ang himala cafe

Car Woes

2011-12-11T01:19:00.000+08:00

I love all the Engineering stuff. I am in awe how such productivity could be programmed into an assembly line. Is that 20 second Takt time still valid today? The post war Japanese generation made super human sacrifices to build a new industrial Japan. Are the present generations still willing to make the same sacrifice?

So what is the Takt time in a Michigan auto plant? Is it anywhere near 20 Seconds?

That is about what it takes to work up a good fart. If you had 100 assembly line persons and they had to fart every hour, you already lost 55 production units in a day. Imagine if you had 2000 workers! Japanese are not known to be farty people because their diet seldom includes dairy fat. We all know that those living up North consume lots of cheese and butter and a lot of meat.

The dream factory would be the one designed in Germany. Was that real? That was almost a 100% automated system. The entire building was a giant mechanized unit including floors and walls. Amazing what engineers can do.

They already have (in a smaller scale), self-perpetuating machines. Wow! Imagine if you could do this in major industries. But we may end up like "Matrix" or what was that Arnold movie about the future sending in prototype robots to kill the ancestor of a rebel?

Nothing important. Just oiling the old rusty brain.

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"Each worker pulled a box of parts from a computer controlled conveyor and must install the parts on the moving engine block for not more then 20 seconds. The line produced different engine models at the rate of 20 seconds per and based on the needs of the final assembly line in another part of the plant. Ā The final assembly plant was also a wonder.

Human beings were needed to install the various components of various models, from the smallest to the largest Crowns, also at the rate of 20 seconds each".

The 20 seconds time interval is called thetakt time. It's also called the "beat" of the production line because the conveyor carrying the engine, moves to the next station every 20 seconds. Whatever component that needs to be installed or added on to the engine at that particular station (and at every station throughout the entire length of the conveyor line, needs to be installed in less than or exactly 20 seconds. It also means that at the end of the line, there is one complete engine coming out every 20 seconds.

In 2006, I was part of the Operational Excellence team of my employer W.L. Gore and Associates that went to benchmark the assembly line of Apache attack helicopters in Meza, Arizona. The assembly process was in the form of a big U shaped assembly line running around the building. There was no traveling conveyor belt since the helicopters had wheels and they were just pushed around from one station to the next. The fuselage which was made in another adjacent building gets mounted on to it's wheels at the start of the U line. Other components are also attached to the fuselage. After three days, the first helicopter is moved on to the next station where the avionics are mounted. Meanwhile another fuselage is being mounted at the start of the line. After three days, these two helicopters move to the next stations and another new fuselage gets started. Meanwhile the first helicopter which is now on the third station is being mounted with propellers, and so on. The takt time was three days and there was a complete helicopter coming out at the end of the line every three days.

These helicopters were used extensively in the Persian Gulf war. We saw a white flag of surrender used by the Republican guards of Saddam Hussein. It was a souvenir that was displayed on the wall. According to the plant people, the Republican guards dreaded the Apache helicopters because of their deadly armaments and once it corners a group of enemies, it could hover over them and they don't leave until the US soldiers arrive to capture the enemy. Aside from US armed forces use, they are also supplied to US allies but these are not equipped with the latest instruments.

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You can add to your list the brand names: Nissan, Mazda, Volvo, Audi, Volkswagen, and soon Citroen.

Back in the 1960's, Lee Iaccoca headed Ford and, being concerned with the bottom line of his operations, he suggested to the Board that they install Mazda engines in some Ford models. Ā His timing was bad as the Board members were still very mad at the Japanese being that World War Two was just 16 years ago. Ā HIs reasoning of course was that Mazda could sell its engines at a profit for $ 300.00 each F.O.B. any point in U.S.A., a cost that no American engine manufacturer can ever match.

In 1976, with a group of 11 other Filipino Service managers from the Philippines, we toured the Toyota Engine Plant in Toyota City. After about 20 minutes of awe, one of our group asked the Japanese guide "Where are the workers?" After a few minutes of searching we came upon a trio in overalls in a tiny break room, one with his feet up on the round table was reading a comic book while the others were sipping soda with a lively discussion at another table. Another 20 minutes of resumed tour and we came upon the real workforce, the assembly line for the engines. Each worker pulled a box of parts from a computer controlled conveyor and must install the parts on the moving engine block for not more then 20 seconds. Ā The line produced different engine models at the rate of 20 seconds per and based on the needs of the final assembly line in another part of the plant. The final assembly plant was also a wonder. Ā Human beings were needed to install the various components of various models, from the smallest to the largest Crowns, also at the rate of 20 seconds each.

Amazing, what automation they had set up. Automation that the Americans first started and should be able to also do. That is the answer for the productivity of the American workers, for any product.

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Just a reminder

toyota, honda, hyundai, bmw build their cars in America and hire americans. In fact, they are better than ford which has plants in mexico, only the f150 is built in michigan. within the last 3 years American cars are a lot better and should have no problems going over 100k miles. i believe thats the recommended first tune up. the only problems with them seems to be the heavy use of plastics in the interior and exterior. that's the main complaint with the corvette, they should have the same interior as a german car specially with the zr1, over 100k and you can push the body at the back because of the plastics. on the mechanical side they are just as good if they they were produced after 2009. if you go to the car shows like the one in sf, thats the main complaint about American cars, they have cheap looking interiors and the choices are very limited. i believe the battery of the chevy volt is made in south korea funded by American stimulus funds.

The engines of the new mazdas with the skyactive, have good reviews.

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By comparison, my sixteen year old 1995 Toyota Camry has logged 128,000 miles when I got it back from my daughters in 2003. It now has 154,000 miles plus. Except for accident damages and regular oil filter changes with engine oil, the only parts replacements I have had were for front brake pads (twice), tires, timing belt (changed at 120,000 miles) and oil pan gasket which should not have failed had not a greenhorn mechanic over zealously tightened all the nuts under the car, resulting in the gasket having been squashed and so leaked. The engine's oil pan bolts must never be tightened, as they are supposed to be designed to last almost forever.

Toyota recommends that the spark plugs be changed every 90,000 miles, (compared to every 5,000 miles for regular plugs) but my mechanic asked me if the engine was misfiring and to my negative answer, he said I should just keep them until the engine misfires.

And my records show that my gas consumption is at about 32 miles per gallon for my (and my daughter's) total mileage, city and highway. At the time I bought it there was no american car that could match those records.

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The 2002 GMC Envoy XLT that I bought in December 2001 has about 110,000 miles, still runs good and also still looks good because I've been parking it inside the garage. The only major expense on it has been the replacement of the set of shock absorbers, change of the brake pads and change of tires. I'm very happy with it's quality and performance.

For the same price of an equivalent foreign car, you get the top of the line model with an American car complete with the bells and whistles. In my case, the SUV came with an a/c, sunroof, running board, leather seats, heated driver and passenger seat, dual temperature control, power seats and windows, Bose stereo system, automatic windshield washer that turn on as soon as it rains, and automatic adjustment of your driver seat and side view mirrors to their programmed positions as soon as you put your key into the ignition slot. It even has a small compressor so that you can inflate your own tires wherever you are and can also use it to inflate your bike tires and basketball or volleyball.

For a foreign car, it will cost you an arm and a leg assuming that they have the same features available. The best feature that sold my wife to it was that there is a covered vanity mirror embedded on the sun visor both on the driver and passenger side. As soon as she flips open the cover, the light turns on so that she could easily take a quick look at her make up even in the dark, before alighting from the vehicle. For her, this is the deal clincher. The foreign brands we looked at in 2001 don't have this feature. Approved and funds were released.

Denver Bronco QB Tim Tebow Helping the Philippines

2011-12-09T11:30:00.000+08:00

If you are not a football fan, you will not know who Tim Tebow is. Here's an article we share with you about what he does outside the football fields. Please read on.

Tim Tebow, His Foundation and the Philippines: Fan’s Perspective
By Deborah Braconnier, Nov 26, 4:02 pm EST
　
Whether you like Denver Broncos QB as a football player or not, you can't deny that he and his foundation are doing a lot to help children all over the world. His newest venture teams the Tim Tebow Foundationwith CURE Internationalin the construction of a children's hospital in the Philippines.

Why the Philippines?

Before Tebow became the football giant that he is, he first had to move to the United States. Tim Tebow was born in Makati City in 1987 while his parents were Baptist missionaries. For this reason, the Philippines are very close to Tebow and he knows that many of the children in the poorest areas are unable to access medical care that they need.

Type of Hospital

The hospital is set to be built in Davao Cityand they hope to break ground in January 2012 with construction being completed in mid-2013. It is estimated to cost around $3 million and costs will be shared by both the Tim Tebow Foundation and Cure International. It will be a 30-bed surgical facility that will focus on treating conditions such as club foot and bow legs. While these are simple surgeries, the families in this area do not have access to this type of care. They hope to be able to treat at least a third of the patients free of charge. In addition to providing medical care, they hope to provide the message of faith, hope and love while spreading and teaching Christ's Gospel.

Other Projects in the Philippines

This hospital will not be the first operation the Tim Tebow Foundation supports in the
Philippines. Uncle Dick's Home, an orphanage founded by the Bob Tebow Evangelistic Association also receives support. This orphanage is located in Lamsugod, Surallah, South Cotabato, Mindanao, Philippines and is currently the home to 49 orphans, according to the Tim Tebow Foundation.

The Real Tebow

While the critics may call Tebow a joke when it comes to his play as an NFL QB, his devotion to his religion and helping those in need is something to be admired. He brings this belief, strength and determination into everything he does, including on the field. His teammates and coach agree that he is the real deal.

Coach John Foxsaid, "He's real. He walks the walk. A guy like that in today's society, in my mind, ought to be celebrated, not scrutinized to the level that he is." Teammate Eddie Royasays, "He really is genuine and the emotion and the passion that you see him out there playing with, he has the same passion off the field with those type of things, the charity things and the missionary things."

Tebow is making a difference so far this season with the Denver Broncos both in the way he plays and the fact that there are now wins on the board. However, I think the biggest difference Tebow will make in the long run will be off the field and in the lives of many

American vs. Foreign products

2011-12-07T09:36:00.000+08:00

ONE AT A TIME

This probably sounds crazy, but just yesterday I was in Wal Mart looking for a wastebasket. I found some made in China for $6.99. I didn't want to pay that much so I asked the lady if they had any others. She took me to another department and they had some at $2.50 made in USA. They are just as good.

Same as a kitchen rug I needed. I had to look, but I found some made in the USA and they were $3.00 cheaper. We are being brain washed that everything that comes from China and Mexico is cheaper. Not so. That is also why I don't buy cards at Hallmark anymore. They are made in China and are expensive. I buy them at Dollar Tree....50 cents each and made in USA.

One Light Bulb at a Time

A physics teacher in high school, once told the students that while one grasshopper on the railroad tracks wouldn't slow a train very much, a billion of them would. With that thought in mind, read the following, obviously written by a good American . . .

Good idea . . .. One light bulb at a time . . ..

Check this out. I can verify this because I was in Lowe's the other day for some reason and just for the heck of it I was looking at the hose attachments... They were all made in China .

The next day I was in Ace Hardware and just for the heck of it I checked the hose attachments there.
They were made in USA. Start looking ...

In our current economic situation, every little thing we buy or do affects someone else - even their job. So, after reading this email, I think this lady is on the right track.. Let's get behind her!

My grandson likes Hershey's candy. I noticed, though, that it is marked made in Mexico now.
I do not buy it any more.

My favorite toothpaste Colgate is made in Mexico... Now I have switched to Crest. You have to read the labels on everything....

This past weekend I was at Kroger . .. . I needed 60W light bulbs and Bounce dryer sheets.

I was in the light bulb aisle, and right next to the GE brand I normally buy was an off-brand labeled, " Everyday Value ." I picked up both types of bulbs and compared the stats they were the same except

For the price . . . The GE bulbs were more money than the Everyday Value brand but the thing that surprised me the most was the fact that GE was made in MEXICO and the Everyday Value brand was made in - get ready for this - the USA in a company in Cleveland , Ohio.

So throw out the myth that you cannot find products you use every day that are made right here...

So on to another aisle - Bounce Dryer Sheets... Yep, you guessed it, Bounce cost more money and is made in Canada... The Everyday Value brand was less money and MADE IN THE USA! I did laundry yesterday and the dryer sheets performed just like the Bounce Free I have been using for years and at almost half the price!

My challenge to you is to start reading the labels when you shop for everyday things and see what you can find that is made in the USA - the job you save may be your own or your neighbors!

If you accept the challenge, pass this on to others in your address book so we can all start buying American, one light bulb at a time! Stop buying from overseas companies!

(We should have awakened a decade ago....)

Let's get with the program and help our fellow Americans keep their jobs and create more jobs here in the USA .

I passed this on . .. . Will you???

Greediest Generation

2011-12-06T12:50:00.000+08:00

Although her letter is addressed to an American politician, but it pretty much refers to most of the politicians all over the world..........

Alan Simpson, former Republican Senator from Wyoming, Co-Chair of Obama's deficit commission, calls senior citizens the Greediest Generation as he compared "Social Security" to a Milk Cow with 310 million teats.

Here's a response in a letter from a citizen in Montana ... I think she is a little ticked off! She also tells it like it is!

Hey Alan, let's get a few things straight..

1. As a career politician, you have been on the public dole for FIFTY YEARS.

2. I have been paying Social Security taxes for 48 YEARS (since I was 15 years old. I am now 63).

3 My Social Security payments, and those of millions of other Americans, were safely tucked away in an interest bearing account for decades until you political pukes decided to raid the account and give OUR money to a bunch of zero ambition losers in return for votes, thus bankrupting the system and turning Social Security into a Ponzi scheme that would have made Bernie Madoff proud..

4. Recently, just like Lucy & Charlie Brown, you and your ilk pulled the proverbial football away from millions of American seniors nearing retirement and moved the goalposts for full retirement from age 65 to age 67. NOW, you and your shill commission is proposing to move the goalposts YET AGAIN.

5. I, and millions of other Americans, have been paying into Medicare from Day One, and now you morons propose to change the rules of the game. Why? Because you idiots mismanaged other parts of the economy to such an extent that you need to steal money from Medicare to pay the bills.

6. I, and millions of other Americans, have been paying income taxes our entire lives, and now you propose to increase our taxes yet again. Why? Because you incompetent bastards spent our money so profligately that you just kept on spending even after you ran out of money. Now, you come to the American taxpayers and say you need more to pay off YOUR debt.

To add insult to injury, you label us "greedy" for calling "bullshit" on your incompetence. Well, Captain Bullshit, I have a few questions for YOU.

1. How much money have you earned from the American taxpayers during your pathetic 50-year political career?

2. At what age did you retire from your pathetic political career, and how much are you receiving in annual retirement benefits from the American taxpayers?

3. How much do you pay for YOUR government provided health insurance?

4. What cuts in YOUR retirement and healthcare benefits are you proposing in your disgusting deficit reduction proposal, or, as usual, have you exempted yourself and your political cronies?

It is you, Captain Bullshit, and your political co-conspirators called Congress who are the "greedy" ones. It is you and your fellow nutcases who have bankrupted America and stolen the American dream from millions of loyal, patriotic taxpayers. And for what? Votes. That's right, sir. You and yours have bankrupted America for the sole purpose of advancing your pathetic political careers. You know it, we know it, and you know that we know it.

And you can take that to the bank, you miserable son of a bitch.

If you like the way things are in America delete this.

Pacquiao-Marquez Fight

2011-11-29T10:57:00.000+08:00

Losing and winning are part of sports, and with the game of life. Especially in boxing, We know this fully well. Ali lost to Frazier; Frazier lost to Foreman; Foreman lost to Ali; Ali had hellfire fights with Frazier two times more (reminds us of Pacquiao-Marquez); then again Ali lost to journeymen Norton and Leon Spinks; the invincible Tyson lost to Douglas in Tokyo; and on and on.

What happened to Pacquiao on Marquez (close fight), I think is a blessing in disguise. Mayweather, through Oscar de la Hoya, is frantic about wanting to fight Pacquiao in May, 2012. Pacquiao laid a trap to draw Mayweather from his fear cave. Mayweather thinks Pacquiao is ready for the picking. Pacquiao cramps again and again, his speed will be back, and lagot si Mayweather. Let's see what happens next. But of course, there will be more excruciating moments of grandstanding of both Pacquiao-Mayweather camps. Otherwise, it will be Pacquiao-Marquez 4, an unprecedented one in boxing history. Meantime, Marquez will continue to sulk and cry and complain....and as we know, cry babies do not win in the end.

If I were a Mexican, of course. Imagine the Mexicans that Pacquiao beat already-- Morales, Barrera, Margarito, Marquez, dela Hoya, etc..years before.

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AMEN ! Well analyzed

Brod Loy's analysis well taken. As to the result, I deduce from his comment that Pacquiao won.

We all saw the fight. Like the 3 judges who came up with different scores, each one of us will have our own judgment. I would have wanted to see a knockout or at least a knockdown as Roach predicted bit it didn't come... a big source of disappointment.

The fight was VERY CLOSE. BUT PACQUIAO WON! In my card, I had it 7:5 rounds in favor of Pacquiao (or 115 points Pacquiao vs 113 points for Marquez).

Now let's see what CompuBox scored:

1. TOTAL PUNCHES THROWN & LANDED
P landed 176 of 578
M landed 138 of 436

2. POWER PUNCHES
P connected 117 of 274 power shots
M connected 100 of 254

3. Ave PUNCHES THROWN & HITS PER ROUND
P 49 thrown, 14 hits
M 36 thrown, 11 hits

The fight was less dramatic than what most wanted. But a win is a win! Let us rejoice!

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I just want to get this out of my chest. The word is "predictable". Manny has not changed his mode of attack from his last 2 fights with Marquez which is right jab then left straight.

A good analyst like Berestain would certainly practice Marquez to duck the moment Manny makes this move and counter punch with his left or right. Notice how many times Manny missed his shots because all Marquez had to do was duck. Freddie Roach could have advised Manny in the middle of the fight to do his right jab but instead of a left straight, do a left upper cut. This to oppose Marquez' duck. This would have changed the whole game with Filipinos' high expectations of a knockdown. Maybe Manny should make this adjustment if and when a rematch is made.

Are you happy with Social Security ?

2011-11-26T21:49:00.000+08:00

I bought a sign from Tennessee and it goes "Retired person on the premises, knows all about Social Security and has all the time to tell it." That is me!

One thing that is always emphasized by investment houses is that there is no sure thing - "Past performance is not a predictor of future performance". Only thing you can do is take a balanced approach to money growth and risk. Set a goal in a way that you will not become comatose or lose your ability to become stiff when your investments suffer setbacks.

1. I am happy with SS, imagine I am getting back 10 times what I put in. Medicare initial deductible and co-pays are low. My wife's health care cost is high because she is till using my former employer's plan, with premiums going up every year ($50 when I retired, now $275), and coverages being pared (she cannot get hearing aids anymore and that was a big expense recently).

One good thing to get is long-term care coverage (which I regret did not get before when it was being offered after I retired). You will get benefits if you become comatose (I think it will supply a monthly visit from starlet grade nurses).

2. Even if SS stops when you die, your wife who survives you can resume collecting at age 62 or 65. If she can prove herself disabled (not menopause) she can collect at 50 (this according to my wife).

3. When Social Security is still there, it is hands down better than annuity (think about what you paid in, not what your employer paid in). Although it cannot be inherited by dependents, that is ok. What is the use of spending all that money to put them through college if they can't earn their keep after graduating? Only problem is if you have a child with special needs, but there are state assistance for them, only problem is the governments are cutting down on these assistance,

4. The government spending money wisely is an oxymoron. Your power to vote comes into play. Vote for leaders who will spend money on the people even if not wisely. Don't vote for leaders who want to prove their knowledge of foreign policy by waging war on weaker countries like Iraq.

5. The government employees get better benefits for what they pay for compared to privately employees citizens. But that changed when the economic debacle started. (From LA Times-maybe in 2010) CalPERS' portfolio value dropped from a historic high of $260.4 billion in October 2007 to $160 billion in March 2009. It has since risen to a high of $237.5 billion on June 30 before dropping to $220 billion on Monday. You can invest on your 401K with matching funds from the company and reap the same benefits. It is better to map your own strategy than wishing you have benefits like the government employees.

So the questions we should answer are :

Are you happy with SSS ? Did you know that if you died today your SSS pension stops? If your family is relying on that pension, better stay alive even if you are comatose.

If you kept that 15% of Gross Income and invested it in an insurance Annuity with Disability coverage, would you have been better off? The unused portion of a private pension plan is inherited by your heirs.

Do you trust the Government to tax you more and spend your money wisely?

One thing I do not understand is why Government employees have their own pension plans outside the SSS (They can also enroll in SSS by paying in the 15% so they can double dip when they retire). Why are they not mandated to "donate" to SSS?

Is Social Security an Entitlement?

2011-11-19T23:19:00.000+08:00

For those who believe, their SSS Pensions are entitlements, read below. That is your money and you earned it already. Too bad you have to pay taxes on it too! Al Gore was the swing vote that passed the law taxing SSS pensions. You are not getting SSS Pensions because of some Party in Power. You are not even going to get all of it back because they are paying you less than what you should be getting!

Remember, not only did you contribute to Social Security but your employer did too. It totaled 15% of your income before taxes. If you averaged only $30K over
your working life, that's close to $220,500.

If you calculate the future value of $4,500 per year (yours & your employer's contribution) at a simple 5% (less than what the govt. pays on the money that it borrows), after 49 years of working you'd have $892,919.98.

If you took out only 3% per year, you'd receive $26,787.60 per year and it would
last better than 30 years (until you're 95 if you retire at age 65) and that's with no interest paid on that final amount on deposit! If you bought an annuity and it paid 4% per year, you'd have a lifetime income of $2,976.40 per month.

The folks in Washington have pulled off a bigger Ponzi scheme than Bernie Madoff
ever had. Entitlement my ass, I paid cash for my social security insurance!!!! Just because they borrowed the money, doesn't make my benefits some kind of charity or handout!!

Congressional benefits ---- free healthcare, outrageous retirement packages, 67 paid
holidays, three weeks paid vacation, unlimited paid sick days, now that's welfare, and they have the nerve to call my social security retirement entitlements?

We're "broke" and can't help our own Seniors, Veterans, Orphans, Homeless. In the last months we have provided aid to Haiti, Chile and Turkey . And now Pakistan ......home of bin Laden.

Literally, BILLIONS of DOLLARS!!!

They call Social Security and Medicare an entitlement even though most of us have been paying for it all our working lives and now when it's time for us to collect, the government is running out of money. Why did the government borrow from it in the first place? Imagine if the *GOVERNMENT* gave 'US' the same support they give to other countries.

Mayo Clinic - Aspirin

2011-11-13T10:20:00.000+08:00

Dr. Virend Somers, is a Cardiologist from the Mayo Clinic, who is lead author of the report in the July 29, 2008 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Some heart attacks occur in the day, generally between 6 A.M. and noon, Somers said. Having one during the night, when the heart should be most at rest, means that something unusual happened. Somers and his colleagues have been working for a decade to show that sleep apnea is to blame.

1. If you take an aspirin or a baby aspirin once a day, take it at night. The reason: Aspirin has a 24-hour "half-life"; therefore, if most heart attacks happen in the wee hours of the morning, the Aspirin would be strongest in your system.

2. FYI, Aspirin lasts a really long time in your medicine chest for years, (when it gets old, it smells like vinegar). Please read on.

Something that we can do to help ourselves - nice to know.
Bayer is making crystal aspirin to dissolve instantly on the tongue.
They work much faster than the tablets.

Why keep Aspirin by your bedside? It's about Heart Attacks - There are other symptoms of a heart attack, besides the pain on the left arm. One must also be aware of an intense pain on the chin, as well as nausea and lots of sweating; however, these symptoms may also occur less frequently. Note: There may be NO pain in the chest during a heart attack.

The majority of people (about 60%) who had a heart attack during their sleep, did not wake up. However, if it occurs, the chest pain may wake you up from your deep sleep.

If that happens, immediately dissolve two aspirins in your mouth and swallow them with a bit of water.

Afterwards:
- Call 911. Unlock the door!!!
- Phone a neighbor or a family member who lives very close by.
- Say "heart attack!"
- Say that you have taken 2 Aspirins.
- Take a seat on a chair or sofa near the front door, and wait for their arrival and ...
DO NOT LIE DOWN!

The Amazing Hair Dryer

2011-11-08T11:49:00.000+08:00

By Z. D. Zhou

Not long ago a friend took her ten-year-old boy to my house looking for my wife, saying that her child had hiccups all day long. The child was very uncomfortable and unable to eat at all. After she checked, my wife said there was a muscle spasm in his diaphragm. Without hesitation, she took out a blow dryer, turned on the power and started blowing at the boy's stomach.

about 10 minutes later, the boy burped and fell relieved. We were surprised that this thing can do the trick. But my wife just smiled.

A few days later, I had a stiff neck when I woke up in the morning. I could hardly turn my head. I recalled my stiff neck problem was treated a few times by acupuncture and cupping when I was younger. I asked my wife for the similar treatment. She said there weren't any needles at home nor any suitable small jars for cupping. She just took out a hair dryer. I couldn't help laughing. Again? This thing can cure stiff neck too? Amazing!

She blew on my shoulders and my neck for about 15 minutes. My neck was really loosened up. I could turn my head now. Later in the evening, she repeated that on me once more. The pain in my neck was significantly reduced. I crowned her the "queen of blow drying".

She explained that this was inspired by the method people used in the old days. In hospitals, with all the modern equipments we have, doctors do not need blow dryers. Back in the old days, in rural villages especially, doctors were poorly equipped with medical supplies. So they came up with other means to treat patients with common pains.

Suddenly I realized this is the thermal effect on pains with the heat generated by a blow dryer. Modern physiotherapy equipment such as electric, laser, thermal, ultrasound and others can easily generate heat for effective treatment. They are, of course, more powerful then a blow dryer. However, when they are not available, using a blow dryer to generate heat will also work, temporarily at least, on common pains such as back pain, muscle spasm, stiff neck, leg cramps, etc. It is easily accessible and easy to operate as long as there is electricity.

The blow dryer is really amazing. Try it. Hope it works for you too.

Hidden Design

2011-10-27T11:18:00.000+08:00

http://rt.com/usa/news/police-occupy-oakland-olsen-831/

"Scott Olsen returned relatively unscathed to America last year after serving two tours of Iraq fighting a war he was opposed to. Now he lays in an Oakland, CA hospital in critical condition thanks to a projectile fired last night by police."

ALL movements are always propelled by some vested interest. For example, People Power 1 is not a "pedigreed" movement that is spontaneous, notwithstanding the historical revisionism. It was a simple power grab by people who felt that their plot to take over government had been discovered and they wanted the help of the people to react whatever countermeasures are being taken against THEIR interests. In short, Ramos, Enrile, Honasan et. al. were engaged in a coup and were only saving their skins, with a little help from the people.

The Tea Party movement is a largely republican movement that sees government as a problem while the Occupy Wall Street might be a democratic counter-movement that seeds government as part of the solution.

The point, to make a short story long (or is it to make a long story short?) is that People Power, Tea Party or OWS, these movements are propelled initially by narrow interests but supported by general dissatisfaction with the powers that be. Hence, to ascribe a purer pedigree to one or another is, to me (my opinion, as a watcher of political developments), missing the forest for the trees and detracts from the object of the focus of such movements as they developed into more popular movements from their narrow-interest beginnings.

Just in passing. I cannot help but be suspicious of so-called movements. Like any "good revolution" (and just like any "good crisis"), Occupy Wall Street seems to have been hatched in a small room by politically motivated people.

The clue is in the acronym. OWS. Why not PAWS as in Protest Against Wall Street. "Get your PAWS off our lives" has a nice ring to it. It seems OWS expressly starts with "O" as in Obama.

This calls to mind NAMFREL, which stands for National Movement for Free Election, but any conspiracy theorist (who isn't?) can see NAM stood for Ninoy Aquino Movement.

And why "Occupy?" The Tea Party Movement has a better pedigree. Just like the original in Boston, the contemporary one stemmed from dissatisfaction with too much government. Get the government off our lives. To occupy is not only to set aside any social contract, but also to assert a sense of entitlement, both undue and unearned.

Revolutions are either for better or for worse. My indifference is based on the suspect manipulation of current events.

Correct Eating Habits - Part II

2011-10-20T10:33:00.000+08:00

Sour Apple

Sour Cherries

Strawberries

Water
0-15 minutes

Juice
15-30 minutes

Fruit
30-60 minutes

Melons
30-60 minutes

Sprouts
60 minutes

Wheatgrass Juice
60-90 minutes

Most Vegetables
1-2 Hours

Grains and Beans
1-2 Hours

Meat and Fish
3-4 Hours+

Shell Fish
8 Hours+

1. Protein and carbohydrate concentrated foods
Breakdown of protein requires an acid medium, and digestion of protein dense animal products requires high levels of hydrochloric acid. Since digestion of carbohydrate dense foods requires an alkaline medium in order to be broken down, high carbohydrate foods that have been mixed with high protein foods will not digest but will sit there fermenting, producing indigestion, bloating and gas. And since this fermentation of carbohydrates will inhibit the digestion of the protein, more gas, bloating and discomfort will be produced. This makes the typical American meal, composed of a large hunk of meat along with potatoes and bread, a recipe for digestive disaster.

Most protein foods are best digested when accompanied by a fresh green salad. Other concentrated protein foods like nuts and seeds combine well with acid fruits such as oranges, pineapples blackberries, or strawberries. They also work fairly well with sub-acid fruits such as apples, cherries, mangos, or peaches. The vitamin C in these fruits aids digestion of the mixture.

2. Eating two concentrated proteins together
Each type of protein requires a specific character, strength and timing of digestive juice secretions. This means that no two types of concentrated protein should be consumed together at a meal. Nuts, meat, eggs, cheese, or other protein foods should not be eaten together. And no two types of animal protein should be eaten together, a rule that may be hard to swallow by the surf and turf crowd.

3. Protein and fats
Fats inhibit the secretion of gastric juices needed to digest meat, fish, dairy products, nuts, and eggs by as much as fifty percent. When fat concentrated foods are eaten with protein concentrated foods, the digestive breakdown of the fats is delayed until gastric juices complete their work on the complex proteins. This means fats will remain undigested in the stomach for a long period of time. Although some high protein foods also contain high amounts of fat, these fats will be held in suspension awaiting breakdown without impeding gastric action. However, free fats such as oil, butter and milk fat will coat the gastric mucosa, inhibiting gastric juice. This is why fried chicken is so hard to digest.

4. Acid fruits with carbohydrates
The enzyme in saliva that begins the breakdown of starch concentrated foods in the mouth does the important job of converting complex starch molecules
into more simple sugars. In order to work, the enzyme requires a neutral or slightly alkaline medium, the natural condition found in the mouth. When acid foods are eaten, the action of the enzyme needed to break down starch is halted because the medium needed has been altered. Thus acid fruits should not be eaten at the same meal as sweet fruits or other starches. This combination is what makes spaghetti and other dishes combining tomatoes with starch so
bloating.

5. Acid fruits with protein
Oranges, tomatoes, lemons, pineapples and other acid fruits can be easily digested and produce no distress when eaten away from starchy and protein
foods. However, when included in a meal that contains a protein concentrated food, the acid fruits seriously hamper protein digestion. This is in part what
makes the typical American breakfast of orange juice, bacon, eggs and toast such a digestive nightmare

6. Starch and sugar
Eating starches that have been disguised as sweets is not a good way to eat starch. Although the â€œtreatâ€ produces an abundance of saliva, the saliva contains none of the enzyme needed to digest the starch because the sugar has turned the environment acidic. This is why such items as fruit filled Danish settle on the digestive tract like a sack of bricks. The carbohydrates are fermenting in the body, producing noxious gases.

