MikeLigalig.com

Quote from: islander on August 13, 2013, 11:46:29 PM
kining gibraltar small time tuod bisag ang iyang population nga 30,000 pabor sa britain over spain, dugangan pa sa history nga ceded by spain to britain in 1713, dugangan pa nga pride na lang ang nahibilin sa britain sukad atong panahon sa ilang dominion over palm and pine.  in the case of the western philippine sea and china's claim over it with its 9-dash line nga ila na karong gidak-an to 10-dash line, mamiligro gyod hinoon ang philippines kun mag-referendum sa preference unya moboto ang mga isda pabor sa china.

Aw, atong ipadala as flying (or is it swimming?) voters ang bagang duot sa pinakalami nga bolinaw nga taga sa Balingsya, total nauyonan na man ang prinsipyo nga "one fish one vote".

Rational choice theory: People generally act in their self-interest and make decisions to commit crime after weighing the potential risks (including getting caught and punished) against the rewards.

Social disorganization theory: A person’s physical and social environments are primarily responsible for the behavioral choices that person makes. In particular, a neighborhood that has fraying social structures is more likely to have high crime rates. Such a neighborhood may have poor schools, vacant and vandalized buildings, high unemployment, and a mix of commercial and residential property.

Strain theory: Most people have similar aspirations, but they don’t all have the same opportunities or abilities. When people fail to achieve society’s expectations through approved means such as hard work and delayed gratification, they may attempt to achieve success through crime.

Social learning theory: People develop motivation to commit crime and the skills to commit crime through the people they associate with.

Social control theory: Most people would commit crime if not for the controls that society places on individuals through institutions such as schools, workplaces, churches, and families.

Labeling theory: People in power decide what acts are crimes, and the act of labeling someone a criminal is what makes him a criminal. Once a person is labeled a criminal, society takes away his opportunities, which may ultimately lead to more criminal behavior.

Biology, genetics, and evolution: Poor diet, mental illness, bad brain chemistry, and even evolutionary rewards for aggressive criminal conduct have been proposed as explanations for crime. -- http://www.dummies.com/

Important Theories in Criminology: Why People Commit Crime
By Steven Briggs


In criminology, examining why people commit crime is very important in the ongoing debate of how crime should be handled and prevented. Many theories have emerged over the years, and they continue to be explored, individually and in combination, as criminologists seek the best solutions in ultimately reducing types and levels of crime. Here is a broad overview of some key theories:

Attabotoy!

Emile Durkheim, a French sociologist, introduced the concept of anomie in his book The Division of Labor in Society, published in 1893. He used anomie to describe a condition of deregulation that was occuring in society. This meant that rules on how people ought to behave with each other were breaking down and thus people did not know what to expect from one another. Anomie, simply defined, is a state where norms (expectations on behaviors) are confused, unclear or not present. It is normlessness, Durkheim felt, that led to deviant behavior. In 1897, Durkheim used the term again in his study on Suicide, referring to a morally deregulated condition. Durkheim was preoccupied with the effects of social change. He best illustrated his concept of anomie not in a discussion of crime but of suicide.

In The Division of Labor in Society, Durkheim proposed two concepts. First, that societies evolved from a simple, nonspecialized form, called mechanical, toward a highly complex, specialized form, called organic. In the former society people behave and think alike and more or less perfom the same work tasks and have the same group-oriented goals. When societies become more complex, or organic, work also becomes more complex. In this society, people are no longer tied to one another and social bonds are impersonal.

Anomie thus refers to a breakdown of social norms and it a condition where norms no longer control the activities of members in society. Individuals cannot find their place in society without clear rules to help guide them. Changing conditions as well as adjustment of life leads to dissatisfaction, conflict, and deviance. He observed that social periods of disruption (economic depression, for instance) brought about greater anomie and higher rates of crime, suicide, and deviance.

Durkheim felt that sudden change caused a state of anomie. The system breaks down, either during a great prosperity or a great depression, anomie is the same result.

http://www.hewett.norfolk.sch.uk/
http://criminology.fsu.edu/

Good reading. A very sane article.

After The Storm by pendecho
http://piotrlegwand.wordpress.com/

http://www.gmanetwork.com/
August 20, 2013 7:05am


(Updated 8:14 a.m.) - Trading at the Philippine Stock Exchange and clearing and settlement at the Securities Clearing Corporation of the Philippines are suspended on Tuesday, the PSE announced.

This superceded PSE's earlier advisory Tuesday.

"Please be advised that we are recalling our earlier announcement due to the recent announcement of suspension of clearing and settlement operations in the banking system. There will be no trading at the PSE and no clearing and settlement at the SCCP today, August 20, 2013. There will be no trading and clearing/settlement at PSE/SCCP today, August 20. This supercedes our ealier advisory," PSE announced on its Twitter account.

The sky was ultimately slathered with three coats of paint and a wash before it was deemed perfect. Stars glowed thanks to halos smudged on with my finger. I also peppered on vermilion fireworks, a task that occupied a few nights but added a rich spiciness. Dotting on the lace at the end was my only contribution to the dancer. It took partner and me nine hours each to complete the delicate work.

The picture, now hanging in the living room, lights up the space and makes me smile every time I see it. I know I should really get going on painting the hallway upstairs, but I'm itching to start my next masterpiece instead. I may not be an artist, but I do love being a painter.

