MikeLigalig.com

one more said farewell...

Petty Officer 3 Jose Audrey Banares, Sept. 9
Private First Class Julmuin Abdulalahid, Sept. 11
Private First Class Jeffrey Castillo, Sept. 14
Corporal Mark Herson Caranzo, Sept. 15
Corporal Michael Baltazar, Sept. 16
Private First Class Albin Dayna, Sept. 16
Private Sergio Buagas, Sept. 16
Corporal Allan Camerino, Sept. 17
Private First Class Jay Olivar, Sept. 17
First Lieutenant John Kristopher Rama, Sept. 19
Staff Sergeant Joselino Servilla, Sept. 21
2nd Lt. Florencio Mikael Meneses, Sept. 23


A Fallen Soldier's Prayer

The soldier stood and faced his God which must always come to pass.

He hoped his shoes were shining just as brightly as his brass.

"Step forward now, you soldier, How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek? To My Church have you been true?"

The soldier squared his shoulders and Said,"No, Lord, I guess I ain't...because those of us who carry guns can't always be a saint.

I've had to work most Sundays and at times my talk was tough,
and sometimes I've been violent, because the streets are awfully tough.

But, I never took a penny that wasn't mine to keep...though I worked a lot of overtime when the bills got just too steep,
and I never passed a cry for help, though at times I shook with fear.

And sometimes, God forgive me, I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place among the people here...
They never wanted me around except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here, Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much, but if you don't, I'll understand."

There was a silence all around the throne Where the Saints had often trod.

As the soldier waited quietly, for the judgment of his God:

"Step forward now you soldier, walk peacefully on Heaven's streets, you've done your time in Hell."

---
Gone but not forgotten, rest in peace soldiers!
Taps

Day 15 of Zamboanga siege: Lieutenant dies

By Nikko Dizon, Julie S. Alipala Dennis Jay Santos
Inquirer Mindanao, Philippine Daily Inquirer
Tuesday, September 24th, 2013

ZAMBOANGA CITYâ€"A junior Army officer who was wounded in fighting here on Saturday died in hospital early on Monday as security forces pounded Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) positions on the coast to put an end to the two-week-old crisis.

The death of Army 2nd Lt. Florencio Mikael Meneses at 4:40 a.m. brought to 14 the number of soldiers killed since fighting between government troops and rebels from the MNLF faction led by Nur Misuari started on Sept. 9.

Military spokesman Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala said 138 soldiers had been wounded in skirmishes with the MNLF rebels.

Read more: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/493599/day-15-of-zamboanga-siege-lieutenant-dies#ixzz2fpiprfFo

okay, okay, break, break, break.  ako ang IDIOT, okay?  please lang, hubag nga otrong badlungon (fun gyod hinoon, i must admit), ako na lang because i don't mind, okay?  aron por santo tb can be exorcised of some sickening posts due to their repetitiveness in content and intention because the poster feels strongly that the word is about him though it wasn't so at the beginning. 

as for me, i wouldn't even care if i'm called miss universe of 1902.  the world continues to turn as it should.

weather-weather lang.  it's payback time.  dugay-dugay pod intawon ning konsehala nga gilisod-lisod ni kanhing mayor dan lim pod uy...

kay sa cebu man ni, they can always call on monsignor kreikenbeck.  he will know the difference between real possession and mass hysteria.  also, this is the first time that i've heard about nature spirits (described here as duwende) possessing people.  the evil one possesses, nature spirits do not.

of course, the news item is incomplete.  klaro ang treatment sa story nga panggulat.  aw, superbalita god ang source.

atot.  i protest.  di nako na type.  but nice kanang mga iring nga tinuod, hehe.

i will look for prayers for the intercession of padre pio for my sister.  thank you very much for leading the way, hof.

aguy.  sugot baya unta kog kwitis lang ako...

bull's eye man ko ani.  henceforth, i will wake up and tell myself to be happy throughout the day.  thank you, lord!

sadly, yes, rects.  but i know that i'm more feeler than visual.  having an opened third eye is a late development.  i do not like it.

no, di manghilabot physically.  in the first place, they're not physical.  they're just energy of another kind.  chances are they're more to be pitied than feared.  but then that's not easy.  our first reaction is always fear.

possession is in the extreme.  as long as we know how to protect ourselves with prayers, nothing can go wrong.

cheetah loves jane.

