Anti-Planking Act of 2011 filed by QC congressman

Anti-Planking Act of 2011 proposed in the Philippines

House Bill 5316 otherwise known as the Anti-Planking Act of 2011, which will prohibit student groups to perform planking (the act of lying face down publicly on any surface which became an internet craze) during street rallies, has been filed by Congressman Winston Castelo of Quezon City in the House of Representatives after a group of student protesters caused traffic disruptions when they did the act in Manila last Monday.

In the bill's explanatory note, Cong. Castello said, “Parents and teachers have reason to be alarmed if these similar protest actions will have as a scheme and scene otherwise warm and living bodies laid down across street highways as though they were offerings to the gods.”

“The parent in me tells me that this precedent in the case of the this massive transport strike where militant street protesters who are students of various schools have to lie down or serve as ‘planks’ across the road to disrupt what should be normal traffic could just be very dangerous in the future. Life and limb are pretty much at risks here were unbelieving bus drivers or law enforcement authorities might just ram through these warm and living bodies rolled out on highways,” Castelo added.

"The bill would not criminalized planking." Cong. Castello said. "There is no penalty clause. Only administrative sanction from their school. I was a UP student joining rallies then. I respect the rights of students to express grievances. I learn from them. I recognize the constitutional guarantee to freedom of expression. However, as a parent I can not compromise the safety of rallyist and general public. As a lawmaker we are mandated by our sworn duty to protect everyone's welfare."

Check out below the body of the proposed Anti-Planking Act of 2011:

AN ACT PRESCRIBING A UNIVERSAL CODE OF STUDENT CONDUCT WHEREBY PLANKING BY A STUDENT OR GROUP OF STUDENTS DURING STREET RALLIES OR SIMILAR PROTEST ACTIONS AS A FORM OF REDRESS OF GRIEVANCE BE STRICTLY PROHIBITED AND APPLYING APPROPRIATE SANCTIONS THEREOF

September 20th, 2011

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. This Act shall be known as the “Anti-Planking Act of 2011”.

SEC. 2. A universal Code of Student Conduct is hereby prescribed where planking as a form of redress of grievance be strictly prohibited and appropriate sanctions be applied for violations thereof.

SEC. 3. Under this Act, planking is when a student or group of students lies face down in unusual locations especially in streets or other public places, keeping the hands along the body and the feet outstretched and especially where such act is meant as a form of redress of grievance against government. noypistuff

SEC. 4 Every bonafide student from any school, college or university shall conduct himself with high degree of discipline and propriety.

SEC. 5. The Department of Education in the case of elementary and high school students and the Commission on Higher Education in the case of college students shall draft a universal Code of Student Conduct to carry out the provisions of this Act.

Further, DepEd and CHED, respectively shall issue appropriate rules and regulations to effectively carry out intent and purpose of this Act.

SEC. 6. This Act shall take effect ninety (90) days after its publication in the Official Gazette and in at least three (3) newspapers of general circulation.

Last Ford Crown Victoria rolls off Canadian assembly line

Last Ford Crown Victoria rolls off

The last Ford Crown Victoria, a four-door sedan that has been a popular police car and taxi cab model for three decades, has rolled off at Ford's St. Thomas Assembly plant in Ontario, Canada Thursday.

A Ford spokesperson told the New York Times that the last Crown Victoria, which is colored white and has the VIN number that reads 2FABP7CW8CX104292, will not join the numerous taxis in North America but will be exported to Mexico or Saudi Arabia.

With the end of production of the full-size rear wheel drive body-on-frame platform for the Crown Victoria and Lincoln Town Car, Ford is promoting the Ford Taurus and Lincoln MKS flagships for consumers. Ford is also promoting the Transit Connect Taxicab to replace the Crown Victoria for urban taxi cab usage. Some taxi operators have expressed concerns about replacing the roomy Crown Victoria with smaller, more compact vehicles, due to a "bumpier, more cramped ride" and "knee-bumping back seats and flimsier frames". For police pursuit use, Ford is promoting the Ford Taurus Police Interceptor and the Ford Explorer interceptor to replace the Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor.

