I blog everywhere, this blog is a sponsored blog by The Philippine Star Supreme btw, but on a more personal level, i blog on less popular but equally robust blogging platforms such as Multiply and Blogger. But recently, i came across a blogging service that i thought i should recommend to my dear readers. This personal online journal or Blogging service is called Thoughts.com. Thoughts.com is special since it has a service that a blogger is able to set the privacy level to everyone, friends or family only to see. Sure, the other blogging platform has that too but it is susceptible to hacking because of sheer popularity, hackers seem to target the more popular ones for bragging rights. Thoughts.com offers even more than just free blogging too, you can also upload photos and videos to it, make or listen to podcasts, chat in the community forums and bookmark the latest news..

If you check out their website too, it has various contests especially on public online journal entries where a submitted entry can win prizes and cash for being chosen as a well-written, relevant blog entry. And not just written text entries, it also has a section for Featured Photos, it deems is deserving of front page view. That means from your blog photos alone you could gain traffic and some recognition from it.

So what are you waiting for, share your thoughts…

The host of Deal or No Deal United States, Howie Mandel, is currently in the country to do a special 2-hour episode for Deal Or No Deal ’s Around-the-World Tour. Howie Mandel and Kris Aquino will both host this special episode featuring American contestants as they play the Deal Or No Deal Filipino version, it will be directed by Bobet Vidanes and Winnie Cueva and will also feature the Filipina 26K Girls with their briefcases containing U.S. dollars and the local Banker as well. This will be shown in the U.S. on May 7 in NBC ( sosyal! ). Unfortunately, it will not be shown on local TV as of this time…but fortunately again, there is youTube for that..

Howie Mandel is an Emmy Award-winning actor for “St. Elsewhere” and “Bobby’s World”. He wants to show to American audiences how we Filipinos play the game show which is being aired in 50 other countries. Aside from the U.S. edition, Howie also hosts the Canadian edition called Deal or No Deal Canada.

How does Howie Mandel find Kris Aquino as the local host of Deal Or No Deal?

“I really like her,” he says. “I saw three of her past episodes and she’s so adorable, funny, very charming. I like even her gestures and all that. You have a different style of doing it here and we’re impressed. No wonder the Philippine version was chosen by Endemol to be one of the shows included in our tour.”

The Philippine episode will show Howie Mandel while visiting some of our tourists spots and shopping for souvenirs. “You’re a most gracious and warm people,” he says. “Every moment I spend here is great.”

According to Endemol executive Shannon Herlihy, the Philippines was chosen as part of the world tour because they find the local version of Deal Or No Deal “awesome and fun”. “The U.S. version is similar, but neither our models nor our audience dance and sing,” she adds.

ABS-CBN Business unit head Alou Almaden says they’re delighted to be part of the world tour. “It’s an honor and a testament to our creativity and talent in localizing a game show that has an international following.”

After Palos, Cesar Montano shines in The Singing Bee. The Singing Bee debuts this week on ABS-CBN primetime and posts impressive ratings. “The Singing Bee,” hosted by Cesar Montano, is essentially a videoke contest combined with a spelling bee. Contestants are not pressured to sing in tune but have to know the correct lyrics. A live band called the Bandble Bee, headed by Musical Director Mel Villena, plays the tunes that players will sing, while sexy dancers, dubbed as the Honeybees, dance to it. Just like a quiz bee, players will test their knowledge and hurdle several rounds before making it as a Singing Bee Champion. Watch The Singing Bee below, Cesar Montano as host, with Celebrity Contestants: Lassy, Atak, Kiray, Kitkat, Tuesday, and Erik.

Although highly doubted because no other survey firm conducts such an extensive overnight measurement, here are the Top 10 shows for daytime and primetime programming according to AGB Nielsen Philippines among Mega Manila (Metro Manila and neighboring provinces) households from April 21 to 24, 2008.

