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General guidelines for choosing healthy fats

If you are concerned about your weight or heart health, rather than avoiding fat in your diet, try replacing trans fats and some saturated fats with good fats. This might mean replacing fried chicken with fresh fish, swapping some of the meat you eat with beans and legumes, or using olive oil rather than butter.

Try to eliminate trans fats from your diet. Check food labels for trans fats. Avoiding commercially-baked goods goes a long way. Also limit fast food.

Limit your intake of saturated fats by cutting back on red meat and full-fat dairy foods. Try replacing red meat with beans, nuts, poultry, and fish whenever possible, and switching from whole milk and other full-fat dairy foods to lower fat versions.

Eat omega-3 fats every day. Good sources include fish, walnuts, ground flax seeds, flaxseed oil, canola oil, and soybean oil.

The confusion about saturated fat

For decades, doctors, nutritionists and health authorities have told us that a diet high in saturated fats (such as red meat and whole fat dairy products) raises blood cholesterol levels and increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. However, recent major studies have cast doubt on those claims, concluding that people who eat lots of saturated fat do not experience more cardiovascular disease than those who eat less.

So does that mean it’s OK to eat all the saturated fat you want? The short answer is no. While it seems that some kinds of saturated fats may have been unfairly labeled as “bad fats” in the past, reducing your intake of other types can still improve your cardiovascular health. The key is what you swap saturated fats for. For example, swapping animal fats for vegetable oilsâ€"such as replacing butter with olive oilâ€"may help to lower cholesterol and reduce your risk for disease. However, swapping animal fats for refined carbohydrates, such as replacing your breakfast bacon with a donut or bagel, won’t have the same beneficial effects. That’s because eating refined carbohydrates can also have a negative effect on cholesterol levels and your risk for heart disease.

For some of us, enjoying saturated fats in moderation appears to be key, while those with poor cholesterol numbers, high blood pressure, or other heart disease indicators, may be wise to reduce the amount of saturated fat in their dietsâ€"but taking care to replace it with good fats rather than with refined carbs. In other words, don’t go no fat, go good fat and follow the Mediterranean diet.

QUESTIONABLE FATS

Saturated fat

High-fat cuts of meat (beef, lamb, pork)
Chicken with the skin
Whole-fat dairy products (milk and cream)
Butter
Cheese
Ice cream
Palm and coconut oil

Saturated fats are “questionable” fats because of the conflicting medical evidence about the effect of saturated fats on cholesterol and the risk for heart disease. Some saturated fats can have health benefits as well as potentially negative effects on cholesterol. For example, despite their high saturated fat content, whole-fat dairy products are a good source of calcium and protein, while (unhydrogenated) coconut oil may boost energy and endurance.

BAD FATS

Trans fat

Commercially-baked pastries, cookies, doughnuts, muffins, cakes, pizza dough
Packaged snack foods (crackers, microwave popcorn, chips)
Stick margarine
Vegetable shortening
Fried foods (French fries, fried chicken, chicken nuggets, breaded fish)
Candy bars

GOOD FATS

Monounsaturated fat   

Olive oil
Canola oil
Sunflower oil
Peanut oil
Sesame oil
Avocados
Olives
Nuts (almonds, peanuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, pecans, cashews)
Peanut butter

Polyunsaturated fat

Soybean oil
Corn oil
Safflower oil
Walnuts
Sunflower, sesame, and pumpkin seeds
Flaxseed
Fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, trout, sardines)
Soymilk
Tofu

Types of dietary fat: Good fats vs. bad fats

To understand good and bad fats, you need to know the names of the players and some information about them. There are four major types of fats:

monounsaturated fats (good fats)
polyunsaturated fats (good fats)
trans fats (bad fats)
saturated fats (questionable fats)

Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are known as the “good fats” because they are good for your heart, your cholesterol, and your overall health.

Myths and facts about fats

Myth: All fats are equalâ€"and equally bad for you.

Fact: Trans fats and some saturated fats are bad for you because they raise your cholesterol and increase your risk for heart disease. But monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are good for you, lowering cholesterol and reducing your risk of heart disease.

Myth: Lowering the amount of fat you eat is what matters the most.

Fact: The mix of fats that you eat, rather than the total amount in your diet, is what matters most when it comes to your cholesterol and health. The key is to eat more good fats and less bad fats.

Myth: Fat-free means healthy.

Fact: A “fat-free” label doesn’t mean you can eat all you want without consequences to your waistline. Many fat-free foods are high in sugar, refined carbohydrates, and calories.

Myth: Eating a low-fat diet is the key to weight loss.

Fact: The obesity rates for Americans have doubled in the last 20 years, coinciding with the low-fat revolution. Cutting calories is the key to weight loss, and since fats are filling, they can help curb overeating.

Myth: All body fat is the same.

Fact: Where you carry your fat matters. The health risks are greater if you tend to carry your weight around your abdomen, as opposed to your hips and thighs. A lot of belly fat is stored deep below the skin surrounding the abdominal organs and liver, and is closely linked to insulin resistance and diabetes.

http://www.helpguide.org/


For years, nutritionists and doctors have preached that a low-fat diet is the key to losing weight, managing cholesterol, and preventing health problems. But more than just the amount of fat, it’s the types of fat you eat that really matter. Bad fats increase cholesterol and your risk of certain diseases, while good fats protect your heart and support overall health. In fact, good fatsâ€"such as omega-3 fatsâ€"are essential to physical and emotional health.
   