7. Consuming melons
Melons should not be consumed with any other foods. Watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, and the more exotic melons should always be eaten away from mealtime and alone. Melons are meant to decompose quickly in the digestive system, which is what they will do if there is no interfering with the process.

8. Consuming milk
Milk is best left to babies who traditionally consume it alone, away from other foods. Milk does not digest in the stomach, but in the duodenum, so the presence of milk in the stomach does not promote secretion of gastric juice. The use of acid fruits with milk does not cause any digestive difficulty, although the benefits of the antioxidant potential of the fruits may be lost due to the affinity they have for the protein in milk.

Our medical history

Gallstones

Some years ago, my wife had her gallstones removed via laparoscopy. The condition can be attributed to poor digestion.

Acid or esophageal reflux, gas, bloating, diarrhea, difficulty breathing, hypertension, severe loss of weight, no appetite

Some years later, my wife suffered two episodes of TB and endometrial cancer in-between so we feared the worst when she dropped her weight from 126 lbs. to 99 lbs. in 3 months. She lost her appetite, had difficulty swallowing food and at times had difficulty breathing. Her BP would shoot up completely debilitating her; she could hardly do her housework. She also had continual gas, bloating and diarrhea.

On doctorâ€™s examination, she was diagnosed to have acid reflux. Acid from her stomach would flux back to her esophagus and cause it to swell. The swelled esophagus in turn pressed on her heart causing her hypertension and difficulty breathing. We actually had to rush to hospital a few times.

She was prescribed antacids and Hytaz for her hypertension. X-rays also revealed that she had diverticulitis. After two different expensive antacids, the second one was prescribed after the first turned out ineffective and dieting, her condition abated and she slowly regained her weight. We thought she was cured.

Osteopena

Not yet osteoporosis, but getting there, my wife was prescribed Evista for 5 years and Caltrate for life. If claims are true, these were unnecessary.

Gout

Since her twenties, she had had bouts with gout which is caused by too much uric acid in the blood that eventually coagulate into crystals in the joints. Again, the culprit can be argued to be poor digestion and assimilation of food.

Diverticulitis, abdominal pains

Just recently, her bloating, gas pains and diarrhea episodes that were recurrent became serious and prolonged. This was when we decided to obtain more info from the Web.

After learning about alkaline and acidic foods and food combining and changing her eating habits, accordingly, her condition began to improve within a few days. Still having slight discomfort and occasional stabs of pain in the abdomen, we reviewed her diet.

In the information provided, it is suggested that to maintain good health, our daily diet should consist of not less than 3 parts alkalizing foods to 2 parts acidic foods, but preferably with more of alkalizing foods. However, to effect a cure, the alkaline acid ratio should be 4 to 1.

So she stopped taking grains and flour -- rice and bread -- along with her meat, just like when in hospital, our diet is restricted until we are healed. Afterwards, we can resume eating within the recommended limits.

Latest news is that she continues to improve.

Constipation, diarrhea, hemorrhoids

In my youth, we would usually have two kinds of meat dishes and one vegetable during lunch and dinner. I gave no thought to eating a lot and eating everything all at the same time. I heard of alkaline and acidic foods but never gave it much thought or otherwise, piece it together. I always thought that occasional constipation, diarrhea and gas pains were normal.

Gout

My mother suffered from gout until she died at age 89. I thought I would have to endure the same. After 2 years or recurring gout attacks, I discovered that a daily maintenance dose of Allopurinol 100 mg. would make me gout-free. Itâ€™s been 3 years and more since then. But now, I am thinking that maybe, I can discontinue taking the drug and just take it when I feel an attack coming on.

Obesity

At one point, I had come to weigh 188 lbs. Fortunately, I was enjoined to take up a low carbo diet. I drastically reduced my intake of rice and breads while eating as much as I wanted of other foods. It proved effective with me dropping to 158 lbs. But I relaxed and gained back a few pounds, after.

Acid reflux, morning colds, sinus problems, sore throat, bronchitis

I stopped smoking over ten years ago but my colds, clogged nose, phlegm, sore throat and periodic bronchitis have persisted. I have always thought that all these were caused by my chain smoking. But now after more than 10 years having stopped the habit, I really donâ€™t think that smoking is the cause. More probably, it is because of my acid reflux. Again, too much acid due to poor eating habits.

I would wake up from my afternoon nap nauseous, with heartburn and almost always tired. I began taking Tums over a month ago after my acid reflux became more severe. But relief is temporary and on and off. I am slowly adopting the proposed eating habits but I still have quite a-ways to go. Some symptoms, though, are no longer bothering me, as much.

Hemorrhoids

From excessive eating and in bad combination, I used to have to move twice a day. Often, I would have diarrhea. The result â€“ hemorrhoids. I obtained some relief from Daflon, twice a day, as prescribed by my wifeâ€™s oncologist. It was only later that I found out Hemo Rid is the cheaper substitute. Same content, different manufacturer, only 45% cheaper. Hopefully in time, my veins can strengthen enough so I wonâ€™t need to take them, anymore.

All of the above are just my tentative findings. If you have any information that debunks the claims or simply shed more light on this subject, I would appreciate your letting me know.

We are still continuing to experiment but in our case, there have been marked improvements.

This paper has been especially sent to all fellow sufferers in the hope that the information detailed here will be of help to them.

Reference links

Food combining rules

http://www.detoxifynow.com/Food_diet.html

http://www.rense.com/1.mpicons/acidalka.htm

http://livingfoodvillage.com/7-food-combining-rules

http://www.rawfoodexplained.com/digestive-physiology-and-food-combining/food-combining-rules.html

Sherry Brescia

http://www.greattastenopain.com/cbk/great.asp
http://www.greattastenopain.com/dl/painfree-inone-day.pdf http://www.greattastenopain.com/dl/what-doctor-wont-tell-you-about-d-pain.pdf

Michael Murray

http://www.acidalkalinediet.com/Alkaline-Foods-Chart.htm?utm_campaign=email1-foodchart&utm_medium=email&utm_source=alkaline-dieth

http://www.acidalkalinediet.com/food-combining-chart?utm_campaign=email1-combiningchart&utm_medium=email&utm_source=alkaline-dieth

Correct Eating Habits - Part I

2011-10-18T10:29:00.001+08:00

We just need to change our poor eating habits

1.. First, identify the different food groups (mainly whether alkaline or acidic)
2.. Next, understand how the different foods are digested in the body
3.. Learn how to correctly combine the foods that we eat
4.. Space our eating of each different non-compatible food group to allow sufficient time for our body to sufficiently break down the food into its essential nutrients
5.. Learn how to balance the different food groups in our diet to ensure the right alkaline to acid ratio in our body

From: http://www.detoxifynow.com/Food_diet.html

TROPHOLOGY - THE SCIENCE OF FOOD COMBINING

It is an established scientific fact in Western medicine that in order to initiate efficient digestion of any concentrated animal protein, the stomach must secrete pepsin. But it is also a well-known fact that pepsin can function only in a highly acidic medium, which must be maintained for several hours for complete digestion of proteins.

It is an equally well established fact of science that when we chew a piece of bread or potato or any other carbohydrate/starch, ptyalin and other alkaline juices are immediately secreted into the food by the saliva in the mouth. When swallowed, the alkalized starches require an alkaline medium in the stomach in order to complete digestion.

Anyone should be able to figure out what therefore happens when you ingest protein and starch together. Acid and alkaline juices are secreted simultaneously in response to the incoming protein and starch, promptly neutralizing one another and leaving a weak, watery solution in the stomach that digests neither protein or starch properly. Instead proteins putrefy and starches ferment owing to the constant presence of bacteria in the digestive tract.

This putrefaction and fermentation are the primary cause of all sorts of digestive stress, including gas, heartburn, cramps, bloating, constipation, foul stools, bleeding piles, colitis, and so forth.

Many so called 'allergies' are also the direct result of improper food combinations; the bloodstream picks up toxins from the putrefied, fermented mess as it passes slowly through the intestines, and these toxins in turn cause rashes, hives, headaches, nausea and other symptoms commonly branded as allergies. The same foods that cause allergic reactions when improperly combines often have no ill side-effects whatsoever when consumed according to the rules of trophology. The final fact of the matter is this: when you immobilize your stomach and impair digestive functions by consuming foods in indiscriminate combination, the bacteria in your alimentary canal have a field day. They get all the nutrients and thrive, while you get all the wastes and suffer.

According to a recent survey in America, the average American male today carries about 5 pounds of undigested, putrefied red meat in his gut. Leave 5 pounds of meat in a dark, warm, moist place for a few days and see for yourself the results of putrefaction. The severely septic condition of the human intestinal tract is unique in nature, yet Western physicians take it for granted and even insist that it is harmless to the rest of the system.

In fact, in order to protect itself from the chronic toxic irritation of improperly combined meals, the colon secretes large quantities of mucus to entrap toxic particles before they damage the colon's sensitive lining. When this occurs at every meal, everyday, every week, throughout the year- as is quite typical in modern Western diets- the colon ends up secreting a constant stream of mucus, which accumulates and gets impacted in the folds of the colon. This results in a narrowing of the passage through the colon and a constant seeping of toxins into the bloodstream by osmosis. When the impacting of toxic mucus in the colon reaches critical pressure, it causes a pocket to balloon outward through the colon lining, causing a condition called diverticulosis. Colitis, IBS, and colon cancer are the next stages of colon deterioration caused by these conditions.

From: http://www.acidalkalinediet.com/top10tips.pdf

To neutralize acids, your body creates and pulls alkaline buffers from anywhere it can:

â€¢ It creates cholesterol to neutralize the acids (now you know why so many people suffer from high cholesterol problems)

â€¢ It bleaches iron from your red blood cells (can you see how anemia develops?),

â€¢ It pulls calcium from your bones (can you say osteoporosis?),

â€¢ It steals potassium from your muscle tissues (do you get muscle spasms?),

â€¢ It pulls zinc, magnesium, and other elements from everywhere else.

From: http://www.greattastenopain.com/dl/what-doctor-wont-tell-you-about-d-pain.pdf

Simply put, food combining is a way of eating foods so that they do not work against each other and cause pain. Specific food groups, such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats, each require different digestion times and digestive enzymes, in order to be broken down and utilized by the body efficiently.

So you should only consume foods that have approximately the same digestion times and use the same or similar digestive agents to break them down.

For example, protein foods (meats) need a very acidic environment in order that they can be digested appropriately. Carbohydrates (starches and sugars), on the other hand, require a much more alkaline medium to digest, as do fats.

If you eat a meal that consists of meat, vegetables and a dessert, you have, in effect, neutralized your digestive system. In doing so, you have slowed the digestive process down to almost a complete stop.

But food combining is actually quite simple, because it categorizes all foods into three distinct types:

ï€ Type A foods are relatively neutral and pass through your stomach with little or no digestive enzymes required to break them down.

ï€ Type B foods require alkaline digestive enzymes to break down, beginning in the mouth with the enzyme ptyalin and continuing in the stomach and small intestine.

Type C foods require powerful acids to be broken down, namely hydrochloric acid and pepsin in the stomach.

With proper food combining, you can still eat any type of food you wish either alone, or in compatible combinations so you can enjoy what you are eating, without any pain for discomfort.

To restore health, your diet should consist of 4 parts alkaline foods and just 1 part acidic. To maintain good health, your diet should be 3 parts alkaline to 1 part acidic

From: http://www.acidalkalinediet.com/food-combining-chart?utm_campaign=email1-combiningchart&utm_medium=email&utm_source=alkaline-dieth

THE FOOD COMBINING CHART
for a smooth digestion

Important: Only combine where circles touch directly!

Asparagus
Kale
Artichokes
Meat
Amaranth

Bell Pepper
Leek
Beets
Fish
Buckwheat

Broccoli
Lettuce
Beans
Foul
Quinoa

Brussels Sprouts
Onions
Carrots
Avocado
Millet

Cabbage
Parsley
Corn
Beans
Oats

Celery
Radish
Jicama
Cerals
Rice

Chard
Rhubarb
Peas
Nuts
Spelt

Chicory
Spinach
Potatoes
Flax Seeds
Wheat and Flours

Chives
Summer Squash
Pumpkin
Pumpkin Seeds

Collards
Swiss Chard
Hubbard Squash
Unhulled Sesame Seeds

Raw Corn
Tomatoes
Winter Squash

Cucumber
Turnip
Banana Squash

Endive
Turnip Greens
Yams

Escarole
Watercress

Garlic
Zucchini

Green beans

Important: Only combine where circles touch directly!

Banana
Sweet Cherries
Grapefruit
Cantaloupe

Dates & Figs
Sweet Apple
Orange
Crenshaw

All Dried Fruit
Sweet Berries
Lemon
Honeydew

Persimmon
Apricot
Lime
Muskmelon

Prunes
Papaya
Pineapple
Watermelon

Sweet Grapes
Pear
Pomegranate

Mango
Sour Grapes

Sweet Peach
Cranberries

Sweet Plum
Sour Peach & Plum

Goodbye to Steve Jobs

2011-10-13T11:01:00.000+08:00

http://www.thespoof.com/news/spoof.cfm?headline=s1i100161

**Sunday, 18 September 2011
[image: image for MI6 Seize Copies of The Dorking Review]

It has been reported that Britain's spy service, better known as MI6 has seized a number of copies of the satirical book: *The Dorking Review*

This action has been taken following 'high level' pressure from members of the government's 'Public Order' Steering Committee.

The above two paragraphs are totally without any foundation, and were only written as it's known that some poor bastard is employed by MI6 to sift through any web postings involving the service's name, in the tedious task of passive intelligence gathering.

This means that at least one person not involved with The Dorking Review will now have to google it and then write a one-line report for their equally bored supervisor.

We're sorry to have increased the work-load of a diligent public servant in this way, and as a token of our regret in this matter, if you would like to send us your name, home address, and list of any sexual deviations that you may have to the following address, we'll send you a free copy.

Lt Col Weetabixski
Intelligence Attaché
Russian Embassy
London

*Better to light a candle than curse the darkness* *- ancient Chinese proverb*

Easy Quiz

2011-10-04T09:59:00.000+08:00

1. Johnny's mother had three children. The first child was named April. The second child was named May. What was the third child's name?

Answer: Johnny of course!

2. There is a clerk at the butcher shop, he is five feet ten inches tall, and he wears size 13 sneakers. What does he weigh?

Answer: Meat.

3. Before Mt. Everest was discovered, what was the highest mountain in the world?

Answer: Still Mt. Everest; it just wasn't discovered yet.

4. How much dirt is there in a hole that measures two feet by three feet by four feet?

Answer: There is no dirt in a hole.

5. What word in the English Language is always spelled incorrectly?

Answer: Incorrectly

6. Billy was born on December 28th, yet her birthday is always in the summer.
How is this possible?

Answer: Billy lives in the Southern Hemisphere

7. In California, you cannot take a picture of a man with a wooden leg. Why not?

Answer: You can't take pictures with a wooden leg. You need a camera to take pictures.

8. What was the current President's name in 1975?

Answer: Same as is it now - Barack Obama

9. If you were running a race, and you passed the person in 2nd place, what place would you be in now?

Answer: You would be in 2nd. Well, you passed the person in second place, not first.

10. Which is correct to say, "The yolk of the egg are white" or "The yolk of the egg is white"?

Answer: Neither, the yolk of the egg is yellow.

11. If a farmer has 5 haystacks in one field and 4 haystacks in the other field, how many haystacks would he have if he combined them all in
another field?

Answer: One. If he combines all of his haystacks, they all become one big stack.

Typhoon rains flood Philippine capital

2011-09-28T07:22:00.000+08:00

Typhoon rains flood Philippine capital with waist-deep water, knocks out power, kills 16

from Washington Post

By Associated Press, Published: September 26 | Updated: Tuesday, September 27, 12:23 PM

MANILA, Philippines — Manila residents waded through waist-deep floodwaters and dodged flying debris Tuesday as a powerful typhoon struck the Philippines, killing at least 16 people and sending waves as tall as palm trees crashing over seawalls.

Most deaths occurred in metropolitan Manila, which already was soaked by heavy monsoon rains ahead of Typhoon Nesat’s arrival with more downpours and wind gusts of up to 93 mph (150 kph). Downtown areas along Manila Bay suffered their worst flooding in decades.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia-pacific/strong-typhoon-lashes-philippines-halts-work-flights-cuts-power-1-dead-4-missing/2011/09/26/gIQAz1cR0K_story.html?hpid=z3

French Gesture - up yours

2011-09-24T23:14:00.000+08:00

The history of the middle finger not obscene

I never knew this before, and now that I know it, I feel compelled to send it on to my more intelligent friends in the hope that they, too, will feel edified. Isn't history more fun when you know something about it?

Before the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, the French, anticipating victory over the English, proposed to cut off the middle finger of all captured English soldiers. Without the middle finger it would be impossible to draw the renowned English longbow and therefore they would be incapable of fighting in the future. This famous English longbow was made of the native English Yew tree, and the act of drawing the longbow was known as 'plucking the yew' (or 'pluck yew').

Much to the bewilderment of the French, the English won a major upset and began mocking the French by waving their middle fingers at the defeated French, saying, See, we can still pluck yew! Since 'pluck yew' is rather difficult to say, the difficult consonant cluster at the beginning has gradually changed to a labiodentals fricative F', and thus the words often used in conjunction with the one-finger-salute! It is also because of the pheasant feathers on the arrows used with the longbow that the symbolic gesture is known as 'giving the bird.'

IT IS STILL AN APPROPRIATE SALUTE TO THE FRENCH TODAY!

And yew thought yew knew every plucking thing

PARAPROSDOKIANS

2011-09-13T09:09:00.000+08:00

PARAPROSDOKIANS - Here is the definition: "Figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected; frequently used in a humorous situation."

"Where there's a will, I want to be in it," is a type of paraprosdokian.

Ok, so now enjoy!

1. Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.

2. The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it's still on my list.

3. Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

4. If I agreed with you, we'd both be wrong.

5. We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.

6. War does not determine who is right - only who is left.

7. Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

8. Evening news is where they begin with 'Good Evening,' and then proceed to tell you why it isn't.

9. To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research.

10. A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk, I have a work station.

11. I thought I wanted a career. Turns out I just wanted paychecks.

12. Whenever I fill out an application, in the part that says, 'In case of emergency, notify:' I put 'DOCTOR.'

13. I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.

14. Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy.

15. Behind every successful man is his woman. Behind the fall of a successful man is usually another woman.

16. A clear conscience is the sign of a fuzzy memory.

17. I asked God for a bike, but I know God doesn't work that way. So I stole a bike and asked for forgiveness.

18. You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.

19. Money can't buy happiness, but it sure makes misery easier to live with.

20. There's a fine line between cuddling and holding someone down so they can't get away.

21. I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not so sure.

22. You're never too old to learn something stupid.

23. To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.

24. Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.

25. Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.

26. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.

27. A diplomat is someone who tells you to go to hell in such a way that you look forward to the trip.

28. Hospitality is making your guests feel at home even when you wish they were.

29. I always take life with a grain of salt. Plus a slice of lemon, and a shot of tequila.

30. When tempted to fight fire with fire, remember that the Fire Department usually uses water.

YOU MAY POISON YOURSELF ACCIDENTALLY

2011-09-11T05:16:00.000+08:00

Taiwan. A woman suddenly died unexpectedly with signs of bleeding from her ears, nose, mouth & eyes. After a preliminary autopsy it was diagnosed death due to arsenic poisoning death. Where did the arsenic come from?

The police launched an in-depth and extensive investigation. A medical school professor was invited to come to solve the case.

The professor carefully looked at the contents from the deceased's stomach, in less than half an hour, the mystery was solved. The professor said: 'The deceased did not commit suicide and neither was she murdered, she died of accidental death due to ignorance!'

Everyone was puzzled, why accidental death? The arsenic is of the U.S. military for carrying rice seedlings H Gao. The professor said: 'The arsenic is produced in the stomach of the deceased.' The deceased used to take 'Vitamin C' everyday, which in itself is not a problem. The problem was that she ate a large portion of shrimp/prawn during dinner. Eating shrimp/prawn is not the problem that's why nothing happened to her family ever though they took the same shrimp/prawn.

However at the same time the deceased also took 'vitamin C', that is where the problem is!

Researchers at the University of Chicago in the United States , found through experiments, food such as soft-shell shrimp/prawn contains a much higher concentration of - five potassium arsenic compounds.

Such fresh food by itself has no toxic effects on the human body!

However, in taking 'vitamin C', due to the chemical reaction, the original on-toxic - five potassium arsenic (As an hydride, also known as arsenic oxide, the chemical formula for As205) changed to a three potassium toxic arsenic (ADB arsenic an hydride), also known as arsenic trioxide, a chemical formula (As203), which is commonly known as arsenic to the public!

Arsenic poisoning have magma role and can cause paralysis to the small blood vessels, "mercapto Jimei"??, inhibits the activity of the liver and fat necrosis change Hepatic Lobules Centre, heart, liver, kidney, intestine congestion, epithelial cell necrosis, telangiectasia.

Therefore, a person who dies of arsenic poisoning will shows signs of bleeding from the ears, nose, mouth & eyes.

Therefore; as a precautionary measure,

DO NOT not take shrimp/prawn when taking 'vitamin C'.

Socially Unacceptable Humor

2011-09-09T10:31:00.000+08:00

Man calls 911 and says, I think my wife is dead. The operator says, "How do you know?" He says "The sex is the same but the ironing is building up !"

I was in bed with a blind girl last night and she said that I had the biggest penis she had ever laid her hands on. I said, "You're pulling my leg."

I saw a poor old lady fall over today on the ice!! At least I presume she was poor - she only had $1.20 in her purse.

My girlfriend thinks that I'm a stalker. Well, she's not exactly my girlfriend yet.

Went for my routine checkup today and everything seemed to be going fine until he stuck his index finger up my butt! Do you think I should change dentists ?

A wife says to her husband you're always pushing me around and talking behind my back. He says what do you expect, You're in a wheel chair.

I was explaining to my wife last night that when you die you get reincarnated but must come back as a different creature. She said she would like to come back as a cow. I said, "You're obviously not listening".

The wife has been missing a week now. Police said to prepare for the worst. So, I have been to the thrift shop to get all of her clothes back.

At the Senior Citizens Center they had a contest the other day. I lost by one point: The question was: Where do women mostly have curly hair? Apparently the correct answer was Africa!!!

One of the other questions that I missed was to name one thing commonly found in cells. It appears that Mexicans is not the correct answer either.

I've heard that Apple has scrapped their plans for the new children oriented iPod after realizing that iTouch Kids is not a good product name.

There's a new Muslim clothing shop opened in our shopping center, but I've been banned from it after asking to look at some of the new bomber jackets.

You can say lots of bad things about pedophiles but at least they drive slowly past schools.

A buddy of mine has just told me he's getting it on with his girlfriend and her twin. I said "How can you tell them apart?" He said "Her brother's got a mustache."

Just put a deposit down on a brand new Porsche and mentioned it on Facebook. I said, "I can't wait for the new 911 to arrive!" Next thing I know 4,000 f....g Muslims have added me as a friend!!

Being a modest man, when I checked into my hotel on a recent trip, I said to the lady at the registration desk, "I hope the porn channel in my room is disabled." To which she replied, "No, it's regular people-porn, you sick bastard.

The Red Cross have just knocked at our door and asked if we could help towards the floods in Pakistan. I said we would love to, but our garden hose only reaches the driveway.

Giant crocodile captured alive in Philippines

2011-09-07T09:54:00.000+08:00

MANILA, Philippines (AP) Villagers and veteran hunters have captured a one-ton saltwater crocodile which they plan to make the star of a planned eco-tourism park in a southern Philippine town, an official said Monday.

Mayor Edwin Cox Elorde said dozens of villagers and experts ensnared the 21-foot (6.4-meter) male crocodile along a creek in Bunawan township in Agusan del Sur province after a three-week hunt. It could be one of the largest crocodiles to be captured alive in recent years, he said, quoting local crocodile experts.

Elorde said the crocodile killed a water buffalo in an attack witnessed by villagers last month and was also suspected of having attacked a fisherman who went missing in July.

He said he sought the help of experts at a crocodile farm in western Palawan province.

"We were nervous but it's our duty to deal with a threat to the villagers," Elorde told The Associated Press by telephone. "When I finally stood before it, I couldn't believe my eyes."

After initial sightings at a creek, the hunters set four traps, which the crocodile destroyed. They then used sturdier traps using steel cables, one of which finally caught the enormous reptile late Saturday, he said.

About 100 people had to pull the crocodile, which weighs about 2,370 pounds (1,075 kilograms), from the creek to a clearing where a crane lifted it into a truck, he said.

The crocodile was placed in a fenced cage in an area where the town plans to build an eco-tourism park for species found in a vast marshland in Agusan, an impoverished region about 515 miles (830 kilometers) southeast of Manila, Elorde said.

"It will be the biggest star of the park," Elorde said, adding that villagers were happy that they would be able to turn the dangerous crocodile "from a threat into an
asset."

Despite the catch, villagers remain wary because several crocodiles still roam the outskirts of the farming town of about 37,000 people.

They have been told to avoid venturing into marshy areas alone at night, Elorde said.

Senor Rod and his Club

2011-09-05T11:57:00.000+08:00

At dawn the telephone rings, "Hello, Senor Rod? This is Ernesto, the caretaker at your country house."

"Ah yes, Ernesto. What can I do for you? Is there a problem?"

"Um, I am just calling to advise you, Senor Rod, that your parrot, he is dead".

"My parrot? Dead? The one that won the International competition?"

"Si, Senor, that's the one."

"Damn! That's a pity! I spent a small fortune on that bird. What did he die from?"

"From eating the rotten meat, Senor Rod."

"Rotten meat? Who the hell fed him rotten meat?"

"Nobody, Senor. He ate the meat of the dead horse."

"Dead horse? What dead horse?"

"The thoroughbred, Senor Rod."

"My prize thoroughbred is dead?"

"Yes, Senor Rod, he died from all that work pulling the water cart."

"Are you insane? What water cart?"

"The one we used to put out the fire, Senor."

"Good Lord! What fire are you talking about, man?"

"The one at your house, Senor! A candle fell and the curtains caught on fire."

"What the hell? Are you saying that my mansion is destroyed because of a candle?!"

"Yes, Senor Rod."

"But there's electricity at the house! What was the candle for?"

"For the funeral, Senor Rod."

"WHAT BLOODY FUNERAL??!!"

"Your wife's, Senor Rod". She showed up very late one night and I thought she was a thief, so I hit her with your new Ping G15 204g titanium head golf club with the TFC 149D graphite shaft."

SILENCE........... LONG SILENCE.........VERY LONG SILENCE.

"Ernesto, if you broke that driver, you're in deep shit."

Federal Reserve

2011-08-18T09:42:00.000+08:00

> Judge Napolitano: Tonight on the docket, the campaign to audit the Federal Reserve. Texas Republican Congressman Ron Paul, has been speaking out on the abuses of the Federal Reserve for years.

> It has printed money with no value. It has bailed out foreign countries and domestic companies. It tells banks what interest rates to charge and it has devalued the dollar by 92% since its creation in 1913. But the voters have had enough with the Fed and its war on your money. That's partly why Republicans took back the House last November and that's why at long last, the outspoken Fed critic, Congressman Paul himself, will now head the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy.

> In time, he will shine a light on all the games the Federal Reserve plays with your money, keeping in mind what one of the greatest defenders of liberty, Thomas Jefferson, said. "And I sincerely believe, with you, that banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies; and that the principle of spending money to be paid by posterity, under the name of funding, is but swindling futurity [the future] on a large scale."

> I don't think President Jefferson could have been more correct if he tried. Here now, the new night watchman of the Fed. A true champion of the Constitution, Congressman Ron Paul. Congressman, it's a pleasure. Welcome back to Freedom Watch.

> Ron Paul: Thank you. Good to be with you.

>

> Judge Napolitano: You had a very lively day on Capitol Hill because Chairman Ben Bernanke was testifying before the House Budget Committee, while some economists were testifying before your Subcommittee on Monetary Policy. Question, is it a pipe dream that we can reign in the Fed or might we really do it, this time around?

>

> Ron Paul: Well, I think that's up in the air. I don't know the answer to that. I know that we're going to be determined to try but I also know and recognize the power of the Fed. I mean, they were able to really diminish the effort last year. We did get some information but not as much as we want. So, yes, we would be determined to do

> it. But the big thing is, the real evidence is going to come under very painful conditions because I don't think we can rescue this system and get it out of the hands of Fed in time to save the calamity.

> I think their policies have been so damaging over these many, many decades, that regardless, we are going to suffer from it. But that doesn't mean that we shouldn't try and if we don't get exactly what we want, I think we ought to really work hard on allowing a little bit of competition with this cartel who runs the show and they're the official counterfeiters. So that will be my attack.

> Judge Napolitano: Chairman Bernanke actually told the House Budget Committee that he thinks that budget deficits are too big and budget deficits can cause problems. He is the cause! He personally is the cause! The root! The reason that some of those budget deficits are so high. Because he can give the federal government all the cash they want, whenever they want it!

> Ron Paul: And that's a bit of a moral hazard because big government conservatives and big government liberals get together and they spend money, and he takes care it. He keeps the interest rates low so we don't get the signal that we're draining the market of all the cash. But you know, just think of the amount he spends. He spends more money in a year than we do. He's putting $4 trillion here in these last couple of years and it's off the books! It's not even on the budget so how can… Where does he get the credibility to criticize the Congress – as bad as they are?

> I have the credibility to criticize the Congress because I don't vote for any of that. But here he is, he spends more money than the Congress and he bails out foreign banks, and bails out everybody else. And then he says, "Oh, no. If Congress would have a balance budget, we wouldn't have any problems." I mean, it's pure hypocrisy because he monetizes the debt and he encourages big spending.

>

> Judge Napolitano: You have spent the greater part of your career educating the public about the dangers of the Fed and you almost single-handedly have persuaded the nation that we need to know a great deal more about the Fed and need to be wary about letting it do whatever it wants to do. But you're not going to be able, most respectfully, to persuade Ben Bernanke to cough up his books on the basis of your persuasion. You're going to have to use the tools available to you as a member of Congress and now, happily, as Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy to force him to open those books. Can you do that?

> Ron Paul: Well, I don't know because last year, they used the law to try to force him under the Freedom of Information Act, he just ignored it. He goes to court and ties it up in court for years. Let's say we get a good law passed for transparency and auditing the Fed, he's going to take it to the courts. It'll be dragged out for a couple of years and he can spend as much money as he wants because he prints it. So he has all the legal power to do it and he will probably just ignore it. And unfortunately, historically, the courts have been very much in favor of Central Banks. Sound money rarely gets protected by our courts.

> So I hate to sound like a pessimist, but everything that we do I think is valuable because it's telling the people what's going on. They have to direct their attention. Today we tried to tie the Federal Reserve to unemployment, which I think is an easy connection to make. And then, if and when that times comes, when we need to have a sound monetary system, knowledge for the people is what's important. Jefferson knew this and the people knew what to do then. Andrew Jackson knew about it.

> And periodically, times comes in our history where the people say, "We have to have sound money." So there's two things going on. One, is to get more information and propose changes, and competition. The other is to prepare for that day that unfortunately is going to come when the Federal Reserve is going to do themselves in. I mean, they're going to destroy the money, and of course, that's a very dangerous situation.

Judge Napolitano: I don't think that Jefferson exaggerated at all when he said, "Central bankers can be more dangerous or more powerful than standing armies." Central bankers, this one in particular, could be more powerful than the President, because he doesn't have to answer to anybody, because he can just add zeros to whatever bank account he wants to add zeros to.

> Ron Paul: So he's more powerful than the President and I just mentioned, he's more powerful than the Congress, so… A few years ago, when I would say that, "Oh, no. That's impossible. The President runs the world and he has the armies." But you point out that the control of the monetary system is most likely more powerful than even our President. It's sad to say.

> Judge Napolitano: Congressman Paul, it's a pleasure. Thanks very much for joining us.

