MikeLigalig.com

http://www.worldcrunch.com/
Alexandre Levy (2013-04-09)





SOFIA - While Cyprus was in the middle of a financial crisis, the court of Limassol, the island’s second largest city, made a ruling that largely went unnoticed.

Yet it was a judicial first. On March 28, the Cyprus court condemned a 24-year-old Swedish-Lebanese man, Hossam Taleb Yaacoub, to four years in prison for helping plan attacks against Israelis on the Mediterranean island.

TWO-DAY AFFAIR WITH YOLANDA


Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) made landfall over Guiuan in Eastern Samar at 4:40 a.m. Friday, state weather forecasters said.

At least 21 areas were placed under Storm Signal No. 4 as Yolanda made landfall over Guiuan in Eastern Samar before dawn Friday.

In its 5 a.m. advisory, PAGASA said Yolanda struck Guiuan with maximum sustained winds of 235 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 275 kph.

PAGASA said Yolanda, after making landfall, may cross Biliran, the northern tip of Cebu, Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan, Romblon, Semirara Island, the southern part of Mindoro then Busuanga.

It will exit the Philippine land mass early Saturday morning, and move towards the West Philippine Sea.

Yolanda is forecast to move west-northwest at 39 kph and is projected to be 240 km west-northwest of Coron, Palawan Saturday morning.

By Saturday afternoon, it is expected to be 720 km northwest of Coron, Palawan or outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility. -- http://www.gmanetwork.com/

Ruping's path


Hmm, uncannily similar to Yolanda's...

From Wikipedia

Super Typhoon Mike (international designation: 9025, JTWC designation: 27W, PAGASA name: Ruping) was the second strongest typhoon, behind Typhoon Flo, and the deadliest typhoon of the 1990 Pacific typhoon season as it crossed the Philippines in November. Forming from an area of persistent convection over the Caroline Islands, Mike headed westward. Early on the 8th, the depression strengthened to Tropical Storm Mike near Yap. Mike became a typhoon early on November 9, the 18th of the season. On November 10, the typhoon rapidly intensified, reaching peak winds of 165 mph later that day. In a 48-hour period, the typhoon deepened 99 millibars to a pressure of 915 mbar (27.0 inHg). Mike weakened shortly before land interaction and slammed over the eastern Philippines as a 140 mph (230 km/h) typhoon on November 12.

Mike reached a secondary peak of 95 mph (153 km/h) winds on November 14. However, interaction with Vietnam again weakened it to a minimal typhoon. Vertical shear increased, weakening Mike to a tropical storm on the 16th. Early the next day, the storm passed over western Hainan Island, and degraded to a tropical depression that night. After a brief passage over the Gulf of Tonkin Mike hit southern China, then dissipated there on November 18.

The worst of the storm will bypass the capital city of Manila, but wind gusts could reach 80 kph (50 mph) with 25 to 50 mm (1 to 2 inches) of rain.

After slamming the Philippines, Haiyan will remain a dangerous cyclone as it emerges into the South China Sea and continues to move to the west-northwest on Saturday.

The eventual track of Haiyan will bring the storm toward Vietnam by late Sunday into Monday.

These areas will receive multiple rounds of heavy rainfall leading up to the approach of Haiyan as rainfall from former Typhoon Krosa and Tropical Storm 30W will soak the region.

Thus, any additional heavy rainfall from Haiyan early next week will quickly lead to flooding and mudslide threats.

AccuWeather.com Meteorologists Alan Reppert, Eric Leister and Mike Doll contributed to this story.

Haiyan will also produce a severe and inundating storm surge, especially along the eastern coast of southern Luzon and Samar islands.

Residents are urged to take the necessary precautions now ahead of Haiyan's approach and heed all evacuation orders issued by local officials.

Widespread torrential rain and damaging winds will accompany Haiyan through the central Philippines, threatening to leave a trail of destruction and triggering life-threatening flash floods.

Rain totals along the path of Haiyan could top 200 mm (8 inches). Mudslides are a serious concern in the higher terrain, where localized totals of 250 to 300 mm (10 to 12 inches) are possible.

The expected track of Haiyan will take it directly over the areas hardest hit by a powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake that killed more than 150 people in the middle of October.

Haiyan has already topped Utor as the strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines this year.

"Three storms [Nari, Utor and Krosa] have crossed the Philippines at typhoon strength so far this year. All three tracked across Luzon, while Haiyan is headed toward the central Philippines," stated AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Eric Wanenchak.

Rain and wind will increase across the central Philippines through Friday morning (local time) with conditions deteriorating from east to west through Friday night as the powerful typhoon crosses the islands.

Imminent Destruction as Super Typhoon Haiyan Makes Landfall in Philippines
http://www.accuweather.com/
By Kristina Pydynowski, Senior Meteorologist
November 07, 2013; 7:15 PM


Super Typhoon Haiyan (local name Yolanda) is bringing a significant risk to lives and property as the monster storm moves across the Philippines.

On Friday, local time, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center estimated that sustained winds with this exceptionally dangerous storm increased to 315 kph (195 mph), surpassing the winds of Super Typhoon Lekima, which was previously the strongest tropical system in the world for the 2013 season based on wind speed and central pressure.

As of Friday morning, an observation site in Guiuan, Philippines, measured the sustained winds at 96 mph, before the site was disabled.



This satellite image of Haiyan, courtesy of NOAA, was taken just prior to landfall Friday morning, local time.

Presbyterian Mission Agency
http://www.examiner.com/

This image provided by the U.S. Naval Research Lab shows Typhoon Haiyan taken by the NEXSAT satellite Thursday Nov. 7, 2013 at 2:30 a.m. EDT. (AP Photo/US Naval Research Lab)

Climate scientists continue to search for insight into how manmade global warming, which is increasing sea surface temperatures along with changing air temperatures and the amount of moisture in the air, may be altering tropical storm systems like Haiyan. The most recent report from the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) found that “it is virtually certain that the frequency and intensity of the strongest tropical cyclones in the North Atlantic has increased since the 1970s,” but that there is less evidence of changes being detected in other ocean basins.

