwarf goby, of the Philippines still the smallest fish in the world? 
Not anymore. The new title-holder is another puny goby: the Trimmatom nanus of the Chagos archipelago in the central Indian Ocean. It's 0.33 inch in length, just slightly smaller than the Pandaca pygmea. Both are no bigger than an ant.

source: http://rocave.tripod.com/articles/pinoy2.htm

dati pa pala eh…

PBB Celebrity Housemates Buzz

News are Buzzin around. Here are some of the Celebrity housemates that we hear rumours of being part of the newest Season of Pinoy Big Brother, Celebrity Edition:

• Doris Bigornia
• Anthony Taberna
• Rustom Padilla
• John Pratts
• Keana Reeves
• Rosanna Roces

Share niyo news niyo! ayt? hehe…

Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity HOUSEMATES?

Lapit na!!!!! But until now, wala pa akong idea kung sino ang mga housemates… I’ve read na sina Doris Bigornia at Anthony Taberna kasama kaya linagay muna sila sa MUP .

Kayo, ano naririnig niyo? may sure na ba na Celebrity Housemates?

Jennifer Lopez Pregnant With Marc Anthony

Jennifer Lopez has reportedly visited a baby clinic lately and on this behalf she has started sparking rumors that she's pregnant.

However, speculations about Jennifer expecting her first child with “third husband” Marc Anthony have been all over the entertainment gossipers after being spotted at the pregnancy clinic and also in an extravagant baby wear shop with Marc.

The couple has recently been seen stocking up on baby supplies. For example, Anthony was spotted buying a Guys Infant Gear nappy bag for $120 at swanky celebrity shopping spot Fred Segal in Los Angeles just last week. A witness at the store tells website msnbc.com that "He said something that made it pretty clear that it wasn't a gift - that he intended to use it."

Lo has made no secret of her desire to start a family with Marc and last month it was claimed she was praying to God to bless her with a child. "I want a baby as soon as I can. A baby would just be so perfect," the “Monster-in-Law” star said.

It is said that the beautiful actress/singer created a shrine at her Long Island home whose pride of place is a 17-inch Lady of Guadalupe - Mexico's Virgin Mary. According to friends, J-Lo has been spending every night lighting a candle in honor of the Virgin and praying to get pregnant. And it seems it has already worked!

Para Sa'yo Ang Laban Na 'To: MP3+Lyrics

Here’s your request.

 

Para Sa'yo Ang Laban Na 'To
Manny Pacquiao

Gagawin ko ang lahat para sa’yo
kung ito ang dahilan upang magkasundo tayo
ito ang tanging paraan na naisip ko
upang magkaisa damdamin mo’t …damdamin ko

[chorus]
Para sa ‘yo ang laban na ‘to
para sa ‘yo ang laban na ‘to… ohhh.
hindi ako susuko..isisigaw ko sa mundo
para sa ‘yo ang laban na ‘to

[adlib]
Kahit buhay ko’y itataya sa ‘yo
ipagtatanggol kita gamit ay aking kamao
ito ang tanging paraan na naisip ko
upang magkaisa kapwa ko… pilipino

[chorus]
Para sa ‘yo (para sa’yo) ang laban na ‘to
para sa ‘yo (para sa’yo) ang laban na ‘to… ohhh.
hindi ako susuko..isisigaw ko sa mundo
para sa ‘yo bayan ko
sa bawat laban sa mundo
diyos ang laging kakampi ko… ohhh..

[chorus]
Para sa ‘yo (para sa’yo) ang laban na ‘to
para sa ‘yo (para sa’yo) ang laban na ‘to… ohhh.
para sa ‘yo (para sa’yo) ang laban na ‘to
para sa ‘yo (para sa’yo) ang laban na ‘to… ohhh.
hindi ako susuko..isisigaw ko sa mundo
pinoy ang lahi ko
mahal ko ang bayan ko
para sa ‘yo (para sa’yo) ang laban na ‘to
para sa’yo….Bayan ko…. 

 

:: DOWNLOAD THE MP3 ::

Close To You by Sam Milby MP3 + Lyrics Download

Recently got hooked onto this. First heard it from the Close-Up Commercial. Here you go guys! The MP3 Link is on the bottom of the post. I’ve updated it with different versions of the guitar tabs below…

 

Close To You
Sam Milby

There’s nothing I won’t try
Just to make you mine
To get a little closer
Would be so divine

And everytime i see you
You make me come undone
I always want you near me
In you I found the one

Chorus:

Oh why don’t you smile my only star
Shine on baby
Smile my only star
Smile my only star (2x)

With you by my side
And girl it feels so right
And now that im close to you
I could stay all night

No matter where I go
No matter what I do
In the end your smile
Brings me back to you

(Repeat Chorus)

You shine so true
I can’t believe you’re mine
And everything may change
But to me you’ll always shine

(Repeat Chorus)

 

:: DOWNLOAD THE MP3 ::

 

CLOSE TO YOU GUITAR STUFF:

:: CHORDS ::

:: CHORDS v2 ::

:: TAB ::

Broadcaster Ernie Baron dies of heart attack

Ernie Baron

1940–2006

 

ABS-CBN correspondent Ernie Baron, known for his moniker "the walking encyclopedia," passed away Monday morning at the age of 65, ANC reported.

