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Friday, March 19, 2010

3 of 10 College Grad May Find Job

Only three out of ten college graduates looking for work may be able to find jobs if the government remains unable to create sufficient jobs, according to a non-government research agency.

In a release sent Thursday, independent think tank IBON Foundation said around 848,000 new and old graduates may be looking for work after this year’s graduation, but only about 256,000 openings may be available to them.

The figure was based on the government’s Labor Force Survey (LFS) in April last year, but IBON said the number of jobs may still be the same this year in the worst-case scenario of the economy being able to generate the same number of jobs.

The figure provided by IBON also does not include graduates who do find jobs but will probably take whatever work is available even if these are not related to their college degrees.

Previous estimates show that three out of five college graduates immediately join the labor force.

With the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) estimating some 542,000 college graduates this year, IBON said an additional 325,000 degree-holding job-seekers will join the labor market.

Those who are going to look for work will then be competing with about 523,000 other unemployed graduates as of January 2010, IBON added.

“This problem is mitigated somewhat if the newly-erupting global crisis early last year was a factor that particularly dragged down job creation at the time," the group said, adding, however, that long-term job prospects of college graduates will still not be secure.

Over one in ten college graduates in the country are unemployed according to IBON, reaching 591,000 out of 5.63 million college graduates in the labor force after the closing of classes in April 2009 based still on LFS data.

The new graduates are also set to join the some 4.3 million jobless Filipinos as of 2009, based on the group’s own estimates.

This is about a third higher than the government’s estimate of only 2.8 million jobless Filipinos as of January this, which even then registered an improvement from 2.9 million recorded last year.

Job-skills mismatch

As reported in GMA News’ Saksi news program, the government’s labor department however said unemployment is caused not by the lack of jobs but by the perceived mismatch between skills possessed by applicants and the demands of employers.
Isa sa tinitingnan, 'yung pagre-review ng mga curriculum. Nagma-match ba itong pinag-aaralan ng mga estudyante sa aktwal na pangangailangan ng mga industriya," Department of Labor and Employment director for information and publication service Jay Julian told GMA News reporter Ivan Mayrina.

(We’re looking at reviewing the schools’ curriculum, among other things, if what students are taking up matches the demands of the industries.)

The department is thus consulting sectors and industries in its program dubbed Jobsfit, to know which fields are more likely to generate a higher number of jobs.

Based on the department’s records, the top employment generators in 2009 are agribusiness; cyber services including call centers; health, wellness and tourism including nursing and caregiving; hotels and restaurants; and mining.

 
David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
Creative Writer

7 Rapist Fall in Cebu

Seven suspects linked to the gang rape of a 16-year-old girl and the killing of her boyfriend in Lapu-Lapu City in Cebu province in central Philippines were finally arrested.

On Friday, radio dzXL reported that the seven were members of a gang who attacked the victims because the boyfriend belonged to a rival gang.

Police said that of the seven members of the Bloods gang, five were minors. The girl positively identified the seven suspects, the report said.

Investigation showed the gang attacked the girl and her boyfriend Sunday in Buaya village.

The suspects then raped the girl while pointing a gun at her boyfriend. When the boyfriend tried to resist, he was shot.

David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
Creative Writer

The Great Wall of China

 In ancient times, the Chinese people used the Great Wall to keep an eye on their enemies. Now, they’re using it to keep an eye on their allies, at least in Dandong anyway.

Only the Yalu River separates the northeastern Chinese city in Liaoning province from the North Korean mainland, and Dandong capitalizes on a few sites that fuel people’s fascination with its reclusive, headline-grabbing rogue neighbor. According to official figures, Dandong gets 10 million visitors a year – not bad for a third-tier city that is not a familiar destination for many foreigners.
Most tourists flock to a section of the Great Wall that runs parallel to the North Korean border. The Tiger Mountain Great Wall, a 700-meter section of the 7,300-kilometer ancient architectural marvel, is only 20 minutes by car from downtown Dandong.

From the wall (admission 40 RMB or P268), visitors can see a cluster of aging bungalows, people working in the fields, and a few farm animals on the other side of the river. Telescopes may be rented by tourists who want a closer look at the country that rules through an iron fist, and continues to provoke international sanctions because of their nuclear and missile tests.

No first-time visitor leaves Tiger Mountain wall without setting foot on Yibukua – meaning, “one step across" – an extremely narrow part of the Yalu River. Only chicken wire fences off North Korean territory, so it’s tempting to make the leap across the water. But this is one of the sections of the border where Korean guards are stationed, so old hands caution tourists from approaching the fence even if they think no one is watching.

The relatively uncrowded Tiger Mountain wall has a surreal atmosphere, unlike anything I’ve encountered in other sections of the Great Wall. (I’ve been to four others around Beijing, where I live.) Tiger Mountain seems to draw personalities as peculiar as their desire to “spy" on the North.

There was the duo of middle-aged men who blasted disco music at one of the towers, encouraging people to dance to stay healthy; the married police officer on his day off who asked my travel companion for a date; and the young mother with her preschool daughter who was at a loss on how to descend the steep wall steps. She finally decided to walk backward to catch the girl if the child fell: a terrible, risky idea to any onlooker with sense.

Ringside seat to history

“Now I understand why they crossed," said my companion Du Ping, the granddaughter of a Chinese veteran of the Korean War (1950-53), during a boat ride along the Yalu River. She was talking about the two US journalists detained by the North Koreans in March 2009 and sentenced to 12 years in prison for illegal entry and “hostilities against the Korean nation."

The women were captured in Yanji, another Chinese border city further north, while making a documentary about the trafficking of North Korean women to China. Having come this close to North Korea, Du Ping said she could imagine them thinking, “Maybe we can just have a quick look and then turn back." The journalists were released in August 2009, during a visit to the North Korean capital of Pyongyang by former US President Bill Clinton.

In some parts of Dandong – like Huangjincao, a North Korean village on the Chinese mainland – the border fence is little more than a year old. Residents say the Chinese government erected the barrier around the time disarmament talks about the North’s nuclear program bogged down in late 2008. China was one of the chief negotiators in the talks along with the US, Russia, Japan and South Korea.

Fifty years ago, the Sino-Korean relationship was all about bridges. It was the Korean War and Peng Dehuai, considered one of modern China’s greatest military commanders, led his troops to the North on what is now called the Hekou Broken Bridge, located 60 kilometers from downtown Dandong.

Among the men in General Peng’s volunteer army was 28-year-old Mao Anying, the eldest son of Mao Zedong, former chairman of the Communist Party of China and leader of the country’s communist revolution. On November 25, 1950, less than five weeks after the soldiers crossed the border, the young Mao was killed in a US bombing raid.

Mao Zedong did not learn of his son’s death until three months later, said former BBC China correspondent Philip Short in his Mao Zedong biography, Mao: A Life. Peng sent Mao a telegram the same day the young man died, “proposing that he be buried on the battlefield, like all Chinese soldiers in Korea," Short wrote. Mao’s secretary received the telegram and “telephoned (Premier) Zhou Enlai, who contacted other leaders. They authorized the burial, but decided that, with the war at a critical juncture, Mao should not be told."

A bust of Anying and China’s other Korean War heroes line the path leading to Hekou Broken Bridge (admission 10 RMB or PhP67), one of the two bridges that used to connect China and North Korea. Hekou bridge was destroyed when the US military strafed it to prevent food and military supplies from reaching the Chinese troops during the war.

Made in North Korea

How do ordinary North Koreans feel about all the scrutiny and the fascination of foreigners with them? Annoyance, envy, fear, amusement – or resignation? These questions went around and around my head the whole time I was in Dandong.
 ven Dandong’s souvenir vendors feed on this phenomenon, plying goods “made in North Korea." Their stalls are piled high with cigarettes, compact mirrors, animal figurines, chopsticks and North Korean coins and banknotes.

One female vendor said she obtains her goods through barter. In exchange for the items, the North Koreans ask for meat and “daily necessities," she said, adding that some of her suppliers had become friends through the years.

Getting there

Air China has daily one-and-a-half-hour flights from Beijing to Dandong.

