Category Archives: Politics

Film and TV, Politics, Same-sex Marriage, The Media

ELLEN DEGENERES BACKS OUT OF HOSTING THE OSCARS

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DeGeneres, left , with spouse de Rossi
DeGeneres, left , with spouse de Rossi

Hollywood, California – Ellen DeGeneres will not host this year’s Oscars after all. The famous lesbian comedienne backed out of her hosting duties in protest of what she called “insensitivity and unfairness” on the part of the Oscar producers.  The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is scrambling to find a replacement in time for the scheduled show on March 2.

The irreconcilable disagreement with the Academy sprang from a personal request from DeGeneres that she include in her opening monologue an actual marriage ceremony between her and her spouse Portia de Rossi. Although they are already married, DeGeneres wanted to make a public statement in support of same-sex marriage in the country. So far, only 17 of the 50 states have legalized same-sex marriage.

“Hey, if Queen Latifah can officiate  marriages during the Grammies, why can’t I marry Portia again in front of millions of television viewers,” DeGeneres told reporters.

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For its part the Academy said that it was afraid viewers might tuneout of the Oscars if it granted DeGeneres’ request, especially in the states still opposed to legalizing same-sex marriage. DeGeneres’ response? “Who cares? Nobody lives in those states!”

Human Interest, Politics, Travel

PRESIDENT OBAMA TO INAUGURATE REAR SIDE OF MOUNT RUSHMORE ON PRESIDENTS’ DAY

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Mount Rushmore front side, top; Mount Rushmore rear, bottom.
Mount Rushmore front side, top; Mount Rushmore rear, bottom.

Bismarck, North Dakota – George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln – great U.S. presidents all, immortalized in an iconic national monument at the Mount Rushmore National Park in South Dakota. The park is one of the most visited national monuments in America, generating tourist dollars for the state.

North Dakota is about to have its share of those precious tourist dollars when the rear side of the Mount Rushmore monument will open on Monday, Presidents’ Day.  President Barack Obama is set to inaugurate the new park when he visits Bismarck. Years in the making, the sculpted rearview of the monument features the behinds of the four presidents. The identity of the sculptor remains a mystery and only The White House has that information.

Thousands of domestic and foreign tourists are expected to attend the inaugural ceremony.

North Dakota governor Jack Dalrymple told reporters that the new park will create hundreds of jobs in the state and boost local business.

International, Politics, Sports, The Media

AQUINO ADMINISTRATION’S CONFESSION: PHILIPPINE OLYMPIAN MICHAEL CHRISTIAN MARTINEZ RECEIVED ZERO, NADA, ZILCH FROM US.

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Photo Credit: Lucy Nicholson/Reuters
Photo Credit: Lucy Nicholson/Reuters

Manila, Philippines –  Presidential spokesperson Herminio Coloma on Sunday said that the allocation of the national budget was what prevented the Philippine government from providing funds for figure skater Michael Christian Martinez who represented the country in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Martinez was the lone Filipino athlete in Sochi and the first Filipino and Southeast Asian to compete in figure skating.  He finished 19th in a field of 24 in the men’s skating finals. Many believe he will be a medal contender in 2018.

Secretary  Coloma of the Presidential Communication Operations Office said in a radio interview that the priority of the government is to improve the livelihoods of the marginalized members of the society. He said these include, but not limited to “senators, congressmen, governors, mayors, their families and cronies, as well as big landowners like the President’s family.” He added that what was left of the budget allocated to athletics is for sports, which President Benigno Aquino III believes Filipinos have the “competitive edge.” Asked to name which sports the President considered competitive edge, Coloma said, “Gambling, cockfighting and mahjong.”

In the meantime, after inspiring a nation and earning the world’s attention, Michael Christian Martinez is set to receive a $10,000 bonus from business tycoon and sports patron Manny V. Pangilinan through his MVP Sports Foundation.

Coloma said, “we are a nation of laws and every citizen needs to contribute to the prosperity of our country.” Pressed by reporters on what he meant by this comment, Coloma responded, “Michael Martinez must pay taxes on the $10,000 bonus he received.