'FRINGE' 3.11 - "Reciprocity"

There were some elements of "Reciprocity" I really enjoyed, and it was fantastic to get forward momentum on the "doomsday device" that Massive Dynamic have managed to piece together, minus the supposed power source that Fauxlivia stole. It's a little ridiculous this machine (apparently built, dismantled and hidden by the "First People" hundreds of millions of years ago), is still in working order and was so easily reconstructed by another civilization so easily, but I can go with it.

Unfortunately, while this all delighted me, this week's storyline was ultimately rather dull and designed to make Peter (Joshua Jackson) feel more integral to the show. It's a pity, but Peter has always been the weak link on Fringe: a character almost entirely built on what he means to other people (the son Walter stole and raised as his own; the man both Olivia's fell in love with; the vital cog for Walternate's doomsday device.) The series introduced Peter as a mysterious prodigy who's been around the world and has connections in the underworld, but you rarely get a flavour of that. Occasionally, Fringe will remember what Peter was originally supposed to be and, if it helps the story, have him take Olivia (Anna Torv) to see one of his off-the-record contacts (like that eccentric bookkeeper) who may be able to deliver enough exposition to aide the plot.

"Reciprocity" again pushed the idea that Peter has some weird communion with the First People's technology, as his very presence seemed to awaken the machine and gave him an instant nosebleed. It's all quite fascinating. Is the machine reacting to Peter in particular? It would appear so, otherwise Walternate could just use someone else to power it and destroy the prime universe. Or is Peter "special" because he's spent so much time in a dimension he wasn't born in? But again, Peter's really just being used as a plot-device: a human battery. This episode was primarily about trying to stop someone who's killing various shape-shifters trying to destroy the data contained in Fauxlivia's journal that she left behind, with the twist being that the serial-killer was Peter, who claims he'd fed up being reactive to situations, making Walter (John Noble) hypothesize the doomsday device has someone "weaponized" him. If true, it's again unfortunate that Peter only exhibits interesting qualities when he's under the influence of strange technology and not because of natural, explicable changes in his persona.

It was also rather laughable how Josh Singer's script tackled an early situation with a "mole" in Fringe Division, as the episode had spent such a conspicuously long time on a scientist character Walter took an instant dislike to that the mystery was spoiled before it even had a chance to be nurtured. There was one moment where the guilty scientist was framed in the shot seconds after the declaration of a mole was made, which was almost comical. They might as well have stuck an Austin Power-style mole on the actor's cheek and referred to him as "Dr. Mol" throughout the whole episode.

Overall, "Reciprocity" was an episode of good moments hanging from the backbone of a weak storyline. It appreciated Olivia realizing Peter is embarrassed about having fallen for Fauxlivia's wiles, and deciding to give their relationship another chance, too. It risked becoming torturous to keep having Olivia chastise Peter for being unable to tell her apart from her doppelganger, so I'm glad the writers have ended that. Having Olivia realize that Fauxlivia genuinely loved Peter, from what she's written about him in her journal, was also a good move. Now it's clearer to us that Fauxlivia wasn't faking everything while on her mission and the sci-fi love-triangle has some integrity to it.

What did you think? This wasn't a bad episode, but I thought it was a largely underwhelming way to deliver some information.

Asides

• I loved the moment when Walter himself referred to the alternate Olivia as "Fauxlivia". Fringe's writers apparently use "Bolivia" in scripts, but obviously realized that the wittier term "Fauxlivia", coined by fans, was a better option. I'm glad. It's also just fun to see a form of interaction going on between the show and its audience.
• Walter's now re-growing the brain cells William Bell extracted from his head, in order to improve his IQ. But didn't Bell just take away chunks of Walter's brain containing specific memories?

WRITER: Josh Singer
DIRECTOR: Jeannot Szwarc
TRANSMISSION: 28 January 2011, Fox, 9/8c

READ MORE - 'FRINGE' 3.11 - "Reciprocity"

'BEING HUMAN' 3.2 - "Adam's Family"

As a comedy-drama, I prefer it when Being Human's tackling serious subjects and significant situations with humour as a pressure release valve, as it did last week. "Adam's Family" was ostensibly an example of the show doing exactly that, but I thought its black comedy suffocated the sincerity and, frankly, Brian Dooley's script wasn't funny or dramatic enough for me to care. In some instances, it was also too self-consciously silly for my taste.

Adam (Craig Roberts) is a 46-year-old vampire trapped in the body of a teenage boy, since at least 1985, when his sympathetic mum and dad started to quench his rapacious thirst by offering him their own blood. It was an arrangement that has led to his parent's premature deaths, and Adam being mollycoddled into arrested development. Having spent the past few decades literally suckling his parents "milk", Adam's suddenly forced to cope with the realities of his vampire independence, after he's taken under the wing of George (Russell Tovey) and Nina (Sinead Keenan), to the dismay of Mitchell (Aidan Turner), who doesn't want a voracious young vampire as a lodger now he's resumed his blood abstinence.

Meanwhile, Annie (Lenora Crichlow) was so grateful to have been liberated from Purgatory by the selfless Mitchell that she decided to become his "guardian angel" and help him get a job at a local hospital. And later, Mitchell was approached by a representative of the vampire "Old Ones", affable Richard Hargreaves (Mark Lewis Jones), who want him to leave for South America to escape the police investigation into the "Box Tunnel 20" train massacre.

There was undoubtedly a strong idea beating at the heart of this episode, concerning parental responsibilities. The four regular characters offer us different perspectives on life with a supernatural condition, but Adam's arrival offered something relatively fresh; a smart aleck adolescent unafraid to make lewd or disparaging remarks. Unfortunately, while it was a fun idea to see everyone cope with morose Adam and his petulant quips, he lost his edge when he was palmed off to Mr Hargreaves and his wife Emma (Melanie Walters), who were soon revealed to be bourgeoisie vampires who siphon blood from a willing "gimp" (Morgan James) they keep locked in their basement, and host depraved parties with their fanged friends. Adam quickly shrunk into the background once the oddball Hargreaves's stole the plot, in a storyline that wound up feeling like a feeble League Of Gentlemen sketch.

My issues with Annie reared their head again, as I find Lenora Crichlow's lively performance often becomes irritating, particularly when she ruined Mitchell's job interview with hospital administrator Nita Mawulawde (Anita Reynolds) by accidentally making him appear to be insane. A scene ripped straight out of the Ghost Comedy Writing handbook that fell flat because it wasn't inventive with the clichéd "man talking to a ghost looks crazy to normal people" idea. Crichlow's far better when she's given serious moments to bite into (like her lovely scene with Mitchell on the pier), as broad comedy just feels forced with her.

On the plus side, partnering Annie with Mitchell and teasing us with the potential of a romance might help keep Annie more interesting than usual, as ghosts are so difficult to write (even with the irritating fact Annie can touch people and objects, which surely makes her more Invisible Woman than spirit.) The downside is that we'll maybe see less of Mitchell and George as buddies, and their close friendship is a big part of the reason Being Human works. In bringing Nina into their social circle, she seems to have become glued to George's hip and, while Tovey and Keenan are funny together (remember last week's prison break?), a part of me pines for the classic trio with Nina as a semi-regular. Obviously, TV shows evolve and we should be glad Being Human isn't lazily resetting things every year (as the Syfy remake is more liable to), so I'll reserve final judgement on the wisdom of splitting the characters into Mitchell/Annie and George/Nina double-acts, for now.

Craig Roberts (Young Dracula) left a good impression as Adam, despite being lumbered with awkward sexual dialogue even The Office's Gareth Keenan would be too embarrassed to say aloud, but it was a shame his character was overwhelmed by the Hargreaves's when the story shifted focus. The whole situation with George and Nina leaving Adam in the care of the Hargreaves' wasn't believable, either, which the script essentially admitted and tried to turn into a joke when they had seconds thoughts about their decision immediately after returning home.

Overall, I predict I'll be in the minority over this episode, if the Twitter reaction is anything to go by, but "Adam's Family" just didn't work for me. It was two half-decent ideas welded together, each one sucking the life from the other. I'd have preferred to see more focus on Adam as a problem child for the characters to contend with, which was working well until the Hargreaves and their hackneyed sex party took over.

