Archive for December 11th, 2012

VATICAN CITY — The Vatican’s top astronomer has some assurances to offer: The world won’t be ending in 10 days, despite predictions to the contrary.

The Rev. Jose Funes, director of the Vatican Observatory, wrote in Wednesday’s Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano that “it’s not even worth discussing” doomsday scenarios based on the Mayan calendar that are flooding the Internet ahead of the purported Dec. 21 apocalypse.

Yes, Funes wrote, the universe is expanding and if some models are correct, will at one point “break away” — but not for billions of years. But he said Christians profoundly believe that “death can never have the last word.”

The Mayan Long Count cale…Keep on reading: World not ending, despite Maya prediction–Vatican
Source: Inquirer.net

SAN FRANCISCO–US teachers flocked to school-centric charity websiteDonorsChoose.org to get Google’s Chrome notebook computers made available to classrooms for just $99 each.

DonorsChoose on Tuesday said that it was no longer taking Chromebook requests from teachers since the allotted supply was exhausted due to “tremendous response” to the offer.

DonorsChoose is a website where people can donate money to back class projects or provide gear needed in cash-strapped schools based on needs or goals laid out by teachers.

Google on Monday said that Samsung Series 5 Chromebooks that teachers put on wish lists at DonorsChoose would be available for a price of $99 each in a hefty $…Keep on reading: $99 Google laptops for schools sold out
Source: Inquirer.net

UNITED NATIONS–Latin superstar Ricky Martin is telling a U.N. conference on homophobia that he wishes he could come out again so he could tell people struggling with their identities that “it’s just beautiful — you find love.”

Martin said Tuesday that “for many years, I lived in fear … because I was hating myself because I grew up listening to a very crooked concept: ‘You’re gay. You belong in hell.’”

Martin, who is currently starring on Broadway in “Evita,” said it was amazing to be at the United Nations surrounded by people “fighting for one cause — equality and love and social justice.”

He praised U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon who got a standing ovation af…Keep on reading: Ricky Martin wishes he could come out again
Source: Inquirer.net

MANILA, Philippines—A Belgium-based non-government organization focusing on conflict prevention has said that the Philippine government’s framework peace agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front must hurdle several issues to achieve lasting peace in Mindanao.

The International Crisis Group, in a report (http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/asia/south-east-asia/philippines/240-the-philippines-breakthrough-in-mindanao.pdf) published December 5, said “it was difficult to predict at this stage whether the framework agreement will produce a lasting peace.” It conceded, however, that the political environment was “far more favourable than it was when the last agreeme…Keep on reading: International NGO cites issues to be hurdled in path to Bangsamoro peace
Source: Inquirer.net