ABS-CBN journalists Ces Drilon and two more abducted in Sulu.

ABS-CBN confirms that three of their journalists namely Ces Drilon, Jimmy Encarnacion, and Angelo Valderama were kidnapped for ransom. In spite of the danger, ABS-CBN will continue to strictly implement their "no ransom policy" as this will only drive the kidnappers to abduct more media men or ordinary citizens. ABS-CBN is appealing to the public to pray for safety of the three journalists and to condone such kidnapping which is clearly an attack to press freedom.

David Archuleta's dream come true

It was recently announced that American Idol sensation David Archuleta has signed to 19 Recordings/Jive Records. Archuleta is currently gearing up for the upcoming American Idol tour which kicks off on July 1st in Glendale, AZ.

The 17-year old is expected to release his debut album later this year.

"Signing a record contract with 19 Recordings/Jive Records is truly a dream come true," states Archuleta. "Being a fan of American Idol since season one and admiring the alumni, I am honored and humbled to be a part of that group. I'm really excited to start working on everything."

David Archuleta, the runner-up on the current season of "American Idol," has three songs entering the Hot 100 this week, starting with his stunning remake of John Lennon's "Imagine" at No. 36, along with his highly-praised rendition of "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me," and his finale song, "In This Moment."

Simon Fuller, creator of the popular TV series and chief executive and founder of 19 Entertainment Label Group, states, "It was fascinating to watch David's journey through Idol. He is a genuine pop star, and is a gifted singer who instantly won over a huge audience when he first appeared on the show. Since then, he has dealt with the pressure and the high level of expectation with real fortitude; he's given us some of the best performances of the season. Without question David Archuleta has a great future ahead of him".

Tom Carrabba, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Jive/Zomba Label Group comments, "David Archuleta has already shown the world that he is a star. He's a young, talented singer with wide appeal and we're thrilled to have him join our roster."

David Archuleta is from Murray, Utah, a town outside Salt Lake City. He recently came to national attention and captured the hearts and imagination of a nation with several show-stopping performances on American Idol.

Zohan - new movie by Adam Sandler

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Comedian Adam Sandler has played a wedding singer, a waterboy, a firefighter pretending to be gay, and the devil's son.

So it was likely just a matter of time before he ended up playing a tough-as-nails Israeli commando who secretly wants to be a hairdresser -- the wacky premise behind "You Don't Mess With The Zohan," his new comedy debuting in theaters on Friday.

Sandler, who hails from Brooklyn, New York, said the inspiration for "Zohan" dates back to his childhood when he heard stories about how tough the Israeli army was, even though the country was small.

"Anytime anyone comes after them, they take care of business," Sandler told reporters at a recent news conference, "As a Jewish kid, you were proud of that. So I admired them."

Later in life, Sandler said he hung out with many Israelis in California, went to their weddings and parties and "couldn't believe how insane it got."

"An Israeli guy who used to cut my hair, and I just thought it'd be funny to see an Israeli soldier, a bad-ass fearless warrior who had a little secret dream of wanting to do something else, but was embarrassed to share it with anyone," Sandler said.

Co-written by Sandler, writer/director Judd Apatow and "Saturday Night Live's" Robert Smigel, "Zohan" features a large ensemble cast that includes John Turturro and Chris Rock, and has cameos by the likes of Mariah Carey and John McEnroe.

Sandler portrays the title character who fakes his own death so that he can disappear to New York City and pursue his dream. But his violent past soon catches up with him, and Zohan finds himself in the middle of another war, this time between immigrant Israelis and Palestinians.

Yves Saint Laurent: 1936-2008

Fashion icon Yves Saint Laurent died June 1 of his long-term illness at his home in Paris.

Yves Saint Laurent was born on 1 August 1936 in Oran, in what was then French Algeria. He worked for the French designer Christian Dior at age 17. Following Dior's death in 1957, Yves, at the age of 22, was put in charge of the effort of saving the Dior house from financial ruin.

Shortly after this success, he was conscripted to serve in the French army during the Algerian War of Independence. He had a nervous breakdown as soldiers hazed him.

In 1962, in the wake of his nervous breakdown, Saint Laurent was released from Dior and started his own label, YSL, financed by his companion, Pierre Bergé. The couple split romantically in 1976 but remained business partners.

In 1983, he became the first living fashion designer to be honored by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

In 2001, he was awarded the rank of Commander of the Légion d'Honneur by French president Jacques Chirac.

Saint Laurent retired in 2002 and became increasingly reclusive. From then until his death he spent much of his time at his house in Marrakech, Morocco.

He also created a foundation with Pierre Bergé in Paris to trace the history of the house of YSL, complete with 15,000 objects and 5,000 pieces of clothing.

Sex And The City movie Review

Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker), successful author and everyone’s favorite fashion icon-next-door, is back, her famously sardonic wit intact and sharper than ever, as she continues to narrate her own story about sex, love and the fashion- obsessed single woman in New York City. Sex and the City finds Carrie, Samantha (Kim Cattrall), Charlotte (Kristin Davis), and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) four years after the hit HBO series ended, as our favorite friends continue to juggle jobs and relationships while navigating motherhood, marriage and Manhattan real estate.

When the curtain came down on HBO's Emmy-winning “Sex and the City” in 2004 after six fabulous seasons, 94 episodes, a who's-who of boyfriends and more cosmopolitans than anyone could count, everything was hunky-dory.

