"Pilipinas Got Talent" Featuring an Amazing Butterfly Act by Alakim

The Philippines is also the home of world-class magicians. This is what Alakim wants to prove when he performed and wowed the audience on the "Pilipinas Got Talent" stage. And true enough, he did not disappoint the audience. In fact, his amazing act earned himself a slot in the Finals of the biggest nationwide reality talent show in the Philippines.

I’ve watched this magician during the Auditions and I am one of the many spectators who were mesmerized by his butterfly act. Even one of the judges, Kris Aquino, who admitted that she was not fond of magic, was caught applauding the magician when he conjured butterflies out of rose petals.

It was not a unique magical act as I had already seen on YouTube a similar act performed by Rocco Silano. But what made Alakim’s magic exceptional was it was done in front of a live audience and judges, and he doesn’t have any control on what will be shown by the cameras. He even spiced up his performance on the Semifinals night when he also added other magical tricks like those of the doves. Watch his performance on the Semifinals and Audition nights below:

Semifinals:



Audition night:




Watch Rocco Silano's "Butterflies" Barehand Creation of Life Magic from the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrRzcYoO5ns

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MYX Daily Top 10 - May 21, 2010 Featuring "Eenie Meenie" by Justin Bieber & Sean Kingston

"Pyramid" by Filipina international singer Charice Featuring Iyaz is still dominating the MYX Daily Top Ten while another song from Justin Bieber, this time with Sean Kingston, "Eenie Meenie" is at the number 2 spot. However, the Filipina singer's hit song dropped from number 1 to number 12 spot on the Billboard's Dance/ Club Play Songs (week of May 29, 2010).

Justin Bieber has two other music videos on the countdown. "Baby" is still at number 3 while "Never Let You Go" is holding on to the number 10 spot.


MYX Daily Top 10 – May 21, 2010

10. "Never Let You Go" - Justin Bieber
9. "Love Like This" - SS501
8. "When I Look at You" - Miley Cyrus
7. "Fearless" - Taylor Swift
6. "Please Be Careful With My Heart" - Sarah Geronimo & Christian Bautista
5. "Bingeul Bingeul" - U Kiss
4. "Run Devil Run" - Girls Generation
3. "Baby" - Justin Bieber
2. "Eenie Meenie" - Justin Bieber & Sean Kingston
1. "Pyramid" - Charice Ft. Iyaz




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Let's share our blessings!

If we will only count our blessings, we will know that our lives are a lot better compared to other people living in poverty. Some people cannot even find stable jobs and had to eke out their finances to make both ends meet. Yes, we may have our share of problems but who doesn’t have one? What we should be thankful for is that we continue to receive blessings. And what is a better way to express our gratitude than to share our blessings? Just look around you and you will see a lot of people who badly need help.

The sad truth is even people who risked their lives to serve their country during wars now badly needed help. These people who were at the forefront of our fight to preserve peace and security in the country now make up a large portion of the poor and the homeless. Worse, some of them are handicapped and some are jobless.

It is a good thing that many organizations and generous donors are spearheading campaigns to help improve the quality of the lives of these veterans. Ordinary citizens can also lend a helping hand in whatever little way we can. It doesn’t have to be a monetary donation. Some organizations are accepting car donations. If you have an old car or truck, running or otherwise, stuck in your garage and you are unsure of what to do with it, why not just donate it? Your donations will help feed and treat the homeless veterans and improve the quality of their lives. They will also offer you car donation tax deduction wherein you will receive an IRS tax deductible donation receipt after they receive your donated vehicle.

One of these organizations is Vietnam Veterans of America which was chartered by Congress and has been in the forefront of various campaigns to support dedicated Veterans and their families for over 30 years. Their vehicle donation process is easy, fast and secure. They also offer free towing pickup services.

Make that decision to donate car and help these Vietnam veterans who sacrificed their lives for freedom. This act of charity will certainly go a long way.



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MM - MYX Daily Top 10 (May 17, 2010) Featuring "Picture Picture" by Tanya Markova

There are no changes in the top 4 songs in the countdown since last Friday. "Pyramid," the second U.S. single of the Filipina pop and R&B singer Charice still rules the MYX Daily Top 10. On the second spot is erstwhile number one, “Baby” by Justin Bieber followed by "Run Devil Run" by Girls Generation.

However, "Vanilla Twilight" by Owl City dropped 5 notches from number 5 last Friday to land in the number 10 spot. Making its debut in the countdown is "Picture Picture" by OPM band Tanya Markova. Watch the video below.

