rePost:Public Transpo Rant!:Business – Prius to hit Philippine roads by June – INQUIRER.net

2004-2007 Toyota Prius photographed in USA.
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The mortgage of my parents latest vehicle is going to be paid by next year that’s why in total consumer cliche behavior we are beginning to think of our next car. The Prius is probably going to be very expensive hope my parents can afford it. As for me. Public transport is still the best way to bring people with the least amount of carbon emissions and gas usage. I may only be one but I vote with my peso and ride only the best busses to promote investment in this underserved sector of the Philippine services part of the GDP. Hope more people do because as long as we tolerate overburdened, second rate, second hand 20 year old buses from Japan, people who can buy cars would always prefer buying one.
If public transport:
-ran just a little late (10 minute car ride becomes 20, versus the now, 10 car ride is an hour ),
-meant I get to sit down during rush hours(versus the forced to stand up)
-meant standard fares and intelligible fare matrices, so I don’t get irritated by rider and bus conductors fighting over 1-4 peso difference in fare.
-meant exclusive lanes or congestion pricing. Because the volume of traffic in manila is unsustainable and old cars are just too cheap, we must discourage these jalopy or at least level the playing field. I like the way Singapore handles this. You have to have a garage and your car can only be used for a fixed number of years.
-meant less pollution , which means the Department Of Health would no longer warn the public from biking to work because of the health risk associated with lung/repiratory diseases.
I could go on but I detect a mild rantiness in my writing probably due to me being very sick with fever and flu yesterday, and the ton of work I have to Do

Prius to hit Philippine roads by June
By Abigail L. Ho Philippine Daily Inquirer First Posted 03:41:00 03/11/2009
Filed Under: Automotive Equipment
MANILA, Philippines — Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. plans to bring the Prius hybrid car to the Philippines by June, amid global efforts to come up with ways to limit carbon dioxide emissions, a company official said.
The company “very recently” got the go-ahead from Toyota Motor Corp. in Japan to bring the Prius over, its vice chairman Alfred Ty said.
Business – Prius to hit Philippine roads by June – INQUIRER.net.

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rePost:Draconian Anti Internet Free Speech Laws in Thailand:Global Voices Online » Thailand: Web director arrested for “allowing offensive comments”

Hot And Sweaty Thai
Image by longhairthai.com via Flickr

I find te thai a wonderful people full of warmth and hospitality(next to Filipinos). It is sad that the Thai people still live under such draconian oppressive laws, although I understand why there are laws such as these, a kind of command responsibility concept, It is unfortunate that the government does not realize that the price for responsibility is more than the pound of flesh they exact on the service providers . They are stiffling that which makes humans unique. Thought and creativity.

In Thailand, there is a “draconian” computer crime bill that states that any service provider who deliberately let a third party post anything that violates the law is also subject to the same liability as the person who committed the offense. Excerpts from the 2007 Computer Crime Act which the Prachatai editor allegedly violated:
Global Voices Online » Thailand: Web director arrested for “allowing offensive comments”.

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rePost: RIP to Francis Magalona:GMANews.TV – 'Eat Bulaga' contestant bags P1-M jackpot; Joey owes it to Francis M – Entertainment – Official Website of GMA News and Public Affairs – Latest Philippine News – BETA

FrancisM at The Community Philippine Hip-Hop S...
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Condolence to the family! I prey you find peace!

Eat Bulaga‘ contestant bags P1-M jackpot; Joey owes it to Francis M
03/06/2009 | 03:29 PM
MANILA, Philippines – The somber set of “Eat Bulaga” suddenly burst into excitement after a lucky contestant won the P1-million jackpot prize on Friday afternoon.
“Eat Bulaga” host Joey de Leon owed Windy’s lucky win to fellow host and Master Rapper Francis “Kiko” Magalona who had succumbed to leukemia earlier in the day.
Hoy, Kiko, andyan ka ba, Kiko? Nagbiro si Kiko! [Hey Kiko are you there? Kiko is playing us!]” De Leon said.
GMANews.TV – ‘Eat Bulaga’ contestant bags P1-M jackpot; Joey owes it to Francis M – Entertainment – Official Website of GMA News and Public Affairs – Latest Philippine News – BETA.

