Topics - Lorenzo

#1

Music and Video / Semisonic - Closing Time HD

December 17, 2014, 06:13:21 AM

Love this song...so much.

Such a sentimental tune....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhRfT9iHbKw

"...Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.."

#2

Music and Video / Passion Pit: To Kingdom Come

December 17, 2014, 06:07:40 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xh0ueJN5rvA

#3

Music and Video / Owl City: Tokyo

December 17, 2014, 05:59:30 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsFeOaZsYzo

#4

Music and Video / You'll be in my heart [piano rendition]

October 31, 2014, 01:09:00 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ju2Q9qujEo8#ws

Para nimo Nanay Millie, Lolo Ciano. Love you both.

#5

European Union EU / French snipers

May 28, 2014, 12:19:52 PM

hmmm,

#6

Asia | Middle East / Narendra Modi of India

May 28, 2014, 11:15:09 AM

#7

LGU Philippines / Pros and Cons of War with The Philippines

May 28, 2014, 10:43:03 AM

I still remember very clearly sitting in a contemporary issues class during my senior year of high school in early 2003. To spark a discussion, the teacher asked who supported the imminent US invasion of Iraq. All 25 of the students raised their hands except two â€" myself, and a German exchange student.

The others listed plenty of reasons for their support: Saddam was a mad man, he was building weapons of mass destruction, heâ€™d killed his own people and he may have had a hand in 9/11. I wouldnâ€™t have been so bothered if Iâ€™d felt those were the real motives for nearly the entire class wanting war. But the flimsy and uninformed way many of them made their arguments suggested those reasons were just convenient excuses they were all too happy to latch on to. Quite simply, we had a badass military and it feels good to watch your country flex its muscles â€" especially when you have almost no chance of being personally affected by the collateral damage.

#8

Talk of the Town / Will China use military power instead of soft power?

May 28, 2014, 02:39:21 AM

by Richard Javad Heydarian

â€œWill China invade its neighbors?â€ This is a question I tend to be bombarded with whenever I present lectures or attend talks on East Asian affairs. From Tehran to Tokyo, one can sense the growing anxiety towards Chinaâ€™s international influence. People are beginning to pay more attention to Chinaâ€™s military budget than its trade and investment relations with the developing world.

#9

Talk of the Town / China conducts massive 'island reclamation' military exercise

May 28, 2014, 02:28:34 AM

PLAAN & PLA conducted a large military exercise focusing on the PLAAN's ability to eject 'foreign' occupying forces of Chinese islands in the South China Sea:

#10

Talk of the Town / People's Liberation Army Navy: China's South Sea Fleet

May 28, 2014, 02:22:47 AM

#11

Talk of the Town / "Moneyball-ing" the Philippines' Defense Architecture

May 28, 2014, 02:19:46 AM

Prepared by: Felix K Chang

The ongoing standoff between China and the Philippines in the disputed waters around Scarborough Shoal should serve as a wakeup call for Manila to reassess its external defenses. Since Chinese government ships blocked Philippine authorities from arresting Chinese fishermen accused of illegal activities near the shoal in April, the standoff has fluctuated in its intensity. But it is clear to most observers that if China chose to use force to settle the standoff, the Philippine armed forces could offer scant resistance. Its navy has no ships equipped with anti-ship cruise missiles or any defenses against them; and its air force has no jet combat aircraft left in its inventory.

In contrast, after a two-decade modernization, the Chinese navy has become a formidable power in the South China Sea. While its anti-submarine warfare capabilities may still lag, the navy has greatly improved its capacity to defeat surface combatants. Its ships and submarines are now armed with advanced anti-ship cruise missiles and over-the-horizon targeting systems. At the same time, it has markedly enhanced its ability to protect its ships at sea with better shipboard anti-air missile defenses, long-range Su-30MK2 fighters, and by the end of 2012 its first aircraft carrier. Beyond that, Chinaâ€™s Second Artillery Corps can project or, more accurately, hurl power from Chinese shores with an array of conventional ballistic missiles that no Southeast Asian country can effectively counter.

Hence, the Philippines would find it hard to resist China militarily, even in waters close to the Philippine coast. That has led Manila not only to lean heavily on its defense relationship with the United States but to fund serious investments in its armed forces for the first time in decades to create a credible external defense capacity. As part of that effort, it has focused on procurement of surplus American arms and economical combat systems from other countries, in recognition of its still-constrained defense budget.

Even so, the sort of equipment, manning, and skills that the Philippine military can afford to acquire and maintain preclude the development of a force that can directly challenge Chinaâ€™s burgeoning sea powerâ€"which includes not only modern aircraft, ships, and submarines, but also a growing naval base at Yalong Bay on Hainan Island from which its navy can quickly surge forces to South China Sea flashpoints. Consequently, like the 2002 Oakland Athletics whose revenue-strapped management adopted an unconventional approach to achieve a winning baseball season, the Philippine government would be wise to seriously consider an asymmetric design for its external defense architecture that takes full advantage of its geographic proximity to the contested waters.

