MYX Daily Top 10 (January 29, 2009)

Yesterday, I posted the Daily Top 10 on the MYX countdown. Today I will be posting the songs again, but you can now download some of the songs to appreciate. However, this is for promotional purposes only. If you like the music, please support the artists and buy their CD. Files should be deleted within twenty four hours.


01.David Archuleta - A Little Too Not Over You
02.Pedicab - FX
03.Britney Spears - Circus
04.SpongeCola - Di Na Mababawi
05.Paramore - Decode
06.David Cook - Light On
07.Beyonce - Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)
08.Kyla - Heart To Heart
09.Ne-Yo - Mad
10.Rico Blanco - Your Universe

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MYX Daily Top 10 (January 28, 2009)

Top Ten

01.David Archuleta - A Little Too Not Over You
02.Britney Spears - Circus
03.Pedicab - FX
04.SpongeCola - Di Na Mababawi
05.Paramore - Decode

06.David Cook - Light On
07.Kyla - Heart To Heart
08.Mariah Carey - I Stay In Love
09.Rico Blanco - Your Universe
10.Ne-Yo - Mad

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Filipino student to attend Obama's inauguration

Still on US President-elect Obama’s historic inauguration, a 19-year-old college freshman is one of two Filipinos to be invited to Obama’s inauguration and he just can’t believe his luck.

Paul Michael Pilares Cruz’s invitation arrived by mail from the Congressional Youth Leadership Council Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that has secured seats for students from around the globe.


He and another Filipina attended the Global Youth Leadership Conference when they were high school seniors in June 2007 in Washington and New York, making them eligible to be invited to the Jan. 20 inauguration.

International students will hear speeches by former Vice President Al Gore and former Secretary of State Collin Powell and attend an inaugural ball, according to the organizers during the Jan. 17-21 University Presidential Inauguration Conference.

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Charice to perform at Obama pre-inauguration party.

International singing sensation Charice confirmed that she is set to perform at the pre-inauguration party of US president-elect Barack Obama in Washington DC which was slated on January 18.

Charice said she will be performing two songs, “God Bless America” and “One Moment In Time.” The young singer said that she still has to confirm though if she is will also be present at the inauguration.

Since last year, blogs and message forums have been flooded with discussions about Charice’s scheduled performance at Obama’s historic inauguration.

It is rumored that Oprah Winfrey was the one who recommended Charice to the first American black president. Oprah, who calls Charice “the most talented girl” after hearing her sing on The Oprah Winfrey Show, is also an avid supporter of Barrack Obama.

Charice, named one of People Asia Magazine's People of the Year 2008, is scheduled to stay in the United States for almost three months to record her first international debut album.

Photo and report courtesy of ABS-CBN.com.
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Hollywood Movies for 2009.

Associated Press in Yahoo today gave a list of Hollywood movies that will be released this 2009. It showcases dozens of sequels, prequels, remakes, updates and adaptations based on books, video games and toys.

Expected to ring up box office returns are familiar names as "Harry Potter," "Hannah Montana," "Star Trek," "Transformers," "X-Men," "Alvin and the Chipmunks," "Ice Age," "The Terminator" and "Sherlock Holmes."

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," arrives this summer after a surprise delay when Warner Bros. bumped it from its original slot last November.

"Half-Blood Prince" has Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) charged with unlocking secrets from the noggin of a new teacher (Jim Broadbent), information vital to the young wizard's ongoing battle with the evil Voldemort.

Meantime, Harry struggles to get on with the usual teenage pressures of school, social activities and budding romance.

Getting younger are the heroes of another otherworldly summer franchise. James Kirk, Spock and the rest of the Enterprise crew return in "Star Trek," a relaunch of the series featuring an all-new cast (though Leonard Nimoy is on hand to play the older Spock).

Director J.J. Abrams takes the sci-fi series back to its roots, explaining how the gang of interstellar explorers came together in the first place.

Other highlights of Hollywood's upcoming schedule:

Winter and spring:

ALL ABOUT STEVE: Sandra Bullock's a crossword-puzzle creator on a road trip in pursuit of her soul mate.

CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC: A journalist (Isla Fisher) finds romance as she pursues her retail addiction.

DUPLICITY: Julia Roberts and Clive Owen are spies carrying on an affair amid a dangerous assignment.

FAST AND FURIOUS: Vin Diesel and Paul Walker lead the original cast of "The Fast and the Furious" into a new racing thriller.

FRIDAY THE 13TH: The slasher franchise goes back to its beginning with an update of the horror tale about killer Jason Voorhees.