Making sense of dietary fat

A walk down the grocery aisle will confirm our obsession with low-fat foods. We’re bombarded with supposedly guilt-free options: baked potato chips, fat-free ice cream, low-fat candies, cookies, and cakes. But while our low-fat options have exploded, so have obesity rates. Clearly, low-fat foods and diets haven’t delivered on their trim, healthy promises.

Despite what you may have been told, fat isn’t always the bad guy in the waistline wars. Bad fats, such as trans fats, are guilty of the unhealthy things all fats have been blamed forâ€"weight gain, clogged arteries, and so forth. But good fats such as the monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, and omega-3s have the opposite effect. In fact, healthy fats play a huge role in helping you manage your moods, stay on top of your mental game, fight fatigue, and even control your weight.

The answer isn’t cutting out the fatâ€"it’s learning to make healthy choices and to replace bad fats with good ones that promote health and well-being.

Small protests

About 2,000 protesters were doing just that on Monday, challenging rows of policemen at the Mendiola Bridge three blocks from Malacanang Palace where Obama and Aquino were meeting and then holding forth at a press conference. Banners and placards read:  “Obama Out” and “Philippines Not for Sale.” Elsewhere, an image of Obama was burnt in effigy.

The protesters, relatively small in numbers, have the support of intellectual figures often critical of the government.

The Philippine Inquirer, a leading newspaper, editorialized, “We have long advocated that any enhancement in defense cooperation between the Philippines and the United States must have the consent of the senate…. Malacanang’s failure to submit the agreement to a largely friendly Senate is inexplicable.”

Others, however, disagree. The agreement “enhances security for the region,” says Jerome Gonzalez, head of research for PhilEquity, an investment firm. Investors would rather not pay attention to territorial disputes with China, preferring to be able to “dismiss tensions.”

But questions are rising about the deal's constitutionality since the Philippines Constitution, adopted in 1987 a year after the the dictatorial regime of Ferdinand Marcos was overthrown, specifically bans foreign bases or forces on Philippine soil. In the past, that ban has been circumvented by limiting US forces to a "visiting forces agreement."

Both Obama and Mr. Aquino were careful not to attribute the agreement directly to concerns about China’s territorial claims. They also did not mention the Philippines’ claims to the Paracel islands, some of which are held by China, or China’s takeover of the Scarborough shoal west of Subic Bay, a rich fishing ground that the Philippine says is within its territorial limits.

Shifting national mood

Some Filipino political figures, commentators, and demonstrators took issue with the agreement, viewing it as a step toward bringing back thousands of US troops. Filipino ‘nationalist” groups rose in mass protest against US bases after the People Power revolution drove Ferdinand Marcos from the presidency in early 1986, leading to Corazon Aquino’s election as president and finally to adoption in 1987 of the “anti-base” Constitution.

An influential senator, Miriam Defensor Santiago, predicted that the agreement would “further antagonize China” by placing the Philippines in “the American column instead of the China column.”

Yet many observers believe that the popular mood has shifted substantially. “People ... don’t mind [a US troop presence],” says Carlos Conde, a veteran journalist now with Amnesty International in Manila. Famous Filipino political figures who once campaigned vigorously against the bases are now retired or inactive.

Activists “no longer block US interest in the Senate and elsewhere,” he says. Although “the usual leftist” are “still doing it,” he adds, “if anything, they’re criticized for creating traffic jams every time they hit the streets.”

Mr. Obama, on his first visit to the Philippines, called the agreement an “important new chapter” in the two countries' relationship and sought to counter criticism that it might add tension in the South China Sea, which China claims in its entirety. The pact's purpose, he said, is to promote peace and stability.

“Our goal is not to contain China," he said in a joint news conference here with the Philippines' President Benigno Aquino. “Our goal is to make sure international rules and norms are respected and that includes in the area of international disputes.”

The agreement marks a milestone in the history of US-Philippine military relations, beginning with the Spanish-American War of 1898 that resulted in the Philippines becoming a US colony. The US developed enormous bases before the Japanese took them over in World War II, and returned to them after the defeat of the Japanese and the independence of the Philippines in 1946. The US gave up the bases in 1991, after the Philippines Senate refused to extend the lease.

How many US troops will be in the Philippines at any time is uncertain, but the agreement leaves open the possibility of thousands in case of a crisis. Although the pact does not authorize a permanent presence, US forces will rotate in and out of existing Philippine bases on missions ranging from training of the Philippines' weak armed forces to humanitarian rescues to advising on combating both communist and Islamic revolt. The agreement also sends a message to China not to assert its control over the South China Sea.

US, Philippines boost military ties. Why now?
A new defense agreement will strengthen the US military presence in the Philippines, a former US colony. The move comes amid tension in the region over China's claims in the South China Sea.
http://www.csmonitor.com/
By Donald Kirk, Correspondent / April 28, 2014



President Barack Obama, left, and Philippine President Benigno Aquino III participate in a bilateral meeting in Manila, the Philippines, April 28, 2014. Obama said a 10-year agreement signed Monday to give the US military greater access to Philippine bases will help promote regional security.
Carolyn Kaster/AP


The US and the Philippines signed an agreement Monday which will allow a larger presence of American troops in the military bases of the Asian nation.