Brenda McMillan lives in Toronto

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/facts-and-arguments/im-a-frustrated-artist-and-an-untalented-one/article575872/

When I put down my pen for the day, I was ready to play painting again. While he mixed up the periwinkle for the cathedral walls and tower, I looked at my photos from Spain and was horrified to see that some small tower details were wrong. I quickly changed the pencil lines to make them accurate then picked up my brush.

Hours passed. Only the fact that I was starving made me put down my paintbrush and pick up a pot, a pattern that was repeated many times over the next 12 weeks. I stopped watching television, barely got through my book club selections and spent weekends working on the canvas rather than renovating the bathroom, doing laundry or working on my novel. I was infatuated.

Painting the buildings in muted browns, greys, greens and blues was like constructing a town, house by house. On one, I decided that the windows needed a little something extra, so I altered the lines to give them Moorish arches that echoed the shape of the dancer's arms over her head. She was coming to life under my partner's brush. Her dress, a mass of flouncing lemons and oranges, shimmered and shone against my subtle background. She watched us, smiling softly.

He handed me a palette with a blob of ultramarine paint and told me to choose from among the paintbrushes standing bristle-up in an old coffee can. I used a flat brush to shakily paint the horizon then switched to a fat one. Thinking of Vincent van Gogh's The Starry Night, my sky was awash with swirls instead of the straight lines I would normally use for door trim. The high I felt as I washed my brushes was akin to winning a lottery. And, as I found out, addictive.

The "art studio" consisted of a large drop cloth with an easel and a small table overflowing with supplies in one corner of my home office. The next day, I tried to work on an article, but found myself staring at the canvas instead. My sky, so lovingly painted the evening before, looked too bright in daylight. When I mentioned it to my patient partner, he just shrugged. "It's only the first coat. We'll tweak it as we go along." I was flabbergasted. This was nothing like house painting where you pick a colour, put it on and live with it.

We started by stretching primed canvas across the frame and stapling it securely. It was a huge, white question mark of possibility that was both intimidating and challenging. I was instantly nervous looking at the array of paintbrushes and tubes and tubs of acrylic paint. What did I know about any of this?

Partner dearest assured me that the project was meant to be fun, not stressful, and unlike writing (my profession) with its structure and rules, painting was a purely creative process. Uh-huh. It felt like Leonardo da Vinci was trusting me with painting the bits around the Mona Lisa.

He sketched in the dancer, then the background buildings with their varied roof lines and windows. When he was finished, the white canvas was a road map of intersecting lines that looked like the kind of paint-by-numbers project I loved as a child. I was heartened. All I had to do was paint inside the lines with the colours he mixed up for me.

Artists can draw. Maybe not modern artists, but others can see or imagine something, pick up a pencil or a chunk of charcoal and draw their vision on paper, canvas or caves. People can look at the sketch and distinguish between a horse and an elephant, a fire truck and a fountain. My drawings do not make such distinctions possible, so I had no hope of painting. Or so I thought.

After a trip to Spain with my artistic partner, he dug out his easel, brushes and paints and declared that he was going to paint a picture and needed my help. He chose a postcard of a poster originally painted in 1932 for the Seville Spring Fair of a flamenco dancer in a yellow dress with cascading ruffles and lace. Seville buildings were surrounded by fireworks and stars in a night sky. My job was to paint the background on the almost 6-foot by 4-foot canvas.

I'm a frustrated artist. And an untalented one
BRENDA MCMILLAN
The Globe and Mail


I've always bought homes that were fixer-uppers. While I rely on friends and handy partners to do most of the hard work, I take on the painting and am proud of the walls, ceilings, floors and doors that have been transformed by the slap of my roller and tickle of my paintbrush. I've turned some ugly ducklings into swans in my day, but lately, I've picked up a brush to overhaul something else - me.

For a long time, I've been nursing a restlessness, a quiet yearning. It flares when I'm travelling and makes me feel itchy (no, it's not bed bugs). When I see vineyards in the Douro, a Santorini sunrise or a petit garçon in Paris lugging a baguette as tall as he is, I pull out my camera but what I really long to do is whip out a sketchbook and draw, then paint, what I see. I am a frustrated artist. And, unfortunately, an untalented one.

Monsoon rains flood Manila anew. A pedicab driver wades through a flooded street in Manila as persistent rain over the weekend extended into Monday, prompting authorities to close down schools, government offices and the stock exchange. AFP PHOTO / NOEL CELIS

Bwahaha!

Cool...

He he...

Who is this celeb?

August 20, 2013 7:31am
 

Malacañang on Tuesday morning ordered for the second straight day the suspension of work in government offices in Metro Manila, due to the heavy monsoon rain.

Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. issued the order upon the recommendation of PAGASA and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.

"Upon both the recommendation of MMDA and PAGASA, the Executive Secretary has ordered the suspension of work in the government offices in Metro Manila today, Aug. 20, except those involved in disaster risk reduction and management," presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in a statement issued after 7 a.m. posted on the Twitter account of deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte.

He also cited the orange rainfall advisory of PAGASA as another factor.

Counting The Mad
by Donald Justice





This one was put in a jacket,
This one was sent home,
This one was given bread and meat
But would eat none,
And this one cried No No No No
All day long.


This one looked at the window
As though it were a wall,
This one saw things that were not there,
This one things that were,
And this one cried No No No No
All day long.


This one thought himself a bird,
This one a dog,
And this one thought himself a man,
An ordinary man,
And cried and cried No No No No
All day long.

Welcome, Ms. Diamondamsel! Do show yourself!