Sparse historical data of Pacific storms has made it more difficult for scientists to detect long-term changes to storms in that region, but in the Atlantic at least, global warming is expected to increase the prevalance of the strongest storms, while making storms produce more rainfall. However, the total number of storms in the Atlantic is projected to decrease as the climate continues to warm. The same may or may not hold true in the Western Pacific.

Stark contrast to quiet Atlantic season

The Western Pacific Ocean Basin has been far more active than the Atlantic Hurricane Season this year. Haiyan is the fourth Category 5 storm in the Western Pacific this year. There was also a Category 5 storm in the Eastern Pacific this year.

Based on an index, known as Accumulated Cyclone Energy or ACE, which incorporates the number, strength, and duration of all the tropical storms in a season, the Western Pacific has had a slightly below-average storm season, although it has been closing the gap recently.

Meanwhile, the Atlantic has not had a Category 5 storm since Hurricane Felix in 1997, according to Jeff Masters of Weather Underground, and the U.S. has not had a landfalling major hurricane of Category 3 or greater since 2005, a record span. The North Atlantic Hurricane Season had an ACE index that is just 29 percent of normal to date, with just 12 named storms, two of which have been hurricanes.

Even more so than Florida is in the U.S., the Philippines are a tropical storm magnet. Haiyan will be the fourth typhoon to hit the Philippines this year alone, but the storms normally hit the northern islands, rather than the central and southern regions that Haiyan is targeting.

Last year, Super Typhoon Bopha hit the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, killing close to 2,000, and Haiyan may be the strongest storm ever to strike the Philippines.

Chia-Ying Lee, a researcher at Columbia University’s International Research Institute for Climate and Society, told Climate Central in an email that Haiyan’s moderate forward speed has prevented it from encountering the cooler ocean waters that its potent winds are stirring up from deep below the ocean's surface, which would have weakened the storm.

Lee said there have been 9 years that have had more than three super typhoons in the Western Pacific Ocean (equivalent to Category 4 and 5 hurricanes) for the period from 2002-2012. “So actually, having 3 or more super typhoons is quite common, at least in the last decade.”

Lee said that Haiyan is unique in that it reached Category 5 strength at a very southern latitude, although it did not set a record for this. “. . . In general, a storm’s movement has a northward component, (so) the longer it takes for the storm to reach Category 4 or 5, the further north it gets. For Haiyan, it went through a rapid intensification process and has not actually experienced any weakening stage, while lots of storms experienced ups and downs before reaching such a strong stage,” she said.

Storm surge forecasts from the Philippines’ Project NOAH indicate a maximum storm tide (storm surge plus the tide level) of 16.4 feet at Ormoc in Leyte Province on November 8, with 14-16 foot storm tides occurring in the provinces of Palawan, Quezon, Biliran, and others. The storm tide forecast for Manila is 5 feet, but the city is so low-lying that flooding may still occur there.

Sea level rise from global warming is escalating the risk posed by storm surges across the globe, including in low-lying areas of the Philippines.

Aiding the storm’s development has been a plentiful supply of warm ocean waters, low atmospheric wind shear and plentiful amounts of warm, moist air surrounding the storm.

Wide-angle satellite image showing Super Typhoon Haiyan approach the Philippines. Credit: Facebook/EUMETSAT.

Ryan Maue, a meteorologist at WeatherBELL Analytics, said that Haiyan appears to be the strongest storm since Super Typhoon Tip in 1979. Maue said the storm has avoided the typical hiccups that other intense storms encounter, such as eyewall replacement cycles, during which a storm's inner core undergoes a reorganization. Such cycles can cause a Category 5 storm to weaken to a Category 3 or 4 storm, before re-strengthening. Instead of doing this, though, Haiyan has remained at peak strength for more than 24 hours, which is unusual, and even strengthened on Monday morning.

After hitting the Leyte province, the Philippines’ Department of Science and Technology expects the storm to traverse the central Philippines from Biliran to Busuanga before passing into the West Philippine Sea. The Department is warning coastal residents to expect storm surges “which may reach up to 7-meter (23 feet) wave height,” along with flooding and mudslides. The storm poses an especially grave danger to the capital of Leyte, the city of Tacloban, which has about 220,000 people and lies along or just to the north of the storm's path where the most intense winds and storm surge will come ashore.

For the past 24 hours, the storm has remained at a strength close to the theoretical upper limit that cyclones can reach. Unlike in the tropical North Atlantic, there is no aircraft reconnaissance of tropical storms and typhoons in the Western Pacific, so the actual wind speeds and minimum central air pressure â€" two key parameters used to classify such storms â€" are being estimated using satellites.

As of Thursday afternoon Eastern time, Haiyan, known in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Yolanda, had estimated maximum sustained winds of 195 mph with gusts above 220 mph, which puts the storm in extraordinarily rare territory. Since 1969, only three storms have had sustained winds close to this magnitude â€" Hurricane Camille in 1969, Super Typhoon Tip in 1979, and Hurricane Allen in 1980. No storm in the Atlantic has ever been stronger than Haiyan, accoring to The Weather Channel.

Haiyan is capable of causing catastrophic damage in the central Philippines and its outer bands are already starting to affect the island nation.

