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And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.

-REVELATIONS 12: 1

And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; 2 she was with child and she cried out in her pangs of birth, in anguish for delivery. 3 And another portent appeared in heaven; behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems upon his heads. 4 His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven, and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bear a child, that he might devour her child when she brought it forth; 5 she brought forth a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron.

-Revelations 12; 1-5

This is unbelievable how some muslims can be so brutal towards Christians. Burning an innocent man and raping his wife in front of the children? While police and civilians are watching and looking at the event? And they say that islam is a religion of peace?

I pray for the children of Mr. Masih. May they be strengthened and may their faith never falter. Their father has has now beheld the face of Jesus Christ in Heaven. The blood of martyrs are precious...more precious than gold and jewels to the Lord God.

hahahahahaha!!

hahaha ouch!

Vito,

A glimpse of life in Heaven was documented by St. John through his writings in the Book of Revelations. It would be wise for you to read Book of Revelations to answer more of your questions.



Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.  No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

-Revelation 22:1-5

Islamabad - Arshed Masih died last night in hospital from the serious injuries - burns covering 80% of his body â€" which the 38 year old Pakistani Christian suffered when he was set on fire because he refused to convert to Islam. The funeral of man, who died after three days of agony, should take place in the late afternoon, but the family has asked that "before an autopsy is performed." The Christian community of Pakistan condemns "with firmness" the latest episode of violence and denounces the "slowness" of the federal and provincial government to punish those responsible. 

On March 19 a group of Islamic extremists burned alive Arshed Masih, a driver employed by a wealthy Muslim businessman in Rawalpindi. His wife worked as a maid in the same estate, situated in front of a police station. Recently disagreements had arisen between the employer, Sheikh Mohammad Sultan, and the couple because of their Christian faith. The couple had suffered threats and intimidation to force them to convert to Islam. 

Arshed Masih (pictured) died last night at 7.45 local time after three days of agony and suffering at the Holy Family Hospital in Rawalpindi, Punjab province. His wife Martha Arshed was raped by police en she sought to denounce the violence inflicted on her husband. The couple's three children - ages 7 to 12 years - were forced "to witness the torture inflicted on their parents. 

Since 2005 Arshed Masih and his wife had worked and lived on the estate of the late Sheikh Mohammad Sultan. The pressure on them to renounce Christianity had lately become incessant. The owner had come so far as to threaten "dire consequences", to persuade them to embrace Islam. The couple were also accused of a recent theft by the owner who has promised to drop the complaint for their conversion. 

Arshed Masih's funeral should be held in the late afternoon, although tension remains high in the area. Local witnesses tell AsiaNews that "the whole family is in shock and I s demanding an autopsy is carried out before burial." Several Christian associations and human rights activists - including Life for All, Christian Progressive Movement, Pakistan Christian Congress and Protect Foundation Pakistan - "protests are being stepped up outside the hospital." 

Peter Jacob, executive secretary of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Catholic Church of Pakistan (NCJP), expresses to AsiaNews his "strongest condemnation" for the crime against the man and the rape of women perpetrated by police who should protect law and order . The Catholic organization has been active to ensure protection to the woman and children, of whom there are no immediate reports. 

The Catholic activist notes with regret the silence of the Federal Minister for Minorities, the Catholic Shahbaz Bhatti, and denounces "the slow pace and the inaction of the federal and provincial government.  "The executive - said Peter Jacob - has not yet taken concrete steps to prevent violence and abuse on minorities and punish the guilty."   

The site BosNewsLife.com adds that yesterday the provincial government of Punjab blocked a protest march of Christians, under the pretext of "terrorist threat". The local community wanted to demonstrate against the "refusal" of the police to arrest the perpetrators of the crime.

http://pakistanchristian.tv/news/2010-03-23_Pakistani_Christian_Arshad_Masih_burned_alive_dies_Christian_community_call.cfm

Update: The man in this article passed away due to his burn wounds. Rest In Peace, brother Arshad Masih. May the Lord Jesus Christ welcome you into His Kingdom in Heaven.

side note: it is quite interesting how in the medical field, mental health field, medical research field, and even in community outreach groups, there is a strong emphasis on coping with the concept and experience of dying (the physical and the mental anguish) for the one dying and for the relatives.

It is really interesting how there psychotherapeutic sessions for those who are dying to vent out their intrapsychic tension on this regard. It is as if it is a preparation for passing on. One colleauge of mine asked, "are we preparing these patients , who are about to die, for the entry into the after life? or are these just mere tactics to reduce tension for the living?"

What do you guys think? How would you answer his question?

hehehe. naka hinomdom ko sa birthday ni lolo. lolo had turned 78 years old in 2004 and i said to him, "happy birthday, 'lo! 78 years old na ka 'lo!"

kuyaw pod ang answer ni lolo nako: "ah, salamat kaayo, 'doy. i feel like i'm 78 years young"

da kuyawa! hahahaha

Last year, when I visited the grave of my lolo mariano, i lit 12 candles for the 12 years that i was unable to visit him. (the last time i was able to pay my respects to lolo mariano was in 1998 during the funeral of my lola nating). As i was lighting the 12 candles on his grave, i just wished him peace and told him that i was there , ijang apo sa sungay, ning bisita nija. wa la sija gi kalimtan nako.

As i bent to kiss his grave stone, i felt this soft force press on my right shoulder. as if someone placed a hand on my shoulder. i turned around, no one was there. peaceful kaayo ang effect tho. i don't know, who it was, but i would not be surprised if it was lolo mariano.

kyut kaayo si baby...

Quote from: hubag bohol on December 02, 2011, 09:36:27 AM



Super-adorable... 

hehehe tambotsoy man si ondoy!

Have you ever experienced prejudice before? What did you do about it? What are some techniques you could raise to raise cultural diversity?

Wow, thanks for sharing your personal experiences, isles. Can you ever feel the presence of things that are invisible?

As for myself, I've always had the ability to feel energy (residual vs active), however, I just try to ignore it. When I feel uncomfortable, I just recite the holy rosary (i carry a rosary in my pocket always) I just pray when I feel something , and mo subside baya.

It's good to see that there are some others that have this ability.

hahaha, you're too cute, isles.

oh my goodness...this little one is just too cute. wo hen hao! wo hen hao!

awwww....inchik kyut!!  

cute lagi kaayo si baby...

Exophthalmos man ni. She should also check her thyroxine levels. Murag hyperthyroidotic ning bajeha...

hahaha

St Polycarp sat at the feet of St. John the Apostle. Documents written by St. Polycarp confirm that he knew others "who had seen the Lord in the flesh." It can only be imagined the lessons that St. Polycarp learned from these blessed men. But a glimpse of his knowledge obtained from them can be found within St. Polycarp's teachings.

He taught that one should rejoice in the Lord Jesus Christ, to serve God in fear and truth and to always walk in His Commandments. St. Polycarp's Letter to the Philippians is filled with these messages using quotes from the Holy Gospel, Acts, and the Epistles of the New Testament. It seems that this particular saint not only was a link between the Apostles and the Second Century Church but a faithful transmission of church doctrine as well.

St. Polycarp devoted much of his life to refuting Gnosticism. Being a strong defender of Orthodoxy, he admonished all heretics. It is written that St. Polycarp once met a heretic Marcion in the street. Marcion asked if St. Polycarp recognized him. St. Polycarp replied, "Indeed I do for you are the firstborn of Satan!"

St. Polycarp's martyrdom is perhaps one of the most endearing. On a day in February about 155 AD this great bishop departed with the honor of the crown of martyrdom to the Heavenly Reward. His martyrdom is much more than a story; it is an actual recorded eyewitness account.

The year in which St. Polycarp was martyred there was a civil celebration in Smyrna and games were being held in the local amphitheater. The beasts had killed a Christian boy for his Christian beliefs. The crowd blamed St. Polycarp for installing these beliefs in the mind of the young boy and called for his death also.

The faithful, against his wishes, insisted he go to a nearby farm. St. Polycarp prayed night and day for all men and for all the churches throughout the world. One night in prayer he had a vision that his pillow blazed with fire. He knew then he would be burned alive.

