EMONG'S JOURNALS

The ongoing 9th Cinema One Originals Film Festival (11-19 Nov 2013) held its award ceremony in Manila on Saturday night.

Angelica Panganiban's 'China Doll' wins Best Actress, Best Picture

The festival is one of several film events unique to the Philippines that fully finance, co-produce and premiere its programme of local films. The features are budgeted at less than ₱2 million (US$45,900) and typically shoot for four to six days.

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This year the festival has produced fifteen films, commissioned at script stage. Five are by established directors in the Plus section and ten are by up-and-coming directors in the Currents section. There are separate juries for each category.

The main winners of the evening were Adolfo Alix Jr.'s China Doll Alamat ni China Doll in the Plus section with six wins including Best Picture and Arnel Mardoquio's Riddles of My Homecoming in the Currents section with five wins.

The Best Picture award in the Currents section went to Bukas na lang sapagkat gabi na. Director Jet Leyco also won in the Best Screenplay category. Another major winner in the section was Saturday Night Chills with three wins.

In the Plus section, Borgy Torre's Kabisera won awards for director Torres, actor Joel Torre and supporting actress Bing Pimentel. On stage, Joel Torre said that he couldn't refuse the role because the director is his nephew.

Jury members of Plus were editor Lee Chatametikool and professors Roland Tolentino and Rob Rownd. Jury members of Currents were professor Edward Cabagnot, critic Skilty Labastilla and programmer John Badalu.

The festival secured a number of high profile presenters at the brisk awards show, including John Lloyd Cruz, Meryll Soriano, Alessandra De Rossi and Mark Gil. Also present was Angelica Panganiban, the star of China Doll.

Two special awards were given to veteran producer "Mother" Lily Monteverde and director Elwood Perez. Perez praised the legendary producer for giving him the creative freedom to express himself in a career spanning three decades.

In a video message, director Jose Javier Reyes hailed Monteverde's Regal Films, which he claimed "launched the second golden age of Philippines cinema" and produced "the best films of a whole generation of directors".

Among the local film festivals in the Philippines, Cinema One is arguably the most radical, supporting both mainstream and experimental films. Although it is financed by a television cable station, many of the films are not suitable for broadcast.

The festival also hosted the Philippines' premiere of Ilo Ilo, attended by local actress Angeli Bayani, and several of last year's winners including Pascalina, Catnip and Slumber Party.

According to organisers, next year's edition of the festival will screen ten films from both established and new directors in a single competitive section. All films will have a budget of ₱2 million (US$45,900).

9TH CINEMA ONE FILM FESTIVAL WINNERS

CINEMA ONE ORIGINAL CURRENTS
Best Picture: Bukas na lang sapagkat gabi na
Jury Prize: Riddles of My Homecoming
Best Director: Arnel Mardoquio; Riddles of My Homecoming
Best Screenplay: Jet Leyco; Bukas na lang sapagkat gabi na
Best Actor: various; Saturday Night Chills
Best Actress: Vivian Velez; Bendor
Best Supporting Actor: David Chua; Saturday Night Chills
Best Supporting Actress: Anna Luna; Bendor
Best Cinematography: Riddles of My Homecoming
Best Production Design: Riddles of My Homecoming
Best Editing: Saturday Night Chills
Best Music: Riddles of My Homecoming
Best Sound: Islands

CINEMA ONE ORIGINAL PLUS
Best Picture: Alamat ni China Doll
Jury Prize: Sitio
Best Director: Borgy Torres; Kabisera
Best Screenplay: Mes De Guzman; Sitio
Best Actor: Joel Torre; Kabisera
Best Actress: Angelica Panganiban; Alamat ni China Doll
Best Supporting Actor: Peque Gallaga; Woman of the Ruins
Best Supporting Actress: Bing Pimentel; Kabisera
Best Cinematography: Alamat ni China Doll
Best Production Design: Blu Bustamante
Best Editing: Alamat ni China Doll
Best Music: Alamat ni China Doll
Best Sound: Alamat ni China Doll

Audience Choice: Woman of the Ruins

--Source: Film Business Asia

The pork barrel fund, or the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of lawmakers, has been declared as unconstitutional, according to a decision announced by the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

Pork Barrel (PDAF) is unconstitutional, says SC

Voting unanimously, 14-0, with Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco, Jr. inhibiting because his wife is a party-list representative, the high court ruled that the PDAF Article or allocations in the 2013 General Appropriations Act (GAA) and all other past and present similar provisions of law constituting the "pork barrel" system are unconstitutional for allowing legislators "to wield, in varying gradations, non-oversight, post-enactment authority in vital areas of budget executions" thus violative of the principle of separation of powers.

The high court, through the ponencia of Associate Justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe, ruled that the system gave legislators the power to "fund specific projects which they themselves determine," thus giving them "personal discretionary funds."

This, the high court said, created a system of budgeting where items are not listed in the appropriations bill or budget, consequently denying the President the power to veto items in the budget.

The system also subverts "genuine local autonomy" since legislators are allowed to "intervene in affairs of purely local nature, despite the existence of capable local institutions."

The high court also struck down as unconstitutional the President's discretionary authority over the use of the Malampaya Funds, specifically, the phrase, "and for such other purposes as may hereafter be directed by the President" of Sec. 8 of Presidential Decree 910 (An Act Creating an Energy Development Board).

