AcMibalo.blogspot.com

Ayala allots $500 M for power projects

2012-05-13T15:04:00.000+08:00

MANILA, Philippines - Aiming to sustain its growth momentum on the back of a vibrant local economy, Ayala Corp. is shelling out $500 million in the energy space over the next five years in line with its goal to build a portfolio of around 1,000 megawatts of power capacity.

Ayala Corp. also said it would bid for road, rail and other transport projects.

In a briefing following the company’s annual stockholders meeting yesterday, Ayala chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel De Ayala said the group is raising its capital spending by 38 percent this year to a record P91 billion, bulk of which will be used to develop a record number of residential units and for the modernization of its telecommunications network and investments in the water business.

The conglomerate said it is prepared to bid for the contract to extend and manage the Light Rail Transt Line 1 (LRT 1). The government said it will start the bidding process for the P61.53 billion LRT 1 South Extension project from Baclaran to Bacoor, Cavite this month.

“Now is the time to build infrastructure and put our capex on aggressive mode. In order to be able to continue growing and be part of the country’s growth agenda, we need to participate in lowest price points. In real estate, we recently forayed into socialized housing to cater to the broadest segments of the market,” Zobel De Ayala said.

Zobel De Ayala said while the domestic businesses continue to be the main drivers of economic earnings growth and value in the near future, the group is also aggressively moving in other ventures like energy and infrastructure as it recognizes the need to establish new platforms for longer term value creation.

According to Zobel De Ayala, power and infrastructure are two vital industry groups that are linked to the country’s development goals and future competitiveness.

“As a business group with significant financial and management resources, a successful track record for building telecom and water infrastructure and the experience of operating within the framework of public-private sector partnerships, we believe we are well positioned to participate in the development of the country’s infrastructure needs,” Zobel De Ayala said.

The group entered the power business last year when it bought 50 percent of a wind farm. It established AC Energy Holdings as its holding company for its power investments.

AC president Fernando Zobel De Ayala said they have made significant progress in the power business, having assembled around 180 MW of capacity across thermal, wind, hydro and solar technologies.

Last year, the group formed South Luzon Thermal Energy Corp. in partnership with Trans-Asia Oil & Development Co., a member of the Phinma Group Group, to build and operate a P12 billion 135-MW thermal plant in Calaca, Batangas, targeted to be operational by the end of 2014.

In transport infrastructure, AC was awarded the first tollroad project under the government’s PPP program in December 2011. It expects to complete the 4-kilometer Daang Hari-SLEX connector road by 2013.

The group intends to participate in select tollroad, rail and airport projects which they believe will be strategic and value-enhancing for its real estate portfolio.

“We believe the growth strategy that we are purusing will translate to sustained earnings momentum for Ayala in the coming years. We expect the government’s efforts to accelerate the country’s infrastructure through public private-partnerships will create further stimulus for economic growth and open new investment opportunities for the group,” the younger Zobel De Ayala said.

The government plans to offer as many as 18 projects worth more than P200 billion to investors this year as the Aquino administration seeks to create jobs and further spur the economy.

AC also plans to issue P10 billion worth of bonds to support the continued expansion of new businesses. - By Zinnia B. Dela Peña (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)

Soft drink cited as factor in N.Z. woman's death: reports

2012-04-22T16:41:00.003+08:00

A New Zealand inquest has been told a woman's 10-litre (2.2 gallon) a day Coca-Cola …

A New Zealand inquest has been told a woman's 10-litre (2.2 gallon) a day Coca-Cola habit may have contributed to her death, reports said Friday.

A coroner's inquest was told Natasha Harris, a 30-year-old mother of eight from Invercargill in southern New Zealand who died in February 2010, drank huge amounts of the caffeinated beverage, Fairfax Media reported.

It said pathologist Dan Mornin told the inquest that he believed Harris died from cardiac arrhythmia and was also suffering from low potassium levels and caffeine toxicity.

Mornin testified her excessive soft drink consumption probably contributed to her medical condition, along with poor nutrition, Fairfax reported.

Harris' partner Christopher Hodgkinson said she was addicted to Coke and the dead woman's mother-in-law Vivien Hodgkinson had called for soft drinks to carry health warnings, Radio New Zealand reported.

"The first thing she would do in the morning was to have a drink of Coke beside her bed and the last thing she would do at night was to have a drink of Coke... she was addicted to Coke," Christopher Hodgkinson said.

Vivien Hodgkinson said her daughter-in-law would "go crazy if she ran out... she would get shakes, withdrawal symptoms, be angry, on edge and snappy".

"We never knew it was any harm because it was soft drink with no warning labels, I've never seen her drink anything else the fridge was always full of Coke," she said. "Maybe it needs warning signs."

Coca-Cola Oceania told Fairfax that excessive consumption of any liquid, including water, could have health impacts.

"We concur with the information shared by the coroner's office that the grossly excessive ingestion of any food product, including water, over a short period of time with the inadequate consumption of essential nutrients, and the failure to seek appropriate medical intervention when needed, can be dramatically symptomatic," it said.

The corner is yet to hand down findings in the case.

SOURCE: yahoo.com

Disney film boss quits after 'John Carter' fiasco

2012-04-22T16:36:00.001+08:00

Walt Disney Studios President Rich Ross

The chairman of Walt Disney Studios Rich Ross resigned Friday, a month after the massive box office flop suffered by critically-panned sci-fi fantasy film "John Carter."

The 15-year Disney veteran made no reference to the movie -- which lost some $200 million -- in his resignation statement, while Disney overall boss Bob Iger paid tribute to Ross's "business acumen and personal integrity."

"For the last 15 years, I have had the opportunity to work with incredibly talented people on behalf of the world's best loved brand," he said in the statement issued by the entertainment giant," the statement said.

"But, the best people need to be in the right jobs, in roles they are passionate about, doing work that leverages the full range of their abilities," added Ross, who had been chairman for two and a half years.