The legal authorities in the upper room of the farmhouse discovered him. St. Polycarp ordered a meal for his captors and asked for an hour in which to pray. When the saint finished praying he was taken on a mule to ride back to the city. On the way to the amphitheater he was insulted and threatened but he would not deny God. In the amphitheater facing his death, He confessed the Lord God with his very last breath.

When the executioners came to tie St. Polycarp to the stake to be burned he asked them to leave him as he was. So, they bound his arms only yet, they did not tie him to the stake to be burned. A great fire was lit and a great flame burst over the entire pyre completely covering St. Polycarp's body. The flames failed to consume his flesh. The executioner then stabbed his body with a dagger. Once dead, the flames reduced St. Polycarp's body to ashes. This was an aged man who died with valor. His testimony was a simple one; he loved the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, and with his very life.

Now, within this article many stories of this St. Polycarp's life have been told. But the greatest story that remains with us today is actually not a story at all but a lesson. Beneath St. Polycarp's endurance, nobility, and obedience was peace. The way in which he drew each breath was one of peace. If the weather was foul he prayed and fasted. His teachings were of joy and ways that would lead to peace. If Gnosticism was to be refuted he confronted the heretics staunchly yet he had the peace of the Lord. When discovered in the upper room, he invited his captors for a meal. Before his being led back into the city he prayed. With the peace, which abides only in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ he withstood the flames of fire, which led to his departure from this earthly world.

Indeed we treasure this blessed saint' and all his glorious stories. But let me assure you, I honor him first and the most for the peaceful way in which he conducted his life. His path of peace left footsteps to mark The Way. Let us all learn from St. Polycarp, the true meaning of peace and how to apply it in our daily life. During this Great Fast, let us all contemplate on this beloved saints lesson of peace and how he gave his all to the PRINCE OF PEACE.

Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the "children of God".

H.G. Bishop Youssef
Bishop, Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States


http://suscopts.org/resources/literature/174/st-polycarp-the-beloved-peacemaker/

St. Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, soldier of Christ, martyr for Christ

Saint Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, was a disciple of Saint John. He wrote to the Philippians, exhorting them to mutual love and to hatred of heresy. When the apostate Marcion met Saint Polycarp at Rome, he asked the aged saint if he knew him. “Yes,” Saint Polycarp answered, “I know you for the firstborn of Satan.” These were the words of a saint most loving and most charitable, and specially noted for his compassion to sinners. He hated heresy because he loved God and man so much.

In 167, persecution broke out in Smyrna. When Polycarp heard that his pursuers were at the door, he said. “The will of God be done;” and meeting them, he begged to be left alone for a little time, which he spent in prayer for “the Catholic Church throughout the world.”

He was brought to Smyrna early on Holy Saturday: and as he entered, a voice was heard from heaven, “Polycarp, be strong.” When the proconsul besought him to curse Christ and go free, Polycarp answered, “Eighty-six years I have served Him, and He never did me wrong; how can I blaspheme my King and Saviour?”

When he threatened him with fire, Polycarp told him this fire of his lasted but a little, while the fire prepared for the wicked lasted forever. At the stake he thanked God aloud for letting him drink of Christ’s chalice. The fire was lighted, but it did him no hurt; so he was stabbed to the heart, and his dead body was burnt. “Then,” say the writers of the Acts, “we took up the bones, more precious than the richest jewels or gold, and deposited them in a fitting place, at which may God grant us to assemble with joy to celebrate the birthday of the martyr to his life in heaven!”

Joan of Arc, a devout French girl who lived during the 1400s, reported that she heard angelic voices calling out to her to help drive the English army out of France during the Hundred Years War. Between ages 13 and 16, Joan said, she heard and sometimes saw angels urging her to meet with Charles, the French Dauphin, and tell him that he should let her command the French army. Charles eventually did give Joan permission to lead the army, despite her lack of military experience. Joan successfully led the charge to drive the English invaders out of France, and her many startling predictions about various future events (based on information she said the angels gave her) came true.

St. Joan of Arc leads a French army to crush English occupiers

St. Joan of Arc, encouraged and strengthened by Archangel Michael to defend the Faith and France

Michael (the name means : Who Is Like God) casts out satan and the fallen angels out of Heaven.

Archangel Michael victorious over the defeated satan

I want to share something with you guys, and also would like to know if you all experience the same things as I. There are times where I will dream about my deceased grandmother, and nanays. Several months ago, during the death anniversary of my lola, naka damgo ko niya. It was interesting because i can remember (in full depth) the conversation we had and even the look of lola's face in that dream. Do you all also have dreams of loved ones, friends who are no longer here?

hahaha!

Quote from: islander on November 11, 2011, 09:43:32 PM
the winning photos:


Solar Energy Panels (Reynaldo C. Mondez)


World Wide (Romeo B. Doneza)

Beautiful. The 'Filipino' spirit, and the 'Filipino' yearning to achieve and improve....

Quote from: hubag bohol on November 30, 2011, 07:13:41 AM
By Paolo Romero (The Philippine Star) Updated November 30, 2011 12:00 AM


MANILA, Philippines - Promoting the country as a destination for divorcees is “practically synonymous to marketing the Philippines as a destination for sex tourists,” Gabriela party-list Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan said yesterday.

The lawmaker was reacting to the statement of Tourism Assistant Secretary Domingo Ramon Enerio III that the agency is developing the Philippines as a destination for divorcees or those trying to recover from broken relationships.

“The Department of Tourism is treading on dangerous waters... You cannot promote the country as a place to comfort and console the broken hearted without bringing in Filipino women in the equation,” she said.             

Ilagan said the Department of Tourism should rethink its strategy.

“We have so many tourism destinations to promote and develop. Let us focus on our pristine coastlines, our rivers and our mountains,” she said.

Enerio earlier said that the divorcee market is an untapped sector that can be targeted for the long-stay tourism program. “If we can be a wedding or honeymoon destination, we can be vice versa and become a destination for those in search of personal fulfillment, including those... in flight from domestic turmoil,” he said.

He said the Philippines can offer both relaxation and adventure to these tourists. 

Aside from divorcees, he said, other possible markets for long-stay tourism are retirees, semi-retirees looking for investment venues, medical tourists, those escaping from the cold winter season, and those who have affluent children.

Hmm, why can't they just promote the Philippines as a "honeymoon destination" ?

May God have mercy on him and grant him the strength....in Jesus' Name...

Quote from: chicogon on December 01, 2011, 01:10:09 PM
You can make it Bran!!! Kayang-kaya especially you!!! You can whisper, "O tukso layuan mo ako." The benefits you reap, not only financially, when you get your PhD: knowledge. Couple with your good nature... that would be tremendous benefits also to your patients and ultimately to the human race. Will be praying for you!

Dear Father,

Let me thank you from the entire depths of my heart. Your prayer is strong and powerful, and I will find strength in knowing that you keep me in your prayers. Salamat Kaayo, Father.

Always,

Hahaha! Age is nothing but a number, Father, so long as you feel 'young'...then you're young.

Quote from: chicogon on December 01, 2011, 12:58:47 PM
That would surely entail more expenses from the company.... and so, the tendency is... would be easier to look at the other direction. Smaller companies like we have in the Philippines tend to take these things for granted, China siguro pod nga "hunit" na daan mo sweldo, hehehe ... we can be good at winging things, on the other hand . But for those who take it seriously, yes, there are benefits: big benefits 

Father,

You brought a very important point: the lack of company support systems in the Philippines and in developing countries. My research in this paper focused primarily on the support systems (in American companies): medical coverage, crisis control, financial benefits, etc is minimal in developing economies.

With regards to worker dynamic and stressors, it is beneficial for a company's administration to appropriate funds and programs to maintain a satisfied work force. A  well paid work force, mentally sound work force, a motivated work force are able to increase work proficiency, and efficiency. This, in the grander scheme of things, leads to high quality work output.

One positive aspect for companies to do business in the Philippines as compared to in the United States is that the Filipino people have a 'kababayan' mentality and will help each other , look out for each other. That concept is alien in a 'pro-individualist' society such as the United States.

