Google's Moog Doodle: 57 years' worth of music in just 1 week

Music lovers had a blast with one of Google's latest music-related doodles, the electronic analog Moog Synthesizer that marked the 78th birth anniversary of American electronic music pioneer Robert Moog.

In a post on its Twitter account, Google said some 54 million songs or 57 years' worth of music was recorded since the doodle went live last May 23.

"Moog maniacs! You recorded 54 million songs (57 years of music) on last week's synthesizer doodle. Keep composing," it said.

The Moog Synthesizer doodle paid tribute to the machine that Google said defined a generation of music, featuring heavily in songs by The Beatles, The Doors, Stevie Wonder, and Kraftwerk.

For 24 hours last May 23, Google posted on its home page an interactive, playable Moog synthesizer, which music lovers can play with using the keyboard and mouse.

A 4-track tape recorder allowed users to record, play back and share songs via short links or Google+.

The doodle has been taken off the home page but can still be accessed at http://www.google.com/doodles/robert-moogs-78th-birthday.

It was comparable to another immensely popular doodle lsat year: the digital Les Paul guitar.

Last year, Google noted that in just 48 hours, online musicians recorded some 5.1 years worth of music with the Les Paul guitar.

Google said the amount of music, equivalent to 40 million songs, was recorded in the United States, where Google extended its guitar Google Doodle by an added 24 hours due to high public demand.

“In 48 hrs in the US, you recorded 5.1 yrs worth of music (40M songs) w/ last week’s Les Paul doodle! Keep playing," Google said on Twitter.

Google uploaded the guitar Google Doodle as a tribute to American inventor and “guitar hero" Lester William Polsfuss (Les Paul) on June 9 last year.

Paul, who is credited for popularizing innovations such as delay effects, phasing effects and multi-track recording, collaborated in the design of the “Gibson Les Paul" electric guitar.

Visitors who wish to strum on the digital guitar can now go to http://www.google.com/logos/2011/lespaul.html and play to their hearts’ content.

An earlier estimate by RescueTime, a time management and employee time tracking software, indicated 5.8 million hours had been spent on the doodle last June 9 alone.

RescueTime’s blog also noted tweets coming in for the trending tag #lespaul at a speed of 20 tweets/second or more.

“With each major online publication commenting and recommending the Les Paul Doodle, traffic was way up and people kept talking all day!" it said.

RescueTime said its estimates showed the average user spent 26 seconds more on Google.com than in previous time periods last June 9. — TJD, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

John 'Sweet' Lapus not thinking of leaving GMA-7

Matutupad na ang plano ni John Lapus na magkaroon ng dalawang title-role movie sa taong ito.

Sa recent meetings nito with Viva Films, pinag-usapan ang kanyang magiging follow-up movie pagkatapos ng box-office success ng Moron 5 and the Crying Lady, kung saan ginampanan niya ang role bilang Crying lady.

“Magmi-meeting pa kami next week for my second movie sa Viva Films," ang masayang ibinalita ni John sa PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) sa press launch ng bago niyang serye sa GMA-7, ang Makapiling Kang Muli, na pinagbibidahan nina Richard Gutierrez, Carla Abellana, Sarah Lahbati, Mark Anthony Fernandez, Phillip Salvador, Mark Gil, at Ms. Gloria Romero.

Sa pagpapatuloy ni John, “Ito yung second movie sa dalawang movie contract na pinirmahan ko sa Viva.

“Meron na akong ideya more or less ng story line pero sa meeting pa lang namin mapa-finalize.

"Nandun na yung magiging director, yung writer, at saka nandoon na si Boss Vic."

Hindi pa raw sure si John kung si Wenn Deramas, na direktor din ng Moron 5, ang siya ring magdi-direk ng second movie ni Sweet (palayaw ng komedyante).

“Ipi-present pa lang sa akin next week yung story line. Come to think of it, hindi ko pa pala talaga alam kung sino ang director."

PROJECT WITH REGAL? Samantala, malaking palaisipan naman para sa kanya kung bakit makaka-dalawang movie project na siya sa Viva Films pero tila wala pang plano ang Regal Films sa kanya.

Matatandaang nagpahayag pa noon si Mother Lily Monteverde na bibigyan ng title-role movie ang komedyante, pero hindi pa ito naisasakatuparan.

“Ano bang nangyari?" ang naguguluhang tanong ni John sa sarili. “Sinabi ni Mother verbally, nag-antay naman ako, di ba?

"Wala namang dumating, so, ano ba?

"One day isang araw, tinawagan ako ng Viva to sign a non-exclusive contract, two picture lang naman.

“So, masisisi mo ba ako na maganda ang offer?

"And in all fairness na alam ni Mother Lily 'yan na ako at ang Star Magic [talent agency na humahawak sa career ni John] bago kami nag-sign... siya ang una naming kinausap na, 'Pasensya na mother, 'eto magbibigay...'"

Pero wala naman daw siyang panghihinayang sa ginawa niyang hakbang para sa kanyang career.

Aniya, “Wala naman, kasi naging successful naman yung una, yun nga yung Moron 5, so, wala naman.

"As a matter of fact, naging maganda naman kasi naisip na marahil ni Mother Lily na puwede na niya akong bigyan eventually.

"In all fairness naman, I always say it’s still Mother Lily who gave me the first through Super Inday and the Golden Bibe, di ba? Lead din naman ako doon as the Golden Bibe.

“Pero yung solo na lead na, in fairness naman kay Mother Lily, siya naman talaga yung unang nag-announce na balita na she will give in the future. Hindi nga lang natupad.

"At this point, mauuna nga yung Viva.

"Kasi yun nga ang promise nila sa akin na after na maging successful yung Crying Lady, na yung pangalawa ko this time ako naman yung lead."

PLAYING SUPPORT IN REGAL. Hindi pa masagot ni John kung pipirma siya uli ng panibagong kontrata sa Viva kung sakaling alukin siya ng panibagong contract.

“Tignan natin kasi nangako ako kay Mother Lily. Mukhang babalikan ko si Mother. Nag-uusap naman kami. Ang ina-ano niya sa akin, dapat gagawa pa rin daw ako sa kanya.

"Naka-stipulate naman sa contract ko yun na basta hindi lead kasi yung two picture ko sa Viva, parehong lead, e.

"Puwede pa naman akong gumawa ng support role sa mga pelikula ni Mother Lily na ginawa ko naman via The Mommy Returns."

Wala bang kaso sa kanya ng support roles ang ginagawa niya sa Regal pero lead roles naman sa Viva?

“Okay lang naman. Sino ba yung kausap ko?

"Kami ni Uge [Eugene Domingo] kasi, once na linimit namin ang sarili namin na once na kumita ang movie namin or nag-box office hit, kailangan dapat bida kami uli, baka damputin kami sa pansitan.

"At the end of the day, mga artista kami ni Uge, hindi naman...

"Again, pinag-uusapan nga namin, kinu-consider namin ang sarili namin na actors rather than big stars. Parang trabaho....

"Na-imagine mo na... sino ba naman ang magbibigay kay John Lapus na every year ako ang bida?

"Di ba parang... iba pa rin yung tumatanggap ng trabaho kahit hindi ikaw ang bida."

GAY POWER. Consistent si John sa pagsasabing si Vice Ganda ang nagbukas ng pintuan para sa mga gay characters na nagbida sa pelikula.

Paliwanag niya, “Naging malaking factor na si Vice ang openly gay na nagbida sa isang pelikula via Petrang Kabayo na kumita at nag-follow up ng Private Benjamin, na considered na highest grossing Pinoy films.

"Nagkaroon ng ideya ngayon ang ibang production company for that matter na, 'Ay, puwede na pala ang bakla ngayon?' Ayan si John Lapus, nagkaroon rin ng kontrata.

"Kaya nga kapag pinagku-compete kami ni Vice, natatawa na lang ako dahil on the contrary, ipinagdadasal ko nga na mas tumagumpay pa, mas maraming offers, mas maraming pelikula si Vice, maraming endorsements .

"Kasi inevitably, pag marami siyang pelikula at offers, sa akin mapupunta pag sobrang busy na niya, wala naman silang choice kundi sa akin i-offer. Wala namang problema."

Gustuhin man ni John na magkaroon sila ni Vice ng project, wala pa raw offer.

Ang sabi ng Showbiz Central host, “Wala pa. Wala namang nababanggit sa akin in the future. I would love to do that."

Kung sakali man, sino sa palagay niya ang dapat mauna sa kanila ni Vice sa billing?

Matamang nag-isip muna si John bago nagsalita.

