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).

Will Devaughn, Riza Santos, Charlie Green and Madonna Decena in Star Patrol

PBB Celebrity Edition Big Winners Will Devaughn and Riza Santos is included in the cast of "Road Raiders", a Hollywood movie being shot in an abandoned quarry site in Antipolo.



Meanwhile British-Filipino Charlie Green is out of Britain's Got Talent, but we still have one Filipina in, and she is Madonna Decena. Decena is a single parent of two children but unfortunately, she had to leave them to her parents to prepare for a better future for her family.

Images and video courtesy and copyright of ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation.

March 28 is Flag Day

Today, March 28, is the Philippine Flag Day. From this day on until June 12, Independence Day of the Philippines, Filipinos are encouraged to display the Philippine flag in their homes, offices, public places, etc. If you are proud to be Filipino, then wave our national banner! Ako ay Pilipino, at ipinagmamalaki ko ito!

Ashlee and Pete got married!

Ashlee Simpson (7th Heaven, The Ashley Simpson Show) and Pete Wentz (Fall Out Boy) were married Saturday evening, May 17, in an intimate ceremony, according to their spokesperson.

Simpson, 23, wore an ivory lace wedding gown by Monique Lhuillier and jewels by William Noble as she and Wentz, 28, exchanged vows in front of 150 guests at her parents’ Los Angeles area home.

Dad Joe Simpson performed the non-denominational ceremony, while sister Jessica served as maid of honor. Wentz’s English bulldog, Hemingway, was the ring-bearer. Guests included Jessica’s boyfriend, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, Nicole Richie and Joel Madden, as well as actor Donald Faison with girlfriend CaCee Cobb.

Simpson said on Friday that she was never the type to dream about her wedding when she was growing up, but changed her tune once she got engaged. “Now that I’m doing it, I definitely have that big dream. It kind of went more fairytale than I thought. I got really into it.” Added Wentz, “She has this amazing imagination and to watch it take place is an awesome thing.”

With the help of wedding planner Mindy Weiss, Simpson got her dream nuptials: The Alice in Wonderland themed reception featured a wedding cake by Sam Godfrey of Perfect Endings with a top hat, tea pot, stop watch and a pot of flowers on top. The elaborate centerpieces of black beauty roses were by Mark’s Garden. Guests were served Rose Veuve Clicquot champagne followed by a sit-down dinner and dancing to a deejay.

Simpson, who sources say is pregnant with the couple’s first child, and Wentz, the bassist for Fall Out Boy, have been linked since the fall of 2006, when they were spotted kissing at a New York nightclub. They announced their engagement last month.

“He’s a cutie,” Simpson said last year. “He has an awesome personality and kind of brings out the best of me and I knew that even before we were dating. There was just like an awesome connection we had.”

After they’d been dating almost a year, Wentz said, “We’re past the honeymoon period. The truth is, it’s crazy to be able to kiss your best friend. It’s just a really awesome thing.”

Last year, Pete made a buzz about his sexuality. In a Blender interview in March 2007, Wentz alluded to being bisexual, stating that he has kissed males before and that "anybody above the waist is totally fair game." In the May 2007 issue of The Advocate, Wentz opened up about his sexuality, stating that he is sexually attracted to males, but he hasn't had sexual relations with other men because "I'm not a fan of penises".

He explained later in an NPR story in November 2007, saying, "I would never come out and say I'm gay, because I'm not gay. There's part of me that kind of wishes I was gay, and I think that comes from anybody constantly wishing they were in the minority and constantly wants to be fighting everybody off.".

From Celebrity Spin and Wikipedia.

DeGeneres to marry de Portia soon

Ellen DeGeneres and longtime girlfriend Portia de Rossi are jumping at the chance to get married.

DeGeneres announced their engagement during a Thursday taping of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” telling the studio audience the news that the California Supreme Court had struck down state laws against gay marriage.

“So I would like to say now, for the first time, I am announcing: I am getting married,” she said during the show, airing Friday.

The studio audience leapt to its feet for a long ovation, and De Rossi (”Ally McBeal,” “Nip/Tuck”) was sitting in the audience, beaming and clapping.

Then DeGeneres cracked: “Thank you. I’ll tell you who the lucky guy is soon.”

The court ruling means same-sex couples could tie the knot in as little as a month. However, religious and social conservatives are seeking to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot in November that would undo the Supreme Court ruling and ban gay marriage.

DeGeneres, 50, has boldly used TV before to make a stand for gay rights.

In 1997, she brought her character on the ABC sitcom “Ellen” out of the closet, making the show the first on prime-time network TV to have an openly gay lead. The move drew cheers from gay civil rights organizations but was condemned by some religious groups.

A month before, DeGeneres had proclaimed from the cover of Time magazine that she was a lesbian.

DeGeneres, 50, and the glamorous de Rossi, 35, have been a familiar couple at Hollywood events, including the Academy Awards. Previously, DeGeneres had a high-profile relationship with actress Anne Heche.

In a 2005 interview with Allure magazine, the comedian said she hoped she and de Rossi are “together the rest of our lives.”

“I never would have thought my life would have turned out this way,” DeGeneres told the magazine. “To have money. Or to have a gorgeous girlfriend. I just feel so lucky with everything in my life right now.”

My Girl - Philippine Edition - Teaser Trailer

After their TV hit "Sana Maulit Muli" (which is shown in some Asian countries as "Chances"), Kim Chiu and Gerald Anderson (ex-Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition 1 house mates Big Winners, 1st and 3rd) are back once more for the first ever Philippine franchise of a Koreanovela, "My Girl".

Jasmine is an imposter, proficient in Cebuano, Chinese, and Tagalog, while Julian is the second generation heir of a big corporation. Because of his grandfather's illness, he is forced to ask Jasmine to act as his long-lost cousin so that his grandfather's last wish can be fulfilled. Therefore, they are both bound in a lie so that no-one in the family knows the truth.

Julian's intelligent ex-girlfriend, Anika who grew up in a rich family dreaming to become a world-famous beauty queen, returns to Philippines after winning a title and works hard at getting back with Julian, thus causing both she and Jasmine to have cutthroat competitions for Julian's affection.

(Plot taken from Wikipedia)

Images and video courtesy and copyright of ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation.