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Open source needs successful champions

2009-11-07T10:01:00.000-08:00

The open-source industry needs profitable champions to demonstrate success and attract funding and participation in open source, according to Red Hat's CEO. The open-source industry needs profitable champions to demonstrate success and attract funding and participation in open source, according to the chief executive of Red Hat. ...

http://news.zdnet.com/2424-9595_22-361321.html

Live just like you only have one last day to live"

Passports linked to 9/11 found along Afghan border

2009-11-04T13:48:00.000-08:00

A friend has sent you a Pocket Express® News Article

Passports linked to 9/11 found along Afghan border

SHERWANGAI, Pakistan - Pakistani soldiers battling their way into a
Taliban stronghold along the Afghan border have seized passports that
may be linked to 9/11 suspects, as they confront an enemy skilled in
operating in a mountainous terrain with endless ways to wage a
guerrilla war.

The military on Thursday took foreign and local journalists for a
first look inside the largely lawless territory since it launched a
ground offensive here in mid-October. The U.S.-backed operation is
focused on a section of the tribal region where the Pakistani Taliban
are based and are believed to shelter al-Qaida.

Soldiers displayed passports seized in the operation, among them a
German document belonging to a man named Said Bahaji. That matches the
name of a man thought to have been a member of the Hamburg cell that
conceived the 9/11 attacks. Bahaji is believed to have fled Germany
shortly before the attacks in New York and Washington.

The passport included a tourist visa for Pakistan and a stamp
indicating he'd arrived in the southern city of Karachi on Sept. 4,
2001.

Another passport, from Spain, bears the name of Raquel Burgos Garcia.
Spanish media have reported that a woman with the same name is married
to Amer Azizi, an alleged al-Qaida member from Morocco suspected in
both the 9/11 attacks and the Madrid train bombings in 2004.

Her family in Madrid has had no news of her since 2001, according to
Spanish media. Her passport included visas to India and Iran, and the
army displayed a Moroccan document with Burgos Garcia's photo and
other information.

It was impossible to determine whether the passports are genuine, and
German and Spanish officials did not immediately respond to requests
for comment.

Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas, the army's chief spokesman, said he had not
realized the passports matched any prominent names, and declined
further comment other than to say European militants were sprinkled
throughout the area.

The U.S. has maintained for years that South Waziristan and other
parts of the rugged frontier have sheltered Osama bin Laden and his
senior lieutenants.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, visiting this country
on Thursday, said Pakistan squandered opportunities over the years to
kill or capture al-Qaida leaders responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks.

"I find it hard to believe that nobody in your government knows where
they are and couldn't get them if they really wanted to," Clinton said
in an interview with Pakistani journalists in Lahore. "Maybe that's
the case. Maybe they're not gettable. I don't know."

Although the military spent months using airstrikes to soften up
targets in South Waziristan, nearly two weeks into the ground
offensive it has captured only a few areas, none with significant
strategic value. The army has seized weapons but is still trying to
secure the main roads and regularly comes under rocket fire.

"It's a long-drawn haul," Abbas said. "They are offering resistance,
and we are also striking them hard."

Pakistan's tribal belt, a semiautonomous stretch of land where the
government has long had little influence, is usually off-limits to
foreigners. In recent years, as the militants' influence has spread,
even many Pakistanis dare not venture here.

The tribal regions are some of the poorest, most underdeveloped areas
in the world and have long been guided by traditional codes and
councils. The Taliban have slaughtered hundreds of tribal elders in
their rise to power.

In Sherwangai, a sparsely populated district along one of the
offensive's three major fronts, army commanders said they had killed
82 insurgents and lost six soldiers in their attempt to secure the
area, where the hills are covered in brush, rocks and dust and strong
winds whip high ridges. Many battle-hardened Uzbek militants are
believed to have taken shelter here.

The military is slowly capturing isolated hamlets as it encircles the
small town of Kaniguram, its next target in the push forward. But even
where the army has taken control, much of the area remains dangerous,
filled with land mines and roadside bombs.

After an initial surge of resistance, many militants have been
fleeing. Because the army has sealed off the main passes, "they will
not be able to go out in a major way," said Maj. Gen. Khalid Rabbani,
a top battlefield commander.

Yet, he added, "If somebody chooses even to cross Mount Everest, he
will be able to do it. So there are going to be a few, changing their
disguise - taking care of their beards and long hair - they will be
able to get out."

In addition to the passports, the military displayed papers and dozens
of weapons and large amounts of ammunition it said it had recovered
from Sherwangai.

Civilians were nowhere to be seen during Thursday's trip - some
155,000 have left the region in the past few months. South Waziristan
normally has about 500,000 people.

At one military outpost, in a large mud compound in Sherwangai, smoke
could be seen rising in the distance from villages under army fire.
Officials assured reporters the civilians had left those areas.

The military previously estimated that the South Waziristan offensive
would take at least two to three months, and officials were hesitant
Thursday to give a deadline. They also declined to give a time frame
for how long troops would have to stay to prevent militants from
returning.

It also is unclear whether Islamabad has any plans for how to govern
the territory effectively and prevent the insurgency from again taking
root.

The army has deployed three divisions - about 30,000 troops - to take
on some 5,000 to 8,000 militants, Abbas said, lowering a previous
estimate of 10,000 militants. His estimate included up to 1,500
foreign fighters, most of them Uzbeks. Afghan fighters are also
reportedly filtering in from across the border.

This is the fourth major offensive the Pakistani army has launched in
South Waziristan since 2004, and this time the military has promised a
fight to the finish. The previous operations ended in setbacks or
peace deals that left the militant groups even stronger.

By NAHAL TOOSI Associated Press Writer

This information sent to you from Pocket Express®. Download FREE
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"
Live just like you only have one last day to live"

Abbas to Obama: I'll quit, there's no chance for peace with Netanyahu

2009-10-26T14:48:00.001-07:00

By Haaretz Service

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told U.S. President Barack Obama that he intends to resign his post, Channel 10 television reported on Monday.

According to the report, the Palestinian leader told Obama during a telephone conversation last week that he sees no chance of advancing the peace process with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in power.

Channel 10 also reported that Abbas communicated to the White House his disappointment in the administration's "capitulation" to Jerusalem on the issue of West Bank settlement construction.