The disbursement of funds to finance "infrastructure development projects" through the President's Social Fund (PSF) has also been stricken down as unconstitutional.

The high court made permanent the restraining order it issued last Sept. 10 on the release of the remaining "pork barrel" of lawmakers under the GAA 2013.

"Said funds covered by this permanent injunction shall not be disbursed/released but instead returned to the general coffers of the government, except for the funds covered by the Malampaya Funds and the Presidential Social Fund which shall remain therein to be utilized for their respective special purposes not otherwise declared unconstitutional," the decision read.

All prosecutorial agencies of the government were directed by the high court to investigate and prosecute all government officials and private individuals "for possible criminal offenses related to the irregular, improper and/or unlawful disbursement/utilization of all funds under the pork barrel system."

The petitions against the "pork barrel" system were filed by former Manila councilor Greco Antonious Belgica, the Social Justice Society, and former Boac, Marinduque Mayor Pedrito Nepomuceno.

Meantime, Malacañang declined to comment for now on the Supreme Court decision declaring the PDAF as unconstitutional.

Communications Secretary Sonny Coloma said the Palace would first have to wait for a copy of the decision.

“Hihintayin po ng ating tanggapan ng Pangulo and desisyon na ‘yan para pag-aralan kung ano ang implikasyon,” Coloma said. -- Source: ANC

WATCH VIDEO HERE.

Madonna is still the highest paid musician in 2013 surpassing pop singer Lady Gaga and rocker Bon Jovi, according to Forbes.

Madonna (L) and Lady Gaga

Madonna earned $125 million, most of which was from her hugely successful MDNA tour, which grossed $305 million, as well as merchandise sold at concerts and a clothing line and fragrance.

"Madonna is living up to her nickname: the Material Girl tops our list of the top-earning musicians by a wide margin," Forbes said.

Second-place Lady Gaga, 27, earned $80 million and Bon Jovi, came in third with $79 million.

Like Madonna, 55, they all had hefty earnings from tours. Lady Gaga's latest tour brought in $168 million before it was cut short due to her hip injury that required surgery. Bon Jovi's concerts gross more than $3 million per city.

Forbes compiled the list of the 25 highest-paid musicians by estimating income for the 12 months between June 2012 and June 2013 using data from the trade publication Pollstar, trade organization RIAA, and information and sales tracking system Nielsen SoundScan. The magazine also consulted with industry lawyers, managers and some of the musicians.

Ticket sales, royalties, merchandise sales and business ventures were included in the estimated pre-tax income before deductions for agents, managers and lawyers.

Lady Gaga's latest album, "ARTPOP," was not taken into account because it was released after June 2013.

Country music star Toby Keith was No. 4 on the list with $65 million, and British rock group Coldplay slipped into the top five with $64 million.

Although touring was lucrative for the top earners on the list, not all musicians go on the road and some have other sources of income.

Rapper and music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs, the top ranked hip-hop artist at No. 11 with $50 million in income, earns the bulk of money from a deal with Ciroc vodka, Forbes said.--Source: Reuters

Sexy model Ellen Adarna poses for the cover of men's magazine, UNO November 2013 issue.

On its 90th issue, Adarna wears a two-piece bikini with her back arched onto a yacht's foredeck, with the caption, "Sail away with Ellen Adarna".

Meanwhile, her new "revealing" exercise video has been making the rounds online in a viral YouTube clip garnering almost 3 million views since it was uploaded early November.

Watch the video below:

A fight between members of Team Pacquiao and Team Rios erupted in a training gym in Macau just days before the actual bout between Pacquiao and Rios on Sunday

Roach, Ariza, Garcia slug it out in training gym

In the video, Coach Freddie Roach and Team Rios' Robert Garcia and Alex Ariza was shown exchanging heated words then finally slugging it out in front of media reporters covering the bout.

The scuffle began when Coach Roach allegedly complained why Team Rios had an extension time in the gym ring.

However, Coach Garcia and Ariza insisted on the extra time saying they got delayed because they have to stop training for a while to give way for an interview with ESPN reporters.

Former Ilocos Sur governor Chavit Singson recently drew flak from netizens, when a photo showing him and a lion he shot dead as a birthday gift to himself during a hunting expedition in South Africa, circulated in the web.

Chavit Singson poses with a lion he shot dead in South Africa

The photos, which were initially published in June on the website of the Philippine Times of Southern Nevada, show Singson posing beside a male lion and an antelope that he shot at the Kalahari Desert as he celebrated his birthday.

According to the report, Singson went to the Kalahari Desert, which extends 900,000 square kilometers and covers much of Botswana and parts of Namibia and South Africa, to hunt wild animals.

Singson, like all other hunters, waited for about a year to get his shooting license, it said.

"His hunting rifle took down a male lion and an antelope, highly valued targets. Needless to say, he couldn't be happier. His feats were celebrated in his birthday bash in Spear Safari, also in the savannah. An image of his prized catch is printed onto his cake, making the celebration go down in history as one of the most memorable," the report said.

On micro-blogging site Twitter, some netizens reacted negatively to the photos.