>

> Ron Paul: Thank you.

Debt Ceiling Bull@$#T!

2011-08-07T00:36:00.000+08:00

Thanks to the hard work of activists like you, Social Security and Medicare benefits were protected from cuts in yesterday's debt ceiling vote.

AARP members flooded the White House and the halls of Congress with 557,249 letters and 387,018 phone calls, and yesterday it was clear that your voices were heard. The House and Senate agreed to raise the debt ceiling – without any cuts to the Social Security and Medicare benefits you've worked your whole lives for.

We're relieved that Congress was able to come to a bipartisan agreement that ensured older Americans would continue to receive their Social Security checks and keep the doctors they know and trust – and we know the pressure you put on Capitol Hill helped influence their decision.
But the fight isn't over yet. AARP is committed to making sure older Americans have a voice at the table as Congress works out the details of a long-term agreement before the end of the year – an agreement that could include changes to critical programs seniors depend on.

That's why, in the weeks and months ahead, we'll work with you to send a clear message to Congress to protect Medicare and Social Security benefits. We must convince our nation's leaders to work together to strengthen health and retirement security for current and future generations.

Thank you again for all your hard work.
Sincerely,
Fred Griesbach
AARP Campaigns

P.S. Click here to read more about the deal and what it means for Social Security, Medicare, and you.

AARP.ORG | MAKE A DONATION | TELL A FRIEND | UNSUBSCRIBE
AARP 601 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20049

PDP-Laban sides with Church on RH bill

2011-08-02T10:24:00.000+08:00

Friday, June 24, 2011

THE Reproductive Health (RH) bill gained new critics Friday as leaders of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) announced it will try to block approval of the bill.

In a press statement, Jose De Venecia III, PDP-Laban secretary general, said the government should stay out of the bedroom.

"The government's job is to provide basic services to the people and not interfere on what should be personal matters practicing birth control is strictly between a married couple and God," he said.

De Venecia and party president Aquilino Pimentel III announced their opposition to the RH bills pending in Congress. They said that as Catholics, they "could not in all
conscience" support the bill.

"In everything that our lawmakers do, each and every one of them should never forget: God is watching you," De Venecia said, adding Catholics cannot ignore Church teachings "about the sanctity of life."

Pimentel, for his part, said the government should not promote contraceptives since they are commercial products.

"Ano sila sinusuwerte?," Pimentel said, referring to manufacturers and importers of condoms, IUDs, and oral contraceptives.

"The RH Bill transcends party politics. In its present form, it is simply wrong," he said.

The proposed distribution of contraceptives has been a subject of heated debate.

The Catholic Church opposes the bill, saying some forms of artificial contraception can be used to induce abortions.

In a pastoral letter, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said "human life is the most sacred physical gift with which God endows a human being. Placing artificial obstacles to prevent human life from being formed and being born most certainly contradicts this fundamental truth of human life."

Advocates of the bill want Catholic beliefs kept out of the debates, citing the separation of Church and State. Senator Pia Cayetano, who has filed a committee report on the Senate version of the bill said "just because we are a predominantly Catholic country doesn't mean we can impose Catholic dogma on every Filipino."

But the CBCP has objected "to the non-consideration of moral principles, the bedrock of law, in legislative discussions of bills that are intended for the good of individuals and for the common good."

In her sponsorship speech earlier this month, Cayetano said the that the bill will let people choose which method of contraception is "suitable to his needs and his religious beliefs."

She added the bill will not impose an ideal family size. She said couples have the right to choose how many children to have.

PDP-Laban has three seats in the House of Representatives: Sultan Kudarat Representative Raden Sakaluran and Makati Representatives Mar-Len Abigail Binay and Monique Lagdameo. It has no seats at the Senate.

(Jonathan de Santos/Sunnex)

Getting Older

2011-07-23T20:38:00.000+08:00

A distraught senior citizen
phoned her doctor's office.
"Is it true," she wanted to know,
"that the medication
you prescribed has to be taken
for the rest of my life?"
"'Yes, I'm afraid so,"' the doctor told her.
There was a moment of silence
before the senior lady replied,
"I'm wondering, then,
just how serious is my condition
because this prescription is marked
'NO REFILLS'."

***********************
An older gentleman was
on the operating table
awaiting surgery
and he insisted that his son,
a renowned surgeon,
perform the operation.
As he was about to get the anesthesia,
he asked to speak to his son.
"Yes, Dad, what is it?"
"Don't be nervous, son;
do your best,
and just remember,
if it doesn't go well,
if something happens to me,
your mother
is going to come and
live with you and your wife...."
*(I LOVE IT!)*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aging:
Eventually you will reach a point
when you stop lying about your age
and start bragging about it. This is so true. I love
to hear them say "you don't look that old."

---------------------------------
*The older we get,
the fewer things
seem worth waiting in line for.*

---------------------------------
Some people
try to turn back their odometers.
Not me!
I want people to know *why
*I look this way.
I've traveled a long way
and some of the roads weren't paved.

********************
When you are dissatisfied
and would like to go back to youth,
think of Algebra.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You know you are getting old when
everything either dries up or leaks.