"I no longer believe the chairman role is the right professional fit for me. For that reason, I have made the very difficult decision to step down as chairman of The Walt Disney Studios, effective today."

Iger paid tribute to Ross, saying: "For more than a decade, Rich Ross's creative instincts, business acumen and personal integrity have driven results in key businesses for Disney.

He added: "His vision and leadership opened doors for Disney around the world, making our brand part of daily life for millions of people.

"I appreciate his countless contributions throughout his entire career at Disney, and expect he will have tremendous success in whatever he chooses to do next."

Disney has said it would take the huge operating loss on the "John Carter," made by Oscar-winning director Andrew Stanton about a Civil War veteran transplanted to Mars, in its second fiscal quarter.

Starring Taylor Kitsch and Willem Dafoe, the movie cost an estimated $250 million, but was met with a chorus of derision from critics when it was released earlier this month.

The respected Rotten Tomatoes website said: "While 'John Carter' looks terrific and delivers its share of pulpy thrills, it also suffers from uneven pacing and occasionally incomprehensible plotting and characterization."

It was the first live action movie for Stanton, who won best animated film Oscars in "Finding Nemo" in 2004 and "Wall-E" in 2009. He also wrote for all three "Toy Story" movies as well as "Monsters, Inc."

SOURCE: yahoo.com

MVP to technopreneurs: Failure leads to success

2012-04-08T11:12:00.000+08:00

MAKATI CITY, METRO MANILA—Just like many successful tycoons in the past, Manny V. Pangilinan, the head of one of the country’s largest conglomerates reiterated an often-said advice about how success is created.

“Failure is just part of success. You’ll have to learn from those mistakes.”

The chairman of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) addressed questions about success when it comes to any industry, debunking the notion that “everything has already been created.”

Ideas, be it for commercial purposes or for social responsibility, are always needed to make the lives of others better, said Pangilinan.

Young people have to develop a sense of entrepreneurship instead of becoming mere employees. Though he acknowledges that many young people tend to fear failure and take the easier way by becoming paid employees, he emphasized on the wider value of turning ideas into viable products.

Young people, being who they are, have time at their disposal to continuously develop ideas and learn from mistakes as they go along.

“Entrepreneurship means not being afraid to take risks. Success is measured on how you learn from those mistakes and going forward. You really don’t know if it’s a great decision and only subsequent experience will allow you to learn,” Pangilinan explained.

Pangilinan said he has always sought to establish a culture of entrepreneurship among Filipinos.

One of his more recent endeavors is putting up a new organization, IdeaSpace, which will serve as an incubation and venture capitalist division.

It follows an investment model used by numerous companies in California’s Silicon Valley that successfully launched technology start ups.

IdeaSpace will look for potentially viable ideas to start up into commercial firms by offering them with technical and business training and mentorship, as well as funding. After which, IdeaSpace will put in its own investment to become part of the newly-minted company’s shareholders.

To complete the Silicon Valley experience, Pangilinan also hired a couple of experts to focus on finding these would-be startups.

Among these are Marthyn Cuan, the chief information officer for the Manila Electric Company (Meralco), and Earl Martin Valencia who hails from Silicon Valley and a founding board member of the Filipino Entrepreneurs Network.

Both Cuan and Valencia are already hard at work developing a process that will allow would-be entrepreneurs to become part of the IdeaSpace portfolio. One of the first activities they will be holding is a competition to find the top ten ideas to be incubated each year.

IdeaSpace will allocate P500 million over the next five years for the program.

But more than just for the money, Pangilinan said he does not expect all of the investments they make on the startup firms will actually come back. Just like what many Silicon Valley companies say about investments, he stressed that he knows there will be some failures along the way.

“It’s part of our corporate social responsibility (as a conglomerate) to develop this culture of entrepreneurship and investing. As such, we know that of the few successes that we will have through IdeaSpace, these will make up for all the failures,” Pangilinan said.

***
Source: http://ph.news.yahoo.com
loQal.ph (http://loqal.ph/) is a website owned and operated by Filquest Media Concepts, Inc. It works under the principle of giving voice to the voiceless, empowering Filipinos and uplifting the image of the Philippines by highlighting its unique culture. To do this, the loQal.ph team produces stories, video, photos and other multimedia content types to inspire and celebrate Filipino achievements, ideas, products and places.

Cebu Timeline

2012-01-14T13:02:00.001+08:00

First photo cover of my first timeline in Facebook. That photo was taken during our trip in Cebu last year.

Christmas Greetings!

2011-12-05T19:14:00.001+08:00

Christmas Greetings

Traditionally, Christmas is the time when you exchange gifts and greeting cards with others. People have been following this for a long time now. It’s definitely a good thing. But, if you love creativeness and innovative ideas, you can give a personalized touch to this traditional activity. Instead of visiting nearby gift shops or stores, you can try out something at your home. There cannot be a more exciting alternative to this idea.

Before you get down to this task, just make sure to keep the receiver in mind. There can be a long lost friend or a colleague whom you want to send Christmas greetings. Similarly, it can be anybody from your close relation or your own kid who you want to give a greeting card. No matter who is the recipient, you can always make a difference with your own originative thoughts. For friends, you can select an e-card and attach a nostalgic picture of your friend circle.

Further, you meet colleagues almost everyday. So, you can try something special for them. You can broil some cookies with names inscribed on the top or both sides. If you were provision a card for your dear ones, try something unique this time. You can buy a sweet or chocolate box and stick a grace message on it. It’s simple but adorable. For kids, you can experiment with different types of colors. Handprint a card and fix a funny picture on it. Your kid will simply love this.

There are many more ways to make Christmas celebrations fun and enjoyable. For help, you can visit Christmas Carnivals. You will get excellent suggestions for greetings, homemade Christmas cards, Christmas crafts and others.

