2008 Olympics: Bye-bye Beijing, Hello London!

Monocycle racing - the future of the Olympics?
Image from Daily Kos

The last of the fireworks fizzled out late August 25th as the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games came to a very spectacular close. Despite its many detractors, the Beijing Olympic Games would remain a historic, fantastic and the most grand Olympics of the global sporting meet.

Already, London, which is up next in hosting the games by 2012, have its mayor Boris Johnson almost half-apologetically expressing to the effect that the next instance of the Olympiad would be quite modest compared to the just finished Chinese version. Says Johnson thru the BBC, "This is not going to be a cost-cutting Olympics, but it is essential we watch every penny to deliver a Games that is value for money."

Olympic Medal Tally Results

The top 5 countries dominating the games were the USA, China, Russia, Great Britain, and Australia. Germany, France, South Korea, Italy and the Ukraine rounds up the top 10.

Overall, there were 87 countries that ranked with a medal out of the 204 states that participated for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Catch the Games results and other Olympic statistics in detail at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) website.

The Philippine Performance

The Philippine delegation did not succeed in bringing in any medals in the official Olympic competitions. However, Filipinos have a consolation in Wushu athlete Willy Wang who brought home a gold for the demonstration sport.

This is the second gold for the Philippines in a non-official sport in the Olympics. The first one was bagged by celebrated bowler Arianne Cerdeña during the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

With another medal-less Olympic campaign the Philippine government pledges to overhaul the sports program of the country.

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Bolt and Phelps Victorious

The athletes who stood out at the Beijing Olympics were of course, Michael Phelps of the USA and Jamaica's Usain Bolt.

Michael Phelps has now reached legendary status for taking 8 golds in swimming, breaking 4 world records as an individual and helping to break 3 more records in the men's relay events. Phelps now stands as the person with the most gold medals for a single Olympics, overshadowing his predecessor and compatriot Mark Spitz.

Usain Bolt ran away (literally and figuratively) with 3 gold medals corresponding to 3 world records in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay track and field events. He is the world's fastest man despite the disapproving remarks of IOC President Jacques Rogge's regarding Bolt's bragging attitude over his wins.

The Beijing Olympic Games will be a memorable celebration for the 10,000 athletes who played in the events and the tens of thousands more who presented the pageantry, the fireworks, the men and women flying on strings, the neon-lit monocycles and the singers and dancers who represent the billions of dollars spent for hosting the 2008 Olympics. For the millions of viewers worldwide who watched the games on TV, special effects and lipsyncing aside, and anticipated the results on the Web (over 16 million tuned in at IOC's You Tube channel), the Beijing experience is finally over. We can now go on with our lives undistracted by what was the most fantastic hosting of the Olympics in all of history.

Pacquiao Wins By A Point Against Marquez

Here's a facial!
Photo by German Villasensor at MaxBoxing.com

Philippine boxing hero Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao braved the onslaught that was Juan Manuel "Dinamita" Marquez of Mexico during last
Sunday's "Unfinished Business" championship fight for the WBC super featherweight title, to come out the victor by a lone brow-raising point.

The bout lasted 12 rounds filled with blood, sweat, spit and pure guts from today's most evenly matched, 130-pounder champions of the square ring. Their last go for glory against each other back in 2004 ended in an unsatisfying draw. This Pacquiao-Marquez II slugfest was just as confusing as the first, with both fighters holding their own versus the other's determined force - toe-to-toe, pound-for-pound, blow-by-blow.

It was boxing history being carved-out, albeit live on pay-per-view.

There were rounds taken by Marquez, while other rounds showed clearly Pacquiao making his mark. Marquez even hit the canvass on the third round. For the totality of the fight however, both Marquez and Pacquiao were even - Marquez showed impeccable skills; Pacquiao branded speed and power; and both bore the hearts of lions.

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Nonethless, at the end of the 12th, the judges had to make a decision. It was an inconceivable decision that could never measure nor quantify the battle that was waged inside that boxing ring. After that fight, the injustice was watching 3 judges subjectively score the very souls of the greatest warriors on earth that very night.

And as the scores were being announced, the Filipino pugilist, beaming with utmost respect toward his battered foe seemingly conceded his pride with outstretched congratulatory arms for Marquez. The Mexican though didn't seem to welcome his foe's gentlemanly gesture. Then Pacquiao grimaced - not with pain from Marquez's blows to his body nor the cut on his right eye. His face pained knowing that he must now bear the consequence of his efforts that night. Manny Pacquiao wrested the championship from Marquez by but a sliver of a point.