His attending physician Cesar Berroya said Baron was declared dead on arrival at 9:30 a.m. at Medical Center Muntinlupa.

He said Baron may have died of silent myocardial infection or of diabetes complications.

Baron's daughter, Shirley, said his father did not answer when called for breakfast on Monday morning. She said she immediately barged into the room and rushed his unconscious father to the hospital.

Baron hosted the program Knowledge Power over radio DZMM and was the weather reporter for ABS-CBN's primetime news program TV Patrol.

-http://www.abs-cbnnews.com

-tnx @BigPinoy

 

Di pa nga tayo nakakarecover on Manny Pacquiao’s Victory eh all of a sudden sad news has struck us. The man who brought us pito-pito, the man who brought us clearer television signals, honey with garlic, hayyyy…

As a child, I grew up listening to him in DZMM. I was an avid listener. Everyday yon, 8:00 pm. At first kala ko boring ang AM, but di ko na narealized i got hooked with it na. I learned alot from him. Hayyyy, every Pinoy will truly miss him. Goodbye Ka Ernie. *sad*

Pacqiuao WINS by TKO!

Manny Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao makes history as being the first boxer to ever knock down “The Legend”, Erik ‘El Terible’ Morales of Mexico. Pacquaio made $2 million for the fight, but more importantly kept his stature as a national hero in the Philippines.

 

Victory for all of us!

Congratulations! 

 

Erik Morales, left, of Mexico kneels on the mat as referee Kenny Bayless, center, calls him outs while Manny Pacquiao, right, of the Philippines, goes to a neutral corner during the 10th round of their super featherweight boxing match, Saturday night, Jan. 21, 2006, at The Thomas and Mack Arena in Las Vegas.

a.) Erik Morales, of Mexico, is tended to in his corner after the seventh round . b.) Referee Kenny Bayless, right, stops the super featherweight boxing match between Erik Morales and Manny Pacquiao c.) Manny Pacquiao, of Philippines, celebrates just after defeating Erik Morales, of Mexico, during their super featherweight boxing match. Pacquiao won by technical knockout in the 10th round.

Comedy pa rin ang English! ahihihi…

Lapit na!

:: payperview mode ::

diz iz it! ahihi…. 30 mins na lang!!!!

The Battle: Morales vs Pacquiao

 

 Their first battle was an epic. Now Manny Pacquiao and Erik Morales meet again to kick off the new year. Saturday, January 21, 2006. Live on Pay-Per-View. This is for the WBC International Super Featherweight Title.

Las Vegas, NV - The super featherweight division's two most powerful forces -- three-time world champion Erik "El Terrible" Morales and two-time world titlist Manny "Pac Man" Pacquiao collide again in "The Battle!" -- the sequel to their exciting March 19, 2005 championship fight. Morales vs. Pacquiao 2, for the WBC International super featherweight title, takes place on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2006, at the Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV. Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Wynn Las Vegas, 'The Battle' -- Morales vs. Pacquiao 2 -- will be broadcast live on HBO Pay-Per-View.

American Idol Ep.2: Denver, Colorado Audition

Next stop, was the mile-high city, Denver, Colorado. As usual, tons of hopefuls showed up in Denver’s stadium.

Among the noteable idol wannabe was Chris Daughtry, the bald rock singer who had these cool (as in malamig) rocker voice. He’s story was really nice and inspirational. He had his wife on full support coz she is just happy that he is finally fulfilling his dreams. Go Chris!

And a character from “Brokeback Mountain,” believe it or not, auditioned and got through! Hehe, a gay cowboy, who sounded really awful got through, i cant believe the judges! :P i think his name was Gareth if I’m not mistaken.

ok, see you next week on the Greensboro and San Francisco auditions!

We're Dumping Chemical Substances and the Polar Bears Are Becoming Hermaphrodites

source

We reported in an article at the beginning of December that a WWF (World Wildlife Foundation) study awarded the killer whale with ‘the most toxic mammal’ title in the Arctic zone, the marine creature succeeding to dethrone the polar bear.

In 2006, this situation is still valid, but the fact that the polar bear lost the title in this competition of toxicity doesn’t mean it’s safe from the effects
of the chemical substances spilled in the ocean by the big companies.

A team of researchers from Canada, Alaska, Denmark and Norway found large quantities of PCBs (Polychlorinated biphenyl), pesticides and a brominated flame retardant, which aside from the negative impact on thyroid glands, motor skills and brain function, has also led to the increase in number of hermaphrodite bears.