After two years of talks, US and Philippine negotiators came to terms on an arrangement that supports President Obama's "pivot" of US military strength in Asia at a time when China’s expanding military presence has raised tension throughout the region.

The United States â€" which long maintained major bases in the Southeast Asian nation â€" has been barred for more than two decades from any permanent military presence in the country. Under the new agreement the US military will be able to send ships and planes to Clark Air Base and the Subic Bay Naval Base, former US bases now owned by the Philippines, for both commercial and military use.

Ni Romeo T. Limpangog/EIM (Banat) | Updated April 28, 2014 - 12:00am


CEBU, Philippines - Maayong pagkagisi sa ulo sa usa ka lalaki human kini gibunalan og botelya tungod kay gikasuyaan sa ka maayo moikid sa pagsayaw atol sa bayle sa Sitio Riverside, Barangay Canduman, dakbayan sa Mandaue alas-12 pasado ang takna sa tungang gabii niadtong Domingo.

Ang biktima mao si Gerald Cortes, 22, nagpuyo sa maong dapit samtang wala madakpi ang nagbunal kaniya og botelya nga daling mikaratil og dagan.

Si PO3 Arnold Villacampo sa kapolisan  sa Presinto 6  sa Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) miingon nga nagsaulog sa tinuig nga piyesta sa ilang kapilya ang maong dapit nga maoy hinungdan nga adunay gipasiugdahang disco nga gitapokan sa daghang mga batan-ong lalaki ug babaye.

Matud pa ni PO3 Villacampo nga nalingaw kaayo ang mga tawo nga mitambong sa gipasiugdahang disco apan kalit lang napusgay ang botelya ug nakita na lang nga nagkadugo na ang biktima.

Dugang pa ni PO3 Villacampo nga ang biktima  gituohang nasuyaan lamang kay maayo man kining mosayaw og disco.

Ang biktima dali nga gihatod sa Mandaue City Hospital  samtang nagpadayon ang imbestigasyon sa maong kaso. (BANAT NEWS)

Bwahaha!

Mao nay feline pranic breathing... 

Keep Your Non-Swimmer Comfortable

If your dog never comes to enjoy swimming, she can still enjoy going to the lake with you. Make sure she wears a life vest. Booties wouldn't hurt if the sand is sizzling. She also must have nonstop access to cool drinking water and must be able to get into the shade as often as she wants. When she starts to get hot, take a bucket and soak her frequently, especially her belly. Be aware, always, of signs of heat stress.

If you're able to keep her cool, she'll be able to enjoy her lake time with you safely, even if she never does learn to like swimming all that much.

How to Teach Your Dog to Swim

There aren't any physical reasons why your Border Collie can't swim, but she may nonetheless be reluctant to do so. Even in breeds that were bred for swimming - such as Labrador Retrievers - you'll occasionally find a dog who doesn't enjoy being in the water. You can try encouraging your dog to swim by going out and seeing if she'll follow, and rewarding her with praise. Dogs who love to play fetch will often go out after tennis balls or other floating toys. You might get her swimming by letting her get comfortable at a certain depth and then throwing the toy in water that's progressively deeper. Finally, many dogs will swim just to join in the fun if they are around other dogs who enjoy swimming.

But again, even if your dog comes to love swimming, safety is still up to you. Make sure your dog doesn't get overly tired, and be aware that puppies and older dogs tire more easily and seem less aware of their fatigue until it's too late. Stay away from strong currents and areas with underwater debris that can entangle a dog.

By vetstreet.com | Pets â€" Sat, Apr 26, 2014 8:35 AM EDT





Q. Do dogs know how to swim naturally? If not, how can I teach my dog? She's a Border Collie mix, and she gets very hot when I take her to the lake with us.

A. Dogs will naturally start "dog paddling" when they find themselves in water, but that doesn't mean that they can stay afloat for any length of time, that they like being in the water, or that they can safely swim.

Dogs who can't swim - though they may try their best - are typically those with large, heavy chests in relation to their hindquarters, and they often have short muzzles. These dogs may swim well enough to splash about a little under supervision while wearing a life vest, but that's about it.

The most extreme example of these breeds, the Bulldog, is so poorly built for water survival that breeders and rescue groups often require a home check to ensure that a pool is safely fenced off, and that an emergency monitor is used to alert those inside the house when something, such as a child or dog, breaks the surface of the water. Bulldogs typically sink like rocks.

Palit pud mo aning akoang pakwan kay eskinado, sayon ra isulod sa ref...

A Filipino activist carries her pet dog during a rally to symbolize how Philippine President Benigno Aquino III is allegedly acting as a "lap dog of the U.S. government" at a park in suburban Quezon city, north of Manila, Philippines on Sunday, April 27, 2014. The group is opposing the visit of U.S. President Barack Obama and a looming pact that will increase the American military presence in the Philippines. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Botoy sleeping away the monotonous rhythms of the afternoon...

Quote from: bugsay on April 27, 2014, 12:47:06 PM
nganong moinum nga di man diay gusto mahubog?...

He he, mao nay saktong pangutana...nga gipasupot sa usa ka tiunay nga palahubog...

