2008 YEAR IN REVIEW - July to December

There's no debate we were late but in doing so some very interesting developments came about with the maturation of some stories and the fall out over time. Observing the maturation of a story was our objective.

Monday December 28, 2009 - National Radio Text Service

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As a test we delayed the results of the best stories for the second half of 2008. The results are varied due to some stories maturing and rising to prominence after the year was over. For example the story regarding the departure of US Ambassador to Cambodia Joseph A. Mussomeli made its move in the rating the fourth quarter of 2009.

Our intention was observe how stories developed over time as opposed of selecting recent items that occurred during the last half of the year. Observing the maturation of a story was our objective.

The strongest story of the year was regarding football titled Ronaldinho Avoids Thaksin and signs with AC Milan. The Brazilian refused a more lucrative offer to sign with Manchester City and chose the Italian side AC Milan. Ronaldinho apparently made the right decision given the turmoil Man City has experienced with Thaksin's departure and numerous player changes as well as the recent dismissal of its manager Mark Hughes who was sacked on 19 December 2009 and replaced by Roberto Mancini.

FOOTBALL'S MERRY GO ROUND & MUSICAL CHAIRS was another football top story noting how the Cristiano Ronaldo saga went on and on and on yet there were no definitive decisions made as to where he would lace up his boots for the then upcoming 2009-10 season.

Also featured was Luiz Felipe Scolari with his Brazilian roots and being an integral member of the Scolari managed 2002 World Cup winning team you would think that he could attract top Brazilian players to join him at Chelsea. News reports had noted that Ronaldinho said, "Come and get me," yet Scolari made no attempt to do so.

FOOTBALLS TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES is a football story regarding the need for a salary cap or the beautiful game will eventually lose the plot and be in big time trouble.

The greatest overall attention was given to a television review series of columns about the Philippines Dream Academy. It told the story of a contestant Laarni LoSala was repeatedly abused by her fellow contestants, mentors and producers of the program from day one of the series. She never received the respect for her talent or as a human being.

LoSala was humiliated and ridiculed throughout the series but stood strong and endured. When it was time for the public to make the decisions for the final voting they saw through the producers and tutors bad decisions and behavior and voted her the winner.

After she was named the winner Laarni broke out in tears as she headed for the stage for her closing number. As she was half way through the song which she sang the previous night in the final performance show she was overwhelmed with what appeared to be disbelief and happiness. She dropped to her knees with her voice choking until she couldn't sing anymore. This human interest story was the story of the year.

The second half of the year heated up with the political upheaval in Thailand which inconvenienced tourists who were stranded for several days at airports and couldn't leave the country by air. The heated politics remain a problem for that nation.

Television made a stir with an Asian and a transsexual contestant on America's Top Model. Neither won but it made for interesting programming.

Sports Notes EXTRA - RONALDINHO AVOIDS THAKSIN TO SIGN WITH AC MILAN - JULY, 2008
THE RONALDO BLATTER MATTER - What in the world is wrong with FIFA boss Sepp Blatter? After his Cristiano Ronaldo is a slave comment it raises the question if Blatter needs a health checkup - Ronaldinho to sign with AC Milan for roughly US $18 million less a reported to be US $33.5 million compared to Man City's offer of US $51 million proving that good health is worth more than money - NBA FIXED GAMES SCANDAL - FIFA TOP 10

Sports Notes - FOOTBALL'S MERRY GO ROUND & MUSICAL CHAIRS - JULY, 2008
The Cristiano Ronaldo saga goes on and on and on - Yes Ronaldo was very talented player when he joined Man U but it was Sir Alex Ferguson who refined his raw skills and honed them into his being one of the greatest players in the world. If it's respect and appreciation you're looking for at this point IT IS ABSENT - With his Brazilian roots and being an integral member of the Scolari managed 2002 World Cup winning team you would think that Ronaldinho would be highly sought after by his former Brazilian national team manager Luiz Felipe Scolari' to join him at Chelsea. ESPN Sports reports have noted that Ronaldinho has said, "Come and get me," yet Scolari has made no attempt to do so