This is one of the reasons why many American IT companies that are establishing facilities in the Philippines are experiencing profits and high efficiency workers. I believe that the Philippine society has cultivated a very 'work-ready' work force. This is one of the reasons why the Philippines is now the world's # 1 I.T hub in the world.

Yes, Father. I am now pursuing my Ph.D in Health Sciences. I am in a 5 year M.D-Ph.D program. I realize that practicing medicine is rewarding, but I would also like to go into medical research.

This is just an example of the doctoral papers that we are expected to write. I decided to share the papers here as it is educational. Sharing information lang. Thanks for reading them! And please, critique them.

Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane




40And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.
41And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,
42Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
43And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.
44And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

   -Luke 22: 40-44

Archangel Gabriel Comforts the Lord Jesus Christ for what was to come.....

Gabriel, Archangel of the Eternal Father God, consoles the Lord Jesus Christ at Gethsemane

Are you sensitive to paranormal activity? Can you see, hear, and sense any residual energies or active energies? If so, when did you realize you had this 'gift' ? How do you cope with this ability?

Do you ever have dreams of future events (premonitions) before they ever occur? Are they accurate? When did you notice you had this so called 'gift' ?

Do you believe in communicating with spirits?

Perhaps the husband was suffering from EDS (erectile dysfunction syndrome); gusto sigoro sija mo 'kartanilya' sa ijang asawa, pero unsaon man og dili ka dagan ang kabajo.

Maternal Age, Risk of Down Syndrome and Prenatal Diagnosis




Surveys of babies with trisomy 21 show that approximately 90% to 95% of the time, the extra copy of the chromosome is contributed by the mother. The increased risk of Down syndrome with maternal age is well documented. The risk of bearing a child with down syndrome is less than 1/1000 for women younger than 30. The risk increases to about 1/400 at age 35, 1/100 at age 40 and 3-4% or more after age 45.

This increase reflects and elevated rate of nondisjunction in older ova (egg).

Down syndrome can be screened by assaying the following maternal serum levels of:

1) alpha-fetoprotein

2) chorionic gonadotropin

3) unconjugated estriol


This is called 'Triple screen' and can detect approximately 70% of fetuses with Down syndrome.

Luoy pod intawn. They (High People's Court) should consider giving mercy.

By: A. Lorenzo Lucino Jr, M.D-Ph.Dc







      In this day in age, it is important to implement a healthy organizational culture so that companies can function effectively in society as well as facilitate a healthy environment for the staff that are employed by the said company. Organizational components, actions, and attributes affect culture, either providing the basis for a healthy culture or an unhealthy culture (Thomas and Hersen, 2002). Innate to any organization, either it be a financial institution, a health care company, a research firm, is the culture within an organization. This culture is what facilitates and influences a group of people in an organization with one another and with individuals outside of the company. Culture is the one that influences that enables a company’s competitive advantage over other high performance organizations (Serrat, 2009).



     A strong culture in a company allows it to outperform, out compete, and garner the quantity of customers that can assure its existence for long term, establish itself as a force that customers and trade partners can rely upon, which can survive the tests of time and the evolving market. When we look at this said situation, it is important to note that when organizations lack a healthy, effective culture, the company is affected negatively. A negative culture can inhibit staff from working and completing their duties and roles to the best of their ability, can divert a company from its goal, ostracize it from its target population, and can ultimately, if it is not addressed, can lead to the capitulation of an organization. One thing that one has to note about culture of an organization is that it can be described as a process; organizational culture is hard to change because it has the tendency to out-survive founders, managers, corporate leaders, strategists and personnel (Serrat, 2009).


     The way a organization’s culture changes is related to the times and the environment that it is placed in (Thomas and Hersen, 2002), and its ability to survive and in some ways integrate to the environment it is in, even if it is different to the original environmental situation. The article written of Cynthia Webster and D.S Sundaram emphasizes how organizational culture and values in business outcomes affect both customer satisfaction as well as business performance and that the culture of a business is successful when the cultural values of that said organization are consistent with the host country, the technology and growth characteristics (Webster and Sundaram, 1999). This is illustrated by large global companies that are sensitive to the different cultures and are taking advantage of the globalized market and cultural sensitivities and setting up stores in offshore markets to increase retail sales.



      Two specific America-based companies that have bee driven by a positive and healthy organizational culture, awareness of ethnic and national culture, are Best Buy and Walmart. These two companies, which have established itself as a consumer-based company in the United States of America as well as North America in general, have expanded their marketing sales in China (Best Buy China, 2007). It was observed that in October of 2006 alone, Walmart had announced that it would expand its presence in China by building a 100-store chain in the People’s Republic of China. Best Buy has recently built a 4-story building in Xu Jia Hui area of Shanghai City, China and the said facility is said to be, “the largest Best Buy in the World” (Best Buy China, 2007). In analysis, one clearly identifies that the successful business culture of the said two companies, Walmart and Best Buy, is due to the fact that the companies have a functional organizational culture, with an established communication system, an effective leadership and strategic research team, an effective and fluid marketing team, and  work force that effectively does its job , to the best interest of the company culture, and the customers’ liking.



     In order for a particular organization to have a healthy culture, it must be able to assess the microscopic and the macroscopic aspects of the organization. It must be able to assess the needs of the workers, the research team, coalesce the strategic initiative of the management with that of the working body. Central to this, is the communication of the company with each other and with customers and other trading partners. In a research that studied the health care organization and the specific effect a healthy culture had on a company, they identified three things that were necessary for bringing about a successful culture transformation, and in the end, a successful organizational culture. These three things were 1) determining the most important organizational priorities that needed to be addressed in the changing environment, 2) assess the current organizational culture and 3) design, implement, evaluate, and modify interventions targeted at the highest organizational priorities necessary for establishing and maintaining an innovative and adaptive culture ( Barriere et al, 2002).



   A company’s ability to determine the most important organizational priorities that are needed to be addressed in the changing environment is one of the major important factors that can affect its adaptability. This takes into consideration the culture infusions of media, the new generation, new social trends that may affect an organization’s ability to cater to a specific target population. A company can implement a healthy culture by making sure that its workers, its management and supervisory staff can share their ideas and innovative thoughts for company projects. The second factor is assessing the current organizational culture. Organizational culture assessment allows a company to see its current strengths and weaknesses, identify a problem, and offering ways to mitigate and solve this problem. An example of this would be the Kaizen method that is implemented by many companies such as Lockheed andMartin. These companies assess the weaknesses, identify the weaknesses of that culture, and resolve it by eliminating the weak chinks in the chain of an organization. In order to maintain a healthy culture, a company has to have the ability to eliminate these weak chinks in the chain. This separates a healthy culture from an unhealthy culture. The third important factor is the design, implement, evaluate, and modify interventions targeted at the highest organizational priorities necessary for establishing and maintaining an innovative and adaptive culture (Barrierre et al, 2002). This aspect takes into consideration the internal workings of the worker employed in a company, that worker’s mental and physical health and providing the resources to maintain his or her health so as to reassure a company’s fluid operation (Kitchener and Jorm, 2004). This can be implemented by establishing group counselors for workers in cases of acute mental attacks, interventional groups, drug enforcement groups, establishing a no-tolerance policy, as well as seminars to handle altercations and to offer workshops to reduce worker-to-worker aggression and hostility. All of these are essential in maintaining a healthy and culture in an organization.



   An unhealthy culture in an organization is due to the failure of a company to implement the three major factors listed. A company that has an unhealthy culture is unable to communicate with each other, has a failing management system, no provisions for workers to handle altercations and aggression in the work place, no provisions or lacks the resources to handle the mental strains of workers or has no policy in mental awareness and mental health programs for its employees. A company culture that is unable to implement new plans, designs as the times change, or is deaf to the new demands of the target population exhibits negative culture. This clearly illustrates a company’s inability to adapt to the times and thus, will doom a company to capitulation, as has been the case for many companies with unhealthy cultures, and poor organizational components (Thomas and Hersen, 2002).