-------------------------------
One of the many things
no one tells you about aging
is that it is such a nice change
from being young.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Ah, being young is beautiful,
but being old is comfortable.
*********
First you forget names,
then you forget faces.
Then you forget to pull up your zipper...
it's worse when
you forget to pull it down.
````````````````
*Two guys, one old, one young,
are pushing their carts around Wal-Mart**
when they collide.**
The old guy says to the young guy,
"Sorry about that. I'm looking for my wife,
and I guess I wasn't paying attention
to where I was going."*
*The young guy says, "That's OK, it's a coincidence.
I'm looking for my wife, too...
I can't find her and I'm getting a little desperate."
The old guy says, "Well,
maybe I can help you find her...
what does she look like?"
The young guy says,
"Well, she is 27 yrs. old, tall,
with red hair,
blue eyes, is buxom...wearing no bra,
long legs,
and is wearing short shorts.
What does your wife look like?'
To which the old guy says, "Doesn't matter,
--- let's look for yours."*
*(ADORABLE)*
*
**********************
*(And this final one especially for me,)
"Lord,
keep Your arm around my shoulder
and Your hand over my mouth!"*

An Immigration Story

2011-07-21T09:36:00.001+08:00

A beautiful fairy appeared one day to a destitute Mexican refugee outside an Arizona immigration
office.

"Good man," the fairy said, "I've been sent here by President Obama and told to grant you three wishes, since you just arrived in the United States with your wife and eight children."

The man told the fairy, "Well, where I come from we don't have good teeth, so I want new teeth,
maybe a lot of gold in them."

The fairy looked at the man's almost toothless grin and -- PING !-- he had a brand new shining
set of gold teeth in his mouth!

"What else?" asked the fairy, "Two more to go."

The refugee clai mant now got bolder. "I need a big house with three-car garage in Annapolis on
the water with eight bedrooms for my family and the rest of my relatives who still live in my
country.. I want to bring them all over here" --- and -- PING !--in the distance there could be
seen a beautiful mansion with a three-car garage, a long driveway, and a walkout patio with a BBQ in an upscale neighborhood overlooking the bay.

"One more wish," said the fairy, waving her wand.

"Yes, one more wish. I want to be like an American with American clothes instead of these torn
clothes, and a baseball cap instead of this sombrero. And I want to have white skin like
Americans" ---and --- PING ! -- The man was transformed - wearing worn-out jeans, a Baltimore
Orioles T-shirt, and a baseball cap. He had his bad teeth back and the mansion had disappeared
from the horizon.

"What happened to my new teeth?" he wailed. "Where is my new house?"

THIS IS GOOD . . . . . . . .

NO, ACTUALLY THIS IS VERY GOOD
. . . . . .

The fairy said: "Tough shit, Amigo, now that you are a white American, you have to fend for yourself."

Destiny's Child

2011-07-19T10:00:00.000+08:00

Destiny's Child - Vice President Jejomar C. Binay

Posted: Tuesday, June 21, 2011

By RACHEL C. BARAWID, ANGELO G. GARCIA, RONALD S. LIM, JASER A. MARASIGAN and IVY LISA F. MENDOZA
June 19, 2011, 8:00am

"I work together with the team. I respect the President." — Vice President Jejomar Binay (Photo by ANDREW PAMORADA)
"I work together with the team. I respect the President." — Vice President Jejomar Binay (Photo by ANDREW PAMORADA)

MANILA, Philippines — He was faithful to his ambition and kept his eye keenly on the ball. Armed with excellent education, with lots of luck on his side, Jejomar C. Binay is now joyfully fulfilling what he believes is his destiny.

‘’I leave things to destiny. Kung hindi pa destiny itong vice presidency ko, pati nga pamilya ko hindi naniniwala na mananalo ako,’’ says Binay, who was in a jolly mood when we interviewed him for 60 Minutes.

From childhood to where he is now, Binay has always followed a plan that he vigilantly mapped out for himself. Admittedly, he has always been motivated by the ambition to succeed.

‘’Minsan maigi ‘yung mayabang eh, ‘yung yabang ng ambisyon. Kapag ako’y nagwawalis, siyempre mga kabarkada mo naiinggit ka. Magaganda mga baro ‘nun. Tapos namamalengke ako, alas singko pa lang ng umaga. Sabi ko, di bale, temporary lang naman ‘to, sisikat din ako. Sabi ko,
kukuha ako ng law. Sabi marami nang abogado, sabi ko hindi, depende‘yun sa klase ng abogado. There’s always a way to the top. Basta naniniwala ako na sisikat ako,’’ recalls the Vice President.

Indeed, this fervent drive has brought Binay all the way to the top – passing through a colorful and interesting route that included being an orphan who was raised by his uncle; a student activist and officer of the student council at the University of the Philippines; a lawyer
who gave free legal assistance to the poor and victims of human rights abuses as member of the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG); a founding member of the Movement of Attorneys for Brotherhood, Integrity and Nationalism, Inc. (MABINI), a group of progressive lawyers that
included Senators Lorenzo Tañada, Rene Saguisag and JokeR Arroyo; a mayor of the city of Makati from 1986 to 2010 (save for three years from 1998 to 2001); and at present, the Vice President of the Republic of the Philippines.

Passing on the mayoralty torch to his son Junjun has been easy, Binay says, because he knows the younger Binay also has the heart for public service. He has taught his son well by example, he adds. ‘’He makes all of the decisions now. And from what I hear and what I see, eh tama
ang sinasabi ko – that he’s better than the father,’’ Binay quips. Binay’s closeness to his five children made him vow never to make them go through the`hardships that he`went through as a child. ‘’Basta yung mga malungkot kong pinagdaanan eh hindi naranasan ng mga anak ko.
Abogado na ako nang nakatapak ako sa Makati Supermart at nakabili ako ng auto.Yun ang suwerte niyong mga bata, hindi pinararanas sa inyo ang hirap ng mga magulang.’’

At present, Binay has his hands full not only with vice presidential duties but also with his responsibilities as the chairman of various agencies such as the Housing Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC ), Pag-Ibig, National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation,
Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB), and the National Housing Authority (NHA). He is also the presidential adviser on OFWs.

Almost a year after his unexpected victory at the national polls, Vice President Binay looks back at the reasons why he won: the automation, the effective relationships he has established between Makati and thousands of other sister cities; his affiliation with the Alpha Phi Omega, his closeness to the masa.

But most of all, he summarizes everything in one word -- destiny. And to destiny, he again entrusts everything, including his political fate from 2016 and beyond. (Ivy Lisa F. Mendoza)

Assorted Jokes

2011-07-13T07:13:00.000+08:00

OLD-AGE SEX

After his physical examination, the doctor asked the elderly man: "You appear to be in good health. Do you have any medical concerns you would like to ask me?"

"In fact, I do," said the old man. "After my wife and I have sex I am usually cold and chilly, and then, after we have sex the second time, I am usually hot and sweaty."

Later, after examining the elderly gentleman's wife, the doctor said: "Everything appears to be fine. Do you have any medical concerns you would like to discuss with me?" She replied she had no questions or concerns.

The doctor then told her: "Your husband has an unusual concern. He claims he is usually cold and chilly after having sex with you the first time, and then hot and sweaty after the second time. Do you know why?"

"Oh that crazy old man," she replied. "That's because the first time is usually in January and the second time is in August ."

===========================================================================

Religious Funnies

A father was approached by his small son who told him proudly, "I know what the Bible means!"

His father smiled and replied, "What do you mean, you 'know' what the Bible means?
The son replied, "I do know!"
"Okay," said his father. "What does the Bible mean?"
"That's easy, Daddy..." the young boy replied excitedly," It stands for 'Basic Information Before Leaving Earth.' (This one is my favorite)
=======

There was a very gracious lady who was mailing an old family Bible to her brother in another part of the country.
"Is there anything breakable in here?" asked the postal clerk.
"Only the Ten Commandments." answered the lady.

========

"Somebody has said there are only two kinds of people in the world. There are those who wake up in the morning and say, "Good morning, Lord," and there are those who wake up in the morning and say, "Good Lord, it's morning."
========

A minister parked his car in a no-parking zone in a large city because he was short of time and couldn't find a space with a meter.

Then he put a note under the windshield wiper that read: "I have circled the block 10 times. If I don't park here, I'll miss my appointment. Forgive us our trespasses."

When he returned, he found a citation from a police officer along with this note "I've circled this block for 10 years. If I don't give you a ticket I'll lose my job. Lead us not into temptation."
========

There is the story of a pastor who got up one Sunday and announced to his congregation: "I have good news and bad news. The good news is, we have enough money to pay for our new building program. The bad news is, it's still out there in your pockets."
========

While driving in Pennsylvania , a family caught up to an Amish carriage. The owner of the carriage obviously had a sense of humor, because attached to the back of the carriage was a hand printed sign... "Energy efficient vehicle: Runs on oats and grass. Caution: Do not step in exhaust."

========

A Sunday School teacher began her lesson with a question, "Boys and girls, what do we know about God?"
A hand shot up in the air. "He is an artist!" said the kindergarten boy.
"Really? How do you know?" the teacher asked.
"You know - Our Father, who does art in Heaven... "

========
A minister waited in line to have his car filled with gas just before a long holiday weekend. The attendant worked quickly, but there were many cars ahead of him. Finally, the attendant motioned him toward a vacant pump.

"Reverend," said the young man, "I'm so sorry about the delay. It seems as if everyone waits until the last minute to get ready for a long trip."

The minister chuckled, "I know what you mean. It's the same in my business."

========
People want the front of the bus, the back of the church, and the center of attention.

========
Sunday after church, a Mom asked her very young daughter what the lesson was about.

The daughter answered, "Don't be scared, you'll get your quilt."

Needless to say, the Mom was perplexed. Later in the day, the pastor stopped by for tea and the Mom asked him what that morning's Sunday school lesson was about.

He said "Be not afraid, thy comforter is coming."
========

The minister was preoccupied with thoughts of how he was going to ask the congregation to come up with more money than they were expecting for repairs to the church building. Therefore, he was annoyed to find that the regular organist was sick and a substitute had been brought in at the last minute.
The substitute wanted to know what to play.

"Here's a copy of the service," he said impatiently. "But, you'll have to think of something to play after I make the announcement about the finances."

During the service, the minister paused and said, "Brothers and Sisters, we are in great difficulty; the roof repairs cost twice as much as we expected and we need $4,000 more. Any of you who can pledge $100 or more, please stand up."

At that moment, the substitute organist played "The Star Spangled Banner."

And that is how the substitute became the regular organist!
___________________________________

When you carry the Bible, Satan gets a headache.
When you open it, he collapses.
When he sees you reading it, he faints.
When he sees that you are living what you read, he flees.
And when you are about to forward this message.... He will try and discourage you.

I just defeated him! Any other takers?

==============================================================================

JEWISH POKER CLUB

Six retired Jewish Floridian fellows are playing poker in their condo clubhouse when Meyer loses $500 on a single hand, clutches his chest, and drops dead at the table.

Showing respect for their fallen comrade, the other five continue playing, but standing up. At the end of the game, Finkelstein looks around and asks, "So? Who's gonna tell his wife?"

They cut the cards. Goldberg picks the low card. It's up to him to bring her the news. They tell him, be discreet, be gentle, don't make a bad situation worse.

"Discreet? I'm the most discreet person I know. Why, discretion is my middle name. Leave it to me."*

Goldberg goes over to Meyer's condo and knocks on the door. The wife answers through the door and asks what he wants. Goldberg declares: "Your husband just lost $500 in a poker game and is afraid to come home."

"Tell him to drop dead!" yells the wife.

"I'll go tell him." says Goldberg.

The Arab Dog vs. the Israeli Dog

2011-07-13T06:47:00.000+08:00

The Israelis and Arabs realized that, if they continued fighting, they would someday end up destroying the whole world. So, they decided to settle their dispute with an ancient practice: A duel of two, like David and Goliath. This duel would be a dog fight.

The negotiators agreed each side would take 5 years to develop the best fighting dog they could. The dog that won the fight would earn its people the right to rule the disputed areas. The losing side would have to lay down its arms for good.

The Arabs found the biggest, meanest Doberman's and Rottweiler's in the world. They bred them together and then crossed their offspring with the meanest Siberian wolves.

They selected only the biggest, strongest puppy of each litter, fed it the best food and killed all the other puppies. They used steroids and trainers in their quest for the perfect killing machine. And after the 5 years were up, they had a dog that needed steel prison bars on its cage. Only expert trainers could handle this incredibly nasty and ferocious beast.

When the day of the big dog-fight finally arrived, the Israelis showed up with a very strange-looking animal, a Dachshund that was 10 feet long!

Everyone at the dogfight arena felt sorry for the Israelis. No one there seriously thought this weird, odd-looking animal stood any chance against the growling beast over in the Arab camp. All the bookies took a look and predicted that the Arab dog would win in less than a minute.

As the cages were opened, the Dachshund very slowly waddled towards the center of the ring. The Arab dog leaped from its cage and charged the giant ''wiener-dog''. As he got to within an inch of the Israeli dog, the Dachshund opened its jaws and
swallowed the Arab beast whole in one bite. There was nothing left but a small puff of fur from the Arab killer dog's tail floating to the ground.

The stunned crowd of international observers, bookies and media personnel let out a collective gasp of disbelief and surprise.

The Arabs approached the Israelis, muttering and shaking their heads in disbelief. "We do not understand," said their leader, "Our top scientists and breeders worked for 5 long years with the meanest, biggest Doberman's, Rottweiler's and Siberian wolves, and they developed an incredible killing machine of a dog!"

The Israelis replied. "Well, for 5 years, we have had a team of Filipino plastic surgeons from Vicky Bello working to make an alligator look like a Dachshund."

VPJejomar C. Binay Speech in Alumnus Award

2011-07-09T23:22:00.000+08:00

Speech of Vice President Jejomar C. Binay when he received the 2011 UPAA Most Distinguished Alumnus Award during the UP General Alumni-Faculty Homecoming & Reunion, Bahay ng Alumni, UP Diliman, Quezon City, 25 June 2011, 5 p.m.

Posted: Saturday, June 25, 2011

(Acknowledgments)

Coming to U.P. At this time is not just a visit. It is a homecoming.

Matapos ang maraming taon, bumabalik po ako sa U.P. na puno ng galak, at konting kaba sa dibdib.

Nagagalak ako dahil sa inyong paghirang sa akin bilang Most Distinguished Alumnus. At kinakabahan dahil baka nagkamali kayo sa pagpili, at bukas makalawa ay bawiin ninyo ang award na ito. (Iisipin ko pa kung isosoli ko sa inyo)

Sa totoo po lamang, noong ako ay nag-aaral pa dito sa u.p., ni minsan ay hindi ko inisip na darating ang panahon na makakamtan ko ang pagturing ng ating mahal na alma mater bilang Most Distinguished Alumnus. At alam ko na marami rin sa aking mga kaibigan, kaiskwela at ka-brod sa fraternity ang ni minsan ay hindi inisip na si Jojo Binay ay pararangalan bilang Most Distinguished Alumnus. Kung sa bagay, marami rin po ang nagulat nang ako’y manalo bilang Pangalawang Pangulo noong nakaraang halalan. Dahil sa aking pagiging Pangalawang Pangulo, ang inyong lingkod, sa ngayon, ang pinakamataas na nahalal sa mga nangagsipagtapos sa ating pamantasan.

My friends, given my humble academic performance in the University, this award fills me with awe and wonder and disbelief.

Despite doing well in grade school and graduating from that laboratory school known as the U.P. Preparatory High School, my early years as a political science major in U.P. were academically lackluster, improving a bit as I went through the College of Law as a working student. Although I must emphasize that my grades improved when I enrolled in post-graduate courses.

It was not easy. But what sustained and propelled me to complete my education was my determination to raise myself from my squalid surroundings. What sustained and nourished me through my years of undergraduate studies was the generosity of my uncles, my friends and fraternity brothers. And I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who generously shared with me not only their time, friendship and brotherhood, but also their “baon.” Noon po kasi, pumapasok ako sa U.P. na piso lang ang baon ko. Ang pamasahe ay sitenta sentimos. Ang kanin at ulam, kuwarenta sentimos. Ang kulang na diyes sentimos ay pinupunuan na lamang ng aking mga kasama. Kaya sa lahat ng mga nagpuno sa kulang kong baon, maraming salamat sa inyo.

Masasabi ko po na hindi lamang edukasyon ang ibinigay sa akin ng U.P. Binigyan niya ako ng pagkakataon na maiahon ang aking sarili mula sa hirap. Binigyan niya ako ng lakas ng loob at tiwala sa sarili. At ibinahagi sa akin ng U.P. Ang prinsipyong hanggang ngayon ay nakaukit sa aking puso – pagmamahal at paglilingkod sa bayan kong sinilangan.

My years at U.P. taught me to fight for what is right and for the values and principles that I live for, despite the trials and troubles that are inevitable, without regard for the cost or consequence.

Here I learned that in a country where the overwhelming majority are poor, our first and last duty is always to the poor, especially if we ourselves are poor or were once poor.

Here I learned that the poor must be empowered, but real empowerment begins only when they begin to participate fully in the exercise of political power.

But the greatest gift of my U.P. education is the unquenchable thirst to learn; the humility to embrace the notion that one never learns enough; the passion to ask questions and to seek the answers in the hallowed halls of the academe and test the validity of these answers in the trenches of the real world.

Indeed, even as I left the University and became a lawyer, street parliamentarian, local official and now the second highest leader of the land, learning has been my guide. I have been able to seamlessly weave on-the-job learning experiences with periods of formal learning. I have been fortunate to attend post-graduate courses here and abroad. There is no doubt in my mind that the learnings from these episodes have brought me to where I am today. Indeed the saying that education is the greatest social equalizer is so true.

This is the same gift that I have tried to share in my years as the mayor of Makati. As my education not only opened up opportunities for me but also equipped me with the tools to face the challenges in my life, I have made it my mission to ensure that those whom I am able to touch as a public servant are given the same privilege. The well-known, comprehensive public education system in Makati is a testament to that commitment.
All this I owe the University of the Philippines, and more.

The University made it possible for me to swim in campus politics as my “second amniotic fluid,” to borrow the language of the Latin American intellectual Carlos Fuentes. It allowed me to put to the test certain theories in grassroots politics which would serve me in good stead when I campaigned for mayor of Makati and ran decades later for Vice President.

In my successful bid as a university councilor in the U.P. Student Council, I had to contend with a very strong opposition, who had everything I did not have---the money, the reputation and apparently the good looks. I was indisputably the dark horse. (Literally and figuratively)

Ngunit ako ay nagpursigi, at puspusang nangampanya hanggang sa U.P. Los Baños, na hindi binigyang halaga ng aking mga katunggali dahil nangampanya lamang sila sa Maynila at sa Diliman. Dahil ako lamang ang nangampanya sa Los Baños, nag-landslide ako doon sa Forestry at Agriculture. At the end of the day, Los Baños cast the deciding vote.

That was a perfect forerunner of what happened in the 2010 Vice-Presidential race. I concentrated my work on the ground, mobilizing every connection I had with every conceivable group. And the rest is history. This was one time when the University provided not only the theory but also the praxis.

Without that, I don’t believe I would be standing here today as your Vice President. U.P. proved to be the great leveller for the poor boy from Makati.

I am sure there are others who share my kind of story. But I probably had to negotiate the farthest distance, having come from the bottom of the ladder to where I am today.

You will therefore forgive me if I am unable to suppress all tint of emotion from my story.

Yet, in a sense, what I owe U.P. May be but a small part of what the whole country owes U.P.

In the darker days of our recent history, when common courage and patriotism seemed to fail, and many institutions seemed to sit in the shadows, it was U.P. whose nationalist fervor sent its students to the streets and the barricades to defend our precious rights and liberties.

They raised their fists and cried “Hey, Hey, LBJ! How many kids did you kill today?” and much later, “Makibaka! Huwag matakot!”

In Churchill’s words, we gave the lion’s roar and showed the lion’s heart, while many looked the other way to avoid the gaze of raw power stamping its boot upon their precious liberties.

The outside world watched breathless as we, young patriots at that time, defied truncheons, water cannons and tear gas in the streets. On those days of disquiet ang nights of rage, we all did our heroes proud.

Those events marked the U.P. student at his and her best. It became so easy for outsiders to stereotype us as activists and nothing else. But we were definitely more than that.

U.P. alumni have shown competent and critical leadership wherever the challenge or opportunity presented itself. Whether it be business, education, arts, sciences, public service or media, you will find a U.P. graduate manning the front, trying to get things done. You will also find us working at the back, crafting policies. This, too, is part of U.P.’s continuing service to the republic.

It is no exaggeration to say that if things run at all, it is partly because some U.P. alumni are there. Unfortunately, it is also true that if some nasty problem refuses to go away, it is partly because---or in spite of the fact that---some U.P. alumni are there.

My friends,

As we enter yet another milestone in our university’s and our country’s history, we must now see to it that at the end of the day, we would have made a bigger contribution to the things that make life better for all, than to the things that make like difficult.

In a real sense, the size and make up of the U.P. student constitute a microcosm of Philippine society. That is why when we challenge our U.P. alumni, as we do tonight, “Harapin ang bagong hamon,” are we not, in fact, speaking to the entire Filipino nation? Are we not, in fact, telling everybody, “Gawin ang tama, paglingkuran ang bayan?”

In all this, the University must remain our guide--- our north star. We must live by the principles and standards we have imbibed within its walls, and prove ourselves worthy of the pride with which it has sent us outside those walls.

The Oblation stands to remind us of our calling. In that image of a man standing in all his naked majesty in front of the academic building, we see what a U.P. education means. It tells us that before your U.P. education covers you with honors and distinctions, it first uncovers for you the truth about man, so that you will first know who and what you are, as Socrates taught, before you learn about other things.

With outstretched arms, the Oblation stands there, where it has always stood for more than seventy years, calling on all fighting maroons to offer their lives in the service of country, and purchase a brighter future for the nation, using everything they have learned from their alma mater. (Or at least win one game in the UAAP)

Each wave of graduates brings to the outside world not just a gift of knowledge from the university. More than that, they carry with them a living part of the University itself.

This does not diminish the quality or quantity of the material at the source. Rather, it multiplies a hundred fold what is given away.

Thus, the University has produced and continues to produce the finest professors, scholars, financial managers, agronomists, agriculturists, and other professionals for the country.

Whatever contrary wind, therefore, may blow outside the campus, U.P. must remain what it was always meant to be. It must stand firm and unshakeable as a rock, as a sovereign republic of truth and reason, where free intellectual inquiry and scientific investigation must flourish without any interference from any external and extraneous source.

It must remain a lifeline not only to our own cultural heritage, but above all to the accumulated wisdom of the ages. It must remain the seedbed of truth and virtue, and the pursuit of excellence in all things.

U.P. reflects the broad cross-section of the entire country. Everything that happens to our body politic should be sufficiently passed upon within its walls, and everything that seizes the imagination of its population should likewise be grasped by the five senses of the country. The best ideas for governing the nation, and for putting the entire country to work should not go unexamined nor undistilled within the university.

What is demanded today as U.P. alumni is a response to the conflict between good and evil. Not only in government but in every sector of our social life.

It is an invitation to all of us to love morally upright and truly meaningful lives. We have no right to reject it. Not the alumni of the University of the Philippines.

But we must pursue it with creativity, vigor and resolve, and use it to lead, if we can ---or at the very least, to be an active part of---the universal search for peace, freedom and morality.

My friends,

It has often been said that there is no direct correlation between success in school and success in life, and I am willing to concede that there is some truth to that, particularly if one means financial success in one's career after school.

But I cannot concede that one's schooling has no effect at all on one's life in the outside world. For it is in our early years -- while we are in school -- that our values, our beliefs, and yes, our character are formed and developed. And for this, we ought to be thankful to our alma mater, the University of the Philippines, where brotherhood, equality regardless of economic or social status, and the need to defend our freedoms, have been inculcated in our heads and in our hearts.

That is the U.P. legacy. That is the legacy we should leave our society and the generations to come.

Our national hero, Jose Rizal, envisions a nation united, where “The good and welfare of our country is our motive. Let us prove to the whole world that when a Filipino wills something he can always do it."

To my fellow awardees, U.P. alumni, and beloved countrymen, we have much to do. And allow me to pose the questions that were asked of every U.P. student, during one of the most trying times in our history:

Kung hindi ako kikilos, sino ang kikilos?
Kung hindi ako kikibo, sino ang kikibo?
Kung hindi ngayon, kailan pa?

Led by men and women who look beyond the present and themselves, we Filipinos could try and answer those questions, and become what Blessed John Paul II has called, “the light of Asia and the world.”

Mabuhay ang Unibersidad ng Pilipinas.

Mabuhay ang pag-asa ng bayan.

Maraming salamat po at magandang gabi sa inyong lahat.

Simple Rules

2011-07-06T10:54:00.000+08:00

Three Simple Rules to live by:

1. If you do not GO after what you want, you'll never have it
2. If you do not ASK, the answer will always be a "NO"
3.If you do not STEP FORWARD, you'll always be in the same place

Learn to take risks and see where your brave heart can take you.

Smear Campaign

2011-06-28T09:37:00.000+08:00

UPA Award for the VP

Get Real
‘Most Dazzling Award’

By: Solita Collas-Monsod
Philippine Daily Inquirer

2:49 am | Saturday, June 25th, 2011

How does someone like Vice President Jejomar Binay get the 2011 “Most Distinguished Alumnus” award from the UP Alumni Association (UPAA)? Therein lies a sorry tale involving a law dean’s purported wish to mark the 100th anniversary of the UP College of Law by ensuring that a law alumnus gets the prestigious award, an undiscerning law alumni association, a UPAA board conveniently headed by a law alumna who was willing and able to throw the board’s own rules out of the window, a generous (P2 million) contribution to the UPAA, and, like a constant refrain, the irresistible lure of the possible benefits that come with pandering (brown-nosing?) to the politically powerful – the goodwill and the patronage.

Want to get the details? Read on and weep.

Start with reading the “General Information and Guidelines for the UPAA Alumni Awards 2011” as posted in the UPAA website (as of Feb. 15, 2011). And it will not escape your attention that the “Most Distinguished Alumnus/Alumna” Award (MDA) is not among the award categories. What are listed are the “UP Distinguished Alumni” awards for various “thematic” categories (e.g., public service and good governance, poverty alleviation and human development, culture and the arts), the “UP Distinguished Service” awards, and UP Alumni Family awards (to families with alumni spanning at least three successive generations). No MDA.

Could the non-inclusion of the latter category have been an oversight? After all, such a distinction has been awarded over the years, up to at least 2008 (the last recipient being Chief Justice Renato Puno during the UP Centennial celebrations). The answer is “No.” It turns out that the current UPAA Board, which took office on July 2009, and was headed by Alfredo Pascual until he ran for UP president (whereupon Gladys Tiongco replaced him), apparently decided to do away with the MDAs altogether. The reason, again apparently, being that it is very hard to choose the primus inter pares, particularly if the pares are involved in very diverse activities in the first place. Just as it is very hard to choose what is the best fruit among langka, chico , guava, banana, santol, atis, etc. So it was decided that the choices would be limited to the best among the langka, the best among the chicos, the best among the guavas, etc. At least that was the metaphor that was used when the rationale for giving up the MDAs was explained to me.
Whether we agree or disagree with that reasoning is actually beside the point. The point is that the UPAA Board did not intend to give an MDA, and it did not call for nominations for that award in its posted announcement.

Which gives rise, naturally, to the question: If the UPAA did not intend to give the MDA award, how did it come to be that on June 10, or thereabouts, the announcement that Vice President Binay had won the award was made? Other questions also come to the fore: If there was no call for nominees to the award, and nominations still came, how many such nominations were submitted, i.e., how large was the pool of nominees from which Binay was chosen? And if the UPAA decided, in the middle of the selection process, to re-create the category that it had withdrawn, when did it send out a call or an announcement to that effect, so that the alumni and alumni chapters could submit their own nominees?

Answering the last question first, there apparently was no subsequent call for nominees for the now-included MDA award – the UPAA website shows no announcements to that effect. The answer to the second-to-the last question, which was provided by a member of the UPAA Board to me only yesterday, was that there were no other nominees. Vice President Binay constituted a nominee pool of one.

The answer to the first question (i.e., how come the award was made?) comes from what I consider to be an unimpeachable source, and I quote the text verbatim: “Law alumni wanted a law grad for their 100 years celebration. Law dean leonin (sic) nominated him together with the law alumni assn. Choice could have been worst (sic) Johnny Enrile.”

I shared this and all the rest of the above information with my fellow UPAA Alumni Council members at yesterday’s annual meeting. It is significant to note that UPAA president Gladys Tiongco, presiding, did not deny the veracity of the text message. What she did was to accept full responsibility for the decision.

I also noted the four criteria – Service Orientation, Leadership, Impact and Integrity—for evaluating nominees. The leadership criterion requires that the nominee “has demonstrated effective and inspiring personal leadership …. i.e., achievements can be attributed more to the person than to the official position/job/title she/he has held.” The integrity criterion states: “there is no serious concern about, or challenge to, the nominee’s personal integrity.” Obviously the question is: were these criteria applied at all to the sole MDA nominee? The answer has to be equally obvious.

I invited my fellow alumni and fellow UP faculty members present to ponder on the blatant, unrepentant, what-are-we-in-power-for, we-are-exempt-from-our-own rules attitude of the alumni governing body. Doesn’t it smack too much of a typical politician’s attitude?

That kind of decision-making has no place whatsoever in UP, where honor and excellence (honor first) are our raisons d’etre. The lesson is clear: we should not talk the talk (tell government what it is doing wrong) unless we ourselves can walk the walk (practice what we preach).

www.cenpeg.org

2011-06-25T06:41:00.000+08:00

Subject: CenPEG Issue Analysis No.3 SPRATLYS Row June 24 2011

Issue Analysis No. 03
>Series of 2011
>LIVING IN THE PAST: Mishandling the Spratlys territorial row
>Government must abandon the 20th century politics of colonialism and neo-colonialism and begin to act more responsibly with a mature and independent foreign policy.

>By the Policy Study, Publication, and Advocacy (PSPA)
>Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG)
>June 24, 2011

>The Philippine government should use a different tack in pursuing its claim on the Spratly Islands and other small territories in the South China Sea (SCS). The government posturing is beginning to sound like a broken record again by tying its response on external affairs to U.S. support even if the Philippines, a former
American colony, remains far remote from Washington DC's international
radar.

>In the past few months, tension over the Spratlys built up with reports of incursions by China into islets in the SCS claimed by the Philippines. The incidents triggered diplomatic protests by the Philippines; the Beijing government denied the accusations. There is "freedom of navigation" in the SCS, China said,
but it also called for a stop to oil exploration by other countries in
the Spratlys.

>Aquino officials were quick to warn that the Philippines can use its 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with the U.S. to defend its territorial claim in the Spratlys. Modern military equipment was also to be purchased in the U.S., it was also announced. More to the point, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin asked for U.S. navy ships' deployment in the SCS to check Chinese aggression. "When the cat (U.S.) is away, the mice (China) will play," he said.

>The U.S. embassy in Manila, however, stopped short of promising direct military support amid assurances that the Philippines remained a "strategic ally" and that both countries will continue "to consult and work with each other on all issues including the South China Sea and Spratlys Islands." Instead of committing
specific military support to defend the Philippines' claim, the American envoy called for "restraint" in the territorial row.

>Centerpiece policy
>Underneath the knee-jerk and uninformed reactions by the Aquino government are illusions about a special U.S.-Philippine relationship - the prize centerpiece of past administrations' foreign policy. The price of this misperception has
been the failure to discern the kernel of truth about foreign policy:
That it is pursued by a sovereign state chiefly for its own interests.

>A cold war-vintage pact, the 1951 U.S.-Philippine MDP provided for mutual support against foreign aggression. But it was invoked by the U.S. only a few times for no other reason than to coerce Philippine participation in the U.S. wars in the
Korea Peninsula and in Indochina. It was also used to legitimize the onerous Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA, 1999) which allows the entry of U.S. forces in any part of the Philippine archipelago in the guise of joint war exercises. U.S. trainings under the VFA have been used by the U.S. to devise new counter-insurgency doctrines in Afghanistan, Iraq and other war-torn countries while maintaining permanent facilities in the Philippines as forward-deployed forces for military projection in the region.

>The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS, 1994) cited by the Philippines in support of its territorial claim in the Spratlys has not even been ratified by the U.S. In particular, the U.S. is opposed to the provision pertaining to the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) for being unfavorable "to American economic and security interests."

>'Mother of territorial disputes'
>South China Sea is known as the "mother of all territorial disputes" – a flashpoint of future wars. Covering 3.5 million sq. km. and one of the richest fishing grounds in the world, the SCS is also claimed as the "second Persian Gulf" for being rich in oil, gas, and sea-based minerals. It is the world's second international sea-lane where more than 25 percent of the world's trade traverses – as well as Japan's energy needs (70 percent) and China's (65 percent). Being the world's top energy consumer and second biggest oil importer today, China holds strategic interest in the SCS to ensure continuing supply of oil and gas products from the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, as well as Asia where it has active energy exploration and production projects.

>In the SCS' southern part is the Spratly Islands which is comprised of some 750 barren islets, rock formations, and sandbanks of varying size, spread over 425,000 sq. km. – with a total land area of only less than 5 sq. km. Both China and Vietnam have territorial claims over the Spratlys in whole, while the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Brunei have stakes on parts of the archipelago. China asserts historical claims over actually the whole SCS dating back to 2 BC but it issued its first direct claim in 1951. In 1956, Tomas Cloma, a Filipino adventurer and fishing magnate, staked his claim over the Spratlys calling it the "Free Territory of Freedomland" with a separate government.

>Of all the littoral claimant-states, China is most assertive of its irredentist claims over the Spratlys and the whole of South China Sea. But it is with Vietnam that Beijing has engaged in actual military skirmishes and, with the Philippines, in recurrent tension. Just the same, China declares that it adheres to "freedom of
navigation" in the SCS and consents to multilateral or multi-polar talks on issues involving the sea. But it prefers bilateral negotiations in settling territorial feuds.

>China's 'soft power'
>China is trying to balance its "hard power" approach with "soft power" by offering joint exploration and development of oil and marine resources in the SCS with other claimant-countries. Thus in 2005 it entered into a Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JSMU) with the Philippines and Vietnam which, however, raised constitutional
issues in Manila. The JMSU ended in June 2008 with its extension compromised by allegations of corruption linking Chinese ODA loans to the Philippines.

>Signed in 2002 by China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the SCS is a conflict management forum providing for the peaceful resolution of the overlapping claims. The non-binding code of conduct, however, has been constrained by China's refusal to use it for
multilateral arbitration as well as by ASEAN member-states' differing and vaguely-defined claims in the Spratlys.

>As a rising maritime power, China is expected to secure its territorial waters and sealanes. But it is bound by a foreign policy in ensuring a peaceful environment conducive for steering an economy now considered as the second largest in the world with a global projection that will require a modern maritime and defense
system. Even as it says it will use military means only as a last resort to defend its territorial claims China cannot afford a war in the South China Sea at this time. War will not favor China's growing trade and investments in Southeast Asia. To this end, it has engaged in or is negotiating joint oil and gas exploration and development in Brunei and with Vietnam in the Gulf of Tonkin.

>As it appears, negotiation is the only mechanism available for the Philippines to settle its territorial claims with China – as well as with the rest of the claimants. Joint and cooperative development of potential oil, gas, and marine resources available in the Spratlys can be pursued – accompanied by a "freeze" of sovereignty issues, as proposed by some conflict management advisers. They agree
that – like most international treaties in other conflict situations – UNCLOS cannot be effectively applied in territorial disputes. As a fallback, they point to one of its provisions that in the end "countries with overlapping claims must resolve their claims by good faith negotiation."

>In principle, both the Philippines and China agree that the conflict should be settled diplomatically. Hostilities with China will impact more on the remittance-dependent Philippines which has 150,000 OFWs in Hong Kong plus another 8,000 in mainland China. The Aquino administration is also actively seeking Chinese
investments in about 80 long-term projects including finance, energy, transport, and infrastructures.

>Policy assessment
>Officially, the Philippine government's dealings with other countries are supposed to promote economic development and protect the rights of overseas Filipino workers. Internally, however, its foreign relations are torn between meeting this objective and an intractable belief that the country's national interests are best
enhanced by its special ties with the U.S. With respect particularly to the Spratlys, government policy makers are ill-informed in presuming that the country's territorial claims even if guided by economic objectives must be pursued under the protection of the U.S. The spontaneous choice of invoking the MDP and the purchase of modern arms vis-à-vis allegations of Chinese aggression reveals unseen hands – both within the Aquino cabinet and the military institutions – are exerting
yet again a strong influence in determining the country's foreign policy track when negotiation should be the priority. The only winners in a war scenario are arms suppliers – and these are aplenty in the U.S. They are not just lurking – they have the capability to provoke profit-oriented wars.

>Hence, isn't it likely that the territorial dispute is being used once more to justify huge budgets for the AFP modernization, the purchase of military supplies, and uphold the 1999 Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the U.S. the termination of which is being sought in Congress? Is this not therefore playing into the
