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Friendster Now Available in Tagalog

Friday, Feb 27, 2009 1:15AM / Standard Entry

FRIENDSTER NOW AVAILABLE IN TAGALOG

Over 90 Million Tagalog Speaking Filipinos Globally Can Now Use Friendster
To Keep in Touch with Friends and Family

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA – January 27, 2009 – Friendster, Inc., a top 20 global website based on traffic* and the #1 social network in Asia, today announced that Friendster.com is available in Tagalog, the most popular language in the Philippines that is used by over 90 million people worldwide. Friendster’s mobile site m.friendster.com will also launch in Tagalog in the coming days. This new language addition on Friendster gives the 14 million Internet users in the Philippines and users around the world a greater choice of languages with which to navigate the site, share content and use Friendster’s complete set of social networking features.

Friendster.com now fully supports 11 languages – English, Bahasa Indonesian, Chinese (both Simplified and Traditional), Japanese, Korean, Malay, Spanish, Tagalog, Thai and Vietnamese. These languages represent over 70 percent of the world’s Internet users, or approximately a billion Internet users in total. Friendster’s mobile site m.friendster.com supports 7 languages – English, Bahasa Indonesian, Chinese (both Simplified and Traditional), Malay, Korean and Tagalog.

“Over 90 percent of all Internet users in the Philippines are currently using Friendster, which is an order of magnitude larger than any other social network in the country. Launching support for Tagalog on the Friendster web and mobile sites will help us maintain our leadership position in the Philippines and within Filipino communities around the world,” said David Jones, vice president of global marketing at Friendster.

79 million people in the Philippines – 85 percent of the total population of 93 million – are not yet using the Internet.

“Friendster in Tagalog gives even more Filipinos a reason to get started online and join their friends and family on Friendster. And, for those Filipinos who don’t have regular access to a computer, they can join and enjoy Friendster via their mobile phone by visiting the m.friendster.com mobile site. We look forward to welcoming millions of Tagalog speakers to the Internet and to Friendster,” said Jones.

Users can set their language of choice on Friendster several ways through links at the top right of every page of the Friendster.com website, the “Settings” link at the website or mobile site, or the Languages link at the bottom of the homepage of the mobile site at m.friendster.com.

Friendster also announced today the ability for advertisers to target ads on Friendster based on the language preference of the Friendster user. With this new enhancement, advertisers can choose to target ads on Friendster via geographic location, age, gender and/or language preference. In the Philippines, for example, this will be particularly useful for advertisers to target ads in the Tagalog language to users who have chosen to use Friendster in Tagalog and ads in English to users who prefer to use Friendster in English.

Tagalog is spoken by more than 64 million Filipinos, or about 70 percent of the total population in the Philippines. Tagalog is spoken throughout the world outside of the Philippines and is most popular within Filipino ethnic groups. There are approximately 90 million Tagalog speakers globally, and it is the fifth most spoken language in the United States.**

Friendster Leads in the Philippines
In the Philippines, Friendster is the #1 social network, the #2 website and the #1 mobile site.*** Friendster is an order of magnitude larger than competitors in the Philippines. Friendster had over 13 million monthly unique visitors from the Philippines in November 2008,**** which is 93 percent, or virtually all of the 14 million Internet users in the country. A typical user spends 30 minutes a day on Friendster and visits Friendster several times a week, communicating with friends and sharing and consuming content through a suite of features, which also creates a great platform for local advertisers.

Friendster Leads in Asia and is a Top 20 Global Website
Friendster is the #1 social network in Asia, with over 75 million registered users, and has more monthly unique visitors in Asia than any other social network. Plus, Asia is the largest market of Internet users (Asia has 41 percent of the world’s Internet users, more than double the 19 percent from the U.S.), and Asia is the fastest growing region in the world.**** Friendster has a loyal and growing user base throughout Asia in the following top 10 countries: Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and South Korea.

Friendster is a top 20 global website in the world in terms of traffic, serving over 19 billion page views a month.**** Friendster is also the leader in “user engagement” among the top five global social networks, with users spending an average of 190 minutes per visitor per month on www.friendster.com.****

About Friendster
With more than 95 million members worldwide, Friendster is a leading global online social network. Friendster is focused on helping people stay in touch with friends and discover new people and things that are important to them. Online adults, 18 and up, choose Friendster to connect with friends, family, school, social groups, activities and interests. Friendster prides itself in delivering an easy-to-use, friendly and interactive environment where users can easily connect with anyone around the world via www.friendster.com or m.friendster.com from any Internetready mobile device. Friendster has a growing portfolio of patents granted to the company on social networking, with more expected over the next several months. Headquartered in Mountain View, California, Friendster is backed by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Benchmark Capital, DAG Ventures, IDG Ventures and individual investors. For more information, visit: www.friendster.com.