TRAVEL TIPS - BEWARE OF THAILAND - August, 2008
Civil disturbance roars in Thailand as a result of the public backlash to the current government. The public's dissatisfaction with the current government has created problems for travelers and tourists. Protesters shut down airports in Phuket, Krabbi and Hat Yai. Tourists were stranded. Train service was also disrupted - DR BEAT IN SIEM REAP (ANGKOR WAT)

TRAVEL TIPS Phnom Penh (Ah) Faces & Places - US AMBASSADOR TO CAMBODIA MUSSOMELI DEPARTS - August, 2008
Intellectual Property Rights In Cambodia Seminar - MICROSOFT Cambodia - SAY CHEESE - TV In Cambodia - NR TOP SECTIONS AND STORIES - NATIONAL RADIO PUBLISHED IN 5 LANGUAGES - NR TOP FIVE PHNOM PENH STORIES PLUS

Sports Notes - RAIDERS AREN'T LOST THEY'RE IN FOOTBALL - SEPTEMBER, 2008
How hypocritical can the statement be, 'The Beautiful Game'? We're talking football here as well as the games lack of ethics. It's a game which is supposed to influence youth around the world to fair play and sportsmanship. Football is a game that has gone out of control with teams raiding each other for their players at any price while disregarding ethics. - FIFA TOP 10 - Entertainment - TV

TV - VIDEO BEAT MAX - LAARNI LOSALA WINS DREAM ACADEMY TITLE AGAINST ALL ODDS - September, 2008
There is a God after all. That was proved Sunday night when the persecuted Laarni Losala walked away with the Pinoy Dream Academy title after receiving overwhelming support form the Philippine TV viewers of the program. In the process Losala went though more pain and anguish than anyone since Jesus carried the cross only to be nailed to it before dying to save sinners - It's in the charts. This column includes the final voting results, our top six finishers in order and a chart of how the scholars rated themselves to finish..... - Recommended TV Listings .... Entertainment - TV

NR TOP 10 - SEPTEMBER, 2008 - Pinoy Dream Academy's Persecution of Laarni Series Takes 5 of 10 Spots & 7 of Top 12
Top story Mourinho, Ronaldo Deals - This is the first time any one subject dominated the list as this human interest story did. We wrote two series on the subject the first being a four part series and the second eight. This wasn't planned but given the abuse this young lady was receiving on the show warranted the coverage and our point of view. - Entertainment, Boxing and the NBA are the new entries to the NR Top 10 sections most visited list this month. The most significant story interest is in our Video Beat columns eight of which made our Top 10.- SEARCH ENGINES GUILTY OF INTERNET THEFT?.

TV - VIDEO BEAT - AMAZING RACE ASIA'S BEAUTY & THE BEAST - October, 2008
QUITTERS NEVER WIN - We had it figured out when the Amazing Race Asia 3's Casting Director Priscilla Yeo and Producer Michael McKay said they were going to something different this season as well as make the race the toughest it's ever been…. And that they did and THEY GOT IT WRONG. The first BEWARE sign was the focus on having so called Asian celebrities competing in the race with several being beauty queens, TV hosts and actors. - APPRENTICE FINAL FOUR

Phnom Penh (Ah) EXTRA - Faces & Places - CAROL RODLEY ARRIVES AS US AMBASSADOR TO CAMBODIA - NOVEMBER, 2008
Rodley returns to Cambodia where she previously was Deputy Chief of Mission at the American Embassy in Phnom Penh, from 1997 to 2000.

TRAVEL TIPS - The Adventures of Roman Wanderaugh in Cambodia & Thailand - November, 2008
Thailand's Loi Kratong Holiday - BEWARE OF THAILAND - During this turbulent political trouble in the country one should be very cautious where they travel. Since the holiday is celebrated with fire crackers and explosives that combined with the political protests involving former prime minister and now fugitive Thaksin Shinawatra creates a volatile situation. - Cambodia's Water Festival - Pedestrians in Phnom Penh BEWARE - BEWARE OF THAI VISA Internet Theft...