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-No To Right Of Reply Bill-GMANews.TV – Media groups vow stiff defense against RORB – Nation – Official Website of GMA News and Public Affairs – Latest Philippine News – BETA

FHM-Lusia
Image by BlueJeff via Flickr

The right of reply bil would like to ensure that the party referred to by a media report has a law defined right to air his side. Its all fine and good in theory but let’s analyze this in its proper context and we would realize that like libel it is another tool that powerful people use to suppress the truth and/or bullying by the media. Ordinary people like me do not have the resources to hire lawyers to try to sue people for libel or if this becomes law try to force media organizations to air my side. Generalizing this, although I have been extremely critical of the Philippine media, the toolset of powerful people in the Philippines would be the only one that is helped by this bill.

Media groups vow stiff defense against RORB
03/04/2009 | 09:02 AM
MANILA, Philippines – After failing to come to terms with lawmakers, media groups vowed Wednesday to stage a “man-to-man” defense against the passage of the Right of Reply Bill in Congress.
National Press Club president Benny Antiporda said they will not allow the passage of the RORB, which he likened to a “beautiful woman with AIDS.”
GMANews.TV – Media groups vow stiff defense against RORB – Nation – Official Website of GMA News and Public Affairs – Latest Philippine News – BETA.

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rePost-Hope This Does Not Come To Pass-Foreign Policy In Focus | Asia: The Coming Fury

Map of the dominant ethnolinguistic groups of ...
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I’ve admired Prof Bello for a long time. I’ve enjoyed stories about him tearing celebrity professors a new one(Celebrity professors/acamedics tend to be more in the communications field and tend to be less in the academic world!).But I sure hope he is wrong about this! Thanks to Angry Bear for the liunk

The Coming Fury
The sudden end of the export era is going to have some ugly consequences. In the last three decades, rapid growth reduced the number living below the poverty line in many countries. In practically all countries, however, income and wealth inequality increased. But the expansion of consumer purchasing power took much of the edge off social conflicts. Now, with the era of growth coming to an end, increasing poverty amid great inequalities will be a combustible combination.
In China, about 20 million workers have lost their jobs in the last few months, many of them heading back to the countryside, where they will find little work. The authorities are rightly worried that what they label “mass group incidents,” which have been increasing in the last decade, might spin out of control. With the safety valve of foreign demand for Indonesian and Filipino workers shut off, hundreds of thousands of workers are returning home to few jobs and dying farms. Suffering is likely to be accompanied by rising protest, as it already has in Vietnam, where strikes are spreading like wildfire. Korea, with its tradition of militant labor and peasant protest, is a ticking time bomb. Indeed, East Asia may be entering a period of radical protest and social revolution that went out of style when export-oriented industrialization became the fashion three decades ago.
Walden Bello is a Foreign Policy In Focus columnist, a senior analyst at the Bangkok-based Focus on the Global South, president of the Freedom from Debt Coalition, and a professor of sociology at the University of the Philippines.
Foreign Policy In Focus | Asia: The Coming Fury.

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-rePost-Welcome to Jeepney Tours – Discover the best of Manila with Jeepneytours

A colourfull jeepney in Quezon City on the cro...
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This looks interesting! might try this sometime this summer!

Welcome to Manila Allow us to provide you with more than a great way to travel around the capital onboard a cultural icon of the Philippines, the Jeepney
The Jeepney is a unique transportation that can only be found in the Philippines. It was originally made from the US military jeeps that were left to the Filipinos after World War II, giving it the powerful engine of an army jeep. Due to Filipino ingenuity, the body was remodeled by adding some metal roofs and decorating it with vibrant colors. It has rapidly emerged as a creative and popular means of public transportation.
To allow the travelers to enjoy a more comfortable ride, we custom-made a luxurious 20-seater jeepney equipped with air conditioner, cooler and a tour facilitator. In the event of a traffic jam, fret not as we have a videoke system onboard to keep you entertained during the entire duration of your trip
The Jeepney Tours is an essential introduction to Manila in a fun and informative way and it links you to the attractions of the city. We invite you to experience all the magical sights and sounds of Manila in an entertaining, comfortable and secure environment.
You cannot say that you’ve been to Manila if you don’t ride a Jeepney
Travel with us and discover the best of Manila
Jeepney Features:
• Airconditioned Jeepney
• 20 seating capacity
• Videoke system onboard
• Cooler
Welcome to Jeepney Tours – Discover the best of Manila with Jeepneytours.

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Going to Kuala Lumpur!

Official seal of Kuala Lumpur
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hehe,
I just booked tickets to Kuala Lumpur, Now just have to find return flights either from singapore or from KL.
Chuck is presenting a paper in June on an asian math conference and he invited me to tag along.
I didn’t even bat an eye! Yes!!!
I’m singing to my self right now! I’m so excited and I just can’t hide it come on come one! YEAH!

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