The Palestinians are demanding a cessation of Israeli settlement activity as a precondition to the resumption of peace negotiations.

While the Netanyahu government has committed to not building any new settlements, it has balked at a total freeze which would stunt "natural growth" in existing settlements which Israel plans to annex in any final status accommodation with the Palestinians.

The U.S. and Israel are currently holding talks in hopes of reaching a compromise on the issue.

According to Channel 10, Abbas told the White House that the Palestinian Authority's initial decision to defer a vote on the Goldstone Report at the United Nations Human Rights Council was politically damaging.

The Palestinian Authority agreed to delay debating the report over concerns that going ahead could harm the fragile Middle East peace process. The decision led to street protests by Palestinians and condemnation around the Arab world.

To continue reading this news, click and paste this link: http://bit.ly/3wayUB

Iphone blogpress

What Good is The Grass if The Horse is Already Dead?

2009-10-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

I Re-posted this very interesting Article wrote by Ellaganda on her blog titled from famous Filipino proverb: "Aanhin pa ang damo kung patay na ang Kabayo?" (What good is the grass if the horse is already dead?). I find it very interesting and wanted to share to my fellow filipino especially those who are in overseas who also made a little or big contributions/donations.

Thus included some comments on her blog.

Dear friends,

I’m asking your help to spread the word. Tulungan po ninyo akong ikalat ito. Beyond this, we should also demand action. I disabled a plugin so you can copy the photos of relief goods rotting in DSWD warehouses. You can link this post to your blogs, facebook, websites etc. You can also email the photos.

Philippine News (US based Philippine newspaper) will use this as its front page story this week. Every Filipino has the right to know where the tons of donations from the UN and other counties go. Kahit po nakakahiya sa mga nag-donate. Kung sa ganitong paraan, matutulungan natin ang mga nasalanta, then by all means, let’s do it.

For those who have the time, please try to volunteer sa DSWD warehouses. Getting in was not easy. A friend had to put in a word for us. Let’s see kung madali nang makapasok sa DSWD warehouse ang mga volunteers.

Please read on and good luck to us.

Ella

(This post was last edited Oct 22, 12:30 pm)

Kahapon, tinanong ng Philippine News si DSWD Secretary Esperanza Cabral:

Editor of Philippine News: Why are the relief goods in DSWD warehouses not moving?

DSWD Secretary Esperanza Cabral: Wala kasing volunteers.

This short interview was done over the phone. Philippine News wanted to hear her side pero ayaw niyang makipag-usap sa press. After four tries, pinasabi na lang niya ang maikling sagot na ito sa secretary niya - “Walang volunteers”.

I don’t want to accuse her of corruption but at the very least she is showing signs of being totally incompetent. We are in a state of calamity where every second counts. May namamatay araw-araw dahil sa sakit.

In my opinion, these deaths could have been prevented if Secretary Cabral had tried a little harder to do her job.

Deaths from Philippine storms nears 1,000

“Tropical Storm Ketsana left 420 dead and 37 missing when it flooded 80 percent of Manila on September 26, a disaster the government said affected 4.35 million people.

Some areas are still flooded three weeks later and 189,000 people remain in evacuation centres,

Typhoon Parma hit the northern Philippines on October 3 and lingered as a tropical storm for a week, triggering landslides that killed 438 people and leaving 51 missing mostly in mountain communities.

The government agency said Parma affected 4.16 million people, including more than 32,000 who remain at evacuation centres.”

During the first week after the storm, lumabas ang “bayanihan spirit” ng mga Pinoy. “Makatulong lang kahi’t konti,” katwiran nila.

kung walang volunteers, ano ‘to, komiks?

From Stella Arnaldo’s blog:

At the Tulong Bayan center at the Expo Centro in Cubao, Most of the volunteers were adolescents as young as 10 years old, along with their kuya or ate in high school and college.

They came in huge numbers, many of them barkadas, classmates or siblings, dressed just in their tees and shorts, wearing their Havaianas. All were just enthusiastic to do their share!
Photos by Leah Navarro

Even grade school kids pitched in to help!

Youth volunteers repack detergents for distribution

Making beds from carton boxes

GMA asked world for donations

Our government begged the world for more donations. Sumagot ang buong mundo sa ating panawagan. In less than three weeks, dumaong ang mga barko, ibinaba mula sa mga cargo planes, i-diniliver ng mga trak at container vans ang sandamakmak na relief goods. Cash donations were in the millions of dollars.

But these donations must be coursed through DSWD

Nagpalabas ng directive ang pangulo. Individuals, private companies and other nations were ENCOURAGED to send their donations to DSWD. I blogged about it here and the video of her announcement here.

This PGMA directive sounded suspicious to me then. Now I know why. Here’s the story.

A group of eight people, your ate Ella included, went to one of DSWD warehouses to help in repacking relief goods. We know they need volunteers pero hindi namin akalaing WALANG TAO TALAGA SA LOOB NG WAREHOUSE!

As in sa isang humongous warehouse (1000++ sq.m) NA PUNONG-PUNO NG RELIEF GOODS HANGGANG BUBONG, ISANG DSWD employee lang at ISANG SECURITY GUARD ang tao!!

Kailangang magpa-register at i-schedule ang volunteering

The warehouse can only take as much as 50 volunteers at a time or per shift. Here you will find that there is a 4-hour shift, and an option for a 6-hour shift for the volunteers to indicate their availability.

What “volunteers”? Nasaan?

Aside from the 8 of us? Nope, there was nobody there. Bakit kailangan ang scheduling? Feeling hindi ba magkamayaw at nagu-unahan ang mga volunteers?

I know somebody who wanted to volunteer many times. She was always bumped off, laging nirere-schedule kasi “there were too many volunteers” daw. At tuwing Sunday lang daw puwede. What the hell is going on here?

Nakatambak ang donations ng UNICEF sa warehouse, local and international

Mga banig na dapat ay nahihigaan ng mga nasalanta. Mga imported camp beds na hindi na yata masisilayan ng mga biktima. Mga kumot na hindi naman nakabalot sa katawan nila. At mga pagkaing hindi sumasayad sa sikmura nila.