The U.S. Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center forecasts that Haiyan will cross the Central Philippines as a Category 4 or 5 Super Typhoon, and then re-emerge over open water, before making landfall in Vietnam as a Category 3 typhoon on November 10.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
Posted: 11/07/2013 3:59 pm EST  |  Updated: 11/07/2013 5:01 pm EST


From Climate Central's Andrew Freedman:

Super Typhoon Haiyan â€" which is one of the strongest storms in world history based on maximum windspeed â€" is about to plow through the Central Philippines, producing a potentially deadly storm surge and dumping heavy rainfall that could cause widespread flooding. The densely populated city of Manila, home to 12 million, is in the storm’s path, although it is predicted to escape the worst of the winds and storm surge.



Enhanced satellite image of Super Typhoon Haiyan showing the telltale "donut" appearance of an intense tropical cyclone. Credit: U-Wisconsin-CIMSS via Twitter/@Ryan_Maue.

Mao nga walay basihanan ang pagmahay. Kon naay usa ka butang nga atong mahinuklogan sa nangaging katalagman, kini mao ang kamatuoran nga pagkagamay ra gyud natong mga tawo itandi sa kinaiyahan. Buling ra ta sa kuko sa Ginoo nga way panghinguko.

Kon akoy pasultion, kabahin ta sa kinaiyahan. Usa ta sa yuta, sa tubig, sa hangin, sa panganod. Usa ta sa dagat ug sa bungtod, uban ta sa anod, kuyog ta sa uyog.

Kini ang rason nganong sa kinaiyahan nako gikuha ang mga pangan sa akong duha ka anak.

Ang akong dos anyos gihinganlan nako’g Ulan. Ang akong duha ka-buwan gihinganlan nako’g Buhawi.

Pagkahibawo niya ini, pwerteng katawa sa usa nako ka-paryente nga may mga anak nga gihinganla’g Madonna ug Britney.

Apan dili tanan nahimuot, labi na ning panahon sa katalagman. Basi’g may kalabotan ang akong duha ka-anak ining tanan, kinomedya pa’ng pung sa usa ka-silingan.

Di man sa tuo-tuohon ko, apan dihay kausa, akong gitutokan pag-ayo ang akong mga bata kon wa ba silay mga timailhan sa pagkagamhanan, sama sa ikog, sungay ug tango. Wala man hinuon. Gani, niadtong Lunes sa gabii nga kusog kaayo ang ulan ug may pakapin pa’ng buhawi, pwerte man hinuong katug ni Ulan ug Buhawi.

Apan aron lang pag-seguro, sunod namo nga anak among hatagan og pangan nga di kaayo bagsik. Ok ra tingali ang Taligsik. (@insoymada on Twitter)

SuperBalita Cebu » Opinyon
Eskina: Lorenzo Niñal
Wednesday, November 6, 2013


NING nangaging mga semana, nakapangutana ko sa kaugalingon kon unsay naa sa Cebu ug Bohol nga mura’g paborito man sila sa mga katalagman. Ok ra man tingali og kausa lang, apan kon magsunod-sunod na pud, makahangad na ka sa langit ug makapangutana, “Lord, unsay nahimo namong sayop?” da­yon hilak.

Apan kon atong susihon pag-ayo, di ra man sab kining duha ra ka-probinsya ang gikulata sa mga kalamidad. Kapila na sab tang mga Bisaya nakasuway nga maghayang-hayang lang sa tumang kahayahay samtang ang ubang probinsya ninglutaw na sa tubig ug gipadpad na sa hangin.

Niadtong panahona, sila sab tingali ang nakai­ngon, “Lord, anong aming nagawang kasalanan?” sabay iyak.

Buot nakong ipasabot, dili mopili og lugar ang katalagman. Di sama natong mga tawo, ang kinaiyahan walay gidipigan o gidumtan nga probinsya. Wa siyay biases, kon sa iningles pa. Mao nga di ta kaingon, “Ka­gwapo natong mga Bisaya, nganong linogon man ta?”

Ang kinaiyahan, tira kon tira. Mao ni iyang kinaiya (nature), mao nga gitawag siya’g kinaiyahan (Nature). Kon makasulti pa to’ng linog sa niaging buwan, nananghid na tingali to siya aron makaandam ta: “Excuse me mga Bisaya, mag-aftershock na pud ko.”

O di ba kaha moingon ang lunop, “Magbaha ko ha kay opaw na inyong kabukiran” aron pagpahibawo nato nga di niya tuyo nga pasakitan ta.

Actors Kyra Sedgwick and husband Kevin Bacon married in 1988 after meeting on the set of a PBS production. They have two kids.

Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick in 1987.

http://thechive.com/

U2 frontman Bono and his activist/Edun co-founder wife Alison Hewson were married in 1982 and have four kids together.

Bono and Ali Hewson in 1989.

Tom Hanks and actress Rita Wilson were married in 1988 after feeling sparks fly on the set of 1985′s “Volunteers.” They have two sons (Hanks also has two kids from his previous marriage).

Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson in 1985.

Actors Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn have been together since 1983.

Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn in 1983.

With Sting and his wife Trudie Styler, it was a ‘complicated’ start. He was married in 1982 when the couple began seeing each other, then Trudie got pregnant. Sting divorced his first wife, and the couple lived together for years before marrying in 1992. They have four kids.

Sting and Trudie Styler in 1982.

Ozzy Osbourne and Sharon Osbourne made it legal in 1982. As anyone who has watched MTV’s “The Osbournes” knows, they have three kids, Kelly, Jack and the little-seen Aimee.

Ozzy Osbourne and Sharon Osbourne in 1982.

Dustin Hoffman and wife Lisa Gottsegen were married in 1980. They’ve had four children together.

Lisa Hoffman and Dustin Hoffman in 1981.

By Sarah Smith, REDBOOK | Parenting â€" 17 hours ago


Last time I checked, nobody liked to be yelled at. That's why the results of a new study that found that yelling at kids is as harmful as spanking them shouldn't really surprise anybody.

Did you learn something last time you got yelled at? Yeah, me neither. Kids aren't some alien species that learns differently.