Way to go, Botoy!

He he...

LJ: We have been working within the form of the United Nations, with their committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, as a working group. We have been developing procedures and protocol by which the nations would work together should we discover an impact threat, how we would respond as an international community.

JH: Ah, got it. This all kind of makes me think about that 1998 sci-fi flick ‘Armageddon’ -- or better yet, the movie ‘Deep Impact.’ You know, while those were Hollywood fantasy, what do you think would be the best way to save our planet from a killer asteroid in real life? Come on, talk nerdy to me!

LJ: Most of the studies show that there are probably three leading techniques that might be used. The principle of much of these mitigation techniques, deflection techniques, is to change the speed that the asteroid is traveling in space.”

JH: So, Lindley said technique number-one is using a kinetic impactor, something like a projectile or rocket, that would smack into a space rock at high velocity causing it to veer off course. Kaboom! Other studies suggest a weighted robotic spacecraft could just kind of nudge an asteroid off course. Technique number two is using the force of gravity itself to change a space rock’s path. That could be done by flying a big spacecraft out to the asteroid, so they’re right next to each other, and then hopefully the gravitational attraction between the two would be strong enough to deflect the asteroid. But with both of those options, it would take years -- some scientists estimate around a decade -- to pull together the capabilities, travel out to the space rock, and allow time for the rock’s trajectory to change. And then we’ve got technique number-three, which is total destruction, basically blow up the space rock with some explosive. Now, if we had to put one of these plans into action -- who would be orchestrating all of this?

LINDLEY JOHNSON: In fact, I just looked the number up, 10,081, near-Earth objects have been cataloged that we are tracking. However, there’s a number of them that are considered potentially hazardous. In other words, they are objects that do come close to Earth's orbit. So they bear watching.

JH: Not only could they drift really close to us, but ‘potentially hazardous’ also means they’d be more than 100-meters wide, so possibly big enough to pass through Earth’s atmosphere and cause damage on a regional scale. Yikes! And there may still be space rocks out there we haven’t even spotted yet. So, what happens if we see something heading our way? How do we protect ourselves?

JACQUELINE HOWARD: Hey everyone. Jacqueline Howard here. Several astronomers all around the world are scanning the skies on a regular basis, pointing high-tech telescopes toward the cosmos, taking note of what’s zipping by our planet while remaining on alert. So, what are they looking for? Dangerous asteroids. Particularly, a giant global killer that may have our name on it. Scary, right?! But not necessarily unlikely. We all saw what happened in Chelyabinsk, Russia, when that meteor exploded in the sky, causing damage and injuries back in February. How big is the risk that something similar may happen again -- or even something worse? Well to find out, I spoke with Lindley Johnson. He’s the program executive for NASA’s near-Earth objects office in Washington, D.C.

By Jacqueline Howard
From http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
Posted: 08/19/2013 8:53 am EDT


Sci-fi flicks that star Earth-killing space rocks, such as the 1998 movie "Armageddon" or "Deep Impact," might be Hollywood fantasy, but according to astronomers, those silver-screen scenarios could become reality.

Given that there are "potentially hazardous asteroids" NASA has mapped out, scientists are continuing to scan skies just in case. In fact, NASA announced a new "grand challenge" in June to find all dangerous space rocks as well as a way to stop them from destroying Earth.

How exactly do you stop an asteroid in its tracks? I reached out to Lindley Johnson, program executive for the Near-Earth Object Program Office at NASA headquarters in Washington D.C., for the answer.

Bitaw, the water is for teetotalers like you...

Yes! The salty iced water!

Bwahaha! Arang pud tawhana...

Political will

The President needs strong political will to scrap the pork barrel, but he risks exposing daang matuwid (straight path) as a mere slogan if he ignores calls for this, former National Treasurer Leonor Briones said on Sunday.

Briones and political analyst Bobby Tuazon agreed it would be easy for the executive department to tweak the budget and distribute the pork barrel fund to priority projects, through government agencies.

That way, the government would also eliminate political dynasties that survive on pork barrel to perpetuate themselves in power, and usher in a new breed of politicians, he said.

But since the pork barrel fund is intended to ensure the support of lawmakers for the proposed national budget, it’s tough for the President to heed calls to scrap it, Briones said.

“If he (the President) is his mother’s son, and he says the Filipinos are his boss, perhaps he should listen to his bosses. But is he listening to his bosses? We have to look at the records,’’ Briones said in an interview on Sunday.

“All that he needs to do is delete that lineâ€"it’s just one line in the budget,” she added. “It’s all about political will.â€" With a report from Lawrence de Guzman, Inquirer Research

Militants to join

The militant Bagong Alyansang Makabayan said it would join the event, according to Renato Reyes.

Aquino’s allies from Akbayan joined appeals for the abolition of the pork barrel, saying it was “incompatible with the President’s reform agenda.”

“We call on President Aquino to support us in our call for the total and unconditional abolition of the pork barrel system. This is a system that has been exposed time and again as a tool of patronage politics aimed to foment elite rule through political dependence,” Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello said in a statement.

Akbayan Rep. Ibarra Gutierrez also said Congress could no longer ignore the exploitation of the PDAF and must act decisively.

“While a gradual phase out of the PDAF to ensure the implementation of budget reforms and the readjustment agencies’ priorities to deliver basic services to the people would have been ideal, the extent and pervasiveness of last week’s appalling revelations demand that we cut clean by doing away with the entire pork barrel fund,” he said.