I believe hunting is not a sport! Mr. Chavit Singson i know you have a license but this breaks my heart! 💔😭 #PETA pic.twitter.com/V5FKfMPA1g
— Meil Aguana (@iamsoMeily) November 21, 2013

Shame on you Chavit Singson! Animal cruelty! http://t.co/rxj6eCQpkO
— JEC(ジェク) (@jec_in_tokyo) November 21, 2013

Earlier this month, Singson and his daughter Richelle drew negative comments online when they posted photos of them hunting endemic wild ducks in Ilocos Sur.

Singson has yet to comment on the issues. --Source: ABS-CBN News

A volcanic eruption has raised an island in the seas to the far south of Tokyo.

New Japan island emerges after volcanic eruption

Advisories from the coast guard and the Japan Meteorological Agency said the islet is about 200 metres in diameter. It is just off the coast of Nishinoshima, a small, uninhabited island in the Ogasawara chain, which is also known as the Bonin Islands.

The approximately 30 islands are 1000 kilometres south of Tokyo, and along with the rest of Japan are part of the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire.

The coast guard issued an advisory warning of heavy black smoke from the eruption. Television footage showed heavy smoke, ash and rocks exploding from the crater, as steam billowed into the sky.

A volcanologist with the coast guard, Hiroshi Ito, said it was possible the new island might be eroded away.

"But it also could remain permanently," he said.

The last time the volcanos in the area are known to have erupted was in the mid-1970s. Much of the volcanic activity occurs under the sea, which extends thousands of meters deep along the Izu-Ogasawara-Marianas Trench.

Japan's chief government spokesman welcomed the news of yet another bit, however tiny, of new territory.

"This has happened before and in some cases the islands disappeared," Yoshihide Suga said when asked if the government was planning on naming the new island.

"If it becomes a full-fledged island, we would be happy to have more territory."

The Japanese archipelago has thousands of islands. In some cases, they help anchor claims to wide expanses of ocean overlying potentially lucrative energy and mineral resources.

Japan has plans to build port facilities and transplant fast-growing coral fragments onto Okinotorishima, two rocky outcroppings even further south of Tokyo, to boost its claim in a territorial dispute with China.--Source: Stuff.co.nz

Rumored couple Daniel Padilla and Kathryn Bernardo star in "Pagpag" a horror film entry for the Metro Manila Film Festival this Christmas Day.

Daniel Padilla and Kathryn Bernardo in scene from "Pagpag".

In a video interview posted by YouTube user Mau Mauricio, Director Frasco Mortiz said that fans can expect moments of horror, comedy and a little bit of romance between the "Got to Believe" stars.

"Pagpag," Mortiz said, is a film about a group of teenagers who refuse to believe the Filipino superstition of "shaking off" evil spirits after visiting a wake.

"May mga na-violate sila sa lamay na mga pamahiin nating mga Pinoy...Tapos hindi sila nagpag-pag before umuwi. Hindi sila naniwala na dapat magpag-pag kayo pag galing kayo ng burol," he said.

But Mortiz said that moviegoers can expect a slightly toned down horror film, citing the audience its cast will attract.

"'Yung pagka-horror niya kasi, hindi naman siya parang 'Feng Shui' (2004 film starring Kris Aquino) na parang hardcore na horror. Siyempre dahil medyo bata 'yung audience namin," he admitted.

The film also features other Kapamilya stars such as Paulo Avelino, Nikki Gil, Shaina Magdayao and Miles Ocampo.

"Feeling ko something to look forward to is ngayon lang ulit sila makakita ng ganitong klaseng pelikula na 'yung mga hottest na teensters natin ngayon na magkakasama sa isang pelikula," Mortiz said.

"Pagpag," a joint venture of Regal Films, Star Cinema and Skylight Films, will open on Christmas day.--Source: ABS-CBN News

PINOY music icon Freddie Aguilar has converted to Islam and married his 16-year-old non-showbiz girlfriend on Friday, news websites reported.

Music icon Freddie Aguilar, now Abdul Farid, marries Jovie Albao (inset) in Muslim wedding rites.
Photo from enchos.com

The 60-year-old singer and his underage fiancé, Jovie Gatdula Albao, exchanged wedding vows under Muslim rites officiated by Maguindanao Governor Esmael "Toto" Mangudadatu.

The Muslim Family Code of Philippines states, "Any Muslim male at least 15 years of age and any Muslim female of the age of puberty or upwards and not suffering from any impediment under the provisions of this Code may contract marriage. A female is presumed to have attained puberty upon reaching the age of fifteen."

Mangudadatu was also quoted in the report as saying that he has known Aguilar since 2011 when the latter articulated his desire to convert to Islam, even before he met and dated the young girl.

"It will be his accountability to God," was the governor's reply when asked if Aguilar only converted to Islam "for personal convenience".

Freddie Aguilar poses with wife, Jovie Albao. Photo from Tempo.

Aguilar, now Abdul Farid, was criticized in the past weeks on social media for dating a much younger girl, but has been consistent in reiterating his plans to marry his girlfriend.

Aguilar and his girlfriend are dating since April and the latter will turn 17 on the 29th of this month.--Source: Sunstar

People's Champ Manny Pacquiao admitted on Tuesday that the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) has recently issued a freeze order on his bank accounts and properties due to a tax evasion case filed by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

Pacquiao bank accounts frozen over tax case

Pacquiao, in a press briefing, said the BIR had previously slapped him with a P2.2-billion tax case, but he said he's appealing to them to lift the order.