If you’re not in a rush, an overnight train ride from Beijing is a good way to get a glimpse of China’s northeastern countryside, formerly known as Manchuria. The train’s hard sleeper section (around 250 RMB or PhP 1674 for six people in two three-level bunks) provides basic necessities for a good night’s rest: a pillow, clean sheets and a duvet. Soft sleepers are double the price for a room of not more than four and a mattress.

A taxi from downtown Dandong to Tiger Mountain Great Wall costs 40 RMB. You can also catch a bus from the city’s train station for 2 RMB (PhP13.40).

On your way to Tiger Mountain wall’s exit, you’ll come across a family-run eatery, Nongjia Tese Xiaochi. Stop by for a meal if you want to taste real village cooking. It specializes in benji or “stupid chicken" – stewed chicken with mushrooms – and Yalujiang Heyu, fish from the Yalu River prepared any way you like. The chicken dish takes about an hour to make because family members first have to catch your chicken inside a coop, then sacrifice it in the name of sustenance. The chicken and fish cost 20 RMB (PhP134) for every half a kilo.

The eatery owners, a Manchu family, accept lodgers into their modest home. For 15 RMB a night, a guest gets a spot on their kang, a sleeping platform made of fired clay with a cavity that channels the exhaust from a wood stove to ward off the cold in winter. Behind the house is a makeshift squat toilet, the biggest attraction of which is a view of the Great Wall while you answer the call of nature. 



David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
Creative Writer

Intel's Fastest Microprocessor

The Philippine subsidiary of Intel Corp. unveiled to the local market on Friday its fastest microprocessor to date, an “expensive" chip that is the first to use the 32-nanometer manufacturing technology.

Dubbed the Core i7 980X Extreme Edition processor, the speed demon is targeted primarily at the resource-hungry gaming market and is priced at $999 (about P45,000) per unit.

The chip, for now, is targeted for the desktop market because of its thermal requirement (the product comes with a cooling fan). Local Intel officials could not say if the company would make it available on the laptop or mobile PC market. Currently, Intel’s highest-performing laptop processor is the Core i7 920XM.

Intel Philippines country manager Ricky Banaag said that the chip, codenamed “Gulftown" during its development, is also ideal for video and audio editing work and engineering design that require fast processor power.

The product is also Intel’s first chip that has a six-core processor with 12 computing threads. It is also compatible with existing Intel X58 Express chipset-based motherboards.

Running at 3.33 GHz, the chip has 12MB of Intel Smart Cache and can be overclocked to allow users to adjust their speed settings.

The new processor is the first chip to use the 32-nanometer technology in manufacturing and fabrication. Both Intel and AMD have been working on this new technology after waging a fierce battle in the 45-nanometer platform.

David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
Creative Writer

Dispute Over Picasso's Art

 This would end anyone's blue period.
A once-disputed Picasso masterpiece set to hit the auction block this summer is expected to sell for up to $60 million -- which would be a world record for the artist's work.
"Portrait of Angel Fernandez de Soto (The Absinthe Drinker)" is being sold by composer Andrew Lloyd Webber's charitable foundation after being withdrawn from a sale in 2006 when the heir of a German banker claimed his ancestor was forced by the Nazis to sell the work in the 1930s.
The case was later thrown out and an undisclosed agreement reached between Webber's charity and the heir.
 The portrait, painted at the height of Picasso's famed Blue Period, is set to be auctioned at Christie's in London on June 23.

David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
Creative Writer

Tolkien's "Hobbit" starts to Shoot on July


Shooting of Peter Jackson’s long-awaited movies based on the JRR Tolkein fantasy “The Hobbit” is due to start in July in New Zealand, star Ian McKellen said.


The two-part film to be produced by Jackson, who directed the Oscar-winning trilogy of Tolkein’s “The Lord of The Rings”, will take over a year, McKellen said on his website.

“Casting in Los Angeles, New York City and London has started,” said the British actor, who will again play the wizard Gandalf.

“The script too proceeds. The first draft is crammed with old and new friends, again on a quest in Middle Earth.”

The Hobbit films will be directed by Mexican-born Guillermo del Toro, who is already living in Wellington, where Jackson’s studio is based.
Jackson’s studio has not confirmed the timing of the new movies, and has also not confirmed whether they will be shot in 3D, following the trend of recent hits “Avatar” and “Alice in Wonderland”.

The adaptation of Tolkein’s book “The Hobbit” is set to be spread over two films, which are scheduled to be shot simultaneously, co-distributors New Line and MGM said when the films were announced in late 2007.

The Hobbit films will be prequels to the wildly successful Lord of the Rings trilogy, which won a total of 17 Oscars, including best picture for the final instalment “The Return of the King”. -

David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
Creative Writer

Kate - Sam Split Update

 Sounds like their careers might have gotten in the way of their marriage!
Apparently the trouble between Kate Winslet and Sam Mendes began when they were filming Revolutionary Road back in 2007.
An insider reveals, "Sam told friends Kate would talk about the film the moment they woke up, and it was overbearing."
The couple faced even more troubles when they both took time off in 2009 to be with each other, supposedly going "stir crazy" and arguing constantly!
Once Kate decided to film the miniseries Mildred Pierce in New York while Sam wanted to stay in London they called it quits. The insider continues:
"Kate told Sam, 'Your career is not more important than mine.'"
Ouch!

David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
Creative Writer

Another Astonish Performance Axe in American Idol

 After this week's underwhelming debut of "American Idol's" top 12, Wednesday's elimination felt like a relief. During Tuesday's performance round, only three contestants (Siobhan Magnus, Crystal Bowersox and Lee Dewyze) managed to impress with their takes on Rolling Stones classics, leaving the rest of the singers in a vulnerable position.
In the end, there was no luck o' the Irish for Lacey Brown, whose snoozy "Ruby Tuesday" earned her the fewest votes. Joining her in the bottom three were Paige Miles and Tim Urban.
And even though Simon Cowell announced at the beginning of the show that the "judges' save" is back — the judges have one chance to save any contestant up until the top 5 as long as it's a unanimous decision — they wisely decided not to waste the save on Brown
David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
Creative Writer

Rumors Tim Burton may Direct Next Addams Family


Though I've moderately enjoyed his recent adaptations of Sweeney Todd and Alice in Wonderland (in 3-D no less), I have to admit that I'm a bit frustrated as Deadline reports writer/director Tim Burton will take on a 3-D stop-motion animated film based on Charles Addams' original cartoon creations of The Addams Family. Though the previous film and television incarnations of this drew inspiration from these cartoons, this new animated venture is completely unrelated to them and will instead go back to the litany of Addams illustrations (seen above) that displayed a sharper wit than the classic TV series. So why am I frustrated?
Essentially, adaptations are usually the exception to my rule of preferring original scripts as the inspiration for feature films. Comic books, recent adaptations like Shutter Island and such are essentially like original spec scripts like themselves, because many times the written material is indeed an original story, but simply not in screenplay format. But in Burton's case, I feel his best work has been with his original concepts like Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice, and Corpse Bride, which was his directorial debut with a stop-motion movie (remember he only produced and wrote the The Nightmare Before Christmas). But when Burton is adapting material like Alice in Wonderland and now The Addams Family which has already seen multiple incarnations, I feel like he's wasting his unique vision with someone else's over exposed ideas once again.
Anyway, the cartoons (seen above) from Addams are very in tune with Burton's creative style and were once a staple of The New Yorker magazine. Personally, I'd rather see the feature length version of Burton's short film Frankenweenie, about a boy who reanimates his dead dog, come to fruition sooner. Though technically an adaptation, the idea is one of Burton's original creations which should be happening anytime now and is much better suited for a younger audience who may never have even heard of The Addams Family. Anyway, no cast is attached yet and producers are still in the process of looking for a writer. What do you think?