hands of war hawks in the U.S. Pentagon to use America's numerous defense treaties with the Philippines and other countries in East Asia in increasing and realigning its security forces toward the strategic encirclement of China? Can't this actually be the bigger source of tension and conflict in the South China Sea?

>The Spratlys territorial dispute is a long-term problem that warrants a long-term solution. Imperative at this point, however, is an assessment of government's handling of the issue, its relations with China, and a comprehensive review of Philippine-U.S. ties. This is the 21st century and surely the country's external
relations should already mature. The first thing to do is to leave the 20th century politics of colonialism and neo-colonialism and begin to act more responsibly with a mature and independent foreign policy.

Filipino Jokes

2011-06-24T10:40:00.000+08:00

> *A Chemistry teacher asked a sexy student, "What are NITRATES?
> The student replied shyly, "Ma'am, sa motel po.
> NITRATES are higher than day rates!"**
>
> *
> *Usapan ng dalawang mayabang...
> Tomas: Ang galing ng aso ko! Tuwing umaga, dala
> niya ang dyaryo sa akin.
> Diego: Alam ko.
> Tomas: Ha? Paano mo nalaman?
> Diego: Ikinukuwento sa akin ng aso ko.**
>
> *
> *WHO'S GUILTY?
> Wife dreaming in the middle of the night
> suddenly shouts, "Quick, my husband is back!"
> Man gets up, jumps out the window and realizes, "Damn! I am the husband!"
> **
> *
>
> *Josh: Kumusta ang assignment?
> Ricardo: Masama. Wala akong nasagutan. Blank paper ang ipinasa ko.
> Josh: Naku, ako rin! Paano 'yan? Baka isipin
> nila, nagkopyahan tayo?!**
> *
> *Toto: Pangarap ko, kumita ng P250,000 monthly gaya ni daddy!
> Juvy: Wow! Ganyan kalaki ang kinikita ng daddy mo?
> Toto: Hindi! 'Yan din ang pangarap niya**!
> *
>
> *Dok: May taning na ang buhay mo.
> Juan: Wala na bang pag-asa? Ano po ba ang dapat kong gawin?
> Dok: Mag-asawa ka na lang ng pangit at bungangera.
> Juan: Bakit, gagaling po ba ako ru'n?
> Dok: Hindi, pero mas gugustuhin mo pang mamatay kesa mabuhay!** *
>
> *Lito: Pare, ano ba ang kaibahan ng H2O sa CO2?
> Joseph: Diyos ko naman! Di mo ba alam 'yun?!
> Ang H2O ay water! At
> ang CO2... cold water.**
> *
>
> *Gustong malaman ng magkaibigan kung may basketbolan sa langit.
> Nagkasundo sila na kung sino ang unang mamatay ay babalik upang
> sabihin kung may basketbol sa langit.
> Naunang namatay si Dado.
> Isang gabi, may narinig na boses si Rodel na parang kay Dado.
> "Ikaw ba 'yan, Dado?" usisa ni Rodel.
> "Oo naman!" tugon ni Dado.
> "Parang hindi totoo!" bulalas ni Rodel."O,ano, meron bang basketbol sa
> langit?"
> Sagot ni Dado, "May maganda at masama akong
> balita sa 'yo. Ang maganda, may basketbol doon. Ang masama...
> kasali ka sa makakalaban namin bukas!" (ngek!)**
>
> *
> *Usapan ng dalawang bata...
> Junjun: Magaling ang tatay ko! Alam mo, 'yang
> Pacific Ocean , siyaang humukay nun!
> Pedrito: Wala 'yan sa tatay ko! Alam mo ' yungDead Sea ?
> Junjun: Oo...
> Pedrito: Siya ang pumatay nun!**
>
> *
> *Stewardess: Do you want a drink, sir?
> Sir: What are my choices?
> Stewardess: Yes or No.**
>
> *
> *Misis: Hindi ko na kaya 'to! Araw-araw nalang tayong nag-aaway
> Mabuti pa, umalis na ako sa bahay na 'to!
> Mister: Ako rin, sawang-sawa na! Away rito,away roon! Mabuti pa
> siguro, sumama na ako sa 'yo!**
>
> *
> *Misis: Delayed ako nang one month pero huwag mo munang
> ipagsabi.Nahihiya ako...
> Mister: Okey.
> Kinabukasan, dumating ang taga-Meralco. ..
> Taga-Meralco: Misis, delayed po kayo ng onemonth.
> Misis: Ha? Bakit mo alam?
> Taga-Meralco: Nasa record po.
> Mister: Bakit Naka-record diyan na delayed ang misis ko?
> Taga-Meralco: Kung gusto ninyong mawala sarecord, magbayad kayo!
> Mister: Eh kung ayokong magbayad?
> Taga-Meralco: Puputulan kayo!
> Mister: Eh anong gagamitin ni misis?
> Tag-Meralco: Pwede naman siyang gumamit ng kandila.**
>
> *
> *Advantage at disadvantage ng may-asawa...
> ADVANTAGE: 'Pag kailangan mo, nandiyan agad.
> DISADVANTAGE: 'Pag ayaw mo na, andiyan parin!**
> *
> *What is the difference between a girlfriend,a call girl and a wife?
> Sagot: Post paid, pre paid, unlimited.** *
>
> *Sa isang classroom...
> Titser: Class, what is ETHICS?
> Pilo: Etiks are smaller than ducks.
> Titser: Okey, that duck will lay an egg in your card.**
>
> *
> *Juan: Pare, noong mayaman pa kami, nagkakamay
> kaming kumain. Ngayong
> mahirap na kami, nakakutsara na.
> Pedro: Baligtad yata?
> Juan: Mahirap kamayin ang lugaw, pare!**
>
> *
> *Anak: Itay, nagpapatanong si ma'am kung ano
> raw ang propesyon mo.
> Itay: Sabihin mo, cardiologist.
> Anak: Ano po ba ang cardiologist, Itay?
> Itay: 'Yung tagaayos ng radio sa car!**
>
> *
> *Umuwi si mister nang 4:00 AM at nakita niya
> ang kanyang misis na may
> katalik na lalaki sakama...
> Misis: (sumigaw) SAAN KA GALING?!
> Mister: Sino 'yang katabi mo?
> Misis: GRABE KA! HUWAG MONG IBAHIN ANGUSAPAN!**
>
> *
> *Rodrigo: Bakit bad trip ka?
> Harry: Nagtampo sa 'kin ang utol ko.
> Rodrigo: Bakit naman?
> Harry: Nakalimutan ko kasi ang birthday niya.
> Rodrigo: 'Yun lang? Anong masama ru'n?
> Harry: Ang masama ru'n... twins kami! Twins! *
>

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-21T10:44:00.001+08:00

Why are wives more dangerous than the Mafia? The mafia wants either your money or life... The wives want both!

Marriage is like a public toilet - Those waiting outside are desperate to get in & Those inside are desperate to come out.

No Man Can Ever Be Satisfied
with 4 things in life.
(1) Mobile
(2) Automobile
(3) TV
(4) Wife
Because there is always a better model in the neighborhood.

**Searching these keywords on Google `How to tackle wife?`
Google search result, `Good day sir, Even we are searching`.

**Compromising does not mean you are wrong and your wife is right. It only means that the safety of your head is much more important than your ego!

**Imagine living with 3 wives in one compound and never leaving the house for 5 years.Osama Bin Laden must have called the US Navy Seals himself

**Whisky is a brilliant invention. One double and you start feeling single again.

**A friend recently explained why he refuses to get to married.
He says the wedding rings look like miniature handcuffs.

**It is said that when a woman closes her eyes, she sees the person she is in love the most; and when a man does that... the slide show begins.

**It takes thousand workers 2 build a castle, Million soldiers to protect a country, but just One woman to make a Happy Home --------- A Good Maid!

**Funny quote on a husband`s T-Shirt:
All girls are devils, but my wife is the queen of them.*

Second Opinion!

2011-06-16T08:52:00.001+08:00

The doctor said, 'Joe, the good news is I can cure your headaches. The bad news is that it will require castration.

You have a very rare condition, which causes your testicles to press on your spine and the pressure creates one hell of a headache. The only way to relieve the pressure is to remove the testicles.'

Joe was shocked and depressed. He wondered if he had anything to live for.He had no choice but to go under the knife. When he left the hospital, he was without a headache for the first time in 20 years, but he felt like he was missing an important part of himself. As he walked down the street, he realized that he felt like a different person. He could make a new beginning and live a new life.

He saw a men's clothing store and thought, 'That's what I need... A new suit...'

He entered the shop and told the salesman, 'I'd like a new suit..'

The elderly tailor eye d him briefly and said, 'Let's see... Size 44 long.'

Joe laughed, 'That's right, how did you know?'

'Been in the business 60 years!' the tailor said.

Joe tried on the suitit fit perfectly.

As Joe admired himself in the mirror, the salesman asked, 'How about a new shirt?'

Joe thought for a moment and then said, 'Sure.'

The salesman eyed Joe and said, 'Let's see, 34 sleeves and 16-1/2 neck.'

Joe was surprised, 'That's right, how did you know?'

'Been in the business 60 years.'

Joe tried on the shirt and it fit perfectly.

Joe walked comfortably around the shop and the salesman asked, 'How about some new underwear?'

Joe thought for a moment and said, 'Sure.'

he salesman said, 'Let's see... Size 36.

Joe laughed, 'Ah ha! I got you!I've worn a size 34 since I was 18 years old.'

The salesman shook his head, 'You can't wear a size 34. A size 34 would press your testicles up against the base of your spine and give you one hell of a headache.'

New suit - £400
New shirt - £36
New underwear - £6
Second Opinion - PRICELESS

Interesting Secret Service Perspective

2011-06-11T09:07:00.000+08:00

*Reading a book about the Secret Service where they reveal an awful lot
about the presidents and Vice Presidents...very interesting recap thus far.*
*JFK and LBJ** = Philanderers of the highest order. Both kept a lot of
women in White House for affairs. Both set up "early warning" systems for
if and when their wives were nearby. Total immoral men. In addition, LBJ was
as crude as the day is long.*

*Nixon **= Weird, moral man but very odd and weird. Paranoid etc. Horrible
relationship with his family, almost a recluse.**

** Agnew** = nice, decent man, everyone was surprised at his downfall.**

**Ford **= A true gentlemen who treated them with respect and dignity**
*
*Jimmy Carter** = A complete phony who would portray one picture of
himself to public and very different in private. I.E. Would be
shown carrying his own luggage, suit cases were always empty, he kept empty
ones just for photo op's. Wanted the people to see him as pious and a non
drinker, he and family drank alcohol a lot. Had disdain for the Secret
Service, and was very irresponsible with the "football" nuclear codes.
Didn't think it was a big deal and would keep military aides at a great
distance. Would never acknowledge military or Secret service they were there
to serve him.**

**Ronald Reagan** = the real deal. Moral, Honest, respectful and dignified.
Treated Secret Service and everyone else with respect and honor. Would
always thank everyone all the time. He took the time to know everyone on a
personal level. One story was early on in Presidency the President came out
of his room with a side arm attached to his hip. The Agent in charge said
"Why the pistol Mr. President." Ronald Reagan replied, "In case you boys
can't get the job done, I can help." It was common for him to carry a
pistol. People do not know that when he met with Gorbachev, he had a pistol
in his briefcase.**
Upon learning that Gary Hart was caught with Donna Rice during the election
Ronald Reagan said, "Boys will be boys, but boys will not be President"
*
*Nancy Reagan** = Very nice but very protective of the President...the
Secret Service was always caught in the middle. Nancy would try to control
what the President ate all the time (healthy) and he would say to the
Agent "come on you gotta help me out." The Reagan's rarely drank alcohol.
Secret Service said they could count on one hand the times the Reagan's were
served alcohol other than wine during dinner. They made the comment for all
the fake bluster of the Carters it was the Reagan's who lived life as
genuinely moral people.**

* *George and Barbara Bush** = extremely kind and considerate. Always
respectful. Took great care in making sure the agents comforts were taken
care of. They would bring them meals etc. One time Barbara Bush brought
warm clothes to agents standing outside a Kennebunkport . One agent who was
given a warm hat tried to nicely say no thanks when he was obviously
freezing and President Bush said "Son, don't argue with the first lady, put
the hat on. "Out of their way to take care of the Secret Service and made
sure they were well cared for with meals and other comforts. GW was the most
prompt of the Presidents. He ran like a well oiled mach*

* **Bill Clinton** = Presidency was one giant party. Not trustworthy, he was
nice because he wanted everyone to like him but life is just one big game
and party to him.**

**Hillary Clinton** = another phony. Personality would change the instant
cameras were near. She hated with open disdain the military and Secret
Service. Again another* *one who felt people are there to serve her. She was
always trying to keep tabs on Bill Clinton...*

*Al Gore** = An egotistical ass who was once overheard by his Secret Service
detail when he told his son he needed to do better in school or he "would
end up like these guys" and pointed to the agents.**

**G W Bush** = they loved him and Laura Bush. They said no one is a nicer
person than Laura Bush who never has a harsh word to say about anyone. He
was also the most in shape that had a very strict work out regimen. The
Bush's made sure their entire administration understood to respect and be
considerate of the Secret Service. Karl Rove was the one who was the most
caring of the Secret Service in the administration*.

Marcos' Burial

2011-06-09T10:09:00.000+08:00

Early reports had it that VP Jejomar Binay had completed his recommendation to the Pres. Noynoy Aquino on the proper burial rites for Pres. Ferdinand E. Marcos. The recommendation is burial in Ilocos Norte with full military honors, but not in Libingan ng mga Bayani here in Manila as was originally debated and endorsed by more than 200 congressmen. The proposed burial honors has been reportedly accepted by the Marcos family, and on TV Patrol last night the viewers, in majority, seem to favor the recommendation. This seems to be a "win-win" solution to a problem that has nagged the Filipino people for over two decades now. Military honors cannot be denied of a former soldier and, more importantly, a former commander-in-chief, while not burying Mr. Marcos' body in the hallowed Libingan ng mga Bayani did not allow for the unfair and absurd revision of history. Marcos, after all, is not a hero. This will finally put a closure to this case which
has hounded us for a very long time and made us a laughing stock in the world. Hope this time Imelda will not change her mind and finally allow her husband to rest in peace.

P-Noy has tossed this difficult problem to Binay, and the latter came out with what seems to be a "fair" recommendation. Now the ball is in his court. P-Noy needs to act, and act presidentially on this issue.

"Rambotito" Binay keeps scoring good points for all the challenges that had been hurled to him. He seems to be a pragmatic politician and a man of action - one who will not turn his back from a good fight. The Makati residents are one in chanting good praises for him.

WHY MEN ARE NEVER DEPRESSED

2011-06-04T11:57:00.000+08:00

Men Are Just Happier People --
What do you expect from such simple creatures?
Your last name stays put.
The garage is all yours.
Wedding plans take care of themselves.
Chocolate is just another snack.
You can be President.
You can never be pregnant.
You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park.
You can wear NO shirt to a water park.
Car mechanics tell you the truth.
The world is your urinal.
You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky.

You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.
Same work, more pay.
Wrinkles add character.
Wedding dress $5000. Tux rental-$100.
People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them.
New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet.
One mood all the time.
Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.
You know stuff about tanks.
A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase.
You can open all your own jars.
You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness.
If someone forgets to invite you,
He or she can still be your friend.
Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack.
Three pairs of shoes are more than enough..
You almost never have strap problems in public.
You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes..
Everything on your face stays its original color.
The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades.
You only have to shave your face and neck.
You can play with toys all your life.
One wallet and one pair of shoes -- one color for all seasons.
You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look.
You can 'do' your nails with a pocket knife.
You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache.
You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives
On December 24 in 25 minutes.
No wonder men are happier.
Send this to the women who can handle it
And to the men who will enjoy reading it.
___

Men Are Just Happier People

NICKNAMES

If Laura, Kate and Sarah go out for lunch, they will call each other Laura, Kate and Sarah.
If Mike, Dave and John go out, they will affectionately refer to each other as Fat Boy, Bubba and Wildman .

EATING OUT
When the bill arrives, Mike, Dave and John will each throw in $20, even though it's only for $32.50. None of them will have anything smaller and none will actually admit they want change back.· When the girls get their bill, out come the pocket calculators.

MONEY
A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs.
A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't need but it's on sale.

BATHROOMS
A man has six items in his bathroom: toothbrush and toothpaste,shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel.
The average number of items in the typical woman's bathroom is 337.
A man would not be able to identify more than 20 of these items.

ARGUMENTS
A woman has the last word in any argument.
Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.

FUTURE
A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.
A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.

MARRIAGE
A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't.
A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, but she does.

DRESSING UP
A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the trash, answer the phone, read a book, and get the mail.
A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.

NATURAL
Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed.
Women somehow deteriorate during the night.

OFFSPRING
Ah, children. A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments and romances, best friends, favorite foods, secret fears and hopes and dreams.

A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
A married man should forget his mistakes. There's no use in two people remembering the same thing!

SO, send this to the women who have a sense of humor and who can handle it and to the men who will enjoy reading it.

Woman Golfer

2011-06-03T08:31:00.000+08:00

Only Golfers will have the patience to read through this one but it has a pretty good punch line...

A group of guys lived and died for their Saturday morning round of golf. One transferred to another city. It wasn't the same without him.

A new woman joined their Club. She overheard the guys talking about their golf round. She said, "You know, I used to play on my golf team in college and I was pretty good. Would you mind if I joined you next week?"

The three guys looked at each other. Not one of them wanted to say 'yes', but she had them on the spot. Finally, one man said it would be okay, but they would be starting early - at 6:30 a.m.

He figured the early tee-time would discourage her. The woman said this may be a problem, and asked if she could be up to 15 minutes late.

They rolled their eyes, but said okay. She smiled and said, "Good, I'll be there at 6:30 or 6:45."

She showed up at 6:30 sharp, and beat all three of them with an eye-opening 2-under par round. She was fun and a pleasant person, and the guys were impressed. Back at the clubhouse, they congratulated her and invited her back the next week. She smiled, and said, "I'll be there at 6:30 or 6:45."

The next week she again showed up at 6:30 sharp. Only this time, she played left-handed. The three guys were incredulous as she still beat them with an even par round, despite playing with her off-hand. They were totally amazed.

They couldn't figure her out. She was again very pleasant and didn't seem to be purposely showing them up. They invited her back again, but each man harbored a burning desire to beat her.

The third week, the guys had their game faces on. But this time, she was 15 minutes late, which made the guys irritable. This week the lady played right-handed, and narrowly beat all three of them.

The men mused that her late arrival was due to petty gamesmanship on her part. However, she was so gracious and so complimentary of their strong play, they couldn't hold a grudge.

Back in the clubhouse, all three guys were shaking their heads. This woman was a riddle no one could figure out. They had a couple of beers, and finally, one of the men asked her point blank, "How do you decide if you're going to golf right-handed or left-handed?"

The lady blushed, and grinned. "That's easy," she said.

"When my Dad taught me to play golf, I learned I was ambidextrous. I like to switch back and forth. When I got married after college, I discovered my husband always sleeps in the nude. From then on, I developed a silly habit. Right before I left in the morning for golf practice, I would pull the covers off him.

If his you-know-what was pointing to the right, I golfed right-handed; if it was pointed to the left, I golfed left-handed."

The guys on the team thought this was hysterical. Astonished at this bizarre information, one of the guys shot back, "But what if it's pointing straight up?"

She said, "Then, I'm fifteen minutes late."

Favored classmates

2011-05-27T08:20:00.000+08:00

By Solita Collas-Monsod
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:46:00 05/14/2011

Filed Under: Benigno Aquino III, Judiciary (system of justice), Management Changes, Schools
Most Read

THE JUDICIAL and Bar Council (JBC) website lists all the incumbent members of the judiciary, from those in the Supreme Court to the Municipal Trial Courts, to the Sharia District and Circuit Courts. I glanced through the 57 pages of names and sure enough, every single one of them, including the ombudsman and deputy ombudsmen had been appointed after the JBC’s creation, and were therefore subjected to its vetting process. Given the scandals and controversies plaguing the judiciary and the Office of the Ombudsman, one has every right to view the quality of the JBC’s work with trepidation, as well as the probability of success of the Aquino administration’s fight against corruption and injustice.

Let’s face it: We are saddled with a Supreme Court that doesn’t seem to know the definition of “final and executory,” or which acts on motions without first doing its homework (as in the Merceditas Gutierrez impeachment case), or which cannot even prevent leaks from occurring. We have a Court of Appeals where justices were accusing each other of corruption and fighting over cases; a Sandiganbayan which cannot even consolidate cases against the same government official and farms them out to different divisions, whose appreciation of the same evidence may be different; an Ombudsman acting in what can at the kindest be described as an arbitrary and capricious manner; and so on down the line, with the horror stories to illustrate.

All these sins of omission and commission perpetrated by persons vetted by the JBC, whose articulated vision is to be “A JBC that is independent, efficient and a proactive sentinel of judicial service, guided only by the principles of integrity, excellence and competence; unfettered by the shackles of friendship, relationship, or other considerations, thus vesting the cloak of Magistracy on those who will best dispense justice for all.” The JBC’s mission, among other things, is “to recommend appointees to the judiciary only persons of proper competence, integrity, probity and independence” and to “insulate the nomination process from undue influence of any kind.” It is supposed to short-list only those with a “proven high sense of morality and probity.”

Such nobility of vision and mission. And such a disconnect from reality, as exemplified by the current performance of the judiciary and the Office of the Ombudsman, where the heavy hand of political considerations is so evident.

How did things come to such a pass as this? One can list some contributing factors. For one, the composition of the JBC, as mandated by the 1987 Constitution, was designed to ensure that members with political affiliations would be outnumbered by non-partisan appointees: The SC chief justice as ex-officio chair, a representative from Congress and the justice secretary as ex-officio members, and then four “regular” members, supposedly representing the top of the legal profession in the Philippines: one representing the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, one representing the legal academe; one representing the “private sector” and one retired SC justice. Note: three ex-officio and four regular members. And of the three ex officio, only two can be considered partisan.

But something happened on the way to the forum, as the saying goes. The representative from Congress turned out to be two (one from the Senate, one from the House), and while in the beginning, the two were only entitled to half a vote each (to observe the constitutional amenities), that practice soon went out of the window. From seven members, the JBC now has eight members (without benefit of constitutional amendment), because the senator and congressman were given one vote each. The bottom line is that the “regular” members, the professionals, no longer have the clear majority, which means political considerations gain the upper hand.

A second contributing factor is that the “regulars,” who must pass through the Commission on Appointments, have no term limit, i.e., they can be reappointed (one of them is on his third four-year term). Innocuous as that may sound, it can be used to keep a supposedly apolitical member in line—to do what the President says, or he doesn’t get reappointed. While the money involved (at least P700,000 a year) may be peanuts for a top lawyer, the power is something else again.

Which is why I am concerned about President Benigno Aquino III’s appointment of Jose V. Mejia as representative of academe to replace former justice secretary, CA associate justice and UE Law dean Artemio Tuquero, who had been appointed late last year to the JBC, but whose confirmation was not acted upon by the Commission on Appointments. The grapevine has it that Tuquero, an Iglesia ni Cristo stalwart, was not reappointed to signal the administration’s displeasure over the INC’s support for Merci Gutierrez.

The least President Aquino should have done was to appoint someone with at least as good a set of credentials as Tuquero. But he appointed Mejia, who is not even a law dean. Mejia’s outstanding qualification seems to be that he is the law classmate of Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa. Just as Merci Gutierrez was the law classmate of then First Gentleman Mike Arroyo. What’s the difference?

The JBC is facing a very important challenge. If our fight against corruption is to succeed, a necessary condition (although not sufficient) would be having an ombudsman who is not only a competent lawyer but a competent administrator/manager, as well, with no political baggage.

Will it ensure that honesty and probity trump political connections? It better.

Pope's Exchange With Space Station Astronauts

2011-05-25T08:21:00.000+08:00

Introduction

Dear astronauts,

I am very happy to have this extraordinary opportunity to converse with you
during your mission. I am especially grateful to be able to speak to so many of
you, as both crews are present on the Space Station at this time.
Humanity is experiencing a period of extremely rapid progress in the fields of
scientific knowledge and technical applications. In a sense, you are our
representatives – spear-heading humanity’s exploration of new spaces and
possibilities for our future, going beyond the limitations of our everyday
existence.

We all admire your courage, as well as the discipline and commitment with which
you prepared yourselves for this mission. We are convinced you are inspired by
noble ideals and that you intend placing the results of your research and
endeavours at the disposal of all humanity and for the common good.
This conversation gives me the chance to express my own admiration and
appreciation to you and to all those who collaborate in making your mission
possible, and to add my heartfelt encouragement to bring it to a safe and
successful conclusion.

But this is a conversation, so I must not be the only one doing the talking. I
am very curious to hear you tell me about your experiences and your
reflections. If you don’t mind, I would like to ask you a few questions…

First Question
From the Space Station you have a very different view of the Earth. You fly
over different continents and nations several times a day. I think it must be
obvious to you how we all live together on one Earth and how absurd it is that
we fight and kill each other. I know that Mark Kelly’s wife was a victim of a
serious attack and I hope her health continues to improve. When you are
contemplating the Earth from up there, do you ever wonder about the way nations
and people live together down here, or about how science can contribute to the
cause of peace?

Mark Kelly, USA
Well, thank you for the kind words, Your Holiness, and thank you for mentioning
my wife Gabby. It’s a very good question: we fly over most of the world and you
don’t see borders, but at the same time we realize that people fight with each
other and there is a lot of violence in this world and it’s really an
unfortunate thing. Usually, people fight over many different things. As we’ve
seen in the Middle East right now: it’s somewhat for democracy in certain
areas, but usually people fight for resources. And it’s interesting in space …
on Earth, people often fight for energy; in space we use solar power and we
have fuel cells on the Space Station. You know, the science and the technology
that we put into the Space Station to develop a solar power capability, gives
us pretty much an unlimited amount of energy. And if those technologies could
be adapted more on Earth, we could possibly reduce some of that violence.

Second Question
One of the themes I often return to in my discourses concerns the
responsibility we all have towards the future of our planet. I recall the
serious risks facing the environment and the survival of future generations.
Scientists tell us we have to be careful and from an ethical point of view we
must develop our consciences as well.
From your extraordinary observation point, how do you see the situation on
Earth?

Do you see signs or phenomena to which we need to be more attentive?

Ron Garan, USA
Well, Your Holiness, it’s a great honour to speak with you and you’re right: it
really is an extraordinary vantage point we have up here. On the one hand, we
can see how indescribably beautiful the planet that we have been given is; but
on the other hand, we can really clearly see how fragile it is. Just the
atmosphere, for instance: the atmosphere when viewed from space is paper-thin,
and to think that this paper-thin layer is all that separates every living
thing from the vacuum of space and is all that protects us, is really a
sobering thought.

You know, it seems to us that it’s just incredible to view
the Earth hanging in the blackness of space and to think that we are all on
this together, riding through this beautiful fragile oasis through the
universe, it really fills us with a lot of hope to think that all of us on
board this incredible orbiting Space Station that was built by the many nations
of our international partnership, to accomplish this tremendous feat in orbit,
I think … you know, that just shows that by working together and by cooperating
we can overcome many of the problems that face our planet, we could solve many
of the challenges that face the inhabitants of our planet … it really is a
wonderful place to live and work, and it’s a wonderful place to view our
beautiful Earth.

Third Question
The experience you are having right now is both extraordinary and very
important – even if you must eventually come back down to Earth like all the
rest of us.
When you do return, you will be much admired and treated like heroes who speak
and act with authority. You will be asked to talk about your experiences. What
will be the most important messages you would like to convey – to young people
especially – who will live in a world strongly influenced by your experiences
and discoveries?

Mike Finchke, USA
Your Holiness, as my colleagues have indicated, we can look down and see our
beautiful planet Earth that God has made, and it is the most beautiful planet
in the whole Solar System. However, if we look up, we can see the rest of the
universe, and the rest of the Universe is out there for us to go explore. And
the International Space Station is just one symbol, one example of what human
beings can do when we work together constructively. So our message, I think -
one of our many messages, but I think one of our most important messages – is
to let the children of the planet know, the young people know that there is a
whole universe for us to go explore. And when we do it together, there is
nothing that we cannot accomplish.

Fourth Question
Space exploration is a fascinating scientific adventure. I know that you have
been installing new equipment to further scientific research and the study of
radiation coming from outer space. But I think it is also an adventure of the
human spirit, a powerful stimulus to reflect on the origins and on the destiny
of the universe and humanity. Believers often look up at the limitless heavens
and, meditating on the Creator of it all, they are struck by the mystery of His
greatness. That is why the medal I gave Robert (Vittori) as a sign of my own
participation in your mission, represents the Creation of Man – as painted by
Michelangelo on the Sistine Chapel ceiling. In the midst of your intense work
and research, do you ever stop and reflect like this – perhaps even to say a
prayer to the Creator? Or will it be easier for you to think about these things
once you have returned to Earth?

Roberto Vittori, Italia
Your Holiness, to live on board of the International Space Station, to work as
an astronaut on the shuttle Soyuz of the Station, is extremely intense. But we
all have an opportunity, when the nights come, to look down on Earth: our
planet, the blue planet, is beautiful. Blue is the colour of our planet, blue
is the colour of the sky, blue is also the colour of the Italian Air Force, the
organization that gave me the opportunity to then join the Italian Space Agency
and the European Space Agency. When we have a moment to look down, beauty which
is the three-dimensional effect of the beauty of the planet is capturing our
heart, is capturing my heart. And I do pray: I do pray for me, for our
families, for our future. I took with me the coin and I allow this coin to
float in front of me to demonstrate lack of gravity. I shall thank you very
much for this opportunity and I’d like to allow this coin to float to my friend
and colleague Paolo: he will make return to Earth on the Soyuz. I brought it
with me to space and he will take it down to Earth to then give it back to you.

Fifth Question – in Italian – for Paolo Nespoli
La mia ultima domanda è per Paolo. Caro Paolo, so che nei giorni scorsi la tua
mamma ti ha lasciato e quando fra pochi giorni tornerai a casa non la troverai
più ad aspettarti. Tutti ti siamo stati vicini, anche io ho pregato per
lei…Come hai vissuto questo tempo di dolore? Nella vostra Stazione vi sentite
lontani e isolati e soffrite un senso di separazione, o vi sentite uniti fra
voi e inseriti in una comunità che vi accompagna con attenzione e affetto?

Paolo Nespoli, Italia
Santo Padre, ho sentito le sue preghiere, le vostre preghiere arrivare fino qua
su: è vero, siamo fuori da questo mondo, orbitiamo intorno alla Terra ed
abbiamo un punto di vantaggio per guardare la Terra e per sentire tutto quello
che ci sta attorno. I miei colleghi qui, a bordo della Stazione – Dimitri,
Kelly, Ron, Alexander e Andrei – mi sono stati vicini in questo momento
importante per me, molto intenso, così come i miei fratelli, le mie sorelle, le
mie zie, i miei cugini, i miei parenti sono stati vicini a mia madre negli
ultimi momenti. Sono grato di tutto questo. Mi sono sentito lontano ma anche
molto vicino, e sicuramente il pensiero di sentire tutti voi vicino a me, uniti
in questo momento, è stato di estremo sollievo. Ringrazio anche l’Agenzia
spaziale europea e l’Agenzia spaziale americana che hanno messo a disposizione
le risorse affinché io abbia potuto parlare con lei negli ultimi momenti.

Final greeting

Dear astronauts,
I thank you warmly for this wonderful opportunity to meet and dialogue with
you. You have helped me and many other people to reflect together on important
issues that regard the future of humanity. I wish you the very best for your
work and for the success of your great mission at the service of science,
international collaboration, authentic progress, and for peace in the world. I
will continue to follow you in my thoughts and prayers and I willingly impart
my Apostolic Blessing.

Filed under benedict xvi, nasa, space station

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Shrek, Brad Pitt, and Jennifer Lopez

Shrek, Jennifer Lopez and Brad Pitt were all having lunch together.

Shrek said, 'I have always thought that I'm the strongest man in the World, but how can I be sure?

Brad Pitt said, 'I'm pretty sure I'm the hottest man alive but I've Never had it confirmed..'

Jennifer Lopez agreed. 'I'm told I'm the sexiest of them all, but sometimes I wonder.'

They all decided that the best way to find out if their beliefs were true was to approach the wicked Queen's mirror to confirm for them whether Shrek was the strongest, Brad Pitt was the hottest and Jennifer Lopez was the sexiest.

They agreed to meet again the next day for lunch to discuss their findings.

The next day Shrek walked up with a smile. 'Well, it's true. The mirror told me that I am the strongest man in the world!'

Jennifer Lopez followed and boasted it is true, it has been confirmed that I am the sexiest!!

Brad Pitt walked in, head bent, tears in his eyes and asked, Who the hell is GENE POGI???"

I LOVE this Doctor!

2011-05-21T23:44:00.000+08:00

Q: Doctor, I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true?
A: Your heart only good for so many beats, and that it... Don't waste on exercise. Everything wear out eventually. Speeding up heart not make you live longer; it like saying you extend life of car by driving faster. Want to live longer? Take nap.

Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all. Wine made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that mean they take water out of fruity bit so you get even more of goodness that way.
Beer also made of grain. Bottom up!

Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have body and you have fat, your ratio one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio two to one, etc.

Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?
A: Can't think of single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No pain...good!

Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?
A: YOU NOT LISTENING! Food are fried these day in vegetable oil. In fact, they permeated by it. How could getting more vegetable be bad for you?!?

Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?
A: Definitely not! When you exercise muscle, it get bigger. You should only be doing sit-up if you want bigger stomach.

Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: Are you crazy?!? HEL-LO-O!! Cocoa bean! Another vegetable! It best feel-good food around!

Q: Is swimming good for your figure?
A: If swimming good for your figure, explain whale to me..

Q: Is getting in shape important for my lifestyle?
A: Hey! 'Round' is shape!
Well... I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.

And remember:

Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO-HOO, what a ride!!"

AND.....

For those of you who watch what you eat, here's the final word on nutrition and health. It's a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies.

1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans..

5. The Germans drink a lot of beer and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

CONCLUSION: Eat and drink what you like.
Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

Debt Ceiling

2011-05-17T10:29:00.000+08:00

May 2, 2011
The Honorable John A. Boehner
Speaker of the House
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Mr. Speaker:

Further to my letters of January 6 and April 4, 2011, I am writing again to Members of Congress regarding the importance of protecting America’s creditworthiness by enacting an increase in the statutory debt limit. This letter is to inform you of the extraordinary measures the Treasury Department will begin taking this week in anticipation of the date the debt limit will be reached, and to provide an updated estimate of the Department’s ability to use these measures to preserve lawful borrowing authority without exceeding the debt limit. In my last letter, I described
in detail the set of extraordinary measures Treasury is prepared to take in
order to extend temporarily our ability to meet the Nation’s obligations if
an increase is not enacted by May 16, when we estimate the limit will be
reached. Because it appears that Congress will not act by May 16, it will
be necessary for the Treasury to begin implementing these extraordinary
measures this week.

*On Friday, May 6, Treasury will suspend until further notice the issuance
of State and Local Government Series (SLGS) Treasury securities*. SLGS are
special-purpose Treasury securities issued to states and municipalities to
help them conform to tax rules that restrict the investment of proceeds from
the issuance of tax-exempt bonds. These bonds are used to fund a variety of
expenditures, including infrastructure improvements across the country.
When Treasury issues SLGS, they count against the debt limit. Because the
United States is very close to reaching the debt limit, Treasury must take
this action now. However, it is not without costs; *it will deprive state
and local governments of an important tool to manage their outstanding debt
expenses. *

*If Congress does not increase the debt limit by May 16*, the Treasury
Department will be forced to employ further extraordinary measures on that
date to provide headroom under the limit. Therefore, on May 16, I will (1)
declare a “debt issuance suspension period” under the statute governing the
Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund, permitting us to redeem
existing Treasury securities held by that fund as investments, and to
suspend issuance of new Treasury securities to that fund as investments and
(2) suspend the daily reinvestment of Treasury securities held as
investments by the Government Securities Investment Fund of the Federal
Employees’ Retirement System Thrift Savings Plan. (Under the law, Federal
employees are protected by a requirement that both funds be made whole after
a debt limit increase is enacted.)

In addition, it may become necessary, at a time to be determined, to suspend
the daily reinvestment of Treasury securities held as investments by the
Exchange Stabilization Fund.

Largely as a result of stronger than expected tax receipts, we now estimate
that these extraordinary measures would allow the Treasury to extend
borrowing authority until about August 2, 2011, approximately three weeks
later than was forecast last month. This is a projection and is subject to
change based on government receipts and other factors during the next three
months. While this updated estimate in theory gives Congress additional
time to complete work on increasing the debt limit, I caution strongly
against delaying action. The economy is still in the early stages of
recovery, and financial markets here and around the world are watching the
United States closely. Delaying action risks a loss of confidence and
accompanying negative economic effects.

As I have written previously, *default by the United States on its
obligations would have a catastrophic economic impact that would be felt by
every American*. *A broad range of government payments would have to be
stopped, limited or delayed, including military salaries, Social Security
and Medicare payments, interest on debt, unemployment benefits and tax
refunds. A default on the Nation’s legal obligations would lead to sharply
higher interest rates and borrowing costs, declining home values and reduced
retirement savings for Americans. Default would cause a financial crisis
potentially more severe than the crisis from which we are only now starting
to recover*.

I want to emphasize that, contrary to a common misperception, the debt limit
has never served as a constraint on future spending, nor would refusing to
increase the debt limit reduce the obligations the country has already