“The pork barrel is an issue that transcends everybody,” Colmenares said.

Buhay Rep. Lito Atienza said in a phone interview that he was looking into the Aug. 26 gathering, and if there were no politics behind its organization, he would personally join it.

Atienza, who has vowed not to use the pork barrel, said he had seen how people have become so angry over the pork barrel system. He added that it would be a good move to suspend its implementation now in preparation for its eventual abolition.

He said it was not true that everybody was expecting lawmakers to shell out funds for projects. Only those who were used to getting money from politicians expected anything from them. Those who understood the pork barrel system actually abhorred it, he added.

Party-list groups

ACT Teacher Rep. Antonio Tinio, who plans to attend the gathering, said it didn’t matter if the event would hit the one million mark or not. What was important was the fact that people were angry and showed it.

“There should be more of these protests throughout the country. Whether one thousand or one million show up, it’s important that citizens, outraged by the pork barrel scam, are now spontaneously mobilizing and calling for the abolition of the pork,” Tinio said.

He said this would just be the first of several mobilization moves against the pork barrel system, which would “make P-Noy’s continuing support for the pork ultimately untenable.”

Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares also planned to attend the event, and believes that the presence of lawmakers against the pork should not be seen as politics affecting the event.

About time

“When u pay 32% of your income sa taxes at napupunta sa wala isn’t it about time na magwala ka na join the #millionPeopleMarch to Luneta,” tweeted user @cunelva.

“If I were in Manila, I would DEFINITELY go to that pocket picnic at Luneta on 26th of August. Pera ko ang parte sa ninakaw nila!” user @imJanina tweeted.

User @jin_eus asked, “Why just march? Why don’t we all stop paying income taxes until they sort this out and ensure that this won’t happen again?”

“I have never attended any rally back in UP. Kahit sa mga walk-outs. But this one is different,” tweeted user @iansomosa.

Legislators who have called for the pork barrel abolition are supportive of the event and intend to join it.

We’re the boss

“Tayo ang mga bayani at tayo ang boss ni PNoy… So it’s time to remind him!!!” commented Lilian Garcia Flores Quiambao on the same page.

“The only thing necessary for massive corruption to continue in this country is apathy among its citizens. Now is the time to be heard,” Andrew Agunod said on his Facebook page as he shared the details of the gathering with all his contacts.

Tina Manalo Newman asked: “Paano kaya nakakatulog ang mga sangkot dito?”

Details of the event were also shared on Twitter, with users reposting the meme, “I pay my taxes on-time and in-full. You, my government, owe me a full explanation.”

As soon as details of the event were posted on Aug. 17, it quickly made the rounds of Facebook and the micro-blogging site Twitter. After two days, a total of 5,532 users accepted the invitation and said they were “going,” while 872 responded with a “maybe.”

Some 45,044 Facebook users also received the invitation and have yet to respond.

Confirming his attendance, Jerry Salting Udarbe wrote, “If we don’t protest, the corrupt will think that we don’t care if they pocket the taxes that we pay.”

Spontaneous

Rapadas said there was a “spontaneous feel about the whole thing,” since based on the Facebook page, there was no organization or committee handling the event. There seemed to be no program planned as well.

He expressed hope that the gathering would be peaceful and orderly and that those who decide to organize into committees would be able to maintain security measures during the event.
Rapadas appealed to legislators to put a stop to the pork barrel scam, and to allow the fair and transparent investigation of practices so that similar schemes would not be repeated in the future.

Bretaña, in her post on the event’s Facebook page, also said the gathering should not be a march or a rally since no one would get a permit for it.

“It should be a gathering of a multitude of our own little groups to show them who their boss is. We are the boss! We have forgotten this and we should lay claim to it,” she said.

Send message

The Aug. 26 event is intended to send the message that the people want the pork barrel scrapped, and that the senators and representatives implicated in the pork barrel scam must be investigated and charged accordingly.

It is also meant to show support for the Ombudsman’s investigation of the anomalies.

That same day, several faculty members from the University of the Philippines called for the abolition of the pork barrel fund.
Rapadas’ post was shared by friends on Facebook and it got the attention of Peachy Rallonza-Bretaña.

Bretaña then reposted it and set the Aug. 26 date for the gathering. Rapadas said he did not personally know Bretaña and the other people who set up the Facebook page for the event.
‘Pocket picnic’

In a Facebook post, Bretaña said the event was planned to be a “pocket picnic” and a “colorless” event in Rizal Park where no person would be tagged as the organizer, “because each one of us is the organizer.”

“The dominant picture in everybody’s mind is the struggling Pinoy worker/employee toiling and paying faithfully their obligations to government. And using that mental image together with my notion of a ‘million people’â€"I thought it was time for taxpayers and the silent majority to express our displeasure. It’s not an original thought to demonstrate or protest because many organizations are now calling for action,” he said.

The Commission on Audit on Friday reported that some P6.2 billion from the PDAF of 12 senators and 180 representatives had been transferred to 82 nongovernment organizations, including bogus ones and those set up by legislators or their relatives, from 2007 to 2009.

Ten of the NGOs had links with businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles, who allegedly converted P10 billion in pork barrel of 28 lawmakers into kickbacks over 10 years through her company JLN Trading Corp., using dummy foundations, fake beneficiaries and bogus signatures of officials.

President Aquino and many lawmakers have so far rejected calls to abolish the pork or the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), and instead pushed for reforms on how it is used.