“Ako po ay nakikiusap sa BIR na alisin ang garnishment sa aking mga bank account and properties dahil hindi ko naman tatalikuran ang aking responsibilidad bilang isang mamamayan (I am appealing to the BIR to release the frozen bank accounts and properties. I am a good citizen and shall not turn away from my responsibilities.),” said Pacquiao, who is coming off a morale-boosting victory over Brandon Rios last Sunday.

“Huwag naman akong i-single out dahil hindi naman ako magnanakaw. Ako ang tao na ayaw na ayaw sa mga magnanakaw (I hope they're not "singling-me-out because I am not a thief. I don't like thieves.),” he stressed.

The CTA released its ruling on Pacquiao’s tax case two weeks before the boxing superstar’s bout in Macau.

The order has caused a huge financial inconvenience for the boxer, who earned his millions by risking his life in the boxing ring.

Pacquiao also noted that there are people whose livelihood depends on his businesses who will also suffer because of the CTA order.

“Hindi ako makagalaw. Ano ba ang hanapbuhay ko? Hindi naman ako magnanakaw na may ibang source (I have no resources, don't they know what I do for a living? I am not a thief who has other sources)," he said. "Naapektuhan din tuloy ang ibang business namin, mga trabahante namin, mahirapan silang magsweldo (My businesses are already affected, I have to pay my employees.),” he said.

The case stemmed from the supposed failure of Pacquiao’s accountant to report in his income tax returns (ITR) the millions of dollars in taxes that he paid in the US in relation to his fight purses from 2008 to 2009.

Pacquiao also hinted that politics was behind the case, citing that he has already tried to address is tax woes.

“Ang problema lang ay naghahanap sila ng papel na nagbayad ako ng tax sa America (They're looking for my tax documents paid in US.),” the boxer explained. “Paanong magagawa e hindi nila ino-honor 'yung binigay na kopya ng IRS na nagbayad kami? Kaya nagkabuhol-buhol [ang kaso] (But they're not honoring the IRS documents I gave them. This case is getting worse.).”

“Sana po ay kalimutan natin ang pamumulitika at magtulungan tayong lahat. 'Yan ang problema sa ating bansa. Kahit walang eleksyon, puro pulitika ang nasa isip (I hope they forget all the politicking. That's the problem of our country. Always politics, even when it's not election season.),” he added.

The boxer, however, did not mention who was after him.

Pacquiao and his wife appealed the case last August by filing a petition through their lawyers before the CTA.

Based on the petition, the boxing champ wanted to stop the BIR from collecting the P2.2 billion in supposed tax deficiencies.--Source: ABS-CBN News

A PBA delegation, composed of basketball stars James Yap, Mark Caguioa, Jimmy Alapag, Asi Taulava, LA Tenorio and Danny Seigle, will be visiting Tacloban City devastated by typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) this coming Friday.

PBA stars visits Tacloban to reach out on Yolanda victims

Led by commissioner Chito Salud, board chairman Mon Segismundo and board member Eric Arejola, the delegation will be participating in the relief efforts to show the league’s continuing support to the Yolanda victims under its Alagang PBA program.

The group is bringing relief goods and an added cash donation to be turned over to regular Leyte PBA games organizer Kenneth Uy. The PBA has made an initial P1-million donation to the relief effort.

“This is our way of showing support to our brothers who were devastated by Yolanda. And the PBA is on it for a long term, not just one time,” said Salud.

“Babalik kami nang babalik sa mga nasalantang lugar. We’ll visit Ormoc, Samar, Bohol and even Cebu,” Salud added.

In Leyte, on top of relief goods and cash donation, the PBA is bringing six portable rims and boards, and six dozen basketballs.

The background of this was the group of kids photographed playing basketball on a makeshift court amidst the ruins and debris in Western Samar,” said Salud.

The photo showing a group of kids playing basketball on a makeshift court amidst the
ruins and debris in Western Samar was said to have touched the hearts of the PBA stars.
Photo by TV 5.

The photo went viral in social media with NBA players considering it one of the best basketball pictures in the recent past.

The kids were saying playing basketball is their only source of entertainment now, and they’re hoping to be visited by their idols from the PBA.

“We’re now trying to locate these kids, hoping to bring them over to Leyte,” said PBA media bureau chief Willie Marcial.

Looking forward to the trip are Alapag, Taulava and Seigle who trace their roots in the provinces hardest hit by the super typhoon.

The PBA goods are now on their way to Tacloban, being airlifted with the help of Air Asia and Air21. Those who have thrown support are Toby’s Sports, Molten and Excite Inc. of Gelo Serrano.

The PBA welcomes cash donations. For more information, call 4703255.--Source: Philstar

Dozens of top stars have donated their songs in a new album, labeled "Songs for the Philippines," a relief project created to help the victims of super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).

Bruno Mars, Eminem and Katy Perry, among others, donated their songs in the relief album,
"Songs for the Philippines"

The Beatles, Bob Dylan, U2, Eminem, One Direction, Katy Perry, Beyonce and Bruno Mars are among the superstars who have contributed tracks for the relief album, all proceeds from which will be donated to Philippine Red Cross.