Hmm, mao pa seguroy pagsugod-sugod og panulis, o kaha di lang angay sa maong propesyon...

SuperBalita Cebu
Saturday, April 26, 2014


TULISAN nadakpan dihang nisukol ang gitulis nilang negosyante niadtong Biyernes sa alas 8:20 sa gabii sa Barangay Sabang, dakbayan sa Danao.

Nakulatahan sa mga tawo ang suspek nga si Junrey Gonzales, 24, ulitawo, taga Barangay Poblacion, sa maong siyudad, human siya nadakpan sam­tang nakaikyas ang kau­ban niya nga si alyas ‘Mando.”

Naluwas ang negosyanting si Angelo Danao, taga Barangay Sabang, dihang nakigbisog batok sa mga tulisan ug na-rescue sa mga silingan.

Apan akto sab nga si Police Office 3 (PO3) Arnold Labine ug mga kauban nag-roving sa lugar hinungdan nga nasikop si Gonzales, kinsa nakuhaag kalibre .45 nga pistola nga dunay silencer ug upat ka mga bala sa magazine.

Apan ang kauban niini nga giingong nangulo sa tulis nga si Mando nakasibat ug wa madakpi sa mga pulis.

Si Police Officer 2 (PO2) Ronald Gomes, desk officer sa Danao Police nga nahinabi sa dySS Super Radyo ug Sun.Star Superbalita, nagkana­yon nga ang biktima nagsakay sa iyang multicab.

Kalit lang nidikit ka­niya ang usa ka motorsiklo dayon mition og armas ang sakay dungan sa pagdiklarar og tulis.

Apan nisukol ang biktima hinungdan nga natagak ang suspek sa motorsiklo. (GPL)

Quote from: islander on April 27, 2014, 12:40:07 PM
i played tubig-tubig and siyato and bato-lata, yeheeey!

Hmm, unsay siyato, Ms. Singkit?

You see, what Owades knew was that active dry yeast has an enzyme in it called alcohol dehydrogenases (ADH). Roughly put, ADH is able to break alcohol molecules down into their constituent parts of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Which is the same thing that happens when your body metabolizes alcohol in its liver. Owades realized if you also have that enzyme in your stomach when the alcohol first hits it, the ADH will begin breaking it down before it gets into your bloodstream and, thus, your brain.

"And it will mitigate - not eliminate - but mitigate the effects of alcohol!" Koch told me.

In his final years Owades even patented a product called Prequel, an all-natural pill similarly designed to limit drunkenness. No companies wanted to deal with the potential liabilities of the product, and Owades died in 2005 at the age of 86.

Of course, I had to honor my longtime hero Koch, and a new beer hero I'd just learned about in Owades, and try this trick myself. So the next day I grabbed a six-pack of beer and a packet of Fleischmann's and went to work. The older I get, the more of a lightweight I surely become, but after shoveling down six teaspoons and tilting back six bottles I felt nothing more than a little buzzed. Koch told me he keeps a breathalyzer around at all times just to assure he's never too drunk. He never is. And, though I had no tangible "proof," besides the fact I was still awake, I was pretty sure I wasn't all that drunk either. Forever more I'd be yet another guy discreetly carrying a white powder around at bars. I'd advise you do likewise.

Koch told me that for years he has swallowed your standard Fleischmann's dry yeast before he drinks, stirring the white powdery substance in with some yogurt to make it more palatable.

"One teaspoon per beer, right before you start drinking."

He'd learned the trick from his good friend "Dr. Joe," a craft beer legend in his own right. Educated at Harvard with a troika of degrees (a BA, a JD, and an MBA), Koch is no slouch, but the late-Joseph Owades was a flat-out genius. With a PhD in biochemistry from Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute and an early job in the fermentation sciences department at Fleischmann's, Owades probably knew more about fermentation and alcohol metabolism than perhaps any man who has ever lived. Koch calls him, in fact, "The best brewer who's ever lived." He used that immense knowledge to eventually become a consultant for most of the progenitors of America's early craft brewing movement such as Anchor Brewing in San Francisco, New Amsterdam Brewing in New York, and, yes, the Boston Beer Company. There he became good friends with Koch, helped perfect Boston Lager, and passed on to Koch his little yeast secret.

That's when things got dead serious for the first time all afternoon. Koch leaned in toward me, stared straight into my eyes, and whispered.

"You wanna know my secret? How I can drink beer all night long and never get drunk?"

In fact, I had always wondered that. Though this was the first time I'd ever formally met Koch, I'd "met" him in the past at a few beer festivals. Those sorts of events are always kind of crazy, with people imbibing dozens of beer samples in a short period and soon stumbling around large convention halls drunk. Brewers included. But not Koch, who I'd long noticed was always lucid, always able to hold court, and hold his own with those much younger than him. This billionaire brewing raconteur was doing likewise with me at 4 PM on a Thursday afternoon despite the fact we were both now several beers deep. So what was the secret?

"Yeast!"

"Yeast?"

"Active yeast. Like you get at the grocery store."

He was right - I did see. And then I saw a whole slew of beers almost magically appear on our table. Nitro stouts, sours, two big bottles from their Belgian-inspired Barrel Room Collection. That's when Koch snapped into full salesman mode, enthusiastically talking about Brewing the American Dream, his brewery's micro-lending program which has helped over 300 food and beverage startups over the past half-decade. But as much as Koch likes to pitch his company, what the man really loves to do is drink beer.