David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
Creative Writer

New Planet Discovered


A planet discovered 1,500 light years from Earth is remarkably similar to those in our own Solar System, according to astronomers. The Jupiter-size world is, called Corot-9b, is orbiting a distant star in our Milky Way every 95 days. Scientists believe it could become a ‘Rosetta stone’ by helping them to understand other ‘exoplanets’ elsewhere in the galaxy.
The planet was detected by the CoRoT space telescope operated by the French space agency, CNES. Its Sun-like parent star, Corot-9, is in the constellation of Serpens, the Snake. More than 400 exoplanets have been discovered to date, but most are so-called ‘hot Jupiters’ – gas giants that hug their parent stars in close orbits and have surface temperatures of 1,000C or more.
These are the easiest planets to find using the common method of measuring the “wobble” their gravity gives their parent stars. About 70 exoplanets have been found using a different method which relies on the planet passing in front of its star, or “transiting”. The planet reveals itself by blotting out some of the star’s light causing it to dim.
Corot-9b was identified by the transit method. The planet took eight hours to pass in front of its star, which provided astronomers with a lot of information. The planet turned out to be unusual because it was not a “hot” Jupiter. Depending on the extent of reflective clouds in its atmosphere, it has a surface temperature of between minus 20 and 160C.
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David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
Creative Writer

New Lord of The Rings Revealed

 Are you longing for a trip back to Middle-earth? Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has your back as it officially revealed Lord of the Rings: War in the North for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC. If you’ve been waiting to see your Hobbit friends, you’ll have to wait until 2011 for the game’s release.

This is a Mature-rating multiplayer action-RPG game based on both the movies and the novels from J.R.R. Tolkien. The game is being developed by Snowblind Studios, in conjunction with Middle-earth Enterprises. Snowblind brought you games like Justice League Heroes and Champions of Norrath.

You’ll become the heroes in War in the North, as you battle in the epic War of the Ring. The game features extensive character customization and development, expansive co-op gameplay (with up the three players), upgradeable weapons, skills and special abilities – just what we hoped for from an action-RPG.

Look for the game out in 2011.

David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
Creative Writer

Teacher Hangs Obama Effigy


A teacher at a failing Rhode Island school where he and all his colleagues were fired hung an effigy of President Barack Obama in his classroom, apparently in reaction to Obama's support of extreme measures to ensure accountability in schools.

Gallo did not immediately respond to calls from the AP seeking comment, but she told CNN that the 12 inch-tall (30 centimeter-tall) Obama doll that she saw Monday was hung from its feet from a white board and was holding a sign that said "Fire Central Falls teachers."

The teachers union on Thursday condemned the effigy, discovered Monday in the teacher's third-floor classroom at Central Falls High School, saying it was wrong and cannot be condoned under any circumstances.

Obama had called the firings in Central Falls an example of holding failing schools accountable.
Jane Sessums, president of the Central Falls Teachers Union, said in a written statement that the teacher hung the doll "as part of what he described as a lesson plan."


The effigy was found in the unidentified teacher's classroom by Superintendent Frances Gallo, Nicole Shaffer of the Rhode Island Department of Education told The Associated Press. Shaffer said the department would not have any further comment.

A spokesman for the union said he could not immediately explain what that meant. He said he did not know how long the effigy had been in the classroom.
The union has been fighting the firings at Central Falls High School, one of Rhode Island's worst-performing schools.
Sessums said the teacher verbally apologized to his students and asked Gallo if he could also apologize in writing.
"He understands that his actions affect not just his students but all of us," she wrote. "There is no excuse for what he did."



David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
Creative Writer

Virus Stealing Password Attack Facebook

 Hackers have flooded the Internet with virus-tainted spam that targets Facebook’s estimated 400 million users in an effort to steal banking passwords and gather other sensitive information.
The emails tell recipients that the passwords on their Facebook accounts have been reset, urging them to click on an attachment to obtain new login credentials, according to anti-virus software maker McAfee Inc.
If the attachment is opened, it downloads several types of malicious software, including a program that steals passwords, McAfee said on Wednesday.
Hackers have long targeted Facebook users, sending them tainted messages via the social networking company’s own internal email system. With this new attack, they are using regular Internet email to spread their malicious software.
A Facebook spokesman said the company could not comment on the specific case, but pointed to a status update the company posted on its website earlier on Wednesday warning users about the spoofed email and advising users to delete the email and to warn their friends.
McAfee estimates that hackers sent out tens of millions of spam across Europe, the United States and Asia since the campaign began on Tuesday.
Dave Marcus, McAfee’s director of malware research and communications, said that he expects the hackers will succeed in infecting millions of computers.
“With Facebook as your lure, you potentially have 400 million people that can click on the attachment. If you get 10% success, that’s 40 million,” Mr. Marcus said.
The email’s subject line says “Facebook password reset confirmation customer support,” according to Mr. Marcus.

David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
Creative Writer

"A Dream Come True" says Michael Jordan

 A relaxed Michael Jordan broke into a wide smile as he sat at his desk Thursday night amid his whirlwind week of realizing a longtime goal of becoming an NBA owner.
Soon, though, that steely resolve that defined his superstar playing career peaked through as he fielded a question about his commitment to turn the Charlotte Bobcats from a money-losing, non-playoff team into a winner in both areas.
“It’s motivating,” the six-time NBA champion said of the naysayers who joke he’ll be more worried about tee times than season ticket renewals. “I’ve never been asked to be out at the forefront of an organization. I never had the financial commitment to do that. Now I have. Now I’m involved. How can I not, when I’m owning 80 percent of the basketball team, not put my face on the organization?”
Jordan’s $275 million purchase of the club from Bob Johnson was approved by the rest of the league’s owners on Wednesday. The North Carolina native spent his first full day on the job insisting he’s ready to “dive in with my sleeves rolled up” to turn around the six-year-old franchise, while downplaying the significance of becoming the first former player to own an NBA team.
“I’m not wearing that on my sleeve,” he said. “For me, everybody just wants to see us win. Doesn’t matter if it’s me. Doesn’t matter if it’s Bob. Doesn’t matter if it’s anybody else. I’m happy to be in this position and given this opportunity by Bob.
“But that part of being the first athlete to control his own team is secondary in terms of me trying to provide a winning program here in Charlotte.”
A few hundred season ticket holders watched Johnson hand the team to Jordan in an event at Time Warner Cable Arena on Thursday night. Johnson, the first black majority owner of a major professional sports team, lost tens of millions of dollars annually as the city struggled to warm to the expansion team that replaced the New Orleans-bound Hornets.
“I think he’ll do absolutely great,” Johnson said. “I think you will see a change in him in that he now knows he’s on point. He is the face of Charlotte. He knows that this town asks a lot of its owners. And to me, emotionally, psychologically, economically he’s prepared for that task.
“When I talked to him I said, ‘One of the things you’ve got to do here is you’ve got to be willing to touch and be touched.’ And I’m sure he’ll do that.”
Jordan didn’t in his role the past four years as a minority investor with the final say on basketball decisions. Jordan was rarely seen at games or practices and was criticized for a couple of early decisions: drafting the disappointing Adam Morrison(notes) No. 3 overall in the 2006 draft, and hiring the inexperienced Sam Vincent as coach.
Since then, Jordan has been on a roll with his moves. After firing Vincent after just one season, Jordan hired Hall of Famer Larry Brown. The team has made numerous trades, including acquiring Stephen Jackson(notes) in November, that’s helped propel the Bobcats (35-32) to the verge of their first playoff berth.
“You guys got to admit on nights where we play well and we can beat the Lakers, we can beat Cleveland on the road, we can beat Orlando on the road, man, the imagination runs wild,” Jordan said. “With that said, I’d like to see where this imagination takes us.”
But the 47-year-old Jordan has several obstacles. He’s assuming about $150 million in debt and the club is expected to lose about $30 million this season. Charlotte ranks 22nd out of 30 teams in attendance, has poor television reach and sluggish sponsorship sales.
There’s even an issue with the Bobcats name. While Johnson denies it, the impression by many is he named the club after himself. There has been discussion about changing the nickname, a process that could cost up to $10 million and take a couple of years.
“If I get the understanding from the community, from the public, that we need it and it signifies a change, yeah, I will do that,” Jordan said.
And the 69-year-old Brown, in his record ninth NBA head coaching job, is always a threat to leave. While he has two years left on his contract, there have been reports linking him to jobs with the Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers. Brown’s wife, Shelly, lives in Philadelphia with their kids.
“I don’t want Larry to leave, but I cannot control and totally understand his relationship in terms of what Shelly feels in terms of a husband-wife scenario and what’s best suited for their family,” Jordan said. “Now I’ll do whatever I can to keep him here and I want him here, but for family reasons, or Shelly’s reasons, he feels like he needs to do something else, what else can I do?”
Jordan indicated he doesn’t plan to get into luxury tax territory with payroll “until we go deep” in the playoffs. He stressed that he wanted Charlotte to “experience what it’s like to win” and is confident he can create another milestone by doing that as an owner.
“I’ve dealt with criticism my whole career,” he said, “and each and every time it’s been a motivating factor for me.”