Researchers followed nearly 1,000 kids in middle-class families for two years and learned that harsh verbal discipline only makes kids' behavior worse--and contributes to other problems like depression and aggressive behavior.

Meaning: They'll yell right back at you, and then go off and get in trouble somewhere else. Pretty counterproductive. There are people out there who think that avoiding yelling is just pandering to kids, turning them into a coddled generation, but the opposite of yelling isn't whispering; it's being calm. You can be calm and stern at the same time.

It's perfectly natural to want to yell, though--kids can be infuriating. We can't all be Zen all the time, especially in the face of kids who seem utterly deaf to requests and rules.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmfCwh8LiPU

Quote from: hubag bohol on November 07, 2013, 06:31:43 PM
Santiago told Napoles that she should reveal now whatever she knows so that the senators affected by the scam will no longer have any motive to kill her. 

“Kung si Enrile ang most guilty, sabihin mo na para hindi ka ipapatay. 'Wag mo i-underestimate si Enrile. May asim pa si Tanda,” she said during the nationally televised hearing.

Another episode sa Mortal Kombat...

http://www.gmanetwork.com/
November 7, 2013 5:38pm


Senate MInority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile on Thursday hit “some members” of the Senate blue ribbon committee for converting the pork barrel scam probe “into a parody of justice.”

“I feel compelled to issue a statement on today's Senate hearing lest my silence in the face of the most outrageous allegations will be construed against me. I support any investigation that seeks to uncover the truth about this PDAF scam," said Enrile, one of three senators implicated in the alleged scam supposedly masterminded by trader Janet Lim-Napoles.

“But for some very members of the committee to use the blue ribbon hearing to make wild-eyed charges, baseless assumptions, and false accusations ...  converted the investigation into a parody of justice. They should lead the facts to a just conclusion instead of coralling their own predilections into a pre-ordained conclusion,” he added.

Aside from Enrile, also included in the plunder charge sheet are Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. and Gigi Reyes, Enrile's former chief of staff. All have since denied involvement in the scam.

Reiterating his innocence and that of his staff members, Enrile said: “To this end, I urge Mrs. Napoles to reveal the whole truth no matter who is hurt, as only the truth will set me free.”

In his statement, however, Enrile did not name the senators he was referring to.

But at one point during the hearing, Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago asked Napoles to name Enrile if she thinks he is the most guilty in the alleged scam.

Santiago told Napoles that she should reveal now whatever she knows so that the senators affected by the scam will no longer have any motive to kill her. 

“Kung si Enrile ang most guilty, sabihin mo na para hindi ka ipapatay. 'Wag mo i-underestimate si Enrile. May asim pa si Tanda,” she said during the nationally televised hearing. â€" Amita Legaspi/RSJ, GMA News

Santiago read from what was apparently a well-researched dossier on Napoles’ background which by her reckoning, could not sufficiently explain the suspected scam mastermind’s current assets and finances. For one, Santiago cited that Napoles’ educational attainment (high school diploma) is incongruous with the kind of business dealings she had reportedly engaged in, including trade in carbon credits.

The senator noted too that from simply running a canteen in Fort Bonifacio, Napoles went into big-time business ventures and accumulated high-end properties.

In the end, while Napoles may have evaded answering most of the questions Santiago succeeded in making her admit her humble beginnings, an admission that contradicted her earlier claims that she built her assets on a hefty inheritance.

On the basis of these admissions, Santiago tried to strengthen her own theory that Enrile is the biggest culprit.

The Senate was a calm sea when the hearing started. But along came a tempest called Miriam. We’ll see if she can sustain her gustiness in the days to come. (MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. H. Marcos C. Mordeno can be reached at hmcmordeno@gmail.com)

Santiago then advised Napoles it would serve her better if she became state’s witness and identified the real mastermind, alluding to Enrile who, she stressed, was the Senate president at the time the questioned pork transactions occurred. Further, the senator warned the Basilan native that she was dealing with “murderous” individuals, a point she tried to emphasize by recalling Enrile’s role as defense minister during Martial Law.

“Tell the truth before the senators affected have you assassinated,” she told Napoles without batting an eyelash.

Whistleblowers had alleged that Enrile, along with Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Bong Revilla Jr. were among the lawmakers involved in the pork barrel scam. Estrada had flown to the US for a supposed medical examination of his wife, while Enrile and Revilla did not attend the hearing.

In the latter part of her questioning, and in a methodical way, Santiago demolished Napoles’ earlier claims about her financial fortune and used it to build on her assertion that Enrile not Napoles is the real mastermind behind the scam. Napoles was apparently clueless that she had become Santiago’s ammunition against the former Senate president, now the minority leader.

SOMEONE ELSE’S WINDOWS: Super typhoon Miriam
By H. Marcos C. Mordeno on November 7 2013 4:59 pm


MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews/07 November) â€" Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago started by training her guns at alleged pork barrel scam Janet Lim-Napoles, but ended up hitting her colleague, Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, during the televised hearing Thursday by the Senate blue ribbon committee.

At the start of the hearing, Napoles was stonewalling the questions posed by committee chair Teofisto Guingona III that this observer was almost tempted to switch to a sports channel. I lost count how many times the witness had recited the phrase “di ko alam” (I don’t know). But Santiago breathed life into what could have been a dull proceeding.

Santiago began by enlightening Napoles on her rights â€" in particular the right against self-incrimination â€" and the situations wherein such rights may be invoked. In the subsequent questioning by Santiago, Napoles did extensively (excessively?) invoke [her] right against self-incrimination that at one point the senator told her she was only creating the impression that she was hiding something.

Evasive Janet Napoles frustrates senators
Yahoo Southeast Asia Newsroom â€" 33 minutes ago


Senators were frustrated Thursday as alleged pork barrel mastermind Janet Lim Napoles dodged their questions on the pork barrel scam.