The “Million People March to Luneta” was inspired by a Facebook post from music production manager Ito Rapadas, who said that there must be a million marchers to compel legislators and government officials to put a stop to pocketing pork barrel funds.

“The dominant emotion is anger and outrage,” Rapadas told the Inquirer, explaining why he decided to make the call to action.

People who are paying taxes faithfully could not accept that the money was being misused, he said.

By Leila B. Salaverria, TJ Burgonio
Philippine Daily Inquirer
2:35 am | Tuesday, August 20th, 2013


If disclosures on raids on public funds won’t break the legislators’ tenacious hold on the pork barrel, maybe the people’s outrage will.

Calls for a mass public gathering at Rizal Park in Manila to show citizens’ outrage over the misuse of public funds have arisen on the social networking site Facebook following revelations of anomalous transactions.

Netizens have set Aug. 26 as the day to show their disgust. It also happens to be a public holiday in observance of National Heroes’ Day.

A laudable initiative, I would say...

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/
By Arianne Caryl N. Casas
Tuesday, August 20, 2013


THE 17th City Council is expected to pass a resolution to enact an ordinance prohibiting the sale of junk foods within school premises.

Councilor Rachel Zozobrado, in a copy of the proposed resolution, said an ordinance should be passed requiring all public and private schools to prohibit selling of junk foods inside the canteens/cafeterias or within the 100 meters school parameter zone.

"This is to ensure that the students get the most nutrition that they can," she said.

She said junk foods are still being sold and served to students in school canteens and cafeterias, as well as by ambulant vendors outside the schools.

“There have been an increasing number of malnourished and undernourished children in our city,” the councilor said, adding that junk food have a large contribution on this.

“The term junk food refers to food perceived to have little or no nutritional value, products with nutritional value but contain ingredients considered unhealthy when eaten on a regular basis or products passing as food, considered unhealthy to consume at all,” the proposed resolution read.

It added that, “Junk foods are typically ready to eat convenience food containing high levels of saturated fats, salt or sugar and little or no fruit vegetables or dietary fiber.”

Once approved, the item will be referred to the Committee on Education, Science and Technology, Arts and Culture.

He he...

Quote from: taga tigbao on August 12, 2013, 03:46:47 PM
Ug si PNoy pa ni unsa kaha ijahang alternative work?

Basin ug holdaper kay hilig man ug shooting range atong Presidente. Hahahaha. Pang blooper ba. Unja ang Presidente diay to.

Kuyaw lang kon mataligam-an og salvage...

Hmm, pwede na rin...

CEBU. Relatives gaze at the choppy waves off Talisay City, while waiting for the retrieval team to bring more bodies to shore. At least 64 persons remained missing as of Aug. 19. (Alex Badayos photo/Sun.Star Cebu)

Hmm...

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

Video footage of the eruption shows the incredible power of the explosion and the effect on Kagoshima city, roughly 10 kms to the west of the volcano's summit, as the ash cloud blankets parts of the city.

No injuries have been reported from the eruption, although residents in the area are being warned to wear masks to protect their lungs and to cover up to avoid exposure to the ash.

The deadliest eruption from Sakrajima took place in 1914, when 58 people died. The Sakurajima Volcano Research Center, part of Kyoto University's Disaster Reduction Research Institute, was established to monitor Sakurajima with the hopes of preventing another deadly disaster.

http://ph.news.yahoo.com/
By Scott Sutherland | Geekquinox â€" 18 hours ago



A 5km-tall cloud of ash exploded from Japan's Mt. Sakurajima on Sunday, August 18th


Mount Sakurajima, an 1,100 metre-tall volcano in the south of Japan, erupted on Sunday, sending a 5-kilometre-high cloud of ash into the sky â€" the tallest produced by this volcano since 1955.

To say that Mt. Sakurajima is an active volcano is a drastic understatement. The Sakurajima Volcano Research Center, which has been monitoring the volcano since 1960, says that there have been 7,300 eruptions in the past 45 years. According to Masato Iguchi, the head of the Research Center, there were a record number of eruptions in 2012, and apparently this is the 500th eruption so far this year.

Quote from: islander on August 19, 2013, 11:28:55 PM
i just lost my mouth!

Don't worry. You still have the other one...

Posts: 71000




Botoy! Forward, march!

Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III said 13 bodies were retrieved Monday morning, bringing the number of fatalities to 52, while 68 passengers remained missing.

By late afternoon the number of fatalities had risen to 56.
Davide said the search-and-rescue and search-and-retrieveal operations would still continue.

He said rescuers would scour nearby islands and coastal towns for survivors, while divers would continue to retrieve bodies still trapped underwater with the vessel.

Meanwhile, the management of the 2GO Group Inc., owner of M/V St. Thomas Aquinas, assureds the public that would do its best to address the spill.

Lito Salvio, 2GO assistant vice president, said four Japanese technical divers and an expert from the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation Limited would fly to Cebu on Monday to assess the situation.

The shipping firm also engaged the services of a Malayan Towage and Salvage Corp., which deployed tugboats to help contain the oil spill.

The passenger vessel, the M/V St. Thomas Aquinas, sank after it collided with cargo vessel MV Sulpicio Express Siete on Friday evening just off the port of Cebu.

Cebu Vice Governor Agnes Magpale said that the oil spill contaminated fish cages in Barangay Bangbang in Cordova, killing at least 100 lapu-lapu (grouper), while five other fishing villages complained about a significant drop in their daily catch following the spill.