HANNAH MONTANA: THE MOVIE: Miley Cyrus brings her dual life as an ordinary school girl and pop star from TV to the big-screen.

HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU: Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore and Scarlett Johansson lead the cast of this ensemble romance.

THE INTERNATIONAL: Clive Owen and Naomi Watts lead a probe into banks that finance terrorism.

JONAS BROTHERS: THE 3-D CONCERT EXPERIENCE: The Disney stars follow the hit "Hannah Montana" flick with their own concert movie.

MONSTERS VS. ALIENS: Reese Witherspoon leads the voice cast in an animated comedy about mutants battling an alien robot.

OBSERVE AND REPORT: Seth Rogen stars in the tale of an overzealous mall cop aiming to get into the police academy.

THE PINK PANTHER 2: Steve Martin's Inspector Clouseau bumbles through an investigation of stolen treasures.

RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN: Dwayne Johnson's a cabbie aiding fugitive teens with special powers in a remake of "Escape to Witch Mountain."

17 AGAIN: Zac Efron and Matthew Perry star in a comedy about a middle-aged loser transformed back to his teen years.

THE SOLOIST: Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr. star in a drama about a music prodigy living on the streets.

STATE OF PLAY: Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck star in a murder mystery set among the elite of Washington, D.C.

STREET FIGHTER: THE LEGEND OF CHUN-LI: The video-game sensation is adapted into an action tale of warriors in Bangkok.

THE UGLY TRUTH: Romance is in the air for a lovelorn TV producer (Katherine Heigl) and a tough on-air personality (Gerard Butler).

UNDERWORLD: RISE OF THE LYCANS: The roots of an ancient feud between vampires and werewolves are explored in this prequel.

WATCHMEN: A superhero's murder casts his old associates into the investigation of a global conspiracy against their kind.

Summer season:

ANGELS & DEMONS: Tom Hanks and director Ron Howard follow up "The Da Vinci Code" with this showdown between the Vatican and a secret brotherhood.

BRUNO: "Borat" star Sacha Baron Cohen takes another of his alter egos, Austrian fashionista Bruno, on the road.

DRAG ME TO HELL: "Spider-Man" and "Evil Dead" director Sam Raimi returns to his horror roots with this tale of a cursed woman.

FUNNY PEOPLE: Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen and director Judd Apatow aim for laughs with a serious story about a dying comedian.

G-FORCE: Nicolas Cage and Penelope Cruz are among the voice cast of an action comedy about guinea pigs trained as covert operatives.

GHOSTS OF GIRLFRIENDS PAST: Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Garner star in the tale of a womanizer visited by the spirits of his jilted exes.

G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA: The Hasbro toys go into action in this tale of military operatives hunting an arms dealer.

ICE AGE: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS: Ray Romano and his prehistoric pals return in part three of the animated franchise.

I LOVE YOU BETH COOPER: Hayden Panettiere stars in a romance about a teen geek who gets his shot with the school hottie.

IMAGINE THAT: Eddie Murphy's a dad whose daughter's imaginary world holds the key to solving his personal crises.

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS: Brad Pitt stars in Quentin Tarantino's World War II epic that's a throwback to "Dirty Dozen"-style war action.

LAND OF THE LOST: Will Ferrell's a scientist hurled into a world of dinosaurs in this update of the TV show.

MY SISTER'S KEEPER: Cameron Diaz and Abigail Breslin star in a drama about a girl conceived as a donor for her ailing sister.

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN: The national museum comes alive in Ben Stiller's comedy sequel.

THE PROPOSAL: Sandra Bullock's a book editor trying to avoid deportation by marrying her harried assistant (Ryan Reynolds).

PUBLIC ENEMIES: Johnny Depp and Christian Bale star in Michael Mann's saga of Depression-era gangster John Dillinger.

THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1 2 3: Denzel Washington and John Travolta star in the remake about crooks who hijack a subway train for ransom.

TERMINATOR: SALVATION: Christian Bale leads humanity's remnants against machine enemies in the franchise's first flick without Arnold Schwarzenegger.

TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN: Shia LaBeouf and his giant Autobot buddies team up for a rematch against the tyrannical Decepticons.

2012: John Cusack stars in an action epic about the end of the world and what comes after.

UP: The latest from Pixar Animation ("WALL-E") follows the balloon adventure of an old man and a boy stowaway.

X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE: Hugh Jackman goes solo in a prequel to the "X-Men" movies spelling out the back-story of his mysterious superhero.

YEAR ONE: Jack Black and Michael Cera are primitive outcasts on an epic romp through ancient history.