Napoles, who appeared in public for first time since her surrender, hardly answered senators' questions, often saying her memory failed her.

She also repeatedly invoked her right against self-incrimination, pending complaints filed against her and lawmakers before the Ombudsman.

Napoles' "evasive" position prodded Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago to advise her to bare all, "before she gets killed."

Oct. 26, 2013. A woman looks out of an abandoned building near polling stations in the town of Abyei, ahead of the referendum on whether to join Sudan or South Sudan. Goran Tomasevic â€"Reuters

Finally, make your way to your destination, the beautiful Shoalhaven region. Here, you’ll find Jervis Bay, famous for its powdery white sands and jeweled waters. Between May and November, the area is rich with the lively presence of dolphins and whales. Hop onboard the Dolphin Watch Cruises Jervis Bay and discover the previously “undiscovered” secrets of these magnificent creatures.

From Wollongong, make your way to Shellharbour Village. Here, you can follow a guided heritage trail to find out about Shellharbour's fascinating past. Archaeological evidence shows that Aboriginal people have lived in the area for at least 17,000 years!

After satisfying your hunger, drive on to the bustling beachside city of Wollongong. Take your pick of any of the 17 patrolled beaches â€" they’re all gorgeous â€" and relax with a freshly-squeezed juice or frozen yogurt. Or, if you’re feeling up for a little more action, rent a bicycle and explore the beaches or traipse through The Blue Mile boardwalk.

A little further along on your route is Bald Hill Lookout, which offers you stunning views of the pristine beach below. For a breathtaking aerial view of the scenery, there’s no better way than to hang glide … this area is internationally renowned as a hang gliding mecca. Once you’ve sufficiently caught your breath, continue with your journey down to Austinmer, where you can stop for a meal at one of the town’s several restaurants.

http://ph.news.yahoo.com/


The next time you visit Sydney, don’t just head straight for a cab to whisk you away to your hotel. Take your time, rent a car and meander down Wollongong’s spectacular Grand Pacific Drive, a coastal drive that begins 45 minutes south of Sydney International Airport.

By Vanessa Tai/Material World.





Head south on the Princes Highway and make your way through the Royal National Park, the second-oldest in the world. Set over 16,000 hectares, the park offers everything from beaches to rainforests. At its edge is Symbio Wildlife Park, home to some of Australia’s furry, finned and feathered inhabitants.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
Posted: 11/05/2013 2:50 pm EST  |  Updated: 11/05/2013 3:17 pm





A teenager in Siberia successfully auctioned off her virginity online.

"Money is urgently needed, so I am selling the most treasured thing," the 18-year-old wrote on Russian auction website 24au.ru, according to a Huffington Post translation of the text.

The woman, who listed her name only as "Shatuniha," said she was willing to meet the next day. "I can come to a hotel at Predmostnaya [Square] with a certificate proving my innocence."

The auction was posted Oct. 30 with a 800,000 ruble price tag, which translates to about $24,600. A day later, someone had bid 900,000 rubles, or about $27,700, in order to deflower her.

Shatuniha not only auctioned off her chastity for a hefty sum, she appears to have done it with impunity. Police in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, where the teen lives, told The Siberian Times that she broke no laws.

"[We have] no right to give a moral assessment of the girl's actions," officials said.

Kuyaw nga naay matiklo dili tungod sa bagyo kondili tungod sa nerbyos...

Mangutana ta ni Ms. Lolla, duol man ni sa ilaha...

Primordial moral lesson: Ang babaye dili kakompyansahan.

Quote from: islander on November 07, 2013, 09:57:34 AM
those also named yolanda:

Yolanda of Flanders, a ruler of the Latin Empire in Constantinople
Yolanda of Vianden, a 13th century prioress of Marienthal, Luxembourg
Violant of Hungary, Queen consort of James I of Aragon
Yolanda of Hungary, daughter of Béla IV of Hungary, beata
Yolanda, an alias of Symbionese Liberation Army member Emily Harris
Yolanda (storm), a non-tropical cyclone that struck eastern Europe in 2010


wikipedia/

Yolander of TB, cat disguised as a human

Quote from: islander on November 07, 2013, 09:52:28 AM
OTHER LANGUAGES: Jolanda (Croatian), Jolana (Czech), Jolanda (Dutch), Yolande (French), Jola, Jolán, Jolánka (Hungarian), Iolanda, Jolanda (Italian), Violante (Late Roman), Jolanta (Polish), Iolanda (Portuguese), Iolanda (Romanian), Jolana (Slovak), Jolanda (Slovene)

Hmm, how about Violente? could be the name of a monster typhoon, eh?

“Monster typhoon” jud. Kurog man pud atong its....

Kuyawan man pud tag news items nga ingon ani...



Monster typhoon roars toward Visayas
By Helen Flores (The Philippine Star) | Updated November 7, 2013 - 12:00am





MANILA, Philippines - Storm Haiyan intensified yesterday into a Category 4 “monster typhoon” as it roared toward the Philippines.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) warned that Haiyan was poised to enter the Philippine area of responsibility this morning.

The super storm will be locally named Yolanda.

As of 4 p.m. yesterday, the eye of Haiyan was spotted at 1,221 kilometers east of Mindanao with maximum sustained winds of 175 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 210 kph. It was forecast to move west-northwest at 30 kph.

The most powerful typhoon of the year, with winds possibly reaching over 250 kph, could cause “severe damage” as it moves toward eastern Visayas, PAGASA weather forecasting chief Rene Paciente said.

Paciente said Haiyan was expected to make landfall over the Samar-Leyte area between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. tomorrow.

He said the typhoon will cross Masbate, northern Cebu, Romblon, northern Panay, Mindoro, and northern Palawan.

The US-based Joint Typhoon Warning Center upgraded Haiyan into a super typhoon before noon yesterday with packed winds of 130 knots (241 kph).

