GLOBAL Voices Online reports that Egyptian blogger Abdulmonem Mahmood will be freed.

Here’s an excerpt from the Global Voices Online entry:

A recent clampdown on Egyptian bloggers encompassed bloggers of different political orientations. Egyptian blogger Abdul Monem Mahmood who has been detained for 46 days on political allegations belongs to the banned Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. However, various bloggers of different backgrounds showed support to Monem without discrimination.

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GOOD to hear that the libel case against popular Filipino blogger Abe Olandres has been dismissed.

Here’s an excerpt from INQUIRER.net reporter and fellow Blog Addict Erwin Oliva’s Infotech article:

MANILA, Philippines — The libel case filed against RP Nuclei Solutions and Filipino blogger Abe Olandres has been dismissed, according to an e-mailed statement sent to media by Olandres’ lawyer.

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I HAVE to apologize for the long silence. But I want to offer you 10 reasons not to blog:

1. You’re too busy working.
2. You don’t have an Internet connection for days.
3. You’re out on vacation.
4. Your laptop or PC is broken.
5. You’re just too lazy.
6. Your mind has been zapped by Sylar.
7. You’re LOST in translation.
8. You forgot your username and password.
9. You’re Hiro Nakamura, and you’ve accidentally time travelled to the Stone Age.
10. You’re too busy saving the cheerleader.

I HAVE recently experienced a phenomenon over at my personal blog, where I had casually invited a few photographer friends to a cosplay shoot with Jerry Polence over at the Intramuros Golf Club on a Sunday afternoon. Where I had estimated that about five or six people would come (we were around that number at 1:45 p.m.), we ended up with a total of over forty five photographers from different photo organizations.

For a few minutes I was greatly overwhelmed and panicked over the situation but then, after gaining some composure, realized that this is a proof of concept of how viral marketing works in the Philippines: from blog post to forum thread to an SMS campaign. At least for this case.

I’ve been wracking my brain trying to figure out how such a thing could happen. Either (1) the post was made at the right time when no other photo events were occuring (2) nobody ever shot cosplay before so this was something different. Then I started to analyze the posting patterns.

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A SCHOOL professor from the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) has cited the potential of blogging in distance education in the Philippines during an international conference titled “Living in the Information Society: the Impact of ICTs on People, Work, and Communities in Asia.”

Former UPOU Dean of the Faculty of Development Studies Dr. Paz Diaz said in her presentation, “Blogging as a Strategy for Teaching and Learning” noted that the use of blogs has several advantages to both students and teachers.

In particular, Diaz said that through blogging, students and teachers are able to share ideas and discuss topics beyond the classroom.

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AT LEAST, that’s what Singapore is thinking. Then again, the Lion City is one of the world’s most technologically-advanced nations.

Here’s an excerpt from the Agence France-Presse story:

SINGAPORE–Blogs are replacing blackboards as Singapore moves high-technology into its classrooms as teaching tools, newspapers reported Wednesday.

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CHECK out Toni’s blog Wifely Steps, where she details the never-ending adventures of married life.

Here’s an excerpt from her latest post:

Cute game alert! I’ve been enjoying this game called RayRay Parade because of the cute little characters. It’s a game of logic. The little RayRays run towards the center of the screen in various formations and flash their cute tummies when you solve the puzzle.

Wifely Steps won as Best Home and Living Blog in the 2007 Philippine Blog Awards, where I got to meet her. Hope to talk to you again soon, Toni

CHECK out this article by Cathy S. Babao-Guballa, who writes about moms who blog.

Excerpt:

There was a time in my recent past when I was so burnt out I thought I had lost the gift to write. Blogging has helped me find myself again.

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HERE’S an excerpt from the Agence France-Press story:

SUVA, Fiji–Fiji’s military has blocked access to several web sites that contained damaging allegations against the army and members of the interim government, a senior officer said Friday.

Fiji Land Force Commander Col. Pita Driti said access was cut Thursday to the Web journals, or blogs, which he said were full of lies and a threat to national security.

The military-led government imposed a state of emergency on the South Pacific nation on Dec. 6–the day after armed forces Commodore Frank Bainimarama seized power in a bloodless coup, sacking the democratic government. It was Fiji’s fourth coup in 20 years.

ABE OLANDRES a.k.a. yuga has signed a contract with Auction.ph.

Will bloggers become the next wave of product endorsers? Well, that’s better than journalists who are also product endorsers.