Big Brother welcomes new teen housemates

A week after Slater Young was named PBB (Pinoy Big Brother) Big Winner, Kuya again opened his house, this time for PBB Teen Edition 4.

PBB hosts Toni Gonzaga, Bianza Gonzalez, Robi Domingo, and John Prats welcomed the nine teen housemates in Big Brother’s house on Sunday, April 8. The first batch of housemates, who came dressed in retro fashion (reminiscent of Big Brother’s teenage years) that night, are Tom (Davao), Roy (Naga), Ryan (Angeles City), Yves (Tarlac), Vince (Rizal), Alec (Laguna), Keith (Pampanga), and twin sisters Joj and Jai (Bacolod).

Second batch

The second batch of housemates, who entered the house on Monday, April 9, are Claire (Makati), Karen (Mindoro), Clodet (Davao), Angelica (Batangas), Mariz (Cebu), and Myrtle (Ilo-ilo).

Big Brother briefed the new housemates about some of their tasks. Ryan and Roy’s mission, for instance, is to interact without using the sense of sight. Joj and Jai, on the other hand, must pretend that only one of them is a girl.

Big Brother advised the housemates to make the most of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity given to them and learn from their experiences inside the house.

“Ilan lang ang nabibigyan ng pagkakataon, nawa'y gamitin ninyo ang once-in-a-lifetime opportunity para baguhin ang inyong sarili, magkaroon ng mga bagong kaibigan at kapulutan ng aral ang aking mga tasks,” he said.

Housemates’ motivations

The teen housemates, who come from various backgrounds, have different reasons for entering the house. While some come from well-to-do families, Roy, a former construction worker and welder, entered the house to help his family.

“Para sa mga kapatid ko, importante po sila sa akin,” Roy said.

Ryan, known as the “Pilyong Binatilyo ng Angeles,” idolizes former PBB housemate-turnerd-actor Baron Geisler. “Kasi po pareho kaming pilyo, astig po ang mga trip nyo. Bilib po ako sa confidence niya,” Ryan
said.

The PBB Teen Edition has produced popular performers like Kim Chiu, Gerald Anderson, Ejay Falcon, Robi Domingo, Ryan Bang and Ivan Dorschner.

By Karen Valeza | Yahoo! Southeast Asia Newsroom

PBB Teen Housemate Spoiler: Tom Doromal

Spoilers have been surfacing on the internet as to the identities of the Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition 4 housemates based on the teaser that ABS-CBN released.

Could Tom Doromal be the Haciendero from Davao described as a farm boy-next-door who is of Chinese-American-British-Norwegian-Filipino descent? By wanderer || Full Story: Kapamilyalogy

Dream High on ABS-CBN

The most successful Korean Drama of 2011, Dream High will air on ABS-CBN starting April 16.

Dream High stars Suzy, Taecyeon, IU, Wooyoung, Ham Eun Jung and Kim Soo-hyun. The story is about six students of Kirin Art High School who wants to achieve their dreams of becoming stars in the Korean music industry. During the drama, the students learn how to develop their singing, songwriting and dancing skills while also undergoing personal growth. Each one of the students has his or her own strengths and weaknesses, but with the support and guidance of each other, they strive to make their dreams come true. By wanderer || Full Story: Kapamilyalogy

Instagram Sold to Facebook for $1 Billion

Instagram was bought by Facebook according to a message posted by Mark Zuckerberg. The purchase price of $1 billion will be paid in cash and Facebook shares.

Here's what  Mark Zuckerberg said on his blog post:

 "I'm excited to share the news that we've agreed to acquire Instagram and that their talented team will be joining Facebook.

For years, we've focused on building the best experience for sharing photos with your friends and family. Now, we'll be able to work even more closely with the Instagram team to also offer the best experiences for sharing beautiful mobile photos with people based on your interests.

We believe these are different experiences that complement each other. But in order to do this well, we need to be mindful about keeping and building on Instagram's strengths and features rather than just trying to integrate everything into Facebook.