# # #

Media Contact:
Lerin O'Neill
The Hoffman Agency for Friendster
+1.408.832.7083 (m)
+1.408.975.3037 (o)
press@friendster.com
^*comScore Media Metrix, Worldwide Data, October 2008
^** Results from the 2000 Census of Population and Housing: Educational Characteristics of the Filipinos, National Statistics Office
^*** Opera State of the Mobile Web Report, December 2008
^**** Google Analytics and Friendster Internal Data, November 2008

http://www.friendster.com/info/presscenter.php?A=pr57

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Total Gross Revenue Index of Industries rose to 13.8 percent in Q3 2008

Friday, Feb 27, 2009 1:06AM / Standard Entry

Total Gross Revenue Index of Industries rose
to 13.8 percent in Q3 2008
(PR-200902-ES1-01 , Posted 26 February 2009)

Total Gross Revenue Index of industries rose to 13.8 percent in the third quarter of 2008, from the previous year’s growth of 13.0 percent. Real Estate, as in the previous quarter, posted the fastest growth at 36.9 percent, boosted by the increased revenues from real estate projects, renting and leasing operations of giant supermalls and shopping centers nationwide. This was followed by Manufacturing which accelerated by 15.3 percent and Finance, which grew by 14.3 percent.

On the other hand, Total Employment Index declined by 2.7 percent, its fifth consecutive decline since the third quarter of 2007. This was pulled down by Mining and Quarrying, which posted its second double-digit decline of 13.8 percent. Manufacturing and Electricity and Water, likewise fell by 4.9 percent and 0.7 percent, respectively. Minimal growths were recorded in Private Services, Trade, Real Estate and Transportation and Communications while Finance posted the fastest growth at 5.8 percent.

Total Compensation Index expanded by 7.3 percent from last year’s growth of 5.6 percent. This represents the salaries and wages, including benefits paid out by industries in cash and in kind. Real Estate grew by 14.9 percent, its second double-digit growth since the first quarter of 2007, followed by Finance at 13.9 percent. All other sectors posted positive growths.

With the expanded growth of compensation and the continued decline in employment, total compensation per employee registered its first double-digit growth of 10.3 percent, an acceleration from the 6.0 percent it registered in the previous year. Robust growths were recorded for Mining and Quarrying (25.5 percent) and Real Estate (13.4 percent), while the rest posted positive growths.
This report is based on the February 2009 issue of the Quarterly Economic Indices (QEI) of the Philippines.

ESTRELLA V. DOMINGO
Assistant Secretary General

Contact Persons:

Ms. Maria Fe M. Talento/ Ms. Rhea-Ann A. Bautista
Telefax No.: (632) 896-5372
E-mail: mfm.talento@nscb.gov.ph; raf.austria@nscb.gov.ph

http://www.nscb.gov.ph/pressreleases/2009/PR-200902-ES1-01_QEI_Q3.asp

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TYT Nation - Facebook - Cenk Uygur For MSNBC 10pm Timeslot!!!: Pimped Ad

Tuesday, Feb 17, 2009 12:17PM / Standard Entry

TYT Nation - Facebook - Cenk Uygur For MSNBC 10pm Timeslot!!!: Pimped Ad

Cenk Uygur For The 10pm MSNBC Timeslot!!!
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?sid=fcd9b5fa0212526993f5869f096842e1&gid=67254277792

The Official Young Turks Page
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Young-Turks/23070720738?sid=07681f9ec7d65e265284edafddc4f7b3&ref=s#/group.php?sid=b3bc6a9c980e9b9921f5c094f34b2136&gid=4304483100

Watch more at http://www.theyoungturks.com

#15 - Most Viewed (This Week) - Partners
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Let's Get TYT On MSNBC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wtv5j8UjK18
TYT Army Invades Facebook
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAPMto65v28
TYT Announces Candidacy For MSNBC Slot
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGEo-r0JK0Q
Cenk Uygur For MSNBC 10pm Timeslot: Pimped Ad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpQuOnOdDrw

Send eamil to: letters@msnbc.com

-------------------
This video has been "Pimped!"

A PhotoBen750 production done the Studio-Way.

http://www.studio-way.com
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http://www.bengreer.com

benm.greer@gmail.com
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Cung Le Joins True Legend as a Brigand Chief

Saturday, Jan 17, 2009 5:18AM / News / Cung Le

Cung Le Joins True Legend as a Brigand Chief
http://www.wu-jing.org/happenings/archives/611-Cung-Le-Joins-True-Legend-as-a-Brigand-Chief.html

-- True Legend --
True Legend is currently being filmed in an indoor set created on a soundstage in Huairou, Beijing. Seen on the set are director Yuen Wo Ping, cast members Zhao Wen Zhuo, Cung Le, Guo Xiao Dong, Jacky Heung, etc. The set features a brigand stockade built on a mountain.

