Friday, August 29, 2008

Eraserheads Reunion Concert 2008



   


Much-awaited, one-night-only Eraserheads reunion concert 2008 of the Philippine's rock band icon now on set after they broke up last 2002. This will also served as the reunion of the the Eraserheads fans.

Eraserheads Reunion Concert 2008image source: abs-cbnnews.com

Even the sponsor Philip Morris backed out a Tobacco Company because of some issues regarding the promotion. Beside of this Ely Buendia's mom died of cardiac arrest just last morning of August 28 the concert will be on set.

Radiohead Media Solutions Inc. subsequently announced that it had acquired the Eraserheads reunion concert rights and that it will go on as scheduled on Saturday, August 30, at the Bonifacio Global City open field which can accommodate as many as 40,000 people.

For more info about the Eheads reunion concert 2008 you may visit eraserheads2008.co.cc

Ticket price according to eraserheads2008.co.cc are as follows:

Php. 1,030 - general admission
Php. 2,060 - VIP, near the stage.





Mysterious iPhone Girl



   


A mystery in the new 3G iPhone appear a pictures of an Asian factory worker found. The iPhone was sold to a British customer have generated keen discussion on the Internet about her identity. This mystery iPhone Girl as could in the news, this is cam from news.yahoo.com which generates Internet intrigue.

According to the news posted, there were three pictures, show a young Asian woman working on what appeared to be an assembly for iPhone. Below the posted was the link of the forum of MacRumors.com were the pictures are being posted by the user named only as "markm49uk" from UK. As I looked, the news as its described the Mysterious iPhone Girl dressed in a pink striped outfit and hat and wearing white gloves with yellow fingertips, the young woman is shown smiling and making victory signs as she poses next to an 3G iPhone.

Here are the pictures young woman now known on the Web as the "iPhone Girl" from MacRumors.com.

China's prettiest factory girl known on the Web as iPhone Girl
China's prettiest factory girl known on the Web as iPhone Girl
China's prettiest factory girl known on the Web as iPhone GirlIn additionFoxconn spokesman, Liu Kun, as confirming that the young woman in the pictures works for Foxconn. He said workers testing the device took the pictures and may have forgotten to delete them, the Post reported. Dubbing the mystery worker "China's prettiest factory girl," China's Southern Metropolitan Daily on Tuesday quoted an unidentified Foxconn official as saying the woman was not fired.





Thursday, August 28, 2008

PACQUIAO vs. DE LA HOYA is Finally On Set



   


De La Hoya-Pacquiao
fight is finally set. This will be the biggest bout, the bout will take place in Las Vegas on December 6, 2008, Bill Dwyre 1:00 P.M. PDT.

The biggest boxing match in years will, indeed, take place. Oscar De La Hoya has agreed to a December 6 match with rising superstar Manny Pacquiao.

The match, the grand finale of 35-year-old De La Hoya's unprecedented career as the box-office king in a sport that has survived on his back for more than 10 years without a dominant heavyweight, will be held at the MGM Grand Hotel Garden in Las Vegas. The pay-per-view will be available on HBO.

Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao, 29, the most celebrated and recognized athlete in the Philippines, has won titles at five lower weights and is more comfortable around 136-140 pounds. De La Hoya has won multiple titles and is more comfortable around 154.

De La Hoya will take a record of 39-5 with 30 knockouts into the fight. Pacquiao's record is 47-3-2, with 35 knockouts.

source: www.philboxing.com






Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Overall Medal Count of 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics



   

Beijing Summer Olympics 2008 Overall Medal Count

After 16 days of glorious battle (August 8- 24, 2008), the story has hit saturation coverage. China, once mocked as “the weaklings of Asia,” is going to win what it calls the total medal count for the Beijing Games.

China, like most of the world, values gold medals above all and only counts them in the standings. With 51 and counting, its total dwarfs all other nations. The United States is second with 36.

But the United States won the Summer Olympics 2008 with the total of 110 medals thans the host country China with 100 medals. Followed by Russia with 72 and Britain with 47 medals.

For the complete list of overall medal you may visit sports.yahoo.com





Tuesday, August 26, 2008

What China plans to do with Olympic structures?



   


BEIJING – It is the biggest buzz word in Olympic circles, and the promise of it can dramatically sway the bidding process for future Games.

Legacy.

These days, any hopeful city with Olympic aspirations must not only show its ability to provide venues and infrastructure of the highest standard, but also prove there will be a lasting positive effect on the local community.

The 2004 Olympics in Athens showed how to get it embarrassingly and disgracefully wrong. Over the past 16 days, Beijing has shown the world how to get it magnificently right.

Four years since the Athens Games, a Greek tragedy is taking place. Incredibly, many of the 22 Olympic venues now lie abandoned, as a sad and litter-strewn reminder of sport’s greatest festival.

Gypsy camps have sprung up in the shadow of stadiums where the world’s finest athletes once battled for gold. Graffiti is scrawled over the outer walls of many sites, and it has been reported in Greece that upward of $1 billion has been spent simply to maintain these ugly wrecks.

That is Athens’ legacy.

Sixteen days of glory, but at what price? The Olympics are now almost a dirty word in Athens, most regularly used by politicians who use the issue of decay as a powerful campaigning point.

There was an element of tokenism in awarding the Olympics to Athens in the first place, a symbolic gesture intended as a nod to Ancient Olympia.

The Games will never return there. They will not be allowed to, if for no other reason than that the level of public outrage at the grotesque waste of money on oversized venues with no future is extreme.

Beijing is not going to let that happen. For a start, the Chinese capital has several huge advantages over Athens.

“The reason why some countries have been challenged with economic downturns after hosting an Olympics is that hosting cities are often very small,” said Chen Jian, executive president of the Beijing Economy Research Association. “Their investments in infrastructure construction were excessive. Fluctuations arose in the economic growth when no new hotspot for investment occurred after the Olympics.”

Beijing is a city that deeply loves its sports, even more so now given the host nation’s extraordinary success over the past fortnight.

The Bird’s Nest will be used for major international events, concerts and domestic soccer matches.

The Water Cube aquatic center was built to a sensible size, and will mainly be used for international diving competitions and exhibitions. Diving’s popularity in China should ensure that it is often filled to near capacity.

The luminescent light show on the glowing exterior of the stadium will be turned off soon after the Games, but will be put back on whenever there is a major event taking place in Beijing.

Other sites such as Workers’ Stadium and Workers’ Gymnasium were already in place. The Olympic Park Tennis Center has been tabbed to host an ATP event next year.