“Oh, my god!" bulalas muna niya.

“Nag-iisip ako ngayon ng mga pelikulang nauna na... Ah, seniority 'ata ang mauuna.

"Mukhang ako pero naka-'and' siya."

Ang tinutukoy ni John ay ang madalas na practice sa showbiz na kung hindi man sa star value, dinadaan sa seniority or alphabetical order ang pangalan ng main cast.

Either way, "Ako pa rin ang mauuna," ang sambit ni John, “pero definitely, naka-'and' si Vice Ganda."

At saka niya dinugtong, "Kahit sino..."

Nagkasama na rin naman sila ni Vice sa isang project.

“Nag-guest ako sa kanya sa Petrang Kabayo, di ba? Walang problema."

BACK TO PRIMETIME. Samantala, itinuturing ni John na comeback series niya ang Makapiling Kang Muli.

Matagal din siyang 'di nabigyan ng proyekto.

“Ang tagal ko ngang nabakante, e. Two years ago na pala yung Pilyang Kerubin," ang sabi ni Sweet.

Pero meron din naman siyang Showbiz Central at ang mga nakaraan niyang show na Show me da Manny.

“Pero ang tagal rin naman nung sitcom namin, yun nga, sana lang...

"Wala naman akong balak lumipat for as long as bigyan lang nila ako ng trabaho. Kasi naba-bother sila kapag naggi-guest ako sa ibang network.

"Sinasabi ko naman sa kanila na kaya ako naggi-guest sa ibang network, trabaho lang. Nagbabayad ako ng bahay, sayang naman yung offer.

“Sinabi ko naman sa kanila nung tatlo ang show na meron akong Show Me da Manny, Showbiz Central, at sunud-sunod akong merong soap opera, hindi naman ako nakita sa ibang station.

"So, sinasabi naman namin sa GMA through my manager Ricky Gallardo na bigyan naman kami ng trabaho [dahil] hindi naman kami nakikita sa ibang network," ang mahabang eksplika niya.

Itinanggi ni John ang bali-balitang inaalok siya uli ng kontrata ng ABS-CBN.

“Wala pa naman. But, with my relationship status naman sa ABS, feeling ko naman I could come back any time.

"Mga kaibigan ko naman ang nandun at hindi naman tayo nagsunog ng tulay.

"But you know, nandun naman na si Vice... 'tsaka na siguro, oo...

"Hindi ko pa iniisip at hindi ko kinu-kunsider. So far sabi mo nga, mahal pa ako ng GMA. Yun lang naman yun. At least maganda yun at klaro naman sa kanila yun. Klaro ko rin sarili ko... Noon kasi, napa-praning ako.

“By now, I’m pretty sure na hindi na ako mawawalan ng trabaho. I’m pretty sure na kapag nakita ng ibang network na tengga ako, kukunin nila ako.

"Sabi ko, 'Trabaho lang.' Oo naman, tatanggapin ko.

"Yun lang naman ang sinasabi ko sa kanila na, 'For as long as meron akong trabaho, hindi ko kayo iiwan.'

"Ngayon, hindi naman exclusive ang contract ko sa GMA pero hindi naman ako umaalis," ang pagtatapos ng host-comedian. -- Rey Pumaloy, PEP

source:gmanetwork.com

JPMorgan Chase's huge loss exposes the risky side of banks

With Depression-era rules abolished, banks are making risky bets with federally insured deposits. Even Wall Street pros wonder whether that should be allowed.

The nation's biggest banks like to tout their low-cost checking accounts, extensive ATM networks and loans to home buyers and Main Street merchants.

"Investing in the places we all call home," a recent JPMorgan Chase television ad intoned. "This is the way forward."

Somehow those folksy messages never seem to get around to mentioning another part of the banking business: high-pressure trading rooms where a company's best and brightest bet hundreds of millions of dollars on arcane financial instruments such as over-the-counter synthetic derivatives and credit default swaps.

These activities aren't showcased in ads and news releases, but they are as central to modern banking as certificates of deposit and debit cards. The risks are considerable, however, a fact underscored by JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s recent trading loss of at least $2 billion on such trades.

Coming just four years after the financial collapse of 2008, JPMorgan's humbling admission has spurred lawmakers, regulators and even many seasoned Wall Street hands to question whether banks — shepherds of trillions in consumer deposits — should be allowed to make such investments at all.

Speculative trading can turbocharge profit in a way a revolving credit card loan portfolio cannot, but it comes at the risk of losses that, at the extreme, could threaten the bank itself or force yet another taxpayer bailout.

"We have to understand that these losses are not rare," said Christopher Whalen, senior managing director of Tangent Capital Partners in New York. "These are recurring events that have to do with the fact that banks don't want to lend money. They want to trade opaque, illiquid securities that are not well understood, and I'm not sure banks should be doing that."

For decades, banks were prohibited from such trading by the Glass-Steagall Act, a Depression-era law separating retail and commercial banking from investment banking and trading. But both the spirit and the letter of that law were progressively weakened over time and abolished in 1999, clearing the way for a huge expansion of activities that had little relationship to conventional lending and borrowing.

Now an increasingly large share of bank profit comes from closely guarded trading operations with limited outside oversight, run by people chasing seven-figure bonuses who treat FDIC-insured deposits like so many chips at the Wall Street casino.

JPMorgan's chief investment office, which made the infamous trade, has a few hundred traders, only a small portion of the company's 260,000 employees worldwide, but those traders manage about $360 billion, more than 15% of the assets of the nation's largest bank.

And because bigger bets can spell richer rewards, the most aggressive speculation is concentrated at the top. Just four banks — JPMorgan, Citibank, Bank of America and Goldman Sachs — control almost 95% of the marketplace for derivatives.

Derivatives are specialized investments usually tied to the value of an underlying asset. A simple example is a future contract for oil, in which investors bet on what they think the price of oil will be in months ahead.

These investments potentially offer something conventional lending doesn't: big returns. With interest rates near record lows, banks find it increasingly hard to make money on auto loans and lines of credit.

"Traditional banking just isn't that profitable," said Frank Partnoy, a professor of law and finance at the University of San Diego. "Bankers like to make lots of money, and they are finding other ways to do it."

At JPMorgan, the chief investment office makes many conservative investments in stable securities like treasuries, but it also relies on high-end financial analysis performed by math experts known as quantitative analysts, or quants, who devise strategies to guide traders on more exotic positions.

Jamie Dimon, chairman and chief executive of JPMorgan, has contended that the chief investment office's trades were intended to be hedges, essentially performing as insurance against the potential for losses in its overall loan portfolio. By the bank's own admission, those trades turned into a position that was no longer a hedge at all.

That's an important distinction to make as Washington finalizes the so-called Volcker rule, which bars banks from speculating with federally insured deposits, but has a loophole: Investments designed specifically as hedges would be permitted.

Some counter that hedges, if properly executed, aren't supposed to be a profit center, and depositor cash isn't supposed to be used to make arcane bets that require a doctorate in math to comprehend. They suggest that the chief motivations on such trades are pure profit.

In the case of the bad trade, it appears JPMorgan got into trouble, in part, with a bullish bet on credit default swaps tied to an index of corporate debt. When investor confidence on economic recovery in the U.S. and Europe fell early this year, the position very quickly deteriorated, forcing the bank to scramble to cover its position.

But because the bank's position was so large — some estimates put it over $100 billion — it had drawn the attention of rival traders who exploited the situation to raise prices on the securities JPMorgan needed to buy. In just a few weeks, the bank had racked up at least $2 billion in losses, and Dimon has said additional losses on the trade could amount to an additional $1 billion in the second quarter.

"If you want to gamble with money, fine," said Janet Tavakoli, an expert in derivatives and structured financial instruments in Chicago. "But you shouldn't be doing that with the full support and protection of the U.S. taxpayer."

On Capitol Hill, lawmakers including Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) have begun advocating changes to the Volcker rule that could prohibit the kinds of trades JPMorgan executed. The presidents of the Dallas and St. Louis Federal Reserve Banks, meanwhile, have advocated a breakup of big banks like JPMorgan.

Still others say the trading of securities that aren't directly linked to real-world assets, the so-called synthetic derivatives that were at the heart of the mortgage collapse, should be banned altogether.

Opponents can be expected to fight any such regulation furiously and will point to the fact that despite the loss, analysts still expect JPMorgan to book a $4-billion profit for the quarter. Dimon himself has said he would embrace rules that prevent such bad trades from happening, but does not endorse a full-scale retrenching of the banking business.

