Make-up wearing "American Idol" star Adam Lambert has ended the guessing game over his sexual orientation by confirming he is gay in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine.
Glam-rocker Lambert, 27, who finished runner-up to clean-cut Kris Allen in the television singing contest last month, told Rolling Stone he had been living openly as a gay man for several years.
"I don't think it should be a surprise for anyone to hear I'm gay," Lambert told Rolling Stone in its latest issue due on newstands Friday.
"I've been living in Los Angeles for eight years as a gay man. I've been at clubs drunk making out with somebody in the corner."
Lambert, who wowed "Idol" judges with his extraordinary vocal range, was seen as the overwhelming favorite to take the title in the May 20 finale.
However he lost in a final hyped as a smackdown between the conservative values of "red states" represented by Arkansas-based Allen and the liberal mores of "blue states" personified by the flamboyant Lambert.
Inquirer
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
RP in mild recession – Recto
The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) on Monday described the worse-than-expected first quarter economic growth results as “a mild recession.”
“You can call it [first quarter economic growth] a mild recession with mild growth. It’s almost flat,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ralph Recto told reporters.
The National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) earlier reported that the economy, as measured by gross domestic product (GDP) grew by only 0.4 percent in the first quarter of the year from 3.9 percent in the same period last year.
A proxy for economic output, GDP is the amount of goods and services produced in a country.
The first-quarter GDP was the weakest since the fourth quarter of 1998, when the economy contracted by 2.4 percent.
On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter basis, the economy contracted by 2.3 percent, the lowest in 20 years.
But Recto said there was a possibility that the 0.4-percent GDP growth in the first quarter could be revised later on with a better number.
For the full year, Recto said the Development Budget and Coordinating Committee (DBCC) was set to revise downward the economic growth target this year of between 3.1 percent and 4.1 percent. “But, there’s no possibility of a contraction [in the economic growth target for 2009].”
Manila Times
“You can call it [first quarter economic growth] a mild recession with mild growth. It’s almost flat,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ralph Recto told reporters.
The National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) earlier reported that the economy, as measured by gross domestic product (GDP) grew by only 0.4 percent in the first quarter of the year from 3.9 percent in the same period last year.
A proxy for economic output, GDP is the amount of goods and services produced in a country.
The first-quarter GDP was the weakest since the fourth quarter of 1998, when the economy contracted by 2.4 percent.
On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter basis, the economy contracted by 2.3 percent, the lowest in 20 years.
But Recto said there was a possibility that the 0.4-percent GDP growth in the first quarter could be revised later on with a better number.
For the full year, Recto said the Development Budget and Coordinating Committee (DBCC) was set to revise downward the economic growth target this year of between 3.1 percent and 4.1 percent. “But, there’s no possibility of a contraction [in the economic growth target for 2009].”
Manila Times
Review sought on PSALM sale of power assets
A consumer group has asked the World Bank (WB) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to assess and evaluate the privatization of government-owned power assets being conducted by the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM).
In a letter to the WB and ADB, the National Association of Electricity Consumers for Reforms (Nasecore) noted that, despite the government’s privatization effort, the cost of electricity continues to increase, thus “putting consumers at a loss.”
WB and ADB are major creditors of the state-run National Power Corp. (Napocor), which owns the power generation assets.
PSALM is a government-owned and -controlled corporation that has been created by the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 to manage the sale and privatization of Napocor generation assets, real estate and other disposable assets.
“PSALM claims success in its ongoing privatization effort as far as being able to optimize the value of the Napocor assets” is concerned, Nasecore president Pete Ilagan said.
But PSALM and Napocor had recently filed an application with the Energy Regulatory Commission seeking to increase power generation rates due to financial difficulty.
Napocor and PSALM want to increase its effective rates in Luzon by 17.20 centavos per kilowatt-hour (kWh) and in Visayas, by P2.0207/kWh.
Inquirer
In a letter to the WB and ADB, the National Association of Electricity Consumers for Reforms (Nasecore) noted that, despite the government’s privatization effort, the cost of electricity continues to increase, thus “putting consumers at a loss.”
WB and ADB are major creditors of the state-run National Power Corp. (Napocor), which owns the power generation assets.
PSALM is a government-owned and -controlled corporation that has been created by the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 to manage the sale and privatization of Napocor generation assets, real estate and other disposable assets.
“PSALM claims success in its ongoing privatization effort as far as being able to optimize the value of the Napocor assets” is concerned, Nasecore president Pete Ilagan said.