The Philippine island of Luzon is only 240 km from Scarborough Shoal, and Palawan Island lies 450 km from even the most distant Philippine claims in the Spratly group. From Luzon and Palawan, mobile land-based anti-ship cruise missiles could cover most of the disputed waters surrounding these islands. Such missiles include Americaâ€™s RGM-84L Harpoon, Indiaâ€™s BrahMos, and Russiaâ€™s P-800 Yakhont. Denmark, Egypt, South Korea, and a small number of other countries have long used RGM-84 anti-ship cruise missiles as part of their coastal defenses; and Vietnam recently ordered two batteries of P-800 missiles to protect its South China Sea claims. Four batteries of such anti-ship missiles mounted on wheeled or tracked vehicles and dispersed along Palawanâ€™s long road network could satisfy the Philippinesâ€™ need to deliver the massed firepower that could penetrate Chinese naval defenses. Moreover, their mobility would reduce the possibility that China could suppress them with either air or ballistic missile strikes.

With such an external defense architecture, the Philippine armed forces could deliver the same amount of ordinance against a maritime adversary as a more expensive traditional approach that relies on strike aircraft and ships. That is because in the air only a portion of Philippine strike aircraft could be committed to an attack against a Chinese naval force, given that a number of them would first need to suppress the forceâ€™s air cover. Meanwhile, at sea Philippine warships would have to risk becoming potential casualties to Chinese anti-ship cruise missiles before they could even launch their own attack. Finally, whatever losses Philippine forces would suffer in their first strike would reduce their capacity to mount a full second strike. Thus, without an adequate number of combat platforms, it is doubtful whether the Philippine military could overcome the defenses of a Chinese naval force with a traditional approach.

A coastal defense approach could not only cover the Scarborough Shoal area, but also better ensure the safety of the vital Malampaya Natural Gas and Power Project, which supplies nearly half of Luzonâ€™s electricity. Though the most distant Philippine-claimed areas would fall outside the maximum range of current land-based systems, their lower procurement and maintenance costs would allow the Philippine military to program for later procurement of longer-range systems as they become more affordable.

A detailed financial comparison of these two external defense approaches clearly demonstrates that a traditional approach would cost over 50 percent more to procure than one focused on mobile land-based missiles. The former would require modern strike aircraft and stealthy oceanic patrol vessels. Even if the Philippines were to acquire less-expensive kit than its usual American equipment, it would still need a more complex infrastructure in terms of skills and equipment to accommodate them[2]. These costs could total as much as $3.8 billion to procure. In contrast, an asymmetric approach that principally relies on land-based cruise missile batteries, supported by a mixture of land-based MIM-104 Patriot PAC-2 and MIM-120 NASAMS air defense systems, and a smaller complement of air superiority fighters and cutters would cost only about $2.4 billion.

Both external defense approaches that were modeled have the potential to launch 96 AGM/RGM-84L in two strikes against ships at sea. But a coastal defense approach could do so at an acquisition cost one-third lower than a traditional one. That becomes even clearer after considering the losses that a traditional force could sustain to deliver its first strike, whereas a coastal defense force would remain largely intact to deliver a full second strike. Better still, a coastal defense force likely would require a smaller budget to procure, operate, and maintain, since the Philippine armed forces would not have to develop a wholly new infrastructure to accommodate the more technically complex combat systems. Rather, it could build upon the skills that already exist in the Philippine armed forces, such as aviation assets based around the S-70 helicopter platform.

Indeed, the Philippines must also weigh the long-term operational and maintenance costs that it would have to bear to sustain a certain level of operational readiness for its air and naval forces. Since many of Chinaâ€™s past military actions in the South China Sea have been unanticipated, one could argue that the Philippines should maintain a higher state of operational readiness, especially for a smaller defensive force. But a high level of operational readiness carries with it a higher financial burden to ensure that equipment is combat-ready and personnel are adequately trained and available for immediate deployment. To maintain such a high readiness, a traditional force of strike aircraft and ships would likely cost more than a coastal defense force of land-based batteries and helicopters whose operation requires far fewer personnel and equipment that involves tracked carriers or trucks with missile canisters.

While the Philippine government has begun to make more resources available to its armed forces as Chinese assertiveness has increased in the South China Sea, that increased funding may not last, given the countryâ€™s many other pressing priorities. So the Philippine military must use its new budgetary authority with care and foresight. Certainly after decades of neglect, the Philippine air force and navy may have service-centric wish lists that have long gone unfilled. But hastily gorging on large purchases may be militarily and fiscally risky in the long run, especially if the new acquisitions prove costly to maintain and preclude the later procurement of other beneficial capabilities.