According to the findings, one in 50 female bears in the Svalbard Island had both sets of sexual organs, and researchers say this statistic is directly linked to pollution.

According to a WWF press release, the appearance of a potentially dangerous brominated flame retardant in the killer whales is of particular concern, because, unlike PCBs and the most harmful pesticides, many hazardous brominated flame retardants are not currently banned

This research re-confirms that the Arctic is now a chemical sink. Chemicals from products that we use in our homes every day are contaminating arctic wildlife,” Colin Butfield, leader of WWF-UK's Chemicals and Health Campaign said when the WWF announced the whale as being the most toxic mammal.

According to the Independent’s online edition, ecologists are particularly alarmed by these discoveries because of the already fragile population of polar bears.

Aside from the chemical threat, bears are also affected by global warming, which is slowly destroying their hunting grounds.

American Idol Fever Hits Off!

Weeee!

American Idol is finally back! Now on it’s 5th Season, I’m expecting a FILIPINO of course, to be on the top 20 at least.

First Episodes of course, will be the auditions. First Stop was Chicago. As usual, for the auditions, it’s more like a Comedy Show than a talent search show for all of us I think. There will always be the “William Hungs.” Among the noticable people who auditioned include:

• The BLUE MOON girl, who sang the line over and over and over again.
• The Ukranian Lady who kept on doing these crazy acts like tumbling and doing all sorts of erotic movements. LoL
• The Black guy who was told by Simon to shave his beard off and be better off as a girl.
• The Statue of Liberty Guy, who i taught had a really nice voice, he just sang like the first word, i dont think he even finished the first word! but Simon cut him off already. I was very disappointed.

• Crystal Parizanski. The Britney Spears/Paris hilton Look-a-like who’s face was like roasted cause of the tanning make-up she used… hehe… She kept on repeating the lines, especially when she sang the Lady Marmalade! LOL! I was laughing my ass off!  BTW, Did u see her mom?! She’s  very old but dresses like her 16 yo daughter! hehe…

• And of course, David “CRAZY DAVE” Hoover, who had all these epileptic thing going on. I just can’t believe they put him through! What the Hell where the judges thinking!?!?! 

I also have my Early Favorites:

• Brooke and LeahBarrettsmith. The Sisters who i thought looked really great and sounded even better. The other one kinda looked like Ashlee Simpson when she had her hair black. Great package

• The Frank Sinatra Guy, David Radford. I’m glad they gave him a chance, coz he sounded really good.

• Zachary Smits, the boy-next-door-guy, who sang “I’m in the Mood for Love”

 

Well, that’s about it for now. Share your Favorites too ayt?

 

 

"Weeds" star Parker beats all four "Desperate Housewives!"

“Weeds” left the Wisteria Lane ladies lacking.

Mary-Louise Parker, who plays a suburban drug dealer on Showtime’s “Weeds,” captured the Golden Globe for best TV comic actress Monday night despite competition from all four leads of ABC’s immensely popular “Desperate Housewives” — Marcia Cross, Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman and Eva Longoria.

WOW! 4 out of 5 nominees for Best Actress in a Comedy Series were Housewives. I was disppointed that they went empty-handed, instead “Weeds” star, Mary-Louise Parker (who looked really great on her outfit) won over them. Well, I really have no idea about the show, actually ive just heard it a while ago… hehe… Pero as a DH fan, i still wanted the housewives to win!

STILL, Felicity Huffman received the best dramatic actress honor for playing a man in the midst of changing his gender in "Transamerica."

 

'7th Heaven' Canceled Because of Costs

Bye Bye Camdens…

The Camden family is disappearing from television in May strictly for financial reasons: the WB's top executive said Sunday that the network is losing $16 million this year on "7th Heaven."

The family drama, the most popular program in the network's history, will end its run after 10 years. The decision seems irreversible despite an Internet campaign to save it, even though "7th Heaven" is still the WB's second highest-rated show after "Gilmore Girls."

Production costs tend to jump for television series as they get older, largely because the salaries of actors and others involved grow with success. "7th Heaven," about a family of seven and all their friends, has a large cast.

Reruns of "7th Heaven" were fading in the ratings, too, and that made it tougher for the network to recoup its investment, said Garth Ancier, the WB's top executive.

"As much as we all love the show, we do have to run a business," Ancier said.

Other older WB series, "Smallville" and "Gilmore Girls," don't have the same problem, he said.

Talks about a spinoff to "7th Heaven" have proven inconclusive so far.

The WB has struggled recently as it tries to shed its image as a teen-oriented network and seek out a broader audience. It learned the dangers of going too far when the new series "Just Legal," starring Don Johnson, attracted viewers with the average age of 50 and was swiftly canceled.

As a result, the WB is developing a new comedy about teenagers in a New England boarding school.

