Obama inauguration sets off security challenges

WASHINGTON: In a little over a week’s time, history will be made in the heart of the US capital when Barack Obama is sworn in as the nation’s first black president witnessed by millions of jubilant supporters. His inauguration, however, poses security and logistical challenges. Washington will be the proud host of the January 20 inauguration of the 44th president, marking the dawning of a new era ushered in by the wildly popular Obama and drawing the curtains on the controversial reign of George W. Bush. Initial estimates that up to five million people might descend on the sleepy city—population normally around 600,000—have been revised downward to between 1.5 million and two million visitors.

--> The sheer size of the crowds though is posing a logistical challenge to city planners and security agencies who have not seen anything on this scale since the 1965 inauguration of John F. Kennedy’s successor Lyndon Johnson, attended by 1.2 million people.
Officials and Obama’s transition team have spent months since the November 4 elections poring over maps and charts aiming to accommodate the crowds while ensuring they, the president-elect and his family, are kept safe.
Inaugurations date back more than 200 years to the very first one held for George Washington in New York in 1789. But the realities of the 21st century mean each inauguration poses tough new headaches.
Some nine square kilometers, a huge swathe of the downtown area encompassing the White House, the National Mall and the Washington Monument, are being locked down from Monday afternoon until just after dawn on Wednesday.
And the Secret Service has said they will boost existing restrictions on the airspace above the White House and the waterways.
Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will take the oath of office toward midday on Tuesday. Obama will swear on the Bible that once belonged to his avowed hero, assassinated President Abraham Lincoln.
The historic Bible with its gilded edges and burgundy velvet binding is being used for the first time since the 1861 inauguration of Lincoln, the 16th US president who brought about an end to slavery.
“The president-elect is committed to holding an inauguration that celebrates America’s unity, and the use of this historic Bible will provide a powerful connection to our common past and common heritage,” inaugural committee executive director Emmett Beliveau said last month.
Ten huge video screens and 100 loudspeakers are being erected for the crowds who will be kept under the watchful eye of some 8,000 police officers—1,000 more than for Bush’s 2005 swearing in—and 11,500 troops.
After the inauguration on the steps of Capitol Hill, a military parade will march down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House where Obama, wife Michelle and young daughters Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, will take up residence.
But while Obama’s transition team has said the inauguration is for all Americans, securing a place to witness the event, being staged at a cost of some $75 million, may prove tough for even the hardiest souls.
Inauguration-goers will only be able to enter the parade route through 13 designated checkpoints. No backpacks, bottles of water, umbrellas or strollers will be allowed. And crowds will have to stand for hours, on what is likely to be a cold winter’s day.
The city’s hotels and those in the surrounding suburbs in Virginia and Maryland are mostly full, and moving around the city is likely to be a nightmare.
“DC’s subway system . . . is expecting ‘crush-level’ crowds,” inaugural officials said last week.
The festivities are set to continue long into the night as Washington rocks around the clock with a flurry of balls to welcome the new president.
Obama is hosting 10 official balls, but with a galaxy of stars set to light up the day’s events, some of the unofficial balls may well be the place to be seen.
The Creative Coalition, a nonprofit group, has snagged Sting and Elvis Costello to play at their ball set to be attended by such celebrities as Spike Lee, Anne Hathaway, Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon.
Obama also plans to hold a “neighborhood ball” offering cheap tickets to residents in a break with past parties that have usually only catered to a powerful, wealthy elite.
“This is an inauguration for all Americans,” Obama said last week. “I wanted to make sure that we had an event that would be open to our new neighborhood here in Washington, D.C., and also neighborhoods across the country.”
Tuesday morning’s most keenly watched news item though is likely to be the weather report, amid hopes that nothing will rain on Obama’s parade.-- AFP

Guitar Boy

How talented this boy is....

Garbage Collector or Basurero

Touching story to reflect on I would like to share with you.Worth reading it.
God bless your week. Got this story from a forum.

Subject: Basureros
Ever since i was diagnosed that I am having a posible heart
enlargement in the last APE, I have exerted more effort to do physical exercises. I do jogging during week days and do long - ride mountain biking every Sunday.

But this Sunday is a special Sunday to me. While I was on my way to the mountains of Busay (Cebu)hoping to strengtened my heart by this
exercise, instead, I personally encountered a heart- breaking scene that changed
me.

I already passed the Marco Polo Plaza formerly Cebu Plaza Hotel when I decided to stop to buy bananas at a small carinderia located along the road. I haven't taken any solid food that morning so I need fruits to have the needed energy to get to my destination - the mountain top. I am almost done eating with the second banana when I noticed two children across the street busily searching the garbage area. "Basureros" I said to
myself and quickly turn my attention away from them to sip a small amount of water. I cared less for these kind of children actually; to make it straight, I do not like them, and I do not trust them even more. You see, several times I have been a victim to these kind of children who are pretending to be basureros looking for empty bottles and cans when in fact the 'plangganas', 'kalderos', and 'hinayhays' are their favorites.

I remember one afternoon while I was watching a Mike Tyson fight when I noticed that the TV screen suddenly became blurred. I checked outside and saw two young basureros running away with my newly installed antenna.
Hatred may be a little bit stronger word to describe my feeling towards these basureros, but I do not like them honestly not till I met these three children. I was about to embark on my bike again when I heard one of the two children, a girl of about 7 or 8 of age saying aloud to the other , a 12-yr old boy , "kuya si dodong kuha-a kay nag-sige'g tan-aw sa mga nagkaon, mauwaw ta" (kuya si dodong kunin mo kasi tumitingin sa mga kumain, nakakahiya), only then that I noticed a small boy standing near to me biting slightly his finger. He's a few inches shorter if compared to my 5 years old son (but I knew later that he's also 5 yrs. old). Though he did not asked for food to anyone in the carinderia, the way he looked at the customers who were eating, enough to convinced me that he intensely
craving for it. The older boy then quickly crossed the street and
gently pulled out the little one who politely obeyed. As I watched the two crossing back the street to the garbage area, I heard the tindera saying "Lo-oy kaayo nang mga bataa uy, mga buotan ra ba na" (kawawa naman yung mga batang yun mababait pa naman). I learned further from the carinderia owner that the children are from a good family, both parents were working before, and that their father got a stroke 3 years ago and became partially paralized and their mother died of heart
attack while their father was still confined at the hospital. The parents were still in their early forties when the catastrophe happened , and the
children became basureros since then to meet their daily needs and for their father's medication.

Deeply moved by what I heard, I went to a nearby bakery and bought 20 pesos worth of bread and gave it to the children who initially refused including the little boy. "Sige lang noy, salamat na lang, magpalit lang nya mi kung mahalinan na mi" (sige lang po, salamat na lang, bibili na lang po kami mamaya kung makabenta na kami) the young girl said to me. I explained that they need to go home because it started to rain." Naanad na man mi ani " (nasanay na po kami) the girl answered again. Again, I explained that the rain can make them sick and if they'll become
sick there's no one to take care of their father. Upon mentioning their father, they nodded and acccept the bread but I noticed that the older boy did not eat.
When I asked him if he does not like the kind of bread I bought for them he smiled but as he's about to explain, the little girl, who is the more talker of them interrupted, "Domingo man gud ron, noy, basta Sabado ug Domingo hapon ra siya mokaon kami ra ang mokaon ug pamahaw pero dili na pod mi mokaon inig hapon, si kuya ra. Pero basta Lunes ngadto sa Biyernes, kay klase man , si kuya
ra sad ang seguro-on ug papamahaw, kami hapon na sad mi moka-on Pero kung daghan mi ug halin mokaon mi tanan." (Linggo po kasi ngayon, pag
sabado at lingo hapon lang po sya kumakain, kami lang po ang kumakain ng agahan pero di na po kami kakain pagdating ng hapon si kuya lang po. Pero
pag lunes hanggang biyernes, kasi may pasok, si kuya lang po nag-aagahan, kami hapunan lang pero kung marami kaming benta kami pong lahat kumakain) she continued. "Ngano man diay ug mokaon mong tanan, bahinon ninyo bisan ug unsa ka gamay?" (bakit kung kumain kayong lahat, hati-hatiin nyo na lang kahit kunti lang ang pagkain?) I countered.
The young girl reasoned out that their father wanted that her older
brother to come to school with full stomachs so he can easily catch up the teacher's lessons. "Inig ka trabaho ni kuya mo undang na man mi ug pamasura, first honor baya na siya" (pag nagkatrabaho si kuya, hihinto
kami sa pamamasura, first honor kasi sya) the little boy added proudly.

Maybe I was caught by surprise or I am just overly emotional that my tears started to fall. I then quickly turned my back from them to hide my tears and pretended to pick up my bike from the carinderia where I left it.

I don't know how many seconds or minutes I spent just to compose myself; pretending again this time that I was mending by bike.

Finally I get on to my bike and approached the three children to bid goobye to them who in turn cast their grateful smiles at me. I then took a good look at all of them specially to the small boy and pat his head with a pinch in my heart. Though I believe that their positive look at life can easily change their present situation, there is one thing that they can never change; that is , their being motherless. That little boy can no longer taste the sweet embrace, care, and most of all, the love of his mother forever. Nobody can refill the empty gap created by that sudden and untimely death of their mother. Every big events that will happen to their lives will only remind them and make them wish of their mother's
presence.

I reached to my pocket and handed to them my last 100 peso bill which I reserved for our department's bowling tournament. This time they refused strongly but I jokingly said to the girl "sumbagon ta ka on kung di nimo dawaton" (suntukin kita dyan pag hindi mo tinanggap yan). She smiled
as she extended her hand to take the money." Salamat noy makapalit gyud me ron ug tambal ni papa" (salamat po, makakabili
kami nito ng gamot ni papa) she uttered. I then turned to the small boy and though he's a few feet away from me, I still noticed that while his right hand was holding the half - filled sack, his
left hand was holding a toy, a worn out toy car. I waved my hands and said bye bye to him as I drove towards the mountains again. Did he just found the toy in the garbage area or the toy was originally his - when the
misfortune did not took place yet? - I did not bother to ask. But one thing is crystal clear to me, that inspite of the boy's abnormal life, he did not given up his childhood completely. I can sense it that way he hold and stare at his toy. My meeting with that young basureros made me poorer by 100 pesos. But they changed me and made me more richer as to lessons of life are
concerned.

In them, I learned that life can changed suddenly and may caught me flat footed. In them, I've learned that even the darkest side of life, cannot change the beauty of one's heart. Those three children, who sometimes
cannot eat three times a day, still able to hold on to what they believe was right. And what a contrast to most of us who are quick to point out to our misfortunes when caught with our mistakes. In them, I've
learned to hope for things when things seem to go the other way.

Lastly, I know that God cares for them far more than I do. That
though He allowed them to experience such a terrible life which our finite minds cannot comprehend, His unquestionable love will surely follow them
through.

And in God's own time they will win.

Microsoft Released the Official Windows 7 beta build 7000

Microsoft Released the Official Windows 7 beta build 7000

Yesterday night Microsoft released the official beta build 7000 version on Microsoft Evaluation Center. Here is the link to download page :
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/dd353205.aspx

Microsoft sent to a select group of testers on December 16 invitations to participate in Windows 7 Beta 1.

Individuals who received the invites are considered “tech beta testers.” From the note Microsoft sent to the invitees:

“While (the Windows 7) beta will not be available until early 2009 we, know you are excited to get started so we have opened the microsoft.beta.win7.lobby (on the Microsoft Connect site) so you may begin renewing acquaintances with previous participants as well as meeting new testing peers. After accepting the invitation, you will be able to sign into Microsoft Connect and click on the ‘Windows 7 Beta Program’ link for more information on accessing the newsgroups.

“As well, to better understand our audience and how we are asking you to complete the following three surveys to tell us about yourself. Each survey has 20-40 questions and each should take you approximately 20-30 minutes to complete. You don’t have to take them all at once nor do you have to do it right now. We ask though that at some point you find time to complete them. As a thank-you for completing these prior to the end of the calendar year (Prior to January 1st, 2009) each participant who completes all three surveys (or indicates ‘already taken’) will be put into a drawing and five winners selected to receive some Windows 7 logo’ed toys!”

Beta 1 will be the first — and I’ve heard only — Windows 7 test build that Microsoft plans to make available to the public. I asked Microsoft how long after the tech beta testers get their code will the company make Beta 1 available to the public. No word back yet.

Update: Microsoft declined to comment on when a public release of Beta 1 would occur. A spokesperson also declined to comment on how many folks will be part of the Windows 7 Beta 1 tech beta tester pool.

Microsoft officials said at the Professional Developers Conference that the company was planning to release Windows 7 Beta 1 in early 2009. My ZDNet blogging colleague Ed Bott has put a stake in the ground with his prediction of a January 13, 2009 Beta 1 release date.

Until quite recently, Microsoft was planning to make Windows 7 Beta 1 available to the public just before Christmas. Just last month, a few folks told me the Windows 7 team was slated to do its “beta engineering signoff” on December 10. A one-week internal Windows 7 beta release was slated for December 11 to 17. And Windows 7 “beta product availability” was scheduled to commence on December 17. That December 17 date was for the public Windows 7 Beta 1, I was told by various sources.

If Microsoft is now planning to get tech beta testers code in the new year, I’d expect that the final Windows 7 release could be slightly later than the mid-2009 date I’ve been hearing for the past several weeks. But word is the Windows 7 team is still tracking to get the code to PC makers in time for them to preload it on new PCs for the holiday 2009 season.

ZDNet - December 16, 2008

$25 boy

$25 boy

A man came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find his 5-year old son waiting for him at the door.

SON: 'Daddy, may I ask you a question?'

DAD: 'Yeah sure, what it is?' replied the man.

SON: 'Daddy, how much do you make an hour?'

DAD: 'That's none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?' the man said angrily.

SON: 'I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?'

DAD: 'If you must know, I make $50 an hour.'

SON: 'Oh,' the little boy replied, with his head down.

SON: 'Daddy, may I please borrow $25?'

The father was furious, 'If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you are being so selfish. I don't work hard everyday for such childish frivolities. '

The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door.

The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy's questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money?

After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down , and started to think:

Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $25.00 and he really didn't ask for money very often The man went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door.

'Are you asleep, son?' He asked.

'No daddy, I'm awake,' replied the boy.

'I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier' said the man. 'It's been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you. Here's the $25 you asked for.'

The little boy sat straight up, smiling. 'Oh, thank you daddy!' he yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills.

The man saw that the boy already had money, started to get angry again.

The little boy slowly counted out his money, and then looked up at his father.

'Why do you want more money if you already have some?' the father grumbled.

'Because I didn't have enough, but now I do,' the little boy replied.

'Daddy, I have $50 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you.'

The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little son, and he begged for his forgiveness.

It's just a short reminder to all of you working so hard in life. We should not let time slip through our fingers without having spent some time with those who really matter to us, those close to our hearts. Do remember to share that $50 worth of your time with someone you love.

If we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of hours. But the family & friends we leave behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives.

Pinoy Twilight aka Takipsilim Hindi daw totoo

Mariing pinabulaanan ni Rayver Cruz at Shaina Magdayao at iba pang mga nadawit sa Pinoy Version ng Twilight Movie na magkakaroon ng sila ng TV project na tatawaging Takipsilim.

Unang lumabas ang isyung ito sa Yeyey.Com kung saan tinalakay ng isa nilang Entertainment Editor na ang dalawang sikat na artista ng ABS-CBN (Rayver & Shaina) ay gaganap daw diumano ng Filipino Version ng kinabubuwangan ng kabataang pelikula ngayon na Twilight.

Nainterview din ng Entertainment Live (ABS-CBN) ang diumano’y magiging direktor ng Takipsilim (ang magiging titulo daw ng Twilight Pinoy Version) na si Direk Cathy Garcia Molina at tumanggi din ito na magkakaroon sila ng ganoong klaseng proyekto. Lalo’t sa Pebrero pa daw sana maguumpisa ng shoot, kung saan namay may nakaplano na daw siyang isang proyekto at hindi nya naman daw kakayaning gumawa ng dalawang pelikulang/ serye magkasabay.

Nabanggit pa ni Shaina Magdayao na ang photo na ginamit sa pekeng Takipsilim poster, ay ang kuha nya pa noong siyang magdedebut.

