Monthly Archives: April 2014

Festivals, Food, Human Interest, International, Politics, Religion, The Media

AQUINO STARTS A NEW PHILIPPINE PRESIDENTIAL EASTER TRADITION: BALUT HUNT

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Balut
Balut

Manila, Philippines –  In the U.S., the First Family will host the 136th annual White House Easter Egg Roll on April 21 which is expected to draw 30,000 people to the South Lawn of the presidential residence. Those in luck will be able to take home keepsake eggs in bold colors stamped with the signatures of President and Mrs. Barack Obama.

In the Philippines, President Noynoy Aquino, in his bid to bring Malacañang Palace (the presidential residence) closer to the people, has announced the first ever “balut hunt” this coming Easter Sunday. He hopes to make this an annual tradition even among his presidential successors. This new tradition, cooked up by Aquino’s brilliant press office staff, will feature a hunt for red, white, blue and yellow- painted balut with Aquino’s thumb print on them, hidden in the unkempt lawn of the palace.  Those are the colors of the Philippine flag. The event will be open to a maximum of 1,000 children of families who must pay a registration fee of One Hundred Thousand Pesos (in excess of $2,000) per attendee.

The deadline for registration has been set for April 18, Good Friday. No checks or credit cards accepted. Cash only.

Balut is a Filipino delicacy of boiled duck embryo (see photo).

Human Interest, International, The Media

THE ONION WINS PULITZER PRIZE

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onionNew York, New York – The Pulitzer Prize Board announced today that The Onion has been awarded a 2014 Pulitzer Prize, joining other winners from The Washington Post, Boston Globe, Oregonian and Detroit Free Press  all of which were revealed yesterday.  The board said that it specifically delayed the announcement of the award to The Onion to generate more attention to the new award category of “Amazing News.”

The Pulitzer Prize has been awarding excellence in journalism and the arts since 1917.

Champagne flowed at the undisclosed offices of The Onion as the publisher and editors made the announcement to their staff.

Unlike the other prizes, the category of “Amazing News” is not awarded to a single story, series or work.  Rather, it is an encompassing recognition of “a consistent and trademark news coverage that always catches the attention of readers,” according to the Pulitzer board.

photo
Andy Borowitz

The 2014 Finalists for the “Amazing News” Pulitzer included ‘The Andy Borowitz Report’ published by The New Yorker, and the independently-published The Adobo Chronicles.cropped-adobochron4.jpg

International, Law Enforcement, Politics

PHILIPPINES TO SECEDE FROM THE UNITED STATES

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Uncle Sam
Uncle Sam

Manila, Philippines – President Barack Obama’s upcoming visit to the Philippines later this month is being described as an effort to seal the friendship between Uncle Sam and Juan dela Cruz.  Negotiations are underway to finalize a bilateral agreement that would increase U.S. military presence in what America considers as a strategic stronghold in the Asia-Pacific region. Obama and Philippine President NoyNoy Aquino are expected to sign the agreement while Obama will be in Manila.

Juan dela Cru
Juan dela Cruz

Not so fast. Senator Nancy Binay, daughter of incumbent Vice President Jejomar Binay, and sister of Congresswoman Abigail Binay and Makati City Mayor Junjun Binay, has filed a Senate bill calling for the secession of the Philippines from the U.S. The senator says she believes the Philippines will do just fine without the U.S. “After being colonized by Spain for hundreds of years, occupied by Japan during the last world war, and imperialized by the U.S. and Hollywood for decades, it is time we stand on our own two feet,” Binay told reporters at a press conference at The Manila Hotel, just blocks away from the U.S. Embassy.

Obama is faced by secession threats in his own country, with several states wanting to sever their ties from the Union.  The latest state to give notice of secession is Wisconsin.

One critic of Binay was quoted as saying, “I think what the senator really meant was a ‘cessation’ of the negotiations on the bilateral agreement.