That's why we're committed to building and growing Instagram independently. Millions of people around the world love the Instagram app and the brand associated with it, and our goal is to help spread this app and brand to even more people.

We think the fact that Instagram is connected to other services beyond Facebook is an important part of the experience. We plan on keeping features like the ability to post to other social networks, the ability to not share your Instagrams on Facebook if you want, and the ability to have followers and follow people separately from your friends on Facebook.

These and many other features are important parts of the Instagram experience and we understand that. We will try to learn from Instagram's experience to build similar features into our other products. At the same time, we will try to help Instagram continue to grow by using Facebook's strong engineering team and infrastructure.

This is an important milestone for Facebook because it's the first time we've ever acquired a product and company with so many users. We don't plan on doing many more of these, if any at all. But providing the best photo sharing experience is one reason why so many people love Facebook and we knew it would be worth bringing these two companies together.

We're looking forward to working with the Instagram team and to all of the great new experiences we're going to be able to build together."

Instagram rocketed to 30 million iOS users in 18 months and was named iPhone app of the year in 2011. It is one of the best apps for taking and sharing photos from the iPhone. Its square images and assorted image filters let anyone make retro, techno and pretty pictures out of mundane shots of their kids, pets, food. Instagram's Android version, released last week, got millions of downloads immediately. But $1 billion, if true, is still a crazy number. Instagram doesn't make any money. Nor did it say it was focusing on revenue. It is still chasing big users. Kevin Systrom, Instagram's CEO, wrote this to calm down his users in response to the deal. An excerpt:

"It's important to be clear that Instagram is not going away. We'll be working with Facebook to evolve Instagram and build the network. We'll continue to add new features to the product and find new ways to create a better mobile photos experience."

It's not clear what the Facebook deal means for the Series B funding round that may have closed last week led by Sequoia Capital, Thrive, Benchmark and Greylock at a reported $500 million valuation. But the fact that Facebook would pay 2x what the company was supposedly worth within a week's time suggests this is a defensive move. It certainly isn't desperate for more users (most if not all of whom are already on Facebook.)

Fred Wilson has said that Facebook is really about photos and this only underscores that. The mobile-social photo sector is still amorphously led but if anyone is harmed by this deal it is Yahoo. Facebook is really going after its Flickr property here, to put the nail further in Yahoo's coffin. (To its discredit, Yahoo hasn't done anything with Flickr lately). Zuckerberg is playing chess, making a defining move in how it stands in the photo space. It's like what Google did with YouTube.

One problem this will solve for Instagram's 30-something million users is that sharing an Instagram photo on Facebook from your phone pretty much sucks right now. Here comes the much needed integration: bigger photos, more detailed info about the filters, etc. Right now all you get when you post an Instagram photo on Facebook from your phone is a small link and a thumbnail image. A better integration will stimulate more sharing through Instagram.

But a $1 billion for 30 million users that pay nothing for the service? Sounds crazy but consider this: Instagram is getting bought for $33 per user. Facebook is supposedly trading with a market cap of close to $100 billion and has 850 million users, giving it a value of $117 per user. So it looks like a decent bit of funny-money arbitrage, using well-endowed Facebook shares to acquire users and solidify hold of a strategic asset at a lower valuation. We don't yet know how much of the deal is in cash vs. stock, so this calculation could be less favorable sounding but it still makes sense with Facebook currency.
-Source

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Louis Oosthuizen Loses with Bubba Watson on the 76th Masters

Louis Oosthuizen failed to beat Bubba Watson on second playoff hole of the 76th Masters.
In the end, Bubba Watson was the albatross around Louis Oosthuizen's neck.

If anyone in the entire field of the 76th Masters should have been dumbstruck, immobilized and incapacitated by Oosthuizen's historic and almost unbelievable double eagle at the 575-yard par-5 second hole on Easter Sunday, it should have been Watson, who played with "West-hi-zen" and took the full impact of his two, his deuce, on the jaw.