Cung Le, the MMA, K1, Sanshou champion, has been specially flown in from USA to play the brigand chief who looks remarkably like Bull Demon King lifted straight off Journey to the West.

Cung Le is especially glad to be able to work with Eighth Master Yuen Wo Ping. Be it the role, the make-up or action, Cung Le'll do his level best and give his full cooperation. Being his first period film, he'll be like a student, humbly learning things on the set. He's also trying to learn to speak Chinese. With blessing from the production, he'll get to keep his costume as a memento.

Zhao Wen Zhuo finds it very different when working with Eighth Master. In the film, under the director's request, he has to execute an assortment of martial arts, including the Eighteen Arms. It's also very physically demanding as Yuen Woo Ping stresses very much on authentic fighting and True Legend contains much more action scenes than anything he has done before.

Zhao Wen Zhuo says it's very challenging to work with Eighth Master. A few days ago, they employed a mini-helicopter for shooting within an indoor set. He had to keep a lookout for the helicopter hovering above his head while fighting.

On the current scene at the stockade, Zhao Wen Zhuo says that this set gives an actor immense anticipation, for there are plenty of room and areas for martial arts choreography. He looks forward to his heart-stopping match against Cung Le as Beggar Su storms the stockade in a rescue operation whereby Yuen Wo Ping has also come up with many difficult moves, making use of the bridge, cave, fake hills, etc to showcase different martial arts. Netease, Sina

Photos: Sina
Videos (Sina):
Zhao Wen Zhuo and Cung Le rehearsing
Zhao Wen Zhuo interview
Guo Xiao Dong, Jacky Heung interviews

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Violating the rules of war:

Tuesday, Jan 13, 2009 7:41AM / Standard Entry

Violating the rules of war:
A blatant disregard for international humanitarian law and the Geneva Convention.
Article 35.-Basic rules
paragraph 3. states It is prohibited to employ methods or means of warfare which are intended, or may be expected, to cause widespread, long-term and severe damage to the natural environment. In the case of threatening to retaliate in kind to weapons of mass destruction, this would seem to limit the use of atomic weapons to neutron bombs.
Collective punishments
Article 33. No protected person may be punished for an offense he or she has not personally committed. Collective penalties and likewise all measures of intimidation or of terrorism are prohibited.
Protocol III: Incendiary Weapons
Protocol III on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Incendiary Weapons prohibits, in all circumstances, making the civilian population as such, individual civilians or civilian objects, the object of attack by any weapon or munition which is primarily designed to set fire to objects or to cause burn injury to persons through the action of flame, heat or a combination thereof, produced by a chemical reaction of a substance delivered on the target.
Article 2
Protection of civilians and civilian objects
1. It is prohibited in all circumstances to make the civilian population as such, individual civilians or civilian objects the object of attack by incendiary weapons.
2. It is prohibited in all circumstances to make any military objective located within a concentration of civilians the object of attack by air-delivered incendiary weapons.
3. It is further prohibited to make any military objective located within a concentration of civilians the object of attack by means of incendiary weapons other than air-delivered incendiary weapons, except when such military objective is clearly separated from the concentration of civilians and all feasible precautions are taken with a view to limiting the incendiary effects to the military objective and to avoiding, and in any event to minimizing, incidental loss of civilian life, injury to civilians and damage to civilian objects.
4. It is prohibited to make forests or other kinds of plant cover the object of attack by incendiary weapons except when such natural elements are used to cover, conceal or camouflage combatants or other military objectives, or are themselves military objectives.
Geneva Protocol
1925 Geneva Protocol Prohibited the use of "asphyxiating gas, or any other kind of gas, liquids, substances or similar materials"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geneva_Protocol
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geneva_Accord
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geneva_Conference_(1954)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geneva_Conventions
International humanitarian law: the essential rules
http://www.icrc.org/Web/Eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/5ZMEEM

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PhotoBen750

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I am Benjamin M. Greer. I am only in my early 30’s, but I have seen enough in my life at this time to fill the lives of several individuals...
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I am Benjamin M. Greer. I am only in my early 30’s, but I have seen enough in my life at this time to fill the lives of several individuals. By age 5 I already knew what it was like to be poor, living in your car, and not knowing where your next meal is coming from.

Before I finished high school I had attended around 16 different schools and moved over 20 times. I lived with my mother, other relative, with strangers, and in foster homes. At age 16 I had to have the State of Washington step in and take guardianship of me and allow me to return to live with my Aunt Lorrie and Uncle Dennis Baunach, so I could find stability and have a future.