Whereas the list of Athens’ failures goes on, so too does the depth of Beijing’s successes.

The Games have sparked economic growth, and experts predict a continued surge in tourism as many fans who traveled to the Olympics are expected to return for a second look.

Here, there is a legacy of pride, and a spectacular standard of responsible spending for future hosts to uphold.

Whether you agree with China’s foreign policies or political ideals, no one can deny this has been a truly superb Olympic Games.

Congratulations, Beijing.

source: sports.yahoo.com






Friday, August 22, 2008

Bangsamoro Juridical Entity a Federal State?



   


The Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) resulting from peace negotiations between government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) could be a federal state that is “more advanced” than an autonomous region.

But its creation will require a constitutional amendment and a plebiscite in 712 villages in the provinces of Lanao Norte, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Zamboanga-Sibugay, and Palawan, to determine whether or not they want to be included in the juridical entity, presidential adviser on the peace process Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said.

The negotiations scored a breakthrough Wednesday, after both panels agreed to strike out the word "freedom" in reference to the aspirations of the Bangsamoro people, from a draft memorandum of agreement (MoA) on the hotly-debated ancestral domain issue.

Both panels will meet against on July 24 to schedule the signing of the MoA, which will pave the way for the resumption of formal talks.

"The MoA will mean the beginning of the formal peace talks. How long it will take, we don't know yet as there remain to be issues that have to be resolved," Esperon said.

However, because "a federal state is not allowed within our current legal framework and so if we go through that, then the agreement will not be executory until we have the enabling act which could come in the form of a Constitution," he said.

"If we need to amend the Constitution, we will go there," he said.

The MILF’s chief peace negotiator, Mohager Iqbal, could not be reached on his mobile phone for comment.

Six months after the MoA on ancestral domain is signed, Esperon said the plebiscite would be held in the 712 villages.

These villages will be on top of the existing territory of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), which is was established after the government struck a peace agreement with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in the late 1990s, Esperon said.

The MILF broke away from the MNLF after the latter forged a peace pact with the government.

Esperon said the villages make up a "considerable" land area, and are predominantly Muslim, but with Christian communities.

Asked where a possible peace accord with the MILF would leave the MNLF, Esperon said "there should be some unification" between the two groups. But he said it was up to both rebel groups to discuss this.

Under the draft MoA, Esperon said the Bangsamoro entity would have "jurisdiction and control" over resources found 15 kilometers from the shoreline.

"Beyond that, there will be joint control in the sharing of these critical resources, primarily fuel, oil and other such critical minerals,” he said. The sharing ratio will be 75 percent and 25 percent in favor of the Bangsamoro," he said.

Esperon said a peace agreement with the MILF would also be a boost to the government's crackdown on Al Qaeda-linked extremists like the Abu Sayyaf and the Jemaah Islamiyah.

With the agreement, Esperon said there would be "cooperation on the ground" and the extremists would be "isolated."

By: Joel Guinto
INQUIRER.net






Pinoy is senior chef in 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics



   

Gone for Beijing, Ryan Jaranilla will serve as senior executive chef for the 2008 Summer Olympics. The kitchen will be open around the clock to nourish 12,000 of the world’s elite athletes and the 5,000 media professionals who will cover the event. Chef Ryan (the name he likes to go by) is second in command over it all, reporting to the directing chef. Each day, the menus will be different and tailored to the diets of the different types of athletes. Recognizing the potential challenges, "A weightlifter will probably want a heavier meal than, let’s say a gymnast, and I have to be sensitive to their cultural food preferences, too," he says.

Chef Ryan Jaranilla - Senior Executive Chef for the 2008 Summer Olympics
He will spend three months in Beijing. Because the Chinese government is hosting and funding the event, a traditional Chinese tea house and all its delicacies will also be available to the athletes.

Chef Ryan is a regional manager and executive chef for Aramark Corporation, a food services company that the general public is likely to find in corporate cafeterias, theme parks, university cafeterias, sports stadiums, and the like. Aramark has also been the food company of record for the Olympic Games for the last 40 years.

Chef Ryan had heard about the opportunity to serve as chef for the Olympics through his employer, where all managers were invited to submit their applications. In an interview process that lasted several months, he was one of 11 manager-level applicants, chosen over 250 others. Last February, he received the news he was going to Beijing.

When he isn’t hosting the world’s most talented athletes, Chef Ryan manages the food services for University of California at Irvine (UCI), where Aramark provides the service. He cooks in the kitchen, plans the daily menus, and continues to keep the menus fresh by introducing new dishes. He holds monthly events called "dine with the directors," a revolving test marketing group comprised of about 30 students and faculty who try his new creations. As a result of these test groups, Filipino food has become a staple on campus. "It’s great to test (new recipes) on kids in college. Part of my success (at UCI) is because a majority of the students are Asian," he observed. "And, I think when you’re young, you’re open to more different things." Always on the menu are chicken adobo, vegan pancit (made with tofu and vegetable broth, to satisfy these discerning palates) and halo-halo.

When he isn’t working his full-time job, Chef Ryan runs his own catering and event-planning business, Dream Events by RJ, creating beautiful weddings and other special parties. His next big event will be a princess-themed party for his niece. It’s a business that he’s had on the side for the last 10 years.

His contribution to the Olympics is a culmination of a lifetime spent in the food and hospitality industry, where he has sought out numerous opportunities to perfect his craft.

Strong Credentials

Born in Iloilo, Ryan Jaranilla was brought up in a family that encouraged creativity and an appreciation for meals. His father was a career soldier in the military, but when he wasn’t working, he was cooking. "My grandmother is a great cook as well," he says. "As a kid, she would call me into the kitchen and ask me to help wash the vegetables and do the basic stuff." While he has great affection for his mother, a schoolteacher, "She was not allowed in the kitchen!" he jokes.

"My aunt was the Martha Stewart of our town," he continues. "Whenever there were town fiestas or weddings, she would decorate the church and the places where they held the celebrations." In his small town, there was no hospitality or party planning industry, so his aunt’s creative eye was a valuable resource.

Ryan earned a bachelor’s degree in hotel and restaurant management from the University of the Philippines. He immigrated to the U.S. in 1991. Just out of college and looking for work, Ryan landed a part-time job in a hospital, in food and nutrition services.

From this humble beginning, his career took off. "There was a Filipino chef, Alex Jose, who had the ability to inspire his staff and lead people," Ryan observed. His then-boss encouraged him to pursue a career in nutrition and culinary arts so he began to build his credentials in this newly chosen career path. He went on to earn associate degrees in nutrition and culinary arts from Westlake Culinary Institute, and certifications in catering management and event planning from California Polytechnic University in Pomona.