The network is also developing series for Ellen DeGeneres, playing the voice of a family dog; music star Brandy; and Nick Lachey, the about-to-be former Mr. Jessica Simpson, as the lead in a romantic comedy.

Complete list of Golden Globe Winners

Motion pictures

Picture, Drama: "Brokeback Mountain"

Actress, Drama: Felicity Huffman, "Transamerica"

Actor, Drama: Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Capote"

Picture, Musical or Comedy: "Walk the Line"

Actress, Musical or Comedy: Reese Witherspoon, "Walk the Line"

Actor, Musical or Comedy: Joaquin Phoenix, "Walk the Line"

Supporting Actress: Rachel Weisz, "The Constant Gardener"

Supporting Actor: George Clooney, "Syriana"

Director: Ang Lee, "Brokeback Mountain"

Screenplay: Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana, "Brokeback Mountain"

Foreign Language: "Paradise Now," Palestine

Original Score: John Williams, "Memoirs of a Geisha"

Original Song: "A Love That Will Never Grow Old" from "Brokeback Mountain"

 

Television

Series, Drama: "Lost," ABC

Actress, Drama: Geena Davis, "Commander in Chief," ABC

Actor, Drama: Hugh Laurie, "House," Fox

Series, Musical or Comedy: "Desperate Housewives," ABC

Actress, Musical or Comedy: Mary-Louise Parker, "Weeds," Showtime

Actor, Musical or Comedy: Steve Carell, "The Office," NBC

Miniseries or movie: "Empire Falls," HBO

Actress, Miniseries or Movie: S. Epatha Merkerson, "Lackawanna Blues," HBO

Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, "Elvis," CBS

Supporting Actress, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Sandra Oh, "Grey's Anatomy," ABC

Supporting Actor, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Paul Newman, "Empire Falls," HBO

Golden Globe winner previously announced this year:

Cecil B. DeMille Award: Anthony Hopkins

iPOD Radio???

YUP!

 

Earlier in the week, Apple announced that they would start selling an iPod radio accessory, to let you listen to radio on the go. We've got hold of one, and have written up our thoughts below. We think this is one of the first online reviews of the iPod Radio, so enjoy.

The main feature? Radio! A much missed feature, iPod users can now listen to the Radio hassle free, and without bulky accessories. It features RDS, the clever system that tells you the name of the radio station you're listening to. Reception appeared reasonable whilst we were using it; there were noticeable improvements in terms of sound quality if you bobbed your head from one position to the next. When you pop the remote in at the bottom, a menu item called 'radio' appears. It appears well integrated, and is smooth to use. The headphones / remote wire appear to act as the antenna.

The second core feature to this product, and perhaps of more use to some, is the remote. The Radio plugs into the port on the bottom of the iPod, and the headphones plug into the Remote (see pictures). It comes with another set of iPod headphones, with a slightly shorter lead. As an iPod user on the go, it's easy to throw it in a pocket / bag and get annoyed at having to pull it out to change tracks. Problem solved; play, pause, forwards, backwards, volume up, volume down and hold are all on a neat remote. Of course, it wouldn't be Apple without a shiny metallic back with logo.

(Updated) When we first played with the iPod Radio unit, we couldn't work out why you would only be able to get stations ending in an even number. Clearly, this was the USA setting, with the option to change it to other regions burried on a seperate menu elsewhere. Apologies for any confusion caused. Equally burried away is the feature to save presets, allowing you to scan through favourite stations quickly.

Marks out of ten? Probably a high seven / eight. The iPod Radio, whilst a little hard to get used to, does do the job intended well. The remote is very useful, and makes a helpful addition for any iPod user. However, at £35.00, we can hardly say this represents good value for money.

Recommended to Apple lovers, heavy radio listeners. Not recommended to anyone on a tight budget. The iPod Radio works only with Video iPods and Nanos, and requires a firmware update.

source

 

Angelina: 'I'm having Brad's baby'

By Catherine Elsworth in Los Angeles
(Filed: 12/01/2006)

Angelina Jolie, the actress, has confirmed that she is expecting a child with Brad Pitt, it was reported yesterday.

Jolie, 30, told a charity worker in the Dominican Republic, where she is working on a film, "Yes, I'm pregnant", according to People magazine. 

Representatives of both stars confirmed the news to the magazine, it reported.

The baby, due in the summer, will be Jolie's first biological child.

She has a four-year-old son, Maddox, whom she adopted from Cambodia, and a daughter, Zahara, one, adopted from Ethiopia.

Rumours about the pregnancy have circulated for weeks, with Jolie photographed visiting a hospital and having to have costumes for her current role refitted.

The couple have been linked romantically since starring in Mr and Mrs Smith last year, but remained reticent about their relationship, usually describing themselves as friends.

Pitt, 42, separated from Jennifer Aniston, his wife of four and a half years, a year ago. They divorced in October. Pitt has denied that Jolie was the reason for the split.

