MikeLigalig.com

A VERY  INTERESTING  CONVERSATION

An Atheist Professor of Philosophy was speaking to his Class on the Problem Science has
with GOD, the ALMIGHTY.  He asked one of his New Christian Students to stand and . . .
 
Professor :   You are a Christian, aren't you, son ?
Student    :   Yes, sir.
Professor :    So, you Believe in GOD ?
Student    :   Absolutely, sir.
Professor :    Is GOD Good ?
Student    :    Sure.
Professor :    Is GOD ALL - POWERFUL ?
Student    :    Yes.
Professor :    My Brother died of Cancer even though he Prayed to  GOD to Heal him.
                   Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill.
                   But GOD didn't. How is this GOD good then? Hmm?
(Student was silent )

Professor :   You can't answer, can you ?  Let's start again, Young Fella.
                 Is GOD Good?
Student    :   Yes.
Professor :   Is Satan good ?
Student    :   No.
Professor :   Where does Satan come from ?
Student    :   From . . . GOD . .. .
Professor :   That's right.  Tell me son, is there evil in this World?
Student    :   Yes.
Professor :    Evil is everywhere, isn't it ? And GOD did make everything. Correct?
Student    :   Yes.
Professor :   So who created evil ?
(Student did not answer)

Professor :   Is there Sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness?
                  All these terrible things exist in the World, don't they?
Student    :  Yes, sir.
Professor :   So, who Created them ?
(Student had no answer)

Professor :  Science says you have 5 Senses you use to Identify and Observe the World around you..
                 Tell me, son . . . Have you ever Seen GOD?
Student    :  No, sir.
Professor   :  Tell us if you have ever Heard your GOD?
Student    :  No , sir.
Professor :   Have you ever Felt your GOD, Tasted your GOD, Smelt your GOD?
              Have you ever had any Sensory Perception of GOD for that matter?
Student    :   No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.
Professor :   Yet you still Believe in HIM?
Student    :  Yes.
Professor :   According to Empirical, Testable, Demonstrable Protocol,
                 Science says your GOD doesn't exist.  What do you say to that, son?
Student    :  Nothing..  I only have my Faith.
Professor :  Yes,Faith.  And that is the Problem Science has.

Student    :   Professor, is there such a thing as Heat?
Professor :   Yes.
Student    :   And is there such a thing as Cold?
Professor :   Yes.
Student   :   No, sir. There isn't.
(The Lecture Theatre became very quiet with this turn of events )

Student    :   Sir, you can have Lots of Heat, even More Heat, Superheat, Mega Heat, White Heat,
                  a Little Heat or No Heat.
                  But we don't have anything called Cold.
                  We can hit 458 Degrees below Zero which is No Heat, but we can't go any further after that.
                  There is no such thing as Cold.
                  Cold is only a Word we use to describe the Absence of Heat.
                  We cannot Measure Cold.
                  Heat is Energy.
                  Cold is Not the Opposite of Heat, sir, just the Absence of it.
(There was Pin-Drop Silence in the Lecture Theatre )

Student    :  What about Darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as Darkness?
Professor :  Yes. What is Night if there isn't Darkness?
Student    :  You're wrong again, sir.
                  Darkness is the Absence of Something
                  You can have Low Light,   Normal Light, Bright Light, Flashing Light . . .
                  But if you have No Light constantly, you have nothing and its called Darkness, isn't it?
                  In reality, Darkness isn't.
                  If it is, were you would be able to make Darkness Darker, wouldn't you?
Professor :   So what is the point you are making, Young Man ?
Student   :   Sir, my point is your Philosophical Premise is flawed.
Professor :   Flawed ? Can you explain how?
Student    :   Sir, you are working on the Premise of Duality.
                  You argue there is Life and then there is Death, a Good GOD and a Bad GOD.
                  You are viewing the Concept of GOD as something finite, something we can measure.
                  Sir, Science can't even explain a Thought.
                         It uses Electricity and Magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one.
                  To view Death as the Opposite of Life is to be ignorant of the fact that
                  Death cannot exist as a Substantive Thing.   
                  Death is Not the Opposite of Life: just the Absence of it.
                  Now tell me, Professor, do you teach your Students that they evolved from a Monkey?
Professor :   If you are referring to the Natural Evolutionary Process, yes, of course, I do.
Student    :   Have you ever observed Evolution with your own eyes, sir?
(The Professor shook his head with a Smile, beginning to realize where the Argument was going )