2011-12-05T15:25:00.001+08:00

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2011-11-16T11:28:00.001+08:00

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Rowan Atkinson survives supercar crash

2011-08-07T16:54:00.000+08:00

The 56-year-old British actor is famed across the globe for his roles playing clumsy TV character Mr. Bean and Johnny English in the eponymous spoof spy film franchise.

Rowan Atkinson crashed his £650,000 supercar car last night, with a source describing his survival a “miracle”.

Rowan is a big fan of fast cars, and last night his McLaren F1 vehicle, believed to be one of only 100 in the world, reportedly hit a tree and a lamppost before catching fire in Cambridgeshire, England.
"We were called to a single vehicle road traffic collision at 7.30 tonight on the A605 at Haddon," the East of England Ambulance Service confirmed yesterday.
A spokesperson added that a man was taken to a Peterborough hospital with "a minor shoulder injury".
Meanwhile, a source told British newspaper The Sun that Rowan has been extremely lucky not to have sustained worse injuries.

Rowan Atkinson

"It's a miracle he walked away," claimed the insider.
Rowan had previously damaged the front of the car when it collided with a Rover Metro in Lancashire over ten years ago. He later confessed the incident had been embarrassing.
"The prang was embarrassingly low-speed and therefore not related to my handling of the car, thank God. I was very, very lucky," he blushed.
© Cover Media

NBA stars put on a show

2011-07-24T20:11:00.002+08:00

The ticket prices may have been exorbitant, the queue to get into the arena may have been very long, and the traffic at the Araneta Center may have been terrible, but in the end, it was all worth it.
An overflow crowd of close to 18,000 packed the Smart Araneta Coliseum Saturday night to witness world-class basketball, and the visiting NBA stars made sure they did not go home disappointed.
Mesmerizing their adoring Filipino fans with alley-oop slams and ankle-breaking moves, the team of NBA players, dubbed the Smart All-Stars, easily handled the PBA selection, 131-105, in a game that was a virtual dunk-a-thon.
The outcome of this one was never really in doubt even before opening tip-off, just as it was never really about the final score. It was about such an awesome collection of basketball talent descending upon this basketball-crazy country and putting on a show for hoops fans. Even their opponents, who are basketball stars in their own right here in Manila, were simply star-struck, getting their pictures taken with their idols during warm-ups and timeouts. The referees also couldn't resist, snapping photos of themselves with Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant before tip-off.
It was hard to blame them, of course, because it's not often you get to watch the reigning NBA MVP, reigning scoring champion, reigning alpha dog, and two former Rookies of the Year play on local soil.
But give props to the PBA selection for at least trying. Sensing the crowd would most likely cheer for the visitors, James Yap addressed the fans and, in a sort of lovable way, asked, "Sana naman, suportahan ninyo kami (I hope you cheer for us)," which drew laughter and cheers.
Early on, the local stars gave the crowd something to cheer for, as the starting unit of Yap, Mark Caguioa, Jason Castro, Arwind Santos and Sonny Thoss took a 16-12 lead. Castro showed the visitors a thing or two by stealing the ball from Chris Paul twice in the opening minutes for a pair of breakaway layups, while Santos got going early with eight of his team's first 10 points.
Durant then hit a triple, Bryant slammed it home, and Durant scored on a layup to push the Smart All-Stars ahead, 19-16. A few minutes later, Alex Cabagnot hit a jumper to give the PBA stars what would turn out to be their last lead of the game at 20-19.
The NBA stars took the first quarter, 30-26, behind Durant's nine points. LA Tenorio scored on a nifty drive against Derrick Rose to early in the second to make it 33-28, but the PBA selection wouldn't come any closer after that. Paul set up Bryant for a vicious alley-oop jam with a pass off the backboard that made it 39-32, before Durant hit back-to-back treys to finally give the visitors a double-digit spread at 52-40, with 6:05 left.
With JaVale McGee dunking almost at will and James Harden and Tyreke Evans finding their range from outside, the Smart All-Stars entered the halftime break with a comfortable 66-50 spread. They padded the lead to 22 early in the third at 72-50, punctuated by a Bryant dunk.
A few sequences later, Rose hit a triple and Durant unleashed another slam to pad the lead to 77-52, and at that point the score didn't matter anymore. The crowd wanted more entertaining moves, and the visitors obliged. With 5:45 left in the third, Bryant provided the highlight move of the night, lobbing the ball underhand to the rim to set up Rose for a wicked slam that made it 90-66.
It was 107-78 at the end of the third, and the NBA stars breached the 30-point barrier when McGee completed an alley-oop from Derek Fisher to make it 109-78 early in the fourth. Moments later, McGee, who had been tweeting about wanting to plank during his Manila visit, did exactly that by planking right on the hardcourt after blocking Rabeh Al-Hussaini.
The visitors established their largest lead with 7:00 left after a James Harden triple made it 121-86. Then with the score at 125-99, Paul exacted some measure of revenge against Castro by bouncing the ball between the legs of the Talk 'N Text guard and finishing with a layup.
McGee led the NBA stars with 25 points, while Durant had 22, including 20 in the first half. Derrick Williams and Tyreke Evans chipped in 19 and 17, respectively. Bryant had 12, and despite chants of "Ko-be! Ko-be! Ko-be!" late in the fourth, the Lakers star kept himself on the bench. Fisher was the only NBA player who failed to score.
Santos had 25 for the PBA selection, but he was the only one in double digits. Yap, a prolific shooter, was held scoreless.
The NBA selection next tests the mettle of Smart Gilas Pilipinas today at 1:30PM. Coach Rajko Toroman said his side will treat this as more than an exhibition match, although he conceded that they have amonumental task ahead of them. "You have to understand, these players are from another planet," said the Serbian mentor during the press conference yesterday.
The scores:
Smart All-Stars (131) — McGee 25, Durant 22, Williams 19, Evans 17, Harden 16, Bryant 12, Paul 11, Rose 9, Fisher 0.
PBA All-Stars (105) — Santos 25, Pingris 9, Cabagnot 9, Mercado 8, David 8, Al-Hussaini 8, Norwood 7, Reyes 6, Caguioa 4, Thoss 4, Castro 4, Seigle 4, Intal 4, Fonacier 3, Tenorio 2, Yap 0.