Iran to free US hikers jailed for espionage and illegal entry

Iran to free US hikers | Photo: Jagran.com

Two American hikers held in prison in Iran since 2009 on charges of spying and entering country illegally will be released "in a couple of days," according to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

"I am helping to arrange for their release in a couple of days so they will be able to return home. This is, of course, going to be a unilateral humanitarian gesture," Ahmadinejad told The Washington Post.

US hikers Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal were sentenced to an eight-year imprisonment last month after they were convicted of espionage by an Iranian court. The two were arrested near the mountainous Iraq-Iran border in July 2009, along with a third American, Sarah Shour, who was granted bail on humanitarian and medical grounds and was released in September 2010.

Conjoined twins separated successfully after 13-hour operation

Conjoined twins separated successfully | Photo: WREG

Conjoined twins Joshua and Jacob Spates were successfully separated during a life saving surgery in Memphis, recently.

The conjoined twins were born on January 24 and were separated during a grueling 13-hour operation at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital on August 29 in what hospital officials called the most complex procedure ever performed in the history of the facility.

Doctors reportedly waited until the twins were seven months old to perform the daring surgery so that they could simulate the surgery and rehearse the delicate procedure. The medical professionals reportedly practiced on beanie babies and cabbage patch dolls sewn together.

"Everyone laughed about the dolls ... but by the time the day of the surgery came, you would have thought we'd been doing it a long time," Joel Saltzman, director of pediatric anesthesiology at the hospital, told Associated Press.

The way Joshua and Jacob were joined makes them pygopagus twins, a rare form of conjoined twins in which the bodies are joined back to back at the pelvis and lower spine but each have their own heart, head and limbs. Pygopagus twins represent about 15 percent of all conjoined twins

After the surgery on August 29, doctors said the twins have health problems that will require ongoing treatment, but said they hope both will be able to walk with braces.

Joshua and Jacob were identified as conjoined twins prenatally through an ultrasound and were delivered via Caesarean section at 34th week to prevent further complications.

According to reports, conjoined twins account for only about one in 200,000 live births, and the vast majority of conjoined twins who survive long enough to be separated are girls.

White Castle sued by obese customer for booth size

White Castle, an American fast food hamburger restaurant chain, has been sued by a 290-pound man from New York, claiming that White Castle has repeatedly broke promises to make their booths bigger to fit persons of his size.

Martin Kessman | Photo: DailyWhat

Martin Kessman, a 64-year-old stockbroker, has filed a federal lawsuit against White Castle, 2 years after complaining to the corporate office about the size of the seats at a White Castle brach in Nanuet, N.Y.  He added in the lawsuit that he only received "condescending responses" along with free hamburger coupons and false promises to increase the booth size.

Kessman's lawsuit reportedly claims that White Castle could not accommodate a customer of his stature which is in violation of the Americans With Disabilities Act. The suit seeks bigger chairs be made available in the restaurants and unspecified damages.

White Castle spokeswoman Jamie Richardson told the New York Post that Kessman could have asked a store manager for a regular chair.

82-year-old man celebrates his Bar Mitzvah

Bar Mitzvah

An 82-year-old Holocaust survivor who now resides in Florida held his Bar Mitzvah over the weekend.

Bar Mitzvah is a coming of age ritual traditionally extended to Jewish boys as they reach the age of 13.

Sol Laufer, however, missed his Bar Mitzvah 70 years ago since the Nazis placed him and his family into a Jewish ghetto during World War II. All of Laufer's family died in the Holocaust.

"I am doing this to proclaim to the Nazis that they did not succeed," 82-year-old Sol Laufer told ABC 7. "Here I am, after all of that. I am healthy, I have a nice family, and I am having a Bar Mitzvah."

Witnessed by his wife, three children, and six grand children, Laufer's Bar Mitzvah ceremony was reportedly held at the Chabad of Sarasota Saturday.

iPhone 5 concept features video a hit on Youtube

"iPhone 5 Concept Features," this is the title of the Youtube video that is currently making the rounds on the worldwide web. It showcases the possible features of the much-awaited Apple iPhone 5 - ultra-thin design, laser keyboard and holographic display. But of course, those technology are not yet available as of the present time, thus the said iPhone 5 features aren't real.

