Biographies of world figures

Who and what is the Black Widow? Are you ready for the truth? If someone approaches you to go undercover in the new and deadly world of terrorism, would you take the challenge? Would you risk everything and everyone? The Black Widow book cover (c) Goodreads In this 16th book about Art Restorer and Master Spy, Gabriel Allon, he gets entangled with a new type of terrorist group, ISIS. The events in this novel were so realistic that it gave me goosebumps while reading it.  It's the world at war and the problem is you don't know who and where your enemy is. Fanaticism and distortion can consume your enemy and they become a dangerous weapon. The Black Widow also celebrated Allon's transition as head of the Office, the Israeli's Spy Agency. It was a reunion of sorts since it featured several characters from past stories.  If you're familiar with Silva's writing style, you'll feel at home with this novel. At the end of the book, I asked myself, what would the next ...

"I know I have but the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too." - Elizabeth I Since the Norman conquest of England by William the Conqueror in 1066, there have been 41 Kings and Queens of England. And of that number, there have been eight sets of Royal siblings who ruled and reigned in the history of the United Kingdom. There were 17 Kings and Queens who changed their country's history, religion, and culture.  The heart of every Monarchy is for them to pass on the crown to their children But what happens if a King or Queen dies without producing an offspring? Who would be the legitimate successor? The Stuarts part II: Mary II and Anne Biology is the key There have been several factors that merited siblings to rule one after the other. One major reason was that Biology has let them down. They could not produce a royal offspring who would inherit the crown and continue the line of succession. The greatest...

Discover. Channel. Broadcast Discover your passions. Channel your creativity. Broadcast your talents to the world. What do Justin Bieber and Charice Pempengco have in common? Both of them were discovered by showing the world their talent by uploading videos in YouTube. Own It! Smart and YouTube has teamed up through Smart Launchpad to encourage young and talented artists and budding content creators to own their passions and share them with the world. They can upload their work and broadcast it via online submission or Upload Stations found all over the country.  Wanna fly to Los Angeles and find your own fame? There will be workshops sponsored by Smart, with leading Industry experts, that would also serve as a venue to select the most deserving content creators and will bring them to LA for a once-in-a-lifetime experience of collaborating with the biggest YouTube Stars. For Cebuanos, you just need to visit the Smart upload Station this weekend, August 20-21, at SM Seaside and get ...

Imagine yourself wearing a straw Fedora hat and a Guayabera shirt sipping an ice cold Mojito and smoking a cigar. You can actually feel that you're on a Caribbean holiday. There are three imports Cuba is known for --- cigars, rum, and Mojitos!  And Cebu Marriott Hotel is bringing a Mojito invasion by introducing the Unlimited Mojitos project to Cebuanos and it's guests.  There are 6 basic components to a Mojito: rum, sugar, mint, soda water, lime juice and lots of ice. Nowadays, folks are becoming more inventive and daring in their taste buds. Mojito ingredients have become unconventional that you can add non-traditional fruits like dragon fruit, pear or even pineapple. Dragon fruit mojito For 599php net, you can create your own Mojito concoction with the freshest ingredients and the best rum in the market, Bacardi or take advantage of the highly-skilled and friendly bartender to mix up your special mojitos. It was a surreal experience making and drinking your own Mojitos....

“I love quotations because it is a joy to find thoughts one might have, beautifully expressed with much authority by someone recognized wiser than oneself.” ― Marlene Dietrich For those who belong to my generation (or older), you might recall the Quotable Quotes section of Reader's Digest. To practice my handwriting (which is still atrocious), I would copy all the quotes found on that page.  That memory came to my mind one day as I was taking photos of my Funko Pop vinyl collection.  I've decided to combine my love of Pops and quotes. Here are some that I made based on popular pop culture icons. James or Jim Moriarty is the arch-nemesis of Sherlock Holmes even though he only appears in one story. The quote comes directly from Holmes as written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. James Moriarty Here's the eccentric detective himself, Sherlock Holmes . The Funko Pop is based on Benedict Cumberbatch's portrayal of the modern-day Holmes. He is holding his favorite violin which he p...

It has been a crazy week since the official launch of Pokemon Go in the Philippines. Everyone has been trying catch as many Pokemon warriors as possible. Training and catching them Pokemon can be tiring. It also makes one hungry. Fret not, all Pokemon Trainers! Come and join the fun this Saturday, August 13 at 2/F Glo Cafe and Lounge, Crown Regency Hotel & Towers. The Cafe is putting up lures on all of their Pokemon stops from 11am to 1pm and 6pm to 9pm, and challenging players far and wide to battle it out for gym leader at their Pokemon gym! All Pokemon Go players will automatically receive a 10% discount on their total bill by just presenting their Pokemon Go game app to the service staff upon payment. Free parking will also be given, just make sure to have your parking stub validated at Cafe Glo. It would be an exciting weekend for trainers and et all. Don't miss out on the opportunity to catch different kinds of Pokemon and meet other players this Saturday! For more info, ...

Pigafetta is a name that is well-known to Filipinos. He was the Italian chronicler of Portuguese explorer, Ferdinand Magellan, during his ill-fated around-the-world journey. Magellan was killed in Cebu and Antonio Pigafetta was just one of 18 survivors who was able to complete the voyage.  I can only imagine that onboard the last remaining Spanish ship were the different spices and herbs that they collected during their trip. And flash forward 500 years later, these same ingredients would bring gastronomic delights to the Cebuano shores. Pigafetta Food Voyage That's what came to my mind when I was having lunch at Pigafetta, an Italian-inspired restaurant located in Axis Entertainment. It's one of the reasons why Escario street is becoming a mecca of dining places. Joel Binamira, who brought us the highly popular Zubuchon, brought the Pigafetta experience to life. Cebuano foodies will love the atmosphere of Pigafetta. Don't be intimidated by the interior of the restaurant. I...

When I traveled to Seoul, one of the things that I brought home with me is their famous Maxim Gold coffee mix. I got hooked with the different flavors that it offered. When I ran out of supply, I had a hard time looking for a substitute. The Goldccino Collection Luckily for me, Gold Bean Coffee , the newest coffee shop located in Lahug, Cebu City, is just around the corner from where I live. And when I was talking with their wonderful and friendly baristas, I found out that the coffee base that they use for most of their drinks is Maxim. It was music to my ears.  Their Goldccino  collection is a variety of hot and cold drinks that they can serve in a flash.  They're bringing new flavor combinations that would surely have coffee fans asking for more.  Their highly-skilled baristas are creating and innovating new drink concoctions to serve the growing number of coffee enthusiasts in Cebu. It's worth visiting Gold Bean Coffee. Their interiors are picture perfect. T...

August 6, 2016, will be the first SMART Digifest that will happen in Cebu. This special event will be held at The Greenery at Mabolo. The fun starts at 6:00PM. Let's go! Experience SMART's faster data and connect with various booths and activities that offer a new outlook at what Cebu living is all about. Party to the music of Cebu's homegrown artists with special performances from Autotelic and Gabby Alipe. Don't forget to take photos and upload them easily to your social media accounts like Facebook Live and Instagram stories . Special treats will be given to lucky SMART subscribers. Stream nonstop with YouTube and iflix without any data interruption. Join the Clash of Clans Royale Grand Tournament to showcase your fighting ability and win amazing prizes.