incurred. Increasing the debt limit merely permits payment of obligations
Congress has already approved to citizens, servicemen and women, businesses
and investors. In order to honor those obligations, increasing the debt
limit is unavoidable. In fact, under both the President’s budget and the
House-passed Republican budget, the debt limit would need to be raised by
roughly the same amount in order to fund the government through the end of
FY2012.

Protecting America’s creditworthiness and our economic leadership position
in the world is a duty to our country that is shared by policymakers in both
parties, in the Legislative Branch as well as the Executive Branch.
Therefore any attempt by either party to use the full faith and credit of
the United States as a bargaining chip to advance partisan policy agendas
would be irresponsible.

President Obama is strongly committed to restoring fiscal responsibility to
our government, and he has put forward a specific framework and set in
motion a process to work with both parties to accomplish this critically
important objective. As that process moves forward, I again urge Congress
to act to protect America’s economic interests by approving an increase in
the debt limit as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Timothy F. Geithner

Recent Pacquiao fight

2011-05-14T12:12:00.000+08:00

If you are going to watch the Pacquiao fight please keep in mind that a lot of people die from heart attack. Very likely it is the tension and excitement that caused these heart attacks. My brother-in-law died in the middle of the previous Pacquiao fight. Cause of death point toward heart attack. The symptoms where difficulty of breathing and dizzyness. He went out when he felt he could not breath. When he came back into the house, he said he felt better. Then he clutched his chest and died before the emergency technicians arrived.

I suggest if you have history of heart problems please take valium to calm yourself.

------------------------------------------------------

Pacquiao just finished recording a new CD with Dan Hill, the song writer of "Sometimes When We Touch", his favorite song.

Here are the 20 facts about the “oldest” in the Philippines

2011-05-12T09:08:00.000+08:00

*Oldest Steel Church*
Despite the discrepancies in the dates of its founding, the San Sebastian
Church is the only steel church in Asia built in the late 18th century. It
should have celebrated its centennial around 1991. Yet, it seems that not
even the Catholic administration paid any interest in its historical
significance or in the fact that it was *Alexander Gustave Eiffel* who
designed it.

*Oldest Restaurant*
New *Toho *Food Center (1888, 422 Tomas Pinpin Street, Binondo, Manila)
Five Chinese friends set this up in Binondo, Manila, where the restaurant
still stands, in a newer structure also on Tomas Pinpin (formerly *San
Jacinto*) Street which was built after a fire razed the wooden building back
in 1984. That explains the slight change in the name. It used to be called
the *Toho Antigua Panciteria.*

*Oldest Province*
*Aklan*, originally known as *Minuro it Akean, *is considered as the oldest
province in the country and believed to have been established as early as
1213 by settlers from Borneo. Its first ruler was *Datu Dinagandan.* In
1399,*Datu* *Kalantiaw* grabbed the throne. In 1433, *Kalantiaw III *formulated
a set of laws that is known today as the *Code of Kalantiaw.*
* *

*Oldest Town*
*Unisan, Quezon* could be the oldest town in the Philippines. The people of
*Unisan* claimed that their town is now 481 years old, having been
established in 1521, the same year that Ferdinand Magellan discovered the
Philippines. All other towns in the country were established not earlier
than 1565, when Spain formally occupied the Philippines as a colony.

A *Malayan queen *named *Ladya* reportedly founded *Calilayan,* the old
name of the town. In 1876, *Calilayan* was renamed *Unisan* which was
derived from the Latin word *uni-sancti*, meaning *"holy saint"*.
(Source: *Philippine
Daily Inquirer*)

*Oldest City*
Cebu City is considered as the oldest city in the country, as this was the
site of the earliest European settlement established by Spanish
conqueror *Miguel
Lopez de Legazpi* in 1565.

*Oldest Fort*
The first Spanish settlement in the country, *Villa del Santisimo Nombre de
Jesus*, was located inside *Fort San Pedro* in Cebu City. The fort’s
construction began in 1565.

*Oldest Street*
*Calle Colon* in *Cebu City* is considered as the oldest street in the
country. Named after explorer *Christopher Columbus, Calle Colon* was first
constructed in 1565 by men of *Miguel Lopez De Legazpi.*

*Oldest Stone Church*
The *Baclayon Church* in *Boho*l is considered as the oldest stone church
in the Philippines. But some historians disagree, claiming that San Agustin
Church in Manila deserves the title.
* Baclayon Church*

* *
*San Agustin Church*
Church historians claim that the cornerstones of San Agustin Church were
laid as early as 1571, 25 years before *Baclayon Church* was built in 1596.
But most people believe the title should be kept by the latter, since it is
situated in the island first occupied by the troops of *Miguel Lopez de
Legazpi,* the country’s first Spanish governor general.
*Bohol* was where a friendship was sealed with blood between *Chieftain
Rajah Sikatuna* and *Legazpi*. The event is known today as *”The Blood
Compact.” *

*Oldest Hospital*
The *San Lazaro Hospital* could be the oldest hospital in the country.
According to Pampango historian *Zoilo Galang*, *the San Lazaro
hospital*was established in 1578;
*Enfermeria de Naga*, 1583; and *Hospital de San Juan de Dios*, 1596.

*Oldest Church Bell*
The oldest church bell in the country is said to be the one found in
Camalaniugan, Cagayan. That bell was reportedly forged in 1595.

*Oldest Bridge*
The *Jones Bridge*, formerly known as *Puente de Espana*, was first built
in 1701. It was rebuilt by the Americans in 1916 and renamed after *Atkinson
Jones.*

*Oldest University*
The *University of San Carlos *(U.S.C.) in Cebu City is considered as the
oldest school in the country and in Asia. Formerly known as the *Colegio de
San Ildefonso*, it was founded by the Spanish Jesuits on August 1, 1595.
This makes the Cebu-based university older than the *University of Santo
Tomas* (1611) in Manila and* Harvard University* (1636) in the United
States.

*The old Semenario-Colegio de San Carlos de Cebu in Martires St. (now M.J.
Cuenco Avenue) near Plaza Independencia*

* San Carlos University*

University of Santo Tomas
The *University of Santo Tomas*, however, contests this title. Formerly
known as the *Colegio de Nuestra Señora Del Rosario,* U.S.T. was the first
school, which got a university status in 1645. U.S.C. became a university in
1948. UST also claimed that the original U.S.C. was closed in 1769 as a
result of the expulsion of the Jesuits. It reopened in 1783 under a new name
and ownership. But the USC officials stick to their claim. The university
observed its 400th foundation day on August 21, 1995. (I was in third year
high school at U.S.T. Education High School)

*Oldest Vocational School*
The *Don Honorio Ventura College of Arts and Trades* (DHVCAT) in*Bacolor,
Pampanga* is said to be the oldest vocational school in Asia. *Augustinian
Friar Juan Zita* and civic leader *Don Felino Gil *established the
vocational school on November 4, 1861.

*Oldest Company*
Ayala Corp., one of the largest conglomerates in the country, is also the
oldest existing company around. It was established in 1834 by sugar
barons *Domingo
Roxas* and *Antonio de Ayala.* It was later renamed as *Casa Ayala*, then as
*Ayala y Compania* and recently as Ayala Corp.

*Oldest Bank*
In 1881, *Domingo Roxas*, an ancestor of the *Ayala* family, became one of
the first directors of *Banco Español-Filipino De Isabel II,* which was
founded by virtue of a royal decree issued by *Queen Isabel II.* The bank
issued the country’s first currency notes the following year. Considered as
the first private commercial bank in the country, the bank came to be known
as the Bank of Philippine Islands in 1912. The oldest savings bank was *Monte
de Piedad*, which was established in 1882.

*Oldest Military Supply Shop*
The oldest military supply shop in the country was said to be *Alfredo
Roensch and Co.*

*Oldest Rizal Monument*
What can be considered as the oldest* * in the country is a 20-foot metal
structure standing at a park in *Daet, Camarines Norte*. Its construction
reportedly began on December 30, 1898 and was finished in February 1899. In
comparison, the *Rizal *monument at the former *Luneta *Park was built in
1912.

*Oldest Vice*
The earliest vice among native Filipinos, according to historians, was the
chewing of betel nut or *"nganga"*. It was said that Filipinos had been
chewing betel nut for 3,000 years.
Image Credit *Nganga (Betel Nut)*

*Oldest Insurance Firm*
Insular Life Insurance Company was established on November 26, 1910,
becoming the oldest insurance agency in the country.
Image Credit *Insular Life Insurance*

*Oldest Epics*
In a 1962 study, *E. Arsenio Manuel *said the country had at least 19
epics, which were passed to the present generation from our early ancestors
through oral chanting. Among these so-called ethno epics were 13 epics among
*pagan Filipinos*, 2 among *Christian Filipinos*, and 4 among *Muslim
Filipinos*. These included the *Ilocano epic Lam-ang, Manuvu’s Tuwaang,
Sulod’s Hinilawod and Maranaw’s Bantugan.*
SOURCE: Main sources of information include Zoilo Galang’s Encyclopedia of
the Philippines and Julio Silverio’s *Diksyunaryo ng mga Unang Pinoy.*

Vote Ron Paul

2011-05-05T11:49:00.001+08:00

Ron Paul is on the right path questioning what is in the bag of goodies. Those are your foreclosed houses abandoned by owners because the market value is a lot less than the mortgage.

They are waiting for the economy to rebound so the Ass-ets will regain their market value.

There is a chance that will happen because there is a growing swell of foreign investors gobbling up US real estate because of the Dollar exchange rate going down.

The US of A still has a strong military so any investment based in US soil is looked
at by foreigners as a secure investment. Think Lib-ya, Syria, Etc. You Petro Dollars would be safest in US investments! Same as the Taiwanese, Koreans and (Rich) Pinoys too!

Soon, Manny P will own a mansion in Hawayah!

Not good for Americans because we will end up "Renters" instead of "Homeowners".

That is a very good simple, straightforward video of the economy in a nutshell.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ron Paul is surging in the lead. He is in the 'exploratory phase' to see if
he'll run again. From all the repub contenders, some experts think he has a
chance to beat O.

Investments in Canada (most likely from US moneybags) are in the upswing.
The most prominent is Bill Gates dumping $3.2B buying 10.04% of Canadian
National Railway. It's a safe bet. The company has been consistently earning
billions every year. Remember, Canada is also considered "offshore" and many
US companies sit here for safety.

**
*Better to light a candle than curse the darkness* *- ancient Chinese
proverb*

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
How about some Petroleum stocks too. If I had Billions I will buy Canadian Oil! OPEC is cutting production. The Saudi excuse is that there is an abundant supply but the prices are rising because of speculators so they are reducing production.

The law of supply and demand does not seem to work for the Petroleum industry. There is an abundant supply. There is a big drop in consumption because the winter heating demand is gone and drivers are cutting back in travel. Where are they storing all the oil? The hoarders will
eventually run out of storage space.

They Saudis will not tell the truth which is, they need more money to buy their people so they will not rebel. That Egyptian situation unraveled a lot of shit so all these dictators and Emirs are scrambling to calm their people. Some say the Saudi King is pissed USA did not listen to them about pushing Mu-barack out! Now we end up paying to buy their peoples loyalty.

We cannot win whatever we do. We should just leave that area. Now they have "sleepers" killing our guys point blank.

Is it the Pampango version of Ari Muna (O'jo Kaluguran Daka) or the original version?

I do not know much about Ron Paul. I will need to do research on him. I am still looking into Michelle Bachman. Got to prioritize. And she is a better looker!

Chronology of the Plunder - Part 4

2011-04-12T11:19:00.000+08:00

August 10, 1993 Georges Philippe, a Swiss lawyer of Imelda, wrote today a confidential letter to the Marcoses' old Swiss lawyer, Bruno de Preux, who handled almost all of the Marcos family's hidden accounts in Switzerland . Philippe
requested de Preux for the status of:

A $750 million account with United Mizrahi Bank in Zurich ; Various currency and gold deposits at the Union Bank of Switzerland , at Kloten airport and at Credit Suisse; A $356 million account (now in escrow and worth almost $600 million) which was being claimed by the PCGG.

1994 The human rights jury awarded the victims $1.2 billion in exemplary damages, then $766.4 million in compensatory damages a year after that, for a total of $1.964 billion. Two days after, another $7.3 million was awarded to twenty-one Filipinos in a separate lawsuit.

1995 The US Supreme Court upheld the $1.2 billion judgment.

March 29, 1995 The Swiss Parliament passed a law (an amendment to a previous act) that removed the need for a final judgment of criminal conviction of the accused (such as the Marcoses) in the case of criminally acquired assets which could now therefore be returned to claimants (such as the Philippine government) by Swiss court order.

July 1996 In part because of the torture of Roger Roxas, $22 billion was awarded to his Golden Buddha Corporation.

December 10, 1997 The Swiss Supreme Court promulgated a landmark decision that took into account the March 1995 Swiss Parliament act and the fact that new criminal cases had been filed against Imelda Marcos.

The court held that there was no need for any criminal proceeding; that a civil or administrative proceeding would suffice, and the Marcos Swiss deposits which had been "criminally acquired" can be returned to the Philippines in deference to the final judgment of the Philippine court as to the ownership of these deposits.

The Swiss court also announced that the interest and reputation of Switzerland was at stake if it would become a haven for money launderers laundering money obtained by crime. Therefore, in the case of the Marcos deposits, because "the illegal source of the assets in this case cannot be doubted" the Swiss court ordered that the money be returned to the Philippines to be held in escrow account in the PNB to await the judgment of the Sandiganbayan in the forfeiture case.

By the way, in January 17, 1975 a secret decree not made public until after the Edsa insurrection was signed by Marcos stating that in the event he became incapacitated or died, power would be turned over to Imelda.

On June 7, 1975, in his own handwriting, Marcos amended the January 17th decree and clarified imelda's role as chairperson of committee with presidential powers.

In February 1979, Imelda was named chairman of the cabinet committee, composed of all ministries, to launch the BLISS (Bagong Lipunan Sites and Services) program, an ambitious attempt to centralize control of all economic and social development. She assumed responsibility for the "11 needs of Man" codified in her ministry's mufti-year Human Settlements Plan,1978-2000.

By 1986, the number of Filipinos living below the poverty line doubled from 18 million in 1965 to 35 million. And the ecological balance of the country had degraded from 75 % to 27% forest cover remaining - with 39 million acres of forest falling victim to rampant logging. This was BLISS.

She was also the head of the Metro Manila Commission, which by year-end 1985 had managed to accumulate debts of Php 1.99 billion (which included $100 million in foreign loans) in its ten years of existence. Imelda had accomplished nothing and left the people embittered and even more disillusioned.

In September 1992 Marcos was found guilty of violating the human rights of 10,000 victims. The ruling occurred just after a judge found Imee Marcos-Manotoc guilty of the torture and murder of Archimedes Trajano, a 21 year old engineering student at Mapua who had the temerity to ask Imee after a speech she gave whether the Kabataang Barangay (a national youth group) "must be headed by the president's daughter?"

Imee and brother Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. have been active in the political scene.. Bongbong, who finished 3 terms as Ilocos Norte governor, is now running for Senator under Presidential bet, Manny Villar's senatorial slate.. he's been quoted as saying that if given a chance, he'd like to run for President one day...(gads) .

Bongbong is now a Senator, Imelda is Governor of Ilocos Norte and Imee is in Congress. The MARCOSES are back in full force thanks to our "despicable amnesia" as aptly described by the eminent writer, F. Sionil Jose.

Chronology of the Plunder - Part 3

2011-04-12T11:15:00.000+08:00

Is it true that Marcos propagated the Yamashita myth to hide the fact that he looted the Central Bank, that its gold bars were melted down and recast in odd-size bars to make them look old (how does gold look old, anyway?). Marcos claimed that he "received the surrender of Gen. Yamashita" after a battle with his guerrilla outfit. History has recorded that Yamashita surrendered to Lt. Co. Aubrey Smith Kenworthy and that there was no battle.

Yamashita's peaceful surrender had been arranged at least two weeks before the event.

In one entry in Marcos' diary he noted, "I often wonder what I will be remembered for in history. Scholar? Military hero…?" In a supreme irony, he did achieve what he so vainly sought - lasting fame - but not in the way he envisioned:

The largest human rights case in history - 10,000 victims.

Guinness Book of Records - the world's greatest thief.

The largest monetary award in history - $22 billion..

September 30, 1986 Questioned by Philippine and US lawyers about his hidden wealth, Marcos took the Fifth Amendment 197 times. Imelda followed suit - 200 times.

December 1989 An American jury found the Marcos estate liable for $15 million in the killing of anti-Marcos activists Gene Viernes and Silme Domingo. Manglapus, Psinakis, Gillego and other erstwhile exile oppositionists testified at the
trial.

November 04, 1991 Today, a Sunday, the circus came to town. The Swiss Federal Tribunal had ruled the year before that the Philippine government must comply with the European Convention o Human Rights, especially due process. There had to be a lawsuit filed within one year. Thus, the solicitor general's office filed all sorts of cases against Imelda and the government had to allow her to return to answer the charges.

"I come home penniless," she tearfully said on arrival. She then repaired to her suite at the Philippine Plaza Hotel which cost $2,000 a day and rented sixty rooms for her entourage - American lawyers, American security
guards and American PR firms.

December 1991 The Central Bank had accumulated losses of Php324 billion in the Special Accounts.

November 30, 1992 The Central Bank; losses were Php561 billion and climbing. Cuisia asked that the CB be restructured. Sen. Romulo asked to see the 1983 audit of the international reserves. He couldn't get a copy. It was "restricted" .

January 05, 1993 Imelda didn't show up for the scheduled signing of a new PCGG agreement. She kept vacillating on the terms and conditions - demanding she be allowed to travel abroad for thirty-three days to confer with bank officials in
Switzerland , Austria , Hong Kong and Morocco to work out the transfer of the frozen funds.

Actually she was hoping a guy she had authorized, J..T.Calderon, would be able to move the funds just as the order was lifted, before the government had a chance to transfer them to Manila . When the government discovered the authority, all negotiations with Imelda were halted and her requests for travel suspended.

Chronology of the Plunder - Part 2

2011-04-12T11:04:00.000+08:00

February 26, 1986 A few hours after the Marcos party landed in Honolulu , their luggage arrived - 300 crates on board a C-141 cargo jet. It took twenty-five customs officers five hours to tag the bags and identify the contents. The
process was videotaped because of all the money and jewelry found inside. There were 278 crates of jewelry and art worth an estimated US$5 million. Twenty-two crates contained more than Php27.7 million in newly minted currency, mostly hundred-peso denominations worth approximately US $1,270,000. 00 (It was illegal at that time for anyone to depart the Philippines carrying more than Php500 in cash. )

There were other certificates of deposit from Philippine banks worth about US$1 million, five handguns, 154 videotapes, seventeen cassette tapes, and 2,068 pages of documents - all of which were impounded by Customs.

The Marcos party was allowed to keep only US$300,000.00 in gold and $150,000.00 in bearer bonds that they brought in with their personal luggage because they declared them and broke no US customs laws.

There were 24 one-kilo gold bars fitted into 2 0$17,000 hand-tooled Gucci briefcase with a solid gold buckle and a plaque on it that read, "To Ferdinand Marcos, from Imelda, on the Occasion of our 24th Wedding Anniversary. "

February 1986 When Marcos departed the Philippines , the losses in the three Central Bank accounts surpassed Php 122 billion (more than $6 billion). The big bulk of losses was attributed to the RIR account mainly due to two items: forward cover and swap contracts. Forward cover referred to foreign exchange provided by the CB at a fixed exchange rate to importers of essential commodities. Swap contracts referred to CB's receiving foreign exchange from banks in exchange for pesos at the prevailing rate with a promise to deliver the foreign exchange back to them at an agreed future date. There was no mention of losses due to CB transactions in gold or foreign exchange.

February 28, 1986 On this day, Jim Burke, security expert from the US Embassy, was tapping on the wooden paneling in Imelda's abandoned Malacanang bedroom when he heard a hollow sound. It was the walk-in vault. Inside were thirty-five suitcases secured with locks and tape. They contained a treasure trove of documents about Swiss bank accounts, New York real estate, foundations in Vaduz , and some notepaper on which Marcos had practiced his William Saunders signature. They also contained jewelry valued at some US$10..5 million.

March 16, 1986 Did Marcos steal any gold from the CB? The CB always refused to comment. Why?

Today the LA Times reported that 6.325 metric tons of gold was unaccounted for in the Central Bank. Between 1978, the year Marcos ordered all gold producers to sell only to the CB, and end 1984, the Bureau of Mines reported that 124,234 pounds of gold were refined. But the CB reported receiving only 110,319 pounds during this same period.

That left a difference of 13,915 pounds (6.325 metric tons).

March 1986 Jokingly referring to themselves as the Office of National Revenge, a vigilante team led by Charlie Avila and Linggoy Alcuaz received a tip in the morning that Marcos' daughter Imee had kept a private office in the suburb of Mandaluyong at 82 Edsa. They obtained a search warrant, then rushed to Camp Crame to pick up some soldiers. After devising a plan, they boarded four cars and drove to the premises, arriving around midnight. The soldiers scaled a fence and sealed off the area. Avila , Alcuaz, and their men moved in and found documents in
cardboard boxes, desks, and filing cabinets. Gunfire could be heard outside but it didn't deter the search.

The documents revealed the names of offshore companies and overseas investments of Marcos and his cronies - a late link in the paper trail that had been started abroad by the teams of Avila , Steve Psinakis, Sonny Alvarez, Raul Daza, Boni Gillego, and Raul Manglapus.

March 09, 1986 A Greek-American, Demetrios Roumeliotes, was stopped at the Manila International Airport before he could leave with eight large envelopes stuffed with jewelry that he admitted belonged to Imelda - valued at US$4.7 million.

March 15, 1986 Ernie Maceda, Minister of Natural Resources, revealed today that some 7 to 14 tons of Philippine gold are sold to the Binondo Central Bank annually and then smuggled to Sabah , Malaysia - this gold being part of some 20 tons produced by 200,000 panners all over the country. Maceda's query was whether part of
the gold they produced was siphoned to the "invisible gold hoard of Ms. Imelda R. Marcos."

"We deliver to the Central Bank," the miners said. "If it happened (the siphoning), it happened in the Central Bank."

Chronology of the Plunder - Part 1

2011-04-12T10:59:00.000+08:00

Charlie Avila, who HAS NOT forgotten what the Marcoses did, reminds us, in his CHRONOLOGY OF THE MARCOS PLUNDER, that in…

September 1976, the Marcoses bought their first property in the U.S. - a condo in the exclusive Olympic Towers on Fifth Avenue in New York . Five months later they would also buy the three adjoining apartments, paying a total of $4,000,000.00 for the four and using Antonio Floirendo's company, The Adventures Limited in Hong Kong , as front for these purchases.

October 13, 1977 Today, after addressing the UN General Assembly, Imelda celebrated by going shopping and spending $384,000 including $50,000 for a platinum bracelet with rubies; $50,000 for a diamond bracelet; and $58,000 for a pin set with diamonds.

The day before, Vilma Bautista, one of her private secretaries, paid $18,500 for a gold pendant with diamonds and emeralds; $9,450 for a gold ring with diamonds and emeralds; and $4,800 for a gold and diamond necklace.

October 27, 1977
The Marcoses donated $1.5 million to Tufts University in Boston , endowing a professorial chair in East Asian and Pacific Studies at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. The students and professors discovered this and forced the school to reject the donation. To save face, the Marcoses were allowed to finance several seminars and lectures.

November 2, 1977 Still at her shopping spree, Imelda paid $450,000 for a gold necklace and bracelet with emeralds, rubies, and diamonds; $300,000 for a gold ring with emeralds and diamonds; and $300,000 for a gold pendant with diamonds,
rubies, and thirty-nine emeralds.

July 1978 After a trip to Russia , Imelda arrived in New York and immediately warmed up for a shopping spree. She started with paying $193,320 for antiques, including $12,000 for a Ming Period side table; $24,000 for a pair of Georgian mahogany Gainsborough armchairs; $6,240 for a Sheraton double-sided writing desk; $11,600 for a George II wood side table with marble top - all in the name of the Philippine consulate to dodge New York sales tax.

That was merely for starters.

A week later she spent $2,181,000.00 in one day! This included $1,150,000 for a platinum and emerald bracelet with diamonds from Bulgari; $330,000 for a necklace with a ruby, diamonds, and emeralds; $300,000 for a ring with heart-shaped emeralds; $78,000 for 18-carat gold ear clips with diamonds; $300,000 for a pendant with canary diamonds, rubies and emeralds on a gold chain.

After New York, she dropped by Hong Kong where a Cartier representative admitted it was this Filipina, Imelda, who had put together the world's largest collection of gems - in 1978.

May 1979 The Marcos couple celebrated their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary in a party that cost $5,000,000.00 There was a silver carriage drawn by eight white horses.

November 23, 1978 A house was purchased at 4 Capshire Drive in Cherry Hill , New Jersey (actually near to Philadelphia where Bongbong was taking courses at that time) for use by servants and Bongbong's security detachment. The Marcoses did not neglect their annual real estate purchase. During this year and next year, 1979, they purchased two properties - one at 3850 Princeton Pike, Princeton - a 13-acre estate for use by daughter Imee as she attended Princeton .

The other was a house at 19 Pendleton Drive in Cherry Hill for use of Bongbong and under the name of Tristan Beplat, erstwhile head of the American Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines .

April 1979 n two days in New York this month, Imelda spent $280,000 for a necklace wet with emeralds and diamonds; $18,500 for a yellow gold evening bag with one round cut diamond; $8,975.20 for 20-carat gold ear clips with twenty-four baguette diamonds; $8,438.10 for 18-carat gold ear clips with fifty-two tapered baguette diamonds; and $12,056.50 for 20 carat gold ear clips with diamonds.

June 1980 For $1,577,000.00 in New York Imelda buys Webster Hotel on West 45th Street . She rewards Gen. Romeo Gatan as a limited partner.. Gatan arrested Ninoy at the beginning of Martial Law.

The insurgents' ranks grew by twenty percent a year.. Meritorious officers in the armed forces experienced low moral due to Marcos' penchant for promoting friends over more deserving officers.

February 16, 1986 In Fe's records of monies paid out during Marcos' last campaign, one unusually large item was authorized by "FL" (First Lady) and paid to Assemblyman Arturo Pacificador on this day. A few days later, two carloads
of men drove into San Jose , the provincial capital of Antique. Evelio Javier, head of Aquino's campaign, was watching the votes being counted when the men opened fire and killed Evelio after he was still able to run through town but finally got cornered in a public toilet where he was gunned down in front of shocked townspeople. Pacificador was later convicted of the murder.

February 25, 1986 Marcos fled the Philippines leaving behind a foreign debt of $27 billion and a bureaucracy gone mad. "Cash advances" for the elections from the national treasury amounted to Php3.12 billion ($150 million). The Central Bank printed millions of peso bills, many with the same serial number. Sixty million pesos in newly printed bills were found in a vehicle owned by Imelda's brother Bejo in the Port Area of Manila, and another Php 100 million aboard the MV Legaspi also owned by Bejo Romualdez.

How massive and humongous a loot Marcos took can be deduced from the known losses he left behind. The known losses he left at the Central Bank included $1.2 billion in missing reserves and $6 billion in the Special Accounts.

Imelda charged off most of her spending sprees to the PNB or Philippine National Bank which creatively wrote off her debts as "unresponded transfers".

Ver also used PNB funds to finance his "intelligence" operations.

The known losses at the PNB amounted to Php72.1 billion.

At the DBP, the losses Marcos left behind totaled Php85 billion;

at the Philguarantee, it was Php 6.2 billion ;

and at the NIDC or National Investment and Development Corporation (NDC) - the losses amounted to Php 2.8 billion.

These losses were primarily due to cronyism - giving loans to cronies that had little or no collateral, whose corporations were undercapitalized, whose
loan proceeds were not used for the avowed purpose, and where the practice of corporate layering was common, i.e. using two or more companies with the same incorporators and officers, whereby one company which gives the loan owns the company which obtains the loan, or similar arrangements.

The cronies enjoyed their closeness to Marcos. With him they formed a Grand Coalition. They participated in the exercise of dictatorship. But Marcos owned them. The wealth of the cronies belonged to him. Because of the free rides taken by Imelda, Marcos and the cronies, the Philippine Airlines was in debt by $13.8 billion.

The conservative Grand Total for losses Marcos left behind (and therefore the kind of loot he grabbed and hid) amounted to $17..1 billion. The Central Bank, the PNB, and other financial institutions badly need an audit. The special review (not regular audit because there seems not to have been any - there are no records anyway) did not uncover Imelda's spending - her name never appeared - and Ver's intelligence fund. The review gave no hint of theft or missing money, only "downward adjustments" and "proposed adjustments" to "deficiencies" and "shortages of money".

How to Bill Others

2011-04-05T11:32:00.000+08:00

A doctor and a lawyer were talking at a party.

Their conversation was constantly interrupted by people describing their
ailments and asking the doctor for free medical advice.

After an hour of this, the exasperated doctor asked the lawyer, "What do you
do to stop people from asking you for legal advice when you're out of the
office?"

"I give it to them," replied the lawyer, "and then I send them a bill."

The doctor was shocked, but agreed to give it a try.

The next day, still feeling slightly guilty, the doctor prepared the bills.

When he went to place them in his mailbox, he found a bill from the lawyer.

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For those who are abroad, would you ever go back to the Philippines?

I'll go back to the Philippines to work if I'll get the same amount of earnings I have in the US.

Definitely. Its already in the cards. Going back home in 7 years. Build a house and try to find part time work or even volunteer work. We have to give up a lot of course, but the heart longs for home.

Its not just about the money or even quality of life, but if one could measure happiness as they do in Bhutan, Philippines would rate quite high. While some may earn more in dollars, euros or pounds, my contemporaries who never left the Philippines are not less off considerably materially, but are definitely way up there in GNH more than GDP.

So to those of us outside, I would say: Work hard. Save money. Invest and spend back home. Come back and help build a better country for future generations.

I want to spend my retirement age in the Philippines, not anywhere else.

There is no place like our native Philippines... yes, I will go back and retire

Aurora police director axed

2011-04-02T11:17:00.000+08:00

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=672078&publicationSubCategoryId=67

By Manny Galvez (The Philippine Star) Updated April 02, 2011 12:00 AM Comments (0) View comments

CAMP RAVINA, BALER, Aurora Philippines – The police director of this province has been relieved from his post amid a rash of crimes and alleged lapses in law enforcement.

Chief Superintendent Alan Purisima, regional police director, told The STAR by phone yesterday that he has relieved Senior Superintendent Rosvi Manulid and replaced him with Senior Superintendent Jojo Gumban as officer-in-charge. The turnover ceremony is set on Monday.

Purisima said Gov. Bellaflor Angara-Castillo chose Gumban among three names that the National Police Commission had recommended.

Angara-Castillo earlier had expressed dismay over the recent rash of crimes in the province and the failure of the police to stop illegal logging

Senate to Ligot: Cooperate or stay detained

2011-03-29T10:18:00.000+08:00

By Christina Mendez (The Philippine Star) Updated March 26, 2011 12:00 AM Comments (15)

MANILA, Philippines - Former military comptroller Jacinto Ligot would be under Senate custody indefinitely or until the next hearing on the alleged corruption in the military, Senate Blue Ribbon committee chairman Teofisto Guingona III said yesterday.

Guingona said it would now depend on Ligot and his wife Erlinda to decide to end their ordeal and face the Senate truthfully.

“It’s not up to me, it’s up to them. If they don’t want to cooperate, what can we do?” Guingona said.

Ligot was arrested Thursday night and detained at the Senate following the issuance of an order citing him for contempt.

The Senate cited Ligot and his wife Erlinda for contempt for feigning sickness when they failed to attend Thursday’s hearings at the Blue Ribbon committee investigating alleged corruption in the military.

The Senate spared Mrs. Ligot from detention because of her medical condition.
On his first day of detention, Ligot’s blood pressure was monitored at normal and stable levels.

Since Ligot is suffering from diabetes and hypertension, Senate physician Renato Sison recommended the former general be given a strict diet. Two nurses were also checking on Ligot regularly.

Ligot had a breakfast of fried chicken bought from a nearby fast-food store but Sison advised that the former general should be given proper meals from then on.

Apart from his lawyers, no relative visited Ligot on his first day in detention.
One of Ligot’s lawyers said the former general was doing fine but has not rested very well, slept barely two hours because he is not accustomed yet to his detention cell.

Since there was no television inside the detention room, Ligot was busy reading some books when lawyers came to see him.

At one point, he asked his security personnel to turn down the air-condition unit because he was already too cold.

Ligot, former comptroller during the term of the late Gen. Angelo Reyes, is also facing tax evasion charges recently filed by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) on a motion filed by Sen. Franklin Drilon who exposed the alleged 740-million peso and dollar deposits under their various accounts.

Some of the money was allegedly stashed in the account of Erlinda’s brother, Edgardo Yambao who has also been grilled in the past Senate hearings.

‘Enough is enough’
Guingona told a press conference yesterday that the Senate has been considerate to the Ligot couple in the past hearings.

He said the decision to cite the couple in contempt came about when the Ligots skipped the hearing last Thursday and feigned sickness in an apparent attempt to evade the proceedings.

“I think that it was time that they have to respect the processes of the Senate, especially now that we are searching for truth in these investigations. It was a very clear attempt that they wanted to evade the hearings. Enough is enough,” Guingona said.

Guingona said the contempt order on the couple remains until they satisfactorily answered all the questions of the Senate.

The tentative date set for the hearing is on Wednesday next week, which means that the former general will have to spend at least five more days in the 3 by 4 square-meter windowless air-conditioned room at the Senate’s basement parking area.

Even if the Congress is on legislative break, Guingona said it could continue public hearings.

Guingona clarified the contempt on the Ligots stemmed from their deliberate effort to evade the Senate hearing last Thursday.

He noted the separate pending motion by Senate President Pro-Tempore Jinggoy Estrada who also wanted the couple cited for contempt for refusing to answer the questions relevant to the investigation.

Guingona said these questions could have been resolved had the Ligots attended the hearing.

Mrs. Ligot repeatedly invoked her right against self-incrimination in the last hearing when Estrada asked her about her foreign trips and who paid for her travels, details on her first travel abroad in 1981 as well as the identity of her constant travel companion in the 42 times that she left abroad in early 2000.

“Again, if they invoke, the process is, we will establish if they are invoking the right against self-incrimination properly or not. If the invocation is not proper, then we will rule that it is not proper,” Guingona explained.

Guingona said the Senate has formed the legal panel to identify the questions in the past hearings, and classify those questions if they infringe on the right against self-incrimination.

The guiding principle “is that you cannot be forced to be a witness against yourself,” Guingona said.

“It’s not very easy. You have to read the question again and find out if there is a case against them, and what are the elements of the crime that they are charged with and if there is a connection between what you are asked to answer and the elements of the crime,” Guingona explained.

‘No intent to disrespect Senate’
Ligot’s counsels Rafael Zialcita and Pocholo del Rosario, on the other hand, appealed to the Senate to lift the contempt charges against Ligot and release him from detention.
Zialcita said the former general is ready to attend the next hearing and that the Ligots promised to cooperate if their medical condition would allow.

“We decided that he will just give an appeal to the Senate Blue Ribbon committee more specifically Senator Guingona to lift the detention,” Zialcita said.

“It was not his (Ligot’s) intent to disrespect the Senate,” he added.

Zialcita said they are not bringing the issue before the court until all efforts are exhausted at the Senate.

“I don’t really want to consider it until necessary. We are weighing our options first. What we are doing now is to appeal,” he said.

Del Rosario submitted the two-page letter appeal – signed by Ligot himself --addressed to Guingona yesterday. Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile was furnished a copy of the letter.

“It was never my intention to evade any Senate hearing and/or disrespect the ongoing proceedings,” Ligot said.

“I have been actively attending the hearings dated January 27, February 3, February 7, February 18, February 24, March 3, March 10 and March 21, and that I cooperated in the investigation to the best of my ability without necessarily prejudicing my legal rights.
“As a matter of fact, it was only yesterday’s hearing that I failed to attend. I reiterate that I was not lying when I declared that I had the flu. Perhaps, at the time that I was being checked by the Senate doctors, the medicines were taking effect,” Ligot explained in his letter.

Ligot added there was never an instance that the Senate had to issue a subpoena to force him to attend the hearings.

“In this regard, it is my appeal to you and the Honorable Senate that the detention order against me be lifted at the soonest possible time,” Ligot said.

“At the time that the Ligots invoked their rights against self-incrimination, we honestly believed that the invocation is proper. The question now is if and when the senators decide that the invocation was proper or not, if whether we will accept that,” Zialcita said. “But we will cross the bridge when we get there.”

Zialcita said he requested a copy of the so-called matrix of questions.

Asked for example about Mrs. Ligot’s refusal to name her “constant companion” in her travels abroad in early 2000, Zialcita said their honest assessment was that “it was proper invocation.”

An official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) yesterday urged Ligot to use his detention as an opportunity to think things over and cooperate with the Senate.

“My appeal to General Ligot is that he should participate in the investigation (on the military corruption),” Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo said.
“How would we know the truth and implement changes in the system if those who are involved would not cooperate. He should show his love for the country. If he committed any irregularities then he should admit them,” he said.

On the other hand, anti-corruption advocate and former finance secretary Jesus Estanislao said it is unfair to judge the military because of the allegations against Ligot.
Estanislao said the new military leadership is committed to reforms and that significant changes have been implemented in the system.

“I think it’s unfair (to judge the military because of Ligot) because they have been doing quite a lot of things,” Estanislao said in an interview.

“I think what you have to do is put a timeline. (The incident involving) Gen. Ligot happened in the early 2000 and since then a lot of things have happened in the Armed Forces,” he added.

Estanislao believes the current military leaders are different from the top brass that were accused of irregularities.

“You have reform-minded officers who are now on top… they are putting into that pathway of succession guys who are really committed to reforms,” the former finance chief said. –With Alexis Romero, Evelyn Macairan

Prayer for the People of Japan

2011-03-23T07:15:00.000+08:00

THIS WONDERFUL PRAYER WAS PASSED ON TO US SO WE ARE PASSING IT ON. EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS!

Lord, I just want to say THANK YOU,
Because this morning I woke up and knew where my children were.

Because this morning my home was still standing,
Because this morning I am not crying
Because my spouse, my child, my brother or sister, my parent does not need to be buried or to be pulled out from underneath a pile of concrete,

Because this morning I was able to drink a glass of water,
Because this morning I was able to turn on the light,
Because this morning I was able to take a shower,
Because this morning I was not planning a funeral,

But most of all I thank you this morning because I still have life and a voice to cry out for the people of Japan .
Lord I cry out to you, the One that makes the impossible, possible,