David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
Creative Writer

Top 5 Most Trusted Politician, says Reader's Digest

An actress, singer, philanthropists, and a journalist made it to the top five in terms of “trustworthiness”.

So did Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino, the only politician to rank high in the survey by Reader's Digest, whose nationwide poll of the “most trusted” persons in the Philippines headlines its March 2010 issue.

Bottom dwellers in the poll include President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (no. 78), former President Joseph Estrada (no. 79) and sex video scandal celebrities Katrina Halili (no. 76) and Dr. Hadyden Kho Jr. (80).

“For the first time ever, we have conducted a nationwide survey asking people to rate 80 influential Filipino personalities on their trustworthiness,” said Reader's Digest in its special report by Sarah Etchells.

“This list was presented in random order and ratings were given as a score out of ten where one equated to “Don't trust at all” and ten being “Trust completely.” An average score was calculated for each and then ranked.

The article didn't mention how many respondents took part in the survey. RD Asia said the Trust Survey was conducted by an independent market research company, the Digital Edge, in October 2009.

Similar polls were done by the magazine in countries of Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan , Malaysia and Singapore.

The top 5 in the list of 80 Philippine personalities are: l) actress and philanthropist Rosa Rosal, 2) singer/actress Leah Salonga, 3) broadcast journalist Jessia Soho of GMA 7, 4) Gawad Kalinga founder and philanthropist Tony Meloto and 5) Senator Aquino, in that order.

Rosal's impressive acting career, said Reader's Digest, is complemented by her lifelong commitment to humanitarian activities. At 78, she continues to promote voluntary blood donation and set up blood banks across the country. She joined the Philippine National Red Cross as a volunteer in 1950 and is this year celebrating her 60th anniversary working with them.

Reader's Digest is dubbed Asia's leading monthly magazine.

It said the exclusive survey was relevant because “in the current climate of economic, environmental and political uncertainty, now more than ever, people are looking for security and assurance in their lives.”

What does trust mean to Filipinos, the article asks.

“It means to depend on someone or something without any hint of doubt,” said Alvaro Nagpala, Calara, an assistant professor of behavioural sciences at De La Salle University, who was quoted in the special report.

“Trust means 100 percent confidence...Most important, we are looking for someone who has kept their morals intact.”

Other personalities in the list of 80 and their ranking include: Inquirer columnist Prof. Randy David (8), business magnate Jaime Zobel de Ayala (11), Archbishop Angel Lagdameo (19), singer Sharon Cuneta who tied with SM founder Henry Sy (24) , singer Charice Pempenco (31), Cebuano environmental lawyer Antonio A. Oposa Jr. (29) , boxing champion Manny Pacquiao (36) and Chief Justice Reynato Puno (40).

TV personality Kris Aquino ranked 42. She rated higher than another TV personality Korina Sanchez (56), and presidential candidate Sen. Manuel Villar (60) and Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro (65).


Noynoy 'most trusted politician'


READER'S Digest noted in its 2010 national poll of “most trusted” personalities that political figures had the lowest ratings except for Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, who ranked no. 5 in a field of 80.

“No other politician came close to Noynoy Aquino,” said the Asia-wide magazine.

“His presidential election opponents fell short, with Senator Manuel “Manny” Villar ranking 60 and Joseph “Erap” Estrada, coming in at a low 79.”

“The low regard Filipinos have for their politicians is most evidence in our survey on professions. Respondents were asked to rate their level of trust in 40 professions and politicians came in at the bottom of the pile.”

The magazine noted that politicians “are stereotypically untrustworthy but Aquino has been born into what's probably the most respected family in the country.”

Alvaro Nagpala Calara, an assistant professor of behavioural sciences at De La Salle University, who was interviewed for the RD special report, said Aquino's pedigree boosts his stock.

“He is trustworthy for simply being the son of two great political leaders of this country, Ninoy and Cory,”

“He remains 'clean' amidst the dirty nature of politics which is actually a feat for politicians like him.”

Reader's Digest noted that “With the passing passing of his mother last year, there is a sense of sentimentality attached to Aquino. He is the clear front runner for the upcoming presidential elections.”

Campaign handlers in the Liberal Party lost no time in trumpeting the findings of the Reader's Digest poll, issuing a press release on Thursday to call attention to the international magazine's poll results that show Aquino is “the most trusted politician” in the Philippines.

David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
Creative Writer

Know Your Precint


 An official of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) urged voters to know their clustered precincts and prepare a list of their candidates ahead of the May automated polls to prevent delays and long queues.
“We encourage our voters to know their clustered polling precincts and have a list of their preferred candidates with their corresponding numbers so they can finish voting early on May 10 and avoid long lines, especially during the time near the close of polls at 6p.m.,” said Comelec commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal.
Voters can inquire now about their clustered polling precinct with the Election Officer or Election Assistant at the Comelec office of their municipality, city or district where they are registered, said the poll official.
On Election Day, voters can proceed to help desks of the accredited citizen's arm Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) to be stationed in all polling places nationwide. Comelec partnered with PPCRV for the conduct of the May 10 polls.
By April, voters would receive their voter information sheet (VIS) in a form of a sample ballot, which would contain the voter's name, clustered precinct and name of the polling place or school. The VIS is an exact replica of the official ballot to be filled up by voters, containing the list of national and local candidates minus the security features.
“Voters can use the VIS or sample ballots that would be mailed by mid-April to practice shading the ovals as a means of voting. The filled-up sample ballot is the only “kodigo” or list of candidates that Comelec will allow to be carried by the voter inside the polling precinct, nothing else,” said Larrazabal.
If a voter wishes to create a list of his preferred candidates this early, Larrazabal said that voters must know the full name and assigned number of the candidate or party list group to avoid confusion and errors among candidates with the same surname, said Larrazabal.
“A voter should know the name and assigned number of the candidate. When they shade the ovals opposite the candidates' name, they cannot make mistakes because the marker pen has permanent ink so they should be sure that they are voting the right candidate,” said the poll official.
The list of senators include two bets with the same surname, Emilio Mario Osmeña of Promdi party, who is listed as senatorial candidate number 39 and independent candidate Sergio "Serge" Osmeña III, listed as candidate number 40.
As a last reminder, Larrazabal said voters must take care not to fold or put spurious marks on the ballots, which might compromise the security markings and invalidate the ballot.

David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
Creative Writer

Talks for Next Pacquiao Opponent


Whatever happens on May 1 in Las Vegas, Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer said he’s open to reopening negotiations with Top Rank chief Bob Arum regarding Manny Pacquiao’s next fight.
But Schaefer, in a conversation with boxing chronicler Michael Marley, said only after the May 1 showdown between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Shane Mosley will talks with Arum start.
Mayweather and Mosley are both under Golden Boy, and whoever wins the fight, set at the MGM Grand, can take on Pacquiao, still fresh from a 12-round demolition of Joshua Clottey in Dallas.
“Come May 2, it’s a different story. Then we can talk about the May 1 winner fighting Pacquiao but not before. I will not talk about any other fight until that fight is over,” said Schaefer on behalf of GBP.
Pacquiao has expressed willingness to fight Mayweather or Mosley, as well as his trainer, Freddie Roach, who was also reportedly interested in a battle with Venezuelan knockout artist Edwin Valero.
A fight with Mayweather could be the richest fight of all time and both boxers may earn no less than $30 million each.
It’s not certain, though, if Arum is still interested in talks with Schaefer following the aborted negotiations for the Pacquiao-Mayweather super-fight that was supposed to have taken place this month.
Arum was furious when Schaefer pulled out of a meeting with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones as they negotiated for the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight, and the question is will he ever do business with Schaefer again.
Talks for a Pacquiao vs Mayweather eventually fell apart due to the drug-testing procedure.
But if Mayweather gets past Mosley, and takes away the latter’s WBA welterweight crown, then the road leads nowhere but a showdown with Pacquiao, the WBO welterweight king and reigning pound-for-pound champion.
Schaefer also told Marley that a Pacquiao fight with either Mayweather or Mosley can take place anywhere, even at the Cowboys Stadium, which drew a crowd of nearly 51,000 for the Pacquiao-Clottey show last Saturday.
“I am sure it was pretty good, at least from what I read. I am sure it was good for the sport overall. I took my family out to dinner Saturday night so I didn’t see it live. Pacquiao is a good fighter. You can’t blame Pacquiao if the other guy didn’t want to fight. I am sure that Pacquiao came to fight,” said Schaefer.
“My goal is to maximize the money for the fighters who all have limited time in their boxing careers. A fight can take place in Dallas, in Las Vegas or anywhere else. We know such a fight would do a huge number in Vegas and we can see what others might offer. As a promoter, my obligation is to maximize the money,” he said.