Student    :   Since no one has ever observed the Process of Evolution at work and
                  Cannot even prove that this Process is an On-Going Endeavor,
                  Are you not teaching your Opinion, sir?
                  Are you not a Scientist but a Preacher?
(The Class was in Uproar )

Student    :  Is there anyone in the Class who has ever seen the Professor's Brain?
(The Class broke out into Laughter )

Student    :  Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor's Brain, Felt it, touched or Smelt it? . . .
                 No one appears to have done so.   
                 So, according to the Established Rules of Empirical, Stable, Demonstrable Protocol,
                Science says that You have No Brain, sir.
                 With all due respect, sir, how do we then Trust your Lectures, sir?
(The Room was Silent.. The Professor stared at the Student, his face unfathomable)

Professor :   I guess you'll have to take them on Faith, son.
Student    :  That is it sir . . .  Exactly !
                 The Link between Man & GOD is FAITH.
                 That is all that Keeps Things Alive and Moving.

NB:

That student was Albert Einstein.
Concentrate on this sentence
 
'To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did' When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better. Concentrate on this sentence..... 'The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.'

Popcorn a day keeps the doctor away By Richard Alleyne, The Telegraph Group Limited, London 2009
Published: August 19, 2009, 23:24


London: It has been the guilty treat enjoyed by cinema-goers for generations. But US scientists have discovered that popcorn contains the same amount of healthy antioxidants as fruit and vegetables because it is a whole-grain food.

Such foods are made using grains that have not been refined to remove the bran and germ and are known to bring health benefits because of the fibre in them.

Scientists are reassessing their effectiveness and think it might be polyphenols, which act as antioxidants by removing damaging free radicals from the body, that are the main health-giving ingredient.

Researchers at the University of Scranton, Pennsylvania, found that whole-grain products had comparable anti-oxidants per gram to fruits and vegetables.

"Early researchers thought that the fibre was the active ingredient for benefits in whole-grains, the reason why they may reduce the risk of cancer and coronary heart disease," Joe Vinson, who led the new study, said. "But recently, polyphenols emerged as potentially more important.

"We were surprised by the levels of polyphenols we found in popcorn.

"I guess its because it's not processed. You get all the wonderful ingredients of the corn undiluted and protected by the skin. In my opinion it's a good health food."

Dr Vinson added that a cup of popcorn contained around as many polyphenols as an apple. He said cereals such as granola were also good.

Are you a popcorn addict? Which is the one food item you wish was not fattening?

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=13&section=0&article=110923&d=16&m=6&y=2008

 
Imagine a world without Filipinos
Abdullah Al-Maghlooth | Al-Watan, almaghlooth@alwatan.com.sa
 
Muhammad Al-Maghrabi became handicapped and shut down his flower and gifts shop business in Jeddah after his Filipino workers insisted on leaving and returning home. He says: “When they left, I felt as if I had lost my arms. I was so sad that I lost my appetite.”

Al-Maghrabi then flew to Manila to look for two other Filipino workers to replace the ones who had left. Previously, he had tried workers of different nationalities but they did not impress him. “There is no comparison between Filipinos and others,” he says. Whenever I see Filipinos working in the Kingdom, I wonder what our life would be without them.

Saudi Arabia has the largest number of Filipino workers â€" 1,019,577 â€" outside the Philippines. In 2006 alone, the Kingdom recruited more than 223,000 workers from the Philippines and their numbers are still increasing. Filipinos not only play an important and effective role in the Kingdom, they also perform different jobs in countries across the world, including working as sailors. They are known for their professionalism and the quality of their work.

Nobody here can think of a life without Filipinos, who make up around 20 percent of the world’s seafarers. There are 1.2 million Filipino sailors.

So if Filipinos decided one day to stop working or go on strike for any reason, who would transport oil, food and heavy equipment across the world? We can only imagine the disaster that would happen.