A body is seen on the floor inside the smoke-filled four-story mall.





http://edition.cnn.com/

Armed police take cover behind escalators as smoke fills the air. Witnesses say tear gas was thrown in the corridors.


A woman who had been hiding during the attack runs for cover after armed police enter the mall.

A police officer carries a baby as people keep low and run to safety. Crowds dashed down the streets as soldiers in military fatigues, guns cocked, crawled under cars to get closer to the mall.

Elaine Dang of San Diego is helped to safety after the attack. The military asked local media not to televise anything live because the gunmen are watching the screens in the mall.

39 killed and more carnage feared



Kenyan paramilitary police officers patrol the area near the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya, where hostages are being held for the second day on Sunday, September 22. Gunmen burst into the mall and opened fire in a deadly attack on September 21. Kenyan government and Western diplomatic sources said Al-Shabaab militants were holding about 30 hostages inside the shopping center on Sunday. As grim-faced Kenyan soldiers warily searched the five-story building -- and as Al-Shabaab maintained its defiant stance -- the siege was no closer to a resolution. (CNN)

"I'm not Tarzan," Pope Francis tells young crowd

Reuters
22 September 2013


Pope Francis looks on as he leads a mass outside the Shrine of Our Lady of Bonaria in Cagliari September 22, 2013. REUTERS/Giampiero Sposito

CAGLIARI, Sardinia (Reuters) - Pope Francis brought laughter to a crowd of young people on Sunday when he told them he was not "Tarzan" but gets his staying power during times of difficulty from his faith.

Speaking off the cuff at the end of a trip to Sardinia, he said he had recently marked the 60th anniversary of the day he first felt the vocation to be a priest.

"I have not regretted it. And it's not because I feel like Tarzan and have the (physical) strength to go ahead," he said, prompting of laughter and applause for comparing himself to the fictional character raised by apes in the jungles of Africa.

"No, I have not regretted it because always, even in the darkest moments, in the times of sin, in the times of fragility, in the times of failure, I looked to Jesus and I trusted him and he did not abandon me. He is a faithful companion," Francis said.

(Reporting By Philip Pullella; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)

http://news.yahoo.com/

In this undated family photo provided by Kevin Smith is a wedding picture of Pfc. John Farrell Eddington and his wife, Helen. Seven decades after the Missouri soldier died in World War II, Peggy Smith, the daughter he never met is about to get his Purple Heart medal, along with the emotional letter her father wrote just weeks after her birth, at a ceremony Saturday, Sept. 21, 2013, in Dayton, Nev. (AP Photo/Courtesy Kevin Smith)

http://news.yahoo.com/lightbox/

The obit for Pfc. John Farrell Eddington. (AP Photo/Kevin Clifford)

The Bronze Star for Pfc. John Eddington. (AP Photo/Kevin Clifford)

The Purple Heart medal awarded to Pfc. John Farrell Eddington who was killed in action in Italy during World War II. (AP Photo/Kevin Clifford)

Peggy Eddington-Smith, 69, of Dayton, Nev., and Donna Gregory of St. Louis hug during a ceremony in Dayton, Nev., on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2013. Eddington-Smith's father, Pfc. John Eddington, died in World War II three weeks after her birth. A box of Eddington's personal items were discovered by Donna Gregory of St. Louis who traveled across the country to hand deliver the items to Eddington-Smith. (AP Photo/Kevin Clifford)

Peggy Eddington-Smith, 69, of Dayton, Nev., receives a flag in honor of her father, Pfc. John Eddington of Leadwood, Mo., in Dayton, Nev., on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2013. Eddington died in World War II three weeks after her birth. Eddington's personal items were discovered by Donna Gregory of St. Louis, who traveled across the country to hand deliver the them to Eddington-Smith. (AP Photo/Kevin Clifford)

Peggy Eddington-Smith, 69, of Dayton, Nev., receives a reproduction copy of her father's dog-tags during a ceremony in Dayton, Nev., on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2013. Eddington-Smith's father, Pfc. John Eddington, died in World War II three weeks after her birth. A box of Eddington's personal items were discovered by Donna Gregory of St. Louis who traveled across the country to hand deliver the items to Eddington-Smith. (AP Photo/Kevin Clifford)