   Leadership has an integral role in transforming workplace culture to promote a healthy organization. It is the leadership that can guide a company, an organization towards a new future with an awareness to worker needs, awareness to the current weaknesses the company is experiencing, either it be financial setbacks, lacking in resources etc. The company leadership’s ability to market, and brainstorm new production ideas, ability to expand the company’s growth in the offshore market and the company leadership’s ability to consider the local host culture so as to enable the sustainability and growth of the company in that foreign market (Best Buy China, 2007). Leadership is critical in establishing culture, but it is the workers and the employees themselves that animates the culture set in forth by the founders of companies, the board members, managers, supervisors, as well as strategic analysts of companies.



   In the field of psychopathology in the work place, one has to understand the mental workings of individuals, workers. It is important to know that workers, who make up companies, can only take so much stress, can only take so much responsibility before expressing stress. Stress affects work and production, so therefore, company leadership has a role in reducing stress by advocating workshop groups, hiring and employing industrial psychologists to counsel workers in cases of psychotic attacks, to counsel workers to handle drug addictions and substance abuse issues (Thomas and Hersen, 2002).


      The legal and ethical considerations of companies rests in understanding the law by implementing a no tolerance policy in regards to drug addiction and drug proliferation in work facilities, so as to evade law enforcement and legal entanglement. Yet at the same time, offer counseling and therapy or even intervention groups for workers with possible substance abuse issues (Thomas and Hersen, 2002). Leadership has a role not just in the executive management of company acquisition, sales, mergers, all macroscopic aspects, but also has a microscopic role: the internal homeostasis of its workers and maintaining a healthy production and organizational culture. It is this organizational culture that gives a company a certain advantage over other high-performance companies vying for the same target population. The healthier the culture of a company, the more advantageous it will be as compared to other companies. Leadership, as is observed, is critical and integral to this process (Patterson and Berman, 1991).



   Even though leadership can bring heightened awareness of how to deal with mental health issues in the workplace, there are still instances of problems occurring. There are 5 mental health issues that can pose a problem for the workplace environment and these are Job Stress and Health, Work/Family Conflict, Depression, Schizophrenia and Violence.
Job Stress and Health can affect workers because job stress has the ability to transmit mental strain on workers, which can manifest even systemic problems. In an article by Elizabeth Heubeck, a negative work environment can erode an employees morale. These incidents may include insults, back stabbing, and aggressive actions. It is rather interesting because one’s feeling of being ‘trapped’ in the workplace, a sign of job stress, can actually increase an employee’s risk for coronary heart disease, which is a leading cause of death in the United States of America (Heubeck, 2007).


     Heubeck stated a significant point in that how workers react to negative interpersonal relationships in the workplace, be it passive-aggressive colleagues and disgruntled management has an effect on stress levels. These stress levels, as reiterated by Heubeck, can increase workers’ high blood pressure, high cholesterol intake and even increase weight gain, alcohol intake and tobacco use, all of which can reduce life expectancy and health. Possible treatment for this issue would be implement a supervisor that is specialized in worker-to-worker tension programs, hiring of counselors that can be available for workers to talk to and to vent out their stresses in the work place, or even have management open to the complaints and concerns of employees. It is noted that employees that are heard exhibit a positive attitude and increase work and production (Thomas and Hersen, 2002).



     For the second disorder, Work/Family Conflict, this is manifested when workers have an inability to separate work stress with family responsibilities. This is rather dynamic in that work stress actually coalesces with family and relationship responsibilities, which leads to the deterioration of family settings and poor performance in the workplace (Thomas and Hersen, 2002). Individuals that suffer from this require marriage counseling, parental help in raising children, in cases of single parent workers. What companies can do to reduce the stresses involved in this situation is by having a accessible management and supervisory staff that can be present to hear the concerns of the workers. Management should also implement family-worker events to help reduce work/family tension, additionally, management should show more appreciation and concern for workers so as to help reduce work-related stress.



     Depression is another concern for management and for companies. Depression is due to low morale, stress and is due to an imbalance of hormones, including dopamine, serotonin and melatonin levels within the body. Depression can manifest in the workplace by reduced attention span, reduced work ethic, reduction in positive mood, increased suicidal thoughts, increase in cases of substance abuses, and in some cases, even isolation by workers. Treatment of depression can be by psychotherapy as well as medical treatment by taking anti-depressants (Thomas and Hersen, 2002). It is the company’s role in identifying these cases so as to prevent depression-induced suicides in the workplace, due to stress. By having work counselors, therapists, and intervention groups that focuses on pin-pointing depressed workers, can companies combat this issue of depression (Mrazek, 2008). Companies can also provide support by encouraging workers to see their primary health care providers to help them manage their depression, and to follow through with treatment plans.



     Schizophrenia is another psychopathology that needs consideration. It is due to an imbalance of dopamine levels, specifically an increase in dopamine in the brain , which results in psychosis. Schizophrenia has an effect in that it actually reduces cognition for workers. Workers with schizophrenia have lost their touch with reality and thus their work ad their manner of speech has been cancelled. This is a serious medical issue that needs proper psychiatric management as well as psychotherapy, if possible (Thomas and Hersen, 2002). The proper treatment for this condition are anti-psychotic drugs, anti-anxiety drugs and in some cases, anesthetics.
The last issue that we want to take about is passive-aggressive behavior in the workplace. Passive aggressive behavior is a psychological trait in individuals who show disinterest, dissatisfaction towards a particular profession, individual, and social responsibilities that an individual is required to uphold.


     Individuals who are passive aggressive may even acquiesce to the responsibilities required of them; sometimes even accepting their roles with a smile or positive effect, however, deep inside are antagonistic to it. Their internal objection to the outward acceptance is indirectly shown by different ways (Hall-Flavin, 2009).



     Taking this class, Psychopathology In The Workplace, has been an eye opener for me in many cases. The reasons for this is that I never really knew the advanced importance of group therapy, group counseling, psychoanalysis in mental disorders as well as seeing the thorough relationship between mental health disorders and its effects on the work place, organization, and the overall work of a company (Cook et al, 2003). As a medical student, I’ve studied and have helped in the diagnosis and treatment of these mental disorders, but my background has only been in the pharmacological treatment of the disorders. Not really so much onto counseling therapy of the disease, let alone, seeing the organizational aspect, the financial aspect. Since taking this class, I was able to see how effective it is to implement intervention on substance abusers, depressed patients, aggressive patients, and stressed patients. This includes the importance of having industrial psychologists available for talks, seminars in dealing with aggression and tension, as well as having an available and understanding management to the situations of the workers. It is important to make sure that workers with mental deficits be able to have medical treatment, as well as therapy, and support from employees until they recover.




Reference:



Cook, R. F., Back, A. S., Trudeau, J., & McPherson, T. (2003). Integrating substance abuse prevention into health promotion programs
       in the workplace: A social cognitive intervention targeting the mainstream user. In Bennett, J. B., Lehman, W. E. K.

Hall-Flavin, Daniel K. (2009). What are the signs and symptoms of passive-aggressive behavior.
      Retrieved from: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/passive-aggressive-behavior/AN01563

Thomas, J. C. & Hersen, M. (2002). Handbook of mental health in the workplace. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
      Barriere, M. T., Anson, B. R., Ording, R. S., & Rogers, E. (2002). Culture transformation in a health care organization:
      A process for building adaptive capabilities through leadership development.
      Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 54(2), 116-130.