The Philippine governmentâ€™s new capabilities-based defense budgeting process offers it an opportunity to create an effective external defense force. Ultimately, such a force is necessary for the Philippines to maintain its maritime claims in the contested waters of the South China Sea. Even if never used, it provides Manila with the leverage to enter into territorial negotiations from a position of greater strength rather than relative weakness. Otherwise, the Philippines will remain reliant on the benevolence of outside powers, like Japan and the United States, whose support is important but whose ability or willingness to intervene may not materialize when needed.

As envisioned, the Philippines could build a capable yet affordable external defense force by eschewing a traditional kit of strike aircraft and ships, and instead pursue an architecture designed around mobile coastal defense batteries equipped with long-range anti-ship missiles and protected by an integrated air defense umbrella. Such an externally strategic defense concept would allow Philippine forces to create a credible deterrent in the South China Sea with lower procurement, maintenance, and operational readiness costs than a traditional force would require. Those lower operating costs would help ensure the sustainability of the Philippinesâ€™ newly acquired combat capabilities long into the future.

#12

Poems and Poets / For the Man with the Erection Lasting More than Four Hours

May 23, 2014, 09:19:56 AM

by: John Hodgen

Heâ€™s supposed to call his doctor, but for now heâ€™s the May King with his own Maypole.
Heâ€™s hallelujah. Heâ€™s glory hole. The world has more women than he can shake a stick
at. The world is his brickbat, no conscience to prick at, all of us Germans he can ich
lieber dich at. Heâ€™s Dick and Jane. Heâ€™s Citizen Kane. Heâ€™s Bob Dole.
Heâ€™s Peter the Great. Heâ€™s a czar. Heâ€™s a clown car with an extra car.
Funiculi, Funicula. Heâ€™s an organ donor. He works pro boner. Heâ€™s folderol.
Heâ€™s fiddlesticks. Heâ€™s the light left on at Motel 6. Heâ€™s free-for-alls.
Heâ€™s Viagra Falls. Heâ€™s bangers and mash. Heâ€™s balderdash. Heâ€™s a wanker.
Heâ€™s got his own anchor. Heâ€™s whack-a-doodle. King Canoodle. Heâ€™s a pirate, Long John
Silver, walking his own plank. He has science to thank. Heâ€™s in like Flynn. Heâ€™s Gunga Din,
holding his breath, cock of the walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Heâ€™s Icarus,
hickory dickorous, the mouse run up the clock. Heâ€™s shock and awe. Heâ€™s Arkansas.
Heâ€™s the package, the deal, the Good Housekeeping Seal. Heâ€™s Johnson and Johnson.
Heâ€™s a god now, the talk of the town. Heâ€™s got no place to go but down.

#13

Poems and Poets / Why I Am Not a Buddhist

May 23, 2014, 09:18:17 AM

Charles Bernstein, 1960

Reality cons me as it spur(n)s me.
This is the road to eternal
Consanguinity, eloping with
Hope and leaving me to pick
Up the proverbial bag.
But thatâ€™s the argument for.

#14

Poems and Poets / Leaving and Coming Back

May 23, 2014, 09:16:18 AM

by: Marilyn Hacker, 1942

August First: it was a year ago
we drove down from St.-Guilhem-le-DÃ©sert
to open the house in St. Guiraud

rented unseen. Iâ€™d stay; youâ€™d go; thatâ€™s where
our paths diverged. Iâ€™d settle down to work,
youâ€™d start the next month of your Wanderjahr.

I turned the iron key in the rusted lock
(it came, like a detective-story clue,
in a manila envelope, postmarked

elsewhere, unmarked otherwise) while you
stood behind me in the midday heat.
Somnolent shudders marked our progress. Two

horses grazed on a roof across the street.
You didnâ€™t believe me until you turned around.
They were both old, one mottled gray, one white.

Past the kitchenâ€™s russet dark, we found
bookshelves on both sides of the fireplace:
Verlaine, Lâ€™Ã‰tranger, Notes from the Underground.

Through an archway, a fresh-plastered staircase
led steeply upward. In a white room stood
a white-clad brass bed. Sunlight in your face

came from the tree-filled window. â€œYou did good.â€
We laid crisp sheets we would inaugurate
that night, rescued from the grenier a wood-

en table we put under the window. Date
our homes from that one, to which you returned
the last week of August, on a late

bus, in shorts, like a crew-cut, sunburned
bidasse. Sunburned, in shorts, a new haircut,
with Auden and a racing pulse Iâ€™d earned

by â€œnot being sentimental about
you," I sprinted to â€œLa Populaire.â€
You walked into my arms when you got out.

At a two minute bus stop, who would care?
â€œLa Populaireâ€ puffed onward to Millau
while we hiked up to the hiatus where

weâ€™d left ourselves when you left St. Guiraud
after an unambiguous decade
of friendship, and some months of something new.