All three major music companies are supporting the 39-track "Songs for the Philippines," which is available through iTunes’ global network of digital stores at iTunes.com/Philippines.

All the artists, record companies and music publishers working on the project have waived fees.

As previously reported, users can go to the iTunes store to donate to the American Red Cross; funds raised will go to help the Asian nation, which has been devastated by Typhoon Haiyan. The death toll from the supertyphoon is currently at more than 5,200.

'Songs For The Philippines' track listing:

1. The Beatles – “Across The Universe”
2. Bob Dylan – “Shelter From The Storm”
3. Michael Bublé – “Have I Told You Lately That I Love You”
4. U2 – “In A Little While”
5. Bruno Mars – “Count On Me”
6. Beyoncé – “I Was Here”
7. Eminem – “Stan” (Live from BBC Radio 1)
8. Cher – “Sirens”
9. Adele – “Make You Feel My Love”
10. Katy Perry – “Unconditionally” (Johnson Somerset Remix)
11. One Direction – “Best Song Ever”
12. Fun. – “Carry On”
13. Lady Gaga – “Born This Way” (The Country Road version)
14. Justin Timberlake – “Mirrors”
15. Justin Bieber – “I Would”
16. Alicia Keys – “New Day”
17. Imagine Dragons – “30 Lives”
18. Madonna – “Like A Prayer”
19. P!nk – “Sober”
20. Kylie Minogue – “I Believe In You”
21. Enrique Iglesias – “Hero”
22. Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Factory Of Faith”
23. Linkin Park – “Roads Untraveled”
24. Kings Of Leon – “Use Somebody”
25. Muse – “Explorers”
26. Lorde – “The Love Club”
27. Josh Groban – “Brave”
28. Kelly Clarkson – “Stronger”
29. Paolo Nutini – “Simple Things”
30. Ellie Goulding – “I Know You Care”
31. James Blunt – “Carry You Home”
32. Pitbull feat. Christina Aguilera – “Feel This Moment”
33. Earth, Wind & Fire – “Sign On”
34. Apl.De.App – “Going Out” feat Damian Leroy
35. Sara Bareilles – “Brave”
36. Jessica Sanchez – “Lead Me Home”
37. Lily Allen – “Smile”
38. The Fray – “Love Don’t Die”
39. The Beatles – “Let It Be”

Source: Billboard

Globe Telecom unveils "Best-Ever mySUPERPLAN," a next-generation postpaid plan that features fully-customizable plan components and a bigger plan value for the new iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s.

Globe's 'Best Ever mySUPERPLAN' for iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s

The iPhone 5c 16GB is now available for as low as P1,349 monthly at Plan 499 with a monthly cashout* of P850 for a 24-month contract period. The postpaid plan bundle comes with 300 megabytes (MB) of mobile Long Term Evolution (LTE) surfing and free calls and texts.

The iPhone 5s 16GB is offered for as low as P1,799 monthly at Plan 999 with a monthly cashout* of P800 for a 24-month contract period. The plan is bundled with unlimited LTE surfing and free calls and texts.

“Customers can now purchase the newest iPhones under our suite of fully-customizable postpaid plans at a price that’s easier on their pockets and enjoy the same best deals and innovative offers only from the leader in postpaid and trusted expert in iPhone,” shares Raul Macatangay, head of Globe Postpaid.

On top of the offers now made more affordable, Globe subscribers also get free subscription to Globe Gadget Care, the complete mobile phone protection program against theft and accidental damage available in the market today, as well as free access to Facebook along with customer experience innovations until January 2014.

Globe is also offering the iPhone 5c 16GB in prepaid for only P29,000 and the iPhone 5s 16GB at P34,400 payable via credit card for up to 12-month installment at 0% interest. The prepaid kit comes with a free prepaid nano-SIM and free 900 MB of mobile browsing for three months.

New and existing Globe subscribers who are loyal iPhone users can also avail of the iPhone Forever plan, an exclusive phone upgrade program that allows them to swap their current devices to get a new iPhone every year for free or with minimal cashout. The iPhone 5c 16GB is available at iPhone Forever Plan 1599, while the iPhone 5s 16GB is available at iPhone Forever Plan 1999, both for a contract period of 24 months. Both plans are bundled with 1 gigabyte (GB) of mobile LTE surfing and free calls and texts.

To know more about the Globe iPhone offers, visit www.globe.com.ph or call the Globe Sales Hotline at 730-1010.--Source: Manila Standard Today

Archaeologists have unearthed new evidences for the time of Buddha's birth when they discovered an ancient shrine beneath a Nepalese pilgrimage site.

Archaeologists discover Buddha's birthday

In research published this week in the journal Antiquity, scholars wrote that the evidence supports a 6th century BC nativity for the Buddha.

A precise date of birth remains unknown.

Historians have wavered over dates ranging between 623 BC and 340 BC.

Much of the confusion has to do with the lack of a written record.

While inscriptions on monuments that were paid for and erected by the Indian emperor Asoka, or Ashoka, in the 3rd century BC provide some clues, earlier evidence is harder to come by, researchers say.

The Antiquity paper focused on recent archaeological work at the Maya Devi Temple at Lumbini, said to be the site of Buddha's birth.