Ryan then went on to manage events, plan parties and create menus for Wolfgang Puck Catering. Some of his more posh parties included the 2000 Academy Awards and the 2001 Grammy Awards. He also used his culinary expertise at Disney’s food services division, creating menus for Disney theme parks.

Lufthansa Airlines was the next employer of Ryan’s talents, when he became a "sky chef," managing food services and feeding airline passengers.

In 2003, he joined Aramark, and continues to hone his experience in hospitality and the food industry. Prior to his assignment at UCI, Ryan managed food services for Aramark’s Angel Stadium of Anaheim baseball park and the Staples Center, a 20,000-seat sports arena and concert hall located in downtown Los Angeles.

Throughout his career, Chef Ryan has participated in select culinary competitions. Most recently, he was a finalist in the Aramark Regional Higher Education Culinary Competition, held at the University of Southern California. He impressed the judges with his Asian-inspired glass noodle salad and barbecue pork stick, followed by an Asian-inspired sesame-ginger salmon served on top of paella. He finished off his entry with a coconut crème brulee served in coconut shells. He competed against 50 other Aramark chefs.

Another competition of note in-cluded the making of one of his personal favorite Filipino desserts—turon, or what we fondly call in English, "banana egg roll." At the time, he was a student in culinary school, trying to come up with a dish that would impress his instructor. "I didn’t know what to make, and my final exam was coming up fast," he said. So, he pulled together some ingredients he had on hand in his own kitchen, brought them to school and put his own personal twist on this classic Filipino treat.

He piled together a banana slice, a slather of peanut butter, a slice of jackfruit and a sprinkle of brown sugar, rolled them into an egg roll wrapper, deep fried them, and sliced it on a bias cut. He then drizzled caramel sauce over it, sprinkled it with candied walnuts and served it with homemade ube ice cream.

Being the only Filipino in his class at the time, "My instructor said, ‘Oh this is so exotic! This is good enough to serve in the best restaurants.’ Then he encouraged me to enter a cooking competition with his recipe." He became a finalist.

Chef Ryan finds inspiration in the traditional Filipino dishes, and he thinks, with just an improved presentation, Filipino food could appeal to a larger mass audience. "Sometimes that’s a problem with Filipino food," he remarked. "All you have to do is take the ingredients, do something just a little different and make it look more appetizing."

In the meantime, he’ll do his part by introducing the athletes to mango crème brulee served in a Beijing tea house in the Olympic Village.


By: SUSAN MADDELA, Filipinas Magazine
source: abs-cbnnews.com

Person Ryan Jaranilla
Right click for SmartMenu shortcuts





World Champion Stacker Steven Purugganan



   


An 11-year old Filipino-American speed stacking Steven Purugganan of Team USA is the world champion stacker. US-based Filipino child has won this year's WSSA World Sport Stacking Championships held earlier this month in Denver, Colorado. Steven Purugganan earned the title of 2008 WSSA World Sport Stacking Champion during the championships held from April 5-6.

 Stacker Steven Purugganan World Champion
According to the World Sport Stacking Association, sport stacking is an international, individual and team sport where participants stack up and stack down 12 specially designed cups in pre-determined sequences in tremendous speed.

Sport stacking, originally called “Cup Stacking,” began in the early 1980s, but it wasn’t until 1995 the sport caught the attention of Colorado PE Teacher Bob Fox, who held the state’s first Sport Stacking Tournament at his elementary school.

source: abs-cbnglobal.com






Physician Board Exam August 2008 Results



   


Total of 1,513 out of 2,506 passed the Physician Licensure Examination given by the Board of Medicine this month, the Professional Regulation Commission announced Thursday evening.

Marlon Diaz Garcia, a graduate of the Far Eastern University-Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation, topped the test with a rating of 88.75 percent.

The University of the Philippines-Manila has the highest passing rate among schools with 100 or more examinees at 98 percent. Only three test-takers failed to pass the exam.

It was followed by the University of Santo Tomas at 95 percent, or only 14 flunkers. The Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila came next at 89 percent or 11 unsuccessful examinees.

The successful examinees will take their oath before the Board of Medicine on September 14, 1:30 p.m. at the Plenary Hall of the Philippine International Convention Center in Manila.


Click here for complete results.

source:INQUIRER.net





Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Filipina Teen Runs as 99th Torchbearer of 2008 Beijing Olympic



   

The 99th torchbearer attracted more attention than the 207 other torch-bearers who lined up the streets of Tangshan City to pass the Olympic torch in the morning of July 31. The young 17-year old Filipino won everyone on site by her sunny smile. Michelle FlorCruz told the reporter that she is very proud to be a torchbearer at her second home, China.

Michelle FlorCruz 99th Torchbearer of 2008 Beijing Olympic Michelle FlorCruz (right)

A self-described “Made-in-China” girl, Michelle said she is a sort of a “zhongguo tong”—Chinese for “old China hand”. She was barely a month old when she moved to Beijing with her parents, who live and work in the Chinese capital. She has grown to like Chinese culture.

Michelle said: “I’ve spent just about every day of my life in Beijing. I grew up here and all my childhood memories are related to China. I studied at the International School of Beijing and my classmates come from all around the world. I like this kind of international atmosphere just like the Olympics, where many people who come from different countries gather for common goals.”

Last September 2007, Lenovo and China Daily launched a search for Olympic Torchbearers among foreigners living in China. Michelle and her father decided to join the search. Luckily for Michelle, she was one of several expatriate residents in China nominated. “It’s a great idea to pass the torch around 5 continents,” Michelle opines. “It shows the unity among different countries. I like the Torch design. It has many elements of ancient China, and yet it also has a futuristic look and feel.”

Michelle, who just graduated from the International School of Beijing last June, is as much a sports fan as an athlete in school. She is a big fan of Chinese basketball player Yao Ming. “I think Yao is the best athlete in China. I met him at my father’s office when I was very young. He was almost twice my height! I play rugby and softball, and enjoy watching baseball, swimming and basketball.”

Read more...

source: goodnewspilipinas.com






Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Bangsamoro or Moroland



   


Bangsamoro
or Moroland is the name for the "homeland" of the Moro.

The term comes from the Malay word bangsa, meaning nation or people, and the Spanish word moro, from the older Spanish word Moor, the Reconquista-period term for Arabs or Muslims.