MYX Daily Top 10 - May 17, 2010

10. "Vanilla Twilight" - Owl City
9. "Picture Picture" - Tanya Markova
8 "Please Be Careful With My Heart" - Sarah Geronimo & Christian Bautista
7. "When I Look at You" - Miley Cyrus
6. "Fearless" - Taylor Swift
5. "Love Like This" - SS501
4. "Bingeul Bingeul" - U Kiss
3. "Run Devil Run" - Girls Generation
2. "Baby" - Justin Bieber
1. "Pyramid" - Charice Ft. Iyaz

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the actual post link here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.


PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

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Using snail mail in business.

In today’s modern age, we rarely send mails to our friends and loved ones, we now prefer emails or electronic mails. Understandably, it is a lot faster and cheaper. In fact, some would even prefer sending an electronic greeting card than a printed one. Some would even be contented to greet their friends or loved ones on Facebook or other social networking sites.

Although electronic mail is now an equally essential tool in business, it is still imperative for business owners to send mails to clients and business partners. The fact remains that not all people have access to emails or the internet; some have even access to this technology but prefer not to use it. But people with valid mailing address would most likely receive your letter sent through post. Some people would require that you send them documents in black and white. If you are a business owner and you want to expand your business then you should have all the options available to your clientele.

When I was still managing a small business, we regularly send mails to our customers to thank them for their continued patronage and it has always been appreciated. This small effort has always been an effective way to keep customers loyal to our business. We also make sure that our letters or mails are presentable and professionally done. We used address stamps which show the address and the logo of our business. This is to ensure that these customers will remember our business and our brand when they are in need of services that we offer. Some would say that this will just add to the growing cost of running the business but for me this is money well-spent as this small token will return in your business four-fold and can spell the success of your business.

The bottom line is if you want your business to be taken seriously then you have to be serious in running your business.


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In need of a vacation.

I’m beginning to dread Monday mornings again. It's like my two-day weekend rest days are not enough to invigorate and fully recharge my body and spirit. This is a bad sign, a sign of burn out. The last time I felt like this, I contemplated resigning from my job. This is also an indication that I badly needed a vacation.

Working in a stressful environment like a call center can take its toll on one’s health. Irate customers, the demand to meet your metrics, the pressure to excel for the team can all add up to burn out. It will not be long and you will feel uptight and ill-tempered; before you know it, you’re on your way out.

I’ve been working in this industry for almost 5 years and what I’ve learned to cope with this problem is to maintain a balance between work and fun. If you feel that the pressure on your work is mounting and starting to bother you, then it is time to relax and take a vacation. Remember that burn out can cost us our jobs if we didn’t take the opportunity to loosen up.

This is the reason why I am always looking forward to a great vacation every year. Yes, I always want it to be the best no matter what the cost may be. I even had this crazy idea of cruising around the country in an RV or 5th wheels. That will be the day! For now, just another day or two summer getaway with my loved ones is good enough for me.




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MYX Daily Top 10 - May 14, 2010 Featuring "Bingeul Bingeul" by U Kiss

"Pyramid" by Filipina international singer Charice Featuring Iyaz is still dominating the MYX Daily Top Ten while Justin Bieber's "Baby" is still on the number 2 spot. The Filipina singer's hit song also reclaimed the number 1 spot on Billboard's Dance/ Club Play Songs (week of May 22, 2010) and it is now on #76 on Canadian Hot 100.

All of the songs in the countdown have been featured in this blog except for "Bingeul Bingeul" by U Kiss. U-KISS is a seven-member South Korean boy band formed in 2008. The band members are Kevin, Ki Bum, Soo Hyun, Alexander, Eli, Dong Ho and Ki Seop. The name of the group was an acronym which stands for Ubiquitous Korean International (Idol) Super Star. Their first full length album, "Only One" was released on February 2010.

I'm not a fan of K-pop (an abbreviation for Korean pop music) but undoubtedly there is a recent surge of popularity of contemporary South Korean culture in the Philippines. This is evident even in the music scene.


MYX Daily Top 10 – May 14, 2010

10. "Telephone" - Lady Gaga Ft. Beyonce
9. "Love Like This" - SS501
8. "When I Look at You" - Miley Cyrus
7. "Fearless" - Taylor Swift
6. "Please Be Careful With My Heart" - Sarah Geronimo & Christian Bautista
5. "Vanilla Twilight" - Owl City
4. "Bingeul Bingeul" - U Kiss
3. "Run Devil Run" - Girls Generation
2. "Baby" - Justin Bieber
1. "Pyramid" - Charice Ft. Iyaz




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