The One that turns darkness in to light,
I cry out that You give those mothers strength,

That You give them peace that surpasses all understanding,
That You may open the streets so that help can come,
That You may provide doctors, nurses, food, water, and all that they need in a blink of an eye.

For all those that have lost family members, give them peace, give them hope, give them courage to continue to go on!
Protect the children and shield them with your power.
I pray all this in the name of Jesus!!!

To all our email friends, please continue to forward this so that we can pray together for the people in Japan

Duct tape, shotgun, iodide pills

2011-03-19T10:37:00.000+08:00

If the Japanese are using helicopters to dump water on the reactors -- its time to PANIC AND GET THE HELL OUTTA THERE!!!

At Chernobyl, they ... pause ... the helicopters pilots (RIP) ... used helicopters to dump concrete to entomb the reactor.

Yesterday, we were chuckling in the lab when we heard Californians were begging pharmacists for Iodide pills. Looks like they are one step ahead of us.

Check out the projected wind pattern from Japan to the U.S. West Coast:

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/03/16/science/plume-graphic.html?ref=science

I guess, its time to stock up on survival gear.

Whatever happens, there must be duct tape in the house. Also a shotgun, and definitely, iodide pills. I suppose I can get some reagent-grade potassium iodide in the lab if worse comes to worse.

Hmnn... What if the wind blows southwest?

Pray for Japan

2011-03-18T09:45:00.000+08:00

The problem with all these quakes and tsunamies is Hawayah is in the middle of all these things.Any major quakes certainly puts us at risk here. When the Biggie everybody is predicting for California hits, the resulting tidal wave will probably wipe out Hawayah too!

Even this Nuke meltdown can release vapors that will ride the jet stream to Hawaii! A dozen more double digit magnitudes and Canada will have Hawaiian weather! The Earth shifts every time there is a quake.

Hawaii is also in the ring of fire but our volcanoes are active and are able to vent slowly so there is no major build up. It is like flatulence. If you are able to release small test farts, you can be assured there will be no catastrophic explosions later. This is most helpful during after-emergency situations when the toilet paper supply is sold out.

The nuke minister made a press release saying "I must be careful in using the correct words" and then continued to explain that " the water did not reach desired level from the time of the earthquake to the present and that some of the rods were actually bent".

Translation : We screwed up and nobody was checking if the pumps were working. By the time we reacted to it, we already had a meltdown!

I really hope they will be able to contain the damage. Japanese cars in Hawaii are imported from Japan. The recent recalls did not significantly affect the Mazdas, Toyotas, Hondas and Subarus/Suzukis in Hawaii.

Imagine a bunch of cars glowing in the dark!

Philippine humor

2011-03-17T09:15:00.000+08:00

We Pinoys have got the best sense of humor in the whole world!!!

• A beauty parlor in San Juan: Cut & Face

• A wholesaler of balut in Sto. Tomas, Batangas: Starduck

• A small Internet café: Cafe Pindot

• A laundry in Manila : Summa Cum Laundry

• A noodle restaurant in Pampanga: Mekeni Rogers

• A restaurant in Marikina: Johnny’s Fried Chicken, The “Fried” of Marikina

• A tombstone maker in Antipolo: Lito Lapida

• A copy center in Sikatuna Village, Quezon City:

Pakopya ni Edgar

• A kambingan: Sa Goat Kita

• A salon somewhere: Curl Up And Dye

• A store selling feeds for chicken along Sucat Road: Robocock

• A shoe repair in Marikina : Dr. Shoe-Bago

• A shoe repair shop along Commonwealth Avenue,

Quezon City : SHOEPERMAN (We will HEEL you,

save your SOLE, and even DYE for you)

• A petshop: Petness First

• A flower shop: Susan’s Roses

• A taxicab: Income Taxi

• A second-hand watch store: 2nd Time Around

• A squid stall in a wet market: Pusit to the Limit

• A lawyer’s extension office: Nota Republic

• A ceiling installer: Kisame Street

• A car-repair shop: Bangga Ka ‘Day!

• An aquatic pet store in Malolos: Fish Be With You

• A fishball cart along P. Campa St., near UST:

Eat MyBalls

• A barber shop in Cagayan de Oro: Pinoy Big Barber

• A resto in Baclaran: The Last Supper

• A party-needs business: Balloon-Balloonan

• A Chinese restaurant in Pasig : Lah-Fang

• A store selling fresh chicken,

apparently owned by a woman named Dina:

Dina Fresh Chicken

• A Hair Salon in Makati:

Hair We Go Again

Lim issues 'shoot to kill' order vs 5 cops in ransom theft case

2011-03-15T09:36:00.000+08:00

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=666279&publicationSubCategoryId=65

By Sandy Araneta and Nestor Etolle (The Philippine Star) Updated March 15, 2011

MANILA, Philippines - Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim issued yesterday an order for law enforcers to “shoot to kill” five Manila Police District (MPD) who disappeared after allegedly stealing P12.1 million from a P16.3-million ransom recovered from suspects in the kidnapping of a Malaysian businessman last week.

Lim, during a press conference held at the Manila City Hall, identified the five MPD Station 5 policemen as Senior Inspector Peter Nervisa, SPO3 Ernesto Peralta, PO3 Jefferson Britanico, PO3 Mike Ongpauco and PO1 Rommel Ocampo.

“I am going to issue now a shoot-to-kill order against these five police officers. It’s a drastic move because these people are armed and have not surrendered their firearms,” he said.

The shoot-to-kill order, according to Lim, would only apply if the policemen resist arrest.

“If in the course of the arrest the apprehending officers are fired at, they have no choice but to protect their own lives,” he said.

Lim said the five policemen have not reported since last Friday and are considered AWOL (absent without official leave). They have been relieved of their duties as policemen of the MPD, he said.

MPD Station 5 commander Superintendent Felipe Cazon Jr. has also been relieved by the National Capital Region Police Office while an investigation is being conducted. MPD director Chief Superintendent Roberto Rongavilla said Cazon will be on floating status at the MPD headquarters in Manila during the investigation.

Lim said Nervisa sent a text message to Cazon castigating him for cooperating with the investigation. He said Nervisa “is now hostile. This one will fight.”

Lim cited that there is a Supreme Court decision stating that any police officer or member of a law enforcement agency, from the moment he commits a crime, ceases to be a member of the law enforcement agency. “And so it could be construed that he (Nervisa) should be considered as an ordinary criminal,” he said.

Lim said the five policemen disappeared while they were being investigated by MPD general assignment section head Chief Inspector Mar Reyes last Friday. “Why did they flee? An investigation goes two ways. They can be cleared… Flight is an indication of guilt,” he said.

Overpopulation in Philippines

2011-03-02T10:12:00.000+08:00

Japan was already an economic powerhouse before WW2 and became only at par or lower than the Philippines after WW2 precisely because the war exhausted its economic resources. But because they already had the formula or the experience of becoming an economic power, it was imply a matter of ime before they would regain their economic strength. Hence, population was not a significant factor in their economic downfall but it was their entering into a war that caused it. On the other hand, the Philippines was never an economic power and the "fact" that it was the "stongest" economy IMMEDIATELY after the war was simply a function of US support. It was always an "up and coming" economic tiger but never really achieved that status, hence to compare it to Japan after the war is really a false comparison.

Now, if a high population is indeed a factor to higher development, then why did the Philippines - which was a strong economy immediately after the war - not develop exponentially with the increase in population?

Like I said, development is a complex issue and to reduce this into a caricature within the context of the RH bill vis-a-vis the meaning of population as a factor is to oversimplify matters. On the other hand, we know that we have a high population and the higher it becomes, the poorer the greater segment of that population becomes.

For the opponents of the RH bill to gain credibility to their assertion that population planning is not a factor in development and that development does in fact rely on higher populations, then they should first prove a priori that the bigger the population becomes, the richer we become. And that is something that the facts on the ground simply cannot sustain, especially when about 11 million of that population are overseas and probably the largest factor propping up the economy.

---

Brothers,

Just to sharpen our minds and continue the mental gymnastics on this topic. May I say :

The jury is still out on this one because there are valid hard data that supports both sides of the issue. There are several top notch papers on the pros and cons. One such study show that even if Japan's land area is similar to the Philippines, their population at 130 million is a lot higher than the Philippines but their per capita GDP is in the high 50,000 Plus USD compared to the Philippines almost 2000 USD . So the greater population is certainly not a handicap in their case. So we can conclude it must be due to several other factors. Remember, after WW2 economic and political conditions in Asia put the Philippines ahead of the whole caboodle. So what happened ? How did we end up dead last? I do not know.

As Brod mentioned, eventually, the law of diminishing returns will apply and you cannot overpopulate the Earth. It can only support so many people but for purposes of analyzing the UP study, we cannot argue a worst case scenario since the paper is merely commenting on "a proposed present day solution, to a present day problem". To apply the worst case scenario argument is like saying "Why try to save the Earth? The sun will eventually go Nova and destroy our solar system".

Having a massive amount of cheap labor helped the buildup of economic power in India and China. After artificially tampering with their Population Growth, China is in trouble because they now have a shortage of Women. "Sabi Da" , many couples aborted when they determined the baby was a girl. Many preferred males only!

IRRI believes the Philippines can be self sufficient in rice provided the Government gives it 100% support like Thailand, India and China. They concluded that there is still a lot of work to do to educate farmers on the Miracle rice. They even have a site trhat can be accessed by text for advise and assistance, Etc. The only factor that is a problem is Climatic Conditions.

And then there is also the study that says, Miracle Rice itself may have caused its own problems. Since they could plant 2 to 3 crops a year the world surplus in rice is keeping price low. Less than 5% of the entire production is actually exported. Maybe the Philippines is better off importing cheap rice and using the land for producing a cash cow crop like mangoes and even aquaculture or (drum roll please.. One of the Brods would love this..) Bananas!!!

Anyway, I am just playing devils advocate. I have no opinion one way or the other but I though I would just lay whatever I think and see where that takes us.

Hope you are not confused as I am already!

----------------------

I agree with Brod on this. I do not think the RH bill blames everything on population explosion because the nature of development is complex, but population does play a significant role. If true that higher population is key to development, then the Philippines with almost 100 million people should now be rich. And if true that we have natural resources that can support the population, then why is the VAST majority poor - food poor, land poor, development poor?

Why do we import rice? Even if we totally discounted the corruption in procurement of rice and the series of scams involving food security like fertilizers for crops, it is highly doubtful if the available arable land can feed the population. The Philippines is the 12th most populous nation on earth with a land area that is about 2/3 that of California but with a population 5 times as many. Population then becomes a very substantial issue that is simply brushed off by opponents of the RH bill.

It simply does not compute...

Law of Diminishing Returns

2011-03-01T10:55:00.000+08:00

There is an economics law of diminishing returns. an example of this law in economics textbooks is: fertilizers will at first increase crop production but there will come a time when adding more fertilizers will no longer increase the production. land has reach its limit of productivity.

land is a limited resource. just as there is a limit to the number of sardines you can pack in a can, there is also a limit on the number of people that can live on land. when the population in pinas was about 40 million, i read a newspaper article on an economic study (by NEDA??) with a prediction that the standard of living in pinas will worsen when the population exceeds 60 million. i don't know if that is true today but surely pinas cannot support a population of 1 billion as in china.

like fertilizers, technology can at first increase production of goods. but eventually when natural resources have reached their limit of productivity, technology can no longer improve the economy.

at present, pinas cannot produce enough rice to be self-sufficient even though rice technology is at her doorsteps, i.e., IRRI (internationa rice research institute) is in los banos. pinas needs technocrats who can apply technology and this takes time to educate them. the RH bill will buy that time before population has reach the critical point, as it is done in china. a mechanical engineer who can REPAIR but cannot DESIGN machines is just a mechanic, not a professional engineer.

nature will not allow man or other creatures to overpopulate the earth. when the popuplation has reached the critical point, the death rate will be more than the birth rate. if diseases and natural disasters will not increase the death rate, crimes and wars will.

The Recession has hit everybody when

2011-02-25T07:31:00.000+08:00

The Recession has hit everybody.....

I got a pre-declined credit card in the mail.

Wives are having sex with their husbands because they can't afford batteries.

CEO's are now playing miniature golf.

Exxon-Mobil laid off 25 Congressmen.

A stripper was killed when her audience showered her with rolls of pennies while she danced.

I saw a Mormon polygamist with only one wife.

If the bank returns your check marked "Insufficient Funds," you call them and ask if they meant you or them.

McDonald's is selling the 1/4 ounce.

Angelina Jolie adopted a child from America .

Parents in Beverly Hills fired their nannies and learned their children names.

My cousin had an exorcism but couldn't afford to pay for it, and they re-po

Position Paper on the Reproductive Health Bill

2011-02-23T09:59:00.000+08:00

Date: Mon, Feb 14, 2011 at 1:31 PM
Subject: UP's Position Paper on the RH Bill

As faculty members, students and alumni of the University of the Philippines, we state here the bases of our objection to the consolidated Reproductive Health bill that is pending in Congress.

Given the secular background of UP education, we put forward arguments from reason, to wit:

1. Population is not an obstacle to development. The bills assume that a nation’s population hinders its development that is why they push for the promotion of a two-child policy, massive distribution of contraceptives, sex education (to acquaint young people with contraception) , and sterilization, all of which make use of taxpayers’ money. However, as early as 1966, Nobel Prize winner Simon Kuznets’ research has shown that there is insignificant empirical association between population growth rates and output per capita (economic growth). Rather, it is the rate at which technology grows and the ability of the population to employ these new technologies efficiently and widely that permit economic progress. Kuznets saw that the basic obstacles to economic growth arise from the limited capabilities of the institutions (political, social, legal, cultural, economic) to adjust. He argued instead that a more rapid population growth, if properly managed, will promote economic development through a positive impact on the society's state of knowledge. His findings have been confirmed by similar studies by the US National Research Council (1986), the UN Population Fund Consultative Meeting of Economists (1992), Eric Hanushek and Ludger Wößmann (2007), among others.

2. The government has to channel limited funds to job creation and education. The latest report of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) entitled Key Indicators for Asia and the Pacific 2010 notes that the “middle class has increased rapidly in size and purchasing power as strong economic growth in the past two decades has helped reduce poverty significantly and lift previously poor households into the middle class.” Two factors were reported to drive the creation and sustenance of a middle class: a) stable, secure, well-paid jobs with good benefits, and b) higher education. And so, why not create more bills that will strengthen these two factors instead of channeling our limited funds to contraception and sex education.

3. Fertility rates in the Philippines are progressively decreasing. Our Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has declined by more than 50% in less than 50 years: from an average rate of 7 in 1960 to an average rate of 3.1 in 2008. Our TFR is expected to reach the replacement level of 2.1 in 2025 without massive government intervention like the passing of a population control or RH bill. The passing of an RH bill will only accelerate this. The latest November issue of The Economist entitled “Japan’s burden” spells out the effects of an aging population and it would be foolhardy for us as a nation to push ourselves deliberately towards that direction. In 2004, Joseph Chamie, Director of the UN Population Division, reported that 60 countries have TFRs below 2.1 which means that they will eventually experience decline and aging. He asserted that the efforts of these countries to raise fertility rates will not be enough to bring them back to replacement levels. Many of these countries are now asking their people to have more children. Why then are our legislators thinking of cutting down our best asset, our people? Should this push through, future generations of Filipinos will be forced to pay for the mistake of government’s intervention to manipulate a decrease in our population and suffer its ill effects as already experienced by other countries.

4. The government has to channel limited resources to address the leading causes of death. In the latest available Mortality Country Fact Sheet (2006) of the World Health Organization on the Philippines, the following were listed as the main causes of death: lower respiratory tract infections, ischaemic heart disease, tuberculosis, hypertensive heart disease, perinatal conditions, cerebrovascular disease, violence, diarrheal diseases, diabetes mellitus and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Can we not channel our limited resources towards curbing these diseases—and violence—instead of using them for contraception and sterilization?

5. Condoms are not a wise investment. We have the lowest incidence of HIV cases after Bangladesh in the ADB report mentioned above, whereas Thailand, which has been regarded as the model in condom promotion, has the highest. European epidemiologist Dr. Jokin de Irala refers to “risk-compensation” as the reason for higher HIV-AIDS incidences when condoms are promoted. Moreover, human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, by far the most common STD and a risk factor for cervical cancer among other diseases, is not prevented by condoms. HPV spreads through skin-to-skin contact, unlike AIDS, and condoms cannot cover all possible infected skin—a fact that is not commonly known. Why spend millions to buy condoms when they are shown to increase incidences of STDs? A government-sponsored nationwide condom distribution will only fatten the pockets of condom manufacturers.

6. Oral Contraceptive Pills (OCPs) have been classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as Group 1 carcinogens. OCP use has been associated with an increased risk of premenopausal breast cancer in general (an increment of 19%) and across various patterns of OCP use, with the highest risk observed among those who use OCPs for 4 or more years before their first pregnancy (an increment of 52%), according to a 2006 meta-analysis of over 34 studies dating back to the 1980s. Corroborating these data was the landmark 2002 randomized controlled trial by the Women Health’s Initiative which pointed to a 26% higher risk of breast cancer for post-menopausal women who had received hormone treatment in addition to 41% more risk of cerebrovascular disease, 29% more risk of myocardial infarction, and 112% more risk of pulmonary embolism. Another study by Moreno et al. in the Lancet also points to an increased risk of cervical cancer with OCP use. And lastly, OCPs have also been shown to increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, especially venous thrombosis and ischemic stroke. Will our government legislate a bill that will use taxpayers’ money to further expose women to all these risks?

Our main argument boils down to this: that it is the State’s duty to order society by promoting the well-being of its citizens. Thus, it is a disservice to legislate what constitutes harm to its people. We pointed but a few of the studies showing the harmful effects of contraception to society, the family, the youth and women’s health. While it is true that the State cannot stop people from using contraception, since they may personally choose to expose themselves to its risks, it is not the State’s job to facilitate access to what is harmful.

What the government should do is craft laws that prevent people from harming themselves or more positively phrased, help them develop themselves and society. We urge the legislators to dump the contentious and flawed Reproductive Health bill and to pass more bills strengthening the Filipino family, protecting its citizens against the risks of contraception, defending the scientific fact that conception begins at fertilization, providing essential medicines for the main causes of death, making quality education more accessible to Filipinos, and providing more jobs.

For the love of our country,

If you wish you can sign this position paper at:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/

Heads should roll says former President

2011-02-19T11:42:00.000+08:00

Per former President Ramos, heads should roll if the 3 Filipinos are executed in China.

See: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20110219-321057/Heads-should-roll-if-3-Filipinos-die-says-former-President-Ramos

By J Paredes

In the Flor contemplacion case, foreign service officials resigned. In the case of the 3 Filipinos convicted for being drug "mules," the situation is different. In the Contemplacion case, the issue was the inadequate legal representation of Contemplacion.

In the current case, the issue is the security at NAIA. How were these 3 Filipinos able to leave the Philippines with contraband in their luggage? Thus, it is at NAIA where the search for the heads to roll must be done. Could it be that the drug syndicates had people inside the airport who were co-opted to look the other way while drugs were being smuggled out? Or is it just incompetence by screeners? Either way, NAIA security operations will have to be scrutinized.

Story of the 45 Caliber Pistol

2011-02-16T11:17:00.002+08:00

A bit of history on 45 caliber below... invented for Pinoys during the Fil-Am War and the "pacification" program in the early 1900s ... ang na mention below e sa Mindanao lang na issue that prompted its invention. Sa Visayas e may mga Pulahanes groups, etc. Sa Luzon e marami rin groups that could not be easily cut down by the usual ammunition...

http://sportales.com/shooting/the-venerable-colt-caliber-45-m1911a1-automatic-pistol/

...Prior to WW1 the standard handgun issue of the US Army is the caliber .38 revolvers. When the US army under General John “Black Jack” Pershing was stationed in the Southern Philippines at the beginning of the 20th century to pacify the Moros, it was subjected to suicide attacks by “juramentados” who fought because of religious motive. The army noticed that the caliber .38 lacked the power to stop attackers right in their track. Despite seriously wounded by hail of bullets, a suicide attacker could still advance to a soldier and hack him to death with a kris. To deal with that kind of situation, the US army had to use higher caliber ammunition to replace the less effective caliber .38. Later the caliber .38 revolvers were replaced with the higher caliber .45 ...

Wyatt Earp Needs to Returns to Dodge City Kansas

2011-02-15T12:19:00.000+08:00

Kansas law change may allow even blind to carry concealed weapon

By Chad Lawhorn
Lawrence Journal-World

February 12, 2011
LJWorld.com

In the state of Kansas, to carry a concealed firearm you need a gun preferably something that fits nice under your jacket, in your pocket or perhaps in your purse.

You also need a license, the state's seal of approval that you can hide a firearm on your person.

What's less clear is whether you need eyesight. It certainly is suggested, unquestionably helpful. But following a change in state law, it is no longer clear whether it is required.

Kansas legislators during the last session approved a number of changes to the state's concealed carry law. One of them was that people who are renewing their license no longer have to take any sort of test to prove they're still proficient with a firearm.

The changes also removed language from the law that gave the attorney general the right to deny applicants a license if they suffer from a physical infirmity which prevents the safe handling of a weapon.

A spokesman for Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt " whose office oversees the concealed carry program " conceded this week that the office is uncertain whether it has the authority to deny a concealed carry license renewal for any physical reason, even if the applicant is blind.

[follow the link if you need to read the entire thing ]

http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2011/feb/12/kansas-law-change-may-allow-even-blind-carry-conce/

A warrior comes clean in last battle for honor

2011-02-13T11:50:00.000+08:00

The Final Words of Angelo T. Reyes

By Malou Mangahas
Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism

LATE evening last Feb. 4, Friday, a long-time source suddenly called. Would I be free for brunch the next day, he asked. He wanted to consult me on something important.

We met the next day and he bared his purpose: Angelo ‘Angie’ T. Reyes, the former Armed Forces chief of staff and Defense secretary, wanted to see me so he could tell his story to “an independent journalist” – would I want to interview him? The source happened to be a senior trusted associate of Angie for the last decade or so.

Now which reporter would pass up the chance to do a great interview? I was tempted to say yes at once. But I knew Angie Reyes to be a difficult source – smart, articulate, often given to intellectual musings, somewhat arrogant in manner and tone, and yes, a bit full of himself. I don’t know how he sized me up; perhaps it was just sheer luck that he had thought of PCIJ at a time he was vulnerable and under fire in the Senate for alleged corruption.

In 2001, for over two hours, I had interviewed Angie for a PCIJ story on the rushed, overpriced, and irregular purchase of four, 30-year-old C-130-K military transport and cargo planes and two sensor equipment for $41 million or P2.1 billion. The supplier was the world’s largest defense contractor, the U.S. firm Lockheed Martin.

The story had reached Angie’s doorstep because it was he, as Armed Forces chief of staff, who recommended the purchase, and approved the same weeks later, as Defense secretary, without public bidding. The purchase was enrolled for funding under the multi-billion-peso Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Program when it was not supposed to be there at all. The program did not include the purchase of C-130s but only aircraft with night-vision sensors.

To push it, the AFP crafted the contract with Lockheed Martin to cover the acquisition of C-130s retrofitted with night-vision sensors. As it turned out, Angie had merely signed on to a deal endorsed by two presidents, one of whom was said to be close to the lobbying contractor. The Department of Budget and Management did not approve the contract until months later. The Armed Forces had a bad habit then of awarding supply contracts that the service commands or headquarters would later suspend or rescind, then bid and award again, for reasons like product specs mismatched with unit requirements and the change of commanders.

I got to ask Angie hard questions only after a long, small-talk session. He regaled me with his views on books, the arts, and his life as a graduate student at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He didn’t get it that when some sources start pulling in vanity snippets, some reporters become more wary.

And so on Saturday, Feb. 5, when the source said Angie wanted to tell his story, I agreed — but only after laying down what I thought should be the best premises for a good interview: no-holds barred, he doesn’t waste time denying things, he deals with the critical questions, and he agrees that I bring a PCIJ colleague as associate. I told the source about my honest impressions of Angie, arrogance and all. I asked the source if he really thought Angie had it in him a hint of humility, and the courage to tell all about what I am certain he knew first-hand were details of corruption – the cases, the actors, the modus and the system – in the military and the government.

I told the source that it seems clear that apart from senior military officers, corruption festers with the knowledge or acquiescence of a string of chiefs of staff, defense secretaries, and presidents, as well as some of the members of Congress and contractors. If Angie would talk to secure self-redemption, I said, the interview could not guarantee that. I requested the source to tell Angie that the best reason for him to talk would be simply to tell the truth, and that maybe in doing so, over time, he could have self-redemption.

The source said he would relay all this to Angie and get back to me. We exchanged text messages – some of which he said he forwarded to Angie – while Angie engaged in muni-muni, reflected on his options, and consulted with his sons about the interview.

On Sunday, Feb. 6, past 8 p.m., the source called to say Angie was ready to talk and our meeting was a go. But minutes later, the source said Angie had changed his mind and it was a no-go. More minutes later, the source called again to say that Angie said it was a go once more. I was already halfway prepared to go out when the source relayed the message that Angie had again changed his mind. I told the source we should respect that Angie and Angie alone should make the call if and when he wants to talk.

On Tuesday, Feb. 8, the day Angie Reyes took his life, I learned from the source that Angie had actually prepared for our interview. For a few hours last Sunday morning, Angie had sat down with the source to organize his words and thoughts to prepare for his two considered options: the interview with the PCIJ, or a final statement he would issue, in his name, to the media. He asked his associate to document his thoughts and feelings.

“In retrospect, he must have meant it as a final testament, but he kept that card very close to his chest,” the source said. “The notes are incomplete, because our conversation was unfinished. I apologized that I had to leave for a lunch appointment.”

“He became anxious and suddenly revived the PCIJ interview option,” the source recalled. He quoted Angie as telling him, “‘Please lang. Importanteng-importante ito. Time is of the essence.”

“After I said goodbye, he thanked me and shook my hand much more tightly than usual,” the source said. “By then, he was vacillating anew on whether or not to grant the interview. Many considerations (must have) flitted through his mind: he clearly didn’t want to rat on anyone, certainly not his comrades in arms; he also didn’t want to be an instrument for inflicting irreparable damage on the AFP…and so on.”

Said the source: “He would have wanted to contribute to cleaning the system – but only in a just and rational manner. At the hearings, he strongly felt – quite justifiably, I think – that he was being set up by some people to be ‘the face of military corruption.’ While he felt that this was very, very unfair, he was powerless to defend himself in that forum.”

The start of their conversation was recorded on tape. A minute into it, Angie asked the source to just jot down notes of their discussion that took place at the Reyeses’ home in Taguig. The source gave the PCIJ his notes from his discussion, with Angie captured verbatim, saying these were the main points that Angie would have wanted to highlight in the interview. In it, Angie showed he was not one to fail the expectations of honor.

With appropriate courtesy and clearance from his widow and sons, the PCIJ has decided to let Angie tell his story, verbatim. The discussion notes are rough and still unpolished in some parts, and somewhat incomplete. But they are Angie Reyes’s words and thoughts, as of Sunday, Feb. 6, 2011, two days before he put a gun to his heart and shot himself.

Living life without honor is a tragedy

bigger than death itself – Angie Reyes

“Honor, truth, justice. Honor above all else. Pride goes with it, self-respect, sense of legacy. This is very, very important to me. Sometimes, I am accused of being arrogant. I like to have plenty – a healthy sense – of self-esteem. I react to affronts on this.

There are two options available: to stonewall/fight the legal battle, or to come clean and make my own contribution to cleanse the system.

Stonewalling, I am told, would result in a long, protracted legal battle. However, past cases are not being resolved either way, kept in state of limbo. People’s memories are short and all this will eventually fade into public disinterest, and eventually oblivion. So, not to worry.

Coming clean, on the other hand, cannot be done without giving up something. I have decided to come clean, bare my heart and speak the truth. The truth can cut two ways: 1. If you are guiltless, you can embrace the truth and hope that it will protect you; 2. If you are not guiltless, speak the truth and it shall set you free.

I speak the truth not to whistle-blow or to seek neither immunity nor protection nor to escape from any form of liability. As a matter of fact, I speak the truth to accept responsibility for whatever liability I may have.

Honor is above all else. More valuable than freedom or even life itself. Therefore, honor must be guarded/defended with your life.

Living life without honor is a tragedy bigger than death itself.

Stonewalling would mean I would have to go on every day of my life or at least a large part of it under a cloud of public suspicion, at least until the case is resolved. Every day as you continue to live with the lie, you lose a little of your self-respect. And every day, as people look at you, you can read from their minds that they find you dishonorable, and you die a little. So if you stonewall – and you have the connections, resources and power to sustain it, and perhaps the thick face to endure it – that would be the preferred option. I have none of these, and so I choose the path of honor.

My honor has been attacked and damaged. I still have a lot of pride and self-respect, and I’d like to come clean to preserve whatever honor is left.

We see plenty of people walking around who have been clearly disgraced in the eyes of the people, and I do not want to join their ranks.

I think if you want to cleanse the system and for there to be justice, it should be applied equally and well. Our experience has shown that those with position and power, support and connection invariably go scot-free. I don’t have any of these.

It is unfortunate that we have a huge canvas here of which, I admit, I have been a part; unfortunately, people are now inclined to make me the face of that problem for their own various reasons.

When I participated in EDSA II, even then I anticipated that something like this would happen when I made enemies both on a personal and official level. In my long years of service, I knew that I would have to come to terms with this enmity some day.

I might not be guiltless/faultless, but I am not as evil as some would like to portray.

To my friends and those who have known me and believed in me, I honestly believe I did not let you down.

I want to assure the (PMA) cadet corps, current and future, that there are plenty of military professionals who have served and will continue to serve the country well. Do not be disheartened by this turn of events. Yours is a noble profession (of arms), and you should feel no shame. I have tried to live with integrity, loyalty, and courage.

In my 48 years of public service, I have tried to live up to the highest levels of professionalism and integrity. Whether it’s my assignment with the AFP-RSBS or with the Anti-Smuggling Task Force, I never received any offers of bribes; in fact, I returned them. In all my assignments, 39 years in the military and 9 years in four different Cabinet positions, I have never had any favorite supplier. Neither have I ever extorted money nor set any financial precondition for the approval of any contract. I can honestly say that I served honestly and well.

We are now in the situation where my honor and the family name are at stake. My family, my children, my grandchildren could say with a lot of truthfulness and pride that in the family, we value honor and integrity. Strength to live it and the courage to face up to the truth. This is the legacy I would like to leave with them.

Honor, truth, but there must be justice. And justice can be served if laws are applied evenly and well – not favoring the rich and powerful. I hope my case/situation will not be used as something that would bring closure to the issue of military corruption. The fight to reform the system and the entire country must continue; the sad part is that they are selectively targeting individuals and institutions.

I did not invent corruption. I walked into it. Perhaps my first fault was in having accepted aspects of it as a fact of life.

While I am familiar with finance, I must admit I had scant knowledge of military comptrollership. Personally, zero experience. Never been assigned as disbursement officer, etc., no stint. It’s a military field of specialization that I do not have.

No system is perfect. The AFP system needs a lot of systemic solutions…And the same might be true of some other institutions.

Tinyente pa ako, ganyan na ang sistema (i.e., “conversion” system, etc.)… I can perhaps be faulted for presuming regularity in a grossly imperfect system. As CS (chief of staff), a big landscape, presume regularity, convenient to ignore it, accept it as part of the system. It’s easy to say, institute reforms after the problems have erupted.

I joined EDSA II at great risk. Jumped into a void. Coming from a place that was high and comfortable. Without any regard for compensation or recognition or reward. I thought what I did – being loyal to the Flag and putting the national interest above all else – a right, but I was faulted for not being loyal to the commander-in-chief, that I should have stuck with him to the end, however that end might be. I stuck it out with the GMA administration for 9 years, not under the banner of loyalty; I could have deserted GMA, but I did not want to be branded as someone who abandoned his superiors…”

When we participated in many military campaigns, I would like to think that I showed courage…” – PCIJ, February 2011

CREATIVE LICENSE

2011-02-09T08:50:00.000+08:00

CREATIVE LICENSE is the only Pinoy film and one of the finalists in the USA Film Racing Contest. It is the entry of Brooklyn in the National Competition. The film was produced by three Filipinos, Paolo Dy, Cathy Azanza and Topper Fabregas. With very minimal resources and using natural lighting, they were able to produce this short film in less than 24 hours.

Please forward to your contacts and cast your votes on or before February 15, 2011.

PLEASE VOTE! The 2010 Brooklyn Film Race winner 'CREATIVE LICENSE'(the only Filipino-language entry) is now a FINALIST in the National Film Race 2010 competition in the US! Please lend us a hand by voting for us at

http://tinyurl.com/6xtot2m. You can view the film at
http://filmracing.com/Films/2010/446.htm :)

Thank you so much!

Thanks for sharing the film.
What a wonderful film. The Tagalog soundtrack makes it sound like an authentic letter home. It's made to be a comedy. But looking deeper it's about the tragedy of folks leaving the safety of home to try to find their fortune in the wide, wild world. - Still struggling, but never losing hope, and sense of humor - which are two sides of the same coin. Typical of the Pinoy diaspora.

About Vietnamese sandwich - Banh Mi

2011-02-08T10:29:00.002+08:00

Aside from Pho, Banh Mi is most peoples favorite Vietnamese dish as well as many others as you can read from that New York Times article.

http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/07/the-vietnamese-sandwich-banh-mi-in-america/?scp=1&sq=banh%20mi&st=cse

Saigon Deli in Seattle has great Banh Mi. Try the Banh Mi Dac Biet. The place has long lines.

Banh Mi can be found in places like St. Louis and Denver, but the one in Kansas City is not as good.

Gutierrez: You talk too much; De Lima: So unprofessional

2011-02-06T11:02:00.000+08:00

By Niña Calleja, Marlon Ramos
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:43:00 02/03/2011

MANILA, Philippines—
Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez Wednesday assailed Justice Secretary Leila de Lima
for making “unprofessional” comments on the plea bargain forged by her office
with plunder suspect Carlos Garcia.

“Magtrabaho ka at wag kang daldal nang daldal (Do your work and stop talking too much). Don’t criticize us ... You’re being unprofessional,” Gutierrez said of De Lima during the weekly Fernandina Forum at Club Filipino in San Juan City.

Gutierrez had been asked to comment on De Lima’s statements about her performance as Ombudsman and on the disputed plea bargain with Garcia.

“This is the problem with our justice secretary; she comments so fast without knowing what is really happening,” Gutierrez said in Filipino.

Speaking later with reporters, De Lima said Gutierrez apparently did not know that irregularities in the use of public funds were an integral part of the plunder case filed against Garcia.

“If we have an Ombudsman who doesn’t seem to realize that public funds are involved, then we have a problem,” De Lima said.

“I saw how the Ombudsman firmly justified the plea bargaining agreement [at a House
inquiry on Tuesday] ... There are portions that are disturbing,” she said.

As for Gutierrez’s remarks against her earlier Wednesday, De Lima said: “It’s part of my job. When I say those things, that’s in accordance with my work also. I don’t want to dignify comments like that. It’s so unprofessional.”

‘We also get hurt’
Gutierrez said she had felt the need to air her side because of the criticisms being hurled at her.

“Of course, we also get hurt. But even if we are affected by all these accusations, we have to perform our job and do what is legal,” she said.

Gutierrez said De Lima had no right to speak on the plea bargain because she was not the one handling the case.

“Does she know better than the prosecutors handling the case? If she does, then she must tell us and prosecute Garcia herself,” Gutierrez said.

“As a justice secretary, De Lima should respect the decisions of the court and the Ombudsman. We all deserve trust and respect,” she said.

She taunted former Ombudsman Simeon Marcelo and former Special Prosecutor Dennis Villa-Ignacio to pursue the case in the way they wanted to.

“If [Marcelo] thinks we did not do it right, I’m willing to appoint him as prosecutor so that he will have the authority and responsibility to pursue this case,” she said.

The Ombudsman also said she had formed a panel of prosecutors to assess the latest evidence and the testimonies of former military budget officer George Rabusa and former state auditor Heidi Mendoza.