David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
Creative Writer

Olympic Style, Cries Mayweather

 Floyd Mayweather Jr. and welterweight champion Shane Mosley will undergo Olympic-style drug testing for their May 1 fight in Las Vegas, which they hope will set a new standard for boxing.
Representatives of the two fighters joined Travis Tygart of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency on a conference call Thursday to discuss the program, which is more extensive than the testing that currently falls under the jurisdiction of state athletic commissions.
"This is one of the biggest events I've seen in the sport of boxing, and if this introduces Olympic-style testing to boxing, we not only have delivered a great fight but also leveled the field for athletes," Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions said.
Mayweather and Mosley will be subjected to an unlimited number of unannounced blood and urine tests before and after the fight, and the results will be stored so USADA can test them in the future. The samples are screened for all drugs currently banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency, including human growth hormone and designer steroids such as THG.
Most state athletic commissions test only urine samples, which Tygart said cannot detect several performance-enhancing substances, including HGH.

David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
Creative Writer

Fusari Filed Suit Against Lady Gaga


A songwriter and music producer says in a New York City lawsuit pop star Lady Gaga squeezed him out of her lucrative career after he co-wrote some of her songs, came up with her stage name and helped get her record deal.
Rob Fusari filed a $30 million lawsuit Wednesday against the Grammy Award-winning singer. He says his protege and former girlfriend ditched him as her career soared.
Fusari's lawsuit says he has credits on such hits as Will Smith's "Wild, Wild West" and Destiny's Child's "Bootylicious." It says a friend steered the piano-playing singer to his New Jersey studio in March 2006, when she was known by her real name, Stefani Germanotta.
Lady Gaga spokesman Dave Tomberlin hasn't responded to an e-mail sent Thursday seeking comment.
The lawsuit was filed in a Manhattan state court.


David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
Creative Writer

Gaiman's Fav Pinoy Myth Character


English scribe Neil Gaiman, author of genre favorites Stardust, American Gods, Neverwhere, Coraline and the Sandman series, said Filipino authors and artists are ready to make a name for themselves among the heavyweights of the fantasy genre all over the world.

Gaiman breezed into town earlier this week to talk to fans and hand out prizes for the 3rd Philippine Graphic Fiction Awards, which he has funded for the past 3 years.

In an interview with ABS-CBN News, the author said he is proud of the annual contest, which he started with Jaime Daez of Fully Booked after his first visit to the Philippines 5 years ago. During that visit, he said he was surprised by the passion and level of excitement of Filipino fans who trooped to his book signing at the Rockwell Tent in Makati.

"It wasn't the first time that I was greeted with enthusiasm by fans but it was the first time that I saw that kind of commitment and that kind of volume. That began my enormously rewarding and enjoyable relationship with the Philippines. I was fascinated with the mythology and I wanted to give something back," he said.

He said he started the contest after local authors and artists said there was no market for genre fiction in the Philippines. Cut to four years later, and the market for unrealistic fiction has increased considerably with the release of various fantasy and horror titles from local publishers.

Gaiman said this year's crop of Graphic Fiction Awards winners are even better than in previous years. Winners are Christelle Rhodamae Mariano, Irene Carolina A. Sarmiento, Kenneth Yu and Dean Alfar for prose; Manuel Abrera, Genevieve Go and Heubert Khan Michael for comics; and Jedd Chris P. Dumaguina, Desiree Ann C. Samson and Ron Sapinoso for short film.

"I think the stories are better...You are starting to see things emerging. What I think is great is that all of the fiction feels Filipino. Whether it's social satire, whether it's very personal or small, whether it's horror or it evokes the magic, mystery, history or mythology or folklore of the Philippines, it feels uniquely Filipino but it is also now starting to feel like it's ready to play on the world stage, which makes me happy," he said.

Asked which Filipino mythological character he likes the most, he answered: "I think it's got to be those wonderful, witchy vampire ladies who leave their bottom half behind and fly off trailing entrails and suck your life out with their incredibly long tongues. I don't dare say their name (manananggal) because I will always get it wrong but it's them."

He also gave the following advice for would-be authors of science fiction, fantasy and horror in the Philippines.

"I would say 'Be brave.' Firstly, write. That's very important. You've got to write. You can't just dream. You can't just hope. You actually have to do the work. And beyond that, get out there and you are not in any gravity well.  It is not hard to claw your way out. Five years ago, when I was talking to people, I'd say there are magazines, and it was like I was talking about walking on Mars," he said.

He added: "The truth is - the Web is out there. The Web is flat and you are in an equal position as anyone else in the world. You are better because you are Filipino, which means you are louder and more vocal and you probably understand how to use the Web."

Death and the Sandman'

Gaiman said he continues to  have a full plate, with projects in various stages of completion.

He said his latest short story will come out in the book "Stories" which he co-edited with Al Sarrantonio. " It comes out this summer and it's this big book. I'd like to think of it as something as almost definitive of just amazing stories from amazing first class writers," he said.

He said he is also working on a non-fiction book, which will be his first non-fiction work in 20 years.

He also said that he is fascinated with doing more movies after the success of the big screen adaptation of his children's tale "Coraline." He said he took a peculiar joy in writing 20 seconds of Coraline for the 82nd Annual Academy Awards after it was nominated for an Oscar.

"It's not a love affair," he said in describing his relationship with movies. "We sleep together and I phone. Sometimes, we have dinner...One of the fun things about doing 'Stardust' as a producer and writing 'Beowulf' is that I got to go to these amazing London and Hollywood premieres and walk the red carpet."

"The truth is that probably my idea of hell is actually nothing but one long red carpet where you just shuffle along this thing endlessly while photographers just shout your name and say 'Over here!'"

"I love the madness of Hollywood. I love that you get to make this wounderfully strange art," he said.

Gaiman said he is currently working on a screenplay of "Anansi Boys", which was stalled after the death of his father last year. He added that a big screen adaptation of "The Graveyard Book" is still pushing through in a different studio after Miramax folded.

One project that remains closest to his heart is the film adaptation of the 75-issue graphic series "The Sandman." He said that there are plans to either produce the award-winning comic as an HBO series or even a series of movies.

"All I really care about with Sandman is that nobody makes a bad movie. It's one of those things where I am so proud of what I did. We have 2,000 pages of comics and I look at it and I go, 'I am proud of this thing and I want the world to like it.' I think it's really sad when people talk about the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, they think about the bad Hollywood movie than the great Alan Moore comic. It's one of those things that I just want it to be good. If it happens, I don't care if it's an HBO series or a sequence of movies as long as it's good," he said.

What could be a reality soon is Gaiman's own directorial debut with the adaptation of his graphic novel "Death: The High Cost of Living." He said the project would be his first full-length feature after he directed "Statuesque" with actor Bill Nighy and Gaiman's girlfriend, Amanda Palmer, last year.

"What seems to be closest is 'Death: The High Cost of Living', which I wrote a movie script of called 'Death and Me'.  Guillermo del Toro is executive producing and I am meant to be directing. We'll see. Fingers crossed," he said.