What makes Filipinos unique is their ability to speak very good English and the technical training they receive in the early stages of their education. There are several specialized training institutes in the Philippines, including those specializing in engineering and road maintenance. This training background makes them highly competent in these vital areas.

When speaking about the Philippines, we should not forget Filipino nurses. They are some 23 percent of the world’s total number of nurses. The Philippines is home to over 190 accredited nursing colleges and institutes, from which some 9,000 nurses graduate each year. Many of them work abroad in countries such as the US, the UK, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Singapore.

Cathy Ann, a 35-year-old Filipino nurse who has been working in the Kingdom for the last five years and before that in Singapore, said she does not feel homesick abroad because “I am surrounded by my compatriots everywhere.” Ann thinks that early training allows Filipinos to excel in nursing and other vocations. She started learning this profession at the age of four as her aunt, a nurse, used to take her to hospital and ask her to watch the work. “She used to kiss me whenever I learned a new thing. At the age of 11, I could do a lot. I began doing things like measuring my grandfather’s blood pressure and giving my mother her insulin injections,” she said.

This type of early education system is lacking in the Kingdom. Many of our children reach the university stage without learning anything except boredom.

The Philippines, which you can barely see on the map, is a very effective country thanks to its people. It has the ability to influence the entire world economy.

We should pay respect to Filipino workers, not only by employing them but also by learning from their valuable experiences.

We should learn and educate our children on how to operate and maintain ships and oil tankers, as well as planning and nursing and how to achieve perfection in our work. This is a must so that we do not become like Muhammad Al-Maghrabi who lost his interest and appetite when Filipino workers left his flower shop.

We have to remember that we are very much dependent on the Filipinos around us. We could die a slow death if they chose to leave us.

PHILIPPINE BAR EXAM TRIVIA

Some interesting Philippine Bar trivia

The first ever bar exams was held in 1901, with 11 examinees taking the test. Acing it was former President Manuel Roxas.

The 2001 Bar Exams had the highest ever passing rate with 1,266 out of the 3,849 total examinees making the grade or passing gate of almost 32.89 percent.

The 1999 Bar Exams can be considered as the most deadly for law examinees as it only produced 660 lawyers or a passing rate of only 16.59 percent.

The 2007 Bar Exams would have been the all time low in terms of passing had not its chairman, Associate Justice Adolfo Azcuna, lowered the passing rate to 70 percent..

The reduction in the passing rate was ordered by Justice Azcuna as only 5 percent (only around 300) of the 5,626 who took the 2007 Bar Exams got the passing grade of 75 percent.

Thus the SC adjusted the standard to 70 percent and the disqualification rate in 3 subjects (civil, labor and criminal law) from 50 to 45 percent thus resulting in a 22.91 passing rate or survival of 1,289 lawyer examinees.

This reduction in the passing grade is highly unusual as it only happened once in the 1981 Bar Exams when the passing grade was lowered to 72.5 percent

Prior to 1982, the passing mark jumped unpredictably from year to year: 69.45 percent in 1946; 69 in 1947; 70 in 1948, 1963, 1972 and 1974; 71 in 1961; 71.5 in 1953, 1964 and 1965; 72 in 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960 and 1967; 72.5 in 1954, 1962 and 1981; 73 in 1950, 1956, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1975, 1978 and 1980; 73.5 in 1955 and 1979; 74 in 1949, 1951, 1952, 1966, 1971, 1973 and 1977; and 74.5 in 1976.

In 1954, the SC lowered the passing grade to 72.5 percent, even if the passing percentage was already at its highest at 75.17 percent.

In 1999, moves to lower the passing grade to 74 percent failed, after Justice Fidel Purisima, bar committee chairman, failed to disclose that his nephew took the examination. He was censured and his honoraria was reduced to half.

High passing rates marked the post World War II years with grades ranging from 56 to 72 percent.

But that state of things was not to last long as Associate Justice J.B.L. Reyes, a noted scholar, was appointed Chairman of the 1955 Bar Examinations in which the passing rate for that year dropped dramatically to 26.8 percent with a mortality rate of 73.2 percent. That ratio has been invariably maintained in the past 52 years or more.