Members of the Patriot Guard escort Peggy Eddington-Smith, 69, of Dayton, Nev., and Donna Arnold of St. Louis for a ceremony in Dayton, Nev. on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2013.Eddington-Smith's father, Pfc. John Eddington, died in World War II three weeks after her birth. A box of Eddington's personal items were discovered by Donna Gregory of St. Louis who traveled across the country to hand deliver the items to Eddington-Smith. (AP Photo/Kevin Clifford)

Donna Gregory of St. Louis read the letter written by Pfc. John Eddington of Leadwood, Mo., in Dayton, Nev., on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2013. Eddington-Smith's father, Pfc. John Eddington, died in World War II three weeks after her birth. A box of Eddington's personal items were discovered by Donna Gregory of St. Louis who traveled across the country to hand deliver the items to Eddington-Smith. (AP Photo/Kevin Clifford)

Donna Gregory of St. Louis and members of the Patriot Guard wait to enter Dayton Intermediate School to give Peggy Eddington-Smith, 69, of Dayton, Nev., recently found personal items of her father, Pfc. John Eddington of Leadwood, Mo., in Dayton, Nev., on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2013. Eddington died in World War II three weeks after her birth. A box of Eddington's personal items were discovered by Gregory who traveled across the country to hand deliver the items to Eddington-Smith. (AP Photo/Kevin Clifford)

shameful. but how the young man dealt with the shame and lapse of judgment is admirable.  would that our legislators cum pork scammers can do the same by even half as much. 

"I am surrendering everything that has been given to me in this competition, actually and virtually, and I take full responsibility for a disgraceful action and a grave moral lapse on my part. This recent turn of events has taught me to become humble, to have foresight, to be sensitive for the works of others, and ultimately, to take responsibility for my action," he said.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/

"Unfortunately, I was driven by my youth, lack of experience, and the inability to see the repercussions of my actions. The sheer amount of the prize, the stiff competition, and the unique opportunity to be abroad blinded me from undertaking what is supposed to be an honest and a rightful conduct. It was a regrettable lapse on my judgment, and no words can express how sorry I am for taking your photo as mine," he said.

Solis said he is "now in close contact with the organizers, conveyed my apologies, and sought their opinion on the matter and how to proceed from here."

"I am writing to you to express my deep remorse and sincerest apologies for claiming your photo as mine. As the rightful owner of the photo, you deserve my initial thoughts and statement about this," Solis wrote in the letter.

Solis said the photo "was one of the most heartwarming photos I have ever seen, and I could only wish that I had the ability to capture such moments as well as you did."

He even said he kept the photo as wallpaper in his computer to inspire him as an amateur photographer.

Netizens were outraged by Solis's actions.

“I was disgusted when I first heard about the news, especially since the accused was a fellow Filipino and an alumnus of the university I am attending. These kind of crime should be brought to light and the perpetrator dealt with the full extent of the law to avoid anything like it from happening again. I am ashamed for what he's done and I guess it's safe to say that we all (Filipinos) are. I am so sorry sir,” Paul Miranda commented on Smith’s post.

Later on Sunday, Solis owned up to the mistake when he sent to Smith a letter of apology, which he allowed ABS-CBNnews.com to publish.

“No, actually it’s a very happy Elias from the Morro de Macaco shanty, where CARF has started a new community base for the many underprivileged children there. Elias and his three brothers are some of the most needy kids and amongst the lucky ones to get a taste of the sea this summer, thanks to Marília’s campaign initiative on Flickr and the support we are receiving from its members,” the caption said of the smiling boy.

Morro de Macaco is a seaside town in Brazil and the Flickr page said the photo was taken on January 8, 2006.

Netizens also found out that Solis has submitted the photo in question to another contest, the Water and Life: 2013 ICIMOD Digital Photo Contest, although this time the subject was described as a kid who “helps his father harvest seaweed in Ramanathapuram district, India.”

“WOW! There is really no limit to people's abuse of others in this world. This is one of my photographs that just won first prize in a contest that I never entered,” Smith wrote.