David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
Creative Writer

Eric Morales Calls for 4th Bout with PacMan

Returning Mexican champion Erik Morales, the last fighter who defeated pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao, is setting his sights on his erstwhile rival for a possible fourth clash with the 7-division world champion.
“Defeating Pacquaio is my greatest accomplishment in the ring. I would love another chance at Pacquiao,” Morales said in a media event as quoted by Gareth A. Davies of The Telegraph.
“El Terible” Morales, 33, is coming out of retirement after leaving the sport in 2007.
He will make his comeback on March 27 in Monterrey, Mexico where he will face World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight champion Jose “Jicaras” Alfaro of Nicaragua.
“Alfaro is a great young fighter and a former world champion. A wicked puncher who will bring his best. He has a big heart and always gives fans everything he has,” Morales said of his 26-year-old opponent.
The Mexican and Nicaraguan will fight for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) intercontinental welterweight title at the Arena Monterrey in Nuevo Leon.
“At 147, I’m faster than ever and freer with my body so I can get the most out of it,” said Morales, adding that he would also like to slug it out with compatriot Juan Manuel Marquez.
Morales has 48 wins (with 34 knockouts) and 6 losses while Alfaro has 23 wins (with 20 KOs), 5 defeats and 1 no contest.
Career-defining foes
Morales scored a unanimous decision victory over “Pacman” Pacquiao in March 2005 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las, Vegas Nevada.
The Filipino boxing icon fired back at Morales in their next 2 fights. He scored a 10th round technical knockout win in January 2006 and blasted a 3rd round knockout victory in November 2006. Both bouts were held at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
Morales, meantime, mentioned that Pacquiao and retired American boxer Junior Jones were the opponents who defined his career.
“Defeating Jones was important to me because he had stopped something like 32 Mexicans in previous fights,” he noted.
Pacquiao (51-3-2, with 38 KOs) successfully defended his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown against Ghanaian Joshua Clottey via unanimous decision at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas last Saturday (Sunday in Manila).
No one has been named as his next opponent, although the clamor for his fight with Floyd Mayweather, Jr. remains even if negotiations for their bout collapsed due to their disagreement on the drug testing protocol. Trainer Freddie Roach, meantime, said that Venezuelan Edwin Valero could be next for Pacquiao.

David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
Creative Writer

New York's New Pop Princess


International singer Charice has been dubbed a "newly crowned pop princess" by the New York Post.
Charice's song "Pyramid" was cited in New York Post's PopWrap's fave five article for March 17. (http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/popwrap/popwrap_fave_five_dHI00FY5PWSGTY83...) It identified Charice as a "new little chick...who's mountain-and-valley vocals (that means range, kids) are the only reason you will need to fall in love with her sound."
The article also featured four other songs including Psapp's "Mister Ant," Lady GaGa's "Telephone: an Electrolightz remix," Gin Wigmore's "Don't Stop" and Matisse's "Better Than Her." It added that this week's fave five "will have your bottom uncontrollably shimmying out of your kilt."
In an e-mail sent to abs-cbnNEWS.com, Charice said that she's happy that her talent is being recognized not only by her fellow Filipinos but by a lot of Americans as well.
"I really can't believe po na kasama ko sa iisang topic si Lady Gaga. Super Fan po niya ako. To be crowned as the New Pop Princess it's really a honor for me. Nanginig ako nung nabasa ko. Feeling ko, ang laking responsibilidad kasi po dating Pop Princess si Britney Spears po. Nagpapasalamat po ako hindi lang po sa mga Pinoy na sumusuporta sa akin kundi lahat po ng supporters sa iba't ibang bansa. Mapa-Amerikano man po o kahit ano po, salamat po sa lahat," Charice said.
Charice said she is happy that her single "Pyramid" has been downloaded over a million times despite tough competition from other pop artists.
"Super happy po ako. New York Post is really BIG. And really happy na ako yung napili nila na i-crown as New Pop Princess, although there's a lot of teen artists po talaga dito sa Amerika na magaling po talagang pop singers. I wanna thank them po sa pagpili nila sa akin. And thanks po sa lahat ng nagview ng Pyramid ko, it's finally over 1M views! I can't wait po na makita nila yung official music video. Though wala pa pong exact date. But I'm sure ilalabas na po ito soon. Nakita ko na po kanina and it's really inspirational. I hope magustuhan po nila."
Currently, Charice is in the United States to work on her first international album "Charice: A Star Is Born." The album will be launched on May 11, or a day after her 18th birthday.
Reports said she might launch her album on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”


David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
Creative Writer

Yahoo to Buy Citizen Sports

 Yahoo is buying a fantasy sports company co-founded by an MIT graduate whose card-counting skills helped him win millions of dollars in blackjack and spawned a film and a best-selling book.

Citizen Sports offers fantasy leagues for sports such as football, soccer and basketball that fans can manage online at social-networking sites and through mobile applications for Apple's iPhone and smart phones running Google Inc.'s Android operating software.

With Citizen Sports, Yahoo is looking to boost its social-networking offerings, an area the company has struggled in even though, according to comScore, it commands the largest US Internet audience in news, sports and finance.

Yahoo did not release financial details of its purchase, which it expects to close by June.

Millions of people participate in fantasy leagues. Participants rack up points based on the performance of the sports players they pick to be on their make-believe teams.

Jeff Ma, whose antics in Las Vegas and Atlantic City inspired "Bringing Down the House" and, more recently, the movie "21," started Citizen Sports with business partner Mike Kerns in 2004.

Yahoo said Wednesday that Citizen Sports will be integrated with content from its sports news and information site, Yahoo Sports, and vice versa.

Citizen Sports, which is privately held, now has 39 million unique visitors in the US each month.
David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
Creative Writer

Viacom, YouTube Legal Battle

Viacom Inc. and Google Inc.'s YouTube site began airing each other's dirty laundry Thursday, providing a tantalizing peek at the wheeling and dealing that triggered a bitter battle over the copyright laws governing the Internet.

The previously confidential information came out as part of the evidence in a copyright lawsuit that Viacom filed against YouTube in 2007 for alleged copyright infringement of "The Colbert Report," "The Daily Show" and other shows.

The sensitive documents were unsealed because Viacom and YouTube are both trying to persuade US District Judge Louis Stanton to decide the case without a trial.

Both YouTube and Viacom are getting muddied in the process.

Internal YouTube e-mails depict at least one of the company's founders as a video pirate and suggest the Web site's employees were more interested in getting rich quick than adhering to copyright laws.

Other records show Viacom wanted to buy YouTube at least seven months before it filed its lawsuit and often used the Web site to promote the shows on its cable TV stations.

Google bought YouTube for $1.76 billion in November 2006, but not before Viacom made a last-ditch effort to persuade Google to team up in a joint bid for the Web's leading video site, according to the court documents. A few months later, Google offered to pay Viacom $590 million for licensing rights to video, according to the records.

Viacom, the owner of Paramount Pictures and cable TV channels that include Comedy Central, instead sued Google and YouTube in a complaint seeking more than $1 billion in damages.

The media company alleges that YouTube allowed copyright-protected clips to appear on its Web site in its early days to attract a bigger audience. YouTube maintains it has always obeyed online copyright laws, which generally protect service providers from copyright claims as long as they didn't post the infringing material themselves and promptly remove it when notified about a violation.

But an e-mail exchange among YouTube co-founders Chad Hurley, Steve Chen and Jawed Karim showed there were in-house copyright abuses.

"Jawed, please stop putting stolen videos on the site," Chen wrote in the July 19, 2005, e-mail. "We're going to have a tough time defending the fact that we're not liable for the copyrighted material on the site because we didn't put it up when one of the co-founders is blatantly stealing content from other sites and trying to get everyone to see it."

In a statement after the documents were unsealed, YouTube said Chen's e-mail was referring to some aviation videos that had been making the rounds on the Web. "The exchange has nothing to do with supposed piracy of media content," YouTube said.

Karim left YouTube before Google bought it in 2006. But he kept YouTube e-mail on his personal computer, enabling Viacom to obtain correspondence that Hurley had said he lost, according to court documents.

In a July 29, 2005 e-mail, Chen advised Hurley and Karim to "steal it" in an apparent reference to an unidentified movie clip, according to the court documents.

"We have to keep in mind that we need to attract traffic," Chen wrote after Hurley asked if he was talking about movies. "How much traffic will we get from personal videos?"

YouTube was still in a testing, or "beta," phase at the time Chen wrote his e-mails. The site didn't drop the beta tag until December 2005 when the YouTube was processing about 6,000 video clips. It now hosts more than 500 million videos, according to the court documents.