The first time I can remember working for money was when I was 7 years old and picking strawberries for $2.50 a flat. You would have to get to the fields early in the morning before the sun would get to hot. I believe my first time I was able to complete two flats before it was time to go. Since then I have held over 30 jobs in a wide range of industries from farm work to high tech. I have a very unique understanding of hard physical labor and intense intellectual problem solving.

I am soon going to be 32. I have a son named Benjamin that is going to be 3 next month. My wife and I have been married now for about 3 and a half years and together for about 6 and half years. We are about to have our second child. This time it is going to be a girl and we have picked the name Summer since she will be due in July.

In late 2005 I had a wake up call that showed me that it is imperative that I focus on the correction of my mental and physical health. The many years of early child trauma, untreated depression, and Attention Deficit Disorder came to an impassable wall. No going over it, under it, around it, or avoiding it. The only option was to confront it and move through it. With the loving support of my wife, proper medication, individual and group therapy, meditation, and a strong desire for piece and wholeness I have developed a strong sense of balance and discovery of gifts that I always saw as disabilities.

I guarantee that those who know me and those who spend the time to be apart of who I am will tell you of my honesty, my conviction, and my love. I would give you the shirt off my back if you needed it more. I would share the last piece of food if you had none. I am a protector and fighter for people who are close to me, and things that I believe in and care about.

I have the ability to be disciplined and patient for those things that matter most. My out look on life is from a positive perspective even though I have seen lots of challenge and tragedy. I have the ability to bring light to darkness and happiness to sadness. My wise words are not just some empty quotation, but a foundation of life experience in it realest.

I am a husband, father, uncle, brother, friend, and spiritual being. I am not who I once was…
But now a true integration of whom I have always been…

Over the years I have met many people who have made an amazing impact on my life. Their influence maintains a strong roll in the successes I continue achieve. Being a great father; loving husband; and an all around community conscious person is not easy when it comes to finding a balance in life. These are not elements that just fall out of the sky. They all take life long work and solid foundations to succeed. It is by the goodness of my friends, family, and many generous strangers that I have risen above life’s challenge through a piece of each of their lives as they have shared it with me.

I grew up in a world where children learn fast that being a child is not an option. In this world you may not know where your next meal is coming from or where you are going to put your head down to rest at night. It was in a continually changing environment with no real place to call home. All alone I had to fight for my right to live. Even life at its minimum would be more than that I had at various points of the most important mental and physical developmental years of my life.

Fortunately for me I was given a gift. A random gift of nature constructed from a combination of biological, biochemical, and environmental factors. The medical field classifies it as ADHD/ADD (Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder / referred to as ADD for those without hyperactivity). Technically it is classified as a disorder due to the nature of its ability to easily distract the person’s attention away from what society has set to be important elements of a regular functioning life.**

I continue to refine a balanced holistic approach to an individually tailor system of medication, meditation, proper diet, regular exercise, adequate rest, family support, and environment. The reality is they can not always remain in perfect alignment, but it is the understanding of honest limitation and ability to mitigate that will bring you back to center. When I am in tune a few of the gifts that I have to enjoy are being:

Self-respecting
Family Oriented
Photographer
Artist
Musician
Writer
Techno-Geek (a geek of all types of technology)
Entrepreneur
Innovator
Inventor
Extremely Knowledgeable
Ecologically Conscious
Economic Visionary
Diverse
Interested in development for the greater good with mindfulness of effects that impact the community at all levels.

I could go on… because there are many more benefits I have realized and discovered since I began taking medication, going to group therapy, individual therapy, meditation, and the evaluation of my approach to life approximately 2 years ago. Some parts of the gift are new and some parts have been with me all my life not seeing them because I was critical and rigid.

The best part of all that I have overcome and experienced is being the person that I am in this moment. More enabled, and less disabled, than any other point in my entire life. There is no other single element in my life that has been more consistent that the relationship that I have with my wife which began on Friday, Oct. 19th 2001. We just celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary on December 12th, 2006. The next most consistent element in my life is my son that is now 2 ½ years old. Before now the next most consistent element of my life was a job that I once had that lasted a little less than 2 ½ years. Soon to surpass that job is the consistency of taking my medication.

Discovering the appropriate means to repair and set fee my beautiful mind has given me vision and opportunity that never existed.

Knowing that there are no handbooks or special mantras that work for all people I hope to share my experience here and in any other forum that will prove to be helpful to others that share similar challenges. Not that what I do will be right for some one else but that it might help them on to the path of their own discovery of what is best.
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Age: 34
Gender: Male
Total visits: 14,640