Free-spirited Samantha (Kim Cattrall) surprised everyone by committing to a much younger man (Jason Lewis). Cynical attorney Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) lightened up and fell for a down-to-earth bartender (David Eigenberg). Preppy Charlotte (Kristin Davis) got the storybook family she always wanted. And after more ups and downs than John Travolta's career, things were finally on solid ground between hopeless romantic Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) and her dashing boyfriend, John James Preston -- a.k.a. Mr. Big (Chris Noth).

Yes, everybody lived happily ever after, and there was nowhere left to go. That is, until now, which brings us to “Sex and the City: The Movie.” Since the TV series was so sharp, fun and well written, I was just as excited as the next “Sex” addict to hear that Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha were making their high-heeled jump to the big screen. But seeing as how they already sowed their wild oats by the end of the show, I couldn't help but wonder…

What comes after “and they lived happily ever after?”

Well, a lot, it seems -- and 4 years after first enjoying the bliss of their newfound relationships, the honeymoon appears to be over. PR maven Samantha is lonely after moving to Los Angeles to be with her busy actor boyfriend. Miranda now lives in Brooklyn with her family, but she's burned out from the pressures of being a working mother. Only Charlotte appears to be living a fairy tale lifestyle over on Park Avenue, but she's worried about losing it.

And then there's sweet, sensitive, love-struck Carrie. After years of putting up with Big's recurring fear of commitment, they're finally ready to take the plunge. And for New York's most famous single girl, that's a big deal -- so big, in fact, that Carrie's editor at “Vogue” wants to turn the wedding into a publicity stunt. That's a problem for Mr. Big, who wants to keep it small -- and as the pressure begins to mount, so will the odds against their making it down the aisle.

As for whether or not the movie is any good, it hardly matters -- fans will love it, while everyone else will be better off seeing “Iron Man” (again). The characters are older and wiser, and they're finally coming to terms with the hard work it takes to maintain a meaningful relationship. That drama leads to plenty of tear-jerking moments that devoted fans will go crazy for, but first-timers who never got the show probably won't care enough to make an emotional connection.

From a critical standpoint, “Sex and the City” is manipulative, contrived and more of a “chick flick” than the TV series ever was. It's also way too long -- at 2 hours and 25 minutes, it's 10 minutes longer than “Speed Racer.” And while writer-director Michael Patrick King (who also executive produced the show) gives more depth to the ladies as they embrace middle age, the supporting characters are left woefully underdeveloped (particularly Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson, who comes and goes as Carrie's new assistant).

If you're the type of fan that has no problem watching 5 episodes back-to-back, then this movie is for you. But where the TV show was shocking and pushed the boundaries of female empowerment, the movie seems relatively subdued and tame by comparison. Then again, that may be the point -- Carrie and her friends aren't spring chickens anymore, so the movie can't really be that way either. It's just that the prospect of seeing them together again was so exciting, I thought that the film deserved to be a little more, you know, fabulous.

Movie review by Scott Mantz.

Taken from Celebrity Wonder (www.celebritywonder.com).

Is LASIK safe?

About the time that people hit middle age, they start noticing a number of changes in their bodies and one of the changes that will often motivate people to see a doctor is when their vision is compromised. Considering that the baby-boomer generation has hit middle age and beyond, it is no wonder why Lasik laser eye surgery has become increasingly popular in recent years, as a way to counter the effects of vision deterioration.

Lasik vision surgery is a specialized procedure that provides vision correction for certain types of vision problems and conditions. Lasik is the term that is used as a "shortcut" for the full name of the operation, which is otherwise known as "Laser In-Situ Keratomileusis." Other commonly heard terms for corrective eye surgery that is accomplished through the use of lasers instead of scalpels are: PRK, LASEK, custom Lasik, and Epi-Lasik.

There are three main vision problems that are easily corrected through Lasik laser eye surgery. These are near-sightedness, farsightedness, and forms of mild to moderate astigmatisms. With Lasik vision surgery, people are able to toss their eyeglasses, and the chance of losing or breaking them, into the trash forever. It can also eliminate the need for contact lenses.

A qualified and professional Lasik eye doctor will always make sure that a patient has a full and complete understanding of the process, before it is done. This gives them an advantage of not only being a patient but of being an informed consumer who has made a decision regarding their eye health and care.

While the risks of laser eye surgery are minimal, especially when compared to older methods of corrective eye surgery, it is in the best interest of the person considering such surgery to fully understand the possible complications and potential risks, as well as the cost of Lasik surgery.

The greatest advantage of a laser eye surgery procedure is that it is minimally invasive and does not involve the cutting of the covering of the eye, or cornea, with any type of surgical instrument. Instead, a thin layer of the cornea is cut with a laser beam and then gently pulled back, giving the laser eye surgeon the ability to then "sculpt" the corneal tissue to improve the vision. The thin flap is then replaced and the procedure is over.

After the Lasik laser eye surgery, patients notice an almost instant improvement in their eyesight. They can very quickly get back to their normal, everyday routines in almost all cases. Also, with Lasik there are no stitches to be concerned about and the patient will not even have to wear bandages. With all of this, some recipients of Lasik eye surgery even claim that the whole procedure could even be characterized as a divine wonder.

Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_546607_17.html

But on the contrary, while your at it, this website posts some of the horrifying post-operation stories of LASIK patients. While some do had clear vision after the surgery, they do experience pain and afterwards depression (pain physically and of course the money spent for the operation is pocket-aching).

So before you decide on going through LASIK, visit Life After Lasik (www.lifeafterlasik.com).