"This loss was bad, but there was no threat to the financial system," said Matt Levine, a former Goldman Sachs derivatives trader who now writes about finance. "If a plane crashes, it doesn't mean we should go back to horses."

source: latimes.com

Michael Jackson's sleepless note pulled from auction

A note written by Michael Jackson in which he complains of being unable to sleep has been withdrawn from auction at the request of the late singer's ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley, the auction house said on Wednesday.

Jackson, who died in 2009 after asking his doctor to give him a powerful anesthetic to help him sleep, wrote the note to Presley sometime between 1993-1996, when they were close friends. The two later became husband and wife.

"Lisa I truly need this rest I haven't slept litterally (sic) in 4 days now. I need to be away from phones and business people. I must take care of my health first Im'(sic) crazy for you," reads the handwritten note, scrawled on yellow paper.

Julien's Auctions, which had listed the letter in an upcoming celebrity memorabilia sale, said on Wednesday it pulled the note from its Music Icons auction on June 23rd and 24th at Presley's request.

"I'm assuming that it's because the note is of a personal nature, and we want to honor the request and continue our good relationship with Ms. Presley," chief executive Darren Julien said.

The "Thriller" singer had struggled with insomnia for several years while alive. His personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, told police shortly after Jackson's death that the 50-year-old pop star pleaded for help sleeping during a long, restless night at his home on June 25, 2009, the day he died.

Murray was convicted last year of involuntary manslaughter after delivering a fatal dose of propofol - normally used to sedate patients for surgery - and a cocktail of sedatives to Jackson

source: interaksyon.com

Globe Telecom to list bonds at PDEx

MANILA - Globe Telecom will list its retail bonds at the Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corp. on June 1.

In a statement, Globe said it signed up with PDEx for the listing of the telecom company's P10 billion retail bonds.

The telco recently raised P4.5 billion in five-year and P5.5 billion in seven-year fixed-rate bonds. Philippine Rating Services Corp. assigned its highest PRS Aaa.

“We look forward to listing our latest retail bond issue with the PDEx. This will allow our investors to enjoy increased liquidity and transparency as they are able to see the best market prices,” said Alberto M. De Larrazabal, Globe chief financial officer.

The telco aims to use the proceeds of its bond issuance to finance its ongoing network upgrade, which would require $790 million in the next five years, of which $640 million will be spent through 2013.

source: interaksyon.com

Kin of Pinays who died in Qatar blaze may not get benefits; jobs of 400 others hang

Because the three Filipina teachers who died in a fire that struck a shopping mall in Doha, Qatar did not have valid working documents, their families may not be able to receive any benefits. However, Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez said they will try to appeal to the victims’ employers to provide them with death benefits.

Besides the three Filipino workers counted among 19 fatalities in the Tuesday fire of a mall in Doha, Qatar, an estimated 400 other Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) were said to be employed there also, and now fear losing their jobs, a migrant labor support group said.

The Filipinos who reported for work inside the Villagio Mall now don’t know where to go next, according to Migrante-Middle East.

On Tuesday, the Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed and identified the three OFWs killed in that tragic fire that gutted the Villagio Mall. Two other OFWs have been reported hurt and are now being treated in a hospital in Doha.

Teachers tried in vain to save children

Meanwhile, DFA's Raul Hernandez told Radyo Singko’s Aksyon Solusyon that the Filipino teachers attempted to bring out the children from the burning building. Unfortunately, the fire exit of the mall was too small, causing them to die from inhaling too much smoke.

The Filipina teachers were working at the Gympanzee nursery school.

OFWs Maribel Orosco, Margie Yecyec, and Julie Ann Soco, together with 13 children were confirmed to have died of asphyxiation.

The DFA gave assurances that Philippine Ambassador to Qatar Crescencio Relacion is making arrangements for the immediate repatriation of their remains. Negotiations with the owner of the school and management of the mall for possible death benefits are also being done.

The three Filipinas had no valid working documents and went as tourists to Qatar, where they chanced upon the teaching jobs.

Qatar’s attorney general, meanwhile, already ordered the arrest of five people, including the Villagio mall owner as well as the owner of the Gympanzee nursery school, said a report on dohanews.co (http://dohanews.co/post/24021333892/report-qatars-attorney-general-orders-arrest-of?fca38978)

Limbo for 400 others

“As to our initial estimate, there are around 400 OFWs reporting for work or working inside the Villagio Mall. Obviously, the mall has been closed due to that fire that broke out the other day,” said Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator John Leonard Monterona.

Monterona added that 60 percent of the estimated 400 OFWs working inside the Villagio Mall are women performing sales-related jobs as sales ladies and cashiers. Some of the male OFWs work as store merchandisers.

Bobby, not his real name, who works as store merchandiser, told Migrante Middle east’s John Leonard Monterona, “We don’t know yet what will happen. We would be lucky if we will be transferred to another store.”

Monterona, who is based in Doha, urged the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Doha to check out the matter and help those who will be displaced by the fire.

He urged the Aquino government through the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to immediately provide burial and other forms of assistance to the families of the three OFWs killed.

Under the law, only overseas Filipino workers who are enrolled with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration are entitled to medical and healthcare, death and disability benefits.

OWWA guidelines say: "A member is entitled to a benefit of Php 100,000.00 for the duration of his employment contract for death due to natural cause, and Php 200,000.00 for death due to accident." (Source: http://www.ofwguide.com/article_item-1516/Benefits-and-Services-of-OWWA-for-OFW-Members.html#ixzz1wOOAsqgR)

A P20,000 burial benefit is also provided. The DFA said it might take more than a week to repatriate the remains of the Filipinas.

source: interaksyon.com

Kaye Abad is FHM cover girl for June 2012

Actress Kaye Abad is FHM Philippines’ cover girl for June 2012, the magazine’s website revealed Tuesday.

It is the first time for the 30-year-old actress, called “our favorite Pinay-girl-next door” by the accompanying write-up in the website, to appear in the popular men’s magazine.

She is described as “The girl you want to grow old with” on her FHM cover.

Kaye made her men’s magazine debut almost six years ago when she posed in a red bikini on the September 2006 cover of the now-defunct Maxim Philippines, a publication of ABS-CBN Publishing, Inc.

The actress, whose most memorable role remains her portrayal of the teenage sweetheart Eds in the youth drama series “Tabing Ilog”, was last seen in the afternoon soap “Angelito: Batang Ama”.

source: interaksyon.com

Facebook's stock price dives, and California could take hit

Facebook's stock has nosedived since the social media giant debuted on Wall Street earlier this month, and that's bad news for California's budget.

Gov. Jerry Brown was counting on about $1.5 billion in income taxes related to the company's IPO to help patch the state's swelling $15.7-billion deficit. But if the stock price remains low, a haul that big becomes unlikely.

The Brown administration pegged the stock at $35 per share -- lower than its $38 starting point but significantly higher than the $28.19 per share at the close of trading on Wednesday.

Jason Sisney at the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office, which provides budget advice to lawmakers, said tax revenue from Facebook "could be hundreds of millions of dollars less than has been projected."

Of course, that assumes the stock price stays at its current level. And even if it does, Sisney said, there are other ways for the state to make up the difference. For example, the sale of Facebook stock would increase a California resident's tax bill.

The bigger question for the state budget, Sisney said, is how the overall stock market performs. That could sway tax revenue by billions, not millions.

H.D. Palmer, spokesman for Brown's Department of Finance, said the administration does not plan to redo its revenue forecast based on the lower Facebook share price.

He pointed out that the administration's $1.5 billion estimate did not include Brown's plan for higher taxes, which the governor hopes voters approve in November. If Brown's proposal passes, the state would reap more tax revenue from the Facebook IPO.

Asked if the administration is worried about the stock price, Palmer replied by email: "We’ve kept an eye on it –- but at the same time realizing that a) it’s only been trading for less than two weeks, and b) stock prices will fluctuate -- both down as well as up relative to an opening price."

source: latimes.com

Romney’s campaign misspells “America” in new app

WASHINGTON — Republican Mitt Romney says he is running for president in search of a better America.

This week, Romney’s campaign could have used a better speller.

The campaign released an iPhone app late Tuesday that features slogans supporting his campaign against Democratic President Barack Obama ahead of elections on November 6.

“We’re With Mitt,” read one. “American Greatness,” declared another.

“A Better Amercia,” proclaimed a third, a misspelling that almost instantly became the subject of jokes on social media.

The unfortunate typographical error – made on behalf of a candidate who has been known to sing “America the Beautiful” on the campaign trail – came on a day in which Romney was joined at a Las Vegas fundraiser by Donald Trump. The real estate and media mogul had spent much of the day casting doubt on Obama’s eligibility to be president, questioning whether he had been born in the United States, even after certified copies of his Hawaiian birth certificate were released last year.

