FACEBOOK LAUNCHES DISLIKE BUTTON IN THE PHILIPPINES

August 26, 2013 Pol Pinoy 1 Comment

Manila, Philippines – Facebook users around the world have long clamored for a “dislike” button on their newsfeeds, but Facebook has so far refused to give in for reasons that only Mark Zuckerberg and his closest cohorts would know. Well, until now.

In an unprecedented move, Facebook officially launched the “dislike” or “thumbs down” button. The button started appearing in Facebook posts, newsfeeds and timelines as of today, but only in the Philippines.

The launch coincides with today’s Million March in Manila, a “people power” type of assembly at Luneta Park to demand the abolition of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), more popularly known as pork barrel. Recent exposés in the media point to a massive scam whereby pork barrel funds were channeled to fake non-governmental organizations and ended up in the pockets of pork barrel queen Janet Lim-Napoles and members of the Philippine Congress.

The new “dislike” button was designed by an unnamed Filipino American employee of Facebook and features a unique graphic that merges a thumb in the down position and the head of a pig which Facebook says represents dislike for pork barrel.

Facebook has not indicated whether or not the new “dislike” button will eventually be rolled out to all Facebook users around the globe.

Politics

2016 CANDIDATE KRIS AQUINO BREAKS SILENCE ON PORK BARREL SCANDAL

August 25, 2013 Pol Pinoy 3 Comments

Tarlac, Philippines – On the eve of the planned Million Protest March in Manila, presidential sister and TV host Kris Aquino has finally broken her silence on the Priority Assistance Development Fund (PADF) or pork barrel, which has consumed the country’s daily business due to a massive scam that has robbed Filipino taxpayers of more than 10 Billion pesos.

The Monday “people’s march” calls for the total abolition of pork barrel and the prosecution of citizens and politicians who have personally benefited from the scam. Philippine president NoyNoy Aquino, bowing to public pressure, had announced that he would scrap the pork barrel.

Kris Aquino, who had previously announced her intention to run for governor of her native province of Tarlac in Central Philippines in 2016, has all but been silent on the pork barrel scandal. Finally, at a press conference in Tarlac this weekend, Aquino declared, “As governor of Tarlac, I will not need any pork.”

Potential opponents in the 2016 Tarlac governor’s race were quick to dismiss Miss Aquino’s statement. “Of course it’s easy for her to say that,” said one local political foe, “she’s vegetarian!”

Business, Film and TV

CNN WANTS WEED NAMED AFTER THE NETWORK

August 24, 2013 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

Denver, Colorado – A recent segment on CNN is causing quite a stir in the Cannabis world. But it is not most people would think.

In a recent special report, CNN’s chief medical correpondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, whose name was once floated as a candidate for the country’s Surgeon General position, indicated that he has changed his earlier position on medical marijuana. Gupta said he now believes that MJ has its medical uses and can bring grams and grams of relief to individuals suffering from chronic and untreatable conditions.

The Helping Hands Dispensary in Colorado was so elated over the CNN report that it named one of its marijuana strains after Gupta. It started selling the strain under the name, “Sanjay Gupta Kush.”

Upon learning of this move by the marijuana dispensary, CNN called the owner expressing its displeasure about the Gupta Kush.

“CNN was visibly very upset, demanding that we drop the name,” the owner said. The Atlanta-based cable news network threatened to sue the dispensary unless it changed the name of the strain to “CNN Kush.”

“After all, the report was broadcast on CNN,” the network told the owner. Besides, CNN added, “we need all the publicity we can get in view of our declining ratings, not to mention the new competition we are getting from the newly-launched news cable network, Al Jazeera America.”