The dig, which was financed by the Japanese and Nepalese governments and the National Geographic Society, was done within the shrine.

Robin Coningham, the paper's lead author and professor of archeology at Durham University in Britain, said the dig revealed a previously undiscovered temple built of wood beneath a succession of later brick temples.

The original timber structure appears to have been built around an open space that likely held a tree, the authors wrote.

"This central portion of the temple had always been open to the elements. It had never been covered by a roof," Coningham said. "Also, the team found fragments of mineralised tree roots."

According to Buddhist tradition, Siddhartha Gautama, as he was known before enlightenment, was born in a garden, beneath a tree. Immediately after his delivery, Buddha is said to have stood and walked as his mother, Queen Maya Devi, held a tree branch for support.

Immediately after his delivery, Buddha is said to have stood and walked as his mother,
Queen Maya Devi, held a tree branch for support.

Coningham said that because of this tradition, it was not surprising that a tree would feature prominently in the shrine.

"This is one of those rare occasions when belief, tradition, archeology and science actually come together, because here we have a very early shrine built around a tree," Coningham said.

The Lumbini temple is one of four key temples associated with the life of Buddha, or "enlightened one." The others are Bodh Gaya, where he attained enlightenment; Sarnath, where he first preached; and Kusingara, where he died at age 80.

The first Lumbini shrine was likely built by wealthy adherents of Buddhism at a time when the religion was considered a cult.

Subsequent shrines were constructed with large open areas as well, researchers said.

At some point the temple was forgotten and overgrown by jungle. It was rediscovered in 1869 and found to have a large sandstone column with an inscription that called the site Lumbini and said that Ashoka had visited there.

Researchers said most of those earlier shrines at the site were covered by more recent construction, and an examination of the buried materials was not possible until now.

Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims visit Lumbini each year, and the temple remained open to archaeologists as they conducted their work.

"All of this work occurred within a living temple," Coningham said.

Researchers used fragments of charcoal from the early wooden temple and grains of sand to date the structure. The tests involved "a combination of radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence techniques," the authors of Monday's study said.--Source: Stuff.co.nz

America's first printed book, "The Bay Psalm Book," was sold for $14 million at auction in New York on Tuesday, becoming the world's most expensive printed book.

"The Bay Psalm Book" was printed by early settlers in Massachussetts in 1640.

It previously held a record as the first book printed in English in North America.

The translation of Biblical psalms "The Bay Psalm Book" was printed by Puritan settlers in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1640 and sold at a one-lot auction in just minutes by Sotheby's.

Bidding opened at $6 million and closed swiftly at a hammer price of $12.5 million, rising to $14.165 million once the buyer's premium was incorporated.

The book, with its browning pages and gilt edges, was displayed in a glass case behind the auctioneer to a relatively small crowd who attended the less than five-minute auction in person.

The settlers, who came to America to seek religious freedom, had set about making their own preferred translation from the Hebrew original of the Old Testament book after arriving from Europe.

Sotheby's named the buyer as David Rubenstein, the billionaire American financier and philanthropist. He was in Australia and his bid was conducted by telephone.

Sotheby's had valued the book at $15-30 million, but denied any disappointment in the sale price reached Tuesday.

David Redden, auctioneer and head of Sotheby's books said $14.165 million "represents a new world record for any printed book."

The previous record was $11.5 million, reached when a copy of John James Audubon's "Birds of America" sold at Sotheby's in December 2010.

Rubenstein plans to share the psalm book with the American public by loaning it to a number of libraries around the country and placing it on long-time loan to one of them, Redden said.

"We're very very pleased about this purchase. If you recall David Rubenstein also brought the Magna Carta from us back in 2007 for the same reason, to make sure Americans would understand the significance of their heritage," he added.

"We greatly appreciate his interest in the sale," Redden said.

The Magna Carta sold for $21.3 million in New York. It was one of only 17 existing copies of the 800-year-old English royal manuscript setting out the rights of man.

Redden said "The Bay Psalm Book" was a "great rarity" and that only two of 11 surviving copies had come to sale in the last 100 years.

He described the price as "very strong and hefty".

"It's very important because of its story. It's the first book printed in America and the first book written in America," Redden told reporters.

Before the sale, Redden said the volume had even greater significance as a precursor to Lexington and Concord, and, ultimately, to American political independence.

"With it, New England declared its independence from the Church of England," he said.

There were 1,700 copies of the original 1640 edition. The eleven that have survived are in collections such as The Library of Congress in New York and Harvard College Library.

No copy had previously been auctioned since 1947, when a different copy fetched $151,000 -- a record at the time for any book, including the Gutenberg Bible or Shakespeare's First Folio.

The book was sold by the Old South Church in Boston to benefit its work in the historic city. The same church possesses another copy of the "Bay Psalm Book."

Selby Kiffer, from Sotheby's special projects department, called it "not simply one of the great icons of book history, it is one of the greatest artifacts of American history."--Source: NDTV

A computer program called the Never Ending Image Learner (NEIL) is running 24 hours a day, searching the internet for images, and doing its best to understand them on its own.

A smartphone user takes a "selfie" in a busy street. A new computer program watches
online images 24/7 learning common sense by itself.

As NEIL’s visual database grows, the computer program gains common sense on a massive scale.