It may also refer to the Moro people, in general. These include the Tausug, the Maranao, Maguindanaoan, and the Banguingui.

Bangsamoro or Moroland Bangsamoro territory under Moro control
Historical extent

Bangsamoro covers the provinces of Basilan, Cotabato, Davao del Sur, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Palawan, Sarangani, Shariff Kabunsuan, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte, and Zamboanga Sibugay; and the cities of Cotabato, General Santos, Iligan, Marawi, Pagadian, Puerto Princesa, Zamboangaand the City of Isabela in Basilan.

Other interpretations may include territories that used to form North Borneo including Sabah, Labuan and the islands of Sipadan and Ligitan. This area is currently under the Sabah dispute.

Early History

Bangsamoro was originally home to the Muslim sultanates of Mindanao (such as Maguindanao and Sulu). These sultanates resisted Spanish colonial rule, and were therefore not fully integrated with the rest of the islands.

source: en.wikipedia.org





Bangsamoro GRP-MILF draft pact



   


The Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) herein referred to as the “Parties” to this Agreement.

Terms of Reference

The context of referents follows:

The Agreement for General Cessation of Hostilities dated July 18, 1997 Between the GRP and the MILF, and its Implementing Administrative and Operational Guidelines;

The General Framework of Agreement of Intent Between the GRP and the MILF dated August 27, 1998;

The Agreement on the General Framework for the Resumption of Peace Talks Between the GRP and the MILF dated March 24, 2001;

The Tripoli Agreement on Peace Between the GRP and the MILF dated June 22, 2001;

The Tripoli Agreement Between the GRP and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) dated December 23, 1976 and the Final Agreement on the Implementation of the 1976 Tripoli Agreement Between the GRP and the MNLF dated September 2, 1996;

Republic Act No. 6734, as amended by R.A. 9054, otherwise known as “An Act to Strengthen and Expand the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)”;

ILO Convention No. 169, in correlation to the UN Declaration on the Rights of the Indigenous Peoples, and Republic Act No. 8371 otherwise known as the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997, the UN Charter; the UN Universal Declaration on Human Rights, International Humanitarian Law (IHL), and internationally recognized human rights instruments; and

Compact rights entrenchment emanating from the regime of dar-ul-mua’hada (or territory under compact) and dar-ul-sulh (or territory under peace agreement) that partakes the nature of a treaty device. For the purpose of this Agreement, a “treaty” is defined as any solemn agreement in writing that sets out understanding, obligations, and benefits for both parties which provides for a framework that elaborates the principles declared in the Agreement.

Have agreed and acknowledged as follows:

CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES

1. It is the birthright of all Moros and all Indigenous peoples of Mindanao to identify themselves and be accepted as “Bangsamoros”. The Bangsamoro people refers to those who are natives or original inhabitants of Mindanao and its adjacent islands including Palawan and the Sulu archipelago at the time of conquest or colonization of its descendants whether mixed or of full blood. Spouses and their descendants are classified as Bangsamoro. The freedom of choice of the Indigenous people shall be respected.

2. It is essential to lay the foundation of the Bangsamoro homeland in order to address the Bangsamoro people’s humanitarian and economic needs as well as their political aspirations. Such territorial jurisdictions and geographic areas being the natural wealth and patrimony represent the social, cultural and political identity and pride of all the Bangsamoro people. Ownership of the homeland is vested exclusively in them by virtue of their prior rights of occupation that had inhered in them as sizeable bodies of people, delimited by their ancestors since time immemorial, and being the first politically organized dominant occupants.

3. Both Parties acknowledge that ancestral domain does not form part of the public domain but encompasses ancestral, communal, and customary lands, maritime, fluvial and alluvial domains as well all natural resources therein that have inured or vested ancestral rights on the basis of native title. Ancestral domain and ancestral land refer to those held under claim of ownership, occupied or possessed, by themselves or through the ancestors of the Bangsamoro people, communally or individually since time immemorial continuously to the present, except when prevented by war, civil disturbance, force majeure, or other forms of possible usurpation or displacement by force, deceit, stealth, or as a consequence of government project or any other voluntary dealings entered into by the government and private individuals, corporate entities or institutions.

4. Both Parties acknowledge that the right to self-governance of the Bangsamoro people is rooted on ancestral territoriality exercised originally under the suzerain authority of their sultanates and the Pat a Pangampong ku Ranaw. The Moro sultanates were states or karajaan/kadatuan resembling a body politic endowed with all the elements of nation-state in the modern sense. As a domestic community distinct from the rest of the national communities, they have a definite historic homeland. They are the “First Nation” with defined territory and with a system of government having entered into treaties of amity and commerce with foreign nations.

The Parties concede that the ultimate objective of entrenching the Bangsamoro homeland as a territorial space is to secure their identity and posterity, to protect their property rights and resources as well as to establish a system of governance suitable and acceptable to them as distinct dominant people.

5. Both Parties affirm their commitment to mutually respect the right to one’s identity and the parity of esteem of everyone in the political community. The protection of civil rights and religious liberties of individuals underlie the basis of peace and justice of their totality of relationships.

6. Both Parties agree that the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) shall have the authority and jurisdiction over the Ancestral Domain and Ancestral lands, including both alienable and non-alienable lands encompassed within their homeland and ancestral history, as well as the delineation of ancestral domain/lands of the Bangsamoro people located therein.

7. Vested property rights upon the entrenchment of the BJE shall be recognized and respected subject to paragraph 9 of the strand on Resources.

TERRITORY

1. The Bangsamoro homeland and historic territory refer to the land mass as well as the maritime, terrestrial, fluvial and alluvial domains, and the aerial domain, the atmospheric space above it, embracing the Mindanao-Sulu-Palawan geographic region. However, delimitations are contained in the agreed Schedules (Categories).