Kitchener, B. A. & Jorm, A. F. (2004). Mental health first aid training in a workplace setting: A randomized controlled trial.
     BMC Psychiatry 2004, 4-27. Retrieved from http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-244X/4/23/

Patterson, D. Y. & Berman, W. H. (1991). Organizational and service delivery issues in managed mental health services.
     In Austad, C. S. & Berman, W. H. Psychotherapy in managed health care: The optimal use of time & resources, pp. 19-32.   
     Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Serrat, Olivier. (2009). A Primer on Organizational Culture. Retrieved from:
     http://www.adb.org/documents/information/knowledge-solutions/primer-on-organizational-culture.pdf

Webster, Cynthia., Sundaram, D.S. Exploring the Relationship Among Organizational Culture, Customer Satisfaction, and Performance.     
     Retrieved from: http://marketing.byu.edu/htmlpages/ccrs/proceedings99/webster.htm
     Best Buy China. (2007). Retrieved from: http://www.wpp.com/NR/rdonlyres/F98EC5A1-48E0-4144-B75C-     
     368AE250FED5/0/TheStore_newsletter_006_BestBuy.pdf

Heubeck, Elizabeth. (2007). Workplace Stress and Your Health. Retrieved from: http://men.webmd.com/features/work-stress?page=3
     Mrazek, David. (2008). Managing Depressio in the workplace. Retrieved from: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/depression-in-the-     
     workplace/MY00357

by: A. Lorenzo Lucino Jr, M.D-Ph.Dc






      One area of adult development that is different from other stages of development that retains a sense of finality and irreversibility is the stage of death and dying. Death is a rather universal human quality in that it has physiological causes and consequences, as well as a psychological aspect to it , which is shared and felt in all cultures of human civilization. That said, death is not just a physiological processes of human anatomical failure, but also a psychological reality that results in the loss of self, the eventual cessation of thoughts, the procurement of memory, acquisition of new memory, emotional experiences, basically all things that makes life worth living. It is the state that is devoid of life, devoid of emotional feelings, and aspects that are studied in the field of psychology. There are multiple phases of death and dying, and these are necessary for the individual who is dying to accept death. As well as those that are closely related to the one dying, to give a sense of permanence and acceptance to the notion of death.


   In the anatomical and physiological sense, death is the state when the body ceases all afferent and efferent senses, there is cessation of the neural activity, which results in the eventual multi-systemic collapse of the organ systems of the human body (De Graff, 2002).


   When one thinks about the anatomic death, one cannot help but wonder to ask, “what does an individual who is dying going through?”. How does one embrace, let alone accept the fact that one is dying and will ultimately lead to the termination of life, as one knows it? This is answered by Bjorklund and Bee in what they describe as the four meanings of death. The four meanings are death as an organizer of time, death as a punishment, death as transition and death as a loss (Bjorklund and Bee, 2008). These four meanings of death are seen in most adults and play a role in an individual’s concept of death in relation to the self, which leads to one developing a sense of anxiety of death, which is the emotional fear of death (Bjorklund and Bee, 2008). Bjorklund and Bee teach us that this anxiety towards death is due to the “fear of the loss of experience, sensation, relationships; fear of the pain or suffering or indignity often involved in the process of death, fear that one will not be able to cope well with such pain or suffering, fear of whatever punishment may come after death and a fundamental fear of the loss of self,” (Bjorklund and Bee, 2008, p. 325).


   How adults cope with death is essential, in fact, it is necessary. It is evident that coping with death is necessary and that this psychological buffer against the morbidity of bereavement. Coping with death is not only important for adults who are dying, but also those who personally know someone who is dying or dead, this also applies for children who are bereaved of a parent (Black, 1998). Psychiatrist and child developmental specialist, Dr. Dora Black, emphasizes that coping with death, especially the death of a parent is necessary as it can reduce morbidity after bereavement and any lack in family support can lead to a child’s vulnerability to psychiatric disorders later in life (Black, 1998). Dr. Black indicates that children who experience a loss of a parent or primary caretaker are more opt to develop psychiatric disorders later in childhood, specifically a five-fold increase as compared to the general population. Studies indicate that adults who were bereaved of a parent during their childhood were more likely to develop depression, anxiety, and attempt suicide as compared to the general population (Black, 1998).


   As seen in cases of pediatric-adult cases of bereavement, there are psychiatric consequences with the loss of a family member. This illustrates to us that it is indeed important to go through proper phases of death, which is provided in the Kubler-Ross Model. There are five phases of death reactions, which are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance of death (Bjorklund and Bee, 2008).


   The reaction towards an impending doom is natural, and sometimes one’s religious faith can help cope in that regard. In a study by Splitka, Minton and Sizemore, it was noted that there are two types of religious expression involved in coping with death, intrinsic committed religious expression and extrinsic-consensual religious expression. In their hypothesis, which was substantially supported, the intrinsic committed faith was positively associated with viewing death in terms of an afterlife of reward and courage. And negatively with a variety of undesirable death views. Extrinsic-consensual faith viewed death in terms of loneliness-pain, indifference, unknown, forsaking dependents and natural end (Spilka et al, 1977). Interestingly Bjorklund and Bee also discuss religiosity and death and talk about similar results, specifically, they say that there are two forms of religiosity, extrinsic and intrinsic religiosity.


   Data results indicate that extrinsic religiosity was helpful and effective during early years of life as well as middle-adulthood to create bonds with other like-minded extrinsic religious people; whereas intrinsic religiosity became effective in coping with death for those who were elderly (Bjorklund and Bee, 2008). Whatever the nominal religious faith, either one being Roman Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu etc, it is evident that religion, does in fact play a role in one’s acceptance of death and affects the level of fear of death.


   In a personal point of reflection, dealing with death has always been a sensitive issue. Death has tremendously affected my life three times already. The first, the death of my paternal grandmother in 1995. This shocked me because of my father’s reaction to her death. My father, who throughout my memories of childhood and young adult life was always a stern, reserved, reticent man who showed very little emotions. Watching him break down in tears  the summer of 1995 when I was 12 years old surprised me. I had never seen this emotion he strongly displayed. The second instance of death occurred 3 years later in 1998 when news came on the passing of my maternal grandmother. The third and most traumatizing for me was the unexpected demise of my best friend, Robert M, who hanged himself. This was a very low point in my life. I lived as a different person to mourn for my friend over 6 months. I still have days where a great sadness consumes me.

   
   Reading the 5 stages of death and dying by Kubler-Ross, I couldn’t help but analyze the fact that I showed symptoms as described. Bjorklund and Bee indicate that farewells were necessary for the acceptance of a death; this was the case for me. Robert passed away on November 19, 2007, literally the day that classes were closed for Thanksgiving Break. The campus held a memorial service in his honor on the 29th of November. In attendance were his mother, father, friends, and professors that knew him. The event allowed me to truly bid farewell to Robert and accept his death and start the ending phase of the grieving process. So in hindsight view, it’s interesting that one is able to analyze this now and understand the psychology involved (Bjorklund and Bee, 2008).    When the one dying finally passes, the farewell and the funeral procession is rather important for the family of the deceased. These so called rituals are necessary for the grieving process and helps the bereaved come to terms with the death of the loved one. It is important to note that death and dying is composed of dichotomy of the one dying and the family and friends of the one dying. The dying individual and the bereaved family members all have to deal with the aspect of acceptance. The dying individual proceeds with farewells, and emotional feelings with loved ones, so as to allow the dying to disengage and thus reach a “point of acceptance” (Bjorklund and Bee, 2008, p. 329).


   Rituals are almost similar in the fact that it helps with the acceptance of death, which in this case, is solely for those who are still living. Bjorklund and Bee discuss about the Bowlby Theory of grieving, which includes the stages of numbness, yearning, disorganization, despair and reorganization (Bjorklund and Bee, 2008). The kinds of rituals groups of people have for the dead varies across cultural lines, ranging from Jewish in shiva rituals, to Catholic prayers for the dead, to Protestant prayerful rituals, to Islamic reserved mourning etc. All of these, despite differences in techniques, play a role in the metamorphosis of mourning into acceptance and eventual progression of life that we have. Bjorklund and Bee best ends it with the saying in page 342, in regards to death and dying, “Let us go forth and celebrate life!” (Bjorklund and Bee, 2008, p. 342).


   In regards to the topic of death and dying, this issue is of great importance for the proper counseling of patients that are experiencing the trauma of bereavement. To be effective in this field of interest, namely in psychology and in cases, psychiatry, one has to understand the environmental factors that plays a role in the manifestation of the psychological, psychiatric symptoms of the patient. Death, as a natural process, is not just the physical state of death, but in the study of psychology. It allows one to understand that there are mixed emotional feelings involved; to the one dying and those around. The feasibility one has in understanding these said processes, the better one can address the patient dying. Although at times difficult to separate the self emotionally, we try to our best to handle each situation with care. Our facial expressions, empathy and condolences are all we can give once the anatomical architecture has failed. It is this gesture that becomes meaningful to those who have lost a loved one.