“Well, I could certainly make good use of that prize money and the travel prize too, as I plan a trip to the Philippines at the beginning of next year with two of my Jovens Guerreiros - Young Warriors Brazil to visit Young warriors programme in the Philippines. I wonder what their Jury will say now?”

A link was provided to the Flickr account of Children At Risk Foundation, showing the exact photo in a series of pictures with the title “Or maybe Neptune’s son with Amphitrite, Triton?”

“The Filipino spirit is waterproof,” Solis was quoted by the article. “I thought about several values that we have: social resiliency, guarded optimism, people feeling happy. Filipinos, even if things get bad, even if we are poor, as long as we are happy, we are OK. That’s Filipino culture. It’s something that’s woven into the socio-cultural fabric of the nation.”

But on late Saturday, Gregory John Smith posted on his Facebook page that the photo was his.

His Facebook page lists him as the founder and “social entrepreneur” at Children At Risk Foundation and that he lives in Brazil.

According to the article, which was taken down on Sunday afternoon, Mark Joseph Solis, “a 22-year-old student of the University of the Philippines and an amateur photographer, bested 30 pre-qualified contestants selected from about 500 entries from around the country in the 2nd Calidad Humana National Essay Photography Competition hosted by the Chilean embassy on the occasion of Chile’s 203rd year of independence.”

The article also said the photo was taken in 2012 after the boy’s house “was badly damaged by Typhoon Lawin.”

Solis won $1,000 and a round-trip ticket to Brazil and Chile with accommodations for the photo.

Winning photo of 'Zambo boy' taken from Flickr

ABS-CBNnews.com
09/23/2013

MANILA â€" (UPDATED) A photo of a smiling Zamboanga boy that won the top prize in a contest sponsored by the Embassy of Chile has become the subject of controversy on social media on Sunday after someone else claimed to have taken the picture.



On Friday, the Philippine Star published an article, “Zambo boy is Phl smiling icon,” about the winning photograph of a young boy gathering seaweed in Zamboanga City which won the top prize in the “Smiles for the World” contest.

that's why i'll never forget these vignettes described to me by our household help who got it from a friend...

1.  an INC high-ranking member said that should any of his children turn out to be gay, he will have to kill that child

2.  that church "invited" a gay guy (in the manner of indirection as that guy was told only to listen to some lectures and wasn't told what it was about).  so he went, with face made up and wearing ladies' high-heeled shoes.

embarrassingly, he was made as the visual example by the fire-and-brimstone lecture of their pastor.  something like:

bakit ang katoliko ay lumuluhod?  mga bakla lang ang lumuluhod dahil iba ang diyos nila.  yung sa lalaking nakaupo, yun ang diyos nila.  labag sa utos ng diyos ang maging bakla...

i'm not much for disrespecting other religions.  but this particular one that started within our own country is over the top.  the behavior of its adherents makes my blood boil.  i must say they're the worst recruiters by displaying that they're infallible. 

i'd rather talk to jehovah's witnesses because they show understanding and kindness.  i don't have to believe in what they believe in.  i just enjoy the exchange of ideas and how perfect their articles are in their publications in terms of grammar and syntax.

wowie, makabuhig dugo, bahalag berdeng dugo.

bitaw, i have real good gay friends.  my favorite cousin is one, and i'm very protective of him.  they are way, way greater human beings than some straights i know.  i cannot imagine heaven closing its door on them.

as of mid-morning today, monday, 23 september 2013:

The state weather bureau downgraded its rainfall alert from orange to yellow midday Monday, but moderate to heavy rains spawned by the storm-enhanced southwest monsoon were still seen.

Placed under yellow alert by the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration past 11a.m. were Metro Manila, Rizal, Bulacan, Pampanga, Zambales, Bataan and portions of Laguna, Quezon, Cavite and Occidental Mindoro.

“Moderate to at times heavy rainfall are expected over Metro Manila, Rizal, Bulacan, Pampanga and portions of Laguna, Quezon, Cavite, Batangas and Occidental Mindoro which it persist within three hours,” it said.

Flooding was threatening in low-lying areas.