The only two bar examinees to top the bar exams without graduating from any Philippine law school were former senator Jose Diokno, who tied for first place in the 1945 Bar with former senator Jovito Salonga, and retired Supreme Court (SC) Associate Justice Carolina C. Griño-Aquino, who chaired the three-man investigating panel looking into the Court of Appeals (CA) impropriety and bribery controversy. She who was the first placer in the 1950 Bar Exams.

The 2005 Bar exams marked the first time that the “five-strike” rule was enforced. The “five-strike” rule limits to five the maximum number of times a candidate may take the examinations.

It was also this year that the three-failure rule was also implemented which requires a three time flunker to retake fourth year review classes and pass before retaking the bar exams.

Among all bar topnotchers, former Supreme Court Associate Justice Florenz D. Regalado holds the highest grade of 96.7 percent in 1954. Former senator Tecla San Andres-Ziga became the first woman to top the bar with a score of 89.4 percent in 1930.

The Philippine President who got the highest score as a topnotcher was Ferdinand Marcos with 92.35 percent average in 1939.

In 1945, Jovito Salonga and Jose W. Diokno tied the highest score of 95.3 percent. The only other instance of a tie at first place of the bar exams was when Edwin Enrile (salutatorian of his Ateneo Law School class) and Florin Hilbay (an honor student of the UP College of Law) both garnered the same score in 1999.

Ateneo Law School's Mercedita L. Ona, got the lowest passing grade of 83.55% in 2007, which erased the prior record of 84.10 percent, obtained by Adolfo Brillantes of Escuela de Derecho de Manila (now Manila Law College Foundation) in 1920.

No bar examinee has ever reached a 100 percent general average, but several bar examinees have garnered perfect and near-perfect grades in specific bar subjects.

In 1949, Anacleto C. Mañgaser of the Philippine Law School earned 100% in Mercantile Law, and placed 1st in the bar exams of that year. His average of 95.85% broke all prior records before it was bested by Florenz Regalado in 1954.

In 1953, Senator Juan Ponce Enrile of the University of the Philippines College of Law earned 100 percent in Taxation Law and placed 11th in the bar exams of that year.

In 1955, incumbent Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Raul Gonzalez of the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law earned 99 percent in Remedial Law and 95 percent in International Law. However, he did not make it to the top 10.

In 1997, Maria Celia H. Fernandez of the University of the Philippines College of Law earned 100 percent in Legal Ethics and emerged as the year's bar topnotcher.

In 2001, Rodolfo Ma. A. Ponferrada, that year's valedictorian of the University of the Philippines College of Law obtained perfect scores of 100 percent in Remedial Law, the highest weighted of the bar subjects, as well as Criminal Law. The difference (3.75 percent) between his final bar examination score (93.80 percent) and that of the second-placer, Jesus Paolo U. Protacio (90.05 percent), that year's valedictorian of the Ateneo de Manila Law School, is the highest of all time. That year's valedictorian of the San Beda College of Law, Adonis V. Gabriel, placed 8th (88.25 percent). This 3.75 percent difference eclipsed the previous highest difference of 2.10 percent registered in 1966 when Roberto V. San Jose (valedictorian of the UP College of Law) garnered a grade of 90.6 percent versus the 88.5 percent of the tied second placers, Ruben F. Balane (salutatorian of the UP College of Law) and Pablo S. Trillana III (valedictorian of the San Beda College of Law).

In 2005, Gladys V. Gervacio of the University of Perpetual Help-Rizal earned 100 percent in two bar subjects -- Legal Ethics and Labor Law. She placed 6th in the bar exams of that year.

All throughout the bar exams history, only 12 law schools managed to produce 1st placers in the bar examinations.

The University of the Philippines College of Law has the most number of bar topnotchers with 49 topping the exam, followed by Ateneo de Manila Law School with 19, Philippine Law School and San Beda College of Law with 6, University of Manila College of Law with 4 bar, Far Eastern University Institute of Law and University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law with 3 bar, University of the Cordilleras (formerly Baguio Colleges Foundation) College of Law and Manuel L. Quezon University College of Law with 2, Manila Law College Foundation (formerly Escuela de Derecho de Manila), Divine Word College and the University of the East College of Law with one bar topnotcher each.

http://www.dubai-architecture.info/DUB-GAL1.htm