Brangelina Baby BULGE!

Spot Angelina's Bump

It's not huge, but it's definitely a bump.

Angelina Jolie has been snapped on the set of her new movie with a slightly convex tum.

Just days after she and Brad Pitt confirmed they were in the family way, Angelina looked like she was trying to hide her mini bulge.

Filming The Good Shepherd with Matt Damon in the Domincan Republic, she was wearing a sage green dress with a coat (that could double as a bathrobe) over the top.
 

When the cameras weren't rolling or when she was having her make-up touched up, Angelina made the odd attempt to conceal the midriff.

But we spotted it. Mind you, we were desperate for a slight hint of the most famous bump in showbiz.

After weeks of wearing baggy clothes and big shawls, Ange can now relax in the knowledge that the world knows not only that she is stepping out with Brad, but she's carrying his baby too.

Have a peak - and see how far gone you think she is. She's meant to be due in the summer.

-source-

Big Winner Nene goes live on TV Patrol World!

Nene Tamayo, Pinoy Big Brother's first ever Big Winner, will make her debut tonight in the field of broadcast journalism as she goes live for her first news story on ABS-CBN's news program TV Patrol World.

 

The newest Patrol ng Pilipino will host "Citizen Patrol Nationwide", a weekly news report that discusses and, at the same time, provides solutions to the numerous problems that pinoys are facing in different parts of the country.  “Ipapakita nito na kahit gaano man kalaki ang problema na ating bayan. Basta magtu-tulong-tulong ang lahat mabibigyan natin ito ng solusyon,” she added.

In her first assignment, Nene addresses the concern of Pasay city residents about a dirty and polluted public market in their area.

She disclosed that "Citizen Patrol Nationwide" is quite similar to the news program’s current segment “Citizen Patrol," where viewers get a chance to do a news report about the problems in their communities. Through TV Patrol World, the citizen patrollers seek the help of various government agencies to address their concerns.

 

A great start for 2006

Nene, who received the  2005 Pipol of the Year award from ABS-CBN current affairs program "Pipol," said that she’s really overwhelmed with all the fortunes that she’s been receiving this 2006.  “Sobra akong nagpapasalamat sa lahat ng sumosuporta lalo na yung pagka-panalo bilang Pipol of the Year at tapos nakuha ko pa yung gusto kong trabaho. Sobrang ganda ng pasok ng taon.”

Aside from her Fans, Nene is also very thankful to ABS-CBN for giving her the opportunity to realize her dream of becoming a broadcast journalist. “Napapasalamat rin dahil nagtiwala sila akin para mapasama ako dito (sa TV Patrol World)” She added. 

Nene hopes that through her newest undertaking as a Patrol ng Pilipino, she would be able to continue inspiring Filipinos to work harder so that they realize the biggest dreams of their lives.

While Nene goes live tonight on TV Patrol World, the other 12 Pinoy Big Brother housemates will be busy doing a charity work. They will be part of “Jammin w/ Kuya ATBP,” a fund raising project of the Ateneo Grade 7 2006. Aside from the housemates, the concert for a cause will also feature MYMP, Cueshe and other bands. The show starts at 6PM at the Ateneo Grade School covered courts

Don't fail to watch TV Patrol World as Ted Failon, Karen Davila and Julius Babao welcome Nene to the world of Broadcast Journalism tonight! The news program airs Live at 630PM on ABS-CBN.

—pinoybigbrother.com

Pinoy Big Brohter Celebrity Edition this coming Feb!

Preparations for the much-awaited celebrity edition of Pinoy Big Brother are now in full swing with only few weeks left before the ball starts rolling for the 12 celebrities who will take on the new challenges of Big Brother!

The celebrity edition of the phenomenal reality show is scheduled to premiere on the night of February 4 on ABS-CBN. According to Linggit Tan, one of Pinoy Big Brother’s business unit heads, the opening night of the celebrity edition will be very different from what happened on August 21, when Big Winner Nene and the other 11 original housemates went inside Kuya’s house for the first time.

On the opening night, the 12 celebrity housemates will be brought to a special venue, where they will be presented to the public for the first time. After the grand presentation, a motorcade will take them to Big Brother’s house.

“PBB celebrity edition will run for six weeks (42 days) that’s why it's a fast-paced and very thrilling experience not only for the 12 housemates but also for the viewers,” Tan said. The nomination and eviction process will happen twice a week until four housemates are left inside the house.

 

The New Housemates 

She also explained that the new batch of housemates will not only consist of actors and actresses. There’s also a possibility that well-known athletes, singers, directors and even politicians could be part of the new batch.

As of the moment, the lineup for the 12 housemates is not yet complete. The auditions are still on going but only on an appointment basis. “Hindi na tayo nag-o-open audition, those who want to join, they call us and we setup an interview,” Tan disclosed during an interview.

