Capping years of intense debate, astronomers resolved today to demote Pluto in a wholesale redefinition of planethood that is a victory of scientific reasoning over historic and cultural influences.

Pluto is no longer a planet.

"Pluto is dead," said Caltech researcher Mike Brown, who spoke with reporters via a teleconference while monitoring the vote. The decision also means a Pluto-sized object that Brown discovered will not be called a planet. "Pluto is not a planet. There are finally, officially, eight planets in the solar system."

The decision establishes three main categories of objects in our solar system.

• Planets: The eight worlds from Mercury to Neptune.
• Dwarf Planets: Pluto and any other round object that "has not cleared the neighborhood around its orbit, and is not a satellite."
• Small Solar System Bodies: All other objects orbiting the Sun.

Pluto and its moon Charon, which would both have been planets under the initial definition proposed Aug. 16, now get demoted because they are part of a sea of other objects that occupy the same region of space. Earth and the other eight large planets have, on the other hand, cleared broad swaths of space of any other large objects.

"Pluto is a dwarf planet by the ... definition and is recognized as the prototype of a new category of trans-Neptunian objects," states the approved resolution.

Dwarf planets are not planets under the definition, however.

"There will be hundreds of dwarf planets," Brown predicted. He has already found dozens that fit the category.

Contentious logic

The vote by members of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) came after eight days of contentious debate that involved four separate proposals at the group's meeting in Prague.

The initial proposal, hammered out by a group of seven astronomers, historians and authors, attempted to preserve Pluto as a planet but was widely criticized for diluting the meaning of the word.

The category of "dwarf planet" is expected to include dozens of round objects already discovered beyond Neptune. Ultimately, hundreds will probably be found, astronomers say.

The word "planet" originally described wanderers of the sky that moved against the relatively fixed background of star. Pluto, discovered in 1930, was at first thought to be larger than it is. It has an eccentric orbit that crosses the path of Neptune and also takes it well above and below the main plane of the solar system.

Recent discoveries of other round, icy object in Pluto's realm have led most astronomers to agree that the diminutive world should never have been termed a planet.

Astronomers have argued since the late 1990s, however, on whether to demote Pluto. Public support for Pluto has weighed heavily on the debate. Today's vote comes after a two-year effort by the IAU to develop a definition. An initial committee of astronomers failed for a year to do so, leading to the formation of the second committee whose proposed definition was then redefined for today's vote.

Astronomers at the IAU meeting debated the proposals right up to the moment of the vote.

Brown called the result scientifically a good decision.

"The public is not going to be excited by the fact that Pluto has been kicked out," Brown said. "But it's the right thing to do."

winners ar in bold-italic

host: kc montero

favorite pop video: bamboo - much has been said
christian bautista - invincible
hale - kung wala ka
imago - akap
gary valenciano - break me

best animated video: barbie almalbis - dahilan
drip - sweetcheeks
mojofly - tumatakbo
parokya ni edgar - mang jose
rivermaya - sunday driving

inspiration award: inxs

hiphop and r&b video: april - stay real
jasmine trias - lose control
jay-r - just the way you are
dice & k9 - 6 in the morning

generations award: francis magalona

favorite rock video: kamikazee - narda
pupil - nasan ka?
radioactive sago project - alaala ni batman
sandwich - sugod
urbandub - first of summer

SMART texters' choice hitmaker of the year: Bamboo
Hale
Cueshe
Orange and Lemons
Urbandub

favorite indie video: mojofly - tumatakbo
up dharma down - maybe
up dharma down - pag-agos
radioactive sago project - gin pomelo
dream kitchen - 16 hours

favorite international video: green day - wake me up when september ends
james blunt - you’re beautiful
kanye west - gold digger
madonna - hung up
the pussycat dolls - don’t cha

best director: jay pacena & leoby marquez (cueshe - sorry)
jeffrey tan (gary valenciano - break me)
marie jamora (sandwhich - sugod)
quark henares (pupil - nasaan ka?)
topel lee (hale - kung wala ka)

best production design in a video: bamboo - much has been said
dicta license - complex
kitchie nadal - fire
sandwich - sugod
sugarfree - tulog na

best editing in a video: gary valenciano - break me
hale - kung wala ka
urbandub - first of summer
sandwich - sugod
wickermoss - falling leaves

best cinematography in a video: bamboo - much has been said
dicta license - complex
gary valenciano - break me
hale - kung wala ka
sandwich - sugod

best group in a video: bamboo - much has been said
itchyworms - akin ka na lang
parokya ni edgar - mang jose
rivermaya - sunday driving
sandwich - sugod

favorite male artist in a video: christian bautista - invincible
gary valenciano - break me
jay-r - ngayo’y naririto
jed madela - forever blue
ogie alcasid - minamahal kita

favorite female artist in a video: barbie almalbis - dahilan
karylle - you make me sing
kitchie nadal - fire
nina - i will always love you
sitti - para sa akin

favorite new artist in a video: cueshe - sorry
junior kilat - ako si m-16
sitti - para sa akin
spongecola - una
up dharma down - pag agos

video of the year: gary valenciano - break me
hale - kung wala ka
imago - akap
kitchie nadal - fire
sandwich - sugod

congratulations to the winners! *apir*

do leave my title alone, i don't know why that's my title for this post. hahah!



patrick never fails to amuse me. really. he came into the tutor reciting some really deep tagalog words. he kinda sounds like shakespeare. jeez.

everyone hugged avie except me. avie is a huggable grade 5 admu student. he has this vaseline type of hair. bouncy, shiny and soft. almost all highschool tutees envy him for that. haha! i'm gonna hug avie tomorrow. i love you avie!



i've been reading scary stories on the net again, i know that this will give me the creeps again, even though every minute of my life is creepy. i've read a lot, none of the stories scared me, until i read this certain story of a girl. gaaaah! gave me the creeps. BIG TIME! i'm gonna post the story someday.. when i'm not scared of it, and when the sun shines brightly. :)



got this from trish's blog. eheh. thanks trish. :)

Media Player Survey! Open iTunes or your other media player! Go to your library and answer, no matter how embarrassing it is.

Number of songs: 80
*Number of videos: 7
*Number of Podcasts: none

Sort by song
First Song: highway blues by Marc Seales (?)
Last Song: young pilgrims by the shins

Sort by time
Shortest Song: coca-cola theme by the akafellas
Longest Song: huling el-bimbo by rico j. puno

Sort by artist
First Artist: akafellas
Last Artist: urbandub

Sort By Album
First Album: an extremely goofy movie
Last Album: wedding singer

Do you rate your songs? yup
Do you make up your own genre? sometimes, when bored.
What Artist do you have the most songs by? silent sanctuary
What was the last song you added? byrd avenue - harmony grass
*What was the last podcast/video you added? nada.

Search the key word and see how many songs appear:

"Sex": 0
"Death": 0
"Love": 4
"You": 4
"Me": 15
"Drugs": 0
"Hate": 0
Search for your own name, how many?: 0
Do The Shuffle!
Shuffle your library and list the first five songs. Be honest!!!

1. pumapatak ang ulan by apo hiking society
2. wake up little susie by buddy holly
3. kabilugan ng buwan by apo hiking society
4. babaeng uy, ay by sugarfree, up dharma down and brownman revival
5. life ain't easy by cleopatra