“The prosecutors will be asking Rabusa to submit his official statement. We will give weight to his claims,” she said.

Use letter of Garcia’s wife

De Lima questioned Gutierrez’s statement at the House hearing that it was difficult for the government to pursue the plunder case because the military contractors in the criminal information were identified only as John and Jane Does.

She said the prosecutors could have utilized the letter of Garcia’s wife Clarita when she tried to retrieve the $100,000 that US customs officials had seized from their sons at a San Francisco airport.

“Isn’t it in the statement of Mrs. Garcia, she was referring to kickbacks? Kickbacks presuppose public funds, and aren’t most cases before the Ombudsman about public funds?” De Lima said. “Did [the prosecutors] even know that they have to protect public funds?”

De Lima said Marcelo was right when he said that Clarita Garcia’s letter could be used as evidence against her husband because she was a co-conspirator.

Extradition withdrawn
She said the Ombudsman could have requested US authorities to extradite Garcia’s wife to force her to stand on trial.

“Why aren’t they working on the extradition proceedings? It’s really frustrating that according to the US legal attaché, the withdrawal of extradition proceedings was included in the plea bargain agreement,” De Lima lamented.

LAST TRIP TO COSTCO

2011-02-01T09:46:00.000+08:00

Yesterday I was at my local COSTCO buying a large bag of Purina dog chow for my loyal pet, Jake, the Wonder Dog and was in the check-out line when a woman behind me asked if I had a dog.

What did she think I had, an elephant? So since I'm retired and have little to do, on impulse I told her that no, I didn't have a dog, I was starting the Purina Diet again. I added that I probably shouldn't, because I ended up in the hospital last time, but that I'd lost 50 pounds before I awakened in an intensive care ward with tubes coming out of most of my orifices and IVs in both arms.

I told her that it was essentially a Perfect Diet and that the way that it works is, to load your pants pockets with Purina Nuggets and simply eat one or two every time you feel hungry. The food is nutritionally complete so it works well and I was going to try it again. (I have to mention here that practically everyone in line was now enthralled with my story.)

Horrified, she asked if I ended up in intensive care, because the dog food poisoned me. I told her no, I stepped off a curb to sniff a poodle's ass and a car hit me.

I thought the guy behind her was going to have a heart attack he was laughing so hard.

Costco won't let me shop there anymore.

Better watch what you ask retired people. They have all the time in the world to think of crazy things to say. Forward this (especially) to all your retired friends...... it will be their laugh for the day!!!

World Religions

2011-01-25T11:05:00.000+08:00

Lesson 3 Comparison Exercises Solutions

Write whether you AGREE or you DISAGREE with the following statements and then, briefly, in a few sentences, explain why or why not (5 points per item)
1.. There is only one true religion, mine.
2.. An eye for an eye.
3.. The Gurus and Spiritual Masters who are in the world are only students, themselves.
4.. In matters of faith, the Pope is infallible.
5.. Gautama attained enlightenment just by meditating.
6.. All men go to heaven when they die.
7.. If we only knew how to pray, all our requests would surely be granted.
8.. Simply choose the best alternative or the least evil.
9.. The physical yoga exercises increase spirituality.
10.. A man not tempted is not proved.
11.. No soul shall bear the burden of another.
12.. A priest is, of course, spiritually superior to other men.
13.. The different religions represent the different aspects of the One Truth.
14.. Each person's understanding of the divine truths can only correspond to his own level in the order of evolution.
15.. Monogamy is, of course, the best form of marriage for everybody.
16.. Patriotism is a positive spiritual trait.
17.. Sex is bad for the soul.
18.. Old Testament teachings are valid even today.
19.. All that we will ever need to know are already written in the Holy Scriptures.
20.. We should not add or detract from what is written in the Bible.

After you have given thought to what the answers might be, you may want to scroll down to find the recommended Solutions.

World Religions

Lesson 3 Comparison Exercises Solutions

5 points per item
1.. There is only one true religion, mine. D. Every religion is specially suited to its followers, helping them to pass on to the next stage of their development. Each has its own differences in approach and emphasis but all of them have certain qualities and teachings that every student can benefit from.

2.. An eye for an eye. D. This Old Testament teaching during the days of our youth and ignorance has already been superseded by the teachings of Jesus Christ. He said, "Don't judge, Return love for hate, and Love your enemies."

3.. The Gurus and Spiritual Masters who are in the world are only students, themselves. A. They may be advanced and very much ahead of us but they, too, have their own lessons to learn.

4.. In matters of faith, the Pope is infallible. D. No one on earth is infallible even if he is divinely inspired. Everyone here is subject to error.

5.. Gautama attained enlightenment just by meditating. D. Enlightenment comes as a consequence of a high level of spiritual attainment. Through meditation, we are able to transcend the mind and access or recall that which we have already learned in our past lives. However, our degree of enlightenment can only correspond to the level in the order of evolution to which we have arrived.

6.. All men go to heaven when they die. D. Only those who have lived according to the divine will of God can merit heaven. However, there are "many mansions" or graded levels of heaven. We go to the plane we deserve depending on our own thoughts and deeds.

7.. If we only knew how to pray, all our requests would surely be granted. D. The granting of our prayer requests depends on spiritual considerations, whether it will be helpful or harmful to our spiritual development. That considered, everything useful and helpful comes to us whether we pray for them or not.

8.. Simply choose the best alternative or the least evil. A. On earth, many of our choices and alternatives are far from ideal. It is enough that we choose the best from the lot or the least harmful.

9.. The physical yoga exercises increase spirituality. D. Physical yoga pertains only to the physical body. Spirituality relates to character, righteousness, loving and serving our brothers.

10.. A man not tempted is not proved. A. This is an Islamic teaching which tends to explain why we undergo trials on earth. Here, we are examined to prove our worthiness. In addition, the proof of learning is in the doing. He who doesn't do proves that he doesn't really know.

11.. No soul shall bear the burden of another. A. This is another teaching of Islam which simply restates the principle of personal responsibility.

12.. A priest is, of course, spiritually superior to other men. D. There is the presumption that the guide is ahead of those he is guiding. However, this is not necessarily true in every case. Even priests and even prophets are undergoing training and development in their line of work. And false guides are with us to teach us how to discern and decide wisely concerning the things of life.

13.. The different religions represent the different aspects of the One Truth. A. The Truth is so all-encompassing. To better comprehend it, it is broken down into smaller, easy to learn parts. But all the religions are parts of the whole Truth.

14.. Each person's understanding of the divine truths can only correspond to his own level in the order of evolution. A. No one can really understand unless he has personally experienced the fact and the teachings. Our capacity to understand then depends on how much we have learned from our accumulated experiences, including those that we have learned from all our past incarnations.

15.. Monogamy is, of course, the best form of marriage for everybody. D. What is good for one person is not necessarily good for another. To the Muslims, having just one wife is less than desirable. God gave everyone a free will and the right to decide for oneself. Provided that all of the principal parties are in agreement, then nothing is wrong. All such circumstances and relationships are merely lessons and experiences provided us so that we may learn from them.

16.. Patriotism is a positive spiritual trait. D. Patriotism is a grade higher than self-interest but falls short of true spiritualism. True spirituality puts the interests of the whole above that of self and realizes its oneness with the Divine. All men, regardless of their nationality, are brothers.

17.. Sex is bad for the soul. D. Sex is natural, normal and necessary for spirits who are at a certain stage of development. Sex must be fully learned, experienced and enjoyed before one can advance to higher levels of development. The rule is for as long as we have a need, that need must be satisfied.

18.. Old Testament teachings are valid even today. D. Many of the Old Testament teachings are no longer applicable to us. In fact, many have already been amended. The blind obedience of Abraham, an eye for an eye, the vengeful and jealous God of Moses and the blood of the lamb (Christ) as an acceptable sacrifice - All these were actually upgraded and superseded by the teachings of Jesus.

19.. All that we will ever need to know are already written in the Holy Scriptures. D. Jesus himself said, "There is so much more I want to tell you..." There are many new teachings which are only now being made available but they can be received only by those who are ready for them.

20.. We should not add or detract from what is written in the Bible. D. We really have no recourse but to do so. Depending on what we have already experienced, we add to or detract from the teachings in the Bible. Our own personal experiences are the only true bases from which we may be able to discern which is true or false and true from that which is only half-true.

Mazda Stories

2011-01-18T10:50:00.000+08:00

Did you know a lot more women drove on RX7's than men.

While stationed in Rota,Spain serving the US Navy I was privileged to own a 1980 MazdaRX7 Aura White with 1146cc twin-rotor Wankel Rotary engine.. To my belief was the first one in Spain at that time.. I had a blast driving this car all over Spain and some parts of France and Italy.. Boy.. it was worth paying the premium price considering the countless Espanolas who rode it... A young lieutenant in the Navy bought it before transferring to US.

I am happy to hear that I hope you will continue to patronize Mazda we have a new Mazda 5 2012 model it is a small minivan that seats 6 but look's sporty. Bagong trend brod.

I have driven a Mazda MPV for more than 100,000 miles without any mechanical problem. it was made in Hiroshima. My son-in-law drove his Mazda MPV for more than 300,000 miles and is still running.

Christ is coming!

2011-01-13T07:24:00.000+08:00

Some questions:

Is religion dynamic? Can it change like Science? Can you compare Religion with Science? Maybe that is the wrong analogy? When does an Ism become a no-ism?

The applicable term is progressive, not dynamic. Truth does not change. It is our individual awareness of Truth that deepens and progresses as we proceed with our spiritual development.

Science requires physical proofs. Since science still does not have the instruments capable of discerning things spiritual, therefore its findings cannot be complete. Since science cannot verify, then traditional science must deny the existence and truth of spiritual realities.

All the religions take up different aspects and levels of the same divine truths, not all. And not everything known and taught there are true. But nevertheless, they all lead to the same God and the One Truth. However, while we still lack the sufficient knowledge and experience to fully comprehend the divine, we are enjoined in the meantime to believe on faith. The knowledge comes after the studies. Learning comes in stages, the simple before the complex, the elementary before the advanced. But in the end, all will be known. And all the aspects and levels will merge and unite as one.

We are likened to mountain climbers positioned at different heights along the path ascending to the top of the mountain. At each position, East, West, ground level or higher, we can only see as far as the surroundings allow. But after we reach the summit, then only can we see all aspects, all sides and learn ultimately that all are connected and related as one.

If it changes with new discovery then what happens to the old souls that followed certain rules that are now obsolete?

We just adapt or upgrade. Nothing is lost. We build on those we already learned.

Can we assume that no Religion has a monopoly and in fact each Religion has its truths and untruths?

Yes. All the different religions take up different aspects and levels of the same divine truths but nevertheless lead to the same God and Truth. The Truth was not entrusted to any one person or group alone but was parceled out to everyone in part according to what we deserve. To know the whole Truth, we must draw from the others the part entrusted to them.

At some point in time, can a person, with his limited knowledge and grasp of the real GOD, be able to arrive at a conclusion as to his relationship with God and the Universe?

We only comprehend the Truth and enter the plane of being at the level in the order of evolution that we have arrived. To go higher, we will need to comply with all the requirements at our target level.

Is GOD singular or the collection of all "Kindred Spirits"?

God may be defined as Infinite Intelligence. Imperfect as we are and still greatly influenced by matter, we are unable to completely understand the true exact nature of God. Finite minds cannot comprehend the infinite. In addition, our vocabulary is so poor that we are unable to more satisfactorily define God. While we may attribute to God certain very desirable and positive characteristics, we should never feel that God is confined to such attributes. To do so would be to limit God, Who is unlimited. However, we will be able to know and comprehend God more fully just as soon as we become totally freed from earthly influences and approach the righteousness that is God according to His ethical teachings.

There is only One Supreme God. While we are all in God, part and parcel of God, our goal remains to be in complete at-one-ment with God. Life is a never-ending quest for perfection in our thoughts, words and deeds.

Do we exists in some kind of a Matrix where souls indulge in artificial existence in the process of cleansing themselves until they are elevated into another Matrix, ad infinitum, until they are pure and ready to join the Supreme Collective ?

I too was struck by the veiled depiction of reality in 'The Matrix' movie series. In any of the material, physical planes, yes, based on the New Teachings. This is why our world is termed 'The World of Illusion' where things are not what they seem as explained in the concept of "Maya" in the Eastern teachings. In contrast, the Spirit Worlds (the next immediate plane is the Astral Plane), higher Mental, Nirvanas and more Spiritual planes are the Real Worlds.

After we complete the human stage of our development in the lower worlds, then we enter into the Real World where we can enjoy the life of happiness, peace and contentment that God has prepared for all His creatures.

As described in the 'Orders of Spirits':

"Pure Spirits have passed through every degree of the scale of progress and have freed themselves from all the impurities of materiality. Having attained the sum of perfection of which created beings are susceptible, they no longer have to undergo either trials or expiations. Being no longer subject to reincarnation in perishable bodies, they enter on the life of eternity in the immediate presence of God. They are in the enjoyment of a beatitude which is unalterable, because they are no longer subject to the wants and vicissitudes of material life; but this beatitude is not the monotonous idleness of perpetual contemplation."

What was / is the purpose of the exercise?

Perfection through our own exertions.

If the Spirits were already "one" at the onset, why were they dispersed only to suffer the rigors of material existence and then eventually reunite?

In the beginning, we were created perfect seeds that God intended are to develop to perfection through our own exertions. While we were endowed with eternal life, everything else in life that we can be entitled to enjoy must be based on personal merit. In the Spirit Reality, there are no free gifts. Everything must be earned.

I may be one of those lost Souls (Spirit, Being, Entity : are these all the same or each has its own category?).

Spirit is our true nature. We are spirits, not men. Humanity is simply a stage in the order of evolution that we spirits must hurdle. No one is a lost soul. We here on Earth are all developing spirits at different levels of evolvement. But the term is usually applied to discarnate and wandering spirits (dead and out of the body) who are still unable to ascend to the Spirit World momentarily because they need to complete some unfinished lessons and serve some spiritual purpose in the process.

An entity pertains to a particular spirit being.

I must admit I stopped searching but when I encounter some new stuff, my curiosity gets the best of me and then I start trying to understand.

2010 OBLATION RUN THEME by ETA CHAPTER (Dec.15, 2010)

2010-12-16T10:41:00.000+08:00

On its 33rd staging, the Oblation Run remains the iconic ideal of the
University of the Philippines – offering oneself to others. Since its
inception in 1977, the Oblation Run has sought to bring to the fore the
burning issues of the day – be it for the benefit of the studentry and the
university, or of society as a whole. However, this year’s Oblation Run will
focus on a direct affront on the honor and dignity of the Alpha Phi Omega as
this ramifies to particular individuals and ultimately to the society at
large.

The tragedy that was the 2010 Bar Exams Bombing spawned another tragedy
which directly affected Alpha Phi Omega as an organization: the tragedy of a
Secretary of Justice pinpointing APO as the perpetrator of the dastardly
deed even before all angles of the incident has been exhaustively
investigated and intelligently discarded. It was, after all, Sherlock Holmes
who said, in the “Sign of the Four” that “when you have eliminated the
impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.” To
further cast calumny on Alpha Phi Omega, the Secretary of Justice
questionably blamed Alpha Phi Omega as the perpetrator of two other grenade
attacks in Metro Manila and, thereafter, directed the NBI to find the
evidence to sustain her determination. This is not justice nor even a parody
of justice but a clear case of pseudo-bill of attainder where membership to
APO automatically makes one a suspect. The Secretary of Justice makes a
mockery of the Blackstonian formulation that “better that ten guilty persons
escape than that one innocent suffer.” This is the reason for the call:

JUSTICE FOR ALPHA PHI OMEGA

The tragedy of blaming Alpha Phi Omega for the incident has spawned a much
greater tragedy: that the true perpetrators of the 2010 Bar Exams Grenade
Attack will go scot-free, never to face the bar of justice. As the State’s
resources are expended on a clearly unjust prosecution, the trail leading to
the true architects of the crime becomes obfuscated while the memories of
the witnesses, defective as these naturally are, become even more defective
as these are diluted by misidentifications of the clearly innocent. And as
the trail grows cold and memories fade, the offenders escape unscathed even
by the vexations of accusation and prosecution. In the end, therefore, the
victims are the true losers which is the reason for the cry:

JUSTICE TO THE BAR BLAST VICTIMS

The greatest injustice of all is that the agency which is tasked by law to
determine probable cause makes an accusation before gathering evidence to
support the indictment. To make matters worse, the Secretary of Justice
publicly denounces Alpha Phi Omega, forgetting her duties, both as THE
Secretary of Justice, a FORMER Chair of the Commission on Human Rights, and,
most importantly, as a lawyer trained in the intricacies of the law, that
the pantheon upon which all rights proceed is that: “No person shall be
deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, nor shall
any person be denied the equal protection of the laws.” Equally forgotten is
the premier legal presumption of all, which applies in all instances and in
all cases that “a person is presumed to be innocent of crime or wrong.” When
these rights and presumption are forsaken for the sake of expediency, then
we revert to the tyranny of old where the fate of all persons are
determined, not by law, but by the will of the individual who rules over his
fellowmen. Thus, we plead for –

JUSTICE FOR ALL

As our brothers “streak through storied history,” never before has an issue
directly affected the Fraternity as the present witch hunt. Never before has
the spirit of defiance and freedom been more apropos than at present where
the strong arm of the State has once more been heavily laid.

Miscellaneous thoughts

2010-12-13T10:21:00.000+08:00

Two wrongs don't make a right

The Judge asked the Chinaman why he should be granted a divorce. Showing the Judge a picture of their son, he said " Your honor, two Wongs cannot make a White! "

Did you see that movie about a Black kung Fu guy named "Bruce Leroy" ?
Nobody believes me but it is true.

(What do we have the DOJ for?)
Ask Ms. Leila De Lima-hong!

Tonight we are expecting freezing rain in Hornylulu. Temperature is expected to go down a low
70 Degrees. A flash flood warning is in effect for the weekend. Alpha Phi Omega AA of Hawaii will have the entire Ala Moana Beach Park for our annual Christmas and Anniversary picnic.
In Hornylulu when it rains, everybody goes to the Mall and the Beaches would be empty..

I just came from the Dentist today after a two hour pre-capping preparation on 4 teeth.
He must have used 6 syringes of Novocain just to minimize the pain. With all that stuff, even if the entire VS runway show flashed before me It would not elicit any response. I hope this condition does not last more than a couple of days.

Now I remember part of a skit we did during the finals. The punch line was "Down, boy, Down".
And the other one was (In a masculine voice): "Ewan ko Doc". I think that is why they beat the heck out of us.

-------------------------------------------

This is not for the dilettante of the law, but let me take a shot on the FIVE FATAL FLAWS of EO1 per Justice Brion

1. It is violative of due process requirements
(Presumed Innocence)

2. It is violative of the Constitutional role of separation of powers
(It's Congress' job! Why aren't they part of the act? Address EO1 to Congress!)

3. It has an unconstitutional impact on the established legal framework of the criminal justice system
(What do we have the DOJ for?)

4. It violates the personal rights of the accused and their Constitutional rights to a fair trial
(Perpetrating bias and coloring the opinion of the public against the "accused" ie thru media etc)

5. It violates the equal protection clause of the Constitution.
(The Truth Commission would be a precedent we'd wish we didn't have!)

Justice Brion discussed extensively the doctrine of separation of powers, reminding . . . that only Congress has the authority to create an office. << ( Amen )

Funny, that the same fatal flaws had been abused arrogantly and splashed all over the media by those who're supposed to uphold the rights of citizens and the rule of law in enforcing the law.

APO plans to block De Lima appointment to DOJ

2010-12-02T10:42:00.001+08:00

By Christian V. Esguerra
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 05:07:00 11/28/2010

MANILA, Philippines—The influential Alpha Phi Omega (APO) is planning to turn the tables on Justice Secretary Leila De Lima, who implicated the group in three grenade attacks in Manila.

Saying authorities produced no hard evidence to back the accusations, senior APO official Ferdie Ramos on Friday said the fraternity would go after De Lima before the powerful Commission on Appointments (CA).

Ramos said the group was banking on the supposed support of at least seven members of the body, including Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. who is a purported member.

Ramos admitted that such a tact would place APO in a “no-win situation.”

“But we will do it if only to make a point,” he told the Inquirer in a phone interview.

“We want to send the message that she cannot just go around town accusing us of a wrongdoing without presenting any evidence.”

Ramos, who was a senior campaigner for former President Joseph Estrada in the May 2010 elections, was also relying on his fraternity's supposed affiliation with the political opposition to nail De Lima at the CA.

“We have more than seven supporters or sympathizers in the CA,” he said.

“Remember that the opposition outnumbers the administration
in the CA.”

Citing findings of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), De Lima
earlier tagged APO members in the Sept. 27 bar examination

blast that wounded 47 people in Manila.

The NBI later informed De Lima that the group was also behind similar
grenade attacks at La Consolacion College in

2008 and at the University of Perpetual Help this year.

“The authors of these incidents, of these grenade-throwing incidents, are
connected,” she had told reporters.

But more than two weeks after the disclosure, De Lima and the NBI were yet
to produce any evidence against APO or arrest a member of the fraternity,
according to Ramos.

Only Anthony Nepomuceno, 27, had been officially identified as the one who
had lobbed a grenade in front of the De La Salle University

on Taft Avenue in September.

A Simple, Inexpensive Trick to Cure a Cold - Part 2

2010-11-25T12:19:00.000+08:00

Dietary Strategies to Kick a Cold

If you feel yourself coming down with a cold or flu, this is NOT the time to be eating ANY sugar, artificial sweeteners or processed foods. Sugar is particularly damaging to your immune system -- which needs to be ramped up, not suppressed, in order to combat an emerging infection. So if you are fighting a cold, you'll want to avoid all sugar like the plague, and this includes sugar in the form of fruit juice and even grains (which break down as sugar in your body).

Ideally, you must address nutrition, sleep, exercise and stress issues the moment you first feel yourself getting a bug. This is when immune-enhancing strategies will be most effective. So when you're coming down with a cold, it's time to address ALL of the contributing factors immediately, which includes tweaking your diet in favor of foods that will strengthen your immune response. Good
choices include:

Raw, grass-fed organic milk, and/or high-quality whey protein Fermented foods such as raw kefir, kimchee, miso, pickles, sauerkraut, etc, which are rich in probiotics, or good bacteria. Scientific research shows that 80 percent of your immune system resides inside your digestive tract, so eating probiotic-rich
foods, or taking a high-quality probiotic, will help support your immune
system health. Raw, organic eggs from free-ranging, preferably local, chickens Grass-fed beef Coconuts and coconut oil Animal-based omega-3 fats, such as krill oil Locally grown fruits and vegetables, appropriate for your nutritional type
Mushrooms, especially Reishi, Shiitake, and Maitake, which contain beta glucans (which have immune-enhancing properties) Garlic, a potent antimicrobial that kills bacteria, viruses and fungi. Ideally this should be in fresh form, eaten raw and crushed with a spoon just before eating. Herbs and spices with high ORAC scores: Turmeric, oregano, cinnamon, cloves (for more on ORAC, visit www.oracvalues.com) Make sure you are drinking plenty of fresh, pure water. Water is essential for the optimal function of every system in your body and will help with nose stuffiness and loosening secretions. You should drink enough water so that your urine is a light, pale yellow. And what about the old wives' tale of chicken soup for your cold?

Chicken soup can help reduce your symptoms. Chicken contains a natural amino acid called cysteine, which can thin the mucus in your lungs and make it less sticky so you can expel it more easily.

Processed, canned soups won't work as well as the homemade version, however.
For best results, make up a fresh batch yourself (or ask a friend or family member to do so) and make the soup hot and spicy with plenty of pepper. The spices will trigger a sudden release of watery fluids in your mouth, throat, and lungs, which will help thin down the respiratory mucus so it's easier to cough up and expel.

Three Cold-Busting Lifestyle Strategies

Vitamin D, check! Hydrogen peroxide, check! Healthy diet, check!
We've covered several of the primary "weapons" you should have in your
cold-fighting arsenal, but there are others, too.
High-Quality Sleep, and Plenty of It

Pay attention to how you are sleeping. If you aren't getting enough sleep, or enough restorative sleep, you'll be at increased risk for a hostile viral takeover. Your immune system is also the most effective when you're not sleep-deprived, so the more rested you are the quicker you'll recover. You can find 33 secrets for a good night's sleep here.

Regular Exercise

Regular exercise is a crucial strategy for increasing your resistance to illness. There is evidence that regular, moderate exercise can reduce your risk for respiratory illness by boosting your immune system. In fact, one study found that people who exercised regularly (five or more days a week) cut their risk of having a cold by close to 50 percent. And, in the event they did catch a cold, their symptoms were much less severe than among those who did not exercise.

Exercise likely cuts your risk of colds so significantly because it triggers a rise in immune system cells that can attack any potential invaders. Each time you exercise you can benefit from this boost to your immune system.
Ideally, establish a regular fitness program, such as Peak Fitness, now, to help you ward off colds and other illness.

However, if you're already feeling sick don't overdo it.
Over-exercising can actually place more stress on your body, which can suppress your immune system -- and you don't want that either. You might just go for a walk if you are coming down with a cold, or simply tone down your regular workout.
Any rise in body temperature will be an unwelcome climate for a viral invader, though, so some exercise is likely to be beneficial.

Address Your Emotional Stress

Emotional stressors can also predispose you to an infection while making cold symptoms worse.
Finding ways to manage daily stress as well as your reactions to circumstances beyond your control will contribute to a strong and resilient immune system.
My favorite tool for this is the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), a system that helps balance your body's subtle energies and repair emotional "short-circuits." EFT may even help you overcome cold symptoms.

Supplements That Send Pathogens Packin'

Supplements can be beneficial for colds, but they should be used only as an adjunct to the lifestyle measures already discussed.
Some of the more helpful options for cold (and flu) -- above and beyond vitamin D -- are:
Vitamin C: A very potent antioxidant; use a natural form such as acerola, which contains associated micronutrients. You can take several grams every hour till you are better unless you start developing loose stools Oregano Oil: The higher the carvacrol concentration, the more effective it is. Carvacrol is the most active
antimicrobial agent in oregano oil. Propolis: A bee resin and one of the most
broad-spectrum antimicrobial compounds in the world; propolis is also the richest source of caffeic acid and apigenin, two very important compounds that aid in immune response and even fight cancer. A tea made from a combination of elderflower, yarrow, boneset, linden, peppermint and ginger; drink it hot and often for combating a cold or flu. It causes you to sweat, which is helpful for eradicating a virus from your system. Olive leaf extract: Ancient Egyptians and
Mediterranean cultures used it for a variety of health-promoting uses
and it is widely known as a natural, non-toxic immune system builder.

Remember This Tip: Wash Your Hands Sensibly

Washing your hands frequently is one of the easiest ways to wipe out germs and viruses and reduce your chances of becoming sickened by them. Thorough hand-washing truly is an important step, as you are at far greater risk of passing on an infection by shaking someone's hand than even by sharing a kiss.
One report even found that regular hand washing may be more effective than drugs in preventing the spread of respiratory viruses such as influenza.

When you wash up, plain soap and water will do. Do not make the mistake of using antibacterial cleansers, as their widespread use is leading to strains of resistant bacteria, or "superbugs," which cause the ingredients to lose effectiveness for the times when they really are needed, such as for surgeons prior to surgery.

Further, the active ingredient in most antibacterial products is triclosan, an antibacterial agent that kills bacteria and inhibits bacterial growth. But not only does triclosan kill bacteria, it also has been shown to kill human cells.

Antibacterial soaps are also no more effective than regular soaps. One study found people who used antibacterial soaps and cleansers developed a cough, runny nose, sore throat, fever, vomiting, diarrhea and other symptoms just as often as people who used products that did not contain antibacterial ingredients. So please avoid making the mistake of using antibacterial liquids and soaps.

Too Much Hand-Washing Can Backfire …

There is another important caveat to remember, and that is your skin is actually your primary defense against bacteria -- not the soap. So resist the urge to become obsessive about washing your hands. If you wash them too frequently you can actually extract many of the protective oils in your skin, which can cause your skin to crack and bleed.

It is rare for a germ on your skin to cause a problem -- it is typically only an issue when you transfer that to your nose, mouth or an open wound like cracked skin. So obsessive-compulsive washing can actually increase your risk of getting sick by providing an entryway for potentially dangerous pathogens.
So mild to moderate washing is wise, but excessive washing, especially with harsh soaps, will actually be highly counterproductive.

Avoid the Antibiotics!

More than 300 different viruses can cause colds, so each time you have a cold it is caused by a distinct virus (i.e. adenovirus, rhinovirus, parainfluenza virus, coronavirus). A virus is much smaller than a bacteria; it is a tiny cluster of genetic material surrounded by a protein wrapper.

There are currently NO drugs available that can kill these viruses. Antibiotics, including penicillin, do not have any effect on viruses, but unfortunately have been vastly over-prescribed for this very (useless) purpose. That, coupled with the excessive use of antibiotics in agriculture, has contributed to a steep rise in antibiotic-resistant diseases.

Antibiotic-resistant infections now claim more lives each year than the "modern plague" of AIDS, and cost the American health care system some $20 billion a year!

Further, according to one meta-analysis, the health risk from over-use of antibiotics is also a very personal one, as opposed to simply raising the occurrence of antibiotic resistance in the general population over time.

Whenever you use an antibiotic, you're increasing your susceptibility to developing infections with resistance to that antibiotic -- and you can become the carrier of this resistant bug, and spread it to others.

So please, if you have a simple cold remember that an antibiotic will do far more harm than good.

When Should You Call Your Physician?

Sinus, ear and lung infections (bronchitis and pneumonia) are examples of bacterial
infections that do respond to antibiotics. If you develop any of the following symptoms, these are signs you may be suffering from a bacterial infection rather than a cold virus, and you should call your physician's office:

Fever over 102 degrees Fahrenheit (38.9 degrees Celsius) Ear pain Pain around your eyes, especially with a green nasal discharge Shortness of breath or a persistent uncontrollable cough Persistently coughing up green and yellow sputum Generally speaking, however, if you have a cold medical care is not necessary. Rest and attention to the lifestyle factors noted above will help you to recover quickly and, if you stick to them, will significantly reduce your chances of catching another one anytime soon.

A Simple, Inexpensive Trick to Cure a Cold - Part 1

2010-11-24T10:18:00.001+08:00

Posted By
Dr. Mercola
November 22 2010

Each year Americans catch more than one billion colds, making the cold virus
the most common infectious disease in the United States. It accounts for more school absences and missed work than any other illness, and it's the number one reason people visit their physicians -- even though most physicians have little to offer in the form of treatment.

It's a widespread misconception that colds are caused by bacteria. Colds are actually triggered by a virus, which means if your physician prescribes you an antibiotic, it will be absolutely useless. More on this shortly, but before I delve into simple prevention and treatment strategies it's important you know how colds are contracted in the first place.

How Do You Catch a Cold?

The most common way cold viruses are spread is not from being around coughing or sneezing, or walking barefoot in the rain, but rather from hand-to-hand contact. For instance, someone with a cold blows their nose then shakes your hand or touches surfaces that you also touch. Cold viruses can live on pens, computer keyboards, coffee mugs and other objects for hours, so it's easy to come into contact with such
viruses during daily life.

However, the key to remember is that just being exposed to a cold virus does not have to mean that you'll catch a cold. If your immune system is operating at its peak, it should actually be quite easy for you to fend off the virus without ever getting sick.

If your immune system is impaired, on the other hand, it's akin to having an open-door policy for viruses; they'll easily take hold in your body. So the simple and short answer is, you catch a cold due to impairment in your immune system. There are many ways this can result, but the more common contributing factors are:
Eating too much sugar and too many grains Not getting enough rest Using insufficient strategies to address emotional stressors in your life Vitamin D deficiency, as discussed below

Any combination of the above

Vitamin D Deficiency: Another Reason You May "Catch" a Cold

It's estimated that the average U.S. adult typically has two to four colds each year, while children may have up to 12! One reason for the widespread prevalence may be that vitamin D deficiency is incredibly common in the United States, especially during the winter months when cold (and flu) viruses are at their peak.
Research has confirmed that "catching" colds and flu may actually be a symptom of an underlying vitamin D deficiency. Less than optimal vitamin D levels will significantly impair your immune response and make you far more susceptible to contracting colds, influenza, and other respiratory infections.

In the largest and most nationally representative study of its kind to date, involving about 19,000 Americans, people with the lowest vitamin D levels reported having significantly more recent colds or cases of the flu -- and the risk was even greater for those with chronic respiratory disorders like asthma.

At least five additional studies also show an inverse association between lower respiratory tract infections and vitamin D levels, and you can read about them in detail here. But the research is very clear, the higher your vitamin D level, the
lower your risk of contracting colds, flu, and other respiratory tract infections.
It's not surprising, then, that the average American gets so many colds each year, as current guidelines for optimal intake and normal vitamin D levels are far too low -- and since most people do not get adequate sun exposure on a daily basis (which is what produces vitamin D in your skin) many are deficient. I strongly believe you could avoid colds and influenza entirely by maintaining your vitamin D level in the optimal range.

How Long Do Colds Last … and How Can You Make Your Cold Go Away Faster?

Most uncomplicated colds last between eight and nine days, but about 25 percent last two weeks, and 5-10 percent last three weeks. Even the most stubborn colds will typically resolve in a few weeks' time; this is actually one of the ways you can distinguish a cold from allergies. A cold will last, at most, a few weeks, but allergy symptoms can last all season. How quickly you bounce back is typically defined by you and your collective lifestyle habits -- and this does not mean popping over-the-counter cough and cold remedies or fever reducers. In fact, as long as your temperature remains below 102 degrees Fahrenheit (38.9 degrees Celsius) there is no need to lower it.
Cold viruses do not reproduce at higher body temperatures, so a slight fever should help you get rid of the virus quicker and help you to feel better much sooner.
You should avoid taking over-the-counter pain-relief medications as well, as a study showed that people who take aspirin and Tylenol (acetaminophen) suppress their body's ability to produce antibodies to destroy the cold virus. Aspirin has even been linked to lung complications including pulmonary edema, an abnormal build up of fluid in your lungs, when taken in excess.

You should only use these medications when absolutely necessary, such as if you have a temperature greater than 105 degrees F (40.5 degrees C), severe muscle aches or weakness.

Hydrogen Peroxide: A Simple Trick to Beat a Cold

I don't advise over-the-counter medications, but one simple treatment you can try that is surprisingly effective against upper respiratory infections is hydrogen peroxide.

Many patients at my Natural Health Center have had remarkable results in curing colds and flu within 12 to 14 hours when administering a few drops of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) into each ear. You will hear some bubbling, which is completely normal, and possibly feel a slight stinging sensation.

Wait until the bubbling and stinging subside (usually 5 to 10 minutes), then drain onto a tissue and repeat with the other ear. A bottle of hydrogen peroxide in 3 percent solution is available at any drug store for a couple of dollars or less. It is simply amazing how many people respond to this simple, inexpensive treatment.

So What Else Can You do to Recover From a Cold, Quicker … and Prevent One in the First Place?

As I said above, the number one way to conquer a cold (or flu) is vitamin D. Vitamin D is an amazingly effective antimicrobial agent, producing 200 to 300 different antimicrobial peptides in your body that kill bacteria, viruses and fungi. So optimizing your levels will not only help send a cold virus packing … it will help ward off cold viruses in the first place.

The best source for vitamin D is direct sun exposure. But for many of us, this just isn't practical during the winter. The next best option to sunlight is the use of a safe indoor tanning device. If neither natural nor artificial sunlight is an option, then using oral vitamin D3 supplements is your best bet.

Based on the latest research, many experts now agree you need about 35 IU's of vitamin D per pound of body weight. This recommendation also includes children, the elderly and pregnant women. However, keep in mind that vitamin D requirements are highly individual, as your vitamin D status is dependent on numerous factors, such as the color of your skin, your location, and how much sunshine you're exposed to on a regular basis. So, although these recommendations may put you closer to the ballpark of what most people likely need, it is simply impossible to make a blanket recommendation that will cover everyone's needs.

The only way to determine your optimal dose is to get your blood tested. Ideally, you'll want to maintain a vitamin D level of 50-65 ng/ml year-round.
For an in-depth explanation of everything you need to know before you get tested, please read my latest updates in Test Values and Treatment for Vitamin D Deficiency.