NEIL leverages recent advances in computer vision that enable computer programs to identify and label objects in images, to characterize scenes and to recognize attributes, such as colors, lighting and materials, all with a minimum of human supervision.

In turn, the data it generates will further enhance the ability of computers to understand the visual world.

But NEIL also makes associations between these things to obtain common sense information that people just seem to know without ever saying—that cars often are found on roads, that buildings tend to be vertical and that ducks look sort of like geese.

Based on text references, it might seem that the color associated with sheep is black, but people—and NEIL—nevertheless know that sheep typically are white.

“Images are the best way to learn visual properties,” says Abhinav Gupta, assistant research professor in Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute. “Images also include a lot of common sense information about the world. People learn this by themselves and, with NEIL, we hope that computers will do so as well.”

NEIL makes associations between these things to obtain common sense information that people just
seem to know without ever saying. (Credit: Carnegie Mellon)

3 Million images so far

A computer cluster has been running the NEIL program since late July and already has analyzed three million images, identifying 1,500 types of objects in half a million images and 1,200 types of scenes in hundreds of thousands of images. It has connected the dots to learn 2,500 associations from thousands of instances.

One motivation for the NEIL project is to create the world’s largest visual structured knowledge base, where objects, scenes, actions, attributes and contextual relationships are labeled and catalogued.

“What we have learned in the last 5 to 10 years of computer vision research is that the more data you have, the better computer vision becomes,” Gupta says.

Facebook has about 1.2 billion users sharing billions of images a day.

When the computer gets it wrong

Some projects, such as ImageNet and Visipedia, have tried to compile this structured data with human assistance. But the scale of the Internet is so vast—Facebook alone holds more than 200 billion images—that the only hope to analyze it all is to teach computers to do it largely by themselves.

Abhinav Shrivastava, a PhD student in robotics, says NEIL can sometimes make erroneous assumptions that compound mistakes, so people need to be part of the process.

A Google Image search, for instance, might convince NEIL that “pink” is just the name of a singer, rather than a color.

“People don’t always know how or what to teach computers,” he says. “But humans are good at telling computers when they are wrong.”

People also tell NEIL what categories of objects, scenes, etc., to search and analyze. But sometimes, what NEIL finds can surprise even the researchers. It can be anticipated, for instance, that a search for “apple” might return images of fruit as well as laptop computers.

But Gupta and his landlubbing team had no idea that a search for F-18 would identify not only images of a fighter jet, but also of F18-class catamarans.

As its search proceeds, NEIL develops subcategories of objects—tricycles can be for kids, for adults and can be motorized, or cars come in a variety of brands and models. And it begins to notice associations—that zebras tend to be found in savannahs, for instance, and that stock trading floors are typically crowded.

NEIL is computationally intensive, the research team notes. The program runs on two clusters of computers that include 200 processing cores.

The Office of Naval Research and Google Inc. support the project. The research team will present its findings on Dec. 4 at the IEEE International Conference on Computer Vision in Sydney, Australia.--Source: Futurity Science and Technology

A violent "hostage-taking" in a QC restaurant turned out to be a wedding proposal.

QC "hostage taking" is actually a wedding proposal

An armed man, long haired and wearing a jacket, forced himself inside 'Van Gogh Is Bipolar' restaurant amid the blaring sirens of police cars.

Seeing a couple inside, the armed man -- played by film actor Leon Miguel -- grabbed the boyfriend as hostage to keep the policemen outside at bay.

The boyfriend pleaded for their lives but the "hostage-taker" ignored his words and instead shouted and cursed him, scaring the girlfriend who can only say, ""Babe, huwag ka na magsalita!"

"Damay-damay na 'to, Pu ---- na," the irate hostage-taker says as he tugs at the man's collar.

"Wala naman kaming ginagawa sa inyo, eh," said the hostage, who is sitting on a chair. "Kakain lang kami, o. Bigyan niyo man lang ako ng pagkakataon... Hindi ko pa nga napapakasalan 'tong girlfriend ko, eh."

The couple: Therapist Calvin Leorna and kids yoga teacher Annabelle Jay-Ar Trono

Agitated, the "hostage-taker" forcefully brought his hostage nearer his girlfriend, but the BF said he didn't have a ring with him.

The "hostage-taker" took out his own ring and gave it to the boyfriend who replied, "Puwede bang hulugan 'to?"

Then he said to his girlfriend, "It has been a roller coaster ride for the past four, five years for us... I don't know the perfect timing for this, but I think right now is the right time for this -- to ask you: Will you be my partner in case of a zombie apocalypse?"

"May I have the honor to be your husband? Will you marry me?" the boyfriend kneels on the floor.

The woman says yes.

Taking cue of the girlfriend's "yes," the boyfriend's accomplices came out from their hiding places, applauded and greeted the couple, with the girl wiping her tears saying, "Ang gagaling nyong umarte!"

In a news article from ABS-CBN, it said the couple, therapist Calvin Leorna and kids yoga teacher Annabelle Jay-Ar Trono, have been together for over four years.

They are planning to get married in late December.

As of writing, the YouTube video of the proposal had over 70,000 views.

The video of the prank was uploaded on YouTube by producer Tootoots Leyesa.