The calamity fund of Cebu will be used to assist affected fishermen and to buy chemicals needed to contain the oil spill.

http://www.solarnews.ph/
By Joyce Ilas
Mon, August 19, 2013



The oil spill from sunken passenger ship M/V St. Thomas Aquino has reached coastal barangays in the town of Cordova and in the cities of Lapu-lapu and Talisay on Monday, Aug. 19, 2013.


The Cebu Provincial Board placed on Monday its entire province under a state of calamity shortly after the oil spill from a sunken passenger ship reached coastal barangays in the town of Cordova and in the cities of Lapu-lapu and Talisay.

5. Some consumers may get hit with large out-of-pocket health costs next year.

The ACA requires that health plans cap the maximum out-of-pocket costs (including copays, coinsurance and deductibles) at $6,350 for individuals and $12,700 for families. But the Obama administration is delaying that provision for some plans for another year. The government published a FAQ in February saying some insurance plans offered by employers have separate policies or benefit managers for different parts of their coverage, such as medical care and drugs, and sometimes a third for children's dental services. Some employer plans have separate out-of-pocket caps for each of the coverage areas, according to Kaiser Health News.

So if plans use more than one company to administer their benefits â€" as many do â€" consumers may face separate caps next year. That means someone might have to pay $6,340 for doctor and hospital services and another $6,350 for prescription drugs.

“While it is not surprising that rates would vary among states and regions within a large state, it is surprising to see the large variance of rates within the same regional market at the same metal level. All plans in the same metal level within a state are required to offer the same ten essential benefits,” the authors write.

“We are beginning to see plan variations within metal tiers, though they are more uniform with respect to benefits and cost sharing,” says Pollitz, who adds there are likely many reasons for the variation. One is the provider network you have: Plans may offer the same benefits but one might have a narrower network of physicians than another, therefore limiting a consumer’s choice of doctor or hospital, Pollitz says.

4. Rates within individual tiers vary widely.

An early look at the estimated rates on exchanges shows a striking variance. A report published on HealthAffairs.org looked at rates for silver-tier plans (this level plan forms the basis for calculating premium subsidies) for a nonsmoking 40-year-old in four major cities in three different state-based marketplaces. For instance, in Baltimore, the second-highest silver premium was $417 for the consumer, while the second-lowest silver premium was $298 â€" a difference of $119, or 40%.

3. Premiums on the exchanges won’t affect most consumers.

The new rates cited so far impact primarily consumers who will buy their own coverage. Employment-based health benefits remain the most common form of insurance for most Americans, and most large employers already provide coverage to workers that meets the law’s new requirements. More than half of Americans â€" 55% â€" had employment-based insurance in 2011, and among the employed population aged 18 to 64, over two-thirds (68.2%) had insurance through their own employer or another person’s employer, according to the Census Bureau.

Under the ACA, insurance plans offered in the individual and small group markets will be required to cover a particular set of benefits and services called the “essential health benefits” package. These cover services in at least 10 categories, including prescription drugs; emergency services; hospitalization; mental health disorder services, and others. Some of those benefits haven’t been previously covered by plans. Additionally, consumers can’t be denied coverage because of their health status as they can be now in some states.

2. Old coverage vs. new coverage makes it hard to compare plans.

Much of the debate over health reform is popping up in states that have estimated consumers will pay higher premiums next year than they do now. For instance, the Ohio Insurance Department said earlier this month that individual exchange plan premiums are expected to climb on average by 41% in 2014 compared to 2013, while plans for small businesses will increase by 18%.

The problem with these comparisons is that “it’s completely different coverage â€" the type of coverage [under Obamacare] is more valuable,” says Linda Blumberg, senior fellow at the Urban Institute. Consumers might pay more for insurance next year because they’re likely getting a richer plan, she says.

According to Kaiser, the average premium subsidy (in the form of federal tax credits) will be $2,672 for a family of four purchasing a “silver” tier plan on the individual market.

That’s a 32% discount from the plan’s average cost of $8,250. Under the ACA, plans on the exchanges must provide coverage at specific “actuarial value levels”: 60% (bronze plan), 70% (sliver), 80% (gold) and 90% (platinum). This means, for example, the bronze plan covers 60% of medical expenses. The higher the actuarial value, the lower the out-of-pocket costs and higher premiums paid by the consumer.

1. The “sticker price” is not what most people will pay.

A few states have released information on what consumers can expect to pay for health coverage on the exchanges in 2014. But for nearly all exchange participants, those rates aren’t what they’ll actually be shelling out, primarily because about 48% of people now buying their own insurance will be eligible for tax credits that would offset these premiums, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation study published this week. (Subsidies will be available for people who have incomes from 100% up to 400% of the poverty level â€" or about $24,000 to $94,000 a year for a family of four.)

“Only the youngest, healthiest people with very high incomes in the individual market â€" and mostly people in this category aren’t in the individual market because they qualify for group health benefits at work â€" will pay more across the board in 2014,” says Karen Pollitz, senior fellow at the Kaiser Family Foundation.

By Lisa Scherzer | The Exchange â€" 5 hours ago


There are about six weeks left until the nationwide launch of health insurance marketplaces, a fundamental piece of the Affordable Care Act.

A handful of states have come out with their estimates of how much insurance premiums will cost on their exchanges, and in some cases, they have raised more questions than they answer. Here are five things to keep in mind when considering your coverage options.

