Category Archives: International

Film and TV, Human Interest, International, Music, Politics, Religion, The Media

SINGING NUN SUOR CRISTINA WINS ‘THE VOICE OF ITALY,’ FINALISTS CRY FOUL

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Sister Cristina
The Voice of Italy winner Suor Cristina

Rome, Italy (The Adobo Chronicles) – As expected, Suor Cristina, the 25-year old Sicilian nun, won the finals of the reality show The Voice of Italy.

In a success story that many have seen as fitting for the era of a popular, down-to-earth pope, Cristina Scuccia’s appearance on the reality television show has gripped viewers in Italy since her blind audition where she sang Alicia Keys’ No One. That performance — which left the judges looking incredulous and program directors suddenly seeing a potential blockbuster — went viral and generated more than 51 Million views on YouTube.  Thursday’s finals garnered a 21% audience share for the public broadcaster’s Rai 2 Channel.

But as with any competition, there is controversy, and there are protests.  The season finalists protested the audience vote, accusing Pope Francis of rigging the process — or at least using the papal influence to shape the outcome.

The Adobo Chronicles reported way back in March that Pope Francis said he would vote for Suor Cristina.  Apparently, most of Italy’s 60 Million Catholics followed their spiritual leader.

The unsuccessful finalists said they have hired an attorney to file a formal protest  and seek the annulment of the final results on the basis of “unfair advantage” on their part. Italians are skeptical about the merits of the complaint and more so, doubt its successful outcome since even in the Catholic Church, annulment (as in marriage annulment)  is a very long and complicated process.  Some have said that the finalists were just being sour losers.

Meanwhile, Suor Cristina is reportedly facing the biggest dilemma of her life: whether to quit the religious life and pursue a worldly singing career, or remain within her blessed calling.

 

 

 

 

Film and TV, Human Interest, International, LGBT, Politics, The Media, Uncategorized

CNN ANCHOR DON LEMON COMES OUT : ‘I AM A WHITE GAY BOY’

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imageAtlanta, Georgia (The Adobo Chronicles) – CNN’s  loyal viewers will easily recognize Don Lemon, currently the most high-profile African American news anchor who is also openly gay. He has risen from weekend anchor to weeknight host of a new news – or is it opinion – program on the 24-hour cable news network.

It is no secret, however, that Lemon has been very critical of blacks in many of his opinionated  on-air rants: admonishing blacks to pull up their pants, to no longer use the word “nigga,” to finish high school, no more make babies out of wedlock, and to not resort to littering.  Three weeks ago, he told blacks to just “get out of the hood” to escape the violence and ongoing gang warfare. More recently, Lemon defended Justin Bieber’s racist comments against blacks and turned the heat back on the African American community, to the bewilderment of Lemon’s followers.

Well, today, television viewers found the answer to their dilemma.

As he concluded his broadcast tonight, Lemon said that he has decided to finally come out of the closet. “I’m gay, but everyone already knows that,” he said, with tears in his eyes. “I’m not what most of you think. I’m white, and if I offended anyone with my seemingly anti-black comments, I apologize,” he said.

Both the National Association of Black Journalists and the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association could not be reached for comment. The Adobo Chronicles kept on getting the outgoing voicemail message at the CNN newsroom.

There are rumors that Lemon is being courted by Fox News to join its prime-time news and pundit team.

 

Business, Human Interest, International, Law Enforcement, Travel

SOLVING MANILA’S TRAFFIC MESS THROUGH COLOR CODING

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imageManila, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – Celebrated fiction author Dan Brown, in his latest novel, The Inferno,  described Manila as the ‘Gates of Hell,’ mostly because of the nightmarish traffic that’s an everyday occurence in this Philippine metropolis.

The Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program (UVVRP), commonly called number coding is a road space rationing program in the Philippines that aims to reduce traffic congestion, in particular during peak hours, by restricting the types of vehicles that can use major public roads based on the final digit of the vehicle’s license plate.

Everyone knows the number coding is grossly ineffective. So, in a radical move to try to finally end Manila’s daily traffic gridlock, the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) today announced a new traffic control system not based on numbers but rather on colors – the colors of the rainbow.

Here is how it works:

  • Vehicles colored RED will be banned from Manila streets on Mondays
  • Vehicles colored ORANGE will be banned on Tuesdays
  • Vehicles colored YELLOW will be banned on Wednesdays
  • Vehicles colored GREEN will be banned on Thursdays
  • Vehicles colored BLUE will be banned on Fridays
  • Vehicles colored INDIGO will be banned on Saturdays
  • Vehicles colored VIOLET will be banned on Sundays
  • The ban is not imposed on national holidays

‘What if a vehicle has ALL the colors of the rainbow, ‘ The Adobo Chronicles asked the MMDA. Its response:  rainbow-colored vehicles will be exempt from the ban. image

Immediately after the announcement, Kia Philippines, the local franchise of the South Korean car manufacturer, said that beginning with its 2015 models, rainbow-colored cars will be available to its customers for a small surcharge.