He popped the top on Tetravis, the brewery's version of a Belgian quadruple. I had never had it before and was blown away by its freshness and bursting dark fruit flavors, atypical of most quads, which are usually muted due to aging and oxidation. Noticing my pleased reaction, Koch quickly moved to uncork the second bottle, a Belgian stout named The Thirteenth Hour.

"I'm gonna be wasted before this interview is up!" I laughed.

We met at a midtown Manhattan monstrosity called The Keg Room, where at least four people stopped Koch to say hello as we made our way to a table. One apologized for currently drinking something yellow and fizzy as opposed to a Boston Lager as we sat down.

"So many beer lists are poorly arranged, but this is pretty nice," Koch noted. "A good mix of styles, not just a bunch of IPAs like most bars have nowadays."

Seconds later, he learned that one of the two Sam Adams offerings on tap was their new IPA, Rebel. We ordered two, though there was another surprise: they arrived in shaker pint glasses, which "aren't right," he said. "You won't get all the aromatics."

He reached in his bag and withdrew a Perfect Pint glass, the shapely, angle-rimmed piece of glassware his brewery helped design back in 2007 and sent the waiter back to the tap. "I always carry one with me," he said. "You'll see…"

How to drink all night without getting drunk
By Esquire.com | Healthy Living â€" Fri, Apr 25, 2014 5:25 AM PHT



Jim Koch knows beer. He also knows a beer trick that may change your life.


By Aaron Goldfarb

"That guy from the TV commercials!" That's what they call him, either because they don't know his name, or are by now too drunk to remember it. As the co-founder and chairman of the Boston Beer Company, he has appeared in countless Sam Adams commercials over thirty years. And, while this always-smiling man is a regular guy like you and me while walking the street, the second he enters a bar Jim Koch becomes a celebrity.

Not Waving but Drowning
by Stevie Smith





Nobody heard him, the dead man,
But still he lay moaning:
I was much further out than you thought
And not waving but drowning.

Poor chap, he always loved larking
And now he's dead
It must have been too cold for him his heart gave way,
They said.

Oh, no no no, it was too cold always
(Still the dead one lay moaning)
I was much too far out all my life
And not waving but drowning.

Bwahaha!

Hmm, wait until she's had her power nap...

Along with world-renowned chefs like Joel Robuchon, Sukiyabashi Jiro also counts Hollywood A-listers including Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway among clients.

Dinner diplomacy comes as Tokyo and Washington are engaged in delicate trade talks, with wide disagreements remaining particularly over farm and auto products.

The evening is being portrayed in local media as a chance for bonding between Obama, who is portrayed as a "dry" and "business-like" pragmatist, and the sometimes stilted Abe.

This is not the first time a Japanese leader has hosted a US president for a semi-casual private dinner.

Junichiro Koizumi, who led the nation between 2001 through 2006, brought then-US President George W. Bush and his entourages to an 'izakaya' tavern in 2002.

The establishment is the proud bearer of three Michelin stars, awarded for the first time when the Tokyo edition of the gourmet guide was launched in 2007, and renewed every year since.

"The cool and refreshing quality of the restaurant as a whole, the concern for the customer, the perfectionism in selecting the furnishings -- the spirit shown here has much in common with the world of the tea ceremony," the Michelin guide's launch edition said.

"The 'left-handed master craftsman', Jiro Ono, creates the finest sushi with swift, fluid movements," the guide gushed in 2012.

Jiro's rigid discipline and unending pursuit of perfection were the subject of the 2011 US documentary, "Jiro Dreams of Sushi".

The film showed how Jiro and his chefs buy their fish every morning at the storied Tsukiji market in Tokyo from trusted dealers who know never to supply him with anything but the best.

The restaurant offers set courses only, consisting of 20 pieces of sushi, with prices starting at 30,000 yen ($300) per person.

"The 20 or so pieces may not come cheap but just consider the exquisite tastes," said the 2012 Michelin guide.

Sukiyabashi Jiro -- Wednesday's venue -- has only 24 seats, sits in a slightly scruffy basement of an ageing commercial building and is connected to a Tokyo subway station.

But that has not been enough to deter even the most discerning diners, who must book months in advance to secure a seat.

Obama made the pilgrimage to the restaurant just after touching down in Tokyo at the start of an Asian tour, and took along US ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy and his national security advisor Susan Rice.

"That's some good sushi right there," he remarked as he emerged from the restaurant after the 90-minute dinner with Abe and headed back to his hotel.

By Hiroshi HIYAMA
20 hours ago





Tokyo (AFP) - US President Barack Obama dined Wednesday at a tiny Tokyo sushi restaurant -- a revered spot with three coveted Michelin stars but only a handful of seats -- ruled with an iron rod by its redoubtable 88-year-old owner.

The world's most powerful man, dining at the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, was entirely at the mercy of Jiro Ono, whose exacting standards and tireless work ethic have made him legendary among global foodies.

The commander-in-chief of one of the planet's most fearsome armed forces, who sits at the helm of a multi-trillion dollar economy, had no menu to choose from -- even if he could read it -- because Jiro selects the dishes he serves and will not take orders from his customers.