A prime hotel booking website listed two tourist spots in the Philippines -- Puerto Galera in Oriental Mindoro and Anilao, Batangas -- in its top “hottest diving destinations in Asia Pacific.”

A diver swims beside corals in Puerto Galera, Mindoro

Agoda.com, Asia's leading hotel booking site, said the two travel destinations join dive spots in Ko Lanta in Thailand, Whitsunday Islands and Lizard Island in Australia, Bora Bora in French Polynesia, Bali and Lombok in Indonesia, Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia, and Maldives.

In a statement, Agoda.com recommended the Atlantis Dive Resort in Puerto Galera and Eagle Point Resort in Anilao.

The hotel website also quoted dive journalist Chris Mitchell, who noted the abundance of dive sites in the Asia Pacific region.

“Many of the world’s best dive sites are located in Southeast Asia,” Mitchell was quoted as saying. “There are an endless number of sites for all levels of divers. Bali’s amazing Menjangan Island, the plethora of rare marine life along the coastline of Anilao, Philippines, and the Maldives where you can be in your resort an hour after touchdown and diving the next morning, are some of my favorites.”

Divers line up in a diving hub in Puerto Galera

Last year, Puerto Galera and the Tubbataha Reef in southeast of Palawan were included in CNN Travel’s list of best dive sites in the world.

Benedict Reyes, president of the Philippine Association on Underwater Activities and board member of the Asian Underwater Federation, earlier noted how the country “is already being regarded by many foreign divers as the ‘center of center’ of diving in the world.”

He also sees the Philippines as Asia’s scuba diving capital, citing the country’s several unexplored dive sites.--Source: ABS-CBN News

Sony Corp. filed a patent for SmartWig, a device that would soon be able to connect wirelessly to other devices, including smartphones.

In a U.S. patent application, the company said the hairpiece would be the latest in a string of recently introduced wearable computing devices, including smartwatches and smart eyeglasses.

The Tokyo-based company wrote that the head is the perfect body part to target for such technology, because “the fact that users instinctively protect their heads more than other body parts is also advantageous, since more sensitive sensors and other computing components may be used without the risk of getting damaged.

“It is an object to provide an improved wearable computing device,” Sony said in the application. “At least one sensor, the processing unit and the communication interface are arranged in the wig and at least partly covered by the wig in order to be visually hidden during use.”

The wig could be made from “horse hair, human hair, wool, feathers, yak hair, buffalo hair or any kind of synthetic material,” Sony said.

It remains unclear, though, if the SmartWig, invented by Sony’s Hiroaki Tobita, will actually hit stores any time soon.

A spokeswoman for the company told Bloomberg that the research process is continuing, and that “it has not been decided whether to commercialize the technology or not.”

Wearable computing device, comprising: a wig that is adapted to cover at least a part of a head of a user, at least one sensor for providing input data, a processing unit that is coupled to the at least one sensor for processing said input data, and a communication interface that is coupled to the processing unit for communicating with a second computing device, the at least one sensor, the processing unit and the communication interface being arranged in the wig and at least partly covered by the wig in order to be visually hidden during use. (US Patent excerpt)

And even if the technology does make its way to the masses, it may not end up being an actual wig, said Queen’s University marketing professor Ken Wong.

“When companies file patents, it isn’t necessarily with the intention of introducing the product, but more to patent everything that surrounds the product,” he said.

If the product turns out to be an actual wig, Wong said he doesn’t see it doing very well. But if it ends up being something closer to a baseball cap, for example, then its chance of success are better, he said.

“Going forward, I think you can expect people trying to patent wigs, or blinks of an eye, or any other device that would help you get information in or out without the burden of the keyboard and the mouse,” he said.--Source: The Star

Comet ISON, which was discovered a year ago, is making its first spin around the sun and will come the closest to the super-hot solar surface on Thursday at 1:37 p.m. EST.

In this screen shot, comet ISON, (left below Earth), approaches the sun on Monday. ISON, which was
discovered a year ago, is making its first spin around the sun and will come the closest to the
super-hot solar surface on Thursday at 1:37 p.m. EST. AP Photo/NASA

There are three possible ways the comet could react to the sun's gravitational pull: it could survive, break up into chunks, or dissolve into dust. If one of the first two happens, viewers will be able to catch a glimpse.

It may take a few hours before astronomers know if the comet survived its brush with the sun. If it survives, and maybe even if it doesn’t, people in the Northern Hemisphere will have a good chance of seeing the comet — or its remains — in the first two weeks of December just before sunrise and after sunset.

It won’t be visible with the naked eye on Thursday, but NASA has a fleet of telescopes trained on ISON (EYE’-sahn).

Scientists say the comet -- named after the International Scientific Optical Network for near-Earth space surveillance -- left the outer edge of the solar system more than 5.5 million years ago.--Source: Wahington Post, Christian Science Monitor

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Globe's 'Best Ever mySUPERPLAN' for iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s

Archaeologists discover Buddha's birthday

World's most expensive book sold at $14 million

Computer learns common sense by looking at your online pics 24/7

WATCH: QC "hostage taking" is actually a wedding proposal (+video)

Agoda.com lists Puerto Galera, Anilao among Asia's best dive spots

Sony acquires patent for 'SmartWig'

Comet ISON approaching Sun, may be visible on Earth