I'm proud that Pacquiao won. Nevertheless, I cannot say that Marquez was in any way a loser. He was strong to the very end and was just as deserving for that single point as were Pacquiao.

Nothing short of a convincing victory would really settle the score between Pacquiao and Marquez. Will there be a third meeting? If so, may the 12th round never come.

Superbowl XLII - New York Giants vs. New England Patriots

So, who indeed wants it more? The question is particularly relevant to the current quarterbacks leading their respective teams for the sports' most coveted distinction - the Vince Lombardi trophy of Superbowl 42.

Will it be the Superbowl first-timer Eli Manning and the New York Giants? This, notwithstanding him being the third in a family of professional quarterbacks in the NFL, after his father Archie Manning and older brother not to mention last season's Superbowl winner and MVP Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts.

Or will it be the regular season perfect team New England Patriots with Tom Brady at the helm? Brady has had 3 Superbowls notched up with 2 Superbowl MVPs in his 7 season career. However, the news is Brady is suffering from a shoulder injury and is listed as "probable".

Superbowl XLII - a super upset in favor of the Giants or a 19-0 perfect season for the Patriots?

2007: Year At A Time (Part I)

The year 2007 does not stand out in history as much as say 1776 with the US Declaration of Independence, or 1945 with the atomic bomb destruction of Hiroshima, or for that matter the year 2000 celebrated as the turn of the millennium although some argue that 2001, said to be the first year of the 21st century, is the "actual beginning" of the new millennium.

For the most part, 2007 is as regular a year as the sun regularly rises in the morning and sets in the evening. The machinery of governments kept rolling, the expected world events kept in pace with tradition, and for certain humankind grew in numbers but also fell to disease, disaster and dreadful conflicts.

However, despite being a relatively lackluster year, 2007 had its own moments -- instances of note which, to some marks a good year, to others bode ill omen, while for the rest holds memories void of reward and relevance.

Peace Elusive

The world was in conflict in 2007 as in the years and decades previous. It's nothing new, that is to say its nothing particularly disturbing. But as in all human conflicts marked by violence, it is a matter of serious discourse.

The US campaign in Iraq continued even as hundreds died relentlessly by the works of suicide bombers all year-round. Britain, one of the pillars of the "coalition against terror" that gave the thumbs-up for the US to invade Iraq in 2003, began withdrawal of its troops off Basra. And while troop withdrawal from Iraq is the current sentiment of a vocal segment of the international community, the US (even as Bush had agreed on sending some US soldiers home during the holidays with certain limitations) is still reluctant to let go of Iraq, pointing at neighboring Iran this time as a growing threat in the region.

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Other regional conflicts and unrest included the ongoing Taleban insurgency in Afghanistan, ethnic wars at Darfur in Sudan allegedly fueled by support coming from China, the age-old Palestinian-Israeli conflict even as the Annapolis Conference took place last November, the 2007 Lebanon conflict, the continuing insurgency in Southern Philppines, the violent crackdown on anti-government protests in Burma (Myanmar), and the war in Somalia among others.

Tension also marked the issue of North Korea's nuclear program which started with Pyongyang's alleged nuclear tests in the last quarter of 2006. By January 2007, Japan and South Korea along with other concerned nations decried a nuclear North Korea and sought sanctions against Kim Jong-Il's regime. A month later, NoKor have committed to nuclear disarmament in exchange for aid and have since been under the watchful eye of the US and the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) all throughout 2007. Also, in August, North and South Korea signed a peace declaration which sought to establish a permanent treaty to replace the truce which led to the cessation of the Korean War back in 1953. By the end of December 2007 however, tension resurfaced as North Korea missed its deadline to bare-all as promised its nuclear plans.

Next on 2007: Year At A Time (Part II) - World Finance and the Environment in 2007.

Down The Last Stretch

As we come to the close of 2007, Daily Dotventures is compiling some of the highlights of the year. A kind of "the best of times, worst of times" summary to an otherwise nondescripit period of history.

In the following days, we will be coming out with a series on what made 2007 a milestone year for some, and a regrettable year for others. And without going into a fearless forecast, we will attempt to analyze how 2007 will mark the course of the lives of many peoples around the world.