Asides

• Knowing that Aidan Turner's joined Peter Jackson's The Hobbit, there's a distinct possibility he'll be written out of Being Human soon. Three years is a fairly long time for an actor to remain in a role that, frankly, doesn't seem to be offering much new for him. We're being teased that Mitchell's destined to die from a "wolf-shaped bullet" this year, so who else thinks Mitchell's a goner?
• You may not have known this, but "Adam's Family" also works as setup to the online webseries Becoming Human, which follows Adam's life.
• Week two and there's still no sign of the resurrected Herrick. Or the "McNairwolves", which was more of a shame. I've copyrighted the term "McNairwolves", by the way.

WRITER: Brian Dooley
DIRECTOR: Colin Teague
TRANSMISSION: 30 January 2011, BBC3/HD, 9PM

READ MORE - 'BEING HUMAN' 3.2 - "Adam's Family"

Poll: Will you be watching Sky Atlantic?

Sky Atlantic premieres on 1 February, with its lineup of US drama that includes the majority of HBO's programming. Shows on the way include Boardwalk Empire, Blue Bloods, Treme, Weeds, Entourage, The Sopranos, Game Of Thrones, Mad Men, etc.

SkyA is initially free to all Sky subscribers for six-months, before becoming exclusive to subscribers of Sky's "Variety" pack. There are currently no plans to make SkyA available to non-Sky customers, such as Virgin Media or BT Vision viewers.

So, with the channel less than 24-hours from its long-awaited launch, will you be watching Sky Atlantic? And if not, do you intend to? Or will you download its programming from the internet, or wait to buy DVD box-sets?

Vote in my poll below, and leave a comment:

The poll will close on 4 February @5pm (GMT). The result will be revealed at the weekend.

READ MORE - Poll: Will you be watching Sky Atlantic?

TV Picks: 31 January – 6 February 2011 ('Apprentice USA', 'Boardwalk Empire', 'Harry Hill's TV Burp', 'Hawaii Five-0', 'Louis Theroux', 'Marchlands', 'The Promise', 'Secret Diary Of A Call Girl', etc.)

Every Monday I browse the UK television schedules for the coming week, selecting each day's best new shows. Below you'll find the result of that work...

MONDAY 31st

The Battle for Bomb Alley: Panorama (BBC1, 8.30pm) Documentary investigating the differences between the coalition forces fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Storyville: Meet The Climate Skeptics (BBC4, 10pm) Documentary on the skepticism about global warming that has started to influence the public's perception of the environmental issue.

TUESDAY 1st

The Apprentice USA (BBC1, 12.20am) Season 6 of the US version of the business reality gameshow. Stars Donald Trump.
Extraordinary Dogs (Channel 5, 7.30pm) Documentary on rescue dogs from around the world.
A Farmer's Life For Me (BBC2, 8pm) Eight-part series where nine couples get the chance to trial a rural lifestyle. Hosted by Jimmy Doherty.
The Betty Driver Story (ITV, 8pm) Documentary on the career of soap actress Betty Driver, who plays Betty in Coronation Street.
Let The Stories Begin (Sky1, 8pm) Preview of Sky Atlantic's TV offerings, featuring interviews with Jon Hamm, Sean Bean & Kelly Macdonald. Presented by Mariella Frostrup.
The Vampire Diaries (ITV2, 9pm) Season 2 of the US teen vampire drama continues.
Boardwalk Empire (Sky Atlantic, 9pm) Season 1 of the US gangster drama set during 1920s Prohibition. Stars Steve Buscemi & Kelly Macdonald. This feature-length pilot is directed by Martin Scorsese.
Do We Really Need The Moon? (BBC2, 9pm) Documentary on the moon and its influence on the Earth. Presented by Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock.
Secret Diary Of A Call Girl (ITV2, 10pm) Series 4 of the risque drama about a high-class prostitute. Stars Billie Piper.
Jersey Shore (MTV, 10pm) Season 3 of the US reality drama.
Blue Bloods (Sky Atlantic, 10.30pm) Season 1 of US cop drama. Stars Tom Selleck, Donnie Wahlberg & Bridget Moynahan.

WEDNESDAY 2nd

Beauty & The Beast: Ugly Face Of Prejudice (Channel 4, 8pm) Six-part series about people and their struggle with their physical appearance.
Gossip Girl (ITV2, 8pm) Season 2 of the US drama continues. Stars Blake Lively & Leighton Meester.
Midsomer Murders (ITV1, 8pm) Final episode of the mystery drama to star John Nettles as Detective Barnaby.
Who Gets The Best Jobs? (BBC2, 9pm) Documentary on social equality in the UK. Presented by Richard Bilton.

THURSDAY 3rd

Livingstone: Serious Explorers (BBC1, 4.30pm) Seven children follow in the footsteps of legendary explorer Dr Livingtone.
Louis Theroux: The Ultra Zionists (BBC2, 9pm) Documentary where quirky journalist Louis Theroux spends time with a subculture of Jewish settlers on the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Marchlands (ITV1, 9pm) Five-part supernatural drama about three families living in the same house, across three separate eras ('60s, '80s and '10s), all linked by the tragic death of a girl in 1967. Stars Jodie Whittaker, Denis Lawson, Tessa Peake-Jones, Dean Andrews, Alex Kingston, Elliot Cowan, Jamie Thomas King & Sydney Wade.
Abraham Lincoln: Saint Or Sinner (BBC4, 9pm) Documentary on the famous US President's enduring legacy and political reputation.
Lunch Monkeys (BBC3, 10.30pm) Series 2 of the sitcom.

FRIDAY 4th

Law & Order (Channel 5, 10pm) Season 17 of the US crime drama.
Welcome To Romford (Channel 4, 7.30pm) Documentary on a minicab firm in Romford.

SATURDAY 5th

The Lock Up (BBC3, 12.15am) Eight-part documentary following police officers in Hull.
Harry Hill's TV Burp (ITV1, 7pm) Series 11 of the show where madcap comedian Harry Hill takes a comical look at the week's television.
Faulks On Fiction (BBC2, 9pm) Four-part series where Sebastian Faulks examines the British novel.

SUNDAY 6th

Masterchef New Zealand (Watch, 7pm) Kiwi version of the popular culinary challenge show.
The People's Supermarket (Channel 4, 8pm) New series where restauranteur Arthur Potts Dawson tries to create a new type of supermarket.
The Promise (Channel 4, 9pm) Four-part drama following parallel stories of a teenage Londoner visiting her grandfather in Israel, and a British soldier in 1940s Palestine. Stars Claire Foy, Christian Cooke, Itay Tiran, Katharina Schuttler & Perdita Weeks.
Hawaii Five-0 (Sky1, 9pm) Remake of the action cop drama. Stars Alex O'Loughlin, Scott Caan, Daniel Dae Kim & Grace Park.
Freddie Flintoff Versus The World (ITV1, 10.45pm) Eight-part series following the laddish ex-cricketer around the world, competing against other sportsmen. In this opener, Flintoff is joined by fellow cricketer Darren Gough in Mexico.

READ MORE - TV Picks: 31 January – 6 February 2011 ('Apprentice USA', 'Boardwalk Empire', 'Harry Hill's TV Burp', 'Hawaii Five-0', 'Louis Theroux', 'Marchlands', 'The Promise', 'Secret Diary Of A Call Girl', etc.)

Piolo Pascual and KC Concepcion relationship confirmed in The Buzz

It’s official, Piolo Pascual and KC Concepction are now in a relationship. Piolo admitted it in The Buzz.

A neatly groomed Piolo Pascual dressed in white polo shirt and jeans made the afternoon show The Buzz worth watching. In Charlene Gonzales’ segment Straight from the Heart, Piolo sat comfortably but vocally admitting that he’s nervous because of the issue that he had to answer. The crowd went wild when Piolo came in as Charlene commented positively on the warm admiration shown by the audience for Piolo.

The interview started with Charlene congratulating Piolo for having been chosen by the University of Santo Tomas as one of its four awardees who were built with a man-size replica. Piolo revealed that he was teary-eyed while the statue was being unveiled as his mom told him that, for her, it was the best award that he has ever received as an actor. He then thanked the administration of UST for giving him the opportunity to finish college without so much pressure.

The conversation then switched to the gift given by Piolo’s mom to him as he read the message of his mom tearfully. He confirmed that his mom had so much difficulty during her pregnancy because he has been in her womb for ten months. He further said that he already had his two front teeth when he was born and his mother craved for “champoy” when she was pregnant.