“Mistakes happen,” Romney campaign spokeswoman Andrea Saul told MSNBC about the spelling slip.

A corrected version of the app was released by Apple on Wednesday.

source: interaksyon.com

Corona won't appeal verdict - lawyer

MANILA, Philippines -- Deposed Chief Justice Renato Corona will not appeal the verdict of the Senate before the Supreme Court, one of his lawyers said Thursday.

"It's already a closed chapter. No more filing of appeal," Rico Quicho, a spokesman for Corona’s defense team, told Interaksyon.

On Tuesday, the Senate convicted Corona of betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution for failing to disclose his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth.

The decision stripped Corona of his post and perpetually disqualified him from holding public office.

Before Corona’s conviction, his lead counsel, retired Justice Serafin Cuevas had hinted they might appeal a guilty verdict.

article source: interaksyon.com

Assange loses UK extradition appeal

LONDON -- Britain's Supreme Court ruled that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange can be extradited to Sweden, but put his deportation on hold to give his lawyers a final chance to reopen the case.

The court, which handed down its decision on Wednesday after an 18-month legal marathon, rejected Assange's argument that the Swedish prosecutor who issued the arrest warrant over sex crime allegations was not entitled to do so.

"The request for Mr Assange's extradition has been lawfully made and his appeal against extradition is accordingly dismissed," Supreme Court president Nicholas Phillips said as he delivered the ruling to a hushed courtroom.

The seven judges were split five to two but their majority ruling was that the prosecutor was a rightful judicial authority, and therefore allowed to issue the warrant for the Internet whistleblower.

But in a new twist, Assange's lawyer Dinah Rose asked for 14 days to consider whether to apply to reopen the case, on the grounds that the judgment referred to material that was not mentioned during the last hearing in February.

The judge granted the request, which is highly unusual in the three-year history of the Supreme Court.

"With the agreement of the respondent, the required period for extradition shall not commence until 13th June 2012," the Supreme Court said in a statement.

Assange, a 40-year-old Australian national, was not in the central London court for the judgement. One of his supporters, journalist John Pilger, said he was "stuck in traffic" with his mother, who flew in from Australia for the verdict.

The Swedish lawyer for the two women who accuse Assange of rape and sexual assault said he would be extradited eventually.

"The decision was what we expected... It's unfortunate that it has been delayed further, but he will ultimately be extradited," Claes Borgstroem told AFP.

Assange is at present wanted for questioning over the sex crime allegations, but Borgstroem said he expected an indictment perhaps within a month after he gets to Sweden.

Assange, whose website enraged Washington by releasing a flood of state and military secrets in 2010, has been living under tight restrictions on his movement for 540 days, including wearing an ankle tag and reporting daily to police.

He has said he fears his extradition would eventually lead to his transfer to the United States, where US soldier Bradley Manning is facing a court-martial over accusations that he handed documents to WikiLeaks.

The US ambassador to Australia Jeffrey Bleich denied there was any plan to seek his extradition from Sweden.

"It's not something that the US cares about. It's not interested in it," he told Australian state broadcaster ABC in comments aired Thursday.

"And frankly if he is in Sweden then there is a less robust extradition relationship than there is between the US and the UK," he said. "So I think it's one of those narratives that has been made up. There is nothing to it."

Close US ally Australia has come under pressure from Assange's supporters to provide him with more assistance, after Prime Minister Julia Gillard previously slammed WikiLeaks as "grossly irresponsible".

Assange's mother Christine accused Canberra of failing to help her son.

"(They have been) absolutely useless, in fact contrary to help, they've done everything they can to smear Julian and hand him up to the US," she told the ABC from London.

Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr rejected the criticism, saying Assange was receiving regular visits from consular staff.

"He gets the full Australian consulate support available to any Australian caught up in the legal processes of another country," he said, adding however that Australia can't "interfere with the legal processes of another country".

Outside court, Assange's principal lawyer Gareth Peirce confirmed that the extradition was stayed while his legal team considers whether to apply to reopen the case, although the judgement still stands.

If Assange fails to have the case reopened in Britain, he still has the option of a last-ditch appeal to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

Assange does not deny that he had sex with two WikiLeaks volunteers in Sweden while attending a WikiLeaks seminar, but insists the sex was consensual and argues there are political motives behind the attempts to extradite him.

The former computer hacker has been fighting deportation since his arrest in London in December 2010 on the European arrest warrant issued by Sweden.

The Supreme Court is his final avenue of appeal under British law, after two lower courts ruled he should be sent to Sweden for questioning.

article source: interaksyon.com

Philippine economy outstrips expectations, is second-fastest in Asia, after China

The Philippine economy grew by 6.4 percent in the first quarter of the year, making it Asia's second fastest-growing economy after China's.

The Philippines' first-quarter expansion was also the fastest among Asean member-countries, according to Malacanang deputy spokesperson Abigail Valte.

"The better than expected economic growth was due to sustained private sector confidence and accelerated government spending. There were healthy increases in the services sector, complemented by growth in exports and increases in household expenditures," Valte said.

"The first quarter GDP figure validates the optimistic outlook of the President and his economic team," she said.

The Palace spokesperson said the country's first-quarter growth is also the highest in a non-election year since 2006.

"We are confident that the positive trajectory of our GDP will be sustained in the latter quarters of the year, which have traditionally shown more robust and dynamic economic performance," Valte said.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the Philippines should be on track to meet, if not exceed, the 2012 growth target of five to six percent.

source: interaksyon.com

Getting bearish on Facebook shares

Facebook shares have fallen 24% from their IPO price, and traders are placing bets that the social networking firm's stock will erode further.

The bears are after Facebook Inc.

Shares of the social networking giant continued a precipitous plunge since the company's much-hyped initial public offering. The stock notched a 10% drop Tuesday and has lost about a quarter of its value since going public May 18.

Facebook is now trading below $29, a stunning drop for the biggest tech IPO in history. And traders are placing bets that the stock will erode further.

"It's been a one-way ride so far, and it's hard to say if the stock has hit bottom," said William Lefkowitz, chief options strategist at VFinance Inc. in New York.

Much of the slide Tuesday was because of a rush of options traders coming into the market. These trades offered investors a new way to speculate on the rise or fall of the company's shares, and most of the bets indicated more drops are ahead.

In the first day for Facebook options, the bearish puts outnumbered calls by 1.26 to 1, said Brian Overby, a senior options analyst at online brokerage TradeKing of Florida. Facebook debuted as the second-most actively traded option behind Apple Inc. with 366,409 total contracts.

Put options grant investors the right to sell the stock at a predetermined price, while call options give owners the right to buy a stock at a preset price.

"It's giving people another way to short the stock, and you are seeing people jump on it," Overby said. "The options market can drive the actual stock price."

Indeed, the flood of options trading pressured the stock. Facebook tumbled $3.07, or 9.6%, Tuesday to $28.84. It marks a 24% plunge from the IPO price.

The drop brings up the big question Wall Street's been asking: How low can it go? The answer might not be known for a while.

Analysts said that there were a variety of option-trading strategies at work on Facebook and that it probably would take several days to get a better read on whether the bearish sentiment would stick. Monthly option contracts started trading Tuesday, while weekly contracts begin Thursday.

"Some of these investors might say the selling is overdone and let's look at a turnaround," Lefkowitz said. "It's hard to read into the current activity and figure out what investors are really thinking."

Some market watchers expect Facebook shares to settle into a range after the company reports earnings in late July. Others say the volatility will last much longer because the social network continues to operate like a tech start-up that's not beholden to Wall Street's focus on short-term results.

The stock has also notched lower as some have worried about Facebook's strategy. There were reports over the weekend that the Menlo Park, Calif., company was eyeing the acquisition of Norway's Opera Software, a Web-browser developer.

Spokesmen for Facebook and Opera declined to comment. In April, Facebook surprised some analysts by spending $1 billion to acquire Instagram, a photo-sharing company.

"Most companies are managing the business to produce relatively smooth and relatively predictable results for their investors," said Brian Wieser, a senior analyst at Pivotal Research Group in New York, who has a "sell" rating on the company and a $30 price target. "That is not the case with Facebook. People should expect volatility from an operations and stock perspective."

While Wall Street is guessing wildly about where Facebook's shares go from here, the mood inside the tech giant appears to be a bit more composed.

"Everyone is just going about their regular business here," said one employee who was not authorized to speak publicly.