Google had its own copyright reservations about YouTube before it struck a deal. Internal documents obtained by Viacom quote Google executives describing YouTube as "a 'rogue enabler' of content theft" and warning the site "is completely sustained by pirated content."

Viacom was sizing up YouTube as a takeover target before it launched its legal attack against YouTube.

MTV Networks, the division overseeing Viacom's cable TV operations, made the case for a YouTube bid in a July 2006 presentation.

"We believe YouTube would make a transformative acquisition for MTV Networks/Viacom that would immediately make us the leading deliverer of video online," Viacom's review said.

Viacom also hailed YouTube as "the dominant platform" for Web video and worried that the site would end up being sold to News Corp.'s MySpace. The documents didn't mention how much Viacom might have been willing to pay for YouTube.

The presentation was drawn up by Adam Cahan, an MTV Networks executive vice president. Cahan had left Google earlier in 2006 to work for Viacom.

Just a few days before Google announced its YouTube deal, Cahan tried to persuade his old employer to make a joint bid. "The idea would be: Viacom and Google buy YouTube," Cahan wrote in an Oct. 6, 2006, e-mail to Susan Wojcicki, Google's vice president of product management and the sister-in-law of Google co-founder Sergey Brin.

Since Google took over, YouTube has struck licensing deals with many media companies, which now get a cut of revenue from ads shown on the video site.

YouTube won over much of the professional media by working with another Silicon Valley company, Audible Magic, to develop technology that automatically detects video and audio claimed by its copyright owners.

David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
Creative Writer

Gaza's Missile Killed Farmer

A rocket fired by Gaza militants smashed into a greenhouse in an Israeli border village Thursday, killing a Thai worker in the first such death since Israel's massive offensive against Hamas-ruled Gaza more than a year ago.

The launch defied a long-standing ban by the Hamas on such attacks and highlighted the growing challenge to the Islamic militant group from more radical rivals, including al-Qaida-inspired firebrands.

The rocket also raised the specter of Israeli retaliation and further conflagration at a time of renewed international focus on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel has drawn tough US criticism in recent days for plans to build hundreds more homes for Jews in disputed east Jerusalem.

Major Mideast mediators — among them US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, European foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon — were to meet Friday in Moscow to seek a way forward after the row over Israel's building plan derailed plans to start indirect Israeli-Palestinian talks.

Ashton visited Gaza on Thursday, the first senior diplomat to set foot in the blockaded territory in more than a year. Half an hour after her convoy of white SUVs entered Gaza through a heavily fortified Israeli crossing, the rocket was fired into an Israeli communal farm on the Gaza border.

It slammed into a greenhouse, scattering potted tomato plants in all directions. The dead man was identified as a foreign worker in his 30s from Thailand.

Thousands of foreign laborers in Israel have taken on menial jobs that used to be filled by Gaza residents until a decade ago, when unrest prompted Israel to restrict Palestinian movement.

"Israel will not allow terrorism and Palestinian terrorists to continue their attacks and to kill Israelis," Israel's deputy foreign minister, Danny Ayalon, said during a tour of the attack site.

Later, Israeli tanks fired several shells into Gaza, causing no damage or injuries, according to witnesses. The military had no comment.

Ayalon said Gaza militants have fired thousands of rockets and mortars at Israel over the past eight years, arguing that Thursday's incident was proof that Israel had good reason to launch its war on Gaza in December 2008.

Some 1,400 Palestinians were killed during the three-week ground and air offensive, including hundreds of civilians. Thirteen Israelis also were killed.

Israel has rejected allegations by U.N. investigators and human rights groups that both sides committed war crimes. Ayalon said the rocket attack showed how "absurd" the criticism against Israel was.

Ashton said she was "extremely shocked" by the rocket attack and Ban, who is due in Gaza over the weekend, said acts of "terror and violence against civilians are totally unacceptable."

Israel held Hamas responsible for Thursday's attack, even though Hamas opponents claimed responsibility.

One claim came from Ansar al-Sunna, one of several al-Qaida-inspired groups that have sprung up in Gaza in recent years, espousing global holy war.

These groups, known as Jihadi Salafis, consider Hamas too pragmatic but are not believed to have actual links to al-Qaida and have limited firepower.

They have emerged as a growing irritant to Gaza's rulers, who have tried to maintain an informal truce with Israel since the end of the Gaza war.

Rocket fire from Gaza dropped sharply after the war, with most attacks claimed by Salafis. Hamas security forces have rounded up dozens of Salafis in recent months.

A second claim of responsibility came from the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, the remnants of a violent offshoot of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah faction.

In recent days, Hamas has issued fiery statements, urging Palestinians in the West Bank and Jerusalem to launch a new uprising over Israel's actions in Jerusalem. Yet it has refrained from firing rockets in Gaza.

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum portrayed Thursday's deadly attack as a result of "the recent escalation against our people and our holy places."

Since the end of the war, Hamas has largely avoided provoking Israel in an attempt to win international support for lifting a blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt after Hamas seized Gaza in 2007.

Ashton's visit to Gaza illustrated Hamas' efforts to win over the international community, even as it continues to be shunned by the West as a terror organization.

Bearded Hamas policemen blocked traffic at major intersections to allow Ashton's convoy to get through, but kept out of sight as she visited a U.N. girls' school, a U.N. food distribution center and a center for disabled Gazans. She had no direct contact with Hamas.

Ashton toured Gaza to get a firsthand look at the hardships caused by the war and the border blockade.

"What we have been saying to the Israelis for a long time is that we need to allow aid into this region, to be able to support the economy to grow for people," she said at the girls' school.

Gaza's 1.5 million people have become increasingly dependent on foreign aid. Europe spends some 500 million euros ($688 million) a year — or half its annual aid to the Palestinians — to help keep Gaza afloat.

David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
Creative Writer

Politician TV Ads War

 It’s an expensive air war for presidential candidates; it’s an equally costly air war for their vice-presidential running mates, too.

Just like their respective parties’ standard bearers, the leading candidates for vice president have poured in hundreds of millions of pesos on political advertisements on television.

The official campaign period started only last February 9, but from November 2009 to February 8, 2010, four candidates for vice president—Liberal Party’s Manuel “Mar" Roxas III, Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino’s Jejomar “Jojo" Binay, Nacionalista Party’s Loren Legarda, and Bagumbayan Party’s Bayani Fernando—had already incurred a total of P561.5 million in advertising values for television, radio, and print ads.

Minus discounts of up to 47 percent granted by media agencies at the time, the net indicative spending on these candidates’ political ads amount to P294,417,894.

In the first month of the 90-day campaign period, or when campaign finance laws also started to take effect, the four showed more tempered spending, as did their running mates.

From February 9 to March 8, 2010, the combined spending on political ads of the four candidates and Bangon Pilipinas’s Perfecto Yasay Jr. amounted to only P167,814,890, according to published rate cards of media agencies.

Minus discounts allowed by the Commission on Elections (at the rate of 30, 20, and 10 percent for TV, radio, and print, respectively), the combined indicative cost of these candidates’ political ads during the 28-day period amounted to only P144,327,68.

Some candidates, however, may now be counting on dividends from their early investments in political commercials.

The pre-campaign ad juggernaut by Roxas, for instance, seems to be helping him maintain his lead in the vice-presidential race even though he has drastically slashed his ad expenditures since the campaign began.

Data from the media monitoring agency Nielsen Media show that Roxas’s tri-media ad buys have fallen by as much as 61 percent from his January ad placements. Yet results of pre-election surveys by the country’s two leading polling firms Social Weather Stations and Pulse Asia since December 2009 reveal voter preference for Roxas to be holding at a consistent 40 percent and above.

Over airtime cap

Observers credit Roxas’s survey showing in part to his considerable investment in “advocacy ads" and “infomercials" way before parties even began announcing their respective candidates for the May 2010 elections. Indeed, by the time fellow Liberal Party Senator Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino announced his presidential candidacy on September 9, 2009, Roxas’s ads had been running on TV for months.

Originally planning to run for president, Roxas eventually gave way to Aquino, who was suddenly pushed into the forefront after the death of his mother, former president Corazon “Cory" Aquino. Roxas’s ads even appeared to have suddenly petered off after it became clear that Aquino was considering to run in the presidential race.