The relief goods are not going anywhere

We arrived at about 8 am and left by midafternoon and yes, you guessed it right. Kami pa rin ang tao bukod sa isang DSWD employee sa loob ng warehouse maghapon. Walang ibang dumating.

The relief goods are not moving. By the way things look, they are not going anywhere. Hindi maglalakad mag-isa ang mga donations na ito papunta sa mga evacuation centers.

LET THE PICTURES DO THE TALKING

Note: Pinagbawalan kaming kumuha ng pictures sa loob ng warehouse. I wonder why.

“Not a creature was moving, not even a mouse.”

Parang haunted warehouse ang dating. May multo na yata.

Kahit na daig pa ang tindahan sa Divisoria sa dami ng naka-stack na kaldero

At walang katapusang kaldero pa ulit

Kahit halos natakpan na ang mga bintana sa dami ng mga kahon

Kahit umabot na hanggang kisame ang stack ng mga kahon

(Close up ng Coleman camp beds sa previous photo) Hindi ito kasama sa ni-repack naming goods. Para sa mga “special victims” kaya ito? Ire-repack kaya ang mga “imported” camp pads na ito ever?

Sabagay, may BANIG naman para sa “ordinary victims”. Ito ang kasama sa inimpake namin. Sayang ‘yung imported.

Ano kaya ang laman nito? Hindi rin pinabuksan. Pang-special victim din kaya ito? (teka, dito nga pala galing ‘yung mga kumot)

Mahiwagang mga kahon from Japan Aid.

(close up ng mahiwagang kahon) Hindi rin ito kasali, of course. Hindi namin alam kung ano ang laman nito. “Imported” are not included, we have concluded.

Marami ito, mga laruang kasinlaki ng tao. Hindi nakunan ng pic kasi nasa tabi ng sikyo.

PORK AND BEANS? Yup, you’d think kasama ito sa relief bag. Pork and beans lang ‘to, puwede na sigurong ipamigay,

Naaah! “Imported” pork and beans from Spain po ito. Sorry, hindi pa rin included

Now let’s take a look at what a victim will get from DSWD

Look Ma, sampung lata ng sardinas! How generous! Kaldero ang unang ilalagay sa sako. Sabong panglaba (bar soap) at sampung sardinas sa ilalim. Siyam na sabon sa gilid ng kaldero. Local goods lahat syempre.

Tapos papatungan ng isang tuwalya at isang pack ng sanitary napkin.

Sisiksikan ng tatlong rolyo ng kumot(?) ang blue water jug tapos ipapatong sa kaldero sa loob ng sako.

Last but not the least, lalagyan ng dalawang banig.

Sabay tatahiin na ang sako. O di ba, parang asong tinapunan ng buto ang mga nasalanta? Eniwey, busog naman sila sa SAMPUNG lata ng Mega sardinas

Do not delay

YOU THINK?? WTF is the matter with these people? Mag-iisang buwan na mula nang masalanta ang mga kababayan natin. ISANG BUWAN!! Do you mean “do not delay ang dati nang delayed”?? Shet.

Anong ginagawa ng mga donations na ito sa warehouse?? APAT na warehouse ang nasa loob ng compound na ‘yon! APAT na warehouse na punong-puno ng inaalikabok na relief goods! Relief goods na ayaw yata ibigay sa mga nasalanta. Halatang-halata.

Marami pang pabubulukin

Wow! May bagong shipment na naman! At the rate DSWD is moving, next year na madi-discover kung ano ang laman ng mga kahong ito.

“The first of two of the largest high-energy food shipments from the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) arrived in the country two days ago for victims of storm “Ondoy” and typhoon “Pepeng.”

The biscuits were fortified with essential vitamins and minerals for supplementary feeding to children, pregnant women and the elderly in evacuation camps. Another 100 tons of biscuits will arrive on Oct. 24, in a continuing effort to provide food assistance to flood victims.

Sige, ideretso ‘nyo ulit ‘yan sa DSWD warehouse. Para AMAG naman ang abutin ng biskwit… at sapot ng gagamba.

Conclusion

Sa maghapon namin sa warehouse,nakagawa kami ng 150 sacks of relief goods. 150 bags of relief goods lang ang lumabas sa warehouse na ‘yon that day. At nandoon pa rin sa loob ang mga imported relief goods, safe, sound and packed as the day they arrived.

Nakisakay kami palabas sa isang DSWD delivery van. Gusto sana kaming ihatid ng driver hanggang Makati pero wala raw siyang sobrang gasolina. Ibinaba na lang niya kami sa gitna ng EDSA. Millions of dollars in donations, walang extrang pang-gasolina.

Susulpot din siguro ang laman ng mga mahiwagang kahon at mapapasakamay din ng mga tao…sa ARAW NG ELEKSYON. O mabibili na nila ang mga imported goods na ‘yon sa mga puwesto sa Quiapo at Divisoria.

Suggestions lang po sa DSWD:

Alam ‘nyo palang walang mag-volunteer sa inyo, bakit hindi kayo mag-hire ng mga tao? Bayaran ‘nyo ng arawan para mag-repack. Ang daming walang trabaho, makakatulong pa kayo. Hindi naman malaking kabawasan ‘yon sa bilyong pisong donasyon na natanggap ninyo.

Isa pa, gaano ba karami ang mga sundalo natin? Hindi ba puwedeng ipagawa sa kanila ‘yan? Baka isang araw lang, tapos na ang problema ‘nyo

Bakit hindi ‘nyo ibigay ang trabaho sa mga NGO, churches, private charities, TV stations? I’m sure they are more than willing to help. Time is of the essence. Huwag kayong suwapang. Obvious ba, hindi ‘nyo naman kaya.

Kung talagang gugustuhin ninyong makarating agad sa mga kawawang biktima ang mga donasyong ‘yon, nagawa ‘nyo na ‘yan. Maraming paraan…kung talagang gusto ‘nyo lang.

You are the government. You have the power, the resources and the money. You just have to really care.