We invite everyone to review the year 2007 with us as we look back and examine, celebrate and wonder at what the past 365 days have done and will be doing to most, if not all of our lives.

Come back soon for the first "Daily Dotventures: Year At A Time."

"You Better Watch Out!" Things To Look Out For During The Holidays

"Hmm, these are good odds
for the Steelers. Ho-ho-ho."

Santa isn't the only one who should be making a list this Christmas season. And I'm not talking about a holiday shopping list here. With the Christmas rush comes a greater chance of overlooking some mundane detail, which while seemingly trivial may actually knock the spirit off the holidays.

Murphy's law it seems has a corollary - "whatever can go wrong, gets worse during festivities!"

So get your pen and paper and jot down a few reminders - A Christmas watchlist, if you will, of things to do before something goes horribly wrong and you start feeling sorry instead of jolly.

And don't fail to check them twice!

Watch The Wires - Unlike dear old Rudolph (the reindeer, not the actor) whose nose allegedly glows in the dark by some odd organic glitch, the rest of us have to plug into an electrical outlet to get our Christmas lights blinking. Over the years, I've seen too many fiery newsflash of Christmases turning into ashes because of overloaded electrical outlets. Its fine to brighten up one's abode during the holidays, but for goodness' sake, you don't have to make it seem you have your own private nuclear reactor going on inside your house.

"Octopus" connections at electric outlets are a big no-no. Make sure wires don't end up beneath rugs or wedged under anything. When something is plugged in, the wires heat up and if it's pinned down the chances of the insulation getting cut or melting increases which may result in a short-circuit and a nasty fire.

Watch The Labels - Christmas and New Year's are the "primetime of marketing" when everything new comes out and are offered at attractive discounts, even freely at times. Deny it or not, at some point you will be buying (if you haven't already) something offered at you during this season even if you don't need or want it, or worse - even if you don't know what it is! If you don't want to be subjected to this jedi-mind-trick like manipulation, cut up your credit cards, head for the mountains and wait until the fireworks die out after the January festivities. Otherwise, you cannot escape the inevitable - you will be a holiday consumer (insert scary, low-shrill viola chords here).

Your task therefore is to read the fine-print. Watch out for anything, the name of which you wouldn't want located anywhere adjacent to your internal organs. You don't want the doctor telling you later on, "Oh, you have a tetrahydrosubzynamide concentration in your bladder." Remember them lead-laced toys Mattel withdrew from the market since last August? And don't be trying out some new fabric for the sheets this time of year. Most allergic reactions are triggered in December than in any other month because everyone is trying out something new during the holidays.

Also, we're not just referring to product labels here. When dealing with the season of discounts and interest-free buying, you always have to ask "what's the catch?" It's not human nature to read the fine-print, probably because they were written for foot-high hobbits, dwarves and them Keebler elves, what with the font's size and all. Nowadays, its but practical to stoop low and carry a magnifying glass just to make sure you're all square with the deal.

Watch the Birdie - Christmastime is picture-taking time. Now, I've had my turn of being the "official photographer", back when f-stops made all the difference in shooting a good photo. I have heard so many complaints about how they didn't look good with that shot, or that they had their eyes closed or that they weren't smiling in the picture. Ladies and gents, its not the photographer's fault. You know you're having a get-together, you know its supposed to be a joyous occasion, you know there's a cameraman running around. Ergo, you be the one to look good and smile! Otherwise, you'd indeed have a lousy mugshot for posterity. The same holds true when you have video coverage, even more so since you're image is being taken approximately 30 times a second.

Now, there are two ways to ensure you are genuinely smiling during a photo or video shoot (Botox treatment not included). First is to imagine your companions naked. The downside of this technique is it can make you throw up even before you down that bottle of wine, depending on how your companion may be imagined by you as naked. "What's the second way to make sure you're all the smiles during your Christmas parties?" you ask. Read on.

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Watch The Time - pun intended on that one, but as they say, and it's so true - "time flies". We're so busy shopping, so busy looking at gift catalogs, so busy reading blogs on stuff to look out for at Christmastime, that we've run out of time. Time to pray, time to visit our relatives and friends, time to be with our family, time to appreciate all our blessings and the time we have together with our loved ones.

Enjoy the holidays with the people you love, whether they are near or far. Hold up a toast for them - for their generosity which sustains you, their quirkiness that makes you laugh, their sound advice that gives you direction, even their bad sides that makes you feel you're a better person than they are.