The staff of the show started the audition process last month where about 150 celebrities, including some big names in showbizness, showed up in a matter of two days. Just like those who auditioned during the first run of Pinoy Big Brother, the housemate wannabes had to go through several VTR interviews and even psychological tests and physical examinations. “May psychological test din sila at physical exams, required talaga yun kasi stressful yun condition yung sa loob (ng bahay), they should be physically fit and have a sound mind, nakikita kasi yun sa mga test, so kapag hindi ni-recommend ng mga psychologist, hindi namin sila pinipili,” Tan explained.

She also added that the 12 lucky celebrities who will be picked as housemates will participate in the contest for a cause. During the opening night, the housemates will be asked to state how much of their winnings will they donate to their chosen charity if in case they become the Big Winner of the celebrity edition.

 

A facelift for Kuya’s house!

With new faces to grace the place, Big Brother’s house will have some exciting changes before the opening night. Although they will not renovate the structure of the house, Tan said that the house’s interior will undergo a facelift. (yey! salamat naman)

Aside from Pinoy Big Brother Primetime, Pinoy Big Brother Uplate and Studio 23’s Si Kuya, Kabarkada Mo! will also start airing this February. Keep posted on ABS-CBN and this site to get the latest updates on Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Edition.

Drinking 4 liters of Coke in an hour can cause DEATH

Just 2 days ago, our teacher on our Primary Health Care subject told us that she had read somethimg ‘bout drinking 4liters of coke in an hour can actually cause death. It can actually dissolve our teeth and stuff that freaked us out. I thought it was a new study or something but when i was tryin to find the same article over the net. This is what ive found:

Source

Urban Legends and Folklore
Coke Adds Death  
 
Netlore Archive:  Does Coca-Cola contain an ingredient in common with anti-freeze? Is Coke a slow poison comparable to arsenic? Will it dissolve teeth and bones?  

Description:  Email flier
Circulating since:  1999
Status:  False
Analysis:  See below   

Email example contributed by A. Alava, 17 Nov. 2000:

Subject: Say Bye to COKE!!

An interesting piece of information .......

Have a look at the wrapper on a Coca-Cola 1.5 litre bottle and in the ingredients label you will find phosphoric acid in it. Minute quantities of ethylene glycol is also used (which is acknowledged in the soft drink world for making it really chill").

This is popularly known as anti-freeze which prevents water from freezing at 0 degree C and instead drops it by 4-5 degrees with minute quantities.

This chemical is a known slow poison in the caliber of arsenic. So, if you manage to drink about 4 litres of Coke within an hour or so, you can die. Read along and give up these dangerous things.

Be natural, have flavoured milks, tender coconuts, butter milk and plain water instead of these "soft" drinks.

Guess what's the pH for soft drinks, e.g. Coke? pH 3.4! This acidity is strong enough to dissolve teeth and bones! Our human body stops building bones at the age of about 30.

Soft drinks do not have any nutrition value (in terms of vitamins &minerals). It is high in sugar content, carbonic acid, chemicals i.e.colorings etc.

Some like to take cold soft drinks after each meal. Guess what's the impact? Our body needs an optimum temperature of 37degrees Celsius for digestive enzyme functioning. The temperature of cold soft drinks is very much below 37 degrees or even close to 0 degrees Celsius. This will dilute the enzymes & stress the digestive system. The food taken will not be digested. In fact it will be fermented! The fermented food produces gases,decays and becomes toxin, and gets absorbed by the intestine, circulates in the blood stream and is carried to the whole body. Hence, toxin is cumulated in other parts of the body, developing into various diseases.

Think before you drink coke/Pepsi (or any soft drink) again. Have you ever thought what you drink when you drink an aerated drink? You gulp down carbon dioxide, when nobody in the world would advise you to drink CO2.

Two months back, there was a competition at Delhi university. "Who could drink the most Coke?" The winner drank 8 bottles and fainted on the spot-too much CO2 in the blood. Thereafter, the principal banned all soft drinks from the college canteen! While this might have been an extreme measure, the results do provide some food for thought.

Did you know that soft drinks use chemicals in them that cause immense harm to you. Someone put a broken tooth in a bottle of Pepsi and in 10 days it DISSOLVED! Can you believe it? Teeth and bones are the only human parts that stay intact for years after death. Imagine what the drink must be doing to your soft intestines and stomach lining!

Request to All : Forward this message to your friends to increase the awareness of the great "Assumed soft drinks". Please read this and forward to all your friends.. you care.

Comments by Carla Homan: 

There are a few things I'm sure about with respect to soft drinks:
It's not a health food.
It's not going to kill me, either.

The above email would like to convince me otherwise, damning virtually every ingredient in soft drinks, and even adding some new ones that aren't really there.