Charlene then asked him if he would allow his son Inigo to enter the showbiz industry as many fans were rooting for him after his appearance in ASAP. Piolo replied that he wants his son to finish his studies first, even high school but if that is what Inigo wants, he will support him. He revealed that his son is now into music and as a father he will back him up for whatever he wants.

The most exciting part of the interview came in when Charlene asked about the status of his lovelife. Straightforwardly, she asked if Piolo is in love with KC Concepcion to which Piolo answered with a meaningful smile. Charlene then asked if he and KC are in a relationship. Trembling and perspiring, Piolo affirmed the fact that they have been together since October 21 last year. He stated that it took him two years to finally get KC’s yes. And he is thankful because the whole family of KC is very accommodating to him.

When she was asked by Charlene if KC is the girl he wants to spend his life with, Piolo answered that it took him eight years to finally fall in love again and he would not confirm it in public, if KC is not the girl he wants to marry. He ended saying that whatever he feels right now, he owes it to the public, to his family and of course to the one whom he calls “My Princess”, KC Concepcion.

READ MORE - Piolo Pascual and KC Concepcion relationship confirmed in The Buzz

'SPARTACUS: GODS OF THE ARENA' - "Missio"

I'm relieved to see Gods Of The Arena quickly reaching the highs it took Blood & Sand half a season to achieve. The writers clearly understand their show now and, despite feeling that a few ideas are being recycled with different characters, "Missio" delivered more of the deviousness and sharp emotion that became so compelling last year. In the wake of Batiatus (John Hannah) being beaten in the street by flaxen Tullius (Stephen Lovatt) and pressured to remove his gladiators from competition, this week the battered lanista unleashed a plan to go over the head of Tullius by endearing his fighters to the game's visiting organizer Varrus, with a little help from his wife's friend Gaia (Jaime Murray).

A key feature of Spartacus is how the institutionalized slaves come to realize they're just meat-sacks, to be controlled on the whim of their master, often at the expense of their self-respect, principles, sexual orientation, moral code, and physical or emotional wellbeing. Batiatus isn't as callous as he was in Blood & Sand, and his marriage is certainly much stronger with Lucretia (Lucy Lawless) because she hasn't yet started her affair with Crixus (Manu Bennett), so it was interesting to see him look a little disgusted with himself when entertaining Varrus took unexpected turns: such as allowing champion Gannicus (Dustin Clare) to have sex with slave girl Melitta (Marisa Ramirez), the beautiful wife of his most trusted gladiator Oenomaus, just to satisfy their guest's taste for voyeurism. It was a surprisingly difficult scene to watch for viewers, too -- knowing the irony that Gannicus boasted to Melitta that he can fuck his way out of most situations, and the show's done a solid job selling the devotion Melitta has for her faithful husband Oenomaus, which was being despoiled behind his back.

"We do what we must in this house" Melitta told her husband after her humiliating experience, just as Oenomaus himself had been given a similarly abrasive wake-up call when Doctore (Temuera Morrison), angry at news he's to be replaced by Oenomaus, challenged his successor to a no-holds barred fight that led to his unfortunate death. And with Doctore's demise leading to Oenomaus's succession, thus comes the end of the gladiator's dream of returning to the arena and reclaiming the glory that's since been taken by Gannicus, the man who's also now betrayed him with his wife. The writers are once again doing a great job building relationship drama by twisting characters and their situations into tough shapes. These are soap-like stories, but the added zest of its ancient setting gives everything a strong punch.

Also fun to see Crixus rising from his lowly position as a mere slave, desperate to achieve the mark of the Brotherhood and prove himself a worthy gladiator, even growing close to besting Gannicus in a fight overseen by Varrus. It seems that Crixus has the Spartacus role this year, while Gaia (who clearly fancies the Gaul) is being written as an early version of evil Ilithyia from Blood & Sand -- although, as of right now, she seems very genuine. Perhaps she'll end up getting close to Crixus, only for a jealous Lucretia to steal him away from her, which will result in an acrimonious breakup to their friendship. Part of the fun with prequels is trying to guess how certain events come to pass, and we know that Gaia won't be around.

Overall, this was an impressive second episode and I was pleased to see so much happening (aided by the extended 52-minute runtime of Starz dramas), but more importantly it's great that new characters like Gaia and Gannicus already feel like part of the furniture. This is a great sign for Blood & Sand's second season, which returns later this year with Liam McIntyre replacing Andy Whitfield in the title role.

What do you make of Gods Of The Arena so far? If it avoiding the pitfalls most prequels face, or are you slightly bored because you know certain characters won't die. In "Missio", there was a moment of high drama when Crixus's life was put in the hands of Gaia, who could have ordered his death, but we know from Blood & Sand that Crixus is safe and will eventually become the Champion of Capua. Does this damage the show Gods Of The Arena too much, or should we just focus our attention more on the characters whose fates are a mystery to us, and treat the rest as enjoyable back-story brought to vibrant, blood-spattered life?

WRITERS: Maurissa Tancharoen & Jed Whedon
DIRECTOR: Rick Jacobson
TRANSMISSION: 28 January 2011, Starz, 9/8c

READ MORE - 'SPARTACUS: GODS OF THE ARENA' - "Missio"

'PRIMEVAL' 4.6

After last week's relative triumph, it was back down to earth with a bump for the penultimate episode of what's been a disjointed, frustrating comeback year for Primeval. The only indisputable success has been the enhanced quality of the CG (by virtue of the show's upgrade to HD), even if the creatures still rarely look like they exist in their environments or interact believably with the actors.

This week, an anomaly was detected at a stately home, so Matt (Ciarán McMenamin), Connor (Andrew-Lee Potts) and Abby (Hannah Spearritt) were sent to investigate, with time-traveller Emily (Ruth Bradley) tagging along under Matt's supervision. Arriving at the site, the team realized a group of Hyaenodon's (prehistoric hyenas) have been let loose in the building, which is currently the venue for a lavish wedding. And, coincidentally, the bride-to-be was none other than former ARC member Jenny Lewis (Lucy Brown), who it's revealed has kept her dino-fighting past a secret from milquetoast fiancé Michael. Meanwhile, Becker (Ben Mansfield) was tasked with hunting down errant Victorian desperado Ethan (Jonathan Byrne), eventually discovering his warehouse hideout, but finding himself in a precarious situation when he blundered inside and tripped one of Ethan's booby-traps. Fortunately, Jess (Ruth Kearney) was available to help him defuse Ethan's bomb, having accompanied her beloved Becker on his stakeout.

Unsurprisingly, this was another Primeval formula of "unusual setting" + "primitive beasts". The location and Hyaenodon's didn't offer anything terribly compelling, however, and to be honest the episode struggled to make this situation work. Why would Jenny want her big day to go ahead, if she's been made aware by her former colleagues that there's a pack of ravenous Hyaenodon's on the premises, who could easily attack and kill one of her guests? Why were the ARC team willing to go along with Jenny's idea of quietly continuing their mission without interrupting proceedings, knowing the clear risk to human life? And why did Abby and Emily seem to forget themselves and join Jenny for an impromptu girl's night in, before slipping on some slinky dresses and becoming part of the wedding ceremony the next morning? It also stuck out as being very rude of Jenny not to have invited Abby, Connor and Lester (Ben Miller) to her wedding to begin with, and the episode suffered from its chronic budget issues of being unable to populate any location with characters beyond the regulars. The sense of peril was therefore drastically reduced, as the wedding guests seemed to vanish into thin air until they were required for a few brief scenes.

This isn't croquet, this is "Extreme Croquet"

Putting aside the myriad nitpicks of this episode, it was mildly enjoyable to see the lovely Lucy Brown make a guest-starring return, despite the fact her drippy character was never very interesting and did nothing here to dissuade me otherwise. Jenny's relationship with Michael could have been the emotional backbone to the episode (a storyline about a woman keeping secrets from her betrothed), but it wasn't written to a standard that made this anything but a stock situation. Superficially, I guess it was nice to see Emily and Abby looking rather fetching in figure-hugging dresses, getting to work together as a mace-wielding duo during a Hyaenodon attack.