TV - VIDEO BEAT - AMAZING RACE USA HAS BALLS VISITS CAMBODIA - CELEBRITY APPRENTICE THE SET UP TO FAIL - November, 2008
It took big brass balls for the Amazing Race USA edition to be the first to visit Cambodia. The producers did a commendable job in filming the true spirit of Cambodia by showing places and people who are really what Cambodia is all about… poor who get on with the job of survival. - It took just one week for Kiss bassist Gene Simmons to go from a solid Celebrity Apprentice Project Manager to where he lost the plot and the task due to his stubbornness and befriending someone who did an inadequate job of getting the right information in a product meeting. AMAZING RACE ASIA DOWN TO FINAL 4 - PRODUCERS HOLD ONE MORE TRUMP CARD - MISSING PERSONS

Phnom Penh (Ah) Faces & Places - THE WATER FESTIVAL IS ON!!! - NOVEMBER, 2008
The Water Festival also known as Bon Om Tuk will be celebrated from Tuesday November 11 to Thursday November 13. During this period Cambodians flock to the city to celebrate and visit family and friends. Phnom Penh will be crowded.- TV In Cambodia the Amazing Race USA edition made a trip to Cambodia visiting Siem Reap and Angkor Wat.... - More...

TV - VIDEO BEAT EXTRA Part 2 - HOLY (?) COWELL - AMERICAN IDOL RETURNS - SHEENA... SHE'S GONE - December, 2008
Excise us but it's that time of the year again when Simon Cowell and American invades your TV screens (if you choose) for another season beginning in January on the Star World channel.- Hall & Oates sang it best, 'She's Gone' as America's Next Top Model's first Asian decent contestant Sheena Sakai was eliminated after fining in sixth place. - Recommended TV Listings - Entertainment - TV - Part 1 SHEENA'S LAST STAND - Part 3 The Ghetto Hits Celebrity Apprentice

TV - VIDEO BEAT EXTRA - SHEENA'S LAST STAND - BAD BEHAVIOR ON AUSTRALIA'S TOP MODEL - December, 2008
As the song goes, 'This is it!' as it will be for America's Next Top Model's first Asian decent contestant. Half Korean/Japanese Sheena Sakai will be eliminated in this weeks show Sunday night on Channel V. - Human behavior jumps out on reality shows. In some cases it is a negative attitude that can influence some viewers who enjoy these programs. Many teens who aspire to be a model watch these modeling reality series to pick up pointers. Australia's Top Model on Channel V are selecting girls who look like women but behave like spoiled children. The negative behavior on the series is currently being played out. What influence it has on viewers remains to be seen. - Recommended TV Listings - Entertainment - TV - Part 2 Sheena's Gone - Part 3 The Ghetto Hits Celebrity Apprentice

Sports Notes EXTRA - FOOTBALLS TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES - December, 2008
There needs to be a club salary cap. Eleven years ago I asked former Italy International then the MLS's New England Revolution keeper Walter Zenga who had the strongest football league in Europe. He replied it changes based on who spends the most money to acquire talent. Fast forward to today and Zenga's words have become even more astute. The Man City acquisition of Robinho has not proved to be their saving grace since the club lacks quality and Robinho needs help. After 16 games the side has only 18 points only 3 above the relegation zone.The bottom line is a solution. Part 2 - SEEK & YOU SHALL FIND

TRAVEL TIPS - The Adventures of Roman Wanderaugh in Cambodia & Thailand - December, 2008
THAILAND WARNING - As this political problem continues the undercurrent will always be there which is stimulated by greed and the thirst for power. Very few Thais continue to practice Buddhist teachings they are now very materialistic. - SIHANOUKVILLE is a town that has attracted a crowd of undesirables (alcoholics, drug users and sexual predators) with questionable backgrounds. - BEWARE OF THAI VISA Internet Theft...

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