Blogger Comments:

17ariel

Matagal na ang ganitong raket na ginagawa nila. Ang alam ko nga yung mga tinitinda sa ukay-ukay ay mga relief goods din na hindi rin pinarating sa mga mas nangangailangan bagkus ay ibinenta nila sa mga tindahan ng mga second hand na mga damit. Pinagkaperahan nila ang mga relief goods na para sa mga nasasalanta ng kalamidad. Di bale, ika nga mabilis ang karma, ewan lang kung may takot pa silang nararamdaman.
on 22 Oct 2009 at 9:19 pm18Lulu

I reposted your entry on my blog. Grabe na talaga ang mga pangyayari… nakakainis… Anyway, I am encouraging all my friends to repost this entry too…

Good job!
on 23 Oct 2009 at 12:21 am19reyna elena

ariel,

now ko lang na-getz yung joke sa ellen tordesillas na bantayan ang mga ukay ukay because that’s where i first read it and at that time, lito ako kung ano ang koneksyon.

grabe na talaga to!
on 23 Oct 2009 at 1:03 am20Jeff

finorward ko yung blog mo sa pinsan ko nagcampaign kay Obama sa Cali.. sana ma-iforward nya sa nararapat

dapat talaga dyan kay pandak mapatalsik! nang makasuhan na agad sa lahat ng pinaggagawa ng pamilya nya
on 23 Oct 2009 at 2:01 am21Solo

Goodness! What are they doing?! Ano balak nila? Hayaang makalimutan ng mga tao ang mga naibigay na perang dnasyon at mga goods. Para pag nakalimutan eh maiihahakot na nila sa kani-kanilang mga bahay?! Mahiya nmn sana sila! Ibinigay yan ng mga may kaya para maipamahagi sa mga nasalanta hndi sa mga taong nananamantala..Grabe nmn ang DSWD. Wala bang voluteers? How come na sa mga tv stations eh maraming nagvovolunteer. Then sa inyo wala?! Hndi kapani-paniwala!

Solo
on 23 Oct 2009 at 5:01 am22aya

hi.. pwede mo kaya i-report ang mga to sa media or something? i think effective syang pang-spread ng news as bad as this. and dahil nasa kalagitnaan tayo ng calamity, this will easily get the attention of the media..
on 23 Oct 2009 at 6:31 am23Tash

maybe you should change your sidebar blog to something that will highlight your main blog? i hope this really goes around.
on 23 Oct 2009 at 6:40 am24Intruder

This shouldn’t surprise me… pero sobra na talaga to!! Thanks Ms. Ella for doing this.. this should be known by many~
30Lei

Pati ba naman relief goods may RED TAPE pa?

Scheduling?? WTF!?

KELAN IPAPADALA ‘TO NG GOBYERNO????
on 23 Oct 2009 at 11:11 am31Wena

talamak na korupsyon! mas mabuti pa yung relief operation ng 2 TV networks natin , ang GMA at ABS-CBN, diretso tlga ang relief goods sa mga tao. siguro mas marami pang nagvolunteer dun. nkakalungkot at nakakainis ang ganitong mga pangyayari.

in fairness naman sa isang social welfare deptment ng isang city na alam ko, truck truck ng relief goods ang pumupunta sa mga affected areas. they utilized their own staff saka marami din ng-volunteer.
on 23 Oct 2009 at 11:13 am32Lei

Please report this to Imbestigador:
http://www.imbestigador.tv/
on 23 Oct 2009 at 11:16 am33Wena

hi ella,
got this link from a friend’s facebook page. instead of blogging about this, i’ll post this na lang sa facebook page ko…

this is a wake up call to DWSD. thanks for sharing this.
on 23 Oct 2009 at 11:28 am34rene borromeo

I was tempted to repost this in facebook dahil umitin din ang ulo ko, but realized I’d be spreading reports that could inflame hate from a source that is not really reputable (pardon, I am just being careful with this post-modern journalism). My suggestion is if we do have a case, we report this to UNICEF.
on 23 Oct 2009 at 11:33 am35cony

anong dapat gawin sa mga donors para sigurado pupunta sa mga biktima ang padala. sino ba ang pwedeng puntahan? may iba pa bang paraan makatulong mismo sa mga nandoon sa evacuation centers?
on 23 Oct 2009 at 12:11 pm36Bonel

Baka naghihintay ng panibagong bagyo (HUWAG NAMAN SANA) at doon ipamumodmod ang mga nabulok na relief goods dahil sa sobrang pag i stock…
mas maige pa nga yong mga private sectors mas mabilis ang action, mas maigi pa nga yong mga kaibigan ng mga nasalanta ng bagyo kahit papaano naghahanap ng paraan kung papaano makakarating ang tulong nila sa lalong madaling panahon…
sabagay tama nga naman ang dahilan…”WALANG VOLUNTEERS” at dahil din hindi kayang magpasweldo ng mga tao dahil “WALANG PERA”….walang donasyong pera….
MARAMING SALAMAT TALAGA SA BLOG NA TO….

Twitter Philippines raised DSWD Relief Goods Expose on Top of the Trend

2009-10-24T14:17:00.000-07:00

For just a short period of time twitters from the Philippines again made another controversial spotlight news that made "DSWD" (Department of Social Welfare and Development) on top of the Twitter trend list. As an active filipino twitter abroad, I can recall how anxious I was with my countless tweet that time when our very own pride famous boxer Manny Pacquiao fighting Oscar De la Hoya last December 6, 2008 in Las Vegas in which Manny knocked out Oscar. His name was on top of the trend before and after the fight for about a month and I'm one of those who contributed to that trend linking several video links news and blogs.

But then here we are again, another very interesting topic that is continuously on top of the trend in twitter's world. A young Filipina blogger, www.ellaganda.com from the Philippines without fear, exposed images of tons of relief goods worth millions of dollars donated by the UN-WFP and various international agencies in response to the typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana) and Parma that striked the whole northen part of the Philippines a month ago and left less a thousand dead and millions still presently underwater.

These relief goods including imported products were stored inside the DSWD Warehouse located in Metro Manila which she allegedly qouted "Rotten" and accused the DSWD cabinet secretary Cabral of incompetence to her job as Ella wrote in her blog:

"I don’t want to accuse her of corruption but at the very least she is showing signs of being totally incompetent. We are in a state of calamity where every second counts. May namamatay araw-araw dahil sa sakit. (Someone dies everyday due to sickness) In my opinion, these deaths could have been prevented if Secretary Cabral had tried a little harder to do her job."