Paciente said PAGASA is not officially using the category “super typhoon” but some local officials, while preparing for the onslaught of the storm, described the approaching danger of Haiyan as a “monster typhoon.”

At least this time all-out ang warnings and preparations gikan sa gobyerno ug ubang sektor sa katilingban.

Long lines were a familiar sight at almost any supermarket in Cebu City yesterday as consumers stocked up on food and emergency items in anticipation of typhoon Yolanda. FERDINAND EDRALIN

Quote from: hubag bohol on November 03, 2013, 08:49:05 AM
Abi’g linog, torjak diay

Insinsitib bitaw tuod ning taytola, tulo pa gud ka adlaw human sa dakong linog...

Yolanda Yvette Adams (born August 27, 1961) is an American gospel singer, record producer, actress, and radio host. As of September 2009, she had sold 4.5 million albums since 1991 in the United States, and nearly 8 million albums worldwide according to SoundScan.

On December 11, 2009, Billboard Magazine named her the #1 Gospel Artist of the last decade. In the same chart, her album Mountain High...Valley Low was acknowledged as the best gospel album. --Wiki

Tsk, tsk, tsk, kujaw jamo bajeha...

SuperBalita Cagayan de Oro
Ni Stephanie Viovicente-Berganio
Sunday, November 3, 2013


DEAD on arrival sa Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) ang usa ka lalaki human kini gipusil sa usa ka babaye nga silingan niini niadtong Sabado mga alas 7:00 sa buntag sa Zone-4, Barangay Bayabas ning siyudad sa Cagayan de Oro.

Si Police Senior Inspector Alfredo Ortiz, hepe sa Police Station 4 (PS4) niila sa biktima nga mao si Ruben Carpio III, 43, nagpuyo sa susamang dapit apan lumad nga taga probinsya sa Camiguin.

Gitumbok nga suspetsado mao si Delma Melante, 41, residente sa susamang dapit.

Sa inisyal nga imbestigasyon, nasuta nga daw daan na nga nagkalalis ang duha tungod kay giingong adunay utang si Carpio ni Melante.

Giingong nagsige og paningil ang suspetsado ngadto sa biktima apan kanunay siya nga balibaran tungod kay daw wala kini ikabayad.

Atol sa insidente namatikdan nga nag-estoryahanay ang duha apan misangpot sa grabeng panaglalis ug kalit lang dayon gipusil ni Melante si Carpio.

Pulos fatal ang tulo ka mga igo ni Carpio sa iyang dughan, ulo ug liog nga maoy hinungdan sa kamatayon. Gisuwayan pa og dala ang biktima sa NMMC apan dead on arrival na kini nga gideklarar sa doctor.

Ang suspetsado nasikop usab dayon sa mga barangay opisyal sa dapit ug karon gibalhog na sa Maharlika Detention Cell.

Nahipos usab sa crime scene ang basyo sa kalibre .38 ug nasuta nga mobalor sa P10 mil ang utang ni Carpio ngadto sa suspek.

Matud ni Ortiz nga desidido ang paryente sa biktima nga pasakaan og kasong murder ang suspetsado tungod kay daw gamay ra kaayo nga rason ang utang nga gikalas ang kinabuhi niini.

Samtang migawas usab ang taho nga usa sa gikaulitan sa suspek tungod kay daghan kini kaayo og estorya batok kaniya imbes mao pay nakautang daw kaniya.

Quote from: hubag bohol on October 30, 2013, 04:47:51 AM

Maldito pud ang newspaper nga kining hulagwaya ang gipili nga ipatik...

Got it. As for you, Madame, you are supercalifragilisticexpiapugnacious.

Quote from: islander on October 29, 2013, 05:05:50 PM

Row, row, row your boat,
Gently o'er the bridge...

SuperBalita Cagayan de Oro
Ni Stephanie Viovicente-Berganio
Wednesday, November 6, 2013


NAGTINGKAGOL karon sa Maharlika Detention Cell ang usa ka lalaki nga nasikop sa kapolisan human mangbiktima na usab unta niadtong Lunes sa usa ka laundry shop sa Barangay Carmen ning siyudad.

Giila ang suspetsado nga mao si Elmon Silposa, hingkod ang edad, lumad nga taga Bunawan, Agusan del Sur.

Si Police Senior Inspector Alfredo Ortiz, hepe sa Carmen Police Station, niingon nga niadtong Oktubre 30, nanulis si Silposa sa usa ka Travelers Den sa maong dapit ug giluba ang kahera mahatag lamang ang iyang gitinguhang kantidad.

Dali kining misibat ug nagtago-tago apan niadtong Lunes mibalik kini sa dapit ug miadto sa duol lamang nga laundry shop aron kuhaon unta ang iyang gipalabhan nga sapatos.

Apan usa ka empliyadong babaye, nga tagoan na lamang sa ngalan nga Janet, ang gitionan na usab niini og kutsilyo ug gipangayuan ug cellphone.

Gipugos pa niini pagpasulod sa pansayan nga gituohang gusto pa niining luguson. Maayo na lamang abtik nga nakatunaw si Janet og asido ug gisulod sa kabo dayon yabo sa nawong sa suspek.

Naigo ang mata ni Silposa ug nagsige kini og pamalikas. Dali dayon nga nakapangayo og tabang si Janet hinungdan na daling nakaresponde ang kapolisan.

Nasikop si Silposa ug gikatakdang mag-atubang kini og daghan nga mga kaso.

Hinuon dili grabe ang kadaot sa nawong niini tungod sa asido labina deretsong nahilam-osan niini og tubig.

Desperation of sick people

The lack of regulations in the Philippines makes it an ideal setting for medical practitioners to “prey on the desperation of sick people,” said Dr. Anthony Leachon, vice president of the Philippine College of Physicians.