The subplot with Ethan continued to shuffle along, even though this is the penultimate episode and I was hoping for some clarity. The mystery of his character has been spoonfed ineptly, as I'm just puzzled by his behaviour and motivation. The clues each episode gives us about Emily/Ethan are so ambiguous, it's as if each writer doesn't know what's going on either but have been told to include certain things. I just hope next week's finale explains why someone so disturbed was travelling through time with Emily, and what his backstory is -- but to have reached this stage in the series without knowing Ethan's goal is just bad writing. It's impossible to care about him because we have no idea who he is, what he's doing, what he wants, or what he's planning. We're just told by Emily he's a threat and have to make sense of his actions (trying to kill Emily, setting booby-traps at a warehouse lair, visiting what appears to be his family home and getting recognized by an elderly neighbour, etc.) It seems likely that Matt and Gideon (Anton Lesser), who was unsurprisingly revealed to be his father, are time-travellers from the future, on a mission to stop Ethan instigating an apocalypse using the anomalies, but the show's target audience of 10-year-olds must be totally confused. Doctor Who does a far better job of gently unspooling its year's mytharc.

What did you think? I know Primeval splits opinion; some people lap up the cheesiness and creature capers, others gnash their teeth at the illogical plots and weak characterization. It rarely hits a happy medium for me, and series 4 has been especially hamstrung with its mishandling of characters and unclear mytharc.

WRITER: Matthew Parkhill
DIRECTOR: Robert Quinn
TRANSMISSION: 29 January 2011, ITV1/HD, 7.20PM

READ MORE - 'PRIMEVAL' 4.6

Kay Panabaker Nuevos Scans

READ MORE - Kay Panabaker Nuevos Scans

Kay Panabaker Nuevos Scans

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Entrevista De Hilary Duff En Health

En noviembre del 2010 La actriz hilary duff realizo una sesiòn de fotos para la revista Health,ademas hizo una entrevista en la cual le hicieron varias preguntas aqui les dejo la entrevista traducida y algunas fotos.

HM: ¿Cuál es la definición de vivir saludablemente?
HD: Moderación es la clave. Comer saludablemente puede ser aburrido – ya sabes, cuando tomas el menú y pides todo de lo que hay. El balance te hace sentir bien, me siento muy saludable cuando disfruto pequeñas mordidas de las cosas que amo. Solía sentirme mal por comer papás a la francesa – Pensaría que he roto mi dieta. Pero tienes que pensar, Esta bien, comeré saludable mañana.

HM: ¿Cuál es tu bocadillo favorito saludable?
HD: Recientemente, he estado comiendo muchos vegetales y fruta – cosa que nunca me había gustado anteriormente. Si tengo hambre antes de ir a la cama, voy y tomo un puñado de arándanos. Greek yogurt es una de mis cosas favoritas en todo el mundo. A veces compro un montón de cosas vegetarianas y las pongo en un procesador de comida con greek yogurt y lo dejo junto. Es mejor cuando tomo el snack durante el día, por que cuando tengo hambre, Mike dice “hambriento”, lo cuál es más que tener hambre y no es bueno.

HM: ¿Tienes algún alimento que te haga sentir culpable?
HD: Amo el queso, podría comer cualquier tipo de queso que pongas enfrente de mí. Y me gustan cosas saludables con alto contenido en grasas, como chocolate negro o aguate.

HM: Practicas pilates, ¿cierto?
HD: Fui gimnasta cuando era niña, así que creo que Pilates es muy importante para mantenerme en forma por mucho tiempo y delgada. Trato de hacerlo tres veces por semana. Además hago entrenamiento por circuito. Antes de que no hiciera mucho cardio – solo Pilates – y no estaba obteniendo los mismos resultados, así que aumenté cardio y hacer circuito probablemente dos veces por semana.

HM: Tú intensificaste tus ejercicios (con el entrenador Harley Pasternak) antes de tu boda en Agosto, ¿Te has mantenido igual?
HD: Me estaba como quemando después de eso, así que me relajé un poco, pero ahora estoy empezando a sentir los efectos. Probablemente no seré tan dura conmigo misma, pero me gusta permanecer al máximo. Es una batalla constante.

HM: ¿Cuáles son tus trucos para hacer de tu ejercicio divertido?
HD: Asegurándome de hacer ejercicio con gente con la que puedo hablar, Aveces mi hermana [Haylie] vamos a entrenar juntas, y estamos riéndonos todo el tiempo, así que se te va el tiempo muy rápido. Además puedo leer un libreto o libro mientras estoy en el elíptico. Bromeo con Mike cuándo le digo que tengo una mejor visión que 20-20.

HM: ¿Tienes algún arrepentimiento en cuanto a salud?
HD: Logré estar muy delgada cuando estaba entre los 17 y 19 años, no sé exactamente que fue lo que me llevo a eso, pero cuando me empezó a preocupar lo que la gente decía acerca de mi y como lucía en imágenes, literalmente no comía nada más que vegetales a vapor o pollo asado o cocinado en la parrilla, con nada más. Viajaba todo el tiempo, a todos lados, y me sentí tan agobiada, No darle a tu cuerpo lo que necesita es muy peligroso. Me arrepiento por que no creo que era feliz en ese entonces.

HM: Mantuviste comprobando tu peso cuando aun eras adolescente, ¿Cómo manejaste esto?
HD: Apestaba, tenía 16 años y mi cuerpo estaba aún cambiando y la gente iba a decir que estaba muy pesada. Entonces, empezaría a perder peso y mi cara se vería más delgada y la gente empezaría a decir que le hice algo a mi cara y eso. Estaba muy delgada. Debió ser muy difícil porque me bloqueé un poco. Al mismo tiempo, me sentí casi orgullosa de estar delgada, pero un día la madre de un fan llegó y me dijo ‘¿Estas bien? ¿No te están alimentando?’ Después de eso, de pronto, terminé estando tan concertada acerca de todo. No fue ninguna intervención ni nada. Terminé mi tour y cambié. Empecé a salir con mis amigos y a cocinar y tener más una vida normal.

HM: Pareces confortable con tu cuerpo ahora. ¿Cuál es la clave para tener confianza con tu cuerpo?
HD: He tenido problemas e inseguridades como cualquier otra persona, realmente ayuda tener a alguien a tu lado que ama todo acerca de ti y te hace sentir realmente hermosa. No es que tengas que verte bien para los demás para sentirte bien contigo mismo, pero si ayuda. Otra cosa más, pienso que el hacer ejercicio me ayudado realmente por que he entrenado duro para algo. Te sientes más fuerte y un poco más poderosa. Aunque no hay trucos. Odio mis brazos, nadie es perfecto, pero ayuda a verte las cosas y sentirte bien al respecto, es mejor que las cosas que te haces sentir mal.

HM: Tu primer novela, “Elixir”, estará a la venta en Octubre, ¿Qué te hizo querer escribir un libro para jóvenes adultos?
HD: Fue hace unos años, me pregunté a mi misma, ‘¿Qué me gustaría hacer?, ¿Cómo pasaría tiempo con Mike?’ Quería estar disponible para mis fans, y escribir fue algo creativo que pude haber hecho, aún cuando estaba viajando con él.

HM: Después de cuatro álbumes, suspendiste temporalmente tu carrera musical, ¿Creeré que estarás de regreso en un estudio?
HD: Quiero actuar, es en lo que quisiera concentrarme más, pero es cuestión de organizarse y encontrar el papel indicado.

HM: ¿Alguno de las estrellas anteriores de Disney te dio un consejo cuando apenas estabas empezando?
HD: Creo que la gente se imagina que es de esa manera, que tienes una conversación profunda, acerca de cómo manejar la manera en que haces tus locuras. Conocí a Justin [Timberlake] y Britney [Spears] varias veces, pero no me dijeron algo como ‘Ahora, siéntate, escúchame niña’”

HM: Tú firmaste una escena threesome en Gossip Girl la última temporada, ¿Cómo se sintió eso?
HD: Fui al guardarropa un día y empecé a probarme ropa interior, les pregunté que porque me estaba probando tanta lincería, y me dijeron ‘Oh, ¿no lo sabes? Tendrás un threesome.” Mi primer pensamiento fue: ‘¿Cómo se lo explicaré a mi madre?’