Reference:


Bjorkland, B., R. & Bee., H., L. (2008). The Journey of Adulthood (6th ed).
     Upper Saddle    River, NJ: Pearson Hall.

Black, Dora. (1998). Bereavement in childhood. British Medical Journal (Vol. 316).
     Retrieved from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1112822/

Spilka, Bernard., Stout, Larry., Minton, Barbara., Sizemore, Douglas. Death and Personal
     And Personal Faith: A Psychometric Investigation. Journal for the Scientific Studyof Religion (Vol. 16).
     Retrieved from: http://www.jstor.org/pss/1385748

Van De Graaff (2002). Human Anatomy 6th ed. McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

by: A. Lorenzo Lucino Jr, M.D-Ph.Dc





      Aging is a natural process of life and we all age from the day we were born to the day that we die, the body continues in this natural progression of life, which translates in changes in the physiological body as well as human psychology and function. When one regards the phenomenon that is aging, one has to take into consideration the negative and positive factors, in this case, healthy aging and unhealthy aging. Healthy aging refers to the positive factors that an individual goes through throughout retirement, and the positives in aging. This may include the practices of eating healthy, exercising actively, maintaining social relationships and a support group while one ages. Unhealthy aging is the antithesis of healthy aging, this term may regard to the negative aspects of aging attributed to bad health practices of an individual such as smoking, drinking, a lack of support group as one ages (Growing Old In A New Age, 1993).


   One has to take into consideration the natural processes of career development and how these processes plays a role in retirement, the psychological effects of people in retiring age. This is best observed in Donald Super’s Five Stages of Career Development; his career stages included the Growth stage, Exploration stage, Establishment stage, Maintenance stage and the Disengagement stage (Bjorklund and Bee, 2008). In regards to retirement , it is rather interesting that there is such a stark contrast in the male and female work schedule.


       Bjorklund and Bee mentions that more men work full time than women , importantly, more men maintain a constant work schedule as compared to women, who have to worry about taking maternity leave, sick leave as compared to men. Women are also more willing to work part time jobs than men, as well as the fact that women are more inclined to move in and out of full time jobs more frequently than men (Bjorklund and Bee, 2008). Despite the fact that more and more women are taking more active roles and positions in the work force, it is rather interesting to note that men are still being paid higher wages than women for doing the same work. This affects the notion of retirement and the prospect of retirement in that due to this stark difference in work schedules and contributions, could result in differences in social security payment for men and women.


   Retirement and the prospect of retirement is rather dependent on social security , which was established some 60 years ago during the post-Great Depression Years, and because of this institutionalized system, could allow some sort of reprieve for workers. It is also important to note that job satisfaction, work and personal life affects the choice in retiring from a particular profession. If a professional enjoys his profession and receives not only economic rewards, but also emotional, social and physical rewards from the job, he or she is less likely to retire from the profession when he or she is reaching retiring age, but would rather choose to work part time. As compared to an individual who had less interest in the work place and would probably take the option or retiring early (Bjorklund and Bee, 2008).


   One also has to take into consideration how marriage and family life affects work and the prospect of work. It is evidenced that married men will earn a higher income as compared to unmarried men, likewise, married men are absent from work less than unmarried men (Bjorklund and Bee, 2008). Elizabeth Gorman notes that married men and women are usually more interested and focused on the prospects of a job than single men and women (Bjorklund and Bee, 2008). One can argue that due to the fiscal responsibilities of married couples, which might include paying off a mortgage loan, ensuring that their children finish college and find a stable profession etc. All of these said fiscal responsibilities and duties might play a significant role in a couple’s decision to retire from a job, or even delay retirement definitely. One has to understand that retirement will have particular effects, including a change in income, change in insurance coverage, and thus could play a role in the decision to retire or delaying retirement for some time. A couple who is in the retirement age, have no children, paid off their financial responsibilities would be more willing to retire than say a couple in retiring age that still had children in college, still paying for mortgage and other secondary expenses.


   In regards to Bjorlund and Bee’s teaching on the effects of retirement and the notion of the feminization of poverty. However, it must say that I do agree that retirement is more possible in this epoch because of the presence of social security, retirement benefits, pensions, as well as assets that are available as compared to say some 70 years ago when an individual was expected to work till he or she died.





Reference


Bjorkland, B., R. & Bee., H., L. (2008). The Journey of Adulthood (6th ed).
     Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Hall.

Annenberg Media (The University of Hawaii Center on Aging. (1993).
     Growing Old In A New Age [DVD]. Available from:    http://www.learner.org/resources/series84.html

Gabriel is the angel who comforted Our Lord in His agony in the garden. Jesus invited Peter, James and John into the garden to pray and watch with Him, but they slept, leaving Jesus to the comfort of an angel. Saint Gabriel strengthened Jesus, comforting Him with hope, peace, reverence and sympathy, giving him a heavenly chalice to drink from.

Archangel Gabriel, on another of his heavenly assignments, accompanies the Holy Family on their flight into Egypt.

Gabriel's announcement of the birth of Jesus echoes through the hills of Bethlehem as all of heaven resounds with the glorious hymn,
"Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth among men of good will."

Glorious Archangel Raphael presents a cure. Upon returning from their journey, Archangel Raphael  presents the gall from the fish that Tobias will use to anoint his father's eyes and cure his blindness. Saint Raphael is the angel sent in God's Providence to guide and guard, heal and save. He is the patron of doctors.

Raphael secured a happy marriage for Tobias; a marriage that was truly made in heaven.

When Tobias was attacked by a great fish, Saint Raphael not only saved Tobias, but extracted the heart, gall and liver of the fish and later used it as a medicinal remedy.

Saint Raphael is the angel of peace, health and joy, and is best known for his role as the heavenly guide that God sent Tobias on his long and perilous journey to recover the money his father, now old and blind, had lent to a friend. Here, Raphael appears to Tobias, with the salutation, "Joy be to thee always." The name Raphael signifies "Medicine of God," and indeed St. Raphael appears to be at the head of the angelic medical staff!

A picture of Archangel Raphael leading Tobias, in the Church of St. Marziale in Venice.

This is the english version, "Take Me To Your Heart":



Take me to your heart

Dearest friends, and family members,


I cannot help but think of my Nanay Millie today. I thought about her these past weeks, and namingaw gehapon ko ni Nanay. She passed away last month and still, I find it difficult to accept that Nanay is no more. I talked to my sister Angel the other day about memories we have of her, and it was quite emotional for me. In the end, I trust in the Lord's reasons for taking her home.


-A. Lorenzo

Give them : Diazepam, Alprazolam, og Clonazepam.

Quote from: gwargz on November 27, 2011, 12:16:56 AM
I can't sleep too. It is 12:25 am now here. Busog man gud ko. Bahaw, ginamos ug sampayna.

Bai gwargz,

Ug dili ka katolog, inom og gatas. Kuyaw'a kai naka kaon man kag ginamos. Taga'e pod ko beh.

I just recently turned in a 10 paged written report on Hmong patients and how their culture affects their experience in the hospital. One of the positives in this current class that I am taking, "Culture and Demographic Dynamics in the Health Environment", is that one can understand the importance of subcultures, their development, their transference. It is quite interesting that these new immigrants to the United States, the Hmong people, are able to resist acculturation due to the existence of their 18 Clans and Hmong Kinship.

In a discussion with one other doctoral student, I shared that there are some unique traits that the Hmong culture shares with Filipino culture, namely, the importance of family and some sort of patrilineal or matrilineal nexus. The Hmong are primarily governed by the decisions of a patrilineal clan, the Filipino are more matrilineal. One other cultural dynamic that both cultures have faced is their history with foreign civilizations and their adaptability:

The Hmong , who originally came from central Siberia, were actually displaced from that region in 2500 B.C because of the wage of Mongol and Chinese migration southwards. The Hmong then later settled into the Yellow River basin in present day northern China, but were yet again displaced southwards due to the ever-encroaching Han Chinese civilization. The Hmong eventually settled in what is now present day Hunan and Hepei Province of the People's Republic of China, however, were yet again displaced to South East Asia. There, they settled into the highlands of Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and parts of Burma (Myanmar). The Hmong, due to their migratory history and their experiences with different cultures have adapted by borrowing from each civilization's culture.