April 21 (Monday)

Daytime:
1. Eat Bulaga! (GMA-7) - 24.2%
2. Daisy Siete (GMA-7) - 21.2%
3. Maging Akin Ka Lamang (GMA-7) - 20.1%
4. Wowowee (ABS-CBN) - 17.1%
5. Pilipinas, Game KNB? (ABS-CBN) - 16.5%
6. Kaputol ng Isang Awit (GMA-7) - 15.9%
7. Da Big Show (GMA-7) - 15.4%
8. Prinsesa ng Banyera (ABS-CBN) - 10.6%
9. SiS (GMA-7) - 9.1%
10. Boy & Kris (ABS-CBN) - 7.7%

Primetime:
1. Joaquin Bordado (GMA-7) - 34.4%
2. Kamandag (GMA-7) - 33.9%
3. Babangon Ako’t Dudurugin Kita (GMA-7) - 26.9%
4. 24 Oras (GMA-7) - 26.4%
5. The Singing Bee (ABS-CBN) - 23.9%
6. Kung Fu Kids (ABS-CBN) - 23.5%
7. Lobo (ABS-CBN) - 22.3%
8. TV Patrol World (ABS-CBN) - 21.6%
9. Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition Plus (ABS-CBN) - 21%
10. The Legend (GMA-7) - 20%

April 22 (Tuesday)

Daytime:
1. Eat Bulaga! (GMA-7) - 21.1%
2. Maging Akin Ka Lamang (GMA-7) - 21.1%
3. Daisy Siete (GMA-7) - 20%
4. Wowowee (ABS-CBN) - 17.1%
5. Pilipinas, Game KNB? (ABS-CBN) - 16.8%
6. Kaputol ng Isang Awit (GMA-7) - 16.7%
7. Da Big Show (GMA-7) - 14.2%
8. El Cuerpo Deseo (ABS-CBN) - 13.6%
9. SiS (GMA-7) - 11.4%
10. Prinsesa ng Banyera (ABS-CBN) - 10.6%

Primetime:
1. Kamandag (GMA-7) - 36.7%
2. Joaquin Bordado (GMA-7) - 36.3%
3. Babangon Ako’t Dudurugin Kita (GMA-7) - 29.5%
4. 24 Oras (GMA-7) - 27.4%
5. The Singing Bee (ABS-CBN) - 24.7%
6. Kung Fu Kids (ABS-CBN) - 23.6%
7. Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition Plus (ABS-CBN) - 23.3%
8. TV Patrol World (ABS-CBN) - 21.9%
9. Lobo (ABS-CBN) - 21.6%
10. The Legend (GMA-7) - 19.9%

April 23 (Wedenesday)

Daytime:
1. Eat Bulaga! (GMA-7) - 22.4%
2. Maging Akin Ka Lamang (GMA-7) - 21.9%
3. Daisy Siete (GMA-7) - 20.7%
4. Kaputol ng Isang Awit (GMA-7) - 17%
5. Pilipinas, Game KNB? (ABS-CBN) - 16.8%
6. Wowowee (ABS-CBN) - 15.7%
7. Da Big Show (GMA-7) - 13%
8. El Cuerpo Deseo (ABS-CBN) - 12.8%
9. Prinsesa ng Banyera (ABS-CBN) - 11.6%
10. SiS (GMA-7) - 11%

Primetime:
1. Kamandag (GMA-7) - 34.2%
2. Joaquin Bordado (GMA-7) - 32.8%
3. Babangon Ako’t Dudurugin Kita (GMA-7) - 31.6%
4. 24 Oras (GMA-7) - 26.2%
5. The Singing Bee (ABS-CBN) - 25.4%
6. Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition Plus (ABS-CBN) - 24.7%
7. The Legend (GMA-7) - 22.6%
8. Kung Fu Kids (ABS-CBN) - 22.3%
9. Lobo (ABS-CBN) - 21.6%
10. Palos (ABS-CBN) - 20.5%

April 24 (Thursday)