HM: ¿Qué tanto han cambiado las cosas desde que te casaste con Mike?
HD: Creo que ya nos sentíamos como estar casado desde antes, hemos tenido una fuerte relación uno con el otro, me sentí diferente después de la boda, siguiendo los pasos y diciendo esas palabras uno al otro, pero ahora las cosas se han calmado y todo ha vuelto a la normalidad.

HM: ¿Tienes planes especiales para tu primer Día de Gracias como recién casada?
HD: Por los últimos años [Mike] ha estado en Canadá y hacen su Día de Gracias en diferente fecha. No sé si mi mamá vendrá o dónde estaremos. Pero amo hornear, hago pay de nuez y pay de calabaza. Antes de la boda estaba cocinando todo el tiempo y se lo daba a mis amigos, me decían ‘Sabemos lo que estas haciendo – estas haciéndonos comerlo [así tu no tienes que comerlo]. ¡Esto es malo!’

READ MORE - Entrevista De Hilary Duff En Health

Entrevista De Hilary Duff En Health

En noviembre del 2010 La actriz hilary duff realizo una sesiòn de fotos para la revista Health,ademas hizo una entrevista en la cual le hicieron varias preguntas aqui les dejo la entrevista traducida y algunas fotos.

HM: ¿Cuál es la definición de vivir saludablemente?
HD: Moderación es la clave. Comer saludablemente puede ser aburrido – ya sabes, cuando tomas el menú y pides todo de lo que hay. El balance te hace sentir bien, me siento muy saludable cuando disfruto pequeñas mordidas de las cosas que amo. Solía sentirme mal por comer papás a la francesa – Pensaría que he roto mi dieta. Pero tienes que pensar, Esta bien, comeré saludable mañana.

HM: ¿Cuál es tu bocadillo favorito saludable?
HD: Recientemente, he estado comiendo muchos vegetales y fruta – cosa que nunca me había gustado anteriormente. Si tengo hambre antes de ir a la cama, voy y tomo un puñado de arándanos. Greek yogurt es una de mis cosas favoritas en todo el mundo. A veces compro un montón de cosas vegetarianas y las pongo en un procesador de comida con greek yogurt y lo dejo junto. Es mejor cuando tomo el snack durante el día, por que cuando tengo hambre, Mike dice “hambriento”, lo cuál es más que tener hambre y no es bueno.

HM: ¿Tienes algún alimento que te haga sentir culpable?
HD: Amo el queso, podría comer cualquier tipo de queso que pongas enfrente de mí. Y me gustan cosas saludables con alto contenido en grasas, como chocolate negro o aguate.

HM: Practicas pilates, ¿cierto?
HD: Fui gimnasta cuando era niña, así que creo que Pilates es muy importante para mantenerme en forma por mucho tiempo y delgada. Trato de hacerlo tres veces por semana. Además hago entrenamiento por circuito. Antes de que no hiciera mucho cardio – solo Pilates – y no estaba obteniendo los mismos resultados, así que aumenté cardio y hacer circuito probablemente dos veces por semana.

HM: Tú intensificaste tus ejercicios (con el entrenador Harley Pasternak) antes de tu boda en Agosto, ¿Te has mantenido igual?
HD: Me estaba como quemando después de eso, así que me relajé un poco, pero ahora estoy empezando a sentir los efectos. Probablemente no seré tan dura conmigo misma, pero me gusta permanecer al máximo. Es una batalla constante.

HM: ¿Cuáles son tus trucos para hacer de tu ejercicio divertido?
HD: Asegurándome de hacer ejercicio con gente con la que puedo hablar, Aveces mi hermana [Haylie] vamos a entrenar juntas, y estamos riéndonos todo el tiempo, así que se te va el tiempo muy rápido. Además puedo leer un libreto o libro mientras estoy en el elíptico. Bromeo con Mike cuándo le digo que tengo una mejor visión que 20-20.

HM: ¿Tienes algún arrepentimiento en cuanto a salud?
HD: Logré estar muy delgada cuando estaba entre los 17 y 19 años, no sé exactamente que fue lo que me llevo a eso, pero cuando me empezó a preocupar lo que la gente decía acerca de mi y como lucía en imágenes, literalmente no comía nada más que vegetales a vapor o pollo asado o cocinado en la parrilla, con nada más. Viajaba todo el tiempo, a todos lados, y me sentí tan agobiada, No darle a tu cuerpo lo que necesita es muy peligroso. Me arrepiento por que no creo que era feliz en ese entonces.

HM: Mantuviste comprobando tu peso cuando aun eras adolescente, ¿Cómo manejaste esto?
HD: Apestaba, tenía 16 años y mi cuerpo estaba aún cambiando y la gente iba a decir que estaba muy pesada. Entonces, empezaría a perder peso y mi cara se vería más delgada y la gente empezaría a decir que le hice algo a mi cara y eso. Estaba muy delgada. Debió ser muy difícil porque me bloqueé un poco. Al mismo tiempo, me sentí casi orgullosa de estar delgada, pero un día la madre de un fan llegó y me dijo ‘¿Estas bien? ¿No te están alimentando?’ Después de eso, de pronto, terminé estando tan concertada acerca de todo. No fue ninguna intervención ni nada. Terminé mi tour y cambié. Empecé a salir con mis amigos y a cocinar y tener más una vida normal.

HM: Pareces confortable con tu cuerpo ahora. ¿Cuál es la clave para tener confianza con tu cuerpo?
HD: He tenido problemas e inseguridades como cualquier otra persona, realmente ayuda tener a alguien a tu lado que ama todo acerca de ti y te hace sentir realmente hermosa. No es que tengas que verte bien para los demás para sentirte bien contigo mismo, pero si ayuda. Otra cosa más, pienso que el hacer ejercicio me ayudado realmente por que he entrenado duro para algo. Te sientes más fuerte y un poco más poderosa. Aunque no hay trucos. Odio mis brazos, nadie es perfecto, pero ayuda a verte las cosas y sentirte bien al respecto, es mejor que las cosas que te haces sentir mal.

HM: Tu primer novela, “Elixir”, estará a la venta en Octubre, ¿Qué te hizo querer escribir un libro para jóvenes adultos?
HD: Fue hace unos años, me pregunté a mi misma, ‘¿Qué me gustaría hacer?, ¿Cómo pasaría tiempo con Mike?’ Quería estar disponible para mis fans, y escribir fue algo creativo que pude haber hecho, aún cuando estaba viajando con él.

HM: Después de cuatro álbumes, suspendiste temporalmente tu carrera musical, ¿Creeré que estarás de regreso en un estudio?
HD: Quiero actuar, es en lo que quisiera concentrarme más, pero es cuestión de organizarse y encontrar el papel indicado.

HM: ¿Alguno de las estrellas anteriores de Disney te dio un consejo cuando apenas estabas empezando?
HD: Creo que la gente se imagina que es de esa manera, que tienes una conversación profunda, acerca de cómo manejar la manera en que haces tus locuras. Conocí a Justin [Timberlake] y Britney [Spears] varias veces, pero no me dijeron algo como ‘Ahora, siéntate, escúchame niña’”

HM: Tú firmaste una escena threesome en Gossip Girl la última temporada, ¿Cómo se sintió eso?
HD: Fui al guardarropa un día y empecé a probarme ropa interior, les pregunté que porque me estaba probando tanta lincería, y me dijeron ‘Oh, ¿no lo sabes? Tendrás un threesome.” Mi primer pensamiento fue: ‘¿Cómo se lo explicaré a mi madre?’

HM: ¿Qué tanto han cambiado las cosas desde que te casaste con Mike?
HD: Creo que ya nos sentíamos como estar casado desde antes, hemos tenido una fuerte relación uno con el otro, me sentí diferente después de la boda, siguiendo los pasos y diciendo esas palabras uno al otro, pero ahora las cosas se han calmado y todo ha vuelto a la normalidad.

HM: ¿Tienes planes especiales para tu primer Día de Gracias como recién casada?
HD: Por los últimos años [Mike] ha estado en Canadá y hacen su Día de Gracias en diferente fecha. No sé si mi mamá vendrá o dónde estaremos. Pero amo hornear, hago pay de nuez y pay de calabaza. Antes de la boda estaba cocinando todo el tiempo y se lo daba a mis amigos, me decían ‘Sabemos lo que estas haciendo – estas haciéndonos comerlo [así tu no tienes que comerlo]. ¡Esto es malo!’