Roxas, however, did not hold back for long. According to Nielsen data, of the P431-million worth of ad placements by vice-presidential candidates from November 2009 to January 2010 alone, 43 percent or about P184 million in value belonged to Roxas.

The senator had also logged a total of 155 minutes of ads on ABS-CBN 2 and 130 minutes on GMA 7 from November 1, 2009 to February 8, 2010.

Had the campaign ad airtime caps been in force during that period, Roxas would have already overshot the limit of 120 minutes per station, at least in the country’s top two networks.

Same for Binay

But then so would the PMP’s Binay, who posted comparative totals of 134.5 minutes on ABS-CBN 2 and 124 minutes on GMA 7 during the same period.

Binay, the mayor of Makati City, had placed P137-million worth of ad spots from November 2009 to January 2010 as well. Among the vice-presidential candidates, he is second only to Roxas in terms of ad-placement worth in the three months before the campaign period.

Of the eight vice-presidential candidates, only half ran ads before February 9, 2010: Roxas, Binay, Legarda, and Fernando, former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman.

Of the four, only Binay had pre-campaign ad values that exceeded that of his running mate. In fact, Binay’s ad placements were 1.6 times higher than those of the PMP’s standard bearer, former president Joseph “Erap" Estrada.

Coincidentally, like Roxas, Binay had also originally planned to run for president and had began placing numerous TV ads extolling his achievements as chief executive of Makati in early 2009. He was said to have begun having second thoughts about aiming for the presidency after Aquino, son of Binay’s former political patron, announced his candidacy for the position.

Not big on ads

Political strategists explain the frenzied ad placement and spending by many candidates before the start of the official campaign period as a way of going around caps on campaign expenditures and the amount of commercials each candidate places.

The law says that vice-presidential candidates, like those running for president, can spend a maximum of P500 million, or P10 per voter. A candidate’s political party may also spend another P5 per voter, or P250 million.

And yet choosing to sit out the pre-campaign ad splurge were Dominador “Jun" Chipeco (Ang Kapatiran Party), Eduardo “Edu" Manzano (Lakas-Kampi-Christian Muslim Democrats), Jose “Jay" Sonza (Kilusang Bagong Lipunan), and Yasay.

Since February 9, Yasay has joined Roxas, Binay, Legarda, and Fernando in placing ads. But his spots in the first month of the campaign period have barely amounted to P1-million worth, even as he shares those ads with his running mate, preacher Eduardo “Eddie" Villanueva.

Binay, meanwhile, has since cut back on his ad expenditures – just like Roxas. Nielsen data show that Binay’s ad buys in the first 30 days of the campaign have shrunk by as much as 67 percent from his January figures.

Unlike Roxas, however, Binay’s survey showing has been less than steady, with Pulse Asia having him at 14 percent in December, 13 percent in January, and 15 percent in February.

Still, SWS has him making modest gains, getting 10 percent in December, 16 percent in January, and 17 percent in February.

Campaign analyst Ronald Jabal of AD & R Strategic Communications has pointed to the public perception of Binay as a “local candidate" as a handicap to his quest for a national post.

This cannot be said of Roxas or of Legarda, who is still in the second spot in terms of voter preference in surveys.

Legarda’s numbers, though, have been slipping since December, according to both Pulse Asia and SWS.

Perhaps this is why Legarda made a considerable TV ad push a week before the start of the campaign period, Nielsen data reveal.

From February 1 to 8, 2010, Legarda bought TV spots worth a total of P48.76 million – about 63 percent of the value of all her tri-media ad placements from November 2009 to January 2010. The amount also topped those posted by Roxas, Binay, and Fernando.

Last-minute splurge

Fernando, who is fourth in surveys, appears to have tried a tactic similar to Legarda’s. He, too, made a last-minute splurge on TV ads right before the start of the campaign period, snapping up TV ad placements that had a total value of P23 million. And while Binay’s TV commercials were worth some P13 million more, Fernando’s total TV-ad buy for that period was 74 percent of the value of his tri-media placements between November 2009 and January 2010.

Unlike Roxas and Binay, Legarda and Fernando have increased their ad expenditures since the start of the campaign period. The value of Legarda’s ad spots rose by five percent from her January number, while that of Fernando grew by eight percent.

In the first 30 days of the campaign, Legarda had already consumed two-fifths of her allowable minutes on ABS CBN 2, and a fourth of her limit on GMA 7. By comparison, Fernando had a decidedly more modest total of 15 minutes on ABS CBN 2 or 12.5 percent of the allowed minutes per station for each candidate, and 18.5 minutes (15.4 percent) on GMA 7.

It is actually Roxas who is second to Legarda when it comes to total number of ad minutes logged in each of the top two networks since February 9. Roxas’s tally at ABS CBN is 24 minutes, while at GMA he has consumed 33.5 minutes.

The combination of media platforms for candidates’ advertisements, however, has begun to change going into the campaign period. While print’s share of their total ad values is still less than one percent, Nielsen data show that TV’s share has dropped to 77 percent from a high of 94 percent pre-campaign period.

By comparison, radio’s share has shot up to 23 percent from a measly six percent pre-campaign.

Jabal says that this rise in radio’s share could be attributed to radio-ad rates, which are way lower than those of TV.

Radio cheaper

Placing ads on radio is about nine to 16 times cheaper than on TV. Even if the Comelec-imposed 30-percent discount were applied, a 30-second ad spot on primetime TV would still cost a candidate a hefty P303,015 on ABS-CBN 2 and P332,640 on GMA 7. By contrast, a 30-second ad spot placed on these two networks’ AM radio stations DZMM and DZBB would cost only P32,641 and P24,000 respectively if the Comelec-imposed 20-percent discount for radio were applied.

Jabal also says that at this stage of the campaign when candidates are already going to the regions, transferring a larger part of the advertising budget to radio (from TV) makes good sense for a candidate’s campaign strategy, as radio is a medium by which candidates will be able to “hit their market" or reach audiences in targeted localities across the country.

Thus Legarda, who had no radio ads from November 2009 to January 2010, now had 24 percent of her total ad values for the first month of the campaign going to radio.

Some 20 percent of Binay’s ad values for the same period were also for radio, as were nine percent of Roxas’s. Pre-campaign, the comparative figures for Binay and Roxas were nine percent and five percent, respectively.

However cheap, though, placing ads on radio cannot be indefinitely employed by candidates as a campaign strategy, as each national candidate is allowed by the Fair Election Practices Act only 180 minutes per radio station for the entire duration of the campaign.

Yasay has yet to have a radio spot. Fernando, meanwhile, is the only one who has reduced instead of increased his ad placements on radio, with their share of his total ad value going down by 5.5 percentage points from the pre-campaign figure.

For sure, if the current candidates were to go by the book in their strategies, the second month of the campaign should see a sharp rise in their ad expenditures.

Next 30 days

Jabal explains that strategists usually divide the 90-day campaign period into three 30-day phases. Ideally, he says, the first 30 days are devoted to creating awareness about the candidate. This is thus the stage where the candidate spends the least.

Then comes the next 30 days, where the awareness created during the first phase is supposed to be deepened. In other words, says Jabal, the candidate should now be convincing voters that he is capable of running the country by talking about issues and explaining to them the programs he will be implementing should he win. One of the most obvious ways to do that is through commercials, making this stage the “ad capital" of any campaign.

By the final 30 days of the campaign, all that should be left to do would be to remind voters of the candidate’s accomplishments and what he plans to do if he wins. This last phase, according to Jabal, is again largely for creating awareness or name recall among voters. Candidates can therefore spend less during this stage than in the previous one.

But judging from the way the campaigns are being run so far in this country, as well as from trends in past elections, Jabal predicts that candidates’ ad spending would probably peak in the last 30 days of the campaign instead of during the second phase. That’s because, he says, campaigns in the Philippines have generally been stuck at the “awareness level."

Commenting on the content of the current ads of the vice-presidential candidates, Jabal says that all of these are merely for the purpose of creating name recall among voters.

“The agenda are not ventilated because (candidates) resort to mudslinging early on," he also says. “They always say that Pinoys have matured, but how come (candidates) are not discussing issues?"

David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
Creative Writer

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