Screenshots of the "iPhone 5 Concept Features"Video on Youtube

The said iPhone 5 video was uploaded just barely 3 weeks ago but amazingly it has attracted more than 14.5 million views on Youtube already as of this writing. This only suggests that people from all over the world can't anymore wait to have their hands on the iPhone 5.

Check out the said iPhone 5 video below:

"iPhone 5 Concept Features" | Video courtesy of "AstmaStudio"

Here's the description attached to the clip:

Amazing Concept iPhone 5. This CG iPhone 5 has advanced iPhone features such as a sleeker iPhone design, a laser keyboard & holographic display all rolled into this iPhone 5 video.

The computer generated Concept iPhone 5 features is an exponential leap to the iPhone 4 or iPhone 3gs of today.

We hope you enjoy this iPhone 5 video more than the current trend of iPhone 5 rumors such as iPhone 5 leaked and iPhone 5 unboxing videos. Apple is yet to make the iPhone 5 announcement. So have your fill of this new iPhone video before the iPhone 5 release.

Soundtrack "Movement Proposition" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons "Attribution 3.0"

A Ducking Cool Auto-Correct Love Song from College Humor

College Humor has come up with a clever love song about the annoying Auto Correct feature of mobile phones, specifically the iPhone.

If your phone has this feature, you can so relate on this one and perhaps will give you a good love (I mean *laugh). Check it out below :D

Auto-Correct Love Song courtesy of College Humor

Founded by New York-based InterActiveCorp, College Humor produces original comedy videos and features them on its website including funny articles written by its staff. It also has a show on MTV called "The College Humor Show."

Alaska Volcano Observatory raises Aviation Color Code to Orange, Alert Level to Watch for Mount Cleveland

The Alaska Volcano Observatory has raised Cleveland Volcano's Aviation Color Code to Orange and the Alert Level to Watch following observations that the small lava dome in its summit crater has resumed growth and now fills the floor of the crater.

Alaska's Cleveland Volcano | Courtesy of the Alaska Volcano Observatory

Observers from the Alaska Volcano Observatory added that there is a persistent thermal anomaly that has been observed since September 3, probably marking the timing of resumed lava dome growth.

As of August 30, the size of the dome when it appeared to have stopped growing was approximately 80 meters (262 feet)in diameter. On September 6, the dome measured approximately 120 meters (394 feet) in diameter.

Scientists from the Alaska Volcano Observatory said that if dome growth continues, lava flows onto the flanks of the volcano may develop but would not be hazardous to aviation. They explained that the presence of the lava dome increases the possibility of an explosive eruption, but does not necessarily indicate that one will occur. Short-lived explosions could produce an ash cloud that exceeds 20,000 ft above sea level. These events can occur without warning and may go undetected in satellite imagery for hours, the scientists added.

Cleveland Volcano, a 1,730 m (5,676 ft) high land mass situated in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, is one of the most active of the 75 or more volcanoes in the larger Aleutian Arc. It has reportedly erupted at least 21 times in the last 230 years. Its most recent eruption was in July 2011.

65,000 calls made by Dutch woman to ex-boyfriend gets her arrested

65,000 calls send woman to jail | Photo: Tele111

65,000 calls (approximately 178 calls per day or 7 calls per hour). That's how many phone calls a Dutch woman made to her former boyfriend in the past year, prompting the latter to call the police for help.

The 62-year-old man from The Hague, Holland recently filed a police complaint due to non-stop phone calls from his 42-year-old ex-girlfriend.

The woman was already arrested and charged with stalking. Several cell phones of hers as well as her computers were also confiscated from her residence in Rotterdam.

At a preliminary hearing, the woman reportedly claimed that she had a relationship with the man and that the 62,000 calls were not excessive. However, the man refuted the claim.

The court had ordered her not to contact him again.