A long week before either of us said
a compromising word acknowledging
what happened every night in the brass bed

and every bird-heralded blue morning
was something we could claim and keep and use;
was, like the house, a place where we could bring

our road-worn, weary selves.
Now, weâ€™ve a pause
in a year we wouldnâ€™t have wagered on.
Dusk climbs the tiled roof opposite; the blueâ€™s

still sun-soaked; itâ€™s a week now since youâ€™ve gone
to be a daughter in the capital.
(I came north with you as far as Beaune.)

I cook things you donâ€™t like. Sometimes I fall
asleep, book open, one A.M., sometimes
I long for you all night in Provencal

or langue dâ€™oc, or wish I could, when Iâ€™m
too much awake. My early walk, my late
walk mark the dayâ€™s measures like rhyme.

(Thereâ€™s nothing I hate---perhaps I hate
the adipose deposits on my thighs
---as much as having to stay put and wait!)

Although a day alone cuts tight or lies
too limp sometimes, I know what I didnâ€™t know
a year ago, that makes it the right size:
owned certainty; perpetual surprise.

http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/k-j-leaving-and-coming-back

#15

History / 1979 Sino-Vietnamese War

May 22, 2014, 12:50:59 PM

China's relations with Vietnam began to deteriorate seriously in the mid-1970s. After Vietnam joined the Soviet-dominated Council for Mutual Economic Cooperation (Comecon) and signed the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation with the Soviet Union in 1978, China branded Vietnam the "Cuba of the East" and called the treaty a military alliance. Incidents along the Sino-Vietnamese border increased in frequency and violence. In December 1978 Vietnam invaded Cambodia, quickly ousted the pro-Beijing Pol Pot regime, and overran the country.

China's twenty-nine-day incursion into Vietnam in February 1979 was a response to what China considered to be a collection of provocative actions and policies on Hanoi's part. These included Vietnamese intimacy with the Soviet Union, mistreatment of ethnic Chinese living in Vietnam, hegemonistic "imperial dreams" in Southeast Asia, and spurning of Beijing's attempt to repatriate Chinese residents of Vietnam to China.

#16

History / The Battle of Manila

May 22, 2014, 12:29:47 PM

The Battle of Manila also known as the Liberation of Manila, fought from 3 February-3 March 1945 by American, Filipino, and Japanese forces, was part of the 1945 Philippine campaign. The one-month battle, which culminated in a terrible bloodbath and total devastation of the city, was the scene of the worst urban fighting in the Pacific theater, and ended almost three years of Japanese military occupation in the Philippines (1942â€"1945). The city's capture was marked as General Douglas MacArthur's key to victory in the campaign of reconquest.

#17

History / Japanese victory dance, Nanjing China

May 22, 2014, 12:12:50 PM

a morbid scene. a reminder of the war crimes committed by imperial soldiers.
over 200,000 Chinese civilians were killed by imperial soldiers.
to this day, there is no formal apology.

#18

Anonymous Diary Blog / Travel to Guangzhou, China

May 22, 2014, 11:56:45 AM

I'm preparing for my trip to Guangzhou sometime next year. As they say, the best way to prepare for a trip abroad is to do some research. I'm dedicating this thread on the sights, sounds, eats, etc of Guangzhou and surrounding areas.

#19

Music and Video / Fate [å§»ç¼˜]

May 22, 2014, 11:16:48 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtnJfOJGBUw#ws

#20

Tagbilaran City - Bohol / A Tagbilaran reunion with the Lucino-Ingles Family

May 22, 2014, 10:57:03 AM

This summer my father was able to have a small reunion with his side of the family; Lucino-Ingles Clan

#21

Valencia - Bohol / The beauty of family reunion

May 22, 2014, 10:47:41 AM

This past April, my mom and dad went back to the Philippines. It was a special occasion for my mom, who was able to have a reunion with her brothers and sister. Share pod ko diri.

From left to right: Mama Linda, Tita Pemia, Mommy Leste, Papa Romeo, Mommy, Daddy, Kuya Joseph, Uncle Jun, Tita Lerma, Ate Forlyn and Inday Katherine

#22

Music and Video / Dancing Song of the Yao Tribe

May 22, 2014, 10:40:01 AM

a traditional chinese song

ç'¶æ— èˆžæ›²

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtLrE1W9Pbw#

#23

Music and Video / Lionel Richie - Say you say me

May 22, 2014, 10:17:53 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=we0mk_J0zyc#

#24

Bible Study / Under the Cross , Euromaidan in Kieve, Ukraine

May 21, 2014, 11:18:45 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeDtJ21uIo0#ws

#25

Bible Study / Z namy Boh - God is with us (Ukrainian church chant)

May 21, 2014, 07:53:37 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pVCKV6Zzqc#ws

#26

Music and Video / Maroon 5 - Love Somebody

May 21, 2014, 03:07:38 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVFcHKDbnbc#ws

#27

Music and Video / Perry Como - And I Love You So

May 21, 2014, 12:23:54 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uyc6QyDaOBg#

#28

Music and Video / Caterina

May 21, 2014, 12:23:26 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hK9Ae9DsWuc#

#29

Music and Video / I say a little prayer

May 21, 2014, 12:20:33 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtBbyglq37E#

#30

Music and Video / Mibalik Ako

May 21, 2014, 12:06:49 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UllnsrlZDI0#ws

#31

Bible Study / Unfailing Novena to Our Lady Undoer of Knots

February 25, 2014, 03:23:03 PM

#32

Photos Unlimited / Chopstick Manners

February 24, 2014, 10:56:34 PM

#33

Photos Unlimited / ZhÅ«rÃ²u MÇxiÃ n

February 24, 2014, 10:53:29 PM

My favorite Chinese noodle dish!