On the day Facebook filed for its IPO in February, Facebook founder and Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg posted a photograph of a sign on his desk that read "stay focused & keep shipping."

And some employees may take the stock swoon in stride since Facebook allowed employees to cash in some of their holdings through the secondary markets prior to the IPO.

"Mark has done a really good job at getting people not to focus on Wall Street," said a person familiar with the company who spoke on the condition of anonymity to preserve his relationship with Facebook. "Facebook has always been very long-term-focused company."

source: latimes.com

More fun to outsource in Philippines - study

MANILA – It’s more fun to outsource in the Philippines because of lower labor costs and bright young talents, according to an IT research company.

"The daily minimum wage is set to approximately $10 per day, making it far cheaper to outsource in the Philippines. As such, Filipino salaries are but a fraction of their western counterparts," Lauro Vives, chief analyst at XMG Global, said.

Based on a global study, Indian professionals are, on average, paid 37 percent higher than their Filipino counterparts.

Another cost-reduction factor for business process outsourcing is the fewer number of legal holidays, Vives said.

The Philippines has 18 holidays a year, compared with India’s 33.

"Lower business costs translate directly into higher business profits; let’s face it! The Philippines remains a less expensive choice. The typical operating costs of a BPO company in the Philippines results in average savings of $15,000 to $22,000 per annum," Vives said.

The Philippines also has plenty of economics zones, numbering 248 locations that give opportunities for investments, and locating business operations.

Besides lower labor costs, the country’s workforce is highly-skilled and competent, possessing a world-class education in IT and competitive infrastructure backed by several multinational companies.

Country estimations project 440,000 graduates for 2012-2013. Of that total, 50,000 are IT graduates.

Despite its advantages, the Philippines however lacks multilingual talent, Vives said.

"An estimate of over than 6,000 multi-linguals in 2011 far exceeds labor market projections. Last year, with insights and help from XMG Global, a tie-up between the Board of Investments and IBM was formed to implement programs to enhance the capabilities of multilingual talent in general, but more particularly in the BPO sector in languages other than English," he said.

"This effort will play a crucial role to hit the industry’s goal of generating $25 billion in revenue by year 2016. This is yet another example of government and business working in concert to achieve a common goal," he added.

As of last year, the BPO industry employed over 640,000 people directly and 1.3 million indirectly, generating $11 billion in revenues, equivalent to five percent of the Philippines’ gross domestic product.

source: interaksyon.com

J. Lo’s Manila concert date confirmed; Jessica Sanchez may be front act

The same concert promoter that brought Justin Bieber to Manila last year is bringing Jennifer Lopez to the Philippines in late November, with possibly Jessica Sanchez in tow.

Jun Lorenz Mamangon, CEO of N91 Live Productions, has confirmed that the “American Idol” judge will perform in Manila on November 24, most likely at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

Mamangon said he is also in talks to bring in “American Idol” runner-up Jessica Sanchez as Lopez’s front act.

Lopez is set to co-headline the “Dance Again” world tour with Spanish-Filipino artist Enrique Iglesias, which will kick off on July 14 in Montreal, Canada.

Lopez, who was recently named most powerful celebrity in the world by Forbes Magazine, is known for her upbeat pop songs and dancing prowess. Her signature hits include “On The Floor”, “Jenny from The Block”, and “Waiting for Tonight”.

Mamangon said Iglesias may not be a part of the Philippine tour.

source: interaksyon.com

Corona conviction renews flight attendants' hopes for justice

MANILA, Philippines -- The conviction of Renato Corona by the Senate impeachment court on Wednesday renewed the hopes of the 1,400 flight attendants and stewards laid off by Philippine Airlines that they may find justice in their case against the flag carrier.

In a statement Wednesday, Bob Anduiza, president of the Flight Attendants and Stewards Association of the Philippines, lauded the verdict on Corona, who was found guilty of betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution.

“Now with CJ Renato C. Corona out of the picture, it is our own fervent hope that things will change for the better in the Supreme Court,” Anduiza said. “The real victims of injustice, the 1,400 PAL flight attendants who were unjustly thrown out of their jobs in 1998, eagerly await for the day that true justice is finally served."

Among the charges raised against Corona were the Supreme Court’s sudden reversal of a decision favoring Fasap after receiving a letter from PAL lawyer Estelito Mendoza.

Fasap alleged that Corona "meddled" in the case.

"Corona, who claims that he did not participate in this case, saying he had earlier 'inhibited,' actually played a major part in the Recall Order of the Fasap case. Because of the Recall, our case which has been pending for more than 14 years was again delayed and re-opened for the nth time," Anduiza said.

He called Corona’s conviction a "victory for the Filipino people" and a "major step" in the Aquino administration's campaign to get rid of rid corruption in government.

source: interaksyon.com

Corona found guilty

MANILA, Philippines (1st UPDATE) - With 19 votes already in, the Senate has found Chief Justice Renato Corona guilty of betrayal of public trust for failing to disclose his true wealth in his Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth (SALN) as required under the Constitution.

As of posting, only 3 had voted to acquit, and the decision of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile will no longer affect the outcome.

Those who found the chief justice guilty were:

1) Edgardo Angara
2) Alan Peter Cayetano
3) Pia Cayetano
4) Franklin Drilon
5) Francis Escudero

6) Jinggoy Estrada
7) Teofisto Guingona III
8) Gregorio Honasan
9) Panfilo Lacson
10) Lito Lapid

11) Loren Legarda
12) Sergio Osmeña III
13) Francis Pangilinan
14) Aquilino 'Koko' Pimentel III
15) Ralph Recto

16) Ramon Revilla Jr.
17) Vicente Sotto III
18) Antonio Trillanes IV
19) Manuel villar

Those who have so far found Corona innocent are:

1) Joker Arroyo
2) Miriam Defensor-Santiago
3) Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Corona thus becomes the first high-ranking official in Philippine history to be removed from office via the method prescribed by the Constitution.

Then-President Joseph Estrada's impeachment trial in 2001 was cut short by a military-backed civilian uprising which ousted him from office, instead of via the impeachment process.

Stronger democracy or dictatorship?

The 5-month long impeachment process is seen by analysts as an exercise that will strengthen the country's democratic institutions.

Various surveys have shown that the Filipino public will accept the verdict of the Senate, regardless of whether Corona is found guilty or not.

The historic vote on Tuesday was also expected to strengthen the Aquino presidency, as well as its campaign against corruption and efforts to promote transparency and accountability.

Corona, however, has said that President Aquino's bid to remove him from office is an attack on an independent branch of government, and that if he is removed from office, it would lead to a dictatorship.

98% of cash assets undeclared

In its closing arguments Monday, House prosecutors said Corona failed to disclose 98% of his cash assets in his SALNs. Corona's defense lawyers argued that the law on foreign currency deposits provides for absolute confidentiality, and that failure to disclose is not one of the impeachable offenses provided under the Constitution.

The vote focused on Article 2 of the impeachment complaint filed by 188 congressmen last December 12, which alleges that Corona failed to disclose his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth as required under Sec. 17, Article XI of the 1987 Constitution.

The senator-judges no longer voted on the 2 other articles of impeachment (Articles 3 and 7), which accuse Corona of failing to meet the competence, integrity, probity and independence of a government official, and favoring former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in one of his decisions.

During the 44 trial days spread out in 5 months, the chief justice's real property acquisitions and dollar deposits became the subject of heated debate and discussions.

Family feud

The family feud between the Coronas and the Basas over Basa-Guidote Enterprises Inc. (BGEI) also hurt his stature during the trial, although the two families began to reconcile last Friday by hugging and kissing at the Senate session hall during a caucus break.

In the beginning, many thought the prosecution would likely lose, with many senator-judges criticizing them for their unpreparedness and poor presentation of evidence.

They were assailed for presenting a bloated list of Corona’s real properties, and for wrongly fishing for evidence during the trial.

The defense, on the other hand, earned the ire of many senators when they claimed that Malacañang tried to bribe a couple of them in order to vote for the opening of Corona’s dollar accounts. The Senate voted 13-10 to respect a Supreme Court TRO on Corona's dollar accounts.

Corona's dollar accounts

In the last days of the trial, the focus was on the dollar accounts of Corona. The defense presented a hostile witness, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, who presented an Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) report which purportedly shows Corona had at least $10 million-$12 million in transactional balances in 82 foreign-denominated accounts.

The allegation prompted Corona to agree to take the witness stand, a move which many thought was a big mistake.

Corona debunked Carpio-Morales’ accusations, saying he has only $2.4 million, including interest earnings since the early 1970s, plus P80 million in commingled funds.