And for a man used to the finest presidential suites in the plushest global hotels, the setting may have come as a bit of a surprise.

Influential partner

When asked about the amount of influence the US has in the way things are going on the country, 90 percent of Filipinos answered “Great deal / fair amount.”

Philippines is followed by Kenya (85 percent), Brazil (83 percent), and South Africa (77 percent).

On the question “Is the US more of a partner, enemy,  or neither?” the Philippines ranked fourth in answering “Partner” with 81 percent.

Israel leads with 90 percent followed by El Salvador (88 percent), Senegal (84 percent).

View on national interests

When asked if the US considers the respective country’s interests, 85 percent of Filipinos answered “Great deal/ fair amount.”

Kenya (79 percent), placed second followed by South Africa (73 percent), and US (70 percent).

The US and the Philippines are currently in the process of finalizing the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement that would allow US troops to access Philippine Military bases.

The agreement is reportedly being fast tracked to make it to the visit of US president Barack Obama on April 28-29.

Leading global superpower

On the question “Will China eventually replace the US as the world’s leading superpower?”  the Philippines ranked first in the list of those who answered “Will never replace” with 74 percent.

Japan followed close with 72 percent while the third ranked country is Egypt with a far 56 percent.

Philippines and Japan are involved in a maritime dispute with China over islands and islets in the South China Sea. Philippine has previously filed for an arbitration case before the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).

The leading country who answered “Will eventually replace” is China with 58 percent, followed by Spain and Great Britain (55 percent), and Canada and Australia (52 percent).

Among the highest who had an unfavorable view are Jordan with 85 percent, Egypt with 81 percent, the Palestinian territory with 79 percent, and Pakistan with 72 percent.

Only 13 percent of Filipinos said they had an unfavorable view of the US.

The Global Attitudes Project “conducts public opinion surveys around the world on a broad array of subjects ranging from people’s assessments of their own lives to their views about the current state of the world and important issues of the day,” Pew Research said in its website.

The 2013 Survey, posted online at http://www.pewglobal.org/database/indicator/1/, was conducted in 39 countries and interviewed 37,653 respondents.

View on American people

When asked “Do you have a favorable or unfavorable view of the American people?” 85 percent of Filipinos said they have a favorable view, higher than the US, which had a score of 84 percent.

Ghana, with 84 percent, is tied with the US while South Korea had 80 percent.

Those who had an unfavorable view of Americans were from the Palestinian territory (69 percent), Turkey (68 percent), Jordan and Egypt (both 65 percent).

By Matikas Santos
INQUIRER.net
2:11 pm | Tuesday, April 22nd, 2014



AFP FILE PHOTO


MANILA, Philippines â€" The Philippines ranked first in a global survey on the image of the United States (US) worldwide, beating even the US itself when it comes to a favorable view on the American people.

According to the 2013 Global Attitudes Project of Pew Research Center in Washington DC, Philippines got an 85 percent score, the highest, when people were asked “Do you have a favorable or unfavorable view of the US?”

Following Philippines are Israel and Ghana both with 83 percent, and the US with 81 percent.

CEBU. More than 100 families in the island-barangay of Hilantagaan, Bantayan remain in temporary shelters as they do not have enough funds to rebuild their homes and housing assistance from the National Government has yet to be released. (Alex Badayos)

What a useful list...

Hmm, interesting thread...

Mabusog man pud ta bisan tan-aw lang...

Jodie Foster weds girlfriend Alexandra Hedison
Oscar winning actress marries photographer
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
3:38AM BST 24 Apr 2014



Jodie Foster weds girlfriend Photo: Rex


Jodie Foster, the actress and director has married her girlfriend, Alexandra Hedison.

The marriage was confirmed by a publicist acting on behalf of the actress to a US showbusiness website.

Ms Foster, 51, who had been reluctant to comment on her private life, acknowledged she was gay at the Golden Globes awards last year.

The actress who had two children by IVF had separated from her previous partner, Cydney Bernard, a film producer.

In her Golden Globes speech, she paid tribute to Bernard, whom she described as her “ex-partner in love”.

Foster and Hedison had been seen in each other’s company in Los Angeles on a number of occasions, fuelling speculation about their relationship.

It is understood the pair finally married over the weekend, although the location has not been disclosed.

Ms Hedison, 44, previously had a relationship with the US TV personality, Ellen DeGeneres.

Bwahaha!

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/
Tuesday, April 22, 2014


MADRID â€" The tiny Spanish village of Castrillo Matajudios, whose second name means "Kill Jews," will hold a referendum next month to decide if it should change the name that offends outsiders and embarrasses some residents, its mayor said Tuesday.

The village's 56 registered voters will be asked on May 25 whether they want to keep the name or change it to the similar, but non-offensive name the town once had, Mayor Lorenzo Rodriguez Perez said.

Historical studies show the town's original name was Castrillo Motajudios. The second name of that translates to "Jews Hill" and dates back to 1035 when 66 Jews were killed in a nearby town and those expelled settled on the hill.

The earliest records found with the name changed to "Kill Jews" is from 1627, more than a century after the 1492 edict by Spain's royalty that required Jews to leave the country, convert to Catholicism or face being burned at the stake during the Spanish inquisition.