Instead, Watson, who fell four shots behind at that hole, proved that four birdies in a row - at the 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th holes - can neutralize even a 3-under-par albatross. No such thing is supposed to happen after a nearly unprecedented shot - a 235-yard 4-iron that spun dead sideways and trickled 60 feet into the hole on the last turn. In the first Masters, Gene Sarazen's double eagle on the 15th hole was the margin of victory and one of the original pieces of lore that helped make the Masters so famous.

Watson, from Florida's Panhandle, caught the crisp, precise South African after 70 holes at 10 under. Then the lefty Watson, who dressed in white head to toe all week, beat Oosthuizen on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff with a stupendously powerful recovery shot which he hooked through a tunnel in the Georgia pinewoods. For degree-of-difficulty in the elite golf world, it easily outstripped the double eagle.

Before his final, winning 6-inch putt, Watson called for silence and a moment to compose himself. His feelings run so high, so close to the surface, that it wasn't entirely a joke. Only a month ago, he and his wife, Angie, adopted their first child, Caleb. Everybody loves Watson, a natural-born blubberer. He wears his emotions on his sleeve, except when they slip down to his wrist. He cries if his eggs are cooked right.

"I never got this far in my dreams," said a red-eyed Watson, whose late father was in the U.S. special forces.

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Pinoy Big Brother (PBB) Teen Edition Season 4 Official Housemates Bared

Pinoy Big Brother (PBB) Teen Edition season 4 kicks off with the introduction of 9 housemates (7 guys and 2 girls) who entered the PBB house on Sunday night, April 8, 2012.

At least 12 teen housemates will be spending the summer of their lives carrying out tasks in the closely-monitored Big Brother house for eight weeks. 9 were revealed during the "The Funtastic Kickoff" by hosts Toni Gonzaga, Bianca Gonzalez, Robi Domingo, and additional host, actor-dancer John Prats.

John, a former housemate and the Second Big Placer of "PBB Celebrity Edition Plus", returned to the program as a regular host.

From 22,305 teen auditionees, 7 guys and 2 girls (who happen to be identical twins) have made the final cut and already entered the Pinoy Big Brother house. The remaining female housemates will be introduced on Monday night, April 9.

The seven male housemates who entered the PBB house on Sunday night (Day 1) are:

Alec Brandon Dungo – "Tsinito Gwapito ng Laguna"
Kit Thompson – "Kid Tangkad ng Pampanga"
Vernon "Roy" Calara – "Boy Sipag ng Naga"
Ryan Boyce – "Pilyong Binatilyo ng Angeles"
Tom Olaf Doromal – "Bukid Prince ng Davao"
Yves Romeo "Yro" Flores – "Masunuring Son ng Tarlac"
Vince – "Bunsoy Tisoy ng Rizal"

The two female teen housemates are:

Joj and Jai – "Double Biba ng BacolodShare By JED || Full Story @ Showbiznest

Ejay Falcon Finally Gets the Blessing of Empress’ Father

"Mundo Man ay Magunaw" lead stars Empress and Ejay Falcon continue to thrill and excite fans as the relationship of their characters Sheryl and Niko deepens further with the approval of Sheryl's father.

Amid the different conflicts that Sheryl's family is facing, can their relationship withstand all the hardships and trials that are about to come their way? Meanwhile, now that Olivia (Eula Valdes) has dropped all charges against Doña Alicia (Tessie Tomas), will her sacrifice bring her closer to her daughter Jenny (Nikki Gil)? Can Doña Alicia find it in her heart to forgive Jenny once she discovers that her granddaughter talked to Olivia to drop the case? Will Lanie's (Sylvia Sanchez) prayers for Dante's (Emilio Garcia) love finally be answered?