Celebrations are best shared with someone else and Christmas is the best celebration to be with other people, old or new. After all, the birthday celebrant of this occasion had shepherds and kings come to his crib.

A happy Christmas to one and all!

Here Comes The Holidays!

For several weeks now I've been griping about my snail-paced Internet connection. I couldn't get any work done online. Needless to say the Daily Dotventures suffered as a result.

I missed quite a few events which I wanted to write about. Like Chinese beauty Zhang Zilin winning at home for the Ms. World 2007 pageant last December 1, same day as the commemoration of World Aids Day.

Or the Hatton-Mayweather fight which saw the returning WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather retain victory over the challenger with powerful head shots that knocked Ricky Hatton down twice in succession in the 10th round, urging referee Joe Cortez to stop the fight in favor of Mayweather.

Then there was that ill-conceived siege at the Manila Peninsula Hotel by frustrated-mutineer-turned-Senator Antonio Trillanes IV that miserably failed (again) to overthrow incumbent Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Don't forget the Spice Girls' ongoing reunion world tour. Love them or not, they're back in a big, gingery, scary, sporty, baby and posh way.

Well, like I said, I missed quite a bit because my ISP is, in a word, c-r-a-p! The significant slow down may also be attributable to the oncoming holiday season. More people are sending emails to their loved ones, surfing for bargains, doing online purchases, booking flights, making VOIP calls, uploading video greetings, and so on and so forth.

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Not only that, apart from the slow down in Internet connectivity due to increased demand in bandwidth, the holidays are also a time for the hundred-fold proliferation of spam. Every online marketer and their brother are making their mailing lists and checking them twice. It doesn't even matter if you've been naughty or nice. You'll get the spam and chances are there's a "free" gift along with it - READ: malware.

So do protect yourself online this hoiday season. Deck your Internet halls with a safer browser, an anti-spyware, an anti-virus and a firewall. And while we patiently bear the holiday lag online, perhaps its a good opportunity for all of us to ponder the true meaning of the season.

Here's wishing everyone a less-stressful and a happy online holiday.

The 2007 Nobel Laureates: Another Year of Advancements and Controversy

"How about a Literature award
for bloggers? Hmm...."

Image from nobelprize.org

With the earlier announcement of the Nobel Prize awardees for Economics, all presentations of the Nobel Prize recipients for 2007 is now complete. The line up of Nobel Prize winners, laudable as they all are, do not come without their share of controversy as advancements in stem cell research and the highly politicized climate change agenda had been accorded a spotlight by the award-giving body.

The Nobel Foundation began prize announcements last October 8 starting with the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. On October 9, the winners of the Nobel Prize in Physics was announced. This was followed by the announcements for the Nobel Prize in Chemistry on October 10, Nobel Prize in Literature on October 11, and the Nobel Peace Prize on October 12. The Prize for Economic Sciences was awarded October 15.

The yearly Nobel Prize identifies distinct achievements in the aforementioned categories. Run by the Sweden-based Nobel Foundation the awards are the fulfillment of Alfred Nobel's last will and testament. The famed inventor of the dynamite, Alfred Nobel was a highly regarded industrialist, scientist, and poet. Upon his death in 1896, a sizeable portion of his estate was bequeathed to a fund which "shall be annually distributed in the form of prizes to those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind" (see "Excerpt from the Will of Alfred Nobel", nobelprize.org).

Five categories were identified by Nobel himself - Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and the Peace Prize. The Nobel Prize in Economics, officially titled "The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel", is not originally part of the awards but rather was instituted in conjunction with the Sweden Central Bank in 1969.

The Nobel Prize consists of the Nobel Diplomas, the Nobel Prize Medals and an amount which for this year totals to 10 Million Swedish Kronor (over 1 Million US Dollars).

This year's Nobel Laureates are as follows:

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2007
Mario Cappechi (USA), Sir Martin Evans (UK), and Oliver Smithies (USA), "for their discoveries of principles for introducing specific gene modifications in mice by the use of embryonic stem cells";

The Nobel Prize in Physics 2007
Albert Fert (France), and Peter Grunberg (Germany), "for the discovery of Giant Magnetoresistance";

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2007
Gerhard Erti (Germany), "for his studies of chemical processes on solid surfaces";

The Nobel Prize in Literature 2007
Doris Lessing (UK), "that epicist of the female experience, who with scepticism, fire and visionary power has subjected a divided civilisation to scrutiny";

The Nobel Peace Prize 2007
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (Geneva, Switzerland), and Albert Arnold Gore, Jr. (USA);

The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2007
Leonid Hurwicz (USA), Eric Maskin (USA), and Roger Myerson (USA), "for having laid the foundations of mechanism design theory".