But PSALM and Napocor had recently filed an application with the Energy Regulatory Commission seeking to increase power generation rates due to financial difficulty.
Napocor and PSALM want to increase its effective rates in Luzon by 17.20 centavos per kilowatt-hour (kWh) and in Visayas, by P2.0207/kWh.
Inquirer
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Globe lists P5-B bonds on PDEx
Globe Telecom has signed an agreement with Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corp. to list the Ayala unit’s P5 billion worth of three- and five-year retail bonds on the fixed income exchange starting Wednesday.
Globe raised more than P13 billion from new borrowings since the beginning of the year. The retail bonds to be listed on PDEx, which are due in 2012 and 2014, were issued last Feb. 25. The coupon rate for the three-year notes stood at 7.5 percent while the rate for the five-year notes was 8 percent.
Inquirer
Globe raised more than P13 billion from new borrowings since the beginning of the year. The retail bonds to be listed on PDEx, which are due in 2012 and 2014, were issued last Feb. 25. The coupon rate for the three-year notes stood at 7.5 percent while the rate for the five-year notes was 8 percent.
Inquirer
Magic edge Lakers in game 3 of NBA Finals
Dwight Howard had 21 points and 14 rebounds and Rafer Alston had 20 points to power Orlando to a 108-104 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in game three of the NBA finals on Tuesday.
Rashard Lewis scored 19 points for the Magic who shot a staggering 75 percent in the first half and avoided a sweep in the best-of-seven series.
The Magic's win spoiled a superb performance by Kobe Bryant who put on a shooting clinic in the first half by scoring 21 points en route to his game-high 31.
Game four is Thursday in Orlando.
The Lakers are in the finals for the 30th time in franchise history while the Magic are making just their second appearance in 14 years.
The Magic won their first finals game in franchise history by shooting a blistering 62.5 percent from the field. They had five players in double figures in front of a sold-out crowd of 17,461 at Amway Arena.
The Magic led by five points at halftime and 81-75 at the end of the third quarter.
Inquirer
Rashard Lewis scored 19 points for the Magic who shot a staggering 75 percent in the first half and avoided a sweep in the best-of-seven series.
The Magic's win spoiled a superb performance by Kobe Bryant who put on a shooting clinic in the first half by scoring 21 points en route to his game-high 31.
Game four is Thursday in Orlando.
The Lakers are in the finals for the 30th time in franchise history while the Magic are making just their second appearance in 14 years.
The Magic won their first finals game in franchise history by shooting a blistering 62.5 percent from the field. They had five players in double figures in front of a sold-out crowd of 17,461 at Amway Arena.
The Magic led by five points at halftime and 81-75 at the end of the third quarter.
Inquirer
Only 10 percent passed the career service examinations
A total of 5,998 examinees passed the career service examinations that took place last March 29, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) said on Tuesday.
The total number of passers comprised 10 percent of the 60,009 examinees who took the exam. Of the number, 4,312 or 71.89 percent were successful examinees of the Professional level while the rest were passers of the Sub-Professional test.
The new Professional and Sub-Professional eligibles can be appointed to second level positions and first level positions, respectively, in government that are not covered by Bar, Board or other special laws, provided they meet the education, experience and training requirements of the positions, the CSC said.
The CSC also announced that the deadline for application for the July 26 Professional and Sub-Professional written examinations is set on June 10.
CSC
Inquirer
The total number of passers comprised 10 percent of the 60,009 examinees who took the exam. Of the number, 4,312 or 71.89 percent were successful examinees of the Professional level while the rest were passers of the Sub-Professional test.
The new Professional and Sub-Professional eligibles can be appointed to second level positions and first level positions, respectively, in government that are not covered by Bar, Board or other special laws, provided they meet the education, experience and training requirements of the positions, the CSC said.
The CSC also announced that the deadline for application for the July 26 Professional and Sub-Professional written examinations is set on June 10.
CSC
Inquirer
Philippine April exports fall 35.2% on year
Exports slumped 35.2 percent in April from a year earlier, deeper than a 30.8 percent fall in the previous month, the National Statistics Office says.
Shipments of electronics products also plunged 33.2 percent in April from a year earlier after a 33.8 percent contraction in March.
In the four months to April, exports contracted 36.41 percent from the same year-ago period.
NSO
Inquirer
Shipments of electronics products also plunged 33.2 percent in April from a year earlier after a 33.8 percent contraction in March.
In the four months to April, exports contracted 36.41 percent from the same year-ago period.
NSO
Inquirer
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)