By Sid Ventura

Careers For Smart People

2011-07-11T22:14:00.000+08:00

See how you could prepare for a career that utilizes your brain power.

By Chris Kyle

Smart people come in all shapes and sizes.

So do smart career choices.

A bright NFL quarterback, for example, can read a defense and understand its strengths and weaknesses, all in the blink of an eye.

It's called spatial intelligence, and it's the same skill that graphic designers use to imagine smart visual solutions that their clients want but can't articulate.

[Search for Graphic Design schools near you now]

The bottom line: intelligent people - you know who you are! - tend to be well-suited to certain careers.

These five careers, for example, can be smart options for smart people.
1.Accountant
2.Medical Manager
3.Registered Nurse
4.Computer Systems Administrator
5.Teacher

Keep reading to learn about these careers. You'll be smarter for it…

#1 - Accountant

Accountants need to have more than just a knack for numbers. They should also have sound reasoning skills, since the simplest answer is often the right one when dealing with even the most complex calculations.

Education Options: There are plenty of accounting and finance programs that could prepare you for a career as an accountant. Many accountants and auditors have at least a bachelor's degree in accounting or a similar field, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Average Pay: $67,430*

[Find Accounting and Finance schools now]

#2 - Medical Manager

Health care isn't just big business; it's also incredibly complex. As a result, medical managers need a sharp mind and keen business sense to keep up in this ever-evolving industry.

Education Option: Some medical managers have technical backgrounds, while others are experts in areas like finance or team-building. To qualify for management roles, consider earning a bachelor's degree in an area like health care administration, followed by an MBA.

Average Pay: $90,970*

[Search for Health Care and Business schools now]

#3 - Registered Nurse

Registered nurses are among the most educated in the health care industry. Knowing what to do and when to do it is crucial, as is the ability to communicate effectively with patients and their families, not to mention the doctors you are assisting.

Education Options: Most registered nurses enter the position with either an associate's or bachelor's degree in nursing, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Average Pay: $66,530*

[Find Nursing degree programs near you]

#4 - Computer Systems Administrator

Getting called a geek in the computer industry isn't an insult; it's a compliment. The good news: figuring out the most efficient way to share and store information may not be as complicated as rocket science, but it's still highly prized in today's digital world.

Education Options: An associate's or bachelor's degree could help you get your computer skills up to speed. Consider an area like computer science, network administration, or IT & information systems.

Average Pay: $70,930*

[Find IT degree programs now]

#5 - Teacher

The best teachers are gifted communicators and motivators who enjoy healthy discussions and debate. If you're interested in this career, you'll need to be able to take complex subjects and present them in a straightforward way.

Education Options: While the temperament of a teacher may be a natural gift, formal education could provide you with the necessary academic background and teaching certification. It's best to begin with a bachelor's degree. From there public school teachers need to get certified. And keep in mind that a master's degree could help increase your earning potential and employment opportunities.

Average Pay: $55,150*

[Search for Teaching programs].

*Average salary comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, using 2009 median salary information. For salary purposes, data for "Federal government criminal investigators" was used for FBI agents; data for "Secondary school teachers" was used for Teachers.

Strong earthquake rocks northeastern Japan

2011-07-10T20:30:00.000+08:00

TOKYO (AP) — A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1 hit Japan's northeastern coast on Sunday, prompting a tsunami warning for the area still recovering from a devastating quake and killer wave four months ago.

Residents in coastal areas were warned to evacuate, but there were no immediate reports of damage.

The quake hit at 9:57 local time (0057 GMT), and a warning of a tsunami was issued for most of the northeastern coastline. The epicenter of the quake was in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Japan's main island, Honshu, at a depth of about 6 miles (10 kilometers).

Japanese officials predicted the quake could generate tsunami of up to 20 inches (50 centimeters), but the initial waves were only about 4 inches (10 centimeters).

Japan's northeastern coastline was devastated by an earthquake and tsunami on March 11 that left nearly 23,000 dead or missing and touched off a nuclear crisis at a badly damaged facility in Fukushima.

Officials said there were no reports of abnormalities at the Fukushima plant caused by Sunday's quake. Airports in the area were also functioning normally.

Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries. Dozens of strong aftershocks have been felt since the March 11 disaster, which measured a 9.0 magnitude and was the strongest in Japanese history.

Sunday's quake registered 4 on the Japanese scale of 7, meaning it was felt as moderately strong. Because of the damage from the March quake and tsunami, however, many buildings in the area are structurally weak and seawalls have been destroyed, making the region more vulnerable to relatively weaker quakes.

By ERIC TALMADGE - Associated Press |

Expect more hacks on PHL gov't websites -Kaspersky Labs

2011-07-03T11:04:00.002+08:00

The recent cyber-attack on the website of Vice President Jejomar Binay may just be the tip of the iceberg —the first of more attacks on Philippine government websites, a computer security firm cautioned over the weekend.
Kaspersky Lab Global Research and Analysis Team Director Costin Raiu said that the Philippine government must implement a defense strategy against attacks, and conduct security audits on servers to find vulnerabilities.
"Given the past incidents of this kind, it is expected that the attack will consist of a DDoS flood designed to bring down the server and make it unreachable. It’s possible the confidential information will be sought after, so the defense strategies would be multiple," Raiu said.
A DDoS (distributed denial of service) attack involves overwhelming a target website with visits from different sources until the site crashes.
Raiu said it is important to have an anti-DDoS plan, which may involve increasing the Internet bandwidth to subscribing to a specific anti-DDoS service plan.
Also, he said that once vulnerabilities are found, the websites' servers must go offline temporarily to reduce damage.
"Past logs should be analyzed for previous probes which could have uncovered bugs than can now be exploited," he added.
Contingency plans
Raiu also called for contingency plans in case attacks still get through.
"Of course, a highly sophisticated targeted attack will always succeed--this is why there should be mitigation steps as well as disaster recovery procedures —such as backups, server replacement/relocation and redundancy," Raui said.
He pointed out that any attack on a government website is a message of disrespect, showing people that they are not protected by their society's leaders.
Raiu said that other than the OVP site, other government websites recently attacked by hackers include those of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Last year, the websites of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) were also hacked.
Similar attacks on Malaysia's government websites were done by a group of hackers, Kaspersky noted. — TJD, GMA News

Smart Buddy SIM for Sale!