Although Jews were killed in the area, researchers believe the town got its current name from Jewish residents who converted to Catholicism and wanted to convince Spaniards they opposed Jews, Rodriguez said. Others think it might have simply come from a slip of the pen.

The idea of a referendum grew from moves to document Castrillo Matajudios' Jewish past and attract tourists.

"There are always the stories of people from here traveling to Israel with a passport that says Matajudios and wishing they didn't have to show it," Rodriguez said.

Other residents tell outsiders they are from Castrillo without mentioning the second name, he said.

No Jews live in the town but Rodriguez said many residents have ancient Jewish roots. The town's official shield includes the Star of David.

Spain's government earlier this year apologized to Jews by offering citizenship to descendants of those who were forced to flee. (AP)

JAPANESE FOR PINOYS
First lessons from  http://macoy-pinoyjokes.blogspot.com/


Many of these words will allow you to carry on a conversation in Japanese. Please note that these are phonetic equivalents to the written Kanji (alphabet).

Is this your property? Arimoto?
Yes, this is my property. Arikoto.
Is this yours? Sayobato?
This is mine. Sakinitu.
Can I have it? Akinato?
You can have it. Sayonato
Can we have it? Saminato?

You haven't washed your face. Mimutamatamo.
You've grown so thin! Kitanabutumo!
We saw each other. Kitakami.
We had a big get-together. Kitakitakami.
Have a drink before you go. Tomakamuna
That was my assumption. Inakarako.

Let's go quickly. Bachi na yota.
We will boycott the election. Kaminoboto.
Under arm odor. Kirikiripawa.
Are you a victim of discrimination? Minamatakaba?
I give up. Sukonako.
OUCH! Haraikupo!
What a sad life it is. Hainaku.
I'm going to leave you. Sawanakosayo.

Is this your car? Otomoto?
This is my car. Otokoto.
I'll take this. Kukuninkoto
This is my desk. Itodesko.
Speechless. Wasabe.
I have a lot of things to do. Hironako.
What are your thoughts? Kuru-kuromo?

I am thinking. Munimuniko.
Are you playing the guitar? Gigitaraka?
Is this your underwear? Jakeemoto?
You're crazy! Sirauromo!
You're drooling! Turorawayka!

The kiss...

Wedding picture...

Quote from: islander on April 19, 2014, 02:20:09 AM
Older women are best, because they always think they may be doing it for the last time. (Ian Fleming)

"The spirit might be willing but, hello,
The flesh might fail to stay a mighty blow."

--Botoy, Jr.

Quote from: islander on April 19, 2014, 02:15:50 AM
aha! you're saying that the rose that cannot wither is now ancient? hear ye, queen! someone here is looking for fossils.

"Fossils to fuel your charms
As you fall into my arms..."

Quote from: islander on April 19, 2014, 02:27:37 AM
ilara ko tits. bahala na lang nang pterodactyl. they could have captured a dragon for all i care. but what do miners have to do with rifles? aren't they supposed to carry pickaxes?

Naunsa man ka, oi. Makadakop bag pterodactyl using pickaxes. Nangayam sila while on R&R...

Makaihi ka sa kalipay...

Latest White House Gatecrasher a Real Fox
By Katie Kindelan | ABC News Blogs â€" 9 hours ago


While President Obama deals with Russian President Vladimir Putin abroad, the groundskeepers and Secret Service agents who guard the White House are trying to combat an equally wily opponent at home.

The latest gatecrasher to show up at the president's home uninvited is not a "Real Housewife" but a real, live fox.

The little red fox was first spotted on the White House grounds last fall, just before the government shutdown.

According to The Wall Street Journal, while White House staffers found themselves at home during the furlough, the fox made himself at home at the White House.

"We don't mind that he passes through, but we don't want him to stay," Dale Haney, the superintendent of the White House grounds, told the newspaper. "No overnight guests."

Though the ground that houses the First Family is one of the most highly-protected properties in the world, the fox has managed to outfox everyone, literally.

The Wall Street Journal reported White House groundskeepers have planted traps and used bait to lure the fox, all to no avail. Their aim is not to kill the fox, according to the paper, but to relocate him to a nearby park.

In the meantime, the fox is seemingly enjoying his place among the nation's seat of power. White House staffers have spotted the fox jumping a fence and sleeping in the bushes.

Aides told the Wall Street Journal the president himself was "stunned" when he caught a glimpse of the fox from inside the Oval Office scampering along the colonnade along the White House Rose Garden.

The edge of habitability

Kepler-186f actually lies at the edge of the Kepler-186 star's habitable zone, meaning that liquid water on the planet's surface could freeze, according to study co-author Stephen Kane of San Francisco State University.

Because of its position in the outer part of the habitable zone, the planet's larger size could actually help keep its water liquid, Kane said in a statement. Since it is slightly bigger than Earth, Kepler-186f could have a thicker atmosphere, which would insulate the planet and potentially keep its water in liquid form, Kane added.

"It [Kepler-186f] goes around its star over 130 days, but because its star is a lower mass than our sun, the planet orbits slightly inner of where Mercury orbits in our own solar system," Barclay said. "It's on the cooler edge of the habitable zone. It's still well within it, but it receives less energy than Earth receives. So, if you're on this planet [Kepler-186f], the star would appear dimmer."