Di kaya’y taga-ABS-CBN din ang nagphotoshop ng poster para magkaroon lang sila ng ideya kung magugustuhan ng mga tao ang Twilight TV Series Pinoy Version? Ika nga sa politika, “testing the waters” tingnan lang muna nila kung profitable? May nailabas nang statement ang ABS-CBN nung Disyembre ukol dito, ngunit tuloy parin ang negatibong komento galing sa mga iba’t ibang website.

——————————————————————–

Twilight the Movie Cast

Kristen Stewart (Bella Swan)
Robert Pattinson (Edward Cullen)
Billy Burke (Charlie Swan)
Peter Facinelli (Dr. Carlisle Cullen)
Elizabeth Reaser (Esme Cullen)
Nikki Reed (Rosalie Hale)
Ashley Greene (Alice Cullen)
Jackson Rathbone (Jasper Hale)
Kellan Lutz (Emmett Cullen)
Cam Gigandet (James)
Edi Gathegi (Laurent)
Rachelle Lefevre (Victoria)
Anna Kendrick (Jessica)
Taylor Lautner (Jacob Black)
Sarah Clarke (Renee)
Gil Birmingham (Billy Black)
Christian Serratos (Angela)
Justin Chon (Eric)
Michael Welch (Mike Newton)
Jose Zuniga (Mr. Molina)
Ned Bellamy (Waylon)

Takipsilim TV Series Cast

Rayver Cruz (Edward Cullen)
Shaina Magdayao (Bella Swan)
Valeen Montenegro (Alice Cullen)
Gabby Concepcion (Dr. Carlisle Cullen)
Luis Manzano (Emmett Cullen)
Al Tantay (Charlie Swan)
Yayo Aguila (Renee Dwyer)
Fred Payawan (Jacob Black)
Carlos Agassi (James)
Chin Chin Gutierrez (Esme Cullen)
Karylle (Rosalie Hale)
Joross Gamboa (Jasper Hale)
Jessy Mendiola (Jessica Stanley)
Empress Schuck (Angela Weber)
Brad Murdoch (Laurent)
Nikki Bacolod (Victoria)
Aaron Villaflor (Mike Newton)

Pinoy Twilight aka Takipsilim Hindi daw totoo Pinoy Twilight aka Takipsilim Hindi daw totoo Pinoy Twilight aka Takipsilim Hindi daw totoo Pinoy Twilight aka Takipsilim Hindi daw totoo Pinoy Twilight aka Takipsilim Hindi daw totoo Pinoy Twilight aka Takipsilim Hindi daw totoo Pinoy Twilight aka Takipsilim Hindi daw totoo Pinoy Twilight aka Takipsilim Hindi daw totoo Pinoy Twilight aka Takipsilim Hindi daw totoo Pinoy Twilight aka Takipsilim Hindi daw totoo Pinoy Twilight aka Takipsilim Hindi daw totoo Pinoy Twilight aka Takipsilim Hindi daw totoo

The official new 7 wonders of the world

The official new 7 wonders of the world were chosen by over 100 million voters worldwide. The result is accumulated from online, SMS and telephone voting. It was officially announced in Lisbon, Portugal on Saturday, July 7, 2007 - 07.07.07.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I proudly present the OFFICIAL NEW 7 WONDERS OF THE WORLD(in random order):

1. The Pyramid at Chichén Itzá (before 800 A.D.) Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

2. Christ Redeemer (1931) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

3. The Roman Colosseum (70-82 A.D.) Rome, Italy

4. The Great Wall of China (220 B.C and 1368 - 1644 A.D.) China

5. Machu Picchu (1460-1470), Peru

6. Petra (9 B.C. - 40 A.D.), Jordan

7. The Taj Mahal (1630 A.D.) Agra, India

Philippines is not on the list, but don’t be sad, there’s an ongoing campaign to vote for the NEW 7 WONDERS OF NATURE. Voting will resume until January 07, 2009. If you want to know more about this, just visit the official website of New 7 Wonders, http://www.new7wonders.com. We have something to be proud there, so I urge everybody to vote for our entries. Let’s see who will make it to the new 7 wonders of nature. Cross Finger for our country, Philippines