2. Toward this end, the Parties entered into the following stipulations:

a. The Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) as the Parties to this Agreement commit themselves to the full and mutual implementation of this framework agreement on territory with the aim of resolving outstanding issues that emanate from the consensus points on Ancestral Domain.

b. The Parties confirm their understanding that the mutual goal of reaching an agreement on Bangsamoro territory specific to mapping the outlying borders and the boundaries affecting local government units will lead to consolidation of the agreed texts on the Ancestral Domain Strands.

c. The Parties affirm that the core of the BJE shall constitute the present geographic area of the ARMM, including the municipalities of Baloi, Munai, Nunungan, Pantar, Tagoloan and Tangkal in the province of Lanao del Norte that voted for inclusion in the ARMM during the 2001 plebiscite;

d. Without derogating from the requirements of prior agreements, the government stipulates to conduct and deliver, within six (6) months following the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain, a plebiscite covering the areas as enumerated in the list and depicted in the map as Category A attached herein (the “Annex”). The Annex constitutes an integral part of this framework agreement.

e. The areas covered by Category B has already been reflected on a map and officially agreed by both Parties.

f. Internal Waters:
The Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) shall have jurisdiction over the management, conservation, development, protection, utilization and disposition of all natural resources, living and non-living, within its internal waters extending fifteen (15) kilometers from the coastline of the BJE area.

g. Territorial Waters:
(1) The territorial waters of the BJE shall stretch beyond the BJE internal waters up to the Republic of the Philippines (RP) baselines south east and south west of mainland Mindanao. Beyond the fifteen (15) kilometers internal waters, the Central Government and the BJE shall exercise joint jurisdiction, authority and management over areas and [of] all natural resources, living and non-living contained therein. The details of such management of the Territorial Waters shall be provided in an agreement to be entered into by the Parties.

(2) The boundaries of the territorial waters shall stretch beyond the 15-km BJE internal waters up to the Central government’s baselines under existing laws. In the southern and eastern part of the BJE, it shall be demarcated by a line drawn from the Maguling Point, Palimbang, Province of Sultan Kudarat up to the straight baselines of the Philippines. On the northwestern part, it shall be demarcated by a line drawn from Little Sta. Cruz Island, Zamboanga City, up to Naris Point, Bataraza, Palawan. On the western part of Palawan, it shall be demarcated by a line drawn from the boundary of Bataraza and Rizal up to the straight baselines of the Philippines.

The final demarcation shall be determined by a joint technical body composed of duly-designated representatives of both Parties, in coordination with the appropriate Central Government agency in accordance with the above guidelines.

h. Sharing of Minerals on Territorial Waters:
Consistent with paragraphs 5 and 6 of the provisions on Resources, all potential sources of energy, petroleum in situ, hydrocarbon, natural gas and other minerals, including deposits or fields found within the territorial waters, shall be shared between the Central Government and the BJE in favor of the latter through production sharing agreement or economic cooperative agreement.

i. Activities Allowed on Territorial Waters:

(1) The Parties shall have authority to carry out the following activities within the territorial waters:

(a) Exploration and utilization of the natural resources, whether living or non-living within the territorial waters;

(b) Establishments and use of artificial islands, installations and structures;

(c) Marine scientific research;

(d) Protection and the preservation of the marine environment;

(e) Conservation of living resources;

(f) Regulation of shipping and fishing activities;

(g) Enforcement of police and safety measures, including interdiction of the entry and use of the waters by criminal elements and hot pursuit of suspected criminal elements;

(h) Regulation and control of contraband and illegal entry of prohibited materials and substances, including smuggling; and

(i) Such other measures as the Parties may otherwise mutually agree.

(2) Activities relating to exploration and utilization of non-living resources, as well as paragraphs (c) and (d) of the Authorized Activities will be carried out on a joint basis agreed by the Parties which may be in the form of production sharing agreements or joint development pacts.

j. Establishment of a Joint Commission:

(1) The Parties shall establish a Joint Commission, which shall elaborate the modalities for the implementation and the carrying out of the Authorized Activities and the measures adopted in cases of allegation of breach, and carry out any other functions which may be assigned to it by the Parties for the purpose of implementing the joint management of resources.

(2) The Joint Commission shall consist of one representative from each Party, who are assisted by advisers as may be needed. The conclusions of the Joint Commission shall be adopted by consensus and shall only be recommendatory in nature. Only when the conclusions of the Joint Commission are adopted by the Parties do they become binding on the Parties.

k. Demarcation and Status of Territorial Waters:

The demarcation and status of the BJE territorial waters shall be finally determined together with the demarcation and final status of Category B of the BJE.

3. From and after entrenchment of compact rights over the Bangsamoro homeland and the territorial jurisdictions for associative governance shall likewise embrace those under proclamation for agricultural and human settlements intended for the Bangsamoro people, all alienable and disposable land, pasture lands, timberlands together with all existing civil and military reservations, parks, old growth or natural forests declared as forest reserves, watersheds, mangroves, fishponds, wetlands, marshes, inland bodies of water and all bays, straits and channels found within the BJE.

4. All territorial and geographic areas in Mindanao and its adjacent islands including Palawan, and the Sulu archipelago that have been recognized, and/or delineated as ancestral domain and ancestral land of the Bangsamoro people as their geographic areas, inclusive of settlements and reservations, may be formed or constituted into political subdivisions of the Bangsamoro territorial jurisdictions subject to the principles of equality of peoples and mutual respect and to the protection of civil, political, economic, and cultural rights in their respective jurisdictions.

5. For purposes of territorial delimitation, the Parties have agreed to the joint determination of geographic areas encompassed within the territorial borders of the Bangsamoro homeland and territory based on the technical maps and data submitted by both sides as provided above.

RESOURCES

1. The Bangsamoro juridical entity is empowered with authority and responsibility for the land use, development, conservation and disposition of the natural resources within the homeland. Upon entrenchment of the Bangsamoro juridical entity, the land tenure and use of such resources and wealth must reinforce their economic self-sufficiency. Among the purposes or measures to make progress more rapid are:

a. Entry into joint development, utilization, and exploitation of natural resources designed as commons or shared resources, which is tied up to the full setting of appropriate institution, particularly affecting strategic minerals.

b. Stimulation of local economy by a range of mechanism, in particular the need to address unemployment and improvement of living conditions for the population in the Bangsamoro juridical entity;

c. Intensification of measures needed to uproot the cause of poverty in the Bangsamoro juridical entity through responsible harnessing and development of its natural resources; and

d. Undertaking program review of public services, industrial or trade-related and agrarian-related issues in situations of different sectors of the society in the Bangsamoro juridical entity, which acquire communal character deriving from the special nature of their industry.