Daytime:
1. Eat Bulaga! (GMA-7) - 21.2%
2. Daisy Siete (GMA-7) - 19.4%
3. Maging Akin Ka Lamang (GMA-7) - 18.9%
4. Pilipinas, Game KNB? (ABS-CBN) - 16%
5. Kaputol ng Isang Awit (GMA-7) - 15.9%
6. Wowowee (ABS-CBN) - 14.7%
7. El Cuerpo Deseo (ABS-CBN) - 13.1%
8. Da Big Show (GMA-7) - 12%
9. Prinsesa ng Banyera (ABS-CBN) - 10.8%
10. SiS (GMA-7) - 8.1%

Primetime:
1. Kamandag (GMA-7) - 32.4%
2. Joaquin Bordado (GMA-7) - 32.1%
3. Babangon Ako’t Dudurugin Kita (GMA-7) - 28%
4. 24 Oras (GMA-7) - 26.3%
5. The Singing Bee (ABS-CBN) - 25.2%
6. Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition Plus (ABS-CBN) - 25.1%
7. Lobo (ABS-CBN) - 24.7%
8. Kung Fu Kids (ABS-CBN) - 24.4%
9. The Legend (GMA-7) - 21.7%
10. Palos (ABS-CBN) - 20.2%

Source: AGB Nielsen Philippines

Sarah Larson, looks like Asian sometimes or Hispanic, came into the spotlight when she became the girlfriend of George Clooney at the time when George Clooney and Sarah Larson figured in a motorcycle accident in New York. Sarah Larson is a former part-time model and cocktail waitress in Las Vegas’s Palms Casino Resort. Recently, Sarah Larson caused a mini scandal when pictures of her leaked to the net, see the Sarah Larson pictures here, where some sector finds it scandalous and inappropriate considering she is George Clooney’s girlfriend. Ah the pitfalls of fame. I guess she did these all when she was still not dating George Clooney.

Sarah Larson was a contestant on the TV game show Fear Factor, where she won an episode of season five, partnered with her then-boyfriend Dan Randolph. Fear Factor should cash in on Sarah Larson and release her Fear Factor episode again. Sarah Larson definitely looks Asian anyway in most angle or half-American, half Asian, is she by any mile Filipino?

A 14-year-old Filipina is currently and QUIETLY giving the Philippines much needed honor. In a country where we tend to destroy ourselves, Charice Pempengco is a welcome breeze. Charice Pempengco has been featured not once but twice already on E! ’s The Daily 10, first as who sung ‘ And I am Telling You” better, Charice or American Idol’s Jennifer Hudson?(grabe na etoh!), yun pa lang, i was completely blown away na…then on Nov. 16, she was again on E’s The Daily 10, as Hollywood Royalty(!) together with Matt Damon who was voted as Sexiest Man Alive of 2007.

One of the biggest television networks in Korea, SBS invited her in October to perform in a TV show called Star King. She performed And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going from Dreamgirls, which is jaw-dropping, watch the video below. She sang and danced with Korean boy group, Super Junior in one number and then had a duet with Kyu Hyun from Super Junior.

Charice started in ABS-CBN’s singing contest for kids, Little Big Star in 2005. She was eliminated from the singing contest but luckily got a wildcard and ended up third in the Finals. Talk about how ABS nearly lost this talent! That speaks well of the usual judge they get for these contests!

She became a youtube star when a user posted her performance of Whitney Houston’s hit I Will Always Love You which she performed in Little Big Star. Another video that became a hit was a face-off video of her and equally talented America’s Got Talent’s winner Bianca Ryan.

A record company in Sweden took notice and she went to Sweden to record six songs, among which were 2 cover songs, Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You and Kate Bush’s original Running Up That Hill, plus four originals namely Amazing, All The Money In The World, It Can Only Get Better, and Born To Love You Forever. These songs will be released digitally soon.

On November 28, 2007, Ellen DeGeneres showed web videos of different people she wanted to guest on her show, Ellen, and one of those is that Korean performance of Charice, Ellen did a standing ovation after.

It has been confirmed that Charice will soon be flying to LA to be a guest on Ellen. O di ba…something to be proud of as a Filipino.