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There were those who raised wary eyebrows with the inclusion of Al Gore for the Nobel Peace award as some view his advocacy of the climate change agenda to be "too propagandist". In a similar fashion, advancements in stem cell research still strikes sensitive chords among conservative sectors.

Nonetheless, Alfred Nobel's legacy continues - a legacy of unperturbed trailblazing in the face of criticism and difficulties, and eventually contributing toward the betterment of mankind.

Find out more from TheNobelPrize channel on YouTube and at the nobelprize.org website.


Technorati Tags:Nobel Prize 2007

Get Involved! Sign Up for Blog Action Day on October 15

With over 8,000 blogs and a reach of over 5.6 million audiences worldwide (as of writing), Blog Action Day is set to have the world know that the environment is the most important issue in the planet. Come October 15, millions of readers around the globe will read up on their subscribed blogs and, hopefully, come to terms about taking action on the environment towards "a better future".

Blogactionday.org was launched formally last August 16 and it had since grown in sign-ups to more than 7,000 blogs in a span of less than 2 months. With such popular blogs in the line-up such as DailyBlogTips, GigaOm, Copyblogger, and Lifehacker, the RSS readership of blogs registered with Blog Action Day grew from less than a million to 5,671,653 (and counting).

With only 5 days to go until October 15, can the reach of Blog Action Day blogs hit the 6 million mark or more? It's not impossible and it would certainly be a good thing. And you can be a part of it!

Go to blogactionday.org and register your blog. Commit today! On October 15, 2007 post a blog concerning the environment. Here are some websites to help you get some ideas - http://blogactionday.org/resources. Alternatively, you can donate a day's worth of earnings to official Blog Action Day charities which includes Greenpeace and The Nature Conservancy. Or if you want you can give to an environmental charity of your choosing.

Blog Action Day is also holding a contest just for fun (and a small incentive). Whoever can guess closest the number of registered participating blogs come October 15 wins a special prize package from GreenHome.com. My bet - 6,000,101 blogs.

Meanwhile, here's a video on Blog Action Day.


For more information and inspiration read up on Leo Babauta's "Why Bloggers Will Change The World And How You Can Help."

Technorati Tags: Blog Action Day, BlogActionDay

Oktoberfest Celebrated Worldwide

"Are we drunk yet?"
Photo by Andreas Steinhoff
What's cold, frothy and disappears during October?

That's right! The answer is beer during Oktoberfest. The 2-week long German beer festival already began and is contributing to a lot of people around the world becoming rosy cheeked and bladder-control impaired.

Munich mayor Christian Ude declared "O'zapft is!" (Bavarian for "It's been tapped") last September 22 thus opening the 2007 Oktoberfest at the Theresienwiese grounds in Munich, Bavaria, Germany.

"Theresienwiese" means "Field of Therese". Now you might ask, who the heck is Therese and what has she to do with a mob in drunken stupor? Before you start imagining sweaty bodies entwined under the stars moaning the name of Therese, here's the real story behind Oktoberfest.

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In 1810, the Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig (later King Ludwig I) tied the knot with the Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. The wedding party started October 12 and ended five days later on October 17 with a grand horse race right at Theresienwise or "d' Wiesn", the site of the modern-day Oktoberfest.

Imagine thousands of beer intoxicated well-wishers trying to pronounce the Princess' name. No wonder the party lasted that long!

Oktoberfest therefore is actually the wedding anniversary celebration of Bavarian royalties - and it's been celebrated for the past 197 years (this despite the many mistresses of King Ludwig). Not only that, the party has expanded all over the world with Oktoberfest and similar beer festivals commemorated in the USA, Canada, Brazil, Hong Kong, Australia, Argentina, Norway, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

The Oktoberfest mania have also invaded cyberspace with the World of Warcraft (WoW) Brewfest. The Orc Horde and the Human Alliance will set down their battle axes and war hammers and raise a toast to the mighty brew starting October 3. Watch the Brewfest Trailer at the World of Warcraft site.