Don't miss the shocking and heart pounding revelations in "Mundo Man ay Magunaw," weekdays at 2:30 pm, after "It's Showtime" on ABS-CBN's Kapamilya Gold. For more updates, log on to www.abs-cbn.com, follow @abscbndotcom on Twitter or 'like' their Facebook fan page http://www.facebook.com/mundomanaymagunaw.Share By JED || Full Story @ Showbiznest

Matt Evans Trends on Twitter with Intense Portrayal in ‘Angelito: Batang Ama’

Actor Matt Evans was all over Twitter world last Monday (April 2) as netizens tweeted about his intense portrayal as Rolan in ABS-CBN's hit afternoon soap "Angelito: Batang Ama."

Tweets commending him as an actor and condemning his character in the series overflowed and made it to the top trending topics that day. In this talked about scene, Rolan held his own nephew Jun-Jun (Joshen Bernardo) hostage and accidentally shot his sister Rosalie (Charee Pineda) after she caught the bullet supposedly aimed at Angelito (JM De Guzman). Rosalie is out of danger now and the incident paved the way for Angelito and Rosalie's dad to make amends.

Will this open doors for Rosalie and Angelito to get back together? Can Jenny endure the pain of seeing Angelito always concerned for Rosalie? Will Rolan finally stop or will he remain a threat to Angelito's family? Don't miss the final week of "Angelito: Batang Ama," weekdays, 3:15 PM after "Mundo Man ay Magunaw" in ABS-CBN's Kapamilya Gold. Follow @Batang_Ama on Twitter, AngelitoBatangAma on Facebook and YouTube. Tweet your thoughts, comments, and suggestions using the hashtag #AngelitoBatangAma.Share By JED || Full Story @ Showbiznest

The Client List Disclosed a Shockibng Masseuse's Secrets

"The Client List", a series based on a 2010 cable movie and now airs on Lifetime, offers a bizarrely syrupy take on a tawdry enterprise.

Jennifer Love Hewitt goes from Ghost Whisperer to John Whisperer in this silly series based on a 2010 cable movie. That film also starred Hewitt, with Cybill Shepherd as her mother. The characters in the TV series have different names - but the same relationship. Shepherd again plays the mother. And the show has the same premise as the movie.

Hewitt stars as Riley, a woman who's devastated when her husband (Brian Hallisay) runs off after she lands a job as a massage therapist at a spa (called The Rub) in an effort to better their financial situation.

Riley soon learns that if she wants to make big money at the spa, she has to be willing to give "extras." At first she resists but, after a montage of unattractive male and elderly women clients, she gives in. Suddenly she's rolling in dough and all her clients are chiseled hunks. Because I'm sure that's how it works in real life.

"The Client List" plays hard-to-get about what exactly these "extras" are that Riley gives the guys. She's maybe-sorta a prostitute, but the show's tone is light, frothy and downright sentimental when Riley gives emotional support to her male clients.

In one scene, she wears a nightgown the client bought her, but most of the time in the premiere episode she's shown interacting with a massage client who just needs a good listener. Later, she has a sob-sister moment with the man's wife after the woman stalks Riley.

"In all my years, I've never known one of my girls to save a marriage," says Riley's boss, Georgia (Loretta Devine), who's more den mother than madam to Riley and her co-workers.

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Anne Graham Lotz Declines to Support an Atheist Presidential Candidate

Anne Graham Lotz, the daughter of famous televangelist Rev. Billy Graham, said on Sunday that she would never vote for an atheist to be president.

Lotz said that an atheist isn't fit to run the country because they do not have a fear of the almighty God.

 "I would not vote for a man who was an atheist because I believe you need to have an acknowledgement or a reverence or a fear for almighty God. And I believe that's where wisdom comes from." she said.

The International Business Times reports that Lotz made the comments during an appearance on "Meet The Press," where Archbishop William Lori, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, Rep. Raul Labrador, Governor John Kasich, Senator Dick Durbin, and Jon Meacham argued over the value of faith in the political world.

Lotz's comments may seem controversial, but the majority of the American public agrees. According to a Gallup poll from 2007, 53% of Americans said that they would not vote for an atheist.

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