The Nominations are out... The 81st Academy Awards...

The nominations for the 8'1st Academy Awards announced this morning. You all know which movie I'm rooting for. Here are the nominees...

Best motion picture of the year:
- "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
- "Frost/Nixon" (Universal)
- "Milk" (Focus Features)
- "The Reader" (The Weinstein Company)
- "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight)

Performance by an actor in a leading role:
Richard Jenkins in "The Visitor" (Overture Films)
Frank Langella in "Frost/Nixon" (Universal)
Sean Penn in "Milk" (Focus Features)
Brad Pitt in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
Mickey Rourke in "The Wrestler" (Fox Searchlight)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role:
- Josh Brolin in "Milk" 
- Robert Downey Jr. in "Tropic Thunder"
- Philip Seymour Hoffman in "Doubt"
- Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight"
- Michael Shannon in "Revolutionary Road"

Performance by an actress in a leading role:
- Anne Hathaway in "Rachel Getting Married"
- Angelina Jolie in "Changeling"
- Melissa Leo in "Frozen River"
- Meryl Streep in "Doubt"
- Kate Winslet in "The Reader"

Performance by an actress in a supporting role:
- Amy Adams in "Doubt"
- Penélope Cruz in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" 
- Viola Davis in "Doubt"
- Taraji P. Henson in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
- Marisa Tomei in "The Wrestler"

Achievement in directing:
- "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) - David Fincher
- "Frost/Nixon" (Universal) - Ron Howard
- "Milk" (Focus Features) - Gus Van Sant
- "The Reader" (The Weinstein Company) - Stephen Daldry
- "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) - Danny Boyle

The 44th President Of The United States Of America

TIME FOR A CHANGE...

Barack Hussein Obama II (pronounced /bəˈrɑːk hʊˈseɪn oʊˈbɑːmə/; born August 4, 1961) is the 44th and current President of theUnited States of America. He is the first African American to hold the office, as well as the first President born outside of the continental United States. Obama was the junior United States Senator from Illinois from January 3, 2005 until his resignation on November 16, 2008, following his election to the presidency. He was sworn in as President on January 20, 2009 in an inaugural ceremony at the U.S. Capitol.

Obama is a graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, where he was the first African-American president of theHarvard Law Review. He worked as a community organizer, and practiced as a civil rights attorney in Chicago before serving three terms in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004. He also taught Constitutional Law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004. Following an unsuccessful bid for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2000, Obama was elected to the Senate in November 2004. Obama delivered the keynote  at the Democratic National Convention in July 2004.

As a member of the Democratic minority in the 109th Congress, Obama helped create legislation to control conventional weaponsand to promote greater public accountability in the use of federal funds. He also made official trips to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. During the 110th Congress, he helped create legislation regarding lobbying and electoral fraud, climate change,nuclear terrorism, and care for U.S. military personnel returning from combat assignments in Iraq and Afghanistan. Almost 1 million supporters watched him sworn as the new United States President.

Miss Fitrum Finalist Answer to Miss Universe 1969 Question..

A popular Philippine television noontime show, WOWOWEE had its first beauty pageant thru the support of FITRUM Dietry supplement called Miss Fitrum 2008 which embodies the true Filipina beauty, confidence and being sexy in and out. A total of 28 finalist which where picked thru daily, weekly and monthly competition, then it was trimmed down to 12 then eventually, 4 winners. The sole winner will win a talent contract, 200,000 DHS cash, trip to Singapore plus pocket money and a brand new car.

The question given to one finalist goes...


Miss Universe 1969, Miss Philippines, Gloria Diaz : Anong isang bahagi ng katawan mo ang pinagmamalaki mo at bakit? ( Which one part of your body you are very proud of and why?)

Miss Fitrum Finalist from Siargao, Southern Mindanao Province answered: Ang mata ko po, dahil kung wala po ang mata ko, di ako makakakita. 'Yun lang po at maraming salamat! ( My eyes because if I don't have my eyes I can't see, that's all and thank you!) Har Har Har... One of the many bloopers in a beauty pageant, an honest to goodness & no brainer answer to an overused question.