2011-06-27T20:11:00.000+08:00

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Splash! What to Do When Your Gadget Gets Wet

2011-06-25T00:45:00.002+08:00

By Samantha Murphy, TechNewsDaily Senior Staff Writer
LiveScience.com | LiveScience.com – Fri, Jun 24, 2011

Everyone knows that gadgets and water don't get along. But fear not, all may not be lost when your smartphone, digital camera or other tech device takes an unexpected nose dive into the pool or ocean. Resuscitation can still be done with the help of a few key tips.
Although your gut reaction may be to take the battery out of your drenched device, dry it off and try it again, the battery should remain out until it's completely dry to avoid a shortage. Then use a towel to not only dry the battery, but also the area inside the device where the battery sits.
However, resist all temptation to pick up a hair dryer or let the device sit in the sun to help along the drying process. Gadgets need to be dried with still, dry air, not with excess heat.
Drying the device shouldn't stop with just cleaning up the wet areas. Place the device into a covered bowl or container of dry, uncooked rice to soak up all of the moisture from the device. It should sit there overnight in a cool, dry place.
Uncover the container the next morning, remove the device and hope for the best.
This story was provided by TechNewsDaily, a sister site to LiveScience. Reach TechNewsDaily senior writer Samantha Murphy at smurphy@techmedianetwork.com. Follow her on Twitter @SamMurphy_TMN

Same-sex mass wedding shocks bishop

2011-06-25T00:44:00.002+08:00

BAGUIO CITY -- Diocese of Baguio-Benguet Bishop Carlito Cenzon has criticized a local Christian church's plan to hold a same-sex mass wedding on June 25 in Baguio City.
The Metropolitan Community Church of Metro Baguio (MCC-Metro Baguio) recently announced the schedule of its free same-sex mass wedding in a still undisclosed location in the city.
MCC-Metro Baguio is composed mostly of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) members and their families.
Rev. Myke Sotero, who leads the local chapter of MCC-Metro Baguio, said more than seven gay and lesbian couples will exchange vows on Saturday.
Sotero is also expecting more couples to join as other chapters of MCC in Quezon City and other parts of the country have also accepted applicants to join the holy union.
But Cenzon said, "Same-sex wedding is wrong and cannot be called a holy union. Naawa tayo sa kanila kasi nagmamahalan sila pero hindi sila pwedeng ikasal. (We pity them, they love each other but they cannot be wed.)"

"Wedding should involve only a woman and a man," the bishop added.
The bishop said a same-sex holy union is an insult to the Roman Catholic Church, adding that local officials should not support activities like this.
But Cenzon said the Church is not discriminating the LGBT community.
However, organizers of the mass wedding insisted that everyone is free to love and God does not discriminate.
Countries that have so far allowed lesbian and gay weddings are Spain, Argentina, Australia, Norway and other Western countries.
The mass wedding on Saturday, dubbed "Kalayaang Umibig, Pag-ibig sa Kalayaan," is one of the highlights of the Baguio Pride Month celebrations.
The LGBT community is also pushing for the passage of the Anti-Discrimination Bill pending in the Housing of Representatives, which is authored by Representative Teddy Casiño.
Casiño will also join in the LGBT parade on Saturday, together with LGBT communities, families and friends from nearby provinces. (Sun.Star Baguio) For more local stories, visit www.sunstar.com.ph

Twins Markieff and Marcus Morris go back-to-back in NBA draft

2011-06-25T00:18:00.000+08:00

By Dan Devine

On Sept. 2, 1989, Markieff Morris and Marcus Morris were born seven minutes apart in North Philadelphia. On June 23, 2011, the twin brothers and former University of Kansas standouts were chosen back-to-back, just seven minutes and 13 seconds apart (thanks, ESPN Stats and Information), in the 2011 NBA draft, in Newark, N.J., about two hours away from their place of birth. Symmetry's a heck of a thing, ain't it?
The Morrises are the third set of twins to be chosen in the first round of the NBA's first-year player entry draft, following sibling pairs Horace and Harvey Grant, and Brook and Robin Lopez (notes). Horace was the 10th overall pick of the Chicago Bulls in 1987, while Harvey went 12th to the Washington Bullets the following year. The New Jersey Nets chose Brook with the 10th pick in 2008; five picks later, Robin came off the board to the Phoenix Suns.

As he was in birth, Markieff Morris came first, going to those same Suns with the 13th selection in the first round of this year's entry draft. After his brother exited the green room and stepped to the podium, Marcus Morris briefly allowed the emotion of the moment to overtake him. It was a touching scene, one that drove home the likelihood that the twins, inseparable since birth, would find themselves on different teams and in different cities for the first time in their lives.
Shortly thereafter, in an interview televised on ESPN's draft coverage, a more composed Marcus cracked a joke about the prospect of splitting from Markieff.
"It ain't the end of the world. I'll see him again," he said. "I mean, I'll send him flowers or some fruit. It'll be good."