* Valenzuela, pre-school to high school

* Mandaluyong, pre-school to high school

* Angono, Rizal - pre-school to high school

* Pangasinan - pre-school to high school

* Hagonoy, Bulacan - pre-school to high school

* Malolos, Bulacan - pre-school to high school

* Meycauayan, Bulacan, classes in all levels

* Obando, Bulacan, classes in all levels

* Makati City, all levels, both public and private

* Caloocan City, pre-school to high school, public and private. For colleges and universities, an announcement will be made at 4 a.m. on Tuesday, said Mayor Oscar Malapitan.

* Malabon City, all levels, public and private.

* Laguna, classes in all levels.

* Paranaque, classes in all levels

* Las Pinas, classes in all levels.

* Bataan, classes in all levels.

* Muntinlupa, classes in all levels.

* Pateros, classes in all levels.

* Dagupan, classes in all levels

* Manila, classes in all levels

* Taguig, classes in all levels

* San Juan, classes in all levels

* Pasay, pre-school to high school

ABS-CBNnews.com
Posted at 08/19/2013 4:39 PM | Updated as of 08/19/2013 9:28 PM


MANILA (12th UPDATE) - Several areas will again suspend classes tomorrow as rains and floods continue to wreak havoc in several areas.

* Cavite Governor Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla said classes will again be suspended in all levels in the province on Tuesday. This was announced on his Facebook and Twitter pages.

Cavite declared a state of calamity on Monday because of incessant rains and heavy flooding. At least two residents there have been killed, while another remains missing.

Quote from: islander on August 19, 2013, 08:28:08 PM
interesting.  bad eggs as floaters seems like saying figuratively that bad eggs live longer.

Bad eggs become bald, but they don't necessarily live longer...

Listen, those of you who have ears!

Warnings

To be humble isn't the same as being humble, and often people who pretend to be humble do it in order to seek out praise. Other people will recognize this, and even if you fool some, you won't derive the same benefits as you would through actually developing humility.

Similarly, don't confuse being humble with being sycophantic (being overly-praiseful of someone for your own profit). This is a common misconception, but the two attitudes are completely different.

While a bit of humility is a good thing, don't take it too far, thus becoming a doormat. Remember, everything in moderation.

Be loving and kind-hearted at all times,you never know when someone might need to reach out to you.

Seek trusted and wise counsel and obtain accountability partners if you find this to be a weakness in your life. Pride comes before the fall, and prevention is definitely better than cure.

Associate with and help out people, especially the poor, weak, etc.

Be kind and considerate. Help others and tell them you there for them.

Never brag about what you have ~ give to receive.
Ask questions when you don't know, when you know a little, and when you think you know it all.

Tips

Keep in mind that being humble has many benefits. Humility can help you be more content with your life, and it can also help you endure bad times and improve your relationships with others. It's also essential to being an effective learner. If you think you know it all, you won't be open-minded enough to seek out new knowledge. Humility is also, somewhat counter-intuitively, an excellent tool for self-development in general. After all, if you feel superior, you have no incentive to improve. Most of all, being humble allows you to be honest with yourself.

Learn to admit when you are wrong and don't allow your pride to allow you to feel that your actions are justified...

It is fine to talk about yourself a little, but make a conscious effort to ask people about themselves too. It's also a good idea to listen more when you are being talked/responded to.

Appreciate your talents. Being humble doesn't mean you can't feel good about yourself. Self-esteem is not the same as pride. Both come from a recognition of your own talents and qualities, but pride, the kind of pride that leans toward arrogance, is rooted in insecurity about yourself. Think about the abilities you have, and be thankful for them.

Help Others

1 Help others.

A big part of being humble is respecting others, and part of respecting others is helping them. Treat other people as equals and help them because it is the right thing to do. It's been said that when you can help others who cannot possibly help you in return, you have learned humility.

2 Practice gentleness.

Gentleness of spirit is the sure path to humility. Use 'Aikido' where possible when faced with conflict. ie. Absorb the venom from other's attacks and react with gentleness and respect.

2 Remain teachable.

Find people you aspire to be like in certain areas, and ask them to mentor you. Under mentorship; good boundary setting, confidentiality and discernment is required. As soon as you cross the line of being 'unteachable', bring yourself back down to earth again.

Continue Learning New Things

1 Seek guidance.

Contemplate moral texts and proverbs about humility. Pray for it, meditate on it, do whatever it takes to get your attention off yourself. If you're not into spirituality, consider the scientific method. Science requires humility. It requires that you let go of your preconceived notions and judgments and understand that you don't know as much as you think you do.

Rediscover a Sense of Wonder

1 Rejuvenate your sense of wonder.

Because we, as individuals, know practically nothing, you'd expect that we'd be awestruck more often than we typically are. Children have this sense of wonder, and it inspires the curiosity that makes them such keen observers and capable learners. Do you really know how your microwave works? Could you build one on your own? What about your car? Your brain? A rose? The jaded, "I've seen it all" attitude makes us feel far more important than we are. Be amazed like a child and you will not only be humbled; you will also be readier to learn.

2 Don't be afraid to defer to others' judgment.

It's easy to acknowledge that you make mistakes and that you're not always right. Somewhat more difficult however, is the ability to acknowledge that in many cases other people â€" even people who disagree with you â€" may be right. Deferring to your spouse's wishes, to a law you don't agree with, or even, sometimes, to your child's opinion takes your recognition of your limitations to a different level. Instead of simply saying that you know that you're fallible, you take action based on that fact. Of course, if you know that a particular course of action is wrong, you shouldn't follow it. On closer inspection, though, you may realize that you don't actually know this as often as you think you do.