I find that that aspect --cultural borrowing-- is a trait that we, Filipinos, also share. The Filipinos culture is a rich amalgamation of ethnic Malay, Chinese, Spanish, Japanese and a bit of American culture all boiled into one. A literal melting pot of cultures that makes a uniquely hybrid culture, the Filipino culture.

It was a very interesting experience learning about the Hmong and how their culture affects their health choices.



Truly,
A. Lorenzo Lucino Jr.

Quote from: fharz on November 28, 2011, 05:44:19 PM
Hmm for me, bahalag way kwrta basta ipatigbabaw ang gugma. madala ba nato ng kwarta kung mamatay tah? dli dba?.. money cannot buy love & happiness.. but not literally nga way kwrta bahalag gamay nga kwrta atleast naa at happy ug ngkahigugmaay mo sa usag.usa keysa naman dghan lage mo kwrta pro cge lang mo away. dba?

bai,

naa man pod mga tawo nga naay kwarta og na gugma sila og dili mo awayaway. depende ra pod lagi sa tawo. mao na, mas importante lage mo pili ang tawo sa maayong partner para nija. quality over quantity.

Quote from: fharz on November 28, 2011, 05:44:19 PM
Hmm for me, bahalag way kwrta basta ipatigbabaw ang gugma. madala ba nato ng kwarta kung mamatay tah? dli dba?.. money cannot buy love & happiness.. but not literally nga way kwrta bahalag gamay nga kwrta atleast naa at happy ug ngkahigugmaay mo sa usag.usa keysa naman dghan lage mo kwrta pro cge lang mo away. dba?

hehe! mo tuo ko ani, pero, maayo pod ug naay gamay kwarta so maka palit pod tag kanonon para sa atong pamilya.

dakong gugma + naay gamay kwarta = maayong kombinasyon

Quote from: Mike Ortega Ligalig on November 27, 2011, 08:14:21 PM
published by The Bohol Standard

Government doctors’ competence is once again ‘in question. Aside from the usual excuse of Ill-equipped hospital facilities, “incompetence” has been added to their name.

Doctors at the government-owned Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital were in the limelight again when one of the newborn twins was declared “dead” in the afternoon on Nov. 23, 2011, but woke from her sleep more than five hours after arriving home in a packed carton.

On the other hand, her twin sister (no name yet as of this writing), who was instead attended by doctors and was breathing at the hospital, expired in the evening on the same day.

Doctors at Gallares hospital based in the city could not explain the peculiar incident.

Dr. Edgar Pizarras, spokesman of the Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital (GCGMH), where the twins were born, in an interview, could only say it could be a “miracle.”

Initial investigation said that after being declared dead, the baby was wrapped up in a cloth in a manner like an Egyptian “mummy” and put inside a cartoon box and given to her father. In turn, the father let her grandmother brought her to the hometown of Carmen, about 50 kms. from the city, apparently for burial, said Pizarras.

But five hours later, Pizarras said, the grandma was surprised as she heard a cry from the supposedly dead Maryjoy, still breathing. She was rushed back to the Gallares hospital again for further treatment.

The resurrected baby is still under intensive care by the doctors, Pizarras said.

The surviving twin Maryjoy was baptized by a priest on the following day (Nov. 24, 2011) at the said hospital.

She weighs less than 500 grams while her sister twin who died inside the hospital was more than 500 grams. Both were born under the so-called “extremely premature” conditions classified by doctors as “abortous” at the time of their delivery.

Pizarras said that it was not the doctor who assisted the delivery of the twins that declared her dead but another doctor who is a pedia practitioner.

Meanwhile, Pizarras bared the initial findings of the investigation the hospital has conducted immediately after the incident during the weekly press conference of Gov. Edgar Chatto held Friday at the Governor’s Mansion here.

The provincial government is also to conduct a fact-finding, led by the Provincial Health Office to ascertain facts of the incidents.

Chatto however said the provincial government may not be in the position to slap any sanction to hospital staff, if ever there were lapses on the part of the doctors, since the hospital is run by the Department of Health.

The governor promised that the PHO’s findings will be made public once this is completed.

The Gallares hospital maintains that it found the doctors following certain protocols in the delivery of the twins and what they did was “appropriate” enough to save the twins.

This DOH-ran hospital mistakenly known as the “provincial hospital” has figured in many reported malpractices before including incident of newly delivered baby falling into the floor after coming out of the mother’s womb; a doctor who threw a glass to a patient, miss-diagnosis and many others.

The hospital management had even filed libel cases against local media outlet who exposed incident of medical practices, most of the time involving indigent patients.

Gov. Chatto said, the DOH regional office has been informed of this latest incident and a separate probe is expected to be conducted immediately. (With reports: RVO)

I wonder if Gallares has the resources to take premature cases, since the baby that was under intensive care expired later that night, whilst the baby who was dismissed as 'dead', was actually alive. Both children weighed around 500 grams, which categorizes them as severely premature.

I wonder if the hospital has the proper resources to care for severely premature babies. If not, then I hope that the provincial government allocate funds for the hospital.

This event should be a catalyst for change.

I am assuming the other physician who declared the patient 'dead' was a neonatologist , which is a specialty within pediatrics. Note: Obstetrician-Gynecologist delivery the baby, afterwards, the neonatologist/ pediatrician takes over the care of the child. Here in the United States, we work as a team (OB-GYN & Neonatology/Peds) , I am assuming the same holds true in the Philippines.

In respect with everyone's view, one has to research the medical institution and it's history of patient care. Are there deficiencies in the staff, in the medical equipment? Was proper diagnosis made? Did the medical staff ascertain the patient's vital signs? What was the physical examination result? What was the lab test result? What was the ECG (electrocardiogram) result? Did it show asystole (lack of any ecg waveforms, no heart activity) or did it show a faint ecg waveform? Did the medical staff even take an ecg rhythm strip of the patient? Did the medical staff even attempt to revive the patient? All of these have to be answered.

One has to understand that physical examination cannot detect faint cardiac rhythm and could have led the attending doctor to inappropriately diagnosing the patient as "dead". This is the reason why ascertaining an ECG rhythm strip on patients is necessary to attain a proper diagnosis. Or, if the ecg was attained, did the medical staff (and nursing staff) place the ECG leads at their proper location? Sometimes, if leads are misplaced, it can result in errors / misdiagnosis.

There are multifactorial issues here. Unless they can provide us the following, then, I remain skeptical.

Quote from: statesville on November 29, 2011, 11:17:56 AM
Gitulis nga  nangita man gani ug trabaho para makakwarta, unta wala gipatay, kalooy sa mga anak..

Luoy ang iyang mga anak lake, luoy iyang papa, mama, iyang igsoon. How could they (the killers) expect Tim to give any money up when he was searching to even get a job that pays $300 a week ? Gamay intawn nang sweldo especially diri. Ila pa gajud i-tulisan?

Wala sija kwarta, pero, was it really necessary to shoot him?

He was a poor man looking for an honest work.

Nano patyun man gajud? Why did they not show mercy?

Lord,

We commend the soul of the lately departed , Timothy Kern, to you. May he be greeted with open hands and with a merciful judgment, O Lord. Forgive him of all his sins, Lord, and grant him entrance into Thy Kingdom in Heaven.

We implore you, Lord Jesus, and with the prayers of Mother Mary and all the saints, may our prayers rise like sweet incense before your Holy Throne and if it fulfills your will, grant them.

In Jesus Name, Amen.

hahaha, good point, Isles.

I can't help but feel a great sense of sadness in reading this story. The recently departed , Mr. Kern, was a father of 3 sons. A victim of several gun shots to the head. The question that keeps on reverberating is, "why did they have to kill him for?"

Luoy pod intawn ang tawhana, pordoy pa siya, looking for a honest work, pero gi scam-an ra man diay siya. Gi patay pa gayud. Nano patyun man jud? He was just a man looking for work.