READ MORE - Entrevista De Hilary Duff En Health

'BEING HUMAN' (USA) 1.2 – "There Goes The Neighborhood: Part 2"

I'm in a quandary with this series. As a remake it hasn't offended my love for the UK original, which started its own third series last weekend, and that's great. It's just a hard show to review at this unripe stage, because it's largely following the BBC version's storylines. Frankly, I can't really get excited about anything happening because I know where it's all going, or can hazard a very educated guess. Maybe when Being Human USA is standing on its own two feet, it'll be more entertaining to review every week, similarly to how NBC's The Office was a tedious affair for awhile because it was content to walk in the BBC's footsteps.

So for now, I'll just say this: "There Goes The Neighborhood: Part 2" was of equal quality to "Part 1", but I was surprised they explained the backstory to how Aidan (Sam Witwer) and Josh (Sam Huntington) lost their humanity in the brief prologue, considering the potential for a whole episode explaining their origins, and the fact the BBC made the wiser decision to wait before delving into all that background. It sometimes feels like the US version's too eager to get to the next opportunity for a special effect, rather than make us get under the skin of the three characters. Witwer's not terrible, but he's a little bland and wooden; Huntington's a likeable presence, but there isn't much of the thwarted passion Russell Tovey brings to the character; and Meaghan Rath is sweet and competent, although her character's more depressing than her bubblier UK counterpart. There are no major problems with Being Human USA so far, just a feeling that the show's a soft sitcom version of the original's grittier drama.

It's impossible to watch this show with a totally clear head if you've seen the UK version, really. I can't help comparing the performances to the British cast and noticing how the tone of the remake's softer and less realistic in some ways. Or as real as a show about a vampire, werewolf and ghost housemates can be. Being Human USA feels like a television show about a supernatural trio, whereas Being Human feels like a drama about three people afflicted with inhuman conditions. For me, this remake has good fidelity to the original's premise, storylines and characters, but not to its "kitchen sink" realism in terms of tone and performances.

Overall, I'm not sure I'll be writing full reviews of Being Human USA from hereon in, at least not until the majority of its storylines have clearly diverged from the BBC version (as Josh's appears to be, slowly.) That may take awhile, but I'll perhaps chip in with brief thoughts every week, until the show starts to feel less like "a copycat American twin" and more like "a sharp, witty British cousin who emigrated to the United States and developed an accent".

WRITERS: Jeremy Carver & Anna Fricke
DIRECTOR: Adam Kane
TRANSMISSION: 24 January 2011, Syfy, 9/8c

READ MORE - 'BEING HUMAN' (USA) 1.2 – "There Goes The Neighborhood: Part 2"

Binibining Pilipinas 2011 Top 40 official candidates announced

Due to overwhelming beauties and stance of all applicants for Binibining Pilipinas 2011, instead of just choosing the 24 candidates, they chose to have 40 semi final candidates who will compete for the most prestigious crown in Philippine beauty pageant. Candidates no. 26, 2, 85, 13, 31, 35, 39, 41, 75, 109, 54, 106, 19, 40, 8, 32, 68, 70, 55, 64, 18, 73, 43, 49, 52, 58, 20, 88, 12, 34, 27, 21, 84, 90, 51, 38, 29, 98, 1 and 11 are the official candidates for the upcoming pageant.


Here are the names of the official candidates:

1 – Jenette Mieko Noguchi
2 – Elizabeth Clenci
8 – Gianna Therese Quintos
11 – Shamcey Supsup
...12 – Diana Arevalo
13 – Mary Jean Lastimosa
18 – Jenilyn Olivar
19 – Teresa Pamela Ludovice
20 – Ma. Kristina May Marasigan
21 – Queenierich Rehman
26 – Camille Alexis Baltazar
27 – Glennifer Perido
29 – Krystle Ann Grant
31 – Jennielyn Natividad
32 – Patricia Tumulak
34 – Paula Camille Figueras
35 – Roxanne Cabanero
38 – Marish Alyssa Marquinez
39 – Hazelyn Santos
40 – Arabella Hanesh
41 – Carla Lacson
43 – Martha McCulley
49 – Dianne Necio
51 – Luzelle Felipe
52 – Jenn-Roe Gubat
54 – Isabella Manjon
55 – Ma. Paula Bianca Paz
58 – Ladylyn Riva
64 – Kathleen Subijano
68 – Wendy Lucas
70 – Sabrinne Al-Tawil
73 – Janine Tugonon
75 – Kenneth Dimaapi
84 – Angelia Ong
85 – Samantha Purvor
88 – Zephorah Mayon
90 – Carolyn Ty
98 – Grendel Alvarado
106-Sarah Clenci_

READ MORE - Binibining Pilipinas 2011 Top 40 official candidates announced

Luis Manzano kissing Jasmine Curtis issue is just a hoax

Luis Manzano expressed his dismay about a circulating issue concerning him and Anne Curtis sister. The alleged rumor was about Luis Manzano kissing Jasmine Curtis. Luis falsified the issue in his Saturday talk show (E live) and said that Jasmine is like a sister to him.

He expressed his message directly to those who spread the malicious issue. He said that before someone should invent an issue, try to look at their own mirror and see what really is happening, I love Jasmine as a friend and as my little sister. The issue is shocking and it's definitely a hoax.

Jasmine Curtis is a sister of Showtime mainstay, Anne Curtis. She is the newest actress in TV 5 who will star in Ang Utol kung Hoodlum together with JC de Vera.

READ MORE - Luis Manzano kissing Jasmine Curtis issue is just a hoax

CBI files FIR in Adarsh housing scam against 13 including Ex CM –

CBI files FIR in Adarsh housing scam against 13
including Ex CM –

Keywords Tags - Adarsh Scam FIR, Aadarsh Scam Accused Names List

Updated on Thursday, March 17, 2011

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed an FIR in the Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society scam.
The FIR has been filed against retired army officials, defence estate officials and public servants.


13 persons have been named in the FIR.
In its FIR lodged 10 weeks after it registered a Preliminary Inquiry (PI) in the case, the CBI booked 13 accused under
section 120(b) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) read with sections 420, 468, 471 of the IPC and section 13(2) read with 13(1) (d) of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

Below is the complete list of 13 Accused Persons Named in the Aadarsh Scam by CBI

1.retired Lt General (retd) P K Rampal

2.Major General A R Kumar

3.Major General T K Kaul

4.Principal Secretary (Urban Development) Ramanand Tiwari

5.Subash Lala, the then Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister

6.Brig (retd) R C Sharma

7.R C Thakur

8.former Brigadier M M Wanchoo

9.Congress leader K L Gidwani

10.Pradeep Vyas, collector of Mumbai between 2002-2005

11.LT. Gen. TK Sinha

12.PV Deshmukh - Officer in Urban Development Ministry

13.Ex. CM Ashok Chavan

It is reported that Mumbai Crime Branch, that's investigating the case of the missing Adarsh files will seek permission from court to conduct brain mapping and lie detector tests on four Urban Development department officials.


During hearing of a petition in the Adarsh case, a division bench of Justices B H Marlapalle and U D Salvi had asked CBI why it had not registered the case.
The Bombay High Court had on January 18 directed the CBI to take a final decision on registration of FIR in the controversial Adarsh case within two weeks.

The name of the former Maharashtra Chief minister Ashok Chavan is also there in the list, though it not clear if he is named as an accused.

Updated on Thursday, March 17, 2011

IAS officer Jairaj Phatak named in FIR as 14th accused.
Currently Phatak is CMD of the Rural Electrification Corporation
Phatak is a 1978 batch IAS officer from Maharashtra cadre

The CBI had named Phatak, the then commissioner of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), on January 29 and had said in its FIR that he could not be chargesheeted as they were awaiting sanction for his prosecution.

In September 2007 - Jairaj Phatak during his tenure as BMC commissioner Phatak illegally approved raising the height of the building from 97 metres to 107 metres.

Later his son Kanishka was also given an apartment in this society.
Phatak and his family own four flats in Mumbai and one bungalow in Pune.
They also have four bank lockers in Mumbai and one in Delhi.
Phatak also has a fixed deposit of Rs 50 lakh.
They also found to have 22 bank accounts in different banks.