The winner is Miss Hannah Leah Pasudag of Davao City, she was also voted for Miss Telegenic. She joined many pageants such as Miss Bikini Open, Ever Bilena (Sosyal! Hi Hi Hi).

US Airways Plane Crashed in Hudson River, New York City

NEW YORK (CNN) -- A US Airways plane with 155 people on board went into a chilly Hudson River, apparently after striking at least one bird upon takeoff from New York's LaGuardia Airport, according to officials and passengers.

Everyone on board was accounted for and alive, officials said. About 15 people were being treated at hospitals and others were being evaluated at triage centers.
The plane's captain came on the speaker and said, " 'Brace for impact,' " he said. "That's when we knew we were going down and into the water. We just hit, and somehow the plane stayed afloat and we were able to get on the raft. It's just incredible right now that everybody's still alive."

Live video showed the plane bobbing in the water and moving with the current surrounded by boats. Bloomberg said later Thursday that the plane was tied to a pier at Battery Park City in lower Manhattan. As night fell, Coast Guard and FDNY boats remained at the scene.

Those being treated at hospitals included a husband and wife with hypothermia at Roosevelt Hospital, as well as a flight attendant with a leg fracture, hospital spokeswoman Michelle Stiles said.

"We circled around ... the captain came on and said, 'Look, we're going down. Brace for impact.' Everyone looked at each other and we said our prayers. I said about five Hail Marys," said passenger Kolodjay, who is from Norwalk, Connecticut, and was headed to Charlotte to play golf.

Jerry Wallis, who said he was a private pilot, said he watched the plane go into the water.

"I've got to tell you, the people flying that airplane deserve all the recognition and commendation they can get," Wallis said.

The National Transportation Safety Board was sending a team to the site, according to an agency spokesman.

Since 1975, five large jetliners have had major accidents in which bird strikes played a role, according to the Web site of Bird Strike Committee USA, a volunteer group dedicated to reducing the frequency and severity of the strikes.

More than 56,000 bird strikes were reported to the FAA from 1998 to 2004, according to the group's Web site.

An Airbus A320 has 150 seats -- 12 in first class and 138 in economy, according to the Airbus Web site.

Life Is Like A Weather

As I was watching the local news, TV PATROL, I was surprised with the current weather condition now, MANILA 18 Degrees Celsius and way up to the City's Summer Capital Baguio City experienced the lowest this year of 7.5 Degrees Celsius. Well, It's now time to put your well kept scarves or fancy trenchies, just be careful of the very discriminating eyes of our fellow locals or just dress whatever you want to wear.

DUBAI SHOPPING FESTIVAL Just Landed!

All you shopping addicts, DFS will finally start tomorrow until the 15th of February. Most of the shop started to drop their prices. In UAE when it says SALE! They mean it! Just visited EROS, the official distributor of Samsung and Hitachi and they are selling 42" Plasma TV for a hefty 2,900 and 3200 DHS respectively, super cheap! And if you want to send it to the Philippines via FRICO Forwarding, additional 600DHS for a fully-crate protected package for our family. Best deal right. We are lucky that some of the international brands in Abu Dhabi will conjoin the sale for DFS.

I bet, Zara, Pull & Bear, H&M and Topman will have the best sale in town.

This is the time to be frugal right so shop wisely. For the luxury stuff, all will be on sale except for Uncle Louis (in our dreams maybe.)

History of The Dubai Shopping Festival

Launched in 1996, The Dubai Shopping Festival has been a drawing board for events and extravaganzas that have brought people together and allowed for a greater understanding of the world around us by its unique theme of bringing the world to one stage. With a now-famous slogan "One Family, One World, One Festival", the one month-long event plays a vital role in Dubai's tourism industry. It is segregated into many major attractions all with one purpose, to have as many ways of entertaining the guests in the city, and catering to each and every visitor segment arriving from around the world.  

The DSF has marvellously redounded to all aspects of life in Dubai, with the expenditure snowballing year on year from AED 2.15 billion and 1.6 million visitors in 1996 to the tune of AED 10.2 billion and 3.5 million visitors in 2006-2007.