2. The Bangsamoro People through their appropriate juridical entity shall, among others, exercise power or authority over the natural resources within its territorial jurisdiction:

a. To explore, exploit, use or utilize and develop their ancestral domain and ancestral lands within their territorial jurisdiction, inclusive of their right of occupation, possession, conservation, and exploitation of all natural resources found therein;
b. To conserve and protect the human and natural environment for their sustainable and beneficial enjoyment and their posterity;

c. To utilize, develop, and exploit its natural resources found in their ancestral domain or may enter into a joint development, utilization, and exploitation of natural resources, specifically on strategic minerals, designed as commons or shared resources, which is tied up to the final setting of appropriate institution.

d. To revoke or grant forest concessions, timber license, contracts or agreements in the utilization and exploitation of natural resources designated as commons or shared resources, mechanisms for economic cooperation with respect to strategic minerals, falling within the territorial jurisdiction of the Bangsamoro juridical entity;

e. To enact agrarian laws and programs suitable to the special circumstances of the Bangsamoro people prevailing in their ancestral lands within the established territorial boundaries of the Bangsamoro homeland and ancestral territory is within the competence of the Bangsamoro juridical entity; and

f. To use such natural resources and wealth to reinforce their economic self-sufficiency.

3. The Bangsamoro Juridical Entity, and the Central Government agree on wealth-sharing based on a mutually agreed percentage ratio in favor of the Bangsamoro juridical entity through an economic cooperation agreement or arrangement over the income and revenues that are derived from the exploration, exploitation, use and development of any resources for the benefit of the Bangsamoro people.

4. The Bangsamoro juridical entity is free to enter into any economic cooperation and trade relations with foreign countries: provided, however, that such relationships and understandings do not include aggression against the Government of the Republic of the Philippines; provided, further that it shall remain the duty and obligation of the Central Government to take charge of external defense. Without prejudice to the right of the Bangsamoro juridical entity to enter into agreement and environmental cooperation with any friendly country affecting its jurisdiction, it shall include:

a. the option to establish and open Bangsamoro trade missions in foreign countries with which it has economic cooperation agreements; and

b. the elements bearing in mind the mutual benefits derived from Philippine archipelagic status and security.

And, in furtherance thereto, the Central Government shall take necessary steps to ensure the Bangsamoro juridical entity’s participation in international meetings and events, e.g. ASEAN meetings and other specialized agencies of the United Nations. This shall entitle the said juridical entity participation in Philippine official missions and delegations that are engaged in the negotiation of border agreements or protocols for environmental protection, equitable sharing of incomes and revenues, in the areas of sea, seabed and inland seas or bodies of water adjacent to or between islands forming part of the ancestral domain, in addition to those of fishing rights.

5. Jurisdiction and control over, and the right of exploring for, exploiting, producing and obtaining all potential sources of energy, petroleum, in situ, fossil fuel, mineral oil and natural gas, whether onshore or offshore, is vested in the Bangsamoro juridical entity as the party having control within its territorial jurisdiction, provided that in times of national emergency, when public interest so requires, the Central Government may, during the emergency, for a fixed period and under reasonable terms as may be agreed by both Parties, temporarily assume or direct the operations of such strategic resources.

6. The Bangsamoro government-take or profit split from total production shall be shared with the Central Government on a percentage ratio of 75%/25% in favor of the Bangsamoro juridical entity. All royalties, bonuses, taxes, charges, custom duties or imposts on natural resources and mineral resources shall be shared by the Parties on a percentage ratio of 75%/25% in favor of the Bangsamoro juridical entity.

7. The legitimate grievances of the Bangsamoro people arising from any unjust dispossession of their territorial and propriety rights, customary land tenures, or their marginalization shall be acknowledged. Whenever restoration is no longer possible, the GRP shall take effective measures of adequate reparation collectively beneficial to the Bangsamoro people, in such quality, quantity and status to be determined mutually by both Parties.

8. All proclamations, issuances, policies, rules and guidelines declaring old growth or natural forests and all watersheds within the BJE as forest reserves shall continue to remain in force until otherwise modified, revised or superseded by subsequent policies, rules and regulations issued by the competent Bangsamoro authority or juridical entity.

9. Forest concessions, timber licenses, contracts or agreements, mining concessions, Mineral Production and Sharing Agreements (MPSA), Industrial Forest Management Agreements (IFMA), and other land tenure instruments of any kind or nature whatsoever granted by the Philippine Government including those issued by the present Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) shall continue to operate from the date of formal entrenchment of the Bangsamoro juridical entity unless otherwise expired, reviewed, modified and/or cancelled by the latter.

10. The Parties recognized an immediate need to establish a five-member Bangsamoro economic-expert mission (the “Mission”) bearing in mind that the functioning of the economy and the operation of institutions involve financial and other resource management as well as parallel or complementary means, by which the Bangsamoro Development Agency will manage and administer resources acquired for the above purposes, especially in coordinating strategies and programs for cooperation in all fields.

11. The said Mission acts as a link in the conduct of Bangsamoro juridical entity’s associative parallel relationships and shall cooperate fully with all organizations involved in implementation of the peace settlement. It shall launch a plan and joint international appeal for the repatriation and development of the conflict affected areas in Mindanao. Persons appointed thereto must be familiar with the specific economic, political and legal characteristics in the Mindanao-Sulu-Palawan region and must possess recognized competence, integrity, and high moral standing.

12. Cognizant that the Bangsamoro economic-expert Mission will benefit from international expertise, both the Central Government and the BJE hereby join the Third Party facilitator in inviting international funding institutions or equivalent entities for reconstruction and development to appoint two members and to designate one as the Chairman. The BJE shall designate one member as Co-Chairman. The remaining two members shall each be designated by the Central Government and the BJE.

GOVERNANCE

1. The recognition and peaceful resolution of the conflict must involve consultations with the Bangsamoro people free of any imposition in order to provide chances of success and open new formulas that permanently respond to the aspirations of the Bangsamoro people.

1. The ultimate objective of entrenching the Bangsamoro homeland as a territorial space is to secure their identity and posterity, to protect their property rights and resources as well as to establish a system of governance suitable and acceptable to them as a distinct dominant people. The parties respect the freedom of choice of the indigenous peoples.

3. The Parties agree to invite a multinational third-party to observe and monitor the actual implementation of the comprehensive compact which will embody the details for the effective enforcement of this Agreement. The participation of the third-party shall not in any way affect the status of the relationship between the Central Government and the BJE.

4. The relationship between the Central Government and the Bangsamoro juridical entity shall be associative characterized by shared authority and responsibility with a structure of governance based on executive, legislative, judicial and administrative institutions with defined powers and functions in the comprehensive compact. A period of transition shall be established in a comprehensive peace compact specifying the relationship between the Central Government and the BJE.

5. The modalities for the governance intended to settle the outstanding negotiated political issues are deferred after the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain.

The establishment of institutions for governance in a comprehensive peace compact, together with its modalities during the transition period, shall be fully entrenched and established in the basic law of the Bangsamoro juridical entity. The Parties shall faithfully comply with their commitment to the associative arrangements upon entry into force of a comprehensive compact between the MILF and GRP.