He said there was no need to declare his dollar deposits in his SALNs because of the absolute confidentiality provided by the Foreign Currency Deposit Act.

He then signed a waiver authorizing banks to disclose his financial assets, but the Senate merely took note of it since it was not a producer of evidence for either party.

Corona's move last May 22 to leave the witness stand without being excused and attempt to leave the Senate also proved costly since many senators saw it as an attempted walkout and disrespect of the impeachment court.

source: abs-cbnnews.com

Robin Thicke and Wife Tax Lien Paid ... Sexily

Turn the lights down and fire up a few candles ... 'cause we're gonna talk about a tax lien against the sexiest couple around ... Robin Thicke and Paula Patton.

As TMZ first reported, the sexy couple was behind on their taxes to the tune of $492,583.49.





A rep for the couple told TMZ they were working to pay it off ... and it seems they kept their sexy word. According to new docs from the L.A. County Recorder's Office, the lien has been lifted.

Stay sexy.

source: TMZ

Villar votes to convict Corona

MANILA, Philippines -- Senator-judge Manny Villar on Tuesday voted to convict Chief Justice Renato Corona for violating Article 2 of the Articles of Impeachment.

Villar said he based his decision on Corona's admission that he owns the peso and dollar accounts that were not included in the magistrate's statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth.

He also recalled how he himself was subject of a black propaganda campaign when he ran against President Benigno Aquino III in the 2010 elections.

"Mabuting tao si CJ Corona pero sa kasong ito, sya ay guilty (Corona is a good man, but in this case, he is guilty)," Villar said in conclusion of his explanation of his vote.

source: interaksyon.com

Northeast Italy hit by 5.8 magnitude quake

ROME - A strong 5.8 magnitude earthquake hit northeast Italy on Tuesday, just nine days after a quake in the same area which killed six people and left thousands in makeshift tent dwellings.

"According to the National Institute of Geophysics, the quake registered at 0700 GMT was a magnitude of 5.8," Italy's Civil Protection agency said in a statement, after an earlier estimate of 5.7 magnitude.

The quake was felt throughout northern and central Italy, forcing the collapse of several structures already weakened by the 6.0 magnitude quake which hit on May 20.

No injuries have been reported so far, media reports said.

In Pisa, home of the famous leaning tower, offices were evacuated as a precautionary measure. People ran out into the streets from shops and offices in Milan, Bologna and the Aosta Valley, close to the French border.

Around 7,000 people who fled their homes in the region when the first earthquake hit are still living in around 89 tent camps erected in fields, sports fields, car-parks and schools. The camps can take up to 9,000 people.

The region has been hit by a series of quakes and aftershocks over the past two weeks.

source: interaksyon.com

Study traces origins of monogamous coupling

From an evolutionary standpoint, the key players in the mating game were males with poor fighting skills and females faithful to them.

The roots of the modern family — monogamous coupling — lie somewhere in our distant evolutionary past, but scientists disagree on how it first evolved.

A new study says we should thank two key players: weak males with inferior fighting chops and the females who opted to be faithful to them.

These mating strategies may "have triggered a key step in the very long process of the evolution of the family," said study author Sergey Gavrilets, a biomathematician at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. "Without it, we wouldn't have the modern family."

The mating structure of humans is strikingly different than that of sexually promiscuous chimps, in which a few alpha males dominate other males in the group and, by dint of their superior fighting prowess, freely mate with the females. Lower-status males are largely shut out from mating opportunities.

In addition, male chimps don't contribute to rearing their young — that is left to the female.

Some scientists believe that ancestors of humans had chimp-like patterns of mating and child-rearing. The transition to pair-bonding was a key step for our big-brained species, because our children take years and much energy to raise to independence. It's hard for a mother to go it alone.

How did the transition take place? It's not a simple question, Gavrilets said.

Dominant, promiscuous males have it good — they don't have to invest in their young because they'll have plenty of offspring regardless, Gavrilets said.

Males that help feed and protect a smaller number of offspring can also be very successful, reproductively speaking — but only if they can be sure who their children really are or if they provide for all the young in a group. Otherwise, the "providers" will be wasting their resources on offspring that are not their own, and there is ample opportunity for some males to cheat and not do their part.

Gavrilets wanted to see how we might have gotten from A to B. In his work published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, he used mathematical models to test factors that scientists believe may have driven the transition to pair-bonding. These include mate-guarding (males hang around the females they've mated with so others cannot mate with them too) and provisioning (males offer food or other resources to a female in return for sexual favors).

His number-crunching found that these factors alone were not enough to move a species away from promiscuity. The models did work, though, with a few adjustments.

First, he stopped assuming that all males would act the same. Instead, he tested what would happen if only the low-ranking males in the group offered food to females in return for mating opportunities. These weaker males had less to lose by switching strategies because they wouldn't get very far through fighting anyway.

The other key change was realizing that these low-ranking males would select faithful females.

"When I factored those things in, then things start to happen with the formation of pair bonds," Gavrilets said. Pair-bonding ultimately swept through almost the entire group.

For all the talk of the free-love 1960s, he added, "people don't realize that the most important sexual revolution for our species happened much, much earlier — probably several million years earlier."

Owen Lovejoy, a biological anthropologist at Kent State University in Ohio, said the paper fits with his own thoughts on the evolution of monogamy.

Lovejoy, who edited Gavrilets' paper, said he had theorized for decades that monogamy could be traced to males providing food to females. In a 2009 research paper, he proposed that monogamy was already in place in a 4.4-million-year-old member of the human family, Ardipithecus ramidus, based on such features as a lack of large, slicing canine teeth that would signify a lot of male competition as well as an upright skeleton that would leave arms free to carry food.

But David Buss, an evolutionary psychologist at the University of Texas at Austin and author of "The Evolution of Desire: Strategies of Human Mating," said that although the paper offered a "plausible" explanation for what may have jump-started monogamy, it hugely simplified human sexual behavior.

Human mating behaviors, for men and women, are quite varied, he said — including not just committed, long-term pairing but a smorgasbord of other strategies such as casual sex, serial monogamy, having a long-term mate with sexual partners on the side, and combinations thereof.

The study also fails to address the possibility that males didn't move straight from promiscuity to monogamy but instead to an intermediate pattern of polygyny — guarding a number of females on a long-term basis, said primatologist Bernard Chapais of the University of Montreal.

Once polygyny was in place, it would have been much easier to move to monogamy without Gavrilets' assumptions about providing food and care, Chapais said.

source: latimes.com

Senator Votes on Chief Justice Renato Corona Verdict

As of 4:43 PM of May 29, 2012, (Manila Time) 14 Senator Judges voted for Guilty and 3 Senators voted for Not Guilty. There are 6 Senators left.

Estrada votes to convict Corona

MANILA, Philippines - Senator-judge Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada voted to convict Chief Justice Renato Corona on Article II as the impeachment court rendered a verdict on Day 44 of the historic trial.

Estrada, eighth in the line of senators called upon to declare and announce their vote, said he could not accept the defense explanation of "good faith" in Corona's exclusion of huge chunks of his assets from his SALN, because "the chief justice is a learned man."

He described the impeachment of Corona as a "redemption" for the country and the democratic process, because it had once, 11 years ago, failed in the case of his father, then-President Joseph Estrada. His trial was aborted by the walkout of prosecutors, and because it is clear now, said the senator, that the issues were meant "to be resolved in the streets" right from the start. "In my eyes, he is guilty," Estrada concluded.

source: interaksyon.com

Guingona finds Corona guilty of Article 2

Senator Teofisto Guingona III finds Corona guilty of Article of Impeachment No. 2 for failing to disclose his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth.

"Ginoong Pangulo, batay sa ebisensiya, sa mga mismong sinabi at pag-amin ng nasasakdal at bilang pagkilala sa kasagraduhan ng Saligang Batas ng Pilipinas, ito ang hatol ko: Ang nasasakdal na punong mahistrado ng Korte Supreme ay hindi na, hindi na po karapat-dapat sa pagtitiwala ng sambayanang Pilipino (Mr. President, based on the evidence, on the very words and admission of the accused and in recognition of the sacredness of the Constitution of the Philippines, this is my verdict: The accused Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is no longer, no longer worthy of the trust of the Filipino people)," Guingona said.

"I vote to convict the accused Chief Justice of the Supreme Court," he added.

Following is the full text of Guingona's explanation of his vote:

Ginoong Pangulo, sa paglilitis na ito, ang aking boto ay para sa kasagraduhan at kapangyarihan ng Saligang Batas ng Republika ng Pilipinas. Mr. President, if there is one thing that our nation would have learned in this impeachment process, it is this: that we must renew our respect for and protect the sanctity of our Constitution of our republic.