Seven dogs eat their owner in Indonesia

Skull of the man eaten by his dogs in Indonesia

Abandoned for two weeks, seven dogs ate their owner Andre Lumboga alive when he returned home, several news sites reported Wednesday.

The incident reportedly happened in Indonesia Wednesday last week. The dead body of the 50-year old man was discovered on Monday after a neighborhood guard smelt a foul odor and noticed that the luggage of Lumboga were still at the front of his house.

"His skull was found in the kitchen, and his body was found in the front of his house," Eriyana, a local police chief in Batam, an island off Sumatra, told VIVAnews website.

"We suspect that the dogs were hungry, so they attacked Andre, because they had not been fed for 14 days," the police added.

According to Reuters, Lumboga is a native of Sulawesi island, "a predominantly Christian area, where the local spicy diet is famous in Indonesia for including dogs, bats and forest rats."

Giant crocodile captured in the Philippines becomes an internet sensation

Photo of the giant crocodile caught in Agusan del Sur

The giant crocodile caught alive in Agusan del Sur, Philippines recently has become an instant sensation online. With his videos on Youtube amassing more than 800K hits and the Yahoo article about his capture getting more than 150K Facebook recommends and 4K tweets, Lolong (name given to the giant croc) is no doubt the newest internet celebrity.

Suspected in attacking a fisherman and a water buffalo, the huge reptile, a male saltwater crocodile, was captured over the weekend after 3 weeks of hunt. It measures 21 feet (6.4-meter) in length and weighs 1-ton (2,370 pounds, 1,075 kilograms)! It is believed to be the biggest crocodile ever captured in the world in recent years.

According to the Guinness World Records, the largest crocodile in captivity was caught in Australia. It measures 17 feet 11.75 inches (5.48 meters). There were also reports of a 6.2-meter(20.3-foot) male crocodile that was killed in Papua New Guinea in 1982. With that said, Lolong would easily surpass the largest captive crocodile.

Lolong is soon to become the "biggest attraction" in a nature park in Agusan del Sur, a town mayor said.

Meanwhile, villagers and experts are still continuing their hunt for another crocodile which is believed to be larger.

*Photo courtesy of Facebook and its original owner

IHOP Shooting: Gunman kills 4, self in Nevada

Eduardo Sencion, IHOP shooting gunman

The IHOP shooting incident in Carson City, Nevada Tuesday has left 4 people dead, including the gunman. Eight other individuals were reportedly injured in the shooting spree.

Carrying an AK-47-type assault rifle and reloading it at least once, Eduardo Sencion, 32, walked into the IHOP restaurant and opened fire, killing 4 and wounding 8. Among the dead were reportedly three National Guardsmen and a civilian female.

According to reports, Sencion then turned the rifle on himself eight minutes into the shooting. He was rushed to the Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead two hours later.

The motive of the gunman still remains unknown. One police officer said Sencion might have had some "mental issues." Investigation, however, is still undergoing.

At least 30 people were reportedly at IHOP and its vicinity when the shooting incident happened.

Giant crocodile has an even larger mate: wildlife official

The giant crocodile that was captured alive in the Philippines over the weekend is believed to have an even larger mate.

Giant crocodile caught alive in the Philippines | Video courtesy of "popis191"

Despite the capture of the one-ton saltwater crocodile, villagers and expert hunters continue their hunt for a possibly larger one.

"There is a bigger one, and it could be the one creating problems," wildlife official Ronnie Sumiller told The Associated Press

"The villagers were saying 10 percent of their fear was gone because of the first capture," Sumiller said. "But there is still the other 90 percent to take care of."

It took about 100 men to pull the huge saltwater crocodile measuring 21 feet long from a river in Barangay Era in Bunawan, Agusan del Sur Sunday morning. Weighing 2,370 pounds (1,075 kilograms), the crocodile was the biggest to be caught alive in the Philippines in recent years.

The effort to capture the giant crocodile has been intensified after several residents have reportedly gone missing for months now. Residents had also reported witnessing the crocodile preying on their carabaos (water buffaloes).