Marcus Morris (right) didn't have much time to compare gift basket prices, because minutes later, the Houston Rockets chose him with the 14th pick in the first round.
Jeff Eisenberg, the ace college basketball writer behind our Y! brother blog The Dagger, echoed the sentiments of many college and draft observers who were somewhat taken aback by Markieff Morris coming off the board before Marcus, who was named Big 12 Player of the Year last season.
"It's not a huge shock that Markieff Morris would go as high as No. 13 to Phoenix, but it's definitely a surprise he came off the board before his more highly regarded twin brother Marcus," Eisenberg wrote. "Maybe the fact that Markieff has a defined position at power forward made him more attractive to teams than his twin brother, a hybrid forward who critics say lacks the height to play in the paint and the lateral quickness to play on the perimeter."
Whatever the reasoning behind Phoenix electing to take Markieff, the seven-minutes-older brother noted a mix of elation and anxiety after hearing his named called.
"Once I was called, I still had a little, you know, a little pressure on me waiting for my brother to be called," Markieff Morris told reporters. "Once he was called, it just came off, and we are both grateful and thankful."
"It's just amazing. It's just amazing how things play out," Marcus Morris said. "[I'm] just thanking God. He really has a plan for us. It just plays out the exact way we wanted it to. It's just so amazing."
NOTE: An earlier version of this post mistakenly identified former Suns draft pick Taylor Griffin (notes) as the twin brother of Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin (notes). The two are not twins; Taylor, whom Phoenix drafted in the second round in 2009, is three years older than Blake, who was the top overall pick in the 2009 draft. We regret the error.

Seven stories, seven inspiring Filipinos

2011-06-13T21:35:00.003+08:00

By Yahoo! Southeast Asia Editors | The Inbox – Sun, Jun 12, 2011

AP Photo/Aaron Favila

When we started the 'Pitong Pinoy' project, we thought it would be hard to find seven Filipinos who have made a remarkable difference.After all, it's not everyday that you run into people who could actually devote their entire life to serving others or champion advocacies that are seemingly hard to accomplish.
But we gathered an overwhelming number of nominations—from loving parents, courageous law enforcers, devoted health workers, brilliant artists, magnanimous celebrities, exemplary athletes, astute youth leaders, inspirational public servants, to simple folk who have touched others with their kindness.
Believe us, it was a tough job to choose seven amazing Pinoys. Nonetheless, it is heartwarming to read stories of change, volunteerism, and selflessness.
Thanks to all your nominations, we finally have the seven people who make us prouder to be Pinoys (in alphabetical order):
1. Alexis Belonio. This engineer figured out an out-of-the-box way to make use of rice husks. He created a cooking stove designed to help poor people have access to hot meals.
Belonio invented a environment-friendly rice-husk stove which has a fan in its base. It provides air used in the conversion of rice hulls into gas—helping poor families cook without needing expensive fuel.
Belonio could have gotten a patent for his invention and gain millions from it; yet he left it patent-free so the technology would be free for everyone to use. His efforts have already been recognized abroad but shouldn't we appreciate him first?
2. Jean Enriquez. If you want to see female power at work, you'd have to meet this woman.
Despite the danger of drawing the ire of huge human trafficking syndicates, Enriquez continues to fight for the welfare of Pinays. Her steadfast efforts to empower Filipino women is admirable.
She heads the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women-Asia Pacific, which vigorously fights sex tourism, the mail-order bride trade, pornography, and sexual exploitation.
Enriquez also holds education camps among young women to ensure that they are not vulnerable to abuse. She also oversees the healing process of survivors and makes sure they get a second shot at having a decent life.
3. Jay Jaboneta. All it took him was one Facebook status message to change the lives of dozens of children in a far-flung village in Zamboanga.
When Jaboneta learned that 200 children in Layag-layag village had to swim to get to school everyday (painstakingly making sure that their books, if there was any, wouldn't get wet), he knew had to do something.
Through a Facebook status message, Jaboneta was able to raise funds—as much as P70,000—on the first week of his call for donations.
A Facebook group "Zamboanga Funds for Little Kids" was later established, expanding his advocacy's reach.
Now, the kids of Layag-layag go to school in their bright new yellow boats, each aptly dubbed as "New Hope."
4. Tomas Leonor. For Leonor, initiating change literally begins with a single step.
To raise funds for cancer-stricken children at the Philippine Children's Medical Center, Leonor organized 'StepJuan' and volunteered to travel sans any motored transportation.
Leonor's belief that cancer must not kill the hopes and dreams of children motivated him to walk hundreds of kilometers.
His walking expedition started on April 4, 11 at Allen, Samar. To date, StepJuan's Leonor has walked a total of 1,241.5 kilometers and taken 2,887,208 steps in seven islands, ten provinces, 86 municipalities, and 20 cities.
5. Heidi Mendoza. She made headlines and risked her life to expose supposed corruption in the military, allegedly led by ex-Armed Forces of the Philippines comptroller Carlos Garcia.
Mendoza braved Senate hearings and bared details of suspicious military transactions, strengthening the multimillion plunder case against the former general.
In all likelihood, she could've chosen a simple, quiet life but she decided to take the road less traveled for the sake of the country.
She has recently been appointed by President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino as commissioner of the Commission on Audit and we have high hopes that this would pave the way to clean and honest governance.
6. Anna Oposa. A lot of people claim to care for the environment but how many actually go out of their way and really work beyond lip service?
Oposa, director of the Law of Nature Foundation, has proven her love for Mother Earth by vigorously working on protecting marine life.
She also initiated "Save the Philippine Seas," spurred by recent reports of massive coral reef destruction in several parts of the country. Her initiatives made quite a huge social network ripple and united Filipinos through a national blog day to save the Philippine seas.
She is also lobbying to strengthen laws for environment protection, a long-term goal that we hope would live on far beyond our grandchildren's life spans.
7. Tzarina Saniel.In the age of e-books, tablet apps, and the internet, one would easily prefer going online instead of going to the library. But for Saniel, nothing beats a real book—the feel of the old manuscript, the smell of the paper and the idea that it has cultivated the minds of many.
Bibliophile Saniel has collected and preserved old Filipino books, even original manuscripts from Jose Rizal.
Because of her inspiring advocacy, she is definitely noteworthy for keeping Pinoy literature alive.
If your nominee did not make it to this list, fret not. This is just the beginning of our collection of good news and stories of how Filipinos beat the odds and make a difference.