#34

Photos Unlimited / Pho Tai Gan Sach

February 24, 2014, 10:51:58 PM

Yummy!

#35

Sports and Fitness / Vinyasa Yoga Flow

February 23, 2014, 12:16:19 AM

#36

Music and Video / Shepherd Me O God

February 16, 2014, 06:08:20 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GB8TElSFyA#ws

#37

Music and Video / Immaculate Mary

February 16, 2014, 06:07:47 PM

Beautiful song !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gy3-VRhNoAE#ws

#38

Jokes and Humor / Na sakitan kai wai sakitan

February 14, 2014, 12:06:48 PM

bwahahaha! by proxy diay ijang diagnosis.

#39

Jokes and Humor / One for you, and you, and you

February 14, 2014, 12:01:03 PM

bwahahahaha!

kulirez !

#40

Photos Unlimited / Cute girl and her pup

February 14, 2014, 11:58:01 AM

#41

Photos Unlimited / Unsa caption ani?

February 14, 2014, 11:51:53 AM

1. red riding hood and the wolf ?

#42

Photos Unlimited / Beautiful yet serious

February 14, 2014, 11:49:48 AM

#43

LGU Philippines / P5.3 billion allocated for Philippine Navy upgrade

February 13, 2014, 05:46:55 AM

MANILA, Philippines -- With the Philippine coastline placed at 36,289 kilometers (equivalent to 22,549 miles), it is only fitting that focus be given on the Philippine Navy's modernization.

Giving the necessary funds to the Navy to acquire modern and well-armed ships, helicopters and other aircraft will allow the PN to develop its capability to protect and monitor the country's territorial waters against intruders.

As of this writing, the Navy has been allocated P5.3 billion by the Aquino administration for its upgrade.

It has used the money in acquiring two Hamilton-class cutters, the BRP Gregorio Del Pilar (PF-15) in 2011 and the BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PF-16) in 2013 and the three AgustaWestland AW-109 "Power" helicopters, also last year.

From 2014 up to 2016, the PN is expecting the delivery of P6.4 billion worth of equipment, including the acquisition of two strategic sea-lift vessels, two armed versions of the AW-109s helicopters, and around 12 to 20 amphibious vehicles for the Philippine Marine Corps.

Navy spokesperson Lt. Cmdr. Gregory Fabic earlier said that they are very excited with the way things are going for the PN modernization.

With these equipment, he stressed that the Navy's maritime domain awareness capability has been greatly improved.

Another development being eagerly awaited by the PN is the ongoing bidding at the Department of National Defense for its two brand-new frigates whose contract price is placed at P18 billion.

The shape, size and capabilities of these ships will be determined once the workshop for qualified proponents starts this February.

This was revealed by DND Undersecretary Fernando Manalo.

"The workshop will allow the proponents to present their proposed specifications. The data/information that will be generated during the workshops will be used by the Navy in formulating the final TOR (terms of reference)," DND Undersecretary Fernando Manalo said.

Each proponent has a working week (around five days) to present its design to the PN technical working group and its private consultants.

As of this posting, only four shipbuilders have successfully passed the first stage of the bidding for the P18-billion frigate project.

These are Navantia Sepi (RTR Ventures) of Spain and South Korean firms STX Offshore & Shipbuilding, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. Ltd., and Hyundai Heavy Industries Inc.

The second phase involves the inspection of company eligibility documents.

Three other shipbuilding firms joined the bidding but the DND declared their documents to be deficient.

These companies, identified as Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd. of India, STX France SA and Thyssenkrupp Marine System, have filed a motion for reconsideration at the DND.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/80047/in-defense-of-ph-territory--p5-3-billion-allocated-for-philippine-navy-upgrade

#44

Photos Unlimited / Philippine Marines in Pag-asa Island

February 13, 2014, 03:06:36 AM

Pag-asa Island, the 2nd largest island in the Spratly's and occupied by the Republic of the Philippines.

#45

Photos Unlimited / Japanese Naval Power in the 21st Century

February 12, 2014, 10:30:09 PM

Japan's naval power projection capabilities are quite formidable. Despite its benign constitution, Japan has the capability to address any PLAN threat. If she changes her constitution to allow the nation to declare war and alter the limitations on military armament, Japan has the capability of becoming a major military power.