Acknowledge Your Limitations

1 Don't be afraid to make mistakes.

Part of being humble is understanding that you will make mistakes. Understand this, and understand that everyone else makes mistakes, and you will have a heavy burden lifted off of you. Any one person can know only the smallest bits and pieces of the tremendous knowledge that has accumulated over the past. What's more, each person experiences only a sliver of the present, and knows little to nothing of the future.

2 Stop comparing.

It's nearly impossible to be humble when we're striving to be the "best" or trying to be better than others. Instead, try describing things more objectively. Rather than saying that so and so is the best guitarist ever, say what exactly it is that you appreciate about his skills, or simply say that you like his playing style. Let go of meaningless, simplistic comparisons, and you'll be able to enjoy doing things without worrying about whether you're better or worse at them than others.

Appreciate the Talents of Other People

1 Appreciate the talents and qualities of others.

Challenge yourself to look at others and appreciate the things they can do and, more generally, to appreciate people for who they are. Understand that everybody is different and relish the chance you have to experience different people. You will still have your personal tastes, your likes and dislikes, but train yourself to separate your opinions from your fears and you will appreciate others more - you will be humbler.

3 Count your blessings.

Suppose you graduate from an Ivy League university at the top of your class. You definitely deserve a lot of credit for the many hours of studying and for your perseverance. Consider though, that there is someone just as intelligent and hardworking as you who had less supportive parents, grew up in a different place, or just made one wrong choice in life. You could be in their position instead. Always remember that with a bad choice yesterday, your whole life could be different today and, furthermore, that today could be the day your good choices changes your life.

2 Recognize your own faults.

We judge others because it's a lot easier than looking at ourselves. Unfortunately, it's also completely unproductive and, in many cases, harmful. Judging others causes strife in relationships, and it prevents new relationships from forming. Perhaps even worse, it prevents us from trying to improve ourselves.

We make judgments about others all the time, usually without even realizing it. As a practical exercise, try to catch yourself in the act of judging another person or group of people, and whenever you do, judge yourself instead. Consider how you can improve yourself.

Steps

Evaluate Yourself

1 Understand your limitations.

No matter how talented you are, there is almost always somebody who can do something better than you. Look to those who are better and consider the potential for improvement.

Even if you are the best in the world at doing one thing, there are always other things that you cannot do, and may never be able to do.

Recognizing your limitations does not mean abandoning your dreams, and it does not mean giving up on learning new things or improving your existing abilities.

This post is lovingly dedicated to you-know-who...



How to Be Humble
http://www.wikihow.com/
Edited by Waited, Sondra C, Eric, Krystle and 80 others


"It's hard to be humble," says an old country song, "when you're perfect in every way." Of course, few people actually think they're perfect in every way. But it can still be pretty hard to be humble, especially if you live in a society that encourages competition and individuality. Yet, even in such a culture, humility remains an important virtue. Learning to be humble is of paramount importance in most spiritual traditions, and humility can help you develop more fully and enjoy richer relationships with others.

San Juan (as of 8 a.m.)

San Perfecto st. - 1.5 feet, not passable
Morales St., Salapan - 2 feet, not passable
Luna St., Salapan - 2 feet, not passable
Lake St., Salapan - 2 feet, not passable
F. Roman St., Salapan - 2 Feet, not passable
J.P Santos St., Rivera - 1.5 feet, not passable to light vehicles
Rivera St., Progreso - 1.5 feet, not passable to light vehicles
G. Soriano., Kabayanan - 1.5 feet, not passable to light vehicles
F. Manalo, Batis - 1 foot, not passable to light vehiclesE. Fernandez, Batis - 1 foot, not passable to light vehicles

(Earlier reported)

Pasong Tamo to Montojo - 8 inches deep
Brgy. Pio Del Pilar-Dela Rosa, Pasong Tamo - 24-36 inches, not passable
Road along Chino Roces - not passable
Brgy. San Antonio: Caong, Mayapis, Malugay - 24 inches not passable
Brgy. Tejeros: Pasong Tirad from Vito Cruz to Montojo St., Mola St. - 5 inches, Passable
Brgy. Singkamas: Yague, Montojo, Ponte, Mascardo and Davila - 10 inches
Brgy. Bangkal: P. Binay from Gen. Luna to Malvar, Cailles and Bonifacio - 12 inches, Not passable to light vehicles
Brgy, Palanan - 12 inches Not passable to light vehicles
Gil Puyat from Batangas St. to SSH - 24-36 inches, not passable

Taguig

Reported flooding at New Lower Bicutan
ML Quezon not passable to vehicles with knee-deep flood water.

Makati
(As of 9 a.m)

Brgy. Palanan: Matanzas, Ibarra, Guernica, & Dian - 36 inches, Not passable to light vehicles
Brgy. Tejeros: Davila to Primo Rivera to Metropolitan - 6-7 inches, passable
Brgy. Olympia: Hipodromo from Taliba to Hiwaga - 6 to 7inches, passable
Brgy La Paz: All streets are not passable, 36 inches deep
Chino Roces is  flooded (15 inches) and not passable to light vehicles
Mayapis - two feet, not passable to light vehicles
Brgy. San Antonio: Chino Roces cor. Dela Rosa - 15 inches, not passable to light vehicles