Roach: Mayweather could be prepping for Pacquiao

2011-06-10T22:35:00.000+08:00

NEW YORK (AP)—Freddie Roach believes that Floyd Mayweather Jr. could be preparing for a long-awaited showdown with Manny Pacquiao by returning to the ring in September.
The trainer of the Filipino sensation told The Associated Press in a phone interview on Wednesday that he thinks Mayweather has agreed to fight young welterweight titleholder Victor Ortiz because his style would help get him ready for a fight against Pacquiao.
“Of course, that’s the first thing that came to my mind,” Roach said.
The few he has fought, Zab Judah to name one, have cause him some problems.
“I’m just figuring he’ll give us a good blueprint to fight him, how Floyd handles fighting a southpaw,” Roach said of Ortiz, who won the WBC 147-pound title with a narrow unanimous decision over Andre Berto in April, a certain candidate for Fight of the Year.
“Some left-handers have given him trouble,” Roach said. “Judah gave him trouble but couldn’t maintain the pace. Guys like Victor Ortiz, Manny Pacquiao, they can maintain that pace. And I do think the southpaw stance gives him trouble.”
Pacquiao is scheduled to face Juan Manuel Marquez in November in the third fight of their epic series, after routing Shane Mosley last month. Mayweather easily beat Marquez in September 2009 before soundly beating Mosley in his most recent fight.
Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions, who handles Ortiz and has worked with Mayweather in the past, laughed off the suggestion that “Money Mayweather” could be getting ready to face Pacquiao by accepting a fight against someone as young and hungry as his fighter.
“If you want to get ready for Manny, of all people, you’re not going to fight Victor Ortiz,” Schaefer said. “You would be shooting yourself to pick someone as tough, as physical, as strong, as young as Victor to prepare for Pacquiao.”
Pacquiao and Mayweather have come close to reaching a deal for potentially the richest fight in boxing history on multiple occasions, only for it to evaporate.
Mayweather has insisted that he will require random blood testing for any future fight, even though it is not required by any boxing commission. Pacquiao has agreed to the blood tests but the two sides could never agree on a specific protocol.
Ortiz agreed to blood and urine testing laid out by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.
Pacquiao recently settled a defamation lawsuit against Schaefer and his partner, Oscar De La Hoya. Pacquiao claimed in the suit that he has never tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs, but said that De La Hoya and Schaefer — along with Mayweather, his father and uncle—had embarked on a smear campaign to make people think he used drugs.
Mayweather and his family members weren’t involved in the settlement so that case is still pending, which presents yet another obstacle to the megafight ever happening.
In the meantime, Mayweather will start preparing for Ortiz. The former five-division champ has often been criticized for facing opponents who are smaller than him or past their prime, but that won’t be the case when he steps into the ring against the WBC titleholder.
“Victor Ortiz is one of the most exciting guys in the sport. He’s a tremendous story, great personality, bilingual,” Schaefer said. “And it’s the comeback of Floyd Mayweather.

“Over the last couple years, he always fought the guys before Pacquiao and he still got criticized,” Schaefer said. “Finally, the media and fight fans realize he doesn’t duck anyone. Coming back to fight Victor Ortiz shows you what he’s made all about.”

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news;_ylt=AvcwbAfCBRHsmSlTZJIvF3GdCIh4?slug=ap-pacquiao-mayweather

Leonard seeks catharsis through new book

2011-06-10T22:33:00.000+08:00

Sugar Ray Leonard’s depiction of himself in his upcoming autobiography is hardly flattering. He describes himself as a philandering husband, an absentee father and a substance abuser. Perhaps most shockingly, he revealed he was sexually abused by a prominent, but unnamed, boxing coach while preparing for the 1976 Olympics in Montreal.
He was hardly the All-American boy that his carefully crafted image portrayed him to be.
“I’ve done a lot of things in my life that I’m not proud of,” Leonard said soberly during a telephone interview.

Sugar Ray Leonard easily handled foes like Donny Lalonde. But out-of-the-ring battles were something altogether different.
(AP)

He goes into great detail about them in his new book, “The Big Fight: My Life In and Out of the Ring,” co-written with Yahoo! Sports writer and editor Michael Arkush, not out of any sense of duty, but out of a desire to lift a burden from his own back.

Clearly, though, this is no self-help tome. Leonard, 55, didn’t write to help lift the spirits of the downtrodden who are battling the demons he once did. If it is a self-help book, it was written to help one man: Ray Charles Leonard.