An estimated 6 million people come to Munich for the annual Oktoberfest. The festivities will last until October 7, 2007 so you still have time to chug down your Maß.

For more info on Oktoberfest visit The Wiesn Website.

The 59th Primetime Emmy Awards - "Sopranos" and "30 Rock" Win

It was Television's biggest night but ever bigger for "The Sopranos" as the cast and crew took a few coveted Emmys in what seemed to be a night of tribute for the 10-year run of the recently concluded drama series. Ryan Seacrest hosted the 2007 Emmy Awards which were held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, Sunday night, September 16.

HBO, the home network for "The Sopranos", led over the ABC and NBC TV networks with a total of 21 honors since the Creative Arts Emmys last September 8.

This year's Emmys is also touted to be a first being an eco-friendly carbon-neutral airing of the awards show. The distinction comes as part of the "Green with Emmy" campaign aimed at reducing the carbon footprint the Primetime Emmy Awards have to the global climate. Coincidentally (or not), controversial environmental champion former VP Al Gore was present to receive an award for "Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Television". Mr. Gore along with co-awardee Joel Hyatt began the Current TV cable television network, which airs produced mostly by viewers themselves.

Compared to the results of the Daily Dotventures' Choose "Your Own Emmys!" poll, only the Sopranos win echoed the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards selections. This supports what I've long suspected - that bloggers and web users don't watch television anymore. :)

So here are the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences' 59th Primetime Emmy top winners:

• Drama: "The Sopranos," HBO.
• Comedy: "30 Rock," NBC.
• Actor, Comedy Series: Ricky Gervais, "Extras," HBO.
• Actor, Drama Series: James Spader, "Boston Legal," ABC.
• Actress, Drama Series: Sally Field, "Brothers & Sisters," ABC.
• Actress, Comedy Series: America Ferrera, "Ugly Betty," ABC.

Click here for more information on the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards.

Congratulations to the winners! 'Til the next Emmys.

Tim Burton Awarded Lifetime Achievement at Venice Film Fest

Eccentric American film director Tim Burton of "Edward Scissorhands", "Batman" and "The Nightmare Before Christmas" fame, received the 2007 Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 64th Venice Film Festival. Wednesday, September 5 was dubbed "Tim Burton Day" honoring the infamous director whose work is markedly gothic and unconventional.

Burton's Academy Award nominated "The Nightmare Before Christmas", directed by Henry Selick and considered a landmark film for bringing stop-motion animation back in fashion on the big screen, was shown at the Venice Film Festival remastered in 3D Stereoscopic Digital format - a festival first for the oldest international film event in the world. Disney Digital 3D is set to re-release the 2006 remaster of "Nightmare" by mid-October 2007.

Renowned "Pirates of the Carribean" star Johnny Depp, a long-time collaborator of Burton, presented the Golden Lion to Tim Burton who is currently filming "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" which also features Depp.

The Venice Film Festival celebrates 75 years since it started in 1932. Legendary Italian filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci, known for "Little Buddha" and "Last Tango in Paris", will be receiving the 75th anniversary Golden Lion on September 8 during the closing ceremonies of the illustrious film festival.

Panama Canal Expansion Underway

The government of the Republic of Panama begins an unprecedented expansion of the historic Panama Canal this year as former US President Jimmy Carter attended groundbreaking ceremonies last September 3 at the village of Paraiso. Panama President Martin Torrijos led some 30,000 Panamanians in celebrating the event, which parallels in importance with the Canal's opening on January of 1914.

President Carter is known for signing the Panama Canal Treaty opposite Martin Torrijos' father Gen. Omar Torrijos back in September 7, 1977. The pact effectively turned over control of the Canal to the Panamanians on December 31, 1999.

The 77 kilometer (48 mile) Panama Canal lies at the Isthmus of Panama and is probably the most significant maritime shortcut connecting the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. The famous waterway plays a strategic role in international shipping with an average passage of 14,000 ships transporting some 200 million tons of cargo each year.

With changes in maritime technology allowing larger ships able to hold more cargo, the capacity of the Panama Canal is fast reaching its maximum. A national referendum in October 2006 paved the way for the Panama Canal Expansion Project.