Fall and holidays:

ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE SQUEAKUEL: The talking chipmunks return for part two of their big-screen adventures.

AVATAR: "Titanic" director James Cameron spins a sci-fi epic about a human-alien hybrid fighting for his people's survival.

DISNEY'S A CHRISTMAS CAROL: Jim Carrey does multiple roles as Scrooge and the holiday ghosts in Robert Zemeckis' animated Dickens adaptation.

FAME: Students sing, dance and dream of stardom in a new take on the hit film and TV show about a school for performing arts.

THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX: George Clooney's the mouthpiece for a sly fox stealing chickens from dopey farmers in this animated comedy.

THE INFORMANT: Matt Damon stars in Steven Soderbergh's tale of a corporate whistle-blower with secrets of his own.

THE LOVELY BONES: Peter Jackson ("The Lord of the Rings") directs Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz in a drama about a slain girl playing guardian angel for her family.

NEW MOON: Young love between an awkward teenager and an ageless vampire continues in the "Twilight" sequel starring Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson.

OLD DOGS: A bachelor and a divorced man (John Travolta and Robin Williams) become the unexpected caretakers of 6-year-old twins.

THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG: Disney returns to old-school hand-drawn animation with an update of the classic frog prince fairy tale.

SHERLOCK HOLMES: Robert Downey Jr. has the lead in this latest take on literature's most-famous detective.

SHUTTER ISLAND: Leonardo DiCaprio and director Martin Scorsese pair up again for a story of U.S. marshals on a case at an insane asylum.

TOOTH FAIRY: It's tutu time for Dwayne Johnson, who plays a hockey player magically sentenced to serving a week as the mythical Tooth Fairy.

UP IN THE AIR: George Clooney's a corporate hatchet man whose job is in jeopardy due to corporate downsizing.

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE: Director Spike Jonze adapts the children's classic about a boy with a fantastical world as his personal playground.

THE WOLFMAN: Benicio Del Toro turns werewolf in this new take on the horror classic that co-stars Anthony Hopkins.
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Working and non-working holidays for 2009

Malacanang announced the working and non-working holidays for 2009.

Under Proclamation no. 1699, the following were declared holidays:

Maundy Thursday (April 9)

Good Friday (April 10)

Araw ng Kagitingan (April 6)

Labor Day (May 1)

Independence Day (June 12)

National Heroes Day (August 31)

Bonifacio Day (November 30)

Rizal Day (December 30)

Special working holidays include: Ninoy Aquino Day (August 21), All Saints Day (November 1) and New Year’s Eve (December 31). November 2 and December 24 were also added as special non-working days.

As for the celebration of Eid’l Fitr (end of Ramadan), President Arroyo said the holiday will be based from the Islamic calendar or the lunar calendar. - (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)
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The lion’s den is now Leomar’s Den!

In the tradition of making New Year’s resolution and starting the year right, I thought that this is also the best time of the year to start making changes on this blog. If you haven’t noticed, the title of this blog is no longer “The Lion’s Den” but “Leomar’s Den”.

The impetus for changing this blog’s title came from my officemate. She said she lost my blog’s URL and she tried to Google using my blog’s name “The Lion’s Den” but she still was not able to find this blog. And truthfully, when I tried to do the same, my blog is not even on the 10th page when you Google it. It’s quite pathetic, really. Especially if you will consider that this blog is on its 9th month.

I know of people who consider bloggers who had their name as the title of their blog as people who lack imagination. That was my first consideration when I started this blog.

I don’t know anything about SEO then and I will not claim that it has changed now. However, there’s an idea that a blog is an extension of a person online, so it made perfect sense to call it by the blogger’s name. Although I submit that the title gives no idea at all on what the blog is all about.

One possible consequence of changing the title of a blog is that I may lose my current position in search engines. That is the least of my worries; in fact, this is the same concern that I am trying to remedy. The new title, I hope, will make my blog easier to find.

So, here it is… The lion’s den is now Leomar’s Den!
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Snow World at Star City.

Another major attraction inside the Star City is the Snow World where you get to experience winter in the Philippines. It’s like entering a giant freezer with about 15 degrees Celsius below zero temperature. Based on press releases, it is one of the biggest man-made snow attractions in the world.

Well, I didn’t want to miss the experience so I took a peek inside and I can tell you that it’s worth it.

They will let you use jackets but there are also cold weather gears that are being sold at very high prices. Then one of the staff will give you directions on how to behave inside, before they open the door.

As expected, you will see snow everywhere inside. At least, this is the closest that you can get for a winter experience. On the left hand side, you will see different ice carvings and sculptures which were all magnificent. Just make sure that you don’t get too excited and break any of the ice sculptures as it could cost you P500.