“I finally got to a point in my life where I wanted to be totally transparent with my family, my wife, my kids and let go of that burden of pain that I carried inside of my chest for so long,” Leonard said.
This book isn’t the first time he intended to tell the story. More than three decades ago, Leonard hired Pat Putnam, one of the greatest sports writers of the time, to tell his tale.
Leonard, though, couldn’t bring himself to commit to the project and it was eventually scrapped. He was unable to address two separate instances of sexual abuse, because he hadn’t come to terms with them himself.
It was difficult even decades later, long after the coach who allegedly had abused him had died. He said he began to discuss it with Arkush, but couldn’t go into the details. At first, Leonard says, he told Arkush a sanitized version of the story.
He wrote that it wasn’t until he saw actor Todd Bridges on “Oprah” that he decided to write the entire truth.
In the book, he describes the abuse by writing he was in a car across from a recreation center with an Olympic coach. They were ostensibly there to discuss the significance of a gold medal.
“Before I knew it, he had unzipped my pants and put his hand, then mouth, on an area that has haunted me for life,” Leonard wrote. “I didn’t scream. I didn’t look at him. I just opened the door and ran.”
Leonard has been perceived as a heroic figure in boxing since winning the gold medal in 1976 and going on to a career in which he’d defeat legendary fighters such as Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Roberto Duran, Thomas Hearns and Wilfred Benitez, among many others.
But there is nothing heroic about making an allegation such as he did and then failing to name names. It creates needless speculation about who did it and innocent people, who presumably only helped Leonard and assisted him on his way to superstardom, have become suspect.
Leonard, though, insists he’s handled it appropriately and doesn’t believe he’s necessarily cast aspersion upon innocent men.
“The people who are innocent, they know they’re innocent and they won’t even think of it, precisely because they’re innocent,” Leonard told Yahoo! Sports. “The people who are the perpetrators, if I would say their names, reveal their names, that would cause a lot of pain and suffering for their families and their kids. I didn’t think I had to do that. I could state what happened to me without going further and naming names and creating more pain for anyone else.”
Leonard said he told his first wife, Juanita, about the abuse, but that she didn’t respond in a way that would encourage further discussion. He said he later told his current wife, Bernadette, at a time when he’d had too much to drink.
Leonard, who said he hasn’t consumed either drugs or alcohol in nearly five years, said he resorted to substance abuse as a way of making the pain and the embarrassment he felt over the sexual abuse go away.
“When you’re a boxer, there is a lot of downtime and long periods of inactivity,” Leonard said. “The drugs I took and the alcohol I consumed, they were my own way of putting a Band-Aid on things. They were a long-term Band-Aid. That’s what I felt like. I was an emotional wreck and I needed something to help me.”
Leonard, who said he had wanted to go to the University of Maryland and pursue a career as an X-ray technician rather than becoming a boxer, said counseling has enabled him to come to terms with his past.
He’s a different man, a better husband and a more caring father for having finally released the secret he carried for so many years, he said.

“Telling this story was something I had to do for me,” Leonard said. “It’s like I have been released from some incredible burden. I had this huge weight taken from my shoulders and now I can be the man that I always wanted to be.”

source: http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news?slug=ki-iole_sugar_ray_leonard_book_060811

Facebook blunder leads crowd to teen's birthday

2011-06-07T16:03:00.000+08:00

HAMBURG (Reuters) - More than 1,600 people showed up to celebrate a German teenager's 16th birthday party after she inadvertently invited the public to attend on Facebook, Hamburg police said Sunday.
The teen-ager named Thessa fled her home in the leafy Bramfeld section of Hamburg and alerted police after 15,000 Facebook users accepted her invitation ahead of the Friday evening birthday party, police spokesman Mirko Streiber said.

The crowd of 1,600 mostly jovial revelers jammed into the street on a balmy evening in front of her house while about 100 police were on hand to keep order for the duration from 7 p.m. and 2 a.m. Thessa had unwittingly neglected to mark her party as private on the social network, police said.

Streiber said 11 people were taken into custody for violations ranging from bodily harm and resisting arrest to property damage and violating explosives laws.
"It was by and large a peaceful party," Streiber said. "There were some fires set alight, some acts of violence and with considerable alcohol consumption there was some property damage. There have been larger organized birthday parties in Hamburg but this may be the largest unorganized birthday party ever."

(Reporting by Erik Kirschbaum; editing by Jon Boyle)

ANA Focuses On Leadership For National Nurses Week 2011

2011-05-06T11:36:00.000+08:00

In honor of National Nurses Week, the American Nurses Association (ANA) has planned a series of events to spotlight the importance of leadership within the profession. Both the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the recent Institute of Medicine (IOM) report on the future of nursing call for nurses to step up and become a primary force in reshaping the nation's health care. The ACA features nurses in prominent roles in its bid to promote patient-centered care, and the IOM recommends that nurses "serve as full partners with physicians and other health care professionals in redesigning health care in the United States." Annually, National Nurses Week begins on May 6, marked as RN Recognition Day, and ends on May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, founder of nursing as a modern profession.

"The nursing profession has an opportunity to apply its unique talents and knowledge to make the changes nurses know are best for patients," said ANA President Karen A. Daley, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN. "In clinical settings, communities and at policy-making tables, we need to raise our voices and be heard."

To better understand what it means to be a leader, ANA is offering a webinar, "Lead from Where You Stand," on May 10, a discussion aimed at highlighting and promoting leadership within the profession, and examining how the values and ethics which guide nurses provide the foundation for leadership. The discussion will be led by internationally recognized nurse leader Leah Curtin, RN, ScD (h), FAAN.

ANA is also challenging nurses to examine what it means to be a leader through its "I Am a Nurse, I Am a Leader" video contest. ANA encourages nurses and nursing students to visit the contest site and vote on the videos that best demonstrate examples of leadership. The winner of the contest will be announced on May 18.

In addition, ANA is advocating for policies to protect the safety of both health care professionals and their patients. ANA has joined the coalition, 50 States United for Healthy Air, as part of its ongoing environmental health advocacy. Nurses from across the country joined other advocates who took their message to members of Congress today to demand stronger environmental protections. The coalition is comprised of representatives from American Nurses Association, Earthjustice, Hip Hop Caucus, Interfaith Power & Light, National Council of Churches and Physicians for Social Responsibility.

This year's official National Nurses Week theme, Nurses Trusted to Care, reflects an enduring belief in an ever-changing world: the public trusts nurses. For the 11th year, nurses were voted the most trusted profession in Gallup's annual survey that ranks professions for their honesty and ethics.

Traditionally, National Nurses Week is devoted to highlighting the diverse ways in which registered nurses, who comprise the largest of the health care professions, are working to improve health care. From bedside nursing in hospitals and long-term care facilities to the halls of research institutions, state legislatures, and Congress, the depth and breadth of the nursing profession is meeting the expanding health care needs of American society.

Source:
American Nurses Association (ANA)

www.google.com

E - Library Workshop

2011-03-01T17:06:00.000+08:00

Im here at CEBU Normal University for the E-library Workshop... The workshop will be closed on March 2, 2011...