Ella concluded in her article:

"To the DSWD officials and Ms. Cabral: The burden of proof is on you. The donors expect that everything they sent be distributed immediately to the intended recipients and not be stored in some warehouse. As government officials, it is your social responsibility to the people."

In response Secretary Cabral denied Ella’s allegation that she told a reporter from the Philippine News, a US-based Filipino community paper, that the reason why the relief goods were not moving was because they lacked volunteers. "I don’t even remember talking to a reporter from the Philippine News. At least, not personally.” and the rest of the stories are still in tweeting trend and several blogs, to include the infamous Facebook.

See the images and read the whole story of the expose HERE on Ella's blog.

TOP 10 OBAMA BACKLASH MOMENTS

2009-10-24T02:27:00.000-07:00

Jason Reed / Reuters

1. The Nobel Prize for Effort

The news blindsided even his biggest champions: Barack Obama had joined Nelson Mandela, Mikhail Gorbachev and the Dalai Lama as a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. Former Polish President Lech Walesa, himself a Noble laureate, echoed many when he responded, "So soon? Too early. He has no contribution so far." Even the Nobel Prize committee acknowledged the award honored Obama's "efforts" to advance global harmony rather than his concrete achievements to date. Many hoped the award would boost Obama's standing to address world conflicts, but his political opponents wasted no time calling foul, noting that three prominent Democrats have won the honor in the past seven years. Said Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele: "It is unfortunate that the President's star power has outshined tireless advocates who have made real achievements working towards peace and human rights...

Continue reading on this link: http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/0,28757,1929415,00.html

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Pacquiao jumped to no.4 in Twitters Search After He KO Ricky Hatton

2009-05-03T00:40:00.000-07:00

There's only ONE Manny Pacquiao!

Right after he stunned Ricky Hatton via KO in second round, Twitters are now highly following this fight to a higher level as Manny takes #4 place in twitter keyword search engine. Undoubtedly most of European twitters especially in UK are curious as to what happened to their own Mancunian Hero was later brought to hospital due to serious defeat as he fell to the canvass in 2 round.

I often read of sport media critics tweeted bout Manny as a second rated boxer who just got have too much luck for himself whenever he enters the ring. But not after he nailed down Hatton where most of them say as the worst knocked out punch to date.

Finally, twitter's sport enthusiastic brought this event as a blow to all of those who are in sport media, criticized Manny capabilities. For fellow Filipino twitter's, all of us follow's Manny path of dreams. Let other arrogant's follow their pride of defeat and do nothing with their nonsense worthless analysis.

Here i included some few fresh Quote's from famous online/paper sport analysts.

"Guess what? Tonight in Las Vegas, Nevada, before thousands of Ricky Hatton's fans and countrymen, he knocked out the Brit in two rounds." - Ricardo Lois (from There's only one Manny Pacquiao- LA Boxer Examiner)

"Hitman humbled by pound-for-pound supremo" - Tim Hobbs (Hatton's Dream Destroyed news- Skysport)

"It was a stunning ending to the fight and shocked the 20,000 or so Hatton fans who had ignored the economic hard times to travel to Las Vegas to see their hero." Chris Summer from Hitman's Fans Stunned by Knockout news - BBC NEWS)

"Pacquiao always believed he would prove to be the stronger man." - Reuter UK from Pacuiao's Hatton hammer blow leaves new champion sore news

"I am going to disagree with Freddie Roach on the three rounds, but as much as we would all love to see Ricky pull this off, I'm afraid I can see him losing this on points." Jim Watt - from Pointing to Pacman opinion on Skysport before the fight.

"Manny Pacquiao, often considered the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world, cemented his reputation Saturday night when he knocked out British boxer Ricky Hatton in the second round." Kiven Drew from Pacquiao knocks out Hatton news CNN NEWS Edition.

"Shocked! the speed was a lot fasrer than what i expected.. the knock out was not in such a way devastating passion" - Johnny Nelson - World Champion 1999 -2006 on Skysport news video

"I didn't expect the power of Pacquaio in this weight too powerfully" - Nicky Piper Commonwealth Champion 1995-97 on SkySport news video.

"His (Manny) speed is too much for Ricky... I was shocked that this would take in two round... as i thought at least of 7 to 8 rounds before he finished the job." - Colin Hart- the SUN - Skysport news video.

"BOXER Ricky Hatton's career looked to be over today after he was brutally knocked out in the second round by Filipino Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas" - Graham Walker - The STAR UK news bout the fight

"While the rest of the world was dealing with the dreaded swine flu, sports fans from Britain and the Philippines caught boxing fever and witnessed Manny Pacquiao beat Ricky Hatton in two short rounds for the IBO and Ring magazine junior welterweight titles." - Rene Bonsubre of PhilBoxing news

"Hatton knocked out by Pacquiao in stunning second round defeat in Las Vegas" - Londonpaper News. Click HERE to read the news

"Ricky Hatton's reign as light-welterweight world champion was brought to a brutal end" - London Metro news.

Twitter Celebrity Hugh Jackman To Donate $100,000 To Twitter's Charity

2009-04-16T02:02:00.000-07:00

Just a week after he made headlines news again after he bungled for calling Sydney Opera House the Opera Center, It became famous in the net media especially on twitters people that made him announced to pledge $100,000 to any charities through recommendation of twitters.

Wolverine Star who currently holds 51,000 twitter followers and continuesly growing as more twitters are getting aware of this news. His twitter account RealHughJackman just earlier yesterday updated with a tweet:

"I will donate 100K to one individual's favorite non profit organization.Of course,you must convince me why by using 140 characters or less."

As he wants to appease his twitter followers, and appears that his in Spain during that time he updated tweets promoting X-Men Origin: Wolverine, he later added on tweets "The more passion shown for your charity the better! Get the support of your friends and teach them the importance of giving."

I think this is pretty amazing challenge to all of us who are twitterholics and found this challenge to be exciting. Twitter may probably thinking of great ideas on this concept especially that their still currently in studies on how to generate revenue on twitters page account without causing negative impact to twitters.

Wolverine twitter account is now increasing its followers including Philanthropy Australia CEO Gina Anderson who became his avid follower. She said ""Quite possibly [it's a PR stunt] but at the end of the day a community organisation is going to get a significant amount of money that they wouldn't have otherwise got,"... $100,000 is a large amount of money, he doesn't have to give it ... it's fantastic."