Ethylene Glycol

No soft drink contains ethylene glycol in any amount. Ethylene glycol, which is indeed used in antifreeze, is toxic. What they may (or may not) contain is propylene glycol, also used as antifreeze, but according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC):

"The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has classified propylene glycol as an additive that is 'generally recognized as safe' for use in food. It is used to absorb extra water and maintain moisture in certain medicines, cosmetics, or food products. It is a solvent for food colors and flavors." (See "Ethylene Glycol and Propylene Glycol.")

The confusion between these two chemicals is understandable, I guess, since they both contain the word "glycol" and are used in antifreeze. Conspiracy theorists like to think that evil corporations want to poison their customers whenever possible. Don't worry, unless it's a slow death occurring after a lifetime of use and the product is addictive (cough, cough), corporations generally prefer not to kill off their customer base.

pH Level

pH level measures the acidity of foods on a scale ranging from 1 (most acidic) to 14 (most weakly acidic, or very basic). Water, with a pH of 7, is neutral. Most soft drinks weigh in with a pH level between 2.0-4.0, so 3.4 is a fair estimate for Coke. Foods with a comparable approximate pH value include most fruits (oranges, cherries, apples, blueberries, etc), wine, chili sauce, and horseradish, to name a few.

It's true that this acidity is strong enough to dissolve teeth and bones, if you have enough time on your hands, like a week or more. Fortunately, most of us have a digestive system, which prevents the soft drinks from coming into contact with our bones. Additionally, most of us cannot hold a mouthful of cola in our mouths for a week or more (and then there are those pesky salivary glands, mucking up our experiment). But please, the next time you get a compound fracture and you have an exposed, say, fibula, don't try soaking it in a tub of coke for ten days prior to seeking medical attention. Be a smart consumer!

Phosphoric Acid

"Have a look at the wrapper on a Coca-Cola 1.5 liters bottle and in the ingredients label you will find phosphoric acid in it."

Yes, most soft drinks contain phosphoric acid. You can confirm this by looking at the label. If this is a bad thing, the email doesn't tell us why. I suppose we are meant to read that statement, toss our colas in the air, and scream, "God help me!" because it says "acid," and we all know from watching the first Batman movie that acid is bad and will turn us into evil, giggling, white-faced psychotics if we take a bath in it.

What Would Darwin Say?

"Have you ever thought what you drink when you drink an aerated drink? You gulp down carbon dioxide, when nobody in the world would advise you to drink CO2. Two months back, there was a competition at Delhi University -- Who could drink the most Coke? The winner drank 8 bottles and fainted on the spot-too much CO2 in the blood. Thereafter, the principal banned all soft drinks from the college canteen! While this might have been an extreme measure, the results do provide some food for thought."

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say this: anyone who thought it might be entertaining to have a contest to see who can drink the most coke probably deserved what they got. And I would imagine anyone drinking that much of just about any beverage as fast as they could would pass out too. Does that mean that the beverage is poisonous, or does that just mean the person's an idiot? I'll leave it to you to decide.

Temperature

"Our body needs an optimum temperature of 37 degrees Celsius for digestive enzyme functioning. The temperature of cold soft drinks is very much below 37 degrees or even close to 0 degrees Celsius. This will dilute the enzymes & stress the digestive system. The food taken will not be digested. In fact it will be fermented! The fermented food produces gases, decays and becomes toxin, and gets absorbed by the intestine, circulates in the blood stream and is carried to the whole body. Hence toxin is cumulated in other parts of the body, developing into various diseases."

Or, for that matter, any chilled beverage, food or frozen dessert. I'm not sure exactly how coldness can dilute enzymes. Nor am I sure what the "various diseases" are (ostriopliosis, perhaps?). Not to mention, I get antsy any time I read something purporting to be scientific information that contains exclamation points. Somehow it strikes me as unprofessional to get that excited over fermentation.

We checked with About's Nutrition Guide, Rick Hall, for his expert opinion on the alleged harmful effects of cold soft drinks on the digestive system. While he concurred that ice-cold beverages are below the "optimum" temperature for digestion, his response, basically, was that it's no big deal.

"Generally speaking, foods are warmed in the stomach," he said, "and the temperature of iced beverages reaching the small intestine is not considered detrimental."

He added: "Certainly, soft drinks are not considered healthy. They are extremely high in sugar and contain virtually no needed nutrients. The reasons for their lack of nutritional value, however, have nothing to do with the temperature they are ingested at."

~ Carla Homan is a writer and researcher based in Washington, D.C.

 

“whew glad it was all an urban legend…”

Burned CDs may not last as long as originals

Opinions vary on how to preserve data on digital storage media, such as optical CDs and DVDs. Kurt Gerecke, a physicist and storage expert at IBM Deutschland, has his own view: If you want to avoid having to burn new CDs every few years, use magnetic tapes to store all your pictures, videos and songs for a lifetime.