#46

Photos Unlimited / Chinese Carrier Battle Group's Military Exercises in West Philippine Sea

February 12, 2014, 02:45:17 PM

The PLAN's Carrier Battle Group headed by the LIAONING, its first nuclear super aircraft carrier and support ships, including destroyers, light cruisers, frigates, and submarines, made a show of force to ASEAN countries and the United States. The Carrier Battle Group performed deep within the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea).

#47

Photos Unlimited / Chinese Carrier Battle Group's Military Exercises in West Philippine Sea

February 12, 2014, 02:37:49 PM

The PLAN's Carrier Battle Group headed by the LIAONING, its first nuclear super aircraft carrier and support ships, including destroyers, light cruisers, frigates, and submarines, made a show of force to ASEAN countries and the United States. The Carrier Battle Group performed deep within the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea).

#48

Philippine Business News / Chinese Peoples Liberation Army Navy building 2nd super aircraft carrier

February 12, 2014, 02:26:39 PM

China building second aircraft carrier: reports

(Reuters) - China is building its second aircraft carrier, which is expected to take six years, and the country aims to have at least four such ships, Chinese and Hong Kong media reports said on Sunday.

After two decades of double-digit increases in the military budget, China's admirals plan to develop a full blue-water navy capable of defending growing economic interests as well as disputed territory in the South and East China Seas.

The country's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning - a Soviet-era ship bought from Ukraine in 1998 and re-fitted in a Chinese shipyard - has long been a symbol of China's naval build-up.

Successfully operating the 60,000-tonne Liaoning is the first step in what state media and some military experts believe will be the deployment of locally built carriers by 2020.

In comments carried on Chinese news websites, Wang Min, the Communist Party boss of the northeastern province of Liaoning, where the first carrier is based, said the second carrier was being built in the port city of Dalian.

Its construction would take about six years, and in future China would have a fleet of at least four carriers, Wang told members of the province's legislature on Saturday, the reports added.

Dalian is the port where the existing carrier was re-fitted for use by the Chinese navy.

Some of the reports about the new carrier were apparently latter removed from the Internet, as links to the stories did not work.

Hong Kong's South China Morning Post, citing unnamed military sources, said the reports may have been removed either because the government wanted the construction to be low profile or because Wang did not have the authority for such an announcement.

The Defense Ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

The Liaoning successfully executed more than 100 tests, including those of its combat systems, during drills in the disputed South China Sea last month.

The exercises off the coast of Hainan Island marked not only the first time China had sent a carrier into the South China Sea but the first time it had maneuvered with the kind of strike group of escort ships U.S. carriers deploy, according to regional military officers and analysts.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/01/19/us-china-carrier-idUSBREA0I02C20140119

#49

Philippine Business News / Navy realigns carrier fleet: Ronald Reagan to replace GW in Japan

February 12, 2014, 02:14:50 PM

US Navy's Super aircraft carrier, the USS Ronald Reagan

#50

Inspiration & Hope / Finding purpose through passion

February 09, 2014, 04:17:52 PM

#51

Inspiration & Hope / Love your parents

February 09, 2014, 04:14:51 PM

#52

Inspiration & Hope / Parents as God's Gift

February 09, 2014, 04:12:49 PM

#53

Inspiration & Hope / Please, don't forget to call your parents

February 07, 2014, 01:16:20 PM

#54

Music and Video / I Wish I Was In Dixie

February 04, 2014, 03:42:06 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-s51B66Sl4#ws

#55

Bible Study / The measure of love

February 03, 2014, 03:13:36 PM

The measure of our love is to love without measure.

- St. Francis de Sales

#56

Music and Video / Bastille - Pompeii

February 03, 2014, 03:05:35 PM

Bastille - Pompeii

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhRC3S1ZbUw#ws

#57

Bible Study / You will find strength despite the trials

January 27, 2014, 12:48:06 AM

â€œThe longer the trial to which God subjects you, the greater the goodness in comforting you during the time of the trial and in the exaltation after the combat.â€
â€• Padre Pio

#58

Bible Study / Have courage and take comfort

January 27, 2014, 12:46:49 AM

â€œHave courage and do not fear the assaults of the Devil. Remember this forever; it is a healthy sign if the devil shouts and roars around your conscience, since this shows that he is not inside your will.â€
â€• Padre Pio

#59

Bible Study / Don't worry

January 27, 2014, 12:45:56 AM

â€œPray, hope, and don't worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer.â€
â€• Padre Pio

#60

Bible Study / We walk by faith

January 04, 2014, 01:44:38 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=6hk_7EUvwv8

#61

Bible Study / Eye Has Not Seen

January 04, 2014, 01:43:11 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=rRyOS0nZr7s

#62

Photos Unlimited / All they want for Christmas is a kiss ?