Read more: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/492917/orange-rainfall-alert-up-in-metro-manila-due-to-storm-enhanced-monsoon#ixzz2fksJhRII
Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook

Philippine Daily Inquirer
Editorial Cartoon, 22 September 2013

Quote from: chicogon on September 22, 2013, 06:27:10 AM
Past-or present?

hehehe, got you now... dugaya nakong naka-gets uy.

presentor nga pastor po.

if by tomorrow you still would not appear, this call will be louder.

Hong Kong experienced severe weather, but escaped the worst of the storm

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

Quote from: robert on September 23, 2013, 01:24:44 PM
zombies na lay mo gawas. the zombie army of gen. bal ong will take on all comers. magbabarangs, vampires, hubags, boils, idiots, fools, space invaders, draculas.

good day and GOD BLESS YOU, MADAME

...and balong, diablo, robert, moneytree, ayesha, etc.

good day, sir.

highlander cat is ready!

balong the alien is inside this tummy.  bring him on!

pagawsa ang alien.  highlander will take him on, all the time, anywhere.

Neil Patrick Harris hosted the show

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

Breaking Bad won in the best drama series and best supporting actress categories

Claire Danes took the leading actress in a drama award for the second year in a row

23 September 2013

Behind the Candelabra takes top Emmy awards


Michael Douglas Douglas won best actor in a TV movie for his portrayal of the flamboyant pianist, Liberace

The Liberace biopic Behind the Candelabra has taken the top honours at this year's Emmy awards, held in Los Angeles on Sunday.

The film, shown on the cable network HBO in the US, won three awards including best TV movie and a best actor award for Michael Douglas.

Breaking Bad was named best drama, while Modern Family took the leading comedy award for the fourth time.

Claire Danes took the best actress prize for her role in Homeland.

Accepting his first ever Emmy award, Douglas thanked his family and his wife, Catherine Zeta Jones.

more at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-24124939

the egg was deleted?

wa ko kasabot anang picture.  unsa man nang duha, naghuwat tangagon anang coming big wave, o nanawag ug challenge?

23 September 2013

Typhoon Usagi kills at least 25 people in China


Typhoon Usagi produced winds of 165 km/h (103 mph)

Typhoon Usagi has killed at least 25 people in Guangdong province of south China, the government has said.

Winds of up to 180 km/h (110 mph) were recorded in some areas, toppling trees and blowing cars off roads. Its victims drowned or were hit by debris.

The storm has affected 3.5 million people on the Chinese mainland.

Trains from Guangzhou to Beijing have been suspended and hundreds of flights from Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong have been cancelled.

However Hong Kong has escaped the worst of the storm.

more at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24193201

kun si balong si robert, diablo ug ayesha
si islander si highlander, karate kid ug zuma
git?

CDU supporters celebrated a resounding victory

Angela Merkel told supporters they had achieved "something fantastic"

23 September 2013

Angela Merkel celebrates after German election win


Angela Merkel told her supporters: "We can all be delighted"

Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative party has won Germany's election, but finished just short of an absolute majority, official results show.

Mrs Merkel earlier urged her party to celebrate "a super result" after exit polls suggested she was set to win a historic third term.

Her Christian Democrats (CDU) bloc took about 42% of the vote.

But she might yet have to seek a grand coalition with the Social Democrats (SPD) who won about 26% of the vote.

Mrs Merkel's preferred liberal partners have not made it into parliament.

more at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24197994

yes you are, so shaddap.

The orange  rainfall advisory is raised in areas where rainfall is between 15 mm and 30 mm within one hour. Flooding is a definite threat in communities under the orange alert.

Satellite images on Sept. 17 and Aug. 28, which were taken from the website of United Nations Institute for Training and Research, show the extent of damage from fighting in Barangay Santa Catalina in Zamboanga City. The map of the UN Operational Satellite Applications Program was requested by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. http://www.inquirer.net/

The fallen heroes of Zamboanga City

By Frances Mangosing
INQUIRER.net
Monday, September 23rd, 2013


FALLEN HEROES: PO3 Jose Audrey Banares and First Lieutenant John Kristopher Rama. Photo from Facebook and Cebu Daily News


when the heroes fell:

Petty Officer 3 Jose Audrey Banares, Sept. 9
Private First Class Julmuin Abdulalahid, Sept. 11
Private First Class Jeffrey Castillo, Sept. 14
Corporal Mark Herson Caranzo, Sept. 15
Corporal Michael Baltazar, Sept. 16
Private First Class Albin Dayna, Sept. 16
Private Sergio Buagas, Sept. 16
Corporal Allan Camerino, Sept. 17
Private First Class Jay Olivar, Sept. 17
First Lieutenant John Kristopher Rama, Sept. 19
Staff Sergeant Joselino Servilla, Sept. 21

Read more: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/493043/the-fallen-heroes-of-zamboanga-city#ixzz2fkL3Pzql

hehehe, daghan na ta, vrglguaps.  mao ba kaha ni ang resulta sa abuso sa kabatan-on, kaniadto nga wa pa koy pasayloon nga chicharon ug chorizo.  ambot unsa ning ako nga kun manobrag kaon ug baboy, mora man kog gadaro ug usa ka buwan pagkahuman.  maybe gout-cum-arthritis ni simbako lang.

parison gyod sila.

Mr Sloane was mobbed by journalists and locals as he came ashore after the mission. He said that he never expected such a reception from the people of Giglio: "They've been fantastic for the last 20 months".

Mr Sloane replied to the hugs, kisses and echoes of 'Grazie' with a simple "Brilliant! Perfetto".

He spoke with characteristic calm, "It was a good challenge", he told the Daily Telegraph, "It was a struggle, a bit of a roller coaster. But for the whole team it was fantastic. I think the whole team is proud of what they achieved." "Everyone is very pleased with how it went. The next step is to inspect all the damage on the starboard side."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

Previously described as a cross between Prince Harry and Russell Crowe, Sloane was hired by the American-Italian team of Titan Salvage and Micoperi to take charge of the Magnificent Eleven who rescued the Costa Concordia from the reef of idyllic Tuscan island, Giglio.

"I'm going to stand on deck and smoke a cigar as she's finally towed away", he said at a port-side bar during a recent visit. But he'll have to wait a bit before then the ship won't be towed to the scrapyard until well into 2014.

The righting of the huge ship, which at 951ft in length is larger than the Titanic, has taken months with more than 500 engineers, divers and welders operating round the clock. The most significant risk was that he ship would buckle â€" previously described by Mr Sloane as a "banana effect".

Costa Concordia salvage: Nick Sloane, the man behind the operation

By Tom Witherow
17 Sep 2013

For many, the salvage operation of the Costa Concordia seemed risky and dramatic, but for salvage master Nick Sloane it may have appeared rather mild.


The head of the parbuckling project Nick Sloane talks with reporters at the end of the "parbuckling" operation at the Giglio harbour. Photo: REUTERS

It was more than 30 years ago in 1980 that Mr Sloane started his career at sea with South African company Safmarine, where his first assignment was the rescue of Castillo de Bellver, a burning tanker filled with over 250,000 tons of crude oil stranded off the South African coast.

He has gone on to repair oil and gas lines in the Middle East and salvage a tanker hit by pirates off the Yemeni coast. The Brilliante Virtuoso was 20 miles from the port of Aden when it was set ablaze, but it was saved with no environmental damage.

His globetrotter lifestyle has had to be borne by his long-suffering wife, responsible for bringing up their 17-year-old twins and 10-year-old daughter.

The hull is still under water; there's still work to be done.


Photo: Andrew Medichini/AP

http://gizmodo.com/

The severely damaged side of the stricken Costa Concordia in daylight.


Photo: Marco Secchi/Getty Images

Officials declared a "perfect" end to a daring and unprecedented engineering feat.


Photo: Andrew Medichini/AP

A closer look at the damaged right side.


Photo: Andrew Medichini/AP

Full view of the level Costa Concordia.


Photo: Andrew Medichini/AP

A detail of the right side of the Costa Concordia after it was lifted upright.


Photo: Andrew Medichini/AP

The parbuckling operation successfully rights the ship around 4 am on September 17, 2013.


Photo: Laura Lezza/Getty Images

The ship is pulled completely upright early Tuesday.


Photo: Andrew Medichini/AP

The delicate operation to rotate the luxury liner from its capsized position to upright stretches into Tuesday, much later than had been anticipated.


