Yearly Archives: 2014

Health & Medicine, Human Interest, International, The Media

HOT WATER BUCKET CHALLENGE LAUNCHED TO RAISE MONEY FOR SELFITIS CURE

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Martha Stewart, left, and Mark Zuckerberg accept the ice bucket challenge

San Jose, California (The Adobo Chronicles) – By now, most people with Internet access are familiar with the ice bucket challenge intended to raise funds to help find a cure for Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease.”  ALS is  a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS often leads to paralysis.

The challenge involves people either dousing themselves with a bucket of ice and posting a video on social media, or making a  donation to the ALS cause.  Unfortunately, many people, including celebrities like Mark Zuckerberg and Martha Stewart chose to douse themselves with ice instead of making a donation.  While the challenge campaign has gone viral, donations were not at levels the campaign organizers had hoped for. In California, Governor Jerry Brown reminded people to consider the state’s water shortage before accepting the ice bucket challenge.  “They should just donate,” he said.

Now, a similar campaign has been launched on the Internet to help raise funds to find a cure for selfitis. (Recently, the American Psychiatric Association officially declared the taking of selfie photos and posting them on the Internet a mental disorder).  Instead of a bucket of ice, the selfitis challenge involves people dousing themselves with hot water, or making a donation.  Most people are choosing to donate.

While no official numbers have been released by either the ALS or the Selfitis groups, there is great speculation that more funds have been raised by the hot water bucket challenge.

Moral of the story: pick your challenge wisely.

International, Law Enforcement, Music, Politics

CHA CHA MAKES A BIG COME BACK IN PHILIPPINES’ DANCE SCENE

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cha-chaManila, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – Not since the Macarena craze in 1996 has a dance form made a big splash in the Philippines. It’s a big come back never before seen on the dance floor.

Cha cha is, of course, a dance that first became popular in the 1950s. It is derived from two other dances, the Latin Mambo and the Swing. It is a favorite category in ballroom dancing as well as in the popular American reality television show, “Dancing With The Stars.”

In recent weeks, Filipinos — baby boomers and millennials alike — have been packing dance studios and night clubs to practice or showcase their ‘1-2-3-4 and 1’ steps, and DJs are dusting their old  vinyl records to replace their hip hop CDs.

Many believe that the big come back was prompted by recent clamor from supporters of President NoyNoy Aquino for him to run for a second term.  The constitution limits the presidential term to six years, without the possibility of re-election.  Aquino’s term ends in 2016.  His allies in Congress have suggested a constitutional convention to amend the fundamental law of the land and allow for a second term for the president.  In the Philippines, a constitutional convention is more popularly know as “Cha Cha.”

Aquino’s Interior Minister Mar Roxas is leading the clamor to convene a new Cha Cha to allow the President to stay in power.  Ironically, Roxas, in 2008, was a harsh critic of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who wanted to convene a Cha Cha to allow her to run for another term.

In the beginning, Aquino had said that a Cha Cha just to extend his current term is out of the question, but he is now warming up to the idea as he faces the remaining year and a half of his residence at the presidential palace. “I’ve come to enjoy living here,” he told reporters. “I wouldn’t mind another six years or more.”

 

Business, Economy, Local News, Politics

GOVERNOR BROWN CONVENES FINAL MAYORAL SUMMIT BEFORE CALIFORNIA IS SPLIT INTO SIX STATES

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Brown with the mayors. Can you identify all of them? (Clue: the lady in blue is Oakland Mayor Jean Quan)
Brown with the mayors. Can you identify all of them? (Clue: the lady in blue is Oakland Mayor Jean Quan)

Sacramento, California (The Adobo Chronicles) – For the last time before California is split into six separate states, Governor Jerry Brown convened a summit of the mayors of the state’s largest cities, for old times’ sake.

Come November, 2016, California voters are expected to approve a ballot proposal  authored by venture capitalist Tim Draper. His proposal is to split California into: Jefferson, North California, Silicon Valley, Central California, West California and South California.

There was no specific agenda set for the summit held at the governor’s office in Sacramento other than three nights of cocktails and dinners at various venues in the state capital.

Among those invited to the summit were Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles, Miguel Pulido of Santa Ana, Robert Garcia of Long Beach, Chuck Reed of San Jose, Kevin Johnson of Sacramento, Ed Lee of San Francisco and Jean Quan of Oakland.

A spokesperson for the governor’s office told The Adobo Chronicles that if the mayors will have some down time, they will discuss strategies on solving the state’s water shortage crisis.