The "Third Set of Locks" mega-project is estimated at $5.2 billion, a hefty bill for the aging shipping route. It is expected to double the capacity of the Canal and is scheduled for completion by 2014 as Panama Canal celebrates a century of serving the international maritime industry.

------------------------------
Thanks to our Panamanian friend Roberto at The Silver People Chronicle. Your earlier comment reminded me to do this story.

Images courtesy of Pancanal.com.

Happy Blog Day!

August 31 is Blog Day 2007 according to the good folks at BlogDday.org. So Happy Blog Day to all!

And here's my Blog-Day-Five:
Slice-of-life - interesting posts on stuff you may never have known existed.
A little piece of me - a personal blog from an endearing "struggler".
Gaje Master Blogging - this blogger knows her blogging stuff!
RockStories - a rocker, a writer and a blogger.
Anne-thology - best performance in a dramatic blog - a very sincere writer

3l08 on people!
BlogDay2007

Gmail Releases Collaborative Video

Some time ago Google's Gmail service invited users to participate in a collaborative video project with the theme "how an email message travels around the world". The rule was to print out the Gmail M-velope and shoot a 10-second sketch with the Gmail-logo-bearing-prop entering the frame from the left and exiting to the right.

After 1,181 YouTube clips from 65 countries, the folks at Gmail finally released the "Gmail: A Behind The Scenes Video".

I so wanted to send a clip myself. My idea was to pay homage to Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather". After all, with all the spamming and phishing and whatnots going on in and about cyberspace, a mafioso figure checking out emails is not so far fetched.

Picture this (in a single tracking shot, no cuts):

Henchman in black suit enters screen left, opens a wooden door, approaches a balding figure behind a finely varnished desk with the back of his plush armchair toward the camera. Henchman moves closer to the "Don" and whispers into his ear, the Don still not visible to the camera. The henchman moves slightly off-cam as the armchair swings around revealing a Brando look-alike staring quizically at the standing henchman. Henchman presents M-velope. The Don smiles a be-moustached grin and nods approvingly as he passes on the M-velope to screen right onto another henchman. Don mouths off "bene, bene" as he waves a traditional goodbye (palm facing himself), as cam dolly's back out of the room, wooden door closes. Fade to black.

Unfortunately, I couldn't get any convincing enough Marlon-Brando-wannabe in my cast. Besides, I doubt whether the Gmail fellas will risk copyright issues when using Nino Rota's "Speak Softly Love" soundtrack theme. Anyway, here is the final "Gmail: A Behind The Scenes Video". Enjoy!

Bloggers Unite! - Blog Against Abuse on 9-27

On September 27, 2007, the blogging community at BlogCatalog.com is spearheading an initiative as part of its ongoing blogging challenge. Its called "Blog Against Abuse".

For the entire 24 hours of that Thursday, 9-27-07, bloggers worldwide are encouraged to blog about an important cause relating to an abuse issue. Its up to the blog author to determine which issue he or she would like to write about.

The goal of the originator is to rally the largest number of bloggers who will post about important issues for one day. While the exercise is certainly not unique, it has already merited the commitment of a few hundred BlogCatalog members.

Organizing a blog-about-something day has been done perhaps since the early days of blogging. Doing a specific search for the term "Blog Day" will yield over a million webpages off Google. There's a "Blogosphere Day" on July 19, another "Blog Day" on August 31, and a "Blog Action Day" on October 15.

Whether or not "Blog Against Abuse" Day becomes a continuing tradition is yet to be seen. Some comments on the related thread at Blog Catalog already shows some sentiments of taking the initiative as a joke or otherwise something that is to be taken lightly. Others have questioned whether the exercise would actually yield any discernible change. Still a few are willing to participate with the simple thought "what's in it for me?"

For me personally, it would be interesting to know what would be the relevant issues common among bloggers come September 27. Would it be domestic violence, child trafficking, unfair labor practices, drugs, environment? Or do blogists even care about any cause at all?

Mark it on your calendars, September 27, Blog Against Abuse Day.
Read about abuse, Blog about abuse, Stop all the abuse.

Naked Protesters Exposes Global Warming

Six hundred volunteers bared all last August 18 in a protest-slash-art-installation in the Aletsch Glacier in Switzerland to raise the alarm on global warming. The controversial staging was a Greenpeace collaboration with American photographer Spencer Tunick who has a knack for drawing hundreds of volunteers to pose nude for his works.