December 18, 2013, 03:12:09 PM

#63

Inspiration & Hope / The little boy called SeÃ±or Santo NiÃ±o

December 17, 2013, 05:36:20 AM

Article written by: Liv G. Campo
Retrieved from: http://www.philstar.com/cebu-news/2013/01/18/898352/little-boy-called-senor-santo-nino

#64

Valencia - Bohol / The Santo Nino Parish Church of Valencia, Bohol

December 15, 2013, 06:45:32 AM

This picture was taken by Jay Marante.

Im sharing this here.

#65

Music and Video / "Let It Be" - The Beatles (Alex Goot + AJ Rafael cover)

December 14, 2013, 06:16:35 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3nkjxXTsJk#ws

#66

Music and Video / "What Makes You Beautiful"

December 14, 2013, 06:15:17 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfZ8aUutHNE#ws

#67

Music and Video / "Begin Again"

December 14, 2013, 06:09:52 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6O_6dIuI9c#ws

#68

Music and Video / "Torn" - Natalie Imbruglia (Alex Goot + Hannah Trigwell)

December 14, 2013, 06:08:39 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1YLhGSny1Y#ws

#69

Music and Video / "American Girl"

December 14, 2013, 06:07:49 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfBrxl4BKwI#ws

#70

Music and Video / Good Girls

December 14, 2013, 06:01:22 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTfg1I1YWLY#ws

#71

LGU Philippines / Lest we forget

December 14, 2013, 06:50:37 AM

#72

Photos Unlimited / Winter scarves

December 11, 2013, 03:19:49 PM

#73

Photos Unlimited / Winter slide

December 11, 2013, 03:18:34 PM

#74

Photos Unlimited / Winter shoes

December 11, 2013, 03:15:04 PM

#75

Inspiration & Hope / Mary Speaks From the Heart

December 11, 2013, 02:30:37 PM

The Annunciazione - Leonardo Da Vinci

#76

Music and Video / Howie Day - Collide

December 11, 2013, 02:28:45 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca9ub9rpNK4#

#77

Music and Video / Augustana - Boston

December 11, 2013, 02:25:06 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ASJBXu8tNo#ws

#78

Photos Unlimited / Christmas kiss

December 11, 2013, 02:19:36 PM

ah cute. he he !

#79

Music and Video / John Mayer - Clarity

December 11, 2013, 02:16:41 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3g9UHblfXM#

#80

Music and Video / Two Door Cinema Club - "Undercover Martyn"

December 11, 2013, 02:14:24 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iA9DlBSMQ4c#ws

#81

Music and Video / "Stereo Hearts"

December 11, 2013, 02:12:15 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkVB9CajX1M#ws

#82

Music and Video / "It Will Rain" - Bruno Mars Cover by Tanner Patrick

December 11, 2013, 02:10:50 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3lwo3FQe-A#ws

#83

Music and Video / "Last Christmas" Cover by Tanner Patrick

December 11, 2013, 01:58:27 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qa9XJEtAEt0#ws

#84

Bible Study / To Our Lady, Mother of Advent

December 11, 2013, 01:48:56 PM

To Our Lady, Mother of Advent O Mother of our Advent, be with us and see to it that he will remain with us in this difficult Advent of the struggles for truth and hope, for justice and peace: He, alone, Emmanuel.

#85

Bible Study / Advent Prayer

December 11, 2013, 01:47:38 PM

Come, long-expected Jesus. Excite in me a wonder at the wisdom and power of Your Father and ours. Receive my prayer as part of my service of the Lord who enlists me in God's own work for justice.

Come, long-expected Jesus. Excite in me a hunger for peace: peace in the world, peace in my home, peace in myself.

Come, long-expected Jesus. Excite in me a joy responsive to the Father's joy. I seek His will so I can serve with gladness, singing and love.

Come, long-expected Jesus. Excite in me the joy and love and peace it is right to bring to the manger of my Lord. Raise in me, too, sober reverence for the God who acted there, hearty gratitude for the life begun there, and spirited resolution to serve the Father and Son.

I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, whose advent I hail. Amen.

#86

Bible Study / Prayer For Daily Neglects

December 10, 2013, 11:10:12 AM

A Poor Clare sister who had just died, appeared to her
Abbess who was praying for her, and said to her: "I
went straight to heaven, for, by means of this prayer,
recited every evening, I paid all my debts."

#87

Bible Study / Prayer for All Mothers

December 10, 2013, 11:03:50 AM

O almighty and eternal God, Lord of both the living and the dead, Your tender mercy embraces all men foreknown to be Yours by faith and a good life. Through the intercession of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary our Mother, and of all the saints, grant Your merciful pardon to all mothers for whom we pray, whether they still are living in this world or have departed from this flesh into the world to come. Especially, dear Lord, grant the requests I now make of You for my own beloved mother.

Amen.

#88

Bible Study / The God of all patience

December 10, 2013, 11:02:18 AM

For all families, for families that are united, for families that are also having discord, for family members wishing for peace. Pray this prayer....

#89

Bible Study / The Prayer Stabat Mater Dolorosa

December 10, 2013, 10:50:00 AM

At the Cross her station keeping
Stood the mournful Mother weeping,
Close to Jesus to the last.