Wolverine too admitted that his assistant updated his account.

"Never Judge The Book By Its Cover" Susan Boyle Shocked The World

2009-04-14T02:36:00.000-07:00

Just watch the video, read and line up your words of praises for this marvelous performance by an unknown 47 year old Susan Boyle.

UKfreelinks: "Shockingly Terrified by her Performance! 10 thumbs Up!"
Palinlfc: "Amazing ,had tears in my eyes, just goes to show you should never judge a book by its cover."
Tismesue: "What an amazingly beautifully incredible voice! I hate to admit I also didn't expect much from Susan, so glad I was wrong, and have learnt a BIG lesson from this!
MatildaJeevas: "WOW! I'm crying. This is stunning!
SarahCampbell: "I Still cant believe, I have to listen fewmore times"
QueenPatricia: "Phenomenal!"
Byteback: "I regret to say I was one of those people laughing at her :( Still, I Love to be proven wrong, that was incredible."
Clav1978: "That really surprised me... WOW!"
Weltontarantella: "wooo wooo wooo AMAZING !"
Hidko8765: "made my day Susan, it was outstanding,exceptionally good"
Bms5815: "Absolutely Brilliant! Diffinitely a Winner!"
Celinehulk: "Superb"
PollyDolly8: "That was out of this world,we should never judge people for the way they look,we all do it you go susan you will be a star no matter what happens.
AntSlatch: "She was amazing! such a shock!
never judge a book by its cover ladies and gentss."
CallofPaul: "I was Blew away"
Nickllyd: "what a totally brilliant voice"
Ped4868: "WOW Amazing Eh Come On The Scots"
WeirdoHIMgirl: "Fantastic, can't stop watching her, she was amazing. I hope she wins"
Emlouj1985: "Amazing!!! Such a shock! I guarantee she'll be on the west end in no time. This woman will defo get her dream and most probably her kiss too! awe inspiring!"
Hezzie: "OMG how good was ms Boyle, well done girl, such an amazing voice, I hope you do as well as Paul Potts, I'll be watching you and supporting you.
Thanks for your dedication, brilliant!"
CheeseAnimegirl: "Oh My Days. That Has A Huge Moral. But, You Know, EveryOne Was Like, HER? What The Hell...But She Proved EveryOne, Even Me, Wrong. GOOD FOR HER"
Dillan1972: "Oh my god....... Amazing... the audience didn't take her seriously - and wow did she blow them away.... I think we see a potential winner already.... simply amazing"
Carolwardell: "Don't be so bloody cynical. Good luck to Susan I bet Pebbles is pround of her. Everytime my husband and I listen to it it makes the hairs stand up on the back of our necks."
5tu4rt77: "One of the best moments i've seen and heard on this program. Sometimes we all can be a bit too quick on judging people.Many thanks for posting this."
DatterBoy: "The most beautiful thing about that was that you BELIEVE that she believes she is singing about her own life"
Fugarizscot: "totally awesome, would bring a tear to a glass eye. have to admit, my first thoughts where so bad. oh no, scotland going to be let down again. how wrong i was. good luck susan, you can go all the way".

Saultyre: "FANTASTIC, Susan Boyle, 47, You are Wonderful. My votes are Yours. You made me smile, luagh and cry, all in 7 minutes. I Love You, I adore You.. Scotland, This Woman Must Win This"
Palomides: "Stunning, lets hope she goes far. As a Les Mis fan, she did it proud."
Jimsav23250: "Brilliant What a Singer!
Mtthyxx: "fantastic, if she had an album out i would buy it...what a great lady with an amazing voice...too early to say if you will win..but your a winner for me."
Danistac: "Oh my God Fantastic"
Eiger13026: "Brilliant, never judge a book by its cover. Well done Susan, what a find."
Sikhworldtv: "Fantastic I wish her all the luck in the world she has a Brilliant voice and a Beautiful soul. WELL DONE!"
CloeitsCloe: "when i first saw her i was likeyeah, you just keep believing you can sing but when she actually began to sing i was stunned! it just shows you shouldn't judge a book by its cover"
LilyRoe26: "She took my breath away - we all sniggered when she walked on the stage but boy did she upstage us all. Truly amazing - I have watched this over and over again & I am so grateful to the person who uploaded it."..."I was completely gobbsmacked when I watched this. I think we all sniggered when she walked on the stage but boy, did she blow us all away!"
Various8: "Fantastic - could watch this again and again our dreams soared way up with yours - thank you Susan and go for it"
Val515: "Keep listening to her wonderful voice,makes me cry to hear sing ,another star I think has been found shining in the darkness !!!"
Kinnago: "you have an amazing talent and you will win the show , without a doubt!!!!!"
ScouseChick28: "Well i admit I wasnt expecting to hear that when she walked on the stage!! She was amazing and I think she doesnt realise just how good she is. She will be in the final! well done susan.... for shutting me up and prob the rest of the UK aswell"
AshbarPub: "just watched this n thought she was a crack pot at first, but then she completely blew me away. well done to her - absoulutly fantastic"
PaulJCena: "A Star Is Born.!... Absolutely fantastic! I was gobsmacked. That proved the whole of the UK, and the rest of the world, wrong. Good on ya, Susan."
RosusaMansuran: "I can't stop watching this! She is so just so amazing! Her voice is like liquid gold! She has to make an album! Come on guys, let's get her on Facebook, BEBO, everywhere!!!!!!!!!! The world has to hear this woman!"
26Serena777: "Unbelievable performance Susan You are a Star!"
GailyPop84: "Oh my God, she was quality! What a performance!"
Lucy: "WOW with added WOWNESS topped with fabulous, amazing and oustanding. Well done Susan-- you rock!!
Tom9987: "I can't Stop Watching this Over and Over Again"
Banankiwilemun: "she is amazing, this is one of my favourite songs and she sang it beautifully. i thinks shes WAY better than elaine paige!"
Tinsituscany: "I kind of had a feeling she would be great.Yes really.WOW .I adore her voice.Please Simon let her record this NOW."
Schuhby: "Just by walking on to that stage and opening her mouth, this lady has taught many people a valuable lesson tonight - Beauty comes from within .. never judge a book by the cover, and the saddest thing is, she laughed at herself because she expected others too. She has my vote and I think she's amazing!"