According to the Greenpeace website, the shrinking of the Alpine glaciers is accelerating as a direct result of uncurbed global warming. They estimate that the icy land masses will completely dissapear by the year 2080. It furthermore states that the rate of global warming may become irreversible 8 years from now.

Greenpeace is actively advocating for alternative sources of energy in order to reverse the catastrophic effects of global warming. Visit www.greenpeace.org for more details and how to participate in their "Seven Steps Campaign".

This link may contain sensitive content. DO NOT CLICK if you object to nudity.

Happy Birthday CD!

That's right - the "compact disc" or CD celebrates 25 years - a silver anniversary for that silvery disk the world has come to love and burn.

Philips (PHG) and Sony (SNE) were jointly credited for ushering in the age of digital optical storage on that now too-familiar plastic polycarbonate disk. The first ever CDs came out of a German Philips factory August 17, 1982 carrying the latest recording of ABBA's "The Visitor". It took a while for the format to become widely accepted due largely to the sentimental value of them old vinyl forty-fives and LPs (long playing albums) collected over the years by our elderkind.

By the time the 90's generation caught on, boosted by the computer industry's adoption of the CD format, CD use had spread like wildfire worldwide. Not only that - the CD had diversified to store not only music recordings but also, videos, photos and even text and software files.

For the past quarter century, an estimated 200 billion CDs have been sold, pressed, listened to, viewed, burned, labeled as well as scratched, dropped, chipped or otherwise obliterated in one way or another. It has spawned recent variants with DVDs and Blu-ray Discs. It has served the music and film industry, as well as the IT industry and just about every other business and household which have come across the need or want for digital storage. That there is a well-rounded performance by a circle in a square case.

By human age, the CD is now a young adult. However with the blinding-fast turnover of technology we may just be seeing the CDs farewell in the coming decades (maybe even sooner) as new devices and formats have come to challenge its dominance in the realm of digital entertainment and storage. Already, digital downloads and contraptions like the iPod and MP3/MP4 players have captured a major chunk of the music and video industry such that the CD may just become a relic as what it did to the vinyl albums and VHS movies of yesteryears.

So we bid this lowly spinning platter a salute for 25 years well served. 'Til you're next incarnation or demise, enjoy the remainder of your reign while it lasts.

One Month Countdown to the 2007 Primetime Emmys

Televisions' biggest night is just around the corner. The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences will be rolling out the red carpet once more next month as the stars come out for the 59th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards.

Primetime TV favorites will be pitted against each other for the honor of being distinguished for excellence in their respective categories. The nominees were announced early morning of July 19 amidst wows and woes from TV aficionados and critics. As in past years, many commentators felt that exceptional television programs were again overlooked by the Academy.

The following is a short listing of key categories of the Emmys and the respective nominees. I've indicated my first and second picks. For those who care to voice out their own choices, do participate at The Dotventures Polls (sidebar below) and cast your votes for "Your Own Emmys".

Ahem...and the nominees are...

OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
"Boston Legal"
"Grey's Anatomy"
"Heroes"
"House" (1st pick)
"The Sopranos" (2nd pick)

OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
"Entourage"
"The Office" (1st pick)
"30 Rock" (2nd pick)
"Ugly Betty"
"Two and a Half Men"

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Denis Leary, "Rescue Me"
Hugh Laurie, "House" (1st pick)
James Spader, "Boston Legal"
Kiefer Sutherland, "24" (2nd pick)
James Gandolfini, "The Sopranos"

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Kyra Sedgwick, "The Closer" (1st pick)
Sally Field, "Brothers and Sisters"
Mariska Hargitay, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (2nd pick)
Edie Falco, "The Sopranos"
Minnie Driver, "The Riches"
Patricia Arquette, "Medium"

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
America Ferrera, "Ugly Betty" (2nd pick)
Tina Fey, "30 Rock" (1st pick)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, "The New Adventures of Old Christine"
Felicity Huffman, "Desperate Housewives"
Mary Louise Parker, "Weeds"

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Tony Shalhoub, "Monk" (1st pick)
Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock" (2nd pick)
Ricky Gervais, "Extras"
Steve Carell, "The Office"
Charlie Sheen, "Two and a Half Men"

For a complete list of 2007 Emmy nominations visit the TV Academy website at emmys.tv.

Mark your calendars - the 2007 Primetime Emmys will be held on September 16, Sunday, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California.