Photo: Andrew Medichini/AP

Engineers work on the wreckage of the Costa Concordia Monday evening.


Photo: Marco Secchi/Getty Images

Authorities give the final go-ahead for a daring attempt on Monday to pull upright the crippled Costa Concordia cruise liner from its side. The cruiser doesn't budge for the first three hours of the operation.


Photo: Andrew Medichini/AP

Large buoyancy tanks are attached to the side of the ship. Look at the worker on the right side for scale.


Photo: Laura Lezza/Getty Images

Titan and Micoperi workers are seen on the stricken Costa Concordia.


Photo: Laura Lezza/Getty Images

Reporters and cameramen work as the Costa Concordia ship lies on its side.


Photo: Andrew Medichini/AP

A woman in a swimsuit walks in front of the wreckage of the Costa Concordia.


Photo: Marco Secchi/Getty Images

The Costa Concordia ship lies on its side on the Tuscan Island of Giglio, Italy, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2013.


Photo: Andrew Medichini/AP

After an incredible 19-hour salvage effort, the crippled Costa Concordia cruise liner was successfully pulled upright from its side in the waters off Tuscany yesterday in a make-or-break engineering attempt that had never before been tried in such conditions. (http://gizmodo.com/)

Floating the Beast


Getty

Even though the ship was upright, the salvage operation isn't finished yet. The ship now has to be floated, if not entirely to where it was before the incident, at least to a point where it could be towed away. Unsurprisingly, ships aren't very hydrodynamic when they're half-sunk in the water and trying to drag that around would be a bit, shall we say, difficult.

Using more giant tanks attached to the side of the ship, compressed air will be pumped into the sponsons. As air is lighter than water, the ship should then float to a point at which the whole thing can be towed to a port to be scrapped. And you'd want to scrap it, considering the side of the ship that came out of the water looks like this:


Getty

Yuck.

The cost of the salvage so far? Only about $800 million.

http://jalopnik.com/

Righting The Ship


Getty

Before the ship could be floated and towed away, it needed to be rolled into an upright position. Parbuckling ships that are close to the shore has historically relied on attaching winches on land to the ship and then essentially pulling it upright, like this:


Getty

That's the USS Oklahoma, which capsized after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The Concordia, however, rolled the wrong way for winches to be easily attached to the shore. That meant that the operation would rely on a system of pulleys and sponsons either floating on barges, or attached directly to the ship.

First, massive jacks were used to get the process going, and once the ship was freed off the rocks it was dug into, the cables, attached to cranes and pulleys on barges, took over. The most fascinating part happened when enormous gray boxes, known as sponsons, that were attached to the dry side of the ship began to touch the water.

Building A Platform


Wikicommons

Before the ship could be lifted by company Titan Salvage, it needed to be rolled over into an upright position, in a procedure known as parbuckling. Unfortunately the ship didn't come down over a level seabed, otherwise the whole operation would've been a lot easier. First a steel-and-concrete platform needed to be constructed and anchored underwater, into the seabed itself, for the Costa Concordia to sit on before it could be floated once more. It was built in six sections, and supported by pillars over five feet in diameter that were anchored more than 30 feet into the granite face of the island.

Once the platform was in place, the parbuckling could begin.

Moving the beached ship definitely wasn't easy, with a number of complications right from the start. Not only is it massive and onerous and ships are meant to float, not to be lifted, but it has a massive gash full of rocks and boulders in its side, its full of standing water, and, perhaps most tragically, the bodies of two of 32 people killed are thought to be still inside.

Oh, and it was lying on a slope, so if they tried to just roll it over all they'd end up doing was flipping it onto its other side, or, even worse. They'd see the entire thing slip below the waves.

Luckily, none of that happened, and this week we've got an upright ship, a relieved crew, and some awesome gifs of the whole thing.

The Crazy Engineering Feat That Raised The 50,000 Ton Costa Concordia

Michael Ballaban
21 September 2013



The Costa Concordia cruiseliner sank more than a year and a half ago, and to this day it sits off the coast of the Italian island of Giglio, becoming more and more decrepit. The first step of getting it off the rocks its stuck on came earlier this week, when engineers finally righted the ship. Here's how they did it.

thanks heaps, lorenz.

enough to reach out for a tissue...