Ang ating Saligang Batas ay sagrado at walang sinumang kapangyarihan sa ating bansa ang mas mataas pa dito. Ito ay sagrado, lahat dito dapat sumunod. Ipatupad ito at igalang ito. Ito ay sagrado kaya lahat ng lingkod-bayan, ibinoto o inappoint man sa tungkulin, ay pinasusumpa na ito ay itataguyod at ipagtatanggol.

Ang hindi pagsunod, ang hindi pagtupad, ang hindi pagtatanggol sa ating Saligang Batas ay isang malinaw na paglapastangan sa pinamakataas na batas n gating republika. At sa kaso pong ating nilitis Ginoong Pangulo, pinagaralan ko ang mga sumusunod: nagkaruon ba ng paglabag at paglapastangan sa sagradong Saligang Batas ng Pilpinas? At kung nagkaruon nga ng paglapastangan ay dapat bang hindi na payagang manatili sa kanyang pwesto at tungkulin. Inihayag ba ng nasasakdal ang lahat ng assets, liabilities at net worth niya, bilang pagsunod sa Saligang Batas: ang sagot ko po hindi po ginawa.

Nagkaruon ba ng bahid ang kanyang integrity at probity sa panahon ng kanyang panunungkulan sa pinakamataas na korte ng ating bansa? Ang sagot ko po, opo, nagkaruon ng malaking bahid.

Nilabag ba niya ang utos ng Saligang Batas na siya ay dapat maging accountable to the people sa lahat ng pagkakataon at maglingkod ng may utmost responsibility, integrity and loyalty: Ang sagot ko po, opo nilabag po.

One of the actions of the accused stands out, Mr President.

Mula mismo sa mga labi ng nasasakdal, inamin niya na nakadeposito sa iba’t ibang mga bangko ang mga salapi niya na nagkakahalagang P80M at $2.4M. Pero nasaan ito, nasaan ito, sa kanyang sinumpaang SALN?

Idedeklara lamang ba ito kung kelan gugustuhin ng isang mataas na opisyal? Pwede ba siyang magtago sa likod ng FCDA?

Mr. President, ito ay isang pabaluktot ng provision ng Constitution. How can one man use the very same Constitution which mandates full public disclosure to justify concealment of millions of dollars in his personal bank account? This is constitutional perversion in its ultimate form.

G. Pangulo, sino ba ang inaasahan ng taumbayan para maging pangunahing tagapagtanggol ng Saligang Batas? Hindi ba’t ang Korte Supreme. Ano ang aaasahan natin pagtatanggol kung ang mismong pangulo nito ang unang humahanap ng butas para baluktutin an gating Saligang Batas. Ang Saligang Batas ay sagrado. Anumang paglusot dito, anomang pagbaluktot ditto ay paglabag at papabastos sa pinakamataas na bansa. The Constitution above all.

Ginoong Pangulo, batay sa ebisensiya, sa mga mismong sinabi at pag-amin ng nasasakdal at bilang pagkilala sa kasagraduhan ng Saligang Batas ng Pilipinas, ito ang hatol ko: Ang nasasakdal na punong mahistrado ng Korte Supreme ay hindi na, hindi na po karapat-dapat sa pagtitiwala ng sambayanang Pilipino.

I vote to convict the accused Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

Maraming salamat po.

source: interaksyon.com

Escudero finds Corona guilty on Article 2

MANILA, Philippines -- Senator-judge Francis Escudero on Tuesday voted to find Chief Justice Renato Corona guilty of violating Article 2 of the Articles of Impeachment, even as he praised the chief justice for issuing a confidentiality waiver to disclose all his bank accounts.

source: interaksyon.com

Drilon votes Corona guilty on Article 2

The Senate, convened as an impeachment court over the past four months, adjourned on Monday having heard the final arguments of lawyers prosecuting and defending Chief Justice Renato Corona, and now placing the fate of the chief magistrate solely in the hands of senator-judges.

The senators are expected to vote on Tuesday either to convict and immediately remove Corona from his post as Chief Justice, or to acquit and send the Philippines into uncharted political waters.

It will ultimately be a political vote, and while there will be time on Tuesday for each senator-judge to explain his or her vote, the impeachment trial had in fact progressed, and will conclude, with no formal guideline or consensus on the criteria for voting to either convict or acquit. The senators early on in the trial had raised questions as to the "quantum of evidence" or the level of proof that they should seek – whether at par with standards for criminal, civil, or administrative cases – but there was never any resolution on the matter.

That will leave Corona's fate to be determined by a mixed group of lawyers and non-lawyers distributed over a number of political parties and affiliations, and each with different political considerations and interests heading into a crucial election season.

Congressmen composing a panel of prosecutors on Monday accused Corona of "deception of the highest order" and called for his sacking, as the historic four-month trial reached a climax. The final plea to oust the Chief Justice came from no less than the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Feliciano Belmonte.

The first Supreme Court justice to stand trial, Renato Corona is accused of hiding millions of dollars' worth of assets and other graft, claims he says were cooked up by President Benigno Aquino to have him removed.

"Palusot." Excuses, excuses. This was how Ilocos Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas - as member of the House panel prosecuting Chief Justice Renato Corona - characterized the defense of the chief magistrate in the concluding impeachment trial against him.

Fariñas said Corona and his lawyers' explanations for peso and dollar properties undeclared in the Chief Justice's statements of assets and net worth (SALN) all amounted to "one flimsy excuse after another" ("puro palusot") - all coming too weakly and too late supposedly after Corona had been caught in what lead prosecutor Niel Tupas recapped as "lies".

Fariñas said Corona's accounting for $2.4 million and P80 million that went undeclared in his SALNs were hard to swallow.

The Chief Justice on Friday tried to counter suggestions that the moneys were ill-gotten, saying the dollar amounts could be easily explained by his and his wife's discipline and foresight in saving dollars starting from the 1960's. Corona had even noted that he started investing in dollars in the late 1960s when the peso traded at "2-to-1" with the US dollar.

As for not declaring the savings in his SALN, Corona and his lawyers have insisted that the Chief Justice had no obligation to declare his dollar "savings" given laws guaranteeing secrecy and privacy in foreign currency deposits. The peso accounts, they add, were not actually entirely Corona's, and were supposedly aggregated and co-mingled savings of Corona, his wife, children, and even relatives tied to a family company.

Fariñas, however, mocked the very notion of Corona hoarding dollars starting from the 1960s. By the prosecution's accounting, for the Chief Justice's story to hold true, Corona started buying dollars "when he was in Grade 4." Meanwhile, he said Corona's story about co-mingled funds contradicted what the prosecution tried to portray as an increasingly convoluted story that at turns made clear delienations between his properties and assets and those of his children and relatives, and at turns suggested they were one and the same.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona, 63, is accused of protecting graft-tainted former president Gloria Arroyo from prosecution, as well as lacking integrity and amassing a personal fortune above the limits of his salary - which he failed to declare as required by the constitution.

The maximum penalty for a guilty verdict on any of the three charges is his removal, but the Senate, sitting as a court, said it also has the option of imposing the lesser penalties of censure, reprimand, fine, or suspension.

In his closing argument Monday, chief prosecutor Niel Tupas said the senator-judges must convict and impose the severest penalty for Corona's failure to declare bank deposits including $2.4 million in US dollar accounts. He said the campaign to oust Corona was not one waged against one man, but rather one to rid the Philippine justice system of "evils".

"His lies in the SALN (his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth) run into the hundreds of millions and cannot be ignored," Tupas said.

"It is lying, it is dishonesty, it is deception of the highest order."

Tupas said these assets were significantly higher than the P22.9 million (about $533,000) net worth declared by Corona in his 2010 declaration, an annual constitutional requirement for all public officials.

Corona's removal was sought by Aquino, who was elected to the presidency in 2010 on a platform to end corruption which he claimed reached pervasive levels during Arroyo's term.

Aquino has accused Arroyo of illegally appointing Corona as chief justice just before she stepped down, allegedly to protect her from prosecution. Arroyo is now in detention while separately being tried for vote rigging.

Corona was impeached by Aquino's allies in the House of Representatives in December, which then sent the complaint to the Senate for trial.

Millions of Filipinos have closely followed the trial, which began in January, and various opinion surveys have indicated that Aquino enjoyed widespread public support for pursuing a judge perceived to be corrupt.