Through her Heart, His sorrow sharing,
All His bitter anguish bearing,
Lo! the piercing sword had passed.

O how sad and sore distressed
Was that Mother, highly blessed,
Of the Sole-Begotten One.

Mournful, with Heart's prostration,
Mother meek, the bitter Passion
Saw She of Her glorious Son.

Who on Christ's dear Mother gazing,
In Her trouble so amazing,
Born of woman, would not weep?

Who on Christ's dear Mother thinking,
Such a cup of sorrow drinking,
Would not share Her sorrow deep?

For His people's sins rejected,
Saw Her Jesus unprotected.
Saw with thorns, with scourges rent.

Saw Her Son from judgement taken,
Her Beloved in death forsaken,
Till His Spirit forth He sent.

Fount of love and holy sorrow,
Mother, may my spirit borrow
Somewhat of your woe profound.

Unto Christ with pure emotion,
Raise my contrite heart's devotion,
To read love in every wound.

Those Five Wounds on Jesus smitten,
Mother! in my heart be written,
Deep as in your own they be.

You, your Saviour's Cross did bare,
You, your Son's rebuke did share.
Let me share them both with Thee.

In the Passion of my Maker,
Be my sinful soul partaker,
Weep 'til death and weep with you.

Mine with you be that sad station,
There to watch the great salvation,
Wrought upon the atoning Tree.

Virgin, you of virgins fairest,
May the bitter woe Thou bearest
Make on me impression deep.

Thus Christ's dying may I carry,
With Him in His Passion tarry,
And His Wounds in memory keep.

May His Wound both wound and heal me,
He enkindle, cleanse, strengthen me,
By His Cross my hope and stay.

May He, when the mountains quiver,
From that flame which burns forever,
Shield me on the Judgement Day.

Jesus, may Your Cross defend me,
And Your Mother's prayer befriend me;
Let me die in Your embrace.

When to dust my dust returns,
Grant a soul, that to You yearns,
In Your paradise a place.

Amen.

#90

Bible Study / Fill Me With Your Glory

December 08, 2013, 03:51:16 PM

This prayer â€œFill Me With Your Gloryâ€ was written
by Mary Jane Hurley Brant in honor of Katie Brant in July, 2000

#91

Bible Study / A Prayer for Peace of Mind

December 08, 2013, 03:49:47 PM

This prayer was written by Saint Francis Xavier Cabrini

#92

Bible Study / Prayer of the Church Concerning St. Gabriel

December 08, 2013, 03:48:08 PM

May the offering of our service and the prayer of the blessed Archangel Gabriel be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord; that he whom we venerate on earth, may be our advocate before Thee in heaven. Through Our Lord. Amen.

#93

Bible Study / Prayer to St. Gabriel, for Others

December 08, 2013, 03:46:11 PM

O loving messenger of the Incarnation, descend upon all those for whom I wish peace and happiness. Spread your wings over the cradles of the new-born babes, O thou who didst announce the coming of the Infant Jesus.

Give to the young a lily petal from the virginal scepter in your hand. Cause the Ave Maria to re-echo in all hearts that they may find grace and joy through Mary.

Finally, recall the sublime words spoken on the day of the Annunciation-- "Nothing is impossible with God," and repeat them in hours of trial--to all I love--that their confidence in Our Lord may be reanimated, when all human help fails. Amen.

#94

Bible Study / Prayer to St. Raphael, Angel of Happy Meetings

December 08, 2013, 03:42:30 PM

O Raphael, lead us towards those we are waiting for, those who are waiting for us! Raphael, Angel of Happy Meetings, lead us by the hand towards those we are looking for! May all our movements, all their movements, be guided by your Light and transfigured by your Joy.

Angel Guide of Tobias, lay the request we now address to you at the feet of Him on whose unveiled Face you are privileged to gaze. Lonely and tired, crushed by the separations and sorrows of earth, we feel the need of calling to you and of pleading for the protection of your wings, so that we may not be as strangers in the Province of Joy, all ignorant of the concerns of our country.

Remember the weak, you who are strong--you whose home lies beyond the region of thunder, in a land that is always peaceful, always serene, and bright with the resplendent glory of God. Amen.

#95

Bible Study / A Guardian Angel Prayer for Friends

December 08, 2013, 03:41:00 PM

Guardian Angel, watch over those whose names you can read in my heart. Guard over them with every care and make their way easy and their labours fruitful. Dry their tears if they weep; sanctify their joys; raise their courage if they weaken; restore their hope if they lose heart, their health if they be ill, truth if they err, repentance if they fail.

#96

Help & Support / Calling Tita Isles

December 03, 2013, 11:53:44 PM

I've noticed you haven't posted the last couple of days. Where are you , Tita? Please post pod , so we know that you're okay and doing fine. Miss your posts, already.

Love,
Bran Lorenz

#97

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