7. The Parties agree that the mechanisms and modalities for the actual implementation of this MOA AD shall be spelt out in the comprehensive compact to mutually take such steps to enable it to occur effectively.

Any provisions of the MOA on Ancestral Domain requiring amendments to the existing legal framework shall come into force upon signing of a comprehensive compact and upon effecting the necessary changes to the legal framework with due regard to non derogation of prior agreements and within the stipulated timeframe to be contained in the comprehensive compact.

8. The parties agree that the BJE shall be empowered to build, develop and maintain its own institutions, inclusive of, civil service, electoral, financial and banking, education, legislation, legal, economic, and police and internal security force, judicial system and correctional institutions, necessary for developing a progressive Bangsamoro society the details of which shall be discussed in the negotiation of the comprehensive compact.

9. The Parties further agree to undertake activities which will enhance the capacity of the government institutions during the transition through technical assistance, information-sharing and human resource development.

10. Matters concerning the details of the agreed consensus points on Governance not covered under this Agreement shall be deferred to, and discussed during, the negotiations of the comprehensive compact.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net





Wednesday, August 06, 2008

ARMM Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE)



   


Subject for Peace Talks


Map of Mindanao and the province of Palawan (inset) showing the present composition of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and the areas that may be affected once the Philippine government and the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front officially sign a memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain creating the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE).

Composition of the ARMM
The position of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front a day after the Supreme Court stopped the MILF and the Philippine government from signing a memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain (MoA-AD) in a bid to end four decades of the separatist war in Mindanao.

Read More...

source: inquirer.net





Total Solar Eclipse August 2008 Photos



   


Total Solar Eclipse of August 01, 2008


On Friday, August 01, 2008, a total eclipse of the Sun is visible from within a narrow corridor that traverses half the Earth. The path of the Moon's umbral shadow begins in Canada and extends across northern Greenland, the Arctic, central Russia, Mongolia, and China. A partial eclipse is seen within the much broader path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes northeastern North America, most of Europe and Asia.

Total Solar Eclipse August 2008

Other photos and images during the Total Solar Eclipse.

Path Total Solar Eclipse August 2008Graphic showing the path of the solar eclipse. Thousands of people gathered across Arctic regions, Siberia and China to see a total eclipse of the sun, despite Chinese warnings that it could augur bad luck.


Total Solar Eclipse August 2008In this photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, the total solar eclipse is observed at 7:21 pm (1121 GMT) on Friday, Aug. 1, 2008 in north of Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province. The total solar eclipse, the first that can be viewed in China in the new century, occured on Friday.


Total Solar Eclipse August 2008A solar eclipse, which the Chinese word for is 'Rishi' meaning 'eaten sun', can be seen above the Jiayuguan Fort on the Great Wall of China in the town of Jiayuguan, Gansu Province August 1, 2008.


Total Solar Eclipse August 2008A partial solar eclipse is seen in Riga, August 1, 2008. Picture taken with special filter.


Total Solar Eclipse August 2008The total solar eclipse is observed above the Siberian city of Novosibirsk on Friday, Aug. 1, 2008. An enormous swathe of western Siberian was submerged in darkness Friday afternoon as the moon completely blocked out the sun, enrapturing huge crowds of Russians and foreign tourists.

Total Solar Eclipse August 2008A photographer using a special filter takes photographs of a partial solar eclipse in Riga, August 1, 2008

Total Solar Eclipse August 2008People watch a full solar eclipse in a yacht-club on the bank of River Ob in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, August 1, 2008. For the thousands who flocked from around the world to Novosibirsk, awe mixed with excitement as day turned into night. They gazed in wonder as an eerie silence descended on the Siberian city and gusts of unusually strong wind tore through the crowd. Birds stopped chirping and the temperature suddenly dropped.

Total Solar Eclipse August 2008A solar eclipse, which the Chinese word for is 'Rishi', meaning 'eaten sun', can be seen above Jiayuguan Fort on the Great Wall of China in the town of Jiayuguan, Gansu Province August 1, 2008.

images source: eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov & news.yahoo.com





Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Cebu Seo Contest



   


For the first time I joined the Pinoy blogger: Cebu Seo Contest of www.phblogger.net even its already started last week of July 2008 its not too late to join. Even I'm a newbie in the so called Search Engine Optimization or SEO this will be a great challenge to have more ideas and improve my skills as well.

The Cebu Seo Contest is open to all bloggers from Visayas bloggers, Mindanao bloggers and Luzon bloggers who currently living in the Philippines. This Cebu Seo Contest will end on 2nd of September 2008 until 6: p.m. (Philippine Time). The rules of this contest is to top the rank on google search with the key phrase "Cebu Seo Contest".

Cebu Seo Contest prizes are as follows:

Rank no. 1 :
- Php 700.00 cash
- Free 1 year hosting and a free domin of .com, .org, .net or .info
- 500 Entrecard points

Rank no. 2:
- Php 500.00 cash
- 1000 Entrecard points

Rank no. 3:
- Php 500.00 cash
- 500 Entrecard points

I'm inviting all Pinoy blogger, this is how to join. Just give a comment on the post at phblogger.net with your complete name and blog URL (not the post entry) stating that you have join the contest. Then make a post in your website or blog about the said contest.

Cebu Seo Contest for Pinoy blogger join now!

Have a nice SEO!!!





Monday, August 04, 2008

Pinoy World Champion for Performing Arts in Hollywood Olympics



   


The Philippines Makes It Again in Hollywood Olympics


Another Filipino has made it in the World Championships of Performing Arts held recently in Hollywood. Thirteen-year-old Filipino delegate Catherine Loria from Tiaong, Quezon, was proclaimed grand champion in the junior division, while a Jamaican, Andrew Clarke, won in the senior level.

Catherine Loria and Andrew Clarke grand champion performers WCOPA 2008Catherine Loria and Andrew Clarke were proclaimed grand champion performers at the WCOPA finals in Hollywood recently.

Loria sang Yolanda Adam’s version of “I Believe I Can Fly” at the finals, besting four other vocalists–two of them were Filipinos (Tippy dos Santos and Rachel Razon), while the two others were from New Zealand and Ukraine.

Loria performed five vocal entries in the preliminary rounds in the Broadway, country and Western, gospel, pop, and R&B/soul/jazz categories. For the semifinal round, she sang “When You Believe,” which was popularized by Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston.