Obama Authorized Military Action Against Somali Pirates

2009-04-13T03:13:00.000-07:00

Analysis: Obama beats first national security test

from The Associated Press

The U.S. economy is showing only glimmers of life and two costly wars remain in the balance, but President Barack Obama's "no drama" handling of the Indian Ocean hostage crisis proved a big win for his administration in its first critical national security test.

Obama's quiet backstage decision to authorize the Defense Department to take necessary action if Capt. Richard Phillips' life was in imminent danger gave a Navy commander the go-ahead to order snipers to fire on the pirates holding the cargo ship captain at gunpoint.

For Obama, the benefits were instantly clear: an American life saved and a major victory notched against an increasingly worrisome scourge of the seas off the Horn of Africa.

Obama's handling of the crisis showed a president who was comfortable in relying on the U.S. military, much as his predecessor, George W. Bush, did.

But it also showed a new commander in chief who was willing to use all the tools at his disposal, bringing in federal law enforcement officials to handle the judicial elements of the crisis.

The rescue appeared to vindicate Obama's muted but determined handling of the incident. What won't be known for some time is whether Obama will benefit politically.

When Obama campaigns for re-election, he may take Bush's approach of turning any such incident into evidence of his leadership acumen. On the other hand, Obama didn't go before the cameras Sunday to trumpet the success, instead releasing a written statement that saluted the bravery of the military and Phillips but claimed no credit for himself.

Also, this crisis, while topping the news now, may fade into distant memory by the time voters get a chance to take any new measure of Obama and his party.

Still, it goes some way toward dispelling the notion that a liberal Democrat with a known distaste for war — Obama campaigned on his consistent opposition to the Iraq invasion — doesn't have the chops to call on U.S. military power.

The sniper operation Sunday, with pirate guns aimed at Phillips, was a daring, high-stakes gambit, and it could have easily gone awry. If it had, the fallout would have probably landed hardest on Obama.

Indeed, the last Democratic president to unleash American military might against Somalis suffered miserably from the failure of that operation. Portrayed in the book and movie "Black Hawk Down," a U.S. peacekeeping mission ordered by President Bill Clinton ended with a humiliating withdrawal of troops after a deadly clash in the Somali capital of Mogadishu.

The outcome this time was vastly different.

Since the standoff began last Tuesday, Obama made no public, in-person remarks on the topic, even declining to answer when questions were shouted at him during a press availability.

He didn't call in his Cabinet for a high-profile command meeting. He let military and top administration officials do the talking, but even they kept saber rattling out of the equation.

White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel said Obama's silence should not be interpreted to mean that he wasn't deeply involved. The president's public posture was calculated to not raise the temperature on the situation or give the hostage-takers anything to exploit.

"Let's not confuse a public role with being on top of the situation," Emanuel said. "If you'd interjected yourself, you would make the discussions that were happening more difficult."

So what Obama did was receive regular briefings, sometimes as often as half a dozen times a day. He weighed in with two critical decisions allowing the military to take action to save Phillips' life. And he laid the groundwork for a federal criminal law enforcement response.

White House officials said the Justice Department is already reviewing evidence to determine whether to file criminal charges against the captured Somali pirate. The U.S. is treating the matter as a criminal case because officials have found no direct ties between East African pirates and terror groups.

Obama doesn't like labels for himself or catch phrases for policy. So it's notable that in an administration that has virtually banned the phrase "war on terror," no one called the pirates "terrorists."

———

EDITOR'S NOTE — Jennifer Loven has covered the White House for The Associated Press since 2002.

Twitter Blog: Wily Weekend Worms

2009-04-13T02:44:00.000-07:00

On a weekend normally reserved for bunnies, a worm took center stage. A computer worm is a self-replicating computer program sometimes introduced by folks with malicious intent to do some harm to a network. Please note that no passwords, phone numbers, or other sensitive information was compromised as part of these attacks.

The worm introduced to Twitter this weekend was similar to the famous Samy worm which spread across the popular MySpace social-networking site a while back. At that time, MySpace filed a lawsuit against the virus creator which resulted in a felony charge and sentencing. Twitter takes security very seriously and we will be following up on all fronts.

Twitter Blog: Wily Weekend Worms

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey Shares His Lessons and Advice

2009-04-13T01:43:00.000-07:00

CEO Jack Dorsey on How Twitter Came To Be

2009-04-13T01:31:00.000-07:00

Twitter Virus Linking to StalkDaily Site

2009-04-12T11:35:00.000-07:00

Twitter has been compromised by a virus the micro blogging service is reporting.

"Earlier today we were informed of a malicious site that was spreading links to StalkDaily.com on Twitter without user consent via a cross-site scripting vulnerability. We’ve taken steps to remove the offending updates, and to close the holes that allowed this “worm” to spread" the company said on its status page.

Continue Read Here

Twitter Denies Backing UK Based Agency

2009-04-11T10:54:00.000-07:00

Everyone wants to be a part of Twitter-mania. But it seems that one UK start-up may have gone too far. Yesterday, it was reported that Twitter Partners, a London-based marketing agency and consultancy that says it can help brands better manage their Twitter profiles and reputations, was being backed by the microblog itself.

But writing on the company's blog Thursday, co-founder Biz Stone said that it had "no official business arrangement," with the UK-based consultancy, which is being backed by some of the UK's "dotcom darlings" including Lastminute.com co-founders Brent Hoberman and Martha Lane Fox. Stone wrote, "The name, branding, and suggestion that Twitter has some kind of equity partnership or an agreement of any kind in place is misleading and wrong." Stone also said they were in talks with the agency to "clear up the confusion," suggesting that Twitter Partners will have to rebrand. Not the best outcome for a company pitching itself as being able to better manage the reputations of others.