On the right hand side from the entrance, you will see the ice slide which I read was the longest ice slide in Asia. Donna’s nephew and I tried it and it was a great deal of fun.

We didn’t last longer than 10 minutes as Donna’s nephew can no longer endure the cold temperature. We were practically pounding the closed door of the exit area just to get out. My fingers were getting numb and my nose felt that it's about to bleed.

One word of caution though, the snow is slippery and the flooring is so hard that in case you will slip off the snow, it will surely be a painful thump.

It’s unfortunate that taking pictures with your digital cameras or cell phones are not allowed inside. They let you bring your gadgets with you in a plastic but you are not allowed to use it. I also don’t want to risk violating the rule and end up with a malfunctioning digital camera if I will ignore the warning.

We had to enter the second time to have a souvenir photo taken.


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Dino Island Park at Star City.

One added attraction that will make your visit to the Star City complete and worthwhile is the Dino Island Park. It showcases life-size dinosaurs with life-like appearances. Thanks to animatronics, the latest technology that made this possible.

It is a robot system positioned inside the dinosaur which will make it move and look at you straight in the eye like a real, breathing and roaring dinosaur.

Aside from the display of robotic dinosaurs, there is also a museum that exhibits different stones and fossils of varied ages.

Entrance to the Dino Island Park costs P100.

See all the pictures I took inside after the jump:










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A night in the Star City.

If you’re looking for a theme park that is equally exciting and fun as the Enchanted Kingdom, you don’t have to look very far because there’s a theme park right at the heart of the metropolis where a world of excitement, entertainment, and education awaits you.

Star City, in the CCP Complex in Pasay City boasts an array of indoor and outdoor attractions, from roller coaster rides to bumper cars, from horror houses to snow world to captivate both the young and the young at heart.


The kids will surely enjoy the double-decked Grand Carousel, Telecombat, the Red Baron, Disney-themed boat ride in the Little Mermaid’s lair, as well as the antique car ride amidst the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. All these Kiddie rides are indoors so children can continue to enjoy them even when it’s raining.

Outdoors you can find thrill rides like the Surf Dance, Star Flyer, Wild River, and the Zyklon Loop – where adults can relish increasing levels of excitement and fun with each loop and tumble.

Donna and I went to Star City end of last year but we were not able to enjoy some of the rides because we have a seven-year old kid with us (Donna's nephew) but I'm still planning to experience the excitement and thrill of the Star Flyer or the Zyklon Loop. Maybe one of these days, though.

Aside from the regular P60 entrance fee, visitors to Star City can avail of the special Ride-All-You Can package, or a twin offer of unlimited rides, plus entrance to Snow World. Star City is open Mondays through Thursdays, from 4:00 p.m. to 12 midnight, with park hours adjusted to 2:00 p.m. - 12 midnight on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

We had the special Ride-All-You Can package for about P475 which already includes the entrance to the Dino Island and the Snow World.



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A day in the Enchanted Kingdom.

It’s been a couple of months since I spent a day in EK with my colleagues but I wasn’t able to post about this on this blog. Since many people are still visiting theme parks at this time of the year, I might as well post a few pictures that I took.


If you will be visiting the Enchanted Kingdom in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, don’t fail to experience all the rides. Try thrilling rides like the Grand Carousel, Flying Fiesta, Rialto, Space Shuttle, Log Jam, Wheel of Fate, Condor, Up Up and Away, Roller Coaster, Anchors Away, Dodgem, Stone Eggs, Swan boats, and Bump n Splash.

One particular ride that we were reluctant to try was the Space Shuttle; it took time to convince a couple of us to try it. But when were already decided and we were on our way to the queue, we were stopped by the staff and we were informed that there was a malfunction on the ride. That’s when we noticed that there were still several riders left hanging mid-air on the 25 foot ride after it stopped dead on its track. Lucky for us!


The Enchanted Kingdom also charms its visitors with various treats aside from the rides. They have a fireworks show every weekend, dance presentation by the park’s in-house talents, theater shows, classic brownstone facades and establishments, and a variety of characters and mascots led by the Wizard.

Another fun thing to do in EK is to watch the 4D Discovery Theater. We were able to watch “Pirates” which stars Leslie Nielsen as Captain Lucky and I can tell you that it is full of surprises. It was my first time to watch a 4D film. Prepare yourselves with sprays of water, wind blowing and the unexpected chair movements inside the theater that will surely elicit shouts and laughter from the viewers.

For ticket information, just visit their website.
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