MARC PINGRIS TRIBUTE ON JAMES YAP

It was all over the twitter world last night #JamesYap. One of the first to react to James Yap’s trade to Rain or Shine was teammate Marc Pings . Yap and Pings are more than just teammates. They are longtime friends/buddies having spent more than a decade playing together in the same team (Purefoods).

Pings tweeted his sadness that Yap will no longer be part of the team. On his Instagram account , he even posted :

Yap was traded by Purefoods for Paul Lee. Meanwhile James Yap thanked Purefoods for his 12 years of stay in the team. "Maraming salaam sa pure foods family ko sa lahat ng pag aalaga at pagtitiwala nyo sa akin ng 12 years..."

The trade was announced last night and the approval by the PBA Commissioner is still in pending status as of this writing.

KIM KARDASHIAN BACK ON TRACK ?

Kim Kardashian’s back on Twitter, but it's not what you think. 

The E! reality star, whose personal life took a sudden turn following her involvement in a Parisian robbery two weeks ago, recently made an unconventionally quiet return to the same platform that many believe threatened her privacy. 

Fans were quick to notice Kardashian downsized her social media ratio, unfollowing 14 people. It's unclear which of Kim's 121 followed accounts were ultimately given the axe, though she still follows every immediate member of her famous family. Kim's latest online activity is especially notable given that it's the first since the life-threatening incident. 

***More on Enews.com

Philippines : Nationwide Smoking Ban - SOON ?

This will change the lives of many Filipinos. Both for the smokers and non-smokers. Makati City strongly implement this. You cannot just smoke anywhere you want. I know the feeling since I'm a smoker and works in the vicinity of Makati City.

Good news to non-smokers out there: We are now getting closer to having a law imposing a nationwide smoking ban in public places. While a similar ordinance is in effect in Davao City, the idea of having the smoking ban nationwide puts us on the same level as Singapore and South Korea in terms of having strict smoking laws.

The bill that awaits the signature of President Rodrigo Duterte prohibits smoking in public places, both indoor and outdoor, but will provide designated smoking areas 10 meters away from buildings.

While there are some people, particularly smokers, opposing the idea, the proposed bill is generating a positive response in general. Here are a few benefits of the soon-to-be-signed Nationwide Smoking Ban ordinance:

1. Our country will become more organized in effect. By implementing designated spots for smoking, smokers will now think twice before lighting up a stick. This may sound like a burden for smokers, but it will definitely make a world of difference for those who do not smoke and do not want to suffer from the effects of secondhand smoke.

2. Less secondhand smoking-related diseases. Do not take secondhand smoking lightly; non-smokers can acquire various diseases (lung cancer included) through the smoke exhaled by smokers. Studies show that around 42,000 die from secondhand smoke in America alone. That being said, imposing a nationwide smoking ban can help non-smokers lower their risk of getting lung disease, lung cancer, and heart attack.

3. A more livable environment in Metro Manila. By confining smoking to specific places, our environment will be less polluted, and we get to breathe air that's cleaner and healthier than usual. A healthier environment would mean less hospital visits and less medical expenses for people.

4. Increased safety for both people and the surroundings. By limiting places where people can smoke, the possibility of explosions and fires caused by cigarette butts will be reduced as well. Engineers and designers will put into consideration factors like ventilation and materials when designing designated smoking areas so even the safety (and welfare) of smokers are also taken care of.

5. Better business for establishments. How? A smoking ban can mean increased productivity as it reduces the chances of employees being absent due to illness, and it also helps in keeping the establishment in tip top shape; this is especially crucial to those involved in the food and manufacturing industry.

So, are you all ready for this change towards a healthier Philippines?

***More on abs-cbn.com

HASHTAG SAVE TWITTER

It has been all over the news in the US and UK that Twitter will shut down early 2017.

Why do some people think Twitter is shutting down in 2017?

Truth doesn't often get in the way of a good social media rumour. But word that one of the giants of social media platforms decided to shut down got the microblogging community all fired up.

The hashtag #SaveTwitter was the world's top trend as of Thursday morning. Intriguingly, Twitter didn't rush to debunk it either.

The rumour doing the rounds is that outspoken YouTuber BradTheLadLong, who posts videos commenting on celebrities, had saved copies of all the abuse he has received on the social media platform and managed to convince the powers-that-be that Twitter is not doing a good enough job in protecting people from online abuse.

So as a result of Brad's lobbying, Twitter, the story goes, decided to shut up shop next year. And Brad's Twitter account is certainly not discouraging the idea that Twitter's little blue bird is due to get its neck wrung.

Hopefully Twitter will not be out of the social media platform list. Since this is my favorite social media platform.