Continue read HERE

Commercials Come to Twitter Courtesy of 12seconds.tv

2009-04-11T09:27:00.000-07:00

What do you get when you combine a platform for creating user-generated video content with the micro-blogging sensation that is Twitter? According to 12seconds.tv, you get a viable business model for your company, a platform that allows brands to leverage Twitter for communication, and a way for everyday Twitter users to have fun and earn prizes. Does that sound like a win-win-win all around? It very well may be...or it may just be the first example of how Twitter is transforming from a fun, communication tool used among friends to a commercialized platform for mainstream marketing.
12seconds Introduces the "12omercial," a Tweetable Commercial

12seconds.tv, a video messaging service that lets users record quick videos only 12 seconds in length, has been popular among Twitter users since its launch in summer of 2008. With the service, you can send out a tweet to your Twitter friends once you've posted a video on the site. That's precisely the functionality which appealed to marketers looking for an entry point into Twitter. The only question was how do you get 12seconds users to tweet out videos about the brand?

Continue read HERE

Tweetstack on iPhone

2009-04-11T08:27:00.000-07:00

TweetStack Beta 1.0A from Matt Brooke-Smith on Vimeo.

Live Home Invasion Caught in Webcam

2009-04-11T07:50:00.000-07:00

Jeanne Thomas was sitting at her desk at work when she decided to check the security camera that she installed in her home. The Thomas home had been burglarized before, so she installed a monitoring device where she can watch a live video feed of the camera in her home.

Continue Read on CNN NEWS

Twitter Is Now Hiring Product Manager

2009-04-11T05:37:00.000-07:00

Product Manager - Platform/APIs
18 March 2009 20:16

About Us

Twitter is a great place to work. We hire talented, motivated people and hand them big problems to solve. We have a great new space, an army of passionate users, and a very bright future. Our team is small now but growing a lot in the near future -- maybe you should join us.

About this Job

Twitter is looking for an experienced product manager to help us define the future of the Twitter Platform. We are looking for someone who understands the thriving Twitter API development community and who knows how to grow a successful API program. You will synthesize the needs of developers and the vision for Twitter into a roadmap for the Platform. The Twitter platform is a cornerstone of our Company's succes; with the right product management leadership we think we can do even more.

Responsibilities

* Define products and feature sets for the Twitter platform

* Work closely with engineering to develop product functionality

* Work closely with customer support to solve issues

* Inform product decisions through user and market research

* Analyze and report product success

Qualifications

* 3+ years of product management experience

* Experience as a software developer (preferably working on Twitter clients or projects)

* Famiiarity and experience in the Twitter API community

* CS degree is desirable

* Experience managing web-based software products

* Strong grasp of user-experience design

* Great project-management skills

* Excellent written communication and presentation skills

* Demonstrated experience in gathering design requirements into a

product vision.

* Demonstrated ability to work with a team to rapidly produce

prototypes and Iterations.

* Quantitative analytical abilities.

* Strong organizational skills

* Excellent technical skills

* Active Twitter user

About working at Twitter

Twitter offers competitive salaries and full benefits, including health, dental, vacation, 401k, and stock options. We work in a bright, sunny office in San Francisco. And you'll be joining a unique group of experienced folks who are doing their best work to create something great.

The position is full-time and is based in San Francisco. Twitter is an equal opportunity employer.

APPLY

New Sprint Ads Included Twitter and The Famous Blue Bird

2009-04-11T05:13:00.000-07:00

Its Pretty cool to see this ads taking steps towards technology hype evolution and especially with Twitter as part of it. It's a mark trend that Twitter is truly todays famous web hype. Everyone is talking on every street from different cultures, countries and ages and not just that, Now, Google is trying to catch on its breath to take over Twitter. Hardly, Twitter is no simple tech nuts, They can name their price up to billions of dollars.

London Joins Twitter Bandwagon

2009-04-11T05:01:00.000-07:00

Companies and celebrities are looking for ways to make money on the micro-blogging site.

Britney Spears has been regularly updating her status on Twitter (popularly called "tweeting") this week along with hundreds of other stars and politicians worldwide. On Thursday, a London-based company emerged in hopes of tapping into the fast-growing micro-blogging site.

Twitter Partners, which was created with the backing of Twitter's founders, wants to help celebrities and companies market themselves to Twitter's 6.0 million users. So far, the site is free to use and doesn't include advertising, but it will allow clients, including Virgin Media and Universal Pictures, to monitor what users are saying about their products and services.

Continue reading at Forbes

8 Steps For Building Community On Twitter: Tips For Membership Organizations

2009-04-11T03:44:00.000-07:00

Twitter can be a great space for building community around your membership-based organization, whether you work for a professional society, trade association or a cause-related nonprofit.

Here’s a quick eight-step rundown of how to set up a Twitter account for your “.org”. This isn’t the only way, of course. But if you are starting from scratch, this is what we’re finding works the best.

1. Set up a main “umbrella” account for the organization - e.g. @ORGtweets or just @ORG (”ORG” being whatever your acronym is).

Why? So people can find you easily. In the description, put in a nutshell what the organization does. A mission statement in under 140 characters, for example. (Be pithy - people like that. There are lots of other places you can be boring). For the website link field of the profile, create a Twitter landing page on your website which says, “Welcome to the Twitter page for [ORG]! We’re glad you’re here. Here’s what we’re all about. Here are some of the things we tweet about. And here are our team members, should you be interested in following them too.” Then list your staff on Twitter as per #2.

Continue read HERE

Beginner's Guide for New Twitter

2009-04-10T03:36:00.000-07:00

Is Twitter Turning Into MySpace?

2009-04-05T11:35:00.000-07:00

I try and test many social services and since 2003, there are only three that represent me?LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. MySpace was a service that I tried but it did not appeal to me personally for one reason?I wanted to connect with real people and I did not ?see? them on MySpace.

I started using Twitter in early 2007, and it gave me something I cherish in the offline world ? the ability to connect to real people who share my values and learn from them. It also has given me access to people I might never have otherwise been able to speak to. Through Twitter I have had conversations with the likes of Steve Case and Craig Newmark. I learn about new services and tools, read news when it happens and ?my dumb questions? give me instant gratification when people smarter than me actually answer them. Against all the initial skepticism of the people around me at home and at the office, I thoroughly enjoyed Twitter and also noticed that it was ?stealing? me away from Facebook and other services like Google Reader.

Continue Read HERE

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

2009-04-05T11:34:00.001-07:00

Blogs under construction