Health Secretary Enrique Ona said his department was planning to come up with a list of doctors and institutions accredited to practice stem cell therapy in the Philippines.

But the government is clearly eyeing the potential economic benefits of stem cell therapies.

“We look at this issue with a certain degree of liberty to make sure that our hospitals that are carrying out good stem cell therapy practices can continue them,” Ona said.

“Hopefully, in the future, the Philippines can even claim to be a center of stem cell therapy in this part of the world, if not even internationally.” -- http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/

Stem cell pills

Stem cell pills claiming to make customers “feel and look at least seven years younger” can be bought through Filipino websites for just P9,000.

Cheap and top-end beauty centers also offer a range of treatments, some not involving qualified health professionals.

Human stem cell procedures can indeed offer life-saving treatments for patients with leukemia, lymphoma and some solid tumors, according to the American Medical Association.

The US-based International Society for Stem Cell Research also said the procedures for human, or adult, stem cell therapy had “tremendous potential” for treating a range of human afflictions.

But it warned clinics around the world were offering “unproven treatments” for many illnesses that posed “very real risks of developing complications.”

Regulation

The Department of Health is scrambling to regulate local stem cell therapy practices amid a chaotic and often dubious boom in the industry.

In an effort to tap into the much larger markets of the country’s lower and middle classes, advertisements for more affordable products and treatments claiming to use stem cells have been springing up.

‘Could be fatal’

“When animal cells are transmitted to humans, it could be fatal,” Bernal said at a recent forum on stem cell therapy in Manila.

Kittichaiwong insists fresh cell therapy is perfectly safe.

“What you eat every day is foreign material, but you don’t get rejection,” he said, adding that Villa Medica planned to soon open a clinic in the Philippines.

Amid this debate, Carrion-Norton wants to promote the less controversial adult stem cell therapy in the Philippines, and set up her own clinic.

“I don’t want only the rich to be able to do it,” she said. “I want everyone that needs it to be able to do stem cell therapy, because this is the medicine of the future.” However, treatments at Norton’s clinic will start at about $17,000 (about P734,000).

“It’s still expensive and will remain so unless a lot of people get into the business,” she said. “That’s why I want more people to know about it and not be afraid of it.”

Stem cell therapy for health and cosmetic purposes is popular in China, India and many other Asian countries. However, like the Philippines, laws and enforcement, in large part, have yet to catch up with the medical advances.

Enrile, too

Another remarkable, elderly politician who has cited stem cell therapy as one reason for his enduring career is 89-year-old Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, who was defense minister during the reign of dictator Ferdinand Marcos a generation ago.
Villa Medica also cites Enrile as one of its patients.

However, the use of stem cells from sheep has attracted much criticism, with Samuel Bernal, a professor of medicine at the University of California, among the many Filipino doctors to warn of its dangers.

Estrada, clinic in Germany

The clinic harvests cells from unborn sheep to be injected into a patient’s muscles, known as fresh cell therapy, and Kittichaiwong said 400 Filipinos visited last year.

“After 14 days, the patient’s skin will glow and their digestive and immune systems will improve,” he said.

Among Villa Medica’s high-profile clients is former President Joseph Estrada, 76, who has staged a remarkable political comeback in recent years after being forced to stand down from the nation’s top job in 2001 because of corruption.

“Now I sleep better. My knees are no longer a problem. My skin has been radiant like this ever since,” a testimonial from Estrada reads in a Villa Medica brochure.
A spokesperson for Estrada, who was this year elected mayor of Manila, confirmed he had stem cell therapy treatment at Villa Medica.

Public officials

Rich businessmen and public officialsâ€"mostly maleâ€"are the most eager customers, according to Florencio Lucero, a doctor in Manila who said he started performing adult stem cell therapy in 2006.

“They do it because they want to work longer,” Lucero told AFP. “And then they tell their wives or girlfriends.”

Lucero said Filipinos had been receiving anti-aging stem cell treatment since the 1970s, often flying abroad to do so.

Thai medical entrepreneur Bobby Kittichaiwong says he has a lucrative business catering to the Filipino elite, who pay $20,000 (about P864,000) to visit his Villa Medica clinic in Germany for a more controversial form of stem cell therapy.

Agence France-Presse
3:32 am | Thursday, November 7th, 2013



In a picture taken on Oct. 27, 2013, Cynthia Carrion-Norton gestures as she speaks during an interview at her home in Manila. AFP PHOTO/JAY DIRECTO


MANILA, Philippinesâ€"Cynthia Carrion-Norton flits high-heeled around Metro Manila with energy levels belying her years, thankful for a controversial treatment she highly recommends to fellow 60-somethings.

Carrion-Norton, 66, a member of the Philippine Olympic Committee and a former undersecretary for medical tourism, credits her vitality to adult stem cell therapy.

“The day I got the therapy I went to a dinner party and everyone told me: ‘Cynthia, you’re blooming!’” she told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

The procedure involves harvesting the patients’ stem cells from their own fat and injecting them into their blood, which she likened to being injected with intravenous fluid in the arm.

In a country where the elite are obsessed with anti-aging, wealthy Filipinos are shelling out between $12,500 (about P540,000) and $18,000 (about P780,000) per session of stem cell therapy in the belief it will improve their overall health and make them look younger.

Buwad? The smell, the smell. You should know. That is your department.

Quote from: hubag bohol on November 07, 2013, 04:56:09 AM
The substantial increase in the collection of sin taxes also came with observations that consumption of cigarettes did not significantly decline even with the higher tax rates.

Daan pa ko.

But officials said the full impact of the law was already felt in the second half of this year because old inventories of cigarette and alcoholic beverage manufacturers have already been depleted.

The substantial increase in the collection of sin taxes also came with observations that consumption of cigarettes did not significantly decline even with the higher tax rates.