"Unlike pressed original CDs, burned CDs have a relatively short life span of between two to five years, depending on the quality of the CD," Gerecke says. "There are a few things you can do to extend the life of a burned CD, like keeping the disc in a cool, dark space, but not a whole lot more."

The problem is material degradation. Optical discs commonly used for burning, such as CD-R and CD-RW, have a recording surface consisting of a layer of dye that can be modified by heat to store data. The degradation process can result in the data "shifting" on the surface and thus becoming unreadable to the laser beam.

"Many of the cheap burnable CDs available at discount stores have a life span of around two years," Gerecke says. "Some of the better-quality discs offer a longer life span, of a maximum of five years."

Distinguishing high-quality burnable CDs from low-quality discs is difficult, he says, because few vendors use life span as a selling point.
Similar Limitations

Hard-drive disks also have their limitations, according to Gerecke. The problem with hard drives, he says, is not so much the disk itself as it is the disk bearing, which has a positioning function similar to a ball bearing. "If the hard drive uses an inexpensive disk bearing, that bearing will wear out faster than a more expensive one," he says. His recommendation: a hard-drive disk with 7200 revolutions per minute.

To overcome the preservation limitations of burnable CDs, Gerecke suggests using magnetic tapes, which, he claims, can have a life span of 30 years to 100 years, depending on their quality. "Even if magnetic tapes are also subject to degradation, they're still the superior storage media," he says.

But he's quick to point out that no storage medium lasts forever and, consequently, consumers and business alike need to have a migration plan to new storage technologies.

"Companies, in particular, need to be constantly looking at new storage technologies and have an archiving strategy that allows them to automatically migrate to new technologies," he says. "Otherwise, they're going to wind up in a dead-end. And for those sitting on terabytes of crucial data, that could be a colossal problem."

Lohan Says She's 'Appalled' by Vanity Fair

Lindsay Lohan is "appalled" by the Vanity Fair article released last week in which she confessed to dabbling in drugs and battling bulimia.

The Vanity Fair story, which hit newsstands nationally Tuesday and was widely reported last week, made headlines for the 19-year-old actress' acknowledgment that she dabbled in drugs "a little."

The magazine also quoted Lohan on her drastic weight loss last year: "I was making myself sick," she said. The article, written by Evgenia Peretz, noted Lohan was "referring to bulimic episodes."

Lohan also said, "I knew I had a problem and I couldn't admit it."

However, in a statement released Tuesday to Teen People magazine, Lohan denied having bulimia and said, "The words that I gave to the writer for Vanity Fair were misused and misconstrued, and I'm appalled with the way it was done."

An editor for Teen People said Lohan's denial was regarding Vanity Fair's reporting of her alleged bulimia, not drug use.

"Aside from (the writer's) lies and changing of my words, I am blessed to have this job and wonderful family that I do," Lohan's statement read.

Vanity Fair, in a statement of its own, stood by its story.

"Evgenia Peretz is one of our most reliable reporters," the magazine said. "Every word Lindsay Lohan told her is on tape. Vanity Fair stands by the story."

A call to Lohan's publicist, Leslie Sloane Zelnick, was not immediately returned Tuesday.

Dogs Can Sniff Out Cancer!

Early detection is efficient in all diseases, but when it comes to cancer, it can mean the difference between life and death. For this reason, much of the scientists’ efforts are focused in this field and even though some diagnosis methods are somehow unconventional, in the end, it’s the final result that matters.

A team of researchers has announced that man’s best friends, dogs, may have the capacity to contribute to the process of early cancer detection of lung and breast cancer.

This is due to the four-legged animal’s extraordinary scenting abilities which allow it to detect in the patients’ breath such cancer forms.

The trial
itself was comprised of 86 cancer patients (55 with lung cancer and 31 with breast cancer) and a control sample of 83 healthy patients.

During the study, the dogs were presented with breath samples from the cancer patients and the controls, captured in a special tube. Dogs were trained to give a positive identification of a cancer patient by sitting or lying down directly in front of a test station containing a cancer patient sample, while ignoring control samples.

The results of the study showed that dogs’ accuracy ranged between 88% and 97%. Moreover, the study also confirmed that the trained dogs could even detect the early stages of lung cancer, as well as early breast cancer.

Another team of researchers, this time at the Newcastle University, have come up with the idea of using a tiny disc, smaller than a dust speckle, whose surface is coated with special patterns of DNA or proteins which cause the cancer-specific markers to bind to the surface.

The discs are made to vibrate electronically in two modes. When a cancer-specific marker binds to the surface of a disc, in the pattern of the coating, the uneven weight causes one of the modes of vibration to change in frequency.

The difference between the frequencies of the two modes of vibration is measured, enabling the detection of tiny amounts of cancer specific marker. In theory, even the weight of a single molecule binding to the surface of a disc could be detected.

In a not so distant future, it’s likely that every oncologist will have in the office such a device and, of course, a dog.