IS the YouTube clip for real? According to CNN, the military is investigating the video which shows a US Marine throwing a puppy off a cliff.

Here’s an excerpt from the CNN story.

It’s not clear where the video was shot, although the man who appears to throw the puppy and another Marine are in full combat gear with helmets.

YouTube.com had taken down the video by 12:30 p.m. ET Tuesday “due to terms of use violation,” according to a banner on the Web site.

“This is a shocking and deplorable video that is contrary to the high standards that we set for every Marine,” Marine Corps spokesman Maj. Chris Perrine said at a news conference Monday night.

“We will investigate this and take appropriate actions,” Perrine said.

He said the Marine is being kept safe in view of the anger over the alleged incident.

Here’s a copy of the clip I found.

And while we’re at it, other videos of alleged US soldiers torturing animals are on YouTube. Some of the people who have left comments claim these videos are fake and are part of the “cyber war” being waged by US enemies. I really don’t know. You be the judge.

MICROSOFT and Yahoo! have discussed a possible partnership before, but now Yahoo!’s woes and Microsoft’s unsolicited $44.6-billion bid to buy the Internet portal might mean this scenario is just that much closer to becoming a reality.

How do you feel about a Microsoft-Yahoo! (Microhoo?) merger? Do you think that would  make Yahoo! cool again, and that it would finally make Microsoft cool?

Anyway, you can also check out INQUIRER.net reporter Erwin Oliva’s story, “Yahoo! board responds to Microsoft bid.”

AS promised, here’s the HappySlip video interview

Online Videos by Veoh.com

GOD, I love the Internet!

If you still doubt how much the Web has changed the way we live, and how it brings together people from all over the world, consider this: back in 2006, I was a fan watching HappySlip’s videos on YouTube. And now, here she is in Manila — and we’re covering the press conference that formally introduced her as the Department of Tourism’s ambassadress for North America.

And yup, Filipino-American Christine Gambito a.k.a. HappySlip, is also amazed that the video blogs she started for fun have led to her actually being invited to visit the Philippines for a two-week tour of different travel destinations. She’ll be video blogging her Philippine tour, allowing thousands of users to share the experience with her and get to know the Philippines a little better. How cool is that?

Here’s a photo of me and HappySlip after the video interview we conducted for INQUIRER.net VDO.

It’s also interesting to note what Tourism Secretary Joseph “Ace” Durano said in his presentation on why the government agency is tapping the Internet in promoting Philippine tourist destinations to the North American market: “Traditional media doesn’t work as much as it used to.”

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YUP, the YouTube sensation will now be promoting Philippine tourist destinations as an endorser for the Department of Tourism Team North America. Filipino-American Christine Gambito, better known to thousands of fans of her video blogs as HappySlip, will be in town for a two-week tour of our country’s travel destinations.

HappySlip will be video blogging her Philippine trip, and the vlogs will be posted on both the HappySlip and Experience Philippines sites.

Here’s HappySlip’s video announcement about her Philippine trip.

We’ll get to meet her in a press briefing which will be held this Thursday, where HappySlip and Tourism Secretary Joseph “Ace” Durano will be on hand to answer questions. So stay tuned for more updates on HappySlip’s Philippine odyssey.