Reality views by sm –
Saturday, January 29, 2011

READ MORE - CBI files FIR in Adarsh housing scam against 13 including Ex CM –

Demi Lovato finaliza su rehabilitación

la actriz de sonny entre estrellas termina su estadia de varios meses en rehabilitacion,demi termino muy bien su tratamiento por eso ya los especialistas le dieron su alta,aunque devera seguir con la ayuda psicologica para no volver a tener un recaida.bueno les deje las primeras fotos de demi ya libre de rehabilitacion,se la ve relejada y muy saludable,ojala continue asi.

READ MORE - Demi Lovato finaliza su rehabilitación

Demi Lovato finaliza su rehabilitación

la actriz de sonny entre estrellas termina su estadia de varios meses en rehabilitacion,demi termino muy bien su tratamiento por eso ya los especialistas le dieron su alta,aunque devera seguir con la ayuda psicologica para no volver a tener un recaida.bueno les deje las primeras fotos de demi ya libre de rehabilitacion,se la ve relejada y muy saludable,ojala continue asi.

READ MORE - Demi Lovato finaliza su rehabilitación

Paypal India changes agreement policy as per recommendations of RBI – New Restrictions and Limitations on Indians

Paypal India changes agreement policy as per recommendations of RBI – New Restrictions and Limitations on Indians

As part of our commitment to provide a high level of customer service, we would like to give you a 30-day advance notice on changes to our user agreement for India.


With effect from 1 March 2011, you are required to comply with the requirements set out in the notification of the Reserve Bank of India governing the processing and settlement of export-related receipts facilitated by online payment gateways (“RBI Guidelines”).

In order to comply with the RBI Guidelines, our user agreement in India will be amended for the following services as follows:
Any balance in and all future payments into your PayPal account may not be used to buy goods or services and must be transferred to your bank account in India within 7 days
From the receipt of confirmation from the buyer in respect of the goods or services; and
Export-related payments for goods and services into your PayPal account may not exceed US$500 per transaction.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Why will PayPal not allow me to receive more than US$500?

Starting 1 March, 2011, PayPal customers in India will not be allowed to receive payments for any export-related goods or services for an amount exceeding US$500 per transaction. This change is to ensure that we continue to comply with the RBI Guidelines.

Q: Why will PayPal not allow me to keep money in my PayPal balance?

Starting 1 March, 2011, PayPal customers in India will not be able to keep money in their PayPal account balance. Instead, all money received into a PayPal account must be transferred to a customer's India bank account within 7 days from the receipt of confirmation from the buyer in respect of the good or services. This change is to ensure that we continue to comply with the RBI Guidelines.

Q: Will my customers be able to complete their checkout with their PayPal account balance?

We're glad that you offer PayPal to your customers. Unfortunately, we will not allow customers in India to send money from their PayPal account balance starting 1 March, 2011. This means that your customers will need to link a credit card to their account in before sending you money with PayPal. This change is to ensure that we continue to comply with the RBI Guidelines.

Q: The customers on my website are not able to complete purchase or pay via PayPal. Why?
Starting 1 March, 2011, PayPal customers in India will not be allowed to receive payments for any export-related goods or services for an amount exceeding US$500 per transaction. If you are listing products greater than US$500 per transaction then you may need to seek alternative methods of payment. This change is to ensure that we continue to comply with the RBI Guidelines.

Q: What is meant by receipt of confirmation from the buyer in respect of goods and services?
As an exporter of products or services abroad, you need to ensure that your buyer has received the product or services as per specifications set out on your website. As an exporter of goods, you may withdraw the balance to your bank account in India upon reasonable consideration of shipping time and other clearances such as excise and customs for the destination country. As an exporter of services, you may withdraw the balance to your bank account in India upon receipt of payment from your buyer into your PayPal account.

We seek your understanding as we continue to employ our best efforts to comply with the RBI Guidelines in a timely manner.

We regret any inconvenience caused to you and hope the advance notice will enable you to plan your future use of our services accordingly.

Sincerely,

The PayPal Team

I do not understand why such limits,
Will it stop the outgoing of black money outside India?
Will it stop the coming of black money into Indian Share, stock markets?

Can not punish the big criminals, can not tell the names of criminals,
And make provisions that Honest, Hardworking Indians suffer more.

Below is the list of Alternative options to Paypal for India Users –

1.Moneybookers.com

2.Xoom.com

3.Alertpay.com

4.2Checkout.com

5.OboPay.com

6.PayPay.com

7.CCNow.com

always get the full details before using any company for money transactions.

Reality views by sm –
Saturday, January 29, 2011

READ MORE - Paypal India changes agreement policy as per recommendations of RBI – New Restrictions and Limitations on Indians

'The Office': Michael Scott meets David Brent

Since he disappeared from our screens in 2003, fans of The Office have been desperate to see more of Slough's nightmare boss David Brent, and they were finally rewarded this week. Ricky Gervais rescurrected his notorious character for an episode of the US remake, as a favour to the outgoing Steve Carell, who has played his American counterpart Michael Scott for six years. The one-minute scene can be seen above.

It's certainly a nice moment that fans should enjoy, although I found it a little underwhelming. There must have been tremendous pressure to make this worthwhile, so it was never going to live up to expectations. It felt slightly awkward to me, but I'm just glad they didn't dedicate a whole episode to David Brent, as it's best to leave him as an untarnished memory of the early-'00s. Still, it was a fun cameo to be taken lightly.

What do think? Did this tickle your funnybone, or leave you cold?

READ MORE - 'The Office': Michael Scott meets David Brent

'COME FLY WITH ME'

Matt Lucas and David Walliams aren't to everyone's taste, but an astonishing amount of people find them hilarious. You just have to remember the phenomenon that was Little Britain; a sketch show that combined the cheekiness and cross-dressing of '70s Dick Emery, with the catchphrase proliferation of The Fast Show, then added a squeeze of League Of Gentlemen's dark milieu, to become a colossal worldwide hit. It was a comedy that sold merchandise like talking Vicky Pollard dolls, spawned a sell-out UK live show that also toured Australia, inspired a video-game, and was given its own American-centric spin-off on HBO. You can't be expected to top that success, really.

Come Fly With Me is essentially Little Britain with boundaries. Or rules born of its mockumentary format, which helps keep it focused and agile. Where Lucas and Walliams could once dream up characters from a melting pot of an entire country, they're now stuck in an airport. Where they once tested the boundaries of taste and decency (vomiting/incontinent old ladies), they've now cleaned up their act. Well, mostly. The airport restriction really isn't so bad, as it means they can have foreign characters arriving in the UK, and most walks of life pass through airport check-ins at some time or another.

And while only the airport's staff can make weekly appearances, things are kept fresh by involving one-off passengers (such as two obsessive Japanese superfans of Martin Clunes). This helps prevent Come Fly With Me stagnating, as Little Britain certainly did. The only downside is that the regulars, filmed at work for a documentary, are limited by their working roles. You have to wonder what Lucas and Walliams could possibly do with two competitive baggage check-in girls come series 2 or 3, for example. And while there are plentiful airport and travel-related gags that spring to mind from this premise, there's surely a finite amount of jokes you can have with bigoted customs officials, gay flight attendants, inept baggage handlers, married pilots, and workshy coffee shop owners. The characters will have to grow as people, ideally via ongoing storylines, but Come Fly With Me has only made modest inroads.

It feels slightly outdated, taking its inspiration from the fly-on-the-wall docs Airport and Airline, which peaked in the early-'00s and died away soon after. Curiously, while each episode has a few strands of storyline weaving through each half-hour, there's little connection between episodes. This is likely intentional, so it's more accessible to people who miss the odd episode, but it might have been more interesting for Lucas and Walliams to tackle a proper ongoing narrative in their work. As it stands, Come Fly With Me isn't really stretching them as writers or performers. It's Little Britain, trapped in an airport, with all the pro's and con's you'd imagine.

Thursdays, BBC1/HD, 9PM

READ MORE - 'COME FLY WITH ME'

Sharon Cuneta billboard will be pulled out - Marie France

Sharon Cuneta's Marie France billboard will be pulled out. A rumor that continuously circulating in text message and social networking sites starting yesterday. The text message said that Marie France will remove the billboard because Sharon Cuneta's image was different from what is being seen in person and in television.