I pray for the Kern Family. May God strengthen them and fill the void in their hearts especially during Christmas Season....

May the Blessed Archangel Gabriel swing him to his rest....to the Kingdom of Heaven...where there is no more pain, no more suffering...

Amen.

Jack Kern said the ad offered $300 a week to tend more than 680 acres, similar to a Craigslist ad that police say lured another man to his death.

"That's all he (Timothy) wanted - to give his kids a better life," Jack Kern said. "This job seemed like a great opportunity. He was really upbeat about the whole thing."

Authorities say a Craigslist ad was used to lure Norfolk, Va., resident David Pauley, 51, to Ohio, apparently with the intent of robbing him. Pauley was found dead in a rural area of Noble County, 90 miles south of Akron. A South Carolina man also answered the ad and was shot Nov. 6 before escaping, police say. Two suspects are in custody and a judge has issued a gag order in the case.

A third body was found hours after Kern's not far from where Pauley's was buried in a hand-dug grave. That person has not been identified and authorities are not saying whether the three deaths are linked.

The farm advertised on Craigslist does not exist; the Noble County area where Pauley's body and the unidentified body were found is property owned by a coal company and often leased to hunters.

Jack Kern said it came as no surprise when the FBI sat his family down Saturday and told them Timothy Kern was dead of gunshot wounds to the head. He said it was out of character for his son, who was divorced, not to be in touch with his boys.

http://www.theintelligencer.net/page/content.detail/id/562195.html

I have to begin a new research on Palliative Care on Hospice Patients. Asides from medical duties and review, I am beginning to feel the pressure of this dual M.D-Ph.D program. I enjoy the medical research work, however, I am starting to feel a little dread on the upcoming doctoral qualification examination , which is part of the Ph.D requirement in Health Science Program.

Sometimes, I feel that I should have just stayed in the regular M.D program instead of going through with the dual M.D-Ph.D program. When I feel overwhelmed, I must remember that even the saints were themselves afflicted with doubt and stress. I must remember that even St. Thomas Aquinas himself suffered drawbacks in his collegiate studies. I must not suffer doubt, it is a waste of energy and befuddles the spirit.

Lord, please just strengthen this feeble mind that I have. Most of all, let me no longer worry on these coming doctoral qualification exam coming up. I am nervous. LORD, Please let me be able to move this mountain before me. I feel like a little mustard seed in front of the Himalaya Mountains.

Vito, we will have spiritual bodies, pariho sa lawas sa mga Angel sa Langit. Since we will be resurrected , we will have spiritual bodies that are purified. In our new spiritual bodies, there will be no blot, no deficiency, no aging, no physical limitation that are characteristic of our physical bodies.

In the resurrection of the saints, the saints will be unified and beautified in the Supreme Magnificent Glory of the Eternal Living God.

We all shall sing , "GLORY GLORY GLORY HALLELUJAH IN THE HIGHEST......"

To the glory and praise of HIS Name.

A miracle or perhaps a faulty diagnosis? One needs to check the ECG tracings and lab exam results of the supposed 'dead' child.

These people are too cruel. For their indignation and their heartless inconsideration, they have robbed a wife and children of their father. They have robbed a whole family of their father-figure, guardian and protector. Is a man's life really worth $100, $200?

Let us beg the Throne of God for justice for the afflicted family. May the perpetrators be judged accordingly and swiftly and may they pay for their crimes. We beg and pray before the Judgment Seat of Jesus Christ The Lord God. Let your Justice be poured out unto them, Oh Lord.

Sometimes it may seem to us that there is no purpose in our lives, that going day after day for years to this office or that school or factory is nothing else but waste and weariness. But it may be that God has sent us there because but for us Christ would not be there. If our being there means that Christ is there, that alone makes it worthwhile. ... It is not necessary at this stage of our contemplation to speak to others of the mystery of life growing in us. It is only necessary to give ourselves to that life, all that we are, to pray without ceasing, not by a continual effort to concentrate our minds but by a growing awareness that Christ is being formed in our lives from what we are. We must trust him for this; because it is not a time to see his face, we must possess him secretly and in darkness, as the earth possesses the seed. We must not try to force Christ's growth in us, but with a deep gratitude for the light burning secretly in our darkness, we must fold our concentrated love upon him like earth, surrounding, holding, and nourishing the seed. We must be swift to obey the winged impulses of his love, carrying him to wherever he longs to be: and those who recognize his presence will be stirred, like Elizabeth, with new life. They will know his presence, not by any special beauty or power shown by us, but in the way that the bud knows the presence of the light, by the unfolding in themselves, a putting forth of their own beauty.

Caryll Houselander (1901-1954), The Reed of God, p. 77

Blessed Virgin Mary, who, while pregnant with Jesus, travels to see her cousin Elizabeth who is at the time pregnant with John the Baptist.

As soon as Mary approaches, John the Baptist, inside Elizabeth, jumps for joy because he knows that he is in the presence of the Son of God!

Elizabeth knew it, too, and of course was the first to call Mary the Mother of God.

Upon Elizabeth's arrival, Mary proclaimed the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-56):

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.

Iconostas of Glorious Archangel Gabriel, the one who stands before the Glorious Throne of God


location:  monastery of Gelati, Kutaisi, Georgia

This Icon is egg tempera and gold leaf on antique wood panel measuring 45cm x 30cm approx

It is detail of the Annunciation based on an early 14c Byzantine icon in the Ohrid Icon Gallery, Yugoslavia

Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn 1606 â€" 1669
oil on canvas (98 × 119 cm) â€" ca. 1650
Gemäldegalerie der Staatlichen Museen, Berlin

If you think for a moment, you would realize that a mortal body would be unsuitable for an immortal existence. The body I have is of the world. Like the world, it is falling apart. It cannot last through eternity. The idea of birth, growth, and death, the idea of childhood and adulthood, the idea of male and female, all originate from our physical existence. When we are raised we will have spiritual bodies. The physical concepts do not apply.

"For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven" (Matthew 22:30).

Vito, The answer that you are looking for can be found in 1st book of Corinthians chapter 15.








But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.

So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.
I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

   “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
   “O death, where is your victory?   
         O death, where is your sting?”

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
   


               -1 CORINTHIANS 15: 35-58

Vito, that is a very good question!

A finished puzzle.

The war crimes that the Japanese inflicted on Asians was deplorable. The savagery they showed towards Chinese, Koreans, Filipinos, Malays were mind boggling. Can we forget how the Japanese used to throw Filipino babies in the air and catch them with bayonets? Or the thousands of rapes the Japanese inflicted on Filipina women?

Hahaha ! oh man oh man...

hahaha motingog kai naay iro og iring sa sulod.

Okey og mo inom pero in moderation lang kai dili ta gusto ma guba atong liver og mo taas atong liver enzymes.

Quote from: hubag bohol on November 26, 2011, 10:39:17 AM
North Korea’s persecution of Christians knows no equal, and being a Christian there is considered one of the worst crimes possible. North Korean communist dogma considers religion an ‘opiate’ of the people, unless of course that religion is the personality cult of ‘Great Leader’ Kim Il Sung or his son, ‘Dear Leader’ Kim Jong Il.

North Korean Christians must hide their faith at all times, and Christian parents can’t teach their faith to their children until the kids are old enough to understand the dangers (and for parents to be sure their kids won’t turn them in). Just owning a Bible in North Korea is grounds for execution or deportment to a harsh labor camp (essentially a gulag).

In 2010 hundreds of Christians were arrested: some were publicly executed, while others were sentenced to labor camps. Despite the risks, the Christian church is growing: an estimated 400,000 believers now sing silent hymns in cramped basements of crumbling buildings. -- http://listverse.com/

May the Holy Spirit continue to shine in the hearts of our Christian brothers in North Korea. May God continue to strengthen and guide our brothers and sisters in North Korea.

hypercalcemia heaven.

Quote from: chicogon on November 25, 2011, 01:39:52 AM
Mass, bless food... and then later, panukos! Happy Thanksgiving, America! 

Happy Thanksgiving, Father!