Shortly after midnight Sunday, villagers and veteran hunters set up trap made of wood and steel cables which trapped the crocodile as he went for the bait. It took them at least 4 hours to successfully pull the giant croc out the river.

The crocodile has been placed in a fenced cage in an area where the town plans to build an eco-tourism park.

According to the Guinness World Records, the largest crocodile in captivity was caught in Australia. It measures 17 feet 11.75 inches (5.48 meters). Last Sunday's catch then is the biggest in the world.

Saltwater crocodiles can live for more than 100 years and can grow up to 23 feet (7 meters) long.

Happy Feet the penguin starts long journey home (Video)

Happy Feet, the lost emperor penguin who won the hearts of many people from all over the world, has been released Sunday after months of rehabilitation at the Wellington Zoo in New Zealand. Check out a video of the release of Happy Feet the penguin below:

Happy Feet penguin starts his swim home | Video courtesy of ITN News

On June 20, Happy Feet was found on a New Zealand beach, nearly 4,000 miles from his home in Antarctica.

He was sent to Wellington Zoo where he underwent three surgeries to remove stones and sticks from his stomach.

Regaining 18 pounds of weight after the medical procedures, Happy Feet was finally cleared for release over the weekend.

"It's very exciting for me to get him to this point where we can release him," zoo veterinarian Lisa Argilla told ABC News.

According to a CBS report, the release which happened on Sunday "went remarkably smoothly, given that the boat was being tossed about in 25-foot swells in the unforgiving Antarctic ocean."

A GPS tracker has been fitted to the penguin and fans can follow his progress online via the Zoo's website.

Four-day workweek or 10-hour workday proposed in the Philippines

Four-day workweek proposed in the Philippines

A 10-hour workday or a 4-day workweek (10/4 formula) is now being proposed in the Philippine Congress.

Titled “Four-Day Work Week Act of 2011,” the proposal said the traditional 40 hours of work per week will still be implemented only that employees in both public and private sectors are to work for 10 hours per day instead of 8 hours and thus cutting the number of workdays per week to 4.

“It will still be 40 hours a week, but the work schedule will run from Monday to Thursday instead of until Friday. Public- and private-sector employees will put in two additional hours of work daily,” Quezon City representative Winston Castelo, its author, told ABS-CBN

The Congressman said the 10/4 formula will allow workers to save more money.

“If a worker in Metro Manila spends P200 a day in transport fare, food and snacks, and other expenses in going to work—or P1,000 every week, the 10/4 workweek will mean a savings of P200 per week. For workers in the provinces, who spend an average of P100 a day, the weekly savings can reach P100,” Castelo said.

Castelo added that the new formula will help workers become more productive and increase their morale.

“In the end, the 10/4 workweek can provide a positive impact on the worker’s morale and productivity in the workplace,” Castelo said.

According to Castelo, the 10/4 workweek has been enforced at the House of Representatives.

“Employees at the House of Representatives start at 8 a.m. and end up at 7 p.m. for a total of 10 hours of work every day. Yet service and productivity is never compromised by the shorter workweek and longer weekend,” Castelo said.

In the US, the state of Utah had experimented on the 10/4 schedule for a year which resulted to the following:

--13% reduction in energy use,
--$6 million savings in gasoline costs, and
--12,000 metric tons a year cut on greenhouse-gas emissions

Eighty-two percent (82%) also favored in keeping the schedule.

Meanwhile, another US state Ohio, which also tried out the formula, went back to the 5-day schedule after complaints about a lack of service on Fridays.

What do you think? Do you favor the four-day workweek schedule?

Tropical Storm Lee weakens but still expected to cause flooding

Tropical Storm Lee, September 5, 2011 NASA image

Tropical Storm Lee has been downgraded to a tropical depression but it is still expected to cause flooding, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Monday.

According to the bulletin issued by the NHC at 10:00 a.m. CDT, "the remnants of Lee are expected to cause flooding from the Gulf Coast states to New England."

The NHC has hoisted Flash Flood Watches and Warnings from the Central Gulf Coast states, Northeastward across the Southern and Central Appalachians.