Industry data showed that average consumption of an individual smoker stood at 14.13 sticks a day in the second quarter, only marginally lower than the 14.84 sticks registered in the same period last year.

This means that while the Sin Tax Reform law is so far achieving the government’s revenue targets, it is hardly meeting the other goal of reducing smoking incidence.

Of the amount, the bigger share of P35 billion was accounted for by excise tax payments by cigarette makers. The amount marked an annual rate of increase of 77.7 percent.

Excise tax payments by manufacturers of alcoholic beverages amounted to P21.3 billion, up year on year by 39.6 percent.

The higher collection was made possible by the Sin Tax Reform law, which took effect in January this year. The law raised the excise tax rates for so-called sin products and mandated the gradual shift to a unitary tax rate over the medium term.

The law is targeted to increase the BIR’s sin tax collection by P33.9 billion this year to P85.86 billion.

Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares earlier expressed confidence that the target would be achieved given the favorable collection performance so far in the year.

The impact of the law on the BIR’s revenue collection was not substantial earlier in the year because of overstocking, officials said. In particular, manufacturers produced more cigarettes and alcoholic beverages toward the end of last year and kept the excess goods in their warehouses to temporarily avoid paying the higher taxes (the excise tax is paid upon withdrawal from manufacturing plants).

http://business.inquirer.net/
4:21 am | Thursday, November 7th, 2013



AP PHOTO


Collection of taxes from manufacturers of cigarettes and alcoholic beverages surged in the first eight months of the year, boosted by the higher tax rates that have so far failed to dampen consumption of these so-called “sin” commodities.

Based on a report from the Department of Finance, parent agency of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), collection of excise tax on cigarettes and alcohol reached P56.3 billion from January to August, up 61 percent year on year.

“An encouraging note has been the success of our ‘sin tax reform’ as a revenue measure,” Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima said in the report.

Grease kills lice, if you didn't know.

Hmm, conscientiously uncontentious? Not contentiously unconscientious? Sureness?

Now the question is, how bananacious are you?

Aw, he he, gwapo ra man human og shave...

Quote from: bugsay on November 06, 2013, 03:20:18 PM
pwede pod ilisan atong trid taytol nga mas mohaom pa.....too many crooks in the palace press office..

He he, aron mosamot kahaom, pwede tangtangon na lang ang mga pulong "press office".

Quote from: bugsay on November 06, 2013, 03:49:36 PM
sa ilaha ma death sentence....sa atua himoong senador...

...tan-awa, dako na kaayog ulo ang kanahan...

Quote from: islander on November 06, 2013, 11:44:06 AM
i won't say that his diet includes ticks and fleas...

Who knows? Maybe by eating ticks and fleas that have feasted on you he gives vent to his excessive uxoriousness.

The Bangladesh mutiny of 2009


Began principally because of resentment over pay and conditions - the average border guard at the time of the mutiny earned about $70 (£50) a month, equivalent to the wages of a low-ranking government clerk

Exactly why it became so violent - with senior officers and their family members shot in cold blood - is unclear. One theory is that resentment against the officer-class had reached boiling point

The mutineers stole around 2,500 weapons and broke into an annual meeting of top border defence officers before shooting them
The case is believed to be one of the largest of its type in the world, with hundreds of witnesses called for the trial that started in January 2011

The uprising briefly threatened to overthrow the newly-elected government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in a country with a history of military-backed coups

Soon after the uprising was crushed, the government announced it was changing the law to allow mutiny to be a capital offence

http://www.bbc.co.uk/

A young girl seems to be in no mood to go to school as she sits forlornly inside what remains of her house in Barangay Looc, Mandaue City after it was struck by a tornado Monday night. JOY TORREJOS

Quote from: islander on November 06, 2013, 10:48:29 AM
opkors naman.  and i'm flattered.  for the banana republic, it could be the best thing that ever happened to him.

Hmm, and he personally deals with your ticks and fleas?

Quote from: hubag bohol on November 06, 2013, 11:07:32 AM
My one question though is that news reports made it seem as if Coloma asked to be Malacañang spokesperson so that the other press people can focus on other matters. What other matters are these? Licking stamps and sending out brochures? As I mentioned before, back in my day we only had to contend with one press secretary who had the ear of the president. These days there is a virtual labyrinth of glamorous titles and fancy offices. I can’t help but think these are just a waste of public funds. Why do we need so many people to fulfill the office that one person should hold? I can’t help but feel that eradicating redundancy in the government is a good first step to gaining back public trust. Having so many offices doing the same thing not only confuses the public but costs a lot of money. This is actually something I mentioned a long while back but is only now being looked at after a series of blunders by the Palace “spin masters.”

As it has happened, the broth is spoiled indeed...

My one question though is that news reports made it seem as if Coloma asked to be Malacañang spokesperson so that the other press people can focus on other matters. What other matters are these? Licking stamps and sending out brochures? As I mentioned before, back in my day we only had to contend with one press secretary who had the ear of the president. These days there is a virtual labyrinth of glamorous titles and fancy offices. I can’t help but think these are just a waste of public funds. Why do we need so many people to fulfill the office that one person should hold? I can’t help but feel that eradicating redundancy in the government is a good first step to gaining back public trust. Having so many offices doing the same thing not only confuses the public but costs a lot of money. This is actually something I mentioned a long while back but is only now being looked at after a series of blunders by the Palace “spin masters.”

So it seems that the president finds himself at a crossroads of sorts when it comes to his presidency. No one ever said the job was going to be easy and if he thought it was than I am sure he realizes now that it is not. He has already been called a liar in the news in recent weeks and he came out and said he was not a thief despite no one having accused him of being one. These are two words that are not good to have connected to your presidency. What matters now is what the president is going to do about it.  I can’t help but feel that these next three years are going to be crucial when it comes to defining the presidency. I hope he makes good choices.