Corona however was backed by his peers in the judiciary amid warnings the president may have violated constitutional provisions in his zeal to remove the chief justice.

Sixteen votes, about two-thirds of the chamber, are required to unseat Corona. The senators, who include only four members of Aquino's party, have been tight-lipped about how they intended to vote.

The senator-judges were expected to announce their vote in individual speeches later Monday or Tuesday.

Corona's lawyer Eduardo de los Angeles stressed that Corona did not commit any "high crime" cited by the constitution, such as treason, bribery, or corruption, that would be cause for his removal.

Corona's failure to declare his dollar savings was covered under the country's strict bank confidentiality laws, his lawyer said.

At most, Corona's failure to declare the dollar deposits was a minor breach of another law requiring public officials to declare all their assets, and this can be remedied by filing an amended statement of assets, de los Angeles added.

"Certainly a high government official should not be impeached nor removed from office for any minor breach of the law."

Last week, Corona appeared as the final witness in his defence and delivered a three-hour testimony accusing Aquino of a conspiracy to oust him.

He claimed his impeachment was the result of a personal vendetta by Aquino following a landmark Supreme Court ruling to break up Hacienda Luisita, a giant sugar estate owned by the president's clan.

That court decision came shortly before Aquino's allies voted to impeach Corona. With reports from Joseph Hollandes Ubalde, InterAksyon.com, and from Agence France-Presse

source: interaksyon.com

Jessica Sanchez sings at Memorial Day concert, wants to visit PH soon

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Jessica Sanchez sang the US National Anthem at the National Memorial Day Concert here Sunday night, just four days after her runner-up finish in the finale of “American Idol”.

She also performed “The Prayer”, one of her signature songs during her “Idol” stint. The 16-year-old Filipino-Mexican-American told TV5′s primetime newscast “Aksyon” that she still can’t believe what she has achieved, thanks to the FOX talent show.

“I’m working on some things. Right now I’m at this event. We all worked it out, so definitely (I’m) trying to keep myself busy. I’m excited for the future,” she said.

Jessica also revealed that she has not yet traveled outside the US and is looking forward to visit the Philippines soon. Her mother is a native of Samal, Bataan.

“I grew up with grandma, and she is from the Philippines. So is my mom. She makes Filipino food,” she said.

The singer admitted she doesn’t speak Filipino but claimed she can follow the language.

source: interaksyon.com

Major economies need more skilled workers, engineers - study

NEW YORK - The United States and other large economies cannot find enough skilled workers, engineers and other in-demand employees, according to an annual study on talent shortages.

The study, by staffing services giant ManpowerGroup, found 34 percent of employers around the world report trouble filling jobs because of a lack of available talent. The percentage is unchanged from 2011 but up from the prior three years.

However, most of the employers -- 56 percent -- say unfilled jobs are likely to have little or no impact on customers and investors. That is up from 36 percent who said so a year ago.

Talent shortages persist despite high unemployment in many economies, especially among young people. Employers are more comfortable conducting business in an environment of talent shortages and remain reluctant to add workers while memories of recession are fresh, according to Manpower.

"Leaving positions unfilled may be a short-term fix, but it's a short-sighted and unsustainable approach to addressing talent shortages," Manpower Chief Executive Jeff Joerres said.

The top reasons for not filling jobs include a lack of available applicants; too few hard skills, such as speaking a foreign language among those who do apply; and a lack of experience. Smaller numbers of employers complained about deficiencies in applicants' soft skills, such as showing too little enthusiasm.

Manpower polled 40,000 employers in 41 countries and territories.

Help wanted in Tokyo

Skilled trade workers have topped the most in-demand list in four of the past five years. Educational systems around the world are emphasizing four-year university educations, while allowing vocational and technical programs to decline.

As fewer young people pursue technical educations and more older skilled workers retire, such shortages are likely to persist, the study predicts.

Other in-demand jobs in 2012 are sales representatives, technicians, drivers, laborers and information technology staff. Accounting and finance workers, chefs and managers round out the top 10.

Employers in Japan were the most likely to say they are having trouble finding staff, followed by those in Brazil, Bulgaria, Australia and the United States, where 49 percent report difficulty, down from 52 percent last year.

While technical and business-oriented job categories top most countries' lists, employers in the United States, Singapore and India, among others, say they cannot find enough teachers. Nurses are also in demand.

Several European countries, including Ireland, the Netherlands and Spain, ranked at the bottom of the list, with fewer than one in 10 employers struggling to find the right workers.

Manpower also asked about responses to the talent shortage. The most frequent responses were employers offering more training to current staff, or broadening their search outside their local regions. Others put people into positions for which they are not fully qualified, hoping they'll learn on the job.

Higher pay, at least for now, is not a common response to the talent shortage. Only 8 percent of global employers are boosting starting salaries, and only 7 percent are offering better benefits or signing bonuses.

source: interaksyon.com

Corona acquittal would be 'catastrophic' - Aquino

MANILA, Philippines - President Benigno Aquino III has likened an acquittal of Chief Justice Renato Corona to a "delubyo," which means disaster or catastrophe.

At the annual summit of the Kristyanong Kabataan Para sa Bayan (KKB) movement - which the President attended for the first time since 2004, Aquino said while he would like to spend the whole day with the youth participants, he would have to return to Malacañang to monitor the last day of the impeachment trial.

"We need to watch something this afternoon. If we are absent, a miracle might happen," Aquino said on Tuesday.

"But with the help of your prayers, that will not happen," Aquino added.

But the President corrected himself, saying it would not be a miracle but a disaster or a catastrophe if the chief magistrate is acquitted.

Aquino also rallied the 15,000 youth members of KKB not to stray from the straight path.

The KKB movement is the youth arm of the Jesus Is Lord Movement, an independent born-again evangelical church in the country.

In his speech, Joel Villanueva, KKB chairman and director general of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, rallied the youth to vie for seats in the 2013 polls.

"Every election is important just like this 2013 polls where we hope to see more KKB members participating in the noble task of nation-building by seeking public office," Villanueva said.

"If we say dirty politics must change, then we ask, who is going to change that? We just can't pray and ask God to please clean this up. It is not just realistic. Young people should get involved and address this themselves," Villanueva added.

source: interaksyon.com

Fashion blogger Bryanboy to judge next season of ‘America’s Next Top Model’

Fashion blogger Bryan Grey Yambao, more popularly known as Bryanboy, will become a judge in the the next season of “America’s Next Top Model”.

Bryanboy will fill up one of the two vacant seats in the show’s judging panel. Long-time judges and mentors Nigel Barker and Jay Manuel left the show earlier this year.

Bryanboy was a former freelance web developer based in his parents’ home in Manila. Heis eponymous blog received the Philippine blog award for Best Fashion and Lifestyle Blog in 2007.

In its 2010 Power Issue, Vogue named him one of nine bloggers “making a global industry sit up and take notice”.

“America’s Next Top Model” is hosted and produced by supermodel Tyra Banks. According to Tyra, she chose Bryanboy because the fashion blogger writes about global fashion events.

Bryanboy is currently in the US taping episodes for the 19th cycle of “ANTM”.

The 19th cycle will feature a brand new theme. It will cater to college students aspiring to become models. The “college edition” of “ANTM” is set to premiere in the fall in the US.

source: interaksyon.com

6 candidates vie to succeed Cooley as L.A. County D.A.

The June 5 election will be the first since 1964 in which an incumbent hasn't been on the ballot. If a candidate doesn't garner 50% of the vote the top vote-getters will meet in a November runoff.

It is the most powerful job in Los Angeles County's criminal justice system, a position that oversees the prosecution of 60,000 felons each year and can provide a steppingstone to higher office.

Six candidates are vying to become district attorney in next week's election, hoping to succeed Steve Cooley, who is retiring after three terms.

June 5 marks the first district attorney's election without an incumbent since 1964. Back then, voters had a choice of three white men. Today's group of candidates illustrates the changes that have taken place in the county's legal community in the last half century.

Three African Americans — Bobby Grace, Jackie Lacey and Danette Meyers — are hoping to make history in a county that has never elected a black district attorney, with two of them also aiming to become the first woman to hold the post.

To win outright, a candidate must garner more than 50% of the vote. Otherwise, the two top vote-getters will face each other in a November runoff.

Whoever wins the nonpartisan race will face daunting challenges in running the largest local prosecutorial agency in the nation. California's justice system is undergoing its most radical overhaul in more than three decades. The state, under a court order to reduce its prison population, is shifting the burden of housing and monitoring thousands of inmates to local counties, which are also struggling with overcrowded jails and underfunded budgets.

source: latimes.com