"Lee was last located near latitude 30.5 N and longitude 89.9 W. It has become extratropical over Southern Louisiana as it merged with a frontal zone with cool and dry air infiltrating the circulation center from the North and West. The extratropical low center is expected to turn towards the Northeast, bringing the center into Alabama by Monday night. Tropical moisture associated with the remnants of Lee will continue to interact with the frontal zone and extremely heavy rain is expected to fall in locations well in advance of the circulation center." the NHC bulletin reads.

Tropical Storm Lee was the twelfth named storm and thirteenth system overall of the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season, developing from a broad tropical disturbance over the Gulf on September 1. It was designated as Tropical Storm Lee the next day. Due to the large size, as well as the slow forward movement of the storm, heavy rainfall has occurred, and prolonged rainfall is expected in the southern Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and the Florida panhandle. The storm was expected to drop 10–15 inches (250–380 mm) of rain in coastal areas of those states, or as much as 20 inches (510 mm) in some areas. Lee was the first tropical cyclone to make landfall in Louisiana since Hurricane Gustav in 2008.

Giant crocodile caught alive in the Philippines (Video)

A giant crocodile suspected in attacking several people has been captured alive in the Philippines after 21 days of hunt.

Giant crocodile caught alive in the Philippines | Video courtesy of Associated Press

It took about 100 men to pull the huge saltwater crocodile, which is 21 feet long, from a river in Barangay Era in Bunawan, Agusan del Sur Sunday morning. Weighing 2,370 pounds (1,075 kilograms), the crocodile was the biggest to be caught alive in the Philippines in recent years.

The effort to capture the giant crocodile has been intensified after several residents have reportedly gone missing for months now. Residents had also reported witnessing the crocodile preying on their carabaos (water buffaloes).

Shortly after midnight Sunday, villagers and veteran hunters set up trap made of wood and steel cables which trapped the crocodile as he went for the bait. It took them at least 4 hours to successfully pull the giant croc out the river.

The crocodile has been placed in a fenced cage in an area where the town plans to build an eco-tourism park.

"It will be the biggest star of the park," Mayor Edwin Cox Elorde told Associated Press.

Elorde added that his village was happy that the dangerous crocodile would be turned "from a threat into an asset."

Despite the giant croc's capture, villagers were still warned on venturing alone at night since several crocodiles still roam the outskirts of their farming town, Elorde said.

Vanautu Earthquake, September 4, 2011: Magnitude 7.0 quake hits Tanna

Vanautu Earthquake Map, September 4, 2011

A powerful earthquake has struck the South Pacific island of Vanuatu on Sunday, the US Geological Survey (USGS) reported.

According to the USGS, the quake measured 7.0 magnitude on the Richter Scale and was 132.4 km (82.3 miles) deep. It centered at 122 km (75 miles) SSE of Isangel, Tanna, Vanuatu and jolted the area at 09:55:36 AM on September 24, 2011 (Vanuatu Time).

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the quake did not generate a destructive tsunami.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries from the Vanautu quake.

Vanuatu sits on the "Pacific Ring of Fire", an geographic zone where seismic activities are frequently experienced.

Eiffel Tower gets struck by lightning, caught on photo

Eiffel Tower struck by lightning |  Caters

Eiffel Tower, France's most popular landmark, was photographed being struck by a huge lighting bolt last summer.

The astounding photo of the Eiffel Tower, which was captured by an amateur photographer named Bertrand Kulik, made its way online after it was published in a French magazine recently, creating some buzz in social media sites.

The said photo is currently going viral in the internet. In fact, "Eiffel Tower" trended on Twitter yesterday and as well as on Yahoo! Philippines, today.

"The weather was dry and the sky appeared to be completely clear, but suddenly it started to thunder. I quickly grabbed my ­camera and put it on a tripod by the window in the hope I could get an action picture – but I never thought I would get such a ­magnificent shot," Kulik told British news website Daily Mail.

Standing very tall at 1,063ft, it is no surprise that the Eiffel Tower gets struck by thunderbolts occasionally. It is not often that someone catches it on photos, though.