Sharon is not yet giving any statement regarding the issue but Marie France already did. In a PEP interview today, they said that the rumors were just a hoax. They also said that before the submission of the billboard, they are asking for opinions of the photographers. Sharon Cuneta is one of the sought after endorsers in the Philippines, she would not place herself in selling a lie, they added.

ASC (Standards Council) is the one responsible for the removal of billboards in the Philippines. According to them, this happened if they received a formal complaint, but as of the moment, they are not receiving any for Sharon's billboard.

The image of Sharon may appear different in billboard because it can be done through the proper angle, lighting and shadow both from the subject and camera.

Marie France Bodyline is a center of slimming where registered nutritionist and medical doctors monitors the slimming progress of their customers. According to their website, their consultants are all professionals and posses high qualifications.

Just recently, Sharon Cuneta fell on the stage during her annual concert in Araneta Coliseum. The reason, as confirmed by many was she's having an extreme diet. Obviously, the reason of this is because of the above mentioned bodyline - Marie France.

Update:

Just recently, Sharon Cuneta felt very hot-headed because of the negative remarks stoned to her new Marie France billboard ad. She said that since her entry in entertainment industry, she's endorsing product with truth, honesty and credibility.

Hayden Kho contributed to Sharon's anger because of his misinterpreted tweet in response to the tweet of his perfume line competitor.

"There's a billboard ad in EDSA developed by advertisers who think consumers are stupid. Guess" - this was the tweet of Hayden last January 27, 2011.

Sharon answered Hayden's tweet through a much spicy statements. She said,

"Decent people are people I would like to listen to. Not those who do not know the meaning of decency. And who treat women like they're nothing! Excuse me! You know, you want to start a war with me? You? Fix all your problems first!"

photo credit: Pinoy Exchange

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Jump the Blast #6 - 'Human Target'

'HUMAN TARGET' - "Communication Breakdown"

Here's a shot from a recent episode of Fox's action-adventure drama Human Target, showing bodyguard Christopher Chance (Mark Valley) and his partner Ilsa Pucci (Indira Varma) escaping the wreckage of their private jet, moments after it crashed in the South American jungle after getting hit by a RPG. The classic "hero-and-girl run away from a downed plane sequence", just as its leaking fuel is ignited. Only, those are clearly two stunt doubles. Huh.

Have you noticed a shot in a film, trailer, advert, or TV show that features someone jumping/walking away from an explosion of some kind? If so, why not email me a screengrab and you can be credited in the next installment of "Jump the Blast".

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Binibining Pilipinas 2011 Top 24 candidates announced today

Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc. headed by Madam Estella Araneta will announce the top and final 24 lovely ladies to complete the prestigious Binibining Pilipinas 2011 beauty pageant tomorrow, January 29. According to critics, this is one of the most exciting batches ever because the top 50 are deserving for the crown. Crown-able, as they say. From the list of 108 ladies who were screened by the panel this month, up to selecting the top 50 last January 24, 2011, the top 24 who will be chosen are indeed worthy to receive the Bb Pilipinas International and Bb Pilipinas Universe 2011 title.

Among the early favorites in the upcoming pageant are Patricia Tumulak, Diana Arevalo, Shamsey Supsup, MJ Lastimosa, Jen Olivar, Kristina Marasigan, Camille Baltazar and Patricia Figueras. The complete set of official candidates will be posted here in a while.

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National Television Awards 2011: Winners

I didn't watch the National Television Awards live this year, but feel like I dodged a bullet. As everything's chosen by the public, it's too mainstream to be a barometer of quality in UK TV, just popularity. For instance, nothing for This Is England '86 or Misfits? No, the NTA's focus is the primetime hits of BBC, ITV and Channel 4, with an emphasis on light enterainment and soaps. It's an awards ceremony that thinks Peter Andre's fly-on-the-wall series is one of the best things on digital TV, so treat it with the contempt that fact deserves. But here are the results and my brief thoughts on the winners:

Best Talent Show

• Dancing On Ice (ITV)
• Britain's Got Talent (ITV)
• Strictly Come Dancing (BBC)
• The X Factor (ITV) WINNER

My thoughts: Inevitable, but deserved. Love it or loathe it, The X Factor's the only reality show that seems to appeal to a huge number of people, fuels the majority of tabloid stories for four months, and becomes a talking point across the nation's playgrounds and offices by Monday morning. Gamu, Wagner, malaria, Cher Lloyd, Matt Cardle, they all became 2010 buzzwords because of Simon Cowell's brainchild.

Best Comedy Programme

• Benidorm (ITV) WINNER
• Harry Hill's TV Burp (ITV)
• Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow (BBC)
• Outnumbered (BBC)

My thoughts: That must be a joke. I have no idea what dark spell was cast to make Benidorm win, especially as most of its fans will admit the show's past its best.

Best Drama

• Doctor Who (BBC)
• Shameless (Channel 4)
• Sherlock (BBC)
• Waterloo Road (BBC) WINNER

My thoughts: The most ludicrous win of the whole shebang. It's admittedly a shame Doctor Who has a strangehold on this category every year, but Sherlock deserved to triumph as the new kid on the block that wowed the nation. Waterloo Road? I mean, that's simply ludicrous. Absolutely insane.

Best Drama Performance

• Philip Glenister (Ashes To Ashes)
• David Jason (A Touch Of Frost) WINNER
• Matt Smith (Doctor Who)
• Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock)

My thoughts: Good lord. I guess having "national treasure" status still has its advantages, particularly if you're retiring a beloved character from a long-running TV show. Cumberbatch was robbed, Smith perhaps deserved recognition of the difficult job he had replacing David Tennant in the nation's heart, and Glenister had an outside chance because of his fine work in the Ashes To Ashes finale. David Jason? Holy mackeral.

Best Digital Choice

• Glee (E4)
• Peter Andre: The Next Chapter (ITV)
• The Inbetweeners (E4) WINNER

My thoughts: Yeah, I'm fine with that. If Peter Andre had won, I'd have punched someone.

Best Factual Programme

• Celebrity MasterChef (BBC)
• Junior Apprentice (BBC)
• Top Gear (BBC) WINNER
• Who Do You Think You Are? (BBC)

My thoughts: Yawn. Junior Apprentice was the surprise success, if you ask me. That show could have been a total disaster, but managed to give the regular adult version a run for its money.

Best Serial Drama

• Coronation Street (ITV)
• EastEnders (BBC) WINNER
• Emmerdale (ITV)
• Hollyoaks (Channel 4)

My thoughts: In Coronation Street's 50th year, coming off the back of its week-long tram disaster live episodes, rival EastEnders wins? A soap that recently caused uproat over a cot death/baby swap storyline and made everyone laugh at the sight of Phil Mitchell on crack. That's just an insult.

Best Serial Drama Performance

• Katherine Kelly (Coronation Street)
• Steve McFadden (EastEnders)
• Lacey Turner (EastEnders) WINNER
• Danny Miller (Emmerdale)

My thoughts: I don't watch enough soaps these days, but I wouldn't be surprised if Lacey Turner's win was partly influenced by the fact she's just left EastEnders, a la David Jason's win for A Touch Of Frost. Still, of those nominees, I daresay she still delivered the best performance. Anyone watch enough 'Enders to confirm this?

Best Topical Magazine Programme

• BBC Breakfast (BBC)
• Loose Women (ITV)
• This Morning (ITV) WINNER

My thoughts: Yeah, fine. What a dispiriting trio of nominees, though.

Best Newcomer

• Paula Lane (Coronation Street)
• Ricky Norwood (EastEnders) WINNER
• Marc Silcock (Emmerdale)
• Olga Fedori (Holby City)

My thoughts: Who they?

Best Entertainment Programme

• Big Brother (Channel 4)
• I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! (ITV) WINNER
• Mock The Week (BBC)
• QI (BBC)

My thoughts: Do me a favour! Big Brother delivered a good swansong in 2010 and it would have been nice to recognize its impact over the decade. I guess I'm A Celeb has more reach, being on ITV and perceived as a reality series it's "okay" to enjoy.

Best Entertainment Presenter

• Ant & Dec WINNER
• Davina McCall
• Dermot O'Leary
• Paul O'Grady

My thoughts: For the tenth year in a row, no less! "The Ant & Decade" That's an incredible feat, although I think McCall and O'Leary have a much tougher job on their respetive shows.

Special Recognition Award
Bruce Forysth

READ MORE - National Television Awards 2011: Winners