'An historic discovery'

"This is an historic discovery of the first truly Earth-sized planet found in the habitable zone around its star," Geoff Marcy, an astronomer at the University of California, Berkeley, who is unaffiliated with the research, told Space.com via email. "This is the best case for a habitable planet yet found. The results are absolutely rock-solid. The planet itself may not be, but I'd bet my house on it. In any case, it's a gem."

The newly discovered planet measures about 1.1 Earth radii, making it slightly larger than Earth, but researchers still think the alien world may be rocky like Earth. Researchers still aren't sure what Kepler-186f's atmosphere is made of, a key element that could help scientists understand if the planet is hospitable to life.



This diagram shows the position of Kepler-186f in relation to Earth.


"What we've learned, just over the past few years, is that there is a definite transition which occurs around about 1.5 Earth radii," Quintana said in a statement. "What happens there is that for radii between 1.5 and 2 Earth radii, the planet becomes massive enough that it starts to accumulate a very thick hydrogen and helium atmosphere, so it starts to resemble the gas giants of our solar system rather than anything else that we see as terrestrial."

This artist illustration shows what it might be like to stand on the surface of the planet Kepler-18 …
"This is the first definitive Earth-sized planet found in the habitable zone around another star," Elisa Quintana, of the SETI Institute and NASA's Ames Research Center and the lead author of a new study detailing the findings, said in a statement.

Potentially habitable planet

Scientists think that Kepler-186f â€" the outermost of five planets found to be orbiting the star Kepler-186 â€" orbits at a distance of 32.5 million miles (52.4 million kilometers), theoretically within the habitable zone for a red dwarf.

Earth orbits the sun from an average distance of about 93 million miles (150 million km), but the sun is larger and brighter than the Kepler-186 star, meaning that the sun's habitable zone begins farther out from the star by comparison to Kepler-186.

Other planets of various sizes have been found in the habitable zones of their stars. However, Kepler-186f is the first alien planet this close to Earth in size found orbiting in that potentially life-supporting area of an extrasolar system, according to exoplanet scientists.

By by Miriam Kramer, Staff Writer
15 hours ago





For the first time, scientists have discovered an Earth-sized alien planet in the habitable zone of its host star, an "Earth cousin" that just might have liquid water and the right conditions for life.

The newfound planet, called Kepler-186f, was first spotted by NASA's Kepler space telescope and circles a dim red dwarf star about 490 light-years from Earth. While the host star is dimmer than Earth's sun and the planet is slightly bigger than Earth, the positioning of the alien world coupled with its size suggests that Kepler-186f could have water on its surface, scientists say. You can learn more about the amazing alien planet find in a video produced by Space.com.

"One of the things we've been looking for is maybe an Earth twin, which is an Earth-sized planet in the habitable zone of a sunlike star," Tom Barclay, Kepler scientist and co-author of the new exoplanet research, told Space.com. "This [Kepler-186f] is an Earth-sized planet in the habitable zone of a cooler star. So, while it's not an Earth twin, it is perhaps an Earth cousin. It has similar characteristics, but a different parent."

Kaluoy sa asawa, usa ka buntag kaduha madunggabi. OK lang ang pagdunggab sa uyab, ang sa bana maoy mas hapdos...

Ni Bong Soriano/EIM (Banat) | Updated April 17, 2014 - 12:00am


CEBU, Philippines - Napahak ang ulo sa usa ka boatman human kini maligsi sa usa ka jetski sa kadagatan sa Maribago dakbayan sa Lapu-Lapu sa milabay’ng hapon.

Ang biktima mao si William Misa Aying, 33, taga Talima isla sa Olango boatman sa Tharseas Seacraft.

Ang nakaligis mao si George Ruiz Cruda, 43, residente sa sitio Looc Brgy. Maribago dakbayan sa Lapu-Lapu mekaniko og jetski sa PSI Leeports Inc.

Sa pasiunang imbestigasyon ni PO1 Jomar Florentino sa Homicide Section nasayran mga alas 4:00 sa milabay’ng hapon, gi-test drive ni Cruda ang iyang gi-repair nga jetski.

Apan sa pagpadagan niini,  kalit milagapak ang ilawom nga bahin sa jetski ug pagsusi pa niini usa ka tawo ang iyang naligsan.

Matud pa ni Aying gikan usab siya sa ilawom sa iyang pump boat kay dili maibot ang angkla hinungdan nga iya kining gisalom ug sa pagsaka niya wala kini makabantay nga dunay jetski sa iyang tungod.

Si Aying nahiagum og samad sa iyang ulo ug gidali kini og dala sa Mactan Doctors hospital ug luwas na kini sa makuyaw nga kahimtang.

Samtang si Cruda pormal nga mitahan sa kapolisan ug andam kining manubag sa iyang obligasyon inabagan sa tag-iya sa jetski. (BANAT NEWS)

...hangtod nga mental telepathy na lang...

Hmm, maghuwat ra ni siya liwas sa Semana Santa. By that time, nahutdan nag laway si Bay Bugs...

Orange skin, er, fur...

Hmm, all or some or none of the above. Point is, as Eliot is wont to point out,

"The world revolves like ancient women,
Gathering fuel in vacant lots."

Quote from: islander on April 17, 2014, 09:19:36 PM
mas angayan gihapon si dear leader kim jong un.

Bag-ong kusinera ni Bay Bugs...