Senior champion Clarke, an actor and classical singer, beat senior vocalists Marielle Corpuz from the Philippines and two other contestants from Malaysia and Moldova. He also received a $10,000 scholarship from the School for Film and Television in New York.

Also called the Hollywood Olympics, the WCOPA is a prestigious international event that gathers outstanding amateur and professional performing artists from the US and more than 40 other countries. The event is on its 12th year.

Team Philippines during the WCOPA 2008 in Hollywood.Team Philippines during the Opening of the international talent search WCOPA 2008 in Hollywood.

The best of the crop
In the Philippines, the selection process is carried out by national directors Carlo Orosa and Oliver Oliveros, who call out for contestants for categories in dance, vocal, modeling, acting, instrumental, and other acts in both junior and senior divisions.

This year’s delegation included vocalists Panky Trinidad, Dex De Rosa, Abegail Dorado, Glee Nette Gaddi, and the Sison brothers (Marek, Enzo, and Ruiz).

WCOPA judges included representatives from the National Association of Record Industry Professionals, J Records and RCA Music Group, LA Models, casting department of TNT’s The Closer and CBS’ The Class, the cast of hit film Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of Skull, Geffen Records, the creative team behind the People’s Choice Awards and the Golden Globe Awards, Disney Entertainment Productions, management group of Eva Longoria, Mario Lopez, and Lee Ann Rhimes, and casting agency for Broadway’s Jersey Boys, Wicked, Legally Blonde, Phantom of the Opera, and A Chorus Line.

Loria is the third Filipino Grand Champion Performer of the World after Jed Madela in 2005 and Aria Clemente in 2007.Madela and Aria performed in the opening and closing ceremonies of 2008 WCOPA.

source: pinoycentric.com





10,000 Filipino nurses took US licensure test



   


A total of 9,837 Filipinos took the United States licensure examination for nurses for the first time from January to June 2008, indicating they wanted to seek employment in America, former Senator Ernesto Herrera, general secretary of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, said in a press statement Saturday.

Herrera said the number of Filipino nurses who took the NCLEX and implicitly sought jobs in the US in the first semester was roughly steady -- just 107 shy of the year-ago takers. He said a total of 9,944 Filipino nurses took the examination in the first half of 2007.

The NCLEX refers to the National Council Licensure Examination administered by the US (National Council of) State Boards of Nursing Inc. (NCSBN).

In the whole of 2007, a record total of 21,499 Filipinos took the NCLEX for the first time (excluding repeaters). This was up 6,328 or 42 percent compared to the 15,171 Filipinos that took the NCLEX for the first time in 2006, according to Herrera.

The TUCP has been an aggressive backer of the country’s nurse practitioners. The labor group has been pushing the deployment of Filipino nurses to lucrative job markets overseas, saying professionals should enjoy the right to take their skills to where these would get the greatest reward.

For years, Herrera has been urging regulators to close down a growing number of substandard nursing schools.

"Regulators should now be extra vigilant, and see to it that nursing students are kept away from low-grade schools," said Herrera, former chairman of the Senate committee on labor, employment and human resources development.

He cited the need for the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) to shield parents and students from the proliferation of so-called "diploma mills."

"We must stress that regulators are duty-bound to safeguard the hopes and dreams of tens of thousands of Filipino families to produce a nurse practitioner who will eventually lead them to a better quality of life," Herrera said.

At present, almost 500,000 students are enrolled in nursing schools nationwide, according to the CHED.

Of the 132,187 graduates that took the last two Philippine nursing licensure tests in December 2007 and June this year, only 56,689 less than 43 percent passed, according to Herrera.

Last month, a Commission on Audit report revealed that of 263 nursing schools, only 111 had at least 50 percent of their graduates pass the Philippine licensure tests from 2001 to 2005.

Like the TUCP, the CoA blamed the CHEd for the problem, for failing to promptly close down deficient schools and raise the quality of nursing education.

source: INQUIRER.net





Batman: The Dark Knight



   


"Batman: The Dark Knight" grabs $43.8M more, nears $400M total


LOS ANGELES - Even an army of the undead could not dislodge Batman from his box-office perch.

The Batman blockbuster "The Dark Knight" hauled in $43.8 million to rank as Hollywood's top movie for the third-straight weekend, fending off "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor," which opened a close second with $42.5 million.

"The Dark Knight" has soared to a $394.9 million haul in just 17 days, according to studio estimates Sunday. The Warner Bros. release should sail past the $400 million mark by Monday or Tuesday, said Dan Fellman, head of distribution for Warner.

That would be on the film's 18th or 19th day of release, another record for "The Dark Knight," which had an all-time high opening weekend of $158.4 million. The previous $400 million record-holder was "Shrek 2," which hit that mark in 43 days.

"It's a film that is just rewriting the record books every day and redefining our notions of what a blockbuster can be," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers.

"The Dark Knight" will top $500 million, predicted Fellman, who would not speculate on whether it could approach the all-time domestic revenue record of "Titanic" at $600.8 million.

Even if it edged past that mark, "The Dark Knight" would lag behind "Titanic" in terms of actual tickets sold. Admission prices are up more than 50 percent since "Titanic" came out in 1997, according to Media By Numbers. "The Dark Knight" would have to take in about $900 million to match the number of tickets that "Titanic" sold.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "The Dark Knight," $43.8 million.

2. "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor," $42.5 million.

3. "Step Brothers," $16.3 million.

4. "Mamma Mia!", $13.1 million.

5. "Journey to the Center of the Earth," $6.9 million.

6. "Swing Vote," $6.3 million.

7. "Hancock," $5.2 million.

8. "WALL-E," $4.7 million.

9. "The X-Files: I Want to Believe," $3.4 million.

10. "Space Chimps," $2.8 million.

source: news.yahoo.com





Friday, August 01, 2008

Total Solar Eclipse August 2008



   


Total Solar Eclipse August 2008


A total solar eclipse — the first in nearly two and a half years — will be visible along a narrow track that will start over the Northwest Passage of Canada, gives a glancing blow to northern Greenland, then shifts southeast through Siberia and western Mongolia and before ending near the famed Silk Route of China.


Moon passes over the Sun during the solar eclipseThe sun appears as a diamond ring as the moon passes over during the solar eclipse.


Friday, August 1 is a red-letter day for eclipse enthusiasts. On that date, the sun will be partially eclipsed over an immense area that includes western and central Asia, parts of northern and central Europe, all of Greenland and even a small slice of northeastern North America.

The path of totality for this upcoming eclipse is never more than 157 miles (252 km) wide.

Read More...

source: news.yahoo.com